758
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
a native of the Empire State, who was reared and
educated in Utica. She was a teacher in La Salle
Coiint\' previous to her marriage. Her parents were
Hyder Pitt and Lucia M. (Goodwin) Barnes, who
settled in La Salle County in 1856. To onr subject
and his wife have been born three children. The eld-
est is Allen D., now a resident of Montana, where he
is engaged in mining; Lucia Rae is the wife of C. E.
Bogardus, of Seattle, AVash. In the Illimi, of
March, 1892, the State University journal, appeared
the following account of the Puget Sound Alumni
Association meeting, held in the parlors of the
Chamber of Commerce at Seattle, Wash. "In re-
sponse to the toast 'Our college beans,' Mrs. Lucia
Brumback Bogardus entertained us in a most happy
manner. The lady was the 3'oungest alumnus present,
but she treated the subject with a womanly grace
and richness of thought worthy of a much older
and more experienced person. Her remarks were
lieaitily enjoyed." Mrs. Bogardus is a graduate
of the State University at Champaign in the Class
of '90. She completed the literary and scientific
course, and is also an accomplished musician. Al-
mon, the youngest member of the Brumback fam-
ily, helps to carry on the home farm, and is now a
student in Grand Prairie Seminar\'.
Mr. Brumback is identified witli the Deinocvatic
part}', to which he has always given his stanch
support. His first ballot was cast for Franklin
Pierce. In local politics he votes for the man
whom he considers best fitted for the position. He
has held several local offices of honor and trust in
the township, and since 1877 he served as Town-
ship Supervisor. He is now the efficient President
of the Iroquois County Agricultural Association,
which position he has filled for the past three years.
To the cause of education he has ever given his
warm and hearty support, and is a thorough be-
liever in good schools and teachers. For the past
twenty-four years he has acted as a member of the
School Board, being ever zealous and faithful to
the liest interests of the communitj-. Though not
members of any religious organization, Mr. and
Mrs. Brumback are in symiiathy with and attend
the Oilman Presbyterian Church. During his
whole life our subject has been a resident of Illi-
nois, and for nearly a quarter of a century has
lived in Iroquois County. He is widely and favor-
ably known in this and adjacent counties, in whose
development and progress he has verj' materially
aided. He is a man of sterling character, and by
his honorable and upright life has won the confi-
dence and esteem of all.
lll_^ERRICK HOUGHTON, a prominent busi-
[fjl ness man and respected citizen of Oilman,
/^^^ was born in Rutland County, Vt., on the
^ 2d of January, 1845. He is a son of Capt.
Leland and Lovica C. (Ripley) Houghton. Two
brothers by the name of Houghton came from Eng-
land in the early days of our country's history, and
the one from whom our subject is descended settled
ia Vermont. The Ripley family also came from
England. Both parents of our subject were born
in Rutland County, Vt. In the fall of 1845, the
father came b}' way of the Lakes to Chicago, but
as he did not wish to locate in what he called that
"mud-hole," he removed to a farm near Aurora,
where he remained about nine years. He and his
wife then removed to the Northwestern corner of
Kankakee County, where they lived until 1874. At
that time the}^ came to Gilinan, where they spent
their remaining j^ears. He lived to the age of
sixty-nine years and his wife was sixtj'-six
3"ears of age at the time of her death. She
was a member of the Methodist Church and her
death was widely regretted. Mr. Houghton
was a Whig and later a Republican. In their fam-
ily were five children, of whom one died in in-
fancy; of those who survive, Franklin is a resident
of Oilman: OUie is the wife of James Gordan , of
Ashkum, this county; Herrick, our subject; and
Sidney, wlio is a mail carrier in Chicago.
Herrick Houghton w.as reared as a farmer lad
and was educated in the common schools. When
only sixteen years of .age, he enlisted in Company
A, Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry. This was on tlie
16th of August, 1861. After spending two weeks
in Chicago and an equal length of time at .St. Louis,
the company was sent to Maryland. The first fight
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
759
in wliicli he was engaged was with StonewallJack-
sou at Alpine Station. He particiijated in the bat-
tles of Kernslown and Black Water, also in the
siege of Ft. Suinter. lie-then joined the army under
15utler and took part in the battles of Hethesda
Chureh, Drury's Blufif, Bermuda Hundred, Deep
Bottom, Petersburg. Ft. Gregg. Rice Station and
Appomattox. He served as Corporal and Com-
missary-Sergeant. He was mustered out at Norfolk,
Va., and received his discharge at Springfield, 111.,
December 16, 1865, after four j-ears and four
mouths of hard service. He was a valiant soldier,
prompt in action and ever at his post of duty.
