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 74

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 74

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).

JOSEPH STEPHEN, manufacturer and dealer in harness, saddles, etc., Joliet ; is a son of John Stephens, who came to Joliet in 1846, and is now a resident of this city; he was born in Grassendorf, Alsace, France, Feb. 17, 1837, and came, with his father's family, to this country in 1845, and, after spending one year in Ohio, came to Joliet as above stated; he learned his trade of a harncss-maker with John Bergen, in Joliet, completing his apprenticeship when he was 15 years old, after which he worked at his trade in various places in this State and Iowa for six years; lie then went to Waco, Texas, where he remained till the break. ing-out of the rebellion, when he found himself obliged to either take sides with

1 10

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :

the South or leave the . country ; he chose the latter alternative, and returned to Joliet; in the fall of 1861, he began his present business. He was married Nov. 12, 1861, to Miss Antonette Helmel, who was born in Rinough, Alsace, Aug. 4, 1832, and came to this country, with her parents, in early childhood; they have five children : Lottie L., Oscar J., Ed- mund R., Herinan and Bertram. Mr. Stephen is at present School Trustee, to which office he was elected in April, 1877.

JOHN SCHEIDT, manufacturer and dealer in pure candies and dealer in fruits, nuts, etc., Joliet ; was born near Stras- bourg, Alsace, Jan. 1, 1829 ; he came to this .country at the age of 15, with his parents, who settled in Bloom, Cook Co., Ill .; he continued to reside in Bloom un- til 1856, when he came to Joliet, and kept a boarding-house up to 1864, after which he engaged in his trade of a carpenter. He was elected City Marshal in 1863, and served two years; he has twice been a member of the Board of Aldermen, and is now on the Board of Supervisors, having been elected in April, 1878. 'Mr. Scheidt erected his store and established his pres- ent business in 1877. He was married Aug. 6, 1850, to Miss Catherine Clos, of Crete Tp .; she was born in Prussia Fcb. 22, 1831, and came to Will Co., with her parents, in 1840; they have nine children- Frank A., Mary A., John, Peter A., Michael, Edward, Henry B., George and Katrina A.

G. SCHULTE, editor and proprietor of the Wochenblatt fur Nord-Illinois, Joliet ; was born in the Province of Westphalia, Germany, Feb. 25, 1841 ; he was educated as a civil engineer in the Academy of Ber- lin, where he graduated in 1862 ; in 1865, he came to America, and for two years was connected with the Abend Zeitung, Chi- cago ; he was then engaged for a year as a civil engineer on the Hell Gate excava- tions in the East River, New York ; he then returned to Chicago, and was em- ployed by Cook Co. for three years as a civil engineer in the preparation of the "Cook County Atlas ;" then, after spending a short time on the Illinois Staats Zeitung, he came to Joliet and purchased the Woch- enblatt, a live German newspaper, estab- lished in November, 1877, and having a circulation of some two thousand copics.

J. B. SOLLITT, Jr., Deputy Sheriff of Will Co., Joliet; was born in Yorkshire, England, Sept. 9, 1843; when he was about 6 years old, his parents came to this country and settled in Chicago, where they resided until 1855 ; they then came to Will Co. and settled in the township of Will, bc- ing among the early settlers of that town- ship ; they now reside in Peotone ; Mr. Sol- litt followed farming until March, 1877, when he engaged in business in Pcotone; in March, 1878, he was appointed to his present position. He was married Feb. 26, 1868, to Miss Jennie E. Sollitt, of Chicago, and has three children living- Della E., Elmer A. and Bcatrice V. In 1874, Mr. Sollitt was elected Supervisor, and served three years, until his removal from the town, when he resigned the office ; he served nearly three years as Township Treasurer, two years as Commissioner of Highways and about three years as School Director.

