Knox County, Illinois - The whole text, 1912 (part 29 of 56)

Mr. Crump had been married on the I5th of August, 1870, to Miss Henrietta Woolsey, of Knoxville, who was born here on the 23d of December, 1853, a daughter of William and Margaret Woolsey, who were natives of Pennsylvania and at an early period in the development of this part of the state came to Knox county, where they resided until called to their final home. In their family were eleven children, namely : Frederick, now deceased ; James, who served as a soldier of Company E, Eighty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and is now a resident of Iowa; Henry, who also served in the Civil war and is now living in Atlantic, Iowa ; John, who valiantly espoused the cause of the Union on southern battlefields and also makes his home in Atlantic ; Byram, now deceased ; Wright, who has also passed away ; Henrietta, now Mrs. Crump ; Kate, the wife of William Meecham, of Knoxville; Clayton, a resident of Atlantic, Iowa; William, of Atlantic, Iowa, and Fayette, deceased. The father of Mrs. Crump was also a soldier in the Union army and died from wounds while in the service - and thus the family made a splendid record for loyalty and bravery.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Crump were born three children, the elder being Mina L., wife of Claude Vangilder, now deceased ; Catherine, the wife of William Venell, of St. Joseph, Missouri ; and Valda, a son, living at home with his mother. Mr. Crump always maintained pleasant relations with his old arniy comrades through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was also interested in local affairs and at one time served as city marshal of Knoxville. His aid and cooperation could ever be counted upon to further progressive public movements and he was accounted a valued citizen, upright and honorable, his sterling worth winning for him the confidence and good-will of all who knew him. He had a wide acquaintance in Knox county, where his entire life was passed, and many of the comrades of his youth remained the friends of his manhood, indicating that his life record was ever a creditable one.

There have been many theories advanced concerning success, but careful analysis of the lives of many men, who have risen from comparative obscurity in business to a position of prominence, indicates the fact that all honorable success has had its root in straightforward dealing, indefatigable industry and persistent purpose. Such has been the record of the senior partner and manager of the firm of James C. Simpson & Company, operating country lumberyards, and president of the Simpson, McClure Lumber Company of Galesburg. .. . .,

James C. Simpson was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, April 13, 1864, and his parents, William E. and Sarah Ann (Means) Simpson, were also natives of that state. The former was a son of John H. and Eliza (Lewis) Simpson. John H. Simpson, born in Virginia, was a farmer by occupation. His family included William, Jane, Ann, David, Thomas, Irwin, Caroline, Theodosia and Harry. Of these David and Thomas were killed while serving as soldiers in the Union army. The maternal grandfather of James C. Simpson was Edward Means, a native of Pennsylvania, who engaged in both merchandising and farming. He married a Miss Hopkins, who died at a comparatively early age, while Mr. Means lived to the age of seventy-seven years. Their children were Sarah Ann, Jane, Dr. William A. Means, the Rev. Theodore Means, Mary, Charlotte, Thompson, Milton and Thomas. The last two died while serving in the Union army during the Civil war. . -, :.-:::''--' .>v;"v.; \|

William E. Simpson, father of James C. Simpson, was reared in Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, pursued his education there and became a public-school teacher and farmer. He served as a soldier in the Civil war for one year, acting as assistant to the surgeon and doing duty on a federal hospital boat on the James river. He passed away at Punxsutawney in 1906, at the age of sixty-five years. His first wife, Sarah Ann Means, had died in 1873, ^^ the age of thirty years. Both were members of the Presbyterian church and were consistent Christian people. For his second wife William E. Simpson married Miss Anna North. There were six children born of the first marriage, of whom three are now living : James C. ; Mrs. Etta Farrand, of Chicago; and Wade M., of Galesburg. Frank, Clayton, and Ida died at an early age. The children of the second marriage were also six in number: Blanche, the wife of Lex N. Mitchell, of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania ; Burt, living in Kewanee, Missouri ; Blaine, a resident of Oregon ; Mrs. Catharine Lindsay, of Portland, Oregon ; Vere, living in Punxsutawney ; and Raymond, whose home is in Lawrenceville, Illinois.

The youthful days of James C. Simpson were spent on a farm in the vicinity of Punxsutawney. He attended the district school, while later he became a student of the Covode (Pa.) Academy and in J. C. Duncan's Business College of Davenport, Iowa. He came to the middle west in 1884, making his headquarters first at Albany, Illinois. He had previously engaged in teaching through three winter terms in the country schools of his native state, and also followed that profession for three terms in Whiteside county, Illinois. During the first five years of his residence in this state he was also employed during the summer months as a clerk on a Mississippi river steamboat, and later as a traveling salesman for a wholesale lumber house, which he represented for six years. In the winter of 1894 he became a resident of Galesburg, where he has since made his home. Unfaltering industry and careful expenditure enabled him here to embark in business on his own account. He purchased the lumberyard owned by O. Hawkinson & Company and conducted the business under the name of J. C. Simpson & Company. This yard was afterward incorporated under the name of the Simpson, McClure Lumber Company. During the seventeen years of his residence in Galesburg he has made for himself a creditable position in its business circles. Promptness, reliability and persistency of purpose have been the factors employed in the attainment of success and have gained for him an enviable position among Galesburg's leading citizens. .-; . .' .

On the 1 7th of February, 1897, Mr. Simpson was united in marriage to Miss Harriette H. Post, a daughter of General Philip Sidney and Cornelia A. (Post) Post, natives of New York. Mrs. Simpson's father served in the Civil war and was afterward made consul at Vienna. Subsequently he served as congressman, from 1887 until his death in January, 1895. His wife passed away in 1908. They were the parents of three children, Harriette H., Philip S., and William S. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have five children, Sidney, Cornelia, William, Harriet and Mary. The family reside at No. 516 North Prairie street and theirs is one of the hospitable homes of the city. In his political views Mr. Simpson is a republican and, while never seeking nor desiring office, has always kept well informed on the general issues and questions of the day. He holds membership in the Galesburg and Elk Clubs and of the former is a director. He is also one of the trustees of Galesburg Hospital and the present chairman of its board. In all his life, duty and honor have been his watchwords and justice has been one of his strong characteristics. In his business career he is prominent as a man whose constantly expanding powers have taken him from humble surroundings to the field of large enterprise and continually broadening opportunities. - - , " ,.-: - . \-/

The United States has become peopled by the native sons of every country and among the worthy residents that the green isle of Erin has furnished to Galesburg is numbered Thomas Keefe, now one of the prosperous lumber merchants of this city. He is a self-made man, starting out in life empty-handed and depending upon industry, perseverance and diligence for his success. He still continues active in trade circles although he is now seventy-two years of age. He was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, April 22, 1839, a son of Thomas and Catherine (Farrell) Keefe, who were also natives of the same place. There they were reared and married and in the early '503 they came to the United States, settling in Delaware county. New York, where the father secured employment in a tannery. He worked in that way for six or seven years and then began farming, which he followed in Delaware county until his death. His wife passed away in the same locality. They were members of the Roman Catholic church and Mr. Keefe gave his political allegiance to the democratic party. In their family were the following children : Patrick, John and Maria, all now deceased ; Thomas, of this review ; Luke and Margaret, who have also passed away ; Catherine, the wife of James W. Tucker, of Cooperstown, New York ; and Michael, deceased.

; Thomas Keefe was a lad in his teens when he accompanied his parents on the long voyage across the Atlantic to the United States. His education, which had been begun in the schools of his native country, was continued in the public schools of New York, and for a time he gave his attention to farm work in the Empire state, but in i86i he came to the middle west, settling in Henderson township, this county, where he entered the employ of Henry and Will Sisson, working on a farm for three years. He was afterward employed for a year by Captain Grant and spent a similar period on the Potter farm. Twenty years were passed in the employ of G. W. Bamett in the grain business and during the last seven years of that period he was in partnership with Mr. Bamett in the grain trade at St. Augustine, Illinois. At the time the Santa Fe Railroad was being built he came to Galesburg and established a lumber business at his present location. During the years of his connection with the business interests of this city he has made steady progress, has a well equipped lumberyard and enjoys a good patronage.

On the 22d of December, 1864, Mr. Keefe was united in marriage to Miss Winifred O'Hare, a daughter of Simon O'Hare, of Tuam, Galway County, Ireland. The children of this marriage are : John, now living in Sioux City, Iowa ; Winifred, who is the wife of John Scanlon, of Chicago, and has four children; Marie, Genevieve, John and George ; Frank, living in San Francisco, California ; Ursula and Teresa, both at home ; Ita, who is the wife of T. H. Kevlin, of Chicago, and has one child, Marion ; Anastasia, living in Chicago ; and Regina, at home. The wife jind mother died July i8, 1907, at the age of sixty-three years, her death having occurred at her home in Galesburg.

In politics Mr. Keefe is independent, voting as his judgment dictates rather , than by the promptings of party rule. He is a member of the Corpus Christi :.-'. Catholic church and also holds membership with the Knights of Columbus. He may truly be called a self-made man and as the architect of his own fortune -.,': has builded wisely and well. He has never allowed obstacles or difficulties to , discourage him and his persistency of purpose and energy have opened for him -: the way to success. : ' .' ;- ' ' : '- "! i : -.^'.

