Peoria County IL

Biography of James J. Rogers

The life of James J. Rogers has not been one of unvarying monotony, circumscribed by the habits, thoughts and customs of some narrow community, but contains many interesting incidents that come with travel and extensive intercourse with the world. Born on the Atlantic coast, he has visited foreign lands, has viewed many of the interesting scenes of our own country, and is now located in the beautiful city of Boise, which nestles in one of the loveliest valleys of the Pacific slope. There he is successfully engaged in the practice of law, and in the political affairs of the state … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry E. Brown

Mr. Henry E. Brown was born and uneducated in Elmwood, Peoria County, Illinois, until his sixteenth year when he moved to Peoria and entered the high school, afterwards entering Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1899, with the degree of Bachelor of Physics. Since then he has been connected with the Rock Island Public Schools, starting as a teacher and five years ago becoming principal of the high school. Mr. Brown has always been greatly interested in all educational matters and has received much recognition for his interest by educational associations. He is at the present … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Elbert Cutler

Cutler, James Elbert; university prof.; born, Princeville, Ill., Jan. 24, 1876; son of Frank W. and Antonaiah (Hoag) Cutler; B. A., University of Colorado, 1900; graduate student Yale, 1900-1903; Ph. D., 1903; married, Carolena D. Sperry, of New Haven, Conn., June 25, 1903; instr. English and civic government, State Preparatory School of Colorado, 1899-1909; instr. political economy, Yale, 1903-4; instr. economics, Wellesley College, 1904-1906; asst. prof. political economy, University of Michigan, 1906-1907; asso. prof. sociology, 1907-1910, prof. 1910-, Western Reserve University; member American Economics Ass’n, American Academy Political and Social Science; American Sociological Society, National Conference Charities and Correction, American … Read more

O’Farrell, James R. – Obituary

James R. O’Farrell, 80, a native of Orting and a former Pierce County commissioner, died Friday night [September 25, 1953] at his home in Orting. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert O’Farrell, were pioneers in area, taking up a 120-acre homestead in the Puyallup Valley in 1870. Mr. O’Farrell was the last of four sons of the pioneers. He married Lena Bruce of Tacoma in 1898 and they set up housekeeping in Orting. For many years he was active in community and political affairs. He served at various times as mayor, councilman and school director in Orting and from 1916 … Read more

Wilkinson, John – Obituary

Forty-two years a resident of Union county, Oregon, was John Wilkinson, who was born July 30, 1839, in Peoria, Illinois, and died in Walla Walla, Washington, where he went three weeks before for treatment in a hospital in that city. At the age of two years, he, with his parents, went to Missouri, where they remained eight years, then to the old Illinois home till 1858, when he started westward, spending four years with headquarters in Nebraska, freighting on the plains as far as Denver. In 1864, he, together with his father, mother, five brothers and three sisters and a … Read more

Wicks, H. Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. H. Wicks Passed This Life Sunday Noon Another pioneer was called to the beyond this week when Mrs. H. Wicks died at her ranch home east of North Powder, Sunday morning, June 21. Mrs. Wicks had been in ill health for the past two years, and for the past several months, had been bedfast, and while her death was not unexpected, yet it cast a gloom over the entire community. She will be missed by her many friends and acquaintances, many of whom had known her for the 43 years she has spent in this section. Mrs. Wicks was … Read more

Biography of Felix G. Campbell

Felix G. Campbell was a thoroughly practical and successful farmer before he took up the business of real estate, loans and insurance at Champaign, and in both lines his success has been noteworthy. He is still a farmer through ownership, though no longer a worker in the fields, and he now gives all his time to an extensive clientage in real estate and insurance. Mr. Campbell was born in Preble County, Ohio, November 11, 1848, and was four years of age when his parents, John W. and Margaret N. (Dooley) Campbell, moved to Peoria, Illinois. His father was a native … Read more

Wilkinson, Thomas – Obituary

Thomas Wilkinson died at his home in High Valley, Thursday, March 23, 1922, age 85 years and 27 days. He was born in Peoria County, Illinois, January 24, 1837. His early life was spent in Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska. He crossed the plains to Oregon in 1864. Starting from Nebraska, May 9, and arriving in Oregon, October 9. He was married to Lydia A. Rundall November 27, 1879. To this union four children were born who survive him-Jacob H., Tillie A., Mary E., and Philip Edgar. His wife passed January 13, 1918. Three grandchildren survive; one sister, Mrs. Eliza Hathaway … Read more

Biography of Frank A. Landee

It is a safe presumption that Frank A. Landed the widely known retail grocer of Moline, is an example of self made manhood that is worthy of the most persistent and conscientious emulation. Mr. Landee was born in Kalmar, Sweden, August 11, 1852, and from the moment of his arrival in this country, his career has been marked by unceasing toil and honorable occupation and transactions. From a lad, wholly unknown, his rise has incessantly been in the ascendancy. He is at the present time a member of the Board of Directors of Augustana College; and is a member of … Read more

Biography of Eugene B. Buck

Eugene B. Buck, editor and proprietor of the Charleston Courier. Charleston; was born in Fayette Co., Ind., Oct. 12, 1834; when he was about five years old, his father’s family removed to McLean Co., Ill.; he served his apprenticeship to the printer’s trade in Bloomington; in 1852, he went to Peoria, Ill., and, in 1855, was connected with the publication of the Pekin Plaindealer; in 1856, he was associated with four other journeymen printers in running a co-operative daily paper in Peoria; in 1857, he conducted the Washington Advertiser, in Franklin Co., Mo.; in 1859, he edited the Daily Enterprise, … Read more

