Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Hayden, John ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 5, 2008, 11:59 pm Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907 JOHN HAYDEN. Among the prominent residents of Florence township is John Hayden, who is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Will county, for, although only about four years of age when brought to Illinois, he has lived in this part of the state for more than a half century. He has therefore been a witness of much of its growth and development and as the years have passed by he has so directed his labors that success has resulted, and his methods are of interest to the business world. He has always based his business principles and actions upon the rules which govern strict and unswerving integrity and indefatigable energy. Mr. Hayden is a native of Whitefield township, Lincoln county, Maine, and a son of John and Hannah (Kinsilla) Hayden. His father was born in County Carlow, Ireland, and after reaching adult age was married there to Miss Kinsilla, whose birthplace was in the same locality. They remained residents of the Emerald isle until 1836, when they came to America, setting out on Easter morning from Key Ross and after a safe voyage landing in Quebec, Canada. A short time later they made their way to New York state and thence to Gardiner, Maine, while subsequently they removed to Lincoln county, that state, where they resided until 1850. Believing that he might improve his financial condition by removing to the middle west, John Hayden came to Illinois in 1850, and for several years thereafter remained in Joliet. He then lived at Spencer for a time, and in 1860 settled upon the farm in Florence township, which is now occupied by his son Daniel. His industry and persistency of purpose made him a prosperous farmer and he eventually became the owner of an entire section of land in addition to what he gave to his sons. He likewise owned property in Chicago and his life record stood as a splendid example of that of the self-made man, for he came to the new world empty-handed and his capital was very limited when he arrived in Illinois. He possessed a strong purpose and unfaltering enterprise, however, and here he gradually worked his way upward until he became one of the prosperous residents of the county. He was himself a well educated man and knew the value of mental discipline and training so that he looked carefully after the training of his children, both in school and at home. He never sought public honors or office but gave his political support to the democracy. His religious faith was that of the Catholic church, and he died as one of its devout communicants, April 5, 1889. at the age of seventy-seven years, while his wife passed away February 28, 1890, when seventy-five years of age. They were the parents of nine children, namely: Mary, Daniel, Catherine, Bridget, Thomas, John, Hannah, Burnett and Anna S. John Hayden, brought to Illinois in early boyhood, became familiar with farm life in this section of the state and as soon as age and strength permitted he became a factor in the development and improvement of his fathers land, and throughout his entire life has followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Hayden was married in early manhood, on the 24th of February, 1876, to Miss Bridget Bergan, a daughter of Martin and Hester (Welch) Bergan. Her father, who was born in 1803, in County Kilkenny, Ireland, came to the United States in November, 1847, crossing the Atlantic to New Orleans, whence he started northward with his family. The river froze, however, so that he was not able to reach Joliet, Illinois, until April, 1848. He purchased eighty acres of raw land in what was then Trenton township, but has since been divided into Green Garden and Manhattan townships. He improved and operated a farm for some years, being very successful, and he added to his original holdings until he had three hundred and twenty acres of land. At different times he was called to public offices, filling a number of township positions. He put up the first schoolhouse in his district and aided in the building of various churches of the locality. He always voted the democratic ticket and was a devout member of the Catholic church, in the faith of which he died February 3, 1892. His wife, who was born November 3, 1805, in County Kilkenny, Ireland, departed this life July 29, 1895. They were the parents of nine children, of whom seven are now living: Michael, who resides upon the old homestead farm in Manhattan township; John, who has become quite wealthy and spends much of his time in travel; Nicholas, who is living in Nebraska; Mrs. Hayden; Daniel, who is engaged in the hardware business with his brother Martin at Manhattan; Martin, who is a member of the firm just referred to and who married Catherine Cunningham, by whom he has three children; and Annie, the widow of Thomas Kelly. She has one daughter and resides with her brothers, John and Michael, on the old homestead. Mr. Hayden took his bride to his farm, and for many years he continued actively in the work of tilling the soil and developing the fields. He also raised some fine blooded horses of Norman and trotting stock and was able to exhibit some of the choicest animals in this part of the state. He became well known as a breeder and as a most excellent judge of horses, and this branch of his business as well as the cultivation of the fields proved very profitable to him. He is now largely leaving the management and operation of the farm to his sons, while he is enjoying a well merited rest. He owns six hundred and forty acres in the home place. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hayden were born six children, five sons and a daughter, and four of the sons are graduates of St. Viateurs College, at Bourbonnais, Illinois. John, the eldest of the family, was graduated from the engineering department in the class of 1895. He has built an elevator for handling corn on the home farm, it being operated by a steam engine, the only one in the county. He also put in the first steam plow in the county and installed the steam heating plant in his father's home, the first put in any residence in Will county outside of Joliet. Dr. Daniel B. Hayden, the second member of the family, was a student in St. Viateurs College for ten years, winning the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. He also spent four years as a student in Georgetown Medical School, at Washington, D. C., from which he was graduated in the class of 1904. He also did six months' post-graduate work in the Chicago Post Graduate School and is now successfully engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Chicago. William S. Hayden, the third son, was graduated from St. Viateurs College in the class of 1902, having completed the English literary course, and is now farming on the old homestead. Martin G., a graduate of St. Viateurs College of the class of 1905, afterward devoted a year to the study of theology and is now in Rome, Italy, fitting himself for the priesthood. Anna, a young lady, eighteen years of age, is now attending the academy of Our Lady at Longwood, at Chicago, where she has spent four years as a student. Edmund is at present attending the public schools near his father's home. The sons, John and William, are operating the home farm. In 1905 they fed eight hundred sheep and they feed from one hundred and fifty to two hundred head of cattle each year, shipping their stock to the Chicago market. They are young men of good business ability and energy and are worthy successors of their father in the agricultural and stock-raising interests of Will county. Mr. Hayden gives his political allegiance to the democracy. For twenty years he served as commissioner and for twelve years has been supervisor of his township, in which position he is still the incumbent, having been re-elected in the spring of 1904. He is the vice president of the Will County Old Settlers Society and belongs to the Roman Catholic church. Few men have more intimate knowledge of the history of the county, for during fifty-six years he has been a witness of its growth and progress, noting the leading events which have left their impress upon its annals. His name has ever stood for business enterprise and business integrity, and as a prominent representative of the agricultural interests of the county as well as one of the valued pioneer citizens who well deserves mention in this volume. Additional Comments: PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/hayden2494nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 9.1 Kb