For the past thirty-one years Isaac Frank Cole has been successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a hundred and twenty acres of land, located two miles south of Williamsfield. His birth occurred two miles east of here in Brimfield township, Peoria county, on the 2ist of December, 1851. He is of English extraction in the paternal line, his grandparents having come from Yorkshire, while his father, William F. Cole, was bom in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on the i8th of July, i8i8. Upon their arrival in this country the family located in Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Pittsburg. In his early manhood William F. Cole came west, settling in Brimfield township, Peoria county, in the spring of 1844. There he engaged in farming until 1854, when he removed with his family to Millbrook township, where he acquired one hundred and twenty acres of land that he cultivated until his death on December 23, 1883. For his wife Mr. Cole chose Miss Mary Ann Cutter, who was born in the vicinity of Ashland, Richland county, Ohio, on the 29th of July, 1829. As a child of four years she accompanied her people on their removal to Peoria county in 1833, and there she was reared to womanhood and married on the i6th of April, 1846. She survived her husband for a number of years, her death occurring on March 15, 1894. Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cole, as follows: John, a veteran of the Civil war, who is a physician in Williamsfield ; one, who died in infancy ; William H., who is farming in the were passed in the employ of G. W. Barnett in the grain business and during the last seven years of that period he was in partnership with Mr. Barnett in the grain trade at St. Augustine, Illinois. At the time the Santa Fe Railroad was being built he came to Galesburg and established a lumber business at his present location. During the years of his connection with the business interests of this city he has made steady progress, has a well equipped lumberyard and enjoys a good patronage.

On the 22d of December. 1864. Mr. Keefe was united in marriage to Miss Winifred O'Hare, a daughter of Simon O'Hare, of Tuam, Galway County, Ireland. The children of this marriage are : John, now living in Sioux City, Iowa ; Winifred, who is the wife of John Scanlon, of Chicago, and has four children; Marie, Genevieve, John and George: Frank, living in San Francisco, California; Ursula and Teresa, both at home: Ita, who is the wife of T. H. Kevlin, of Chicago, and has one child, Marion : Anastasia, living in Chicago : and Regina, at home. The wife snd mother died July i8, 1907, at the age of sixty-three years, her death having occurred at her home in Galesburg.

In politics Mr. Keefe is independent, voting as his judgment dictates rather than by the promptings of party rule. He is a member of the Corpus Christi Catholic church and also holds membership with the Knights of Columbus. He may truly be called a self-made man and as the architect of his own fortune has builded wisely and well. He has never allowed obstacles or difficulties to discourage him and his persistency of purpose and energj' have opened for him the way to success.

Isaac Frank Cole

- For the past thirty-one years Isaac Frank Cole has been successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a hundred and twenty acres of land, located two miles south of Williamsfield. His birth occurred two miles east of here in Brimfield township, Peoria county, on the 2 1st of December, 1851. He is of English extraction in the paternal line, his grandparents having come from Yorkshire, while his father. \\'illiani F. Cole, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on the iSth of July. iSiS. Upon their arrival in this country the family located in Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Pittsburg. In his early manliood William F. Cole came west, settling in P>rimfield townshij), Peoria county, in the spring of 1844. There he engaged in farming until 1854, when he removed with his family to Millbrook township, where he acquired one hundred and twenty acres of land that he cultivated until his death on December 23. 1883. For his wife Mr. Cole chose Miss Mary Ann Cutter, who was born in the vicinity of Ashland, Richland county. Ohio, on the 29th of July, 1829. As a child of four years she accompanied her people on their removal to Peoria county in 1833, and there she was rearefl to womanhood and married on the i6th of April, 1846. She survived her husband for a number of years, her death occurring on March 15, 1894. Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cole, as follows: John, a veteran of the Civil war, who is a physician in \\'illiamsfield : one. who died in infancy: William II.. who is farming in the vicinity of Joplin, Missouri; Isaac Frank, our subject; Charles, a fanner near :' . . Iota, Allen county, Kansas; Sarah, the wife of G. L. Doubet; Lucy, who mar- ; - ried George Nelson, of Elmwood; Minnie, who died at the age of thirteen; ' ;, . Lemuel, who is a farmer of Canada; Marge, who died on the nth of May, . : .; 1903, the wife of Samuel M. Parker; Fred G., who lives in Truro township; ' ' - - Job, who resides in Williamsfield ; and Newton J., residing a half mile south of . . r ' Williamsfield, who is a rural mail carrier.

> There were no particular events in the early life of Isaac Frank Cole to >; . differentiate it from those of other lads reared in the rural communities at that - . period. He attended the district schools until he had mastered the common v. - branches of English learning, and during that time he was also laying the . . / foundation of a future agricultural career by assisting his father with the work . . of the fields and care of the stock. Laying aside his school books, he gave his -. . entire time and attention to agricultural pursuits in Peoria county until he had , : - attained the age of twenty-five years. On the i6th of April, 1877, he came to -> Knox county, settling on a rented farm for three years, whence, in 1880, he /; . removed onto the place where he has ever since lived. He has one hundred /

*- - -- - ' . jand twenty acres of land here that he has brought under high cultivation dur- : - - ing the long period of his ownership. Mr. Cole has prospered in both his ' .. . general fanning and stock-raising, and from year to year has made such im- . :' provements in his property as his circumstances would warrant. All of the '. - buildings now standing on the place have been erected since he bought it. His . bams are large and commodious, affording ample shelter for his stock and , . grain, and he also has substantial outbuildings for the protection of fanning .. implements and a very comfortable farm house. He has always given his i ,. undivided attention to the plowing, sowing and harvesting of his' fields, and to . - - his painstaking application is probably attributable much of his success. His land is very productive and he annually realizes a goodly dividend on his sunv : ;. mer's labor. :. : - ' -

On the nth of January, 1877, Mr. Cole was united in marriage to Miss - Martha Ann Nelson, whose natal day was the I4th of September, 1854. Mrs. ' Cole is a daughter of Josiah and Margaret (King) Nelson, the father a native . of Pennsylvania, his birth occurring in the vicinity of Altoona in i8i6. Mr. ' - and Mrs. Cole have been the parents of eight children: John, who was born ;- November 27, 1877, and died at the age of eleven months; Mary Ann, whose , , birth occurred on the 5th of March, 1879: Maude, born on November i8, 1880; : Lemuel J., whose natal day was the nth of February, 1884; Marge who was :, born on May 6, 1886; Sarah, who was born May 13, 1888, and died on the ; < - 25th of February, 1889; Martha, who was born September i6, 1889; and F. H., -I ; ' who was bom on the 23rd of August, 1891. Maude, who is the third in order V ; of birth, married Harry F. Blank and they have four children: Wilbur; Grace, 5 who died at the age of six weeks: Dwayne; and Edna. Lemuel J., the eldest living son, married Mary A. Lagergren, and they have two daughters, Marie : . and Ann. Marge, the next in order of birth, became the wife of Alfred H. Lamboley, and they had two children: Jeannette; and Charles who died No- .; - vember, 20, 1911. -; --

The fraternal relations of Mr. Cole are confined to his membership in the > .; Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias. In his political ;-,-;.''. views he has always been a stanch republican, but has never had either the time or inclination to enter public life, all his energies finding ample scope in ; ! ..V the development of his personal interests, in which he has met with success. ;/ :;

The late Frank E. Woolsey, for many years engaged in the harness and saddlery business in Knoxville, was born here, on the 3Oth of August, 1851, and was .|; a son of Edwin and Mary (Tingle) Woolsey. The father was a native of the state of New York, where he engaged in farming until 1848 when he came to '; Knoxville. Soon after his arrival here he engaged in business, continuing to ';- be identified with the commercial activities of the town until his retirement. He ; had resided here but a short time when he was married to Miss Tingle, a native of Ohio, and they became the parents of six sons and two daughters, as follows : Frank E., our subject, who was the eldest ; James E., who is engaged in the -; wholesale grocery business in Chicago ; Charles, who is living near La Junta, - Colorado; Hattie, who died at the age of eighteen years; Ida; George, who is also deceased ; Arthur, a brick mason of Knoxville ; and Leroy, who is deceased. The mother passed away in 1907, at the age of seventy-nine, while the father was eighty-four years of age when he died in 1910. He was a veteran of the - Civil war, having enlisted and gone to the front from Knoxville, when hostilities .- first broke out, continuing in the service for three years. ; ;

Frank E. Woolsey was educated in the common schools of Knoxville, and when old enough to commence preparations for his life work, learned the harness- ! maker's trade. He followed this for a time in his native town, when he went to ; Moline and subsequently took a position on the road. Withdrawing he returned to Knoxville and established a harness and saddlery business that he con- -^ ducted until his death, which occurred on May 30, 1895. The business was continued for about a year thereafter under the supervision of his widow, who then . disposed of it. . ':-:' ,: , ': J ^ -- ; -v ' ';i- ./' - I '- ' , :

