BLOOD, Daniel Needham
Daniel Needham BLOOD, now deceased, was for
more than forty years one of the leading and most highly
respected citizens of Henry, Marshall
county, Illinois. He was a native
of New Hampshire, born at Hollis, July 7, 1813, and was a son of
Joseph P. and Rachel (NEEDHAM) BLOOD. His father was a
contractor and stone-mason by trade, and when Daniel was but
five or six years of age, removed with his family to Boston,
Massachusetts, and later to Rochester, New York, where he was a
contractor in the construction of the locks on the Erie Canal.
There our subject spent his youth and secured a fair education
in the public schools of the city.
In early manhood, Mr. BLOOD removed to
Victor, New York, where he engaged in farm work, and
was there married January 1, 1838, with Miss Salome ROOT, a
native of that village. For eight years the young couple lived
at Victor, and there three children were born to them. In 1845
he made a trip to Illinois, with the view of locating should he
be pleased with the country. This visit satisfied him that in
this grand state the poor man, who was industriously inclined,
had a rare opportunity for bettering his condition in life. He
therefore determined to remove here, and so, in 1846, with his
wife and three children, he moved to Farmington, Illinois,
where he joined his brother, James BLOOD, in the manufacture of
plows. This brother, when the news came of the discovery of gold
in our newly acquired possession,
California, was attacked with the gold
fever, and was among the first in 1849 to go to the new
Eldorado. He returned in 1851, and organized a company, which
included several members of the family, again took up his
westward march, and is yet living in
Santa Barbara, California.
Our subject continued in the manufacture of
plows but a short time, and then purchased a flouring mill in Fulton county, which he operated until 1851, when he
removed to Henry, Illinois, and here engaged in the hardware
business for three years. He then purchased a small farm about
two miles northwest of the village, to which he added by
subsequent purchase, making a farm of over two hundred acres, on
which he made extensive improvements. This farm for the
succeeding thirty-four years was his home, and here his children
grew to manhood and womanhood, and from which they went out to
pursue their various callings in life.
Mr. BLOOD was a thorough and practical
farmer, confining himself to no special feature of farm work,
but carrying on a diversified farming. He was quite successful
in stock raising, and made some money in that line. In addition
to his home farm he invested somewhat in other lands, and also
engaged to a limited extent in trading and speculating. At the
time of his death he was the owner of considerable land and
personal property, and was considered among the well-to-do and
prosperous men of
Marshall
county.
In 1888, he determined to leave the farm,
and purchasing a residence in Henry, he removed to the village
and practically lived a retired life. For two years he was a
great sufferer from heart trouble, and death came to his relief
July 11, 1890, at the age of seventy-seven years and four days.
His wife preceded him to the “land beyond” some six weeks, so
their separation was of but short duration.
To Mr. and Mrs. BLOOD six children were
born, two of whom died in infancy. The living are William M., a
farmer, now residing at Whitewood, South
Dakota; James A., a merchant of
Santa Barbara,
California; Mary L., of whom
mention is made further on in this sketch, and Daniel N., a
farmer, living near York, Nebraska.
In his political views from the
organization of the party until his death, Daniel N. BLOOD was a
thorough and consistent republican, and while really averse to
holding official position, yet held several offices of a local
character, the duties of which he discharged with conscientious
fidelity. In later life neither himself nor wife were connected
with any church, though favoring the work of the church and
contributing of their means to both church and Sunday school. He
was a great friend to education and gave freely toward the
erection of the Henry Female seminary which stood on a part of
his farm, and which was erected under the auspices of Rev. H. G.
PENDLETON, the first Congregational minister of Henry, and
opened November 12, 1849. For some years the school was
conducted by Rev. PENDLETON as a boarding school for young
ladies, having an attendance of about one hundred pupils. The
first building was burned February 15, 1855, after which a more
pretentious four-story brick was built, together with a handsome
brick residence, the latter still standing. The first corps of
teachers employed were from
Mount
Holyoke seminary. Until
after the beginning of the war the school flourished, but it
then began to decline, and that struggle proved its death blow.
For some years school was conducted in the building by various
parties, but without success, and it was finally passed into the
hands of Mr. BLOOD, who, on being convinced no good would come
of it, had the main building torn down.
Mr. BLOOD was a man of strong, positive
character, and a most careful business man. He was loved in his
home, and had many warm friends in the community where he so
long resided.
Mary L. BLOOD, the only daughter of Daniel
N. and Salome (ROOT) BLOOD who grew to womanhood, was born in Fulton county, Illinois,
but removed with her parents to
Marshall
county in early childhood. Here she grew to lovely womanhood,
and in the Henry seminary received her literary education, which
was, however, finished in the Hyde Park seminary of
Chicago. She remained with her parents
until her marriage, June 11, 1873, with Captain Thomas Q.
HILDEBRANT, a native of Ohio,
who for ten years was a prominent attorney of
Joliet,
Illinois. Captain HILDEBRANT was a
great admirer of the “Little Giant,” Stephen A. Douglas, and in
the presidential campaign of 1860, stumped the state for that
eminent statesman, who was a candidate for the presidency. The
“Little Giant” was, however, defeated, and Abraham Lincoln
elected. The southern states which in the event of such an
occurrence, had threatened to secede, made good their threats as
far as was in their power by passing acts of secession and the
appeal to arms. Like his great leader, the patriotic blood of
Mr. HILDEBRANT was fired and he determined to do all in his
power to put down the rebellion and wipe out the insult to the
old flag. At the first call to arms, he offered his services and
raised a company, which became Company F, Twentieth Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, and at the head of his company he marched to
the front. On account of ill-health he was compelled to resign
after one year’s service.
On leaving the service, Captain HILDEBRANT
removed to Ohio,
and as his old-time health was renewed, he determined again to
enter the army, and became a member of the One Hundred and
Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close
of the war, mainly on staff service. On one of the fields of
battle, Captain HILDEBRANT lost his sword, which was a present
to him by his old company. It was picked up by a rebel who sold
it, and after having been used by a rebel officer, at the close
of the war was taken to his home in Florida. A friend of
Captain HILDEBRANT, while traveling in that state, some
twenty-three years after, saw the sword on which the name of the
captain was engraved, recognized it, arranged with the soldier
for its purchase and returned it to its owner, then residing in
Washington, D. C. It is now among the archives of the Grand Army
post at Joliet,
to which several of the original company belong.
Soon after their marriage, Captain and Mrs.
HILDEBRANT removed to Cincinnati,
where he engaged in the practice of law until 1884, when they
removed to Washington, D. C., where
he resumed practice, making a specialty of practice before the
court of claims, and where he attained great distinction as a
successful advocate. He resided in
Washington
until his death, April 8, 1890. His death, however, occurred at
Henry, at which place he was then visiting. His remains were
laid to rest in the cemetery at Henry, which was laid out on
land formerly owned by her father.
Since the death of her husband, Mrs.
HILDEBRANT has made her home in Henry. Until the death of her
parents she lived with them, and since that time has resided in
the house where they peacefully passed away. Mrs. HILDEBRANT is
a woman of no ordinary ability, which has been recognized by
those with whom she has been associated. She was one of the
first women elected a member of the school board, and was
secretary of the Henry school board for one year. A member of
the Congregational church, she takes an active interest in all
its work. She also belongs to various clubs, among them being
the Woman’s club and the Chautauqua club, and her influence for
good is felt in each.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois
, 1896.
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