Henry County, Illinois - The whole text, 1885 (part 22 of 31)

^avid Luther, a resident on section 17, in the township of Geneseo, has lived in Henry County since February, 1849. He was born March 1, 1828, in Livingston Co., N. Y., and is the fifth son of Jacob and Louisa Luther. His parents were natives of Germany, and were born in one of the small cities on the River Rhine. They came in very early life to the United States; and after tne birth of their son they removed from the State of New York to Pennsylvania. They were residents of the Keystone State ten years, and in 1838 came thence to Illinois. They arrived in Chicago in the fall, and passed the winter ensuing in that city. In the spring of the next year they went to O'Plain in Lake County, which is situated 22 miles northwest of Chicago. The father there bought 80 acres of land, on which the family were the first settlers. The tract was entirely in its original condition and there the homestead was established. Mr. Luther lived there with his parents until he was 14, when he went to Chicago to learn the business of a cabinet-maker. After an apprenticeship of three years he went thence to Milwaukee. He was occupied in the prosecution of his trade there two years. At the end of that time he returned to O'Plain and passed a season on the farm. He went next to Peoria, and in the winter of 1849 came to Henry County. After a visit of a few weeks with the family of Jacob Arnett in Whiteside County, he entered a claim of land in the township of Yorktown, or what is now known by that name. The tract included 200 acres. He erected a cabin of poplar logs, 12 x 15 feet in dimensions. The roof was covered with the variety of shingles called "shakes," which Mr. Luther split himself, and the floor was of puncheon. Mr. Luther arranged for the lighting of hts abode by placing three lights of glass - all he had - over the door. Hardly were they in place before a severe hail storm utterly destroyed them. Mr. Luther built a wagon in the same year in which he settled in Yorktown. He made the wheels by sawing sections from the ends of logs. The wheels were solid, and the hubs were made in the proper place from the same blocks. As wagongrease was not plenty, the music of Mr. Luther's vehicle came to be a familiar sound to the neighbors for five miles around, as it could be heard that distance! After he had used the wagon several years he sold it for $25. After securing a shelter he entered into the work of improving his land. He placed 80 acres under good cultivation and also enclosed the same. He next bought 40 acres on which there had been a small house erected. He retained his ownership therein until 1857, when he made an exchange for property in Geneseo, and removed his family there. In 1869 he became the owner of the farm on which he is now a resident, by purchase. The estate contains 108 acres, and it is all under the best type of improvements. Mr. Luther is also the owner of 62 acres of land in the vicinity of Geneseo, and has some village property. One of the operations of Mr. Luther a short time after coming to the county deserves mention as a pioneer exploit. In 185 1 he set out for Milwaukee, accompanied by his wife and one child, who could not be left without the mother's care. They traveled thither with five yoke of oxen and camped on the route. In the Cream City he sold four yokes of the cattle and invested the proceeds in furniture and in the payment for his land at Dixon, where they stopped for the purpose on their way home. Mr. Luther is a man of modest pretensions, and fully merits all that the term " selfmade " may mean.

His union in marriage to Caroline Esslinger, took place in Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 9, 1847. She was a native of Zell, Wurtemberg, Germany, and was born May 3, 1828. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Luther are named William and Abraham. They are the only survivors of 12 children of whom they became the parents. They are both residents of Geneseo. The oldest was born in Greenfield, Wis., Dec. 19, 1848. He married Susan Byers, and they have four children : Pearl, Berenice, Mabel and Floss. Abraham was born at Hoop-pole Grove, in Henry County, Jan. 12, 1851. He married Lydia Mertz. She was born at Downer's Grove, Cook Co., III. They have four children : Cora, Sarah, Caroline and Fayette. All the children are daughters.

Mrs. Luther, the mother, died March 28, 1874. She was a woman of consistent Christian character, and her memory is preserved by her husband and sons as their most precious heritage.

She was the daughter of Geo. G. Esslinger. He was a frolicsome youth in his early life, and was in demand at all the merry-makings in his vicinity, as he was an expert fiddler. Later he was converted, traded his fiddle for a pig, and passed his remaining . years in the capacity of a preacher in the German Evangelical Church.

ohn Samuelson, who is the owner of 400 acres on sections 25 and 26, Western Township, was born in the central portion \U of the kingdom of Sweden, on the estate of Esther Galon, Dec. 25, 1835. His father, Samuel, was born in that section of the country, and married Anna Nelson ; and after they had seven children, the parents and four sons came to

America, in 1851. At first they stopped for & whil at Buffalo, N. Y., remaining there until the summe of 1852, when all the family came to Illinois. Th senior Samuelson entered 80 acres of land in West ern Township, this county, and the two oldest son worked by the month to pay for the same. Th oldest son is still a resident on it, and holds it in hii own name. The family started out to establish ; home in this county with no means except their owi mental and muscular abilities; and they have, b] their industry and economy, honest and high aims o purpose, prospered in a manner characteristic of th< Scandinavian people. The father died about 1865 and the mother yet survives. Of the seven children six are still living.

Mr. John Samuelson, the youngest son but one ir the above family, was a member of the parental household until he responded to the first call foi Union troops to fight the bloody battles of the South, His enlistment dates September, i86t, when he became a member of Co. C, 43d Regt. 111. Vol. Inf. under Col. Wright, of the Army of the Cumberland and of the Western Army. During his term ol service he participated in the battles of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862; siege of Corinth, May, 1862; Salem Cemetery, Dec. 19, 1862 ; skirmishes around Somerville, Term., April and May, 1862; Vicksburg, June and July, 1863; Little Rock, Ark., September, 1863: Prairie Dum, April, 1864 ; Jenkins' Ferry, April 30, 1864; Fort Henry, etc, etc. Mr. S. was promoted first to the position of Corporal, then to that of Sergeant, in which rank he was finally discharged, with honorable mention, at Springfield, 111., Sept. 26, 1864. At no time was he absent from his regiment or unable to be on duty.

Returning home with a halo of military glory, he purchased a quarter-section nf prairie land in Western Township, was married and settled upon thai place, which he still occupies. He has increased il to its present dimensions by additional purchases, and made the whole valuable by his judicious management and persistent industry. The farm was formerly owned by the Bishop Hill Colony, which came here in r848. Mr. S. has held nearly all the offices of his Church (Swedish Methodist), and is now a Trustee of that body. He has also beer Township Collector, School Trustee nine years, and is now Road Commissioner. He faithfully votes the Republican ticket.

May 31, 1862, is the date of Mr. Samuelson's marriage to Mary Larson, daughter of L. M. and Mary C. (Djursted) Peterson. Her mother died in her native country, about 1867, and her father is yet living, also in Sweden. Mrs. S. was born in 1846, in that country, and came to America when a young woman. Of the nine children who have been born in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Samuelson, four died in infancy. The living are John, Archie, William, Guy and Mary.

jj^on. Wilder W. Warner, Postmaster, station agent and dealer in grain and stock, and owner of the cheese factory, grain elevaton etc., at Warner, was born in Bolton, Worcester Co., Mass., Oct. 10, 1828. His father, Elias Warner, was the youngest son of Elias, Sr., who was also a native of the same county in which our subject was born. He was one of the patriots during that eventful period in the history of our country when the Colonists were fighting for their independence. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. He was married to Abigail Priest, also a member of a New England family, and of English parentage. The origin of the Warner family in America, according to tradition, was from four brothers who came from England early in the history of the American Colonies, and purchased a strip of land in Massachusetts in and near Harvard, one mile wide and six miles long. The father of Wilder W., being in the fourth generation from the above mentioned brothers, owned a portion of the land purchased by the original settlers, which also remains in the family until this day. By profession he was a physician, and practiced most of his life in Middlesex Co., Mass., where he died in 1875. I" Worcester County, he was married to Miss Mary A. Lawrence, a member of the old family of Lawrences, which are well known in New England history. She died on the 14th of July, 1845.

Our subject was the second of a family of six children, the elder of whom was Quincy A., now deceased ; the next, Rowena B., also deceased ; the fourth, Susan G. ; the fifth, Sarah J. ; and the youngest, Martha M., who is now deceased. Susan and Sarah are married and are living in Massachusetts.

Wilder W. lived at home until he was 13 years of age. He then began to work out for the purpose of securing means whereby to educate himself. With characteristic energy and economy he thus earned and saved $700, which he paid out towards securing his education. He completed his school days at Groton Academy, New Ipswich Academy, and at the East Hampton Institute. He was then ready to embark upon the scenes of an active business career, and, like thousands of others in the older and thickly settled East, he turned his face Westward, where he hoped to find better advantages than were offered at his own home. Accordingly, in September, 1849, he set out for the West. He secured a second-class passage to Chicago, and from there set out on foot for the city of Rock Island. Possessing an excellent education, as well as rare natural qualifications, he was not long in securing a position as a teacher. For some time he taught school, He subsequently went to Andover, where he taught school for a time and then went to Dixon for the purpose of entering Government land, the land office being located at that place. In this way he secured t6o acres on section 17, Western Township, when he left the schoolroom and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. In this line he has been quite successful, and now owns more than 400 acres of land here, besides other land in the West.

