Rock Island County, Illinois - The whole text, 1908 (part 11 of 16)

Edward Kittilsen was born in Moline, July 19, 1854, his parents being .Andrew and Frederika (Johnson) Kittilsen. His father was a native of Norway and his mother of Sweden. Their son recei\ed a public school education in Moline, and upon its completion he entered the business college conducted b}' Mr. Frey in Rock Island. After pursuing a commercial course in this institution he served as clerk in a grocery store for a time, and later learned the molder's trade. At twenty' years of age he engaged in the ice business, and in that enterprise he was prosperous and successful until the spring of ISSO, when his winter's harvest of ice, and his ice house as well, were destroyed by the overflowing of the Mississippi, bringing to him a severe loss. In that same year he was appointed upon the Moline police force, and two years later rose to the rank of deputy marshal, and in 1883 was appointed chief of police, which office he held continuously for more than twenty-three j^ears, or until he resigned to assume the office of sheriff of Rock Island County to which he was elected in November, 1906.

But Mr. Kittilsen has achieved military as well as civil honors. He joined the Illinois State Militia in 1875 and was elected a corporal of his company, later advancing to the rank of first sergeant. Siibsequently he became sergeant-major of the Fourteenth Battalion, and after the consolidation of that battalion with the Sixth Regiment he continued to hold that same rank. On April 29, 1886, he was advanced to the office of major, and in 1893 was commissioned lieutenantcolonel of the Sixth Regiment, Colonel D. Jack Foster being first in command. He held that office for ten years, and on August 13. 1903, was commissioned colonel of that regiment, succeeding Colonel Foster, and which rank he still holds.

In 1898 Mr. Kittilsen was prominently mentioned as a possible candidate for the office of sheriff of Rock Island County, and there is no doubt but that he would have been nominated and elected to that office at that time, but it was then that the call to arms came to the Sixth Regiment to take its stand and enact its part in the defense of the United States in the war with Spain that was then upon us. In Colonel Kittilsen's mind there was no doubt as to where his duty lay, and there was no hesitancy upon his part in following that clearly indicated path of duty which he saw before him. His duty was with his regiment, and no matter what self sacrifice upon his j^art it might involve he proposed to stay with his regiment and to share with it whatever might be its destiny in the war with the foreign power that had been forced upon us. .\nd so, without an instant's faltering, he laid aside an attractive and remunerative civil office that was easily within his grasp had he but stretched forth his hand. and. turning his back upon that bright political future that seemed just about to open for him, he marched resolutely away with his regiment to face whatever dangers it might be called upon to encounter. The unselfishness and ]5atriotism of that act proved the man a hero, and it is well that the people of Rock Island County did not forget that unselfishness or that heroism.

A short review of the movements of the Sixth Regiment during that brief but decisive conflict shows that although but limited opportunity was given to the Sixth to distinguish itself in active service, yet when the men were under fire at the battle of Guanica in Porto Rico they displayed such steadiness and bravery as to be worthy of most honorable mention.

On April 28, 1898, the Sixth Regiment went to Springfield, Illinois, each individual company going directly to that place from its own home city. On April 11th of that same year they were mustered into the United States volunteer service, and together with other regiments they departed for Camp Alger, a receiving camp in Virginia, near the City of Washington. They remained in Camp Alger, where other regiments from different states were constantly being received, and here the Sixth remained until the 5th of July, when they were ordered to Charleston, South Carolina, to take transports for Cuba. The expected transports were somewhat delayed, and it was not until July 10th that the Sixth finally embarked. The Sixth and Seventh were the only Illinois regiments sent to Camp Alger, and the Sixth was one of the first to arrive at Cuba. Upon their arrival at that island they were under orders to await the surrender of Santiago, which was then being successfully besieged, and while awaiting that city's surrender the transports lay in Sibony Bay. When Santiago fell it crushed the power of Spain in the Island of Cuba, and the services of the waiting regiments were not needed there. But as General Miles was forming an expedition to invest Porto Rico, the Sixth, together with other regiments, was joined to his command, proceeding to Porto Rico on the transports that had brought them to Cuba. They were to land at Ciuanica, a small fortified town which the Spaniards were holding and where they had stationed a considerable force of cavalry and infantry. A United States gunboat advanced and covered the landing of the troops by a sharp bombardment of the town, the Spanish force retreating to the nearby mountains. An extensive picket line was thrown out about the troops landed, and as nightfall approached the Spaniards, finding that their Mauser rifles possessed greater range than the antiquated Springfield rifles with which the volunteers were armed, began an intermittent, but galling fire. At last, growing more bold, they made a charge and came swarming down from the mountain sides. The Sixth Regiment, with the exception of a few companies had been assigned to picket duty, and as the Spaniards came down their progress was intercepted by a hill which was held by Company G, of Dixon, Illinois. Their advance was stopped by the fire of this company, who succeeded in doing considerable execution among the Dons. This was the only battle in which the Sixth Regiment participated, the treaty of Paris bringing the war to a close soon afterward. From Porto Rico the Sixth embarked for the north upon the transport Manitoba, leaving the port of Ponce. After an uneventful voyage of a few days they arrived at Weehawken, off

New York, and from there they took train directly to Springfield where thej' remained imtil they had turned in their arms and equipment, then being given a furlough of sixty days. Upon the expiration of their furlough the companies of the Sixth again returned to Springfield, remaining there until their mustering out. which occurred on November 25, 189S. This ended Colonel Kittilsen's career as an officer in the United States volunteer service, and unless occasion should again arise to demand his return to that service, he will doubtless devote the remainder of his life to the gentle arts of peace.

On the 17th of September. 1884, in Moline, occurred the marriage of Mr. Kittilsen and Miss Gorilla Stewart, who had been born and reared in Hamilton. Canada. Five children have been born to them, Myrt le L., Arthur E William \V., John .\. and Helen Shiloh. all of whom are now at home.

Mr. Kittilsen has alwaj's been a loyal Republican. He is a member of Doric Lodge, No. .319, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons: Moline Lodw, No. 133- Independent Order of Odd Fellows; the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Select Knight.s of America. Although not affiliated with any church himself, his wife is a member of the Baptist Church at Moline, and to this church Mr. Kittilsen gives his support.

Although he has, at the time of the writing of this sketch, held the office of sheriff of Rock Island County scarce!}- more than a month, he has even in that brief time demonstrated his cap.ability and eflficiency as an incumbent of that office, just as he did for twenty-three years as chief of police, and just as he did as colonel of the Sixth Regiment. He is courteous, considerate and obliging. It is certain that he will be one of the best and most popular sheriffs the county has ever had, and when his four j'ears incumbency is at an end he will leave the office with hosts upon hosts of friends in addition to those he already has at the present time. The highest compliment that can be paid to Edward Kittilsen is the general opinion among all who know him that he is a man who does his duty as he sees it, and that he is upright, fearless and absolutely sincere.

George Wagner

A MAN whose perseverance, industry and business sagacity has been largely instrumental in the establishment of one of Rock Island's largest industries was George Wagner, one of the founders of the Rock Island Brew'ing Company, a man in whom those potential elements that are essential in everj' successful career, seemed to center.

George Wagner was born in ^^ urtemberg, Germany, January 13, 1832. He died January 10, 1907, in Rock Island. In his boyhood he attended the common schools of his native land, and there acquired a fair education. After leaving school he was apprenticed to a baker, and in this apprenticeship he remained several years learning his trade.

In 1853 Mr. Wagner, realizing that in America a young man willing and able to work co\ild achieve more than he could possiblj- hope to in the older countries, left Germany and came to the United States, locating in New York. After working at his trade for two years in that city, he, together with a cousin, came west, settling in Rock Island. Here the two embarked in the bakery business, which they carried on for two j^ears, at the end of which time Mr. Wagner sold out his interest to his cousin who continued in the business. Mr. Wagner moved to Moline, where he again established a bakery, continviing in business for eight years. During these j-ears he was successful, so successful in fact that he felt justified in establishing a steam cracker bakery, the first in this part of the country. This venture also proved a successful one and brought to him substantial returns.

to return to his native land, and with that end in view he sold out his business interests in Moline. He changed his plans, however, and looking about for some new field for his activities he purchased a small brewery in Rock Island, owned by Mr. Schmidt. This business, small in its inception, had a continuous and steady growth until it liecame one of the most extensive in Illinois. As Mr. Wagner's patronage increased he enlarged his plant and kept abreast of the times by adding modern facilities and equipment. For thirty years he labored in building up and enlarging the scope of his plant, until the forming of the present Rock Island Brewing Company, and amalgamation of the brewing plants of Mr. Wagner, Ignatz Huber and Raiblc i^- Stengel. Mr. Wagner's son, Robert, was elected president of this newly formed stock company and Otto Huber, a son of Mr. Ignatz Iluber, whose brewery the new company had taken over, became secretary, the younger men thus assuming the more active management of the new enterprise.

In 1853, the same year that he left the fatherland for .\merica, Mr. Wagner was married to Miss Frederica Epinger, a young lady of his native City of Wurtemberg. Together they severed the 'ties that bound them to their homeland, and bravely set out to face the hardships and privations that they knew they must encounter in a new country. Six children were born of this marriage, three of whom are living, they being Robert, who as has been stated, is the president of the Rock Island Brewing Company, and who resides in Rock Island; Ernest, one of the leading business men of St. Paul. Minnesota; and George, formerly a real estate dealer in Rock Island. Mr. Wagner was for years a member of the Democratic party, but in 1896, when silver was the paramount issue of that party, he voted for William McKinley, as he believed in the maintenance of the gold standard. He was a member of the Odd Fellows and also of the Druids.

