Highland Township

Highland Township

and came to the United States in 1860, settling in Kendall County, where he remained one year. He came to this county in 1861, and farmed on rented land until 1864. He then bought 34:0 acres of land in Vienna Township, Section 22, and has since bought eighty-eight and one-half acres in Section 19, of Mazon Township, valued at $60 per acre. He is engaged in raising stock. He married, March 31, 1868, MissPriscilla Ward, daughter of Samuel Ward, late of Mazon Township.

She was born in New York State, January 11, 1845; they have six children, one of whom is dead - Elizabeth, born September 19, 1869; William C. C.,born February 5, 1871; Margaret M.,born December 20, 1873; Mary E., born August 12, 1876, died February 14, 1878; Jessie, born September 1, 1878, and Hugh, born February 25, 1878. Mi-, and Mrs. Walsh are members of the Presbyterian Chui'ch.

JOHN CURTIN, farmer, P. O. Verona, was born in Ireland in 1828. He came alone to America in 1840. Having a brother and two sisters living in Ottawa, 111., he came to that place. He remained in La Salle County for about thirteen years, seven years of which he was with Mr. Joel Annstrong. From La Salle County, he came to Grundy County, settling on his present farm, which consisted of 240 acres. He was married in La Salle County, in 1855, to Miss Catharine Maloney, who was also a native of Ireland. They have six children, three boys and three girls. Mr. Ourtin is a member of the Catholic Church, and is Democratic in politics. All his schooling he r'iceived in Ireland. His occupation has always been that of farming.

JOSEPH DONDANVILLE. farmer, P. O. Verona, settled in this county in February, 1867; he moved on to the place formerly settled by Simon Wait, who sold it to T. Hibbard, who in turn sold to Mr. Dondanville. He was born December 29, 1840, in Alsace, France. Emigrated to America in the fall of 1851, and settled with his parents in La Salle County, 111. In 1859, he went to Pike's Peak, and in 1864-65 he went to the northern mines. During these years, Mr. Dondanville was through most of the Western country. He was married, Sejjtember 22, 1865, to Miss Mary E. Beal, a native of Ohio, but who came to Kendall County at an early date. They have five childi-en, three boys and two girls. His farm consists of 205 acres, all of which he has made since coming here. He was brought up in the Catholic Church, and is Democratic in politics. Neither of his parents are living.

MRS. JOHN T. EMPIE, farming, P. O. Verona, came to Grundy County in March, 1851, and has lived on the same place since. She was born and raised in Columbia County, N. Y. ; her parents moved to Kane County, 111., in the spring of 1845, where they lived for three years, afterward going to Cook County, where they remained for two years. It was then that Mrs. Empie was married to John T. Empie, and they both settled on the farm where Mrs. Empie now lives. Her father, Samuel O. Loudon, is still living, and is eighty-throe years old. He is a native of New York State. Mrs. Empie's mother also came from New York, and is seventy-eight years old. Both the parents were born near Lebanon Springs, in Columbia County. Mr. Empie was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., and came from Watertown to Chicago. He died in March, 1867. Mrs. Empie has four children living - two sons and two daughters. The sons still remain iu the county, but the two daughters are living in Kansas. John D. and William A. are the names of her two sons. These four children are all that remain of a family of ten. Mr. Empie bought a Mexican land-warrant, and laid it here, the quarter-section costing $72, including the expenses connected with the purchase. He then put up a shanty, which cost $32. By trade, Mr. Empie was a clothier, but his health failing him, he went to farming. Mrs. Empie's father, Mr. Loudon moved from Columbia County to Buffalo, N. Y., when Mrs. Empie was about live years old ; from there they went to Broome Countj', where they remained for three years, afterward going to Cattaraugus County, where they lived for seven years, when they came to Illinois. Mrs. Empie saw 'some pretty hard times when first settling, owing to failure of crops, etc. There was not a schoolhouse in the township at that time, and Morris was the nearest trading point.

FATHER JOHN A. HEMLOCK, Kinsman, was born in Cedarburg, Wis., in 1851; he is the second youngest child of William Hemlock, a native of Ireland, who follows the occupation of a farmer at Cedarburg, Wis. , and who has a family of four sons and two daughters. The subject of this sketch received his elementary education at St. Joseph's College, Bardstown, Ky., afterward finishing his studies at St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, Wis. His fu-st charge was St. Bridget's Chui'ch, Chicago, from which ho was transfeiTed to St. Columbkill's.and thence came to his present charge, in October, 1880; he has been in the ministry since June, 1878.

