COLONEL CLARK E.
CARR.--5
Galesburg is proud, as well it may be, of the record of Colonel
Clark E. Carr, now one of the venerable and honored residents of the
city. His interests and activities, however, have been so broad and
varied as to make him a man of national character, for he has
sustained many important relations to the public service and in
other associations has been found faultless in honor, fearless in
conduct and stainless in reputation. He was born in the town of
Boston, Erie county, New York, May 20, 1836, and is descended from a
family of English origin, the records of which are traced back to
the time of the Norman Conquest. William Carr was born in London,
England, June 17, 1597, and was married May 16, 1619, to Susan
Rothschild, in London. They came to America in the fall of 1621 as
passengers on the ship Fortune, Captain Roger Williams commanding,
and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the 7th of November. For
many generations the branch of the family of which Colonel Carr is a
representative remained in New England. His paternal grandfather was
the Rev. Clark Carr, who was born at East Greenwich, Rhode Island,
where one of his ancestors, Caleb Carr, had once served as colonial
governor. The Rev. Clark Carr was a Baptist minister who preached
for fifty years in western New York, becoming a pioneer of that
section of the state. He married Patty Merwin and lived to be eighty
years of age, while his wife reached the advanced age of almost
ninety years. They were the parents of a son and two daughters:
Clark M.; Laura, who became the wife of Ambrose Torrey; and Louisa,
who married Willard Alger.
Clark M. Carr, born in the Empire state, was reared in Erie county,
New York, and having arrived at years of maturity he wedded Delia
Torrey, a native of Connecticut and a daughter of Asa and Lydia
(Roberts) Torrey. Her father was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts,
and was of English descent. The mother of President Taft was a
Torrey, closely related to Asa Torrey, Judge Alphonso Taft, the
father of the president, having married Louisa Maria Torrey, a
daughter of Samuel D. Torrey, of Millbury, Massachusetts.
It was some years after the marriage of Clark M. Carr that he
removed to the middle west, arriving in the spring of 1850 in Henry
county, Illinois, where he lived for nearly two years, after which
he established his home in Galesburg in the autumn of 1851. Clark M.
Carr engaged in various lines of business but during his residence
in Galesburg was largely occupied with the promotion and building of
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He died in this city in
1876 at the age of seventy-two years. His first wife, Mrs. Delia
(Torrey)
Carr, the mother of Colonel Carr, died in Erie county, New York, in
1839, when our subject was only three years of age, and in 1845 he
married again, his second union being with Miss Fannie L. Yaw. There
were four children by the first marriage: General Eugene A. Carr,
now deceased; Colonel Byron O. Carr, living in Seattle, Washington;
Rev. Dr. Horace M. Carr, of Parsons, Kansas; and Colonel Clark E.
Carr, of this review. The children by the second marriage were:
George P., now deceased; and Grace, the wife of J. C. Fahnestock, of
Galesburg. The second wife died in 1888.
Colonel Clark E. Carr was but thirteen years of age when the family
removed westward to Illinois and was a lad of fifteen years when
they left Henry county for Galesburg, where he has since made his
home, having now resided in this city for six decades. He pursued
his education in Knox Academy and Knox College, after which he
returned to the east in preparation for a professional career and
was graduated from the Albany, New York, Law School with the LL. B.
degree. He has since been given the degree of doctor of laws and for
many years following his admission to the bar in 1857 he remained in
practice in Galesburg. In fact he was an active representative of
the bar here for nearly forty-five years but for the past ten years
has lived retired. His work in the courts became a matter of record
and indicated his comprehensive knowledge of the law and his ability
to clearly, forcefully and cogently present the points of his case
and the principles and precedents applicable thereto.
As previously indicated Colonel Carr has been prominently known in
many public connections and at all times his life has been one of
great serviceableness in the fields in which he has labored. He won
his military title by service during the Civil war on the staff of
Illinois' distinguished war governor, Richard Yates. He was also
postmaster of Galesburg for twenty-four years, being first appointed
to the office in 1861 by Abraham Lincoln, of whom he was a personal
friend. In fact there are few men living in Illinois today who have
had a wider acquaintance among the men of Illinois who have gained
distinction and national honors and prominence. Colonel Carr has
been a member of many commissions, becoming one of the original
members of the Soldiers National Cemetery Association at Gettysburg,
which established the cemetery there. He was present on the occasion
when Abraham Lincoln inaugurated the cemetery and, seated near him
on the stage, heard the president's matchless address, a full
account of which Colonel Carr has given in his volume entitled
"Lincoln at Gettysburg." Presidential appointment under Benjamin
Harrison made him minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary
to Denmark from 1889 until 1893. In politics he has always been a
zealous republican and of the great issues which divide the two
parties, with their roots extending down to the very bedrock of the
foundations of the republic, he has a true statesman's grasp. Well
grounded in the political maxims of the schools, he has also studied
the lessons of actual life, arriving at his conclusions as a result
of what may be called his postgraduate studies in the school of
affairs.
On the 31st day of December, 1873, Colonel Carr was united in
marriage to Miss Grace Mills, a daughter of Hon. Henry A. and Julia
(Crosby) Mills, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois. Mr. Mills, the father of
Mrs. Carr, was a son of Abram and Grace (DeBerard) Mills, the latter
of French descent while the former was a native of New York, well
known as a minister of the Presbyterian church. The maternal
grandfather of Mrs. Carr was Stephen Crosby, who was born in
Herkimer county, New York, and was a farmer and stock man. To
Colonel and Mrs. Carr there were born two children: Clark Mills, who
died in 1879 and for whom the Clark Mills Carr prize in Knox College
is named; and Julia, who became the wife of Captain W. P. Jackson,
of the Third Infantry of the United States Army, who is now on duty
at Zamboango, in the Philippine islands. Captain and Mrs. Jackson
have one child, Margaret.
Colonel Carr is the honored president of the Illinois State
Historical Society and also of the Knox County Historical
Association and few men are so thoroughly informed concerning the
leading events which have shaped the history of the state. His
comprehensive knowledge of all such has been made the basis of his
authorship of several most interesting volumes, including: The
Illinois,- A Story of the Prairies; My Day and Generation; Lincoln
at Gettysburg; The Postal Railway Service; and The Life of Stephen
A. Douglas. When an individual has advanced far on life's journey it
is frequently said of him: "He is now living quietly at his home,
etc." It is doubtful if this could ever be said of Colonel Carr. His
has always been an active life and he still keeps in close
connection with events that mark the trend of the times and is
thoroughly informed on the questions of significant and vital
interest to city, state and nation. He is continuously giving out of
the rich store of his wisdom and experience for the benefit of
others and thus his life remains a serviceable factor in the world's
work.
The people of Knox county, and especially the people of Galesburg,
will be, interested in knowing how much they are indebted to Colonel
Clark E. Carr for having in their midst the great transcontinental
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line, which is shown by the
following letters from Mr. William B. Strong, the president of that
great system when the road was built to Chicago.
The Partridge Farm, Beloit, Wisconsin, December 10, '97.
My Dear Colonel Carr: Yours of November 3d came while I was in
Boston visiting my daughter, otherwise, it would have had earlier
attention. I was glad to hear from you and pleased to know of Mrs.
Gaythes. We were sorry to have her sell her pretty home here and
leave us. Wherever she may reside, she will have our best wishes.
Touching the Santa Fe, Chicago line—your letter has brought it all
up to me so clearly. It was as you say, my aim to have the shortest
line between Chicago and Kansas City. The shortest line runs some
miles south of Galesburg—Mr. Robinson, the chief engineer, urged the
adoption of this line very strongly. Personally, I was anxious to
have the road run through Galesburg. My former connection with the
C. B. & Q. made me familiar with the place and its attractions for a
railroad. The desire for the short line and Mr. Robinson's pressure
for the line would have won the day if you had not come forward at
the right moment and plead the cause of Galesburg. It was purely out
of respect for you, that I sent Mr. Robinson to Galesburg to
consider a line through Galesburg. At that very time, Mr. Robinson
had orders to adopt the shorter line. The way you received Mr.
Robinson and the arguments used by you and others, which were
communicated to me in Boston, caused the company to make the
proposition to build via Galesburg—provided the right of way through
the city was given. This proposition was limited to a few days—I may
say a few working hours—it was accomplished. Your faith, hope and
courage carried it through.
My knowledge of you made me lean on you in these Galesburg matters
and I want to say to you now—as the president of the Atchison
Company, at that time—that if it had not been for your efforts, the
Santa Fe line would have gone through from Fort Madison to Streator
and left Galesburg to one side. I believe—all things considered,
that the best route was adopted. I wish to thank you for speaking so
favorably of the line from Kansas City to Chicago and what you say
about the whole system being disintegrated without it—I fully
believe it. The Chicago terminals and the Galveston line—are the
three great things about which I was roundly abused—and woefully
misrepresented. Today they are considered of great conception—the
rock of strength—and parties claim supreme credit for all these
sayings, who actually knew nothing of their inception. Such is life.
As I hear and read, I sometimes wonder if I ever had anything to do
with the Atchison system. In my doubt, and I find when I went to
that line in D. C. 1877, there were, all told, seven hundred and
eighty-seven miles. When I left it in 1889, seven thousand miles and
the average mortgage debt—was only fifteen thousand dollars per mile
and stock less than twelve thousand dollars per mile. Pardon length.
With all good wishes, yours sincerely,
Wm. B. Strong.
The Partridge Farm, Beloit, Wisconsin, January 6, '98.
Dear Colonel Carr: Yours of the second inst. came safely. I thank
you for it. Your letter I prize. I simply want to say I was amazed
to know that anyone believed the Atchison line would have come to
Galesburg anyway—regardless of local aid. I want to say to you in
the most positive and unequivocal language that the location of the
line rested with Mr. Robinson and myself. We agreed perfectly in the
proposition made to Galesburg and in the limit of time for its
acceptance or rejection. It was accepted the right day.
I was in Boston and I wired Robinson positive instructions if the
proposition was not perfected by the proper responsible parties to
adopt the southern or more direct route. The aid granted by
Galesburg secured the Atchison line, and without that, the road
would have been built several miles south of Galesburg. Personally,
I preferred to adopt the Galesburg line and there were influences
against it which yielded on condition the local aid was given. I am
pleased to know of Galesburg's prosperity. I hope it will continue.
I am pleased to know you saw Geo. R. Peck. He is a jewel. We fought
and bled together; he is no coward. God bless him.
My Dear Colonel I wish you and yours a most Happy New Year and may
it come full of good health and genuine prosperity to you and each
one dear to you. Yours sincerely,
Wm. B. Strong.
HORATIO N.
KEIGHTLEY.
One of Knoxville's early citizens who gave his cooperation not only
to the promotions of all municipal enterprises but also to the
development of educational institutions was the late Horatio N.
Keightley. He was a native of the state of New York, having been
born in Cortland county, on the 25th of May, 1825, and there he was
reared and educated. During his boyhood he attended the district
schools in the vicinity of his home, supplementing the knowledge
therein obtained by a course in the schools of Auburn, New York.
Having decided to become a lawyer, upon the completion of his
preliminary education he entered the office of William H. Seward,
where he prepared for admission to the bar. In 1850, at the age of
twenty-five years, he came to Knoxville and established an office,
continuing to be actively engaged in practice here for over forty
years. He was one of the well read and widely informed attorneys of
the county, and was connected with many of the important litigations
in its early history, having successfully plead many a cause in the
old courthouse. A. man of high standards and upright principles, he
became known as one who always conscientiously devoted himself to
the protection of his clients' interests. In connection with his
professional work Mr. Keightley was also interested in the grain
business and agricultural pursuits. He owned two fine farms east of
Knoxville that he cultivated for two years, making a specialty of
raising hogs.