For fifty years George Wagner had been a citizen of Rock Island. He was one of those who believed in the future of the city he had chosen for his home, and by his active and progressive spirit did much to promote its industrial growth. He was never actuated by any narrow, selfish motives, but prospering himself he rejoiced in the prosperity of others, knowing that the welfare of one individual alone never fmthers but only retards the growth of a community. He was upright and honorable in all his dealings with his fellow-men and won and merited the esteem of all who knew him. In his old age he lived a life of comparative retirement enjoying the warm regard of many, who, knowing him as he was, found him to be ])ossessed of those qualities that go to make up a good citizen and an honorable man,

Robert Wagner

ONE of Rock Island's native sons, a man upon whom devolves to a large extent the management and control of a great and growing industry, is the subject of this sketch, Robert Wagner, president of the Rock Island Brewing Company.

He is the son of George Wagner, the story of whose life and rise in the world appears elsewhere in this book, and Frederica Wagner. He was born in Rock Island, June 15, 1866. During his boyhood he attended the city's public schools and private German schools, fitting himself for entrance in the University of Iowa, at Iowa City. After attending this institution, he entered the United States Brewers' Academy, in New York City, where he perfected himself in the art of brewing and graduated in 1887, thus fitting himself to take charge of and continue the brewing industry which his father had build up. Having acquired a thorough theoretical knowledge of the subject, he returned to Rock Island, and being desirous of a practical working knowledge as well, he entered his father's brewery as foreman. He continued in this position for two years, mastering ever}' detail of the business, and then entered into the business with his father, where he remained until the formation of the Rock Island Brewing Company, a merger of the brewing industries of the city. He was elected president of this new stock company, and has held that office ever since. The constant expansion of the business of which he is at the head is largelj- due to his progressive ideas and able management.

Mr. Wagner was married on November 15. 1894, to Miss Thekla I. Klug, a Davenport 3'oung lad}', whose father. Otto Khig, was a leading business man of that city and who has now retired. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner occupy a delightful home on Twenty-third Street in Rock Island, their new residence being one of the handsomest in the city. Here in their charming home they do a great deal of entertaining and take a leading part in the social events of the Tri-Cities.

In politics Mr. Wagner is a Democrat, embracing the political allegiance of his father. He has, however, never sought office himself. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and is a director of the Peoples National Bank of Rock Island, in which both he and his father own a large amount of stock.

Like his father, Robert Wagner is an honorable and upright man, scrupulously conscientious in every business and financial transaction, and it follows that he has that large number of warm friends and wellwishers that such conduct always begets. He is a man of whom his native city may well be proud.

Rufus Walker

RI'FUS WALKER, one of the most extensive fuel dealers in Moline, was born in Williamstown, Orange County, Vermont, December 10, 1839, his parents being Rufus and Susan Walker. Eleven children, seven boys and four girls, were born to this couple. The father, who was a shoemaker by trade, died December 22, 1839, when the subject of this sketch, the youngest of the large family, was only twelve days old. The seven sons all learned the same trade as the father, that of shoemaking.

Rufus Walker obtained a common school education in Williamstown, and in November 1860, he left his native state and came west, settling in Rock Island County, where he obtained a clerkship in the general store of Ainsworth & Walker at Edgington. He was employed in this store until July, 1864, when he purchased the business and conducted it until February, 1873, when he removed to Rock Island, and in company with C. E. Dodge purchased the business of E. H. Smyth, which they conducted for three years under the firm name of Walker d- Dodge. In the .spring of 1876, together with Mr. Meigs Wait, he secured the right of way and about 5^22,000 in money for the fiercer County Railroad Company, ilr. Walker ran a general store furnishing supplies during that same year. They also purchased the land where the village of Reynolds now stands, and laid out that town, later going into the lumber business there, and continuing in that business until the winter of 1887. In February, 1882, Mr. Walker moved from Rock Island to Reynolds. When the firm discontinued the lumber business in 1887, Mr. Walker moved from Reynolds to Moline, where for the past eighteen years he has been engaged in the coal and fuel business.

On August 19, LS62, Mr. was married to Miss Jane Edgington, the daughter of John and Susan Edgington of Buffalo Prairie Township in this county. A biographical sketch of Mr. John Edgington appears elsewhere in this volume. Four children have been born of this wedlock, they being John, deceased; Frank B.; Rufus, Jr., who is now in partnership with his father, and Susan E.

tional Church of MoUne. He has never affiliated himself with any fraternal organizations. In politics he is a Republican, but has never been an aspirant for party office. The life of Rufus Walker is the life of the average plain, unostentatious business man. He has been successful in the things that he has undertaken. He is a man highly honorable and with a scrupulous regard for his word. He enjoys a reputation of being a business man of great ability and of high integrity.

IN THE early days of the west the more favored districts naturally drew to themselves the men of greatest ambition, foresight, and business sagacity. These sought the fields that held out the most to them in the way of promise for the future, and settling there, bent their energies to laying the foundation of prosperity for themselves and their jjosterity.

Thus it is that Rock Island County has been fortunate in the character of its pioneers. They were not only of sturdy stock fit to endow their descendants with the physical strength to build up a great community but they were also above the average in mental grasp and moral fibre. They were able to discern the opportunities which the region held forth for agriculture, manufacturing, and commerce, and possessed the sound judgment, executive ability, courage and perseverance to organize and direct these to their full fruition.

Of this sort was Hon. John M. Gould, merchant, lumberman, banker and manufacturer. Few men have had so large a share in the upbuilding of any city as Judge Gould has had in making Moline what it is and rarely, indeed, has any one lived to see the changes wrought in any community that he has seen take place in this thriving manufacturing center. His activities have extended into many fields and in all of them he has left a permanent impress. Probably no other American of English descent can boast, of an ancestry inhabiting American soil longer than that of Judge Gould. Zacheus Gould came to what later became Massachusetts from England in 1634, fourteen years later the Pilgrim fathers lauded from the Mayflower at Plymouth, and our subject is of the eighth generation descending from him. The original home of Zacheus Gould still remains in the hands of the family. Amos Gould, grandfather of Judge Gould, was also a native of Massachusetts, and fought for freedom in the war of the Revolution. Soon after the close of that conflict he removed to New Hampshire, where his son, Amos, Jr., father of Judge Gould, was born.

John Maxficld CJould first opened his eyes upon this world at Piermont, New Hampshire, February 24. 1822. He was the oldest of a family of ten children. His mother was Nancy Bartlett, a native of the Granite State, and a daughter of Nathaniel Bartlett, himself a soldier in the Revolution. Amos Gould, Jr. learned the tanner's trade but subsequently engaged in agricultural pursuits and it was on the farm that his children were reared. Nine of the latter removed to the west after they reached manhood and womanhood, and six are still living. The parents came to make their home in Illinois in 1S5S. The father died in lSfi4 and the mother in 1884.

Our subject availed himself of such advantages as the common schools of that day afforded, supplementing them with two years, attendance at academies at Canaan and Lyme, New Hampshire. For three years after completing his studies he taught school, working on his father's farm in the summer season. Then, attracted by the opportunities the west afforded, and without capital other than willing hands and a stout heart, he left hi.s native state and made his way by the tedious methods of travel of those days to Grand Detour, Ogle County, Illinois, a place that gave promise of becoming an important center-

Here he found work in a general store and served as salesman three years. Having in this time demonstrated his- worth to his employer he was admitted to partnership. One year later, in 1848, he disposed of his business interests in Grand Detour and removed to Moline to become a member of the firm of Deere, Tate & Gould, the senior partner, John Deere, afterward the famous plow manxifacturer, having previously also engaged in business in a small way at Grand Detour. Mr. Gould acted as financial manager of the new concern at Moline for four j^ears, when the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Deere becoming sole owner. The junior member formed a partnership with Dewitt C. Dimoek for the manufacture of wooden ware, the establishment being the first of that nature in the west. A site for a factory wns leased from the government on the Island of Rock Island and business was carried on with great success for many j-ears. In 1867 at the request of the government, the plant was removed to the mainland and a lumber mill was erected the following year, a stock company being formed at this time. Mr. Dimoek was chosen president and Mr. Gould vice president. The latter succeeded as head of the company on the death of Mr. Dimoek in 1886. In 1890 the wooden ware branch was sold to a syndicate and from that time on exclusive attentioil was given to lumbering and the manufacture of wooden pails. The company owned extensive timber lands in Wisconsin and rafted the logs to Moline. Twice the plant of the company was destroyed by fire, first in 1856 and again in 1875, lightning being the cause in the second instance. Each time it was rebuilt on a larger scale than before and the business grew without interruption.

In 1857 Mr. Gould, in company with D. C. Dimoek and C. P. Ryder, established a bank in Moline under the firm name of Gould, Dimoek & Company. Mr. Gould had personal charge of this institution and it was successful.

In 1863 it was chartered as the First National Bank of Moline with a paid up capital of $50,000. Mr. Gould was cashier four years, when he was elected president.

