USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches war record statistics portraits of early settlers history of the Northwest, history of Illinois, &c. > Part 70
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DANIEL ADAMSON, house, sign and ornamental and decorative painter, and dealer in paints, oils, and was wall paper, 89 Stephenson street; is a native of Manchester, England, and glass born Aug. 23, 1834; he grew up and attended school
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there, and was educated in his present business in England, principally under the Gov- ernment ; he attended the school of design seven and a half years, graduated and was awarded diplomas and medals for his proficiency in his profession ; he afterward engaged in teaching for several years ; in 1857, he came to Toronto, and was engaged in portrait painting there; then came to New York, where he engaged in art and decorative paint- ing ; he came to Freeport in 1862, and established his present business in a small way in a room only sixteen feet square, and from that small beginning he has built up his present extensive business, extending from Chicago to Western Iowa. There are very few persons so thoroughly educated in their profession as Mr. Adamson; in frescoing art and decorative painting he excels, and the fine character of work done by him through Illinois and Iowa, testify to his taste and ability. He carries a large stock of all kinds of goods of the best quality in his line, and conducts the leading business in paints, oils, glass, wall paper, in this section of the State.
LOUIS AHSENDORFF, of the firm of Ahsendorff & Bonn, dealers in dry goods and groceries, cor. Galena avenue and Galena street; is a native of Germany, and was born in Prussia March 27, 1827 ; he emigrated to America in 1849, and came West to Galena, and worked in the lead mines, and came to Freeport in 1852 ; he opened a paint shop, and was afterward clerk in a store, and has been engaged in mer- cantile business for past twenty years. He has held the office of Assistant Supervisor, and is identified with the interests of the city.
CAPT. PHIL. ARNO, dealer in wines and liquors, 53 Stephenson street ; is a native of Germany, and was born in Bavaria July 30, 1837 ; he came to the United States in 1846 ; lived in Rochester six years, then came to Milwaukee ; came to Stephen- son Co., and located in Freeport, in January 1858, and engaged in the coopering business. When the war broke out, he enlisted in 1861, in the 46th I. V. I. and was elected 1st Lieut. Co. C; he was in the service over three years ; he was promoted and commissioned Captain and brevetted Major; he participated in all the battles of the regiment except one, and then was prevented by sickness. After the war he returned, and since then has been engaged in business here. He belongs to Evergreen Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and to Freeport Lodge, I. O. O. F., Germania Society, and the Fire Department. In 1863, Capt. Arno was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Albright, a native of Pennsylvania; they have five children-Sarah G , Willie P., Maggie A., Edward C., and Emma L.
JOHN ARTHUR, foreman, shops C. & N. W. R. R .; is a native of England, and was born in 1828 ; he grew up to manhood there, and came to the United States in 1850; he came to Stephenson Co. in 1864, and located in Freeport, and entered the employ of the C. & N. W. R. R., and since then, for the past sixteen years, has been connected with the company here. He has held his present position of fore- man since 1874. In 1849, Mr. Arthur was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Davis, a native of England ; they have four children-William, Emma, John, Daniel.
BREVET MAJ. GEN. SMITH D. ATKINS, lawyer, soldier and journalist, was born June 9, 1835, near Elmira, Chemung Co., N. Y., and removed to Illinois, with his father's family, in 1848, living on a farm until 1850 ; he then entered the office of the Prairie Democrat to learn the art of printing ; this was the first paper published in Freeport ; he was educated at Rock River Seminary, Mt. Morris, Ill., working in the printing office and studying during his spare hours, and, in 1852, obtained the foremanship of the Mt. Morris Gazette, while yet a student; in June, 1853, associated with C. C. Allen, late Major on the staff of Maj. Gen. Schofield ; he bought out this paper, and established the Register at Savannah, Carroll Co .; in the fall of the same year, he entered the office of Hiram Bright, in Freeport, as a student at law, and was admitted to practice June 27, 1855 ; after his admission, he continued to read law for some time in the office of Goodrich & Scoville, Chicago, and then entered upon his practice in Freeport, dating his entry into the active duties of his high profession Sept. 1, 1856 ; in 1860, he made a spirited canvass for the election of Lincoln to the Presidency, and one address of his, delivered in this campaign, which was a careful and thorough
