USA > Illinois > Henry County > The biographical record of Henry County, Illinois > Part 19
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Reared on the home farm amid pioneer scenes, William N. Glenn obtained his liter- ary education in the district schools, and gave his father the benefit of his labors until twenty-five years of age. About 1856 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of
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wild land on section 31, Colona township, where he now resides, and to its improve- ment and cultivation he at once turned his attention. Acre after acre was placed un- der the plow until the entire amount was highly cultivated, and all the improvements found thereon are of a substantial character. As a farmer and stock raiser he has met with excellent success, and is to-day the owner of a most desirable farm of two hundred and eighty-five acres pleasantly located within two miles of Coal Valley. He was one of the promoters of the telephone line and had one of the first 'phones in his vicinity. For many years he has been a stockholder in the Mutual Insurance Company. He is a large stock feeder and has fine cattle upon his farm.
In 1866, in Henry county, was celebrat- ed the marriage of Mr. Glenn and Miss Ellen R. Reynolds, who was born in Moline, Illinois, but was principally reared and edu- cated in Henry county, attending the com- mon and high schools of Geneseo, and suc- cessfully engaging in teaching prior to het marriage. By this union was born a son, James N., who married Lina Lease and as- sisted his father in the operation of the farm until his death, which occurred December 30, 1897. He left a wife and two children, Lois and Jean Neva, all of whom live with our subject.
By his ballot Mr. Glenn supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and cast his first presidential vote for Abra- ham Lincoln in 1860. He has been a mem- ber of the county central committee, and has taken quite an active and influential part in local politics. For three years he most effi- ciently served as supervisor, has also served as township trustee, and has filled other po- sitions of honor and trust with credit to
himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. Fraternally he is an honored member of Coal Valley Lodge, No. 547, F. & A. M., and both he and his wife hold membership in the Eastern Star Chapter. They are people of prominence in their community and enjoy the hospitality of its best homes. Mrs. Glenn is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Coal Valley, of which Mr. Glenn is an attendant and sup- porter.
DANIEL S. MASCALL.
Prominent among the business men of Cambridge is numbered the subject of this review, who is one of the leading liverymen of that place. No one in the vicinity is better known, for his entire life has been spent here, and all his interests from boyhood have been closely associated with those of this locality. In his special line of business he has met with success, and by the energy and zeal which he has manifested he has won the confidence and esteem of the public.
A native of Henry county, Mr. Mascall was born in Cambridge township March 10, 1856, and is a son of James and Mary A. (Lilly) Mascall, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He is the third in order of birth in a family of five children.
In early life Daniel S. Mascall acquired a fair knowledge of the common English branches of learning in the public schools of Cambridge, in which city he grew to manhood. At the age of twenty-one he left home to make his own way in the world. He married Miss Julia Perkins, who was born in Virginia, and they have become the parents of six children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are : Mary J. and
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James D .. both attending the Cambridge schools: and Eva A. and Ralph, at home.
On starting out in life for himself Mr. Mascall embarked in the horse business, buy- ing for shipment to the northern markets. Some years ago he purchased a livery stable in Cambridge, which he conducted success- fully, and as he conducted the business on strictly business principles he built up an excellent trade and received the confidence of the entire comunity. Since then he has bought and sold the business several times, but for the past thirteen years he has had charge of the stable uninterruptedly. Be- sides his city property he now owns three hundred acres of fine farming land in Cam- bridge township, which he rents. Since at- taining his majority he has affiliated with the Republican party, but has never taken an active part in political affairs aside from voting. Socially he is quite popular with a large circle of friends and acquaintances and is a member of the Odd Fellow's lodge of Cambridge.
WILLIAM DURMANN.
The subject of this personal narrative is one of the most successful and progressive farmers and stock raisers within the borders of Colona township, his place of residence being the old Durmann homestead of two hundred and sixty acres on section 33. He has made his special field of industry an eminent success. He is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Black Hawk township, Rock Island county, March 15. 1856.
