F.D. BOLTON EXPIRES
F.D. Bolton for 60 years a resident of this county and the founder of the village of Bolton died yesterday at 5:45 o'clock at the family residence in Florence Township. Several weeks ago Mr. Bolton was injured internally while taking care of one of his horses and he had hardly started on the road to recovery when he was stricken last Friday by an attack of pneumonia which was the immediate cause of his death.
Mr. Bolton was born in 1834 and was 71 years of age at the time of his death. During his residence in Stephenson County he has always been known as a man of unswerving honesty and one of our most prominent men. He has reared a large family of children who have all succeeded in their walks of life which may be ascribed to their early life at home. Two of the sons are now occupying high positions in the railroad circles and the others have successfully carved their way in the world.
The deceased was a man who was greatly beloved by all that knew him and was a devoutly Christian man. He has been a member of the Van Brocklin church for many years and has always taken a personal interest in all matters that affected the religious growth of the community. During his lifetime he accumulated considerable property and is regarded as one of the richest men in the county, as he was a large land holder and a shrewd business man. He was a man of the old type who are rapidly disappearing and lived a vigorous, not to say a rigid life.
Besides his wife the deceased is survived by six children; two daughters and four sons who are as follows:
Mrs. W.W. Bonebright, Lena; Mrs. George Fulrath, Mt. Carroll; Charles and Arthur of Virginia; and Francis and Milo living at home. He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. William Van Brocklin, La Porte, Iowa and Mrs. Mary Scott, residing with the family at Bolton.
The funeral will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the family residence and at 3 o'clock from the Van Brocklin church. Rev. James K. Shields, pastor of the First M.E., of this city, will officiate and Deputy United States Marshall W.D. Mack will have charge of the arrangements.
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Bolton Became a Village (from Freeport Newspaper)
Less than a mile south of Van Brocklin was the farm home of Fenno Bolton near the latter railroad line. The Bolton home became an inn and Mrs. Bolton served meals to the construction workers in a large tent beside the house. The tent was later sold to be used on the Lena camp-meeting grounds.
In 1887 the railroad built a station and the Boltons platted a village adjoining it. It's said the railroad officials attempted to name the station "Ellis," but determined locals succeeded in naming it Bolton. The Bolton home continued to be a hotel and other enterprising arrivers started a variety of businesses. C.H. Moore built a feed mill; Edward Burt started an elevator and grain dealership. George Kleckner and son Michael had a general store. Charles Kyle was the first railroad station agent. There was a farmers' cooperative creamery and a small distillery. Clayton Parkinson served many years as postmaster.
Early on, the grain elevator, the coal yard, the feed and general stores were combined under the ownership of J.H. Rosenstiel and management of Benjamin Janssen. After 1930 the Scovill family took over, but by 1936, the elevator and coal yard were closed.
The northwest corner of Florence Township developed for a while into a crossroads community known as "Centennial." A developing town claimed a store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop and from 1883 to 1888 there was a post office. The community must have just died on the vine. The history does not tell of its demise.
One parting story was of John Aspinwall who had a noteworthy stone house west of Freeport on Pearl City Road. John had been something of an "indentured" servant as a boy having been "bound out to a neighboring farmer at the age of seven because of his family's poverty." The Aspinwall name, one of English Puritan ancestry, became prominent in the area. Homer Aspinwall served as a state senator from 1892 until 1900.
1865 Illinois Agricultural census; Florence, Stephenson Co., Illinois shows:
Fenno Bolton household
2 males bet 20 & 30 / 1 female bet 20 & 30
(This is Fenno & Rhoda plus another unknown male)
Note: parents are living at that time in Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois, with daughter Mary Louisa.
$500 value of livestock
$450 value of grain
$150 value of other agri. products
Fenno was 14 years old when his parents moved from Delaware Co., New York, to Stephenson County, Illinois. The marriage date of Fenno and Rhoda is unknown.
His grand daughter Mildred Mae (Bolton) Briggs, remembered "Grandpa Fenno Bolton had red hair".
Biography compilation constructed by 2X great grandson Mark Hayden.
