Brookville Township

Brookville Township

B01¥EK!$ DAXIEL, Ret. Farmer ; Sec. 34 ; Brookville ; was born in Huntingdon Co., Pa., March 5, 1820 ; came to Brookville Township, Ogle Co., 1863; Sec. 34 ; has 390 acres land, valued at $21,450 ; Republican ; belongs to the German Baptist Church ; married Mary Stoner, who was born in Blair Co., Pa., Jan. 15, 1818 ; has six children - John, born June 12, 1841 ; Elizabeth, born Sept. 18, 1843; David, born Nov. 26, 1846 ; Jeremiah, born Aug. 30, 1848 ; Isaac, born Nov. 1, 1852; Levi, born Aug. 8, 1856 ; Elizabeth died Jan. 9, 1845, when she was 15 years old ; moved to Bradford Co., Pa. ; lived there 20 years ; from there went to Stark Co., Ohio ; lived there 10 years ; from there to Ogle Co. ; bought the place where he now lives ; Mr. Bowers is one of the sound farmers of the county.

BOWERS JOHN, Merchant and Postmaster; Brookville; son of Daniel and Nancy Bowers ; was born in Blair Co.; Pa., Jan. 12, 1840; owns real estate to the vaiue of $2,000 ; Republican ; belongs to the Evangelical Church; married Mary Lesh, Oct. 16, 1862 ; she was born in Ohio, May 6, 1839; they have one child - Emma C, born Feb. 11, 1865; held the office of Collector and Assessor, and has a commission as Postmaster at this time.

DONALDSON WALTER, Far mer and Stock Raiser ; Sec. 36 ; P. 0. Polo ; was born in Northumberland Co., England, Feb. 6, 1819 ; came to this country in August, 1820 ; lived in Washington Co., N. Y., four years; from there to Toronto, Canada, lived there until the Spring of 1839 ; from there to this county ; has 283 acres of land, valued at $14,150 ; is a Democrat; held office of Highway Commissioner, School Trustee and Supervisor ; married Sarah H. Sylvester, June, 1846 ; born May 9, 1825 ; have three children - William W., born Dec. 27, 1851 ; James H., Nov. 30, 1853; and Ella I., Nov. 22, 1855 ; when he first came here he hauled pork to Galena, and sold the best dressed hogs for $2.50 per cwt.; medium brought $1.50 ; hauled wheat to Chicago for less than $1 per bushel ; he went to Oregon to declare his intention to become a citizen of the United States in 1841 ; the County Clerk's office was kept in a tailor shop ; had no blanks and had to write out the papers, which took until near night ; started for home, but got lost on the way ; stayed all night with a man by the name of Pitzer, at Boonsboro ; next morning started for what is

DANIEIi, Farmer and Stock Raiser; Sec. 12; P. 0. Foreston ; j was born in Northumberland Co., Pa., * July 26, 1815 ; came to this Co. in the Spring of 1840; has 267 acres land; valued at S13,350 ; Democrat; held the office of School Treasurer, Assessor, and Justice of the Peace for thirty years ; married Sarah Myers in 1845 ; born in Washington Co., Md., Feb. 15, 1825 ; has eight children - James P., born Jan.

. 11, 1851 ; Jennetta, born April 30, 1852 ; Ellen M., born June 4, 1855 ; Ida A. J., born Jan. 5, 1857; Thos. B., born May 13, 1858; Daniel, born July 18, 1859 ; Jacob M., Sept. 7, 1862 ; Abbie R., May 31, 1867. When he first came here, worked five years at the millwright business ; then built a sawmill on Elkhorn Creek ; worked at this about six years ; sold out to his brother and commenced farming; his business chiefly is collecting and doing Justice of the Peace business ; Mr. Fager is one of the leading business men of the Co.