A man possessing a good education is always a valuable aid in a new country, and Mr. Warner's services and the lareje information he possessed were greatly demanded and often brought in requisition in the early history of Henry County, as indeed they are at present. He was elected Justice of the Peace when 2 1 years of age, and performed the duties of that office upwards of 25 years, during which time he settled up without a lawsuit a majority of the cases brought before him. He was also made Supervisor in the early history of the township of Western, and held that office when elected to represent the people of Henry and Rock Island Counties in the 28th General Assembly. He filled this position, as he has every other which has devolved upon him, with marked ability and with excellent satisfaction to the people of his district. Politically, he is a stanch Republican, and an active member of that organization, and one of the important factors in the success of his party in his district.

acter, and a man of his qualities' naturally wields large personal influence in moulding the affairs of his community. In business life he has been quite successful. He has scrupulously avoided the snag upon which so many otherwise excellent business men are wrecked - that of going in debt. He has a peculiar abhorrence of debt, and he never permits himself to go in debt ; nor does he ever give his note. Another underlying principle that seems to have guided him away from the shoals of bankruptcy, is his aversion to reckless speculation. He does not believe in getting something for nothing, or in making the hazardous attempt.

As one of the county's representative business men, as well as one of its respected and honored pioneers, we place Mr. Warner's portrait in this volume. It is engraved from a photograph recently taken.

H. Gaines, senior member of the mercantile firm of Gaines & Hagin, at Cambridge, was born Jan. 10, 1852, in the township where he is at present in business. He is the son of Sylvester Gaines. In the spring of 1848 the latter came to Henry County, accompanied by his brother, Nelson Gaines, of whom a sketch appears on another page. They settled in the township of Cambridge and began the sale of merchandise. The county seat had been transferred from Morristown to Cambridge, and the affairs of that place seemed to take on added dignity and to be in the condition meant by the phrase, " looking up."

Mr. Gaines was reared in the town where he was born to the age of seven years, when he went to Pike County, where his father kept store one year. He then returned to this county and went to Geneseo. There he attended school, and he was also employed in the store there and at Cleveland at a later period. In 1871, after the fire, he went to Chicago and entered the service of Field, Leiter & Co., with whom he remained a year. He then returned to Cambridge and embarked in the lumber business. He operated in that line four years and was associated with a man named Stewart. In 1878 he bought the interest of F. C. Gould, who was in business with Mr. Hagin, the present partner of Mr. Gaines, and the firm became Gaines' & Hagin. They are engaged in the sale of groceries and crockery, and are doing a prosperous business. In 1881 Mr. Gaines and the gentleman with whom he is associated formed a partnership with W. H. Laws & Co., and went into the drug business. Two years later the interest of Mr. Laws was bought by the other members of the firm, which then became Dan Hagin & Co.

of one of its leading journals and that he is untiring in his practical efforts to promote the substantial interests of the place. He was born in Germany, May 8, 1835, and is the son of John and Christina Lieberknecht.

He was r7 when he exchanged his home in "Das Faderland " for the chances of winning the rewards of industry and integrity in the New World. He reached the city of New York in 1852, and entered a printing-office to acquire a practical understanding of the "black art." He was occupied there three years and in 1835 came to Rock Island, where he operated in the manner common to the craft and became a journeyman printer. In 1857 he came to Geneseo and entered into an engagement in the office of the paper of which he is the proprietor. He officiated as foreman until i860, when he purchased a half interest, and in 1878 he became sole proprietor by buying the remainder of the property.

The Geneseo Republic was established in 1856, by J. S. Hyatt, during the first Republican campaign, and has been conducted in the interest of that organization ever since, with the exception of about three years, when it was of no - decided connection but was managed on an independent basis. Since it became the property of its present owner the journal has partaken of the character of its manager, and has been outspoken and inflexible in its tone and advocating the principles of the Republican party. It is a nine-column folio and is issued weekly with a nine-column supplement.

has been actively interested in the projects designed to advance the permanent interests of the place. He has served as Trustee of the township and has been a member of the Geneseo Board of Education. In the spring of 1885 he was made President of the Board of Canal Commissioners. At the time of the establishment of the Normal School at Geneseo, he was one of the first to discover all it promised to a town which should secure it, and he gave substantial proof of the sincerity of his opinions by contributing liberally to the end desired. "By their works ye shall know them."

Mr. Lieberknecht was united in marriage to Caroline Kiefer in 1859, at Geneseo, and they had one child, who is living. He is named Frank. The mother died in the fall of 1864. In the fall of 1865, Mr. Lieberknecht was married to RosinaRieger, and they have tbree children, - William, Charles and Emma. The mother was removed by death, in January, 1874. The third marriage of the father, to Priscilla Fehlman, took place in November, 1875, and they are the parents of two children, - Amelia and Leonora.

His grandfather, Luther Houghton, was a native of Windsor, Vt., and was a farmer by occupation and struggled for the liberty of the Colonists in the War of the Revolution. He was married in the Green Mountain State, to Miss Munn, and they removed to the State of New York, where they continued to reside until their deaths. Their children were five in number, - Loren, Leonard, Luther Warren, Eunice and Abigail. Luther Warren is the only survivor. He was born in 1799, in Windsor, Vt., but was reared on a farm in New York, whither his parents had removed at an early day. He was married in the latter State to Alzina Mason, who was born in Oneida, that State, in 181 1. Both are yet living, in Guthrie Co., Iowa. They became the parents of 1 1 children, seven of whom yet survive, viz. : Caroline, Edwin W. (subject of this sketch), Cordelia, Alvira, Charles, Wesley and Addie. Of the deceased, Selden was the only one who reached maturity. The parents moved West during the late Civil War, and settled in Guthrie County, where they are yet living.

Edwin Wallace Houghton was educated in his native State. He was reared on a farm, and at the age of 22 years had mastered the carpenter's trade, which he followed for nearly two years, and then engaged in the lumber and hardware business at Wyanet, Bureau County, this State. After continuing in the business 15 years, and meeting with financial success, he came to this county, where he engaged in the same business three years. In December, 1882, he came to Galva, and there conducts a large business, under the name of Houghton & Co. He has also branch stores at Altona, Bradford and Buda. Their lumber and supplies are received direct from the pineries, and they are specially prepared to fill all orders of contractors and builders, and constantly invite inspection of their prices. Besides assuming the general management of all the yards, he is also a director of the Galva Gas Works.

Mr. Houghton was married in his native county in New York, in December, i860, to Miss Adeline Bean, a native of that State, where she was born in 1835. The names of their children are: Hattie, Orren, Shelden, Warren Orrison, Edwin, Jr., and Blanche Estelle. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Houghton, together with their eldest daughter, Hattie, are active members of the Congregational Church. Socially, Mr. H. is a member of the A. F. & A. M. The success of his life is due to his own indomitable energy, good judgment and perseverance.

M. H. Hunter is a prosperous farmer of the f township of Man son. He was born in the county of Muskingum, Ohio, Dec. 5, 1847. His parents, William and Margaret (Dugan) Hunter, were born in Ireland, and came in childhood to America. They were members of families in the north of Ireland, and were Presbyterians. They sprung from ancestry who went from Scotland to Ireland to escape the persecutions of the Scottish " kirk." They were married in Ohio, and lived in Muskingum County until 1856, when a removal was made to Illinois, and they settled in Peoria County, where they remained three years. In the fall of 1858 the father came to Henry County, and located a tract of land which contained 120 acres. It was situated on section 25, of township 16, which is now called Munson. In the spring of the next year - T859 - the father removed his family to the new farm, and they took possession of a small frame house that had been erected on the place. There was also a straw-covered stable, and these were all the buildings on the place. The father and his sons devoted their attention and energies to the improvement of the home. The elder Hunter was a man of industrious habits and good judgment, and the farm was soon under excellent cultivation. Good buildings were also erected, and other changes made, which improved the appearance of the place and added to its value. The death of the father occurred in 1874, when he was 74 years of age. The mother died in December, 1884.

The son, who is the subject of this sketch, was less than ten years of age when his parents came to Munson Township. He passed the remaining portion of his minority in the town where he is now a citizen, and was there educated in the public schools. He was a member of the family of his parents as long as the lived, and at the death of his father he assumed charge of the homestead.

1 iram T. Lay, head of the firm of Lay & Lyman, the largest and most complete mercantile establishment in Kewanee, 111., fed was born at Kenosha, Wis., Jan. 16, 1839. His parents, Nelson and Maryette (Towsley) Lay, were born respectively in the States of Connecticut and New York. (See biography of Nelson Lay, this volume.)

schools of Kenosha, Wis., and was 16 years of age when he came to Kewanee. Here he entered the mercantile establishment of his father as clerk, and from that time to the present he has continued in the business. His clerical experience was with Nel- ( son Lay (his father), Lay & Tenney, Tenney & Howard, Tenney, Hardy & Co., Little, Perkins & Co., assignee of Little, Perkins & Co., assignee of C. N. Cutter, Lay & Mclntyre, and Parker & Galloway. The SDring of i860 found him trying his hand at mining in Colorado, with what success does not appear. Any way, he was there but a few months, < when he returned to Kewanee and with his father engaged for a few months in the grain business. He ; was variously engaged during the succeeding three years, and in the spring of 1864 entered the service of the United States as First Lieutenant of Co. H, 134th 111. Vol. Inf., and served to the expiration of his term.