Rock Island, Illinois, was the scene of the marriage of Mr. Woolsey, on the : I9th of March, 1882, to Miss Hannah Arabella Simpson. She was born ii> : Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of Jesse Swan and Eliza (Gunnell) Simpson. Her father was also a native of Westmoreland county, his birth occurring in Hempfield township, on the iSth of November, 1815, his parents being James and Hannah (Steinmetz) Simpson. James Simpson was born and ; reared in Scotland, whence he emigrated to America in the very early days, lo- . eating in Pennsylvania before the war of 1812, in which he participated. His wife was a native of Germany and a daughter of John and Mary Steinmetz, who were also among the early settlers of Westmoreland county. Mrs. Woolsey was born I on the old homestead in Pennsylvania, where her grandfather Simpson lived and died. In the maternal line Mrs. Woolsey is of French extraction, her great- . grandfather having emigrated to America from France in the early days of the : last century and settled in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. The grand- father, Corbin Gunnell resided there until 1862, when he removed to Molina, Illinois, where he for many years was engaged in the dry-goods business, but he was living retired at the time of his death, which occurred in Moline. His parents were Jonathan and Parmelia Gunnell, the father a veteran of the Revolution having served under General Washington. Jesse Swan Simpson, Mrs. Woolsey's father, came to Rock Island, Illinois, in 1869, locating in Coe township, where he bought a farm that he operated until his death on the 3Oth of June, 1903, in his eighty-seventh year. Her mother, who died very suddenly from heart failure on October 4, 1908, at the age of eighty-six, was born in Pennsylvania, on the nth of May, 1823. Of their marriage there were bom six sons and five daughters, as follows: Benjamin F., who is now deceased, a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted from Pennsylvania; Maria C., the wife of Joseph Askew, of Cordova township. Rock Island county; Mary Jane, who died when she was twenty- four; Silas M., who resides near Hillsdale, Rock Island county; Jesse L. and Almira, twins, the latter the wife of William Aldridge of Port Byron, and the former also a resident of Rock Island county; Mrs. Woolsey ; Emma C., the wife of John Groom, editor of the Aurora Daily Beacon, of Aurora Illinois; Curtis, who is living in St. Louis; Elmer E., a farmer of North Dakota; and Ulysses Grant, who is a resident of Rock Island, so named from General Grant, a cousin of Mr. Simpson. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Woolsey there was born one son, Jesse Francis, a manufacturing chemist connected with the firm of Strong, Cobb & Company of Cleveland. He married Miss Maude Belle Johnston, a native of Indiana, and they have one son, Robert J. Woolsey. -' ,-

Mr. Woolsey was a member of the Presbyterian church, as is also his widow and son, and fraternally he was connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He belonged to the Sons of Veterans and his political support he gfave to the republican party. Mrs. Woolsey has continued to live in Knoxville ever since the death of her husband, where she owns a very pleasant residence and has many friends, by whom she is held in high esteem.

Lucian P. Steepleton, who is conducting a grocery and meat market on North Cherry street, is one of the enterprising and progressive merchants i>f Galesburg. He was born - on a farm in the vicinity of Gilson, Knox county, on the 1 7th of September, 1867, and is a son of Harrison and Ellen (Parkins) Steepleton. The father was a native of Indiana, his birth occurring in the vicinity of Harrisburg, on August i6, 1831, while the mother was born in Illinois, in November, 1841. Harrison Steepleton, who was an agriculturist, came to Illinois in his early manhood, locating at North Henderson, this county. There he engaged in farming for a while but subsequently removed to the vicinity of Gilson, where he was later married. Agricultural pursuits engaged his energies during the entire period of his active life, but he has now withdrawn from the work of the fields and is living retired in Gilson. He has always taken much interest in public aflFairs, although he was never an office seeker, and gives his political support to the republican party. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Steepleton numbered nine.

as follows : Lorena, who is deceased ; Winfield Scott, who is a resident of Gilson ; and Melissa, Ella and Dorrance, all of whom are deceased; Lucian P., our sub- .. > ject; Vesta, the wife of Charles I. Butt, who resides five miles east of Knoxville; Jennie, the wife of Edward Hiler of Knoxsville; and Ed, who is also a resident of Gilson. V-'^ ' - ,- "..

The public schools of Gilson provided Lucian P. Steepleton with an education, and after he was graduated from the high school, he taught for two years in one of the near-by districts. At the expiration of that time he applied himself to learning telegraphy and when he had mastered the key, he was appointed assistant agent for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Oneida. He re- ; / mained in the service of this company for ten years, withdrawing from their employ at the end of that time to become superintendent of the Galesburg & Great Eastern. When their coal fields were exhausted he gave up railroading in order to engage in mercantile pursuits. He first embarked in the grocery busi- . ' ness at Wataga, where he conducted a store for eighteen months. At the end of that time he went to Oneida, where he operated a similar enterprise for three years. Disposing of his store, he withdrew from commercial activities and for ten years gave his entire time and attention to the fraternal insurance business in Galesburg. During that period he was also secretary for the Knox County Farmers' Mutual Fire & Lightning Insurance Company for four years. He subsequently returned to mercantile pursuits and is now conducting a grocery and meat market on North Cherry street. Enterprising and progressive in whatever he undertakes, Mr. Steepleton is meeting with success in his undertaking. He carrier a comprehensive assortment of staple and fancy groceries that are attractively displayed, and in his market can be found a choice line of fresh and cured meats, fish, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Care and discretion is always displayed in the selection of all brands he offers to his customers, it being his desire to provide the best the market affords for the price. Courtesy and consideration are shown to all who accord him their patronage and he exerts every effort to be accommodating. He is thoroughly modern in all of his ideas and believes that the best interests of both patrons and merchants are protected through the organization of the latter, whose effort it is to promote all of the public utilities. At the present time he is secretary of the Retail Merchants Association, having entered upon his duties in May, 1911, and enthusiastically champions its endeavors to advance the development of the community. v-v- -.---

On the 11th of May, 1892, Mr. Steepleton was united in marriage to Miss Susan Wiles, a daughter of John and Margaret Wiles of Wataga, and they have become the parents of one child, Wyllys, whose birth occurred on the 3Oth of October, 1907. John Wiles was a native of England and there he passed the ';. first eighteen years of his life. Believing that better advantages were afforded; energetic and thrifty young men in America, at the end of that time he took passage for the United States, coming directly to Illinois. He first located in Peoria, where for many years he was employed in the coal mines. He subse- - quently retired to Wataga, where he passed away as did also the mother, and '. - . there Mrs. Steepleton was born on the nth of April, 1870. Mr. Wiles was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his political support he gpive to the democratic party. ;\

The religious views of Mr. and Mrs. Steepleton are manifested through their membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. They take an active and helpful interest in the work of its various societies and departments, and for many years he has been teaching a Bible class, and he is also a member of the official board of stewards. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and he votes the prohibition ticket, thus voicing his views on the liquor traffic. Mr. Steepleton represents the class of citizens who can successfully conduct their personal interests and yet find time to fulfill their duties to society by giving assistance in advancing the welfare of the community along those lines tha* redound to the benefit of humanity at large. :: .. .- . ; : ..

While Dr. John C. Toler's degree indicates that he is qualified for the practice of medicine and in fact he devoted his attention to the profession for a number of years, he is now connected with commercial interests, having for some time been traveling representative for the Peru (Indiana) Refrigerator Company in eight of the central states. He was born in Astoria, Fulton county, Illinois, in 1860, a son of William T. Toler, a native of Virginia, whose father at one time was professor of Greek and Latin in a university at Winchester, Kentucky. William T. read medicine at an early age and when a young man went to Astoria, Illinois, where he engaged in the practice of medicine successfully for more than forty years. He was also interested in a general store and in a drug store there and was an active, public-spirited man whose influence was always found on the side of progress and improvement. He was regarded as one of the most prominent, valued and honored citizens of his adopted town. He married Sarah A. Morrow, a representative of one of the pioneer families of Bath, Mason county, Illinois. Her death occurred December 13, 1911, in Astoria, at the advanced age of eighty years. In their family were four children of whom three are living : Temple E., who is a business man of Astoria; Allie E., a widow, living in that place ; and Dr. Toler, of this review.

The last named, stimulated by the example and success of his father, took up the study of medicine following the acquirement of his early education in the public schools, and was graduated from the Missouri Medical College of St. Louis with the class of i88i. For five years he practiced in his native town, where he still has business interests, and in 1889 became a resident of Galesburg, where he became associated with Dr. Cowan in the drug business. After two years he purchased his partner's interests and conducted the store alone for a year. He then sold out and purchased the stock of Van Shack & Bellows Hardware Company, after which he conducted that business successfully for seven years, or until his health failed him and he was obliged to sell out. He then went to California where he spent two years and upon his recovery he returned to Galesburg, since which time he has represented the Peru Refrigerator Company as traveling salesman in eight of the central states. In this connection he became widely known and is regarded as a business man of marked ability and enterprise, building up an excellent trade for the company which he represents, and

Dr. Toler was married in Fulton county, Illinois, in 1882, to Miss Eva Kost, and unto them have been born two children : Mrs. Henry W. Lass, of Galesburg, and Ethelyn, at home. In his political views Dr. Toler is a democrat but without desire for office. He belongs to the Galesburg Club and to the Methodist church and his interests are always along those lines which represent the best things of life and which promote the material, intellectual, social and moral progress of his city.

