Henry County, Illinois - The whole text, 1910 (part 32 of 32)

Dr. Bailey and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, the latter being very active in the work of both the church and Sunday school. Fraternally he belongs to Valley Lodge, No. 547, A. F. & A. M., at Coal Valley, and also to the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he supports both parties, doing all in his power to further the best interests of the community but has never desired nor held public office himself. He has not, however, been remiss in his duties of citizenship, but on the other hand has been actively and helpfully interested in community affairs, always keeping thoroughly posted in all matters of public moment. He is very strong in his advocacy of all measures which are calculated to conserve and promote the public welfare and his influence at all times is on the side of progress, advancement and reform. Early trained to habits of industry and diligence, those qualities have been manifest throughout his entire business career and have been salient elements in the gratifying measure of success which he today enjoys. He also inherited from his parents their high ideals of life and his record has ever been in harmony wi!h those things which go to make up honorable and upright manhood, so that he ranks foremost among Orion's representative and valued citizens.

Irving J. Turnbull

Irving J. Turnbull, the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 17, Wethersfield township, devotes his energies to that line of activity which George Washington designated as "the most useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man." He is numbered among the worthy native sons of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Stark county on the 14th of December, 1878. His paternal grandparents, Robert and Margaret (Graham) Turn- bull, who were natives of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, crossed the Atlantic to the United States and took up their abode among the earliest settlers of Elmira, Stark county. John G. Turnbull, the father of our subject, was but eight years of age when he came to this state with his parents and here he continued to reside until called to his final rest in 1894. The demise of his wife occurred at Kewanee in June, 1903.

Irving J. Turnbull supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the district schools of Stark county, by a course of study in the Kewanee high school and later spent a year in the Iowa City Commercial College. He then returned to the home farm in Stark county and there remained until sixteen years of age, when he lost his father and removed to Kewanee with his widowed mother. In the spring of 1900 he took up his abode on the farm left him by his father - a tract of land comprising one hundred and sixty acres situated four miles southwest of Kewanee. Here he has since carried on his agricultural interests with excellent success, the land being some of the best to be found in Wethersfield township. It is all very level and under a high state of cultivation and improvement. With the exception of the house and one shed, he has erected all of the buildings which now stand upon the place and has built a new windmill and water system that furnishes all the bams and even the house with a constant supply of water. He has the assistance of but one hired man in the active work of the fields and in the conduct of his farming interests has won a measure of prosperity that entitles him to recognition among the successful and representative citizens of the community.

On the 22d of June, 1899, in Elmira, Stark county, Mr. Turnbull was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle McLeod, a daughter of Kenneth McLeod, an early settler of that county. They now have three children, namely : Helen C, seven years old, who is now attending school ; and Ivan K. and Linus C, who are five and three years of age respectively.

At the polls Mr. Turnbull casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the republican party, believing that its principles are most conducive to good government. He has capably served in the capacity of school director for one term. He and his wife are a highly esteemed young couple of the community in which they reside, having ever displayed those sterling traits of character which in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard.

John Samuelson

Not only has the life of John Samuelson been productive of such good fortune for himself that warranted his relinquishing his heavier cares, but his record is one which in more ways than one is an inspiration to those younger men about him to exert themselves to nobler manhood, for although he was of Swedish birth, he did not hesitate to oflfer himself in support of the country of his adoption, when there was need of his loyalty to it. He is now living on Orchard street, Orion, but for a number of years he cultivated three (hundred and twenty acres of land on section 25, Western township, which is still in his possession and is operated by his son. He was born November 25, 1835, and was about fifteen when, in 185 1, his parents, Samuel and Anna (Nelson) Johnson, brought their family to America. They stayed about six months in the city of Buffalo, New York, whence they traveled by boat to Chicago, traversing the distance from there to Henry county with horse and wagon. Here the father entered eighty acres of government land, on which he made his home until his death.

In his native land John Samuelson received a very limited education, and when he came to the United States he had no knowledge of or acquaintance with our language. Nor were there any schools here then, so that he was compelled to make his way as best he could. That he surmounted all obstacles valiantly none can deny. At the age of twenty-one years, when he began to assume responsibilities, he secured an interest in a threshing outfit which he operated throughout the township with a success that promised well for subsequent years.

His agricultural pursuits, however, were interrupted by the inauguration of the Civil war, in which he determined to participate. Accordingly, in August, 1 86 1, he enlisted in Company C, Forty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was sent first to St. Louis, from there through Missouri, and after returning to St. Louis was sent south. At the battle at Pittsburg Landing his regiment lost heavily, although he came from the fray unwounded. That was his good fortune throughout the course of the war, for although in a number of hotly contested engagements, like Shiloh, the siege of Corinth and Salem Cemetery, he was never wounded, was never in a hospital and never fell into the hands of the enemy. In the battles of Somerville, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Little Rock, Prairie Den and Jenkins Ferry, he also proved his valor, winning promotion to the rank of corporal and later to that of sergeant. After more than three years of service, he was honorably discharged and returned to his home in Henry county, where he immediately took up the occupation to which he had devoted himself before the war. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Western township, for which he paid fifteen dollars an acre, and later bought a farm of like area for which he paid more than four times as much, buying it at the rate of sixty-five dollars an acre. This large tract, which he still owns, has greatly improved through the course of years, for his ideas of progress and his good management, which has been guided by keen foresight, have played quite as conspicuous a part in his success as has the industry which has been one of his conspicuous characteristics. For about thirty years it was his home, until 1897, when he removed to the village of Orion, where he has since resided in the enjoyment of a generous income and in the memory of a life well spent in earnest endeavor.