Returning from the army to Kewanee, Mr. Lay again entered the employment of Mr. H. C. Parker, and in January, 1865, accepted a clerkship in J. R. j Payson's general insurance agency, Chicago, where 1 he remained for one month. In February, of 1865, j he returned to Kewanee, entering" the employ of J Elias Lyman, March^ 1867, becoming a partner in » his business. W. H. Lyman became a member of ' the firm of Lyman, Lay & Lyman in 1874, and in I 1883 the senior member retired, and the present firm was created. This firm is the outgrowth of the pioneer dry-goods house of Willard & Morse, who were succeeded by Parish & Faulkner, they by Willard & Lyman, they by Lyman & Trask, they in turn by Elias Lyman, and he by Lyman & Lay and Lyman, ] Lay & Lyman, and they, on May 29, 1883, by the \ present firm of Lay & Lyman. The business history j of this house from the beginning has been highly creditable to its various owners, and under the management of none has it been more so than under the gentleman now at its head. Mr. Lay was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Kewanee, and was one of its Directors for two years. , He also helped to organize the Union National Bank, and is now a stockholder

He is no office-seeker, though somewhat interested in the success of the Republican party at all times. The only organization he is identified with, asjde from the Congregational Church, is the G. A. R. November, 1861, he was married at Maiden, Bureau

Go., 111., to Miss Martha Morrill, the accomplished daughter of Asa Morrill, a native of Vermont and a cousin of the distinguished Senator of that name. Mr. Lay's children are Carliss W., now a farmer in this county; Maryette, Frank M., Louie E. and Henry H.

^ came to America in 1868, and located at once on their arrival in this land, in Henry County. They made their settlement at Bishop Hill, and are now living in the township of Andover. Mrs. Margaret Olenius, Eric (deceased), Olaf and Peter E. are the the names of all the children of which they became the parents.

In the spring of 1867, Mr. Walline came to the United States and settled in Altona, Knox Co., 111. He was there employed a short time as a clerk, and coming to Henry County bought a tract of land situated south of the village of Cambridge. It contained 80 acres, and not long after he added a similar amount and found himself the independent possessor of 160 acres of land in good farming condition. He is still the proprietor of the tract which made him a land-holder under the laws of a Republic. In 1875 he came to Cambridge and passed a short time in the capacity of a clerk in a mercantile establishment, but soon returned to look after the interests of his farm. In 1880 he bought an interest in the mercantile concern of J. Mascall, Dimick & Co., the firm style becoming J. Mascall, Dimick & Walline. Two years later Mr. Dimick retired, and Mr. C. F. Wennerstrum was admitted in his place. The establishment is one of the most popular and extensive in the place where it is located, and the assortment of goods kept in stock is such as to meet the demands of the local trade. In addition to his business and other relations in Henry County, Mr. Walline is part owner of 640 acres of land in Minnesota.

business he was comparatively without means or influence. His cash capital on opening relations in Henry County amounted to but $2.50. In political connection he is not identified with either the Democratic or Republican party, but has adopted the principles of the Prohibitionists. He is a member of the Order of Good Templars.

Mrs. Jennie S. Walline is the daughter of James Mascall, Esq., of Cambridge. She is a native of the county where she is a resident, and was born June 27, 1853. Her marriage to Mi. Walline took place Nov. 17, 1874. To her and her husband four children have been born, in the following order: Emily I., Oct. 1, 1877; Austin, Oct. 31, 1884; Luella, deceased, and an infant. Mr. and Mrs. Walline are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

-3*£^Cobert Linton, retired farmer and mechanic, resident at Kewanee, 111., was born in County Down, Ireland, April 1, 1803, and came to America in 1827. For 19 years he resided in the city of Philadelphia, worked six years at his trade of carpenter and joiner and served on the police force for 13 consecutive years. In 1846 he left the police force of his own volition, and removed to Lancaster, Pa., where he was engaged in farming and boating for about eight years. In 1854 he came West and lived at Cornwall, Henry Co., 111., about 1 1 years, removing thence to Kewanee, where he has since lived, having retired from active business in 1869. He received a common-school education in Ireland, where he was brought up to the trade of carpenter and in the faith of the Episcopal Church. At this writing, however, and for many years past, he has been a consistent member of the Primitive Methodist Church.

The day he was 24 years of age, and just before leaving the Green Isle, he was married to Jane Orr, who accompanied him to the New World and lived with him, sharing alike his joys and sorrows for about 30 years. She died at Cornwall in 1857, leaving three children: Mary Jane (Mrs. Ackman, deceased), Samuel, a resident of Black River Falls, Wis., and Margaret Ann (Mrs. Morrow). In 1862, at Wethersfield, Henry County, Mr. Linton was mar- ried to Sarah Martin, a native of County Down, Ireland, who died at Kewanee, Feb. 17, i8'8r, leaving one child, - Sarah Jane, now living at home with her father.

Mr. Lintonn landed in America, as have thousands of his countrymen, possessed of naught but strong hands and a willing and honest heart. For more than 50 years, aided by a prudent, industrious and Christian wife, he fought life's battles, aye, from year to year, from manhood to middle age and still on through the declining years, until by the immutable laws of God the seasons of more than three-fourths of a century have bleached his once raven locks to the whiteness of snow, Robert Linton has practiced lessons of honest toil. In a little box house at the rear of his comfortable residence, even at this writing, the octogenarian may be found turning the old style lathe with a treadle, and forging from the seasoned wood some little article of usefulness for the household. His long, white hair floats back from his forehead and his kindly face clearly shaven greets you with a smile. His hand is steady and his eyes are yet bright, but, unlike the pages of a book that tells briefly the outlines of his simple life, he will not live always in this world, but by the great wisdom of the Creator, his earthly career will be closed by his usefulness, and the spirit which never grows old shall fly away to join those he loves in life so much and whose memory in death was ever so dear.

eter G. Johnson, a farmer in the township I j ; of Munson, is a self-made man in every |lK£?-^ sense, and also an independent thinker. §^J He was born in Smolen, Sweden, Feb. 28, 1838, and is the son of John and Anna Johnson. His parents were poor and could give him but few advantages. His own mother died when he was two years old, and he was soon provided with a stepmother by his father's second marriage. He was under home care until he was eight years of age, and he then went to live with his grandmother on his mother's side, and was brought up by her. He was put to work as soon as he was large enough to earn anything, and the pay he received for the labor of a year would amount only to a dollar in the currency of the United States. As he grew older and stronger he was able to earn more, and when he was 15 he received for the service of a year $3 in money, a suit of linen clothes and two shirts.

In 1866 he came to America. He landed at New York after a voyage of a month's duration. Immediately after reaching the shores of this country he came to Geneseo. Instead of having money to help himself with in a strange land, he was in debt $20, and as he wished to present a tidy appearance, he borrowed $io more to purchase some clothes. He found no trouble in obtaining employment as a farm assistant, and he worked for his first employer, Bruce Paul, one year. He then thought that he could operate profitably on his own account, and he rented land, wnich he continued to manage until 1876. In that year he bought the farm which he now owns and which is situated in section 3. The place contains 160 acres, which is all under improvement. It is all enclosed and supplied with good and suitable buildings. The vicinity of the residence is beautified with trees that have been set out by the proprietor.

Mr. Johnson and Miss Caroline Linquist were united in marriage Dec. 26, 1869. Mrs Johnson is a native of Sweden. Their children are named Delia C, Jennie A., Jessie and Florence O.

|,lijari T. Cowl, retired farmer living at Kewanee, was born in Sullivan County, State of New York, at a place now called Wertzburg, Nov. 21, 1808. His parents, William and Lydia (Perry) Cowl, natives of Cape Cod and the county of Putnam respectively, reared five sons and three daughters, Elijah T. being the third in the order of birth. The senior Mr. Cowl was a tanner and currier by trade, and the subject of this sketch alternated his labors, before arriving at his majority, between those of farming and the trade of his father. The family removed from Sullivan to Putnam County in 1817, and there the two old people spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Cowl dying in 1853, at the age of 72 years, and Mrs. C. four years later, at the age of 70 years.

Elijah T. Cowl remained with his parents until he was about 25 years of age, at which time he set up for himself. In 1 849 he left Putnam County and removed to the State of Connecticut, where he followed farming about five years. In 1854 he came into Henry County and purchased a farm in Wethersfield Township, from which he removed into Burns Township three years later. At the last named place he resided until 1833, when he retired from manual labor and took up his abode in the village of Kewanee.

In December, 1834, in the county of Putnam, in his native State, Mr. Cowl married Miss Caroline Hinman, and their union, always a happy one, was blessed with two children - Mary, the estimable and amiable wife of Mr. Ira Parker, a farmer of Burns Township, Henry Co., 111., and Lydia A., the handsome and accomplished Mrs. Charles Burti , whose husband is a wealthy stock dealer and ranch owner of Kansas.

