Wauponsee Township

Wauponsee Township

Claypool. Our subject was the third white child born in this county, his father settling here in 1834; the latter, while hauling logs from Chicago to Morris, was kicked by his horse, from the effects of which he died October 15, 1846. Mary (Foster) Claypool, the mother of our subject, is still living. Mr. John Claypool received his education in Morris, where he attended the first day school ever organized there. He was married, April 7, 1859, to Miss Elizabeth Hume, born in England May 15, 1837, daughter of Edward Hume, who came from England with his family and settled in New York State, where they remained until about 1858, when they came to Wauponsee Township, Grundy County, 111. Here Mra. Claypool's father died, in January, 1859, and her mother September 17, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Claypool have three children, as follows: Jennie M., born May 2, 18(50; Abel, born April 11, 1862, and John E., born July 11, 1868. Mr. C. owns 408 acres of land. He is a Republican, and has tilled a number of offices in his township.

P. G. COSGROVE, farmer, P. O. Morris, was bcJrn in County Roscommon, Ireland, March 17, 1811, and was raised on a farm. He came to the United States in April, 1840, and worked in Pennsylvania for two years on canal and railroad; he then went to Canada, where he was engaged on public works for the following two years; then came to Chicago, where he worked until August 15, 1840, when ho began steamboating on the Mississippi River. In the spring of 1853, he went to California, where he worked in the mines for three years. Returning to Illinois, he settled in Wauponsee Township, Grundy County, on his present farm of 160 acres, which is all under cultivation, and valued at $50 an acre. Subject was married, February 17, 1833, to Miss Annie Kattican,

HENRY CLAPP, horticulturist, Morris, was born April 7, 1825, in Addison County, Vt. When oiu- subject was six years old, his parents moved to St. Lawrence County, N. Y. , where he received a common-school education. In October, of 1846, he settled in McHenry County; coming to Grundy County in 1847. he located in Mazon Township, where for four years he engaged in farming. He next lived upon a small farm in Greenfield Township, which, after live years, he sold, and made pm-chase of his present farm of eighty acres, situated in Section 15, of Wauponsee Township, two and onehalf miles southeast of Morris. Here he carries on a very lucrative business in small fruits and market gardening. November 22, 1857, in Pontiac, 111. , he married Mrs. Pyrena Dugan, born May 15, 1817. She was the widow of Robert Dugan, of Wauponsee To\vnship. Mr. Clapp is a Republican.

ORSON BINGHAM GALUSHA, P. O. Morris, was born December 2, 1819, in Shaftsbury, Bennington Co., Vt. His father, Jonas Galusha, Jr. , lived at the time of the birth of the subject of this sketch on the estate of his father. Gov. Jonas Galusha, who was at that time serving his second term as Governor of the State. Orson was the youngest of three children, having one sister,