Mr. Keightley married Miss Mary L. Ewing, who was born in
Smithfield, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of January, 1831. They were
married in this city, on the 25th of May, 1852, by the Rev. W. Y.
Miller, and always made their • home here. Mrs. Keightley was a
daughter of Alexander and Jane (Campbell) Ewing, the father a native
of Uniontown and the mother of Somerset, Pennsylvania. The paternal
grandfather, David Ewing, was a native of Ireland. He came to
Knoxville in 1836 and with his brother, George, established a
general store. Here both he and his wife passed away and were laid
to rest in the cemetery in the vicinity of Knoxville. Grandmother
Ewing's maiden name was Ruth Brown and she was a native of Maryland.
The maternal grandfather was John Campbell, who emigrated from
Scotland to the United States, first locating in Pennsylvania, but
later becoming a resident of Ohio, where he engaged in farming until
his death. Alexander Ewing, Mrs. Keightley's father, was one of the
pioneer merchants of Knoxville, having opened a general store here
in 1836, that he conducted for many years. He was one of the many
who made the long and perilous journey across the prairies to
California in 1849 m search of gold. Both he and his wife passed
away in Knoxville, her demise occurring on September 26, 1866, and
his, on the 2d of January, 1874. She was a member of the Episcopal
church, in the faith of which denomination they reared their family.
They were the parents of three children, Mrs. Keightley being the
only one surviving. The others were as follows: Anna M., the wife of
William M. Phillips of Galesburg; and John H., who in i860 married
Cornelia Weeks, and the widow is now living in Eldorado, Kansas.
Among the distinguished members of the Ewing family is to be named
General Ewing, and Mrs. Keightley is also related to General
Sherman. To Mr. and Mrs. Keightley were born eight children, of whom
five are now living. Ida, who was born on February 4, 1857, married
John G. Breese, a farmer near Caldwell, Kansas, and they have had
six children: Henry, who is deceased; Agnes, the wife of Victor
Larson; Bertha, who married Carl Stoner; and Charles, Horatio K. and
Wilbur. Alice C. was born on the 20th of September, 1859, and died
on the 1st of December, 1907. Alexander Ewing, born on September 15,
1861, married Mary McAuly and has three sons: Thomas Ewing, Charles
Nelson and Alexander Elwood. He is a resident of Danville,
Washington. Mary Ewing, born on January 5, 1864, is a trained nurse
in Chicago and the widow of William Bradford, by whom she had two
daughters: Helen and Dorothy. Martin Gay, of Wellington, Kansas,
born on the 3d of September, 1866, married Sarah E. Butts and has
four sons: George Martin, who is in the United States navy; Harry
E.; Louis H.; and Albert Ray.
The family always attended the Episcopal church, in which Mr.
Keightley held membership as does also his widow. Fraternally he was
a Mason and politically a republican, and at all times he took an
active interest in affairs of the municipality, having served as
justice of the peace and for several terms as mayor. Mr. Keightley
always gave his assistance in promoting the development of the
community along lines he deemed qualified to best serve the
interests of its citizens. He was the first to start the
subscription that brought to Knoxville St. Mary's school, an
Episcopalian institution, originally known as Ewing University, so
called from Mrs. Keightley's family. He was held in the highest
esteem not only in Knoxville, where he had resided for so many
years, but in the entire county, and his death, on the 7th of April,
1896, caused deep regret in the community. For several years prior
to his demise he had been living retired, his failing health having
necessitated his withdrawal from active life. He is survived by his
widow, who has been a resident of Knoxville for seventy-five years,
forty-nine of which have been spent on the old family homestead,
where she is still living. Mrs. Keightley had an extensive
acquaintance among the early pioneers of this section, whose names
now figure prominently in the state's history. She well remembers
Lincoln's early days and struggles and was present at an address he
made from the balcony of the old Hebbard House, in 1858, and many
are the interesting reminiscences she relates of those early days.
JOHN VAN NESS
STANDISH.
John Van Ness Standish is a lineal descendant of Captain Miles
Standish, of Pilgrim fame, and was born in Woodstock, Vermont,
February 26, 1825. His father was John Winslow Standish, who was
born in Pembroke, Massachusetts, July 19, 1785. He was a man of many
virtues. He was kind, affectionate, trustful, and had a heart full
of love for everyone. He possessed good natural powers of mind, and
lived to his ninetieth year an exemplary and honorable life.
His mother was Caroline Williams Myrick, who was born in Woodstock,
Vermont, December 20, 1790. She was the daughter of Lieutenant
Samuel Myrick, who served his country through the Revolutionary war.
She was devoted to her family and friends, domestic in her home
life, untiring in industry, frugal, discreet, intelligent, and her
whole life of sacrifice and duty is stamped indelibly upon the
memory of her children.
The ancestry of the Standish family reaches back to a very early
period in English history. In the thirteenth century, there were two
branches to the family; one called the "Standish's of Standish," and
the other the "Standish's of Duxbury Hall." Their location was near
the village of Chorley, Lancashire. The first of the name was
Thurston de Standish, who was living in 1222. He had a son Ralph,
who had a son Hugh. In 1306, on account of differences in religious
views, the estate was divided; Jordan Standish becoming the
proprietor of Standish, and Hugh, of Duxbury Hall. In 1677, Sir
Richard Standish occupied the possessions of Sir Frank Standish.
Titled nobility came into the family in the following manner:
Froissart relates in his chronicles that when Richard II and Watt
Tyler met, the rebel was struck from his horse by William Walworth,
and then John Standish, the king's squire, alighted, drew his sword,
and thrust it through Watt Tyler's body. For this act he was
knighted. The baronetcy, which was established in 1676, became
extinct in 1812.
The history of the Standish family in America begins with Miles
Standish, the great Puritan captain, who was descended from the
Standish's of Duxbury Hall. He was born about 1584 and died at
Duxbury, Massachusetts, October 3, 1656. He inherited in a
preeminent degree the military qualities of his ancestors. He was
the Moses of his time and led the pilgrim band into the "Promised
Land" of liberty. Without him, New England for a generation or two
would have remained a wilderness and that little Plymouth colony
would have become extinct.
Miles Standish's first wife was Rose, a most beautiful woman. She
died in about a month after landing at Plymouth. According to
tradition, his second wife was Barbara, a sister to Rose. By this
second marriage there were seven children. The eldest was Alexander,
who built the cottage in 1666 now standing on the "Standish farm" at
Duxbury. For his first wife, Alexander married Sarah, daughter of
John Alden. His second wife was Desire (Sherman) Doty, by whom he
had four children. Their eldest child was Thomas, who married Mary
Carver. Thomas had six children, the third birth being a son whose
name was Thomas, the great-grandfather of John Van Ness. This second
Thomas married Marta Bisbee and had two sons, one of whom was named
Hadley. Hadley married Abigail Gardner and became the father of
eleven children. The third child was John Winslow, who married
Caroline Williams Myrick:. They had six children, the fourth birth
being John A^an Ness.
John Van Ness Standish belongs to the sixth generation from the
Pilgrim captain. He was not born in affluence, and consequently, has
been obliged to depend upon his own exertions in the great contest
of life. He received the rudiments of his education in the common
schools of his native town. From these, he passed into private
schools, in which he spent several terms. He next became a student
for several years, in an academy at Lebanon, New Hampshire, which
would vie in thoroughness and scholarship with many of the colleges
of today. Having finished here the entire course of mathematics save
the calculus, and being thoroughly prepared, he matriculated in
Norwich University in 1844, and graduated as salutatorian of his
class July 7, 1847. While in college, he was regarded as a most
excellent scholar, and in mathematics, the leader of his class. To
meet his expenses during' these years of study, he taught school
winters, commencing at the age of sixteen, and worked on the farm
summers. He made study a business, squandered no time, and had but
little leisure for recreation or games.
After leaving college, he taught a select school in Perkinsville,
Vermont, and when this was closed, he became principal of a graded
school in the same village. Not satisfied with the prospects in his
native state, he resolved to seek his fortunes in the west. In the
fall of 1850, he went to western New York and taught in the graded
schools of Farmington, Bergen, Macedon, and Victor, until he was
called to the professorship of mathematics and astronomy in Lombard
University. Rev. P. R. Kendall, a classmate, was its president, and
the letter of invitation sent by him to Dr. Standish contained the
following: "You and I are to build a college. I want you to take
charge while I collect money." And it may be said that Lombard
University owes its existence to the labors of these two men.
On October 22, 1854, Dr. Standish arrived in Galesburg, and on the
following day he entered upon his duties as acting president, and
professor of mathematics and astronomy. He was acting president for
three years, and the institution prospered greatly under his
management. From 1854 to 1892, a period of thirty-eight years, he
held his professorship. Nor was he confined to his own department.
For seven or eight years, he taught the natural sciences, and if any
new branch of study was introduced, Dr. Standish was elected as the
teacher. A professor said to him, "You have taught the whole college
curriculum." Dr. Standish replied, "Not quite." Counting geometry,
calculus, logic, Cicero, Virgil, and Livy, as distinct studies, he
has taught over seventy—more perhaps than any other two professors
in Galesburg.
In 1892, he was elected president of Lombard University, resigning
in June, 1895. For the first seven months, he- canvassed for funds,
and raised by subscription forty-one thousand, five hundred
dollars—a larger amount than was ever raised in so short a time by
any other man working in the interest of the university. The
catalogues will show that during his administration, the patronage
gradually increased.
Dr. Standish performed signal service for the college outside of his
professorship. He planned the cabinet cases and, with the aid of
Mrs. Standish, raised the money to pay for them. He raised the money
and purchased the cabinet of corals. He obtained the Cowan
collection. He secured the means to build the bookcases. He arranged
and planned the shrubbery on the college campus. As another has
said, "There is scarcely a place but that you see his hand."
As a teacher, Dr. Standish had but few equals. He was original in
his illustrations and methods, and cared little for the opinions of
men as written in books. He was a law unto himself, and his teaching
was neither by book nor by rote. He was clear, incisive, and never
allowed the dullest student to pass from him without a full
comprehension of the subject. Many of his pupils used to say, "I can
carry away more of his instruction than that of any other teacher."
Dr. Anson L. Clark, a graduate of Lombard University in 1858, a
professor and president of Bennett Medical College in Chicago for
more than a quarter of a century, and a member of the state board of
health for as long a period, pays him the following tribute: "As a
teacher, Professor Stan dish had few equals, no superiors. With the
subject so completely in hand himself, it was always a wonder, how
for the benefit of some dull pupil he could go over a mathematical
demonstration again, again, and again, without the slightest
appearance of impatience. And to those observing this conflict
between light and darkness, it was especially pleasing to note the
kindly light of interest and satisfaction which would pass over his
countenance when at last he saw that he had won, and that the
problem was comprehended. He made such victories a life-work and
acknowledged no defeat."
Rev. John R. Carpenter, whose pastorate is at Rockland, Ohio, and
who graduated at the University in 1887, says: "Dr. Standish was an
ideal instructor. He was a man of leading characteristics, original,
positive in his convictions, clear-sighted, and always worked with a
definite and good object before him. He was a growing teacher,
always bringing forth some new view of the truth. Those who have
been students of Dr. Standish are always grateful for the privilege
of sitting at the feet of one of the best instructors that this
country ever produced. He would carry his pupils up to the heights,
and give them a view of the promised land just beyond. But when once
on the heights, no true student ever came down to his old position.
D. L. Braucher, a civil engineer and surveyor, and one of the best
mathematicians ever connected with the university, gives his
impressions in the following words: "Professor Standish was always
thoughtful, dignified in his bearing, and anxious to make his pupils
see the truth as viewed from foundation principles. Pie seemed more
like a sympathetic companion than teacher, while we were delving for
the hidden truths of higher mathematics. The more knotty the
problem, the more persistent the labor, till victory perched on our
banner, as she always did. Time has tinted those memories as
delicately as the sunshine has painted the rainbow."