Robert Weir Colville, deceased, was for many years well known as a representative of industrial interests in Galesburg, becoming master mechanic for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in this city in 1878. In that position he continued unt'il his death and the record which he made was at all times a creditable one - a record of industry, diligence and faithfulness.

He was born March 31, 1839, in Glasgow, Scotland. His father was Robert Colville, who is remembered by his many friends as a genial, generous and honorable man whom all admired because of his many sterling qualities. At the time of his death he had almost completed his second term's service in the office of city treasurer of this city, having performed the duties of that responsible position to the satisfaction of all concerned. He was a native of Scotland who had emigrated to the United States in early manhood. For many years he carried on the business of bookbinding in Galesburg, but in the spring of 1869 was elected to the office of city treasurer and continued therein until his life's labors were ended in death. He was ever a courteous, polished gentleman whom it was a pleasure to meet, and his conversation was enriched by allusions to literary subjects with which he was thoroughly familiar. At his death he left a wife and four sons to mourn the loss of a loving husband and devoted father, and his demise was also the occasion of deep regret to many friends. His first wife, who bore the maiden name of Anna Maxwell, died in i86i, and he subsequently married Sarah Crocker, by whom he had one son.

His son, Robert Weir Colville, was a youth of twelve years when, in 1851, the family crossed the Atlantic to the new world. In early life he learned the bookbinder's trade and was connected therewith in Chicago from 1851 until 1856, when the family came to Galesburg. Here Robert W. Colville made his home until his death, on December 28, 1909, with the exception of a few years spent in Aurora, Illinois, in the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. At the time of the Civil war, however, he put aside all business and personal considerations that he might aid in the struggle to preserve the Union, enlisting in Company E of the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He continued at the front until 1863, when he mustered out on account of .failing health that rendered him unfit for field duty. He was present at the battle of Fort Donelson and also took part in the hotly contested battles of Shiloh.

: After being honorably discharged, Mr. Colville returned to Galesburg and, having but little liking for the trade of bookbinding in which he had been assisting his father, he entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company in the capacity of fireman. His faithfulness and ability later won him promotion to the position of engineer and from 1863 until his death he was in the employ of the railroad company, being advanced through various positions, including that of foreman of the local roundhouse and foreman of the roundhouse at Aurora until 1878, when he was made master mechanic at Galesburg, continuing in that position until he met an accidental death under an engine.

On the 4th of March, 1866, Mr. Colville had been married in Galesburg to Miss Edith Wilbur Cole, the daughter of George W. Cole, who came to this city from Sheldon, Vermont, in 1856, and was engaged in the harness and saddlery business. Mrs. Colville is justly proud of a most distinguished ancestry, including patriots of the Revolutionary period, governors and men of note during the colonial epoch and several who were passengers on the Mayflower, including Governor Bradford. George W. Cole, her father, was one of the prominent early merchants of this city but retired fifteen years prior to his death in 1902. He married Almira Holcomb, of the state of New York, and their daughter, Edith, became the wife of Mr. Colville. Three children were born of this marriage, namely: Alma B., the wife of Victor E. Bender, owner of the Springfield News ; Nita M., the wife of Nevin C. Lescher, a brick dealer of Galesburg ; and Robert Rex, who married Jessie Ayre of Galesburg, and is in the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.

In his fraternal relations, Mr. Colville was a Mason and exemplified in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. He was also a member of the Elks lodge of Galesburg and a charter member of the Galesburg Club, and had many friends in those organizations as well as among his business associates and those whom . he met in social circles. The greater part of his life was passed in this city and those who knew him recognized in him the sterling traits of character which in every land and clime win confidence and regard. He was for several years a member of the board of education of Galesburg, was a democrat in politics btit in the latter years of his life voted for the man instead of the party. ... . . ., . .

The steps in the orderly progression of George Boardman Churchill are easily discernible. He has gradually worked his way upward until he is now at the head of the Churchill Hardware Company, one of the largest commercial enterprises of Galesburg, He is also recognized as a man of marked public spirit, whose interest in the general welfare has never been a perfunctory one. His active and helpful cooperation in public movements has been the manifestation of a deep interest in all that pertains to the progress, upbuilding and prosperity of the community and his work of a public nature has always been fruitful of substantial results. Galesburg numbers him among her native sons, his birth having here occurred August i6, 1865. He represents one of the oldest families of the city. His paternal grandfather was Norman Churchill, a native of New

York, who served as a soldier in the war of 1812, while his father was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war. Norman Churchill became a pioneer of Galesburg and is said to have made the first trade consummated here. He took a very active and helpful part in the development and progress of this section of the state and was also connected with many interests and projects of a public nature outside of the field of business. He became one of the conductors on the famous underground railroad, for his anti-slavery views prompted him to assist many a negro on his way to freedom in the north. Both he and his wife remained residents of Galesburg until called to their final rest. Their children were : Wilberforce, who was killed while serving in the Civil war ; Emily ; Belle ; i Elvira; Norman; Julia; and George. - '

The last named was the father of George Boardman Churchill, and was a -.; native of New York. He was brought to Galesburg in 1839, when but ten years ' of age, was here reared to manhood and devoted his entire life to the profession of teaching. For forty-seven years he was one of the professors in Knox Col- ;-,- lege and his labors did much to place that institution in the high and honored position which it has always held as one of the educational centers of the state. He was also the founder of the public-school system of Galesburg and for many years served on the board of education, his labors constituting a practical and forceful element in the establishment of the schools and their conduct along lines, rendering them of practical worth to the young as a preparation for life's work. Professor Churchill also served for many years on the library board, was '-^-.- city engineer for thirty years and was one of the first surveyors of the Military v - Tract Railroad, which became a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy sys- ' tem. He long filled the position of alderman and exercised his official prerogatives in support of every plan and project for the general good. His entire life was actuated by the high and honorable principles which have their root in Christian faith and he was long a devoted member of the Central Congregational church, serving as superintendent of its Sunday school for a quarter of a century. He was twice married, his first wife being Qara Hurd, a relative of the Gale family, who were the founders of Galesburg. They had one son, Milton E. Churchill. After losing his first wife Professor Churchill wedded Ada Hayes, a native of Vermont. She was a second cousin of ex-President Hayes, while Professor Churchill was a second cousin of Samuel J. Tilden, the two men who were rival candidates for the presidency in 1876. Mrs. Churchill was a daughter of the Rev. Gordon Hayes, whose father was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Gordon Hayes was a native of Vermont and a minister of the Congregational church. He married a Miss Fassett and on removing westward settled in Muscatine, Iowa, where both he and his wife passed away, his death occurring when he was more than ninety years of age, while his wife died at the age of eighty-nine. They had a large family : Mary, a missionary to China, who was the wife of William Jones, an editor of the Old Curiosity Shop, a department of the Chicago Inter-Ocean; Lilly, the wife of Walter Waugh; Ed.; Charles; Daniel ; John ; and Ada. It was the last named who became the wife of Professor Churchill, and unto them were born three children: Charles Edward, now living in Montclair, New Jersey ; George Boardman ; and Mary, who was accidentally shot when three years old. The mother also met her death by accident in April, 1869, after which Professor Churchill married Ellen Sanborn Watkins.

He died in Galesburg in 1899, at the age of seventy years, the city thereby los- = ; ing one of its most honored and representative residents - a man whose worth to ' ^: ' the communty as a factor in its intellectual progress and its stability and pros- ; ' ^ ^~ perity cannot be overestimated.

, George B. Churchill has been a lifelong resident of Knox county, spending the - ' entire period in Galesburg save for three years, during which he resided in Abing- .

don. He was a pupil in the public schools and in Knox College and following . - the completion of his education engaged in clerking for five months in the hard- ---'. - ware store of Main, Foltz & Givens. This sufficed to convince him that it was ' ; . ': a congenial occupation and he then entered into partnership with W. B. Main, ; ' : ' spending two and a half years in that relation in Abingdon. This terminated . ' .- the three years' period of his absence from Galesburg, after which he returned to > ' -- his native city and purchased the hardware store of O. T. Duvon, admitting his ^ - : brother-in-law H. F. Wetherbee to a partnership under the firm style of Churchill & Wetherbee. This connection was continued until 1894, when he purchased his . ' partner's interest and conducted the business under the name of the G. B. Churchill Company. For the past eleven years it has been carried on under the . : style of the Churchill Hardware Company and is one of the most extensive met- -:;. cantile enterprises of the city, a large stock of goods finding ready sale because .,^' .; of the excellent line which he carries and his thorough reliability in all business V transactions. In addition to his hardware enterprise Mr. Churchill has been .'\- ':"- closely associated with many business interests and activities of a semi-public ..';-: '.^ character, which have proved potent forces in the city's growth and development. ; .; He was instrumental in securing the building of the switch between the Chicago, : ; Burlington & Quincy and the Santa Fe Railroads. He was also chairman for V , many years of the new enterprise committee of the Commercial Qub, which -': -' instituted organized efforts for the public good. He is likewise president of the .. . : ; - Galesburg Union Telephone Company, which is the largest independent telephone - - " plant outside of Chicago in the state, and for many years he was a director of -; ; V the Coulter-Disc Manufacturing Company, his labors being largely responsible : ;.; f for the location of this plant in Galesburg. He was likewise one of the original v.y ; ten men who built the street car line from Galesburg to Abingdon and thus his .: . . :: work at all times has been a feature in the business development and public im- - --- provement of the city. Mr. Churchill was a member of the committee on city : ''. ;r buildings and as such instrumental in erecting the fire department building, the-'S:' -: city hall, the jail and patrol station, and also served on the committee that bought -