On his return home, Mr. Houghton turned his
attention to farming. In Ashkuni Township, March
3, 1868, he married Nancy E. Jlellen, a daughter
of William M. and Elvira (Bolster) Mellen, who
are natives of Vermont. Mrs. Houghton is the
second in a family of seven children, three sons
and four daughters; she was born in Bennington
County, ^'t., and with her parents came to Illinois
in 1857. At that time Mr. Mellen located on a
farm near Joliet and followed agricultural pui-suits
until the year 1866, which witnessed his re-
raoval to Iroquois County. In 1887. he came
to Oilman, where he and his wife still live, aged
respectiveh' seventy-seven and sixty-nine 3'ears.
They are consistent members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and are highly regarded for their
sterling worth. Mr. Mellen was an old-line Whig
until the rise of the Republican party, to the i)rin-
ciples of which he h.as since adiiered.
Having farmed successfully in Kank.ikee County
until 1874, Mr. Houghton came to Oilman and
opened a fancy grocery and notion store, which he
continued for some three years. He then returned
to agricultural pursuits, which line he followed
until 1882, when he started a meat-market in Gil-
man, in which business he has since continued.
After about a year lie took .asa jiartner his brother-
in-law, William S. Mellen. In 1886 they started a
branch market and in each do a thriving business.
In addition, Mr. Houghton is interested in a dredge
ditcher. He is recognized as a successful business
man and is a leader in all that pertains to the best
interests of society. Politically, he is a Republican
but lias never been an office-seeker, He is now
serving his second year on the School Board and
has always been a stanch supporter (>f educational
measures. Socially, he belongs to Oilman Post
No. 186, O. A. R., and to Camp No. 524, M. W. A.
Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist
Episcopal Church, in all the work of which they
are active workers and are highly valued. He is
a Trustee and Steward and is also the Superin-
tendent of the Sunday-school. They have but one
son, William L., who assists his father in his busi-
ness most ablv.
♦^^E
II^M^
ylLLIAM W. GILBERT, dealer in grain
and lumber and a coal dealer of Danforth,
111., was born at Philadelphia, Pa., on the
29th of .January, 1841. He is a son of William
Gilbert, who was born in Maryland, and is of Eng-
lish descent. In Dover, Del., the father was mar-
ried to Susan Callev, who was born in Delaware,
though of Irish ancestr}'. He was a man of supe-
rior education, and was a teacher in the Philadel-
phia schools for many years, or until the time of
his death, which occurred in 1849. His wife died
when the subject of this sketch was an infant.
Wiliiam W. Gilbert spent his youth mainly in
Delaware, where he was i-eared by an aunt. He
attended the public schools, but has been mostl3'
self-educated since arriving at mature years. At
the age of sixteen he went aboard a ship as cabin
boy, and spent from six to seven 3'ears before the
mast. During the first part of his career on the
Atlantic, he shipped in a eo.asting- vessel which
sailed north in the summer months and south dur-
ing the winter. Later, he visited many of the ports
in the Old World, among them Liverpool, London,
Cardiff (Wales), Naples, Messina, Palermo, and
various other seaport town.s. In the year 1864, he
gave up the .«ea and came West to Buffalo. He
then made a few trips on the Lakes and went to
Chicago. From there he went to Danforth, where
he arrived in .luly, 1864. He there engaged in the
Government employ, and in November of that
year went to Little Rock, Ark., remaining in the
same employ until June. 1865. He letunied to
760
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Danforth, Iroquois County, and obtained emplo^'-
nient with George W. Danforth, who was largely
interested in real estate. After being with him
for about two years, he next entered the service
of Henry & Alman, who kept a general store at
Danforth. He remained with them until 1871,
and then purchased a grain and lumber business,
in which he has been activelj' engaged since. At
the time of his purchase, the business was but a
small part of what it is to-day, only doing about
one-tenth the trade he now carries on. He has
built up an immense business through his enter-
prise and wise business investments. Mr. Gilbert
commenced life a poor man, empty-handed and
without a dollar, and has, b^- his own labor and
industry, accumulated a large estate and a fine
business. He is now one of tbe substantial and
progressive citizens of this county. In addition
to his other interests, he owns a section of laud in
one body and a quarter-section in another farm, all
valuable and well-improved property, and also
owns a fine residence propertj^ in Danforth and
another in Kankakee. When Mr. Gilbert pur-
chased the grain business in his town, there was a
small elevator; this he rebuilt and enlarged until
it has a capacity of fifty thousand bushels, and is
one of the best of its kind. He also has a large
warehouse and office in connection witli his lum-
ber yard.
