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 76

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 76

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MANSFIELD YOUNG, tea merchant, Jolict ; was born in the city of New York, Dec. 26, 1830; at the age of 18, lie came West with his parents, who settled in Man- hattan Tp., in this county, in 1849, where he assisted his parents in farming up to 1854, when he came to Joliet and engaged in the grain trade for a year, when he re- turned to New York, remaining there until 1864, engaged in the manufacture and sale of hats ; in January of the same year, he went to California by way of the Isthmus, and was engaged in the hat business in San Francisco up to September, 1865, when he returned to New York ; in June, 1868, he came to Joliet, where he has since resided ; he is at present engaged in the tea business. Was Town Clerk and Road Commissioner at different times during his residence in Manhattan Tp., and also one of the Supervisors. He married Miss Sarah Walker, daughter of Joseph Walker, of New York City, May 6, 1863 ; she died in Joliet on Ascension Day, May 25, 1876, and now sleeps in Oakwood Cemetery; she was a lady universally beloved, and her early death was greatly deplored by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Young was a member of the famous 7th Regiment N. Y. N. G., and, in 1861, went with that regiment to the seat of war, being the first regiment to march.

CALNEH ZARLEY, of the firm of Zarley & Co., publishers of the Joliet Signal, Joliet ; among the very earliest settlers of Will Co., was the family of Reason Zarley, who emigrated from Pikc Co., Ohio, in 1829, and, after spending two years in Vermilion Co., Ill., settled in Joliet Tp., Will Co., in 1831, where he resided until his death, in 1859; his widow still lives on the original farm, being the oldest living inhabitant of the township; of the eight children living at the time of their father's decease, three have since died, and the remaining five are all residents of Will Co .; the subject of this sketch was born in Pike Co., Ohio, April 21, 1825, and came to Illinois with

the family, as above stated ; he remained at home on the farm until he attained his majority, in 1846; he then entered upon his editorial carcer as one of the' cditors and proprietors of the Joliet Signal, in which capacity he has continucd for the past thirty-two years, during whichi time the Signal has continued to increase in circulation, popularity and influence; in politics, it has always been Democratic ; it now has a bona-fide circulation of 1,200 copies weekly ; Mr. Zarloy held the office of Postmaster of Joliet during the admin- istration of Presidents Picrce and Bu- chanan, and has served for the past nine years on the Board of School Inspectors. He was married in 1862, to Miss Annie Keegan, of Joliet, and has five children- Katie, Edwin C., Sarah, Frank W. and Thomas K.

W. H. ZARLEY, Clerk of the County Court, Joliet ; a son of Reason and Sarah Zarley; was born on the Zarley home- stead, in the town of Joliet, on the 21st of February, 1837; he remained at home until he was 17 years old, when he entered the Jolict Postoffice as Deputy Post- master, under his brother, Calneh Zarley, serving under him seven years, and, on the appointment of J. L. Braden as Post- master, in 1861, he was retained as deputy for two years, until his election as City Clerk. in 1863; he held that office for fourteen years, until 1877, when he was elected County Clerk. He was married Jan. 30, 1860, to Miss Helen M. Patrick, daugliter of Jacob Patrick, of Joliet, and has three children-Charles H., George P. and Ida.

SARAH ZARLEY, Joliet. The sub- ject of this memoir, Sarah Zarley, was born in Pike Co., Ohio, Oct. 25, 1794 ; her maiden name was Sarah Mustard, being the daughter of Rev. William Mustard, one of the pioneer Methodists of that State, and is of the same faith still; in 1814, she was married to Reason Zarley, and in 1828, with her husband and fami- ly, she came to Illinois and settled near Danville, where she resided until 1831, when the family moved to Joliet and set- tled on what is known as the 'Zarley farm, two miles south of the city, where she is residing at present, and has resided for the last forty-seven years. Mrs. Zarley is the old- est resident of Joliet, as well as the oldest

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living resident . of Will Co; when she came here, Northern Illinois was a wilder- ness, inhabited only by Indians and wild beasts; with her husband, she bravely withstood the dangers and hardships of frontier life, and aided in rearing a large family of children; though 84 years of age, she is yet in the full possession of her mental faculties, and has a vivid remem- brance of the past; her husband died in

1859, leaving her in charge of the farm and property, which she yet possesses; she is the mother of twelve children, to wit, W. M., Lydia, John W., Susan, Calneh. Calvin, Linton, Sarah, Elizabeth D., James C. and William H .; of whom Su- san, Calneh, Elizabeth, James C. and William H. are living, and reside in Will Co. Indeed, few live to so ripe an age and have filled all the duties of life so well.

LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP.

JAMES L. ALEXANDER, farmer, P. O. Lockport; was born in New Marl- boro, Mass., Aug. 22, 1805. He was married to Betsy Healy, of Elbridge, On- ondaga Co., N. Y., May 17, 1834; after marriage, he lived three years in Sodus, Wayne Co., N. Y., where he engaged in farming; in 1837, he came West and set- tled near Lockport, taking contracts on the I. & M. Canal on the section at Kankakee, and subsequently on Secs. 62 and 45; after the completion of the canal, he purchased a farm in the present limits of Dupage Tp., and occupied it in 1841; in 1860, he moved to the farm now owned and operated by his widow and son, James H .; he died Dec. 29, 1876; has two children living- James H. and Sarah E. (now wife of C. W. Rathburn, of Joliet). The home farm contains 382 acres, worth $70 per acre. Never having sought political preferment, he held no offices higher than those of School Trustee and School Director. He was a well-read, thorough-going business man ; perhaps no man in the communitics in which he lived enjoyed the respect and confidence of his neighbors to a fuller ex- tent than did Mr. Alexander; starting in life a poor boy, he, by manly exertions, ac- cumulated a competency for his family, and, at his death, no man could truthfully say that he had accumulated one cent in a dishonest manner.

MORGAN ASHLEY, farmer; P. O. Lockport; was born in Lewis Co., N. Y., Jan. 29, 1818; at the age of 17, he left the East and came West to Illinois, settling in Plainfield; here he remained two years, and then moved north of the village one mile, to a farm, remaining six years ; he

next moved to Dupage Tp., purchased a farm and remained there seven years ; he next moved to Lockport Tp., and located where he at present resides. He was mar- ried Jan. 21, 1843, to Emily R. Norton, a native of Ithaca, N. Y .; has seven children -Lourina, Eli, Annie (now wife of Alva Culver), Harvey L., Gilbert M., Riley T., Preston D. Owns 200 acres, worth $12,- 000. Held the offices of Constable and Collector in Plainfield; was Justice of the Peace ten years in Dupage; he was ap- pointed Postmaster at Dupage under the administration of Andy Johnson; this po- sition he held about two years; is at present School Trustee. In addition to his com- mon school education, he attended for a time a select school at Martinsburg, Lewis Co., N. Y. Poor when he came West, he has accumulated his property through his own personal exertions, seconded by the aid of his faithful companion.

C. ADELMANN, farmer; P. O. Lock- port ; was born in Bavaria, Germany, May 1, 1817 ; he immigrated to America in August, 1846, and settled in Lockport, Will Co., Ill., where he has resided ever since, excepting a temporary absence of about six months on the Au Sable; he was a stone cutter by trade, and has erected a number of fine buildings in Lockport, and now owns some of the best and most eligi- bly situated business houses in town; this he followed about twenty years and then bought and operated the tannery located in the south part of the village ; Jan. 11, 1878, he sold out his business and has since lived a retired life on his farm; own forty acres adjoining the corpo- ration, adorned with a fine stone res-

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idence. He was married in March, 1847, to Mary Koumeyer, a native of Germany ; has six children-Peter, Mary, Charlie, Francis, China, Georgia.

JAMES BAKER, farmer; P. O. Lock- port was born in . Nottinghamshire, Eng., Nov. 2, 1830 ; May 29, 1858, he immigrated to America and first settled in Lockport, Will Co., Ill., where he engaged in laboring for John Fiddyment ; here he remained one year and then moved to Wilmington ; after a residence of two years, he returned to Loekport and entered again the employ- ment of Mr. Fiddyment; after three or four years service, he next entered the em- ploy of Norton & Co., for whom he labored five or six years; in 1867, he moved to the farm of S. Wilson, which he eul- tivated two years ; next, to that of James Baker, and remained five years; in 1874, he moved to his present place of residence, three miles south of Lockport. He was married Dec. 27, 1853, to Eliza Baker, a native of England ; has ' eight children-Thomas, Joseph, Mary A., Emeline, Elizabeth, James J., William and George. Possessed of a goodly amount of property, which he has gained by industry and hard toil, and largely deprived, through want of means, of an education himself, he provides as best he can the means for educating his chil- dren, and fitting them for useful citizens.