Originally, Mr. C. was a Whig, but upon the demise of that party, like a large majority of is whilom adherents, he became a Republican, to which party his loyalty is unimpeachable. In the battle of life he began as he continued, relying upon his own resources. The legacy left to him was that of a strong physique, an iron constitution and a well balanced head. He has been the recipient of no gifts, no gratuities. Aided only by the good woman who early in life allied her fortune with his, he has, to use - a homely phrase, " paddled his own canoe; " and the story of his many trials, of his struggles, of his defeats, disappointments and ultimate successes can not be told in his history ; for it, like the life of a soldier in Sherman's grand march from Atlanta to the sea, is but the recital of an individual experience, a common factor in the mighty army of hardy pioneers who preceded civilization as it were, and by their daring and endurance made life in the newer States not only possible but in thousands of cases luxurious.

harles J. Hofland, Treasurer of Henry County, is a citizen of the United States by adoption. He is the oldest child of G. P. and Anna B. Hofland, and was born Oct. n, 1834, in Djurrdala Parish, Province of Kalmar, Sweden. He came to America with his parents in the year 1850, who came at once to Illinois and settled in Western Township, Henry County, where the parents are now living. Mr. H. is the oldest of nine children born to his parents, seven of whom are now living.

Mr. Hofland, of this sketch, has followed the pursuit of farming since his advent into the country except for five years, from 185 1 to 1856, which he spent in the lumber business in Wisconsin. He returned to Illinois and was on New Year's day, 1859, married to Miss Ch'istine Anderson, of Andover. She was born in Sweden, Feb. n, 1841, and came to this country in 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Hofland have had five children, born in the following order: Edmond (deceased), Julia, Charlie E., Almeda C. and Oliver E.

In 1865 Mr. Hofland bought a farm in Osco Township, and is now the owner of ..294 acres of choice land as his homestead. He was elected Treasurer of Henry County in the fall of 1882. This position he is now occupying with credit to himself and with satisfaction to the people of the county. Botli himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, he is a staunch Republican.

a Tgi tarks N. Barker, merchant at Annawan, is a native of the State of New York. He was (jS born Jan. 1, 1835, in Oswego County, in the town of Albion. He was reared in the place of his nativity and remained with his parents until he was 23 years old. He was engaged on the farm and worked in the blacksmith shop of his father. The last four winters that he remained in his native State he was engaged in teaching, and after he came to Illinois he was similarly employed through one winter season. He was married Jan. 1, 1862, to Helen J. Hartley. She was born Nov. 27, 1840, in Bureau County; has three children living, born as follows : Frank S., Dec. 5, 1864; Duke F., March 17, 1868; Sadie A., Aug. 9, 1875. The father of Mrs. Barker, James B. Hartley, was born in Pennsylvania, Dec. 25, 1818. He married Sarah Fritchey in 1839. She was born April 17,1819. They had 13 children, named Mathias.F., Helen J., Lois S., Maria L., Robert M., John H, Ida B., Charles W., Augusta J., Emma J., Jessie F., Harry and Mary. They are all living.

Mr. Barker is the son of Ebenezer Barker, who was a native of Bridgewater, N. Y., and was born Nov. 17, 1800. He was married to Clarissa M. Starks,

Li 1859 Mr. Barker came to the village of Annawan and established himself in the business of a blacksmith, in which he was engaged until he decided to change his calling for that in which he has since operated. Feb. 14, 1866, he purchased a stock of general merchandise and has since been engaged in the management of a successful and prosperous trade. He has been prominent in the discharge of the duties to which he has been called in the public interest and has served two years as Justice of the Peace. He has officiated as School Treasurer ten years. He is connected in membership with the Order of Masonry and belongs to Annawan Lodge, No. 433. He has held and is still holding official positions in the organization. He is a Republican in political connection.

Nancy (Ellis) Breckenridge. The Breckenridge family came from Scotland to America in an early day, and settled in Virginia. The grandfather of James E. (John Breckenridge) moved to Bourbon Co., Ky., when he was a young man, and there followed the occupation of a farmer. He was married twice, his first wife being Miss M. Duncan, a native of Kentucky, and a sister of Governor Joseph Duncan, of this State, and was the mother of Oliver H. P. Breckenridge, who was the father of the subject of this notice. His mother died when he was six weeks old, and his father was a second time mar-

She is yet living near Paris, that State, and "is the mother of eight children, five boys and three girls. Her husband died in Kentucky in 1853, aged 81 years. He was a farmer by occupation. The father of our subject removed to Schuyler County, this State, in 1852, where he resided until the following year, when he returned to Kentucky on a visit, and theredied,in 1853, at the age of 51 years. He married Nancy Ellis in Bourbon County, who is yet living in Plattsburg, Mo., aged 7 1 years. She bore him eight children, namely : James E., subject of this notice ; Mary J., Susan, Sarah Ann, John B., and three who died in infancy.

James E., whose name heads this sketch, attended school in a log school-house in Kentucky, about three months in the year, until he attained the age of 16 years, devoting his other time to assisting his father on the farm. Arriving at the age mentioned, he engaged in farming, in which vocation he continued in Kentucky until he came to this State with his father, who located in Schuyler County, and there continued his former occupation. In September, 1861, James E. enlisted in Co. E, 7th Mo. Cav., and remained in the army until 1862. At the expiration of his time of enlistment he came back to this State and engaged in railroading on the Wabash Railroad, at Denver, c this State, and on the Keokuk & Clayton Branch, as a section hand. Soon afterward he was promoted to the position of section foreman, but quit the road and engaged to work for the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis, now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, where he took charge of a construction train, and was conductor of thesame for six months. Hewas then promoted to the office of Road Master, and held that position about one year, when he resigned and engaged as a freight conductor for the same road. He was conductor on a freight train for about nine months, then passenger conductor, and was again made Road Master. Dec. 1, 1865, when the road changed hands, Mr. Breckenridge one evening resigned his position, and the next morning he took a similar position on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, which he held until May, 1877, when he was transferred to the Rock Island & Peoria Railroad, under the same management, and which position he has continued to hold until the present time. He has resided in Galva since 1878, having lived in Rock Island and Cambridge previous to that time. Mr. Breckenridge was married Dec. 31, 1857, in

Augusta, Hancock County, this State, to Mary A. Pitney, daughter of Samuel Pitney, and a native of Ohio. She has become the mother of four children : Julius, Susan E., Nannie and Ransom C, an infant son, deceased. Socially, Mr. Breckenridge is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and is one of the popular railroad men of this section of the country.

ion. Nelson Lay, of Kewanee, is a native of Saybrook, Conn., second son of Jeremiah and Sallie (Ingham) Lay, and was born Jan. 20, 1812. From Saybrook the family removed to Madison Co., N. Y., in 1824, and there resided up to 1846, when they removed to Kenosha, Wis., whither the subject of this sketch had preceded them by it years.

Mr. Lay's education was limited to such as could be acquired at the common schools of New York State, but this appears to have been sufficient to enable him to conduct successfully the various business enterprises in which he subsequently engaged. At Oneida Lake, N. YT, he served an apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner, and devoted his time to that trade until about 28 years of age. At Kenosha, Wis., to which place he emigrated in 1835, he was in mercantile business from 1842 to 1853, and succeeded thereat in accumulating a considerable sum of money. Early in 1854 he removed from Wisconsin to Henry Co., 111., and was at the village of Wethersfield when the Chicago, Builington & Qtiincy Railroad was completed through to Galesburg. His shrewd business" knowledge taught him that Wethersfield as a town had fulfilled its mission, and that business would find its headquarters for this neighborhood thenceforth at the railroad station. So, associated with Messrs. Howard, Little and Tenney, a quarter-section of land was purchased adjacent the railway, and the town of Kewanee laid out. His first business in the new town was that of merchant, an enterprise he abandoned before the end of the first year. He handled lumber about three years, and in the meantime became pretty extensively interested in Western lands, the traffic in which soon grew to such proportions as to require his whole attention. In 1859 he again embarked in mercantile business, and the same year organized the Kewanee

In 1863 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the Illinois House of Representatives, and for two years tried his hand at law-making; and in 1865 removed to Chicago, where for 18 years he was a successful grain and commission merchant. Having by industry and untiring application to business accumulated a handsome competency, he returned to Kewanee in 1883 and retired to private life, with the commendable intention of spending the rest of his days in a peaceful forgetfulness of the trials and troubles of the business world.

Mr. Lay was married at Kenosha, Wis., May 29, 1 836, to Miss Maryette Towsley, a native of the State of New York, and of the eight children born to them we have the following memoranda : Hiram T., a merchant of the firm of Lay & Lyman, Kewanee; Fannie L. (Mrs. W. A. Pierce, of Chicago) ; Mary Jane, deceased, was the wife of Rev. C. A. Towle, of the Congregational Church; Nellie (Mrs. N. W. Watson, of Chicago) ; Charles N. died in infancy ; Charles C, now a resident of Chicago: Edward F. died when about 20 months old, and Richard E., a resident of Chicago.

ohn Armstrong. One of the best improved farms of Henry County is owned ,07V1-"? and cultivated by the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. His fine residence is located on section 14, of Wethersfield Township, where he owns 480 acres of land, all of which is tillable. He has recently erected a fine residence, which is large and commodious and second to none in the county. Fine and well-stocked out-buildings are liberally provided for his stock. He keeps about 100 head of cattle, 16 horses, and usually fattens about 150 hogs annually. Mr. Armstrong is recognized as one of the leading and most prosperous farmers in Henry County. He is a highly respected citizen and an earnest worker for the best interests of the township. Politically, he is a Republican, but in temperance principles a Prohibitionist.