HON. W. A.STRONG, President of the Joliet Gas-Light Co., Joliet ; was born in Waterloo, Seneca Co., N. Y., Oct. 3, 1828 ; he made his home there until 1850, when he came to Illinois, settling in Joliet, where he shortly afterward engaged in the hard- ware business ; in 1863, he was elected Mayor of the city of Joliet, holding the office one year; he has served several years as member of the Board of Aldermen ; he was at one time engaged in the stone- quarrying business, the firm being Strong & Davidson, and owning and operating the quarry formerly known as the Wilson Quarry ; he continued this business three years ; in 1865, he was elected President of the Joliet Gas-Light Co., which had been organized in 1858.

FREDERICK SEHRING, proprietor of the Columbia Brewery, Joliet; has lived in Will Co. since 1847; he came with his parents from Hesse-Darmstadt, Ger- many, where he was born on the 19th of December, 1834 ; the family settled first in Frankfort Tp., and, in 1854, came to Jol- ict and engaged in the hotel business ; Mr. Sehring remained in the hotel until 1860, when he entered the office of the Circuit Clerk as Deputy under B. F. Russell ; in 1863, he was elected Treasurer of Will Co., and re-clected in 1865; in 1868, he purchased the. Columbia Brewery, which he has since remodeled, putting in steam-

717

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

power and all the modern improved ma- chinery ; it is now one of the largest and finest breweries in the State, outside of Chicago ; Mr. Sehring has been Alderman from the Second Ward for the past five years. He was married Jan. 16, 1865, to Miss Louise Bez, of Wurtemberg, Ger- inany, and has seven children living-Su- san E., Louis J., Margaret, Henry, Her- man F., Annie and Georgc.

P. SHUTTS, of the firm of Zarley & Co., publishers of the Joliet Signal, Joliet ; was born in Ulster Co., N. Y. Oct. 7, 1849; when he was about 5 years of age, he accompanied his parents to Co- lumbia Co., N. Y., when they spent a year in preparation for their departure for the West ; in 1855, they came to Will Co., and settled about two and a half miles south- east of Joliet; Mr. Shutts received an English education in the old Babylon stone schoolhouse, and in the fall of 1872, en- tered the Signal office to learn the print- er's trade. He became one of the propri- etors in March, 1876.

D. Y. SMITH, foreman of the car rc- pairs, Chicago & Alton Railroad, Joliet ; was born in Fallsbury, Sullivan Co., N. Y., June 9, 1833 ; he remained on the farm until he was 16 years old, and then learned the carriage and sleigh making business, which he followed until 1856, he then went to Scranton, Pa., and was employed for a year in the car shops of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Co., from which place he went to Dubuque, Iowa, in the car department of the Du- buque & Pacific Railroad Co. (now the Illinois Central) ; in July, 1860, he came to Joliet, and was employed under the master mechanic until 1863, when he be- came forcman of the car repairs, which position he still occupies. He was married Jan. 21, 1863, to Mrs. R. E. Tullock, of Joliet ; she is a native of Delaware Co., N. Y., and has been a resident of Joliet for the past thirty-three years; they have one daughter-Zuleika Y. Mrs. Smith has also three children of her former marriage -Jannette A. Tullock (now Mrs. Hurd), Avalena (wife of L. P. Baker, of Winter- sct, Iowa) and George A., of Joliet.

F. G. SMITH, carriage manufacturer, Joliet ; was born in Walpole Co., N. H., May 1, 1837 ; when he was about 12 years of age, he removed with his parents to

Essex Co., N. Y .; at the age of 13, he entered his father's carriage manufactory, and there thoroughly learned cvcry branch of the carriage business, which he con- tinued in Essex Co. until 1876, when he came to Joliet ; he first located at 54 and 56 Bluff street, and recently removed to Van Buren street, opposite the Episcopal Church ; he was the first to introduce the- Concord side-spring in Joliet, and is also the sole manufacturer in this city of the New Empire cross-spring buggy. Mr. Smith was married in October, 1855, to Miss Abbie R. -, of Mont- pelier; she died in March, 1875, leaving one .son, Franklin A., now engaged with his father. Hc was married again Oct. 11, 1877, to Miss Ella A. Haywood, of Will Co.

