The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest, Part 65

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co.
Number of Pages: 980

USA > Illinois > Will County > The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest > Part 65

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).

The present officers of the township are: Robert Patterson, Superivsor ; O. P. Lilley, Clerk; Robert Bayne, Assessor ; John Shultz, Collector ; Charles O'Neil and F. H. Steinberge, Commissioners of Highways; James Maxwell and Robert Patterson, Justices of the Peace; William Chamberlain, F. H. Steinberge and I. Dubridge, School Trustees, and O. P. Lilley, School Treas- urer. The present voting population of the township is about one hundred.

Will Township is in the southeastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows: on the north, by Monee; on the east, by Washington ; on the south, by Kankakee County, and on the west, by Peotone Township. It is a full Congres- sional town, containing thirty-six whole sections, and is described in the survey as Town 33 north, Range 13 east of the Third Principal Meridian. The land is somewhat rolling, though not what is usually termed broken. The soil is rich and productive, and, in most parts, deep and is well adapted to the production of corn, oats, rye and hay, large quantities of which are raised. About one-half of the land formerly belonged to the Illinois Central Railroad, and was bought of that Company for $2.50 to $5.00 per acre. The Illinois Central Railroad passes through the northwest corner of the township, cutting off about one and

657

HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY.

a half sections, though no station has ever been established in its limits. Black Walnut Creek furnishes stock-water to the farms lying adjacent, in the north- western portion. Along this little stream the first settlements were made.

The township is entirely devoid of natural timber, though numerous little groves and thrifty orchards give it the appearance of one of the older settled Eastern places, where the absence of timber is due to the industry of the early wood-chopper and lumberman.

For some years, it was thought that the climate of Northern Illinois was too severe for apples and other fruits, but later years have proved that this section is well adapted for such purpose; and at this writing the ground, in the orchards of this and adjacent townships, is literally covered with the product.

STATE

SOVEREIGNTY

UNION

JATIONAL

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PATRONS.

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

E. H. AKIN, dealer in real estate, Joliet ; was born in Johnstown, Fulton Co., N. Y., July 3, 1815 ; at the age of 17, he went to Onondaga Co., and in 1847, to Berrien Co., Mich .; followed the mercan- tile business there one year ; removing thence to Chicago; in 1849, he came to Lockport, and shortly afterward went to California, where he followed mining until 1851 ; returning, he engaged in farming near Lockport, and, in 1854, removed to Joliet ; here he followed his trade of a cooper, for a short time, and then engaged in manufacturing staves, which he continued until 1860; in 1861, he removed to ·Hennepin, Putnam Co., Ill., where he en- gaged in flour manufacturing and dealing in grain, which he shipped to Chicago and St. Louis. He did a very successful busi- ness during the war, and, in 1867, returned to Joliet, since which time he has been en- gaged in the grain trade, woolen mauufact- uring and real estate transactions. In 1872 he laid out Akin's Addition to Joilet, com- prising forty acres, lying near the Fair Grounds, and accessible to business by the street railway ; most of these lots have since been sold and improved. He also owns considerable other property in differ- cnt parts of the city ; in 1877, he built the Akin Building on Jefferson st. He is a Director of Oakwood Cemetery, and onc of the originators and a Director of the People's Loan and Homestead Association, which was organized in 1874. Hc was married June 10, 1840, to Miss Sophronia C. Merrill, of Cortland Co., N. Y., and has four children-Charlotte C., Libraran of the Joliet Public Library ; Lucy H., John J., a banker in Roodhouse, Ill., and Edward C., a law student in Jolict.

W. J. A.DAM, Secretary of the Adam Manufacturing Co., Joliet; is a native of Joliet ; he was born Sept. 18, 1851. He is a son of William Adam, who came to Joliet in 1849, and has been a prominent business man here ever since. Mr. Adam was educated in the public schools of Joliet, and at Jennings Seminary in Aurora, Ill., graduating from the scientific department of the latter institution in 1870; the fol- lowing year, he entered the employ of Adam & Wilcox, and two years later became a member and the managing partner of the firm of William Adam & Co. While in the milling business, he served two years as Vice President of the Illinois State Mill- ers' Association, and was also a Delegate to the National Millers' Association three successive years. He was a member of the first Board of Directors of the National Millers' Insurance Company. On Jan. 22, 1877, their mill burned down, and soon afterward the Adam Manufacturing Com- pany was formed, and Mr. Adam became Secretary and Business Manager, which position he now holds.