As a scholar, Dr. Standish stands preeminent. lie is really an
all-round man. Not only is he well versed in the lore of books and
the teachings of the schools, but he has been a great student in the
broad fields of the world. He is well posted in almost every
department of science, literature and art. In criticism, he has but
few equals. He excels in rhetoric and in grammatical construction in
the use of words, and has been called by some • scholars a
dictionary man. At the ministers' institutes, held in Chicago and
other places, he was selected above all others as the critic for the
entire sessions.
In his labors and zeal for the advancement and improvement of the
common schools, he has hardly been excelled by any one. lie has held
teachers' institutes, and lectured all over the state—from Jackson
and Macoupin counties on the north. He was chairman of the first
meeting to establish graded schools in Galesburg, and attended other
meetings held in their interest. From 1854 to 1880, he was a
constant attendant at the Knox County Institute of Teachers, and was
a leading member of the State Teachers' Association. The latter
body, in 1859, elected him president.
Dr. Standish has been a great traveler. In company with Mrs.
Standish, he has visited the old world three times—in 1879, 1882-3,
and in 1891-2. With the exception of Denmark and Portugal, he has
visited every country of Europe. Egypt and the Holy Land, and Asia
Minor, went to the North Cape within nineteen degrees of the North
Pole, saw the midnight sun seven nights, and took a trip of a
hundred miles out on the Sahara Desert. Both Dr. and .Mrs. Standish
have gone abroad for study, as well as pleasure. In his own country,
he has visited every state in the Union excepting the Carolinas.
Both Dr. and Mrs. Standish are lovers of art. They have visited
every large picture gallery in the world, and many small ones. They
are conversant with the museums of Europe and have studied
cathedrals and parks, wherever they have traveled. Egypt and
Assyria, Greece and Rome, have been laid under contribution, and
their treasures have been spread out before them.
As a public-spirited man, Dr. Standish holds a conspicuous place
among his fellow citizens. He has done much to improve the city, and
has given more hours of labor without compensation than any other
man in it. For more than thirty years, he has made his own grounds
the most attractive in the city. Another said to him, "Your
handiwork is seen all over Galesburg." He has an aesthetic nature,
and is fond of mountain scenery, and beauty of landscape. He is a
horticulturist, and for nearly ten years, was president of Knox
County Agricultural Society. He was once elected a member of the
board of education, and for many years, has been a director in the
Second National Bank.
As a man, Dr. Standish is kind, benevolent, and charitable, and will
make sacrifices for the public good. He is open-hearted, and
believes in honesty of purpose and intention. He has no use for
double-minded men. In religion he is a Universalist. In politics, he
is a republican.
Dr. Standish was married, March 24, 1859, to Harriet Augusta
Kendall, daughter of Francis and Rebecca (Stowe) Kendall. She was a
teacher of painting, French and Italian in Lombard University for
twelve years.
H. AUGUSTA STANDISH.
H. Augusta (Kendall) Standish was born in Phillipston,
Massachusetts, March 19, 1823. She died in Galesburg, Illinois,
September 17, 1911. Her parents were Francis and Rebecca (Stowe)
Kendall, both of whom were natives of Phillipston. The Kendall
family were a strong race, both mentally and physically. Their line
of descent can be traced back to one of three brothers, who came
from England to America about 1630, and settled near Boston.
Intellectually speaking, the Stowe family were not, in any respect,
inferior to the Kendall family. They were a broad-minded and
sensible people and never violated rules of propriety in action.
Before acting, they studied conditions and weighed results, so as to
accomplish the most without wasting energies or expense. Such were
the ruling characteristics of this Stowe family and such were their
merits as recorded in the generations in which they lived. In a
word, then, both of these families were the stuff out of which good
republics are made. They hated anarchy and tyranny and loved freedom
for freedom's sake. They believed in law for the lawless and in the
largest liberty to those who were governed by the higher law. In
truth, they knew no law but duty and right. It was these lofty
ideals that made these families such worthy citizens.
Mrs. Standish was well born. She lived a long and useful life, and
died regretted by a large company of sincere friends. When she was
but sixteen years old, she lost by death a loving mother. The
management and care of the household of five persons fell upon her.
For about five years she engaged herself in this domestic task,
until failing health compelled a change.
In the district school, Mrs. Standish's school days were happy ones.
She was a thorough scholar, thorough in everything she undertook. In
her studies, though the youngest, she led her class. Her ideals in
education were often expressed by her in two maxims: "It is a sin to
be ignorant;" "It does not hurt one to know." In her domestic
experience of five years, she did not wholly neglect her studies.
She improved every leisure moment and became a proficient in several
of the sciences.
But her educational acquirements in the district schools and the
instruction she received from private teachers did not satisfy her
ambition. She marked out her course and with an unwavering firmness
pursued it. She left home and friends and entered as a student the
seminary at Charlestown, now a part of Boston. It was here that she
pursued the higher branches of learning and became a thorough
scholar in French and Italian. It is here that her love for and
ability in art were developed, and the many paintings in oil and
water colors, which have for so many years adorned her home, were
produced. In this seminary, she soon became a favorite. By reason of
her earnestness in school work, her womanly character, and her high
moral tone, she won the affection and confidence of both teacher and
pupil.
She next attended school in an academy at Shelburne Falls,
Massachusetts. Here she remained a year or two, still pursuing the
higher branches of learning. At this time there were no colleges for
women in all our country, nor were they even thought of. The academy
and seminary were the only institutions offered them to acquire a
broader education. But it must be said that New England academies
and seminaries of these early times were fully equal to many of the
smaller colleges of today. Then young men and young women "went" to
school instead of being "sent." Education then had its full meaning.
At Shelburne Falls, Mrs. Standish bid farewell to seminaries and
academies, as far as her schooling was concerned, and afterwards
engaged in teaching— her life work. Her first experience as a
teacher was in the district schools of her native state. Here she
taught with great success. Her reputation as an instructor and
disciplinarian was so spread abroad that her services were in
constant demand, even at higher wages than other teachers were
receiving. She next took a position in an academy in Townsend,
Vermont, where she remained a year or more. Resigning her place in
the academy, she accepted a similar position in a private school at
Saratoga Springs, New York, where she remained until called to
Lombard University, Galesburg, Illinois. She arrived in Galesburg,
Tuesday, August 29, 1854, and took her position before her classes
the following day. The institution then bore the name, "The Illinois
Liberal Institute." Its charter gave it the power to confer degrees
upon those students who had finished a certain prescribed course of
study. Although the institution bore the name "Institute," it was a
college to all intents and purposes. What was the character of the
institution at this time? Considering this early period, it was
"large," two hundred and thirty-three being enrolled at the end of
that school year. The classes were composed mainly of students
advanced in age and advanced in learning. Advanced Latin, advanced
Greek, and the higher mathematics were pursued. There were classes
in the differential and integral calculus, and students reading
three languages, Latin, Greek and French, in the same term. The
great body of the students were so anxious to learn, that they
sometimes petitioned the faculty not to omit but to continue their
recitations on certain holidays, which petitions were freely
granted. To such an institution, to such a company of earnest
students, Mrs. Standish was introduced, and of the ability with
which she acquitted herself, there are hundreds of living witnesses.
Mrs. Standish was elected to the professorship of French and
Italian, and teacher of drawing and painting. Nor was she confined
exclusively to this department. She also taught classes in English
literature, history, and some of the mathematics. She was principal
of the ladies' department, and had a large task in correcting their
essays. She held her professorship for twelve years, resigning in
June, 1866. During these early years, Lombard University was passing
through her most critical period. She was carried through it by the
sacrifices of faithful teachers and faithful students. It may be
said truly that Mrs. Standish with others passed through fire and
water to save the tottering college. Here was an institution of
learning without a dollar in the treasury and with no prospect of
getting one, with her chapel building in ashes, and with unsuitable
recitation rooms scattered all over the city, some of them half a
mile apart; and to add to this state of things, each teacher was
paid his back salary at the end of the year in script of doubtful
value.
Nor were conditions improved on entering the new building in the
fall of 1856. Here stood the present college building on the open
prairie, far removed from any human habitation. It was unfinished.
The walls of many of the rooms were naked, some had lath without
plaster, and the outside walls of the rooms exposed to view the
rough brick and mortar. There were no baseboards to the rooms and
blackboards were not even thought of or planned. But the greatest
discomfort was found in the incapacity of two small furnaces to heat
the building. No room was heated, and the larger number had no heat
at all from morning till night. In recitation, both teacher and
pupil, were obliged to wear coats and shawls to protect themselves
against the cold. This was the state of things until near Christmas
time, when a vacation was ordered with a promise of new and better
things. Nor was this the only trouble. During that winter this whole
region of country was covered with ice, and then heavy rains came,
forming rivers of water near the university, thereby cutting it off
completely from the city. To meet the exigencies of the case, lady
teachers and lady pupils were compelled to purchase and wear rubber
boots in order to reach the university. Notwithstanding these trying
times, it must be said that every teacher and every student did his
duty. They shirked no task and omitted no lesson. They were at their
posts until the day of vacation.
Through all these trials, Mrs. Standish passed. She murmured not,
nor complained. She saw the obstacles in her pathway, but like a
pilgrim, she took her staff and marched on. Her task was before her,
and she could not be turned aside. She knew and felt that success
was born of self-sacrifice and self-determination, and success in
whatever calling, though humble, gratified her ambition. It was the
well done thing that received her encomiums. In all her life her
motto was "Not how much, but how well."
As a scholar, Mrs. Standish was more than ordinary. Indeed, she was
broadly educated. She was a student all her life. She had an
ambition and a desire to learn. If any topic was introduced in
conversation of which she was ignorant, she immediately set herself
the task of learning it, and that task was finished only when her
lesson was learned thoroughly. As a botanist, she was one of the
best in the country, having made that branch her favorite study for
more than seventy years. She was a superior student in astronomy.
She could bound all the visible constellations and call the
principal stars by name. Nightly, she watched the planets in their
course, and often exclaimed, "How wonderful are the works of the
Great Creator!" In the different branches of art, she was almost
supereminent. She was really the organizer of the first reading
clubs in Galesburg. For twelve years, twice a week, she invited the
ladies of the city to her home and discoursed to them on the
beauties of the masterpieces in painting and the wonderful creations
of Phidias, Michael Angelo, and Canova. Nor was architecture
omitted. The Grecian temples, the basilicas of Italy, and the
English cathedrals were pictured before them. When Mrs. Laura
Bassett visited Europe in 1905, she wrote to Mrs. Standish, "It is
over twenty years since I had the privilege of meeting at your home
with several other ladies and learning of treasures of art and
beauties of architecture. With the maps in Baedeker and plats of the
picture galleries, you made it so plain that I always used to say
that I felt sure that I could go about here without any trouble at
all, and would recognize these different buildings—and so it is."
Nor is this all. Mrs. Standish was a scholar in English literature
and her correctness of speech was remarkable. Often she would pause
and in thought search for a fitting word. It seems that she was born
with golden words on her tongue.
As a teacher, Mrs. Standish had but few equals. Her great faculty
was in the development of the minds of her pupils. She saw that it
was not knowledge the pupils needed, but the power to get knowledge.
In her teaching, she was always logical and never diffuse. She never
left in the pupil's mind a subject hazily or poorly understood. It
was always her endeavor to bring out true manhood and true womanhood
in her pupils.
As a citizen, Mrs. Standish was well worthy of the title of public
benefactor. She labored for others and not for herself. She believed
in civic improvements and worked to make the city a better place to
live in. All rubbish and unsightly things distressed her, and no one
knows how much time she spent in beautifying the city. Her example
and her work she has left behind her, which will be a profit to
many. She was ever charitable and kind and a help to all who knew
her. She loved the good, the beautiful, and the true, and never
descended from the high plane of true womanhood.