In Andover, in June, 1867, Mr. Samuelson wedded Miss Mary Lawrence, a native of Sweden, who came to this country when she was about eighteen years of age. Her parents Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Lawrence, never left their native land, in which the last years of their lives were passed. All of the family of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuelson are living. John, who has remained a bachelor, took a course of study in Augustana College and later in Davenport. Arthur, who has also stayed single, attended the Geneseo Collegiate Institute, later the business college in Davenport and is now in the state of Washington.

William was a pupil in the common schools, later continuing his education at Abigdon, Illinois, and is now a farmer at Ponca, Oklahoma. He married Miss Delia Johnson and they have four children. A sketch of Guy follows this. Mabel attended the high school at Orion. Esther, the youngest, was graduated from that instittuion with the class of 1907. The two daughters have also had a musical education, for Mr. Samuelson, having experienced the hardships attendant upon little schooling, has made every endeavor to give his children the advantages of a thorough preparation for life which he did not enjoy. Mrs. Samuelson died March 17, 1904.

When he was admitted to citizenship in this republic Mr. Samuelson decided to look to the republican party for guidance in political matters and cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in i860. Since that time his allegiance to the party which supported the Union has been unswerving, and it was upon its ticket that he was elected to the positions of school director and trustee and highway commissioner, in which capacities he served efficiently through a long period of years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in harmony with whose teachings he has lived. When Trego Post, G. A. R., was organized he joined it as a charter member, and in the course of years has attended the reunions of his fellow soldiers and the national reunion at Milwaukee.

Guy Ernest Samuelson

Among the enterprising young farmers of Western township is Guy Ernest Samuelson, the third son of John Samuelson, who operates his father's large tract of land. Born in the house in which he now lives, September 11, 1882, almost his whole life has been passed in agricultural pursuits upon the half section of land which is now the scene of his labors. As a boy he was early initiated by his father into the secrets of farming, while he attended the common schools of his locality, to obtain a good practical education. At the expiration of his school days he engaged in clerking in a store in Orion, an occupation he followed for two years, and then worked upon a farm during the summer months and teamed in the village during the winter. Shortly after his father retired from active life, he and his two older brothers undertook the management of the home place, and about 1902 he bought the intere"sts of the others and has since conducted it alone. While a large part of his land is devoted to general farming, he has made a specialty of stock raising and feeding. He breeds pure blooded Clydesdale horses and pastures a large number of cattle which he ships to the market annually. These interests have brought him an income commensurate with that obtained from his agriculture, so that he is rapidly advancing along the road of success which was traversed in such a remarkable manner by his father. Indeed it is by some of the same strong traits of character observable in the older man, which has won him his good fortune and also the good will and respect of his fellowmen.

After he had proved to himself that he was able to achieve a fair name and fortune for himself, Mr. Samuelson wedded, in Rock Island, January 25, 1905,

Miss Signa Carlson, of Cambridge. Of Swedish birth, she came to America at the age of seventeen, leaving her parents, John and Christina (Johnson) Carlson, at Nassgo, Sweden, where they are still living. Having been bred to belief in the principles of the republican party from his youth, he has given to it his allegiance, but he has sought no office within the gift of the people. He and his wife are consistent members of the Swedish Lutheran church, while fraternally he has allied himself with the Mystic Workers and with the Modem Woodmen of America. He is a charter member of a camp of the latter society, and with Mrs. Samuelson belongs to the Royal Neighbors. A young man who has just begun upon his life's career, he may well look forward to many years of prosperity and advancement in his chosen vocation.

Frank W. Plummer

Frank W. Plummer, who is successfully engaged in business as a florist of Kewanee, is a member of the firm of Hamilton & Plummer, conducting an extensive enterprise of this character. He was born in Bureau county, Illinois, on the 20th of August, 1864. His father, Benjamin Plummer. whose birth occurred in Kentucky on the 5th of July, 1818, went to Indiana with his parents when a boy, was married in that state and there most of his children were born. Removing to Bureau county, Illinois, he there followed farming for a number of years but in 1865 disposed of his property, intending to establish his home in the west. He drove as far as Kewanee, Henry county, and stopped here for the winter. One of his sons, who was at that time serving in the Civil war, was taken sick and returned home to Kewanee, where his demise occurred. Mr. Plummer decided to remain in this county and devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits in Kewanee and Wethersfield townships until the time of his retirement from active life in 1881. He passed away in Princeton, Illinois, in 1892 and was buried in Kewanee. In early manhood he had wedded Miss Elvira Evans, a native of North Carolina, whose father was a large slaveholder prior to the war of the Rebellion. Her demise occurred in 1892 in Princeton, Illinois, and her remains were also interred in Kewanee.

Frank W. Plummer, who was but a year old when brought to this county by his parents, obtained his education in the public schools of Wethersfield and Kewanee. He remained on his father's farm until fifteen years of age and then became identified with his present line of business, securing employment with E. M. Vail, a well known florist and nurseryman of Kewanee. At the end of about six years he went to Minneapolis and there worked as a florist for two years, on the expiration of which period he returned to Kewanee and took charge of the Lake Park Greenhouse. After being thus engaged for four years he became associated with Watson L. and Leroy F. Hamilton in the conduct of a greenhouse on a small scale, catering to the retail trade. This relation was maintained until 1906, in which year Watson L. Hamilton passed away and Leroy F. Hamilton sold his interest in the business to his brother, Qaude M. Hamilton, who had been admitted to the firm on the ist of January, 1900. The business has continually grown until the firm of Hamilton & Plummer now conducts a large floral establishment, wholesale and retail, supplying not only the local trade but also making sales throughout the surrounding country for a considerable radius.

On the loth of April, 1886, in Kewanee, Mr. Plummer was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Avery, a daughter of M. J. and Elizabeth Avery, natives of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Plummer are now the parents of four sons, namely: Edward S., a young man of twenty-three years, who is employed by his father; Frank W., a twin brother of Edward, who also works for his father; Clifford B., who is nineteen years of age and resides at home; and Clarence L., a lad of eleven years, who is attending school.