Mr. Churchill was married, January 17, 1894, to Miss Made O'Connor, a ---.-; daughter of James and Mary (Ryan) O'Connor, but she died in the fall of the' .--'-''. v same year. On the I2th of February, 1896, he wedded Qara Scott Babcock, .>'; who was born in Detroit, Michigan, a daughter of Charles M. and Maggie (Me- ' . . Chesney) Babcock. Her father was a native of New York, while her mother was .;..

one of the first children born in Galesburg. She is now living in Los Angeles, ;. v California, but Mr. Babcock passed away in this city when about sixty-five years . ;' ; of age. In their family were four children, O. Frank, George M., Mabel E., , ;' and Clara. Mr. Babcock's father was a native of Oneida county. New York, : . - and his mother belonged to the Sherman family. The maternal grandfather of : '

Mr. and Mrs. Churchill have been born three children. Lake George, Marjorie, and William. The family residence is at No. 1042 North Cedar street and the members of the household are prominent in the social circles of the city. Mr. Churchill belongs to Veritas Lodge, No.. 478, L O. O. F., and to the Galesburg Club, of which he was one of the founders. Any project or movement which has its root in a desire to prove of public benefit receives his indorsement and cooperation, for he is widely known as a public-spirited citizen, whose work has been a resultant factor for good. His business interests and connections have largely been of a character that has contributed to general progress and prosperity and his labors have been a most potent factor in stimulating trade relations.

under the name of John Mosser & Company. Again success attended him and on March il, 1902, he organized the First State & Savings Bank of Abingdon, of which he became the president. He has continuously filled that position and has made his bank one of the strong financial institutions of this part of the state. In business matters his advice has always been sound and is frequently sought. He has ever been conservative and this quality has given strength to his banking career.

In 1860 Mr. Mosser was united in marriage to Miss Mary Carroll, a daughter of William and Sarah (Conaway) Carroll, natives of Pennsylvania and Mary-.- . land respectively. The father was a farmer by occupation and they were married in the Keystone state, after which they removed westward in 1858, settling in McDonough county, Illinois, where their remaining days were passed. Their daughter Mary, who became Mrs. Mosser, died October 21, 1866, and in November, 1867, Mr. Mosser married her sister, Sarah J. Carroll. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1849 and was therefore a little maiden of nine summers when . the family came to this state. By the first marriage there were two children : Samuel T., who wedded Kate Newell ; and Ida L., the wife of John Reed. The three children of the second marriage are: Corliss G., who married Elizabeth Snedaker ; Stacy C. ; and Doyd L.

Mr. Mosser is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His political allegiance is given to the prohibition party, for he has ever been a strong temperance man and believes this to be one of the dominant issues before the country. For eighteen years he served as school director of the Abingdon school district and the cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion. He filled the office of city treasurer of Abingdon in 1871-2, has been supervisor of Cedar township and was mayor of the city from 1879 until i88i and again from 1888 until 1891. His long service as chief executive indicates his high standing as a citizen and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. He has ever reared his family in the belief that honesty is the best policy and trained his children to live within their means, saying that if an individual spends less than he makes he will never see hard times. In a word, Mr. Mosser stands for everything that is safe, sound, conservative and upright in the commercial world and for all that is trustworthy and progressive in the individual. -'./'y-';;;-.' T:'

Edwin F. Holmes

;. :. : Edwin F. Holmes, who resides on his farm in Ontario township, is a member of a family which has been identified with the agricultural interests of the township for nearly forty years. His birth occurred October 3, 1884. his parents be-

-; ing John and Aledo (Olson) Holm, the former a native of Sweden, having been born in West Morland, July i8, 1850. The father was the son of Nels and Anna

Holm, both lifelong residents of Sweden, where the former lived to be ninety- ' two years of age. John Holm received a common-school education in Sweden and emigrated to this country in 1869, coming direct to Galesburg, where he en-. tered the employ of the Charles Johnson Brick Company for a short time and then accepted a position on a railroad at North Henderson before returning to Galesburg in 1870. Since that time he has resided in Knox county continuously. Coming to Ontario township in 1872 he purchased the land which was the nucleus of his present three hundred and twenty acre farm, upon which he has lived retired for the last fifteen years, his two sons, Fred L. and Edwin F., working the farm on shares and devoting it to raising cattle and hogs. Mr. Holm has been twice married. His first union was with Miss Olson, of Henry county, whose death occurred in 1892 and his second marriage was to Helen Erickson, the daugh- ; ter of Eric Erickson, of Knox county. In politics Mr. Holm gives his support to the republican party, and in religious faith he is a Congregationalist, holding mem- ; bership in the Congregational church of Oneida. He is also a school director.

Edwin F. Holmes acquired his education in the common schools of Ontario township and since laying aside his text-books has devoted his entire attention to agricultural pursuits on the home place. Until 1905 he assisted his father with the general farm duties but during the last six years has been farming on his own account, engaging in general farming and also in raising cattle and hogs for the west-'? - ern markets. . .. ; --v vT/ -1 - -'. : '

On May 2, 1906, Mr. Holmes was married to Ruth Sturgeon, the daughter of Sheldon and Rosa (Lowry) Sturgeon, of Henry county. The father was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits until a few years prior to his death, in 1908, and the mother is residing at Woodhull, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Holmes two children, Willard V. and Harriet Ruth, have been bom.

In politics Mr. Holmes gives his support to the men and measures of the republican party, and he is a member of the Congregational church of Oneida, and of Camp, No. 555, M. W. A. Although still a young man he has already won a creditable measure of success in the pursuit to which he has faithfully devoted his entire energy thus far, and because of his intelligent and industrious labor he is regarded as a man of sterling worth to the industrial development of the township. 0 -,' v :-

Dating his residence in Knox county from 1854, Lowry J. Edgar has been for more than four decades one of the important factors in aiding the agricultural advancement for which this section of the country is noted. His birth occurred in Hart county, Kentucky, November 19, 1827, and he was a son of James and Sarah (Trowbridge) Edgar, whose childhood days belong to that period in history when our country was in its tenderest infancy, the former being born in Iredell county. North Carolina, June 5, 1781, the latter in Essex county. New Jersey, April lo, 1787. They were married in Kentucky in 1807 and had eleven children, of whom Lowry J. Edgar was next to the youngest. -

Frank L. Edgar, bom August 30, 1865, is the son of Lowry J. and Martha A. (Brown) Edgar. After a common school education in this locality, where he has lived from the time of his birth, he engaged in agriculture on his father's farm, assisting in the management until his father retired fifteen years ago when he, in company with his brother, assumed full charge.

Mr. Edgar was united in marriage to Miss Adeline Paul of Galesburg, Illinois, June 27, 1894. Her parents, Andrew and Lavina (Taylor) Paul, were both natives of Canada and never came to the United States. They are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Edgar are the parents of four children, of whom three are living at home and one is deceased. The living are: Lillian Merle, Lavina Pauline and Martha Elise.

Mr. Edgar is a democrat in politics but has never sought for the honor of public office. He is a successful farmer and a good citizen who subordinates petty self-interest for the good of the community at large. . '."^ been engaged in agricultural pursuits since he completed his high school educa- .!;, tion. He was born May 23, 1886, in Ontario township, his parents being John - ' - ' and Aledo (Olson) Holm, both natives of Sweden, and he is the grandson of ";!.-" ;. Nels and Anna Holm. The grandmother died in Sweden when her son was ^ ;; very young, but the grandfather came to America after he gave up his farm in . . -V Sweden and lived retired with his son until he passed away at the advanced '... age of ninety-two years. ' ; . .^ /. :;.;-^^ '-.-'^ /.^ ^^ -] v' / ;-.- vl "

John Holm acquired his education in the common schools of his native -/:'-. country and emigrated to America in 1869, when he was eighteen years of age. . :; ' He located at once in Galesburg, where he remained for a short time, being in ;' . the employ of the Charles Johnson Brick Company, but later he worked on a ;.:-:--' railroad for a few months and then returned to Galesburg in 1870. Since that ' :..- . ' time he has been a resident of Knox county and since 1872 he has resided upon :, / his farm in Ontario township, which he cultivated until fifteen years ago. This . ;. farm consists of three hundred and twenty acres and has been devoted to gen- - - - . eral farming and stock-raising. Mr. Holm was twice married. His first mar- -r'.; ' riage occurred September 12, 1873, to Miss Olson, of Henry county, who died - . in 1892, and his second marriage February 7, 1893, to Helen Erickson, a resi- -'' . ; 1 dent of Knox county, who is the daughter of Eric Erickson, a lifelong resident '-.;'- of Sweden. Mr. Holm is a republican and for several years served as school ; . '! \ - director. He also holds membership in the Congregational church. !:>::'

Fred L. Holmes began his independent career at the age of nineteen years, , when he rented the one hundred and forty acres of land which he now culti- ; :-- .:' vates. Although he is one of the youngest agriculturists in Ontario township, .;-Vhe has already met with success in his work and his large crops attest to his ' , V; - : ability. His chief attention thus far has been given to general farming but he -." . ' ^ has specialized somewhat in hog-raising.