JOHN I. ST. JULIEN, manufacturer and dealer in harness, saddles etc., Joliet ; was born ncar Strasbourg, Alsace, on the 15th of February, 1840; in the fall of 1854, he came to this country in company with his uncle, who settled in Naperville, Du Page Co., Ill .; he remained with his uncle two years, and in 1856, came to Joliet, and learned the harness maker's trade with Henry Schrader, and worked at that until May, 1870, when he started in busi- ness for himself. He was married Oct. 6, 1869, to Miss Helen Stephen, daughter of John Stephen, of Joliet, who came in infancy with her parents from Alsace ; they have four children-Albert J., Frank E., Adelia M. and Ida L.

CONRAD SCHWEIZER, wholesale dealer in wines and liquors, Joliet; is a native of Switzerland; he was born Nov. 25, 1838, and resided therc until 1859, when he came to the United States, com- ing direct to Joliet ; he had previously learned the trade of a carpenter, and, after rcaching Joliet, he followed carpentering and farming till 1863, when he went to California and remained until the spring of 1870 ; while there he was engaged in min- ing and working at his trade; on his- return to Joliet, he engaged in his present business.

JOSEPH STOOS, retired, Jolict ; was- born near Strasbourg, Alsace, May 28, 1826; his father was an extensive con- tractor, employing as many as 300 men ; his son Joseph remained at home and. learned thoroughly every branch of the.

110

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

builder's art; in 1855, he came to America, locating at once in Joliet ; he followed his trade here for about two years when he began contracting for himself; he did the carpenter work on St. John the Baptist's Church, and superintended the building of Porter's brewery, Werner's Hall, the Jeff- erson Street Bridge and Scheidt's brewery, besides erecting over two hundred other buildings in Joliet, which stand as monu- ments of his skill; in 1876, having ac- quired a comfortable fortune, he retired to give place to younger men and those more necdy of employment. Mr. Stoos has served two years in the City Council of Joliet. He was married Feb. 29, 1857, to Miss Mary Hossinger, who was born near Strasbourg Dec. 14, 1837, and came to this country with her parents when 8 years of age. They have had eight chil- dren, four of whom are living-Theresa A., Mary E., Josephine M. and Alfred P.

MRS. MAGDALENA STEPHEN, Joliet; was born in Schoenenburg, Can- ton Sultz, Alsace, Feb. 24, 1826; she is a daughter of Peter and Barbara Weishaar, and came to this country with her parents, who settled in Madison, Cook Co., Ill., in 1844 ; her father died April 15, 1862 ; her mother is still living in the full possession of her health and faculties, at the age of 88 years ; she was married July 12, 1851, to Michael Blattner, of Madison. He was a native of Schoenenburg, Alsace, and came to this country at the same time with the Weishaar family ; he died Oct. 2, 1852, leaving one daughter, Mary Philomena, wife of Dr. John Scheubcr, of Fond du Lac, Wis. On the 14th of July, 1853, the subject of this sketch married the late Scbastian Stephen, an early and respected ·citizen of Joliet. He was born in Dower- dort, Alsace, on the 8th of September, 1810; was apprenticed to the tailor's trade at the age of 14 years, and at 22 entered the French army and served seven years; in the spring of 1843, he came to this coun- try, and the following year, 1844, settled in Jolict ; he followed the merchant tailor- ing business until about 1857, when he engaged in the brewery business; in 1862, he resumed merchant tailoring, which he continued till his death, which occurred July 4, 1873; he was first married in 1845, to Miss Angeline Orte, who died in December, 1852, Icaving three sons-Se-

bastian, Aliosius and Henry. Mrs. Ste- phen still resides in Joliet, surrounded by her family of six children-Frances C. (now Mrs. Michael Meyer, of Joliet), Mary E., Theresa J., Joseph A., Rosa K. and Jennie A .; one daughter, Mary Magdalena, died in February, 1857.