HABRIIS ABRAHAM, Farmer and Stock Raiser ; P. 0. Brookville ; was born in Northumberland Co., Pa., Sept. 19, 1829 ; has 57 acres land, value $2,565 ; Dem. ; married Polly Paul who was born in Northumberland Co., Pa., Sept. 21, 1836 ; came to this county in 1854 ; enlisted in the 15th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf, 1865, under Capt. J. H.Long, Co. K ; was at the surrender of Johnson to Sherman ; his father enlisted in the war of 1812; he was 18 years old at the time; Mr. and Mrs. Harris have not had any children, but adopted and raised three - one Franklin Melect, was in the 26th Regt. 111. Vol Inf; was on the raid with Sherman through Georgia, was wounded twice, once in the leg and once in the thigh, the ball passing upward, lodged near the left lung.

HETFIEIiD WM. A. Farmer and Stock Raiser, Sec. 26; P. O. Polo; born in Sussex Co.; N. J., June 20, 1825 ; came to this county June, 1835; has 180 acres of land, valued at $9,000; Democrat ; held the offices of Assessor and Highway Commissioner ; married Lucy Brand ; born in Scotland, Feb. 27, 1825 ; has two children - Edward J., born June 11, 1849 ; Elizabeth F., April 15, 1852 ; left New Jersey in 1833 ; went to Indiana ; lived there two years ; came from there with teams to Elkhorn Grove ; left part of the family there until he built a shanty on this section. The shanty was fourteen by eighteen, put up in the rough, and within two weeks moved into it, which was not much of a move, as he had nothing but his bedding ; made our beadsteads by cutting poles made in the Grove ; made our tables out of stove boxes ; used fire places instead of stoves. Cut out the logs, put up jambs, and made it outside, so as to save room ; made the chimney by laying up sticks, and plastering it over with mud ; also cut out logs for a window ; had no glass nor sash. The first crop we raised was in 1836, sod corn and garden sauce ; used to do our marketing at Savanna on the Mississippi river, and Peru on the Illinois river ; kept a hotel at Brookville, a large double log house, with a chimney in the center, with fire place on each side; was the first man that took a grist to mill on horseback ; took it to Wilson's Mill, the first one that was built in the county. Has hauled grain to Savanna, and got only twenty-five cents per bushel ; could get no money nor groceries ; had to trade it out fiar dry goods with a man by the name of Luther H. Bo wen. When I first came to this county, I paid $25 per barrel for flour. His father was in the war of 1812 ; died at the age of 90 years. His grandfather was killed in the Revolutionary war.

liAWSOl^ AI.EX. Farmer; P. 0. Polo ; Sec. 25 ; was born Sept. 11, 1824, in Renfrewshire, Paisley, Scotland ; has 240 acres land, valued at $14,400 ; Republican ; belongs to the Baptist Church ; held the ofiice of Commissioner of Highways 14 years ; also Assessor ; married Rebecca Harrington 1840 ; born in Onondaga Co., N. Y. ; has six children - Henry Y., born Oct. 28, 1851 ; Herbert, born Jan. 4, 1854 ; Alexander, born Dec. 8, 1855 ; Oliver H., born March 28, 1858; Annie E., born June 24, 1860 ; Katie, born May 13, 1863 ; came to this country in 1832 ; came to this county in 1840 ; has hauled grain to Chicago with teams ; camped out and done his own cooking ; sold wheat as low as 40 cents per bushel.

liOXG^ REV. A. Farmer and Stock Raiser ; Sec. 2 ; P. 0. Forreston ; born in Columbiana Co., 0., Feb. 25, 1828 ; came to this Co. in 1865 ; has 120 acres of land, valued at $6,000 ; Republican ; belongs to the Evangelical Church ; has held the offices of School Director and Road Master ; married Elizabeth Caudle, May 13, 1851 ; they had five children - Mary Ellen Catherine, born Jan. 20, 1858; Charles William Oeorge Joseph, born Nov. 12, 1859; Sarah Elizabeth, bom April 20, 1867 ; Emma Lucy Netta, born April 13, 1869 ; John Jacob Franklin, born Dec. 6, 1864 ; his father, Joseph Long, Bishop of the Evangelical Church, came to this Co. at an early day, and entered the land where his son now lives.

POOIiE WM. Retired Farmer and Stock Raiser; Sec. 36; P. 0. Polo; born in Ireland, in 1803 ; came to this Co. in 1839 ; has 160 acres of land, valued at $9,600 ; Republican ; belongs to the Episcopal Church ; married Nancy Johnson ; she was born in Canada, in 1814 ; they have four children living - George, Abraham, John and Katie; when he came here there was not a house between here and Freeport.