Among the other institutions in which Mr. Gould was actively interested was the Moline Water Power Company which he helped to organize and of which he was elected treasurer and director. He was also a director and treasurer in 1876 of the St. Louis, Rock Island and Chicago Railroad Company, which is now the St. Louis division of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

The title by which he is generally known came to Mr. Gould through his election as county judge for a term shortly after he came to Moline. Opposition to slaverj' caused him to leave the Democratic party of which he was a member in early life, and he became a Republican when that party was organized. He served sixteen years as member of the state board of charities, and was treasurer of the township of Moline for thirty-three years, during which time he donated to the public schools the sum of $2,400 in fees to which he was legfilly entitled.

It is to Judge Gould's public spirit that Mo line owes its first direct telegraph service. On his personal guarantee against loss an office was established there and the sum of $112 was paid upon his pledge before the establishment became self-sustaining.

Judge Gould is the father of the Moline City Hospital. He it was who drew up the charter which requires the city to levy a two-mill tax annually for its support. He has also contributed liberally for its maintenance from his private funds. While not a member of any church,. Mr. Gould has contributed largely to the First Baptist Church of Moline.

Mr. Gould has been twice married. He was united .\ugust 1.3, 1848. with Miss Alice Moulton, daughter of AN illiam iloulton of Randolph, Vermont, and a second cousin of Secretary Chase of Ohio. Her death occurred when she was a bride of but a few weeks.

At Moline August 9. 1850, Mr. Gould married Miss Hannah M. Dimoclc, a native of Connecticut and a sister of Dewitt A. Dimock, who U\ter became Mr. Gould's .partner. To this union five children were horn: .^lice May and John, who died in infancy: Frank W., of Moline. Fred G., and Grace Eliza, wife of S. M. Hill of Cleburne, Texas.

A MAN who both as a public official and as a prominent citizen has been an important factor in motilding Rock Island's municipal history is William McConochie.

The son of John and Annie (Campbell) McConochie, he was born at Gatehotise, a little village on the southwest coast of Scotland, January 11, 1847. His father's ancestors had lived in that part of Scotland since . the days of Wallace and Bruce. His mother's family were Highlanders, and were of the house of Argyle.

The elder McConochies, with their family, emigrated to America in the spring of 1853. Coming westward they settled at Joliet, Illinois, where on August 11th, but a few brief weeks after locating in their newly adopted home, the father died from the effects of a stmstroke, leaving his wife and little ones alone among a strange people and in a strange land. On exactly the same date (Atigust 11th) twenty years later, his wife followed him to the grave. Both are interred at Joliet.

William ^IcConochie attended the public schools of Joliet and tho Scotch lad was an apt and proficient ptipil. During the winter of lSGl-1862, when the South had seceded from the Union, when both sides were acti^-e in their preparation for the death struggle; when the martial spirit prevailed and predominated above all else, when the soimd of fife and drum were heard throughout the length and breadth of the land; when youth, rugged manhood and old age vied with each other in their efforts to join those rapidly swelling ranks that were so soon to meet in desperate conflict, the fire of patriotism, fanned into a fierce blaze by the stirring times and scenes, filled the breast of our young Scot and he determined to have a part in fighting the battles of the country of his adoption. But an apparently insurmountable difficttlty presented itself - he was too young. Probably no one felt more keenly than he the handicap of youth at that time, j'et nothing daunted, he determined that willy-nilly he would be a soldier, and to such determination as his no barrier could successfully be interposed. He had saved some money by selling old iron and rags, and by sawing wood for the neighbors, for in those days wood was the common fuel, and there was plenty of demand for a pair of strong arms and a saw. With the few dollars that he had accumulated he ran away from home and followed some regiments that were going to Cairo. Illinois. After a good many rebuffs, he succeeded at last in being taken along as a drummer boy in one of the companies. His ambition was attained. He was a real soldier on his way to the front. All this time he had been traveling, and had entered his regiment, under an assumed name so that his mother could not find him and have him brought unceremoniously back home. He soon learned from stern realization that the life of a soldier was not as bright and alluring as his young fancy had pictured it in the beginning, but unflinching and undaunted he struck resolutely to the selfimposed life of hardship, enduring its hardships and privations until after the Chattanooga campaign, when the regiment to which he was attached came North with a lot of Rebel prisoners who were to be taken to Rock Island Arsenal, where a Union Military Prison was located. But William McConochie did not reach Rock Island that time, for passing through Joliet from Chicago at midnight the thermometer down below zero, the soldier lad htingry, cold and scantily clad, the spirit of homesickness and the spirit of war had a little battle between themselves, and the spirit of homesickness conquered, and the boy stopped at Joliet to see his mother. After a few days \-iKit he again enlisted, this time with a Chicago regiment at the front; this time, in his own name. The officers thought him an unusually bright recruit to master the tactics so quickly. They did not know, and never knew that the stipposed recruit, still less than eighteen years of age, was in fact a veteran who had seen two years of hard militar}- service, and had participated in some of the greatest and most sanguinary battles in the sotithwest. Mr. McConochie served as a soldier until some months after the close of the war, always being a private.

After his return to civil life in 1865, he learned the trade of stone cutting. In 1S67 he crossed the plains, but soon rettu'ned to this part of the country, living at Rock Island, Anamosa, Cedar Rapids, Nativoo, or wherever his as a stonecutter might ake him in quest of employment.

In 1868 at Rock Island he married Miss Isabel Kitson, a young lady of that city. Six children blessed this union, three sons and three daughters. The oldest son, Captain John McConochie, died in 1896 at the age of twenty-seven. The other two sons. Captain W. H. McConochie and Robert F. McConochie, both of Rock Island, are members of the contracting firm of \Vm. McConochie & Sons. The daughters are Isabel, now Mrs. Hollingsworth; Mary, iu)w Mrs. Dade, and Maggie McConochie, at home.

After his marriage Mr. McConochie spent most of his time in Rock Island. In the early seventies thei'e was begun the work of improvement at Government Island, the plans requiring the construction of many new buildings which were to be built of stone. This, of course, required the services of stonecutters, and here Mr. ^IcConochie found employment. He continued in that employment for about twenty years. There were times and seasons when the work at the Arsenal was slack and his services were not required. At such times he would go elsewhere in search of work, his journej-s in quest of an oi)])ortunity to ply his trade sometimes carrying him far down into the southwest.

For several years past Mr. McConochie has been a contractor, and most of his time has been spent at home except the year 1898. During that year the firm of Wm. McConochie & Sons had a large contract in Oklahoma, and as the two junior members of the firm, William H. and Robert F. McConochie, were engaged in the war w-ith Spain, the former as captain of Company A, of Rock Island, and the latter as sergeant of that company, the ftill burden of supervising and taking charge of the work fell upon Mr. McConochie, and he was obliged to spend most of that year upon the scene of the contract, attending to duties that would otherwise have been assumed by his sons. William H. McConochie. then captain of Company A, as has been stated, succeeded his brother John in that office, the death of the latter having occurred two years before the outbreak of the Spanish War.

But Mr. McConochie's active life has not been devoted exclusively to commercial, pursuits. Upon the panorama of politics he has been one of the city's striking figures. A staunch Republican, he has been repeatedly honored by his party with municipal offices, the only ones to which he ever aspired. In 1887 he was elected alderman from the Sixth Ward, and in 1889 was for the first time elected mayor of Rock Island. He was reelected in 1891. In 1899 he was again a candidate for mayor and was elected. Once more in 1903 he was a candidate for that office and was elected, making eight years in all that he has served Rock Island as its chief executive, one year longer than any

His administrations were exceptionally prosperous ones for the city, and he was largely instrumental in inaugurating and carrying forward public improvement by special taxation. He laid the first paving brick ever put down in Rock Island, organized the paid fire department, and was mayor when the various fire stations were built. He was a firm friend of the park system which the city was endeavoring to establish and e.xerted all his influence toward aiding in the improvement of Spencer and Garnsey Squares, and cooperating with him the public-spirted citizens of Rock Island were liberal in their contributions of statuarv, fountains and ornaments for the beautification of these bright oases in the districts of factories and business houses. He extended Rock Island's sewer and water-main systems, and aided in the building of the electric street railway system, which has done much to change Rock Island from a village to a metropolis. He rebuilt the reservoir system, and constantly urged the erection of a public library building at a time when the city's public library was housed in rented quarters. Although the librar\- was not built during his administration, 3'et when the contract was finally awarded his firm were the successful bidders, so that he had an active part in the erection of an edifice of which the city may well be proud. The building of the two new iron and steel bridges which span Rock River and connect Rock Island with that part of the county lying south of the city was done under his administration, and thus the inducement was laid for interu.rban service to seek entrance into Rock Island.

Although a firm Republican and steadfast in loyalty to his party, Mr. McConochie has never been animated by any controversial spirit that would antagonize t'hose of opposite political belief. Consequently, he has hosts of warm friends and supporters

Mr. McConochie is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Chiu'ch of Rock Island and has been a member of the official board of that church for ten years. He is also one of the trustees. In his fraternal affiliations he is a member of Trio Lodge No. 57, Ancient Fee and Accepted Masons, and has been a member of that lodge for more than thirty-five years, and a member of Barrett Chapter almost as long. For nearly thirty years he has been a member of Rock Island Commander}' of Knights Templar. He is a member of no other societies with the exception of the two military organizations. ,Iohn Buford Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and Shiloh Command, Union Veterans' Union.