Mr. Gilbert was married to Anna Foster on the
22d of February, 1871. Mrs. Gilbert was born
and reared in Lcwisberry, Pa., and is the daughter
of John Foster. To our worthy subject and his
wife have been born four children: Arthur IT., who
assists his father in the business; Jessie, James
Russell and Lemuel, who still remain with their
parents. They also lost their eldest daughter,
Carrie, who died at the age of six, and one son,
Leslie, wlio died when two years of age.
The first Presidential ballot of our subject vvas
cast for Gen. George B. McClcllan, and every
nominee of the Democratic party for President
has received his support. In local politics, he is
independent, casting his vote for the man whom
he considers best qualified for the position, regard-
less of politics. He has never aspired to official
jiositions, though he was once induced to serve as
President of the AMI lage Board, the duties of which
position he discharged acceptably, and is now
Ma3'or of Danforth. Mr. Gilbert is truly one of
America's self-made men, and has bravely and no-
bl}' met and conquered the disappointments and
discouragements of life, and well merits the suc-
cess he has achieved.
ENRY SALMON, one of the self-made men,
who is engaged in farming on section 9,
Ash Grove Township, was born in West-
phalia, German}-, August 4, 1860, and is one
of a large family of children, whose parents were
Ilenrj' .S. and Mary (Wilke) Salmon. His father
was a carpenter by trade. In the fall of 1866, he
bade good-bye to his old home, and with his fam-
ily- sailed from Bremen to New Orleans, where they
arrived after a voyage of nearly thirteen weeks.
The famil}' then went up the Mississippi River to
Cairo, 111., and on to Monee and Lake County, Ind.,
where for two years the father of our subject car-
ried on carpentering. He then went to Will Count}-,
111., where he rented a farm. His death occurred
on the 22d of September, 1875. His widow is still
living, at the age of sixtj'-four years, and makes
her home with one of her grandchildren in Ash
Grove Township. In politics he was a Republican,
and in religious belief was a Lutheran. He proved
himself a valued citizen of the community, and
had the high regard of all. Although he came to
this countr}' empty-handed, he was a man of energy
and perseverance, and won a comfortable compe-
tence.
The eight children in the Salmon family are as
follows: Annie, now the wife of D. Meyer, of Will
County, 111.; Johanna, wife of Fred Ilasselbing, a
resident of Jasper County, Ind.; Rieke, wife of
Nicholas Casel, of Chicago; Augusta, who became
the wife of Otto' Hardekopf, who died in 1886, in
Ash Grove Township, May 5, 1891; Lena, wife of
Nicholas Feiler, of Chicago; Herman and Henry,
twins; and Louisa, wife of Gus Brutlach, of Ash
Grove Township.
The subject of this sketch was a lad of six sum-
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
761
raers, when, witli his parents, he crossed the briny
deep. The dajs of his bo3hood and youth were
quietly passed in Will County, and his early edu-
cation, acquired in the district schools, was supple-
mented hj' a course in a private school. He came
to Iroquois County at the age of fourteen and a-
half years with the family, and on his father's death
lie began to earn his own livelihood, working as a
farm hand. He then operated eighty acres of land,
purchased by his father. He now owns an eighty-
acre tract, and in addition operates forty acres of
land.
Mr. .Salmon has led a busy and useful life, and
manifests a commendable interest in public affairs.
He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of
AVoodworth, and in politics has been a stanch ad-
herent of Republican principles since he cast his
first Presidential vote for James G. Blaine in 1884.
He has often been a delegate to the conventions of
his party, and for three years served as School Di-
rector.
