The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 88

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884

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ORANGE SANFORD, livery stable, Chatsworth ; was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., May 4, 1828, and is theson of Israel and Aphia (Lockwood) Sanford ; his father was a farmer, and emigrated West when Mr. Sanford was young, and settled in Hancock Co., Ill. ; from herc, they moved to McHenry Co., then to Grundy ; Mr. Sanford then came to Liv- ingston Co. and settled in Five-Mile Grove, Pleasant Ridge Tp. ; here until 1859, then south of Chatsworth, in Ford Co .; here about four years, then to Chatsworth, and in 1873, commenced the livery business ; keeps the best livery in Chatsworth, and

has from twelve to fifteen head of stock, and top and open buggies and barouches on hand. Married, in 1850, to Miss Amanda L. Smith ; have two children.

JOSIAH H. SHAWL, farmer; P. O. Chatsworth ; was born in Sandusky Co., Ohio, April 5, 1838 ; his parents are Michael and Ellen (Bollass) Shawl ; his father was a farmer; he remained on his father's farm until he was 23 years of age, engaged in farming; then to Illinois, and settled in Bureau Co .; owned a farm of 120 acres ; here he farmed for seven years ; he then came to Livingston Co. and settled in Chatsworth Tp., on the farm that he now lives on. Mr. Shawl married, in 1850, to Miss Mary R. Green, of Ohio, daughter of Chas. G. Green ; have three children. Is a member of the M. E. Church ; Re- publican in politics. Owns 211 acres of fine improved land.

HENRY B. SHEPHERD, farmer ; P. O. Chatsworth ; was born in Adams Co., Ohio, March 21, 1841 ; parents are Johns- ton and Mary (Henry) Shepherd ; his father was a tanner by trade; and worked in the tannery owned by Jesse Grant, father of Gen. U. S. Grant; in 1833, he came West and settled in Putnam Co., Ill .; died 1874 ; Mr. Shepherd's mother is now living with him ; in 1861, he came to Illi- nois and settled in Putnam Co .; here he remained until 1869, engaged in farming ; he then came to Livingston Co. and settled on the farm that he now owns, which con- sists of 160 acres. Married Hannah N. Husted, of Indiana ; four children. Is a Republican in politics and Presbyterian in religion.

RICHARD M. SPURGIN, proprietor and editor Chatsworth Plaindealer, Chats- worth ; the subject of this sketch was born in Fleming Co., Ky., March 20, 1848, and is the son of Jeremiah and Miranda Spurgin ; Mr. Spurgin has been engaged in the printing business the last fifteen years ; he came to Chatsworth and entered part- nership with John Colvin in the publica- tion of the Chatsworth Plaindealer, which paper was first published by C. B. Holmes Nov. 1, 1873 ; January, 1877, Mr. Spur- gin purchased the entire control of the paper, and commenced the publication of the paper alone ; with a firm and powerful will and the good business qualifications that characterize its present publisher, the

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paper has been gradually brought to a firm, substantial basis, and may now be deemed as one of the leading papers of Livingston Co .; in connection with the newspaper department, will attend to all kinds of job printing.