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review of the Dred-Scott decision, went through several editions ; he was elected State's Attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Illinois, and on April 17, 1861, while trying a criminal case in Stephenson Circuit Court, a telegram was received stating that President Lincoln had issued his first call for troops to suppress the rebellion ; he imme- diately drafted in the court-room an enlistment roll, which he headed with his own name, being the first man to enlist as a private soldier in his county ; he then announced to the court and the jury his decision to prepare without delay for service in the Union army ; leaving the half-finished case in the hands of a brother attorney, he hastened out of the court-room with his enlistment roll, and went into the streets of Freeport to find men to join ; before dusk, one hundred had signed the roll, and in the evening a com- pany organization was formed with him in the position of Captain. He and his com panions-in-arms went to Springfield, where they were mustered in as Company A of the 11th I. V. I. ; upon the expiration of his three months' service, he re-enlisted for three years as a private, and was again mustered in as Captain of Company A, 11th I. V. I., at Bird's Point ; he was at Ft. Donelson, with the unexpired order of leave of absence on account of sickness, in his pocket, when the command of " Forward " was given; he took sixty-eight men into this desperate engagement, and came out with but twenty- three left, having been in the very thickest of the carnage; for gallant services at Ft. Donelson, he was promoted to the position of Major of the 11th Regiment, and went on the staff of Gen. Hurlburt as Acting Assistant Adjutant General by the special assignment of Gen. Grant, and, in that capacity, was engaged with Hurlburt in the battle of Pitts- burg Landing, his bravery and conspicuous services securing special mention in the gen- eral orders after that fight ; ill health, brought on by exhausting labors and exposure, compelled his resignation after the affair of Pittsburg Landing, and he spent the two subsequent months on the sea coast; he recruited in time to take the stump to raise troops under the call of 1862, and enlisted in the 92d Illinois Regiment, which was mus- tered in, with himself as Colonel, on Sept. 4, 1862; he was in command of this regi- ment until Jan. 17, 1863, when he was placed in command of a brigade. While the 92d was at Mt. Sterling, Ky., Col. Atkins being in charge of it, a grave issue arose; it was the first Yankee regiment which had visited that section, and hundreds of slaves flocked to its camp begging for protection, and offering their services or their blood for freedom ; they refused to return to their masters, and, when their owners demanded them as chattels, Col. Atkins declined to entertain the peremptory request that his force should be used to drive them back ; the owners appealed to the commander of the bri- gade, a Kentuckian, who ordered Atkins to return the slaves, but the latter persistently declined to do this, and never did, his reasons being that he was not responsible for the escapade of the slaves, and that his men had not enlisted to act in the capacity of blood- hounds to hunt them down and drive them back. On June 17, 1863, he was placed in command of the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, Army of Kentucky, which he commanded while in the Department of the Ohio; when the 92d Regiment was removed to the Department of the Cumberland, he was placed in command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the Reserve Corps, and, when the regiment was mounted and transferred to Wilder's Brigade of Mounted Infantry, he accompanied and commanded it, until trans- ferred to Kilpatrick's Cavalry Division. When Gen. Kilpatrick re-formed his division preparatory to the great march with Sherman, he assigned the command of the 2d Bri- gade to Col. Atkins; when Sherman advanced southward, he aimed to throw his army between the rebel forces and Savannah ; the task of deceiving the enemy and holding them while this movement was being effected was given by Kilpatrick to Col. Atkins and his brigade, and he skillfully accomplished it; at Clinton, he charged the enemy and drove them fourteen miles to Macon ; he assaulted their lines about the city, and forced them into their works, and held them there until Sherman swept to the eastward, leav- ing him with the enemy in his rear, and nothing before him to impede his rapid prog- ress. In all the engagements in which he participated with his brigade, Col. Atkins greatly distinguished himself, and especially so at Waynesboro, where Wheeler and his cavalry were overwhelmingly defeated ; while leading the charge of his troops against the rebel columns, his color-bearer was shot down by his side, and his brigade flag
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attracted the attention of the enemy, who poured in upon it their concentrated fire ; in this terrific storm of leaden hail, he bore a charmed life, leading prominently in the van and cheering on his troops to victory. At Savannah, he was brevetted Brigadier Gen- eral for gallantry, and was assigned to duty under his commission as Brevet Brigadier General by special order of President Lincoln, and at the close of the war, when he was mustered out, he was brevetted Major General for faithful and important services. In all his stations as a commanding officer he was popular with both the rank and file; he was a perfect disciplinarian, and was kind and considerate to the men under him ; his courage and his judgment as a strategist won their confidence, and they readily and heartily supported him wherever he went. After his military services, he returned to. Freeport, where he has since resided. He was the able editor of the Freeport Journal until the past four years, and holds the office of Postmaster of the city of Freeport. His life has been one of great activity.
