Henry County, Illinois - The whole text, 1910 (part 4 of 32)

Mr. Lay is a director of the Kewanee club and is prominently known in fraternal circles, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in Oriental Consistory, while he has also crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of Medinah Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is a charter member of Kewanee Lodge, No. 466, K. P., and is in hearty sympathy with the beneficent purposes of these organizations. The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion, and for six years he has been a member of the school board. He is also recognized as a prominent leader in republican circles, has several times been chairman of the republican central committee and takes a deep interest in politics, but has never been an ofifice seeker. As a public-spirited citizen, however, he cooperates in various movements for the general good and at the same time his business interests have ever been of a character that have contributed to general progress as well as to individual success. His work has always been of a constructive nature and he stands today as one of the most prominent and honored as well as successful business men of Kewanee.

Frank A. Holke

Frank A. Holke, an enterprising and progressive agriculturist of Geneseo township, was born in Edford township, Henry county, Illinois, his parents being Charles and Julianna (Miller) Holke, natives of West Prussia, Germany. In the year 1864 Mr. and Mrs. Holke crossed the Atlantic to the United States and took up their abode on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Edford township, this county, on which they lived for a number of years, winning a gratifying and commendable degree of prosperity in their agricultural interests. Subsequently Mr. Holke bought a farm of eighty acres adjoining the corporation of Geneseo on the west, which he greatly improved, and there continued to reside for ten years. At the end of that time he put aside the active work of the fields and has since lived retired »in a commodious and attractive residence on West Main street in Geneseo. Though his cash capital amounted to but three hundred dollars when he arrived in this country, he has made good use of his opportunities and has worked his way steadily upward until he is now numbered among the most prosperous and substantial citizens of Henry county. He still owns the farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Edford township, now a well improved and arable tract of land, and also a valuable farm of eighty acres in Geneseo township. The buildings on the latter farm are all of the most modern and substantial character and the place is lacking in none of the equipments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. In addition to these two properties he also owns his fine residence in Geneseo. His wife died when seventy years of age, passing away on the i8th of December, 1904, in the faith of the Lutheran church. He is likewise a devoted and consistent member of that church, his life having ever been in harmony with its teachings. Unto him and his wife were born eight children, five sons and three daughters, namely: Julius L. ; Augusta, the wife of August Borst, of Rock Lsland ; Gustav A. ; Ernest R. ; Louis ; Hulda. the wife of W. S. Frank, of Moline, Illinois ;

Frank A., of this review; and Amanda, the wife of Fred Rahn, who lives on the old home farm of Charles Holke in Edford township. Julius L., Gustav A. and Ernest R. passed away in early manhood.

Frank A. Holke was reared on his father's farm in this county and attended the district schools in the acquirement of an education that would equip him for the practical and responsible duties of life. He remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority and then began operating his father's farm of eighty acres in Geneseo township in the cultivation of which he has been busily engaged to the present time. He rents the property from his father, and owns a tract of land of forty acres just across the road from this farm. Enterprising, alert and energetic, he makes a close study of agriculture and through the careful cultivation of the soil and the rotation of crops annually gathers abundant harvests, which find a ready sale on the market. Hisbrother Louis, resides with him.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Holke has given his political allegiance to the men and measures of the democracy. He is a valued member of the Lutheran church and exemplifies its teachings in his daily life. Having always made his home within the borders of this county, he is widely and favorably known here and the circle of his friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.

Vincent J. Root

Vincent J. Root, attorney at law and court reporter of Galva, now enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice, which has come to him as the reward of an earnest endeavor, fidelity to trust and recognized ability. He was born on a farm five' and a half miles west of Galva, in Weller township, Henry county, Illinois, his natal day being June 27, 1875. His parents are John and Betsy (Ogren) Root and a sketch of the father appears on another page of this work. Vincent J. Root was reared on his father's farm and began his education in the district schools, while subsequently he pursued his studies in the public schools at Bishop Hill and Galva. He next attended the Metropolitan Business College at Chicago and during the years 1901 and 1902 taught shorthand in that institution. Determining upon the legal profession as his life work, he then entered the law department of the Northwestern University at Chicago, and was graduated with the class of 1904. He was admitted to the bar in June, 1905, and since that time has won a large and distinctively representative clientage. He maintains his residence and office in Galva, but his practice extends throughout Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties. In addition to his work as a legal practitioner, he also utilizes his knowledge of shorthand as a court reporter. His logical grasp of facts and principles of the law applicable to them has been a potent element in his success, and a remarkable clearness of expression, an adequate and precise diction, which enables him to make others understand not only the salient points of his argument but his very fine gradation of meaning, may be accounted one of his most conspicuous gifts and accomplishments.

On the 5th of October, 1905, Mr. Root was united in marriage to Miss Christine Wing, a daughter of Peter and Martha (Olson) Wing, of Ofvanoku, Helsingland, Sweden, in which country her parents still make their home. At the polls Mr. Root casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the republican party. He is a member of Galva Lodge, No. 243, A. F. & A. M., and of Peoria Consistory, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is also a member of Mohammed Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Peoria and both he and his wife belong to Eastern Star Lodge, No. 57, and Rebekah Lodge, No. 430. He is likewise identified through membership relations with Galva Lodge, No. 408, I. O. O. F., and Modern Woodmen Camp, No. 241. Though still a young man, he has already attained an enviable position in the ranks of legal fraternity in this part of the state, and in professional and social circles alike has won a host of warm friends.

Mrs. Mary A. Meloy

Mrs. Mary A. Meloy, the widow of Robert W. Meloy, has spent her entire life in this county and is well known and highly esteemed within its borders. She was born in Cambridge, Illinois, on the 21st of December, 1861, her parents being James and Mary A. (Lilly) Mascall, who were natives of England and New York respectively. They were among the earliest settlers of this county, James Mascall purchasing a farm in Cambridge township, where he reared his family In addition to his agricultural interests he also conducted a mercantile establishment in Cambridge and, being a man of unfaltering energy and excellent business ability, met with gratifying success in his undertakings. He became an extensive landowner and was widely recognized as one of the most substantial, enterprising and progressive citizens of the community. He lived to attain the venerable age of almost eighty years, while his wife, who survived him, was seventy-three years old at the time of her demise. He was a devoted member of the Episcopal church and his wife was a Methodist in religious faith. They were active church workers and contributed liberally to all charitable and religious organizations, while the poor and needy never sought their aid in vain. Seven children were born unto them, five daughters and two sons, but only four are now living, namely: John R., a resident of Cambridge; Jennie S., the wife of Peter E. Walline, of Upland, California; Daniel S., living in Cambridge; and Mary A., of this review. Julia A., the wife of Seth Perkins, is deceased, and two children died in infancy. The parents also reared Emma L. Mascall. who made her home with them from the age of three weeks until her death.

Mrs. Meloy was reared in the place of her nativity and in her girlhood days attended the public schools but, becoming ill with typhoid fever, was obliged to leave before completing the course. On the 3d of May, 1882, she gave her hand in marriage to Robert W. Meloy, by whom she had three children, as follows : George, living in Chicago, who wedded Miss Myrtle Story and has two children - Robert and Russell ; Bessie, a dressmaker residing in Galva ; and Robert, who makes his home in Chicago.

Mrs. Meloy is comfortably situated financially, owning a valuable and finely improved tract of land of two hundred and forty acres in Cambridge township. It is one of the best farms in the entire county and returns to her a gratifying annual income. Her property holdings also include a good residence and two lots in Cambridge, where she has lived from her birth to the present time. She is a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, exemplifying its teachings in her daily life. Her many excellent traits of heart and mind have endeared her to all with whom she has come in contact, and she well deserves mention in this volume as a worthy representative of one of the earliest pioneer families of Henry county.

Andrew Jackson Record

Success results not so much from any unusual combination of circumstances or the possession of traits that are not commonly found in the majority of men, but rather in the recognition and utilization of opportunity. In his business career Andrew Jackson Record has employed every moment to its best advantage, and it is thus that he has gained a foremost place among the substantial and influential citizens of Cambridge. Born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, on the 2d of September, 1856, he is a son of Benjamin J. and Sarah A. (Deets) Record, also natives of the Keystone state.

The Record family, which originated in Scotland, has long been represented in Pennsylvania, the grandfather, Philip Record, having been born in that state where he and his wife, Sarah (Hill) Record, lived to a ripe old age. In their family were six children, as follows: Benjamin J.; Mary, the deceased wife of John Bell; Jane, who married Hugh Walker; Agnes, now deceased; Archibald; and Sarah, the deceased wife of David Resinger. On the maternal side also Mr. Record comes from an old Pennsylvania family, the birth of his grandfather, Joseph Deets, having occurred in Germany. Coming to America, he settled in Pennsylvania where throughout his entire life he was identified with agricultural interests. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, who at the close of hostiHties, refused to accept a pension. He married Sarah Cousins and they both passed away in their native state when well advanced in years. They were the parents of fifteen children, twelve of whom reached mature years, while six yet survive, namely: Jane, the wife of Joshua Johnson; Sarah A., the widow of Benjamin J. Record ; Jackson Deets, of Upland, California ; Hannah, the wife of Cal Ritchey ; Lavina, who married John Taylor; and Louisa, the wife of James Kifford.

