LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 I.H-S- 
 
THE 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 OF 
 
 CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, 
 
 ILLINOIS. 
 
 " A people that take no pride in tlie noble achievements of remote aneesturs 
 ill ne-cer nchiere anvlhin^ worthy to be remembered with 
 pride by remote generations." 1 MACAULAY. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 I'm: S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING C '.MI-AM, 
 1900. 
 
'Biography is the only true history."--Emerson. 
 

 PREFACE 
 
 HE greatest of English historians, MACAULAY, and one of the most 
 brilliant writers of the present century, has said : "The history of a 
 country is best told in a record of the lives of its people." In con- 
 formity with this idea, the BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD has been prepared. 
 Instead of going to musty records, and taking therefrom dry statistical 
 matter that can be appreciated by but few, our corps of writers have 
 gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their enterprise 
 and industry, brought this county to a rank second to none among 
 those comprising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life 
 struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent 
 public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation 
 of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and 
 economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited advantages for securing 
 an education, have become learned men and women, with an influence extending throughout 
 the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of 
 life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in 
 every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how that success has usuallv 
 crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very many, who, not seeking the applause of the 
 world, have pursued the " even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them, as Christ 
 said of the woman performing a deed of mercy "They nave done what they could." It 
 tells how many, in the pride and strength of young manhood, left the plow and the anvil,* the 
 lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's 
 call went forth valiantly " to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was 
 restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every 
 woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after. 
 
 Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from 
 the fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which 
 would otherwise be inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work, 
 and every opportunity possible given to* those represented to insure correctness in what has 
 been written ; and the publishers flatter themselves that they give to their readers a work with 
 few errors of consequence. In addition to biographical sketches, portraits of a number of 
 representative citizens are given. 
 
 The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. 
 For this the publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some 
 rrlused to give the information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. 
 Occasionally some member of the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such 
 opposition the support of the interested one would be withheld. In a few instances men 
 never could be found, though repeated calls were made at their residence or place of business. 
 
 May, 1900. 
 
 THE S. T. CLAHKE PUBLISHING Co. 
 
ALBERT C. BURNHAM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL 
 
 
 LBERT C. BURNHAM, 
 deceased. Honored and 
 respected by all, there 
 was no man in Cham- 
 paign who occupied a 
 more enviable position 
 in business circles than 
 Mr. Burnham. Not only on account of the 
 brilliant success he achieved, but also on 
 account of the honorable, straightforward 
 business policy he always followed. He 
 was one of nature's noblemen, and the world 
 is better for his having lived. He was a man 
 of the times, broad-minded, public-spirited 
 and progressive, and to him Champaign is 
 indebted for many valuable gifts. 
 
 Mr. Burnham was born in Deerfield, 
 Michigan, February 11, 1839, and was 
 reared upon a farm. He took a rather 
 thorough course of study before starting out 
 in life for himself, and is reported to have 
 said that on coming to Champaign county 
 he was still three hundred dollars in debt 
 for the expenses of his education. During 
 the winter of 1 860-6 [ he taught school in 
 Onarga, Iroquois county. Illinois, and early 
 in the following spring came to Champaign 
 and entered the office of J. B. McKinley to 
 read law. He was a good student and soon 
 completed the course and was admitted to 
 the bar. In the meantime he evinced more 
 
 liking for business affairs than for the prac- 
 tice of law. As it happened about this 
 time eastern capitalists began sending money 
 to Mr. McKinley for investment in farm se- 
 curities and Mr. Burnham did a large part 
 of the formal work of making these loans. 
 After he was licensed to practice he entered 
 into a business arrangement with Mr. Mc- 
 Kinley, under the firm name of McKinley & 
 Burnham, and this connection continued 
 until our subject's marriage. 
 
 At Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, June 24, 
 1866, Mr. Burnham married Miss Julia F. 
 Davison, and to them were born two chil- 
 dren: Robert Davison, a resident of Cham- 
 paign; and Mary B., wife of Newton M. 
 Harris, of the same city. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Burnham began their married life in the 
 little house on Church street now occupied 
 by Mr. and Mrs. Julius Hamilton, and after- 
 ward moved to what was known as the But- 
 terfield property on the grounds where the 
 Atheneum now stands, making that their 
 home until their removal to the residence on 
 the corner of Lynn and Church streets, now 
 occupied by their daughter, Mrs. Harris. 
 
 During the early days of the Civil war, 
 Mr. Burham was a clerk in the commissary 
 department of the army, but suffering from 
 an injury received by being thrown from a 
 horse, he resigned his position and returned 
 
10 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 home. After his marriage he was engaged 
 in the banking business for some years at 
 the location now occupied by his successors, 
 and established what has become one of the 
 most solid financial institutions of this sec- 
 tion of the state. J. R. Trevett, now a 
 member of the firm, entered his office as an 
 employe in the spring of 1870. On the ist 
 of March, 1871, the firm of Burnham, Mc- 
 Kinley & Company was organized, and R. 
 R. Mat! is entered their employ in 1875. 
 When that firm was dissolved March I, 
 1876, Messrs. Burnham, Trevett and Mat- 
 tis entered into a copartnership. Although 
 our subject retained his connection with 
 this banking house up to the time of his 
 death, he practically left the business of 
 the company to the junior members of the 
 firm during the last ten years of his life, 
 while he devoted his attention almost en- 
 tirely to his large financial interests. The 
 business relations of the company were most 
 harmonious, and Mr. Burnham was often 
 heard to say that few men had been so for- 
 tunate as he in the ability, trustworthiness 
 and capacity of their business associates. 
 He, himself, was a most able financier, and 
 through his own well-directed efforts and 
 wise investments he accumulated a hand- 
 some fortune, enabling him to surround his 
 family with all the comforts and luxuries 
 which wealth can secure. He left an es- 
 tate valued at between one and two million 
 dollars, and gave his son and daughter, to- 
 gether with his partners, Messrs. Trevett 
 and Mattis, full charge of the same without 
 bond and without report. The property is 
 to be left intact until 1920, when it is to be 
 divided among his legal heirs. In politics 
 Mr. Burnham was a Republican and served 
 as school treasurer for some time. 
 
 While enjoying his well-deserved pros- 
 
 perity, Mr. Burnham was not unmindful of 
 the public, and cast ^ibout him for opportu- 
 nities to do some act of lasting good to the 
 community in which he lived, and especially 
 to the needy and suffering. In the summer 
 of 1893 his attention was attracted by a 
 .newspaper article giving a detailed account 
 of the hardships and sufferings of an unfort- 
 unate invalid in a poor family in Champaign, 
 and or\ the evening of October 19, 1893, in 
 the presence of a few friends at" the home 
 of Jerome T. Davidson, Mr. Burnham an- 
 nounced his intention of giving ten thousand 
 dollars to build a. hospital for the city, which 
 amount was later increased to twenty-five 
 thousand dollars. The hospital was built 
 and at his request was named the Julia F. 
 Burnham hospital in honor of his beloved 
 wife. In announcing the fact of his purpose 
 in this matter, The Gazette, October 20, 
 1893, said: " The gift is understood to be 
 in the nature of a memorial to his wife in 
 her lifetime and the money will reach its 
 destination through her hands." This hos- 
 pital now stands at the corner of Springfield 
 avenue and Fourth street a monument to 
 the goodness of the woman whose name it 
 bears and to the generosity of him whose 
 thoughtfulness made its construction possi- 
 ble. Before this work was fairly completed 
 a sad affliction came upon Mr. Burnham. 
 He and his wife went to New York in the 
 latter days of October, 1894, he being called 
 there on business. While there they had 
 rooms at the Hoffman House, and during his 
 absence, Mrs. Burnham was overtaken with 
 a stroke of something in the nature of par- 
 alysis, from which she expired on the 28th 
 of that month. The remains were brought 
 back to Champaign and interred in Mt. Hope 
 cemetery, November I, 1894, the manifest- 
 ations of sorrow and grief being general 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 1 1 
 
 throughout the city. This was a blow from 
 which it seemed for a time that Mr. Burn- 
 ham could hardly recover his faculties. 
 Seldom has bereavement seemed to strike a 
 man so severely. 
 
 It appears that on the way to New York, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Burnham talked over and de- 
 cided upon another gift to the city, which 
 he afterward made. This was revealed to 
 the public on the evening of January I , i 895, 
 when at a meeting of the city council, G. 
 \Y. Gere appeared for Mr. Burnham and 
 announced the purpose formed by the latter 
 to give the city a gift of fifty thousand dol- 
 lars, as follows: thirty-five thousand to be 
 expended in the construction of a library 
 building to be perpetually the property of 
 the city for library purposes; ten thousand 
 dollars to be securely invested and the pro- 
 ceeds thereof to be applied to the purchase 
 of books; and the lot known as the Butter- 
 field property on West Church street, valued 
 at five thousand dollars, to be the site of 
 the new library building. This gift was 
 gratefully accepted by the city, and the ele- 
 gant Burnham Atheneum is the result. It 
 is a second monument to the name and 
 honor of the good citizen who always had 
 the best interests of Champaign at heart, 
 and will reflect credit upon him and do good 
 to the community as long as the city has an 
 existence. On the I3th of September, 1897, 
 while on his way to the office, Mr. Burnham 
 was overcome with the heat and expired 
 almost instantly. 
 
 His record was that of a man who by 
 his own unaided efforts worked his way up- 
 ward to a position of wealth and affluence. 
 In all places and under all circumstances he 
 was loyal to truth, honor and right, justly 
 valuing his own self-respect as infinitely 
 preferable than fame and position. In all 
 
 those fine traits of character which combine 
 to form what we term friendship, which en- 
 dear and attach man to man in bonds which 
 nothing but the stain of dishonor can sever, 
 which triumph in the hour of adversity in 
 those qualities he was royally endowed. 
 
 ANDREW S. DRAPER, LL. D. The 
 name of Dr. Draper is a familiar one 
 in educational circles throughout the country, 
 and as the president of the University of 
 Illinois he has materially advanced the in- 
 tellectual status of this commonwealth. 
 Man's worth in the world is measured by 
 what he has done for his fellow men, and 
 certainly he is deserving of great gratitude 
 who has enabled others to understand their 
 own powers, to having cognizance of their 
 intellectual strength and developed their 
 capabilities in a way that will make their 
 opportunities in life greater and broader. 
 Such a work is that which occupies the at- 
 tention of him whose name introduces this 
 review, and today he stands among the 
 leaders in educational labors in the Missis- 
 sippi valley. 
 
 President Draper was born in Westford, 
 Qtsego county, New York, June 21, 1848, 
 his parents being Sylvester Bigelow and 
 Jane (Sloan) Draper. The father was a 
 farmer and manufacturer of Westford. Nine 
 generations of the Draper family have re- 
 sided in America, the original ancestor in 
 this country having come from England in 
 1646. One of the great-grandfathers of the 
 Doctor was a captain in King Philip's war, 
 and two others were Revolutionary heroes. 
 All were residents of Massachusetts. The 
 Sloans were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and 
 came to America in 1812, locating in Wash- 
 
12 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ington county, New York. Samuel Sloan, 
 the maternal grandfather, was the first of 
 the family to take up his abode in the new 
 world. His family were of the Presbyterian 
 faith, while the Draper family were Con- 
 gregationalists in religious belief. Soon af- 
 ter the Revolutionary war the Drapers made 
 a settlement in the midst of the wilderness, 
 in Otsego county, New York, and there re- 
 sided the great-grandfather, the grandfather 
 and the father of our subject, and lands first 
 taken were in possession of members 
 of the family for over one hundred years. 
 When Dr. Draper was a lad of seven sum- 
 mers his parents removed to Albany, New 
 York. In the public schools of that city 
 the Doctor obtained his preliminary educa- 
 tion, which was supplemented by study in 
 the Albany Academy. Later he was a stu- 
 dent in the school of law of the Union Uni- 
 versity, being graduated in the class of 1871. 
 Having been admitted to the bar he prac- 
 ticed law in Albany fourteen years, and 
 during that time, from 1878 to 1881, he 
 was a member of the board of education of 
 that city. He had also successfully engaged 
 in teaching from 1866 to 1870, being a 
 member of the faculty of the Albany Acad- 
 emy during a portion of that time. 
 
 A recognized leader in public thought 
 and opinion, Dr. Draper was called upon to 
 represent his district in the New York Leg- 
 islature in 1 88 1, and was made a member 
 of the committees on ways and means, and 
 public education, and public printing, but 
 gave the greater part of his time to the first 
 named. He was also a member of a special 
 committee of that Legislature that investi- 
 gated the affairs ot the Elmira Reformatory, 
 prepared the report of the committee, and 
 also the first bill which became a law in 
 New York against contract labor in the 
 
 prisons. He was likewise a member of the 
 special committee that entertained General 
 Grant on the part of the Legislature and also 
 a member of the special committee that in- 
 vestigated the charges of bribery preferred 
 against Senator L. B. Sessions in connection 
 with the contest over the election of a 
 United States senator brought on by the 
 resignation of Senators Conklin and Platt. 
 Dr. Draper supported those two senators in 
 that prolonged contest. He was a member 
 of the Republican state central committee 
 from 1882 until 1885, and was chairman of 
 the executive committee during the presi- 
 dential campaign of 1884. The same year 
 he was a delegate to the Republican na- 
 tional convention and supported the nom- 
 ination of President Arthur. He had charge 
 of the details of the party campaign in New 
 York in 1884, an d visited Mr. Elaine at his 
 invitation at his home in Augusta, Maine, 
 and later accompanied him on his two cele- 
 brated tours of the Empire state. The 
 same year he was appointed by President 
 Arthur the appointment being confirmed 
 by the senate as one of the judges of the 
 United States court created by Congress 
 to determine the individual claims against the 
 Geneva award. In 1886 he was elected by 
 the New York legislature to the position 
 of state superintendent of public instruc- 
 tion and re-elected in 1889, serving until 
 1892. During this time the educational 
 system of /New York state was in a large 
 measure re-organized, and many legislative 
 acts were passed of benefit to the schools. 
 The courses of work in the normal schools 
 and the teachers' training classes were en- 
 tirely revised and a complete system of uni- 
 form examinations for teachers' certificates 
 was established. 
 
 In 1892 Dr. Draper was chosen super- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 intendent of instruction in the public schools 
 of Cleveland, Ohio, and filled that position 
 for two years. A new law had been enacted 
 for the city which placed the appointment 
 and removal of teachers wholly in the hands 
 of the superintendent, and in this way the 
 teaching- force was purged and reinvigorated 
 and the standard of the schools was materi- 
 ally raised. Examinations as tests of ad- 
 vancement from grade to grade in grammar 
 schools was abolished and the judgment of 
 the teachers substituted therefor. The work 
 of the city training school was revised, and 
 the whole city educational system took on 
 new energy and effectiveness. In 1894 Dr. 
 Draper was elected president of the Univer- 
 sity of Illinois and has since occupied the 
 position. During his incumbency harmony 
 has prevailed in the councils of the univer- 
 sity and all the friends of the institution 
 have combined to lift it to a place of first 
 rank among the universities of the country. 
 Through the favor of the people of the state 
 and generous appropriations by the Legisla- 
 ture these efforts have been in a large meas- 
 ure successful. New university buildings 
 have been secured, and theinstructional force 
 has more than doubled during the past five 
 years, while the number of students has in- 
 creased from less than eight hundred to more 
 than twenty-two hundred. Dr. Draper has 
 been a frequent contributor to the educa- 
 tional press and has delivered addresses be- 
 fore educational bodies in more than one-half 
 the states of the Union. He has recently 
 published a work entitled "The Rescue of 
 Cuba," which has attracted much attention 
 and won much commendation throughout 
 the country. 
 
 In 1872 Dr. Draper was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Abbie Louise Lyon, of New 
 Britain, Connecticut, and they now have 
 
 two children: Charlotte Leland and Edwin 
 Lyon. The Doctor was formerly a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church (though 
 now affiliated with the Presbyterian church), 
 and for many years was an elder in the First 
 Presbyterian church of Albany. In 1889 
 the degree of Doctor of Law was conferred 
 upon him by Colgate University. He is an 
 honorary member of the Wisconsin State 
 Historical Society, and though his life has 
 been largely devoted to intellectual labors, 
 he yet realizes the value and importance of 
 physical development, and is very fond of 
 outdoor sports, particularly of horses, base- 
 ball and boating. He has traveled exten- 
 sively throughout this country, and in 1899 
 he visited Europe, spending many pleasant 
 hours in viewing the places of historic and 
 modern interest in Ireland, England, Scot- 
 land, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and 
 France. At this point it would be almost 
 tautological to enter into any series of state- 
 ments as showing our s*ubject to be a man 
 of broad intelligence and genuine public 
 spirit, for these have been shadowed forth 
 between the lines of this review. Strong in 
 individuality, he never lacks the courage of 
 his convictions, has much human sympathy 
 and an abiding charity, which, as taken in 
 connection with the sterling integrity and 
 honor of his character, have naturally se- 
 cured for him the respect and confidence of 
 men. 
 
 JUDGE WILLIAM D. SOMERS, one of 
 the most prominent old settlers of 
 Champaign county, and^'one who has been 
 an important factor in advancing its inter- 
 ests, was born in Surry county. North Car- 
 olina, in 1812, a son of Waitman and Win- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 nifred Somers. By occupation the father 
 was a farmer. Our subject was reared in 
 his native state but received only a limited 
 education. In early life he went to live with 
 Joseph Williams, then clerk of the county 
 and circuit courts of Surry county, and as a 
 clerk in his office acquired his first knowl- 
 edge of law. He read medicine and then 
 engaged in practice there for a time as by 
 an act of the Legislature two graduate phy- 
 sicians could give permission for an appli- 
 cant to practice. 
 
 In November, 1840, Judge Somers came 
 to Champaign, which was then a very small 
 place, and he rode on horseback over the 
 open prairie for miles around. He was in 
 limited circumstances on coming to the 
 county, but later purchased land here. He 
 married Miss Catherine P. Carson, a native 
 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whose family 
 were among the first to locate in this region. 
 She died in 1898, leaving three children, 
 namely: Pauline, now the wife of George 
 Curtis, of Peoria; Mollie, wife of Charles 
 Besore, of Champaign; and Cora, wife of 
 Mr. Parker, of Urbana, Illinois. 
 
 For some years after coming to this 
 county Judge Somers was engaged in the 
 practice of medicine, and in the meantime 
 read law, being persuaded to adopt the legal 
 profession by his wife, who was a well-edu- 
 cated woman and believed that he possessed 
 the necessary requirements of a successful 
 lawyer. He was admitted to the bar by 
 Judge Trent and devoted his entire time to 
 practice until about ten years ago, when he 
 retired from active business. He was inter- 
 ested with Abraham Lincoln in many cases 
 tried before the l^Kil and supreme courts, 
 and in his day was one of the most success- 
 ful attorneys connected with the bar of 
 Champaign county. He tried many impor- 
 
 tant cases, one of the most noted being the 
 will case of Brownfield versus Brownfield. 
 For a number of years he was local attorney 
 for the Illinois Central Railroad Company 
 and received' as high as a one-thousand-dol- 
 lar fee from them in the days of smaller 
 fees. As a lawyer he probably had no supe- 
 rior in Champaign county at that time. On 
 attaining his majority he became identified 
 with the Democratic party, but of recent 
 years has affiliated with the Republican 
 party. He was never an office seeker, pre- 
 ferring to devote his entire time and atten- 
 tion to his professional duties. He has 
 brought his keen discrimination and thor- 
 ough wisdom to bear not only in professional 
 paths, but also for the benefit of the city 
 which has so long been his home and with 
 whose interests he has been thoroughly iden- 
 tified. It was principally through his in- 
 strumentality that the University of Illinois 
 was established at Champaign, being at that 
 time a member of the board of supervisors 
 who met at Springfield to decide on a loca- 
 tion, and for this one act, as well as many 
 others, the community owes him a debt of 
 gratitude which can never be repaid. His 
 home for several years past has been at the 
 corner of Green and Race streets. 
 
 JOHN W. BEARDSLEY, secretary and 
 manager of the Champaign Machine 
 Supply Company, is a young man of supe- 
 rior executive ability and sound judgment, 
 who already occupies a good position in the 
 business world, and has a fine prospect of 
 reaching the topmost round of the ladder of 
 prosperity. He was born in Champaign, 
 May 31, 1870, and throughout his business 
 career has been prominently identified with 
 the interests of the city. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The Beardsley family is from Stratford- 
 on-Avon, England, and was founded in this 
 country as early as 1635. John Beardsley, 
 the great-grandfather of our subject, served 
 six years as a soldier in the Revolutionary 
 war, and lost his" hearing at Stony Point by 
 the bursting of a cannon. He died in 1802. 
 His son, John Beardsley, Jr., the grand- 
 father of our subject, was a native of Strat- 
 ford, Connecticut. He was a soldier in the 
 war of 1812, and was a cabinet maker by 
 trade, which occupation he followed until 
 his removal to Ohio. He was a pioneer of 
 Milford township, Knox county, and was 
 one of the organizers of the township On 
 the 1 9th of March, 1822, he wedded Mary 
 Fitch, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, 
 and with his bride in a one-horse wagon, 
 which contained their complete outtit, went 
 to Ohio. He was a man of note in his 
 community, was a Whig in politics and held 
 many offices. In his youth he was a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, and later 
 was a believer in the doctrines as taught by 
 Beecher, Dow and Taylor. He, himself, 
 possessed considerable power as a speaker. 
 He died February 24, 1887, at the advanced 
 age of ninety-five years. Of his eight chil- 
 dren, four died in childhood. The others 
 are Charles, who was appointed fourth aud- 
 itor of the United States treasury and served 
 in that office eight years; Henry, an attor- 
 ney of Clark, Nebraska; Mrs. Mary Craven, 
 of Milford, Ohio; and George F., father of 
 our subject. 
 
 George F. Ut-ardslcy was born in Ohio, 
 May 26, 1827, and was reared on a farm in 
 that state and educated in the primitive 
 schools of his day. In his youth he joined 
 the ranks of the district school teachers and 
 spent sixteen winters in this vocation. On 
 reaching manhood he followed farming in 
 
 Ohio until 1867, when he came to Cham- 
 paign and embarked in the loan and real 
 estate business. In 1895 he built the Beards- 
 ley Hotel, but afterwards sold it to Charles 
 B. Hatch. While a resident of Ohio, he 
 served as postmaster at Milfordton under 
 Presidents Buchanan and Lincoln and held 
 the office of justice of the peace for ei^ht 
 years. In 1864 he was a member of the 
 National Guards, and was in active service 
 ar und Petersburg. Since coming to Cham- 
 paign he has been prominently identified 
 with many of its business interests, and has 
 done as much, if not more than any other man 
 for the upbuilding and development of the 
 city. He has also taken quite an active part in 
 public affairs, serving as member of the board 
 of education many years, and of the city coun- 
 cil fourteen years. In political sentiment 
 he is a Republican. He has been an active 
 church worker for many years, a member of 
 the Congregational church, and gives an 
 earnest support to all enterprises calculated 
 to advance the moral, educational or mate- 
 rial welfare of the city or county. Few men 
 are better known throughout the community, 
 and none are more honored or highly es- 
 teemed. In Knox county, Ohio, he was 
 married, August 10, 1854, to Martha Mahan, 
 a daughter of John and Martha Mahan, of 
 New York state. Six children were born of 
 this union, three of whom are now living: 
 Henry M.. who married Marietta Davis and 
 lives in KansasCity, Missouri; Annie Laurie; 
 and John \V. , our subject. 
 
 The primary education of John W. 
 Beardsley was obtained in the public schools 
 of Champaign, and later he entered the 
 Illinois University, taking the modern lan- 
 guage course and graduating in 1890 with 
 the degree of B. L. With the expectation 
 of taking up the practice of lasv, he went to 
 
i6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Kansas City, Missouri, and entered the law 
 office of Beardsley & Gregory, but owing to 
 ill health of his father he soon returned 
 home, and became interested in the real 
 estate and insurance business with his father. 
 In 1894 he became secretary of the Maltby 
 & Wallace Company, and remained with 
 them in that capacity until 1896, when the 
 firm made an assignment, and out of it de- 
 veloped the Champaign Machine & Supply 
 Company, of which he is a stockholder, 
 secretary and manager, the president being 
 Professor F. A. Sager, of the University; 
 and the vice-president, S. K. Hughes, while 
 the superintendent is J. E. Protzeller. The 
 company have a general machine shop and 
 foundry, which they operate, and are also 
 jobbers in steam and plumbing supplies. 
 Their's is one of the leading indu ;tries of the 
 city, and they do a large and profitable 
 business. 
 
 In 1899, Mr. Beardsley was united in 
 marriage with Miss Edith M. Stave, .a native 
 of Indiana, and a daughter of L. A. Stave, 
 who was for many years connected with the 
 register letter department of the Chicago 
 post office, but owing to ill health he re- 
 signed his position, and for the past six 
 years has lived retired in Champaign. Mrs. 
 Beardsley is the only child of her parents 
 now living, one other having died young. 
 Both our subject and his wife are members 
 of the First Congregational church of 
 Champaign, and socially he is a member of 
 Valiant Lodge, No. 150, K. P., and Tusco- 
 rora Tribe, No. 107, I. O. R. M. For two 
 years he was secretary of the Champaign 
 Agricultural Association board. Politically 
 he is a Republican, but at local elections, 
 where no issue is involved, he votes for the 
 man he considers best qualified to fill the 
 office, regardless of party lines. 
 
 DAVID BAILEY was born in Salem, 
 Rockingham county, New Hampshire, 
 August 2, 1814, of poor but honest parents, 
 his father being a farmer and shoemaker, 
 to which business the most of the boys in 
 that section of the country were reared. 
 There were nine children in this New Eng- 
 land home, three sons and six daughters, 
 and the story of their early life is similar 
 to that which has been written of so many 
 others, their time being devoted to hard 
 work and a few months study at the district 
 school during the winter season. David 
 Bailey had no further opportunity for schol- 
 astic training. Indeed while he was yet 
 under twelve years of age he was put out 
 to work for a neighboring farmer in order 
 to assist his father in lifting some incum- 
 brances which were pressing, and be it said 
 to their credit that the debt was fully 
 paid. 
 
 After spending a number of years on the 
 farm, the subject of this sketch found an 
 opportunity to enter a clerkship at Haver- 
 hill, Massachusetts, but did not long remain 
 on account of poor health. He soon drifted 
 to Boston, or rather to Charlestown, where 
 for a time he held a clerkship in the state 
 penitentiary. Late in the '305 he decided 
 to follow the star of the empire and came 
 west as far as Danville, Illinois, where he 
 entered a general store. While there he 
 first met Miss Hannah A. Finley, to whom 
 he was married February 9, 1841, and by 
 this union were born five children, three 
 sons who survive their father, namely: Ed- 
 ward, president of the Champaign National 
 Bank, of Champaign; David, Jr., a resident 
 of Longview; and Ozias, of Texas. The 
 daughters were Abiah, who died in child- 
 hood; and Mrs. Sue (Bailey) Slayden, who 
 died some years ago in Waco, Texas. 
 
DAVID BAILEY 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 After spending some time working in 
 Danville, Mr. Bailey went to Bloomfield, 
 Edgar county, Illinois, walking all the way 
 as he had not the means to pay coach fare, 
 that being the only mode of travel in those 
 days. There he accepted a position on sal- 
 ary, but later with his brother Ozias, who 
 had recently come west, he formed a part- 
 nership under the firm name of O. & D. 
 Bailey, our subject having saved a few dol- 
 lars. The Bailey peddler's wagons soon 
 became well known throughout the section 
 between the Wabash and Sangamon rivers. 
 The brothers also operated a pork packing 
 establishment at Clinton, Indiana, shipping 
 their produce by flatboats to New Orleans. 
 About 1855 our subject moved to Monticel- 
 lo, and after a short sojourn there came to 
 Urbana. In March, 1856, he removed to 
 Champaign, where for a number of years 
 he successfully conducted a dry goods busi- 
 ness on the site of the Metropolitan Block 
 now occupied by F. K. Robinson & Brother. 
 
 Aside from this Mr. Bailey was one of 
 the original shareholders and directors of 
 the First National Bank and it was largely 
 through his efforts that the charter was se- 
 cured, the names appearing with his in the 
 original articles of incorporation being 
 James S. Wright, John F. Thomas, Will- 
 iam M. Way, Hamilton Jefferson, B. F. 
 Harris, John S. Beasley, Daniel Gardner, 
 William C. Barrett, Simeon H. Busey, S. 
 P. Percival, John G. Clark and A. E. Har- 
 mon. Mr. Bailey disposed of his holdings 
 in this institution some time in the '705, and 
 in 1882 he became one of the charter mem- 
 bers of the Champaign National Bank, in 
 which his holdings were always consider- 
 able, and in which he was a director from 
 the date of organization until the time of 
 his death. 
 
 During his residence in Champaign, Mr. 
 Bailey was several times elected to the 
 board of supervisors and also served one 
 term as school trustee. He was a public- 
 spirited citizen, contributing liberally yet 
 wisely to every worthy enterprise whether 
 secular or religious. His givings were never 
 ostentatious, but it may be said here that 
 among his gifts are numbered the lots 
 occupied by the Baptist parsonage, he 
 being a member of that society, and the 
 valuable ground now occupied by the city 
 buildings. 
 
 Mr. Bailey gave up his residence in 
 Champaign about 1877, and after traveling 
 for a season finally located in St. Joseph, 
 Missouri, where he remained until after the 
 death of his first wife in 1879. Subse- 
 quently he lived for a time in New York 
 City, and then returned to the home of his 
 boyhood in New Hampshire, where he 
 spent most of his time, though he fre- 
 quently visited his old home and friends in 
 Champaign. On the 22nd of March, 1882, 
 he married Miss Harriet Haseltine, of 
 Methuen, Massachusetts, and only two 
 weeks later followed her remains to the 
 cemetery. He was again married, Novem- 
 ber i, 1886, his third wife being Mrs. Mary 
 B. Evvins. who survives him. His new resi- 
 dence in that city, built on the site of the 
 old family home, had just been completed 
 and occupied by him when called from this 
 life December 17, 1897, it being his inten- 
 tion had he livjed to spend the closing days 
 of his life among the scenes of his greatest 
 successful activity. 
 
 Mr. Bailey was a man of magnificent 
 physical presence, and it may truly be said 
 that he carried within his breast a soul 
 worthy of so splendid a habitation. He 
 sought no man's praise, satisfied to have the 
 
20 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 approval of his own conscience, and he was 
 immovable in his adherence to justice and 
 right. Once his duty was made plain, 
 nothing could swerve him from it, yet un- 
 der a stern exterior beat a great, big, kind 
 heart, as those who knew him best can tes- 
 tify. He was a manly man and that means 
 much. His character was developed in 
 pioneer days and while his early opportunity 
 for acquiring an education was very limited, 
 yet by reading and observation he became a 
 well informed and polished gentleman. The 
 lile and labors of such as he have made 
 possible the greater comfort and beauty in 
 the world at present. 
 
 The editorial comment of the Daily 
 News at the time of his death voiced the 
 sentiment of the entire community and was 
 as follows: "It is with profound sorrow 
 that the people of Champaign have laid to 
 rest the human form in which for eighty- 
 four years reposed the noble soul of David 
 Bailey, as true a man as ever lived in this 
 community. It was to his foresight and 
 effort, probably more than any other, that 
 in the late '503 and through the '6os shaped 
 the affairs of this municipality in a way to . 
 lay the foundation for our city's present 
 greatness, and our citizens have never for- 
 gotten and could not forget his early and 
 long continued interest in their welfare. It 
 was the nature of Mr. Bailey to stand al- 
 ways bravely for the right. He could 
 neither be cajoled nor coerced in compro- 
 mising either himself or the interests he 
 represented. He was the very embodiment 
 of manliness. The competency which he 
 left behind was accumulated through honest 
 effort. During his early struggles it may 
 have been difficult at times to pay his bills, 
 but they were all paid in full. What he had 
 was his and no man could question his right 
 
 to it for no man had ever been crippled or 
 crushed by him in his efforts to get it. Mr. 
 Bailey was a sturdy specimen of that vig- 
 orous and noble manhood which scorns to 
 do evil. His whole life was an example of 
 right living; his heart beat warm for the 
 oppressed and distressed; and his purse 
 opened probably with greater frequency 
 than any other in Champaign to alleviate 
 the sufferings of his fellows. Yet it was all 
 done so modestly that only in rare instances 
 did any but the beneficiaries know of his 
 beneficence. Champaign sincerely mourns 
 the loss of this worthy citizen and steadfast 
 friend. His memory will long be cherished 
 by those among which he lived so long and 
 for whom he did so much." 
 
 WILLIAM CHERRY, who has been 
 actively engaged in agricultural pur- 
 suits in Champaign county and eastern Illi- 
 nois, and experienced all of the vicissitudes 
 common to the pioneer in this region in the 
 early '505, is now practically retired from 
 business, and is passing his declining years 
 in peace and plenty, at his pleasant home 
 in the outskirts of Urbana. Possessing the 
 energy and practical methods of the English 
 people among wrfom he was reared, he was 
 the first in his section of the county to in- 
 troduce numerous improvements and radical 
 changes from the prevailing system of farm- 
 ing, and wrought out a measure of success 
 rarely attained by the Illinois farmer. 
 
 Born in Oxfordshire, England, June 9, 
 1828, William Cherry is a son of Thomas 
 and Ann (Lock) Cherry, both of whom were 
 natives of the same locality. The father 
 held a position as game-keeper on the estates 
 of Lord Abingdon, and was a faithful and 
 
. BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 21 
 
 efficient employe of that nobleman. Born 
 February 14, 1805, he lived to the age of 
 about 85 years, and his wife, who was born 
 in 1806, died September 29,1878. They 
 were the parents of ten children, namely: 
 William, George, Thomas, Jane, Esther, 
 Barbara, Emma, Ann, Eliza, and Mary. 
 
 In his youth, our subject received the 
 greater part of his education in the night 
 schools, and, as he was maturing, he was of 
 much assistance to his father. About the 
 time that he reached his majority he had 
 the reputation of being the most expert 
 plowman of that locality, and in other de- 
 partments of agriculture he excelled. A spirit 
 of enterprise and ambition led him, at length, 
 to embark for the land of promise, and such 
 our country ultimately proved itself to him. 
 Going to Toledo, he found employment on 
 the construction of the "four-mile level" 
 just west of that city, on the Wabash rail- 
 way, and the following year he proceeded 
 to Attica, Indiana, where -he rented a farm 
 until 1859. The next eight years were 
 spent by him on leased hind in the vicinity 
 of the present town of Armstrong, Illinois, 
 and in the fall of 1866 he went to- Champaign 
 county, where he had previously purchased 
 a quarter section of land, situated upon sec- 
 tion 31, Ogden township. The property was 
 wild prairie, and much of the plare was un- 
 der water part of the year. Solving the dif- 
 ficulty in a practical way, the new owner 
 bought a carload of tiles at the factory in 
 Indiana, and thus was the first one in the 
 county, probably, to insntntc this common- 
 sense practice of draining low lands. Need- 
 less to say, his homestead thrived and \ ield- 
 ed abundantly under his judicious manage- 
 ment, and his example, in many things, 
 proved an incentive to the whole commu- 
 nity. For a score of years he dwelt there, 
 
 raising large quantities of grain and breeding 
 and feeding live stock extensively. With 
 all of his inherited love for fine stock, he 
 kept Clydesdale horses, short-horn cattle 
 and Southdown sheep, and never failed to 
 obtain high prices for them. When he could 
 afford it, he bought another quarter-section 
 x of land, adjoining his home place, and con- 
 verted the whole into a valuable farm. Later, 
 he sold a portion of the place, and in iSSS 
 bought twenty acres of land, just outside 
 the corporate limits of Champaign, and there 
 made his abode for three years. In 1891, 
 he removed to his present place, comprising 
 ten acres, located on the edge of the town 
 of Urbana, and well improved and desirable 
 in every respect. He also owns several 
 hundred acres of excellent land in Illinois 
 and Nebraska, beside having other paying 
 investments. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Cherry and Sarah, 
 daughter of John and Hannah Lever, all na- 
 tives of Buckinghamshire, England, was 
 celebrated February 2 i , 1855. She came 
 to America with her brother, William, who 
 lived at the home of our subject, and her 
 sister Mary. The latter , wedded Henry 
 Last, now a retired citizen of West Leb- 
 anon, Indiana. As they were not blessed 
 with children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Cherry opened their hearts and home to five 
 different children, whom they adopted, edu- 
 cated and ten4erly cared for. One of the 
 number, James H., is a practical and suc- 
 cessful farmer of Ogden township. Mrs. 
 Cherry was summoned to the better land 
 August ii, 1894. She was a devoted mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 was an earnest worker in the Sunday-school 
 and in all good enterprises. On the 9th of 
 December, 1897, Mr. Cherry married Miss 
 Sarah E. Last, daughter of the Henry and 
 
22 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mary Last mentioned above, and, there- 
 fore, a niece of his first wife. She is the 
 only survivor of three children, and was 
 reared to womanhood in Indiana. 
 
 In 1888, Mr. Cherry made a trip to 
 England, where he visited the scenes of his 
 happy youth, and renewed old acquaint- 
 ances. Politically, he has not allied himself 
 to any party, but has independently voted 
 for the nominees and principles in which he 
 has believed at the time. During his resi- 
 dence in Ogden township, he served as 
 commissioner of highways for eight years, 
 and was a school director for twelve years. 
 Religiously, he has been active in the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and has liberally 
 supported worthy charities. His remin- 
 iscences of early days on the frontier are 
 very interesting, and he graphically relates 
 tales of his own and neighbors' experiences 
 before the roads were more than outlined, 
 streams were bridged, markets were easily 
 accessible, and the thousand-and-one im- 
 provements and comforts of civilized life 
 were introduced upon these then wild and 
 unpromising prairies. 
 
 ANDREW J. MILLER. Fortunate is the 
 man who has back of him an ancestry 
 honorable and distinguished, and happy is 
 he whose lines of life are ca,st in harmony 
 therewith. In person, in character and in 
 talents, Mr. Miller is a worthy scion of his 
 race. He has shown himself to be the peer 
 of the brightest members of the bar in this 
 section of Illinois. Having richly inherited 
 the gifts of intellect and oratory of a family 
 which has added luster to the pages of state 
 and national history through successive 
 generations, he to-day holds a position of 
 
 distinctive preferment among the represent- 
 atives of the bar of Champaign county. 
 
 Andrew Jackson Miller was born in 
 Tolono township, this county, on the 3Oth 
 of May, 1863, his parents being Isaac J. 
 and Elizabeth W. (Rock) Miller. His 
 grandfather, Nathaniel Miller, spent his 
 early life in New Jersey, and in that state 
 wedded Mary Martin, a sister of Luther 
 Martin, who was one of the lawyers that 
 defended Aaron Burr for treason, and who 
 refused to be a member of the committee 
 that signed the Declaration of Independence 
 because they would not abolish slavery 
 through that document. His father, Henry 
 Martin, was an own cousin of John Ouincy 
 Adams and a nephew of John Adams. The 
 Martin family was founded in America about 
 1645, the original American ancestors hav- 
 ing come from England. 
 
 Isaac J. Miller, a son of Nathaniel and 
 Mary (Martin) Miller, was born in Hamilton, 
 Butler county, Ohio, May 18, 1815, spent 
 his boyhood days on the farm there, and 
 when twenty years of age went to Fountain 
 county, Indiana, where he spent a few years 
 on a farm, coming to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, in 1838. He entered land in Tolono 
 township, and transformed the wild tract 
 into richly cultivated fields, whereon he 
 made his home until October, 1874, when 
 he removed to Brown county, Kansas, 
 where he now resides. He was one of the 
 most influential factors in the political 
 circles of Champaign county at an early day, 
 and was very prominent in the public affairs 
 of the state. Of Governors Yates and 
 Oglesby he was an intimate friend, also of 
 John A. Logan, and in his early manhood 
 he was associated with Oliver P. Morton, 
 the war governor of Indiana. Later he be- 
 came a warm friend and supporter of Abra- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ham Lincoln. He was instrumental in 
 awakening sentiment in favor of and in se- 
 curing the passage of the Homestead law 
 for the northwest territory, and at the time 
 of the establishment of the University at 
 Urbana he was one of the county supervis- 
 ors, and with two other members of the 
 board advocated the giving of land by the 
 county and the issuing of bonds to secure 
 the University. After a hard contest, 
 lasting several weeks, the board finally 
 agreed to bring the University to Urbana. 
 In his religious belief. Mr. Miller was a 
 Universalist. 
 
 Isaac J. Miller was united in marriage to 
 Miss Elizabeth W. Rock, daughter of Will- 
 iam and Nancy Rock, who came to Sadorus 
 township, in 1823, fr6m Richland county, 
 Virginia. He was one of the most favora- 
 bly known men in Champaign county, and 
 in his business affairs was very successful, 
 leaving at his death twenty-three hundred 
 acres of land. He represented a family de- 
 scended from what was known as German 
 Revolutionists, driven from the Fatherland 
 on account of their progressive views, and 
 seeking shelter in America about 1690. The 
 descendants of the Miller, Martin and Rock 
 families now number at least twelve thou- 
 sand. 
 
 Andrew J. Miller, whose name begins 
 this record, first attended school in Brown 
 county, Kansas. After his mother's death, 
 which occurred June 6, 1876, he joined the 
 cowboys of the southwest where he remained 
 for about four years. In the winter of 1 880 he 
 attended a night school in Denver, Colorado, 
 and the following summer joined the famous 
 Leadville baseball team, making a tour of 
 almost the entire country. On the I2th of 
 October, 1881, he entered the Northwestern 
 University of Ohio, at Ada, Ohio, now 
 
 known as the Ohio Normal, where he re- 
 mained until his graduation with the class 
 of 1885. He then returned to Champaign 
 county, arriving in January, 1886. Here 
 he entered the law office of Judge J. O. Cun- 
 ningham, and, after spending some time in 
 study, he indicated that he had mastered 
 many of the principles of jurisprudence by 
 successfully passing an examination at Mount 
 Vernon, Illinois, in February, 1889. His 
 scholarship was the highest in the class, his 
 average markings being ninety-nine and a 
 half per cent. Only one man in the state, 
 up to that time, had equalled it, he having, 
 in a two and a half days' examination, 
 missed only one- half of a question. 
 
 Mr. Miller at once opened an office in 
 Urbana. No dreary novitiate awaited him, 
 and in a short time he found himself at the 
 head of a distinctively representative client- 
 age. He continued in private practive alone 
 until March, 1896, when he was nominated 
 for the office of state's attorney, and elected 
 in November. Since that time he has held 
 the position. Prior to his advent into the 
 office, there had been forty-four homicides 
 in Champaign county and no man had paid 
 the extreme penalty of his crime. After his 
 election on the 3d of November, 1898, there 
 was a homicide in the southeastern part of 
 the county, the case attracting widespread 
 attention. On the ist of October, 1898, it 
 was called, the people of Illinois being the 
 plaintiffs, and Richard Collier, the defend- 
 ant. After two days of hard fighting, the 
 case was given to the jury, and after twelve 
 hours the verdict of guilty was returned, and 
 the defendant sentenced to be hanged. An 
 appeal was made to the supreme court, 
 which refused to interfere. The govern- 
 ment was also importuned, but decided to 
 let the law take its course, and on Decem- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 her 16, 1898, the defendant was hanged in 
 the jail at Urbana, which was the first legal 
 execution which had taken place in the 
 county. The entire prosecution was under 
 the care of Mr. Miller, and the trial and its 
 final results did more toward purifying the 
 criminal atmosphere of Champaign county 
 than any other one act in its history an 
 opinion concurred in by the people through- 
 out the community. During his term of 
 office, up to December, 1899, Mr. Miller 
 has prosecuted three hundred and eighty- 
 seven cases, and only seven men have been 
 acquitted, a record of twenty-t,vo per cent 
 better than that of any state's attorney in Illi- 
 nois. He is remarkable among lawyers for 
 the provident care and wide research with 
 which he prepares his cases. In no case 
 has his readings been confined to the limi- 
 tations of the questions at issue; it has gone 
 beyond and compassed every contingency 
 and provided not alone for the expected, 
 but for the unexpected, which happens in 
 the courts quite as frequently as out of 
 of them. His logical grasp of facts and 
 principles and of the law applicable to them 
 has been another potent element in his suc- 
 cess, and a remarkable clearness of expres- 
 sion, an adequate and precise diction, which 
 enables him to make others understand, not 
 only the salient points of his argument, but 
 his every fine gradation of meaning, may 
 be accounted one of his most conspicuous 
 gifts and accomplishments. 
 
 Mr. Miller has for some years been rec- 
 ognized as one of the leaders of the Repub- 
 lican party, and in March, 1889, he was 
 elected chairman of the township central 
 committee, and made a member of the 
 Republican county central committee. Since 
 that time he ,has attended every primary, 
 and the county, state and national conven- 
 
 tions, and with the exception of the last 
 named has been a delegate to all. He has 
 canvassed the state three times during the 
 last three presidential campaigns, making 
 from eighty-five to one hundred and fifty 
 speeches in each, .and is recognized as the 
 most brilliant, as well as the .most logical 
 orator in central Illinois. 
 
 On the 1 5th of September, 1896, Mr. 
 Miller was united in marriage to Miss Helen 
 Leaf, of Rochester, Pennsylvania, daughter 
 of William and Sarah Leaf. Her mother 
 was a daughter of Mrs. Nancy Wright, a 
 sister of General Robert E. Lee. Her 
 father was born in the earldom of March, 
 England, was educated for a government 
 engineer, and had he remained in England 
 would have inherited the title and lands of 
 the Earl of March, but by espousing the 
 Irish cause, he was deprived of his rights by 
 the crown. When twenty-three years of 
 age he came to the United States, and be- 
 came superintendent of the construction of 
 the celebrated John S. Hopkins University. 
 Later he had charge of the buildiug of the 
 locks for the Erie canal, and subsequently 
 was general superintendent of the construc- 
 tion of the stone work of the Pittsburg, Fort 
 Wayne & Chicago Railroad, from Pittsburg 
 to Chicago. On the completion of that 
 contract he retired from active labor, and 
 in the sixty-fourth year of his age departed 
 this life. Mrs. Miller, his daughter, is a 
 faithful communicant of the Episcopal 
 church, while Mr. Miller is of the Universal- 
 ist faith. He erected one of the fine homes 
 of Urbana at No. 1003 West Illinois street, 
 and the Miller household is the center of a 
 cultured society circle. Socially he is a 
 Mason, belonging to the lodge, chapter and 
 council of Urbana. He has enjoyed tri- 
 umphs in his professional career and honors 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in public life, but in private life he has 
 gained that warm personal regard which 
 arises from true nobility of character, defer- 
 ence for the opinion of others, kindliness 
 and geniality. His conversation is enliv- 
 ened by a wit and repartee that renders him 
 a fascinating companion and makes him 
 popular with all classes. 
 
 In January, 1900, Mr. Miller announced 
 himself as a candidate for re-election, and 
 on February 28, 1900, with Your strong 
 competitors, he received the nomination on 
 the first ballot an unprecedented fact in 
 the history of the county. 
 
 JOSHUA HELLER, an honored veteran 
 of the Civil war, is now living a retired 
 life, at No. 709 South Walnut street, was born 
 in Tuscarawas county. Ohio, November 5. 
 1820. and is ason of Jacob and Mary (Davis) 
 Heller. Our subject's maternal grandfather 
 was Joshua Davis, a native, of England, and 
 his paternal grandfather was Andrew Heller, 
 a native of Pennsylvania and a soldier of the 
 war of 1812. 
 
 Jacob Heller, the father of our subject, 
 was born in Pennsylvania, November 21, 
 1789, and was educated in the German 
 schools of his native state, which were the 
 only schools in his locality, as most of the 
 people in the community spoke the German 
 language. In 181 8 he removed to Tuscara- 
 was county, Ohio, where he purchased land 
 and engaged in farming until 1852, when he 
 sold his property there and came to Illinois. 
 He died in Champaign county in 1873. He 
 was an earnest and devout Christian man. a 
 member of the Moravian church in early 
 life, but after coming to this state he united 
 with the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
 
 voted for General Jackson and was a Whig 
 in politics until the organization of the Re- 
 publican party when he became one of its 
 stanch supporters. In his fatnliy were four 
 children, three sons and one daughter, name- 
 ly: Thomas wedded Mary Taylor, a native of 
 Ohio, and both are now deceased; Hannah 
 was married in 1840 to Daniel Moore, and 
 after his death was married, in 1848, to 
 James Brash, now deceased, and she is liv- 
 ing in Urbana, at the age of eighty-two 
 years; Joshua, our subject, is next in order 
 of birth; and Joel married Hester Davis, and 
 both are now deceased. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his 
 education in the subscription schools of Ohio, 
 which he attended about three months 
 during the year, while the remainder of the 
 time was devoted to work upon the home 
 farm. He remained with his parents until 
 he was married, at the age of twenty-three 
 years, to Miss Sarah Whitehead, who was 
 born in Manchester, England, in 1821, but 
 in 1827 was brought to the United States 
 by her parents, John and Sarah (Grindard) 
 Whitehead, also natives of England, the 
 family locating in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. 
 By trade her father was a wool comber and 
 weaver, and followed that occupation both in 
 England and America. He finally purchas- 
 ed an interest in a woolen mill in Tuscarawas 
 county, and continued his connection with 
 the business until his death. He was born 
 in Christmas day, 1777, and died on Christ- 
 mas day, 1859. He had ten children, of 
 whom Mrs. Heller was sixth in order of birth. 
 Two sons served for three years in the 
 Union army during the Civil war. 
 
 Fourteen children were born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Heller, but nine of these died when 
 less than three years old. The others are 
 as follows: (i) Hannah is the wife of 
 
26 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Joseph K. Davison, who is employed in the 
 government printing office in Washington, 
 D. C., and they have one daughter, Emma. 
 (2) Richard, a resident of Urbana, married 
 Mary Patterson, and they have four chil- 
 dren, Eva, Florence, Ward and Alice. (3) 
 James lives at home with his parents, and 
 runs a corn sheller, threshing machine and 
 clover huller. (4) Mary M. is the wife of 
 George Charles, a blacksmith in the Big 
 Four railroad shops at Champaign, and 
 they have three children, Neola, Ruby and 
 James R. (5) John T., a resident of In- 
 dianapolis, Indiana, has been an engineer 
 on the lightning express train on the Big 
 Four railroad for four years. He wedded 
 Mary Demsey.and they have three children: 
 Wallace, and Chester and Fay, twins. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Heller was en- 
 gaged in farming in Ohio until the fall of. 
 1851, when he moved to Iowa. The fol- 
 lowing spring he came to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, but in 1853 he removed to the 
 southern part of this state, where he owned 
 and operated a farm for a few years. On 
 selling his property there he returned to 
 Champaign county, where he has since made 
 his home, and was for many years engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits. His labors were 
 interrupted during the war of the Rebellion 
 by his service in the war. In August, 1862, 
 he enlisted in Company G, Seventy-sixth 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and he partici- 
 pated in the battles of Champion Hills, 
 Jackson and Chickamauga. With his com- 
 mand he then went to Meriden, Mississippi, 
 and from there to Little Rock, Arkansas, 
 where he was taken ill and sent to the hos- 
 pital at Cairo, Illinois. Later he was 
 transferred to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
 and from there to Quincy, Illinois, where 
 he was discharged and then returned home. 
 
 As soon as he had sufficiently recovered his 
 health he resumed farming, and continued 
 to engage in that occupation for several 
 years, but is now living a retired life in Ur- 
 bana. Since casting his first presidential 
 vote for John C. Fremont, in 1856, he has 
 affiliated with the Republican party. A 
 brave and fearless soldier, his loyalty as a 
 citizen and his devotion to his country's in- 
 terests have been among his marked charac- 
 teristics, and the community is fortunate 
 that numbers him among its citizens. Re- 
 ligiously he is a consistent member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and is held in 
 high regard by all who know him. 
 
 JOSEPH O. CUNNINGHAM, The pro- 
 fession of the law, when clothed with 
 its true dignity and purity and strength 
 must rank first among the callings of men, 
 for law rules the universe. .The work 
 of the legal profession is to formulate, 
 to harmonize to regulate, to adjust, to ad- 
 minister those rulesand principles that under- 
 lie and permeate all government and society 
 and control the varied relations of man. As 
 thus viewed, there attaches to the legal pro- 
 fession a nobleness that cannot but be re- 
 flected in the life of the true lawyer, who, 
 conscious of the greatness of his profession, 
 and honest in the pursuit of his purpose, 
 embraces the richness of learning, the pro- 
 foundness of wisdom, the firmness of 
 integrity and the purity of morals, together 
 with the graces of modesty, courtesy and the 
 general amenities of life. Mr. Cunningham 
 is now the oldest representative in years of 
 continuous connection of the Urbana bar 
 and also takes precedence as one of its most 
 honored and able representatives. Through 
 
J^r ^^&*&*S*S^<S*>^ 
 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 29 
 
 almost half a century he has been identified 
 with the interests of this city, and upon its 
 social, business, politics, education and 
 moral life he has left the impress of his 
 strong individuality. In Urbana not to 
 know Mr. Cunningham argues one's self un- 
 known and therefore no history of the 
 county would be complete without the 
 record of his upright life, which has been 
 an inspiration and a benediction to many. 
 Joseph O. Cunningham was born in 
 Lancaster, Erie county, New York, Decem- 
 ber 12, 1830, a son of Hiram W. and Eunice 
 (Brown) Cunningham. His great-grand- 
 parents on the paternal side were Thomas 
 and Lucy (Hutchinson) Cunningham, who 
 lived and died in Milford, Otsego county, 
 New York. Their son, Layton Cunningham, 
 was a native of Connecticut, and was mar- 
 ried in Litchfield, that state, to Phoebe 
 Way, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Lewis) 
 Way, also of Litchfield, whence Mr. Cun- 
 ningham removed with his wife to Otsego 
 county, New York. Before the breaking 
 out of the war of 1812 he went to Erie 
 county, in the Empire state, and his sons 
 joined the American army at the time of the 
 conflict, participating in the skirmishes pre- 
 ceding the burning of Buffalo. He was a 
 farmer by occupation and secured a tract 
 of new land within the Holland purchase. 
 The tracks of the New York Central Rail- 
 road now cross the farm which he there 
 developed and which he made his home 
 until his death. On the maternal side 
 Mr. Cunningham, of this review, can trace 
 his ancestry back to William Brown, of 
 Pownal, Bennington county, Vermont whose 
 son, Richard Brown, the great-grandfather 
 of our subject, also lived at Pownal where 
 he followed blacksmithing and manufactur- 
 ing. After the battle of Bennington many of 
 2 
 
 the injured firearms were gathered up and 
 brought to his shop for repairs, but all were 
 carried off by a freshet of the Hoosac river 
 and lost. His son, Joseph Brown, was born 
 at Powna^, Vermont, and married Sarah 
 Chapman, of Providence, Rhode Island, 
 daughter of Nathaniel Chapman. Just be- 
 fore the inauguration of the war of 1812 
 Joseph Brown removed with his family to 
 Plattsburg, New York, where he followed 
 the blacksmith's trade, and where he died. 
 Hiram W. Cunningham, the father of 
 our subject, was born in Otsego county, New 
 York, November 6, 1803, and on the ist of 
 February, 1830, he married Eunice Brown, 
 who was born in Pownal, Vermont, but had 
 accompanied her widowed mother to the 
 Empire state subsequent to the second war 
 with England. She was first married to 
 Corydon Sheldon, who died leaving one 
 child, Hon. Jairus C. Sheldon, who is 
 now a resident of Urbana, Illinois. 
 Hiram Cunningham had been reared in 
 Lancaster, New York, and when thirty 
 years of age he removed with his family to 
 Clarksfield, Huron county, Ohio, where he 
 secured a tract of wild land in the midst of 
 a dense forest. There he developed a good 
 homestead, clearing one hundred acres of 
 that heavily timbered tract. He was prom- 
 inent in the public affairs of the county, 
 and in educational matters as well, and was 
 a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, serving as class leader, steward and 
 Sunday-school superintendent for many 
 years. He died July 11, 1866, after which 
 his widow sold the farm and came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, to make her home with 
 her youngest daughter, who, however, died a 
 year later. Mrs. Cunningham then returned 
 to Ohio with the remains, and in the Buck- 
 eye state her death occurred on the 9th of 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 March, 1869. The children by the second 
 marriage were Joseph O. ; A. Palmer, who 
 died in Champaign county, in 1893; Mrs. 
 Olive M. Fisher, of Vermillion county; 
 Orton C., who died in Urbana, in 1871; 
 Edwin \V., now an attorney of Emporia, 
 Kansas; and Emma, who died in 1869. 
 
 Joseph O. Cunningham acquired his pre- 
 liminary education in a little log schoolhouse 
 in Ohio, where he not only mastered the com- 
 mon English branches, but also studied ele- 
 mentary algebra. He was afterward a 
 student in Baldwin Academy, at Berea, 
 Ohio, and in Oberlin college completed his 
 literary course. In the meantime he had en- 
 gaged in teaching, and after leaving college 
 he went to Vermillion county, Indiana, 
 where he was employed as a teacher for a 
 year, spending his leisure time in that period 
 in studying law. He came to Urbana June 
 1 8, 1853, and purchased the Urbana Union, 
 the first paper published in Champaign 
 county. He continued as editor and pro- 
 prietor of that journal for five years until 
 1858, and was the only Republican editor 
 between Kankakee and Cairo, at a time 
 when it was extremely unpopular and some- 
 what dangerous to advocate abilition princi- 
 ples. 
 
 In 1856 Judge Cunningham was admitted 
 to the bar, and after severing his connection 
 with journalistic work, he attended law 
 school in Cleveland, Ohio. He then 
 opened an office and from the ist of May, 
 1859 to the present time has never missed a 
 term of court, handling much of the import- 
 ant litigation in the civil courts of the circuit. 
 He first entered into partnership with J. 
 W. Sim, later county judge, was afterward 
 associated in business with W. B. Webber, 
 and from 1893 Frank H. Boggs has been 
 his partner. His work has been largely 
 
 chancery and probate practice. In 1861 he 
 was elected county judge, filling the office 
 for four years, the period of the war. He 
 has enjoyed a distinctively representative 
 clientage almost from the beginning and his 
 devotion to his clients' interest is prover- 
 bial. His knowledge of legal principles is 
 comprehensive and profound and his keenly 
 analytical mind enables him to apply these 
 with accuracy to the points in litigation. 
 He published a book entitled " A practical 
 treatise upon the jurisdiction of and practice 
 in county courts of Illinois," a collation of 
 statutes and authorities edited by William C. 
 Jones and J. O. Cunningham. It is now in 
 the second edition. The first part, relating 
 to wills and the settlement of estates, was 
 all prepared by Mr. Cunningham, and much 
 of the second part is his work. In this way, 
 as well as in active practice in the courts, 
 he has left the impress of his individuality 
 upon the jurisprudence of the state. 
 
 On the I3th of October, 1853, Mr. 
 Cunningham was united in marriage to Miss 
 Mary McConoughey, of Bainbridge, Geauga 
 county, Ohio, whom he met while a student 
 in Oberlin college. Her father was Colonel 
 P. D. McConoughey, who removed from 
 Massachusetts to Bainbridge, Ohio, in 1810, 
 becoming a pioneer of the latter state. He 
 was a representative of an old family living 
 at Blandford, Hamden county, Massachu- 
 setts, and subsequent to the war of 
 1812 was a colonel of militia. Judge Cun- 
 ningham and his wife began their domestic 
 life on Race street, Urbana, where they re- 
 mained for sixteen years, after which they 
 spent a quarter of a century in a very beau- 
 tiful and spacious home which they gave to 
 the church to be used as a home for the 
 deaconesses and orphans. For the past 
 five years they have resided at their attrac- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tive residence on Green street, Urbana. For 
 many years they have been active and faith- 
 ful members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, have contributed liberally to its sup- 
 port and for the erection of the house of 
 worship. During the greater part of the time 
 the Judge has held some office in the church. 
 In 1896 he was a delegate to the general 
 Methodist conference, at Cleveland, Ohio, 
 and is a provisional delegate to the con- 
 ference in Chicago. He has initiated a 
 movement for the purpose of giving a more 
 practical turn to church work in founding 
 hospitals, and homes, after the manner of 
 the Catholic churches. He has a mind 
 which can rise above all personal considera- 
 tions and is oftimes concerned with those 
 large, loving interests which affect humanity. 
 His strong mentality and superior intellectual 
 attainments have brought him prominence 
 as one of the gifted men of the state, but 
 probably his greatest work has come in con- 
 nection with The Deaconesses and Orphans' 
 Home, for the influence of his work is as 
 immeasurable as the universe, and its effect 
 will be felt through all time. He owned a 
 beautiful home north of Urbana which he 
 donated to the Woman's Home Missionary 
 Society, of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 together with fifteen acres of land. He and 
 his wife submitted the following proposition 
 to the conference board and it was incorpo- 
 rated in the deed: 
 
 " Dear Brothers and Sisters: We are the 
 owners, in fee simple, free of incumbrance, 
 of our home near Urbana, which consists of 
 fifteen acres of land upon which are situated 
 a two-story brick house, with mansard story 
 the house having in all fourteen rooms, three 
 halls, a bathroom, supplied with hot and 
 cold water, ample closets, with cellar and 
 ice house; also a brick gardener's cottage of 
 
 three rooms and cellar; both of the houses 
 are under metal roofs and have contiguous 
 thereto ample barns with carriage room, 
 also three wells, three cisterns, a steel 
 windmill pump and elevated tank from which 
 the lawn and buildings are supplied with 
 water. This property we desire to give as 
 a free gift to some benevolent purpose where 
 God's poor shall be the beneficiaries, our 
 preference favoring orphans and dependent 
 children. In canvassing the question as to 
 who shall be the almoners of our humble 
 bounty, our minds first turn to the church 
 which bears our names on its records as the 
 most suitable agency to be selected. The 
 purpose which called into existence your 
 board, also highly commends itself to our 
 minds and judgment, and we see no reason 
 why that devoted sisterhood which has 
 lately been organized to meet the later 
 needs of our civilization, may not appro- 
 priately share a home with the poor 
 waifs who by death and other casualty are 
 cast upon the care of the church. 
 
 " We therefore first make you the offer 
 to convey the property, our beloved home 
 for a quarter of a century, as a free gift to 
 the Woman's Home Missionary Society of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church to receive 
 the title and administer the trust without 
 other conditions than these: that it shall 
 forever be kept as a Deaconeses and Child- 
 ren's Home, hoping and praying that it shall 
 not only most abundantly meet these needs 
 of the church, but that it shall in some de- 
 gree turn the attention of the church and its 
 members to the pressing demands made 
 upon it in our day and in our midst for the 
 care and nurture of our poor. 
 
 J. O. CUNNINGHAM, 
 MARY CUNNINGHAM. 
 Thanksgiving Day, 1894. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The gift was accepted by the board with 
 appropriate ceremonies and named in honor 
 of the donors. 
 
 Judge Cunningham has taken an active 
 part in the historical proceedings of the 
 county and is now president of the Histori- 
 cal society of Champaign county. He is 
 also a member of the Clarksfield, Ohio, 
 Memorial Society, before which he has de- 
 livered most able addresses. He has also 
 written many articles for local papers and 
 is a most fluent, entertaining, instructive and 
 forceful speaker. In March, 1859, he be- 
 came a member of Iris lodge, F. & A. M. 
 of Cleveland, Ohio, and in April, 1860, was 
 dimitted to the lodge in Urbana, of which 
 he has been master for six years. He has also 
 been its representative to the grand lodge, 
 wason the committee on work and was one of 
 the authors of the present work. He also 
 belongs to the chapter, council and com- 
 madery, and for some time was a trustee of 
 the Masonic property in Urbana. His 
 political support was given the Republican 
 party, until 1876, having allied himself with 
 that party upon its organization. He was 
 one of its most prominent representatives in 
 the state at an early day and was a warm 
 personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. He 
 still has in his possession a letter which he 
 received from the martyred president, and 
 has many pleasant recollections of him. 
 
 For some years the Judge acted in- 
 dependently in politics, but for the last few 
 years he has voted the Prohibition ticket. 
 
 Judge Cunningham was a member of the 
 first board of trustee of the University, of Illi- 
 nois then called the industrial University and 
 was present at its first meeting held in the 
 senate-chamber in the state house at Spring- 
 field. He was first appointed by Gov. 
 Oglesby and re-appointed by Gov. Palmer, 
 
 and during all of the six years in which he 
 served he was on the executive committee, 
 which met monthly and which transacted 
 all the business. This was during the erec- 
 tion of the first buildings. By the first 
 board Dr. Gregory was elected the first 
 Regent of the University. 
 
 Since his withdrawal from the Re- 
 publican party, Judge Cunningham has twice 
 been nominated by the united oposition as a 
 candidate for State senator, and in the face 
 of a Republican majority of over two thou- 
 sand in the district came within six hundred 
 and thirty-six votes of an election on one 
 occasion, and six hundred and thirty-seven 
 votes on the other. He was also nominated 
 for circuit judge in 1897 and received a 
 very flattering vote, earring his own Repub- 
 lican city by a good majority. 
 
 Judge Cunningham was present at the 
 first recitation heard in the University by 
 Dr. Gregory, who was so busy, however, 
 that he needed some one for this part of the 
 work. He inquired of the Judge if he did 
 not know of some one he could secure for 
 the work, and was referred to Mr. T. J. 
 Burrell, who had just closed a session, of 
 school in Urbana. Sending him over to 
 Dr. Gregory, Mr. Burrell became connected 
 with the intitution and has served it until 
 the present time. 
 
 The law library of the Judge is very ex- 
 tensive, but his private library indicates the 
 extent of his reading and information, con- 
 taining scientific, historical and biographi- 
 cal works as well as the classics of all ages. 
 He has enjoyed triumphs in his professional 
 career and honors in public life, but in pri- 
 vate life he has gained that warm personal 
 regard which arises from true nobility of 
 character, deference for the opinions of 
 others, kindness and geniality. At this 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 33 
 
 point it would be almost tautological to 
 enter into any series of statements as show- 
 ing our subject to be a man of broad intelli- 
 gence and genuine public spirit, for these 
 have been shadowed forth between the lines 
 of this review. Strong in his individuality, 
 he never lacks the courage of his convictions, 
 but there are, as dominating elements in this 
 individuality, a lively human sympathy and 
 an abiding charity, which, as taken in con- 
 nection with the sterling integrity and 
 honor of his character, have naturally gained 
 to Judge Cunningham the respect and con- 
 fidence of men. 
 
 WILLIAM BLACK is worthy of special 
 mention in the annals of Champaign 
 county, as he has given about thirty-five 
 years of his life to agricultural pursuits here, 
 and has neglected no opportunity of proving 
 his patriotic interest in the development of 
 the resources of this locality, and the pro- 
 motion of its prosperity. His record as a 
 business man and neighbor, as the head of 
 a family, and friend to right and justice, is 
 a legacy which will be of more value to his 
 children and descendants than a vast fortune. 
 A native of Forfordshire, Scotland, born 
 March 18, 1836, Mr. Black possesses the 
 sterling traits of character for which his an- 
 cestors were noted, and, in turn, has handed 
 down to his children the tendencies notice- 
 able in the Scottish race. His parents, 
 James and Elizabeth (Fraser) Black, were 
 natives of Forfordshire, where the former 
 pursued his calling as a stationary engineer, 
 being employed in a linen factory. When 
 our subject was eighteen years of age, the 
 family removed to the United States, and, 
 proceeding to Chicago, the father there fol- 
 
 lowed his accustomed work in a threshing 
 machine manufactory. When a year had 
 elapsed, however, he decided to found a 
 home in the country, and in 1855 he bought 
 a farm in Sadorus township, Champaign 
 county. From that time until his death, 
 which event took place in 1891, he dwelt 
 upon his homestead, revered and honored by 
 everyone. His estimable wife was sum- 
 moned to the better land in 1890, and he 
 had no desire to live longer, feeling that his 
 life work was well rounded and complete. 
 Four of their five children lived to maturity, 
 namely: William; Wallace, whose home is 
 in Sadorus township; Ellen, who has 
 passed to the silent land; and Jane, wife of 
 Charles Brown of Oklahoma territory. 
 
 In his youth William Black had very 
 limited educational opportunities, but he 
 was by nature keenly observant, and, in 
 spite of circumstances, managed to acquire 
 sufficient knowledge of business and general 
 information for his needs. He was but 
 fourteen years of age when he commenced 
 an apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade, 
 and had just finished the four years required 
 of him when the family started for Ameri- 
 ca. In Chicago he was employed by the 
 same company as was his father, and when, 
 with him, he came to this county he with his 
 father and brother purchased a quarter sec- 
 tion of land, which they cultivated for about 
 a year. William Black then returned to Chi- 
 cago, where he worked in the railroad shops 
 of the Illinois Central for several years, and 
 then went to Omaha, when it was merely a 
 hamlet, with Indians abounding in the 
 neighborhood. There he was employed 
 upon the Union Pacific railroad, which was 
 in process of construction. In 1866, the 
 young man returned to Champaign county 
 and purchased one hundred and seventy-one 
 
34 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 acres of prairie land in Sadorus township. 
 This he diligently cultivated and improved, 
 adding thereto two hundred and twenty- 
 seven acres within a few years, and invest- 
 ing now and then in more land, until he 
 became one of the large property holders of 
 the county. To-day he owns five hundred 
 and sixty' acres in Sadorus township, two 
 hundred and forty acres in Tolono township, 
 and eighty acres in Scott township. All of 
 this is excellent land, well cultivated and 
 productive, and this state of affairs has been 
 brought about by years of arduous toil and 
 good management on the part of the owner. 
 Formerly, he was extensively engaged -in 
 the buying and selling of live stock, in this 
 manner materially increasing his income. 
 In all of his transactions he was noted for 
 scrupulous integrity and reliability, and it 
 has been no flattery to say of him that his 
 "word is as good as his bond." 
 
 In all of his joys and sorrows for more 
 than two-score years, Mr. Black has found 
 a helpmate in the person of his devoted wife, 
 formerly Mary Leslie, to whom he was 
 married, July 3, 1857. Both she and her 
 father, Robert Leslie, were natives of the 
 same shire as our subject, and Mr. Leslie 
 served for many years in the British army. 
 Mrs. Black, who is the only survivor of her 
 family, was one of four children. To the 
 union of our subject and wife eight children 
 have been born, namely: John, who is en- 
 gaged in farming in Scott township, married 
 Minnie Hartrick and has five children; 
 James, who went to Alaska and was drowned 
 in the Pekin river, on April i, 1898; Oliver, 
 William, a graduate of the Wesleyan Col- 
 lege at Bloomington, and now a prominent 
 member of the Decatur bar; Isabella, wife 
 of Edward Armstrong, of Champaign, and 
 mother of two children; Margaret, wife of 
 
 D. H. Barracks, of Sadorus, and mother of 
 one child; Laura and Alice, who reside at 
 home and are pursuing a Course in the Uni- 
 versity. The family located in this city in 
 1895, and have a pleasant home at No. 404 
 W. Hill street. 
 
 In his political affiliations, Mr. Black is ' 
 an ardent Republican, and fraternally, he is 
 a Mason, being identified with Sadorus 
 Lodge, No. 535, of Champaign. He has 
 not sought nor desired public office, but has 
 faithfully discharged every duty devolving 
 upon him as a citizen. 
 
 T^HOMAS B. KYLE, of Urbana, is a 
 1 veteran of the Civil war and bears an 
 honorable record for brave service in the 
 cause of freedom and union, and in the 
 paths of peace has won an enviable reputa- 
 tion through the sterling qualities which go* 
 to the making of a good citizen. During 
 his long residence in this county he has been 
 prominently identified with public affairs,: 
 and has served as county surveyor and en-; 
 gineer from 1868 with the exception of one: 
 term. 
 
 Mr. Kyle was born near Xenia, Greene 
 county, Ohio, January 8, 1824, a son of 
 Samuel and Rachel (Jackson) Kyle. The 
 father was born in Pennsylvania, of Scotch- 
 Irish ancestry. At a very early day two. 
 Kyle families moved from Germany to Scot- 
 land, and later representatives of these 
 settled in the North of Ireland, whence they 
 came to America in colonial days. Our 
 subject's grandfather, Samuel Kyle, was 
 born in this country, and with his six 
 brothers took up arms against the mother 
 country during the Revolutionary war and 
 aided the colonies in achieving their inde- 
 pendence. He continued his residence in 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 35 
 
 Pennsylvania until the father of our subject 
 was seven years old and then removed to 
 Kentucky, locating there soon after the 
 Revolution. The family believed they had 
 chosen the finest location in the world, but 
 when Kentucky became a slave state, they, 
 together with a large colony, went to Ohio, 
 then a territory, and located near Xenia. 
 There our subject's father took up a tract of 
 new land and continued to make his home 
 until his death. In politics he was first a 
 Whig and later a Republican, and for 
 twenty-one years served as judge of the 
 court of common pleas. He was quite a 
 prominent and influential man in his com- 
 munity. He was a member of the Seceders 
 (or Presbyterian) Church until 1857, when 
 he and his wife united with the Associate 
 Reformed Church, now the United Presby- 
 terian Church. His wife also died near 
 Xenia. 
 
 During his boyhood and youth Thomas 
 B. Kyle received a good practical education 
 in the common schools and academy at 
 Xenia, including a course in surveying and 
 civil engineering, to which he ha since giv- 
 en his attention almost exclusively. On the 
 23rd of April, 1851, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Margaret J. Henderson, a 
 daughter of Adam Henderson, who removed 
 from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Ohio. 
 They began their domestic life upon a farm 
 given him by his father near the old home- 
 stead, and there they lived until 1860, while 
 he devoted his time to surveying in Xenia. 
 The following two years he was differently 
 employed. 
 
 In the meantime the Civil war broke 
 out, and Mr. Kyle raised a company, of 
 which he was commissioned captain, and 
 which was mustered in at Columbus, Ohio, 
 April i, 1864, as Company C, Sixtieth Ohio 
 
 Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was 
 first ordered to Washington, D. C., and 
 was at once assigned to Burnside's corps, 
 Army of the Potomac. They soon realized 
 all the horrors of war, their first engagement 
 being the terrible battle of the Wilderness, 
 and they were under almost continuous fire 
 day and night from April until the middle 
 of July, 1864, when they entrenched them- 
 selves before Richmond and Petersburg. 
 During the following fall and winter they 
 took those strongholds and remained there 
 until the close of the war. They participat- 
 ed in the closing scenes known as the grand 
 review at Washington, D. C., and were 
 mustered out at Columbus. 
 
 Mr. Kyle returned to Xenia, but in the 
 fall of 1865 moved to Crawford county, 
 Illinois, and in 1 866 came to Urbana, Illinois, 
 where he has since lived. He at once turn- 
 ed his attention to surveying, and after serv- 
 ing as deputy county surveyor for two 
 years, he was elected county surveyor, which 
 office he has since filled with the exception 
 of one term, with credit to himself and to 
 the entire satisfaction of the general public. 
 He has laid out most of the towns and ceme- 
 teries of the county, and has done much 
 surveying for city improvements along 
 engineering lines for the purpose of opening 
 ditches, tile drains and the sewerage water 
 works. He is now the oldest in point of 
 service of any county surveyor known in 
 the state, and nearly the oldest in years. 
 He has not only witnessed the wonderful 
 changes that have taken place here in the 
 last third of a century, but has taken an act- 
 ive part in its development. On his arrival in 
 the county, he believed it would take at 
 least one hundred years to convert the wet 
 prairie, covered with sloughs and ponds, 
 into desirable farms and homes, but this 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 has already been accomplished, and Cham- 
 paign county now ranks among the best in 
 this great commonwealth. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Kyle were born six 
 children, namely: Samuel R. , now con- 
 nected with the National library at Wash- 
 ington, D. C. ; James H., who as a Presby- 
 terian missionary went to Dakota, and is 
 now serving as United States senator from 
 South Dakota, his home being in Aberdeen, 
 and is one of the most promint and 
 influential citizens of the state; Joseph, who 
 died at the age of fourteen years; Fannie E., 
 who graduated from the University of Illi- 
 nois at Champaign, then read medicine at 
 Ann Arbor, Michigan, and later successfully 
 engaged in practice at Sioux Falls, South 
 Dakota, for four years, but died in Chicago 
 from an operation' perfomed to remove a 
 tumor; Martha J., who was also educated 
 at the University of Illinois, and is now a 
 teacher in that institution; and Minnie A., 
 wife of Edward Huntington, Rantoul. The 
 wife and mother died in June, 1897. She 
 was a consistent member of the Presbyterian 
 church, to which Mr. Kyle also belongs. 
 For twenty-five years he has now made his 
 home at No. 502 Goodwin avenue. He is 
 six feet, six inches in height, and had two 
 brothers of the same height, while his 
 ancestors on both sides were all tall and 
 large. He is widely and favorably known, 
 and justly merits the high regard in which 
 he is uniformly held. 
 
 HARTWELL C. HOWARD, M. D., is 
 a skilled physician and surgeon of 
 Champaign, Illinois, and has longer en- 
 gaged in active practice at this place than 
 any other, there being but two others in the 
 
 county who located here earlier and are still 
 living. His knowledge of the science of 
 medicine and surgery is broad and compre- 
 hensive, and his ability in applying their 
 principles to the needs of suffering humanity 
 has gained him an enviable prestige in pro- 
 fessional circles. 
 
 Dr. Howard was born in Gates, Monroe 
 county. New York, now within the city lim- 
 its of Rochester, July 12, 1829, and is a son 
 of Eleazer and Matilda (Wood) Howard, 
 both representatives of old New England 
 families. The Howard family was founded 
 in America by three brothers, one of which 
 located in Massachusetts, another in Mary- 
 land and the third in Virginia, and the 
 grandfather of our subject, Ezra Howard, 
 was a soldier of the Revolutionary war from 
 Connecticut. The father was born and 
 reared in Windham county, Connecticut, 
 but after his marriage removed to Monroe 
 county, New York, becoming one of the 
 pioneers of that section. He cut cord wood 
 in what is now the center of Rochester. 
 He first purchased a farm in Henrietta, 
 eight miles south of the city, and from there 
 moved to Gates, where he owned three of 
 the four corners in the center of the town, 
 and conducted a hotel for many years in 
 connection with the operation of his farm. 
 As one of the prominent and influential citi- 
 zens of the place, he was called upon to 
 serve as justice of the peace, supervisor and 
 in other local offices. When our subject 
 was fourteen the family removed to Ohio 
 and located near Columbus, which at that 
 time contained a population of only thirty- 
 five hundred. There the father purchased 
 a farm and mills which he carried on for a 
 number of years, and then, in 1850, came to 
 McLean county, Illinois, locating near Le 
 Roy, where he was extensively engaged in 
 
H. C. HOWARD, M. D. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 39 
 
 farming and stock raising until his death. 
 He died in March, 1872, at the age of 
 eighty-two years, and his wife, who was a 
 native of Ashford, Connecticut, died in 
 March, 1878, at the age of eighty-six. 
 
 Dr. Howard obtained his literary educa- 
 tion in the schools of Gates, New York, and 
 Columbus, Ohio, and in early life assisted 
 his father on the farm and in the mill. He 
 commenced reading medicine with Prof. 
 John W. Hamilton; later attended three 
 courses of lectures at the Medical College in 
 Columbus; next pursued his studies under 
 the direction of Prof. John W. Butterfield 
 for one year; and spent the following two 
 years and a half in New York City, being 
 one of the twelve house physicians in the 
 Emigrant hospital, connected with the fever 
 department then in charge of the famous 
 Dr. Thomas Addis Emmett, and had charge 
 of three hundred beds. He lost two assist- 
 ants and himself had ship fever twice. Here 
 he had ample opportunity to make a thor- 
 ough study of typhus and other fevers, and 
 he also attended lectures, graduating from 
 Starling Medical College, of Columbus, 
 Ohio, in 1850. 
 
 In 1854 Dr. Howard first came to this 
 state, being on his way to California. He 
 stopped to visit his father and mother, and 
 finding them ill, remained to care for them 
 until the company with whom he was trav- 
 eling had proceeded so far that it was im- 
 possible for him to overtake them. He had 
 already become disgusted with practice 
 which he had carried on in Astoria and Har- 
 lem, New York, where it was then the cus- 
 tom to give the physician something to drink 
 at every house he entered, and he, believing 
 that this would eventually prove his ruin, as 
 it had so many prominent New York doctors, 
 he left his practice and started for California. 
 
 On the recovery of his parents, Dr. 
 Howard came to Champaign and erected the 
 first flouring mill at this place, intending to 
 follow a business career. The first Board 
 of Trade of the town was established at that 
 time and he became its first president. After 
 conducting his mill for a few months, he 
 found that the wheat then grown on the prairie 
 did not make good flour and he sold out. 
 In the meantime, while stopping with a 
 crowd gathered around a man whose leg had 
 been broken by the cars, a man stepped up 
 to him and said, " Here, Doctor, my friend 
 has a broken leg and you must take care of 
 him." Our subject protested that he was 
 only a citizen, but the man replied, "Yes, 
 Doctor, I know you. You took care of men 
 in the ward on the island." This occurred 
 in 1855 and from that time on he has en- 
 gaged in practice. It was not long before 
 his professional duties kept him very busy, 
 his practice extending over a radius of twenty 
 miles in every direction. For many years 
 he did most of the surgical work in the 
 county and he still has much of it. He is 
 a charter member of the County Medical 
 Society, of which he has served as president, 
 and is also a prominent member of the State 
 Medical Society; the American Medical Asso- 
 ciation; the Mississippi Valley Medical Asso- 
 ciation and the Tuberculosis Society of Illi- 
 nois. In the last named organization he 
 has done some very effective and original 
 work. His specialty has been tuberculosis and 
 he has cured over one hundred patients who 
 were suffering from that disease. He recently 
 read a paper on that subject, before the 
 Wabash Medical Society at St. Louis and 
 reported twenty-eight cases where the pa- 
 tient was still alive and well. The Doctor 
 owns a beautiful office building at No. 1 1 1 
 West Church street, which grounds he has 
 
40 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 now occupied for thirty-eight years. At one 
 time he was president of the Champaign 
 Twine & Bagging Company, which, owing to 
 poor management, was not very successful. 
 
 In 1856, Doctor Howard married Miss 
 Miranda E. Monroe, a native of Rochester, 
 N. Y. , who died in August, 1897, leaving 
 four children who are still living, namely: 
 Edwin, a resident of Florida; Mary; Charles 
 P., a dentist of Champaign; and Hartweil 
 C. , who is attending the medical depart- 
 ment of the Harvard University. 
 
 The Doctor cast his first presidential vote 
 for General Scott, and since voting for Fre- 
 mont in 1856, has been a stanch supporter 
 of the Republican party. For two terms 
 he was member of the common cou-ncil of 
 Champaign from the third ward, and while 
 a member of that body, did much to pro- 
 mote the brick paving and first water ordi- 
 nances. He refused longer to accept that 
 office. He was twice the candidate of his 
 party for mayor of the city but was not 
 elected. He was a member of the second 
 board of township school trustees when there 
 was but one school in the township, but 
 while holding that office, the board, after a 
 big fight, decided to establish three other 
 schools. They added to the school fund and 
 laid the foundation for the large amount 
 which they now have. Dr. Howard was the 
 first Mason initiated in Champaign, and is 
 now a member of the chapter, council and 
 commandery, and also of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows. In manner he is 
 pleasant and cordial, which, combined with 
 his sterling worth makes him popular in social 
 as well as professional circles. Wherever 
 known, he is held in high regard, and as an 
 honored pioneer and highly respected citizen 
 he is certainly deserving of honorable men- 
 tion in the history of his adopted county. 
 
 EH. RENNER & BROTHER, pro- 
 prietors of a large and flourishing livery 
 and sale stable at No. 206 East Main street, 
 Urbana, and numbered among the most en- 
 terprising young business men of Champaign 
 county, are worthy representatives of a 
 pioneer family of this locality, and their 
 numerous acquaintances and friends through- 
 out this section of the state will be interested 
 in an outline of their history. 
 
 Many generations of the Renriers have 
 lived and died in this country, and, until 
 quite recently, those bearing the name were 
 zealous Lutherans in religious belief, and 
 one t)f the ancestors of our subjects was a 
 Hetzel, of the sturdy old Huguenot stock. 
 Their great-grandfather, Isaac Renner, was 
 born and passed his entire life in Frederick 
 county, Virginia, and his father and ances- 
 tors resided in Pennsylvania from the early 
 days of its settlement. Next in the line of 
 descent from Isaac was Henry Renner, born 
 in Frederick county, in 1796. He married 
 Mary M. Willey, April 18, 1826. She was 
 a daughter of a minister of the German Re- 
 formed church, and was born June 29, 1800. 
 Rev. Mr. Willey was a native of Switzer- 
 land, and came to America in the capacity 
 of a missionary, and was greatly aided in 
 his noble work by his wife, who was of 
 Huguenot ancestry. Henry Renner and 
 wife located in Ohio in 1852, and in 1868 
 came to Rantoul, Illinois, where she died in 
 1870, and he in 1882. The absolute in- 
 tegrity and sincerity of Henry Renner gave 
 rise to the local saying "As honest as 
 Father Renner " and everyone who knew 
 him admired and respected him. Reared 
 in the strict tenets of the Lutheran church, 
 his mind gradually became liberalized by ex- 
 perience and reading, and, after being con- 
 nected with the Presbyterian church for sev- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 eral years he united with the Congregational 
 denomination upon his removal to Rantoul. 
 To himself and estimable wife four children 
 were born in Virginia. Anna C. is the 
 widow of William Winslow, and lives in 
 Milan, Ohio. Mary J. and Mrs. Winslow 
 both wire successful teachers in the Buck- 
 eye state for many years. Mary J. never 
 married, and was connected with the excel- 
 lent schools of Columbus, Ohio, and other 
 towns until her health became impaired, 
 and a few years later she passed to the 
 silent land. Rebecca Frances is the wife of 
 Isaiah Hardy, of Urbana. 
 
 Henry W. , the only son of Henry and 
 Mary M. (Willey) Renner, was born in Shen- 
 andoah county, Virginia, March 5, 1830, 
 and his education was chiefly obtained in 
 Woodstock, Virginia, and Ohio, whither his 
 parents removed when he was a youth. His 
 father owned a blacksmith shop and the lad 
 learned the business, which he followed to 
 some extent for a number of years, while in 
 the winters he taught schrol. The cares of 
 life fell upon him too soon, for his father, 
 having become crippled by an accident, the 
 only son pledged himself to stand by his 
 parents until they had paid for a comfort- 
 able homestead, and this task was nobly 
 fulfilled. When free to give his attention 
 to his own fortunes, he married Phoebe A., 
 daughter of Hon. E. O. and Lucinda 
 (Whitehead) Williams, at their home in 
 Licking county, Ohio, the ceremony being 
 performed April 2, 1857. The young 
 couple soon started in a wagon across coun- 
 try to found a home in Illinois, arriving at 
 their destination on the 25th of May. For 
 eight years they dwelt upon a farm of eighty 
 acres, situated oh section 4, Condit town- 
 ship, and, in the meantime, added forty 
 acres to the original tract. At the close of 
 
 the Civil war, Mr. Renner bought a quarter 
 section of land on section 4, Rantoul town- 
 ship, and there made his home until Febru- 
 ary, 1894, when he removed to Urbana. At 
 one time he owned two good farms in Ran- 
 toul township, but has since sold them, and 
 bought two hundred and forty acres in Ver- 
 milion county, which he has since disposed 
 of and has purchased 400 acres in Jackson 
 county, Illinois. For years he was success- 
 fully engaged in raising draught horses, and 
 owned a number of imported high-bred 
 Percherons. 
 
 Few men in his section of the country 
 were more active in all lines of progress 
 than was. Henry W. Renner during his 
 prime. In the winter season he taught 
 school, and he always manifested deep in- 
 terest in educational matters, serving as a 
 trustee of the district schools for some time. 
 In all of the public affairs of his community 
 he had a patriotic concern, and few, in- 
 deed, were the local offices which he did not 
 fill and that with diligence and efficiency. 
 He was township assessor, collector, super- 
 visor, magistrate or justice of the peace, 
 commissionerof highways, and, as previously 
 stated, a school trustee. When the Ran- 
 toul Cheese Factory was started, he was 
 foremost in the enterprise, serving as a 
 director for a period. Until 1873, he* was 
 identified with the Democratic party, then 
 united with the farmers' and greenback 
 movement, and, of late years, has given his 
 allegiance to the Prohibition party. Relig- 
 iously, he has had the benefit of the training 
 and bias of several denominations, and thus 
 is not narrow in his views, heartily loving 
 all of the great bodies of Christ who adhere 
 to the essential elements of the gospel. 
 Naturally, he became connected with the 
 Presbyterian church, to which his parents 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 belonged, in Woodstock. Virginia, and was 
 not half way through his 'teens when he 
 commenced teaching in the Sunday-school 
 a work he has kept up ever since, being 
 deemed one of the most valuable laborers in 
 this great department of the church's use- 
 fulness. Before he was eighteen he as- 
 sisted in the organization of Sunday-schools 
 in isolated districts, and later did invalu- 
 able work along the same line in the town- 
 ship and county Sunday-school association 
 of Champaign county. He was one of the 
 original members of the Jersey Presbyterian 
 church in Condit township, and held 
 the offices of trustee, secretary and ruling 
 elder there. Subsequently, he officiated as 
 a trustee, secretary and deacon in the First 
 Congregational church at Rantoul. Since 
 1882, he has been identified with the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and has been 
 a class-leader and steward in the Urbana 
 congregation. The Champaign Sunday- 
 school Association was organized July 24- 
 25, 1866, and Mr. Renner was present at 
 the convention held the ensuing Septem- 
 ber. On July 4, 1867, he was honored by 
 being made president of the Rantoul branch 
 association, and five years later was elected 
 president of the county organization. He 
 occupied the office of vice-president of the 
 body for twenty-six years, and since 1872 
 has served as a member of the executive 
 committee. No commentary beyond the 
 simple statements given above is necessary, 
 as the fact that he has so often been called to 
 fill extremely responsible positions is in itself 
 abundant evidence of his ability and zeal. 
 Faithfully did the young wife of Henry 
 W. Renner peform the arduous duties which 
 fell to her share in their pioneer home on 
 the prairies of Illinois. She had lost her 
 mother when she was less than fourteen 
 
 years old, and thus early the cares of life 
 came to her, as she nobly strove to fill that 
 mother's place in the home. She was a great 
 worker in the Presbyterian church and a 
 singer in the choir until her marriage and 
 removal to the west, and until the close of 
 her days she led a consistent, beautiful Chris- 
 tian life. She was summoned to her reward, 
 November 26, 1873, and left five children 
 to mourn her loss, namely: Enos H. ; Anna 
 L. , wife of William A. Rush; Sylvester W. ; 
 and Mary C. and Libbie S., twins. On the 
 28th of September, 1876, Mr. Renner mar- 
 ried Julia, daughter of James D. and Erne- 
 line Smith, formerly of Pennsylvania. They 
 became the parents of one son, Charles A., 
 who died in infancy. Mrs. Renner received 
 exceptional educational advantages and, 
 after her graduation in the Western Female 
 Seminary, at Oxford, Ohio, she devoted 
 herself to teaching, in which she was very 
 successful. Like her husband, she is greatly 
 interested in religious and benevolent work 
 and in all movements calculated to elevate 
 the race and increase the happiness of hu- 
 manity. 
 
 Enos H. Renner, the eldest son of Henry 
 W. Renner, was born on the pioneer farm 
 in Condit township, Champaign county, Jan- 
 uary 16, 1858. He passed his boyhood 
 there and engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 until he had attained maturity. From his 
 father, doubtless, he inherited his love of 
 books and keenness in the acquisition of 
 .knowledge, and, after completing the dis- 
 trict school course he attended the Rantoul 
 high school, and finished his literary and 
 scientific education in the University of Illi- 
 nois. When about nineteen years old, he 
 commenced teaching, and for the following 
 six years was occupied in this line of work, 
 chiefly within the county boundaries. In 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 1885 he located in Champaign, and for a 
 year conducted a coal business alone, at the 
 end of which time his brother, S. W., 
 joined him, the firm name becoming E. H. 
 Renner & Brother. They increased their 
 business by laying in a stock of farm machin- 
 ery and gradually became interested in team- 
 ing and transferring merchandise. During 
 the winter of 1891-2, they carried on a liv- 
 ery and sale stable at Urbana and at Cham- 
 paign, but the first named being the more 
 flourishing of the two, they later gave up 
 the Champaign branch. They make a spec- 
 ialty of doing heavy hauling and particular 
 teaming, and, by keeping strictly temperate 
 and reliable men in their employ, and by a 
 commendable system of transacting busi- 
 ness, they have won the approval and pat- 
 ronage of the public. In their well-equipped 
 livery may be found a fine line of carriages, 
 coaches, landaus and hansoms, and they 
 make a special point of furnishing carriages 
 for social events and funerals. From 
 twenty to thirty good horses are kept, and 
 from the number any style of roadster or 
 saddle animal may be selected. Both of 
 the young men who stand at the head of 
 this business are straightforward and hon- 
 orable in all their dealings, and well worthy 
 of the enviable place which they hold in the 
 judgment of their acquaintances. E. H. 
 Renner is associated with S. C. Fox in the 
 undertaking business, and is thoroughly 
 qualified as an embalmer and director of 
 funerals, holding a license from the state 
 board of health to that effect., 
 
 Fraternally, E. H. Renner is a Knight 
 of Pythias, belonging to Triumph Lodge, 
 No. 73, of Urbana. He also is identified 
 with the Modern Woodmen of America and 
 the Court of Honor. For the past decade 
 he has been an officer and active member 
 
 of the First Methodist Episcopal church of 
 Urbana, and, having strong views on the 
 subject of the liquor traffic, he uses his bal- 
 lot in favor of the nominees of the Prohibi- 
 tion party. 
 
 The marriage of E. H. Renner and 
 Luella Phillips, youngest child of Thomas 
 and Elizabeth (Young) Phillips, was sol- 
 emnized in Urbana, November 9, 1886. 
 Mrs. Renner was born February 23, 1868, 
 and was reared in the house which she 
 and her family now occupy. Her elder 
 brother, John, resides in this town, and 
 Edward is a resident of Philo, Illinois. 
 Mary, the only sister, is the widow of Richard 
 Joe, of Nebraska. Six children bless the 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Renner, namely: 
 Wendell P., Mary F., Sylvia P., Julia E., 
 Enos H., Jr., and Sylvester G. 
 
 The junior member of the firm of E. H. 
 Renner & Brother is Sylvester W. Renner, 
 who was born on his parents' farm in this 
 county, April 9, 1863, and received his 
 elementary education in the schools of the 
 neighborhood. Desiring to fully equip him- 
 self for a successful business career, he com- 
 pleted his preparation for the active duties 
 of life by a course in the Champaign Com- 
 mercial College. In 1886, as stated in the 
 sketch of his brother, he became associated 
 with him and from that time until the pres- 
 ent their financial interests have been 
 closely connected. Their relations are 
 extremely harmonious, and each performs 
 the special duties agreed upon between 
 them, without friction, or discontent. Syl- 
 vester W. has charge of the buying and 
 selling and training of the horses, for he is a 
 competent judge of their merits. He has 
 the same energy and foresight in business 
 affairs as has his elder brother and honored 
 father, and is rapidly forging to the front. 
 
44 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 On the 1 8th of October, 1887, Sylvester 
 W. Renner and Maggie C. Yates were united 
 in marriage. She is a daughter of John and 
 Mary Yates, who are of English birth, while 
 her own nativity occurred in this county. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Renner have three living children, 
 namely: Roma E. , Willey E., and Ruth, 
 and their third child, Hellen, died in 
 infancy. 
 
 Politically, S. \V. Renner is a Democrat, 
 and socially, he is a member of the Court 
 of Honor and the Tribe of Ben Hur. Both 
 himself and wife are members of the Parks 
 Chapel Methodist Epicopal church. For 
 the past six years he has been actively in- 
 terested in the work of this church, serving 
 as one of the building committee under whose 
 auspices the present chapel was constructed, 
 after the destruction by "fire of the former 
 house of worship, of which he also acted as 
 one of the building committee. He is a 
 trustee and chorister of the chapel, and aids 
 in every department of church enterprise. 
 
 BAXTER D. HARBISON, one of the 
 honored citizens of Champaign, has 
 now reached the eveningtime of life, yet 
 enjoys good health for one of his advanced 
 years, and is exceedingly well preserved in 
 mind and body. An interesting conversa- 
 tionalist, as he possesses much general in- 
 formation and is liberal in his views upon 
 all questions of the day, it is a pleasure to 
 pass an evening in his company, listening to 
 the story of his busy and eventful life a life 
 filled with good deeds. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject 
 was David Harbison, a native of Ireland, 
 who, upon coming to the United States, set- 
 tled first in Pennsylvania, and later located 
 
 in Virginia, finally becoming a resident of 
 Shelby county, Kentucky. David Harbison, 
 Jr., father of Baxter D., was born in the Old 
 Dominion, or Pennsylvania, and died upon 
 his farm in Shelby county, Kentucky, about 
 1820, leaving a widow and six children. 
 She bore the maiden name of Martha D. 
 Venable and was born in Virginia. Their 
 children were named as follows: James V., 
 George L. , Clement S., Davis, Paulena C. 
 and Baxter D. Davis, now in his eighty- 
 seventh year, resides in Shelby county, Ken- 
 tucky. 
 
 Baxter D. Harbison was born in the 
 county just mentioned, April 5, 1818, and, 
 as may be imagined, he had scant oppor- 
 tunity to acquire an education. He had 
 been bereft of his father at the age of two 
 years, and as soon as possible he began 
 earning his own livelihood. He felt quite 
 rich when, at last, he received twelve dol- 
 lars and a half a month, besides his board, 
 for his services on farms, and for two years 
 he and his brother Davis engaged in the 
 management of a farm. Afterwards, our 
 subject worked with his stepfather for a 
 period, but in 1840 he determined to go to 
 the west. Buying some four hundred acres 
 of land in Saline county, Missouri, about 
 sixty acres only of the place having been 
 brought under cultivation, he proceeded to 
 improve the property during the ensuing 
 decade. He then disposed of the land 
 and bought four hundred acres in Lafayette 
 county, same state, near which the present 
 town of Higginsville is located. After judi- 
 ciously expending a certain amount of money 
 in improvements, and reducing the home- 
 stead to fine order, he sold out at nearly 
 double the price he had paid for it, seven 
 years before, and returned to his native 
 county. 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 45 
 
 Living there, from the spring of 1857 to 
 1860, without buying a farm, he then in- 
 vested in a place of one hundred and twenty 
 acres, later increasing the farm to two hun- 
 dred and forty acres, but three years of 
 labors there, during the unsettled state of 
 affairs at that period, were sufficient, and in 
 1863 he located in Champaign county, 
 where he had five years previously made 
 substantial investments in land, and this 
 locality he has since looked upon as his 
 home. At one time he owned sixteen hun- 
 dred acres in Sadorus, Colfax and Scott 
 townships, Champaign county, and in Piatt 
 county, and from time to time he has sold 
 tracts of this land, and has closed out all his 
 land. He owns a number of valuable city 
 lots in Champaign and Urbana. 
 
 In 1839, Mr. Harbison married Lucy J. 
 Venable, a second cousin, who proved a de- 
 voted wife, sharing his early hardships with 
 fortitude, and cheering and aiding him 
 in his struggles for a livelihood. After a 
 happy life together of more than thirty-six 
 years, the shadow of death settled down 
 upon their cosy home, and in August, 1875, 
 the wife was called to the better land. Mr. 
 Harbison's home is cared for by his niece, 
 Mary Harbison, who is kind and attentive 
 as a daughter, and whom he loves as such. 
 
 In his younger days, Mr. Harbison was 
 affiiliated with the Odd Fellows' order, 
 joining them in 1846. For twenty years he 
 has been an elder in the Presbyterian 
 church, and is a generous contributor to its 
 support. He uses his franchise in favor of 
 the Prohibition party, save in local affairs, 
 when he is perfectly independent. During 
 his residence in Saline county, Missouri, he 
 served in the militia for some four years, 
 and for two years he acted efficiently as city 
 alderman of Champaign, being chairman of 
 
 the committee on streets and alleys, and 
 rendering valuable aid in numerous ways to 
 local progress. He enjoys helping the suf- 
 fering and unfortunate, and his friends are 
 legion. 
 
 SN. NEBLOCK, deceased, was for many 
 years a leading blacksmith of Urbana, 
 and was also one of the brave and loyal de- 
 fenders of the Union during the dark days of 
 the Civil war. A native' of Ohio, he was 
 born in Guernsey county, August 8, 1834, 
 and was a son of David Y. and Ann (Mat- 
 tox) Neblock. He was educated in the 
 
 schools of his native state, and there learned 
 
 
 
 the blacksmith's trade, which he made his 
 life-work. After his father's death, which 
 occurred in Ohio, he and his mother came 
 to Champaign county, Illinois, when he was 
 nineteen years of age, and located in Homer 
 township, where he at first worked at his 
 trade for others, but later owned and con- 
 ducted a shop of his own. 
 
 In 1852, Mr. Neblock was united in 
 marriage with Miss Edith C. Jett, who was 
 born in Clark county, Ohio, December 12, 
 1834, a daughter of Thomas and Mary A. 
 (Bishop) Jett. She was reared in her native 
 state, where her father died, and a few years 
 later she accompanied her mother and step- 
 father on their removal to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, locating in Homer town- 
 ship, where her mother died. She had 
 two children by her first marriage, James 
 William, who died at the age of six years; 
 and Edith C. , now Mrs. Neblock. After 
 the death of her first husband Mrs. Jett 
 married Daniel Orr. There was a daughter 
 by the second union, Sarah J., deceased 
 wife of Jacob Strayhorn, of Homer, Illinois. 
 
 Mrs. Neblock's maternal grandparents 
 
4 6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 were Amos and Mary Ann Bishop. The 
 grandfather was a soldier of the war of 
 1812, and died in Ohio at an advanced age. 
 The grandmother came to this state with 
 her second husband, Jacob Ridinger, .and 
 both died here many years ago. 
 
 Of the twelve children born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Neblock, three died in infancy. The 
 others were William, who died at the age of 
 six years; Sylvester, who married Lydia 
 Chapman, and is now engaged in farming 
 near Penfield, Illinois; Alice/ wife of Jack- 
 son Acres, a carpenter of Urbana; Laura, 
 wife of Douglas Anderson, of Homer; John, 
 who died unmarried at the age of thirty-two 
 years; Emma, wife of William Glascock, a 
 teamster of Urbana; Bertie, wife of Burt 
 Bidwell, of Bloomington, Illinois; Neal, 
 who married Frances Earlywine, and lives 
 in Urbana; and Stella Maude, who lives 
 with her mother at No. 804 West Uni- 
 versity avenue. 
 
 Mr. Neblock responded to the first call 
 for troops at the opening of the Rebellion, 
 enlisting in Company C, Twenty-fifth Illi- 
 nois Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
 served for one year and nine months. On 
 receiving his discharge he returned home, 
 but in 1864 he re-enlisted as second lieuten- 
 ant of Company H, Illinois Volunteer In- 
 fantry. Later he joined Company H, 
 Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, as orderly sergeant, 
 and remained in the service until the war 
 ended. He took part in the battles of 
 Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Chicka- 
 mauga and Fort Pillow; was in several en- 
 gagements in Missouri during Price's raid 
 through that state; was with General Sher- 
 man on his famous march to the sea; and 
 participated in the grand review at Wash- 
 ington, D. C., at the close of the war. 
 Hostilities having ceased and his services 
 
 no longer being needed, he was honorably 
 discharged and returned home with an en- 
 viable war record. 
 
 Soon after the war, Mr. Neblock re- 
 moved to Danville, Illinois, and later to 
 Ogden, and in 1884 took up his residence in 
 Urbana, where he made his home until call- 
 ed to his final rest March 29, 1893. Before 
 his death he drew a pension ot thirty dollars 
 per month. He was a supporter of the 
 Democratic party and its principles and 
 served as constable of Urbana four years, 
 and held the same office while a resident of 
 Homer township, this county. He was a 
 prominent member of Urbana Lodge, No. 
 139, I. O. O. F. , in which he served as 
 noble grand, and he was buried by that or- 
 der. Religiously he was a member of the 
 Christian church. 
 
 FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, LL.B. Prom- 
 inent on the list of the eminent jurists 
 of central Illinois appears the name of Judge 
 Francis M. Wright, of Urbana/ Occupying 
 the bench of the sixth judicial circuit, and 
 of the appellate court of the third district 
 of Illinois, he has attained marked prestige 
 in connection with the administration of the 
 laws of this great commonwealth, and is rec- 
 ognized as the peer of any of the most 
 able lawyers of the Illinois bar. An 
 enumeration of those men of the present 
 generation who have won honor and public 
 recognition for themselves, and at the same 
 time have honored the state to which they 
 belong, would be incomplete were there 
 failure to make prominent reference to the 
 one whose name initiates the opening 
 paragraph of this review. He not only holds 
 distinctive precedence as an eminent lawyer, 
 
HON. FRANCIS M. WRIGHT. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 49 
 
 but is as well a man of high scientific and 
 literary attainments, a valiant and patriotic 
 soldier and a man of affairs who has wielded 
 a wide influence. A strong mentality, an 
 invincible courage, a most determined in- 
 dividuality have so entered into his nature 
 as to make him a natural leader of men and 
 a director of opinion. 
 
 Judge Wright was born on Briar Ridge, 
 in Adams county, Ohio, August 5, 1844, his 
 parents being James and Elizabeth (Copple) 
 Wright. The father was a native of Penn- 
 sylvania, and tradition says that the remote 
 ancestors were Scotch-Irish. Steven 
 Wright, the grandfather, came from the 
 north of Ireland to America and took up his 
 residence in Pennsylvania, whence he re- 
 moved to Ohio, where his last days were 
 spent. His son James was a small lad at 
 the time of the removal to the Buckeye 
 state. He became a mechanic, and also 
 owned and occupied a farm. A leading and 
 influential member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, he served as class leader 
 and as superinendent of the Sunday-school. 
 His wife, who was also born in the 
 Keystone state, and belonged to one 
 of the old Pennsylvania-Dutch families, 
 was a daughter of John Copple, a native of 
 Germany, who removed from Pennsylvania 
 to Ohio at an early day. James Wright 
 died in 1854, at the age of forty-three years, 
 but the mother lived to be seventy- nine 
 years of age. He left a family of six chil- 
 dren, all of whom reached years of maturity. 
 
 Judge Wright spent his boyhood days 
 upon the farm and in the common schools 
 acquired his preliminary education which 
 was supplemented by study in the Ohio 
 Valley Academy, at Decatur, Brown county, 
 Ohio. The questions of slavery and secess- 
 ion greatly interested him, and when the 
 
 south made an attempt to overthrow the 
 Union, he determined to strike a blow in be- 
 half of the national goverment. Accordingly 
 he enlisted in June, 1861, before he was 
 eighteen years of age, becoming a member 
 of Company I, Thirty-ninth Ohio Volunteer 
 Infantry. He was mustered in at Camp 
 Colrain, Ohio, and sent first to Missouri, 
 under Fremont. He saw active service 
 there, and was afterward with Pope's com- 
 mand at Island No. 10 and New Madrid. 
 He remained with his regiment until mus- 
 tered out in July, 1865, and at various times 
 was promoted, becoming corporal, sergeant, 
 sergeant major and second lieutenant, 
 holding the last named position at the time 
 of his discharge. He served throughout the 
 Atlanta campaign, went with Sherman on 
 the glorious march to the sea, participated 
 in the battles of Corinth and luka, and was 
 probably under fire in forty engagements. 
 On the 22d of July, 1864, at Atlanta, he 
 was slightly wounded, but did not leave the 
 field. He was at the front for more than 
 four years, all of the time engaged in active 
 service, and was mustered out before he had 
 attained his majority. Of such a war rec- 
 ord he may well be proud, for although 
 others enlisted at a younger age, no one as 
 young as himself, so far as he knows, saw 
 four years of active service upon the battle- 
 fields of the south. 
 
 During the war Judge Wright had 
 noticed the fine appearance of many men, 
 and upon inquiry as to their business found 
 that they were lawyers. This led him to 
 determine to enter the legal profession, al- 
 though his parents had destined him for the 
 medical fraternity. Upon his return to the 
 north he became a student in the law office 
 of Colonel, afterward Judge, D. W. C. 
 Loudon, and was graduated in the Cincin- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 nati Law College with the degree of LL. B. , 
 in the class of 1867. He was then admitted 
 to the bar and for a short time practiced in 
 Georgetown, Brown county, Ohio (from 
 where Gen. Grant was sent to West Point) 
 but in December, 1868, came to Urbana, 
 and has since been a member of the Illinois 
 bar. He began practice alone, but afterward 
 formed a partnership with Judge W. D. 
 Somers, with whom he was associated for 
 eleven years, the firm occupying a leading 
 position in professional circles and enjoying 
 a very extensive and lucrative clientage, the 
 volume of their business probably exceeding 
 that of any law firm of the county. After 
 the dissolution of the partnership he en- 
 joyed a large general practice until 'his 
 elevation to the bench, to which he was 
 elected in June, 1891. He was first chosen 
 as judge of the old fourth judicial circuit, 
 comprising the counties of Champaign, 
 Piatt, Macon, Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, 
 Edgar, Clark and Vermilion. On entering 
 upon his judicial service he gave up private 
 practice entirely, in order to give his undi- 
 vided attention to his official duties. In 
 1897 he was re-elected in the new sixth 
 judicial circuit, comprising the counties of 
 Champaign, Piatt, Dewitt, Macon, Moultrie 
 and Douglas. On his re-election the 
 supreme court appointed him one of the 
 appellate judges of the state, assigning him 
 to the second district, and later changed 
 him to the third district. Many of his cases 
 have been appealed to the higher court, but 
 in the majority of instances his decisions have 
 been sustained. His decisions indicate 
 strong mentality, careful analysis, a thorough 
 knowledge of the law and an unbiased judg- 
 ment. The judge on the bench fails more 
 frequently, perhaps, from a deficiency in 
 that broad-mindedness which not only com- 
 
 prehendsthe details of a situation quickly and 
 that insures a complete self-control under 
 even the most exasperating conditions than 
 from any other cause; and the judge who 
 makes a success in the discharge of his mul- 
 titudinous delicate duties is a man of well 
 rounded character, finely-balanced mind and 
 of splendid intellectual attainments. That 
 Judge Wright is regarded as such a jurist 
 is an uniformly accepted fact. 
 
 Judge Wright has not confined his at- 
 tention entirely to the law, for he has been 
 an active factor in business and political cir- 
 cles. He was one of the original stockhold- 
 ers and directors of the First National Bank, 
 and is the only one now living who remains 
 identified with the institution on its organ- 
 ization. Later he was vice-president, and 
 since the death of Mr. Richards has been 
 president of the bank, which has a capital 
 and surplus of one hundred and fifteen thou- 
 sand dollars. It is regarded as one of the 
 most reliable financial institutions in this 
 part of the state. In politics the Judge has 
 always been a Republican, and has borne 
 his share of the work and burdens of the or- 
 ganization. 
 
 On the 1 5th of July, 1868, Judge Wright 
 was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth 
 West, of Brown county, Ohio, daughter of 
 John West, Jr. Four children have been 
 born to them: Royal, who is now an attor- 
 ney of Urbana; Marion, who became the 
 wife of Charles M. Lewis, and died in June, 
 1899; Edith and Lora, at home. They oc- 
 cupy a beautiful residence at No. 407 Green 
 street, and enjoy the hospitality of the best 
 homes of Urbana. Judge Wright has been 
 a member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 from childhood, and still adheres to the 
 church of his ancestors. Socially he is a 
 Mason and has held high office in lodge, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 chapter, council and commandery. He has 
 also been a representative to the grand lodge. 
 He maintains pleasant relationship with his 
 comrades of the blue and recalls memories 
 of the tented field through his membership 
 in Black Eagle Post, G. A. R. , and with the 
 Chicago Commandery of the Loyal Legion. 
 Such in brief is the history of one who by 
 his own unaided efforts has attained to a 
 position of eminence in professional, polit- 
 ical and social life, and who has ever re- 
 ceived the respect which is accorded sterl- 
 iner worth. 
 
 DR. J. D. SPORE, a successful veteri- 
 nary surgeon of Urbana, is of sterling 
 Highland-Scotch ancestry, and possesses 
 many of the notable characteristics of that 
 strong-minded, fearless people. His pater- 
 nal grandfather, Jacob Spore, emigrated 
 from Scotland to America at an early day, 
 and located in the vicinity of Cincinnati, 
 Ohio, where he passed the rest of his days. 
 He chose for a wife, Hannah Ackerman, 
 who, as the name indicates, was of German 
 extraction. 
 
 One of the sons of this worthy couple 
 was William, father of our subject. When 
 he was about sixteen years of age, the spirit 
 of ambition and enterprise which was so 
 marked in him during his more active years, 
 led to his leaving home, and going to the 
 then new settlements in Indiana, where he 
 was employed at various lines of work. At 
 length he became a land-owner and the pro- 
 prietor of a wood yard, near Rising Sun, 
 Indiana, on the Ohio river, his business be- 
 ing to furnish steamboats with fuel. De- 
 cember 26, 1852, he joined the adventurous 
 throngs wending their way to the gold fields 
 of the Pacific coast, and, in company with 
 
 his wife's brother, John Birdzell, started 
 on the long overland journey in a wagon 
 drawn by five mules and a misfit pony. 
 They were from May until September in 
 making the hazardous trip, but at length ar- 
 rived in San Francisco. For the next four 
 years William Spore was actively engaged in 
 teaming and freighting supplies between Sac- 
 ramento and San Francisco and the various 
 mining camps of that region, but in the 
 meantime he remitted to his wife three hun- 
 dred dollars, and our subject has in his pos- 
 session an Adams Express Company certifi- 
 cate of that amount, sent from Coloma, 
 California, by William Spore to his wife, 
 Eunice Spore, December 6, 1852; and also 
 keeps as a relic of those days of long ago 
 the old canvas vest in which his father car- 
 ried the three hundred dollars in gold. In 
 1856, William Spore returned to Indiana 
 and engaged in lumbering, cleanngaway the 
 heavy timber with which his one-hundred- 
 and-twenty-six-acre farm was covered. In 
 1869, the western fever again mastered him, 
 and he went to Virginia City, Nevada, where 
 his nephew, J. W. Bailey, since become 
 wealthy and prominent, was engaged in 
 mining enterprises. There, as formerly, 
 he turned his attention to teaming and was 
 made superintendent of transportation, see- 
 ing to the proper handling of the ore from 
 the time it was brought to the surface until 
 it was deposited in the stamp mill. Re- 
 turning home at the end of about nine 
 months, he commenced farming and raising 
 live-stock. Paying special attention to the 
 breeding of fine coach-horse strains, he soon 
 developed almost a distinct variety, and, to 
 this day, those who knew him are anxious 
 to gain possession of the scions of the stock 
 he raised. In 1876 he located on a quarter- 
 section of land, situated in section 19, 
 
 UNIVBK 
 ILLINOIS 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Staunton township, Champaign county, and 
 it was not until October, 1890, that he left 
 the farm. He died at his Urbana home, 
 February 6, 1892, and is survived by his 
 widow. Politically he supported the Dem- 
 ocratic party, while in religion, he was a 
 Methodist and held official positions in the 
 local church. By a life of singular good- 
 ness and rectitude, devotion to his home 
 and family, and to his duties as a neighbor 
 and citizen, he won the lasting esteem and 
 admiration of all, and is sincerely mourned 
 by his old associates. 
 
 Of his six children, Dr. J. D. Spore, 
 born July 3, 1857, is the fourth. Mary J., 
 the eldest of the family, and widow of James 
 Carson, resides at Thomasboro, this county. 
 George W. , who enlisted when only sixteen 
 years of age in the Second Indiana Battery, 
 and served under command of Captain 
 Espy', did valiant service in many of the 
 most important campaigns of the Civil war, 
 and, at the end of three years of active bat- 
 tling for his country, died at Little Rock, 
 Arkansas, from the effects of a wound re- 
 ceived during an engagement with the enemy, 
 Ellen F. is the wife of Willis Case, a farmer 
 of Urbana townshp; Minnie H. is the wife 
 of James Elliott, of Urbana, and Alice G. 
 died when about twenty-four years of age. 
 
 Dr. J. D. Spore was reared as a farmer's 
 boy, and received only a district school 
 education prior to the time he was eighteen 
 years old. He had inherited his father's 
 great interest in horses, however, and had 
 gained much practical knowledge of the 
 noble steed upon the home farm, and it is 
 not strange that he determined to become a 
 veterinary surgeon. In 1876, he entered 
 the Indianapolis Veterinary College, where 
 he pursued a course of study for one term 
 and then, returning to the home farm, began 
 
 practicing, while at the same time he con- 
 tinued his theoretical work. After spending 
 another season in work at the Chicago 
 Veterinary College, and after taking a 
 special course at the Charleston Veterinary 
 College, with years of practical exerience 
 interspersed, he established an office at 
 Urbana, in 1890. Not the least valuable of 
 his past labors were conducted under the 
 guidance of Dr. Adam Wolf, a prominent 
 member of the profession, now deceased. As 
 he is the only resident veterinary surgeon 
 in Urbana, he receives a large patronage, 
 and though at present his office is at 
 Renners' livery stables, he expects to be- 
 come a partner of Dr. F. W. Corkery. until 
 recently a member of the faculty of the 
 Chicago Veterinary College, and to 
 establish in this place a hospital for the 
 treatment of all kinds of equine diseases. 
 Dr. Spore holds a license from the state 
 board, and by long and arduous preparation 
 and earnest work has become thoroughly 
 competent in his particular branch of the 
 healing art. Following in the political foot- 
 steps of his father, he votes for Democratic 
 party nominees. 
 
 On the isth of September, 1878, Dr. 
 Spore married Laura J. Thompson, daughter 
 of James and Amanda Thompson, who re- 
 moved from Washington county, 'Pennsyl- 
 vania (her birthplace), to Vermilion county, 
 Illinois, in 1866. The four children who 
 bless the union of the Doctor and wife are 
 named, respectively: William G., Vinton, 
 Eddie J. and Edna J., the latter being 
 twins. 
 
 THOMAS R. LEAL, a well-known gen- 
 eral contractor of Urbana, Illinois, and 
 county superintendent of schools for sixteen 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 53 
 
 years, was born in Stamford, Delaware 
 county, New York, July 4, 1829, a son of 
 Dr. James and Mary (McClaughry) Leal, 
 the latter an aunt of Major McClaughry, 
 formerly the efficient warden of the state 
 prison at Joliet. The paternal grandfather 
 was born in Scotland and came to this coun- 
 try when a child of twelve years. His wife, 
 a Miss Rose, was born on this side of the 
 Atlantic, but was of Scotch descent. Dur- 
 ing one of the early Indian wars she and 
 two brothers were taken to Canada as pris- 
 oners by the Indians, but finally made their 
 escape and returned to the United States. 
 The father of our subject was born, reared 
 and educated in Kortright, Delaware county, 
 New York, learning his Latin and Greek of 
 an old minister of that place, and getting a 
 liberal education in that way. He was sur- 
 geon in a New Y'ork Militia regiment and 
 made his home in Stamford, where he died 
 at the early age of twenty-seven years. In 
 his native town he had married Miss Mary 
 McClaughry, daughter of Thomas McClaugh- 
 ry, who was also of Scotch descent. After 
 the death of her husband she returned to 
 her father's home in Kortright where she re- 
 mained a widow until her three children 
 were grown, and she died in Delaware 
 county. Religiously she was a faithful 
 member of the Reformed Presbyterian 
 church. Of the family only our subject is 
 now living. His younger brother, Dr. 
 James H. Leal, died at his home in Cali- 
 fornia, being worn out by his extensive 
 practice. The sister died at the old home 
 in Kortright, New York. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was passed 
 at Kortright, and he received a good practi- 
 cal education at the Hobart and Harpersfield 
 Academies. For a time he successfully en- 
 gaged in teaching school in his native state, 
 
 and on coming to Illinois, in 1852, taught 
 in the western part of this state, teaching 
 drawing in Carthage, where in 1897 his 
 daughter taught the same art in the teach- 
 ers' institute, He continued to follow that 
 profession in Leroy, McLean county, and in 
 Douglas county until coming to Urbana in 
 1 856 to accept a position as teacher in the 
 village schools. 
 
 The following year, Mr. Leal was elected 
 county superintendent on the Republican 
 ticket. At that time there were only forty- 
 five schools in the county, most of which 
 were new, and twenty-seven of these were 
 conducted in log buildings, but when he re- 
 tired from office sixteen years later there 
 were over two hundred substantial school 
 buildings here, either frame or brick, cost- 
 ing from five hundred to seventy-five thou- 
 sand dollars. As the' county became more 
 thickly settled, the attendance at school in- 
 creased in proportion, and he did effective 
 work in advancing the standard of the 
 schools by securing more efficient teachers. 
 He organized the first institute here, and 
 others in Effingham, Coles, Douglas, Ver- 
 milion, Piatt and Iroquois counties. At that 
 time school methods were crude and had to 
 be popular with the public before they were 
 adopted. In holding his institutes, Mr. 
 Leal had to get the recognition of the 
 prominent people of the place, whom he 
 persuaded to attend and enter the class of 
 teachers, and in this way he got all inter- 
 ested and did much to educate the teachers. 
 At his second institute held in the same 
 place, the church was packed to the doors. 
 He often had to use a great deal of tact as 
 there were many who were opposed to pro- 
 gressive methods. He not only helped the 
 teachers to become better instructors, but 
 was also instrumental in advancing their 
 
54 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 wages. He was one of the most active and 
 prominent early educators of Eastern Illinois 
 and did much to mold the school interest in 
 this county and also prepared them to vote 
 the large sum of half a million dollars to get 
 the University located here. He held the 
 office of county superintendent until 1872, 
 when he was succeeded by one of his old 
 teachers. 
 
 His health demanding outdoor life, Mr. 
 Leal then purchased a farm near the city 
 and engaged in agricultural pursuits until he 
 lost his property by going security for 
 others. At that time he owned consider- 
 able real estate on Green street, Urbana, 
 and also had considerable property in 
 Champaign. He now owns a good home 
 on Green street and is engaged in contract- 
 ing, having done much of the excavating 
 for the large buildings of the University be- 
 sides laying out the lawns about them. He 
 is now excavating for the main agricultural 
 building and the tunnel, the building being 
 the largest purely agricultural building in 
 the world, as it will be a quarter of a mile 
 around and contain over an acre of floor 
 space. For this a number of thousand 
 yards of excavating has been done and it is 
 the largest contract of the kind ever given 
 in this county. In this work Mr. Leal gave 
 employment to thirteen teams. He has had 
 a number of the largest contracts here, and 
 has done excavating and filling for the city 
 under contract. He has also served as 
 drainage commissioner, having charge of the 
 swamp lands that were condemned and 
 given to the state. 
 
 In 1 86 1 Mr. Leal married Miss Emeline 
 Gordon, of Charleston, Illinois, a daughter 
 of John Gordon, who came to this state 
 from Oswego, New York. Of the eight 
 children born to them, four are now deceas- 
 
 ed, two sons and two daughters, all dying 
 within twenty-one days of diphtheria. 
 Those living are Mary, who was educated 
 at the University, who has charge of the 
 drawing in the city schools, at Leavenworth, 
 Kansas; Rosa Belle, who was also educated 
 at the University and is now a teacher at 
 Homer, Illinois; Sophia, a graduate of the 
 Illinois University, who is now a teacher of 
 languages in the high school of Urbana, hav- 
 ing one hundred ten scholars in Latin and 
 about seventy in German, where her father 
 once had only six or seven in Latin; and 
 Grace, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Leal are both 
 active members of the Presbyterian church, 
 and are highly respected and esteemed by 
 all who know them. He was a member of 
 the Union League during the Civil war, and 
 was personally acquainted with President 
 Lincoln. He has always been an active 
 member of the Republican party and while 
 a member of the state convention helped to 
 nominate John A. Logan for Congress. 
 His life has been an honorable and useful 
 one, and he justly merits the high regard in 
 which he is held. For six years he served 
 as a member of the State Board of Educa- 
 tion of Illinois. 
 
 CURTIS F. COLUMBIA. To no resi- 
 \^ dent of Champaign county is its his- 
 tory more familiar than to Curtis F. 
 Columbia, who through many decades has 
 watched its progress, aiding largely in its 
 material development and substantial im- 
 provement as the years have gone by. Won- 
 derful has been its transformation from a 
 district of wild prairie and uncut forests to 
 this section of beautiful homes, rich farms 
 and thrivingtowns and cities. The pioneers 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 55 
 
 laid the foundation for its present prosperity 
 and to them is certainly due great credit for 
 the work they accomplished. From the 
 earliest epoch in its development down to 
 the present time Mr. Columbia has been 
 identified with the upbuilding and advance- 
 ment of the community, and no history 
 would be complete without the record of 
 his life. 
 
 A native of Madison county, Kentucky, 
 his father, George Columbia, was a farmer 
 of that locality, but died during the early 
 boyhood of our subject. Having removed 
 to Hendricks county, Indiana, the latter 
 secured his education in the schools there 
 and then started out in life for himself. He 
 determined to seek a home in Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and to this end traded a 
 piece of land in Indiana for one hundred and 
 twenty acres of land in what is now Condit 
 township. Little of the land in this vicinity 
 had been broken, the nearest improved prop- 
 erty being at Urbana, which was a little 
 hamlet of log cabins containing a popula- 
 tion of about three hundred. Where the 
 enterprising city of Champaign is now 
 located was a tract of wild prairie, which 
 had not even been reclaimed for farming 
 purposes. The land for which Mr. Colum- 
 bia traded was also unbroken. In order to 
 provide a livelihood he worked as a farm 
 hand for about one year in the employ of 
 John Brier, who resided on the Sangamon. 
 
 On the 28th of August. 1844, Mr. Colum- 
 bia was united in marriage to Miss Nancy 
 Cox, a native of North Carolina. Her 
 father was one of the first settlers of this 
 county, and was a very prominent and in- 
 fluential man in his day. He served as 
 sheriff of the county for eight years, also 
 represented his district in the State Legis- 
 lature, and subsequently removed to La 
 
 Salle county, where he spent his remaining 
 days, his death occurring many years ago. 
 In the meantime Mr. Columbia had pur- 
 chased three hundred and twenty acres of 
 prairie land, on which he built a log cabin 
 of one room, sixteen by eighteen feet. This 
 little home was erected by him and his 
 neighbors in a single day. It had one win- 
 dow and was considered the best house in 
 the neighborhood at the time. Mr. Colum- 
 bia hewed the logs and shaved the shingles 
 used in its construction, and from Urbana 
 he hauled the brick from which the chimney 
 was built. That pioneer home is still stand- 
 ing.one of the few landmarks that yet remain 
 to indicate the rapid development of the 
 county. Gradually Mr. Columbia cleared 
 and improved his place, making it a val- 
 uable tract. However, in 1853, he sold 
 that property and purchased eighty acres of 
 prairie land elsewhere. When the railroad 
 was built he platted his land and thus laid 
 the foundation for Champaign. He had 
 forty acres of corn where the most thickly 
 populated section of the city is now found. 
 He first platted about twenty acres and 
 since that time has laid off eight additions, 
 known as the Columbia additions. The 
 city now largely stands as a monument to 
 his thrift, enterprise and wonderful fore- 
 sight. He had the sagacity to foretell the 
 growth of this fertile section of the state, 
 and with a firm belief in its future he made 
 judicious investments in land, which have 
 resulted in bringing to him a handsome 
 fortune. For a few years he carried on 
 agricultural pursuits, and in 1860 he estab- 
 lished a general mercantile store, which he 
 conducted for five years, but since that time 
 he has given his attention chiefly to the 
 management of his property interests. He 
 erected a number of buildings, including a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 portion of the Union block and six dwelling 
 houses, and in many other ways has contri- 
 buted to the welfare and growth of the city. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Columbia were born 
 eight children: Martha died at the age of 
 three years; Ellen and David have also pass- 
 ed away; Thomas, a graduate of the Physi- 
 cians & Surgeons College of New York City, 
 is a successful practicing physician there, 
 and has a wife and three children; Mary F. 
 is the widow of Dr. Pearman, of Champaign, 
 and has one child, Arthur C.; Emma is the 
 wife of J. R. Mann, congressman of Chicago, 
 and they have one child, William C. ; John 
 died in infancy; and Hattie G. is at home. 
 
 For -fifty-six years Mr. and Mrs. Colum- 
 bia have traveled life's journey together, 
 and for nearly fifty years have resided in the 
 city of Champaign. Their home is a pleas- 
 ant one and the abode of hospitality. Their 
 children have grown to mature years, and 
 while some have gone out from the old 
 home, each have for it a strong attachment, 
 and great love for the parents that gave 
 them birth. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Columbia is a 
 Democrat, and in 1861 was chosen assessor. 
 He filled the offices of collector and assessor 
 for twelve or fourteen years, and was school 
 trustee or director for many years, the cause 
 of education finding in him a warm friend. 
 He attends the Baptist church, and socially 
 is connected with Western Star Lodge, No. 
 240, F. & A. M. ; and was 3rd grand master 
 of the lodge and Champaign Chapter, R. A. 
 M. It is difficult to realize that one who 
 has been and is such an active factor in 
 public affairs as Mr. Columbia lived in ,the 
 county at a time when wild game roamed 
 over an unbroken prairie, yet he has here 
 seen thirty or forty head of deer at one 
 time. Gradually yet swiftly the changes 
 
 have come as the result of the untiring ef- 
 forts and perseverance of such men as our 
 subject, men who can look beyond the exi- 
 gencies of the present and labor for the 
 future. Throughout an active business 
 career he has always commanded the respect 
 and confidence of his fellow men and to-day 
 in Champaign county no citizen is more 
 honored or more thoroughly deserves the 
 esteem of his fellow men than Curtis F. . 
 Columbia. 
 
 JOHN G. CLARK. Deeds are thoughts 
 crystalized and according to their results 
 do we judge the worth of a man to the 
 country that has produced him, and in his 
 works we expect to find the true index to 
 his character. The study of the life of the 
 representative American never fails to offer 
 much of pleasing interest and valuable in- 
 struction, developing a mastering of expedi- 
 ents which have brought about most wonder- 
 ful results. The subject of this review is a 
 worthy representative of that type of Ameri- 
 can character and of that progressive spirit 
 which promote public good in advancing in- 
 dividual prosperity and conserving popular 
 interests. He is now extensively engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits, and in this depart- 
 ment of business as in every other with 
 which he has been connected, he is meeting 
 with creditable and gratifying success. At 
 the same time he finds opportunity to aid in 
 the promotion of various movements which 
 contribute to the public good and is regarded 
 as one of the leading residents of Champaign 
 county. 
 
 Mr. Clark was born in Freeport, Arm- 
 strong county, Pennsylvania, November 25, 
 1828, his parents being John and Katherine 
 (Best) Clark. The father was a native of 
 
JOHN G. CLARK. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 59 
 
 the same county and there spent his entire 
 life, following the occupation of farming. 
 His wife was born and reared in the Key- 
 stone state and was a daughter of Nicholas 
 Best, a well-to-do farmer of German parent- 
 age. After his marriage Mr. Clark inherited 
 a farm from his father, and to its cultivation 
 and improvement devoted his energies 
 throughout his entire life, but both he and 
 his wife died when their children were small. 
 Our subject found a home with a Mr. 
 Shields, and Mr. Reddick, a Presbyterian 
 minister, with whom he remained for three 
 years. He was given the opportunity of 
 attending school for about six months a 
 year and thus pursued his education until 
 sixteen years of age, when he began teach- 
 ing, having charge of a school for four 
 months and receiving twenty-five dollars per 
 month for his services. He boarded round 
 among the scholars, after the manner of the 
 times, and again the next winter he engaged 
 in teaching. The following spring he be- 
 came a student in Duff's^Mercantile College, 
 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and after leaving 
 that institution he entered the office of Peter 
 Graff & Company, iron founders, who 
 owned and operated the Buffalo furnaces. 
 For ten or eleven years Mr. Clark remained 
 with them in clerical positions, and sub- 
 sequntly became interested with Mr. Graff in 
 the ownership of a small store in Worthing- 
 ton, near the furnaces. This was his first 
 independent business venture. He con- 
 tinued in charge of the store until 1856, 
 when he determined to seek a home in the 
 west, and removed to Galesburg, Illinois. 
 There he took a contract to supply car tim- 
 ber, wood and ties to the Chicago, 
 Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and also 
 formed a similar contract with the Illinois 
 Central, at the same time furnishing the 
 
 wood and ties which it used in the various 
 sections of the lines. In this enterprise Mr. 
 Clark was associated with J. B. Porterfield. 
 They did a very extensive business, furnish- 
 ing as many as four hundred thousand ties 
 in a single year in addition to all the wood 
 used as fuel. Mr. Clark frequently had as 
 many as three hundred men in his employ. 
 
 On the ist of March, 1858, he removed 
 to Champaign, then a small town, but con- 
 tinued his connection with the railroad for 
 ten years thereafter. Since then*. he has 
 been engaged in farming and stock-raising. 
 He purchased his first farm in 1858, and in 
 1864 erected thereon a beautiful residence, 
 which is now in the city, the street car pass- 
 ing by his door. This plainly indicates the 
 growth of the city. With the growth of 
 Champaign his land naturally rose in value 
 and he disposed of much of it at a handsome 
 profit. He platted sixty acres 'of the beau- 
 tiful new residence section of the city, which 
 is now building up so rapidly and is destined 
 to become the leading portion of Champaign. 
 He has owned different farms in the county, 
 and now has a very valuable tract of three 
 hundred and sixty acres, adjoining the city, 
 where he carries on general farming and 
 stock-raising. He gives to his farm his per- 
 sonal supervision, and it is a most highly 
 improved property. For twenty years he 
 has been extensively engaged in the raising 
 of fine stock, making a specialty of regis- 
 tered short horn cattle. He has done much 
 to improve the grade of stock raised in this 
 section of the state, and has thus advanced 
 the farming interests. 
 
 In December, 1851, while in Worthing- 
 ton, Pennsylvania, Mr. Clark was united in 
 marriage to Miss Jennie Y. Blaine, daughter 
 of William and Elizabeth (Wingins) Blaine, 
 and they now have two children: Arthur N., 
 
6o 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 a resident of Champaign; and Leslie B., of 
 Chicago. In his political views Mr. Clark 
 has been a stanch Republican since casting 
 his ballot for Fremont. He well remembers 
 the time when Abraham Lincoln visited the 
 county and his enthusiasm added to the 
 cheers which greeted the nomination of 
 Lincoln for the presidency in 1860, for he 
 was in attendance at the convention, al- 
 though not a delegate. For many years he 
 took a very active part in promoting the 
 welfare of his party and is still deeply in- 
 terested in its success, although he is not 
 at present a worker in the ranks. His wife 
 is a member of the Congregational church, 
 and is one of its liberal supporters. He 
 withholds his aid from no movement or mea- 
 sure which he believes will prove of benefit 
 to the community, and is a very public-spir- 
 ited and progressive citizen. With a capac- 
 ity and experience which would enable him to 
 fulfill any trust to which he might be chosen, 
 he has never sought to advance himself in 
 office, but has been content to do his duty 
 where he could and leave the self-seeking 
 to others. Viewed in a personal light he is 
 a strong man, of excellent judgment, fair in 
 his views, but strong in advancing ideas 
 which he believes to be right. He is full of 
 sympathy with all the great movements 
 about him and watches the progress of 
 events with the keenest interest. In busi- 
 ness circles he bears an unassailable reputa- 
 tion, and his splendid prosperity is the 
 merited reward of well directed and consec- 
 utive endeavor. 
 
 RUDOLPH ZERSE GILL, a leading 
 architect and prominent business man 
 of Urbana, was born in that city, May 17, 
 1866, a son of Zachariah E. and Hannah C. 
 
 (Wolfe) Gill. The father was born in 
 Shelbyville, Kentucky, May I, 1829, and 
 was a son of one of the pioneers of that 
 state from Virginia, the family dating its 
 residence in the Old Dominion from early 
 colonial days. The father was reared on a 
 farm in his native state and in early life learn- 
 ed the carpenter's trade. In 1853 he came to 
 Urbana, Illinois, which at that time was a 
 small village, and here engaged in contract- 
 ing, erecting the first Big Four shops and 
 the majority of the older brick buildings of 
 the city, for he was the leading contractor of 
 his day. He furnished employment to many 
 men and did a large and successful business 
 until 1880, when he retired from active 
 labor. He was a prominent Knight Templar 
 Mason, and was highly respected by all who 
 knew him. He died August 10, 1884, leav- 
 ing two children: Nellie, now the wife of 
 James O. Hogge, of* Kansas City; and 
 Rudolph E., our subject. The mother is 
 still living. Both held membership in the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Joseph Wolfe, the maternal grandfather 
 of our subject, was one of the old circuit 
 riders of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 who forced their religion into the western 
 wilds. He traveled throughout Ohio, Indiana, 
 Michigan and Illinois, establishing many 
 missions and churches, and finally settled in 
 Mt. Vernon, Ohio. While a zealous worker 
 for the church, he was a shrewd business 
 man and made considerable money by his 
 judicious investments. At different times 
 he owned the land which now forms the site 
 of several important Ohio cities. He was 
 widely known and highly respected. His 
 wife, who bore the maiden name of Har- 
 riet Doane, traced her ancestry back to 
 the Sharpless family, prominent during 
 Revolutionary times and pioneer days in 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 61 
 
 Pennsylvania. She also belonged to the 
 same family as Bishop Doane, of Albany. 
 Mr. Gill, whose name introduces this 
 sketch, attended the public and high schools 
 of Urbana, and completed his education at 
 the University of Illinois, from which he 
 was graduated with the class of 1887. Here 
 he gave special attention to architecture and 
 engineering and after completing the course 
 went to Chicago, where he entered the office 
 of Holabird & Roche, who are among the 
 best architects of that city. From there he 
 went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he en- 
 gaged in business for himself until 1893. 
 While there he was architect for the Ameri- 
 can Association of London, England, which 
 built the towns of Middleboro, Cumberland 
 Gap, Dillon Springs and Harrogate, and 
 also developed the iron and coal interests 
 throughout Kentucky, Southern Tennessee 
 and Virginia. In their interest Mr. Gill did 
 a large business and gave employment to 
 many men. Later he was with the East Ten- 
 nessee Land Company, which founded Harri- 
 man, the temperance town in which Clinton 
 B.Fiske was famous. Mr.Gill wasnext with 
 the Lenoir City Land Company, which de- 
 veloped Lenoir City and surrounding coun- 
 try. All this time he made his headquarters 
 at Knoxville. He was also connected with 
 the boom at that place, and did a good deal 
 of work at Asheville and Raleigh, North 
 Carolina. He erected many of the finest 
 buildings in Knoxville, and did the largest 
 business of any architect in the city. Re- 
 turning to Urbana, in October. 1893, he has 
 since made plans for the Urbana high school, 
 the city hall at Monticello, the city hall at 
 Danville, the asylum for the poor at Paxton, 
 Hotel Douglas at Tuscola, and many of the 
 finest residences and store buildings in 
 Urbana. He also served as city engineer 
 
 and city treasurer in 1896, 1897 and 1898, 
 during which time considerable grading and 
 paving was done, and many improvements 
 made. For the past year he has been alone 
 in business both as a contractor and archi- 
 tect, and has also made a specialty of build- 
 ing and selling houses on his own account, 
 in this way furnishing employment to a large 
 force during the busy season. 
 
 On the loth of October, 1889, Mr. Gill 
 married Miss Nellie M. Maxwell, of Little 
 Rock, Arkansas, and to them have been 
 born two children: Rudolph Zerse and 
 Maxwell. They have a pleasant home at 
 No. 501 South Busey avenue, erected by our 
 subject. Religiously they are members of 
 the Episcopal Church, and socially he also 
 holds membership with the Masonic 
 fraternity, the Knights of Pythias and the 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
 Integrity, activity and energy have been the 
 crowning points of his success, and the 
 prosperity that has come to him is certainly 
 well deserved. 
 
 EDWIN A. KRATZ, M. D., who for over 
 thirty years has successfully engaged in 
 the practice of medicine in Champaign, 
 Illinois, was born in Plumsteadville, Bucks 
 county, Pennsylvania, July 12, 1844, a son 
 of Henry and Anne (Stover) Kratz. He is 
 of the sixth generation of the family living 
 in Montgomery and Bucks counties, the first 
 to come to the new world being John V. 
 Kratz, a native of Alsace, Germany, and a 
 farmer by occupation. In 1760 the grand- 
 father, Philip Kratz, purchased the farm on 
 which our subject was born and which is 
 still in possession of the family, being now 
 occupied by a brother of our subject. The 
 grandfather served as election commissioner 
 
62 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 for many years, and assessor for several 
 terms, and was always active in politics but 
 never an aspirant for office. Upon his 
 large farm the father grew to manhood and 
 continued to make his home there through- 
 out life. He was one of the prominent and 
 influential men of his community, and was 
 once the Republican candidate for repre- 
 sentative to the state Assembly, but as the 
 district was strongly Democratic he was de- 
 feated. He was always a delegate to the 
 county conventions of his party, was secre- 
 tary of a local fire insurance company, and 
 was connected with a bridge building com- 
 pany. He died in 1897, his wife in 1879. 
 She was a native of Bedminister township, 
 Bucks county, and a daughter of Henry 
 Stover, also of German descent. The 
 Doctor's early ancestors were Menonites, 
 but his parents held membership in the 
 Presbyterian Church. They left a family 
 of seven children, of whom our subject is 
 the oldest son. 
 
 Dr. Kratz acquired his early education 
 in the public schools of his native land, and 
 later attended a normal school equal in rank 
 to the high schools of the present day. 
 Both he and his brother Alonzo P. entered 
 the Union army during the Civil war, the 
 latter enlisting in 1862, in Company F, One 
 Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania 
 Volunteer Infantry, for nine months, and in 
 January, 1864, re-enlisting in Company D, 
 Second Pennsylvania Provisional Regiment. 
 He was in a pit at Petersburg, and was 
 captured after the explosion. He died in 
 prison at Danville, Virginia, and was buried 
 in the National cemetery there. The 
 Doctor enlisted in 1864, in Company Af 
 One Hundred and Ninety-eighth Pennsyl- 
 vania Volunteer Infantry, which was 
 assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and 
 
 during the campaign of 1864-5 was a P art 
 of the Fifth Corps under General Warren 
 and was stationed on the left flank, below 
 Petersburg. At Lewis farm, near Dinwid- 
 die Court House, Virginia, he was shot 
 through the chest and both arms, March 29, 
 1865, and was taken to Mt. Pleasant 
 Hospital, Washington, D. C. , from which 
 he was discharged on the I3th of the fol- 
 lowing July. For two months he was con- 
 fined to his bed, and after his return home 
 was one year recuperating his health. 
 
 In February, 1867, Dr/ Kratz came to 
 Champaign, Illinois, where he began the 
 study of medicine with Dr. Mills. He at- 
 tended his first course of lectures at the 
 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 
 1867-8, and then entered the University of 
 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, from which he 
 was graduated in 1869, with the degree of 
 M. D. Returning to Champaign, he en- 
 tered the office with his old preceptor, Dr. 
 Mills, and they have now engaged in prac- 
 tice for over thirty years a most remarka- 
 ble record. Not being able to endure the 
 long country rides, Dr. Kratz has confined 
 his attention almost exclusively to office 
 practice, though he does some city work. 
 
 In May, 1884, Dr. Kratz married Mrs. 
 Anna Beidler, widow of Lewis H. Beidler, 
 and daughter of Benjamin C. Bradley, one 
 of the pioneers of the county, who came 
 here from Kentucky early in the '503. By 
 this union has 'been born three children: 
 Alonzo P., Ethel and Elwin. The family 
 have a pleasant home at No. 315 South 
 State street. The Doctor attends and sup- 
 ports the Baptist church, of which his wife 
 is an earnest member. 
 
 In 1899 Dr. Kratz was elected a life 
 member of the County Medical Society, 
 with which he has been connected for many 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 years. For twenty-one years he was United 
 States examining surgeon for pensions, re- 
 ceiving his appointment under President 
 Grant, in 1871, and serving uninterruptedly 
 until President Cleveland's first administra- 
 tion, when he was out of office for a year. 
 He was then re-instated and served until 
 President Cleveland's second term, when he 
 was retired permanently. He was secretary 
 of the board for many years and did most 
 of its work. He has also served as examin- 
 ing surgeon for a number of old line life in- 
 surance companies. The Doctor is a prom- 
 inent member of Champaign Lodge, No. 
 333, I. O. O. F. , in which he has passed 
 all the chairs; was deputy for a number of 
 years; and is now chairman of the board of 
 trustees. He is a thirty-second degree 
 Mason, a member of the consistory at Peo- 
 ria; was master of the blue lodge at Cham- 
 paign for nine years; is the present secre- 
 tary of both the lodge and chapter; and is 
 dimitted from the commandery. During 
 the winter of 1867, while attending college 
 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, he united with the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and is a char- 
 ter member of Colonel Nodine Post, No. 
 140, G. A. R. , of which he has been com- 
 mander. He is also a member of the De- 
 partment Encampment; has been on the 
 staff of different department commanders 
 and was a delegate to the National Encamp- 
 ment at Buffalo, New York. The Doctor 
 was one of the first to become interested in 
 the public library, and the private library 
 which he assisted in organizing in 1868, was 
 given to the city in 1876. With the excep- 
 tion of two years he has served as one of its 
 directors since 1870, and has been secretary 
 of the board most of the time, but is now 
 serving as president. He, probably more 
 than any other man, has been prominently 
 
 identified with its growth and prosperity, 
 and has watched with interest its growth 
 from a small reading room containing only 
 a few magazines and no books, to one of 
 the best libraries of any city of the size in 
 the state. For four years Dr. Kratz served 
 as city clerk, and in 1891 was the Republi- 
 can candidate for mayor, but was defeated. 
 He was township supervisor for two terms, 
 and in 1894 was elected county treasurer, 
 which office he most creditably and satis- 
 factorily filled for four years, during which 
 time he handled a large amount of money, 
 having as high as one hundred and fifteen 
 thousand dollars in his possession at one 
 time. As a citizen he has always been true 
 and faithful to every trust reposed in him, 
 so that his loyalty is above question, being 
 manifest in days of peace as well as when 
 he followed the old flag to victory on south- 
 ern battle fields. 
 
 JAMES M. CARPENTER, a well-known 
 liveryman and representative business 
 man of Urbana, Illinois, doing business at 
 No. 103 West Elm street, was born in 
 Floyd county, Indiana, August n, 1832. a 
 son of James C. and Rebecca (Riddle) Car- 
 penter, natives of Virginia. His paternal 
 great-grandfather was born in England and 
 at a very early day came to America and 
 settled in the Old Dominion. His maternal 
 great-grandfather was a native of the same 
 country, and as a drummer boy in the Brit- 
 ish army during the Revolutionary war he 
 carne to the new world. At the close of 
 that struggle he decided to remain here. 
 He married and located in Virginia. He 
 lived to the advanced age of one hundred 
 and ten years. 
 
6 4 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In early life the father of our subject re- 
 moved with his parents to Kentucky, where 
 his boyhood was passed and where his edu- 
 cation was acquired. When the war of 1812 
 broke out he enlisted in an infantry regiment 
 as a private, and remained in the service 
 until hostilities ceased, taking part in the 
 battle of New Orleans. Returning to his 
 home in Kentucky, he engaged in farming 
 there for several years, and in the meantime 
 married Miss Rebecca Riddle, daughter of 
 James and Jane (Davis) Riddle, also natives 
 of Virginia. They continued their resi- 
 dence in Kentucky until after the birth of 
 three of their children, and then moved to 
 Floyd county, Indiana, where the father 
 engaged in farming for some time, and 
 where nine more children were added to 
 the family. Selling his farm in that state, 
 the father prepared to move to Illinois, but 
 died suddenly in 1854, at about the age of 
 seventy-two years. The following year the 
 mother, in company with our subject and 
 three other sons, came to Urbana, Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois. She died in Febru- 
 ary, 1874, at the age of about seventy-three 
 years. Three of the twelve children in this 
 family died in early childhood, while those 
 who reached years of maturity were John 
 A., Sarah, Elizabeth J., Permelia, Per- 
 menas H., James M., George W., Marquis 
 De LaFayette and Thomas J. Only our 
 subject and Thomas J. are now living. The 
 latter is proprietor of a tile and brick yard 
 at Altamont, Effingham county, Illinois. 
 
 James M. Carpenter received only a lim- 
 ited education in the subscription schools of 
 Indiana, being able to attend school only 
 for a few months. On coming to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, he located in Urbana 
 township, where he followed farming until 
 1890, and then embarked in the livery busi- 
 
 ness in Urbana, which he has since carried 
 on with good success, receiving a liberal 
 share of the public patronage. 
 
 On the i8th of November, 1875, Mr. 
 Carpenter married Mrs. Josia A. Carey, 
 widow of Sanford P. Carey, by whom she 
 had two children, Mary E. and Sanford P. 
 She died June 20, 1885, at the age of thirty- 
 six years, leaving two children born to our 
 subject, namely: U. Grant, born February 
 12, 1877, married Dora Hutton, of Cham- 
 paign, and is engaged in the livery business 
 with his father; and Austin H., born De- 
 cember 27, 1883, is at home with his father 
 in Urbana. Mr. Carpenter and his family 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and are highly respected by all who 
 know them. He is a stanch supporter of 
 the men and measures of the Republican 
 party, with which he has been identified 
 since casting his first presidential ballot for 
 John C. Fremont in 1856. 
 
 WILLIAM KENDALL NEWCOMB, 
 M. D. One of the most exacting 
 of all the higher lines of occupation to which 
 a man may lend his energies is that of the 
 physician. A most scrupulous preliminary 
 training is demanded, a nicety of judgment 
 but little understood by the laity. Our sub- 
 ject, now one of the leading physicians and 
 surgeons of Champaign, is well fitted for the 
 profession which he has chosen as a life 
 work, and his skill and ability have won for 
 him a lucrative practice. 
 
 He was born in Lyons, Iowa, April 6, 
 1857, a son of Judge Cyrus F. and Eliza- 
 beth (Huddlestone) Newcomb. The father 
 was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1831, 
 and is a descendant of Simon Newcomb, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 who settled in Martha's Vineyard about 
 1635. Harley Newcomb, the grandfather 
 of our subject, was the owner of a large 
 transfer and stage line from Lynn to Boston. 
 The father was reared and educated in his 
 native state. He attended the schools of 
 Boston and later read law in that city. In 
 1853 he removed to Chicago, Illinois, where 
 he married Elizabeth Huddlestone, a 
 native of Pickering, Yorkshire, England, 
 and a daughter of Thomas and Mary A. 
 Huddlestone, who came to the United 
 States when she was about six years old 
 and were piioneers of Chicago. In 1856 the 
 Doctor's father went to Iowa, and in that 
 state, as well as in Chicago, he was engaged 
 in merchandising. In 1859 he went to 
 California, where for a number of years he 
 was extensively engaged in mining and 
 mercantile pursuits, and since 1871 has 
 made his home in Durango, Colorado. In 
 the early days of Nevada, he was interested 
 in mining in that state, owning the extension 
 of the Comstock mine. He was also part 
 owner of the Little Anne in the Summit dis- 
 trict of Colorado, and is now extensively 
 engaged in mining at Jasper, that state. 
 That has been his principal business during 
 his residence in Colorado, but he has also 
 engaged in the practice of law, and has 
 filled the office of county judge, United 
 States commissioner, States revenue collec- 
 tor and United States administrator. Polit- 
 ically he has always been a Republican. He 
 has been throughly successful, and is one 
 of the best known and most prominent 
 men of southwestern Colorado. His wife 
 is still living. 
 