Such is the life history of William I\IcConochie, a man possessed of great executive al)ility and keen business and financial foresight. Through hard work and diligent application to his business he has acquired a modest fortune, and that fort\me is an honest one. Kindly in disposition, gentle in speech, yet unswerving in purpose he commands at once the admiration and respect of those who know him. As mayor of Rock Island he held the reins of government in a firm grasp, but he ruled more through persuasion and argument than through the assumption of mere arbitrary power. Conscientious in his dealings with the world, upright and honorable in every relation in life, he is one of Rock Island's best citizens.

Morris Geismar

K/[ ORRIS GEISMAR was born April 7, I I 1S6S, at Freiburg, Baden, Germany, his parents being Nathan and Frederika Geismar. In 1885 he came to America and immediately located in Rock Island, which city has ever since been his home. In 1886 he entered the employ of the Moline

Wagon Company, taking a position in the collection department of that concern. Ten years later he was elected secretary' and treasurer of that company, a position which he now holds. As a part of his duties Mr. Geismar has assumed what may be called the publicity dc]iartment of the Moline Wagon Company. Hy systems of judicioiis and well selected advertising he keeps the name and the virtues of the Moline wagon prominently before the eyes of the entire world's farming interests, these advertisements appearing in many languages and in many lands.

Mr. Geismar was married June 26, 1905, to Miss Carrie Goldsmith, a yoimg lady born and reared in Rock Island. They have one child, a son, Nathaniel E. Geismar.

In politics Mr. Geismar is a Republican, and although he has never been a candidate for office, yet he has been repeatedly selected as a delegate at different conventions of his party.

Mr. Geismar and his wife occupy a prominent place in the social life of the Tri-Cities. He is a member of the Moline Lodge of Elks, and belongs to both the Rock Island and the Moline Clubs.

His conscientious devotion to the duties entrusted to him has resulted in his steady promotion, until he now holds an enviable position in one of Moline's greatest industries.

John W. Potter

NEWSPAPER work is essentially transitory in its nature. The newspai)er article that may be read with the most absorbing interest today by thousands is tomorrow forgotten by the eager public as it is then no longer "news" and some more recent event has occurred upon which public attention is centered for a few brief hom-s. Consequently the newspaper article possesses none of the stability of other literary effort. Rarely is it kept for general reference except in the files of the newspaper office itself. It is read, makes more or less of an impression for a time and is superseded by the next day's issue and tossed aside. To make a permanent impression upon this particularly kaleidoscopic field of the world's work requires something more than mere talent; it requires absolute genius, and the fact that a publisher and editor can make a deep and lasting imprint upon the public conscience - an imprint that remains unobliterated for years after his decease shows him to have possessed that genius. Such a man was John W. Potter deceased, for years publisher and editor of the Rock Island Argus.

He was born August 17, 1S61, at Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland, his parents being John W. and Josephine (Ryan) Potter. That in his early youth he should enter the newspaper field seemed only natural as his environment tended strongly in that direction, both his father and grandfather (whose given names were also John W.) were successful in that profession until the day of their death.

John W. Potter, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch came to America in the year 1853, settling in Buffalo, New York- Here in 1856 occurred his marriage to Miss Josephine Ryan, a young lady born and reared in that city. Soon after his marriage he returned to Ireland with his young wife and there our subject was born, as has been stated,, in 1861. The Potters continued to make their home in Ireland until 1865, when the father again returned to America, bringing his family with him. For a short time he again made his home in Buffalo, and then went to St. Louis, Missouri. Four years later he removed to Bolivar, inthe same state, where he established and published for several years a newspaper known as the Bolivar Herald. Visiting Freeport, Illinois, he disposed of his newspaper plant at Bolivar, and afterward made tlie former city his home. In Freeport he purchased an interest in the

Freeport Bulletin, and later became its sole - owner. In 1882 he purchased the Rock Island Argus from Richardson and Powers, then its proprietors. Under their management the paper had not been particularly successful. After his purchase of the Argus he placed his son, John W., Jr. in control as managing editor, he ha^-ing prior to that time resided with his parents in Freeport. Upon the death of his father, which occurred at Freeport in 1885, John W., the son, was left sole proprietor of the Argus. He remained its proprietor and editor until his death,, which- occurred January 11, 1898. When he took charge of the Argus, he brought to it the enthusiasm of young manhood, tempered by experience. He set for himself and for his paper a high standard and that standard was maintained throughout his life- The Argus was a Democratic party organ, and as its editor Mr. Potter accomplished more for his party diiring the seventeen years that he edited the paper than any other Democratic newspaper between Omaha and Chicago. March 5, 1889, occurred the nuptials of John W. Potter and Miss Minnie E. Abbott, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Fisher Abbott, one of the best known and most highly respected families in Rock Island, Their married life together was a most happy one. and to them three children were born, a daughter. Marguerite, and two sons, John W. and Ben H. He is sm'vived by his wife and children. One brother. Osier F. Potter, resides at Freeport, and a sister. Marian E. Potter, in Minneapulis.

Mr. Potter during his lifetime was a member of St. Paul Lodge, No. 107, Knights of Pythias, and of C. W. Hawes Camp, No. 1550, Modern Woodmen of America. He was a most delightful man to meet socially; a most genial and polished gentleman.

In 1893 Mr. Potter was appointed postmaster of Rock Island by President Cleveland, and it was during his tenure of the office that the present postoffice was erected upon the site at the corner of Sixteenth Street and Second Avenue, and the office removed to its new location. In the year 1890 when Ben TCable was nominated and elected as Congressman from this congressional district, Mr. Potter was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee. In politics Mr. Potter was keen and far-sighted.

In conclusion it may be truthfully said of John W\ Potter that he was a splendid type of manhood, a man of keen natvu-e, broad mind and liberal in his dealings with his fellow-men; a man generous of . impulse and a doer of kindly nets; a man of strong will and tenacious of purpose, yet always open to conviction. His death was a permanent loss to the community in which he lived and toiled and to the newspaper which through his efforts became a power throughout Rock Island Count}\

J. Silas Leas

ONE of the old and respected citizen of Rock Island County, a man who stands high in the estimation of all who know him, is J. Silas Leas, who although now spending the closing years of his life in retirement, was at one time engaged in some of Rock Island County's principal manufacturies. He was born October 31, 1830, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, his parents being Christian H. and Julia Ann (Brandt) Leasboth of whom were also natives of that state. His mother died when the subject of our sketch was but two years of age. In his early boyhood Mr. Leas attended the public schools of his home county and also the private academjr of Professor Burns. LTpon the completion of his course in the academy Mr. Leas entered the employ of his father who was a merchant, and served as his clerk for a number of years.

Here the father again opened a general merchandise business, and his son was again for a short time employed as his clerk. Later he was taken into partnership, the firm name being- C. H. Leas & Son. In 1854 this firm built the first flour mill in Rock Island, and later disposed of their store in order to devote all their attention to the milling business.

In 1861 they disposed of the mill, and the subject of our sketch purchased an interest in the manufacturing firm of Wj-cofT & Barnard of Moline, a firm engaged in the manufacture of mill machinery.. The firm name was changed from Wj'cofT & Barnjjrd to Wycoff, Barnard & Company and then changed to Barnard & Leas ^lanufacturing Company and incorporated under the same name. For nineteen years Mr. Leas traveled for his firm and after that time he devoted his special attention to the securing of patents on his partner's inventions. The business prospered, and from a small beginning the plant was enlarged until today it is one of Moline's chief industries. In 1898 Mr. Leas sold his stock in the concern to Charles A. Barnard, and since that time, as has been said, he has lived a life of retirement. In addition to his interest in this firm Mr. Leas was also for a number of years one of the directors of the Moline National Bank.

On Jtme 29, 1903, Mr. Leas was married to Mrs. Emily Francis (Hersey') Lambert, the daughter of Elijah and Emiline Hersey, who lived in Rock Island for many years. Their happ3' married life was of short duration, ilrs. Leas dying on Janiuiry 29, 1907.

Mr. Leas has always been a Republican, and in the early days of Rock Island he served two terms as assessor, being elected upon the Republican ticket.

He has since his majority been prominently connected with the Masons, being a member of Trio Lodge n'hich he joined when twentyone years of age. Later when Rock Island Lodge was formed he was one of the charter members, and served three terms as ma-ster. He is also a member of Barrett Chapter, No-

During Mr. Leas' lifetime he has accumulated considerable Rock Island real estate > the rise in value of which has brought him handsome profits.

In his long and active business career he had a reputation of highest integrity and of business ability, a man of extraordinary foresight in placing investments and a good and public spirited citizen of Rock IslancL m ^ ^

D.W'ID HAWES. the subject of this biograph}', father of Major Chas. W. and Frank B. Hawes, was born in Belchertown, ilassachusetts, October 19, 1809, and died in Rock Island, Illinois, April 20, 1900, aged ninety years six months and one day. In all that makes for good citizenship, it may be truly said that David Hawes was a model. He was one of the earliest settlers of Rock Island. His grandfather, John Hawes, was a Revolutionary soldier, fighting with the American patriots at Lexin,2:ton and Bunker Hill, and later participating in the capture of Ticonderoga, being wounded in this latter engagement. David Hawes resided in ^lassachusetts until 1835, when, in company with Lemuel Andrews, his brother-in-law, he set his face westward. He reached St. Louis a month later, and in October of 1835, arrived in Rock Island- Rock Island, at the time of his arrival here, was a trading post for the Sac and Fox Indians. There were but ten houses in the village inhabited by white men. In December of 1835, Mr. Hawes returned to St. Louis, overland, accompanied by Mr. Andrews- They followed the old Indian or "Cow" trail- Thc trip was one filled with hardships. Lost in a blizzard, Mr. Andrews almost succumbed and Mr. Hawes struggled through the storm to the nearest settlement. Mr. Andrews was rescued in the nick of time.