FRED X. STUFFLER, hardware mer- chant, Joli t; was born in Wilmington, Will Co., Ill., April 1, 1848 ; when he was 1 year old, the family moved to Joliet ; here he grew to manhood, attending the city schools until he began the active duties of life ; at the age of 18 ycars, he left home and engaged in learning the tinner's trade ; in this he served an apprenticeship for three years ; in 1874, he engaged in business for himself at his present location. He was married April 23, 1872, to Mary A. Bar- thelme, a native of Joliet, Will Co .; has two children-Josephine, Laura. Mr. Stuffler started in life with limited means, and what property he now owns has been accumulated by personal industry and good management ; he has a good and growing trade ; he handles only the best of material, and suffers no work to go out from his es- tablishment without'his personal inspection.

I. D. STEVENS, secretary Solar Stove Works, Jolict ; was born in Joliet, Will Co., Ill., in 1851; he enjoyed the advan- tages of the public schools of his native town, gaining thereby a good common- school education ; in 1863, he entered the employ of John Virgil, now of Chicago, as clerk in his confectionery store; here he remained two years ; he next clerked one year for W. R. Ramsdell, in his grocery store ; in 1868, he and his brother W. D., purchased the lumber-yard of Otis Hardy, and conducted the business two years ; he next entered the employ of the U. S. Ex- press Co., and labored for it about two and onc half years ; he then engaged as clerk for the Solar Stove Works, and at the death of the late William N. Moore, the founder of the establishment, 'Mr. Stevens was chosen Secretary, a position he still holds ; these Works employ some 40 men, turning out annually 3,000 cook-stoves, 40,000 pieces of hollow-ware, consuming 3,000 tons of the best pig-iron in their production. Mr. Stevens was married in 1872, to Kate Flack, a native of ,Aurora, Kane Co., Ill .; has two children-Morti- mer and Jennic.

719

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

F. W. SCHROEDER, grocery mer- ehant, Jolict ; was born in Hesse Cassel, Germany, April 30, 1848; when but 3 or 4 years of age, he came, with his family, to America, his father first settling in New York, where he engaged in the tannery business ; about the year 1854, the family eame West to Cineinnati, Ohio; here Mr. Schroeder attended school a number of years; at the age of 14, he went to Toledo, and engaged in learning the drug business ; at the age of 20 or 21, he went to Kala- mazoo, Mich., and took a course in Par- sons' Business College ; he next located in Lemont, Cook Co., and entered the employ of B. Van Buren, having general charge of the drug store, post office, ete .; in 1872, he opened a drug establishment in Joliet ; in the fall of 1873, he bought his present place of business, and, in the fall of 1874, formed a eopartnership with John Keyes for three years; in 1877, he bought out his partner, and, since that time, has con- dueted the groeery trade alone. He was married June 1, 1872, to Mrs. Alice M. Ireson, a native of England ; she has one ehild by her former husband. Mr. Schroe- der, though comparatively a young man, has gained for himself a fine reputation as a thorough business man, and his trade is almost double that of any other business house on the East Side; the stock is full and complete at all times.

HENRY SCHOETTES, wines and liquors, Joliet ; born in Westphalia, Ger- many, July 11, 1842, where he lived un- til 26 years of age, when, after receiving a common-school education, he learned and. worked at the cigar trade, until he enii- grated to America, landing in New York in 1868; eoming directly West, lie located in St. Louis for three years, being engaged in manufacturing of cigars; from therc he removed to Streator, Ill., and engaged in in the manufacture and sale of eigars, when he came to Joliet in 1871, and was employed as foreman in J. Beohenberger's eigar-factory for one year; in 1872, he engaged in the saloon business, on Bluff st., for one year, when, in 1873, he pur- ehased his present place of business and. residence, at No. 159 South Chicago st. Mr. Schoettes was elected Alderman of the ward in which he lives, at the last munici- pal election of Joliet. He was married in 1873, to Elizabeth Moder ; they were the

parents of two children, one of whom is deceased ; the name of the one now living is Mary F.