On December 9, 1909, occurred the marriage of Mr. Holmes to Esther Olson, -:..';''- of Rio township. To this union one child, Karl Frederick, has been born. Mrs. ',-,.>! Holmes is the daughter of Charles W. and Emma (Selberg) Olson, who have :,'-'-.,.;.- resided in Rio township for many years. Mr. Olson was born in Sweden, '-'' December 23, 1846, and is the son of Ole and Betty (Anderson) Person. .V ^' They spent their entire lives in Sweden, Mr. Person being a carpenter by \ .>'.: trade. The son, Charles W. Olson, received a common-school education and ; -/"', then engaged as carpenter until he came to America in 1871. After a three ::^ ';-;.

months' stay in Chicago he went to Wisconsin for a short time before coming to Knox county, where he accepted employment on farms in Ontario and Rio townships during the winter. He then removed to Clover township, Henry county, and for about twenty years rented a farm there before purchasing his present farm. This farm consisted of one hundred and sixty acres but at the present time Mr. Olson is cultivating four hundred acres of land in Knox county, engaging in general farming and cattle and hog-raising. In politics he is a republican and during his nine years' service as road commissioner did much to further the development of his township. He is a stockholder in the Oneida Elevator Company and is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church of Woodhull. On March i8, 1883, Mr. Olson was united in marriage to Miss Emma Selberg, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Selberg, who was a lifelong resident of Kansas, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. To Mr. and Mrs. Olson seven children were born, namely : Emil ; Herman ; Minnie ; Esther, who is the wife of Fred L. Holmes; Hilmer; Hartwig; and Walter.

In politics Mr. Holmes gives his support to the republican party in the firm belief that republican principles are most effective for good government. He is also a member of the Illinois Banker's Life Association. In all his relations he is conscientious and honorable and because of his unusual amount of energy and foresight he is meeting with success in his agricultural pursuits.

Louis L. Steele, a factor in the business circles of Knox county, is now ^^ serving as secretary and treasurer of the Churchill Hardware Company at Galesburg. His birth occurred in Dover, Illinois, on the i8th of May, 1863, his parents - : . ^ being Andrew and Susan (Zearing) Steele, who were natives of New York - - ; and Pennsylvania respectively. The paternal grandfather, a gentleman of Scotch- ;/ Irish descent, was born in Vermont and died in the east in middle life. His ',;;.. widow, Mrs. Lydia (Abel) Steele, came west with her son Andrew and passed away at Dover, Illinois, when sixty-five years of age. Their children were three \ in number, namely: Henry P., Andrew L. and Leonora. Martin Zearing, the ', :\ maternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of Pennsylvania and came of German descent. In 1835 he removed to Dover, Illinois, there following gen- - eral agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life. To him and his - wife, Mrs. Sarah Zearing, were born the following children: Martin; Louis; . David; John; Henry, who was killed in the Civil war; Carolina; Elizabeth; Sarah; Mary; and Susan. .

Andrew Steele, the father of Louis L. Steele, was reared near Buffalo, New -- York, and became a very early settler of Bureau county, Illinois. For about thirty-five years he was successfully engaged in general merchandising at Dover, while his demise occurred at Princeton, Illinois, in January, 1910, when he had .:, attained the age of eighty-two years. He gave his political allegiance to the republican party and held various town offices. Fraternally he was identified A. / with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His widow still resides at Prince- ; . ton and is now eighty-three years of age. She is well known and highly esteemed ^ ''' throughout the town, having made her home near there for seventy-five years. In religious faith she is a Baptist. By her marriage she became the mother of six sons and one daughter, as follows: Charles D,, who is a resident of Chicago; George, living in Dover, Illinois; John, of Gunnison, Colorado; Dick, who makes his home at Springfield, Illinois; Louis L., of this review; Harry, of Princeton, Illinois ; and Lottie, the deceased wife of W. J. Bailey, formerly of Princeton, Illinois.

Louis L. Steele was reared in Dover and obtained his education in the public schools and an academy of that town. Subsequently he followed the profession of teaching for two terms. He was next eng^aged in general merchandising at Alden, Iowa, for five years and on the expiration of that period removed to Buda, Illinois, where for eleven years he was identified with business interests as a hardware merchant. Coming to Galesburg, he became associated with the Churchill Hardware Company as secretary and treasurer and in those capacities has largely contributed to the continued growth and success of the concern. He is a man of excellent executive ability and sound judgment, carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.

On the I4th of February, 1889, Mr. Steele was united in marriage to Miss Alice R. Carter, a native of Dover and a daughter of George F. and Emily (Par- - sons) Carter, both of whom were born in Maine and became early settlers of Dover, Illinois. The father, whose natal year was 1833, passed away at Dover in March, 1911, when seventy-eight years of age. The mother still survives. Mrs. Steele is one of a family of three children, the others being Charles E. and Edwin P. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Steele was born in Maine, in which state both he and his wife passed away. They had three children, namely ; George F., Mrs. Ruth Plummer and Lyman. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Steele was likewise a native of Maine.

Mr. and Mrs. Steele have two daughters, Lottie and Mildred. They are de- ; voted and consistent members of the Central Congregational church, taking an active and helpful part in its work. Mr. Steele is a man of many sterling traits of character, enterprising in business, progressive in citizenship and at all times trustworthy and reliable. - -.,;.-'.-...;-;:.:

John Miller McKie is one of the most prominent citizens and active business men of the northern part of Knox county. Honored and respected by all, he occupies an enviable position in financial circles not alone by reason of the success he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward and progressive business methods that he has ever followed. He has been a lifelong resident of the county and therefore has a wide acquaintance.

His birth occurred in Copley township, June 4, 1844, his parents being Wilr Ham and Margaret (Miller) McKie. The father was born in Scotland and in his boyhood days became familiar with farm work. In 1840 he accompanied his parents on their removal to America, at which time the family home was established in Copley township, this county. There he continued his residence throughout his remaining days. He married ]\Iargaret Miller and they became the parents of two children, the sister of John M. McKie being Jeanette. now the widow of William H. Leighton, a farmer of Copley township. After losing her first husband Mrs. McKie became the wife of Peter McClymont.

In his boyhood days John M. McKie remained at home with his parents, continuing with them until he had attained his majority, when he took up the occupation of farming on his own account. He largely followed that pursuit until 1876, when he came to Altona, where he turned his attention to commercial pursuits, becoming proprietor of a dry-goods house. He was quite successful in the management of his store and enjoyed a gratifying trade for a number of years. At length, however, he became a factor in financial circles. In 1890 he was associated with Judge Craig in the establishment of a private bank in Altona, and such was the success of the institution that on the 3d of October, 1891, the bank was reorganized under a state charter as the Bank of Altona. Mr. McKie then became assistant cashier and so continued until 1895, when he -succeeded George H. Craig as cashier of the bank, which office he continued to fill until the 29th of September, 1911, when, following the death of Mr. Craig, he was elected to the presidency of the institution and is now its chief executive officer, bending his energies to administrative control. He has furthermore become known as a factor in banking circles in other connections, for he is also the president of the State Bank of Victoria. He has important business interests, being connected with a number of leading enterprises in the northern part of the county, and he is also extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. His judgment is sound, his discrimination keen and whatever he undertakes he accomplishes because of his ready adaptability and his enterprising spirit. A confidence reposed in him has never been misplaced and he has been called upon to settle many estates, about thirty in the last twenty years. One of these amounted to one hundred thousand dollars, the heirs living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Liverpool, England. In settling up another Mr. McKie had to give bonds to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, which shows the vastness of the property involved.

On the 22(1 of February, 1872, Mr. McKie was united in marriage to Miss Janet G. McDowell, a native of Copley township, and they are well known in this part of the state, where they have an extensive circle of warm friends. They hold membership in the Presbyterian church of Altona and labor consistently and effectively for its upbuilding and for the advancement of all those causes which lift man to a higher plane.

Politically Mr. McKie is a republican and his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and ability, have several times called him to local offices, the duties of which he has discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. For many years he served as an officer on the school board of Walnut Grove township and in 1894 he was elected to the position of county treasurer, which he filled for four years or until 1898. He made an excellent record as the custodian of public funds and is equally loyal in guarding the private interests entrusted to his care as a banker. He has ever recognized the fact that the bank which most carefully safeguards the interests of depositors is most worthy of credit, and in his bank management his progressiveness is tempered by a conservatism that has made the Bank of Altona a synonym for reliability to those who are acquainted with the policy pursued. Mr. McKie is deserving of much credit for what he has accomplished, for he has never allowed difficulties nor obstacles to deter him. On the contrary when such have arisen they have seemed to call forth renewed effort and his persistency of purpose and capable management have constituted the foundation of an honorable success.

