USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > The biographical record of Whiteside County, Illinois.. > Part 8
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To Mr. and Mrs. Mead were born six children : Elizabeth died at the age of thirteen years. Rilla S. died at the age of twenty-eight years. Meril Inman, who is engaged in the coal, ice, wood and feed business in Clinton, Iowa, married Amelia Sherwin, and they have seven children, all living, namely: Edwin H., Meril S., Maude
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E., Mary Eva, Jonathan E., Mildred and Rilla M. Prior to going to Clinton he was a farmer in Union Grove township, White- side county, Illinois. Ellen died at the age of twenty-one years. Harriet and Eliza, twins, live with their mother in Morrison, both being graduates of the Morrison high school.
After his marriage Mr. Mead continued his residence in Clark county, Ohio, while he taught school in Harmony, until 1855, when he came to Whiteside county, Illi- nois, and took up land in Ustick town- ship on a land warrant which was given to his mother for services rendered by his father in the war of 1812. There our subject engaged in farming until 1865, when he removed to Morrison, purchas- ing a farm of eighty acres, sixteen acres of which were within the corporate limits of the city. After locating here he engaged in the real estate and insurance business in connection with farming, representing the Oriental, Northwestern, and quite a num- ber of large and reliable insurance compa- nies. In business he prospered, and be- sides the valuable property he owned in this county, he had farms in Iowa and other parts of Illinois.
Politically he was a Whig in early life and later a Republican. While a resident of Ustick township he served as justice of the peace for seven years, and held the office of assessor of Harmony township, Clark county, Ohio, for ten consecutive years. He was also deputy United States marshal in that county during President Taylor's administration, and for one term was coroner of Whiteside county, and jus- tice of the peace in Morrison for nine years. He was always found true to every trust reposed in him, either in public or private
life, and his official duties were discharged in a most commendable manner. Socially he was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge, No. 257, of Morrison, and religiously be- longed to the Methodist church. He died of heart trouble, August 16, 1891, honored and respected by all who knew him. Mrs. Mead is an estimable lady of many sterling qualities, who was formerly a member of the Methodist Protestant church, but at the present time there is no church of that de- nomination in Morrison.
G EORGE Y. UPTON is one of White- side county's native sons and a repre- sentative of one of her most prominent and honored families, whose identification with her history dates from an early period in the development of the county. He was born in Lyndon township January 16, 1846, and is a son of Eli and Elizabeth Ann (New- comb) Upton, whose sketch appears on an- other page of this volume. He received a good district school education in Mount Pleasant township. The first school which he attended was known as the Carroff school, which was built of unplaned boards; the roof was also of boards and the cracks were battened, no plaster being used. Mr. Upton can relate many interesting inci- dents of pioneer days, and well remembers the first locomotive run over the railroad through the county, it being the same that was exhibited at the World's Fair in Chi- cago in 1893 as the pioneer engine of the northwest.
Soon after his eighteenth birthday Mr. Upton entered the service of his country. enlisting February 24, 1864, in Company B, Thirty-fourth Illinois Veteran Volun- teers, commanded by Captain John Parrot
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and Colonel Kirk. After being mustered in at Dixon the regiment proceeded at once to Rossville, Georgia, where they camped un- til the opening of the Atlanta campaign, on the 6th of May. They were with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea, and participated in the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Chattahoochee river, Kenesaw Moun- tain and many notable engagements. After the fall of Atlanta the regiment started north and marched to Savannah, Georgia, December 25, 1864, where they remained about a month. From there they went to Goldsboro, North Carolina, and just before arriving at that place learned of the sur- render of General Lee. They marched on to Washington, D. C., passing through Richmond and the Wilderness, and partici- pated in the grand review. From the capi- tal city they went to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and then by boat to Lonisville, Kentucky, where they were mustered out July 12, 1865, being discharged at Camp Douglas, Chicago.
On his return to civil life, Mr. Upton resumed farming on the old homestead. He was married, February 5, 1866, to Miss Rose Elmira Carter, who was born in Penn- sylvania, July 3, 1850, and is a daughter of Harry E. and Lavina (Seeley) Carter, natives of Pennsylvania and New York, respectively. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, came to Illinois in 1868, but later spent one year in Iowa, after which he located in Morrison. At the end of another year he moved to a farın in Lyndon town- ship, where he made his home for a few years, but in 1876 returned to Morrison, where his death occurred in 1888. In his family were seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Upton had two children: Edith, who died at the age of twenty-four years, was the
wife of Thomas J. Scotchbrook, and had four children, Beulah M., Ivy, Mary and Edith. Harry Eli is now a type liner em- ployed in Chicago.