His father, Joseph Durmann, was born and reared in Germany, where he learned the cooper's trade, and as a young man he
came to the United States, first locating in St. Louis, where he pursued that vocation for a time. In 1836, he removed to Rock Island, Illinois ( then called Stephenson ), where he and John Staubach started the first cooper shop. In partnership with August Littig he also established the first brewery at that place. There he married Miss Amanda Killing, a German lady, and they continued to make their home in Rock Island and Milan for some years. They finally located on a farm one mile west of Coal Valley, where they resided for four years, and on disposing of that place Mr. Durmann bought the farm in Colona township where our subject now lives. He built a good residence on the place, and made many other improvements which enhanced its value and attractive ap- pearance. Upon this farm he passed away March 4. 1896, and his wife died July 26, 1898.
William Durmann was reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys of his day, and his early education, acquired in the com- mon schools, was supplemented by a year's. attendance at the Davenport Business Col- lege. He aided his father in the operation of the farm until thirty-two years of age, and for his services his father gave him a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Cordova, in Rock Island county.
As a companion and helpmate on life's journey Mr. Durmann chose Miss Lottie Washburn, their marriage being celebrated in Henry county, on the 16th of March. 1892. She was educated in the public schools of this county, and is a daughter of C. E. Washburn, whose sketch and portrait appear elsewhere in this volume. Two children bless this union, Dorsey and Chaun- cey.
For a year or more after his marriage,
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Mr. Durmann continued to engage in farm- ing on the old homestead, and then removed to his own farm in Rock Island county. to the further improvement and cultivation of which he devoted five years. At the end of that period he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the old homestead in Co- lona township, and has since resided thereon, while he rented his farm in Rock Island county. He feeds considerable stock for market. and is accounted one of the most suc- cessful farmers and stock raisers in Colona township. Politically Mr. Durmann is a Jeffersonian Democrat. and he has been called upon to serve his fellow citizens as township collector four years; assessor one year ; and school director fifteen years. He is still a member of the school board, and has done much to secure better schools and more competent teachers in his district. He is progressive and enterprising, and gives his support to all measures which he believes calculated to prove of public benefit.
JAMES MASCALL.
Among the honored early settlers and highly esteemed citizens of Henry county was James Mascall, who took a very active and prominent part in the development of this region. He was born in East Kent, England, on the 29th of January, 1814, and in 1830 accompanied his parents, John and Elizabeth ( Neeves) Mascall, on their emi- gration to America. The family first lo- cated in Litchfield, Pennsylvania, where they spent eight years, and then came to Illinois. After a short time passed in Stark couny, they located in Henry county the same year -1838. At that time there were but few
setlements on the prairie, and most of the land was still in its primitive condition, very few improvements having been made throughout the country.
Our subject purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 15, Cam- bridge township, and was interested in farm- ing during his active business life. Although he met with many misfortunes he steadily prospered, and at the time of his death owned about fifteen hundred acres of land. Eighteen years after coming to Henry county he embarked in the grocery and pro- vision business in Cambridge, and in that enterprise was very successful. His capital on starting out in life for himself was less than fifty dollars, but by judicious invest- ments and the rise in value of land as the country become more thickly settled he prospered, and in all his undertakings met with success.
On the 4th of April, 1848, Mr. Mascall was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Lilly, who was born in Oneida county, New York, August 1, 1827, a daughter of Carlo H. and Wealthy (Ladd ) Lilly, also natives of the Empire state, where her father died. In 1846 Mrs. Lilly came to Henry county, Illinois, and spent the remainder of her life with her eight children, her death occurring in Andover township. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mascall were as follows : John R., who grew to manhood in Henry county, but is now a resident of What Cheer, Iowa : Jennie, wife of Peter Walline, of Cal- ifornia: Daniel S., who is represented on another page of this volume: Annie, wife of Seth Perkins of Chicago, Illinois ; and Mary, wife of Robert Melloy, of Cambridge. The children were all reared and educated in this county. The mother of this family, who was a very active member of the Methodist
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Episcopal Church, died in Cambridge, in April, 1900, loved and respected by all who knew her.
