USA > Illinois > Kane County > The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois > Part 60
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I S. STEPHENS, who resides in Batavia, Illinois, but who is actively engaged in business in Aurora, Illinois, came to Kane county in 1847, and has since made it his home. He was born at Stephensburg, Mor- ris county, New Jersey, March 25, 1841. The family are of Welsh descent, two brothers coming from Wales prior to the Revolutionary war, one locating in South Carolina, and the other in New Jersey. From the latter he traces his descent. The great-grandfather of our subject, Samuel Stephens, was a soldier in the Revolution- ary war, holding a captain's commission. His son, Daniel Stephens, was the father of Joseph C. Stephens, born in 1813, in Mor- ris county, New Jersey. The latter married Sarah C. Shipman also a native of New Jersey. The Shipman family had a grant of land from King George, on which they located at a very early day, and the old stone house erected by the first of the name who came to America, is still standing. After his marriage, Joseph C. Stephens en- gaged in farming and in milling at Stephens- burg, where his father, who was a mill- wright by trade, had erected the first mill
in Morris county. He remained in that business until 1847, when he moved with his family to Illinois. In 1846, in company with three other men, he visited northern Illinois, and spent the whole season in look- ing over the country. He was at Nauvoo when Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, was killed. On coming to Kane county he located in Geneva, and there, in connection with two brothers, built a paper mill, and en- guged in the manufacture of paper. In 1853 he moved to Mill Creek, south of Ba- tavia, and settled on a farın on which he continued to reside until his death, Decem- ber 1, 1858. His wife survived him many years, dying March 29, 1891.
I. S. Stephens is the oldest of three children, the others being Edgar, who has been in business in West Chicago for more than twenty years, and Ella C., wife of Dr. James Bradley, of West Chicago. When the family came to Kane county our subject was but six years old. He here grew to manhood, and received his education in the Batavia schools and in the Beloit High School. On the death of his father he was in his eighteenth year, and with his mother, he took charge of the farm and engaged in its cultivation. Later he purchased the in- terest of the other heirs and succeeded to the whole place, to which he subsequently added more land, making a fine farm of two hundred and seventeen acres, located about a mile and a half from Batavia. In 1869 Mr. Stephens formed a partnership with J. W. Randall, who owned a stone quarry on the Fox river, and engaged with him in the business until 1875, when Mr. Randall was killed. He then purchased the interest of the heirs and continued the business. In 1870, however, with Mrs. Randall, he com- menced business in Aurora, building some
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kilns and burning lime. Later he engaged in the coal business in connection with the lime, and still later added charcoal, fire- brick and Batavia stone. His business has always been quite an extensive one and fairly profitable.
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As his means increased, Mr. Stephens has made other investments, and to-day owns stock in the cotton mill, ice plant and barrel factory, in Batavia and in Aurora creameries. Has been identified with the dairy interests as director and president of Batavia Creamery. He is also a stock- holder in the bank at Batavia, and in the Merchants' National Bank, of Aurora. At- taining his majority after the war for the Union had commenced, he cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has since been an earnest sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party. He has been an active member of the Congregational church of Batavia since 1858, and for the greater part of that time one of its official board. For nearly forty years he has served as superintendent of a Sunday-school, and for fifteen years was one of the members of the choir. Always de- voted to the church, he has given of his time and means towards its upbuilding. For fifty-one years he has been a resident of Kane county, and for forty years actively engaged in business. He is well known and highly respected throughout Kane and ad- joining counties.
JACOB N. HOYT, who resides on sec- tion 11, Kaneville township, is one of · the active and enterprising farmers of Kane county, owning and operating a farm of four hundred and twenty acres, which was long
known as the Livingston farm. He is a native of New Hampshire, born in Concord, December 15, 1831. His father, Hon. Jacob Hoyt, was also born'in Concord, his birth occurring March 28, 1772, while his grandfather, John Hoyt, was likewise a na- tive of the Granite state. The family are of English ancestry, and originally settled in New Hampshire prior to the Revolution- ary war. Abner Hoyt, a brother of Jacob, was a soldier in that war.
