734
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
west in March, 1879, locating first at Marengo, Ill., and removed to Hampshire, Ill., in April, 1882, and established what is known as the Kane County Bank, of which he has been the owner since 1885; also has an interest in the mercantile establishment of Backus & Sisley, and in the firm of Backus & Sholes, manufacturers of brick and tile; elected member of the State Legislature in 1900, and again in 1902; married Jan. 1, 1884, Miss Emma L. Sisley, and they have one son, Charles S.
JAMBS C. BAIRD (deceased), banker and man of affairs, St. Charles, Ill.; born in Cayuga, County, N. Y., son of William and Annie (Brown) Baird; same with his parents to St. Charles in 1836, and became the first banker in that village, as well as one of the leading men in the development of Kane County. Mr. Baird died August 21, 1884.
LEWIS A. BAKER, manufacturer, Elgin, Ill.; born at Ithaca, N. Y., Nov. 28, 1852, son of Joseph and Sarah (Nickerson) Baker; in 1857 he came west with his parents, who established their home in Michigan and lived on a farm in that State until 1866, when they removed to Kane County. In 1887 Lewis A. Baker removed to Elgin and established a machine shop in that city; later he purchased the Jackson Foundry and consolidated it with his former business; organized the Elgin Manufacturing Company, of which he has since been President and general manager. He was married in 1873 to Miss Frances Saltmarsh, of Ithaca, N. Y.
JOHN M. BALDWIN, retired farmer, St. Charles, Ill., was born at St. Charles, Dec. 13, 1858, son of James C. and Harriet (Blanchard) Baldwin, and was reared and educated in his birth-place. He began farming in 1876 on the J. B. Blanchard farm, belonging to the estate of his grandfather, and here he remained until 1884, when after an absence of three years in 1887 he returned to the farm, which continued to be his home until 1891. The latter year he removed to St. Charles, and engaged in live stock business, but two years later again returned to the old farm, which he finally bought from his mother, and of which she had been the owner since 1873. This he now rents to tenants, living on the farm retired from active work. His retirement dates from 1898. Mr. Baldwin is a Republican and has served as Highway Commissioner of St. Charles Township; fraternally he belongs to the I. O. O. F. He was married Nov. 1, 1900, to Miss M. A. Hendricks, daughter of Adolph Hendricks, of Elgin.
JOHN P. BARCKLEY, merchant, Batavia, Ill.; born in the city where he now resides, August 23, 1855; son of James and Mary (Paul) Barckley; educated in the schools of Batavia and Elgin, and later learned the machinist's trade, which he followed for twenty-five years; was one of the organizers of the Batavia Hardware Company in 1898. and became sole proprietor of the business in 1901. He was married in 1877 to Miss Minnie Bartholomew, of Batavia.
LAWRENCE P. BARKER (deceased), Batavia, was born in DeRuyter, N. Y., July 29, 1811, and was reared and educated in his native State, until 1845 being engaged in agricultural labors. That year he moved to Illinois, settling in Batavia, where for a time he was engaged in the cooperage business. About 1852 he and J. C. Derby opened stone quarries near Batavia, the first product of their quarries being used in the construction of what was known as the
