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OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES:
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
The History
of
Vermilion County, Illinois
A Tale of its Evolution, Settlement and Progress for
nearly a Century -
Vols. I & 2
By Lottie E. Jones -
Chicago - Pioneer Publishing Company -
1911
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HENRI STRONAHON
BABCOCK, M. D. Not all who become followers of the
medical profession attain success therein. It demands
special fitness, a ready sympathy combined with quickness of
perception in determining what remedies are needed for the
peculiar condition of the patient, and these qualities must be
added to a broad, comprehensive and accurate knowledge of the
principles of the medical science. In all of these
particulars Dr. Henri S. Babcock, a well known physician
and surgeon of Danville, is well acquainted for his chosen work
and has thus achieved success. Dr. Babcock was born
in Conewonego township, Warren county, Pennsylvania, on the
26tth of August, 1869, his parents being Joseph
Foulton and Jennie E. Babcock. In
the paternal line he is descended from English and Dutch
ancestry, while on the maternal side he comes of Irish and Welsh
lineage. The father of our subject loyally fought for the
preservation of the Union during the period of the Civil war.
In his youthful years Dr. Babcock attended the
Warren Union School of Warren, Pennsylvania, being graduated
from the academic department in 1887. Wishing to enter
professional life, he became a student in the medical department
of the University of Michigan, from which institution he was
graduated in June, 1891. The same year he located for
practice at Jamesburg, Vermilion county, Illinois, where he
remained for a decade or until 1901, since which time he has
resided continuously in Danville, having here built up an
extensive and profitable patronage in the line of his
profession.
On the 24th of December, 1891, in Chicago, Illinois,
Dr. Babcock was united in marriage to Miss Mabel Buck,
by whom he has two children, Joseph Henri and Jennie
May. In his political views Dr. Babcock is a
stanch republican, while his religious faith is indicated by his
membership in the Methodist church. He likewise belongs to
the Knights of Pythias and the Masons, having attained the
fourteenth degree in the latter fraternity. The Danville
Physicians Club also numbers him among its members. He is
a man of marked individuality, of strong character and stalwart
purpose, who in citizenship and professional circles and in
private life commands the respect of all with whom he has been
brought in contact.
Source: History of Vermilion County, Illinois -
VOLUME II - By Lottie E. Jones - Chicago -
Pioneer Publishing Company - 1911 - Page 7 sw |
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JOSEPH BAILEY
came from Essex County, Massachusetts, direct to
Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1845, when he was
twenty-five years old. He settled in
Georgetown, where his brother was postmaster.
He became clerk in a small store there for which
service he received six dollars per month.
He clerked for three years. At the end of
that time Mr. Bailey went into
partnership with his brother under the firm name
of W. B. & J. Bailey.
About this time he married Miss Sarah Ann
Brachall, a daughter of Martin Brachall,
an early settler of Vermilion County.
Mr. Bailey was born in Vermilion County.
After several years in this business Mr.
Brachall went to Indianola, where he formed
a partnership with Mr. Sconce under the
name of Bailey & Sconce, which firm dealt
in general merchandise for three years, after
which he bought a farm and remained on it for
five years, meanwhile suffering loss from fire
which destroyed his home. He then returned
to Danville, where his children could have the
advantage of good schools. During this
time he was associated with Mr. Hall in a
lumber yard in Tuscola, and also in Kansas City,
Missouri, whither Mr. Hall removed.
Mr. Bailey also dealt in land to a large
extent, owning property in Kansas, Arkansas,
Missouri, Iowa, as well as Illinois and Indiana.
Mr. Bailey made much profit in buying and
selling land.
In 1870 he became one of a company that organized to
build the Paris & Danville Railroad. But
the company failed and sold the road to the Big
Four and more recently it has become the
property of the New York Central system.
Mr. Bailey's loss in this road was heavy.
He lived retired in Georgetown until 1888, when
he went to Kansas City to make his home, but
remained only a few months, when he returned to
Danville on account of his wife's death.
Here he remained until his death. Mr.
Bailey was the father of four children, two
sons and two daughters.
Source: History of Vermilion County, Illinois
- VOLUME I - By Lottie E. Jones - Chicago -
Pioneer Publishing Company - 1911 - Page 177 |
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JOHN G.
BAIRD, who is probably the oldest native born son
of Vermilion county, has lived here continuously from
his birth to the present time. He devoted his
attention to general agricultural pursuits throughout
his entire business career and is now the owner of three
hundred and eighty acres of land in Carroll township,
constituting one of the valuable farms of this county.
His birth occurred on the place where he now resides,
his natal day being December 31, 1835.
His parents, Joseph and Lydia (Mendenhall) Baird,
were natives of Maysville, Kentucky, and Spring
Valley, Ohio, respectively, the former born on the 19th
of March, 1801, and the latter on the 6th of March,
1813. The father came to Vermilion county in 1829,
when twenty-eight years of age, while the mother was
brought here by her parents in 1824, when a maiden of
eleven years. They were married in this county and
here continued to reside throughout the remainder of
their lives. Joseph Baird entered two
hundred and forty acres of government land, while his
wife entered a tract of forty acres. Subsequently
he purchased a quarter section of land (now included
within the home farm of our subject), erected the brick
dwelling which still stands there on and made the farm
his place of abode until the time of his death. He
prospered in his undertaking as an agriculturist,
accumulating six hundred acres of valuable and
productive land. His political allegiance was
given to the democracy, but when Lincoln was chosen as
the presidential candidate of the republican party for
the second time he voted for the great emancipator.
His religious faith was indicated by his membership in
the Baptist church, to which his wife also belonged.
He passed away in August, 1868, in his sixty-eighth
year, while his wife was called to her final rest in
1891, when in the seventy-seventh year of her age.
John G. Baird was reared under the parental roof
and obtained his early education in the common schools,
where subsequently he spent four winter terms, as a
student in the Vermilion Academy at what is now
Vermilion Grove. On attaining his majority he took
charge of the operation of the home farm in association
with his brother David, the two young men
managing the place until some years after their father's
demise. In 1876 David Baird left the old
homestead and our subject then operated the place in
association with his brother Silas, who was about
eighteen years old. In the spring of 1885 a
division of the estate was made, but prior to that time
the three brothers had purchased the interests of their
four sisters. The first proposition relative to a
division was made on a Saturday night and on the
following Monday morning, before ten o'clock, each one
took charge of his own land, having come to a
satisfactory agreement. The farm of John G.
Baird, including his share of the estate together
with what he has bought since the division and the land
he and his brothers had purchased during the operation
of the home place, now embraces three hundred and eighty
acres. He likewise own forty acres of valuable
coal land in the heart of the horseshoe coal district in
Indiana. His farming interests have returned to
him a gratifying annual income and he has long been
numbered among the most prosperous and respected
citizens of his native county.