Benjamin J. Record, the father of our subject, devoted his entire life to the occupation of farming. In 1863 he left his native state and came west to Illinois, settling first in Mercer county, while in 1865 he removed to Henry county, where for ten years he made his home in Burns township. At the expiration of that period he went to Osco township, where he purchased two hundred and forty acres of land, which he continued to operate for fifteen years. He then withdrew from active business life and removed into Cambridge, where he lived retired for about sixteen years, or until his death, which occurred Decern- ber 31, 1905, when he had attained the age of seventy-six years. His wife still survives at the age of seventy-six years, and is a devoted member of the Methodist church, as was also her husband. In their family were the following children : Andrew J., of this review; Ella J., the deceased wife of Perry Dickerson; Benjamin Sylvanus, a resident of Woodward, Iowa; Frank F., of Cambridge; Emery J., who also makes his home in Cambridge ; and Flora, who passed away in infancy.

Andrew J. Record was a little lad of seven years when he accompanied his parents on their removal from Pennsylvania to Illinois, and on his father's farm in Osco and Burns townships, Henry county, the days of his boyhood and youth were passed in the usual manner of the country lad. In the district schools he mastered the elementary branches of learning and he later attended the public schools of Cambridge, while he remained under the parental roof until twenty-five years of age, giving his father the benefit of his assistance in the meantime. He took up general farming on his own account as a renter, continuing in that capacity for several years, and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Dallas county, Iowa, upon which he resided for three years. Selling this farm he moved to DeWitt, Nebraska, where he conducted a livery business for four years. He later traded his barn for a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and subsequently traded that tract of land for property in Andover township, Henry county, Illinois. He has since withdrawn from agricultural pursuits but still owns two hundred acres of rich farming land which annually returns to him a most gratifying income. He is now closely identified with the business interests of Cambridge, being well known as a partner in the firm of Johnson & Record, dealers in lumber. The company is one of the prosperous and progressive enterprises of the community and Mr. Record's efforts have been important factors in the substantial success which the firm is now enjoying.

On the loth of January, 1895, Mr. Record was united in marriage to Miss Minnie E. King, a daughter of Rufus and Rebecca (Whitney) King, and unto them has been born one daughter, Ella Marian Record. Mr. Record is a prominent figure in Masonic circles, belonging to Cambridge Lodge, No. 49, A. F. & A. M., to Kewanee Chapter, R. A. M., and to Rock Island Commandery, No. 18, K. T., while he is likewise identified with the Peoria Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Politically he is a stalwart republican, having supported that party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, and on that ticket he has served as township clerk for fourteen years. He has also been school director for three terms, and is deeply interested in the cause of education, serving as a member of the building committee that erected the Cambridge high school in 1906.

Public-spirited in his citizenship, his influence is ever upon the side of progress, reform, improvement and advancement, and these qualities constitute him a citizen of value in the community. He has been preeminently successful in his business relations, but the story of his success is short and simple. It contains no exciting chapters but in its completeness lies one of the valuable secrets of the prosperity which it records. Beginning business life as a renter, with no especial advantages at the outset of his career, he has worked his way upward by earnest, persistent and unfaltering effort until today he is ranked among the influential and well-to-do residents of Henry county. No man's history indicated more clearly the value and power of close application, of concentration, of earnest and honorable purpose and of wise utilization of opportunity.

Roderick R. Stewart

Roderick R. Stewart, deceased, belonged to the original colony that established the town of Geneseo in 1836 and was its oldest member. He was born at Stephentown, Rensselaer county. New York, on the 25th of February, 1787, his parents being Colonel Elisha and Sarah (Witter) Stewart, natives of Stonington, Connecticut. The father, whose birth occurred on the 29th of June, 1757, participated in the Revolutionary war, enlisting from Stonington, Connecticut. Subsequently he took up his abode in Stephentown, New York, where most of his eleven children were born. His demise occurred June 19, 1839, while his wife, who was born December 12, 1757, was called to her final rest on the 14th of July, 1812.

Roderick R. Stewart, who was the fifth in order of birth in his father's family, made his way from Geneseo, New York, to Geneseo, Henry county, Illinois, in 1836, and here spent the remainder of his life. In early manhood he followed the carpenter's trade, subsequently became a manufacturer, and during the period of his residence in this county was engaged in general agricultural pursuits. His counsel was always sought in matters pertaining to the general welfare and his neighbors solicited his aid in solving many of their difficulties. At the time of his demise he was serving as justice of the peace. He was the oldest man in the colony and was familiarly known at Father Stewart. His death, which occurred in Geneseo on the 12th of July, i860, was deeply mourned and the people of the community felt that they had sustained a serious loss.

On the 31st of October, 181 3, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Clarissa Dresser, whose birth occurred in Charlton, Massachusetts, September 4, 1789. She was the fifth in order of birth in a family of nine children and in early life accompanied her parents on their removal to New York. During the war of 1812 she devoted her spare time to making bullets for the American soldiers. She traced her ancestry back to John Dresser, of Rowley, England, who in 1639 settled at Rowley, Massachusetts. Her father, Isaac Dresser, and her grandfather, John Dresser, were both soldiers of the Revolutionary war. The mother of Mrs. Stewart, who bore the maiden name of Susan Taft, was distantly connected with President Taft's family. Although an invalid for some years, Mrs. Stewart recuperated in a measure after her removal westward and proved of valuable assistance to her friends and neighbors in cases of sickness. She was called the "mother" of the Geneseo colony and was widely known as "Mother Stewart." She had nine children, all of whom are now deceased, one passing away in infancy. A record of the others is given below.

Isaac Newton Stewart, the eldest, was an old settler of this county and was the father of Mrs. George S. Wells, who still resides here. He was twice mar- ried, his first wife being Mary Weller, of Avon, New York. He conducted the old hotel in Geneseo for several years. By his first marriage he had four children and two of his sons, Edward and Frederick, both of whom have passed away, were soldiers in the Civil war. Another son, Frank N., is a prominent railroad man residing at Huron, South Dakota. Frank N. Stewart has a son, Ralph, who is in the naval service on board the battleship Kentucky, For his second wife Isaac N. Stewart chose Mrs. Sylvia Close, by whom he had one son, Frank.

Narcissa, the second child of Roderick R. and Clarissa (Dresser) Stewart, became the wife of Huntington Wells, of Moline, and passed away in 1850. Elisha M. Stewart, whose birth occurred in 1818, made his home in Geneseo from 1836 until 1876 and during that entire period was prominently identified with the interests of the town. In 1848 he wedded Miss Clarissa Cone, a daughter of Elisha and Eliza Cone, and they continued to reside in Geneseo until 1876, when they took up their abode in Kansas. Their union was blessed with six children, four of whom still survive and have children of their own. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elisha M. Stewart died in Wichita, Kansas, the former passing away in 1899, while the latter's death occurred in 1905. Susannah Stewart gave her hand in marriage to James M. Allan in 1839, their's being the first wedding in Geneseo. Unto them were bom four daughters, namely : Sarah, Mrs. Amelia West, Mrs. Frances Pearsall and Mrs. Louise Williams. Permelia Stewart, the fifth child of Roderick R. Stewart, became the wife of Dr. S. T. Hume in 1846. They lost five children in infancy and Mrs. Ella N. Taylor is the only one of their children now living. Lafayette Stewart, whose birth occurred in 1824, passed away in 1898. In 1849 he had wedded Miss Amanda Faxon, v/ho was called to her final rest in 1899. They had five children, one of whom died in infancy. Josiah Stewart was born in 1828 and passed away in 1855. In early manhood he married Miss Eliza Ward, by whom he had a daughter, who died a short time prior to the demise of her father. George W. Stewart, who first opened his eyes to the light of day in 1830, passed away at Atchison, Kansas, in 1903. He was twice married and by his first wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Fiester, had three children. For his second wife he chose Miss Isadore Fenner, of Bellevue, Iowa, and unto them were born six children. Mrs. Clarissa (Dresser) Stewart died at Geneseo, Illinois, on the 5th of August, 1867, having survived her husband for seven years.

John L. Blomberg

John L. Blomberg is a representative of the younger generation of farmers, now operating seventy-six acres of land which he rents in Weller township. He was born in Bishop Hill, May 25, 1880, a son of Isaac and Christine (Soderquist) Blomberg. The father, who was born in Bishop Hill, October 31, 1854, has made farming his life work and for many years has been identified with the cultivation of the homestead farm of one hundred and eight acres, located two and a half miles southwest of the village. The mother, who was likewise

John L. Blomberg pursued his studies in the district schools of the neighborhood and through the period of his boyhood and youth he was trained to the work of the home farm, lessons of integrity and economy early being instilled into his mind, and in later years he has not departed from this discipline. In the spring of 1908 he rented his present farm of seventy-six acres. Through experience he has learned much of value along agricultural lines and his efforts are being rewarded with bounteous crops.