Jacob Hoyt, who was a farmer by oc- cupation, grew to manhood in his native state, and there married Fannie Tucker, who was born in Canton, Massachusetts. They became the parents of five sons and five daughters, of whom our subject and one brother, J. T., are the only survivors. The latter now resides in California. The father was a prominent man in his county and state, and was elected and served sev- eral terms in the legislature, and held other positions of trust and honor, being one of the three selectmen of his town. As an oc- cupation he followed farming his entire life, and was quite prosperous. His death oc- curred on the old farm April 17, 1864, at the ripe old age of ninety-two years. His wife survived him a few years, dying at the age of ninety-five years.
The subject of this sketch grew to man- hood in Concord, and was educated in the common schools and in Andover and other academies. For several terms, after leav- ing school, he engaged in teaching in his na- tive state. In 1853, when a young man, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and there en- gaged in the lumber business for a time, and later was in the Cleveland postoffice ten years, having charge of the registered letter department. Leaving that position, he was engaged with his brother at Castalia,
J. N. HOYT.
LIBRARY Of THE .... UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
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Ohio, in the manufacture of paper for sev- active part in politics, and served seven con- eral years.
secutive years as a member of the county At Delaware, Ohio, May 20, 1862, Mr. Hoyt was united in marriage with Mary A. Latimer, who was born and reared at that place, and who was a daughter of Sylvester Latimer. She died at Castalia, December 21, 1866, leaving three children, as follows: William L., who is married and is residing in Nebraska; Robert T., married, and re- siding in Chicago, where he is engaged in business; and Harry M., who is assisting his father in operating the farm. board of supervisors. In the spring of 1898 he was elected supervisor of Kaneville town- ship, and is now faithfully discharging the duties of that office. For some eight or ten years he was township trustee, and being a friend of education and the public schools, he served some years as a member of the school board. During the war he contrib- uted largely towards its vigorous prosecu- tion. Fraternally he is a Mason, a mem- ber of Blackberry lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Elburn, and of Sycamore commandery, K. T., of Sycamore, De Kalb county, Illinois. He has served as worshipful master of Blackberry lodge, and has represented the Concord, New Hampshire, and was there lodge in the Grand Lodge of the state. . While not numbered among the pioneers of the state, Mr. Hoyt has given thirty of the best years of his life to its growth and de- velopment, and in every enterprise which has a tendency for the public good, he is willing to give of his time and means. He is an enterprising and successful farmer, and is worthy of the esteem in which he is held.
In 1868 Mr. Hoyt came west and located in Macon county, Illinois, where he bought and also leased a section of land, and en- gaged in farming. In 1869 he returned to married, April 7 of that year, to Mrs."Eu -. nice N. Thayer, nee Brown, who had one son by her former marriage, Charles G., who is now married and engaged in business in Chicago. Immediately after their mar- riage, Mr. Hoyt returned with his bride to Macon county, Illinois, where he was suc- cessfully engaged in farming until 1884. He then sold his farm and moved to Kane county, Illinois, having previously purchased the farm on which he now resides, and which he has greatly improved since it came into his possession. He has built several barns and outbuildings, tiled much of the land, and has made of it a model farm. Mrs. Hoyt died on this farm, February 19, 1888, leaving two sons, Edward L. and J. Walter, the former married and is residing on the home farm, and an adopted daugh- ter, named Belle, resides at home.
Politically Mr. Hoyt is.a Democrat of the old school, and cast his first presidential ballot for James Buchanan, in 1856. While residing in Macon county, he took quite an
D E WITT CLINTON PRATT, the old- est photographer in Aurora, was born in the town of Homer, Cortland county, New York, August 14, 1823, and is the son of David and Electa (Alexander) Pratt, the former a native of Connecticut, and the lat- ter of Vermont. By occupation he was a farmer, and in the war of 1812 was a fifer in a New York regiment. He served only a short time, and although the regiment was anxious to go into battle it did not have a chance on account of the war being brought to a sudden close. Both he and his wife
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were members of the Presbyterian church. His death occurred at Homer, New York, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife sur- vived him, dying at the age of sixty-seven years. Of their family of ten children, six still survive. One son, Francis M., lives in Lake Forrest, Illinois, while a daughter, Mrs. H. Wood, resides in Aurora. The sub- ject of this sketch remained upon the home farm until thirteen years of age, then went to learn the painting and cabinet maker's trade, finishing all kinds of furniture. Hav- ing no particular taste for cabinet making, but having a strong liking for painting, he discontinued cabinet making, and devoted his attention exclusively to painting. In 1845 he came west to Chicago, where he remained one year, working for a firm, do- ing ornamental painting on furniture. From Chicago he went to Waukegan, then called Little Fork, where he remained until 1849, working at his trade. Having painter's colic, by the advice of his physician, he quit working at his trade, although in after years he did a little in that line. At that time the making of daguerreotypes had assumed some importance, and Mr. Pratt determined - to learn to make them. From a lady who understood the business he received instruc- tions, giving in exchange work at his trade. After learning the business Mr. Pratt in the fall of 1849 removed to St. Charles, and set up an establishment. He there re- mained until 1853, although he established himself in business in Aurora in 1851, while still making his home in St. Charles. In 1853 he moved his family to Aurora, which has since been his home, with the exception of one year spent in Boston. Beginning with the daguerreotypes, he soon learned to make ambrotypes and later photographs, and has been in the business from that time
to the present, almost fifty years. He is now the oldest photographer in Aurora, and is called the veteran portrait man of the city. His work has always been rated as A No. I, and he has carried off many prizes for the excellency of his work. The gal- lery is now run by his son, Edmund Clinton, who has inherited the artistic taste of his father.