PETER SHROYER, coal merchant, Chatsworth ; was born in Greene Co., Penn., Oct. 2, 1821; is the son of David and Catherine Shroyer; his father was a stock dealer ; when Mr. Shroyer was but 12 years of age, he left his home and started for Indiana, and settled in Wayne County ; here he hired out as a farm hand ; the first two years he worked for his board and clothing, with the understanding that he was to have three months out of each year to attend the district schools; the third year he received $4 per month ; here he remained for five years ; in 1838, he went to Newcastle, Ind., and worked in a steam saw-mill at $8 per month ; here for three years ; he then commenced to learn a trade-saddle and harness making; here he served his apprenticeship for four years ; he then set out in traveling in dif- ferent parts of the country ; in 1843, he vis- ited Peoria, when there were but few houses there ; in 1845, he returned to Newcastle and bought out the man he learned his trade with, and commenced business in New- castle; this business he continued until 1855 ; he then moved on a farm. In 1856, he was elected Sheriff of Henry County for two years; in 1858, was re-elected to same office, and held office until 1860, in which office he acquitted himself in a very creditable and efficient manner. At the breaking-out of the late war, he enlisted in Co. F, 57th Ind. V. I., for three years ; was commissioned under Gov. Oliver P. Morton as First Lieutenant, and he partic- ipated in some of the hard-fought battles -Pittsburg Landing, where a victory was snatched from the jaws of death; Shiloh, etc. He returned home and commenced the mercantile business at Sulphur Springs, Ind., two years; in 1865, he moved to Chatsworth; commenced the mercantile business ; in 1870, he commenced the coal business. Mr. Shroyer has held many offices of public trust ; at present, he is Justice of the Peace and School Director. Married in 1845 to Miss Mary Benbo, of Wayne Co., Ind., daughter of Edward Benbo ; eight children. Is a member of

the Methodist Church, and his political opinions are Republican.

WM. W. SEARS, real estate, Chats- worth ; was born in Livingston Co., N. Y., April 21, 1828, and is the son of Franklin and Elizabeth (Shadders) Sears ; his father was a shoemaker by trade ; here Mr. Sears set out to learn his trade as a shoemaker with his father; in October, 1857, he moved to Illinois and settled in El Paso, Woodford Co .; here he remained until 1865, engaged at his trade of shoemaking, then in the foundry business, then farming in McLean Co .; in 1865, he came to Chatsworth, where he has resided ever since. Has held various offices, both in El Paso and Chatsworth ; Supervisor, Jus- tice of the Peace, etc. Democrat in pol- itics. Married Sept. 27, 1855, to Miss Margaret Poorman, of New York, daugh- ter of Jacob Poorman, by whom he has five children.

GEORGE TORRANCE, attorney at law, Chatsworth ; this gentleman is one of the best known attorneys of Livingston Co .; was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio, May 15, 1847, and is the son of David and Mary (Kerns) Torrance; his father was a car- penter by trade; Mr. Torrance remained with his parents until he was about 16 years of age ; here he received a common school education ; he first commenced the study of law in the office of Messrs. Fos- dick & Wallace, and then with Mr. Wyman ; Jan. 3, 1875, he was admitted to practice law by the Supreme Court of Illinois, and ever since then Mr. Torrance has devoted his entire attention to his prac- tice, which is extensive and lucrative and constantly growing. Some men pursue the law merely as a means of livelihood, just as they might engage in trade ; with Mr. Torrance, the law is part of his life ; his ambition is to distinguish himself in his chosen profession, and particularly as an advocate ; to this object he bends all his energies with the zest that marked his early studies ; he understands well the impor- tance of thoroughness of preparation, and he never enters a court-room with a case with- out being thoroughly equipped for its pre- sentation ; he studies it from both stand- points, and is as ready to meet and repel the arguments of opposing counsel as to press his own. It is this thoroughness that makes him ready for the most unexpected

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emergency that may arise in the course of a trial ; and to his unwearied industry he owes much of his success, which is seldom equaled in the early career of lawyers. In politics Mr. Torrance is a strong Repub- lican ; is President of the temperance move- ment in Chatsworth, and a hard worker in the cause. Enlisted in the late war, Co. E, 149th I. V. I. Married, in 1869, to Miss Eliza Fenn, of Connecticut, by whom he has two children.