On the 26th of March, 1908, Mr. Blomberg was united in marriage to Miss Lilly Moline, a daughter of Olof Moline, who is now deceased and whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Blomberg is well known in this section of Henry county and is a member of the Methodist church at Nekoma, taking a prominent part in all the social events of the church.

Mr. Blomberg is a republican, always voting for the men and measures of this party. His fraternal relations connect him with the Modern Woodmen at Bishop Hill and with his wife he attends the Methodist church at Nekoma. They are popular young people, having a wide circle of friends who esteem them highly for their genuine, personal worth.

Sullivan F. Francis

Sullivan F. Francis, a well known and prosperous young resident of Kewanee, has been successfully engaged in business as a dealer in horses since starting out in life on his own account. His birth occurred in Kewanee township, this county, on the 6th of December, 1877, his parents being S. R. and Anna I. (Barnes) Francis, who are mentioned at greater length on another page of this work. At the usual age he entered the district schools and after completing the prescribed course he spent one year as a student in the Kewanee high school. On putting aside his text-books he began dealing in horses and has since been continuously identified with that line of activity, now devoting his entire attention thereto. He employs men in Henry and adjoining counties to purchase the stock and gives his personal attention to the retail trade. He is a good judge of horses and their value and always has on hand a number of excellent specimens of the noble steed. The old homestead where he was born now belongs to him and has been in possession of the family for almost seven decades, the father of our subject having taken up his abode thereon about 1841. He purchased a residence prior to buying his present home at No. 421 South Vine street, where he has resided since April, 1907.

On the 8th of June, 1904, at Galesburg, Illinois, Mr. Francis was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude Dean, a daughter of William Dean of that place. They now have two children: Dean Sullivan, who was born on the 13th of January, 1906; and Gano Elizabeth, whose natal day was August 11, 1909.

Mr. Francis casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the republican party but aside from that takes no part in politics, preferring to con- centrate his energies upon his private affairs. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Kewanee, while fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has remained a resident of Henry county from his birth to the present time and that his life has been honorable and worthy of public regard is indicated by the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from boyhood.

Albert W. Errett

Albert W. Errett, who is serving for the third term as postmaster of Kewanee, while his service as alderman has covered nine years, has made an excellent record as a public official, his course being highly beneficial to the city in many ways. In all that he has done he has been actuated by a desire to promote the best interests of the community, and his labors have been effective, far-reaching and beneficial. He was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, December 24, 1848, his parents being Rev. John and Eliza (Gary) Errett. The father was for a quarter of a century a minister of the Christian church.

Albert W. Errett engaged in clerking in the Parrish book store and in the Phillips dry-goods store and entered the field of merchandising as a proprietor in 1882, in which year he became junior partner in the firm of Moffett & Errett. In this he continued for eight years and then became manager of the Kewanee Coal Company, being thus identified with the business fife of the city until 1899 when he was appointed by President McKinley as postmaster of Kewanee. He has since been reappointed and is now serving for the third term in that position, the duties of which he discharges in a prompt and capable manner, being thorough and systematic in all of the work of the office.

Mr. Errett was married in 1874 to Miss Martha H. Boyd, of Cambridge, this county, a daughter of Samuel Boyd, a tailor, who located in Cambridge in 1858 and there resided until his death which occurred when he had reached the venerable age of eighty-four years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Errett have been born three children : Harry Boyd, residing in Portsmouth, Ohio, who is president and manager of the Portsmouth Refractory Company; Albert W. Jr., an engineer, director and vice president of the Kewanee Water Supply Company, residing in this city; and Nellie D., now the wife of A. E. Witherell, a resident of Kewanee, who is connected with the Kewanee branch of the National Tube Company.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Errett is an Elk and is also associated with the Modern Woodmen of America. He likewise belongs to the Kewanee Club and the Commercial Club and of the latter is chairman of the investment committee. His wife is very active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, has served for several terms as regent of the local chapter and was again elected in 1909. They are both prominent socially, and the hospitality of the best homes of Kewanee is cordially extended them. Mr. Errett is recognized as one of the prominent leaders of the republican party in this district, and that he has the entire confidence and trust of his fellowmen is indicated in the fact that he has been elected at various times to the office of alderman, in which his service has covered nine years. He has proved a most trustworthy incumbent in the ^office, exercising his official prerogatives in support of all measures and movements for the general good.

Frank S. Haynes

Frank S. Haynes, well known as one of the leading and representative citizens of Geneseo, owns and occupies a fine home in the town while his property interests also include three hundred and sixty acres of valuable farming land in Geneseo township, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation, and which returns to him a gratifying annual income. He is a representative of one of the pioneer families of this part of the state, his parents being Henry B. and Lucy (Wood) Haynes, who settled in Putnam county, Illinois, in 1844. The father at that time purchased a farm which he cultivated for many years, making his home thereon until his death in 1889. His wife continued to reside upon the old homestead until her demise, which occurred in 1896.

Frank S. Haynes was reared to the occupation of farming, early becoming familiar with the work of the fields as the plowing, planting and harvesting were carried forward. The public schools afforded him his educational privileges and he remained at home until twenty-four years of age, when he started out in life on his own account.

Mr. Haynes has been married twice. Before leaving the old farm he wedded Miss Hattie Holsburg, a native of Putnam county, Illinois, and a daughter of Daniel and Rebecca Holsburg. Unto this marriage was born one son, Henry H., whose birth occurred December 6, 1891, and who is still living with his father. Mrs. Haynes died in 1894, after the removal to the farm in Henry county. On coming to this county Mr. Haynes purchased his farm in Geneseo township, resolutely taking up the work of tilling the soil and bringing the land under a high state of cultivation. In June, 1896, he was again married, his second union being with Clara M. Wood, a daughter of George W. and Mary (Hoffstatter) Wood, of Geneseo, who came from Michigan to Henry county in 1865 and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Munson township. There they lived until 1881, when they went to Grand Forks county, North Dakota, and by claim and purchase Mr. Wood secured about fourteen hundred acres of land. They spent the summer in the north, returning to Henry county for the winter months. In the Wood family were two sons : George L., who is now a dentist in Geneseo, and John D., who follows merchandising in the same place. By his second marriage Mr. Haynes has two children: Florence, born February 8, 1900; and Margaret, born April 26, 1903.

Mr. Haynes continued to engage in farming until 1906, when he retired from active business cares and removed to Geneseo. He is a director and stockholder of the F'armers National Bank and is regarded as a man of sound business judgment, whose labors and energy have brought him the success which is his. He has never aspired to political honors, but was the instigator and promoter of the Green River special drainage district in Henry and Bureau counties. This awakened much enmity but has proven to be one of the most beneficial improvements that Henry county has ever had. Mr. Haynes was farsighted in recognizing the value that it would be to the community and he never faltered in the course which he began until the work was successfully completed. He has always stood for public improvement and progress and many know him to be a man of keen insight, unfaltering in his devotion to the best interests of the county.

Reginald Heber Hinman

When the complete history of Henry county shall have been written there will be found upon its pages frequent and honorable mention of Reginald H. Hinman, who for fifty-eight years has resided within its borders, and his prominence as one of the pioneer settlers is indicated in the fact that for fifteen years he has been continuously chosen as secretary of the Old Settlers Association. He is also the president of the Farmers National Bank of Cambridge and is thus closely identified with the financial interests of the community.

Reginald Heber Hinman was born in Bristol, Connecticut, February 4, 1828, and his parents, Willis and Olive (Attwater) Hinman, were also natives of the same state. The former was a son of Philemon Hinman, who was born in Connecticut and was of EngHsh lineage. He learned and followed the carpenter's trade and died about 1834 when sixty-five years of age. The maternal grandfather, Isaac Attwater, was a Connecticut farmer and was of Welsh descent. He served as a soldier of the Revolutionary war and died in Connecticut at the advanced age of eighty-four years. His family numbered three daughters an^ one son, including Olive Attwater, who became the wife of Willis Hinman.

Mr. Hinman was a carpenter by trade. On removing from Connecticut to Ohio in 1837 he settled at Troy, Miami county, making his home there and in Montgomery county until December, 1850, when he came to Illinois with his son Reginald H. Hinman. They traveled over the state to some extent, reaching Henry county in January, 185 1. Being greatly pleased with this district, Willis Hinman then returned to Ohio for his family, leaving his son here. In May he again reached Henry county and purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land in Osco township, which he improved. His son Reginald secured one quarter of the same section while his brother William took the other quarter. A few years later their father removed to Geneseo and about 1876 went to Cambridge, where he lived retired for some time. He died, however, on the old home farm in Osco township, September 18, 1888, at the age of ninety-one years, and his wife, who survived him for six months, was also ninety-one years of age at the time of her death. They were Episcopalians in their religious faith. Their family numbered a daughter and two sons who reached adult age. Clarissa, now the deceased wife of Nelson Gaines of Geneseo; Reginald H. ; and William W., who died in Cambridge, Illinois.