Since he has come here, he has established a new mission in Norman Township, which already consists of at least thirty families, and a church will be built there in a short time. Father Hemlock has also built their parsonage since he came here, and has done much to advance the welfare of the people.

JOHN W. HINCH, farmer, P. O. Verona, was born in Huntingtonshire, England, in 1831. He came to America in 18-11, and settled with his parents in Oneida County, N. Y. He lived there until twenty-one years of age, w'aen he came to Illinois and settled in Lisbon, Kendall County, remaining there for four years, when he moved to Saratoga, Grundy County. Here he lived until 1863, after which he resided in Livingston County one year, then came back to this county. In 1865, he moved on to his present farm of 160 acres, and has remained on it ever since. A good dwelling is among the attractive featm-es of the place. Mr. Hinch was married, in Kendall County, in 1858, to Agnes Fulton; she was born in Scotland, and came to this country when she was twenty years of age. They have had eleven childi'en, nine of whom - five boys and four girls - are still living. Mr. Hinch' s occupation has always been that of farming. His father, William Hinch, who is dead, was also a farmer. Mi-. and Mrs. Hinch are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Hinch is a Republican.

WILLIAM PIERCE, farmer, P. O. Verona, is a native of New York, born in Monroe Coimty, that State, in 1815; his father moved into Genesee County, N. Y. , when subject was but seven years old. In 1838, IVIr. Pierce came to Kane County, 111., and remained there till the spring of 1851, when he moved to his present farm, taking his family with him. This farm consists of 320 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Pierce was raised on a farm, and has made farming his occulIKllILxVXD T0W^'SH11^ pation ever since coming to tho State. He is the oldest settler in the township, nnd has always taken an active part in its a£fairs. He received his education in the schools of his native State. He was married in New York in 1838. Mrs. Pierce was born in Genesee County, N. Y., to which place her jsarents had emicrrated from Vermont. Her maiden name was Julia Buit; she is the daughter of Salmon and Azuba (Thomas) Burr; her grandfather Thomas served seven years as musician in the Revolutionaiy war. Gen. Thomas, of rebellion fame, is Mi-s. Pierce's cousin. Seth Thomas, of world-wide reputation as a clock manufactiu-er, was her greatuncle. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have had twelve childi-en, live of whom are still living. The eldest son was killed in the army. Of the childi-en now living, there are three in Mc- Pherson County, Kan., one is living in Joliet, 111., and one is at home. When Mr. Pierce came to this county, it was in its wild state, doer, wolves and other wild animals being plentiful. In politics, Mr. Pierce is a Republican.

SYPREON P. SMALL, farmer, P. O. Verona, was born in Somerset County, Me., in 1841; he came to Illinois in 1801, and has lived in this county most of the time since. He is a son of Harrison Small, who is now living in Kansas. Mr. Small received his education mostly in Maine. In 1862, he enlisted in Company A, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, Col. Voss, in which he served three years and never got a scratch. This comi:)any was an escort to Gen. Slocum for some time, and then were sent back to their regiment, after which they did duty as provost guards. In 1867, he returned to Maine, and was there married shortly afterwiU'd to Miss Mary Corson; he returned to Illinois, staying three years, when he went back to Maine on a visit, and while there his wife died, July, 1876.

He was married a second time, in Maine, this time to Miss Lizzie; Whitman, whereupon he returned to Illinois, and has since resided in this State. He has had live children, thi'ee by his first wife, one of whom, a boy, is living, and two boys by his second wife, who are living. Mr. Small's farm consists of eighty acres. He votes_the Republican ticket. D. S. SMALL, farmer, P. O. Verona, came to Grundy County when only nine years old, and has remained here ever since. He was born in Somerset Coimty, Me., in 1846. He is the son of Harrison Small, who now lives in Verona, The first year after coming to the county, they lived in Vienna Township, but have ever since lived in this township. The first place they settled on. an unimproved farm, is now owned by John Young. Mr. Small is one of a family of six children, three boys and three girls. One girl is dead and the other two live in Streator. Two of the boys are in Mazon Township, and the remaining one, our subject, still remains in Highland Township. His present farm consists of eighty acres. Mr. Small received his education in this coimty. In 1872, he was married to Miss May Hamilton; she was born in Canada. Her father, Robert Hamilton, died when she was small, and her mother moved to this State in 1863 or 1804. Mr. and Mrs. Small have two children - one boy Burton, and a girl. Myrtle. Mr. Small's occupation has always been that of farming. He votes the Republican ticket.