In July, 1848, Mr. Pratt was united in marriage with Miss Mary Burdick, daughter of Paul Burdick, of Scott, New York. By this union there were six children, as fol- lows: Flora, now the wife of Col. De Witt C. Sprague, who was for eight years minis- ter to Germany, and is now in the auditor's office of the treasury department at Wash- ington; Evlelyn E., who married Frank H. Vick, of Rochester, New York, but is now deceased; Frances, wife of Don D. Miles, a machinist engaged in the manufacture of fine tools in Aurora, and Edmund Clinton, of whom mention has already been made. Two children died in infancy. The mother of these children, who was a member of the Baptist church, dying in 1889, our sub- ject, for his second wife, in 1894, married Mrs. Charlotte A. Newcomb, a widow of Rudolphus Newcomb, and daughter of James White, of Homer, New York. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pratt are members of the Congregational church. In politics he is thoroughly independent, voting for the man and not the party.
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P ROFESSOR WALTER H. CALLOW, principal and proprietor of the Elgin Business College, of Elgin, Illinois, was born April 4, 1866, in Linden, Wisconsin, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Glasson) Callow, the former a native of the Isle of
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Man, and the latter of Mineral Point, Wis- consin. The paternal grandfather, who was a miner by occupation, spent his entire life on the Isle of Man. He had a large family of children. John Glasson, the maternal grandfather, was also a miner, who was born in England and at an early day camne to America. He met his death in middle life, being lost in the gold mines at Grass Valley, California.
In 1860, William Callow, our subject's father, crossed the Atlantic to the United States, and four years later took up his resi- dence upon his present farm near Linden, Wisconsin. Both he and his wife are ear- nest, consistent Christian people, faithful members of the Methodist church, and he is now serving as trustee. To them have been born nine children, namely: Walter H., Ulysses Grant, Forrest H., William L., Herman R., Clarence L., Gussie P. and Wesley H., all living; and Roxie L., de- ceased.
Professor Callow was reared upon the home farm, and after attending the district schools, he was a student for some time in the high school in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Subsequently he worked for two years in a creamery, and then attended a business college for one year, while for two years he pursued the teacher's course at Valparaiso, Indiana. He then came to Elgin where he taught in Drew's Business College for four years, and in 1893 opened the Elgin Busi- ness College, which he has since success- fully conducted. The course of study in- cludes book-keeping, shorthand, arithmetic, typewriting, commercial law, correspond- ence, penmanship, business forms, spelling and business practice, and it is the object of the school to thoroughly prepare young men and women for business careers. The teach-
ers are experienced and competent, and the school is meeting with a well-deserved suc- cess, having an average attendance of one hundred and thirty scholars. ,
On the 21st of August, 1890, Professor Callow was united in marriage to Miss Al- vina Holman, a daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth (Batten) Holman, and to them have been born a son and a daughter-Al- vah O., and Cora M. The family have a pleasant home at No. 555 Douglas avenue. The Professor and his wife are both active and prominent members of the Methodist church, in which he is now serving as stew- ard, and politically, he is identified with the Republican party. .