PETER ADELMANN, dealer in gen- eral merchandise, Joliet; was born in Lockport, Will Co., Ill., Jan. 5, 1852. He is the son of Christopher Adelmann, who coming from Bomberich Biern, Germany, settled in Lockport in 1846, and is still a respected and substantial citizen of that city. The son, Peter Adclmann, received his education in the Lockport public schools, and in Bryant & Stratton's Busi- ness College in Chicago; he then went to Iowa and engaged in clerking in a leather and shoc-finding house in Council Bluffs, from which city, at the age of 18 years, he came to Joliet, and started in the dry goods

660

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

business with Anthony Schall ; in Febru- ary, 1877, he purchased his partner's inter- cst, and has since continued the business alone. He was married on the 21st of October, 1873, to Miss Louisa Scheidt, daughter of Hon. Anton Scheidt, of this city ; they have. three children-Anthony C., Frederick P. and Cora L.

E. D. AVERY, attorney at law, Joliet (firm of Fithian & Avery); was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., Feb. 2, 1846; the fol- lowing year, 1847, his parents removed to Illinois, settling on a farm in Lisbon, Kendall Co .; his father is a well-known fruit-grower and nurseryman and to this business the son was raised; he attend- ed the Newark Seminary, in his na- tive county, several terms, and, on becom- ing of age, he with his brother started a nursery near Dwight, Livingston Co .; two years later, he sold his interest to his brother and engaged in dealing in stock ; in 1871, he removed to Chebanse, Kan- kakee Co., and there added a general mer- chandise business to his stock in trade ; he remained there until 1874, when he came to Joliet and began reading law in the office of Messrs. Hill & Dibell; he was . admitted to the bar in January, 1877, and in the following September, entered into partnership with John B. Fithian in the practice of the law. He was married Dec. 25, 1871, to Miss Mary Sidlow, of Grundy Co., Ill., and has one child-Hubert C.

ALEXANDER ANDREWS, grocery merchant, Joliet ; was born in Meriden, New Haven Co., Conn., Oct. 29, 1824; in early life he learned the trade of car- penter and joiner ; he came West to Illi- nois in 1852, and settled in Peoria Co., where he engaged in carpentering for a number of years ; in 1858, he purchased a farm in Knox Co., and followed agricult- ural pursuits till 1870 ; he then spent one or two years in traveling, and, in 1872, lo- cated in Joliet; here he worked at his trade until November, 1876, when he engaged in his present occupation. He was married in 1843, to Lucia S. Lewis, a native of Connecticut ; has two children -Frank and Fred. Mr. Andrews has a fine trade and is deservedly popular as a business man.

JACOB ADLER, stock dealer, Joliet ; born in Prussia, Germany, March 17, 1836; he emigrated with his parents to

America when 2 years of age, landing in New York, coming directly West and re- maining in Chicago for a few months, then a short time in Indiana, then a short time at Sag Bridge, Will Co., when he removed to New Lenox, where he went to school one year, then to Joliet in 1843, where he attended school in the old log schoolhouse, the first school house in the township ; he remained with his father upon the farm until 22 years of age, when he engaged in the grocery and provision business about one year, then selling out, he went to Pike's Peak and traveled over a large part of the Western Territories ; returning to Joliet in 1861, hc engaged in the butch- ering and stock business, which he has since successfully followed ; he has been largely engaged in farming, and raising, buying and shipping stock to the Chi- cago and Eastern markets. He married Jan. 11, 1866, to Emily Erhard, daugh- ter of George Erhard, one of the pioneers of Will Co .; they are the parents of six children now living, viz., Louisa M., Jacob C., Lawrence J., Emily F. V., Michael L. and Angeline A.