POKTER WttlilAM T. Farmer and Stock Raiser; See. 26; P. 0. Brookville; born March 13, 1826, in Center Co., Pa.; has 175 acres of land, valued at $10,000 ; Democrat ; held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Highway Commissioner ; married Lucy Ebright in 1860 ; she was born Sept. 24,1840; they have had six children - William A., born March 8, 1861 ; Heyatt H., Sept. 16, 1863; Margaret W., Aug. 7, 1865 ; John E., July 19, 1867 ; Mary E., -Dec. 2, 1869 ; Jesse B., Nov. 25, 1870. Mr. P.'s grandfather, Samuel Porter, was in the Revolutionary war seven years ; was paid off in Continental money, and it was not worth 10 cents on the dollar.

SAl^BORlf AMBROSE, Farmer and Stock Raiser ; Sec. 36 ; P. 0. Polo ; has 210 acres of land, valued at $10,- 000 ; Republican ; came to this county from York Township, Canada, in 1839 ; has held the offices of Commissioner of Highways, Assessor, School Trustee, Collector and Supervisor ; married Elizabeth Good, who was bom in Lancaster Co., Pa., Sept. 24, 1835; they have three children - Susan E., born Dec. 7, 1860; Mary G., born Nov. 16, 1864; Annie E., born Dec. 26, 1868. Mr. Sanborn located on the same section when he first came here, and has lived there ever since ; Mr. S. is one of the leading men of the township.

STONER WII^I^IAM H. Farmer and Stock Raiser ; Sec. 3 ; P. 0. Forreston ; son of Samuel and Catharine Stoner; he was born in Ogle Co. Jan. 12, 1856 ; resided in this county ever since ; rents his father's farm, on Sec. 3 ; has 330 acres of land, valued at $16,500 ; Republican ; belongs to the Evangelical Church ; married Susan Yeakel ; she was born in Berks Co., Pa., March 14, 1855.

Source changes here: from Portrait and Biographical Album of Ogle County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, by Various, published 1886; 381 words in this source stream.

Brookville Township

= si HIS township lies upon the western side of (; Ogle County and is bounded on the east by Lincoln Township, on the west by Carroll County, on the north by Forreston and south by Eagle Point Township. It is a fine body of a Prairie land, with one grove, known as Burr Oak Grove. Chambers' Grove, lying in Carroll County, extends a very short distance in this township, Brookville is but half a Congressional Township, comprising the east half of township 24, range 7 east, of the fourth principal meridian.

On leaving his claim at Buffalo Grove, in 1831, Isaac Chambers went to the grove bearing his name, lying in what is now Carroll County, made a claim of timber and prairie, much of which was in Ogle County and what is now the township of Brookville. He built a grist-mill at a very early day and made many other improvements in this township. 'This mill was, in 1846, sold to Samuel Herb by the widow of Mr. Chambers and yet remains in the family of the purchaser. The mill was, built upon Elkhorn Creek, a short distance from the present village of Brookville. Mr. Herb established at the mill an extensive country store, which was continued for some years by his sons, Samuel and Isaac.

Among the early settlers of Brookville were David Hoffhine, John Gannan, Walter Donaldson, Benjamin Good and Ambrose Sanborn, each of whom were somewhat conspicuous in town affairs and served one or more terms as a member of the Board of Supervisors.

re-organization, and presided at the first annual reunion, the President of the society dying before the meeting. Mr. Hoffhine has also since passed away.

Walter Donaldson came quite early and always figured conspicuously in town affairs. For 20 years he served on the county Board of Supervisors, repesenting his township. He well deserved the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens.

Brookville Township was organized in 1850 and comprised much more territory then than now. Forreston and Lincoln have since been taken from it. The following named comprise the list of Supervisors from its organization to the present: David Hoffhine, 1850; John Gannan, 1851-2; Walter Donaldson, 1852-62; Benjamin Good, 1863; Ambrose Sanborn, 1864-8; William Brand, 1869; Walter Donaldson, 1870-8; Ambrose Sanborn, 1879-