In 1884 Mr. Baird was united in marriage to
Miss Lillian Hayward, of Vermilion Grove, this
county, her parents coming here from Indiana when she
was a small girl. Unto them have been born five
children, namely: Helen, who is now attending the
Eastern Illinois Normal School at Charleston, Illinois;
and Bernice, Clarence H., Marian and Hortense,
all at home.
Mr. Baird is a republican in politics and has
served as a member of the school board for many years,
acting in that capacity at the present time. He
likewise served as township assessor for one term, ever
discharging his official duties in a most prompt and
capable manner. Vermilion county has remained his
home throughout his entire life, or for three-fourth of
a century, and he is well known and highly esteemed
within its borders. Genial and kindly in nature,
he fully appreciates his obligations to his fellowmen,
and his honorable principles and upright manhood have
won for him the high regard, confidence and good will of
all with whom he has come in contact.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - VOLUME II -
By Lottie E. Jones -
Chicago - Pioneer Publishing Company -
1911 - Page 451 ok |
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WILLIAM
SILAS BAIRD the owner of four hundred and twenty
acres of valuable farming land in Carroll township, is a
worthy native son of Vermilion county and has long been
numbered among its most substantial agriculturists and
esteemed citizens. He was born on the farm where
his brother, John G. Baird, now lives in Carroll
township, this county, the date of his birth being
August 26, 1863.
His parents, Joseph and Lydia (Mendenhall) Baird
were natives of Maysville, Kentucky, and Spring Valley,
Ohio, respectively, the former born on the 19th of
March, 1801, the latter on the 6th of March, 1813.
The father came to Vermilion county in 1829, when
twenty-eight years of age, while the mother was brought
here by her parents in 1824, when a maiden of eleven
yeas. They were married in this county and here
continued to reside throughout the remainder of their
lives. Joseph Baird entered two hundred and
forty acres of government land, while his wife entered a
tract of forty acres. Subsequently he purchased a
quarter section of land (now included within the home
farm of his son, John G.), erected the
brick dwelling which still stands thereon and made the
farm his place of abode until the time of his death.
He prospered in his undertakings as a agriculturist,
accumulating six hundred acres of valuable and
productive land. His political allegiance was
given to the democracy, but when Lincoln was chosen as
the presidential candidate of the republican party for
the second time he voted for the great emancipator.
His religious faith was indicated by his membership in
the Baptist church, to which his wife also belonged.
He passed away in August, 1868, in his sixty-eighth
year, while his wife was called to her final rest in
1891, when in the seventy-seventh year of her age.
William Silas Baird was reared at home and
supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the
public schools, by a course of study at Vermilion
Academy. On reaching his majority he continued
farming in association with his brothers, John
and David, maintaining this relation until the
time of his marriage, when the division of the estate
was made. Just prior to his marriage our subject
had purchased the farm on which he now resides and which
has remained his place of abode through all the
intervening years. It comprises four hundred and
twenty acres of rich and productive land in Carroll
township and is highly improved in every particular, the
buildings thereon including a handsome residence.
The soil, which is naturally arable, yields abundant
annual harvests, which prove a source of gratifying
revenue to him, while his good business ability and
close application have gained for him rank among the
progressive and prosperous agriculturists of the county.
In addition to his home farm he owns nine hundred and
twenty-three acres of land in the state of Mississippi.
On the 19th of March, 1885, Mr. Baird was united
in marriage to Miss Laura Gray, of Sidell
township, her parents being Harvey and Susan (Harmon)
Gray, who were among the earliest residents of
Vermilion county. Her father was the first settler
in the immediate vicinity in which he located in Sidell
township. Until Mr. and Mrs. Baird were
born five children, only one of whom survives -
Florence. She is a graduate of the Indianola
high school and the Frances Shimer Academy of Mount
Carroll, Illinois, and is now a senior in the University
of Illinois.
Since the age conferred upon him the right of franchise
Mr. Baird has supported the men and measures of
the republican party, being a firm believer in its
principles. Though not an office seeker, the cause
of education has ever found in him a stanch friend and
he has served on the school board for many years.
His wife belongs to the Baptist church and he attends
its services and teaches a Sunday school class but has
no membership therein. That many of his stanchest
friends are numbered among those who have known him from
his boyhood to the present time is an indication that
his has been an honorable, upright life and one worthy
of the esteem of which he is uniformly held.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - VOLUME II -
By Lottie E. Jones -
Chicago - Pioneer Publishing Company -
1911 - Page 461 ok |
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ANDREW BAKER, filling
the position of county constable of Vermilion County and
discharging his duties without fear or favor, was born in New
York City October 31, 1860, his parents being David S. and
Mary
(McMahan) Baker. The father, who for a considerable period
served as warden of the city prison on Blackwell's Island, died
while discharging the duties of that position. He was a well
educated man, was prominent in city politics and was recognized
as one of the republican leaders of New York. The family is an
old one in the Empire state, having been represented there
through several generations. The paternal grandfather of our
subject was Charles H. Baker, who served as captain of artillery
that was on active duty at New Orleans in the war of 1812. He
was presented by the officers of the regiment with a gold watch
a token of their appreciation of his services.
Left fatherless at a very tender age, Andrew Baker,
when a lad of ten years, was sent west by the New York Juvenile
Asylum to Danville, Illinois, and found a good home with S. P. LeNeve
a very prominent farmer of this locality. His education
was largely acquired in the schools of this district and through
practical experience. He remained with Mr. LeNeve for three
years and then at the age of thirteen started out to make his
own way in the world unaided. Continuing in this locality, he
gave his attention to farm work, and at length he turned his
attention to merchandizing, in which he continued for twenty-one
years, conducting a store at -Pilot. His long identification
therewith indicates his success, for during much of that period
he enjoyed a large and growing trade, the public according him a
liberal patronage. As the years passed he made progress and
eventually became the owner of good property. He now owns a farm
in Lake County of one hundred and eighty-two acres, on which he
has a tenant. In 1885 he purchased his present residence and he
also owns the building in which his office is located, at No.
608 Seminary street. His realty possessions are the visible
evidence of his life of well directed effort and industry and
prove that success is not a matter of genius but results from
clear judgment, experience and indefatigable energy.
On the 1st of January, 1882, Mr. Baker was married to
Miss Ida B. Piper, a daughter of Joseph H. and Rebecca (Trimmell)
Piper. They have two children. The son, Walter E., who is a
graduate of Illinois College and is now cashier of the Wells
Fargo Company at Ottumwa, Iowa, married Miss Minnie A. Busch,
who is a graduate of the Illinois University. Flossie J., who
was educated in Vermilion county, is the wife of Ben Cox, of
Oakwood township, and they have one child, Ross Baker.