ANSON A. BABCOCK, retired, residence, Green street ; is a native of Cortland Co., N. Y., and was born June 1, 1813; he grew up and attended school there ; after reaching manhood, in February, 1837, he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Price, a native of Cortland Co., N. Y .; on the 12th of February, 1839, they started West with horse and sleigh ; at the end of the first day, they reached Auburn, N. Y .; while coming through Michigan they met a number of persons who did not like the "West," and were returning to their old homes East, which was not very encourag- ing to the young emigrants ; they were four weeks on the road; they visited a brother of Mr. Babcock, living a few miles west of Chicago, then came to Stephenson Co., and arrived here in March of the same year and settled in Ridott Township, and began making a farm; after living there three years, moved in Florence Township ; he bought a claim and entered it from the Government when the land came into market ; he carted three hundred bushels of wheat one winter to Chicago, by team ; Mr. Babcock was one of the pioneer settlers in this county, and has always been one of its progressive rep- resentative men ; he has held the offices of Collector and Assessor, and has been sev- eral times elected a member of the Board of Supervisors. Mr. and Mrs. Babcock have four children-James (living here), Sarah (now Mrs. J. Hance, living in this county), Mariette (now Mrs. Aspinwall, living in Grand Rapids, Mich.), Helen A. (now Mrs. Hart, living in Benton Co., Iowa ; they lost one son (Burton) in infancy.
F. S. BABCOCK, manufacturer of cigars and wholesale and retail dealer in cigars, tobacco and smokers' goods, Stephenson street, opposite the Brewster House ; is a native of Cortland Co., N. Y., and was born Nov. 11, 1851 ; his parents came West to Stephenson Co. in 1856, and he grew up and attended school here; he established his present business in 1878; he manufactures several very popular brands of cigars, the " Mabel," the "Silvie " and the " X-10-U-8," and is building up a good trade. Mr. Babcock was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Burrell Feb. 23, 1876; she died May 11, 1880, leaving one daughter (Mabel).
I. J. BABCOCK, architect and builder, Clay street ; is a native of Cort- land Co., N. Y., and was born Dec. 18, 1818; he grew up there, and in 1836 came to Illinois, to Babcock's Grove, a few miles west of Chicago, where his brothers located in 1833, just after the Black Hawk War ; Mr. Babcock remained with his brothers two years, and came to Stephenson Co. in 1838; the following year he went back to New York State, and in 1856 returned here and located permanently and en- gaged in building ; he has been engaged in building over a quarter of a century ; he was superintendent of building the Stephenson County Court House, and for his efficiency in that position he was presented with a handsome gold watch, inscribed as follows : " Presented to Ira Babcock, Superintendent of Freeport Court House, by the architect, E. E. Myers, for the faithful carrying-out of the plans of the building, 1873." In 1842, Mr. Babcock was united in marriage to Miss Abagail M. Curtis, born in Cayuga Co., N. Y .; they have four children-Edward O., Frank S., Alice A. and Mary C.
LELAND A. BABCOCK, physician and surgeon, Chicago street, third south of Washington street ; is a native of Troy, N. Y., and was born April 29, 1818; he grew up and attended school there, then entered Union College, Mass., and
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graduated from that institution ; he studied medicine and surgery with the eminent surgeon, Dr. Valentine Mott, of the city of New York ; in 1844, he went abroad, and spent about three years ; for a year and a half was a student in Paris, under the eminent surgeon Velpeaux ; he traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, and Egypt and Palestine ; after his return to his native land, in 1848, he came West to Chicago ; in July, 1861, he came to Stephenson Co., and located in Freeport, and since then has practiced his profession here ; Dr. Babcock has done much to advance the inter- ests of the profession ; he has perfected several important inventions for the relief of the suffering-the silver speculum, the silver adjuster and the hernia truss ; he has delivered many lectures, and written much for the profession ; there is probably no physician in Northern Illinois who has so many calls outside of his regular practice. In 1867, Dr. Babcock married Miss Ellen Bechtol, a native of this county ; they have one son-Leland.