Mr. Upton continued to rent land of his father and engage in agricultural pursnits until 1882, when he removed to Morrison, where he was interested in business with his father as dealers in horses until 1895. In 1890, however, he removed to Chicago, where he has since engaged in the live stock business at the stock yards, but since 1893 has made his home in La Grange. He still owns a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Mount Pleasant township, White- side county, besides property in La Grange. He is an upright, reliable business man, and in his undertakings has met with well-de- served success. In politics he is independ- ent and in his social relations is a member of Morrison camp, No. 13, M. W. A., and Alpheus Clark post, No. 118, G. A. R.
G EORGE E. GOODENOUGH. Prom- inent among the successful farmers and extensive stock growers of this county may be named the subject of this historical notice, whose home is on section 10, Union Grove township. He was born in Jefferson county, New York, April 11, 1843, a son of Willard A. and Nancy J. (Hull) Good- enough. The father was also born in that county, March 24, 1822, and is a son of John and Betsy (Cobleigh) Goodenough, natives of Vermont, and a grandson of Levi Goodenough, life-long residents of the Green Mountain state. In 1818, John Goodenough removed to Jefferson county, New York, where he had previously taken up fifty-five acres of timber land, and he became one of the most extensive and suc-
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cessful dairymen of the county, his cheese being known throughout the east. Both he and the grandmother of our subject died there. Of their eleven children six reached years of maturity: Helan M., who is still living in Jefferson county, New York, at the age of eighty-two years; Willard A., father of our subject; Roswell P. and Lu- risa A., both residents of Morrison, Illinois; Robert, of Jefferson county, New York; and Laura, of Chicago.
In his native county, Willard A. Good- enough grew to manhood, and on the 13th of January, 1841, he married Miss Nancy Jane Hull, who was born in Morristown, New York, August 22, 1820, a daughter of Nathaniel and Prudence (Fish) Hull, natives of Massachusetts. Our subject is the old- est of the five children born to this union; Esther J. married James Wessel, who died leaving five children, and she is now the wife of Benjamin Benson, of Morrison; Lewis died in infancy; Emma and Ella L. were twins. The former married L. A. Pollard and died in Morrison, and their only child died in infancy. Ella L. is the wife of O. L. Kent, a miller of Saline coun- ty, Nebraska, and they have two sons. The mother of these children died in November, 1891, and for his second wife the father married Mrs. Mary (Fish) Ellsworth. In 1865 he brought his family to Whiteside county, Illinois, and took up his residence in Union Grove township, where he success- fully engaged in farming until the spring of 1892, since which time he has lived retired in Morrison. After leaving his farm he rented it until 1898, when he sold it to our subject. He is a Republican in politics, has creditably filled a number of local offices of honor and trust, and is an active and prominent member of the Baptist church,
of which he has been a deacon and trustee for almost twenty years.
Reared in his native county George E. Goodenough acquired his early education in its public school, and later attended the Union Academy of Belleville, New York. He came with his parents to this state and continued to reside upon the old homestead in Union Grove township until forty-one years of age. In the meantime he was mar- ried October 24, 1867, to Miss Mary De Groodt, who was born in Rockford, Winne- bago county, Illinois, February 15, 1849, a daughter of John and Mary (Danforth) De Groodt, natives of New York. At an early day the father came to Illinois, and in 1853 took up three hundred and twenty acres of land in Union Grove township, Whiteside county, where he made his home until 1864. when he sold the place and removed to Mis- souri. He died there in 1891. His wife is also deceased. Of their large family of children seven reached man and woman- hood, Mrs. Goodenough being the youngest. To our subject and wife were born four chil- dren: (1) Minnie is the wife of John F. Reed, a farmer of Union Grove township, and they have four children: Vallie, Willis, Lola and Florence. (2) John William died at the age of five months. (3) Arthur L. married Hulda Bull, and they reside on his grandfather's old farm of two hundred and seventy-five acres, which now belongs to our subject. (4) Bert E. aids his father in the operation of the home place.
