Cone, Spencer bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 555-557; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Spencer Cone. Perhaps no man now living in Farmington Township has been more intimately connected with its progress than the gentleman above named, and certainly no family stands higher in the annals of this region than that of which he is a worthy representative. Of an old English family which became represented in America during Colonial days, and for several generations was identified with all that was most worthy in New England, Mr. Cone of this notice could scarcely fail to continue in the line of advancement which is his by inheritance. Before entering upon an account of his connection with the development of Farmington it will not be amiss to devote some brief paragraphs to the life and labors of his respected father.
When members of the Cone family emigrated from England, Haddam, Conn., was chosen as their home, and continued to be the center of the family influence several hundred years. Joseph Cone, the father of our subject, was born there and reared amid all the influences which pertain to an old New England settlement. He became a blacksmith, farmer and merchant, gaining considerable wealth in pursuit of the latter calling and was led to invest in Western lands, visiting Illinois in 1832 for the purpose of viewing property for which he had traded. He made a second visit prior to 1834, at which time he removed with his family to what was then known as Marchants’ Settlement, in this county. After having reached Cleveland, Ohio, passing through the Empire State, on the Erie Canal, the family journeyed to Portsmouth on the Ohio Canal, completing their travels by means of the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, and reaching their destination on the 1st of June, having been one month on the way.
In Connecticut Mr. Cone was rated as a very wealthy man, and became the owner of large landed estates. The year of his arrival in Fulton County he, in connection with Hiram Palmer and Squire George W. Little, laid out the village of Farmington. Sharp and shrewd in business, he was yet most generous and public-spirited, and liberally gave for the good of the city which owes to him much of the honor of being the third in Fulton County. Great credit is due him also for the high standard of morality here, as he not only contributed very liberally to the building and support of the churches and all elevating enterprises, but he would never sell lots to persons of questionable or bad character. To such a stand on the part of its founders is due the fact that Farmington to-day has the finest class of citizens to be found anywhere in the State. Mr. Cone was an ardent advocate of temperance and of the abolition of slavery.
A desire that Mr. Cone had much at hart was to see trains running into Farmington, and to that end he gave liberal donations and exerted all his personal influence. Like Moss of old, who was denied admission to the Promised Land, whose glory he could only see from afar off, after having done all that he could to aid in the building of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, on which he was promised a life pass, he died ere the road was completed. Two of the personal characteristics of Mr. Cone were the pride which he took in driving fast horses and in wearing fancy velvet vests. He was related to Gen. Cone of Revolutionary fame, an intimate personal friend of Gen. Washington.
The wife of Joseph Cone was Elizabeth Candee, whose parental family was a leading one in Connecticut. Mrs. Cone was one in a family of twelve children whose average age was eighty-one years. She lived to the age of sixty-five years only, while Mr. Cone was eight-two when called hence. They had six sons who grew to maturity, and who are named respectively Henry, Joseph, Spencer, David C., George W., and Charles.
Spencer Cone, the subject of this notice, was born September 21, 1815, in Harwinton, Conn., passing his childhood and youth in his native place, where his brothers were also brought up. He first attended the district schools, but at the age of fifteen entered the Harwinton Academy, a fine institution incorporated under the laws of the State, of which his father was one of the builders. Young Cone completed the course of study, paying particular attention to surveying and mathematics. When Farmington was platted he, being then a youth of eighteen years, helped to make the survey. When the removal to Illinois was made he realized the great change from one of the educational centers of Connecticut to the wilds of the Prairie State, where white settlers were still few and Indians camps yet to be seen. The change was particularly irksome to him, as he cared much more for study than for hunting, which was the usual recreation on the frontier.
As early as 1840 our subject conceived the idea of studying law, and securing as his director H. S. Austin, a practicing attorney of Chicago, now eighty years of age, he carefully perused the works of Blackstone, Kent, Stephen and other legal writers. He was admitted to the bar of Illinois at Springfield in 1841, and to the Federal Courts the same year. In 1843 he went to Wisconsin, practicing at Racine until 1846, when on account of sickness in the family he returned to this county. Mr. Cone was quite successful in the law, both in reputation and finances. He had a valuable farm to which he came in accordance with his wife’s wishes, turning his attention to the peaceful arts of agriculture, in which likewise he has been more than ordinarily successful. He now owns two hundred and forty acres in Farmington Township and the adjoining township in Knox County, holding also some valuable city property in Seattle, Wash.
In 1839 Mr. Cone led to the hymeneal altar Miss Julia Sloan, then of Farmington, but a native of Sloansville, Schoharie County, N. H. She is a daughter of William and Nellie (Brigham) Sloan, representing two prominent New England families, and her father was the founder of Sloansville. She came to Illinois with her parents, settling in Farmington in 1838. She had two brothers and one sister, named respectively, Walter B., William P. and Mary R. Mrs. Cone has been an invalid during nearly the entire period of her married life, but ill-health has not made her morose, uncharitable, or taken from her her interest in the affairs of humanity. On the contrary she is deeply interested, not only in the welfare of her own family, but in that of the citizens of the town and county, and her husband finds in her a most sympathizing friend in all the good works in which he bears a part.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Cone comprises four children – Joseph C., Spencer S., Lizzie C. and William B. The oldest son was a Union soldier during the late war, serving three years in Company C, One hundred and Third Illinois Infantry; he is now a photographer in Farmington; he married Maria Union and their family consists of three children – John, Cora B. and Frank. Spencer, who married Araminta Kerr, is an attorney and real estate operator in Gilman; he is now being canvassed for County Judge with a strong probability of his election. He has two children – Willie and Roy. The only daughter of our subject married William H. Widener, formerly a merchant in Farmington, who still makes his home in that city. The family includes William, Julia and Harry. William B. the youngest son of our subject, resides in Seattle, Wash., where he is engaged in real estate transactions; his wife was formerly Miss Angie Chapman.
In various public capacities Mr. Cone has advanced the interests of his fellow-men. He was the first School Treasurer of Farmington Township, has been Justice of the Peace and was Deputy County Surveyor in 1838-39. Under the old bankruptcy law of 1840 he was Assignee of Brankruptcy, all the cases in the county going through his hands. He has ever taken an active interest in educational matters, serving on the Board of Education at Racine, Wis., and in every way possible advancing the stand of proficiency. He is strictly a temperance man, although not a member of the Prohibition party. He does all that he can to elevate the moral standard of family, home, State and church, as well as to make his own example correspond with the principles of truth and justice. His vote is cast with the Republican party in these latter days, although he was originally a Whig. He voted for William Henry Harrison in 1836 and 1840 and graphically describes the hard cider campaign. He enjoyed the personal acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, with the former of whom he agreed regarding the abolition of slavery.
Mr. Cone is a member of the Congregational Church in which he has served as a Deacon for several years. He assisted in building the First Congregational Church of Farmington, and like other members of his family is one of the first to contribute to public enterprises. He donated liberally toward the building of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the Iowa Central Railroad. Farmington Park was a donation to the city from his father.
In connection with this personal sketch, we present elsewhere in this volume a lithographic portrait of Mr. Cone. Long after he shall have passed to that “bourne from which no traveler returns” his manly character and useful life will exert an influence over all who knew him or learn the record of his life.