Wilson, Geo., engineer; P.. Aurora. Wood, W. K., machinist; P. O. Aurora. Woods, Jno. N., train disp.; P. O. Aurora. Woods, W. S., P. O. Aurora. Wood, C. J., railroad soliciting agent; P. O. Aurora. WILDER, MRS., widow of Clark Wilder; was born at New London, Conn., in 1810; was married in 1833, to Clark, at Rossie, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y.; in 1837, Mr. W. decided to come West; and with his brother, Russel, he settled at Aurora, Illinois, and purchased 200 acres; he returned East and made arrangements to bring his family; after several weeks of pleasant travel (in their prairie schooner), they reached Aurora, then comparitively a wilderness of prairie; several years after he purchased the farin, Mr. W. discovered a valuable stone quarry on his land, and the fine residence where Mrs. W. now resides was built from it; Mr. W. died in 1870, after a life of honorable toil; commencing with nothing but his hands and great force of character, he succeeded when others would have failed. Wm. W. Wilder, a son, enlisted in Co. H, 124th Ill. Infantry, at Aurora, for three years, in 1862; was in many important battles, and while with Gen. Sherman on his march to the sea, was taken prisoner and sent to Andersonville, and died shortly after release. WENTWORTH, AUSTIN, retired farmer; P. O. Aurora; was born in Berkshire Co., Mass.; he worked hard and obtained a good common school education; moved to Wisconsin in 1846; came to Aurora and having some property, he erected a house, and shortly after exchanged the same for 40 acres of farm land; he worked the farm six years; his health then declining, he traded the farm for a house and lot on Lake street; went to Aurora; his wife was Sarah Ann Park; she was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1814; they have one child-James P., of the firm of Reed & Wentworth, hardware merchants, Aurora. Willis, J. W., P. O. Aurora. Wolleng, Jno., blksmith; P. O. Aurora. Wildrick, L. M., conductor; P. O. Aurera. Wright, C. A., merchant; P. O. Aurora. Wells, H. S., merchant; P. O. Aurora. Wilton, Samuel, tailor; P. O. Aurora. Welton, Peter, boots; P. O. Aurora. Weinang, C., butcher; P. O. Aurora. Welch, Nick, P. O. Aurora. WENTWORTH, J. P., born in Oneida Co., N. Y., May 2, 1836; his father was a farmer in good circumstances, who then lived near the town of Lee, Mass.; in 1844 his family moved to Wisconsin and settled at Summit, thirty miles from Mllwaukee; in Spring of '47 they came to Aurora; while here young W. attended the public schools and received a liberal education; was connected with the Aurora Beacon four years as a compositor; also became a telegraph operator at Sterling and Rochelle and remained about two years in this capacity; in 1857 took charge of Aurora telegraph office; in 1862 became fireman on the C., B. & Q. R. R., and in the same year enlisted in he 89th R. R. Regiment, Co. E, mustered into service in August; went into camp at Chicago and shortly after went to the front; received an honorable discharge at Louisville, Ky., June, 1863; returned to Aurora and became employed as station agent on C., B. & Q. R. R., until he commenced at his present business-Reed & Wentworth, successors to Chas. Weeks & Co., hardware merchants. This firm commenced business the present year. They carry a full line of general hardware, silver-plated ware, tools, stoves, and everything usually found in this line. Aurora boasts of many first-class hardware houses, but we know of none who carry a better line of goods than the above firm. H. B. Read was born in Prussia, Ger., in 1845; his parents emigrated to America at an early day, locating first at St. Louis, thence to Princeton, Bureau Co., Ill. Here he received a liberal education, and on arriving at maturity he opened a hardware store at New Iowa, and shortly after moved to Des Moines, same State, and began the tinner business; on Dec. 17, 1877, he came to Aurora. Welch, Chas., carp.; P. O. Aurora. Waterman, Mrs. M. A., P. O. Aurora. Waterman, Eben, engineer; P. O. Au rora. Watson, W. H., bookstore; P. O. Aurora. Wallace, Jason, carpenter; P. O. Aurora. Wheeler, A. L., engineer; P. O. Aurora. Wheeler Henry, clerk; P. O. Aurora. Whitefield, Geo., picture frames; P. O. Aurora. Whitefield, John, cloth finisher; P. O. Aurora. Whitman, Aurora. WEST, WILLIAM P., retired far.; P. O. Aurora; was born in Chenango Co., N. Y., March 11, 1818, and resided there some 18 years; at this age he started for Carbondale, Pa.; his means were limited to $1.75; soon after his arrival he became employed by the Deleware & Hudson Canal Co., and remained with them for six years; in the Spring of 1842 he came to Illinois and settled in Blackberry, Kane Co.; before purchasing property he conceived the idea of selecting a superior grade of sheep and bringing them to his future home; he accordingly started for Preble Co., O., and Union Co., Ind., and bought 800 head of sheep; the average price was 65 cents per head, and the expense of transfer per head was 20 cents; this was the second flock ever brought into the county; has owned some seven or eight hundred acres of land, now owns about five hundred; has always been very successful as a farmer, and while in the township held the offices of Supervisor and Highway Commissioner; was also elected to office of County Treasurer; Mr. W. took