In January of 1S36. .Mr. Hawe.s rctiu-ned to Massachusetts from St. Louis, and returned to Illinois, accompanied 1\v his wife, who was Miss Julia M. Babcock, of Ware, Massachusetts, locating at Naples. He engaged in the hotel business at that point for a short time, but in vSeptember, 1857, again located in Rock Island. Vqy a time he conducted the old Rock Island House. On September 15, 1870, Mrs. Hawes passed away. Two years later Mr. Hawes was united in wedlock to Mrs. Susan B. Arnold, who siu'vives.

Always of a devout turn of mind, due, no doubt to his Puritan ancestry, it was not mitil 1850 that Jlr. Hawes united with the Baptist Church of Rock Island. On March 27th of that same year he was elected a deacon, and remained a member of that church and an ordained deacon to the day of his death. His conspicuous Christian life, indeed, won the distinction of ordination. It is stated that he was the only deacon ever ordained by the Baptist Church in Rock Island.

From the date of his location here, Mr. Hawes took a leading and active part in every movement designed for the growth and betterment of Rock Island. He was instrumental in the construction of the first sewer in Rock Island. He served the city as aldernum and later as acting mayor, and in 1860-1862 was sheriff of Rock Island County. He also held the office of United States Ganger at this point for a number of years, held the office of coroner for twelve years, and for many years prior to and at the time of his death was a justice of the peace.

At the time of his decease, in 1900, besides being the oldest member of the Baptist Church, he was a member of the Old Settlers' Association, with which he affiliated as a charter member, and had held continuous membership in the Independen-t Order of Odd Fellows, joining in 1848. His funeral attested the love and esteem in which he was held by the peo]jle of Rock Island generally. The services were held at the First Baptist Church, the ceremony being conducted by the pastor, Reverend G. B. Simons, assisted by Reverend H. C. Leland, pastor of the Orion Ba]itist Church. Rock Island Lodge No. IS, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, conducted the services at the grave.

David Hawes was an earnest Christian, a conscientious public servant, devoted to his family and ardent in his patriotism. He li\ed the ])erfect Christian life.

James Franklin Robinson

A MAN of prominence and wealth, yet unspoiled liy his position and prosperity; a man whose life was filled with kindly thoughts and generous deeds; a man of sterling integrity, who typified in his everyday life the highest type of Christian character, was James Franklin Robinson, the subject of this sketch.

He was born in Rock Island County February 27, 1849, and died May 23, 1902, at his home in the city of Rock Island. He was the son of those well known Rock Island County pioneers, a sketch of whose lives is written elsewhere in this book. Captain and Mrs. Thomas J. Robinson.

As a boy, Frank Robinson, as he was known throughout his life in Rock Island, was of a thoughtful and studious bent of mind, and of a deeply religious nature. Unlike many other sons of wealthy parents, he had no inclination toward frivolity and dissipation. His early education was received in the jnililic schools and later he entered an academy and prepared himself for entrance to Northwestern University, where he later graduated in the classical course.

Upon the conijiletion of his collegiate studies Mr. Robinson returned home and entered the bank which his father had established, holding the responsible position of cashier, a position which he held to tlie date of his father's death, April 12. 1S99 - a period of twenty-five years. I'lion the death of Captain Robinson, his son succeeded him as President of the hank, and was also made President of the Central Trust and Savings Bank of Rock Island, closel}- allied to the Rock Island National Bank. Mr. Robinson was a tireless and indefatigable worker. He gave the most profound attention to every duty, bringing to each task the utmost precision and accuracy.

On October 29. 1S79. occurred the marriage of ilr. Robinson and Miss Mary Roades. a yoimg lady of Pekin, Illinois. Of this marriage two daughters were born. l)oth of whom died in infancy. Both Mr. and Mrs. Robinson were members of the Methoilist Chiu-ch. the church with which Mr. Robinson's father and mother had been affiliated throughout their lives, and in fact which they were instrumental in establishing in Hock Island. Jlr. Robinson and his accomplished wife lived unostentatious lives. Their generosity was not confined to public benefactions, but in many instances their presence in the sick room of someone less fortunate than them.selves, their active assistance in the relief of suffering and want, has been sjioken of by others, although they themselves never alluded to these incidents. Mr. Hobinson was a num of fine apj^reciation; of cultivated literary tastes, a lover of home and of home life. Jlrs. Robinson is a singularly accomplished woman, a musician of great talent. Their married life was ideal. Each was a most fitting companion for the other. Their tastes were similar, and their am])le fortune enabled them to enjoy the best in travel, music, literature aiui art.

In addition to the many secret lienefactions of Mr. Robinson during his lifetime, he was generous in his aid to educational institutions. To the American University at Washington, D. C, he gave S25,()()(): to Denver University, Denver, Colo.. $10, ()()() : to Augustaua College

The real magnanimity of the man is fully shown by the provisions of his will, an instrument dis]K)sing of his entire fortune of several hundred thousand dollars, and distributing it amongst church and educational institutions. This will was made after the fullest conference with his wife, who gave its every jirovision her heartiest approval, and who h*is not only cheerfully and devotedly given her liest energies toward carrying out its provisions, but who has actually increased and added to the fund to be distributed. By the provisions of this will his wife, during her lifetime, is to enjoy the income from the entire fortune and afterward the followina; objects are named as l.ieneficiaries:

The family homestead, a magnificent estate occupying an entire block in the best residence district in Rock Island, is to be dedicated to the uses of a Deaconess Home and Oriihanage, to be held in trust by the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Rock Island.

Mr. Robinson always felt the most lively interest in the growth and welfare of religious and educational institutions. During his lifetime he was a liberal contributor to these institutions which he felt were so essential in the ])rogress and development of Christian civilization, and at his death he left practically his entire fortune to their furtherance and upbuilding.

In a former paragraph the fact of Mr. Robinson's gift of So, (MM) to McKendree College was mentioned. This gift has recently been supplemented l)y Mrs. Robinson, who from her own income, has given another So, 000 to the same college, thus enabling that institution to close an offer whereby it secured a permanent endowment fund of $100,000.

Mr. Robinson's last illness was a lingering one, which baffled medical skill. His death brought to an untimely close a full and active life, that was ]iroving a blessing to humanity. Throughout the city there were nuuiy. many expres.sidiis of fjrief, ami of personal loss to those who had known him, and it was the general sentiment that a good man had gone to his reward.

Captain Thomas J. Robinson

Till] municipal history of Rock Lsland contains some illustrious names. It is a city that has been slow in attaining its present proportions, but its growth has been steady and constant. To those hardy and adventurous men who in an early day saw Rock Island's possibilities and expended strength, time and money in laboring to build up what was then a mere handful of people gathered together, great credit must be given. They had faith in Rock Island's future. They labored to make that future a reality, and in their hihors they were successful.

One of those men who had a most jirominent part in the develo]iment of Rock Island, and who in his long and hapjiy lifetime saw the city grow from a small hamlet to a thriving municipality, and who ciudd well feel that his faith in that city he had chosen as his home had not been misplaced, was Captain Thomas J. Robinson,

He was born in Appleton, Maine, July 28, 1818. His father was of English, and hi.s mother of German extraction, though both were natives of the State of Maine. The early youth of their son was spent on the parental farm. Farm life, however, proved most uncongenial to the lad, and he decided to abandon it at the earliest opportunity. While still a mere boy he learned the cooper's trade, and by this means he earned sufficient money to complete a course of study at Kents Hill Academy, and upon the completion of his course he began teaching school in his home neighborhood.

During this time he was ajjpointed assessor for Greene County by Governor Carlin. He entered ujion this work with the same thoroughness that characterized his every act throughout his life, and made the first perfect list of property that Greene County had ever had. Upon his journey to Illinois the young man had discovered that the subject of water transportation was a most important one, and that it was destined to take a leading part in the development of the new country. He engaged as clerk on a Mississi])])! packet jilying lietween New Orleans and Memphis, and for two seasons he continued in this position. Upon a!)andoning this work he made a visit to his home in Maine where he remained for a year.

But Thomas .1. Roliinson knew that the west was the land of ])romise for a yoimg man, aiul at the expiration of the year spent at his home he again returned to Whitehall, coming by way of Chicago. The city was tlien in its infancy, and Captain Robins'}!! in his later years related that for $.50 he could have bought the plat of groimd at the corner of Jackson and Clark Streets, now occupied liy the Grand Pacific Hotel. Upon his return to White Hall he again resumed his post as a school teacher, and continued in that vocation for another two years. Then he secured a position as a deputy in the Treastu-er's and County Clerk's office, and in this position he remained four years.