HENRY BAIER, of the firm of Baier & Seyfarth, proprietors of the Free- port Brewery, corner of Adams and Jackson streets; is a native of Germany, and was born in Bavaria, May 7, 1836 ; his parents came to this country in 1843, and the same year came to Stephenson Co .; he grew up to manhood here; he has engaged in business here since 1855 ; he associated with Mr. Seyfarth, and engaged in their present business in 1869 ; he has held the office of City Alderman. In 1860. he married Miss Johanna Seyfarth, of this city; they have two children, Emma and Alma. Mr. Baier belongs to the Germania Society, and is a member of the order of I. O. O. F.
FRED BAKER, retired, residence, Galena avenue; is a native of Orange Co., Ind., and was born Nov. 1, 1820; his parents removed to Sangamon Co., Ill., in 1823 ; in the spring of 1827, they came to the lead-mining region in Jo Daviess Co. ; in 1829, they went back to Peoria ; in the spring of 1832, they came again to the lead- mining country in La Fayette Co., Wis .; during the Black Hawk war, he was forted in Ft. Defiance; after the war, he was in Dubuque two years ; he and his father came to what is now Freeport, Dec. 19, 1835 ; his mother came the following February ; his father opened a trading-post with the Indians ; they kept tavern, and had to accommo- date every one that came along. Mr. Baker's father entered and owned the land where the city of Freeport is now located. Mr. Fred Baker was united in marriage, Feb. 11, 1841, to Miss Clarinda Crain ; she was born in Randolph Co., Ill., Dec. 15, 1819; her father came to Carroll Co. in 1829. Mr. Baker held the office of Constable, l'eputy Sheriff for fifteen years, and was Acting Sheriff a portion of the time; afterward engaged in farming in Silver Creek Township until 1879, when he sold his farm and came to the city. Mr. Baker has been elected and served as a member of the Board of Supervisors many years ; he has also held the office of Justice of the Peace, Road Com- missioner, and other town and school offices. Mr. Baker helped cut and draw the first stick of timber put in the first building erected in Freeport. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are among the very earliest settlers, and there are very few now living who have as clear and accurate a recollection of the earliest days of what was then included in Jo Daviess Co .; they have had eight children, only three of whom survive-one daughter Harrier, now Mrs. Joseph Weaver, and two sons, John and Frank, both married, and all living in Freeport.
ELIAS BAMBERGER, carpenter and builder, Apple street ; was born in Lebanon Co., Penn., July 8, 1834; he came West to Illinois in 1851, located in Stephenson Co., and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. In 1861, he married Barbara Sechrist, from York Co., Penn .; she died in August, 1875, leaving three. children-John, Luella M. and Ida M. In 1878, Mr. Bamberger married Lovina Hennersheets, from Berks Co., Penn. ; they have one daughter-Minnie. Mr. Bam- berger is one of the oldest builders in the county.
W. G. & W. BARNES, manufacturers and jobbers of farm imple- ments and agricultural machinery ; established 1865. Factory, office and salesrooms on Stephenson, Mechanic and Bridge streets, Freeport.
H. M. BARNUM, of the firm of Barton & Barnum, attorneys and coun selors at law, Galena avenue, opposite court house; is a native of Addison Co., Vt., Y
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and was born Feb. 6, 1835 ; he grew up and attended school there, and afterward entered Middlebury College and graduated from that institution in the class of 1858 ; the following year, he came west to Illinois and located in Freeport, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1861 ; he engaged in teaching, and was Principal of the high school until 1864, when he became associated with H. C. Burchard and E. P. Barton, in the practice of law, the firm being Burchard, Barton & Barnum, until 1871, when Mr. Burchard retired, having been elected to Congress ; since then the firm of Barton & Barnum have been leading attorneys here; Mr. Barnum has held the offices of Justice of the Peace, City Attorney and school offices. Mr. Barnum was united in marriage, Aug. 8, 1864, to Miss Ellen P. Wright, a native of Addison Co., Vt.