the premium for the best cultivated farm in the State, in 1872; he retired and came to Aurora and is now enjoying the fruits of his labors. J. K., gardener; P. 0. White, C. H., attorney; P. O. Aurora. White, J. B., P. O. Aurora. White, J. A., upholsterer; P. O. Aurora. White, W. L., mason; P. O. Aurora. White, E. W., car inspector; P. O. Au rora. Ware, Mrs. B. C., P. O. Aurora. Wilcox, W. W., P. O. Aurora. Weiler, Peter, farmer; P. O. Aurora. Wolsfield, Peter, farmer; P. O. Aurora. Wilber, George, P. O. Aurora. Wingate, Saml., car repairer; P. O. Au rora. Weldon, George, engineer; P. O. Aurora. Waterhouse, L. H., contractor; P. O. Au rora. Washburne, H. C., engineer; P. O. Au rora. Walters, G. W., P. O. Aurora. rora. Webb, Moses, barber; P. O. Aurora. Weber, Adam, lab.; P. O. Aurora. Wheaton, Chas., atty.; P. O. Aurora. Worst, Chas., P. O. Aurora. Whottles, Mrs. D. M., P. O. Aurora. Whalton, Jas., P. O. Aurora. Wormley, Mrs. L. B., P Aurora Wormwood, O., P. O. Aurora. Warnick, G. G., far.; P. O. Aurora. WINTON, BURR, by trade a carpenter and joiner; P. O. Aurora; born in Schuyler Co., N. Y., in 1801; was the second white child born in Schuyler Co., remaining at his native home until he was, at the age of 37 years, engaged in farming and the carpenter business; hearing so much of the Western country, his brother and sister then living in Illinois, and his father having made a visit West and speaking so favorably of the Western country, he emigrated to Illinois in 1836, settling at Aurora, then only eight families living in the town; was twenty-one days making the trip from New York to Illinois, coming by water and stage route; was unanimously chosen by the people of Aurora as Postmaster, in February, 1837, being the first Postmaster, which office he held for ten years with honor and credit to himself and the people; he was married twice, his first wife being Miss Mary Kilburn, of Connecticut, who died Aug. 30. 1842, and his second was Arabella S. Long, of Connecticut, born in 1813; two children, Lucius V., born July 9, 1829; Jennie A., born Oct. 16, 1839; His father, Samuel Winton, of Connecticut, was born in 1778; his mother, Ruth A. Hinmann, of Connecticut, was born in 1782. Warnick, J. B., far; P. O. Aurora. 17; P. O. Aurora; was born in Warren Co., N. Y., in 1829; is the son of Hugh and Eveline (Waldren) Waddell; he remained in his native State until 1857, engaged in farming; came West and settled in Du Page Co.; engaged in farming; remained there until 1865; he then came to Kane Co. and settled on the farm that he now lives on, and has been farming ever since. Married in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Ward; born 1832, daughter of Dr. L. Ward and Lillie Barton Ward, who were among the first settlers in Du Page Co.; her father was the first doctor in that vicinity, having settled in Du Page Co. in 1835; her brother, Geo. Ward was Colonel in the U. S. Army, and participated in the Blackhawk war; died in California; Mr. Waddell's brother, Hon. Robert Waddell, was born in Johnsburgh, N. Y., July 29, 1833; was a member of Assembly in 1864, 1876-77; died at Johnsburgh, N. Y., of typhoid pneumonia, in 1877. Ward, John, bowling alley; P. O. Aurora. Wolfsfeldt, Peter, farmer; P. O. Aurora. Washburn, H. C., engineer; P. O. Aurora. White, F., P. O. Aurora. Wilcox, G. R., merchant; P. O. Aurora. Wilkie, C. A., mer.; P. O. Aurora. Warren, W. W., engineer; P. O. Aurora. Wright, Billings, mach.; P. O. Aurora. Winandy, Wm., fireman; P. O. Aurora. Whitfield, John, cloth finisher; P. O. Aurora. Wekerlein, S., P. O. Aurora. Warner, Geo., P. O. Aurora. Welch, Sarah, P. O. Aurora. Wilkie, J. L., merchant; P. O. Aurora. Wilkerson, H., carp.; P. O. Aurora. Weeks, L. F., hardware; P. O. Aurora. West, T. W., carp.; P. O. Aurora. Williams, Elisha, farmer; P. O. Aurora. Weston, W. H., collector Gas Co.; P. O. Westover, Fred, bricklayer; P. O. Aurora. YAGER, M. D., machinist; P. O. Yager, M. H., artist; P. O. Aurora. was born in Orange Co., Vt., in 1817, Young, Mrs. E. B., P. O. Aurora. ZENNER, PAUL, P. O. Aurora. Ziegler, Michael, foundry; P. O. Aurora. Zack, Michael, farmer; P. O. Aurora. Zengerlie, Nick, farmer; P. O. Aurora. ZIEGLER, J. MICHAEL, brass foundry and lock manufactory; P. O. Aurora; was born in Germany in 1829; emigrated to America and landed in New York in 1854; thence to Newark, N. J., where he was engaged in a tool manufactory for eight mouths; thence to Aurora, where he commenced the blacksmith trade, and remained at this business for four years; thence took charge of the lock department of the C., B. & Q. R. R. shops, where he remained sixteen years. When Mr. Ziegler first came to Aurora, he was worth nothing; had to borrow money to pay his passage to Aurora; with hard labor he saved enough money to commence business on his own account; he is now engaged in manufacturing car locks for the C., B. & Q. R. R., having turned out over five thousand locks for that compnny; he is the patentee of the "car seat lock," which is used on a great many railroads throughout the United States; he has manufactured over eighty thousand of these locks; has employed at his shops six hands, where he is prepared to do all kinds of casting. Zinmer, John, tinner; P. O. Aurora. Zinmer, Chris., blacksmith; P. O. Aurora. Zenner, Stephen, farmer; P. O. Aurora. |