Biographical

Eloiaa Electa, and one brother, Joseph Hinsdale. He lived upon his grandfather's estate, his father having charge of the several large farms into which it was divided, until sixteen years of age, in the meantime receivinor such educational advantases as the district school afforded, and also was sent one year to Union Academy, in Bennington. At the age of fom-teen, he united with the Baptist Church, and continued in the communion of this denomination until 1844, when he united with the Congregational Church, in Grand Rapids, Mich., and is now a member of that church. In 1834, his father removed to Rochester, N. Y. , where he lived four years, for the purpose, mainly, of giving his children better facilities for education, and at the same time have them at home, and here Orson was placed under the tuition of Chester Dewey, D. D., of the Rochester Collegiate Institute. He also taiight one year under Prof. Nathan Brittan, his brother-inlaw, in the Fitzhugh Street Seminary. Owing to the failing health of his mother, his father resolved to try a Western climate, in 1839, and removed to a farm near Grand Rapids, Mich. Soon after the arrival of the family there, the mother died, and the father and brother returned to Rochester, while he remained in Michigan about fifteen years, dvu'ing which time he occasionally taught school in winters, working upon the farm during summers. In this period, he served almost constantly, after attaining his majority, in the capacity of School Inspector and Township Clerk. March 9, 1843, he was married to Mary J., third daughter of Judge Mitchell Hinsdale, of Kalamazoo, who is now living. In the year 1849, he exchanged his real estate in Michigan for a small farm in Grundy County. 111., situated on the north line of the county, and two miles from Lisbon, Kendall County; he soon engaged in the nursery business, which he carried on there until his removal to his present residence, where it was at once resumed. During his residence at Lisbon, the agitation of the plan for a system of agricultural colleges took jilace, and in this project he took a deep interest, frequently writing and talking upon the subject. When the plan was finally adopted by the Congress of the United States, he was the Urst man appointed by the Governor of Illinois as a member of its Board of Trustees, to take charge of the 480,000 acres of land which fell to the share of the State, and to found a college and to start it in operation. He was elect, ed Recording Secretary of the board, which position he held until after the inauguration of the enterprise and the college was in successful operation, and remained a member of this board for the term of six years, and until the number of the members of the board was considerably reduced, by act of the Legislature. In 1864, he was elected a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and reelected in 18(36, holding the position for four yeai-s, during which time and for several years, both previous and afterward, he was Superintendent of the Horticultural Department at the State fairs. But the principal and most valuable public services rendered by Mr. Galusha were within the Illinois State Horticultural Society, This society was organized in Decatur in 1856, and Mr. Galusha elected Corresponding Secretary, which position he held till December, 1861, when he was elected to the Presidency of the society. He continued in the gratuitous service of the society, traveling thousands of miles annually as member of the " Adinterim Committee," collecting horticultui'al information for publication in the annual volume; was re-elected Corresponding and Recording Secretary in 1869, and has continued in this position until thp present time, with the exception of one year, when he declined re-eloution, on account of severe illness at the time of the annual meeting. During these years, he has annually edited and published a volume of the transactions of the society, about 400 pages each. In 1868, he sold his farm on the county line and piirchased ^rhere he now lives, three miles southeast from Morris, to which place lie removed a large portion of his nursery stock, and continues in this business, gradually reducing it, however, and planting and raising fruits for market. This eighty-acre fruit farm is known as the Evergreen Fruit Farm. Mr. and Mrs. Galusha have had two children - one a son, briried in Paris, Kent Co., Mich., who died at the age of four years; the other, a daughter, Nellie H., born October 4, 1849, and now the wife of Prof. W. H. Smith, of Peoria, 111.

JOSEPH D. HILL, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Franklin County, Ohio, August 26, 1822, but spent most of his boyhood in Delaware County. When twenty-one years of age, he came to Illinois, and bought some land in Pike County. At this time, he also entered a tract of land in Mazon Township, Grundy County. After returning to Ohio and remaining there aboiit seven years, Mr. Hill, September 24, 1854, married Mrs. Margeretta Nicholas, born September 29, 1827, when he moved to his land in Mazon Township, which land he sold in 1865, and moved into Wauponsee Township, where he now owns 280 acres of improved land, in Sections 21 and 22, situated four miles southeast of Morris, This land is valued at $65 an acre, and produces tine crops of corn, oats and hay. Mr. and ^Irs. Hill have but one child - Homer D. Hill, born in Adams County, Ind. , June 5, 1856, who was married, January 7, 1S80, to Miss Flora Case, born March 24, 1856, daughter of Morris and Caroline Case, of Delaware

County, Ohio. Our subject is one of the stalwarts of Grundy County. He enlisted a company of men for the ranks, in the early part of the rebellion, but, owing to physical disability, was obliged to place them in charge of Caj^t. Fosha. Mr. Hill and his son are both Republicans.

HORACE HOYT, gardener, Mon-is, was born in New York in April, 1811; was raised and educated in Oneida County, N. Y., whei-e he engaged in mercantile jmrsuits until 1857, when he came to Morris. Here he continued the mercantile business for live years, when he sold out and went to Mexico, where he was engaged for one year in buying, compressing and shipping cotton. After a trip East, he came back to Morris, where for the past six years lie has been engaged in market gardening. He is located one mile south of Morris, on sixty acres of well-cultivat<>d land, the soil of which is well ada^sted to the raising of such produce as he handles. He has one son - Harris Hoyt, born in New York September 17, 1841; has bui-ied two sons and one daughter. Mrs. Hoyt is a member of tcie Congregational Church of Morris. Mr. Hoyt is a member of the Society of Friends, of Rochester, N. Y., and belongs to the Republican party.

PETER A. JOHNSON, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Sweden March 24, 1843, son of John and Hannah Johnson, both natives of Sweden. In the spring of 1853, John Johnson started with his family for the United States. On his voyage, he and two of his sons died of cholera. Peter and the rest of the, family reached New York City safely and came immediately to Morris, where the subject received his education, i^rincipally in the MoiTis Normal and Scientific Institute. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Capt, W, P. Pierce; term of service, three and one-fourth years. He participated in the battles of Pea Eidge, Shiloh, Perryville, Stone River and Chickainauga. At the last-named battle, he received a wound, resulting in permanent injury. May 7, 1864, he married Miss Elizabeth Claypool, daughter of Perry A. Claypool. She was born August 18, 1845. They have a family of four childi'en - Perry A., Frederick S., Frank A. and Nellie. Mr. Johnson's farm is situated three miles south of Morris, and consists of 240 acres of well-improved land, upon which he has erected a handsome residence. He is one of the prominent men of Wauponsee Township, being a first-class farmer and an active Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are both members of the M. E. Church at Morris.

