The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 139

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > Illinois > McLean County > The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 139

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

J. A. DAVIS, farmer, Sec. 34; P. O. Downs; born in Greene Co., Ill., Oct. 13, 1840 : he is a son of Ransom Davis, who was born near Salisbury, N. C., and emigrated to Greene Co., Ill., when quite young, where he followed school-teaching, merchandising and farming until 1857, when he located in Bloomington, some two years, when he removed to Sec. 29, Old Town Town- ship. until the fall of 1861, when he enlisted in the 33d Ill. Regt., and served three years in the Union army ; he then returned to McLean Co., and, in 1865, removed to Minnesota, where he now lives. The subject of this sketch lived with his parents and attended the common schools in Greene Co., until 1857, when he located in McLean Co., where he followed farming until Decem- ber. 1861, at which date he enlisted in the 26th I. V. I., and went forward to battle for the Union : he was forwarded to the Army of Tennessee, and was in many severe battles, of which were Mission Ridge, siege and capture of Vicksburg, siege and capture of Atlanta, and with Sherman during his march through Georgia to the sen, arriving at Savannah to spend Christmas of 1×64; he then marched north through the Carolinas and near Raleigh, N. C., Sherman received the surrender of Johnston ; he then marched through Petersburg and Richmond to Washington, where, after the grand review of the army, he was sent to Louisville, Ky., where he was mustered out of service, and received his discharge at Springfield in July, 1865, having served in the Union army three years and seven months : he then returned to McLean Co., and farmed until 1871, when he engaged in the merchandise trade at Downs, and in 1872 was appointed agent of the I., B. & W. Railroad, at this place, which office he held some four years ; he then engaged in the merchandise trade some three years. during which time he was Post- master. In March, 1879, he sold out his store and removed upon his present place. where he is now engaged in farming. His marriage with Nancy Mickel was celebrated Feb. 18, 1863; she was born in Ohio June 30, 1843 : they have two children-Carrie V. and Ralph J. ; Mrs. Davis is a daughter of William Mickel, one of the old settlers and prominent farmers of Old Town Township.

NORVAL DIXON, farmer ; P. O. Holder; born in Clinton Co., Ohio, May 3, 1820 ; he was raised to farm labor, and worked upon the home farm until 22 years of age, when he engaged in boating, making trips from Ripley, Ohio, to New Orleans, taking down pork, flour, meal, pota- toes, etc., the above way at that time being the only ronte to the sea coast, stopping at different points from Memphis down the river and disposing of the cargo to merchants and planters upon the way, the trip consuming from sixty to ninety days ; after following the above business some three years, in connection with farming, he engaged in the merchandise trade at Ripley, some four years, after which he was Constable and collecting agent until 1853, and the following spring came to Illinois, arriving in Bloomington in April, 1854; he then followed clerking for Ward & Gallager eighteen months, when, on account of ill health, he withdrew, and. in 1856, was appointed Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Moore, and also engaged in the general collecting business, and, in 1862, was elected Sheriff of McLean Co. In 1864, he was appointed Rental Agent in the Treasury Department, with headquarters at Memphis, where he remained until the close of the war. In 1863, he associated with L. Burr in the real estate, general collecting and abstract business, under the firm name of Dixon & Burr, continuing the same until the fall of 1865. In the winter of 1867, he obtained from Springfield the charter for the Bloomington & Normal Horse Railroad ; was elected President, and contracted to build the same. In the spring of 1870, he superintended the grading and building of the L., B. & M. Railroad from Blooming- ton to the State line, and the following year superintended the laying of the track of the same line, building the roundhouse at Bloomington, the different depots. water-tanks, etc. In April. 1874, he purchased his present place, upon which he then located, and where he has since lived ; he owns 160 acres upon his home farm, with good farm buildings ; he also owns land in different places in McLean Co., Iowa and Kansas. He was Vice President of the People's Bank from its organization until his removal upon his farm. He was married in 1849, to Mary Knickerbocker : she was born in Ohio, and died in 1859, leaving two children-Emma L., now Mrs. John K. Wood, of Bloomington, and Frank, living at home. His marriage with Catherine Kline was cele- brated in 1861 ; they have one child by this union-Charles, living at home.

M. DUFFY, farmer and stock-raiser Sec. 12 : P. O Holder ; Republican ; born in Philadelphia, Penn., Aug. 22, 1820, where he attended the public schools until 14 years of age ; he then engaged in farming in Chester Co. for a period of twenty-four years. In the spring of 1858, he emigrated to McLean Co. and purchased 160 acres upon Sec. 12. Old Town Township, where he has since lived. In January, 1864, he sold eighty acres of his land, and has since followed stock- raising and farming upon the balance. His marriage with Mrs. Lydia Rudd was celebrated March 25, 1858: she was born in Pennsylvania : she has two children by her previous husband,

1003

OLD TOWN TOWNSHIP.