JAMES TURNBULL, farmer; P. O. Chatsworth ; was born in the north part of Scotland Aug. 22, 1816, and is the son of William and Ellen (Robinson) Turnbull ; his father was a shepherd in the Highlands of Scotland ; here Mr. T. was engaged with his father until he was 16 years of age ; he then worked out as shepherd, and in 1850, with his wife and two children, emigrated to America ; landed in New York July S, 1850 ; they first settled in Erie Co., N. Y., farming for four years ; then came West to Illinois, and settled in Bureau Co .; here he remained until about 1864, then to Liv- ingston Co., and settled in Chatsworth Tp .; he remained on the farm until 1877, when he moved on his present place, where he has retired from farming. When Mr. Turnbull first came to America he was worth about $300 ; he remained East four years ; not successful; he came West, and ever since has been successful in life ; owns 240 acres of fine, improved land. Repub- lican in politics. Married Miss Agnes Quary, of Scotland, by whom he has six children.

JOHN TIMM, lumber merchant, Chats- worth ; was born in Holstein, Germany, Aug. 14, 1838 ; son of Jochim and Annic (Stahl) Timm, of Germany ; his father was a butcher ; here Mr. Timm worked with his father in this business until about 1850, when he emigrated to America and landed in New York City; then West to Chicago, Ill. ; here but a short time ; thence to Blue Island, Ill. ; here his father and sister died with the cholera ; then to Will Co., Ill. ; engaged in farming for four years ; in 1861, he went to Mexico ; here for six months; thence to California and Nevada ; engaged in butcher business ; re- turned to Illinois in 1864, and settled in Joliet ; here for three years in the butcher business ; thence to Fairbury two years ; thence to Chatsworth in 1869; in 1877,

he commenced the lumber business. He married, in 1868, to Miss Elizabeth E. Robinson, of Ohio. Mr. Timm is a Re- publican in politics

JOHN A. TODD, farmer; P. O. Chatsworth ; was born in Rowe, Mass., Aug. 29, 1840, and is the son of Wm. G. and Cynthia (Gates) Todd ; father was a cabinet maker by trade; died when Mr. Todd was but six months old ; he remained on a farm with his mother until he was 14 years old; came West to Illinois to Kane Co. ; here he remained but a short time, then East to Vermont ; engaged in a hospital in Brattleboro for eighteen months, then home in Massachusetts ; he then returned West and settled in Peoria, Ill. ; engaged in farming, restaurant, etc., here until 1862, thence to Memphis, Tenn., clerking in a wholesale grocery house until 1865, then to Livingston Co., Ill. ; from here he made a visit home, then to Peoria and Memphis ; in 1866, he returned to Livingston Co., and settled on the farm that he now lives on, which he had purchased-eighty acres-while in Peoria 1860. Mr. Todd married Miss Sarah Ann Green ; six children, three living; he owns to-day 150 acres of land. Is a Re- publican in politics.

CHAS. TRUE, M. D .; Chatsworth ; was born in South Bend, Ind., Aug. 28, 1843 ; son of Glidden and Eliza (Lowery) True ; his father was a shoemaker by trade. Dr. True, at the begining of the late war, enlisted in the First Illinois Cavalry for three years as bugler of Co. K; he served fourteen months ; returned home to Prairie du Chien, where he entered a drug store as clerk; here he commenced to study medicine ; thence to Rush Medical College of Chicago, where he graduated in the class of 1865 and 1866; he then went to Lansing, Iowa, where he commenced his first practice in medicine ; then to Chicago, where he re- mained until 1871; he thèn moved to Chatsworth and has been engaged in his profession ever since, and to-day is one of the prominent M. D.'s of Livingston Co. Dr. True married, in 1865, to Miss Emlie Brisboys, of Wisconsin, daughter of B. W. Brisboys ; three children.