 Dr. Newcomb obtained his primary edu- 
 cation in the public schools near his boy- 
 hood home, and later attended the Gem 
 City College at Quincy, Illinois. After 
 
 teaching school for a short time, he began 
 reading medicine with Dr. W. G. Cochran, 
 of Farmer City, Illinois, and then attended 
 lectures at Rush Medical College, Chicago, 
 from which he was graduated in 1882. 
 Coming to Champaign county, he opened 
 an office in Fisher, where he successfully 
 engaged in practice for fourteen years, and 
 while there he held different offices. He 
 was president of the County Medical Soci- 
 ety, with which he is still connected, and 
 was also a member of the National Associ- 
 ation of Railway Surgeons, being at that 
 time local surgeon for the Illinois Central 
 Railroad. Selling his practice in Fisher, 
 in 1896, he spent one year in Europe, study- 
 ing for nine months in the General Hospital 
 at Vienna; two months at Charity Hospital 
 in Berlin; and two months at hospitals in 
 Paris and London. On his return to this 
 country in July, 1897, he located in Cham- 
 paign, and has already attained to a posi- 
 tion of prominence in the medical fraternity 
 of this city. Although he is engaged in 
 general practice, he makes surgery and 
 gynecology his specialty, and is meeting 
 with most excellent success. He is a mem- 
 ber of the surgical staff of Julia F. Burn- 
 ham Hospital and has performed a great 
 number of operations there; in fact he has 
 won a most enviable reputation in his chosen 
 calling. 
 
 On the 7th of February, 1878, Dr. 
 Newcomb was united in marriage with Miss 
 Eliza C. Durbin, of Fisher, a daughter of 
 Isaac F. Durbin, and to them have been 
 born five children, namely: Cyrus F., 
 Jessie R., William W., Pearl E. and 
 Thomas F. The Doctor and his wife hold 
 membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. He was made a Mason at Fisher, 
 where he served as master of the lodge, and 
 
66 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 is now a member of the Eastern Star and 
 chapter at Champaign, and the command- 
 ery at Urbana. He is also a member of the 
 Odd Fellows lodge and encampment at 
 Fisher; was trustee of the lodge; and the 
 organizer and first presiding officer of the 
 encampment. He was also instrumental 
 in starting a public library at that place, 
 and was trustee of the same, but it was 
 finally consolidated with the school library. 
 He has ever taken an active interest in 
 those enterprises calculated to advance the 
 public welfare, and is recognized as one of 
 the most progressive and public-spirited 
 citizens of his community. In social as well 
 as professional circles he is a man of prom- 
 inence and is quite popular with his fellow- 
 men. 
 
 QAMUEL C. FOX. The history of a 
 O county and state, as well as that of a 
 nation, is chiefly a chronicle of the lives 
 and deeds of those who have conferred 
 honor and dignity upon society. The world 
 judges the character of the community by 
 those of its representative citizens, and 
 yields its tributes of admiration and respect 
 for the genius or learning or virtues of those 
 whose works and actions constitute the rec- 
 ord of a state's prosperity and pride. It is 
 this record that offers for our consideration 
 the history of men, who for their activity 
 and honor in the affairs of life are ever af- 
 fording to the young examples that are 
 worthy of emulation. To this class belongs 
 Samuel Curtis Fox, the efficient and hon- 
 ored mayor of Urbana, and one of the prom- 
 inent business men of the city whose success 
 is the outcome of well directed and consecu- 
 tive effort. 
 
 He was born in Damascus, Columbiana 
 
 county, Ohio, on the 2ist of October, 1841, 
 his parents being John and Nancy (Bender) 
 Fox. The father was born in Maryland in 
 1808. His father, Christopher Fox, was 
 killed in the war of 1812, and his mother 
 died at his birth, so that he was left an 
 orphan at a very early age. He was then 
 adopted and taken to Ohio in his childhood. 
 He learned the blacksmith's trade and also 
 became familiar with the duties and labors 
 of the farm. During his early residence in 
 the Buckeye state he lived in Columbiana 
 county, but in 1843 he took up his abode 
 near Alliance, where his remaining days were 
 passed. His political support was given to 
 the Whig party and afterwards he voted the 
 Republican ticket. His wife,, who in her 
 maidenhood was Miss Bender, was born in 
 Columbiana county, and was a daughter of 
 Jacob Bender, a native of Pennsylvania, 
 with whom Mr. Fox learned the blacksmith 
 trade. Mrs. Fox survived her husband for 
 some time, dying in 1867. She had a fam- 
 ily of eleven children, all of whom were 
 living at the time of her demise. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Fox were members of the German 
 Reformed church, and were people of the 
 highest respectability. 
 
 Samuel C. Fox acquired his education iu 
 a log school house near his home in Ohio. 
 In his youth he was apprenticed to the 
 blacksmith's trade, following that pursuit 
 until after the inauguration of the Civil war, 
 when, in December, 1862, he enlisted in the 
 United States signal service, at Columbus, 
 Ohio. He was first on duty near the forti- 
 fications at Washington and later he was 
 with Sherman's army until its arrival at At- 
 lanta. He was then attached to General 
 Schofield's command, but subsequently he 
 was returned to General Sherman's forces. 
 His duty was a very difficult and dangerous 
 
SAMUEL C. FOX. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 69 
 
 one, and kept him constantly on the alert. 
 \\hile the main body of troops were at rest 
 the signal corps were constantly on the 
 lookout, and their labors subjected them to 
 many dangers unknown to the main body 
 of the army. Mr. Fox was at Raleigh at 
 the time of Lee's surrender, and was dis- 
 charged at Washington, D. C. , on the 5th 
 of June, 1865, the war having been happily 
 terminated and the Union saved. 
 
 Mr. Fox then returned to his Ohio home, 
 but in October of the same year removed 
 to La Fayette, Indiana, where he worked at 
 the blacksmith's trade in the Purdue Agri- 
 cultural Works, occupying the position of 
 foreman of the department at the time he 
 severed his relation with the enterprise. In 
 1871 he removed to Champaign, where he 
 engaged in blacksmithing and wagonmaking 
 for a time, after which he took up his resi- 
 dence at St. Joseph, Illinois, in April, 1874. 
 There he continued blacksmithing in con- 
 nection with the implement business, and 
 later he extended the field of his labors, by 
 adding a stock of hardware to his store. 
 He was not only numbered among the most 
 enterprising business men of the town, but 
 also took an active part in the public affairs 
 of the place and served as the first presi- 
 dent of the town board. He was also for 
 seven years a member of the schoolboard, 
 and the cause of education found in him a 
 warm friend. He has always been an ar- 
 dent Republican, unswerving in support of 
 the principles of the party, and in the 
 spring of 1890 he was nominated for the 
 position of county sheriff. In the autumn 
 he was elected and in December following 
 entered upon the discharge of his duties, 
 which he performed in a most satisfactory 
 manner, making a most creditable record. 
 During his term no prisoners escaped and 
 
 there was no suit against the office to be 
 defended at county expense. He had a 
 just feeling of pride in the fact that he did 
 not ask a single man to vote for him, nor 
 did he use a cent in the saloons for election 
 purposes. His majority was the free will 
 offering of a people who recognized his fit- 
 ness for office and had confidence in his 
 trustworthiness. He served until 1894, and 
 a year later, after visiting in Ohio during 
 that period, he came to Urbana, where he 
 has since made his home. He erected his 
 business property at No. 157 Main street in 
 December, 1896, and has since carried on 
 a successful undertaking business, conducting 
 the only exclusive undertaking establishment 
 in the county. He has a basement morgue 
 and chapel rooms, as well as offices, and his 
 sales are quite extensive, practically includ- 
 ing all the trade in the place. In the spring 
 of 1899 he was elected to the office of 
 mayor of Urbana, and his administration of 
 the affairs of that responsible office has 
 been at once practical and progressive, win- 
 ning him high commendation. 
 
 In December, 1868, Mr. Fox was united 
 in marriage to Miss Maria Bowsher, who 
 was also a representative of an old Pennsyl- 
 vania family. She died in December, 1876, 
 leaving a little son, Guy, who was born on 
 the 1 7th of September of that year and is 
 now in Urbana. Mr. Fox afterward married 
 Mrs. Maria Platt, of Lafayette, Indiana, 
 daughter of Alexander Julien. The wedding 
 was celebrated July 3, 1883. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Fox are consistent members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and their many 
 excellences of character have won them 
 high regard. He has been quite prominent 
 in fraternal circles and was the first com- 
 mander of the Grand Army Post at St. 
 Joseph. He was frequently its delegate to 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the state encampments and has attended 
 a number of the national encampments. 
 He also belongs to the Knights of 
 Pythias fraternity. He owns his own 
 pleasant .home, and is regarded as one 
 of the leading men of the town, bear- 
 ing an unassailable reputation in business 
 and political affairs as well as in private 
 life. 
 
 J HARVEY BAINUM, a well-known con- 
 tract plasterer, is one of the energetic 
 and reliable business men of Champaign, 
 Illinois. He possesses excellent business 
 and executive ability, which together with 
 sound judgment, unflagging enterprise and 
 capable management have brought to him a 
 well-merited success. He has been a resi- 
 dent of Champaign since 1882, and now 
 owns and occupies a pleasant modern resi- 
 dence at No.. 207 West Springfield avenue. 
 Mr. Bainum was born in Clermont 
 county, Ohio, February 24, 1844, a son of 
 Isaac and Mary Ann (Gates) Bainum, who 
 were married April 16, 1835. anc l were the 
 parents of five children, the others being 
 Sarah, a school teacher, who died unmarried; 
 David, a retired citizen of New Richmond, 
 Ohio; Margaret, deceased wife of Elmer 
 Blanchard, of New Richmond; and Maria, 
 deceased wife of Judson Blanchard. 
 Hezekiah Bainum, the paternal grandfather 
 of our subject, was a native of Delaware, 
 and a pioneer of Clermont, Ohio, where he 
 located in the early part of the nineteenth 
 century. He was a soldierof the war of 1812, 
 and died in 1849. The maternal grandfather, 
 James H. Gates, was a veteran of the war of 
 1812, was born in Chesterfield county, Vir- 
 ginia, March 13, 1790, and married Marga- 
 ret McMichael, who was born in County 
 
 Tyrone, Ireland, October 25, 1785. They 
 were early settlers of Kentucky, and made 
 their home in Campbell county, that state. 
 Isaac Bainum, the father of our subject, 
 was born in Delaware, October, 1799, and 
 was quite young on the removal of the .fam- 
 ily to Clermont county, Ohio, locating there 
 when the country was an almost unbroken 
 forest and their nearest mill was twenty-four 
 miles away. There he made his home 
 throughout life, and during his later years 
 was engaged in the grocery business at 
 New Richmond, where he died November 
 12, 1876. He was quite a prominent busi- 
 ness man and held a number of city offices. 
 His wife died in 1849. 
 
 J. Harvey Bainum passed his boyhood 
 and youth under the parental roof, remain- 
 ing at home until the opening of hostilities 
 between the north and south. Hardly had 
 the echoes from Fort Sumter's guns died 
 away, when he offered his services to his 
 country, enlisting April 20, 1861, in Company 
 C, Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for 
 three months. On the expiration of that 
 term he was discharged, but re-enlisted, 
 October 2, 1861, for three years, this time 
 becoming a member of Company G, Fifty- 
 ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was 
 assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. 
 He was in the service for three years and- 
 seven months and participated in a large 
 number of engagements, including the bat- 
 tles of Ivy Mountain, in November, 1861; 
 Pittsburg Landing, April 4, 1862; Perry ville, 
 Octobers, 1862; Wild Cat Mountain, Oc- 
 tober 2, 1862; Stone River, December 29, 
 1862, to January 3, 1863; and Chickamauga, 
 September 14, 1863. During thelast named 
 battle he was captured, but was reported 
 killed. For two months he was confined in 
 Libby prison, Richmond, Virginia; was then 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 sent to Danville, that state, where he re- 
 mained three months; and during the follow- 
 ing nine months was incarcerated at Ander- 
 sonville prison, making fourteen months in 
 all. He was finally exchanged at Hilton 
 Head, November 19, 1864, and sent to the 
 parole camp at Annapolis, Maryland. He 
 was soon afterward sent home. He was 
 one of the few men whose remarkable con- 
 stitution withstood the hardships and priva- 
 tionsof long imprisonment, and it was not long 
 before he had partially recovered his health 
 and strength. He was promoted to the 
 rank of sergeant, October 16, 1861, and as 
 such was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, 
 January 5, 1865. 
 
 After the war, Mr. Bainum learned the 
 plasterer's trade, which he followed at New 
 Richmond, Ohio, until 1874. In the mean- 
 time he was married, September 27, 1865, 
 to Miss Margaret West, who was born in 
 Campbell county, Kentucky, August 1 13, 
 1845, and when five years old was taken to 
 Ohio by her parents, Samuel N. and 
 Pauline (Gates) West, natives of Kentucky 
 and Ohio, respectively. Her father was 
 the oldest son of George West, a native of 
 Virginia and a farmer by occupation. He 
 removed to Kentucky when that state was 
 a vast wilderness. He was born a few 
 months before the signing of the Declaration 
 of Independence and lived to be ninety-two 
 years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Bainum have 
 two sons: Frank E. , born July 7. 1866, 
 married Nellie Collier, daughter of Peter 
 Collier, of Champaign, and is a member of 
 the firm of Martin & Bainum, grocers of 
 that city; and Curtis S., born January 9, 
 1869, married Anna Webb, of Champaign, 
 and is an architect of that city. 
 
 In March, 1874, Mr. Bainum came to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, and purchased 
 
 a farm of eighty acres four miles south of 
 Champaign, where he made his home for 
 eight years, but devoted his attention prin- 
 cipally to his trade. At the end of that 
 time he removed to the city in order to give 
 his children better educational advantages, 
 and as a contractor he has since successfully 
 carried on his chosen occupation at this 
 place. He bought property on Neil street, 
 where he lived until 1893, when he erected 
 his present modern residence at No. 207 
 West Springfield avenue, which is supplied 
 with all modern conveniences. 
 
 Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Bainum 
 are members of the First Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, and socially he is a member of 
 Colonel Nodine Post, G. A. R., and Cham- 
 paign Lodge, No. 333, I. O. O. F., of which 
 he is a past grand. He casts his ballot 
 with the Democratic party, and gives his 
 support to every enterprise which he be- 
 lieves calculated to prove of public benefit. 
 He enjoys in a high degree the confidence 
 and esteem of his fellow men, and occupies 
 a foremost place in business circles. 
 
 HORATIO G. BANES, whose home is 
 at No. 518 East Healey street, Cham- 
 paign, is a leading and influential citizen of 
 that place one who has been quite prom- 
 inently identified with public affairs for 
 many years, and has the best interests of 
 the city and county at heart. A native of 
 Ohio, he was born in Clark county, Octo- 
 ber 30, 1833, and is a son of Gabriel H. 
 and Sarah (McKinnon) Banes, also natives 
 of the Buckeye state. The father was ex- 
 tensively engaged in farming and stock rais- 
 ing in Ohio, until 1850, when, with his fam- 
 ily, he came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 locating in Newcomb township, where he 
 purchased a half-section of land, but he was 
 not long permitted to enjoy his new home, 
 as he died two years later. In his native 
 state he was quite a prominent citizen and 
 well known in political and religious circles. 
 He was a great admirer of Henry Clay and 
 a stanch Whig in politics. Religiously he 
 was a zealous worker in the Methodist Prot- 
 estant church, and his residence was a place 
 of worship for years. In his family were 
 seven children who reached years of matu- 
 rity, but only two survive, namely: Hora- 
 tio G. , and Eleanor, wife of Robert Wright, 
 of Newcomb township, this county. 
 
 Mr. Banes, the subject of this sketch, 
 was a lad of twelve years when he came 
 with his parents to Champaign county, and 
 his youth was passed upon the home farm, 
 while his education was acquired in the 
 common schools of the locality. At the age 
 of seventeen he concluded to leave the farm 
 and learn the carpenter's trade. He served 
 his apprenticeship in Urbana, and since that 
 time has made carpentering his chief occu- 
 pation, being engaged in contracting and 
 building on his own account since the age of 
 twenty. During the construction of the 
 Illinois Central Railroad he was employed 
 for some time by that road, building depots 
 and bridges in this county. He has erected 
 many houses in Urbana, Champaign and the 
 surrounding country during the forty years 
 or more that he has been engaged in the 
 work. In early manhood his winters were 
 spent in clerking in stores in this and -Mc- 
 Lean counties, and while with Lyle & Har- 
 rison at Osman, McLean county, he was 
 appointed justice of the peace to fill an un- 
 expired term and was later elected to that 
 office. 
 
 On the 24th of October, 1856, Mr. 
 
 Banes was united in marriage with Miss 
 Eunice I. Hormel, a daughter of Michael 
 Hormel. She died September 13, 1867, 
 and of the three children born of that union 
 two died in childhood. The other is Nancy 
 M., now the wife of Andrew Hampton, in 
 the postal service at Champaign. Mr. 
 Banes was again married, November 18, 
 1869, his second union being with Miss Mar- 
 garet J. Hopkins, a daughter of Harris and 
 Christina (Cherry) Hopkins. There were 
 two children born of this marriage but both 
 died in infancy. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Banes is a member of 
 Mahomet Lodge, 'No. 220, F. & A. M. ;and 
 religiously is an active and official member 
 of the Christian church, being at present a 
 trustee of the church. In politics he is a 
 stalwart Republican, and at present, in 
 1900, is a candidate before the county con- 
 vention of his party for the office of county 
 coroner. In 1886 he was elected commis- 
 sioner of streets for the city of Champaign 
 for a term of two years, and at the expira- 
 tion of that time was re-elected, so accepta- 
 bly had he filled the office. He was next 
 appointed city marshal by Mayor Wilcox, 
 and after serving in that position for two 
 years, he was again appointed street com- 
 missioner by Mayor E. Chester, that office 
 having become appointive instead of elective. 
 He was elected on the temperance ticket as 
 alderman of the second ward and filled that 
 office in a most creditable manner for two 
 years. 
 
 JACOB BUCK, awell-known and honored 
 citizen of Champaign, who has served 
 as police magistrate for eight years, and 
 justice of the peace since November, 1877, 
 was born on the 2Oth of January, 1838, in 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 73 
 
 Simmershausen, Germany, five miles from 
 Hesse Cassel, and is a son of Wilhelm and 
 Elizabeth (Seeger) Buch, who spent their 
 entire lives there, the former dying in Sep- 
 tember, 1852, the latter in July, 1855. The 
 father was a contractor and builder, and also 
 owned and operated stone quarries. 
 
 Our subject received a good common- 
 school education in his native land, and 
 also learned the stone mason's trade under 
 his father. In 1856 he emigrated to Amer- 
 ica, landing in Baltimore, Maryland, on the 
 25th of June, and two days later he entered 
 the employ of a butcher at that place, where 
 he was to .receive four dollars per month 
 and his board. While there he learned to 
 speak and write English. He continued to 
 work in that shop until September 10. 1860, 
 when he enlisted in the regular army for five 
 years, becoming a member of Company C, 
 Second (now the Fifth) United States 
 Cavalry, and in October left New York by 
 steamer bound for Indianola, Texas, with 
 Lieutenant Arnold, now brigadier-general. 
 They marched across the country to Fort 
 Inge near Uvalde, where Mr. Buch joined 
 his company. After Texas seceded he 
 returned with his command to Elizabeth. 
 New Jersey, on the steamer Empire City, 
 and on April 28, 1861, went by train to 
 Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where they secured 
 horses. Undercommand of General George 
 H.Thomas, the regirnentcrossed the Potomac 
 at Williamsport, Maryland, and on the 2nd 
 of July participated in their first engagement 
 at Falling Waters, Virginia. Mr. Buch 
 participated in over fifty engagements, and 
 in one of these he was captured on June 13, 
 1862, and was held a prison on Belle Island 
 and in Libby prison until the I4th of the 
 following August. He rejoined his regiment 
 at Harrison's Landing on the James river. 
 
 On the 9th of June, 1863, he was wounded 
 in the right shoulder and was off duty for 
 three months. He served as private eight 
 months, corporal ten months, and sergeant 
 three years and a half. His last engage- 
 ment was at Five Forks, March 30, 1865, 
 and was then commissary sergeant for the 
 five companies composing General Grant's 
 body guard until honorably discharged 
 September 10, 1865, at Washington, D. C., 
 on the expiration of his five years' term of 
 enlistment. 
 
 On the 2 ist of September, 1865, Mr. 
 Buch went to Chicago where he and his 
 brother William conducted a butcher shop 
 on East Harrison street, between Sherman 
 and Fifth avenue, until 1868. In that city 
 he was married, June 3, 1867, to Miss 
 Christina Miller, also a native of Germany, 
 who, when a child of five years, came with 
 her parents to this country and located in 
 Chicago. 
 
 On selling out his business in that city, 
 Mr. Buch came to Champaign, where, on 
 July 6, 1868, he opened a butcher shop on 
 the corner of East University avenue and 
 First street. In 1871, he erected a building 
 on East University between First and Second 
 street, arid did a large business until 1876, 
 although he lost heavily on book accounts 
 in 1873. In 1877 he was elected justice of 
 the peace on the Republican ticket and has 
 since filled that office in a most creditable 
 and satisfactory manner, receiving a good 
 share of the business. He was elected 
 county coroner in 1878, and also filled that 
 office until 1892, when he declined a re- 
 election. That year he was elected police 
 magistrate and was re-elected in 1896, 
 bei.ng the present incumbent in that office, 
 which he has filled with credit to himself 
 and to the satisfaction of the city. From 
 
74 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the time of the breaking out of the Civil 
 war, he has been an active and stanch sup- 
 porter of the Republican party, and although 
 an adopted son of America his loyalty is 
 above question, being manifest in days of 
 peace as well as in time of war. He is an 
 honored member of Colonel Nodine Post, 
 of which he was commander one year, and 
 is now officer of the day, and he has also 
 represented the post in the state encamp- 
 ment. He has been connected with the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 
 1872, has served as noble grand of the 
 subordinate lodge, and chief patriarch of the 
 encampment. In 1869 he united with St. 
 Peter's German Evangelical church, and is 
 now one of its oldest and most prominent 
 members. He has been one of the- trustees 
 of the church for many years, and was secre- 
 tary a long time until his health prevented 
 him from longer filling that office. In 1880 
 he erected a pleasant residence at No. 125 
 East University avenue, where he continues 
 to make his home. 
 
 WALKER B. TACKETT. The influ- 
 ence of an honorable, upright life in 
 a community cannot be over-estimated, and 
 the record of an umblemished career is a far 
 more desirable legacy for posterity than 
 wealth. In a quiet, unostentatious way, W. 
 B. Tackett, late of Champaign county, was 
 a power for good in his community, and all 
 who knew him loved and respected him. 
 
 A son of William and Isabella Tackett, 
 he was born in Bath county, Kentucky, 
 September 2, 1840, and grew to manhood 
 in that section of the state. His parents, 
 likewise, were natives of the Blue Grass 
 state, were prosperous farmers, and spent 
 
 their entire lives at their old home. W. B. 
 Tackett obtained a fair education in the 
 common schools of Kentucky, and in his 
 youth he mastered the details of agriculture 
 under his father's instruction. He was a 
 young man when he decided to cast in his 
 lot with the inhabitants of Champaign 
 county, which thenceforth was his home. 
 Prior to coming here, however, he had 
 made a good start in life, and had gained a 
 competence, which enabled him to take 
 rank at once with the progressive farmers of 
 this county. For a few years after his ar- 
 rival here, he leased farms, and later, he in- 
 vested in a valuable homestead of one hun- 
 dred and twenty acres, situated in Tolona 
 township. He made numerous desirable 
 improvements upon the place, and was con- 
 sidered a capable, practical farmer and ex- 
 cellent business man. His chief interest 
 centered in his little family, and he gave 
 little attention to public matters. At the 
 same time he never failed to perform his 
 duties as a citizen, and in his political pref- 
 erence he was a Democrat. 
 
 When he was less than twenty-one years 
 of age, in 1859. Mr. Tackett wedded a 
 school-mate, a young girl who had grown to. 
 maturity in the same neighborhood. She 
 was Elizabeth G., daughter of William and 
 Nancy Powers, all natives of Kentucky, 
 and of families who formerly had dwelt in 
 Virginia. William Powers engaged quite 
 extensively in the raising of live stock, 
 mostly horses and hogs, for many years, and 
 several times a year went to market them 
 in South .Carolina and Georgia. He con- 
 tinued to reside at his old home in Kentucky 
 until his death in 1862. His widow sur- 
 vived until 1889, when she passed away at 
 the home of her daughter, Mrs. Tackett. 
 She was the mother of seven children who 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 75 
 
 lived to maturity, but four of the number 
 are now deceased. William D. is the pro- 
 prietor of a large hotel at Sidell, Illinois, 
 and James N. resides in Menard county, 
 near Petersburg. 
 
 To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Tackett 
 nine children were born and one son of the 
 number was graduated from the University 
 of Illinois. F. Marion, the eldest, is engaged 
 in the real estate business in Champaign. 
 He married Lura B. Fankboner, and of 
 their two children, one is deceased, and the 
 other is William C. Annie M., the next in 
 order of birth, died in 1894. Dora M. re- 
 sides with her mother. -Laura N. is the 
 wife of Boyd Stevens, of Urbana, and their 
 four children are named respectively: Ray- 
 mond W. , Warren R., Paul W. and Mary 
 E. William C., the second son of our sub- 
 ject, was graduated in the University of 
 Illinois and in the Chicago University, and 
 then engaged in the practice of law in Chi- 
 cago. He was a very promising young at- 
 torney, beloved by a large circle of friends, 
 and when death claimed him, in February, 
 1896, it was felt by all who knew him that 
 his place could not soon be adequately 
 filled. Wallace, the next in order of birth, 
 died at the age of two years. George, the 
 next younger, died when sixteen months 
 old. Rosie B. died when seventeen months 
 old, and Olive B. when in her seventh 
 year. The father of these 1 children gave 
 them every advantage within his power, and 
 lovingly and thoughtfully provided for their 
 future. He was summoned to his reward, 
 January 6, 1892, and was placed to rest in 
 the Craw cemetery. 
 
 The following year, Mrs. Tackett re,- 
 moved to Champaign, where she resides in 
 a pleasant, modern house, erected under 
 her supervision. She takes great comfort 
 
 in the society of her children, and is an act- 
 ive worker in the Christian church, of 
 which religious body her husband was a de- 
 voted member, also. She is a valued and 
 efficient member of the Dorcas Society of 
 the church, and, in a quiet way, does a 
 great deal of good to ward the needy. Need- 
 less to say, she is honored and loved for her 
 worthy qualities, and has sincere friends by 
 the score. 
 
 /^EORGE F. GEIGER, a well-known 
 V-J alderman of Champaign, is now living 
 a retired life in the enjoyment of a rest 
 which .he has truly earned and richly de- 
 serves by reason of his industrious efforts of 
 former years. Accomplishment and prog- 
 ress ever imply labor, energy and diligence, 
 and it was those qualities which enabled 
 our subject to rise from the ranks of the 
 many and stand among the successful few. 
 He is now one of the highly esteemed citi- 
 zens of Champaign, and is well entitled to 
 representation in the history of his adopted 
 country. 
 
 Mr. Geiger was born in Wurtemburg, 
 Germany, April 23, 1834, a son of George 
 and Catherine (Hik) Geiger, spent their en- 
 tire lives there. Our subject attended the 
 schools of his native province and completed 
 his literary education at a gymnasium which 
 in rank corresponded with our high schools. 
 Crossing the Atlantic in 1857, he came direct 
 to Springfield, Illinois, and worked as a farm 
 hand in Sangamon county for a time. 
 While there he was married, December 20, 
 1859, to Miss Mary Simons, who was born 
 and reared in Greenville, Missouri, and was 
 left an orphan at an early age. They have 
 two children: Katie, who married E. J. 
 Rising, now manager of her father's hardware 
 
7 6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 * 
 
 store in Mahomet, and has one child, Fred; 
 and Rosa E., wife of Dr. A. S. Wall, of 
 Champaign. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Geiger removed to Lincoln, 
 Logan county, Illinois, wherehe rented land 
 for two years, and he made his first purchase, 
 consisting of eighty acres, for which he paid 
 forty-two dollars per acre, and which he 
 sold at the end of six years for fifty-four dol- 
 lars per acre. In the fall of 1869 he bought 
 a farm of one hundred and forty acres in 
 Mahomet township and located thereon in 
 the spring of 1870. He has since extended 
 its boundaries by additional purchase until 
 the farm now comprises two hundred acres. 
 This place he still owns. In 1882 he opened 
 a hardware store in Mahomet, to which 
 village he removed the following year, and 
 there he did a successful and prosperous 
 business until 1895, when he turned it over 
 to his son-in-law, and purchased a farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres just outside the 
 corporate limits of Champaign. This has 
 proved a good investment, as the place is 
 now worth over one hundred dollars per 
 acre. He still owns his store in Mahomet, 
 has property in Chicago, and has erected a 
 beautiful home at No. 707 West Park ave- 
 nue one of the best locations in Cham- 
 paign. He is a man of wonderful business 
 and executive ability, and with the excep- 
 tion of two thousand dollars received from 
 his father's estate in 1869, he has made all 
 that he now possesses. ' 
 
 While a resident of Mahomet Mr. Geiger 
 served as road commissioner nine years, 
 and was supervisor for six consecutive 
 terms, during which time he was a member 
 of the ways and means committee for sev- 
 eral years. While a member of the board 
 the township brought suit against the rail- 
 road company for fifty thousand dollars and 
 
 lost it. It was to recover ten per cent, in- 
 terest that had not been paid for ten years. 
 Our subject refunded it at six per cent, and 
 the whole amount was paid off while he was 
 in office. In 1899 he was elected alderman 
 from the fifth ward of Champaign, and is 
 now most creditably and acceptably filling 
 that office. He is a stanch supporter of the 
 Republican party, has taken an active and 
 prominent part in its work as a member of 
 the county executive committee, but has 
 never been an office seeker. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order 
 of Elks; the German lodge of Odd Fel- 
 lows, of which he is past grand; and the 
 encampment, of which he is past high 
 priest. He also belongs to the Presbyterian 
 church, while his wife holds membership in 
 the Baptist. Wherever known they are 
 held in high regard on account of their 
 sterling worth, and their friends throughout 
 Champaign county are numerous. 
 
 THOMAS S. HUBBARD, one of the 
 honored pioneers of Urbana, has been 
 closely associated with its development and 
 progress from its early days, and none of 
 our citizens are more universally known or 
 respected. He is a sterling representative 
 of the sturdy old New England stock, and 
 keen business ability and foresight are 
 among his prominent characteristics. -Strict 
 integrity of word and deed throughout his 
 long, successful career have been largely re- 
 sponsible for his high standing in the com- 
 munity, and the interests entrusted to him 
 have never suffered from any negligence 
 upon his part. 
 
 The Hubbards originated in England, 
 but for many generations have been repre- 
 
THOMAS S. HUBBARD, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 79 
 
 sented in America. Jeremiah, grandfather 
 of T. S. Hubbard, lived to be sixty-three 
 years old, his death occurring in 1808. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Flora Hazel- 
 ton, died November 30, 1833. They were 
 the parents of ten children, namely: Rufus, 
 Jeremiah, Simon, Alice, Susanna, Flora, 
 Catherine, George, Asa and Bathsheba. 
 Capt. George Hubbard, the father of our 
 subject, was born January 25, 1781, in 
 Middletown, Connecticut, and' in his early 
 life followed the calling of a sea-captain. 
 Subsequent to 1829, when the president 
 placed the embargo upon shipping interests, 
 he turned his attention to the management 
 of a hotel and to agriculture. 
 
 He died October 29, 1833, and was sur- 
 vived by his widow thirty years. She was 
 Electa Bronson in her girlhood, and was a 
 native of Farmington, Connecticut. Capt. 
 George Hubbard and wife were the parents 
 of the following-named children: Flora A., 
 died at the age of fifteen months; Eliza B., 
 who wedded Elisha L. Sage, died at the 
 age of fifty-two years; Antoinette A. mar- 
 ried David C. Brooks in 1834, and died 
 November i, 1878, at the age of sixty-three 
 years, leaving five children, George F. and 
 Charles A., who have since departed this 
 life, and James C., Thomas H. and Mary 
 E. ; Flora J. died when seven months old; 
 Nancy M. was seven years old at the time 
 of her death; Jane L. , who was the wife of 
 James H. Kibbee, died when sixty-one years 
 of age; George died when an infant; Thomas 
 S. is the subject of this notice; -Susanna J., 
 wife of L. T. Marion, died in 1895, when 
 in her seventieth year; and Julia M., widow 
 of Humphrey Harsh, resides in Warren, 
 Ohio. 
 
 The birth of Thomas S. Hubbard oc- 
 cured in Cromwelltown, Middlesex county, 
 
 Connecticut, September 25, 1825. After 
 completing his elementary education in the 
 schools of his native place, he entered Yale 
 College in 1845, where he was graduated 
 four years later. Among his class-mates 
 were Timothy Dwight, now president of 
 their Alma Mater; Dr. Fisk, prominently 
 connected with the Congregational Theolog- 
 ical Seminary of Chicago, and Dr. Morris, a 
 professor in the Lane Theological Sem- 
 inary, of Ohio. Upon completion of his 
 studies, Mr. Hubbard engaged in the manu- 
 facture of japanned tinware and hardware in 
 Meriden and Durham, Connecticut. In 
 1854 he came to Champaign county, arriv- 
 ing in Urbana December 8th. Here he 
 soon embarked in the banking business, 
 being the proprietor of the first bank in this 
 county. In February, 1856, he accepted 
 the position of cashier in the Grand Prairie 
 Bank, which had a branch at West Urbana 
 (now Champaign), and these were the only 
 banks in this county prior to 1861, until 
 which time Mr. Hubbard continued to serve 
 in the last-mentioned office. Afterwards, 
 he embarked in the grocery business, and 
 finally became financially interested in the 
 hardware trade. In 1865 he sold out his 
 business here and returning to his native 
 place remained there until 1869. He then 
 decided to permanently cast in his fortunes 
 with the people of Urbana, and since that 
 time has been actively engaged in the hard- 
 ware business. The firm, which long has 
 been known throughout this section under 
 the style of Hubbard Sons, is reliable and 
 enterprising, commanding an extensive pat- 
 ronage. He is the oldest business man in 
 the Twin Cities in point of continuous oper- 
 ations. 
 
 The marriage of T. S. Hubbard and 
 Jane E., daughter of Dr. Wyllys and Mary 
 
8o 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 (Lewis) Woodruff, took place November 14, 
 1849. Mrs. Hubbard, who is a native of 
 Meriden, Connecticut, comes of an old and 
 respected family of that state. Her father, 
 who was a successful physician and sur- 
 geon, and a graduate of the medical depart- 
 ment of Yale College, in the class of 1824, 
 thenceforth was engaged in practice in 
 Meriden. He died March 31, 1842, loved 
 and sincerely mourned by a multitude of 
 friends. His marriage to Miss Lewis oc- 
 curred February 14, 1828, in Southington, 
 Connecticut. They became the parents of 
 two daughters, Jane E. and Mary A. The 
 latter, who died May 19, 1860, was the wife 
 of George Butler, of Alabama, and their 
 three children are all deceased. Mrs. Mary 
 (Lewis) Woodruff became the wife of Henry 
 C. Butler May 31, 1848, and died July 17, 
 1871. Mr. Woodruff and wife were de- 
 voted members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 The eldest child of our subject and wife, 
 Wyllys W. , died when young from that 
 dread scourge, small-pox. George W., a 
 member of the firm of Hubbard & Sons, is 
 mentioned at length elsewhere in this work. 
 He is a very public-spirited citizen, served 
 as alderman for four years and for a like 
 period was mayor of Urbana, during that 
 time materially aiding in securing many 
 notable improvements for this place. 
 Minnie W. is the wife of Dr. A. M. Lind- 
 ley, of Urbana. Julia E. is the wife of 
 Thomas A. Insley, and their four children 
 are Clara, deceased, Charles W. , Ida H. 
 and Minnie. Harry T. , a member of the 
 firm of Hubbard & Sons, married Maggie 
 Riley, and their only living child is Frank W. 
 
 A notable occasion in the annals of 
 Urbana was the golden wedding anniversary 
 of T. S. Hubbard and wife, November 14, 
 
 1899, celebrated at the home of their 
 daughter, Mrs. Lindley. Over one hundred 
 and fifty guests, mostly old friends from dif- 
 ferent parts of this county, were present, 
 but it so happened that only one of those 
 who witnessed the marriage of the worthy 
 couple half a century before was able to 
 congratulate them in person upon this 
 happy anniversary. This was Mrs. W. L. 
 Squire, of Meriden, Connecticut, who made 
 the long journey of about two thousand 
 miles for the purpose, even though she could 
 remain but twenty-four hours. Ex-Presi- 
 dent Dwight, the old friend and class-mate 
 of Mr. Hubbard, though he had been present 
 a"t their wedding, was forced to send his 
 sincere regrets, instead of coming to assist 
 in the celebration, as he earnestly desired 
 to do. The Rev. A. A. Stevens, of Peoria, 
 Illinois, who had performed the wedding 
 ceremony fifty years before, was unable to 
 attend, owing to his extreme age. 
 
 When Mr. Hubbard settled in Urbana, 
 in 1854, there was but one brick build- 
 ing in the place, and though the Illinois Cen- 
 tral Railroad had been completed through 
 here that fall, trains were not regularly run 
 during the ensuing winter. He had un- 
 daunted confidence in the future of the 
 town, however, and, needless to relate, has 
 himself been one of the leading factors in 
 the prosperity it enjoys today. The high 
 esteem in which he has always been held 
 by those who know him, and the genuine 
 belief in his business sagacity and ability 
 manifested by his fellow citizens may be es- 
 timated by the following instance. At an 
 early day he was solicited to accept a posi- 
 tion as fiscal agent for the collection and 
 settlement of notes belonging to the county, 
 and arising from the sale of some swamp 
 lands. Such confidence was reposed in Mr. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 81 
 
 Hubbard that he was not required to give 
 a bond, although the amount involved was 
 over fifty thousand dollars. Two or three 
 persons had previously had charge of these 
 notes, but when, several years subsequent 
 to his acceptance of the office, a committee 
 was appointed by the county authorities to 
 look into its affairs, the only records which 
 could be found -in regard to the numbers 
 and amounts and disposition of the notes 
 were those made and preserved by Mr. Hub- 
 bard. Politically, he was a Whig in his 
 early manhood, and is now a stanch Repub- 
 lican. For eight years he served the 
 people of Urbana as an alderman, but he 
 has preferred to keep out of public life. 
 
 Since 1857, when the First Presbyterian 
 church of Urbana was organized, Mr. Hub- 
 bard has been one of its elders, and for 
 many years was a teacher in the Sunday- 
 school, as was his wife, also. His children 
 and four of his grandchildren belong to the 
 same church. The Bloomington Presbytery 
 honored Mr. Hubbard by appointing him as 
 a commissioner to the Centennial General 
 Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the 
 United States, which convened in the Phila- 
 delphia Academy of Music, May 17, 1888, 
 and continued in session three weeks. Mr. 
 Hubbard was appointed by the Assembly to 
 serve as a member ol one of the standing 
 committees of that body and also on two or 
 three special committees. 
 
 ALBERTS. WALL, M. D., is one of 
 the successful physicians and surgeons 
 of Champaign, Illinois, and a prominent 
 resident of that place. He has much natural 
 ability, but is withal a close student and be- 
 lieves thoroughly in the maxim "there is 
 
 no excellence without labor." His devo- 
 tion to the duties of his profession therefore, 
 combined with a comprehensive understand- 
 ing of the principles of the science of medi- 
 cine, has made him a most successful and 
 able practitioner, whose prominence is well 
 deserved. 
 
 Dr. Wall was born in Clarks Hill, In- 
 diana, May 14, 1 86 1, a son of Richard B. 
 and Catharine (Baer) Wall, the former born 
 in Kentucky, the mother near Dayton. Ohio. 
 The paternal grandfather, however, was 
 from Pennsylvania, and from that state re- 
 moved to- Kentucky, and later to Indiana, 
 becoming a pioneer of Tippecanoe county 
 in 1834. The Doctor's father accompanied 
 his parents on their removal to the Hoosier 
 State, where he was married, and where he 
 continued to make his home throughout life, 
 his time and attention being devoted to 
 agricultural pursuits. He was a consistent 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and his wife, who is still living, holds mem- 
 bership in the Christian church. 
 
 Dr. Wall acquired his early education in 
 the country schools near his boyhood home, 
 but later attended the Central Indiana 
 Normal School at Ladoga, from which he 
 was graduated in 1881. For a time he suc- 
 cessfully engaged in teaching school, having 
 a good position as principal, and then 
 entered the office of Dr. Joseph Parker, of 
 Colfax, Indiana. Subsequently \\e attended 
 lectures at the Miami Medical College of 
 Cincinnati, from which he was graduated in 
 1890, but remained there doing hospital 
 work for a number of months. In the fall 
 of 1890 he opened an office in Mahomet, 
 Champaign county, Illinois, and built up a 
 large and lucrative practice at that place. 
 While there he was honored with public 
 office, but refused to accept the same, pre- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ferring to devote his attention strictly to his 
 professional duties. On leaving there, Dr. 
 Wall went to Chicago, where he took a post- 
 graduate course, paying special- attention to 
 surgery, and in practice has since made that 
 his specialty. In the spring of 1896 he 
 located in Champaign, and has met with 
 most excellent success in his practice here. 
 He is a member of the surgical staff of Julia 
 F. Burnham Hospital, and has performed 
 some very complicated and difficult opera- 
 tions, being especially successful in those 
 for appendicitis. He is examining physician 
 for a number of prominent life insurance 
 companies. 
 
 On November 9, 1892, Dr. Wall was 
 united in marriage with Miss Rose E. 
 Geiger, of Mahomet, daughter of Frederick 
 Geiger, a wealthy farmer. She is a mem- 
 ber of the Baptist church, to the support of 
 which the Doctor contributes, and he is 
 connected with the Masonic Lodge of 
 Mahomet. 
 
 WILLIAM LENINGTON is one of the 
 honored pioneers of Champaign 
 county, which he has seen developed from 
 the wild prairie into its present condition of 
 fertility and beauty. In this good work, the 
 labor of several decades, he has borne an 
 important part, and is justly entitled to be 
 called one of the founders of the county. 
 
 His parents, James T. and Sarah (Bon- 
 nell) Lenington, were natives of New Jer- 
 sey, and in that state resided until 1832, the 
 father following his trade as a hatter. In 
 the year mentioned, they started with a 
 horse and wagon and crossed the Alleghany 
 mountains, their destination being Licking 
 county, Ohio. The journey consumed about 
 four weeks, and when they reached their 
 
 new home they found a great task, indeed, 
 before them. Of the eighty acres of land 
 which constituted their farm, only five 
 acres had been cleared, the remainder be- 
 ing heavily timbered. Building a log cabin, 
 the family lived within its humble walls for 
 several years, then removing to a frame 
 house. The father gradually cleared away 
 the forest, hauling the logs to the nearest 
 saw-mill, and, subsequently, he added three 
 hundred and twenty acres more to his orig- 
 inal purchase. He died in 1875, at his old 
 home in Licking county, where he had be- 
 come so well known and genuinely re- 
 spected. His wife, who had shared with 
 him all of the privations of frontier life, 
 bravely and uncomplainingly, attained about 
 the same age. Four of their children sur- 
 vived to maturity, namely: William, Nathan- 
 iel, Thomas and Martha J., now the widow 
 of David Nichols, of Champaign. 
 
 William Lenington, whose birth oc- 
 curred in Morris county, N. J., April 17, 
 1825, spent much of his boyhood in the 
 wilderness of Licking county, Ohio, and 
 only a few months, during a few winters, 
 was it his privilege to attend school. When 
 he was twenty-two years of age he left 
 home, where he had manfully shouldered 
 his share of the laborious duties, and, going 
 to Granville, obtained a position in the vil- 
 lage store. There he soon became con- 
 versant with the business, and for nine 
 years faithfully remained at his post, in the 
 meantime carefully laying aside a portion of 
 his earnings. In 1856 he came to Cham- 
 paign county and later bought one hundred 
 and eighty acres of prairie land in Condit 
 township. Champaign county, and at once 
 set about improving the place, which was 
 unbroken prairie land. The years rolled 
 away, and many changes for the better 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 might have been observed on the place, 
 good buildings, fences and well tilled fields, 
 groves and ditches, and a hundred other im- 
 provements having been made by the enter- 
 prising owner. Giving much of his atten- 
 tion to the raising of live stock, particularly 
 sheep, he met with success, and rapidly 
 added to his financial possessions. He 
 now owns five hundred and twenty acres, 
 situated on sections 27, 28 and 33, Condit 
 township. By well directed energy and 
 perseverance in his undertakings, he won 
 the prosperity he now enjoys, and at the 
 same time his business methods were such 
 that no one in his community has been 
 more sincerely esteemed. In 1885 he re- 
 tired from the active care and responsibility 
 of managing his large farm, and since that 
 time he has dwelt in Champaign, where he 
 is well and favorably known. 
 
 In 1851, Mr. Lenington married Julia 
 Condit, a daughter of Wyckliff Condit, of 
 Ohio. She died in 1859, and their first-born, 
 John, died in infancy. Helen, the next 
 child, is the wife of John Trevett, who is 
 engaged in the banking business in Cham- 
 paign, and Grant is the proprietor of the 
 Commercial House, in Tolono, this county. 
 In 1 86 1, Mr. Lenington wedded Mrs. Lu- 
 cinda Pearson, a daughter ot Truman 
 French, of Licking county, and widow of 
 George Pearson. Ira, the eldest child of 
 our subject and wife, died in infancy. Wade 
 is engaged in the lumber business in St. 
 Joseph, Illinois; James Truman is a success- 
 ful dentist at Springfield, Illinois, and Allen 
 resides at home with his parents. 
 
 As stated before, William 'Lenington 
 aided materially in the founding of this 
 county and in placing it upon a safe and 
 prosperous footing. For a great many 
 years he served in the responsible position 
 
 of supervisor of his own township, and ac- 
 quitted himself with credit. At that time 
 the county was deeply in debt, and the 
 supervisors of the different townships had no 
 light tasks before them. Mr. Lenington 
 proved himself to be equal to all emergen- 
 cies, and loyally stood for improvements 
 and whatever he believed would be for the 
 permanent welfare of the community. In 
 national affairs he has been a stanch Repub- 
 lican. Both himself and wife are members 
 of the Presbyterian church, he being one of 
 the trustees. They are liberal in their con- 
 tributions to religious and benevolent enter- 
 prises, and delight to lend a helping hand to 
 the destitute and afflicted. 
 
 WILBER FISK HARDY is a leading 
 representative of the business in- 
 terests of Champaign, where for several 
 years he has been a dealer in agricultural 
 implements, coal and'seeds. Of excellent 
 business ability and broad resources, he has 
 attained a leading place among the sub- 
 stantial citizens of the place. He has won 
 success by his well-directed, energetic ef- 
 forts, and the prosperity that has come to 
 him is certainly well-deserved. 
 
 Mr. Hardy was born in North Palermo, 
 Waldo county, Maine, August 24. 1835, a 
 son of Orley and Sylvia (Sterns) Hardy, 
 natives of New Hampshire, whose ances- 
 tors were from England and were among 
 the early settlers of New England. After 
 their marriage they removed to Maine, 
 where the father, who was a mechanic, car- 
 ried on business for a short time, but when 
 our subject was three years old he took his 
 family to Sempronius, Cayuga county, New 
 York, where he made his home until going 
 
8 4 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 to Kentucky, about 1847. Later he came 
 to Oilman, Illinois, where he died about 
 1865. and his wife, who was a daughter of 
 Isaiah Sterns, died at the home of our sub- 
 ject in Champaign, in October, 1889. She 
 was a most estimable woman and a life-long 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 The parental grandparents of our subject 
 were Eldad and Anna (Leland) Hardy. 
 The former was a soldier of the war of 
 1812, and was held a prisoner for a time. 
 He spent his last days in Cayuga county, 
 New York. Wilber F. Hardy is the second 
 in order of birth in a family of six children, 
 the others being Manlius, who remained in 
 Kentucky; Eliza, who married W. A. Hamp- 
 ton and died in Missouri; Eunice, who died 
 in this county; Eldad, who was wounded in 
 the battle of Missionary Ridge while a sol- 
 dier of the Civil war and died at his home 
 in this county, in 1876; and Isaiah, a resi- 
 dent of Champaign. 
 
 The subject of this sketch acquired a lim- 
 ited education in tHe schools of Cayuga 
 county, New York and Kentucky, but from 
 the age of fifteen to nineteen years his time 
 was occupied in carrying the mail from Kidd- 
 ville to Richmond, Kentucky, on horseback, 
 and as his parents were in limited circum- 
 stances and education expensive, he did not 
 attend school much after that. At the age 
 of twenty he went to Berlin Heights, Erie 
 county, Ohio, where he attended a district 
 school for one winter, and an academy 
 during the following two winters, pursuing 
 his studies under the direction of Job Fish, 
 who is still teaching. In the meantime he 
 worked on a farm near Berlin Heights, and 
 spent one summer working in his father's 
 shop in Kentucky. 
 
 In April, 1858, Mr. Hardy came to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, and located on 
 
 a tract of railroad land in Stanton township, 
 for which his father had contracted, and to 
 the improvement of which our subject de- 
 voted his energies for a time, but as his 
 father did not settle thereon, it was after- 
 ward abandoned. Our subject afterward 
 rented the W. D. Somers farm in the same 
 township for five years, at the same -time 
 caring for his mother and the four younger 
 children of the family who had come with 
 him to the county. He managed to save 
 money while residing there, but during the 
 following six years he was in ill health and 
 his little capital was soon exhausted. Subse- 
 quently he worked at the carpenter's trade 
 until coming to Champaign, but in the mean- 
 time he purchased a farm of eighty acres in 
 Stanton township, which he owned until 
 1889, when he sold it and bought one hun- 
 dred and sixty-five acres, two miles and a 
 half north of Champaign. In 1875 he re- 
 moved to Urbana, where he engaged in the 
 agricultural implement business for one 
 summer, but in January, 1876, came to 
 Champaign, and opened the same kind of a 
 store in a large brick building on Water 
 street, which he occupied for eleven years. 
 In 1895 he purchased the building at No. 36 
 University avenue, where he has since en- 
 gaged in business. Seeing the failure of 
 others who have branched out into different 
 lines of trade, he has confined himself 
 strictly to the one business, and is now the 
 oldest implement dealer in years of con- 
 tinuous business in the county. Besides 
 his business property he owns a good home 
 on the corner of Third street and University 
 avenue, and a pasture of eight acres inside 
 the corporate limits. He has successfully 
 managed both his business and his farm, 
 and is to-day one of the prosperous citizens 
 of Champaign. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Hardy first married Miss Lucretia 
 Berkshire, of Stanton township, who died 
 three years later, leaving one child, Sylvia, 
 now Mrs. George Sendenburg, of Cham- 
 paign, and in February, 1879, he married 
 Miss Mary Chapin, an old schoolmate of his 
 at Berlin Heights. She is a consistent 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 In his political affiliations Mr. Hardy is a 
 Democrat, and he served as alderman from 
 the first ward for three terms during which 
 time the city hall was erected, his name 
 with those of the other councilmen being 
 placed on the corner stone. For a part of 
 the time he was a member of the street 
 committee and much of the paving of the 
 city was then done. He has always taken 
 an active interest in educational affairs and 
 has been an efficient member of the school 
 board. His record is that of a man who 
 through his own well-directed efforts has 
 worked his way upward to a position of 
 affluence, and receives the respect and es- 
 teem of all who know him. 
 
 THOMAS COFFEY, who is successfully 
 engaged in the retail liquor business in 
 Champaign, Illinois, was born in that city 
 in June, 1860, a son of Patrick and Mary 
 (O'Neil) Coffey, both natives of county Gal- 
 way, Ireland. During early life Patrick 
 Coffey engaged in farming in his native land, 
 his father being a farmer and stock raiser 
 upon the estate of Dr. French, a relative of 
 General French, of the British army in 
 Transvaal, Africa. Deciding to try his for- 
 tune in the new world, the father of our 
 subject sailed from Liverpool, England, 
 when about nineteen years of age, and 
 landed in Baltimore, Maryland, where he 
 
 remained about two years. In 1854 he 
 came by train to Urbana, Illinois, which at 
 that time was but a small village, the Illi- 
 nois Central Railroad having just been built 
 through the county. Here he was first en- 
 gaged in clerking and later turned his atten- 
 tion to agricultural pursuits, following farm- 
 ing in Condit and Champaign townships for 
 about seven years each. At the end of that 
 time he took up his residence in Champaign, 
 and in September, 1865, purchased the 
 hotel now known as the St. James, which he 
 successfully conducted up to the time of his 
 death, May 7, 1889. He also run a feed 
 stable for the accommodation of his farmer 
 patrons, and in his undertakings met with 
 good success. He was a man of considera- 
 ble prominence, was also quite popular, and 
 was called upon to serve as alderman from 
 the third and fourth wards for the long 
 period of eighteen years. In his family 
 were eight children, of whom five reached 
 man and womanhood, namely: Mary, wife 
 of William Heffernan, who is engaged in the 
 wholesale liquor and cigar business in Cham- 
 paign; Maggie, wife of P. L. Hayes, a pas- 
 senger engineer on the Illinois Central Rail- 
 road living in Champaign; Thomas, our 
 subject; Jo \V., a resident of Champaign, 
 who was formerly with the Illinois Central 
 Railroad; and E. M., who is employed in 
 the Illinois Central Railroad shops at Free- 
 port, Illinois. The mother now makes her 
 home with our subject. 
 
 Thomas Coffey received his education in 
 the schools of Champaign, and at the age of 
 twenty years started out in life for himself. 
 He became familiar with his present busi- 
 ness in the employ of his brother-in-law, 
 William Heffernan, and on the 1 2th of July, 
 1895, purchased the saloon of James D. 
 Caldwell, of Champaign, which he con- 
 
86 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ducted alone until September, 1897, when 
 he formed a partnership with Mr. Heffernan 
 and turned his attention to the wholesale 
 trade, but on the ist of February, 1898, he 
 sold his interest in the business to John 
 Heffernan, a brother of his partner, and has 
 since engaged in the retail business alone. 
 
 In February, 1893, Mr. Coffey was 
 united in marriage with Miss Martha Flegel, 
 a native of Saxton, Germany, and a daugh- 
 ter of Anton Flegel, who brought his family 
 to America when Mrs. Coffey was only eight 
 months old, and located in Champaign, Illi- 
 nois, where he was engaged in business as a 
 tailor for a number of years. He died in 
 1883, and his wife in 1888. Mrs. Coffey 
 was the second in order of birth in their 
 family of five children. 
 
 PATRICK RICHARDS. The citizens of 
 Urbana feel that they have sustained a 
 loss in the death of the late Patrick Richards 
 that the lapse of many years alone will molify . 
 He was foremost in everything which tended 
 toward the advancement of his community 
 and country, and gave not only of his means 
 and time but of his influence and strength 
 to various enterprises which he deemed 
 would stimulate local pride and industry. 
 Had his ambition lain in that direction, he 
 might have become a power in the political 
 world, but he was unobtrusive by nature 
 and preferred to aid friends and other worthy 
 and public spirited men to official positions. 
 In tracing his history it was found that 
 Patrick Richards was born in Quebec, Can- 
 ada, December 17, 1835, and when an in- 
 fant was taken to Utica, New York. When 
 he had finished his education in the schools 
 of that city he commenced serving an ap- 
 
 prenticeship in one of the largest drug stores 
 in Utica, and remained with the firm for 
 several years, during which time he became 
 thoroughly familiar with the details of the 
 business. Arriving at his majority, he went 
 to New York city, where he became an ex- 
 perienced prescription clerk, and in 1862 he 
 located in Tolono, Illinois. With a small 
 capital, about five hundred dollars, he 
 bought a small stock of drugs, gradually 
 adding to it as he could afford to do so, un- 
 til, at one time, his stock was valued at sev- 
 enteen thousand dollars. Genial and court- 
 eous in manner, reliable and trustworthy, 
 he won the confidence and esteem of the 
 public, and his trade kept extending until 
 he had customers all throughout that sec- 
 tion of the county. 
 
 In 1882, Mr. Richards sold out his busi- 
 ness with the thought of living a retired life 
 in Tolono, but later removed to Urbana, 
 with the intention of taking a well earned 
 rest from the responsibilities of commercial 
 matters. His excellent business qualifica- 
 tions were so well known, however, that he 
 was not long allowed to remain inactive,, 
 and soon he was induced to become identi- 
 fied with the First National Bank of Urbana, 
 then a private banking institution. For 
 several years he served as president of the 
 this well known bank, and by his zeal and 
 keen financial enterprise aided in placing it 
 upon a firm basis of prosperity, and at pres- 
 ent its capital stock is one hundred thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 For several terms Mr. Richards was su- 
 pervisor of his township, being chosen by 
 almost a unanimous vote of the people of 
 his locality, and he would have been retained 
 longer in the office had he not refused to 
 serve further. Though he was a stalwart 
 Republican, he was a man who made few, if 
 
PATRICK RICHARDS. 
 

THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 89 
 
 any, political enemies, as his integrity,; good 
 sense and general popularity outweighed all 
 other considerations. In 1892 he was sent 
 as an Illinois state delegate to the national 
 Republican convention at Minneapolis, 
 where he cast his ballot for Harrison, and 
 made numerous warm friends. In 1898 he 
 consented to the urgent solicitations of his 
 friends that he become a candidate for con- 
 gressman, but at the county convention he 
 withdrew his name, as he felt that his health 
 was uncertain, and that he might not be 
 able to do the people justice on that account. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Richards and 
 Amelia I. Morgan was solemnized May 22, 
 1865, by the Rev. G. W. Riley. Mrs. 
 Richards' parents were W. F. and A. T. 
 (Bruce) Morgan, who, like herself, are 
 natives of Fleming county, Kentucky. They 
 have lived in this county for many years, 
 honored and respected by all who know 
 them. Mr. Morgan is in his eighty-eighth 
 year, and his wife is four years his junior. 
 Of their ten children, Lucinda is the wife of 
 Rev. W. T. Green, a missionary in Mexico; 
 Garrard S., who married Florence Saxton, 
 resides in Peoria; Henry Bruce, also of 
 Peoria, wedded Jennie Woodruff; Woodson, 
 of Champaign, married Harriet Atkinson; 
 Elizabeth, wife of S. C. Knight, died when 
 in her twenty-fifth year; Millard M., of 
 Chicago, chose as his wife Stella Kirk- 
 patrick; William, who married Ida Sanford, 
 resides in Memphis; Anna died at the age of 
 fifteen years and James, manager of the 
 Boston Globe, married Helen Daily, of 
 Boston. 
 
 The union of Mr. and Mrs. Richards 
 was blessed with two sons and a daughter. 
 Gertrude, who possesses considerable musi- 
 cal and artistic talent, formerly was a 
 student in the University of Illinois. Clar- 
 
 ence M., a thorough-going young business 
 man, is assistant cashier of the Urbana First 
 National Bank, and Chester W. is attending 
 the city high school. 
 
 The entire Richards family have been 
 identified with the Baptist denomination for 
 years, the father having held the office of 
 deacon. He was liberal toward religious 
 enterprises, and his private charities were as 
 numerous as they were quiet and unknown 
 to the public. His long and useful life came 
 to a close on New Year's day, 1899, and to 
 those who knew him intimately there can 
 be no doubt that to him were spoken the 
 blessed words " Well done, good and faith- 
 ful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy 
 Lord." 
 
 AH. HARTMAN, a prominent and suc- 
 cessful contractor and builder, residing 
 at No. 403 West Springfield avenue, Cham- 
 paign, Illinois, was born August 14, 1845, 
 in Fountain county, Indiana, on the pres- 
 ent site of the town of Harveysburg, and is 
 a son of Adam and Mary (Vail) Hartman. 
 The family is of German origin and the 
 name was originally spelled Hardtmann. 
 The great-grandfather of our subject was a 
 native of Saxony, and in that country mar- 
 ried a Miss Matkins, but before the Revolu- 
 tionary war they came to America and took 
 up their residence in Lexington, North Car- 
 olina. Mr. Hartman now has in his posses- 
 sion a relic belonging to these ancestors 
 which has quite an interesting history. It 
 is a large cow's horn upon which has been 
 cut two large Roman capital M's, the 
 initials of Millican Matkins, a brother-in- 
 law of our subject's great-grandfather. He 
 was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, and with 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 other Hessian soldiers was hired by the 
 British to fight against the colonists in the 
 Revolutionary war. While serving under 
 Cornwallis at Guilford, North Carolina, he 
 accidentally heard of George Hardtmann 
 being in another part of the same state. As 
 he had, already become tired of fighting 
 against the Americans, he concluded to de- 
 sert and make his way to Lexington, hoping 
 to find that the Hardtmann there might 
 prove to be his brother-in-law. He stole 
 from the British camp, taking with him as 
 his only weapon of defense a large horn 
 broken from the skull of a beef that had 
 been slaughtered and still containing the 
 heavy green inner bone. After some days of 
 tramping and nights spent in the wilderness 
 he found Mr. Hardtmann, who proved in- 
 deed to be his relative. The horn which he 
 had carried with him lay in the yard a year or 
 two, but was finally converted into a hunt- 
 ing horn, and as such is preserved by our 
 subject. 
 
 George Hartman, the grandfather of our 
 subject, was born in Lexington, North Car- 
 olina, and by occupation was a farmer and 
 distiller, the latter being quite a common 
 vocation in those days. In 1831, he moved 
 to Indiana, where he spent the remainder 
 of his life. In early life he served as colonel 
 of a regiment of militia, and was a radical 
 Democrat, the father of our subject being 
 the only one of the family who was a Whig. 
 The grandfather had six children, four sons 
 and two daughters, namely: George, Adam, 
 Peter; Abbie, wife of Valentine Day; John; 
 and Elsie. Only Adam, Peter and Ab- 
 bie married, and all save the youngest 
 moved to Indiana. Our subject's maternal 
 grandfather, John Vail, was a soldier of the 
 war of 1812 in General Coffey's division and 
 took part in the battle of New Orleans. 
 
 Adam Hartman, father of our subject, 
 was born in Lexington, North Carolina, in 
 1809, and was a young man when the fam- 
 ily removed to Indiana, being among the 
 earliest pioneers of Fountain county. There 
 he married Mary Vail, who was born in 
 Greenville, Tennessee, in 1816. He followed 
 the occupation of a wagon and carriage maker 
 throughout life. In 1867, he came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, and died in Sidney 
 in 1873. In politics he was a strong Whig 
 and later a Republican, and in religion was 
 an active member of the Baptist church. 
 
 Of the nine children born to Adam and 
 Mary (Vail) Hartman, three died in early 
 life, and the others are as follows: Adaline 
 married Henry Bacon and lived in Edgar 
 county, Illinois, until after the outbreak of 
 the Civil war, when he enlisted in the Sev- 
 enty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
 died in the service a Stone River. His 
 widow afterward came to Champaign, 
 where she died in August, 1899. Eliza is 
 the widow of William Russell and resides in 
 Dana, Indiana. John R. was a member of 
 theTwelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, twice 
 re-enlisted, and served all through the Civil 
 war. In 1867 he came to Champaign, 
 where he died in 1895. Mary died in 1862, 
 in early womanhood. A. H., our subject, 
 is next in order of birth. Amanda, deceased, 
 was the wife of Jeremiah Slater, of Hillsdale, 
 Indiana. George W. makes his home in 
 Champaign, Illinois. 
 
 During his boyhood and youth A. H. 
 Hartman remained at home and learned the 
 wagonmaker'sand blacksmith's trades. On 
 the 23d of November, 1863, at the age of 
 eighteen years, he joined the boys in blue of 
 Company C, One Hundred and Twenty- 
 third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and re- 
 mained in the service until August 28, 1865, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 when he was discharged at Lexington, North 
 Carolina, his father's birthplace. His regi- 
 ment was under the command of Colonel 
 John C. McQuestian, and was at first a part 
 of the Army of the Cumberland, and later 
 the Army of Ohio, and still later the Army 
 of North Carolina. Under General Scofield, 
 he took part in the campaign from the bat- 
 tle of Chattanooga until after the fall of At- 
 lanta, and then with his command went to 
 Florence, where they met Hood and re- 
 treated to Nashville, taking part in the 
 meantime in the battle of Franklin. After 
 thebattleof Nashville, the regiment followed 
 Hood to Clifton on the Tennessee, where 
 they took steamers for Cincinnati, and from 
 there went by cars to Washington, D. C. , 
 where they lay in camp one month. At the 
 end of that time they were transferred to 
 the Army of North Carolina and took trans- 
 ports at Alexandria, Virginia. After cours- 
 ing along the coast for eighteen days, not 
 knowing their destination, they were landed 
 at Morehead City, North Carolina, and 
 proceeded by rail to Nevvbern, and from 
 there marched to Kingston. A severe en- 
 gagement was brought on at Weiser's Fork 
 with General Hoke, the Federal troops num- 
 bering only six thousand, while the Confed- 
 erates numbered fifteen thousand. The 
 army then marched across the country to 
 Goldsboro, where they met General Sher- 
 man as he came up from Savannah, and 
 with that commander proceeded to Raleigh, 
 remaining with him until after the surrender 
 of General Johnston. During the last two 
 months of his service, Mr. Hartman was 
 riding orderly on the staff of General Kil- 
 patrick, and was stationed at Charlotte, 
 North Carolina, in. charge of government 
 stores and supplies. Singularly enough the 
 last two weeks were passed at Lexington, 
 
 where his father was born and reared, and 
 where many of his relatives still reside. 
 They had fought against him in the Confed- 
 erate army. Mr. Hartman had several nar- 
 row escapes during his service. While on 
 the skirmish line in northern Georgia he was 
 wounded in the right leg by a musket ball; 
 in August, 1864, on the Sandtown road, he 
 was knocked down by the concussion of a 
 shell; and during the campaign of Atlanta 
 was under fire for one hundred and twenty- 
 five days. He was in the engagements on 
 the 22nd of July, 1864. and saw General Mc- 
 Pherson fall. 
 
 After the war Mr. Hartman returned to 
 Indiana, where he engaged in farming for 
 two years, and in 1867, after making a pros- 
 pecting tour of Illinois and Missouri, he lo- 
 cated in Sidney township, this county, where 
 for ten years he rented land and engaged in 
 farming. In 1877 he went to Texas, in- 
 tending to locate in that state, but was dis- 
 appointed in the outlook and returned to his 
 birthplace, where he spent one year. At 
 the end of that time he came to Homer, 
 Illinois, where he assumed charge of the 
 mill and elevator of M. D. Coffeen, and held 
 that position until 1884, when he located in 
 Champaign, and has since engaged in car- 
 pentering and building. For the past ten 
 years he has done contract work only. The 
 first building he erected in this county was 
 in Sidney township in 1868, but since that 
 time has built many of the modern residences 
 and business blocks in the county. Among 
 the former in Champaign are the homes of 
 J. W. Stanley, on East Main street, Mrs. 
 Eva Green, F. H. Lange and M. T. Smith. 
 In 1896 he erected his own beautiful resi- 
 dence, which is equipped with all modern 
 comforts and conveniences. 
 
 In Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Hartman was 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 married, February 12, 1891, to Miss Jennie 
 Sharp, a native of Groveport, Ohio, and a 
 daughter of John and Martha (Kramer) 
 Sharp. Her father was a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Groveport, where he was en- 
 gaged in general merchandising and the 
 grain business. He died February 4, 1873, 
 and the mother departed this life July 16, 
 1876. They had seven children, three sons, 
 and four daughters, namely: Richard, a 
 resident of Columbus, Ohio; Stella, wife of 
 John Allen, of Detroit, Michigan; Jennie, 
 wife of our subject; Albert K. , a farmer of 
 Marion, Indiana; Cora B., and Isabella, 
 both residents of Columbus, Ohio; and 
 Charles P. , a pharmacist, who died in Cham- 
 paign, April 15, 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Hart- 
 man had one son, Frederick, who was born 
 October 27, 1892, and died August 22, 1893. 
 Both our subject and his wife are mem- 
 bers of the First Presbyterian church of 
 Champaign, and he is also a member of the 
 subordinate lodge and encampment of the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 
 politics he is an ardent Republican, and 
 while a resident of Sidney he took quite an 
 active and prominent part in public affairs, 
 serving as alderman of the village and con- 
 stable of the township. In the latter office 
 he did much deputy sheriff work. He is 
 thoroughly identified with the interests of 
 his city and county, and is well known as 
 an enterprising and reliable business man, 
 one who always keeps abreast with the 
 times. All who know him hold him in the 
 highest esteem. 
 
 EORGE H. LUTZ, alderman from the 
 V-J second ward, and a prominent cigar 
 manufacturer of Champaign, was born in 
 Athens county, Ohio, November 2, 1853, a 
 
 son of John K. and Margaret Lutz. The 
 father was a native of Virginia but our sub- 
 ject's paternal grandfather was born in 
 Pennsylvania. When our subject was quite 
 small the father removed to Indiana, where 
 he spent one year, and then, in 1856, came 
 to Champaign county, Illinois, where he has 
 since engaged in farming and teaming. 
 When he located here the city of Cham- 
 paign contained but two stores, and he has 
 watched with interest its growth and devel- 
 opment. Although a quiet, unassuming 
 man, he has many friends and is highly re- 
 spected by all who know him. Both he 
 and his wife are still living and continue to 
 make their home in Champaign. 
 
 Our subject is indebted to the public 
 schools of this county for his educational 
 advantages. In 1876, he was united in 
 marriage to Miss Sarah J. . Nicewander, of 
 Champaign, who was born in Hensley town- 
 ship, this county. Her father, Daniel Nice- 
 wander, an extensive farmer, was of Ger- 
 man descent and a pioneer of the county. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lutz have a family of six 
 children, namely: George William, Edith, 
 Ruby, Opal, Roy and Flossie. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Lutz engaged in 
 farming in Hensley township for eight years^ 
 and then followed the same occupation first 
 in Champaign township for a year. In 
 1885 he removed to the city of Champaign, 
 but not meeting with success, he went to 
 Kansas. On his return to Champaign he 
 worked for others two years and then em- 
 barked in business as a dealer in cigars. 
 Later he added a stock of liquor, but has 
 since disposed of that department, and pur- 
 chased a cigar factory at No. 77 Main street, 
 which he is now most successfully carrying 
 on. He also owns a nice home at No. 123. 
 University avenue, where he now resides. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 93 
 
 The Democratic party finds in Mr. Lutz 
 a stanch supporter of its principles; he has 
 always been an active worker for its inter- 
 ests; has been a delegate to many county 
 conventions; and a member of the ward, 
 township and city executivecommitteesatdif- 
 ferent times. In the spring of 1894 he was 
 elected alderman, and so acceptably did he 
 fill the office that he has been twice re- 
 elected, hispresent term expiring in 1901. 
 He has been a member of various commit- 
 tees, and as a public-spirited and enter- 
 prising citizen, he has given his support to 
 all measures which he believed calculated 
 to prove of public benefit. Since he has 
 been a member of the council many streets 
 have been paved; the subways under the 
 Illinois Central Railroad have been put in, 
 and all of the sewers constructed. Frater- 
 nally he is an honored member of the For- 
 esters, and has served as district deputy. 
 
 A RTHUR M. BURKE is cashier of the 
 J\ Citizens Bank of Champaign, one of 
 the leading financial institutions of the coun- 
 ty, and is rapidly working his way to a fore- 
 most position among the prominent finan- 
 ciers of this section of the state. Genuine 
 success is not likely to be the result of mere 
 chance or fortune, but is something to be 
 labored for and sought out with consecutive 
 effort. Mr. Burke is a young man, but has 
 already attained to a measure of prosperity 
 that many a one who started out on life's 
 journey before him might well envy. 
 
 A native of Champaign county, he was 
 born in Condit township, November 6, 1870, 
 and is a son of P. E. and Isabella Burke. 
 The father was born in Davis county, Ken- 
 tucky, and continued to reside there until 
 
 about 1860, when he moved to Logan coun- 
 ty, Illinois, where he purchased land and 
 engaged in farming. In 1861 he joined the 
 boys in blue as a member of Company F, 
 Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as 
 a private, and was mustered in at Camp 
 Lincoln. Going immediately to the front, 
 he participated in the battles of Stone River, 
 Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga and other 
 notable engagements, remaining in the serv- 
 ice three years. After his return to civil 
 life, he resumed farming in Logan county, 
 but in 1867, he came to Champaign county, 
 and took up his residence in Condit, where 
 a few years later he purchased land and con- 
 tinued to engage in agricultural pursuits un- 
 til his removal to Rantoul in 1877. He was 
 interested in the grocery and meat business 
 there for a few years, and subsequently en- 
 gaged in the grain and coal business at the 
 same place until 1882, when appointed dep- 
 uty sheriff by J. C. Ware, then sheriff of the 
 county. After filling that position for four 
 years, he was elected sheriff and served in 
 that office for the same length of time. In 
 1890 he bought an interest in the First Na- 
 tional Bank of Urbana, but at the end of 
 six months he sold out on account of ill 
 health, and did not actively engage in any 
 business thereafter. In 1893 he moved to 
 Champaign, where he made his home until 
 his death, which occurred February 14, 1896. 
 He was widely and favorably known and 
 was a man of considerable influence in his 
 community. Fraternally he was a member 
 of the Modern Woodmen of America; Ur- 
 bana Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and Black Eagle 
 Post, No. 129, G. A. R. ; while religiously 
 he was a member of the Baptist church, to 
 which his wife also belonged. She still con- 
 tinues to reside in Champaign. 
 
 Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 
94 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Burke, namely: Nellie, who died in 1878, at 
 the age of thirteen years; Arthur M., our 
 subject; William H., who is married and 
 living in Danville, Illinois; Eugene I., who 
 is pursuing a literary course at the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois, and will graduate in the 
 spring of 1900; and Benjamin J., who is 
 employed as a clerk in the Citizens Bank 
 of Champaign. 
 
 Arthur M. Burke completed his educa- 
 tion in the high schools of Urbana, and 
 after laying aside his text books spent a year 
 and a half in Colorado, being employed in a 
 wholesale commission house of Denver. 
 Returning to Champaign, he served as dep- 
 uty sheriff under his father for one year. In 
 1890 he entered the employ of M. W. 
 Mathews, of the Urbana Herald, as re- 
 porter and solicitor, and remained with him 
 for about a year, after which he engaged in 
 clerking in the clothing department of Ott- 
 heim's store until 1897. I n February of 
 that year he formed a partnership with J. 
 W. Lawder in the tailoring business, which 
 they carried on until the ist of January, 
 1899, when Mr. Burke entered the Citizens 
 Bank in a clerical capacity. The following 
 August he and J. W. Orr purchased the in- 
 terest of John Armstrong in that institu- 
 tion, and have since conducted it under the 
 name of the Citizens Bank. The business 
 of the bank has increased materially since 
 Messrs. Burke and Orr took charge of its 
 affairs, and is now recognized as one of the 
 solid financial institutions of the county. 
 They do a general banking and loan busi- 
 ness, and the safe, conservative policy which 
 they follow commends itself to the judgment 
 of all. 
 
 On the 5th of September, 1892, Mr. 
 Burke married Miss Stella Innes, of Urbana. 
 Her father, John B. Innes, is a veteran of 
 
 the Civil war, and has been for the last ten 
 years foreman of the Besore lumber yard of 
 Urbana. He has three children: Jennie, 
 wife of George Douglas, of Urbana; Stella, 
 wife of our subject; and Grace, wife of 
 Charles Welch, of Urbana. Our subject 
 and his wife have one child, John A., born 
 September 6, 1898. 
 
 Socially Mr. Burke is a member of Tri- 
 umph Lodge, No. 73, K. P., of Urbana, and 
 Western Star Lodge, No. 140, F. & A. M., 
 of Champaign; and religiously his wife is a 
 member of the Baptist church of Urbana. 
 In politics he is a stanch Republican, but 
 he has never taken an active part in polit- 
 ical affairs, preferring to give his undivided 
 attention to his business interests. He is 
 enterprising, progressive and public-spirited, 
 and has become an important factor in the 
 business circles of this county. 
 
 A LBERT T. HALL. For almost forty- 
 -/v five years this gentleman has been a 
 resident of Champaign county, and during 
 this long period, which covers nearly the 
 whole span of the county's development 
 from a primitive state to its present flour- 
 ishing condition, he has been actively in- 
 terested in its progress. A man of more 
 than ordinary business and executive ability, 
 he has met with excellent success in life, 
 and is now practically living retired at his 
 beautiful home in Champaign. 
 
 Mr. Hall was born in Susquehanna 
 county, Pennsylvania, June 27, 1835, a son 
 of Heman "and Rachel (Bates) Hall, in 
 whose family were five children, the others 
 being Amanda L. ; Lucy A., wife of Henry 
 Hay; Electa E., wife of A. R. Hay; and 
 Alma C., wife of Jesse Burt. Our sub- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 95 
 
 ject's paternal grandfather Hall served all 
 through the Revolutionary war and spent 
 most of his life on a farm in Connecticut, 
 but his last days were passed in Pennsyl- 
 vania. His father was a Tory. The father 
 of our subject was born in Litchfield county, 
 Connecticut, and when a young man he 
 went to Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, 
 locating on the Susquehanna river. There 
 he married Rachel Bates, also a native of 
 Connecticut, who had removed to the Key- 
 stone state about the same time as her hus- 
 band. He removed with his family to 
 Waverly, Tioga county, New York, when 
 our subject was about six years old, and 
 there followed blacksmithing and hotel 
 keeping. Later he lived in Ellistown, 
 where he died in January, 1851. He was 
 widely and favorably known and was called 
 upon- to fill a number of local offices of 
 honor and trust. His wife and daughters 
 came to Champaign with our subject in 
 1855, and here the former died in Septem- 
 .ber, 1856, being the first person interred in 
 Mt. Hope cemetery. Both parents were 
 earnest and consistent members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, took an active 
 part in church work, and the father served 
 as class leader. 
 
 Albert T. Hall acquired the greater part 
 of his education in the schools of Waverly, 
 New York, and after his father's death was 
 in the employ of the New York & Erie 
 Railroad Company for a time. On the 
 22nd of December, 1855, he arrived in 
 Champaign with his mother and four sis- 
 ters, and the following spring purchased a 
 tract of one hundred and twenty acres of 
 land in Colfax township from the Illinois 
 Central Railroad Company. Upon that 
 place he turned the first furrow and made 
 the first improvements. At that time the 
 
 country was very swampy and almost as 
 much water as land was in sight, while 
 wolves, which still roamed at will over the 
 prairies, made the night hideous by their 
 howling. In the small house which he 
 erected upon his place, Mr. Hall with his 
 older and younger sisters lived quietly until 
 the Civil war broke out. 
 
 Hardly had the echoes from Fort Sum- 
 ter's guns died away when he enlisted, in 
 April, 1 86 1, but his company, which be- 
 came Company I, Second Illinois Cavalry, 
 was not accepted until the following August, 
 when it was mustered in as a three years' 
 regiment. Mr. Hall went to the front as 
 orderly sergeant, later was commissioned 
 lieutenant and afterwards had command of 
 his company, but his health failed and he was 
 forced to resign in the spring of 1863. 
 With his regiment he went to* southern Illi- 
 nois, and from there to Kentucky, Tennes- 
 see and down the Mississippi river. They 
 were the first to occupy Columbus, Ken- 
 tucky, after the evacuation. They partici- 
 pated in the hard fought engagement at 
 Holly Springs, then proceeded to Memphis, 
 and down the river toMilliken's Bend above 
 Vicksburg, where they were stationed when 
 our subject resigned. Returning to his home 
 he resumed farming. 
 
 On the 29th of December, 1864, Mr. 
 Hall was united in marriage to Miss Callie 
 Gilbert, of Urbana, a daughter of Jonathan 
 Gilbert, of Greenville, Ohio. She died in 
 October, 1879, and of the five children born 
 to them all died before her death with the 
 exception of Winfield Bates Hall, now a 
 member of the firm of Percival & Hall, of 
 Champaign. Mr. Hall was again married, 
 May 30, 1 88 1, his second union being with 
 Mrs. Almira Roberts, of Roberts, Illinois, a 
 daughter of David Stateler.an old settler of 
 
9 6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Marshall county, Illinois. By her first mar- 
 riage she had one child, Charles J. Roberts, 
 of Champaign. 
 
 In 1869, Mr. Hall removed to Cham- 
 paign, where he first engaged in the fruit 
 business near the University, and later en- 
 gaged in the grocery business on the cor- 
 ner of Church and Neil streets with good 
 success until 1881, when he sold out. Dur- 
 ing this time he lived on his fruit farm and 
 managed both interests. On disposing of 
 his store he accepted a position as traveling 
 salesman for the firm of Franklin McVeagh 
 & Company, Chicago, and remained with 
 them for nine years, his territory including 
 this section of the state. Subsequently 
 he engaged in the shoe and furniture busi- 
 ness on Main street, Champaign, for several 
 years, and since 1894 has practically lived 
 a retired life. However, he still continues 
 to look after his real estate interests in 
 Champaign and Chicago, and manages his 
 farm. He laid out an addition in Cham- 
 paign, known as the A. T. Hall addition, 
 has improved the streets and erected houses. 
 As a business man Mr. Hall ranks among 
 the best in the city, and his sound judg- 
 ment, unflagging enterprise and capable 
 management have brought him a well-mer- 
 ited scccess. He is a member of Colonel 
 Nodine Post, G. A. R., and the Benevolent 
 and Protective Order of Elks, and attends 
 and supports the Presbyterian church, of 
 which his wife is a member. 
 
 EDWARD FOSTER, after an active 
 career, is now living retired in a pleas- 
 ant home in Urbana. Now, in his declining 
 years, he is justly entitled to a cessation 
 from toil, for he has manfully "borne the 
 
 heat and burden of the day," and has un- 
 falteringly performed his whole duty toward 
 his brother men and the community in 
 which his lot has been cast. A review of 
 his past life will prove of interest to many 
 of his friends, and will better perpetuate 
 his memory, after he has been called to his 
 reward, than would a monument, however 
 grand. 
 
 Born in Warren county, Indiana, in 
 1833, Edward Foster is the eldest child of 
 Zebulon and Caroline (Ostrander) Foster, 
 who were natives of Ross and Pike coun- 
 ties, Ohio, respectively. The father, who 
 was a farmer, removed to West Lebanon, 
 Indiana, in 1833, and there continued to 
 make his home until his death, in 1891, 
 when he was eighty-two years old. For 
 several terms he served as township trustee 
 and in other local offices, and no one in his 
 neighborhood was more highly regarded by 
 all. Prominent in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, he labored zealously in the Chris- 
 tian cause, and for years officiated as steward 
 and trustee. His wife, who preceded him 
 to the better land, dying in 1872, when 
 sixty years of age, was a daughter of Dr. 
 Edward and Rachel Ostrander, natives of 
 New York state. Four of the children born 
 to Zebulon and Caroline Foster died in in- 
 fancy. Rachel, widow of William B. Crei- 
 der, formerly of Ross county, Ohio, resides 
 in Onarga, Illinois. Eliza is the wife of 
 George T. Bell, a lumber dealer of West 
 Lebanon, Indiana. Mary is the widow of 
 Marion Crawford, and lives in Dodge City, 
 Kansas. William is engaged in the livery 
 business at West Lebanon, Indiana. Har- 
 riet, Mrs. J. J. Fleming, is a resident of 
 Watseka, Illinois. 
 
 After completing his education, Edward 
 Foster assisted his father in the manage- 
 

 EDWARD FOSTER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 99 
 
 ment of the home farm until he was twenty- 
 three years of age, when he located in Ver- 
 milion county, Illinois. From 1856 until 
 1868, when he resigned, he was the post- 
 master at Jordan, Vermilion county, giving 
 entire satisfaction to the public. In the 
 year last mentioned, he settled in Middle 
 Fork township, near Potomac, in the same 
 county, and remained there until he retired, 
 in 1895. The year subsequent to his arri- 
 val in Middle Fork township, he was hon- 
 ored by appointment to the responsible post 
 of school treasurer, and for twenty-seven 
 years, or until he tendered his resignation, 
 he was retained in the office. Few higher 
 compliments to his recognized ability and 
 sterling integrity could have been made by 
 his neighbors, and no word of criticism ever 
 was passed upon his transactions as a pub- 
 lic official. He uses his franchise in favor 
 of the Republican party. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Foster and Sarah 
 A. Tillotson was solemnized August 24, 
 1856. She is one of the eleven children of 
 Ephraim Duel and Mary A. (Cronkhite) 
 Tillotson, natives of New York state, 
 though reared on farms in the vicinity of 
 Cincinnati. Ohio. The father went to Chi- 
 cago when it was more commonly known as 
 Fort Dearborn. For many years he resided 
 in Warren county, Indiana, and there held 
 the offices of justice of the peace and county 
 commissioner for a long time, and doubtless 
 would have been elected to the assembly, 
 had he consented to run for the position, as 
 his Republican friends urged. In 1856, he 
 removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, 
 where he had secured a warrant for a quar- 
 ter-section of land. To the improvement 
 and cultivation of this property he devoted 
 the remainder of his life, which was termi- 
 nated May 14, 1882, when he was in his 
 
 seventy-first year. Both he and his faithful 
 wife were prominent members of the Chris- 
 tian church, active in every good work, and 
 beloved by all who knew them. She lived 
 to be seventy-six years of age, her death 
 occurring in 1892, 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Foster have seven living 
 children, namely: Buel T. , who is carry- 
 ing on the old homestead in Vermilion 
 county, and who married Mattie Lemay in 
 February, 1899; they have one son, Wood- 
 ford Lemay; E. M. Stanton, also a farmer 
 of Vermilion county, and by whose mar- 
 riage to Callie Wright he has five children, 
 Hugh W. , Samuel H., Flora, Minerva and 
 George Dewey; Zebulon, who was gradu- 
 ated as a civil engineer in 1892, in the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois; he stood first in scholar- 
 ship in the class of engineering of 1 892 ; Mary 
 A., wife of Mark Grays, a farmer of Ver- 
 milion county, and mother of Foster, 
 George M., Chauncey D. and Bessie May; 
 Edward, who carries on a farm in Vermil- 
 ion county, is a graduate of the Quincy 
 Business College, later was cashier of the 
 Bank of Penfield, and engaged in merchan- 
 dising in the same place, and by whose mar- 
 riage to Catherine Cazier three children 
 were born: Nellie, Mervin and an infant; 
 Theodore, a graduate of the Quincy Busi- 
 ness College; and William G., a member 
 of the architectural engineering class of 
 1900, of the University of Illinois. All of 
 the children, with the exception of the two 
 elder ones, are members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and E. M. Stanton, 
 Theodore and Buel are identified with the 
 Odd Fellows Society. 
 
 Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Foster are 
 zealous members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church. Both have been teachers in 
 the Sunday-school, and Mr. Foster served 
 
IOO 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 as steward, trustee, superintendent and 
 class-leader of the church to which he be- 
 longed in Vermilion county, while in Ur- 
 bana he is a teacher and class-leader. The 
 home of the family is a model one in every 
 respect, and everyone so fortunate as to 
 come within its refined and elevating at- 
 mosphere is uplifted and ever bears the 
 memory of it with him along his journey of 
 life. 
 
 HENRY C. AHRENS, who is now living 
 a retired life in Champaign, Illinois, was 
 born in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, 
 Germany, August 12, 1837, and is a son of 
 John Henry and Marguerite (Kohler)Ahrens, 
 natives of the same province. The father, 
 who was born in 1801, was a sailor, and 
 followed the sea for about twenty years. 
 He died in Oldenburg, in 1870, and two 
 years later his wife came to America with 
 her daughter, spending her last days in this 
 country. She died in New York City, in 
 1891, at the age of ninety years. They had 
 seven children, but only two grew to rnatur- 
 -ity: Henry C., our subject; and Mattie 
 Katherina, wife of Gottlieb Ellinghousen, a 
 carpenter of Brooklyn, New York. 
 
 Our subject attended the public schools 
 of his native land until fourteen years of 
 age. In 1852, the same year the Great 
 Eastern was launched, he went to sea as a 
 sailor before the mast on a merchant vessel 
 in the Baltic Sea, and has visited all the 
 European ports on the Atlantic ocean, the 
 Mediterranean, Black and Baltic Seas. In 
 1860 he entered the United States govern- 
 ment service under Captain Lewis on the 
 steamer Albany, running from New York 
 City to Cape Hatteras and Newport, North 
 
 Carolina, and during the Civil war when 
 that vessel was used as a government trans- 
 port he was one of her crew from 1861 to 
 1864. He then left the service and in 1865 
 secured a position in the wholesale house of 
 George D. Bayand & Company, importers of 
 liquors and cigars, at No. 19 Beaver street, 
 New York City, and was employed by them 
 as shipping clerk until 1874. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Ahrens was mar- 
 ried, in 1870, to Miss Katherina Elizabeth 
 Laun, of Brooklyn, New York, who was 
 born in Hesse-Nassau, Germany. Her 
 father, Peter Laun, was a native of the same 
 province and was a skilled mechanic, manu- 
 facturing chairs and fancy articles from wil- 
 low, and also farming to a limited extent. 
 He died when Mrs. Ahrens was a small child. 
 To our subject and his wife were born six 
 children, as follows: Henry A., who 
 succeeded to his father's business at No. 49 
 Main street, Champaign, married Henrietta 
 Horney, and has one child, Henry C. John 
 Henry died at the age of six months and was 
 buried in Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn, 
 New York. Rose is the wife of Emil F. 
 Kruse, a furniture dealer of Tolono, Illinois, 
 and they have one child, Bertha. Bertha, 
 daughter of our subject, is at home with her 
 parents. Annie W. F. is pursuing a literary 
 course in the University at Champaign. 
 One child died in infancy. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Ahrens made his 
 home in New York City until 1875, when 
 he came to Urbana, Illinois, and was en- 
 gaged in the saloon business there until 
 1879. That year he visited his sister in 
 Jersey City, New Jersey, and also went to 
 New York to consult a physician about his 
 child that was ill. In 1880, however, he 
 returned to this county and opened a saloon, 
 and wholesale liquor house in Champaign, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 101 
 
 which he successfully conducted until 1898, 
 when he sold out to August Lierman and 
 has since lived retired. He owns a beauti- 
 ful home at the .corner of East University 
 avenue and Third street, erected by him in 
 1893, and supplied with all modern con- 
 veniences, being heated with hot water, 
 lighted by electricity and gas, supplied with 
 hot and cold water, baths, etc. 
 
 Religiously Mr. Ahrens is a member of 
 the German Evangelical church, and fra- 
 ternally is a member of the Druids, Grove 
 No. 45, of Champaign. In political senti- 
 ment he is a Republican, and. although he 
 has always taken an active interest in politics 
 and willing to do anything for the good of his 
 party, he has never desired office, his time 
 and attention being wholly occupied by his 
 business affairs until the last two years. He 
 cameto this country in limited circumstances, 
 and the prosperity which he now enjoys has 
 been secured through his own unaided ef- 
 forts and good business ability. 
 
 THOMAS W. McHUGH is one of the 
 most respected citizens of Urbana, and 
 his ability and entire trustworthiness have 
 frequently been recognized by his acquaint- 
 ances and friends, who have called upon him 
 to officiate in local positions of responsi- 
 bility. 
 
 He is a grandson of Jesse and Elizabeth 
 (Whitaker) McHugh, who were natives of 
 Pennsylvania, and is one of the ten children 
 of William and Catherine (Stansbury) Mc- 
 Hugh, who were natives of Virginia and New 
 Jersey, respectively. The father, who was 
 a farmer by occupation, removed to Ohio 
 and later to Indiana, and the farm which he 
 purchased there, in 1 840, now is in the heart 
 
 of the Adams county oil region. He died 
 while on a visit to his son, Dr. McHugh, of 
 Farmer City, Illinois, June 20, 1854, when 
 in his fifty-second year. Both he and his 
 wife were members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and were loved and honored 
 by all who knew them. 
 
 Of their ten children, six have passed to 
 the better land. Mary Ann, deceased, was 
 the wife of Samuel Foster, who died No- 
 vember 6, 1899, aged eighty-six years. Dr. 
 John McHugh, who died at the age of fifty- 
 five years, in 1870, at Independence, Kan- 
 sas, was a graduate of Rush Medical Col- 
 lege, of Chicago, and for twenty years was 
 engaged in practice in Farmer City, Clin- 
 ton and Mahomet, Illinois, Waterloo, and 
 Independence, Iowa. Arthur E., who was 
 provost marshal at Fort Dodge, Iowa, for 
 several years during the Civil war, died in 
 Texas when fifty-five years of ago. Cath- 
 erine died in infancy. Elizabeth, widow of 
 Emanuel Conkle, resides at Holt, Michigan. 
 Susan, who was the wife of Ezekiel Row- 
 lett, died when about forty-five years old. 
 Dr. Charles Wesley is engaged in the prac- 
 tice of medicine in Sedan, Kansas. Rev. 
 Henry B., also of Kansas, is a minister of 
 the United Brethren church, and has served 
 as a presiding elder. Lyman, the youngest, 
 died at the age of seven years. 
 
 T. W. McHugh was born May 21, 1838, 
 and, owing to the fact that he has not had 
 the use of his limbs for about forty-six years, 
 he received his education chiefly at home. 
 He was gifted with an exceptionally keen 
 mind, and in his early manhood he taught 
 schools in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, 
 meeting with success. In the meantime, he 
 read law with private tutors, and later stud- 
 ied in the office of William D. Summers. In 
 1865 he was admitted to the bar of Cham- 
 
IO2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 paign county, and has continued in practice 
 ever since. In 1868, he was elected justice 
 of the peace, and at the expiration of each 
 term of four years he has been re-elected 
 to the office. He has married five hundred 
 and twenty-six couples, and may boast that 
 very few of the number have sought legal 
 separation thereafter. For thirteen consecu- 
 tive years he served as township collector, 
 and in April, 1899, he was elected to the 
 important post of city attorney. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican, and is proud of 
 what the party has accomplished for the 
 country during the days it has been in 
 power. 
 
 Mr. McHugh and Lydia S. McKinney 
 were married in Urbana, April 4, 1867. 
 She is a daughter of John and Betsey Mc- 
 Kinney, natives of New York and Canada, 
 respectively. The father died in 1855, and 
 the mother later became the wife of Daniel 
 Davidson, whose death occurred about two 
 years subsequently, in 1865. She afterward 
 married William Gill, of Urbana, and both 
 are deceased, Mrs. Gill dying in May, 1884, 
 when sixty-two years of age. She was the 
 mother of five children, of whom Mrs. Mc- 
 Hugh, born November 29, 1845, was the 
 eldest. Frances, the second, died in 1889, 
 unmarried. Jennie is the wife of C. E. 
 Mott, of Tazewell county, this state, and 
 their children are Estella, Chester and Eva. 
 James, twin brother of Jennie, is the fourth, 
 and Caroline is the youngest of the McKin- 
 ney family. Mr. and Mrs. McHugh have 
 two children, namely: George B. , an attor- 
 ney, now living at Beaumont, Texas, and 
 Edith, wife of Oloff Atkinson, of Rock Isl- 
 and, Illinois. George B. married Eleanor 
 Pennock, of Toledo, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. 
 McHugh have two grandchildren, Lillian 
 Fay and Marion Atkinson, aged five and two 
 
 years, respectively. Religiously, our sub- 
 ject and wife are Universalists, and are mem- 
 bers of the Urbana church. 
 
 MILTON H. MILLS, M. D., a promi- 
 nent and successful homeopathic 
 physician of Champaign, Illinois, was born 
 in Niles, Ohio, February 18, 1846, a son of 
 Simeon H. and Amanda (Muzzy) Mills. 
 The father was born and reared in Canan- 
 daigua, New York, and there learned the 
 miller's trade, which he subsequently fol- 
 lowed in northern Ohio, removing to that 
 state when a young man. He had charge 
 of mills in Cleveland, Painsville, Niles, 
 Grafton, New London, Youngstown and 
 other places in Ohio, which he operated 
 either on the shares, as a partner, or on a 
 salary. 
 
 During his boyhood Dr. Mills pursued 
 his studies in the common and high schools 
 of Painsville, Ohio, and afterward worked 
 for his father in the mill. He took a com- 
 mercial course and then engaged in book- 
 keeping in Cleveland. Subsequently he en- 
 tered the Cleveland Homeopathic College 
 under Professor N. Schneider, and on com- 
 pleting the prescribed course at that institu- 
 tion was graduated in 1872. He first en- 
 gaged in practice in Clarksfield, Ohio, and 
 while there he was married, June 23, 1873, 
 to Miss Sylvia Bradford, of Rochester, Ohio. 
 They now have two children, Clara and 
 Ethel. 
 
 On leaving Clarksfield, Dr. Mills re- 
 moved to Attica, Ohio, where he engaged in 
 general practice, and was also a member of 
 the Ohio State Homeopathic Society. He 
 finally sold out in 1887 and came to Cham- 
 paign, Illinois, where his skill and ability 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 103 
 
 soon became widely recognized and he built 
 up a good practice. Owing to the failing 
 health of his parents, he returned to Ohio, 
 in 1891, so that he might be near them, 
 and was engaged in practice at Wellington, 
 that state, until after their deaths. In 1898 
 he again came to Champaign and is to-day 
 enjoying an excellent practice. He attends 
 and supports the Congregational church, of 
 which his wife is a faithful member, and he 
 belongs to Wellington Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 and is a dimitted chapter member. He is 
 a pleasant, affable gentleman, and socially, 
 as well as professionally, he is held in high 
 esteem. 
 
 JAMES H. FINCH, M. D., one of the 
 rising physicians and surgeons of Cham- 
 paign, was born in Marietta, Ohio, Decem- 
 ber 19, 1870, a son of Alfred and Flora 
 (Brown) Finch. The father was born in 
 Ithaca, New York, of early New England 
 ancestry, and when a young man removed to 
 Marietta, Ohio. He was one of the early 
 captains on the Ohio river, owning and run- 
 ning steamers down that stream and the 
 Mississippi river to New Orleans during the 
 '405. He had several steamers and also a 
 wharf boat engaged in the southern trade, 
 and was one of the successful and promi- 
 nent men engaged in that business for many 
 years. Later be became interested in the 
 oil business, and was one of the pioneers in 
 developing the oil fields of Ohio. He died 
 in 1879, at the age of sixty-eight years, hon- 
 ored and respected by all who knew him. 
 The Doctor's mother, a native of Virginia, 
 is still living. 
 
 Dr. Finch began his literary education 
 in the common schools of his native city, 
 and later attended Marietta College. Before 
 
 leaving school he became interested in the 
 transfer business, which he carried on at 
 Marietta, in connection with a partner for 
 two years, it becoming one of the important 
 industries of the kind in the city. On sell- 
 ing out his business, he commenced reading 
 medicine with Dr. J. B. Cotton, and at- 
 tended his first course of lectures at Bellevua 
 Medical College, New York. He was grad- 
 uated at the College of Physicians and 
 Surgeons, Baltimore, with the class of 1895, 
 in the meantime doing hospital work. In 
 September, 1895, he opened an office in 
 Champaign, and has since been alone in 
 general practice at this place. He has a 
 fine office in the Howard building, which 
 was especially built and fitted up for physi- 
 cians. He has been a member of the staff 
 of the Julia F. Burnham Hospital since 
 locating here, is secretary of the Twin City 
 Clinical Association, and a member of the 
 County and State Medical Societies. 
 
 f^EORGE BESORE, a retired merchant 
 V-J and public-spirited citizen of Urbana, 
 Champaign county, is a sterling descendant 
 of Daniel Besore, a Huguenot, who emi- 
 grated from France to a German Province, 
 later coming to America at an early period, 
 and becoming a resident of Washington 
 township, Franklin county, Pennsylvania. 
 The homestead which he cleared near March 
 Run is now in the possession of his step 
 grandson, George B. Russell, D. D., and 
 many of his descendants still are found in 
 several townships in Franklin county, 
 though the name is variously spelled, Ba- 
 sore, Bashor and Basehor. During the 
 war of 181,2 John, Michael and Jacob Be- 
 sore fought in the ranks of the patriot 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 army, and participated in the defense of 
 Washington. The family formerly was 
 identified with the Reformed church. 
 
 The grandfather of our subject was 
 John, son of the Daniel Besore above men- 
 tioned. He was born in Franklin county, 
 Pennsylvania, and, with his father, endured 
 many of the privations and hardships com- 
 mon to the lot of the pioneer. He de- 
 parted this life in 1,850, when eighty-six 
 years of age. Of his children, his name- 
 sake, John, was born in Franklin county, 
 Pennsylvania, and married Miss Mary 
 Mowen, of the same state. The worthy 
 couple passed to their reward many years 
 ago, the father dying in 1862, when in his 
 fifty-ninth year, and the mother dying at the 
 home of her daughter, Mrs. William Phe- 
 necie, of this county, in 1875, when in her 
 sixty-fourth year. 
 
 George Besore, whose birth occurred in 
 Franklin county, Pennsylvania, December 
 20, 1832, is the second of ten children. 
 Jacob, the eldest, died in Kansas in 1897, 
 aged about sixty-seven years. Joseph, the 
 third son, died in Champaign county in 
 1898, when, sixty-three years of age. Eliza, 
 wife of Peter Hissong, resides in Nebraska. 
 John and David, farmers, live in Cham- 
 paign county. Margaret is the wife of Will- 
 iam Phenecie, of this county. Samuel died 
 December 24, 1899. Charles, of Urbana, 
 is engaged in the lumber, coal and grain 
 business. Mary is the wife of Leander 
 Tompkins, a retired farmer, now of Ran- 
 toul, Illinois. 
 
 In his youth, George Besore attended 
 the public schools of his native county and 
 Washington county, Maryland. Until he 
 was eighteen years of age he continued to 
 assist his father in the work of the farm, 
 and then turned his attention to the task of 
 
 building barns. In time he became a thor- 
 ough, practical carpenter, following that 
 calling for several years, and then, for three 
 years, engaged in millwrighting. 
 
 In 1856, Mr. Besore came to Illinois, 
 and for two years lived in Paris, and for a 
 like period was a citizen of Decatur, in both 
 towns being occupied in building and con- 
 tracting. From 1862 to 1865 he was em- 
 ployed as a millwright at Fort Wayne, In- 
 diana, and in 1866 he came to Urbana, 
 where he has since made his home. For 
 some time he was, as usual, engaged in 
 contracting and building, after which he 
 turned his attention to the lumber and grain 
 business, with gratifying financial success. 
 It was not until 1895 that he sold out his 
 interests in this line to his brother Charles, 
 and retired with a competency. 
 
 Three times has Mr. Besore served as a 
 member of the Urbana city council, thor- 
 oughly meriting the trust which his towns- 
 men reposed in him. He is in no wise a 
 politician, and gives his allegiance to the 
 nominee whom he believes best qualified to 
 represent the people. Since the organiza- 
 tion of the Urbana Building & Loan Asso- 
 ciation he has been one of its directors, and 
 for ten or more years he has been one of 
 the directors ot the Free Library of that city. 
 He is foremost in all local enterprises, and 
 is confidently relied upon to use his means 
 and influence in the promotion of worthy, 
 progressive movements. For ten years he 
 has been one of the trustees of the Presby- 
 terian church of this place, while his parents 
 were identified with the Reformed church. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Besore and Emma 
 J. Denton took place January 15, 1870. 
 She is a daughter of John C. and Lucinda 
 Denton, natives of Pennsylvania, but since 
 1856 residents of this county. To the union 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 105 
 
 of our subject and wife three children were 
 born. Ida is the wife of T. A. Burt, county 
 clerk of Champaign county. Their two 
 children are named respectively: Josephine 
 and George. Nellie is the wife of William 
 Sears, of Rock Island, traveling salesman 
 for a northern lumber company. Jessie, 
 the youngest of the family, resides with her 
 parents. 
 
 FJRANK O. SALE, D. D. S., is one of 
 
 1 the leading members of his profession 
 in Champaign county, and in Urbana, 
 his native place and present home, he 
 stands especially high. But not alone in 
 a business sense is he deserving of credit, 
 for everything which tends to upbuild and 
 benefit the town and his fellow citizens re- 
 ceives his earnest support. 
 
 Rev. John Sale, the paternal grandfather 
 of the Doctor, a son of Anthony Sale, was 
 a native of Virginia, and was a minister of 
 the early Methodist Episcopal church in 
 that state. At an early day he removed to 
 Ohio, where he tpok a very active part in 
 the organizing of the denomination, and, 
 finally settling near Piqua, Miami coun- 
 ty, served as presiding elder for many years, 
 and was the founder of the first Methodist 
 class in Cincinnati. His death occurred 
 January 9, 1827. He had married Nancy, 
 daughter of Frederick Bonner, of Virginia, 
 and her death took place in Green county, 
 Ohio, February 5, 1865. Her father had 
 located in the Buckeye state in 1802 and 
 became the owner of about two thousand 
 acres of land situated in the " military tract." 
 There he developed an excellent homestead 
 and reared a number of children to lives ot 
 usefulness. 
 
 Rev. F. B. Sale, father of our subject, 
 
 was born in Green county, Ohio, June 9, 
 1821, and during his early manhood was 
 engaged in agriculture. In 1853 he came 
 to Illinois, and in 1862 he enlisted in the 
 defense of the Union, as a member of the 
 One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois In- 
 fantry. Bravely performing every duty that 
 fell to his share, he was finally promoted to 
 the place of captain, and in that capacity 
 won fresh laurels. The untold hardships 
 and exposure incident to army life made 
 serious inroads upon his health and necessi- 
 tated his resigning from the service, but he 
 continued to act the part of a devoted pat- 
 riot, and aided materially in securing re- 
 cruits for the Federal forces. In 1866 he 
 was ordained a deacon in the Methodist 
 church at Bloomington, and that year was 
 agent for the American Bible Society, trav- 
 eling in several Illinois counties. In 1871 
 he was ordained as an elder by Bishop Scott, 
 at Jacksonville, Illinois, and for many years 
 thereafter he labored actively and efficiently 
 as a minister of the Gospel. During his 
 early residence in this state he was a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Campbell, Ater & Sale, 
 of Urbana, later located upon a farm in the 
 northwestern part of this county, and since 
 1893 has been a resident of Fisher, Cham- 
 paign county. On the iith of October, 
 1899, he and his estimable wife, whose 
 maiden name was Maria Cramer, celebrated 
 the fifty-fifth anniversary of their marriage. 
 She is the daughter of Solomon and Keturah 
 Cramer, of Green county, Ohio, and by her 
 marriage she became the mother of eight 
 children, namely: Willie G., Edwin Cra- 
 mer, Charles E. , John A., S. Bonner, Frank 
 O., James P. and Fannie M., all of whom 
 are living. 
 
 The birth of Dr. Frank O. Sale took 
 place in Urbana, July 18, 1856. He was 
 
io6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 reared to agriculture and pursued his ele- 
 mentary studies in the district schools. 
 Later he taught for several years, meeting 
 with success, and at length he commenced 
 the study of dentistry under the tutelage of 
 Dr. Briton, of Champaign. In 1880 he 
 opened an office and began the practice of 
 his chosen profession at Rantoul, where he 
 remained for two years. Thence going to 
 Huron, South Dakota, he was actively en- 
 gaged in dental practice for twelve years, 
 in the meantime rising to a high place in his 
 chosen field of labor. For years he was an 
 honored member of the State Dental Society, 
 of which he was president, secretary and 
 treasurer at different times. He also held 
 the appointment of Governor Melette to a 
 place on the state dentists' examining board 
 for five years, and in all of these official 
 capacities proved himself eminently efficient. 
 A great student, he neglects no opportunity 
 for self-improvement, particularly along the 
 lines of dental science. Politically, he uses 
 his franchise in favor of the Republican 
 party. 
 
 The marriage of Dr. Sale and Lillie, 
 daughter of Jesse and Rachel (Davison) 
 Partlow, formerly residents of Vermilion 
 county, Illinois, took place September 8, 
 1 88 1. Her mother, who died in 1876, aged 
 forty-nine years, and her father, whose 
 death occurred August 22, 1898, were de- 
 vout and life-long members of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church. Her sisters, Mary, 
 Ann, Jennie, Ida and Cora, and her brother 
 Frank are married. Mrs. Sale was a suc- 
 cessful teacher in the public schools of Poto- 
 mac, Illinois, for several years prior to her 
 marriage. The Doctor and wife are the 
 parents of four children, namely: Edna M., 
 a member of the senior class of the Urbana 
 high school; Charlie Partlow; Dwight O., 
 
 and Cora Virginia. They are active mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, the 
 Doctor being a steward, and teacher in the 
 Sunday school, while his wife also teaches 
 and renders material assistance in the vari- 
 ous departments of church enterprise. They 
 are highly esteemed by all who know them, 
 and their place in local society could not 
 easily be filled. 
 
 ^>EORGE WASHINGTON FLYNN, de- 
 V_J ceased, was one of the honored pio- 
 neers of Urbana, and during most of his 
 mature life was actively connected with 
 journalistic and printing enterprises in east- 
 ern Illinois. He is well remembered and 
 loved wherever he dwelt for any period, and 
 the influence of his noble, high principled 
 life is still felt by his old associates. When 
 his country was in peril, and at all times, he 
 failed not in his obligations as a citizen and 
 devoted patriot, thus giving a worthy ex- 
 ample to his children and acquaintances. 
 
 The birth of Mr. Flynn took place in 
 Bainbridge, New York, August 25, 1828, 
 and, as his father, Rufus Flynn, died when 
 our subject was young, he was reared by his 
 maternal grandparents, in Pennsylvania, 
 and early learned some of the hard lessons 
 of life. His father, a native of Dutchess 
 county, New York, was of Irish descent, 
 while his mother, Sylvia Ann (Owens) 
 Flynn, was born in Bainbridge, and was of 
 Welsh extraction. Their eldest son, Mil- 
 ton, like his historic namesake, perma- 
 nently lost his eyesight and died when he 
 was a young man. He left a widow, for- 
 merly a teacher. William, the next son, 
 lived in the east at last accounts. Marcus, 
 who reared several children, and was the 
 
GEORGE W. FLYNN. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 109 
 
 proprietor of a flourishing summer resort in 
 the mountains of the Keystone state, died 
 many years ago. Mrs. Sylvia Flynn died 
 in Chicago, on her way to the east, during 
 the dread scourge of the early '505, from 
 cholera. 
 
 The. subject of this review had very lim- 
 ited educational privileges, as he did not at- 
 tend school after he was twelve years old, 
 but by private study and observation he be- 
 came well informed, and competent to cope 
 successfully with the vital problems of life. 
 In 1 850, he came to the west, and at the end 
 of two years he arrived in Urbana, where, 
 for a short time, he worked on the construc- 
 tion of the Illinois railroad. Later he 
 clerked in the grocery of Henry Russell, and 
 in the fall of 1855 became a member of the 
 firm of Cunningham & Flynn, publishers of 
 the Urbana Gazette. Previous to his com- 
 ing to the west he had mastered the print- 
 ers' trade in newspaper offices in his native 
 state and in Pennsylvania, and thenceforth 
 he was to continue in this line of business. 
 In August, 1858, he sold out to Mr. Cran- 
 dall, and upon his return from the army in 
 October, 1864, he became associated with 
 a comrade, G. ?J. Richards, and again as- 
 sumed the management of the Gazette, 
 with which he was connected about eight 
 years, George Scroggs being his partner for 
 four years of this period. Selling out to 
 that gentleman in 1872, Mr. Flynn turned 
 his attention to a job printing and book 
 bindery office here, and in 1874 this estab- 
 lishment was removed to Danville. Later 
 it was merged into the Illinois Printing 
 company, an extensive and prosperous en- 
 terprise, of which Mr. Flynn was made 
 president and general manager, which of- 
 fices he retained until his death. He 
 abundantly proved his fine executive talent 
 
 6 
 
 and capacity for handling important affairs, 
 and year by year widened the circle of his 
 friends and admirers in the business world. 
 
 A valued member of the Masonic order, 
 Mr, Flynn belonged to the lodge, chapter 
 and commandery, and in politics he was an 
 ardent Republican. During the Civil war 
 he was prompt to respond to the call of his 
 country, and in August, 1861, was mustered 
 into Company K, Twenty-fifth Illinois In- 
 fantry. With his comrades he participated 
 in some of the most brilliant campaigns of 
 the war, and, among others, was in the 
 battles of Pea Ridge, Perrysville, Stone 
 River, Peach Tree Creek, Chickamauga, 
 siege of Corinth. During the three years 
 of his heroic service, he was ever found at 
 the post of duty, save once, when the battle 
 of Mission Ridge was in progress, and, on 
 account of severe illness, he was confined in 
 the hospital. He was second lieutenant of 
 his company, and much of the time served 
 as major or upon the staff of the brigade 
 commander. 
 
 Mr. Flynn first wedded Miss Tennessee 
 Jarvis, November 16, 1854. She was born 
 October 17, 1835, a daughter of Daniel 
 Jarvis, of North Carolina, who removed to 
 Urbana with his family some years prior to 
 Mrs. Flynn's marriage. Two children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Flynn, Carrie I., 
 January 29-, 1856, and Lenna A., Feb- 
 ruary 23, 1858. Carrie, who was a suc- 
 cessful teacher at State Line, died Sept- 
 ember 27, 1 88 1, and Lenna departed 
 this life June 3, 1872. The mother was a 
 devoted member of the Baptist church, and 
 died, strong in her faith, March 16, 1858. 
 
 On the nth of September, 1859, Mr. 
 Flynn married Berilla Garrott, daughter of 
 Eli and Miranda (Holland) Garrott, both of 
 whom were natives of Mt. Sterling, Ken- 
 
I IO 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tucky. They were married in Greencastle, 
 Indiana, and Mrs. Flynn was born in Barn- 
 bridge, Indiana, August 30, 1837. Mr. Gar- 
 rott, who was a shoemaker by trade, removed 
 to Urbana about 1858, and later, he located 
 in Mahomet, Illinois. His first wife died 
 when about forty-one years of age, and he 
 subsequently married a widow, whose 
 maiden name was Wren. He survived this 
 wife, and died in the summer of 1895. Mrs. 
 Flynn's mother was a devoted member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, while her 
 father was a Presbyterian. She is one of 
 eleven children, the others being named as 
 follows: Josephine, who was a teacher and 
 died in her twenty-second year; Melissa 
 married James Ralston, a Missouri farmer; 
 Almazy, deceased, wife of James Smith; 
 William W., who married Nettie Braden 
 and resides in Frankfort, Indiana; Charles 
 M., whose wife, formerly a Miss Quinn, is 
 deceased, and who resides in Joplin, Mis- 
 souri; Cynthia A., who died at the age of 
 seventeen years, in 1859; John Q., a widower, 
 living in Indiana; Edwin, who died at. the 
 age of thirty-two, and left three children; 
 Louisa, wife of Frank Ingalls, employed in 
 the Big Four shops in Urbana; and Holland, 
 who died when six years old. 
 
 To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Flynn six 
 children were born. Jessie B., the eldest, 
 is the wife of George Goff, general manager 
 of the St. Paul offices of the Washington 
 Life Insurance Company. Their two chil- 
 dren are Helen B. and Royal R. Nora R. 
 married George Haas, editor of the Fisher 
 (Illinois) Reporter. Their two children are 
 named respectively, Harold and Lelia. 
 Charles M., who lives with his widowed 
 mother, is employed by the Big Four Rail- 
 road Company, and J. Carl also is at home. 
 Lennie L. married Frank Lietz, of Carlisle, 
 
 Illinois, and their children are named Helen 
 and Florence. George Richards, the fourth 
 child of Mrs. Flynn, was born December 
 31, 1873, and died February i, 1875. The 
 devoted husband and father was called to 
 the better land August 11, 1888. Mrs. 
 Flynn, who is a faithful member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, has nobly per- 
 formed her duty as a wife and mother, and 
 tenderly cared for her husband's helpless 
 little ones when she entered his home more 
 than two-score years ago as his companion 
 and helpmate on life's highway. 
 
 A LANSON P. TUCKER, a successful 
 /~\ and popular dentist of Champaign, 
 Illinois, is a native of this county, born in 
 Urbana, August 16, 1859, and is a repre- 
 sentative of an old colonial family, tracing 
 his ancestry back to Daniel Tucker and his 
 son St. George. William Tucker, a grand- 
 son of the latter and the great-grandfather 
 of our subject, was a native of Virginia and 
 and a pioneer of Otsego county, New York, 
 locating there soon after the Revolutionary 
 war in the days made famous by J. Fenni- 
 more Cooper's Leather Stocking Tales. As 
 a soldier of the Continental army he aided 
 the colonies in achieving their independence, 
 and his son Alanson, the grandfather of our 
 subject, was a soldier of the war of 1812 
 and was wounded in the battle of Put-in- 
 Bay, Sandusky. Ohio. The latter was 
 probably born in Cherry Valley, New York, 
 and from there removed to Ithaca. In 1832 
 the family went to Milan, Huron county, 
 Ohio, where he died from the effects of his 
 wounds. His wife, who bore the maiden 
 name of Louis Perry, was a daughter of 
 John Perry and also a representative of an 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
 old colonial family. Both she and her hus- 
 band were highly educated and successfully 
 engaged in teaching school in early life. 
 
 Alanson Tucker, the Doctor's father, 
 was born in Ithaca, New York, January 27, 
 1827, and in 1832 accompanied the family 
 on their removal to Milan, Ohio, where he 
 attended school for a time. Later he was 
 given a university education, either at Ober- 
 lin or Miami, Ohio. He was adopted by 
 Rev. Mr. Gregory, a missionary to the 
 \Yinnebago Indians at Green Bay, Wiscon- 
 sin, being appointed agent or teacher by 
 the government, and there Mr. Tucker 
 spent much of his early life. Coming to 
 Urbana, Illinois, in 1854, he was the first to 
 embark in the manufacture of brick in this 
 county, and after his removal to Mahomet, 
 in 1861, he continued to engage in that 
 business until his death, which occurred 
 December 31, 1875. He was a strong 
 Republican and Abolitionist, and during the 
 Civil war served as justice of the peace, in 
 which capacity he tried many exciting cases 
 growing out of that struggle. Three times 
 he tried to enter the Union army but was 
 always rejected on account of near-sighted- 
 ness. In 1855, he married Miss Susan C. 
 Slater, who was born in Hughesville, Ly- 
 Cbming county, Pennsylvania, December 
 13, 1831, a daughter of Peter and Mary 
 (Shick) Slater, the former of English, the 
 latter of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. 
 Her paternal grandparents were William 
 and Elizabeth (Wert) Slater, and the for- 
 mer was a son of Peter Slater, who with 
 his brother Jacob came to the United States 
 at an early day. and were the first manu- 
 facturers of cotton goods in this country. 
 William Slater, Mr?. Tucker's grandfather, 
 was a captain in the United States navy 
 during the Revolutionary war, and was under 
 
 the command of Paul Jones. He was a 
 nephew of "Fighting" Tom Curtis, a staff 
 officer of General Washington. He settled 
 in Stanton, New Jersey, where his son, Peter 
 Slater, was born December 12, 1866. The 
 latter was a cooper by trade, but spent his 
 last years in retirement from active labor. 
 In 1854 he came to Champaign county and 
 located in Urbana, but died in Champaign 
 April 12, 1898. Mrs. Tucker came with 
 her father to this county. She is still living 
 and now makes her home with her two 
 youngest sons, George and Leonard, in 
 Nebraska City, Nebraska. Her oldest son, 
 Horace, is a druggist of Grand Island, that 
 state, a member of the firm of Horace 
 Tucker & Company. 
 
 Dr. Alanson P. Tucker, who completes 
 this family, attended the common and high 
 schools of Mahomet, and in 1879 entered 
 the office of Dr. O. F. Britton, a dentist 
 of Champaign, with whom he studied until 
 February I, 1882, when he passed the ex- 
 amination of the state board and became a 
 registered dentist. For the first four years he 
 engaged in practice in Ponca, Dixon county, 
 Nebraska, but at the end of that time he 
 returned to Champaign, which has since 
 been his home and field of operation. His 
 office is now located at No. 6 Main street. 
 From the start he has enjoyed a large and 
 successful practice, and although a com- 
 paratively young man, he is the oldest prac- 
 titioner in years of service in the city. 
 
 On the 7th of June, 1893, Dr. Tucker 
 was united in marriage with Miss Sarnie S. 
 Allison, a daughter of Samuel Allison, who 
 was a soldier of the Civil war and died 
 shortly before her birth. She was born in 
 Urbana, but after the death of her parents 
 made her home with her sister, Mrs. T. S. 
 Fitch, in Havana, Illinois. The Doctor 
 
I 12 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and his wife have a pleasant home at No. 
 902 West Church street, where they delight 
 in entertaining their many friends. 
 
 WILLIAM H. ROUGHTON, the effi- 
 cient chief of police of Urbana, is a 
 native of Champaign county, his birth hav- 
 ing occurred June 3, 1858. Hehas ever been 
 intensely interested in whatever has tended 
 to promote the welfare of this section, and, 
 in his various official positions, has won the 
 good opinion of the public by his sterling 
 integrity and adherence to duty. 
 
 His father, Samuel Roughton, also well 
 known in this city, was born in Derbyshire, 
 England, November 10, 1836, a son of 
 Jairus and Ann Roughton. Jairus Rough- 
 ton, who was an engineer and foreman in 
 extensive collieries, was killed accidentally 
 by a fly-wheel, when attending to his usual 
 duties. About four years subsequent to that 
 sad event, the mother, with her seven chil- 
 dren, sailed for the United States, and on 
 the voyage the ship encountered severe 
 storms which it seemed would engulf the 
 frail vessel. The mother died in 1889, 
 when about seventy years of age, and only 
 two of her children survive, namely: Sam- 
 uel and John, the latter being a blacksmith 
 and farmer of Rantoul, this county. The 
 family spent about one year in Jackson 
 county, Ohio, but since 1855 Samuel Rough- 
 ton has resided in Illinois. Before and aft- 
 er coming to this country, he was employed 
 in coal-mines for some years, but, in 1885, 
 he and two of his brothers engaged in 
 running a sawmill, and were thus occupied 
 for several years. Since 1865, he has held 
 the position of stationary engineer at the 
 Urbana flouring mill, and is one of the most 
 
 reliable employes of the company. Both 
 he and his estimable wife, whose maiden 
 name was Elizabeth Gibbons, are members 
 of the Universalist church. She was born 
 in August, 1838, a daughter of Robert and 
 Mary Gibbons, of England. 
 
 William H. Roughton is the eldest child 
 of Samuel and" Elizabeth Roughton. The 
 second, Spencer, died at the age of a year 
 ' and a half. Mary is the wife of George 
 Toy, of Sidney, Illinois, and their children 
 are: Cora, Leta, John, Toy and Helen. 
 Samuel, a car-repairer, resides in Urbana. 
 He married Hettie Mead, and has two chil- 
 dren, Harold and Sylvia. Stokeley, who 
 wedded Emma Hatch, and lives in this 
 place, is a car-repairer, also. Nora, wife 
 of Frank Toy, of this city, has three chil- 
 dren: Bessie, Lyle and Edna. 
 
 After completing his education, W. H. 
 Roughton worked with his father in the mill 
 for some time, and then accepted a position 
 as turnkey, under Sheriff J. E. Oldham, and 
 later, under Sheriff J. C. Ware, of Cham- 
 paign, and the late P. E. Burke. After- 
 wards, he became superintendent of the 
 county poor farm, by appointment of the 
 board of supervisors, and for two years ably 
 conducted the affairsof that institution. He 
 next became fireman on the Big Four rail- 
 road, and for a short time was conductor on 
 a street car line. Mayor Fox, who then 
 was acting as sheriff, offered our subject a 
 place as deputy, and for the ensuing six years 
 he continued as such, four years of this 
 period under D. D. Cannon. The name of 
 Mr. Roughton then came before the Re- 
 publican convention of this county, in 1898,. 
 but the present incumbent, Ernst Lorenze, 
 was the successful candidate. Our subject 
 next served as special watchman in the 
 shops of the Big Four until he entered upon 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the duties of his present responsible office, 
 May 15, 1899. Strict attention to the least, 
 as well as to the greatest of his duties, char- 
 acterizes all of his actions, and universal 
 commendation is bestowed upon him. 
 
 Fraternally, he stands high in several 
 prominent societies. He is a member of 
 Urbana Lodge, No. 157, F. & A. M. ; Ur- 
 bana Chapter, No. 87, R. A. M. ; and Ur- 
 bana Council and Commandery, No. 16, K. 
 T. In the blue lodge he is senior warden 
 and in the commandery holds the office of 
 captain general. He also belongs to the 
 Order of the Eastern Star, of which his wife 
 is now the associate matron. In 1900 he 
 is to represent the Subordinate lodge of the 
 Knights of Pythias in the Grand lodge of 
 the state, which is to convene at Danville, 
 Illinois. Besides, he is identified with the 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
 the Modern Woodmen of America, and the 
 Court of Honor. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Roughton and Myra, 
 daughter of Mrs. Howard Carver, of Auburn, 
 Indiana, was solemnized May 11,1883. Mrs. 
 Roughton, whose birth took place in the 
 Buckeye state, is a lady of excellent educa- 
 tion and social attainments. Two daughters 
 bless the home of our subject and wife, 
 namely: Ethel, who is a student in the Ur- 
 bana high school, and Nellie, who is at- 
 tending the grammar school. 
 
 f^EORGE SKINNER, who is living re- 
 V_J tired at his pleasant home on West 
 Green street, Urbana, is enjoying a compe- 
 tence to which he is well entitled, as during 
 several decades he labored unceasingly, and 
 with excellent business judgment, to amass 
 sufficient means for his declining years. He 
 
 is still in the prime of manhood, thoroughly 
 active and interested in everything along the 
 lines of progress, and ready to perform his 
 share towards the improvement of his age 
 and community. 
 
 The birth of George Skinner took place 
 in Somersetshire, England, January 29, 
 1850, his parents being Robert and Anna 
 (Rich) Skinner. Theyernigrated to America 
 in 1854, with their eight- children, and for 
 eight years resided at Elk Grove, a place 
 twenty miles northwest of Chicago. In 
 1862, the father removed to Shelby county, 
 Illinois, and about four years later settled on 
 a farm south of Homer, Champaign county. 
 Soon after his arrival in this country he met 
 with an accident which thenceforth rendered 
 him a cripple, but this misfortune he bore 
 bravely, and all who knew him loved and 
 honored him for his sterling qualities. His 
 parents, John and Elizabeth Skinner, were 
 land-holders in England. He was born 
 May 7, 1801, and died May 23, 1883. 
 
 The first marriage of Robert Skinner 
 was to Miriam, daughter of William and 
 Miriam Rich, well-to-do farmers of England. 
 After the death of his first wife, who bore 
 him six children, Mr. Skinner wedded her 
 sister, Anna, by whom he had four children. 
 Mary, the eldest of the family, and her hus- 
 band, Frederick Moore, and their only child, 
 are deceased. Mr. Moore was the owner of 
 the land on which Mount Clare now stands, 
 and sold seventy-five acres for twenty-three 
 thousand dollars. Mrs. Sarah A. Cureton, 
 the second child of Robert Skinner, lives in 
 England. William, formerly an extensive 
 farmer of Arcola, Illinois, now lives in South 
 Dakota. He married Julia Higgins, and all 
 of their ten children live near them. They 
 are named as follows: Ella, Walter, Frank, 
 George, Fannie, Mamie, Edith, William, 
 
114 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Angle and Fred. Anna, wife of Thomas 
 Vellum, of South Dakota, has four children, 
 Edward, deceased, Thomas, Edith and 
 Nellie. James, a thrifty farmer near Arcola, 
 married Ann Cheney, and their two sons are 
 named Samuel and William. Elizabeth, 
 Mrs. George Sylvester, of Chicago, lost 
 her only child, Ella. Amelia, who married 
 William Hatfield, of Paris, Illinois, died 
 leaving five children, May, Myrtle, Elsie, 
 Ella and Chester. Rhoda, widow of John 
 Junkens, has one son, Alvah. George is 
 the next in order of birth. Henry, who 
 wedded Charlotte Spencer, lives on a farm 
 south of Homer. Mrs. Anna Skinner, who 
 was born July 14. 1814, died March 25, 1883. 
 She was a noble Christian woman, beloved 
 by everybody, and for years an active mem- 
 ber of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Skin- 
 ner was an upright, conscientious man, but, 
 on account of his crippled condition, he was 
 not able to attend church. 
 
 Reared upon his father's farm, George 
 Skinner early became an experienced agri- 
 culturist, and with his brother Henry as- 
 sumed the management of the homestead. 
 In 1893 the estate was divided, Henry tak- 
 ing one hundred and eighty acres and a sum 
 of money, and later adding a quarter-section 
 of land to his original tract, while George 
 received two hundred and four acres. Be- 
 ing progressive in his methods, he made 
 substantial improvements upon his property, 
 laid miles of drainage tiles, and constructed 
 ditches, so that his farm soon became known 
 as one of the best equipped in this direction 
 in the county. Year by year he added to 
 the value of his place by judicious expend- 
 iture and care, and, though. he now leases it 
 to tenants, he maintains a watchful super- 
 vision over the whole. For twelve years he 
 served his community as a school trustee 
 
 and as a road commissioner, and for three 
 years was a supervisor of Ayers township, 
 which office he held at the time of his com- 
 ing to Urbana to live, in 1893. Here he 
 purchased several good building lots and a 
 comfortable residence on Green street. Like 
 his father before him, he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. In all of his relations with men, he 
 has been actuated by strict integrity and 
 fairness, and none know him save to highly 
 esteem him. 
 
 On the 29th of December, 1887, Mr. 
 Skinner and Mary E. Havard were united 
 in marriage. Her father, William R. 
 Havard, a native of Wales, wedded Rachel 
 Jones in that country, in 1856. The par- 
 ents of William R. were John Havard, born 
 April 10, 1792, in Wales, and Jennette 
 (Griffith) Havard, born June 20, 1794. 
 William R. Havard was born March 25, 
 1829, and died November 16, 1899. Soon 
 after his marriage he came to this country, 
 and, after five years residence north of 
 Homer, in Vermilion county, Illinois, re- 
 moved across the line into this county. For 
 three decades he continued to dwell upon a 
 farm situated in Homer township, three 
 miles south of the town of that name, and 
 for six years prior to his death he made his 
 home in Urbana. Subsequent to his ar- 
 rival in Illinois, he became an active mem- 
 ber of the Christian church, and for years 
 was an officer and elder. His eldest son, 
 John W., born in January, 1857, and un- 
 married, belonged to the Christian church, 
 and died in that faith in July, i88r. Sarah 
 Alice married M. F. Colwell, in March, 
 1878, resides near Everly, Iowa, and is the 
 mother of five children: Wilbur, Cora, Nel- 
 lie, Mary and Frank. Seth A. died at the 
 age of four years, in 1864. Elon R. mar- 
 ried Olive, daughter of L. Houser, of Ur- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 bana, May i, 1889, and their children are 
 named Rachel and Houser. Albert H., un- 
 married, is carrying on a part of the old 
 homestead. M. Jennie, formerly a favor- 
 ably known music teacher of Urbana, be- 
 came the wife of A. R. Mann, of Pullman, 
 Illinois, in December, 1898. Oliver D., un- 
 married, is employed as an electrician in St. 
 Louis. 
 
 George Skinner joined the Methodist 
 Episcopal church a number of years ago, 
 attending Arnes Chapel, near his home 
 farm, and for some time served as steward 
 and trustee there. He now, with his wife, 
 belongs to the First Methodist church of 
 Urbana, and is acting on the official board. 
 The causes of religion, education and benev- 
 olence find in him a true friend, and those 
 whom he has quietly aided when in need 
 are legion. His record is one of which he 
 has reason to be proud, and it should be 
 held up as an example for the rising genera- 
 tion. 
 
 AUG*UST C. SINGBUSCH. A brilliant 
 example of a self-made American cit- 
 izen and a grand exemplification of the prog- 
 ress that an ambitious foreigner can make 
 in this country of unbounded opportunities, 
 is shown in the case of Mr. Singbusch, 
 senior member of the firm of Singbusch & 
 Stoltey, leading grocers of Champaign. His 
 remarkable success is due to his own energy 
 and the high ideal which his lofty and laud- 
 able ambition placed before him. Success 
 in any walk of life is an indication of earnest 
 endeavor and persevering effort, character- 
 istics that he possesses in an eminent degree. 
 Mr. Singbusch was born in Germany, 
 September 7, 1857, a son of Christ and Car- 
 olina (Krueger) Singbusch, who, with their 
 
 family, crossed the broad Atlantic in 1867, 
 and took up their residence in Champaign, 
 Illinois, where the father still lives. The 
 mother died in 1892. He is a member of 
 the German Evangelical church, to which 
 she also belonged. 
 
 Our subject acquired his education in 
 the schools of Champaign and began his 
 business career as a clerk for Burnette & 
 Company, dealers in leather and hides, with 
 whom he remained two years, acquiring an 
 excellent knowledge of business methods. 
 At the end of that time he bought out H. D. 
 Stoltey, who was then engaged in the gro- 
 cery business where our subject is still 
 located at No. 105 East University avenue. 
 His store at first was quite small but during 
 the ten years that followed, his business had 
 grown so rapidly that he was obliged to 
 double his floor space by taking in No. 107, 
 thus making one of the largest grocery 
 houses in the city. He was alone in busi- 
 ness until 1890, when he formed a partner- 
 ship with W. H. Stoltey, and the firm 
 became Singbusch & Stoltey as it now 
 stands. From the first he handled some 
 queensware, to which he has kept adding 
 until he now carries a large and well selected 
 stock of valuable wares, as well as a fine 
 line of staple and fancy groceries. The 
 trade of the store has so increased that em- 
 ployment is now furnished seven people. 
 This large and prosperous business has been 
 built up by Mr. Singbusch in the last twenty 
 years, and for the success that he has 
 achieved he deserves great credit, for it is 
 due entirely to his own perseverance, energy 
 and good management. He now owns the 
 building which he occupies, and which is 
 forty feet front and sixty feet deep, all of 
 which is devoted to his business. 
 
 In July, 1880, Mr. Singbusch was united 
 
n6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in marriage with Miss Anna Wascher, of 
 Champaign, who was also born in Germany, 
 and came to this country when a small child. 
 They have two children, Arthur C. , aged 
 seventeen years, who is attending the high 
 school of Champaign; and Elsa, who is also 
 pursuing her studies there. The family 
 have a pleasant home at No. 127 East Uni- 
 versity avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Singbusch 
 are both members of the German Evangel- 
 ical church, and he has held all of the offi- 
 cial positions connected therewith and is one 
 of its liberal supporters. 
 
 Since casting his first presidential vote, 
 Mr. Singbusch has been identified with the 
 Republican party, and was a member of the 
 county and township executive committees 
 during the McKinley campaign of 1896. 
 About ten years ago he was first elected 
 alderman from his ward and while in that 
 office the city building was erected and con- 
 siderable street paving done. Subsequently 
 he was elected city treasurer and held that 
 office for two years, during which time large 
 funds passed through his hands. For four 
 years he has also been township collector, 
 and is still filling that position with credit to 
 himself and to the entire satisfaction of the 
 general public. In all the relations of life 
 he has been found true to every trust re- 
 posed in him and well merits the confidence 
 and trust so freely accorded him. 
 
 F^LIAS RUSSELL, deceased. For several 
 I/ decades this worthy citizen of Cham- 
 paign county was associated with its de- 
 velopment and success, and his name and 
 memory are held in reverent honor by the 
 hosts of sincere friends who were endeared to 
 him by his noble qualities. From time to time 
 he was chosen to fill responsible local offices 
 
 and in every instance discharged his duties 
 in a highly commendable manner. Upright- 
 ness and justice actuated him in all of his 
 business transactions, and a high sense of 
 honor was shown in his treatment of every- 
 one. To his family he has left the herit- 
 age of an unblemished name and the mem- 
 ory of a life worthily lived. 
 
 Elias Russell was one of the six children 
 of Joseph A. and Jemima (Eckhart) Russell, 
 the former a native of Virginia, and the 
 latter of Germany. The Russells were an 
 old and honored family in the Old Domin- 
 ion, while the Eckharts were prominent in 
 the early history of Ohio. When he was a 
 boy, Joseph A. Russell removed with 
 his parents to the Buckeye state, and 
 there grew to manhood. Soon after his 
 marriage he removed from Pickaway to 
 Fairfield county, Ohio, and thenceforth de- 
 voted himself to agriculture. He died in 
 1 88 1 at an advanced age, and his widow 
 survived until about 1894, when she was 
 eighty-seven years of age. Of their chil- 
 dren, Elizabeth became the wife of Daniel 
 Stump, a farmer of Shelby county, Illinois: 
 Maria, wife of William Stump, lives near 
 the old Fairfield county homestead; Mary 
 married Wilkerson Clark, of Hancock 
 county, and Sarah became the wife of Calvin 
 Foor, and lives on a farm near Villisca, Iowa. 
 
 In his boyhood, Elias Russell attended 
 the common schools in Ohio, and learned 
 the various details pertaining to agriculture. 
 In 1 860 he came to Illinois, and, after spend- 
 ing about a year in Shelby county, came to 
 Champaign county. His homestead com- 
 prised eighty acres of land in St. Joseph 
 township, and many substantial improve- 
 ments were placed upon the farm by him, 
 thus greatly increasing its value and desir- 
 ability. 
 
ELIAS RUSSELL. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 119 
 
 Industry and perseverance in all his un- 
 dertakings brought Mr. Russell well de- 
 served success, and the respect of all who 
 knew him. He served as school trustee and 
 treasurer of Stanton township, and was 
 commissioner of highways for some time in 
 St. Joseph township, besides being super- 
 visor for six or more years, and town clerk 
 for several years. He was an active and 
 zealous Republican, taking great interest in 
 the success of the party. In his religious 
 views he was what is termed liberal, as he 
 did not identify himself with any church, 
 yet he was moral and conscientious, being a 
 lover of God and humanity, and striving ever 
 to perform his whole duty. His honesty was 
 above question and his kindliness and liber- 
 ality toward the poor and unfortunate made 
 his name a household word in many a home 
 and heart. He was summoned to the bet- 
 ter land February I, 1891. 
 
 The marriage of Elias Russell and Nancy 
 M. Whitzel was solemnized September 4, 
 1860. She was a daughter of Thomas and 
 Effie (Drake) Whitzel, of Fairfield county, 
 Ohio. They were originally from Hunting- 
 don, Pennsylvania, and were pioneers in 
 Fairfield county. The mother died in 1846, 
 aged forty-six years, and the father came to 
 Champaign county, in 1866, and died in 
 Somers township, April 12, 1871. Of their 
 nine children, three have passed to the 
 silent land. Zephaniah married Jane Beatty, 
 and had five children, three of whom sur- 
 vive, namely: Effie, John and Viola. The 
 parents are deceased. Jesse, who resides 
 in Nebraska, married Hannah Wimp, and 
 their eight children are, Thomas, Hosea, 
 Ellen, Hattie, Jesse, Maggie, Eddie and 
 Luther. Mary, who became the wife of 
 Frederick Frankinburg, and lives in Staun- 
 ton township, is the mother of four chil- 
 
 dren, Thomas, Ervin, Alvin and Emma. 
 Ervin, who lives in this county, wedded 
 Mary Cross, and their children are: Effie, 
 Jesse, Mary and Elmer. Catherine is the 
 wife of Henry Free. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Elias 
 Russell was blessed with one son, Frank, 
 who was a very promising and energetic 
 business man, respected by those who had 
 known him from his early years. He mar- 
 ried Vida Full, who died in 1892, when 
 about twenty-six years old. They had .two 
 children, Ray, who is attending school, and 
 Vera, whose death occurred when she was 
 fifteen months old. Frank Russell was 
 summoned to the silent land December 12, 
 1897, and thus the devoted wife and mother 
 is left alone, with only her grandson to 
 cheer and comfort her in her declining years. 
 
 QTRAUT W. SHURTZ, M. D., a suc- 
 O cessful and popular physician of Cham- 
 paign, has a somewhat remarkable record, 
 and from the study of his life history one 
 may learn valuable lessons. The spirit of 
 self-help is the source of all genuine worth 
 in the individual and is the means of bring- 
 ing to man success when he has no advan- 
 tages of wealth or influence to aid him. It 
 illustrates in no uncertain manner what it is 
 possible to accomplish when perseverance 
 and determination form the keynote to a 
 .man's life. Depending upon his own re- 
 sources, looking for no outside aid or sup- 
 port, Dr. Shurtz has made his way in the 
 world and is to-day one of the most able 
 physicians and surgeons of Champaign. 
 
 He was born in Tazewell county, Illi- 
 nois, June 21, 1867, a son of Watson M. 
 andMalindaM. (Asher) Shurtz. His father 
 
I2O 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 was born in what is now South Lebanon, 
 Hamilton county, Ohio, January 8, 1818, 
 and is a son of John and Sarah (Von Leiter) 
 Shurtz, both of whom were born in New 
 Jersey, of German descent, and were reared 
 and married in that state, their ancestors 
 being among the pioneer settlers near Tren- 
 ton. Our subject's paternal grandfather, 
 John Shurtz, was a soldier of the war of 
 1812, and took part in the battle of New 
 Orleans under General Jackson. At an 
 early day he removed to what is now South 
 Lebanon, Ohio, and the brick house which 
 he erected there about ninety years ago, is 
 still standing. He made a business of buy- 
 ing produce, which he loaded on flat boats 
 and floated down the Ohio and Mississippi 
 rivers to New Orleans, where it was sold. 
 He would then walk back to his home in 
 South Lebanon. He also devoted a portion 
 of his time to the improvement and cultiva- 
 tion of his farm. He died there about 1830 
 when comparatively a young man. 
 
 Watson M. Shurtz, the Doctor's father, 
 was educated in the school of South Leb- 
 anon, Ohio, and remained on the home 
 farm until attaining his majority. In 1841 
 he came to Delevan, Tazewell county, Illi- 
 nois, passing through Champaign on his 
 way to that place. There he owned land 
 and engaged in farming for some time. He 
 was married in Tazewell county, in 1862, to 
 Miss Malinda M. Asher, who was born in 
 White county, Illinois, where her father, 
 Watson Asher, died, and later with her 
 mother and the other children of the' family 
 she removed to Tazewell county. Her 
 mother bore the maiden name of Sarah 
 Mickle. On disposing of his property in 
 Tazewell county, Watson M. Shurtz came 
 to Champaign county and purchased 'a farm 
 in Rantoul township which he operated for 
 
 some years, but now makes his home in 
 Champaign. He is a supporter of the Re- 
 publican party, and his wife is a member of 
 the Christian church. In their family are 
 three children: Mary J., wife of F. D. 
 Erskine, state grain inspector at Chicago; 
 Straut W. , our subject; and Richard E., 
 who is mentioned below. 
 
 Dr. Shurtz, whose name introduces this 
 review, was two years old when the family 
 removed to this county, and his early educa- 
 tion was obtained in the common country 
 schools and the Rantoul high school. His 
 father had met with reverses in business 
 when the Poctor was about nine years old, 
 and he and his brother had to begin the bat- 
 tle of life for themselves at an early age. 
 For three years prior to attaining his 
 eighteenth year, our subject taught school 
 in the county and for one year of that time 
 read medicine with Dr. J. C. Harmon, of 
 Rantoul, driving each morning five miles to 
 his school and returning at night that he 
 might spend the evening in study. For one 
 year he was a student in the scientific de- 
 partment of the University of Illinois, Cham- 
 paign, and then entered Rush Medical Col- 
 lege, where he pursued a three years' course. 
 During two years of that time he was night 
 nurse in St. Joseph Hospital on the north 
 side. After being on duty from six P. M. 
 to six A. M., he would sleep about an hour 
 and then return to the college on the 
 west side. In this way he worked his way 
 through that institution and was graduated 
 in 1893. He first located in Fisher, Cham- 
 paign county, and soon built up an excel- 
 lent practice, which extended into the coun- 
 try for many miles, so that he was on the 
 road much of the time both day and night. 
 Although this proved quite lucrative, he be- 
 lieved a broader field of labor could be found 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 121 
 
 in a larger place, and in the summer of 1 899 
 he joined his brother in practice at Cham- 
 paign, where much advantage is to be de- 
 rived from hospital work. He is engaged in 
 the general practice of medicine and also 
 does considerable surgery, performing many 
 successful operations forappendicitis. Finan- 
 cially he has prospered, and now owns a 
 nice home in the city and other property 
 which he rents. 
 
 On the 23d of August, 1894, Dr. Shurtz 
 was united in marriage with Miss May 
 Gooding, a daughter of Rev. William Good- 
 ing, a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Conference whose home is now in Blooming- 
 ton. There Mrs. Shurtz successfully en- 
 gaged in teaching school prior to her mar- 
 riage, and was quite prominent in musical 
 circles. The Doctor and his wife have two 
 children: Charles Richar'd, aged four years; 
 and William Gooding, aged two. The 
 parents are both members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and Dr. Shurtz is also 
 an active and prominent member of the 
 County Medical Society, of which he has 
 beerj vice-president and is now its censor. 
 In manner he is pleasant and cordial, which, 
 combined with his sterling worth, makes 
 him very popular with his friends and as- 
 sociates. 
 
 Richard E. Shurtz, M. D., the younger 
 son of \Vatson M. and Malinda M. (Asher) 
 Shurtz, was born on a farm near Rantoul, 
 September 26. 1870, and attended the 
 common and high schools of that place. 
 At the age of seventeen he commenced 
 teaching, and followed that profession for two 
 years, after which he was a student in the 
 University of Illinois for one year. For 
 about three years he read medicine under 
 the direction of Professor A. C. Cotton, of 
 Chicago, and during that time worked for 
 
 the Armour Company. He then matricu- 
 lated at Rush Medical College, where he 
 attended lectures during the winter, pursu- 
 ing the regular three-years' course, while 
 through the summer months he was in the 
 employ of the Armour Company. He was 
 also connected with one of the hospitals for 
 a time, and was graduated with the class of 
 1897. For the following sixteen months he 
 was successfully engaged in practice in Gif- 
 ford, this county, and at the end of that 
 time came to Champaign, where he formed 
 a partnership with his brother. They are 
 already meeting with excellent success 
 in their new field of labor, enjoying a large 
 and constantly increasing practice. Success 
 in their profession comes through merit 
 alone, and'the high position which they have 
 already attained attests their superiority. 
 The junior member -of the firm is also a 
 member of the County Medical Society. 
 He was married June 8, 1892, to Miss Nellie 
 Turner, of Champaign, a daughter of Heze- 
 kiah Turner. They have two children living, 
 Malinda and Mary. Religiously the Doctor 
 and his wife hold membership in the Chris- 
 tian church. 
 
 WALTER W. LINDLEY, one of the 
 native sons of Urbana, and the pres- 
 est efficient and popular postmaster of this 
 flourishing place, has won the commefida- 
 tion of the public during the many years of 
 his official service, by his reliability, strict 
 adherence to duty and uniform courtesy. 
 
 His father, Dr. Mahlon Lindley, was 
 one of the early physicians of Urbana, and 
 few have been engaged in practice in this 
 county for a longer period. Both he and 
 his first wife, the mother of our subject, 
 were natives of Mansfield, Ohio. She bore 
 
122 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the name of Salome M. Myers in her girl- 
 hood, and her death took place upon the 
 anniversary of her birth. She was a de- 
 voted wife, mother and friend, and was loyal 
 in her relations to the Presbyterian church. 
 For a second wife, Dr. Lindley chose Clara 
 Robinet, and they still reside in this city, 
 where they are deservedly respected. 
 
 Walter W. Lindley, whose birth occurred 
 October 20, 1860, is one of the six children 
 of Dr. Mahlon and Salome Lindley. The 
 eldest-born, Austin M., pursued a special 
 course in chemistry in the University of Illi- 
 nois, later was graduated in the Cincinnati 
 Medical College with the degree of Doctor of 
 Medicine, and is now a successful physician 
 and surgeon, and is surgeon for the Big 
 Four Railroad at Urbana. Almeda is the 
 wife of M. S. Parks, and Grace married 
 Stanley F. Boggs, who is engaged in the 
 real estate business in Chicago. Elmer 
 Ellsworth is the private secretary of the 
 general freight agent of the Great Northern 
 Railway, at Saint Paul. Dr. Mahlon, who 
 graduated in the Chicago College of Den- 
 tistry, in the class of 1896, is now practic- 
 ing his profession in Alton, Illinois. 
 
 In his youth, W. W. Lindley attended 
 the Urbana schools, where he completed 
 the high school course, and later went to 
 Quincy, there being graduated in the Gem 
 City Business College. He returned home 
 to cast his first presidential vote for Garfield, 
 and soon afterwards became assistant in the 
 postoffice, with George W. Curtis, who is 
 grand commander of the Knights Templar. 
 Later, he was given a position as deputy 
 county clerk, under J. S. McCullough, the 
 present state auditor, and served four years 
 to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. 
 
 When President Harrison became the 
 chief executive, Mr. Lindley was appointed 
 
 to the position of postmaster of Urbana, 
 then belonging to the third class, but which 
 is now a second class postoffice. After 
 serving the public in this position for 
 four years, he resigned, owing to the elec- 
 tion of a Democratic president, and became 
 president and manager of the Urbana Brick 
 Company, which transacted a thriving busi- 
 ness, as much of the paving of the city 
 streets was carried out about that period, 
 and supplies were purchased largely from 
 the concern with which he was associated. 
 President McKinley appointed Mr. Lindley 
 to the postmastership, June I, 1897, and, 
 needless to say, he has lived up to his former 
 reputation of beingoneof the most systematic, 
 painstaking officials the city has ever had. 
 
 On the 27th of September, 1882, Mr. 
 Lindley married Anna M. Konantz, a native 
 of Quincy, Illinois, and daughter of Paul 
 and Wilhelmina Konantz, both deceased. 
 Of her eleven brothers and sisters, Frank, 
 E. A. , and Dick are members of the Konantz 
 Saddlery Company, of St. Paul the largest 
 concern of the kind in the west. Frank 
 served as a soldier in the war of the Rebel- 
 lion for several years, nobly performing his 
 'duty toward his country. He pursued a 
 course of dentistry, and was graduated with 
 a degree, but turned his attention to the 
 more profitable business in which he now is 
 engaged. Another brother of Mrs. Lindley, 
 William H., is a dealer in harness at 
 Quincy, Illinois. Minnie married Myron D. 
 Smith, of Chicago, and Hattie is the wife 
 of Joseph Ripley, of Oak Park, Illinois. He 
 is engaged in railroading, and his brother, 
 Ed. Ripley, is noted as one of the leading 
 railway men of the west. John P. resides 
 at Ithaca, New York. Lizzie is unmarried. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Lindley two children 
 were born, namely: Jessie Salome, who is a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 12$ 
 
 student in the high school and who possesses 
 recognized ability as a musician. Etheldred 
 Frank also has a natural gift for music and 
 is pursuing a course in that branch in the 
 university. Mrs. Lindley is a member of the 
 Presbyterian church. Fraternally, Mr. 
 Lindley is a Mason, identified with Urbana 
 Lodge, No. 157; Urbana Chapter, No. 80, 
 R. A. M. ; and Commandery No. 16, K. T. , 
 in which lodges he has held several offices. 
 He also belongs to the Benevolent and Pro- 
 tective Order of Elks, and is exceedingly 
 popular in each of the organizations. 
 
 JA. RICHARDS. The prosperity of 
 any community depends upon its busi- 
 ness activity and the enterprise manifest in 
 commercial circles is the foundation upon 
 which is builded the material welfare of 
 town, state and nation. The most im- 
 portant factors in public life at the present 
 day are therefore man who are in control of 
 successful business interests and such a one 
 is Mr. Richards, the present alderman from 
 the first ward of Champaign, and one of the 
 leading grocers of the city. 
 