Mr. Baker and his family are members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and take an active and helpful part in its work
and up building. His political support is given to the
Republican Party and at three different times he has been
elected constable and is now serving his tenth year in that
position. He also served as postmaster at Pilot and was
assistant postmaster there for fourteen years. The cause of
education has found in him a warm friend whose labors as school
director' have been effective in promoting the advancement of
the schools. No public trust reposed in him has ever been
betrayed in the slightest degree. He is loyal to every public
confidence, and in the discharge of his duties has proven his
capability as well.
Source: Past and Present of Vermilion
County, Ill. - Vol. II - Publ. 1911 by Lottie Jones - Pages 800 & 801
ok - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
H. E. Baldwin |
DR.
H. E. BALDWIN, a physician and surgeon of Sidell,
was born in Danville,
Illinois, Dec. 10, 1882, and is a son of
Hiram and Susan (Henderson)
Baldwin, the former a native of Clay county,
Pennsylvania, and the latter of Vermilion
county,
Illinois.
The father was seventeen years of age when he
came to this county, where he secured employment as a
farm hand three miles south of
Danville.
Four years later he was married and the following
year his father-in-law died, at which time he took
charge of the home place, buying the interest of the
other heirs in the property.
He resided there until 1895, when he sold out to
the Kellyville Coal Company at one hundred dollars per
acre, being the first man in that section to receive as
high a price for his land.
He continued to reside upon the farm, however,
until 1898, when he removed to
Danville, where he has since made
his home, enjoying a well earned rest, while the fruits
of his former toil enable him to secure all of the
comforts and some of the luxuries of life.
He exercises his right of franchise in support of
the republican party, is a Master Mason and is one of
Vermilion county’s well known and highly esteemed
citizens. He
and his wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian
church and their good qualities have endeared them to
all with whom they have been associated.
Dr.
Baldwin spent his youthful days at home, pursued his
education in the schools of
Danville, passing through the
consecutive grades until he was graduated from the high
school with the class of 1900.
He then took up the study of medicine, reading
under the preceptorship of
Dr. S. C. Glidden
of Danville, who directed his studies for two
years, at the end of which time he entered the medical
department of Columbian University at Washington, D. C.
He is numbered among the alumni of 1905 and
following his graduation he spent one year in hospital
work, superintending Casualty
Hospital in Washington.
Prior to this time he had spent two years in the University Hospital
while attending lectures, and his broad experience
acquired in this way well qualified him for the onerous
and responsible duties which have since devolved upon
him.
Following his graduation he located in
Jamaica, where he spent
two years in practice, and in 1908 he came to Sidell,
where he has since been accorded a liberal professional
support.
On the 30th of April, 1900,
Dr. Baldwin
wedded Miss
Jessie Said of Danville and they now have one son,
S. Glidden
Baldwin.
The Doctor is a member of Sidell Lodge, No. 780, A. F. &
A. M.; the Modern Woodmen of America; the Yeomen of
America and the Phi Chi, a Greek letter fraternity.
Politically he is a republican and his religious
belief is indicated in his membership in the
Presbyterian church, while his wife worships at the
Methodist Episcopal church.
He keeps in touch with the advanced thought of
the profession in his membership with the Vermillion
County Medical Society, the Illinois State Medical
Society and the American Medical Association.
In his practice he manifests an ability that is
widely recognized in the liberal patronage that is
accorded him.
Source: Past and Present of Vermilion County, Ill. -
Vol. II - by Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911- Pages 434 &
437 ok - Submitted by Mary Paulius
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JAMES BARNETT was a
native of Kentucky and settled in Vermilion County in 1828. He
was married twice, the first time to Miss Conway and the second
time to Rosa Neil. He owned about six hundred acres of land near
Indianola and was one of the prominent farmers in that part of
the country. His ancestors were from Ireland and when they came
to America they settled in Pennsylvania. Mr. James Barnett, Sr.,
died in 1866.
Source: Past and Present of Vermilion County,
Ill. - Vol. I - by Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911-
Page 129 |
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SAMUEL BAUM came to Vermilion County at the same time as his
father-in-law, Michael Weaver, and settled on the Little
Vermilion. His brother Charles came nine years later and
together they became the founders of the family of that name of
whom there have been many in Vermilion County. Samuel married
Sarah, the daughter of Michael Weaver, while they were in Ohio
and had a family of two children when he came west. After coming
to Illinois there were six more children born to them. Sarah
(Weaver) Baum died and Samuel Baum married Mrs. Polly Matkins,
the widow of William Matkins, and they became the parents of
four children. Samuel Baum was a large, powerful man, six feet
one inch in height, and weighed three hundred pounds. He was
jovial and good hearted, always a good tempered man. He took the
first produce he raised in Vermilion County to Chicago, driving
five yoke of oxen. His sole possession when he came to Illinois
was a horse, a bridle and a saddle, and at the time of his death
in 1861 he was the owner of 1,500 acres of well cultivated land,
besides personal property. He belonged to the Republican Party
and died at the age of fifty-six. His brother, Charles Baum, who
came to this county some years after took up 160 acres of land
from the government, and made later purchases until, at one
time, he owned 1,660 acres, besides the 200 acres that was the
gift to his wife from her father. Charles Baum was married three
years after coming to Vermilion County to Miss Catherine
Weaver,
who was the fourth daughter and sixth child of Michael Weaver.
Mrs. Baum was born in Clermont County, Ohio, and came to
Illinois at the same time as her father, she being but eight
years old at the time. Mr. Baum lived on his home farm which his
wife's father gave her.
Source: History oft of Vermilion Co.,
Illinois by Lottie Jones - Publ. Chicago: Pioneer Publishing
Company - 1911 ~ Page 125 ok - Contributed by Mary
Paulius |
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HENRY M. BLAIR, for
twenty-eight years past a merchant of West Newell and well known
as a representative citizen of Vermilion county, was born in
Newell Township, Nov. 10, 1861, and is a son of Samuel and
Mary (Cossiart) Blair, also natives of this county, who are
still living at the old homestead in Newell township. The
subject of this review is the eldest of six children born to his
parents, the names of the other members of the family being:
Robert E. Lee, of Salem, Illinois; Clara, now
Mrs. Irvin Cunningham, of Newell township; and Flora A.
Franklin and Arthur, all three of whom are deceased.
Henry M. Blair remained upon the home farm until
he was twenty-one years of age. He received his education
in the district schools but after arriving at his majority
decided that he preferred mercantile life to farming and became
connected with general merchandising at West Newell in 1882.
By application and good judgment he has been successful in his
chosen vocation and has met with the reward that is the result
of properly applied industry. He also operates the grain
elevator at West Newell and is recognized by his associates as a
substantial and competent business man, whose word is as good as
his bond and whose record has been untarnished.
In November, 1889, Mr. Blair was happily united
in marriage to Miss Katie Campbell, of Vermilion county ,
daughter of Horace and Elizabeth (Delay) Campbell, who
were both born in Illinois and died in this state. Mrs.
Blair Campbell, who were both born in Illinois and died in
this state. Mrs. Blair was born in 1860 and has
always proved to her husband and faithful and devoted wife.