P. P. ADLER, dealer in live stock and proprietor of Adler's wholesale and retail market, Joliet ; was born in Joliet Oct. 7, 1842; he is a son of Michael Adler, who came to Will Co. over forty years ago and is now living in Joliet at the age of 75 years ; Mr. Adler received an English education in the Joliet public schools, and then learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for four years ; at the age of 21, he began business for himself and has followed various kinds of business to the present time. He was married in 1865, to Miss Mary A Flick, of Joliet and has four children-Angeline J., Lizzie L., Peter J. and Frederick J.

OREN W. ARNOLD, groceries and provisions, Joliet ; firm of Arnold & Bowen ; born in Orleans Co., N. Y., July 12, 1835, where he attended school until 10 years of age ; he emigrated with his parents to Joliet in the winter of 1845; in the spring fol- lowing, he removed with his parents to Iroquois Co., and engaged in farming for a period of seventeen years, when he re- moved to Troy Tp., Will Co., where he lived six years, being engaged in learning the trade of carpenter, and farming ; he then went to Minnesota for his health, taking ·

661

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

with him two droves of horses; after dis- posing of them he engaged at his trade for two years; returning from there to his farm in Troy Tp. in 1874, where he lived until 1877, when he engaged in the above business in Joliet, cor. Bluff and Exchange sts. He married in 1859, Helen Sammons ; they had one child, which died in infancy. Mrs. Arnold died Jan. 30, 1862. Mr. Arnold again married, Dec. 25, 1868, to Minnie Clark ; she was born in Plainfield, Will Co. Her parents were among the early settlers of Will Co. Four children were the fruit of this union, viz., Hellen, May, Lillian E., Burt C. and Francis W.

F. ALFRICK, blacksmith, Joliet ; born in Germany Feb. 20, 1837, where he lived and attended school constantly until 15 years of age, when he engaged in farming three years ; he emigrated to America when 18 years of age, landing in New York Nov. 27, 1854; from there he went to Picton, C. W., where he learned the blacksmith trade, working at the same for a period of ten years ; he emigrated to Joliet, Ill., in November, 1865, and engaged at his tradc, which business he has since successfully fol- lowed ; he owns his place of business and other real estate upon Bluff st., and has a fine residence upon Broadway, which he erected in 1875; all of the above he has accumulated by his own hard labor, strict integrity and industry. He married March, 1860, Jane Storm; she was a native of Scotland ; they had five children by this union, viz., Robert L., Isabella R., Emma, Maggie and Frederick. Mrs. Alfrick dicd. Mr. Alfrick again married to Susan Kluth ; she was born in Chicago Oct. 6, 1849.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALLEN, physician, Joliet; was born of New En- gland parentage, in Watertown, Jeffer- son Co., N. Y., Dec. 12, 1815; when about 4 years of age, his parents re- moved to St. Lawrence Co., where he passed his early years on a farm situated on the banks of the river St. Lawrence, attending the district school during the winter seasons; soon after attaining his majority, he went back to Watertown, his native place, and there spent six years, first as a student at the Black River Liter- ary and Religious Institute, a part of the time teaching school, and later pursuing his medical reading, under the direction of Drs. Hannibal S. Dickerson, of Watertown,

