Rock Island County IL

Biography of Charles Deere

The American plow and the name of Deere are synonymous in the public mind. Neither widespread commercialism inspired by the plow nor its constant development toward perfection by other hands and minds has effaced the intimacy between the inventor and his invention. There is no such close sympathy between Fulton and the steamboat, Morse and the telegraph or others among the pioneers of practical ideas. The living force of most inventors has been in the ideas they have given to the world, but the perfection of these ideas has been carried forward by others. The living force of the Deere … Read more

Biography of Col. Charles William Durham

Col. Charles William Durham is the principal assistant in the engineering office at Rock Island Arsenal. His father, Charles Durham, was born in Belfast, Maine; his mother, Dorcas C. Durham, was born in the town of Brewer of the same State. Mr. Durham, senior, was for the greater part of his life a lumber merchant and vessel owner. Both parents are now dead. Young Charles was a graduate of Chelsea (Massachusetts) High School in 1864, and graduated Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1868. Thence he went to Germany and studied in Heidelberg University for one year, returning to … Read more

Biography of Hon. William Payne

Farmers who have been elected to positions of trust and honor are not by any means few in America, but it is the exception that the tiller of the soil continues to be such long after he has won success in any sphere outside his regular calling. The allurements of city life in the great majority of cases quickly overcome the inborn love of nature unadorned and the farmer is known by another name. Honorable William Payne has been one of the few. After terms of service in county offices and through twelve years in which he held membership in … Read more

Biography of Major Henry Clay Connelly

The record of Major Henry Clay Connelly, both as a soldier and as a civilian, is a brilliant one and will live long after he has passed to another world. His father was James Connelly, a son of Bernard Connelly, who settled in Philadelphia about 1800. He afterwards located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where, as a dealer in live stock he became successful. His wife, of English birth, was a Miss Eggleton. She was the first member of the Episcopal Church of England in that county and for many years the only one. James Connelly arrived at man-hood in Somerset … 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

Biography of Hon. T. J. Medill

Ranking among Rock Island’s prominent men, who have been honored politically and who have achieved a high standing in the realm of business, stands the subject of this sketch, Thomas J. Medill. He was born in Milan, Illinois, March 16, 1859. His parents were Thomas J. and Eliza A. (Dickson) Medill. The father, when a young man, emigrated from the north of Ireland to America, and here he married Miss Eliza A. Dickson, the daughter of William Dickson, and a native of Erie County, Pennsylvania. William Dickson, of whom a more extended biography appears elsewhere in this volume, laid out … 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

Biographical Sketch of Frank B. Hawes

Frank B. Hawes, son of David Hawes and brother of Major Charles W. Hawes, was born in the City of Rock Island on November 14, 1844. (See biographies David Hawes and Major Charles W. Hawes). Since April 13, 1891, the subject of this sketch has been prominently connected with the head offices of the Modern Woodmen of America. For years he was the society’s statistician, but of late years he has discharged the responsible duties of chief of the final accounting department. He has supervision over the most important set of accounts maintained by the Modern Woodmen Society-the financial. It … Read more

Biography of Ignatz Huber

The City of Rock Island is indebted for its present prosperity and commercial activity to many men whose capital and intellect have been instrumental in promoting its growth; but one of the men to whom it is chiefly indebted for his activity in promoting those industries and measures which are the life of a city is Ignatz Huber, one of Rock Island’s pioneer brewers and financiers. Mr. Huber is a native of Bavaria, Germany. He was born February 1, 1826. His boyhood and youth were spent in his native Bavaria, and after his school days were finished, learned the brewer’s … Read more

Biography of James F. Rankin

James F. Rankin has proved his ability both in general business affairs and as a banker, and is the organizer and active official of the State Bank of Sidney. Mr. Rankin was born near Deland, Illinois, October 31, 1879, a son of Joseph H. and Emma (Brown) Rankin. His parents were natives of Ohio, and his father was for a number of years a general merchant at Deland, but about 1902 removed to Champaign County and located in the city of Champaign, where he is still living. James F. is the only surviving child, his younger brother, Willis D., having … Read more