On January 15, 1846, occurred the marriage of Thomas J. Robinson and Miss Amy Ann Henderson, a young lady of White Hall. Together with his brother-in-law, Mr. Perry Henderson, he purchased a farm in Rock Island County, near Hillsdale, where he renuuned for three years. At the end of that time he sold his interest in the farm, and formed a parternership with Temple, Dickerson and Company, with whom for a period of

As has been said in the opening of this sketch, Captain Roi)ins(iii was one of those who saw and had faith in the futvu'e of Rock Island, and in 1853, upon the dissolution of the partnership above referred to, he removed to this city and purchased of Judge John W. Spencer a partnership interest in the Rock- Island-Daven;)ort ferry. He at once assumed control of the active management of this enterprise and his progressive nature immediately put into effect manj^ improvements, the principal of which was the substitution of steam for the horse as a means of motive power. He also added a second boat to the Company's equipment, thus greatly facilitating and expediting business, to such a degree that Rock Island became one of most noted, as well as one of the most profitable transriver locations on the U])per iMississi]i]ii.

During his entire lifetime Captain Robinson was one of the most pow^erful factors in promoting the interests of tl'.e city, and always maintained that it, together with Moline and Davenport, would eventually become the leading manufacturing center of the west. He was one of t' e most prominent figures in R(.ck Island's industrial progress, and was a pnjmcter cf manj' new manufacturing enterprises. He was one of tlie organizers of tlie Rock I.'^land (!lass Com])any. tl.e Illinois ^^'atc]l Company, the Rock Island (Juilt Company, and the Black I)iam!.iid Coal Company. V\ hilo < n a liusiness trip to an eastern citj* in an early dux he saw for the first tinie a street railway in operation. Upon his return to Rock Islanil be at once aihocated the organization of a c< iiipany for the i)urposc of connecting Rock Islaml and lloline by a street railway. The company was organized and the |)roject was carried out. That small system was the nucleous of that splendid system which today connects and raniilies throughout the tri-cities. Captain Robinson was conspicuous on his labors to secure the location of the Government Arsenal on Rock Island. He gave active assistance in promoting the construction of a railroad between Rock Island and St. Louis, and the line constructed is today the St. Louis Division of the C. B. & Q. He was also identified with .Mr. Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the lumber king, in the development of the lumber industry in Wisconsin.

In the location and construction of the Hennepin Canal Captain Robinson was particularly active, and besides his individual effort he expended a large amount of money in furtherance of those efforts. From the beginning Captain Robinson had advocated the idea that the Hennepin Canal should be of sufficient size to admit the largest inland vessels, and it was a great disappointment to him that it was not built upon a larger scale.

In the financial field Captain Robinson was conspicuous by his success. In 1871 he founded the Rock Island National Bank, an institiition which still exists in handsomely remodeled quarters, and which, since its organization, has held rank as one of the strongest and safest financial institutions in \^'estern Illinois. Captain Robinson was its president from the date of its organization to the time of his death, and so closely and thoroughly was he identified with the institution that it was known by nearh' e\eryone in Rock Island as the "Robinson Bank." rather than by its regular corporate name.

In his political affiliation Captain Robinson was, in his early life, a Henry Clay Whig. Upon the disintergratif)n of the Whig partv he gave his allegiance and support to the Republican party, which had i)Ut recently been organized. In his sentiments Captain Robinson was always a jironounced antislavery ad\-ocate. He possessed a very extensive accpiaintance with the leading men of the country in both church and state. He was a sincere personal friend of Abraham Lincoln; Richard Yates. Sr., the war governor of Illinois; Governor Richard Oglesby and others. During the trouhUnl time of the Civil War he was frequently calletl in council by Governor Yates, and in such high esteem was he held by that great executive that he could have had any ap|)ointive office within his gift, but he steadfastly refused political preferment. He did, however, accept the office of associate judge of Rock Island County and ])resident of its board of supervisors during the war, but these offices were urged upon him and he entered upon their duties at a personal expense and inconvenience to himself, but he cheerfully gave ])oth of his time and his talents in the performance of the duties that were entailed.

Both Captain and Mrs. Robinson throughout their lives were devoted members of the Methodist Episcoiial Church, and were chief among its influential and generous members. They lived simiile, unostentatious lives. They were generous to those less fortunate than themselves, and their generosity consisteil not in the mere gi-ving of money but of personal service in relieving the condition of the unfortimate. Of their marriage two sons were born, James Franklin and ,Iohii. A sketch of the former ai)]3ears upon another page of this work. The latter son died in infancy.

The death of Mrs. Robinson occurred June 18, 1S95, and that of Cajitain Robinson, April 12, 1899. In their death Rock Island lost a man and woman who lived the finest, highest type of Christian life, and who exemplified, by their kindly, genercuis acts, the tenets they professed.

Frederick C. A. Denkmann

VWTHEN on March 2, 1905, the spirit of \^ Frederick C. A. Denkmann passed from earth there was completed and rounded out a life that may well serve as an inspiration for American boys of this and succeeding generations, through its disregard of difficulties, steadfastness of jnirpose, energy and accomplishment, sterling worth and helpfulness. In such a life there is encouragement for every yotmg man who is constrained to be the architect and builder of his own fortunes, even as this necessity was laid upon Frederick C. A. Denkmann.

He sprang from sturdy German stock, did this great Amerit'an l-,iinl)evm:in, an 1 that his sole inheritance fram his ancestors was a clear head reinforce 1 by rugge 1 strength w-as not the faidt of his forbears, but so events were shaped Ijy the fortunes of war. Fre 1- erick, mostly called Carl, was born April 8, 1822, at Salzwedel, the ancient capital of Prussia, the youngest son of his father, Diedrich Denkmann. This father had been a successful manufactui-er, a iii:in of ])roperty and standing in the (ierman city. The Na]3oleonic wars destroyed his business and swept away his iidicritcd and accumulated wealth. Disheartened and feeling that the lost ground could not be regained, Diedrich Denkmann died, and llic little Cai'l was left to the care of the motliei-, upon whom great responsibilities de\'ol ved .

Circumstances forbade Carl the enjoyment of ;idvantages that his widowed mother would gladly have given him. She was al)le to ])rovide him with the mere rudiments of an etlucation and coulil only hope that his native strength of character would make valuable his tutelage in the school of exjjerience. His days in the school room endeil at fourteen, and he was placed as apprentice in a machine shop as a preparation for bread winning by hard work which circumstances made imperative. With German thoroughness and an ambition to succeed which was native and individual, Carl mastered his trade. He was in after life such a machinist as any employer is delighted to have upon his payroll. He was grounded in the pi-iuciples of mechanics to such a degree that no peculiarity of material was puzzling, no nicety of touch too deft for his resourcefulness, hi after years when his name ajjpeared upon the roll of shop employes, this inachinist freiiuently drew equal pay with the supervising foreman as the expert workman of the shop. In the years of his youth and early manhood this strong and steady _voung artisan was unconsciously Living in preparedness the foundations of the great fortune which was to l)e his across the ocean.

In the troublous days of 184S the thoughts of numy in Mr. Denkmann's home city were turned to America It was the land of elbow room, of rich reward, of freedom. Those who journeyed to this land of promise acrofss the Atlantic wrote of the opportunities this coimtry held for those trained in careful ways in thrifty German homes. With his small savings and something more valuable, a knowledge of his craft, Mr. Denkmann joinetl, in 1849, the tide of those seeking homes in the new world. Little had he to bring beside health and strength, the desire for political liberty and better industrial conditions.

Mr. Denkmann's first abiding place in America was Erie, Pennsylvania. Here he speedily found employment, adapted himself to the conditions of American citizenship and set up his own fireside, December 9, 1849, .by wooing and marrying Miss Catherine Bloedel, who had also come from Germany, being a native of Niedersaulheim. a village in the valley of the Rhine.

If is related of him that when he first applied for work in Erie, the foreman of the plant asked him what he could do, and with characteristic frankness he replied, "What those three men over there are doing."

With his steady income as a machinist of high rank these young people were content in their new home for two years after their marriage, and then the advantages of the West called tlioni to the l)anks of the Mississippi.

Mr. Dcnkiuann had a brother living in Walcott, Iowa, and there the young j)air journcyetl. After a short visit of reunion the iiulustrious guest looked almut for cni-

]jloyment. This offered in ^loliiie, one of the trinity of cities near to Walcott, and there Mr. and Mrs. Denkmann settled. For a time they lived in Moline and then moved to Rock Island, which was tlioir homo for more than fifty years, even up to the death of Mr. Denkmann in 190"). .And in that long-time home Mrs. Denkmann died .January lo. 1907.

On December 9, 1S99, Mr. and :\Irs. Denkmann celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. In accordance with their usual custom, this was celebrated quietly in the home with a family dinner. It was made the occasion of a very happy reunion, however, and all of the immediate family, children and grandchildren, and other near relatives to the number of about si.xty were present.

During the first years of his stay in Rock Island Mr. Denkmann worked at his trade and allowed his savings to accumulate in the thrifty German manner. Then he established himself in the grocery business. This was an incident in his life which seems apart from his steady and consistent climb from the position of a journeyman machinist to that of one of the most prominent lumbermen in the workl. But the grocer}^ business served its purpose. A small ca])ital was gotten together which made a sawmill ownership possible. When he placed his name above his modest grocery store the same thorough attention to details and pervading and compelling energy that had made him superior in his old line showed in the new business. Those who knew him in those days recall that he was not content to wait, as other grocers did, until the farmers should bring in their product in order to secure supplies for his customers. Those who patronized the Denkmann grocery had the freshest and best of everything grown on the farms in a wide circuit ijrought to them by the proprietor and securetl by him on an extended triji in the early morning hours while com- ]ietit(U-s were taking one more naj).