C. A. WILSON & CO., bankers, Chats- worth ; general banking business ; success- ors to the Bank of Chatsworth, which

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bank was organized September, 1874, and owned by C. E. Anthony, C. M. An- thony, H. Denhart, R. B. M. Wilson and Chas. A. Wilson ; this bank continued business until 1877, when it dissolved and then organized as general banking house of C. A. Wilson & Co., which ranks as one of the most solid and reliable banking houses of Livingston Co. Dr. R. B. M. Wilson, the senior member of C. A. Wil- son & Co, now of Washington, Tazewell Co., Ill., is a native of Ireland, having re- ceived all the honors at the medical school at Glasgow ; he cmigrated to America ; to- day he is considered as one of the finest physicians of Illinois ; he is also a very extensive land owner ; at one time owned 20,000 acres of fine land; he was one of the first land owners in Germantown Tp., Livingston Co. Mr. Wilson has placed his son, C. A. Wilson, at the head of the banking house, whose financial qualifications and cautious business charac- ter have caused him to rank as one of the most solid and reliable bankers of Living- ston Co. Mr. J. E. Brown, the book- keeper, is the son of Thos. Y. Brown, one of the first settlers of Livingston Co.

WILLIAM H. WAKELIN, mer- chant, Chatsworth ; was born in Warwick- shire, England, June 29, 1847, and is the son of Thomas and Sarah (Whorral) Wakelin, of England; his father was a baker by trade ; in 1859, he emigrated to America with his family, and landed in New York City ; came West to Illinois and settled in El Paso ; here engaged in specu- lating. Mr. Wakelin remained in El Paso until 1862; he then went to Chica- go and remained until 1866, engaged in the steam bakery business; thence to Fair- bury, Livingston Co., Ill., and entered the bakery and grocery business, and in the Fall of 1869 sold out and moved to Chats- worth, where he commenced the flour and grocery business ; to-day Mr. Wakelin ranks as one of the most prominent husi- ness men of Chatsworth ; is a very promi- nent member of the Odd-Fellows and Mason societies. A member of the M. E. Church. Married, in 1872, to Miss Emma H. Mahannah, of Dixon, Ill., daughter of J. A. Mahannah, by whom he has one child.

JUSTIN H. WYMAN,dry goods, Chats- worth ; the subject of this sketch is one

of the leading merchants of Chatsworth ; was born in Boston, Mass., July 5, 1836, and is the son of Justin M. and Martha (Hannaford) Wyman ; his father was en- gaged in the cabinet making business; here Mr. Wyman remained until he was 20 years old ; he then came West to Illinois and settled in Chicago; here engaged in the hardware business for three years ; then to Onarga; engaged in the gener- al merchandising business for three years, thence in same business in Iroquois Co. for three years ; then to Chatsworth in 1875, and commenced the dry goods, boots and shoes, hats and caps, clothing, gents' furnishing goods and carpets, etc. business; carries a stock valued about at $8,000.

JOHN WALTER, merchant, Chats- worth ; was born in Baden, Germany, Dec. 17, 1823, and is the son of George and Barbara (Eungert) Walter, of Germany ; his father was a farmer by trade ; here Mr. Walter remained until he was 14 years of age ; he then set out and commenced to learn his trade at shoemaking ; after serv- ing as an apprentice for three years, he traveled through Germany and Switzerland, working at his trade ; sailed for America on the ship Seina ; landed in New York March 14, 1851, taking fifty-six days to make the trip ; was in a very severe storm, the ship losing part of her rigging and leaking very badly ; had to work all pumps night and day to keep the vessel afloat ; he remained in New York about three years. While here he married, March 14, 1852, Miss Elizabeth Ruhle, of Germany ; emigrated West to Illinois, and first settled in Kankakee, then to New Lisbon, Henry Co., Ind .; here nine years ; thence to Kan- kakce two years ; here he commenced to keep a general store, boots, shoes and dry goods ; in 1866, he came to Chatsworth and commenced business on a small capital ; to-day he is one of the successful merchants of Chatsworth. When he first came to America he was very poor ; hard labor and good management have made him successful in life; three children-George (engaged in the bakery business at Chatsworth), Louis and Albert. Mr. Walter has one of the oldest Bibles in America, and very val- uable ; was published in Zurich, Switzer- land, by Christoffel Kroschouer, March 16, 1536.