John Rudd, who now make their home with Mr. Duffy. The maiden name of Mrs. Duffy was Lydia Beaver.

WILLIAM FLEMING, Postmaster, firm of Fleming Brothers, general merchants and dealers in grain, lumber and coal, and shippers of stock, Holder ; born in Huntingdon Co., Penn,, March 30, 1845 ; at 6 years of age, he emigrated with his parents to Fulton Co., Ill., where he was raised upon a farm. obtaining a common-school education. In the spring of 1867, he removed to Old Town Township. MeLean Co., and purchased 160 acres of land upon the spot where Ilolder now stands, when he engaged in farming until the completion of the L., B. & M. R. R., when he, with his brother, engaged in the above business, which they have since successfully followed. They are largely engaged in buying and shipping stock to Chicago, and also in buying and ship- ping grain to Toledo, Cleveland, Baltimore and Philadelphia, having purchased as high as 100,000 bushels of corn alone in a single season. Ilis marriage with Helen Rudd was celebrated Oct. 10, 1873 : she was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Sept. 28, 1847 ; they have two children by this union-Harry, born July 6, 1875; Herbert, March 29, 1879. Mrs. Fleming was a daughter of John Rudd, who emigrated from Genesee Co., N. Y., and located upon Sec. 12, in what is now Old Town Township, McLean Co., in the fall of 1855, where he lived until his decease, which occurred in the fall of 1856.

JACOB FLEMING, firm of Fleming Brothers, general merchants and grain and stock dealers, also dealers in lumber and coal, etc., Holder ; born in Huntingdon Co., Penn., June 2, 1841 ; his father, John Fleming, was born in Ireland in 1810, emigrated to America with his parents in 1820, and, in 1849, came to Fulton Co., Ill., where he now lives. The subject of this sketch lived with his father until 20 years of age, when, in August, 1861, he enlisted in the 50th I. V. I., and went forward to battle for the Union ; he first served in the campaigns of Missouri and Arkansas, and was engaged in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, both battles of Corinth, Stone River, Altoona Pass, and marched with Sherman's army through Georgia to the sea, arriving in Savannah to spend the Christmas of 1864; he then marched North, participating in many engagements until the surrender of Johnston's army, after which he continued his march through to Washington, and, after the grand review of the army, was sent to Louisville, Ky., where he received his discharge in July, 1865, having served in the Union army nearly four years ; he was promoted to Corporal, then to First Lieutenant of Co. G, of which he received the appointment and commission of Captain. After receiving his discharge, he returned to Fulton Co., where he followed farming and school-teaching two years, and in 1867 removed with his brother to his present place and purchased 160 acres of land and followed farming and stock- raising until 1871, when, upon the completion of the L., B. & M. R. R., he, with his brother, engaged in the above business, which they have since successfully followed. His marriage with Susan Hughes was celebrated in June, 1864; she was born in Fulton Co., Ill., January, 1843 ; they have five children now living, having lost two by death : the living are Fred E., Joseph B., Mary E., Ida H. and John R.

CHARLES FULLER, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. Bloomington ; born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., March 16, 1816 ; his father, Oliver Fuller, was born in Vermont and emigrated to New York previous to 1812, and served as a soldier in the war of 1812 ; he married Sally Healey ; she was born in Rhode Island ; they were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are now living; Mr. Fuller died in New York in 1858 or 1859, and Mrs. Fuller is now living at the advanced age of 92 years ; she now draws a pension for the services of Mr. F. in 1812. The subject of this sketch was brought up to farming until he emigrated to Illinois and located upon See. 4, where he purchased 653 acres of land, upon which he then settled, and has since followed farming and stock-raising. flis marriage with Eliza A. Griffin was celebrated in 1836 ; she was a native of New York ; they have ten children now living, having lost one by death ; the living are Sidney C., Healey R., George ()., Iliram, Charles, Edwin M., Lucinda, Alice, Amelia and Mattie. Mr. Fuller now lives upon the old farm, and has given each of his five sons that are married eighty acres, and all are living upon the home place within one mile of their parents ; although he is 64 years of age, is yet able to do a good day's work, and is engaged in farming 253 acres. All the above property he has accumulated by his own hard labor, energy and industry, in which he has been nobly assisted by his wife.