and M. K. Bates, of Brownsville; he com- pleted his full term of medical study, at- tending courses of medical lectures at Geneva College in 1841-42, and, in the summer of 1844, came West, prepared to engage in the practice of medicine; he followed this practice for a few months in Kane Co., and the following winter en- gagcd in teaching in New. Lenox Tp., in Will Co., where he made the acquaintance of Mrs. Priscilla W. Davison, a young widow lady, relict of Judge John J. Davi- son, to whom he was married April 17, 1845 ; he continued to reside in that town- ship, performing satisfactorily the duties of administrator of the Davison estate, and, jointly with his wife, that of guardian to her infant daughters, and was also engaged in farming, till, in the summer of 1860, he built a residence in the city of Joliet, into which, with his family, he removed in the spring following, and has here since con- tinued to reside. He has four children living-Helen A., now the wife of C. W. Cross, attorney-at-law in Nevada City, Cal. ; Florence M., wife of H. C. Plimpton, now a resident of Joliet, Ill; Frank E. and Mortimer A., the last-named in the employ of Field, Leiter & Co., in their wholesale housc, in Chicago. Mrs. Allen has two daughters of her former marriage-M. Jennie, wife of Maj. John M. Thompson, of New Lenox, and Rachel D., wife of H. N. Higinbotham, general manager for Field, Leiter & Co., Chicago. Dr. and Mrs. Al- len are both earnest and consistent mem- bers of the Ottawa Strect M. E. Church, and also zealous and earnest advocates of the cause of temperance. Dr. Allen is in no sense of the term an office-secker, yet has held various offices much of the time during his residence in Will Co .; for several years he served the township of New Lenox as Supervisor or Town Clerk; in 1857 and 1858, held the office of County School Commissioner, and has been most of the time a member of the Board of School In- spectors during his residence in the city of Joliet. Having considerable leisure time, he has devoted a portion of it to literary pur- suits, being a frequent contributor, both in prose and verse, to the city papers, and occasionally furnishing an article to vari- ous leading periodicals; among the prosc articles from his pen which have been well received by the public, may be mentioned,

662

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

" How I Was Once Robbed," "A Visit to ! till resides in Plainfield, having almost the Mammoth Cave;" "The Short Pa- completed his fourscore years. James enjoyed a good common-school education, and was at an early agc introduced to business life ; after his majority he began mercantile life in Plainfield, which he fol . lowed twenty years; in 1871, he sold out his store, and in the spring of 1874, began business in Joliet in company with A. B. Sharp, in the manufacture and sale of the Excelsior Axle Grease; this he con- tinued till January, 1876, when he formed a copartnership with Scutt & Watkins, under the firm name of H. P. Scutt & Co., and engaged in the manufacture of barbed fence ; in October, 1876, he pur- chascd the interest of Mr. Watkins in the firm, and a stock company was formed under the name of the Joliet Wire Fence Company, of which he was chosen Secre- tary, a position he still holds. He was married Oct. 27, 1850, to Julia F. Tyler, a native of Troy, N. Y .; has one child living-Ellie M .; three deceased-Alice E., Christina and Nellie. pers," a series of twenty-two articles; " Notes and Opinions on California ; " "A Trip to Florida-Notes by the Way," eight papers; and "The Uncle's Legacy," a serial tale, running through six months of the Will County Courier, and many brief- er articles; among the articles in verse, which have been read with approval, were "Women Suffrage ; " " Carrier's Address;" " The Wonderful Pamphlet ; " " Bring Flowers," a song for Decoration Day ; "The Two Fishers of Men ; " " Odc for the Fourth of July;" "The Secret Cave," a legend of the Cumberland ; and several articles partaking somewhat of the humor- ous, entitled, " Experiences, Advice, Com- ments and Suggestions of Barney O'Toole," etc .; he has in course of publication, " Irene, or the Life and Fortunes of a Yankee Girl," a tale, in eight short cantos, comprising a neatly executed volume of 160 pages, 16mo, which may be obtained at the book stores, or by addressing the author, at Joliet, Ill.

GEORGE ABBOTT, proprietor of the New England Restaurant, Joliet; was born in Keene, N. H., Dec. 1, 1829; there he resided until 1853, when he went to Missouri, and remained two years, returning to Keene. He shortly afterward came to Illinois, and after spend- ing one year in Rockford, settled in Joliet, in October, 1857 ; in 1858, he engaged in the restaurant business, keeping the Rock Island Railroad Restaurant for eight years. Hc is the oldest restaurant man in the city; in March, 1866, he started the New England Restaurant. He was mar- ried in February, 1855, to Miss Eunice A. Foster, of Keene, N. H., who died in June, 1861. He was married again on tlie 12th of December, 1866, to Miss Abbie A. Cutting, of Jolict; they have six children-Isabel, John M., Lawrence D., George, Lulu M. and Lydia Belle.

