**************************************************************************** File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the author at http://fulton.ilgenweb.net. **************************************************************************** Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890 **************************************************************************** The Biography of James STOCKDALE Pages 252 & 255, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins [Surnames: COOK, CUTTING, GRANT, HOLLINGSWORTH, KELLOGG, MAPLE, PENNY, STIPP, STOCKDALE, VANDEVENDER] JAMES STOCKDALE. A simple narration of facts regarding the life of an individual is undoubtedly the best biographical history that can be written of him. Therefore we shall not endeavor to elaborate upon the incidents in the career of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. His present home is in Canton, in or near which place he has been living about forty years. He has now partially retired from business affairs, deriving his principal income from loaning money and the rents on his real estate. Mr. Stockdale is a native of Yorkshire, England, having been born April 29, 1814. His father, William Stockdale, was of Scotch descent and born at Kirkbourn, near Driffield. He emigrated to America in May, 1830, and died the following fall, a widow and six children surviving him. The mother of our subject was Mary, daughter of Roger Cook, who died in Cicero, N. Y. Our subject, who was the eldest child, learned the butcher's trade in Hull, England, and after coming to America worked at it in Syracuse and Buffalo, N. Y. He also spent two years on the lakes as mate of a schooner. He was married in Goodrich, Upper Canada, to Miss Harriet Cutting, a native of Sussex, England. Her father, Sidney Cutting, was in the employ of the Canada Company, building up a town and also laboring as a boat builder. Soon after his marriage Mr. Stockdale went to Columbus, Ohio, securing employment in Mitchell's pork house. After a time he opened a meat market on the Ohio canal at the junction of the Columbus Feeder, keeping the stand two years and furnishing the boats with meat. He next went to St. Louis, Mo., in 1839, remaining in that city nearly ten years. The next removal of Mr. Stockdale was to Canton, Ill., where, in 1850, he opened the first regular meat market in the place; although he had been there in the fall of 1848-49 slaughtering hogs. This he carried on until the fall of 1854, when he formed a partnership with James H. Stipp and Thompson Maple. During the winter of 1854 the company packed about fifteen thousand hogs, the proceeds of the sale amounting to nearly $2000,000. Mr. Stockdale was engaged in this enterprise during the winters until 1859 when he bought the interest of his partners. He carried it on alone about ten years; then sold the establishment. It was some years afterwards burned. He then carried on a meat shop a few years, and farmed. Having invested in a tract of land not far from the town, Mr. Stockdale removed his family thither in 1865, giving his attention to agriculture until the fall of 1877. He then sold the farm, returned to Canton and built a cider mill, which he runs for custom business, making as much as three thousand barrels in a season. He has two large presses with a capacity of hone hundred barrels per day and does the grinding and pressing by steam. Except during the season when the mill is in operation he is practically retired from business. Mr. Stockdale has been twice married, his first companion having born him six children. Of this circle three are now living. Amelia P. is Assistant Superintendent in the Home of the Friendless in Chicago; Phebe H. is the wife of John Holllingsworth whose home is near Monroe City, Mo., eighteen miles west of Hannibal; Albert J. is a telegraph operator on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The present wife of our subject bore the maiden of Rachael Penny. She was born in England and came to this country in childhood, her home at the time of her marriage being in Canton. This union has resulted in the birth of six children, as follows: Hattie E., a bookkeeper for R. P. Mast & Co., in Peoria; Grace M., wife of Wilton Vandevender; Laura, deceased; Maud, James E., and Mattie, at home. Mr. Stockdale served as Assistant Township Supervisor two years and was afterward elected Supervisor, serving in that capacity an equal length of time. For several years he was a member of the Odd Fellows order. In political matters he affiliates with the Republican party, being one of the most stanch supporters of the principles laid down in its platform. In the first campaign of Lincoln he organized nearly twenty Union Leagues in Fulton County. Quietly pursuing his course in life, honorably discharging all his obligations, and manifesting an intelligent interest in the affairs of the community, State and nation, he is numbered among the respectable citizens and successful men in this vicinity. Three of Mr. Stockdale's sons participated in the late war. William C., enlisted in Company H, Seventeenth Illinois infantry, and received the commission of First Lieutenant; Sidney A., was a member of the Eighth Illinois Infantry, afterward transferred to Gen. Kellogg's corps and appointed Provost Marshal in Tennessee, having his headquarters at Nashville. He was for some time on the staff of Gen. Grant, and was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for sixteen parishes in Louisiana, which was among the first appointments made by Grant after he became President. When Senator Kellogg was appointed Collector of Customs at New Orleans, Sidney became his Deputy. Albert J., was a drummer boy in the One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry and served in this capacity until discharged.