Nettle Creek Township

Nettle Creek Township

Annie and Justus. Of these, David and Justus are living. Simeon Brownell was born in 1759, and liis wife, Sarah Hoag, in 1764. Their fifteen cliildren wore Alice, Joseph, Stephen, Daniel. Simeon, Meria, Sarah, Benjamin, Mar}', Nathan, Isaac, John, Supham, Phebe and Henry H. To David and Mary Brown were born Isaac N. (our subject), Simeon, Sarah, Mary A., Edwin and Phebe. These lived and raised families. Mr. David Brown is still living, his wife died February 15, 1877. Our subject lived with his parents until coming AVest. In 1818, he removed to Chautauqua County, N. Y., and settled there with his parents, living there until the spring of 1844, when he came and settled in Big Grove Township, Kendall Co., 111., where he remained until 1840, when he came to this county; he began by renting land in Kendall County. When he arrived in this county, he bought eighty acres, where he now lives, in January, 1846. It was situated on Section 4, and cost 10 shillings per acre; he soon added fort}- acres more, at a cost of $6.25 per acre;- there were no improvements on it. In 1857, he purchased eighty acres at S15 per acre, and fort}' acres more in 1866, at a cost of $37.50 per acre; he has now 240 acres of well improved land. In 1849, be built his first house. March 22, 1840, he married Phebe Ann, daughter of Seth and Content (Ingraham) Clark. She was born May 13, 1819, in Chautauqua Count}-, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had nine children, of whom six are living - David N., Mary C, Harriett A., Edie A., Piiebe I. and Edwin L. Isaac C. died, aged eighteen, and the other two died when young. Mr. Brown was first elected Justice of the Peace in 1849, and has, with the exception of a year or two, served continuously ever since, having held a commission from every Governor since that time; he has been Supervisor, Collector and School Trustee for fourteen years, and has been Township Treasurer since 1875; he taught school for ten terms. Mr. Brown and wife have been members of the Congregational Church for over twenty years; he is at present Postmaster of Nettle Creek, which office has been running about three years.

OLIVER DIX, farmer, P. 0. Nettle Creek, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., January 5, 1822; he was the only child of Ara and Lydia (Richards) Dix; his father was born in Pittsfield County, Conn., July 14, 1793, and was the son of Charles Dix, also a native of Connecticut, and who married a Miss Wells. The Dix family were of Welsh descent. Mr. Ara Dix was married, December 31, 1816, and died September 4, 1826, in Vernon, Oneida Co.. N. Y. Our subject's mother was born in Litchfield, Conn., June, 1792, and died September 19, 1881. Mr. Ara Dix emigrated from Counecticut to Oneida County, N. Y., about the year 1808; he was a tanner and currier. Our subject was about four years old when his father died, and he still lived with his mother until he was fourteen. She had married some time previously, John E. Waterman, and they came out and settled in Lislwn, Kendall Co., III. Mr. Dix stayed with them until he was of age, when he started and worked for himself; he came to this township in 1845, having purchased land here in the spring of 1843, for about $12 per acre; he also bought 160 acres for $300. In the fall of 1844, he entered eighty acres of Government land, on which he still resides, having built on it during the summer of 1845. February 2, 1848, he married Lydia, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Brownell) Wing. She was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y.; her father, Thomas Wing, was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., April 27, 1789, and died in 1856, in Kendall County; he married Sarah Brownell, July 29, 1810, who was born January 15, 1792, in Rensselaer County, N. Y., and who died March 4, 1827, in Chautauqua County. Mr. Thomas Wing came to Kendall County, 111., about the year 1845. Our subject's wife died December 23, 1857. By her he had two children - Ara W. and Orville E. Ara W. resides on Section 9, this township, and Orville lives near Cresent City, Iroquois Co., 111.; January 5, 18G0, he married Louisa McKiuzee, born in Alleghauj- Count}-, Md., daughter of William and Ann S. (Spellman) McKinzee, natives of the same State. Mr. McKinzee was born ^Februarj' 2, 1798, and died March 25, 1874;' his wife died April 1, 1874. They removed to Shelby County, Ind., in 1838, where they lived till the fall of 1851, when they came and settled in La Salle Count}', III., where thejresided for three years, afterward removing to the town of Manlius, 111., and finally coming to this township in 1865, where the}- both died. They were the parents of five girls, all living and married - Mary A., wife of S. A, Summers, of Iowa; Louisa (Mrs. Dix); Susanna M., wife of J. W. Small, of Iowa; Harriet, wife of James Ashton, of this county, and Nancy, wife of Peter Eckersley, of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Dix have five children - Lydia B., William Ettie M., Susan L. and George R. Lydia B. is now the wife of John W. Johnson, of this county. Mr. Dix taught school for three terms in Kendall County, 111.; he was elected Justice of the Peace about 1849; he owns 700 acres of land ; he is Republican in politics.

SEVERT OSTROM, farmer, P. 0. Morris, was born in Norway July 14, 1848. He is the fifth child of Severt 'and Engebor J. (Rygh) Ostrom. His parents had nine children. His father was born in Norway, in March, 1810, and was a farmer by occupation. His mother was born in Norway in January, 1817. Our subject received his schooling in his native land, started in life as a soldier, and afterward turned his attention to farming. At one time he was a Sheriff in Norway, and he has been Township Collector for Saratoga Township, this county. March, 14, 1874, he was married in Saratoga Township to Julia, a daughter of Tollef and Magele Thompson. She was born in Norway, 11, 1848. They have six children - Eliza 0., Joseph, Maggie, Louis, Isabel and Theodore. Mr. and Mrs. Ostrom are members of the Lutheran Church. He votes the Republican ticket.