Mrs. Standish was united in marriage to John Van Ness Standish, a
professor in Lombard University, March 24, 1859. The ceremony was
performed in the college chapel by the Reverend Otis A. Skinner, D.
D., who was then president of the university, a large number of
students and friends being present. The golden wedding was
celebrated in Pasadena, California, March 24, 1909. There was only
"one" present who attended the original wedding, Mrs. A. M. H.
Ellis, of Seattle, Washington, formerly of Chicago.
In religion, Mrs. Standish was a Universalist, though she was
brought up in the Congregationalist faith. She was far from being
narrowly sectarian. She thought that good works and an upright life
counted for more than blind belief.
In politics, her sympathies were republican, and if she could have
voted, her vote would have been cast on that side. In both religion
and politics, she believed the higher law should prevail.
REV. FRANCIS BAINES.
Rev. Francis Baines, who is in charge of the parish of St. Patrick
of Gales-burg, was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, England, on the
3d of December, 1874.
The preliminary education of Father Baines was obtained at Rugby,
after which he studied at Mount Wadhurst, Sussex and Monte Calvario,
Italy. He subsequently went to Ratcliffe College, as an instructor
in Latin, remaining there for two years. At the expiration of that
period he engaged in mission work at Loughborough, Leicestershire,
England, for a year, and in 1904 he came to this country as an
assistant to Father Doubleday, of Galesburg. After serving in this
capacity for four years he was appointed head of the parish, over
which he has now presided for three years. He is the spiritual
counselor of one hundred and thirty families and has under his
supervision the following organizations: Sacred Heart Sodality,
Children of Mary and the Altar Society. St. Patrick's is one of the
popular parishes of the city. Father Baines is very popular not only
in his parish but throughout the city, as he is a man of rare
culture and scholarly instincts, whose well stored mind makes him a
most delightful and entertaining conversationalist. He is
progressive in his ideas and exercises a most powerful influence
over all the members of his parish, who place a high valuation on
his views on any subject, appreciating the fact that they are the
result of careful and conscientious deliberation.
LLOYD F. WERTMAN.
Honored and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more
enviable position in business and financial circles in Galesburg
than does Lloyd F. Wert-man, the president of the First National
Bank. This is not due alone to the success he has achieved but also
to the straightforward, honorable business methods he has ever
followed, and his record indicates that success is not a matter of
genius as held by some but is rather the outcome of clear judgment
and unfaltering energy. He was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania,
November 7, 1845, and is one of the seven children of Elias and Mary
(Kistler) Wertman. The former was a son of Daniel Wertman, a native
of Pennsylvania and of German descent. He removed with his family to
Lockport, New York, where he died when well advanced in years. To
him and his wife were born a number of children, including Elias,
Noah, Daniel, Emanuel, John, Jonathan and a daughter. Elias Wertman
was also a native of the Keystone state and was there reared.
Eventually he followed merchandising in Bloomsburg and Rohrsburg,
Pennsylvania, and in the year 1864 removed westward to Illinois,
settling that spring in Knox county, where he turned his attention
to general agricultural pursuits. He followed farming in both
Persifer and Elba townships, being for many years actively engaged
in the work of tilling the soil. While in Pennsylvania he had wedded
Mary Kistler, a native of that state, as was her father, who was of
German lineage. He was a distiller and prominent farmer. The death
of Elias Wertman occurred in Yates City when he was about
seventy-eight years of age and his wife passed away several years
before. They held membership in the German Lutheran church and were
worthy Christian people. Of their seven children five reached years
of maturity, two having died in infancy. Those who attained adult
age were: Daniel, now deceased; Sarah, the widow of Spencer L.
Finney, of Galesburg; Mary Ellen, the wife of Samuel Chester, of
Creston, Iowa; Lloyd F.; and Martha J., the widow of James A.
Wilson, of Galesburg.
In his native town of Bloomsburg Lloyd F. Wertman spent his early
youth and began his education, which was supplemented by further
study in the public schools of Rohrsburg, Pennsylvania, and in the
academy at Orangeville, that state. He was also for a year and a
half a student in a missionary institute or college at Selinsgrove
and when his education was completed he came to the middle west and
turned his attention to farming, renting a tract of land adjoining
his father's place. Subsequently he purchased his father's farm and
remained thereon until 1878, when he removed to Yates City,
Illinois, where he spent two years in a cooperative store. On the
expiration of that period he formed a partnership with J. H.
Nicholson and W. P. Parker for the establishment of a bank at Yates
City. Their enterprise was known as the Farmers Bank and its doors
were opened for business on the 1st of August, 1880, with Mr.
Wertman as cashier. He filled that position for nine years and the
success of the bank is attributable in large measure to his efforts
and ability. He then sold out to Mr., Nicholson and came to
Galesburg, accepting the cashier-ship in the Farmers & Mechanics
Bank of this city, with which he was connected for six years, when
he was elected vice president of the First National and after two
years was elected to the presidency, so that he is now the chief
executive officer of the bank, his guiding policy being such as
commends the institution to the confidence and support of the
public. In the conduct of banking interests he has ever adhered to
the principle, that the banking institution that most carefully
safeguards its business in order to protect its depositors, is the
bank which most merits the public confidence.
On January it, 1870, Mr. Wertman was married to Miss Isabella J.
Oberholtzer, a native of Eugene, Knox county, Illinois, and a
daughter of Henry and Martha (Tucker) Oberholtzer. The family is an
old one here, having been established in pioneer times. Her father
died from the effects of army experience, having been a soldier of
the Civil war, and her mother passed away in Gilson when eighty-five
years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Wertman have been born five children:
Elmer, who died in infancy: Mary, who is the wife of Arthur D.
Steams, of Galesburg, and has four children, Philip, Helen, Frances
and Virginia; Martha Leorah and Maude, who are living at home; and
Norma B., who is the wife of Guy B. Hardy, an attorney of Galesburg,
by whom she has one child, Jane. Mr. Wertman is serving as a trustee
in the Presbyterian church, in which his wife holds membership. In
politics he is a republican, giving unfaltering support to the
party, and while residing in Elba township he served as township
clerk for ten years, was collector for two or three terms and was
also one of the county supervisors while living in Yates City. For
twelve years he has been a member of the Galesburg school board and
was chairman of its finance committee. No public trust reposed in
him has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree and in public
office he has done effective work for progress and improvement.
Wherever known he is held in high regard and most of all where best
known. The close attention which he has given to his business
affairs and the honorable and progressive methods which he has
followed have constituted the secret of his success, which has won
him to a prominent position in business circles among the men of
affluence in this county.
RICHARD AUSTIN
LAWRENCE.--27
Richard Austin Lawrence was one of the early residents of Galesburg,
identified for a period with its mercantile interests although later
he became closely associated with agricultural activities in Knox
county. He was born in Littleton, Massachusetts, September 27, 1823,
and is descended from New England ancestry long represented in this
country. His great-grandfather was David Lawrence, also a native of
Littleton, and in Massachusetts he married Hannah Sawtell, of
Groton, that state. Their son, David Lawrence, Jr., the grandfather
of Richard A. Lawrence, was also born in Littleton and married
Martha Adams, a native of Lincoln, Massachusetts. They were the
parents of George Lawrence, likewise a native of Littleton, who on
arriving at years of maturity wedded Rebecca Merriam, who was born
in Concord, Massachusetts, and was a daughter of Joseph and Lucy
(Wheeler) Merriam. Her father was likewise a native of Concord as
was his father, Joseph Merriam, so that in both the paternal and
maternal lines Richard A. Lawrence was descended from ancestry long
connected with New England.
In the acquirement of his education Richard Austin Lawrence attended
the public schools of his native town and continued his residence in
Littleton until thirty-two years of age. Careful consideration of
the business situation in the east as compared with the west led him
to the belief that he would have better and broader opportunities in
the Mississippi valley and in 1855, therefore, he left his home in
Massachusetts and came to Knox county, Illinois. He had previously
been married, on the 16th of May, 1853, to Miss Edna Miller, and it
was two years later that they left New England for Galesburg. Here
Mr. Lawrence established a store which he conducted for a time, but
later turned his attention to farming which was more to his liking.
In that business he won substantial success and as his financial
resources increased he acquired considerable land west of the city,
adding to his holdings from time to time and improving the greater
part of his property. He earned for himself the name of being a
thorough and successful agriculturist and did much to develop the
county along that line. Moreover, in his business affairs he was
progressive and determined and his success was the legitimate and
merited reward of his own labors.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence there were born seven children of whom
four are yet living: George A., a resident of Galesburg; Fannie E.,
who is the widow of John G. Vivion and resides in Galesburg; Mrs.
Anna M. Linn, of Emerson, Iowa; and Bernard P., a resident of
Seattle, Washington.
In his political views Mr. Lawrence was a republican from the
organization of the party and always supported its men and measures
yet did not seek nor desire office for himself. Lie held membership
in the First Baptist church and his life was passed in harmony with
his professions. He passed away on "the nth of August, 1905, in the
eighty-second year of his age, and Knox county thus lost not only
one of its forceful residents but also a citizen of worth who in
every relation of life was found honorable and reliable. He did not
seek to figure prominently in public affairs but was ever faithful
to his duties and exemplified in his relations with his fellowmen
his Christian belief.**
Janine
& Wini please do not take my
biographies from this section of my
Knox web site. Thanks
FRANK L. ADAMS.--27
On the roster of county officials in Knox county appears the name of
Frank L. Adams, who is now filling the office of county clerk, in
which connection he is making a creditable record by the prompt,
capable and systematic manner in which he is meeting the duties that
devolve upon him. Illinois numbers him among her native sons, his
birth having occurred in Yates City, September 23, 1866. His
grandfather, William L. Adams, was one of the pioneer settlers of
this county, to which he removed when he left his native state of
Ohio and sought a home in Illinois. To provide for his family he
followed various pursuits. His wife died soon after the removal to
Knox county but William L. Adams lived to an advanced age. In the
family were three sons and two daughters: Wilson; John W.; Henry;
Jennie, the wife of Edward Phillips; and Anna, living in Mulvane,
Kansas.
The first named, Wilson Adams, was born in Ohio and was but a young
lad when his parents moved westward to Knox county, where he has
since resided. Lie was reared in Yates City and vicinity and there
learned the harness maker's trade, which he followed as long as he
was able to work. He has since lived retired in Yates City save for
a period of five years spent in Galesburg. He was a soldier for a
time during the progress of the Civil war and engaged in guard duty
in Chicago. His political allegiance has always been given to the
republican party, with which he has voted since age conferred upon
him the right of franchise. He wedded Jane Kerns, also a native of
Ohio and a daughter of Alexander Kerns, who was born in that state
and made one of the first settlements in Knox county, Illinois,
building one of the earliest homes at Yates City. He followed the
blacksmith's trade. Both he and his wife lived to an advanced age
and passed away in this county. They had two daughters, Jane and
Emma, the latter now the widow of Stephen J. Johnson. The former
became the wife of Wilson Adams and the mother of two children,
Frank L. and Cora, but the latter died at the age of two years.
Frank L. Adams was reared in Yates City and always resided there
until 1890, when he came to Galesburg. He had attended the public
schools there and after starting out in the business world had
followed merchandising for a number of years. His capability for
public office was appreciated by M. O. Williamson, who appointed him
to the position of deputy county clerk, in which capacity he served
until 1901, when Mr. Williamson resigned to enter the office of
state treasurer. Mr. Adams was then appointed to the vacant position
by the board of supervisors and in 1901 assumed the position, to
which he was regularly elected in the following April. For ten years
he has now held this position, his reelections coming to him as the
unequivocal expression of the high regard reposed in him and
appreciation for the worth and fidelity that he has ever displayed
in office.