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SAMUEL D. WEBSTER, retired, Chatsworth. The subject of this sketch 'is one of the best known and highly re- spected men of Livingston Co .; was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., Sept. 8, 1811 ; his parents are Daniel and Jerushia (Good- rich) Webster ; his father was a farmer ; his father and mother died when he was very young ; he remained on the farm un- til he was 30 years old; then set out in life, and was extensively engaged in con- tracting for the New York & Erie R. R .; here he was very unfortunate, and lost $15,000 ; he then returned home and sold his farm, and commenced the milling busi- ness ; this business he remained in for twelve years, and was very successful ; in 1861, he came west to Illinois and settled in Annawan and commenced in the stock and grain business here for seven years ; he then came to Chatsworth in 1868, where he has been engaged in the stock and grain business, and also been very extensively en- gaged in loaning money and buying up de- linquent taxes. Mr. Webster married, in 1848, to Elizabeth L. Lewis, of New York ; had but one child, who died when young.

HENRY WREDE, boots and shoes, Chatsworth ; is one of the oldest shoe- makers of Chatsworth ; was born in Han- over, Germany, March 18, 1838 ; his par- ents are John H. and Louisa (Pape) Wrede, of Germany; in 1858, with his parents, emigrated to America ; came West and settled in Cook Co., Ill .; Mr. Wrede's first business in life was shoemaking; this he has followed ever since ; he has been

principally at work in Chicago and vicinity ; then to Kankakee, Ill .; from there he came to Chatsworth in 1867, where he has been engaged in the boot and shoe business ever since ; he commenced life a poor boy, but with hard labor, industry and economy he ranks to-day as one of the successful mer- chants of Chatsworth. He married, in Oct., 1866, to Miss M. Pfifer, of Germany ; have five children-Angust, Louisa, Ma- tilda, Edward, Charles. Mr. Wrede is a member of the Evangelical Church.

JOHN YOUNG, merchant, Chats- worth. The subject of this sketch was born in Indiana Co., Penn., March 8, 1831 ; son of John and Margret ( Hoffman) Young ; his father was a tailor by trade ; here Mr. Young, with his father, com- menced to learn the tailoring business ; . when he was very young, with his parents, moved to Ohio; his first tailoring was in Woodstock, Ohio ; while bere he married, in 1853, to Miss Malvina Smith, daughter of Dexter Smith ; he remained at Wood- stock about twelve years, then to El Paso, Ill .; here he carried on, besides his tailor- ing business, dry goods, and remained about six years ; then to Kansas ; not liking the country, he returned to Illinois, and set- tled in Chatsworth in 1870; here he has been ever since, engaged in the general mer- chant business. Mr. Young started in life a poor boy, but with hard work he man- aged to save $75 cash ; he and his brother then started in business ; with good man- agement, to-day is one of the successful merchants of Chatsworth.

FORREST TOWNSHIP.

ALLAN A. BURTON, LL. D. (deceased), lawyer and farmer, Forrest. Judge Burton, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Garrard Co., Ky., Feb. 14, 1820; his father, Robert A. Burton, was born in Garrard Co., Aug. 25, 1798 ; his mother's maiden name was Sallie. Williams, a native of North Caro- lina, and of a very noted family; his father was a prominent man of his time. Judge Burton remained at home until he was 14 years of age, when he entered the County Academy, located at Lancaster,

Garrard Co .; here he remained three years ; his preceptor at Lancaster was John A. Rousseau, elder brother of Gen. Rousseau, who figured largely in the civil war ; at the age of 17, he entered the High School at Richmond, Ky., kept by the late Judge B. B. Meeker, of Minnesota, who was Judge of the United States Court, under the administration of Gen. Taylor; at 19 years of age, he matriculated in Tran- sylvania University, at Lexington, Ky., at that time under the presidency of Rev. H. B. Baseom, the finest pulpit orator of

