Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Bartlett Gould - Henry County, Illinois NATHANIEL BARTLETT GOULD The name of Nathaniel Bartlett Gould is on the roll of Henry County's honored dead by reason of the work which he did while an active factor in the life of Cambridge and this section of the state. He gave ample evidence of his public-spirited citizenship in his service as mayor of the city and of his humanitarian principles in his broad philanthropy and liberal charity. A native of Vermont, he was born March 31, 1827, his parents being Amos and Nancy H. (Bartlett) Gould, who were likewise natives of the Green Mountain state. His paternal grandfather, Amos Gould, was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, enlisting for three months, and was stationed on Manhattan Island at the time that Benedict Arnold deserted the American camp, being situated about a mile from where Major Andre, the British spy, was captured with the dispatches that Arnold had given him, making the one a traitor to his country and the other a victim of his loyalty to his native land. The maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Bartlett, was also in the Colonial army during the Revolutionary War and was in service under General Arnold in the disastrous campaign through the almost impassable woods of northern Maine. Their destination was Quebec, Canada, but they advanced no farther than St. John's, arriving there in terrible condition on account of the hardships which they had endured in traveling through the wilderness. The children of Amos H. and Nancy (Bartlett) Gould were ten in number, six sons and four daughters, of whom five are now living; Judge J. M. Gould, of Moline, Illinois; Lyfe Y., a resident of Cambridge; Amos, who makes his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Nancy J., the widow of B. H. Burrows, of Andover Township, this county. Nathaniel B. Gould was reared in New England and having arrived at years of maturity was married November 24, 1859, to Miss Mary J. Jennings, a daughter of Levi and Susan H. (Shepard) Jennings. The latter was born on the day her father returned from the War of 1812. The birth of Mrs. Gould occurred in Peoria County, Illinois, November 14, 1838. Her parents were natives of Ohio and were married there. Her paternal grandfather was a resident of Salem, Ohio, and of Quaker-English stock. He followed the occupation of farming as a life work and thus provided for his family. Both he and his wife, Mrs. Anna Jennings, lived to an advanced age. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Gould were John and Elizabeth (Van Meter) Shepard, natives of Virginia. They were slaveowners of that state and although they set their colored people free the negroes all remained with them after obtaining their freedom, a fact which indicates that they were most kindly and considerate in the treatment of the members of the dark race who were once their property. Mr. And Mrs. Shepard removed to Columbus, Ohio, where the death of the latter occurred, after which Mr. Shepard came to Illinois, settling in Danville. There he married again. He had six children by his first marriage and two by the second. Mrs. Gould became the mother of two daughters: Nellie L., who was born October 20, 1863, and died at the age of fifteen years; and Katharine M., who was born November 29, 1865, and became the wife of W. F. Hayes, by whom she had one daughter, Katharine Gould Hayes. Mr. And Mrs. Gould also reared a niece, Daisy M., a daughter of Daniel Gould, who became as a daughter in their household, and afterward married Edward L. Torbert, now a resident of Syracuse, New York. The death of Nathaniel B. Gould occurred August 27, 1907, when he had reached the age of seventy-nine years and five months. His was a long, useful and active life, crowned with honors and success. He was regarded as one of the political leaders of this part of the state and took an active and helpful interest in many measures relative to the public welfare. He gave unfaltering support to the Republican Party, believing that its principles were most conducive to good government and keeping at all times well informed on the vital questions and issues of the day. For a number of years he filled the position of chief executive of Cambridge, and his service as mayor was of a businesslike character, in which needed reform and improvement played an important part. When his salary as mayor was given him it was immediately turned over to some poor widow or person in need and thus his official life proved a dual blessing to the community, to the city which benefited by his practical efforts in its behalf and to the one who was the recipient of his bounty. He served in the office of supervisor for a quarter of a century and for many years was a member of the school board, discharging every official duty with singleness of purpose, actuated at all times by his devotion to the general good. He had the respect and trust of even his political opponents and throughout the entire community was recognized as a man whom to know as to esteem and honor. His philanthropy was one of his strongest characteristics. He could never listen unmoved to any tale of sorrow or distress and his benevolent spirit found expression in generous assistance to the poor. In his business relations he was prominent as the president of the First National Bank of Cambridge from its organization until his death. Mrs. Gould still survives her husband and makes her home in Cambridge. She was reared in the Episcopal Church, which she still attends, and is a lady whose many splendid traits of character have endeared her to all with whom she has been ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Alice Gless