 He was born in Le Roy, McLean 
 county, Illinois, August 21, 1854, a son of 
 the Rev. Jesse and Mary J. (Gist) Rich- 
 ards. The father was a native of Maryland, 
 and a son of Stephen Richards, who was 
 also born in that state and was a representa- 
 tive of an old colonial family. The latter 
 was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary 
 war. At an early day he removed to Dark 
 county, Ohio, where he took up a tract of 
 government land, and there spent his re- 
 maining days. It was in that county that 
 the father of our subject grew to manhood 
 and married, his wife being born there of 
 
 Scotch ancestry. In 1843, with his family, 
 consisting of wife and four children, he re- 
 moved to McLean county, Illinois, and be- 
 came one of its pioneer settlers. He pur- 
 chased a section of land four miles west of 
 Le Roy at the government price of one 
 dollar and a quarter per acre, and con- 
 tinued to reside thereon until he had broken 
 and improved about half of the' place, when 
 he located in the village of Le Roy. On 
 the opening up of Saybrook, he removed 
 to that place, and from the founding of Bell- 
 flower township, McLean county, served 
 as supervisor for a great many years. He 
 finally came to Champaign county and 
 located one mile east of the present town of 
 Fisher, before the railroad had been built or 
 the village dreamed of. He contiuned his 
 residence there until three years prior to his 
 death, when he removed to Mahomet, 
 where he passed away in July, 1894, at the 
 age of seventy-seven years. He followed 
 farming and stock raising throughout life 
 with the exception of the time spent in Le 
 Roy and Saybrook. He left four children: 
 Martha A., wife of Alfred Gulick, of Maho- 
 met; Mrs. Sarah C. Thrasher, of Cham- 
 paign; J. A., our subject; and Haynes C., 
 a resident of Fisher. The wife and mother 
 died June 6, 1876. Both parents were 
 consistent and faithful members of * the 
 Christian church, always taking an active 
 part in its work, and as a pioneer preacher 
 the father held services in the log school 
 houses all over this section of the country at 
 an early day. 
 
 Our subject acquired his education in 
 the public schools of McLean and Cham- 
 paign counties, and remained upon the home 
 farm until eighteen years of age, when he 
 began working for others at farm labor. At 
 the age of twenty-two, he began life for 
 
124 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 himself as an agriculturist, and bought a 
 farm four miles east of Rantoul, where he 
 engaged in general farming and stock rais- 
 ing for some time. His next purchase con- 
 sisted of over two hundred acres of land in 
 Mahomet township, where he was extensively 
 engaged in raising high grade stock. In 
 the spring of 1893, he sold his farm there 
 and returned to his first farm, upon which 
 he erected a new house, but, in 1894, he 
 came to Champaign, where he has since 
 made his home. He purchased a half in- 
 terest in a good real estate business, which 
 he successfully carried on for two years and 
 a half, making some large sales in farm 
 lands and city property, as a member of the 
 firm of Miller & Richards. Selling out to 
 his partner, he bought a store and residence 
 property at the corner of East University 
 avenue and Fifth street, and embarked in 
 the grocery, feed and coal business, which 
 he has since conducted with marked suc- 
 cess, having built up a large and profitable 
 trade, while he furnishes employment to 
 eight people. He also owns other city 
 property, which he rents, and western lands, 
 and in all his business undertakings he has 
 met with most excellent success. He stands 
 high in public esteem and is very popular 
 with his friends and associates. Fraternally 
 he is a member of the Knights of the Mac- 
 cabees and the Home Circle. 
 
 On the 6th of October, 1880, Mr. Rich- 
 apds was united in marriage with Miss Har- 
 riet J. Frankeberger, who was born and 
 reared at Rising Station, this county. Her 
 father, John Frankeberger, was one of the 
 early settlers of the county, having located 
 here during the '405. Our subject and his 
 wife have five children: Melvin F., who is 
 with his father in the store; Clarence, Min- 
 nie, Sherman and Mabel, who are all attend- 
 
 ing school. Mrs. Richards is a member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, to the sup- 
 port of which her husband is a liberal con- 
 tributor. 
 
 WILLIAM H. FREE is a worthy repre- 
 sentative of an honored Ohio fam- 
 ily a family which has furnished many 
 loyal members to the upbuilding and preser- 
 vation of that state and the Union. Patriot- 
 ism and devotion to the good of the public 
 and the majority have been instilled into 
 the minds of every individual bearing the 
 name, and it is beyond question that 
 wherever they go the law and good gov- 
 ernment will be supported by them. Such 
 citizens are the mainstay and reliance of 
 our beloved country, and well would it be 
 for her, and for the world in general, should 
 the example of the Free family be followed 
 in-every home, and the children* trained to 
 appreciate and defend the institutions and 
 government of this land of liberty and right- 
 eousness. 
 
 William H. Free was born in the open- 
 ing year of the great Civil war, June 10, 
 1861, a son of Henry N. and Laura C. 
 (Whitzell) Free, natives of Ohio. The 
 father was successfully engaged in the prac- 
 tice of law until he was so unfortunate as to 
 lose his hearing, since which time he has 
 been in the pension business. His home at 
 present is in New Lexington, Ohio, where he 
 is highly respected. He is in the sixty- 
 ninth year of his age* while his wife is five 
 years his junior. She is an active member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and, 
 while the father is not identified with any 
 religious body, he contributes liberally to the 
 cause and is interested in educational and 
 charitable enterprises. Three of his broth- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 125 
 
 ers won distinction and placed their names 
 on the roll of Ohio's noble sons during the 
 Civil war. The eldest of the trio was J. X. 
 Free, who travels all over the United States 
 on free railroad passes and is better known 
 as the Immortal J. N. John W. served as 
 major in the Thirty-first Ohio Infantry, and 
 William was colonel of that regiment, which 
 did gallant service in some of the hardest 
 campaigns of the dreadful sectional strife. 
 Colonel William Free died July 18, 1876. 
 A sister of these heroes, Kate, married 
 Fred Hoffman, who was a soldier in the 
 Mexican war and in the Civil war also. 
 Rosa, another sister, married a Mr. Sickles 
 and died when about seventy-two years of 
 age. 
 
 In his boyhood, William H. Free at- 
 tended the public schools of Ohio, his native 
 state, and, upon completing his studies, he 
 accepted a position in his uncle's store in 
 New Lexington, Perry county, Ohio, re- 
 maining with him for four years, and thor- 
 oughly mastering the principles of the busi- 
 ness in the meantime. Then he became an 
 employee of his father, subsequently man- 
 aging a store for him at Porterville, Ohio, 
 for two years. He next went to Canal Win- 
 chester, Ohio, where he was employed in a 
 store until March, 1888. Since that time, 
 when he came to Champaign county, he has 
 been engaged in farming in the vicinity of 
 Urbana. Illinois, and attends to the cultiva- 
 tion of two hundred acres of land. He is 
 energetic and business-like in his methods, 
 and richly deserves the success he has 
 achieved. 
 
 For several years Mr. Free was con- 
 nected with the Ohio National Guard, and 
 at the time of the riots in Cincinnati, when 
 the court-house was burned, in 1882, he 
 acted in the capacity of orderly sergeant of 
 
 Company A, of New Lexington, Ohio, un- 
 der command of Captain T. J. Smith. The 
 soldier-boys were stationed on duty in the 
 streets for ten days or more, and suffered 
 severely from exposure to the inclement 
 weather. Politically, he is an ardent 
 Republican, and, following in the footsteps 
 of his father, he has neither sought nor de- 
 sired public office. Both himself and his 
 wife are members of the Court of Honor, of 
 Urbana, and are justly popular in the social 
 circles of this place. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Free and Nannie 
 E. Myers, of Champaign, was solemnized 
 February 22, 1894. She is the only daugh- 
 ter of R. H. and Mary H. (Shawhan) 
 Myers, and has one brother, Professor 
 George W. Myers, of Urbana. He was 
 graduated in the University of Illinois in the 
 class of '88, and then went to Europe, where 
 he spent two years in study and travel, be- 
 ing graduated in the University of Munich. 
 He chose for a wife, Mary Eva, daughter of 
 Judge Sim. The mother of Mrs. Free de- 
 parted this life at the age of twenty-two 
 years, in February. 1865, and the father, 
 who was born March 24, 1833, now resides 
 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Free 
 are members of the Christian church and 
 are deeply interested in whatever is calcu- 
 lated to uplift humanity. 
 
 JOHN ISAAC GROVES, M. D., a well- 
 known and highly respected citizen of 
 Champaign, was born in Virginia, Illinois, 
 May 2, 1854, and is a son of Rev. Isaac 
 Groves, whose sketch appears elsewhere in 
 this volume. His father being a minister 
 and only remaining a short time in oneplace, 
 our subject acquired his education in the 
 
126 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 various towns where the family were located 
 during his boyhood and youth. He first 
 entered school at Monticello, Illinois, where 
 two years were passed, and from there came 
 to Homer, this county, but here he was ill 
 and unable to attend school. The family 
 next went to Georgetown, Vermilion county, 
 and later spent one year in Carmargo, after 
 which they located on the father's farm in 
 this county. In the fall of 1870 they re- 
 moved to Champaign, where our subject 
 attended the high school and laterthe Univer- 
 sity, but on account of his eyes was unable 
 to complete the course at that institution. 
 In 1874 he commenced teaching school and 
 successfully followed that profession in 
 Champaign and Vermilion counties, for two 
 years each. In the meantime he commenced 
 reading medicine with Dr. Wilson, of 
 Hoopeston, and subsequently entered 
 Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, from 
 which he was graduated in the class of 1880. 
 For about two years he was engaged in prac- 
 tice at Thorntown, Indiana, and then re- 
 moved to Gibson City, Illinois, where during 
 the following four years he built up an ex- 
 cellent practice. At the end of that time, 
 at the urgent request of his father, he re- 
 turned to Champaign, believing it is- duty, 
 although he could ill afford to abandon his 
 practice. He has since had charge of his 
 father's farms and estates, and has displayed 
 excellent business ability in their manage- 
 ment. 
 
 In 1883 the Doctor was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Grace F. Groves (no rel- 
 ative), who had engaged in teaching school 
 in Danvillle, Rossville and Chicago, and 
 who died in 1885. He was again married, 
 February 17, 1887, his second union being 
 with Miss E. Lynne Burton, of Newcomb 
 township, this county, a daughter of W. D. 
 
 and Mary Burton. She was also a school 
 teacher prior to her marriage. The Doctor 
 and his wife have one child, Evangeline E. 
 While engaged in the practice of medi- 
 cine Dr. Groves was a member of the Illi- 
 nois Homeopathic Medical Society. So- 
 cially he is a member of the Modern Wood- 
 men of America, and the Knights of Pythias 
 Lodge of Gibson City, of which he was chan- 
 cellor commander. He is now a member of 
 the lodge in Champaign. He is also an act- 
 ive and prominent member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church of Champaign; and has 
 been assistant superintendent of the Sunday 
 school and is trustee of the church; and for 
 the past two years has been secretary of the 
 board of trustees and financial secretary of 
 the church. In manner he is pleasant and 
 cordial, which, combined with his sterling 
 worth, makes him one of the popular citi- 
 zens of Champaign. Politically Mr. Groves 
 affiliates with the Prohibition party and has 
 been chairman of the township central com- 
 mittee for the past five years. 
 
 A RMSTEAD M. FAULEY, an honored 
 2\ and highly respected citizen of Urbana, 
 Illinois, who is now living a retired life at 
 his pleasant home, No. 305 West Green 
 street, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, 
 September 27, 1830, and is a son of George 
 and Mary (Stoneburner) Fauley, also na- 
 tives of Ohio. The father was born in 
 Muskingum county in 1805, and throughout 
 life made his home in the Buckeye state, 
 dying there in 1834. He was a farmer by 
 occupation and was a prominent member of 
 the English Lutheran church. During his 
 life the mother was also a member of that 
 church, but afterward united with the 
 Evangelical church. She was born in 
 
A. M. FAULEY. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 129 
 
 1815, and died in 1897. By her first mar- 
 riage she had two sons: Armstead M., our 
 subject; and Edward, who first married a 
 Miss Yenser and second a Miss Davis. For 
 her second husband the mother married 
 Michael Miller, by whom she has seven 
 children, namely: Michael, who lives on the 
 old homestead in Ohio, where the mother 
 spent the greater part of her life; John, a 
 banker of Lancaster, Ohio; Maria, who 
 married a Mr. Clewell, an editor in Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, but is now deceased. Elizabeth, 
 wife of Jacob Turner, of Fairfield county, 
 Ohio; and Abraham, who died in child- 
 hood; David E., a resident of Arcola, Illi- 
 nois; and Franklin P., of Iowa. 
 
 Mr. Fauley, whose name introduces this 
 sketch, was educated in the public schools 
 of his native state. He was engaged in 
 general farming and raising blooded stock 
 in Ohio until 1857, when he came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, and continued in 
 that business for some years, making a 
 specialty of the breeding of roadsters and 
 driving horses. He purchased a farm of 
 about two hundred acres in Somer town- 
 ship, but later disposed of about sixty 
 acres. In September, 1899, he lost his 
 house and a large part of its contents by 
 fire, and after meeting with that misfortune 
 he sold his farm and moved to Urbana, 
 where he is now living retired, having prac- 
 tically laid aside all business cares. 
 
 On the 9th of April, 1856, Mr. Fauley 
 married Miss Sarah E. Leib, also a native 
 of Ohio, and a daughter of Joseph and 
 Clarissa (Allen) Leib. Her father was born 
 near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October i, 
 1799, and died in January, 1881, while her 
 mother was born in Washington county, 
 Ohio, in 1803, and died in 1863. Both 
 were active and consistent members of the 
 
 Methodist Episcopal church. Prior to her 
 marriage, Mrs. Fauley engaged in teaching 
 in the grammar department of the public 
 schools of Lancaster, Ohio, and later as a 
 teacher in the high school, under Dr. 
 Williams, for two years. She is the eldest 
 in a family of nine children, the others be- 
 ing as follows: (2) Levi H., a member of 
 the Second Illinois Cavalry during the Civil 
 war, was shot at Bolivar, Tennessee, but 
 also shot the rebel who had wounded him. 
 He died ten days later, August 23, 1862. 
 (3) William, the twin brother of Levi H., 
 died at the age of twenty-one years. (4) 
 Mary E. married Rev. J. W. Stump, a 
 graduate of the Wesleyan College of Ohio, 
 and is now a Methodist Episcopal minister 
 of Arizona, in which territory he owns one 
 thousand acres of land containing rich gold 
 and silver mines. They had one son, Ed- 
 ward, who was shot at the age of thirty 
 years. (5) Louisa Jane married John Reed, 
 and both are now deceased. Their daugh- 
 ter Alice now lives with our subject and his 
 wife in Urbana, and is studying art in the 
 Illinois University. Mrs. Fauley promised 
 her sister on her deathbed to educate her 
 two daughters, which trust she has most 
 faithfully fulfilled. She also left a son, who 
 is now a telegraph operator at Colorado 
 Springs, Colorado. (6) Clarissa A. is the 
 wife of C. C. Holton, and now resides in 
 Florida. (7) Martha R. married W. H. 
 Barber, of Columbus, Ohio, and lives in 
 Grove City, that state. (8) Joseph Findley 
 married Martha Watts, and is engaged in 
 farming and stock raising near Ogden. 
 Champaign county, Illinois. (9) Samuel F. 
 is married and is now a prominent attorney 
 of San Jose, California. The only child 
 born to our subject and his wife died in 
 early childhood. 
 
130 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The Republican party finds in Mr. Fauley 
 a stanch supporter, and he has always taken 
 an active part in all campaigns. While a 
 resident of Somer township he most ac- 
 ceptably served as justice of the peace for 
 nearly thirty years, as supervisor two years, 
 and collector of taxes one year. Any trust 
 reposed in him has always been most cap- 
 ably and satisfactorily discharged, and he 
 has the confidence and respect of all who 
 know him. At one time he was a member 
 of the Grange, and both he and his wife are 
 faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 EDWARD BLACKSHAW, D. D. S. This 
 worthy citizen of Urbana has been one 
 of the leading members of his profession in 
 this section of the state for many years, and 
 has won a well-deserved reputation for skill 
 and general ability. His history is espec- 
 ially interesting, and his numerous friends 
 throughout this and other states will take 
 pleasure in tracing his career. 
 
 His father, Joseph Blackshaw, was a na- 
 tive of England, and in his early life he en- 
 tered her majesty's service and went to Cey- 
 lon. There, in doing some civil engineer- 
 ing work, one feature of which was the 
 blasting of some rocks, he was injured by an 
 explosion, and, in consequence, lost his left 
 eye and left arm. Thenceforth the govern- 
 ment granted him a pension of fourteen 
 shillings a week, and when he had regained 
 his general health he obtained a position as 
 clerk and paymaster in Whely's iron and 
 coal mines in Staffordshire, England. He 
 retained that position for thirty years and 
 more, and died in 1866, loved and respected 
 *for the honorable fight he had made against 
 extremely adverse circumstances. He was 
 
 seventy-three years old at the time of his 
 death, and his wife, Anna (Hill) Blackshaw, 
 was about seventy years of age when she 
 was called to the silent land, in 1871. He 
 was prominent in the Odd Fellows society, 
 at one time being grand secretary of the 
 Manchester district of that order. Formerly 
 he was connected with the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and until his death he was an 
 earnest Christian man. Of his ten children 
 only three survive. Mrs. Sarah Hale, widow 
 of Edward Hale, and Mrs. Benjamin Car- 
 liss reside in England. The latter's hus- 
 band has been employed as an engineer in 
 an insane asylum for the past forty years. 
 
 Dr. E. Blackshaw, whose birth took 
 place in Staffordshire, England, September 
 i, 1831, was well educated in the schools of 
 his native land, and when he was in his six- 
 teenth year, he commenced learning the 
 trade of a taxidermist, that calling being in 
 greater demand in the British Isles than it 
 is in America. For that reason, he has not 
 pursued it to any extent in the United States, 
 though he has mounted many fine specimens 
 of the birds and beasts native to this land, 
 and as recently as 1897 prepared a splendid 
 elk. He gave the first instruction in taxid- 
 ermy that were ever given at the Univers- 
 ity of Illinois, and has not lost his intefest 
 in the craft, of which he is an adept. 
 
 In the summer of 1853 Dr. Blackshaw 
 came to the hospitable shores of America, 
 accompanied by his young wife, with the in- 
 tention of founding a home here. Locating 
 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, he commenced 
 learning dentistry with Dr. J. R. Coles, and 
 in 1858 came to this county. He has been 
 longer established in continuous practice 
 than any dentist of eastern Illinois, and his 
 fame is in no sense local. Whereas, it used 
 to be necessary to make a gold or silver 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 plate for false teeth, the Doctor was so for- 
 tunate as to successfully insert teeth in a 
 rubber plate, and was the first to introduce 
 the new idea to the public. Forty years 
 ago he made a gold plate for a lady, who is 
 still using the same plate and teeth, and a 
 gentleman in Urbana has several teeth in 
 his mouth which the Doctor filled with gold 
 forty years ago. There are two families 
 having seven members each, and all of these 
 fourteen persons Dr. Blackshaw has furnished 
 with two plates of teeth. At present and 
 for a long time past, he has been connected 
 with the Eastern Illinois Dental Association, 
 of which he served as vice-president for one 
 year, and besides, he belongs to the Dental 
 Protective Association. 
 
 The wife of his youth, who bore the 
 maiden name of Elizabeth Jones, was a 
 daughter of William and Elizabeth Jones, 
 and their marriage was celebrated in April, 
 1853. As previously stated the young couple 
 came to the United States a few months 
 subsequently. Their marriage took place 
 in the Edgebastion parish church, which is 
 more than one thousand years old. Mrs. 
 Blackshaw, who was a devout member of 
 the English Episcopal church, died in May, 
 1 88 1. The lady who now bears the name 
 of the Doctor was formerly Mrs. Mary J. 
 Strachan. She is a native of New York, 
 and is a daughter of William Morgan, of the 
 vicinity of Laurence, New York. In her 
 religious convictions, Mrs. Blackshaw is a 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 In Masonic circles, the Doctor holds high 
 rank and honor. He joined the order soon 
 after his arrival in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 
 where he belongedto Fountain lodge No. 27, 
 and when he removed to this place, he be- 
 came identified with Urbana lodge No. 157, 
 F. & A. M. In time he was exalted to the 
 
 august degree of Royal Arch Mason, in 
 Champaign Chapter, No. 50, and for four- 
 teen years in succession acted as first high 
 priest of Urbana Chapter, No. 80. For 
 twenty-two years he has been thrice illustri- 
 ous master of Urbana Council, No. 19, 
 Royal and Select Masters, and for one year 
 he was eminent commander in Urbana Com- 
 mandery, No. 18, Knights Templar. He 
 has represented all of these bodies in the 
 Grand bodies and in the Centennial year 
 had the honor of being most illustrious 
 grand master of the grand council of Royal 
 and Select Masters of the State of Illinois. 
 In 1889 he went with his commandery to 
 Washington, where he participated in the 
 competitive drill, and for a number of years 
 it was his privilege to be a representative to 
 the Grand Council of Louisiana. Thus, 
 without further reference to the high honors 
 which he has enjoyed and the numerous 
 official positions which he has filled with 
 rare ability and zeal, it may be seen that he 
 is very popular in the Masonic fraternity, 
 and that he possesses marked and distinc- 
 tive talents as an executive and organizer. 
 
 OIMEON E. WEEKS is serving as justice 
 & of the peace in Champaign, a position 
 he has filled for a number of years with 
 credit to himself and satisfaction to his con- 
 stituents. He is thoroughly impartial in 
 meting out justice, his opinions being unbi- 
 ased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity 
 to the trust reposed in him is above ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. Weeks was born in Matteawan, 
 Dutchess county, New York, on the Hud- 
 son river, sixty miles above New York City, 
 September 4, 1837, and is a son of William 
 
132 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and Wealthy (Rich) Weeks. The maternal 
 grandfather was Captain John Rich, a sea 
 captain who was lost at sea, and a repre- 
 sentative of an old Massachussetts family 
 from Roxbury, that state. The father of 
 our subject was born in Litchfield county, 
 Connecticut, June 14, 1783, and was reared 
 in that state. In early manhood he went 
 to Westchester county, New York, where 
 he was married, and then located in Dutch- 
 ess county, where he was employed in the 
 cotton factories for many years. In April, 
 1855, he came to Bloomington, Illinois, 
 and engaged in farming in McLean county 
 until 1 86 1, when he moved to Missouri and 
 purchased land there, but after farming in 
 that state for one year he returned to Illi- 
 nois and took up his residence in Fulton 
 county, where he died in March, 1869. 
 His wife had passed away December 15, 
 1868. In early life he was a Democrat, 
 but joined the Republican party on its or- 
 ganization in 1856. Religiously he was a 
 consistent member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received a 
 good practical education in the schools of 
 Matteawan, New York, and then learned 
 the trade of a bricklayer. He located in 
 Bloomington, Illinois, in 1855, just after 
 the completion of the Alton Railroad 
 through that city and when the place con- 
 tained only five thousand inhabitants. 
 There he engaged in the manufacture of 
 brick until after the Civil war broke out, 
 when he enlisted in Company A, Ninety- 
 fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was 
 under the command of Colonel W. W. 
 Orme at first, but most of the time under 
 General John McNulta. Going to Missouri 
 with his regiment, he was first in battle at 
 Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862, and was 
 
 there wounded. He was in active service 
 in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennes- 
 see, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Ala- 
 bama, and participated in all of the battles 
 and skirmishes in which his command took 
 part. After three years of faithful and 
 arduous service, he was mustered out at 
 Galveston, Texas, July 17, 1865, and re- 
 turned to Bloomington. He was interested 
 in the brick business in that city until No- 
 vember 8, 1874, when he took up his resi- 
 dence in Champaign, and here he has since 
 made his home. In 1879 he opened a 
 brickyard of his own east of Champaign 
 and north of Urbana, and gave employ- 
 ment to about sixty-five men, his pay roll 
 averaging three hundred and seventy-five 
 dollars per week. He was engaged in that 
 business until 1883, and, as a contractor, 
 laid the brick for many of the buildings in 
 the city until April, 1893, doing as large a 
 business in that line as any man in the 
 place. Being in poor health, he has since 
 given his whole attention to his official 
 duties. 
 
 Mr. Weeks has been thrice married, his 
 first wife being Miss Margaret Stevenson, of 
 Bloomington, who died leaving one child, 
 James W., now of Elizabethton, Tennessee, 
 who was a major of the Third Tennessee 
 Regiment during the Spanish-American war. 
 March i,-i866, he married Miss Kittie Ames, 
 who died December 15, 1872. On the 24th 
 of October, 1874, Mr. Weeks married Miss 
 Fannie Ames, a sister of Kittie Ames, and 
 daughter of Richard Ames, of Bloomington, 
 and granddaughter of Fisher Ames, a 
 member of the first United States Con- 
 gress, and a noted orator who delivered the 
 funeral orations of Washington, Adams and 
 Jefferson. Mr. and Mrs. Weeks have one 
 child, Algernon S., now a member of the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 133 
 
 bar of this county. The home of the fam- 
 ily is at No. 305 East University avenue. 
 While engaged in business Mr. Weeks 
 served as alderman of Champaign for three 
 terms, during which time the first paving 
 was done in the city, and the water works 
 and electric light put in, making a marked 
 change in the city. Although a Republican, 
 he was elected to that high office from a 
 Democratic ward, a fact which indicates his 
 personal popularity and the confidence and 
 trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens. 
 In 1893 he was elected justice of the peace; 
 was re-elected in 1897, and is still holding 
 that office, his present term not expiring 
 until 1901. His decisions have been sus- 
 tained in most of his cases when appealed 
 to the higher courts, and for three years 
 did more business than any other justice of 
 the peace in the city, having as high as 
 fifty-three cases in one day. He is past 
 grand of the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 333, 
 and past commander of Colonel Nodine 
 Post, No. 140, G. A. R. ; is a prominent 
 member of both orders; and has been a del- 
 egate to the State and National Encamp- 
 ments of the Grand Army. 
 
 REV. S. K. REED, a retired Methodist 
 Episcopal minister living on North 
 State street, Champaign, was born in 
 Martinsburg, Berkley county, West Virginia, 
 May 22, 1803, a son of William and Mary 
 (Karr) Reed. The father was also a minister 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
 was a native of Ireland and during his resi- 
 dence in this country made his home in 
 Martinsburg. Before he attained his ma- 
 jority he entered the Continental army dur- 
 ing the Revolutionary war, but his father 
 bought him out. 
 
 Our subject attended the public schools 
 of Martinsburg and also a small college 
 there, but the greater part of his education 
 was acquired by reading and study at home. 
 In early life he engaged in merchandising 
 until 1826, when he waslicensed to preach. 
 As one of the old style circuit riders he 
 traveled all over that section of the country, 
 but never accepted any regular pastorate. 
 In 1828 he went to Winchester, West 
 Virginia, where he married Miss Mary E. 
 Grinshaw. There he bought out a man who 
 kept a carpet store and engaged in weaving 
 and continued to reside at that place for ten 
 years, during which time he lost his wife 
 and three children. 
 
 Mr. Reed next went to Kentucky, where 
 his brother, James Reed, was a presiding 
 elder of the Methodist Episcopal church and 
 was a minister under him for a time, but on 
 account of the slavery agitation he left that 
 State and went to Ohio, where he spent 
 eight years. He joined the Northern Ohio 
 Conference, and was first stationed at Lima, 
 Ohio. In 1849 he was united in marriage 
 with Mary C. Magee, a daughter of George 
 W.Magee, of Tarlton.Picka way county, Ohio. 
 For many years shesuccessfully carried on the 
 tailoring business, and has been connected 
 with the best firms in that line in Cham- 
 paign. Mr. and Mrs. Reed had three chil- 
 dren: John W., who was a dentist of Paxton, 
 Illinois, for fifteen years, and died August 
 24, 1898; Alice O., wife of D. Wilmot 
 Rankin, of Roseland; and Flora M., at 
 home. 
 
 In the fall of 1860 Mr. Reed came from 
 Ohio to Champaign and brought with him 
 fine recommendations, but they were lost 
 by the elder before they were presented to 
 the conference. He engaged in preaching 
 under the elder for about three years, 
 
134 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 traveling over a circuit where now may be 
 found many good churches. His health 
 then failed and he was obliged to give up 
 that work, and for a time filled different 
 appointments. Since attaining his ninetieth 
 year he has preached but little with the 
 exception of funeral sermons, and is now 
 practically living retired; though he still 
 marries many couples who come to his 
 house. He has labored long and earnestly 
 in the Master's cause, and has ever sup- 
 ported those interests which are calculated 
 to uplift and benefit humanity, while his own 
 high moral worth is deserving of the high- 
 est commendation. 
 
 f>EORGE W. HUBBARD, of the firm 
 V-J of Hubbard & Sons, of Urbana, is one 
 of the leading citizens of this county. By 
 his business influence and foresight he has 
 done much to advance the interests of this 
 locality, and the loyal, patriotic spirit he 
 ever has manifested makes him very popu- 
 lar with all classes, regardless of politics. 
 
 Mr. Hubbard is a native of Middlesex 
 county, Connecticut, his birth having oc- 
 curred in the town of Durham, June 25, 
 1853. He is a son of Thomas S. and Jane 
 E. (Woodruff) Hubbard, who likewise were 
 natives of Connecticut. The former came 
 to Urbana in 1854, and in 1860 established 
 a hardware store, the first of the kind in the 
 pla^e. 
 
 The education of George W. Hubbard 
 was chiefly obtained in the schools of this 
 county, and in the University of Illinois. 
 He was one of the first students enrolled in 
 that institution, and at the time he left he 
 lacked but a few months of completing the 
 regular course. As early as 1869, he be- 
 
 came a clerk in his father's hardware store, 
 and for more than thirty years has been con- 
 nected with the business. In June, 1874, 
 he was admitted to the firm of Hubbard & 
 Sons, comprising Thomas S., Harry T. and 
 himself. This firm, which is one of the old- 
 est of this line of business in the county, 
 handles a large share of the hardware trade 
 of this section of the state, and its reputa- 
 tion for square-dealing and enterprise is 
 highly creditable. 
 
 In 1885 George W. Hubbard was hon- 
 ored by election to the responsible office of 
 city treasurer, in which capacity he acted 
 for two years. Then he was chosen as a 
 member of the city council, and acted in 
 that honorable body from 1890 to 1895. I n 
 the last-mentioned year, he was elected 
 mayor on the Republican ticket, and at the 
 end of two terms spent in that important 
 office retired to private life. While he was 
 mayor, many improvements were made in 
 the streets and sidewalks, and the stone 
 arched bridge at the west end of Main street 
 was built. He was chairman of the com- 
 mittee that had charge of putting in the 
 present sewerage system. The question of 
 whether the shops of the Big Four Railroad 
 Company should be located here came up 
 for consideration during Mr. Hubbard's term 
 as mayor, and it was due largely to his influ- 
 ence and able management Urbana owes 
 the result, which is highly satisfactory. He 
 was made treasurer of the fund raised as an 
 inducement to the company to build shops 
 here, and handed over to them thirty-five 
 thousand dollars, besides sixty-five acres 
 of land which patriotic citizens had con- 
 tributed. 
 
 On the roth of September, 1874, Mr. 
 Hubbard married Edna P. Post, of Crom- 
 well, Connecticut. She is the elder of the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 '35 
 
 two children of Eben W. and Mary (Stick- 
 ney) Post, who, likewise, were born in Con- 
 necticut. Her brother Charles is deceased. 
 Of the eight children born to our subject 
 and wife the eldest, Willie, died when three 
 months old, and Fred P., born May 28, 
 1891, died July 13, 1899. George Wallace, 
 the eldest living child, is a graduate of the 
 engineering department of the University of 
 Illinois, and now is in the employ of the 
 Murphy Iron Works, of Detroit, Michigan. 
 May W., who was graduated in the Urbana 
 high school, is now pursuing a course in 
 music in the university. Jennie is a mem- 
 ber of the junior class of the Urbana high 
 school. Julia and Ernest T. are attending 
 school. Charlie died at the age of one 
 month. The parents and the older children 
 are members of the Presbyterian church, 
 and are held in high esteem in the social 
 circles of this city. 
 
 HTHOMAS J. PATTENGALE, an honored 
 1 and highly respected citizen of Cham-v 
 paign, who is now serving as supervisor, was 
 born in Porter township, Sciota county, 
 Ohio, September i, 1843, a son of Stephen 
 and Lydia (Beloat) Pattengale. The father, 
 a native of New York, went to Ohio when 
 a young man and made his first purchase of 
 land just across the river in Kentucky, upon 
 which he located in 1851. As his children 
 grew up, he returned to Sciota county to 
 educate them and bought a farm there. In 
 politics he was first a Whig and later a Re- 
 publican, and during his residence in Ohio, 
 he served as township trustee for many years. 
 His wife was born and reared in Sciota 
 county. Coming to Illinois, in 1864, the 
 father purchased a farm in Montgomery 
 
 county and another in Christian county, near 
 Pana, and upon the latter he continued to 
 engage in agricultural pursuits until his death, 
 which occurred in 1882. The mother of our 
 subject also died there September 8, 1867. 
 Both were consistent and faithful members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Mr. Pattengale, of this review, is in- 
 debted to the public schools of his 'native 
 state for his educational advantages. After 
 the breaking out of the Civil war, he enlisted 
 several times, but was always rejected on 
 account of being small in stature, until 1864, 
 when he was finally accepted and became a 
 member of Company M, Seventh Ohio Cav- 
 alry, which was assigned to the Army of the 
 Cumberland. He saw a great deal of hard 
 fighting, was in the Atlanta campaign, and 
 then returned to Nashville to meet Hood. 
 After that engagement the command went 
 on the Wilson raid, and when near Ander- 
 sonville prison were met by a flag of truce, 
 after which they returned to Nashville, where 
 they were mustered out July 3, 1865, after 
 sixteen months of arduous and faithful 
 service. 
 
 On his return home, Mr. Pattengale en- 
 gaged in farming in Montgomery county, 
 where he made his home for twenty-seven 
 years, and where he still owns a fine farm 
 of one hundred and eighty-two acres under 
 a high state of cultivation and improved with 
 good and substantial buildings. He suc- 
 cessfully followed general farming and stock 
 raising until 1892, when he removed to 
 Champaign, and embarked in the flour and 
 feed business, which after carrying on four 
 years he sold to his sons, who now conduct 
 it under the firm name of Pattengale Broth- 
 ers. The brick building on University 
 avenue occupied by them was purchased 
 February i, 1899. For the past three years 
 
136 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Pattengale has lived retired from active 
 labor, enjoying a well-earned rest and the 
 comfortable competence secured by former 
 toil. In 1 892 he erected a comfortable resi- 
 dence on East Springfield avenue, where he 
 expects to spend his remaining years. 
 
 On the 3Oth of November, 1865, Mr. 
 Pattengale married Miss Maria Cable, also a 
 native of Sciota county, Ohio, and they have 
 three sons: Stephen M., now a member of 
 the firm of Pattengale Brothers, was well 
 educated and successfully engaged in teach- 
 ing school for some years; John K., a resi- 
 dent of Champaign, was a member of Com- 
 pany M, Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 during our recent war with Spain, and went 
 to Cuba with his regiment; Carl is the junior 
 member of the firm of Pattengale Brothers 
 and resides at home. The family attend 
 and support the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 While a resident of Montgomery county 
 our subject took quite an active and promi- 
 nent part in local politics; was a delegate to 
 the different conventions of the Republican 
 party, and was central committeeman in his 
 township for fifteen years. He was census 
 enumerator in 1890, and also served as 
 supervisor five years, and as assessor, being 
 elected to those offices in a Democratic 
 township, which fact speaks highly as to his 
 standing in the community. He was a 
 prominent and influential member of Cun- 
 ningham Post, No. 236, G. A. R., of Noko- 
 mis, of which he was adjutant and com- 
 mander, and which he represented in the 
 department commandery of the state. He 
 is now an honored member of Colonel 
 Nodine Post, of Champaign and has served 
 as its adjutant for two years. In the fall of 
 1898 he was appointed supervisor to fill a 
 vacancy, and the following spring was elected 
 to that office for a term of two years, being 
 
 at present a member of the election and 
 finance committees, the latter being quite 
 important at the present time, as the new 
 court house is in course of construction. He 
 is a man of recognized ability, public- 
 spirited and enterprising and takes a deep 
 and commendable interest in everything 
 calculated to prove of public benefit or will 
 in any way advance the welfare of his. city 
 and county. 
 
 AUGUST PFISTERER. This well- 
 known resident of Urbana is one of 
 the leading German-American citizens of 
 Champaign county, and in his successful 
 business career he has shown the character- 
 istic thrift and enterprise of his race. Be- 
 ginning with no capital except that ac- 
 quired by his own industry, he has suc- 
 ceeded in accumulating a handsome prop- 
 erty and is now practically living retired at 
 his beautiful home No. 907 West Green 
 street. 
 
 Mr. Pfisterer was born and reared in 
 Smieden, near Stutgart, Germany, August 
 ! 7. J 833. His parents, Philip and Catherine 
 (Mueller) Pfisterer, spent their entire lives 
 as farming people in Smieden. The father 
 was a soldier in the war against France in 
 1790, and a medal received for. bravery in 
 that struggle is now in possession of our 
 subject. 
 
 Mr. Pfisterer received a good practical 
 education in the schools of his native land, 
 and remained under the parental roof until 
 about twenty years of age, when he decided 
 to come to America to avoid military ser- 
 vice, as he was old enough to enter the army 
 at that time. Accordingly on the i$th of 
 June, 1853, he left home a day long to be 
 remembered by him, as he did not know 
 
AUGUST 1'FISTERER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 139 
 
 whether he would ever see his parents again, 
 and he did not return to his native land 
 until after their deaths. On reaching this 
 country he spent three months in Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio, where he had a brother living, 
 and where he worked for a butcher. He 
 then came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 where another brother made his home, and 
 found employment with B. F. Harris, liv- 
 ing twelve miles west of Urbana, feeding 
 cattle the first winter. Not knowing the 
 English language he did not. like his new 
 home at first. For three months he re- 
 ceived fifteen dollars per month and after 
 that thirty dollars. He remained with Mr. 
 Harris until after his marriage to Christina 
 Wise, also a native of Germany, and then 
 operated that gentleman's farm for a num- 
 ber of years, during which time he saved 
 money and accumulated some stock. Sub- 
 sequently he lived upon an adjoining farm 
 for three years, and at the end of that time 
 purchased ninety acres of land from Mr. 
 Harris a mile and a half southwest of Ma- 
 homet, upon which was a good log house; 
 that in later years he replaced by a resi- 
 dence costing three thousand dollars. He 
 also built a granary and other buildings 
 after he had finished paying for his land. 
 
 Mrs. Pfisterer, who for twenty-two years 
 had traveled life's journey with her husband 
 and had proved a faithful helpmeet to him, 
 died in 1876, leaving six children: John 
 W. and Charles William, both farmers of 
 this county; Jacob Oscar, also a farmer, 
 who died three years ago; Frank F. , a 
 farmer of this county; Rose E., wife of 
 Oscar Wright; and Susan, wife of James 
 Ospen, of Iowa. Mr. Pfisterer was again 
 married in 1878, his second union being with 
 Mrs. Julia A. Latshaw, who died in March, 
 1883. On the 2nd of October, 1885, he 
 
 married Mrs. Almira Jane (Cox) lunrich, 
 widow of Jacob lunrich, a brother of our 
 subject's second wife. She was born in 
 Perry county, Pennsylvania, and belongs 
 to an old and highly respected family of 
 that state, her father being Colonel William 
 Cox, commander of a regiment in the state 
 militia, and a prominent business man of 
 Perry county. Her grandfather represented 
 his district in the state Legislature for sev- 
 eral terms. 
 
 As his financial resources increased, Mr. 
 Pfisterer added to his farm until it com- 
 prises two hundred and fifty acres, which he 
 still owns, and also purchased a farm of one 
 hundred and twenty acres near Staley, but 
 has now practically divided his property 
 with his children. In 1881 he purchased a 
 residence in Champaign and removed to 
 that place, but after the death of his second 
 wife he returned to his farm, remaining 
 there two years. When he was again mar- 
 ried, he bought a farm near his wife's old 
 home in Pennsylvania, but not liking the 
 location he sold out at the end of two years 
 and returned to this county. Here he pur- 
 chased more land, so that he had a half 
 section in Mahomet township, as well as 
 another one hundred and sixty acres in the 
 same township, and there successfully en- 
 gaged in farming and stock raising for three 
 or four years. He then returned to Cham- 
 paign, where he still owns a house, one 
 block west of the University, but a year and 
 a half later he sold that place, and bought 
 his present beautiful home on West Green 
 street, Urbana, one of the choicest locations 
 in the city. He has always endeavored to 
 buy property where it could be sold advan- 
 tageously. At present he is not actively en- 
 gaged in any occupation though he continues 
 to look after his property interests. 
 
140 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Politically Mr. Pfisterer is a stanch sup- 
 porter of the Republican party, and has 
 held several local offices, serving as school 
 director for many years. He is a member 
 of the Masonic Order, and was also con- 
 nected with the Odd Fellows Lodge at Ma- 
 homet until it broke up, and he is still hold- 
 ing a certificate. Both he and his wife are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 and are held in high regard by all who have 
 the pleasure of their acquaintance. 
 
 JACOB F. HERBSTRIET. One of the 
 upright, enterprising young business 
 men of Urbana is he of whom this sketch 
 is penned. By diligence and strict atten- 
 tion to the needs and wishes of his cus- 
 tomers he has won the favor of the public, 
 and rarely, if ever, finds any leisure time upon 
 his hands of late years. Public spirited and 
 progressive, he takes great interest in the 
 prosperity of this community, and performs 
 his full share towards the common welfare. 
 Though he is a native of Germany, his 
 birth having occurred in the town of Wit- 
 landsweiler, Wurtemburg, August 26, 1864, 
 he was so young when he came to the 
 United States that he is, to all intents and 
 purposes, an American. With his two sis- 
 ters, Caroline and Maggie, he accompanied 
 their parents, Jacob Frederick and Anna 
 Herbstriet, to the hospitable shores of this 
 fair land some thirty years ago, three weeks 
 being spent in making the voyage. An 
 uncle of our subject, Matthew Herbstriet, 
 had crossed the Atlantic previously, and an 
 aunt, Mary, who became the wife of Fred 
 Sweitzer, in Cincinnati, Ohio, also had 
 come to America. Anna, widow of Fred 
 Kinzel, who died November 28, 1899, 
 
 aged sixty years, resides in Mattoon, Illi- 
 nois; Effie, who married John Ross, of Ur- 
 bana, died in 1888, and Mrs. Sanborn 
 died in Missouri. Several of the brothers 
 and sisters of our subject's mother reside 
 in Germany, but none live in this country. 
 Mrs. Anna Herbstriet departed this life 
 about five years subsequent to the arrival of 
 the family in the United States. 
 
 Of the seven children born to Jacob 
 Frederick and Anna Herbstriet all but two 
 have passed to the better land. Maggie, 
 wife of James Vaughn, resides on Sixth 
 street, Champaign, Illinois. Caroline, 
 who was born in 1861, and died in 1892, 
 was the wife of Ryman Herbe, and left 
 five children to mourn her loss. Effie died 
 in Germany with the small pox, which dis- 
 ease the father also had, and the other 
 members of the family suffered from it in 
 its lightest form. Fred and Frank, twins, 
 did not outlive babyhood, the latter being 
 about two years old at the time of his 
 death. Annie, the youngest child, died 
 when in her twenty-second year, in 1893. 
 
 From the time of his arrival in Illinois, in 
 1870, until 1879, J. F. Herbstriet lived with 
 his relatives in Champaign, attending the 
 common schools and making thorough prep- 
 aration for the more serious duties of life. 
 Beginning to work at the trade of a tailor in 
 the year last-mentioned, he found employ- 
 ment for several years with John Ross, of 
 Urbana, and about nine years ago he em- 
 barked in business here independently. He 
 has been located at his present commodious 
 quarters in the Masonic building, on Main 
 street, from the beginning, and, as the 
 workmanship and style of all clothing or- 
 dered of him is excellent, and gives a high 
 degree of satisfaction to all of his patrons,. 
 he commands a large and lucrative trade. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 141 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Herbstriet and 
 Miss Josephine Hill was celebrated April 16, 
 1885. Her father, William Hill, who died 
 in 1894, at the advanced age of eighty-two 
 years, was a native of Ohio, and was one of 
 the old and honored pioneers of Urbana, his 
 residence here extending over a period of 
 thirty-five years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Elizabeth Simmers, is still living 
 at their old home on South Vine street. 
 Mrs. Herbstriet is one of eight children, 
 namely: William, Jesse, Joseph, Thomp- 
 son, John, who was drowned in the Oswego 
 river; Josephine, Carrie, and Alice, who 
 died in 1882, aged fourteen years. Joseph 
 is married, and is carrying on a farm in 
 Woodbury county, Iowa. The half-brother 
 of Mrs. Herbstriet is deceased. The only 
 child of our subject and wife is Jean, a 
 bright little girl of ten years. Mrs. Herb- 
 striet has ably assisted her husband in his 
 business during the past nine years. 
 
 In political affairs, Mr. Herbstriet is a 
 Republican, and fraternally, he is a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic order and belongs to the 
 Modern Woodmen of America. He de- 
 serves great credit for the success which he 
 has achieved, for it is founded upon true 
 merit and correct business principles. 
 
 OOBERT ABERNATHY, a well-known 
 1 V carriage and sign painter of Champaign, 
 who has made his home in that city since 
 the spring of 1879, was born in Jennings 
 township, Fayette county, Indiana, May 10. 
 1846, and is a son of James and Susanna 
 (Burk) Abernathy. The father was a native 
 of Dunlapville, Union county, Indiana, and 
 a son of Robert Abernathy, who about 
 1800 removed from South Carolina to Indi- 
 
 ana, the state at that time being an unbroken 
 wilderness inhabitated only by the red men 
 and a very few white settlers, for whose 
 protection a block house had been built near 
 the present site of Dunlapville. There he 
 took up land and continued to make his 
 home throughout life, but his death occurred 
 in Fayette county, Indiana. He was of 
 Scotch descent. The father of our subject 
 grew to manhood in his native county, and 
 at an early day entered one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land in Hancock county, Indi- 
 ana, which he proved up and continued to 
 own until a short time before his death. 
 From his father he also received a farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres in Fayette 
 county, and upon that place he lived. He 
 was a member of the old state militia, and 
 both he and his wife were earnest and con- 
 sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. She was born and reared in Ohio, 
 and was a daughter of John Burk, who later 
 moved with his family to Indiana. Our 
 subject's father died in March, 1867, and 
 the mother in February, 1882. 
 
 Mr. Abernathy, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, passed his boyhood and youth 
 on the home farm and obtained his educa- 
 tion in the schools of the neighborhood. 
 He was married, November 25, 1865, to 
 Miss Tabitha Finnell, and about two years 
 later came to this county, locating in Cham- 
 paign township, six miles southwest of the 
 city of Champaign, where he owned a farm 
 of eighty acres and engaged in general farm- 
 ing and stock-raising for some time. There 
 his wife died, August 4, 1874, leaving three 
 sons: William Arthur, who is mentioned be- 
 low; James Madison, who assists his father 
 in business; and Walter M., of Champaign. 
 
 After the death of his wife, Mr. Aber- 
 nathy stopped farming and traded his farm 
 
142 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 for property on East University avenue, be- 
 tween First and Second streets, Champaign, 
 consisting of two lots, upon one of which 
 he erected a residence, the other a shop. 
 Here he has since successfully engaged 
 in carriage and sign painting, his work 
 displaying considerable artistic taste, and 
 gaining for him a worthy reputation in that 
 line. He now has the oldest exclusive car- 
 riage shop in the city, and he and his son 
 are kept constantly busy to meet the de- 
 mands of their trade. In his political affili- 
 ations he is a Democrat. 
 
 On the 25th of September, 1884, Mr. 
 Abernathy was again married, his second 
 union being with Miss Susan Conwell, of 
 Champaign, also a native of Indiana. She 
 was reared in Richmond, that state, and 
 came to Colfax, Illinois, with her father, 
 Robert Conwell, the same year that our sub- 
 ject located here. They have one child, 
 Leola Frances. Mrs. Abernathy is a most 
 estimable woman and a member of the 
 Christian church. 
 
 ARTHUR W. ABERNATHY, proprietor of 
 the Abernathy studio of Champaign, which 
 is one of the best studios in this part of 
 the state, was born in Rushville, Indiana, 
 August 29, 1866, and was only two years old 
 when brought by his parents to this county. 
 After completing his education in the com- 
 mon and high schools of Champaign, he 
 entered the studio of Mr. Holland in 1882, 
 at the age of fifteen years, to learn the art 
 of photography, and spent three years with 
 him. Subsequently he worked in different 
 galleries here and in other cities, and then 
 started in business for himself in Champaign. 
 Later he had an interest in galleries outside 
 of the city, but carried on business here in 
 partnership with F. W. Stafford until their 
 studio was destroyed by fire January 6, 
 
 1899. Since then Mr. Abernathy has been 
 alone, and on the completion of the new 
 building opened his present gallery on the 
 ground floor, which was planned especially 
 for him and is one of the finest studios in 
 the central part of the state, being ninety 
 feet long and supplied with all conveniences. 
 Mr. Abernathy is certainly master of the art 
 to which he devotes his talents, and has met 
 with most gratifying success. On the I2th 
 of March, 1891, he was united in marriage 
 with Miss Mary E. Skelly, of Pekin, Illi- 
 nois. Both are members of the Christian 
 church, and he also belongs to the Modern 
 Woodmen of America, the Red Men and 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 having passed all the chairs in the subordi- 
 nate lodge of the last named fraternity. 
 
 REV. WILLIAM SUESSMITH, pas- 
 tor of St. Peter's United Evangel- 
 ical church, of Champaign, was born in 
 Darmstadt, Germany, October 28, 1869, a 
 son of Adam and Elizabeth Suessmith, who 
 have always made their home in Darmstadt. 
 The father was a civil engineer in the em- 
 ploy of the government and had oversight 
 of all the engineering in his division, which 
 is similar to our counties, this including rail- 
 roads and all. 
 
 During his boyhood Rev. Suessmith 
 pursued his studies in the colleges of his 
 native land. At the age of fifteen years he 
 came alone to the United States, landing in 
 New York, in 1884, and he spent some time 
 in the office of his uncle, a physician of that 
 city. He then entered Berea College 
 (Ohio), remaining there within one year of 
 graduation, and next became a student in 
 the Theological Seminary of the Evangel- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 143 
 
 ical Synod of North America, where he 
 pursued the full course and was graduated 
 with the class of 1895. He was then or- 
 dained and accepted his first charge at 
 Houston, Texas, as pastor of the First 
 Evangelical Lutheran church of that city. 
 He next went to Warrenton, that state, 
 where he renovated the church and built a 
 school in the parish, but on account of his 
 health he had to leave Texas, the climate 
 not agreeing with him. In August, 1899, 
 he came to Champaign and accepted the 
 pastorate of St. Peter's Evangelical church. 
 This church has a membership of over 
 one hundred families and is the largest Ger- 
 man church in the county. The congrega- 
 tion was organized in 1864 and the first 
 clergyman was Rev. I. M. Harthman, the 
 missionary for this district, but the first res- 
 ident pastor was Rev. Julius Schumm, who 
 remained here three years and nine months, 
 leaving July 11, 1869. During this time 
 the first church was built and dedicated on 
 the last day of December, 1865. Rev. 
 Schumm was succeeded by Rev. N. R. 
 Buehler, and was pastor two years, and in 
 turn was succeeded by Rev. John Andres, 
 who remained until 1873. The next pastor 
 was Rev. H. Strehlow, who was in charge 
 of the work here for the long period of 
 twenty-two years, or until 1895, and it was 
 during his pastorate that arrangements were 
 made to build the new church, but it was 
 not started until after the arrival of Rev. 
 Frederick Werhahn, from December, 1895, 
 to April, 1898. This brick edifice, on the 
 corner of University avenue and Fourth 
 street, was dedicated in 1896. It was built 
 at a cost of about twenty-five thousand dol- 
 lars, and has a seating capacity of nine hun- 
 dred. The parsonage, which adjoins the 
 church, was purchased in 1890. There is 
 
 also a parochial school with W. Rathmann 
 as teacher, who is also organist in the church, 
 which is supplied with a fine new pipe organ. 
 This school is under the supervision of the 
 pastor, and has forty pupils in attendance. 
 The church has increased in membership 
 quite rapidly, especially in the last three or 
 four years, and is one of the most success- 
 ful in the county. The Ladies Society, at 
 their tenth anniversary in July, 1899, had 
 sixty members, while the Young People's 
 Society has forty-five members. The latter 
 bought the organ for the church in 1899, 
 and the three bells in 1896. Through the 
 efforts of Rev. Suessmith several interior im- 
 provements have already been made in the 
 church, and he is doing an excellent work 
 in the community. Broad in his views and 
 sympathies, a friend of the poor and op- 
 pressed, ever ready with helpful counsel for 
 the perplexed or sorrowful, he has a wide 
 field for labor and well does he discharge its 
 arduous and sacred duties. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Evangelical Synod of North 
 America. 
 
 On the 5th of December, 1895, Rev. 
 Suessmith was united in marriage to Miss 
 Amelia Eschenbach, who was born in Han- 
 over, Germany, and was given an excellent 
 education, her uncle being a college pro- 
 fessor in Verden, Hanover. She is also a 
 fine musician and a most estimable lady. 
 
 JOHN REIMUND, deceased, was one of 
 the prominent and most highly respected 
 citizens of Urbana for many years, and, 
 though about eighteen years, with note- 
 worthy changes, have passed since he was 
 summoned to his reward, the memory of his 
 noble life and sterling virtues is undimmed 
 
.144 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in the minds of the hosts of sincere 
 friends to whom he had endeared himself. 
 
 Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, January 
 24, 1821, he was a son of Solomon and 
 Elizabeth (Hessheizer) Reimund, likewise 
 natives of the Keystone state. The father, 
 who died about 1872, when eighty-one years 
 of age, was a manufacturer and dealer in 
 furniture, and was favorably known in Bed- 
 ford, where he made his home for almost a 
 life-time. He was an earnest member of 
 the Lutheran church, and led the choir for 
 a long time. His wife also was a devoted 
 member of the church, and their home was 
 noted for hospitality and good cheer. She 
 departed this life in 1852, loved and mourned 
 by everyone who knew her. Their eldest 
 child, Mary, first married William Weisel, 
 whose death occurred about a year subse- 
 quently. His widow later became the wife 
 of Henry Nicodemus, who survives her. 
 She died when in her sixty-third year, and 
 her husband now is approaching his nine- 
 tieth year. Of their five children John and 
 Mary are unmarried, and the others are 
 William, whose wife, formerly Julia Reed, 
 is deceased; Ellen, wife of Harry Harclay; 
 and Frank. Henry, youngest child of Solo- 
 mon Reimund, makes his home in Beatrice, 
 Nebraska. He was married, in Bedford, 
 Pennsylvania, to Mary Ann Ridebaugh, and 
 three sons were born to them, namely; Am- 
 brose, William and Alfonzo. . , 
 
 John Reimund, whose name heads this 
 sketch, was educated in the Lutheran schools 
 at Bedford, and when he had completed his 
 studies he commenced learning the jeweler's 
 trade. He was thus employed for about six 
 years, one year being in the employ of his 
 brother-in-law, Mr. Weisel. Going to 
 Hagerstown, Maryland, the young man was 
 there engaged in business for four years, 
 
 after which he returned to his native place 
 and continued to conduct a jewelry store on 
 his own account until 1853. At that time 
 he located in Princeton, Illinois, and three 
 years later he went to Wabasha, Minnesota, 
 where he pre-empted a claim, and fulfilled 
 the conditions of the law in regard to the 
 property. At Red Wing, in the same state, 
 he was employed at his trade until August 
 1 8, 1862, when, he offered his services to his 
 stricken country. 
 
 Then, as we all know, were the days 
 that "tried men's souls," and for three 
 years John Reimund was ever found at the 
 post of duty, though how often did his 
 thoughts return to the happy little family 
 he had left in the north, and who he was 
 not to see for the entire period of his army 
 life. He had enlisted in Company F, Sixth 
 Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, 
 and from October, 1862, until the following 
 fall, his regiment was kept in the home 
 state, guarding the settlers from threatened 
 Indian outbreaks. During the winter of 
 1864 Mr. Reimund was kept on guard duty, 
 having charge of prisoners, and then was 
 sent to Helena, Arkansas, on that rigorous 
 campaign, where great numbers of his com- 
 rades died of illness contracted in camp. At 
 the time of Lincoln's second election, he 
 was stationed at the St. Louis barracks, 
 and voted for the great American who was 
 so soon to fall by the hand of an assassin, and 
 here it may be stated that our subject always 
 was a loyal advocate of the Republican 
 party. He took part in the military opera- 
 tions around New Orleans and participated 
 in the last battle of the war. At Ft. Ridgely, 
 in Minnesota, his regiment was disbanded, 
 and in August, 1865, just three years from 
 the date of his enlistment, he was granted 
 an honorable discharge from the army. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 145 
 
 Imagine the happy re-union of John 
 Reimund and his family, who for three 
 dreadful years of anxiety and suffering had 
 been separated. The brave wife, whose 
 part had been no less difficult than his own, 
 had returned to Bedford with their five chil- 
 dren, and had nobly performed her duties. 
 Now she tenderly cared for her husband for 
 nearly a year, as his health was broken 
 down in the arduous campaigns of the south- 
 west. In December, 1866, the family re- 
 moved to Urbana, where Mr. Reimund's 
 brother Henry was a resident. Buying the 
 stock and good will of his sister's husband, 
 Mr. Ridebiugh, our subject continued to 
 carry on the business here until his death, 
 which occurred June 5, 1882. He had won 
 the respect of the people of Urbana, and had 
 identified himself with all of their interests. 
 For a number of years he served as steward 
 in the Methodist Episcopal church, besides 
 being chorister for a long period, and a 
 teacher and leader of the singing in the Sun- 
 day-school. 
 
 The marriage of John Reimund and Re- 
 becca Nawgel took place March 29, 1849. 
 Her ancestors were numbered among the 
 old and honored pioneers of Bedford county, 
 and to-day she has some documents in her 
 possession which were written there one 
 hundred and three years ago, and yet are 
 well preserved. Her grandfather, Anthony 
 Nawgel, came from Baden, Germany, and 
 was one of the first treasurers of Bedford 
 county. He married Sarah Faust. Her fa- 
 ther, Frederick Nawgel, who. was born Jan- 
 uary 1 8, 1791, and died May 15, 1880, was 
 a prosperous farmer, owning upwards of 
 seven hundred acres of valuable land. He 
 was very prominent in the Lutheran church, 
 and besides being an elder until late in life 
 he served as superintendent of the Sunday- 
 
 school for a score of years. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Eva Ott (and who was a 
 daughter of Michael Ott) was born May 8, 
 1795, afi d died May 15, 1863. She, too, 
 was a zealous church member, and carried 
 her religious faith into her every-day life. 
 Her two eldest children, Anthony and Phoebe, 
 died in infancy. Michael, born in June, 
 1819, died in 1897. He married Maria 
 Horn, now deceased, and several children 
 blessed their union. Sarah, born October 
 15, 1821, became the wife of the Rev. P. P. 
 Lane, and the mother of ten children. Both 
 parents and seven of their children have 
 passed to the better land. Elizabeth, de- 
 ceased, was the wife of George Logan, and 
 three of their children survive. Frederick, 
 now seventy-five years of age, married Hen- 
 rietta Cavendish in his youth, and of their 
 large family seven survive. Anna, widow 
 of David Coffman, of St. Louis, Missouri, 
 has four living children. 
 
 Mrs. Rebecca Reimund was born and 
 reared in Bedford, Pennsylvania, the date of 
 her birth being January 5, 1831. By her 
 marriage she became the mother of seven 
 children, one of whom is in the silent land. 
 Her daughter, Levanda, lives with her, and 
 her youngest child, Solomon J., a confec- 
 tioner, has a store in Urbana, in one wing 
 of his mother's house on Main street. Fred- 
 erick B., a jeweler by trade, resides in Iowa. 
 George A., whose home is in Sullivan, Illi- 
 nois, married Agnes Bushman, and has one 
 child, Grace A. Wilbur O., of Lawrence- 
 ville, Illinois, and a tobacconist by occupa- 
 tion, married Gertrude Ingersoll, and has 
 one child, Harold R. Clara, wife of J. L. 
 Charni, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, has four 
 children, Guy, Dean, Hazel and Fred. Al- 
 meron A., the third child of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Reimund, died at the age of three years, as 
 
146 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the result of an attack of the croup, his ill- 
 ness lasting only three hours. Many heart- 
 breaking sorrows and lesser griefs have be- 
 fallen Mrs. Reimund, but she has borne 
 them patiently and with the fortitude of a 
 true Christian, believing always that " all 
 things work together for good to them that 
 love the Lord," and feeling happy in the 
 faith that some day she shall join her loved 
 ones who are waiting her on the other shore. 
 
 WILLIAM HARTFORD, D. O., who 
 is successfully engaged in the prac- 
 tice of osteopathy in Champaign, Illinois, 
 was born in Henderson county, this state, 
 December 6, 1856, and is a son of Winfield 
 Scott and Lucetta R. (Thomas) Hartford, 
 both natives of Ohio, the former born in 
 Muskingum county, the latter in Cayuga 
 county. The family has been well repre- 
 sented in the wars of this country, the 
 great-great-grandfather of our subject hav- 
 ing come to this country in 1740 and 
 served as a British officer in the French and 
 Indian war; four great uncles of the father 
 being soldiers of the Revolution; and Will- 
 iam Hartford, the grandfather, a soldier of 
 the war of 1812. The Hartfords are of 
 Scotch-Irish origin. 
 
 Winfield S. Hartford, the Doctor's 
 father, was a farmer by occupation. About 
 a month after his marriage in Union county, 
 Ohio, .he moved to Henderson county, Illi- 
 nois, where he purchased land and made 
 his home until 1866, when he went to Adair 
 county, Missouri, and bought a section of 
 land, upon which he engaged in farming and 
 stock raising for many years. He met with 
 excellent success in his undertakings, and is 
 now living retired with his daughter, Ella, 
 
 in Springfield, Missouri. His first wife and 
 the mother of our subject died in Adair 
 county, in the fall of 1867. Of the eleven 
 children born to them, two, Justus and Lin- 
 coln, died in infancy. The others were 
 Eliza, now the widow of R. G. David, a 
 Union soldier, of Coffey county, Kansas; 
 Mary A., wife of A. J. Brooks, a Union sol- 
 dier, of Clark county, Iowa; Sarah E., 
 widow of Alexander McLelland and resi- 
 dents of Cameron, Missouri, where she 
 makes her home with her son, Charles, an 
 osteopathist; William, our subject; John T. , 
 a farmer of Putnam county, Missouri; Isaac 
 J., formerly a college professor, now an 
 osteopathist engaged in practice in Dayton, 
 Ohio; Ella L., wife of H. F. Walker, of near 
 Springfield, Christian county, Missouri; 
 Martha R. , wife of Robert Bledsoe, of Schuy- 
 ler county, Missouri; and Washington I., an 
 osteopathist of Kirksville, Missouri. The 
 last named was a twin brother of Lincoln, 
 who died in infancy. The father was again 
 married, June 15, 1870, his second union 
 being with Emily F. McFerron, by whom 
 he had three children: Grace, who is the 
 widow of Charles Albright, and is now en- 
 gaged in the practice of osteopathy in Salem, 
 Oregon; Winfield S., Jr., who is engaged in 
 farming near Davenport, Iowa; and Andrew 
 J., who follows the same pursuit near Dav- 
 enport. 
 
 Dr. Hartford, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, obtained his primary education 
 in the district schools of Adair county, Mis- 
 souri, and later was graduated from the 
 State Normal at Kirksville and also from 
 the Kirksville Mercantile College. Up to 
 this time he had made his home with his 
 father, and then engaged in teaching the 
 country schools of Adair county for five 
 years, in the high schools of Monroe county 
 
WILLIAM HARTFORD, OSTEOPATHIST. 
 
 GRADUATE OF AMERICAN SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHY, 
 
 KIRKSVILLK, Mo. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 149 
 
 one year, and the high schools of Schuyler 
 county, Missouri, for two years. At the 
 end of that time he was elected county 
 superintendent of schools in Adair county 
 for a term of two years, and was again 
 offered the office, but declined, preferring to 
 go to St. Edward,. Nebraska, where he was 
 principal of the high school for two years. 
 On account of his wife's health he returned 
 to Missouri, and accepted the professorship 
 of commercial law and arithmetic in the 
 Kirksville Mercantile College. 
 
 On the 26th of March, 1882, Dr. Hart- 
 ford was united in marriage with Miss Hat- 
 tie Sterrett, who was born in Missouri, in 
 1860, a daughter of Johnson and Margaret 
 (Ryals) Sterrett. Her father entered the 
 Union army during the Civil war and died 
 in a hospital in 1861. Her mother survived 
 him only a short time, and after her death, 
 Mrs. Hartford was adopted by her uncle, 
 Peter Crockett Berry, of Iowa, in which 
 state she was reared. The Doctor and his 
 wife have two children: William Scott, 
 born April 16, 1883, is now attending the 
 Champaign high school; and Naoma R. , 
 born November 3, 1891, is attending the 
 grammar schools of that city. 
 
 In 1893 Dr. Hartford resigned his posi- 
 tion in the Kirksville Medical College on ac- 
 count of his wife's health. He soon became 
 interested in osteopathy, as his wife was 
 cured by that science. Only as a last re- 
 sort and with great misgivings he placed her 
 in Still's infirmary at Kirksville, but she was 
 completely restored to health. He decided 
 to go deeper into the mysteries of that 
 science, and studied for four terms of five 
 months each in the American School of 
 Osteopathy at Kirksville, from which he 
 graduated June 22, 1897. On the 28th of 
 the same month he opened an office in 
 
 Clarinda, Iowa, and successfully engaged in 
 practice there for a few months, during 
 which time he effected some marvelous 
 cures, among them being Miss Shenton, of 
 Coin, Page county, Iowa, who was totally 
 blind for twenty-three years; and D. R. Mc- 
 Alpine, of Clarinda, who was suffering 
 from chronic Bright's disease and was pro- 
 nounced incurable by some of the most 
 eminent physicians of Iowa. In October, 
 1897, on account of the anti-osteopathic 
 law passed in Iowa, he went to Ogden, 
 Utah, where he met with splendid success 
 in his profession, but was three times ar- 
 . rested on the charge of practicing without 
 license, and came out victorious in each 
 case. On the ist of April, 1898, he came 
 to Champaign, Illinois, and engaged in 
 practice here with remarkable success until 
 October, 1898, when, on account of the 
 opposition he encountered, he returned to 
 Clarinda, Iowa, as a law had been passed 
 legalizing osteopathy in that state. After 
 such a law was passed in Illinois, he 
 again came to Champaign in September. 
 1899, and here he is now meeting with 
 splendid success, having effected some won- 
 derful cures and won the confidence of the 
 people. The Doctor is the author of an 
 excellent definition of osteopathy, as fol- 
 lows: Osteopathy is the method of science 
 which attributes the etiology of disease to 
 an abnormal condition of the bones, mus- 
 cles, ligaments and fascia causing an ob- 
 struction of the circulation of the life giving 
 fluid; especially a treatment the basis prin- 
 ciples being the adjustment of the bones, 
 muscles, ligaments and fascia, thereby re- 
 moving all obstruction to the vital forces 
 that there may be freedom to all life-giving 
 fluids and forces, using the bones as levers 
 to accomplish this object. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The Doctor and his wife are members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church and take 
 quite an active part in church work. So- 
 cially he is a member of Adair County 
 lodge, No. 366, F. & A. M., of Kirksville, 
 Missouri, and the K. P. lodge, No. 72, of 
 the same city. 
 
 WILLIAM S. ROYAL. .Urbana is for- 
 tunate in possessing so many enter- 
 prising young business men, citizens who 
 take genuine pride in the development and 
 beautifying of the place, as does the subject 
 of this sketch. Within a few years he has 
 built up a lucrative business and enviable 
 reputation for square-dealing, and, judging 
 by the past, his future holds much of promise. 
 
 He is a son of William and Eunice 
 (Withrow) Royal, who were natives of Ohio, 
 and, at an early day settled in Tippecanoe 
 county, Indiana, buying a homestead from 
 the government. The father was born Feb- 
 ruary 6, 1820, and was called to his reward 
 May ii, 1894, loved and honored by all 
 who knew him. He was a devoted mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 in the days of the so-called circuit riders, 
 his home was a favorite stopping place for 
 the ministers of that denomination. The 
 mother, who was born February 9, 1825, is 
 yet living, and takes an active interest in 
 church work. 
 
 The first death in the large family of 
 William Royal, was his own, six years ago, 
 and no other break in the circle has yet 
 occurred. The eldest, Anna, who first mar- 
 ried John Stingle and had three daughters, 
 is now the wife of John Mozier, of Columbia 
 City, Indiana. Jennie, widow of Perry Sea- 
 wright, resides in Frankfort, same state. 
 Josie, widow of Dr. Goldsberry, makes her 
 
 home in Lafayette, Indiana. Fannie, also 
 a resident of Lafayette, is the wife of S. 
 Wade. Samuel T., whose wife formerly 
 was Mary E. Cole, lives in Lafayette. James 
 A. married Fannie Seawright, and is a cit- 
 izen of Idaville, Indiana. Ella A., who 
 married J. D. Bush, resides in Urbana. 
 Julia, wife of William Frantz, lives in Day- 
 ton, Indiana, and Clara, Mrs. Linn Frazier, 
 is a resident of Fowler City, Kansas. 
 Charles E., the youngest, is located in 
 Lafayette. 
 
 William S. Royal, who is next to the 
 youngest of the family, was born in Tippe- 
 canoe county, Indiana, May 16, 1864. He 
 was reared upon his father's fine, productive 
 farm in that county, and took just pride in 
 having everything about the homestead in 
 fine condition. About 1886, he accom- 
 panied his father to Kansas, where both took 
 up quarter-sections of land, and held the 
 property until it became theirs, according 
 to the law. In 1888, the young man dis- 
 posed of his land, and thus made his start 
 in the business world. Going then to Kan- 
 sas City, he engaged in the oil business, and 
 continued to devote his energy to that enter- 
 prise until 1892. Since that year he has 
 made his home in Urbana, and now con- 
 ducts a grocery trade, and at the same time 
 deals in oil quite extensively. During the 
 past year or two his sales in the last-men- 
 tioned commodity have amounted to thirty- 
 one thousand, five hundred gallons, annu- 
 ally. He buys from the Standard Oil Com- 
 pany, and keeps the best grades in the 
 market. Success has come to him as the 
 result of merit and diligence, and his cus- 
 tomers are invariably his friends. He now 
 owns and carries on two groceries, in differ- 
 ent parts of the city, and, though competi- 
 tion is keen in this line, he is prospering. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Royal is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. Socially, he is a member of the Odd 
 Fellows order, the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, the Court of Honor and Daughters 
 of Rebecca. His means and influence are 
 freely used in the support of all meas- 
 ures which he believes will promote the wel- 
 fare of his community and country, and thus 
 his example is well worthy to be followed 
 by patriotic citizens. With his wife he holds 
 membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 Our subject's wife, formerly Miss Kate 
 Harris, is, like himself, one of eleven chil- 
 dren, both families having seven daughters 
 and four sons. Their marriage was cele- 
 brated March 30. 1887, and three children 
 bless their home, namely : William Glenn, 
 Lester Harris and Hazel A. Mrs. Royal's 
 parents are Rev. J. G. and Sarah (Horn) 
 Harris, now living retired at Bellefontaine, 
 Ohio, and are enjoying excellent health of 
 mind and body. The father was born Feb- 
 ruary 14, 1817, in York, Pennsylvania, and 
 is a great-grandson of the Rev. Nicholas 
 Kurtz and grandson of Rev. Jacob Goering, 
 pioneers of the Lutheran faith in the Key- 
 stone state. Rev. Mr. Harris entered the 
 junior class at Pennsylvania College in 
 1839, and was graduated in the theological 
 seminary at Gettysburg in the class of '42. 
 Having been ordained, he accepted a pas- 
 torate at Bellefontaine, Ohio, and later oc- 
 cupied the pulpits of his denomination at 
 Shanesville, Tuscarawas and Tippecanoe 
 City, Ohio. For two years he was a pro- 
 fessor in Wirtemberg College, Springfield, 
 Ohio, and in May, 1856, he was elected 
 president of the Kentucky synod, and four 
 years later was re-elected, serving in that 
 important capacity for six years. Both he 
 and his wife have been a power for good in 
 
 their generation, and possess the love of a 
 multitude to whom they have endeared 
 themselves. The wife and mother was 
 born August 16, 1822, and, besides rearing 
 several children to take honored places in 
 "the world's broad field of battle," she 
 nobly aided and encouraged her husband in 
 his long years of labor and trial. A great 
 sorrow came to them in their early married 
 life in the loss of their two eldest daugh- 
 ters, who died only three days apart of scar- 
 let fever, the father being absent from 
 home at the time. Elizabeth was about 
 three years old and Maria was in her sixth 
 year. The first born of the family, John, 
 now of DeGraff, Ohio, married Matilda 
 Schick. Sarah, the eldest surviving daugh- 
 ter, is the wife of J. D. Lamb, of Bellefon- 
 taine. Jacob Goering, who wedded Mary 
 Keller, and William C. , whose wife was 
 Anna Adams, both reside at Bellefontaine. 
 Susan, Gustavus A., and Emma E., unmar- 
 ried, live with their parents, the son man- 
 aging his father's farm. Louisa J. is the 
 wife of Joseph Yates, of Bellefontaine. 
 
 LORENZO DOW MASSEY, a prom- 
 inent and successful real estate dealer 
 of Champaign, was born in Marion, William- 
 son county, Illinois, June 18, 1860. His 
 father, Fortner Massey, was born in the 
 north of Ireland of Scotch ancestry, and 
 came to this country as a boy with his par- 
 ents, locating in North Carolina, where the 
 grandfather of our subject engaged in 
 merchandising until his death. There the 
 father was reared to manhood and received 
 his education. He then removed to Vir- 
 ginia, where he met and married Miss 
 Jane Eaton, a native of that state, and as a 
 
152 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 wedding trip came to southern Illinois, 
 about 1849. He pre-empted land in 
 Williamson county, and soon was the owner 
 of a well-improved and valuable farm of five 
 hundred acres, one of the finest places in 
 that section. Mr. Massey was one of 
 the leading breeders of fine horses in that 
 county, and was one of its best known and 
 most prominent citizens, but would never 
 accept public office. He was a strong 
 Union man during the Civil war, but did not 
 enter the army on account of a crippled 
 hand. He always saw that the companies 
 got transportation, conveying them himself 
 to the railroad station in Carbondale. His 
 wife died in 1862, leaving five children, of 
 whom our subject is next to the youngest, 
 and he died upon his farm three years later. 
 After his father's death our subject was 
 bound out to Maston Walker, a very wealthy 
 and noted man, with whom he remained 
 until seventeen years of age, and then went 
 to Edgar county, Illinois. He received a 
 thorough education, attending the Marion 
 high school, the Southern Normal at Car- 
 bondale, and the Normal at Normal, Illinois, 
 and for ten years he successfully engaged in 
 teaching school in Champaign county, where 
 he located in 1886, seven years of that time 
 as teacher in the Dunham school, Hensley 
 township, and the remainder in Savoy and 
 as assistant for a short time in the west side 
 school in Champaign. He has also taught 
 at teachers' institutes, and for two years 
 engaged in farming. He has visited all 
 parts of the county, and is probably as well 
 known to the farmers as any man within its 
 borders. In November, 1892, he opened a 
 real estate and loan office at No. 3 Main 
 street, where he still carries on business, 
 making a specialty of mortgage loans, and 
 in this undertaking he has met with most 
 
 gratifying success. Since making his first 
 loan, in 1891, he has never had a foreclos- 
 ure, although he has done a large business. 
 He also buys and sells considerable real 
 estate, and is a good judge of city values, 
 being a shrewd and capable business man of 
 sound judgment and untiring energy. In 
 his politicial affiliations he is a Republican. 
 On the 1 3th of July, 1892, Mr. Massey 
 was united in marriage with Miss Myrtle 
 Dunham, of Champaign, a graduate of the 
 high school of that city, and a daughter of 
 William Dunham, a representative of one ot 
 the early families of Hensley township. By 
 this union has been born one child, Mildred. 
 The family residence, at the corner of Union 
 and Lynn streets, was purchased by Mr. 
 Massey in 1894. Both he and his wife are 
 active and prominent members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church. 
 
 WILLIAM HILL, deceased, for many 
 years a highly respected and honored 
 citizen of Urbana, Illinois, was born in Tus- 
 carawas county, Ohio, November 8, 1812, 
 and was a son of Charles and Charity 
 (Vaughn) Hill, who were born, reared and 
 married in Kentucky, and later moved to- 
 Ohio, locating on a farm in Tuscarawas 
 county, where they spent the remainder of 
 their lives, both dying at a good old age. 
 The mother was a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. In their family were the 
 following children: Robert, who has been 
 dead many years; Charles, deceased, who 
 was married in Ohio, but after the death of his 
 wife returned to Kentucky, where he secured 
 land on a land warrant given to his grand- 
 father for services in the Revolutionary war; 
 Catherine, wife of Zachariah Pierce; Joseph, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 153 
 
 \vho died in Iowa, about 1884; Margaret, 
 who married Daniel Anderson and died in 
 1879; William, our subject; John, who died 
 young; Jesse, who died in February, 1895; 
 Nancy, wife of James Lewis; and Thomas, 
 who died at the age of eighteen years. 
 
 William Hill grew to manhood in his 
 native state, and there he married Miss 
 Priscilla Lewis, a sister of James Lewis, 
 previously mentioned, and she died near 
 Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in 1834. By that union 
 he had three children, namely: Job, who 
 was accidentally killed at the age of four- 
 teen years; Thomas, a member of an Illinois 
 regiment tor three years during the Civil 
 war, and who lived only a few years after his 
 discharge, he and his wife dying on the same 
 day; and John, who completes the family. 
 
 Mr. Hill was again married July 27, 
 1848, his second union being with Miss 
 Hannah Elizabeth Simmers, a daughter 
 of Henry and Martha (Davis) Simmers, 
 the former a native of Canada, the 
 latter of Westmoreland county, Penn- 
 sylvania. They were married in 1820, 
 when the father was twenty-one years of 
 age. .By occupation he was a farmer. He 
 died in 1880, and his wife April 20, 1864, 
 at the age of sixty-five years. Both were 
 active members of the Methodist church, 
 and the mother was regarded as one of the 
 best church singers of her day. Their chil- 
 dren were as follows: Matilda, wife of 
 Christian Roth and a resident of Tuscara- 
 was county, Ohio; and Mary Ann, wife of 
 Newell Litten, of Monroe county, Ohio; 
 Mahala, deceased wife of James Brice; John 
 Wesley, who lives near Dugger, Indiana; 
 James William, who is living with his daugh- 
 ter, Laura Bullard, near Worthington, In- 
 diana; and Henry Clay, whose home is near 
 Jasonville, Indiana. By his second mar- 
 
 riage our subject had eight children: Will- 
 iam Henry, who lives with his mother in 
 Urbana; Jesse, who was in old Mexico when 
 last heard from; Joseph L. , a resident of 
 Iowa, who married Lottie Turner and has 
 four children, Mabel, Lloyd, Clara and 
 Frank; Charles T., at home; John W. , who 
 was drowned in Kansas at the age of twenty- 
 nine years; Martha J., wife of Jacob Herbs- 
 treit, whose sketch appears on another page 
 of this volume; Carrie E., at home; and 
 Allie, who died July 27, 1882, at the age 
 of fourteen years. 
 
 On leaving Ohio, Mr. Hill removed to 
 Sullivan county, Indiana, where he made 
 his home for eleven years, and in March, 
 1863, came to Urbana, Illinois. He en- 
 gaged in digging ditches, followed farming 
 and was employed as a general laborer. 
 He cast his first vote for General W. H. 
 Harrison, the Whig candidate, and later 
 affiliated with the Republican party. He 
 died November 22, 1894, at the age of 
 eighty-two years, honored and respected by 
 all who knew him. His family resides at 
 No. 206 Vine street, and are widely and 
 favorably known in the community where 
 they have long made their home. 
 
 CHARLES M. EAGLETON, a well- 
 V^kno\vn constable of Champaign, and one 
 of its highly esteemed citizens, was born in 
 Newton, Jasper county, Illinois, October 
 24, 1857, natives of Tennessee and Pennsyl- 
 vania, respectively, who were married in In- 
 diana. When a young man the father re- 
 moved to Vigo county, Indiana, where he 
 became acquainted with the lady who after- 
 ward became his wife, and where he engaged 
 in school teaching and farming a few years, 
 
154 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 when he removed to Jasper county, Illinois, 
 and took up a tract of new land, making it 
 his home throughout the remainder of his 
 life. It was a good sized farm and quite 
 well improved. He served as justice of the 
 peace for several years, and during the Civil 
 war enlisted as lieutenant of Company B, 
 Ninety-eighth Illinois Cavalry, but his health 
 failed and he was placed in charge of a gov- 
 ernment supply store at Helena, Arkansas, 
 where he was taken with fever and died. 
 He left five children. The mother is now 
 Mrs. Benjamin Miller and is still a resident 
 of Jasper county. Religiously she is an 
 earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 Our subject was reared upon the home 
 farm and obtained his education in the com- 
 mon schools of the neighborhood and the 
 normal school at Newton. On the ist of 
 January, 1879, he married Miss Margaret L. 
 Howell, of Jasper county, and then engaged 
 in farming on his own account in that coun- 
 ty. Subsequently he removed to Douglas 
 county, this state, where for two years he 
 handled stock with James Ellers, a promi- 
 nent stock dealer of Illinois, and while there 
 his wife died, leaving two children, namely: 
 Mena B., and Ruby, wife of Walter Ellis, a 
 farmer of Newton. 
 
 After traveling for some time through 
 different parts of the state, Mr. Eagleton 
 came to Champaign in the winter of 1 884-5, 
 and here engaged in telephone work and 
 later in carpentering until elected constable 
 in June, 1897. Since then he has given the 
 greater part of his time and attention to the 
 duties of that office, but is also interested in 
 the real estate business, buying and selling 
 property for himself and as agent 
 for others. He has handled real estate in 
 Jasper county, and now owns property in 
 
 Neoga. In connection with his official 
 duties he has done considerable detective 
 work, especially in connection with the 
 murder of Snyder, who was killed on 
 Thanksgiving day, 1899. 
 
 Mr. Eagleton has been twice married, 
 his second wife being Mrs. Minnie (Conroy) 
 Murphy, of Champaign, who by her first 
 marriage had one son, Elmer Murphy, and 
 by the second union there is also one child, 
 Charles M. Eagleton, Jr. As a Republican 
 our subject takes an active interest in politi- 
 cal affairs, and does all in his power to ad- 
 vance the interests of his party. He is a 
 prominent Odd Fellow; is past grand; has 
 represented the lodge in the Grand lodge, 
 is a member of the Encampment; and is dis- 
 trict deputy of Champaign Lodge, No. 333. 
 He is also official examiner and instructor on 
 unwritten work in jurisdiction of this state. 
 
 BURT GORDON IJAMS, principal of 
 the third ward school of Urbana, was 
 born in that city, December 23, 1871, and 
 is a son of Joseph R., and Margaret (Gor- 
 don) Ijams, the former a native of Muskin- 
 gum county, Ohio, the latter of Michigan. 
 The mother was the only child of Alexander 
 and Catherine (Batty) Gordon, natives of 
 London, England, and New York, respect- 
 ively. They came west in 1835 an ^ ner 
 mother died in Michigan at the age of seventy 
 years, her father in Illinois, at the age of 
 eighty-eight. They were members of the 
 Episcopal and Presbyterian churches. Mrs. 
 Gordon was a daughter of William and 
 Sarah Batty, who were also born in New 
 York, and from that state removed to 
 Pennsylvania, where they made their home 
 for twenty years, but spent their last days 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 '55 
 
 in Michigan. Mr. Batty was a farmer by 
 occupation. In his family were seven chil- 
 dren, three sons and four daughters, but 
 only one is now living, Avaline, wife of 
 Samuel Van Duzer. who lives near Ann 
 Arbor, Michigan. 
 
 Lewis Ijams, our subject's paternal 
 grandfather, was born in Maryland, in 1797, 
 of Welsh descent, but spent the greater part 
 of his early life in Ohio, where he served as 
 quartermaster and colonel in the state mili- 
 tia. In 1851 he came to Illinois and became 
 an extensive stock raiser near Bloomington. 
 He married Eliza Rodman, who was born 
 in Pennsylvania and was descended from 
 old Quaker ancestry of Ireland. Both have 
 been dead for many years. In their family 
 were eleven children. Those living are: 
 Joseph Rodman, father of our subject; 
 Lewis E., who is mentioned below; George, 
 a resident of Bloomington; Mrs. Mary Grif- 
 fith, of Colorado; Charlotte, wife of Rev. J. 
 W. Colwell, a member of the Central Illinois 
 Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and Jennie, who lives with her 
 brother, Lewis E., and Mary, who lives in 
 Boulder, Colorado. Lewis E. Ijams, uncle 
 of our subject, was born in Muskingum 
 county, Ohio, November 21, 1841. He 
 was a soldier of the Civil war, enlisting first 
 on the loth of May, 1862, in Company F, 
 Sixty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 for three months, and re-enlisting, April i, 
 1863, in Company M, Sixteenth Illinois 
 Cavalry. His first engagement was the 
 battle of Jonesville against Longstreet's 
 cavalry, where as orderly sergeant he com- 
 manded his company, repulsing a charge in 
 a hand-to-hand encounter and meeting with 
 heavy losses. He was severely wounded 
 and taken prisoner with the entire command. 
 After his recovery he was with the army sent 
 
 against General Hood, and took part in the 
 battles of Nashville, Columbia, Duck River 
 and Franklin, having charge of his company 
 and also the battalion a part of the time, al- 
 though not a commissioned officer. A 
 severe storm was raging during the battle of 
 Nashville, and suffering from exposure he 
 was obliged to go to the hospital on the 
 second day of that engagement. He practi- 
 cally had command of his company for ayear, 
 and was discharged at Chicago, October 1 1, 
 1865, with the rank of captain. This 
 company lost thirty-three men in Anderson- 
 ville and other southern prisons. Captain 
 Ijams now resides in Bloomington, and has 
 served as county treasurer of McLean county 
 for twelve or fifteen years. 
 
 About 1850, Joseph R. Ijams, father of 
 our subject, came to Illinois and settled 
 near Bloomington. In 1867 he came to 
 Champaign, and is now living retired at No. 
 299 South Race street, Urbana. In early 
 life he was interested in railroad business, 
 and served as assistant superintendent of the 
 Chicago division of the Wabash railroad 
 for twelve years, ending about 1880. He, 
 too, was a soldier of the Civil war, enlist- 
 ing in the early part of 1 86 r, as a private 
 in the Ninety-fourth Illinois Volunteer In- 
 fantry. He remained in the service four 
 years and participated in many important 
 battles, but fortunately was never wounded 
 nor taken prisoner. He served in the 
 office of General McNulta while the latter 
 was at New Orleans. He had three chil- 
 dren: Lewis A., who died in 1871, at the 
 age of two years; Burt G., our subject; and 
 Harriet Catherine, who is attending school 
 at Washington, D. C. 
 
 Mr. Ijams, whose name introduces this 
 review, was educated in the Urbana high 
 schools and the Illinois University, and in 
 
5 6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 1891 commenced teaching in the district 
 schools of this county. He accepted a po- 
 sition as teacher in the public schools of 
 Urbana in 1894, and two years later was 
 made principal of the intermediate depart- 
 ment. Since then he has been promoted to 
 principal of the grammar department and 
 is still filling that position in a 'most credit- 
 able and satisfactory manner, being one of 
 the most thorough and competent teachers 
 in the city. He is a stanch Republican in 
 politics, and is a member of the Alpha Tau 
 Omega, a college fraternity, and of the 
 Presbyterian church. 
 
 JOHN T. LUMSDEN, an honored veteran 
 of the Civil war, is now living retired in 
 Champaign, and is enjoying the fruits of his 
 many years of honest industry and success- 
 ful business enterprise. Respected and ad- 
 mired for what he has accomplished, and 
 for the manly way in which he has met all 
 of the obligations of citizenship, he has 
 reason to be proud of his record, and to his 
 children it will be a more desirable and 
 lasting inheritance than wealth. 
 
 Mr. Lumsden comes of good old Virginia 
 families, his parents, William and Lucy 
 (Keelen) Lumsden, being natives of that 
 state. Soon after their marriage, they re- 
 moved to Kentucky, where the father owned 
 a large plantation and kept numerous slaves 
 until 1830, when he settled in Morgan 
 county, Illinois. There he purchased or 
 took up two hundred acres of land, and in 
 addition to that, owned one hundred and 
 twenty acres in Macoupin county. For 
 years he was accounted one of the substan- 
 tial agriculturists of his county, and though 
 he was urged, on more than one occassion, 
 to accept public positions, he persistently 
 
 declined. Though born and reared in the 
 south, he was strongly averse to secession, 
 and, after the organization of the Republi- 
 can party, he became one of its stanchest 
 advocates. When, a youth, attending 
 school near Louisa, Virginia, he formed the 
 acquaintance of Jefferson Davis, a student 
 there also, and, personally, they were warm 
 friends at that period. He and his devoted 
 wife reared nine children, all of whom sur- 
 vive, namely: Susan, wife of John Brace- 
 well, of Iowa; Martha, wife of Thomas 
 Widdup, of Iowa; James, of Waverly, 
 Illinois; Marion, of Green county; John; 
 Nancy, wife of Howard Ayre, of England; 
 Edward, of Monticello, Illinois; Mary, wife 
 of Edward Wyatt, of Maryville, Illinois; 
 and Angeline, a resident of the same town, . 
 and wife of Hardin Rimby. The father de- 
 parted this life in 1890, when in his eighty- 
 eighth year, and the mother was ninety at 
 the time of her death. 
 
 John T. Lumsden was born April 16, 
 1839, in Morgan county, and when he was 
 old enough he attended the nearest school, 
 which was held in a log cabin about three 
 miles away. The country was sparsely 
 settled, and the schools were conducted 
 upon the subscription plan. From the time 
 that he was fourteen years of age until he 
 was fully grown, the youth worked very hard 
 on the farm, performing almost a man's 
 labor, and doing heroic duty at clearing 
 away timber and cultivating the land. 
 
 Lessons of patriotism and loyalty to the 
 right had been early inculcated in young 
 Lumsden's rnind, and when his country 
 called for brave and true men to come to 
 her defense, he quickly responded, and on 
 August i, 1 86 1, was enrolled as a private 
 in Company G, First Missouri Cavalry. 
 His service was in the west, where for 
 
JOHN T. LUMSDEN. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 159 
 
 nearly two years he and his ccxnrades were 
 obliged to fight the bushwhackers and bor- 
 der outlaws, who took advantage of the 
 critical situation in Missouri to pillage 
 and plunder, kill and destroy lives and 
 property. Then, for a period, Mr. Lums- 
 den was stationed in Little Rock and vicin- 
 ity, and, besides participating in number- 
 less skirmishes, he was actively engaged in 
 the great battles of Pea Ridge and Prairie 
 Grove, and went on the famous march with 
 Curtis from Pea Ridge to Helena For 
 three months he was on half rations, and 
 his privations and thrilling experiences 
 so severely taxed his strength, rugged 
 country youth that he was, that on De- 
 cember 15, 1864. he was mustered out 
 of the service on account of disability 
 which he could no longer contend against. 
 For two years after his return home he was 
 on the invalid list, and at times it seemed 
 that he never would recover even a tithe of 
 his accustomed health and vitality. 
 
 On the 26th of March, 1866, Mr. Lums- 
 den married Elizabeth Ayre, a native of 
 Lancashire, England. She is a daughter of 
 Jonas and Ann (Towers) Ayre, both of Lan- 
 cashire, and her brothers, Richard and 
 John, reside in Monticello, Illinois. Her 
 sister Jane died in infancy and another sis- 
 ter, Parthenia, became the wife of our 
 subject's brother, Edward. Jonas Ayre 
 was a cabinet maker by trade, and for many 
 years was engaged in taking large contracts 
 for fine work in that line, employing skilled 
 hands to execute his orders. In 1857, he 
 came to the United States, and for twelve 
 years engaged in contracting and building 
 in Jacksonville, Illinois. Then he carried 
 on a farm near Monticello for three years, 
 after which he was practically retired, mere- 
 ly looking after his property interests. He 
 
 died November 25, 1899, when nearly 
 seventy-eight years of age, and his wife, 
 who had died January 31, 1890, was then 
 in her seventy-fourth year. 
 
 About two years subsequent to his mar- 
 riage, Mr. Lumsden removed to a farm of 
 eighty acres, in Colfax township. The 
 tract was wild prairie, not a rod of the turf 
 having been turned by a plow, and thus a 
 great task confronted him. He built a 
 small cabin and at once set about making 
 necessary improvements upon the place, 
 which, within a few years, bore little re- 
 semblance to the farm he had located upon. 
 At different times he added land to his 
 original farm, until it comprised two hun- 
 dred acres, all in a body. He judiciously 
 expended money in tiling, ditching, and 
 innumerable improvements, and continued 
 to dwell there until March, 1892, when he 
 disposed of the property to Samuel Wills, 
 and moved to Champaign. Later, he in- 
 vested some of his means in four hundred 
 and forty acres of land, located on sections 
 17, 1 8, 19 and 20, Hensley township. This 
 is very desirable farm land, and at present 
 it is being cultivated by our subject's sons, 
 who, like their father before them, are 
 practical, energetic agriculturists. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Lumsden four children 
 were born. Robert T., the eldest, now a 
 resident of Hensley township, married Alice 
 Campbell, and has two children, Raymond 
 and Nora. Richard Ayre married Nellie 
 Dibble and lives in Hensley township. Their 
 three children are named respectively: Sybil, 
 Ruth and Richard. William E., who is en- 
 gaged in business in Anderson, Indiana, 
 chose Mary Stormfeldt for his wife. George 
 L., who married Laura K. Young, makes 
 his home in Anderson, also, and is em- 
 ployed as a skilled mechanic. 
 
i6o 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Lumsden belongs to 
 Colonel Nadine Post, No. 420, G. A. R. 
 Both he and his wife are members of the 
 Presbyterian church. The latter, in com- 
 pany with her father, visited her old home 
 in Lancashire, England, in 1891, and 
 greatly enjoyed the trip. Politically, Mr. 
 Lumsden is a Republican, and his personal 
 popularity was shown when he was elected 
 as road commissioner in a strong Demo- 
 cratic township. He served in the capacity 
 for twelve years, giving general satisfaction, 
 and for ten years was one of the drainage 
 commissioners of his district, which locality 
 was the first one properly drained, the land 
 now being as valuable as any other. For over 
 twenty years he acted as a member of the 
 board of education, and aided in building 
 the first school in his distrct. 
 
 JOSEPH O'BRIEN. It is astonishing to 
 witness the success of young men who 
 have emigrated to the United States without 
 capital, and from a position of comparative 
 obscurity have worked their way upward to 
 one of prominence. The readiness with 
 which they adapt themselves to circum- 
 stances and take advantage of opportunities 
 offered brings to them success and wins 
 them a place among the leading men of 
 the community in which they reside. In 
 Mr. O'Brien, a well-known civil engineer of 
 Champaign, we find a worthy representa- 
 tive of this class. 
 
 He was born near Summerhill, County 
 Meath, Ireland, February 13, 1836, a son of 
 John and Margaret (Hoggarty) O'Brien. 
 The father, a farmer and nurseryman by oc- 
 cupation, crossed the Atlantic in 1854, to 
 Quebec, Canada, where he died that sum- 
 
 mer, leaving three children, two sons and 
 one daughter, orphans at an early age in a 
 strange country, 
 
 Our subject had received a good, practi- 
 cal education in the schools of his native 
 land, and at Quebec, in 1854, he found em- 
 ployment on the railroad survey as chain 
 bearer. As soon as he had saved enough 
 money to pay his expenses, he studied civil 
 engineering in the Royal Engineers School, 
 at Hamilton, Upper Canada. On first 
 coming to Illinois, in 1856, he was con- 
 nected with the survey of the Peoria & 
 Oquawka railroad, and when work was dis- 
 continued there he entered the service of 
 the Illinois Central, being engaged in the 
 construction of the road between Cham- 
 paign and Centralia. On its completion he 
 was made road master of the Mattoon divi- 
 sion, which position he most satisfactorily 
 filled until 1893. He not only saw the road 
 built, but has seen it change from old chain 
 rails and mud track to stone ballast and 
 steel rails, becoming one of the modern 
 roads of to-day. One winter he laid eighty- 
 five hundred tons of steel rails on fifty miles 
 of track while the trains were still running. 
 He also had charge of building the South 
 Chicago branch, and the first five miles of 
 the Bloomington division, during which 
 time he had several hundred men working 
 under him. He has devoted the best years 
 of his life to railroad construction, and dur- 
 ing the last year he was connected with the 
 road, he built the south yards, the coal 
 chute and most of the side tracks in Cham- 
 paign. He has made his home in this city 
 since 1865, and in 18,93 was appointed city 
 engineer for a term of two years, during 
 which time he laid out and constructed the 
 main outlet for the sewers and made the 
 surveys for the sewer system of Champaign. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 161 
 
 Since 1895 he has been engaged in private 
 civil engineering on drainage and construc- 
 tion work in several of the drainage dis- 
 tricts of this and other counties of the state, 
 now having charge of a number of such dis- 
 tricts. 
 
 Mr. O'Brien married Miss Kate Duggan, 
 a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, and 
 a daughter of Dennis Duggan, who fol- 
 lowed farming in that country, but after 
 coming to America was a railroad man. He 
 became a resident of Champaign in 1853, 
 and here died in 1866. He was one of the 
 earliest members of the Catholic church of 
 that city, and it was in his house that the 
 first collection was taken up to buy a lot for 
 the church, he being the first subscriber. 
 His wife, who bore the maiden name of 
 Ellen Dougherty, died in 1887. Mr. and 
 Mrs. O'Brien were married April 21, 1867, 
 and the same year he erected a comfortable 
 home on Walnut street, where they have 
 now lived for a third of a century. Of the 
 six children born to them, two are now de- 
 ceased, one who died at the age of four 
 years, and the other at the age of eight 
 months. Those living are D. W. , a locomo- 
 tive engineer, living at Fort Scott, Kansas; 
 Margaret H., Katheryn I. and Grace May. 
 They have received good educational ad- 
 vantages, attending the parochial and high 
 schools of Champaign and the University of 
 Illinois. 
 
 Mr. O'Brien and his wife were also 
 among the first members of the Catholic 
 church of Champaign and started its first 
 choir, with which he was connected for 
 twelve years. He has always affiliated with 
 the Republican party, and represented the 
 third ward in the city council for some 
 years, during which time the paving was in 
 progress, many brick sidewalks were laid, 
 
 and the sewers started. He is widely and 
 favorably known on account of his sterling 
 worth and many excellences of character, 
 and well merits the success that he has 
 achieved in life. 
 
 BC. STEPHENS, a leading and popular 
 photographer of Urbana, Illinois, was 
 born in Wood county, West Virginia, April 
 14. 1863, a son of John A. and Mary J. 
 (Smith) Stephens. The father was born in 
 the same county, April 27, 1827, and was a 
 son of Thomas and Ethrilda (Dockins) 
 Stephens, both natives of Virginia. He was 
 the second child in their family, the other 
 being Thomas, who spent his entire life as 
 a farmer in Wood county, West' Virginia. 
 He was born December 18, 1824, and died 
 near his birthplace, in the early '905. In 
 religious taith he was a Baptist. He mar- 
 ried Mary Herdman, who passed away be- 
 fore his death. Their children were Thomas 
 T. , deceased; Winfield S. ; Lewis D. ; John 
 A.; James A., deceased; Amanda; and Mar- 
 garet. 
 
 John A. Stephens, father of our subject, 
 was a farmer by occupation, and remained 
 a resident of West Virginia until after the 
 Civil war, during which struggle he served as 
 captain of the Home Guards, receiving his 
 commission from Governor Fletcher. In 
 1865 he came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 and took up his residence in Coltax town- 
 ship, where he owned and operated a farm 
 of one hundred and twenty acres. He was 
 an active member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, and died in that faith. On the 
 7th of June, 1849, he married Miss Mary J. 
 Smith, who was born in Harrison county, 
 West Virginia, January 30, 1831, a daugh- 
 
l62 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ter of Joseph and Margaret (Roby) Smith, 
 natives of Virginia. Her father, who was 
 also a farmer by occupation, came to Illinois 
 in 1863, and located in Sadorus township. 
 He was born October 20, 1809, and died 
 May 23, 1873; an d ms wife was born August 
 10, 1810, and died April 6, 1864. Both 
 were life-long and active members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, to which Mrs. 
 Stephens also belongs. She is the oldest in 
 their family of nine children, the others be- 
 ing as follows: (2) Catherine, born January 
 8, 1833, was married in April, 1849, to T. 
 G. Spencer, now deceased, and she died in 
 September, 1851. (3) Martha M., born 
 March 20, 1835, was married in March, '856, 
 to A. B. Ball, by whom she had two chil- 
 dren, Charles I. and Mrs. Alice Carey Lu- 
 cas, and after his death she married Absalom 
 House, now deceased, by whom she had 
 three children: Etta, wife of J. D. Gard- 
 ner; William; and Elmer. She died March 
 5, 1874. (4) Jennie Ann, born June 10, 
 1837, married H. Sams and died in May, 
 l %73- (S) Gideon D., born August 3, 1839, 
 was a Union soldier and non-commissioned 
 officer in the First Virginia Cavalry during 
 the Civil war. He was captured while on 
 skirmish duty, having a new and unmanage- 
 able horse, and died in Belle Isle prison, 
 March 17, 1863. (6) Dexter S. is now a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal confer- 
 ence in Missouri. He was a member of an 
 Illinois regiment during the Civil war and 
 remained in the service until hostilities 
 ceased. He was taken prisoner in the south 
 and was later paroled. For his first wife he 
 married Emma Frost, by whom he had two 
 sons: Frank, who was a soldier in the 
 Spanish- American war; and George: For 
 his second wife he married Hannah Boying- 
 ton, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and they 
 
 have two children: Leverne and Foster C. 
 (7) Morton B., born March 16, 1848, died 
 in 1898, while pastor of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church at Burlington, Missouri, hav- 
 ing successfully labored in the ministry 
 throughout life. He married Florence Bot- 
 tome, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and had 
 five children: Wilbur; Mabel, deceased; 
 Ethel; Philip; and Loren E. (8) Joseph 
 H., born August 23, 1851, is editor of the 
 Downs Times, of Downs, Kansas. He mar- 
 ried Mary H. Lochrie, of Champaign coun- 
 ty, Illinois, and their children are Walter, 
 Wardie, Mary A. and Margaret J. 
 
 To John A. and Mary J. (Smith) 
 Stephens were born seven children: Will- 
 iam Perry, born March 17, 1850, was a 
 school teacher, and died June 13, 1875; 
 Charles Webster, born December 10, 1851, 
 died November 18, 1871; Joseph D. , born 
 May 10, 1854, engaged in farming and 
 school teaching until his death, which oc- 
 curred October 24, 1875; Thomas A., born 
 August 31, 1858, and a farmer of Pesotum 
 township, this county, married Lucy V. 
 Sewell, and they have seven children, Car- 
 lisle, Robert Bruce, Nettie, John S., 
 Thomas Earl, William and Hazel; Maggie, 
 born November 3, 1860, was a school 
 teacher and milliner, and died September 
 9, 1887; Boyd C. , our subject, is next in 
 order of birth; and Nettie A., born Decem- 
 ber 27, 1866, died March 28, 1888. The 
 mother now makes her home with our sub- 
 ject at 1 12 West street, Urbana. 
 
 Mr. Stephens, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, acquired the greater part of his 
 education in the country schools, but also 
 attended the Champaign high school for a 
 time. Subsequently he successfully en- 
 gaged in teaching school for three terms, 
 and then followed farming for one season, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 163 
 
 after which he was engaged in general mer- 
 chandising at Mayview for several years. 
 On selling out there he embarked in his 
 present business at Urbana, in January, 
 1896, and is now one of the leading pho- 
 tographers of this section of the state. He 
 not only receives a liberal share of the pub- 
 lic patronage from Urbana, but has many 
 patrons in Champaign and surrounding 
 towns, having in one week received thirty 
 dollars' worth of work from four business 
 men of Champaign, unsolicited by him. 
 
 On the 2d of May, 1888, Mr. Stephens 
 was united in marriage with Miss Laura N. 
 Tackett, a daughter of Walter and Eliza- 
 beth Tackett, farming people of Tolono 
 township, this county, in whose family were 
 six children : Marion; Anna, who died at 
 the age of thirty years; Dora; Laura N.; 
 William, who died at the age of twenty- 
 six years; and Blanche. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Stephens have four children, namely: Ray- 
 mond, Russell, Paul and Ethel. The par- 
 ents both hold membership in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and Mr. Stephens is also 
 a prominent member of Urbana Lodge, 
 No. 139, I. O. O. F., in which he has 
 passed all the chairs, and served as deputy 
 grand master and as representative to the 
 grand lodge two years. 
 
 REV. A. J. WAGNER, pastor of St. 
 Mary's Catholic church, of Cham- 
 paign, ministers faithfully to the spiritual 
 needs of his people and gives powerful and 
 effective aid to all influences which work for 
 the advancement of the community. Re- 
 vered and loved by his own flock, he has 
 also won the honor and esteem of all others 
 who have seen his devotion to his noble 
 calling. 
 
 Father Wagner was born and reared in 
 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; was graduated 
 from the Jesuit College at Fordham, New 
 York, in 1875, and completed his theologi- 
 cal studies by a three years' course at Over- 
 brook, near Philadefphia. On the i 3th of 
 December, 1878, he was ordained by Rt. 
 Rev. J. L. Spaulding, of Peoria, Illinois, 
 and on the 2Oth of the same month came to 
 Champaign as assistant pastor to Father P. 
 Toner. On the 26th of July, 1879, he was 
 appointed pastor of the church at Tolono, 
 which had previously been a part of the 
 Champaign parish and was the second church 
 taken from it. While there Father Wagner 
 improved the church and purchased a brick 
 parsonage and twenty-five acres of land, 
 and also erected a church at Broadlands, 
 Critenden township, which he dedicated on. 
 Christmas Day, riding eleven miles to do it, 
 although the thermometer was eighteen de- 
 grees below zejro. He received his ap- 
 pointment as pastor of St. Mary's church, 
 Champaign, May 4, 1888, and has rem lined 
 here ever since, being an irremovable pas- 
 tor, one of ten in his diocese. 
 
 Father Ryan founded a Catholic mission 
 in Champaign, and once in every six weeks 
 held mass on Walnut street from 1855 to 
 1858, there being but few Catholic fami- 
 lies in that place at that time. Among the 
 first to locate here were James Kelly, Mar- 
 tin Hurlburt, Frank Donley, Robert Gra- 
 ham, James O'Brien, Dennis Duggan and 
 his son Daniel Duggan. In 1856 they took 
 up a collection and bought a lot on Hickory 
 street, but as it was inconvenient for the 
 members of the church living at Urbana it 
 was decided to locate at the present site of 
 St. Mary's. Under Father Ryan the walls 
 for a brick church were erected in 1856 or 
 1857, and were ready for a roof, when they 
 
164 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 were blown down in a storm. About a year 
 later, when the parish had somewhat re- 
 covered from their loss, a frame church was 
 built by Father Ryan, who ministered to the 
 congregation from Mattoon, at which place 
 he died. Father Lambert then became 
 first resident pastor of Champaign, but a 
 year later was succeeded by Father Frolich. 
 Prior to this time Fathers Ryan, Pender- 
 gast, Lambert, and others from Paris, Illi- 
 nois, had charge of the church at this place, 
 which was the first in the county, and from 
 which have sprung those at Tolono, Ives- 
 dale, Rantoul, Pesotum, Penfield, Philo, 
 Broadlands and Thomasboro. Father Fro- 
 lich was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Scan- 
 Ian, who died here, and was followed by 
 Rev. Thomas Ryan, who remained two 
 years and then went to Paxton. He had the 
 church lathed and plastered, seats put in, 
 and the edifice enlarged. Following him 
 was Father Mcllvaine, who came direct 
 from Ireland and returned to that country 
 after one year. 
 
 In 1866 Rev. Patrick Toner was made 
 pastor, and it was under his ministrations 
 that in 1876 a two-story brick school build- 
 ing was erected and opened for use in 1878. 
 It occupies a whole block bounded by Park, 
 Church, Wright and Sixth streets. Owing 
 to ill health, Father Toner returned to Ire- 
 land in May, 1879, and was succeeded by 
 Father McDermott, whose stay here was of 
 short duration, and who was succeeded by 
 Rev. T. S. Keating, now pastor of St. 
 Columbus church, of Ottawa, Illinois. It 
 was during his pastorate that the plans were 
 drawn for the new church and the contractlet, 
 but work was not begun until after he left. 
 
 As he was succeeded by Father Wagner 
 it is to the untiring efforts of the latter that 
 the parish now has a fine church, besides 
 
 other valuable property. The corner stone 
 was laid June 10, 1888, by Bishop Ryan, of 
 Alton, it being the first corner stone laid by 
 him as bishop. Four months later the build- 
 ing was completed at a cost of twenty-one 
 thousand dollars, and during that time nine- 
 teen thousand had been raised, leaving only 
 two thousand, which was subscribed on its 
 dedication and paid in less than a year. 
 The church has a seating capacity of about 
 six hundred and fifty, and is finished in a 
 most approved style, the frescoing and altar 
 decorations being of the best, while the 
 building is heated by steam. In 1895 Father 
 Wagner built a beautiful parsonage of St. 
 Louis pressed brick, in modern style of 
 architecture, heated with hot water, and 
 supplied with speaking tubes, bath and 
 electric light. In connection with the 
 church there is also a convent built by Father 
 Keating in 1885 at a cost of five thousand 
 dollars. One-half of this property on East 
 Church street was purchased by him, while 
 the other half on East Park street was 
 bought by Father Toner. The Sisters of 
 Notre Dame, Milwaukee, have charge of 
 this convent, six of the sisters acting as 
 teachers to something over two hundred 
 pupils. Father Wagner now has at least 
 one thousand souls in his charge. Under 
 his ministry the congregation at Champaign 
 has steadily increased, but no estimate of 
 material progress can give one any idea of 
 the great work he has done in molding and 
 shaping to higher issues the lives of those to 
 whom he gives his best thought. 
 
 OLIVER P. LOOMIS, deceased, was for 
 several years a well-known groceryman 
 and highly respected citizen of Urbana. He 
 was born in North Coventry, Tolland coun- 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 165 
 
 ty, Connecticut, January 20, 1820, a son of 
 Walter and Diantha (Babcock) Loomis, 
 also natives of that state. The father was 
 a mason by trade and built the bridge across 
 the Potomac river at Washington, D. C., 
 for which he never received his pay, al- 
 though his partner received his share. He 
 also built many of the roads in Virginia. He 
 died in 1841, at about the age of forty-nine 
 years, and his wite passed away in 1877, a * 
 the advanced age of ninety-five. Both were 
 members of the Congregational church. In 
 their family were eight children, namely: 
 Sophronia married Andrew Gilmore, of New 
 York state, and died in 1897, aged eighty- 
 four years. Caroline married Reuben A. 
 Chapman, who died in 1878, but she is still 
 living in Hartford, Connecticut, at the age 
 of ninety years. Mariva married Eleazer 
 Hunt, and died in 1883, aged sixty-six years. 
 Lydia is living in Makanda, Illinois, at the 
 age of eighty-four years. Walter wedded 
 Mary Harris and was a retired farmer of 
 Makanda at the time of his death, which 
 occurred in 1885. Oliver Porter, our sub- 
 ject, was the next in order of birth. Milo 
 married Emeline Brown, who died Septem- 
 ber n, 1896, and he died in Bridgeport, 
 Connecticut, May 21, 1892, aged sixty-nine 
 years. Catherine married Levi Moody, 
 who died about 1880. but she is still living 
 and makes her home in Bridgeport. 
 
 In his native state our subject grew to 
 manhood and was married, December 27, 
 1842, by Rev. Isaac N. Sprague, of the 
 Fourth Congregational church, of Hartford, 
 Connecticut, to Miss Amelia Long. Her 
 father, Oliver Long, was an excellent black- 
 smith, and did most of the work in that line 
 in his neighborhood. His customers would 
 await their turn, and if any happened to be 
 there at dinner time, they were asked to 
 
 partake of his meal that none might go away 
 hungry. He was well and favorably known 
 for a radius of many miles. He was born 
 in North Coventry, Connecticut, June 7, 
 1783, and died April 4, 1842. On the 29th 
 of March, 1808, he married Anna Porter, 
 also a native of North Coventry, who was 
 born June 3, 1782, and died February 12, 
 1860. She was a member of Rev. George 
 Calhoun's Congregational church of North 
 Coventry, Connecticut. Her parents were 
 Noah and Submit (Cook) Porter, and their 
 children were Adenath, Submit, Lucretia, 
 Anna, Noah, Zelotus, Ebenezer and Joseph. 
 
 Mrs. Loomis, born January 30, 1816, is 
 the youngest in a family of five children, 
 and the only one now living, the others be- 
 ing as follows: (i) Otis G., born Novem- 
 ber 26, 1808, was married November 21, 
 1830, to Calista Williams, now deceased, 
 and he died August 29, 1863. They had 
 five sons. (2) Revilo, born August 28, 
 1811, was married April i, 1834, to Jason 
 C. Reach, and died February 18, 1860, 
 leaving one child, Adelaide, wife of Alfred 
 Andres. (3) Mary Ann, born December 9, 
 1814, was married January 2, 1865, to 
 Charles Sawyer, and died January 19, 
 1892. He died in July, 1896. (4) Flora, 
 born March 29, 1816, was married, Febru- 
 ary 9, 1841, to William Webster, who died 
 about 1865, and she died March 12, 1897. 
 
 To our subject and his wife were born 
 five daughters, namely: (ij Elvertine 
 Amelia, born August 31, 1843, died at 
 Colebrook River, Connecticut, at the age 
 of six years and ten months. (2) Isabella 
 Imogene, born November 18, 1845, mar- 
 ried Edward Norton, and they have one 
 child, Carrie Belle, who has been a teacher 
 in the University of Illinois. They reside 
 with Mrs. Loomis in Urbana. (3) Joseph- 
 
1 66 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ine Rosalie, born January 17, 1852, died 
 in 1852, at the age of eight months. (4) 
 Katie Adele, born May i, 1854, died-Sep- 
 tember 11, 1868. (5) Carrie Eudora, born 
 May 3, 1856, married James A. Campbell, 
 who died May 21, 1898, at the age of fifty- 
 six years, leaving one child, Grace Amelia. 
 In early life Mr. Loomis was superin- 
 tendent of a cotton mill at Colebrook River, 
 Litchfield county, Connecticut. On the 
 iithof September, 1862, he laid aside all 
 personal interests and entered the service of 
 his country, becoming a member of Com- 
 pany F, Nineteenth Connecticut Volunteer 
 Infantry, which was afterward converted 
 into the Second Connecticut Heavy Artillery. 
 He was commissioned second lieutenant of 
 his company, and was later made first lieu- 
 tenant of Company D. While serving in 
 the infantry his company did patrol duty at 
 Alexandria, Virginia, from the fall of 1862 
 until the following spring. Later three of 
 the companies. D, F and G, of his regi- 
 ment were sent to garrison Fort Ellsworth, 
 where his daughter Emogene remained with 
 him from July to March, 1864. Prior to 
 this time his wife and two daughters had 
 been with him at the fort. His first en- 
 gagement was with the Army of the Poto- 
 mac in the battle of Cold Harbor, where 
 they lay in the trenches for forty-eight 
 hours, and where the commander of the 
 regiment, Colonel Kellogg, was killed, being 
 shot five times. When last seen he was 
 on his knees giving orders. Mr. Loomis 
 was a member of a picked company from 
 Litchfield county, and, like many of its 
 members, was past the required age for mil- 
 itary service. He had charge of the bar- 
 racks at Fort Williams, which was garri- 
 soned by Companies D, I and B, but many 
 of the recruits proved bounty jumpers, and 
 
 one morning he found that fifty of these had 
 disappeared. After two years of faithful 
 service Mr. Loomis resigned on account of 
 ill health and returned home. 
 
 In November, 1877, he came West, and 
 first located in Cobden, Union county, Illi- 
 nois, where he engaged in the grocery busi- 
 ness for six years, and in 1882 removed to 
 Urbana, where, in partnership with hisson- 
 in-law, Mr. Campbell, he opened a grocery 
 and bakery, under the firm name of Loomis 
 & Campbell. He continued his connection 
 with that business until his death, which oc- 
 curred July 21, 1891. He was buried with 
 military honors by Black Eagle Post, No. 
 157, G. A. R., of which he was a member. 
 In politics he was a stanch Republican. 
 His upright, honorable life won for him the 
 confidence and respect of all with whom he 
 came in contact, and he was highly es- 
 teemed wherever known. Mrs. Loomis, 
 wfio still makes her home in Urbana, is a 
 most estimable lady of many sterling qual- 
 ities, and has a large circle of friends in 
 the community. 
 
 A LFRED SPRADLING is one of Cham- 
 i\ paign's highly respected citizens, whose 
 useful and well-spent life has not only 
 gained for him the confidence of his fellow 
 men but has also secured for him a com- 
 fortable competence which enables him to 
 lay aside all business cares and spend his 
 declining days in ease and retirement. 
 
 Mr. Spradling was born in Franklin 
 county, Indiana, May 17, 1823, a son of 
 John and Betsy (Chapman) Spradling, na- 
 tives of South Carolina and Tennessee, re- 
 spectively. His paternal grandfather was 
 born in one of the eastern states and from 
 
ALFRED SPRADLING. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 169 
 
 there removed to South Carolina, where he 
 owned and conducted a tobacco plantation. 
 The father of our subject was a soldier of 
 the war of 1812, a member of the land 
 forces. He continued his residence in his 
 native state until after his marriage, when 
 he moved to Indiana, becoming one of the 
 very early settlers of Franklin county, and 
 taking up a tract of government land, he de- 
 veloped from the unbroken forest two fine 
 farms in the White Water bottoms. In 
 1851 he came to La Salle county, Illinois, 
 where he and his wife spent their remaining 
 days, both dying at about the age of eighty- 
 two years. He had prospered in his under- 
 takings and was quite well-to-do. In his 
 family were twelve children, namely: Sarah, 
 William, Polly, Nancy, John, Elizabeth, 
 Enoch, James, Thomas, Rebecca, Alfred 
 and Lear. All are now deceased with the 
 exception of our subject and Rebecca, who 
 is living near Brookville, Franklin county, 
 Indiana. 
 
 In the county of his nativity, Alfred 
 Spradling grew to manhood, and was edu- 
 cated in an old log school house with 
 puncheon floor, slab benches, and greased 
 newspapers for windows. The scholarsgen- 
 erally paid a dollar and a half per quarter 
 for their tuition, and the teacher boarded 
 around among them. Our subject had to 
 walk about three miles to school, and was 
 then only able to attend three months in 
 winter, as his services were needed on the 
 farm throughout the remainder of the year. 
 In this way he continued his studies until 
 about twenty years of age. 
 
 Mr. Spradling remained at home with 
 his parents until he was married, May 4, 
 1844, to Miss Amy Jane Peterson, also a 
 native of Franklin county. She had a bet- 
 ter chance of obtaining an education than 
 
 her husband, as the school house was located 
 upon her father's farm, and it was at that 
 primitive educational institution that she 
 and Mr. Spradling became acquainted. Her 
 parents were John and Edith (Clifton) Pe- 
 terson, both natives of New Jersey, the for- 
 mer born in 1794, the latter, August 21, 
 1796. They continued their residence in 
 that state a few years after their marriage, 
 but, in 1818, moved to Franklin county, In- 
 diana, where the father took up government 
 land in the timber and cleared and im- 
 proved a good farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres. He subsequently added to it and 
 becamequite a prosperous farmer. In 1853 
 he sold his property in Indiana and came to 
 La Salle county, Illinois, where he pur- 
 chased three hundred and twenty acres of 
 land, making that his home for a. few years, 
 but finally removed to Philo, Champaign 
 county, where he died in 1873, his wife in 
 1877. They were the parents of fourteen 
 children: Samuel, Benjamin, Mary, Henry, 
 Sarah, John, Elizabeth, Catherine, Amy J., 
 Ruth, Charlotte, Clara, Annie W. and Han- 
 nah. Those living are Catherine, Amy J., 
 Ruth, Charlotte and Hannah. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Spradling have been 
 born eleven children, as follows: Elizabeth 
 died at the age of eighteen years. Sarah is 
 the wife of Harvey Cunningham, of Mar- 
 sha.lltown, Iowa. Hartley wedded Mary E. 
 Baker, and died in 1894, leaving a widow 
 who resides in Urbana. Emory married 
 Frances Harrington, and died in 1843. His 
 wife also died, leaving a two-year-old child, 
 who was reared by our subject and his wife, 
 and is now the wife of Fred Street, of Mc- 
 Pherson, Kansas. Alpheus married Emma 
 Turner and died in Las Vegas, New Mexico, 
 while there for his health. His widow is liv- 
 ing in Missouri. Albert L. married Hannah 
 
170 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Owens, and engaged in the hardware busi- 
 ness in Hoopeston, Illinois. Ami N. mar- 
 ried Ameda Wymer and died at the age of 
 forty-two years. Stephen H. married Ella 
 Phares and is engaged in the hardware busi- 
 ness in Saybrook. George S. died at the 
 age of fifteen years. Kate S. is the wife of 
 Frank Phares, a grocer of Lincoln, Nebraska. 
 Frank married Betty Taylor, and is engaged 
 in the grocery and hardware business in Og- 
 den, Illinois. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Spradling oper- 
 ated his father's farm on the shares for a 
 time, and would haul his grain and wood to 
 Cincinnati, it requiring six days to make the 
 round trip. In 1851, he, too, moved to La 
 Salle county, Illinois, taking a steamer at 
 Cincinnati and floating down the Ohio river 
 to the Mississippi. He then went up that 
 stream and the Illinois to La Salle, where 
 he landed his team and proceeded across 
 the country to Mission Grove township 
 his destination. There he purchased eighty 
 acres of unimproved land, to which he added 
 another eighty-acre tract two years later, 
 making a good farm of one hundred and 
 sixty acres, which he continued to cultivate 
 until his removal to this county in 1864. 
 In Philo township he bought three hundred 
 and twenty acres known as the Griffs farm, 
 upon which he made his home for sixteen 
 years, and on disposing of that tract bought 
 another farm of similar size in Cheney Grove 
 township, McLean county, where he engaged 
 in general farming and stock raising, ship- 
 ping from two to three car loads of stock 
 annually. In 1890, he sold his half-section 
 of land in that county and moved to Gibson 
 City, but only remained there a few months 
 before coming to Champaign, where he built 
 a comfortable residence in 1891, and is now 
 living a retired life. In his farming opera- 
 
 tions he met with the success that usually 
 follows the industrious and enterprising 
 man, and is now enabled to live in ease and 
 comfort upon the proceeds of his former 
 life of toil. He still has eighty acres of land 
 in Ogden township purchased by him in 
 1884, and also has four town lots in Ogden 
 and five in Champaign. In early life he 
 was a Whig, but since the organization of 
 the Republican party he has been one of its 
 stanch supporters. He served as pathmaster 
 or road commissioner in Franklin county, 
 Indiana, but has never cared for the honors 
 or emoluments of public office. He and his 
 estimable wife are members of the First 
 Methodist Episcopal church of Champaign, 
 and are highly respected and esteemed by all 
 who have the pleasure of their acquaintance 
 on account of their sterling worth and many 
 excellences of character. 
 
 JESSE R. GULICK, a leading and prom- 
 inent attorney of Champaign, who has 
 made his home in this county since 1858, 
 was born on a farm near Darbyville, Pick- 
 away county, Ohio, between Columbus and 
 Circleville, December 8, 1 840, and is a member 
 of an old colonial family of Holland origin, 
 which was founded in this country by four 
 representatives of the name. His great- 
 grandfather, Ferdinand Gulick, was a sol- 
 dier of the Revolutionary war and made his 
 home in Virginia, where his death occurred. 
 Our subject has in his possession a deed 
 which conveyed land to him, in 1794, on the 
 road from Winchester to Rumney, in what 
 is now West Virginia. The grandfather, 
 John Gulick, was a soldier of the war of 
 1812 from Virginia, having been a member 
 of the militia in that state. He married a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 171 
 
 Miss Lee, who belonged to the same family 
 as Robert E. Lee. About 1817, he removed 
 with his family to Ohio, becoming one of 
 the pioneer settlers of Pickaway county, 
 where he purchased land and spsnt his re- 
 maining days. 
 
 Joseph Gulick, the father of our subject, 
 was probably born in Loudon county, Vir- 
 ginia, and was a child of three years when 
 the family removed to Pickaway county, 
 Ohio, where he was reared in much the 
 usual manner of farmer boys of his day in 
 a new country, his home being a log cabin 
 on a farm. On reaching manhood he mar- 
 ried Miss Eliza Hillery, who was born and 
 reared near Kingston, Pickaway county. 
 Her father, John Hillery, was a soldier of 
 the war of 1812 from Ohio, and was also a 
 farmer by occupation. After his marriage 
 Mr. Gulick, the father of the subject of our 
 sketch, began farming on his own account in 
 Pickaway county, where he continued to 
 make his home until 1858, which year wit- 
 nessed his arrival in Newcomb township, 
 Champaign county, Illinois. Later he lived 
 in Piatt county, this state, and finally went 
 to Jasper county, Missouri, where he died 
 in September, 1897. His widow is still 
 living in that county. For years he was a 
 consistent and faithful member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and during his 
 residence in this state held membership in 
 the church at Mahomet. 
 
 Our subject was the second child and 
 eldest son in a family of twelve children. 
 His early education was acquired in the 
 common schools of Pickaway county, Ohio, 
 and after coming to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, he successfully engaged in teaching 
 school for two years. During the following 
 three years he attended the Asbury Univer- 
 sity, now the Depauw University, a Method- 
 
 ist Episcopal institution, of Greencastle, 
 Indiana, and for one year thereafter he 
 taught school in Macon county, this state. 
 In 1866 he began the study of law with 
 Coler & Smith, the junior member of the 
 firm being judge of this circuit for eighteen 
 years. Mr. Gulick was admitted to the 
 bar by the supreme court in April, 1867, 
 and the following year engaged in practice 
 in Champaign. He then went to Vandalia, 
 where he remained two years and while 
 there was examiner and assistant county 
 superintendent of schools. As he was about 
 to leave that place, in 1870, he was ten- 
 dered the nomination for prosecuting attor- 
 ney by his party, which at that time was 
 equivalent to an election, as the party was 
 largely in the majority, but having already 
 made arrangements to return to Champaign, 
 he declined the honor. Here he has since 
 engaged in private practice, with the ex- 
 ception of a short time spent in farming, 
 and has a large general practice, trying 
 many cases before the supreme and appellate 
 courts and meeting with most excellent suc- 
 cess. He has been connected with several 
 of the most important land cases on trial in 
 the county. He is thoroughly versed in 
 the law, is a man of deep research and care- 
 ful investigation and his skill and ability are 
 widely recognized. He still owns a fine 
 farm of over a section in Newcomb town- 
 ship, and while superintending the operation 
 of the same he made his home in Mahomet 
 for four years after his return from Vandalia. 
 He was one of the first attorneys to locate 
 there and took an active part in booming 
 the town. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Gulick married Miss Louisa 
 L. Everett, who was born and reared in 
 this county, and is a daughter of Joseph T. 
 and Jemima (Piper) Everett, natives of 
 
172 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Kentucky, where they were married in 1841 
 and soon after removed from Lewis county, 
 that state, to this county, and for a time the 
 father engaged in farming in Newcomb 
 township, but later followed merchandising 
 in Champaign, where he died in June, 1878. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Gulick were born six chil- 
 dren, namely: Edward E., a graduate of 
 the University of Illinois, class '92, and 
 later pursued a theological course at Shurt- 
 liff College, and was graduated from that 
 institution; Joseph Piper, who is mentioned 
 below; Roscoe E., an attorney of Sheldon, 
 Illinois; Clyde D. , who is now attending 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at 
 Chicago; Maggie Grace, a member of the 
 junior class of the University of Illinois; and 
 Wilbur, the youngest member of the high 
 school of Champaign. Three of the sons 
 are graduates of the University of Illinois, 
 but Roscoe was educated at Valparaiso, 
 Indiana, and also attended lectures at the 
 law department of the Wesleyan University 
 at Bloomington, Illinois. The family have 
 an elegant home at No. 209 West Church 
 street. 
 
 Mr. Gulick is a supporter of the Demo- 
 cratic party, and takes an active and prom- 
 inent part in local politics, having served as 
 a member of various committees and as a 
 delegate to different state conventions. He 
 was also a delegate to the convention which 
 nominated Judge Smith the first time he was 
 elected. During his residence in Mahomet, 
 Mr. Gulick served as police magistrate for 
 four years. He was a member of the Odd 
 Fellows Lodge at that place, and was made 
 a Mason there about 1888, but dimitted to 
 Champaign in 1891, and is now a member 
 of the lodge and chapter in this city, and of 
 the council at Urbana, and Urbana Com- 
 mandery, No. 16, K. T. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Gulick are prominent members of the Bap- 
 tist church of Champaign, of which he was 
 deacon for eight years, and was trustee when 
 the new church was erected. He was also 
 elected chairman of the building committee, 
 but resigned that position. He had pre- 
 viously served as chairman of the building 
 committee when the parsonage was built. 
 He has been a resident of Champaign county 
 for over forty years, and as a public-spirited 
 and progressive citizen has given his support 
 to all measures for the public good. His 
 career has ever been such as to warrant the 
 trust and confidence of his fellow citizens, 
 and he is held in high regard by all who 
 know him. 
 
 Joseph P. Gulick, who is engaged in the 
 practice of law with his father at Champaign, 
 under the firm name of Gulick & Gulick, 
 was born in Vandalia, Illinois, December 20, 
 1870, and began his education in the coun- 
 try schools. He attended the high school 
 at Mahomet, and then entered the Univer- 
 sity of Illinois, where he pursued the literary 
 course and was graduated in 1892. He was 
 a member of the Philomathen Literary So- 
 ciety and took the second prize in the de- 
 clamatory contest. During the senior year 
 the honors are excelsior orator and excelsior 
 president. He was elected orator, and de- 
 livered the oration at the anniversary of the 
 placing of the excelsior statue in the hall, it 
 being the gift of Lorado Taft. After his 
 graduation he was principal of the Savoy 
 schools for three years, during which time 
 he read law with his father, and in 1895 was 
 admitted to the bar by examination before 
 the appellate court at Mt. Vernon. He 
 then formed a partnership with his father 
 and has since engaged in practice. During 
 his first year he took a case to the appellate 
 court and had it reversed by the same court 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 173 
 
 that admitted him. He is a fine orator and 
 in his lodge work, etc., is called upon to de- 
 liver many addreses. He was made a 'Ma- 
 son in 1893, at Western Star Lodge, No. 
 240, A. F. & A. M., of which he has been 
 worshipful master since December, 1897, 
 being twice elected to that office, and has 
 represented the lodge in the grand lodge 
 three times, first when senior warden. He 
 is captain of hosts in the chapter, also a 
 member of the council, and is at present 
 senior warden of the commandery. It was 
 under his administration that the Masonic 
 Temple was purchased at a cost of eighteen 
 thousand dollars. At present he is chairman 
 of the temple committee, and is also a mem- 
 ber of Saxa Ruba Conclave, No. 2, Red 
 Cross of Constantin.e, another Masonic body. 
 
 REV. NATHAN S. MORRIS, an hon- 
 ored and highly respected citizen of 
 Urbana, now living a retired life, is one of 
 the men who make old age seem the better 
 portion of life. For many years he labored 
 untiringly in the Master's cause as a minister 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and after 
 a long career of usefulness can well afford to 
 lay all cares aside and spend the sunset of 
 life in ease and quiet in his pleasant home 
 at No. 501 West High street. 
 
 Mr. Morris was born near Cadiz, Harri- 
 son county, Ohio, December 6, 1830, a son 
 of John and Maria (Burson) Morris, also 
 natives of that state. The father, who was 
 a turner and machinist by trade, died 
 at an early age, and in 1835, the mother, 
 with their only child our subject moved 
 to Kalamazoo county, Michigan, where he 
 was reared as a farmer boy. He was 
 educated in the common schools of his day, 
 
 and in 1851 commenced teaching school, 
 which profession he followed for six or seven 
 terms before entering the ministry. His 
 advantages for obtaining a good scholastic 
 training were limited, but by perseverance 
 and close application he obtained a liberal 
 education, and his labors in life have been 
 productive of great good. 
 
 Returning to his native state, he joined 
 the Central Ohio Conference of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and began preach- 
 ing in 1854, at Wapakoneta, Auglaize 
 county. In 1855, he had charge of Arcanum 
 circuit, Dark county, and in 1856 of Quincy 
 circuit, Logan county, and of Zanesville 
 circuit, in 1850. While there he often 
 passed the spot where Simon Kenton, the 
 great Indian hunter, ran the gauntlet, and 
 the cabin where that warrior lived. Mr. 
 Morris' next circuit was Fort Recovery 
 the battle ground where St. Claire was 
 defeated. The small stream running through 
 this is said to have been red with the blood 
 of those slain. Our subject's last charge in 
 Ohio was at Mt. Victory, Hardin county. 
 
 Coming to Illinois in 1860, Mr. Morris 
 organized the Bruillets Creek circuit, in 
 Edgar county, where the flourishing town 
 of Chrisman now stands. In the fall of 
 1863 he was appointed to the Urbana cir- 
 cuit, then known as the Champaign circuit 
 and remained here two years. In 1865 he 
 was appointed to Blue Grass (now Potomac), 
 Illinois, where the following year was 
 passed. His next charge was Bloomfield 
 circuit, Edgar county, in 1866, near where he 
 first started in the state, and from there he 
 went, in 1867, to Oakland, Coles county, 
 where he remained two years. The following 
 two years were passed in charge of Myers- 
 ville circuit, followed by a year at Catlin, 
 near Danville, and a year at Savoy in 
 
174 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Champaign county. Two years at De Witt, 
 De Witt county, closed his itinerancy in 
 1877, when he took a superannuated relation 
 owing to failing health. He has since filled 
 appointments for others, but has accepted 
 no regular charge. His work in the minis- 
 try was very effective and he was the means 
 of bringing many souls to Christ. Formerly 
 he was a member of both the Masonic and 
 Odd Fellows societies, but at present is not 
 connected with any secret organization. 
 
 On the 5th of April, 1857, Mr. Morris 
 married Miss Matilda A. Patton, who was 
 born September 29, 1839, at Quincy, Logan 
 county, Ohio. She is a lady of many excel- 
 lent traits of character, and has ever been 
 an encouragement and inspiration to her 
 husband in his work for the betterment of 
 mankind. She is a faithful member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and as a mother 
 has been keenly devoted to the best inter- 
 ests of her home and children, rearing them 
 wisely and giving them the benefits of a good 
 education. Her parents were Felix and 
 Sarah Patton, natives of Ohio. Her father 
 was engaged in farming near Quincy, Logan 
 county, that state, until 1859, when he 
 came to Illinois, locating first in Edgar 
 county. He lived at several different places 
 in this state, spending five or six years in 
 Urbana, where his wife died at the age of 
 sixty-two years. His death occurred in 
 Sanford, Indiana, in 1881, at the age of 
 seventy-four. Both he and his wife were 
 born in 1807. They were devout members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 were worthy of the high regard in which 
 thev were universally held. ' Mrs. Morris is 
 the only one of their, eight children now 
 living. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Morris were born three 
 children: (i) Charles Luther, born in Fort 
 
 Recovery, February n, 1859, died on Mt. 
 Victory circuit, February 26, 1860. (2) 
 Alice is the wife of Rev. D. G. Dubois, of 
 the Illinois conference, now stationed at 
 Griggsville, was born at Blue Grass, March 
 29, 1866. He is a graduate of the State 
 University at Bloomington, Indiana, and of 
 the Garrett Biblical Institute at Evanston, 
 Illinois. He has finished successful pastor- 
 ates at Monticello, St. Joseph, Ludlow, 
 Fithian, Rankin and Fisher, in all of which 
 Mrs. DuBois has been a very efficient helper 
 both in church and pastoral work. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Dubois have two children, Lucile 
 and Lenore. (3) Mrs. Flora M. Sims, who, 
 with her child (Charles B. Sims, Jr.), is liv- 
 ing with her parents in Urbana, born at Oak- 
 land, Coles county, March 9, 1868, is an 
 artist of rare ability. She has made a 
 specialty of animal painting and in this line 
 has been remarkably successful. She spent 
 three years in the art department of the 
 University, and to this has added a careful 
 and painstaking study of horses and other 
 domestic animals. The animal pictures are 
 for the most part in oil, which is her favor- 
 ite medium, and they display, besides the 
 necessary touch in choosing and laying on 
 the colors, a remarkable eye for detail and 
 technique. Her pictures have received the 
 highest praise from competent critics, and 
 she has received many orders for work.' 
 She also possesses considerable ability as 
 a sculptor, and has made a life-size bust of 
 her little boy, which is a fine piece of work. 
 She paints from nature with ease and ac- 
 curacy. She is a woman of noble qualities, 
 of pleasing presence and deservedly popular, 
 and a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church choir of Urbana, which is probably 
 the best choir to be found in any city of ten 
 thousand inhabitants in the state. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 175 
 
 JOHN E. YEATS, a prominent and suc- 
 cessful florist of Champaign, who is en- 
 gaged in business on the corner of Spring- 
 field avenue and South Third street, was 
 born in Sadorus, this county, November 2, 
 1870, a son of Andrew J. and Mary (Peat) 
 Yeats. The father was born December 15, 
 1837, and came to Sadorus sometime in the 
 '403, when this region was all wild and un- 
 improved, and the present flourishing city 
 of Champaign was unmarked by a single 
 habitation. Here the grandfather, Zetho- 
 myer Yeats, owned a half-section of land, 
 to the improvement and cultivation of which 
 he devoted his energies for many years, and 
 upon that place he died when nearly ninety 
 years of age. Our subject's father also pur- 
 chased a tract of wild land and engaged in 
 farming in early life. He married Miss 
 Mary Peat, ot Sadorus, who was born in 
 England, and came to this country when 
 twelve years old, with her father, David 
 Peat, also a pioneer land owner of Sadorus. 
 
 Some years ago Mr. Peat went to Barber 
 county, Kansas, where he was killed by a 
 fall, but his widow is still living and now 
 makes her home in Champaign. The father 
 of our subject was quite a prominent Demo- 
 crat and influential citizen of Sadorus, and 
 held the office of constable at that place for 
 some years. In 1873 he came to Cham- 
 paign, where he was a member of the police 
 force for a time, and is now engaged in the 
 grocery business. He and his wife have a 
 family of seven children, all of whom are 
 still living and are now married. 
 
 John E. Yeats, of this review, was prin- 
 cipally educated in the common and high 
 schools of Champaign, and after leaving 
 school spent six years in the employ of dif- 
 ferent florists, during which time he thor- 
 oughly mastered the business. In 1893 he 
 
 purchased the corner lot now occupied by 
 him, and erected thereon three sma'l green- 
 houses. At first he gave his attention almost 
 entirely to the raising of flowers for the local 
 trade, and meeting with success in the 
 undertaking he has enlarged his plant until 
 he now has twelve thousand feet under 
 glass, it being the largest in this section of 
 the state. Over one mile of pipe is used in 
 heating his place and two base-burning boil- 
 ers, and all of the latest improvements 
 needed in the business are there found. He 
 has invented an automatic attachment that 
 will ring as soon as heat begins to leave the 
 pipes. This he has patented and has been 
 successful in selling it to many of the flor- 
 ists of different large cities. He now ships 
 the most of his cut flowers to Chicagt), 
 where, owing to their superiority, they find 
 a ready sale at the highest market price. 
 He has raised carnations that were three 
 and a half inches across. He has given 
 several flower shows in Champaign, and de- 
 votes much time to the study of floriculture 
 that he may improve on his own and others' 
 methods. He is also a member of the 
 Society of American Florists, and attended 
 its conventions in Omaha in 1898, Detroit 
 in 1899, and New York in 1900. He is ar- 
 tistic in his tastes, and has decorated the 
 halls for the majority of important enter- 
 tainments at the university. He now owns 
 about a quarter of a block of ground, which 
 he has converted into a beautiful place, and 
 besides his greenhouses he has erected a 
 pleasant residence thereon for his own use. 
 On the 5th of October, 1892, Mr. Yeats 
 was united in marriage with Miss Sarah J. 
 Marshall, of Springfield, Illinois, who was 
 born in Missouri, but was reared and edu- 
 cated in Springfield. Her father, J. J. 
 Marshall, was born in New York, and when 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 a young man came to this state, locating 
 near Springfield, where he married Martha 
 Lord. Subsequently he lived for a few 
 years in Jefferson City, Missouri, and then 
 returned to Springfield, where he engaged 
 in buying and shipping stock, in which busi- 
 ness he has been interested since twelve 
 years old. He is still a resident of that 
 city and is one of its highly respected citi- 
 zens, but his first wife, the mother of Mrs. 
 Yeats, died in 1875, when her daughter 
 was only four years old. In 1879 he mar- 
 ried Martha Jackson, who is still living. 
 Our subject and his wife had two children: 
 Camelia Rose, deceased, and J. Marshall. 
 They are members of the Baptist church, 
 and he was formerly a Democrat in politics, 
 but not favoring the free coinage of silver, 
 he now votes independent of party lines. 
 He has been solicited to run for alderman, 
 but prefers to give his undivided attention 
 to his business interests. 
 
 HON. MILTON W. MATHEVVS, de- 
 ceased, was for many years one of the 
 most influential and highly esteemed citizens 
 of Champaign county, one whose influence 
 was felt not alone in the county of his 
 adoption, but throughout the entire state. 
 He was a native of the state, born in 
 Marshall, Clark county, March i, 1846, and 
 was a son of John R., and Mary (McNeil) 
 Mathews, both of whom were natives of 
 Coshocton county, Ohio. Both are now 
 deceased, the latter dying August 12, 1854, 
 and the former October 12, 1884. John R. 
 Mathews was a veteran of the Civil War, 
 enlisting first as a private in Company F, 
 36th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, from which 
 he was discharged for disability after one 
 
 year's service, and laterserving in an Indiana 
 Battery. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of our subject 
 were spent in his native county and in Wayne 
 county, Indiana, removing with his father 
 to the latter county in 1859. Like many of 
 the best man of his country he was reared 
 on a farm, attending to farm duties during 
 the summer months, and in the winter secur- 
 ing such knowledge as could be obtained in 
 the country schools. He later took an 
 academic course, completing his studies at 
 the Dublin Academy, under the tutorship 
 of Professor John Cooper. In April, 1865, he 
 followed his father to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, and located at Philo, but soon after- 
 wards commenced teaching school at Yankee 
 Ridge. While engaged in this occupation 
 he began reading law, and in the spring of 
 1867, he moved to Urbana, and, under the 
 instruction of G. W. Gere, continued his 
 studies. In August of that year he passed a 
 successful examination, and was admitted 
 to the bar. 
 
 Shortly after his admission Mr. Mathews 
 formed a partnership with his preceptor, 
 which relation was continued for two years, 
 after which he continued alone in practice, 
 building up a large and lucrative business. 
 In 1873 he was appointed Master in Chan- 
 cery, and held that office nine years in suc- 
 cession, rendering to the court and bar of 
 the county the utmost satisfaction. In that 
 office he was often called upon to pass upon 
 legal questions of the most intricate char- 
 acter, to which he gave careful attention, 
 his conclusions being found generally cor- 
 rect. In 1876, he was nominated by the 
 Republican party for States Attorney, and 
 though opposed by the combined votes of 
 the Democratic and independent parties, 
 was elected by a majority of six hundred 
 

 mK9 ^f 
 
 
 TTON. M. W. MATTHEWS. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 179 
 
 and fifteen votes. He proved himself to be 
 a most trustworthy representative of the 
 people in the courts, and was veritably a 
 terror to evil-doers. Ingenious in the man- 
 agement of cases, he had almost an intui- 
 tive knowledge of the ways of the criminal 
 class, and punctured with his keen thrusts 
 the many pretences of clever criminals, set 
 up to deceive and mislead juries. Never in 
 the history of the county was the criminal 
 business in the courts better managed than 
 during Mr. Mathews' two terms of office, 
 for at the end of his first term he was re- 
 elected for another term of four years, re- 
 tiring from the position in 1884. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Mathews was elected a 
 member of the State Senate by a majority 
 greater by several hundred than his party 
 had ever been able to give any candidate 
 since 1872. In that body he at once took 
 a commanding position, being recognized as 
 one of its leaders. Though a new member 
 of the body, he was unamiously elected pro- 
 tern president of the Senate. His services, 
 as a member of the election committee were 
 of great advantage to the party, while at 
 the same time he was just to his opponents. 
 No man in that body had a keener insight 
 into public affairs, or could secure greater 
 assistance in the passage of public measures. 
 All his measures found supporters and he 
 proved a faithful and efficient representative 
 of his district and especially of the great in- 
 terests of the State University. To his la- 
 bors and influence, the University in largely 
 indebted for the liberal appropriations se- 
 cured, and the magnificent buildings com- 
 pleted. Early in his term as Senator he 
 was commissioned to the honorary office of 
 Colonel, upon the staff of Governor Fifer, 
 whose greatest confidence and respect he 
 secured and retained. By many of the 
 
 leading Republican newspapers of the state, 
 as well as by politicians generally, -he was 
 mentioned for the office of Governor of the 
 state, and had he lived would doubtless have 
 filled that honorable position. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Mathews purchased the of- 
 fice and good will of the Champaign County 
 Herald, with which paper he was identified 
 until his death. For some years he was the 
 sole editor and proprietor, but later he as- 
 sociated with him in its editorial manage- 
 ment, L. A. McLean. As an editorial 
 writer he was fearless in the advocacy of 
 what he considered right, and the principles 
 of the republican party being dear to his 
 heart, he advocated them in the strongest 
 terms, and in due time the Herald was re- 
 cognized as one of the ablest champions in 
 the state of the men and measures of the 
 party. Early in his editorial life they re- 
 cognized his power by electing him twice in 
 succession as president of the Illinois State 
 Editorial Association and as often their re- 
 presentative to the National Association. 
 
 On the 2ist of October, 1869, Mr. 
 Mathews was united in marriage with Miss 
 Julia R. Foote, of Urbana, but a native of 
 Ohio, and daughter of William J. and Lucy 
 M. (Alcott) Foote, natives respectively of 
 New York and Connecticut. William J. 
 Foote was born in Menden, Monroe county, 
 New York, September 10, 1817. He was 
 of a long lived family. His paternal grand- 
 father, Charles Foot (whose ancestors 
 came from Colchester, England, and found- 
 ed the town of Colchester, Connecticut), was 
 a soldier in the revolutionary war, and died 
 at the age of eighty-nine years. The father 
 of William J., also named Charles, lived for 
 one hundred and two years and seven 
 months, and died in 1883. He voted at 
 the presidential elections from. Thomas Jef- 
 
i8o 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ferson to Garfield, and remembered all the 
 elections, including that of Washington, the 
 first time in 1789. 
 
 In his native state William J. Foote 
 learned the business of brickmaking and in 
 1855, when he came to Urbana, engaged in 
 the manufacture of brick, in which he con- 
 tinued until 1871. He made the brick for 
 the courthouse, the Methodist Episcopal 
 church in Urbana, and for about all the 
 brick buildings both in Urbana and Cham- 
 paign, that were erected prior to 1871. In 
 politics he was originally a Whig, and later 
 a Republican, voting an unscratched ticket 
 ever since that party was born until the time 
 of his death. Lucy M. (Alcott) Foote was 
 the youngest daughter of Medad Alcott, 
 whose ancestors for five generations are 
 traced back to Thomas Alcott, who came 
 over with Governor Winthrop in 1630. His 
 father, John Alcott. was Lord Chancelor of 
 England, under King Henry VII. Mrs. 
 Foote was a double cousin of A. Bronson 
 Alcott, the Concord Philosopher. She died 
 in October, 1899, at the age of eighty-two 
 years. Mr. Foote died July 2, 1888, at the 
 age of seventy years. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Mathews two children 
 were born: Mae and Clyde Milton. The 
 former is the wife of W. A. Nicolaus, of New 
 York, who is a traveling salesman, repre- 
 senting a New York firm. The latter is a 
 student in the law department of the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois. Mrs. Mathews, with her 
 son, resides in the family residence in Elm 
 street, Urbana, which has been her home 
 for some years. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Mathews was a member 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of 
 Mutual Aid and Modern Woodmen of 
 America. For six or eight years he was one 
 
 of the trustees of the Independent Order of 
 Mutual Aid in Illinois, and was highly in- 
 strumental in placing the order on a secure 
 foundation. He was also chairman of the 
 board of trustees of the Modern Woodmen 
 of America for a time, and was of great as- 
 sistance in the establishment of that order 
 on a permanent basis. Though never a 
 member of any church, he was a firm be- 
 liever in Christianity and its effect upon 
 society, and had no sympathy nor patience 
 with the modern doctrines of rationalism 
 which offers to supplant what he believed 
 to be revealed religion, with the uncertain 
 and unfounded philosophy of the sneering 
 cynic. He believed in God, his church 
 and his providence over the affairs of 
 men. 
 
 As a citizen Mr. Mathews was always en- 
 terprising and an earnest advocate of every- 
 thing having a tendency to advance the ma- 
 terial interests of his adopted city and coun- 
 ty. He was instrumental in the organiza- 
 tion of the Building and Loan Association 
 of Urbana, and for some years served as its 
 president. A stock holder and director in 
 the First National Bank of Urbana, by his 
 wise counsel, he assisted in giving that in- 
 stitution a recognized standing in the com- 
 munity for conservative management. He 
 also became the owner of considerable val- 
 uable real estate in Urbana, including -the 
 Herald block. 
 
 On Tuesday, May 10, 1892, Mr. Mathews 
 passed to his reward. For months he 
 struggled for life and his friends and admirers 
 hoped against hope for the extension of that 
 life which had in it so much of blessing for 
 his family, delight for himself and hope for 
 his country. His funeral, which was held 
 on Saturday, May 14, was under the auspices 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 181 
 
 and lodges of that order were present from 
 all the surrounding towns. There were 
 also lodges of the Knights of Pythias from 
 the surrounding towns, and the Modern 
 Woodmen of America had also its represen- 
 tatives. All of these orders united with the 
 orders in Urbana in the services. The 
 board of supervisors, the bar of the county, 
 the faculty and battalion of the University 
 of Illinois, and the city councils of Urbana 
 and Champaign formed part of the proces- 
 sion. A special train from Springfield 
 brought Governor Fifer and his staff, the 
 state officers, and many prominent citizens 
 of that city. The services were held in the 
 military building of the University, which, 
 although having a capacity to seat five 
 thousand people, was soon filled, and hun- 
 dreds turned away, not being able to gain 
 admittance. Resolutions of respect were 
 passed by the city councils of Champaign 
 and Urbana, and expressions of sympathy 
 were sent to the bereaved family from vari- 
 ous parts of the state and nation. No man 
 in Champaign county will be more greatly 
 missed than^Milton W. Mathews. His elo- 
 quent, persuasive lips are sealed in death, 
 never again to sway multitudes and influ- 
 ence campaigns. On the stump, from 
 early manhood, he was always a power. 
 Political managers recognized this and drew 
 largely upon him for his services both in 
 this and other states. In his efforts he won 
 for himself the plaudits of discriminating 
 hearers. As lawyer, senator, political 
 writer, and as an advocate upon the .hust- 
 ings, he was always popular. Jovial in man- 
 ner and disposition, much of his popularity 
 and success in life was no doubt due to that 
 trait in his character. Ambitious young 
 men may well aspire to his attainments, 
 while but few can ever reach them. 
 
