RICHARD HANEY, D. D.  Prominent among those who have contributed to the spread of the gospel in this portion of Illinois, stands the name of Richard Haney, whose unceasing labors for many long years past in the Master's vineyard, and whose humble piety and Christian walk in life have endeared him to the thousands who have from time to time listened to his eloquent discourses and fervent prayers, as he told the story of the Cross and pointed their wayward feet to the realm of eternal bliss.  Mr. Haney is a native of Cross Creek, Washington Co., Penn., born Apr. 15, 1812.  He is the ninth child and sixth son of Rev. James and Hannah (Freeborn) Haney, both of whom were natives of County Donegal, Ireland.  They emigrated with their parents to this county soon after the close of the Revolutionary War, in the year 1792.  They first settled in Lancaster Co., Pa., where they were married, and three of their children were born in that county.  They were both of Scotch-Irish parentage.  James Haney was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over 60 years.
     From Lancaster the family removed to Washington County, where Mr. Haney was for many years instructor in an academy.  He was a fine scholar and was recognized as an able educator.  He served his adopted country as a soldier in the war of 1812, under the command of General Thomas Patterson, of Washington County, who figured conspicuously and did signal service on the frontier in that memorable struggle, driving the combined forces of English and Indians back across the border into Canada.  After the surrender of Detroit, peace being declared, he returned to the bosom of his family, and shortly thereafter removed to Richland County, Ohio.  His wife, the mother of Richard Haney, our subject, died there in the year 1821, at the birth of her 12th child.  Rev. Haney subsequently married Miss Mary Bevans, who was a native of Wayne Co., Ohio, by whom he had two sons the Rev. Milton L. and Henry.  The latter died Jan. 26, 1848.  Four of the sons of Rev. Haney became Methodist ministers; two are dead and two survive.
     Mr. Haney was a remarkable man in many respects, a mathematician of ability and a powerful, eloquent and graceful speaker.  He ranked for the period in which he lived among the able pulpit orators of the country.  In the year 1834 he removed from Richland Co., Ohio, to Fulton Co., Ill., where he died, on the 5th day of June, 1855.
     Rev. Richard Haney received his rudimentary education at the district schools and under the private instruction of his father.  He subsequently became a student at Norwalk (Ohio) Seminary; and here it may be interesting to state, Mr. Haney was enrolled as the first student of that school, which was the first institution of learning west of the Ohio River owned by the Methodist Episcopal Church.  He prosecuted his studies there about two years; a part of the time he served as tutor.  He left the seminary when about the age of 21 years and joined the Ohio Conference.  He was transferred the same year (1834) to the Illinois Conference, and stationed at Rushville, Schuyler County.  The county being new and sparsely settled, the young preacher had to endure many of the privations and hardships which were incident to those early times.  Preaching was frequently held in the log house of the settler, and oftimes the congregations would gather in the groves to worship together and listen to the fervid eloquence of the young pastor, who, even at that early day, was regarded as a strong and earnest worker in the cause of Zion.  His first presiding elder was the celebrated Peter Cartwright, who was the most noted of the early Methodist preachers of the West and a man who is still revered for his piety and great force of character.  To him probably more than to any other man the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Mississippi Valley owes its present prominence and great influence in the West.  During the long period of his ministry, Mr. Haney has held the office of presiding elder for 25 years.  This of itself will attest more than anything we can say the strong appreciation in which he has been held by his coadjutors in the cause of Christ.  In all positions to which he has been called by the church, his piety, unremitting labor and pronounced individuality of character have been the means of drawing multitudes of sinners from the error of their way.  It was the pleasure of the writer of this brief sketch to have listened to the recital, by a gentleman well known to the people of Warren County, of how he, while listening to Brother Haney's eloquent and masterly presentation of the plan of salvation, as laid down by Holy Writ, was enabled to see clearly the road which led from sin's dark chaos into the effulgent light of Christian
peace and happiness.
