Solon Mills, Illinois

The business of Solon Mills is represented as follows: Agricultural implements, James Robbins; carpenters,' William Gardner-, John Merrill, John Sutton; cheese manufactory, J. S. Overton; dressmaker, Mrs. Sarah Hodge; harness manufactory James Corkhill; merchant, R. B. Gardner; mason, John Skillicorn; physician, Henry Hornby; restaurant, Robert Patterson.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

Rensselaer R. Crosby was born in Hartford, Conn., Jan. 8,1809, a son of Ebenezer and Bretta (Steele) Crosby. His father was born in Hartford, March 19, 1788, and died in Montpelier, Vt., April 16, 1813. His mother was born in Hartford. Sept. 10, 178S, and died in Solon Mills, 111., April 18, 1846. They had but two children - Rensselaer and Mariette, who was born Jan. 12, 1811, and was married Feb. 15, 1831, to Edwin S. Johonnott. She died at Grant, Lake Co, 111., Jan. 6, 1841. Mr. Johonnott died Aug. 10, 1847. They left three children, who found a home with Mr. Crosby - Robert Johonnott was born at Burlington, Vt., Nov. 2, 1833, and was married March 15, 1859, to Frances A. Rice. They have seven children - Mariette S., Louisa, Gertrude C, Henry Wooster, Louis B., Catherine and Josephine. Gertrude Crosby Johonnott was born at Saugatnck, Allegan Co., Mich., April 16,1836; married Dr. S. F. Bennett (author of " The Sweet By and By" March 1 5, 1860. They have had three children - Edwin Richardson, Robert Crosby and May Ruth, all born at Elkhorn, "Wis. Edwin S. Johonnott was born in Grant, Lake Co., 111., Dec. 29, 1838, and was married Aug. 16, 1866, to Frances L. Brown. They have four children - Edwin S., Eben Crosby, Ruth Mary and William Bradford. These children of Robert, Gertrude Crosby and Edwin S. , are of the tenth generation, descended from William Bradford, first Governor of Plymouth colony, who landed at Plymouth Rock, Dec. 22, 1620. R. R. Crosby was married Oct. 16, 1836, to Louisa Johonnott, daughter of Peter and Sarah Johonnott. Her mother died in Barre, Vt., at the age of eighty years, and her father in Solon Mills, 111., aged ninety-three years. Mrs. Crosby 'was born Sept. 13, 1814, the sixth of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby have no children. Mr. Crosby came West in 1333; remained a short time in Chicago; then lived in Michigan four years, when he returned to Illinois. In 1840 he opened a dry-goods store in Lagrange, Tenn., but in 1841 moved his goods to Chicago,and'a year later to Solon Mills, where he was in business nineteen years with Leverett Steele and John C. Wooster. He was Postmaster in Michigan three years and in Illinois twelve years. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace twelve years. Politically he is a Kepublican. He is a member of the Congregational church.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

E. 8. Johonnott. - The history of McHenry County would be incomplete did it not contain a biographical sketch of E. S. Johonnott, who has been identified with the interests of the county from its infancy. He was born in Lake County, 111., Dec. 29, 1838, a son of E. S and Mariette (Crosby) Johonnott. His parents were natives of Vermont, and moved to Michigan in 1835 and two years later to Lake County, 111., and were among the most prominent of the early settlers of the county. Our subject passed his early life on the farm of his father, and when his services were not required at home attended the district schools. He subsequently attended Waukegan academy, where he laid the foundation of his future successful career. After leaving school he went to Michigan and worked in a saw-mill a year, then returned to McHenry County and commenced his mercantile career. He clerked in a store in Solon Mills till the winter of 1858, and then went to Memphis, Tenn., and was employed in a wholesale dry-goods house till May, 1862. He returned home, but the following July went again to Memphis and remained till December, when he was taken prisoner by the rebels, who tried to force him to take arms against the Government. Notbeing successful they paroled him on condition that he return North. The next day he started for Illinois. He soon after settled on his farm in Richmond Township, and has since been engaged in farming and stock-raising. He owns 240 acres of good land with comfortable buildings, etc. He consults the best authorities on stock-raising and has made this industry a successful and lucrative one. His sheep are the best grade of thoroughbred, Spanish merinos, registered in the "Wisconsin and Vermont records. His cattle are of the high grade, short-horn, and his horses of Morgan and Hambletonian stock. Mr. Johonnott was married Aug. 16, 1866, to Fannie L. Brown, a native of London, England, born March 2, 1847, a daughter of James and Fan- ' nie Brown. Pier parents came to the United States in 1854, and settled in Waukegan , 111., where they both died in 1865. Mr. and

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Richmond Township.