Harvey C. Hull is now serving as police magistrate in Prophetstown, a position he has filled for eight years with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He is thoroughly impartial in melting out justice, his opinions are unbiased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him is above question. Mr. Hull was born in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut, January 10, 1830, a son of Bradford J. and Catherine (Teeple) Hull, also natives of that county, her father Luke Teeple, being a representative of one of its oldest families. From Litchfield County, the father of our subject removed to Woodbury, Connecticut, where he worked at the Carpenter's and joiner's trade, and also owned and operated a farm and sawmill. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding, September 17, 1872, and also the grandmother Teeple's one hundredth birthday, she is living to the remarkable old age one hundred three and a half years. The father was presented with a gold headed cane on which was engraved his name and date. The cane was of oak made from a piece of timber taken from an old stone house erected at Guilford, Connecticut, in 1640 and used as a fort. Mr. and Mrs. Hull spent their last days in Woodbury.In their family were nine children, namely, Charles B. who died in North Guilford; Mary, deceased wife of James Thomas, of Woodbury; Catherine A., deceased wife of W. H. Harrison, of North Guilford; Harvey C., our subject; Polly Ann, wife of Russell Potter, of North Guilford; Emily C.; wife of J.C. Harrison, of North Guilford; Annie F.,now deceased, was the wife of Augustus S. Davis, of Woodbury, and William N. of Chicago, Illinois. With the exception of our subject and the youngest brother, all remained in Connecticut. In his native state, Harvey C. Hull grew to manhood, and under the direction of his father he learned the carpenter's and joiner's trade at Waterbury, Connecticut. There he was m,married, in 1850, to Miss Jeannette L. Scarritt, a native of Waterbury. In 1855 they removed to Geneseo, Illinois where he worked at his trade for about a year and then came to Propehtstown to engage in contracting and building. In 1859 he started for Pike's Peak, going down the Mississippi and up the Missouri rivers as far as Kansas City, where he met so many returning from the gold fields and heard such ad verse reports, that he turned back. He stopped at Fulton, Missouri, where he obtained a good position as a carpenter on the construction of the lunatic asylum and upon other buildings. He remained there until late in the summer of 1860, and as a subcontractor made considerable money. His wife had joined him at Fulton. In the fall of 1860 they returned to Connecticut, where he worked at his trade until 1862, and then again came to Propehtstown, Illinois, where he at first followed carpentering and building. In 1871 he embarked in the rain and lumber business in Lyndon, to which point he had the first freight shipped over the new railroad. On the construction of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad through Prophets town, he returned to this place, where he erected an elevator and engaged in the grain and lumber business with J. J. Greene for about three years, at the end of which time he sold out and turned his attention to the furniture trade, in which he was interested for eight years and a half. Later he conducted a drug store as a member of the firm of Hull & Smith, for three years and a half.

 

Mr. Hull's first wife died in Prophets town, February 11, 1866, leaving one son, Charles W., a banker and clothing merchant of Kerwin, Kansas. Mr. Hull was again married in Prophets town, July 7, 1898, to Mrs. Harriet Gresty, a native of England, and a daughter of Peter and Harriett (Hall) Langford. She was reared in Manchester, and was first married in Liverpool, August 14, 1872, to James Gresty, also a native of England and a farmer by occupation. They emigrated to the new world in 1881, and located in Prophetstown, Illinois, on the 6th of May of that year. Here Mr. Gresty died March 10, 1891, leaving two children, Olie and George, who is still attending school.

 

On the 7th of October, 1864, our subject enlisted in Company C, Seventy-fifth Illinois Volunteers, and was mustered in at Dixon, Illinois. He was in the last battle at Nashville, Tennessee, and from there went to Huntsville,Chattanooga and Knoxville and Elizabethan, Tennessee, and was finally discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 1865, by the order of Secretary Stanton.

 

On attaining his majority, Mr. Hull identified himself with the Whig party, but in 1856, voted for John C. Fremont and has since been an ardent Republican. He has served as supervisor of this county for two years and was president of the board of village trustees for four years and a half. He was a member of a number of important committees, including those on bridges, equalization and the county house. He was a councilman for a number of terms, and since 1891 has served as police magistrate. He has also been superintendent of the cemetery since 1881, and his various official duties have been performed in a most capable and satisfactory manner He is a Royal "Arch Mason, a member of the Blue Lodge and Chapter of Prophetstown, and both he and his wife belong to the Eastern Star and are members of the  Congregational church.