ORRIN LOOMIS, JR., farmer, Scc. 6: P. O. Bloomington. The subject of this sketch was born in Medina Co., Ohio, Nov. 18, 1838; he was a son of Orrin Loomis, Sr., who was born in the State of Connecticut in the year 1791 ; he emigrated West and located in Ohio in 1816, and was the second settler of the township; at that time there was an abundance of game, and it was not an unusual occurrence for him to kill bears and other game ; he commenced clearing the timber from the land for his own use and his neighbors. He was married in Ohio Jan. 14, 1823. to Mary Ann Eyler ; she was born in Connecticut, March, 1805; they were the parents of nine children, of whom seven lived to grow up and six are now living; they lived in Ohio until 1866, when they removed to McLean Co., Ill., and lived in Old Town Township until their decease. Mr -. Loomis died Nov. 22, 1874; Mr. Loomis died Dec. 9, 1876 ; they lie buried in the beautiful cemetery at Bloomington, their graves properly marked by a monument of Italian marble. The subject of this sketch followed farming in Ohio until the spring of 1865, when he emigrated West, remaining one year; he then returned to Ohio, and was employed two years as express

1004

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

messenger with the American Express Company, after which he returned to Illinois and lived some two years, when he removed to Michigan and followed farming one year; then came back and located in Old Town Township, McLean Co., and engaged in farming, which business he has since followed ; he owns eighty acres upon his own farm, all under a good state of improve- ment. His marriage with Marinda E. Harrington was celebrated in Ohio May 18, 1838 ; they were the parents of three children, of whom one died in infancy ; the living are Anna V. and Saloma.

EDWIN LOOMIS, farmer, Sec. 5 : P. O. Bloomington ; born in Medina Co., Ohio, Oct. 16, 1829 ; his father, Orrin Loom's, was born in 1791; he emigrated to Ohio about the year 1816, where he followed farming until he came to Illinois in 1866; he made his home with Edwin Loomis until his decease, which occurred Dec. 9, 1876. He married Mary Ann Eyler Jan 14, 1823, in Medina Co., Ohio; she was born in Connecticut in March, 1805 ; they were the parents of nine children, of whom seven lived to grow up and of whom six are now living. Mrs. Loomis died Nov. 22, 1874. The subject of this memoir obtained a common-school education and was raised to farm labor and assisted his father until 1854; then he commenced farming for himself until the spring of 1865, when he emigrated to Illinois and settled upon Section 5, Old Town Township, McLean Co., where he purchased eighty acres, upon which he settled and where he has since lived. His marriage with Saloma A. Harrington was celebrated Aug. 14, 1854 ; she was born in Lake Co., Ohio, July 13, 1823; they have one child by this union, having lost one by death, named Gertrude C., born Aug. 14, 1856; she was married Oct. 28, 1875, to John J. Pearson, and died Sept. 26, 1876; the living-William P .- was born Oct. 3, 1865. Mrs. Loomis is a daughter of Otis Harrington ; he was born in Berkshire Co., Mass., Feb. 14, 1803 ; he mar- ried Lyma Coming ; she was born in New Hampshire in 1806; she died in 1831 in Lake Co., Ohio ; Mr. Harrington is now living in McLean Co. at the age of 76 years.

D. McBARNES, farmer ; Sec. 15 ; P. O. Bloomington ; one of the old settlers of McLean Co., born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Oct 1, 1821; his father, Dennis McBarnes, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in the year 1759 ; he went to Ireland when he was a young man, and, after working several years at the trade of harness-making, emigrated to America and located first near Philadelphia : from there to Harrison Co., Ohio, where he purchased land and engaged in farming until his decease, which occurred in April, 1844, at the advanced age of 85 years. He married in Pennsylvania to Mary Voden ; she was born in Pennsylvania and died a few years after the death of her husband ; they were the parents of seven children, of whom four are now living. The subject of this memoir was brought up to work upon his father's farm in Ohio until he attained his majority, when he commenced farming for himself, which business he followed in Ohio until he came to Illinois and located on his present place in the spring of 1853, where he has since lived, during a period of twenty-six years, and is consequently classed as one of the old settlers ; he owns eighty acres of well-improved land upon his home farm with good farm build- ings and also eighty acres in Anchor Township, all of which he has, by good business manage- ment, accumulated. In politics he is a stanch Republican, having joined the above party upon its organization and has since labored for the success of the same ; he has taken a great interest in the cause of religion and education, having been a School Director many years and is now School Trustee : he and his wife have been members of the Christian Church for a period of upward of twenty years ; the second oldest daughter being a member of the same church. His marriage with Mary Jane Dickey was celebrated in Harrison Co., Ohio, upon the 18th of Septem - ber, 1847; she was born in llarrison Co. March 4, 1826 : they were the parents of seven chil- dren-Sarah J., born June 18. 1848 (she died March 1, 1870) ; Maggie, born Oct. 3, 1849 (now Mrs. Joseph Brookbank, of Anchor Township) : John, born July 24, 1851; Agnes, Feb. 22, 1853; Hannah M., June 18, 1855; Elizabeth, May 14, 1857, and Edward, Nov. 8, 1858; of the chil- dren, the two sons are farming in Anchor Township ; the four daughters attended the University of Bloomington, both the Normal and Wesleyan, three of whom are engaged in school-teaching in McLean Co., the oldest of whom has taught ten years : John attended the Normal three years ; Edward is now attending the Wesleyan.