It was in 1860 that Mr. Denkmann formed with his brother-in-law, Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the partnership in the lumber business that achieved such monumental success that their names became known wherever in this country logs and lumber were bought and sold. Up to the time that the firm of Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann began operations upon a scale that made them famous in the lumber world, Mr. Denkmann 's life had been a quiet one, unmarked by incidents that would attract attention. He had lived a peaceful home life, working with energy and intelligence, l)ut in lines which do not ordinarily lead to wealth and influence. His sphere of action had lieen circumscribed. He was scarcely known l>eyond the confines of the home town where he lived for and with his family, and enjoyed the res|icct of his circle of friends. With tlie founding of the lumber firm his manner of life was changed, his opportunities and responsibilities broadened. He seemed to have become a favorite of fickle Fortune, and upon him were showered her blessings in golden profusion. When the tide of prosperity did set in, it found him ready. He had been seasoned Ijy poverty in l)oyhood; he had his unfulfilled dreams of early manhood to bring true. He was almost forty years old when he took hokl of lumlier making, and the path to greater accomplishment, wider influence and deeper usefulness to the community opened before him.

Frederick Weyerhaeuser, his partner, had been in the employ of Mead, Smith iV: Marsh, and in charge of a retail yard at Coal Valley, Illinois. This lumber firm had been compelled to go out of business. There was an o]5portunity to purchase their saw mill and b\isiness at small cost and on easy terms. The partnership of Weyerhaeuser c*c Denkmann was formed after the members had looked over the property and talked of their chances for the future. As a matter of fact, there was never any chance of failure in such a combination. They were both remarkable men, men of rugged strength, sleepless energy and great courage. Mr. Denkmann's peculiar abilities were supplemented completely by those of Mr. Weyerhaeuser. The latter, trained in the handling of lumber, looked after the sales and log supply. Mr. Denkmann, the skilled machinist, grounded in his line with old world thoroughness, took charge of the manufacture. Under his skilfidl management the saws hummed a newtune. The new superintendent was fertile in devices for improving the mechanical side of the business. He worked longer hours than any other num on the payroll. His employes used to say that he thought nothing of working all day about the mill looking after im- ]iortant iletails of manufacture and then would put in half or all the night coaxing some refractory bit of machinery into lint for the next ilay's run.

The life of the mill superintendent of those days was not that of present times when completely equijijied machine shops ready to turn out any desired bit of repair are in telegraphic and exjiress communication. When Weyerhaeuser i.t Denkmann l)egan business the chief machinist had to Ije a man who could keep the mill working by contrivance and device self-planned and self-constructed.

The firm which later reached such mammoth proportions began modestly. A small cash payment and some notes secured the mill which was in fairly good condition. The machinery was got in shape by Mr. Denkmann, and the business of getting out lumber for their retail trade commenced. The first season the mechanical genius of Mr. Denkmann. for it seems noth ng less than genius to work such wonders under the circumstances - increased the capacity of the mill from 6,000 feet to 15,000 feet per day. Mr. Denkmann's partner looked after ids end of the enterprise. Saws midtijilied ; logs climbed the incline to tiic mill in closer procession, the freshly sawed lumber slid out upon the trucks in an endless stream, hi two years

The business seemed now well under way, but there were large expenses to be met: obligations must be punctiliously cared for. lest the credit of the Hrm should suffer, and their credit formed a large part of their working capital. They had little beside except tireless energy and faith in themselves. Strict eccnomy was practiced in manufacture. In many American mills there are mechanical devices in use that date from this mill and those days. They were the invention of the partner-manager of the premier Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann mill and the result of his ceaseless planning to produce lumber as cheaply as possible, to establish a solid business and win success. The output of this mill was increased until it was considered one of the best on the Mississiijpi River.

Encouraged by their success with this small sawmill property, which in these days is known as the lower mill the firm considered broadening their field. There was another Rock Island mill on the market. It was known as the Skinner mill and was located where is now the site of the division roundhouse of the Rock Island System. This mill was built in 1S5() by a Mr. Barnes. In this venture Messrs. Denkmann and Weyerhaeuser were joined by three other gent emen named Anawalt, Gray antl Cropper. The firm thus formed was named Anawalt, Denkmann & Co. This mill was soon in successful operation. Later it was moved and consolidated with the plant of Keator. Wils. n iV: Company, and a new company formed which bore the title, the Rock Island Lumber & Manufacturing Company. Tliis organization by the magnitude of its operations became famous among lumbermen. Its mills formed one of the greatest hmiber making plants on the L'pper Mississippi River. At the formation of this company Air. Denkmann was

The business of the planing mills attached to the sawmills of the Rock Island Lumber & Manufacttu-ing Company, grew to such an importance as to merit a separate organization and a supplemental company known as the Rock Island Sash it Door Works was formed. Of this company Mr. Denkmann was also the president. The latter company operated branches in other cities and covered a wide field. Another outgrowth of the Rock Island Lumber & Manufacturing Company was a string of retail j-ards located in important town of Kansas and Oklahoma.

One of the later projects of Mr. Denkmann was the purchase and improvement of a mill in Davenport. Iowa, just across the Mississippi River from the other mills operated by his firm. This mill dated back to 1854-5, when it was built by William Renwick. It was ])urchased by Mr. Denkmann and his partner in 1888. It was fitted up in the most approved manner of the modern mill, and was in every respect a fine double band and gang mill. The product of this mill was up to Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann standards and the Iowa member of the local plant was giving good account of itself when a great fire on July 25, 1901 wrought its complete destruction. This was the first great loss the fu-m had been called upon to bear during its more than forty years of prosperous business. The mill was not rebuilt. Its site is now^ occupied by a large retail yard conducted by the firm.

Cireat local manufacturers of lumber were Weyerhaeuser iV Denkmann. In the days when the Chipjiewa valley store of white pine seemed inexhaustible and a fleet of raftboats was employed in bringing tows to the Rock Island mills, the output of lumber took on great praporticns, the product of the four mills for one year being 117,000,000 feet. The average annual production for a number of years was over 100,000,000 feet. In a.Idition to the mills in the cities of il->c'.c Island and

At Rock Island the lower mill was operated by the partnership until January 8. 1903. when it was taken over by the cor])oration, Weyerhaeuser A- Denkmann Company. Of this corporation .Mr. Denkmann was president.

It is natural when writine; of Mr. Denkmann to think of his firm in the light of great manufacturers of lumber, for it was the manvifacturing industry of the firm over which he early assumed the direction, and that oversight he maintained until he was called from earth. In that line he e.xcelled others in the same work. His early success was due greatly to his marvelous insight where machinery was concerned. Later, as the Ijusiness grew, and mills multiplied, executive ability developed that wa.s no less a mark and manifestation of genius. He knew what a day's work for a man or a team or a steamboat ought to be. He was satisfied when this was done, and the confidence of his army of employes was won by his fairness in giving credit for their cooperation. Perhaps a man who has done many a day's work himself is more competent to judge of that commodity as it is bought and sold in the labor market. Mr. Denkmann's e.xpectation of his employes \\Tis high, but not unreasonably so. He never required of them the hours and effort that he himself put into his enterprises. He was a leader and not a driver in the industrial world.

The firm of which ^Ir. Denkmann was a member was a pioneer in the purchase of pine lands. The first tract secured was in the Chippewa valley, and the [purchase was made after due consideration of its far-reaching results. It was the precedent, and its profit the argument for the investment of great sums in standing timber. For many years it was the rule of the firm to buy available pine lands even at a price which made the investment seem undesirable to other lumbermen. The result jvistified the judgment of Mr. Denkmann and his partner. The lumber sawed by the firm was from logs cut from forests owned by the firm, by men employed by the firm, and towed to the mills by steamboats owned by the firm. Every profit in the manufactiu-e of lumber was turned into the annual dividends.

This purchase of standing ])ine has gone on steadily for years, on the system entered upon years ago. The transactions have been of such magnitude that the members of this firm are todaj- the largest owners of pine timber in this country, and therefore in the world. Standing tind^er was bought in ^^'isconsin, in Michigan, in Minnesota. \'ast forests were purchased in Oregon, Idaho and Washington, one tract secured in the latter state l>y themselves and friends comprising I,0()(),0()0 acres. Of late the firm has investigated, at the re(piest of large transportation companies and others interested in the development of the South, the lumber prospects of that region and has added largely to its lantl holdings in that section. They are now heavy operators in the South. It is probable that a list of all the timl:)er holdings in which Jlr. Denkmann was inter-' ested could be compiled from the records of the firm. If so, it would fill ])ages of this woi'k.

.Mr. Denkmann lived to see his early hopes more than fulfilled. At 82 he laid down the responsibilities and pleasures of a long and busy life. The cares of his later vears were lightened l)y his sons, Frederick C, Denkmann and Edward P. Denkmann. who had mastered through early apjirenticeship the incidents and intricacies of the lumber business. They have shown adaptability to their work and the initiative and executive necessary in th')se who control such great interests. Oversight and manage.Tient were s) gradually shifted from the aging father ti the s ms that the business world was n )t affe.-tj 1 by the passing of the inheritance.