FREMONT VICKERY, farmer and stockraiser, Dwight, was born in Vienna Town.ship, this county, in 1850. His father, John Vickery, moved to the subject's present farm when Fremont was two years old. Here they lived for about thirteen years, and then moved to Livingston County, where the father still lives. Mr. Vickery was married, in January, 1877, in Lee County, to Miss Nettie Johnson, a daughter of Rev. "William Jolinson, a Presbyterian minister, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mrs. Vickery was born in Lee County. Mr. and Mrs. Vickery have one child - Paul. Mr. Vickery received his education in the common sohools of this county, attended the Dwight schools, and afterward was, for tifteeu mouths, a student at the Wesleyan University at Bloomington.

After he was married, he moved to the old homestead, in Highland Township. His farm consists of 355 acres. Raising stock and feeding sheep, hogs and cattle is his main business. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also, with his wife, a member of the M. E. Church. In politics, Mr. Vickery is a Republican.

WILLIAM CONSTANTINE, farmer, P. O. Dwight, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1841. He came to America in 1857, and lived for two years near Aurora, 111., afterward coming to Grundy County. In J 861, he enlisted in Company I, Fifty-fifth Illinois Infantry, serving three years. In 1864, he re -enlisted, and served till the close of the war. In March, 1865, he was taken prisoner in North Carolina, near Goldsboro. Being paroled in July, 1865, he returned home. He was with Sherman's army, and helped open the Mississippi River, and in the memorable march through Georgia. During all the time that he served, he received not even a wound. After the war, he returned to Grundy County, where he has since remained. He bought his present farm, which consists of eighty acres of well-improved "land, in 1869. In 1866, he was married to Miss Mary Klughart, who was born in Kendall County, this State. They have five children, two boys and three girls - Emma, Edwai'd J., Clara, Martha and William. Mr. Constantine received his education mostly in Germany, but he attended English schools in Illinois for some time. Mr. Constantine has held several township offices, and is a member of the Evangelical Association. He votes the Republican ticket.

L. NATHAN LEWIS, deceased, was a native of Vermont, but, when a young man, moved to St. Lawrence County, N. Y., where his childi-en were born. In 1845, he came to Illinois, and lived in Kane and Mc- Henry Counties for about four years, when he came to this county and settled on a place on Mazon Creek. Mr. Lewis died in December, 1853, at his old homestead. He organized the first church in the township, at the residence of David Gleason, and was their first minister. This was a Free-Will Baptist Church, and there were six members at the organization. Mrs. Nathan Lewis is still living in this township, with her daughter, Mrs. E. B. Stevens Mrs. Lewis was born December 25, 1800. In 1858, Miss Fannie Lewis (now Mrs. Stevens) was married to Dr. John F. Trowe, of New Hampshire. They lived in Dundee, 111., till 1860, when Mr. Trowe died. They had one son, Frank.

GEORGE PRESTON, farmer, P. O. Mazon, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in September, 1822. He moved to Grundy County in 1851, and settled on his present farm. His father, Elijah Preston, came at the same time, but died soon afterward. At that time, there were but few settlers between Mazon Creek and Johnny Creek, both north and south, and the grass was so high that two persons on horseback could scarcely discern each other, if only separated but by a short distance. The subject's brother, ^Villiam Preston, had ah-eady come and settled about two years previous. Mr. Elijah Preston entered an eighty-acre tract of Government land, which was the only Government land near him at that time. Mr. Preston's farm now consists of 400 acres, besides property in Mazon. He was married, in Virginia, in 1840, to Elizabeth Carnes, who was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. She died about 1854. He has three children living by this wife, two sons and one daughter - William C, George W. and Mary E. Mr. Preston was married a second time, in this county, a short time before the war, to Jane Johnson, born in Ashland County, Ohio, but raised in Guernsey County, Ohio. When Mr. Preston first came here, he came together with several other families, all of whom moved in wagons. At that time, it was about three miles to any school. There were no bridges, roads, or anything to make hauling easy, so that twenty bushels of corn were all that could be hauled most of the year. There was a small boat at the river, which could carry two teams across at a time. Mr. Preston is now building a new residence in Mazon, to which he will shortly move, having sold his old homestead. He is a Republican. DANIEL ROEDER. farmer, P. O. Dwight, was born in Prussia, Germany, and came to America in 1857, and lived in La Salle County, 111., for nearly four years, when he returned to Germany, coming back to America in 18B1, bringing his family with him. He rented land and farmed in La Salle County until 1869, when he moved onto his present farm, which he had bought the year before. He now has 240 acres of well improved land, which represents the result of his industry and frugality since coming to America. He was educated in the German schools, and is Republican in politics. He is a member of the Lutheran Church. His father, Hemy Boeder, was a farmer in Langenstein, R. G. B. Z., Cassel, Germany. Mr. Roeder has nine children - seven boys and two girls. Those by his first wife, whom he married in Germany, are Stephen, born in 1843; and Henry, born in 1851. The remaining seven are by the present wife, viz., John, born in 1855; Balcer, in 1857; Elizabeth, in 1861; Lena, in 1864; William, in 1866; Leonard, in 1870; and George, in 1878.