Mr. Adams was married on the 7th of November, 1884, to Miss Annie D.
Houser, a daughter of William H. and Sarah (Merchant) Houser. Mrs.
Adams was born in Yates City, her parents having become early
settlers of Knox county. Both died at Yates City, her father on the
3d of September, 1903, and her mother in 1883. They had a family of
five children: Mary and Martha, twins; Laura; and Annie and Nellie,
twins. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Adams have been born a daughter, Emma
Marie, who is a graduate of the Galesburg high school and is now
attending the Conservatory of Music at Knox College.
Mr. Adams has always been a stanch advocate of the republican party
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and for several
years was chairman of the Knox county republican central committee,
in which connection he put forth earnest and effective effort to
advance the growth and insure the success of the party. He belongs
to Galesburg Lodge, No. 894, B. P. O. E., and also to the Galesburg
Business Men's Club, being interested in the movement to promote the
business activity and enhance the welfare of the city.
JOHN M. NISLEY.--28
John M. Nisley, who for a quarter of a century or more as a banker
of Knoxville has done much to sustain the financial stability of the
county and by honorable and progressive methods has won for himself
a position among the representative citizens of this section, was
born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, near Chambersburg, November
26, 1840. He was one of the nine children of Joseph and Mary
(Schwartz) Nisley, who were also natives of the Keystone state. The
paternal grandfather w^as of German descent and both he and his wife
spent their last days in Pennsylvania. Of their children two came to
Illinois—Joseph and Herman, the latter settling in La Salle county,
where he died. The maternal grandfather of John M. Nisley was Daniel
Schwartz, a native of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, who devoted his
life to farming. With his wife, Mrs. Catharine Schwartz, he removed
westward, becoming pioneers of Knox county, Illinois. They settled
in Knoxville, Mr. Schwartz purchasing a tract of land on section 31,
Knox township, although they lived in the village. Both he and his
wife were more than eighty years of age when they were called to
their final rest. In their family were seven children, Mary,
Christian, Susanna, Daniel, Samuel, John and Catharine.
Joseph Nisley, father of John M. Nisley, was reared in Pennsylvania
and, being left an orphan when but nine years of age was bound out
to learn the cabinetmaker's trade, his apprenticeship covering
almost the remaining period of his minority. He worked at the trade
until the spring of 1843, when he sought a home in the middle west,
making his way to Knox county, Illinois, and taking up his abode
upon a farm on section 31, Knox township. With characteristic energy
he began to till the soil and transform the wild prairie into
productive fields. Year by year the work was carried on with success
and he had wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the
farm when on the 2d of January, i860, he passed away, at about the
age of sixty years. His wife long survived him and died in 1894, at
the age of eighty-five years. When in Pennsylvania they held
membership in the German Reformed church but as there was no
organization of that denomination in this county Mr. Nisley
afterward became a Lutheran, while his wife placed her membership in
the Presbyterian church. They were the parents of nine children of
whom seven reached years of maturity, namely: Daniel W. and Abraham,
both now deceased; Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Thomas Turney;
Samuel, who has passed away; John M.; Mary, deceased, who was the
wife of Orlando Case; and Ellen, the wife of Thomas J. Scott, of
Galesburg.
John M. Nisley has been continuously a resident of Knox county since
1843, or for sixty-eight years. His youthful days were spent upon
his father's farm and his education was acquired in the district
schools and in the Knoxville public schools. When not busy with his
text-books he worked in the fields and gained practical experience
in the best methods of tilling the soil, so that he was well
qualified to engage in farming on his own account after he had
attained his majority. For twelve or fifteen years thereafter he
cultivated the old home farm as a renter and he later purchased it,
but eventually disposed of the property and came to Knoxville, where
he lived retired for a time. Indolence and idleness, however, are
utterly foreign to his nature and, not content without some
occupation or business interest, he turned his attention to banking
in 1885, opening a private bank, which he has since conducted,
having now a well appointed establishment on the south side of the
square. Knowing that the bank prospers most which most carefully
safeguards the interests of its depositors, he has conducted his
business upon a conservative basis and has made the establishment
one of the thoroughly reliable financial institutions of the county.
On the 19th of December, 1889, Mr. Nisley married Miss Kate C.
Runkle, of Peoria county, Illinois, where her birth occurred. Her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Runkle, were natives of the state of New
York, but removed westward when Peoria county was largely a frontier
district. They became identified with farming interests there and
both passed away on the old homestead farm. Both Mr. and Mrs. Nisley
are widely and favorably known not only in Knoxville but throughout
the county, where they have a circle of friends almost coextensive
with the circle of their acquaintance. Mr. Nisley was made a Mason
in 1882 and has always been loyal to the teachings and tenets of the
craft. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and
for two or three terms he has been a member of the city council, in
which connection he has exercised his official prerogatives in
support of various progressive public measures. His cooperation can
always be counted upon to further any project for the general good
and as a man and citizen he stands high in the community. His
success indicates the wise use which he has made of his time and
opportunities, for in the careful management of his farming
interests and of his banking activities he has won substantial
success and the most envious cannot grudge him his prosperity, so
worthily has it been gained.
CYRUS MINOR AVERY.--30
In the city of Galesburg, where many years of his life were passed,
Cyrus Minor Avery was widely known and his many attractive social
qualities and admirable characteristics gained for him the
friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he came into contact.
He was one of Galesburg's native sons, his birth having here
occurred on the 19th of June, 1846, when the city was but a small
town and outlying districts of the state were largely undeveloped
and unimproved. His parents were George and Saraphena Princess Mary
(Phelps) Avery, both natives of the state of New York. The father
was born in New Lebanon and was a representative in the seventh
generation of a family that traces its ancestry back to Christopher
Avery, the line coming clown through James, Thomas, Abraham, Nathan
and William Thomas to George. As a young man the last named came to
the west, arriving in Galesburg in 1837. Here he built the second
house in what was then known as Log City. Later the place of his
abode now on West Main street came to be called the Avery farm.
There he followed general agricultural pursuits at a time when the
most foresighted could not have dreamed that his place would one day
be near the very heart of the enterprising city. The lady whom he
afterward made his wife came to the west with her brother and
mother, settling in Knoxville, where they were married. For many
years Mr. Avery continued to engage in general farming but at length
retired and took up his abode within the limits of Galesburg, living
on North Cherry street. There the fruits of his former toil supplied
him with the necessities and comforts of life up to the time of his
death, which occurred on the 1st of January, 1884. His wife also
died at the Cherry street home. They were members of the First
Congregational church, in the work of which they took active and
helpful part, Mr. Avery serving as deacon for many years. His
political endorsement was given to the republican party. In the
family were six children: Robert H., who died September 13, 1892;
Mary, the wife of W. R. Butcher, living at Roodhouse, Illinois; John
T., who died August 11, 1905, at Galesburg; Cyrus M.; Phoebe T., who
is living in Biloxi, Mississippi; and George, also of Biloxi.
Cyrus M. Avery was educated in the public schools of Galesburg and
in Knox College, where he completed his course with the class of
1868. lie worked with his father on the farm for a time and was
early trained to habits of industry and diligence. He afterward
engaged in the manufacturing business and made for himself a
creditable position in trade circles in his native city. Early in
the '70s he joined his brother, Robert Hannaman A very, in the
establishment of a plant for the manufacture of agricultural
implements in Galesburg. The brother had been a soldier in the Civil
war, was captured and was held as a prisoner at Andersonville, where
he spent many otherwise idle hours in drawing in the sand of the
prison yard designs of agricultural implements which he began to
make soon after his release, the first being a stalk cutter and a
corn planter. When the plans of the brothers were perfected for the
conduct of an agricultural implement manufactory, they began
business under the style of R. H. & C. M. A very, operating their
plant at Galesburg until 1882, when they went to Peoria and made
arrangements for removing their factory to the latter city. There
the enterprise was developed into a very large corporation known as
the Avery Company. In 1883, after the removal of the business to
Peoria, the Avery Planter Company was organized with a capital of
two hundred thousand dollars. Ten years later the authorized capital
was increased to three hundred thousand dollars, and in 1900 the
name was changed to the Avery Manufacturing Company, at which time
the capital stock was increased to one million dollars. The business
continued to grow and is now capitalized for two million, five
hundred thousand dollars. The plant is one of the most extensive and
prominent productive industries of Peoria, with business connections
that reach out to all parts of the world. C. M. Avery continued
active in the management and control of the interests at Peoria
until 1902, when he returned to his native city and erected here a
large, comfortable and attractive modern residence. The remainder of
his life, was divided between the two cities of Galesburg and
Peoria, although he regarded the former as his home.
It was here on the 4th of October, 1877, that Mr. Avery was united
in marriage to Miss Minnie Evalena Bartholomew, who was born at
Elmwood, Illinois, February 25, 1856, and is a daughter of Luzerne
and Sarah Elvira (Payne) Bartholomew. They became the parents of
five children: Elvira Princess, born September 25, 1878; George
Luzerne, September 12, 1879; Grace Ophelia, October 8, 1883;
Harriette, June 20/1886: and Cyrus Minor, May 29, 1899. The first
two were born in Galesburg, the last three in Peoria. George Luzerne
Avery is still connected with the Avery Company as its secretary.
The enterprise is now a business of mammoth proportions and includes
the manufacture of agricultural implements, farm wagons, engines,
threshers, engine gang plows, gas tractors and city and farm trucks.
While the factory and main office are at Peoria, branch houses are
maintained at Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis,
Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Billings, Montana; Kansas City,
Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri: Grand Forks,
North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Lakinta; and Aberdeen, South
Dakota.
The family circle was broken by death, when on the 15th of
September, 1905, in Galesburg, Cyrus M. Avery passed away. His life
record has been a credit and honor to the city which had ever
honored and respected him. His business career was notable by reason
of its successful achievement and the extent of the concern which
was developed through the enterprise and under the able direction of
himself and brother. He seemed to possess a faculty for devising and
executing the right thing at the right time and this was joined to
every day common sense. He seemed easily to discriminate between the
essential and the non-essential, to see the possibility for the
coordination of forces and to use each opportunity to the best
advantage. Method and system were ever features of the business,
together with the employment of skilled and expert workmen. In
matters of judgment Mr. Avery was seldom if ever at fault and what
he accomplished represented the fit utilization of the innate powers
and talents which were his. As prosperity came to him he continually
reached out a helping hand to those less fortunate and his
benevolence was manifest in generous support of many worthy public
projects and charities. Something of his position in the city of his
birth is indicated in the fact that at his demise the year book of
Knox College for 1907 bore the following inscription:
"To the memory of Cyrus Minor Avery, honored alumnus, valued
trustee, successful business man, upright and influential citizen;
whose singular nobility of character, loyal friendship and
warm-hearted, open-handed generosity, his Alma Mater holds in
grateful and loving esteem,
This book is Dedicated."
This pictured forth the feeling entertained for him not only in
Galesburg, and in Peoria, but wherever he was known and no higher
testimonial of his character could be given than the fact that he
was most honored where best known.
FREDERICK
REUBEN JELLIFF.--34
Frederick Reuben Jelliff, editor of the Republican-Register, of
Galesburg, is the son of Fletcher Gould and Mary (Wilcox) Jelliff
and was born in Whites-boro, New York, September 25, 1854. His
father was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hezekiah Jelliff and was born on
Long Island, Connecticut, June 16, 1823. Coming to Knox county, he
served as mayor of Oneida in 1869 and his last years were passed in
Galesburg, where he died September 18, 1902. The mother of Frederick
R. Jelliff bore the maiden name of Marv White Wilcox and was born in
Whitesboro, New York, March 21, 1824, being descended from a
distinguished New England family that came from England not long
after the arrival of the Mayflower. She was married to Mr. Jelliff,
May 14, 1846, and unto them were born nine children: Laura, who died
in childhood; Helen E., the wife of J. Warren Spera, of Piper City,
Illinois; William T., of Galva, this state; Charles F., of
Galesburg; Frederick R.; Franklin G., living in Leaven-worth,
Kansas; Mary W., of Galesburg, who is the widow of Frank Stilson;
Louisa C, the wife of W. J. Johnston, of Galesburg; and Lincoln H.,
of Spring Coulee, Alberta, Canada. The mother died November 26,
1903.
