USA > Illinois > Henry County > The biographical record of Henry County, Illinois > Part 54
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Attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he met with marked success, becoming owner of five hundred and twenty acres of fine farm- mg land. He is now living a retired life in Geneseo, enjoying a well-earned rest. On the 25th of January. 1867, he married Miss Rosina Ott. a native of Cook county, Illi- reis, and a daughter of Casper and Eliza- beth Ott. She died March 8, 1886, and was laid to rest in Loraine cemetery. Mr. Roos was again married, in October, 1900, his sec- 14 union being with Ella McGowan.
Charles P. Roos is the oldest of the eight children born of the first marriage. the others being as follows: Joseph C. married Lotta Smith, and lives on a farm adjoining our subject's place : Louisa is the wife of Will- nam Rader, whose farm also adjoins that of our subject : Albert died in infancy ; Kate M. 1- the wife of Daniel Heller, who lives on a part of the old Heller homestead in Loraine township : William H. is in the employ of the Deere Corn Planter Company of Rock Isl- sind: and Carrie M. and Martha are both With their father in Geneseo.
During his boyhood and youth Charles P. Roos attended the district schools near In- home, and when his education was com- Theted he gave his father the benefit of his alors on the farm. He has always engaged jo general farming since starting in life for Topiseli, and is interested in the breeding of thoroughbred Aberdeen Angus cattle. of vtech he has a fine herd. At the age of Hueteen he purchased an interest with his Differ in a horse-power threshing machine. Water engaged in operating the same in partership with Louis Lenzer for three - or- at the end of which time Mr. Lenzer - Mout to Edward Sommers. This connec- bom also continued three years. when his collier Joseph, purchased Mr. Summers'
interest, which he subsequently sold to John Poppenthien. Our subject was in partner- ship with the last named gentleman for three years, and since that time has engaged in business alone, operating a steam thresher, corn sheller. saw, grist and sorghum mills quite successfully. He is a wide-awake, en- ergetic business man, of known reliability. and carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.
At Geneseo, on the IIth of February. 1892, Mr. Roos was united in marriage with Miss Barbara Gerstner, a daughter of Val- entine and Margaret ( Marsengarb ) Gerst- ner. natives of Germany, who came to Amer- ica, in 1870, and located in Geneseo, where they spent one year. The father was then successfully engaged in farming in this county until 1898, when he returned to Gen- eseo, and has since lived a retired life. His children are Susan, at home: Eva, wife of John F. Poppenthein, of Geneseo: Barbara, wife of our subject : Johnnie, at home; Mag- gie, wife of William Santee, of Phenix town- ship, this county : Katie, wife of Luther Hen- ander, of Geneseo; Dena, twin sister of Ka- tie, at home ; Elizabeth, Mary and Emma, all at home. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Roos: Neva Erman, who was born May 6, 1895, and died March 24. 1899: and a son, born May 10, 1900.
EZRA LITTEN.
Ezra Litten is a thorough and skillful farmer and a business man of more than or- dinary capacity, who is successfully carry- ing on his chosen calling on section 33. Wel- ler township. A native of Pennsylvania, his birth occurred in Fulton county, that state,
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January 1. 1834. his parents being John and Sophia ( Knable) Litten. The former was born in Maryland of English ancestry, the latter in Pennsylvania of German extraction. Both died in the Keystone state. By occupa- tion the father was a farmer, and in religious belief was a Methodist. He gave his support to the Democratic party but never took any active part in political matters. . At the time of his death he was abont sixty-nine years of age. Of his thirteen children three died! in infancy, and Wilson and Catherine died during the Civil war, aged twelve and four- teen years, respectively. The others were as follows : Ezra, our subject : Richmond, who served in a Maryland regiment during the Civil war and died in Kansas in 1885 : Isaac. of Weller township, this county : Sarah J .. wife of Hillery Dawson, of Morgan county, West Virginia: John, a resident of Kansas: Thomas, who resides in Pennsylvania ; and Malachi, who lives near the old homestead in Pennsylvania; and Jared, who died in 1877.
Reared in his native state, Ezra Litten received a good common school education for those days, but his advantages were much in- ferior to those of most boys at the present time. He remained on the home farm until twenty-four years of age, and then went to Ohio, where he worked as a farm hand for two years. In 1860 he came to Henry coun- ty, Illinois. He had previously visited this state in 1855, but after spending a short time in Knox county he returned to his Pennsyl- vania home. In Henry county he engaged in farming until after the inauguration of the Civil war.