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W TATERMAN R. SUNDERLAND, now living retired in St. Charles, where he has made his home since September, 1869, was born in Shoreham, Addison county, Vermont, April 21, 1829, and is a worthy representative of an old and honored New England family of English origin. The first to come to the new world were three broth- ers, John, William and Samuel Sunderland, who were among the early settlers of Mass- achusetts. Samuel Sunderland, our sub- ject's grandfather, was a soldier of the Rev- olutionary war, and in recognition of his services he was granted a pension by the government. He was one of the pioneers of Addison county, Vermont, and in the midst of the wilderness developed a farm and reared his family.
There his son, Waterman Sunderland, Sr., grew to manhood, and for his services in the war of 1812 he was given a land war- rant. He married Lydia Haynes, who was born and reared in Middletown, Vermont, a daughter of Kiah Haynes, also a represent-
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ative of an old family of that state. After his marriage, Mr. Sunderland continued to reside on the old homestead, caring for his father, while he successfully operated the farm, upon which he lived until called to the world beyond. In his family were four sons and four daughters who reached years of maturity, Waterman R. being the young- 'est of those to reach maturity. The others were as follows: Volney lived for many years in Addison county, Vermont, and then removed to the northern part of the state, where he died at the age of eighty years; Charlotte Sophia married Ezekiel Prescott and first settled in Addison county, whence they later removed to Faribault, Minnesota; Cordelia Maria married Ambrose Hemen- way and is now deceased; Jonathan married and resides on the old homestead, caring for his parents during their declining years, and there his death occurred; Marcia Amelia is the wife of Elijah Grosvenor and a resi- dent of Addison county; Lydia Fidelia is the wife of O. V. Munn, of Freeport, Illinois; and Aaron died at the age of seven years. Rev. Byron Sunderland, a cousin of our subject, was chaplain of the senate during President Lincoln's administration. He is a very able man and has been pastor of one of the Presbyterian churches of Washington, District of Columbia, for half a century. He it was who performed the marriage cere- mony of President Cleveland and Miss Frances Folsom.
Until nineteen 'years of age Waterman R. Sunderland, of this sketch, remained on the old homestead, and his early education obtained in the common schools was sup- plemented by three terms' attendance at the Shoreham Academy. On leav- ing the parental roof he began life for himself as a peddler, selling tinware for
nine years in Addison and adjoining coun- ties, and for four years he sold jewelry in the same way. In the spring of 1861 he re- moved to a farm in Port Henry, Essex county, New York, but two years later we find him en route for Illinois. Locating in Freeport, he entered the employ of a mer- cantile firm in June of 1863, traveling over the country with a wagon and selling notions at wholesale for six years. He then came to St. Charles and successfully engaged in the same business on his own account until 1893, when he laid aside business cares. His route extended over several counties and he enjoyed an extensive and profitable trade. Upright and reliable in his dealings, he made many friends and secured the con- fidence and high regard of all with whom he came in contact.
In Rochester, Vermont, Mr. Sunderland was married in July, 1855, to Miss Laura Rowley, who was born in Addison county and reared in Shoreham, that state. She died in St. Charles in October, 1887, leav- ing one daughter, Ida, now the wife of William Sunderland, of Elgin, Illinois. Our subject was again married in Franklin county, Vermont, March 7, 1889, his sec- ond union being with Miss Mary E. Sun- derland, who was born, reared and educated in that county, and is a daughter of U. M. Sunderland, a native of Vermont and a sec- ond cousin of him whose name introduces this sketch. Our subject owns a com- fortable and pleasant home in St. Charles, where he expects to spend his declining years. In August, 1897, he and his wife returned to Vermont, and after spending six enjoyable weeks in visiting the friends and scenes of their youth they returned by way of Canada, stopping at Montreal, where they also had friends living, and they
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took in the sights of that great and inter- esting city.
Mr. Sunderland was reared a Whig, and has been a stanch Republican since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lin- coln, in 1864. Public office has never had any attraction for him, but he has ever faithfully performed all duties of citizen- ship. His wife attends the Congregational church of St. Charles, and is one of its most active workers.