In his political views Mr. Plummer is a stanch republican, while fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America at Kewanee and also the Red Men. He is a man of good business ability, of exemplary habits and upright character, is worthy the trust of his fellowmen and fully merits the good will which is uniformly extended him.

John Stephen Collins

The late John Stephen Collins, who for many years was one of the substantial farmers of Geneseo township, was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1832, being a son of Stephen and Margaret (Fennel) Collins, also natives of Ireland. The mother died when John S. Collins was but a child, and of her four children but one now survives, Stephen Collins, of Southbury, Connecticut. When about sixteen years old, John S. Collins came to America, having previously secured a common-school education. This was in 1851 and he began working in Southburg, Connecticut, remaining there until his marriage, when he came as far west as Indiana, then newly settled. There he obtained employment by the month but not being satisfied he pushed still further westward and located in Geneseo, where he worked on the railroad for some time. Later he teamed until he began farming, which was his occupation until death claimed him.

The homestead still owned by his widow is a valuable one hundred and sixty acre farm two and one-half miles from the city. He improved this land, building fine bams and a substantial house and he left the property in a model condition. Politically he was a democrat and held a number of township offices, although he preferred to attend to his own affairs. He was a member of the Roman Catholic church and died firm in its faith October 26, 1906, his remains being interred in Oakwood cemetery in Geneseo.

Mr. Collins married Miss Catherine Holhen at Southbury, Connecticut, but she died after the birth of their third child in 1858 or 1859. The children were as follows: Stephen A., a farmer of Buffalo, Iowa, who has a coal mine on his property, is married and has four sons: Thomas, a Dakota Farmer; Francis and John, both Iowa farmers, and William, who is sixteen and at home. Mary Agnes, the wife of James A. Thomas, a railroad man living in Chicago, and they have one daughter, Catherine, aged four years. Catherine, the third child of John S. ColHns, is the wife of H. S. Wood, of Oskaloosa, Iowa, a blacksmith and repairer, and they have two children: Jerome A.; Edith M., the wife of Dr. Garland of Oskaloosa; and Irene, at home. The father gave to his sons the farm property they now own.

Mr. Collins was again married August 15, 1859, to Catherine Maher, who was born December 25, 1842, in Limerick, Ireland, a daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Lonney) Maher, natives of the same place, where the father farmed, and both spent their lives there. They had one son and three daughters, oi whom Mrs. Collins is the only survivor. Mr. and Mrs. ColHns became the parents of twelve children, seven of whom are living: J. Collins, born August 31, i860, is deceased and his remains are buried in Geneseo; Ella, born February 6, 1862, died and is also buried in Geneseo; Andrew, born July 8, 1863, is deceased; Thomas, born August 13, 1864, passed away at the age of eighteen, January 27, 1882, and lies with the others in Geneseo; Anna, born December 13, 1867, lives with her mother; Dennis L., born June 8, 1869, was married in 1901 to Catherine Prey, and they live in Munson township and have three children, Catherine, Margaret L. and John; Helen V., born September 27, 1871, was married April 28, 1897, to Joseph Rink, of Phenix township, and they had seven children, Leo, deceased, Ruth, Anna, Joseph, Helen, Lucy and Mary; John P., born January 13, 1874, married Emma Becker and they live in Atkinson township on a farm; Lucy Edith, born December 10, 1876, married John Murphy, a farmer of Kilkenny, Minnesota, and they have one child, Catherine C. ; Francis E. L., born June 12, 1878, lives with his mother and conducts her farm, a very pleasant, agreeable young man; James Vincent, born March 23, 1880, died April 16, 1905, and is buried with the other children; Joseph Sylvestor, born March 28, 1882, married Mary Fenley, January 27, 1908, and they live in Caledonia, Minnesota. The last named is a practicing physician, a graduate from the medical college of Iowa City in 1905 and is now in charge of the Caledonia hospital. He had been practicing at Atkinson for three years before going to Minnesota, In 1907 Dr. Collins built the office, residence and operating room on Main street, all of which are thoroughly modem. The family is very proud of his success, especially his mother.

The late John S. Collins was a self-made man in the best sense of the word. He had little or nothing when he began life, but by hard labor, economical habits and the assistance of his wife he was able to accummulate a comfortable property and leave his family well provided for at his death.

Mrs. Collins and her daughter are members of St. Malachi's church of Geneseo, of which Mr. Collins was one of the builders and supporters. The new church was finished in 1908 and Mrs. and Miss Collins presented the altar and a large stained glass window as a memorial of John S. Collins. Frank Collins subscribed five hundred dollars towards the building fund. Dr. Collins was on the building committee of the new Catholic school, known as St. Anthony's, which was completed in 1908, so that the family have been very prominent in church affairs in Henry county. The unmarried daughter and son are nobly devoting themselves to making their beloved mother's declining years happy and keeping her from grieving too much over the loss of her husband to whom she

John S. Collins was one of the sturdy, hardy, honest men of Henry county. He was upright in all his dealings ; kind-hearted, liberal and generous in forgiving the faults of others, so that when he died the whole community joined the family in mourning his loss.

Edward James Ray

Edward James Ray, who for the past seven years has capably discharged the duties devolving upon him in the capacity of township supervisor, is an enterprising and progressive farmer and stock raiser of Wethersfield township. He is a native of the state of New York, his birth having occurred in Madrid, St. Lawrence county, on the 27th of August, 1854. His father, Orion L. Ray, who was born in Vermont, removed to Battle Creek, Michigan, about 1857 and there practiced law and taught school. For some years he likewise served as county judge of Barry county and his demise there occurred about 1891, when he had attained the age of sixty-five years. In early manhood he had wedded Miss Harriett D. Shaw, who was a native of St. Lawrence county. New York, and a daughter of Colonel Enis Shaw. She came of Vermont parentage and was a descendent in the fourth generation of Daniel Putnam, a brother of Israel Putnam. She passed away in Michigan in January, 1859, at the comparative early age of twenty-nine years.