It was in 1858 that the family removed from Whitesboro, New York, to
Oneida, Illinois, where Frederick R. Jelliff spent his boyhood and
attended the city schools. In 1871 he entered the preparatory
department of Knox College and was graduated with honors in 1878.
During three winter seasons, while a college student, he taught
school in the Dunlap district, northeast of Gales-burg, meanwhile
keeping up with his classes as far as possible by private study. In
the fall following his graduation he accepted a position in the
Galesburg high school and for three years was teacher of the first
year's work in that institution. He next became local editor of the
Republican-Register, with which he has since been associated. At the
time he began reporting, Zaccheus Beatty was the editor and Samuel
W. Grubb was business manager. Mr. Beatty died in 1896, but for some
time prior to his death, owing to his frequent attacks of illness,
Mr. Jelliff did the editorial work on the paper in addition to
having oversight of the news department. He served as acting editor
from the time of Mr. Beatty's death until he acquired an interest in
the paper four or five years later and was then appointed editor, in
which capacity he has since served. He has seen the paper develop
from a small sheet containing no telegraphic news and having a daily
circulation of but a few hundred, to one carrying the full
telegraphic news of the day, covering the local field
comprehensively and the field within forty miles of Galesburg to a
remarkable extent and having a circulation of thousands. During all
this time he has faithfully tried to do his part to contribute to
this growth. Since he became reporter both of the men who then so
ably conducted the affairs of the Republican-Register have passed
away, Mr. Grubb dying several years ago. The present
secretary-treasurer of the paper, O. N. Custer, began as a solicitor
under the old management and worked his way up to his present
position, while George A. Perry, the efficient business manager,
joined the paper on the retirement of Mr. Grubb.
In addition to his work on the Republican-Register Mr. Jelliff has
been interested in lines of work having for their object the moral
progress of the city and its material development. He was a member
of the legislative council of the anti-saloon league, under whose
direction the town went dry twice before the local option law was
passed and in the two campaigns under that law, in 1908 and 1910,
had a share in directing the battle for the "dries." In his
editorial expressions he has been consistent in his support for a
clean and wholesome city and for honesty and efficiency in the
administration of public affairs. In the Galesburg Public
Improvement Association and the Galesburg Historical Society he has
served as chairman of the program committees for several years. Pie
has also been a member of the Galesburg Hospital Board from the time
of its foundation and during most of this period has been the
chairman of the committee on accounts and at present is also a
member of the administrative committee. While Richard Yates was
governor of Illinois he appointed Mr. Jelliff a member of the
Western Illinois State Normal School at Macomb and he has for ten
years been a member of that board, serving some of the time as its
secretary. Mr. Jelliff is a member of the Central Congregational
church. For several terms he was president of the men's league of
the church and he has been a member of the Young Men's Christian
Association from the time he aided in its organization to the
present. He was one of the organizers, with Dr. John H. Finley, now
president of the College of the City of New York, of the Sunset Qub
and during much of the time, of its existence its secretary. A lover
of nature, Mr. Jelliff has for years made a study of the geology of
the county and has contributed several papers on this subject to
teachers' institutes and local societies. His geological collection
is extensive and covers a wide range of the country.
On the 25th of February, 1897, Mr. Jelliff was united in marriage to
Miss Lillie C. Bassler, who was born December 11, i860, to John and
Mary (Kern) Bassler, in Galesburg, which place has always been her
home with the exception of three years, from the spring of 1874
until the spring of 1877, when the family lived in Burlington, Iowa.
During that period she was a student in the Burlington high school.
On returning to Galesburg she entered Knox College, from which she
was graduated with honor in 1881. While in college she won two
prizes, a first and second, in declamation, and her talent in this
direction was afterward freely given to the public at social
gatherings and in the temperance work in which she has always been
deeply interested. For nine years after her graduation she taught in
the public schools of Galesburg and then, wishing to make further
advancement in her favorite pursuit, she took a two years' course in
the Boston School of Oratory under Moses True Brown, from which
institution she received a diploma in 1892. Subsequently her work of
teaching was confined more closely to expression, which she taught
privately, also in the Galesburg high school, in the Waco (Texas)
Female College and in the Oswego (Kansas) Ladies' College. Many of
her pupils have taken silver, gold and grand gold medals in the
Demorest temperance contests; one received a diamond medal and
another tied for the same honor. Her services as judge on
declamatory and oratorical contests have been repeatedly sought and
rendered. Soon after her marriage in 1897 she became a member of the
Tourist Club, which she has served as secretary and president. A
member of the Central Congregational church, she has always been
active in its Aid Society, which she also served as president. For
one year she was vice president of the Free Kindergarten Association
and two of the most successful tag days ever held were due in
considerable measure to her efforts. She also took an active part in
two successful campaigns for a dry town and she has twice served on
the committee of inspection for the Municipal Improvement
Association and also on other important committees. A member of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, her activity in its regular work
has only been limited by her other obligations. The duties connected
with her own home were always placed first by her. The only child
born to Mr. and Mrs. Jelliff, Doretta Marie, died April 21, 1899,
two days after her birth.
WILLIAM A. JORDAN.
It has been said when in the battle of life the city boy crosses
swords with a country lad the odds are against him. The early
rising, the daily tasks and the economical habits of the country boy
prepare him for the struggle that must precede ascendancy. William
A. Jordan is numbered among those who, reared to farm life, have
turned to the city for the business opportunities which they sought,
and in the utilization and improvement of advantages which have come
to him he has made steady advancement, bringing him at length to a
most creditable and enviable position in commercial circles of
Galesburg, where he is conducting an important enterprise as the
senior member of the wholesale grocery firm of the W. A. Jordan
Company. He was born in Guernsey county, ♦Ohio, June 19, 1863. a son
of William N. and Margaret (Stevens) Jordan, who were also natives
of that state. The family, however, was founded in New England at an
early period in the colonization of the new world and Newton Jordan,
the grandfather, was a native of Massachusetts. He became a farmer,
utilizing that occupation in the support of his family. His wife
died in early womanhood, leaving five children, William N., Israel,
T., Lewis and Rebecca. The Stevens family is of Scotch lineage and
the maternal grandparents of "Air. Jordan were Reuben and Elizabeth
Stevens. The former- was born in Ohio, where he died at the
venerable age of ninety-four years, while his wife passed away at
the age of eighty-seven. Their children were Jane, Prissey,
Margaret, Ann, James, Addison and William. Of these Margaret became
the wife of William N. Jordan, and they began domestic life upon a
farm in Ohio. Air. Jordan has been reared in that state and devoted
much of his life to general agricultural pursuits but had also
learned the stone mason's trade, which he followed in' connection
with farming. At the outbreak of the Civil war his patriotic nature
was aroused and he enlisted, serving for four years. He was first a
private in the infantry ranks and afterward became a cavalryman.
When the war was over he returned to his native state, where he
followed farming and also worked at the stone mason's trade until
1887, when he disposed of his business interests there and removed
to Grenola, Kansas, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until
1905. In that year he retired from active business life in
possession of a handsome competence, which was the merited reward of
his labors. Removing to Kansas City, Missouri, he now lives there
with his daughter Mrs. Coleman. His wife died in January, 1892, at
the age of fifty-four years. She was a Baptist in religious faith in
her younger days but afterward went with her husband and children to
the Methodist church. The family numbered beside our subject four
sons and three daughters: Colonel Ellsworth Jordan, of Galesburg;
Raymond, deceased; James L., who is living in Rollinsville, Colorado
; John LI., a resident of Chanute, Kansas ; Renna, the wife of John
Crother, of Grenola, Kansas; Lizzie, the wife of Ware Sprague, of
Chanute, Kansas; and Margaret, the wife of C. L. Coleman, of Kansas
City, Missouri.
William A. Jordan spent his youthful days in Guernsey county, Ohio,
remaining on his father's farm until he had attained his majority
and early becoming familiar with the duties and labors incident to
the cultivation of the fields. His education was acquired in the
district and public schools and in 1884 he came to Galesburg, where
he entered the employ of Crocker & Robbins. grocers of this city. He
attended night school in Professor Rarringer's Business College. For
seven years he remained with the firm of Crocker & Robbins—a fact
which indicates his thorough reliability and worth—and at the end of
that time he was admitted to a partnership, a stock company being
organized with a capital of ten thousand dollars. Mr. Jordan
purchased a fifth interest in the business and became manager, but
at the end of three years he resigned that position and in 1894
established his present business under the firm name of W. A. Jordan
Company. Lie is now the president, with F. S. Johnson as sec-
retary and treasurer. The enterprise was established on a small
scale and they delivered goods with a cart. The next spring a
second-hand delivery wagon was purchased and the family horse was
used for delivery purposes. Gradually, however, the business has
grown and its scope has been extended until that house now conducts
a large wholesale trade in groceries and fruits, shipping its goods
to several states. Mr. Jordan is a man of resourceful business
ability, who has not limited his efforts to one line, for he is now
a director of the E. Z. Trapp Manufacturing Company and is also
financially interested in the Wagner Printing Company of Galesburg
and other business projects of this city and in the Sun Tunnel,
Milling & Transportation Company of Gilpin county, Colorado.
On the 18th of November, 1890, Mr. Jordan was married to Miss Molly
M. Elder, a daughter of William J. and Molly Elder, both of whom
were natives of Pennsylvania and are now residents of Galesburg. The
father served throughout the entire period of the Civil war as a
defender of the Union cause. In his family are three children who
are yet living, Molly, Alto and William J. Mrs. Jordan was born at
Dry Run, Pennsylvania, and by her marriage has become the mother of
three sons, Clarence William, Cecil A. and Raymond Elder. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Jordan hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal
church and he is serving as chairman of its board of trustees, while
for sixteen years he has been superintendent of its Sunday school.
He is much interested in all the departments of church work and by
liberal contribution of his time and means has done much to promote
the growth of the church and extend its influence. He became one of
the early members of the Galesburg Club and served on the building
committee that erected the present handsome clubhouse. He has
attained success without allowing personal interests or ambition to
dwarf his public spirit or activities. His is the record of a
strenuous life— the record of a strong individuality, sure of
itself, stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in decision,
and energetic and persistent in action.
HON. ROBERT
CLIFFORD RICE.
Hon. Robert Clifford Rice, who since his admission to the bar has
given his undivided attention to the work of the courts, his ability
as advocate and counselor recommending him for election to the
bench, is now serving as judge of the county court of Knox county,
to which he was chosen by popular suffrage in 1906 and again in
1910, so that he is now serving for the second term. He was born in
Berwick township, Warren county, Illinois, March 31, 1872, one of
the three children of Harvey and Laura (Walker) Rice. His paternal
grandfather was Rev. Robert Rice, a minister of the Christian
church, who also devoted a portion of his time to farming. He became
an early settler of Warren county, Illinois, where he carried on
agricultural pursuits and also engaged in preaching the gospel as
opportunity offered. His death resulted from the effects of injuries
sustained, while hauling lumber, in middle life. His wife, who bore
the maiden name of Mary Iden, survived him for many years and passed
away in Abingdon, Illinois, at the age of eighty-one years. They
were the parents of a number of children, including Harvey, Izora,
William, Perry and several who died in infancy. The maternal
grandfather of Judge Rice was George Walker, who also made farming
his life work. He wedded Sarah Hedges and they became early
residents of Warren county, where his attention was given to the
work of the fields until his labors were ended by death when he was
in the prime of life. His wife passed away when about sixty years of
age. Their family numbered six children, Laura, Bird, Dottie, May
and two, who died in infancy.