Biography of James A. Wendell

To the subject of this sketch more than to any other person, perhaps, is due the fact that the finest plant in the United States for the manufacture of table oil cloth is now located in Rock Island. During a long career as traveling salesman for an eastern manufacturer he was impressed with the advantages of the upper Mississippi valley as a site for a factory, and it was the soundness of his reasoning which impressed the officers of the Standard Oil Cloth Company and led to the location of the present factory on the Father of Waters at Rock … 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 James Blair Lower

James Blair Lower, president of the First National Bank of Washington, is a banker of long and active experience, and represents a family in which the financial ability had been highly developed, two of his brothers being also well known western bankers. Mr. Lower had spent most of his life in Kansas, but was born at Lenark in Carroll County, Illinois, July 30, 1860. A number of generations back his first American ancestors came out of Europe and settled in Pennsylvania. His father was of German descent and his mother of Irish-Scotch descent, her father being Irish and her mother … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Herbert B. Hayden

Herbert B. Hayden, Superintendent of City Schools of Rock Island, is a native of Massachusetts. He was educated in the graded and high schools of his native state, and at Wesleyan University. Since 1883 he has been engaged in public school work, either as high school principal or superintendent of city schools, and has been in charge of the schools of Rock Island since August, 1900.

Biographical Sketch of Francis Coyne

One of the prosperous young farmers of Rock Island County is Francis Coyne, son of William and Margaret (Morrison) Coyne. He was born in Bowling Township, where he now resides, March 8, 1876. He received a common school education in the County and started out for himself in 1902, following his marriage, when he established himself on the old homestead. In the Fall of 1904 he removed to the farm he now occupies. He now owns two hundred and twenty acres of well improved land and is considered one of the well-to-do and substantial citizens of the County. Mr. Coyne’s … Read more

Biography of George Mixter

A gentleman of education, refinement and culture, an Easterner who came to Rock Island in the early days, and who spent a busy and useful lifetime in this community, was George Mixter, deceased, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, April 28, 1835, and died in Rock Island April 20, 1897. He was of English extraction. The first Mixter who came to America was an English sea captain of that name, who came to this country and settled in Plymouth in 1630, and from him the Mixter family, so well known throughout Rock Island County, trace … Read more

Biography of Henry Stelck

Henry Stelck, a promising young member of the Rock Island County bar, is a native of the City of Rock Island, having been born there February 12, 1878. His father was Peter Stelck and his mother Caroline (Koester) Stelck. Both the parents immigrated to America from Germany. Mr. Stelck, the elder, was born in 1833 in Wisch, Propstei, Schleswig-Holstein. The mother was born in Lensah in the same state in 1845. The father located in Rock Island in 1867, after having for ten years immediately following his removal to America, been a resident of Davenport, Iowa. The parents of the … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Franklin Knox

The mission of the undertaker, rightly estimated, is not less one of helpfulness and comfort than of the mere burying of the dead for a price. Viewed in the higher aspect it is on a plane with that of the family physician, and but little less sacred than that of the minister of the gospel. The proper discharge of the duties calls for tact and genuine human sympathy. The conscientious funeral director who labors for a long term of years in a community comes, through association in most trying times, to know the people intimately and to be their friend, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Coyne

The man whose name appears at the head of this sketch is known as one of the most industrious and enterprising farmers of Bowling Township, where he was born and has spent all his life. He first opened his eyes upon this world November 19, 1867, his parents being William and Margaret (Morrison) Coyne. He attended the public schools of the County, and February 18, 1896, was married to Miss Eilza A. Bauer. The latter is also a native of Bowling. She was born September 3, 1869, the daughter of Jacob and Mary (McDonald) Bauer. Her mother was a native … Read more