EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
TOWN CLERKS OF LYMAN
At the Town Meeting, 1882, D.E. Buzick was elected to the office of Town Clerk. He was an artist and had done painting in the Town of Lyman many years. When he was a young man he painted quite a number of pictures. I have seen several of them. He had the patience of an artist. He could sit for an hour and muse and imagine; he might be studying some subject. He was not very sociable but very quiet. He died several years ago. His wife is living in Colorado. She is a very industrious woman. She took an active part in all branches of the church work while she lived here.
In 1883 Joseph Graham was elected Town Clerk. He was the son of A. B. Graham, a former Town Clerk of Lyman.
In 1884, W. J. Thrasher, the manager of the Risser Elevator, was chosen Town Clerk. He had lived in the Town of Lyman several years. He was the son-in-law of B. H. Skeels of Thawville. Mr. and Mrs. Thrasher are deceased. Their three sons, Chauncey, Roy, and Frank are living, the two older at Thawville and Frank at Onarga.
In 1882 Alexander McDonald, a school teacher was chosen Town Clerk. He is the brother of Mrs. Maggie Mosher of Roberts. He came here when a small boy, with his parents from Canada. They came from the same part of Canada as J. F. Smith and family did.
"Sandy", as we call him, was always a fine man. I have known him ever since we came here and the ties between us are very close. He attended the Martson school when a boy. He is living at Odell, Illinois. He resigned and D. E. Buzick was appointed Town Clerk to fill his unexpired time.
In 1889, F. E. Bonney, a teacher of the Roberts School, was chosen as Town Clerk. He had taught here for several years and was a successful teacher. He was a small man about the size of J. E. Parkin. He taught at the Teachers' Institute in this County several years. He and Wallace Campbell edited a Roberts paper called, "The Roberts Palladium," for a short time. He went to Paxton from here and ran an iron manufacturing concern. He went from Paxton to Minnesota. I have not heard from him for several years. He resigned as Town Clerk and J. H. Flora was elected to the office of Town Clerk. A few years afterward, he moved to Paxton where he had resided since. His health has been very poorly for several years.
In 1891 Bela Foster was elected Town Clerk. He was Town Clerk from 1891 to 1898 inclusive. He is the son of Eliab and Martha J. Foster. Eliab Foster, the son of William and Olive (Bettis) Foster, was born at Hannibal, Oswego County, New York, Jan. 31, 1808. He had six brothers and six sisters. In the early thirties, he started for the west. He passed through Fort Dearborn and went on in to Kenosha County, Wisconsin. On the top of a hill known now as Paddock's Hill, he built his home. In a few years he and another New Yorker started back to their native state on foot, thinking they could buy some ponies at Fort Dearborn. When they arrived there, the Government was just settling with the Indians but the commanding officer gave them one pony, so they started on their way by the ride and tie method. They could make much better time thus than both of them walking. The next year several of the young men and women came with him in wagons and settled in and west of Kenosha.
In the early forties Eliab Foster wedded Jane Clark, also from New York (Naples, Ontario County.) To this union were born three children, two sons and a daughter, Robert C. Foster, Arista A. Foster, and Nancy Foster. The sister died in childhood.
The mother and wife died in the early fifties and a short time afterward, a year or so, Mr. Foster married Martha Janette Clark, a sister of his first wife. About ten or twelve years later, Mr. Foster and his son, Robert started to Illinois to spy out the land. They intended to go to Centralia when they started. They stopped at Onarga and a man by the name of Mr. Russ told them of the chances in the Connecticut Settlement. They visited the Settlement and bought eighty acres of land. In the fall of that year, 1865, Mr. and Mrs. Foster and their family of five sons and four daughters landed in Onarga. They came out to Mr. Henry Booth's farm and remained over night. The next day they went on to their new winter home across the road from the Thawville Cemetery where lived Andrew Booth, who was going back to this former home in Wisconsin. Foster lived here by hunting and trapping.
In the spring of 1866, the family moved onto the farm on section two of Town 25. Father and the older boys had built the house. It was torn down the past year.
The family lived here for about 25 years. Ten children grew to manhood and womanhood in this home. Mr. Eliab Foster died in 1872.
In 1873, Robert C. Foster married Mary Gifford, the daughter of Ichabod Gifford, who lived three miles northeast of Roberts. Later he lived in Roberts. In 1874 Angeline B. Foster married Edward S. Haling, the son of A. M. Haling. Olive E. Foster married Samuel S. Kenward, the son of John Kenward. Sela Foster married Sarah H. Whorrall, the daughter of Joseph Whorrall who lived on the northeast quarter of section 32. Later he moved to Roberts.
Frances S. Foster married R. L. Ruedger, the son of John Ruedger, who lived in the east end of Beset Gove on Section 11. She resides in Michigan. Parley J. Foster married Anna Bingham, the daughter of a farmer who formerly lived in Lyman. Bela Foster married Christina MacKay, the daughter of Mrs. Theressa Mackey of Chicago.
The family consisted of father, mother and step mother, six sons and ten daughters. Five daughters and one son died in childhood. Mother, two step-sons, one son and two daughters have died since 1900. Olive Kenward died in 1903. Mrs. Martha J. Foster, mother, died 1908. Robert C. Foster died 1921. Arista A. Foster died 1930. Sela Foster died 1933. Martha Foster died 1934.
--Roberts Herald. 8 January 1936. Bela Foster.