In August, 1862, Mr. Litten joined the boys in blue of Company G. One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was ill the first four months after entering
the army, but after that was in active service until the close of the war, taking part in some of the most important engagements of the war, including the battles of Resaca. Georgia : Columbia, Tennessee : Franklin, Tennessee : and Nashville, Tennessee : Mon ticello and Richmond, Kentucky; Calhoun, Philadelphia, Campbell's Station and Knox- ville, Tennessee : and was with General Sherman all through the Atlanta campaign. He was under command of Generals Thom- as and Burnsides in Kentucky and Tennessee in 1864; and was with General Schofield in North Carolina in 1865. He participated in one hundred and ten skirmishes; and was slightly wounded at Utoy Creek in August. 1864. On the cessation of hostilities he was mustered out at Greensboro, North Carolina, June 20, 1865, and was honorably discharged at Chicago.
Returning to Henry county Mr. Litten resumed farming, and in 1868 purchased a farm of eighty acres in Weller township, to which he has since added seventy acres, all unimproved when it came into his possession. He has since tiled the land and placed it under a high state of cultivation, and has erected good and substantial buildings there. He carries on general farming and stockrais- ing, making a specialty of cattle and hogs for market purposes.
In 1866 Mr. Litten was united in mar- riage with Miss Rhoda Hess, who was al- se born in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, in 1836, their marriage being celebrated there. Her parents, Stillwell and Asenith Hess. spent their entire lives in Pennsylvania, where all her relatives live with exception of two sisters in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Lit- ten have three children: Abbie Asenith, born in 1868, was married, December 18. 1900, to John E. Johnson, of Knox coun-
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ty: John Howard, berwin 1872, is on the grew to manhood in Chester, and married home farm: and Thomas J. H., born in 1878. is learning telegraphy in Galva. All have received good common school educa- tions. Mr. Litten has held some school office for many years, but takes no part in politics, though he is willing to aid any enterprise for the public good. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church, and both are held in the highest regard by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance.
WILLIAM L. CLAY.
Henry county has no more enterprising Or skillful farmer than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He is the owner of much valuable property, includ- ing his home place of three hundred and seventy acres on section 35. Oxford town- ship. He was born in Chester, Windsor county, Vermont, August 29, 1831, and is a worthy representative of an old colonial family which was founded in this country by three brothers, natives of England, who crossed the Atlantic during the seven- teenth century. One of these located in Massachusetts, the second in North Caro- At the age of nine years William L. Clay came with his parents to Illinois, and lina and the third in Virginia. From the first our subject is descended. His pater-ยป spent his early life in Knox county, remain- nal grandfather, Timothy Clay, was a na- tive of Massachusetts and one of the early settlers of Chester. Vermont. As a poor man with an ax upon his shoulder he went to that place, and in the midst of the wil- derness made for himself and family a Tomme.
John L. Clay, the father of our subject, Was born October 3. 1802, in the same house where occurred the birth of William L. He
Miss Lonsia M. Balch, a native of Andover township. Windsor county, and a daughter of Joel Balch, who was also from Massachu- setts, and was a soldier of the war of 1812. Her grandfather. Hart Balch, aided the col- onies in their struggle for independence in the Revolutionary war, remaining in the ser . vice from the battle of Lexington until the surrender at Yorktown. He, too, was a pioneer of the Green Mountain state. Af- ter his marriage John L. Clay operated the old homestead for some years and there all of his children were born, his family being composed of four sons and one daughter. In 1837 he went to Knox county, Illinois, and helped to raise the first house built at Galesburg. Purchasing land he and his family took up their residence there in 1840. At the time Galesburg contained only one store, two blacksmith shops, Knox Acade- my, and about thirty-seven houses. There he prospered in his farming operations and became the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land, upon which he spent the remainder of his life, dying there in 1878, at the ripe old age of seventy-six years. His wife survived him a number of years, dying in 1892, at the age of eighty-eight.