Edward James Ray obtained his education in the public schools of his native county artd also of Henry county, Illinois, for he was a lad of thirteen when he came here to make his home with an aunt. When eighteen years of age he had completed the prescribed course of study in the Wethersfield high school, at that time known as the Academy, and then turned his attention to the profession of teaching, following that calling during the fall and winter months for about twenty years. In the summer seasons he worked as a farm hand and after having been thus employed for five years he purchased a tract of eighty acres on section 10, Wethersfield township, which remained his home until 1894 and which he still cultivates. He has always operated more or less rented land in connection with his own property and for the past fifteen years has farmed two hundred^ and forty-five acres, residing on what is known as the M. B. Potter place on sections 9 and 10 Wethersfield township. In addition to cultivating the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he likewise raises considerable stock and breeds many good horses, breeding a number of thoroughbred Percherons some years ago. He is also interested in Wethersfield real estate to some extent and is widely recognized as one of the substantial, respected and representative citizens of the community.

On the 20th of March, 1878, at Wethersfield, Mr. Ray was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia M. Kellogg, a daughter of Albert B. and Harriett E. Kellogg, of that place. Mr. and Mrs. Ray are the parents of four children, namely : Henry K., who is thirty years of age and follows farming in Wethersfield town- ship; Enis S., a young man of twenty-seven, who is likewise an agriculturist of Wethersfield township; William E., who is twenty-three years old and still resides at home; and Esther M,, a young lady of nineteen, who attends the Wheaton school.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Ray has supported the men and measures of the republican party and for a number of years past has been an active worker in its local ranks. He acted as town clerk for some years prior to his election to the office of supervisor of Wethersfield township, which position he has held for the past seven years. He is now serving his fourth two years' term and that he has been an able and faithful incumbent in the office is proven by the fact that at the -last election he was chosen without opposition. For fifteen consecutive years he has been a member of the Wethersfield board of education and his aid and cooperation can always be counted upon to further any movement or measure instituted to promote the public welfare. He was largely instrumental in securing the commons for the Wethersfield high school. In January, 1908, he was made chairman of a special committee which was appointed to make settlement with the county and ex-county officials who had been found short in their accounts by John Finley, accountant. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Kewanee Congregational church, in which he is serving as deacon and of which he acted as a trustee for five years. The period of his residence in this county now covers more than four decades and he is widely and favorably known within its borders.

Eugenio K. Hayes

The name of Eugenio K. Hayes is inseparably interwoven with the industrial history of Galva and he was widely known as one of the foremost inventors of agricultural machinery. His abihty placed him on a plane far above the majority of his fellows and yet in all of those qualities which make for pleasant social ties he was richly endowed and, therefore, enjoyed the warm friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he came in contact. Moreover he held to high ideals of life, believing in and supporting all those measures which work for the betterment of mankind at large.

A native of Stark county, Illinois, he was born May 21, 1848, and was the son of Harry and Harriet Hayes, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. The progenitor of the Hayes family in this country was Nathaniel Hayes, who was one of the founders and one of the original grantors of Norwalk, Connecticut. He came from England or Ireland but was of Scotch lineage. Harry Hayes, the father of our subject, was bom at Galway, New York, and became one of the pioneer residents of Stark county, Illinois, operating a woolen mill at La Fayette. He was always known by the title of Colonel Hayes and was one of the representative men of the community, prominent, active and influential in public affairs. On the 29th of January, 1829, he wedded Harriet Wright and they became parents of four children : Julia A., Mary E., Marga-

Eugenio K. Hayes was indebted to the pubHc-school system of Stark and Henry counties for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. He was a man of receptive mind and retentive memory and from the experiences of life learned many valuable lessons which were factors in his later success. In his youthful days he resided upon a farm near Saxon and, taking up agricultural pursuits when he attained his majority, he afterward purchased a farm near Kewanee, where he made his home for six years. In 1881 he removed to Kewanee and there entered into partnership with H. A. Perkins in the manufacture of shoveling boards. The firm mantained a brief existence and then Mr. Hayes purchased his partner's interest, remaining in the business alone in Kewanee until 1886 when he removed to Galva. He was one of the foremost inventors of agricultural machinery in the country for his practical experience on the farm had taught him the needs of that life and his inventive genius enabled him to meet these needs. He gave his attention almost wholly to the improvement of corn-raising machinery and took out over sixty patents, securing the first, a patent on a stock cutter, when he was twenty-two years of age. His most noted invention is the corn planter which bears his name. As the years went by he continued experiment and invention until he gave to the world many valuable devices. There was such a demand for his planters and pumps and the other products of his factory that in 1891 he organized a stock company which was capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars, a sum that was afterward increased to two hundred thousand dollars. With this increase of capital the facilities for manufacturing were enlarged until the plant of the Hayes Pump & Planter Company became one of the leading institutions of the kind in the country. The business is still conducted and is a monument to his memory as well as to the enterprise of the men who are now at its head. His work was of signal usefulness and value to the world at large and especially to the agricultural classes and he well merited the success which crowned his efiforts. Not only did he possess inventive ingenuity but had the qualities of successful business management which are too rarely found in the inventor. He carefully formulated his plans, was determined in their execution and as the years passed enjoyed the rewards of earnest and persistent labor and sound and discriminating judgment.

