HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
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Maple Park. In November, 1900, Mr. Beverly was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Kane County Probate Court to succeed Capt. Ben Gould, and has since filled that position, in the meantime becoming well known to the people of
Melvin j. BEVERLY.
Kane County. In political views he is a Republican and served at Tax Collector of Virgil Township four years. He is a Thirty-second Degree Mason, and a member of many other fraternal organizations. Mr. Beverly was married in 1893 to Miss Emma M. Kenyon, daughter of Oliver and Sarah (Farah) Kenyon of Maple Park. Ill.
BIG ROCK PLOWING MATCH, a farm contest which originated in Big Rock Township, in 1895, William Thomas and others being the promoters. The first President of the association was William Thomas, and the first plowing match was held on his farm one mile north of the village of Big Rock. The purpose was to bring the farmers of the community together for object lessons in plowing, and to promote friendly rivalry in this important feature of agriculture, prizes being offered for the best work of this kind. The first match proved successful beyond expectation, and new features have since been developed. A grain
exhibition has been added, and an entertainment and exhibits by the ladies of Big Rock each year have added largely to the importance of the occasion. As high as 5,000 people have been in attendance at these exhibitions, and the day of the Big Rock Plowing Match is an annual holiday in this region.
ALEXANDER BINNIE, pioneer farmer, Dundee, Township, Kane County, was born in Kirkliston, Scotland, Dec. 22, 1829, and there lived with his parents, attending the Parish school until eighteen years of age. He is the youngest of a family of nine children, all of whom are deceased except one brother, Henry, who at present lives in Iowa. At eighteen years of age Mr. Binnie went out into the world to "hoe his own row," working for his brother David until coming to the States in 1848. Two years later he met and married Miss Jane Wilson, one son (John, now deceased) being the result of this union. His wife died in 1878. Knowing it was "not good for man to be alone," he married as his second wife Bethia P. Crichton., whose companionship, with their six children -four sons and two daughters-he at present enjoys. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and has always been interested in the welfare of his country, State and town, taking an active part in school and town affairs, and served as Town Assessor for twelve consecutive years. At present he is reputed one of the largest land-owners in the township, and is the heaviest milk-shipper to the Borden Condensed Milk Company, at Carpentersville. Throughout his long residence of more than fifty years in Dundee, he has been one of its most active citizens.
WILLIAM WARD BISHOP, pioneer manufacturer and banker, Aurora, Ill.; born in Essex County, England, April 19, 1821; came to America when a lad and spent his youth in Massachusetts where he was engaged in a foundry for several years; came to Illinois in 1852, establishing a foundry of considerable magnitude in Aurora, which he conducted very successfully until 1865; was President of the Aurora Cotton Mills, and also of the Bishop & Colter Bank, which later became the First National Bank. Mr. Bishop served as director of the latter institution until the time of his death, Oct. 26, 1892. He was married in 1845 to Miss Julia Ann Shepherd, and they became