Three children have blessed their union: Lucile,
now a student of the high school; Mabel and Helen.
Mr. Blair is identified with
the democratic party and has always shown the interest of a
patriotic citizen in voting for the measures which he considers
of most vital importance to the state of the Union. While
not an office-seeker, he has served as township clerk,
commissioner of highways and as member of the school board.
He is a member of the United Brethren church and is in hearty
sympathy with all movements, moral or religious, that aim to
improve the character of the individual or to elevate the
standard of society. The head of a happy family, Mr.
Blair has been fortunate in his life work and is a good
example of an American citizen, actuated by worthy ideals which
he has successfully applied in the practical duties of life.
Source: The History of Vermilion Co., Ill. by Lottie Jones,
1911; Pgs 89-90 ok |
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SAMUEL BLAIR Seventy-two years ago
Samuel Blair, who is a well known
farmer of Vermilion county, first saw the light of day. He was
born December 5, 1838 in a log house on the farm in Newell
township where he has ever since lived, and is a son of William
G. and Christiana (Bradin) Blair, his father being a native of
Harrison county, Kentucky, and his mother of Logan county, Ohio.
The parents were among the pioneers of Illinois, who came to
Vermilion County in the early part of the nineteenth century,
when the country was largely open to settlement and while
Illinois was still a territory. After the marriage of Mr. And
Mrs. William G. Blair, January 11, 1818, they settled upon the
land which became the family homestead. Here the pioneer couple
set up housekeeping and the head of the house began clearing
away the trees and preparing the land for cultivation. In his
farming he proved to be more than ordinarily successful. In
addition to a common-school education he had in his earlier
years received instruction in civil engineering and for a
quarter of a century he was of great assistance to settlers for
many miles about in locating their lands and dividing up their
fields. At the time of his death, which occurred May 4, 1882, he
was the owner of a finely improved farm of one hundred and sixty
acres, the result of his perseverance and well applied industry.
His wife, the mother of our subject, departed this life October
2, 1877. They were typical representatives of the pioneers of
Illinois, who made possible the comforts and conveniences that
are to be found upon every side at the present time.
Samuel Blair grew to manhood upon the farm and
continued assisting his parents until he was twenty-one years of
age. He was educated in the district schools and is the sole
survivor in a family of seven children. Upon the death of his
father he inherited one hundred and sixty acres of the
homestead, which he has greatly improved and supplied with the
conveniences of modem life. His mind often reverts to the scenes
and experiences of earlier years and few men of the county are
better acquainted with the trials and vicissitudes of the farm
as they were experienced fifty or sixty years ago. He remembers
that when he was from fifteen to twenty-one years of age, during
the '50s, it was a part of his duty each year to gather the
apples in his father's orchard and haul them by wagon to
Chicago, returning loaded with freight of various kinds for the
merchants of Danville.
On February 28, 1861, Mr. Blair was united in marriage
to Miss Mary Cossiart, who was born in Missouri but came to
Illinois with her parents in her girlhood. Here they spent the
remaining years of their life. She was the fourth in order of
birth in a family of seven children. To Mr. Blair and his wife
six children have been born: Henry, who named Miss Katie
Campbell and is living in Vermilion county; Robert E. Lee, who
married Miss Jennie Watson and lives at Salem, Illinois;
Clara M., who became the wife of Irvin Cunningham, of Vermilion
county; and Flora A., Franklin and Arthur, all of whom are
deceased.
Mr. Blair is identified with the Democratic Party, as
he believes that its principles are best adapted for the
perpetuity of republican institutions. While he has not been a
candidate for political honors, he held the office of township
clerk for two terms and commissioner of highways for three
terms. For five years he acted as postmaster and for six years
as member of the school board. In all of these responsible
positions he discharged his duties in such a way as to meet the
approval of the people of the township. For many years he has
been a member of the United Brethren church and by his integrity
and honesty in all business dealings he attained a standing
which is to any man of inestimable value and in the long run is
worth much more to him than all the honors that could be
purchased by the use of money. He is recognized as a substantial
and representative citizen by those with whom he has long been
associated and one who from the beginning of his career has been
deeply interested in the material, mental and moral welfare of
the community.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - Publ. 1911 - page 164 ok - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
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CARL CHRIS BLANKENBURG.
Carl Chris Blankenburg is one of the younger representatives of
the Danville bar. He was born in this city, June 20, 1888, a son
of Christian L. and Emma (Decker) Blankenburg. The paternal
grandfather, Wilhelm Blankenburg, was born at Lichterfelde,
Germany, on the 24th of June, 1824, and in his native land was
married to Miss Dorothea Torgah, who was born in the same place,
on the 12th of September, 1812. He was the youngest of three
brothers, the others being Gottlieb and Friederich
Blankenburg.
The family had settled in Lichterfelde, near Eberswalde, in the
latter part of the seventeenth century and the descendants of
the two brothers of the grandfather are still living in that
part of the country.
Christian L. Blankenburg, the father of Carl C. Blankenburg, was
born in Eberswalde, Germany, in 1850, and was one of a family of
eight sons and one daughter, as follows : Wilhelm and Frederick,
now deceased ; Gottlieb, who is living in Danville; Ernest and
August, who are also residents of this city; Louisa, the widow
of George Rust, a resident of the state of Washington;
Christian, L., Louis and Ferdinand, all three of whom are
deceased. Of these Christian L. Blankenburg came to the United States in 1854, when
a young man of about nineteen years. He was married in 1877 to
Miss Emma Decker, who was born in Ohio in 1854, a daughter of
Jeremiah and Amanda (Weygandt) Decker, both of whom were natives
of Ohio. . The latter was one of a family of eleven children,
eight sons and three daughters, namely: Isaiah, now deceased;
Amanda, who has also passed away; Russell Bigelom; Hymenius;
George, who is deceased; Richard Tecumseh, Amy and
William, who
have all departed this life; Louis; Zibah, deceased; and
Lavinia.
Of these children Russell Bigelow Weygandt served for three
years in the Civil war, participating in the battle of
Gettysburg. Hymenius was also a soldier, became ill and was sent
home. Of this family Amanda Weygandt became the wife of
Jeremiah Decker. As stated, their daughter Emma
Decker was married in
1877 to Christian L. Blankenburg. His death occurred January 10,
1891, and in 1904 his widow became the wife of George Allen, of
Danville.
Carl C. Blankenburg pursued his education in the public schools
of Danville, passing through consecutive grades until he became
a high-school student. Turning upon the practice of law for his
life work, he was graduated from the law department of the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1909 ,a t the age of
twenty-one years, and the same year was admitted to the bar both
in Michigan and in Illinois. In March, 1910, he began practicing
in Danville, having an office in the second National Bank
building, and has made a good start in his chosen calling. He is
recognized as a young man of strong mentality and undoubtedly
will win success in a profession which calls for close
analytical reasoning. He belongs to the Methodist church and his
friends speak of him only in terms of high regard.