In April, 1881), in Ash Grove Township, Mr, Sal-
mon was united in marriage with IVIiss Matilda
Munstermann, daughter of Christ Munstermann,
whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Their
union has been blessed with two sons: Henry, born
April 1, 1890; and William IL, born September 20,
1892. Mr. Salmon is a wide-awake and enterpris-
ing young business man, intelligent and well in-
formed, and his propertj' has been acquired by his
own honest industrv-
"\f'OHN CROUCH, a well-to-do and highly re-
spected farmer and stock-raiser of Concord
Township, residing on section 8. is a native
of the Luckeye State. His birth occurred
in Coshocton County on the 22d of Januarj",
18.38, and he is a son of William and Sarah (Lj-
ons) Crouch. His parents were both natives of
OhiOjthe father born in Jefferson County, and the
mother in Guernsey' County. They are now resi-
dents of L-oquois. The paternal grandfather of
our subject, Robert Crouch, died when John was
quite small. AVilliam Crouch engaged in farming
in Coshocton County until 1880, when he came to
this county, locating in the village of Iroquois,
where he is now living retired. He owns consid-
erable land in Concord Township.
Mr. Couch, whose name heads this record, spent
his boyhood days quietly upon his father's farm.
Through the winter seasons he attended the com-
mon schools, where he acquired a good English ed-
ucation, and in the summer months he worked in
the fields as soon as he was old enough to handle
the plow. He remained under the parental roof
until his marriage, which occurred when he was
about twenty -eight years of age. On the 6tli of
November, 1866, he was joined in wedlock with
Miss N. E. Carroll, a native of Coshocton County,
Ohio, born October 20, 1843. Two children were
born to them but they both died in infancy.
At the time of his marriage, Mr. Crouch's pos-
sessions consisted of two horses, two cows, six
hogs, fift}' head of sheep and a few farming im-
plements. He engaged in the operation of rented
land in his native State until 1869, when he re-
moved to Piatt County, 111. He there again rented
land, and engaged in farming until 1870, when he
came to Iroquois County. During the first winter,
he lived in a log cabin. He then removed to a
farm near the village of Iroquois, where he made
his home for ten years. In 1874 he purchased his
present home, consisting of eightj' acres of wild
prairie land and twenty acres of timber. He soon
began to cultivate and improve it, and the same
year erected a dwelling, to which he made exten-
sive additions in 1881, when he moved his family
to that place. He now owns a well-improved
farm. The land is under a high state of cultiva-
tion and is well tiled. There are substantial
buildings, such as are found on a model farm, and
a fine bearing orchard is numbered among the
other excellent improvements. In connection
with general farming, Mr. Crouch is engaged in
stock-raising, making a specialty of the breeding
of Shropshire sheep. He has been very successful
in this work and has some fine sheep upon his
farm.
In his political atfiliations, Mr. Crouch has been
a supporter of the Democracy since he cast his first
r62
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860.
He served as School Director for two j'ears, but re-
signed before the expiration of his term of office.
He is now serving his tenth term as Trustee, and for
three years lie filled tlie position of Road Commis-
sioner with credit to liimself and to the satisfac-
tion of his constituents. The prompt and able
manner in which lie discharged his duties led to
his re-election and won him high commendation.
Sociall}', he is a member of the Masonic fraternit3^,
having been connected with the Blue Lodge of
Iroqaois for twelve years. Himself and wife have
long been active workers in and faithful members
of the Methodist -Episcopal Churcii, in which he
serves as Trustee. His wife is a worker in the
Sunday-school. Their well-spent lives and their
many excellencies of character have won for
them high regard, and they are numbered among
the county's best citizens.
— }-
=^>^r<^
IpS'EV. HELLAVIG STAEHLIXG is an honored
llby minister of the Lutheran Church, and now
tii \V resides at Danforth, where he is pastor in
'^^ the church of that denomination. He is
a native of Germany, and was born in Hessen on
the 24th of May, 18.59. He is a son of Prof.
George Staehling, who was born in the same prov-
ince of the Fatherland. The father had the ad-
vantages of a superior education and was a teacher
for many j'ears. He married in German}- Emelia
Clasing, who was born in Hanover. Prof. Staeh-
ling taught in his native land for a number of
years, and in 1887 emigrated to the New World,
locating at Waverl}', Iowa, where he is now a
teacher in German and music. To the Professor
and his wife were born five sons and four daugh-
ters. The eldest, Rev. Frederick Heniy, is a min-
ister in the Lutheran Churcli at Somonauk, De
Kalb County, III.; Rev. Frederick William, a min-
ister of the same church, is now retired from active
pastoral duties on account of poor health; Rev.
Johannes Otto is located at Manson, Iowa; AVill-
iam is a theological student at Dubuque, Iowa;
and our subject. The daughters are Maria, who
is the wife of Prof. Otto Kraushaar, a teacher in
the college at Waverly. Iowa; Ida is the wife of
Prof. Johannes Fritschel, .ilso of the same college;
Elizabeth, wife of Prof. Herman Kuhlmann,
te.icher of the same school; and Dora, who is a
j-oung lady still at home with her parents.