J. A. BOYER, proprietor Lemont stone quarries, Lockport; was born in Lock- port, Will Co., Ill., Oct.30, 1850; on leaving the schools of his native village at the age . of 12, he attended a seleet school at Chi- eago for some time, and also was a member of Bryant & Stratton's Business College two winters ; the last school he attended was kept by Dr. Parks, of Chicago, located near Graceland Cemetery ; at the age of 16, he left off attending school, and his father having a contraet on the deepening of the I. & M. Canal, young J. A. acted iu the capacity of elerk for him; his father having died in 1868, he finished his con- traet and then engaged in opening up a stone quarry ; in the spring of 1869, he opened a quarry just north of Lockport, but finding it would not pay, he abandoned it; in the spring of 1871, he began oper- ations at Lemont ; he operates three quar- ries with a large foree, and finds ready sale for all his material. He was married Nov.

25, 1874, to Helen C. Cook, a native of Chicago, Ill .; has two children-Julius A. and Charles E. The Catholic Church, the finest and most costly of any in the town, is constructed out of material from his quarries.

A. S. BROWN, salesman, with Norton & Co., Loekport; was born in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., Penn., May 18, 1831 ; when 6 years of age, he came with the family to Ohio, his father settling near Canton, in Stark Co .; here he en- gaged in the coopering business, and his son under his tuition also learned the cooper's trade; after abandoning the trade, they engaged in farming; in 1849, the family came West, and settled in Wheatland Tp., Will Co., Ill .; at the age of 22, the subject of this sketch left home and began farming for himself; this he followed about twelve years ; he then sold his farm and came to Lockport and opened a grocery store ; this he operated four years; July 13, 1868, he entered the employ of Norton & Co. as salesman, which position he still occupies. He was married Oct. 27, 1853, to Susan Snyder, a native of Ohio ; has four children living-Franklin, Eda, Will- iam and Carrie ; six deceased. Mr. Brown is courteous and accommodating, and is justly popular as a business man.

JAMES BRUCE, quarryman; P. O. Joliet; born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Oet. 11, 1823, where he lived until 20 years of age, and followed the millwright business until he emigrated to America, in 1844, and settled in Will Co., Ill., and engaged as foreman on the Illinois & Michigan Canal until its completion, when he en- gaged witlı Norton & Co., at Loekport, as millwright, following this business two years, when he engaged in the quarry business, which he lias since followed. He owns one-half of what is known as Bruce & Co.'s quarry, situated just east of the Illinois Penitentiary in Joliet. He was married July 12, 1852, to Jane Stephen ; she was born in Scotland, Oct. 8, 1833 ; they are the parents of nine children ; the living are Bella G., William, Margaret, Ebenezer, James and Harry ; the deceased are Georgiana, Frank and Jennie.

WILLIAM BRADLEY, M. D., physi- cian and surgeon, Lockport; was born in West Greece, Monroe Co., N. Y., Sept. 17, 1837 ; in 1860, he matriculated in the

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Geneva Medical College, from which he graduated in 1864, having completed a full course of study; he then returned home, and, in connection with his father, practiced his profession one year ; in 1865, he came West and located in Lockport, his present place of residence, entering the employ of W. H. Kezler as clerk in his drug store ; he also served Probert and Dr. Daggett, successive owners of the store, in the same capacity ; in 1868, he opened a drug store for himself. Was married May 11, 1876, to Julia Parker, a native of New York ; has two children-Gertrude and William. Republican ; Congregation- alist. . He has practiced ever since he lo- cated in the town, but much of his practice has been confined to the office. He is a gentleman of fine social qualities, of a genial disposition, such as is calculated to draw about him a host of friends, and is deservedly popular.

C. H. BACON, M. D., physician and surgeon ; Lockport, was born in Albion, Orleans Co., N. Y., Nov. 12, 1834; in 1849, entered the High School at Rochester; he remained three years, completing the full course ; at the age of 18, he began the study of medicine with Dr. Moore at Lockport, N. Y. ; a year later, entered the New York Medical University and remaincd two years; at the age of 22, came West and located in Mokena; Will Co., and entered upon the practice of his profession ; herc he remained two years and then came to Lockport; in the winter of 1860-61, he attended the Chicago Medical College, from which he graduated March 4, 1862; he then re- turned to Lockport, his present place of residence; in the summer of 1862, he raised a company of volunteers and enlisted in the U. S. army as Captain of Co. C, 100th Regiment Ill. V. I .; resigned his position at the end of three months' service, and was appointed Assistant Surgeon of the U. S. Vol. Corps ; he was promoted to full Surgeon August, 1863, and served until Nov. 21, 1865 ; during this period he served most of the time as Post Surgeon at Johnsonville, Tenn. ; he was appointed Physician and Surgcon of the State Prison at Joliet, July 1, 1869, which position he he held till July 15, 1874. He was mar- ricd Fcb 14, 1854, to Mary L. Moore, a native of New York ; has one daughter- Clara. Owns a fruit farm of eighty acres

in New York. In 1876, lie erected a fine three-story brick business house at a cost of $7,000. Dec. 15, 1876, opened his drug store, the finest in the city. Republican ; Methodist. Lockport Lodge, No. 538, of A., F. & A. M., occupies the third story of his building. Dr. Bacon was the first Mas- ter of the Lodge, and held the position a number of years in succession. He and Dr. Daggett do the leading practice of the city and srrounding country.