Mr. Mascall was never a very healthy man and unfortunately met with a number of accidents, which finally, as a very great affliction, caused him to lose his eye-sight about 1879. His was a varied career with many ups and downs, but with indomitable energy he conquered fate, and he became one of the wealthiest and most substantial men of Cambridge, where his death occurred. For a time he was engaged in buying grain quite extensively, and was prominently iden- tified with a number of business enterprises. As a citizen he was always true and faith- ful to every trust reposed in him, and an of the community, he was well worthy of the high regard in which he was uniformly held.
JOHN H. LIPPINCOTT.
The deserved reward of a well-spent life is an honored retirement from business in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a useful and beneficial career. John H. Lippincott is quietly living at his pleasant home in Orion, Ilinois, surrounded by the comfort that earnest labor has brought him.
Mr. Lippincott was born in Springboro, Warren county, Ohio, on the soth of Aug- ust, 1837, and is a son of Pennington Lip- pincott, who was born at Moorstown, New Jersey, in 1808. The paternal grandfather. Thomas Lippincott, was also a native of New Jersey, in which state the family was founded at an early day by English emi- grants. Reared in his native state, Pen- nington Lippincott there learned the black-
smith's and wagonmaker's trades, at which he subsequently worked in Cincinnati, Ohio, when a young man. Later he located in Warren county, Ohio, and opened a shop at Springboro, which he conducted some years. There he was united in marriage with Miss Susan Haines, who was also a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of John Haines, one of the early settlers of Ohio. The wife and mother died during the child- hood of our subject, about 1843, and the fa- ther afterward married Mary J. Haines, who, though of the same name, was no rela- tive of his first wife. In 1850 he came to Ilinois, and purchased a farm near what is now Sherrard, Mercer county, to the im- provement and cultivation of which he de- voted his attention for some years, but spent his last days with our subject in Orion, where he died December 20, 1896, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-eight years. lacking four days.
John H. Lippincott was a lad of thirteen years of age when he came with his father to Illinois, and he grew to manhood upon the home farm in Mercer county. He at- tended the common schools near his boy- hood home, but is mostly self-educated by reading and study in subsequent years. Feeling that his country needed his services during the Civil war, he enlisted in Aug- ust, 1862, in Company C. One Hundred and Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which became a part of the Army of the Tennessee. He participated in the battles of Resaca and Peach Tree Creek, and all of the engage- ments of the Atlanta campaign, and after the surruder of that city went with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea. He also took part in the last engagement of the war -the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina -- and then marched through Richmond to
JOHN H. LIPPINCOTT.
MRS. JOHN H. LIPPINCOTT.
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Washington, D. C., where he participated in the grand review. The war having ended and his services being no longer needed, he was mustered out at Washington, and hon- orably discharged at Chicago, in June, 1865, after which he returned to his home in Mer- cer county.
On the 19th of September, 1865, at Orion, Henry county, Mr. Lippincott was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth T. Blackfan, of Orion, who was born in Green- ville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, Septem- ber 2, 1839. Her ancestors were from England and were among the Quakers who first settled in the Keystone state, where the birth of her grandfather, Samuel Blackfan, occurred. Her parents, William and Eliza- beth (Trego) Blackfan, were also natives of Bucks county, where they were married September 16, 1835, and where they con- tinued to reside until their removal to Illi- nois in 1841. They located at Orion, Hen- ry county, then known as West La Grange, where Mr. Blackfan died in the fall of 1843. His wife long survived him and in the man- agement of her affairs and in rearing and ed- ueating her children she proved a most ca- pable and successful person, adding materi- ally to the small farm left by her husband. Her death occurred in Orion January 16, 1871. She had a private school in her home for three winters. During her girlhood Mrs. Lippincott attended both private and public schools of Orion, and the Genesee Sem- inary. The first school in the school house at Orion was when she was sixteen years old and which she then attended. Prior to her marriage she successfully engaged in teaching for some time. Our subject and his wife have one son, Charles H., who is assistant secretary and treasurer of the Mo- line Plow Company, of Moline, Illinois.
He married Miss Nellie M. Stevens, young- est daughter of George Stevens, president of the Moline Plow Company, and they have one child, Mary Stevens Lippincott.
After his marriage our subject success- fully engaged in general farming and stock raising in Mercer county for seven years, and became owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and forty acres. Renting his place in 1873. he moved to Orion, where he pur- chased residence property and has since lived retired life. As he succeeded he added to his farm until he now owns a fine farm of five hundred and twenty acres with three sets of farm buildings. Politically he has been a life-long Republican, having cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, but he has never sought nor desired official honors, though he has served as a member of the village board of Orion and commander of the Grand Army post at that place. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lippincott were reared in the belief of the Society of Friends, and still adhere to that faith, though they now attend and give to the support of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Orion. They are widely and favorably known, and are held in high regard on account of their ster- ling worth and true nobility of character.
GEORGE W. BUCK.
Among the honored pioneers of Henry county and the brave defenders of the Union during the Civil war was George W. Buck, whose home is on section 6, Western town- ship, where he owns and operates an excel- lent farm of two hundred and ten acres. He also has an adjoining tract of three hundred and ten aeres in Rock Island county, and in
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the management of his property is meeting with most gratifying success.
Mr. Buck was born in Chautauqua coun- ty. New York, April 9, 1834, and is a son of Roswell and Harriet ( Meech) Buck, na- tives of Massachusetts, where their marriage was celebrated. They were early settlers of Chautauqua county, New York, where both died, the mother when he was but three weeks old, and the father in 1861. On the death of his mother he was taken and reared by Isaac Stanbro, with whom he came to Henry county, Illinois, in May. 1838, locat- ing in Hanna township. As soon as old enough to be of any assistance he com- menced to help in the work of the farm, and continued to aid in its operation until 1850, when he started out in life for himself, being engaged in rafting on the Mississippi river for about two years. For a few years fol- lowing this he worked by the month on farms in Henry county, and then purchased eight yoke of cattle and engaged in breaking prairie for three seasons. In 1859 he crossed the plains to California with oxen, the journey occupying the entire summer, and for about two years followed mining and other occupations on the Pacific slope, returning home by way of the Isthmus and New York.
In the meantime the country had become involved in Civil war, and on the 15th of August, 1862, Mr. Buck enlisted in Com- pany C. One Hundred and Twelfth Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry, being mustered into service as sergeant. He was on de- tached duty most of the time as wagon mas- ter, and while in North Carolina was made master of transportation of the Third Divi- sion, Twenty third Army Corps. On the cessation of hostilities he was honorably dis- charged at Greensboro, North Carolina, in
June, 1865, and after being paid off at Chicago, July 7, returned to his home in Henry county.
Mr. Buck then purchased a farm of sixty-six acres on section 6, Western town- ship, where he has since made his home. When he located thereon it was but slightly improved, and to its further development and cultivation he has since devoted his en- ergies. He has added to the original pur- chase from time to time and now owns five hundred and twenty acres of very valuable and productive land in Henry and Rock Island counties, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation. For many years he has rented other property, and for some years operated about one thousand acres, which under his careful management is made to yield a golden tribute in return for the care and labor bestowed upon it. He is ac- counted one of the most skillful and thor- ough farmers and stock raisers of his com- munity, and his success has been worthily achieved as he started out in life for him- self empty-handed, and his prosperity is but. the just reward of continuous labor, hon- orable dealing and good management.
On the 8th of Jaiy, 1863, while home on a furlough, Mr. Buck was married to Miss Mary A. Glenn, a native of Henry county, and a daughter of James Glenn, who located here as early as 1835. and built the first house in the county. He was widely and favorably known throughout this section of the state, and was always a good friend of Mr. Buck. Our subject has been called upon to mourn the loss of his estima- ble wife, who died June 26. 1897, and was laid to rest in Glenwood cemetery. By that union he had four children : George B., who is married and lives in Moline, Illinois ; Mary Eliza, now the wife of George Miller;
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Charles G., at home ; and James Dana, who was married and died in this county June 16, 1895.