Reginald H. Hinman spent the period of his minority in Troy and Dayton, Ohio, pursuing his education in the public schools of those cities and in an academy at Dayton. Early in his business career he was employed in a last and peg factory in Dayton. He was afterward engaged in farm work in Ohio for three years but at length left Troy for Illinois, where he has since been identified with farming interests. He still owns the old home place in Osco township, in which he first settled, and he likewise has ninety-seven acres in Cambridge township adjoining the corporation limits of the city of Cambridge on the south. Since 1888 he has lived in Cambridge and from this point has superintended his agricultural interests. For ten or twelve years he has been identified with the Farmers National Bank and for more than two years has served as its president. He was also one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Cambridge and has long figured as a prominent factor in financial circles, his name being for many years a most honored one on commercial paper.

On the 4th of October, 1852, Mr. Hinman was married to Miss Elizabeth Miller of Troy, Ohio, a daughter of Chrisley and Hannah (Wright) Miller. The children of this marriage are three in number: Elliott, the eldest, who is engaged in the feed and fuel business at Pomona, California, married Nora A. Nolind and they have three children : Frances E., Susie E. and Harry H. Frank M., living in Allentown, Pennsylvania, wedded Lillie Miller and they have three children : May, Ralph and Ethel. Jennie May, the daughter of the first marriage, died in Osco when twenty-two years of age. The wife and mother passed away in September, 1865, at the age of thirty-three years. In October, 1868, Mr. Hinman was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Susan Corl, the widow of Henry Corl, who was a soldier of the Civil war and died while at the front, being killed at the battle of Knoxville, Tennessee. Mrs. Hinman was born at Doylestown, Pennsylvania, May 2, 1832, and her parents were Thomas and Annie (Fraley) Combs, natives of Germantown, Pennsylvania, well known as farming people of that community. In 1852 the father removed with his family to Bureau county, Illinois, where he lived for ten years and then took up his abode at Gardner, Grundy county, Illinois, where he died in 1868. His wife passed away in March, 1852, at the age of forty-eight years. In their family were seven children, a son and six daughters, but only two are now living - Mrs. Hinman and her sister, Leah, the wife of Rese Nolind, Mrs. Hinman is descended in the maternal line from one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, her great-grandfather having valiantly aided the colonists in the struggle for independence.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Hinman are members of Grace Episcopal church of Osco and in social circles have occupied a prominent and enviable position. Mr. Hinman belongs to Cambridge Lodge, No. 49, A. F. & A. M., and he and his wife hold membership in the Eastern Star. His political allegiance is given to the democracy, and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have several times called him to office. He has served for a number of terms as supervisor of Osco township and was chairman of the board for one term. He has also been justice of the peace for a number of years, discharging his duties in a strictly impartial manner, his decisions being based upon the law and equity in the case. Few men have a wider acquaintance in the county and none are held in higher esteem than Mr. Hinman, who for the past fifteen years has been the secretary of the Old Settlers Association. He is the only man now living who was a resident of Osco in 1851. There was only one house in the town when he took up his abode there, and in the intervening years he has not only been a witness of the events which shaped the history of the county but has also been an active participant therein. He has passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey, but in spirit and interests seems yet in his prime. Old age need not suggest as a matter of course inactivity or lack of occupation. There is an old age which grows stronger and brighter mentally and spiritually as the years pass and gives out of its rich stores of wisdom and experience for the benefit of others. Such is the record of Reginald H. Hinman.

Willis Lyman Wilkinson

Willis Lyman Wilkinson, whose services as warden of the county poorhouse in Munson township are most acceptable, was born in Tiskilwa, Bureau county, Illinois, September 21, 1861. In the paternal line he comes of an old New England family, his grandfather having been George Wilkinson, a native of Rhode Island. He was a farmer in early life but for years conducted a hotel in Tiskilwa. He died at the age of sixty years or more. His widow, Mrs. Julia Wilkinson, long survived him and passed away when eighty-five years of age.

Lyman Wilkinson, the father of W. L. Wilkinson, was born in Pennsylvania and was reared to farm life but in early manhood learned the carpenter's trade. Removing westward to Illinois he settled first in Bureau county and lived for a number of years at Tiskilwa, where he followed carpentering. He afterward became superintendent of the county poor farm, occupying that position for two years and in 1872 removed to Henry county where he capably filled the position of superintendent of the poor farm for thirty-four years. No higher testimonial of his efiiciency in that position could be given than the fact that he was so long retained in the office. He was a soldier of the Civil war, belonging to the Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry in which he served as first lieutenant while his brother, Orrin Wilkinson, was captain. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, in the battle of Shiloh and in many other important engagements of the war, never faltering in his allegiance to the old flag when it led him to the firing Hne or when he followed it on the long, hard marches of the campaign. His political support was given to the republican party, and both he and his wife were Episcopalians in religious faith. He wedded Emmeline Stevens, a native of New Hampshire and a daughter of Thomas Stevens, who was likewise born in the old Granite state. He was a farmer by occupation and became one of the first settlers of Bureau county, IlHnois. He was twice married and lived to an old age. The death of Lyman Wilkinson occurred on the Henry county poor fann in 1906, when he was seventy-two years of age, he being still in charge of the institution up to the time of his demise. His wife died in 1898 at the age of sixty-three years. They had but three children : George T., now living in Pueblo, Colorado ; Willis L. ; and Bert Henry, who died at the age of twenty-two years.

Willis L. Wilkinson was a lad of ten years when his father took charge of the Henry county poor farm. He attended the public schools of Tiskilwa, Illinois, and also the district schools of Munson township, while later he pursued a course in a business college at Davenport, Iowa. He was his father's assistant at the poor farm and also conducted a farm of one hundred and sixtyseven acres in Munson township near Cambridge. After his father's death he became his successor and thus has charge of three hundred and twenty acres of land which is devoted to general farming purposes, while the house has sixty inmates. He manages the place with the same ability and enterprise which he would display in the control of private business affairs and, like his father, has sustained an unassailable reputation in his connection with the poor farm.

On the 17th of June, 1886, Mr. Wilkinson was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Lambert, a daughter of William and Milda (Britton) Lambert. Mrs. Wilkinson is a native of Geneseo and her mother was born in Phenix township, Henry county, but her father was a native of England. He became one of the early settlers of Henry county and was well known as a scenic and house painter. He Hves with his daughter at the present time, his wife having died in 1904 when fifty-eight years of age. They had seven children, but only two are now living - Mrs. Wilkinson and Howard B. Lambert, of Clyde, New York. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Wilkinson was William Lambert, a native of England who came to America in 1834 and settled in Rochester, New York. He removed to Michigan and then to Illinois, but spent his last days in Michigan where he died at the age of more than seventy years. The maternal grandfather was Frank Britton, a native of Kentucky and a farmer by occupation.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson was blessed with two children, Mabel, now the wife of Howard H. Withrow, a resident farmer of Phenix township; and Elon, who is a student in the Geneseo high school. Mrs. Wilkinson belongs to the Congregational church aijd is greatly esteemed in the county where she has always lived. Mr. Wilkinson belongs to Stewart Lodge, No. 92, A. F. & A. M. ; Geneseo Chapter, No. 12, R. A. M. ; Rock Island Commandery, No. 18, K. T. ; and Kaaba Temple of the Mystic Shrine. His political support is given to the republican party, but he neither seeks nor desires office as the reward for party fealty. The record which he has made in connection with his official service is most commendable and he is regarded as a man in every way worthy of the trust reposed in him. Both he and his wife have many good qualities and are greatly esteemed in the social circles of the town.

Clarence A. Garland

Clarence A. Garland is the owner of a finely improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Colona township, where he has made his home since 1903. He is a native of this township, born on a farm, March 15, 1865, a son of George W. and Catherine (Hunt) Garland, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. The son was reared on the home farm and as soon as he was old enough to follow the plow he was set to work in the fields, working diligently through the spring and summer seasons, while in the winter months he pursued his studies in the district schools of the neighborhood. He remained with his father until he reached years of maturity and then established a home of his own by his marriage on the 2d of March, 1892, to Miss Carrie Jones, a daughter of William and Anna (Anderson) Jones, who are also mentioned on another page of this volume.

