LOCKE, George M.
George M. LOCKE, salesman for the White
Bronze Monumental Works, of Bridgeport Connecticut, is a well known and leading citizen of Henry, Illinois.
He was born in Knox county, this state, April 20, 1841, and
traces his ancestry back to Capt. John LOCKE, who came to the
new world from Yorkshire, England, in 1638, and located first at
Dover, New Hampshire, whence he removed to Fort Point, the same
state in 1652. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of William
BERRY, the first settler of Hampton, New Hampshire, locating at what is now Sandy Beach, but
was then called
Rye
Beach. There the Locke
family meet annually on the 24th of August to celebrate the
anniversary of John LOCKE. They come from nearly every state of
the union, and often as high as three hundred will be present.
The paternal grandfather of our subject,
John LOCKE, the fifth in descent from Capt. John LOCKE, known as
“Honest John, the miller,” was born in 1769, and married Mercy
DAME, by whom he had the following children: Sarah, Daniel,
William, Elizabeth, Abner, John, Abigail, Abner D.,
Silas, Sampson B., and Mercy D. The father of this family was
the owner of a grist mill, and as toll keeper derived his title
of “Honest John,” by never exacting more than the right amount
of toll. He and his family wee all born at Barrington, New
Hampshire.
Capt. John LOCKE was an energetic man,
noted for his bravery in defending the town of Barrington from the Indians, but at the hands
of the red men he met his death. While at work in the harvest
field, August 24, 1696, he was attacked by eight Indians, but
succeeded in killing seven of them with the sickle he was using,
which is now numbered among the relics of the Historical society
of New Hampshire. The boy, who was with him in the field,
escaped by hiding in a shock of grain, and by him the story was
told. The place where he was killed was formerly known as
Jocelyn’s Neck, but was subsequently changed to Locke’s Neck.
Our subject has in his possession a scalping hatchet used by the
Indians, and given him by his maternal grandfather, Ephraim
HOYT.
His parents, Silas and Hannah L. (HOYT)
LOCKE, were natives of Barrington, New Hampshire, and Remsen, Oneida
county, New York,
respectively, and in their family were four children: George M.;
Silas H.; Washington B., deceased, and Mercy V. The mother, who
was born February 5, 1897, is still living in Henry in the
enjoyment of good health, and is one of the honored pioneers of
the state, having come here with her parents in 1835. She is a
relative of General SHERMAN, through the HOYT family, her mother
and the general’s mother being first cousins.
Silas LOCKE, the father of our subject was
born November 17, 1807, and early in life served as foreman in a
carpenter shop in
Boston. On coming to Illinois he first
located in Tazewell county, but after his marriage went to
housekeeping in a little cabin near Victoria, Knox county, which
is still standing. In 1844, he came to Henry, where his death
occurred on the 2nd of February, 1849. Here he erected what is
now the Paskell hotel with the distinct understanding that no
intoxicants would be furnished. He issued his manifesto that
there would be plenty to eat and drink except liquor. It was the
first hotel which refused to supply intoxicants, but it met with
success. His house was open for services of any religious
denomination, Protestant or Catholic. For a number of years he
was an active member and leader of the choir in the Methodist
Episcopal church, but finally withdrew, through he always
attended services. He was very strict in his observance of the
Sabbath and all religious duties. Being a fine musician, his
services were in demand at an early day in giving lessons in
that art. He was an enthusiastic supporter of General Harrison
during the campaign of 1840, and built a log cabin on wheels
which he took around to the different rallies in Knox county. He
was a prominent and influential citizen, and has the respect and
confidence of all with whom he came in contact.
Silas H. LOCKE, Jr., the brother of our
subject, enlist4ed in October, 1864, in Company D, Forty-seventh
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the
war. Subsequently he removed to
Minnesota, where his death occurred
October 30, 1872, at the age of thirty years. Mercy Victoria,
the only sister, is the wife of E. H. HUTCHINS, a merchant of
Henry.
In the schools of Henry, George M. LOCKE
acquired his education, and in 1860 and 1861 engaged in
teaching. On the 16th of August, of the latter year, he became a
private of Company D, Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry, but in
1862 and 1863, served as clerk at General Mower’s headquarters,
and was subsequently appointed sergeant major of the regiment,
in which capacity he served until mustered out October 11, 1864.
He took part in the battles of new Madrid, Point Pleasant, Island No. 10, Farmington, May 9, 1862,
and Jackson, May 14; siege of Corinth, May 28 and 29; Iuka,
September 19; Corinth, October 3 and 4; the siege of Vicksburg,
May 22, 1863; Mechanicsburg, 1863. Here he did a great deal of
writing for General Sherman. He was taken seriously ill with
malarial fever, and as he refused to go to the hospital was
taken care of by
three physicians at headquarters. He secured a leave of absence
for a month, and came home, when he was so weak he was unable to
walk. He was on special detail at Springfield in 1864
securing and transferring substitutes and recruits for the
service.
On being mustered out, Mr. LOCKE returned
home, and was again offered the school which he had previously
taught, but declined to accept it, and embarked in the hardware
business at Henry. Owing to ill health, at the end of a year he
disposed of the business, and removed to a farm in Putnam
county, now known as the Undercliff Summer Resort. Later in
connection with a partner he carried on the lumber and hardware
business, and was the first to bring the Marsh harvesters,
automatic binders, sulky and gang plows into the county. On the
division of his father’s estate, the old Planter House fell to
Silas H., who kept it for a time, when our subject purchased,
running it about six months and then leased it to the present
popular proprietor, who subsequently purchased and still runs
it. Mr. LOCKE is now doing an excellent business as agent for
metal monuments made of zinc, which are manufactured at
Bridgeport,
Connecticut and are noted for
their durability. It is claimed for them that they never grow
old or attract moss or lichens, and will be as good at the end
of two thousand years as a stone monument would be at the end of
forty, while their expense is not more than the best stone.
On the 10th of October, 1867, Mr. LOCKE was
united in marriage with Miss Samantha E. KITTREDGE, the only
child that grew up of Leonard and Miriam (HURD) KITTREDGE, who
were born near Bedford, New
Hampshire. On coming west her parents
located in the southwestern part of
Marshall
county, where Mrs. LOCKE was born. Her father, whose birth
occurred June 22, 1812, is still living where he first settled,
but the mother died July 1, 1895, at the age of eighty-two
years.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
LOCKE, namely: Clara V., married June 11, 1890, wife of James A.
SPEERS, a farmer of Stark county,
Illinois; Leonard, who died at the age
of a year and a half; George, also deceased; Latha Kittredge,
Miriam H., and Bessie, who died at the age of five years. The
parents and children are members of the Congregational church,
and the family is one of prominence in Henry. Formerly, Mr.
LOCKE was a republican in politics, but now gives his earnest
support to the prohibition party, and socially is connected with
the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a worthy representative of
one of the honored pioneer families of Marshall county, with
whose interests he ahs been identified for half a century, and
those who have known him longest are numbered among his
stanchest friends.
Extracted May 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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