JOHN J. PENN, farmer and stock-raiser : Sec. 26 ; P. O IIolder ; one of the early settlers of McLean Co., born in Northamptonshire, England, Oct. 25, 1824: he emigrated with his parents to America, landing in New York when five years of age ; they lived in New York State five years, when they emigrated West and located in Harrison Co., Ohio : his father, John Penn, was born in Northamptonshire, England, in 1777. He married in England to Hannah Watson ; she was born in the same shire in 1787 ; she died in Ohio in the fall of 1845; Mr. Penn died at the residence of his son in McLean Co., Ill., in 1860, at the advanced age of 82 years ; they were the parents of thirteen children, of whom six are now living. The subject of this sketch engaged in teaming in Ohio until he emigrated to Illinois and located in McLean Co. in the fall of 1851; he then farmed upon rented land until 1863; he first purchased ninety acres, for which he ran in debt $2,000, which he paid for in four years, and disposed of the same at a profit of upward of $2,000; he then purchased 160 acres of raw prairie, which he improved some four years and sold at a profit of $7,000 ; he purchased 157 acres of his present place in 1868, and settled upon the same in 1869, where he owns 238 acres with farm buildings, all of which he has made by his exertions and perseverance. His marriage with Sarah J. Boyce was

1005

OLD TOWN TOWNSHIP.

celebrated Sept. 12, 1844; she was born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Nov. 30, 1825 ; she was a daughter of William Boyce, who was born in New York State Oet. 14, 1797; he emigrated and settled in MeLean Co., Ill., in 1851, where he lived until his decease, which occurred May 7, 1879, in the 82d year of his age. He was married in Ohio to Sarah Reynolds ; she was born in Ohio in 1807, and is living upon Section 26, Old Town Township; they were the parents of twelve children, of whom six are now living.

WILLIAM H. PORTER, farmer, See. 20; P. O. Downs ; was born in Washington Co., Penn., Aug. 31. 1839, where he attended school in winter and assisted in farming until 15 years of age, when he emigrated to Illinois with his parents in 1854, and located upon Section 8, Old Town Township, MeLean Co .; here his father purchased 240 acres of land and engaged in farming and stock-raising some five years, when he removed with his family to Bloomington, from which place he continued farming in Old Town Township until 1877, when he retired from active business. The subject of this sketch continued farming for his father until 1873, when he settled on his present place, on Section 21, in Old Town Township ; he has 160 acres of land, mostly under a good state of improvement. His marriage with Amanda Rodman was celebrated Jan. 16, 1865 ; they have four children by this union, having lost two by death; the living are Ellen, Frank, Eliza and Camilla. Mrs. Porter was born in Muskingum Co., Ohio, Sept. 4, 1842; she is a daughter of Scamon Rodman, who was born in Pennsylvania and located in MeLean Co .. Ill., in 1853, and whose sketch appears among the biographies of this township in this work.

JAMES V. PORTER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 17; P. O. Bloomington ; was born in Washington Co., Penn., Feb. 9, 1845 ; he is a son of James Porter, who was born in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Illinois ; in the fall of 1854, he purchased land in Old Town Township, until he had secured 1,500 acres, and was extensively engaged in stock-raising, in connection with farming, and most of the time resided in Bloomington, to educate his children. The subject of this sketch attended the school mostly in Bloomington until 1870, when he attended the Wes- leyan University ; some two years after, he engaged in farming upon See. 17, where he has since lived ; he owns 400 acres upon Secs. 16 and 17, and is largely engaged in raising and feed- ing stock-mostly cattle and hogs-in connection with farming ; he plants largely-averaging from one hundred to one hundred and fifty acres of corn, most of which is fed to his stock ; he fed, last season, some 400 hundred hogs and 150 cattle. His marriage with Elizabeth Armstrong was celebrated in 1871; she was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., in 1848 ; they have two children- William S. and Isabella W.