JAMES R. ASHLEY, Secretary Joliet Wire Fence Co., Joliet; was born in Lewis Co., N. Y., in February, 1825; in 1837, his father came West with his fam- ily and settled in Plainfield, Will Co., Ill .; he was a minister in the Baptist Church, and laborcd many years for the churches in Plainfield, Naperville, Downer's Grovc, and organized the church in Jolict ; he

H. E. BALDWIN, Joliet, of the firm of Nelson, Ferriss & Co., proprietors of the Jolict Morning News, and the Greenback News, was born Sept. 25, 1853, in Lacon, Marshall Co., Ill., but during the first year of his existence his parents removed to a farm on the bank of the Vermilion River, opposite Streator ; two years after- ward they removed to the vicinity of Ottawa, and. in 1862, made that city their residence; his father engaged in business, and continued until 1869; Horace E. attended the high school, under the management of Professor Thomas H. Clark, until January, 1870, a period of nearly eight ycars; the following Junc, he, in company with his mother and three sisters, went to Woodson Co., Kan., where his father had already gone; he farmed there about two years, and, on St. Patrick's Day, 1873, began to learn the printing business at La Cygne, Linn Co., in that State ; in May, 1875, he went to Chi- cago and completed his apprenticeship with the Metropolitan Printing Company; his parents having removed to Kansas City, Mo., he spent the fall and winter of 1876 with them, taking a six-months course of study in the Kansas City High School; at the request of friends in the Jolict Phoenix office he became an em-

663

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

ploye of the firm of McDonald, Ferriss & Co., Feb. 4, 1877, and in July follow- ing, became connected with the Morning News, while under the proprietorship of Charles F. Dutcher ; on the 1st of Octo- ber, 1877, he became a member of the firm of Nelson, Ferriss & Co.

CAPT. WILLIAM W. BISHOP, of the firm of King & Bishop, dealers in lum- ber, lath, shingles, etc., Joliet ; was born in Ulster Co., N. Y., Feb. 26, 1837; he remained on the farm until 1859, when he came to Chicago, and engaged in the lum- ber business, in the employ of Reed & Bushnell, with whom he remained until the beginning of the rebellion. In 1862, he entered the Union army as a member of the 103d Ill. V. I .; was elected First Lieutenant of Co. A, and soon afterward promoted to Captain, serving as such dur- ing the war. As showing the character of the services he rendered his country we copy the following :

HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIV., 16th A. C., ) LA GRANGE, Tenn., May 25, 1863. ] GENERAL ORDER NO. 87.

The General commanding the First Division, takes this means of bringing to the notice of the entire command, the meritorious conduct of a detachment of the 103d Ill., under com- mand of Capt. Wm. W. Bishop, stationed at Por- ter's Creek. On the night of the 22d inst., infor- mation reached Capt. Bishop that the notorious guerrilla band, under the command of Sol. Street, was encamped within three miles of his station. He started immediately with his little command at a double-quick through the brush, and succeeded in completely surprising the guerrillas : killing three, wounding six and capturing six prisoners. Loss on our side, in the captain's own language, " Not a scratch." This is to be regarded as an earnest of the glory that awaits the 103d, and it is held up for imi- tation by our troops, whenever opportunities like this may present themselves to any of them. A copy of this order will be sent to each officer, non-commissioned officer and pri- vate, who participated in the surprise.

By order of Brig. Gen. Wm. S. Smith, Commanding First Div. W. H. Harland, A. A. A. G.

He was present during the siege of Vicks- burg and battle of Mission Ridge; accom- panied Sherman from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and on his famous march " from Atlanta to the sea," through the Carolinas to Washington, where with his regiment, he participated in the grand review of the army at the close of the war ; he was mus- tered out of the service in Louisville, Ky.,

in 1865 ; returned to Chicago and engaged in the lumber business ; in 1869, he came to Joliet and entered into partnership with John P. King in the lumber business. He was married in September, 1865, to Miss- Julia A. King, of Chicago, and has two children-Minnie D. L. and Grace.