Mr. Goodenough's first purchase con- sisted of one hundred and twenty acres on section 10, Union Grove township, and he now owns six hundred and seventy-five acres, including the old homestead, where his son, Arthur, now resides. Ile is a sys- tematic and progressive agriculturist, who
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gives special attention to stock raising, and generally keeps about three hundred head of hogs and two hundred head of cattle, be- sides a good herd of grade Norman draft horses, being quite extensively engaged in feeding and shipping stock to the Chicago markets.
Mr. and Mrs. Goodenough are earnest and consistent members of the Baptist church of Morrison, and he and his son belong to Morrison tent. Knights of the Maccabees. Politically he is identified with the Republican party, and as one of the prominent and influential citizens of his community he has been called upon to fill public office. He has served as commis- sioner of highways for six years and super- visor for two terms, during which time he was a member of the committee on educa- tion and chairman of the committee on the county farm and its inmates.
JOHN J. REIMERS, a well-known vet- erinary surgeon of Morrison, where he has been in successful practice since 1881, was born in Wiemerstedt, Province of Hol- stein, Germany, August 13. 1852, and is a son of Hans and Antje (Boe) Reimers. His ancestors lived in Feddring from 1500 to 1864, but prior to that time had made their home in the birthplace of our subject and took an active part in the war for in- dependence, one of them being a leader of the forces. The father was an independent farmer, a man of prominence in his com- munity and held office similar to that of our supervisor. Both he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and died in their native land, honored and respected by all who knew them.
Our subject was educated in the schools
near his boyhood home until fourteen years of age and then attended the gymnasium at Meldorf for six years. He then took up the study of veterinary surgeon at Berlin, Han- over, Stuggart and Giessen, and was grad- uated from a veterinary college at Hanover, in 1876. Five years of preparation, includ- ing a post-graduate course of a year and a half, made him very proficient in his chosen calling. In 1877 he came to the United States and first located at Davenport, Iowa, where he remained for four years, and in 1881 came to Morrison, where he has since engaged in practice with excellent success, having the best practice of any veterinary surgeon in the town or surrounding country. He devotes his entire time and attention to his professional duties and has secured the patronage of the best class of people. In his political views he is a Democrat.
On the 30th of April, 1884, Mr. Reimers married Mrs. Mary E. Carter-Hall, a daugh- ter of James E. Carter, a native of New York, who has made his home in Morrison for the past thirty years.
JOHN C. PARNHAM, a representative and prominent farmer of Ustick town- ship, residing on section 34, is a man of more than ordinary business capacity, in- telligent and well-informed, and at once upon becoming a resident here identified himself with the progress and best interests of the people.
Mr. Parnham was born on the 11th of November, 1836, in Lincolnshire, England, where his parents, John and Mary (Craven) Parnham, spent their entire lives as farming people. Of the six children born to them three died in infancy. Our subject is the oldest of the others; Elizabeth is the wife of
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Anthony Treadgold, of Emmetsburg, lowa, by whom she has two sons; and Sarah died at the age of twenty-one years.
In his native land Mr. Parnham was reared and educated, and he remained at home until he reached the age of twenty-one years, when he determined to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic, believing that better opportunities were here afforded am- bitious and enterprising young men than in the older countries of Europe. On his arrival he located in Whiteside county, Illinois, where he worked as a farm hand for four years, and then, having saved a little money, he commenced renting land. In 1868 he made his first purchase, consisting of two hundred acres, upon which he now resides, and which he has converted into one of the best improved and most desir- able farms of Ustick township. A few years ago he erected thereon a good modern dwelling and has made many other improve- ments upon the place which add to its attractive and thrifty appearance. As a farmer and stock raiser he has met with more than ordinary success, and is to-day one of the well-to-do citizens of his com- munity.
On the 28th of October, 1862, Mr. Parn- ham married Mrs. Jane (Ridley) Parnham, who was also born in Lincolnshire, England, June 25, 1833, a daughter of John and Eliz- abeth (Rush) Ridley. The father died in that country in 1891, but the mother is still living and makes her home there. For her first husband, Mrs. Parnham married Alfred Parnham, a native of England, where they made their home until after their marriage. He and one child were killed in a cyclone which passed through Comanche, Iowa, in 1860. By that union Mrs. Parnham had three children. One of these, William A.,
now living upon a part of our subject's farm, married Fannie Seldon, and has four chil- dren: Grace M., Ruth E., Edna C. and Gertrude H. Three daughters were born to our subject and his wife, but two died in infancy, the only one now living being Ger- trude .A., now the wife of Robert A. Norrish, whose sketch appears on another page of this work.