Following his marriage Mr. Garland located on a farm in Western township and there remained for five years, at the end of which time he removed to a farm owned by Henry Washburn in Colona township. During these years he worked earnestly in the hope of some day being the possessor of a farm and in 1902 his hopes were realized, for he then purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres located in Colona township. He did not take up his abode thereon, however, until a year later but in 1903 removed to the place and since that time has given his attention to its cultivation. The place was not improved when it came into his possession but Mr. Garland has made many improvements since locating here. The land is arable, yielding good harvests in season. Mr. Garland devotes a portion of his time to raising stock and makes a specialty of breeding and raising Duroc Jersey hogs. He has gained a wide reputation in this particular branch, being recognized as one of the most prominent breeders in Henry county.

The marriage of Mr, and Mrs. Garland has been blessed with seven children, Pearl L., Lillie May, Floyd E., Clarence Arthur, Harold L., Mina D., and Gladys M. The eldest is deceased, and the others are all at home.

Politically Mr. Garland is a republican and has been active in public affairs. He has served as road commissioner and for six years has been a member of the school board. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church at Orion and take an active and helpful part in all departments of church and Sunday-school work. Their home, standing on a hill, commands a splendid view of the surrounding country. It is noted, too, for its gracious and warm-hearted hospitality and the members of the household are held in the highest regard by their many friends.

John Hamilton

The days pass busily for John Hamilton for a farm of one hundred and sixty acres claims his time and attention. It has been his property since 1906 and it constitutes the southwest quarter of section 34, Geneseo township. The place is now well improved and is devoted to the cultivation of cereals and the raising of stock, Mr. Hamilton carefully conducting both branches of his business.

The life record of Mr. Hamilton began on the 22d of September, 1872, his birthplace being on a farm near Grey Abbey, County Down, Ireland. He was a son of James and Jane (Wright) Hamilton, and on the home place he remained to the age of sixteen years, during which period he acquired a good common-school education. He was attracted, however, by the favorable reports which he heard concerning America and her opportunities and resolved that he would try his fortune on the western side of the Atlantic. Accordingly he made arrangements to leave his native country and in due time, the ocean voyage completed, he landed on American shores. He did not tarry in the east, however, but came at once to Henry county, Illinois, where resided his brother, Robert Hamilton, who is now living in Munson township. Mr. Hamilton had very little money when he reached his destination and at once began to work by the month as a farm hand, receiving a remuneration of sixteen dollars per month. He worked in that way for about sixteen years, saving from his wages all that he could spare after purchasing the necessities of life. At length he felt that he had enough money to purchase farm machinery and the other necessary supplies which he would need in cultivating land. He then rented a farm in Phenix township and for some time thereafter continued to lease property, but eventually was enabled to purchase a farm and is now the owner of an excellent tract of land.

On the 20th of December, 1900, Mr. Hamilton was married in Genesee to Miss Emma E. Ernst, a native of Geneseo township and a daughter of George and Magdelena (Holzinger) Ernst. They now have one child, Herbert Ernst, who was born in Phenix township July 31, 1902. Mr. Hamilton's mother is still living in Ireland at the advanced age of eighty years, but the father died during the early childhood of his son. Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Hamilton has given stalwart support to the republican .party, casting his first vote for Harrison. He is not an office seeker, however, but believes that good men should be chosen to the positions. He was reared in the Presbyterian faith, and he and his wife now hold membership in a church of that denomination in Geneseo. They are true and loyal to its teachings and their faith is manifest in kind deeds and upright lives.

Alfred S. Offeree

Alfred S. Offerle, a well known farmer and stock raiser whose farm comprises the north half of the southeast quarter of section 8, Munson township, was born in the city of Geneseo, December 15, 1870, and is a son of John and Catharine (Fisher) Offerle, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. He was reared to manhood in his native city and in the acquirement of his education passed through consecutive grades in the public schools until he had completed two years' work in the high school. He has, however, been largely dependent upon his own resources from the age of thirteen years, when he began work by the month as a farm hand. He was thus employed until the time of his marriage, which was celebrated on Christmas day of 1895, in the Lutheran parsonage in Edford township, the lady of his choice being Miss Lulu Wildermuth, a native of Osco township and a daughter of Phillip and Mary (Niermeyer) Wildermuth, who are now residents of Geneseo. Her father, now about seventy years of age, was born in Alsace, Germany, and when a lad came to America with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Christian Wildermuth. Mrs. Offerle's mother was born in St. Louis, where she grew to womanhood.

Two children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Offerle : Earl John, who was born in Munson township, April lo, 1897; and Delia Irene, who was born on the home place, August 5, 1904.

Mr. Offerle is now the owner of a good farm which he purchased in 1904 and upon which he has erected a dwelling and other modern and substantial buildings. He manifests a spirit of undaunted enterprise in operating his farm, and it is now a carefully cultivated place. In politics he is a republican and has served for five years as school trustee, being the present incumbent in the office. He has also been school director for five years and is a stalwart champion of improvement along the line of public education. Fraternally he is connected with Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Mystic Workers of the World and the Yoemen of America. He is a well known resident of Munson township and is numbered among the worthy native sons of the county.

John H. McMaster, a young man of thirty-two years, is successfully engaged in farming on a tract of one hundred and fifty-four acres, situated in Weller township, three and a half miles west of Galva. He was born in Altona, January 28, 1877, a son of George and Julia (Shear) McMaster. The former was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, March 5, 1847, and was but a young boy when he came to Henry county in 1858. In later life he spent fifteen years in Clay county, Nebraska, but returning to Henry county, purchased a farm of two hundred and forty acres two and a half miles southeast of Nekoma, eighty rods north of the Knox county line, which he still operates. The mother, who is a daughter of Henry Shear, a well known farmer of Altona, is a graduate of the Galesburg high school. Both Mr. and Mrs. George McMaster are well known in Henry county and are numbered among its most upright and honorable citizens.

John H. McMaster was but a young lad when the family removed from Knox county, Illinois, to Clay county, Nebraska, and it was in the schools of Harvard, Nebraska, that he acquired his educational training. He was reared to the duties of the home farm there and also engaged in threshing, in which he was quite successful. In 1901 he returned with his parents to the home of his infancy and early boyhood and also operated a threshing machine here for several seasons and in addition gave his attention to farming pursuits. In the spring of 1906 he leased the farm on which he still makes his home. It contains one hundred and fifty-four acres, and is convenietly located three and a half miles south of Galva. This farm is notable through a somewhat peculiar incident. In a field, which is now used for pasturage, may be seen the remains of a cave which in the early days was used by horse thieves, who infested this section, as a hiding place for their plunder. Mr. McMaster owns an interest in the Galva Grain Threshers Company. He has been successful in the various lines to which he has bent his energies and is now numbered among the representative farmers and business men of Weller township.

Mr. McMaster was married on the 30th of December, 1903, to Miss Mamie Kelly, a daughter of William Kelly, a well known farmer residing near Nekoma. Mrs. McMaster is now thirty-two years of age and is the mother of a bright little daughter, E. Loraine, four years of age.

Mr. McMaster gives his political support to the republican party and is a Modern Woodman, belonging to the camp at Nekoma. He attends and supports the Congregational church at Galva. Both he and his wife are popular with a wide circle of friends, who find a cordial welcome at their hospitable home.

John Root

John Root, practicing law at the Galya bar since 1893, and winning sue-- cess by reason of close application and careful preparation without which advancement in the law is never secured, was born in Bishop Hill, Henry county, Illinois, October 25, 1849. His parents were John and Charlotte (Anderson) Root, both of whom were natives of Sweden, and the subject of this review was their only child. The maternal grandfather died in Sweden, after which his widow came to America and spent her last days at Bishop Hill. In early manhood John Root, Sr., came to the United States and served as a soldier in the Mexican war. Almost immediately afterward, or about 1848, he established his home at Bishop Hill, where he lived for a short time and later removed to Chicago, where he died in the early '50s. His wife survived him and passed away at Galva, February 22, 1905, at the advanced age of eighty years and nine months.

John Root, whose name introduces this record, was reared at Bishop Hill with the colony that settled there, spending his youth as a farm boy, devoting much of his time to the mastery of those branches of learning which were taught in the public schools. In 1862, when the colony disbanded, with his mother and her two sisters, he began farming on about fifty acres of land two miles southwest of Bishop Hill, which land he still retained, with some additions, being compelled to establish his title thereto in the supreme court of Illinois. In 1872 he became a student at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, and also spent a period at Bryant & Stratton Business College in Chicago. The profession of law seemed to him an attractive field and in preparation for practice he began reading in the office and under the direction of Judge Bigelow, of Galva, and was admitted to the bar in March, 1*880. In the meantime he taught a country school during the winter months for five or six years. Sixteen years ago, or in 1893, he removed to Galva and has practiced here continuously since. In the scholastic year of 1888-9 he pursued a course in the Union College of Law, a branch of Northwestern University at Chicago and throughout his professional career he has continued his reading and study, familiarizing himself with principle and precedent and gaining an intimate knowledge of the law whereby he is enabled to try in capable manner any case that is likely to be brought before the courts of the district.