CHARLES E. BOYER, contractor ; Lockport. Mr. Boyer was born June 5, 1813, in Reading, Penn .; in 1837, he came West, and located in Chicago, engaging at once in mercantile life; in 1839, he came to Lockport and com- menced business in connection with Messrs. Ayers & Iliff, under the firm name of Ayers, Iliff & Co .; he soon withdrew from the firm, and took a contract on the I. & M. Canal; in the Fall of 1844, he went to Galva, and engaged in a similar work; in 1850, he went to California and remained two years ; during his stay, he took a con- tract on the Bear River Canal, and later, on the levee at Sacramento City ; return- ing to Lockport in the summer of 1852, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the I. & M. Canal, and had charge of the Eastern Division ; this position he held some ten or twelve years ; the last years of his life were devoted mostly to dealing in real estate ; the Jacksonville Division of the A. & St. Louis R. R., extending from Bloomington to Jacksonville, was built under his immediate supervision. He was married April 14, 1840, to Elizabeth Run- yon, a native of Ohio; has had five chil- dren, three living-Erurna B., Julius A. and Florence G. Owns 263 acres. Mr. Boyer was a stanch Democrat, though he took but little active interest in politics. He was chosen a member of the Legisla - ture in 1863, and at the time of his de- cease, which occurred Sept. 21, 1868, he was a candidate for a seat in the State Senatc. His accomplished wife and family reside in one of the most eligible properties in the city.

WILLIAM CAMERON, Superinten- dent State Machine Shops, Lockport; was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Jan. 20, 1836; he came with the family in 1848 or 1849 to Hamilton, Canada ; here his father re- maincd about twelve years, and then moved

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to London, Canada, where he died ; about the age of 16, William left liome, and en- gaged in learning his trade at Kingston ; was an apprentice four years ; after acquir- ing his trade, he worked in the shops of the Great Western R. R. at Hamilton three or four years ; he then went to the State of New York, and worked in various places ; In 1861, he came West, locating in Otta- wa, where he labored for Henry Foy in his machine shops; from there, in 1866, lie came to work on the I. & M. Canal, when the work of deepening the canal was be- gun ; in 1875, he came to Lockport, hav- ing been appointed to his present position. He was married in March, 1856, to Ann Beattie, a native of Canada; has two chil- dren-Andrew and Jane. Owns property in Lockport and some near London, Can- ada.

HARVEY W. CHAMBERLAIN, blacksmith, Lockport; was born in Essex, Essex Co., N.Y., Feb. 22, 1843; in the latter part of the same year, the family came West and settled in Dupage Township, Will Co. In 1853, his father, a carpenter by trade, moved to Lockport and worked for Norton & Co., in erecting their mill. At the age of 14, H. W. went to work at his trade, .serving an apprenticeship of three years ; he followed his trade until 1862, when he enlisted in Co. C, 100th Regiment I. V. I .; he participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Lookout Mountain, New Hope Church, Franklin, Nashville and others ; in the battle of Pcach Tree Creek, fought July 22, 1864, he was wounded in the left shoulder and disabled for six months; on returning from the army he again went to his trade in Lockport. He was married May 7, 1868, to Asenath Johnson, of Lockport ; has four children -Fred, Willie, Flora and Jessic.

B. B. CLARK, merchant, Lockport ; Mr. Clark, who is one among the earliest set- tlers of Will County, was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio, Feb. 9, 1814; in 1820, his father moved to Illinois and settled about mid- way between Vincennes, Ind., and Mt. Carmel, Ill .; a sketch of the family's re- movals and locations will be found in de- tail in the body of the work ; in 1835, B. B. purchased a portion of the home place, northeast of Plainfield, and went to work for himself; that land lie owns to-day ; in

1850, he went to California ; five months were occupied in crossing the plains ; dur- ing the trip they ran short of provisions, and lived on bran-bread three days; on arriving at Sacramento City he engaged to furnish and superintend teams on the levee; this employment gave him the handsome income of $55 per day ; after- ward, purchasing a stock of provisions, he went back into the mining districts and engaged in trade ; in 1852, he returned to Illinois, being considerably ahcad in a pe- cuniary point of view ; he continued ac- tively engaged in farming until 1868, when he moved into Lockport and engaged in the dry goods and clothing business early in 1869. He was married Dec. 16, 1848, to Harriet M. Bartlett, a native of Mas- sachusetts ; has had six children, three liv- ing and three dead. Owns 315 acres in Dupage Township, valued at $75 per acre.