Source: The History of Vermilion Co.,
Illinois - Publ. 1911 - Pages 645 ok - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
CHARLES EDWIN
BLYTHE. This is an age of marked commercial
activity and the man who wins prosperity must be alert,
energetic and determined, must recognize and improve
opportunities which others pass by heedlessly and must take
advantage of every legitimate chance offered by the trade for
the development and expansion of his particular enterprise.
Possessing all these requisites, Charles Edwin Blythe is
now successfully engaged in business as an undertaker and
funeral director at Danville, Illinois.
He was born in Columbus, Wisconsin, on the 12th of
April, 1868, and is a son of George and Mary E.
(Keefer) Blythe, both of whom are still living and reside in
Covington, Indiana, where the father is engaged in farming. He
was born at Little Grimsby, near Lincolnshire, England, and came
to America with his father and five brothers at the age of eight
years, the family first settling in Chicago. Our subject's
paternal grandmother lived to the extreme old age of one hundred
and eight years, five months and twenty-three days, but she
never came to the new world as her husband died one year after
his arrival here. There are now twenty-nine of his male
descendants living here, including numerous cousins and five
uncles of our subject who are all hale and hearty.
Charles E. Blythe received his education in the
public schools of Columbus, Wisconsin, and his first business
venture was to engage in the general transfer business at
Covington, Indiana, for six years. He came to Danville, February
1, 1903, and was engaged in the transfer and feed business with
J. F. Clem. He continued in that line of trade until
1908, building up a very large and lucrative trade, his business
amounting to several thousand dollars annually. In 1908 he sold
out and embarked in his present line as an undertaker and
funeral director. From a small beginning he has steadily
enlarged his business and now has one of the best establishments
of the kind in the county. He conducts the only cut rate
undertaking place this side of Chicago.
On the 8th of April, 1896, Mr. Blythe was united in
marriage to Miss Anna M. Murray, a daughter of George
Murray, of Covington, Indiana, his family being old settlers
of that place. Both of Mrs. Blythe's parents are now deceased.
In religious faith Mr. Blythe is a Methodist and
he holds membership in the -Matinee Association. He also belongs
to the Improved Order of Red Men, the Modern Woodmen of America,
and the Woodmen of the World. On national issues he usually
affiliates with the republican party, but at local elections
where no question is involved he votes for the men whom he
believes best qualified to fill the offices regardless of party
ties. He stands for progress at all times and seeks his own
success and the city's advancement by no devious methods but
along lines of activity which will bear the closest
investigation and scrutiny.
Source: The History of Vermilion Co.,
Illinois - Publ. 1911 - Pages 297 ok - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
BENJAMIN BROOKS the founder of the important settlement called
Brooks' Point, came to this part of the county in the fall of
1821. His wife was the daughter of a Mr. Manville, of Madison,
Indiana, and they were married in Indiana and came here directly
from Jefferson County, of that state. The nativity of Benjamin
Brooks is in doubt although there is no question that his wife
was born in Indiana. Had it not been for the generosity of Mr.
Canaday, Mr. Brooks would have been in a sad plight.
Mr. Brooks
had selected his land when he first came to live on the Little
Vermilion, and then went back after his family and another man
put a claim while he was gone and secured the land. Mr.
Canaday
had some further up and let Mr. Brooks have it and it was
settled so rapidly as to have the point of timber known by the
name of Brooks' Point.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - VOLUME II -
By Lottie E. Jones -
Chicago - Pioneer Publishing Company -
1911 - Page 107 ok - Submitted by Norita Moss Shepherd |
| |
SIDNEY BUHL.
Seven years after Chicago was incorporated as a city Sidney Buhl
entered upon life's journey there, his birth occurring in the
future metropolis of the west on the 4th of October, 1842. His
youthful days were passed. in Cook county, but during much of
his life he has been a resident of Danville. His parents were
Charles and Eliza N. (McComeghy) Buhl. The name indicates the
German ancestry of the family, the grandfather of our subject
having come from Germany and cast in his lot with the early
settlers of Butler County, Ohio. Charles Buhl was born in Butler
County, and became one of the prominent citizens of that
locality. In early life he became interested in the manufacture
of hats and caps and was one of the first in Chicago to engage
in that business, establishing a factory on the south side of
Lake street, which was then the business center of the city.
Sidney Buhl began his education in the early schools of
Chicago, but when he was in his eighth year his father removed
with the family to a farm of seven hundred acres in Cook county,
which he purchased and which remained the family home for ten
years. On the expiration of that period they came to Danville
and the father turned his attention to general merchandising in
the old Opera House block. Sidney Buhl was then about eighteen
years of age and became the active assistant of his father in
the management and conduct of the store, with which he was
connected until after the outbreak of the Civil war. Fired with
patriotism and love of country, he offered his services to the
government, enlisting as a private of the Fourth Illinois
Cavalry. The regiment was assigned to the army of the west and
he remained at the front for three years and two months,
participating in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg
and other important engagements which constituted turning points
in the progress of the war. He served as an orderly on the staff
of General Sherman and did duty at Natchez, Mississippi, and in
Louisiana. Company A, longed, also acted as body guard to
General Grant. On the expiration of his term of service
Mr. Buhl
was mustered out as a sergeant and returned to Danville.
Following the close of the war Mr. Buhl became
connected with the grocery business and was continuously
connected with mercantile interests until his retirement to
private life. He sought success in the legitimate lines of
trade, nor feared to venture where favoring opportunity led the
way. In the course of years he built up an extensive business
that was to him a gratifying source of profit and permitted him
about fifteen years ago, in March, 1895, to retire from active
life.
On the 13th of November, 1872, Mr. Buhl was married to
Miss Sarah Myers, a daughter of Eli and
Anna (Kearns) Myers, who
came to Illinois from the state of Pennsylvania. Their only
child, Georgia, who attended school at Alton, Illinois, became
the wife of Edward Shutts and died several years’ later, leaving
two children, Dorothy B. and Hubert.
Mrs. Buhl is a member of the Presbyterian Church and
some years ago Mr. Buhl served as a member of the Roselawn board
of trustees. A residence in Illinois for sixty-eight years has
made him an eye witness of many of the events which have shaped
the history of the state and have marked its progress. He can
remember Chicago when it was a small town with comparatively
little industrial or commercial importance. He saw Danville when
it bore little appearance of the present attractive city and as
the years have gone by he has rejoiced in the progress that has
been made, for he believes that onward should be the watchword
in public affairs as well as in private interests.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - Publ. 1911 - pgs. 637 - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
GODFREY BURKHART,
who has been identified with Vermilion County since 1876 and has
been actively, engaged in farming since he was sixteen years of
age, was born in Oberhausen, Germany, April 26, 1850, and is a
son of John George and Mary Agnes (Strobble) Burkhart,
also natives of Oberhausen. In 1854 the father left his wife and
children at home and came to the United States with the hope of
establishing his family in this country under more favorable
auspices than could be expected in the fatherland. He was a
carpenter by trade but, after landing in New York, his meager
funds soon became exhausted in a vain attempt to secure
employment and he started to walk through the country. He
arrived in Cleveland. Ohio, in the dead of winter among
strangers and unable to speak a word of the English language.