On the 19th of January, 1871, Mr. Hayes was joined in wedlock to Miss Matilda J. Back and unto them were born five sons: Ralph W. E., of Galva; A. LesHe, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Forrest S., Fred D. and Percy E., all of Galva. Mr. Hayes was devoted to the welfare of his family and was ever a stalwart champion of projects and movements for the benefit and betterment of the community. His life was actuated by high and honorable motives that found their rise in his Christian faith and belief. When about twenty years of age he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he remained a loyal adherent until called to his final rest. In the various branches of the church work he took deep and helpful interest and contributed generously of his means to its support. He was for several years a member of the official board and for nine years was superintendent of the Sunday school. He be- lieved firmly in the early religious instruction of the young, recognized the wisdom of the Psalmist's utterance, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Mr. Hayes believed, too, in temperance and in all those agencies which work for upright, honorable manhood. He not only followed the strict temperance principles himself but endeavored to secure their adoption in the support which he gave to the prohibition party which he represented as a candidate for congress and for state treasurer. He took a very active part in the local campaigns against the saloon when the question of their license was before the public. He was a member of Camp No. 241, M. W. A., but was not particularly active in fraternal organizations, preferring to give his attention outside of business hours to his home, finding his greatest happiness at his own fireside in the midst of his family.

In the later years of his life he retired somewhat from the active management of the Hayes Pump & Planter Company, resigning from the presidency which he had filled for several years but accepting the office of vice president. He passed away July 25, 1903, and in his death Galva lost one of her most prominent and successful men who, however, never made his manufacturing interests the paramount issue of his life. He always had time for those higher, holier duties and fully recognized his obligations to his fellowmen. As an employer he was just; as a friend, kindly and considerate; and as a Christian, thoroughly loyal to the church in which he held his membership.

John Willis Morgan

John Willis Morgan, third son of John Norris and Mary (McKinney) Morgan, was born in Galva township, this county, December 6, 1877. The district school, the Galva high school, Knox College and Brown's Business College contributed to his education. He graduated from the high school in 1896, and entered Knox College the following September. At the end of his sophomore year, he decided to undertake the management of his father's land, and with this end in view, he registered in Brown's Business College at Galesburg for a course in practical business training.

On the 26th of December, 1899, he was married to Miss Ellen Frances Goold, daughter of Henry L. and Florence F. (Hurd) Goold. Both Mr. and Mrs. Goold were natives of Illinois and early settlers in Henry county. Henry L. Goold, born December 26, 1850, was the son of Sylvester and Helen (Macklin) Goold. Sylvester Goold, paternal grandfather of Mrs. John Willis Morgan, came to Illinois from Maryland, where he was bom June 6, 1828. His wife, Helen Macklin, came with her parents to Illinois from Delaware, where she was born January 11, 1827. She and Sylvester Goold were married in Neponset, Illinois. Their children were as follows : Henry L., father of Mrs. John Willis Morgan, now a resident of California; Mary, wife of C. S. Wentworth, deceased, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fred, deceased; Frank, of California; and William, deceased.

Mrs. Morgan's maternal grandfather, Theodore FrehHnghuysen Kurd, was born in Sparta, New Jersey, July 22, 1814. He died in Galva, Illinois, January 2, 1898. He came as a young man to Lafayette, Stark county, Illinois, where he bought land and opened a store. He was married October 11, 1840, to Catharine Driscoll, born in Goshen, Connecticut, July 24, 1824. She died in Galva, April 8, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Hurd had five children: Frances A., deceased; George Willis, of Abilene, Kansas; Albert Arthur of Topeka, Kansas, attorney for the Sante Fe Railway; Florence F., who became the wife of Henry L. Goold and the mother of Mrs. Morgan ; and Charles L., deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Goold were married April i, 1875, and went to Kewanee to live. Two sons and a daughter were born to them there, as follows: Ellen Frances, now Mrs. John Willis Morgan, was born July 27, 1876. Theodore F., born December 25, 1877, was married September 26, 1908, to Miss Jennie Smith of Ogalalla, Nebraska, where they Hve. There is one child, Almeda, born December 30, 1909. Harry W., was born March 28, 1880, and is now living in Cahfornia. After the death of his first wife in Kewanee, March 21, 1881, Mr. Goold, Mrs. John WiUis Morgan's father, was married to Miss Matilda Wentworth, of Kewanee, by whom he has two daughters : Eugenia, born February 19, 1889, and Harriet, born March 15, 1891.

Mr. and Mrs. John Willis Morgan went directly after their marriage to the farm two and one half miles north of Galva, where they have since lived. To them have been born four children, namely: Florence B., September 27, 1900; Norris G., December 4, 1901 ; Mary C, March 14, 1904; and John T., June 10, 1906.

In carrying out the family principle of good citizenship, Mr. Morgan holds school, township and church offices. He likewise follows the family traditions in his choice of religious denominations and political parties, worshiping as a Methodist and voting as a republican. In the management of the farms, too, he has adopted his father's plan of applying principles and methods that are businesslike, scientific, and progressive.

John Willis Morgan's father was John Norris Morgan, born in Chardon, Ohio, July 5, 1830, the only son and youngest child of Gideon and Ruth (Norris) Morgan. Gideon Morgan was born in Massachusetts in 1788. He was a soldier in the war of 18 12, going from Ohio, where he was then living. In 181 7 he and Ruth Norris were married in Windsor, Ohio, and went to Chardon, Ohio, to live. Ruth Norris, John Norris Morgan's mother, was born in Tolland, Connecticut, January 24, 1790, and was the oldest child of John Norris, Jr., and Ruth Ladd. John Norris, Jr., John Norris Morgan's grandfather, was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1765. He was the son of John Norris, Sr., and Hopee Benson Norris, both of Plymouth. John Norris, Sr., was born in 1740. In 1768 he moved his family to Tolland, Connecticut, from which place John, Jr., went, as a mere lad, to serve in the Revolutionary army. He was in Washington's army during part of his time of service. After the war, he returned to Tolland, where he was married March 12, 1789, to Ruth Ladd. In 1812 he traded his land in Connecticut for a thousand acres of government land in New Connecticut, or the Western Reserve. He loaded his household effects upon a large wagon drawn by two yokes of oxen and a span of horses, and with his wife and his eight children, started for the new home. The route was through New York state, and through Pennsylvania by way of Carlisle, Pittsburg and Beaver to Warren, Ohio, and thence to Windsor, Ohio. It was a six weeks' journey. John Norris was a local preacher of the Methodist church ; and he held meetings and preached in Windsor and in the surrounding settlements. He was an excellent shot as well as a vigorous preacher and farmer. During the terrible winter of 1812, after General Hull surrendered Detroit, when provisions were so scarce in the Western Reserve his gun kept the family in venison. All but two of his eight children stayed in Ohio. The oldest, Ruth, (John Norris Morgan's mother,) who, as the record says, had a superior faculty for keeping and governing a school of large scholars, and who was actively interested in politics; and Ira, the youngest, clergyman and editor, came west in time to Illinois.

