Biographies

Hiram Jaques Biography

 HiramJaques  HIRAM JAQUES was born inSchoharie county, New York, August 17, 1814. He was the son of Jesse andMaria (Boice) Jaques. They both died in New York. They had twelve children,but only one or two are living. Hiram remained at home with his parentsuntil their death, when he worked by the month until the spring of 1837,when he came to Illinois by the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers,with one of his brothers and two neighbors. They first built a mill race,working it by day, month or job for two years, and then took an interestin a saw and grist mill, … Read more

Judge John A. Arenz – Biography

  JudgeJohn A. Arenz  JUDGE JOHN A. ARENZ, nowretired from active life and living at his pleasant home on the cornerof Sixth and State Streets, was born on the river Rhine, near Cologne,in 1810, October 28. He is the only member of the family that came to thiscountry now living, His parents lived near Cologne, Germany, and the father,Francis, died there when past ninety years of age; he was a prominent andsuccessful man and was an officer in the army of his country, and receiveda pension for some years before his death. His wife lived to be an oldlady over … Read more

Thomas R. Van Deventer – Biography

  ThomasR. Van Deventer  THOMASR. VAN DEVENTER, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser and esteemed citizenof Brown county, Illinois, for the past fifty-five years a resident ofsection 15, Versailles township, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, in 1819. Hisparents were Jacob and Jane (Rogers) Van Deventer, the former a nativeof old Virginia, and the latter of Paris, Kentucky. His father’s parentswere Jacob and Mary (Slater) Van Deventer, the former born in Holland in1743, and the latter a native of Glasgow, Scotland. The young Hollanderwas a powder-maker by trade, and came to America In early manhood. He wasmarried in New Jersey, on … Read more

William G. Mohlmann – Biography

WILLIAM G. MOHLMANN, proprietor of the furniture and undertaking establishment at the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets, was born in the city of Beardstown, July 10, 1866. His father, William, was born in Prussia and was the son of Henry, who was also a Prussian. He grew up there and learned the trade of cabinet maker. He married a Prussian lady of good family, and after most of their children were born, and when their son William was thirteen years old, in 1849, came to the United States. He finally settled in Beardstown and established a business, which was … Read more

William H. Coleman – Biography

WILLIAM H. COLEMAN, general farmer and stock-raiser, running the large cattle farm of 320 acres, and also owner of nearly 600 acres in the precinct of Philadelphia, all in Cass County, has lived in the county for thirty-two years, has always been engaged as a farmer and has always been quite successful. He began here as a poor man and worked for $10 a month for the first four years, and after that began to farm on the Calef farm, which he has since run as a renter. Out of his savings, he has purchased the large farm of 600 … Read more