However, he succeeded in finding a brother-in-law near
Cleveland, who was also a carpenter and who assisted in securing
for him employment. After working for a year in the city he
continued for another year upon a farm and, still being
disappointed in securing funds necessary to send for his family,
started once more upon a journey through the country and came to
Concord, now Danvers, McLean County, Illinois, where he found a
German settlement and a welcome greeting. Fortune began to smile
upon him and in 1856 he sent for his wife and children, who
started in an old sailing vessel called the St. Joseph, a three
masted schooner, from the port of Havre, France, bound for New
York. The vessel was upon the water for thirty-seven days and
after landing at New York the little party proceeded to Chicago,
where they were obliged to remain for three weeks before they
were found by the father. Mr. Burkhart lived for
eight years near Danvers, Illinois, and then bought eighty acres
of swamp land three miles north and east of Danvers, where he
took up his residence for a time. He finally settled in Danvers,
where his death occurred in 1907. The mother departed this life
two days before her husband, and they were buried side by side
on the same day. Nine children were born to them: John,
now a retired farmer living at Logansport, Indiana; Lizzie,
now Mrs. Gottlieb Romrnel, of Chetopa,
Kansas ; Godfrey, the subject of this review; Mary,
now deceased ; Christian, a farmer of Hull, Illinois;
Lena, the wife of Otto Doenitz, of Holder,
Illinois ; Fred, deceased ; Katie, now Mrs.
August Rahn, of Florence, Kansas ; and Lucy,
the wife of Charles Kaufman, a farmer of
Bloomington, Illinois.
At the age of sixteen Godfrey Burkhart
began his active career on the home farm and when twenty-seven
years old started upon his own account and came , to Vermilion
county, where he bought land in Butler township, near Rankin.
This land he developed from its wild state, going back and forth
from his father's house until 1877, when he came to Vermilion
county to remain permanently. He began to farm with one team and
a plow and did not at that time own a wagon. For seven years he
lived in a rudely built house of two rooms but at the end of
that time he bought eighty acres of land six miles south of his
first location and moved to his new farm, which he proceeded
energetically to develop. At the end of seven years he sold this
farm and bought eighty acres adjoining his former home. After
four years, during which his energy never flagged, he sold his
farm of one hundred and sixty acres and bought the B. D. Wise
farm in Middlefork township, where he lived until 1905, since
which time he has resided in Potomac. As the result of
persistent economy in early years, well directed labor and
successful operations in farming pursuits, Mr.
Burkhart is now the owner of a highly improved farm of two
hundred and seventy-two acres in Middlefork Township and a farm
of one hundred and twenty-one and a half acres in Whitley
County, Indiana.
In 1877 Mr. Burkhart was united in
marriage to Miss Anna M. Rahn, who as born
near Sheboygan, Wisconsin, October 7, 1858, and is a daughter of
Christopher and Elenora (Hoegrain) Rahn.
Her father was a native of Prussia and her mother of Hanover,
Germany. Mrs. Rahn departed this life in 1902, but
Mr. Rahn is now living in Fort Collins, Colorado. Six
children were born to them: Anna M., mention of whom is
made herein; Minnie, now Mrs. Gahart Mathiesen, of
Fort Collins, Colorado; August, of Florence, Kansas;
Sophia, now Mrs. Ernie1 Doering, of the island of
Cuba; Amelia, deceased ; and Charles, a farmer of Council
Bluffs, Iowa. Four children have blessed the union of Mr. And
Mrs. Burkhart: Edward F., who is now engaged
in the hardware business at Bismarck, Illinois; Amelia,
the wife of Elmer Lance, of Columbus City,
Indiana; Henry, living upon the home place; and Agnes
Marie, the wife of Ernest Blackfort, living
on the farm of Mr. Burkhart near Armstrong,
Illinois.
In political faith Mr. Burkhart has for
the past sixteen years adhered to the Republican Party although
previously he voted the democratic ticket. He has served as
school director and, while he is not a member of any church, he
is in hearty sympathy with all efforts that tend to ameliorate
the ills of humanity and to improve the race physically,
mentally or morally. In his life he has displayed the
characteristics of industry and persistence, which are such
prominent traits in the Teutonic race and have made it one of
the most powerful agencies in the promotion of civilization to
be met with in the world. He is a man of sturdy characteristics
and in all his dealings has been governed by a sense of justice
that marks the upright citizen. No man is more highly respected
by those who know him than the subject of this review.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - Vol. II - Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911 - pgs. 235 & 236
- Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
CHARLES F. BUROW, the junior member of the firm of
Uhlein & Burow, conducting one of the leading plumbing
establishments of Danville has spent his entire life in this
city. He was born on the 19th of February, 1881, his parents
being Charles and Minnie (Remeana) Burow, who were born, reared
and married in Germany and came to America about 1860. On
landing in this country they came direct to Danville, where the
father continued to make his home until called to his final rest
on the 3d of May, 1909. By occupation he was a miner. The
children born to him and his wife are as follows: Rickie, now
the wife of Charles Leverenz, a miner of Danville;
Mary, the
wife of James T. Myers, of Danville; Minnie; Anna, the widow of
Henry Krimmel and a resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana;
Lena, the
wife of Harry Davis, of Danville; Emma, the wife of
Clyde Swift,
of Indianapolis, Indiana; Bertha, the wife of Henry
Wyman,
living at 702 Illinois street, Danville; Tilla, the wife of
Joseph Strattman, whose home is at 619 Bryan avenue, Danville;
and Charles F., of this review.
Charles F. Burow was given good educational
advantages, attending the Lutheran schools of Danville and later
the Walker Business College, where he pursued courses in
bookkeeping, arithmetic and penmanship. On leaving school at the
age of fifteen years he was apprenticed to Henry Krimmel to
learn the plumber's trade, with who he remained for a period of
four years. Five years were spent in the employ of W. S. Hannum,
a plumber, and in 1904 he embarked in business on his own
account in connection with Charles F. Uhlein under the firm name
of Uhlein & Burow. They now have one of the best appointed
plumbing establishments of the city and have built up an
excellent trade, which is constantly increasing.