Together with his wife, he belongs to the American Presbyterian Church. He has served his community as School Director for many years, and takes a deep interest in educational matters.

John Armstrong is a son of James and Sibella (Elliott) Armstrong, natives of Scotland. They came to America in 1855, and located in Stark Co., 111., where they spent the remainder of their lives. John was the sixth child of a family of about eight children, was born in Scotland, Aug. 6, 1838, and was therefore only 16 when his parents came across the ocean. He received his education in Scotland, and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. After living in Stark County for ten years he came over into Henry County, and located in Wethersfield Township.

He was married in Bureau Co., 111., Jan. 31, 1865, to Jane, daughter of John and Jane (Hume) Rule. This lady was also of Scottish birth and ancestry, and the second of a family of ten children. She was born Sept. 24, 1844, and came to America with her parents in 1853. The names of Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong's seven children are: Jane, James E., John A., Robert, George A., Sibella and Kate E.

oshua Cole, a well-to-do and respected farmer of Wethersfield Township, where he resides on section 14, h a son of Ezekiel and Maria (Smith) Cole, both natives of Ohio. They came to Henry County in the fall of 1850, and settled in Wethersfield Township, where the father died the following year, October, 185 1 ; the mother still survives. Their family consisted of eight children, of whom Joshua was the eldest, having been born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Oct. 29, 1837.

He (Joshua) received the training of the common schools of his district, came into Henry County, this State, in the spring of 1851, and began immediately in the occupation of an agriculturist. He has 330 acres of valuable land, on which he entered vigorously and energetically into the the task of its cultivation and improvement, and has made this his home, residing here ever since.

Mr. Cole was united in the holy bonds of matrimony in Wethersfield Township, on the 6th of February, 1859, to Miss Susan Hoppock, a native of New Jersey, and daughter of John and Margaret (Hackett) Hoppock. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have had their home circle blessed by the birth of eight children, as follows : Mary C, Joseph T., Elton G., Martha M., William H., Wesley E., Otis R. and Earnest 0. Mr. Cole has served his township as School Director for five years, and, religiously, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, he affiliates with the Republican party.

-esohn Seott, Sr., retired farmer residing at t Kewanee, Henry Co., 111., was born at ''' Banff, Scotland, May 10, 1810, removed to England in 1832, and from there to America in 1844. His parents, Alexander and Christina (Campbell) Scott, natives of Scotland, reared three sons and two daughters, John being the eldest but one. The senior Mr. Scott was a shoemaker by trade, and died when the subject of this sketch was but five years of age, leaving the family in limited circumstances. He was a worthy brother Mason, however, and that most benevolent of all orders paid to the use of his widow and children annually the sum of 40 pounds as long as they remained in need of it.

John was educated to a limited extent at the common schools of his native place, and while yet young learned the trade of blacksmith, at which he worked several years. For five years after coming to this country he was the only blacksmith in the neighborhood of his premises. His first home in Henry County was in Kewanee Township, whither he removed in 1845, and it consisted of a small log cabin on the road leading from Peru to Rock Island. For many years he did his milling at the latter place, a distance of 40 miles from his cabin. Upon his farm, consisting first of a 160- acre tract, increased afterward to 460 acres, lies probably 200 acres of fine bituminous coal. Some seven years before coal was discovered in his neighborhood, he dreamed of finding large quantities of the article at a certain point on his land ; so, when the prospector put in an appearance, Mr. S. took him at once to a spot remembered since his dream, and there the expert soon disclosed to view a rich and paying vein of the only thing thought to be lacking in the greatest agricultural country on earth. Mr. Scott rented out his farm in 1883 and removed to the town of Kewanee, where he proposes spending the rest of his life in a well earned peace and freedom from the toils and cares of every business.

While in England, in the county of Surrey, Mr. Scott was married, when about 22 years of age, to Miss Mercy Paice, who was born in Surrey, April 15, 1812. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Scott, three sons accompanied them from England, and the following brief history tells aH the writer knows of the offspring : Isabella J. was the wife of Stephen Brown, and died Jan. 15, T867, leaving the child to which she gave her life. The child was named for its mother, and is now the wife of Charles J. Bridges, of Kewanee. The first-born was named William, now a successful farmer and stock-broker of Kansas ; Alexander is a farmer in Kewanee Township, and John is a dealer in agricultural implements. A daughter, Jane, died in England, and Mary Ann in Henry County, Sept. 14, 1852.

arrett Brown, engaged as a farmer on section 5, Wethersfield Township, was born in Bucks Co., Pa, Aug. 23, 1833. His parents, James and Lutitia (Holland) Brown, were also natives of the Keystone State, and passed all their lives there. They had eight children.

Mr. Garrett Brown, the seventh in order of birth in the above family, was three years of age when his father died, and he was then taken by an uncle, with whom he lived until he was 1 6 years old. He then worked out by the month until 1855, in the spring of which year he came to this county, locating in Wethersfield Township, where he has since resided. He is the owner of 128 acres of land, most of which is cultivated. Mr. Brown is an exemplary citizen and farmer, and has served the public in the capacity of School Director and School Trustee. His political views are in keeping witli the principles of the Republican party, and both himself and Mrs. B. are members of the Baptist Church.

T3> 1855, to Miss Ellen, daughter of Thomas and (Ellen) Wright Taylor, who were natives also of the Keystone State. Mr. Taylor died in Philadelphia, Pa., July 10, 1856, and Mrs. Taylor died in Wethersfield Township, this county, Feb. 16, 1879. Mrs. Brown, the fourth in order of birth in a family of seven children, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 6, 1835 ; and the children of Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been three in number - Thomas T., Emma L., who died in infancy, and Anna M.

1838 lie came into Stark Co., 111., farmed there two years, and removed into Henry County, where he purchased two 80-acre tracts of land, one in Burns Township on section 15, where he made his home, and the other in Kewanee on section 19. Other tracts of land were added to his possessions from time to time, all of which he sold after removing into the town of Kewanee, which he did in 1855. His first business after coming into the town was that of grocer, which received his attention a year or two. He next went into the buying and shipping of grain, a business he has followed regularly ever since.

In 1860-1 he held the office of Township Assessor, and a year or so later was elected Supervisor. When he arrived in Stark County, in 1838, he had but $12 in money, but the opportunity was ripe to such men as he, and his efforts were fruitful of good in that they tended to build ud a new country and add increase upon increase even unto the possession of a handsome competency. His early education was limited to such as the common schools of Canada afforded, but his interests have never suffered from lack of business knowledge. His parents, Ralph and Clara (Keeler) Warner, natives of the State of Connecticut and Canada respectively, removed to lilt nois in 1845 and spent the rest of their lives in Henry County, the old gentleman dying in 1851, at the age of 57 years, and the old lady in 1879, aged 28. They reared six sons and five daughters, three of the latter being dead at this writing (August, i88S).

the Baptist Church, and votes the Republican ticket. He was married in Stark Co., 111., July 8, 1847, to Etnaline Otis, a native of Ohio, and daughter of Edward Otis, a farmer by occupation. Of the six children born they have buried four, - -three in infancy and one, Lucy A., their eldest, in 1866, aged 18 years. Vina is now the wife of H. C. Huntington, a merchant at Ames, Iowa, and Adelia is at home with her parents.

enry Johnson, of the firm of Owen & Johnson, general merchants, doing business at Orion, was born in Sweden, June 22, 1832. His father, Samuel Johnson, was also a native tof Sweden, and during his active life was engaged in farming. He is now living a retired life at Orion, at the advanced age of 80 years. The mother of Henry, Christine Johnson, was also born in Sweden.

At the early age of 13 our subject came to America with his parents, who first settled at Buffalo, N. Y. Two years later they came further West and located in Andover Township, where the mother died of cholera during the terrible rage of that epidemic in 1853. Henry was the second child of a family of three children. He left home when only 14 years old and worked as a farm boy for the neighboring farmers, who also gave him the advantage of attending school during the winter season. He learned the business of brick making at Rock Island, and in 1854 established a brick-yard in Andover, which enterprise he abandoned after 18 months. He then engaged as a clerk in a store at Andover, where he remained for some years. After he closed this engagement he devoted some time to fanning, principally in Western Township. In 1873 he built a mill and in company with Lloyd & Peterson began its operation. He conducted the mill and was its principal business manager of the entire concern, and is yet the company in the firm which is now styled Johnson & Co. The mill has a capacity of 300 bushels a day. In 1882 Mr. Johnson purchased a half interest in the general mercantile store of John Owen, which he yet retains. The stock invoices at from $7,000 to $10,000, and the firm does an excellent business.

of May, 1858, to Miss Catherine Olson. Miss Olson was a native of Sweden and came to the United States when a small child with her parents ; at least, she started with both of them, but while on the ocean her father took sick and died, and his body was consigned to a watery grave. The mother, thus bereft of her husband, came on with her four children, two sons and two daughters. They made their way to Andover Township, where the mother subsequently married, and shortly after this event died. After the death of her mother, Mrs. Johnson worked in the homes of some of the people of the county until her marriage. The two children she has borne to Mr. Johnson are Oscar L., born Aug. 1, 1773, and Oliver, April 17, 1876.

