Will County IL Archives Biographies.....NEWKIRK, JAMES ************************************************ 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: Paula Winke-Martisek wranglerjack@comcast.net September 12, 2007, 2:44 pm Author: GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD JAMES E. NEWKIRK. The genealogy of the Newkirk family is traced to a very early period in the settlement of Virginia, and its representatives were associated with many events of importance in colonial history, holding a high position among the F. F. V.'s and contributing to the prosperity which the Old Dominion long enjoyed. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Jacob Newkirk, a native of Pennsylvania,. born about the year 1758. He served during the Revolutionary war. In an early day he moved to Kentucky, settling on a farm in Jefferson County. There he died, of pneumonia, February 16, 1815. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Stumpf, was born in Pennsylvania in 1760 and died in Jefferson County, Ky., in 1853. The grandfather of our subject, Jacob Newkirk, Jr., was born in Little York, Pa., in 1787, and became a successful farmer of Jefferson County, Ky. When the second war with England was declared he received a commission as colonel in the American army and served with distinction, assisting in securing the freedom of the sea for our country. After the war he returned to his plantation nine miles south of Louisville, and there he continued to reside until his death, February 14, 1878. He was one of a family of eight, the others being Elias, Samuel, Elizabeth, Daniel, Annie, Margaret and Catherine. His marriage united him with Miss Mary W. Young, of Jefferson County. Richard Newkirk, the father of our subject, was born on the Kentucky homestead and spent his boyhood there. Before he had attained his majority he started out for himself, going to Chicago in 1833 and remaining there, with the exception of a short sojourn in Indianapolis, for some years. In company with Stephen Clevley he came to Lockport and located on a farm in the Yankee settlement (now Homer Township), but after a time went to M. H. Demmond's farm in Joliet Township. Next he assisted in the construction of the canal and later bought a farm adjoining Joliet. In 1870 he settled in Houston, Tex., and from there moved to Columbus, Colorado County, the same state, where he carried on a meat business for seventeen years. Returning to Joliet, he spent a short time with his son, James E., but finally, in 1897, went back to the Kentucky homestead where he was born. There he died in March, 1899, when seventy-nine years of age. The wife of Richard Newkirk was Charlotte Nokes, a native of Essex, England, whence she came to America with her father, Thomas Nokes, one of the early settlers of Lockport. With Mr. Newkirk, Mr. Nokes hauled material from Chicago to Morris, Ottawa, LaSalle and Marseilles before the canal was operated, using ox-teams for that purpose. In later years, while engaged in threshing, his arm was accidentally taken off and blood-poisoning set in, which proved fatal. Mrs. Newkirk died at Joliet Township in 1879. Of her ten children all but one attained mature years and seven are living. The sons and daughters were named as follows: Henry, who died in Joliet in 1897; Jacob, who was accidentally killed at nine years of age; Fred, who was twenty-eight at the time of his death in Joliet; Frank E., whose sketch is presented in this work; James E.; Arigeline, wife of Richard Greenwood; and Mrs. Louisa Hibner, both of Joliet Township; Mrs. Estella Cole, of Storm Lake, Iowa; Mrs. Sarah A. Donaldson and Mrs. Mary Engleman, both of Joliet Township. On the home farm in Joliet Township the birth of our subject occurred September 7, 1861. His education was obtained in public schools. When seventeen years of age he secured work as a teamster with the Joliet Stone Company. A year later he was made foreman, which position he held for some time, and later for nine years he was superintendent of the Joliet & Chicago Stone Company. Meantime, in partnership with H. T. Keltie, he started the Keltie Stone Company in 1890, and in 1892, resigning his other position, he became superintendent of this company, which opened the quarries between Jackson and Cass streets, on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad. In 1898 they opened a quarry on the same road at Bridge Junction, in Lockport Township. Besides the management of the quarries he has had considerable work as a general contractor. He owns the old homestead of ten and one-half acres, besides ninety-two acres adjoining Joliet. He resided there until 1897, when he bought property on Poplar street. A Republican in politics, Mr. Newkirk has been an efficient worker on the county central committee. In the spring of 1893 he was elected highway commissioner of Joliet Township and served until 1899, a period of two terms. Matters affecting the welfare of the people receive his thoughtful attention, and he is classed among the public-spirited men who wish in every way possible to advance the city's prosperity. Fraternally he is connected with Mount Joliet Lodge No. 42, A. F. & A. M.; Joliet Chapter No. 27, R. A. M.; and Joliet Commandery No. 4, K. T. He was married in Joliet, to Miss Mary Englemann, who was born in Switzerland and came to this county with her father, Jacob Englemann. The four children born of their union are George, Ralph, Florence and Freda. Mrs. Newkirk was reared from childhood in the Lutheran faith and is a member of that denomination, while Mr.Newkirk inclines toward the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Additional comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/newkirk1685nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb