USA > Illinois > Henry County > The biographical record of Henry County, Illinois > Part 30
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Stevens, who came to Henry county, Illi- nois, in 1850 and settled on a farm in Weth- ersfield township, which the father operated until his death. His wife had'died several years previously, passing away in 1853. They were members of the Congregational Church, and were held in high regard by all who knew them. Of their five children William W. was the oldest: Charlotte first married a Mr. Harding and second a Mr. Wood, and is now deceased; Adelaide is the wife of Rev. John Thompson, distriet super- intendent of the Bible Society in Califor- nia; Isabel married Andrew Ziegler and died in California; and Ira is a farmer of Iowa.
In his native state William W. Stevens was reared and educated. In early life he traveled extensively through the southern states as salesman for a New York con- cern, and made his home in St. Louis, Mis- souri, for many years. From there he came to Wethersfield, where he owned a large farm and other property. He was married November 2, 1854, to Miss Nancy M. Loomis, a native of Connecticut and a daugh- ter of Celah and Easther ( Howard) Loomis of that state, but who located in Wethers- field township in 1850, where he lived a re- tired life. The father was born April 25, 1785, and died February 8, 1872, while the mother was born November 2, 1784, and died December 14, 1870. Both were earnest and consistent members of the Congrega- tional Church, in which the father served as deacon during the greater part of his life. To them were born nine children, of whom two died in infancy. The others were Mary S., who wedded Joseph A. Taleott and both are now deceased; Harriet E., who mar- ried Albert Kellogg and died in Wethers-
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field, this county; William C., who married Emeline Isbel and died in Henry county. his widow being still a resident of Kewanee: Lyman, who died in Michigan; Cynthia. cleceased wife of A. Chapin; Orin H., who is represented on another page of this vol- ume; and Nancy M., now Mrs. Stevens. The five children born to our subject and his wife were as follows: Elizabeth W .. wife of William H. Lyman, who is a men- ber of the well-known firm of Lay & Ly- man, merchants of Kewanee, and by whom she has one son, W. H., Jr. : Clark L., who is engaged in the real estate and insurance business in Kewanee: Mary C., wife of C. B. Platt, of Van Meter, Iowa, by whom she has one child, Allen S. ; Helen L., and William Howard, who was the second in order of birth and died in 1859, at the age of three years.
It was in 1854 that Mr. Stevens came to Henry county, and throughout the remain- der of his life made his home in Wethers- field and Kewanee. He was here engaged in the hardware business for a few years. but practically lived retired, although serving as one of the early directors of the Union National Bank. He was a member of the school board for nine years, and also served on the town board for a time. By his ballot he supported the men and measures of the Republican party, and was an active and consistent member of the Congregational Church, to which his widow also belongs. He died March 23. 1900, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his death occasioned the deepest regret throughout the community. Ile was a man of the high- est respectability, and those who were most wetimately associated with him speak in un- qualified terms of his sterling integrity, his Tommor in business and his fidelity to the
duties of public and private life. He was faithful to his church, to his country and to his friends, and in his home was a most ex- emplary husband and father. Mrs. Stevens is an estimable lady of many sterling quali- ties, and has a large circle of friends in the community.
JAMES BLAIR.
James Blair, deceased, was for thirty years a prominent farmer of Kewanee town- ship, owning and operating one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 18, where his widow now resides. He was born in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, on the 5th of July, 1829, a son of James and Margaret ( Hall Blair. The father was born in Cadiz, Ohio, and removed early to Peoria county, Illinois, where his death occurred in 1850. The mother was a native of County Armagh, Ireland, and was seventeen years of age when she came with her parents to the United States. She died in this county about 1866. Of her seven children only one is now liv- ing. David, a resident of Silver Creek, Ne- braska.
On reaching manhood James Blair was married in La Salle county, Illinois, Decem- ber 26, 1854. to Miss Lucy E. Emerson, who was born in Greenbriar county, West Virginia, May 18. 1830, and is a daughter of Benjamin and Mary ( Hinkley ) Emerson, born in Massachusetts and Ohio, respect- ively. He came to Ohio, where he was mar- ried, and soon after moved to West Vir- ginia, where he died December 28, 1859, and his wife December 20. 1893. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The children born to our subject and his wife were as follows: (1) Amos, born June
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JAMES BLAIR.
MRS. LYDIA E. BLAIR.
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6, 1856, married Evelyn Lorey, and lives on the adjoining farm. (2) Augusta, born January 16, 1858, is the wife of William D. Oliver, a farmer of Burns township, and they have three children, James C., Perry A. and Harold C. (3) Jolin L., born in Ke- wanee township August 31, 1859. married Fannie Scott, and they have two children, Florence F. and Ellis S. (4) Benjamin V., born February 12, 1862, is a farmer of El- mira township, Stark county, Illinois. He wedded Mary H. Avery, and they have four children, Orlando V., Alice A., Elsie I. and Virgil. (5) Mary Elma born December 30, 1863, is the wife of Robert Milburn, of Burns township, Henry county, and to them have been born three children, Lee, Edith May and Cecil. (6) Sarah Ella, twin sis- ter of Mary Elma, died in 1868, at the age of four years and four months, having been ac- cidentally burned, from the effects of which she never recovered. (7) Lucy Ida, born August 3, 1874, is the wife of Elmer H. Ensminger, a farmer of Wethersfield town- ship, and they have two children, Alta May and Hazel Fern.
In 1856, soon after his marriage, Mr. Blair came to Henry county, and rented the John Rathbon farm in Burns township for three years. His first purchase of land con- sisted of ten acres in Kewanee township, for which he paid fifty dollars, and from which he cut the timber. Later he bought twenty acres for twenty dollars per acre, and sub- sequently sold the tract to F. Gunther for five hundred and seventy-five dollars. He then purchased eighty acres of the home- stead, to which he later added another eighty- acre tract. He placed the land under culti- vation and made many permanent improve- ments thereon. Here he made his home until called to his final rest, on the 15th of July,
1883. He was widely and favorably known throughout the county where the best years of his life were passed, and he always com- manded the confidence and respect of those with whom he came in contact either in business or social life. Mrs. Blair is a mem- her of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Ebenezer. Burns township, and, like her hus- band, she is held in high regard by all who know her.
SAMUEL GOEMBEL.
The subect of this sketch is a leading representative of the business interests of Geneseo, Illinois, where he is extensively engaged in buying and shipping grain, and also deals in hard and soft coal. A native of this state, he was born in Tazewell county, March 12, 1850, his parents being Jacob and Louisa (Luther ) Goembel. The father was born in Niederaula, Kreis Herschfeld, Kurfeustenthun, Hessen, Ger- many, on the 17th of May, 1824, and in 1834 came to America with his parents, Se- bastian and Anna ( Schaeffer ) Goembel. After sixty-three days upon the water. the family landed at New Orleans, June 9, 1834, whence they proceeded up the Miss- issippi and Illinois rivers to Peoria, and across the country to Tazewell county. Illi- nois, where Sebastian Goembel bought a farm and also secured a quarter section of government land. His last days were spent in Washington, that county, where he died at about the age of seventy-six years. His wife was over eighty-three years of age at the time of her death. For many years they held membership in the Evangelical Associa- tion, and were highly respected by all who knew them. Of their nine children only the
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eldest daughter. Catherine, wife of John Minch, of Washington, and Jacob, father of our subject, are now living.
Jacob Goembel was reared on the home farm and educated in the German language, having never attended English schools. The family came directly to Peoria, Illinois. They located five miles from that city, in Tazewell county, where he assisted his father and older brother in opening up a farm. They marketed their grain in Chi- cago, conveying it thither with a four- horse team, such as is now seldom seen in this part of the west. At the age of twenty- one, he left the farm and went to Chicago, where he worked as a teamster for ten dol- lars per month. In 1846 he was married in Lake county, Illinois, to Miss Louisa Lu- ther, a native of New York, born January 28. 1826, and a daughter of John Jacob Lu- ther, who came to this country from Ger . many about 1821. She is one of a family of ten children, three of whom are still liv- ing. After his marriage Mr. Goembel worked in a slaughter house in Peoria for a year, and then purchased eighty acres of land on Farm creek, Tazewell county, which he sold in 1851 on coming to Henry county. Ilere he entered a tract of government land on section 30, Yorktown township, and en- gaged in its cultivation until 1863, when he bought another farm in the same locality, and made his home there until his removal to Geneseo in 1876. He is still the owner of a valuable tract of ninety one acres in Yorktown township, but is now living a retired life in Geneseo. His political sup- port is given the Republican party, and he Med the office of school trustee for many Voir's. He and his wife are prominent mem- les of the Evangelical Association, and he Inów a trustee of the church.
This worthy couple are the parents of nine children, namely : W. Sydney, a resi- dent of Geneseo, married Laura Early and had three children, Lowell (deceased, Ethel and Leanora; Samuel, our subject, is next in order of birth; Edward. a farmer of York- town township, married Emma Rapp and has three children, Ada, Harvey and Bessie ; Peter, a farmer of Minnesota, married Christina Rapp and has six children, Olive, Arthur, Jesse, Perry, Edith and Vernon; Anna is the wife of Henry Glabe, a contrac- tor of Tazewell county; Lydia is the wife of Isaac Krimbill, of Minnesota, and has five children, Blanche, Vera, Winnie, Clarence and Archie; John E., an attorney of Rock- ford, Illinois, married Minnie Grosskopp; Wilhelmina died at the age of seven years; and Catherine died at the age of eighteen months.
Samuel Goembel attended the district school until fourteen years of age, and then assisted his father in the work of the home farm until he attained his majority. After leaving the parental roof he continued to engage in agricultural pursuits until July 31. 1897, when he came to Geneseo and em- barked in the grain and coal business, which he is now so successfully carrying on. He- owns three hundred and twenty acres of wel improved and highly cultivated land in Yorktown and Loraine townships. this townships, this county, besides his pleasant residence and two lots in Geneseo, where he resides. Ile also has a half interest in the Arnold & Goembel elevator at this place.
On the 27th of March, 1872, Mr. Goem- bel was united in marriage with Miss Re- becca Zinser, of Washington. Tazewell county, who was born in Clark county, this state, a daughter of Solomon and Catherine (Tobias) Zinser. Her father, who was.
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born in 1818, died in 1884, while her mother died in October, 1899, at the age of nearly seventy-six years. In their family were eleven children as follows: Frank, married Agnes Casebeer, of Pennsylvania, and is now engaged in dairy farming in Colorado; Mary is the wife of Adam Coker, a farmer of Tazewell county, Illinois; Elizabeth is the wife of John Ott, of Clear Lake, lowa ; Caroline is the wife of Amos Smith, of Plainfield, Illinois; Rebecca, wife of our subject, is next in order of birth; George married Priscilla Boyer, and is engaged in the hardware business of Manhattan, Illi- nois ; Solomon married Lizzie Bloomersline and follows farming in Tazewell county; Amelia is the wife of George Ferner, of Washington, Illinois; Daniel married Saralı Goesle and lives in Chicago; Sophia is the widow of Edward Kale and a resident of Washington, Illinois; and two died in in- fancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Goembel are the parents of nine children: Harry S., who married Ida Apples and has two children, Russell and Harold; Franklin J., who married Sarah Weiterholt and lives an a farm in this county; Sylva Etta, wife of William Countryman, living on section 20, Yorktown township; Lottie Viola, wife of Edwin Countryman, a carpenter and contractor of Hooppole,, by whom she has one child Ruth'; and Mabel B., Emory W., Estella, Roscoe G. and Cassie L., all at home.
Mr. Goembel and wife hold membership in Grace United Evangelical Church, of which he is a trustee, and he also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of the Globe. In political senti- ment he is independent. For twelve years he filled the office of justice of the peace and was township clerk eight years. Of ex-
cellent business ability and broad re- sources, he has attained a prominent place- among the substantial citizens of his part of the county, and has won success by his well-directed, energetic efforts, his pros- perity being well deserved.
A. C. TAYLOR.
Among Henry county's native sons is. this well-known business man of Kewanee, whose birth occurred in Wethedsfield town- ship on the 23d of May, 1855. His father, John Taylor, was a native of Pennsylvania, of which state the grandfather, David Tay- lor, was a life-long resident, his occupation being that of farming. In the latter's family were five children, namely: David; Enoch, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; John, father of our subject; Ellen, wife of Garrett Brown, of Kewanee, Illinois; and Mary, widow of E. T. Bevan, who was a farmer of Wethersfield township, this county. John Taylor received his education in the common schools of his native state, and in early life learned the trade of broom making. In 1850 he came to Henry county, Illinois, and took up his residence in Weth- ersfield township, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, the only improvement thereon being a small house. He broke his land with oxen and placed it under cultivation. As his financial re- sources increased he added to his landed possessions from time to time until he had six hundred and sixty acres, of which five hundred and sixty acres were in Henry county, while one hundred and sixty acres of this amount were in Galva township and the remainder in Wethersfield township. He
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married Deborah Barrett, whose parents died during her childhood, and by this union four children were born, namely: Mary Ellen, wife of Benjamin Glyde, of Milburn, Dallas county, lowa, by whom she had one child, Raymond; A. C., our subject; Frank; and James G., who married Cora Potter and lives on the old home place. The father died June 4, 1898, at the age of sixty-nine, but the mother is still living, and continues to reside on the old homestead with her son, James G. She is a native of New York.