 WA. MULLIN, deputy postmaster of 
 Urbana, has for several years been 
 prominently identified with the public af- 
 fairs of that city, and has most creditably 
 and satisfactorily filled several important 
 official positions. He is a progressive man, 
 pre-eminently public-spirited, and all that 
 pertains to the public welfare receives his 
 hearty endorsement. 
 
 Mr. Mullin was born in Bedford, Penn- 
 sylvania, September' 14, 1851, and is a son 
 of J. M. and Eliza (Hazlett) Mullin, also 
 natives of that state, the former born in 
 Carlisle, May 22, 1828, the latter in Bed- 
 ford, September 6, 1828. In 1854 they be- 
 came residents of this county. Sampson 
 Mullin, the paternal grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, was proprietor of a paper mill in Car- 
 lisle. The father followed the blacksmith's 
 trade in early life, but is now conducting a 
 general store in Seymour and also deals in 
 grain and coal. He filled the office of jus- 
 tice of the peace in Pesotum township for 
 twelve years, and was town clerk for four 
 years. Both he and his wife are active and 
 faithful members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church at Seymour, with which he has 
 been officially connected for many years. 
 For more than half a century they have 
 traveled life's journey together, sharing its 
 joys and sorrows, its adversity and pros- 
 perity, and they merit and receive the con- 
 fidence and respect of all who know them. 
 
 Of the six children born to this worthy 
 couple, our subject is the eldest; Marietta is 
 the wife of E. S. Golden, of Urbana, and 
 they have three children, Archibald S., 
 George A. and Cecil L. ; Jacob M., a resi- 
 dent of Seymour, married Emma Vanmeter, 
 and they have two children, Glenn and 
 Carl; Lida is the wife of W. T. Harvey, 
 of Urbana, and they have two children, May 
 
182 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and Clyde; Charles N., a resident of Sey- 
 mour, married Ella Allison, who died De- 
 cember 22, 1899, at the age of thirty-four 
 years, leaving three children, Inez, Lloyd 
 and Gladys; and Emma is the wife of Doug- 
 las Osborne, of Urbana, and they have two 
 children, Lela and Dean. 
 
 W. A. Mullin was reared on the home 
 farm in Pesotum township, this county, and 
 was educated in the common schools of the 
 neighborhood. He began life for himself 
 as a farmer and continued to follow that 
 occupation for many years. He was mar- 
 ried, March 8, 1877, to Miss Rosella A. 
 Johnson, a native of Ohio and a daughter of 
 Charles and Elizabeth Johnson. The mother 
 died in 1861, but the father is still living 
 and a resident of Pesotum township, having 
 come to this county from Lebanon, Ohio, 
 in 1855. He owns a well-improved and 
 valuable farm of three hundred acres in that 
 township, but has now retired from active 
 labor. He is a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, to which Mrs. Mullin's 
 mother also belonged. There were four 
 children born to them, namely: Rosella 
 A., wife of our subject; Mary A., wife of 
 Frank Shepherd, of Urbana, by whom she 
 has three children, Elizabeth, wife of Will- 
 iam Becker, Roy and Clyde; James D., a 
 liveryman of Deland, Illinois, who married 
 Ida Starkey, and has four children, David, 
 Charles, James and May; Caroline, who 
 married S. A. Crawford, a farmer of Pesotum 
 township, and died at the age of thirty- 
 eight years, leaving five children, Stella, 
 Lemuel, Daisy, Edwin and Clark. For 
 his second wife the father married Sarah 
 Corns, and they have one son, Charles B., 
 of Pesotum, who married Ida Perkins and 
 has four children, Charles, Earl, Eddie and 
 Daisy. Our subject and his wife have three 
 
 children: Charles M., a boilermaker in the 
 employ of the Big Four Railroad; William 
 G. and Frank W. 
 
 On leaving the farm in 1882, Mr. Mullin 
 removed to Urbana, where he was engaged 
 in the furniture and stove business under 
 the name of W. A. Mullin until 1897, when 
 he was appointed assistant postmaster un- 
 der W. W. Lindley, and has since devoted 
 his time .and attention to the duties of that 
 office. His fellow citizens, recognizing his 
 worth and ability, have called upon him to 
 serve in several responsible positions, the 
 duties of which he has most capably dis- 
 charged. He represented his ward in the 
 city council for six years, from 1886 to 1892; 
 was city treasurer from 1893 to 1895; ar >d 
 assistant supervisor of Urbana township 
 from 1894 to 1898. Politically he is an 
 ardent Republican, does all in his power to 
 advance the interests of his party and secure 
 its success; and was secretary of the county 
 central committee from 1892 to 1898. He 
 is a prominent Mason, a member of Urbana 
 Lodge, No. 157, F. & A. M. ; Urbana Chap- 
 ter, No. 80, R. A. M., of which he is scribe; 
 and Urbana Commandery, No. 16, K. T. 
 He is also a member of the Modern Wood- 
 men of America. 
 
 WILLIAM WARNES, a retired farmer 
 and highly respected citizen of Ur- 
 bana, residing at No. 208 West High street, 
 was born about seventy years ago near 
 Wells, England, one hundred and forty 
 miles northeast of London. His parents, 
 Robert and Sarah Ann Warnes, spent their 
 entire lives in that locality, where ' the 
 father was employed as a shepherd, that 
 country being well adapted for sheep rais- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 183, 
 
 ing. Our subject is the oldest of their 
 children, and the others are as follows: 
 Robert died in England; Fannie died at the 
 age of seven months; Mary is now a widow 
 with three children and resides near her 
 parents' old home in England; Fannie died 
 leaving a husband and six children; Sarah 
 is also deceased; Lizzie, Eliza, Margaret 
 and Hannah are all married, have families 
 and reside in England; and John came .to 
 this country in 1866, and is now engaged in 
 farming in Raymond township, Champaign 
 county. 
 
 Our subject was reared upon a farm in 
 his native land, and in 1849 came to Amer- 
 ica on a sailing vessel, which, at that time, 
 was nearly seven weeks in making the voy- 
 age and had eleven hundred on board, in- 
 cluding crew and passengers. Mr. Warnes 
 was one of a party of four young men who 
 were full of spirits and had a very jolly time 
 during the voyage. The vessel owners fur- 
 nished them with tea, coffee, rice, biscuit 
 and molasses, but it was with great difficulty 
 that they could drink the coffee during the 
 rough weather they encountered, being un- 
 able to steady their cups. During one 
 severe storm the hatches were closed and 
 all were kept below for one day and night 
 to prevent the water from coming in. It 
 was with great rejoicing that they first saw 
 land after so long and tedious a voyage. 
 They landed at the north pier in Castle 
 Garden, New York, and Mr. Warnes and 
 his friend, Joseph Sanders, went up the 
 Hudson and through the canal to Buffalo, 
 New York, from there went to Milwaukee, 
 where they took a propeller for Chicago. 
 There our subject engaged in working for a 
 Mr. Stone near where the Kinzie street de- 
 pot is now located, and received fourteen 
 dollars per week and board. He saved 
 
 some money at that time, and spent the 
 winter in Putnam county, Illinois, cutting 
 cord wood for steamboats, and made his 
 board, but not much more. It was a hard 
 winter, with much mud, ice and snow, and 
 the log house, in which eleven men slept, 
 proved but poor shelter from the elements. 
 Each took five acres of land to clear, and' 
 received only five shillings per cord for hard 
 wood and fifty cents per cord for soft. The 
 following summer Mr. Warnes engaged in 
 the manufacture of brick near Joliet, but 
 lost all that he had made. Returning to 
 Chicago, he worked in a dairy and looked 
 after one hundred and fifty cows for a time. 
 
 On the 5th of July, 1854. Mr. Warnes 
 was married in that city to Miss Studd Rose, 
 also a native of England, and a daughter of 
 Robert and Mary Rose, in whose family were 
 eight children. Mrs. Warnes came to the 
 United States in 1853, and had one sister, 
 Mrs. John Racey Bowman, who also came 
 to this country and lived in Chicago, but is 
 now deceased. Of the two children born to 
 our subject and his wife, both died in infancy 
 unnamed. 
 
 Mr. Warnes continued to engage in 
 farming near Chicago during the war and 
 until 1867, when he came to Champaign 
 county. He well remembers when water 
 was peddled around from house to house in 
 Chicago, the people paying ten cents for so 
 many bucketsful. In those early days beef 
 brought only a cent or a cent and a half per 
 pound, pork three cents, corn ten cents per 
 bushel, eggs four cents per dozen, and cows 
 were sold for ten dollars. When Mr. 
 Warnes came to this state there were still 
 many Indians here, and he has seen them 
 in their dances. On his removal to this 
 county he bought two hundred and forty acres 
 of land, and is now the owner of three hun- 
 
1 84 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 dred and seventy acres, all in Raymond town." 
 ship, this county, except forty acres across 
 the line in Douglas county. This farm he 
 now rents to his brother, who has six sons, 
 while he is living retired in Urbana. The 
 success that he has achieved in -life is due to 
 his own industry, perseverance and good 
 management, for when he landed in Chi- 
 cago he had but fifty cents remaining. He 
 has steadily prospered and is now enabled to 
 lay aside all business cares and spend his 
 declining years in ease and quiet, surrounded 
 by all the comforts which make life worth 
 the living. Both he and his wife are 
 earnest members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and are held in high regard 
 by all who know them on account of their 
 sterling worth. 
 
 CHARLES D. THOMAS, one of the lead- 
 ing young attorneys of Champaign, 
 Illinois, is a native of this county, born in 
 Scott township. His father, Benjamin F. 
 Thomas, was born in Cattaraugus county, 
 New York, and during his youth removed to 
 Warren county, Ohio, with his parents, 
 Leander and Paulina (Kilbourn) Thomas, 
 pioneers of that county, where they spent 
 the remainder of their lives. There the 
 father of our subject grew to manhood, but 
 in 1856, at the age of twenty-one years, he 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois, and 
 first located in Scott township, where he 
 followed farming. While there he married 
 Mary Cresap, a daughter of Daniel Cresap, 
 who was originally from Maryland, though 
 he came to this state from Ohio, and was 
 the owner of a large tract of land in Scott 
 township. After his marriage the father of 
 our subject purchased a quarter section of 
 
 land in Colfax township, upon which he con- 
 tinued to make his home until 1881, when 
 he went to California and engaged in farm- 
 ing and fruit growing in that state for two 
 or three years. On his return to Illinois he 
 bought a farm in Mahomet township, this 
 county, but is now living a retired life in the 
 village of Mahomet, being quite well-to-do. 
 He is highly respected and esteemed by all 
 who know him, and while a resident of Col- 
 fax township held different local offices. 
 His wife is a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church and a most estimable lady. 
 In their family are three sons: Charles D., 
 our subject; William A., and Benjamin F., 
 Jr., who carries on the home farm. 
 
 Our subject began his education in the 
 public schools of Colfax township, and dur- 
 ing the residence of the family in California 
 attended school there. He was graduated 
 from the high school of Mahomet in 1887, 
 and completed his education at the Uni- 
 versity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, paying his 
 own expenses at that institution by teaching 
 for four years. He was principal of the 
 schools at DeLandone year, and at Ivesdale, 
 this county, for the same length of time. 
 In the fall of 1894 he began reading law 
 with Captain Thomas J. Smith, of Cham- 
 paign, and was admitted to the bar by ex- 
 amination at Mt. Vernon, in August, 1896. 
 He then opened an office of his own and 
 from the start has been exceptionally suc- 
 cessful, having built up an excellent practice 
 and an enviable reputation in his chosen 
 calling. Since attaining his majority he has 
 always affiliated with the Republican party, 
 and in the spring of 1899 was elected city 
 attorney of Champaign on that ticket. That 
 office he is now filling with credit to himself 
 and to the satisfaction of the people. He is 
 also a director of the Twin City Saving and 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 185 
 
 Loan Association, and has served as its 
 attorney. 
 
 Socially Mr. Thomas is a member of 
 Mahomet Lodge, No. 220, F.&A.M.;of the 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
 of which he is Esteemed Loyal Knight; and 
 of the Sons of Veterans, his father having 
 been a soldier of the Civil war. 
 
 At the beginning of our recent war with 
 Spain, Mr. Thomas assisted in organizing a 
 provisional company in Colonel Bogardus' 
 regiment, and was commissioned first lieu- 
 tenant. They tendered their services to the 
 government and made several strong efforts 
 to enter the service but were unable to do so 
 on account of the early declaration of peace. 
 What Mr. Thomas has accomplished in life 
 is due entirely to his own energetic efforts, 
 as he paid his own way through college and 
 while studying law, and the thoroughness 
 and persistency with which he applied him- 
 self at that time has characterized his entire 
 career, and has been supplemented by care- 
 ful attention to details and by honorable 
 and straightforward effort, that has gained 
 him a most excellent and enviable reputation 
 and an honored position among his profes- 
 sional brethren. 
 
 LEWIS VINTON MANSPEAKER, one 
 of the leading business men of Cham- 
 paign, Illinois, has shown in his successful 
 career that he has the ability to plan wisely 
 and execute with energy, a combination 
 which, when possessed by men in any walk 
 of life, never fails to effect notable results. 
 Since 1865, when he entered his father's 
 store as clerk, he has been identified with 
 the grocery trade of Champaign, and is to- 
 day one of the most prominent business men 
 in his line in the city. 
 
 A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Mans- 
 peaker was born in Bedford, Bedford county, 
 November 27, 1852, and is a son of William 
 W.and Katherine (Radebaugh) Manspeaker, 
 also natives of that county. The maternal 
 grandfather, Peter Radebaugh, a drummer 
 boy in the war of 1812, was one of the 
 prominent business men of Bedford county. 
 Later he came to this county, and located 
 in Urbana, which was then the larger town, 
 establishing a dry goods business there, 
 which he carried on for a short time. On 
 selling out, he bought a half-section of land 
 near Homer, made many improvement? up- 
 on the same, and devoted the remainder of 
 his life to agricultural pursuits. 
 
 In early life the father of our subject 
 engaged in clerking in a dry goods store in 
 Bedford, Pennsylvania, and later as a baker 
 and caterer did the principal business in that 
 line in that city for some time. In 1861 he 
 removed with his family to Urbana, Illinois, 
 and during the Civil war he entered the ser- 
 vice as a sutler with the Twenty-fifth Illinois 
 Volunteer Infantry, with which regiment he 
 remained until hostilities ceased. He saw 
 many hardships, and his wife and six small 
 children left at home also suffered many priva- 
 tions. Our subject, being the oldest, had to 
 work hard to help support the family, and well 
 rernembers workingall day for ten cents, turn- 
 ing a corn sheller and getting a ticket good 
 at a grocery store. On his father's return 
 home, he opened a grocery and bakery on 
 Market street, Champaign, and our subject 
 assisted him, although he was so small he had 
 to stand on boxes behind the counter in order 
 to wait on the customers. The father suc- 
 cessfully engaged in business here until 1875, 
 and then went to Topeka, Kansas, of which 
 place his son, W. W. , was a prominent 
 business man, and where he spent some 
 
1 86 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 time. He died in Beatrice. Nebraska, in 
 1893. The wife and mother had previously 
 departed this life in Champaign, Illinois. 
 Both were consistent and faithful members 
 of the First Baptist church of this city. 
 In their family were the following children: 
 W. W., a leading business man and bank 
 official of Topeka, Kansas; Lewis V., our 
 subject; Lottie V. ,wife of W.A. Camp, who 
 is now engaged in merchandising with our 
 subject's younger brother, William P., at 
 Doniphan, Nebraska; Franklin P., a resi- 
 dent of Topeka, Kansas; and two deceased, 
 Ellen G. and Estella. 
 
 Lewis V. Manspeaker, whose name in- 
 troduces this sketch, was educated in the 
 public schools, and as will be seen early ac- 
 quired -an excellent knowledge of business 
 methods. He continued to clerk for his 
 father until 1876, when he and his brother- 
 in-law, W. A. Camp, purchased the store, 
 and continued to carry on business on- Mar- 
 ket street for two years. The stock of goods 
 was removed to Nos. 35 and 37 Main street, 
 and our subject purchased his partner's in- 
 terest and has since been alone in business, 
 conducting one of the most successful gro- 
 cery stores in the city and giving employ- 
 ment to from six to eight people. He occu- 
 pies two store rooms and the basement, and 
 carries a large and well selected stock' of 
 staple and fancy groceries. Besides his 
 business property he owns other real estate 
 in the city, and a pleasant home at 201 
 West University avenue one of the finest 
 locations in the city. 
 
 In 1876, Mr. Manspeaker was united in 
 marriage with Miss Emma Gruver, of La 
 Fayette, Indiana, a daughter of Abraham 
 Gruver. Their children are Pearl, who ex- 
 pects to graduate from the University of 
 Illinois with the class of 1900; Lottie May, 
 
 Berta H., Edith G., Lewis V., Jr., Welch, 
 and Caroline E. The family attend and 
 support the Episcopal church, and Mr. 
 Manspeaker was a member of the Independ- 
 ent Order of Odd Fellows and is a member 
 of the National Union. He to-day enjoys 
 the reward of his painstaking and conscien- 
 tious work. By his energy, perseverance 
 and fine business ability he has been en- 
 abled to secure an ample fortune. System- 
 atic and methodical, his sagacity, keen dis- 
 crimination and sound judgment have made 
 him one of the prosperous business men of 
 the city, and he merits and receives the 
 confidence and respect of all who know him. 
 
 EDWARD C. IRELAND, a well-known 
 conductor on the Springfield division of 
 the Illinois Central Railroad, residing in 
 Champaign, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 May 20, 1860, and has had a somewhat ad- 
 venturous and very interesting career. His 
 mother died during his infancy, and his 
 father, William Ireland, when he was a small 
 boy. The family were from Kentucky, but 
 at the time of our subject's birth the father 
 was engaged in pork packing in Cincinnati. 
 In 1867 he came to Watseka, Illinois, 
 where he owned a large tract of prairie 
 land, and he tried to interest the men of that 
 locality in tilling, but he failed in this and 
 afterward sold his property and purchased 
 timber land, through which the Chicago & 
 Eastern Illinois Railroad passed. He sold 
 the timber to that company. Catching cold, 
 he was ill for several years, during which 
 time his property was exhausted, and at his 
 death our subject was left penniless. 
 
 After his father's death Edward C. Ire- 
 land was taken back to Preble county, Ohio, 
 
E. C. IRELAND. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 189 
 
 by a half brother, who was agent for the 
 Little Miami and Pan Handle Railroads. He 
 was taken on trial by a farmer before being 
 bound out, but not liking the place he ran 
 away and returned to Watseka, Illinois, 
 which he soon found was quite different 
 when he was without a home to go to. 
 Looking around for work, he found a man 
 cutting timber who hired him at the rate of 
 thirty cents per day. This man became in- 
 terested in him and wanted to adopt him. 
 Our subject remained with him over a year, 
 and during the winter walked through the 
 timber two and a half miles to school, while 
 he did the chores for his board and clothes, 
 He 'slept in the loft of a new log cabin, 
 where the snow would drift through the 
 cracks, and even on the main floor the snow 
 would have to be swept away in the morn- 
 ing before the fire was built. StilJ Mr. Ire- 
 land was healthy and hearty. As the man 
 with whom he was living failed to keep his 
 agreement, he left the following winter and 
 found work on a farm at fifteen dollars per 
 month. The next fall he went to Indian- 
 apolis, where the husband of his half sister 
 was a florist, and worked for him for a year, 
 during which time he saved his money that 
 he might be able to attend school in the 
 winter, but finding himself a large boy 
 among small children his pride soon 
 caused him to leave school. He then took 
 care of the house and furnace of Mr. Bruce, 
 a wealthy man of that city. Later he started 
 to learn a trade but found the work too con- 
 fining and there was no one to advise him 
 to persevere in the undertaking. That fall 
 he found work with a farmer shucking corn, 
 and then returned to Indianapolis, where he 
 drove a street car through the winter. It 
 was difficult for a boy to obtain work, but 
 
 he finally found employment with a bridge 
 10 
 
 company building a bridge at Broad Ripple 
 and at first only received one dollar per day, 
 out of which he paid two dollars and a half 
 per week forboard. Later he was advanced 
 to two dollars and a half per day, and after 
 the first winter and through part of the fol- 
 lowing summer he had charge of a derrick 
 used in the construction of the railroad 
 bridge across the Illinois river at Havana. 
 In the fall he entered a foundry to learn the 
 molder's trade, but finding the employment 
 unsuited to his taste, he entered the employ 
 of Captain Devore, proprietor of the Taylor 
 House at Havana, and the civil engineer of 
 the road that built the bridge at Havana. 
 He wished our subject to go out with the 
 crew in the spring, and in the meantime 
 gave him the position of night porter in the 
 hotel at fifteen dollars per month, and later 
 advanced him to day clerk at twenty-five 
 dollars, board and washing. A few months 
 later, finding nothing more in the line of 
 promotion, Mr. Ireland commenced brak- 
 ing on the Wabash railroad between Havana 
 and Urbana, and shortly afterward was ad- 
 vanced to baggageman on trains running 
 between Havana and Danville. After the 
 Wabash went into the hands of a receiver, 
 this branch was operated as an independent 
 road for two years and then came into the 
 possession of the Illinois Central Railroad 
 Company. In September, 1885, Mr. Ire- 
 land was promoted to freight conductor, and 
 the following January was placed in charge 
 of a mixed train running between Urbana 
 and Decatur, which position he filled until 
 September, 1898, when he was transferred 
 as passenger conductor on a train running 
 between Champaign and Havana. This he 
 still holds, and is one of the most popular 
 conductors on the road. 
 
 Since September, 1887, Mr. Ireland has 
 
190 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 made his home in Champaign, where two 
 years later he purchased a lot and old house 
 standing thereon, but in 1897 .erected a 
 beautiful residence at No. 6 16 West Church 
 street, where he now resides. He was mar- 
 ried October 3. 1883, to Miss Louisa I. 
 Beams, of Petersburg, Illinois, and to them 
 were born three children: Mabel Blanch, 
 January 17, 1885, died in infancy; Etha 
 May, born June 27, 1886; and Iva Belle, 
 who was born August 2, 1888, and died June 
 12, 1893. Politically Mr. Ireland is iden- 
 tified with the Republican party, and frater- 
 nally affiliates with the order of Railway 
 Conductors, of which he has been a mem- 
 ber since 1889; the Knights of Pythias and 
 Uniform Rank; Western Star Lodge, F. & 
 A. M.; and Chapter, R. A. M. 
 
 JOHN H. SAVAGE, a prominent and in- 
 fluential citizen of Urbana, who has 
 served as deputy county treasurer for many 
 years, was born in Cromwell, Middlesex 
 county, Connecticut, January J3, 1852, and 
 is a son of Ralph W. and Sarah A. (Strick- 
 land) Savage, also natives of that state, 
 where his ancestors have made their home 
 for nearly three hundred years. Members 
 of the family aided the colonies in achieving 
 their independence as soldiers of the Revo- 
 lutionary war. Our subject's paternal 
 grandfather was Captain Absolam Savage, 
 who had command of a vessel and was lost 
 at sea when our subject's father was twelve 
 years of age. The latter was the oldest in a 
 family of four children, the others being 
 Rev. G. S. F. Savage, who is secretary of 
 the Chicago Theological Seminary, and a 
 noted divine, although now quiteold; Charles 
 V C. Savage, a resident of New York, who 
 
 was originally a printer by trade and a con- 
 temporary of Greeley, Dana and others; and 
 Mary Ann, who married Charles Andres, of 
 Brooklyn, New York, but both are now de- 
 ceased. 
 
 Ralph W. Savage, father of our subject, 
 was a carpenter and builder in early life, but 
 for a great many years was engaged in mer- 
 chandising in Cromwell, Connecticut, and 
 was quite successful in business. He was 
 a pronounced Abolitionist and later a Re- 
 publican, favoring the vigorous prosecution 
 of the war, but he was never a politician in 
 the sense of office seeking. He was quite a 
 prominent member and officer in the Con- 
 gregational church, to which his wife also 
 belonged, and was widely and favorably 
 known throughout his part of the state. 
 He died September 25, 1887, aged seventy- 
 five years, his wife, a few years before, aged 
 sixty years. 
 
 In the family of this worthy couple were 
 twelve children, namely: Sarah M. has de- 
 voted her life to school teaching, and is 
 well known as one of the most thorough 
 and competent teachers in the Urbana pub- 
 lic schools, with which she has been con- 
 nected for many years; Emma T. is still 
 living in Cromwell, Connecticut; Ralph W. 
 is engaged in the real estate and loan busi- 
 ness in Grant, Nebraska; Elizabeth S. is the 
 wife of Edward S. Coe, a prominent and 
 wealthy manufacturer of Cromwell, Con- 
 necticut, and they have two children, Anna 
 S., wife of Professor William Marshall, of 
 Yale College, and Raymond; Mary A. died 
 at the age of five years; John H., our sub- 
 ject, is next in order of birth; Frank A., a 
 contractor of Osceola, Iowa, married Kate 
 Crumby and they have four children. 
 George P., a large land owner and promi- 
 nent Republican of Cromwell, Connecticut, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 191 
 
 has served as first selectman of his town and 
 as a member of the state Legislature; Will- 
 iam R. is engaged in mercantile business in 
 Providence, Rhode Island; Dr. Watson L., 
 a graduate of Amherst College, and a pro- 
 fessor in Columbia University, New York 
 City, married Ella Whiting, of New York; 
 Lucy H. is a graduate of Cornell University, 
 and is now successfully engaged in teaching 
 in a young ladies seminary in Northfield, 
 Massachusetts; and Carrie A. is the wife of 
 George S. Butler, of Cromwell, Connecticut. 
 
 Reared in his native town, John H. Sav- 
 age, of this review, acquired his education 
 in its public schools and was graduated from 
 the high school. He began his business 
 career as a clerk in his father's store, where 
 he remained for some years, and before 
 coming west engaged in merchandising on 
 his own account for a year or two. In 1873 
 he took up his residence in Urbana, Illinois, 
 and on the Qth of April, 1874, entered the 
 county treasurer's office as clerk, and has 
 been connected with the same ever since 
 with the exception of six months. He has 
 been president of the Citizens Building and 
 Loan Association nearly ever since its or- 
 ganization, is one of its charter members, 
 and has been a director from the start. He 
 is also guardian for seven different waros in 
 Champaign county a fact which plainly in- 
 dicates the confidence and trust reposed in 
 him by his fellow citizens. 
 
 On the 2 ist of October, 1886, Mr. Sav- 
 age was united in marriage with Miss Alida 
 L. Nash, a daughter of H. J. Nash, now of 
 Urbana, but formerly a farmer of Philo 
 township. She has one sister, Estella E., 
 wife of David C. Busey, of Urbana. To 
 our subject and his wife have been born two 
 children, Sarah A. and Ralph N. 
 
 Socially Mr. Savage is a Knight Templar 
 
 Mason and a member of the Modern Wood- 
 men of America. As a Republican he takes 
 an active interest in local politics and has 
 been honored with several important official 
 positions. He is president of the board of 
 trustees of the schools of Urbana township; 
 has been city collector for many years; and 
 has been alderman of the second ward. 
 He is also treasurer of three drainage dis- 
 tricts. For five years he was lieutenant of 
 a company of militia, made up largely in 
 Champaign, and was one of the charter 
 members of the same. In business affairs, 
 he is prompt, energetic and notably reliable, 
 and has filled the offices to which he has 
 been chosen in a most commendable and 
 satisfactory manner. Few men are better 
 known throughout the county or are held 
 in higher regard than John H. Savage. 
 
 M 
 
 RS. MARYB. STRONG, a well-known 
 Christian Science healer, of Cham- 
 paign, is a native of Syracuse, New York, 
 and a daughter of Gideon and Sally (Mooney) 
 Bogardus. On the' paternal side she traces 
 her ancestry back to Rev. E. Bogardus, the 
 first Dutch Reformed minister in the Holland 
 settlement on the Hudson river. His son 
 Cornelius was the father of Peter Bogardus, 
 Sr. , and the latter was the father of Peter, 
 Jr., who was Mrs. Strong's grandfather. 
 Soon after the Revolutionary war he removed 
 to Syracuse, where he owned a large amount 
 of land, and the house he erected there is 
 still standing. Much of his property was 
 inherited by Mrs. Strong's father, who never 
 engaged in any business. The mother pos- 
 sessed marvelous power in the way of heal- 
 ing. She brought a man back to life, who 
 to all appearances was dead and had been 
 
192 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 pronounced so by six doctors. He had 
 died suddenly from excitement, but she 
 worked over him from night until morning, 
 and ordered him to wake up, which he finally 
 did. The Mooney family was of Scotch- 
 Irish and English extraction. 
 
 Mrs. Strong was educated in her native 
 city and in early womanhood was united in 
 marriage with Marcus Strong, a successful 
 teacher, from Rodman, Jefferson county, 
 New York. His father, Henry Strong, was 
 a very wealthy man, and his grandfather, 
 Nathaniel Strong, was a prominent member 
 of the New York legislature in his day. 
 After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Strong 
 removed to Oswego, New York, where he 
 engaged in business as a contractor and 
 builder, and later went to Girard, Pennsyl- 
 vania. While building a church at Erie, 
 Pennsylvania, the scaffold upon which he 
 was standing broke, and he died from the 
 effects of the fall after four years of suffering. 
 He left three children: Sarah B., now a 
 trained nurse, who has been with an aged 
 lady in Boston for some years; Frank R., a 
 resident of North Dakota, where he owns 
 and operates a large tract of land, and also 
 engages in school teaching during the winter 
 months; and William B., director of music 
 in the Winthrope Industrial and Normal 
 School at Rock Hill, North Carolina. All 
 have been given excellent educations, the 
 daughter graduating from the University of 
 Illinois, the older son in Michigan, the 
 younger in Boston, and all have success- 
 fully engaged in teaching. 
 
 After the death of her husband, Mrs. 
 Strong returned to Syracuse, New York, 
 where she resumed teaching school and 
 music. She also took charge of a young 
 woman afflicted with spasms, and found 
 that she could cure, or rather stop, the con- 
 
 vulsions by passing her hand over her. 
 Her school being large and her voice failing, 
 she decided to devote more time to the 
 healing art and experience showed that she 
 possessed considerable power over people. 
 For a time she engaged in sewing, but one 
 of her old teachers persuaded her to aban- 
 don that work and go to Chicago and take 
 up the study of medicine, first taking an 
 electric course. By the magnetism in her 
 hands she had already cured a number of 
 persons. She made a careful study of Dr. 
 Henri's and Babbits' books, and spent some 
 time in the massage-rooms of the former in 
 Central Music Hall, Chicago. Coming to 
 Champaign, she devoted her time to mas- 
 sage and magnetic treatment for almost a 
 quarter of a century, and was the first prac- 
 tical magnetic healer in the city. She 
 cured many cases where the doctors had 
 previously failed, and enjoyed a large prac- 
 tice. Until recently she was actively en- 
 gaged in this treatment, but finally became 
 convinced that Christian Science was the 
 true healing power, and for the past eighteen 
 months has devoted her time to the study of 
 the same, so that she is now almost ready to 
 take up healing along that line. Her daugh- 
 ter is also preparing herself for the same 
 work. 
 
 Mrs. Strong believes that the command 
 "go preach the gospel, heal the sick, 
 cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out 
 devils " is as binding on the followers of 
 Christ now as nineteen hundred years ago. 
 Few realize what spiritual strength and 
 stamina of character is required to carry on 
 a pioneer work, against the prejudices and 
 opposition of a community. Mrs. Strong, 
 however, is not easily intimidated, and will 
 undoubtedly meet with success in this as in 
 all her other undertakings, for she is a lady 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 193 
 
 of great strength of character and earnest 
 purpose. For many years she was a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, but has 
 more recently sang in different churches, 
 including the Episcopal, Baptist and Metho- 
 dist Episcopal. 
 
 JOHN C. KIRKPATRICK, deceased, 
 was one of the foremost citizens of 
 Champaign county from his early manhood 
 until his death, which occurred January 17, 
 1899, and no one who has been called from 
 our midst in late years has been more seri- 
 ously mourned by the general community. 
 For many years he made his home in the 
 city of Champaign, and all local improve- 
 ments were championed by him, his in- 
 fluence carrying great weight, as his judg- 
 ments were proverbially wise and far-see- 
 ing. 
 
 Mr. Kirkpatrick was born in Pickaway 
 county, Ohio, October 5, 1825, and was a 
 son of James and Jane (Porter) Kirkpatrick, 
 also natives of that state. His paternal 
 grandfather, Benjamin Kirkpatrick, was a 
 native of Pennsylvania, and one of the early 
 pioneers of Ohio, where he secured a tract 
 of timberland, and in the midst of the wilder- 
 ness he established a home. There he 
 reared his family of six children. In 1843 
 the father of our subject removed with his 
 family to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where 
 he purchased a tract of land and was exten- 
 sively engaged in farming and stockraising. 
 In early life he was also a drover. Polit- 
 ically he was a Henry Clay Whig, and he 
 served as a major in the state militia. He 
 died in St. Joseph township, this county, 
 in January, 1872, having long survived his 
 wife, who passed away in 1848. They had 
 
 ten children, of whom four died in early life, 
 the others being Samuel, Margaret A., John 
 C. , James W., Maria J. and Austin W. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared in 
 much the usual manner of farmer boys of 
 his day, early acquiring an excellent know- 
 ledge of agricultural pursuits, and obtaining 
 his literary education in the pioneer schools, 
 the nearest of which was located in the tim- 
 ber two miles from his father's farm. Leav- 
 ing home at the age of twenty-four years he 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois, and 
 located in Urbana township, where he en- 
 gaged in breaking prairie and farming. In 
 1850 he purchased two hundred acres of 
 land two miles north of Champaign, of 
 which he took possession in 1855, but only 
 resided thereon for two years, at the end of 
 which time he removed to the city. He 
 built the first frame house in Champaign 
 before the Illinois Central Railroad tracks 
 were laid, and at that time owned one 
 hundred and forty acres of land now within 
 the city limits. He added to his land pos- 
 sessions from time to time until at the time 
 of his death he owned over thirteen hun- 
 dred acres of valuable land, including three 
 hundred and twenty acres in St. Joseph 
 township and two hundred and seventy acres 
 in Stanton township. His farms were all 
 under a high state of cultivation and well 
 stocked with fine cattle and horses. Upon 
 his place in St. Joseph township, he made 
 his home for twenty years and then returned 
 to Champaign, his city residence being at 
 the corner of White and Third streets. He 
 was remarkably successful in his farming 
 operations, and was an important factor in 
 building up the agricultural and rnanufactur- 
 ing interests of the county. At one time he 
 was the owner of a department store in 
 Urbana, but when his health failed he turned 
 
194 
 
 THE BIOCzRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the business over to his sons. The last ten 
 years of his life were spent in practical re- 
 tirement in that city. He left a large and 
 valuable estate to his family. 
 
 On the 9th of October, 1849, Mr. Kirk- 
 patrick was united m marriage to Miss Mary 
 C. Busey, a daughter of Colonel and Mrs. 
 M. W. Busey, and to them were born eight 
 children, namely: (i) Marion F. , who lives 
 near Mayview, Illinois, first married to Ase- 
 nath Sumner, who died leaving two chil- 
 dren, Gertie M., now the wife of Ed John- 
 son; and Charles A. For his second wife 
 he married Jennie Spurgeon, by whom he 
 has one child, Cerelda M. (2) Albert J., 
 living at Blue Mount farm, married Alice J. 
 Barricklow and they have four children: 
 Myrtle M., now the wife of William Wool- 
 ever, of Stanton township, by whom she has 
 two children, Clara and Leel; John Earl; 
 and Claude and Maude, twins. (3) Elizabeth 
 J. is the wife of Jacob Dilling, of St. Joseph, 
 and they have three children, Mary M., 
 Clara and Lela. (4) Hattie B. is the wife 
 of Charles Barricklow, of Frankfort, In- 
 diana, and they have three children, John 
 C., Ross and Elmer J. (5) Samuel A., a 
 grocer of Urbana, married Ella Day, and 
 they have four children, Glenn B. , Mary J., 
 Hazel E. and Mildred B. (6) Dr. Charles 
 S. married Gertrude Wilson, and died in 
 1890, at the age of twenty-five years, leav- 
 ing one son, John W. (7) Jesse resides on 
 the old homestead in St. Joseph township. 
 He married Edith Clark and has one child, 
 Florence M. (8) Fannie L. is the wife of 
 James Dunseth, an attorney of Urbana, and 
 they have one child, Clara F. 
 
 In early life Mr. Kirkpatrick was a Whig 
 in politics; later supported the Republican 
 party; and during the last eight years of his 
 life voted the straight Prohibition ticket. 
 
 He and his wife united with the Methodist 
 Episcopal church in 1852 during a meeting 
 held in the court house before a house of 
 worship had been erected for the congrega- 
 tion, and at the time of his death was one 
 of the oldest and most influential members, 
 serving as a church officer for nearly half a 
 century. He was always a zealous worker 
 for the church and gave liberally toward its 
 support. As a public-spirited and progres- 
 sive citizen, he always took an active inter- 
 est in everything calculated to advance the 
 interests of the community, and assisted 
 materially in building up the county so that 
 it now ranks among the best in this great 
 commonwealth. His support could always 
 be relied upon for any worthy enterprise, 
 and he gave one thousand dollars to the 
 Burnham hospital, and a similar amount 
 toward the sum to be raised by the citizens 
 of Urbana and Champaign for the Illinois 
 University. He always responded to all 
 just appeals for charity, was quiet and un- 
 assuming in manner, upright and honorable 
 in all his dealings, and commanded the con- 
 fidence and respect of all with whom he 
 came in contact, either in business or social 
 life. 
 
 REV. WILLIAM H. STEDMAN. Only 
 the history of the good and great comes 
 down to us through the ages. The true re- 
 ligion has been the strongest influence 
 known to man through all time, while the 
 many false doctrines that have sprung up 
 have flourished only for a day and then van- 
 ished. More potent at the present time 
 than at any period in the world's history 
 are the work and influence of Christianity, 
 and among those who are devoting their 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 195 
 
 lives to its inculcation among men is Mr. 
 Stedman, who has been the honored pastor 
 of the First Baptist church of Champaign 
 since September, 1894. He is one of the 
 leading ministers of that denomination in 
 this section of the state, and his life is a 
 source of inspiration and encouragement to 
 all who know him. 
 
 Mr. Stedman was born near Towanda, 
 Bradford county, Pennsylvania, August 12, 
 1840, and is a son of Alfred Bennett Sted- 
 man, who was born in Homer, Cortland 
 county, New York, October 6, 1818, and 
 remained there until eleven years of age, 
 when his parents having died he left Homer 
 and went to live with a farmer, he and his 
 brother, aged fifteen years, having taken a 
 contract to clear a tract of timber land. 
 He continued to work upon that farm until 
 he was married at Towanda, Pennsylvania, 
 April 22, 1839, to Miss Lucilla Miller, who 
 was born in Chatham, New Jersey, Novem- 
 ber i, 1815, a daughter of Hezekiah Mil- 
 ler. Mr. Stedman then located at or near 
 Towanda, where he engaged in farming 
 until the subject was two years old and then 
 removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was 
 interested in what was then known as fur 
 blowing. He owned the machines and en- 
 gaged in business there on his own account 
 until 1855, when he removed to Pike county, 
 Illinois, and settled on a farm eight miles 
 from Barry. He finally sold his farm in 
 1877, an d on account of his wife's health 
 went to Minnesota, where he spent the re- 
 mainder of his life, dying at Morris, that 
 state, November 9, 1891, his wife on the 
 1 6th of August, the same year. 
 
 At the early age of eight years our sub- 
 ject began working in his father's factory in 
 Cincinnati and had charge of one of the 
 pieces of machinery for the manufacture of 
 
 cotton batting, the father having combined 
 that industry with his fur factory. Working 
 in the day time he was only able to attend 
 school at night, and on coming to Illinois at 
 the age of sixteen years had only received 
 about three months' schooling during the 
 winter, but he was fond of books and ob- 
 tained a good general information by read- 
 ing and studying at night without an instruc- 
 tor. The winter he was nineteen years of 
 age he attended the common schools of St. 
 Louis, and the following year entered 
 the University of Chicago, but before the 
 school year was completed close applica- 
 tion to study and overwork brought on dys- 
 pepsia, which made it necessary for him to 
 return home. In the fall of 1861 he be- 
 came a student at Shurtliff College, and 
 while there he enlisted, in May, 1864, in 
 Company D, One Hundred Thirty-third 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After spending 
 some time in Springfield, he went to Rock 
 Island to guard prisoners, and while there 
 he was discharged, as the one hundred days 
 of his enlistment had expired some two 
 months previous to his discharge. The 
 year previous he was in the Missouri state 
 service for thirty days during Price's raid, 
 and followed him until he crossed the Mis- 
 souri river. The command had to fight 
 their way back. 
 
 Mr. Stedman continued his studies at 
 Shurtliff College, and was graduated in June, 
 1869, with the degree of A. B., the degree 
 of A. M. being afterward conferred upon 
 him. While a sophomore he was asked to 
 supply the pulpit of the Baptist church, at 
 Louisiana, Missouri, and during the time he 
 was at school in Alton, he added fifty to the 
 church, among these being Miss Belle Kim- 
 berlin, a daughter of H. Kimberlin, of 
 Louisiana, Missouri. She attended a female 
 
196 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 seminary at Rural Park, Upper Alton, and 
 completed her studies there at the same 
 time as our subject, and a week later, on 
 the 1 3th of June, 1869, they were united in 
 marriage. They have five children: Lucile, 
 now the wife of Frederick Cody, of Detroit, 
 Michigan; Alfred B., of Chicago; Jeanette 
 E., Angie and Harry, at home. 
 
 While pursuing the literary course at 
 college, Mr. Stedmanalso studied theology, 
 and before his graduation organized a church 
 at Shelbyville, this state, of which he was 
 afterward called to the pastorate, removing 
 there in September, 1869. The following 
 winter he was ordained, and there remained 
 until 1872, during which time he increased 
 the membership from eleven to one hundred 
 and twenty, and erected a church at a cost 
 of nine thousand dollars. He next went to 
 Arcola, Illinois, as pastor of the First Bap- 
 tist church, and while there doubled its 
 membership, but the house being crowded 
 and the congregation refusing to build 
 another, he left and came to Urbana, Feb- 
 ruary 10, 1875, as pastor of the First Bap- 
 tist church there. He began his work by 
 making out a list of all the active or availa- 
 ble members and insisted that these be called 
 the church. He then went forward, relying 
 upon God, and sixty were added to the 
 church the first year, while during his stay 
 one hundred and thirty were baptized and 
 one hundred and ninety added to the 
 church. He built an addition to the house 
 of worship costing eight hundred and fifty 
 dollars. In 1882 he was called to the 
 church at Mendota, Illinois, and during the 
 seven years he remained at that place two 
 hundred were added to the church. From 
 there he went to Detroit, Michigan, as pas- 
 tor of the Twelfth Street Baptist church, 
 and under his pastorate the membership was 
 
 greatly increased and they purchased the 
 site of their present church on the corner of 
 Grand River and Thirteenth street, paying 
 for the same four thousand dollars. While 
 there he received a call from the church at 
 Champaign, and finally accepted in Septem- 
 ber, 1894, since which time he has been the 
 regular pastor here. The membership at 
 that time was two hundred and seventy-five. 
 Mr. Stedman came here with the intention 
 of building a parsonage and also a church, 
 in both of which undertakings he has been 
 successful. A fine parsonage has been 
 erected at No. 607 West Hill, and a church 
 at a cost of twenty-two thousand dollars, 
 exclusive of the site. The latter was ac- 
 complished after agitating the subject for 
 three years, two years being spent in getting 
 the congregation to decide to build and a 
 year in building. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Stedman is a member 
 of Colonel Nodine Post, G. A. R. He has 
 labored untiringly in the work of his church, 
 and his efforts have been crowned with suc- 
 cess. He is a man of thoughtful, earnest 
 purpose, of strong intellectual endowments, 
 of broad charity and kindly nature, and by 
 all denominations, as well as his own peo- 
 ple, is held in the highest regard. 
 
 WILLIAM PRICE, deceased, was a 
 well-known business man of Cham- 
 paign, Illinois, whose sound common sense 
 and vigorous, able management of his af- 
 fairs were important factors in his success, 
 and with his undoubted integrity of char- 
 acter gave him an honorable position among 
 his followmen. A native of England, he 
 was born in Oswestry, December 3, 1830, 
 and was a son of Edward and Mary Price, 
 
WILLIAM PRICE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 199 
 
 who spent their entire lives in that country. 
 The father was a land owner and quite a 
 successful man. 
 
 Our subject, who was the eldest in a fam- 
 ily of four children, was educated in the 
 public schools of his native land, and when 
 about fourteen years of age began an ap- 
 prenticehsip to the painter's trade, which 
 he soon mastered. In 1852 he sailed from 
 Liverpool for the United States, and on 
 landing in New York, proceeded at once to 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, where he' worked at his 
 trade for a short time. Subsequently he 
 was similarly employed at Muncie, Indiana, 
 for a short time, and then, after spending 
 several months in the west, he came to 
 Champaign, Illinois, where he continued to 
 make his home throughout the remainder 
 of his life. 
 
 On the 3rd of May, 1857, Mr. Price was 
 united in marriage with Miss Artymesia 
 Whitney, of Muncie, Indiana, and a daugh- 
 ter of Thomas and Hannah (Preston) Whit- 
 ney, natives of Massachusetts and Pennsyl- 
 vania, respectively. At a very early day 
 the father removed to Indiana, and took up 
 land near Muncie, where he passed the re- 
 mainder of his life engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits and met with well-deserved success, 
 being a large land owner. In his family 
 were eight children, namely: Lafayette, 
 Mordecai, Nancy, Phineas, Artymesia, Wil- 
 liam, David and Franklin, of whom only 
 Mordecai, Nancy, and Mrs. Price are now 
 living. William, David and Franklin were 
 all killed in the war of the Rebellion, David 
 being starved to death in Andersonville. 
 The father of his family died July 4, 1881, 
 the mother, in the fall of 1870. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Price were born the 
 following children: Thomas E. married 
 Lena Dauber, arid died at the age of thirty- 
 
 two years, leaving two children; John F., 
 who married Sarah McConnell, has one 
 child, and has succeeded his father in the 
 paint and paper business in Champaign; 
 David W. is working for his brother, mar- 
 ried Margaret McGargle, and has three chil- 
 dren; Mary H. is the wife of Matthew B. 
 Williamson, of Champaign, and they have 
 one child; Nellie G. is at home with her 
 mother; Elizabeth N. is with her brother 
 in the store and resides at home; one 
 child died in infancy; and Minnie B., 
 Annie G., Cora M. and Maude are all at 
 home. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Price worked at 
 his trade for about ten years, and then built 
 a store on Main street and embarked in the 
 paper and paint business. He enlarged his 
 stock from time to time to meet the grow- 
 ing demands of his trade until he had one of 
 the most complete exclusive paint and paper 
 stores in Illinois. He also took contracts 
 for work in his line, and had a large corps 
 of men in his employ. While still in the 
 prime of life he was stricken with paralysis, 
 and died May 22, 1885, being laid to rest in 
 Mt. Hope cemetery with Masonic honors. 
 He was a member of Western Star Lodge, 
 No. 240, F. & A. M. ; and was a Democrat 
 in politics, but never an aspirant for office, 
 preferring to give his undivided attention to 
 his business interests. He faithfully per- 
 formed his duties of citizenship, however, 
 and in all the relations of life was found 
 true to every trust reposed in him. He 
 therefore merited and received the confi- 
 dence and respect of all with whom he 
 came in contact either in business or social 
 life. His estimable wife is an active mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and of the Missionary and Ladies Aid So 
 cieties. 
 
20O 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 WI. SAFFELL. Among the leading 
 business men of Urbana none are 
 more deserving of representation in this vol- 
 ume than this gentleman, a member of the 
 well-known firm of W. I. Saffell & Com- 
 pany, dealers in hardware, stoves, bicycles, 
 carpets and general house furnishing goods. 
 Keen discrimination, unflagging industry 
 and resolute purpose are numbered among 
 his salient characteristics, and thus he has 
 won the prosperity which is the merited re- 
 ward of honest efforts. 
 
 Mr. Saffell was born in Columbiana 
 county, Ohio, April 29, 1850, and is a son 
 of Benjamin and Lydia P. Saffell, both na- 
 tives of Pennsylvania. The father, who 
 was engaged in the wagon and buggy busi- 
 ness, died in New Garden, Ohio, in Decem- 
 ber, 1849, at the age of twenty-five years. 
 The mother afterward married again, her 
 second husband being Richard Diamond, 
 but by that union had no children. Our 
 subject is the youngest of those born of the 
 first marriage. Lydia, the oldest, died at 
 the age of eighteen years. Silas B. is 
 married, and is now engaged in the manu- 
 facture of boxes at Indianapolis, Indiana. 
 O. C., director of the Citizens Bank and 
 manager of the New Castle Canning Com- 
 pany, of New Castle, Indiana, married Rilla 
 Wright, and they have two children, May 
 and Lewis. The former is now the wife of 
 Frank Waymand, and they have one child, 
 Frederick. 
 
 Our subject was reared in the town of 
 Greensboro, Indiana, and in early life learned 
 the carpenter's trade, which he followed in 
 that state for about twelve years, and for 
 two years after coming to Urbana, Illinois, 
 in 1871. He was next engaged in business 
 here as a dealer in farming implements and 
 buggies, and subsequently was interested in 
 
 importing horses from England, Belgium, 
 Germany and Scotland, as a member of the 
 Urbana Importing Company arid later as 
 salesman for the^irm, who bought the horses 
 to sell. For five years he successfully en- 
 gaged in that business, sometimes selling 
 the horses at auction, but generally at pri- 
 vate sales, some animals bringing as high as 
 two thousand dollars. On quitting that 
 business he lived retired for two years on 
 account of his health, but on the I3th of 
 March, 1895, embarked in his present busi- 
 ness under the firm name of W. I. Saffell & 
 Co. They carry a large and well selected 
 stock and occupy two store rooms on the 
 ground floor and also the rooms above. 
 
 In 1 88 1, Mr. Saffell was united in 
 marriage with Miss Francis Hood, a native 
 of Dublin, Indiana, and a daughter of 
 Charles L. and Lariah Hood, who were 
 from Wayne county, that state. One child, 
 Gladys, has been born of this union. Mrs. 
 Saffell is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church and is a most estimable lady. 
 Our subject is a Knight Templar Mason, a 
 member of Urbana Lodge, No. 157, F. & 
 A. M.; Urbana Chapter, No. 80, R. A. M., 
 and Urbana Commandery, No. 16, K. T. 
 In politics he is a Republican, but has never 
 cared for the honors or emoluments of pub- 
 lic office, though owing to his interest in ed- 
 ucational affairs has served as a member of 
 the city school board. 
 
 In 1888, combining business and pleas- 
 ure, Mr. and Mrs., Saffell went to Europe 
 and spent a most enjoyable time in visiting 
 Ireland, England, France, Belgium and 
 Holland. On their return they sailed from 
 Antwerp, Belgium, for London, and at the 
 latter city Mr. Saffell reloaded his stock on 
 the steamer Denmark, which should have 
 made the trip in ten or twelve days, but 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 2OI 
 
 owing to continuous storms that November 
 the vessel was twenty-eight days in crossing 
 the Atlantic, one day of the time being 
 taken up in securing fuel at Halifax, Nova 
 Scotia. They had previously used all boxes 
 and barrels available, and the captain, who 
 had been in the service for twelve years, 
 said that he had never been in such an 
 emergency. Great anxiety was felt on the 
 part of friends of those on board, fearing the 
 vessel was lost. Although the weather was 
 very rough Mr. Saffell was never sea sick 
 and stood the trip well. He had twenty- 
 four head of horses on the vessel. 
 
 A NDREW J. YEATS. More than half 
 i\ a century has passed since this gentle- 
 man arrived in Champaign county, and he 
 is justly numbered among her honored pio- 
 neers and leading citizens. He is now suc- 
 cessfully engaged in the grocery business in 
 Champaign. A native of Indiana, he was 
 born in Newtown, Fountain county, Decem- 
 ber 15, 1837, a son of Zepheniah and 
 Matilda (Carr) Yeats, The father was a 
 native of Gallia county, Ohio, and a son of 
 Samuel Yeats, a pioneer of that county, who 
 had served as a soldier of the Revolutionary 
 war and removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio 
 to take up his land warrant. Later he went 
 to Indiana, where he 'died in 1851, at the 
 extreme old age of one hundred and four 
 years. 
 
 Our subject grew to manhood in his 
 native county, and married Matilda Carr, 
 daughter of Richard Carr, of Maysville, 
 Kentucky. He continued his residence 
 there until after the birth of two of his chil- 
 dren, and then removed to Fountain county, 
 Indiana, where he purchased land. His 
 
 sons operated the farm, while he engaged in 
 shoemaking, all boots and shoes being made 
 by hand at that time. In 1849 he came to 
 this county and opened up a farm in what 
 is now Sadorus township, though there was 
 no township organization at that time and 
 the country was but sparsely settled. Within 
 a radius of seven miles his only neighbors 
 were Henry and William Sadorus, John 
 Tenbrock, John Hamilton, John Cook, Ben- 
 jamin, Isaac and John Miller, Henry Mather, 
 William Rock, Isaac Laughlin, Walter 
 Beavers and William O'Briant. These 
 pioneers would go all the way to Urbana to 
 vote and attend church, and the vYeats 
 family seldom missed a Sunday when the 
 roads were good. At first there were no 
 roads and they were guided by a furrow 
 along the ridgesT" They did their milling in 
 Periesville, Indiana, and underwent all the 
 hardships and privations incident to pioneer 
 life. The father of our subject first secured 
 a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, upon 
 which he set out a good orchard and built a 
 good house and barn, to his original farm 
 added an eighty-acre tract of prairie land 
 and thirty acres of timber, making in all two 
 hundred and fifty acres. Originally he was 
 a Democrat in politics and later a Republi- 
 can. He was elected road commissioner 
 and laid out many of the roads in his local- 
 ity. Religiously both he and his wife were 
 earnest members of the Presbyterian church, 
 and were highly respected and esteemed by 
 all who knew them. He died in 1885, at 
 the age of eighty-four years, and she passed 
 away in 1896, at the age of eighty-nine 
 years. 
 
 Andrew J. Yeats, of this review, is the 
 fifth in order of birth in a family of ten chil- 
 dren, and was educated in the subscription 
 schools of Newtown, Indiana, conducted in 
 
202 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 a log school house. As soon as large 
 enough to be of any assistance he com- 
 menced to aid in the operation of the home 
 farm, and remained under the parental roof 
 until twenty-two years of age. 
 
 On the loth of March, 1857, Mr. Yeats 
 was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
 Peat, who was born in Barrow Bridge, 
 Yorkshire, England, in 1839, and was four- 
 teen years of age when brought to the 
 United States by her parents, David and 
 Hannah (Porter) Yeats. In his native land 
 the father was overseer of some hundreds of 
 men engaged in manufacture of tile and 
 brick. On coming to this country, he first 
 located in Rochester, New York; later spent 
 two years in Springfield, Illinois, and from 
 there came to Sadorus, this county, where 
 he purchased a farm and made his home for 
 some years. In 1881 he went to Kansas, 
 where he died in August, 1883. His widow 
 now makes her home with our subject. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Yeats have seven children, 
 namely: Alice, now the wife of Issac Field- 
 ing, ex-postmaster of Champaign and editor 
 of the Times; Anna, wife of Elmer C. Sabin, 
 son of Mayor Sabin; George, who has been 
 a mail carrier for nine years; Maggie is the 
 wife of William Renner, son of William H. 
 Renner, whose sketch appears elsewhere in 
 this volume; Letitia, wife of Albert Cliff, of 
 Champaign; and John, who married Mrs. 
 Sarah Marshall, of Springfield, Illinois, and 
 is a prominent florist of Champaign. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Yeats bou ht a 
 farm in Sadorus township, to the cultivation 
 and improvement of which he devoted his 
 energies until 1872, at the same time serv- 
 ing as constable for twenty years. Having 
 lost heavily by going security for others, he 
 then removed to Champaign and accepted 
 a position in a cabinet shop, where he 
 
 worked for some years. Later he was in- 
 terested in the tubular well business and put 
 down tubular wells all over the county, 
 meeting with good success in that venture. 
 Subsequently he was a member of the police 
 force of Champaign for two years, and then 
 spent two years in Barber county, Kansas, 
 where he proved up a claim which is still in 
 the family. After his return to Champaign 
 he was again connected with the police 
 force until 1892, when he embarked in the 
 grocery business, in which he is still in- 
 terested. Eighteen years ago he purchased 
 property at the corner of East Church and 
 Fifth streets, and upon that lot is now en- 
 gaged in business. He is independent in 
 politics, and attends and supports the 
 Episcopal church. He is widely and 
 favorably known throughout the county 
 where almost his entire life has been passed, 
 and his friends are many. 
 
 WILLIAM WILLIAMSON is a retired 
 farmer and successful real estate 
 dealer of Champaign, whose life furnishes a 
 striking example of the wide application of 
 sound principles and safe conservatism. The 
 story of his success is short and simple, con- 
 taining no exciting chapters, but in it lies 
 one of the most valuable secrets of the pros- 
 perity which it records, and his business and 
 private life are pregnant with interest and 
 incentive, no matter how lacking in dramatic 
 action, the record of a noble life, consistent 
 with itself and its possibilities in every par- 
 ticular. 
 
 Mr. Williamson was born in Butler 
 county, Ohio, near Middletown, May 21, 
 1835, an d is a son of John and Huldah 
 (Doty) Williamson, natives of New Jersey 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 203 
 
 and Ohio, respectively. The father was a 
 farmer by occupation. He made two trips 
 to Ohio from his native state, by wagon, 
 and spent his last days in Butler county, 
 where his death occurred. He was born in 
 1797, and died in 1846. His wife, who was 
 born January 8, 1803, died at the home of 
 her daughter in Webster City. Iowa, May 
 20, 1892, but her remains were taken back 
 to Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, for 
 interment in the cemetery which her father 
 had donated to that community. At the 
 age of twelve years, he joined the Presby- 
 terian church, and remained one of its active 
 members until our subject became a Baptist, 
 when she united with that denomination. 
 
 Daniel Doty, the maternal grandfather 
 of our subject, was a native of New Jersey, 
 and a pioneer of Butler county, Ohio, where 
 he purchased a tract of government land, 
 owning and cultivating the present site of 
 Middletown. He was the first collector in 
 that district, wkich comprised three or four 
 counties, and would often ride as far as one 
 hundred miles to collect a dollar. He served 
 nearly all through the war of 1812, but 
 never drew a pension. In early days he 
 went as far as Cincinnati to buy flour, and 
 he and his sons made many trips to New 
 Orleans to sell their produce. Religiously 
 he was first a Presbyterian and later a New- 
 light; was very pious, and once went sixty 
 miles to help cut a road in order to move 
 the Baptist preacher, his family and house- 
 hold effects. He was born in 1765, and 
 died May 8, 1848, while his wife, who bore 
 the maiden name of Betsey Crane, died May 
 5, 1 863, at the age of ninety-one years. All 
 of their thirteen children reached years of 
 maturity with the exception of Noah, who 
 was drowned in the Miami river at the age 
 of twelve years, but all are now deceased. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is one of a 
 family of nine children, eight of whom lived 
 to be grown, and five are now living, name- 
 ly: Eleanor, wife of J. R. Letts, of Webster 
 City, Iowa; William, our subject; A. Crane, 
 who married Mary A. Anthony, and is now 
 a physician and surgeon of Champaign; 
 Sarah Jane, wife of James Jacoby, of Den- 
 nison, Texas; and John H., who married 
 Mila Braden, and resides in Dayton, Ohio. 
 
 William Williamson was principally ed- 
 ucated in the country-schools of Middletown, 
 Ohio, though he took up higher studies and 
 prepared to enter the medical profession, 
 but never engaged in practice. For a time 
 he was interested in the livery business and 
 later in real estate. On coming west in 
 1869, he first located in Macoupin county, 
 Illinois, but the following year removed to 
 Edgar county, and in 1865 to Douglas coun- 
 ty. In 1882 he came to Urbana, and in 
 1887 took up his residence in Champaign, 
 where he has since made his home. He 
 has improved over two thousand acres of 
 land in this state, and still owns much val- 
 uable property in Champaign and Urbana, 
 although he has sold much of the land he 
 owned near the Illinois University. His own 
 commodious residence is located at No. 709 
 South Wright street. Upright and reliable 
 in all things he has the entire confidence 
 and respect of his fellow citizens, and has 
 been called upon to settle many estates, in- 
 cluding that of his mother and other rela- 
 tives. He is a man of excellent business 
 and executive ability, sound judgment and 
 keen discrimination. In politics he is in- 
 dependent, and he has served as supervisor 
 and a member of the school board, being 
 elected to the latter position without his 
 knowledge while out of the city. Both he 
 and his wife are active and prominent 
 
204 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 members of the Baptist church, of which 
 he is a deacon, and in which he has filled 
 all the offices with the exception of a 
 preacher. He is also a member of the 
 finance committee and is a great church 
 worker. 
 
 On the 1 4th of February, 1865, Mr. 
 Williamson was united in marriage with Miss 
 Anna M. Jacoby, and they have become the 
 parents of three children, namely: Mary is 
 now the wife of P. A. Elder, of Lima, Ohio, 
 and they have three children, William A., 
 Anna A. and Huldah A. Orner D. assists his 
 father in the operation of a small farm of 
 thirty-four acres of land near the corporate 
 limits of Champaign. Josephine is attend- 
 ing the University of Illinois, being a member 
 of the class of 1903. 
 
 Henry Jacoby, the paternal grandfather 
 of Mrs. Williamson, was a native of Penn- 
 sylvania and a pioneer of Butler county, 
 Ohio. He was twice married and. had fif- 
 teen children, including Charles, Polly, 
 Sarah, Leah, Judith, Nathan, Jesse, Henry, 
 David and George. The father of this 
 family was an extensive land owner, having 
 enough property to give each of his children 
 large farms. 
 
 David Jacoby, Mrs. Williamson's father, 
 was born in Butler county, Ohio, Novem- 
 ber 1 6, 1818, and is still living, an honored 
 resident of Arcola, Illinois, where he is 
 serving as justice of the peace and occasion- 
 ally marries a couple. With his family he 
 removed from Ohio to Douglas county, this 
 state, on the day President Lincoln was 
 first inaugurated, and has since made his 
 home there. He is widely and favorably 
 known throughout that section of the state; 
 is a Jacksonian Democrat; and is a well 
 read man. In the early '6os he favored the 
 vigorous prosecution of the war. He is a 
 
 member of the Odd Fellows Society, in 
 which he has passed all the chairs, and is a 
 member of the Presbyterian church, to 
 which his wife also belonged. She, who 
 bore the maiden name of Lydia Catherine 
 Teressa Smyers, died August 5, 1890, aged 
 sixty-eight years. She was born in Penn- 
 sylvania, and when eighteen years of age 
 removed to Butler county, Ohio, with her 
 parents, James and Catherine Smyers, also 
 natives of the Keystone state. Mr. Smyers 
 died in Carnden, Ohio, aged seventy-three 
 years, his wife in Richmond, Indiana, in 
 1891, aged eighty-nine years. They had a 
 family of seven children, namely: Lydia C. 
 T., the mother of Mrs. Williamson; Caro- 
 line, deceased wife of Joel Smith; Eliza A., 
 deceased wife of Lewis Barnet; David J. 
 T., who wedded Mary Place, and is now 
 deceased; Hester M.S., widow of Howard 
 Young; John J. F. , a resident of Texas, 
 who first married Amelia Jacoby and second 
 Ann Harney, and is the father of thirteen 
 children; and Kittie Ann, who married Reu- 
 ben Jacoby, and died leaving one daughter, 
 Ella, now the wife of T. C. Carson, who 
 was state superintendent of schools in Ohio 
 for two terms, and is now president of the 
 National Teachers Association. 
 
 Mrs. Williamson is the second in order 
 of birth in a family of nine children, the 
 others being as follows: James M. married 
 Jennie Williamson, a sister of our subject, 
 and resides in Texas. Josephine is the wid- 
 ow of Charles Miner and lives in New York. 
 George C. married Carrie Kelly and lives in 
 Middletown, Ohio. Charles died unmarried 
 at the age of thirty years. Katherine is the 
 wife of John Shaffer, a railroad contractor, 
 who has just returned from building a rail- 
 road in Central America, and who is a 
 brother of Mary Shaffer, for many years 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 205 
 
 president of Wellesly College. Howard V. 
 married Ida Burkey and lives in Arcola, Il- 
 linois. Albert H. is single and resides in 
 New York City. Joseph died at the age of 
 two years. 
 
 FRANKLIN GREGORY CARNAHAN. 
 One of the rising young members of 
 the Champaign county bar is this gentle- 
 man, belonging to the well-known law firm 
 of Weaver & Carnahan, of Champaign. 
 
 A son of Rev. David F. and Sarah A. 
 (Dobbin) Carnahan, he is of Scotch-Irish 
 and French extraction. His great-great- 
 grandfather, David Carnahan. born about 
 1740, came to America from Ireland about 
 1760. and settled in Pennsylvania, in which 
 state his descendants are numerous and 
 prominent. The maternal great-grand- 
 father of our subject was Leonard Dobbin, 
 who took up his residence in this country 
 about the beginning of the nineteenth cen- 
 tury. He was a lineal descendant of a 
 French-Huguenot family by the name of De 
 Aubigne (which name was corrupted to 
 Dobbin in the course of time) who, forced 
 to flee from the religious persecutions on 
 the Continent, located in the northern part 
 of Ireland, and there became the proprietors 
 of valuable landed estates. Leonard Dob- 
 bin first went to Rhode Island, but later 
 settled in Auburn, New York, where he en- 
 gaged in contracting for public works. His 
 son, William L., grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, was reared in Auburn, and became a 
 successful merchant at Madison, Indiana, 
 and, subsequently, at Columbus, Indiana. 
 
 The birth of Rev. David F. Carnahan 
 occurred in what now is Montour county, 
 Pennsylvania, September 16, 1825. Ambi- 
 tious and of much more than ordinary ability 
 
 and spirit, he determined to have a thor- 
 ough college education, and by diligence 
 and arduous effort he succeeded in his un- 
 dertaking, paying his own way by intervals 
 of teaching. He was graduated with the 
 degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 
 '52, in Buckwell University. He had stud- 
 ied theology in the meantime, and had been 
 ordained to preach a few years previously. 
 For a short time he was pastor of the 
 Bridgeport (Pennsylvania) Baptist church, 
 after which he served the Calvary Baptist 
 church in Philadelphia several years, and 
 the Zanesville (Ohio) church. While a res- 
 ident of the last-named city, he assisted in 
 organizing the Seventy-eighth Ohio Volun- 
 teer Infantry, and was elected major of the 
 regiment. At the battle of Pittsburg Land- 
 ing, he was acting-colonel of his regiment, 
 and for some time was a member of the 
 staff of General Ross under General Lew 
 Wallace. Returning from the war he took 
 up his ministerial work again by becoming 
 pastor of the Baptist church at Dayton, 
 Ohio. He married there a teacher, Miss 
 Dobbin, a graduate of the institution now 
 known as the Granville Female College, 
 and two of their children survive, David H. 
 now being an instructor of French at the 
 Chicago University. In the ensuing years, 
 Rev. Mr. Carnahan labored at his calling in 
 Burlington, Iowa; Appleton, Wisconsin; 
 Aurora, Springfield, Streator, Dixon and 
 Urbana, Illinois, and other points, and was 
 one of the best-known ministers of his de- 
 nomination in the Middle West. For two 
 years he was state superintendent of mis- 
 sions in Ohio, and later, he held the same 
 office in Illinois. In 1886 he entered heart 
 and soul into the work of the Children's 
 Home Society, and to his labors to a great 
 extent is due the present thriving condition 
 
2O6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of that noble organization. For several 
 years prior to his death, which event took 
 place September 15, 1894, he dwelt in 
 Champaign, and here his widow still makes 
 her home. 
 
 Franklin G. Carnahan was born in 
 Springfield, Illinois, January 8, 1872. He 
 was graduated in the class of '92 in the 
 University of Illinois, the degree of Bachelor 
 of Arts being conferred upon him. Though 
 only twenty at the time of his graduation, 
 he had already won brilliant honors and had 
 given full promise of future successes. He 
 . was identified with the Adelphic Literary 
 Society, and was actively associated with all 
 of the progressive departments of collegiate 
 work. During the three years following his 
 graduation, he was employed by J. B. &. W. 
 B. McGinleyand the Champaign and Urbana 
 Waterworks Company, and at the same 
 time spent his leisure in the study of law, 
 under the supervision of Gere & Philbrick, 
 attorneys. Having been admitted to the 
 bar of this county, in November, 1896,, he 
 established an office and practiced alone for 
 almost a year. On the ist of September, 
 1897, the present firm of Weaver and Car- 
 nahan was formed, and to-day a large 
 amount of the local legal business of this 
 city is handled by these gentlemen. Mr. 
 Carnahan not only is an able and rising 
 lawyer, but is also recognized as one of 
 Champaign's -most progressive citizens. 
 Politically, he uses his franchise in favor of 
 the Republican party, and in May, 1898, 
 he was honored by the appointment to the 
 office of city clerk, to fill the unexpired term 
 of C. J. Strahle, deceased. He discharged 
 his duties to the entire satisfaction of those 
 concerned, and placed himself on record as 
 an efficient and conscientious official. Fra- 
 ternally, he is a member of the Benevolent 
 
 and Protective Order of Elks, and religiouly, 
 he is a Baptist. In various ways he has 
 manifested his interest in local enterprises, 
 and at present he is a member of the board 
 of directors of the Twin City Saving & Loan 
 Association, besides being legal adviser for 
 the company. 
 
 JOHN W. LAWDER, a well known and 
 respected citizen of Champaign, is a 
 worthy representative of .one of the sterling 
 old families of the United States. His an- 
 cestors resided in Berwickshire, Scotland, 
 and some of the family are yet living there. 
 The great-grandfather of our subject came 
 to America during the war of the Revolu- 
 tion, and, though he held rank as an officer 
 in His Majesty's army, he became convinced 
 that the colonists were in the right, assisted, 
 doubtless, to that conclusion by the fact that 
 he bestowed his affections upon a pretty 
 daughter of an American patriot, and the re- 
 sult was that he deserted the forces of the 
 mother country and married the young lady. 
 Unfortunately, he was disowned by his fam- 
 ily in England, but he and his descendants 
 have faithfully proved their loyalty to the 
 United States ever since. 
 
 The son of this officer, the next in the 
 line of descent to our subject, was Dr. James 
 Lawder, of Germantown, Ohio. He was 
 known far and wide as a physician of un- 
 usual skill, and, during the great cholera 
 epidemic in the early part of the '503, he 
 fell a victim to the scourge, owing to the 
 untiring zeal with which he strove to save 
 his patients. Riding night and day, over a 
 large territory, directing his son, Orange F. , 
 to meet him at certain cross-roads with a 
 fresh horse, he would continue his journeys 
 to the bedside of the suffering, and though 
 
J. W. LA\VDER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 209 
 
 he succeeded in saving many a useful life to 
 the community, his own ultimately paid the 
 penalty of the severe taxation. 
 
 The parents of J. W. are Orange Fred- 
 erick and Emma Elizabeth (Pitt) Lawder, 
 natives of Montgomery and Scioto counties, 
 respectively. The father enlisted at the 
 outbreak of the Civil war, in the Thirty-fifth 
 Ohio Infantry, and participated in the dread- 
 ful battle of Bull Run. Later, he fought in 
 the celebrated battles of Pittsburg Landing, 
 Lookout Mountain, and many others, dur- 
 ing the long years of his devoted service on 
 behalf of his country. When peace had 
 been restored to our borders, he resumed 
 the quiet avocations of life, and for several 
 years was associated with his wife's father, 
 Mr. Pitt, in rafting lumber to Cincinnati, 
 clearing land and other enterprises. Though 
 death claimed him while he was in his prime, 
 Mr. Pitt had already accumulated much val- 
 uable property in Scioto county. O. F. 
 Lawder later turned his attention to con- 
 tracting for lumber used in building enter- 
 prises, in Montgomery county, and gave em- 
 ployment to several men and teams for many 
 years. He now lives retired in Springboro, 
 Ohio, where he is highly esteemed. Politi- 
 cally, he is an ardent Republican, and an en- 
 thusiastic member of the Grand Army of the 
 Republic. Both he and his estimable wife 
 are identified with the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and are actively interested in all 
 worthy movements. Of their four children, 
 the two elder ones, James and Mary Eliza- 
 beth, died in infancy, and William Powers 
 is the proprietor of a flourishing blacksmith 
 shop in Springboro, Ohio. 
 
 The birth of John Walter Lawder took 
 place February 18, 1869, and his education 
 was acquired in the common and high 
 
 schools of Middletown and Germantovvn. 
 11 
 
 Having determined what his occupation 
 should be, he entered the employ of James 
 Ajax, a merchant tailor of Middletown, 
 where he served an apprenticeship of two 
 years. Later, he worked at his trade as a 
 journeyman in several Ohio towns, and in 
 1890 came to Champaign. He did not long 
 remain here at that time, however, but 
 spent a year or more in the south and south- 
 west. The attractions of this beautiful little 
 city proved a magnet to draw him back again, 
 and we next find him employed by T. Cos- 
 tello until the fall of 1893, when he em- 
 barked in business on his own account. 
 From 1 897 until the spring of 1 899 he was as- 
 ssociated in partnership with Arthur Burke, 
 who then withdrew in order to accept his 
 present position as cashier of the Citizens 
 Bank. Mr. Lawder then entered into part- 
 nership with Samuel Weingarten, who sold 
 out his interest to our subject, February 2, 
 1900. Mr. Lawder, who enjoys the confi- 
 dence and patronage of many of the repre- 
 sentative citizens here, and who has ever 
 conducted his affairs with system and marked 
 ability, has made a genuine success in his 
 business career, and merits the respect which 
 he is freely accorded. On the ist of May, 
 1900, he moved into new quarters, more 
 commodious and better suited to the high 
 class of trade which he enjoys. The new 
 establishment is in the Walker Opera 
 House Block, a central situation. He em- 
 ploys a number of expert workmen, and 
 strives to give thorough satisfaction to his 
 patrons. 
 
 In his political standing, Mr. Lawder is 
 a Republican, and, fraternally, he is a 
 Knight of Pythias, belonging to Valient 
 Lodge, No. 130, and in the Benevolent 
 Protective Order of Elks he is identified 
 with Champaign Lodge, No. 398. 
 
2IO 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 On the 1 3th of May, 1895, Mr. Lawder 
 married Miss Nettie Parker, a native of this 
 city, and daughter of George Parker, for- 
 merly a member of the faculty of the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois, bnt now living retired. 
 Mrs. Nettie Lawder departed this life in 
 1896, and was placed to rest in the quiet 
 cemetery here. The marriage of Mr. Law- 
 der and Caroline Snyder occurred January 
 26, 1898, and they have an infant son, John 
 Francis, born October 28, 1899. Mrs. 
 Lawder is a daughter of Frank Snyder, of 
 Urbana, who was for years engaged in the 
 newspaper business in that city, and at pres- 
 ent is retired from active labors. 
 
 K. SHEFFER, a well-known 
 V_J contractor and builder of Champaign, 
 who is now serving his second term as town- 
 ship clerk, was born in Williamsport, War- 
 ren county, Indiana, May 30, 1840, a son 
 of Nicholas and Matilda (Davis) Sheffer. 
 The father was born in Westmoreland 
 county, Pennsylvania, of old Pennsylvania 
 Dutch stock, "and in early life went to In- 
 dianapolis, Indiana, where he was married 
 about 1822, his being the first marriage 
 license issued after the county was organ- 
 ized. Later he removed to Williamsport, 
 becoming one of the pioneers and farmers of 
 that locality. He was also one of the prom- 
 inent and leading citizens of Warren county, 
 took an active part in local politics, and 
 served as sheriff of the county for two terms. 
 He cast his ballot with the Whig party. 
 He was born in 1797 and died in 1852. 
 The wife and mother, who was born in Ken- 
 tucky, died in Danville, Illinois, July 5, 
 1884. In their family were six children who 
 reached years of maturity: O. H. P., now 
 
 a resident of Colorado; Vance, of Oregon; 
 Frank, of California; Mrs. Cynthia Benge, 
 of Oregon; William, of Danville, Illinois; 
 George K., our subject; Jacob, now county 
 treasurer of Warren county, Indiana, and a 
 resident of Williamsport. 
 
 George H. Sheffer is indebted to the 
 schools of Williamsport for his literary edu- 
 cation. He was one of the boys in blue 
 during the Civil war, enlisting September 
 12, 1 86 r, in Company K, Thirty-third In- 
 diana Volunteer Infantry, which was as- 
 signed to the Army of the Cumberland. He 
 participated in all of the engagements in 
 which his regiment took part up to the bat- 
 tle of Peach Tree Creek, before Atlanta, 
 when he was seriously wounded. Later he 
 re-enlisted and his regiment was kept intact 
 through all the battles of his department. 
 After four years of arduous and faithful 
 service, he was honorably discharged in 
 1865. 
 
 While home on a furlough Mr. Sheffer 
 was married, April 17, 1864, to Miss Martha 
 Walker, of West Lebanon, and they have 
 a family of eight children: Jennie C., Ina 
 M., Minnie, Ruth, Roscoe, Mabel, George 
 and Myra. Minnie is now the wife of Harry 
 Eastman, of Champaign, and they have two 
 children, Herbert and Martha. 
 
 After the war, Mr. Sheffer returned to 
 Williamsport, Indiana, but soon removed to 
 Danville, Illinois, where he learned the car- 
 penter's trade and afterward worked as a 
 journeyman and still later as a contractor 
 and builder, erecting many residences in 
 that city. In 1886 he came to Champaign, 
 and here he has built up a good business as 
 a contractor and builder. 
 
 As a Republican, Mr. Sheffer has taken 
 an active part in political affairs, and he has 
 twice been elected township clerk, which 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 211 
 
 office he is now so creditably filling. He is 
 also a member of the township board of 
 health. He is a prominent and influential 
 member of Colonel Nodine Post, No. 140, 
 G. A. R., of which he was commander in 
 1899; has represented his post at the en- 
 campment at Rockford; and has always 
 taken an active part in Grand Army affairs. 
 
 HARNESS RENICK BUCKLES, prob- 
 ably one of the best known citizens of 
 Champaign, is now living a retired life at his 
 pleasant home, No. 603 South Randolph 
 street. For many years he was actively 
 identified with the business interests of the 
 city, but has now laid aside all business 
 cares, and expects to spend the remainder 
 of his life in ease and quiet, enjoying the 
 fruits of former toil. 
 
 Mr. Buckles was born in Darbyville, 
 Pickaway county, Ohio, August 29, 1844, 
 and is a son of Rev. Abraham and Sarah 
 (King) Buckles, natives of Rockbridge 
 county, Virginia. His paternal grandfather 
 was William Buckles, who was a member 
 of the first general assembly of the Ohio 
 Legislature when that august body met in a 
 log cabin. During his youth the father of 
 our subject learned the tailor's trade, but 
 the greater part of his life was devoted to the 
 work of the ministry, joining the Methodist 
 Episcopal conference of Ohio at an early 
 age. For several years he rode a circuit, 
 but later was the regular pastor of the 
 churches at Darbyville, Mt. Sterling, Bloom- 
 field, Genoa, Five Points, Harrisburg, and 
 other places in central Ohio, throughout 
 which section of the state he was widely 
 known as a man of sterling character and 
 worth. He never had any ambition to fill 
 office, but always discharged any duty that 
 
 devolved upon him. He favored the vig- 
 orous prosecution of the war and sent his 
 only son to fight for theold flag and the cause 
 it represented. He died in March, 1880, aged 
 seventy-five years, and his wife departed 
 this life in March, 1881, aged seventy-five 
 years, both dying of pneumonia. She, 
 too, was an active and faithful mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and her house was always crowded with 
 visitors during its meetings. This worthy 
 couple left a lasting influence for good in the 
 communities where they resided, and their 
 memory will long be cherished by their 
 many friends. They were tireless, resource- 
 ful and aggressive workers for the cause, 
 which was sacred to their hearts. Of the 
 twelve children born to them, five died 
 in early life before the birth of our subject. 
 The others are Amanda, widow of John 
 Renick and a resident of Circleville, Ohio; 
 Minerva, who married Dr. R. H. Tipton, of 
 Darbyville, Ohio, and both are nowdeceased; 
 Anna, widow of \V. H. H. Moore, of Dar- 
 byville; Harness Renick, our subject; Vir- 
 ginia, who married Marcus Baer, of Circle- 
 ville, Ohio, and died at the age of twenty- 
 eight years; Roaltha E., who was the sec- 
 ond wife of Marcus Baer and died at the 
 age of twenty-four years; and Miles C., who 
 died in early childhood. 
 
 Mr. Buckles, whose name introduces 
 this review, was reared in the village of 
 Darbyville, and his education was princi- 
 pally obtained in the schools of that place. 
 In early life he successfully engaged in 
 school teaching for several terms. On the 
 1 9th of July, 1862, at the age of eighteen 
 years, he enlisted in Company A, Forty- 
 fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry under Colonel 
 Benjamin P. Runkle, of West Liberty, 
 Ohio. His first engagement was at Dutton 
 
212 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Hill, Kentucky, and was followed by an en- 
 gagement at Rocky Gap, near Mills Creek 
 Ferry, where he was wounded in the head, 
 being knocked senseless. While off duty 
 for a short time, he went with prisoners to. 
 Lexington, Kentucky, and at that time the 
 doctor probed for the ball, which still re- 
 mained in his head and gave him much an- 
 noyance. Although at this time it was suc- 
 cessfully removed, he still suffers from the 
 effects of the wound. He participated in 
 the siege of Knoxville, the Atlanta cam- 
 paign, and the battles of Franklin, Nash- 
 ville, and Resaca, where Captain Elias 
 Scott was literally shot to pieces. He was 
 in thirteen battles, besides many skirmishes. 
 During the siege of Knoxville the regiment 
 to which he belonged was shut in by Long- 
 street for twenty-one days, but was finally 
 relieved by General Sherman. Mr. Buckles' 
 last battle was at Nashville under "Pap" 
 Thomas. At the close of the war, when 
 his services were no longer needed, he was 
 honorably discharged June 19, 1865, and 
 mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee. 
 
 Returning home, Mr. Buckles rested un- 
 til winter and then attended a commercial 
 college in Columbus, Ohio, from which he 
 was graduated in the spring of 1866. He 
 then rented a farm in Jackson township, 
 Pickaway county, Ohio, which he operated 
 in connection with school teaching for one 
 year, but continued to follow the latter pur- 
 suit until coming west in 1870. After a 
 short time spent in Monticello, Piatt county, 
 Illinois, he came to Champaign in May, 
 1870, and joined a civil engineering corps 
 building a new railroad from that city to 
 Decatur, under George Finney, chief en- 
 gineer. Mr. Buckles next opened a plumb- 
 ing and gas fitting establishment in Cham- 
 paign, and successfully engaged in business 
 
 along that line until his retirement from 
 business in 1890. 
 
 On the 4th of August, 1870, in Monti- 
 cello, Illinois, Mr. Buckles married Miss 
 Mary Hull, who was born in Piatt county, 
 February 1 5, 1846. Her father, Dr. Peter 
 Kinkead Hull, was born in Highlandcounty, 
 Virginia, August 10, 1811, and was married 
 March 31, 1839, to Mary Huston, who was 
 born near Adelphi, Ross county, Ohio, 
 March 13, 1819, a daughter of Hugh and 
 Rachel Huston. The Doctor graduated 
 from the University of Pennsylvania with 
 the degree of M. D., and first located in 
 Circleville, Ohio, being one of the first phy- 
 sicisns in that section of the state. In 1841 
 he moved to Monticello, Piatt county, Illi- 
 nois, but after the death of his wife, which 
 occurred March 14, 1849, he returned to 
 Circleville, where he engaged in practice 
 some years, being particularly successful 
 during the cholera epidemic in 1852-3. In 
 1858 we again find him a resident of Monti- 
 cello, Illinois, near which place he bought 
 fifteen hundred acres of land. He made 
 his home in the city, however, and engaged 
 in practice there until called from this life, 
 November 20, 1859. He was regarded as 
 an oracle on all matters pertaining to his 
 profession, and was in everything well quali- 
 fied to be a successful physician. He was 
 not only a thorough student of his profession, 
 but was of a sympathetic, kindly disposition, 
 and seemed to bring a ray of sunshine into 
 the sick room with him. He stood de- 
 servedly highamong his professional brethren, 
 and wherever known was held in high regard. 
 He was an ardent lover of nature and out- 
 door sports, which probably contributed no 
 little to his generosity of heart. He was al- 
 ways a willing listener to tales of distress, 
 and gave liberally to those in need. Those 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 213 
 
 who knew him best speak in unqualified 
 terms of his ability in his chosen field of 
 labor and his friendship for all mankind. 
 He was a charter member of the Masonic 
 Lodge of Monticello and was serving as 
 worthy master at the time of his death. In 
 his family were four children: Renick Hus- 
 ton, a farmer by occupation, was born March 
 15. 1840, and died January 15, 1866, being 
 frozen to death in a blizzard. He married 
 Rebecca Williams and died leaving one child, 
 Mary, now the wife of Edward Gimble, of 
 the .state of Washington. Rachel Estella, 
 the second child of Dr. Hull, is the wife of 
 J. F. Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas. Mrs. 
 Buckles is next in order of birth. Hugh, 
 the youngest, died in infancy. 
 
 After her mother's death, Mrs. Buckles 
 went to Circleville, Ohio, and remained 
 there until her father was also called away 
 in 1859, when she went to Virginia to make 
 her home with her uncle, Colonel G. W. 
 Hull, a wealthy planter, who was a delegate 
 to the convention in Richmond, in April, 
 1 86 1, when the secession of Virginia was 
 decided upon. She attended school in 
 Staunton, that state, until after the battle at 
 McDowell, where her uncle lived. On the 
 approach of the Federal troops, he was 
 taken, in a dying condition, to the home of 
 his father-in-law, Colonel Swoope, near 
 Staunton, while the uncle's handsome brick 
 residence was used by the LJnion army as a 
 hospital after the battle. Being unable to 
 hear from the north Mrs. Buckles and her 
 sisters took advantage of the return of some 
 fugitive rebel sympathizers to take passage 
 in the wagon that carried them to Highland 
 county, Virginia, and accompanied by a Miss 
 Wheat, a maiden lady, whose home was in 
 Washington, D. C., started for Parkersburg. 
 They traveled one hundred and twelve miles 
 
 through mountain forests, being stopped 
 many times by pickets and compelled to 
 show their passports to General Averil at 
 Beverly. They also had to take the oath 
 of allegiance to the Federal government. 
 They passed through many places made 
 famous in history, especially in the Alle- 
 ghany mountains where battles were fought, 
 including Cheat Mountain and Laurel Hill. 
 They finally reached Circleville, Ohio, in 
 safety, with very depleted pocket books. The 
 Confederate money which they carried with 
 them had depreciated in value to such an 
 extent that in Circleville it was only good to 
 look at. Mrs. Buckles was graduated from 
 the schools of that city, and for several 
 terms successfully engaged in teaching in 
 Pickaway county. In 1869 she returned to 
 Monticello, Illinois, where she was married 
 the following year as previously stated, and 
 came the same day to Champaign, where 
 she has since made her home. 
 
 Three children were born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Buckles, namely: Lettie A., born 
 February 20, 1872, was married, February 
 20, 1892, to J. Frank Wilson, of Cham- 
 paign, and died February 14, 1896. She 
 was a consistent member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and had many friends in 
 thi's community. William Piatt is an engin- 
 eer on the Illinois Central railroad, residing 
 at home with his parents, and Edgar Hull is 
 a druggist of Champaign, also at home. The 
 parents are both active members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and Mr. Buckles is a 
 charter member of Colonel Nodine Post, of 
 Champaign. In politics he is an ardent Re- 
 publican. 
 
 JOHN A. VOSS. America boasts no bet- 
 ter or more loyal citizens than many of 
 the sons of Germany who have cast in their 
 
214 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 lot with us, supporting our institutions and 
 laws, and seeking to promote the prosperity 
 of the republic in every ma.nner. Among 
 the thousands of the German-American cit- 
 izens who have been prominently associated 
 with the upbuilding of the great state of 
 Illinois, John A. Voss, of Champaign, de- 
 serves special mention, and his history must 
 prove an inspiration to every young man 
 ambitious of success. 
 
 Born in Mecklenburg, January 10, 1855, 
 he is a son of Fritz and Sophia Voss. After 
 completing his education in the common 
 schools, he commenced learning the busi- 
 ness of manufacturing tile, at which his 
 father was skilled. Continuing to work 
 under his senior's supervision until March 
 2 9 !873, he then sailed for the United 
 States and reached Boston April 12. He 
 then proceeded to New York and Chicago, 
 and found employment, while he industri- 
 ously strove to obtain a working knowledge 
 of the English language. In the autumn 
 he came to Champaign county, where, for 
 three years, he worked for farmers. At last 
 he entered into partnership with Joseph Neil 
 and began manufacturing tile, at Farmer 
 City. He burned the first lot of tile ever 
 made in DeWitt and Piatt counties, and 
 only had a horse-power engine. At the end 
 of a year he sold out and went to Mahomet, 
 where he was superintendent for James 
 Dunning for two years in his factory, at the 
 end of which time he entered into partner- 
 ship with Capt. A. O. Howell, of Urbana, 
 and carried on a tile factory there for two 
 years. He then went toThomasboro, where 
 he erected a large, well equipped plant, with 
 steam heat and power, and a side track 
 connection with the Illinois Central Rail- 
 road. Employment was afforded to about 
 a dozen men. and the business gradually in- 
 
 creased until it was the leading industry of 
 the place. Mr. Voss paid out more money 
 in wages than any one in the town, and, in 
 addition to erecting five residences, aided 
 materially in the building of three churches, 
 and was recognized as one of the represent- 
 ative citizens of the town. Later, he in- 
 vested in a farm of four hundred acres, two 
 hundred and eighty acres in Rantoul town- 
 ship, and the remainder in Somers town- 
 ship, paying therefor fifty dollars an acre, 
 besides a large ditch tax. He improved 
 this property, and Jived in Thomasboro 
 until November, 1893, in the meantime 
 building a beautiful home at No. 405 South 
 State street. This residence is supplied 
 with hot water heat and is modern and de- 
 sirable in every respect. For a number of 
 years he served as a school director, and 
 for three or four years was president of the 
 board. During that period he warmly 
 championed the erection of a new school 
 building, and was a member of the com- 
 mittee which had in charge the building of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. This fact 
 shows his broad and liberal views and speaks 
 volumes for one who is not narrowly sec- 
 tarian, but in thorough sympathy with every 
 movement which he believes will elevate 
 the people and make them happier and bet- 
 ter citizens. 
 
 When Mr. Voss came to America, he 
 was in debt about one hundred dollars, had 
 no knowledge of the language of our people, 
 and yet, in spite of everything, he suc- 
 ceeded by the exercise of the native talents 
 with which he had been happily endowed. 
 In his struggles to gain a livelihood he has 
 found a faithful helpmate in his wife, whose 
 maiden name was Lena Lingreen. They 
 were married February 24, 1882, in Cham- 
 paign. They have six living children: 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 215 
 
 Sophia, Minnie, Matilda, George, Bessie 
 and Anna, to all of whom they have given 
 good educational advantages. Mr. Voss is 
 a gentleman of wide information, and much 
 of his time is spent in his library, where he 
 has gathered a valuable collection of books. 
 He is a member of the order of Elks, and, 
 with his family, is identified with the Luth- 
 eran church of Champaign, which he as- 
 sisted in building and liberally supports. 
 
 WILLIAM DODSON, who is spending 
 the closing years of a long and useful 
 life free from business cares at his pleasant 
 home at No. 406 North State street, Cham- 
 paign, was for nearly thirty years one of the 
 leading business men of that city, his time 
 and attention being devoted to the grocery 
 trade. 
 
 Mr. Dodson was born in Dayton, Ohio, 
 July 8, 1819, a son of William and Margaret 
 (Wikel) Dodson, who were born, reared and 
 married in Virginia, and in 1800 moved to 
 Ohio, locating in Montgomery county about 
 eight miles from Dayton, where the father 
 engaged in farming. In early life he had 
 learned the blacksmith's trade and also fol- 
 lowed teaming in his native state. In pol- 
 itics he was a stalwart Democrat. He lived 
 to the advanced age of ninety-two years and 
 had the use of all his faculties to the last. 
 His wife had passed away some years be- 
 fore, dying in 1875. They were pioneers of 
 Montgomery county, Ohio, and were well 
 and favorably known. In their family were 
 seven children, namely: Albert, a farmer, 
 who died in De Witt county, Illinois; John, 
 who lives near Urbana, where he owns a 
 splendid farm of two hundred acres; Eliza- 
 beth, who married Wilson Collins, of Tip- 
 
 pecanoe county, Indiana, and died in 1897, 
 at the age of sixty-five years; William, our 
 subject; Rebecca, who married George 
 Bowsher, and located near Lafayette, In- 
 diana, where she died in 1899, when over 
 fifty years of age; Jacob, a farmer of Kan- 
 sas; and Levi, a commission merchant of 
 Iowa. 
 
 Upon the home farm in Ohio. William 
 Dodson grew to manhood. In 1835 he be- 
 came one of the pioneers of Tippecanoe 
 county, Indiana, and owned and operated 
 eighty acres of land on Wild Cat Prairie, 
 where he made his home until coming to 
 Champaign, Illinois, in 1864. Here he 
 successfully engaged in the grocery business 
 until 1893, when he retired, having acquired 
 a comfortable competence through well- 
 directed labor, perseverance and good man- 
 agement. He owns Considerable property 
 in Champaign and has done much to ad- 
 vance the interests of the city, so that he is 
 now numbered among its useful and valued 
 citizens, as well as one of the honored and 
 highly respected men of the community. 
 
 Mr. Dodson has been twice married, his 
 first wife being Miss Hannah Young, a native 
 of Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and a daugh- 
 ter of William Young. She was a member 
 of the Universalist church, and a most esti- 
 mable lady. She died in 1859, at about 
 the age of forty years, and, all of the four 
 children born to them are deceased. Joseph 
 died at the age of eleven years; John, at five 
 years; Elnora, at three years; and one in 
 infancy. 
 
 On the 1 5th of December, 1866, Mr. 
 Dodson married Miss Sophia Kingsberry, 
 who was born in New York State, April 30, 
 1834. Her parents, Benjamin and Joanna 
 (Jennings) Kingsberry, were born, reared 
 and married in Cherry Valley, New York, 
 
2l6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and in 1828 moved to Allegany county, that 
 state, where they continued to make their 
 home throughout life. Throughout his 
 active business life the father followed the 
 occupation of a carpenter. He served as a 
 private in the Mexican war, and in compen- 
 sation for his services received a land war- 
 rant from the government. He died at the 
 age of seventy-five years, and his wife, who 
 survived him for some time, passed away at 
 about the same age. They had nine chil- 
 dren: William, a carpenter, who died in 
 the east; Delia; David, also a carpenter; 
 Hannah, who first married Thomas Burns 
 and lived in Wisconsin, but is now the wife 
 of a Mr. Goodenough, of Oklahoma; Ben- 
 jamin, a veteran of the Civil war and a car- 
 penter of New York; Alvin, also a resident 
 of New York state; Edward, who served all 
 through the war 'of the Rebellion and is now 
 deceased; Julia, widow of Wesley Sayers, 
 and a resident of New York; and Sophia, 
 wife of our subject. She came to Cham- 
 paign in 1860. She is an earnest member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 WILLIAM MIEBACH, a member of the 
 well-known firm of Miebach Broth- 
 ers, prominent hardware dealers of Cham- 
 paign, is a native of La Salle county, Illi- 
 nois, born near Lostant, February i, 1866. 
 His father, William Miebach, Sr. , was born 
 in Germany, and on his emigration to this 
 country located in La Salle county, where 
 he engaged in farming until coming to this 
 county in 1874. After spending one year at 
 Tolono, he removed to Sadorus, and became 
 one of the most extensive and prominent 
 farmers of that locality, owning about six 
 
 hundred acres of land. In 1886 he estab- 
 lished a bottling works in Champaign, and 
 did a large and prosperous business, being 
 agent for the Schlitz Brewing Company, of 
 Milwaukee, in both Champaign and Urbana. 
 Here he spent the last days of his life, dy- 
 ing in 1892. 
 
 Our subject was reared on the home 
 farm and obtained his literary education in 
 the common schools of Sadorus. In 1886 
 he accompanied the family on their removal 
 to Champaign, and as manager had charge 
 of the bottling works started by his father. 
 Forming a partnership with two of his broth- 
 ers under the firm name of Miebach Broth- 
 ers, they succeeded to the business and suc- 
 cessfully carried it on until 1893, when they 
 sold out and embarked in the hardware 
 trade at the corner of University avenue and 
 First street. Later they erected the large 
 business block which they now occupy, it 
 being forty-four feet front on University 
 avenue. The firm use all of the basement 
 and the ground floor, while the large hall 
 above is used for dancing and similar pur- 
 poses. They carry a large and well selected 
 stock of stoves, shelf and heavy hardware, 
 and do the most extensive business in their 
 line in the county. 
 
 In 1893, Mr. Miebach married Miss 
 Elizabeth Brown, of Champaign, a daugh- 
 ter of John Brown, and to them have been 
 born four children, namely: Marion, Will- 
 iam, Catherine and Joseph. The parents 
 are members of St. Mary's Catholic church, 
 and have a nice home in East Park. As a 
 Republican, Mr. Miebach takes quite an act- 
 ive and prominent part in local politics, and 
 was elected alderman from the first ward, 
 assuming the duties of that office in January, 
 1897, and serving for two years. In busi- 
 ness affairs he is energetic, prompt and 
 
WILLIAM MTEBACH. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 219 
 
 notably reliable and commands the confi- 
 dence and respect of all with whom he 
 comes in contact. 
 
 REV. EDGAR C. STARK, for some 
 three years pastor of the Church of 
 Christ, of Champaign, has been actively en- 
 gaged in ministerial labors for twenty-six 
 years, and has been greatly blessed and 
 prospered in his earnest undertakings. Pos- 
 sessing a good education, a pleasing address, 
 and heartfelt interest in his noble calling, 
 he has the power of winning people's atten- 
 tion and co-operation, and frequently is the 
 means of bringing them into active associa- 
 tion with Christian work. 
 
 The parents of our subject were William 
 and Mary (McManus) Stark; the former was 
 a native of Botetourt county, Virginia, and 
 the latter, of Cincinnati, Ohio. The father, 
 who was the son of Thomas Stark, was 
 reared upon a farm in his native county, 
 and in his early manhood went to Cincinnati, 
 Ohio, where he mastered the trade of a 
 shoemaker, and was thus employed for a 
 few years. He married a lady of that city, 
 the daughter of John McManus, formerly of 
 Philadelphia. Later, he went to New 
 Harmony, and thence to Carmi, Illinois, 
 where he dwelt for a score of years, giving 
 his time to his former calling, then more 
 profitable than it is to-day. In the mean- 
 time, he bought government land in the 
 northern part of White county, and resided 
 there a portion of each year. The wife and 
 mother died in 1858, leaving four children, 
 and the father now makes his home in St. 
 Louis. He sold his farm during the Civil 
 war, but retained his home in Carmi for 
 several years. 
 
 The birth of Rev. E. C. Stark took place 
 in New Harmony, Indiana, January 30, 
 1853. His elementary education was gained 
 in the common-schools of White county, 
 and when he was eighteen years of age, he 
 obtained a certificate, and taught school for 
 the ensuing thirteen years, in Edwards 
 county. During this period he diligently 
 devoted much of his leisure time to studies 
 and research along the lines of what he long 
 believed to be his life-work the preaching 
 of the gospel. Indeed, he was not more 
 than twenty years old when he delivered his 
 first sermon, and from that time on he oc- 
 cupied the pulpit of churches on numerous 
 occasions. When he was in his thirty-sec- 
 ond year, he became district evangelist in 
 the New River district, in south western 
 Virginia, and during the four years of his 
 residence there he lived upon a farm 
 which he bought in Montgomery county, 
 that state. His chief labors were along the 
 line of restoring churches and infusing new 
 life and activity into congregations which 
 were faint-hearted and failing, and in this 
 he was unusually successful. 
 
 In 1889, Mr. Stark accepted a call to 
 the Christian church at Fisher, Champaign 
 county, and there he remained until the 
 fall of 1892. The membership of the church 
 was increased, and the prospects for its fu- 
 ture were very encouraging when he re- 
 signed the pastorate. His next charge was 
 at Farmer City, where he continued to 
 preach the Word until February, 1 896, 
 when he went to Delavan, Illinois. On 
 New Year's Eve, 1896. he commenced his 
 work in Champaign, which has been mainly 
 that of restoration. Through his efforts, 
 and stimulated by his zeal, every depart- 
 ment of the church organization has been 
 revived and the financial condition at the 
 
22O 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 same time has been improved to a gratify- 
 ing degree. Recently, the official board of 
 the church passed resolutions testifying to 
 the regard in which their pastor is held, and 
 showing due appreciation for hisdisinterested 
 labors of love here. Fraternally, he is con- 
 nected with the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
 ica, and is in thorough sympathy with the 
 great mass of workingmen everywhere. 
 Personally, he is justly popular with young 
 and old, and exercises a marked influence 
 for good upon all who know him. 
 
 Upon the nth of August, 1872, Mr. 
 Stark married Mary L. Whyde, daughter of 
 Nicholas and Margaret (Starner) Whyde, 
 both natives of Ohio. The father of Nicholas 
 was Henry Whyde, of England, where many 
 of his family spell the name Wide. Mrs. 
 Stark was born in Wabash county, Illinois, 
 and later she removed with her parents to 
 Edwards county, where she formed the ac- 
 cjuaintance of her future husband. They 
 have- six children, of whom Claude at pres- 
 ent is principal of the schools at Foosland, 
 Illinois. He has been a student in the 
 University and is preparing himself for yet 
 higher things. Annetta is the wife of Prof. 
 William E. Knott, principal of the Gifford 
 (Illinois) schools, and they have one child, 
 Marjory. Amy E. is successfully engaged 
 in teaching in Champaign county, and 
 Blanche, Ralph and Carl C. are at home. 
 The family reside in a pleasant home at No. 
 407 East Stoughton street, which was built 
 by our subject in 1899. 
 
 FRANC H. LANGE. While the saying 
 of the poet, that "all things come to 
 him that waits," may not be fulfilled in nu- 
 merous instances, it is reasonably certain 
 
 that some degree of success will come, 
 sooner or later, to him who works and 
 waits. Thus it has been in the case of the 
 subject of this article, and, in view of the 
 fact that he had his own way to make, a 
 stranger in a strange land, he has been very 
 prosperous. 
 
 His father, Philip Lange, was a hero of 
 the battle of Waterloo, serving in the Ger- 
 man army. He was a native of Hanover, 
 and died in that country in 1858, having 
 survived his wife, Mary Ann, some ten 
 years. Both were members of the United 
 Lutheran church. Of their five children, 
 three remained in Germany, while Franc 
 H. and Joseph came to the New World. 
 The latter, formerly a farmer of Hensley 
 township, Champaign county, now resides 
 in St. Louis. 
 
 The birth of Franc H. Lange took 
 place in Hanover, July 9, 1833, and in that 
 province he obtained a good German edu- 
 cation. In August, 1850, he sailed from 
 Bremen to New York city, and after en- 
 countering severe storms, the ship on which 
 he was a passenger arrived at her destina- 
 tion, just eight weeks having been con- 
 sumed on the trip. His slender means 
 were exhausted by that time, and he was 
 obliged to borrow money to pay his way to 
 Cleveland, where he was fortunate enough 
 to obtain a position in a clothing store. 
 There he faithfully performed every duty 
 for seven years, after which he worked in a 
 grocery for two years. 
 
 Mr. Lange was economical and judicious 
 in the expenditure of his earnings, and in 
 1859 he came to Champaign county and 
 rented land in Hensley township for four 
 years. He then purchased eighty acres, 
 only thirty-five of which had been broken. 
 At first not more than two-thirds of the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 221 
 
 place could be cultitivated, but by placing 
 tile and making ditches, the land was all re- 
 claimed and rendered very productive. 
 Many substantial improvements were made 
 upon the homestead by the owner, and to- 
 day it is one of the most valuable farms in 
 the country, comprising, as it does, five 
 hundred acres, situated in one body. It is 
 well stocked with cattle, and in the raising 
 of live stock he has been particularly suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Lane and Elizabeth 
 Leidendecker took place May 5, 1860. and 
 on the 2Oth of September, 1874, the devoted 
 wife and mother was called to the better 
 land. Henry, her eldest-born, is a farmer 
 of Hensley township, and to himself and 
 wife, formerly Bertha Wolfe, two daughters 
 have been born, named, respectively, Nora 
 .and Gertie. Albert, also an agriculturist, 
 chose Amanda Faulker for his wife, and 
 their children are named: Laura, Gilbert and 
 Cora. Amelia, wife of William Luehrmann, 
 of Altamont, has two children, Gussie and 
 Oscar. Edward, also a resident of Alta- 
 mont, married Alvina Kopplin. Mary is the 
 wife of August Luehrmann, a well known 
 business man of St. Louis, and their three 
 children are: Edna, Irving and Eliner. 
 Julia, wife of Gustve Kopplin, of Altamont, 
 has one son, Franc. On the 3rd of Janu- 
 ary, 1879, Mr. Lange married Louisa 
 Luehrmann. daughter of John H. Luehr- 
 mann-, of St. Louis, and their union has 
 been blessed with three children, George, 
 now a successful book-keeper; Clara, who 
 died when in her eleventh year, and Oscar, 
 in school. Mrs. Lange was the widow of 
 Louis Meyer, by whom she had two children: 
 William, of Shumway, Illinois, and Louis, 
 manager of a commission house in St. Louis 
 The father of Mrs. Lange was born in Han- 
 
 over, Germany, in 1828, and in his early 
 manhood he was a solider in the army. In 
 1844 he came to this country and for nine- 
 teen years made his home in St. Louis, 
 where he married Katherine Auftermark, a 
 native of Hanover. In 1863. he removed 
 to the town of Venedy, Washington, where 
 he conducted a ipercantile business, owned 
 a mill in partnership with another man and 
 was actively connected with various under- 
 takings for five years. Then, going to 
 Lively Grove, he served as the postmaster 
 there, and, at the end of five years, returned 
 to St. Louis. His -last years were spent in 
 Blue Point, Illinois. 
 
 In 1895, Mr. Lange built a beautiful 
 residence at No. 507 West Springfield 
 avenue, Champaign, and now lives retired, 
 enjoying the fruits of past years of labor. 
 Both he and his wife are active members of 
 the Lutheran church, the former being a 
 director, and when the new church building 
 was recently constructed, he was an efficient 
 worker on the committee having the matter 
 in charge. He has been a zealous supporter 
 of the Republican party, and no one in his 
 community has been more interested in the 
 establishment and maintenance of excel- 
 lent public schools. In brief, he is a repre- 
 sentative American devoted to everything 
 making for the permanent welfare of the 
 country with which he cast his lot just half 
 a century ago. 
 
 JOHN BRAGG, a retired wagon maker 
 and blacksmith living at No. 103 Vine 
 street, Champaign, was born in the city of 
 London, England, May 19, 1826, and is a 
 son of Thomas and Elizabeth Bragg, who, 
 with their family, emigrated to the United 
 
222 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 States when our subject was ten years old, 
 landing in New York. In that city the 
 mother died in 1844, at the age of sixty-two 
 years, but the father long survived her, dying 
 in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1874, at the 
 age of eighty-four years. In London he fol- 
 lowed the carpenter's trade, and continued 
 to work at that occupation in this country 
 until age compelled his retirement. Both 
 he and his wife were active and faithful 
 members of the Baptist church, of which he 
 was an officer, and, an honest, upright man 
 and earnest Christian, he commanded the 
 confidence and respect of all who knew him. 
 The subject of this sketch is the young- 
 est in a family of seven children, the others 
 being as follows: (i) George was in the 
 employ of the English government for over 
 a quarter of a century, being clerk of works 
 in the fortifications at Gibraltar for many 
 years. He was then retired on a pension 
 large enough to keep him comfortably dur- 
 ing the remainder of his life. He was a 
 faithful man in Her Majesty's service, and 
 was the pride of the family. After his re- 
 tirement from governmental duties, he en- 
 gaged in preaching for the Baptist church 
 until called from this life at the age of 
 eighty years. He married Anna Golden 
 and had several children. (2) Emily died 
 at the age of eighteen years. (3) Charlotte, 
 born in 1815, married James Fielder, of 
 Jersey City, and died in 1843. She had 
 two children, who are still living in that city, 
 her son, George B. Fielder, having served 
 for many years as county clerk of Hudson 
 county, New Jersey. The other child is 
 Mrs. Emily Bliss. (4) Frederick married 
 Jane Bassett, and they are living in Lawn 
 Ridge, Marshall county, Illinois. Their 
 children are Mrs. Elizabeth Van Tassel; 
 Arlington; John; George, deceased; Irving; 
 
 Newton; Mrs. Hattie Miller; and Emily. (5) 
 Edwin was a shoemaker of Erie county, 
 Pennsylvania, where his death occurred. 
 He had a wife and several children. (6) 
 Charles was a carpenter by trade and was 
 killed by falling from a building on which he 
 was at work. He had a wife and children. 
 
 John Bragg began his education in the 
 public schools of London, and after coming 
 to America commenced learning the wagon- 
 maker's and blacksmith's trade. He at- 
 tended school on Long Island for a time, 
 and as a boy worked in the carpenter shop 
 of his father until seventeen years of age, 
 when he started out in life for himself. He. 
 continued to make his home in New York 
 City until 1856, working for the Brewster 
 Carriage Company, whose work was dis- 
 tributed all over the United States. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Bragg was married 
 in 1852, to Miss Elizabeth Bassett, a daugh- 
 ter of Michael and Hester Bassett and a 
 sister of his brother Frederick's wife. She 
 died in 1870, at the age of thirty-eight years, 
 and Mr. Bragg was again married, in De- 
 cember, 1872, his second union being with 
 Miss Mary Harris, a daughter of Christopher 
 C. and Margaret (Hemphill) Harris, the 
 former a native of Cincinnati, Hamilton 
 county, Ohio, the latter of County Antrim, 
 Ireland. The father was born February 4, 
 1822, and is the youngest and only survivor 
 in a family of seven children, the others 
 being William, James, Sarah, wife of 
 Charles Howard; Mary, wife of Isaac Tittle; 
 Louisa, wife of Alfred Orr; and Charlotte, 
 wife of William McVita. Mr. Harris is also 
 a blacksmith by trade and followed that oc- 
 cupation for many years. In 1850 he re- 
 moved from Ohio to Scott county, Indiana, 
 and six years later came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, locating in East Bend 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 223 
 
 township, where he engaged in farming 
 until the fall of 1868, when he took up his 
 residence in Champaign, then called West 
 Urbana, and here he has since made 
 his home. For four years he served 
 as township clerk. Since the age of thirteen 
 he has been an active and consistent mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, and has 
 filled the office of deacon since 1865. On 
 the 25th of November, 1844, he married 
 Margaret Hemphill, who was born in County 
 Antrim, Ireland, January i, 1822, a daugh- 
 ter of James and Jane Hemphill. Her 
 father died in that country, and in 1862 
 her mother came to the United States, 
 where she died ten years later, at the age of 
 eighty-four. They had four children: 
 James, deceased; Robert, a resident of 
 Peoria, Illinois; Mary and Margaret. Mrs. 
 Harris died September 15, 1899, aged 
 seventy-seven years. At an early age she 
 united with the Presbyterian church in Ire- 
 land, and was always a sincere and faithful 
 Christian. 
 
 Mrs. Bragg is the oldest of the six chil- 
 dren of the Harris family. Lucy A. was in- 
 stantly killed by lightning July 30, 1856, at 
 the age of eight years, while the family were 
 living in Scott county, Indiana. The house 
 was struck, but strange to say no other 
 member of the family was injured. Louise 
 is the wife of Arthur Barnes, who. is clerking 
 in a manufacturing establishment in Cham- 
 paign. Charlotte M. is the wife of Erwin 
 Arnold, of Elgin, Illinois, and they have two 
 children, Willett and Harry. Minerva is 
 the wife of W. H. Nicolet, of Chicago, and 
 they have one child, Bessie. Margaret is 
 the wife of John L. Pierce, of Omaha, Ne- 
 braska, and they have three sons, Dwight, 
 Roy and Paul. Mr. and Mrs. Bragg have 
 no children of their own, but have an adopt- 
 
 ed daughter, Mary Isabella Bragg, a very 
 prominent Sunday school worker, who is 
 now assistant secretary in the office of W. 
 B. Jacobs, the noted Sunday school man of 
 Chicago. 
 
 On leaving New York City, in 1856, Mr. 
 Bragg came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 and first located on a farm three and a half 
 miles north of Champaign, but two years 
 later removed to that city, where he has 
 since made his home. He had the first 
 wagon shop that was conducted here longer 
 than three months, and did quite a large 
 and successful business for those early days, 
 employing two blacksmiths and one painter. 
 Being a man of industrious habits and good 
 business ability, he succeeded in accumulat- 
 ing a comfortable competence, and is now 
 able to lay aside all business cares and live 
 a retired life, though when disposed he still 
 does some work for the accommodation of 
 his friends. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bragg has nearly always 
 affiliated with the Republican party except 
 a few times when he voted the Prohibition 
 ticket. In 1851 he united with the Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows in New York 
 City, and on coming to Champaign brought 
 with him a card of recommendation to the 
 lodge here, with which he has now been con- 
 nected for thirty years. He has passed 
 ' through all the chairs and has represented 
 the lodge in the Grand Lodge of the state 
 for nine years. He has also been a member 
 of the Masonic fraternity since 1871, and of 
 the Congregational church since 1860. His 
 wife is also a member of that church, and a 
 teacher in the Sabbath school. She is an 
 officer in the Woman's Christian Temperance 
 Union, having served as president of the 
 local organization and treasurer of the dis- 
 trict society, and has been a great worker 
 
224 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in various organizations which have for their 
 object the betterment of mankind. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bragg are widely and favor- 
 ably known, and it is safe to say that no 
 couple in the community are more highly re- 
 spected and esteemed. 
 
 JOHN QUAYLE, now living retired in 
 Champaign, was one of the pioneers of 
 this,state, and deserves special mention in 
 its annals. Nobly and conscientiously did 
 he battle with the privations and difficulties 
 which only the frontiersman knows, and 
 faithfully has he performed his duty towards 
 his fellow-men and towards his large family, 
 now reared to maturity and taking honored 
 places in society. When duty and inclina- 
 tion conflicted, he did not hesitate between 
 them, but patiently and from principle 
 endeavored to do what he believed to be 
 right, and thus is entitled to the high esteen 
 of all. 
 
 A native of the Isle of Man, England, 
 John Quayle was born June 25, 1833, a son 
 of James and Ann (Harrison) Quayle, who 
 passed their entire lives upon a farm there. 
 When he had arrived at his majority, John 
 Quayle joined five young men bound for the 
 United States, and at Rochester, New York, 
 where he had a sister living, he made a 
 pleasant visit, before proceeding westward. 
 Going then to Buffalo, he procured a team 
 and drove to Detroit, and thence to Chicago 
 and Peoria. He found plenty of work in 
 that county and the following spring went to 
 Henry county, where he took a position at 
 herding cattle on the prairies. Many a day 
 passed that he did not behold the face of a 
 human being, but at night the wolves made 
 the hours hideous, and wild game of various 
 
 kinds was plentiful. Returning to Peoria 
 county, he worked for farmers again, and 
 all of this time carefully saved his earnings. 
 When he saw his way clear to the establish- 
 ment of a home, he returned to his native isl- 
 and where he married Jane Skinner, who has 
 proved a true helpmate to him in every re- 
 spect. His parents were by this time well 
 along in years, and, as they needed him to 
 comfort and care for them, he remained on 
 the old homestead, tenderly seeing that 
 their wants were supplied, until they re- 
 ceived the summons to the better land. 
 
 Though the care of his parents necessi- 
 ta^ed Mr. Quayle's remaining at his birth- 
 place for a number of years after he had de- 
 termined to cast in his lot with the pioneers 
 of Illinois, he considered himself an Ameri- 
 can and longed for the time when he might 
 really set about the development of a good 
 farm in the great Prairie state. When he 
 returned to the United States for the second 
 time, he had a wife and twelve children to 
 provide for, and practically he had to be- 
 gin at the beginning, financially. It was 
 nine years ere he was able to buy a farm of 
 his own, and, in the meantime, he leased 
 land in Scott township, Champaign county, 
 and some seasons cultivated several hun- 
 dred acres. The homestead which he owns 
 in Champaign township comprises one 
 hundred and thirty-four acres, one-third of 
 which was under water much of the year, 
 at the time of his purchase. To-day there 
 is not an acre incapable of cultivation, and, 
 by means of three car-loads of tiles, varying 
 from four to twelve inches in diameter, and 
 ditches placed where needed, the land has 
 been properly drained, and is very fertile 
 and productive. The thrifty owner has 
 instituted numerous other improvements, 
 has divided the farm into fields of equal size, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 225 
 
 and has a fine hedge around the entire place. 
 Five or six yoke of cattle were required to 
 break the prairie and the task was exceed- 
 ingly difficult at best. 
 
 But many years of persistent labor 
 brought their due reward, and now, as the 
 shadows of eventide lengthen in his pathway 
 of life, Mr. Quayle is in the possession of 
 ample means. Recently he built a beautiful 
 modern residence at No. 838 West Church 
 street, and is nowdwelling here. He has seen 
 his twelve children grow tomature years, and 
 many of them occupying homes of their own, 
 respected members of the several communi- 
 ties in which they reside. In order of birth 
 they are named as follows: Mrs. Jane 
 Collier, of Chicago; Thomas and William, 
 farmers of this county; Katherine; Edward; 
 Robert ;Daniel; Mrs. Anna Hartley, of Iowa; 
 Mrs. Lizzie Flower; Henry; Arthur, of 
 Chicago; and Fannie. The parents are 
 members of the Wesleyan Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and are liberal contributors 
 to the maintenance of the noble work of the 
 various departments of that denomination. 
 
 CHARLES GEHRKE. The biographer 
 \-^ takes special pleasure in tracing the 
 history of men who have won success in hon- 
 est industry and good business management, 
 overcoming adverse circumstances, and prov- 
 ing their ability to cope with competition 
 and the thousand disadvantages which a for- 
 eigner must contend against. The subject 
 of this memoir is a loyal citizen, upholding 
 all the laws and institutions of this, the 
 land of his adoption, and he takes particular 
 pains to inculcate in the minds of his chil- 
 dren the same high principles of patriotism 
 by which he is governed. 
 
 Like his father and grandfather before 
 him, Charles Gehrke was born in the village 
 of Velpke, Hanover, Germany, the date of 
 his nativity being June 18, 1852. His par- 
 ents were Henry and Elizabeth (Shultz) 
 Gehrke, respected citizens and members of 
 the Lutheran church. The father was a 
 stone-mason, and made a good living for 
 himself and family. 
 
 After completing the excellent education 
 which the schools of Germany afford its chil- 
 dren, he was apprenticed to the baker's 
 trade, and served for three years, becoming 
 thoroughly acquainted with the business in 
 all of its details. He then worked as a jour- 
 neyman in different parts of the German 
 empire until the time when he was obliged 
 to enter the army, in accordance with the 
 military regulations. There he served for 
 three years, beginning with the year in which 
 the Franco-German war was finished. ' 
 
 On the 25th of January, 1881, Mr. 
 Gehrke married Sophia Bank, of Schoppen- 
 stedt, and, after a few years of wedded life, 
 they decided to try their fortunes in the 
 United States. In all of his undertakings, 
 our subject has found a faithful helpmate in 
 his wife, and together they have borne many 
 sorrows and vicissitudes, as five of their ten 
 children they have had to place in the tomb. 
 Robert, who has mastered the baker's trade, 
 is engaged in business with his father, and 
 is a promising youth. Otto, Alma, Jennie, and 
 Amanda(who is studying music) are at home, 
 the three youngest being pupils in the local 
 school. Alma has developed considerable 
 musical ability and is being given special 
 training in the art which they love. 
 
 It was fifteen years ago that Mr. Gehrke 
 crossed the Atlantic with the purpose of 
 founding a home in America. Linding in 
 Baltimore, he proceeded with his family to 
 
226 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Champaign county, and, as he was unable 
 to speak any English, he was glad to accept 
 a position at his trade with those who were 
 willing to employ him. At the .end of five 
 years, he opened a small bakery at No. 207 
 East Clark street, which property he had 
 purchased with his carefully accumulated 
 earnings. At first, he built only a good 
 oven, and had a small shop in the rear of 
 his premises, but at the end of two years he 
 erected a substantial store fronting the 
 street. Little by little he ingratiated him- 
 self into the favor of the public, and now is 
 managing a very remunerative business, buy- 
 ing flour by the car-load lot, keeping two or 
 more teams busy and several men employed. 
 In 1 899 he engaged in shipping bread to sev- 
 eral adjoining towns. He makes a specialty 
 of fine baking and pastry, supplying parties 
 and banquets and taking orders for whatever 
 is desired by his patrons. He has a pleasant 
 home on his Lot, which is sixty-six feet wide, 
 and some time ago he also purchased the 
 property next to his own. On this he built 
 a good residence, which he rents. 
 
 Every one having dealings with Mr. 
 Gehrke speaks in high terms of his integrity 
 and energetic methods and wishes him suc- 
 cess. Fraternally he is associated with the 
 Druids and Modern Woodmen of America 
 and with the Mutual Aid Society. Relig- 
 iously, he is a member of the German Evan- 
 gelical church, and liberally assists in various 
 philanthropic movements, calculated to bene- 
 fit humanity in general. 
 
 ZACHARIAH EMIG, of Champaign, is 
 the possessor of a handsome property 
 which now enables him to spend his years 
 in the pleasurable enjoyment of his accumu- 
 
 lations. The record of his life, previous to 
 1893, is that of an active, enterprising, 
 methodical and sagacious business man, who 
 has bent his energies to the honorable ac- 
 quirement of a comfortable competence for 
 himself and family. 
 
 Mr. Emig was born in York, Pennsyl- 
 vania, March 28, 1828, a son of Daniel and 
 Elizabeth (Fleager) Emig, who spent their 
 entire lives in that place. The grandpar- 
 ents, Michael and Sophia (Dendelinger) 
 Emig, were born in this country of German 
 ancestry, and he was a farmer by occupation. 
 The family name is shortened from the 
 earlier German spelling Emich. The fa- 
 ther of our subject followed farming through- 
 out life and also worked at the millwright's 
 trade, building mills in the neighborhood of 
 his home for many years. Both he and his 
 wife were members of the Lutheran church 
 and most estimable people. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received a 
 good education in the Evangelical school of 
 York, and on starting out in life for himself 
 turned his attention to farming. In 1852 
 he came to Illinois on horseback, a distance 
 of nearly one thousand miles, carrying all 
 his worldly possessions in his saddle bags. 
 Roads had been made, but the settlements 
 in this state were then widely scattered. He 
 located at Monticello, Piatt county, and for 
 nine years he operated rented land. In 
 1865 he purchased eighty acres of railroad 
 land, entirely unimproved, and at once 
 turned his attention to its cultivation and 
 development. He built a house and fences, 
 and placed acre after acre under the plow. 
 Later he purchased another eighty-acre 
 tract on the same section, and tiled and im- 
 proved the whole place, making it one of 
 the most desirable farms of its size in the 
 locality. For twenty-five years he made 
 
ZACHARIAH EM1G. 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 229 
 
 that place his home, and was extensively 
 engaged in the raising of stock and grain. 
 He raised both cattle and horses, but his 
 specialty was heavy work horses of the Per- 
 cheron breed. In his undertaking he met 
 with well-deserved success, and is now able 
 to lay aside all business cares and enjoy the 
 fruits of former toil. Leaving the farm in 
 November, 1893, he moved to Champaign, 
 and purchased a pleasant home at No. 311 
 East Springfield avenue, where he now re- 
 sides. 
 
 On the 1 8th of February, 1857, Mr. 
 Emig was united in marriage with Miss 
 Mary Pifer, of Monticello, also a native of 
 Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Stephen A. 
 and Elizabeth (Eichinger) Pifer, who came 
 to this state about 1850. Of the eight chil- 
 dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Emig, one died 
 at the age of three years and a half, and 
 the others are Ellen, now the wife of 
 William Brittenham, of St. Louis, Missouri. 
 Kate, wife of Nelson Reed, who lives near 
 Shelbyville, Illinos; Lizzie, wife of William 
 Ogden, of Mississippi; Charles, who married 
 Bertha Smith and lives on his father's farm; 
 Delia, wife of Len Judkins, of Effingham; 
 Minnie and Francis, both at home. They 
 also have seventeen grandchildren, five of 
 whom are now grown. 
 
 The Republican party finds in Mr. Emig 
 an ardent supporter of its princicles, but he 
 has never been an aspirant for official hon- 
 ors. For many years he and his wife were 
 active and prominent members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church of Monticello, and 
 since coming to Champaign have united 
 with the congregation here. He was class 
 leader at the country appointment near his 
 home, and was superintendent of the Sun- 
 day school. He is a worthy representative of 
 
 that class of citizens who lead quiet, industri- 
 12 
 
 ous, honest and useful lives, and constitute 
 the best portion of a community. Wherever 
 known he is held in high regard, and is 
 certainly deserving of honorable mention in 
 the history of his adopted county. 
 
 AJ. CLARK, one of the representative 
 business men of Urbana, comes from 
 one of the pioneer families of Champaign 
 county, and his paternal ancestors were 
 early settlers in Virginia. His grandfather, 
 Samuel F. Clark, removed to Scioto county, 
 Ohio, when a child, and there grew to man- 
 hood. For a wife he chose Mary, daughter 
 of Henry Utt, a native ol Germany, who 
 had located in the Buckeye state at an 
 early day, and in payment for supplying the 
 first surveyors of his section of the state 
 with provisions, received two acres of land 
 per day, until he had three hundred and 
 fifty acres near the present town of Lucas- 
 ville, Ohio. In 1826, S. F. Clark removed 
 to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and there 
 cleared a farm. 
 
 The father of the subject of this article, 
 the Hon. Erastus J. Clark, was born May 
 2, 1831, the fourth in a family of ten chil- 
 dren. He was reared at his birthplace in 
 Tippecanoe county, then almost an un- 
 broken wilderness, and in his early years he 
 often saw large bands of Indians who were 
 engaged in hunting in the forest, but were 
 not unfriendly to the white men. An im- 
 portant event in his life was his marriage, 
 November 13, 1851, to Maria Kirkpatrick, 
 daughter of James Kirkpatrick. She was 
 born in Pickaway county, Ohio, later re- 
 sided in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and 
 at the time of her marriage was living in 
 Mahomet township, Champaign county. 
 
230 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Clark continued to dwell in this county 
 for many years, engaged in farming, and 
 then went to Gray county, Kansas. At the 
 time of his death, in 1898, he was making 
 his home at Enid, Oklahoma Territory. It 
 is a remarkable fact that, though he ran for 
 office twenty-six times, such was his popu- 
 larity that he never sustained a defeat. 
 While living' in this county he served as 
 justice of the peace two terms and in Gray 
 county, Kansas, was recorder of deeds four 
 years. He also was honored by being 
 chosen to represent his county in the terri- 
 torial legislature of Oklahoma, and at the 
 time of his death was a member of the 
 Oklahoma senate. He lived to be nearly 
 sixty-nine years of age, and died, regretted 
 and mourned by a large number of personal 
 friends and general business and political 
 associates. In politics, he maintained ab- 
 solute independence of party, making a 
 point, however, of never voting for any 
 man whose sympathies had been or were 
 with the South in the war of the Rebellion. 
 When Peter Cooper was a candidate for 
 office, he was one of the eighty-four thou- 
 sand independent men who voted for that 
 gentlemen. Both himself and wife were 
 faithful members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, and were active in all worthy 
 movements. She is living in Enid, Okla- 
 homa territory, and has attained her sixty- 
 ninth year. 
 
 The third of four children, A. J. Clark 
 was born April 21, 1862, on the parental 
 farm in this county. His elder sister, Dora, 
 is the wife of A. J. Burns, a farmer of 
 Cimarron, Kansas, and Eva M., wife of C. 
 C. Castle, resides upon a farm near Omo, 
 Oklahoma Territory. Clinton F. is a pros- 
 perous and influential citizen of Enid, same 
 territory. He is extensively engaged in 
 
 stock raising, and at present is deputy to the 
 county sheriff. His wife was Ada Hungate 
 in her girlhood. 
 
 A. J. Clark received a good education in 
 the district schools of this county, and in 
 those of Urbana. He then turned his at- 
 tention to agriculture and the raising of live 
 stock. In 1894 he went to Ford county, 
 Kansas, where he was a member of the firm 
 of Clark & Kern, real -estate dealers, until 
 1896. Then, going to Oklahoma, he was 
 occupied in agricultural pursuits for two 
 years, at the end of which period he re- 
 turned to Urbana. Here he entered into 
 partnership with R. T. Robertson, who 
 withdrew from the firm within a year, and 
 towards the close of 1899 the present ar- 
 rangement with Mr. Coffin was made, the 
 style being Clark & Coffin. They not only 
 deal in real estate, but also in live stock, es- 
 pecially horses, and are making a success of 
 their enterprises. 
 
 Soon after reaching his majority, A. J. 
 Clark married Laura, daughter of Owen T. 
 and Mary J. Mallon, formerly of Franklin 
 county, Ohio. They are both living, as are 
 six of their seven children. Allen, an Iowa 
 farmer, married Anna Actrum, and has five 
 children. Charles, a farmer of this county, 
 married Jennie Lease, and had four chil- 
 dren, two of whom survive. Sallie is the 
 wife of W. A. Lewis, a conductor on the 
 Illinois Central. Arthur and John, unmar- 
 ried, and firemen on the Big Four railroad, 
 reside in Urbana. Aaron, deceased, was a 
 farmer of this county. He chose Ada Phil- 
 lips for a wife, and they had three daugh- 
 ters. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are the parents 
 of three children, namely: Charlie C., 
 Claude E. and Nellie J. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Clark is a member of 
 the Uniformed Rank of the Knights of 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 231 
 
 Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America 
 and the Court of Honor. Politically, he is 
 a Democrat, but has no aspirations to pub- 
 lic office. He owns a good residence at No. 
 2 1 1 West Green street, and in addition to 
 this, he owns valuable farms in Illinois, 
 Kansas and Oklahoma, all of which prop- 
 erty he leases to responsible tenants. 
 
 CHARLES HEBEL, one of the young 
 V_> business men of Champaign, has dem- 
 onstrated within the past few years what 
 can be accomplished by pluck and persever- 
 ance. Without assistance of any sort, he 
 has steadily forged his way to the front, 
 and now enjoys the well earned respect of 
 every one who knows him. 
 
 One of the native sons of Champaign 
 county, Mr. Hebel was born in Urbana, 
 August 26, 1876. His father, George Hebel, 
 now a resident of Boulder, Jefferson 
 county, Montana, is a baker by trade, and 
 during his residence in Champaign did much 
 of the fine work in his line for the leading 
 people of this locality. It was in 1875 that 
 he located here, coming from our neighbor 
 state, Indiana. Later, he went to. Urbana, 
 and still later, to the northwest. His wife, 
 the mother of our subject, bore the maiden 
 name of Naomi A. Colvin, She was born 
 in Indiana, and is a daughter of William 
 Colvin, one of the early settlers in Cham- 
 paign. 
 
 In his boyhood, Charles Hebel attended 
 the common schools of Champaign, and 
 gained a practical business education. He 
 then began learning the trade of a paper- 
 hanger with Samuel Smith, in whose employ 
 he continued for three years. During this 
 period, when he had so earnestly striven to 
 
 please that he was in great demand with 
 the public, he concluded to embark in busi- 
 ness upon his own account, and carefully 
 accumulated what he could save from his 
 earnings, as capital for his venture. He 
 was only twenty years old when he started 
 out independently, taking orders for paper- 
 hanging and decoration of rooms, and the 
 next year he opened a small shop at 203 
 South Wright street. At first he had only 
 a few, but well chosen, varieties of paper in 
 stock, but, little by little, he added to this, 
 until to-day he keeps a splendid line of 
 goods, representing the latest ideas in wall 
 decoration, and at prices suited to every 
 purse. He is now established in large and 
 pleasant quarters at No. 608 East White 
 street, his own building. His trade, which 
 is constantly growing, is not exclusively 
 that of house adornment, for he has executed 
 many contracts of fine work for stores and 
 public buildings, like that of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association. He has it as 
 a fixed principle that all work undertaken 
 by him shall be made thoroughly satisfactory 
 to his patrons, and thus his reputation has 
 been built upon a sure basis. He owns a 
 good house and lot in addition to his busi- 
 ness block on South Wright street. 
 
 When a mere youth, Mr. Hebel developed 
 considerable talent as an entertainer, and 
 one season, comprising some forty weeks, he 
 traveled with Gilbert & Owens Comedy 
 Company. He was assigned a good part 
 and played it with marked ability, and, 
 though some of his experiences were not 
 particularly pleasant, and led to his de- 
 termination to seek another line of per- 
 manent employment, his mind was neces- 
 sarily broadened and his store of general in- 
 formation greatly increased, for he met all 
 classes of people and journeyed all over the 
 
232 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 central states, as well as through Kentucky 
 and Tennessee. 
 
 On the 29th of September, 1898, Mr. 
 Hebel and Miss GoldieJ. Carman, daughter 
 of Benjamin F. Carman, of Urbana, were 
 united in marriage, at Paris, Illinois. They 
 have a little daughter, Merribel Margaret, 
 the pride of their happy home. Mrs. Hebel 
 is a member of the Christian church of Ur- 
 bana, and Mr. Hebel is an attendant upon 
 the services, and a contributor to the main- 
 tenance of religious work. Both have nu- 
 merous friends, here and elsewhere, whom 
 they enjoy entertaining in the home made 
 attractive by their united labors. Through 
 his energy and perseverance he has gained 
 the confidence and encouragement of a 
 number of business men of the Twin Cities. 
 
 /^>EORGE E. McCARTY, who is well 
 V_J and favorably known, particularly in 
 local Democratic circles in Champaign, is a 
 native of this flourishing place, his birth 
 having occurred here when the city was in 
 its infancy, September 27, 1858. His par- 
 ents, Patrick and Mary (Graham) McCarty, 
 were born in Ireland, and were married in 
 Champaign on Christmas day, 1856. The 
 father was in the employ of the Illinois 
 Central Railroad Company for thirty-six 
 years, and was highly esteemed by those 
 who knew him. Both he and his estimable 
 wife were pioneer members of St. Mary's 
 Catholic church of this city, and, though 
 they have finished their earthly career, they 
 are lovingly remembered by a multitude of 
 old-time friends. 
 
 When he had completed his education, 
 George E. McCarty began his railroading 
 life, which extended over a period of many 
 
 years. He was at first employed by the 
 Illinois Central and was in the round-house 
 here from 1875 to 1876, after which he 
 acted in the capacity of fireman on the road 
 for three years. Then for a year he was 
 with the VVabash, running between Peru, 
 Indiana, and Peoria, Illinois, and later he 
 was fireman upon the line between Sedalia 
 and Kansas City, Missouri, and Pleasant 
 Hill and Joplin. Going into the Lone Star 
 state, he obtained a position with the Texas 
 Pacific, and, after proving his ability as -a 
 fireman, was promoted, at the end of a 
 month's service, to the post of engineer. 
 After eighteen months spent in that place, 
 he became connected with the Cotton Belt 
 Railroad, as fireman upon a passenger en- 
 gine, his run being between Texarkana and 
 Waco, Texas. At the end of three months 
 he was transferred to a position as engineer 
 of a switch engine, at Corsicana. Not 
 liking that department of business, he pro- 
 ceeded to Salt Lake City, where he was a 
 member of the city paid fire department for 
 six months. He then accepted a position as 
 fireman on the Union Pacific, his run being 
 from Ogden to Milford, Utah, and this place 
 he retained for three years. The ensuing 
 year or two he was variously employed on 
 Montana railroads, and at the end of tfyat 
 time he decided to try a distinct change of 
 occupation. Returning to his birth place, 
 he engaged in the restaurant business, and 
 for seven years devoted his entire attention 
 to the enterprise, of which -he made a suc- 
 cess. 
 
 For a long time Mr. McCarty has been 
 very active in the affairs of the Democratic 
 party in this locality, and in April, 1894, he 
 was elected alderman from his ward. Since 
 then he has been honored with re-election 
 twice, and has fully met the expectations 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 233 
 
 of his friends. He claims to have no 
 deeper interest than that of the working- 
 men, and has endeavored to prove this in 
 many ways. He it was who introduced the 
 ordinance providing for nine hours per day 
 and payment of a dollar and a half a day 
 to all men employed by the city on improve- 
 ments, and he was the only one in the coun- 
 cil to fight the peddler's ordinance. When 
 the Anti-trust League met in Chicago, he 
 was sent as a delegate from Champaign, and 
 upon every suitable occasion he fearlessly 
 proclaims his political views. Religiously, 
 he is a member of St. Mary's Catholic 
 church. 
 
 JAMES BATTERSHELL, whose home 
 is at No. 208 West Oregon street, Ur- 
 bana, is one of the pioneers of this section 
 of the state, and was for many years one 
 of the leading agriculturists of Champaign 
 county, but is now living retired from active 
 labor, quietly enjoying the income which he 
 accumulated in former years. He well re- 
 members when this region was almost an 
 unbroken wilderness, when deer and wolves 
 roamed over the prairies, and game of all 
 kinds abounded. In the work of develop- 
 ment and progress he has borne an active 
 part, and is justly numbered among the 
 honored pioneers and useful citizens of the 
 community. 
 
 Mr. Battershell was 'born in Clark 
 county, Kentucky, February 2, 1833, a son 
 of William and Elizabeth (Wills) Batter- 
 shell, also natives of Kentucky. The 
 father, who was a farmer by occupation, 
 brought his family to this state in 1839, and 
 first located in Edgar county, where he 
 spent nine years. He then returned to 
 Kentucky, where he lived until 1864, and 
 
 at the end of that time came to Champaign 
 county, and settled on a farm north of 
 Blue Mound, where he made his home un- 
 til called from this life November 27, 1880, 
 at the age of seventy-two years. He was 
 buried on his farm with Masonic honors, 
 being a member of that fraternity. From 
 boyhood he held membership in the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and from the age 
 of fourteen years his wife has also been a 
 consistent and faithful member of the same 
 church. On the 2nd of April, 1900, she 
 will be eighty-five years of age, but is now 
 in feeble health. Of her it might be truth- 
 fully said that she "has fought a good 
 fight, finished her course and kept the 
 faith." Her father was Thornton Wills, 
 who belonged to a family noted for the 
 number of its members and longevity. He 
 was a farmer and freeholder of Kentucky. 
 He died during the Civil war and the ne- 
 groes owned by him were distributed 
 among his children, stipulating in his will 
 that none should be sold outside the family. 
 Both he and his wife lived to be eighty-three 
 years of age, were devout and earnest 
 Christians, and very influential in church 
 matters. Of their thirteen children six are 
 still living, namely: Kittie, wife of Arthur 
 Everman; Caroline, wife of Richard John- 
 son; Simpson; Rev. Greenberry; William, 
 and Elizabeth, now Mrs. Battershell. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is the oldest in 
 a family of thirteen children; John E., the 
 next in order of birth, died in boyhood; 
 Sarah is the wife of Jefferson Toland, of 
 Urbana; Mary E. is the wife of Gibson 
 Everman, of Kentucky; Sanford A. married 
 LethaNaylor and lives in Montana; Amanda 
 is the widow of Charles Case, and makes 
 her home in Kansas; Simpson married Mary 
 Berry, sister of our subject's wife, and lives 
 
234 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in Henning, Illinois; Nancy is the wife of R. 
 Hudson, a teamster of Urbana; Rosella is 
 the wife of Samuel Everman, of Kentucky; 
 Catherine is the wife of J. P. Bartles, post- 
 master of Dewey, Illinois; Daniel T. mar- 
 ried Margaret Brookbanks and lives in Kan- 
 sas; and two died in infancy. 
 
 James Battershell was six years of age 
 when he accompanied his parents on their 
 removal to this state, and amid pioneer 
 scenes he grew to manhood, while his edu- 
 cation was obtained in the district schools. 
 On starting out in life for himself he en- 
 gaged in farming, to which pursuit he had 
 been reared, and has followed that occupa- 
 tion both in Champaign and Vermilion 
 counties. He has met with marked success 
 in his life-work, and is now the owner of 
 one-half section of land under a high state 
 of cultivation and well improved with good 
 and substantial buildings. In connection 
 with general farming, he has followed stock 
 raising quite extensively, but for the past 
 three years has rented his farm and lived a 
 retired life in Urbana. 
 
 In Powell county, Kentucky, Mr. Bat- 
 tershell was married, July 27, 1854, to Miss 
 Rebecca T. Matzabaugher, a daughter of 
 David and Hannah (Baker) Matzabaugher, 
 in whose family were six children, the others 
 being Henrietta, wife of Samuel Rider, a 
 farmer of Indiana; Lizzie, wife of Joseph 
 Birley, a farmer of Stanton township, this 
 county; Susie, who was married three times, 
 and lives in Wisconsin; Margaret, wife of 
 Henderson Scott, a carpenter of Rantoul 
 township, this county; and Hannah, widow 
 of Joseph James. Mrs. Battershell was 
 born February 16, 1839, and died August 
 4, 1883. She held membership in the 
 Christian church and was a most estimable 
 lady. 
 
 By his first marriage our subject had ten 
 children, namely: (i) Elizabeth, born March 
 2, 1856, died July 14, 1862. (2) William 
 C., born July 1 1, 1858, died August 7, 1872. 
 (3) Sarah V. is the wife of J. H. Johnson, 
 of Urbana, and they have seven children, 
 Hannah T. , Jessie, Norman, Isabel, Lot- 
 tie M., Rolley E. and Allie M. (4) 
 Davis S., who operates his father's 
 farm, married Laura Atkinson, and they 
 have five children, Earl V., Goldie, Pearl, 
 Jessie and an infant. (5) John W. married 
 Laura B. Berry, and follows farming in 
 Crawford county, Illinois. They had five 
 children, James E. ; Oscar, deceased; Jose- 
 phine; Ransom, and Gladys. (6) Isabel is 
 the wife of William Kirkpatrick, of State 
 Line, Indiana, and they have three children, 
 Leroy, Minnie M. and an infant. (7) George 
 W. married Rilla Divens and is a farmer of 
 State Line. (8) Erne J. is the wife of 
 Charles Thornsborough, of Jamesburg, Ver- 
 milion county, and they have four children, 
 Phoebe, Nellie, Banner and an infant. (9) 
 Charles E. is a farmer of Jamesburg. (10) 
 Rebecca T. died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Battershell was again married, Feb- 
 ruary 12, 1884, his second union being with 
 Mrs. Martha (Berry) Davis, a daughter of 
 William P. and Nancy (Hulce) Berry, of 
 Clark county, Kentucky, where they are 
 still living at the ages of seventy-two and 
 seventy years respectively. Their children 
 are Mary, wife of Simpson Battershell, a 
 brother of our subject; Martha, wife of our 
 subject; Barbara Ann, widow of James 
 Anderson and a resident of Potomac; Sarah 
 E., wife of Achilles Ware, a farmer of Ver- 
 milion county, Illinois; Candace, wife of 
 William Newman, of Missouri; Josephine, 
 wife of W. T. Roberts, of Vermilion coun- 
 ty; David H., who married Lizzie Lee, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 '235 
 
 and lives in Clark county, Kentucky; and 
 Laura Bell, wife of John Battershell, a 
 farmer of Crawford county, Illinois. Mrs. 
 Battershell first married Jefferson Davis, 
 who died March 4, 1871, at the age 
 of twenty-five years, leaving one child, 
 Samuel J., a resident of Iowa, who mar- 
 ried Minnie Brown, of Ogden, Illinois, 
 and has two children, Eva and Paul. Our 
 subject and his wife are both active mem- 
 bers of the Disciples church, and he is a 
 supporter of the Prohibition party. During 
 his long residence in this county he has 
 championed every movement designed to 
 promote the general welfare, has supported 
 every enterprise for the public good, and 
 has materially aided in the advancement of 
 all social and moral interests. After a use- 
 ful and honorable career he can well afford 
 to lay aside all business cares and live in 
 ease and retirement. 
 
 JOHN TIERNEY. Few citizens of Cham- 
 paign are better known or more thor- 
 oughly respected than John Tierney, who 
 has made his home here for nearly three dec- 
 ades. He was born in County Monahan, 
 Ireland, in November, 1848, a son of Peter 
 and Anna (Murphy) Tierney, who, like their 
 ancestors for many generations, were natives 
 of the same county and fanners by occupa- 
 tion. When John Tierney was about a year 
 old, his parents came to the United States, 
 but left him in the care of a relative until 
 such a time as they had founded a home and 
 had made some provision for the future. 
 The father was accidentally killed while as- 
 sisting in the removal of the state house 
 stairs, at Springfield, Illinois, about 1854, 
 and the mother continued to make her home 
 in that city until her death. 
 
 When he was three years old, our sub- 
 ject was brought to the United States, and 
 in the public schools of Springfield he ac- 
 quired his education. When he was old 
 enough, he commenced serving an ap- 
 prenticesjhip to the carpenter's trade, and 
 continued in that calling in Springfield until 
 1871, when he took up his permanent abode 
 in Champaign. Here he assisted in the 
 building of a mill and elevator for Richards 
 Brothers, and was employed in the construc- 
 tion of the main building of the university. 
 Then he was connected with the carpenter 
 shops of the Big Four Railroad for a period 
 of nine years, after which he resumed his 
 work for the university, and for the past fif- 
 teen years has been regularly employed 
 there. At the time he went back to this in- 
 stitution, he supposed that the tasks set be- 
 fore him would occupy him for a few days 
 only, but he has been kept busy, with re- 
 pairing, when nothing else more important 
 was on the docket, and this fact speaks 
 volumes for the thoroughness of all work 
 performed by him, showing that his fidelity 
 is appreciated. He is a practical cabinet 
 maker, and often has turned out fine speci- 
 mens of furniture, book-cases, tables, desks 
 and cupboards, used in the various depart- 
 ments of the college. 
 
 Several years ago, Mr. Tierney pur- 
 chased two lots at the corner of White and 
 Sixth streets. The small house which stood 
 upon this property he replaced in 1895 with 
 a beautiful modern residence, and, with his 
 family, has taken great pleasure in improv- 
 ing the place, now considered one of the 
 finest homes on the east side of the city. 
 He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, 
 being past chancellor of his lodge and repre- 
 sentative to the grand lodge, and he also 
 belongs to the Uniformed Rank of this order. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Besides, he is associated with the Modern 
 Woodmen of America, the Court of Honor 
 and the Royal Neighbors. In local affairs 
 he is independent of party, but in national 
 elections he votes the Democratic ticket. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Tierney and Sarah 
 Harding took place February 5, 1874. 
 Their eldest-born, John H., a graduate of 
 the Champaign schools, is now engaged in 
 the manufacture of cigars here. George H. . 
 Margaret, Myrtle M. and Jennie B. are at 
 home. Mrs. Tierney is a daughter of James 
 and Margaret (Crane) Harding, natives of 
 England and Ireland, respectively. They 
 were married at Hoboken, New Jersey, and 
 there the father died. The widow and her 
 daughter came to this city in 1862, and here 
 the latter was educated. She is identified 
 with the Baptist church of Urbana, and is 
 deeply interested in all kinds of Christian 
 and benevolent work. 
 
 EDWARD W. BLAINE. In reviewing 
 the history of Champaign county it is 
 seen that the Blaine family has been actively 
 associated with its upbuilding and improve- 
 ment for thirty-five years, and that no more 
 patriotic citizens have dwelt within its bor- 
 ders. The subject of this article, whose life 
 has been devoted to agricultural pursuits 
 since he cast in his lot with us, just after the 
 close of the great Civil war, is now retired 
 from active labor, and is quietly passing his 
 .declining years in Champaign, where he has 
 a pleasant home. 
 
 The paternal grandparents of E. W. 
 Blaine came westward from the vicinity oi 
 Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to what afterwards 
 was known as Armstrong county, same state, 
 and, having cleared a large homestead, 
 
 gradually amassed a competence. The 
 parents .of E..W., William and Elizabeth 
 (Wiggins) Blaine, were both natives of the 
 Keystone state, and passed through all of 
 the experiences incident to pioneer life. 
 They lived upon a farm in the midst of the 
 forest, which gradually was leveled by the 
 untiring labors of the father and his sons, 
 while they not only raised their own flax 
 and wool, but spun and wove it into cloth, 
 thus providing for the needs of a large family. 
 The wife and mother was called to her re- 
 ward when she was fifty-four years of age, 
 but the father lived to the advanced age of 
 ninety. He accompanied our subject to 
 this county in 1865, and, buying a home- 
 stead, continued to dwell thereon until his 
 life came to a close. Eleven of his twelve 
 children attained maturity, namely: James, 
 Eliza, Edward W., John, Ellen, Deborah, 
 Jennie, Nancy, Isabella, Margaret and 
 Hattie. Of these, Ellen, Nancy and John 
 are deceased. 
 