SCAMON RODMAN, farmer, Sec. 23; P. O. Holder ; one of the old settlers of MeLean Co .; was born in Berks Co., Penn., Aug. 27, 1810: he was the second son of Joseph Rodman ; was born in the same county and State, in the early part of the year of 1780. He married Mary Street ; she was a native of the same county, born in May, 1785; they were the parents of ten children, of whom six are now living; they emigrated to Muskingum Co., Ohio, in 1821, where they lived until the decease of Mr. Rodman, which occurred in April, 1853; Mrs. Rodman died in Mt. Vernon, Knox Co., Ohio, in February, 1876, at 91 years of age. The subject of this sketch followed farming in Ohio until he emigrated to Illinois, reaching Bloom- ington Oet. 8, 1853-driving by team from Ohio-being sixteen days upon the trip ; he rented land for two years near Bloomington, and, in the spring of 1856, he located upon his present place, where he purchased 120 acres of land, and upon which he now lives ; he afterward added, by purchase, until he had accumulated 320 acres ; he now owns 280 acres, with good farm buildings. His marriage with Eliza Woolf was celebrated Feb. 17, 1833; she was born in Fauquier Co., Va., May 21, 1811; they were the parents of nine sons and one daughter, of whom one son is deceased; the living are-William. Francis A., James M., Samuel, Amanda (now Mrs. William Porter), Seamon C., Julius N., Winfield S., Oscar O .; of the above, three served in the Union army, during the late war of rebellion-James, Samuel and Scamon. The eight sons, with their father, are all Republicans, and voted for Hayes. Mr. Rodman was formerly an Old Line Whig; and upon the organization of the Republican party, joined the same, and has labored for the support of the same. He has voted every general election, with two exceptions, since 1831 ; of township and school offices, Mr. Rodman has had his full share, having been first Supervisor of Old Town Township in 1858, which office he held five years ; Justice of the Peace twelve years; School Treasurer thirteen years, and other petty offices, having held one or more offices continually, since the organization of the township. He has taken a deep interest in the enuse of religion, having been a member of the M. P. Church since 1880-a period of nearly one-half a century, and has held different offices in the church, for a period of forty-five years. Mrs. Rodman has been a member of the same church for forty years.

ROBERT REID, sheep-raiser, Sec. 30; P. O. Downs; born in the Parish of Irvine, Ayr- shire, Scotland, Nov. 7, 1830, where he obtained a good, common-school education, and followed farming until he emigrated to America, landing in New York in the spring of 1852; coming directly to Illinois, he remained in Knox Co. several months, and, after seven months in San- gamon Co., he went to California, where he followed mining for eighteen months, when he returned to Illinois, and. in the spring of 1850, he hired out with Mr. II. Bishop, and worked

1006

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

with him until his decease, when he engaged in raising sheep, which business he has followed for nearly one-fourth of a century, and during which time he has made five trips to Scotland : he now rents upward of four hundred acres of land, for which he pays cash, and then re-rents for grain, which he feeds his sheep, of which he has upward of seven hundred; he reserves some two hundred acres for sheep pasturage.

JOHN RODMAN, farmer, Sec. 22. P. O. Holder ; one of the old settlers of Illinois, whose birthplace was Berks Co., Penn .; he was born Dec. 5, 1817; he emigrated to Ohio with his parents, when 1 year of age, and located at Muskingum Co., where he attended school in an old log schoolhouse, with mud-and-stick chimney, the fireplace extending nearly across one end, and would burn wood eight feet long; the seats were of split logs, extending across the room, and around the walls being a desk for writing; in 1838, he commenced farming for himself upon rented land for thirteen years, when he purchased eighty acres of timber land, and improved, until he came to Illinois and settled in Old Town Township, McLean Co .. Dec. 13, 1854; he then purchased 110 acres of land on Sec. 22, where he has since lived, during a period of one-fourth of a century ; he has since added, by purchase, until he now owns 230 acres, with good buildings, all of which, with the exception of $400, he has made by his own efforts. His marriage with Mary Jane Gray was celebrated Feb. 15, 1838; she was born in Muskingum Co., Ohio, May 1, 1819 : they were the parents of seven children, of whom three are deceased ; the living are Joseph L., Eliza (now Mrs. Homer Boyce), Edmund L. and Lucinda W .; of the children, two sons and one daughter are living less than one-fourth of a mile from their parents -the others living within three miles. Mr. Rodman has taken a deep interest in the cause of religion, having, with his wife, been a member of the M. E. Church for forty years, and all the children are members of the same church.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 139

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr.
Number of Pages: 1092