During his boyhood A. C. Taylor ac- quired a fair knowledge of the common English branches of learning in the schools of Wethersfield township, and when old enough to be of any assistance commenced work on the home farm, remaining under the parental roof until he attained his ma- jority. He then rented land of his father in the same township, and while operating it he boarded at home for two years.
Mr. Taylor was married, February 18, 1879. the lady of his choice being Miss Mary A. Glyde, who was born in Henry county, but was living in Aurora, Kane county, at the time of their marriage. Her parents, Frederick and Sarah ( Barber ) Glyde, were natives of England and Ohio, respectively. For many years the father was engaged in mercantile business in Pitts- burg. Pennsylvania, and on leaving that place came to Henry county, Illinois, where he followed farming for a number of years, but his last days were spent in Aurora, where his death occurred. Ilis widow still makes her home in that city. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have two children: Earl, born Voril 24. 1888. and Irene, born February 20. 1800. Both are attending school in humainee.
ur abon four years Mr. Taylor con-
tintied to rent his father's land, and then purchased eighty acres of Jerry Bickford, and later one hundred and sixty acres of his father, making two hundred and forty acres on sections 8 and 17, Wethersfield township, which he still owns. Besides this property he also has eighty acres of land in Murray county, Minnesota. He continued to actively engage in farming until 1897, when he removed to Kewanee, and is now erecting a beautiful residence with all modern conveniences on Chestnut street. Since 1893 Mr. Taylor has been connected with the Minneapolis Thresher Company as a traveling salesman, and is now engaged in business in Kewanee as a dealer in threshers, shellers and iron bridges. He is a wide- awake, energetic business man, whose sound judgment and capable management have brought to him a well merited success. In his political affiliations he is a Republican, but he has never cared for office, preferring to give his undivided attention to his busi- ness interests. His wife holds membership in the Congregational Church.
WASHINGTON DUNBAR.
There is probably no man in Wethers- field township wider or more favorably known than Washington Dunbar, who has been identified with its agricultural inter- ests for almost half a century and is recog- nized as one of the important factors in its progress and development. He was born in Breckinridge county, Kentucky, Septem- ber 21, 1822, his parents being William and Mary ( Prayter ) Dunbar, natives of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, respectively. In 1833 they came to La Fayette. Stark county, Illinois, and settled at Fraker's
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Grove, when there were only three families in that locality. The family endured all the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. As it was a long distance to mill they often ground their meal in an old hand mill. In those early days the father, who was a hatter by trade, would catch the beavers and manufacture the fur into hats, which he would then strap on his back and start out to sell to the settlers. He also cleared and improved a farm of one hun- dred acres in Stark county, where he made his home for some years, though his last days were spent in California. In his fam- ily were thirteen children, and those still living besides our subject are Robert R., a lawyer of Argentine, Kansas; Mrs. Jane Driscoll, of Eagle Grove, Iowa; and Mrs. Missouri Lee, of Twin Springs, Kansas.
Washington Dunbar's early educational advantages were meager as there were but few schools in this section of the state when the family located here. In 1852 he came to Henry county, and purchased forty acres of land on section 31,-Wethersfield township, to which he added from time to time as his financial resources merited until he now has three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation. In past years he has prob- ably cleared and improved more land in Henry county than any other of its citizens, but is now living a retired life while his sons operate the farm. He has been emi- nently successful, having by hard work and tireless energy accumulated a handsome property.