ing with his father until 1854, when he pur- chased a half section of raw prairie land on section 35, Oxford township, Henry county, where he now resides. Upon his place he erected a little house, in which he lived alone while breaking his land and placing it under cultivation. Subsequently he built a more commodious and preten- tious dwelling, a large barn and substan- tial outbuildings, and he has also set out
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shade and fruit trees, which add greatly to the attractive appearance of the place. Throughout his business career he has fol- lowed stock raising in connection with his farming operations, and always keeps on hand a high grade of stock. Besides his home farm, now consisting of three hun- dred and twenty acres in Oxford township. Henry county, he owns an adjoining tract of two hundred and forty acres in Kncx county; two farms aggregating four hun-' dred acres in York county, Nebraska; and one hundred and sixty acres in Warren county, Illinois. He is a man of excellent business ability and sound judgment, and to these characteristics may be attributed his wonderful success.
At Knoxville, Illinois, Mr. Clay was married, November 22, 1854, to Miss Har- riet .\. Davison, who was born in Ohio, but was reared in Knox county, this state, . of which her father, Artemus Davison, was one of the early settlers. She died in February, 1868, leaving two children, name- ly: Seth H., who now resides in Cam- bridge ; and Mary L., wife of E. J. Rich- ards, who is engaged in farming on the Clay homestead. For his second wife Mr. Clay married Miss Ann M. Johnson, who was born in Sweden, but reared in this county. By this union there are three children : Fannie M., wife of H. M. Wil- sey, of Galesburg; Warren L., at home; and Eugenia Marion, wife of Frank Welch, a farmer of Knox county.
Politically Mr. Clay is a Jeffersonian Democrat, and has never failed to cast his ballot for each presidential nominee of that party since he first voted in 1852 for Frank- lin Pierce. He has never cared for politi- cal honors, preferring to give his undivid- ed attention to his extensive business in-
terests. Fraternally he is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge at Woodhull and the chapter at Rio. For sixty years he has been a resident of this section of the state, and has watched with interest its wonderful growth and develop- ment. He has seen the great prairie fire which used to sweep over the country, en- dangering the life and property of the early settlers, and can well remember when rail- roads, telegraphs and telephones were un- known in this region, but now all has changed, and all the conveniences and ac- cessories of an advanced civilization have been introduced. In the work of develop- ment and upbuilding he has ever bore his part, and has taken an active interest in all enterprises calculated to advance the gen- eral welfare. He is widely and favorably known in both Henry and Knox counties, and is one of the leading and prominent citizens of his community.
JAMES RILEY.
James Riley belongs to that class of men whom the workl terms self-made, for starting out in life for himself empty- handed he has conquered all the obstacles in the path to success, and has not only se- cured for himself a handsome competence. but by his efforts has materially advanced the interests of the community with which he has been associated. For almost half a century he was one of the active and ener- getic farmers of Henry county, but is now living a retired life in Atkinson.
Mr. Riley was born in Licking county, Ohio, July 20, 1824, a son of Paul and Elizabeth (Laughlin) Riley, natives of Pennsylvania and pioneers of Licking county, Ohio, whence they came to Illinois
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JAMES MACHESNEY.
MRS. JAMES MACHESNEY,
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with her growth and development, while las name is inseparably connected with her farming interests. He is a man of keen dis- crimination and sound judgment, and his executive ability and excellent management have brought to him a high degree of suc- cess, so that he is now the largest land owner of Annawan township.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Maches- pey was born in Greensburg. Westmoreland county, March 17, 1817, his parents being Andrew and Mary ( Henderson ) Maches- ney. The father was born in Ireland and was four years of age when brought by his parents to America in 1786. The grand- father William Machesney, spent the remain- cler of his life in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he died about 1825. His wife had previously passed away, both being quite old at the time of their death. By occupation he was a farmer. Their fam- ily consisted of six children, namely : John, who spent his early life in Pennsylvania. and then removed to Ohio; Andrew, the father of our subject: William, who made his home in Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, until death; Elizabeth, who became the wife of David McElvane. of Butler county, Pennsylvania; Margaret, and one other daughter, both deceased.
