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 252 & 255; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
James Stockdale. A simple narration of facts regarding the
life of an individual is undoubtedly the best biographical history that
can be written of him. Therefore we shall not endeavor to
elaborate upon the incidents in the career of the gentleman whose name
heads this sketch. His present home is in Canton, in or near
which place he has been living about forty years. He has now
partially retired from business affairs, deriving his principal income
from loaning money and the rents on his real estate.
Mr. Stockdale is a native of Yorkshire, England, having been
born April 29, 181. His father, William Stockdale, was of Scotch
descent and born at Kirkbourn, near Driffield. He emigrated to
America in May, 1880, and died the following fall, a widow and six
children surviving him. The mother of our subject was Mary,
daughter of Roger Cook, who died in Cicero, N. Y.
Our subject, who was the eldest child, learned the butcher’s
trade in Hull, England, and after coming to America worked at it in
Syracuse and Buffalo, N. Y. He also spent two years on the lakes
as a mate of a schooner. He was married in Goodrich, Upper
Canada, to Miss Harriet Cutting, a native of Sussex, England. Her
father, Sidney Cutting, was in the employ of the Canada Company,
building up a town and also laboring as a boat builder. Soon
after his marriage Mr. Stockdale went to Columbus, Ohio, securing
employment in Mitchell’s pork house. After a time he opened a
meat market on the Ohio canal at the junction of the Columbus Feeder,
keeping the stand two years and furnishing the boats with meat.
He next went to St, Louis, Mo., in 1839, remaining in that city nearly
ten years.
The next removal of Mr. Stockdale was to Canton, Ill., where, in
1850, he opened the first regular meat market in the place; although he
had been there in the fall of 1848-49 slaughtering hogs. This he
carried on until the fall of 1854, when he formed a partnership with
James H. Stipp and Thompson Maple. During the winter of 1854 the
company packed about fifteen thousand hogs, the proceeds of the sale
amounting to nearly $200,000. Mr. Stockdale was engaged in this
enterprise during the winters until 1859 when he bought the interest of
his partners. He carried it on alone about ten years; then sold
the establishment. It was some years afterwards burned. He
then carried on a meat shop a few years, and farmed.
Having invested in a tract of land not far from the town, Mr.
Stockdale removed his family thither in 1865, giving his attention to
agriculture until the fall of 1877. He then sold the farm,
returned to Canton and built a cider mill, which he runs for custom
business, making as much as three thousand barrels in a season.
He has two large presses with a capacity of one hundred barrels per day
and does the grinding and pressing by steam. Except during the
season when the miss is in operation he is practically retired from
business.
Mr. Stockdale has been twice married, his first companion having
born him six children. Of this circle three are now living.
Amelia P. is Assistant Superintendent in the Home of the Friendless in
Chicago; Phebe H. is the wife of John Hollingsworth whose home is near
Monroe City, Mo., eighteen miles west of Hannibal; Albert J. is a
telegraph operator on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad. The present wife of our subject bore the maiden of
Rachael Penny. She was born in England and came to this country
in childhood, her home at the time of her marriage being in
Canton. This union has resulted in the birth of six children, as
follows: Hattie E., a bookkeeper for P. P. Mast & Co., in
Peoria; Grace M., wife of Wilton Vandevender; Laura, deceased; Maud,
James E., and Mattie, at home.
Mr. Stockdale served as Assistant Township Supervisor two years
and was afterward elected Supervisor, serving in that capacity an equal
length of time. For several years he was a member of the Odd
Fellows order. In political matters he affiliates with the
Republican parry, being one of the most stanch supporters of the
principles laid down in its platform. In the first campaign of
Lincoln he organized nearly twenty Union Leagues in Fulton
County. Quietly pursuing his course in life, honorably
discharging all his obligations, and manifesting an intelligent
interest in the affairs of the community, State and nation, he is
numbered among the respectable citizens and successful men in this
vicinity.
Three of Mr. Stockdale’s sons participated in the late
war. William C. enlisted in Company H, Seventeenth Illinois
Infantry, and received the commission of First Lieutenant; Sidney A.
was a member of the Eighth Illinois Infantry, afterward transferred to
Gen. Kellogg’s corps and appointed Provost Marshal in Tennessee, having
his headquarters at Nashville. He was for some time on the staff
of Gen. Grant, and was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for
sixteen parishes in Louisiana, which was among the first appointments
made by Grant after he became President. When Senator Kellogg was
appointed Collector of Customs at New Orleans, Sidney became his
Deputy. Albert J., was a drummer boy in the One Hundred and Third
Illinois Infantry and served in this capacity until discharged.