Mr. and Mrs. Parnham are active and faithful members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, in which he is serving as stew- ard and teacher in the Sunday school, hav- ing a class of young ladies. He takes a commendable interest in everything calcu- lated to advance the moral or intellectual welfare of his community and his support is never withheld from any enterprise for the public good. He cast his first presiden- tial vote for Abraham Lincoln, and by his ballot always supports the man whom he believes best qualified to fill the office re- gardless of party lines. He has been hon- ored with a number of township offices of trust and responsibility, the duties of which he has most capably discharged, having served as commissioner of highways nine years, treasurer of the board of commission- ers, and school director and school trustee.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK of Mor- - rison, one of the solid financial institu- tions in this section of the state, was estab- lished in January, 1865, by Leander Smith. Lester H. Robinson, William M. Spears, Charles Spears, James Snyder. A. Nelson Young, Winfield S. Wilkinson, Aaron C. Jackson, Willis T. Johnson and Albert J. Jackson, who composed the first board of directors. None of these are now serving with the exception of Willis T. Johnson, of
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Chicago. At their first meeting Leander Smith was elected president ; Lester H. Rob- inson, vice-president; and Albert J. Jack- son, cashier. On the death of the first president, Winfield S. Wilkinson was elect- ed to that office, and he in turn was suc- ceeded by E. A. Smith, a son of Leander Smith, deceased. The second vice-presi- dent was Henry B. Wilkinson, who is still serving in that capacity, while Albert J. Jackson has been the cashier since the or- ganization of the bank. F. A. Van Osdal has been clerk in the bank for thirteen years, and H. T. Griffin for four years. On the 7th of March, 1898, the number of directors was changed from ten to eight, and is now composed of H. W. Smith, H. B. Wilkinson, O. Woods, D. S. Spafford, W. F. Johnson, E. A. Smith, Charles Shirk and M. H. Potter, all residents of Morrison with the exception of Mr. Johnson. The bank has a capital stock of one hun- dred thousand dollars, and under the man- agements of its present officials has steadily prospered. .
L UCIUS E. RICE, one of the most pro- gressive and public-spirited citizens of Lyndon, is a native of Massachusetts, born in Worcester county, September 7, 1830, and a son of Augustus Rice, who was born in the same county, August 20, 1800. When a young man the father was a sailor; he studied navigation and was master of a ves- sel engaged in the coasting trade, and also made several trips to Europe. In Massa- chusetts he married Miss Esther Brooks, who was born in that state August 16, 1802, and belonged to an old New England fam- ily. Her paternal grandmother was a na- tive of England. She had one uncle who
was a soldier of the war of 1812, and in the same struggle her husband's father, John Rice, and his son Amos also participated. The Rice family was founded in America in 1680,- by four brothers, natives of Wales, who settled in the New England states, and from one of them our subject is descended. To Augustus and Esther (Brooks) Rice were born six children, one of whom died young. John B., one of the best posted and most prominent lawyers of Illinois, died in Ot- tawa in 1894. Franklin A. died in this county in 1854. Lucius E., of this review, is the next of the family. Fitz Hiram, an attorney of California, who studied law in Boston, is married and has one daughter, Lucy, now a resident of Watertown, Massa- chusetts. Esther D. is the wife of Henry G. Putnam, a prosperous land agent of Dallas, Texas, and they have six children: John; Augustus; Gardner; Jay; Mrs. Ella Still and Birdie. After his marriage the father of our subject turned his attention to farming and continued to make his home in Massachusetts for five years, after which he lived in Cortland county, New York, for four years. While there he ran a boat on the Erie canal. At the end of four years he came west and took up a claim of four hundred acres in what is now Lyndon town- ship, Whiteside county, Illinois, but at that time formed a part of Jo Daviess county. At that time the land had not been sur- veyed, but when it came into market he purchased it from the government. Soon after his arrival the settlers got together and drew up a code of laws and enforced them. Mr. Rice was one of the first com- missioners that transacted any of the county business, and was instrumental in locating the county seat at Lyndon, but it was after- ward removed to Sterling and still later to
L. E. RICE.
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Morrison. His time was spent in farming, but he always took an active and com- mendable interest in everything pertaining to the best welfare of his township and county. He died in 1864, his wife in 1883, honored and respected by all who knew them.