     The last district in which Mr. Haney officiated as presiding elder was at Winona, on the east side of the Illinois River.  He has been continuously in the ministry for over 51 years, having traveled four circuits, and the balance of the time filling stations,
prominent among which were the Methodist Episcopal Church on Clark Street, Chicago; at Quincy, Bloomington, Rock Island and Peoria.  During his pastorate at the Clark Street Church, Chicago, from 1848 to 1850, he called the meeting which projected and brought about the establishment of the Northwestern University, at Evanston, Ill.  His name stands first as one of the incorporators, and he has been identified as one of the trustees ever since.  By his wise counsel, he has contributed largely to the growth and development of that noted institution of learning, which, by the liberality of its many friends, has been handsomely endowed to the extent of about
$2,000,000.  It is the leading institution in the West, under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, as one of its founders, Mr. Haney will ever be remembered.
     During the dark days of the late slaveholders' rebellion, when our nation's life seemed in danger, Mr. Haney came forward early, and laid his services and life, if need be, upon the altar of his beloved country.  He enlisted May 24, 1861, and was made Chaplain of the 16th Ill. Vol. Inf., commanded by Col. R. F. Smith.  Their first service was in Missouri.  From thence they moved to Kentucky, and participated in the the breaking of the blockade of Island No. 10.  Mr. Haney remained with the regiment until the last of June, 1862, when he resigned, his health having failed, and which he has never fully recovered.  Shortly after his return home, he resumed active service
in the ministry, being stationed at Bushnell.
     In the years 1879-80, at the request of Gov. Cullom, of Illinois, and Gov. St. John, of Kansas, Mr. Haney traveled extensively over several Western States, collecting supplies and funds for the relief of the negro refugees from the South to the State of Kansas.  He sent to them large quantities of lumber, agricultural implements, breadstuffs, clothing and household utensils, besides considerable money.  The managers of railroads exhibited commendable liberality in furnishing free transportation of the goods to the destitute colored people.  The efforts of Mr. Haney were crowned with success.  The good people of the Mississippi Valley came forward with their accustomed generosity and aided the worthy cause which he represented.  It may here be mentioned that the extensive establishment of John Deere, at Moline, gave 14 plows, and the Moline Plow Co., through its president, gave an equal number.
   At the session of the Central Illinois Conference, held at Galesburg, in 1862, Mr. Haney, as chairman of the committee on the state of the country, drafted the resolutions praying President Lincoln to proclaim the freedom of every slave in the United States.  The resolution received wide circulation in the press and was forwarded to the President by Bishop Baker and the secretary of the Conference.  This was the first ecclesiastical body that ever passed such a resolution.  The patriotic efforts of the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church did much to inspire confidence in the great President and the soldiers in the field.
     In 1834 Mr. Haney became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, and voted for him both times that he was a candidate for the presidency.  For many years before he became prominent, Mr. Haney had learned to admire the sterling qualities and marked ability of him, who, in after years, was the most illustrious of our Presidents.
    On the 17th of July, 1838, Mr. Haney was married, near Quincy, Adams Co., Ill , to Adaline Murphy. She was a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey  She came to Adams County with her parents in 1835.  Her father was a native of Ireland; her mother, Mary (Allen) Murphy, was descended from the French Hugenots, who had been Protestants a hundred years before the revocation of the Edict of Nance.
     Mr. Haney and his wife were the parents of ten children, three sons and seven daughters, three of whom are deceased.  Their eldest son, Rev. James W. Haney, is a member of the Central Illinois Conference, now stationed in Blandinsville; Adaline is the wife of Rev. George Palmer, D. D., of the Central Illinois Conference; Emily the wife of George Baker, a merchant in Dwight, Ill.; Luella, wife of Prof. Robbins, who has charge of the high school at Joliet; Mary and Elizabeth are unmarried; Charles is married and a resident of Minneapolis, Minn.  Mrs. Haney died on the 15th of January, 1865, in the city of Peoria, where they were residing.
     Mr. Haney's second marriage occurred May 1, 1877, when he wedded Mrs. Mary E. Quinby, widow of the late Judge Ivory Quinby (see sketch of Judge Quinby).  They now reside at their elegant home in Monmouth.  Mrs. Haney is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and has been for nearly half a century.
     In politics, Mr. H. was first a Whig, then a Republican, and was an active supporter of that party until the question of prohibition became prominent, when he became a promoter and advocate of that movement.  While absent attending Conference he was nominated for Congress as the candidate of that party in this district, and received a flattering vote, many of them being cast by his old time friends of both parties.  An excellent portrait of Mr. Haney is shown on page 580
Source:  Portrait and Biographical Album - Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1886 - Page 581