FREDERIC BARTLETT, wholesale and retail dealer in hardware and iron, Stephenson street, is a native of New York, and was born in the city of Brook- lyn, Oct. 7, 1837, his parents being William and Mary (Crie) Bartlett ; he received his early education in the common schools, and, by a full and comprehensive course in the Polytechnic Academy in his native place received a substantial knowledge of the arts and sciences, and of the rules so necessary in the transaction of general business ; upon leaving school, he entered a hardware house in New York City as clerk, and subsequently became its buyer ; in 1855, he came west to Illinois, and located in Freeport, and estab- lished his present business, the firm being Churchill, Maverick & Bartlett ; in 1858, Mr. Maverick retired, and was followed by Mr. Churchill in 1860, since which time, over twenty years, Mr. Bartlett has carried on the business in his own name; at first, the transactions of the house were small, but by the application of Mr. Bartlett, and by his honorable method of dealing, the business soon grew into very large proportions. It now includes, besides ordinary hardware, iron, wagon and buggy stock, seasoned and ready for use, stoves, hollow-ware, combining several distinct businesses in one ; Mr. Bartlett is a careful business man, fair dealing in all his mercantile transactions, enterprising, gener- ous and courteous to all who approach him ; and his success in life is owing to his own efforts.
E. P. BARTON, of the firm of Barton & Barnum, attorneys and counselors at law, Galena ave., opposite court house, is a native of Oneida Co., New York, and was born June 5, 1829 ; he grew up and attended school there, and afterward entered Hamilton College, and graduated in the class of 1851 ; after graduating he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1852 ; he practiced law in Brooklyn until 1855, when he came West to Illinois and located in Freeport, and engaged in the practice of his pro- fession the following year ; he associated with Thos. I. Turner and H. C. Burchard, the firm being Turner, Burchard & Barton; in 1858, Mr. Turner retired, and the firm became Burchard & Barton ; in 1864, H. M. Barnum was admitted a member of the firm ; and the firm of Burchard, Barton & Barnum continued until 1871, when Mr. Burchard retired, having been elected to Congress; since 1871, the firm of Barton & Barnum has been the leading law firm in this city. Mr. Barton was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Walker, a native of Chautauqua Co., New York, Oct. 13, 1864 ; they have two daughters-Alice M. and Anna E.
FRED BAUCH, florist and gardener, Galena avenue, was born in Prussia, April 27, 1832; he came to the United States in 1853, and came to Stephenson Co. the same year ; a few years later, he established his present business in a small way, and he has successfully continued the business for twenty-five years, and has built up a good trade ; he owns twenty acres finely improved ; he built his large, commodious residence in the fall of 1879. In 1857, Mr. Bauch married Miss Barbara Wyant, a native of Prussia ; they have ten children-Ida, Fred, Emma, Louie, Matilda, Louise, Eddie, Mary, Clara and John.
CHARLES BAUMGARTEN, retired, is a native of Loraine, France, and was born July 6, 1817 ; he emigrated to America in 1833, came West to Detroit, Mich., and lived there two years, and in 1835 came to Chicago, walking all the way ; at that time Chicago contained only three thousand people, and was not incorporated ; he was employed in the Government works, and was there when Gen. Scott was there ; he is one of the oldest members of the Old Settlers' Association of Chicago; in
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1850, Mr. Baumgarten came to Freeport and engaged in contracting on railroads, and has lived here most of the time for the past thirty years ; he built the Keystone Hotel : he was elected City Marshal; he was elected City Surveyor, and held that office seven years ; when he began life, he had nothing, and earned what he has by his energy and industry. He was united in marriage, Dec. 26, 1842, to Miss Mary Anna Frett, a native of Prussia ; they have six children, four daughters-Amelia, Rosa, Justina and Pauline, living in St. Louis-and two sons, John, civil engineer, in the Government service, Washington, D. C., and Albert, engaged in business here.
DR. J. H. BEAUMONT, homeopathic physician and surgeon, office, Opera House Block, is a native of New York State, and was born in Champlain, Clinton Co., Feb. 12, 1818; he grew up and attended school there, and began reading medicine ; he came West to Northern Indiana, and in 1849 he came to Stephenson Co. and located in Freeport; he began the study of medicine under allopathic system, but being con- vinced in his own mind of the superior advantages of the principles of Hahnemann, he pursued his studies under that system, and graduated at Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, in 1863, and since then has practiced his profession here, and has a large and leading practice. In 1879, Dr. Beaumont was elected President of the Illinois Homœo- pathic State Medical Association ; he is also a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy. Dr. Beaumont married Miss Alcista M. Bedee, a native of Rutland, Vt. ; they have three children-Emma A., now Mrs. Clark, of this city ; Rose A , now Mrs. Dr. Currier, of Sycamore, Ill .; John F., physician, after pursuing a thorough course of study, and graduating at Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, he went to New York, and took a regular course in the Ophthalmic Hospital connected with New York Homoeopathic College.
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