On the 22d of June, 1874, Mr. Root was united in marriage to Miss Betsy Ogren, a daughter of Eric and Brita Ogren. Mrs. Root was born in Sweden and was only three years old when brought to the United States, her girlhood days being spent at Bishop Hill, where her mother died over twenty years ago. Her father died in Andover township, this county, when well advanced in years, and his parents passed away in Galva township and were buried at Bishop Hill. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Root have been born five children: Vincent J., Clarence, Amy, Ralph W. and Earl. The first named is practicing law in partnership with his father, having graduated from the Northwestern University Law School. He married Christine Wing and they make their home in Galva. The second son died when little more than three years of age. Amy is the wife of Manfred Peterson and they have one son, Lyle M. Ralph is a graduate of the Northwestern University Law School, and Earl is attending high school.

The family home is a fine residence in Galva which Mr. Root erected in 1892, He also owns farm lands near his home in Galva and his property is the visible evidence of his industrious habits and of the success which he has attained in professional circles. He belongs to Galva Lodge, No. 408, L O. O. F., and also to the Modern Woodmen camp. His political views accord with the principles of the republican party and for the past ten years he has been and still is the master in chancery of Henry county, having been appointed by Judge Bigelow in 1899 and reappointed by Judge Graves. His devotion to his clients' interests is proverbial and at the bar he has made a record which places him among the ablest lawyers of the district.

Frederick A. Hurlbutt

Frederick A. Hurlbutt, one of the most extensive landowners and successful agriculturists of Henry county, makes his home on section 6, Galva township. His birth occurred in the town of Dalton, Coos county. New Hampshire, on the 9th of November, 1831, his parents being Alba and Laura (Osgood) Hurlbutt, likewise natives of the old Granite state. The paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Hurlbutt, was a farmer by occupation. He was born February 16, 1760, and died in New Hampshire on the 13th of April, 1839. He was married August 12, 1785, to Sabrina Green, who had also attained a ripe old age at the time of her demise. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Levi Osgood, was likewise born in New Hampshire and followed farming as a life work. Both he and his wife, Mrs. Susan Osgood, Hved to a good old age. They reared a family of four children, namely: Hannah, Laura, Caroline and Willard.

Alba Hurlbutt, the father of Frederick A. Hurlbutt, was a physician by profession and in 1840 took up his abode at Truro, Knox county, Illinois, where he successfully practiced medicine during the remainder of his life. He passed away in 1858, at the age of sixty-four years, and his wife, who was called to her final rest on the 14th of March, 1871, was also sixty- four years of age at the time of her death. They had a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, as follows: Hubbard, Edmund and Nathaniel, all of whom have passed away;

Laura, the deceased wife of Leander Taylor ; Frederick A., of this review ; Susan, the wife of Alexander Taylor, of Abilene, Kansas ; Francis, a resident of Knox county, Illinois ; Charles, who is deceased ; and one who died in infancy.

Frederick A . Hurlbutt, who was a little lad of nine years when he came to this state with his parents, grew to manhood on his father's farm in Knox county. The father gave his attention to the practice of medicine and left the active work of the fields to his sons. Mr. Hurlbutt of this review attended the district schools in the acquirement of an education and remained under the parental roof until he attained the age of twenty-eight years. On starting out in business life on his own account he purchased some young cattle, broke prairie and engaged in general fanning. He also bought a house and lot in Altona, which he subsequently traded for a quarter section of land in Iowa. In 1858 he broke eighty acres of land in Burns township, Henry county, for which he had traded his quarter section in Iowa. As the years passed by and his financial resources increased, owing to his untiring energy and good management, he added to his acreage from time to time by additional purchase until his landed holdings now embrace one thousand acres in Henry county and one hundred and sixty acres in Polk county, Nebraska. When it first came into his possession, nearly all of the land which he now owns in this county was only raw prairie, but he has transformed it into rich and productive farming property which readily responds to the cultivation that is bestowed upon it. The property is all well improved and in one tract, though there are six residences upon it and it is divided into different farms. Mr. Hurlbutt is likewise a director in the Galva State Bank and is widely recognized as one of the most sucessful agriculturists and prosperous citizens of the county.

On the 31st of October, i860, Mr. Hurlbutt was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Osgood, who was born in Coos county, New Hampshire, April 15, 1839. her parents being Willard and Mary (Perry) Osgood, Hkewise natives of the old Granite state. In 1841 they took up their abode in Knox county, Illinois, where Willard Osgood passed away in 1844. The demise of his wife occurred in Nebraska. Unto them had been born three sons and a daughter, namely: Levi, Lewis, Caroline and Willard. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Hurlbutt was Levi Osgood, who was the maternal grandfather of Mr. Hurlbutt.

Unto our subject and his wife have been born nine children, the record of whom is as follows : Edgar, the eldest, resides on one of his father's farms. Elmer, who also makes his home on that farm, wedded Miss Effie Alichaels, by whom he has four children: Earl, Marion, Edna and Van Nice. Levi, who resides on another of his father's farms, has been married three times. He first wedded Miss Marguerite Sewell, by whom he had two children, Leo and Marguerite, and subsequent to her death was joined in wedlock to Miss Pearl Crowell, who was called to her final rest shortly afterward. He then married Miss Belle Murchison and they now have a son. Frederick, who also lives on one of his father's farms, wedded Miss Winnie Hamilton, by whom he has two children. Hazel and Raymond. Charles, who likewise resides on a farm belonging to his father, was married to Miss Ethel Stanturf and has a daughter, Elsie. Frank is still at home. Minnie is the wife of John Peugh and resides in Loup City, Nebraska. She has four daughters: Gladys, Nettie, Zelda and Laurice. Jennie gave her hand in marriage to Frank Penny and they make their home on one of her father's farms. Zelda is the wife of Hubbard Hurlbutt and resides in Pasadena, California. The mother of this family was called to her final rest on the 31st of March, 1905, when she had attained the age of sixty-five years. Her demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for she had an extensive circle of warm friends throughout the community.

Mr. Hurlbutt gives his political allegiance to the men and measures of the republican party and has done effective service for the cause of education as a school director, which office he held for many years. Few men have more intimate knowledge of the history of this part of the state or have longer witnessed its growth and progress than he, and he relates many interesting incidents concerning the early days when this region' was largely an unsettled district, the prairie land having been unclaimed and uncultivated, while only here and there was a settlement to give evidence that the tide of emigration was flowing westward. He has now passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's journey and receives the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded one who has traveled thus far on this earthly pilgrimage and whose career has been at all times upright and honorable.

Emery Judson Record

Emery Judson Record, an industrious and enterprising citizen of Cambridge, is ranked among Henry county's native sons, his birth having occurred on the 28th of August, 1869. On both the paternal and maternal side he comes from families long represented in Pennsylvania, members of the Record family having originally come to that state from Scotland. The parents of our subject were Benjamin J. and Sarah A. (Deets) Record, of whom extended mention is made in the sketch of Andrew Jackson Record on another page of this volume. The father, who was also a native of the Keystone state, was a farmer, devoting his time and attention to that occupation up to about sixteen years prior to his demise, when he retired from active business life and removed to Cambridge, where he passed away on December 31., 1905, at the age of seventysix years. His wife still survives, as does four of their children: Andrew J., who resides in Cambridge; Benjamin Sylvanus, a resident of Woodward, Iowa; Frank S., also making his home in Cambridge ; and Emery J., of this review. They lost two children, Ella J., the deceased wife of Perry Dickerson, and Florence, who passed away in infancy.

In Osco township on his father's farm Emery Judson Record was reared to manhood and in the meantime acquired his education in the district schools and in the public schools of Cambridge. When not engaged with his textbooks he assisted his father in the work of the farm, and his time was thus employed until the year 1890, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Cambridge. In 1896 he established himself in the bakery and confectionery business, being thus identified with the business interests of the city until 1908, and during the intervening years he became very successful in his undertaking. In the latter year he sold out and since that time has been in the employ of Johnson & Record, lumber dealers, of which firm his brother, A. J. Record, is junior partner.

On November j8, 1896, Mr. Record was united in marriage to Miss Mabel E. Vaughan, a daughter of Edmund A. and Althea (Bissel) Vaughan, and a native of Cambridge, Illinois. Her parents were both natives of Vermont who, coming to Cambridge, Illinois, at an early date, were numbered among the pioneer settlers of this district. Here the father carried on a shop for some time and later he removed to Amboy, where he passed away in 1904, at the age of sixty years. His widow then removed to California, where she still makes her home near Sacramento. In their family were four children ; Blanch, the wife of Ulysses S. Smith, a resident of Sacramento, California; Mabel E., the wife of Mr. Record; Grace, the deceased wife of Arthur Harrington; and Clayton Vaughan, residing in Fair Oaks, near Sacramento. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Record was blessed with two children, Neva Evelyn and June Adaline.