 Edward W. Blaine was born in Arm- 
 strong county, September 21, 1825, and, as 
 may be supposed, his educational advan- 
 tages, as he grew up, were extremely limited, 
 being confined to a few terms at subscrip- 
 tion schools. On the farm he learned the 
 lessons of husbandry and economy, of in- 
 dustry and fortitude, that have been potent 
 factors in his later success. Then, for 
 several years, he engaged in the heavy work 
 of teaming for the local furnaces, hauling 
 ore and timber, after which he went to the 
 oil regions in Mercer county, and found em- 
 ployment there in various lines until 1865, 
 when he came to Champaign county, and 
 invested some of his earnings in one hundred 
 and twenty acres of land, situated upon 
 section 27. The property was uncultivated, 
 and with resolute energy the young man be- 
 
E. W. BLA1XE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 239 
 
 gan to improve the place, which in time was 
 made to "bloom and blossom as the rose.' 1 
 At the end of ten years, he had prospered so 
 greatly that he purchased sixty acres more, 
 and this, also, he vastly improved, using 
 excellent judgment in the raising of crops, 
 and materially increasing the value of the 
 homestead by judicious expenditure. The 
 place is to-day considered one of the best in 
 this part of the county, and it annually yields 
 a good income to the fortunate owner. 
 Though frequently urged to accept public 
 office, Mr. Blaine had no desire to enter 
 politics, though he was commissioner of 
 highways two terms, and for sixteen years 
 acted efficiently as a member of the school 
 board. His ballot was always devoted to the 
 support of the Republican party. The mar- 
 riage of E. W. Blaine and Nancy Adams, a 
 native of Armstrong county, and daughter of 
 William Adams, was solemnized in 1859. 
 Mr. Adams was a tanner by trade, and 
 owned one of the largest tanneries in Arm- 
 strong county. Mrs. Blaine, who was mar- 
 ried subsequent to her father's death, was 
 the second of his six children. The two 
 elder children of Mr. and Mrs. Blaine, Ida 
 and William, died when eight and six years 
 of age, respectively. Shields A., the next 
 *n order of birth, and now living with his 
 father, holds the responsible position of tel- 
 ler in the First National Bank of this city, 
 and Walter, who is a prominent physician 
 of Tuscola, Illinois, is a graduate of the 
 University of Pennsylvania. The mother 
 departed this life in 1870. The second 
 marriage of E. W. Blaine took place in 
 March, 1873, when Miss Sarah Wilson, 
 daughter of James Wilson, of Armstrong 
 county, became his bride. Their eldest- 
 born, Wilson, now carries on the old Cham- 
 paign county homestead. Edith, wife of 
 
 Harvey English, resides in Champaign town- 
 ship, this county, and has one child, Ruth. 
 Edna keeps house for her father, since the 
 death of Mrs. Blaine, who was called to the 
 better land on the 28th of August, 1899, and 
 was placed to rest in beautiful Mount Hope 
 cemetery. Both she and our subject have 
 long been members of the Presbyterian 
 church. 
 
 In the winter of 1899-1900, Mr. Blaine 
 erected an attractive modern home on Uni- 
 versity avenue, Champaign, and here, 
 cheered and cared for by his loving sons 
 and daughters, he hopes to pass his remain- 
 ing years in the enjoyment of well deserved 
 prosperity. 
 
 JAMES McCANN, a prominent manu- 
 facturer of Champaign, is especially de- 
 serving of a place in the records of his 
 county and country, because of the terrible 
 sufferings which he endured in order that 
 the Union might be preserved. While it is 
 true that the liberal humanitarianism of to- 
 day benevolently advocates that the veil of 
 charity be thrown over the past over the 
 dreadful Civil war, and this is well, for no 
 one having the welfare of our beloved land 
 sincerely at heart desires to foster sectional 
 feeling yet the lessons to be drawn from 
 that dark page in the nation's history cannot 
 be too djeeply felt, and justice to all demands 
 that the horrors of war, especially war be- 
 tween brothers of the same great American 
 family, should be pointed out in a forcible 
 manner occasionally, "lest we forget," and 
 growing proud of our boasted unity, again 
 fall into the awful strife of less than four 
 decades ago. 
 
 James McCann was born in Carlinford, 
 Ireland, November 25, 1842, a son of Mur- 
 
240 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tagh and Alice (Murphy) McCann, both of 
 whom were natives of the county of Louth. 
 In 1849, they removed with their children 
 to the United States, and located on a farm 
 ' near Glenville, New York. There the 
 father died in 1869, and the mother de- 
 parted this life in 1884. Both were mem- 
 bers of the Catholic church, and enjoyed 
 the respect of all who knew them. 
 
 As stated above, James McCann was but 
 ten years of age when he became a resident 
 of the country for whose sake he was 
 destined to suffer and do so much. He was 
 educated in the schools of Glenville, and 
 learned lessons of patriotism which have 
 proved the basis of his conduct through 
 life, and have rendered him a citizen of 
 whom his adopted land is proud. He was 
 not yet twenty years of age, when, upon 
 the 7th of August, 1862, he enlisted as a 
 private in Company A, One Hundred and 
 Thirty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry. 
 The ensuing fall and winter, the regiment 
 was drilled for future service at Arlington 
 Heights and at Fairfax Court-house, later 
 taking part in some minor skirmishes and 
 military maneuvers. The first very import- 
 ant battle in which Mr. McCann partici- 
 pated was that of Chancellorsville. He 
 and his comrades were ordered to carry one 
 hundred and sixty rounds of ammunition 
 and eight days' rations, besides an extra 
 change of clothing, for otherwise, the 
 forces had only a few army mules to convey 
 needful supplies. The march was a very 
 severe one for the men, who were on short 
 rations, and more heavily weighed 
 down with luggage, proportionately, than 
 the mules. The battle began on May ist, 
 and Hobker, addressing his command, 
 stated that they had " bagged the enemy," 
 that " for the first time in the history of 
 
 the war the rebels must come out and fight 
 instead of attacking them in their breast- 
 works." At three o'clock in the afternoon 
 of Saturday, what was known as Barlow's 
 Brigade (the only English-speaking brigade 
 in the whole army corps), which included 
 Mr. McCann's regiment, was sent upon a 
 reconnoissance, and within an hour cap- 
 tured a Confederate regiment which had 
 been hemmed in between a Maine regiment 
 and the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth 
 New York. Barlow's troops continued 
 their march southward until eight o'clock, 
 when they were commanded to return, but 
 not to their recently occupied camp, for 
 Stonewall Jackson had taken possession of 
 that, in the meantime, with such of their 
 supplies as they had left. The battle raged 
 furiously on the next day (Sunday), Bar- 
 low's regiments being on the extreme left of 
 the forces. During the battle -of Gettys- 
 burg, Mr. McCann fought hard for several 
 hours on the opening day of that decisive 
 engagement, but, when the evening shad- 
 ows were falling, he was taken prisoner, 
 and, with his comrades, was started upon a 
 weary three hundred miles march to Stan- 
 ton, West Virginia, whence he was trans- 
 ferred by train to Belle Isle Prison, near 
 Richmond. The poor boys were stripped 
 of their accoutrements, knapsacks, blankets, 
 shoes and money, and were left with merely 
 their shirts and trousers, and with what 
 despair did they drag themselves, weak 
 from want of food and forced marches 
 through the fierce July heat of that south- 
 ern clime, to the prison at Belle Isle, where 
 they arrived on the 24th of the month. At 
 this time their rations, served once a day, 
 at five o'clock in the afternoon, consisted of 
 a small piece of baker's bread a piece so 
 tiny that it could be squeezed into a lump 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 241 
 
 that might be concealed in a man's hand 
 a bit of meat the size of a man's thumb, 
 and a small cup of rice soup. The prison- 
 ers became so weak and ill from their hard 
 treatment that the majority lay on their 
 backs in their tents from one meal until the 
 next, and, dizzy and fainting, dared not 
 move suddenly, and could hardly totter a 
 few yards without falling. The long months 
 of torture dragged away, and on February 
 17, 1864,- two thousand of the prisoners 
 were told to prepare to be exchanged. 
 Hope and fear struggled in their hearts, for 
 they had learned by intolerable experiences 
 to believe little of what their harsh jailers 
 told them. 
 
 Passing rapidly over the story of the 
 next few days, when the poor captives 
 struggled, against almost overwhelming 
 physical weakness, to march to the cars, 
 Mr. McCann, among others, being kicked 
 viciously by the guard as he passed through 
 the doorway of the prison, where they prayed 
 for death as the unwelcome truth was forced 
 upon them that they were being conveyed 
 further into the enemy's stronghold, away 
 to the south they at last arrived at Ander- 
 sonville soon to be known as one of the 
 most flourishing suburbs of the region com- 
 manded by his Satanic majesty. Fora few 
 months the prison was in charge of an officer 
 who possessed some of the attributes of a 
 human being, but on the ist of May that 
 new incarnation of Mephistopheles, the in- 
 famous Colonel Wirtz, was placed in com- 
 mand. The "dead-line" forty feet or so 
 from the stockade walls, was instituted, and 
 any one who inadvertantly crossed the 
 boundary was shot without notice. About 
 the ist of September the word for which 
 he and his comrades hourly watched and 
 prayed, came that they were to be ex- 
 
 changed. They were assured that this was 
 the truth, and pen can not portray the piti- 
 ful struggles of the poor, starved men as 
 they tried to stagger to the southern gate of 
 the pens, and thence to the railroad station 
 many of them falling, time and again, and 
 crawling upon hands and knees. Taken to 
 Savannah, two thousand of them were con- 
 fined in very limited quarters, or pens, for 
 four weeks, and then conveyed on the Gulf 
 Railroad ninety miles to a station called 
 Blackshare. For two weeks they were en- 
 camped in the woods, and the only rations 
 which they were given were a few scraps of 
 bread, which the inhabitants of that region 
 were forced to provide, and then, once more, 
 came the cheering news of an exchange. 
 One thousand men were to be put on this 
 list, according to the initial of their sur- 
 names. Imagine the despair of the brave 
 soldiers whose names, unfortunately, com- 
 menced with one of the last letters of the 
 alphabet, and picture the feelings of Mr. 
 McCann, whose suspense was as bad as was 
 that of those whose fate was absolutely de- 
 cided! Seemingly, fortune smiled at last 
 upon him, for his name was called, and, aft- 
 er an address had been made to the happy 
 men, in which they were assured that this 
 was to be a bona fide exchange, and that 
 they would be foolish, for that reason, to 
 . undertake to escape in the open country, 
 even though there were not sufficient guards 
 accompanying them to prevent this, per- 
 haps, as they (the Confederate officers) were 
 just then short of guards the Union men 
 started back to Savannah, and while being 
 removed from the cars were cursed and 
 kicked by the officers, until they arrived 
 at their destination, the station where they 
 supposed they were to take the train for the 
 north. On the way to Wilmington, 
 
242 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 whither they were being transferred, Mr. 
 McCann became very ill, partly owing to 
 the fact that he was convinced by a few 
 things that no exchange of prisoners was 
 meditated. Ft. Fisher was being bombarded 
 when they reached Wilmington, and from 
 Thursday morning until Sunday evening 
 the prisoners were kept moving about, from 
 place to place, with guards. Then followed 
 a forced march, and, after going five miles, 
 over almost impassable roads, our subject 
 was forced to drop out by the wayside from 
 sheer exhaustion. The land -was swampy 
 and so covered with water that he could not 
 lie down, and, as he rested his head against 
 a tree, and watched his poor, emaciated 
 comrades file by in the semi-darkness, he 
 cared little how soon death should release 
 him. The guards who brought up the rear 
 carried lighted pine knots, and, as he had 
 not been able to drag himself more than a 
 few feet from the highway, they discovered 
 him, and by all manner of threats tried to 
 compel him to resume his journey. Failing 
 in this, they coolly proposed shooting him, 
 and when it was seen that death had no 
 terrors for the almost dead man, they final- 
 ly assisted him upon a horse and, with some 
 fifty other comrades, he was carried to and 
 from the train which bore them to Goldsboro, 
 on stretchers. When lying upon the ground, 
 partially conscious, the kind sisters of char- 
 ity ministered to him, reviving him with a 
 draught of sweet milk, and then his senses 
 left him, and he remembers little of the 
 period which then followed, when he was in 
 the hospital. At last, he heard voices speak- 
 ing about a proposed exchange of prisoners, 
 and he made what he believed was his dying 
 request that he might be one of the favored 
 ones, that he might be allowed to die be- 
 neath the flag for which he had suffered 
 
 years of martyrdom. So earnestly did he 
 plead that he obtained the boon he sought, 
 and was included in the exchange, March 4, 
 1865. Sent to Wilmington, he had a re- 
 lapse of fever there, and was obliged to re- 
 main in the hospital, while his heart was 
 near to breaking with homesickness and the 
 desire to set foot upon northern soil again. 
 Before he was able to sit up, he embarked 
 on a steamer bound for Annapolis, and there 
 was placed in the hospital. The poor fellow 
 was nothing but a skeleton, and it required 
 long and patient nursing to restore him to 
 a tithe of .his former strength. One of his 
 nurses was - a comrade who had fought beside 
 him on that dread day at Gettysburg that 
 day when the two years of unimagined hor- 
 rors of his captivity had commenced. Pass- 
 ing rapidly over the necessarily long period 
 of convalescence, suffice it. to say that he re- 
 ceived his honorable discharge from the ser- 
 vice, July 3, 1865, and celebrated the 
 "glorious Fourth" in true thankfulness of 
 heart, and with the conviction that the peace 
 which had come at last to the nation had 
 been dearly purchased. 
 
 Returning to his home in the Empire 
 state, Mr. McCann commenced learning the 
 trade which he has pursued ever since. He 
 was employed in a broom factory at Sche- 
 nectady for several years, and thoroughly 
 mastered the business, also paying some at- 
 tention to the raising of broom corn. On 
 the 22d of February, 1882, he came to 
 Champaign county, and for two years de- 
 voted his time to the raising of the product 
 mentioned, upon Colonel Arthur's farm. 
 During the winter of 1885-6 he embarked 
 in the manufacturing of brooms at Cham- 
 paign, taking his brother Edward into part- 
 nership with him. They have succeeded in 
 building up a paying business, and, as they 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 245 
 
 are the only ones engaged in this line in the 
 county, they command a large share of the 
 local trade, shipping to dealers at various 
 points. The methods of the firm are thor- 
 oughly satisfactory to the public, and a 
 prosperous future is before the brothers. 
 
 Though Mr. McCann desired a home 
 long before he saw fit to establish one, he 
 waited until he felt that his health had be- 
 come fully restored, and that his business 
 prospects justified him in taking the step. 
 He was married, December 29, 1875, to 
 Miss Elizabeth A. Seeley, of Schenectady. 
 They have three children, Mary Elizabeth, 
 Jessie Seeley and Arthur James. Mrs. Mc- 
 Cann is a member of the Presbyterian 
 church. 
 
 In his political standing, our subject is 
 independent, though he believes in the pol- 
 icy of the Republican party, on the whole, 
 and usually votes for its nominees. He has 
 a warm place in his large, manly heart for 
 the boys who wore the blue, and is a mem- 
 ber of Colonel Nodine Post, G. A. R. Re- 
 ligiously, he adheres to the faith of his boy- 
 hood, and is identified with St. Marys 
 church. 
 
 TUELL M. BACON, who is a captain 
 in the fire department at Champaign, 
 and is a very popular citizen of that place, 
 is a native of Illinois, his birth having oc- 
 curred near Lodi, Vermilion county, Jan- 
 uary 25, 1858. His ancestors were early 
 settlers in this state, and did much toward 
 the development of its resources and the 
 establishment of those institutions and forms 
 of government which have been notable 
 factors in its success. 
 
 Rev. Elijah Bacon, grandfather of our 
 subject, was one of the first settlers of Chris- 
 
 man, Edgar county, Illinois. Having bought 
 a tract of government land there he pro- 
 ceeded to improve and cultivate the desira- 
 ble farm which he made of the property. 
 Indians were numerous and wild game was 
 very abundant when he took up his abode in 
 those prairies, and, needless to say, he and 
 his loved ones suffered many privations. 
 He was a faithful minister of the Methodist 
 denomination, and traveled far and wide in 
 the early days, carrying the messages of the 
 gospel to the hardy pioneers. Having been 
 industrious and diligent in business, he died, 
 leaving a goodly estate, but, better far than 
 that, he left the record of a life well spent. 
 
 Henry M. Bacon, father of our subject, 
 was born in Edgar county, in 1826, and 
 there passed his boyhood. He learned the 
 blacksmith's trade, and became a skilled 
 wagonmaker as well. He married Adeline 
 Hartman, of Vermilion county, Illinois, and 
 established a home in that county. When 
 his country was in peril he volunteered his 
 services, and bidding farewell to his wife 
 and two little ones, went forth to battle for 
 the land he loved. He faithfully performed 
 every duty assigned him, and took part in 
 some notable military campaigns, but finally 
 was laid low by typhoid fever, and died in 
 March, 1863, at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 
 His widow bravely took up the double duty 
 which destiny had allotted to her, and reared 
 her children with tender love and regard for 
 their future. That they might have better 
 opportunities, she removed to Champaign in 
 1867, and continued to dwell here until she 
 was called to her reward, October 10, 1899. 
 She was a member of the First Baptist 
 church, and the influence of her lovely Chris- 
 tian life over the minds of every one who 
 knew her cannot be over-estimated. 
 
 When his father went to the front dur- 
 
244 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ing the Civil war, our subject was a small 
 boy, too young to fully realize what it 
 meant. He lived in the little town of New- 
 port, Illinois, until 1867, and was educated 
 in its schools and those of Champaign. 
 When starting out to earn his own liveli- 
 hood, he became a clerk in a local store, 
 and continued in similar positions until 
 1886, when, in partnership with his brother 
 G. N., he embarked in the furniture, and 
 undertaking business, at Oregon, Illinois. 
 They succeeded in building up a large and 
 remunerative business, but in October, 
 1889, our subject sold his interest to his 
 brother, and, returning to Champaign, soon 
 became associated with Louis Mittendorf, 
 in the same line of business. Their fine 
 rooms on Main street were well equipped 
 with all grades of furniture, suited to the 
 trade, and Mr. Bacon, being a practical 
 undertaker, with a state license to that 
 effect, was kept busy in that department 
 much of the time. In 1895 ne s ld out to 
 Charles A. Kiler, and for eighteen months 
 manufactured a kitchen cabinet, a patented 
 article. This enterprise not proving suf- 
 ficiently remunerative, he retired from the 
 business, and in January, 1898, opened a 
 furniture store at No. 1 5 Walnut street, 
 later disposing of this, also. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bacon is a Republican, 
 and for two years was alderman of the third 
 ward, having been elected upon the citizens' 
 ticket, and during that period marked im- 
 provements in the lines of sewers and street 
 paving were inaugurated. When the local 
 hose carts of the fire department here were 
 pulled by men, he identified himself with a 
 company and later was chosen as captain. 
 In short, he has loyally aided in many of 
 the movements and enterprises which have 
 materially built up the city and brought 
 
 prosperity within its borders. Fraternally, 
 he stands high in the Odd Fellows society, 
 being past grand of Lodge No. 333, and 
 past chief patriarch of the encampment, as 
 well as past representative to the grand en- 
 campment of the state. He also has been 
 captain of the Uniform Rank of the order 
 and is past sachem in the order of Red 
 Men. At one time he was appointed to act 
 as a trustee of the Odd Fellows property, 
 and in many ways he has had honor and 
 responsibility thrust upon him. Faithfully 
 has he performed every duty, both as a 
 citizen, a brother in the various fraternities 
 with which he has been affiliated, and in 
 the home circle, where, above all, he finds 
 his truest joy. 
 
 Fifteen years ago, in this city, Mr. 
 Bacon married Miss Margaret Early, and 
 their union has been blessed by the birth of 
 three children, namely: Paul, Noah and 
 Eudora. In 1895, Mr. Bacon built a modern 
 and very attractive house at No. 308 South 
 Randolph street, and since that time has 
 made substantial improvements, beautifying 
 the grounds and adding to its desirability. 
 
 ZT. GENSEL. This gentleman is en- 
 titled to distinction as one of the most 
 progressive and enterprising citizens of Ur- 
 bana, and for almost ten years has been 
 identified with the upbuilding and develop- 
 ment of the Twin cities. Upon the busi- 
 ness activity of a community depends its 
 prosperity, and the men who are now recog- 
 nized as leading citizens are those who are 
 at the head of extensive business enterprises. 
 Mr. Gensel is a man of broad capabilities 
 who carries forward to successful comple- 
 tion whatever he undertakes. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 245 
 
 He was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, 
 March 21, 1857, and he is a son of Samuel 
 and Catherine (Schoch) Gensel, also natives 
 of that county, where they continued to 
 make their home until November 20, 1862, 
 when they removed to Wells county, Indi- 
 ana, and took up their residence on a farm. 
 The mother died in 1895 at tne a S e f fifty- 
 two years, but the father is still living and 
 makes his home in Urbana. They had six 
 children, namely: Margaret, wife of A. S. 
 Connaught, a farmer of Stanton township, 
 this county; Z. T. , our subject; Eveline, 
 wife of John Cobbum, a farmer of Wells 
 county, Indiana; Clara, wife of Theodore 
 Taylor, a farmer of the same county; Ella, 
 wife of W. F. Survey, a cigar manufacturer 
 of Champaign; and Charles F., who mar- 
 ried Mattie McFarland, and is engaged in 
 the grocery business at corner Main and 
 Market streets. 
 
 Mr. Gensel, of this review, was reared 
 on the home farm and continued his resi- 
 dence in Wells county, Indiana, until 1891, 
 when he came to Urbana, Illinois, and en- 
 gaged in contracting and building. He also 
 does architectural drawing and planning, 
 and has erected some of the largest build- 
 ings in the county, often having as high as 
 seven houses under construction at the same 
 time. As the leading contractor and build- 
 er in the Twin cities, he does a most exten- 
 sive business, and among the many build- 
 ings he has erected in the county is the 
 business block for Mr. Busey at Penfield. 
 and the residences of Mrs. M. M. Russell, 
 B. F. Boggs and C. F. Hunt. In 1898 he 
 also embarked in the lumber and coal busi- 
 ness. He carries all kinds of building ma- 
 terials and has the exclusive right in the sale 
 of alabaster cement wall plaster in Cham- 
 paign and Urbana. It is acknowledged to 
 
 be the best material of the kind ever pro- 
 duced and is a comparatively new article of 
 commerce. During the past season Mr. 
 Gensel sold one hundred and twenty tons of 
 the alabaster, including that used in the 
 construction of the German church built by 
 F. I. Peterson. 
 
 In 1881, Mr. Gensel was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Eliza J. Hanes, a daughter 
 of Joseph and Margaret Hanes, of Wells 
 county, Indiana. Her father died from 
 disease at Knoxville, Tennessee, while a 
 soldier of the Civil war, but her mother is 
 still living and continues to make her home 
 in Reiffsburg, Wells county, Indiana. Mrs. 
 Gensel has one brother, Abraha-n Hanes, 
 who married Ella Rose and follows farming 
 in that county. Jennie May, the only child 
 born to our subject and his wife, died in in- 
 fancy. Mr. Gensel has found in his wife a 
 sympathetic companion, who takes an act- 
 ive interest in his affairs and does all in her 
 power to aid him. In business circles he 
 stands deservedly high, and as a citizen he 
 enjoys the confidence and respect of his 
 fellow men to a marked degree. 
 
 JAMES FITZGERALD, one of the wor- 
 thy pioneers of Champaign county, is a 
 native of Ireland, his birth having occurred 
 in county Carey seventy years ago. His 
 father, Thomas Fitzgerald, departed this 
 life at his old home in the Emerald Isle, but 
 the mother, whose maiden name was Mar- 
 garet Maher, crossed the ocean with her 
 sons, and became a resident of Boston, 
 where she died a few years later. 
 
 When he was a young man of twenty, 
 perhaps, James Fitzgerald went to New 
 York and found employment, and subse- 
 
246 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 quently worked in Vermont and New Jer- 
 sey. When the Illinois Central railway 
 was in process of construction, he became 
 associated with the undertaking, and worked 
 with a party of civil engineers on the line 
 from Chicago to Kankakee, until 1854, 
 when he was sent to Champaign to assume 
 charge of the engine house at this point. 
 There were but three houses upon the site 
 of the future town, and no streets had been 
 made, and thus he has witnessed its growth 
 from its very infancy. With F. F. Walker, 
 he justly claims the honor of being the old- 
 est resident of the place, now one of the 
 large and flourishing towns of Illinois. Dur- 
 ing the fourteen years of his service for the 
 Illinois Central he was stationed at various 
 places, Mattoon and other towns along the 
 line, and had he so desired, he might have 
 continued with the company for many years 
 more. However, he wished to become in- 
 dependent, and, having carefully saved his 
 earnings, he invested a certain amount in 
 eighty acres of land situated in Raymond 
 township. The property, which was un- 
 broken prairie, he soon reduced to cultiva- 
 tion, making desirable improvements, and 
 subsequently he increased the dimensions 
 of his farm to 9ne hundred and sixty acres. 
 By a judicious expenditure of money, in 
 tiling and ditches, he greatly added to the 
 value of the place, and for several years he 
 was successfully engaged in stock raising. 
 He still owns the homestead, and al-so is in 
 possession of his present place of abode, 
 No. 60 1 East White street, Champaign. 
 
 For a companion and helpmate, Mr. 
 Fitzgerald chose Margaret Kime, of this 
 vicinity. She is a native of Ireland, but 
 spent most of her girlhood in Ohio. Of the 
 nine living children of our subject and wife, 
 Thomas, John, Jerry, Patrick and William 
 
 live upon the farm and are successfully en- 
 gaged in agriculture. Mary is the wife of J. 
 Gorman, and Maggie is the wife of John 
 Wiggins. Honora is the youngest of the 
 family, and unmarried. 
 
 James Fitzgerald and wife have been 
 identified with St. Mary's Catholic church 
 from its early history, and attended mass 
 when services were held at private houses 
 in his neighborhood. He was present when 
 the first collection was taken towards the 
 house of worship, beneath whose roof thou- 
 sands of communicants have since as- 
 sembled, and from that day to the present 
 has been generous in his contributions to 
 the church. He deserves great credit for 
 the success which he has achieved by hard 
 and persevering labor, and every one who 
 knows him has a tribute of praise for him, 
 as a citizen, neighbor and head of a family. 
 
 JAMES M. CRAIG. The deserved re- 
 ward of a well-spent life is an honored 
 retirement from business, in which to enjoy 
 the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a 
 useful and beneficial career, Mr. Craig is 
 quietly living at his elegant home at 601 
 West Springfield avenue, Champaign, sur- 
 rodnded by the comfort that earnest labor 
 has brought to him. 
 
 He was born in Franklin township, Arm- 
 strong county, Pennsylvania, May 27, 1839, 
 a son of John and Eliza (Huston) Craig. 
 The Craig family came to this country from 
 Scotland in 1684, to escape persecution, and 
 located in eastern Pennsylvania. Our sub- 
 ject's great-grandfather, John Craig, and 
 his family were among the first twelve fam- 
 ilies to cross the mountains and settle in 
 Armstrong county, in 1792. He was cap- 
 
JAMES M. CRAIG. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 249 
 
 tain in the militia and superintended the 
 building of the block house there as a 
 place of safety in time of Indian troubles. 
 At that time some of the men were 
 placed on guard while others worked 
 in the fields to prevent an attack from 
 the red men. Mr. Craig was probably 
 a soldier of the Revolutionary war. He 
 was also a surveyor and did a great deal of 
 surveying in western Pennsylvania during 
 those early days when all the salt and flour 
 used by the settlers was packed across the 
 mountains on horses. He located at what 
 is now Freeport, thirty-five miles up the 
 Allegheny river from Pittsburg, but the lat- 
 ter city had not yet sprung into existence. 
 Samuel Craig, our subject's grandfather, was 
 a child when he accompanied his parents on 
 their removal to western Pennsylvania and 
 in the midst of the primitive scenes of fron- 
 tier life he grew to manhood. He was a 
 farmer by occupation and was one of the 
 founders of the Presbyterian church in that 
 section. He wedded Mary Milligan, a 
 daughter of Samuel Milligan, who located 
 there later. Samuel Craig died in 1865, at 
 the age of eighty- five years, while his father, 
 John Craig, lived to the advanced age of 
 ninety-seven years. The father of our sub- 
 ject, who also bore the name of John Craig, 
 was born in Franklin township, Armstrong 
 county, Pennsylvania, March 30, 1809, and 
 was there reared to farm life. Although he 
 did not aspire to public honors, he was 
 often called to fill different local offices. 
 He owned a fine farm of two hundred acres, 
 upon which he lived until seventy-four years 
 of age, and then removed to Worthington, 
 Pennsylvania, to spend his last days in re- 
 tirement from active labor, dying there in 
 February, 1894. His wife died in February, 
 
 1900, at that place. She was born in Phil- 
 is 
 
 adelphia, October 10, 1806, and was five 
 years old when her family removed to Arm- 
 strong county, her father being Samuel 
 Huston, a farmer and pioneer of that region. 
 Both parents of our subject were faithful 
 and consistent members of the Presbyterian 
 church, and the father served as elder for 
 forty years. 
 
 James M. Craig, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, received a good practical edu- 
 cation in the common schools of his native 
 county. He remained at home until six- 
 teen years of age, and then went to live 
 with his grandfather, while he rented and 
 successfully operated his farm. On the 
 7th of February, 1861, he married Miss 
 Margaret A. Blaine, a daughter of William 
 Blaine, and a sister of Mrs. J. G. Clark. 
 They continued to reside upon his grand- 
 father's farm for four years, but in Decem- 
 ber, 1864, came to Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois. 
 
 The first year spent here, Mr. Craig 
 rented a farm south of Champaign, and 
 then located on the half-section belonging 
 to his brother-in-law, J. G. Clark, operat- 
 ing it on a salary for two years, at the end 
 of which time he purchased sixty acres on 
 section 27, Champaign township. At that 
 time it was entirely unimproved, but he 
 erected a small house thereon, and to its 
 further improvement and cultivation de- 
 voted his energies for two years. He then 
 returned to Mr. Clark's farm, and in part- 
 nership with that gentleman engaged in 
 raising broom corn for three years. The 
 following year he worked in an elevator in 
 Champaign, and at the end of that time, 
 when Mr. Clark rented the Arthur farm of 
 two sections, he located thereon and oper- 
 ated it as superintendent on a salary for 
 seven years. On resigning his position, he 
 
250 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 purchased one hundred and twenty acres on 
 section 23, Champaign township, and moved 
 to that place. Subsequently he bought one 
 hundred acres on section 27, which he im- 
 proved, and later bought forty acres more 
 on the same section, but sold his first pur- 
 chase of sixty acres which he owned up to 
 this time, and later bought a quarter-sec- 
 tion on section 23, adjoining his farm. He 
 has since sold some of his land and traded 
 other tracts, but still owns a half section of 
 land, which is well tilled and under a high 
 state of cultivation. Upon the place are 
 two sets of farm buildings and many mod- 
 ern improvements, including a fine country 
 home and large barn. This desirable farm 
 is pleasantly located only three miles from 
 Champaign, and is now a very valuable 
 place. Mr. Craig also owns a farm in In- 
 diana. For many years he was success- 
 fully engaged in mixed farming and raised 
 all kinds of fine stock for practical pur- 
 poses, but in 1898 he removed to the city, 
 where at that time he owned a good home, 
 but has since erected a beautiful home, 
 which is artistically and elegantly finished 
 and furnished. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Craig have six children 
 living, namely: William, an attorney of 
 Champaign, who is now serving as state in- 
 spector of loan and building associations, 
 Hattie E., wife of Samuel A. Harrison, 
 principal of a school in Chicago; John C. , a 
 merchant of Reimersburg, Pennsylvania; 
 Nellie, wife of T. P. Chester, of Champaign 
 township; Roy V., a grocer and hardware 
 merchant of Wingate, Indiana; and Jennie 
 A., at home. The children were all pro- 
 vided with good school privileges. The 
 parents are both members of the Congrega- 
 tional church and are highly respected by all 
 who know them. Politically Mr. Craig is a 
 
 Republican. He has always taken a deep 
 and commendable interest in educational 
 affairs, served as school director for twelve 
 or fifteen years, and was also township 
 trustee of schools. He is now a director of 
 the Pesoturn Mutual Insurance Company, 
 organized by the farmers and chartered un- 
 der the state law. He is enterprising and 
 progressive and is an earnest supporter of 
 every measure for the public good. 
 
 BERNARD HANNAN. The life of this 
 sterling citizen of Champaign should 
 prove an incentive to every ambitious young 
 man who is starting out to fight the battles 
 with poverty and circumstances. Almost 
 anything may be accomplished with sufficient 
 pluck and energy, and to-day the subject of 
 this article is in the possession of a comfort- 
 able fortune, as the direct result of years of 
 industry and well directed efforts. 
 
 His parents, Andrew and Mary (Glynn) 
 Hannan, resided in the vicinity of Dublin, 
 Ireland, until 1847, when the former came 
 to the United States, and located in Hoosic 
 Falls, New York, where the family joined 
 him within a year. He was a poor man, 
 and worked for from eight to thirteen dol- 
 lars a month and board, for several years, 
 yet, nevertheless, managed to save a portion 
 of his earnings. About 1850, the family 
 moved to Illinois, by way of the great lakes 
 to Chicago, and thence to Peru, by 
 the Chicago & Michigan canal. The 
 father died at his old home in Peru, in 1882, 
 and the mother survived until 1890. They 
 were pioneer members of the Catholic 
 church at LaSalle, where they attended 
 mass in an old log church for some years. 
 The father was a model citizen, and, unlike 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 251 
 
 the majority of the hardy frontiersmen, who 
 were obliged to contend against many of the 
 privations of which the present generation 
 know nothing, he never consumed a drop of 
 liquor, no matter how terrible a storm he 
 may have passed through when out upon 
 the bleak prairies. 
 
 Bernard Hannan was born near Dublin 
 in 1845, and was a small child when he 
 came to this country. He obtained some- 
 thing of an education in the Peru schools, 
 and for several years after completing his 
 studies he found employment on boats on 
 the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, going only 
 as far south as Memphis. In 1870, he came 
 to Champaign county, where he operated his 
 father's farm for a few years, then invested . 
 some of his hard-won earnings in a farm of 
 eighty acres. This property was not espe- 
 cially desirable at that time, for the prairie 
 was unbroken, and only the highest parts 
 could be cultivated successfully, as the low 
 lands were covered with water much of the 
 time. With characteristic energy he began 
 making improvements, putting in tiling and 
 wide ditches, erecting a farm-house and 
 other substantial buildings, and planting an 
 orchard and setting out trees. In time he 
 added to his original tract of land, until his 
 homestead comprised two hundred and forty 
 acres, all of which he succeeded in render- 
 ing productive, by the proper tiling and cul- 
 tivation. As an instance of what the pioneer 
 of early days had to contend against, it may 
 be said that sometimes, when the roads 
 were well nigh impassable, he would hitch 
 four horses upon the two hind wheels of his 
 wagon, and try to reach Champaign, sixteen 
 miles distant, in order to obtain necessary 
 provisions, and frequently he was not able 
 to make the round trip in a day. For a 
 number of years he was extensively engaged 
 
 in the raising of live stock, chiefly hogs, and 
 from this source alone made a good in- 
 come. 
 
 Mr. Hannan continued to dwell upon 
 that farm until 1892, when he removed to 
 Champaign, and, building a beautiful mod- 
 ern residence, at the corner of Springfield 
 and Fifth avenue, proceeded to enjoy the 
 fruits of his former years of toil. He later 
 sold his homestead for twenty thousand dol- 
 lars, or, what amounted to the same thing, 
 took one hundred and twenty acres of land 
 in the same neighborhood and ten thousand 
 dollars in exchange for his old farm. Lately 
 he invested in a farm of two hundred acres 
 of land in Douglas county, paying sixteen 
 thousand dollars for the property. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Hannan and Olive 
 J. Conner took place at Ivesdale, Septem- 
 ber 27, 1877. Her home was at Monti- 
 cello, Illinois. She was a daughter of Ab- 
 ner and Rachel Conner, the former a native 
 of Townelton, Virginia, and the latter of 
 Pickaway county, Ohio. He is now deceased. 
 They came to this state in 1850 and were 
 honored early settlers of Monticello. They 
 were the parents of five children, of whom 
 Edward was a member of the class of 1890 
 of the University of Illinois. Mary is at 
 home. Andrew died in 1891. Alice died 
 November 28, 1898, and Joseph, born De- 
 cember 31, 1889, is at home. On the isth 
 of June, 1892, Mr. Hannan married Mrs. 
 Bridget Barry, widow of David Barry, and 
 daughter of John and Kate (Naughton) 
 Graney, of county Galway, Ireland. They 
 lived in Hudson, New York, where Mrs. 
 Hannan was born, and later came to this 
 state, residing in Centralia and other places. 
 Mr. Hannan and family are members of St. 
 Mary's Catholic church, and formerly were 
 identified with the congregation at Ivesdale, 
 
2 5 2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 where they were numbered among the early 
 members. They are liberal contributors to 
 religious and benevolent enterprises and are 
 ever ready to lend a helping hand to the 
 poor and unfortunate. 
 
 ANDREW J. LINDSTRUM, superin- 
 tendent of the almshouse of Champaign 
 county, has proven himself to be just the 
 right man for this exceedingly difficult and 
 responsible position. He is strictly honorable 
 and upright in all his dealings with his fellow- 
 men, and possesses wisdom and practical 
 experience far beyond his years. Keen and 
 energetic and far-sighted, he keeps his busi- 
 ness affairs well in hand, and is giving 
 general satisfaction to all concerned. 
 
 Mr. Lindstrum is a native of Sweden, 
 his birth having occurred in the city of 
 Stockholm, April 10, 1868. He was bereft 
 of his father, Gustav Lindstrum, when he 
 was an infant of some six months, and the 
 responsibilities of life were much sooner 
 resting upon his youthful shoulders as a 
 result. The father was a young man of 
 great promise, in a commercial way, and 
 had already made an enviable reputation as 
 an iron broker in Stockholm, as he had 
 built up a large and paying trade in that 
 metal, buying and selling it in great quanti- 
 ties. His widow, whose maiden name had 
 been Caroline Indros, subsequently became 
 the wife of Axel Lindstrum, and seven chil- 
 dren were born to that union, all surviving. 
 In 1882 the family came to the United 
 States, and since that time the parents and 
 younger children have dwelt in Paxton, 
 Illinois. 
 
 According to the custom prevailing in his 
 native land, Andrew J. Lindstrum was set 
 
 to work at a trade as soon as he left school. 
 It was destined that he should be a ship 
 carpenter, and he commenced the mastery 
 of the calling only to be interrupted by the 
 family immigrating to America when he was 
 fourteen years old. He remained at home 
 in Paxton for about a year, and then, hav- 
 ing gained some knowledge of the English 
 language, he started out to make his own 
 way in the world independently. For three 
 years he found employment with farmers, 
 and then, becoming more ambitious and 
 adhering to the usages of his homeland, he 
 again commenced learning a trade, this time 
 that of a plumber. At the expiration of 
 three years spent in that occupation, he re- 
 turned to Champaign county, and accepted 
 a place on the farm of Robert Morris. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Lindstrum became assist- 
 ant to Mr. Bengtson, superintendent of the 
 county poor farm, and during the ensuing 
 three years was so thoroughly trustworthy, 
 capable and reliable that it is not strange 
 that his name should have been proposed 
 for the office of superintendent when the 
 question of candidates for the place came 
 before the board of supervisors. Not the 
 least of his qualifications, of course, was his 
 experience and knowledge of the proper 
 way to meet the various practical questions 
 constantly coming to the manager of this 
 institution, and the wisdom of the board's 
 choice has been amply shown. Four years 
 have passed away, and every department of 
 the almshouse work is progressing favor- 
 ably. The farm, which comprises one 
 hundred and twenty acres of fine, fertile 
 land, is situated about one mile east of the 
 court-house. Both hay and grain, as well 
 as other crops, are raised in large quantities, 
 arid at the present time there are fifteen 
 head of cattle, five horses and about one 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 253 
 
 hundred hogs upon the place. The main 
 building, which does credit to the county, 
 is one hundred and fifty feet in dimensions, 
 while the annex, devoted to the use of the 
 feeble-minded inmates, is an " L" shaped 
 structure, each side of the " L" being sixty- 
 eight by thirty-eight feet in size. The 
 average number of inmates of the infirmary 
 is sixty, a large proportion of them being 
 feeble-minded or demented. 
 
 In the manifold and perplexing duties 
 which devolve upon Mr. Lindstrum, he is 
 greatly aided by his estimable wife, whose 
 maiden name was Christina Bengtson. She 
 is a niece of the late superintendent of the 
 almshouse, and her marriage to our subject 
 took place April 15, 1894, the' ceremony 
 being performed by the Rev. J. F. Mills, of 
 the First Baptist church of Urbana. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lindstrum are members of the 
 Lutheran denomination. 
 
 Fraternally, o,ur subject is a member of 
 Urbana Lodge, No. 157, F. & A. M., and 
 of the Modern Woodmen of America. Po- 
 litically, he is a stanch believer in the 
 platform and principles of the Republican 
 party, and loyally upholds the laws and 
 government of the land of his adoption. 
 
 JAMES MUNHALL, a retired business 
 man and sterling pioneer of Urbana, is 
 weil entitled to representation in tr^ annals 
 of Champaign county. Born in Cumber- 
 land county, Pennsylvania, September 20, 
 1825, he is a son of James and Catherine 
 (Solanders) Munhall, natives, respectively, 
 of Pennsylvania and Germany. In 1831 the 
 worthy couple removed to Holmes county, 
 Ohio, where the father bought a tract of 
 government land, and continued to dwell 
 until his death, when in his eighty-second 
 
 year. Both were members of the Presby- 
 terian church, though for over thirty years 
 the father was a class-leader and member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. The wife 
 and mother, who was an exemplary Chris- 
 tian woman, was about ninety years of age 
 at the time of her demise. One of the 
 great and almost insupportable sorrows of 
 their lives was the loss of their two youngest 
 sons, Henry and Francis, who died at the 
 same time with typhoid fever, of which they 
 became victims in Illinois, whither they had 
 come with a view to making a home here. 
 The eldest of the family, Mary Ann, widow 
 of John Boyd, resides near Keene, Ohio, 
 now in her eighty-fourth year. John, who 
 married Maria Eberly, and was a leading 
 member of the Methodist church, died No- 
 vember 10, 1899, aged eighty-one years. 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Liggett, widow of D. Q. 
 Liggett, of Wooster, Ohio, is a member of 
 the Methodist church. Sarah, wife of 
 Charles Yocum, lives in Warrenton, Mis- 
 souri. 
 
 Until he was eighteen years of age, 
 James Munhall gave his services to his 
 father in the general management of the 
 home farm, but as agriculture was not to 
 his taste, he then turned his attention to 
 cabinet-making, serving a three years' ap- 
 prenticeship to the trade. In the fall of 
 1850 he came to Urbana, where he found 
 steady employment as a carpenter. Later 
 he became interested in the painting busi- 
 ness and for many years gave his time to 
 that line of work, though he was employed 
 to a limited extent as a paper hanger. By 
 industry and diligence in business he made 
 a competency, and by his sterling integrity 
 he won the confidence and respect of every- 
 one. At one time he served as a justice of 
 the peace for four years, then resigning the 
 
254 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 position. While acting as magistrate he 
 performed the marriage ceremony of Gen. 
 John C. Black, at the residence of Col- 
 onel Busey. In politics he has always 
 been a stalwart Republican, and, in com- 
 pany with his wife, he belongs to the Order 
 of Good Templars. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Munhall and Nancy 
 M. Webber took place in November, 1851. 
 She is a daughter of William T. and Nancy 
 Webber, natives of Shelby county, Ken- 
 tucky, and Virginia, respectively. Mr. 
 Webber was a farmer in the Blue Grass 
 state, and during the war of 1812 sent a 
 substitute to the army. In 1833 ne came 
 to Champaign county, and the day after his ar- 
 rival here there was a sale of town lots in the 
 hazel-patchon which Urbana laterwas built. 
 He located on the property where his son, 
 George G. Webber, now lives, and there 
 death claimed him when he was in his 
 prime, fifty-three years of age. His wife 
 lived to reach her seventy-fourth year, and 
 of their thirteen children only three survive, 
 namely: William H., George G. and Mrs. 
 Munhall. Those deceased are: Thompson, 
 Jesse R. , Augustin M., John W., Eliza 
 Ann, Frances, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary J. 
 and James. The parents were devout mem- 
 bers of the Baptist church. 
 
 Ten children blessed the union of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Munhall, namely: Sarah C. , wife 
 of Robert McKee; Mary Helen, deceased; 
 Elizabeth, deceased; Adelaide, Mrs. John 
 Evans; Ella Josephine, wife of Daniel Barr, 
 a druggist of Braidwood, Illinois; Howard, 
 of Oklahoma territory: Florence, wife of 
 G. E. Broderick, of Decatur, Illinois; Henry, 
 a farmer of Jasper county, Iowa; Edith, 
 who died when four years of age; and 
 Bertha May, wife of Edward Craiger, of 
 Urbana. 
 
 CHARLES A. HAINES. The subject 
 of this narrative, one of the most suc- 
 cessful and progressive agriculturists of 
 Champaign county, has made his special 
 field of industry an eminent success, and is 
 now the owner of a valuable farm of four 
 hundred acres in Compromise township, 
 and another of one hundred and fifty- seven 
 acres in Champaign township, both well 
 improved and under a high state of cultiva- 
 tion. He now resides upon the latter, 
 which is pleasantly located on section 13, 
 near the city of Champaign, and is devoting 
 his time and attention principally to the 
 dairy business. 
 
 Mr. Haines was born in Philadelphia, 
 Pennsylvania, August 8, 1835, and is a son 
 of Charles W. and Hannah A. (Bolt) Haines, 
 also natives of that city. The father was 
 a well-educated man and for a number of 
 years was a teacher in the schools there and 
 also a bookkeeper. In 1857 he emigrated 
 to Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed 
 in the census office in 1860, and in 1871 
 came to Champaign, where his death oc- 
 curred the following year. Of his nine 
 children only two survive, namely: Charles 
 A., our subject; and James B., a painter 
 living in Chicago, and a veteran of the 
 Civil war, serving for eight months as one 
 of the boys in blue during that conflict. 
 Another son, Theodore, was also in the 
 service and died in Andersonville prison. 
 
 Our subject is indebted to the common 
 schools of Philadelphia for his educational 
 advantages, and in that city he learned the 
 art of manufacturing Britannia metal ware, 
 serving an apprenticeship of five years and 
 a half. At the age of twenty-two years he 
 came to Stark county, Illinois, and from 
 there went to Peoria, where he remained 
 three years as an employe in a general mer- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 255 
 
 cantile store. Subsequently he spent a 
 short time in Fulton county, this state. 
 
 In 1863, Mr. Haines was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Amelia Taylor, who was 
 born in Peoria county, Illinois, in 1840. 
 Her parents moved from Saratoga Springs, 
 New York, to Peoria county, Illinois, in 
 1836, where they passed away, he in 
 1854, she in 1885. Mrs. Haines has three 
 brothers and one sister living, the former in 
 Peoria county, Illinois, the latter in Iowa. 
 Seven children have been born to our sub- 
 ject and his wife, namely: John B., who 
 is now married and living on his father's 
 farm in Compromise township; Charles A., 
 Jr., who is a clerk in a hardware store 
 in Detroit, Michigan; Frank B., who assists 
 his father on the farm; Carrie A., at home; 
 Fred A., who is a clerk with his brother in 
 the hardware store in Detroit; and Isaac 
 and Mary, both at home. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Haines removed with his 
 family to this county and purchased a farm 
 in Compromise township. He also opened 
 a general store and served as postmaster at 
 Compromise for sixteen years, being first 
 appointed by President Grant. He operated 
 that farm quite successfully for many years, 
 and after making many improvements upon 
 the place, he added to it from time to time 
 as his financial resources permitted until he 
 now has a valuable farm of four hundred 
 acres. Renting it in 1892, he purchased one 
 hundred and fifty-seven acresof land on section 
 13. Champaign township, and at once located 
 thereon. Here he is now successfully en- 
 gaged in the dairy business, keeping for that 
 purpose only the best grade of cattle. His 
 business is steadily increasing, and to meet 
 the demands of his trade he now has a herd 
 of forty milch cows and keeps two wagons 
 delivering the milk through the city. He is . 
 
 thoroughly up to date and has all modern 
 improvements needed in his business. He is 
 now erecting an extensive'milk house, and is 
 putting in the latest improved separator and 
 engine. 
 
 Politically Mr. Haines is an ardent Re- 
 publican, and though he takes no active 
 part in public affairs as a politician, he does 
 all in his power to promote the welfare of 
 his party and insure its success. He has 
 never cared for official honors, preferring to 
 give his undivided attention to his business 
 interests. He is a genial, jovial gentleman 
 whom it is a pleasure to meet, and his circle 
 of friends seems only limited by his circle of 
 acquaintances, for he has the confidence and 
 high regard of all with whom he comes in 
 contact either in business or social life. 
 
 OLIVER B. DOBBINS, LL. B., a 
 prominent young attorney of Urbana, 
 Illinois, was born in Gallatin, Sumner 
 county, Tennessee, December 6, 1870, a son 
 of Foster and Margaret (Beard) Dobbins, 
 also natives of that place, where they con- 
 tinued to make their home until coming to 
 this county in 1871. The father engaged 
 in farming in East Bend township for some 
 years, but is now living a retired life in Ur- 
 bana. The mother died October 24, 1884. 
 She was a consistent and faithful member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which 
 the father also belongs, although his family, 
 until recently, have been strong Cumberland 
 Presbyterians. The Dobbins' were original- 
 ly from Scotland and later made their home 
 in the north of Ireland, becoming what is 
 known as Scotch-Irish. James Dobbins, 
 the great-grandfather of our subject, was 
 one of the early settlers of Sumner county, 
 
256 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Tennessee, and as a soldier of the Revolu- 
 tionary war he participated in the battle of 
 Kings Mountains under Sumner. The grand- 
 father, Henry Dobbins, was born in North 
 Carolina, but during boyhood was taken 
 by his parents to Tennessee. He later 
 owned a plantation in Sumner county and 
 successfully engaged in milling and farming. 
 His wife bore the maiden name of Hannah 
 McMurray, and also belonged to an old 
 Southern family. Our subject's maternal 
 grandfather was 1 Richard Beard, a farmer of 
 Sumner county, who was from North Caro- 
 lina. He marridd Sarah Wallace, a daugh- 
 ter of Joseph Wallace, also of Scotch de- 
 scent, who removed to Tennessee at a very 
 early day and was there killed by the 
 Indians. 
 
 It was during the infancy of our subject 
 that he was brought to Illinois, and after 
 four years spent in the western part of the 
 state the family removed to East Bend town- 
 ship, Champaign county, in 1876. There he 
 attended the country schools for some time 
 and later became a student at the Normal 
 School in Normal, Illinois. Subsequently 
 he successfully engaged in teaching in this 
 and Ford counties for four years, during 
 which time he began reading law with Judge 
 M. H. Cloud, of Paxton, and then pur- 
 sued a two years' course in the law de- 
 partment of the Illinois Wesleyan Univer- 
 sity, where he was granted the degree of 
 LL. B. in 1894. Coming to Urbana, he 
 formed a partnership with Spencer M. White, 
 and together they have since engaged in 
 general practice, meeting with excellent 
 success from the start. They have had an 
 interest in probably as high as fifty cases in 
 each term of court for the last few years, 
 and to-day rank among the most able law- 
 yers of the city. 
 
 On the 1 5th of December, 1897, Mr. 
 Dobbins was united in marriage with Miss 
 Edith Leonard, of Gibson City, Illinois, 
 who for three years prior to her marriage 
 was a teacher in the schools of Wellington, 
 Kansas, where her father now lives. Social- 
 ly Mr. Dobbins is a Master Mason and a 
 member of Urbana Lodge, I. O. O. F. , 
 while politically he is an ardent Democrat, 
 and has served as a member of the Demo- 
 cratic central committee. In 1896 he was 
 the candidate of his party for state's attor- 
 ney. He possesses a good law library, is 
 thoroughly in love with his profession, and 
 is eminently gifted with the capabilities of 
 mind which are indispensable at the bar. 
 The place he has won in his profession is 
 accorded him in recognition of his skill and 
 ability, and the place he occupies in the 
 social world is a tribute to his genuine worth'. 
 
 JOEL V. WEBSTER has demonstrated 
 the true meaning of the word success as 
 the full accomplishment of an honorable pur- 
 pose. Energy, close application, persever- 
 ance and good management, these are the 
 elements which have entered into his busi- 
 ness career and crowned his efforts with 
 prosperity. He is a gentleman* of much 
 more than ordinary information and attain- 
 ments, is progressive and enterprising, and 
 has done much to advance the general wel- 
 fare and prosperity of his adopted county. 
 He still owns a valuable farm here but is 
 now living a retired life in the city of Cham- 
 paign. 
 
 Mr. Webster was born in Eden township, 
 Erie county, New York, November 8, 1831, 
 a son of \Villiam S. and Katherine (Bunning) 
 Webster, both faithful members of the 
 
J. V. WEBSTER. 
 
HE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 259 
 
 Society of Friends and highly respected by 
 all who knew them. The father was born 
 in New Jersey, and during boyhood removed 
 with his father to the wilderness of Western 
 New York, where the latter improved a good 
 sized farm, spending the remainder of his 
 life there. The father of our subject died 
 in 1863, the mother in 1839. 
 
 Joel V. Webster was reared in his native 
 township and began his education in its com- 
 mon schools. Subsequently he attended 
 the Eden Academy, and successfully en- 
 gaged in teaching school in that section for 
 several terms. He commenced the study of 
 medicine in Boston, an adjoining township, 
 and attended lectures at Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 graduating from the Physo-Medical College 
 in 1852. Locating at White's Corners, now 
 Hamburg, New York, he successfully en- 
 gaged in practice for three years, but on ac- 
 count of failing health and a hard country 
 ride, he had to abandon his profession, and 
 spent some time in traveling in the west. 
 On his return to New York, he followed 
 farming with good success for eight years, 
 when his health again began to fail and he 
 concluded a change of location would prove 
 beneficial. 
 
 After traveling several months, and view- 
 ing many places, their advantages and dis- 
 advantages, Mr. Webster finally purchased 
 land in Champaign county, and moved there 
 in 1869, locating in Crittenden township, 
 where he improved a tract of wild prairie 
 land, making it his home until 1894. From 
 his experience in eastern farming he knew 
 the advantages to be derived from tile drain- 
 ing. The first few years spent here were 
 dry and he did not need tiles, but later came 
 wet seasons, and he saw that something 
 must be done. At that time there was prob- 
 ably not a thousand rods of tiling laid in the 
 
 county, but he believed that without drain- 
 ing much of the land would be useless. He 
 bought his first tile in Joilet, but could not 
 find a man who knew enough to dig a ditch 
 and lay it. Finally a company from Indi- 
 ana started a tile factory here, and believing 
 that they must know something about the 
 business, he engaged tile of them, but busi- 
 ness was soon suspended. He finally secured 
 a man from the factory to help him tile his 
 farm and that spring laid thirteen hundred 
 rods of tiling, which he shipped in from 
 Springfield, Danville, Decatur and Joilet. 
 The following fall he laid one thousand rods 
 more, and now has about sixteen miles of 
 tiling upon his place, not an acre of the land 
 but what will produce a good crop of wheat 
 or any other product. He has invested a 
 large sum of money in this way and has also 
 paid out one thousand dollars for large 
 ditches and outlets. It is one of the best 
 drained farms in the county, and being well 
 improved in other respects, it is to-day a 
 most valuable and desirable place, compris- 
 ing four hundred and eighty acres, divided 
 into forty-acre or small lots, by hedge fences 
 principally. There are two deep wells up- 
 on the place, both operated by windmills, 
 one near the house and the other in the 
 center of the farm. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Webster retired from active 
 labor and removed to Champaign, where he 
 is now living retired. He has since spent 
 considerable time in travel. For a quarter 
 of a century his sister, Eliza B., acted as 
 his housekeeper, but she died in 1893. He 
 was one of a family of ten children, five sons 
 and five daughters, of whom the following 
 are still living: Ira R.,a resident of Hamburg, 
 New York; Edwin, of Eden, New York; 
 Joel V., our subject; and Mrs. Paulina 
 Belknap, of Eden, New York. 
 
260 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In politics Mr. Webster is a Democrat, 
 and has been a member of the township 
 committee. He was also supervisor of his 
 township for four years, has championed 
 every movement designed to promote the 
 general welfare, has supported every enter- 
 prise for the public good, and has material- 
 ly aided in the advancement of his county's 
 interest. As an intelligent, well educated 
 and progressive man, he exerted a refining 
 influence over the community in this new 
 country on locating here, and he is justly 
 numbered among its most valued and useful 
 citizens. 
 
 f^EORGE G. WEBBER is a sterling 
 V_J member of a family which has been 
 represented in Champaign county since the 
 early days of its history. Nearly all of his 
 life has been spent here, as he was but 
 three years old when his parents removed 
 to this section with their several children, 
 in 1833, and, as is generally known, he has 
 been identified with the development of 
 Urbana township ever since his youth. 
 
 His grandfather, Rev. Philip Webber, 
 was a native of Virginia, whence he re- 
 moved to Kentucky with his family at an 
 early day. There he was active as a pio- 
 neer preacher of the Baptist church until 
 he was summoned to his reward. Of his 
 six children, our subject's father, William 
 T., was born in Fluvanna county, Virginia, 
 August n, 1785. He married Nancy Bas- 
 ket, of the same county, October 30, 1806, 
 and thirteen children were born to them. 
 Only three of the number survive, George 
 G., Mrs. Munhall, of Urbana, and W. H., 
 who is in his seventy-eighth year, and, with 
 the exception of twelve years spent in Col- 
 
 orada and Wyoming, has dwelt in this local- 
 ity since his boyhood. 
 
 In 1832 William T. Webber came to 
 Champaign county and bought six hundred 
 and forty acres of school and government 
 land, situated in what now is known as Ur- 
 bana township. Returning to his Kentucky 
 home, he sold out, and returned to his new 
 purchase with his family and household 
 effects in 1833, arriving here the day before 
 the first sale of village lots in the newly- 
 platted town of Urbana. A portion of this 
 property, indeed, was donated by Mr. Web- 
 ber, and the lots were sold at prices rang- 
 ing from five to ten dollars. He had made 
 a few improvements upon his homestead 
 when death put an end to his labors, Sep- 
 tember 9, 1838. He had served as a jus- 
 tice of the peace, assessor and in other local 
 offices, was appointed by the state Legisla- 
 ture to assess damages to property through 
 which the canal passed, and during the war 
 of 1812 provided a substitute, because he 
 could not leave his little family unprotected 
 and uncared for. He had considerable 
 knowledge of medicine and often acted in 
 the capacity of a physician in the pioneer 
 days. He held the office of deacon in the 
 Baptist church for many years, and his wife, 
 who lived to be seventy-one years old, was 
 also a faithful member of that denomination. 
 George G. Webber was born in Shelby 
 county, Kentucky, September 3, 1830. He 
 has followed agriculture as a means of live- 
 lihood, and still owns a part of the old 
 homestead which belonged to his father 
 about one hundred acres, located within 
 the corporate limits of Urbana. A street 
 in the town is named in honor of the fam- 
 ily, and he owns several pieces of residence 
 and vacant property here. He has occu- 
 pied various local offices, such as that of 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 261 
 
 school director and assessor, and in politi- 
 cal affairs is a believer in the platform of 
 the Democratic party. Fraternally, he is a 
 member of the Masonic order. The intol- 
 erance and bigotry of denominationalism 
 led him to extreme liberality in his views on 
 religion, and, while he does not altogether 
 uphold the radical ideas of the late Colonel 
 Robert G. Ingersoll, he finds much to ad- 
 mire in them. He possesses an excellent 
 education, and in his early manhood was 
 engaged in teaching for some time. By 
 well-directed energy he has greatly in- 
 creased the value of his homestead, and is 
 accounted as one of the substantial busi- 
 ness men of this locality. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Webber and 
 Martha McFarland took place June 4, 1852. 
 She is a daughter of Thomas and Martha 
 (Corey) McFarland, natives of Scotland 
 and Rhode Island, respectively. The 
 father died in 1879, aged sixty-five years, 
 and the mother, who died in 1867, was 
 about sixty years old. They removed to 
 Illinois at an early day, arriving here De- 
 cember i, 1838, and thenceforth they were 
 interested in the development of the re- 
 sources of this region. They were the 
 parents of seven children, one of whom is 
 deceased. Daniel is a resident of Bloom- 
 ington, Illinois; Thomas lives in Atlanta, 
 this state; Robert is an Urbana citizen; 
 Sarah, widow of Philip Crihfield, lives in 
 Minier, Illinois, and Cyrus makes his home 
 in Nebraska. The parents were members 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 The seven children of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Webber comprise the following named : 
 Flora M. and Laura B., who are at home; 
 Fannie R., wife of James Thorp, of this 
 city, and mother of one son, Charles; 
 Frank B., who wedded Maggie McConnell, 
 
 and has three children, Frank, Anna and 
 Sadie; Harry E., who married Nellie Boy- 
 sell and has two children, Fay and Martha; 
 Anna May, who died at the age of twelve 
 years, and Fred T., whose home is at Dan- 
 ville, Illinois. He chose Emma Turnell as 
 a wife and their children are Margaret, 
 Harry and Frank. Frank B. and Harry E. 
 Webber are well-known citizens of Ur- 
 bana. 
 
 BENJAMIN PENN PRATHER, de- 
 ceased, for many years a prominent and 
 successful farmer of Sorner township, Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, was born in Shiloh, 
 Clermont county, Ohio, March 28, 1821, 
 and was a son of James and Sophia (Penn) 
 Prather, natives of Maryland and early set- 
 tlers of the Buckeye state. 
 
 At the early age of fifteen years our sub- 
 ject was intrusted with a ferry boat running 
 between Cincinnati and Newport, Kentucky, 
 and from that time on was connected with 
 river navigation for many years, enjoying 
 the life of a boatman. For twenty years he 
 was head engineer on boats plying on the 
 Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and during all 
 this time never met with an accident. 
 While engineer on the Daniel Boone, run- 
 ning between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mays- 
 ville, Kentucky, he made the fastest time on 
 record up to 1890, if not the fastest ever 
 made. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Prather was mar- 
 ried, September 15, 1846, at Felicity, Ohio, 
 to Miss Caroline M. Stevens, a daughter of 
 Silsby and Mary A. (Graham) Stevens, 
 natives of Vermont. She is now the only 
 one living of their seven children, the others 
 being Abigail W. , Mary Ann, Sarah J., 
 Lydia Ann, Aaron L. and James A. By a 
 
262 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 former marriage with Abigail Weatherby, of 
 Massachusetts, the father had three sons, 
 John, Thomas and Ithiel, all deceased. 
 Silsby Stevens was born January 5, 1781, 
 and died about 1858. Mrs. Prather's 
 paternal grandfather, Simon Stevens, was 
 born in Canterbury, Connecticuit, December 
 5, 1736, and was married in 1780, to Lydia, 
 daughter of Henry and Bethiah Silsby. 
 She was born in Connecticut, Septem- 
 ber 7, 1847, an d died in Springfield, Ver- 
 mont, February 20, 1781. Simon Stevens 
 was a soldier of the French and Indian war, 
 and in 1758 was taken prisoner by the In- 
 dians on Lake George and carried to Oswego 
 and Onondaga, New York, where he was 
 held a prisoner for over a year. After en- 
 during untold hardships he finally made his 
 escape. Later he settled in the town of 
 Springfield, 'Vermont. In 1762 he was 
 made captain in the militia; in 1766 he was 
 commissioned brigade major in the Revolu- 
 tionary war, and later was made lieutenant- 
 colonel by the Governor of Vermont. He 
 was a member of the Provincial Congress, 
 and was the first justice of the peace in 
 Springfield, Vermont, which office he filled 
 for more than half a century. Several years 
 he represented his town in the General As- 
 sembly of the state, and was one of the 
 most prominent and influential citizens of 
 the community. Early in life he professed 
 the religion of Christ, and after an honor- 
 able and upright life passed away February 
 18, 1817. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Prather were born six 
 children, of whom William T. , Jessie M. and 
 Mrs. Jennie P. Tate are all now deceased. 
 The living areas follows: (i) Homer, a res- 
 ident of Somer, was married in December, 
 1877, to Jessie Merriott, who died in May, 
 1883, leaving two children: Paul, who is 
 
 now engaged in farming, and Maude, who is 
 attending the high school of Urbana. (2) 
 Scott, a resident of Chicago, was married, 
 in November, 1881, to Etta Haley, and they 
 have two children, Nettie and Graham, who 
 are attending school in that city. (3) Specs 
 N. resides in Urbana, but still carries on the 
 old homestead in Sorners township, this 
 county. He was married, September 24, 
 1884, to Mary E. Nye, and they have three 
 children: Arius B., Darlie J. and Car- 
 lisle N. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Prather, of this 
 review, made his home in Shiloh, Ohio, 
 until June, 1856, when he came to Cham- 
 paign, Illinois, and for three years engaged 
 in the grain business there with his brother- 
 in-law, Mark Carley. In September, 1858, 
 however, he removed to the farm which he 
 had purchased in Somer township, and de- 
 voted the remainder of his' life to agricult- 
 ural pursuits. On locating there the coun- 
 try to the north and east of him was an un- 
 broken prairie as far as the eye could reach. 
 Wild flowers of all kinds bloomed in pro- 
 fusion, and the frequent prairie fires lighted 
 up the region round about, enabling them to 
 "read at, night while quite a distance from the 
 burning district. The howl of the prairie 
 wolf often disturbed the slumbers of the 
 family, and animals would often carry off 
 the young lambs when not shut safely in the 
 fold. Mr. Prather made many improve- 
 ments upon his farm, and so successful was 
 he in its operation that he was able to 
 leave his family in comfortable circum- 
 stances. 
 
 Politically he was a stanch Republican, 
 and always an advocate of the cause of right 
 and justice. He was a sincere Christian and 
 faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and contributed freely to the support 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 263 
 
 of all church work. He was instrumental 
 in building the Carey Chapel, which stands 
 near his old home, and was ever one of its 
 active workers. He served as supervisor 
 from Somer township in 1869, 1870 and 
 1871, and was a very useful and active 
 member of the board. He died February 
 23, 1885, honored and respected by all who 
 knew him. His death was widely and 
 deeply mourned, and his memory will long 
 be r.evered by his large circle of friends, as 
 well as his immediate family. 
 
 A LBERT G. CARLE, deceased, was 
 J\ numbered among the honored pioneers 
 of Champaign county, who located in this 
 locality when it was wild and unimproved. 
 In the work of development he took an act- 
 ive part in the early days and aided in 
 opening up the country to civilization. As 
 the years passed he faithfully performed his 
 duties of citizenship and his interest in the 
 welfare and progress of the county never 
 abated. Becoming widely and favorably 
 known he made many friends, and his death 
 was a loss to the entire community. 
 
 Mr. Carle was born in Fayette county, 
 Pennsylvania, April 20, 1822, and died at 
 his home in Urbana township, Champaign 
 county, Illinois, March 7, 1881. He was 
 fifteen years of age when, with his parents, 
 William and Sarah (Dalaney) Carle, he re- 
 moved from his native county to Franklin 
 county, Ohio, where he aided in the ardu- 
 ous task of converting a timbered tract into 
 a cultivated farm. By splitting rails he 
 earned enough money to buy a fine horse, 
 which he sold to a Mr. Townsend, and with 
 the proceeds came to Illinois in 1844. He 
 purchased a farm just south of Urbana, for 
 
 which he paid two dollars and a half per 
 acre. He afterward entered an adjoining 
 eighty-acre tract, which he later sold to the 
 Illinois University, and which now forms a 
 part of the experimental farm of that insti- 
 tution. He was actively interested in all 
 movements for the improvement and up- 
 building of the county, especially in the 
 founding of the university. 
 
 In connection with general farming Mr. 
 Carle was always quite extensively engaged 
 in the stock business, shipping principally 
 to eastern markets, including Cincinnati, 
 Philadelphia and New York. He was one 
 of the very first in the county to become 
 interested in the raising of improved and 
 thoroughbred horses, cattle, sheep and 
 hogs, and was largely engaged in breeding 
 short horn cattle and Berkshire hogs. It 
 was as a farmer and stock raiser that he 
 was best known, and for many years he was 
 one of the leading and most successful men 
 in those lines in the county. He kept the 
 best stock to be had, and was always a cen- 
 tral figure at the county fairs, being one of 
 the few men whose money and labor sup- 
 ported and kept up that enterprise. He 
 was instrumental and active in the organi- 
 zation of the first county fair and was presi- 
 dent of the fair association for several years, 
 as well as one of its stockholders. Prob- 
 ably no man was more instrumental or did 
 more to advance and develop the live stock 
 and agricultural interests 'of Champaign 
 county than he, and he was a successful 
 competitor for premiums at the annual ex- 
 hibits. He was part owner of the noted 1 
 Defender, a remarkable prize winner, 
 which at the state fair won a three-hun- 
 dred-and-fifty-dollar coffee urn. Prior to 
 his death he had some seven hundred 
 dollars worth of silver prizes won as prem- 
 
264 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 iums. He raised many fine horses and was 
 an expert horseman. While on a business 
 trip to Douglas county, in 1882 or 1883, he 
 bought a horse, a splendid animal, though 
 wild; it was an iron gray named Dave, 
 which is still remembered by the old settlers 
 of the county as a famous deer hunter. 
 During the time of his ownership Mr. Carle 
 caught with him as many as sixty deer. 
 This horse lived to a good old age, but was 
 never too old to scale a high fence or gate. 
 Mr. Carle was a great hunter and an excel- 
 lent marksman. 
 
 Politically he was a stanch Republican, 
 and was an ardent admirer and intimate 
 friend of Abraham Lincoln, spending many 
 an enjoyable hour in listening to the inter- 
 esting stories told by the martyred president. 
 He took an active interest in political affairs 
 but was never an office seeker, though he 
 served as township assessor for many years. 
 He was not a member of any church, but 
 was a liberal supporter of church work. He 
 was a member of the Masonic fraternity, 
 and was a whole-souled man, always inter- 
 ested in the promotion and improvement of 
 the county. -Of a hospitable and social dis- 
 position, he made many friends, and no one 
 enjoyed entertaining a houseful of guests 
 better than he. He was always judge on 
 the election board, and by his genial nature 
 and spritely wit kept the members of that 
 body in the best of humor while performing 
 their arduous duties. Wherever known he 
 was held in high regard, and his friends 
 were many throughout the county and state. 
 
 On the 26th of July, 1849, Mr. Carle 
 was united in marriage with Miss Margaret 
 Burt, who was to him a true helpmeet and 
 worthy companion. Their only child, Will- 
 iam Wheeler, named for an old friend in 
 Ohio and another in Douglas county, this 
 
 state, was born September 22, 1850, and 
 died September 20, 1851. 
 
 Mr. Carle was born in Orange county, 
 New York, February 10, 1830, a daughter 
 of John and Elmira (Burt) Burt, who though 
 of the same name and both natives of 
 Orange county, were not related prior to their 
 marriage. The progenitor of the Burt fam- 
 ily in America was David Burt, who was 
 born and reared in* England. The exact 
 date of his emigration is not known, but he 
 was a resident of Roxbury, Massachusetts, 
 as early as 1638, as indicated by the town 
 records. In 1640 he moved to a new set- 
 tlement called Agawam, the name of which 
 was afterward changed to Springfield. 
 Here David Burt's name appears on the 
 town records December 24, 1660, with per- 
 missitm to " cup out a canoe tree." From 
 the frequency of his name in the town 
 records he seems to have been a man of 
 importance in the community, filling the 
 position of committeeman, lay preacher and 
 other offices. There is a tradition that his 
 wife Ulalia was laid out for dead in Eng- 
 land and was put in the coffin, but revived 
 and recovered. She became the mother of 
 nineteen children, whose descendants are 
 now numerous in the United States, and the 
 family has contained many eminent and 
 illustrious persons. In the records of Spring- 
 field, Massachusetts, it is recorded that 
 Henry Burt died April 40, 1662, and his 
 wife August 19, 1690. In the fall of 1890 
 the wife of our subject attended a re-union 
 of the Burt family in that city, and was 
 present at a banquet in which two hundred 
 representatives of the family participated. 
 
 In 1838 Mrs. Carle accompanied her par- 
 ents on their removal to Coshocton county, 
 Ohio, where she grew to womanhood and 
 was married, her education being obtained 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 265 
 
 in the common schools of the county. She 
 was the oldest of a family of fourteen chil- 
 dren, the others being Henry, Jane, Ann, 
 Daniel, Benjamin, George, Mary E., John, 
 Bradley, William W. , Hamilton M., Abbie 
 and Albert A. Those living are Jane, wife 
 of Jefferson Smith, of Wichita, Kansas; John 
 and Hamilton, both residents of Coshocton, 
 Ohio; William \V., of Topeka, Kansas, and 
 Albert A., of Urbana. The mother of this 
 family was born May 25, 1812, and died 
 October 7, 1855, and the father was born 
 September 23, 1806, and died February 2, 
 1890. They were married May 7, 1829. 
 The mother died at the birth of the young- 
 est son, who was reared by Mrs. Carle, re- 
 maining with her until reaching manhood, 
 when he returned to Ohio, but after the 
 death of Mr. Carle he came to Champaign 
 county to assist her in the management of 
 her affairs, and for the past two years he 
 and his daughter Linnie have made their 
 home with her. Her father was again mar- 
 ried February 25, 1862, his second union 
 being with Elizabeth Dunn. He traced his 
 descent from Henry Burt, the founder of the 
 family in America, through the following: 
 David, Benjamin, Daniel, Daniel and Dan- 
 iel. His first wife was a daughter of Ben- 
 jamin Burt, and a granddaughter of 
 James Burt. Mrs. Carle has in her posses- 
 sion a heavy glass decanter formerly owned 
 by John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Prog- 
 ress. It was purchased by her father from 
 a Mr. Maynard, an Englishman, who had a 
 large number of relics which were sold after 
 his death. 
 
 On the 25th of October, 1885, Mrs. 
 Carle married James H. Morris, a retired 
 farmer, who was born in Rush county, In- 
 diana, December 17, 1833, a son of John 
 and Mary (Miller) Morris, both natives of 
 
 Scott county, Kentucky, where three of 
 their children were born prior to their emi- 
 gration to Indiana. His father, who was a 
 farmer by occupation, was born in 1798, 
 and died in 1883, and his mother was born 
 in 1804 and died in 1866. Mr. Morris was 
 reared and educated in his native county, 
 and in starting out in life for himself oper- 
 ated rented land, but later purchased 
 eighty acres on which he made his home 
 for some years. On selling his property in 
 1 862 he moved to Edgar county, Illinois, 
 where he purchased three hundred and 
 twenty-eight acres of prairie land, which 
 he owned and operated two years, and 
 then came to Champaign county, where he 
 bought one hundred acres for fifty dollars 
 per acre. He added to the place until he 
 had three hundred and twenty acres, andcon- 
 tinued to reside thereon until his marriage 
 with Mrs. Carle. He was first married 
 October 16, 1855, to Miss Mary Bebout, a 
 daughter of John and Jane (Steele) Bebout, 
 all natives of Fleming county, Kentucky. 
 She died October 10, 1884, leaving seven 
 children who are still living, namely : Al- 
 bert, a farmer of Rush county, Indiana; 
 Robinson B., a real estate dealer of Los 
 Angeles, California; Lillie J., widow of 
 Thomas Dugan, of Urbana; Ida, a book- 
 keeper in Robeson's store, Champaign; 
 Minnie, a teacher in the public schools of 
 Champaign; John, who is engaged in the 
 laundry business in Los Angeles, California; 
 and Thomas, who is engaged in the same 
 business in Milwaukee. Mr, Morris is a 
 supporter of the Democratic party, and has 
 served on the school board. He is an act- 
 ive member of the Christian church, while 
 his wife holds membership in the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church. She can relate many 
 interesting incidents of pioneer days when 
 
266 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 this region was wild and unimproved, and 
 when wild game could be found in abun- 
 dance. In 1851 she boarded Mr. Ashley and 
 his family, who was chief engineer surveying 
 for the Illinois Central Railroad. She is a 
 most estimable lady, loved and respected 
 by all who know her. 
 
 ERD EHLER, one of the worthy rep- 
 V_J resentative German residents of Hens- 
 ley township, owning four hundred acres of 
 well tiled and highly cultivated land on 
 section 34, was born in Aurich, Hanover 
 Province, Germany, November 25, 1853, 
 and is the eldest son and second child of W. 
 W. and Gebbe (Cruse) Ehler, both of whom 
 were born and reared in that province, as 
 were their parents before them for several 
 generations, and all were worthy citizens 
 and loyal to their country. By trade the 
 father oi our subject was a ship builder and 
 contractor, and continued to follow that oc- 
 cupation in his native land until 1869, when 
 he emigrated to the United States with his 
 family. Coming direct to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, on landing in this country, he pur- 
 chased fifty acres of land in Rantoul town- 
 ship, and later, as he succeeded, he kept 
 adding to his possessions from time to time, 
 improving the land and selling it again. At 
 the time of his death, which occurred in 
 1889, he had eighty acres the old home- 
 stead where his widow now resides. ,He 
 was well known and was held in high es- 
 teem by all his neighbors and many friends. 
 His children were Folke, wife of D. Meyer, 
 a well-to-do farmer and stock raiser of Ran- 
 toul; Gerd, our subject; W. W. , Jr., a 
 farmer of Hensley township; Anne, wife of 
 John Flessner, a farmer of Rantoul town- 
 
 ship; and John, also a resident of that town- 
 ship. 
 
 In the common schools of the fatherland 
 Gerd Ehler acquired a good, practical edu- 
 cation, attending regularly, as required by 
 law, until fifteen years of age, when with 
 the family he emigrated to America. He 
 made his home with his parents until twen- 
 ty-five years of age, superintending the farm 
 work for his father, and then left the parental 
 roof and began farming on eighty acres of 
 land which he had purchased on time. Suc- 
 ceeding in this undertaking, he soon paid 
 for his land and kept adding to it from time 
 to time different tracts and improving them. 
 He carried on general fanning quite success- 
 fully for a number of years in Stanton town- 
 ship, but in 1893 he disposed of his prop- 
 erty there and purchased h'3 present valua- 
 ble farm of four hundred acres on section 
 34, Hensley township, which he has placed 
 under a high state of cultivation and im- 
 proved with good and substantial buildings. 
 In 1898 he erected a modern residence of 
 latest architectural design, that would grace 
 any city, being a large twelve-room house, 
 finished on the inside with polished oak, and 
 fitted with modern conveniences for sanita- 
 tion and heating. He has spared no expense 
 in making it complete in every detail, it 
 costing him about five thousand dollars, and 
 is considered one of the best homes in 
 Hensley township, being one in which the 
 family may well take a just pride. Mr. 
 Ehler carries on general farming, finding a 
 ready market for all his produce, both stock, 
 hay and grain. In 1885, in partnership 
 with his brother, be began taking contracts 
 for building bridges throughout the county 
 and also in adjoining ones, and that busi- 
 ness they followed continuously for twelve 
 years, putting up extensive iron bridges in 
 
GERD EHLER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 269 
 
 many places, and acquiring a wide reputa- 
 tion as reliable business men in that line. 
 During these years Mr. Ehler was still in- 
 terested in farming, and since 1896 has de- 
 voted his time and attention exclusively to 
 agricultural pursuits. 
 
 On the 2 ist of January, 1883, Mr. Ehler 
 was united in marriage with Miss Nancy A. 
 Easter, who was born in Rantoul township 
 in 1862. Her parents, Theodore and Mar- 
 garet E. (Culbertson) Easter, natives of 
 Ohio, who resided in Champaign county, 
 Illinois, for a number of years, are now liv- 
 ing in Mississippi, where the father is still 
 successfully engaged in farming. They have 
 eight children living: Alice, wife of W. W. 
 Ehler, Jr., brother of our subject; Nancy 
 A., wife of our subject; Delia F., wife of 
 Albert Maker, a minister, who now has a 
 charge in Oklahoma; Etta, wife of William 
 Collins, of Hensley township, this county; 
 Eunice, wife of George Cook, of Stanton 
 township; Nora, wife of B. Dalton, of Mis- 
 sissippi; Cora and Henry O., both at home 
 with their parents; and Theodore, a success- 
 ful physician and land owner of Mississippi. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ehler have a family of seven 
 children: Elmer, Harry, Otto, Rosa, Ber- 
 nice, Gerd, Jr., and Nora, all at home. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Ehler is a Re- 
 publican. He has served as a school director 
 in his district, and while a resident of Stan- 
 ton township filled the office of pathmaster 
 two years. Fraternally he is a member of 
 the Court of Honor and the FJome Forum, 
 both of Champaign, and religiously, is a 
 member of the Lutheran church, while his 
 wife holds membership in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and he gives liberally to 
 the support of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. By untiring industry and sound 
 business judgment he has won a merited 
 
 14 
 
 success in all his undertakings, and is in all 
 respects worthy of the high regard in which 
 he is held by his fellow citizens. 
 
 JOHN A. McCLURG. Success is deter- 
 mined by one's ability to recognize op- 
 portunity, and to pursue this with a reso- 
 lute and unflagging energy. It results from 
 continued labor, and the man who thus ac- 
 complishes his purpose usually becomes an 
 important factor in the business circles of 
 the community with which he is connected. 
 Through such means Mr. McClurg has arisen 
 to a position of prominence, and to-day holds 
 the responsible position of master mechanic 
 of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. 
 Louis Railroad and of the Peoria & Eastern 
 Railroad at Urbana. 
 
 He was born in Lancaster, Illinois, 
 March 7, 1856, a son of Lewis and Ann 
 (Merrifield) McClurg. The father was born 
 in Kenton, Hardin county, Ohio, and con- 
 tinued to make his home there until reach- 
 ing manhood, when he came to Lancaster. 
 Here he married and engaged in the saw- 
 mill business until the Civil war broke out. 
 In 1 86 1 he entered the army and was killed 
 in battle. His children were Nellie, now 
 the wife of H. W. Sands, of Urbana; John 
 A., our subject; and William R., who is 
 with the Big Four Railroad in Urbana. 
 After the father's death the mother moved 
 to Pekin, where she made her home for ten 
 years, and while there married S. Goodrich. 
 She is now a resident of Urbana. 
 
 During his boyhood our subject attended 
 the schools of Pekin for a time, but at the 
 age of thirteen he left there and went to 
 Chicago, where he found employment in a 
 confectionery store and also attended night 
 
270 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 school for a year. At the end of that time 
 he went to Bloomington, where for eighteen 
 months he was a student in the University 
 preparatory school. In 1872 he came to 
 Urbana and entered the railroad machine 
 shop as a machinist apprentice. After 
 working at his trade for ten years, he re- 
 moved to Sedalia, Missouri, with the Missouri 
 Pacific shop and took a position as gang 
 foreman, which he held for fourteen months. 
 On his return to Urbana, at the end of that 
 time, he accepted the position of general 
 foreman in the shops, and after serving in 
 that capacity for ten years was appointed 
 master mechanic in February, 1891. This 
 gives him the charge of the shops where 
 about four hundred men are employed build- 
 ing new locomotives and cars and also doing 
 repairing. He also has charge of the shops 
 at Indianapolis and oversight of all. the men 
 along the line connected with the locomotive 
 and car work. The shop at Urbana is one 
 of the largest railroad shops in the country, 
 and through his own unaided efforts Mr. 
 McClurg has worked his way upward to his 
 present responsible position. His practical 
 knowledge of all the details of the business, 
 as well as his acquaintance with men, ren- 
 ders him a most valuable employe, as is 
 evinced by his retention in so important a 
 position with one of the leading railroad 
 companies of the Union. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. McClurg was united in 
 marriage with Miss Cora A. Sim, of Urbana, 
 who died in February, 1886, leaving four 
 children, namely: George E., who now has 
 charge of the engine room and electric plant 
 belonging to the railroad company; and 
 Walter S., John A. and Cora, who are all 
 attending school. Mr. McClurg was again 
 married, December 15, 1890, his second 
 union being with Miss Ida B. Goucher, of 
 
 Urbana. She is a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, to the support of which 
 our subject is a liberal contributor. He- 
 owns a beautiful home on West Main street 
 and also other city property, which has been 
 acquired by industry, perseverance and good 
 management, for he started out in life for 
 himself empty-handed. Politically he is a 
 stanch Republican. 
 
 WILLIAM E. STIT.T, a well-known 
 engineer on the Big Four Railroad, 
 and highly esteemed citizen of Urbana, re- 
 siding at No. 404 Urbana avenue, was born 
 near Chillicothe, Ohio, May 23, 1864, and 
 is a son of William G. and Mary (Earl) 
 Stitt, also natives of Ohio. The father en- 
 listed in the one-hundred-day service during 
 the Civil war, and took part in some battles, 
 but did garrison duty most of the time. 
 While returning home he contracted pneu- 
 monia and died before reaching there, at the 
 age of thirty-eight years. In religious faith 
 he was a Presbyterian. He had one brother, 
 Bedine, a railroad conductor, who was liv- 
 ing in Logansport, Indiana, when last heard 
 from. 
 
 After the death of her husband Mrs. 
 Stitt lived with her father, Mr. Earl, in 
 Ohio, until he, too, was called to his final 
 rest in 1873. He was a native of New Jer- 
 sey and a farmer by occupation. In 1875 
 Mrs. Stitt came to Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, and located on a farm near Seymour 
 in Scott township, which she successfully 
 managed for some time, but finally sold the 
 place and removed to Champaign, her home 
 being at No. 510 Randolph street. Since 
 her husband's death she has drawn a pension 
 from the government. She is a most esti- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 271 
 
 mable lady and a consistent member of the 
 Presbyterian church. 
 
 Our subject is the youngest in a family 
 of three children. Hugh C., the eldest, has 
 for over six years been an engineer on the 
 Illinois Central and Big Four Railroads, and 
 is still with the latter corporation. He mar- 
 ried Inez Loman, and they have five chil- 
 dren, Pearl, Howard, Allie, Hugh and Earl. 
 The family reside at the corner of Coler and 
 Goodwin avenue, Urbana, and the wife and 
 mother is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. Woody, another brother of 
 our subject, died in 1862, at the age of five 
 years. 
 
 William E. Stitt was reared on his 
 mother's farm and early became familiar 
 with all the duties which fall to the lot of 
 the agriculturist, while his literary education 
 was obtained in the public schools of the 
 county. At the age of twenty-one he be- 
 gan his business career as a farmer, and fol- 
 lowed that pursuit with fair success for seven 
 years. In 1890 he obtained a position as 
 fireman on the Big Four Railroad, and five 
 years later was promoted to engineer, which 
 position he now holds, running engine No. 
 500 for the past year. 
 
 On the iith of November, 1888, Mr. 
 Stitt was united in marriage with Miss Car- 
 rie J. Alcorn, a native of De Kalb county, 
 Illinois, and a daughter of Joseph and Jane 
 (Marshall) Alcorn, who were born in Penn- 
 sylvania. Her mother, who was a member 
 of the Congregational church, died July 23, 
 1896, at the age of sixty-six years, but the 
 father is still living and is a retired farmer 
 of Earlville, La Salle county, Illinois. They 
 had four children: (i) Almira first married 
 David Wood, by whom she had two chil- 
 dren, Ida M. and James J., and for her sec- 
 ond husband married Ed Simison, of Earl- 
 
 ville, by which union she has four children: 
 Ed E., Lizzie, Harvey, Walter and Ernest. 
 (2) Alexander M. married Ella Courter. by 
 whom he had three children, Harvey, Asa 
 and May, and for his second wife married 
 Eva Wade, by whom he has two children, 
 Edith and Joseph. (3) Mrs. Stitt is the 
 next in order of birth. (4) Archibald, a res- 
 ident of Chicago, married Jessie Wells and 
 has one child, Kent. Our subject and his 
 wife have four children, Ruby, Mary, Flor- 
 ence and Ralph. 
 
 Mr. Stitt is a supporter of the Repub- 
 lican party, and is an active member of the 
 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, in 
 which he is now holding the office of second 
 assistant engineer. Both he and his wife 
 are consistent members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and are held in high re- 
 gard by all who know them. 
 
 FREDERICK A. BEISSER. Among 
 some of the most enterprising citizens 
 Champaign county are those who were born 
 in Germany, and who have brought to this 
 fertile and productive country the thrift and 
 economy of the old world. In Mr. Beisser 
 we find a worthy representative of this 
 class. He is now quite extensively engaged 
 in market gardening on section 24, Cham- 
 paign township. 
 
 Mr. Beisser was born in the province of 
 Saxony, Prussia, in 1825, and is a son of 
 Gottleib and Johanna (Angell) Beisser, who 
 were of old German ancestry. In the family 
 were four children, two of whom remained 
 in Germany, while the parents, accompanied 
 by our subject and one daughter, came to 
 America in 1843, and first located in Buf- 
 falo, New York, where the father engaged 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in gardening, that being his life occupation. 
 Later he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, and 
 in 1855 came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 but afterward returned to Cleveland, where 
 his death occurred. He was quite a suc- 
 cessful gardener and a man highly respected 
 by all who knew him. His wife died at the 
 home of our subject in this county. 
 
 In his native land Frederick A. Beisser 
 attended the public schools until fourteen 
 years of age, and then learned the drug 
 business, at which he worked until coming 
 to America with his parents at the age of 
 eighteen. While a resident of Buffalo, New 
 York, he was employed as a printer on the 
 American Courier for four years, and then 
 went to Cleveland, where he clerked in a 
 drug store for six years. At the end of that 
 period he embarked in the same business on 
 his own account, but his store was destroyed 
 by fire two years later, and he then came to 
 Champaign, Illinois, where he clerked in a 
 general store for six months. He next 
 found employment as a laborer on the rail- 
 road, and later was foreman of a section on 
 the Illinois Central Railroad near Effingham, 
 remaining with the company three years. 
 Returning to Champaign he began garden- 
 ing and has since devoted his time and at- 
 tention to that occupation, meeting with 
 marked success in the undertaking. He has 
 a good farm of forty-seven acres, which he 
 has transformed from a wild tract to one of 
 the best improved places of the locality. 
 He has a very fine modern home, and be- 
 sides the usual buildings found upon a 
 farm he has erected several greenhouses 
 for the raising of vegetables, having five 
 thousand, nine hundred and forty feet under 
 glass. 
 
 In Buffalo, New* York, Mr. Beisser was 
 united in marriage with Miss Amelia Meiss- 
 
 ner, also a native of Germany, who has 
 been a true helpmeet to him, and. has aided 
 him in every possible way. By their united 
 efforts they have succeeded in acquiring a 
 comfortable competence and are now quite 
 well-to-do. Having no children of their 
 own, they reared Robert Pick, who is now 
 married and assists our subject in his work. 
 Mr. Beisser is a supporter of the Demo- 
 cratic party and its principles, and has been 
 tendered political offices but would never 
 accept. For nine years he was a member 
 of the board of the Fair Grounds Associa- 
 tion, and took an active interest in that 
 organization. He is an active and promi- 
 nent member of the Evangelical Lutheran 
 church, of which he has been a trustee for 
 forty years, and was a member of the build- 
 ing committee during the erection of the 
 new church on the corner of University 
 avenue and Fourth street, Champaign. 
 
 JOHN E. STACKER, a prominent engin- 
 eer on the Big Four Railroad residing 
 at No. 808 University avenue, Urbana, Illi- 
 nois, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indi- 
 ana, June 15, 1857, a son of James H. and 
 Ura Ann (Bradfield) Stacker, natives of In- 
 diana and Virginia, respectively. He was 
 the only child born of that union, but both 
 parents had previously married. By his 
 first wife there was born a daughter, Mary, 
 now the wife of Mr. Frankenfield, who 
 is on the retired list of the regular army. 
 Our subject's mother was married first to 
 Andrew J. Yeager, and had two children: 
 A. J., a resident of Joplin, Missouri; and 
 Emily, wife of William Branch, a retired 
 farmer of Champaign, Illinois. James H. 
 Stacker, father of our subject, was a good 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 273 
 
 blacksmith and successful business man, 
 who came to Urbana in 1858, and followed 
 his trade here until his death, which oc- 
 curred January 14, 1891, when he was 
 sixty-five years of age. In 1862 he en- 
 listed as a private in the One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer 
 Infantry, and was in the service for two 
 years, being honorably discharged at the 
 end of that time on account of disabil- 
 ity. He participated in all the engage- 
 ments in which his regiment took part as 
 long as his health permitted. When dis- 
 charged it was believed that he would never 
 reach home alive, but he partially recov- 
 ered, and later worked at his trade for 
 about twenty-four years. The mother of 
 our subject died January 23, 1887, at the 
 age of sixty-two years. Both parents were 
 consistent and faithful members of the 
 Christian church, and were highly respected 
 by all who knew them. 
 
 After completing his education in the 
 schools of Champaign, John E. Stacker 
 was employed as a farm hand for a time, 
 and later engaged in farming on his own 
 account until 1881, when he obtained a 
 position as fireman on the Indianapolis,, 
 Decatur & Western Railroad and served as 
 such for three years and a half. The fol- 
 lowing five years were spent in farming in 
 Piatt county, and at the end of that time 
 he returned as fireman to the same road. 
 Two years later he was promoted to en- 
 gineer and assumed the duties of that posi- 
 tion on New Year's day, 1891, since which 
 time he has had charge of an -engine, being 
 with what is now the Big Four during his 
 entire railroad career. 
 
 On the i ;th of March, 1887, Mr. Stack- 
 er was united in marriage with Miss Cora B. 
 Strohl, a daughter of John J. and Sarah 
 
 Alice (Gordon) Strohl, natives of Ohio and 
 Illinois, respectively, and now residents of 
 Colfax township, this county. Mrs. Stacker 
 is the oldest of their fourteen children, the 
 others being Lucy E., wife of Frank Rich- 
 ards, of Seymour, by whom she has three 
 children, Lillie, Nina and Ernest; Frank, a 
 resident of Monticello, who married Sarah 
 McGee and has two children, Dayton and 
 Violet; Minnie, wife of Charles Dilevou; 
 Daniel E., of Seymour, who married Sylva 
 Williams and has one child, Edith Pearl; 
 Ella, wife of George Turner, of Seymour, 
 by whom she has one child, Violet; Myrtie, 
 wife of Curtis Dilevou, of Streator, Illinois, 
 by whom she has one child, Minnie; Arthur 
 and Ernest, both at home; Harvey, who 
 died in infancy; Clara, who died at the age 
 of three years; Dilla, who died in infancy; 
 Bennje, who died at the age of nineteen 
 years; and Albert, who died in infancy. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Stacker have been born 
 five children: Minnie A., Gertrude A., who 
 died at the age of one year; Ethel O. ; Ada 
 B. and Charles E. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Stacker is a member 
 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin- 
 eers and the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, and has filled all the chairs in the 
 latter lodge. In politics he is independent. 
 He is a popular and trustworthy engineer, a 
 good financier and highly respected citizen 
 one who stands deservedly high in the 
 esteem of a large circle of friends and 
 acquaintances. 
 
 AUGUST AHLRICHS, foreman of the 
 car department of the Big Four Rail- 
 road at Urbana. Illinois, comes from the 
 fatherland and the strongest and most cred- 
 itable characteristics of the Teutonic race 
 
274 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 have been marked elements in his .life and 
 have enabled him to win success in the face 
 of opposing circumstances. He possesses 
 the energy and determination which mark 
 the people of Germany and by the exercise 
 of these powers he has steadily progressed, 
 and has not only accumulated a comfortable 
 property, but has commanded universal re- 
 spect by his straightforward business meth- 
 ods. 
 
 Mr. Ahlrichs was born in Javer, Alden- 
 burg, Germany, August 12, 1839, a son of 
 Hono A. and Christina dies) Ahlrichs. The 
 father, who was a shoemaker by trade, died 
 in 1849, when our subject was quite young. 
 The latter attended the schools of his native 
 land and also served an apprenticeship to 
 the carpenter's trade, which he thoroughly 
 learned and which he afterward followed as 
 a journeyman for some time. For two 
 years he was a member of the regular 
 army, and from June, 1866, until the fol- 
 lowing November was in the Prussian war, 
 taking part in the battle near Woods farm 
 and in other battles and skirmishes. At the 
 close of the war he was honorably dis- 
 charged. 
 
 On the 27th of June, 1864, Mr. Ahlrichs 
 was united in marriage with Miss Saverina 
 Van Hoferi, and to them has been born 
 three children: Augusta, who was born in 
 Germany; Etta; and Frederick, a pattern 
 maker in the railroad shops at Urbana, who 
 married Helena Penwarren, and has two 
 children, Mildred and August. 
 
 In the spring of 1867 Mr. Ahlrichs, ac- 
 companied by his wife and child, came to 
 the United States and on landing in New 
 York proceeded at once to Peoria, Illinois, 
 where he worked at his trade for four years 
 and a half. In September, 1871, he came 
 to Urbana, and entered the service of the 
 
 Indianapolis, Decatur & Western Railroad 
 as a carpenter. On the 24th of January, 
 1872, he took charge of the wood work of 
 the locomotives built in the shops here, and 
 about 1880 took charge of the car depart- 
 ment of the road, with thirty men working 
 under him, but as this is now the principal 
 shop of the Peoria & Eastern Railroad, or 
 the leased line making the Peoria division of 
 the Big Four, he has one hundred men un- 
 der him, building freight, passenger and 
 baggage cars, as well as repairing. He has 
 worked his own way up to this responsible 
 position, and is to-day one of the most 
 trusted employes of the company. Being a 
 man of good business and executive ability 
 he has accumulated considerable property, 
 owning a good deal of real estate in the 
 eastern part of Urbana. He has built three 
 new houses and has purchased and repaired 
 others, so that he now has six houses be- 
 sides his own beautiful home on Lynn street, 
 which was erected by him on lots that were 
 covered with timber when he purchased 
 them. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ahlrichs are both mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church, and he also 
 afBliates with the blue lodge, chapter, com- 
 mandery and Eastern Star of the Masonic 
 fraternity, the Knights of Pythias and the 
 Modern Woodmen of America. He is a 
 stanch supporter of the Democratic party 
 and has served as alderman from the first 
 ward for two terms. He was a prominent 
 and influential member of the council, took 
 an active part in its work, and during his 
 first term the water works were put in, while 
 during his second term considerable street 
 paving was done. He has always taken a 
 deep and commendable interest in public 
 affairs, and has done all in his power to ad- 
 vance the welfare of his adopted city. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 275 
 
 JAMES THORPE. Sound judgment 
 combined with fine ability in mechanical 
 lines has enabled the subject of this biogra- 
 phy, now foreman of the copper shop of the 
 Big Four Railroad of Urbana, Illinois, to 
 attain a substantial success in life, and his 
 history is of especial interest. He was born 
 in Xorfolkshire, England. December 2r, 
 1848, and is a son of John and Rhoda 
 (Love) Thorpe, who spent their entire lives 
 in that country, where the former died about 
 1860, at the age of forty-five years, the lat- 
 ter at the age of about sixty-five years. The 
 father was a locomotive engineer, and 
 both he and his wife -were members of 
 the Episcopal church. In their family were 
 five children, namely: Henry, a machinist 
 of England, though known there as a 
 "fitter;" Martha, wife of George Lloyd, of 
 England; James, our subject; Isaac, a boiler 
 maker of Yorkshire, England; and Susannah, 
 also a resident of that country. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of his native land, and later 
 served a five years apprenticeship to the 
 coppersmith's trade. As soon as his time 
 expired he came to America, landed in New 
 York in the fall of 1868, and he proceeded 
 at once to Chicago, where he worked at his 
 trade for a short time. He next went to 
 Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed in 
 the shops of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw 
 Railroad for two years, and in 1872 came 
 to Urbana, where he has since resided, his 
 present home being at 501 East Main street. 
 He began work in the shops of the I. B. & 
 \V. Railroad, now a part of the Big Four, 
 as foreman of the copper department, and 
 has now filled that responsible position for 
 twenty-eight years to the entire satisfaction 
 of all concerned. 
 
 Mr. Thorpe was married April 4, 1878, 
 
 to Miss Fannie R. Webber, a daughter of 
 G. G. Webber, an old and worthy citizen of 
 Urbana. They have one child, John Charles, 
 who is preparing for a mechanical engineer 
 and will graduate from the Illinois Univer- 
 sity with the class of 1900. The wife and 
 son are members of the Baptist church, 
 while Mr. Thorpe is an Episcopalian in re- 
 ligious faith. He holds membership in 
 Urbana Lodge, No. 157, F. & A. M. ; Ur- 
 bana Chapter, No. 80, R. A. M.; Urbana 
 Council, No. 19, R. & S. M., and Urbana 
 Commandery, No. 16, K. T. , and he has 
 served as high priest of the chapter at two 
 different times. He takes very little in- 
 terest in political affairs, but has most cred- 
 itably and satisfactorily served as alderman 
 from the first ward of Urbana since 1889. 
 As a citizen he ever stands ready to dis- 
 charge any duty devolving upon him, and 
 gives a liberal support to all measures cal- 
 culated to advance the public welfare. 
 
 MARTIN J. FLUCK, chief clerk in the 
 motive power department of the Pe- 
 oria division of the Big Four Railroad at 
 Urbana, Illinois, his home being at No. 
 105 East Clark street, Champaign, lilinois, 
 was born in that city, November 13, 1872, 
 and is a son of Martin M. and Augusta C. 
 (Richter) Fluck, both natives of Germany. 
 In 1852, at the age of seventeen years, the 
 father came to the new world on a sailing ves- 
 sel, it requiring as many weeks at that time 
 to make the voyage as it does days at the 
 present. After working in Chicago for some 
 time, he came to Champaign and entered 
 the service of the Illinois Central Railroad, 
 with which he was connected for many 
 years, being one of the oldest and most 
 trusted employes. He fired the first coal- 
 
276 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 burning engine on the road; was promoted 
 to engineer in the early '6os; and continued 
 to run an engine for several years. Subse- 
 quently he acted as night round house fore- 
 man at Champaign for twelve years, and 
 then took charge of a switch engine which 
 he ran in the yardsj remaining with the Illi- 
 nois Central throughout his entire business 
 career. He was a member of St. Peter's 
 German Evangelical church, and was highly 
 respected by all who knew him. He died 
 February 12, 1898. He was the only one 
 of a large family to come to this country. 
 
 In Champaign, Martin M. Fluck was 
 married to Miss Augusta C. Richter, who 
 came to this country about 1852 with her 
 parents, Frederick and Dorothea Richter, 
 and first located in Texas, but in 1856 came 
 to Champaign, Illinois. Her father died in 
 1872, her mother in 1887. Their other 
 children were Louis, a farmer of Edna, 
 Texas. William, acarpenterof Champaign; 
 and Mrs. Minnie Schermer, of Galveston, 
 Texas. To Mr. and Mrs. Fluck were born 
 seven children, namely: William F., an en- 
 gineer on the Illinois Central Railroad, re- 
 siding in Champaign, married Jennie Miller, 
 and has one child, Nina; Emelia is the wife 
 of F. H. Moore, of Champaign, also an 
 engineer on that road, and they have three 
 children, Martin, Frank and Reuben; Do- 
 retha B., is living at home in Champaign; 
 Martin]., our subject, is next in order of 
 birth; Augusta H., at home, is oil and fuel 
 clerk at the Big Four shops; Emma M., is 
 a modiste residing at home; and Rosa C. is 
 also at home. 
 
 Our subject is indebted to the public 
 schools of Champaign for his educational 
 advantages. He began his business career 
 as clerk in a dry goods store where he re- 
 mained for about four years, and then en- 
 
 tered the office of the Big Four Railroad as 
 shipping and store-room clerk. Later he 
 was oil keeper and then store keeper; and 
 on the ist of January, 1899, was given his 
 present position, which he is now so effici- 
 ently and satisfactorily filling. He is a 
 young man of good business ability, is en- 
 terprising and progressive, and is a worthy 
 and highly esteemed citizen of the commu- 
 nity in which he resides. He is a member 
 of St. Peter's German Evangelical church, 
 and Western Star Lodge, -No. 240, F. & A. 
 M., of Champaign. Illinois, and in politics 
 is independent. 
 
 LOUIS R. BIRELEY, an enterprising 
 agriculturist of Champaign county, is 
 the owner of a fine farm of three hundred 
 and sixty-five acres on sections 27 and 28, 
 Somer township, and his management of 
 the place is marked by the scientific knowl- 
 edge and skill which characterize the mod- 
 ern farmer. 
 
 A native of Maryland, Mr. Bireley was 
 born in 1831, and is of German and English 
 descent. His father, Louis Bireley, was 
 born in Pennsylvania, in 1803, and remained 
 in his native state until about .twenty years 
 of age, when he removed with his parents to 
 Maryland, where as a boot and shoe maker 
 he furnished footwear for the men employed 
 on public works and the canal. He was 
 married in 1824 to Miss Sarah Shank, who 
 was born in Maryland in 1806, and they be- 
 came the parents of eleven children, nine of 
 whom are still living, the others dying in 
 infancy. Those who survive are Philip W., 
 who married Charlotte Rudicill.and lives in 
 Madison county, Ohio; Rebecca, widow of 
 
L. R. BIRELEY. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 2/9 
 
 John Clark, of Clark county, Ohio; Re- 
 becca, who married for her second husband 
 Charles Garwood, and is now a widow, liv- 
 ing in Mahomet, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois; Louis R., our subject; Catherine M. 
 is the widow of William J. Ford and resides 
 in Urbana; Elizabeth is the wife of Martin 
 Lowery, a farmer and stock raiser of Mer- 
 cer county, Ohio; Margaret is the wife of 
 \Yilliam Hardman, a farmer and stock raiser 
 of Clark county, Ohio; Sarah J., who first 
 married Jacob Ellsworth and second Will- 
 iam Rice, a retired farmer and old settler of 
 Danville, Illinois; Eliza, wife of Charles 
 Arbogast, an extensive stock raiser and 
 farmer of Clark county, Ohio; and Henry 
 Clark, who married Susan Rice, and is en- 
 gaged in farming and dealer in agricultural 
 implements in Marion county, Ohio. In 
 1839 the father ot this family moved to 
 Clark county, Ohio, where he first purchased 
 a tract of sixty acres of land, but kept add- 
 ing to it until the homestead contained two 
 hundred acres. There his wife, who was a 
 noble Christian woman, a member of the Ger- 
 man Reformed church, died in 1 874, at theage 
 of sixty-eight years. He survived her thir- 
 teen years, dying on the old homestead in 
 1887, at the age of eighty-four. He, too, 
 was a member of the German Reformed 
 church in early life, but later became a 
 Universalist. In politics he was first a 
 Whig and later a Republican. He was 
 highly respected and esteemed wherever 
 known. 
 
 The subject of this sketch continued to 
 reside with his parents until 1860, when he 
 began farming tor himself, but in 1862, 
 when the dark cloud of war hung so heavily 
 over the nation, he laid aside all personal in- 
 terest and responded to his country's call 
 for aid, enlisting in Company C. One Hun- 
 
 dred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infan- 
 try, and giving three of the best years of his 
 life to the service. The last year he was on 
 detached duty most of the time, and was 
 honorably discharged at Camp Butler, in 
 1865, the war having ended. Returning 
 to his home he once more engaged in farm- 
 ing. 
 
 . In 1868, Mr. Bireley was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Cordelia Marrott, who is the 
 first in order of birth in the family of six 
 children born to Richard and Cassandra 
 (Sim) Marrott. Her maternal grandparents 
 were Joseph W. and Keturah (Mercer) Sim, 
 of English and Scotch descent. Our sub- 
 ject and his wife have five children, namely: 
 Jessie, now the wife of R. C. Green, a 
 farmer and stock dealer of Stanton township, 
 this county; Robert A., who married Gert- 
 rude Watson, and is engaged in farming in 
 Somer township; Ethel, wife of George Mc- 
 Clurg, manager of the electric light plant at 
 Urbana; L. Frank and Cassandra, who are 
 at home with their parents. 
 
 Mr. Bireley came to Piatt county, Illinois, 
 in 1860, and took up his residence; later 
 came to Champaign, locating in Somer 
 township, where he now owns a well-im- 
 proved and highly cultivated farm, as previ- 
 ously stated. As a general farmer and stock 
 raiser he has met with well-deserved success, 
 and is to-day one of the well-to-do and sub- 
 stantial citizens of his community. In pol- 
 itics he is a stanch Republican, and has held 
 the office of school director for several terms. 
 He adheres to the Universalist church and 
 the Grand Army post of Urbana. His loy- 
 alty is above question and has been manifest 
 in days of peace as well as in time of war. 
 Wherever known he is held in high regard, 
 and he has a large circle of friends and 
 acquaintances in Champaign county. 
 
280 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 FH. LLOYDE. Few men are more 
 prominent or more widely known in the 
 enterprising city of Champaign than F. H. 
 Lloyde, the junior member of the firm of 
 D. H. Lloyde & Son. He is an important 
 factor in business circles and his popularity 
 is well deserved, as in him are embraced 
 the characteristics of an unbending integrity, 
 unabated energy and industry that never 
 flags. He is public-spirited and thoroughly 
 interested in whatever tends to promote the 
 moral, intellectual and material welfare of 
 Champaign. 
 
 D. H. Lloyde, father of our subject, was 
 born in Springfield, Massachusetts, June 11, 
 1835, a son of Captain David and Eliza 
 (Seaver) Lloyde, natives of Springfield and 
 Somerset, Massachusetts, respectively. In 
 early life Captain Lloyde engaged in farming, 
 but later turned his attention to contract- 
 ing and building. In 1838 he came to Illi- 
 nois and took up his residence in Clarion 
 township, Bureau county, where he remained 
 until the outbreak of the Civil war. He 
 organized Company K, of the Ninety-third 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was commis- 
 sioned captain, and during the siege of 
 Vicksburg was shot through the heart, May 
 16, 1862. He left a wife and five children 
 to mourn his loss, the family consisting of 
 D. H., father of our subject; Jennie, now 
 Mrs. Lees, of Attica, Kansas; James, a mer- 
 chant and station agent at Milo, Missouri; 
 Lucy, now Mrs. Herrick, of Princeton; and 
 George O. , a contractor and builder, of 
 Bloomington. The mother of this family 
 is still living and makes her home in La 
 Moille, Illinois. Captain Lloyde was always 
 a prominent man in his community, and 
 served as supervisor and justice of the peace 
 for many years. After coming to this state 
 he taught school in La Moille for a number of 
 
 years, and took great interest in educational 
 affairs, locating several schools in Bureau 
 county. He conducted the first hotel in 
 La Moille, at which place the stages then 
 stopped. He also built or assisted in the 
 construction of the court house and many of 
 the leading buildings in and around Prince- 
 ton. 
 
 The father of our subject began his edu- 
 cation in the district schools of Bureau 
 county, and later attended Judson College 
 at La Salle and Bereau College at Jackson- 
 ville, Illinois. . He remained at home until 
 he attained his majority, and then engaged 
 in contracting and building, having inherited 
 his father's ability in the use of tools. Com- 
 ing to Champaign in 1874, he formed a 
 partnership with E. V. Peterson, under the 
 firm name of Peterson & Lloyde, and em- 
 barked in the book, stationery and music 
 business. When the senior member retired 
 from the firm in 1884 our subject became a 
 member of the company, and business has 
 since been conducted under the name of D. 
 H. Lloyde & Son. On the 25th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1857, the father married Miss Ellen 
 P. Angier, a native of Vermont and a 
 daughter of Rev. Aaron and Eliza (Luther) 
 Angier, who came to Illinois in 1855, and 
 settled in La Moille, Bureau county. Her 
 father was a minister of the Baptist church, 
 and both he and his wife are now deceased. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Lloyde were born three 
 children: F. H., our subject; Clarence A., 
 who was graduated from the mechanical 
 department of the University of Illinois, and 
 is now proprietor of the Twin City Electric 
 Company of Champaign; and Clifford L. , 
 who is with the firm of D. H. Lloyde & 
 Son. 
 
 F. H. Lloyde, whose name introduces 
 this review, was born in La Moille, Bureau 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 281 
 
 county, Illinois, December 29, 1857, and 
 acquired his early education in the public 
 schools of Princeton. After completing the 
 high school course in that city, he came to 
 Champaign and entered the University of 
 Illinois, where he pursued the literary and 
 scientific course of four years, graduating 
 in 1878. Although his parents were living 
 here at that time, he returned to Bureau coun- 
 ty, and engaged in teaching school at Wal- 
 nut for one winter. He then entered his 
 father's store in Champaign, and has since 
 been connected with that establishment, 
 serving in a clerical capacity until the firm 
 of Peterson & Lloyde was dissolved in 1884, 
 when Mr. Peterson went west. Our sub- 
 ject then entered into partnership with 
 his father, as previously stated, and has 
 had exclusive charge of the book and 
 stationery departments, while his father 
 has charge of the music. They make a 
 specialty of books, stationary, art mate- 
 rials, etc., needed at the University, the 
 store being established for that purpose in 
 1867. It is the only exclusive bookstore in 
 the county, and has agents through several 
 adjoining counties, catering especially to the 
 teachers' trade. Recently a photographic 
 department has been added and the firm 
 now carry cameras and all needed supplies 
 for photographic art, and also have a dark 
 room for the free use of amateurs. They 
 have built up an excellent trade along va- 
 rious lines and well merit the success they 
 have achieved. 
 
 On the 5th of June, 1879, Mr - Lloyde 
 was united in marriage with Miss Frances 
 Core, a native of Illinois; and a daughter of 
 H. C. Core, who was a prominent business 
 man of Champaign for many years. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lloyde are active and prom- 
 inent members of the Baptist church, in 
 
 which he is serving as deacon, and has been 
 a teacher in the Sunday school for many 
 years. He was also organist for about ten 
 years, and has led the singing many years 
 in the Sunday school. He and his wife at- 
 tended the Endeavor National Conventions 
 at Boston, Cleveland and Minneapolis, and 
 they have not only traveled extensively over 
 the United States, but spent six months 
 abroad, visiting Egypt and the Holy Land, 
 Turkey and other parts of Europe. Social- 
 ly Mr. Lloyde is a member of Langley Camp, 
 Sons of Veterans; the Modern Woodmen of 
 America; and the Court of Honor. He has 
 served six years on the Public Library Board. 
 He is treasurer of the building committee of 
 the Y. M. C. A. of the University of Illi- 
 nois. His political support is given the 
 Prohibition party, and he has been a mem- 
 ber of the county central committee forseven 
 years, serving as chairman and secretary of 
 the committee for several years each. On 
 a strictly Prohibition ticket he was elected 
 to the city council in 1897 by a majority of 
 fifty in a ward that was four to one in favor 
 of the Republican party, which fact plainly 
 indicates his personal popularity and the 
 confidence and trust reposed in him by his 
 fellow citizens. He has been the candidate 
 of his party for many different offices, but 
 as the city has an overwhelming Republican 
 majority he has been defeated. He posses- 
 ses that culture which only travel can bring, 
 is an entertaining conversationalist, and is 
 highly respected and esteemed by all who 
 know him on account of his sterling worth 
 and strict integrity. 
 
 OAMUEL E. WINCHESTER. Among 
 O the brave men who devoted the open- 
 ing years of their manhood to the defense 
 
282 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of the country from the internal foes who 
 sought her dismemberment, was Mr. Win- 
 chester, a prominent resident of Somer 
 township, Campaign county, Illinois, who 
 owns and operates a good farm of eighty 
 acres on section I. 
 
 He was born in Madison county, New 
 York; May 20, 1840, and is of English and 
 German descent. His parents were John E. 
 and Janette (Dutcher-) Winchester, also na- 
 tives of New York, the former born March 
 19, 1816, the latter December 10, 1812. 
 They were married in Lebanon, New York, 
 July 3, 1835, and had five children, of whom 
 our subject is the oldest. Polly Jane, born 
 January 25, 1842, is now the widow of Will- 
 iam Wilcox, and resides in Aurora, Kane 
 county, Illinois. Ruby Ann, born April 8, 
 1845, married first Albert A. Logan, and 
 after his death married Isaiah Wilcox, and 
 is also a resident of Aurora. Sarah M., 
 born September 4, 1847, married first Henry 
 Ives, and second John W. Brownfield, a 
 farmer of Sorner township, this county. 
 George W., born October 22, 1848, married 
 Hattie Smith, and is a traveling salesman 
 residing in Urbana. In June, 1860, the 
 father with his family removed from New 
 York to Kaneville, Kane county, Illinois, 
 where he purchased land and engaged in 
 farming until 1868, when he came to Cham- 
 paign county and bought a farm in Rantoul 
 township, continuing to engage in agricul- 
 tural pursuits here until called to his final 
 rest August 9, 1898, at the ripe old age of 
 eighty-three years. He was a Republican in 
 politics. In early life he was a member of 
 the Baptist church, but after coming to Illi- 
 nois, he united with the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and was a consistent member 
 of the same until his death. His widow is 
 still living and now makes her home with her 
 
 son George W. (married Harriet Smith, who 
 died January 7, 1900), and Mrs. Ann Wil- 
 cox, in Aurora, 111. 
 
 The subject of this sketch remained un- 
 der the parental roof until after the Civil 
 war 'broke out. In 1861, he joined the 
 boys in blue of Company G, Fifty-second 
 Illinois Volunteer infantry and participated 
 in twenty-one battles and skirmishes, but 
 fortunately was never wounded. He was in 
 the battles of Fort Donelson and Shilo un- 
 der General Sweeney, and later went with 
 General Sherman, on his celebrated march 
 to the sea. When the army arrived at Sa- 
 vannah, Georgia, he was honorably dis- 
 charged, as his term of enlistment had ex- 
 pired, and he returned home January 5, 
 1865, with a war record of which he may 
 feel justly proud. 
 
 Mr. Winchester was married in 1868, to 
 Miss Mary E. Loveland, of Kane county, 
 Illinois, who died April 15, 1870, and Alice, 
 the only child born to them, died in infancy. 
 On April 27, 1872, he married her sister, 
 Miss Alice J. Loveland, a daughter of Eure- 
 tus and Erneline (Manning) Loveland, of 
 Kane county, and by this union has been 
 born five children, namely: Ida M. is the 
 wife of Wilber Alexander, of Thomasboro, 
 Illinois, and they have three children, Lee 
 W. , Edith May and Roy Wilber; Ernest 
 Arthur, a farmer of Stanton township, this 
 county, married Rosella James, and has one 
 daughter, Bessie Frances; Albert E., is 
 a farmer residing with his brother Ernest 
 E., in Stanton township; Elva, Erne and 
 Benjamin are all at home with their parents, 
 attending school. 
 
 For several years Mr. Winchester en- 
 gaged in farming in Kane county, and was 
 also employed nineyears on public works. In 
 1883 he removed to Somer township, Cham- 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 283 
 
 paign county, where he purchased a farm, 
 and has since successfully engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits. He has placed his land 
 under a high state of cultivation and made 
 a number of excellent improvements thereon 
 which stand as monuments to his thrift and 
 enterprise, He is an honored member of 
 Black Eagle Post, No. 129, G. A. R., of 
 Urbana, and is unswerving in his allegiance 
 to the Republican party. In religious belief 
 he with his wife are Baptists. 
 
 RICHARD WHITESIDE BRAITH- 
 \VAITE, the leading veterinary sur- 
 geon of Champaign, was born near Black- 
 pool, Lancashire, England, January 24, 
 1853, a son of John and Alice (Whiteside) 
 Braithwaite. The father, a well-to-do 
 farmer and stock raise by occupation, was 
 born in the same place, the ancestral home 
 being Mythop Hall, which has been in the 
 farr.ily for many years. Both he and the 
 grandfather, John Braithwaite, Sr. , took an 
 active part in political affairs, and the fam- 
 ily was one of the best known and most 
 prominent in that locality. The paternal 
 grandfather of our subject was Richard 
 Whiteside of Westby Hall, 'Lancashire, also 
 a landed estate, and on his death he left 
 each one of his family, three sons and two 
 daughters, a separate estate. Our subject's 
 father died in the summer of 1876, his 
 mother, October 19,1899. Both were mem- 
 bers of the Episcopal church. 
 
 During his boyhood Richard W. Braith- 
 waite was educated at Weeton common 
 school, Kirkham grammar school, and Black- 
 pool agricultural college, fitting himself for 
 a farmer. While a youth on the farm he 
 became a noted prize ploughman, winning 
 
 five firsts in the youth's class, and sixteen 
 firsts in the men's class, beating the cham- 
 pion of England, James Barker, three 
 times, and afterwards officiated as judge in 
 all parts of the country. He, later, turned 
 his attention to veterinary surgery and 
 served an apprenticeship with a government 
 veterinarian in Pulton le Fylde. Subse- 
 quently, while pursuing a course in veterin- 
 ary medicine in London, his father was in- 
 stantly killed by a runaway, and he was 
 called home to take charge of the farm, be- 
 ing the second son of eighteen children, re- 
 maing there until coming to the United 
 States in 1881. He came to this country 
 with an importation of horses for the Mel- 
 bourne stock farm in Washington, Tazewell 
 county, Illinois, owned by A. G. Danforth, 
 and was engaged to take charge of Melbourne 
 stock farm., and the veterinary work thereon 
 for one year, during Mr. Baylor's absence 
 while in Europe importing horses, his 
 younger brother beingold enough at that time 
 to assume the responsibilities of the home 
 farm. He then went with L. S. Ruppert, 
 brother-in-law of A. G. Danforth, to Bloom- 
 ington, to take charge of his city breeding 
 establishment in connection with Daseianna 
 stock farm, where he remained four years. 
 For the same length of time he also had 
 charge of the Ferre stock farm in Normal, 
 which he carried on in connection with the 
 practice of his profession, having built up a 
 good practice with Dr. Scott Brothers. In the 
 spring of 1891 he passed his veterinary ex- 
 aminations and came to Champaign with 
 Mr. Booker and took charge of his stables, 
 at the same time engaging in the practice of 
 veterinary surgery. In 1893 he established a 
 Veterinary Hospital. In 1 894 he bought out 
 Mr. Booker, and formed a partnership with 
 J. W. Cleveland, under the firm name of 
 
284 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Braithwaite & Cleveland, which connection 
 still exists. He had established a veterinary 
 hospital in 1893, the first in Champaign, 
 and fitted it up with all the conveniences 
 for the treatment of diseases and for surgical 
 operations. The firm also have a breeding 
 stable. Mr. Braithwaite has built up an 
 excellent city practice, and receiving long 
 distance calls from Rantoul to Arcola and 
 Ogden to Bloomington, and is without 
 doubt one of the most able and skillful, as 
 well as successful veterinary surgeons in 
 this section. He has been quite a promt - 
 ment member of the Illinois Veterinary 
 Medical & Surgical Association since 1891, 
 and has frequently been called upon to read 
 papers before its conventions, and is still an 
 energetic student.* 
 
 On the 1 8th of February, 1891, Mr. 
 Braithwaite was united in marriage with 
 Miss Rebecca Cope, of Le Roy, who was 
 born and reared at that place, and is 
 the youngest daughter in a family of six 
 children. Her father was Charles Cope, 
 one of the pioneers and wealthy men 
 of Le Roy township, where he owned a 
 fine farm of six hundred and forty 
 acres. Two children were born to our sub- 
 ject and his .wife, namely: John Earl, de- 
 ceased; and Lyle David. The family have 
 a pleasant home at No. 205 West Washing- 
 ton -street, erected by Mr. Braithwaite in 
 1897. Both he and his wife hold member- 
 ship in the Christian church, and he also be- 
 longs to the Improved Order of Red Men, 
 the Modern Woodmen of America, and the 
 American Home Circle. 
 
 JAMES P. BLUE, the well-known fore- 
 man of the car department of the Big 
 Four Railroad at Urbana, Illinois, has for 
 
 almost a third of a century been a faithful 
 and trusted employe of that company and 
 has worked his way upward from a humble 
 position to one of great responsibility. His 
 career has been characterized by industry, 
 honesty and strict fidelity to duty, and due 
 success has not been denied him. 
 
 Mr. Blue was born in Hampshire county, 
 Virginia, July 15, 1845, a son f James N. 
 and Sophia (Laramore) Blue, also natives 
 of that county. The father followed the 
 occupation of farming throughout his active 
 business life. In 1851 Ue left the Old Do- 
 minion, and after spending about three 
 years in Licking and Knox counties, Ohio, 
 he came to Illinois in 1855, and settled in 
 Mahomet township, this county, where he 
 bought an improved farm. Later he re- 
 moved to Newcomb township, but finally 
 sold his property there and purchased a farm 
 of twenty acres two and a half miles north 
 of Urbana. In this county he continued to 
 engage in farming and stock raising for 
 many years, but spent the last six years 
 with his daughter in Kansas, where he died 
 April 5, 1890, at the age of seventy-three 
 years. His wife died two years later at the 
 age of sixty-seven. They were members 
 of the Baptist church at Mahomet, and were 
 known all over the county and most highly 
 respected. At different times the father 
 served his fellow-citizens as collector, asses- 
 sor and constable. 
 
 The children of this worthy couple were 
 Thomas F. , who married Elizabeth Ater, 
 and is now clerking in a grocery at Urbana; 
 John W., who married Sarah Jane Means, 
 and follows farming in Mahomet township; 
 Hannah, who married John F. Sims, and 
 died in Kansas in 1897, aged fifty-four 
 years; James P., our subject; Susan, who 
 married F. Lewis, and died at the age of 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 285 
 
 forty-two years; Peter N., who married 
 Winnie Schibler, and is car inspector in Ur- 
 bana; Mary C., wife of John Wingler, who 
 is in the brick business in Urbana; Louisa, 
 who married John Gear, and died at the age 
 of twenty-four years; and Alice, second wife 
 of John Gear. 
 
 Reared upon the home farm, James P. 
 Blue engaged in agricultural pursuits until 
 he attained his majority, and then turned 
 his attention to railroading, entering the em- 
 ploy of the Big Four Railroad Company 
 November I, 1869, as a workman in the car 
 repairing department. Later he was car in- 
 spector, and was engaged in repairing cars 
 for some years. For fifteen years he was 
 foreman of the wrecking crew, and for the 
 past ten years has capably filled his present 
 responsible position. He has never been 
 discharged nor laid off for any reason, and 
 is to-day about the only one in his depart- 
 ment who was there when he entered it. 
 
 Mr. Blue was married, January 10, 
 1867, to Miss Sarah J. Ater, a daughter of 
 John and Sarah (Davis) Ater, natives of 
 Pennsylvania and Kentucky, respectively, 
 but the latter was reared in Pickaway coun- 
 ty, Ohio. Her father, wlio was a farmer by 
 occupation, died in 1893, at the age of sev- 
 enty-three years, but the mother is still liv- 
 ing at the age of seventy-six. She is an 
 earnest and consistent member of the Bap- 
 tist church. In their family were thirteen 
 children, namely: Rebecca M., wife of Will- 
 iam H. Dickerson, of Urbana; Zacariah, 
 who was killed in the battle of Kenesaw 
 Mountain, during the Civil war, at the age 
 of twenty-four years; Abram, who married 
 Cynthia Lane, and lives in Urbana; Elizabeth 
 wife of T. F. Blue, of Urbana, Sarah J., 
 wife of our subject; Anna, wife of Benja- 
 min Stucky, of Fisher, Illinois; Mary A., 
 
 wife of John Gibson, of Iowa; John E., who 
 married Emma Cunningham and lives in 
 Urbana; Missouri, wife of John McAllister, 
 of Norfolk, Kansas; Laura, wife of Henry 
 Lyons, of Iowa: Ida, wife of Frank Stone, 
 of the same state; Amelia C. , wife of B. F. 
 McFarland, of Iowa, and Eddie, who is liv- 
 ing with his mother in that state. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Blue have one child, Nora 
 Edith, wife of E. R. Wright, a painter in 
 the employ of the Big Four railroad at Ur- 
 bana, by whom she has two children, Har- 
 old R. and Thearl J. Living with our sub- 
 ject and his wife is her nephew, Royal Blue, 
 a bright boy, who is a pupil in the third 
 grade of the public schools of Urbana. 
 
 As a public-spirited and progressive citi- 
 zen, Mr. Blue takes deep interest in public 
 affairs, and most efficiently served as alder- 
 man from 1896 to 1898. Fraternally he is 
 a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, and is one of the managers of the 
 camp at Urbana. He and his wife are ac- 
 tive members of the Baptist church, in 
 which he has served as deacon for eighteen 
 years, superintendent of the Sunday school, 
 and is also a member of the finance com- 
 mittee. They have a nice cozy home at 
 No 307 North Race street, and areskilled in 
 the art of making a place homelike and at- 
 tractive to their many friends. Here hap- 
 piness and good cheer abound, and hospi- 
 tality reigns supreme. 
 
 EORGE C. PETTENGER. For thirty 
 V-I years this well known citizen of Ur- 
 bana has been engaged in railroading, and 
 few stand higher in the esteem of the officials 
 and employes of the Big Four Railroad. 
 He is one of those men, too few, alas! who 
 
286 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 take a genuine interest in their special occu- 
 pation and earnestly strive to perform every 
 duty devolving upon them, realizing^ to the 
 uttermost, the responsibility which rests 
 upon them, and giving only a secondary 
 thought to the livelihood so justly earned. 
 Rarely does the traveler give a thought to 
 the man who, like the pilot of a great steam- 
 ship, guides and guards the precious lives 
 entrusted to his care, into the safe haven 
 whither they are destined, and who, by a 
 minute of carelessness or a rash movement, 
 might hurl hundreds of his fellows to an 
 awful death. To the one who loyally and 
 bravely stands at his post, though the temp- 
 ests rage and lightnings flash, and who, as so 
 often happens, valiantly goes to a hero's 
 grave in the hope of saving his helpless pas- 
 sengers, let us render the homage of grate- 
 ful hearts, at least. 
 
 George C. Pettenger was reared in the 
 atmosphere of a good Christian home, and 
 his aged parents, Morris and Lucinda (Con- 
 over) Pettenger, are still living, though well 
 along in the '703. They have been life-long 
 residents of Hunterdon county, New Jersey, 
 and, during their active years, were occupied 
 in agricultural pursuits. They are passing 
 their declining years in the village of Ham- 
 den, not far from their old homestead. 
 They have long been faithful members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. Their young- 
 est child, Margaret, died at the age of twelve 
 years, and all of their other children survive. 
 Mary, the eldest, is the wife of John H. 
 Bartow, an engineer on the New York, 
 Susquehanna and Western Railroad, his 
 home being in Paterson, New Jersey. Will- 
 iam W., the eldest son, lives in Somerville, 
 New Jersey, and Samuel was for several 
 years employed in the yards of the Delaware, 
 Lackawanna & Western Railroad, at Scran- 
 
 ton, Pennsylvania. Frances is the wife of 
 Andrew Scott, a farmer of Clinton, New 
 Jersey; Emma is the wife of Lewis Rupel, a 
 retired capitalist of Chicago; and Rachael, 
 Mrs. George Platner, resides in Englewood, 
 Illinois. Joseph is general foreman of the 
 Western Union Telegraph Company, at San 
 Francisco. 
 
 The birth of George C. Pettenger took 
 place at Hamden, New Jersey, September 
 5, 1850. He loyally gave his services to 
 his parents in the general work of the farm 
 until he was twenty years of age, when he 
 decided to start upon his independent career. 
 Going to Scranton he took a position as 
 brakesman on the Delaware, Lackawanna 
 & Western Railroad, and at the end of a 
 year was promoted to the place of fireman. 
 Even at that late day, 1871, the engines in 
 use there burned wood for fuel, even though 
 they were employed in drawing coal to 
 various points, and the train on which 
 young Pettenger was acting as fireman car- 
 ried coal to the canal boats at Port Wash- 
 ington, New Jersey. At the end of six / 
 months, however, he was transferred to the 
 northern division of the road, during the 
 construction of the double track between 
 Scranton and Great Bend, Pennsylvania, 
 where he spent another six months. Sub- 
 sequently, he was given charge of a switch 
 engine in the Scranton yards, and in a short 
 time became engineer on the Riser Valley 
 branch, hauling coal from the mines. A 
 year or so later, he took charge of a train 
 on the main line from Great Bend to Syra- 
 cuse, New York, a distance of eighty miles. 
 In the fall of 1880 he entered the employ of 
 the New York Central, and ran a train from 
 Buffalo ajid Niagara Falls to Syracuse, one 
 hundred and fifty miles. 
 
 In October, i88'i, Mr. Pettenger con- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 287 
 
 eluded to come further west, where he be- 
 lieved that the growing importance of rail- 
 roading would give him better opportunities. 
 After visiting a sister in Chicago, he had no 
 difficulty in obtaining the favorable consid- 
 eration of the local railroad people, and ac- 
 cepted a position proffered him by Edward 
 Hiserodt, master mechanic of the I. B. & 
 W. Railroad, and on the i 5th of November, 
 1 88 1, took a train over the road to Craw- 
 fordsville, Indiana, his first trip on that line. 
 Since that time he has never been idle save 
 when he took a short vacation; and he is 
 generally conceded to be one of the most 
 efficient and careful engineers on the road. 
 Since 1891 he has had a specially desira- 
 ble and short run, trains No. 2 and 3, leav- 
 ing Urbana at 6:34 A. M., and arriving in 
 Indianapolis at 10:35;. leaving that city at 
 4:25 P. M., and reaching this place at 9:38. 
 During his- whole railroad career he has 
 been unusually fortunate in never having an 
 accident of any importance. 
 
 In the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- 
 gineers Mr. Pettenger has been prominent 
 for a score of years. During the two years 
 just ended, he has been chief of the local 
 division, No. 193, and in 1898 was sent as a 
 delegate to the Third Biennial Convention 
 of the Brotherhood, at St. Louis, while in 
 August, 1899, he was similarly honored by 
 being chosen as delegate from the Urbana 
 division to the general board of adjustment of 
 the Big Four system, which convened at In- 
 dianapolis. He was re-elected to represent 
 Division 143 at the Board of Locomotive 
 Engineers' Convention at Milwaukee in 
 May, 1900. Moreover, Mr. Pettenger is a 
 Mason of the thirty-second degree, belong- 
 ing to* Urbana Lodge, No. 157; Urbana 
 Chapter, No. So; Urbana Cotnmandery, 
 No. 16; the Consistory at Indianapolis; 
 
 15 
 
 and the Ancient Arabic Order of the 
 Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also of the 
 Indiana capital. In his political views, he 
 is a thorough-going Republican. With all 
 who have the pleasure of his acquaintance 
 he is deservedly popular, and all along his 
 "run" the passing of his train is looked for- 
 ward to by many, who enjoy a sight of his 
 honest, good-natured face. 
 
 Only nine years ago did Mr. Pettenger 
 establish a home and on January 26, i89i r 
 he married at Indianapolis, Miss Jessie Jack- 
 son, daughter of O. H. and Alice (Hoag- 
 land) Jackson. The father was employed 
 as master mechanic of the Big Four system 
 in the city mentioned, for a number of 
 years. The only child of our subject and 
 wife is Charles Jackson, born December 11, 
 1892. Four years ago, Mr. Pettenger erect- 
 ed his pretty modern residence, and here he 
 is surrounded with the accessories of a model 
 home. 
 
 TEETER KLEIN. No foreign element 
 1 has become a more important part' of 
 our American citizenship than that furnished 
 by Germany. The emigrants from that 
 land have brought with them to the new 
 world the stability, enterprise and persever- 
 ance characteristic of their people and have 
 fused these qualities with the progressive- 
 ness and indomitable spirit of the west. Mr. 
 Klein, who is now practically living a re- 
 tired life upon a small farm near Champaign, 
 Illinois, is a worthy representative of this 
 class. 
 
 He was born in the Rhine Province, 
 Germany, February 6, 1836, a son of Will- 
 iam and Katie (Wasserhess) Klein, also na- 
 tives of that province. They were good, 
 honest, industrious farming people, who led 
 
288 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 rather uneventful lives, and never left their 
 native land. Religiously they were mem- 
 bers of the German Catholic church. The 
 mother died when our subject was only four 
 years old, leaving four children. The old- 
 est of these is Joseph, who married a Miss 
 Hensyleer, and still lives in Germany. Our 
 subject is next in order of birth. Frederick 
 came to the United States in 1867, and was 
 engaged in farming with our subject in this 
 county, where he died in 1879, at the age 
 of forty-two years. He was unmarried. 
 Anna Magdalena came with Frederick to 
 this county and later married Peter Youn- 
 gerfeldt, but she died in 1869, at the age of 
 thirty-two years. Her husband departed 
 his life in 1899. Peter Youngerfeldt was 
 a second time married and had several 
 children by that union. He died at the age 
 of sixty-five years. 
 
 Peter Klein was reared and educated in 
 his native land, and served for three years 
 in the German army, from 1857 to 1860, 
 but did not take part in any war. His father 
 was also in the service for three years prior 
 to his marriage. In 1866 our subject emi- 
 grated to America and first located in Terre 
 Haute, Indiana, where he worked for one 
 year, but not liking the place, he then went 
 to La Salle county, Illinois, and worked 
 there as a farm hand for a year. 
 
 In May, 1868, Mr. Klein came to this 
 county, formed a partnership with his 
 brother-in-law, Peter Youngerfeldt, and com- 
 menced farming in Colfax township, where 
 they purchased two hundred acres of land 
 and operated it together for two years. 
 Our subject then formed a partnership with 
 his brother Frederick and continued, his 
 farming operations until the latter's death 
 in 1879. In December, 1874, Mr. Klein 
 returned to his old home in the Rhine 
 
 Province, Germany, where a few months 
 were very happily passed with old friends 
 and relatives. 
 
 In 1875 he again came to the United 
 States, and was accompanied on the voyage 
 by Miss Katie Schumacher, a native of the 
 same place, and a daughter of Arnold and 
 Agnes (Wollan) Schumacher, both of whom 
 died in Germany, the former at the age of 
 sixty years, the latter at the age of forty- 
 one. On reaching America Mr. Klein and 
 Miss Schumaker were married. Of the 
 eleven children born of this union four died 
 in infancy. Joseph, the eldest, is a gradu- 
 ate of the Business College in Champaign, 
 and now has charge of his father's farm in 
 Colfax township. Agnes and Carl are on 
 the farm with Joseph, while William, Frede- 
 rick, Annie and Frances, are all at home, 
 and attending school in Champaign. 
 
 To the cultivation and improvement of 
 his farm in Colfax township, Mr. Klein de- 
 voted his energies for many years, trans- 
 forming the wild prairie land into one of the 
 best and most highly cultivated farms of the 
 township. He also extended its boundaries 
 until they now include three hundred and 
 forty acres of land. Besides this valuable 
 land he owns a farm of seventy-five acres 
 near Mahomet, and ten acres in Champaign 
 City, upon which he now. resides. In 1890 
 he retired from active farm labor and re- 
 moved to his present comfortable home in 
 the suburbs of Champaign, where he ex- 
 pects to spend his declining years, enjoying 
 a well-earned rest. He has never taken a 
 very active part in politics, but served as 
 school director for many years while living 
 in Colfax township. He and his family are 
 members of the German Catholic church, 
 and are highly respected by all who know 
 them. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 289 
 
 MARK CARLEY. The city of Cham- 
 paign largely stands as a monument 
 to the enterprising industry and progressive 
 spirit of Mark Carley, who built the first 
 residence on the town site, and established 
 many of its pioneer business interests. He 
 was a man of distinctive and forceful in- 
 dividuality, of broad mentality and most 
 mature judgment, and he left his impress 
 upon Champaign in a manner which con- 
 tributed to its material advancement and 
 substantial improvement. His indefatigable 
 enterprise and fertility of resource enabled 
 him to conquer all the obstacles and diffi- 
 culties in his path and to press steadily for- 
 ward toward the goal of his ambitions and his 
 labors. No compendium such as the province 
 of this work defines in its essential limita- 
 tions will serve to offer fit memorial to the 
 life and accomplishments of the honored 
 subject of this sketch, and yet the bio- 
 grapher would desire to pay tribute to one 
 whose life work was so closely interwoven 
 with the history of Champaign county. 
 
 Mr. Carley was born in the town of 
 Hancock, in Hillsboro county, New Hamp- 
 shire, August 24, 1798. His native county 
 was also the birthplace of Horace Greeley, 
 whom he resembled in many respects. Lit- 
 tle is known concerning the ancestral history 
 of the family, save that his paternal grand- 
 parents were natives of Massachusetts and 
 were of English extraction. Joseph Carley, 
 the grandfather, was born February 17, 
 1 718, and married Sally Washburn, who was 
 born September 1 , 1 729, and belonged to the 
 prominent Washburn family that has fur- 
 nished so many prominent men to the 
 nation. Elijah Carley, the father of our sub- 
 ject, was the youngest of their children, and 
 was born in Massachusetts, May 21, 1771. 
 He wedded Agnes Graham, who was born 
 
 in New Hampshire, July 18, 1772. Some 
 of his brothers were soldiers in the Revo- 
 lutionary war, and one of them, Jonathan 
 Carley, left a soldier's discharge which was 
 signed by the hand of Washington, and is 
 now carefully cherished among valuable 
 family papers. Elijah Carley was too 
 young to serve in the war for independence, 
 but he and one of his brothers served in the 
 war of 1812, first with the dragoons and 
 afterward with the heavy artillery. Mrs. 
 Kincaid, daughter of Mark Carley, now has 
 in her possession parts of the uniform worn 
 by her grandfather in the service. In 1810 
 Elijah Carley removed from New Hamp- 
 shire to Vermont, his son Elijah remaining 
 at home until 1816. The year previous he 
 entered upon an apprenticeship to the house 
 carpenter's and millwright's trades. His 
 educational advantages were quite limited, 
 but reading, extended experience, observa- 
 tion and travel later made him a man of 
 exceptional information. When he was 
 about twenty years of age, the spirit of self- 
 reliance, which served him so well in after 
 life, began to manifest itself, and he re- 
 solved to see more of the world. Accord- 
 ingly, in 1819, he went to New Brunswick, 
 and after a few months concluded to go to 
 New Orleans. On the ist 'of January, 1820, 
 he sailed from the mouth of the Penobscott 
 river for the Crescent city. When off Cape 
 Hatteras the bow sprit of the vessel was 
 carried away in a gale and the ship sprung 
 a leak, but after pumping for twelve days 
 and nights the vessel reached Savannah, 
 where it put into port for repairs. Mr. 
 Carley then embarked for Havana. Cuba, 
 and after spending a few days in that city 
 sailed for New Orleans, where he arrived 
 April 24, 1820. On reaching the mouth of 
 the Mississippi on his voyage from Havana 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 he had a narrow escape from drowning. 
 The vessel grounded on a sand bar and the 
 mate, Mr. Carley and three others got into 
 a small boat which was capsized, the mate 
 being drowned. Mr. Carley was saved by 
 clinging to the boat and getting astride of it. 
 It floated four miles before he was taken off, 
 but at length he arrived at New Orleans. 
 
 After a short time spent in the city Mr. 
 Carley went to LaFourche, where he began 
 work for a dollar per day and board, build- 
 ing mills and cotton gins. He there spent 
 three summers, passing the winters in New 
 Orleans. In 1823 he went to the parish of 
 Eelicrans, where he remained until 1837. 
 He found both the climate and people 
 agreeable and remained in the south for 
 seventeen years, during which time he made 
 two visits to Ohio and Vermont. During 
 one of those, on the 7th of April, 1830, he 
 was married to Miss Abigail W. Stevens, 
 daughter of S. Stevens, of Springfield, Ver- 
 mont, and locating his family in Clermont 
 county, Ohio, he returned to Louisiana in 
 order to accumulate something for his future. 
 In 1837 he joined his wife in Ohio, where he 
 remained until 1853, engaged in farming 
 and taking wood by boat down the Ohio 
 river Jto Cincinnati. 
 
 In 1850 Mr. Carley went by way of the 
 Panama route to California, and during the 
 passage from New Orleans to Chagres, 
 owing to adverse winds, the vessel stopped 
 at Grand Island in the Carribean sea, which 
 he found inhabited by the descendants of 
 old buccaneers, with an English resident 
 governor. From Panama the vessel sailed 
 for Cocos Island in order to obtain water, 
 and while there Mr. Carley saw chiseled in 
 the rock the names of three small vessels 
 commanded by Captain Cook on his first 
 voyage around the world, together with the 
 
 date of his landing. Not long after Mr. 
 Carley 's arrival in the Golden state it be- 
 came evident that he had won the confi- 
 dence of the miners, for he was chosen by 
 them to act as one of the judges of 
 the mining regions, a most delicate and 
 responsible position, requiring prudence, 
 judgment and discrimination, for no law 
 was in force and the judge held in his hands 
 the lives and property of the people. 
 
 In the fall of 1851 Mr. Carley returned 
 to. Ohio, where he remained until 1853, the 
 date of his arrival in Champaign county. 
 He located in Urbana, but the next year 
 came to what is now the city of Champaign, 
 although the site was then a raw prairie 
 dotted with only a very few farm houses. 
 He came here at the solicitation of the Illi- 
 nois Central Railroad company, which 
 offered him eight building lots if he would 
 erect a home on the town site. Accord- 
 ingly he built a brick residence at what is 
 now the corner of State and Washington 
 streets, the first house in the town, although 
 another family had lived in a small car 
 which they had moved here prior to the date 
 of his arrival. His home was afterward re- 
 moved to Randolph street, where it still 
 stands. He also erected the first grain 
 warehouse in Champaign, and put in the 
 first steam engine to operate a corn sheller 
 and elevator. This was burned in the fire 
 of August 24, 1872, after which he replaced 
 the plant with a brick warehouse which is 
 still standing at the junction of Main street 
 with the Illinois Central Railroad tracks. 
 He also built a large brick stable on Markey 
 street in 1874. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Carley were born 
 eleven children, but only three are now liv- 
 ing: Mrs. Mary W. Kincaid, one of the 
 highly esteemed ladies of Champaign; Gra- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 291 
 
 ham; and Isolta, wife of W. H. Mahan, of 
 Chicago. On the I2th of November, 1871, 
 the mother died. She was one of the es- 
 teemed pioneer ladies of the county, held in 
 high regard for many excellences of char- 
 acter, and her death was widely mourned. 
 Through the legitimate channels of busi- 
 ness. Mr. Carley had become the possessor 
 of considerable means, and was enabled to 
 surround his family with all the comforts 
 and many of the luxuries of life. Nothing 
 afforded him greater happiness than to 
 minister to them, and it seemed that he 
 could not do too much to enhance their wel- 
 fare. He was truly domestic in his tastes 
 and found his greatest joy when at his own 
 fireside with his wife and children. He pro- 
 vided his children with excellent educational 
 privileges and several times went with his 
 family to Europe that they might enjoy the 
 privileges and pleasures which only travel 
 can bring. His name was honored in all 
 classes of society, for his life was ever 
 upright, just, loyal and true. He was a 
 man of strong intellectuality, broad human 
 sympathies and tolerance, and imbued with 
 fine sensibilities and clearly defined princi- 
 ples. Honor and integrity were synony- 
 mous with his name, and he enjoyed the 
 confidence and respect of all who knew him. 
 
 M 
 
 "OSES DEERE, deceased. Wherever 
 there is pioneer work to be done men 
 of energy and ability are required, and suc- 
 cess or failure depends upon the degree of 
 those qualities that is possessed. In wrest- 
 ing the land of Champaign county from its 
 native wilderness; in fitting it for the habi- 
 tation of men; in developing the natural re- 
 sources of the community in which they 
 
 live, few if any have contributed more 
 largely than Mr. Deere, and it is mete 
 . and proper that for the arduous and import- 
 ant labor he has performed he, should re- 
 ceive due reward. 
 
 Mr. Deere was born in Shelby county, 
 Kentucky, January 17, 1826, and was the 
 third child and eldest son of Larkin and 
 Elizabeth (Constantine) Deere. The father 
 was born in Virginia, where he followed 
 farming for a time, but when a young man 
 went to Kentucky, where he met and mar- 
 ried the mother of our subject, who was a 
 native of that state. To them were born 
 ten children, four sons and six daughters, of 
 whom two died in infancy. Those who 
 reached years of maturity were Jane, who 
 married M. Davis, of Vermilion county, Illi- 
 nois, and both are now deceased; Frances, 
 wife of Jackson Yount, who was engaged in 
 farming in Champaign county for a number 
 of years, and then removed to Washington, 
 where both died ; Moses, our subject; 
 Thomas, who served for three years as a 
 soldier of the Civil war and is now engaged 
 in farming near Carthage, Missouri; Mar- 
 tha, who married Samuel Reisinger, and 
 both died in Sidney township, this county; 
 Wesley, a prosperous farmer living near 
 Neodesha, Kansas; Harriet, who married 
 William Black, and both died in Sidney 
 township, this county; and Amanda, who 
 married Joseph Black, and both are also de- 
 ceased. 
 
 In 1830 Larkin Deere, with his family, 
 removed from Kentucky to this county, and 
 stopped first at Linn Grove, though their 
 destination was several miles farther north, 
 at Big Grove. After spending three weeks 
 at Linn Grove, he with the assistance of the 
 few settlers living at Big Grove, built a log 
 cabin at the latter place, about a mile and 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 a half south of where Urbana is now lo- 
 cated, and there the family began life in true 
 pioneer style, encountering the usual trials 
 and difficulties of such an existence. There 
 were but very few cabins scattered through- 
 out the county at that time, and no other 
 improvements of any kind, the country be-' 
 ing an unbroken prairie. For a few years 
 wild game furnished about the only meat for 
 our pioneer family, and they lived on this 
 and what produce they could raise. All 
 trading was done in Chicago, which was then 
 ^ a village, and to which the family made a 
 trip only about once .a year. The early 
 settlers traded considerably with the Indians, 
 which at that time were quite numerous in 
 this locality. While game of all kinds was 
 plentiful, and our subject has seen as many 
 as thirty deer in one drove, and these were 
 often killed with clubs, it being unnecessary 
 to use firearms. The father died at the age 
 of about fifty years after about sixteen years 
 spent in this county, and the mother after- 
 ward passed away while visiting relatives in 
 Kentucky. He was a very industrious man 
 and was well liked by all the early settlers. 
 Our subject, being the eldest son, had no 
 opportunity of attending school, as his ser- 
 vices were needed at home. He was only 
 twenty years of age when his father died and 
 the support of the family fell mainly upon 
 him. At that time there was a debt upon 
 the farm which he paid off, he buying one 
 hundred acres of the old homestead when 
 sold. He worked early and late, making 
 what improvements he could from time to 
 time, as well as paying up the debts con- 
 tracted. When these were settled, he be- 
 gan adding to his farm until he secured two 
 hundred and eighty acres of valuable land 
 still in the family. It has been thoroughly 
 tiled and good and substantial buildings 
 
 erected thereon. Although not having any 
 education, he made a success of life, 
 and for a number of years was the largest 
 shipper of live stock in the county. His 
 specialty was hogs, cattle and sheep, and 
 he fed all the grain raised by him to his 
 stock and purchased more for that purpose. 
 He continued to actively engage in business 
 until 1894, when he removed to Sidney to 
 educate his children, where he lived a re- 
 tired life. There he purchased one acre of 
 ground and erected thereon a comfortable 
 modern residence, that he and his wife might 
 en-joy a much needed rest. Being of an 
 energetic nature, he, however, felt more con- 
 tented when occupied with work, and pre- 
 ferred his farm to life in the village. He 
 always enjoyed excellent health, and never 
 had occasion to call a physician for himself. 
 
 On the 6th of March, 1850, Mr. Deere 
 married Miss Harriet Thomas, who was 
 born in Sidney township, this county, in 
 1833, her parents being among the early set- 
 tlers of that section of the county. She has 
 only one sister living, Melissa, widow of 
 John Burdell, a resident of Kansas. She 
 had one brother, Joseph, who died in 1863, 
 in the service of his country during the 
 Civil war. 
 
 Of the twelve children born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Deere, four died in infancy, and two 
 others are now deceased, namely: Mary, 
 who married Bert Hudson, of Sidney town- 
 ship, and died in 1896, leaving five children; 
 and Solomon, who died unmarried at the 
 home of his parents in 1897. The others 
 are as follows: Joseph, a successful farmer 
 of Shelby county, Illinois, is married and has 
 three children; Harriet is the wife of Robert 
 Butler, who is engaged in mercantile busi- 
 ness in Washington, and they have five 
 children; Ella is the wife of George Griffin, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 293 
 
 who lives' on a part of her father's farm 
 north of Sidney, and they have two children; 
 Ollie is the wife of Arthur Kuhns, a street 
 car conductor of Chicago, and they have 
 two children; James C., who has been a suc- 
 cessful teacher for several years, is a gradu- 
 ate of the Sidney high school, and also at- 
 tended the University at Champaign and at 
 Effingham ; and Nora, an accomplished young 
 lady living at home, is also a graduate of 
 the Sidney high school. 
 