When John Norris Morgan was six years old, his parents, Gideon and Ruth (Norris) Morgan, moved to Illinois. They traveled partly by land and partly by water, enduring with pioneer hopefulness the slow river boat and the rough wagon trip through the wilderness. Jacksonville, Illinois, was the home at first. Later, the family moved to Exeter, Scott county. There were misfortunes here; Seymour, Gideon Morgan's son by a former marriage, was robbed and killed on his way to invest his father's money, and Gideon Morgan died in 1845. The next year found Mrs. Morgan with her son John and her two daughters in Peoria county. "There is a Presbyterian Missionary station, with a clergyman established, a new meeting-house building, and a postoffice. They call it Brunswick, Peoria county," explains Mrs. Morgan to her Ohio friends. The daughters, Juliana and Ann, taught school, and made dresses and hats for the neighbors between times. They were paid in produce. The son, John, found work, too, among the neighboring farmers, and was paid, as his sisters were paid, in produce. "If John had a team, we should get along very well," writes his mother. A year or two later, the family moved three miles to Farmington, Fulton county. The daughters married, and the tax receipts dating from these years, show that the son John was accumulating a little property.

In 1849, ^ party was made up in Henry, Illinois, to go to California. John Norris Morgan was living then with his sister, Mrs. P. H. Green, whose husband was in business there. All three joined the California party. A start was made but the travelers went no farther than Farmington. At that point there were various accidents, rain fell persistently, and the party broke up.

In 1 85 1, John Morgan's mother and his sister, Mrs. McConnell, both died in Farmington. A year later, in 1852, he joined another party, with ox team and blanket and gun, said goodby to his protesting sister, and started a second time for California. Word came back from him from St. Joseph, Fort Kearney, and other places on the long six months' journey. But mails were uncertain, and slow ; and there were weeks together when no word came to the anxious sister. Meantime, the long train made its way along the old California trail. It crossed the plains along the Piatt, climbed the mountains, endured thirst and heat on the alkali deserts, watched for good water, and kept a sharp eye out for Indians. There was good hunting-jack-rabbits, prairie-dogs, herds of deer, and buffalo. Once in California, the comrades separated more or less, new partnerships were formed, and some of the men becoming discouraged or homesick or both, returned to the states, "God's country," as the letters call it, in less than a year. John Morgan was among those who stayed longer. Letters came from him from various places in California; from Mariposa, in the Yosemite valley region, from Sacramento, San Francisco, Eureka, Humboldt Bay, Stockton and the San Joaquin river. Other places are mentioned, some off from even a trail - the Klamath river country among the Digger Indians, Whiskey Flat, Sherlock's Creek, Long Gulch, McBride's Gulch, among others. The letters show that the miners were in the habit of going from one stage station to another from their camps in the hope that if there was no mail for them at one, there might be at another, "I went to the postoffice in Mariposa - nothing for me ; then I started up the creek, rushed up that steep hill, then down to Agua Frio, and got nothing; from there I went, discouraged, up towards Horse Gulch. Then I took the trail over the hills to the Oak Spring House ; I took dinner there, then I went to Nelson's camp where I received your letter and others," writes one homesick youth.

Luck varied ; when it grew too discouraging, the partners packed blankets, picks and frying-pan, and left Whiskey Flat for Long Gulch or some other more hopeful creek. Sometimes they found a job in a mill or tried teaming for awhile. Often, such work paid better than mining. Some went back to the states the second year, discouraged ; others tried Mexico ; others went to Gadsden's Purchase, "rich in gold and Apaches," as one letter reads. John Morgan's luck was not great; but at various times, he sent home for investment, and invested in California, sums of money of fair size. Most of this, however, was lost in bank failures later.

Meantime, there were urgent calls home. His sister begged in every letter for his return ; besides, there was talk of railroads. Surveys were made near some land owned by him; this Illinois country was growing fast. Finally, in 1855, he returned to Illinois, sailing from San Francisco by way of Panama and New York. On his return from California, he disposed of his land in Stark county and came almost immediately to Henry county, where he bought land in Burns. In 1856, he bought land in Galva township. Henceforth, to the end of his life, he was closely associated with the fortunes and development of Galva township. Most of the land hereabouts at that time was unbroken prairie. Wolves, deer, coyotes abounded. Hickory and Round Groves were worthy the name grove. Kewanee was quite in the woods. The traveler went about the country across the fields, as the bird flies, because there were few fences to limit him. Here and there were schoolhouses, which served also as churches and Sunday-school rooms. The spirit of education, too, was abroad among these Yankees and there were spelling schools, singing schools and debating societies, with the schoolhouse as the meeting place. The old Octagon schoolhouse was for years the center of the social, educational and religious life of the community.