Mr. Johnson has for some time been a member of the Village Board. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. (and A. O. U. W. Politically, he is a National Greenbacker.

hadrach T. Miles, of the firm of Miles & Minnick, grocers, at Kewanee. (See biography of W. A. Minnick). This firm was organized and began business as dealers in staple and fancy groceries, glass and crockery wares, in March, 1867, and is at this writing ( (July, 1885) the oldest establishment of the kind in the town. The firm is composed of the subject of this sketch and Mr. W. A. Minnick.

Mr. Miles is a native of Philadelphia, Pa., where he was born, Nov. r8, r827. His parents, William and Sarah (Jones) Miles, descended respectively from Welsh and Scotch ancestry, and were natives of Philadelphia County, now and for many years past incorporated into the city of that name. They reared a family of five sons and four daughters. The elder Mr. Miles was a farmer and the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this article devoted most of his time to that worthy vocation, until probaly 46 years of age. At the public schools of his native f place he acquired a fair English education, which has been materially augmented by readng, by study and by such experience as is naturally incident to a busy ' life. I

He gave up farming in 1867 and removed to Ke- ' wanee and engaged in his present business. As a farmer, he was industrious and honorable and en- joyed the [highest esteem of hjs neighbors. As a merchant he sought to build a trade upon purely business principles, relying strictly upon the idea that " honesty is the best policy, " and the experience of nearly a fifth part of a century has fully attested the wisdom of his undertakings. Since coming here he has served the people three years as a member of the Town Board and ten years upon the Board of Education. He is prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, has filled all the official chairs in their course and is[at present Chaplain of the Kewanee Lodge. In politics he is a Republican, while his religious convictions are firmly anchored with the Baptist Church. When about 25 years of age he was married, at Philadelphia, to Miss Anna M. Eisenbrey, a lady of German descent and a native of the" City of Brotherly Love." Of the 13 children born to them, n are living : Sallie, Rena, Frank, Annie, William, Harry, Duffield, Kate, Edward, Matthew and May. W. P. died when about two years of age and Louis lived to be nearly four. Mr. Miles' father and mother died in Philadelphia, he at the age of 83 years and she at 76 years.

Si'ndrew Sunquist, residing in Galva, where If he is engaged in the service of the Hardien Hf^sT Coal Company, is a native of Sweden, having been born in Darlarna, that country, Jan. 18, 1845. His parents were Andrew Hanson and Kestine (Larson) Sunquist, who both reside in Galva, to which place they came in 1872. Their family comprises ten children, only four of whom are living, namely : Martha, wife of John Boostum; Erick ; Christine, wife of Frederick Peterson, of Bloomington ; and Andrew, the subject of this biographical notice.

Andrew Sunquist was educated in Sweden. He came to the United States at the age of 25 years, and on landing at an Eastern seaport came direct to Galva, this county. On arriving here, July 13, 1858, he worked at various occupations in the cotintry and village, and in February of the year following he began mining coal. He has continually followed that vocation, except about three summers spent at his trade, that of a carpenter. Sept. 1, 1876, he commenced work for the Galva Mining Company,

Mr. Sunquist was united in marriage, at Galva, to Miss Anna Erickson, a native of Sweden, and a daughter of Erick Anderson, who died in the old old country. Politically, Mr. S. affiliates with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Swedish Lutheran Church.

^avid Strohecker, of the township of Cam- Jl bridge, is a resident on section2. He was ^ born Nov. 2, 1802, in Berks Co., Pa. His parents, Daniel and Leah (Garber) Strohecker, were natives of the same county and there passed nearly the entire extent of their lives. They died in Northumberland Co., Pa. They were the parents of r2 children. The family descent is of German origin. The paternal grandfather, Daniel Strohecker, was born in thai country, and when he came to the United States he settled in Pennsylvania. His son, John Strohecker, was one of the soldiers of the Revolution. The latter was a brick-layer by trade and in his later life he was interested in farming. He married in Pennsylvania and there reared a family of eight children. He never removed from the State. His son, Daniel Strohecker, married Leah Garber, who was a native of the Keystone State. Her father, John Garber, was born in the same State and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He, too, afterwards became a farmer. Father and mother both died in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Strohecker grew to manhood in the State where he was born and passed forty years of active life as a brick-layer. In April, 1865, he came to Henry County, and at first bought 80 acres of land in the township of Cambridge. Soon after he bought another like amount of land and the estate now includes 166 acres in the best possible condition for prosperous farming. The estate is the accumulation of the proprietor in his own unaided strength and perseverance. He has passed most of his life in hard labor. In his political connection and views he is a Republican.

mel. The issue of their marriage was eight children. Dr. George W. is deceased. Sevilla S. married a man named Zimmerman. Benavel, John, Catherine L. (deceased), Mrs. Mary Thompson and Henry C. are^the names that complete the list. The last named was a soldier in the Civil War, where he lost his life, in the Army of the Cumberland. Reuben still resides with his parents. He was married in Pennsylvania to Hannah Hime. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and was of German extraction. The young people have three children, named Henry Calvin, Mrs. Johanna Steckhouse and Laura E.

jharles G. Howell. Upon section 28, of Western Township, resides Mr. Charles G. Howell, one' of the representative agriculturists of Henry County, and a gentleman well and favorably known throughout the county. He was born in Monongalia Co., W. Va., Jan. 20, 1837. His father, Leven Howell, was the nth child : hence the name. He belonged to an old Virginia family of English ancestry, and grew to manhood in old Virginia, but came into the territory now known as West Virginia, where he was married to Anna King, a native of the same place where her husband was hoin. After their marriage they improved a farm in the dense unbroken forest of West Virginia, living in the woods in a log-cabin. The father was a minister of the Old-School Baptist Church formerly, but latei in life connected himself with the Missionary Baptist Church, in which de- ' nomination he preached until his death, which occurred in the same county in which he had settled so early in its history. His life was that of a worthy citizen and a zealous minister of the gospel. He demonstrated his interests in and his devotion to his religious sentiments most strikingly at one time. He was a mason by trade, and the congregation for which he labored had begun the erection of a church, but was compelled to abandon the work upon it for lack of means. With characteristic energy he set about the work himself, and laid the brick, put on the plaster and completed the edifice. The building stands to this day, and is used by the congregation of the faith he had so often zealously preached to. At the time of its completion it was valued at $5,000.

It is still in a fair state of preservation, and is a monument to the worthy builder, who received no assistance or remuneration for its erection. Another instance illustrating his devotion to his righteous faith is shown in the following incident: A little later on and in another neighborhood, he made the brick and erected a new church building, with but little money consideration outside of the help rendered by Mr. Ellis Holland, now of Osco Township, this county. To these two zealous and devoted workers, must be added the honored name of Mr. Reason Holland, the father of Ellis, now deceased.

Rev. Howell's pastorate extended over nearly half a century, during which time he labored as a faithful and devoted follower of his Master, and was especially adapted to the time and condition of society existing in the section of country where he labored. We find but few such noble, hard-working and selfsacrificing Christians to-day as he was.' He was born Nov. 21, 1799, and after a remarkably useful life, passed to his reward on the 9th of May, 1868. His wife, who was born on the 23d of August, 1797, died February, 1858.

Charles G. was the youngest of a family consisting of eight sons and one daughter, six of the former and the latter still survive. The daughter and four of the sons are yet living, in West Virginia. Our subject attended the district schools and worked on the homestead until he arrived at man's estate. About this time, his life was overshadowed by the death of his mother. On leaving home he followed the plastering business, which trade he had learned principally under the instructions of his father. He continued in this business in his native county for about ten years. During this time he was married near the place where he was born, Sept. 30, i860, the ceremony being performed at the residence of the bride's parents, the lady being Miss Sarah C, eldest daughter of Caple and Susanna (Smith) Holland. Her parents were natives of the Keystone State and of American parentage. Both came to West Virginia before their marriage, and after that event lived upon a farm in Monongalia County, where the father died, March 5, 1858. The mother is yet living with her youngest son, Lewis P. Holland, who lives on the old Holland homestead. Mrs. Howell was born in Monongalia County, Aug. 10, 1835. She is the mother of seven children, who have been named as follows : Rebecca J., Susan 0.,

Mr. Howell continued to reside in Monongalia County for some years after his marriage, and during the meantime added to his calling that of farming. It was while he was living in the State of Virginia, before that section where he resided was set off and called West Virginia, and while the State was under the reign of rebel sentiment, Mr. Howell bravely stepped forward to defend the stars and stripes. On the 14th of August, 1862, he enlisted in the 14th W. Va. Vol. Inf., Co. C, which joined the army of the Shenandoah Valley, under Gen. Hunter. He participated in no active engagement, but was with the regiment, being assigned to the Quartermaster's Department. He was honorably discharged at the close of the war, July 3, r86s, having served nearly three years.

In April, 1869, in order to secure a wider field in which to labor, he set out for the then far West, finding his way to Henry County, where, in Osco Township, he purchased 160 acres of well -improved land. Here he resided for 12 years, when he sold this farm and purchased another quarter-section of improved land, where he now resides and has an elegant home and a well developed farm. Mr. Howell has always had a deep interest in the schools of his township, and was a Director nearly all of the time he lived in Osco The family is connected with the Baptist Church, in which Mr. Howell is an active factor. He is a reliable and uncompromising Republican, and highly esteemed and well known throughout his section of the county.