A long life of activity and enterprise devoted to agricultural pursuits gained for Daniel Wainright the financial independence that now enables him to live retired. For more than forty years he was successfully identified with the farming interests of Chestnut township, and was a prominent factor in promoting its development along the various lines of public utility. He is a native of Ohio, his birth occurring in Claremont, on the 4th of May, 1829, and a son of Vincent and Nancy (Hall) Wainright. His father was born in New Jersey, in 1793, while the mother was a native of the state of Ohio. The paternal grandfather, Daniel Wainright. was likewise born and reared in New Jersey, from which state he joined the Continental ranks during the Revolution. In the maternal line, Daniel Wainright is of English extraction, his grandfather, Jeremiah Hall having emigrated from the mother country to the United States in the early years of the last century. He was a carpenter and millwright by trade, but subsequently withdrew from this vocation and took up farming, locating on a tract of land in Claremont county, Ohio, that he cultivated until his death in 1844. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Wainright there were born nine children, five sons and four daughters, as follows : Jonathan and Jeremiah, both of whom are deceased ; Daniel, our subject ; Catherine and Delia Ann, who subsequently became Mrs. Tuttle, both of whom are deceased ; Rachel M., the wife of a Mr. Barr, William Henry and Hannah Lucinda, who are also deceased; and Wesley, who is living near Springfield. ..: - / -. '-'. I' . :

The early years of Daniel Wainright's life were spent on his father's farm, in the work of which he assisted while pursuing his education in the district schools. In common with most country youths at that period his text-books were early laid aside and his attention devoted to the work of the fields and care of the stock. He was married at the age of twenty years and for some time following continued to engage in agricultural pursuits in his native state. Later deciding that better opportunities awaited him in what at that time was termed the west, he and his wife with their two children crossed the prairies to Illinois. Knox county was his destination and upon his arrival he purchased some land on section 3, Chestnut township, and there he continued to reside until 1901. Upon this worthy young couple devolved all of the hardships and discouragements that are incident to frontier life, but they were enterprising and hopeful and their determination never faltered. He applied himself intelligently and persistently to the cultivation of his fields, improving his place as his means warranted from time to time, and ultimately became one of the substantial agriculturists of the county. With prosperity came the respect and esteem as well as friendship of his many acquaintances, who recognized and appreciated the many fine qualities that made him a successful man and estimable citizen. Ten years ago, at the age of seventytwo years, Mr. Wainright decided to withdraw from active work and he and his wife left the farm and took up their residence in Knoxville, where they continue to live.

Twelve years ago Mr. and Mrs. Wainright celebrated their golden wedding, their marriage having occurred on the I3th of December, 1849. The maiden name of Mrs. Wainright was Eliza Jane Cramer, and she, too, is a native of Claremont county, Ohio, her birth occurring on the loth of November, 1830. She is a daughter. of William and Sarah Ann (Shoats) Cramer, the father a native of Germany and the mother of English extraction. She was an only child and was left an orphan at an early age, but she had a half-brother, Joseph Heritage. To Mr. and Mrs. Wainwright were bom six children, two of whom are deceased, Benedict, who was the fourth in order of birth, and Loretta, the next younger, who died in infancy. Vincent, the eldest, whose birth occurred in Ohio, married Miss Frances Hauk, a native of Illinois, and they have two children Ernest and Ena. McGuire, also a native of Ohio, married Miss Arenia Coe, of Missouri, and they have two children, Clara, who is married; and Jennie, Joseph married Arenia Mallory, who was born in Kansas, and they have the following children : Arthur, Edith, Bertha, Mildred and Lloyd. Sarah Eliza, is the wife of Bert Eikey, a farmer of Orange township, and their children are: Louis, Bert, Ross and Henrietta.

Mr. and Mrs. Wainright have always been active members of the Methodist Episcopal church and for forty years he was superintendent of the Sunday school. Fraternally he is a Mason, being affiliated with Pacific Lodge, No. 66, A. F. & A. M. He always recognized the obligation of citizenship by assuming his share of the governmental responsibilities in his township. For three terms he discharged the duties of supervisor and for three years he acted as road commissioner, while for one term he served as school trustee and as school director for twenty-eight years. A man of high principles and keen judgment, Mr. Wainright's views were always valued in the community where he resided, his foresight and powers of discernment giving weight to any opinion he might advance relative to the public welfare. During a residence in the county that has covered a period of more than half a century he has not only won many friends, but has established for himself a reputation that will be to his children a valued heritage. , -..^-. -\/-- -. v; -,.,;;-.- .-..;-:-/.--.----- ^... ';.:---.-;/-,.,:-.- . - :.- -..- ,'/--' ..-.--/v-.

In the history of Galesburg's commercial and industrial development it is imperative that mention be made of Frank G. Matteson because of his close connection with one of the most important productive enterprises of the city, he being now president of the Purington Paving Brick Company, the plant being located in East Galesburg. He was born in Macomb, Illinois, August 24, 1867, his parents being Asa A. and Helen M. (Gardner) Matteson. The father was born in Berwick, Illinois, in 1837, and the mother's birth occurred in Knoxville, this state. In his boyhood days Asa A. Matteson came to Galesburg, pur- sued his education here and engaged in farming for a time. He afterward practiced law in Macomb, Illinois, for a period and in 1874 again came to this city where he entered financial circles as the vice president of the First National Bank, with which he was connected until his death. He also became prominent in the establishment and development of the business now conducted under the name of the Purington Paving Brick Company and was associated with that important undertaking to the time of his demise, which occurred January 2, 1895. His widow still survives and now makes her home in Webster Groves, Missouri. Mr. Matteson gave his political support to the republican party, held membership in the Odd Fellows lodge and in the Galesburg Club. They were married in this city and unto them were born four children: Frank G., of this review; Fred C., who is a resident of Aurora, Illinois; Grace M., the wife of R. W. Willis, of Webster Groves, Missouri ; and Ralph, living in Rockford, Illinois.

Frank G. Matteson was educated in the public schools and after leaving the high school secured a position in the First National Bank, spending two or three years as collector. He afterward devoted four years to service as order clerk in the postoffice and next entered the office of the Purington Paving Brick Company as general office boy. His advancement since that day has been continuous. The business was established in East Galesburg in 1890 by D. V. Purington and Asa A. Matteson and was incorporated at that time with D. V. Purington as president, W. S. Purington as vice president and Asa A. Matteson as secretary and treasurer. The business was incorporated with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars and was thus continued until 1892. The St. Louis Paving Brick Company was organized in that year with a capital stock of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and No. 2 plant was built at East Galesburg. In 1893 the companies were merged under the name of the Purington Paving Brick Company and the capital stock was increased to five hundred thousand dollars. At that time D. V. Purington became president ; W. S. Purington, vice president and general manager ; Asa A. Matteson, treasurer ; and Charles H. Chamberlain, secretary. These gentlemen constituted the board of directors together with George C. Prussing, S. S. Kimball, A. W. Vanderveer and William E. Phillips, The business has increased from year to year, enjoying a steady and continuous growth, the output for the first year being fifteen million bricks, while the present output has reached more than one hundred million. Their plant at first contained but one kiln and from that small beginning they have increased their capacity until they now have sixty-four kilns, theirs being the largest plant of the kind in the United States. Their business extends to all parts of the country, their brick being used in paving in Panama ; in Memphis, Tennessee ; Deadwood, South Dakota ; and Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin. The present officers are : F. G. Matteson, president ; George C. Prussing, first vice president ; C. D. B. Howell, second vice president ; C. H. Chamberlain, treasurer ; William H. Terwilliger, secretary ; W. W. Porter, assistant secretary ; W. G. D. Orr, general manager; and E. L. Swett, general superintendent; with D. V. Purington as chairman of the board of directors, which board includes also Messrs. Prussing, Howell, Matteson, Charles H. Chamberlain, William E. Phillips and P. T. Walsh. They handle fifteen thousand car loads of freight in a year, use eighteen car loads of coal per day, employ six hundred men and have two hundred acres in their plant. The United States government has standardized the shale used : by this company and the business has grown in volume and importance until it -; exceeds all other paving brick enterprises of the United States.