Biography of Francis Fletcher

FRANCIS FLETCHER. – Mr. Fletcher was among the very earliest of the settlers of Oregon, being here two years before the establishment of the Provisional government, and has consequently seen the great development of this state and coast form its earliest inception; and he has himself been one of the most active to induce the progress of the last fifty years. He was born in Yorkshire, England, March 1, 1814, and, at the age of fourteen years, crossed the water to Ontario, Canada, and afterwards to Peoria, Illinois. In 1839, in company with Amos Cook and others, he started for … Read more

Biography of F. C. Amsbary

F. C. Amsbary, superintendent and manager of the Champaign Waterworks, has been superintending waterworks plants in different parts of the country for upwards of thirty years. It has in fact been his regular profession, though some of his younger years were devoted to railroading. Mr. Amsbary has numerous connections that identify him with the substantial interests of his home city. A native of Illinois, he was born at Pekin, January 24, 1863, a son of William Wallace and Harriet E. (Harlow) Amsbary, both of whom are natives of New York State. William W. Amsbary moved to Champaign in 1907, and … Read more

Biography of Julius M. Gehrt

Julius M. Gehrt has been successfully identified with Champaign County agriculture for a number of years, and is the owner and proprietor of a fine farm in section 33 of Harwood Township, near the village of Dillsburg. Mr. Gehrt was born at Lawn Ridge, Illinois, a son of John M. and Catherine (Best) Gehrt. His parents were both born in Germany, came to America in early life, were married in this country and the father is still living, at the ripe age of eighty-three, on his farm in Stark County, Illinois. The mother is now deceased. Julius M. Gehrt was … Read more

Biography of W. D. McDonald

W. D. McDonald was born in Ross county, Ohio, August 6, 1826. His parents, William and Mary McDonald, were both natives of Virginia. His mother was a daughter of Nathaniel Wilson who was the first State printer of Ohio, and a sister of the late Nathaniel Wilson, who with his father started the Scioto Gazette in 1800, in Scioto county, one of the first papers of Ohio. Mr. Wilson died a few years ago at the age of ninety-two years-the oldest editor then in America. Our subject was five years old when his father died and he was reared by … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward Conaghan

Edward Conaghan, merchant, Oakland; born in County Donegal, Ireland, Aug. 15, 1841, where he engaged in farming until 18 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New York in the fall of 1859; coming directly to Charleston, he engaged with his brother peddling, taking his stock of goods upon his back and selling from house to house; after following this for nine months for his brother, he commenced peddling on his own account, taking his first stock of goods, which invoiced at $20, in a pack upon his back, working in all kinds of weather, until 1863, … Read more

Biography of David Prager

David Prager. It was the influence of his personality and character as much as his successful business activities that made David Prager so useful and valuable a citizen of Fort Scott, where he resided for over forty years. His carcer illustrates the fact that the successful man is not necessarily the selfish man. He did not keep the resources of his heart nor of his material means to himself, but dispensed them with free hand among his family, his friends and the entire community. He was one of Fort Scott’s most beloved and best known citizens. David Prager was born … Read more

Biography of Fred Eugene Pettit

Fred Eugene Pettit is a veteran business man and merchant of Marion County, and until he retired a few years ago conducted one of the largest stores at Peabody. Mr. Pettit was reared and educated and gained his first mercantile experience in the State of Illinois. He was born at Wyoming in Stark County, Illinois, January 8, 1861, a son of Peter and Mary Anne (Bailey) Pettit. Peter Pettit was born in New York State and located in Illinois in 1851, when the country was new and undeveloped. After a few years he lost his health and suffered invalidism throughout … Read more

Biography of Thomas R. Hopkins

Thomas R. Hopkins. Modern business requires practical and thorough training in the same degree as the professions and sciences. In Champaign County there is no institution which affords a better curriculum and practical business education than the commercial college formerly known as Brown’s Business College and now owned and administered by Mr. Thomas R. Hopkins, himself a thorough educator of long experience and a man who has trained hundreds of young men and women and given them a thorough preparation for entrance into business affairs. Mr. Hopkins was born in Peoria County, Illinois, January 24, 1877, a son of Griffith … Read more

George Ira Todd of Bartonville IL

George Ira Todd9, (Ira8, Ira7, Jehiel6, Stephen5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Dec. 9, 1849, in Cooperstown, N. Y., married in 1876, Clara L. Hemstreet, of Mendota, Ill., who was born in 1854, in Lyons, N. Y. About 1895 his mind became deranged through overwork and worry and since that time he has been an inmate of the insane asylum in Bartonville, Ill. He is not very closely confined and is allowed many privileges. Children: 2607. Charles Albert, b. Oct. 1877, d. in 1907. 2608. Mary Elizabeth, b. 1879; unmarried. 2609. Helen Ruby, b. 1881, m. 1913, William Wally, of … Read more

Swiger, Polly Mrs. – Obituary

Union, Union County, Oregon Mrs. Polly Swiger, aged 81 years and 26 days, died at the Swiger residence near Union, Oregon, Sunday, October 9, 1910, and was buried from the Presbyterian church Wednesday, October 12, at 11 a. m. Polly Wilkinson was born in Jackson county, Ohio, September 29, 1829, and her early life was passed in the vicinity of Peoria, Ill. She was married to N. Swiger in 1851, and in 1858 moved from Illinois to Nebraska. In May, 1864, Mr. and Mrs. Swiger moved to Oregon, arriving in the Grande Ronde Valley, October 9, of that year. From … Read more