^ilson A. Minniek, of the firm of Miles & Minnick, dealers in staple and fancy groceries, crockery, glassware, etc., at Ke- $ wanee, 111., is a native of Mercersburg, Pa., and a son of Peter W. and Mary A. (Geyer) Minnick, also natives of Pennsylvania and of German extraction.

Wilson A. was next oldest in a fanily of three sons and four daughters, and was born Feb. 2r, 1842. His elder brother, John W., was a volunteer soldier in the war for the Union, and was killed at the battle of Stone River. His father, a merchant tailor in his lifetime, died at Kewanee, in 1856, at the age of 40 years, and his mother (July, 1885) is about 67 years of age and resides in Kewanee. In 1856 the family came to Kewanee and Mr. Minnick soon afterward began his career as a grocer's clerk, a position he continued to fill for ir consecutive years. In 1867 the firm of which he is now a member was organized (see biography of Shadrach T. Miles), which hundreds of his friends patronized, and his establishment took rank as among the very foremost (if not indeed the lead) in their line in Kewanee.

At Kewanee, Dec. 24, 1868, lie was married to Miss Angelia E., the accomplished daughter of Asa Morrill, Esq., of North Danville, Vt. They have five children: Edwin M., Edith M., Guy F., Paul W. and Morrill. Both Mr. and Mrs. Minnick are consistent men.bers of the Congregational Church, of which society at Kewanee Mr. Minnick been Treasurer for more than a dozen years.

In the battle of life Mr. M. has depended wholly upon his own resources, the recipient of no gratuities, legacies or gifts ; and what he has enjoyed and has of this world's goods have been acquired by his individual effort and industry.

eorge Allen Vawter, dentist, at Cambridge, was born at Macomb, McDonough Co., 111., Jan. 4, 1858. He was educated in the public schools of Macomb, and completed a full course of study there, graduating ing in June, 1876. He attended school for nine years, and nine months in the year, and was never tardy, and, with the exception of one week's sickness, not absent a single day from school in all that time. In the succeeding winter after gruduating, he taught a term of school in the township of Bethel, in the same county. At the expiration of this engagement, in February, 1877, he commenced the study of dentistry in the office of Dr. H. H. Whissen, of Macomb. He continued under the preceptorship of Dr. Whissen until the spring of 1878, when the two formed a partnership, and Mr. Vawter passed most of his time in traveling to the adjacent towns, where he practiced his profession and worked in the interest of the Macomb office until the following winter. He then again became a teacher, taking

At the expiration of the term of school, which occurred in March, 1879, lie came to Cambridge and commenced the practice of dentistry. He was young, and the possessor of only about $roo, and had for competition a man of age and experience ; but by a strict attention to the details of his 'profession he soon established a prosperous business, and has at present one of the finest dental offices in this part of the State.

He has dealt to a considerable extent in Western lands, and also in property in Cambridge. From his profession, and by a careful investment of his earnings, he has succeeded in placing himself in comfortable circumstances.

Mr. Vawter was married to Nellie I. Gould, at Cambridge, Nov. 14, 1883. Mrs. Vawter was born at Piermont, Grafton Co., N. H., Oct. 15, i860, and is the daughter of L. Y. and O. P. Gould, of Cambridge. The family moved to Cambridge in the spring of 1868.

Dr. Vawter is the son of Allen T. Vawter and Florinda Elizabeth (Kellogg) Vawter. His father was born in Cumberland Co., Ky., Dec. 14, 1830, and came thence with his parents to McDonough County in the fall of 1833. Sept. rr, 1851, another removal was effected, when they moved to Macomb, where the parents still reside. In the paternal line Dr. Vawter is able to trace his ancestors for a period of 200 years. The first progenitors of the family in this country settled in Virginia, where Russell Vawter, his great-grandfather, was born. The latter lived all his life in his native county of Culpeper. His son, Beverly Vawter, was born in Culpeper Co., Va., Sept. 22, 1782. He passed the years of his minority there, and when he had attained his legal freedom he went to North Carolina. Jan. 13, 1807, he was married to Elizabeth Hutchins. In 1813 he removed his family to Kentucky, and from thence to McDonough Co., 111., in October, 1833. His death transpired April 21, 1845. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. Dr. Vawter's mother was born June 9, 1836. Her father was a native of the State of New York, and lost his life, in 1864, in the military service of the United States in the War of the Rebellion. The parents of Dr. Vawter were married March 14, 1854. They had seven children, of whom four are living.

eorge D. Elliott, manufacturer and dealer in harness and saddlery, Kewanee, 111., K was born at the United States Arsenal, Pittsburg, Pa., July 8, 1823. His parents, James, a Sergeant in the United States Army, and Mary (Mayhew) Elliott, natives of Durham, Eng., and Kennebec, Maine, respectively, were married at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and of the n children (nine sons and two daughters) born to them, the subject of this sketch was the eldest but two. James came to America in 18 18, and three years afterward entered the United States Army as a private soldier and served for a period of five years. He was an only child, and his father, who was a saddler to Lord Durham, gave him an academic education. The then Lord Durham was an extensive coal operator, and saddler Elliott, who had accumulated some money, invested it in the stocks of a rival mining company, which act so enraged his lordship that he withdrew his patronage from Elliott. The new coal company failed, and in 1826 the old gentleman followed his son to the United States. He located at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and died before the then current year.

After leaving the army, Sergeant Elliott returned to his trade of saddler at Mt. Pleasant, and there remained up to 1854, at which time he came to Kewanee. A part of the farm upon which he settled here is now known as Elliott's Addition, and the rest of it was laid out by the parties to whom tie sold it, and is now known as " Morse's Addition to Kewanee."

The old gentleman removed to Chicago in 1870; was there during the great fire, and returned to Kewanee, where he died in July of the following year, aged about 76 years. His wife had died at Kewanee in 1868, aged 72 years.

George D. Elliott learned the trade of his father and of his grandfather, and, with the exception of a few years devoted to teaching in the public schools, has devoted his time to it. He was educated at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and was about 22 years of age when he began teaching. At the outbreak of the Mexican War, he entered the service of the United States as an artisan, and left Pittsburg in October, 1846, in the Quartermaster's Department for Mexico, At the end of about six months he returned to Pittsburg, where he was employed in the Government Arsenal until the close of the war, when he made his way back to Ml. Pleasant. In 1854 he made a trip of discovery in the West, and the following year brought his family to Kewanee. Three of his brothers were in the Union Army during the Rebellion, and one of them lost his life at the battle of Mission Ridge. Since coming to Kewanee, Mr. Elliott has held various offices, and at this writing (August, 1885) is serving his tenth year as a member of the School Board.

In politics he is a Republican, coming from the old Whig party; in religious views he is liberal, though identified more or less prominently with the Episcopal Church. He is a member of Kewanee Lodge, No. 159, F. & A. M., and holds the office of Scribe in Kewanee Chapter, No. 47.

At Cadiz, Ohio, April 4, 1849, he was married to Miss Adaline McCormick, a native of that town, and daughter of the Hon. Samuel McCormick, now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have had born to them eight children as follows : Frank, now in business with his father; Kate, in the millinery business at Kewanee; Eric, dealer in carriage goods at Peoria, III.; Maude (Mrs. A. M. Hewlett, Kewanee) ; Ward B., carriage trimmer, Kewanee ; Harry and Addie, at home; and Dick S., agent of the American Express Company, at Pacific Junction, Iowa.

i,yrus Houghton Brooks, a wealthy farmer residing in Galva, was born Sept. 17, 1828, in Chester, Vt., his ancestry being of English origin. Three brothers, Solomon, David and Daniel, came from the Old to the New World together. Solomon, who settled in Chester, Vt., was the father of Nathan Brooks, and his son, Solomon Brooks, Jr., was born June 13, 1769, and married Amelia Fisher, who was born Oct. r6, 1773. His oldest brother, David Brooks, was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. Mr. Solomon Brooks had five children : Cyrus, George, Mary, Martha and Elvira, the latter of whom is deceased. Their parents moved to Brimfield, Peoria Co., 111., where they died. Mrs. B.'s father, Asa Fisher, was a son of Benjamin Fisher, and married

George Brooks, son of Solomon, was born Dec. 2, 1802, in Chester, Windsor Co., Vt., and he is yet living, in Galva. He first came to Olney, Richland Co., 111., arriving there Oct. 1, 1841, and after a residence there of three years, in September, 1844, he removed to Brimfield, above mentioned, and in February, 1864, he came to Galva. He was married Nov. 8, 1824, to Clina Houghton, who was born Aug. 3, 1806, in Windsor, Vt., and she died July 24, 1877, - a woman eminent for her piety. Her father, Darius Houghton, was born Nov. 3, 1780, and her mother, Almira, was born July 7, 1783, and died in September, 1876, at the age of 93 years. Mrs. Clina Brooks was the mother of eight children, namely : Cyrus H. (our subject), Elzina, Orin D., Darius H., Mary, Henry (deceased), Amelia and Luther, - all the living of whom are married and have children. It is worthy of remark that only one of this family of eight children are deceased, and also of Solomon Brooks' family of five children only one is deceased. Mr. George Brooks was married the second time, July 25,1879, to Mrs. Permelia Bradford, who was born Nov. 2, 181 1.