 Mr. Deere was a consistent member and 
 liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church of Sidney, of which body his wife is 
 also a member. He was a stanch supporter 
 of the Democratic party, but would never 
 accept office. Beginning life a poor boy 
 and in debt, his success was remarkable, and 
 was due entirely to his own hard work, good 
 management and perseverance. Although 
 of a quiet, retiring disposition, he made 
 many friends, and his sterling worth and 
 strict integrity gained him the confidence of 
 all with whom he came in contact. His 
 death, which occurred April 5, 1900, was a 
 sad loss to the community, and the bereaved 
 family have the heartfelt sympathy of his 
 and their many friends. 
 
 DANIEL M. LEHMAN, a valued citi- 
 zen of Champaign, is of German de- 
 scent, his great-great-grandfather having 
 been born in Germany, but his great-grand- 
 father, his grandfather, his father and him- 
 self were born in Pennsylvania, and from 
 the early history of that state the family 
 has borne an important part in its develop- 
 ment and progress. The mother of our 
 subject, Rebecca, daughterof William Haak, 
 was a native of Lebanon county, same state, 
 
 and her ancestors, also, were prominently 
 associated with the founding of that great 
 commonwealth. She was called to her re- 
 ward in 1858, and left seven children to 
 mourn her loss. Henry, who enlisted in the 
 war of the Rebellion and did valiant service 
 for the stars and stripes, was never heard 
 from after the second days' battle of the 
 Wilderness, in which it is known that he 
 took part. David, the fourth of the family, 
 died in California'. Franklin, Samuel, Cy- 
 rus and Amanda, widow of Dr. H. Hess, 
 reside in Sidney, Illinois, or in the town- 
 ship of the same name. The father, Will- 
 iam Lehman, now an octogenarian, and an 
 honored citizen of Sidney for more than 
 three decades, was for many years actively 
 engaged in building and contracting, and for 
 a period employed more workmen than any 
 other man in his line of business. Many 
 enduring monuments, such as churches and 
 fine public buildings, will perpetuate his 
 name for years to come, and in the town 
 records of Sidney it is shown that he was 
 president of the board of city fathers for a 
 long period, and aided materially in the im- 
 provement of the place. Formerly he 
 owned valuable farm lands, and he yet con- 
 trols considerable property. He was one 
 of the foremost members of the German 
 Lutheran church at Myerstown, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and liberally contributed to the house 
 of worship which he erected for that con- 
 gregation. 
 
 Daniel M. Lehman, born in Myerstown, 
 Pennsylvania, January 12, 1846, attended 
 the public schools there until he was thir- 
 teen years of age. His mother had died 
 about a year previously, and the lad deter- 
 mined to commence earning his own liveli- 
 hood ere he was fourteen. He learned the 
 shoemaker's trade, and was thus employed 
 
294 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 during the rest of his youth. During the 
 Civil war, when the rebel army had pene- 
 trated into his loved native state, Mr. Leh- 
 man enlisted in July, 1863, in Company H. , 
 Thirty-first Pennsylvania Militia, and was 
 sent within six miles of the point where the 
 contending forces were fighting the dread- 
 ful battle of Gettysburg, with a view of cut- 
 ting off the Confederates' retreat. At the 
 end of four months he was discharged from 
 the home guards, and offered his services to 
 the Union army. Becoming a private of 
 Company H, One Hundred and Eighty- 
 sixth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, he 
 was assigned to the eastern department of 
 the army, and was honorably discharged 
 from the service in August, 1865, then only 
 nineteen years old. He was chosen as one 
 of the special guards of honor to escort the 
 remains of our martyred Lincoln through 
 Philadelphia to the last resting place chosen 
 for that hero. 
 
 In 1866, Mr. Lehman went to Walton, 
 Indiana, where, for six months, he worked 
 as a lumberman, cutting logs for a saw-mill. 
 He then proceeded to Urbana, Illinois, 
 where he arrived in April, 1867, and for 
 eighteen years he was employed as a con- 
 ductor on one of the street-car lines there, 
 being the oldest employe of the company in 
 years of continuous service. Prior to this, 
 however, he had operated a mill there for 
 about two years. From Urbana he went 
 to Champaign, and in 1892 built a resi- 
 dence and store at No. 709 North Neil 
 street, Champaign, and since then has 
 conducted a grocery. As this is the only 
 grocery in this section of the town, he is 
 prospering and building up a large trade. 
 In addition to this, he is financially inter- 
 ested in the new sugar mill which is in 
 process of construction, and has proven his 
 
 business ability and foresight in unmistak- 
 able ways. 
 
 Mr. Lehman has been married three 
 times. His first wife was Miss Emma 
 Bates, daughter of Benjamin Bates, a 
 farmer. They were married April 25, 1880. 
 They had one son, Fred, who is now em- 
 ployed in Chicago. The second marriage 
 was with Mary Falconer, by whom he had 
 two daughters, Mabel and Grace, who live 
 at home with their father. The third wife 
 was Mrs. Lillie Powell. The family attend 
 the Baptist church, of which Mrs. Lehman 
 is a member. Fraternally, Mr. Lehman 
 belongs to Black Eagle Post, G. A. R., and 
 has been a delegate from that organization 
 to the state encampment. He is also a 
 member of the Knights of Pythias, Uni- 
 formed Rank, and is treasurer of the home 
 lodge. 
 
 ARTHUR RICE, who for a quarter of a 
 century has resided upon his present 
 homestead, and in Champaign county, is one 
 of the most respected citizens of Champaign 
 county. He is a native of Wood county, 
 West Virginia, his birth having occurred 
 February 9, 1839. His father, Shel- 
 ton Rice, came to Champaign county 
 with his family, in 1854, and bought land 
 and spent the rest of his life in Sadorus 
 township. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Elizabeth Brown, died in Virginia in 
 1852, and he survived her about ten years. 
 Of their six children, David is a farmer of 
 Sadorus township; John died in this county 
 in 1861, and left one child; Henry died in 
 Cherokee county, Kansas, and left a wife; 
 Sarah married John Rawlings, and lives in 
 Cherokee, Kansas; and Martha is the wife of 
 George Harrison, of Santamonica, California. 
 
ARTHUR RICE. 
 
MRS. ARTHUR RICE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 299 
 
 Until he was about fifteen years of age, 
 Arthur Rice lived in his.native place. When 
 he came to Illinois, the journey was made 
 by the water route to Terre Haute, Indiana, 
 whence he came to this county by team. 
 Here he assisted his father in making a new 
 home, and continued to give him his time 
 until he reached his majority. Upon com- 
 mencing his independent career he rented 
 land for several years, after which he bought 
 eighty acres of land in Pesotum township, 
 going into debt, however, to a large extent 
 in order to possess the place. In the course 
 of a few years he not only had met all pay- 
 ments as he had agreed to do, but had made 
 man}' substantial improvements as well. 
 Later, he added other property to his landed 
 possessions and made a specialty of raising 
 live stock, in which he was particularly suc- 
 cessful. In 1892, he removed to Cham- 
 paign, in order to give his son better educa- 
 tional advantages, and in 1897 came to his 
 present place where he has since made his 
 home. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Rice and Mary A. 
 Lee, daughter of Squire and Elizabeth A. 
 (James) Lee, was solemnized February 26, 
 1863. She was born in Pulaski county, 
 Kentucky, November 23, 1843, and both of 
 her parents also were natives of that state. 
 In the fall of 1850 the family removed to 
 what now is known as Douglas county, Illi- 
 nois, and a few years later they settled in 
 Pesotum township, Champaign county, 
 where he accumulated a large and valuable 
 amount of land. He was very active in 
 public affairs of his vicinity, and his wife 
 was prominent in the work of the Baptist 
 church. He was long survived by his wife, 
 who departed this life in August, 1896. 
 Martha J., their eldest child, married Parker 
 Gregory, of Labette county, Kansas. 
 
 George W., James H. and Henry are enter- 
 prising farmers of Pesotum township. Noah 
 died upon the old homestead, leaving a wife 
 and thcee children. Sarah, deceased, was 
 the wife of Thomas Adair, now a resident of 
 Critenden township. To the union of our 
 subject and wife four children have been 
 born, namely; Nora E. , now the wife of A. 
 A. Armstrong, proprietor of the Broaddus 
 stock farm, in Douglas county; Martha A., 
 wife of G. W. Temple, .connected with the 
 Champaign Business College; and Fred L. , 
 who is at home with his parents. Ollie died 
 in infancy. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Rice uses his ballot in 
 favor of the Prohibition party, and. while he 
 has not been an aspirant to public offices, 
 he has acted as one of the commissioners of 
 highways, a member of the school board or 
 in some other local position during most of 
 his mature life. Both himself and wife are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 of Champaign. They possess the esteem of 
 everyone, and by honest worth have earned 
 the high position they occupy in the com- 
 munity. 
 
 HON. RANDOLPH C. WRIGHT, one 
 of the best-known memb'ers of the 
 Champaign county bar, is now living prac- 
 tically retired, in Homer, which pleasant 
 village has been his place of abode for 
 many years. The history of his life is ex- 
 tremely interesting, in detail, as the strug- 
 gles and triumphs of a self-made pioneer 
 lawyer are shown forth, and as nearly all of 
 his career has been intimately identified 
 with that of Champaign county. From 
 time to time he has been honored with re- 
 sponsible official positions by his numerous 
 friends and acquaintances, and never for a 
 
300 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 moment did he falter in the execution of 
 the duties and trusts thus confided to him. 
 He has passed the three score and ten 
 milestone of the Psalmist, as his birth took 
 place November 3, 1829, in Randolph 
 county, Indiana. His paternal grand- 
 father, John B. Wright, a native of Vir- 
 ginia, was one of the pioneers of Randolph 
 county, Indiana, and of Vermilion county, 
 Illinois. In the last mentioned county, 
 where he arrived in the fall of 1830, he en- 
 tered land from the government, and culti- 
 vated the tract until shortly before his 
 death. In his early manhood he followed 
 the trade of a blacksmith, but in later years 
 he was exclusively devoted to agriculture. 
 
 To himself and wife nine children were 
 * 
 
 born, Jesse B., father of our subject, being 
 the eldest. He learned the blacksmith's 
 trade of his father, and also cultivated 
 land, but his career was untimely ended, 
 as he enlisted when twenty-five years old in 
 the war with the Blackhawks, and while 
 stationed in Rock Island, Illinois, died of 
 cholera, then prevailing. He had married 
 in the Hoosier state, Mary Draper, who, 
 like himself, was a native of Ohio, and of 
 their four children, the two younger ones, 
 Mary J., and Sylvester, died in in- 
 fancy. Eliza, who married Alvah 
 Hubbell, now deceased, resides in De- 
 catur, Illinois. The mother became the 
 wife of Henry Swisher, and nine children 
 were born of their marriage. She departed 
 this life in 1882, when seventy-two years of 
 age, and Mr. Swisher also is deceased. 
 
 R. C. Wright was quite young when he 
 was brought to this state, and after his 
 father's death, the family removed to 
 Champaign county. Here he attended the 
 primitive district schools of the period, but 
 being eager to obtain better advantages, he 
 
 did not rest content with this. He contin- 
 ued his pursuit of an education in the Ran- 
 dolph county, Indiana, Academy, for about 
 two years, after which he went to the Ur- 
 bana schools for some time, and to the 
 Georgetown Seminary in Vermilion county. 
 He then taught school in Homer for two 
 terms, and had charge of schools in Vance 
 township, and St. Joseph township, Ver- 
 milion county, for two terms. After his 
 marriage, in the spring of 1853, he was oc- 
 cupied in farming for several years. 
 
 The energy and ability of the young 
 man, as well as his integrity and excellent 
 reputation, led to his being called upon to 
 occupy public positions in his own commu- 
 nity at an early date. He served as justice 
 of the peace for several years and was coun- 
 ty surveyor for twelve years, and in 1860, 
 while still acting in the latter capacity, he 
 was elected as sheriff of Champaign county, 
 and served for the term of two years. His 
 first presidential vote was cast for Winfield 
 Scott, and since the organization of the Re- 
 publican party he has been loyal to its 
 principles. In the fall of 1870 he was 
 elected to the legislature, where he acted as 
 a member of the judicial committee, and on 
 other important committees, during the long 
 ten months' session. At the end ol that 
 time, he was so wearied with his protracted 
 experience in the assembly that he would 
 not permit his name to be announced for 
 re-nomination. 
 
 The admission of R. C. Wright to the 
 bar of Champaign county, in 1863, was pre- 
 ceded by an examination, so-called, which, 
 as compared with that to which the candi- 
 dates of today are subjected, was decidedly 
 amusing. Upon a very sultry summer day, 
 in Urbana, Mr. Wright met William X. 
 Coler and William B. Webber on the street, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 301 
 
 and, as he had learned that they, in com- 
 pany with "Uncle Billy" Somers, were to 
 examine him, preparatory to his admission 
 to the bar, he requested them to go with 
 him to the office of Mr. Somers. They 
 complied, and the young man, addressing Mr. 
 Somers, told him he had come to be ex- 
 amined, and, that as he, "Uncle Billy," 
 was the eldest one present, he might begin 
 the questioning. That worthy gentleman 
 replied that he knew that Mr. Wright was 
 
 a d d good lawyer, and he didn't care to 
 
 bother with questions. The others on be- 
 ing appealed to, in turn, made substantially 
 the same answer, and agreed that if he 
 would make out his own certificate they 
 would sign it. 
 
 Thus was Mr. Wright launched upon a 
 legal career which covered a period of about 
 thirty-five years. While his residence con- 
 tinued to be in Homer, he had an office in 
 Urbana, also, and his practice was not con- 
 fined to this county, but embraced Ver- 
 milion, Ford, Douglas, and other neighbor- 
 ing counties. In the autumn of 1884 he 
 was elected to the office of states attorney, 
 and served acceptably to all concerned for 
 the term of four years. Later he opened 
 an office in Danville, conducting a large 
 amount of legal business in that locality, 
 yet paying due attention to all of his other 
 clients elsewhere. During the past year he 
 has been practically retired, his long and 
 arduous service, both as a professional and 
 public man, justly entitling him to rest. 
 With all of the varied demands upon his 
 time and sympathy, he has not neglected 
 the special duties which devolve upon the 
 citizens of a community, and as a member 
 of the town board of Homer, he has loyal- 
 ly aided in the progress and maintenance of 
 his home village. 
 
 The first marriage of Mr. Wright took 
 place May 18, 1853, the lady of his choice 
 being Jane E. Moore, a native of New York 
 state, and daughter of Enoch Moore, who 
 came to Illinois at an early day, settling in 
 Vermilion county. A tailor by trade, he 
 followed that calling in Indiana for a num- 
 ber of years. He had seven children, Mrs. 
 Wright being the first born of his second 
 union. Nine children blessed the marriage 
 or R. C. and Jane Wright, namely: Otto, 
 who died at the age of six months; Alice, 
 who only lived to reach eighteen months; 
 Freddie, who died when five years old; Bruce, 
 who died unmarried, when in his thirty-first 
 year; Mary, wife of Edward Beamer, a pros- 
 perous farmer and stock-raiser of South Da- 
 kota; Maude A., who married William 
 Splawn, now engaged in agriculture and 
 stock raising in Washington; Edwin R. , 
 who married Edith Blue, and now is em- 
 ployed by the Big Four railroad as a painter 
 in the shops at Urbana, Illinois; Belle, wid- 
 ow of Wm. Sausaman, and now living in 
 Homer; and Jesse, who, like his next older 
 brother, is a painter by trade, and is occu- 
 pied in that calling at present in the Big 
 Four shops at Urbana. Mrs. Beamer has 
 one child; Mrs. Splawn has five children; 
 Edwin R. , is the father of two children, and 
 Mrs. Sausaman has three children, one of 
 whom, Eugene, makes his home with our 
 subject, his grandfather. Mrs. Jane Wright 
 departed this life, June 20, 1889, after hav- 
 ing faithfully performed the manifold duties 
 which had fallen to her as the "home maker" 
 for her large family, during the thirty-six 
 years of net married life. Mr. Wright mar- 
 ried his present wife, formerly the widow of 
 James Thompson, and in her girlhood, Eva- 
 line C. Butler, May 25, 1890. Her father, 
 Thomas L. Butler, was one of the honored 
 
302 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 early settlers of Champaign county, and, in 
 company with the father of our subject, 
 served in the Blackhawk war. He was en- 
 gaged in farming in Sidney township, 
 this county, until within a few years of his 
 death, which occurred at his residence in 
 Homer, where he was living retired from 
 the active cares to which the major portion 
 of his life had been given. Both our sub- 
 ject and his wife were members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church for many years, he 
 serving as secretary of the church board. 
 They were loved and highly esteemed by 
 every one who knew them, and their mem- 
 ory is cherished in the hearts of scores of 
 their old-time friends. 
 
 WILLIAM B. O'NEAL is one of the 
 leading business men and influential 
 citizens of Sadorus, one who has done 
 much to promote the commercial activity, 
 advance the general welfare and secure the 
 material development of his section of the 
 county. As a business man he is enterpris- 
 ing, energetic and always abreast of the 
 times, and is now meeting with well merited 
 success, being associated with David Rice 
 in the stock, lumber and undertaking busi- 
 ness. 
 
 A native of Ohio, Mr. O'Neal was born 
 near Circleville, Pickaway county, in Sep- 
 tember, 1 86 1, and on the paternal side is of 
 Irish descent, his ancestors having been 
 compelled to leave their native land on ac- 
 count of religious persecution and seek 
 homes on this side of the Atlantic. The 
 parents of our subject are Marshall and 
 Margaret (Baird) O'Neal, both of whom 
 were born in Muskingum county, Ohio, the 
 former in 1832, the latter in 1830. When 
 
 four years old the father was taken by his 
 parents to Davenport, Iowa, but after re- 
 siding there four years, they returned to 
 Ohio, where he grew to manhood, being 
 educated in the schools of his native state. 
 He followed farming there until 1871, when 
 he sold out and moved to Piatt county, Illi- 
 nois, locating on a farm near Monticello, 
 where he made his home until 1890. Since 
 then he has resided on a farm near Elliott, 
 in Ford county, this state. His entire life 
 has been devoted to .agricultural pursuits. 
 He was a soldier of the Civil war, serving 
 as a member of the One Hundred and 
 Eightieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under 
 General Thomas, for a year and a half dur- 
 ing the latter part of the war, and was with 
 Sherman on his celebrated march to the 
 sea. He also took part in the battle of 
 Chancellorsville and numerous other en- 
 gagements. 
 
 Of the eleven children born to the 
 parents of our subject, two died in infancy. 
 The others are as follows: Sarah E. is the 
 wife of Samuel Bush, a farmer of Ford 
 county; John L. is a farmer near Fort 
 Dodge, Iowa; Charlotte, deceased, was the 
 wife of Charles Jones, of Piatt county, Illi- 
 nois; Joanna, deceased, was the wife of 
 Isaac Bailey, living near Bondville, Scott 
 township, Champaign county; William B., 
 our, subject, is next in order of birth; Lin- 
 coln is engaged in farming with his brother 
 John in Iowa, both being unmarried; 
 Charles is a resident of East Bend town- 
 ship, this county; and Corwin and Lemuel 
 B. are both at home. 
 
 The primary education of William B. 
 O'Neal was obtained in the common schools 
 of Ohio. He was ten years of age when 
 brought by his parents to this state, and in 
 Piatt county he completed his education, 
 
DR. P. C. HOSIER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 303 
 
 at the same time aiding his father in the 
 operation of the home farm until he attained 
 his majority. The following year he worked 
 as a farm hand and then went to North 
 Dakota, where he spent nine months, but 
 not finding a suitable location, he returned 
 home, and the following spring went to 
 Vernon county, Missouri, remaining there 
 only a few months, however, when he pur- 
 chased a team and made a trip overland to 
 Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. From 
 there he went to Nebraska, but finally re- 
 turned to Illinois, concluding that this state 
 was good enough for him, and in 1885 he 
 began farming for himself in Piatt county. 
 
 On the 4th of February, 1889, in that 
 county, Mr. O'Neal married Miss Florence 
 Bond, who was born there, a daughter of 
 Daniel S. and Mary R. (Gates) Bond. Her 
 father is now deceased, but her mother, a 
 native of Vermont, is still living and makes 
 her home in Monticello. She has eight 
 children living, namely: Edward; Albert, a 
 resident of Ivesdale, this county; Ernest, 
 Lilla, Charles, Nellie, Lois, and Fred. 
 After his marriage, Mr. O'Neal came to 
 Champaign county, and rented a farm in 
 Colfax township, where he engaged in general 
 farming. There his son, William D., was 
 born in 1 892, but the wife and mother passed 
 away February 19, 1895. He was again 
 married, June 14, 1899, his second union 
 being with Miss Mae A. Campbell, who was 
 born in Sadorus township, this county, July, 
 1874. Her father, David Campbell, was a 
 prosperous farmer of that township, but is 
 now living retired in Champaign. He has 
 five children, Mae A., Ashton, Daisy, Murrel 
 and Retta. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. O'Neal left the farm and 
 moved to Sadorus, where he worked for 
 David Rice in the elevator for a short time, 
 
 and then formed a partnership with that 
 gentleman, purchasing a half interest in his 
 business. They deal in lumber and carry a 
 line of undertaker's supplies, being the only 
 representatives of the latter business in the 
 town, but they give special attention to 
 stock. They are interested in breeding fine 
 imported horses, of the Norman, Belgium 
 and German coachbreeds, and also roadsters, 
 and in this branch of their business have 
 met with most excellent success. They also 
 buy and ship stock extensively, and occupy 
 an honorable position in business circles, 
 beingupright and reliable in all theirdealings. 
 In 1899 Mr. O'Neal purchased his present 
 home and besides his pleasant residence, 
 he has five acres of land in the village, set 
 out in orchards and small fruits. 
 
 Politically Mr. O'Neal is one of the 
 prominent Republicans of his community, 
 and served as chairman of the township 
 committee while a resident of Colfax town- 
 ship. He served as president of the village 
 board for two years, and inaugurated a re- 
 form in the management of affairs for the in- 
 terest of the people. Religiously he is a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and socially is a member of the Modern Wood- 
 men Camp, No. 3302, of Sadorus, in which 
 he has passed through all the chairs and if 
 now serving as banker. He is one of the 
 most popular and highly esteemed citizens 
 of the town, and his pleasant, genial manner 
 makes him friends wherever he goes. 
 
 PHILIP C. MOSIER, M. D., deceased. 
 I Almost half a century ago this honored 
 man located in Homer, Illinois, and during 
 this long period, which has witnessed the 
 transformation of the wild prairie into fer- 
 
304 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tile and highly cultivated homesteads, he 
 has been actively associated with the pro- 
 gress of Champaign county. No one in this 
 section was considered better authority on 
 the early and later history of this portion of 
 the county, and his accounts of pioneer days 
 were extremely interesting. 
 
 The Mosier family originated in Holland, 
 but several generations have dwelt in Amer- 
 ica. Philip Mosier, the grandfather of our 
 subject, resided in Pennsylvania, and re- 
 moved to North Carolina, where his son 
 George was born. Later they went to In- 
 diana, and, upon arriving at maturity, the 
 latter commenced farming in Harrison coun- 
 ty. Subsequently he purchased land in 
 Fountain county", Indiana, and in 1854 he 
 came to Homer township, where he passed 
 the remainder of his life. He entered the 
 silent land, March 8, 1880, having survived 
 his first wife, the mother of Philip C., some 
 thirty-two years. She bore the maiden 
 name of Maria Criswell, her parents being 
 Elijah and Elizabeth Criswell. The father 
 was born in Virginia, was married in Ken- 
 tucky, and settled in Indiana at an early day. 
 He dwelt in Floyd county, where he owned 
 a well cultivated farm and fine fruit place, 
 and was the most extensive grower and 
 dealer in fruit in his locality. 
 
 George and Maria Mosier were blessed 
 with six children, namely: Elijah, who died 
 when in his twentieth ^year; Elizabeth, who 
 died, leaving her husband, William Pickett, 
 and their four children; Philip C. ; Martha 
 C., who married Dr. G. W. Hartman, of 
 Fountain county, Indiana, and died, leaving 
 two children; Nancy D., who married A. J. 
 Castle; and Eliza J., who became the wife 
 of G. W. Cory, of Tippecanoe county, In- 
 diana, and removed to Champaign county 
 at an early day, her death taking place here, 
 
 October 30, 1858. She left two children, 
 and Mr. Cory is now a resident of Okla- 
 homa. One of the most dreadful things 
 which ever occurred in the history of the 
 Mosier family was the murder of Nancy D. 
 and A. J. Castle, who, soon after their mar- 
 riage, started for the west in a wagon, with 
 the intention of founding their new home in 
 Boone county, Iowa. On the journey, 
 which was undertaken in 1856, the young 
 couple were killed by border ruffians, and 
 their bodies were concealed under some 
 corn shocks in a field near Montezuma, Iowa. 
 
 Dr. Philip C. Mosier was born Decem- 
 ber 31, 1827, in Harrison county, Indiana, 
 and in his boyhood attended the primary 
 log cabin subscription schools of the period. 
 At eighteen years of age he taught school 
 in Fountain county for three months, and 
 when twenty he commenced the study of 
 medicine with Dr. W. C. Turner, of Jack- 
 sonville, Indiana. He then continued his 
 medical work under the tutelage of Drs. 
 McNutt and Mackey, of Annapolis, Indiana, 
 and for two terms was a student in an ex- 
 cellent school conducted by the society of 
 Friends, at Bloomingdale, same state. 
 
 Upon engaging in practice. Dr. Mosier 
 was located in Milford and Newtown, In- 
 diana, for about two years, after which he 
 bought some property in Homer, Illinois. 
 Here he arrived with his bride of a few 
 days, April 15, 1851, and here he made 
 his home ever since. He was engaged in 
 practice in the village for six years, after 
 which he was obliged to retire for a year, on 
 account of poor health. Again resuming his 
 accustomed labors, he ministered to the 
 needs of the sick and suffering until 1862, 
 when he found it necessary to withdraw from 
 active practice. In the meantime, he had 
 purchased a farm of four hundred acres in 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 305 
 
 this township, and this place he leased until 
 1871, when he began its cultivation himself. 
 He had planted large peach and apple or- 
 chards, and made many other material im- 
 provements as the years rolled by, develop- 
 ing his homestead into one of the best in the 
 county. In 1890, having amassed sufficient 
 means for his remaining years, he located 
 permanently in the town of Homer, where 
 he was so well known and justly esteemed. 
 By industry and good business ability, he 
 made a snug fortune, and was quite an ex- 
 tensive land owner, as, in addition to his 
 home farm, he had eighty acres of land in 
 Arkansas county. Arkansas; two hundred 
 acres on the borders of beautiful Spirit Lake, 
 Dickinson county, Iowa; a quarter section 
 of well cultivated land in Jackson county, 
 Minnesota; and fifty-one acres of fine land 
 in Florida; he also had tjbree hundred and 
 forty-two acres in Yancy and Christian 
 counties, Missouri, in which state he has 
 spent several winters, and sixty acres in 
 Coffey county, Kansas. 
 
 In all of his joys and sorrows for nearly 
 half a century Dr. Mosier found a true help- 
 mate in his wife, formerly Dorothy J. Bur- 
 ton, to whom he was married April 3, 1851. 
 Her parents, Clement N. and Ann T. (Mer- 
 riweather) Burton, were natives of Virginia, 
 the former born in 1790, and the latter in 
 1811. They were married in Louisville, 
 Kentucky, when that place comprised about 
 a dozen log cabins, all told. The young 
 couple moved to New Albany, Floyd county, 
 Indiana, and conducted a grocery for two 
 years, after which they settled in Park 
 county, Indiana. The county had not yet 
 been organized, and their nearest neighbor, 
 the father of Senator Harlan, lived five miles 
 distant. Mrs. Mosier was five years old when 
 her parents removed to Rockville, Indiana, 
 
 and there her father carried on a boot and 
 shoe store until 1848. Later, he resided in 
 Fountain county, Indiana, and in Butler 
 county, Iowa. He died March 16, 1864, 
 having survived his first wife, whose death 
 took place December 2 5, 1840. 
 
 The eldest brother of Mrs. Mosier was 
 John M., who died of typhoid fever when 
 twenty-one years of age. William E. was 
 killed at Clarksville, Iowa, being struck by 
 an engine. He left a widow, formerly Mar- 
 tha A. Morris, and one chilcl. Mary Ann 
 died in infancy. Lucinda C. , who died in 
 1884, was the wife of William Bradbury, of 
 Taylor county, Iowa, and was the mother 
 of eleven children. Eliza R. died in 1840, 
 unmarried. James M., who died in 1866, 
 had married Mary J. Guy, and had eight 
 children. H. F. L. , formerly a resident of 
 Homer, and a captain in the Union army 
 during the Civil war, died in 1897, leaving 
 a widow, formerly Ellen Edwards, and four 
 children. Lucretia C. , wife of R. T. Crow- 
 ell, and mother of ten children, lives at 
 Spirit Lake, Iowa. Rachel L. , of Clarks- 
 ville, Iowa, is the widow of William Poisal, 
 who was a soldier in the Civil war, and died 
 while at home, having received his dis- 
 charge a month previous to his death, and 
 they had two children. Henry H. died at 
 the age of nineteen years. The second wife 
 of Mrs. Mosier's father was Mrs. Rachel 
 (Roby) Taylor, and the three children born 
 to them were: George H., who was killed 
 at the battle of Pleasant Hills, Louisiana; 
 Joseph C., who married Emma Lansing, and 
 lives at Clarksville, Iowa; and Mary E., 
 who with her husband, Frank L. Champlin, 
 and one child, lives at Little Valley, New 
 York. 
 
 Dr. Mosier and wife were not blessed 
 with children of their own, but they played 
 
306 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the part of loving parents to two lads whom 
 they adopted, and who love them as loyally 
 as though they were their own parents. 
 George T. Poage, who resided in the Doc- 
 tor's home from the time he was nine years 
 of age until his marriage, April 14, 1880, is 
 a promising young business man of Homer, 
 where he is an agent for various life, fire 
 and lightning insurance companies. He 
 wedded Dollie Hayes, and has two children, 
 Thomas and Mary. Valentine Jacobus, who 
 was sheltered in Dr. Mozier's home from 
 his seventh to his twenty-third year, has 
 been in the employ of C. H. Baddeley, a 
 grocer of Champaign, for some time. 
 
 Fraternally, the Doctor was a member 
 of Homer Lodge, No. 252, I. O. O. F., the 
 Sons of Temperance and the Good Temp- 
 lars, and was a representative to the State 
 Encampment of the Union League, at 
 Springfield, Illinois, October 16, 1873. 
 Since 1856 he was a stalwart Republican, 
 and for many years held minor local offices. 
 For ten years he was supervisor of Homer 
 township, for several years was a justice of 
 the peace and member of the school board, 
 served on the court house commission, and 
 the town board of Homer., and in innumer- 
 able ways demonstrated his patriotic zeal 
 for the advancement of this community. 
 He was one of the most persistent advocates 
 of the matter of enlarging the poor farm, 
 and, accordingly, eighty acres were added to 
 the original tract of forty acres. This prop- 
 erty has been increased in value by proper 
 management, and it is generally conceded 
 that this move was one of the best ever 
 made by the county commissioners. In 
 matters of faith, the Doctor was a believer 
 in a future state of the soul, the spirit life, 
 but did not credit the inspiration of the 
 Bible nor its revelations. 
 
 While in California, Dr. Mosier was 
 called to his final rest, at the home of a 
 friend in Oakland, April 4, 1900. His re- 
 mains were brought back home by his sor- 
 rowing wife, and the funeral services were 
 conducted at her residence by the Odd Fel- 
 lows of Homer, April 12, 1900. 
 
 THOMAS P. STEWART, a well-known 
 1 farmer and highly esteemed citizen of 
 Harwood township, residing on section 34, 
 was born in Shelby county, Ohio, August 
 16, 1826, and remained at his birthplace 
 until nearly thirty years of age, working on 
 the home farm. His parents, Thomas P. 
 and Nancy Ann (Nye) Stewart, were na- 
 tives of Maryland and Ohio, respectively. 
 By trade the father was a millwright, but 
 he followed farming throughout the greater 
 of his life. He died in Ohio at about the 
 age of sixty years, and the mother afterward 
 came to Illinois with our subject, dying at 
 his home in 1893, at the age of eighty 
 years. They were the parents of eight 
 children. Elizabeth married in Shelby 
 county, Ohio, James Lenox, and they had 
 one child, Albert. She died in Shelby 
 county, Ohio. Thomas P. is the subject of 
 this sketch. Samuel, born in Ohio, moved 
 to California, volunteered in the Union 
 army during the Civil war, was discharged 
 in New Mexico, and there died. Charles, 
 born in Ohio, married Mary Shank in his 
 'native state, moved to Illinois in 1857, and 
 lived in Edgar county. He served as a 
 soldier in the Civil war. He is now de- 
 ceased. His children are Leonidas Porter, 
 Mrs. Annie Hunt, Mrs. Laura Brown, Law- 
 son Lafayette and Mrs. Emma Piper. 
 Prudence Stewart, born in Ohio, married 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 307 
 
 Fielding Lenox, in Sidney, Shelby county, 
 Ohio, and their children are John, Porte, 
 James, William and Frank. She died in 
 Rantoul. Mary Ann Stewart, born in Ohio, 
 married John Owens, and they had one 
 daughter, who died in childhood. Mrs. 
 Owens died in Ohio. William Harrison 
 Stewart, born in Ohio, married Ella Cam- 
 era, in Logan, Edgar county. Illinois, and 
 they have four children Mrs. Florence 
 Mitchell, Mrs. Lottie Belle Cook, Harry, 
 and Mrs. Grace Adele Fullenwider. Ellen 
 Stewart, born in Shelby county, Ohio, 
 married John LaFollette, in Edgar county, 
 Illinois, and their children are Wearney 
 and Roscoe Conklin. She was for a time a 
 teacher in the schools of Rantoul, where her 
 death occurred. The Stewarts are of 
 Scotch origin, the grandfather of our sub- 
 ject being a native of Scotland. The 
 Nyes are of German origin, the grand- 
 parents being natives of Germany. 
 
 It was in 1857 that our subject came to 
 this state, and after living one year in Ed- 
 gar county, he located in Coles county, 
 where the following two years were passed. 
 He also spent four years in Douglas county 
 and during all this time was engaged in 
 farming. His next home was in Logan 
 county, and from there he came to Cham- 
 paign county, in 1867, locating upon the 
 farm in Harwood township which has since 
 been his home. It is a well improved tract 
 of sixty acres, and in its cultivation he has 
 met with good success. 
 
 On the 1 2th of April, 1851, Mr. Stewart 
 was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary Day, 
 who was born in England, February 6, 
 1815, a daughter of Joseph and Martha 
 (Saunders) Kingham. The father died in 
 that country in 1828, and in 1832 the 
 mother came with her daughter Mary to the 
 
 16 
 
 United States. She passed away near 
 Springfield, Ohio, in 1848, at the age of 
 seventy-five years. In their family were 
 the following children, all born in England, 
 and all came to America with the exception* 
 of Joseph, (i) William, born October 9, 
 1797, died m October, 1850. He married 
 Elizabeth Cooper, and had three daughters, 
 Sarah, wife of John Markley; Maria, wife of 
 Joseph Foster, and Harriet, wife of Isaiah 
 Wilson, all of whom came to this country 
 with their grandmother in 1832. (2) Esther, 
 born June 29, 1799, died in December, 1803, 
 (3) Joseph, born December 29, 1800, mar- 
 ried Nancy Green, of England, and died: 
 August 14, 1869. (4) John, born December 
 31, 1801, married Diana Goldsmith, of 
 England, and died in 1889. (5) James, 
 born October 31, 1803, married Lydia Ann 
 Knight, of Ohio, and died in the northern 
 part of that state in 1873. (6) Bernard, 
 born November 26, 1804, died at the age of: 
 three months. (7) Elizabeth, born May 
 10, 1806, was married, August 26, 1841, to> 
 John Powell, and died in 1867. (8) Ann, 
 born November 7, 1807, married Thomas 
 Hall, of England, and died in Ohio, in 
 June, 1878. (9) Sarah, born February 16, 
 1810, married William Herbert, of England, 
 and died in Sidney, Ohio, April 24, 1899. 
 They came to the United States in 1835., 
 and located in Clark county, Ohio, where- 
 he engaged in blacksmithing. Six of their 
 nine children are still living: William G... 
 Joseph K., John J., Martha, Thirza, and' 
 Ruth, wife of Samuel Lawrence, a farmer 
 of Harwood township, this county, (ro) 
 George, born March 16, 1811, married 
 Emma Harwood, of England. He spent 
 twenty-six years as a merchant in New York,, 
 but at th end of that time returned to> 
 England, where he died in 1887. (n); 
 
308 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Martha, born March 29, 1812, married 
 John Crall, of Ohio, and died April 22, 
 1872. (12) Robert, born May 2, 1813, 
 lives in Springfield, Ohio. (13) Mary, wife 
 of our subject, is the youngest of the 
 family. 
 
 Mrs. Stewart first married Lewis Day, a 
 native of Maine, and a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, who died April 20, 1845, at the age of 
 twenty-nine years, and by that union had 
 two children: (i) Elizabeth, married Lewis 
 Lanman, a farmer of Coles county, Illinois, 
 and died May 20, 1867. They had four 
 children: Frank, deceased; Cynthia, wife of 
 John Green; Annie, wife of Ivan Lang; and 
 William, a teacher residing in Gifford. (2) 
 Lewis, a farmer of Benton county, Indiana, 
 married Fannie Barton, and they have three 
 children, William, Frank and Mary. 
 
 Six children were born to our subject 
 and his wife, namely: (i) Martha, born in 
 Ohio, is now the wile of William Lenox, 
 a farmer of Fowler, Benton county, Indiana, 
 and they have four sons. (2) George T. , 
 born in Shelby county, Ohio, July 27, 1854, 
 was educated in the district schools of 
 Champaign county, and remained on his 
 father's farm until twenty-one years of age, 
 when he went to Watertown, South Dakota, 
 where for three years he was engaged in the 
 photographing business and for five years 
 was employed as a clerk. From there he 
 went to Oregon, where he was married, 
 October 7, 1876, to Addie Vietta Card, a 
 daughter of William P. and Aldora (Parr) 
 Card. Her father is a native of Michigan 
 and a farmer of Oregon. She has one 
 brother, Harry Philbert Card, who is en- 
 gaged in the cattle business near Pendleton, 
 Oregon. George T. Stewart is now living 
 on the old homestead with his father. He 
 has one child, Ethel Vietta, born February 
 
 i?> 1899. (3) Adam H., born March 12, 
 1856, married Ella Williams, by whom he 
 has nine children. He is now a farmer and 
 stock raiser of Coffey county, Kansas. (4) 
 Sarah E. , born January 2, 1860, married 
 John Beacham, a farmer of Indiana, and 
 died December 26, 1898, leaving five chil- 
 dren. (5) Prudence E., 'born November 25, 
 1860, was married October 30, 1883, to 
 Robert W 7 ood, of Harwood township, and 
 they have five children. (6) Thomas P., 
 the oldest of the family died in infancy. 
 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are earnest 
 and consistent Christians, the former a mem- 
 ber of the Methodist church, the latter of 
 the Baptist church. He is a stanch support- 
 er of the Republican party, but has never 
 cared for office. 
 
 JOHN E. NYE. Prominent among the 
 business men of Thomasboro is num-- 
 bered the gentleman whose name introduces 
 this sketch. No one in the vicinity is better 
 known, for there almost his entire life has 
 been passed, and all his interests from boy- 
 hood have been closely identified with those 
 of that locality. In his special line of busi- 
 ness he has met with success, and by the 
 energy and zeal which he has manifested 
 he has won the confidence and esteem of 
 the public. 
 
 Mr. Nye was born on the 7th of April, 
 1855, in Springfield township, Gallia coun- 
 ty, Ohio, near the town of Porter. His 
 father was Arius Nye, a native of Ohio, and 
 a prosperous farmer, who was married April 
 ii, 1853, to Rebecca Gardner, also a native 
 of Ohio. In September, 1857, the family 
 moved to Champaign county, Illinois, and 
 located in Somer township, where the father 
 engaged in farming on rented land until 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 309 
 
 1864, and then purchased a farm on section 
 10, the same township. He made that 
 place his home until the spring of 1899, 
 when he moved to Urbana, where he is now 
 living at the age of sixty-nine years. His 
 estimable wife died on the home farm Janu- 
 ary ii, 1899. They had three children, of 
 whom our subject is the eldest. (2) Lewis 
 E., born in Ohio, May 6, 1857, taught 
 in the district schools of Somer township, 
 this county, for nine years, and died upon 
 his farm there April 10, 1895. He married 
 Effie Grundendyke, of Marion county, Illi- 
 nois, and they had two children: Lois, de- 
 ceased; and Maurice. (3) Mary E., born 
 in Somer township, October 2, 1863, is the 
 wife of Specs N. Prather.who was for many 
 years a prosperous farmer of that township, 
 but is now living retired in Urbana. They 
 have three children, Arius, Darley and Car- 
 lisle. 
 
 On reaching man's estate our subject 
 engaged in farming in Somer township until 
 March, 1891, when he moved to Thomas- 
 boro, and has since successfully engaged in 
 stock raising, harness making and the livery 
 business. On the 9th of December, 1879, 
 in Somer township, was celebrated his mar- 
 riage with Miss Lyda Ford, a daughter of 
 William and Catherine (Bireley) Ford, nat- 
 ives of Ohio, who came to Illinois at an 
 early date and settled in Somer township, 
 Champaign county, where her father en- 
 gaged in farming for some years. On dis- 
 posing of his farm, he moved to Urbana, 
 where he engaged in the agricultural imple- 
 ment business and in the importation of 
 draft horses from England, Scotland and 
 Belgium. He was also a large stockholder 
 and director of the First National Bank of 
 that city, and was serving as supervisor of 
 Urbana township at the time of his death, 
 
 which occurred December 13, 1896. His 
 widow is still living and continues to make 
 her home in Urbana. To our subject and 
 his wife were born four children: Nettie 
 E., born October 17, 1880, died in Somer 
 township at the age of nine months and 
 nine days; Katie M., born in Somer town- 
 ship, March 9, 1886, is still living; an in- 
 fant unnamed died July 17, 1888; Maudie 
 A., born in Somer township, July 29, 1890, 
 is living. 
 
 Mr. Nye is a public-spirited citizen who 
 takes a deep and commendable interest in 
 public affairs; keeps will informed on the 
 questions and issues of the day; and casts 
 his ballot with the Republican party; but 
 has never been a politician in the sense of 
 office seeking. On coming to this section 
 Thomasboro contained only two or three 
 buildings, and there were only four or five 
 houses between that place and Rantoul. It 
 was not an uncommon sight to see deer 
 feeding with the cattle on the prairie. The 
 land was scarcely tillable on account of the 
 water which covered much of it, but it has 
 been gradually redeemed by drainage and 
 converted into rich farming land. Mr. Nye 
 has watched with interest these changes, 
 and has ever borne his part in the work of 
 development and improvement. 
 
 M 
 
 of the men of the present generation 
 whose lives have become an integral part of 
 the history of this county, would be incom- 
 plete were there failure to make prominent 
 reference to the one whose name heads this 
 paragraph. No man has been more inti- 
 mately associated with the upbuilding of 
 Urbana or has contributed in more direct 
 
3io 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 manner to its progress along material and 
 moral lines. The study of the life of the 
 representative American never fails to offer 
 much of pleasing interest and valuable in- 
 struction, developing a mastering of expe- 
 dients that has brought about most wonder- 
 ful results. The subject of this sketch 
 belongs to that class and is of the type of 
 progressive men who promote public good 
 in advancing individual prosperity and con- 
 serving popular interests. He is now ex- 
 tensively and successfully engaged in the 
 real estate and insurance business, and 
 through his identification with the building 
 and loan interests of this section of the 
 state has contributed in no small degree to 
 the substantial growth of the city in which 
 he makes his home. 
 
 Mr. Parks was born near Columbus, 
 Ohio, December 31, 1851, and is a son of 
 Andrew and Sarah (Eyre) Parks. The 
 father, who was born in 1799, was probably 
 a native of Pennsylvania, but in his early 
 boyhood removed to the Buckeye state 
 where he drove a team on the pike. He 
 remained in Ohio until the spring of 1852, 
 when he took up his abode on a farm near 
 Georgetown, Vermilion county, Illinois, 
 making his home there until 1860, when he 
 removed to the village. There he spent his 
 last days in honorable retirement from busi- 
 ness life, his death occurring in 1883. His 
 wife, who was a native of Pennsylvania, 
 and of German lineage, died in 18 . They 
 attended the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and Mr. Parks was a stanch Whig in his 
 political affiliations until after the dissolu- 
 tion of the party, when he became a Repub- 
 lican. He left a family of two children by 
 his first wife, while by the second union 
 there were six children, three sons of the 
 Utter family still surviving. 
 
 Milton Scott Parks pursued his educa- 
 tion in the common and high schools of 
 Georgetown and entered upon his business 
 career as a clerk in a dry goods store, in 
 April, 1869, at that place. There he re- 
 mained until February 7, 1876, and in the 
 meantime gained an excellent knowledge of 
 the methods of mercantile life. He then 
 accepted the position of deputy in the office 
 of the circuit clerk, in Urbana, the clerk 
 being a warm personal friend. Faithfully 
 discharging the duties of the position, he 
 continued in the office until April i, 1887, 
 when he became manager of the abstract 
 office of Frank Wilcox, and continued in 
 that position for two years. On account 
 of the close confinement which threatened 
 to injure his eyesight, he resigned, and later 
 began the real estate and insurance business, 
 for himself. His experience in the abstract 
 business was of great service to him and he 
 soon took rank among the leading represen- r 
 tative-s of the real estate business in this 
 section of the state. By a system of judi- 
 cious advertising he secured a very large 
 patronage, and not only handled property 
 for others, but also became the possessor of 
 much property in his own name, continually 
 buying and selling. He sold much of his 
 real estate on the installment plan, thus 
 enabling many to gain homes who otherwise 
 could not have done so. For eleven years 
 he has carried on a large and profitable 
 business, and has been the owner of much 
 farm land in Champaign county. He has 
 recently become largely interested in real 
 estate both in southern Illinois, where he 
 has a half interest in two hundred and ten 
 acres of land. He also has a half interest 
 in thirty-two hundred acres of land in Mis- 
 sissippi, and is sole owner of sixteen hun- 
 dred acres in the latter state. His property- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 there is rapidly increasing in value on ac- 
 count of the drainage and other improve- 
 ments he is placing upon it, and in behalf of 
 securing better drainage laws for the state 
 he is putting forth strong efforts. 
 
 Mr. Parks is a man of resourceful busi- 
 ness ability who carries forward to success- 
 ful completion whatever he undertakes. 
 He is a man of public-spirit and broad 
 sympathy and takes delight in advancing 
 business interests which will also contribute 
 to the general prosperity as well as his in- 
 dividual success. He was the principal 
 factor in the organization of the Urbana 
 Home Loan Association, which was es- 
 tablished in July, 1887, and was its first 
 secretary and a member of the board of 
 directors, which position he has held con- 
 tinuously since. He has seen the develop- 
 ment of the business from collections of a 
 few hundred dollars each month to a month- 
 ly collection of about five thousand dollars, 
 and the enterprise has been the means of 
 helping to build many homes, thus promot- 
 ing the rapid growth of the city. Mr. Parks 
 has matured seven systems to the entire 
 satisfaction of every stockholder, so far as 
 is known, and this has meant the handling 
 of more than one hundred and forty thou- 
 sand dollars. Mr. Parks also aided in or- 
 ganizing a Building and Loan Association 
 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, conducted after 
 the manner of the one in Urbana, and it has 
 proved of great benefit to that community. 
 He has also written much insurance and in 
 that way has added materially to his in- 
 come. 
 
 On the 1 2th of June, 1884, Mr. Parks 
 was united in marriage to Miss Almeda V. 
 Lindley, the eldest daughter of Dr. Mahlon 
 Lindley, and they now have three children: 
 Paul L., Ralph M. and Frank A. Their 
 
 home is one of the most beautiful in this 
 section of the state and is pleasantly situated 
 on Green street, Urbana. Frescoes in oil 
 adorn many of the ceilings, and the interior 
 furnishings and exterior adornments indicate 
 the cultured and refined taste of the in- 
 mates. All who pass beneath its portals en- 
 joy a most warm-hearted hospitality and the 
 circle of friends of the family is very exten- 
 sive. 
 
 In politics Mr. Parks has always been a 
 Republican and has served as chairman of 
 the city central committee. He has twice 
 been a member of the board of education 
 and has done effective service on behalf of 
 the schools, but has never been an office 
 seeker, preferring to devote his time and 
 energies to other interests. Both he and his 
 wife are prominent and consistent members 
 of the First Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 he has been a member of its board of stew- 
 ards for about twenty years, during which 
 time the new house of worship was erected. 
 He acted as one of the solicitors for funds, 
 was chairman of the finance committee of 
 the board of stewards for a number of years 
 and has always taken an active part in the 
 work of the church. He also aided in organ- 
 izing another church, and in 1892 donated a 
 building site near the university. In con- 
 sideration of this fact the trustees of the 
 Methodist society named the new organ- 
 ization "Park's chapel." He was elected a 
 trustee of that church, which position he 
 held until 1898, and was a member of the 
 building committee. The first church was 
 burned in 1894, a d he was then made a 
 member of the new building committee and 
 appointed to solicit for funds for a new 
 house of worship. He was made treasurer 
 of the building fund as well, and saw the 
 church dedicated free from debt, with a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 small surplus in the treasury for other im- 
 provements. More recently he has been act- 
 ive in assisting in the organization of a mis- 
 sion in the east part of the city, which.is con- 
 ducted under the auspices of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and which it is hoped will 
 grow into a self-supporting society. Mrs. 
 Parks has been to her husband an able 
 assistant in his work. She was a member 
 of the first board of managers and is still in 
 that capacity connected with the Cunning- 
 barn Deaconess Home and Orphanage. She 
 has taken a very active and helpful interest 
 in its conduct, looking after many details of 
 the work. She is also prominent in home 
 missionary work and has been treasurer of 
 the local society for a number of years. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Parks were prime movers in estab- 
 lishing one of the leading organizations of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church in this part 
 of the state, and their labors have been 
 most effective in promoting Christian work 
 in Champaign county. Mrs. Parks is also a 
 member and the first president of the Tour- 
 ists' Club an organization of ladies and 
 also belongs to other women's clubs. Wher- 
 ever Mr. and Mrs. Parks are known they are 
 held in the highest regard, having the esteem 
 and friendship of a large circle of acquaint- 
 ances. He sustains an unassailable repu- 
 tation in business circles and in private life 
 has gained that warm personal regard which 
 arises from true nobility of character, defer- 
 ence for the opinions of others, kindliness 
 and geniality. 
 
 FJREDERICK PELL is one of the hon- 
 1 ored pioneers of Champaign county, 
 with whose history his own has been inti- 
 mately connected for considerable more than 
 half a century. In the agricultural world of 
 
 this region he has been foremost in the race 
 for many years, and wherever his influence 
 could avail it has been used freely for prog- 
 ress and improvements. His record is sin- 
 gularly devoid of spot or blemish, and to 
 his posterity he will leave an honored name 
 a far better heritage than wealth. 
 
 The father of Frederick Pell bore the 
 Christian name of Henry, and he was born 
 in Virginia, June 4, 1801. His wife, the 
 mother of our subject, Sarah (Orme) Pell, 
 was a native of Lewis county, Kentucky, 
 her birth having occurred June 10, 1800. 
 Henry Pell, who was of English descent, 
 removed with his widowed mother to Lewis 
 county, Kentucky, where he later wedded 
 the lady of his choice. They subsequently 
 dwelt on the old Orme estate, buying out 
 the interests of the other heirs, and there 
 this worthy couple spent the remaining years 
 of their busy, useful lives. They reared 
 .four sons and six daughters to maturity, of 
 whom the eldest, Serena, became the wife 
 of John Pool, and died, leaving two children; 
 Brunetta, still a resident of Lewis county, 
 is the widow of Dr. J. D. Secrest; Charles 
 B. is a farmer of Kingman, Kansas; Eliza- 
 beth wedded Jackson Secrest, of Lewis 
 county; Christopher C. is a farmer of La- 
 bette county, Kansas; George owns the old 
 homestead in Lewis county; Axcey is the 
 wife of James Luman, of Labette county, 
 Kansas; Amy, unmarried, died in Kentucky; 
 and Maria became the second wife of John 
 Pool. She survived him and later married 
 Amos Ree, of Lewis county. 
 
 Frederick Pell was born on the old Lewis 
 county homestead, September 8, 1832, and 
 in the old-time subscription schools, in ses- 
 sion only a short time each winter, he 
 learned the rudiments of knowledge. After 
 working for his father until he reached his 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 313 
 
 majority, he was employed as an agricultur- 
 ist in the vicinity, until the spring of 1856, 
 when he, in company with his brother 
 Christopher and E. A. Shaw, started for 
 Champaign county. The latter had an 
 uncle, Archie Hensley, living here, and the 
 township of Hensley was named in honor of 
 this relative. The Pell brothers rented a 
 farm of three hundred and twenty acres, half 
 a mile south of Urbana, and sometime after- 
 wards our subject leased a farm on section 
 33, managing this place for three years. In 
 1 86 1, he bought eighty acres in Philo town- 
 ship, from the Illinois Central Railroad Com- 
 pany, and energetically proceeded to break 
 the land, which was wild prairie. He con- 
 tinued to reside on his rented place, how- 
 ever, for some time. After his return from 
 the war, he resumed his farming enterprises, 
 and, having sold his property at a good 
 figure, invested his means in a quarter-sec- 
 tion of land on section 7, and here he dwelt 
 for seventeen years, adding one hundred and 
 twenty acres of adjoining property. In 1887 
 he built a commodious modern house on his 
 farm on section 20, Urbana township. 
 Within its hospitable walls he made his 
 abode for ten years, anid in 1898 he erected 
 a handsome modern house in Urbana. It is 
 fitted with a furnace and hot and cold water, 
 and, in short, all of the accessories and com- 
 forts of a complete modern home. In ad- 
 dition to owning five hundred and sixty acres 
 of splendid land in Champaign county, he 
 owns eight hundred acres in Grand county, 
 Kansas. 
 
 In July, 1862, Mr. Pell went forth from 
 his home to do battle for his imperiled 
 country. Becoming a member of Company 
 G, Seventy-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 under command of Captain Parks and Col- 
 onel Mack, he was assigned with his regi- 
 
 ment to the Seventeenth Army Corps of the 
 Army of the Tennessee. He served through- 
 out the siege of Vicksburg, the battle of Jack- 
 son, where the Union forces were out- 
 numbered four to one, and half of his com- 
 pany was captured, and later, he participated 
 in many other severe engagements. During 
 the last months of the war, his regiment was 
 commanded to patrol the lower Mississippi, 
 and after Lee's surrender, as the news had 
 not reached them, he took part in the battle 
 of Blakeley, Alabama. His record as a sol- 
 dier is one of which he may justly be proud. 
 He never lost a day on account of illness, 
 and there never was a time when his regi- 
 ment was called into action that he was not 
 promptly found at his post, ready to fight and 
 die, if need be, for the Union. He was 
 mustered out at Galveston, Texas, July 20, 
 and honorably discharged, August 5, 1865, 
 at Chicago. 
 
 When Mr. Pell arrived at home, he found 
 no wife to welcome him back, for she had 
 been summoned to the better land during his 
 absence, on the 2Oth of March, 1865. It 
 was on September 24, 1858, that he had 
 married Martha Jones, whose birth had 
 taken place in Brown county, Ohio, in 1830* 
 Two of their sons grew to maturity, Charles 
 J., who is employed in the shops of the Pull- 
 man Company at Pullman, Illinois, and 
 James R., who manages his father's farm in 
 Urbana township. In September, 1867, 
 Mr. Pell was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary 
 A. Cover, daughter of John and Rebecca 
 Kiler and widow of John F. Cover. She 
 died in August, 1890, and left two children, 
 Henry N., who is living upon one of his 
 father's farms, and Mary M., wife of Osmer 
 G. Mosier, of Wingate, Indiana. On the 
 8th of February, 1893, Mr. Pell married 
 Sarah J., daughter of Thomas and Mary 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 (Comber) Parkin, both natives of England. 
 She was born in Peoria county, this state, 
 one of six children, of whom three are de- 
 ceased. A. J. resides in Peoria, and Thomas 
 is a farmer of Philo township. 
 
 In his political views, Mr. Pell has sided 
 with the Democratic party for years. A 
 friend to education, he has been a member 
 of the school board for nine years, and three 
 years held the office of commissioner of high- 
 ways. Socially, he is connected with Black 
 Eagle Post, No. 29, G. A. R. He has been 
 the architect of his own fortunes, and at the 
 same time that he has labored to acquire a 
 competence, he has sought, no less earnestly, 
 to perform his whole duty as a citizen. 
 
 LEWIS A. McLEAN. One of the prom- 
 inent representatives of the journalis- 
 tic profession is the gentleman whose name 
 heads this brief notice, the well-known edi- 
 tor and manager of the Champaign County 
 Herald of Urbana. He was born May 4, 
 1843, in Grafton, Illinois, a small town on 
 the Mississippi river, and is a son of Dr. 
 John H. and Mary B. (Anderson) McLean. 
 The father, who was of Scotch descent, 
 died at the early age of twenty-four years, 
 but had already given promise of being 
 prominent in his profession. The mother, 
 a native of Tennessee, is still living and is 
 now one of the oldest citizens of Cham- 
 paign county. On the i$th of April, 1853, 
 the family came to Urbana, and have since 
 been residents of this county. 
 
 Mr. McLean received a good public 
 school education, being for two years a stu- 
 dent in the high school at New Orleans, 
 Louisiana. In 1862, he entered the cir- 
 cuit clerk's office of Champaign county as 
 
 deputy and remained there for seven years, 
 after which he served for some time as dep- 
 uty United States internal revenue assessor. 
 He then engaged in mercantile pursuits for 
 the next eight years, and at the end of that 
 time accepted the position of associate edi- 
 tor of the Champaign County Gazette, of 
 Champaign. He resigned in October, 1882, 
 and accepted a similar position on the 
 Champaign County Herald, of which the 
 late Senator M. W. Mathews was editor 
 and proprietor, and on the death of that 
 gentleman became editor and manager, in 
 which capacity he has since served. 
 
 On the 1 2th of May, 1864, Mr. McLean 
 was united in marriage with Miss Jennie 
 Russell, a daughter of Dr. Elias L. Russell, 
 for many years a prominent physician of 
 Des Moines, Iowa. Three children have 
 been born to them, namely: Nellie, now 
 the wife of Dr. C. C. Lumley, of Chicago; 
 Albert H., a machinist and air brake in- 
 spector of the Peoria division of the Big 
 Four Railroad; and Claire F., a pharma- 
 ceutical chemist of Chicago. 
 
 Politically Mr. McLean has been -an ar- 
 dent Republican since casting his first pres- 
 idential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, 
 and is an active worker for his party's in- 
 terests, now serving as a member of the 
 executive committee of the county Repub- 
 lican committee. For many years he has 
 been secretary of the Champaign County 
 Old Settlers' Association, and in 1886 and 
 1888 was instrumental in securing the por- 
 traits and biographies of two hundred old 
 settlers; publishing the same in the Herald 
 and later in book form, together with a his- 
 tory of the county from its organization to 
 that date, making a valuable addition to the 
 pioneer records of the county. He has been 
 prominently identified with the union Sun- 
 
L. A. McLEAN. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 317 
 
 day school work of the county for the past 
 eighteen years, during which time he has 
 served either as president, secretary or 
 member of the executive committee. He 
 has since 1863 been a member of the First 
 Baptist church and for many years served 
 as superintendent of the Sunday school and 
 has always taken an active part in church 
 matters, being now and for several years 
 past a member of the Board of Trustees of 
 said church. He joined the Masonic order 
 in June, 1864, and was made a Knight Tem- 
 plar in October, 1866, and served as emi- 
 nent commander for two years of Urbana 
 Comrnandery, No. 16, K. T. , and now is 
 and has been for the past fourteen years 
 (except the two years above mentioned) the 
 prelate of said Commandery. 
 
 /^>EORGE L. WILLIAMSON, M. D. 
 V_J In reviewing the history of men who 
 have made their mark on the period in 
 which they flourished, it is truly wonderful 
 to find such a large proportion whose youth 
 was devoted to heroic struggling with ad- 
 verse circumstances, and whose education 
 was obtained only through persistent, in- 
 domitable courage and perseverance. There 
 can be little question that all of the sturdiest 
 traits of character are developed and 
 strengthened by such contention, and if the 
 mind is not allowed to become imbittered 
 in the process, a wholesome, heartfelt sym- 
 pathy with struggling humanity results, and 
 untold good can be accomplished. The 
 student of human nature, in tracing the 
 career of the gentleman whose name heads 
 this article, cannot but feel that his kindly 
 consideration and sympathy for the suffer- 
 ing and afflicted has beendeepened and made 
 
 more practical and helpful by the trying 
 ordeals through which he passed in his 
 early manhood. 
 
 Dr. Williamson, now an honored physi- 
 cian of Homer, Champaign county, comes 
 of a fine old Virginia family. Both pa- 
 ternal and maternal grandfathers were re- 
 spected business men of Petersburg, that 
 state, the former being a manufacturer of 
 carriages there for many years, and the 
 latter being engaged in general merchandis- 
 ing. The paternal grandmother of the Doc- 
 tor lived to reach the extreme age of eighty- 
 seven years.. 
 
 His parents, Rev. J. E. and Samantha 
 O. (Perkinson) Williamson, are natives of 
 Petersburg. The father possesses an ex- 
 cellent education, being a graduate of Ran- 
 dolph College, a theological university at 
 Macon, Georgia. During the Civil war he 
 accepted the office of chaplain in one of the 
 Confederate regiments, and later he was 
 pastor of the Presbyterian church at Parks- 
 burg, for several years. In 1872 he came 
 to the north, locating in Jacksonville, Illi- 
 nois, where he preached for a number of 
 years, then going to Viola, Illinois, and at 
 present living in Assumption, Illinois. Three 
 children were born to himself and wife, 
 namely: Emma, who married W. R. Verian, 
 and makes her home in Cincinnati, Ohio; 
 George L., of this sketch; and James H. , 
 who is engaged iu the practice of medicine 
 at Assumption, Illinois. 
 
 The birth of our subject took place dur- 
 ing the Civil war, at Richmond, Virginia, 
 October 2, 1862, and consequently, he was 
 about ten years of age when his parents re- 
 moved to Illinois. Much of his elementary 
 education was acquired in the public schools 
 of Clarinda, Iowa, and when he was eight- 
 een years of age he entered the office of 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Noble & Corboy, of Winchester, Ohio, and 
 commenced the study of medicine. When 
 he had been thus occupied for about a 
 year he accompanied Dr. Noble when he 
 he was called to attend W. W. Young, 
 who was at the head of the civil engine- 
 ering work on the Cincinnati & Eastern Rail- 
 road, and had had a sunstroke. During the 
 two or more weeks of Mr. Young's illness, 
 Dr. Williamson became well acquainted 
 with him, and finally was persuaded to ac- 
 cept a place on the civil engineering corps, 
 as he had not sufficient funds to enable his 
 continuance in the course of study he had 
 embarked upon. For two years he re- 
 mained in the employ of the railroad, and, 
 incidentally, it may be remarked, that, as 
 he possessed a large pair of dental forceps, 
 he extracted about two hatfulls of teeth. 
 
 In 1893 the Doctor matriculated in the 
 Missouri Medical College, of St. Louis, and 
 with high hopes of soon reaching the goal 
 he had so long had in view, he finished the 
 first year's work. But here new trouble 
 awaited him money which he had de- 
 pended upon and had placed in the hands 
 of friends was not forthcoming when he 
 needed it, but he wasted no time in re- 
 pining. Going to the trustees of Bellefoun- 
 tain cemetery, he obtained the work of 
 drafting a survey of the grounds, and when 
 he had finished the task received three hun- 
 dred dollars. 
 
 On the 5th of August, 1884, Dr. Wil- 
 liamson married Mary Moffatt, a native of 
 Clinton county, 'Illinois, and daughter of 
 Joseph W. Moffatt, a farmer of that sec- 
 tion. The young couple located in Union, 
 Indiana, where the Doctor opened an office 
 and .began practicing. He had made a 
 gratifying start in his professional career 
 when a new stroke of misfortune came to 
 
 him. In the next session of the state Leg- 
 islature a law was enacted by which no one 
 was entitled to practice save those posses- 
 sing a diploma from a recognized medical 
 college, or those who had, at the time of the 
 enactment of the law, been engaged in prac- 
 tice two or more years. Thus our subject was 
 excluded, and had to seek other means of 
 providing his wife and infant child with a 
 livelihood. Returning to St. Louis, he man- 
 aged to obtain a situation as keeper of the 
 records of the Bellefountain cemetery, and 
 for five years he industriously economized 
 his means in order to complete his medical 
 education. In 1891 he resumed his long in- 
 terrupted studies in the Missouri Medical Col- 
 lege, and had the honor of ranking third in 
 the large class which was graduated in that 
 institution, in March, 1893. Soon after- 
 wards he came to Homer, where he estab- 
 lished himself in practice, and since that 
 time he has steadily advanced in the esteem 
 of the general public and of his professional 
 brethren. He takes considerable interest 
 in the improvement and prosperity of the 
 town and vicinity, and is associated with 
 Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. & A. M., and 
 Homer Camp, No. 311, Modern Woodmen 
 of America. In his political faith he is a 
 Democrat. 
 
 The marriage of the Doctor and his es- 
 timable wife was blessed with a son and 
 daughter: Paul, who died at the age of eight 
 years, and Mary, who is attending the pub- 
 lic schools of Homer. 
 
 THE TWIN CITY ICE & COLD STOR- 
 AGE CO. of Champaign is one of the 
 most progressive and enterprising business 
 firms of that city. This company was in- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 3'9 
 
 corporated in April, 1894, and is among the 
 pioneers in the manufacture of ice and the 
 cold storage business in the state. J. \V. 
 Wetrnore is the president and G. B. Storer, 
 secretary and manager. Their capital 
 stock has been twice increased and is now 
 $5,000.00. The cold storage part of their 
 business was started in a very small way 
 and the capacity of their plant has been in- 
 creased from time to time as it became nec- 
 essary, so that now they can carry about 
 two hundred cars of perishable products. 
 
 In 1899 they erected a five-story brick 
 building for cold storage exclusively, and it 
 is a model of its kind. Their system of re- 
 frigeration and ventilation is under com- 
 plete control. They have their own electric 
 light plant as well as a complete system of 
 telephone connection throughout their 
 buildings. All the machinery is in dupli- 
 cate, so that in case of an accident to one 
 machine the other may be used in its place. 
 
 This company was selected by the 
 United States Commission of the Paris Ex- 
 position to store the fruit from the state of 
 Illinois, which will be on exhibition in 
 Paris this summer. Both Mr. Wetmore 
 and Mr. Storer were born and reared in 
 northern Ohio, Mr. Wetmore having been 
 educated at Adelbert College, Cleveland, 
 and Mr. Storer at Oberlin. They are en- 
 terprising young business men, and it is 
 only by strict attention to their business 
 that they enjoy the degree of success which 
 has come to them. 
 
 /->EORGE KARCHER. The Karcher 
 V_J family is numbered among the sterling 
 pioneer settlers of Illinois, and, possessing 
 the best characteristics of their hardy, in- 
 
 dustrious ancestors, they not only made a 
 financial success of their endeavors to make 
 a competence in a strange land, but at the 
 same time proved themselves to be honor- 
 able, patriotic citizens of the land of their 
 adoption. 
 
 The 'parents of George Karcher, a 
 prominent retired farmer of Champaign 
 county, now residing in Tolono, were na- 
 tives of Alsace, France, their birthplace 
 being near the celebrated city of Strasburg. 
 The father, John Karcher, was born in 
 1812, and the mother, whose maiden name 
 was Salome Stoskopf, was born in 1821. 
 After their marriage they decided to cast in 
 their fortunes with the United States, and 
 accordingly came to Illinois, where they 
 purchased land in Stephenson county in 
 1841, and proceeded to cultivate the 
 property, for they were farmers, coming of 
 a race of the peaceful, independent tillers 
 of the soil. Energy and concentration of 
 purpose, economy and diligence, pursued 
 through a long period, resulted in their be- 
 coming wealthy, for that day, and, in addi- 
 tion to owning fine farms and real estate, 
 they had an enviable bank account. The 
 father early espoused the principles of the 
 Republican party, and thoroughly believed 
 in its superiority. He was one of the lead- 
 ing and highly respected citizens of Ridott 
 township for many years prior to his death, 
 and was looked up to for advice and assist- 
 ance by his neighbors and friends. Three 
 of his eight children died when young, and 
 those living are John W. , retired, and mak- 
 ing his home in Freeport; George; Sarah, 
 who resides with her mother in Freeport; 
 Louis, a well known Chicago attorney; and 
 Henry, who is engaged in the live stock 
 business in Pierre, South Dakota. 
 
 George Karcher was born on his father's 
 
320 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 homestead in Ridott township, Stephenson 
 county, July II, 1845. In his boyhood he 
 acquired a practical education in the dis- 
 trict schools, and on the farm he mastered 
 agriculture. After reaching his majority he 
 went to Logan county, where he cultivated 
 rented land for some time, and succeeded 
 in making a good start on the road to pros- 
 perity. In 1870 he came to this county 
 and bought a quarter-section of prairie land 
 in Tolono township. Here he instituted 
 substantial improvements and greatly in- 
 creased the value of the farm in various 
 ways until to-day it is considered one of the 
 best in this section of the county. As he 
 could afford it, he purchased other land, 
 until he now owns four hundred acres, sit- 
 uated on sections 21, 27 and 28. After 
 years of active and indefatigable work, he 
 determined to retire, as he had amassed an 
 ample competence, and since 1888 he has 
 dwelt in a pleasant home in the. village of 
 Tolono. He leases his farms and has the 
 income from a store in Freeport and four 
 cottages in Tolono, all of which he owns. 
 
 March n, 1869, was the date of the 
 marriage of George Karcher and Jane Stew- 
 art, who was born in Dumbartonshire, 
 Scotland, February 14, 1850, a daughter of 
 Charles and Mary (Griffin) Stewart, natives 
 of the land of heather. They came to Illi- 
 nois in 1858, settling on a farm in Pike 
 county, and later removed to Logan county. 
 Thence they went to Council Grove, Kan- 
 sas, where the father engaged in preaching 
 until shortly before his death. Three of 
 his six children died in infancy; James re- 
 sides in Texas, and Elizabeth is the wife of 
 M. Barber, of Decatur, Illinois. One son 
 and two daughters bless the union of our 
 subject and wife. Salome, born in Logan 
 county, in 1869, is the wife of F. W. Busey, 
 
 of Champaign, and they have one son, Earl. 
 William H., born in this county in 1871, 
 and now employed as clerk in a store in 
 Champaign, is married and has one child, 
 Eunice. Jemima, born December 7^ 1872, 
 married Edward Buckles, of Tolono, April 
 1 6, 1900. 
 
 Mr. Karcher has steadfastly adhered to 
 a determination which he formed early in 
 his career that he would not officiate in 
 public positions or accept political prefer- 
 ment. He is a loyal Republican and active 
 in every enterprise calculated to benefit this 
 community or the country at large. For 
 years he was a teacher in the Sunday- 
 school of the Tolono Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and his family are zealous workers 
 in the congregation. 
 
 AB. GLASCOCK, a prominent and in- 
 fluential citizen of St. Joseph, Illinois, 
 now serving as supervisor of his township, 
 is a worthy representative of an honored 
 pioneer family of Champaign county. His 
 father, Mahlon Glascock, was born in Fau- 
 quier county, Virginia, December 28, 1815, 
 and was of Scotch descent. His ancestors 
 were among the early Virginian colonists. 
 Moses and Rebecca (Bishop) Glascock, the 
 paternal grandparents of our subject were 
 both natives of the Old Dominion, and were 
 among the first settlers of Ross county, 
 Ohio, but after about one year's residence 
 there the grandfather died aged fifty-nine 
 years. His wife survived him many years, 
 dying in 1875. She possessed one of those 
 resolute, determined characters which the 
 early pioneer days developed. Some time 
 after the removal of the family to Ohio, 
 she returned to Virginia alone on horseback 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 32 r 
 
 to attend to the settlement of her father's 
 estate. Her horse died on the way, but she 
 procured another and proceeded on her 
 journey and accomplished her object. 
 
 Mahlon Glascock grew to manhood in 
 Ohio, and in Ross county was married, in 
 1845, to Miss Hester A. Jester, who was 
 born in Delaware, in 1826, and died in 
 Champaign county, Illinois, July 20, 1858. 
 By this union were born five sons, of whom 
 our subject is the oldest; Albert E. was a 
 soldier of the Civil war and died in 1865; 
 Aquilla, also one of the boys in blue during 
 the Rebellion, is now engaged in the imple- 
 ment business in Champaign; William died 
 in 1876; and Hanson, born in March, 1855, 
 died in July, 1859. In 1860 the father mar- 
 ried Miss Mary Gill, who died in the year 
 1862, and he was again married in 1865, his 
 third union being with Mrs. Mary Rankin, 
 nee Strong, widow of S. S. Rankin. By 
 this marriage he had four children: Grant, 
 who married Alta Swearingen, and resides 
 on a portion of his father's estate; Jesse R. , 
 who married Myrtle Curry, and is also en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits on a part of 
 the home farm; Lida, who married Allen 
 Hasty and resides on the old homestead; 
 and Alta, wife of John V. Swearingen, a 
 druggist and undertaker of St. Joseph, this 
 county. 
 
 In 1850 the father removed with his 
 family from Ross to Fayette county, Ohio, 
 where he remained until 1854. In 1844 he 
 first came west, walking to Cincinnati, a 
 distance of seventy miles from his home, 
 and there took a boat and proceeded down 
 the Ohio and up the Mississippi rivers to 
 Burlington, Iowa, whence he crossed the 
 country to Mt. Pleasant, that state, with the 
 view of selecting a location. He was well 
 pleased with that region and decided to 
 
 move west as soon as he could arrange his 
 affairs satisfactorily, but did not find that 
 opportunity until ten years later. In the 
 fall of 1854 he disposed of his Ohio prop- 
 erty, which had became quite valuable, and 
 with about five or six thousand dollars he 
 started west intending to go to Iowa, but on 
 reaching Champaign county, Illinois, he 
 was so favorably impressed with this sec- 
 tion that he concluded to go no further, and 
 bought five hundred and forty acres of land, 
 principally on sections 24 and 25, St. Joseph 
 township, which was his home the re- 
 mainder of his life. He immediately com- , 
 menced the cultivation and improvement of 
 the place, and soon converted it into one of 
 the finest farms of the locality. He car- 
 ried on the farm quite successfully up to 
 within about ten years of his death, when 
 our subject took charge of it, operating it 
 until 1895, when the estate was divided and 
 is still in possession of his children. In< 
 early days when there was plenty of range, 
 the father was quite extensively engaged in 
 stock raising, but later in life devoted his at- 
 tention principally to the raising of grain. 
 He was an ardent admirer of Henry Clay 
 and a stanch supporter of the Whig party 
 until its dissolution, when he became a Re- 
 publican. He cast his first presidential vote 
 for General Harrison, and attended the cel- 
 ebrated rally at Columbus, Ohio, in 1840, 
 during the log cabin and hard cider cam- 
 paign, going from Bainbridge to Chillicothe 
 by wagon and thence by canal boat to Co- 
 lumbus. His love for the old flag was deep 
 and sincere, and he was a most loyal and 
 patriotic citizen. He took quite an active 
 and prominent part in local affairs, and in 
 1860 he was elected to succeed Samuel 
 Rankin, the first supervisor elected after the 
 organization of St. Joseph township, and so. 
 
322 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 creditably did he fill that office that he was 
 re-elected, serving four consecutive terms. 
 From his youth he was an earnest member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and took 
 special interest in Sunday school work. 
 During the Civil war he contributed liber- 
 ally toward the support of war measures and 
 the families of those at the front. In pri- 
 vate life he was charitable and generous to 
 those whom he considered deserving, and 
 took especial satisfaction in assisting worthy 
 people to procure homes for themselves. 
 He died at his home in St. Joseph town- 
 ship, March 21, 1892, honored and re- 
 spected by all who knew him. 
 
 A. B. Glascock, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, was born in Ross county, Ohio, 
 and was but a child when the family came 
 to this county, traveling by wagon. His 
 boyhood and youth were passed upon his 
 father's farm in St. Joseph township, and 
 his education was acquired in the district 
 schools of the locality. On the 3Oth of Sep- 
 tember, 1 86 1, although only sixteen years 
 of age, he entered the Union army for service 
 in the Civil war, as a member of Company 
 E, Fifty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 and went to Camp Douglas, Chicago, De- 
 cember 24, and was mustered in. The regi- 
 ment was ordered to Cairo, February 14, 
 1862, and on the 2/th of that month crossed 
 the river to Camp Cullom. On the 4th of 
 March they went to Bertram, Missouri, and 
 from there to Sykestown and New Madrid. 
 They were in the engagement at Island No. 
 10, April 17; on the 8th pursued General 
 Michael and captured four thousand prison- 
 ers; on the 9th returned to New Madrid, and 
 on the nth embarked and proceeded down 
 the Mississippi river to Osceola, Arkansas, 
 disembarking at Hamburg Landing on the 
 1 7th. They participated in the battles of 
 
 Farmington and the siege of Corinth. On 
 the 4th of June they advanced to a point 
 near Baldwin, Miss., but fell back to Boon- 
 ville on the iith and encamped at Corinth, 
 June 14. On July 20 they left Big Spring 
 and marched to Tuscumbia, Alabama. The 
 regiment was assigned to guard the railroad 
 from Hillsboro to Decatur, and on the 24th 
 of August concentrated at the latter place, 
 and September 4 crossed the Tennessee river 
 and moved by way of Athens, Alabama, to 
 Nashville. November 6 they engaged in re- 
 pelling the attack of Breckenridge, Morgan 
 and Forrest. From September 1 1 to No- 
 vember 6 Nashville was cut off from com- 
 munication with the north and the troops 
 were on half rations; December 26 they 
 moved against the enemy under General 
 Bragg, and December 30 were in an engage- 
 ment. December 31 the Fifty-first was in 
 the thickest of the battle of Stone River and 
 lost fifty-seven men; January 6, 1863, they 
 moved three miles south of Murfreesboro 
 and encamped. On the 4th of March they 
 proceeded to Eagleville; on the 8th to Spring 
 Hill; on the loth reached Duck river; and 
 on the i ith crossed that stream on pontoons. 
 June 24th they moved down Shelbyville 
 Pike; on the 27th they marched to Beach's 
 Grove; July I entered Tullahoma; then pur- 
 sued the enemy to Elk river, Winchester 
 and Cowan, where they remained until the 
 9th. Ascending the mountains, they en- 
 camped on the summit, now the site of the 
 Southern University. They took part in the 
 battle of Chickamauga, September 19, where 
 he received a wound and was separated from 
 his regiment. They were also in the battle 
 of Missionary Ridge, November 24; and on 
 the 28th of November went to the relief of 
 Burnside at Knoxville. They veteranized 
 February 10, 1864, and on the I7th were 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 323 
 
 granted a veteran furlough. Returning to 
 the front, they entered upon the Atlanta 
 campaign, May 3; took part in the engage- 
 ment at Rocky Face Ridge, on the 9th; 
 Resaca on the Hth; the eleven days engage- 
 ment at Dallas; and the battles of Kenesaw 
 Mountain, June 27, and Peach Tree Creek, 
 July 20. They were in the siege of Atlanta, 
 and the skirmishes at Jonesboro and Love- 
 joy; the engagements at Spring Hill and 
 Franklin; the battle of Nashville, December 
 15 and 16; and then pursued the enemy to 
 Huntsville, Alabama. Later they went to 
 Texas, and at Camp Irwin, that state, were 
 mustered out September 25, 1865. On the 
 1 5th of October, 1865, they arrived at Camp 
 Butler, Illinois, where they were finally paid 
 off and discharged, after over four years of 
 arduousand faithful service on southern battle 
 fields. Mr. Glascock received two severe 
 wounds which incapacitated him for active 
 duty for some time, but he remained in the 
 service until January 16, 1865. 
 
 Returning home, he has since been act- 
 ively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He 
 lived with his father and carried on the 
 home farm until the settlement of the es- 
 tate, but for the past four years has resided 
 in the village of St. Joseph and rents his 
 farm. He is one of the most enterprising 
 and progressive men of the county, and his 
 practical knowledge and good business 
 judgment are appreciated by his associates. 
 In 1895 he was elected supervisor, and has 
 most ably and satisfactorily represented his 
 township on the county board for three con- 
 secutive terms. During the erection of the 
 new court house he was a member of the 
 committee on grounds and buildings. Pub- 
 lic-spirited and progressive, he is always in- 
 terested in any worthy enterprise for the 
 improvement or benefit of the community. 
 
 He is charitable and benevolent almost to a 
 fault, no worthy person or deserving cause 
 ever seeking his assistance in vain; and in 
 his office of supervisor the deserving appli- 
 cants for public assistance have become 
 well acquainted with this trait in his char- 
 acter. A man of pronounced character, he 
 has his likes and dislikes, and has the cour- 
 age of his convictions. Politically he is a 
 zealous advocate and supporter of the Re- 
 publican party and its principles; and relig- 
 iously, although not a member of any or- 
 ganization, his sympathy is with the church 
 of his parents the Methodist Episcopal 
 church to which he contributes liberally, 
 and was one of the foremost in building the 
 new church of that denomination in St. 
 Joseph. He is a Mason, a member of Og- 
 den Lodge, No. 754, F. & A. M.; Homer 
 Chapter, R. A. M. ; Urbana Commandery, 
 K. T. ; and Mohammed Temple, A. A. O. 
 N. M. S. , of Peoria. He is also an hon- 
 ored member of St. Joseph Post, No. 220, 
 G. A. R. 
 
 WILLIAM W. MUDGE. This well 
 known citizen of Homer needs no in- 
 troduction to the inhabitants of this locality 
 and to the residents of Champaign county 
 in general. By years of straightforward 
 dealing and correct business methods he has 
 won the confidence and esteem of every one 
 in commercial circles, and his popularity in 
 social and local circles is unquestioned. 
 
 Coming from fine old New England an- 
 cestry, Mr. Mudge possesses the sterling 
 traits of character and the keen business 
 ability for which the people of that section 
 are celebrated. He is a son of J. T. and 
 Mary E. (Gilman) Mudge, the former a 
 native of Connecticut, and the latter of 
 
324 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 New Hampshire. The father was a teacher 
 in Connecticut for some years, and was 
 married in Defiance, Ohio, where he dwelt 
 for a number of years. In 1838 he became 
 a pioneer of Carroll county, Indiana, there 
 engaging in merchandising until 1869, when 
 he located in Homer, and continued to 
 make his home here until his death, in 1885. 
 His widow departed this life in March, 1887, 
 and of their four children only two survive, 
 W. W. and E. T. , who is a druggist of this 
 place. 
 
 The nativity of W. W. Mudge occurred 
 in Carroll county, Indiana, November n, 
 1848. His common school education was 
 supplemented by a course in the Humiston 
 University, of Cleveland, Ohio, and after 
 his return home he became a clerk in the 
 general store of Robertson & Fairchild, in 
 Pittsburg, Indiana, remaining with them six 
 years. His next position was with C. T. 
 Hasbrook, a dry goods merchant of Cleve- 
 land, with whom he continued for a year, 
 then coming to Homer. Here the young 
 man engaged in agricultural pursuits for a 
 couple of years, after which he was in part- 
 nership with his brother, E. T. , in the drug 
 business, until 1880. That year witnessed his 
 embarkation in another venture, the hard- 
 ware business, in connection with which he 
 carried a full line of implements, farm 
 machinery, buggies and wagons. For twelve 
 years he prospered in this enterpise, but on 
 the 1 9th of March, 1892, his place of busi- 
 ness was destroyed by fire, and the small 
 amount of stock saved was sold by him to 
 Conkey Brothers. 
 
 As early as 1877, W. W. Mudge com- 
 menced his dealings in grain, but other busi- 
 ness interests occupied his chief attention 
 until 1884, when, in partnership with Mil- 
 mine, Bodman & Company, of Chicago, he 
 
 became extensively concerned in the buying 
 and sale of cereals. They have three head- 
 quarters in this county, one at Ogden, 
 another at Broadlands, and the third at 
 Homer. Here the immense corn-cribs 
 owned by the company have a capacity of 
 three hundred and eighty-five thousand, 
 six hundred bushels, while those at Ogden 
 hold one hundred and fifty thousand bushels 
 of corn. 
 
 In everything pertaining toi the good of 
 his community, Mr. Mudge has always taken 
 a vital interest. In 1888 the County Fair 
 Association was organized, and he was 
 made its president, as he was correctly 
 judged to be the most energetic and best 
 qualified man for that important office that 
 could be found. The splendid succegs which 
 he made of the fair is a matter of history and 
 needs no comment aside from the high 
 praise which he receives upon every hand. 
 Suffice it to say here, that he spared himself 
 no effort and worked indefatigably, expend- 
 ing as much care upon it as though it had been 
 a personal enterprise. With the exception 
 of some four years, when he declined to 
 serve, save as a director, he has been at the 
 head of the association since its inception. 
 He also has been largely responsible for the 
 success of the Homer Building & Loan As-, 
 sociation, of which he was the president for 
 seven years. 
 
 Another enterprise which may be at- 
 tributed to Mr. Mudge is that of the Masonic 
 building. In order to induce the local lodge 
 to build this structure, which was obviously 
 needed by them, he guaranteed the rent of 
 it and by his own persistence succeeded in 
 convincing the more conservative members. 
 The lower floor is occupied by the hardware 
 store of Conkey Brothers, the Citizens' 
 Bank and two offices, while above are the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 lodge-room, forty-six by forty-eight feet in 
 dimensions, together with a preparation 
 room, ante-room, property room, smoking 
 room, banquet hall and kitchen and pantry. 
 Mr. Mudge is highly esteemed in Masonic 
 circles, being affiliated with Homer Lodge, 
 No. 199, F. & A. M. ; Homer Chapter, No. 
 194, R. A. M.; Homer Council, of Homer; 
 Athelstan Commandery, No. 45, K. T., of 
 Danville; and Medinah Shrine, of Chicago. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has 
 taken an active part in the deliberations 
 of his party in county and state conventions 
 for many years. Though he has not been 
 desirous of holding public office, he has 
 been president of the village council, and a 
 member of the school board for years, at 
 present being president of the last-named 
 organization. 
 
 On the 2/th of May, 1875, Mr. Mudge 
 married Miss Miranda Head, a native of Eu- 
 gene, Indiana, and daughter of Francis and 
 Emeline (Lucas) Head, hsr father being the 
 proprietor of a woolen factory. Mrs. Mudge 
 is next to the youngest of eight children, and 
 by her marriage she is the mother of a son 
 and a daughter, namely: Gertrude E., a 
 student in the Homer high school, and Will- 
 iam F., who also is attending the town 
 schools. Mr. and Mrs. Mudge are mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church, and are 
 liberal contributors to religious and benevo- 
 lent work. 
 
 WILLIAM H. MORGAN. With per- 
 haps one exception, this sterling citi- 
 zen of Tolono has been longer engaged in 
 business here than any one, and has con- 
 tributed materially to the prosperity of the 
 town, in whose progress he has been vitally 
 interested for more than three decades. The 
 
 17 
 
 character of a town or community is largely 
 determined by the standing of its business 
 men, and in this respect Tolono has reason 
 to be grateful, as long as such citizens as the 
 subject of this article are at the head of her 
 enterprises. 
 
 He comes of some of the best families 
 of Kentucky, his father having been the 
 Hon. Woodson Morgan, who was born in 
 Nicholas county, that state, in 1804, and 
 his mother having been Elizabeth (Bruce) 
 Morgan, also of the Blue Grass state. The 
 father devoted his life to the management of 
 his farms, in addition to which he dealt in 
 live stock to some extent for several years. 
 In his own community he was held in high 
 esteem, looked up to and consulted in im- 
 portant matters. Prominent in the affairs 
 of the Democratic party, he was elected to 
 the Legislature of his state, where he served 
 for two years. In the spring of 1858 he re- 
 moved with his family to Champaign county, 
 and began the cultivation of a farm in Crit- 
 tenden township. The township had not 
 yet been organized, and he it was who sug- 
 gested the name. In 1882 he retired to- 
 spend the remainder of his days in quiet and 
 rest from labor, his home being in Tolono. 
 He passed to his reward in 1885, mourned 
 by a large circle of friends. His first wife 
 had died in 1853, and he afterwards married 
 again. 
 
 William H. Morgan, who was born irr 
 Fleming county, Kentucky, December 28,. 
 1835, is the eldest of his father's family. 
 John, who is retired from business, is a resi- 
 dent of Lexington, Kentucky. Ellen, wife of 
 Dr. ]. F. Fleming, lives in Fleming county, 
 Kentucky. George B., whose home was in 
 Bradford, Pennsylvania, died in 1896, in 
 Texas, whither he had gone on business. 
 James M., who was a farmer of Adams- 
 
326 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 county, Illinois, is deceased. Anna, wife of 
 A. Denman, of Leadville, Colorado. Mon- 
 roe is a prosperous farmer of Kansas. 
 
 In the common schools of his native 
 county, William H. Morgan received a 
 liberal education. He became proficient in 
 agriculture on the parental farm, and after 
 reaching his majority settled upon a tract of 
 eighty acres in Crittenden township, Cham- 
 paign county, which place he owned and im- 
 proved. He also engaged in buying and 
 selling live stock and grain, and of late years 
 has been the only shipper of stock from this 
 point. He controls the major portion of 
 the local grain trade, as well, and though he 
 has met with some serious reverses rever- 
 ses which would have completely discour- 
 aged many a man he has steadily per- 
 severed, and has wrested success from what 
 was well-nigh defeat, at times. Thrice his 
 : grain elevators have been destroyed by fire, 
 and the one he now manages stands on the 
 site of two others which were burned to the 
 ground. He has not been an aspirant to 
 public office, though he has held a few local 
 positions which his neighbors urged him to 
 accept, and faithfully performed the duties 
 thus devolving upon him. 
 
 In 1 869 Mr. Morgan married Lucy Lowry, 
 likewise a native of Kentucky. They have 
 one child, a daughter, Florence W., who 
 married M. R. Sturtevant, a successful 
 attorney of Elmwood, Illinois. Thus our 
 subject and wife are left alone in their pleas- 
 ant home, but they have a host of sincere 
 friends and acquaintances, both here and 
 elsewhere. 
 
 ARTHUR R. STEWART, a most pro- 
 gressive and successful agriculturist, is 
 the owner of a fine farm of one hundred 
 
 and ninety acres of land on section 31, 
 Somer township, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois. His methods of farm management 
 show scientific knowledge combined with 
 sound, practical judgment, and the results 
 show that "high class" farming as an oc- 
 cupation can be made profitable as well as 
 pleasant. 
 
 Mr. Stewart was born in Ross county, 
 Ohio, July 25, 1855, and is of Scotch de- 
 scent. His father, S. G. Stewart, was born 
 in New York state, in 1816, and in early 
 life removed with his parents to Ohio, where 
 he was reared upon a farm, obtaining a 
 limited education in the country schools 
 near his home. The grandfather of our 
 subject and his sons all espoused the pro- 
 slavery principles in politics and became 
 connected with the "underground rail- 
 road" prior to the Civil war, assisting a 
 colored man, who had escaped from thral- 
 dom in the slave state, to a place of safety 
 across the border in Canada. In 1856 
 three of the sons, S. G., J. P. and H. C. , 
 came to Illinois, and located on adjoining 
 farms in Champaign county. They were 
 accompanied by their father, who died in 
 this state at the age of sixty-eight years. S. 
 G. Stewart, the father of our subject, oper- 
 ated his farm for many years. For some 
 time he spent the winter months in Cham- 
 paign and the summer season upon the 
 farm, but finally located permanently in the 
 city, where he died in 1888, at the age of 
 seventy-two years. Politically he was a 
 strong Republican and opposed to the liquor 
 traffic. For many years he served as school 
 director in his district and did all in his 
 power to advance the cause of education. 
 In religious belief he was a Congregational- 
 ist. taking an active part in all church work, 
 and serving as deacon for many years. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 At the age of twenty-three years S. G. 
 Stewart was united in marriage with Miss 
 Jane Evans, a native of Highland county, 
 Ohio, who died in 1867, at the age of 
 forty-seven years. She, too, was a con- 
 sistent member of the Congregational 
 church, and a most estimable lady. Some 
 years after her death he married Miss Mar- 
 garet Cloyd, also a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. She died in November, 
 1875. By the first union there were ten 
 children who grew to man and womanhood: 
 (i) Esther is now the wife of T. Hunt, of 
 Chicago. (2) William was one of the brave 
 boys who was called upon to sacrifice his 
 life on the altar of his country during the 
 Civil war. He enlisted in Company I, 
 Twenty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 and was in a few skirmishes but no hard 
 fought battles. After serving over a year, 
 he was taken ill and sent to a hospital in 
 Memphis, Tennessee, where he died at the 
 age of twenty-two years. (3) Martha, de- 
 ceased, was the wife of S. I. Burrill, now 
 a resident of the state of Washington. (4) 
 Lida married Frank Fillmore and moved to 
 Monticello, Minnesota, where both died. 
 
 (5) A. J. is keeping house for our subject 
 on the old homestead in Somer township. 
 
 (6) Maggie died at the age of twenty-two 
 years. (7) Robert wedded Mary Burrill, 
 and is engaged in farming in Oregon. (8) 
 Emma is the wife of George H. Lyman, of 
 Fort Smith, Arkansas. (9) Arthur R. , our 
 subject, is next in order of birth. (10) 
 Walter X. married Carrie Burrill, and fol- 
 lows farming in Shelby county, Nebraska. 
 
 After attending the public schools of his 
 county for some years Arthur R. Stewart 
 entered the State University, where he 
 pursued his studies for two years. On the 
 completion of his education he turned his 
 
 attention to agricultural pursuits, and has 
 since carried on general farming and stock 
 raising with marked success. For the past 
 few years he has made a specialty of fruit 
 growing, and now raises large quantities of 
 various kinds of fruit for which he finds a 
 ready market in the twin cities of Cham- 
 paign and Urbana. He also gives consid- 
 erable attention to the raising of poultry. 
 He heartily endorses the principles of the 
 Republican party, but takes no active part 
 in political affairs aside from voting, 'pre- 
 ferring to give his undivided attention to his 
 business interests. He served as assessor, 
 however, for one term. Fraternally, he is 
 a member of Twin City Tent, No. 168, K. 
 O. T. M. , and religiously is a member of the 
 Congregational church, to which the family 
 all belong. 
 
 FL. & C. W. DALE, editors and pro- 
 prietors of the St. Joseph Record, are 
 well known throughout eastern Illinois and 
 western Indiana, as well as in Champaign 
 county,. and it is almost unnecessary to add 
 that their reputation, both as journalists 
 and as business men and public spirited citi- 
 zens, is of the best. The following outline 
 .of their careers may be of interest to many 
 of their friends here and elsewhere. 
 
 Moses Dale, the paternal grandfather of 
 these gentlemen, was one of the earliest 
 settlers in this county, coming here, as he 
 did, in 1847. His former home was in the 
 Buckeye state, but from 1847 until his 
 death he was thoroughly identified with the 
 development of this region. His son, 
 Thomas, father of F. L. and C. W. Dale, 
 was born March 19, 1834, in Ohio, and 
 there spent thirteen years of his life. Since 
 then he has been associated with the up- 
 
328 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 building and progress of Champaign county, 
 and to-day is numbered among the well-to- 
 do and influential agriculturists of Mahomet 
 township. Having abundant means for his 
 declining years, he has practically retired 
 from active labors. For many years he has 
 been an official member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and always has liberally 
 supported religious and charitable move- 
 ments. His estimable wife, who shared his 
 pioneer labors and was a devoted helpmate, 
 departed this life in 1883. She bore the 
 maiden name of Mary E. Meade, and was a 
 daughter of John and Ann Meade, natives 
 of New Jersey. 
 
 F. L. and C. W. Dale obtained their 
 initial experience as newspaper publishers 
 in Hebron, Indiana, where they published 
 the Hebron News and Kouts (Indiana) 
 Banner. They spent their early boyhood 
 days amidst the healthful surroundings of 
 country life, and early learned lessons of 
 industry and integrity which have been the 
 foundation of their success. For the past 
 eleven years F. L. Dale has devoted his 
 whole attention to his present line of busi- 
 ness, working in various capacities in towns 
 of Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Missouri. 
 Rising, step by step, to more important po- 
 sitions, he served as foreman and manager 
 of several newspapers, thus thoroughly 
 equipping himself for his chosen life-work. 
 The St. Joseph Record, which was estab- 
 lished by J. A. Noble in 1894, was turned 
 over to the Dale Brothers in October, 1897, 
 and under their able management has con- 
 tinued to prosper. The Record is a six- 
 column paper, devoted to the progress of 
 the county and this immediate locality. In 
 concise manner all of the news of the day 
 and of matters pertaining to this vicinity are 
 given, and no space is afforded to party dis- 
 
 cussions, as the paper is strictly non-par- 
 tisan. On its pages appear many keen,, 
 crisp articles and editorials, written in a 
 distinctly humorous vein, which are highly 
 appreciated by the public. The circulation 
 is increasing in a gratifying degree, and 
 there is every indication that the Record has 
 come to stay, for it fills a void hitherto un- 
 occupied. Conscientious efforts on the part 
 of the proprietors to make this a first-class 
 local journal are now meeting with just re- 
 ward, and it is safe to prophesy a brilliant 
 future, both for the paper and for the young 
 men who stand at the head of the enter- 
 prise. 
 
 The Dale brothers are widely known for 
 their musical talent, as well as for their 
 journalistic ability, and for a decade they 
 have been proficient members of a brass 
 band. C. W. Dale has acquired special 
 distinction during the past seven years as 
 an instructor and leader of bands, and is- 
 considered one of the best cornet players in 
 this section of the state. He added to his 
 already bright laurels by the composition of 
 what is known as the "Company M, Fourth 
 Illinois," March and Two-step, dedicated to 
 the brave soldier boys of that company, 
 who saw service in Cuba, and upon the last 
 page of the printed sheet the names of all 
 members of the company are given. The 
 arrangement of this march for the piano 
 was published by the Dale Brothers in St. 
 Joseph, in July, 1899, and the copyrighted 
 arrangement of the same, for the use of 
 bands, made such an immediate hit that it 
 was promptly purchased by H. E. McMil- 
 len, of Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
 Socially, the brothers are very popular, 
 and have hosts of friends wherever they are 
 known. C. W. Dale is a member of the 
 Odd Fellows' order and is identified with. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 329 
 
 the Tribe of Ben Hur, while F. L. Dale is 
 connected with the Knights of Pythias and 
 with the Tribe of Ben Hur also. They 
 were reared in the tenets of the Republican 
 party, and, personally, vote for the nom- 
 inees and principles of that political body. 
 
 JOHN H. ALPERS, M. D., a prominent 
 homeopathic physician of Rantoul, 
 Champaign county, Illinois, is a native of 
 Hanover, Germany, born June 10, 1836, 
 and is a son of Henry and Mary (Miller) 
 Alpers, also natives of Germany, where the 
 father, a mason by trade, died when our 
 subject was about fourteen years of age. 
 In 1859 the mother came to America and 
 located in Wyandot county, Ohio, where 
 she had two sons and a daughter living, and 
 where she died in 1861. Our subject has 
 two brothers: Christ, a mason of Danville, 
 Illinois; and Frederick, a homeopathic phy- 
 sician of St. Louis, Missouri; but his only 
 sister, Elizabeth, wife of Christ Walter, 
 a dairyman of Danville, Illinois, died in 
 that place, leaving four children. 
 
 Dr. Alpers, of this review, was educated 
 in the public schools of his native land 
 and in the Gymnasium of Hanover, from 
 which institution he was graduated, and 
 later took a three years' course at the Med- 
 ical College of Anhalt Gothen, a small prov- 
 ince of Germany. After receiving his di- 
 ploma from that college he came to the 
 United States in 1860, and began the prac- 
 tice of his profession in Wyandot county, 
 Ohio, where he remained until 1865. Dur- 
 ing that year he moved to Danville, Illinois, 
 where he soon built up a large practice, re- 
 maining there a little over five years. He 
 next came to Champaign county and pur- 
 chased a farm in East Bend township, 
 
 which he operated in connection with the 
 practice of medicine for about four years, 
 when he moved to the village of Rantoul, 
 where he has since successfully engaged in 
 practice, and is now the leading homeopathic 
 physician of the place. He has his office 
 in his residence on Penfield street. 
 
 On the 1 5th of April, 1860, Dr. Alpers 
 was married in Hanover, Germany, to Miss 
 Christina Klages, a native of that city, and 
 to them were born seven children, as fol- 
 lows: Jennie, born in Wyandot county, 
 Ohio, is now the wife of Henry Steffler, a 
 dry goods merchant of Rantoul, and vice- 
 president of the First National Bank of 
 that place; Louisa, born in the same county, 
 is the wife of Herbert West, president of 
 the First National Bank of Rantoul;. Will- 
 iam, born in Vermilion county, Illinois, 
 died at the age of two months; Louis, born 
 in Vermilion county, married Ada Kennady, 
 and is a farmer of Rantoul; Mary, born in 
 the same county, is the wife of William La 
 Fallett, a stock buyer of Rantoul; Maude 
 C. , born in this county, is clerking in Stef- 
 fler's dry goods store and resides at home; 
 Charles, born in Champaign county, died at 
 the age of six months. 
 
 As a physician Dr. Alpers ranks among 
 the ablest in this section of the county, 
 and his skill and ability being widely recog- 
 nized he enjoys a large and lucrative prac- 
 tice. He is also one of the prominent and 
 influential citizens of Rantoul, and has been 
 called upon to serve two terms as president 
 of the village, being elected to that office 
 in 1893 and again in 1895. In his political 
 views he is a Democrat, and in religious be- 
 lief is a Methodist. Fraternally he is a 
 member of the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of 
 America. 
 
330 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 WILLIAM A. MURPHY .is one of the 
 leading business men and politicians 
 of Tolono, and has long been recognized as 
 one of the loyal, progressive citizens of this 
 place. His influence has always been cast 
 on the side of improvement and advance- 
 ment along all lines, and to his genuine 
 ability and enthusiasm much of the pros- 
 perity of this place may be justly attributed. 
 
 He was born July 12, 1850, in Berkshire 
 county, Massachusetts, a son of Patrick 
 and Bridget (Lynch) Murphy, who were na- 
 tives of Ireland. They emigrated to Ameri- 
 ca about 1828, and at first resided in Colum- 
 bia county, New York, later moving across 
 the state line into Berkshire county, Massa- 
 chusetts. The father was accidentally killed 
 by a runaway team about 1860, but his wid- 
 ow survived until 1892. Three of their sev- 
 en children are living at this writing, name- 
 ly: Mary, widow of John Connor, of Ran- 
 toul, Illinois; William A., and James H., 
 whose home is in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. 
 
 William A. Murphy received a common- 
 school education in his native county, and 
 later was graduated in the Lebanon (New 
 York) high school. In 1868 he was gradu- 
 ated in the Poughkeepsie Business College, 
 and in 1870 he came to Illinois. For about a 
 year he made his home with his married sis- 
 ter in Rantoul, and taught school for a few 
 terms, also giving some time to agriculture. 
 In the winter of 1871 he pursued a course 
 of study at the Normal, after which he again 
 took charge of a school, in order to obtain 
 the means for further education. He final- 
 ly completed the course he had undertaken 
 in the Normal in the fall of 1873, and com- 
 ing to Tolono taught school for nine terms, 
 to the entire satisfaction of everyone con-, 
 cerned. - By economy and strict attention 
 to business, he managed to lay aside some 
 
 means, and in 1880 he embarked in the 
 grocery business in company with James 
 Stephenson. In September of the follow- 
 ing year he assumed the management of the 
 entire business, and succeeded in building 
 up an extensive and lucrative trade. 
 
 At an early day in his career, Mr. Mur- 
 phy came before the public as a wide-awake 
 politician, and strong advocate of the Dem- 
 ocratic party. His numerous friends hon- 
 ored him with various local positions, and 
 at one time or another, he has occupied 
 about all of the township offices, with the 
 exception of supervisor, for which he was a 
 nominee, though not elected. In 1884 he 
 was a candidate for county superintendent 
 of schools. Two years later he was his 
 party's nominee for the Legislature, before 
 the senatorial convention, and was defeated 
 by only one ballot. In 1897 he was nom^ 
 inated for the office of circuit clerk by his 
 indefatigable Democratic friends, but, as 
 usual, the Republicans carried the day. 
 In the spring of 1900 he served as chairman 
 of the Demcocratic county convention and 
 the delegates to the congressional conven- 
 tion were instructed to vote for him for 
 member of the state board of equali- 
 zation. His popularity is undoubted, and his 
 good nature in thus . allowing his name to 
 be used, even when defeat seems a foregone 
 conclusion, is something remarkable and 
 praiseworthy. His friends are importunate, 
 and feel certain that his financial ability, 
 rare judgment and devotion to the policy 
 to which he has loyally pledged himself 
 will, sooner or later, find fitting recognition 
 from the public. 
 
 Since casting in his lot with the people, 
 of Tolono he has been a firm believer in the 
 bright future of the town, and has spared 
 no effort to promote its interests. At the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 time when the matter of putting in the city 
 water-works was being agitated here he 
 was a member of the council, and visited 
 other places, inspecting the systems in use. 
 After making a thorough study of the sub- 
 ject, he presented plans and specifications 
 for the plant now in working order, and 
 after a year's delay and considerable opposi- 
 tion the citizens adopted his ideas, and are 
 sincerely pleased with the result. When 
 the Tolono Building & Loan Association was 
 incorporated he was one of the organizers 
 of the company, which has grown and 
 flourished until it ranks with -the leading 
 ones of the state. Since its organization he 
 has been one of the directors and also served 
 as president and vice-president. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Murphy married Miss Mary 
 
 O'Brien, who was born and reared in Tolono. 
 
 t 
 
 She was a lady of education and refinement, 
 and when death claimed her, on the I4th of 
 January, 1885, her loss was felt to be almost 
 a public one in this community. She left 
 one daughter, Mary Gertrude, who gradu- 
 ated in the Tolono high school in the class 
 of 1899. She is keeping house for her 
 father, and is very popular with young and 
 old, and loved for her amiable disposition. 
 
 O AMUEL GRAVES, of Rantoul, Illinois, 
 O is well known as a successful educator 
 through several years of faithful and effi- 
 cient service. Although he has recently re- 
 tired from the profession, his work will not 
 be readily forgotten by the many who have 
 been helped by him in the steep and some- 
 times weary path of knowledge, and his 
 former pupils consider him one of the very 
 best teachers ever employed in the village. 
 He is now devoting his time and attention 
 to the dairy business. 
 
 A native of Illinois, he was born in Del- 
 evan, Tazewell county, February 14, 1863, 
 and is a son of Samuel and Hannah Graves. 
 The father, who was a native of Massachu- 
 setts, spent his entire life as a teacher. On 
 coming to Illinois in 1852, he located in 
 Tazewell county, and for a number of years 
 taught school at Fremont. He died Novem- 
 ber 28, 1891, and his widow now makes her 
 home with our subject in Rantoul. 
 
 Mr. Graves, of this review, remained in 
 Delevan until twenty-six years of age, at- 
 tending the district and high schools, and 
 later teaching in the district schools of that 
 county for eight years. In 1888 he came to 
 Champaign county, and accepted the posi- 
 tion of teacher in the grammar department 
 of the public schools of Rantoul, with which 
 he was connected for ten years. On sever- 
 ing his connection with the schools in the 
 fall of 1898, he at once turned his attention 
 to the dairy business and farming. He 
 owns and operates a well improved farm 
 of one hundred and sixty acres on section 
 10, Ludlow township, but leaves its culti- 
 vation largely to a competent man in his 
 employ, while he devotes his energies to the 
 dairy business. 
 
 On the 2Oth of June, 1895, Mr. Graves 
 was united in marriage with Miss Isabella 
 Thompson, daughter of T. J. Thompson, 
 of Rantoul, and they now have two children: 
 Samuel, born August 23, 1896; and Harold, 
 born June 21, 1897. Religiously Mr. Graves 
 is a member of the Methodist church, and 
 socially belongs to the Modern Woodmen 
 of America, the Masonic fraternity, the 
 Eastern Star Chapter, and the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has 
 filled all the chairs. His political support 
 is always given the men and measures of 
 the Republican party, and he has been 
 
332 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 called upon to serve as member of the vil- 
 lage board two years, and as president of 
 the same one year, during which time he 
 was instrumental in having the village 
 lighted by electricity and in making many 
 other improvements. He is public spirited 
 and progressive, and takes an active interest 
 in any enterprise calculated to prove of 
 public benefit. 
 
 HON. JAIRUS CORYDON SHELDON. 
 There are in every community men of 
 great force of character and exceptional 
 ability, who become recognized as foremost 
 citizens, and bear a most important part in 
 the development and progress of the local- 
 ity with which they are connected. Such a 
 man is Mr. Sheldon, of Urbana, who has 
 been prominently identified with the inter- 
 ests of Champaign county for almost half a 
 century. 
 
 He was born in Clarence, Erie county, 
 New York, November 2, 1827, and is a son 
 of Corydon and Eunice (Brown) Sheldon, 
 natives of New York and Vermont, respect- 
 ively. Losing his father when only a year 
 old, the mother was married a year later to 
 H. W. Cunningham, and when our subject 
 was six years of age the family removed to 
 Huron county, Ohio, where he spent the 
 years of his childhood upon a new forest 
 farm, aiding in the various duties of the 
 same. When twenty-one he apprenticed 
 himself to the ship carpenter's trade at 
 Huron, Ohio, and for about four years fol- 
 lowed that occupation there and at Milan, 
 Cleveland and Buffalo, becojming proficient 
 in the work. Often when a craft had been 
 completed, he shipped as one of the sailors 
 for a season, and thus became something of 
 a seaman. 
 
 Mr. Sheldon received such an education 
 as the common schools of his day and local- 
 ity afforded, and later spent several terms in 
 an academy at Berea, Ohio, where he en- 
 joyed better opportunities than he had been 
 provided with in earlier life. In the autumn 
 of 1852 he went to Vermillion county, In- 
 diana, where he taught school for one year, 
 and then, being pleased with the country, 
 he settled in Champaign county, Illinois, 
 which has since been his home. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Sheldon was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Eunice M. Mead, of Clarks- 
 field. Ohio, and by this union were born five 
 children, but only one is now living, Nellie, 
 wife of Rev. C. B. Taylor, presiding elder 
 of Bloomington district. Their eldest son, 
 C. C. Sheldon, died in 1891, at about the 
 age of thirty-six years, greatly lamented by 
 his fellow-citizens of every class in Urbana 
 the family home. 
 
 During his early residence here Mr. Shel- 
 don began to invest in the rich lands of 
 Champaign county, having great faith in 
 them, when others predicted that they would 
 never be all settled. This wise policy has 
 resulted in his now being the' owner of more 
 than one thousand acres of land, divided 
 into productive farms. His faith in the lo- 
 cality has been more than realized, while 
 others, doubting, have failed. 
 
 Before leaving Ohio Mr. Sheldon spent 
 about a year in the office of an attorney, 
 studying law, a profession he had long de- 
 sired to follow. After coming to Illinois, he 
 renewed his studies in the office of Colonel 
 Coler, one of Champaign county's pioneer 
 lawyers, and after the requisite term and 
 examination was admitted to practice in all 
 of the courts of the state by a license issued 
 by the supreme court. He followed the pro- 
 fession for several years in partnership with 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 335 
 
 his preceptor, Colonel Coler, and afterward 
 with Frank G. Jaques, also of Urbana, but 
 in 1866 he retired, desiring to devote his 
 time and energies to the real estate busi- 
 ness, which he has since followed. His 
 practice as a lawyer often brought him in 
 contact with Abraham Lincoln, of whom he 
 was a great admirer, and with whom he was 
 often associated in cases. 
 
 Mr. Sheldon was reared in the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church and fully believes in 
 its doctrines, having been a consistent mem- 
 ber of the same for thirty-five years. He 
 has contributed most liberally to its support 
 and to the support of all its many benev- 
 olences in the meantime. In 1 893 his church 
 society seriously needing more and better 
 facilities for public worship, and after 
 months of fruitless effort in trying to raise 
 the necessary amount to build a new church, 
 Mr. Sheldon proposed to the trustees that 
 he and his wife would erect the walls and 
 put upon it the roof contemplated by the 
 plans already adopted, leaving the balance 
 of the work to be done by the subscription 
 already taken, provided only that they be 
 permitted to place within the same a tablet 
 with the name of their deceased and much 
 mourned son, Clarence, as a memorial of 
 his life spent in the business circles of Ur- 
 bana. The proposition was gladly and 
 thankfully accepted by the board of trustees, 
 and the plan was fully carried out within 
 the next few months at an expense to Mr. 
 Sheldon of ten thousand dollars, and greatly 
 to the gratification of the church which has 
 ever since enjoyed one of the neatest places 
 of worship in the state. The following quo- 
 tation is taken from the report of the secre- 
 tary and treasurer of the board of trustees of 
 the church, made at the dedication of the 
 new church, March 25, 1894: "As to the 
 
 chairman of the committee, no parent could 
 have been more devoted to a loving child 
 than he to his work. No day so hot, no 
 day so cold or stormy but that he could be 
 found on this ground in the thickest of the 
 dust and grime, watching the placing of 
 every stone, brick and timber from the 
 foundation to the steeple top, from the door- 
 steps to the pulpit. A full year has been 
 spent by him in this work, to him a labor of 
 love as well as of duty. Every department, 
 from furnace to belfry, has been scanned by 
 his ever watchful eye. Not only has he 
 given his undivided time and attention to 
 this enterprise, freely, but has contributed 
 liberally of his means and made it possible 
 for this edifice to be erected and enjoyed by 
 this community. 
 
 ' While we recognize the fact that many 
 others made sacrifices just as great as he, 
 by paying their single dollars to this cause, 
 yet the fact remains that to him more than 
 to any other are we indebted for this beau- 
 tiful temple of worship. It was he who 
 made the undertaking possible when failure 
 stared us in the face for the want of funds. 
 Fortunate, indeed, were we to have one in 
 our society possessed of means and a dispo- 
 sition to use them for the benefit of the 
 Methodist church in Urbana. No towering 
 monument, however high or costly, erected 
 in the city of the dead, could ever speak or 
 record the noble impulses of a generous 
 heart as this temple does, standing in the 
 city of the living. This society appreciates 
 this generous act, and coming generations 
 that will worship here in future years will 
 rise up and bless the name of Bro. J. C. 
 Sheldon and his noble wife." 
 
 Mr. Sheldon cast his first presidential 
 vote for General Zachary Taylor on the day 
 he was twenty-one years of age. He allied 
 
336 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 himself with the Republican party upon its 
 organization and voted for all of its candi- 
 dates up to and including James G. Elaine, 
 in 1884, but since then has acted with the 
 Prohibition party from a high sense of duty 
 to God and humanity. Upon that ticket he 
 ran for Congress in 1888. 
 
 In November, 1870, at the first election 
 after the adoption of the constitution of that 
 year, he was chosen as a Republican mem- 
 ber of the Twenty-seventh General Assem- 
 bly, from the Champaign district, Hon. R. 
 C. Wright, of Homer, being his colleague. 
 Soon after his election, the regent and trus- 
 tees of the Illinois Industrial University, 
 located near his home in Urbana, needing 
 more and better buildings, began to plan 
 for an appropriation from the Legislature for 
 the construction of a main university build- 
 ing, contemplating the erection of a building 
 two hundred and twenty-five feet by one 
 hundred feet, and four stories in height with 
 a basement. They also wanted a mechan- 
 ical and drill hall, together with liberal 
 appropriations for machinery and apparatus, 
 the maximum sum running up to many 
 thousand dollars, much more than the Legis- 
 lature had ever appropriated to any state 
 institution. The burden of securing this 
 appropriation naturally fell upon the local 
 member, and without any previous expe- 
 rience or tact in legislative matters, Mr. 
 Sheldon bravely assumed the responsibility. 
 He was expected to take the lead in intro- 
 ducing and managing the bills, and to push 
 them to a final passage. The senate con* 
 sisted of fifty members, the house of one 
 hundred and fifty-six, making it necessary to 
 have seventy-nine affirmative votes to pass 
 a bill in the house. At that time the state 
 house, the Southern Normal and the insane 
 asylums at Elgin and Anna were being built, 
 
 besides large expenditures upon other state 
 buildings, making in all enormous sums for 
 public institutions. In the midst of it all 
 came the effort of Peoria, with a big follow- 
 ing, to arrest the work upon the new state 
 building at Springfield and remove it to the 
 bluffs at Peoria. To stand in with all these 
 interests in such a way as to retain the sup- 
 port of the members, or at least not provoke 
 their opposition to the university bill, was a 
 problem that required wise and constant 
 effort on the' part of Mr. Sheldon. At that 
 time the university had but little to show 
 when a committee from the legislature visit- 
 ed the institution. A three-story brick 
 building which had been donated to the 
 state by Champaign county, and which has 
 since been torn down, and a two-story 
 frame building constituted the mechanical 
 department. There was a small board 
 stable for the veterinary department, with a 
 fairly good frame barn out on the farm. 
 These compared with the magnificent group 
 of buildings now occupied by the university 
 were a mere nothing. The bill met with 
 opposition from many, indifference from 
 others and cordial support from a good num- 
 ber. At last, after various references, 
 mostly for delay and amendments, the final 
 vote was reached in April, 1871, and the bill 
 passed by the hard and earnest work of its 
 friends, led by Mr. Sheldon. It had passed 
 the senate several weeks before. 
 
 Mr. Sheldon was elected to the senate 
 in November, 1872, for a period of four 
 years, serving through two sessions as a 
 member of the upper branch of the General 
 Assembly. During the first session further 
 appropriations were made to complete the 
 buildings before named and to make other 
 important improvements. The total appro- 
 priations for buildings secured by Mr. Shel- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 337 
 
 don for the university during his legislative 
 career aggregated one hundred and sev- 
 enty-five thousand dollars. During these 
 sessions and the one in the house, an entire 
 revision of the statute was made to conform 
 to the provisions of the new constitution. 
 In the passage of these amendments he took 
 a prominent part, and they are still the law 
 of the state. Throughout his life Mr. Shel- 
 don has been actuated by noble, yet practi- 
 cal principles, and has been of important 
 service to his fellow citizens through various 
 avenues of usefulness. His career has ever 
 been such as to warrant the trust and confi- 
 dence of the business world, for he has ever 
 conducted all transactions on the strictest 
 principles of honor and integrity, and his 
 devotion to the public good is unquestioned, 
 arising from a sincere interest in the welfare 
 of his fellow men. 
 
 JACOB R. DILLING, who is now living a 
 retired life in the village of St. Joseph, 
 Champaign county, Illinois, needs no special 
 introduction to the readers of this volume, 
 but the work would be incomplete without 
 the record of his life. Until recently he was 
 actively identified with the agricultural in- 
 terests of the county, arid he has ever borne 
 a prominent part in its upbuilding and prog- 
 ress. His name is a synonym for honorable 
 business dealing, and he is always mentioned 
 as one of the invaluable citizens of his com- 
 munity. 
 
 Mr. Dilling was born in Greenfork, In- 
 diana, March 20, 1852, and is a son of 
 George Dilling, a native of Pennsylvania. 
 The paternal grandfather, Jacob Dilling, 
 was also a Pennsylvanian by birth, and mar- 
 ried Susannah Hoover, of that state. About 
 
 1827 they moved to Wayne county, Indiana, 
 of which they were pioneers, and which con- 
 tinued to be their home until called from 
 this life. The grandfather was a large land 
 owner, having three thousand acres of land 
 in that county, and through life gave his at- 
 tention to farming and stock raising. In his 
 family were fourteen children, of whom 
 twelve reached maturity, namely: George, 
 the father of our subject, was the oldest; 
 Henry, who died January 17, 1900, was a 
 resident of Hagerstown, Indiana, and 
 an active member of the Dunkard church, 
 with which he was prominently identified 
 throughout life; David came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, in 1852, enlisted in the 
 Twentieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry dur- 
 ing the Civil war, and lost his life in the ser- 
 vice; William died in Hagerstown, Indiana, 
 at the age of twenty-four years; John died 
 at the age of ten years; Daniel died in 
 Hagerstown at the age of thirty-two. 
 
 George Dilling, the father of our subject, 
 wasten years of age when the family removed 
 to Indiana, where he grew to manhood and 
 married Miss Margaret Rhodes, a native of 
 Darmstadt, Germany, who came to this 
 country when a child of seven years with 
 her half brother, John H. Nagle, who was two 
 years younger. They were orphans and were 
 broughtto the United Statesby friends. They 
 were then bound out and reared in Wayne 
 county, Indiana. When about twenty-one 
 years of age Mr. Nagle went to Washington 
 territory, where he took up a quarter-section 
 of land. He "kept up communications with 
 his sister until 1864, when these ceased, and 
 no trace of him could be found until 1893, 
 when it was learned that he had been an in- 
 mate of an insane asylum for twenty years. 
 The land he entered is now in the heart of 
 Seattle and very valuable. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 After his marriage George Billing located 
 upon land received from his father, and re- 
 mained there until 1857, when with his fam- 
 ily of seven children he dame to Champaign 
 county, Illinois. While purchasing railroad 
 land on section 7, Somer township, he made 
 his home until 1875, in St. Joseph town- 
 ship, and during that time acquired five 
 hundred acres of valuable land, which he 
 then sold and removed to Macon county, 
 Illinois. There he bought one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land and to its cultivation and 
 improvement devoted his time and attention 
 until his death in 1882. He was an ener- 
 getic and progressive man, and in his under- 
 takings met with well-deserved success. In 
 connection with general farming he handled 
 a large amount of stock. Politically he was 
 first a Whig and later a Republican, and 
 religiously was a member of the German 
 Baptist church. His widow is still living 
 and now makes her home in Cerro Gordo, 
 Illinois. They had eleven children, all of 
 whom lived to maturity: Susannah, wife of 
 John B. Roe. of McPherson county, Kan- 
 sas; Mary, wife of Frank Bellows, of Marys- 
 ville, Missouri; Aaron, who was a member 
 of an Illinois regiment in the Civil war, and 
 died at a hospital in Murfreesboro, in 1864; 
 Sarah, deceased wife of A. W. Kirkpatrick, 
 of St. Joseph township, this county; Maria, 
 wife of J. L. Kuntz, of McPherson county, 
 Kansas; Jacob B., our subject; Lydia E., 
 wife of Frank C. Shode, of St. Joseph town- 
 ship, this county; John P., a resident of 
 Macon county, Illinois; Dollie, deceased 
 wife of William Doyle, of Marysville, Mis- 
 souri; Dora, wife of James Minick, who 
 lives on the old homestead in Macon county; 
 and George W T ., who is in the real estate 
 business in Seattle, Washington. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was a child 
 
 of five years when he accompanied his par- 
 ents on their removal to this county, and 
 upon the home farm he grew to manhood, 
 aiding in the labors of the farm during the 
 summer season and attending the common 
 schools of the neighborhood through the 
 winter months. On attaining his majority 
 his father gave him a team of horses, and 
 informed him that the world was before him 
 and told him to go in and win. For several 
 years thereafter he operated rented land. 
 
 On the 5th of September, 1875, Mr. 
 Dilling married Miss Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, 
 who was born July 23, 1856, in Champaign, 
 her parents, J. C. and Mary C. (Busey) 
 Kirkpatrick, being early settlers of the 
 county. At one time her father was the 
 owner of the site of Champaign, and 
 platted several additions to that city, which 
 now bear his. name. Our subject and his 
 wife are the parents of three children: 
 Mary, Clara and Lela. 
 
 After renting land for several years Mr. 
 Dilling bought a tract of forty acres on 
 section 4, St. Joseph township, which to- 
 gether with the one hundred and sixty acres 
 which his wife received from her father's 
 estate made a fine farm of two hundred 
 acres. He successfully engaged in agricult- 
 ural pursuits until his removal to the vil- 
 lage of St. Joseph in 1899, carrying on 
 stock raising as well as general farming. 
 His present home is one of the best resi- 
 dences in the place, being supplied with 
 hot water and all modern conveniences. 
 
 As a Republican Mr. Dilling takes quite 
 an influential part in local politics, and does 
 all in his power to advance the interests of 
 his party and insure its success. For twelve 
 consecutive years he has most efficiently 
 served as township commissioner, and he 
 cheerfully gives his support to those enter- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 339' 
 
 prises which tend to public development. 
 Fraternally he is a charter member of St. 
 Joseph's Camp, No. 222, M. W. A., and 
 has wisely provided for the future by taking 
 out policies in different life insurance com- 
 panies. He is a man of more than ordi- 
 nary intelligence and worth, is straightfor- 
 ward and honorable in all his dealings, and 
 is one of the most thoroughly respected 
 and honored citizens of St. Joseph. 
 
 HEMAN CHAFFEE, M. D. The pio- 
 neer physician has always been one of 
 the most important factors in American 
 civilization, and too much cannot be said in 
 his praise. Dr. Chaffee, now one of the 
 most venerable of the pioneers of Cham- 
 paign county, has the honor of being the 
 oldest citizen of Tolono, in years of contin- 
 uous residence, and few, if any, of the mem- 
 bers of his profession are more widely or 
 favorably known throughout this section of 
 the state. He takes great pleasure in re- 
 viewing the past, and in noting the great 
 changes which have taken place, changes 
 which have been for the better in nearly 
 every instance. In this respect he himself 
 d'eserves high credit, for in addition to at- 
 tending to the duties of his profession, he 
 set an example of progress and enterprise 
 which was emulated by many of his neigh- 
 bors. 
 
 Now in his eighty-fourth year, Dr. Chaf- 
 fee was born in Rutland county, Vermont, 
 June 18, 1816, the second son of Simeon 
 and Fanny (Pearsons) Chaffee, natives of 
 Massachusetts. The father was born in 
 Rehobeth village in 1772, and departed this 
 life in August, 1859, his wife following him 
 to the grave in the following October. They 
 
 were thrifty farmers, and passed nearly all 
 of their married life in the Green Mountain 
 state. Simeon Chaffee had previously been 
 married and had nine children by that 
 union, but all of that family have entered 
 the silent land. Warren, his eldest child 
 by the second marriage, died in the midst 
 of an active career. A little daughter died 
 in infancy, and Susan lived until 1897. 
 Christopher is deceased, and Nathaniel died 
 in 1864, in Memphis, Tennessee, where he 
 was a well-known physician. He had taken 
 a special course of instruction in Paris, 
 France, in company with our subject, re- 
 maining abroad for about one year, and, 
 after his return, had first located at Holly 
 Springs, Mississippi, and later settling in 
 Memphis. 
 
 Dr. Heman Chaffee thus left as the sole 
 survivor of a once large family, received the 
 usual training of country lads in his youth, 
 and at an early day he decided to enter the 
 medical profession. He was married in 
 1840, and for some time thereafter dwelt 
 in Poultney, Vermont, later removing to 
 Waterford, and eventually to Troy. In 
 1854 he was graduated in the Albany 
 Medical College, and engaged in practice, 
 but, wishing to further qualify himself 
 in special branches of the healing art, he 
 went with his brother to Paris, where 
 he had fine opportunities for improve- 
 ment: At the end of fifteen months he re- 
 turned home, and in March, 1857, came to 
 Tolono, his family following him the fol- 
 lowing May. Their's was the fourth frame 
 house erected in the village, and as far as 
 the eye could see there was not a tree or 
 house in any direction on the monotonously 
 undulating prairie. The Doctor planted 
 the first trees and made the first sidewalk 
 and fence in the town, and for twelve years 
 
340 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 he was the postmaster, his own house 
 serving as a repository for the mail until 
 he built a small office, which then answered 
 the double purpose. The record of the 
 years which followed would show what it 
 means to be a pioneer physician, riding to 
 distant places, no matter how inclement the 
 weather, going to the aid of suffering human- 
 ity when nearly prostrated with illness or 
 grief over personal misfortuue, perhaps, yet 
 always striving to carry cheer and help. 
 Dr. Chaffee was of the highest type of the 
 Christian physician, placing himself in the 
 background always and considering the 
 needs of others first, and thus he won the 
 sincere love of all who knew him. At one 
 time he owned half a block of land in the 
 center of the town, and ten acres of land 
 which he planted with fruit trees, and after- 
 wards sold at a fair profit. In 1884 he re- 
 tired from active practice, though some of 
 his old patients continued to call upon him, 
 feeling that they could not give him up. 
 For one of his advanced age he is exceed- 
 ingly well preserved, erect in carriage and 
 keen and bright in his views of life. 
 
 The marriage of Dr. Chaffee and Myra 
 A. Nobles took place in 1840. She was 
 born in Poultney, Vermont, in 1822, while 
 her parents were natives of New York state, 
 where their forefathers were numbered 
 among the pioneers. The only son of our 
 subject, Emmett, died when six years of 
 age.' Addie, the eldest-born, is the wife of 
 F. M. Wardall, of Tuscola, Illinois, and 
 mother of three children, namely: Edna 
 A., Lillian M. and Frank C. Annetta is 
 the wife of Warren M. Hill, of Tolono, and 
 they have three children: Nettie A., War- 
 ren W., and Clarence C., deceased. Mr. 
 Hill has been employed in the railway pos- 
 tal service on the Wabash road for the past 
 
 eighteen years, and his son W. W. also is a 
 postal clerk. 
 
 Religiously, the Doctor and wife have 
 been earnest members of the Baptist church 
 for many years, contributing liberally of 
 their means and time to the work of that 
 denomination. They have a host of friends 
 in this vicinity, to whom they have endeared 
 themselves by innumerable acts of fraternal 
 sympathy and consideration. Their lives 
 have flowed along harmoniously together 
 for almost three-score jears, and, as they 
 have faithfully and conscientiously per- 
 "forrned their entire duty toward God and 
 man they will surely hear the verdict some 
 day, " Well done, good and faithful servant, 
 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
 MORTIMER KILBURY, one of the pro- 
 gressive farmers and representative 
 citizens of Champaign county, just inside 
 the corporate limits of St. Joseph, on 
 section 11, St. Joseph township, was born 
 near Plain City, in Darby township, Madi- 
 son county, Ohio, June I, 1852, and is a 
 son of Asa and Ruth (Clark) Kilbury. The 
 father was born in Vermont, June 24, 1806, 
 and died in Union county, Ohio, January 
 5, 1884, while the mother was born in 
 Ohio, February 27, 1815, and died at the 
 home of her son James in Ogden town- 
 ship, Champaign county, Illinois, Septem- 
 ber 20, 1885, the same minister officiating 
 at both funerals. 
 
 During his boyhood Asa Kilbury had ac- 
 companied his parents on their removal 
 from Vermont to Ohio, first located in 
 Cleveland. In youth he learned the black- 
 smith's trade, but later gave his attention 
 to farming and stockraising, in which occu- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 34i 
 
 pations he was extensively and successfully 
 engaged, accumulating a fine property 
 of six hundred acres in Madison and Union 
 counties, Ohio. He early foresaw the great 
 possibilities of the Illinois prairies and 
 swamps, and at a time when most eastern 
 people thought that the broad prairies and 
 marshes of Champaign county would never 
 be settled he wisely invested in some twelve 
 hundred acres of land in Ogden and Somer 
 townships. The subsequent development 
 of this region proved his sound judgment and 
 keen foresight. He wasa man of sterlingchar- 
 acter and superior business ability, and was 
 a prominent and active member of the New- 
 light church. In his family were nine chil- 
 dren, namely: Rachel, wife of Solomon Hill, 
 died in 1855; Emily and Amanda died in 
 childhood; James S. is a retired farmer and 
 stock raiser of Champaign; Robert is a re- 
 tired citizen of Plain City, Madison county, 
 Ohio; Erastus is deceased; Mortimer, our 
 subject, is next in order of birth; Dunbar 
 C. is a farmer and stock raiser of Aurora 
 county, South Dakota; and Solomon H. 
 removed to South Dakota with his brother, 
 and from there went to Minnesota, where 
 he now resides. 
 
 The early life of Mortimer Kilbury was 
 spent under the parental roof, and he re- 
 ceived a good practical education in the dis- 
 trict schools of his native township and the 
 Pleasant Valley high school. He first came 
 to Champaign county, Illinois, in February, 
 1873, but at the end of two months returned 
 to Ohio, and did not locate permanently 
 here until the spring of 1874. His brother, 
 James S. , had married and came to this 
 county some four years previously, and with 
 him our subject made his home until his 
 own marriage. 
 
 On the 23rd of September, 1877, Mr. 
 
 Kilbury wedded Miss Mary L. Fredrich, 
 the second daughter of R. A. and Permelia 
 (Allhands) Fredrich, of Vermilion county, 
 Illinois. Mrs. Kilbury was born in Oak- 
 wood township, that county, February 11, 
 1857. Her father was a native of Prussia, 
 Germany, born in the little village of Dan- 
 kerode, in the Hartz mountains, August 15, 
 1830, and was a son of Sophus (Lipert) 
 Fredrich, the latter the daughter of a 
 Leipsic merchant. She was born April 8, 
 1800, and died in Dankerode, November 2, 
 1848. After her death, Sophus Fredrich, 
 was born in Stolburg, Prussia, March 6, 
 1796, emigrated to the United States, and 
 died in Prince William county. Virginia, 
 March 30, 1851. Mrs. Kilbury 's mother 
 was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, 
 November 6, 1835, and was left motherless 
 at the age of four years. In 1841 she re- 
 moved with her father, Andrew Allhands, to 
 Vermilion county, Illinois, where she mar- 
 ried R. A. Fredrich, who came to America 
 in 1848. He departed this life October 24, 
 1887, but'she is stilhliving and continues to 
 reside in Vermilion county. To them were 
 born ten children, as follows: Julia, wife of 
 Wilson Green, of Ogden township, Cham- 
 paign township, Mary L. .wife of our subject; 
 William E., a resident of Winamac, Indi- 
 ana; Sophus A., of Madaryville, Indiana; 
 Rebecca A., wife of George Hays, of Ogden 
 township, this county; Sarah L. , who mar- 
 ried Milton Luman, of Oakvvood township, 
 Vermilion county, and died July 28. 1887; 
 Herman G., of Vermilion county; Florence 
 J.,wife of Howard Blue, of Vermilion coun- 
 ty; Luna O., at home; and Richard E., 
 who operates the home farm in Vermilion 
 county. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Kilbury took up 
 his residence on the north half of section 
 
342 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 31, Ogden township, and to the cultivation 
 and improvement of his farm he devoted 
 his energies for some years. When he lo- 
 cated thereon a large portion of his prop- 
 erty as well as other low land in the county 
 was swampy and covered with water, and 
 though a young man, he took a very active 
 part in interesting the citizens and land 
 owners in the measures which finally re- 
 sulted in the passage of drainage laws, 
 which have been the means of converting 
 the marshes into highly cultivated and pro- 
 ductive fields. Mr. Kilbury continued to 
 successfully engage in farming and stock 
 raising in Ogden township until the spring 
 of 1885, when he left the farm and moved 
 to St. Joseph, where for two years he car- 
 ried on business as a dealer in lumber and 
 agricultural implements. At the end of 
 that time he purchased one hundred acres 
 of land on section 11, St. Joseph township, 
 to which he has since added forty acres, 
 and is now following farming and stock 
 raising with marked success. Within the 
 corporate limits and near the northern 
 boundary of the village of St. Joseph, he 
 erected, in 1895, an elegant residence, 
 which is heated by a furnace and equipped 
 with all the comforts and conveniences of 
 the modern city home. Located as it is, 
 the inmates of this pleasant abode have all 
 the liberties of the country and the privi- 
 leges of the town. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Kilbury were born six 
 children, whose names and dates of birth 
 are as follows: Asa, August 5, 1878; Edna 
 P., September 15, 1880; Frederick E., 
 July 1 8, 1885; Mabel R. , March 13, 1890; 
 Winnifred, August 18, 1891; and Jennetta 
 Fay, February 24, 1899. All are living 
 with the exception of Edna P., who died in 
 infancy, June 7, 1881. The oldest son is 
 
 now a student at the University of Illinois, 
 and is interested in journalism, doing local 
 work for the Urbana Herald. 
 
 Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Kilbury 
 are earnest members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and since coming to St. Jo- 
 seph he has been an officer of the church 
 and one of its most active workers. Al- 
 though not a politician in any sense, he has 
 been an active worker in public affairs, and 
 is especially interested in educational mat- 
 ters, having most capably and satisfactorily 
 served as a member of the board of direct- 
 ors in his district, both in St. Joseph and 
 Ogden townships. By his ballot he sup- 
 ports the men and measures of the Repub- 
 lican party. Fraternally he is a Mason, a 
 member of Ogden Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Ur- 
 bana Chapter, R. A. M.; Urbana Com- 
 mandery, K. T. ; and Mahommed Temple, 
 A. A. O. N. M. S. He is a man of recog- 
 nized ability, and, with his wife, stands high 
 in the community where they make their 
 home. Mrs. Kilbury is a member of the 
 Eastern Star of Ogden, and a member of 
 the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society. 
 Those who know them best are numbered 
 among their warmest friends, and no citi- 
 zens in the county are more honored or 
 highly respected. 
 
 WILLIAM PULLIAM, one of the hon- 
 ored pioneer settlers of Illinois, has 
 witnessed vast changes here during the more 
 than three score and ten years of his resi- 
 dence in the Prairie state. He is a worthy 
 representative of the fine old southern stock 
 of a century ago, possessing at the same 
 time many of the sturdy traits of character 
 which pioneer life in the west necessarily 
 developed in .men who braved its vicissitudes. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 343 
 
 Drury Pulliam, the father of the above, 
 was a native of Virginia, while his wife, 
 Elizabeth (Cole) Pulliam, was born in 
 Maryland. He was a wealthy and influen- 
 tial man, owning large tracts of cultivated 
 land and operating mills in different locali- 
 ties. Believing in the future greatness of 
 Illinois, he removed to Morgan county at an 
 early day, and later engaged extensively in 
 farming in Macoupin county. At length he 
 retired and made his home in Waverly, 
 where he was called to his reward. He had 
 purchased considerable property in various 
 parts of this state, but before his death he 
 disposed of everything save his homestead. 
 He was twice married, his second wife being 
 Mrs. Maria Halliday, of Waverly. By 
 the first union he reared eleven children to 
 maturity, namely: Rebecca, who died in 
 Macoupin county, in 1861; Benjamin, a 
 former farmer of Champaign county and for 
 the past decade a resident of Minneapolis; 
 William; John W., deceased, who served in 
 the Union army during the Civil war; 
 Martha A., who died in Macoupin county; 
 Elijah C., who served throughout the Mexi- 
 can war in Wyatt's company, Buchanan's 
 regiment, and later was in an Illinois regi- 
 ment for several years, during the Civil war, 
 being wounded at Shiloh, and died at his 
 home in Kansas, in 1897; Mrs. Nancy Gra- 
 ham, formerly of Jacksonville, Illinois, and 
 now living in Ohio; Mary E. , wife of Rev. 
 Droke, formerly a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal conference of this county, and now 
 of Waverly, Illinois; Drury A., a retired 
 farmer of Macoupin county; Sarah J., wife 
 of George Kiplinger, a retired farmer of 
 Macoupin county; and James, deceased. 
 The father was prominent in the work of the 
 Methodist church, occupying official posi- 
 tions, and contributing liberally of his time 
 
 18 
 
 and means to the spreading of righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 The birth of William Pulliam occurred 
 in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, September 18, 
 1817, and when he was ten years of age he 
 came with the family to Illinois. He attend- 
 ed the school in the first log school house 
 erected in Jacksonville, and when he was 
 twenty years of age he commenced working 
 at the carpenter's trade, and for five years 
 gave his entire attention to that calling. 
 Then he resumed agricultural labors, and ir> 
 Macoupin county purchased the first land 
 ever owned by him. He improved this 
 place and continued to cultivate the farmi 
 for a score of years, buying additional land 
 as his capital accumulated. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Pulliam and Mary J. Cole 
 were united in marriage in Macoupin county. 
 She was likewise a native of Kentucky, and 
 for nearly twenty years, or until her death 
 in 1 86 1, she was a devoted wife and mother.. 
 The eldest son, John D., now a resident of 
 Pensacola, Florida, has three sons, Delmar, 
 who is married and has a son, Paul; Leon, 
 who has one daughter, Le Mamye; and 
 Guy. Sarah E., wife of Charles Carpenter, 
 of this county, is the eldest daughter of our 
 subject. She has three children, George, 
 Mary E. and Nellie. Thomas, the second 
 son, is a well known physician of Tuscola,. 
 Illinois. Millard, who died in Hannibal,. 
 Missouri, and formerly lived in Denver,. 
 Colorado, was married, and had one son,. 
 Albert. Dudley, who lives on his father's 
 farm in section 14, Tolono township, has 
 four children, Earl, Scott, Willard and 
 Reid. Mary J., wife of Wilson Williams, 
 now makes her home in Pensacola, Flor- 
 ida. By her previous marriage with Clay- 
 Miller she had three children, Clyde, Glenn 
 and Myra. Edward, unmarried, assists his. 
 
344 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 father in the management of the home- 
 stead. 
 
 In 1863 William Pulliam married Mary 
 E., daughter of Orrin and Phoebe (Miner) 
 Smith, pioneers of Morgan county. Mrs. 
 Pulliam was born in New York state in 
 1834, and the following year her parents 
 joined a colony who came to this state to 
 found new homes. She has two sisters liv- 
 ing, namely, Caroline, widow of Charles 
 Clark, of Waverly, Illinois, and Sarah, 
 widow of James McCormick, of Waverly, 
 Illinois. The latter has four children, 
 namely: May, Orrin, Ralph and Ella. Or- 
 rin Smith departed this life in 1846, but his 
 widow lived until 1884, and was loved and 
 honored by all who knew her. Six children 
 \vere born to the second union of Mr. 
 Pulliam, two of the number dying, one at 
 the age of four years and the other at the 
 age of eighteen years. Arthur M. , telegraph 
 operator at Cheyenne, Wyoming, has a nice 
 family, his four children being named Or- 
 rin, Lynn, Anna and Harold. Herbert G., 
 of this township, is married and has one 
 child, Herbert Brown. Anna is the wife of 
 J. E. Hartleb, who is engaged In the butch- 
 er's business at Tolono, and their only child 
 is Edward M. Ernest M., unmarried, re- 
 sides with his parents. 
 
 For about two years subsequent to his 
 second marriage, Mr. Pullman remained on 
 the old home place in Macoupin county, 
 and in 1865 removed to Champaign county. 
 Here he purchased three hundred and twen- 
 ty acres of partly improved land, and pro- 
 ceeded with characteristic energy to make 
 a model farm. For over thirty years he 
 made a specialty of manufacturing sorghum 
 on the place. Later he sold a quarter-sec- 
 tion, and at present owns one hundred and 
 seventy-eight acres, situated on sections 14 
 
 and 23, Tolono township. Notwithstanding 
 his advancing years, which entitled him to 
 rest from active labors, he would not resign 
 to younger and stronger ones the tasks he 
 has so long and faithfully performed, until 
 about ten years ago, since which he has 
 been practically retired. Several winters 
 of late years he has spent some time with his 
 children in Florida, thus escaping the severe 
 northern season. His life record is that of 
 a citizen who has earnestly sought to do his 
 whole duty toward his country, community 
 and family, and all who have had dealings 
 with him unite in praise of his honorable, 
 straightforward methods. He has given his 
 ballot to the Republican party for years, 
 but has quietly declined the temptation of 
 public office. Both he and his wife are 
 sterling members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, and at various times he has oc- 
 cupied official positions in the congregation, 
 at present being a trustee. They have 
 justly merited the peace and happiness 
 which they now enjoy, and the evening- 
 time of life brings to them few regrets and 
 much of hope and pleasure. 
 
 JOHN W. TURNER, M. D. Among 
 the prominent members of the medical 
 profession of Champaign county is the 
 gentleman whose name heads this sketch, 
 now located at Homer. He is a native of 
 Clay county, Indiana, his birth having oc- 
 curred March 24, 1839. He is a son of 
 John T. and Catherine (Shane) Turner, the 
 former a native of Maryland and the latter 
 of Virginia. The father settled in Bowling 
 Green, Indiana, about 1828, and engaged in 
 the business of manufacturing buggies and 
 wagons, also carrying on a blacksmith shop. 
 He owned a farm but had no time to attend 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 345 
 
 to its cultivation. In 1854 he sold out and 
 settled in Cumberland county, Illinois, where 
 he dwelt until his death in 1860. The wife 
 and mother lived until 1876, and of their 
 nine children seven have passed away, 
 namely: Almira, Andrew H., Sarah, Will- 
 iam W., Susanna, Harvey and Catherine. 
 Joseph H., who served throughout the Civil 
 war in the Forty-eighth Illinois Infantry, is 
 now sheriff of Pacific county, Washington, 
 and has acted in this office for four terms 
 previously. To himself and wife, Martha, 
 eight children were born. 
 
 Dr. John W. Turner received an excel- 
 lent education and made the best of his 
 privileges, for at seventeen we find him en- 
 gaged in teaching in Cumberland county, 
 Illinois, and he continued to devote himself 
 to that calling until 1865. His desire to see 
 something of the great west led to his join- 
 ing a party, one of the number being Judge 
 W. E. Smith, who crossed the plains to 
 Oregon, the trip taking about six months. 
 From Omaha westward the party had great 
 trouble with the Indians, and for weeks at a 
 time some one had to act as guard while the 
 others slept. Several times they were 
 obliged to remain behind their barricades 
 two or three days, and at South Pass, 
 Dakota, where the Sioux Indians were on the 
 war-path, the entire company to which our 
 subject belonged narrowly escaped slaughter. 
 They were timely rescued by some friendly 
 miners and prospectors of the locality, but 
 learned later, with horror, that the very 
 night following a caravan of eight wagons, 
 men, women and children, were massacred 
 in South Pass. Upon arriving in Oregon, 
 Mr. Turner resumed his former occupation 
 of teaching, for teachers were in great de- 
 mand, and for six years he was thus em- 
 ployed in Washington county, about seven 
 
 miles from Portland. He then entered 
 Willamette University at Salem, and, after 
 taking a course in the sciences, took up the 
 study of medicine, which, indeed, he had 
 formerly made a beginning in at his old Illi- 
 nois home with Dr. L. A. Smith. Imme- 
 diately after his graduation, he was urged to 
 accept a position in St. Elizabeth's Hospital, 
 at Vancouver, and for four years he was 
 connected with that institution. 
 
 In the Centennial year, Dr. Turner came 
 back to Illinois, and for some five years was 
 located in Oakland, Coles county. Then 
 selling out his practice, he removed to Fair- 
 mount, Illinois, and during the fifteen years 
 of his stay there built up a large and 
 remunerative business. He was one of the 
 most popular citizens there, and served as 
 mayor five terms, besides being chosen mas- 
 ter of the local Masonic lodge five terms. 
 In 1896 he gave up his practice to his part- 
 ner, Dr. J. W. Wright, and came to Homer, 
 where his reputation for skill had preceded 
 him. He is rapidly gaining the confidence 
 of the public, and bids fair to become the 
 family physician of as many families as in 
 other places where he has dwelt for any 
 length of time. He is a member of the 
 Champaign County Medical and the Illinois 
 State Medical Associations. 
 
 Dr. Turner was married July26, 1895,10 
 Miss Celia Furguson, of Parksburg, Iowa. 
 By a former marriage he has five children, 
 namely: Alvah M., a traveling salesman 
 for the Goshen Pharmaceutical Company, 
 with his home in Rockford, Illinois; Sharon 
 C. , shipping clerk for the Oregon Steam 
 Navigation Company, at Astoria, Oregon; 
 Nancy C., wife of J. E. Busby, of Homer 
 township; Mary, music teacher, living at 
 home; and John W. , who is a student in 
 the Homer high school. 
 
346 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 For many years Dr. Turner has taken a 
 very active part in the work of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and while a resident 
 of Fairrnount not only served as a member 
 of the official board of the church, but also 
 acted as superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school. He is a Republican, and socially is 
 connected with Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. 
 & A. M., and the Order of the Eastern 
 Star. 
 
 HUBERT CHESTER, deceased, late of 
 the Chester Transfer Line of Cham- 
 paign, is descended from an old English 
 family of Chester, England, that traced their 
 ancestry back to the Romans, who settled 
 in that country prior to the time of William 
 the Conqueror. John Chester, the pro- 
 genitor of the family in America, came to 
 New England with two brothers and bought 
 the Governor Winthrope property, but made 
 his home in the Gore house at Groton, Con- 
 necticut, where he lived many years and 
 which was in the family for more than 
 seventy years. Simeon Chester, the sixth 
 son of John, first married a Miss Bent, of 
 Boston, and soon afterward, in company 
 with John Starr and wife, he removed to 
 Nova Scotia, but when the Revolutionary 
 war broke out they returned to the United 
 States. They were pursued by adherents 
 of the British crown and had to secret them- 
 selves in the woods, where they were fed by 
 their wives until they found an opportunity 
 to escape, aided by friendly Indians who 
 acted as guides through the forests. With 
 their wives they made the entire distance to 
 Groton. Connecticut, on foot. They lost 
 all their property in Nova Scotia. Elias 
 Chester, the second child of Simeon, moved 
 to Franklin county, Ohio, and located on a 
 
 tract of land given his father to reimburse 
 him for his losses during the Revolutionary 
 war. He was one of the first settlers of 
 that locality and to the improvement and 
 cultivation of his place he at once turned 
 his attention. He married Hannah Vin- 
 cent Freeman, and in their family was Elias 
 Chester, the father of our subject, who 
 spent his entire life as a farmer on the old 
 homestead in Franklin county, Ohio, al- 
 though shortly before his deatrT he visited 
 Champaign and made preparations to re- 
 move here. He was a man of considerable 
 prominence in public affairs, and an influ- 
 ential member of the Presbyterian church. 
 He married Anna M. Smith. 
 
 Hubert Chester was born in Franklin 
 county, Ohio, in 1841, and remained on the 
 farm until twenty years of age, acquiring a 
 good common-school education. He then 
 went to Columbus, Ohio, where he was em- 
 ployed as bookkeeperby the Columbus Trans- 
 fer Company, and while there obtained his 
 first knowledge of the transfer business. After 
 a short time spent with that firm, he came to- 
 Champaign county, Illinois, in 1867, where 
 his brother, Ezra E. , had located two or 
 three years previously. Here he purchased 
 a half section of wild land from the govern- 
 ment, and at once turned his attention to 
 the improvement and development of his 
 place after erecting a house there. Before 
 leaving Ohio, he had married Miss Melvina 
 S. Needless, of that state, and here they 
 commenced life in true pioneer style. He 
 continued to reside upon his farm until 1885. 
 and converted it into one of the most attract- 
 ive and desirable places of its size in the 
 county. He took particular interest in edu- 
 cational affairs and held several school offices, 
 but would not accept political positions, al- 
 though he was a man of considerable 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 347 
 
 prominence in his community. In 1885 he 
 removed to Champaign to educate his chil- 
 dren, and the following year purchased the 
 bus and transfer business now carried on by 
 the estate and managed by his son H. F. At 
 that time the business was small, but he 
 soon built it up, carrying passengers, bag- 
 gage, mail, etc. He had all- the business in 
 that line in the city, having a contract with 
 the railroad companies, which made it im- 
 possible for others to solicit passengers, as 
 the railroads issued tickets over his line. 
 He successfully engaged in that business up 
 to the time of his death, which occurred 
 January 20, 1897. His wife died October 
 30, 1885, soon after the removal of the 
 family to Champaign. She was a consistent 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 while he was reared in the Presbyterian faith. 
 In the family of this worthy couple were eight 
 children, four sons and four daughters, 
 namely: Charles E., a prominent civil en- 
 gineer now connected with the mineral sur- 
 vey of New Mexico; John N., chief engineer 
 of the American Water Works Company of 
 Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Hubert F., our 
 subject; Gertrude A., at home; Nell, wife of 
 Willis A. Graves, of Ottumwa, Iowa; Will 
 ford D., who is connected with the company 
 manufacturing the Babcock-Wilcox boilers 
 at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and Edith and 
 Virginia, both at home. 
 