E. B. STEVENS, farmer, P. O. Dwight, moved to Goodfarm Township April 22, 1850, having been there and purchased land the year previous. The place which Mr. Stevens had bought had a log cabin on it, 12x16 feet, into which seven people moved. Mr. John Henry and family had moved there at the same time. Mr. Stevens had bought a Mexican land warrant, for which he paid $120, which was at the rate of $1 per acre^ as he received 120 acres. He also bought forty acres of a settler who had entered it. Mr. Stevens came to this county from Kalamazoo County, Mich. , and his was the ninth family to settle in this township. The first school in the township was in session when he moved in. It was in a log house, with puncheon floors, etc., and was situated on Mazon Creek. The first crop of wheat and oats which lilr. Stevens raised could not be threshed until a machine came from Wilmington, a distance of eighteen miles, and what bread they had in the meantime was made from grated corn. His farm now consists of 270 acres. He is the son of Levi Stevens, a native of Vermont, who moved from Vermont to New York, afterward to Pennsylvania, and finally to Michigan, where he died. Mr. E. B. Stevens, our subject, in a native of Vermont, and was married, in February, 1850, to Miss Betsy A. Cullen, a native of Canada, but whose parents were from the old country - her father from Ireland and her mother from London, England. Mrs. Stevens died December 26, 1866. Her mother, Mrs. Cullen, lived to be ninety-one years old. Mr. Stevens has three children by his first wife, living - Charlie, Darwin an'd Eddie. Mr. Stevens married the second time, to Mrs. Fannie (Lewis) Trowe, in the fall of 1867. They have one little girl living, named Fannie LxaelJa. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

ADISON ^^'OOD, farmer, P. O. Dwight, came to Griindy County in 1849, and has lived in Goodfarm Township all the time since. In the township now there are but two older settlers living- - Mrs. Holtz and Mrs. L. V. Wood. Mrs. Wood is a native of Otsego County, N. Y.,and his wife is fi'om Schoharie County, N. Y. When they first moved into the township, there were but eleven houses in it, and they could cross the prairie, going southeast, to the State of Indiana, and not come across a house. Wolves and deer abounded in plentiful numbers. In 1843, Mr. Wood came to Lake County, 111., from New York, and was there about six years, when he sold out and went to Cook County, staying there one season before coming to this county. Mr. Wood is the son of Xewcomb Wood, and was bom in 1822. He was married, in Dundee, Kane Co., 111., December 16, 1S47, to Miss Catharine Bute. When he first came to this county. Mi'. Wood bought 160 acres of Government land, for which he paid but S112, having bought a land warrant. His present farm consists of eighty acres. When the township was first organized, which was the year following Mr. Wood's arrival, he was elected the first Justice of the Peace, in which capacity he served three years. He has been a Republican since the party was organized, before which he was a Whig. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Dwight. Their children are eight in number - four boys and four girls. Their names are as follows: Levi, Mary J., Charles M., Lucretia, Erma A., Barney A., Sarah L. and Henry A. Mrs. Wood is the daughter of Lewis B. Bute, who came to Lake County in 1846.

L. V. WOOD, farmer, P. O. Dwight, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1829. His father was Russell Wood, a native of New York, but who had moved to Michigan in 1845, and was accidentally killed while felling trees. In the spring of 1846, his mother moved to Illinois, on the Fox River, in Kane County. Mr. Wood lived in Kane and Kendall Counties until 1851, when he came to this county, where he has remained ever since, and his present farm is the same one on which he first settled. In June, 1852, he was married, in this county, to Miss Pluma A. Gleason, daughter of David Gleason, who had settled in this township in 1849, and lived here till his death. He was one of the earliest settlers in the township. Mrs. Wood is at present, with a single exception, the oldest resident in this township. Mrs. Wood is a native of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have four children - two sons and two daughters - all of whom are married - Russell O., Allie L., Henry O. and Alma. Mr. Wood received his early education in the State of New York. When he first came here, he located on the open prairie, by laying a Mexican land warrant. In politics, Mr. Wood is a Republican, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Dwight. His farm consists of eighty acres of land.