On the 12th of August, 1902, Mr. Burow was married in
Danville to Miss Margaret M. Baumgart, a daughter of Christ
and Lena Baumgart, of Danville. He affiliates with the' Republican
Party, but aside from voting, has never taken an active part in
politics, preferring to devote his entire time to his family and
business interests. He holds membership in the Lutheran church
and finds his chief source of recreation in outdoor sports, of
which he is very fond, especially baseball. He takes an annual
fishing trip to the lakes and different resorts throughout the
country. His business has ever been so managed as to gain the
confidence of those with whom he has had dealings, and he stands
high in the esteem of all who know him.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois, Past & Present - Publ. 1911- Page 800 ok -
Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
JOHN F. BUROW,
the proprietor of one of the largest and best equipped retail
grocery establishments in Danville, has been identified with the
mercantile interests of the city for more than a quarter of a
century. His birth occurred in Danville township, Vermilion
county, Illinois, on the 9th of April, 1858, his parents being
Joseph and Sophia (Frederick) Burow, who celebrated their
marriage in Germany. In 1857 they crossed the Atlantic to the
United States. coming direct to Danville, Illinois, where the
father worked as a day laborer for a number of years, as his
financial resources were quite limited. By dint of untiring
industry and close economy he eventually accumulated capital
sufficient to enable him to purchase a small farm and throughout
the remainder of his life he devoted his attention to general
agricultural pursuits. He is still survived by his widow, who
enjoys excellent health for a woman of her advanced age. Their
children were as follows: John F., of this review;
Frederick, who passed away in 1904; Ricka, the wife of
Henry Waltman; and Sophia, the wife of John Barth.
John F. Burow attended the public schools of
Danville until fourteen years of age, when he was obliged to put
aside his text-books in order to assist in the support of the
family. He first secured a position as general utility boy in
the dry goods establishment of William Mann &
Company at Danville and remained with the concern for six
years. On the expiration of that period he took up the pursuits
of farming and dairying in association with his mother, being
thus busily engaged for five years. At the end of that time,
having carefully saved his earnings since leaving the
schoolroom, he found himself in possession of a capital of five
hundred dollars, which in 1883 he invested in business, forming
a partnership with Joseph Webster for the conduct of a
retail grocery store at No. 900 East Fairchild street. The
relation was maintained for three years, when, foreseeing the
possibilities of success in an individual career, Mr. Burow
purchased his partner's interest and with the aid of his sons
has since built up an extensive and desirable trade. He has won
an enviable reputation for reliability and integrity and the
prosperity which he now enjoys is all the more creditable
because it is directly attributable to his indefatigable energy
and capable management.
On the 29th of December, 1883, in Danville, Mr.
Burow was united in marriage to Miss Emma Bronsing, a
daughter of Frederick Bronsing and a representative of an
old pioneer family of this city. They have three sons,
Edward, John F. and Harold, all natives of Danville, who
were born in the years 1887, 1889 and 1899 respectively. The two
oldest are associated with their father in business.
In politics Mr. Burow is a stanch
republican and an active worker in the local ranks of the party.
He acted as treasurer of Germantown for ten years and for a
period of twelve years also discharged the duties devolving upon
him as commissioner of highways. In the spring of 1910 he was
reelected commissioner of highways for another three years'
term, so that he is now serving in that capacity. During the
past five years a sub postal station has been located in his
store. In religious faith Mr. Burow is a Lutheran,
while fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Honor,
the Woodmen, the Eagles and the Red Men. He has lived his life
to good purpose, recognizing and utilizing each opportunity as
it has come to him, while the methods which he has ever pursued
have been such as inspired the trust, confidence and good will
of all with whom he has been associated. Vermilion county has
always remained his home and the circle of his friends is almost
coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.
Source: History of Vermilion County,
Illinois - Vol. II - Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911 - pgs. 290 ok -
Submitted by Mary Paulius |
| |
ASA
M. BUSHNELL. The years that cover the active
business career of Asa M. Bushnell have chronicled his
success as a result of determined and persistent purpose and
close application. He is now well known as president of
the American Bank & Trust Company of Danville but has also been
identified with various other enterprises which have materially
advanced the interests of this city and county. Throughout
his entire career he has retained the high regard of a large
circle of friends - a fact indicative that his pronounced traits
of character are those which everywhere command confidence and
trust.
A native of Illinois, Mr. Bushnell was born in
Cook county on the 8th of December, 1849, his parents being
Henry and Lavina (Dayton) Bushnell, who were natives of Ohio
and New Jersey respectively. Before his marriage the
father came west, becoming one of the early settlers of Cook
county, Illinois, and purchased a farm in Blue Island which he
operated for a number of years. In 1854, however, he
removed to Vermilion county, taking up his residence about ten
miles east of Danville, where he continued to engage in
agricultural pursuits for a few years. At the end of that
time, however, he returned to Cook county, where he made his
home during the Civil war. He was the first man drafted
from that county but his services were refused and the company
he organized there was given to another. After the close
of the war he again came to Vermilion county but in 1874 removed
to California and spent the remainder of his life in Monterey
county, his time and attention being devoted to farming.
His death occurred there on the 19th of March, 1901, but his
widow is still living and continues to make her home in the
Golden state. There were seven children born to this
couple, four sons and three daughters, namely: Lydia,
deceased; Asa M., William, Mary, Loran, Henry, and
Nellie. All are residents of California and with the
exception of our subject.
Asa M. Bushnell acquired a good practical
education in the public schools of Merom, Indiana, and upon the
home farm he spent the days of his boyhood and youth, remaining
under the parental roof until twenty two years of age. He
then engaged in clerking for the firm of Gundy Brothers
at Myersville, Vermilion county, for one year and in 1873 opened
a store of his own at Bismarck, this county, which he conducted
for twenty years. While engaged in business there he also
served as postmaster for eighteen years, one term of this time
being under the administration of President Cleveland,
although he is a strong republican. While residing in
Bismarck he also served as school director for several years.
It was in 1894 that Mr. Bushnell removed to
Danville, where he was first engaged in the music business,
purchasing his stock from the firm of Lyon & Healy of Chicago,
but a few months later he sold out and bought an interest in the
implement and hardware business with J. B. Chambers, with
whom he was connected for seven years. On disposing of his
interest in that enterprise he organized the Danville Wholesale
Grocery Company but sold out at the end of a year and in 1907
organized the American Bank & Trust Company, of which he has
since been president. It has a capital stock of one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars and has already paid five per
cent dividend, with an undivided profit of five thousand one
hundred and fifty-two dollars and ninety-three cents. The
officers are Asa M. Bushnell, president; John L.
Hamilton, vice president; Alonzo L. Lyons, second
vice president; and James A. Foster, cashier. They
occupy a very modern building which was remodeled at a cost of
twenty-eight thousand dollars, and their fixtures are up-to-date
and of the most approved pattern. Although the bank has
been in existence only a few years, it ahs steadily prospered
and is today regarded as one of the safest and most conservative
financial institution of the section of the state. The
building it occupies and the one adjoining it are owned by
Mr. Bushnell, who is still in possession of a fine farm near
Bismarck.