WILLIAM JACKSON, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Norfolk, England, November 17, 1829, where he was raised and educated. He came to Grundy County, 111., while quite a young man, and located in Morris. The year following, he bought a farm of 120 acres, in Section 1, of Mazon Township, which he still owns. He has since purchased 240 acres in Section 30 of AVauponsee Township, where he now lives. His entire fai'm of 360 acres is valued at $50 an acre. Subject was married, November 14, 1864, to Amelia, daughter of George Lane, of Canada; she was born in 1817, and is the mother of three children - John W., born in 1869; Walter, 1873; Freddie, 1875. Mrs. Jackson is a Methodist.

MOSES PANGBURN, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in New York State November 30, 1802, and lived there until 1855, when he moved into Wauponsee Township, Grundy County, where he bought eighty acres of land in Section 14, which he has since traded for 120 acres in Sections 15 and 27. In 1856, he bought the forty acres on which he now lives. He was married, September 25, 1828, to Miss Kate Sitterley, of New York State, born March 3, 1805. She died in Wauponsee Township March 19, 1865. They raised a family of eight children, viz., Martin, Stephen, James M. , Clarissa A., Charlotte. Eliza M., John H. and Caroline A. Jlr. Pangrburn is now living with his daughter, Caroline A., now Mrs. Spencer, who was married August 30, 1871, to David E. Spencer, of Grundy County; he was born October 25, 1842. They have five chihlren - Charles O., Edna M., Walter W., Clarence E. and Kate M. David E. Spencer was a soldier in the late war, serving two years and ten months. He enlisted April 1, 1862, in Company M, First Illinois Artillery, and was transferred, after ten months, to another battery; he served six months on videtto duty for Brig. Gen. A. W. Elliott, and participated in the siege of Vicksburg and battle of Port Gibson; he was discharged February 1, 1865.

JOHN A. SUMMERS, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Freetown, Cortland Co., N. Y., March 11, 1824, son of Nicholas and Mary Summers. When our subject was four years old. his parents moved to Onondaga County, N. Y., where they remained nine years; they then came to Illinois and settled in Wauponsee Grove, where the father died in October of 1839. Mr. Summers came to this county some years before it was organized as such, and attended the first school taught here. It was held in the house of the teacher, Mrs. Dewey. In 1838, subject's father built the first house of the county; it was situated south of the river, and was roofed with joint shingles. John Summers began the trade of carpenter and joiner, under the instruction of his father, at which trade he worked for several years, in and around Morris. He has a vivid recollection of having to grind the breadstuffs for the family in a common coffee- mill, the severe freezing weather rendering the grist-mill useless for weeks at a time. In 1852, he bought eighty acres of farm land in Section 21, of Wauponsee Township, which he sold in the spring of 1882; has recently bought 320 acres in Douglas County, Dakota Territory, where he will soon move his family. Mr. Summers was married, May 25, 185-4, to Miss Matilda R. Summers, of Ohio, born in March, 1835. They have a family of eight childi-en - Clira C, born in 1855; Fred E., 1S57; Hortense J., 1858; Edgar D., 1860; Emily M., 1802; Harry M., 1806; Helen M., 1869; John G., 1872.

OWEN SWEENEY, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1817, and was raised a farmer. In 1840, he came to the United States, and settled in Boston. - where he was engaged in day labor for four years. In 1851, he came to Kendall County, 111., Lisbon Township, where he bought eighty acres of land. Here he remained about fom- years, when he rented his farm and moved to Morris, Grundy County, where he remained eleven years; while living here, he sold his farm in Kendall County. He next bought a farm of 103 acres in Wauponsee Township, on which he lived three years; selling this, he bought a farm of 120 acres in Section 33, of the same township. This land, upon which he now lives, is valued at $50 an acre. Mr. Sweeney was married in Boston, in 1850, to Miss Mary Carey, a native of Ireland, born June 25, 1825. This union has resulted in six children, viz., Ellen, bom August 26, 1856; Alice, bom September 23, 1854, and married, April 11, 1882, to Edward Higgins, of Mazon Townshija; Mary Jane, bom December 17, 1859; John W., born June 27, 1861; Dennis J., born July 12, 1804, and Annie S., born May 8, 1867. The entire familv are members of the Catholic

HENRY THUM, farmer, P. O. Morris, was boru July 9, 1848, in Chautauqua County, N. Y'. , and was the son of Melchart and Oret (Clark) Thum; he was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., December 31, 1804, and died in Wauponsee Township August 29, 1872. The subject's mother, Oret Thum, was born in Ellery, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., August 16, 1817, and is now living with her son Henry. The parents of Henry Thum settled in Grundy County, Saratoga Township, when he was nine years old: here they remained four years, when they moved into Wauponsee Township, and, in 1804, pm-chased a farm of eighty acres, which the subject now owns and lives upon. Ho was married, December 27, 1876, to Mrs. Jennie Wagner, of Pennsylvania. She was boru July 6, 1849, and is the daughter of Samuel and Nancy Miller, the former born December 10, 1820, died June 11, 1878; the latter was born in 1823, and died April 17, 1856. Miss Ella C. Thum, sister of Henry Thum, and a member of his family, was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y , May 26, 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Thum are the parents of two children- -Laura A., born October 21, 1877, and George H, born January 3, 1879.

JOHN THOAIPSON, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Canada July 4, 1835, son of James and Hannah Thompson. About 1838, his parents moved to Dresden, Grundy Co. , 111., whore they lived for some years, and where the mother of our subject died the first year after their arrival. John's father next bought a farm in Wauponsee Township, to which they removed, and where the father died April 12, 1880. Mr. John Thompson was married, March 10, 1850, to Miss Mary Jane Thompson, daughter of David Thompson, of Ireland. She was born in 18'^5. and died at their residence, in Wauponsee Township, May 12, 1882. The family consists of three children, viz., James, born August 29^ 1857; Susan, born October 12, 1859, and Samuel, born August 2, 1865. Mr. Thompson owns 120 acres of good farm land, in Sections 17 and 30, of Wauj^onsee Township. This land is valued at $50 an acre, 100 acres of which are under cultivation. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, and a Republican in politics.

SAMUEL WOOD, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in England January 4, 1824, and lived there until 1850, when he came to the United States, and settled in Pennsylvania, near the Ohio line. Here he worked one year in a brick-yard and in a coal-bank. He next went to Canada and worked in the copper mines for some months. From Canada he came to Peoria, where he worked for two years at mining, at the end of which time, the spring of 1854, he settled in Morris, where he and Daniel Williams opened the first coal bank ever started in the vicinity of Morris. For the next ten years, he worked at farming in the summer and mining in the ' winter. April 24, 1855, Mr. Wood married Miss Maria Claypool, born February 2, 1840, daughter of Perry A. and Miss (Foster) Clay]50ol, who were among the first families to settle in Grundy County. Mr. Claypool was born in Ohio, June 5, 1815, and died October 15, 1846. Mrs. Claypool was born April 24, 1819, and is still living. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Wood bought eighty acres of land in Section 17, Wauponsee Township, which he has added to until he now has 495 acres, valued at $50 per acre, and all under cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have a family of five children - David, born November 26, 1862; Charles, born December 9, 1865; Sarah, born October 25, 1808; James, born December 13, 1872, and Mary, born May 17, 1875. They have also buried four children. Mr. and Mrs. W^ood are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

ZELOTES J. ANDREWS, farmer, P. 0. Gardner, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., July 7, 1840, son of William S. and Amanda (Convis) Andrews, natives of New York State; the father was a farmer by occupation, and died in 1878, aged seventy-eight years; the mother, who is still living, was born in 1814, and had four children, of whom our subject was the youngest child; ho received a common-school education and followed the occupation of farming; came to Illinois in 1857, and located in Kendall County; came to Grundy County in 1874. and now carries on a general farming business. December 22, 1870, he married Miss Alice Convis, who was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1851; she is the daughter of Andrew aad Rachel Convis, natives of New York State, he living, she dead. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews have four children, viz., Ralph, Arthiir, May and Mate, the two last being twins. Our subject has been Street Commissioner several terms, and also School Director; he is a Republican.

H. C. ATKINSON, blacksmith, Gardner. Mr. Atkinson ranks among the leaduig blacksmiths of this county. He began learning his trade with H. Hart, of this village (Gardner), with whom he remahied for two years. October 19, 1877, he opened a shop on iiis own resources, and is