Newell, John W. bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 733-734 & 737; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John W. Newell. There is nothing of more interest to the general reader than a sketch of a gentleman who has won for himself both fame and fortune in the battle of life, and according to this principle a brief account of Mr. Newell cannot fail to prove interesting. He ranks among the oldest and most successful citizens in Farmington, and is closely identified with both the commercial and social prosperity of this city. He is a man of sterling worth, and superior intelligence, and was in his early years exceedingly active in all business pursuits. Having acquired a competency he no longer troubles himself with the noise and bustle of the commercial world, and is enabled, through ample means and high social position, to be of great service to the commonwealth.
The subject of our sketch was born in Brownington, Vt., near the Canadian line, and belonged to a family of six children, viz: Orphia, Roswell, John Willard, Susan, Sarah and Clark, all of whom reached maturity, with the exception of Orphia, who died when seventeen years old. At the present writing our subject and his sister Sarah are the only survivors. She is the widow of John H. Westbrook, who was an extensive lumberman at Port Huron, Mich., and makes her home in Bay City, Mich., having attained the great age of eighty-one years.
Mr. Newell’s father, Benjamin Newell, was born at Old Salem, near Boston, and like most of his family was engaged in ship building. The Newells were English Puritans, and lived at Old Salem for several generations. Grandfather Newell took part in the Revolutionary War, and such was his hatred for the English and the “red men,” that even when peace was restored it was difficult to restrain him from shooting Indians when they crossed his path. He moved to Orford, N. Y., with his large family, and our subject’s father married a lady in St. Johnsburg, Vt., and after marriage settled in Brownington. After several moves, he finally settled upon a farm in St. Clair County, Mich., where he continued to reside until his death, which was caused by an accident when he had reached his seventy-sixth year.
The mother of our subject who, previous to her marriage, was Miss Mary Ide, was born in Rehoboth, Mass., and belonged to an influential family, among whom were many professional men, and several noted clergymen. The came originally from England. Our subject was born December 21, 1804, and was a boy of about twelve summers when his parents moved to Ohio. Belonging to a family that considered an excellent education an essential feature of every life, he commenced to attend the public schools at an early age. Thus his boyhood was well and prosperously spent, near the picturesque and attractive shores of Lake Memphremagog, and in the bracing atmosphere of the Green Mountains. He was taught habits of industry, and after an apprenticeship of several years, was made foreman of a tannery at Paynesville, Ohio, immediately after attaining his twenty-first year.
Mr. Newell owed his appointment as foreman to his perfectly abstemious habits, which he retained from youth to old age. He remained foreman for ten years, when his employer died, and he conceived the idea of going on a farm. Accordingly, in 1836, he started for Illinois, buying a horse and making the trip on horseback. He traveled over the old Chicago turnpike and through Southern Michigan, making his way southwest from Michigan City and arriving at Canton June 30. Here he met the Rev. Robert Stewart, to whom he took a strong liking, and wishing to enjoy the religious privileges here offered, he concluded to settle in this community.
The first purchase of Mr. Newell was two hundred acres of land four and one-half miles northeast of Canton. He knew nothing about farming, and being advised to buy timber lands, did so. He cleared one hundred and fifteen acres, improving the farm and starting an apple nursery, the first in the township. He soon discovered that the prairie lands were best adapted to this purpose, and selling out his nursery, bought a prairie farm of one hundred and sixty acres, three miles from Farmington. Later he purchased forty acres of timber land.
In 1855 Mr. Newell again sold out and returned to Canton, where he lived nine years; thence removing to Farmington, where he has since lived. He was first married in 1838 to Miss Sarah Bond, daughter of Stephen Bond and a niece of Gen. Bond, of Paynesville, Ohio. The Bond family came to Illinois in 1835 and located in the Marchant settlement. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Newell were born two children. Samuel and Clark, the latter dying when fifteen months old. Samuel resides on a farm in Peoria County, two miles from Farmington. He married Elizabeth M. Thompson, of Ellington, Conn., and to them was born one daughter, Sarah E.
Mrs. Samuel Newell died when her daughter Sarah E., was a babe of thirteen days, and the child was then taken into the home of her grandfather and has been there since. She has received the best of care from the second wife of our subject and is now a student at Knox College, from which she expects to graduate with the class of ’92. Our subject was married a second time in 1857 to Miss Selina Booth, whose parents were natives of Connecticut. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Clarissa Dewey, was born near East Windsor, that State, and was married to Mr. Booth at Suffield. The father owned an estate of four hundred acres at East Windsor, where he died when seventy-six years of age. The mother passed away when sixty years old. Their family comprised nine children who lived to manhood and womanhood.
Mrs. Newell was reared on the home farm and attended the early schools of the district. At the age of seventeen years she entered Mt. Holyoke Seminary, where she took the regular course. In company with her sister Harriet she went to Iowa in 1845 and taught a select school in Farmington two years. Thence she removed to Toulon, Ill., and organized a select school which was later merged into the Toulon Academy. In 1850 she came to Farmington, this county, and taught in the high school, which was supported through private enterprise. It prospered from the first, and in 1853 Prof. Churchill, of Galesburg, was called as an assistant. He has for the past thirty-six years been connected with Knox College as professor.
Mr. Newell made the acquaintance of our subject while teaching at Farmington. She had friends at a ladies’ seminary in Henry, Ill., and being frequently solicited to accept a position as teacher in that institution, she finally accepted the offer and went there in 1854, taking charge of the seminary. At that time there were about one hundred students attending the seminary. Mrs. Newell is a lady of rare intellectual endowments, and is conceded to be one of the most intelligent ladies of this city. She reads extensively and possesses the happy faculty of retaining the information thus obtained. Her reputation as a teacher was extended, and she still keeps informed on all topics of general and local interest.
Mr. Newell has been very prominently connected with the Congregational Church at Farmington and has helped to build one at Canton. He served as Deacon of the church in Canton eight years and in the Farmington Church twenty-five years, until on account of his deafness he resigned his charge. He has been church Treasurer twenty-seven years. Politically, he is a stanch Republican, and has voted the anti-slavery ticket since 8133, and still votes with the Republican party. He has lived a Christian’s life, and now in his old age he is cheered by a Christian’s hope.