Harvey Rice, the father of Judge Rice, spent his youthful days in
Indiana and Illinois, coming to the latter state when yet a boy and
reaching his majority when a resident of Warren county. He early
became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot
of the agriculturist and, after spending one year in Nebraska, in
early manhood returned to Warren county, where he followed farming
until his death. He was killed by lightning in 1875, when but
twenty-nine years of age. In early manhood he had wedded Laura
Walker, a native of this state, and the three children born unto
them were: Carl, who died in infancy ; Robert Clifford; and Eva, now
the deceased wife of George Messplay.
Judge Rice is now the only survivor of his family, although his
mother is still living in Monmouth, Illinois, with the judge's
stepsister. He spent his youth on the old homestead farm in his
native county and through the summer months aided in the work of the
fields, while in the winter seasons he attended the country schools.
Later he had the advantage of a course in the Abingdon Normal
College, from which he was graduated with the class of 1893. He
afterward engaged in teaching in the district schools for two terms
and later worked at the printer's trade on the Enterprise-Herald, of
Abingdon, for a year. While thus engaged he devoted his evening
hours to reading law under the direction of Judge Dennis Clark, who
was judge of the county court for twenty-one years. In September,
1895, Mr. Rice came to Galesburg and entered the office of Thompson
& Shumway as a student, there continuing his reading until his
admission to the bar in January, 1897. The following year he began
practice in Galesburg as a member of the law firm of Carney, Shumway
& Rice, this association being maintained until Mr. Carney was
elected mayor of the city. The two remaining partners continued
together until Mr. Shumway was chosen as the chief executive of the
city, subsequent to which time Mr. Rice practiced alone with
good-success until 1906, when he was elected county judge. An
excellent presence, an earnest manner, marked strength of character,
a thorough grasp of the law and the ability to accurately apply its
principles made him an effective and successful advocate and insured
him equal rank with the distinguished men who have presided over the
county court. Public endorsement of the first term of service came
to him in his reelection in 1910. His reported opinions indicate his
legal learning and superior ability and show a thorough mastery of
the questions involved, together with an admirable terseness and
clearness in the statement of the principles upon which his opinions
rest.
On the 17th of April, 1901, Judge Rice was married to Miss Kathryn
Gregory, of Bowling Green, Indiana, a daughter of Robert and
Elizabeth (Carr) Gregory. Mrs. Rice was born in Bowling Green,
Indiana, and her parents were also natives of that state. Her
father, who served as a soldier of the Union army in the Civil war,
died in 1884, but her mother is still living and yet makes her home
in Bowling Green. In their family were five children, Leota, Lena,
Kath-ryn, Bertha and Gertrude, the last two of whom are deceased.
Judge and Mrs. Rice have become the parents of a daughter, Dorothy.
In his political views Judge Rice has always been a republican,
staunchly advocating the principles of the party, yet never allowing
his political preference to interfere in the slightest degree with
the discharge of his official duties. He holds membership in the
Christian church and his wife is a member of the Christian Science
church. Fraternally he is connected with Alpha Lodge, No. 155, A. F.
& A. M. and also with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His
entire life has been passed in this section of the state, and in
Galesburg, where he has now resided for sixteen years, he has made
many friends, who' esteem him no less for the individuality of a
personal character which impresses itself upon the community than
for the superior ability he has displayed in the profession which he
has chosen as his life work.
FREDERICK ZINA
WIKOFF.
Frederick Zina Wikoff, a lifelong resident of Knox county, spending
the greater part of his years in Sparta township, represented one of
the old pioneer families here and his personal record was in harmony
with that of an honored and honorable ancestry. Fie ever followed
the occupation of farming and by reason of his practical methods and
progressive spirit contributed much to the general advancement along
agricultural lines. He was born in Ontario, Illinois, December 27,
1846, his parents being John and Cornelia (Crane) Wikoff. The family
originally bore the name of Van Wikoff and came of Dutch ancestry.
John Wikoff, father of Frederick Z. Wikoff, came from New Jersey to
Illinois in the fall of 1836, making the trip from Ohio on
horseback. Knox county was his destination and after arriving here
he entered one hundred and forty acres of land, situated on section
36, Rio township. It was just as it had come from the hand of
nature, not a furrow having been turned nor an improvement made upon
the place, but the soil was naturally rich and productive and
responded readily to the care and labor which he bestowed upon it.
Year after year the work of cultivation and improvement was carried
forward until the farm became one of the valuable properties of that
section. Thereon Mr. and Mrs. Wikoff resided for fifty-four years,
celebrating their golden wedding there. In early manhood he had
married Cornelia Crane, a daughter of Zina Crane, who came with his
family to Knox county when Mrs.. Wikoff was but fourteen years of
age, making the journey from the state of New York overland in
wagons. She afterward engaged in teaching school in Henderson and
always strove to cultivate a love of learning among her children.
She also proved a faithful companion and helpmate to her husband,
aiding and encouraging him throughout his business career. The farm
that John Wikoff secured on coming to Knox county is still in
possession of the family, being now occupied by a son of Frederick
Z. Wikoff. The old homestead is a beautiful place, having been
improved by two generations and always kept in excellent condition.
John Wikoff was actively interested in the public welfare and gave
his aid and cooperation to many movements for the general good. He
was at one time supervisor of Rio township and there he resided
until his death, which occurred April 30, 1897, when he was
eighty-four years of age. Unto him and his wife were born five
children: Gertrude A., now the widow of Hiram Colby; Frederick Z.,
of this review; Harriet E., the wife of G. H. Pratt; Carrie F., the
wife of S. T. Howell; and Mary M., the wife of O. Oliver, now
deceased.
Frederick Z. Wikoff spent his entire life, in Knox county, being
reared upon the old homestead farm, where he was early trained to
habits of industry, economy and integrity. He acquired his education
in Knox and Hedding Colleges and the intellectual development thus
stimulated constituted a chief source of his success. His entire
life was devoted to general agricultural pursuits and he became the
owner of a fine farm in Knox county, in the cultivation of which he
was very successful, adding thereto many improvements.
On the 16th of September, 1874, Mr. Wikoff was united in marriage to
Miss Ida M. Conger, a daughter of John N. and Elizabeth (Wheeler)
Conger. Her grandfather, Uzziah Conger, came to Knox county, in
1838, and settled in Cherry Grove. He married Hannah West and they
lived to celebrate their golden wedding. Their son, John N. Conger,
was a native of New York and, having arrived at years of maturity,
wedded Elizabeth Wheeler, a native of Connecticut and a daughter of
Alvah and Jerusha (Stevens) Wheeler who on leaving New England
removed from Connecticut to Knoxville, Illinois, in 1838. Mr.
Wheeler was a carpenter by trade and assisted in building the first
courthouse in Knox county. It was their daughter Elizabeth who
became the wife of John N. Conger, who was one of the early settlers
of the county and is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Their
daughter Ida became the wife of Mr. Wikoff and to them were born
four children who are living: Winn C.; Gem, who is now the wife of
W. B. Nelson ; John N. ; and Cornelia. They also lost a child. The
death of Mr. Wikoff occurred March to, 1905, when he was but
fifty-eight years of age. He had spent the greater part of his life
in Sparta township and no one of the community was more widely known
or more highly respected. His political allegiance was given to the
republican party and he was ever a public-spirited citizen,
interested in the welfare and up-building of county, state and
nation. He attended the Baptist church and was ever a kindly and
generous man, whose heart went out in ready response to all who
needed assistance, while his beneficent spirit was manifest in many
tangible ways. He did not seek to figure prominently in the public
life of the community, but his genuine personal worth gained him
high regard so that his death was deeply deplored not only by his
immediate family, among whom he was ever a devoted husband and
father, but also by the many friends whom he had won during his long
residence in Knox county.
JAMES D. O'CONNOR.
James D. O'Connor, engaged in a general contracting business in
Galesburg, his native city, was born January 31, 1872, a son of
James and Margaret (Ryan) O'Connor. The father was a native of
Lebanon, New York, while the mother was born in County Limerick,
Ireland, whence she was brought to the United States by her parents
when three years old. In his boyhood days James O'Connor came to
Galesburg and in early manhood was here engaged in the livery
business, while later he figured prominently in real-estate circles,
winning along those lines the success that now enables him to live
retired, his home being at No. 173 West Main street. He is an
independent voter, standing for progress and improvement rather than
for partisanship, and his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth
and ability, several times elected him to represent the second ward
as alderman. He was also a member of the board of appraisers. He
belongs to the Catholic church and is a member of the Knights of
Columbus, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Galesburg
Club. His wife died in November, 1904. In the family were six
children: Martin, who is a resident of Galesburg, Illinois; Mary,
deceased; James D., of this review; Lillian, the wife of C. H.
Uphold, of St. Joseph, Missouri; Alice, the wife of W. C. Johnson,
of Galesburg; and Fred, who has passed away.
In St. Joseph's Academy James D. O'Connor pursued his early
education". and afterward attended Notre Dame University of South
Bend, Indiana. Throughout the entire period of his connection with
business affairs he has engaged in general contracting, putting in a
large portion of the sewers of this city and doing much other public
work which has placed him in a substantial position among the
industrious, enterprising and successful business men of the city.
He has ever realized that energy is the basis of business
advancement and has diligently and persistently prosecuted his work
so that substantial results have been achieved.
On the 28th of October, 1897, Mr. O'Connor was married in this city
to Miss Louisa Hurley, a daughter of John and Sarah Hurley, of
Galesburg. They now have two children: Ruth, whose natal day was
October 22, 1898; and Fred, whose birth occurred on the 19th of
November, 1899. Both were born in Galesburg. The parents are
communicants of the Catholic church and in politics Mr. O'Connor has
followed in his father's footsteps, maintaining an independent
position, supporting such measures as he deems effective forces in
good government and such candidates as he believes will prove loyal
to the public trust. Fie has himself served as alderman from the
first ward during the past four years and exercises his official
prerogatives in support of many progressive movements for the
general good.
JAMES H. ROUNDTREE.44
James H. Roundtree is a retired farmer living at No. 860 North Cedar
street, in Galesburg. He has made his home in the city since 1892,
previous to which time he was closely associated with general
agricultural pursuits and is still the owner of a valuable farm of
one hundred and ninety-six acres from which he derives a substantial
annual income. He was born at Old Henderson, in this county,
December 10, 1836, and is a son of John D. and Docia (Fuqua)
Round-tree, both of whom were natives of Virginia. The former was a
son of Dudley Roundtree, who was born in the Old Dominion and became
an early settler of Hart county, Kentucky, where he died when well
advanced in years. He was blind for twenty years before he died.
Unto him and his wife were born four sons, Turner, John D., Charles
and Dudley. The maternal grandfather of fames Roundtree was James
Fuqua, a native of Virginia and a farmer by occupation. He died in
Kentucky but the mother came to Knox county, Illinois, in 1830,
settling near Old Henderson, and there died when about eighty years
of age. They were the parents of six daughters and three sons,
Daniel, Obadiah, John, Docia, Martha, Mary, Jane, Narcissus and
Jeremiah.