Mr. Record's religious faith is indicated in his membership in the Congregational church, while he is prominent in fraternal circles, belonging to Cambridge Lodge, No. 49, A. F. & A. M., and also to Geneseo Chapter, No. 12, R. A. M. At the polls he gives stalwart support to the republican party, and is at all times interested in party affairs, but the emoluments and honors of public office have no attraction for him, preferring as he does to direct his entire energies to the conduct of his personal affairs. His has been an active life in which he has been very successful, and his thrift and enterprise are manifest in the fact that he is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land in Lipscomb county, Texas, and also one hundred and sixty acres in Faulk county, South Dakota, all of which is in excellent condition and is a source of gratifying profit to him. He has at all times realized the value of perseverance and industry and throughout his entire business career these elements have been the salient characteristics. Having passed his entire life in this vicinity he has gained an extensive circle of friends who entertain for him high regard, while he enjoys the respect, confidence and good will of all with whom he has come in contact.

George A. Talcott

Among Geneseo's native sons who in the years of manhood have become active factors in advancing the city's substantial development, .is George A. Talcott, owner and publisher of the Enterprise. He was here born November 23, 1857, his parents being Dr. Edwin J. and Harriet (Johnson) Talcott, the former born in Rome, New York, and the latter, in the western part of the Empire state. Their family numbered seven children, but only three are now living, the brother of our subject being LeRoy Talcott, a resident of Chariton, Iowa, while the sister is Miss Agnes Talcott, of Oak Park, Illinois. Dr. Talcott had graduated from a medical school and entered upon the practice of his profession at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. In his early manhood he had located in Rock Island county, Illinois, but afterward removed to Henry county, and it was from the latter that he enlisted as a private in 1861, joining an independent company. With his command he was sent into Missouri, when General Price made his raid in that state, and later he and almost the entire company enlisted in the Eighth Kansas Regiment. Subsequently he was promoted to assistant surgeon with the rank of captain and remained with the army for a little more than four years. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Cumberland in the division commanded by General Thomas. Captain Trego, who commanded the company, was killed at the battle of Chickamauga, and the Eighth Kansas lost many of its gallant soldiers, for it participated in many of the hardest engagements of the war.

When hostilities were over and the country no longer needed his aid Dr. Talcott located at Spring Hill, where he practiced medicine until his death, which occurred in August, 1892, when he was sixty-six years of age. His wife, who was a consistent member of the Congregational church, passed away in January, 1882, when about forty-six years of age. In his political views Dr. Talcott was a stalwart republican and for many years served in public office. He acted as postmaster at Spring Hill for a number of years, as school director for many years and was also a member of the board of supervisors for one term.

Not only were the parents of George A. Talcott well known as early residents of this part of the state, but the grandparents also settled in Illinois in pioneer times. His paternal grandfather, Asel Talcott, a native of New York, became one of the early residents of Rock Island county, Illinois, and also cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of Henry county, when the work of improvement and development had been carried forward there to only a slight degree. He was a farmer by occupation and also established and operated the Talcott ferry which was the only ferry on the Rock river between Rock Island and Dixon. The maternal grandfather of George A. Talcott was Jeremiah H. Johnson, who removed from the Empire state to Illinois about 1840 and settled at Sharon in the northern part of Henry county. He was a farmer by occupation but after devoting some time to the tilling of the soil opened a store in Sharon. A few years later he removed to Moline, Illinois, where he conducted a hotel, and following his retirement he returned to Henry county, his death occurring in Geneseo when he was more than seventy years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Harriet Getty, survived him for a number of years.

George A. Talcott was reared at Spring Hill, just across the line in Whiteside county, and remained with his parents until he had attained his majority. He acquired his education by attending successively the Spring Hill public schools, the Geneseo high school and the Valparaiso (Indiana) Normal. He afterward engaged in teaching for two years and subsequently devoted several years to clerking in a store in Spring Hill, during which time he gained practical and comprehensive knowledge concerning commercial methods. Ambitious to engage in business on his own account he then opened a general store which he conducted for several years, and after selling out he devoted ten years to general farming. On leaving his farm he took up his abode at Prophetstown, Illinois, where he continued for three years, and in 1905 he came to Geneseo, where he engaged in merchandising for two years. He next purchased an interest in the Genesee Enterprise, forming a partnership with Phineas Marrow. The paper is published semi-weekly and is independent in politics. It is the successor to the Geneseo News, which was established by Henry L. Kiner, who remained its publisher for twenty-eight years.

In April, 1882, Mr. Talcott was united in marriage to Miss Kate E. Fuller, a daughter of John P. and Almira (Lamphere) Fuller. Four children were born of this union; Bertha,. Laura, Clara and Harriet A. The eldest daughter is the wife of the Rev. W. B. Millard, of Morgan Park, Illinois, and they have one son, Harper. Mrs, Talcott died September 26, 1908, at the age of fifty-three years, and her death was deeply regretted by many friends who had learned to esteem her for her many good qualities of heart and mind. In his political views Mr. Talcott is a republican and while living in Whiteside county served for six years as a member of the board of supervisors, acting as chairman of the board at one time. He was also a member of the board of review, was town clerk and for fifteen years was school treasurer. His attention is now given almost entirely to the Geneseo Telephone Company, in which he has a financial interest, and yet he is never remiss in the duties of citizenship, cooperating in a private way as well as in his professional capacity in all of the movements and measures which are directly beneficial to the community.

John C. Bannister

John C. Bannister is a prominent representative of business interests which have made Kewanee an important industrial center. He was born in Evanston, Illinois, November 15, i860, his parents being Henry and Lucy (Kimball) Bannister, His father, the Rev. Henry Bannister, D. D., was one of the professors in the Garrett Biblical Institute, the theological department of the Northwestern University. John C. Bannister, after mastering the elementary branches of learning, continued his studies in the Northwestern University from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts as a member of the class of 1883. In 1886 he received the honorary degree of Master of Arts and during the initiative period of his career was engaged in teaching, being for a time vice principal in the Princeton township high school at Princeton, Illinois. During the latter period his leisure hours were devoted to study and research along the lines of engineering to which his taste and talent naturally directed him, and to the field of mechanical pursuits he turned his energies when in January, 1891, he resigned his position at Princeton and came to Kewanee to accept a position as foreman of the fittings department of the Western Tube Company. A year later he was made superintendent of the pipe finishing department and occupied that position until March, 1898, when he left the mill and assumed a place in the office as mechanical engineer and assistant to A. M. Hewlett, who was then acting as general superintendent as well as vice president of the Western Tube Company. Mr. Bannister had charge of the mechanical engineering work and secondary responsibility in operations. He continued in that position until

1902 when he resigned and entered the employ of the Kewanee Boiler Company as superintendent. In 1905, he resigned and returned to the Tube works as chief engineer, having charge of the entire engineering department for the company. Upon the death of Mr. Hewlett, December 20, 1907, he was made manager of the Western Tube Company, and on the ist of January, 1908, after the reorganization of the business and a change of the name to National Tube Company, Kewanee Works, he was made manager. He is thus in control of the most important industrial enterprise in this city and his broad scientific knowledge and his practical experience combined with his executive abihty to make him one of the most forceful and valued factors in the business life of the community. His advancement has followed as the logical result of his mental equipment and diligence and his success is therefore well merited.

On the 25th of December, 1886, Mr. Bannister was married to Miss Frances Bryant, of Princeton, Illinois, a daughter of Elijah W. Bryant, a farmer of that locality. Seven children have been born to them, namely : Bryant, Kimball, Elizabeth, Laura, John Howard, Francis Sue and Mary Willard.

Mr. and Mrs. Bannister are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in its work take active and helpful interest. He is now serving as one of the trustees thereof and is active in Bible class work. He is a member of the Ymmietdrah Society and the advisor of the Methodist branch of one hundred and forty members. In his fraternal relations he is a Mason and Elk, having attained the Knight Templar degree in the former organization. He has also taken a deep interest in Masonry and has passed through all of the chairs of the lodge and has served as master. He belongs to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is interested in its success but not an aspirant for office. In 1906, however, he was elected alderman from the fourth ward and received endorsement of his first term in his reelection, but soon afterward resigned, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs which are now extensive and demand all of his time. In all outdoor sports he is an enthusiast, being especially interested in baseball and golf, and these furnish him recreation from the onerous duties which devolve upon him in his business connections. His record is characterized by a masterful grasp of every problem that has been presented for solution in the line of his duty and gradually he has worked his way upward until his success places him among the men of influence in Henry county.