BENJAMIN STEVENS, butcher, See. 21; P. O. Joliet; born in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, Oct. 16, 1824, where he learned and followed the slaughter- ing busines until he came to America, in 1854, and settled in Joliet the same year and engaged in the slaughtering business, which business he has since followed ; Mr. Stevens has slaughtered nearly all the mcat used in Joliet for nearly twenty years. He mar- ried, July 18, 1857, Miss Elizabeth Bos- som ; she was born in Oxford, England, June 23, 1831; she came, with her parents, to America in 1854. Mr. Stevens has about thirty aeres of land one mile south of Joliet. They have one child liv- ing-Ann, born Oct. 3, 1858.

WILLIAM SYMINGTON, farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Joliet; born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in January, 1811, where he lived until 14 years of age, when he re- he moved to Erie County, living there until eame to Will Co., Ill., in November, 1837 ; on April 2, 1850, he started overland for California, arriving at Sacramento Aug. 10; he went dircetly to the mines and followed mining for six months, meeting with good success ; on Feb. 22, 1851, he sailed from San Francisco and arrived home the 15th of May; hc settled upon his present place in 1852 ; he has 150 acres of well-improved land, which he has accumu- lated by his own energy and industry. He marricd, June 12, 1837, Dorothy Haarer ; she was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, Oct. 8, 1815, and came to this country when 16 years of age; they are the parents of seven children-Sophia, Charles W., William H., Dolly, Rosa E. A., Alice A. Warren A .; two deceased were Margaret and Catharine. Mr. S. has been School Director for more than twenty years.

DANIEL C. SLEEPER, Assistant Deputy Warden Illinois State Peniten- tiary, Joliet; born in Sandown, Rocking- ham Co., N. H., July 5, 1832, where he lived until 13 years of age, when he went to Methuen, Mass., learning the trade of hatter ; which trade he followed until 1854, when he emigrated West. and settled in Joliet as clerk for Hayden Bros., in the grocery business, for two years ; then one

720

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :

year in the same business with S. O. Simonds ; in 1858, he was appointed, by Warden S. K. Casey, as keeper and assist- ent book-keeper of the Illinois State Peni- tentiary ; in the spring of 1864, he visited Montana for his health and engaged in mining for three and a half years, when he returned to Joliet and was again appointed keeper until 1869, when he was appointed Assistant Deputy Warden, which office hc has since held, with the exception of nine months, from July, 1871 to April, 1872, when he was Assistant Superintendent of the Reform School, at Pontiac, Ill. Mar- ried, June 20, 1861, to Alice M. Richard- son ; she was born in Joliet April 11, 1839 ; they are the parents of threc chil- dren-Kate F., born May 1, 1862 ; George B., born May 29, 1864; Daniel C., Jr., born May 19, 1874.

MRS. NANCY STEVENS, farmer ; P. O. Joliet ; the widow of Robert Stevens, re- sides just east of the limits of the city of Joliet; she was the daughter of Lewis Kercheval and was born in Ohio, and came to Illinois when 16 years old, with her father's family, in the fall of 1830 ; she remembers vividly the winter of the "deep snow" and its accompaniment of severity. In 1835, she was married to Robert Stevens, whose portrait is found on another page of this work; Mr. Stevens was born in Kentucky, but reared mostly in Ohio, and at an early age immigrated to Indiana, where he remained several years, coming to Illinois, and to Joliet Tp., in 1831, and settled upon the place where his widow still lives; Mr. S. was Captain of a military company in Bartholomew Co., Ind., until he removed to Illinois, in 1831, and retained his sword and uniform until the time of his death, which occurred Jan. 6, 1864; he was elected the first Sheriff of Will County, but, not desiring office, refused to qualify ; during the fright occa- sioned by the Sac war of 1832, Mr. S. took his family to Danville, Ill., and sent them, under safe escort to the Indiana settle- ments, while he returned and raised a crop on his claim. Mr. S. was twice mar- ried, his first wife was Lydia Ann Pencc, and three children were the fruit of this marriage-all dcad; by his last wife, who survives him, he had six children-Lewis K., Thomas J., James, Sarah Ann, Mary A. and Albert.

