1902 Biographies
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| Eddy Baker | Amos Bartlett |
| Charles Ballance | Peter Bartlett |
| John Barnhill | more to come... |
BAKER, EDDY,
Farmer; born in Rensselaer County, New York; educated in New York and
Massachusetts. His parents were Benjamin and Lucy (Ives) Baker, who were born in
Connecticut; first located in New York State and afterwards removed to
Williamstown, Massachusetts. Mr. Eddy Baker came to Peoria County, with his wife
and two children. in 1844, and settled in Brimfield; his cash capital at that
time was two dollars and fifty cents. For four months he worked on a farm for
his brother Hiram at fifteen dollars a month. He then rented a farm for three
years, and afterwards purchased eighty acres of prairie land for three dollars
and twenty-five cents an acre, upon which he made a payment of fifty dollars.
Mr. Baker has been very successful. He had a farm of 360 acres in Brimfield
Township, and owned property in the Village of Brimfield. He was married,
December 28, 1837, in Massachusetts, to Eliza Worcester. There were four
children: Stephen, who resides in Iowa; Martha A., deceased; Helen, deceased,
married John McLaughlin and moved to Nebraska, and Eddy, deceased. Mr. Baker's
second marriage was with Nellie O'Hara, December 28, 1875. Mrs. Baker's
grandfather, Dr. William O'Hara, was a surgeon in the British Army; his only
son, John, was a physician. Dr. O'Hara had two sisters, Susan and Elizabeth;
both married Scotchmen of distinguished family. The parents of Mrs. O'Hara were
John and Sarah (Campbell) O'Hara, who were born in Ireland and came to America
when about thirteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. O'Hara resided in Jefferson
County, New York, and came to Peoria County in 1869, settling in Brimfield
Township. There were eleven children: Kitty, married J. W. Griffin, of
Watertown, New York; Mary E. of Brimfield Township; Nellie (Mrs. Baker); Captain
Thomas O'Hara, of Peoria County; Susannah, married A.G. Church of Fairmount,
Nebraska; Frances A., wife of Eddy Barker; Captain Thomas O'Hara, of Peoria; and
Oliver and Sarah, deceased. Mr. Baker was a Democrat and held a number of local
offices, Mr. and Mrs. Baker were members of the Baptist Church.
(Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, page 658, submitted by Janine Crandell)
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The life of Colonel Charles Ballance is a record of
energy and of perseverance under difficulties, crowned with ultimate and
complete success. Through the long period of his life he retained his
enterprise, his cheerfulness of disposition and, above all, his desire to know.
The fact that a subject was new or obscure was sufficient to inspire in him a
warm interest, and no amount of difficulty could daunt his industry. Although,
in common with most young men of the early days of the past century, he had
little direct schooling, his love of study led him in every direction till his
knowledge became encyclopedic. Science and philosophy, theology and medicine,
history and poetry all interested him, and so well could he converse on any one
of them that, to the listener it seemed that the subject under discussion must
be his chosen one. "Never waste a minute" was his favorite motto, and much of
his reading was done in the odd moments when waiting for others.
Mr. Ballance was descended from an old English family,
a portion of which emigrated to Virginia more than two centuries ago. His
grandfather, Charles Ballance, was killed during the War of the Revolution. His
father, Willis Ballance, was married to Joyce Green, in Culpeper County.
Virginia, in 1796, and soon after removed to Madison County, Kentucky. Here
their second son, Charles, was born November 10, 1800. His mother died soon
after, and his father having married a second time, the boy seems to have grown
toward manhood without much guidance or control outside of his own strong sense
of right. One thing he was determined upon, and that was an education superior
to what the country school afforded. Having but little money he turned his
attention to anything that offered a support, and finally obtained a place to
study law with Judge Terry T. Haggin, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Entering upon
the practice of law in Kentucky, Mr. Ballance continued there for a couple of
years, and then coming to Illinois, opened an office in Peoria in 1831, where he
continued in active professional work until a year or two before his death. Soon
after coming to Peoria he was appointed County Surveyor of Peoria County, in
which capacity he served for some years.
His legal ability was of a high order and, in all
questions involving the rights of property holders, he had no superiors. It was
in this line his reputation rests. Owing to the way in which Illinois became a
part of the United States, there was much vexatious controversy over the "French
Claims," some of which were just, but many spurious and absurd. By the purchase
of a large tract of land in the southern part of Peoria (now Ballance's
Addition), on which some of these claims infringed, Mr. Ballance became almost
immediately interested in the study of land titles. For a long series of years
he fought these claims, sometimes with other attorneys to assist him, but more
frequently single-handed, against some of the best lawyers in the West. Several
of the cases were carried to the Supreme Court of the United States, where they
were argued by him in person. Sometimes successful and sometimes defeated, he
persevered till he triumphed over all his opponents, and removed entirely and
forever that incubus on the prosperity of the city (the "Peoria French Claims"),
so that now no such claims exist.