Both of the parents of James H. Roundtree on leaving Virginia became
residents of Hart county, Kentucky, and in 1830 came to Knox county,
Illinois, settling near Old Henderson, in Henderson township. The
father purchased land warrants of the soldiers, who had served in
the war of 1812. The Indians were then numerous here, for the Black
Hawk war had not yet occurred and the red men had not learned that
their white-faced Brother's were the stronger in an effort to claim
the country and convert it to the uses of civilization. When the
Indians became troublesome and, in fact, were a menace to life in
this state John D. Roundtree joined with the volunteer soldiers for
service in the Black Hawk war and after his death his wife drew a
pension of about six or eight dollars a month. He purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of land and later another one hundred and
twenty acres, all of which he improved and thereon reared his
family. He was born in 1800 and died about 1851. His wife afterward
removed to Marshall county, Kansas, settling near Frankfort, and
died about 1896 at a very advanced age, lacking but three weeks of
being ninety-four years. In their family were twelve children, of
whom five are now living: Betsy, the widow of Robert Osborn, living
at Frankfort, Kansas; Dudley, of Oldsburg, Pottawatomie county,
Kansas; James H., of this review; Narcissus, the wife of Lathan
Howe, of Old Henderson; and William, of Paradise, Kansas.
James H. Roundtree spent his youthful days in this county and is the
oldest continuous resident here with the exception of Harvey
Montgomery, having spent seventy-five years in this county. He was
reared upon his father's farm and attended one of the old-time
subscription schools. He was only thirteen years of age at the time
of his father's death and upon him devolved the responsibility of
managing and operating the farm. As time passed on, he purchased
parts of the old homestead until he eventually became the owner of
the greater part which, however, he afterward sold. He next
purchased a farm of sixty-six acres near Wataga, and traded with his
father-in-law for another farm. This he in time sold and removed to
Wataga, where he resided until 1892, when he went to Galesburg and
in the following year erected his present residence, where he and
his wife have since resided, enjoying a well earned rest there. He
now owns a farm of one hundred and ninety-six acres in Sparta
township and this returns to him a good income. This farm once sold
for fifteen dollars an acre but is now worth two hundred and
twenty-five dollars. While devoting his energies to agricultural
pursuits, his time and endeavors were so well employed that he
derived there from the merited reward of earnest, persistent labor
and thus accumulated a handsome competence that now supplies him
with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
On the 19th of December, 1861, Mr.
Roundtree was married to Miss Nancy Ann Duval, who was born in
Henderson township, this county, May 19, 1844, a daughter of Thomas
and Nancy (Shumate) Duval, who came from Kentucky to Illinois about
1831, settling first near Monmouth and later removing to Henderson
township, where Mrs. Roundtree grew to womanhood. Her father died
September 29, 1891, at the age of eighty-two years and her mother
passed away in 1888, when eighty years of age. They were the parents
of ten children, of whom four are living, Mary, Helen, Martha and
Nancy Ann. Mr. and Mrs. Roundtree were married in the old courthouse
in Knoxville. They have no children of their own but adopted a
daughter, Lillian May, whom they reared from the age of three weeks.
She is now the wife of Frank S. Card, and they resided for a while
in Denver, Colorado, whence they lately removed to Riverside county,
California.
It was on the 19th of December, 1911, that James and Nancy Ann
Roundtree could look back upon fifty years of life companionship and
celebrated their golden wedding at their home, No. 860 North Cedar
street, Galesburg, at which time they received many beautiful gifts
and the good wishes of a host of devoted friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Roundtree are members of the Christian church and his
political support is given to the democratic party. It is most
interesting to converse with this worthy couple and hear their
reminiscences concerning Knox county in its pioneer period. He is
acquainted with all the events of importance which have left their
impress upon the history of the county and has been a witness of
many of these. He has participated in the agricultural development
of the county and has seen its transformation from a wild and
sparsely settled district into one of the most populous and
prosperous portions of the state. He can remember the time when many
of the homes were log cabins with their great fireplaces and their
tallow candles; when much of the farm work was done by hand
according to methods that had been in vogue for centuries. He has
lived to see marked changes in the methods of farming as the
cultivator, the reaper, the riding plow, the harvester and the
thresher have been introduced, relieving man of the most trying and
arduous work of the fields. In his own farming methods he kept pace
with the general progress and his success came as the merited reward
of his labor. No history of Knox county would be complete without
the sketch of James H. Roundtree who, as previously stated, is with
two exceptions the oldest continuous resident of this locality.
FRANK E. WILSON.--48
The record of Frank E. Wilson is that of an enterprising, reliable
business man who has ever recognized the fact that industry and
close application are indispensable forces of success and has,
therefore, used them in attaining his present position in financial
circles. Lie is president of the Knox County State Bank of
Knoxville, in which connection he is conducting a business of
considerable extent and importance, the bank being situated in the
midst of a rich agricultural region. Mr. Wilson is widely known
because of his long residence here, his birth having occurred in
Truro township, Knox county, January 12, 1868. He was the third in
order of birth in a family of four children, whose parents, John and
Mary (King) Wilson, were natives of Westmoreland county,
Virginia,and of Ohio respectively. The former was a son of Jacob and
Jane (Calhoun) Wilson, both natives of Virginia, the latter having
been a cousin of John C. Calhoun, the distinguished statesman. They
had five children, John, Solomon, William, Jacob and Jane. The
maternal grandfather of Frank E. Wilson was an Ohio farmer, who with
his family removed westward to Knox county, Illinois, making the
journey overland with an ox team. They settled in the eastern part
of Knox county among its pioneer citizens and took active and
helpful part in the work of later development and improvement, both
dying there when well advanced in years. They had a large family,
including James; William; Mrs. Jane Ellsworth; Mrs. Catharine
Nicholson, who still lives in Knox county; Mary, who became Mrs.
Wilson; Mrs. Matilda Ellsworth, now deceased; and Mrs. Peggy Nelson.
John Wilson was but a young lad when he accompanied his parents on
their removal from Virginia to Greene county, Ohio, where he grew to
manhood. He then sought the opportunities of a less thickly settled
district and became one of the early residents of Knox county,
Illinois, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Truro
township. For a number of years he continued its development but
sold out in 1875 and removed to Knox township, where he purchased
one hundred and sixty acres of land, making it his home for a long
period. His labors converted the place into a very productive tract,
from which he annually gathered rich harvests. There he lived until
September, 1893, when he died at the age of seventy-seven years, and
his wife's death occurred in 1907, when she had reached the age of
seventy-two years. Both were consistent Christian people, holding
membership in the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Wilson also capably
filled a number of township offices. Ere his marriage to Alary King
he had wedded Miss Isabella Hogue, and unto them were born six
children, namely: James P., now living in Topeka, Kansas ; Gracetta,
the wife of John Lucas, also of Topeka; John IT., of Knoxville;
Jacob, of Unionville, Iowa; William, of Oskaloosa, Kansas; and one
deceased. The four children of the second marriage are: Dal, who
died when a year old; Effie J.. the wife of Charles Wyman, of
Knoxville, Illinois; Frank E.; and Lee Chalmer Wilson.
No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm
life for Frank E. Wilson in the days of his boyhood and youth. He
worked in the fields under his father's direction and also gave a
portion of his time to the acquirement of his education in the
district schools and in the public schools of Knoxville. His more
specifically commercial training was obtained in the Gem City
Business College of Quincy, Illinois, of which he is a graduate. •
The first year thereafter he remained upon his father's farm and in
the following winter engaged in teaching school. He then went to
Pueblo, Colorado, where he engaged in keeping books for a printing
and publishing house but later returned to Knox county and became
cashier of what was then the Farmers Bank of Yates City, filling
that position for twelve years. He next located in Knoxville and
associated with C. M. Corbin and Mrs. Nettie J. Corbin, conducting a
private bank for three or four years. In 1906 this was reorganized
into the Knox County State Bank, of which Mr. Wilson has since been
the president, while Marcus Burnsides is now vice president and R.
R. Collins cashier. The bank was organized with a capital stock of
fifty thousand dollars and the surplus amounts to fourteen thousand
dollars.
Mr. Wilson was married October 31, 1894, to Miss Kate M. Collins,
whose birth occurred in Persifer township, this county, her parents
being Edward and Hannah (Young) Collins, natives of Ohio and
Illinois respectively. Their family numbered seven children: Kate
M.; Robert R.; Ella G.; Rolland E.; Jessie M.; Bertha, the wife of
Raymond Sapp; and Nellie F. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Wilson
was Michael Collins, a native of Ireland, and unto him and his wife
were born a number of children, including Michael, Peter, Thomas,
John, Margaret and Kate. The maternal grandparents were Robert and
Mary Young, natives of Ohio, and the former devoted his life to
farming, thus supporting his family, which numbered Edward J., John
R., Hannah E., Robert L., Ella and three who died in childhood.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson has been blessed with two
daughters, Miriam E. and Hortense E. The parents are well known in
Knoxville and this part of the state and have an extensive circle of
warm friends, while their own home is justly celebrated for its
cordial hospitality. Mr. Wilson belongs to Yates City Lodge, No.
448, F. & A. M.; Raboni Chapter, No. 95, R. A. M., of which he has
been high priest for a number of years; and Illinois Council, No. 1,
R. & S. M. Flis study of the political issues and questions of the
day has led him to give his support to the democratic party and he
has filled some local offices, serving as town clerk and also as
president of the village board of Yates City. It is characteristic
of him that he has ever been loyal to a trust reposed in him,
discharging his duties to the best of his ability—and that ability
is of no inferior order. He is equally faithful to the trusts
reposed in him as a business man and has established his bank upon a
broad and safe foundation, built of progressive methods, which are
evenly balanced by a safe conservatism, close application,
unfaltering determination and strictly honorable methods.
GEORGE D. CROCKER.--50
George D. Crocker, for many years a leading merchant of Galesburg,
associated for almost a half century with the grocery trade of the
city and now extensively and successfully operating in the field of
real estate, was born in Henderson county, Illinois, July 12, 1845.
His parents were F. O. and Mary (Brim-hall) Crocker, the former a
native of Maine and the latter of New York. They were married in
Indiana and came to Illinois about 1843, settling in. Henderson
county, near Oquawka. Upon a farm there they resided for thirteen
years and in March, 1856, came to Knox county, establishing their
home in Galesburg. Here the father opened a grocery store, which he
conducted during the remainder of his active business life,
retiring, however, several years prior to his death, which occurred
in 1888. His wife survived him for some time, passing away about
1901. Their" family numbered three children but the two daughters,
Oricy and Emma, both died after reaching womanhood.
George D. Crocker, the only surviving member of the family, was a
pupil in the schools of Galesburg and completed his education in
Lombard College. He made his initial step in the business world as
assistant to his father in the grocery trade and, when well trained
by this preliminary experience, he opened a grocery store of his
own, where the Arlington Hotel now stands, this hotel having been
built by Mr. Crocker and his partner, W. A. Robbins. The grocery
store was established in 1866 and was conducted successfully for
thirty-three years. They enjoyed a constantly growing trade and
their establishment was ranked with the foremost enterprises of the
kind in Galesburg throughout that entire period. When about a
quarter of a century had passed Mr. Crocker turned his attention to
the real-estate business, buying and selling property. He is now a
large owner of farm lands in North Dakota, near Fargo, situated in
the midst of the fertile Red River valley. He was also at one time
greatly interested in Illinois farm lands. His real-estate
investments have been most carefully and judiciously made and have
brought to him the success which is the merited reward of
indefatigable labor and sound judgment.
On the 22d of February, 1867, Mr. Crocker was married to Miss
Gertrude Comstock, a daughter of Abner and Agnes Comstock and a
native of Warren county, Illinois, born March 16, 1849. They have
become parents of three children: Frank W., who was born in 1868 and
is now in the office of the Automatic Telephone Company at Los
Angeles, California; Mabel, who is the wife of E. J. Dickson, of
Springfield, Massachusetts; and George Leslie, who is associated
with his father in business and resides in North Dakota, having
charge of their interests in that state, which include a ranch
covering three sections devoted to the raising of grain.
Mr. Crocker and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. His political allegiance is given to the republican party
and, although not an office seeker, he has served as alderman of the
fifth ward and always keeps well informed on the questions and
issues of the day. He is a member of the Galesburg Club, and he and
his family are widely and favorably known in this city, thei
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