M. W. SHURTS, railroad contractor, Joliet ; was born in Hunterdon Co., N. J., Aug. 29, 1820; in 1846, he left New York for California, being a member of the 1st N. Y. Regt. I. V., raised for the Mexican war, Col. J. D. Steven's command- ing; they were five months and eight days making the voyage, and on reaching San Francisco, theirs was the only vessel in the harbor; at that date, there were just six houses in the now prosperous city of San Francisco, and these were unworthy the name; the regiment was not actively engaged in the war, though it made sev- eral excursions after the Indians; in 1849, hc returned to New York, occupying seven months on the eastern passage ; in 1850, he came West, and located in Fulton Co., Ill., where he engaged in various pursuits ; in 1859, he returned East, and subse- quently went to Virginia ; here he con- tracted on the Richmond & York River R. R .; afterward, he contracted work on Long Island and on the south side of Long Island; in 1870, he again came West, and subsequently went to Texas and engaged two years in railroading ; he built 240 miles of the Houston & Texas Cen- tral R. R .; in 1875, he made a trip to Europe, and since then has spent much time in pleasure-seeking. His first wife was Agnes Hageman, a native of New Jersey ; his second marriage was to Maria Simonds, a native of New York State. For the past few years Mr. Shurts has led a retired life, and is now devoting him- self to the improvement of his farm, near the limits of the city, on which he hopes to lead a quiet and happy life during his declining years.

CONRAD TATGE, Joliet ; the sub- ject of this sketch was born in Hesse- Cassel, Germany, May 26, 1827 ; he was raised to farming pursuits, and, in 1848, came to this country, remaining in Chi- cago until 1851, when he came to Will Co. and settled in the town of Crete; he purchased land from the Government and opened a farm; he was the first German. to settle upon the open prairie ; those who had come previously had located in the timber along the creek; he remained on his farm until 1865, when he rented it out, and purchased another adjoining the village of Crete, to which place he removed ; he was elected Commissioner of Highways.

721

JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

in 1853, and Township Collector in 1854 ; in 1858, he was chosen Justice of the Peace, and held that office ten years, re- signing in 1868, upon being elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Will Co .; he then removed to Joliet, and, in 1872, was re-elected to the same office, serving until 1876; he joined the Republican party on its organization, in 1856, and has been a member ever since; he was married Nov. 11, 1851, to Miss Sophia Wassmann, of Hanover, Germany; they have had twelve children, eight of whom are living, viz., Caroline, Sophia, William H., Emmilia, Gustavus, Emma, Amanda and Juliana.

WILLIAM TONNER, City Clerk, Joliet ; was born in Centre Co., Penn., June 24, 1816 ; he was raised on a farm, re- ceived a thorough English education, and, at the age of 16 years, engaged in teach- ing; he taught about twelve years, six of which he taught in one school ; in 1846, he came to Will Co., and engaged in farm- ing, in Plainfield ; in 1850, he made the overland trip to California, where he spent two years in mining, returning in 1852; in 1857, he was elected County Clerk, and removed to Joliet ; he held the office for eight years ; from 1865 until 1877, he was engaged in investing money, buying and selling property, etc., also having con- siderable interests in the oil regions of Pennsylvania ; he was elected City Clerk in December, 1877. He was married Feb. 5, 1839, to Miss Catherine J. Shref- fler, of Centre Co. Pa., and has one daughter living-Mary Alice (now Mrs. Henry A. Sanger, of Florence, Ala.); one daughter, Myra J., wife of R. H. Willis, died in Omaha, Neb., Oct. 31, 1867.

CARY THORNTON, retired, Joliet, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Bucks Co., Penn., Oct. 3, 1800; his ancestors were Quakers, and came to Pennsylvania with Wm. Penn in 1681; the subject of this sketch lived with his parents until he was 23 years of age, assist- ing upon the farm; in 1823 he moved to Michigan, and, after remaining one year, moved to Rochester, N. Y. ; engaged in trade of carpenter and joiner up to 1836, when he came to Will Go., and settled in Troy Tp., on Sec. 34, farming up to the time of his removal to Joliet, in 1866, where he still resides, at the good old age of 79. He

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 74

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