In politics Mr. Ballance was an old line Whig. When
that party disbanded, his anti-slavery proclivities induced him to join the
Republicans, with which party he acted till his death. In 1855, he was elected
Mayor of the city, and discharged the duties of that responsible office to the
general satisfaction of his constituents. Previous to this he had been Alderman
for the First Ward, then embracing one-fourth part of the entire city. He was a
man of public spirit and intensely devoted to the prosperity of Peoria. His
individuality was strong, and, although differing from some others in the
advocacy of measures promotive of its interests, none could impeach his honesty
of purpose or his desire to further its commercial prosperity. In 1870 he
published a "History of Peoria" of standard authority and of great historical
value, in which his views upon public measures affecting the city are somewhat
fully set forth.
During the Civil War Mr. Ballance was a stanch Union
man, and, though more than sixty years of age, raised, largely at his own
expense, the Seventy-seventh Regiment of Illinois Volunteers and was elected
Colonel of the same. To his great grief, his age and the state of his health
compelled him to resign the position before the regiment was ordered to the
front. This regiment did good service during the war, and was in the disastrous
Red River Expedition where Lieutenant Colonel Lysander R. Webb, a son-in-law of
Col. Ballance, was killed.
Col. Ballance was very happy in his domestic relations.
In 1835 he was married to Miss Julia M. Schnebly, daughter of Henry Schnebly,
who is well remembered by all the earlier citizens. To them ten children were
born, all but one living to adult age. More than half of these have since passed
to the great hereafter, but many grandchildren remain, happy and respected
themselves, and proud of the virtues of their honored ancestor. (Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, page 444, submitted by Janine Crandell)
BARNHILL, JOHN, Farmer: born at West
Jersey, Stark County, Illinois, February 22, 1850; is the son of John and
Priscilla (Hann) Barnhill. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the
mother of New Jersey. The paternal grandfather was Philip Barnhill and the
maternal grandfather, William Hann. Philip Barnhill moved his family for
Pennsylvania early in the nineteenth century to Knox County, Ohio, where they
engaged in farming. Later John Barnhill and his family moved to Missouri, but
the salvery agitation and unsettled condition of business caused them to remove
to Stark County, Illinois, whence they came to Peoria County and settled in
Elmwood, and later in Brimfield, where the older members of the family died.
John Barnhill started his life without money. He rented farms and saved his
earnings, with which he bought a farm in Stark County. He sold that and with the
proceeds bought a farm in Elmwood, which he improved and, eleven years later,
sold it at an advance of four thousand dollars. He then purchased a farm of
three hundred and twenty acres in Brimfield Township for twenty-eight thousand
dollars, upon which there was a brick residence found to have been built at a
cost of over thirteen thousand dollars. Mr. Barnhill married Priscilla Darnell
at West Jersey in July, 1870. She was born in Salem Township, Knox County,
Illinois January 16, 1851, daughter of Abner amd Matilda (Thurman) Darnell,
natives of North Carolina. They left their native State and settled in Ohio and
later in Salem Township, Knox County. There were born of this union seven
children: Francis E., Ida F., Daisy A., Edna B. and John H., now living, and
George O. and an infant, deceased. (Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, page 658, submitted by Janine Crandell)
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AMOS P.
BARTLETT. Amos P. Bartlett was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, May 14,
1812. He was the son of Samuel C. and Eleanor (Pettengill) Bartlett, and the
brother of Reverend Joseph Bartlett, a prominent Congregational minister in the
East; Dr. Samuel C. Bartlett, late President of Dartmouth College, and William
H. Bartlett (deceased) , a member of the Supreme bench of New Hampshire.
Mr. Bartlett received an academic education at Salisbury and Derry, fitting for
Dartmouth College, but declined to enter College, choosing to follow a business
life. He commenced the dry-goods business for himself in Brockport, New York, in
1832, remaining in that place until 1836, when he came to Peoria and formed a
partnership with the late Moses Pettengill in the stove and hardware business.
Prior to coming to Peoria. on October 4. 1836, he married Sarah M. Rogers, of
Dansville, New York, who still survives him. He continued in partnership with
Mr. Pettengill for five years. In 1843 he entered into partnership with Leonard
Holland and continued with him for a period of five years, afterwards conducting
the business on his own account until 1861, when his cousin. P. C. Bartlett,
became a member of the firm. Mr. Bartlett continued in the business until 1877,
when he retired from the dry-goods trade and became interested in the business
of his sons, Samuel C. and and William H. Bartlett. doing a grain and commission
business in the city of Peoria. under the name of S. C. Bartlett & Co. He
continued with his sons until about eighteen months prior to his death, which
occurred at Peoria on April 11, 1895. His two sons subsequently removed to
Chicago, where they established the firm of Bartlett, Frazier & Company, an
extensive grain and commission firm, of which Mr. William H. Bartlett is the
senior member. The business is still continued in Peoria, under the old firm
name. Samuel C. Bartlett, the senior member, died in Winnetka, Illinois, in
March, 1893.