 Hubert F. Chester began his education 
 in the schools near his boyhood home, and 
 completed it in the Champaign high school, 
 from which he was graduated in 1887. His 
 brothers graduated from the University of 
 Illinois. After leaving school he traveled 
 for a jewelry house for six years and a half, 
 and was connected with other jewelry 
 houses until his father's death in 1897, when 
 he took charge of the transfer business and 
 
 is still manager of the estate. He is a pro- 
 gressive, enterprising and energetic busi- 
 ness man, and is doing quite a large and 
 profitable business. He supports the Pres- 
 byterian church, is a member of the Benevo- 
 lent and Protective Order of Elks, and is an 
 active Republican, though not an aspirant 
 for office. 
 
 WADE LENINGTON, an enterprising 
 young business man of St. Joseph, is 
 one of the native sons of Champaign county, 
 his birth having occurred upon his father's 
 homestead in Condit township, July 29, 
 1864. His grandfather, Truman Lening- 
 ton, born in 1800, was one of the pioneers 
 of Licking county, Ohio, going to that lo- 
 cality about 1832, and there clearing a 
 farm in the depths of the forest. He was 
 an upright, intelligent citizen, doing his full 
 duty toward his family and neighbors, and 
 death did not claim him until he had reached 
 the ripe age of seventy-five years. 
 
 The parents of our subject are William 
 and Lucinda J. (French) Lenington. The 
 father was born in New Jersey, April 17, 
 1825, and with his parents settled in the 
 wilds of the Buckeye state when he was a 
 child. There he was reared to maturity and 
 then married Julia Condit, and a few years 
 later came to Champaign county. Locat- 
 ing in Condit township he has since been 
 actively identified with its welfare and up- 
 building, and from time to time was called 
 upon to fill positions of honor and responsi- 
 bility. He now lives retired in Champaign, 
 having amassed a goodly fortune by industry 
 and the exercise of his business ability. He 
 still owns some five hundred acres in Con- 
 dit township, and has other good invest- 
 ments. For many years he has been 
 
348 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 actively connected with the work of the 
 Presbyterian church. After the death of 
 the wife of his youth, he married Mrs. 
 Lucinda (French) Pierson, and four chil- 
 dren were born to them: Ira, who died in 
 childhood; Wade; Dr. James T. , a dentist 
 of Springfield, Illinois; and Allen S., who 
 resides with his parents. Grant E. , a son 
 of the first marriage, is the proprietor of 
 the hotel at Tolono, this county, and Helen 
 M., his sister, is the wife of J. R. Trevett, of 
 the firm of Trevett & Mattis, loan brokers 
 and bankers of Champaign. 
 
 Wade Lenington received a good educa- 
 tion in the public schools of his neighbor- 
 hood, completing with a course of instruc- 
 tions at the Collegiate Institute, at Paxton, 
 Illinois. He remained upon the homestead 
 after attaining his majority, and was em- 
 ployed at a fixed salary by his father until 
 the latter's removal to Champaign, when 
 the young man assumed full charge of the 
 place and managed it successfully for two 
 years. Then, yielding to a strong desire to 
 see something of the great west, he went to 
 Colorado, and at Trinidad he entered into 
 partnership with B. L. Beatty, and estab- 
 lished a store where second-hand goods 
 were handled and sold to miners. Qn the 
 1st of July, 1888. the store was destroyed by 
 fire and most of the stock met the same fate. 
 Selling out his interest in the remainder, Mr. 
 Lenington decided to engage in agricultural 
 pursuits, and going to Las Animas county, 
 Colorado, he entered a quarter section of 
 government land, and stayed there long 
 enough to obtain a title to the property. He 
 then entered the employ of the government, 
 being connected with the geological survey 
 corps of Colorado for some time. 
 
 At length, returning to his native coun- 
 ty, Mr. Lenington accepted a position with 
 
 J. Hamilton & Sons, lumber merchants of 
 Champaign. At the expiration of six 
 months he took a similar place with a 
 Charleston (Illinois) firm, with which he 
 continued for two years, later being em- 
 ployed by the Ft. Howard (Wisconsin) 
 Lumber Company. In August, 1894, he 
 purchased the St. Joseph branch of the 
 business of J. Hamilton & Sons, of Cham- 
 paign, and by strict attention to the needs 
 of the local trade, and a genuine desire to 
 please his customers, he has succeeded in 
 building up a profitable business. He keeps 
 a complete line of lumber and building ma- 
 terial, in addition to which he has con- 
 stantly in stock, paints, oil, lime and cement. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Lenington and 
 Marie L. Palmer took place January 28, 
 1895. She is a daughter of I. S. and The- 
 resa (Smith) Palmer, the former a resident 
 of Muncie, Indiana. Mrs. Lenington was 
 born in New York state and was but a child 
 when she came to Illinois. Her mother 
 died when she was in her sixteenth year. 
 
 Since casting his lot with the residents 
 of St. Joseph, Mr. Lenington has taken an 
 active part in everything pertaining to its 
 improvement. He has served the people 
 as a member of the town board, and that he 
 is a firm believer in the future of the place 
 is shown from the fact that he erected a 
 comfortable residence here, and is one of 
 the directors of the Building, Loan & In- 
 vestment Association of St. Joseph. Polit- 
 ically he is a Republican, while in the fra- 
 ternities he has been an officer in both the 
 Knights of Pythias and Ben Hur lodges. 
 
 L WILSON PORTERFIELD. Prom- 
 inent among the energetic, enterprising 
 and successful business men of St. Joseph is, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 349 
 
 the subject of this sketch a well-known 
 grain and coal dealer of that village. He 
 is a native of Champaign and was educated 
 in the schools of that city, completing his 
 education by a course in civil engineering at 
 the University of Illinois. On starting out 
 in life for himself, he embarked in the grain 
 business at Fairmount, Illinois, where he 
 remained two years, and during the follow- 
 ing year was associated in business with his 
 brother, E. N. Porterfield, then city engin- 
 eer of Kearney, and county surveyor of 
 Buffalo county, Nebraska. Returning to 
 Illinois, in September, 1892, he purchased 
 the elevator and grain business at St. Joseph 
 and has since been prominently identified 
 with the interests of that place. Soon after 
 locating here his elevator was destroyed by 
 fire, but with characteristic energy he at 
 once rebuilt, and now has a substantial ele- 
 vator with a capacity of thirty-five thousand 
 bushels and equipped with facilities for 
 handling grain to the best advantage. He 
 is a wide-awake, progressive business man 
 and is meeting with well-deserved success in 
 his undertakings. In politics he supports 
 Republican principles, and in his social re- 
 lations is a member of the Benevolent and 
 Protective Order of Elks. 
 
 J. B. Porterfield, the father of our sub- 
 ject, for many years one of the most honored 
 and highly respected citizens of this county, 
 was born on the loth of August, 1826, in 
 Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was a 
 son of Samuel and Nancy Porterfield, also 
 natives of the Keystone state. He was 
 reared to manhood upon a farm, and was 
 married in Worthington, Pennsylvania, May 
 4, 1848, to Miss Elvira H. Elaine, a daughter 
 of John Elaine, who, in 1 863, came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illirtois, and made his home in 
 Sidney, where he died, February 20, 1890. 
 
 In early life J. B. Porterfield developed 
 an inclination to engage in an occupation 
 which would furnish a wider field for oper- 
 ations than farming, and soon after reach- 
 ing his majority he took up railroad con- 
 tracting. His first contract was on the 
 Allegheny Valley railroad in Pennsylvania. 
 After completing that contract he came to 
 Illinois, and in April, 1857, located in West 
 Urbana, now Champaign, where he made 
 his home until his removal to the farm in 
 1866. As a contractor he began work on 
 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
 soon after coming to this state, and subse- 
 quently was with the Illinois Central Rail- 
 road, having lor a period of eleven years, 
 from 1857 to 1868, the contract for fence 
 building and furnishing wood and ties for 
 that road. In 1882 he assisted in construct- 
 ing the Eureka Springs Railroad in Arkansas. 
 In 1884 he organized the Sidney Coal Com- 
 pany and sunk the first shaft ever sunk in 
 the county. He become extensively inter- 
 ested in farming property, owning some 
 twelve hundred acres of valuable land in 
 Sidney and Raymond townships, and after 
 1858 carried on large farming operations 
 besides his various other enterprises. He 
 was a man of superior executive ability and 
 great energy, possessed of keen foresight and 
 sound judgment, and at an early day fore- 
 saw the possibilities of this county, and 
 wisely invested in unimproved land, and in 
 improving it he contributed his full share 
 toward the development of the county. 
 
 Mr. Porterfield was a man of fine phy- 
 sique and commanding personal appearance, 
 and was recognized as one of the leading 
 citizens of Champaign county. Progress- 
 ive and public-spirited, his influence was al- 
 ways given to any public enterprise and for 
 the development and advancement of the 
 
350 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 county and its interests. In early life he 
 affiliated with the Republican party, but 
 later became independent in politics and 
 supported by his ballot and influence such 
 men and measures as would in his judgment 
 be for the best interest of the whole coun- 
 try. During his early manhood he was an 
 active worker in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and contributed liberally to the 
 erection of the first church of that denom- 
 ination in Champaign. He belonged to that 
 class of broad-minded men who ignore 
 the boundaries set by partisan prejudice and 
 use the true dignity of American citizenship 
 and vote as their best judgment dictates. If 
 there were more such in this day a purer, 
 healthier government for the people and by 
 the people would be the result. Mr. Por- 
 terfield was in sentiment and practice a 
 strong temperance man and would never 
 vote for a man in any party whose influence 
 was not for temperance and good morals. 
 In the organization of the Farmers Associa- 
 tion of this county, he was one of its most 
 active promoters, and spent both time and 
 money in the interest of the organization. 
 He was also a prominent member of the 
 Farmers' Association of the state, and for 
 some time served as state purchasing agent 
 and secretary. This was the first attempt on 
 the part of the farmers at mutual protection 
 and organization, and he was a "most zeal- 
 ous worker for their interests. His last 
 days were spent in retirement from active 
 labor in the village of Sidney, where he passed 
 away February 20, 1890, after a useful and 
 well-spent life. His wife survived him some 
 time, dying December 1 8, 1896. She was a 
 consistent and faithful member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and was universally 
 liked and respected for for her many good 
 qualities and exemplary character. 
 
 To this worthy couple were born thirteen 
 children, of whom three died in infancy. 
 The others are as follows: M. F., a banker of 
 Fairmount, Illinois; E. N., who was for 
 several years city engineer of Kearney, Ne- 
 braska, but is now engaged in the real estate 
 business at Kearney, Nebraska; S. Emmet, 
 a grain dealer of Sidney, Illinois; J. Curtis, 
 who is in the government employ as in- 
 spector at the Union Stock Yards, Chicago; 
 L. Wilson, our subject; J. Burt, grain 
 dealer, Sidney, Illinois; Mary B., a resident 
 of Sidney, Illinois; Carrie, wife of C. J. 
 Freeman, of Decatur, Illinois; Nettie M., 
 wife of John A. Largent, an attorney of 
 Great Falls, Montana; and Robert H., who 
 died at the age of eighteen years at Sidney, 
 Illinois. 
 
 THOMAS JONATHAN BURRILL. The 
 name Burrill, or as it is more commonly 
 spelled, Burrell, presumably originated in 
 England, sometime after the thirteenth cen- 
 tury, from bur or burr, the dry fruit of a 
 plant. The spine-covered bur of the Euro- 
 pean teasel was, during several centuries, 
 the sole tool used in combing or raising a 
 nap on woolen goods, and the process was 
 called burring the cloth; the operators were 
 called burrers. It is well known that sur- 
 names like Smith, Carpenter, Brewer, etc. 
 were first names of occupations rather than 
 of persons, and it can scarcely be doubted 
 that Burr, Burritt, Burwell, Burrill, and 
 others have been similarly derived from the 
 older terms used by makers of woolen cloth. 
 At all events the family with which we are 
 now concerned were very generally weavers 
 and carried on their manufactories in the 
 north of England from the earliest time of 
 which any trace can be found in their history. 
 
THOMAS J. HURR1LL, LL. D. 
 

THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 353 
 
 Like the other north-countrymen they were 
 a race of hardy, vigorous, strong-bodied, 
 and strong-minded people, who paid small 
 attention to. the softer refinements of life, 
 but who were early and resolute combatants 
 for civil freedom, and for religious liberty. 
 In the later generations they were artisans 
 skilled in their crafts, citizens who supported 
 constituted authority, and soldiers who 
 shrunk not from service on the battlefield. 
 They were mostly adherents of the Estab- 
 lished church. 
 
 On the maternal side in the history now 
 in hand, the name was Francis, and the 
 family lived in and near Belfast, Ireland. 
 For some generations they were Irish by 
 nativity, though Scotch by ancestry. There 
 is some evidence that the line runs back to 
 the followers of William the Conqueror and 
 that the name still preserves its connection 
 with that of the founders of the French 
 monarchy. 
 
 In the spring of 1818 Thomas Burrill 
 left Penrith, England, with his five mother- 
 less children to find a home in America. 
 The youngest of these children was John, 
 then in his ninth year, and of him more is 
 to be said. Passage was secured in a sail- 
 ing vessel destined for New York. The voy- 
 age proved a very tempestous one and the 
 somewhat disabled ship was driven from her 
 course and was at length completely wrecked 
 on rocks off Machias bay, Maine. The 
 lives of all on board were fortunately saved 
 by the use of a line sent to the shore of an 
 island, but everything else was lost. The 
 passengers found themselves among strapg- 
 ers with nothing whatever of material kind 
 to help themselves. However, a hospitable 
 home for his children was secured and the 
 father started afoot for Boston, and by sim- 
 ilar means subsequently reached New York, 
 
 where he was afterwards joined by those 
 whom he had left in Maine. In 1822 re- 
 moval was made to Rhode Island, where 
 the father and, after the custom of the time, 
 the children as well found employment in 
 the first successfully established cotton mills 
 on the continent. 
 
 Here John, of whom mention has been 
 made above, married, in 1828, Mary Fran- 
 cis, eldest daughter of Jonathan Francis, 
 then a resident of Pawtucket. This man, 
 distinguished locally for his remarkable 
 physical and mental vigor, had left Mile 
 Cross, near Belfast, Ireland, where he had 
 been engaged in the manufacture and sale 
 of linen goods, and, also in 1818, had started 
 for the New World with a family of the 
 mother and seven children. When well out 
 at sea, smallpox broke out among the pas- 
 sengers, and the ship headed for the nearest 
 port, St. Johns, New Brunswick. Here 
 they stayed several weeks, though not in 
 quarantine, and until the disease had run 
 its course, when the survivors sailed away 
 for Rhode Island. 
 
 John and Mary (Francis) Burrill became 
 the parents of six sons and four daughters, 
 of whom three of the latter early died, and 
 one of the sons, the eldest, was killed in 
 middle manhood by a team of frightened 
 horses. The others are living ( 1 900), widely 
 scattered through the United States. Five 
 of these sons all except the special subject 
 of this sketch were soldiers in the Civil 
 war, and all returned, after honorable 
 careers, to civil life, howbeit with scars of 
 battle, and one, Robert F. , living in Ur- 
 bana? Illinois, with an indelible memory of a 
 year in Libby prison. 
 
 The family having some time previously 
 removed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, there 
 occurred in that mountain-screened town, 
 
354 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 on the 25th of April, 1839, the birth of the 
 sixth child and third son, Thomas Jonathan, 
 of whom we now write. Nine years after- 
 ward the parents took their flock, consisting 
 at the time of seven living children, to a new 
 home in Illinois. This journey was made 
 by rail to Albany, by canal to Buffalo, by 
 steamer around the lakes, and by teams 120 
 miles west of Chicago, to a sparsely settled 
 region in Stephenson county. There two 
 years before land for a farm had been en- 
 tered from the general government. Every- 
 thing was in a very primitive condition. All 
 the people were recent arrivals. All lived 
 in log houses. The frame structure soon 
 erected for the Burrill family was the first 
 of its kind for many miles around and most 
 of the sawed stuff for this house was drawn 
 by teams from Chicago. There was no 
 money in circulation. Everything in trade 
 was by barter. Almost the only cash re- 
 ceived was for wheat delivered in Chicago, 
 perhaps five to ten dollars as the net pro- 
 ceeds of thirty bushels of grain, and a trip 
 of ten to twelve days with a team. The 
 farmers raised their own provisions and 
 made their own clothing, living an inde- 
 pendent but laborious life for young and old 
 alike. The new land had to be cleared of 
 trees and underbrush and the tough sod was 
 to be turned by a home-made breaking 
 plow, ironed in the country blacksmith 
 shop. Oxen were used as teams. All cul- 
 tivated lands had to be fenced with rails, 
 hammered out of the native timber. 
 
 Here on this farm, under these rugged 
 conditions, subject to the privations and dis- 
 advantages as well as to the advantages of 
 pioneer life, the lad Thomas, with the oth- 
 ers, grew to young manhood. During about 
 four months in winter he attended the 
 schools organized in the neighborhood, at 
 
 first by private enterprises and then by pub- 
 lic law. He subsequently completed a course 
 of study in the Rockford high school, and 
 became a teacher in the country near his old 
 home. The success of these early efforts 
 turned his attention towards future prep- 
 ation for teaching as a life employment, and 
 in 1865 he graduated from an unusually full 
 course in the Illinois State Normal Univers- 
 ity, near Bloomington. Here his intuitive 
 love for the study of the things of nature 
 was quickened into ardent activity, and it 
 is probable that the course pursued was for 
 him better in results than if he had followed 
 an earlier expectation of entering a classical 
 college, such as it was possible for him to 
 reach. 
 
 Immediately after graduation he was 
 made superintendent of the public schools 
 of Urbana, Illinois. Here, besides satis- 
 factorily performing his official duties, he 
 continued his scientific studies and soon at- 
 tracted attention for his enthusiasm and 
 ability in these branches. In 1867 he be- 
 came botanist to Powell's Rocky mountain 
 exploring expedition, and spent the sum- 
 mer in Colorado. His connection with the 
 Urbana schools continued until, on the 2Oth 
 of April, 1868, he entered upon duty as as- 
 sistant professor of natural science, and in 
 charge of a department, including botany, 
 zoology and geology, in the newly opened 
 Illinois Industriol University, now the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois. At that time in the col- 
 leges of the country, it was customary to 
 devote only one term to each of these 
 subjects. Here was, at the outset, offered 
 a year's work in each branch, and our as- 
 piring naturalist gave instructions in them 
 all, and from the first began the introduc- 
 tion of laboratory methods, though under 
 difficulties not at once to be overcome. In 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 355 
 
 addition to the regular class instruction 
 there were the duties devolving upon the 
 members of the faculty of a new and devel- 
 oping institution, constituting often high 
 responsiblities and laborious tasks. It has 
 been freely acknowledged that in these 
 early years Mr. Burrill bore his share in 
 these extra labors. He aided the young 
 people in the organization and management 
 of students' societies, and served with 
 them, as a representative of the faculty, on 
 a committee having in charge the college 
 paper, suggesting the name " Illini," which 
 it has since borne; he took charge of the 
 university library as its first librarian, and 
 retained the position some years, and, be- 
 ginning in 1870, he was for thirteen years 
 secretary of the faculty. 
 
 In March, 1870, the trustees created 
 the department of botany and horticulture, 
 and appointed Professor Burrill its chief 
 a position he has now held for thirty years. 
 He was corresponding secretary of the 
 board of trustees from 1875 to 1888, and 
 during this time edited and attended to the 
 printing of the biennial volumes of " Trans- 
 actions. " When the office was constituted 
 in the university he was made dean of the 
 college of science and served for six years. 
 In the meantime he became, in 1879, v i ce 
 president of the university, and this posi- 
 tion has since been continuously held by 
 him. By virtue of this office and by special 
 appointment, he has, at different times, been 
 chief executive officer of the university, 
 once nearly a year, in the absence of the 
 president, and for three years,- i89i-'94, 
 during an interregnum in the president's 
 office. When at length this office was 
 filled, the trustees made a new one for the 
 former acting-president, viz., dean of the 
 general faculty and of the graduate school. 
 
 In addition to the above and other minor 
 appointments, Professor Burrill has been a 
 member of the board of directors, and 
 horticulturist and botanist, of the agricultural 
 experiment station since its organization in 
 1888. 
 
 To those who know the man it is un- 
 necessary to say he has not sought honors 
 or attempted to secure special recognition 
 for service. Still such as have been be- 
 stowed unasked have been valued by him. 
 Having planned and planted the University 
 campus and watch the development from an 
 open field to the gardenesque beauty it now 
 presents, there, no doubt, was genuine 
 satisfaction in the act of the trustees by 
 which the central, tree-lined drive, extend- 
 ing north and south through the center, be- 
 came Burrill avenue. 
 
 At different times academic degrees have 
 been bestowed upon the well-known recipient, 
 by institutions other than his own; the last 
 was that of Doctor of Laws by the North- 
 western University at Evanston, Illinois. He 
 is also entitled to write after his name initials 
 indicating fellowships in American and 
 European organizations, and in some of 
 these he has at times served as one of the 
 principal officers. 
 
 In his chief lines of research he is widely 
 recognized as an authority and has the dis- 
 tinction of first making known the fact that 
 bacteria are disease producers in plants, as 
 well as in animals. The subject of parasitic 
 fungi was also early taken up and, before 
 anyone else in America had made much ad- 
 vancement in the study, some valuable re- 
 ports were issued. In 1888 a United States 
 commission was to be appointed to settle a 
 scientific controversy concerning communi- 
 cable diseases of swine. His well-known 
 studies upon bacteria in general designated 
 
356 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Dr. Burrill as one of the best men in the 
 country for the services and he was accord- 
 ingly made a member of the commission, 
 and ultimately shared in the responsibility 
 of the report rendered. 
 
 Probably, however, nothing in the nature 
 of a testimonial so touched the receiver as 
 -did that presented by the faculty of the 
 University to the acting president, at the 
 conclusion of his service as such in 1894. 
 To show their appreciation of these services 
 the members of the faculty caused an ad- 
 dress to be made to him and accompanied it 
 toy a set of the volumes of the Century Dic- 
 tionary, then recently issued. The occasion 
 was one long to be remembered by all pres- 
 ent. During the three years of his service 
 the University had taken a very decided for- 
 ward movement. The internal troubles, 
 which had through some years disturbed its 
 peace, had very soon subsided and new ones 
 had not arisen; great extensions had been 
 made to freedom in the choice of studies by 
 students, and the whole educational policy 
 had been much modified; the ban previous- 
 ly placed upon Greek-letter fraternities had 
 been removed, much to the satisfaction of a 
 considerable number of the students ;the mili- 
 tary department, from which many diffi- 
 culties of general management had been ex- 
 perienced, had been reorganized and so ad- 
 justed that further trouble was unknown; 
 the appropriations by the State Legislature 
 had suddenly become liberal, instead of the 
 small sums previously granted at the bien- 
 nial session, and with the increased funds 
 notable additions to the buildings and 
 equipment had been made, and the number 
 of teachers had rapidly increased; with all 
 this the number of students in attendance 
 became greatly augmented. 
 
 No man nor set of men can claim the 
 
 credit for the advance thus made. The 
 movement came from many causes com- 
 bined, but among these there has been no 
 hesitation in acknowledging the favorable 
 contributions and influence of the acting 
 president. The trustees and the faculty, 
 as has been seen, each took special action, 
 prompted by this feeling and the desire for 
 its expression. The larger, more rapid de- 
 velopment that has been brought about 
 since 1894 is decidedly creditable to the 
 new president and his colaborers, but this 
 does not diminish the importance of the 
 work previously done. 
 
 In private life Mr. Burrill is held in high 
 esteem. He has been active in the dis- 
 charge of the duties of a citizen and has 
 endeavored in every way within his power 
 to make the twin cities of Champaign and 
 Urbana pleasant and reputable places of 
 residence for a cultured people, and as 
 proper homes for the ever-increasing body 
 of students. He is a member of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, and has been known 
 all his adult life in politics as a Republican, 
 but as one who would scratch a ticket if he 
 felt it necessary for the best results. 
 
 In 1868 he married Miss Sarah H. 
 Alexander, of Seneca Falls, New York, and 
 she now shares, with their two daughters, 
 the home in Urbana, than which there is 
 none other in the city better known. 
 
 CALVIN B. BUTLER. Concentration 
 and industry rarely fail to bring suc- 
 cess, when integrity and genuine desire to 
 meet the wishes of the public are united 
 with the other traits of character men- 
 tioned. No one stands higher in the esti- 
 mation of the general public of Homer than 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 357' 
 
 Calvin B. Butler, whose career plainly shows 
 what may be accomplished by an intelli- 
 gent, straightforward young man, desirous 
 of success. 
 
 Several of the relatives and ancestors of 
 Mr. Butler were soldiers in the war of the 
 Revolution, and from that day to the pres- 
 ent the name has been synonymous with 
 patriotism. His grandfather, Peter H. But- 
 ler, formerly of Butler county, Ohio, came 
 to Illinois in 1855, and was extensively en- 
 gaged in farming in Vance township, Ver- 
 milion county, until his death. Only one of 
 his five children now survives, namely: Mrs. 
 Celia A. Linkmeyer, of Sharonville, Ohio. 
 
 James, the eldest son of Peter H. But- 
 ler, and father of our subject, was born in 
 Oxford, Ohio, and there followed farming, 
 as his ancestors had done. Believing him- 
 self called to the ministry in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, he was fitting himself for 
 his work when the summons came to him 
 to lay aside his earthly burdens. He died 
 in July, 1857, scarcely two years after his 
 arrival in Vermilion county, where he had 
 found a new home for his wife and children. 
 The eldest child died in infancy. Frances M. 
 is the wife of F. M. Smith, a druggist of 
 Homer. Mrs. Butler bore the maiden 
 name of Mary B. Bevis, and was born in 
 the town of Bevis, Ohio, which place was 
 founded by her father, James A. Bevis, who, 
 at an early date, removed from Massachu- 
 setts to Hamilton county, Ohio. For many 
 years he conducted a hotel in Bevis, and, 
 besides, carried on a farm in the vicinity. 
 Mrs. Butler was one of six children, three of 
 whom were daughters. After the death of 
 James Butler, she became the wife of Henry 
 Ervin, and they make their home in this 
 place. Two of their seven children are de- 
 ceased, and those living are named, re- 
 
 spectively: Flora E., James Wilbur, Nettie 
 M., Jessie C. and Nora B. 
 
 Calvin B. Butler was born January 20, 
 1856, in Vermilion county, Illinois, and was 
 an infant when his mother brought him to 
 Homer. Here he attended school, and 
 later went to Farmers' College, at College 
 Hill, Ohio. Upon his return he was at once 
 employed by Solomon Plaut as a book- 
 keeper and cashier in the Citizens Bank of 
 Homer. In October, 1878, he went to 
 Monticello, where he engaged in the market 
 business for a year or so, and in May, 1879, 
 he returned to Homer and became deputy 
 postmaster, a position he held acceptably 
 for six years. He also held the agency for 
 the Pacific Express Company, and in April, 
 1885, he became messenger for that com- 
 pany, between Chicago and Forest, on the 
 Wabash railroad. He then was made agent 
 at the last-named place, but returned to 
 Homer in 1885, and on the 26th of August 
 entered the employ of W. W. Mudge, with 
 whom he remained exactly six years, com- 
 mencing at noon on the 26th of August and 
 quitting at noon on the 26th of August. In 
 the summer of 1891 he decided to embark 
 in business for himself, and made arrange- 
 ments with the Homer lodge of Odd Fel- 
 lows to erect a building, in which he might 
 have suitable quarters for a hardware store. 
 Buying out the stock of C. J. Tinkham, he 
 took possession of his new belongings on 
 the 26th of August, 1891, commencing to 
 invoice the stock immediately after dinner. 
 After renting a store-room for six years, he 
 bought his present block, which is com- 
 modious and in every way fitted for his 
 business, now grown to large proportions. 
 He not only carries a fine line of hardware, 
 but all kinds of farm machinery, bicycles,, 
 buggies and wagons. 
 
358 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In addition to managing his regular 
 business with energy and enterprise, Mr. 
 Butler is local agent for the Home Insur- 
 ance Company of New York, and for the 
 Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Com- 
 pany; the Insurance Company of North 
 America, of Erie, Pennsylvania; the Hart- 
 ford Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, 
 and the New York Underwriters Associa- 
 tion, of New York city. He is a stock- 
 holder and director of the Homer Fair 
 Association, has served on the town board, 
 and is a stanch Republican. Fraternally, 
 he belongs to Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. & 
 A. M. ; and Homer Chapter, No. 94. R. 
 A. M., being secretary of the last named. 
 He is also connected with Homer Lodge, 
 No. 252, I. O. O. F. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Butler and Venora 
 L. Whitlock, daughter of Stephen H. and 
 Jane (Horton) Whitlock, natives of Ohio, 
 was solemnized September 8, 1880. In 
 early life Mr. Whitlock was a carpenter, 
 but about thirty years ago he entered the 
 ministry, and at present is the presiding 
 elder of the Mattoon district of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church. His four children, 
 Venora, Ward B., Mabel R. and Muriel 
 M., are all living. The union of our sub- 
 ject and wife has been blessed with four 
 children: Drew W. , born November 14, 
 1 88 1, died in February, 1882. Mary M., 
 born Janaury 17, 1884, is a student in the 
 high school. Roxy J., born January I, 
 1886, and Laura B., born January 25, 1888, 
 are also attending the Homer schools. 
 That Mr. Butler is greatly interested in the 
 matter of educating the young has been 
 shown by serving as a member of the 
 school board six years. With his family, he 
 is identified with the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 JOHN DRESBACK. St. Joseph, Cham- 
 paign county, has many thoroughly pa- 
 triotic and enterprising citizens, none more 
 so than the gentleman of whom the follow- 
 ing lines are penned. He has done every- 
 thing within his power to promote local in- 
 terests, and by the judicious expenditure of 
 time, energy and means, has accomplished 
 much for the town with which he has been 
 identified for several decades. 
 
 Mr. Dresback is of German extraction, 
 and his paternal grandfather, Jacob Dres- 
 back, was born in Pennsylvania and spent 
 a portion of his life there. Our subject's 
 parents, Jacob and Catherine (Hoy) Dres- 
 back, were natives of Luzerne county, Penn- 
 sylvania. The father removed to the Buck- 
 eye state in early manhood and was married 
 in Fairfield county. About 1830 he settled 
 in the heavily timbered section of Logan 
 county, Ohio, and cleared a farm of one 
 hundred and twenty acres in the forest. He 
 was a carpenter by trade and found plenty 
 of employment at that calling in the inter- 
 vals of his farming duties. In 1853 he 
 came to St. Joseph township and there 
 passed the rest of his life, his death occur- 
 ring in August, 1855. His wife lived until 
 1882, and both were placed to rest in the 
 Patterson cemetery. They were Presby- 
 terians in religious belief, and in political 
 creed Mr. Dresback was a Democrat. Their 
 three eldest children are deceased. Irvin, 
 whose death occurred in 1851, was in his 
 twentieth year. Ira and Olive departed this 
 life in childhood. Elizabeth, born April 2, 
 1836, became the wife of I. M. Kuder, of 
 St. Joseph, and died November 18, 1899. 
 Sarah A., born May 22, 1837, and widow of 
 Isaac Brown, resides in Arlington, Oklaho- 
 ma. Amanda C., born May 25, 1838, is 
 the widow of Reuben C. Koch, and her 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 359 
 
 home is in St. Joseph township. Mary, 
 born February 29, 1844. died in January, 
 1856. 
 
 The birth of John Dresback took place 
 in Logan county, February 15. 1843. He 
 was a boy of ten years at the time that the 
 family came to this township, and was soon 
 bereft of his father. Being the only son left 
 to his widowed mother the cares of the fam- 
 ily early devolved upon him, and he man- 
 fully performed his tasks. In the meantime 
 he gained a fair education, and when about 
 twenty years of age he applied for a certifi- 
 cate to teach, and for several years he de- 
 voted the greater share of his time and at- 
 tention to that line of work. In 1865 he 
 took a course at Bryant & Stratton's Busi- 
 ness College, in Buffalo, New York, thus 
 qualifying himself for a commercial career. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Dresback and Jen- 
 nie Treece was solemnized at Vanlue, Ohio, 
 December 17, 1865. She is a daughter of 
 Cornelius and Hettie (Myers) Treece, and 
 was born June 26, 1849, in Amanda town- 
 ship, Hancock county, Ohio, and was reared 
 in Vanlue, where her father resided after 
 retiring from active cares. Three children 
 were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dresback. Or- 
 rin D. , born October 22. 1866, married 
 Sophia K. Geibel, and is engaged in the 
 poultry business at Ogden. Illinois. Alfred 
 L. , born September 12, 1871, died August 
 20, 1872. Pearl Gertrude, born February 
 5, 1877, is the wife of Charles Peabody, a 
 dealer in implements at Longview, Illinois. 
 
 For about four years after his marriage 
 Mr. Dresback continued to engage in teach- 
 ing school, and returned to St. Joseph in 
 August, 1867. In 1 869 he opened a general 
 store in the old part of the town, and when 
 the railroad was put through here he re- 
 moved to the new village. Here he erected 
 
 the building now occupied by George C. 
 Swafford, and here he was actively engaged 
 in business until 1878, when he sold out. 
 Since that time he has given his attention 
 to his present line of business, dealing ex- 
 tensively in poultry, game and eggs, and 
 shipping to the city markets in large 
 quantities. In 1893 he erected the brick 
 building which he now occupies, and, alto- 
 gether, he has built about half a dozen of 
 the substantial residences and business 
 blocks of this place. For many years he 
 has been director and secretary of the St. 
 Joseph Building, Loan & Investment As- 
 sociation and is one of the most enthusias- 
 tic workers in the organization. To his 
 efforts are due many of the substantial im- 
 provements which our citizens enjoy, and 
 he is considered one of the most public 
 spirited citizens of the place. As great con- 
 fidence is placed in his fidelity and good 
 judgment, he has been called upon to serve 
 in the capacity of town clerk and township 
 commissioner, and for the past twenty-six 
 years he has been the treasurer of the town- 
 ship schools. Fraternally, he is a charter 
 member of St. Joseph Lodge, No. 222, 
 Modern Woodmen of America, and at present 
 holds the office of master of finance in St. 
 Joseph Lodge, No. 222, Knight of Pythias. 
 He also belongs to the Grand Army of the 
 Republic, as, in 1862, he enlisted in Com- 
 pany K, Sixty-seventh Illinois Volunteer In- 
 fantry, but on account of temporary dis- 
 ability he was placed upon detached duty, 
 and was stationed on guard duty at Camp 
 Douglas, Chicago, where he remained four 
 months. Both himself and wife are mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 at present he is officiating as steward. Polit- 
 ically, he is identified with the Republican 
 party. 
 
360 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 JC. GARDINER, the present efficient 
 and popular supervisor of Ogden town- 
 ship, and a leading merchant of the village 
 of Ogden, has gained a wide reputation as 
 a most capable business man, and occupies 
 a position of no little prominence in con- 
 nection with the political affairs of the 
 county. His life demonstrates what may 
 be accomplished through energy, careful 
 management, keen foresight and the utiliza- 
 tion of the powers with which nature has 
 endowed one, and the opportunities with 
 which the times surround him. 
 
 Mr. Gardiner is proud to claim Illinois 
 as his native state, his birth occurring in 
 Pike county, May 4, 1861. His parents are 
 William and Phcbe A. (Stanley) Gardiner. 
 The father was born in Ireland, in 1825, 
 and when twelve years of age came alone to 
 America. He was married in McDonough 
 county, Illinois, and soon afterward located 
 in Pike county, where he purchased a small 
 farm, which he operated until 1868, and 
 then removed to Logan county, this state, 
 making his home there for one year. At 
 the end of that time he went to Piatt coun- 
 ty, Illinois, where he bought one hundred 
 and sixty acres of land, and to its improve- 
 ment and cultivation devoted his time and 
 attention until 1887. During that year he 
 sold his property in this state and moved to 
 Adams county, Nebraska, where he pur- 
 chased four hundred acres of land and con- 
 tinued to engage in agricultural pursuits 
 quite extensively until recently, but is now 
 living a retired life in Hastings, Nebraska. 
 In politics he is a stanch Republican, and 
 in religious belief is a Methodist, taking an 
 active part in the work of church and Sun- 
 day school, and contributing liberally to 
 their support. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is the fourth 
 
 in order of birth in a family of twelve chil- 
 dren, the others being James, who was ac- 
 cidentally killed at about the age of nineteen 
 years; Martha, wife of C. W. Yapp, an ex- 
 tensive farmer of Mansfield, Illinois; Eliza- 
 beth, wife of J. O. Smothers, of Osman, 
 Illinois; Joseph, a prominent attorney of 
 Hastings, Nebraska; Frank, who is engaged 
 in the mercantile business in Adams county, 
 that state; David, who, in partnership with 
 our subject, is engaged in merchandising in 
 Wingate, Indiana; Fred, who died at the 
 age of eighteen years; Harry, who is con- 
 nected with the firm of Gardiner Brothers 
 at Wingate, Indiana; Letitia, deceased;. 
 Lucy, wife of Clark Young, who lives on 
 the home farm in Adams county, Nebraska; 
 and Elmer, deceased. Fred, Letitaand El- 
 mer all died from diphtheria within a week. 
 J. C. Gardiner was reared on the home 
 farm and acquired his education in the com- 
 mon schools of the neighborhood. On 
 reaching his majority he started out in life 
 on his own account as a farmer, first oper- 
 ating rented land near Mansfield in Piatt 
 county. Later he came to Champaign 
 county, and rented a two- hundred-acre 
 farm in Ogden township from J. W. Lewis, 
 which he conducted for five years, at the 
 end of which time he bought a small farm 
 within a half mile of the village of Ogden. 
 In 1891 he was elected assessor of his 
 township, and while performing the duties 
 of that office he also operated his farm- 
 without help. In the fall of the same year 
 he sold the place and bought a small stock 
 of groceries, with which he commenced his 
 mercantile business in the L. W. Baird 
 building at Ogden. For the first year his 
 stock consisted only of groceries, but later 
 he began adding other lines, and increased 
 his stock from time to time to meet the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 growing demands of his trade. In 1894 he 
 purchased his present store building from 
 \V. F. Jenkins and now occupies two good 
 rooms, carrying a large and well-selected 
 stock of general merchandise. There is 
 probably no neater or better conducted es- 
 tablishment in the county. He is deserving 
 of much credit for the success he has 
 achieved, as he came to this county a poor 
 man, and when entering upon his commer- 
 cial career had but four hundred and fifty 
 dollars to invest; but being a man of sound 
 judgment and good business ability, he has 
 overcome the obstacles in his path and is 
 now at the head of a large and prosperous 
 business. In 1898, in addition to his in- 
 terests here, he became an equal partner 
 with his brother David in the mercantile 
 firm of Gardiner Brothers, of Wingate, 
 Indiana, and spent a few months in estab- 
 lishing the business there which his brother 
 now carries on. 
 
 On the i3th of March, 1887, in Mans- 
 field, Illinois, Mr. Gardiner was united in 
 marriage with Miss Ettie House, a native of 
 Sadorus township, this county, and a 
 daughter of Absalom and Martha (Smith) 
 House. She is a graduate of the Mans- 
 field high school, and is a lady of culture 
 and refinement, who occupies a high place 
 in society and in the esteem of her many 
 acquaintances. In 1896 Mr. Gardiner 
 erected his present commodious residence 
 one of the best in Ogden. Both he and his 
 wife are active and leading members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and he is es- 
 pecially interested in Sunday school work, 
 having served as superintendent and presi- 
 dent of the township Sunday school associ- 
 ation. Fraternally he is a member of Corn 
 City Lodge, No. 560, K. P., and is a 
 
 charter member of the Court of Honor at 
 10 
 
 Ogden, in which he has served as presiding 
 officer for several years. 
 
 In connection with his business interests, 
 Mr. Gardiner has also found time to devote 
 to public affairs, and has taken quite a 
 prominent and influential part in local pol- 
 itics. He is unswerving in his allegiance to 
 the Republican party, and in 1892 was 
 elected supervisor of his township, to which 
 office he has been continuously re-elected, 
 and in which he is now serving his fourth 
 term. During his third term he was chosen 
 chairman of the board, and tor three years 
 served as chairman of the judicial commit- 
 tee. He has also been a member of the 
 committees on ways and means, buildings 
 and grounds. That he has discharged his 
 official duties in a most commendable and 
 satisfactory manner is indicated by his long 
 retention in office, and he is considered one 
 of the ablest members of the board. He 
 has also served as village trustee, and is a 
 member of the Republican County Central 
 Committee of Champaign County. 
 
 WARREN M. HILL is one of the early 
 settlers of Tolono, where he has- 
 passed much of his Hie, and where his hon- 
 ored father played a very important part in 
 establishing the town upon a firm basis of 
 prosperity. The latter, Walter F. Hill,, 
 came of fine old New England ancestry, his> 
 birth having occurred in Bangor, Maine. 
 In that city he grew to manhood, acquiring 
 an exceptionally good education, which 
 served him well in his subsequent career. 
 He married Eliza Maxwell, a native of 
 the same city, and of Scotch descent, and 
 soon afterwards they removed to Shelby- 
 ville, Kentucky, where he became the 
 
362 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 founder and. principal of the Shelby ville 
 Female Academy, an institution which exer- 
 cised a wide influence for good throughout 
 that region. For twenty-two years he con- 
 ducted the academy in a very efficient 
 manner, winning the high regard of the 
 leading educators of that day. In 1859, 
 when the Civilwar seemed imminent, and 
 every enterprise in the land was threatened 
 with dissolution, he closed his school and 
 came to the north, where his sympathies 
 naturally were centered. The old academy 
 building is yet standing, but its work was 
 finished long ago, and the one who made it 
 famous has passed to his reward. For two 
 years after leaving Kentucky, Mr. Hill en- 
 gaged in teaching school in Champaign 
 county, for educated men were in great 
 demand in Illinois at that day, and it was 
 not long ere he was called upon to act in 
 local offices requiring more than ordinary 
 ability. As justice of the peace he served 
 for a number of years, and as police magis- 
 trate for a year, besides being an active 
 member of the town board for years. In 
 early manhood he was a Democrat, but 
 soon after the formation of the Republi- 
 can party, he identified himself with it, as it 
 more nearly voiced his opinions. Prior to 
 his locating in this county, he made a tour 
 of inspection through Illinois, and bought 
 land in several counties, but concluded that 
 he could find no more promising place for 
 a home than the one he selected. His use- 
 ful life, covering some four-score years, 
 came to an end at his home in Tolono, 
 March 12, 1887. His widow died Febru- 
 ary 14, 1900. The mother of the subject 
 of this article died when he was only three 
 weeks old, and the father, thus left with six 
 little children (five of whom have since 
 died) married again, the lady of his choice 
 
 being Mrs. Rebecca (Miller) Lytle, a widow. 
 Six children were born to them, but only two 
 survive, namely: Joseph E., who is em- 
 ployed as a grain inspector in Chicago, is 
 married, and has five children; and Thomas 
 C. , principal of the schools of Kensing- 
 ton, Illinois, married, and father of four 
 children. 
 
 Warren M. Hill was born in Shelbyville, 
 Kentucky, September 17, 1845, an d re- 
 ceived his elementary education in the acad- 
 emy presided over by his father. He was 
 only fourteen years of'age when he accom- 
 .panied the family to this county, and six 
 years later he enlisted in Company A, One 
 Hundred and Fifty-fourth Illinois Volunteer 
 Infantry, and served from February until 
 September, 1865, his chief duties being 
 those of patrol and guard, as the war had 
 closed soon after his enlistment. Upon 
 arriving home, he turned his attention to 
 farming for a few years, and in 1872 came 
 to Tolono, where he purchased an interest 
 in a grocery business. The firm, known as 
 Louks & Hill, later added a stock of dry 
 goods and general merchandise, and made a 
 success of the undertaking. At the end of 
 three years, Mr. Hill sold out his interest, 
 and entered the service of the government 
 as a railway postal clerk, on the Wabash 
 road. During almost the entire length of 
 his service eighteen years, his run has been 
 from Toledo to St. Louis, and it is safe to 
 say that he is one of the most trusted and 
 popular men on the line. His fidelity and 
 ability are unquestioned, and his pleasant, 
 courteous ways render him a general favorite 
 with all who have dealings with him. He 
 owns a block of ground in the eastern part 
 of Tolono, and has made improvements 
 thereon. For his family, he has built a 
 convenient modern cottage, and has beauti- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 363 
 
 fied the place, setting out shade trees and 
 shrubbery. 
 
 Mr. Hill and Annetta Chaffee, daughter 
 of Dr. Heman Chaffee, were united in wed- 
 lock, October 24, 1871. She was born in 
 Troy, New York, November 2, 1847, arj d at 
 an early day came to Illinois with her parents, 
 who were pioneers here. Three children 
 were born to our subject and wife. Annet- 
 ta A., a graduate of the Tolono high school, 
 is at home. Warren W. , is employed in 
 the railway postal service, and Clarence C. 
 died at the age of nine years, August 21, 
 1891. 
 
 Warren M. Hill is a member of the To- 
 lono Grand Army Post, in which he has oc- 
 cupied various offices, and at present is 
 serving as commander. He also belongs to 
 Tolono Camp, Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
 ica, and is held in high regard in that order, 
 also. With his wife and children, he is 
 identified with the Baptist church, and en- 
 deavors, by all means within his power, to 
 promote righteous institutions and causes 
 which have for their object the elevation of 
 humanity. 
 
 OANFORD HOUGH, a well-known con- 
 O tractor and builder of Thomasboro, Illi- 
 nois, has for a quarter of a century been 
 prominently identified with the business in- 
 terests of that village and has taken an ac- 
 tive part in its development and progress. 
 He is energetic, enterprising and thoroughly 
 reliable, and enjoys an enviable reputation 
 in business circles. 
 
 A native of Illinois, Mr. Hough was 
 born three miles north of Pullman, April 18, 
 1850, but when two years old was taken to 
 Valparaiso, Indiana, by his parents, Ellis 
 and Emily (Hyde) Hough, natives of Penn- 
 
 sylvania and New York, respectively. The 
 father was a carpenter and wagonmaker by 
 trade, but during the latter part of his life 
 followed farming. He died in 1898, and 
 the mother departed this life about twenty 
 years ago. In their family were ten child- 
 ren, of whom seven are now living, our 
 subject being the oldest. 
 
 Mr. Hough remained under the parental 
 roof until seventeen years of age, attending 
 school and assisting his father in business. 
 In 1869 he went to northwestern Kan- 
 sas, where he was employed several years 
 herding cattle, and on leaving that state 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois. For 
 about two years he was engaged in farm- 
 ing near Fisher, and in 1875 came to 
 Thomasboro, where he has since success- 
 fully carried on operations as a contractor 
 and builder, erecting many of the residences 
 in the village and vicinity. 
 
 On the ist of January, 1875, Mr. Hough 
 led to the marriage altar Miss Rachel 
 Baker, a daughter of Orrin and Julia 
 (Barker) Baker, of Harrison county, Illi- 
 ; nois. Her father died in Thomasboro, this 
 county, about sixteen years ago, but the 
 mother is still living at the age of seventy 
 and makes her home with our subject in 
 Thomasboro. They had a family of eight 
 children, six of whom are now living. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hough have one son, William, 
 who was born in Clay county, Illinois, Oc- 
 tober 31, 1880, and has been educated in 
 the public schools of Thomasboro, and at 
 Valparaiso, Indiana. He taught in the dis- 
 trict schools in the neighborhood of Thom- 
 asboro for several terms, but is now clerk- 
 ing in the general store of S. Kauffman & 
 Company, in that village. He is a great 
 lover of books and has a well-selected li- 
 brary, to which he is constantly adding. 
 
364 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Hough has always been a hard- 
 working man, straightforward and honor- 
 able in all his dealings, and has the entire 
 confidence and respect of his neighbors and 
 fellow citizens. In politics he is an ardent 
 Republican, and has never sought nor held 
 public office. His estimable wife is an 
 active and prominent member of the Free 
 Methodist church, and is a constant attend- 
 ant upon its services. She is a devoted 
 wife and mother, and is seeking to give her 
 only child every possible advantage. 
 
 JONAH BENNETT, who is one of the 
 U best known and highly respected citi- 
 zens of Homer, has long been intimately 
 associated with local educational matters 
 and other enterprises here, and is deeply in- 
 terested in the progress of Champaign 
 county. 
 
 He is a grandson of Jacob Bennett, who 
 was engaged in farming in Pennsylvania, his 
 native state, as long as he lived, and is a 
 son of John and Anna (Langley) Bennett, 
 likewise of the Keystone state. They re- 
 moved to Highland county, Ohio, in 1830, 
 where the father carried on a good farm 
 until his death some twenty years later. 
 The devoted wife and mother reared their 
 six children to be useful citizens, and in 
 
 1883 was called to her reward. She was a 
 daughter of John Langley, of Fayette coun- 
 ty, Pennsylvania, and was born and mar- 
 ried on the old family homestead there. 
 Both she and her husband were faithful 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and made great sacrifices for the sake of 
 religion and the spreading of education and 
 
 righteousness. 
 
 Jonah Bennett, who was born in High- 
 
 land county, Ohio, October 18, 1846, is the 
 youngest of six brothers and sisters, and 
 was a mere child when death deprived him 
 of his father. His brothers, Jacob and Ca- 
 leb L., were heroes of the Union army dur- 
 ing the Civil war, belonging first to the Six- 
 tieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and later to 
 the Twenty-fourth Ohio Light Artillery.. 
 They were with Fremont in the Virginia 
 campaign. Caleb L. was an orderly ser- 
 geant in the artillery company. Both broth- 
 ers were captured at the battle of Harper's 
 Ferry, and, upon being paroled, were sent 
 to Chicago, where they guarded prisoners at 
 Camp Douglas. Jacob died April 13, 1883, 
 and Caleb L. departed this life March 27, 
 1888. The sisters, Mary J., Sarah E. and 
 Anna C. are married and reside in homes in 
 Highland county, Ohio. 
 
 After completing his education in the 
 country schools, our subject continued to 
 follow farming as a means of livelihood until 
 1869, when he came to Illinois, and taught 
 schools in Vermilion county most of the time 
 from 1869 to 1895. From 1887 to 1895 he 
 carried on a farm in this township, and has 
 also been bookkeeper for Milmine, Bodman 
 & Company, grain dealers of this place. 
 From the autumn of 1881 until 1895 he was 
 engaged in teaching in the grammar schools 
 of Homer, and met with gratifying success. 
 Politically he is a Republican, and in 1896 
 was elected supervisor of Homer township, 
 an office to which he was re-elected in 1898 
 and also in 1900. He served as chairman 
 of the board in the year 1898, and has been 
 a member of various important committees 
 on education, ways and means, salaries, 
 and at present is acting on the one having 
 in charge the repairing of the court house. 
 For some four years he held the position of 
 assessor of Homer township, and in 1898- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 365 
 
 was president of the town board of Homer. 
 Fraternally he is a member of the Knights 
 of the Globe, and Ben Hur, a beneficiary 
 order. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Bennett and Mar- 
 garet S. Salladay occurred April 25, 1872. 
 She was born in Noble county, Ohio, a 
 daughter of George and Rachel Salladay, 
 who came to Illinois in 1864. They carried 
 on a farm in Vermilion county for about 
 eleven years, and then located in Homer. 
 Here the father died in September, 1880, 
 and eight years later the mother died at the 
 home of our subject and wife. Of their ten 
 children eight lived to maturity, but only 
 four survive. Mrs. Eliza J. McWilliams, 
 resides in Stafford county, Kansas; M. M. 
 is carrying on the old Vermilion county 
 homestead, and D. W. resides in Sidell 
 township. By a former marriage, Mrs. 
 Bennett's father had one son, John C. , 
 whose home is in Vermilion county, near 
 the Champaign county line. George and 
 Rachel Salladay were members of the Cum- 
 berland Presbyterian church, and our sub- 
 ject and wife are earnest workers in the 
 same denomination. 
 
 JOHN R. WATKINS is numbered among 
 the enterprising journalists of Cham- 
 paign county, and, though not more than a 
 decade has passed since he concluded to de- 
 vote his time and energy to this line of busi- 
 ness, he possesses wide experience and ex- 
 cellent judgment in the management of a 
 paper. From time to time he has been 
 honored with various positions of responsi- 
 bility and trust, and never has failed to give 
 the public perfect satisfaction. With all 
 who know him he is justly popular and his 
 
 future is full of promise of even greater 
 things than those already accomplished by 
 him. 
 
 The father of our subject, Abraham Wat- 
 kins, was born in Tennessee about 1820, 
 and when he attained his majority he went 
 to Green county, Indiana, and there engaged 
 in teaching for a few years. Later he set- 
 tled upon a farm and continued to improve 
 and cultivate it until he was well along in 
 years. He was a high type of the rugged 
 pioneer and his early years in the Hoosier 
 state were years of unremitting toil, as the 
 heavy forests yielded to his axe and the land 
 was made ready for cultivation. In princi- 
 ple he was a strong Abolitionist prior to the 
 war, and when the Republican party was 
 organized he became one of its strong ad- 
 vocates, and as a citizen his career was ex- 
 emplary and in all the relations of life he 
 was sincere, kind and upright. Both him- 
 self and wife were members of the Christian 
 church, and all who knew them loved them 
 for their sterling qualities. The father died 
 at the old homestead in Green county, Feb- 
 ruary 8, 1888, and is survived by his widow, 
 who is still living in the house which has 
 sheltered her for about half a century. In 
 her maidenhood she bore the name of Eliz- 
 abeth Crockett, and her father was a near 
 relative of the famous "Davy" Crockett. 
 
 In a family which included ten brothers 
 and sisters, John R. Watkins is the seventh 
 in order of birth. The others are named 
 as follows: Hannah, wife of James Baker, 
 of Green county, Indiana; Nancy, wife of 
 James Crow, of Brazil, Indiana; Willie, who 
 died at the age of two years; Benjamin 
 Franklin, of McVille, Indiana; George G., 
 now superintendent of the schools of San- 
 born county, South Dakota; Ellen, who 
 was a successful teacher in the schools of 
 
366 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Indiana and South Dakota, and died at Kin- 
 ney, Illinois, April 3, 1888; Marshall B., 
 a teacher in Washington; and E. W. and 
 Cora f). are twins. The former is employed 
 as a bookkeeper in the freight department 
 of the Vandalia railroad at Terre Haute, In- 
 diana; and Cora is the wife of Fred John- 
 son, of Letcher, South Dakota. 
 
 The birth of J. K. Watkins took place 
 October 20, 1867, upon his father's farm, 
 near Newark, Indiana. He obtained a good 
 education in the grammar and high schools 
 of Newark and vicinity, being graduated 
 when fifteen years of age. As agriculture 
 was not to his liking, he went to South Da- 
 kota, where not finding any other occupa- 
 tion open to him at once, he worked for 
 farmers two seasons. At the end of that 
 time he obtained a position as a clerk in a 
 mercantile establishment at Artesian City, 
 and continued in that place for two years. 
 Returning then to his native county in time 
 to cast his first presidential ballot for Har- 
 rison, he spent that winter with his parents. 
 In the following spring he came to Mansfield 
 and opened a general store under the firm 
 name of Forney & Watkins, his partner in 
 the enterprise being William Forney. 
 
 In 1890, Mr. Watkins embarked in the 
 field of journalism, and for four years was 
 connected with the Mansfield Express in the 
 capacity of foreman of the printing depart- 
 ment. He became thoroughly conversant 
 with every feature of the business, and in 
 1894 he came to Ogden and commenced the 
 publication of the Courier. This paper has 
 grown wonderfully in popularity during its 
 comparatively short existence, and, as it is 
 strictly non-partisan, it meets' with the ap- 
 proval of a large class of readers of varying 
 political faiths. It especially aims to give 
 the news of the day, and is devoted to the 
 
 upbuilding of this community. Recently, 
 the Courier office has been equipped with 
 modern appliances and presses, and particu- 
 lar attention is paid to all kinds of job print- 
 ing and press work. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Watkins and Clyde 
 Hilligoss was solemnized April 17, 1890, in 
 Mansfield. The bride's parents, John and 
 Hester (House) Hilligoss, are respected citi- 
 zens of that place, and the father was prin- 
 cipal of the public schools there for several 
 years. He was the founder of the Mansfield 
 Express, and is still conducting that paper. 
 Our subject and wife are very popular in 
 Ogden society, and their attractive modern 
 residence here was erected in 1899. They 
 hold membership with the Christian church 
 of this place. 
 
 During the years of his residence in 
 Mansfield, Mr. Watkins was elected and 
 served as township and village clerk, and 
 since coming to Ogden he has acted in the 
 same offices. On the ist of November, 
 1897, he was appointed post-master of 
 Ogden, and is still serving the people in this 
 responsible position. In politics, he is a 
 stalwart Republican, and frequently has 
 been sent as a delagate to county and con- 
 gressional conventions of his party, besides 
 serving on the township and county central 
 committees. Fraternally, he is an Odd Fel- 
 low, holding the rank of past noble grand, 
 and belonging to the Encampment. He 
 also is identified with the Knights of Pythias 
 and the Modern Woodmen of America. 
 
 WALTER H. TOWNE. No citizen of 
 Broadlands is more widely or favor- 
 ably known in business and political circles 
 in this section of the county than the gen- 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 367 
 
 tleman whose name introduces this sketch. 
 He resides on a farm within a mile of the 
 village, but for many years has been identi- 
 fied with the business interests of the place, 
 and is now a member of the firm of Towne 
 & Ktnney, dealers in lumber, lime, cement 
 and building material, also bituminous and 
 anthracite coal. 
 
 Mr. Towne was born in Danvers, Mas- 
 sachusetts, April 13, 1853, of good Puritan 
 stock. His paternal grandfather, Daniel 
 Towne. was also a native of the old Bay 
 state, and was a soldier of the Revolution. 
 His death occurred in 1812. The father, 
 Daniel Towne, was born in Essex county, 
 Massachusetts, in 1806, and died in that 
 state in 1871. There he engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits throughout life, and was a 
 highly respected citizen of his native coun- 
 ty, not taking an active part in local affairs, 
 save in educational matters, serving on the 
 school board for many years. He also did 
 considerable work in the construction and 
 repair of public roads, being commissioner 
 of highways for a great many years. In 
 his political views he was first a Whig and 
 later a Republican. He married Paulina 
 Ferguson, who was born in Maine, in 1809, 
 and died in 1858. 
 
 In the family of this worthy couple were 
 eight children: Daphne married W. P. 
 Hutchinson, and remained near the old 
 homestead in Danvers. Massachusetts; Sarah 
 is now the widow of Henry A. White, and a 
 resident of Danvers; Aus in was engaged in 
 the manufacture of shots at St. Louis, Mis- 
 souri, where he died in 1878; Charles A. is 
 a traveling salesman residing in Decatur, 
 Illinois; Ella resides with her brother in 
 Decatur; Walter H., our subject, is next in 
 order of birth; George is. also a traveling 
 salesman residing in Harristown, Illinois; 
 
 and Frank, twin brother of George, is a 
 general merchant of Harristown, Illinois. 
 
 On the home farm in Essex county, 
 Massachusetts, Walter H. Towne grew to 
 manhood, receiving a common school. edu- 
 cation. In 1872, at the age of nineteen 
 years, he left his boyhood home and came 
 to Macon county, Illinois, where he com- 
 menced life for himself by working on a 
 farm by the month for several years. In 
 the spring of 1877 he came to Champaign 
 county and rented land in Ayers township, 
 which he operated for two seasons, and in 
 the fall of 1878 removed to the Broadlands 
 farm, an extensive tract, then including 
 ever a township, owned by A. E. Ayers, of 
 Jacksonville, Illinois. After being here for 
 a short time, he was made foreman of the 
 place, which responsible position he credita- 
 bly filled for eleven years. The care and 
 supervision of this immense tract and its 
 operation necessarily ^nvolved a very active 
 life, and during that time he lived almost 
 constantly in the saddle. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Towne was mar- 
 ried, December 25, 1879. to Miss Rose B. 
 Bunker, a daughter of Dearborn and 
 Christie C. (Law) Bunker, natives of New 
 Hampshire and Michigan, respectively. She 
 was born in Des Moines, Iowa, where her 
 parents lived for a short time, and then re- 
 turned to Rye, New Hampshire, remaining: 
 there until coming to Matamora, Illinois, in 
 1870. After a short residence there they 
 removed to Macon county, this state, where 
 the father followed the carpenter's trade for 
 some years, but is now living retired near 
 Warrensburg. Our subject and his wife 
 have four daughters: Ella, a successful 
 teacher of this county; Florence, Edna and 
 Lulu, all at home. 
 
 While serving as foreman of the Broad- 
 
368 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 lands tract, Mr. Towne purchased an eighty 
 acre tract, which has been his home since 
 1891. and to which he has added twenty 
 acres, making a good farm of one hundred 
 acres. This he operates in addition to his 
 other business. In 1891 he assumed charge 
 of the elevator and grain business at Broad- 
 lands for J. M. Cathcart, and after carrying 
 it on for rive years accepted a similar posi- 
 tion with H. H. Carr, of Chicago, but 
 arrangements were scarcely more than com- 
 pleted when, on account of a severe illness, 
 he was forced to resign, and the elevator of 
 the company burned about the same time. 
 For some time after his recovery he devoted 
 his attention exclusively to his agricultural 
 pursuits, but in May, 1899, formed a part- 
 nership with A. M. Kenney and purchased 
 the lumber business of J. P. Shearer, which 
 they have since successfully carried on. 
 They keep a complete assortment of all 
 kinds of lumber and building materials, such 
 as are usually found in larger towns and 
 cities. 
 
 A public-spirited and enterprising citizen, 
 Mr. Towne has always been interested in 
 all measures tending toward the develop- 
 ment and improvement of his town and 
 county, and as a stanch Republican has 
 taken an active part in promoting and pre- 
 serving the principles of his party. He has 
 served almost continuously on the town and 
 county central committees, and is at present 
 a member of the latter. He has filled 
 various elective offices of his township in a 
 most creditable manner. He was collector 
 two years; was elected supervisor of Ayers 
 township in 1893, an< ^ filled that office for 
 four consecutive years, at the end of which 
 time he was forced to decline further nomi- 
 nation on account of ill health. In 1898 
 he was elected commissioner of highways 
 
 of his township, and still performs the duties 
 of that position to the entire satisfaction of 
 all concerned. In 1899 he was appointed 
 by Judge Staley to serve on the first board 
 of review, which the new law provided for. 
 He has ever taken an active and commend- 
 able interest in educational affairs and con- 
 tributed his full share to its work, which has 
 always been unremunerative and too often a 
 thankless task, having served as school 
 director and school trustee, filling the latter 
 office eight years. Fraternally Mr. Towne 
 is an honored member of Broadlands Lodge, 
 No. 791, and for five consecutive years 
 served as worshipful master, which office, 
 after an interval, he is again filling. Both 
 he and his estimable wife are active mem- 
 bers of Eastern Star Chapter, No. 416, of 
 Broadlands, in which he is serving as patron, 
 and she is also a consistent member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 JOHN MILTON GREGORY, LL. D , 
 now deceased, was the first president of 
 what is now the University of Illinois, but 
 first called the Illinois Industrial University, 
 and served from 1867 until 1880. He 
 planned the general character of the insti- 
 tution, and against great obstacles struggled 
 heroically for its upbuilding and develop- 
 ment. In this he was often greatly ham- 
 pered by the want of any settled conviction 
 on the part of others as to what should be 
 done, though opinions were by no means 
 wanting. He remained with the University 
 until its character became well established, 
 and until he could see many fruits of his 
 abundant labors. 
 
 John M. Gregory came from English 
 ancestry. One Henry Gregory, of Notting- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 hamshire, England, came with his four 
 sons and two daughters to America about 
 1636, stopping first at the newly founded 
 town of Boston, then moved to Springfield, 
 Massachusetts, and afterwards into the 
 wilderness of Connecticut where the family 
 was located at Norwalk. Thence they 
 gradually spread westward. In this line at 
 length came Joseph Gregory, who lived at 
 Sand Lake, Rensselaer county, New York, 
 by occupation a farmer and tanner, once or 
 twice a member of the state Legislature, cap- 
 tain of a militia company, and for many 
 years deacon of the Baptist church. He 
 was a man of great physical strength, and of 
 strong, rugged mind, but with slight educa- 
 tional attainments. When his son John 
 M. wished to go to college, he told him 
 bluntly that it would be money thrown 
 away, as he was a feeble boy and apt to die 
 before he reached the age of twenty. After- 
 wards, however, he rejoiced greatly at his 
 son's success. 
 
 As a child, John M. Gregory went to the 
 village school, but at thirteen he was put to 
 work regularly upon the farm and in the 
 tannery, but was always at a book when 
 possible. The district library was kept at 
 his father's house, and this helped him 
 greatly. It was his constant habit to tell 
 to his brothers and fellow workers on the 
 farm what he had learned in his books. 
 
 At seventeen his health became more 
 feeble and he was again sent to school for a 
 winter, which fitted him to take a legal cer- 
 tificate as teacher and to take charge of a 
 private school in Gilboa, Schoharie county, 
 the next spring. He then resolved to pre- 
 pare for college, but his father being averse 
 to it, he was helped to six months schooling 
 in the academy at Poughkeepsie, New York, 
 by his sister Lois, who had married and 
 
 lived there. He then taught school at La 
 Grange until he had laid up a little stock of 
 money. When twenty years of age, he en- 
 tered Union College at Schenectady, where 
 he graduated in 1846, at the head of his 
 class. 
 
 During his last year of college life, he 
 entered the law office of Paige Potter, 
 in Schenectady, and began the study of law, 
 which he had chosen as a profession. The 
 following year he continued his law studies 
 until autumn, when he took charge of a new 
 academy erected for him at Deposit, New 
 York. From there, having been persuaded 
 that he had a call to preach, he removed to 
 Hoosac Falls to take charge of a Baptist 
 church. At the same time, however, he 
 was principal of Ball's Academy. He re- 
 moved to Akron, Ohio, where he filled a 
 Baptist pulpit, but he had never taken a 
 course of theological study and gradually 
 made up his mind that he preferred teaching. 
 
 He therefore went to Detroit, Michi- 
 gan, in 1852, and established a classical 
 school, where he was thrown with some of 
 the leading teachers, and his active and en- 
 thusiastic work led to his election in 1853 
 to the presidency of the State Teachers' 
 Association. In 1855 he was appointed to 
 the editorial charge of the Michigan Journal 
 of Education, which occupied his time quite 
 fully, although he still continued to teach. 
 In 1859 he was elected superintendent of 
 public instruction, which office he held three 
 terms, being nominated the last two terms 
 by acclamation in the state Republican 
 convention. When the war broke out he 
 threw himself into the raising of troops and 
 was about to take a regiment to the front, 
 but was dissuaded by the condition of his 
 wife, who was an invalid and unable to take 
 sole care of their five children, most of them 
 
372 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 small. He, however, assisted in raising re- 
 lief supplies, and once or twice was chosen 
 to take them to the front. 
 
 In 1865 he refused a fourth nomination 
 for the state superintendency and became 
 the president of the Kalamazoo College. In 
 a short campaign of one month, he raised 
 by private subscription the sum of thirty 
 thousand dollars and lifted the institution 
 out of what had seemed a hopeless debt. 
 During the six years of his superintendency 
 he visited and lectured in all the principal 
 counties, organizing educational societies, 
 which became influential in promoting the 
 cause of popular and higher education. He 
 carried the State Teachers' Institute to a 
 high degree of success, bringing in some.years 
 over two thousand teachers under instruc- 
 tion and introducing everywhere into the 
 schools new and more intelligent methods. 
 The president and professor of the State 
 University, of the State normal school, and 
 of the colleges of the State, readily joined 
 in the work under his active leadership, and 
 the crowded sessions of two weeks were at- 
 tended by large numbers of citizens as well 
 as teachers, for whose benefit the afternoon 
 sessions were often devoted to scientific and 
 literary lectures. This was a sort of begin- 
 ning of a " university extension" system. 
 A school district library system was estab- 
 lished throughout the state, and many 
 graded and high schools established. Dur- 
 ing his superintendency his residence was 
 at Ann Arbor, and he was ex-officio a mem- 
 ber of the state board of agriculture, which 
 had charge of the Michigan Agricultural 
 College. With characteristic energy and 
 wisdom he aided in the reorganization of 
 this institution and helped to make it what 
 it was at the end of the lime the best of 
 kind on the continent. 
 
 After two years of service as president 
 of Kalamazoo College, he accepted, in 1867, 
 the regency ofrthe Illinois Industrial Univer- 
 sity, which office he held until 1880. He 
 then devoted himself to literary work, and as 
 one of the results published in 1882 "A 
 New Political Economy," a work which was 
 speedily adopted as a text in many colleges. 
 "Seven Laws of Teaching" soon followed. 
 In 1882 he was made a member of United 
 States civil service commission and con- 
 tinued in the office three years. After this 
 he spent several years in study and travel, 
 making temporary homes inEngland, France 
 and Germany, then settled down to write up 
 the results of his investigation in Washing- 
 ton, D. C. Here he died October 19, 1898, 
 age seventy-six years, three months and 
 thirteen days. His remains were brought 
 to Urbana, and lie buried in the University 
 campus, where his tomb still bears silent 
 witness to the respect and love in which he 
 was held as the first president of the State 
 University. 
 
 September 6, 1848, he married Julia 
 Gregory, daughter of Charles H. Gregory, 
 of Sand Lake, New York, who died July 
 6, 1877. June 17, 1879, ne married Louise 
 Catherine Allen, daughter of David Skill- 
 man Allen, of Harristown, Illinois, and at 
 that time professor of domestic economy 
 in the Illinois Industrial University. By 
 the first wife there were five children, as 
 Mrs. Mary Gregory Webb, Glen Ridge, 
 New York; Helen Barbour, now an artist in 
 Holland; Alfred, a lawyer in Kansas City, 
 Missouri; Grant, on the staff of the New 
 York Tribune, residing in Brooklyn, New 
 York, and Julia, a teacher in Kansas City, 
 Missouri. By the second marriage there is 
 one daughter, Allene, who lives with her 
 mother in Washington, D. C. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 373 
 
 REV. JOHN BARRY, the well-known 
 pastor of the Catholic church in Philo, 
 Illinois, is a native of this county, born on a 
 farm in Urbana township, September, 28, 
 1 863 % and is the eldst son of Bartholomew and 
 Ellen (Lane) Barry, who for over thirty-five 
 years have been well-known and highly res- 
 pected citizens of this county, and are now 
 living retired in Philo. They are natives of 
 County Cork, Ireland, and when single both 
 emigrated to America about 1853. After 
 stopping for a short time in New York, the 
 father came to Illinois, and soon afterward 
 began farming in Champaign county. He 
 successfully engaged in that occupation for 
 many years and became the owner of a well- 
 improved and highly cultivated farm, which 
 is still in his possession. In 1898. after our 
 subject located in Philo, the parents re- 
 moved to that village, where they are now 
 living a retired life, enjoying a well-earned 
 rest. They were married in Will county, 
 and had nine children, of whom four died 
 when young. The others are John, our 
 subject; Ellen, who is keepinghouse for our 
 subject; Bartholomew, who lives on the 
 home farm in Urbana township; Mary, wife 
 of M. J. McDermott, of Philo; and Maggie, 
 at home with her parents. 
 
 Father Barry acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools of this county, 
 and remained at home until sixteen years of 
 age. He .then spent one year at St. Mary's * 
 school in Champaign, preparatory to study- 
 ing for the priesthood, and at the end of 
 that time went to Kankakee, where he con- 
 tinued his studies for a few years. He next 
 entered St. Mary's school in Baltimore, 
 Maryland, where he was ordained as assist- 
 ant pastor, in which capacity he served for 
 two years at Ivesdale, Illinois, under Father 
 Byrnes. The following year he was with 
 
 Father Weldon, of Bloomington, and then 
 received the appointment of first pastor of 
 the Catholic church at Gibson City, where 
 he remained three years. During that time 
 he built the church at that place, and he 
 left it in a flourishing condition. His next 
 pastorate was at Piper City, where he also 
 remained three years, doing a great deal to- 
 ward building the church at that place. 
 
 In 1897 Father Barry came to Philo, 
 where a new church had just been erected. 
 Since taking charge of affairs here, he has 
 paid off a large debt of the church; has 
 built a parsonage; and otherwise improved 
 the church property by his energetic and 
 persevering efforts. The church is now in 
 good condition both spiritually and financial- 
 ly. Father Barry also has charge of the 
 congregation at Broadlands, where he has 
 erected a new brick church with all modern 
 improvements, to be completed in 1900. 
 He is very energetic, enterprising, and an 
 untiring laborer in the interests of his church. 
 He is also a close student, is a gentleman of 
 refinement and culture, and is well-liked by 
 all who know him. 
 
 ANDREW M. KENNEY, of Broadlands, 
 is one of the public-spirited citizens to 
 whose energy and enterprise that locality is 
 indebted for many improvements. While, as 
 a prosperous business man, he has given 
 close attention to his private affairs, he has 
 never forgotten or ignored that bond of com- 
 mon interest which should unite the people 
 of every community, and he is always ready 
 to promote progress in any line. 
 
 Mr. Kenney was born in Derry, Rocking- 
 ham county, New Hampshire, October 30, 
 1861, and is a son of Alpheus H. and Eliza 
 
374 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 (Marshall) Kenney, also natives of that 
 county. The father was born in 1831, and 
 on leaving Rockingham county, went to 
 Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he was em- 
 ployed as foreman of a shoe manufacturing 
 establishment for two years. In 1868 he 
 came to Illinois and first located in Macon 
 county, where he purchased land and en- 
 gaged in farming for ten }ears, at the end 
 of which time he disposed of his proptrty 
 and came to Champaign county. He bought 
 one hundred and sixty acres of the Broad- 
 lands tract in Ayers township, which was 
 being sold at that time, and gave his undi- 
 vided attention to agricultural pursuits until 
 1894, when he retired from active labor and 
 moved to the village of Broadlands, where 
 he died the following year. His wife is still 
 living and continues to make her home in 
 that place. Politically he was a Jefferson- 
 ian Democrat, and religiously was a faithful 
 member of the Congregational church. In 
 his family were five children, of whom one 
 -died in infancy. Our subject is the oldest 
 of those still living. John A^, next in order 
 of birth, owns and operates a large rice 
 plantation of several hundred acres near 
 Jennings, Louisiana; George W. is a prac- 
 ticing attorney of Springfield, Illinois; and 
 Ida L. resides with her mother in Broad- 
 lands. 
 
 The subject of this review was a child of 
 six years when the family came to this state, 
 and he passed his boyhood and youth on his 
 father's farm in Macon county. At the age 
 of seventeen he came with his parents to 
 Champaign county, where, as before, he as- 
 sisted in carrying on the farm work, re- 
 maining at home until after reaching his 
 majority. He received a good practical 
 education, attending first the district schools 
 and later a normal school at Bloomfield, 
 
 Iowa, while his brothers were both edu- 
 cated at Depauw University. 
 
 On starting out in life for himself, Mr. 
 Kenney engaged in farming on rented land 
 for three years, and at the end of that time 
 purchased one hundred and thirty acres of 
 land just across the line in Douglas county, 
 upon which place he still continues to re- 
 side, though he owns the home farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres adjoining in Cham- 
 paign county. He gave his undivided at- 
 tention to farming and stock raising until 
 1892, when he accepted his present position 
 as manager of the elevator and grain busi- 
 ness at Broadlands for Bartlett, Kuhn & 
 Company, of Terre Haute, Indiana. Their 
 elevator and crib have a capacity of one 
 hundred thousand bushels and they do a 
 large business. Mr. Kenney is also the 
 junior member of the firm of Towne & Ken- 
 ney, dealers in lumber and coal, in which 
 line of trade they have built up a flourishing 
 and prosperous business. He is one of the 
 most active arid progressive business men of 
 the county and has various interests in 
 Broadlands. He was one of the organizers 
 and the first president of the Bank of Broad- 
 lands, serving in that office two years, and 
 is now a director and shareholder. He is 
 also a partner in the general mercantile firm 
 of Kenney & Putnam. 
 
 Mr. Kenney was married, September 16, 
 1891, to Miss Luella M. Coolley, who was 
 born in Douglas county, a daughter of John 
 A. and Harriet (WyckorT) Coolley, natives 
 of Indiana and Illinois, respectively. By 
 this union were born three children, namely: 
 Harold, Helen and Frances. 
 
 Though well known in the business cir- 
 cles of his community, it is perhaps as a 
 church and Sunday-school worker that Mr. 
 Kenney is best known. Since his youth he 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 37S 
 
 has been especially interested in religions 
 matters, and as teacher, superintendent and 
 organizer he has taken an active part in 
 Sunday-school work. He is one of the 
 leading and influential members of the 
 Cumberland Presbyterian church of Fair- 
 field, Douglas county, of which he has been 
 a deacon for five years, and has also been 
 trustee of the church and the Fairfield ceme- 
 tery. He is the present superintendent of 
 the Sunday-school, which position he has 
 filled for the past two years, and is also 
 president of the Douglas County Sunday- 
 School Association. Politically, he is an 
 independent Democrat, favoring the gold 
 standard and sound money, and fraternally 
 is a charter member and one of the organ- 
 izers of Trinity Lodge, No. 254, K. P., of 
 which he held the office of chancellor two 
 terms. He never withholds his support 
 from any enterprise calculated to advance 
 the moral, social or material welfare of his 
 community, and is recognized as one of its 
 most valued and useful citizens. 
 
 HARRY W. CHADWICK, a well-known 
 locomotive engineer residing at No. 
 406 South Race street, Urbana, Illinois, 
 was born in Vincennes, Knox county, Indi- 
 ana, October i, 1857, and comes of a fam- 
 ily many of whose representatives have 
 been machinists or sea-faring men. His 
 father, Eli Chadwick, was a native of Eng- 
 land, and belonged to an old and honored 
 family. He was educated for an Episcopal 
 clergyman but never entered the ministry. 
 In Vincennes, Indiana, he married Miss 
 Mary Docker, of Scotch descent. He put 
 in operation the first telegraph at that place 
 and sent the first message from that city. 
 
 Later he was made superintendent of the 
 line, and still later became superintendent 
 of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, now the 
 Baltimore & Ohio, holding that position be- 
 fore the trains passed over the bridge and 
 were ferried across the Wabash river. He 
 was still serving as superintendent of the 
 southwestern division of that road at the 
 the time of his death, which occurred in St. 
 Louis, January 6, 1864. He was buried by 
 the Masonic and Odd Fellows societies, 
 being a prominent member of those orders. 
 He and his friend, Dr. Austin, a minister of 
 the Episcopal church, went to Scotland to 
 take the degrees of the Scottish Rite. In 
 politics he was an ardent Republican, and 
 favored the vigorous prosecution of the war. 
 His wife, who survived him many years and 
 reared their children, died at the age of fifty- 
 six years. Although she was reared a Pres- 
 byterian, she united with the Episcopal 
 church after her marriage, as her husband 
 was a member of that denomination. Her 
 parents were Henry and Mary Docker, of 
 Shawneetown, Illinois, where he built the 
 Riverside hotel. After his death Mrs. Dock- 
 er married William Birch, whose first wife 
 was her sister. He was the wealthiest man 
 in Knox county, Indiana, where he located 
 during the '405. 
 
 Our subject is the third in order of birth 
 in a family of four children, the others being 
 as follows: (i) William Birch is a resident 
 of Chester, Pennsylvania, but is engaged in 
 business in Philadelphia as superintendent 
 of water supply plants. He married Mag- 
 gie, daughter of Judge Frank and Margaret 
 Moore, of Vincennes, Indiana, and they 
 have one child, Wallace, who is now pre- 
 paring for the United States navy at Annap- 
 olis. Maryland. (2) Maria is the wife of 
 Frank Greea, a liveryman of Indianapolis, 
 
376 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Indiana, and they have two children, Han- 
 nah and Frankie. Mr. Green's father, a 
 native of England, built the opera house at 
 Vincennes, and he and our subject's father 
 presented to that city its first fire engine, 
 the Lafayette. (4) Thomas Docker, a resi- 
 dent of East St. Louis, is an engineer on 
 the southwestern branch of the Baltimore 
 & Ohio railroad, and is a genial, jovial gen- 
 tleman, a great favorite with his acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 After completing his education Harry 
 W. Chadwick learned the machinist's trade 
 in the railroad shops at Vincennes, Indiana, 
 where he was employed for four years, dur- 
 ing which time he made his home with his 
 grandfather, William Birch. He then se- 
 cured a position as fireman on the Ohio & 
 Mississippi Railroad, and on the i6th of 
 September, 1879, was promoted to an en- 
 gineer. Before he had attained his major- 
 ity he had acted in that capacity, and has 
 been at the throttle ever since with the ex- 
 ception of six weeks, first with the Ohio & 
 Mississippi Railroad, then with the Hanni- 
 bal & St. Jo, and now with the Peoria & 
 Eastern division of the Big Four. 
 
 During his railroad career, Mr. Chad- 
 wick has had some thrilling experiences and 
 been in several wrecks, but fortunately has 
 never been injured. He wears a large 
 cameo ring which he received as a reward 
 for rescuing from death Ella Farrel, the 
 eighteen-months-old daughter of the section 
 boss at Wheatland, Indiana. Seeing the 
 child on the track, he stepped on the pilot, 
 holding the shacklebar with his left hand, 
 and with his right on the cowcatcher, he 
 caught the child up and carried it into the 
 cab unharmed with the exception of .its 
 shoulder, which was dislocated by the jerk. 
 He then backed the train and delivered the 
 
 child to the frenzied mother who, from her 
 doorway, had witnessed all that had passed. 
 Mr. Chadwick was in one collision which cost 
 the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad thirty-seven 
 thousand dollars, but he carries recom- 
 mendations of the highest quality from the 
 officials of the road, who exonerated him 
 from all blame, as he was worn out from 
 overwork and loss of sleep. He has been 
 in six head-end collisions and in five others 
 where his engine run into the caboose of 
 another train, but no deaths resulted from 
 these. He has been turned over three 
 times with his engine, and while with the 
 Big Four he and his fireman, Harry Dep- 
 uty, on their engine, with fifty cars attached, 
 went through a culvert. They jumped into 
 thirteen feet of water and had to swim sixty 
 feet before reaching the bank. This acci- 
 dent was caused by a cloudburst. Two 
 men have been killed by Mr. Chadwick's 
 engine one of whom was drunk and laid 
 down on the track at Shoals, Indiana. The 
 other was a new brakeman, who was injured 
 at LeRoy, Illinois, while making a coup- 
 ling, and died soon afterward. It is be- 
 lieved that his lamp had gone out, and not 
 knowing the road, he walked into the cattle 
 guard and got under the train unnoticed by 
 our subject. 
 
 On the ist of July, 1882, Mr. Chadwick 
 married Miss Nettie Slawson, who was then 
 living with her grandfather, Abner Slawson, 
 in Vincennes, Indiana. Her father, Will- 
 iam Slawson, is now a resident of Urbana. 
 Our subject and his wife have two children: 
 Bessie Marie, who is attending the high 
 school of Urbana; and Frank, who is in the 
 fourth grade of the grammar school. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Chadwick are both active members 
 of the First Baptist church of Urbana, and 
 she teaches a class in Sunday school, is sec- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 377 
 
 cretary of the Eastern Star Lodge, is an 
 officer of the Woman's Christian Temper- 
 ance Union, and is connected with several 
 church organizations. Socially, our subject 
 is a member of the Blue Lodge, No. 157, 
 F. & A. M. ; the Tribe of Ben Hur, and 
 both he and his wife are members of the 
 Court of Honor. He affiliates with the Re- 
 publican party, and in 1896 came within 
 four votes of being elected alderman of his 
 ward when running against a man who had 
 held the office for thirteen years. He was 
 deputized to act asdeputy United States mar- 
 shal at the legal execution of Samuel 
 Archer, at Shoals, Indiana, in the '703. He 
 has always been found true and faithful to 
 every trust reposed in him, and merits and 
 receives the confidence and respect of his 
 fellow citizens. 
 
 ISAAC BROWN, whose valuable home- 
 1 stead is located on section 21, South 
 Homer township, Champaign county, is one 
 of the pioneers of this locality, and, as such, 
 is entitled to the honor and respect which is 
 freely accorded him. He has witnessed re- 
 markable changes during the period of his 
 residence here, the once wild, barren prairie 
 having been converted into fertile, pro- 
 ductive farms, dotted here and there with 
 happy homes, thriving villages and populous 
 towns. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject. 
 John Brown, was a soldier in the war of 
 the Revolution and was a farmer in Penn- 
 sylvania, in which state his son. George \Y., 
 father of Isaac Brown, was born. The lat- 
 ler was a distiller in his young manhood 
 (this occupation being very common among 
 the Pennsylvania farmers of that day), and 
 subsequently he gave his entire attention to 
 
 farming. In' 1834 he located in Fayette 
 county, Ohio, where he bought and im- 
 proved land, and in 1857 he came to Cham- 
 paign county, where the remainder of his 
 life was spent. Buying three hundred and 
 twenty acres of land in South Homer town- 
 ship, he continued to dwell there until his 
 death, in 1884, when he was in his seventy- 
 seventh year. The wife of his youth bore 
 the maiden name of Ruth Rogers, and she, 
 like himself, was a native of the Keystone 
 state. She departed this life in 1872, aged 
 sixty-six years, and he afterwards married 
 Mrs. George Sampson, who is now living in 
 Kansas. By the first marriage five children 
 were born, namely: Isaac, David and John, 
 farmers of this township; William, who died 
 at the age of thirty-five years; and Maria, 
 who was only four years old when death 
 claimed her. 
 
 Isaac Brown was born December 16, 
 1830. in Fayette county. Pennsylvania, and 
 in his boyhood attended the typical log 
 cabin district school of the period. He re- 
 mained under the parental roof until 1855, 
 when he determined to prospect in the 
 west. Coming by railroad as far as Paris, 
 Illinois, he was there obliged to leave the 
 train and proceed by stage to Urbana and 
 thence on foot to the home of his uncle, 
 William M. Rogers. Arriving there he was 
 employed by his relative for several months, 
 at the end of which time the young man re- 
 turned to Ohio, and in the fall of 1857, ac- 
 companied by his father and the family, he 
 came to this county as a permanent resi- 
 dent. 
 
 On Christmas day, 1864, Mr. Brown 
 married Catherine Cunningham, daugh- 
 ter of William Cunningham, of Fayette 
 county, Ohio. Of the five children born 
 to our subject and wife, Leroy resides 
 
373 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in Covington, Indiana; Belle, twin sister of 
 Leroy, is the wife of Scott Peters, of Homer 
 township; William O. lives in Vance town- 
 ship, Vermilion county, Illinois, and his 
 wife formerly bore the name of Blanche 
 Johnson; Clark, also of Vance town- 
 ship, chose Mary Riggs for a wife; and 
 Olive is the wife of John Argeare, of 
 Kentland, Indiana. On the 23rd of De- 
 cember, 1875, Isaac Brown and Lucinda, 
 daughter of Elias and Harriet (Haberstine) 
 Forbes, were united in wedlock. Mr. 
 Forbes was a native of Pennsylvania, his 
 wife of Virginia, and his daughter, Mrs. 
 Brown, of Madison county, Ohio. In early 
 life, Mr. Forbes went to the Buckeye state, 
 where he became a mechanic, which calling 
 he followed until 1873, when he located in 
 Vermilion county. Here he engaged in 
 farming and also served as a local preacher, 
 doing much good among the people with 
 whom his lot was cast. He was called to 
 his reward March i, 1876, but his wife had 
 died in 1863. Of their children, William 
 and Henry live in Iowa; Absalom and James 
 in Madison county, Ohio; and Angus in the 
 state of Washington, while Eliza resides 
 with her sister, Mrs. Brown. 
 
 Isaac and Lucinda Brown became the 
 parents of six children, of whom the two 
 eldest, Frances Ruth and Minne Josephine, 
 died ill infancy. M. Earl lives with his half 
 brother, William O., in Vance township, 
 Vermilion county. Jesse W., Charles D. 
 and Clarence C. are at home. 
 
 Subsequent to his first marriage, Isaac 
 Brown began the cultivation of a portion of 
 his father's land, one hundred and twenty 
 acres of it being yet unbroken prairie. He 
 built a small cabin of two rooms, and, as 
 the years went by, he added a wing or an 
 improvement here and there until it is now 
 
 a substantial and convenient dwelling. He 
 made a specialty of raising Durham and 
 Short-Horn cattle, and Poland-China hogs, 
 always keeping a high grade of live stock on 
 his plac2. In every way, he has been a pro- 
 gressive farmer, taking the leading agri- 
 cultural journals, and keeping abreast of the 
 times. 
 
 Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Brown are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 In national issues he is a Democrat, but in 
 local affairs he prefers to be independent, 
 voting for the candidate whom he considers 
 best suited to the office. In the first years 
 of his residence here, deer and wolves, as 
 well as smaller game, were very numerous 
 on these prairies, and the hunter and trapper 
 had abundant chances for exercising their 
 skill and craft. 
 
 FRANKLIN E. BURR, who is now living 
 a retired life in the village of Philo, has 
 for over forty years made his home in this 
 county, and has been actively identified with 
 its agricultural interests. His well-directed 
 efforts have been crowned with success, and 
 his prosperity is due to his own good man- 
 agement, enterprise and perseverance. 
 
 Mr. Burr was born in Worthington, 
 Massachusetts, January 6, 1824, and is a 
 son of Ames and Relief (Eager) Burr, also 
 natives of the old Bay state. The family is 
 of English origin, and our subject can trace 
 his ancestry back for several generations. 
 His father was a farmer by occupation and 
 a soldier of the war of 1812. He died in 
 his native state at about the age of eighty 
 years. In his family were twelve children, 
 eight sons and four daughters, of whom 
 three sons and three daughters are still liv- 
 ing, namely: Franklin E.. our subject; 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 379 
 
 Jane, wife of G. N. Rice, formerly a resident 
 of Champaign, but now of Iowa; John, a 
 farmer of Philo township, this county; 
 Helen, wife of E. B. Hazen, of Philo; 
 Arthur, a resident of Wichita, Kansas; 
 and Carrie, wife of Dr. Mandeville, of Philo. 
 
 In his native state Franklin E. Burr ac- 
 quired a good common school education, 
 and during his boyhood and youth he assisted 
 his father in the operation of the home farm, 
 remaining there until he attained his ma- 
 jority, when he went to New York and was 
 engaged in the lumber business with his 
 brother for seven years. 
 
 On the nth of October, 1849, Mr. Burr 
 was united in marriage with Miss Emily A. 
 Robinson, who was born in Chesterfield, 
 Massachusetts, November 17, 1827, a 
 daughter of Silas and Cynthia (Porter) 
 Robinson, also natives-of Massachusetts, and 
 of English descent. Of the five children 
 born to our subject and his wife, the eldest 
 died in infancy. (2) Emma J. is the wife 
 of Professor I. O. Baker, of the Illinois 
 University at Champaign, and they have two 
 sons, Horatio and Cecil. (3) Frank R. , a 
 farmer of Philo township, married Miss 
 Anna C. Black, and has four children, 
 Elbert, Nellie, Emily and David. (4) Fanny 
 C. is the wife of George Lovingfoss, a farmer 
 of Philo township, and they have four sons, 
 Clifford, Kenneth, Philip and Fred. (5) 
 Hurbert A., who is living on his father's farm 
 in Crittenden township, married Miss Lyda 
 C. Black, and they have three children, 
 Stella, Franklin and Fred. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Burr remained 
 in New York for a few years, and then 
 moved to Kendall county, this state, where 
 he operated a rented farm for one year. 
 The following three years he engaged in 
 
 fanning on rented land in Bureau county, 
 20 
 
 and in 1860 came to Champaign county, 
 where he has since made his home. His 
 first purchase here consisted of a tract of 
 unbroken land in Philo township, and he at 
 once turned his attention to its development 
 and cultivation. He made all the necessary 
 improvements on the place, and added to his 
 landed possessions from time to time until 
 he now has four hundred acres, two hundred 
 and forty in Philo township, and one hun- 
 dred and sixty in Crittenden township, both 
 under a high state of cultivation and well 
 improved with good and substantial build- 
 ings. Mr. Burr continued to successfully 
 engage in farming until 1895, when he re- 
 moved to Philo, where he purchased a lot 
 and erected a comfortable modern home, 
 where he and his wife expect to pass their 
 remaining days in ease and quiet. 
 
 While living on the farm Mr. Burr filled 
 the office of assessor for several years; also 
 collector; and was school director for a num- 
 ber of years. In his political affiliations he 
 he is a Democrat. On the i ith of October, 
 1899, he and his worthy wife celebrated their 
 golden wedding. A notable fact in this 
 family is that the parents of both Mr. and 
 Mrs. Burr celebrated their golden weddings, 
 and that his sister Jane did the same. Mrs. 
 Burr is a member of the Presbyterian church, 
 and both she and her husband are highly re- 
 spected and esteemed by all who have the 
 pleasure of their acquaintance. His career 
 proves that the only true success in life is that 
 which is accomplished by personal effort and 
 consecutive industry. It proves that the road 
 to success is open to all young men who have 
 the courage to tread its pathway, and the life 
 record of such a man should serve as an in- 
 spiration to the young of this and future 
 generations, and teach, by incontrovertible 
 facts, that success is ambition's answer. 
 
38o 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 HENLEY EVERSOLE. In past ages 
 the history of a country was the record 
 of wars and conquests; to-day it is the rec- 
 ord of commercial activity, and those whose 
 names are foremost in its annals are the 
 leaders in business circles. The conquests 
 now made are those of mind over matter, 
 not of man over man, and the victor is he 
 who can successfully establish, control and 
 operate extensive commercial interests. Mr. 
 Eversole is unquestionably one of the lead- 
 ing business men in the southern part of 
 Champaign county, his home being in Broad- 
 lands. He is extensively engaged in the 
 grain business and is also a dealer in wagons, 
 carriages, buggies, farm implements, thresh- 
 ing machines, etc. 
 
 A native of Illinois, Mr. Eversole was 
 born in Coles county, July 31, 1863, and is 
 a son of Henry and Sarah J. (Work) Ever- 
 sole. His paternal grandparents were 
 David and Elizabeth (Miller) Eversole, both 
 natives of Virginia. The family is of Ger- 
 man origin and the name was originally 
 spelled Ebersole. During pioneer days the 
 grandfather settled in Fairfield county, 
 Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his 
 life. He was an extensive stock dealer, 
 and in those early days drove all his stock 
 to Baltimore and other eastern cities. The 
 maternal grandparents of our subject were 
 Samuel and Elizabeth (Henley) Work, who 
 removed from North Carolina to Clark 
 county, Indiana, locating on the Ohio river, 
 sixteen miles from Louisville, Kentucky. 
 Several of the Henley family have distin- 
 guished themselves as members of Congress 
 or the Legislature (rom Indiana, and one 
 from California. Henry C. Work, a cousin 
 of Mrs. Eversole, is the author of the world- 
 renowned song, "Marching Through Geor- 
 gia." 
 
 Henry Eversole, father of our subject, 
 was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, October 
 2, 1831, and when a young man removed 
 to Coles county, Illinois. He was married 
 five years later in Indiana, and continued to 
 make his home in that county throughout 
 life, dying there December n, 1899. His 
 widow still resides on the old homestead. 
 He became an extensive land owner, had 
 two hundred acres in Coles county and five 
 hundred acres in the west. Politically he 
 was a strong Republican, and religiously 
 was an active membe'f of the* Christian 
 church, in which he served as elder for many 
 years. In his family were five children, 
 namely: Lula, who resides with her mother 
 on the home farm; McClellan, a farmer of 
 Coles county; Henley, our subject; John 
 H., who is engaged in the grain and buggy 
 business in Mayview, Champaign county; 
 and Berte, who died in infancy. 
 
 The subject of this sketch grew to man- 
 hood on the old homestead in Coles county, 
 and received his education in the public 
 schools and Lee's Academy at Loxa, Illi- 
 nois, While still in his teens he com- 
 menced teaching school and successfully 
 followed that pursuit in his native county 
 for four years, being at length compelled to 
 abandon it on account of failing health. 
 The following two years were spent in 
 traveling for the benefit of the same. In 
 1892 he accepted the position ot assistant 
 traveling passenger agent for the Clover 
 Leaf Railroad, with which he was connected 
 for one season, traveling from New York to 
 Colorado and Arkansas. The following fall 
 he embarked in the grain and implement 
 business at Hindsboro, Douglas county, 
 with- his brothers, and had charge of the 
 business as manager for three years, at the 
 end of which time the firm sold out there 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 38i 
 
 and our subject entered business in the same 
 line at Fithian, Illinois, remaining there two 
 years. After spending some time looking 
 for a satisfactory location, Mr. Eversole 
 decided on Broadlands, where he erected a 
 grain elevator and has since engaged in 
 business. Within the last few years he has 
 built three elevators, one at Hinds- 
 boro, another at Fithian, and the third 
 at Broadlands. He also carries a corn- 
 complete line of all kinds of farm im- 
 plements, from a plow to a thresh- 
 ing machine, and has an elegant line of bug- 
 gies and vehicles, his stock occupying three 
 large warerooms. Since coming to Broad- 
 lands he has built two residences, his pres- 
 ent elegant home being completed in 1900. 
 It is equipped with all modern conveniences 
 and is one of the finest residences in the vil- 
 lage. Besides the property already men- 
 tioned Mr. Eversole owns eighty acres of 
 land in Coles county, and is now making 
 preparations for the erection of a brick 
 block, having a half interest ;n the same. 
 His grain . and implement business now 
 amount to one hundred thousand dollars per 
 year, and he is one of the most important 
 factors in the business circles of his commu- 
 nity, being thoroughly identified with the 
 interests of the thriving and prosperous 
 town of Broadlands. 
 
 At Newman, Illinois, March 26. 1895, 
 Mr. Eversole married Miss Olive O. Wag- 
 ner, who was born in that place. March 8, 
 1875, a daughter of Dr. J. M. and ^Ellen 
 (Dunlap) Wagner, of Newman. Her fa- 
 ther is a well-known physician and a stock- 
 man of Douglas county. His children are 
 J. R., who is engaged in the practice of 
 medicine with his father; Olive O., wife of 
 our subject; one who died in infancy; Hazel, 
 Nina and Dwight, all at home. 
 
 Mr. Eversole takes an active and com- 
 mendable interest in public affairs, and is a 
 stanch supporter of the Republican party 
 and its principals. He holds membership 
 in Broadlands Lodge, No. 791, F. & A. M., 
 and Broadlands Camp, No. 2072, M. \V. 
 A., and he and his wife are members of 
 Broadlands Chapter, O. E. S., No. 416. 
 He is a prominent .and influential member 
 of the Christian church, taking an active 
 part in its work and serving as superintend- 
 ent of the Sunday school most of the time 
 for ten years. He is now superintendent of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Sunday school in 
 Broadlands. He is held in high regard by 
 all who know him on account of his sterling 
 worth, and has made a host of warm friends 
 during his residence in Broadlands. 
 
 S. WILLIAM POTTER, one of the most 
 popular and influentialcitizens of Ayers 
 township, Champaign county, Illinois, who 
 is successfully engaged in agricultural pur- 
 suits on section 17, was born in Morgan 
 county, this state. His father, John 
 Potter, was a native of England, born in 
 Oldham, Lancastershire, March 27, 1832, 
 and was a son of Samuel Potter, who was 
 in the employ of an Englisii cotton manu- 
 facturer, and prior to his removal to this 
 country, he visited Mexico, on business con- 
 nected with his manufactory. In 1848 he 
 emigrated to America and took up his resi- 
 dence in Morgan county, Illinois, where he 
 made a contract to purchase land, but died 
 before his funds left England arrived. Of 
 his children, two married daughters re- 
 mained in that country. Those who came 
 with him to America were Joseph and John, 
 father of our subject, while Ann and her hus- 
 
382 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 band, James Wilson, one year later crossed 
 the Atlantic and brought Ralph and Eliza- 
 beth, and also located in Morgan county, 
 Illinois. By a former marriage he had one 
 son, Samuel, who remained in England. 
 
 After the death of their father, John 
 Potter and his brother started out in life on 
 their own account. The former was mar- 
 ried in Morgan county, October 28, 1858, 
 to Miss Rebecca Gibson, who was born in 
 Guernsey county, Ohio, July 19, 1835, an d 
 when a child came to Illinois with her 
 widowed mother. After his marriage Mr. 
 Potter rented land in Morgan county, where 
 he made his home until 1848, when he 
 moved his family to Champaign county and 
 purchased the northeast quarter, of section 
 23, Raymond township, it being a part of 
 the Broadlands tract then offered for sale. 
 He was not long permitted to enjoy his new 
 home, however, for he died three years 
 later, on the 2ist of July, 1880. He was a 
 prominent member of the Masonic frater- 
 nity, and was laid to rest with the imposing 
 ceremonies of that order. His wife survived 
 him about five years and a half, dying Jan- 
 uary 29, 1886. To this worthy couple were 
 born eight children, of whom S. William, 
 our subject, is the eldest; Hugh D. is a re- 
 tired farmer of Broadlands; Joseph P. and 
 John S. are both farmers of Ayers township; 
 Margaret A. is the wife of Jarnes Astell, of 
 Raymond township; Ira L. , born April 8, 
 1868, died August 16, 1869. Robert F. 
 resides in Illinois and is a salesman for fine 
 horses; he married Mary Miller, daughter 
 of Thomas Miller; Hannah E. is the wife of 
 Samuel E. Shultz, a farmer of Ayers town- 
 ship. 
 
 S. William Potter was reared on the 
 home farm, early becoming familiar with 
 all the duties which fall to the lot of the 
 
 agriculturist, and he obtained his education! 
 in the common schools of the neighborhood 
 and the practical school of experience. He 
 had just attained his majority when his 
 father died, and being the eldest son, the 
 care and responsibility of the head of a large 
 family devolved upon him. He kept the 
 children together until the youngest was of 
 age, and the boys worked together in har- 
 mony upon the farm, to which they added 
 another one hundred and sixty acres, mak- 
 ing three hundred and twenty acres in all. 
 As the children married and left home their 
 shares were purchased, and upon the mar- 
 riage of the youngest sister a final division 
 of the property was made, our subject re- 
 ceiving one hundred and sixty acres on sec- 
 tion 17, Ayers township, as his share. He 
 has always given his attention to general 
 farming and stock raising and takes a pride 
 in keeping well bred stock, being a good 
 judge and admirer of horses. 
 
 Since old enough to cast his first vote^ 
 Mr. Potter has taken an active interest in 
 public affairs, and is an earnest supporter of 
 the Republican party, and for its success he 
 is a zealous worker, having served on the 
 town and county central committees and as 
 a delegate to various conventions. When 
 but twenty-one years of age he .was elected 
 a member of the school bo'ard, in which 
 capacity he served for eight years. His 
 next office was that of collector of his 
 township, which he filled two terms, and 
 was assessor of the township of Ayers for 
 for the same length of time. In April, 
 1897, he was elected supervisor of Ayers 
 township, and served in that responsible 
 position for two terms with credit to 
 himself and to the satisfaction of his 
 constituents. He was a member of sev- 
 eral important committees, including those: 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 383 
 
 of ways and means, claims and swamp 
 lands. In 1893 he was'elected commissioner 
 of the Little Vermilion drainage district, in 
 which capacity he served six consecutive 
 years. Fraternally he is a member of 
 Broadlands Lodge, No. 791, F. & A. M. ; 
 Newman Chapter, No. 172, R. A. M., of 
 Newman; Broadlands Chapter, No. 416, O. 
 E. S. ; and Melita Commandery, No. 37, K. 
 T., of Tuscola. For the past seven years 
 he has been an active worker in the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church and Sunday school, 
 serving as steward and trustee of the church 
 and superintendent of the Sunday school. 
 He has won a high place in the regard and 
 esteem of his many friends and acquaint- 
 ances for his sterling qualities of head and 
 heart, and he has the confidence of all with 
 whom he comes in contact either in busi- 
 ness or social life. 
 
 FREDERICK J. PETERS. While "the 
 race is not always to the swift nor the 
 battle to the strong," the invariable law of 
 destiny accords to tireless energy, industry 
 and ability a successful career. The truth 
 of this assertion is abundantly verified in the 
 life of Mr. Peters, a well-known tile manu- 
 facturer of Thomasboro, Champaign coun- 
 ty, Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Peters was born in Schwerin, Meck- 
 lenburg, Germany, August 12, 1856, and is 
 a son of Frederick J. Peters, Sr., who died 
 when our subject was only fourteen years of 
 age. In the family were seven children, 
 two sons and five daughters, but Frederick 
 was the only one to come to this country. 
 He was educated in the public schools and 
 gymnasium of his native land, and at the 
 age of twenty entered the standing army, in 
 
 which he served for three years. Upon 
 leaving the army he turned his attention to 
 railroading, in which he was engaged until 
 his emigration to the United States in 
 1886. 
 
 Before leaving Germany Mr. Peters was 
 married, in 1884, to Mrs. Minnie Manka, a 
 daughter of Frederick E. and Sophia (Ede) 
 Voss, who died in that country. The father 
 was a tile manufacturer and carried on a 
 large and successful business. Mrs. Peters 
 has two brothers in America: John A. Voss, 
 who formerly operated a tile factory in 
 Thomasboro, but is now living retired in 
 Champaign; and George E. Voss, who is 
 engaged in business in Chicago. 
 
 By her first marriage Mrs. Peters had 
 four children: (i) Otto Manka, a tile man- 
 ufacturer of Thomasboro, died July 30, 
 1895, at the age of twenty-six years and 
 eight months. (2) Charles F. Manka is 
 married and successfully engaged in the 
 butcher business in Chicago. (3) Matilda 
 Manka, born February 8, 1872, died in 
 Thomasboro, December 26, 1899. (4) 
 Augusta Peters, who takes the name of her 
 stepfather, was born in Germany May 26, 
 1880, and was educated in Chicago, grad- 
 uating from the Harrison School in 1893, 
 and later attending the South Division high 
 school until October, 1895. The father of 
 these children was William Manka; who 
 died when quite young. 
 
 In 1886 Mr. Peters and his family sailed 
 for the new world and landed in Baltimore, 
 Maryland, whence they came to Thomas- 
 boro, Illinois. Here he worked in the tile 
 factory owned by his brother-in-law, John 
 A. Voss, for four years, and then went to 
 Chicago, where he was in the employ of the 
 Armour Packing Company for three years, 
 and Libby, McNeal & Company for two 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 years. In 1895 he returned to Thomas- 
 boro and purchased the tile factory, which 
 he has since operated with good success, 
 building up an extensive and profitable 
 business as a manufacturer of drain tile and 
 brick. He is a progressive business man of 
 known reliability, and the success that has 
 crowned his efforts is certainly well-mer- 
 ited. In politics he is independent, and in 
 his social relations is a member of the Mod- 
 ern Woodmen of America, while his wife 
 belongs to the Royal Neighbors. 
 
 JACOB J. HAMMER, an industrious and 
 vJ enterprising farmer residing on section 
 29, Ayers township, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, was born in Denmark, December 18, 
 1856, a son of Nelson and Annie (Jenson) 
 Hammer, also natives of that country, 
 where the father was engaged in farming in 
 early life. In their family were seven 
 children, three of whom are still living, 
 namely: Mary, wife of Andrew Tilson, a 
 farmer of Chariton county, Missouri- Anne, 
 wife of Peter Peterson, of Clifton - Hill, 
 Randolph county, Missouri; and Jacob J., 
 our subject. One daughter, Christine, 
 married Newton Mathison, and re- 
 mained in Denmark, where she died 
 November 8, 1879, leaving two chil- 
 dren, Annie and Martin, who, with their 
 father, came to America in 1882. Mr. 
 Mathison died six weeks later and since then 
 the son has made his home with our sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Jacob J. Hammer passed his boyhood 
 and youth in his native land, but in 1873, 
 at the age of seventeen years, he left home 
 and came alone to the new world, his des- 
 tination being Ayers township, Champaign 
 
 county, Illinois, where his uncle, Peter N. 
 Hammer, resided. After making his home 
 with him for a short time our subject com- 
 menced work as a farm laborer, and was 
 thus employed until joined by his parents 
 and Mr. Mathison and family.. He then 
 rented land in Ayres township and contin- 
 ued to operate rented property in that and 
 Raymond township, until 1888, when he 
 purchased his present farm of eighty acres 
 on section 29, Ayres township a part of 
 the' Broadlands tract. His parents made 
 their home with him until called from this 
 life, the father dying March 12, 1888, the 
 mother November 23, 1897. 
 
 On the 28th of November, 1888, at 
 Longview, Illinois, Mr. Hammer married 
 Miss. Rosa B. Groves, a native of Switzer- 
 land county, Indiana, and a daughter of 
 George W. and Mary E. (Carpenter) 
 Groves, the father born in Dearborn 
 county, Indiana, the mother in Warren 
 county, Ohio. When eighteen months old 
 she came' to Vermilion county, Illinois, 
 with her parents, who are still living on a 
 farm in Raymond township. Their chil- 
 dren are: James W. , a farmer of Ripley 
 county, Indiana; Susanna, wife of William 
 Taylor, of Shelby county, Illinois; Eliza- 
 beth J., wife of George Scott, of White 
 county, Indiana; Mary M., wife of George 
 Taylor of Pennfield, Illinois; George C., a 
 farmer of Calhoun county, Iowa; Joseph 
 M., a resident of Arkansas; Jesse L. W., a 
 resident of Calhoun county, Iowa; Ella M., 
 wife of John Bivins, of Sullivan, Franklin 
 county, Missouri; and Rosa B., wife of our 
 subject. To Mr. and Mrs. Hammer were 
 born three children, but a son and daughter 
 both died in infancy. The only survivor is 
 George Groves, who was born June 9, 1891, 
 and is a twin of the latter. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 385 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hammer began house- 
 keeping in a humble way in the little house 
 standing upon his farm, it being the only 
 improvement upon the place at that time, as 
 there were no trees, fences or other build- 
 ings of any kind. By industry, persever- 
 ance and capable management, he has suc- 
 ceeded in transforming the barren tract into 
 one of the first and most desirable farms of 
 its size in thetownship. It isone of the most 
 thoroughly tiled places in the county, having 
 some four or five milds of tiling, and in 1896 
 he erected thereon a neat and comfortable 
 residence. The thrifty appearance of the 
 place indicates the supervision of a careful 
 and progressive agriculturist who thoroughly 
 understands his chosen occupation., and is 
 meeting with success in his undertakings. 
 
 Mr. Hammer casts his ballot with the 
 Republican party, and affiliates with Aller- 
 ton Camp, M. W. A. He was reared in the 
 Lutheran faith, his wife in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. He is now serving as 
 school director in his district. For the suc- 
 cess that he has achieved in life he deserves 
 much credit, for he commenced life here as a 
 poor boy in a strange land, and has had to 
 overcome many hardships and difficulties, 
 but he has always been ably assisted by his 
 faithful wife, and with her aid is now in 
 comfortable circumstances. 
 
 JOSEPH SCHEURICH, M. D., a rising 
 and popular, as well as a successful phy- 
 sician and surgeon of Philo, is a native of this 
 county, his birth occurring in Colfax town- 
 ship, July 31, 1873. His parents were 
 Jacob and Margaret (Tempel) Scheurich, 
 both natives of Indiana. In 1866, when 
 still a young man, the father came to this 
 
 county, and for two years was engaged in 
 merchandising at Tolono with his father. 
 He then engaged in farming upon rented 
 land, and afterward purchased a valuable 
 farm of two hundred and forty acres in Col- 
 fax township, to the improvement and cul- 
 tivation of which he devoted the remainder 
 of his life, becoming a very successful gen- 
 eral farmer. In religious faith he was a 
 Catholic, and in politics was a Democrat, 
 but never cared for official honors. He died 
 in 1898, leaving a wife and ten children, 
 namely: Joseph, our subject; Frank, who 
 is attending school at Valparaiso, Indiana; 
 Andrew, who manages the home farm; and 
 Tressa, Henry, John, Mary, Annie, Minnie, 
 deceased, and George, who are all at home 
 with the mother. 
 
 Dr. Scheurich obtained his early education 
 in the district school near his boyhood home, 
 and during his minority assisted in the work of 
 the farm. He then attended the Spencerian 
 Business College, at Philadelphia, in 1892-3, 
 and after completing the prescribed course 
 at that institution entered Jefferson Medical 
 College of the same city, where he pursued 
 a thorough course in medicine. The fol- 
 lowing year was spent at Barnes Medical 
 College, St. Louis, from which he graduated 
 in 1898 Immediately after his graduation 
 he located in Philo, where he at first rented 
 an office and home on the south side of the 
 business district of the village, but in 1899 
 he purchased the same. Although a young 
 man, he is now the leading physician of the 
 community, and enjoys a large and con- 
 stantly increasing practice, which covers a 
 territory about twelve miles in every direc- 
 tion. He has met with wonderful success 
 in his chosen occupation, and has gained the 
 confidence and respect of his fellow citizens 
 in a marked degree. 
 
386 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 On the 28th of July, 1898, Dr. Scheu- 
 rich was united in marriage with Miss Eliza- 
 beth Ryan, who was born in Ohio, in 1876, 
 and they now have a little son, William J. 
 The Doctor is a member of the Catholic 
 Church and the Catholic Knights of America 
 at Philo. In politics he is independent, 
 supporting the men whom he considers best 
 qualified to fill positions regardless of party 
 lines. A pleasant, genial gentleman, he 
 makes hosts of warm friends, and is held in 
 high regard by 'all with whom he comes in 
 contact, either in social or business life. 
 
 ANDREW S. DRAPER, LL. D. The 
 name of Dr. Draper is a familiar one in 
 educational circles throughout the country, 
 and as the president of the University of 
 Illinois he has materially advanced the in- 
 tellectual status of this commonwealth. 
 Man's worth in the world is measured by 
 what he has done for his fellow men, and 
 certainly he is deserving of great gratitude 
 who has enabled others to understand their 
 own powers, to have cognizance "of their 
 intellectual strength and develop their 
 capabilities in a way that will make their 
 opportunities in life greater and broader. 
 Such a work is that which occupies the at- 
 tention of him whose name introduces this 
 review, and to-day he stands among the 
 leaders in educational labors in the Mis- 
 sissippi valley. 
 
 President Draper was born in Westford, 
 Otsego county, New York, June 21, 1848, 
 his parents being Sylvester Bigelow and 
 jane (Sloan) Draper. The father was a 
 farmer and manufacturer of Westford. 
 Nine generations of the Draper family have 
 resided in America, the original ancestor in 
 
 this country having come from England in 
 1646. One of the great-grandfathers of the 
 Doctor was a captain in King Philip's war, 
 and two others were Revolutionary heroes. 
 All were residents of Massachusetts. The 
 Sloans were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and 
 came to America in 1812, locating in Wash- 
 ington county, New York. Samuel Sloan, 
 the maternal grandfather, was the first of 
 the family to take up his abode in the new 
 world. His family were of the Presbyterian 
 faith, while the Draper family were Congre- 
 gationalists in religious belief. Soon after 
 the Revolutionary war the Drapers made a 
 settlement in the midst of the wilderness, in 
 Otsego county, New York, and there re- 
 sided the great-grandfather, the grandfather 
 and the father of our subject, and lands first 
 taken were in possession of members of the 
 family for over one hundred years. When 
 Dr. Draper was a lad of seven summers his 
 parents removed to Albany, New York. In 
 the public schools of that city the Doctor 
 obtained his preliminary education, which 
 was supplemented by study in the Albany 
 Academy. Later he was a student in the 
 school of law of the Union University, being 
 graduated in the class of 1871. Having 
 been admitted to the bar, he practiced law 
 in Albany fourteen years, and during that 
 time, from 1878 to 1881, he was a member 
 of the board of education of that city. He 
 had also successfully engaged in teaching 
 from 1866 to 1870, being a member of the 
 faculty of the Albany Academy during a por- 
 tion of that time. 
 
 A recognized leader in public thought and 
 opinion, Dr. Draper was called upon to rep- 
 resent his district in the New York Legisla- 
 ture in 1 88 1, and was made a member of 
 the committees on ways and means and pub- 
 lic education, and public printing, but gave 
 
A. S. DRAPER, LL. D. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 389 
 
 the greater part of his time to the first 
 named. He was also a member of a special 
 committee of that Legislature that investi- 
 gated the affairs of the Elmira reformatory, 
 prepared the report of the committee, and 
 also the first bill which became a law in 
 New York against contract labor in the 
 prisons. He was likewise a member of the 
 special committee that entertained Gen- 
 eral Grant on the part of the Legisla- 
 ture, and also a member of the special 
 committee that investigated the charges 
 of bribery preferred against Senator L. 
 B. Sessions in connection with the con- 
 test over the election of a United States 
 senator brought on by the resignations of 
 Senators Conkling and Platt. Dr. Draper 
 supported those two senators in that pro- 
 longed contest. He was a member of the 
 Republican state central committee from 
 1882 until 1885, and was chairman of the 
 executive committee during the presidential 
 campaign of 1884. The same year he was 
 a delegate to the Republican national con- 
 vention and supported the nomination of 
 President Arthur. He had charge of the 
 details of the party campaign in New York 
 in 1884 and visited Mr. Blaine at his invita- 
 tion at his home in Augusta, Maine, and 
 later accompanied him on his two celebrated 
 tours of the Empire state. The same year 
 he was appointed by President Arthur the 
 appointment being confirmed by the senate 
 as one of the judges of the United States 
 court created by Congress to determine the 
 individual claims against the Geneva award. 
 In 1886 he was elected by the New York 
 Legislature to the position of state superin- 
 tendent of public instruction and re-elected 
 in 1889, serving until 1892. During this 
 time the educational system of New York 
 state was in a lange measure re-organized, 
 
 and many legislative acts were passed of 
 benefit to the schools. The courses of 
 work in the normal schools and in the 
 teachers' training classes were entirely re- 
 vised and a complete system of uniform 
 examination for teachers' certificates was 
 established. 
 
 In 1892 Dr. Draper was chosen superin- 
 tendent of instruction in the public schools 
 of Cleveland, Ohio, and filled that position 
 for two years. A new law had been enacted 
 for the city which placed the appointment 
 and removal of teachers wholly in the 
 hands of the superintendent, and in this 
 way the teaching-force was purged and re- 
 invigorated and the standard of the schools 
 was materially raised. Examinations as 
 tests of advancement from grade to grade in 
 grammar schools were abolished and the 
 judgment of the teachers substituted there- 
 for. The work of the city training school 
 was revised, and the whole city educational 
 system took on new energy and effective- 
 ness. In 1894 Dr. Draper was elected 
 president of the University of Illinois and 
 has since occupied the position. During 
 his incumbency harmony has prevailed in 
 the councils of the university and all the 
 friends of the institution have combined to 
 lift it to a place of first rank among the uni- 
 versities of the country. Through the favor 
 of the people of the state and generous ap- 
 propriations by the Legislature these efforts 
 have been in a large measure successful. 
 New university buildings have been secured, 
 and the instructional force has more than 
 doubled during the past five years, while the 
 number of students has increased from less 
 than eight hundred to more than twenty- 
 two hundred. Dr. Draper has been a fre- 
 quent contributor to the educational press 
 and has delivered addresses before educa- 
 
390 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tional bodies in more than one-half the 
 states of the Union. He has recently pub- 
 lished a work entitled the Rescue of Cuba, 
 which has atttacted much attention and 
 won much commendation throughout the 
 country. 
 
 In 1872 Dr. Draper was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Abbie Louise Lyon, of New 
 Britain, Connecticut, and they now have 
 two children: Charlotte Leland and Edwin 
 Lyon. The Doctor was formerly a member 
 of the Congregational church (though now 
 affiliated with the Presbyterian church), and 
 for many years was an elder in the First 
 Presbyterian church of Albany. In 1889 
 the degree of Doctor of Law was conferred 
 upon him by Colgate University. He is an 
 honorary member of the Wisconsin State 
 Historical Society, and though his life has 
 been largely devoted to intellectual labors, 
 he yet realizes the value and importance of 
 physical development and is very fond of 
 outdoor sports, particularly horses, base- 
 ball and boating. He. has traveled ex- 
 tensively throughout this country, and in 
 1899 he visited Europe, spending many 
 pleasant hours in viewing the places of his- 
 toric and modern interest in Ireland, Eng- 
 land, Scotland, Holland, Germany, Switzer- 
 land and France. At this point it would be 
 almost tautological to enter into any series 
 of statements as showing our subject to be a 
 man of broad intelligence and genuine pub- 
 lic spirit, for these have been shadowed 
 forth between the lines of this review. 
 Strong in individuality, he never lacks the 
 courage of his convictions, has much human 
 sympathy and an abiding charity, which, as 
 taken in connection with the sterling integ- 
 rity and honor of his character, have nat- 
 urally secured for him the respect and con- 
 fidence of men. 
 
 HJ. WIGGINS. Prominent among the 
 business men of Homer, Illinois, is 
 this gentleman who has for many years 
 been closely identified with the agricultural 
 interests of the county, and is now engaged 
 in general banking business. He is a man 
 of keen discrimination and sound judgment, 
 and his executive ability and excellent man- 
 agement have brought to the concern with 
 which he is connected a high degree of 
 success. 
 
 Mr. Wiggins was born in Hocking coun- 
 ty, Ohio, and is a son of Zedekiah D., and 
 Lucinda (Haynes) Wiggins, natives of Vir- 
 ginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 
 early life the father engaged in school 
 teaching, but later followed the occupation 
 of farming. \Vhen a young man he re- 
 moved to Ohio, and there he and his wife 
 spent their last days. In their family were 
 ten children, of whom our subject is the 
 third in order of birth. Seven are still 
 living, three sons and four daughters, but 
 our subject is the only one- living in Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois. 
 
 During his boyhood and youth, H. J. 
 Wiggins pursued his studies for about three 
 months during the winter season in a little 
 log school house of Salt Creek township, 
 Hocking county, Ohio, his education being 
 completed at the age of seventeen years. 
 He began life for hi nself by working as a 
 farm hand in his native county for ten dol- 
 lars per month, and was thus employed 
 until he attained his majority. In 1860 he 
 came to DeWitt county, Illinois, and se- 
 cured work with William McCord, remain- 
 ing with him two months. He was then in 
 the employ of Joseph Wolf for a year. 
 
 In the meantime the Civil war broke 
 out. Returning to his native state, Mr. 
 Wiggins enlisted as a private in the One 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 391 
 
 Hundred and Seventh Ohio Volunteer In- 
 fantry, but after two months service was 
 taken ill and discharged. In August, 1863, 
 he re-enlisted in the Twelfth Ohio Cavalry, 
 which was mustered in at Lancaster, Ohio, 
 and sent direct to Camp Cleveland, where 
 it was organized and assigned to the Thir- 
 teenth Army Corps. From there it went to 
 Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, and later 
 to Kentucky, taking part in the engage- 
 ment at Mt. Sterling, Cynthiana and Salt- 
 ville, where the regiment suffered a heavy 
 loss in killed and wounded. Our subject 
 was then transferred to Camp Nelson, Ken- 
 tucky, near Frankfort, on the Kentucky 
 river, as second lieutenant to help General 
 Burbridge in organizing colored troops, but 
 was under the immediate command of Col- 
 onel T. D. Sedgwick. There he remained 
 from July to October, 1864, and succeeded 
 in organizing a number of regiments. He 
 was commissioned second lieutenant of the 
 One Hundred and Fourteenth United States 
 Colored Infantry, and with his regiment he 
 was stationed for about* two months at 
 Camp Burnside to guard the line between 
 Kentucky and Tennessee. About the mid- 
 dle of November, 1864, he was ordered to 
 Lexington, Kentucky; from there to Cincin- 
 nati; and then up the river to Big Sandy for 
 the purpose of advancing on Richmond. 
 The regiment almost reached the Virginia 
 line, but on the ist of January, 1865, 
 turned back to Big Sandy, and from there 
 went to Wheeling, West Virginia, where 
 they took the cars for Baltimore. At that 
 city they embarked on a boat and went up 
 the James river, landing at City Point. 
 They joined the Army of the James under 
 General Butler, and were in the general 
 ;ulvance on Richmond and Petersburg, their 
 division beinj? the first to enter the former 
 
 city ;ifter its surrender. Our subject's 
 command was left at Richmond and he was 
 placed in charge of the ordinance depart- 
 ment. Later he went with Sheridan's army 
 to Texas, and was first stationed at Browns- 
 ville, and later at other places along the 
 frontier doing guard duty to prevent Maxi- 
 millian, of Mexico, from crossing the border. 
 Mr. Wiggins was mustered out at Fort 
 Ringgold, Texas, in October, 1866, and 
 finally discharged at that place. 
 
 Returning to civil life, he engaged in 
 farming in Pickaway county, Ohio, for a 
 period of ten years, owning and operating a 
 farm of one hundred and fifty-seven acres. 
 On the 3ist of December, 1867, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Rosalie L. Eg- 
 gleston, also a native of Hocking county, 
 Ohio, and a daughter of Seth Eggleston, a 
 life-long resident of that state, who was en- 
 gaged in farming and merchandising at New 
 Plymouth. To Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins, 
 were born four children, namely: Perley E. 
 and Charles B., who are with their father 
 in the bank; Nellie L., at home; and Henry, 
 who died in infancy. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Wiggins cameto Champaign, 
 Illinois, and after spending one summer in 
 the city, he purchased two hundred and 
 forty acres of highly cultivated land in Ho- 
 mer township, upon which he made his 
 home until 1889, adding to it from time to 
 time until he had six hundred acres of valu- 
 ble land. He then removed to the village 
 of Homer, having previously become inter- 
 ested in the First National Bank at that 
 place. In 1888 he and E. F. Fisher pur- 
 chased the interest of the other stockholders, 
 the bank having gone into voluntary liqui- 
 dation, and established the Citizens Bank. 
 That partnership existed until December 
 31, 1897, when Mr. Wiggins became sole 
 
392 
 
 THF BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 owner, and has since served as president, 
 his son C. B. as vice-president, and P. E. 
 as cashier. As a financier he ranks among 
 the ablest in the county, and the success he 
 has achieved in life is due entirely to his 
 own well-directed and energetic efforts. He 
 is a straight forward reliable business man, 
 who commands the confidence and respect 
 of all with whom he comes in contact. 
 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins are active 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and he is a member of the official board, 
 now acting as steward, and was formerly 
 Sunday school superintendent. He is also 
 connected with Homer Post, No. 263, G. 
 A. R., and was the first commander af- 
 ter its organization. Politically he is un- 
 swerving in his allegiance to the Republican 
 party, and his fellow citizens, recognizing 
 his worth and ability, have called upon him 
 to serve as supervisor for eight years, dur- 
 ing which time he was chairman of the 
 board for one term. He also served two or 
 three years as president of the village board, 
 and was ' village treasurer for a time. In 
 both business and social circles he is popu- 
 lar, and as a public-spirited, enterprising 
 man, he is recognized as a valued citizen of 
 the community. 
 
 ANDREW JACKSON PAINE, a well-to- 
 do agriculturist, who has served as jus- 
 tice of the peace for over a quarter of a cen- 
 tury, is a typical self-made man, and in the 
 following record of his career there is much 
 to arouse respect and esteem. He has 
 placed his reliance upon industry and perse- 
 verance rather than "luck," and by making 
 the most of circumstances, however dis- 
 cou.raging, has made his way to a substan- 
 tial success, his fine farm one-half mile north 
 
 of the village of Longview being a tangible 
 evidence of prosperity. 
 
 Mr. Paine was* born in Graf ton, Wor- 
 cester county, Massachusetts, August 19, 
 1832, a son of Abial W. and Mary (Laithe) 
 Paine, also natives of that county. His 
 maternal grandparents were Benjamin and 
 Sarah (Singleterry) Laithe. The father was 
 a farmer and shoemaker by occupation, and 
 spent his entire life on a small farm at Graf- 
 ton, where he died in December, 1854, his 
 wife, in May, 1855. ,. To them were born 
 ten children, as follows: Benjamin C. re- 
 moved to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, when 
 about twenty-six years of age, and later to 
 Florida, where he died in 1876; John A. en- 
 listed at the first call for troops during the 
 Civil war and gave his life to his country, 
 being killed while crossing the river at North 
 Anna, Virginia. Mary A. is now the widow 
 of George McKinstrey, and a resident of 
 Danville, Illinois. Thomas J. was also a 
 soldier of the Civil war, and died in the ser- 
 vice. Francis N. remained in Worcester 
 county, Massachusetts. Andrew J., our 
 subject, is the next of the family. Four 
 died in infancy or early childhood. 
 
 Reared under the parental roof, Andrew 
 J. Paine attended the common schools of 
 the neighborhood, and assisted his father 
 on the farm. He also worked some at the 
 last, though he never completely learned 
 the trade, not expecting to adopt it as a 
 vocation. In the spring 1856, at the age 
 of twenty-three years, he came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, in company with his 
 brother-in-law, George McKintrey, and 
 family, and a Mr. Willard, for whom he had 
 worked in Massachusetts. Mr. Willard 
 bought land in Philo township, and our sub- 
 ject remained in his employ for two years, 
 at the end of which time he made his first 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 395 
 
 purchase of land, consisting of eighty acres 
 of raw prairie in Sidney township, which he 
 broke, improved and cultivated for a few 
 years, but was finally compelled to give it 
 up, not being able to meet his payments. 
 In 1868 he bought eighty acres on section 
 33, Raymond township, where he now lives. 
 At that time it was only partly broken, and 
 there were no other improvements, but he 
 devoted his best energiesto making it a high- 
 ly cultivated and productive tract. In 1871 
 he had prospered sufficiently to add another 
 eighty acres to his farm, making one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres in one body. He has 
 always engaged in general farming and 
 stock raising, and the success that has 
 crowned his efforts is certainly well merited. 
 On the 26th of April, 1861, at Sidney, 
 Illinois, Mr. Paine was united in marriage 
 with Miss Elizabeth Shackleford, who was 
 born in Boyle county, Kentucky, May 7, 
 1827, a daughter of William and Sarah 
 (Suddoth) Shackleford. From Kentucky 
 her family removed to Hendricks county, 
 Indiana, where the father died, and later 
 moved to Paris, Illinois, where they spent 
 one year, at the end of which time they 
 came to Sidney township, Champaign coun- 
 ty, locating here the same year as our sub- 
 ject. Mrs. Paine was one of a family of 
 ten children, the others being Mrs. Cather- 
 ine Campbell, Mrs. Nancy Brown, Leanah, 
 Lucinda, Sarah J., James, George, Baylor 
 and John, all of whom are now deceased. 
 Only three came to Illinois Mrs. Paine, 
 Sarah and Baylor. The wife of our subject 
 died June 2, 1898, leaving three children: 
 Sarah and Leanah J., accomplished and re- 
 fined ladies, who are keeping house for their 
 father; and Benjamin C. , who married 
 Emma Reece, and is engaged in farming in 
 Raymond township, 
 
 Mr. Paine still oversees the operation of 
 his farm. His residence, erected in 1869, 
 has since been remodeled and enlarged, and 
 is now a commodious and comfortable home, 
 conveniently arranged. He is one of the 
 successful and substantial farmers, as well 
 as one of the most highly respected citizens 
 of his community. He has been identified 
 with all enterprises calculated to advance 
 the interests of his township; has served in 
 the capacity of town clerk for fifteen years, 
 and since 1872 has been justice of the peace 
 continuously with the exception of one year. 
 He has also been a member of the school 
 board many years. Politically he is a Dem- 
 ocrat in principle, and religiously is an act- 
 ive member of the Christian church, in 
 which he has served as elder for several 
 years. He is a quiet, unassuming man, up- 
 right and honorable in all the relations oi 
 felk.and is held in high regard by all who 
 wnomihi. 
 
 F. CANADAY. The career 
 of him whose name introduces this re- 
 view illustrates most forcibly the possibil- 
 ities that are open to a young man who pos- 
 sesses sterling business qualifications. It 
 proves that neither wealth or social posi- 
 tion, nor the assistance of influential friends 
 at the outset of his career are necessary to 
 place him on the road to success. It also 
 proves that ambition, perseverance, stead- 
 fast purpose and indefatigable industry, com- 
 bined with sound business principles, will be 
 rewarded, and that true success follows ia- 
 dividual effort only. Mr. Canaday is now 
 one of the most substantial citizens of the 
 county, and is practically living a retired life- 
 in Homer. 
 
 A native of Illinois, he was born in Ver- 
 
394 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 milion county, April 10, 1835, and is a son 
 of William and Mary J. (Hey worth) Can- 
 aday, in whose family were ten children, 
 namely: Julia Ann; Gilbert F. ; Richard; 
 Asbury; Matilda; Mary, deceased; two who 
 died in infancy; Benjamin and Alice. The 
 father was a native of Tenessee and one of 
 the pioneers of Vermilion county, Illinois, 
 where he took up government land and 
 where he was successfully engaged in farm- 
 ing and stock dealing for many years, be- 
 coming one of the most prosperous agricul- 
 turists of the community. He owned several 
 hundred acres of land. His father, Henry 
 Canaday, came with him to this state, 
 and was one of the very first settlers 
 of Vermilion county. He was also an exten- 
 sive land owner and successful business man. 
 The subject of this sketch is indebted 
 to the common schools of his native county 
 for his educational privileges. At the age 
 of twenty- one years he came to Burr Oak 
 Grove, Champaign county, where he en- 
 gaged in farming and also bought stock for 
 other parties for two years, after which he 
 engaged in the same business on his own ac- 
 count, meeting with marked success in the 
 undertaking. On coming to this county, he 
 and his brother Asbury purchased a section 
 of land in Ogden township, for which they 
 went in debt, having no ready money, but 
 before their notes came due the land was 
 paid for. As his financial resources have 
 increased, Mr. Canaday has added to his 
 landed possession from time to time until he 
 now has nine hundred acres of land in Ver- 
 milion and Champaign counties. Through- 
 out his entire business career he has been 
 interested in the cattle business, and by in- 
 dustry, perseverance and good management 
 has become one of the most substantial men 
 of the county. He has lived in Homer town- 
 
 ship since 1874, and has made his home in 
 the village of that name since 1890. Although 
 he is now practically living a retired life, he 
 still superintends the operation of his farm. 
 
 Mr. Canaday married Miss Prudence 
 Williams, a daughter of Daniel Williams, 
 of Champaign county, and by that union 
 had one child, Mary, who died at the age oi 
 eighteen months. The wife died in 1861, 
 and Mr. Canaday was again married, Jan- 
 uary i, 1866, his second union being with 
 Miss Mary J. Jackson, a native of Vermilion 
 count) 7 , and a daughter of James and Susan 
 (Yapp) Jackson, who were natives of Oh'o 
 and New York, respectively. Her parents 
 removed to Vermilion county in 1846 and 
 took up their residence at what was then 
 Dallas, but is now Indianola, Illinois, where 
 the father followed farming for many years. 
 In his family were two children: Mary, wife 
 of our subject; and Sarah, who lives with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Canaday, as does also the 
 mother. The father is now deceased. To 
 Mr. and Mrs. Canaday were born four chil- 
 dren: (i) William died at the age of seven 
 months. (2) Bertie died at the age of eleven 
 months. (3) Gertrude F. is the wife of 
 George Eggleston, a farmer of Ellwood 
 township, Vermilion county, and they have 
 one child, Mary J. (4) Edward, who is en- 
 gaged with his father in farming and the 
 stock business, married Gertrude Sites, and 
 has one child, Franklin A. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Canaday is an 
 ardent Republican, but has never cared for 
 official honors. He is public-spirited and 
 progressive, giving his support to all meas- 
 ures which he believes calculated to advance 
 the general welfare. He is widely known 
 and highly respected, and has a large circle 
 of friends throughout Champaign and Ver- 
 milion counties. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 395 
 
 WILLIAM R. CLARK is one of the 
 prominent and highly respected citi- 
 zens of Ludlow, who after a useful and 
 beneficial career, is now living a retired 
 life. There is an old age that is a benedic- 
 tion to all who come in contact with it, 
 that gives out of its rich stores of learning 
 and experience, and grows stronger intel- 
 lectually and spiritually as the years pass. 
 Such is the life of Mr. Clark, an encourage- 
 ment to his associates and an example well 
 worthy of emulation by the young. 
 
 He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, 
 March 9, 1822, and comes of an excellent 
 family. His father, John Clark, a native 
 of Virginia, emigrated to the Buckeye state 
 when a young man, and was among the 
 earliest pioneers of Harrison county, where 
 he purchased a tract of land and operated 
 it for a few years with success. From there 
 he moved to Coshjacton county, Ohio, and 
 still later made his home in Knox and 
 Champaign counties, the same' state, his 
 death occurring in the last-named county. 
 
 William R. Clark was the youngest of 
 his mother's children, and during his boy- 
 hood and youth pursued his studies in the 
 pioneer schools conducted mostly on the 
 subscription plan in a primitive log cabin. 
 On leaving home at the age of twenty-one 
 years, he settled on a tract of land given 
 him by his father, and to its cultivation he 
 devoted his energies for five years. He 
 then rented his farm and removed to Mi- 
 ami, in the western part of the state, where, 
 with a partner, he engaged in mercantile 
 business at Casstown. but a year of this 
 sufficed and he returned to Urbana, Cham- 
 paign county, Ohio, where he carried on a 
 mercantile establishment for seven years. 
 On disposing of his store he bought a farm 
 near Cable, in the same county, where he 
 
 followed agricultural pursuits and engaged 
 in business as a grain dealer. In Septem- 
 ber, 1868, Mr. Clark came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and purchased a tract of 
 land on section 14, Ludlow township, which 
 he operated for seven years. He then re- 
 moved to the village of Ludlow and com- 
 menced dealing in coal and flour, to which 
 he afterward added lumber. He was en- 
 gaged in that business until the spring of 
 1881, when he turned his attention to the 
 grain trade, and as a dealer in that product 
 met with excellent success for a number of 
 years, when his health failed and he turned 
 the business over to his two sons-in-law. 
 
 At the home of the bride's parents in 
 Wayne township, Champaign county, Ohio, 
 Mr. Clark was married, April 11, 1844, to 
 Miss Sophia Baldwin, who was born in 
 Logan county, that state, in December, 
 1823, arid is a daughter of Richard and 
 Eleanor (Williams) Baldwin, both natives 
 of Virginia. When a small child 
 the father removed to Ohio with his parents, 
 settled in Logan county, where he was later 
 extensively engaged in stock raising and 
 farming. He died at his old home in 
 Urbana, Ohio, at the age of seventy-three 
 years, and his wife, who survived him some 
 years, passed away at West Liberty, the 
 same state, at the age of eighty-four. 
 Of their eleven children, six are still living, 
 namely: Eliza, wife of George W. Cable, a 
 lumberman of Davenport, Iowa; Luretha, 
 wife of Joseph W. Johnson, and a resident 
 of Cable, Ohio; Lottie, wife of J. M. Hun- 
 ter, an insurance agent of Urbana, Ohio; 
 Lenora, wife of T. T. Thomas, of Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio; Issac Newton, an engineer re- 
 siding in Cincinnati; and Sophia, wife of 
 our subject. Those deceased are Wilson; 
 Emma; Clara, wife of Moses Taylor; Mary, 
 
396 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 wife of Amos Wilson ; and Watson, who died 
 at Fortress Monroe during his service in the 
 Civil war. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Clark were born five 
 children: (i) Ella, born in Champaign coun- 
 ty, Ohio, died in Ludlow township, this 
 county, in the spring of "1869, at the age of 
 twenty-two years. (2) Minnie, born in 
 Champaign count}', Ohio, is now the wife of 
 G. W. Payne, a prominent insurance agent 
 and real estate dealer of Spokane, Wash- 
 ington, and they have four children: Ella, 
 Clara, Edith and Frank, three born in Lud- 
 low township, this county; and Frank, born 
 in Sullivan, Illinois. (3) Ida, born in Ur- 
 bana, is the wife of John Jackson, a farmer 
 of Spokane, Washington, and they have 
 five children: Waldo, Winnie and Erma, 
 born in For.d county, Illinois; and Clark and 
 George, born in Washington. (4) Alta, 
 twin sister of Ida, is the wife of William M. 
 Hamilton, a prominent grain dealer of Lud- 
 low, this county, and they had four children: 
 Zoe; Neva; Ida; and Clark, who died at the 
 age of three months. (5) Nettie, born in 
 Urbana.'Ohio, was married October i, 1884, 
 to E. A. Esltrand, an insurance agent of 
 Ludlow, who is also engaged in the coal and 
 and grain business with his brother-in-law, 
 Mr. Hamilton. Mrs. Esltrand died in 
 Denver, Colorado, May 19, 1893, leaving 
 two children: Roy, now fourteen years of 
 age, and Helen, six, who reside with their 
 grandparents in Ludlow. 
 
 During the Civil war Mr. Clark enlisted, 
 in 1864, in Company F, One Hundred and 
 Thirty-fourth Ohio Militia, was commis- 
 sioned lieutenant, and served until Septem- 
 ber, 1865. In early life both he and his 
 wife united with the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and he has filled the office of trus- 
 tee of the church both in Ohio and Illinois. 
 
 Politically he is a stanch supporter of the- 
 Republican party and its principles. He 
 was one of the first to subscribe for theUr- 
 bana Citizen and Gazette, which was estab- 
 lished in 1843, and has taken the paper 
 continuously since. He efficiently served 
 as school treasurer for a number of years 
 and has always been one of the foremost 
 men both in social and business circles in 
 his community, encouraging the march of 
 progress and every enterprise tending to 
 advance the welfare of his fellow citizens. 
 He has ever been greatly interested in the 
 temperance movement, and has been in- 
 strumental in suppressing the saloons in the 
 northern part of this county. 
 
 JOHN N. BURR. The subject of biog- 
 raphy, one of the honored sons of Mass- 
 achusetts, and a prominent farmer of Philo 
 township, Champaign oounty, Illinois, is 
 pre-eminently a self-made man. He started 
 in life with nothing but his own indomitable 
 energy, and his accumulation of this world's 
 goods are attributable to his good judgment, 
 excellent management and untiring industry. 
 Mr. Burr was born in Hampshire county, 
 Massachusetts, June 26, 1837, and is a son- 
 of Ames and Relief (Eager) Burr, also na- 
 tives of the old Bay state. The family is of 
 English origin, and our subject can trace his 
 ancestry back for several generations. His 
 father was a farmer by occupation and a 
 soldier of the war of 1812. He died in his 
 native state at about the age of eighty years. 
 In his family were twelve children, eight 
 sons and four daughters, of whom three sons 
 and three daughters are still living, namely: 
 Franklin E. , a retired farmer of Philo;. 
 Jane, wife of G. N. Rice, formerly a resi- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 397 
 
 dent of Champaign, but now of Iowa; John 
 V. our subject; Helen, wife of E. B.'Hazen, 
 of Philo; Arthur, a resident of Wichita, 
 Kansas; Carrie, adnwife of Dr. Mandeville, 
 of Philo. 
 
 John N. Burr, of this review, obtained his 
 education in the common district schools his 
 of native state, which he attended about three 
 months during the year, and during the re- 
 mainder of the time he assisted in the work 
 of the home farm until fifteen years of age. 
 Having a desire to see some of the world, 
 he then left the parental roof and went to 
 New York state, where he worked in a lum- 
 ber camp and at different pursuits along the 
 same line of business until twenty-two. 
 
 In October, 1859, Mr. Bbrr married 
 Miss Jane E. King, who was born in Som- 
 set county, New Jersey, in 1838. Her 
 parents, John and Elizabeth (Kirkpatrick) 
 King, spent their entire lives in that state, 
 and died on the old homestead. They had 
 five children, three of whom are now living, 
 namely: James, a resident of New York City; 
 Mary A. wife of H. A. Belding, of Glovers- 
 ville, New York, and Jane E. wife of our 
 subject. Of the three children born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Burr, one died young. Those 
 living are Marshall A. and Eugene, who as- 
 sist their father in the operation of his land. 
 The younger son married Minnie De Long. 
 
 For a year and a half after his marriage, 
 Mr. Burr remained in New York, and then re- 
 moved to McDonough county, Illinois, about 
 1861, locatingon a farm nearMacomb, where 
 he continued to make his home until 1866, 
 during which time he purchased two differ- 
 ent farms which he sold at an advantage. 
 In the fall of 1866, after disposing of his 
 property in McDonough county, he came to 
 Champaign county, and bought ninety-five 
 
 acres of partially improved land in Philo 
 21 
 
 township, where he engaged in farming and 
 also carried on stock raising to a limited ex- 
 tent. From time to time as he prospered 
 in his undertakings, he was able to add to 
 his original purchase, and is to-day one .of 
 the largest land owners in Philo township, 
 where he has six hundred and forty acres of 
 valuable and well-improved land on sections 
 12 and 14, his home being on the latter sec- 
 tion. He also owns a quarter section of im- 
 proved land in Vermilion county, which he 
 rents. He has done considerable tiling 
 upon his place, and has erected thereon 
 good and substantial buildings. He has 
 made a specialty of stock raising, and by 
 years of hard labor, perseverance and good 
 management he has become one of the 
 wealthiest and most successful farmers of the 
 county. Politically he is not identified 
 with any particular party, but casts his bal- 
 lot for the men whom he believes best qual- 
 ified to fill the offices. His son Eugene is 
 a Master Mason. 
 
 DAVISON WHITE. Among the pleas- 
 antest rural homes of Raymond town- 
 ship is that of this gentleman, the culture 
 and artistic taste of its occupants being re- 
 flected in its appointments, while a gracious 
 hospitality adds a charm to its material 
 comforts. His farm, consisting of two hun- 
 dred and forty acres on sections 35 and 36, 
 is one of the* model places of Raymond 
 township, being under a high state of culti- 
 vation and supplied with all modern con- 
 veniences and accessories needed by the 
 progressive agriculturist of the twentieth 
 century. 
 
 Mr. White was born in Hamilton county, 
 Indiana, November 15, 1844, a son of 
 
398 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Samuel and Ida (Farley) White, the former 
 a native of Greene county, Ohio, the latter 
 of Virginia. His paternal great-grandfather 
 was Nathaniel White, and the grandfather 
 was John White, a native of Virginia. The 
 latter married Polly A. Davison, for whom 
 our subject was named, and who was born 
 in a block house within seven miles of Frank- 
 fort, Kentucky, during the pioneer days of 
 that state. Both were members of the 
 Society of Friends. The maternal grand- 
 parents of our subject were James and Nancy 
 (Ball) Farley, also natives of the Old 
 Dominion. In 1833 they removed with the 
 White family to Hamilton county, Indiana. 
 For the past six years representatives of 
 these families have met in re-union at the 
 old homestead there, there being two hun- 
 dred in attendance at their last annual meet- 
 ing. In preparing a genealogical history of 
 the White family they trace the family back 
 to the landing of the Mayflower. 
 
 The father of our subject was fifteen 
 years of age, when with his parents he re- 
 moved to Hamilton county, Indiana, where 
 he has spent his entire life as a farmer and 
 still owns a valuable tract of land. His first 
 wife, the mother of our subject, died in 1863. 
 By that union he had seven children: 
 Lucinda, deceased wife of William Scott, of 
 Sheridan, Indiana; Davison, our subject; 
 Nancy J., wife of James Head, who lives on 
 the old homestead in Hamilton county, In- 
 diana; Levi, pastor of a Congregational 
 church in Indianapolis, Indiana; Mary J. , 
 wife of John Clark, of Noblesville, Indiana; 
 Rosella, wife of Dr. Lineus Baldwin, a phy- 
 sician of Horton, Indiana; and Nathaniel, a 
 resident of Mississippi. 
 
 During his boyhood and youth Davison 
 White attended the common schools of his 
 native county. After reaching his majority 
 
 he engaged in various occupations on his 
 own account but made his home with his 
 parents until the autumn of 1870, when he 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois. After 
 operating rented land in Newton township 
 for two years, he purchased eighty acres of 
 land on section 35, Raymond township, 
 where he has since made his home. The 
 land at that time was broken but no other 
 improvements had been made. To its 
 further development and cultivation he im- 
 mediately turned his attention, putting in the 
 first tile within several miles of him. He 
 confined his operations to the cultivation of 
 his first eighty acres until 1884, when he 
 purchased another eighty acre tract on sec- 
 tion 36, and has since extended the boundar- 
 ies of his farm until he now has two hundred 
 and forty acres. He has followed a wise 
 and judicious system of farming, combining 
 stock raising and feeding with agriculture, 
 tacitly admitting the fact that even Cham- 
 paign county soil has its limits of fertility 
 and endurance. His farm is one that at- 
 tracts the attention of the passerby by its 
 neat and well-kept appearance, plainly indi- 
 cating the supervision of a painstaking and 
 thorough farmer. It is divided into fields of 
 convenient size by well-kept hedges, enab- 
 ling him to utilize the ground to the best ad- 
 vantage, and with all its appointments it 
 may be properly termed a model farm, being 
 one in a thousand in this county of good 
 farms. In 1893 Mr. White erected his 
 present elegant residence, which is in keep- 
 ing with the place, and is furnished with 
 modern conveniences. He has been inter- 
 ested in improving the standard of live stock 
 in his neighborhood. In 1890 he com- 
 menced breeding shire horses and followed 
 that pursuit for several years, at the same 
 time raising a good grade of stock of all 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 399 
 
 kinds, and making that an important branch 
 of his agricultural operations. 
 
 Mr. White was married, February 23, 
 1874, to Miss Virginia Quick, who was born 
 in Marion county, Indiana, January 12, 
 1852, a daughter of Nicholas and Cather- 
 ine (Davis) Quick, the former a native of 
 Ireland, and the latter of Virginia. She is 
 one of a family of ten children, but is the 
 only one living in this state. Mr. and Mrs. 
 White have four children, namely: Fred H., 
 who is now attending a commercial college 
 in Indianapolis; Grace, Bert and Merle, all 
 at home. 
 
 In public as well as private affairs Mr. 
 White has exercised his propensity for hav- 
 ing things done decently and in order. From 
 1891 to 1897 he served as commissioner of 
 highways, and during his administration 
 most of the iron bridges of the township 
 were built, nearly all of the tiling of roads 
 was done; and twenty-five miles of road 
 grading was completed. He has taken an 
 active interest in educational fnatters and 
 for twenty-six years has served as director 
 and trustee in school district No. 5, which 
 he was instrumental in organizing in 1874. 
 He had almost the sole responsibility and 
 care of erecting the school building there. 
 In politics Mr. White is a stalwart Repub- 
 lican, and religiously he and his family are 
 prominent members of the Prairie Chapel 
 Christian church of Douglas county, in 
 which he is an efficient and active worker, 
 serving as deacon fifteen years, and taking 
 an important part in Sunday school work as 
 teacher and superintendent. He is a quiet, 
 unassuming man, but his life furnishes a 
 notable and worthy example of what it is 
 possible to accomplish by industry, energy 
 and perseverance, directed by wisdom and 
 sound judgment. 
 
 WILLIAM WALKER. This gentleman, 
 who spent his early manhood in ac- 
 tive business, and mainly in agricultural 
 pursuits, is now living retired in Broad- 
 lands, Illinois. A man of great energy and 
 more than ordinary business capacity, his 
 succ'ess in life has been largely due to his 
 own well-directed efforts and able manage- 
 ment. 
 