Mr. Cyrus H. Brooks, whose name heads this notice, had no school advantages in early life. He was was reared on a farm, and has been a steady, hardlaboring man all his life. Coming to this State with his father, he remained with him until he was 26 years old. He bought for his father the first home farm, consisting of 80 acres of land. He has done well by his parents, and has subsequently been greatly blessed in the accumulation of this world's goods. In March, 1858, he came to Knox County and purchased 80 acres of land on section 1, in Walnut Grove Township, near Galva. After farming there for 20 years, in the spring of 1878, he removed into Galva, where he now resides. At present he is the owner of 883 acres in this State, Iowa and Kansas, viz. : 403 acres in Illinois, 320 in Iowa, and 160 in Kansas.

Mr. Brooks has been married twice. His first wife, Louisa Reed, is now deceased. His present wife, Amelia J. (Miles) Houghton, was born Feb. 19, 1857, in New York city, and is the daughter of Freeman Miles. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks are five in number, and are named Le Roy L., Elsey, (deceased), Emma, Eleura and Rosa. The parents and all the children are members of the Congrega-

Mr. Brooks came to this section of Illinois when a young man. The country was then new and uncultivated, and he went to work with a will and energy characteristic of the man, and did a great deal toward transforming the wild prairie of the Military Tract into one of the most fertile spots on the globe. His memory as one of the industrious pioneers is worthy of perpetuation, and as a means of doing this, as well as to place him among the best men of the county, we insert his portrait in this volume in connection with this sketch.

'ared C. Kinsey, grocer at Cambridge, came j|p to Henry Co., 111., from Coshocton Co.,, Ohio, in March, 1863. His family is from Bucks Co., Pa., which is as far back as he has any knowledge. Ulysses Kinsey, grandfather of Jared C , moved from Bucks County to Coshocton Co., Ohio, about the year 1820. Uriah Kinsey, son of Ulysses and father of Jared C, established a woolen mill on Paddy's Fork of Tomica shortly after moving to Ohio, the motive power of which was a tread-wheel propelled by oxen.

He was married Aug. 17, 1824, to Margaret Chalfant, daughter of Mordecai and Mary Chalfant, the latter being a sister of Jacob Strawn, for years the famous Illinois cattle king. By this union seven children were born, - four sons and three daughters. Three of the children died in their infancy. Phcebe died at the age of 32, unmarried. Lydia was married twice. Her first husband was Win. Smith, by whom she had two children, named Phebe Francis and George F. Her second husband was Isaac Camp, by whom she had one child, Andrew D. She died Dec. 27, 1 86 1, aged 33 years. Jacob S. Kinsey studied medicine under Dr. Benj. F. Lemert, of Dresden, Ohio; graduated at the Ohio Medical College in 1859-60; entered the volunteer service as Surgeon of the gun-boat " Cincinnati;" was in the first engagement at Fort Donelson; resigned on account of sickness in 1862; came to Cambridge and commenced the practice of medicine, in March, 1863. He so continued filling a prominent place in the medical fraternity till the time of his death, which occurred May 3, T874, when he was 37 years of age.

The subject of this sketch, Jared C. Kinsey, was born July 12, 1834; was educated after leaving the district school at West Bedford Academy, in Coshocton Co., Ohio. He read law with Judge Simmons, of Coshocton, and was admitted to the Bar in June, 1859; removed with the family to Henry Co., 111., in March, 1863. The war demoralizing the values of almost everything, he tried his hand at farming for three years, two and one-half miles west of Cambridge. In December, 1866, he opened up a drug and book store in Cambridge, which he continued till July 17, 1882, when he disposed of his stock and entered upon a new field of labor, that of selling goods on the road for a Chicago firm. Tiring of this, he opened a grocery store in January, 1885, in which he is now prosperously engaged.

Oct. 2, 1855, he was married to Miss Catherine E. Kesler, of West Carlisle, Ohio, by whom he has had six children, named respectively : Addie H., Osman Leigh, Alice May, Florence, Carroll B. and Effie. His wife, Catherine E., having died in January, 1869, he married Miss Sarah A. Hawley, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Oct. 18, 1869, by whom he has had five children, viz. : Infant, dead-bom ; Kate, Earl S., Emma, Louise and Edith Clare, all of whom, by both wives, are living at this writing (1885) except the infant above noted.

Mr. Kinsey has been a believer in the Jeffersonian school of politics, - that all powers not expressly delegated to the general Government are reserved to the States.

22, 1819, in Butler Co., Ohio. John Busenbark, his grandfather, was of German de- 2|j scent and belonged to a family that originally settled and lived many years in the State of New Jersey. The grandsire went to Butler Co., Ohio, where he died. He married Jane Naylor, and they reared four sons and three daughters, born in the following order: Elizabeth, Robert, James, Reading, William, Sarah and Ellen. Robert,, the eldest son, was born March 6, 1793, in New Jersey, and died Dec. n, 1872, in Ohio, whither he removed in 1811. He became a farmer in the Buckeye State, where he was marriedto Margaret Stout. She was a native of

New York city, born Feb. 25, 1799, and died in Ohio, March, 1877. Her children were named Elizabeth, David N., Reading, Robert, Loyal F., Mary E., John, James and Margaret.

D. N. Busenbark was a resident of his native State through his boyhood, youth and manhood until i860, and was thoroughly trained in the business of a farmer. In the year named he came to Henry County and bought 160 acres of land in Munson Township, which is still in his possession, and he is also the owner of 80 acres in Osco Township. He was a resident on his estate in the former township until his removal, in January, 1884, to Cambridge. The land on which he settled on coming to Henry County, was in a wholly wild condition, and it will now rank in agricultural advancement with the general condition of farms in the county. In political affiliation, Mr. Busenbark is a Republican.

He was married May 7, 1846, in Butler Co., Ohio, to Mary A. Smith. She was born in that county July 9, 1822, and is the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Jacobi) Smith. Her parents were native of Pennsylvania. The births of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Busenbark occurred in the following order : George S., Oct. 8, 1848; John, May 31, 1851; Robert, July 25, 1853; Katie, July 7, 1856; Emma M., Nov. 5, 1859; Mary M., April 6, 1867. The latter is the only child who was born after the removal of the family to Henry County. Katie, the oldest daughter, is now Mrs. E. Ayres. Mrs. Busenbark is a member of the Christian Church.

eorge W. Cataow, agent of the American Express Company at Kewanee, was born at Akron, Ohio, Aug. 24, 1830. His parents, George and Nancy (Hogue) Cahow, natives respectively of the State of Marylandand Dublin Harbor, were married in Ohio, where their two sons were born. The senior Mr. Cahow, who was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1858, lived at the village of Cambridge the rest of his life, dying in 1863, at the age of 70 years. His wife died in Ohio, in 1841, at the age of 33 years.

George W., the subject of our sketch, after a few months' attendance at the public schools of his native State, found it impracticable in his circumstances to devote the time necessary to the acquirement of an education ; so he was compelled to begin life for himself with but a scant knowledge of books. At this writing, however, one has but to meet him to know that he has not let the weeds grow in his mind. He has read, he has studied, he has worked and he has accomplished much. At the age of 18, he learned the potter's trade at Middleburg, Ohio, and followed it afterward a few years.

In 1855 he landed in Tiskilwa, Bureau Co., 111., and in 1858 he came to Cambridge, this county, where he farmed about four years, moving thence to Kewanee, where he engaged in the grocery business up to 1866. In December of the last named year he was appointed agent by the American Express Company, a position he has since filled, with much credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his employers. Mr. Cahow belongs to the Orders of Masons and Odd Fellows; is not an office-seeker nor an offensive partisan, though a substantial Democrat. Since coming here, he has served the people three or four terms as Town Trustee, which constitutes the sum of his office-holding.

He was married at New Portage, Ohio, in August, 1854, to Miss Mary Smith, a native of that town, and their only child, Anna, is an accomplished young lady teacher in the Kewanee public schools.

Augustus Little, one of Henry County's prominent and well-to-do farmers, resides on section 9, Wethersfield Township. He f \%\ was k°rn U1 Hollis, N. H., Sept. 16, 1825, and is the son of Abner B. and Nancy (Tenney) Little, both natives of New Hampshire. They came to Henry County in the spring of 1837, and settled in Wethersfield Township, where they both died, she (Mrs. Little) July 6, 1847, and the father in September, 1863, aged 90 years. Their family comprised 13 children, as follows: Mary B., Catherine M., Elizabeth B., William T., Caleb J., Henry G., Ruth C , Laura A., Caroline W., Augustus and Sarah F., and two who are deceased, - Samuel A. and one an infant.

R. Augustus, our subject, was but n years of age when he came to Henry County with his parent-;. His education was received principally in the district schools of this county, remaining at home with his parents nearly the entire time. He occupies their old homestead, and is the owner of 21; J^ acres of some of the most valuable land in Wethersfield Township, most of which is tillable.