C HARLES W. WATSON, who is en- gåged in general farming on section 29, Hampshire township, is well known in the northern part of the county. As his father died while yet a young man the facts of his remote ancestry that might have been known are lost. Benjamin F. Wat- son, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Greene, Chenango county, New York, April 4, 1837, and came west when a boy. His father, William Watson, who married Submit Mack, came to northern Illinois seeking a home for his family and died at Naperville before their arrival. With a sister, Benjamin F. Watson came to Illinois, and for a time lived with her at Woodstock, McHenry county, Illinois. Colonel Julian, of that county, took a fancy to the boy and taking him to his home when but ten years of age, learned him the blacksmith trade. In five years and at an age when most boys are just beginning to think of choosing a trade or profession, he was an expert mechanic. After about three years at Elgin, doing the fine iron work on carriages and buggies for a factory at that place, he married and moved to Allen's Grove, Wisconsin, where he conducted a shop until his enlistment in the army. He
enlisted in the Fourth Wisconsin Battery in September, 1861, serving in all the engage- ments of his command until stricken with typhoid fever, from the effects of the im- pure water, heat and dust incident to sum- mers in the south. For twenty-two months he had been stationed at Fortress Monroe, where he was stricken with the fever. After but two days in the hospital at Yorktown, Virginia, so violent was the fever that he died August 4, 1863. He was married De- cember 9, 1857, to Miss Helen Bell, born on the old homestead on section 29, Hamp- shire township, March 16, 1840.
The Bell family is one of the oldest and most respected in Kane county. Henry G. Bell, the grandfather of our subject, was born at Ogdensburg, New York, September 13, 1808. He was the son of Ralph Ru- dolphus Wheelock Bell, a native of Ver- mont, who was the son of Ralph 'Bell. Ralph R. W. Bell married Desire Rey- nolds, a native of Vermont, who lived until about 1876. Henry G. Bell spent his boy- hood in Ogdensburg, New York, and in 1824 moved with the family to Detroit, Michi- gan, where he remained until March, 1837, and then came to Kane county, Illinois, tak- ing up a claim in Burlington township. This claim was jumped and he was wrong- fully deprived of his rights. He then came to Hampshire township, secured three hun- dred and twenty acres on section 29, and made a home here for his family, and on which he resided until his death, December 26, 1897. Owing to the wrong done him in Burlington, he seldom ever went there on business of any kind, doing his trading else- where. At the time of making his claim in Hampshire township, there was but one house between his place and Sycamore, De Kalb county, that of Mr. Shurtliff.
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Henry G. Bell was of a genial, sunny disposition, always happy. His only tribu- lation was getting the boys up in the morn- ing. Sometimes, after repeatedly calling them, he would become provoked and angrily start up the stairs, but after mount- ing a step or two, would stop and reflect that anger was not conducive to longevity, and come down singing, leaving the boys to sleep. He was revered by all who knew him, and sincerely mourned when called to rest at the age of almost four score years and ten. Henry G. Bell married Charlotte R. DeWitt, who was left an orphan at the . age of eight years. To them were born ten children, as follows: Martinette, who mar- ried Henry Phelps, of Charles City, Iowa; Helen, the mother of our subject; Prudence, widow of Dennis Remmington, of Kansas; George, who lives in Elgin; Charlotte, who married Melvin Poor, and resides in Ne- braska; John, who lives in Genoa township, DeKalb county; Mary, who died in infancy; Frank, living in Elgin; Charles, living in Genoa township, De Kalb county; and Can- dice, living in Sycamore, and who married a Mr. Gillett.
Charles W. Watson was the only child of Benjamin F. and Helen Watson. He was born at Allen's Grove, Wisconsin, Feb- ruary 26, 1860, and was reared in Hamp- « shire township, Kane county, Illinois. His education was obtained in the schools of that township, and at Madison, Wisconsin, and Sycamore, Illinois. At the age of sev- enteen, he commenced to learn the trade of a machinist and engineer in Chicago, and after working for the City railway two years, he entered the employ of the Illinois Central railroad, remaining thirteen years, becoming one of its most trusted engineers. He resigned that position in 1894, and with
his mother moved back to the farm in or- der that she might care for her aged father. He is now conducting a general and dairy farm, and being an expert machinist, has a shop on his place, doing his own repairing. which is, in fact, better than it could be done at inost regular repair shops. Mr. Watson was married in Chicago, January 1, 1896, to Miss Carrie Smith, a native of Galesburg, Illinois, but reared in Chicago, and a daughter of Frederick L. Smith, Jr., a native of Mercersburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, born September 25, 1825, and who died August 13, 1893. He was the son of Frederick L. Smith, Sr., and Re- becca (Shafer) Smith, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Frederick L. Smith, Jr., who was a commercial traveler for a wholesale drug house in Chicago, mar- ried Anna Benton, born at Quincy, Illinois, and a daughter of Erastus and Caroline (Cook) Benton, who were from Hartford, Connecticut.
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