On the 15th of October, 1873, was celebrated his
marriage to Miss Willie M. Shockley, of Vermilion county,
and they have become the parents of four children as follows:
Clyde H., now a resident of Durant, Oklahoma; Mabel,
the wife of O. H. Fairchilds, of Denver, Colorado; and
Frank and Barton, who are engaged in the wholesale
candy business in Danville.
Fraternally Mr. Bushnell affiliates with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America. A man of
good business and executive ability, he has met with excellent
success in his undertakings and is today numbered among the men
of affluence in Danville. He has known the pleasure of
success, not simply in the pecuniary reward that has come to him
but also in that enjoyment which comes in the accomplishment of
what one undertakes. He has ever persevered in the pursuit
of a persistent purpose and is now numbered among those who are
the factors in Vermilion county's material upbuilding. He
is a splendid type of the American business man, alert,
energetic and determined, carrying forward to successful
completion whatever he undertakes.
Source: History of Vermilion County, Illinois - Vol. II -
Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911 - pgs. 79 ok |
| |
JAMES D. BUTLER.
With the exception of those coming to the salt works, probably
James D. Butler was the first settler in his section of the
country. Mr. Butler came directly from 'Clark County, Ohio, but
he had lived in that state only six years so that he really came
here a Vermonter in sentiment and habits. He was a native of
Vermont, coming west from Chittenden County, Vermont, to Clark
County, Ohio, in 1814. He left Ohio in the spring of 1820, and
came to the point of timber which ran out into the prairie west
of Catlin, and took up a claim. The land had not yet been
surveyed by the government and put upon the market.
Mr. Butler had friends come with him, neighbors from
Ohio. They all put in crops and returned to Ohio in the fall,
expecting to come back in the spring. Mr. Butler did come and
brought his family with him, but the neighbors refused to come.
They thought they had enough of the inconvenience of the new
country. It took courage on the part of Mrs. Butler to come to
her new home under circumstances such as these. True her husband
was satisfied with conditions in the new country, but on the
other hand the stories told by the others were very
discouraging. But in the due course of time Mr. Butler and his
family reached their new home and took possession of the cabin
he had built for them the previous summer. His cabin was erected
on the east side of the brook which is even yet known as Butler's branch and on the right hand side of the road going
from Catlin to the old Fair Grounds. When Butler's family moved
in they had as their nearest neighbors, Treat's family at the
Salt Springs and to the south the newcomers since his return to
Ohio, a man well known late in the county whose name was Henry
Johnson. He had moved on the Little Vermilion in the early
spring. Within a few years several families came to this
neighborhood and Butler's Point became an important settlement
and remained so for some time after the organization of
Vermilion County. Near Butler's house there was a large oak
tree, which had defied the prairie fires and all threats of wind
and weather, which became a landmark and sentinel which guided
travelers crossing the trackless plains to the south and west.
It was called "Butler's Lone Tree." Later Mr.
Butler
prospered and built him a fine house, locating it near the
corner of the old Fair Grounds, at the northeast corner. This
house was almost
a mansion as compared with all the other cabins. The logs were
square-hewn and the corners of the building cut even with the
line of the wall. It was in this house that the first court of
Vermilion County sat. Mr. Butler was a man of good business,
possessed a practical mind and was conspicuous in the affairs of
Vermilion County at an early day. He had the thrift and energy
characteristic of one born and reared in Vermont, as well as
possessing their courage. He spent the remainder of his life in
Vermilion County at Butler's Point and when he died was buried
in the enclosure since known as the Butler Burying Grounds. His
wife was buried in the same burying grounds. James Butler and
wife were the parents of four children, one son and three
daughters. The son moved to Kansas, one daughter became the wife
of her cousin by name of Butler, the second daughter became the
wife of Marcus Snow and later of Cyrus Douglas, and the third
daughter became the wife of a Mr. Fielder and after the death of
Mr. Coleman, and went west. The two daughters first mentioned
were buried in the Butler burying ground.
Source: History of
Vermilion County, Illinois, Vol. I by Lottie Jones - Publ.
Chicago - Pioneer Publishing Co. 1911 - Page 101 ok - Submitted
by Mary Paulius |
| |
DAVID M. BYERLY
is one of the progressive and prosperous farmers of Catlin
township, whose present success has come as the logical
result of industry, energy and perseverance and is due
entirely to his own well directed efforts. A native of
Indiana, he was born in Putnam county on the 4th of
November, 1852, a son of K. F. and Rebecca Byerly.
No event of special importance came to vary the routine of
life for him during the period of his boyhood and youth,
which was spent in the home of his parents. The winter
months were devoted to acquiring an education in the
common schools, while during the summer vacations he
assisted his father in the operation of the home farm. At
first his tasks were light but as the years passed and he
gained in strength and experience, he assumed larger and
more responsible duties, becoming familiar with all the
various branches of agriculture.
Mr. Byerly remained
upon the homestead until twenty-seven years of age when,
desiring to engage independently in business, he rented a
farm which he operated for about eight years. At the
expiration of that period he felt that the capital which
he had been able to accumulate through constant exertion
and strict economy was sufficient to warrant his
purchasing a farm, and he consequently became the owner of
a tract of eighty acres on section 15, Catlin township,
taking up his abode thereupon. Later he added forty acres
to his original purchase and his farm today comprises one
hundred and twenty acres of rich and valuable land which,
by wise management, has been brought under a high state of
cultivation. Many of the improvements upon the place are
the result of his thrift and industry, and everything
about the farm indicates that he has kept in close touch
with the modern spirit of progress which is now manifest
in agricultural circles. He practices rotation of crops,
cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate
and uses modern machinery to facilitate farm labor, and
the results which he has attained have been most
gratifying. In connection with his general farming he
engages to some extent in the raising and feeding of
stock, and this branch of his business, also carefully
managed, is proving both successful and remunerative.
On the 22d of February, 1880, Mr. Byerly
was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Goff, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Robert
and Elizabeth (Gardner) Goff, of that state. Their
family consisted of eleven children, of whom eight are
still living, this number including Mrs. Byerly.
Mr. and Mrs. Byerly have no
children of their own but have adopted a boy, Theodore
Byerly, who was born on the 22d of November, 1903,
and are bestowing upon him all the advantages and comforts
of a good home.
They hold membership in the Christian church of Catlin,
and in their daily lives exemplify the teachings of that
denomination. They are earnest, Christian people, whose
many excellent traits of character have won for them the
high regard and esteem of all with whom they come in
contact, and since their residence in Catlin township have
acquired a large circle of warm friends. The principles of
the republican party have ever found in Mr.
Byerly a stanch supporter, although the honors and
emoluments of office have never proved an attraction. He
prefers rather to concentrate his energies upon the
conduct of his personal affairs, in which he has been most
successful, and much credit is due him for the position
which he has attained among the substantial and
representative agriculturists of Catlin township.
Source: History of Vermilion Co., Illinois - Vol. II -
Lottie Jones - Publ. 1911 - p. 494 ok |
NOTES: |