Rev. Ilellwig Staehling spent his early j'ears in
his native land and received a thorough education
in the schools and a full literary course in a col-
lege, supplemented by about two years in a theo-
logical seminary. His theological course was com-
pleted at the Lutheran Seminary, at Mendota, La
Salle County. He was graduated from that institu-
tion in the Class of '75, and was ordained a minister
of the Lutheran Church. He first assisted the
minister at Gilmaii, but in 1876 received a call
from the Melvin Church, which he accepted, locat-
ing there in the spring of that year. He was the
able and devoted pastor of that church and people
for the succeeding ten jears. At the time of his
call to Melvin, the churcli was veiy much run
down, and by his earnest efforts and zeal he built
up a large congregation and established the church
on a good foundation. He also established An-
chor, McLean County, whose numbers were greatly
increased during liis pastorate. During his minis-
try. Rev. -Staehling has had a number of churches
under his charge, among them Sibley, German-
town, Chatsworth and Roberts. At each of these
places he has built up large congregations and has
aided very materially in the growth of the work.
At one time he had six congregations under liis
charge, for whom his labors were ver\; earnest and
arduous. In 1886, Rev. j\L-. Staehling accepted a
call to the pastorate at Danforth. The church was
est.ablished and had a fair number of members.
Since coming here he has built a schoolhouse and
has otherwise strengthened the church. He has
also established a church at La Hogue, and now
supplies the two pulpits. Among his people he is
highly esteemed and greatly beloved, as he well
deserves. He is a faitliful p.astor and a conscien-
tious advisor of his congregation.
At Melvin, on the 24th of August, 1876, Rev.
Mr. Staehling was united in holy wedlock with
Miss Augusta Gunther, who is a native of Illinois,
her birth liaving occurred at Chatsworth. There
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
763
she passed her girlhood and was educated in botli
the EInglish and German languages. She is a
daugliter of C'hrislian II. Gunther, who was born
in the Fatherland, and is now retired frc>m active
business and makes his home in Chicago. Rev.
Mr. fStaehling and his wife have a famil}- of live
children, as follows: Maria Elmelia, Karl Christian,
Henry Ferdinand, Edward Hellwig and Frederick
George. These children are all receiving the ad-
vantages of a first-class education and good re-
ligious training.
For seventeen years Kev. Mr. Staehling has been
a faithful minister, and has conscientiously done
all in his power to uplift and better humanity.
He has won the love and respect of all with whom
he has come in contact and is one of the leading
and representative ministers of the denomination
to which lie belongs. It is a fact well worthy of
notice that his family is a most remarkable one,
for of five sons, four are now ministers of the gos-
pel, while the fifth one is also preparing himself
for the same position; and of his four sisters, the
three who are married are the wives of distin-
gui!^hed i)rofessors.
l-^Hj^e
<^r LEXANDER KI.SKADDEX, a retired far-
mer of Gilman, was born in Madison
ill 14 County, Ohio, on the 5th of March, 1822.
He is a son of James and Rebecca (Ewing)
Kiskadden. The father was born in Ireland in
1790, and when six years of age made the slow
sailing vo^yage across the Atlantic to the United
States, where they settled in Pennsylvania. He
was reared to farm life and followed that calling
for a livelihood. In Pennsylvania, in the .year
1811, he married Aliss Ewing, who was born in
Pennsylvania in 1794, her parents also having
come to the United States from Ireland. Her la-
ther was of Irish and her mother of Scotch descent.
In 1814, the parents of our subject removed to
Ohio, locating in Ross County, but some two or
three years later went to Madison County, which
was almost an unbroken forest at that time. Mr.
Kiska<lden cleared and improved several farms and
endured many of the privations of pioneer life.
Though he never sought ottice, he was always ac-
tively interested in politics and the advancement
of the best interests of the State. Roth he and his
wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. His death occurred in 1852 at his home
in Clarke County, Ohio, whither he had moved.
His wife survived him nearly thirty j-ears and
died at the home of our subject in Gilman. In
their family were ten children, four sons and six
daughters.
The subject of this sketch is the fifth child of
his father's family. He was reared on a heavily
timbered farm and was thus earlj- inured to hard
work and hardships. When about twentj^ years
of age he started out in life for himself. He was
wedded to Elizabeth Williams in Upper Sandusky,