On the igth of October, 1892, occurred the marriage of Mr. Matteson and . Miss Daisy L. Lamoreaux, a daughter of Dr. J. M. Lamoreaux, of Galesburg, - and their children are: Amy, whose birth occurred at Galesburg on the 22d of -> December, 1897; Helen, whose natal day was December 27, 1901; and Asa Gardner, who was born May 26, 1911. .;

/ Mr. Matteson is a republican in his political views, but the demands of his . business have left him no time for office seeking or office holding. He belongs - to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Elks Club, the Loyal Legion, the Galesburg Club and the Country Club. His life is proof of the fact that there ';: is an impossibility of placing fictitious values upon industry, determination and . perseverance, but when these qualities are arrayed against competition and the -. usual obstacles of business life they eventually win success. The experience of . Mr. Matteson has been of wide range, as he has progressed from the position of office boy to the presidency of the largest paving-brick manufacturing enter- : prise of the country. .^, ^ ^^v . ^-V ' -' .'-"'o *.-.-'-:;.-:"-:-. 's ""' - ? :r : V '

John Holahan

John Holahan, who has been engaged in the real-estate business in Galesburg for the past six years, was born in Waukon, Iowa, on the i8th of September,

" which he continued to be identified until his death on the 6th of March, 1902, at the age of sixty-four years. He was a communicant of the Roman Catholic church, as is also the mother who still resides in Waukon, and he voted the repub-

. lican ticket. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Holahan numbered nine, our subject being the third in order of birth. The others are as follows: William J., who

. William S. Hart, of Waukon; Maurice F., who was born on the 3d of July, : 1873, "ow residing at Atlanta, Georgia; Thomas J., born March 28, 1875, who

- is living at Dixon, Illinois; James, bom October ii, 1880, who is a resident of Victoria; Anna, who was born June i6, 1884, still at home; Mayme, a Sister in

- . . ' Reared at home John Holahan attended the public and Presentation Convent Catholic schools at Waukon in the acquirement of an education. His school

; days were terminated at the age of sixteen years, when he laid aside his textbooks and entered his father's office, where during the succeeding five years he it was considered that he was fully qualified to beg^n working for himself, so he went to Guttenberg, Iowa, and embarked in the implement business. He continued in this at that point for nine years, when he withdrew from commercial activities and went to Cuba, where he remained four years, traveling and dealing In lands. At the end of that time he returned to the United States and in April 1906, he came to Galesburg and engaged in the real-estate business. He was associated with his brother, Thomas J., until 1909, when the latter withdrew from the firm and Mr. Holahan has ever since been alone. In addition to local properties. Both city and country, he has large tracts of land for sale in Cuba and also the northwest. Since locating here he has met with good success and now is well established and doing a gratifying amount of business.

Bayfield, Wisconsin, was the scene of the marriage of Mr. Holahan and Miss Lucille Boutin, on the 4th of October, 1905. She was born in Bayfield, on the 25th of July, 1884, ^^^ is a daughter of Frank and Louise (Kintz) Boutin, who still reside there. Mrs. Holahan has four sisters and four brothers, and their names and birthdays are as follows : Allan, March 24, 1888 ; Francis, March 13, 1890; Meta, July 22, 1892; Anna, March 13, 1895; Hiller, November 15, 1898; Dorothy, November 20, 1899; Ruth, February 26, 1902; and Herbert, November 25, 1904. In the paternal line Mrs. Holahan is of French extraction. Her father, however, was born and reared in Montreal, Canada, while the mother was born in Antwerp, Belgium. He came to Bayfield during his early manhood and engaged in the lumber business and he also owned and operated a number of tugs on Lake Superior. He is a man of considerable prominence in his community, giving his political support to the republican party, and has served for two terms as treasurer of the county. Both he and his wife are communicants of the Roman Catholic church, and he also belongs to the Knights of Columbus and the Lumbermen's Association. Mrs. Holahan was reared in Bayfield, but completed her education at St. Mary's school in Prairie du Chien.

The political views of Mr. Holahan coincide with the principles of the republican party, and in matters of faith both he and Mrs. Holahan are Roman Catholics and belong to Corpus Christi parish. He also holds membership in the Knights of Columbus of SS. Vincent and Paul, the Galesburg Club and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Holahan has won favorable recognition in both a business and social way during his residence in Galesburg, and now numbers among its citizens many stanch friends.

For seventeen years James Edward Hinchliff was well known as a prominent, enterprising and reliable representative of commercial interests in Galesburg, where he conducted a retail lumber business. Moreover, he had a wide acquaintance throughout the county of which he was one of the native sons, his birth having occurred in Rio, July 17, 1853. He came of English ancestry, for both of his parents, James and Betsey Hinchliff, were natives of England, whence they emigrated to America in early life. They were married in the state of New York and in 1852 removed to Illinois, settling in Knox county.

The public schools of this county afforded James E. Hinchliff his early opportunities for acquiring an education and later he continued his studies in Lombard College. He was reared to the occupation of farming and continued to follow it during the early years of his manhood or until 1891, when, believing that he would find a commercial career more congenial and hoping also to find it more profitable, he removed to Galesburg, where the following year he opened a retail lumberyard, continuing that business to the time of his death, which occurred March 28, 1909. In that period he had built up a satisfactory business, his reliable methods, his enterprise and his unfaltering energy being the qualities which served as the foundation for his success. ..i;,

On the 1st of January, iSSo, in Rio, this county, Mr. Hinchliff was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Woodman, a daughter of David B. and Lourena Woodman. The children born of this marriage are : Everett E., who married Nell Townsend on the I5th of October, 1907; Lulu M., who on the 2oth of September, 1911, became the wife of Roy C. Ingersoll ; and Ray W. and Grace F., both yet at home with their mother.

Mr. Hinchliff was devoted to his family, his interests centering in his own home, where he was a devoted husband and father and a genial and hospitable host. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and his study of the questions and issues of the day confirmed him in the belief that its principles contained the best elements of good government, but he neither sought nor desired public office as a reward for party fealty. His religious faith was evidenced by the fact that he was a member of the Central Congregational church, to the teachings of which he was ever loyal and devoted, making his a manhood that measured up to the highest standards and won for him the admiration, high regard and trust of all with whom he came in contact. ' . ' .-';;';

Ransom C. Hunt is actively connected with a profession which has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of the community and in the practice of law, where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit and ability, he has made continuous progress, his careful preparation of his cases and his thorough knowledge of the law giving him a power in the courts that enables him to win many favorable verdicts.

Mr. Hunt was born on a farm two and a half miles southwest of Burlington, Iowa, January 24, 1844, his parents being John B. and Mary (Love) Hunt, natives of Illinois and Virginia respectively. The former was a son of John Beal Hunt, who was born in Maryland and made farming his life occupation. He married a Miss Bartlett and they removed from Tennessee to Illinois, establishing their home within the borders of this state ere it was admitted to the Union. For a time they were residents of Bond county and afterward removed to McDonough county. In 1833 they went to the territory of Iowa, where Mr. Hunt secured a tract of wild land in the central part of the state and his five sons, Charles W., Jesse, Samuel, Clayborn and John B., all had land around him so that the family took active and prominent part in the agricultural development of that section. There were six daughters in the family, Martha, Lydia, Mary Ann, Esther, Louisa and Sarah. The maternal grandfather of Ransom C. Hunt was David Love, a native of Virginia, who also made farming his life work. Removing westward with his family, they became pioneer residents of a district, southwest of Burlington, Iowa, where they spent their remaining days, Mr. Love passing away at the age of eighty-five and his wife when eighty-eight years of age. Their children were Wesley, Rodney, Joshua, James, Mary and Elizabeth.

John B. Hunt, father of Ransom C. Hunt, was a young lad when he accompanied his parents to Iowa. He was reared to the occupation of farming and continued to engage in tilling the soil until 1849, when, attracted by the discovery of gold in California, he crossed the plains to the Pacific coast. Not winning the fortune which he had hoped to gain, he returned in 1851 and again took up his abode on the farm in Des Moines county, Iowa, which he had left when he started for the west. There he engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1856, when he removed to Bushnell, Illinois, where he conducted a lumber business until 1863 and likewise filled the position of postmaster. He next removed to Macomb, Illinois, where he engaged in the grain business until June, 1865. At that time the family came to Galesburg, where he died November 14, 1904, at the age of eighty-four years and six months, while his wife's death occurred in 1887, when she was sixty-five years of age. She was a faithful member of the Methodist church. Their -family numbered a son and two daughters: Ransom C. ; Clara, the deceased wife of W. T. JelliflF; and Lois V., the deceased wife of Jesse Pickerell.

Ransom C. Hunt is the only surviving member of the family. He was reared on his father's farm in Iowa and during that period attended the district schools and also the public schools of Burlington and the old Denmark (la.) Academy. He went with his father to Bushnell in 1856 and there worked in the lumberyard and also attended school. Subsequently he became a student in the Lombard University of Galesburg. He continued with his father in the lumber trade in Bushnell until the father removed to Macomb, when he became a student in the law office of Hon. J. C. Thompson. In the fall of 1863 the family removed to Galesburg but Ransom C. Hunt and his father remained in Macomb until 1865, when they joined the others in Galesburg, and the subject of this review entered the law office of the Hon. A. C. Mason, who directed his reading until his admission to the bar in June, 1866. In 1869 he formed a partnership with the latter preceptor but for the past twenty years has engaged in practice alone. He has ever been devotedly attached to his profession, systematic and methodical in habit, sober and discreet in judgment, diligent in research and conscientious in the discharge of every duty - qualities which have enabled him to take high rank among the representatives of the Galesburg bar.

On the 1st of May, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hunt and Miss Irene Johnson, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and a daughter of S. F. and Hannah (Neeley) Johnson, who were originally from New York and became early residents of Galesburg. Later they removed to St. Paul, where the father conducted a shoe business, and for two years he was also a resident of Grinnell, Iowa. They then returned to Galesburg, where they still reside. In their family were seven children, Irene, Mary, Harry M., Guy B., Charles N., Mabel F. and Blanche. The daughter Mabel is now the widow of E. A. Davis. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Hunt were James and Sabrina Neeley, who were among