Mr. Bartlett early identified himself with the cause of
education in the city of Peoria, bringing with him the New England ideas upon
that subject. He came of an educated ancestry, prominent in politics, in law, in
medicine and in business, and, although declining; a college education, he
believed in it to the fullest extent, and actively interested himself in
establishing a school system in Peoria, which resulted in the organization of
the "Peoria Academy" for girls, and the "Peoria Academy Association" for boys.
These were stock or subscription schools and were practically the beginning of
public education of the boys and girls of Peoria. They continued for four or
five years, until about February 15, 1855, when the Board of Education of Peoria
was organized by act of the Legislature. Mr. Bartlett was a member of that Board
and, for five years, its President, actively interesting himself in the
establishment of the free-school system in this city. He was instrumental in
bringing educated young men and women from the East as teachers in the public
schools. When these schools became firmly established he declined longer to
serve upon the Board, but continued his interest in the public school system to
the day of his death.
His sons were both graduates of Dartmouth College: his
daughters were graduates of the Peoria High School, and his youngest daughter
was a graduate of Abbott Female Seminary, Andover, Massachusetts, and of Bryn
Mawr, Pennsylvania. She took a post-graduate course at the latter institution,
and received her Doctor's degree. She also studied abroad three years, and was
connected, for a time, with Newnham College, Cambridge. She is now Dean of the
Women's Department of the Bradley Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Bartlett thus
exemplified, in his treatment of his own children, his belief in the value of a
thorough education. During his life in Peoria he was identified with all that
pertained to the growth and the best interests of the city.
Mr. Bartlett had no ambition to be an office holder,
but was always active in local politics in the interest of honesty, morality and
good government. He believed in and advocated a high standard of civic and
social life. He was the active foe of all that was low, unclean, immoral and
dishonest. He lived to see the small country village become a commercial and
manufacturing center—a city of cultivated homes, churches and schools second to
none in the country. largely through the active efforts of himself and his
associates. (Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, page 42, submitted by Janine Crandell)
PETER
COLCORD BARTLETT. It has been said that a man is not to be blamed for his
ancestry, nor is he entitled to any particular credit for their characters or
careers; but that man is fortunate who can point to a long line of ancestry with
pride and satisfaction.
The subject of this sketch, Peter Colcord Bartlett, can go back over his
ancestry, step by step, and find nothing of which any descendant should be
ashamed. He was born February 13. 1826, in Salisbury, N. H., to Peter Bartlett
and Anna (Pettengill) Bartlett. His father was an educated, prominent physician
and removed to Peoria, Illinois, from Salisbury, New Hampshire, in 1836. He
died, after residing here for a short time, of over-fatigue and exposure in the
discharge of the duties of his profession. Dr. Bartlett belonged to the Bartlett
family of New England, prominent in the legal and medical profession. The names
of the family are found prominently identified with the educational institutions
of New England, and have an honored place in the records of the bar and
medicine.
Mr. Bartlett was employed as a clerk for a time in a
general store in Peoria, and then entered the employment of Pettengill &
Bartlett, who were also engaged in the selling of general merchandise—the last
named member of the firm being a cousin of the subject of this sketch. P. C.
Bartlett established himself in Peoria in the retail grocery business, which he
conducted with fair success for a period of twelve years, and then engaged in
the dry-goods business with A. P. Bartlett, formerly connected with Mr.
Pettengill. This firm was dissolved in 1877. A. P. Bartlett retired from
business, and P. C. Bartlett entered the revenue service in 1878, in which he
continued for seven years. He then engaged in the retail grocery business, which
he is still conducting with success. November 12, 1851, he married Abigail
Thompson by whom he had four sons. She died September 2, 1861. One son only,
Henry T. Bartlett, survives, and is now cashier of the Peoria National Bank. He
married for his second wife Margaretta Culbertson. Five children have been born
during this second marriage, namely: Sue Herron, Nancy Culbertson, Edward Peter,
Lucy Ellen and William Culbertson Bartlett—all of whom survive and are an honor,
comfort and credit to their father and mother. Edward P. is in business with his
father; Sue H. is a prominent teacher in the Peoria High School; William C. has
an important and responsible position with the Acme Harvester Works; Nancy C.
and Lucy E. are at home.
Mr. Bartlett is peculiarly happy in his domestic
relations, and no man has a pleasanter home, or a wife and children of whom he
can be prouder, or in whom one can find more satisfaction. Mr. Bartlett has
always maintained a reputation for the strictest integrity and uprightness and
bears an honored name in the city of Peoria. where he has resided and been in
active business for so many years. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church,
and broad, charitable and catholic in his views, always ready and willing to
concede all rights which he claims for himself. (Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, page 48, submitted by Janine Crandell)
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Updated May 23, 2006