John Norris Morgan believed church and school to be necessary to the proper growth of the country. When the first Methodist church was built in Galva, he, among others, hauled lumber for it from MoHne. When the time came for the erection of the second Methodist church, he gave to the work, as a member of the building committee, much time and thought. He was always glad to help other denominations, as the calls for assistance came. He was always a school officer, and he was actively interested in seeing that there was every chance for the growing youth that the conditions warranted. He served as supervisor from Galva for seventeen years. During the construction of the present courthouse, he was a member of the building committee. Whether he was actually farming or not, he always called himself a farmer, and he was actively interested in the farmer's welfare. He believed in education and organization for farmers. The grange movement had attractions for him and for years he was one of the foremost leaders in the farmers' institutes. Parties and denominations - organization, in general, he believed in and he was always identified with them in moderation. His political views were those of the republican party. Religiously, he was a Methodist; fraternally, he was a Mason. His death occurred in Galva, December 23, 1907.

Mary McKinney, wife of John Norris Morgan, survives him. She was bom in Newton, New Jersey, April 16, 1841, the second daughter of John and Ann (Currant) McKinney. John McKinney was born in Newton, New Jersey, in 1805. His father and mother, William and Catharine (Youngs) McKinney, were also natives of New Jersey, as were their respective parents. Catharine Youngs' father, Daniel Youngs, Mary McKinney's great grandfather, served in the Revolutionary war. Ann Currant McKinney, Mary McKinney's mother, was born in 1814, the daughter of James and Mary Currant. The parents were natives of Newton, New Jersey, where the daughter's birth occurred. Mary Mc- Kinney came from New Jersey to Illinois in 1861, following her brother Newman, who was already here. She went first to Peoria; in 1862 she came to Henry county to join her brother who owned a farm north of Galva. Here she met John Norris Morgan, to whom she was married May 9, 1863.

Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, Fannie E. and Jennie B. died in early womanhood, and Harold died in infancy. The five living are as follows: Blanche ]., resides in Galva; Norris E., who lives in Center, Colorado, was married June 14, 1899, to Miss Mabel Windle, of Falls City, Nebraska; and they have one child, Dorothy, born March 17, 1905; Lorenzo S., medical missionary in Haichow, China, was married July 27, 1904, to Miss Ruth Bennett, M. D. There is one child, Ruth Pearce, born March 14, 1908; John Willis, is the subject of this sketch; Meryl S. is a civil engineer of Urbana, Illinois.

Harry M. Hurd

Harry M. Hurd, who has been successfully engaged in the real estate business at Kewanee for the past twelve years, is numbered among the worthy native sons of this city, his birth having here occurred on the 9th of May, 1870. His father, Stephen M. Hurd, who was bom in Connecticut, came to Kewanee early in the '60s and soon after his arrival opened a drug store on Tremont street, where he conducted business for ten years. Shortly prior to his demise he sold out and the establishment is now carried on by Messrs. Hill & King. He died in Kewanee in 1877 at the age of forty years, passing away in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which he was a charter member. In early manhood he had wedded Miss Emily Brown, who was a daughter of O. W. Brown, a well known farmer residing a short distance east of Kewanee. They became the parents of four children, two daughters and two sons. Mrs. Elizabeth Watkinson, the surviving daughter, makes her home in Watsonville, California. Clara died at Kewanee in 1896. Both were widely known as most successful teachers of music and painting. Martin died in infancy. Amanda Hurd, an aunt of our subject, likewise taught music and painting in this city for many years.

Harry M. Hurd supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the public schools of his native city, by a course of study in Blackburn College of Carlinville, Illinois. On starting out to earn his own livelihood he entered the grocery store of R. W. Rounseville in whose service he remained for two years. In 1888 he secured a position in the dry goods establishment of C. A. Shilton, with whom he continued for ten years, proving a faithful and efficient employe. In 1898 he embarked in business on his own account as a real-estate dealer and has been very successful in this line of activity, his judgment as a valuator of property being unusually correct. In addition to his extensive property holdings in Kewanee he owns a farm of one hundred and eighty-two acres in Knox county, Illinois, has a quarter section of land in South Dakota and also owns a tract of land in Texas.

On the 25th of June, 1901, in Kewanee, Mr. Hurd was united in marriage to Miss Mertie Quinn, a daughter of Michael C. Ouinn, who for many years was a prominent grocer and grain dealer in this city. They now have two children, Ruth Q. and Orville, who are seven and five years of age respectively.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr, Hurd has given his political allegiance to the republican party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church of Kewanee. He has gained many friends in the city where his entire life has been spent and has won for himself favorable regard in business circles in recognition of his enterprise, his alert and energetic spirit and his successful accomplishment.

John H. O'Bryan

Among the men who have been most active in furthering the interests of Geneseo John H. O'Bryan deserves prominent mention. He is now the chief executive of the city, being called to this office after many years of faithful service in other public positions. He is at the same time, closely associated with business aflFairs here, having for more than thirty years been identified with merchandising, while at the present time he is also known as a leader in financial circles, being the president of the Geneseo Savings Bank.

A native of Stamford, Connecticut, Mr. O'Bryan was born May 9, 1857, his parents being Nicholas and Margaret (Bradey) O'Bryan. As the names indi- cate, he comes of Irish ancestry in both the paternal and maternal lines. His paternal grandfather was a native of the Emerald isle and became the founder of the family in Connecticut, where he followed the occupation of farming. His son, Nicholas O'Bryan, was bom in the Charter Oak state and in early life learned the cooper's trade which he followed subsequent to his removal to. Geneseo, Illinois, in 1858. He conducted a cooperage business here for a considerable period and met success in his undertakings, and as he prospered made extensive investment in land. He married Margaret Bradey, whose parents died in Ireland while the daughter in her childhood days came to America and was reared to womanhood in Stamford, Connecticut. By her marriage she became the mother of a son and daughter, the latter being Mrs. Jennie Weaver, the wife of Frank H. Weaver, of Golden City, Missouri, The death of Nicholas O'Bryan occurred in Geneseo, May 26, 1890, when he was sixty-nine years of age, and to his family he left a handsome competence as the result of his well directed toil in the years of his active business career. His benevolence was one of his salient characteristics, prompting his generous assistance to the poor and needy. His wife survives him and now lives in Golden City, Missouri. Both were members of the Catholic church and Mr. O'Bryan was active in community affairs, cooperating in many movements for the public good. For two terms he served as alderman of the first ward and gave his political allegiance to the democracy.