On the 24th of December, 1846, MIr. Dunbar was united in marriage with Miss Anna Lee, who was born in Warren county, New York, June 10, 1825, and was the third in order of birth in a family of twelve
children, whose parents were Josephus and Elizabeth (Bennett) Lee, also natives of New York state. This family removed to Stark county, Illinois, about 1844. Mrs. Dunbar died on the Ist of April, 1897. at De Funiak Springs, near Pensacola, Flor- ida, whither she had gone in company with her husband with the hope of recovering her health, which had been bad for a nun- ber of years. Her remains were interred in La Fayette cemetery, Stark county, Illinois. Religiously she was a member of the Uni- versalist Church. By this union Mr. DuIn- bar had nine children, namely : Oscar: Or- ville, deceased ; Orson; Alburtus, who mar- ried Nellie, daughter of Louis Clark, of Sheffield; Adelia, wife of De Witt Winney. of Knox county, Illinois; Burwell, deceased ; Charles, who married Viola White, of La Fayette; Effie L., wife of Bradford Eynder of Sark county, Illinois; and Harry, who married Bessie Newell, of Galva.
Mr. Dunbar was again married, June 7, 1900, his second union being with Miss Anna Cardiff, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William F. and Catherine (Sipes) Cardiff, both of whom died and were buried in Galva, this county. She is one of a family of thirteen children, seven of whom are still living. Mr. Dunbar is a man of sterling character, whose word is considered as good as his bond, and is high- ly respected and esteemed by all who know him. In politics he is a strong Republican and for many years he efficiently served as school director.
WILLIAM DONALDSON.
Among the honored and highly esteemed citizens of Wethersfield is numbered William Donaldson, who was born in county Lon-
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donderry, Ireland, February 2, 1827, and there grew to manhood, receiving but lim- ited educational advantages. He is there- fore a self-educated as well as a self-made man. With the hope of bettering his condi- tion in the new world, he took ship at Bel- fast. in 1848, and on the Charles of Balti- niore, a sailing vessel, crossed the broad Atlantic, being six weeks and three days upon the water. In a fog on the banks of New Foundland the ship on which he sailed ran into another vessel, but was only slightly damaged and reached New York in safety in May of that year. Mr. Donaldson pro- ceeded at once to Philadelphia, and there went to Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where he joined a cousin who was foreman on rail- road construction. After working there for a little while he went to Cincinanti, Ohio, where other cousins were living, and where he engaged in draying for some time. On coming west in 1855, he first lo- cated near Elmira, Stark county, Illinois. where he rented land and engaged in farm- ing for six years.
While a resident of Cincinnati, Mr. Don- aldson was married. December 6, 1852, to Miss Eliza Blackwood, who was born and reared in County Tyrone, Ireland, where her father, Robert Blackwood, spent his entire life. They have seven children liv- ing, namely: Robert, who is married and lives in Kewanee; George, who is married and is employed as boss in the Kewanee tube works; Tillie, one of the teachers of Wethersfield; Lizzie, wife of Norman Oliver, of Kewanee; Emma, a teacher in the Kewanee schools; William, a carriage trim- mer in Chicago; and Clara, wife of Fred shepherd, of Peoria. They also lost two Holdren : Thomas, who died at the age of
four years; and Maggie, who married Robert N. Martin and removed to Ne- braska, but died at the home of her father in 1888, leaving five children, two of whom, William and Alfred N., reside with their grandparents. The others are Harry, Ella and Elsie.
Mr. Donaldson's first purchase of land consisted of one hundred and twenty acres of timber in Kewanee township, Henry county, which he bought on coming to this county in 1861. This he cleared, fenced and placed under cultivation, but after re- siding thereon for about six years he sold the place and purchased eighty acres of prairie land in Burns township, to which he subsequently added until he has a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. He made many excellent improvements upon the place, and continued its cultivation until his removal to Wethersfield in 1886. Here he purchased a residence which he has since remodeled, and now has a very pleasant and attractive home. To his diligence, persever- ance and industry may be attributed his suc- cess in life for he came to the new world empty handed, and has had to make his own way in the world unaided.
Originally Mr. Donaldson was an old line Whig and cast his first presidential vote for Zachary Taylor, but since the formation of the Republican party in 1856, he has been a supporter of its principles, and has sup- ported all of its presidential nominees. He was once elected justice of the peace but re- fused to qualify, preferring to give his un- divided attention to his business interests. Ile has, however, served as school director and given his children good educations, fully realizing the advantages of such a training. Ile and his wife were reared in the Presby-
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