My Genealogy Hound

JOHN C. BADDELEY, Township Collector; P. O. Le Roy; one of the early pioneers of McLean Co.; born in Cheshire, England, Jan. 22, 1817, where he attended school until 12 years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the dry-goods trade. He emigrated with his parents to America and landed in New York in June, 1832, coming West, they located near Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1835 came to Illinois and settled in Empire Township, McLean Co. His father John W. Baddeley laid out the first town in Empire Township, situated southwest of the present town of Le Roy; here they engaged in the dry-goods trade until the present town of Le Roy was laid out by A. Gridley and Gen. Covell, about the year 1836; Messrs. Gridley and Covell then compromised with Mr. Baddeley by giving him a deed of twenty-seven choice lots in Le Roy under which agreement he was to abandon the town which he had laid out, and remove his stock of goods to Le Roy, where he continued in the general merchandise trade until 1852. The subject of this sketch then went to Mahomet, where he was engaged in trade until 1855, when he went to West Urbana, now Champaign, and opened the first store in that town and was also the first Postmaster of the place; he continued in business here until 1863, when he removed to Piatt Co., where he lived three years, and in 1866 returned to Le Roy, where he engaged as clerk for J. Keenan for seven years. He has since been connected with the grocery trade, first with Adam Murray, until he sold out to his brother Robert, since which time he has been connected with the latter gentleman. He was elected to the office of Township Collector in 1877 and re-elected in 1878, which office he now holds, and to which office he was elected both terms without opposition. Mr. Baddeley remembers vividly the sudden changes of the weather which occurred in December, 1836; he and John Williams were out bringing in loads of live hogs with teams; the day was mild, after a warm rain; the ground was covered with water; suddenly the cold west wind came with a roar, and froze everything up immediately; the water froze in waves as blown by the wind; the fowls froze in the mud while crossing the yards; Mr. Baddeley’s clothes being wet, froze on him instantly; they had at that time arrived within a short distance of the house of the Hon. Mahlon Bishop, where they went for shelter; the harness upon the horses was frozen stiff, and when the traces were unhitched they stood out straight; the cold was so severe that the harness could not be removed from the horses for two days; Mr. Baddeley succeeded in reaching home with his sled and one yoke of oxen, the other oxen which were turned loose in the timber, were recovered in two days. He married Dec. 12, 1839, to Joannah Karr; she was born in Ohio, March 26, 1819; she died Feb. 26, 1844, leaving one child, since deceased. His marriage with Ellen Karr was celebrated Nov. 16, 1844; she was born in Ohio June 7, 1821; they have six children, now living, by this union, having, lost one by death; the living are Anna (now Mrs. William Rike), Jennie (now Mrs. William Beeney), Sadie (now Mrs. John Ross), Thomas J., Charles H. and Minnie; the deceased, James C., was killed while serving his country during the late rebellion, near Cumberland Gap, Va., Jan. 3, 1864.