Lewis Brinsmaid Judson

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Feb 5 2017, 17:31:27 UTC

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• Residence: 1850 - Oswego , Kendall, Illinois
• Residence: Sep 30 1850 - Oswego, Kendall, Illinois, United States
• Residence: 1860 - Oswego, Kendall, Illinois, United States
• Residence: Aug 23 1860 - Oswego, Kendall, Illinois, United States
• Residence: Aug 14 1870 - Oswego, Kendall, Illinois, United States
• Residence: 1880 - Aurora, Kane, Illinois, United States
  • Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Feb 5 2017, 17:34:21 UTC

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LEWIS B. JUDSON, SR. Among those who are justly entitled to the name of pioneer is the one whose name heads this sketch, and who was a pioneer in two states, Michigan and Illinois. He was born in Westfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts, November 13, 1806, and is the son of Lucius B. and Sallie B. (Loomis) Judson, both of whom are natives of the same state. The Judson family trace their ancestry back to one of four brothers who settled in Connecticut, long prior to the Revolutionary war. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John J. Judson, was born in Huntington, Connecticut, and after serving as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, moved to Southwick, Massachusetts, where Lucius B. Judson was born. Like his father before him, he was a patriot and served in the war of 1812. By occupation he was a farmer during his early life, but later was for many years a manufacturer of gunpowder. Previous to the war of 1812 he removed to Stratford, New York, where he was residing at the outbreak of the war, from which place he enlisted. After the war he returned to Massachusetts and died in the town of Westfield about 1827. For his services in that war his widow secured a pension from the general government. She survived her husband many years, dying at the age of eighty-four years. Of their family of twelve children all grew to mature years, though but three are now living. Those yet living are Lewis B., our subject; De Lafayette, who resides in Dakota, and Dr. Don Carlos, of Omro, Wisconsin. The deceased are: George W., Isaac B., Noah Clark, Lucius C, David Wells, and Sallie S. The latter married, reared a family of four children, moved to Omro, Wisconsin, and there died. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood in his native state, where he received a fair common-school education. When but eleven years of age he hired out to work on a farm, and was employed by different farmers until seventeen years of age, in the meantime attending school during the winter months. When seventeen years old he was engaged as a traveling salesman for a manufacturing company, and was on the road for six years. He then came west, locating at White Pigeon Prairie, Michigan, where he took up a tract of three hundred and twenty acres, which he at once began to improve, building on the place a fair frame house .and making other improvements. On the 26th of December, 1830, Mr. Judson was united in marriage with Miss Catherine P. Mudgett, a native of New York, born July 8, 1811. By this union there were six children, three of whom are yet living, as follows: Mary J., now the wife of William H. Hills, residing in Fresno, California; Albert E., married and residing in Wellsford, Kansas, and William H. H., residing in Bessemer, Alabama, where he is engaged in editorial work and in the real-estate business. For some years he was business manager for the "Times Democrat" in New Orleans, and was chief of the printing department during the cotton exhibition held in that city. Mr. Judson was one of the founders of White Pigeon village, Michigan, and was one of the surveyors who. made a plat of the town. While residing there the Blackhawk war commenced in Illinois, and Mr. Judson was commissioned paymaster by Governor Cass, of the regiment commanded by Colonel Stewart. They were ordered to the western part of the state, and for about twenty days were stationed in Chicago. While there he was sent out on a scouting expedition in company with some twelve or fourteen others, and came west as far as the present village of Oswego, Kendall county. Mr. Judson was so pleased with the beautiful country that he determined, if possible, to make this his home. On the arrival of General Scott at Chicago with the regular troops Colonel Stewart's regiment was disbanded, and Mr. Judson returned to his home at White Pigeon. Two years later he sold out and moved with his family to Kendall, county, Illinois, where he made claim to about six hundred acres of land, part of which is included in the present village of Oswego. He built the first house in the village and laid off a portion of his farm in town lots. In 1840 Mrs. Catherine P. Judson departed this life, and on the 13th of March, 1843, Mr. Judson married Miss Diana E. Stafford, a native of Willoughby, Ohio, who came to Oswego, Illinois, with her parents, James B. and Roxanna (Mentor) Stafford, who were also pioneers of Kendall county. Of the eight children born of this union seven yet survive: James A., a soldier of the late war, residing in Aurora, Illinois; Julia M., wife of M. V. Bennett, a civil engineer; Ella C., wife of Martin L. Ashley, of Norwich, Kansas; Charles L., a farmer of Kane county; Lewis B., a lawyer of Aurora; George F., a commercial traveler residing in Aurora; Harry C., who was killed and robbed in Kansas, when but eighteen years of age; and Fred C., a machinist in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad shops. Mr. Judson has now some twenty-three grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. In 1873 Mr. Judson sold his farm and moved to Aurora, where he has since continued to reside. Since coming to the place he has been actively engaged in various enterprises and has erected some of the finest blocks and residences in the city, among which are the Sinsenbaugh building, the Judson block, his own fine residence on Galena street, one store building on Galena and five residences, the Scott & Pease building, and a large business block on the corner of Downer Place and River streets. It is probable that no man in Aurora has done more towards building up and improving the city than has Mr. Judson. He is a stockholder and assisted in the organization of the Silver Plate Factory, the cotton factory and other like institutions in the city. He is also a stockholder in the First National Bank, the Aurora National Bank and the Merchants' National Bonk. In early life Mr. Judson was an old-line Whig, the principles of which party he strongly advocated, and the leaders of which he greatly honored. On the organization of the Republican party, he became identified with it, and has since been one of its stanchest advocates. While residing in Kendall county he served as coroner, assessor, school director, justice of the peace and for some years was chairman of the board of supervisors of the county. Since coming to Aurora he has declined all official honors, giving his time exclusively to his extensive business interests. He was a charter member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Oswego, in which he filled all the chairs, including that of noble grand. For sixty-four long years Mr. Judson has been a resident of Illinois, and is one of the few living pioneers who have witnessed its change from a vast wilderness to the most productive state in the Union, and third in wealth and population. In the great changes that have been made he has taken no inconsiderable part, and is justly entitled to all the honors that can be conferred upon one who has endured the trials of pioneer life.

Source:

http://genealogytrails.com/ill/kane/1898historybookbios_pg14.html