Rock Island County IL

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

Biography of James M. Beardsley

The above named widely known soldier-citizen is a brother to Colonel Ezra, and Lieutenant Elisha I. Beardsley, the latter of whom was killed in action, December 29, 1862, at Chickasaw Bayou, during the assault under General Sherman. Mr. Beardsley, who is also a cousin of the late Major James M. Beardsley, and descended from a family who settled in America along with the Puritans in 1628, and whose relatives served in the Army and Navy in various capacities for nearly three centuries, was born near Aledo, Mercer County, Illinois, June 23, 1843. When he was still in his swaddling raiment, … Read more

Biography of Sylvester Washington McMaster

Almost the only living individual among those earliest settlers who came to Rock Island County in the thirties and forties, when the present City of Rock Island was a small village, known as Stephenson, is Sylvester Washington McMaster, a man whom nearly every man, woman and child throughout Rock Island County knows, either personally or by reputation. He was born October 8, 1811, near Watertown, in Herkimer County, New York, and died January 22, 1908, at the age of ninety-six years. His early life was spent upon a farm and he received such education as he could in the country … Read more

Biography of Colonel Henry Curtis

One of the prominent citizens of Rock Island, and a man of high standing in the legal profession, was Colonel Henry Curtis, deceased. He was born at Boston, Massachusetts, August 13, 1834, the home of his parents. Henry and Rebecca L. (Everett) Curtis, and in that city he spent his boyhood and received his preliminary education. This was finished by a course in the English High School of his native city, which fitted him for entrance into the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New York, where he pursued an engineering course, and graduated in 1855 as a civil engineer. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hugh A. J. McDonald

Mr. McDonald was born in the City of Rock Island, Illinois, November 13, 1862, the son of H. A. J. and Sarah J. McDonald, of Scotch-Irish descent. He was married to Mary C. Gall June 5, 1889, in Rock Island, Illinois. The offspring of this union are Hugh Earl and George Hobart McDonald, both resident in Rock Island. Mr. McDonald was a member of the State Infantry of Illinois, Company A, Sixth Regiment, from 1884 until 1893, when he resigned with the rank of Captain, which he had held during the last eighteen months of his service. He was manager … Read more

Biography of Harry P. Simpson

Harry P. Simpson, editor of the Rock Island Argues, was born in Davenport, Iowa, on July 6, 1863, and moved to Rock Island in 1887. He attended the public schools in his native city, and while yet in high school he developed a decided taste for newspaper work, serving as reporter on a society paper called the Saturday Afternoon People. His work attracted attention and he was offered a position on the staff of the Davenport Gazette, which he accepted, representing that paper in a reportorial capacity in Rock Island and Moline. A little later he was made city editor … Read more

Biography of Max Daniel Rosenfield

Max D. Rosenfield is a familiar name in business circles throughout Rock Island, Moline and Davenport as well. He was born in Muhringen, Wurttemberg, Germany, April 4, 1867, his parents being Daniel and Marie Rosenfield. He at-tended the public schools of his native town, He came to America at an early age, and later located in Chicago, where he resided from 1883 to 1901, when he removed to Moline. A branch of the Chicago Brewing Company had been established in Rock Island in 1894, Sam Pells being the first manager. In 1889 this Brewing Company became a part of the … Read more

Biography of Thomas Nessler

Thomas Nessler is one of Rock Island’s well and favorably known German-American citizens, where he occupies the position of brew master for the Rock Island Brewing Company. He was born December 18, 1869, at Obernhibeim, Germany, his parents being Donatus and Barbina Nessler. After completing a common school course in his native land he entered a brewing academy at Versuchs Statum, Germany, and there received instruction in the trade which he expected to follow throughout his life, having previously served two years apprenticeship in Aldvisebach, Germany. After being employed for several years in breweries of Germany, he came to the … Read more

Biography of Ed Green, Col.

Col. Ed Green. While Colonel Green’s home and interests have been centered in Kansas for a number of years, he is hardly less well known in the State of Illinois, where he was reared and where he spent many active years, and in fact throughout the country and even abroad the name of Col. Ed Green is one of the most prominent associated with the breeding of short-horn cattle and of fine trotting horses. His home is now at Howard, Kansas, and he owned several ranches in that section of the state. Colonel Green was born at Indianola, Illinois, October … Read more

Biography of John Deere

No citizen in Rock Island County, or throughout the country, was probably more widely known than John Deere of Moline. He was born at Rutland, Vermont, February 7, 1804, and died May 17, 1886. 1805 the family moved to Middlebury, Vermont, where the children attended school in a district schoolhouse, which had a long fire place across the end of the room. The reading, writing and little arithmetic obtained here, before he was twelve years old, was the principal educational start Mr. Deere had for life. He afterwards attended private school for a few months, but the inborn inclination for … Read more