Throughout his active business career Andrew Machesney also followed the voca- tion of a farmer. For two years he lived in Ohio, but at the end of that time returned to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and died at his home near Greensburg, in 1864, at the ripe old age of eighty-two years. His wife died in January, 1868, at about the age of seventy-two. She was a native of the Key- stone state and of Scotch descent. They were the parents of thirteen children. John was a farmer of Westmoreland county, 26
where he died at the age of eighty-six ; William spent most of his life in Pennsylva- nia, but in his declining years came west to live with a daughter in Colfax, Iowa, where he died at the age of seventy-eight ; Andrew died in Westmoreland county, Pennsylva- nia, at the same age; Jane became the wife of Thomas Dunkin, of that county, and later moved to Marion, Indiana county, Penn- sylvania, where he died several years ago, and where she is still living: Alexander is still a resident of Westmoreland county ; James, our subject, is next in order of birth ; Henderson died in Westmoreland county, at the age of twenty-six : Mary wedded Ar- chie Davis and died in Blairsville, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, at the age of about seventy; Lewis was a life-long resident of Pennsylvania : Maragaret, deceased, was the wife of John Mowery : David died at Grin- nell, lowa; Jackson, deceased, was a resident of Pennsylvania : and Elizabeth is the wife of Henry Lawbach, of Stewart, Iowa,
In the county of his nativity James Ma- chesney grew to manhood, and is indebted to its public schools for his educational privileges. There he followed farming when his school days were over until coming to Ilinois in 1854 with his brother, David, who was a physician. In the winter of 1855 they opened a drug store in Annawan at the loca- tion of the present drug store at that place. and carried on business there until the 16th. of March, 1860. Since then our subject has engaged in farming, and has converted many- a wild tract into highly cultivated fields. In his farming operations he has met with. remarkable success, and is now the owner of eight hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land, upon which he has erected good and substantial buildings. Mrs. Machesney is also the owner of a farm
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of one hundred and sixty acres in Anna- wan township. He now rents most of his property. His residence is pleasantly lo- cated on section 29, six and a half miles southwest of Annawan. Prosperity has at- tended his well-directed efforts, and within the past four years he has purchased twenty- two thousand dollars' worth of land. He has never given a mortgage in his life.
Mr. Machesney was married, January 30, 1861, to Mrs. Selinda Johnson, a native of Tippecanoe county, Indiana. . Her par- ents were Silas and Sarah (Henderson) Burgett, natives of Ohio; they both died in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Machesney have five children, as follows: Mary Agnes, wife of Joseph Anderson, of Annawan; Anna Ar- delia, wife of James E. Douglas, of Anna- wan township; James H., who married Minnie, daughter of Robert Booth, of An- nawan township, and lives in Annawan; Milton Howard, who married Densey Barton and resides at the same place; and Morgan Burgett, who married Nora, daugli- ter of James Batten, of Annawan.
In his political views Mr. Machesney is a stanch Republican. He cast his first pres- idential vote for Zachary Taylor and has always taken a deep and commendable in- terest in public affairs, although he has never cared for the honors or emoluments of pub- lic office, preferring to devote his entire time and attention to his extensive business in- terests. He is one of the representative citizens and prominent men of his com- munity, and is highly respected and es- tcemed wherever known.
FRANK L. HOUGH.
Among the representative business men of the county none are more, deserving of representation in this volume than Frank
L. Hough, who for thirty years has been actively engaged in the grain business in Woodhull, and who has, through his well- directed efforts, gained a comfortable com- petence that numbers him among the sub- stantial citizens of the community.
A native of Illinois, he was born in Marshall county, October 12, 1844, and is the only child who grew to maturity of the union of Rev. Marshall Hough and Ma- tilda Myers. His father was born and reared in Greene county, New York, and when a young man came to Illinois. He was a graduate of Monticello College and was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church, but later united with the Univer- salist Church and continued in the minis- try of the latter until his death in 1847, when our subject was only three years old. He was twice married, and by his first wife had two children: Baylis, who married and settled in Iowa, where his death oc- curred; and Mrs. Eliza S. Leonard, a widow residing in Denver, Colorado. The mother of our subject was also married twice, her first husband being Baplis Garrison, and to them were born two children: William B., a resident of Iowa; and Ada, deceased.
Mrs. Hough was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1814, and came to Illinois about 1828 with her father, Da- vid Myers, who first settled in Sangamon county and later removed to Marshall coun- ty. She is the second in order of birth in a family of twelve children, all of whom married and reared families of their own. Besides herself four of the number are still living, these being Hiram, who was born in Illinois, and is now living retired in Gales- burg; Mrs. Dorinda Ong, a resident of La- con, Illinois; Mrs. Emily Burnham and Mrs. Eliza Roberts, both of Iowa. Al-
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though eighty-seven years of age, Mrs. Hough is still hale and hearty, and contin- ues to act as her son's housekeeper.