Robert Hall Craig

Robert Hall Craig, who passed away on the i8th of May, 1909, was for a number of years prominently identified with the agricultural and stock raising interests of Henry county and at one time was the largest landowner in his vicinity, having altogether ten hundred and eighty-four acres in Wethersfield township. His birth occurred in Topsham, Orange county. Vermont, on the Tst of January, 1826, his parents being James and Margaret (Dickey) Craig, who were natives of Scotland and Vermont respectively. Robert Dickey, the ma- ternal grandfather of our subject, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. James Craig, the father of Robert H. Craig, was about ten years of age when he was brought to the United States by his widowed mother, and throughout his active business career he followed general agricultural pursuits in Vermont. In 1853 he made his way to Elmira, Stark county, Illinois, and there passed away twenty-four months later at the age of seventy-five years. A few years afterward, at Neponset, Bureau county, Illinois, his widow was called to her final rest.

Robert Hall Craig was one of a large family of children and early in life was thrown upon his own resources, going to work when but ten years of age. Securing employment as a farm hand, he was thus busily engaged until twenty-two years of age, when he was married and purchased a tract of land in Orange county, Vermont. After he had devoted his energies to its cultivation for a couple of years he had the misfortune to break his leg and was unable to do any work for two years. At the end of that time he was obliged to sell his farm and in the fall of 1850 removed westward, taking up his abode on a tract of eighty acres which he purchased in Elmira, Stark county, Illinois. When a year had passed he disposed of the property and was then engaged in the operation of rented land for three years. On the expiration of that period he bought a farm of one hundred and ten acres four miles east of Wethersfield, in Stark county, residing thereon until he sold the place in 1871. In that year he purchased a quarter of section of land in the southwestern part of Wethersfield township and was there actively and successfully engaged in the conduct of his agricultural interests until September, 1896, gradually extending the boundaries of his farm by additional purchase from time to time until it embraced ten hundred and eightyfour acres of rich and arabk land. After putting aside the active work of the fields he spent seven years in Galva but on the expiration of that period sold his home there and took up his abode in Wethersfield, buying a comfortable residence at No. Ill Tenney street, where his remaining days were spent. His demise occurred on the i8th of May, 1909, when he was in the eighty-third year of his age. On his arrival in this state his cash capital amounted to only two hundred dollars, but he prospered in his undertakings and at the time of his retirement was the largest landowner in his vicinity. He was thoroughly familiar with the work of farming from a scientific as well as practical standpoint and was so thorough and painstaking in his methods that his land not only yielded the best grade of produce but also the largest possible quantity. In addition to his agricultural interests he also gave considerable attention to stock raising, annually shipping a carload of shorthorn cattle and two carloads of Poland China hogs. He was likewise engaged in the raising of horses on an extensive scale. In all of his business dealings he was characterized by an integrity and uprightness that won him the unqualified confidence and trust of those with whom he was associated and his word was considered as good as any bond ever solemnized by signature or seal.

On the 23d of March, 1848, in Topsham township, Orange county, Vermont, Mr. Craig was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Fellows, a native of that county and. a daughter of John and Lucy Fellows. When nineteen years of age she began work in the cotton and woolen mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, and was thus employed until she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Craig when a young lady of twenty-one. This union was blessed with a family of ten children, nine sons and one daughter, the record of whom is as follows : Henry H., a carpenter residing in Wethersfield ; Frank H., who is the principal of the Wethersfield school and makes his home with his mother ; Melvin, a farmer of Saxon ; Dudley, who formerly served as an alderman of Kewanee; Burton and Elmer, who are numbered among the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of Wethersfield township; Ellen Jane, James and John, all of whom died in childhood; and Fred, who passed away in 1883 at the age of eighteen years. All of the sons assisted in the operation of the home farm until they had attained their majority, after which the father paid them good wages and when they were ready to start out for themselves he gave them a tract of eighty acres and sold them as much more land as they wished to buy.

Handicapped in youth by obstacles and difficulties which would have utterly discouraged many a man of less determined spirit, Mr. Craig resolutely set to work and eventually won the prosperity which ever rewards earnest, persistent and well directed labor. His record may well serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others who are dependent upon their own resources for whatever success they may hope to achieve. He was a man of excellent character, beloved by his family and honored and respected in the community, so that all sympathize with the household from which such a light has gone out. Mrs. Craig makes her home in Wethersfield and has a host of warm friends throughout the county where she has now long resided.

John F. Smith

One of the most influential men of Edford township and also one of its wealthiest farmers is John F, Smith, who for many years has been the township supervisor. He has likewise a reputation as a feeder and producer of beef cattle and his home, on section 31, is one of the notable farms of the locality. He was born on the land on which he now lives and in the house in which his son Arthur A. resides, November 10, 1854, and is the son of William F. and Caroline (Emmert) Smith. The father, who was a native of Prussia, came to America at the age of nineteen and, landing at Baltimore, Maryland, went to work in that state as a farm hand. After a few years, by dint of much saving, he was able to buy six horses and engaged in hauling goods from Baltimore, Maryland, to Wheeling, West Virginia, and to other places in those states and in Ohio. He followed that line of work until the railroads invading the territory destroyed his business and compelled him to seek a land of greater opportunities. Accordingly he and a brother John started westward. They went down the Ohio river, then up the Mississippi to Alton, and across the prairies to Henry county, Illinois, working for varying periods of time at different places along their line of progress. The brothers remained for some weeks in Jacksonville, and perhaps would have made it their home save for the prevalence of ague there at the time, which compelled them to continue their wanderings till they came to a more suitable place. In 1850 they located on the farm on which John F. Smith was born. They bought one hundred and sixty acres apiece from the Davenports, who had put up a house, the frame of which is still standing. It had been hewn out of native oaks and the sawed lumber had been hauled by ox-teams from Chicago. After making their purchase they returned to Cumberland, Maryland, and sold their teams preparatory to a permanent removal, and in the spring of 185 1 they came to Henry county, bringing with them their families. They went down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi as they had done on their first trip and landed at Rock Island, whence they drove across the country to Edford township and their new home. Tliis did indeed prove to be a land of opportunities, for good fortune attended his earnest efforts, and William Smith was able to add steadily to the original tract until he had over a thousand acres of good, arable land.

While he was engaged in teaming in Cumberland, Maryland, William Smith became acquainted with and married Miss Caroline Emmert, a native of Bavaria, who had come to this country with her parents. There were six children of this union, one of whom was born in Maryland. They were Maggie A., who married Dr. A. I. Lawbaugh, of Calumet, Michigan; William F., who died at the age of three ; John F., of this sketch ; Carrie, who is the wife of George J. Smith and lives in Geneseo; Ella, who married James Stevenson, of Geneseo; and Emma, who, unmarried, resides in Geneseo. A stanch democrat in his political views, the father was yet never an office-seeker, though concerned for the welfare of the township. He was reared in the Lutheran faith, and after coming to this locality assisted in establishing the English church of that denomination. He was a friend of education and made his prime duty to upbuild the interests of the community. He passed away February 26, 1902, and his wife survived him only until November 18 of that year.

John F. Smith spent his boyhood on the home farm and in the common schools received a good English education. At the age of nineteen he took a course of six months in Bryant & Stratton Business College at Davenport, Iowa, and immediately after assumed charge of four hundred and eighty acres which his father had purchased in Western township. Until he was twenty-two years of age he remained in the employ of his father and then for six years longer engaged in farming in Western township on his own account. By diligent efforts and excellent management he has been able to win a success that is almost phenomenal, for besides the three hundred and twenty acres he inherited he has been able to buy land until he now owns thirteen hundred and fifty acres in Henry county and four hundred and eighty acres in South Dakota. General farming demands much of his attention, but he gives every year more and more time to the breeding of cattle and the high grade of his stock has made for him a wide reputation.

On the 6th of March, 1882, Mr. Smith wedded Miss Mary E. Smith, of Livingston county, Illinois. She is a native of Maryland, and is a daughter of Charles A. and Elizabeth (Hazel) Smith, who had been friends of the parents of John F. Smith in Maryland and after the former came to Illinois they revived the old acquaintanceship. Mr. and Mrs. John F. Smith have had six children. Walter W. married Miss Velmya Howlett and lives in Osco township.

Arthur A. married Miss Abbie Richmond and Hves on the home place. Everett E. married Miss Rebecca Brown, of Hooppole, Yorktown township, and Hves in Edford township. William F. is at home. John Wesley and George Leslie, the youngest, are twins. All the older children have graduated from the high school and the others are either attending school in Geneseo or at Knox College, for Mr. Smith fully appreciates the value of a good education. In fact for twenty-five years he has been a school director and has used his influence toward educational advancement in Edford township.

A democrat in his political views, he has filled the office of supervisor of his township since 1902. He was first elected to serve as chairman of the board to fill out the unexpired term of the late Thomas Nowers in 1907 and has since continuously held that position. During the period of his incumbency substantial improvements have gone steadily ahead. Reared in the Lutheran faith, since he was sixteen he has been a member of the English church of that denomination in Morristown, the church his father did so much toward establishing. His wife and children also belong to the congregation and are actively interested in its work. Endowed by nature with those traits which make for success in life, he has employed the opportunities at his command with results that would be enviable were they not so evidently attained through honest work, guided by high principles.