REV. GERARDUS BECHER, Pastor of St. John the Baptist's Church and Superior of the Franciscan Fathers, of the Strict Observance, Joliet ; was born in Rhineland, Germany, April 27, 1834 ; hc received his preparatory education in the parish schools of his native country, and then entercd Warendorf College in West- phalia ; in 1862, he came to this country, and completed his education in St. Joseph's College, Teutopolis, Ill., where is located the mother-house of the Order in this country ; he was ordained a priest of the Franciscan Order about five years later by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Yunker of Alton ; remained about a year longer, and was then transferred to Quincy, where he be- came a Professor in the College of St. Francis Solanus, and at the same time at- tended the congregation at Warsaw, Ill., and another in Gilman Tp .; from Quincy he returned to Teutopolis, and spent two years as Prefect of St. Joseph's College, and then became Superior of the Convent of St. Francis, and Pastor of the congrega- tion ; after the death of the late Father Nolte, he was sent to Joliet in December, 1876. Father Gerardus' Chief Assistant, Father Symphorinus Forstmann, is one of the many victims of persecution under the present dynasty in Germany, having been expelled by Bismarck, together with eighty- four others of his brethren from West- phalia, in 1875; after completing his studies in the convent in St. Louis, he was assigned to Joliet in 1877. It was a desideratum of the Bishop in calling the Fathers to Joliet, that they might admin- ister to the spiritual wants of the Catholic prisoners in the State Penitentiary, which, through the politeness of Warden Mc- Claughry, they have been enabled to do. This duty is performed by Father Augus- tinc McClory, who is a native of Pitts- burgh, Penn., and came to Joliet in 1877. There are here four fathers and three lay brothers, who, besides attending the con- gregation, arc the spiritual advisors of the Sisters of the Franciscan Convent and

·664

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

Academy, and also give religious instruc- tion to the pupils in the Academy.

REV. MAURICE FRANCIS BURKE, Pastor of the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Joliet ; was born in County Limerick, Ireland, May 5, 1845; when but a child, he accompanied his parents to this country ; they came directly to Chicago; when about 18 years old, he entered the old University of St. Mary's of the Lake in Chicago; previously to this, he had taken a commercial course at Bryant & Stratton's Business College in Chicago; in 1866, he went to Rome and spent nine years as a student in the American College; he was ordained a priest on the 22d of May, 1875, by Card- inal Patrizi, Vicar General of Rome, under Pope Pius IX, after which he returned to Chicago, previously, however, spending a few months in traveling in Italy, Switzer- land, Germany, England and Ireland ; soon after his return, he was appointed Assistant Pastor of St. Mary's Church in Chicago, and remained as such until his appointment as Pastor of St. Mary's Church, Joliet, April 27, 1878.

JOHN BROWN, of the firm of Houck & Brown, tanners and curriers, wholesale and retail dealers in sole leather, shoe findings, etc., Joliet ; has for twenty-three years been a citizen of Will County ; he is a native of the Isle of Man; was born on the 25th of November, 1826; served his apprenticeship at the tanner's trade in Douglas, Isle of Man, and followed the business there for ten years; he came to the United States in 1853; spent two years in New York City, and in 1855, came to Lockport, Will Co .; the following year he came to Joliet, and entered, upon his present business, which he has con- tinued through the several changes in the firm that have taken place since that time; in 1863, the Joliet Tannery was built by Mack, Cleghorn & Co., of which firm Mr. Brown was a partner; he has attended strictly to his business, never taking any active part in political affairs, nor seeking office of any kind. He was married in the Spring of 1850, to Miss Catharine Kissack, of Douglas, Isle of Man; they have had ten children, six of whom are living-Richard J. (now in business in Chicago), Frank E., Eliza J., Charles H., George W., and William H.

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 Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest, Part 65

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co. Number of Pages: 980

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co.
Number of Pages: 980