On attaining his majority, Mr. Buck supported John C. Fremont for the presi- dency in 1856, and has since been unswerv- ing in his allegiance to the Republican party and its principles. His fellow citizens rec- ognizing his worth and ability have often called him to positions of public trust, and he has most capably served as justice of the peace, township collector and trustee. and supervisor for eight years. He was a meni- ber of numerous committees, and was chair- man of the committee that erected the sol- diers' monument at Cambridge. For the long period of twenty-one years he served as school director, and for some time was president and clerk of the district. He is past command of the Grand Army Post at Orion, and is one of the most honored and highly respected citizens of his community. As a pioneer of the county he has witnessed almost its entire growth and development, and in the work of improvement he has ever borne his part.
JOHN A. FORS.
Among the native sons of Henry county is numbered John A. Fors, who belongs to one of the oldest families of Andover town- ship, where he now makes his home on sec- tion 4, though he was born in Linn township, December 22, 1866, a son of Andrew M. and Johanna (Falk) Fors, both natives of Swe- den. The mother died in Andover April 14. 1899, at about the age of sixty-eight years, and since her death the father has made his home with his children in Moline
and Andover township. He was born in 1828. and in early life learned the tailor's trade, which he followed in Sweden, but in this country he engaged in farming through- out his active business career. He was mar- ried in his native land and about 1859 came- to the United States, his destination being Henry county, Illinois. He purchased eighty acres of land in Lynn township. a part of which was raw prairie, the remainder timber land, and soon improved the same. Subse- quently he bought the farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 4, where our sub- ject now resides, and located thereon about 1875. being actively engaged in agricultural pursuits here for several years. He then lived a retired life in the village of Andover, where his wife died. His father, Mr. Fors- borg, came to Henry county and settled near the present site of Andover, being one of its first settlers, at which time there was not a house between his home and Geneseo. He was one of the first to locate on the prairie. He died at the age of eighty-five years, his wife at the advanced age of ninety-five, and both were laid to rest in the Andover ceme- tery. They had three daughters who are still living, namely: Mrs. Christina Stein- holm, of Cambridge: Clara, wife of Otto Johnson, of Opheim; and Anna. Our sub- ject's mother and two sisters were the only members of her family to come to the new world, the latter being Mrs. Eva Nelson, a resident of Andover; and Mrs. Clara Lind- love, of Woodhull, Illinois. Both her par- ents lived to an advanced age, one of them being about ninety-six years of age at the time of death.
Of the seven children born to Andrew M. and Johanna Fors two are now deceased. Those living are Peter, a successful farmer of Iowa; Frank O., a member of the police
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force of Pueblo, Colorado: John A., our sub- ject : Julia, wife of Frank Palm, of Moline, where he is employed in a machine shop; and William C. a farmer on section 20, An- dover township. All were educated in the common schools of the district and have be- come useful and respected members of so- ciety. The father is a valued member and supporter of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Andover, and in politics is a stanch Repub- lican.
On the home farm John A. Fors grew to manhood and remained under the parental roof until his marriage, December 19. 1894. Miss Ella Florence Burgman becoming his wife. She was born in Burlington, Iowa, December 7. 1873, and is a daughter of Fred and Tillie (Johnson ) Burgman, who were born in Sweden and are now residents of Moline, Illinois. Mrs. Fors is the old- est of their three children, the others being Hattie and Emil, both at home. On coming to the United States, Mr. Burgman first set- tled in Iowa. This was in 1865, when he was about twenty years old. He made his home in various places until after his mar- riage. January 19, 1872, when he located in Burlington, Iowa, where he was employed as a plumber of the gas works. However, he soon moved to Moline, Illinois, and for twen- ty years was a salesman in the Keator lum- ber yards, retaining his position there until the yards were destroyed by fire. He then secured a position with the Dimmock & Gould Lumber Company, with whom he vet remains. His wife came to the United States with her parents, John F. and Johanna Johnson, the family locating in New Sweden, I wa, which was her home until her mar- Mage. Mr. and Mrs. Fors have two children : Mirence Olive, aged five years; and Ruby Violet, aged one year.
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