John H. O'Bryan was only a year old when brought by his parents to Geneseo and in the public schools of this city he pursued his studies, passing through the consecutive grades until he was graduated from the high school. In his youthful days, through the periods of vacation, he assisted his father in coopering and on attaining his majority, in 1878, he joined his father in the grocery business, the relation between them being maintained until three years prior to the father's death, when the son became sole owner. He has conducted the business to the present time and has one of the leading groceries of the city, enjoying a liberal patronage which has been won through honorable business methods, reasonable prices and earnest efforts to please his customers. He and his father erected the building which he now occupies and he likewise owns other real estate in the city. He was one of the committee of six who erected the armory and he was also the builder of the motor-cycle works. He figured prominently in financial circles, as well being now the president of the Geneseo Savings Bank and a director of the First National Bank. Throughout his life he has used his business opportunities to good advantage and his labors have been of signal benefit to the city, as well as a source of individual profit.

On the 29th of September, 1881, Mr. O'Bryan was united in marriage to Miss Catharine McCarthey, a daughter of Daniel and Mary McCarthey. Mrs. O'Bryan was born in Ottawa, Illinois, and in her early girlhood was brought by her parents to Geneseo, where she has since lived. By her marriage she has become the mother of two daughters, Florence and Gertrude. The parents and children are all communicants of the Catholic church and in politics Mr. O'Bryan is a stalwart democrat, recognized as one of the local leaders of the party. For four years he represented the third ward in the board of city aldermen, during which time he exercised his official prerogative in support of many progressive public measures. He is also a member of the school board and of the hospital board and further poHtical honors were conferred upon him in his election, on the 5th of April, 1909, to the office of mayor of Geneseo, so that he is now the chief executive of the city. His administration is marked by the same sterling characteristics which have been manifest throughout his business career and whether in office or out of it he is always active in promoting the city's welfare. He built the Geneseo waterworks and acted as chairman of the committee of management for four seasons, and at one time he was a member of the fire department. The subjective and objective forces in life are in him well balanced, making him cognizant of his own capabilities and powers, while at the same time he thoroughly understands his opportunities and his obligations. To make his native talents subserve the demands which conditions of society impose at the present time is the purpose of his life and by reason of the mature judgment which characterizes his efforts at all times he stands today as a splendid representative of the merchant and financier to whom business is but one phase of existence and does not exclude his active participation in and support of the other vital interests which go to make up human interests.

Chester Arthur Bothwell

Among the younger citizens of Western township who are devoting their efforts to the cultivation of the soil is Chester Arthur Bothwell, a native of this township, whose birth occurred upon the farm which is still his home. He was born on the nth of December, 1882, a son of Leonard R. and Florence Davenport (Lloyd) Bothwell, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume.

Spending the years of his boyhood and youth under the parental roof, in the public schools C. A. Bothwell acquired a good knowledge of the common branches of English learning while during the periods of vacation he assisted in the work of the fields, in the broader school of experience learning lessons concerning the value of industry, diligence and perseverance. Upon reaching man's estate he wisely chose as his life work the occupation to which he had been reared, and has since engaged in agricultural pursuits on the home farm in connection with his father and brother. He makes his home on section 22, where he operates a portion of the old homestead, and through his well directed efforts has gained a place for himself among the representative and enterprising young agriculturists of the township. He has made a close study of agriculture, practices rotation of crops and is systematic, careful and progressive in the management of his affairs, elements which have proved salient characteristics m his present success.

On the 29th of November, 1905, in Moline, Illinois, Mr. Bothwell was united in marriage to Miss Mabel Bell. Her birth occurred in Western township, and in Henry county she was reared and educated, her parents being Elmer E. and Elizabeth (Purse) Bell. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bothwell has been born one child, Dorothy Bell, whose birth occurred in Moline on the 15th of January, 1907. Although Mr. Bothwell has ever been stalwart in his support of the principles of the republican party, yet he has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his private business affairs. He and his wife are both members of the Baptist church, the teachings of which form the guiding influence of their lives. The young couple are well known in the township within whose borders Mr. Bothwell has spent his entire life, and the fact that those who esteem him most are those who have known him from boyhood is an indication that his life record has ever been in harmony with the principles of honorable and upright manhood.

William Shepard Mocroft

William Shepard Mocroft, after many years spent in hard work and thrifty economy, is now living in Kewanee although he still owns his fine farm of two hundred and fifty-five acres in Kewanee township. He was born in that township in March, 1855, a son of William and Jemima Mocroft. The father, who was a native of Derbyshire, England, born in 1820, died in 1856, in Kewanee township. His wife came to Kewanee township in 1843, but had lived in Wethersfield for some time after emigrating from Yorkshire, England, where she was bom. William Mocroft and his wife met in Kewanee township and were here married. As a farmer he bore his part in the development of the county.

William S. Mocroft received a good country-school education and spent his boyhood on his father's farm. His whole life has been devoted to his farming interests, and he is justly proud of his property which represents his success in life from a material standpoint. Mr. Mocroft was married in 1880 to Bessie A. Warters, of Shannon, Kansas, who died February 3, 1900. They have one daughter, Caroline J., who has received an excellent education in the Kewanee high school and the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois. She is a brilliant musician and teaches music in the Kewanee school. Her methods are such as commend her as a teacher to all who have the pleasure of knowing her.

Mr. Mocroft has seen many changes in farming operations since he began his work and has adopted many of them himself. He believes in the future of Henry county farming land and is interested in whatever promises to prove beneficial to the farmers of this locality.