During his early life Frank L. Hough spent three years with his sisters in Ottum- wa, Iowa, but in the fall of 1858 returned to Galesburg, where he was reared and educated, completing his studies at Lom- bard University. In 1860 he taught one term of school in Iowa, and then embarked in the grain business at Galesburg, which he carried on at that place for three years. Iti 1870 he came to Woodhull, and has since engaged in the grain business at this place, having erected a large elevator and a good brick office. He owns or leases ele- vators at Alpha, Opheim, Lynn, Orion, Viola and New Windsor, and probably does the largest business of any dealer in the county. By fair and honorable dealing he has built up an excellent trade, and has be- come one of the most prosperous citizens of the community. He has invested his capital in real estate, owning two hundred acres in Knox county, and with Judge Bigelow, of Galva, bought sixty acres ad- joining the village, which was laid out and known as Bigelow & Hongh's addition to the village of Woodhull. This has been well sold and settled up. He is also inter- ested in other real estate. He started out in life for himself empty-handed, and his success is due entirely to his diligence. perseverance and good management.
Since attaining his majority Mr. Hough has supported the men and measures of the Republican party, and is accounted one of most progressive and public-spirited citi- zens of his community. He has served as a member of the town board, but has never sought political honors. Fraternally he is a Master Mason, having united with the
order at Woodhull. His mother is an ear- nest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a most estimable lady.
WILLIAM KIENE.
Germany has contributed a large quota of the sturdy, energetic agriculturists of Henry county, Illinois, and among them are to be found men of sterling worth and integrity, who have succeeded in life through their own industry and persever- ance. To this class belongs the subject of this review, who is now a well-to-do farm- er residing on section 12, Loraine town- ship.
Mr. Kiene was born on the 7th of March, 1846, in Hanover, Germany, of which province his parents, Henry and Fredereka (Sien) Kiene, were also natives. The father, who was a shoemaker by trade, died in that country about 1860, and the mother departed this life in 1892. They had three children : Elizabeth, wife of Will- iam Myer, of Germany; William, our sub- ject ; and Charles, who is married and lives in Germany.
Reared in the land of his birth, Mr. Kiene is indebted to its public schools for his educational advantages. Bidding good-by to home and friends in 1869. he took passage on a steamer at Bremen, and after a voyage of twenty-one days landed in New Orleans, whence he came up the Mississippi river to Davenport, Iowa. His destination, was Henry county, Illinois, and on reaching Geneseo, in the evening, he was so tired out that he fell asleep in the depot and did not awaken until the fol- lowing morning at nine. During the first
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sixteen months of his residence here he ing of farm work, and the success that he worked for George Arnett, and later was in the employ of G. Graft and Charles Zy- ler for one year each.
On the 16th of February, 1873. Mr. Kiene married Miss Frances Thurwenger, of Geneseo, a daughter of Mark and Eliza- beth ( Linninger ) Thurwenger, who emi- grated to Henry county from Germany in 1868. The father died in 1893. the mother in 1886, both in Loraine township. She was the oldest of their three children, the others being Kate, wife of Antonia Syler, of Kewanee: and Jacob, who is also mar- ried and lives in Kewanee. Mr. and Mrs. Kiene are the parents of five children, namely: (1) Frank, born November 10, 1873. is a resident of Loraine township. Ile married Flora Egert and they have two children. Francis and Burton. (2) Mary, born April 6, 1874. is the wife of Fred Ken- wick, of Bartlett. Nebraska, and they have two children, Philip and an infant. (3) Katie, born August 6. 1876, is the wife of Frank Egert, of Kewanee, and they have one child. William M. (4) Philip, born February 20, 1885. is attending the home school. (5) Otto died in infancy.
For four years after his marriage Mr. Kiene operated a rented farm, and in 1876 purchased seventy-five acres of land on section 12. Loraine township, for which he paid seventeen hundred dollars. The im- provements upon the place at that time were very slight, but through his untiring labors and good management he has made it one of the best farms of the locality, having added to the original purchase until now it comprises one hundred and thirty-five acres of well-improved land. On coming t. this country he was entirely unfamiliar with the English language and knew noth-
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