Mrs. Catherine iJenkmann, wlio survived her husband until January 15, 1907, was to him always his greatest incentive t(i success. He sought her advice and found her judgment sound on all business matters. She kept in touch with his business. Their home life was ideal. Mr. Denkmann, after business cares were over, delighted to spend his time at home with his family. He was a great reader and would read aloud to his wife in their hapjiy evenings together. Her pleasure in having at hand means with which to gratify her benevolent impulse^ was a constant gratification to him after the Denknuum home was fairly in the sunshine of prosperity.

Mr. and Mrs. Denkmann were the parents of five daughters and two sons. They are: Marie Antoinette, wife of John J. Reimers, of Fort Worth, Te.xas, a newspaper man; Appolonia Adelaide, wife of Thomas B. Davis, of Rock Island; Frederick C. Denkmann, of Rock Island; Elise Augusta, wife of Wm. H. Marshall, of Rock Island; Catherine, wife of Edward S. Wentworth, an artist, of New York; Edward P. Denkmann, of Rock Island, Illinois, and Susanne C. Denkmann, who lives in the old homestead in Rock Island.

Those who associated with Frederick C. A. Denkmann and knew him well tell of his forceful but unobtrusive life, his active interest in matters of which he said but little. He was not given to taking counsel of others or imparting confidences. His was ever a strong individvudity. He took his own means of broadening and enriching his life. His kindness was often felt by those who did not know who had befriended them. Mr. Denkmann preferred to have it so. He was a man of deeds, a tireless worker, a man of quiet habits and modest demeanor. He bore his part in building his city and making it beautiful. His wealth was fairly won in the open field of business competition, anil he deserved whatever rewards it brought. All in all he was a type of man it is good for young Americans to know about.

Frederick Weyerhaeuser

SHOri.D a search be niaile throughout the length and breadth of the United States, no fairer or finer example of the self-made American could be found than Frederick Weyerhaeuser, hunljerman. Brought by chance, in early nuinhood, in touch with the making of lumber he seizeil upon this accidental circumstance as upon an opportunitj', mastered the rudiments with a thoroughness that has characterized his every action in life, and upon this practical knowledge budded his e.\ceptional business career. One by one he saw the possibilities as they ojiened before him. Each possiliility became to him a probability and was nuide a certainty. He mastered in turn the details of lumber manufacture and sale of the purchase and economical utilization of pine lands, of log supply in its branches - cutting, sorting and rafting to the mills, details of the building and maintenance of railroads for logging and marketing mill ])roducts, of the operation of the various industries subsidiary and supplemental to the ])rincipal business of lumber manufacture. Incidentally he became a financier and has been chosen for his udgmciit to advise and direct great institutions of the financial world.

His career is so interwoven with the growth of the great white-pine industry of the North that it would be difficult to make reference to an}- chapter in the history of lumbering in that region without mentioning his name.

The story of Frederick Weyerhaeuser's life is so remarkable in its incidents and yet so - rational and consistent in the developmental sequence of its events that its telling in very truth would seem like the creation of some master mind in the realm of fiction. The story of his business career, the part he has taken in the development of the Northwest will never be fully known, for such a narration would i)e of necessity an autobiography, and .Mr. \\ everhaeuser is the last man who could lie induced to tell of his achievements in detail. Should he serve as his own historian, short and simple would be the annals. His is not the dis])osition to tell of the prodigious industry and unerring discernment which has maile it ]iossible to launch and build u]) countless industries, amass great wealth and extend the field of his usefidness until it has covered the entire country.

To intimate friends ilr. Weyerhaeuser sometimes talks of himself, but the topics are apt to relate to his boyhood in Clermany, his emigration to America, his early trials and de]>rivations, his determination to do every task assigned him so well that the confidence of his employer could l)e gained and advancement honestly won. More ])articularly woidd he write, if his hand held the biograj)hical pen, and he were sure of friendly interest in those who read, of his days in a little Illinois town wliere on a small salary he and his liritle enjoyed existence as , only young people happily married and hopeful of the future can enjoy it. He woulil tell of his beautiful home life, of his wife and family and cherished friends. He would tell of his desire for simplicity in living and freedom from the biuxlen of social obligation that wealth often brings. To his closest friends he might speak of his interest in other men, the younger ones just putting their shoulders to the wheel, in the older ones, those who have done their best and yet have failed of substantial rewards which have been his own. Frederick Weyerhaeuser is a man whose business success has been noteworthy even in this country where a large measure of success is not uncommon. He has another side upon which his friends delight to dwell. It is Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the good citizen, the admirable neighbor, the kind and sympathizing friend, that his old associates in Rock Island hold in high regard.

the little village with the long name was one of the Roman walled cities that the worldconcjuerors scattered over Germany. It is in the midst of a beautiful agricultural region. The ancestors of Mr. Weyerhaeuser were farmers and vine-dressers. Far yonder toward the dark ages, some four hundred years ago, tradition has it the Weyerhaeusers came from Western CSerniany to settle in Niedersaulheim. John Weyerhaeuser, the father of Frederick Weyerhaeuser, was one of the solid men of the village, owning a fifteen acre farm and a three acre vineyard. He died at the age of fifty-two, October 6, 1846, when Frederick was about twelve years old.

There were children in the Weyerhaeuser home at Niedersaulheim - eleven of them. Frederick and four sisters survived the others and reached maturity. When a little fellow of six he was sent to the Protestant school. The essential foundations of an education were provided l)y his teachers and a pro]3er grounding in religious truths also looked after. ^Ir. Weyerhaeuser remembers that each Wednesday and Saturday afternoon was devoted to the study of the Bible and the church catechism. At eight years of age he commenced w^ork upon the farm helping about such tasks as his strength jjermitted and received his first valuable lessons in responsibility. Four years later the death of his father made necessary the shortening of his school life and he took u]xin himself a large part of the work of the farm and vineyard. In life's school the boy was learning other lessons than those in books, lessons of accomplishment, of reliability, of self confidence. That he learned them well his subsequent success testifies. An incident of his boyhood life was his confirmation in the Cierman Reformed Church at the age of fourteen. It might be remarked in this connection that after coming to this country Mr. Weyerhaeuser attended the Lutheran Church and that since his home has been in St. Paul he has been allied with the Presbvterian Church.

During .Mr. W eyerhaeuser's lioyliood days the thoughts of the people of this German viHage were turning toward .Vnierica. In the Rhine valley fanning land was high in price and the chance for bettering one's condition small. The United States came to be looketl upon as the land of promise, a land where there were broad acres, climatic conditions not unlike those of Germany and a chance for every man. One of Mr. Weyerhaeuser's older sisters and an aunt made a pilgrimage across the water in 1S49 and settled in Western Pennsylvania. Their letters turned the longings of the remainder of the family into determination, and in 1852 they followed to the land of opportunity. The party which included Frederick, then a sturdy youth of eighteen, landed in Xew York City in July of that year and proceeded to Western Pennsylvania, where settlement was made at Northeast, a small place about fifteen miles from Erie.

In this new land the strong boy, trained to work on the farm in the Fatherland, and not afraid of responsiliility. turned his attention to any task that offered and they were of all sorts. At one time he fancied learning the trade of a brewer and entered the employment of a relative engaged in brewing. The first year he received S4 a month ; the second and last. $9 a month. The employment was not congenial. Next he tried farming, and hired out for a year at SI 3 a month and board. Had any admirer of Frederick Weyerhaeuser at this stage of his life predicted the brilliant future that he has since e.xperienced, the ])rophecy wovdd have been considered as impossible as it was ingenious. So does truth outfiction fiction in building the biography of a successful man.

The ancestral farm in Germany having been sold, Mr. Weyerhaeuser, with his share of the proceeds came to the West and to Rock Island, where he arrived in March, 1856. If he at this time glimpsed the future, and saw how broadlv his name would be written across tlie conuuerciai life of this thriving western town, he ke])t his fancies to himself. True to his former habits of industry he took the first worthy occupation that offered and went to work on the construction of the Rock Island & Peoria Railway, now a part of the Rock Island System. Soon after he took what seemed a better position, that of night fireman at the sawmill operated by Mead, Smith it Marsh, in Rock Island. Here. then, was the first round of the ladder that led to advancement in the lumber world, that led to wealth and influence and power. From that lowly first foothold the climli was steady, certain and swift.

Two days after he took this position at the mill the night shift was laid off; not so the new fireman. It had taken only two days to show his employers a touch of his quality and he was retained and made tallyman. In this jiosition his duties included keeping account of the output of the one ratory and one mulay saw that formed the vital equipment of the mill and also loading the boards upon trucks. Here he more than earned his wages and established himself with his emploj^ers. One day at noon some farmers came to the mill to buy lumber. The salesmen and those in charge were away. The tallyman pushed his hmch bucket to one side, and with the Weyerhaeuser judgment which has since stood its owner in good stead filled the farmers' orders and turned the S60 in gold he had received over to the salesman when he returned from dinner. Mr. Marsh approved the sale and noted the young German tallyman's readiness and judgment in an emergency. The selfreliance and efficiency manifested in this incident brought about Mr. Weyerhaeuser's being soon given charge of the yard and local sales.

While in the employ of Mead, Smith & Marsh the happiest event in ilr. Weyerhaeuser's eventful life occurred, his marriage to Miss Sarah Elizabeth BloeJel. This young lady came from her home in Erie, Pennsvlvania.