Lucius E. Rice was only six years old when brought by his parents to this county, and here amid pioneer scenes he grew to manhood. On his arrival there were about six hundred Indians still in the county, but they were soon driven away and sought homes on the other side of the Mississippi. He was provided with excellent educational advantages, and after attending the Lyndon Academy was a student at Knox College for three years. His brother John graduated from the same college, being a classmate of Justice Craig, and also Judge Smith, of Rock Island. Before completing the course our subject was called home, in 1857, on account of the illness of his father, and he then took charge of the farm, which he operated for some time. Nearly all his life he has been interested in farming, and for a few years was quite extensively en- gaged in that occupation, but since his re- has only the village of Lyndon, in 1872, moval to operated a small farm of forty acres.
On the 9th of June, 1874, Mr. Rice was united in marriage with Miss Martha C. Coburn, who was born in Vermont July 6, 1838, a daughter of Anson and Salina (Osgood) Coburn, also natives of that state, where they spent their entire lives. In their family were four children, namely: (1). Ade- line married Horace Warner, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and died in a hospital in Boston. She had three children, two now living: Salina, wife of Charles Judd, of
Holyoke, and Minnie, also a resident of Holyoke and the widow of William Trascot, by whom she had one son, William. (2) Henry died at the age of twenty-three years. (3) Mary is the widow of John Morgan and a resident of Buckhead, Geor- gia. She has two children. (4) Martha C. is the wife of our subject. For sixteen years she successfully engaged in teaching school, first in Vermont and later in Wis- consin, while for the last four years of that time she taught in Lyndon, Illinois. She came to this county in 1868, and it was here that she became acquainted with Mr. Rice. Three children were born of their union: Perry F. graduated from the Mis- souri Medical College of St. Louis, in April, 1899, and is now a physician of Hillsdale, Illinois; John B. is now pursuing a classical course at Knox College, Galesburg; and Salina C. has received a high-school educa- tion and is at home with her parents.
Mr. Rice was a prime organizer of the Farmers' Co-operative Association, which had a capital of one hundred thousand dol- lars, and in which he was a large investor, but through a little mismanagement the en- terprise never materialized. During the trying days of the Civil war he efficiently served as supervisor of Lyndon township, and was also a member of the central com- mittee of the Republican party, but now affiliates with the Democracy. He is onc of the most prominent and influential men of his community, one whose support is never withheld from any enterprise for the public good, and he has faithfully served his fellow-citizens in the capacity of assessor, supervisor and justice of the peace, having filled the last named office for the past fifteen years in a most creditable and ac- ceptable manner.
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W INFIELD J. HARDY, a practical and enterprising agriculturist of Mount Pleasant township, owns and operates one hundred and ten acres of land, constituting one of the valuable and highly improved farms of the locality. His possessions have all been acquired through his own efforts, and as the result of his consecutive endeavor he has won a place among the substantial citizens of his native county.
Mr. Hardy was born in Mount Pleasant township February 12, 1858, and is a son of William and Keziah (Richardson) Hardy. The father was born in Lincolnshire, Eng- land, January 27, 1832, and the mother was also a native of the same land, her birth having occurred in 1828. By occupation William Hardy was a farmer, and in 1852 he crossed the Atlantic to America, taking up his abode in New York, where he re- mained for some time. He then came to Illinois, and for several years carried on agricultural pursuits in Mount Pleasant township, Whiteside county, after which he purchased land in Ustick township, continu- ing its cultivation until 1877. He then re- moved to Morrison, but after two years located in Ustick township, and in 1888 went to North Dakota, where he purchased land and engaged in farming. After three years he returned to Illinois on a visit, and here his death occurred. His first wife had died in 1869, and he afterward married her sister, Mrs. Alicia Kennan, who was then a widow, and who died April 2, 1885. There were six children by the first marriage, three of whom are living-Richard I., Amos W. and Winfield J.
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