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his day ; here he pursued a special course, looking to the preparation for the practice of law, at the same time reading law under the supervision of Gen. Leslie Combs; in 1841, he left the University and engaged in teaching school one year; in June, 1842, he entered upon the practice of his chosen profession ; for twenty years he did a leading business at the bar in his own and adjoining counties, and in the Court of Appeals in Kentucky. The bar at Lancaster was an exceptionally strong bar, comprising in its list such legal advo- cates as Hon. Geo. R. McKee, Hon. Geo. W. Dunlap, Hon. Joshua F. Bell, 'Squire Turner and others ; for many years, Mc- Kee, Dunlap, Bell, Turner and Judge Burton did the leading business through- · out the entire section of country. In politics he was a Henry Clay Whig, of the anti-slavery type, although of a decided pro-slavery family, and co-operated with the Republican party from its earliest for- mation and long before the party had any

regular organization in Kentucky ; he was

hostile to the Mexican war, for the reason that it was causeless and wicked; and the only time he was ever a candidate for office before the people, was in opposition to a re- turned Mexican Captain, who defeated

him for a seat in the Legislature by a few votes; in 1849, in the elec- tion of delegates to frame the new Constitution of Kentucky, he made an active canvass, favoring the insertion of a clause of prospective emancipation ; in 1860, he was a delegate for the State of Kentucky to the Convention at Chicago, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency, and was favorable to his nom- ination, and in the same year was an Elect- or for the State at large, and made a very active canvass in support of Mr. Lincoln ; in April, following the inauguration of Lincoln, he was appointed a United States Judge in the Territory of Dakotah, and after accepting the appointment he re- signed it to aid in organizing the loyal troops of Kentucky, in which work he was engaged until August, 1861. In the mean time, having been appointed United States Minister Resident to Bogota, in the

United States of Colombia, he left precip- itately for his post of duty ; his urgent duties for the time consisting in de- feating the plans of a body of rebels from

the United States who had assembled in the city of Panama for the purpose of seizing upon the treasure steamers sailing · from San Francisco, and going out as Confederate cruisers ; in connection with Consul McKee and Commodore Shufeldt. then at Panama, he succeeded in capturing most of them, and sent them on board a Spanish ship of war to Fort Albatross, in San Francisco Bay ; he served six years as American Minister at Bogota ; on his return he resumed his practice at the bar, at Lancaster, also keeping up a law practice at Washington, D. C., until July 29, 1876, when he was stricken with paralysis in the left side ; this affliction completely cut him off from the active pursuits of life. The year after he came to the bar, he was ap- pointed Criminal Judge by Gov. Letcher, of Kentucky, which office he held for a number of years. In January, 1871, under a resolution of Congress, President Grant sent a Commission consisting of the late Benjamin F. Wade, the late Samuel G. Howe, and President Andrew D. White, and Judge Burton as Secretary and Inter- preter, to the island of San Domingo, to make certain inquiries of the Dominican Government ; he discharged the duties of his office, and furnished a report of the Commission to the United States authori- ties. His library, of which a sketch may , be found in the body of this work, is the most complete and varied of any through- out this entire section ; he has also a large collection of rare animals and birds and interesting relics, collected while in South America, and on the eastern continent. He was married Aug. 22, 1853, to Hattie Higgins, who died in France Dec. 8, 1872; his second marriage, to Lydia E. Francis, was celebrated Oct. 13, 1875. He owned 820 acres of land in Livingston Co. and 1,320 acres in Minnesota, all under a high state of cultivation ; his farm in Minnesota yielding 30,000 bushels of wheat in 1877. He received a second stroke of paralysis on the 9th of July, 1878, from the effects of which he died on the morning of the 13th. Starting in life a poor boy, he, by dint of industry and good management, left at his demise an estate variously esti- mated at from eighty to one hundred thousand dollars ; and now, at the close of an active public life, his body rests in tbe beautiful cemetery near Lancaster, Ky.,

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the home of his childhood, and amid the scenes of his early conflicts and triumphs.

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The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 88

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron Number of Pages: 884

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884