S. S. CHAMBERLAIN, furniture and undertaker, Lockport; was born in Mon- roe Co., N. Y., Aug. 19, 1817; his father was among the earliest settlers in what is now Will Co .; he left New York in January, 1833, and on the 27th of Feb- ruary, arrived at the head of Hickory Creek, now in New Lenox Tp., Will Co .; Mr. S. S. Chamberlain, a boy of 15 Sum- mers, rode the entire distance on an Indian pony; a detailed account of tlicir journey will be found in the body of the history ; in 1837, his father sold his farm and moved to Peoria Co., not far from the present site of Peoria City; in 1844, S. S. returned to Lockport and engaged in house carpenter- ing; in 1857, he opened his furniture store and undertaker's business. Hc was married in 1841 to Elizabeth Gray, a native of New York, sister of Charles M. and Capt. George M. Gray, the latter con- nected with the Pullman Palace Car Line, and the former for many years general freight agent of the M. S. R. R .; has two sons-George M., Charles G. In connec- tion with his son George M., has the only undertaker's establishment in Joliet, operated by an American or Protestant.

GEORGE B. COOK, salesman for Gaylord & Co., Lockport; was born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., July 13, 1838; in 1845, the family left New York State and settled near London, Can .; his father was traveling salesman for the wholesale firm of Murray & Anderson; in

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July, 1851, his father came to Illinois and settled near Morris, on the Au Sable; in March, 1852, he moved to Chicago and took charge of the lock at the head of the I. & M. Canal; on the 9th of June following he died of cholera; George B. remained with the family, and in . the Spring of 1854, they moved to Lockport ; here, in connection with an older brother, he attended the lock and provided for the family ; in 1861, he went to Channahon and followed various pursuits ; in August, 1869, he took charge of a force of men engaged in the improvement of the Kan- kakee River, and afterward was engaged in the construction of the feeder to the I. & M. Canal on the same river; in 1871, in connection with C. E. Fowler, he opened a general merchandise store at the village of Shermanville, on the Kankakee River; at the end of eight months, they closed out their stock, and he returned to Lock- port ; his family remained here, and he went to Chicago as foreman in the packing- house of Col. Hancock ; here he remained until May, 1873, when he entered the employ of J. A. Boyer as foreman in his quarries at Lemont ; in the Fall of 1873, he was employed as salesman by James E. Casey, of Lockport; then in the grocery trade; December, 1875, he took the posi- tion he now occupies. He was married March 3, 1859, to Eliza Killeen, a native of Ireland; has two children-James R., born Dec. 3, 1859 ; George B., born Dec. 9, 1864.

JOHN F. DAGGETT, M. D., physi- cian and surgeon, Lockport. The subject of this sketch was born in Charlotte, Chit- tenden Co., Vt., Feb. 19, 1815; with a good common school education, he began teaching at the age of 16; he entered upon his professional studies at the age of 19, attending the medical college at Woodstock, Vt., in the Spring, and that of Pittsfield, Mass., during the Fall; he graduated from Woodstock in 1836, and commenced the practice of medicine in 1838, at Lockport, his present home; for forty years he has had the leading practice of the town and vicinity. He was married in 1842, to Angeline Talcott, a native of New York ; she came to Illinois in 1834; was sister of the late Mancel Talcott, of Chicago; her brother, Edward B. Talcott, assisted in surveying and laying out the Illinois &

Michigan Canal ; subsequently, he was- Superintendent of the St. Jo & Hannibal R. R., and at a later period, held the same position on the Chicago & Galena R. R .; Mrs. Daggett died in 1844, without issue; his second marriage, to Cleora M. Parsons, of Marcellus, N. Y., occurred in 1846 ; has had five children, three dead, two liv- ing-Belle F., wife of Hugo VonBoehme, of Joliet (City Surveyor and Architect), and Clara P. Owns 500 acres in Lockport Tp .; also a mill on the Des Plaines River, just below the town of Lockport ; this mill was built in 1836 or '37, and operates four run of stone. For many years Dr. Dag- gett did all the practical operative surgery of the surrounding country. In 1871, he was chosen to the Senate to represent the district composed of Will, Kankakee,. Grundy and Kendall Counties. Repub- lican ; Episcopalian. Though 63 years of age, the Doctor bids fair to lead an active busy life for many years to. come.

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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 76

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