At the Town Meeting, 1882, D.E. Buzick was elected to the office of Town Clerk. He was an artist and had done painting in the Town of Lyman many years. When he was a young man he painted quite a number of pictures. I have seen several of them. He had the patience of an artist. He could sit for an hour and muse and imagine; he might be studying some subject. He was not very sociable but very quiet. He died several years ago. His wife is living in Colorado. She is a very industrious woman. She took an active part in all branches of the church work while she lived here.
In 1883 Joseph Graham was elected Town Clerk. He was the son of A. B. Graham, a former Town Clerk of Lyman.
In 1884, W. J. Thrasher, the manager of the Risser Elevator, was chosen Town Clerk. He had lived in the Town of Lyman several years. He was the son-in-law of B. H. Skeels of Thawville. Mr. and Mrs. Thrasher are deceased. Their three sons, Chauncey, Roy, and Frank are living, the two older at Thawville and Frank at Onarga.
In 1882 Alexander McDonald, a school teacher was chosen Town Clerk. He is the brother of Mrs. Maggie Mosher of Roberts. He came here when a small boy, with his parents from Canada. They came from the same part of Canada as J. F. Smith and family did.
"Sandy", as we call him, was always a fine man. I have known him ever since we came here and the ties between us are very close. He attended the Martson school when a boy. He is living at Odell, Illinois. He resigned and D. E. Buzick was appointed Town Clerk to fill his unexpired time.
In 1889, F. E. Bonney, a teacher of the Roberts School, was chosen as Town Clerk. He had taught here for several years and was a successful teacher. He was a small man about the size of J. E. Parkin. He taught at the Teachers' Institute in this County several years. He and Wallace Campbell edited a Roberts paper called, "The Roberts Palladium," for a short time. He went to Paxton from here and ran an iron manufacturing concern. He went from Paxton to Minnesota. I have not heard from him for several years. He resigned as Town Clerk and J. H. Flora was elected to the office of Town Clerk. A few years afterward, he moved to Paxton where he had resided since. His health has been very poorly for several years.
In 1891 Bela Foster was elected Town Clerk. He was Town Clerk from 1891 to 1898 inclusive. He is the son of Eliab and Martha J. Foster. Eliab Foster, the son of William and Olive (Bettis) Foster, was born at Hannibal, Oswego County, New York, Jan. 31, 1808. He had six brothers and six sisters. In the early thirties, he started for the west. He passed through Fort Dearborn and went on in to Kenosha County, Wisconsin. On the top of a hill known now as Paddock's Hill, he built his home. In a few years he and another New Yorker started back to their native state on foot, thinking they could buy some ponies at Fort Dearborn. When they arrived there, the Government was just settling with the Indians but the commanding officer gave them one pony, so they started on their way by the ride and tie method. They could make much better time thus than both of them walking. The next year several of the young men and women came with him in wagons and settled in and west of Kenosha.
In the early forties Eliab Foster wedded Jane Clark, also from New York (Naples, Ontario County.) To this union were born three children, two sons and a daughter, Robert C. Foster, Arista A. Foster, and Nancy Foster. The sister died in childhood.
The mother and wife died in the early fifties and a short time afterward, a year or so, Mr. Foster married Martha Janette Clark, a sister of his first wife. About ten or twelve years later, Mr. Foster and his son, Robert started to Illinois to spy out the land. They intended to go to Centralia when they started. They stopped at Onarga and a man by the name of Mr. Russ told them of the chances in the Connecticut Settlement. They visited the Settlement and bought eighty acres of land. In the fall of that year, 1865, Mr. and Mrs. Foster and their family of five sons and four daughters landed in Onarga. They came out to Mr. Henry Booth's farm and remained over night. The next day they went on to their new winter home across the road from the Thawville Cemetery where lived Andrew Booth, who was going back to this former home in Wisconsin. Foster lived here by hunting and trapping.
In the spring of 1866, the family moved onto the farm on section two of Town 25. Father and the older boys had built the house. It was torn down the past year.
The family lived here for about 25 years. Ten children grew to manhood and womanhood in this home. Mr. Eliab Foster died in 1872.
In 1873, Robert C. Foster married Mary Gifford, the daughter of Ichabod Gifford, who lived three miles northeast of Roberts. Later he lived in Roberts. In 1874 Angeline B. Foster married Edward S. Haling, the son of A. M. Haling. Olive E. Foster married Samuel S. Kenward, the son of John Kenward. Sela Foster married Sarah H. Whorrall, the daughter of Joseph Whorrall who lived on the northeast quarter of section 32. Later he moved to Roberts.
Frances S. Foster married R. L. Ruedger, the son of John Ruedger, who lived in the east end of Beset Gove on Section 11. She resides in Michigan. Parley J. Foster married Anna Bingham, the daughter of a farmer who formerly lived in Lyman. Bela Foster married Christina MacKay, the daughter of Mrs. Theressa Mackey of Chicago.
The family consisted of father, mother and step mother, six sons and ten daughters. Five daughters and one son died in childhood. Mother, two step-sons, one son and two daughters have died since 1900. Olive Kenward died in 1903. Mrs. Martha J. Foster, mother, died 1908. Robert C. Foster died 1921. Arista A. Foster died 1930. Sela Foster died 1933. Martha Foster died 1934.
--Roberts Herald. 8 January 1936. Bela Foster.
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