F.D. BOLTON EXPIRES
F.D. Bolton for 60 years a resident of this county and the founder of the village of Bolton died yesterday at 5:45 o'clock at the family residence in Florence Township. Several weeks ago Mr. Bolton was injured internally while taking care of one of his horses and he had hardly started on the road to recovery when he was stricken last Friday by an attack of pneumonia which was the immediate cause of his death.
Mr. Bolton was born in 1834 and was 71 years of age at the time of his death. During his residence in Stephenson County he has always been known as a man of unswerving honesty and one of our most prominent men. He has reared a large family of children who have all succeeded in their walks of life which may be ascribed to their early life at home. Two of the sons are now occupying high positions in the railroad circles and the others have successfully carved their way in the world.
The deceased was a man who was greatly beloved by all that knew him and was a devoutly Christian man. He has been a member of the Van Brocklin church for many years and has always taken a personal interest in all matters that affected the religious growth of the community. During his lifetime he accumulated considerable property and is regarded as one of the richest men in the county, as he was a large land holder and a shrewd business man. He was a man of the old type who are rapidly disappearing and lived a vigorous, not to say a rigid life.
Besides his wife the deceased is survived by six children; two daughters and four sons who are as follows:
Mrs. W.W. Bonebright, Lena; Mrs. George Fulrath, Mt. Carroll; Charles and Arthur of Virginia; and Francis and Milo living at home. He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. William Van Brocklin, La Porte, Iowa and Mrs. Mary Scott, residing with the family at Bolton.
The funeral will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the family residence and at 3 o'clock from the Van Brocklin church. Rev. James K. Shields, pastor of the First M.E., of this city, will officiate and Deputy United States Marshall W.D. Mack will have charge of the arrangements.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Bolton Became a Village (from Freeport Newspaper)
Less than a mile south of Van Brocklin was the farm home of Fenno Bolton near the latter railroad line. The Bolton home became an inn and Mrs. Bolton served meals to the construction workers in a large tent beside the house. The tent was later sold to be used on the Lena camp-meeting grounds.
In 1887 the railroad built a station and the Boltons platted a village adjoining it. It's said the railroad officials attempted to name the station "Ellis," but determined locals succeeded in naming it Bolton. The Bolton home continued to be a hotel and other enterprising arrivers started a variety of businesses. C.H. Moore built a feed mill; Edward Burt started an elevator and grain dealership. George Kleckner and son Michael had a general store. Charles Kyle was the first railroad station agent. There was a farmers' cooperative creamery and a small distillery. Clayton Parkinson served many years as postmaster.
Early on, the grain elevator, the coal yard, the feed and general stores were combined under the ownership of J.H. Rosenstiel and management of Benjamin Janssen. After 1930 the Scovill family took over, but by 1936, the elevator and coal yard were closed.
The northwest corner of Florence Township developed for a while into a crossroads community known as "Centennial." A developing town claimed a store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop and from 1883 to 1888 there was a post office. The community must have just died on the vine. The history does not tell of its demise.
One parting story was of John Aspinwall who had a noteworthy stone house west of Freeport on Pearl City Road. John had been something of an "indentured" servant as a boy having been "bound out to a neighboring farmer at the age of seven because of his family's poverty." The Aspinwall name, one of English Puritan ancestry, became prominent in the area. Homer Aspinwall served as a state senator from 1892 until 1900.
1865 Illinois Agricultural census; Florence, Stephenson Co., Illinois shows:
Fenno Bolton household
2 males bet 20 & 30 / 1 female bet 20 & 30
(This is Fenno & Rhoda plus another unknown male)
Note: parents are living at that time in Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois, with daughter Mary Louisa.
$500 value of livestock
$450 value of grain
$150 value of other agri. products
Fenno was 14 years old when his parents moved from Delaware Co., New York, to Stephenson County, Illinois. The marriage date of Fenno and Rhoda is unknown.
His grand daughter Mildred Mae (Bolton) Briggs, remembered "Grandpa Fenno Bolton had red hair".
Biography compilation constructed by 2X great grandson Mark Hayden.