 Mr. Walker was born in Nottingham- 
 shire, England, June 6, 1836, a son of 
 Elijah and Eliza (Barks) Walker, also na- 
 tives of that shire. The father, a weaver 
 by trade, followed that occupation through- 
 out life, and died when our subject was but 
 nine years of age. The mother survived 
 him many years, but never came to the 
 United States. In their family were four 
 children: Alice, deceased; Frank, Annie 
 and William. 
 
 William Walker pursued his studies in 
 the public schools of Nottinghamshire un- 
 til after the death of his father, and then 
 learned the weaver's trade at Mansfield 
 Woodhouse, following the same until his 
 emigration to America at the age of seven- 
 teen years. Believing that better oppor- 
 tunities were afforded ambitious young men 
 in the new world, he took passage on an 
 American sailing vessel, the Juvender, 
 which was six weeks in crossing the At- 
 lantic, during which time they encountered 
 one storm of four da\s' duration. Mr. 
 Walker landed in Philadelphia and pro- 
 ceeded at once to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 
 where he boarded the steamer Keystone 
 State, and floated down the Ohio and up 
 the Mississippi rivers to St. Louis. There 
 he remained one year, working in a hotel 
 at thirteen dollars per month, and took a 
 boat up the river to Naples, Illinois, whence 
 he proceeded to Jacksonville, Morgan 
 
4OO 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 county, where he worked on a farm by the 
 month until his marriage. 
 
 On the ist of November, 1863. Mr. 
 Walker wedded Miss Emma Russell, who 
 was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, Eng- 
 land, and is the youngest in a family of 
 fourteen children, their parents being Rich- 
 ard and Mary (Siddonce) Russell, also na- 
 tives of Leicestershire. When Mrs. Walker 
 was eight years of age the family came to 
 America and located in St. Louis, where 
 the father died a year later. He was a 
 miller by trade. His widow afterward re- 
 moved to Morgan county, Illinois, where 
 her death occurred. 
 
 Mr. Walker continued his residence in 
 Morgan county for one year after his mar- 
 riage, and then moved to Scott county, Illi- 
 nois, where he spent six years upon rented 
 land. At the end of that time he purchased 
 eighty acres of land, which he operated 
 until coming to Champaign county, in 1876, 
 when he bought a farm of one hundred and 
 and twenty acres of partially improved land 
 in Raymond township. To its further de- 
 velopment and cultivation he devoted his 
 energies with good results, and as his finan- 
 cial resources increased, he extended the 
 boundaries of the farm until he now has 
 three hundred and twenty acres of valuable 
 land on section 23, and eighty acres on sec- 
 tion 25, Raymond township, all under a 
 high state of cultivation. He also owns two 
 houses and three and one-half lots in Broad- 
 lands. His son Charlie is now living on the 
 home place. Our subject gave considerable 
 attention to the feeding of stock for market, 
 selling the same to local shippers. In March, 
 1900, he moved to Broadlands, where he is 
 now enjoying a well-earned rest, surrounded 
 by all the comforts of life, which have been 
 secured by former years of toil. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Walker were born 
 eight children: George E., who married 
 Maria Rose, and owns and operates a farm 
 of one hundred and sixty acres in Ayres 
 township; Louisa, 'wife of Joseph E. Potter, 
 of the same township; Ernest, who married 
 Nellie Bernett, and died at the age of 
 twenty-five years, his widow being now a 
 resident of Broadlands; Charlie, who mar- 
 ried Gertie Massy, and lives on the home 
 place; Alice, wife of Lon Cable, a telegraph 
 operator on the Chicago & Eastern Railroad 
 at Broadlands; Fred and Archie, both at 
 home; and Walter, who died in infancy. 
 
 Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Walker are 
 earnest members of the Christian church, 
 and they are highly respected and esteemed 
 by all who know them. Since casting his 
 first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, 
 he has been identified with the Republican 
 party, but has never cared for the honors or 
 emoluments of public office. His interest 
 in educational affairs, however, has been 
 manifest by efficient service on the school 
 board for nine years, and he has ever faith- 
 fully performed his duties of citizenship. A 
 man of keen perception and unbounded en- 
 terprise, his success in life is entirely due to 
 his own efforts, and he deserves prominent 
 mention among the leading and representa- 
 tive business men of his community. 
 
 DAVID WALKER DRESSER, S. T. D., 
 who for almost twenty years has been 
 rector of Emmanuel Episcopal church of 
 Champaign, is a native of Virginia, born in 
 Halifax county, October 16, 1833, and is a 
 son of Rev. Charles and Louisa (Withers) 
 Dresser. The father was born in Connec- 
 ticut and was educated at Brown university. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 401 
 
 After his graduation he engaged in teaching 
 school in Pomfret, Connecticut, and then 
 went to Virginia, entering the family of Mr., 
 afterwards Bishop Mead, as a tutor to his 
 sons. He also studied for the ministry under 
 the bishop and was ordained a clergyman 
 of the Episcopal church. He was then 
 married and served as rector of Antrim 
 parish, Halifax county, Virginia, until after 
 the birth of three of his children. In the 
 spring of 1838 he came west with his fam- 
 ily, traveling by means of private convey- 
 ance to Philadelphia; by canal through 
 Pennsylvania to Wheeling. West Virginia; 
 down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi 
 to the mouth of the Illinois; up that stream 
 to Beardstown; and from there to Spring- 
 field, Illinois, by lumber wagon. He had 
 visited this region two years previously, 
 journeying most of the distance on horse- 
 back, and had received a call as its first 
 rector from the church at Springfield, which 
 city at that time had a population of only 
 about three thousand. The house that he 
 erected there was afterwards sold to and oc- 
 cupied by Abraham Lincoln, and is now 
 the public property known as the Lincoln 
 home. For about twenty years he had 
 charge of the Springfield parish, ("St. 
 Paul's," now the pro-cathedral), and died 
 in that city in 1865. His wife long sur- 
 vived him. dying in 1891, at theageof eighty- 
 one years. In their family were six chil- 
 dren who reached years of maturity, name- 
 ly: David W. , our subject; Thomas \Y., 
 one of the oldest and most successful phy- 
 sicians of Springfield; Elizabeth, widow of 
 William P. Thayer, and a resident of Spring- 
 field; Edmund, also a resident of that city; 
 Samuel T.. who died in Springfield in Au- 
 gust, 1899; an d Virginia, who also makes 
 her home in that city. 
 
 Dr. Dresser, of this review, received his 
 early instruction from his mother, and his 
 first teacher was old Dr. Springer, of Spring- 
 field, Illinois. He attended the Springfield 
 academy under Professor Esterbrook. and 
 then entered Jubilee college (then widely 
 known as " Bishop Chase's college"), where 
 he pursued his studies, collegiate and theo- 
 logical, for ten years, and was graduated 
 with the degree of B.A. He was ordained 
 to the ministry in 1855, being made a dea- 
 con in the college chapel in October of that 
 year, and was ordained a priest in 1857 in 
 St. Paul's church, Peoria. He spent two 
 years m charge of the church at Waverly, 
 Illinois, and from there went to Carlinv.lle, 
 where he spent some time as rector. He 
 was also connected with the Episcopal 
 church at Chesterfield and had charge of a 
 large parish or missionary district which 
 covered the whole of Macoupin county. Illi- 
 nois, where he remained until coming to 
 Champaign, as rector of Emmanuel church, 
 December 10, 1882. Here he has since 
 remained. 
 
 On the 2oth of November, 1861, Dr. 
 Dresser was united in marriage with Miss 
 Sarah C. Cundall, a native of Chesterfield, 
 Illinois, .and a daughter of John R. and 
 Mary A. Cundall, who were born in York- 
 shire, England, and came to Macoupin 
 county, this state, in June, 1834. In his 
 native land Mr. Cundall had followed land- 
 scape gardening; and here he turned his at- 
 tention to agricultural pursuits, taking up a 
 tract of government land, to the cultivation 
 and improvement of which he devoted his 
 energies for forty-nine years. His brother- 
 in-law. Thomas S. Gelder, was one of the 
 first settlers of Macoupin county, having 
 located there in 1827. He served in the 
 Black Hawk war, and held a captain's com- 
 
4O2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 mission. Mrs. Dresser is the third in order 
 of birth in a family of six children who 
 reached years of maturity, namely: Eliza- 
 beth L. , deceased wife of Israel Armitage. 
 of Scott county, Illinois; Susannah R., de- 
 ceased wife of S. T. Hopson, of Girard, 
 Illinois; John R., a farmer of Macoupin 
 county; Thomas G. , a horse dealer and 
 liveryman of Carlinville, Illinois; and Will- 
 iam A., a farmer of Macoupin county. The 
 father of this family died January 11, 1883, 
 the mother August 7, 1868. 
 
 In politics Dr. Dresser is a conservative 
 Republican, but at local elections he votes 
 for the man whom he believes best qualified 
 to fill the office regardless of party lines, 
 He is a member of Western Star Lodge, No. 
 240, F. & A. M. ; and is also connected with 
 the Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine, 
 Saxa Rubra Conclave, of Champaign. He 
 has served as chaplain of the blue lodge for 
 fifteen years, is prelate of the conclave, and 
 grand prelate of the Knights of the Red 
 Cross in the state. He is also president of 
 the Standing Committee of the Episcopal 
 church in this diocese of his- residence 
 ("Springfield) and is rural dean of the B!oom- 
 ington deanery, which embraces several 
 counties in this state. He is untiring in his 
 devotion to the church, has labored un- 
 selfishly for its interests, and is highly re- 
 spected and esteemed by people of all de- 
 nominations and creeds, as well as those of 
 his own congregation. In private life he is 
 sympathetic and generous, extending a help- 
 ing hand to the poor and needy, and is always 
 ready to aid those less fortunate than himself. 
 
 SAMUEL D. RICE, a well-known and 
 prosperous farmer, owning and operat- 
 ing one hundred and sixty acres of land on 
 
 section 24, Philo township, Champaign 
 county, Illinois, was born on the 2ist of 
 October, 1828, in Chesterfield, Hampshire 
 county, Massachusetts, of which place his 
 parents, Lyman and Miranda (Taylor) Rice, 
 were also natives, the former born in 1800, 
 the latter in 1801. Lyman Rice followed 
 the blacksmith's trade, which he learned 
 with his father, and also engaged in general 
 farming on a small scale. He died in his 
 native state in 1870, his wife in 1880. To 
 this worthy couple were born seven children, 
 of whom three died young. The others are 
 as follows: Samuel D., our subject, is the 
 oldest; George T. is married and with his 
 family resides at Rice's Station, Minnesota, 
 which place was named in his honor; Irving 
 is married, has a family, and follows farm- 
 ing on the old homestead in Massachusetts; 
 and Louisa L. is the wife of H. Bisbee, of 
 Chesterfield, Massachusetts. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his 
 education in the common schools of his na- 
 tive state, and when young was employed in 
 his father's blacksmith shop, remaining there 
 until he attained his majority, when he left 
 home and began life's battle for himself. 
 For one year he worked as a teamster for a 
 manufacturing company, and then found 
 employment with a liveryman for two years. 
 In 1854 he went to Iowa, where he purchased 
 government land, but remained there only a 
 short time, coming to Illinois the same year. 
 After operating a rented farm in Kendall 
 county for two years, he went to Bureau 
 county, in 1856, and there followed the 
 same pursuit upon rented land for a few 
 years. He then rented his land in Iowa for 
 an improved farm in that county, and suc- 
 cessfully operated the same until the spring 
 of 1 88 1, when he sold his property there 
 and came to Champaign county. He pur- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 403 
 
 chased his present farm in Philo township, 
 which at that time was only partially im- 
 proved, and in its further development and 
 cultivation he has met with marked success. 
 In connection with general farming he is 
 engaged in the stock business, raising and 
 fattening stock for market. 
 
 In 1860 Mr. Rice married Miss Kate 
 Bergstra, a native of New York, who died in 
 1863, leaving one son, Clarence A., now a 
 successful farmer of Philo township, who is 
 married and has two children, Catherine 
 and Nathan. Mr. Rice was again married, 
 in 1865, his second union being with Miss 
 Martha E. Robinson, who was born in 
 Chesterfield, Massachusetts. April 15, 1840, 
 and was married there. Immediately after 
 their marriage he brought his bride to his 
 home in Bureau county, Illinois. They 
 have no children of their own but have given 
 homes to two deserving ones until they went 
 to homes of their own. 
 
 Politically Mr. Rice is a strong Republi- 
 can, but would never accept office, though 
 he served as school director for a number of 
 years, and has ever taken a deep interest in 
 educational affairs. Both he and his wife 
 are leading and influential members of the 
 Presbyterian church of Philo, of which he 
 is an elder, and in former years very active 
 members in the church. They have a wide 
 circle of friends and acquaintances who 
 esteem them highly for their sterling worth, 
 and are respected by the entire community. 
 Mr. Rice is of a very generous disposition, 
 the poor and needy always find in him a 
 friend, and he gives his support to all enter- 
 prises calculated to advance the moral, in- 
 tellectual or material welfare of his township 
 and county. He is a man whom the most en- 
 vious can scarcely grudge success, so well has 
 he earned it and so admirably does he use it. 
 
 ROBERT E. LEE JESSEE, M. D., a 
 prominent and successful physician and 
 surgeon of Philo, was born in Crittenden 
 township, this county, November 13, 1870, 
 and is the eldest son and child of John T. 
 and America E. (Bickley) Jessee, natives of 
 Virginia, and representatives of old and 
 highly respected families of the Old Domin- 
 ion. The father was born in 1836, the 
 mother in 1853. In 1869, shortly after 
 their marriage, which was celebrated in 
 their native state, they came to Illinois, and 
 took up their residence in Crittenden town- 
 ship, Champaign county, where the father 
 purchased one hundred and twenty acres of 
 wild prairie land. He at once began to im- 
 prove and cultivate hjs place, and there made 
 for himself and family a comfortable home. 
 He followed^ farming quite successfully 
 throughout life, and by his straightforward, 
 honorable course won the confidence and 
 respect of all with whom he came in con- 
 tact. He was a faithful member of the 
 Baptist church, and a Democrat in politics, 
 a recognized leader of the party in his com- 
 munity. He served as supervisor two terms, 
 was assessor several terms, and held other 
 local offices in Crittenden township. He 
 died in 1890, honored and esteemed by all 
 who knew him. His wife is still living and 
 continues to reside on the old homestead. 
 Of the eight children born to this worthy 
 couple two died in infancy. Those living 
 are Robert E. L. , our subject; Minnie, wife 
 of W. T. Thrash, a farmer of Tolono town- 
 ship, by whom she has two children: Belle, 
 wife of R. H. Ford, of Tolono township, 
 by whom she has one child; and Grace, 
 Clarence and Nellie, who are at home with 
 their mother. 
 
 During his boyhood Dr. Jessee attended 
 the district schools of his native township 
 
404 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and remained at home, assisting in the 
 work of the farm until reaching manhood. 
 Having aspirations for a professional career, 
 he took a teacher's course at the National 
 Normal University, Lebanon, Ohio, from 
 which he was graduated in 1890. For two 
 years he engaged in teaching school, and 
 during the latter years commenced the 
 study of medicine under Dr. Lamb, of 
 Tolono. In 1892 he entered the North- 
 western University School, of Chicago, .lor 
 a four years' course, and was graduated 
 from that institution in 1896, with the de- 
 gree of M. D. During his residence in 
 that city, he was married, in 1895, to Miss 
 Myrtle E. Powers, who was born in Cook 
 county in 1875, a daughter of Jay and Eve 
 (Veeder) Powers. The doctor and his wife 
 have two children, Bruce and Merrill. 
 
 Immediately after his graduation, in 
 1896, Dr. Jessee came to Philo and pur- 
 chased the property and practice of Dr. J. 
 M. Bartholow, now of Urbana. He began 
 practice here in rather a limited territory, 
 but success has crowned his efforts, and to- 
 day he enjoys a good practice which is con- 
 stantly increasing. The Democratic party 
 finds in him a stanch supporter of its prin- 
 cipals, and he is now serving his second 
 term as mayor of the village in which he 
 lives. He is also secretary of the -school 
 board, and as a public-spirited and progres- 
 sive citizen he takes a deep and commend- 
 able interest in everything which will ad- 
 vance the public welfare and promote the 
 prosperity of the community. He does not, 
 however, allow other things to interfere 
 with his professional duties. Socially he is 
 a member of Centennial Lodge, No. 747, 
 A. F. & A. M., of Philo, and is a member 
 of Mispah Lodge of the I. O. O. F., No. 
 364, at Philo. Religiously he holds mem- 
 
 bership in the Methodist Episcopal church 
 and is on the board of trustees. Both as 
 a physician and citizen he stands deservedly 
 high in public esteem. 
 
 JOHN L. CAILEY. Loyal American 
 citizens never weary of hearing the 
 praises of the brave soldier-boys whose 
 valor saved the Union at the time of its 
 greatest peril, and if for nothing else than 
 his fine army record, the name of John L. 
 Cailey is thrice worthy of being handed 
 down to posterity. But his entire life has 
 been sincere and upright, filled with deeds 
 of kindness and helpfulness to all with 
 whom he has been associated, and he pos- 
 sesses the esteem of everyone. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 George W. Cailey, was a native of Penn- 
 sylvania, whence he removed to Ohio in the 
 early part of this century, and in that state 
 he died while the Civil war was in progress. 
 His son, George W. , Jr., father of our sub- 
 ject, was born in Highland county, Ohio, 
 and there passed his youth. He learned the 
 trade of a cabinet maker, and for a number 
 of years prior to his death lived in Ross 
 county, Ohio, where he married Eliza J. 
 Parrott, a native of that section of the 
 state. They became the parents of three 
 children, namely: Mary E., who wedded 
 Garrett Gulick, of Champaign, and died in 
 Garden City, Kansas, in 1891 ; Fred G., who 
 enlisted in the Fifty-first Illinois Infantry 
 during the war of the Rebellion, and died at 
 Bowling Green, Kentucky, while in the 
 service; and John L. , who was an infant of 
 four months when his father died. The 
 mother subsequently became the wife of 
 David Clousen, and in 1854 they removed 
 
JOHN L. CAILEY AND WIFE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 407 
 
 to a farm near Mahomet, on the Sangamon 
 river. Their four children have grown to 
 maturity, and are living in the west, and the 
 mother died in 1857. 
 
 John L. Cailey was born near Lyndon, 
 Ohio, April 15, 1842, and was reared by his 
 maternal grandfather, who became a resi- 
 dent of this county in 1858. He located on 
 section 30, Homer (now Ogden) township, 
 and became quite an influential citizen 
 there, owning four hundred acres of fine 
 farm lands at one time. He died, as he 
 had lived, loved and honored by all, having 
 reached the age of three score and ten at 
 the date of his death, in the summer of 
 1865. For several years our subject had 
 taken much of the care of Mr. Parrott's 
 property, and, under his wise direction, had 
 mastered the details of agriculture and gen- 
 eral business. He had been trained in the 
 duties of citizenship and had received a lib- 
 eral education. 
 
 While the clouds of war were gathering, 
 Mr. Cailey eagerly watched the progress of 
 events, and when the President's first call 
 came for men ready to battle for their coun- 
 try, he responded at once, but, the quota 
 being filled ere his name was reached, he 
 was not mustered into the service. When 
 the next opportunity presented itself, how- 
 ever, he was ready, and on June 16, 1861, 
 he became a member of Company C, Twen- 
 ty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and for 
 three years, three months and five days he 
 served in the First Brigade, Third Division, 
 Fourth Army Corps. During that time he 
 shared the fortunes of his regiment, bravely 
 and efficiently performing his duties, and 
 participating in the innumerable hardships 
 and privations which our brave Union boys 
 knew in that terrible strife. Before the fall 
 of Atlanta, on August 4, 1864, the com- 
 
 mander of his brigade. General W. H. Gib- 
 son, addressed the gallant Twenty-fifth in 
 the following words: "Men and soldiers of 
 the Twenty-fifth Infantry, as your time of 
 three years service has expired, and you are 
 about to proceed to your state to be 
 mustered out, it is proper and fitting that 
 your commander should express to you 
 each and all his earnest thanks for the 
 cheerful manner with which, during the 
 present campaign, you have submitted to 
 every hardship, overcome every difficulty, 
 and for the magnificent heroism with which 
 you have met and vanquished the foe. Your 
 deportment in camp has been worthy of 
 true soldiers, while your conduct in battle 
 has excited the admiration of your com- 
 panions in arms. Patriotic thousands and 
 a noble state will give you a reception 
 worthy of your sacrifices and valor. You 
 have done your duty well. The men who 
 rallied under the starry emblem of our 
 nation at Pea Ridge, Corinth, Stone River, 
 Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Noonday 
 Creek, Pine Top Mountain, Kenesaw 
 Mountain. Chattahooche, Peach Tree 
 Creek and Atlanta have made history 
 for all time and for coming generations 
 to admire. Officers arid soldiers, fare- 
 well. May God guarantee to each health, 
 happiness and usefulness in coming life, 
 and may our country soon emerge from the 
 gloom and blood that now enshrouds it, and 
 again 'enter upon a career of peace, progress 
 and prosperity." 
 
 Returning home from the southern bat- 
 tlefields, Mr. Cailey resumed the care of 
 his grandfather's homestead, and remained 
 there until the spring of 1877, when he 
 purchased seventy acres situated in section 
 24, St. Joseph township. There he dwelt 
 for nineteen years, at the expiration of that 
 
408 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 period going to Gray county, Kansas, 
 where, as formerly, he devoted his atten- 
 tion to agriculture. Becoming well known 
 and honored, he was elected and served as 
 clerk of the district court of Gray county 
 for three years. In 1891 he went to the 
 vicinity of Fort Ridgeley, Brown county, 
 Minnesota, and in 1893 he returned to 
 Champaign county. For the past five 
 years he has. been clerk of the village, and 
 in 1897 he was elected justice of the peace, 
 which office he has held ever since. Al- 
 ways a stanch friend of education, he has 
 often acted as a member of school boards 
 and has been a trustee as well. Politically, 
 he is an ardent Republican. Fraternally, 
 he is an honored member of St. Joseph 
 Post, G. A. R., which he aided in organiz- 
 ing. Of the twenty-seven charter mem- 
 bers only three have answered to the final 
 roll-call. For several years he was adju- 
 tant of the post and was its second com- 
 mander. In his religious belief he is a 
 Christian or Disciple, and has been a deacon 
 and elder in the congregation, besides serv- 
 ing as clerk of the official board. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Cailey and Mary 
 M. Patterson was solemnized on New 
 Year's day, 1865. She was a daughter of 
 John K. and Catherine Patterson, who were 
 natives of Ohio and Kentucky, respectively. 
 The father was one of the earliest settlers 
 of this township, as he came here in the 
 '303, and here Mrs. Cailey was born, April 
 2 7> ^39. Of the six children -born to our 
 subject and his wife, three survive, namely: 
 J. F., now employed as a telegraph oper- 
 ator at Tolono, Illinois; Maggie, wife of C. 
 C. Current, of Brown county, Minnesota; 
 and Florence, who lives with her father. 
 The mother departed this life on the forty- 
 second anniversary of her birth, in 1881. 
 
 On the 2/th of September, 1882, Mr. 
 Cailey married Mrs. Martha Harman, widow 
 of James M. Harman, and daughter of 
 James and Mary Current. She was born 
 in Henry county, Indiana, February 5, 
 1841, and was summoned to the silent land 
 September 7, 1897. 
 
 ISAAC TURNER, who has recently re- 
 1 moved to Gifford, was for many years 
 actively identified with the agricultural inter- 
 ests of Champaign, and by the development 
 and improvement of a good farm in Com- 
 promise township he has materially ad- 
 vanced the welfare of this locality. He was 
 born near Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, 
 February 6, 1830, and is a son of Joab and 
 Ara (Johnson) Turner, natives of Maryland 
 and Ohio, respectively. The father died on 
 his farm in the Buckeye state at the age of 
 seventy-three years, and the mother de- 
 parted this life at the home of our subject 
 in Compromise township, Champaign county, 
 Illinois, in 1875, at the age of sixty-nine. 
 In their family were ten children, of whom 
 five sons are still living, namely: Johnson, 
 a farmer of Fayette county, Illinois; Aaron, 
 a farmer of Holmes county, Ohio; William, 
 a coal miner of Ohio; James W. , who was~ 
 in the Union army during the Civil war for 
 one hundred days, and is now a farmer of 
 Jasper county, Indiana; and Isaac, our sub- 
 ject. 
 
 When our subject was only four years 
 old the family removed to Coshocton county, 
 Ohio, where he was reared upon the home 
 farm and where he continued to make his 
 home until twenty-one years of age, his 
 education being obtained in the district and 
 common schools of that locality. Leaving 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 409 
 
 home at the age of twenty-one, he worked 
 on different farms near there for five years. 
 
 On the 8th of November, 1855, Mr. 
 Turner was married in Roscoe, Ohio, to 
 Miss Rachel Williams, a daughter of Lewis 
 B. and Rebecca (McCoy) Williams, in whose 
 family were five children, three children liv- 
 ing, one son and two daughters. Another 
 son, Levi Williams, was a member of the 
 Fifty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry during 
 the Civil war, and was killed at the battle of 
 Pea Ridge at the age of eighteen years. 
 The father spent his entire life in Ohio, 
 being engaged in farming in Coshocton 
 county, where he died in 1857. His wife 
 had died when Mrs. Turner was quite small. 
 After her father's death she went to live with 
 her paternal grandparents, James and Rachel 
 (Bardell) Williams, with whom she made 
 her home until after her marriage, their farm 
 being operated by our subject for some time. 
 He finally purchased the place and he and 
 his wife cared for the old people during the 
 remainder of their lives, the grandmother 
 dying September 7, 1857, the grandfather 
 in the spring of 1858. 
 
 During the first nine years of their mar- 
 ried life Mr. and Mrs. Turner continued to 
 make their home in Coshocton county, 
 Ohio, but at the end of that time they sold 
 their farm and came to Illinois, locating first 
 in Carroll township, Vermilion county, 
 where he purchased. land. In 1870, however, 
 they cams to Champaign county, where 
 they have since made their home. Until 
 the spring of 1900 Mr. Turner was success- 
 fully engaged in farming in Compromise 
 township, where he still owns a good farm 
 of one hundred and eighty acres, all under 
 cultivation and improved with good build- 
 ings. He is a thorough and systematic ag- 
 riculturist, is energetic and progressive, and 
 
 has met with well-deserved success in his 
 labors. He purchased the A. P. Johnson 
 property in Gifford, and now makes that 
 village his home. As a public-spirited and 
 enterprising citizen, he has ever taken an 
 active interest in local affairs, and does all 
 in his power to advance the welfare of his 
 town and county. He has served as town- 
 ship treasurer for about twenty-two years; 
 in 1878 was elected assessor and held that 
 office for two years; and at the end of that 
 time was elected supervisor of his township, 
 all of which positions he most capably and 
 satisfactorily filled. Religiously he is a 
 member of the Methodist church. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Turner were born elev- 
 en children, namely: (i) Lewis, born in Co- 
 shocton county, Ohio, December 7, 1856, 
 remained at home until twenty one years 
 of age, and is now a prosperous farmer of 
 Hamilton county, Illinois. He married Nora 
 Rhubottom; (2) Harvey J., born in Ohio, 
 May 31, 1858, married Jennie Craigmile, 
 of Lagrange, Illinois, and is now engaged in 
 mercantile business in Gifford. They have 
 four children, Bessie, Alexander, James and 
 Jean. (3) Paulina, born in Ohio, March 
 29, 1860, is at home. (4) Sarah S., born 
 October 4, 1861, is the wife of John Craig- 
 mile, a farmer of Calhoun county, Iowa, 
 and they have four children, Iva, Charles, 
 Pearl and Bernice. (5) Aaron B., born 
 September 27, 1863, is a farmer of Waren 
 county, Indiana. He married Armanda 
 Walker, of Gifford, Illinois, and they have 
 one child, Walker. (6) Emma J., born in 
 Vermilion county. Illinois, October I 3, 1 865, 
 is the wife of William Piper, a farmer of 
 Medaryville, Indiana, and they had five 
 children: Isaac; Henry, deceased; Ethel; 
 Dwight and Horace. (7) William C., born 
 in Vermilion county, June 24, 1868, rents 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 his father's farm in Compromise township, 
 Champaign county, He married Stella 
 Keyes and has one child, Harley. (8) Ida 
 M., born in Compromise township, Septem- 
 ber 3, 1870, died October 29, 1871. (9) Ina 
 F., born March 30, 1873, is at home. (10) 
 James H., born March 14, 1875, was a tel- 
 egraph operator for the Illinois Central rail- 
 road at Delana, Illinois, but is now at home. 
 (11) Elisha, born May 25, 1878, is at home.. 
 
 DANIEL P. McINTYRE. There are no 
 rules for building characters; there is 
 no rule for achieving success. The man 
 who can rise from the ranks to a position of 
 eminence is he who can see and utilize the 
 opportunities that surround his path. The 
 essentjal conditions of human life are ever 
 the same, the surroundings of individuals 
 differ but slightly; and, when one man 
 passes another on the highway to reach the 
 goal of prosperity before others who per- 
 haps started out before him, it is because he 
 has the power to use advantages which 
 probably encompass the whole human race. 
 To-day among the most prominent business 
 men in the southern part of Champaign 
 county is Daniel P. Mclntyre, president of 
 the Bank of Broadlands. 
 
 He was born in Canada West, June 3, 
 1858, and is a son of James and Jane (Mc- 
 Intosh) Mclntyre, both natives of Scotland, 
 the former born in Argyleshire, in 1805, the 
 latter in Inverness, in 1815. In 1820 the 
 father crossed the Atlantic with his parents 
 and located in western Canada, where he 
 grew to manhood and was married. Being 
 a British subject, he received one hundred 
 acres of government land there, upon which 
 he resided until 1864, when he disposed of 
 
 his property and came to Illinois, locating 
 in Douglas county, about four miles north- 
 west of Newman, on what is known as the 
 Ridge. He first purchased three hundred 
 and. twenty acres of land, which he im- 
 proved and cultivated, and later added to 
 it until he owned six hundred acres, which 
 for many years was consfdered one of the 
 banner farms of Douglas county. The 
 characteristic thrift and industry of the 
 Scotch, combined with the progressive 
 methods and opportunities offered in the 
 new world made his life a success, and he 
 carried on farming and stock raising on 
 quite an extensive scale. He died at his 
 home in Douglas county, January 7, 1892, 
 and his wife, who preceded him, passed 
 away March 10, 1890. Both were earnest 
 members of the Baptist Church, and he was 
 a Republican in politics. This worthy 
 couple lived to celebrate their golden wed- 
 ding in 1885, at which time their unbroken 
 family of twelve children were ail assembled 
 for the first time in over twenty years, and 
 they survived this happy event five years. 
 Their children were Malcolm, Ann, James, 
 Jane, John, Thomas, Peter, Angus C., 
 Mary E., Janet, Daniel P., and Joseph. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was only six 
 years of age on the removal of the family 
 to Illinois, and upon the home farm in 
 Douglas county he passed his boyhood and 
 youth, his primary education being obtained 
 in the local schools. At the age of twenty- 
 one he entered the university at Lincoln, 
 Illinois, where he pursued his studies for 
 some time. On leaving college he engaged 
 in farming during the summer season and in 
 teaching school during the winter months for 
 two years, saving his money with the in- 
 tention of embarking in business for himself. 
 Having accumulated some means he pur- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 411 
 
 chased a jewelry establishment at Newman, 
 Illinois, which he conducted successfully for 
 one year, and at the end of that time traded 
 his stock to A. B. Powell, Paris, Illinois, in 
 part payment for a farm of three hundred 
 and twenty acres just east of Brocton, Ed- 
 gar county, Illinois, giving his note for the 
 difference. He located thereon in the spring 
 of 1888, and unlike many others he made a 
 financial success of farming. He soon 
 cleared the place of all incumbrance, and 
 now has one of the finest and best appointed 
 stock farms in that county. On leaving the 
 farm in November, 1892, he came to Broad- 
 lands, Champaign county. At an age when 
 the majority of men have scarcely begun 
 the ascent of the ladder of success, he. had 
 by industry and judicious management 
 reached a position that would enable him 
 to retire from active business, but he chose 
 instead to enter the commercial world, and 
 organized the Bank of Broadlands, which 
 was founded November 17, 1892, by Daniel 
 P. and Thomas Mclntyre and A, M. Kin- 
 ney, our subject being chosen as the first 
 president, which office he still fills. The 
 bank was established on a sound basis, and 
 under his careful management its volume of 
 business has steadily increased and is recog- 
 nized as one of the stable financial institu- 
 tions of the county. It is also an enterprise 
 that the thriving town of Broadlands could 
 ill afford to lose, as it is in one of the most 
 fertile grain districts of Illinois, and is one 
 of the most important shipping points on 
 the road. In connection with his banking 
 business, Mr. Mclntyre also represents all 
 of the leading insurance companies, and 
 still operates his large farm of three hun- 
 dred and twenty acres in Edgar county. 
 
 On the 28th of December, 1887, Mr. 
 Mclntyre was united in marriage with Miss 
 
 Nettie A. Cooley, the accomplished daugh- 
 ter of J. A. Cooley, one of the oldest sett- 
 lers of Douglas county. She was a teacher 
 of more than ordinary ability, teaching for 
 a time in Scottland. Edgar county, and for 
 several terms in the schools of Newman. 
 Our subject and his wife have one child, 
 Eva L. 
 
 Since coming to Broadlands, Mr. Mc- 
 lntyre has taken an active part in advancing 
 the interests of the community. Although 
 not seeking political honors or official posi- 
 tions of any kind, he has been a zealous, 
 worker in the Republican ranks, has served 
 on the town and county central committees;, 
 has been a delegate to various state and 
 congressional conventions, and in 1900 was 
 chosen chairman of the county convention. 
 In 1899 he was nominated without his 
 knowledge and elected supervisor of Ayres 
 township, and has served on the committees 
 of ways and means, education and hos- 
 pitals, and at present is chairman of the 
 judiciary committee. He was also one of 
 the three delegates chosen to attend the 
 annual state convention of supervisors and 
 county clerks held at Quincy, Illinois. He 
 was one of the organizers and the second 
 largest stockholder in the Douglas County 
 Telephone Company. Fraternally he is a 
 member of Apollo Lodge, No. 57, K. P., 
 and the Uniformed Knights Commandery, 
 both of Paris, Illinois; and also belongs to 
 Broadlands Lodge, No. 791, F. & A. M.; 
 Newman Chapter, No. 216, R. A. M.; and 
 Broadlands Chapter, No. 416, O. E. S., of 
 which his wife is also a member and has 
 been worthy matron since its organization. 
 He is also a member of the Hamilton Club, 
 Chicago. Both in business and social cir- 
 cles and as a citizen he stands high and. 
 meets every requirement, manifesting a. 
 
412 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 commendable interest in everything that is 
 calculated to promote the welfare of the 
 community in any line. 
 
 ARTIN SCHEURICH is the senior 
 member of the firm of M. Scheurich 
 & Co., No. 128 Market street, Champaign, 
 dealers in the Advance threshing machinery, 
 engines, threshers, self-feeders, band-cut- 
 ters, pneumatic and automatic stackers, also 
 gasoline engines, duplex hay boilers, eclipse 
 wind engines, second hand engines, hay, 
 straw, grain, feed, hard and soft coal, and 
 all kinds of field seeds. He is one of the 
 most enterprising and enegetic business men 
 of the city, and is meeting with a well- 
 merited success. 
 
 Mr. Scheurich was born in DuBois coun- 
 ty, Indiana, September 28, 1842, a son of 
 Peter and Elizabeth (Kimmelshew) Scheu- 
 rich. The father was an extensive contrac- 
 tor, who constructed most of the railroad 
 between Terre Haute and Indianapolis, then 
 known as Rose's road. He removed to the 
 former city when our subject was about 
 nineteen years of age, and after a residence 
 there of two years went to Montezuma, In- 
 diana, where he constructed a feeder to a 
 canal, and where he continued to follow his 
 business of contracting for some time. Dur- 
 ing the early settlement of Minnesota, he 
 located about thirty-five miles northwest of 
 Minneapolis, and later laid out the town of 
 Frankfort, seven miles from Itasca. After 
 a few years spent in that state, he returned 
 to Evansville, Indiana, and purchased a 
 farm just across the Ohio river from Green 
 river, Kentucky, where he engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits until the fall of 1860, until 
 in the spring of 1861 he moved to Mattoon, 
 
 Illinois, having traded his property for one 
 section of land near that town. He spent 
 three years upon his farm and then located 
 in Mattoon, where he engaged in general 
 merchandise, being assisted by our subject. 
 
 Martin Scheurich accompanied his 
 parents on their various removals until 
 his marriage, which was celebrated Feb- 
 ruary i, 1864, Miss Catherine Regan 
 becoming his wife. To them were born 
 twelve children, namely: Mary, now a Sis- 
 ter of Notre Dame, in- a convent at Mil- 
 waukee, Wisconsin; Lizzie, bookkeeper for 
 her father; Maggie, wife of W. Kline, of 
 Colfax township, this county; Cefia, wife of 
 W. B. Walsh, of Sadorus township; Ollie 
 and Amy, both at home; Monica, wife of 
 Frank Tabaca, of Sadorus township; John 
 E., a traveling salesman for the Advance 
 Threshing Machine Company; Peter, who 
 assists his father in business; Martin and 
 Mary G., both at home; and Catherine G., 
 wife of George Bloom, a well-known ma- 
 chinist, who is now serving as foreman for 
 the McMillen Manufacturing Company at 
 Evanston, Illinois. The children have all 
 received liberal educations, Celia having 
 graduated from the State Normal, and Cath- 
 erine having graduated in music. 
 
 The first season after his marriage Mr. 
 Scheurich raised a crop on the home farm, 
 and sold the same before it was harvested. 
 On the 1 4th of August, 1864, he started for 
 New York, where he took passage on the 
 steamer Northern Light bound for Mexico 
 via Cuba, the object of the journey being 
 to take charge of cotton manufacturing ma- 
 chinery for an English syndicate in Mexico, 
 but on reaching his destination he found the 
 country in such an unsettled condition as the 
 result of the war, that he concluded not to 
 remain, and, accompanied by hjs wife, he 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 4'3 
 
 boarded the steamer Golden City at Panama 
 and sailed for San Francisco, where he ar- 
 rived in October. After remaining in the 
 city for three weeks, he accepted the posi- 
 tion of foreman on a large ranch owned by a 
 Mr. McKenzie, near Tomales, Marin county, 
 California, in which capacity he served for 
 one year at fifty dollars per month. The 
 following year he leased the ranch, which 
 comprised six hundred acres of land, and at 
 the end of that time moved to Tomales 
 Bay, where he rented a ranch of two thou- 
 sand acres for sixty-five cents per acre. 
 There he was joined by his father and broth- 
 ers, and together they extensively engaged 
 in the stock and dairy business, keeping a 
 herd of two hundred and fifty milch cows, 
 and finding a ready sale for their dairy 
 products in San Francisco. They were 
 thus engaged for three years and at the end 
 of that time sold out for twenty thousand 
 dollars. For a time our subject continued 
 in the same business on a smaller scale, hav- 
 ing a ranch of two hundred acres at Pete- 
 luma Valley. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Scheurich disposed of his 
 property in California and returned to Mat- 
 toon, Illinois, where his wife's parents re- 
 sided. The same year he came to Cham- 
 paign and bought two hundred acres of 
 prairie land in Colfax township for sixteen 
 dollars per acre, to the improvement and 
 cultivation of which he devoted his energies 
 for a number of years. On selling that 
 place he purchased one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land on section i in the same town- 
 ship, which farm he still owns, and there he 
 successfully engaged in general farming and 
 stock raising until his removal to Cham- 
 paign in 1897. He also operated a thresh- 
 ing machine, bringing into Colfax township 
 the first steam thresher and traction engine, 
 
 and was engaged in boring wells and acted 1 
 as "agent for various kinds of machinery. 
 Previous to his removal to the city his son 
 John E., had already become interested in 
 the machinery business there. Forming a 
 partnership with him, Mr. Scheurich bought 
 his present property on Market street in 
 1897, consisting of one four-hundred-foot- 
 lot and two business houses, which he now 
 occupies. In 1899 he sold off his live stock, 
 leased his farm and moved his family to 
 Champaign. He is one of the most active 
 and enterprising business men of the city, 
 and in all his undertakings has met with 
 most excellent success. On the 5th of De- 
 cember, 1899, The Entre Nous Coal Mining 
 Company was organized, the incorporators 
 being Dr. W. H. Zorger, Martin Scheurich 
 and Charles R. Lungerich. The capital 
 stock of the company is fifty thousand dol- 
 lars, and they bought ninety-five acres of 
 coal land at Muncie, Illinois, and an option 
 ot six hundred acres adjoining. Their main 
 office is in Champaign. .The mine now in 
 operation has a vein of coal from five to 
 seven feet in thickness, consisting of excel- 
 lent coal which will be furnished to the pub- 
 lic at a reduced price and to stockholders at 
 actual cost. The company was incorpor- 
 ated January 26, 1900, and the stock divided 
 into one thousand shares. Mr. Scheurich 
 has ever taken an active interest in public 
 affairs, is a stanch supporter of the Demo- 
 cratic party, and has served his township as 
 justice of the peace twenty-five years, school 
 trustee fifteen years, and collector two 
 years. 
 
 JG. NICOLET, of the firm of Nicolet & 
 Company, dealers in bicycles, repairs 
 and sundries, with shop at factory at No. 
 
414 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 26, North Niel street, Champaign, is one of 
 the progressive business men of the city, 
 and his ability, enterprise and upright meth- 
 ods have established for him an enviable 
 reputation. Although he is still a young man 
 his popularity is established on a firm basis 
 that of his own well-tested merit. He 
 makes his home at No. 708 Illinois street, 
 Urbana. 
 
 Mr. Nicolet was born in Champaign, 
 November 14, 1870, and is a son of H. L. 
 and Anna (Stout) Nicolet. In early man- 
 hood the father was engaged in newspaper 
 work, and on his removal from Maryland to 
 St. Louis, was connected with the paper 
 there until his removal to Canton, Illinois, 
 where he was also in the newspaper, busi- 
 ness. In 1868 he came to Champaign, 
 where he was proprietor of The Union until 
 disabled by a stroke of paralysis, when he 
 retired from journalis-m and never resumed 
 .it again. Later he took an active part in 
 public affairs, serving as justice of the peace 
 for a number of years, and city clerk for 
 several years. He died in Champaign, but 
 his wife is still living and continues to make 
 her home in Champaign. 
 
 Our subject is the youngest in their fam- 
 ily of seven children who lived to maturity, 
 the others being Anna, now the widow of Al- 
 len Allsbrook, and a resident of Chicago; 
 Charles H., a mechanical and civil engineer 
 for the Madison & Hagler zinc works at La- 
 Salle, Illinois, one of the largest in the world ; 
 William H., bookkeeper in the American 
 Trust & Savings' bank of Chicago; Emma 
 M., who lives with her mother: Harry L., 
 commercial and financial editor of the Kan- 
 sas City Star; and Arthur]., who is in busi- 
 ness in Chicago. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of J. G. Nicolet 
 were spent in the city of his birth, where his 
 
 business interests still remain, though since 
 his marriage he has resided in Urbana. 
 He was liberally educated in the city schools, 
 and at the age of nineteen accepted a posi- 
 tion with the American Express company, 
 which he filled for one year. He then en- 
 tered the employ of the E. H. Sperry Cycle 
 company of Champaign, remaining with 
 them a year, and in 1893 established a bi- 
 cycle business of his own at No. 3 South 
 Neil street, which he carried on for a year. 
 Subsequently he was connected with the 
 Riley Cycle company, and since leaving 
 their employ has been engaged in his pres- 
 ent business at different places in the city, 
 removing to his present location in Febru- 
 ary, 1898. He possesses a thorough and prac- 
 tical knowledge of every detail of the bicycle 
 business, is well equipped (or doing in a most 
 workmanship manner all kinds of repairing, 
 from luendinga puncture to building an en- 
 tire wheel, He also makes a specialty of 
 of all kinds of fine repair work on guns, 
 typewriters and delicate machinery of all 
 kinds, and keeps on sale the leading makes 
 of wheels. By energy, skill and determined 
 application, he has established through his 
 own efforts a successful and prosperous 
 business which is constantly increasing. 
 
 On the 23d of February, 1898, in New 
 Orleans, Mr. Nicolet was united in marriage 
 with Miss Lulu Burt, and to them has been 
 born one child, Clara. Socially Mr. Nico- 
 let is a member of the Knights of Maccabees 
 and the Royal Circle, and politically is a 
 Republican, taking an active part in public 
 affairs, and serving on different central com- 
 mittees. 
 
 WILLIAM FACKLER is one of the most 
 progressive agriculturists of Tolono 
 township, his property being kept under fine 
 
WILLIAM FACKLER AND WIFE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 417 
 
 cultivation, and substantial improvements 
 being added by him from time to time. 
 Financially, he has made a success, and 
 within a few years has advanced to a position 
 of affluence by the exercise of the natural 
 business talents with which he is endowed. 
 
 He is a native of Richland county, Ohio, 
 his birth having occurred December 29, 
 1843. His parents, John and Elizabeth 
 (Crall) Fackler, were natives of Lancaster 
 county, Pennsylvania. The father went to 
 the Buckeye state in early manhood, and 
 there successfully operated a farm until 
 1864, when he sold out, and removed to 
 Champaign county, Illinois. Purchasing 
 some land (that now in the possession of his 
 son, Sylvanus) he improved it, erecting build- 
 ings and fences, setting out shade trees and 
 an orchard, and making other material im- 
 provements. The thrifty, systematic man- 
 ner in which he conducted all of his trans- 
 actions was inculcated in his sons, all of 
 whom became well-to-do business men. 
 John Fackler departed this life in 1894, and 
 his wife survived him only three years. Two 
 of their nine children died in infancy. 
 Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Samuel 
 Lavenspire, of Ohio; Matthias is a well 
 known farmer of the same state; John is a 
 farmer of Crittenden township, Champaign 
 county; Henry owns a large farm in Mis- 
 souri; and Sylvanus, as previously men- 
 tioned, carries on the old homestead in 
 Tolono township. Albert, the youngest, a 
 resident of Tolono, is a teamster and dray- 
 man. 
 
 In the common schoolsof Ohio, William 
 Fackler obtained a liberal education, and 
 under his father's tutelage he learned agri- 
 culture, in its various details. When the 
 Civil war came on, he enlisted in the Twen- 
 tieth Ohio Infantry, serving for one year as 
 22 
 
 a member of Company F, and taking part 
 in the battles of Thompson's Hill, Fort Gib- 
 son, Black River, and the siege of Vicks- 
 burg. He was so fortunate as to escape all 
 injury in these engagements, though he was 
 often placed in the thickest of the fight. 
 After he had received an honorable dis- 
 charge he returned home and worked for 
 his father for some time. In 1870 he pur- 
 chased eighty acres of wild land in Tolono 
 township, and assiduously set about the im- 
 provement of the place. He did consider- 
 able ditching and tiling, erected a conven- 
 ient house and barns, and later bought ad- 
 ditional land, until he now owns three hun- 
 dred and forty acres of valuable land, situ- 
 ated on sections 4 and 34. Neatness and 
 thrift are among Mr. Fackler's characteris- 
 tics, and he has just cause for pride in the 
 model homestead which he controls. 
 
 In 1870 the marriage of Mr. Fackler 
 and Minerva Rush was solemnized. She 
 was born in Pennsylvania and came to Illi- 
 nois when young, her father later becoming 
 a prosperous farmer of Crittenden township. 
 George, the eldest child of our subject and 
 wife, is renting land in Colfax township, and, 
 as he is unmarried, his sister Annie, widow 
 of George Barnhart, keeps house for him. 
 Alexander married Miss Erne Clark, of Sa- 
 dorus, and is farming in Colfax township. 
 The younger children, Edward, Lizzie, 
 Harry, Charles, Alonzo, Walter and Myrtle, 
 are at home with their parents, who have 
 lost one child, Daniel, who died in infancy. 
 
 The Fackler family is identified with the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. Our subject 
 is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, belonging to Tolono Camp, and he 
 also is an honored member of the Tolono 
 post of the Grand Army. In his political 
 faith, he is a Democrat. 
 
418 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 RR. BUSEY. The natural advantages 
 of this section attracted at an early day 
 a superior class of settles, thrifty, industrious, 
 progressive and law-abiding, whose influence 
 has given permanent direction tothe develop- 
 ment of the locality. Among the worthy 
 pioneers of Champaign county the Busey 
 family hold a very prominent place. They 
 were the second family to locate within its 
 borders, the first being that of G. W. B. 
 Sadorus, of whom mention is made else- 
 where in this volume. 
 
 R. R. Busey, who is now living a retired 
 life in the village of Sidney, was born in 
 Shelby county, Kentucky, April 29, 1825, 
 and is the sixth child and oldest son living in 
 the family of Matthew and Sarah (Fibel) 
 Busey, both natives of Germany. With 
 their respective families they came to 
 America, the Buseys making a settlement in 
 Virginia, the Fibels in Maryland, but after a 
 short residence there both families removed 
 to Kentucky, where the parents of our sub- 
 ject were married. The father was engaged 
 in farming in that state until 1829, when 
 with his family he emigrated to Illinois, 
 locating near what was known as Big Grove, 
 which then formed a part of Vermilion 
 county, but is now in Champaign county. 
 There he pre-empted land and when it came 
 into market purchased seventeen hundred 
 and sixty acres of unbroken prairie land. 
 Indians still inhabited this region, wild game 
 of all kinds abounded, wolves and deer were 
 seen in large numbers, and the nearest 
 market was Chicago. In those early days 
 the Busey family lived principally by 
 hunting, raising only what produce was 
 necessary to supply their own needs, though 
 about once a year they would taken a wagon 
 load of produce to Chicago, where it was 
 exchanged for the necessities of life, the 
 
 trip consuming several days. Urbana was 
 built later upon ground donated by an uncle 
 of our subject as a town site. As the coun- 
 try became more thickly settled they farmed 
 more extensively, and the father of our sub- 
 ject became quite a successful man. In his 
 political views he was a Democrat. He 
 died on March 21, 1864, at the age of eighty- 
 five years, and the mother departed this life 
 May 13, 1887, at the advanced of ninety-six 
 years. They had eleven children, who 
 reached years of maturity, namely: Nancy, 
 Fountain J. and Mary, all now deceased; 
 Jane, widow of John Phillipe, and a resident 
 of near Mahomet, this county; Elizabeth, 
 widow of Elijah Weaver and a resident of 
 Fairmount, Vermilion county; R. R. , our 
 subject; John, deceased; Matthew, an in- 
 valid, of Urbana; Isaac, a prosperous farmer 
 of Missouri; Sarah, deceased; and Melissa, 
 wife of William Peck, of Ohio. 
 
 The subject of this sketch acquired 
 rather a limited education in the primitive 
 public schools of this region which existed 
 during his boyhood. The school house was 
 built of rough logs and the seats were slab 
 benches. He attended school here only a 
 short time during his early years, the re- 
 mainder of his time being devoted to the 
 improvement of the home farm. He re- 
 mained under the parental roof until nine- 
 teen years of age, when he went to live with 
 a sister who had lost her husband, and made 
 his home with her for four years, looking 
 after her interests. The following year he 
 worked as a farm hand, and then purchased 
 a tract of land in Somer township, which 
 together with some given him by his father 
 made him a comfortable farm. He im- 
 proved the rough, unbroken prairie, erected 
 good buildings thereon, and made other 
 necessary improvements. He finally dis- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 419 
 
 possd of this farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres located north of Urbana. and pur- 
 chased three hundred acres in Sidney town- 
 ship, to the improvement and cultivation of 
 which he at once turned his attention. He 
 tiled the land, set out trees, built fences 
 and substantial buildings, and placed the 
 land under a high state of cultivation. Mr. 
 Busey continued to successfully engage in 
 general farming until 1896, when he lost his 
 home and its contents by fire. He then re- 
 moved to the village of Sidney, where his 
 son had previously erected a good modern 
 cottage and exchanged places with him, 
 the son taking charge of the farm and re- 
 building the old home which he now occu- 
 pies. 
 
 On the 1 3th of January, 1850, Mr. Busey 
 was united in marriage with Miss Susan 
 George, who was born in Pickaway county, 
 Ohio, January 5, 1829, a daughter of Joseph 
 V. and Nancy (Bradford) George, also na- 
 tives of that county. She is one of a 
 family of ten children, and the oldest of the 
 four now living, the others being Joseph B., 
 a resident of Gifford, Illinois; Daniel T. V., 
 a resident of Missouri; and Taylor, of 
 Champaign county, Illinois. Of the six 
 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Busey one 
 died in infancy. The others are still living, 
 namely: (i) Matthew C., a resident of 
 Somer township, this county, is married and 
 has four children, Etta, Estella, Adelbert 
 and Delilah. (2) Joseph V., an employe 
 in the Big Four car shops and resident of 
 Urbana, is married and has one child, Car- 
 rie. (3) Scott, who is in the coal and feed 
 business at Kansas City, Missouri, is mar- 
 ried and has one daughter, Mabel. (4) Till- 
 man is married and lives on a part of his 
 father's farm in Sidney township. (5) Ar- 
 thur L., who lives at the old homestead, is 
 
 married and has two children, Elsie and 
 George. 
 
 Mr. Busey casts his ballot with the Dem- 
 ocratic party, but has never been prevailed 
 upon to accept office, preferring to devote 
 his entire time and attention to his business 
 interests. He is an honest and industrious 
 man who merits and receives the respect 
 and esteem of all with whom he comes in 
 contact. His wife is an earnest member of 
 the Christian church, and he contributes 
 liberally to its support. As an honored pioneer 
 and worthy citizen he is certainly deserving 
 of prominent mention in the history of his 
 adopted county. 
 
 THOMAS O. DARRAH, who has been 
 actively associated with the upbuilding 
 of Champaign county ever since the close of 
 the Civil war, is well entitled to honorable 
 mention among the pioneers and represent- 
 ative citizens of this section. He is of 
 Scotch ancestry on his father's side, his 
 great-grandfather having removed from the 
 landof theheatherand thistle to Virginia at an 
 early day in the history of this country. 
 There his son James, grandfather of our 
 subject, was born in 1775 and married, and 
 another son, Van, served throughout the 
 war of the Revolution. James Darrah chose 
 Nancy Kent for a wife, born in 1780, and 
 together they went to Harrison county, 
 Ohio, and engaged in farming when that 
 locality was a wilderness. Later, he set- 
 tied in Pike county, Illinois, and there 
 passed his last years. Both himself and 
 wife, who were active in the work of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, were buried in 
 the cemetery at Hinman Chapel, where a 
 monument was erected to their memory. 
 The parents of Thomas O. were John 
 
42O 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and Elizabeth (Orr) Darrah. The father 
 was born in Harrison county, Ohio, in July, 
 1810, and the mother was a native of Penn- 
 sylvania, and eight years older than her 
 husband. She was a daughter of William 
 Orr, whose birth occurred in Ireland. For 
 many years John Darrah carried on a large 
 farm five miles north of Delaware, and also 
 managed a ferry on the river and kept a 
 hotel. About September, 1839. he removed 
 to Griggsville, Pike county, Illinois, and 
 after renting a farm for five years he bought 
 a quarter of section of wild land, three miles 
 north of New Salem. Later, he purchased 
 additional property until he owned four 
 hundred acres, and was known as one of the 
 well-to-do farmers of that vicinity. He was 
 very devout, and his home was open to all 
 of the ministers and brethren of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, particularly. In 1865 
 he sold his farms in Pike county and invested 
 in half a section of railroad land in Pesotum 
 township, paying thirty-seven and a half 
 dollars an acre. He mad.e many fine improve- 
 ments upon this homestead, and subsequent- 
 ly divided his estate, giving a liberal share 
 to each of his children. His wife died Sep- 
 tember 12, 1868, and on the 2Oth of March, 
 1886, he was summoned to his reward. He 
 was a class leader and steward in the church, 
 and held the office of justice of the psace 
 for four years. His seven children were: 
 James W., of Tolono; Dr. A. T. Darrah, 
 deceased; Lucinda is the wife of Joshua 
 Curtman, of Douglas county: Jane is the 
 fourth in order of birth; Matthew S. resides 
 in St. Louis and William H. lived in Sa- 
 dorus, Illinois, where he died October 26, 
 1894. 
 
 Thomas O. Darrah was born in Dela- 
 ware county, Ohio, March 12, 1839, and 
 was only six n:onths old when his parents 
 
 came to Illinois. He attended what was 
 known as the Teneriffe school, located at 
 one corner of his father's farm, during the 
 three or four months' winter term, and at 
 last engaged in teaching on his own account 
 for a couple of winters. He came to Cham- 
 paign county in 1865, and after his marriage 
 settled upon an eighty-acre tract which his 
 father gave him. Later, he bought twenty- 
 five acres more of the old homestead and 
 erected a substantial house, and, after pay- 
 ing for all this and other needed improve- 
 ments, he bought eighty acres of his brother. 
 By judicious tiling and ditching, he suc- 
 ceeded in rendering every yard of his prop- 
 erty suitable for cultivation, whereas about 
 one-third of it had formerly been under 
 water at least a portion of the year. Dur- 
 ing his residence there he rarely was out of 
 office, for he was alive' to his duty as a citi- 
 zen, and yielded to the earnest wishes of 
 his neighbors when they solicited him to ac- 
 cept positions of responsibility. For twelve 
 years he was road commissioner; for a long 
 period served as school trustee, and for five- 
 years was supervisor. His influence ever was 
 felt upon the side of progress, and in the 
 discharge of his duties he gave perfect sat- 
 isfaction to all concerned. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Darrah and Arclis- 
 sa Nelson took place December i, 1870. 
 Her father, Benham C. Nelson, was born 
 born June 10, 1815, in Pendleton county, 
 Virginia, and with his parents, Benjamin, 
 born 1781, and Delphina Nelson, located in 
 Ironton, Ohio, and subsequently removed 
 to Anderson, Indiana. There Mr. Nelson 
 died, but his wife, Delphina, who was born 
 September 15, 1792, died at the home of 
 her son, John Nelson, December 12, 1877. 
 B^nham C. Nelson married Lydia Smith, 
 August 10, 1837. She was born in Gallia. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 42 i 
 
 county, Ohio, July 24, 1818. a daughter of 
 John and Eve Smith. John Smith was 
 born in 1/90. The former died, when in 
 his seventy-ninth year, in Perry township, 
 July 5, 1869, and the latter, born in 1790, 
 died May 20, 1863, in her seventy-third 
 year, had been a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church for thirty-nine years. Mr. 
 Nelson settled in Douglas county, Illinois, in 
 1856, and at the time of his death he owned 
 a splendidly improved farm of four hundred 
 acres in Tuscola township, and another 
 place of two hundred and forty acres. Nel- 
 son's Chapel, well known in that section, is 
 situated on his homestead, and no one in 
 that neighborhood was more zealous in the 
 work of his denomination. He was sum- 
 moned to his reward April 14, 1878, and 
 was long survived Ly his widow, who 
 passed away June 23, 1894, loved and vene- 
 rated by all who knew her. Their son 
 Henry died in this county, September 9, 
 1874. Winfield Scott, another son, born 
 July 28, 1849, now resides in Kansas City, 
 as does Cassius, whose birth occurred Jan- 
 uary 1 8, 1860. Philena, born October 2, 
 1851, is the wife of P. J. Gates, and lives' 
 upon the old family homestead of H. R. 
 Nelson; and Familiar, born June 5, 1857, is 
 the wife of Howard Gates, of Champaign. 
 Mrs. Darrah was born in Lawrence county, 
 Ohio, January 30, 1847. The children of 
 our subject and wife are two in number, 
 Mcrtie M.. born May 4, 1872, and Sylvia 
 M.. April 8, 1878. The former is the wife 
 of Grant Crawford, a prominent business 
 man of Pesotum. They were married Janu- 
 ary 7, 1892, and have two children, Hazel 
 and Mabel. S. M. Darrah, who received 
 an excellent education, completing his stud- 
 ies in the Champaign schools, is a partner 
 of his sister's husband, Mr. Crawford. 
 
 On the 9th of January, 1894, Mr. Dar- 
 rah removed to Champaign, and now is 
 practically retired. He owns a fine place 
 of two acres at No. 613 South Randolph 
 street, and has a comfortable, modern resi- 
 dence. On coming here, he identified him- 
 self with the First Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and is a class-leader; and at this 
 time all his family belong to the church. 
 In former years he was never free from offi- 
 cial responsibility in the church, but he now 
 desires to leave this to the younger and 
 more vigorous members. He served faith- 
 fully as Sunday school superintendent, class 
 leader and steward, at the same time liber- 
 ally contributing to the financial needs of 
 his home church and the general work of 
 the denomination. His record is that of an 
 upright, honorable man, just and conscien- 
 tious in all his dealings with his fellowmen." 
 
 /CHARLES G. DE LONG, a well-to-do 
 \^ farmer and highly esteemed citizen of 
 Sidney township, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, residing'on section 30, where he owns 
 two hundred acres of valuable land, was 
 born on the shores of Lake Ontario, in Os- 
 wego, New York, July 28, 1832, and is a 
 son of George and Amelia (Farrington) De 
 Long, the former a native of Duchess 
 county, the latter of Herkimer county, New 
 York. In early life the father first engaged 
 in the fur business, and later was in the 
 wholesale grocery business in Oswego, New 
 York, until 1838, when he removed to 
 Kenosha county, Wisconsin, and turneJ his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits. He owned 
 and successfully operated a farm in that 
 county for many years, but finally sold out 
 and came to Illinois in 1888. After livin 
 
422 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 one year in Phijo, he moved to the farm of 
 our subject in Sidney township, and erected 
 thereon a cottage, making it his home until 
 called to his final rest December 31, 1893. 
 He was a prosperous man who was highly 
 respected by all who knew him. His esti- 
 mable wife died in Wisconsin, 1882. To 
 this worthy couple were born five children, 
 of whom one died in infancy. The others 
 are Charles G. , our subject; Matilda, a 
 resident of Sidney township, this county; 
 Horace T. , who is now living retired in 
 Racine, Wisconsin; and James H., who 
 served for two years in the Wisconsin 
 cavalry during the Civil war, and is now liv- 
 ing at the Soldiers' Home in Milwaukee. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared on 
 a farm near Kenosha, Wisconsin, and be- 
 gan his education in the district schools of 
 the neighborhood, though he completed his 
 education by a course in the high school at 
 Racine. Until twenty-seven years of age 
 he remained at home assisting his father in 
 the farm work. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. DeLong was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Edna Moore, who was born 
 in Massachusetts, in 1840, and they became 
 the parents of eight children, all living with 
 the exception of Clarence M., who died at 
 their home in 1895. The others are as fol- 
 lows: (i) George A., who for sixteen years 
 has been very successfully engaged in the 
 grain and agricultural implement business 
 in Foosland, Champaign county, married 
 Lillie Townsend and has six children living, 
 Alton, Stanley, Mary, Charles, Willard. and 
 Glenn; and Oral, deceased. (2) Charles 
 B., who has been engaged in the same 
 business at Fithian, Vermilion county, Illi- 
 nois, for the past twelve years, married 
 Minnie Berkenbusch, and has two children, 
 Ruth and Clarence. (3) Effie is at home 
 
 with her parents. (4) Minnie is the wife of 
 Eugene Burr, of Philo township. (5) Clin- 
 ton, a well-to-do farmer who owns and suc- 
 cessfully operates one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land in Colorado, is married and 
 has had three children, Hazel, deceased, 
 Oliver and Edna. (6) William H., a dealer 
 in wagons, buggies and agricultural imple- 
 ments, also a grain buyer, of Sadorus, Illi- 
 nois, married Lydia Lavenhagen and has 
 one daughter, Edna. (7) Edwin is also a 
 resident of Sadorus, where he is engaged in 
 the banking business'and associated with his 
 brother in the grain business. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. De Long located 
 on a farm which he owned in Kenosha 
 county, Wisconsin, and continued its opera- 
 tion until 1861, when he sold his property 
 there and came to Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, locating on rented land near Philo, 
 where he made his home for two years. In 
 1863 he purchased eighty acres of land in 
 Sidney township of the Illinois Central 
 Railroad Company on seven years time, and 
 at once began to improve and cultivate the 
 same. As a general farmer he met with 
 most excellent success, and added to his 
 farm from time to time until he now has two 
 hundred acres of highly cultivated and well 
 improved land in Sidney township, besides 
 one hundred and sixty acres of improved 
 land in Otero county, Colorado, near Rocky 
 Ford. He always enjoyed good health en- 
 til 1892, since which time he has suffered 
 with rheumatism and has been forced to re- 
 tire from active labor. He now superin- 
 tends all of his land, but oversees its oper- 
 ation and keeps everything in good repair. 
 He has made all of the improvements upon 
 the home farm, has laid over two thousand 
 rods of tiling, has planted orchards and 
 also groves of shade trees, has erected good 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 423 
 
 and substantial buildings, and has made 
 many other improvements which add greatly 
 to the value and attractive appearance of 
 the place. He is a thorough and systematic 
 farmer of good business and executive abil- 
 ity, and the success that has crowned his 
 efforts is well merited. Mr. De Long has 
 always been a stanch supporter of the Re- 
 publican party and its principles, but has 
 never been an aspirant for office. Both he 
 and his wife hold. membership in the Pres- 
 byterian church of Philo, and are liberal 
 supporters of the same. 
 
 CHARLES N. WRISK, deceased, was 
 \-J one of the most enterprising farmers 
 and largest land owners in Sidney township, 
 as well as one of its most highly esteemed 
 and honored citizens. He was born in Rip- 
 ley county, Indiana, in June, 1833. When 
 fourteen years of age, he went to Jackson- 
 ville, Illinois, where he had a cousin living 
 and there he found employment with a car- 
 penter, and worked at the trade for two 
 years, attending school whenever he had the 
 opportunity, this being the first chance he 
 had of getting an education. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Wrisk went to Coles coun- 
 ty, Illinois, where he found employment 
 with a force engaged in building a new rail- 
 road through that section. With the money 
 he had saved in Jacksonville, he purchased 
 a team and wagon, and during the winter 
 hauled ties for the construction gang. He 
 also worked at the carpenter's trade when 
 the opportunity presented itself, and he 
 rented a small farm which he hired a man 
 to cultivate. He was always willing to un- 
 dertake any kind of work by which he could 
 make an honest living, and by good man- 
 
 agement succeeded in saving a little money, 
 with which he stocked his farm. He after- 
 ward purchased land in Sidney township, 
 this county, though he continued to remain 
 in Coles county doing anything which he 
 found profitable until his marriage. 
 
 Mr. Wrisk was married, in 1860, to 
 Miss Mary J. Ashley, a daughter of William 
 and Sarah A. (Beever) Ashley, old settlers 
 of Coles county, where their ten children 
 were born and reared. Four of this number 
 are still living. ( i ) Mary J. , now Mrs. Wrisk 
 was born near Charleston, Illinois, in 1843, 
 when the country round about was nearly 
 all wild prairie and the schools were very 
 few and widely scattered. She therefore 
 had little opportunity to attend school, and 
 her education was mostly received at home. 
 (2) Maria is the wife of Frederick Myers, a 
 farmer living near Charleston. (3) John 
 was a soldier of the Civil war when very 
 young, and after his discharge was unable 
 to do manual labor on account of ill health. 
 He is now an inmate of the Soldiers' Home 
 at Danville, Illinois. (4) Frank is a repre- 
 sentative farmer of Missouri. Mrs. Wrisk's 
 father died at his home in Coles county in 
 1897, her mother in 1898. They were 
 prosperous and highly respected people of 
 that county. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Wrisk were born two 
 children. Flora, the older, married William 
 Swearingen, of Sidney, by whom she had 
 two children: Daisy L., who is now attend- 
 ing school in Marion, Indiana, and is taking 
 a special course in elocution; and Guy, who 
 is attending school in Sidney. Both reside 
 with their grandmother, Mrs. Wrisk. For 
 her second husband Flora married Eugene 
 Goldsmith, who is in the employ of an ex- 
 press company in Chicago, where they 
 reside, and by that union she has three 
 
424 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 children: Edith, Lillian and Violet. John 
 F. , the only son of our subject, lives in 
 Sidney and manages the farms belonging to 
 his mother. He is also a land owner in Sid- 
 ney township, and is one of the representative 
 and prominent young men of the community. 
 He married Katie Morrison, a native of 
 Arkansas, and they have two children, 
 Morris Verne and Daisy P. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Wrisk operated 
 his farm in Coles county for two years, and 
 then sold his property and came to Cham- 
 paign county, having contracted for forty 
 acres of land in Sidney township on seven 
 years' time. He broke his land and planted 
 it in wheat. He marketed his crop the next 
 year and with the proceeds finished paying 
 for his land, receiving a discount. In this 
 way he began a successful career in Cham- 
 paign county. For four years he made his 
 home in the village of Sidney before purchas- 
 ing the farm, and worked at his trade of a 
 carpenter. At the end of that time he built 
 a small house upon his land and otherwise 
 improved the place. He added to it from 
 time to time by the purchase of forty and 
 eighty acre tracts until in 1897 he owned 
 nine hundred and seventy acres of well im- 
 proved and valuable land. He did not 
 actively engage in farm work himself, but 
 rented the land or hired men to operate it 
 for him, while he superintended the work 
 and kept up the repairs in buildings, fences, 
 etc. He had the land thoroughly tiled and 
 placed under a high state of cultivation. 
 He added to his possessions by judicious 
 investments, and became one of the most 
 successful men of the township. In 1885 
 he bought the home in Sidney now occupied 
 by his widow, paying for the same fifteen 
 hundred dollars. He always made a 
 specialty of the raising and shipping of hogs 
 
 and is said to have marketed more .than any 
 other man in the township. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Wrisk suffered a stroke of 
 paralysis, which necessitated his giving up 
 all work, and though not confined to his 
 bed was unable to go about. His faithful 
 wife attended to his every want, and took 
 all the care of him until his death, which 
 occurred September 18, 1898, at his home 
 in Sidney. He was very much attached to 
 his home and family, their every wish be- 
 ing gratified if it was wjthin his power. His 
 record was that of a man who by his own 
 unaided efforts worked his way upward to a 
 position of affluence. His life was one of 
 industry and perseverance, and the syste- 
 matic and honorable business methods he 
 followed gained him the confidence and 
 goodwill of the entire community in which 
 he lived. Since her husband's death Mrs. 
 Wrisk has added many improvements to the 
 property left by him, and has carried out 
 his wishes as far as it has been within her 
 power to do so. She is a woman of good 
 business and executive ability, and ever 
 proved a fathful helpmeet to her husband. 
 She is a member of the Presbyterian church 
 and is held in high regard by all who know 
 her. Although Mr. Wrisk was not a mem- 
 ber of any religious denomination, he gave 
 liberally to the support of church work, and 
 took an active interest in educational 
 affairs. 
 
 PATRICK McCOY, a retired agricult- 
 1 urist of Thomasboro, Illinois, is an 
 honored representative of the early settlers 
 of this county, and a true type of the ener- 
 getic, hardy men who have actively assisted 
 in the development and improvement of 
 this beautiful and fertile agricultural coun- 
 
PATRICK McCOY. 
 

THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 427 
 
 try. He is a native of County Derry, Ire- 
 land, and a son of John and Nancy McCoy. 
 He had one brother, Thomas, who also died 
 in Ireland. 
 
 It was the 6th of December, 1850, that 
 Patrick McCoy landed in the new world. 
 He remained in New York city and state 
 until 1852, when he came west to Kokomo, 
 Indiana. In 1859 he came to Champaign 
 county, and in 1864 he took up his residence 
 on section 10, Somers township, where he 
 followed farming with marked success until 
 May 4, 1897, when he laid aside active 
 labor and moved to the village of Thomas- 
 boro, Rantoul township, where he has since 
 lived a quiet and retired life. He married 
 Miss Margaret Quinn, also a native of Ire- 
 land, and before leaving that country a son, 
 John, was born to them. John married 
 Elizabeth Somers, of Somers township, and 
 to them were born eight children, six of 
 whom are still living. They reside on the 
 old home on section 10, Somers township. 
 
 Although Mr. McCoy met with some 
 obstacles in the path to success, he steadily 
 prospered, and to-day is the owner of a val- 
 uable farm of four hundred acres under a 
 high state of cultivation. Some years ago 
 he became involved in a long and trying 
 litigation, and through no fault of his own 
 lost a large part of his hard earned proper- 
 ty. Notwithstanding this misfortune, he 
 has by his untiring industry and upright 
 dealings succeeded in accumulating a hand- 
 some competence, and now in his declining 
 years is surrounded by all the comforts 
 which make life worth the living. Alth6ugh 
 now about eighty years of age he still en- 
 joys good health and is quite active for one 
 of his years. 
 
 Mr. McCoy is a devout and active mem- 
 ber of the Catholic church, to which he 
 
 has ever been a liberal contributor, having 
 subscribed largely to the building fund of 
 two churches, and presented a bell to 
 the church in Champaign and one to the 
 church in Thomasboro, each costing five 
 hundred dollars. He has recently pur- 
 chased a monument for his burial lot in the 
 Catholic cemetery at Champaign, the cost 
 of which was one thousand dollars. He is 
 charitable and benevolent, and has been 
 especially generous to the children of his 
 deceased brother, and lately sent a present 
 of five hundred dollars to his niece. By 
 his ballot he supports the men and measures 
 of the Republican party, and for some years 
 held the office of highway commissioner in 
 Somers township. He has always led a 
 straightforward, honorable and upright life; 
 has been looked upon as one of the fore- 
 most men in the community where he re- 
 sides, and has the respect and confidence of 
 all with whom he has come in contact, 
 making many friends and no enemies. 
 
 JAMES W. CRAW, one of the most 
 prominent and successful farmers and 
 stock buyers of Colfax township, residing 
 on section 26, was born in Greene county, 
 Illinois, November 23, 1864, and is a son of 
 Charles W. and Lucy (Rieves) Craw, the 
 former a native of Franklin county, Ver- 
 mont, the latter of Greene county, Illinois. 
 His paternal grandparents were Allen and 
 Lucy (Griswold) Craw, also natives of 
 the Green Mountain State, born in 1798 
 and 1800, respectively. After farming in 
 Vermont for several years, the grandfather, 
 in 1837, removed with his family to Greene 
 county, Illinois, where he began a success- 
 ful career as an agriculturist, acquiring four 
 
428 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 hundred acres of land which he fully im- 
 proved. After a residence there of twenty- 
 eight years, he sold .his property and, in 
 1865, came to Champaign county, where he 
 again invested in prairie land, and after 
 overcoming many obstacles he made of the 
 place a fine farm. As a farmer and stock 
 raiser he met with most excellent success, 
 and gave to each of his three sons a farm. 
 His last years were spent in retire- 
 ment from active labor in Sadorus, where 
 he purchased a home and lived quietly until 
 called to his final rest in 1887, at the age 
 of eighty-nine years. His wife died in 1889, 
 at the same age. This worthy couple were 
 honored pioneers of Illinois, and with char- 
 acteristic Yankee pluck and courage, they 
 overcome all the obstacles in that path to 
 success, and were able to give their children 
 a good start in life. Only two of their family 
 are now living, Samuel, of Colfax township, 
 and Jane, a resident of Sadorus. In order of 
 birth the children were George B., who was 
 twice married, and by the first wife had one 
 daughter, Mrs. Lochrie, of Missouri, and 
 by the second two daughters, Mrs. William 
 Odell, of Colfax township, and Edith, of 
 Sardorus; Lucinda, who died leaving one 
 daughter, now a resident of Independence, 
 Missouri; Polly, who died at the age of 
 eleven years; Charles W., father of our sub- 
 ject; Jane and Samuel, previously men- 
 tioned; and Edmund, who was born in this 
 state, and was the first buried in the family 
 cemetery in Colfax township. 
 
 Reared on the home farm. Charles W. 
 Craw acquired in his youth the knowledge 
 which in later years made him one of the 
 successful farmers of Greene and Cham- 
 paign counties. He owned a valuable and 
 highly improved farm of three hundred and 
 fifty acres in Colfax township, which he 
 
 operated for many years, at the same time 
 giving special attention to stock raising. 
 He also owned and conducted a general 
 store in Sardorus, and continued to actively 
 engage in business until a short time before 
 his death. After a successful career as a 
 merchant and farmer, he passed away in 
 1889, honored and respected by all who 
 knew him. His estimable wife still survives 
 him, and makes her home in Sadorus. To 
 them were born nine children, of whom the 
 eldest died when young, in Greene county, 
 Illinois; Fanny is the wife of D. W. Smith, 
 of Sadorus; Nellie is the wife of Fred Geiser, 
 a soldier in the regular army, now stationed 
 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Sylvester, a 
 hardware merchant of Cerro Gordo, Illinois, 
 is married and has two children, Lloyd and 
 Mary F. ; James W., our subject, is next in 
 order of birth; Elmer a farmer of Colfax 
 township, is married and has one son, 
 Charles; Lida is living with her mother in 
 Sadorus; William, also at home, conducts 
 a restaurant in that town; and John W. is 
 married, and is a barber of Sadorus, a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Sparks & Craw. 
 
 James W. Craw, whose name introduces 
 this sketch, attended the common schools 
 of Colfax township until seventeen years of 
 age, and then entered the high school at 
 Champaign, where he pursued a two-years' 
 course. Returning home at the end of that 
 time, he took charge of the farm for his 
 father, and successfully carried it on until 
 the latter's death. In 1890 he was united 
 in marriage with Miss Nettie Cook, who was 
 born near Litchfield, Illinois, in 1866, a 
 a daughter of William Cook, whose sketch 
 will be found on another page of this vol- 
 ume. One daughter blesses this union, 
 Hazel G., born April 8, 1892. 
 
 Mr. Craw has continued to reside on the 
 
HE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 429 
 
 old homestead, and in its operation has met 
 with marked success. During the winter 
 months, for the past seven years, he has 
 engaged in buying stock of all kinds for 
 shipment to the Chicago- market, and in 
 this undertaking has also prospered. In 
 politics he is an ardent Republican; has 
 been a member of the township central com- 
 mittee ten years; and is now a member of 
 the county central committee, He has been 
 a delegate to nearly all the local conven- 
 tions of his party, and one year was a dele- 
 gate to the state convention. In 1892 and 
 1893 he was supervisor of his township, be- 
 in at that v "o the youngest member of the 
 board. He also served as assessor two 
 years; has been school director six years, 
 and has been elected for a third term. He 
 has been clerk -of the school board, and is 
 now pathmaster of his district. He is quite 
 a prominent and active worker for his 
 party's interests, and though living in a 
 Democratic township, he has been honored 
 by his fellow citizens with several official 
 positions, the duties of .which he has most 
 faithfully and satisfactorily discharged. His 
 wife is a member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church, and he is a liberal supporter of 
 the same. 
 
 HENRY TROWBRIDGE JONES, in- 
 structor in the forge shop and engine- 
 ering department of the University of Illf- 
 nois, at Champaign, is a man whose skill 
 in mechanical lines and sound judgment 
 have been important factors in his success. 
 Throughout his career of continued and 
 far-reaching usefulness his duties have been 
 performed with the greatest care, and busi- 
 ness interests have been so managed as to 
 win him the confidence of the public and 
 
 the prosperity which should always attend 
 honorable effort. 
 
 Mr. Jones was born in Repton, Derby- 
 shire, England, March 5, 1838. His father, 
 John Jones, was born in Leicestershire, in 
 1805, near the site of the historical "Bos- 
 worth field" and the estate of Lord Byron. 
 His ancestors were members of the British 
 army, and his nephews participated with 
 credit in the Crimean war. On account of 
 his parents dying young, John Jones was 
 reared by his father's sister and her husband, 
 Peter Bamford, of Repton, England, who 
 were active dissenters from the Church of 
 England, building and donating to the new 
 sect the chapel and parsonage of their na- 
 tive town and supporting the same during 
 their lifetime. Their nephew, John Jones, 
 shared his relatives religious belief and be- 
 came a stanch Congregationalist, filling the 
 office of deacon in the same church until 
 his removal to America with his family in 
 August, 1856. He succeeded to the busi- 
 ness of his uncle that of general black- 
 smithing and dealing in hardware, employ- 
 ing in the former enterprise several journey- 
 men and apprentices, so called. He was 
 married in 1836 to Miss Elizabeth Johnson, 
 who died in 1848, leaving four children, 
 namely: Sarah, who married A. Millett, of 
 Springdale, Iowa, and died in 1879; Henry, 
 the subject of this sketch, Fannie, wife of 
 S. Richards, of Omaha, Nebraska; and Liz- 
 zie, widow of C. Stamp, of Rankin, Illi- 
 nois. For his second wife the father mar- 
 ried Mrs. Ann Bourne, by whom he had two 
 children: John C., who died November 13, 
 1870; and Mary Ann, wife of J. Morrison, 
 living near Fayetteville, Arkansas. 
 
 Henry T. Jones, the only living son of 
 John Jones, and the subject of this article, 
 received his early education in the schools 
 
430 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of his native town. Having a taste for me- 
 chanics he entered his father's establishment 
 at about the age of fifteen years. He took 
 a lively interest in the trade and learned 
 rapidly under the tutorship of his father. 
 Later he went to London to complete his 
 technical training, and soon afterward se- 
 cured a position as chief engineer in a hydro- 
 pathic establishmeut at Sudbrook, a suburb 
 of London. That position he held until he 
 decided to try his fortune in a new world, 
 so emigrated with his parents to America in 
 August, 1856, locating first near Iowa City, 
 Iowa, among the Friends or Quakers, 
 through whose neighborh'ood ran the famous 
 underground railroad. There the Jones 
 family obtained their first idea of the evils 
 of slavery, and soon espoused the cause of 
 abolition. This sentiment was deepened by 
 the sojourn of the illustrious John Brown in 
 that vicinity during the winter of 1856-7. 
 The following winter several of Brown's 
 afterward famous "sixteen" also wintered 
 in that section, and during the time stirred 
 the country with their speeches against 
 slavery. Among these patriots was Richard 
 Realf, of England, an ex-attache of the 
 Byron household, afterward the brilliant 
 poet and journalist, having, like Lord Byron, 
 the same love of liberty in his soul. He 
 war a frequent guest at the Jones home, 
 where mutual reminiscences of the mother 
 country filled the hours. Old John Brown, 
 himself, taciturn and brave, often stopped 
 at the Jones shop, and a warm friendship 
 sprang up between the men. 
 
 In the fall of 1858 the'Jones family came 
 to Illinois having purchased a tract of land 
 in Vermilion county, near the present site of 
 Rankin, where they conducted business in 
 their line in connection with farming until 
 1859, when our subject launched out for 
 
 himself at Blue Grass, Illinois, a town near 
 -Rankin. Here while working at his trade, 
 Mr. Jones invented the double cultivator 
 which he never patented, but is credited with 
 the invention. In the fall of 1859 he won 
 first premium at the Vermilion County Fair 
 for making the best horseshoes, though he 
 was only twenty-one years of age at that 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Jones was married, September 10, 
 1861, to Miss Susan Belle Lionberger, who 
 was born in Luray, Virginia, December 21, 
 1844, and had come to Illinois about that 
 time, her family having political preference 
 for the north during those stormy days in 
 her native state. Her immediate relatives 
 were noted for their adherence to the Union 
 during the existence of the Confederacy, her 
 cousin, John Lionberger, a member of Con- 
 gress from Virginia, standing solidly by the 
 Union in opposition to his constituency, pre- 
 ferring deposition to sacrifice of principle. 
 His nephew, Isaac Lionberger, of St. Louis, 
 became assistant secretary of the interior 
 under President Cleveland. Mrs. Jones' 
 parents were David and Emily (Skidmore) 
 Lionberger, the former born in November. 
 1817, the latter June 27, 1824. Her father 
 died September 10, 1857, and in 1861 her 
 mother married William Chenoweth, of 
 Champaign, who died October 2, 1869. 
 She was again married, September 18, 1877, 
 her third husband being James Davis, who 
 died May 18, 1880. By her first union she 
 had six children as follows: Samuel, born 
 September 17, 1842, died 'in the service of 
 his country, September 25, 1862; Susan 
 Belle, wife of our subject, is next in order of 
 birth; Jennie S., born April 14, 1847, ' s tne 
 wife of T. E. Mullin, of Champaign; Vannie, 
 born March 5, 1849, is the wife of G. C. 
 Spencer, a tobacconist of St. Louis, Mis- < 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 souri; Calvin, born July 10. 1851, is a farmer 
 of Cumberland county, Illinois; and Clar- 
 ence, born March 13, 1856, is also a tobac- 
 conist of St. Louis. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Jones were born three 
 children: Emma T., born August 7, 1862, 
 is the wife of P. T. Spence, a conductor on 
 the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, living in 
 Zanesville, Ohio; John T., born March 16, 
 1865, died February 24, 1883; and Grace 
 T. , born November 29, 1869, is the wife of 
 A. L. Marion, money clerk at the city office 
 of the Adams Express Company in St. 
 Louis. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Jones purchased a farm near 
 Rankin, Illinois, upon which he located, and 
 in conjunction with farming he conducted a 
 general blacksmithing business and also 
 manufactured wagons, agricultural imple- 
 ments and farmers' supplies. In November, 
 1872, he removed his business to the town 
 of Rankin. retaining the farm and carrying 
 on the business until September. 1881, when 
 he sold the latter and moved his family to 
 Champaign. Here he was connected with 
 the Robinson & Burr machine shops until he 
 entered the University of Illinois in 1893 as 
 instructor in the forge shop and engineering 
 department of the institution. His work 
 consists of instruction in the characteristics 
 of iron and steel, their process of formation, 
 resistance of same as material, and the com- 
 mercial and industrial value of each in ap- 
 plied mechanics. He has ever taken a kindly 
 interest in instructing students, and has 
 most capably and satisfactorily filled his 
 present responsible position. 
 
 Politically Mr. Jones is a Republican. 
 He has been a deacon in the Baptist church 
 for over twenty years, and has always taken 
 a warm interest in the cause of Christianity 
 and reform. He was licensed to preach by 
 
 his home church in 1870, but has never 
 used the privilege to any great extent. His 
 life is exemplary in all respects and he has 
 ever supported those interests which are 
 calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, 
 while his own high moral worth is deserving 
 of the highest commendation. 
 
 JESSE H. CLARK, a leading citizen 
 and progressive agriculturist of Colfax 
 township, Champaign county, residing on 
 section 12, is a native of Illinois, his birth 
 occurring in Kendall county, in 1858. His 
 parents, William and Charlotte E. (Hall) 
 Clark, were both natives of Clinton county, 
 Pennsylvania, the former born in 1827, the 
 latter in 1832, and there the father success- 
 fully engaged in farming until 1856, when 
 he came to Illinois, which was then consid- 
 ered the far west. He purchased a farm in 
 Kendall county, which he fully improved 
 and operated for eighteen years. Success 
 attended his well-directed efforts, and on 
 selling that place he went to Virginia,, 
 where he purchased one hundred and fifty 
 acres of land covered with yellow pine tim- 
 ber, to the cutting of which he devoted his 
 energies for nine months, but at the end of 
 that time, having a chance to sell his land 
 at an advantage, he disposed of the same 
 and returned to Illinois in 1875, this time 
 locating in Colfax township. Champaign 
 county. Here he purchased the south half 
 of section 12, which at that time was only 
 partially improved, and paid for the same 
 twenty dollars per acre. Under his able 
 management the farm was soon placed un- 
 der a high state of cultivation and other- 
 wise improved by the erection of a good set 
 of farm buildings. He continued to en- 
 
432 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 gage in mixed farming until 1892, when he 
 turned over the management of the farm 
 to our subject, and purchased a home in 
 Decatur, where he now resides. To keep 
 in touch with his friends, he embarked in 
 the insurance business, which he has since 
 successfully carried on. He is enterprising 
 and energetic, and the prosperity that he 
 has achieved is certainly well-merited. As 
 a Republican, he has always taken quite an 
 active and prominent part in local politics, 
 but has never been a politician in the sense 
 of office seeking. On leaving the farm he 
 was serving as treasurer of the school 
 board of Colfax township, having always 
 taken a commendable interest in keeping 
 up good schools. His children are E. How- 
 ard, a native of Pennsylvania, and now a 
 successful farmer of Kansas, who is married 
 and has two children: Jesse H. , our sub- 
 ject; Minnie, at home with her parents in 
 Decatur; Emma, a bookkeeper for a firm 
 in the Marquette building, Chicago; and 
 and Nellie, bookkeeper for the Art Marble 
 Works of the same city. Both are talented 
 young ladies. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was educated 
 in the common schools of Kendall and Cham- 
 paign counties, and has spent his entire life 
 on the home farm engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits. After his marriage he rented a 
 part of the farm, and when his father moved 
 to Decatur he assumed control of the whole 
 place. He has made a specialty of the 
 raising of grain, and in his labors has met 
 with well-deserved success. Since taking 
 charge of the farm he has fully tiled the 
 land, and in 1899 laid eight car-loads of tile, 
 although hundreds of dollars had previously 
 been expended in draining the land. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Clark married Miss Mattie 
 Smith, who was born near New Philadel- 
 
 phia, Ohio, in 1868, a daughter of Thomas 
 C. and Sarah A. Smith. The father, who 
 was an Ohioan by birth, spent his last days 
 in Kansas, where his death occurred, but 
 the mother is still living at their home in 
 Claflin, that state. He was a farmer by oc- 
 cupation. Mrs. Clark is the second of their 
 four children, the others being Flavius G., 
 Ocie, wife of William Jones, and Dillie A., 
 wife of Ulysses Hardten. Our subject and 
 his wife had six children, of whom Bessie 
 died in infancy. Those living are Floyd 
 J., Everett H., Nora C., Elsie H. and Flor- 
 ence. 
 
 Politically Mr. Clark is identified with 
 the Republican party, and socially is con- 
 nected with the Modern Woodmen Camp of 
 Tolono. He is an active and influential 
 member of the Prairieview Presbyterian 
 church, of which he is an elder, while his 
 wife belongs to the same church. He is a 
 man highly respected and esteemed by all 
 who know him. 
 
 TAMES A. TALBOTT. The splendid 
 <J farm owned by this gentleman in Har- 
 wood township is a standing monument to 
 his industry, perseverance and good man- 
 agement. He comes under the category of 
 self-made men, as his success in life is due 
 entirely to his own well-directed efforts. 
 Throughout life he has devoted his time and 
 energies to agricultural pursuits, and now 
 makes his home on section 25, Harwood 
 township, Champaign county, Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Talbott was born in Tucker county, 
 West Virginia, October 16, 1844, and is a 
 son of Benjamin J. and Sarah (Parsons) 
 Talbott, also natives of that state. His 
 maternal grandfather was James Parsons, a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 433 
 
 wealthy farmer, slave holder and cattle 
 raiser of Tucker county, where he owned a 
 large amount of property. Our subject was 
 reared on the home farm and attended the 
 subscription schools of the district, remain- 
 ing at his birthplace until twenty years of 
 age. In 1865 he accompanied his parents 
 on their removal to Vermilion county, Illi- 
 nois, where the father died a year later. 
 The mother died in 1879, while visiting in 
 California. Our subject is the fourth in 
 order of birth in their family of nine chil- 
 dren, six of whom are still living, five sons 
 and one daughter: Abraham P. and John 
 W. are still engaged in farming in Vermilion 
 county; George T. follows the same pursuit 
 near Fort Scott, Kansas; David P. is a far- 
 mer of California; and Anjoreta is the wife 
 of George Hessler^a retired farmer of Dan- 
 ville, Vermilion county, Illinois, by whom 
 she has had four children: Laura, Ackerson, 
 Lloyd and Leonidas, deceased. 
 
 On locating in Vermilion county, James 
 A. Talbott purchased a small farm in Mid- 
 dlefork township, where he operated for 
 about five years. He was married, Febru- 
 ary ii, 1875, in Champaign county, to Miss 
 Ruth A. Lefever, a daughter of John and 
 Mary (Arbuckle) Lefever. Her father was 
 a prosperous farmer of this county, where 
 both parents died, and her death occurred 
 at the home of our subject in Harwood 
 township, October 30, 1889. By that union 
 were born four children; Charles B , born 
 in Harwood township, January 11, 1878, is 
 a farmer residing at home; Lucy A., born 
 August 23, 1879, is the wife of Emanuel 
 Rowe, a farmer of Harwood township, and 
 they have one child; Frank W. , born March 
 25, 1884, and Earl P., born July 25, 1887, 
 are both at home. Mr. Talbott was again 
 married, June 28, 1892, his second union 
 
 being with Mrs. Eliza J. (Lipes) Lefever, 
 who was born in Ohio, June 10, 1855. Her 
 first husband, Isaac Lefever, was a farmer 
 of Champaign county, where he died about 
 sixteen years ago, leaving her with two 
 children: Minnie A., born in this county, 
 October 2, 1879, is now the wife of Lewis 
 Smith, a farmer of Kerr township; and Ross 
 W., born January n, 1882, assists our 
 subject in the operation of his farm. By 
 his second marriage Mr. Talbott has no 
 children. 
 
 After his first marriage he moved to 
 Ford county, Illinois, where he was en- 
 gaged in farming for two years, and in 1877 
 came to Champaign county, purchasing a 
 small farm in Harwood township, which he 
 operated for five years. At the end of that 
 time he bought his present farm of six hun- 
 dred and forty acres, to the improvement 
 and cultivation of which he has since de- 
 voted his energies, transforming it into one 
 of the most desirable places of this section 
 of the county. Starting in life for himself 
 without means, he has by persistent industry, 
 good management and untiring energy be- 
 come one of the most prosperous and sub- 
 stantial citizens of the community. In his 
 political views he is a Democrat, and has 
 most efficiently served as a school director 
 for the past ten years. Religiously he is a 
 member of the Methodist church, and he is 
 held in the highest respect and esteem by 
 all who know him. 
 
 CHARLES H. BALDWIN, proprietor 
 V_> of a livery stable in Sadorus, is one 
 of the wide-awake, progressive young busi- 
 ness men of that section. He is a native of 
 Champaign county, born in Pesotum town- 
 
434 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ship, March 7, 1874, and is a son of Clar- 
 ence L. Baldwin, whose sketch appears on 
 another page of this volume. Our subject 
 received his education in the common 
 schools of Pesotum township, and remained 
 on the home farm until nineteen years of 
 age when he went to Chicago and entered the 
 Polytechnic school, where he pursued a 
 commercial course, graduating in 1894. 
 
 On his return home, Mr. Baldwin worked 
 on the farm for one year, and in 1897 pur- 
 chased an interest, with Jesse Bentley, in 
 the livery stable business at Sadorus. 
 After this partnership had existed about 
 eighteen months, Cyrus Craw bought Mr. 
 Bentley's interest, the firm becoming Bald- 
 win & Craw. In March, 1900, our subject 
 purchased Mr. Craw's interest and is now 
 carrying on the business alone with marked 
 success, receiving a liberal patronage. He 
 is enterprising, energetic and reliable, and 
 stands high in the esteem of his business 
 associates and fellow citizens. In politis 
 he is an ardent Republican. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin was married, in January, 
 1898, to Miss Grace Burns, a native of Indi- 
 ana, and a daughter of Aaron and Mary 
 Burns, now residents of Sadorus. By this 
 union has been born one child, Alta. 
 
 F^LI H. DICK, deceased, was for many 
 L-/ years one of the best known and most 
 extensive farmers and land owners of Cham- 
 paign county, his home being in the village 
 of Philo for the past eighteen years. He 
 was born on a farm in Baltimore county, 
 Maryland, August 15, 1822, and was a son 
 .of Adam and Temperance (Wadlow) Dick, 
 the former a native of Pennsylvania, the 
 latter of England. From Maryland the 
 
 family removed to Ohio, and later'to Mont- 
 gomery county, Indiana, where the parents 
 spent their last days. For a number of 
 years the father engaged in general farming, 
 and in that occupation was very successful. 
 He had four children, of whom two died 
 when young. The only one now living is 
 Elizabeth, widow of Levi Curtis. She re- 
 sides on the old homestead in Montgomery 
 county, Indiana. 
 
 Our subject, who completes* the family, 
 attended the common,.schools of his native 
 state, and was fifteen years of age when, 
 with his parents, he removed to Ohio, 
 where the following three years were passed > 
 a part of the time being devoted to his edu- 
 cation. The family then removed to Mont- 
 gomery county, Indiana, and he assisted his 
 father in the operation of the home farm 
 until twenty-six years 01 age. He was mar- 
 ried in Montgomery county, in 1847, to 
 Miss Jane P. Meharry, a daughter of 
 Thomas and Unity (Patton) Meharry, who 
 are mentioned more fully in the sketch of 
 William Meharry on another page in this 
 volume. Mrs. Dick was born in Fountain 
 county, Indiana, February 18, 1829. and 
 by her marriage became the mother of three 
 children: (i) Ellen married R. N. Cording, 
 of Montgomery county, Indiana, and died 
 leaving one son, Eli J., still a resident of 
 that county. (2) Jesse Newton, born in 
 Tippecanoe county, Indiana, December 7, 
 1857, received a common-school education 
 and remained at home until his marriage, 
 which was celebrated April 15, 1879, Miss 
 Harriet Luse becoming his wife. She was 
 born near Pleasant Hill, Indiana, February 
 22, 1857. They have two children: Pearl, 
 now the wife of Mark Maddux, by whom 
 she has one child; and Elma Jane. J. N. 
 Dick engaged in farming in Philo township 
 
 
E. H. DICK. 
 
MRS. E. H. DICK. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 439 
 
 until 1892. and since then has practically 
 lived retired in the village of Philo. He is 
 a Democrat in politics but has never been 
 an aspirant for office. (3) Emaline Smith, 
 the second child, died at the age of four 
 years. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Dick located 
 upon a farm in Montgomery county, Indi- 
 ana, which he had previously purchased, 
 and in its operation he met with marked 
 success. He added to his possessions until 
 he became one of the largest land owners 
 in his section of the county, and for several 
 years he continued to devote his time and 
 attention to the improvement and cultiva- 
 tion of his property there, carrying on gen- 
 eral farming and stock-raising. On the 5th 
 of April, 1878, he and his family came to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, having the year 
 previously purchased a large farm in Crit- 
 tenden township, comprising four hundred 
 and eighty acres; he then purchased the 
 north half of section 20, Philo township, 
 which at that time was only partially im- 
 proved. He at once began building fences 
 and breaking the soil for his crops. He 
 added to his land another three hundred 
 and twenty acres in Philo township and 
 two hundred acres in Urbana township. 
 Although he removed to the village of Philo 
 in 1880, he continued to superintend the 
 operation of his land, and was thus actively 
 engaged in business up to the time of his 
 death, which occurred January 31, 1897. 
 
 In politics Mr. Dick was a Democrat, 
 and an ardent worker for his party, but 
 would never accept office, believing others 
 better suited for that work. He always in- 
 terested 9 himself in anything that would 
 advance the welfare of his town or the peo- 
 ple's interests; was popular socially, and 
 was a consistent member and liberal sup- 
 
 23 
 
 porter of the Philo Methodist Episcopal 
 church. His integrity stands an unques- 
 tioned fact in his history; endowed by 
 nature with a sound judgment and an accu- 
 rate, discriminating mind, he feared not the 
 laborious attention to business so necessary 
 to success, and this essential quality was 
 guided by a sense of moral right which 
 would tolerate the employment only of the 
 means that would bear the most rigid ex- 
 amination and by a fairness of intention that 
 neither sought nor required disguise. 
 
 JOSEPH T. ROBERTS, an active prom- 
 inent and enterprising citizen of Colfax 
 township, who is successfully engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits on section 13, was 
 born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, Janu- 
 ary 17, 1859, and is a son of Joseph and 
 Osey E. (Morgan) Roberts, also natives of 
 the Keystone state, where for several 
 generations the ancestors of our subject 
 have made their home. The father owned 
 land there and followed the occupation 
 of a farmer. In 1868 he brought his family 
 to Champaign county, Illinois, and took up 
 his residence in Tolono township, where he 
 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of 
 land, which he improved and successfully 
 operated until his death in 1877, dying from 
 overwork and exposure. His wife, who still 
 survives him, moved to Champaign in 1888,. 
 and there she continues to make her home 
 with her two daughters. In the family 
 were thirteen children, those living being' 
 Mary, wife of William J. Cross, a carpenter 
 and builder of Champaign; Joseph T. , our 
 subject; Lydia A., wife of E. Tenbrink, a 
 farmer of Boone county, Iowa; Sarah E. 
 and Flora P., who live with their mother in 
 Champaign; and Fannie E. , wife of D. E. 
 
440 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 Harris, a confectioner of that city. Several 
 of the children died at the old home in 
 Pennsylvania when young, and the others 
 died in this county after reaching maturity. 
 
 Our subject received his education in 
 the common schools of this county, and un- 
 der the direction of his father he early ac- 
 quired an excellent knowledge of agricult- 
 ure. After the death of his father he as- 
 sumed the management of the home farm 
 and supported his mother and sisters until 
 the latter were able to care for themselves, 
 helping them through school after their re- 
 moval to Champaign. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Roberts married Miss Ida 
 V. Carper, who was born in De Witt coun- 
 ty, Illinois, January 8, 1865, a daughter of 
 Philip and Harriet R. (Cresap; Carper, the 
 former a native of Indiana, the latter, of 
 Ohio. Her parents were married in De 
 Witt county, and carne to Champaign coun- 
 ty in 1870, locating in Colfax township, 
 where the father followed and operated a 
 farm and also engaged in teaching school. 
 At the age of sixty-six years, he is now living 
 retired in Seymour, this county. His wife 
 is now sixty years of age, and both still en- 
 joy good health. They are highly respected 
 and esteemed by all who know them. Of 
 the twelve children born to them, eleven 
 are still living, namely: Daniel W., a physi- 
 cian of Henning, Vermilion county, Illinois; 
 Ida V., wife of our subject; Eusebius F. , 
 who is living on the old homestead in Colfax 
 township; Elizabeth A., wife of Charles 
 Koble, a farmer of Scott township; Cleora, 
 wife of Frank Cade, a farmer living near 
 Seymour; George W., a resident of Colfax 
 township; Philip M., who is living near 
 Seymour in Scott township; Eugene, Ulys- 
 sesG., L. Clarissa and Guy E. , all at home. 
 Mrs. Roberts was educated in the com- 
 
 mon schools of Colfax township and at Sey- 
 mour, and successfully engaged in teaching 
 for three years prior to her marriage. Five 
 children were born to our subject and his 
 wife, but one died in infancy. The others 
 are Harry V., born in April, 1890; Hattie 
 E., born in June, 1891; Joseph E., born in 
 October, 1892; and Ernest M., born in 
 March, 1895. 
 
 Having previously purchased a farm of 
 eighty acres on section 13, Colfax town- 
 ship, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts began their do- 
 mestic life there, and have since made it 
 their home, his time and attention being 
 devoted to general farming. Politically he 
 has always been identified with the Repub- 
 lican party, has served as commissioner of 
 highways for three years, and is now one of 
 the drainage commissioners on a branch of 
 the Kaskaskia river for his township, this 
 being one of the important offices of the 
 c6unty. He has also served as school 
 director for a number of years, and all of 
 his official duties have been performed in a 
 most commendable and satisfactory man- 
 ner. Fraternally he is a member of Sadorus 
 Camp, No. 3302, M. W. A., of which he 
 has been Venerable Consul since the lodge 
 was organized. 
 
 OINEHART p.. RATTS, M. D., the lead- 
 IV ing physician of Longview, Illinois, was 
 born in Washington county, Indiana, No- 
 vember 19, 1854, a son of John and Mary 
 (Hinds) Ratts, also natives of Indiana. The 
 grandfather, Rinehart Ratts, was born in 
 North Carolina, in 1800, but at an early day 
 moved to Washington county, Indiana, 
 where he spent the remainder of his life. 
 He purchased a tract of land, probably from 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 441 
 
 the government, and devoted his time and 
 energies to agricultural pursuits. He died 
 at the age of eighty years, and his wife, 
 who was born in the same year as himself, 
 survived him five years. They had a family 
 of seven children, all of whom grew to ma- 
 turity. In this family, John Ratts, the 
 father of our subject, was fourth in order of 
 birth. He also followed the occupation of 
 farming and was a progressive, enterprising 
 and successful man. He never left Wash- 
 ington county, Indiana, dying there during 
 the Civil war, in 1862. His widow subse- 
 quently married George Phillips, of Brown 
 county, Indiana, who has been dead a num- 
 ber of years, and she now makes her home 
 with the Doctor in Longview, Illinois,. 
 Her parents were Samuel and Kate Hinds, 
 pioneers of Washington county, Indiana, 
 where they continued to make their home 
 throughout life, both dying when past the 
 age of eighty years. Their children were 
 Mary Ann, Frank, Philbert, Lizzie, Delilah, 
 Pleasant, Milton and Pressey. The only 
 members of this family living in Illinois be- 
 sides Mrs. Ratts are Frank and Philbert, 
 of Hindsboro, Douglas county, for whom 
 the town was named. 
 
 To John and Mary (Hinds) Ratts were 
 born eight children, one of whom died in in- 
 fancy; Marion is engaged in farming in Doug- 
 las county, Illinois; Lizzie first married 
 William Hooker, now deceased, and second 
 S*Smedley, a farmer of Phillips county, 
 Kansas; Kate is the wife of Frank Strain, 
 also of Phillips county; Delilah is the wife 
 of Samuel Nuckles, of Paris, Illinois; Rine- 
 hart P. , our subject, is next in order of birth ; 
 Elmer is a resident of Utah and Charlie 
 is a farmer of Phillips county, Kansas. 
 
 Dr. Ratts received his literary education 
 in Salem, Indiana, and later studied medicine 
 
 under Dr. Roe, now of Redman, Illinois, 
 but at that time of Edgar, Edgar county. 
 After two years spent with that gentleman 
 he entered the Kentucky School of Medi- 
 cine at Louisville, where he pursued a 
 three years' course and was graduated in 
 1876. Immediately after his graduation he 
 came to Champaign county and located in 
 the center of Raymond township, at which 
 time there were no railroads nearer than 
 Sidney, nine miles north, through which the 
 Wabash passed, and Murdock, seven miles 
 south, through which the Indianapolis, De- 
 catur & Western Railroad passed. At the 
 time he had but seven dollars in money and, 
 as he expresses it, he got as far away from 
 towns and other doctors as he could, so 
 that the people would have to come to him. 
 He remained at his country location untU 
 the town of Longview was laid out and 
 platted when the Chicago & Eastern Illi- 
 nois Railroad was built through Raymond 
 township within a mile of his office. He 
 then removed to Longview, where he has 
 since made his home, and he has a large 
 practice extending throughout this section 
 of the county and into the adjoining coun- 
 ties. During his residence here many 
 other physicians have come and gone, but 
 he has remained and has met with most ex- 
 cellent success. In 1888 he embarked in 
 the drug business on a small scale, but has 
 constantly added to his stock, and now car- 
 ries a complete line of drugs necessary to 
 meet the demands of his trade. 
 
 In 1878, Dr. Ratts was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Fannie Mathews. by whom 
 he had one child, Edith, who is a graduate 
 of St. Mary's in the Woods, a noted semi- 
 nary of Indiana, and now a student at the 
 Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, 
 Ohio, this being her second year there. 
 
442 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The Doctor was again married, in December, 
 1891, his second union being with Miss 
 Fannie K. Gabbard. 
 
 Religiously Dr. Ratts is a member of 
 the Christian church, and fraternally be- 
 longs to Broadlands Lodge, No. 791, F. & 
 A. M.; Longview Lodge, No. 254, I. O. 
 O. F. ; and Longview Camp, No. 2863, M. 
 W. A. In his political affiliations he is a 
 Republican, and while taking an active in- 
 terest in the success of his party he has 
 never aspired to office. He has the entire 
 confidence and respect of his fellow citi- 
 zens, and his skill and ability in his chosen 
 profession are attested by the liberal patron- 
 age he enjoys. 
 
 JOSEPH DOTY. Among the influential 
 vJ members of the farming community of 
 Champaign county is the gentleman whose 
 name heads this sketch. He is entirely a 
 self-made man in the truest sense of that 
 term, having been the only architect of his 
 own fortunes, and he has builded wisely and 
 well, raising himself from 'humble circum- 
 stances to a position of affluence by l\is own 
 indomitable energy and a laudable ambition 
 to succeed. He is now the owner of a 
 valuable farm of two hundred acres on sec- 
 tions 19 and 21, Tolono township. 
 
 A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Doty was 
 born in Washington county, September 24, 
 1845, and is a son of Lewis and Nancy 
 (Seibert) Doty. The father was born in 
 New Jersey and followed farming through- 
 out life, dying in 1895. The mother was 
 born in Pennsylvania, and is still living in 
 that state. They were the parents of twelve 
 children, of whom two died in infancy. The 
 others reached years of maturity and were 
 as follows: Rachel makes her home with 
 
 her mother in Pennsylvania; Hannah is the 
 widow of John Kilgore, a successful farmer 
 of that state; Stephen is a farmer of Tolono 
 township, Champaign county, Illinois; Peter 
 followed the carpenter's trade until his 
 death, which occurred in 1888; Thomas 
 was a member of a Pennsylvania regiment 
 during the Civil war, and met his death in 
 the battle of the Wilderness; Wilson also 
 belonged to a Pennsylvania regiment in the 
 same war, and is now a farmer of that 
 state; Isaac is also an agriculturist of Penn- 
 sylvania; Joseph, our subject, is next in 
 order of birth; and Francis M. and Jacob 
 are both representative farmers of Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 During his boyhood Joseph Doty re- 
 ceived only a common-school education, but 
 his training at farm work was not so meagre, 
 the summer months being wholly devoted to- 
 that occupation. On leaving home at the 
 age of twenty years, he went to LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, where he found employ- 
 ment as a farm hand by the month for four 
 years. He then rented land and began 
 working for himself, being quite successful 
 under the circumstances. 
 
 After living alone fortwo years, Mr. Doty 
 was married in 1871 to Miss Mary E. Dick, 
 the oldest daughter of Harry and Mary 
 (Town) Dick, natives of New York, where 
 the father followed the occupation of farm- 
 ing. Their other children were Monroe, 
 now a farmer of Moultrie county, Illinois*; 
 Louisa, wife of William Driver, of Tingley, 
 Iowa; and Jasper H., a successful farmer 
 living near New Richmond, Indiana. Mrs. 
 Doty was born in Oneida county, New 
 York, May 29, 1851, and by her marriage 
 to our subject has become the mother of 
 three children: Nellie Mae, Lewis H. and 
 Walter M. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 443 
 
 For two years after his marriage, Mr. 
 Doty continued to engage in farming in La 
 Salle county, but in 1873 disposed of his inter- 
 ests there and came to Champaign county, 
 where he rented land and operated the same 
 quite successfully for ten years. In 1883 he 
 made his first purchase, consisting of eighty 
 acres of land in Tolono township, upon 
 which he made his home for ten years. He 
 also rented two hundred and forty acres, 
 and was quite extensively engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits. That he made a success 
 is assured by his purchasing his present farm 
 of two hundred acres in 1897, all well im- 
 proved and under a high state of cultiva- 
 tion. He has been greatly assisted by the 
 encouragement and support of his estimable 
 wife, who has indeed been a true helpmeet 
 to him. Being a great reader, she is fa- 
 miliar with all the leading topics of the 
 day, though by sickness her hearing has 
 been impaired, which causes her some in- 
 convenience. Both Mr. and Mrs. Doty are 
 faithful members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church of Tolono, and are held in high 
 regard by the entire community in which 
 they live. In politics he is a stanch Demo- 
 crat, and for eighteen years has most cred- 
 itably served as school director, having 
 filled that position in every district in which 
 he has made his home. 
 
 ROBERT WRIGHT. Nearly two-score 
 years ago this prominent agriculturist 
 of Newcomb township concluded to become 
 a permanent citzen of Champaign county, 
 and in every possible way he has assisted to 
 develop and improve this section of the 
 state. Educational matters and good gov- 
 ernment have been of grave concern to him, 
 
 as to every patriot, and his influence always 
 has been felt upon the side of progress. 
 
 Major Simeon Wright, a native of Ver- 
 mont, and a hero of the war of 1812, re- 
 moved to Ohio at the close of that struggle 
 with the mother country, and settled in the 
 wilderness. He hewed, literally, a farm out 
 of the forests of Licking county, and by un- 
 tiring energy reduced the land to cultiva- 
 tion, eventually making a valuable home- 
 stead. One of his sons, Captain Hiram 
 Wright, was the father of the subject of 
 this narrative. Born in the Green Mount- 
 ain state, in 1803, he was a mere child 
 when he went to the Buckeye state, and 
 there in the solitudes of nature, he grew to 
 manhood. He won his title during his ser- 
 vice as captainof a local company of militia, 
 but never was called into action. Upon ar- 
 riving at mature years, he married Eliza 
 Blood, daughter cf Fred Blood, an early 
 settler of Licking county and formerly of 
 Massachusetts. Subsequently he inherited 
 his father's farm and there he continued to 
 live until his children were grown. He then 
 sold the place and came to Illinois, and 
 from 1872 until his death, in 1890, he made 
 his home in Newcomb township. For sixty- 
 four years he had traveled life's pathway in 
 company with his devoted wife, who did 
 not long survive him, as she passed away in 
 the year following his demise. They were 
 faithful members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church and were actively interested in 
 Sunday schools, both in Ohio and in this 
 state. 
 
 Robert Wright was born in the old 
 Licking county homestead, January 13, 
 1838. He received a fair education in the 
 common schools of the district, supplement- 
 ing the knowledge gained there by. a year's 
 work in the Ohio Wesleyan University, at 
 
444 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Delaware, Ohio. He was naturally an apt 
 student, and made the best of his advan- 
 tages, with the result that he easily ob- 
 tained a certificate to teach, when he ap- 
 plied for one, and for several years he was 
 successfully engaged in that line of work, 
 both in his native state and in Illinois. He 
 had mastered farming in its various depart- 
 ments and was especially interested in the 
 raising of livestock. Having become con- 
 vinced that this state afforded better oppor- 
 tunities in mairy respects to a young man 
 ambitious for success, he made his plans ac- 
 cordingly. One day, in 1862, he might 
 have been seen comingalong the dusty high- 
 way, driving a large flock of sheep into the 
 land of promise, like one of the Jewish pa- 
 triarchs in his youth, seeking a new home 
 and "pastures green." He had made the 
 entire journey from his old home in Ohio to 
 Champaign county, watching his flocks by 
 day and night, and for thirty-five days had 
 steadily pressed forward to the west. Here 
 he wandered with his sheep on the prairies 
 for two seasons, and then made his first pur- 
 chase of land one hundred and twenty 
 acres in section 32, Newcomb township 
 his present homestead. A small house stood 
 on the property, but few improvements had 
 been made and he was obliged to break 
 most all of the ground himself. In time 
 many changes for the better showed the dili- 
 gence and wisely expended energy of the new 
 owner, and to-day this is one of the most 
 desirable farms in the county. A commo- 
 dious house, and barns, fences and hedges, 
 shade trees and fruit trees are among the 
 substantial improvements on the place. For 
 several years he was engaged in raising 
 sheep in largenumbers, and his opinions upon 
 this subject were highly esteemed. During 
 the years of his connection with the Farm- 
 
 ers' Institute, he has often-called upon been 
 to address the assemblage, and contributed 
 articles about sheep-raising at four of the 
 annual meetings. 
 
 In this township, Mr. Wright married 
 Eleanor Banes, June 18, 1863. She was 
 born in Logan county, Ohio, and came to 
 Illinois with her father, Gabriel Banes, who 
 was a native of Virginia and one of the pio- 
 neers of the Buckeye state. He died in 
 February, 1853, a few months after locating 
 in this county'. Mr. and Mrs. Wright lost 
 one child, Olive, who died when eleven 
 months old. The eldest son. Charles C., is 
 a successful farmer of this county. Ida, 
 wife of R. S. McNeal, lives upon a farm in 
 this vicinity. Kate is the wife of G. H. 
 Wright, a teacher, living in Fisher, this 
 county, and Mrs. Effie Staney, a widow, 
 holds a good position as a stenographer in a 
 real estate office in Champaign. Frank E., 
 a promising young man, is at home, assisting 
 in the management of the farm, and who is 
 also in the sheep business. 
 
 Ever since casting his first presidential 
 ballot, in 1860, for Abraham Lincoln, he 
 has been active in the support of the Re- 
 publican party platform and nominees. He 
 has acted in the capacity of clerk, assessor, 
 highway commissioner and school trustee 
 in this township, and has been influential 
 in countless ways, in the promotion of ev- 
 erything conducive to the well-being of the 
 community. With his wife, he holds mem- 
 bership in the Methodist Episcopal church of 
 Mahomet, and is a liberal contributor to the 
 maintenance of religious enterprises. 
 
 DAVID NOGLE. There are few men 
 more worthy of representation in a 
 work of this kind than the subject of this 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 445 
 
 biography who is now living a comparatively 
 retired life in the village of Sadorus. His 
 has been a long and busy career, rich with 
 experience, and in which he has established 
 himself in the esteem and confidence of 
 all who know him. 
 
 Mr. Nogle was born about eighteen miles 
 from Harrisburg, in Cumberland county, 
 Pennsylvania, June 19, 1834, and is a son of 
 Michael and Sarah (Bruner) Nogle, natives 
 of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. 
 On the paternal side his great-grandfather 
 came from Germany and settled in Pennsyl- 
 vania at an early day. The father was a 
 teamster when a young man, driving a six- 
 horse team with only one line from Phila- 
 delphia to Pittsburg, it taking about sixteen 
 weeks to make the round trip. For twenty 
 years he was a huckster, and in the latter 
 years of his life devoted his time to agricult- 
 ural pursuits, following each vocation with 
 success. He was a very strong man phys- 
 ically and always enjoyed good health. He 
 lived to be ninety-two years of age, dying 
 at his home in Milltown, Pennsylvania. Of 
 his ten children, three died in infancy, five 
 in later years, and only two are now living, 
 namely: David, our subject, and Isaac, a 
 retired citizen of Indiana. 
 
 David Nogle received his education in 
 the common schools of his native state and 
 remained at home until of age. In 1856 he 
 came from Chicago to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, and on landing here his capital con- 
 sistedof butthreegold dollars. It beingthe fall 
 of the year he had hard work to find employ- 
 ment. He stayed in Champaign for two days, 
 paying one dollar per day for accommoda- 
 tions, while trying to find work. The third 
 morning he refused to go to his breakfast and 
 when questioned by the landlord explained 
 his circumstances, telling him he did not 
 
 want to part with his last gold dollar. 
 Hearing of some one who wanted help, he 
 struck out into the country, landing south of 
 Sadorus, where he found work with William 
 Sadorus husking corn. Hiring for a month, 
 his work proved so satisfactory that he re- 
 mained in the same employ for seven years. 
 For his first month on trial he received six- 
 teen dollars, which seemed to him a fortune, 
 as in his circumstances he would have been 
 willing to work for almost any price, being 
 away from home, among strangers, as well as 
 without funds. For seven years he worked 
 faithfully for his employer and then having 
 saved his money, he rented land and began 
 farming on his own account. Subsequently 
 he purchased eighty acres of land in Colfax 
 township, which by hard work he converted 
 into valuable and rich farm land, fully im- 
 proved. In 1873 he retired to the village of 
 Sadorus, purchased a lot and erected a house. 
 Later he bought ten acres adjoining, and is 
 now surrounded by all the comforts which 
 make life worth the living, all of which have 
 been acquired through his own well directed 
 labors in former years. Upon his place he 
 planted a fine orchard, which thrived for 
 many years, but has lived to cut nearly all 
 the trees himself. 
 
 In 1861, Mr. Nogle was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Isabella Peat, who was of 
 English parentage, and to them were born 
 seven children, of whom one died in infancy. 
 The others are Emma C., wife of Charles 
 McAdams, a carpenter of Bemis, Washing- 
 ton, by whom she has one son, David Roy; 
 George W., a farmer of Tolono township, 
 this county; Charles H., a prosperous farm- 
 er of Sadorus township, who is married 
 and has one son, Claude; John T. , who 
 lives at home; Martha B., wife of Jesse M. 
 Sadorus, whose sketch appears elsewhere 
 
446 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in this volume; and Fanny H., at home. In 
 1877 the wife and mother died, leaving Mr. 
 Nogle with six small children, whom he suc- 
 ceeded in nobly keeping together for three 
 years, at the same time carrying on his 
 farm. 
 
 On the 1 2th of February, 1880, he was 
 again married, his second union being with 
 Miss Julia A. Payne, who was born in Edgar 
 county, Illinois, in 1841, a daughter of 
 James and Sarah (Smith) Payne, natives of 
 Washington county, Tennessee. The father 
 lived to be sixty-seven years of age, the 
 mother seventy-three. He moved from his 
 native state to Edgar county, in 1828, and 
 in 1865 came to Champaign county. His 
 wife belonged to a very old family of Edgar 
 county. Her brother, Abraham Smith, was 
 born in Washington county, Tennessee, May 
 *5> I 79^, settled in Edgar county, Illinois, in 
 1 839, and lived there until his death, in 1 894. 
 All of the family were active workers in the 
 Methodist church. To Mr. and Mrs. Payne 
 were born eleven children, but only four 
 survive, namely: Martha, wife of E. Sterns, 
 of Fisher, Illinois; Elizabeth, proprietress 
 of a general store in Garden City, Kansas; 
 Julia A., wife of our subject; and Smith, 
 who is living retired in Garden City. By 
 his second union Mr. Nogle has two sons: 
 Walter Smith and Alonzo Payne, both at- 
 tending school in the village. 
 
 Politically Mr. Nogle is a strong Prohibi- 
 tionist. In early life he used tobacco, but has 
 refrained from the same for thirty years. He 
 is an interesting conversationalist and takes 
 pleasure in relating stories of the early con- 
 ditions of the country, when the land was 
 nearly all barren prairie, covered with high 
 grass, and few roads had been laid out. 
 After residing here for about two years, he took 
 a message to Tolona, and in returning home 
 
 lost his way, which with difficulty he found 
 again. He and his wife are consistent and 
 active members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and always entertain the preachers 
 stopping in their neighborhood, theft home 
 being noted for its hospitality and good 
 cheer. Mr. Nogle is a quiet, unostenta- 
 tious man, but he makes many friends, and 
 is held in high regard by all who know him. 
 
 ARNOLD is a representative 
 and prominent agriculturist of Philo 
 township, where he owns and operates a 
 finely improved farm of two hundred and 
 forty acres on sections 35 and 36. He thor- 
 oughly understands the occupation he has 
 chosen as a life work, and in his labors met 
 with most excellent and well-deserved suc- 
 cess. 
 
 . 
 
 Mr. Arnold was born in Saratoga county, 
 New York, September 8, 1830, and is the 
 second child and oldest son in the family of 
 Peter and Pamila (Ostrom) Arnold, also na- 
 tives of that county. The father was born 
 on a farm, September 14, 1803, and after 
 reaching a sufficient age he engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits in Saratoga county until 
 his death, which occurred on the old home- 
 stead October 10, 1878. His wife, who 
 was but a few years younger than he, and 
 of Holland descent, died February 14, 1843. 
 In their family were six children, namely: 
 Mary, deceased wife of James Van Branken, 
 of Saratoga county, New York; Cyrus, our 
 subject; Lucinda, wife of H. Taylor, of 
 Chautauqua county, New York; Catherine, 
 wife of Cyrus Cole, who lives near Albany, 
 New York; George, who was a resident of 
 Piano, Kendall county, Illinois, for a num- 
 ber of years, and there died; and Emmett, a 
 resident of Burnt Hills, New York. 
 
CYRUS ARNOLD. 
 
MllS. CYRUS ARNOLD. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 45i 
 
 Cyrus Arnold acquired his education in 
 the common schools of the early days in his 
 home district, and remained under the 
 parental roof, assisting in the labors of the 
 farm, until about twenty-one years of age, 
 when he started for what he termed the wild 
 west. He went as far as Michigan, where 
 he was employed for a time in mercantile 
 business, and later followed farming, re- 
 maining in that state for three years. 
 
 While in Michigan, Mr. Arnold made the 
 acquaintance of Miss Caroline Francisco, to 
 whom he was married February 2, 1853. 
 She was born in that state, August 14, 1831, 
 and was well educated, attending the Albion 
 Seminary until she was called home by the 
 death of her mother to preside over the 
 household. Her father, Henry A. F*ran- 
 cisco, was a very prominent man in politics 
 in his community, and served as county 
 judge of Jackson county, Michigan, for a 
 number of years. The town of Francisco 
 on the Michigan Central railroad was named 
 in his honor. Later he removed to this 
 county, and in the village of Philo died 
 September 2, 1875, at the ripe old age of 
 eighty-two years. He had six children: 
 Hester J., who makes her home with our 
 subject; Caroline, wife of our subject; Mrs. 
 H. J. Nash, of Urbana; Eleanor, a resident 
 of Decatur, Michigan, and the widow of 
 Captain Henry Wheaton, who was killed in 
 the battle of Chapin Farm during the Civil 
 war while acting colonel, the commander of 
 the regiment having already met death; 
 Henry E. , who died in 1878 at his residence 
 in Philo, where his widow still lives; and 
 Horace, who died at his home in New 
 Waverly, Texas, in 1882. To Mr. and Mrs. 
 Arnold were born six children, two of whom 
 died in infancy. Those living are as fol- 
 lows: (i) Mary is the wife of John Locke, of 
 
 Statley, Illinois, and they have six children liv- 
 ing of whom two daughters are married, and 
 as one has three sons and the other one son, 
 our subject is a great-grandfather to four 
 children. (2) Emmett, a stock man of Fall 
 River county, South Dakota, is married and 
 has three children, one son and two daugh- 
 ters. (3) Horace is at home with his parents. 
 (4) Cora is the wife of Henry Lovingfoss, a 
 farmer of Philo township, and they have 
 two sons. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Arnold continued their 
 residence in Michigan until 1854, when they 
 sold tiieir property there and removed to 
 McHenry county, Illinois, where for two 
 years he successfully engaged in farming 
 upon property owned by his wife. At the 
 end of that time they went to Oswego town- 
 ship, Kendall county, where he followed the 
 same pursuit. Disposing of his interests 
 there in 1867, he came to Champaign county, 
 and purchased one hundred and sixty acres 
 of land where he now resides, to which he 
 has added as his financial resources have 
 permitted until he now has two hundred and 
 forty acres. At the time of purchase it was 
 only partially improved, but under his su- 
 pervision it has become one of the most de- 
 sirable farms of its size in the township. 
 He has set out an orchard and other trees, 
 has built fences and erected barns and other 
 buildings upon the place until it is a highly 
 improved farm, well tiled and highly culti- 
 vated. With the assistance of his son, he 
 continued to operate his farm until 1892, 
 since which time he has practically lived a 
 retired life, while he rents his land. 
 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are active 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 of Philo, and he is now serving as one of its 
 trustees. Politically he is an ardent Re- 
 publican, and has been honored with a 
 
452 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 number of local offices, the duties of which 
 he has most efficiently and faithfully dis- 
 charged. During his residence in Kendall 
 county he served as collector, and has been 
 justice of the peace in Philo township for 
 one year. A trust reposed in him has never 
 been misplaced, and he merits and receives 
 the respect and esteem of all who know him. 
 
 JOSHUA SMITH. It may truthfully be 
 be said of Joshua Smith, as one of our 
 great English authors said of a certain farmer, 
 that though his life was quiet and unassum- 
 ing, and though, perhaps, he was not known 
 much beyond his own county, yet wherever 
 he had dwelt, the community was the better 
 for his sojourn there some highways had 
 been straightened and improved, some land 
 had been made to bring forth an abundant 
 harvest under his watchful care and diligent 
 labors, or some schools and churches had 
 been built or maintained in part by him. The 
 story may be thus simple, but it is none the 
 less enduring, and he who strives to perform 
 his duty as a citizen and neighbor, to serve 
 his own generation to the best of his ability, 
 is justly entitled to be called one of "God's 
 noblemen." 
 
 Joshua Smith comes from one of the 
 stanch old patriotic families of Virginia, 
 originally English and Scotch. His grand- 
 father, Presley Smith, served in the war of 
 1812 with the rank of first lieutenant, and 
 his wife, Rosilla, was the daughter of Colo- 
 nel McDonald, who earned that title by val- 
 iant service in the Revolutionary war. After 
 matters had been permanently adjusted be- 
 tween the colonies and the mother country, 
 Presley Smith removed with his family to 
 the then new region of Pickaway county, 
 
 Ohio, where he is considered one of the 
 founders of the county. His son, Wesley, 
 was born in Virginia, in 1814, and was 
 reared to manhood in Pickaway county, 
 Ohio. For a wife he chose Eliza, daughter 
 of William Scisna, of Pennsylvania and 
 later of Ohio. He did gallant service in the 
 war of 1812, being orderly on the staff of 
 General Jackson, and while conveying mes- 
 sages to his superior, at the battle of New 
 Orleans, was wounded by a gunshot in the 
 thigh. Wesley Smith located in Tippeca- 
 noe county, Indiana, and at the end of 
 four years, came to Illinois. Here he bought 
 a tract of timberland and pre-empted an- 
 other tract suitable for farming, in Piatt 
 county. In that locality he took up his 
 permanent abode, and was actively engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits until his death in 
 1847. His wife surviving him a few years, 
 passed away in 1855, 
 
 The birth of Joshua Smith occurred in Pick- 
 away county, Ohio, June 29, 1837, and as he 
 was only six years of age when he arrived 
 in Illinois, then a new and very sparsely 
 settled country, he had small chance for ob- 
 taining an education. Then, too, his father 
 died when he was a lad of ten years, and 
 the cares and responsibilities of life fell 
 upon his youthful shoulders when he should 
 have had no more serious battles than those 
 presented by the multiplication table. For 
 many years he worked for farmers by the 
 month and it was not until 1860 that he had 
 the pleasure of establishing a home and 
 feeling, in a measure at least, the joys of 
 independence. 
 
 On the 6th of March, 1860, Mr. Smith 
 and Martha E. Dickson were united in mar- 
 riage. The lady of his choice was born in 
 Mahomet township, Champaign county, and 
 here grew to womanhood. Her parents, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 453 
 
 Amos and Rachel (Pettis) Dickson, were 
 natives of Lewis county, Kentucky, and 
 Tennessee, respectively, and were married 
 in Illinois. Mr. Dickson was one of the 
 first settlers of Vermilion county, as he lo- 
 cated there in 1827. Of his five children 
 who grew to mature years, four still survive. 
 Of the three daughters born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Smith, only one is now living, namely, 
 Clara Belle, wife of O. M. Brown, of Mans- 
 field. The eldest daughter, Eliza Jane, be- 
 came the wife of A. J. Wright, and in June, 
 1897, was summoned to the silent land. 
 She left one daughter to mourn her loss, 
 Miss Gertie Z., who is now a member of her 
 aunt's household in Mansfield. Luella 
 Kate, the second child of our subject, died 
 when in the second year of her age. 
 
 Loyally responding to the call of his 
 country in her hour of peril, Mr. Smith vol- 
 unteered his services on behalf of the Un- 
 ion, and sorrowfully bade adieu to the young 
 wife whom he might never again behold. 
 He was enrolled as a private in Company 
 D, Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 April 8, 1862, and was sent to the front. 
 There he participated in some of the most 
 important campaigns of the war, and soon 
 after the siege of Corinth, while engaged in 
 unloading some commissary stores, accord- 
 ing to orders, was disabled and sent to the 
 hospital. There he remained for many 
 long, weary weeks of suffering, and, as he 
 then was not materially improved, he was 
 given an honorable discharge from the ser- 
 vice, and returned to his home. 
 
 After his marriage, and prior to his army 
 service, Mr. Smith had bought forty acres 
 of land in Piatt county and had instituted 
 numerous improvements upon the place. 
 Subsequently he disposed of it to good ad- 
 vantage, and in 1879 removed to Cham- 
 
 paign county, where he assumed the man- 
 agement of the old Dickson homestead, 
 where he still lives. Building and remodel- 
 ing the hou^e and barns and other structures 
 upon the place, planting shade and fruit 
 trees, placing tiling and ditches wherever 
 necessary, he was a very busy man for years, 
 and has taken just pride in keeping every- 
 thing about the place in a neat and enter- 
 prising manner. His farm now is consid- 
 ered a very desirable one, and, as it is sit- 
 uated only a little over three miles from the 
 village of Mahomet, the family are able to 
 enjoy many of the special privileges which 
 town life affords. The farm comprises one 
 hundred and thirty-five acres, all under 
 good cultivation and very productive. 
 
 Few of the pioneers of eastern Illinois 
 can justly lay claim to a longer continuous 
 residence here than can Mr. Smith. It is 
 nearly fifty-seven years since destiny 
 drifted him to this region, and, during this 
 period he has witnessed vast changes for the 
 better, as the swamps have been drained 
 by means of tiling and ditches, and now 
 are accounted among the most productive 
 lands in this section of the state; well cul- 
 tivated farms with a thriving agricultural 
 population; flourishing villages and more 
 pretentious cities; model school houses and 
 churches, and well-kept roads and bridges, 
 now stand where formerly the tangled un- 
 derbrush, the high, rank prairie grass, the 
 pestilential swamps knew no life save that 
 of the wily red man, the timid deer, the 
 snarling wolf, and the various wild birds 
 which delight in solitude. In the march of 
 progress and civilization, oar subject has 
 not been a laggard, and whenever his 
 means and influence could be utilized for 
 the welfare of his community, he has not 
 been sparing of them. Modest and unas- 
 
454 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 suming, he has preferred to keep out of pub- 
 lic office, but when urged to accept such 
 responsibilities has not shirked the trust, 
 and to the best of his ability has justified 
 his friends' faith in his ability and integrity. 
 For a year prior to his coming to this 
 county he served as township assessor in 
 Piatt county. He also was treasurer of the 
 board of highway commissioners in this 
 township, and for twenty-four years was a 
 member of the board of education, a por- 
 tion of the time acting in the capacity of 
 president of that body. In 1864 he cast 
 his first presidential ballot for Abraham 
 Lincoln, and at each succeeding election he 
 has been prompt at the polls, ready to sup- 
 port the party which has successfully car- 
 ried our beloved country through some of 
 the stormiest seas which the ship of state 
 has had to encounter. 
 
 In his social and home relations, Mr. 
 Smith is seen at his best, and there, if any- 
 where, the true character of a man is 
 proved. Both himself and his estimable 
 wife are identified with the Methodist Epis- 
 copal denomination, and for many years 
 they have been actively interested in its nu- 
 merous departments of usefulness, con- 
 tributing loyally of their means to the fur- 
 therance of the grand work, which is up- 
 lifting and benefiting mankind everywhere. 
 Fraternally, Mr. Smith stands very high as 
 a Mason and as a member of the Grand 
 Army of the Republic, which now is becom- 
 ing pathetically reduced in numbers, each 
 year so many thousands of the boys who 
 wore the blue responding to the final roll- 
 call. He long has been an honored mem- 
 ber of Ephraim Scott Post, No. 464, of Ma- 
 homet, being one of the Charter mem- 
 bers. Thirty years or more ago he 
 joined the Masonic order, and at present is 
 
 identified with the lodge at Mansfield, the 
 chapter at Farmers' City and the com- 
 mandery at Urbane He is past master of 
 the blue lodge and was made a Knight 
 Templar seventeen years ago. 
 
 OOBERT J. MYERS is a worthy repre- 
 1 \ sentative of one of the sterling o'ld 
 Kentucky families, -and possesses the strength 
 of character and the fortitude which gener- 
 ations of his ancestors displayed in their 
 struggles with nature and circumstance on 
 the frontiers of civilization in this country. 
 Just one hundred years ago his grandfather, 
 Captain Jacob Myers, who was of German 
 extraction, and a native of Pennsylvania, 
 removed to the wilds of the Blue Grass 
 state, and settled upon a tract of land in 
 Lewis county. There he developed a farm 
 and made a beautiful homestead, which was 
 handed down from father to son for several 
 generations. He served as a soldier when 
 the second war of the United States with 
 Great Britain came on, and the same- spirit 
 of patriotism has animated his descendants 
 wherever they have wandered. 
 
 His son, John M., father of R. J. Myers, 
 was born on the old homestead in Lewis 
 county, and when he arrived at maturity he 
 married Isabelle Markland, who was born 
 in Adams county, Ohio, where her father, 
 William Markland, was a pioneer. Becom- 
 ing the proprietor of the old Lewis county 
 farm, John M. Myers engaged in its cul- 
 tivation for many years, and was known, 
 far and near, as an exemplary citizen and 
 true exponent of grand Christian manhood. 
 
 Robert J. Myers was born March 23, 
 1853, in the old house where his father's 
 birth had taken place, and there his early 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 455 
 
 years and ambitious youth were quietly 
 passed, notwithstanding the fact that the 
 great struggle between the north and south 
 often raged not far from his abode. He 
 aided his father in the care of the farm un- 
 til he reached his majority and inded 
 it was not until the Centennial year 
 that he concluded that he must tear 
 himself away from the scenes of his 
 youth and start upon an inde- 
 pendent career. In company with his 
 brother, William, he made the journey to 
 this locality on horseback, and joined some 
 old friends from their own state. Some time 
 antecedent to this, their father had bought 
 land in Newcomb township, and the brother 
 located on the tract in section 29, while 
 Robert J. settled in section 34. After cul- 
 tivating that farm for several years, in the 
 meantime making numerous valuable im- 
 provements, he sold out to a good advantage, 
 and in 1894 removed to his present farm, in 
 section 30, in the same county. Here he 
 owns a quarter section of valuable land 
 which a few years ago had but little in the 
 way of improvements to recommend it Mr. 
 Myers has built a pleasant farm house and 
 a large barn, besides making many other 
 changes which add to the desirability of the 
 place. He also owns eighty acres of well- 
 improved land in this township, and a tract 
 of timber, some forty acres in extent. He 
 has been successful as a stock-raiser, and 
 keeps a high grade of cattle, always having 
 a few Herefords on his farm. 
 
 His personal popularity and recognized 
 worth as a business man and citizen, led to 
 Mr. Myers being appointed as assessor of 
 Newcomb township in 1896, and since then 
 he has thrice been re-elected and is serving 
 at the present time. He is conscientious 
 and efficient, giving general satisfaction to 
 
 all concerned. He is a sincere friend to the 
 cause of education, and is a member and 
 one of the officers of Shiloh Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Myers and Miss 
 Anna Belle Gilmore was solemnized in this 
 township, December 22, 1886. She is a 
 native of Licking county, Ohio, and is a 
 daughter of George W. Gilmore, who be- 
 came one of the residents of this locality 
 about a quarter of a century ago. A son 
 and a daughter have blessed the union of 
 our subject and wife, namely: John G. and 
 Lela May, both of whom are attending the 
 local schools. Mrs. Myers and the children 
 are actively interested in the work of the 
 Shiloh Methodist church, and are popular 
 with all who -know them. 
 
 JF. ZIMMER. That success comes only 
 as the result of well applied energy, un- 
 flagging determination, and perseverance in 
 a course of action, when once decided upon, 
 it would be well if every one fully realized. 
 Fortune rarely comes to the dreamer or 
 idler and only the man who has struggled 
 and wrought, does she crown with her 
 choicest blessings. In tracing the history 
 of the gentleman whose name heads this rec- 
 ord it is plainly seen that he has been in- 
 dustrious and enterprising and richly de- 
 serves the prosperity which he now enjoys. 
 Mr. Zimmer is a native of Brownsville, 
 Fayette county, Pennsylvania, his birth 
 having occurred September 5, 1837. His 
 youth was passed in Green county, where 
 he obtained a liberal education in the pub- 
 lic schools, and subsequently pursued his 
 higher studies in the Waynesburg Academy. 
 Later he became a teacher in the schools. 
 
456 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of his native state, and then, because he be- 
 lieved that the west afforded better oppor- 
 tunities to young men, he came to Illinois, 
 where he readily found plenty of chances in 
 the educational field. After spending some 
 time in various parts of the state, he located 
 in Logan county, where he taught school 
 during the winters and engaged in farming 
 the remainder of the year for several sea- 
 sons. He carefully husbanded his means, 
 and in 1873 came to Champaign county, 
 where he invested in eighty acres of land. 
 This tract was totally unimproved, and he 
 set about the task of reducing it to cultiva- 
 tion in such an energetic way that ere long 
 the prairie yielded abundant harvests and 
 brought him a good return for his toil. 
 For six winters after he settled here 
 he taught in the local shools, and he 
 has never ceased to have a genuine interest 
 in the maintenance of good schools and edu- 
 cational advantages for the young. In time 
 he purchased eighty acres more of land and 
 instituted further improvements, including 
 the building of a substantial house and 
 barns. His homestead which is situated in 
 section 17, Newcomb township, is one of 
 the best in the township, and he spares no 
 pains in keeping everything in. a thrifty con- 
 dition. In addition to this place, he owns 
 half a section of land in Brown township 
 and a half section in Vernon county, Mis- 
 souri. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Zimrner and Sarah 
 A. Thompson took place in Logan county, 
 September 3, 1863. She was born in Green 
 county, Pennsylvania, and received her ed- 
 ucation there. Two of the six children born 
 to our subject and wife died in infancy. 
 The eldest of the family, L. E., is married 
 and resides in this county. The next son, 
 L. E. O., is also married and carries on a 
 
 farm in Brown township. D. E., the eldest 
 daughter, is the wife of L. L. Wright, a 
 farmer of this township, and Sarah A. lives 
 with her parents at home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Zimmer was identified 
 with the Democratic party in former years, 
 but more recently he has given his alle- 
 giance to the Republicans. He has served as 
 clerk of the township, and has been justice 
 of the peace for about eight years, giving 
 general satisfaction to every one concerned. 
 As previously stated, --he takes great inter- 
 est in educational matters, and has served 
 on the school board for a number of years. 
 Frequently he has been chosen as a delegate 
 to various conventions, and has represented 
 his friends in an able manner. Socially, he 
 is a member of the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows, being connected with the lodge 
 at Fisher. Both himself and wife are mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church at 
 Walker Center. 
 
 EORGE B. CRAW. Champaign county 
 V_J has been the home and scene of labor 
 of many men who have not only led lives that 
 should serve as an example to those who 
 come after them, but have also been of im- 
 portant service to their town aud county 
 through various avenues of usefulness. 
 Among these must be named George B. 
 Craw, one of the most highly respected citi- 
 zens of Sadorus, who passed away May 26, 
 1895, after a life of industry, and rich in 
 those rare possessions which only a high 
 character can give. 
 
 He was born in Weybridge, Vermont, 
 June 3, 1820, and was the oldest son of 
 Allen Craw, whose family consisted of four 
 sons and two daughters that reached matur- 
 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 457 
 
 ity. George B. and Samuel were the first 
 of the family to come to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, but were later joined by their par- 
 ents and the other children, who came to 
 make their home here. Our subject grew 
 to manhood upon his father's farm in Ver- 
 mont and received a common-school educa~ 
 tion. He was twenty years of age, when, 
 in 1840, the family emigrated -to Illinois and 
 took up their residence in Greene county, 
 where the father purchased a large farm, 
 which he improved with the aid of his sturdy 
 sons, building up a substantial home. He 
 was quite extensively and successfully en- 
 gaged in general farming and stock rais- 
 ing. 
 
 On starting out in life for himself, George 
 B. Craw purchased one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land in Greene county, and built 
 thereon a house. Having secured a home, 
 he then married Miss Ann Wilkinson, by 
 whom he had two children. The son died 
 in infancy, but the daughter, Florinda, is 
 now the wife of John Lochrie, of Jasper 
 county, Missouri, and they have six chil- 
 dren, four of whom are married and have 
 families of their own. Mrs. Craw died in 
 Greene county in 1854. 
 
 Wishing to leave the scene of his 
 troubles, Mr. Craw came with his brother 
 Samuel to Champaign county in 1857, 
 which at that time was a wrid, unbroken 
 prairie and swamp, over which roamed 
 wild game of various kinds. After years of 
 hard work he succeeded in subduing the 
 prairies and converting them into valuable 
 farm lands. He purchased ninety acres of 
 railroad land and eighty acres from private 
 parties, all in Colfax township, and he suc- 
 cessfully operated the same until 1876, when 
 he removed to the village of Sadorus, where 
 he bought several lots, erected a house, and 
 
 lived retired thereafter, enjoying a well de- 
 served rest. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Craw was again married, 
 his second union being with Miss Margaret 
 Patterson, who was born near Carlinville, 
 Macoupin county, Illinois, February 23, 
 1838, a daughter of James and Nancy 
 (Sparks) Patterson, the former a native of 
 Kentucky, the latter of Virginia, and both 
 belonging to old families of their respective 
 states. In his native place Mr. Patterson 
 was an overseer on his father's plantation, 
 and after coming to Illinois followed farm- 
 ing quite extensively on his own account. 
 He was married in Jacksonville, where Miss 
 Sparks was living at that time. Both were 
 strong and active throughout life and lived 
 to an .advanced age, the former dying in 
 1893, aged eighty-one years, the latter in 
 1895, aged eighty. They were consistent 
 and faithful members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and he was a Democrat 
 in politics, though he never took an active 
 part in public affairs. To them were born 
 eight children, one of whom died in early 
 childhood. Those who reached maturity 
 were as follows: Samuel, a farmer, died of 
 typhoid fever in 1860; Sarah, wife of R. 
 Reagan, died of the same disease the same 
 year; Margaret A. is now Mrs. Craw; Mary 
 is the widow of William Crouch and lives 
 near the old homestead; John is a farmer of 
 Macoupin county; James cared for his par- 
 ents until their deaths, and purchased the 
 interests of the other heirs in the old home- 
 stead, where he now resides; Nancy died 
 unmarried. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Craw began their married 
 life in the home he had already prepared. 
 To them were born two daughters: (i) 
 Anneta L. is now the wife of William O'Dell, 
 and they reside on her father's old home- 
 
453 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 stead in Colfax township. They have four 
 children, Harry, Charles, John and Annette. 
 (2) Edy-the, an accomplished young lady, 
 lives with'her mother in Sadorus. 
 
 After hisremoval to the village, Mr. Craw 
 kept a fine team and with his wife and 
 daughter woufd take long excursions, visit- 
 ing distant relatives, as he enjoyed travel- 
 ing in that way in preference to going by 
 rail. He was very methodical and with true 
 Yankee grit overcame all the obstacles in 
 the path to success. Although never speak- 
 ing to offend, he was always firm, and was 
 upright and honorable in all his dealings. 
 By his generous disposition he endeared 
 himself to his family and many friends, and 
 was always the first to hold out a helping 
 hand to the needy or distressed. In 1893 
 he was afflicted with a soreness in his hand, 
 which developed into a cancer, and after 
 another year of suffering he passed peace- 
 fully away May 26, 1895, surrounded by all 
 the members of his family. The property 
 he acquired was equally divided between his 
 wife and daughters. The funeral services 
 were held at the church and his remains 
 were interred in the Craw cemetery in Col- 
 fax township, which is in sight of his old 
 home there. He was a devout member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, of which 
 he was a trustee for many years, and was a 
 liberal supporter of all church work. So- 
 cially he affiliated with J. R. Gorin Lodge, 
 No. 537, F. & A. M.. of Sadorus, and po- 
 litically was identified with the Republican 
 party. He never cared for political honors, 
 though for many years, while a resident of 
 Colfax township, he was unanimously elected 
 treasurer of the schools in the township 
 a position he filled in a faithful and credit- 
 able manner. He labored with all the 
 strength of a greatnature and all the earnest- 
 
 ness of a true heart for the bettering of the 
 world about him; and when he was called 
 to the rest and reward of the higher world 
 his best monument was found in the love 
 and respect of the community in which he 
 lived for so many years. 
 
 HENRY C. OWEN, a progressive and 
 enterprising farmer, residing on section 
 33, Ayres township, Champaign county, Il- 
 linois, was born in Randolph county, North 
 Carolina, June 26, 1843, and is a son of 
 Abraham and Abbie (Pierce) Owen, also 
 natives of Randolph county. The family 
 was originally from Wales and was founded 
 in this country by three brothers, one of 
 whom was the great-great-grandfather of 
 our subject. He located in North Carolina 
 in early colonial days and continued his 
 residence there throughout the remainder 
 of his life. During the Arnold raid in that 
 state the great-grandmother of our subject 
 had a string of gold beads taken, one of the 
 soldiers cutting the string with his sword, 
 and her husband was taken into the woods 
 and terribly beaten by them, but was finally 
 allowed to return home, half dead. The 
 paternal grandfather of our subject was 
 Oliver Owen, who spent his entire life in 
 Randolph county, North Carolina. The 
 father, Abraham Owen, followed farming 
 in that state until 1851, when, on account 
 of his opposition to slavery, he removed to 
 Morgan county, Indiana, where he pur- 
 chased land and continued to follow his 
 chosen occupation untilhis death, which 
 occurred December 29, 1864. He also has 
 a good knowledge of blacksmithing, was a 
 natural mechanic, and, when a young man, 
 worked at the carpenter's trade to some ex- 
 
HENRY C. OWEN, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 461 
 
 tent. His wife died November 12, 1868. 
 Both were active and consistent members 
 of the Methodist church, and in politics he 
 was first a Whig and later a Republican. 
 He never aspired to official honors, though 
 he always took an active interest in political 
 affairs and did all in his power for the suc- 
 cess of his party. 
 
 Our subject is the third in order of birth 
 in a family of six children, the others being 
 as follows : Daniel, a resident of Mortons- 
 ville, Morgan county, Indiana; Anstus, who 
 lives upon our subject's farm in Ayres town- 
 ship, this county; Hetty, who is now acting 
 as housekeeper for our subject; Eliza, who 
 died at the age of thirteen years; and John 
 Quincy Adams, a resident of Douglas 
 county, Illinois, who is living two miles 
 northwest of our subject's farm. 
 
 In the schools of his native county 
 Henry C. Owen began his education, but 
 the greater part of it was obtained in the 
 schools of Morgan county, Indiana, where 
 the family located when he was but seven 
 years of age. On laying aside his text 
 books, at the age of seventeen years, he 
 turned his attention to farming, which oc- 
 cupation he has made his life work. His 
 labors were interrupted by his enlistment, 
 in November, 1864, in Company A, Thirty- 
 third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, com- 
 manded by Captain Dilley and Colonel 
 Burton. After being mustered in at Indi- 
 anapolis, he was assigned to a detached 
 regiment, of which Benjamin Harrison was 
 colonel, and was on duty in Alabama, 
 Georgia and Tennessee. He participated 
 in a number of skirmishes but in no severe 
 engagements with the exception of the bat- 
 tle of Nashville. He did not join his own 
 regiment until about April, 1865. At Dai- 
 ton, Georgia, his command was shut off 
 
 24 
 
 from the main army by the rebels, and for 
 a month lived on one-fourth rations. One 
 night Mr. Owen drew his beans and after 
 eating a portion decided to save the re- 
 mainder for breakfast, but about midnight 
 he awoke so hungry that he could wait no 
 longer and accordingly finished them, leav- 
 ing nothing for his breakfast. He has often 
 said that nothing ever tasted as good to 
 him as those beans eaten in the middle of 
 the night. He was mustered out at Indian- 
 apolis, in April, 1865. 
 
 Immediately after his return home, Mr. 
 Owen came to Illinois, and first located in 
 Vermilion county, where he purchased 
 forty acres of land, making his home there 
 until 1872. He then purchased one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres on section 33, Ayres 
 township, Champaign county, and here he 
 has since resided. When he located there- 
 on the farm was but a blue grass pasture, 
 but he commenced at once to improve and 
 cultivate it, and now has one of the finest 
 farms of its size in his section of the county. 
 He has given considerable attention to stock 
 raising, and now has a fine flock of thor- 
 ough-bred sheep, but of late years has 
 given more attention to grain. His first 
 home here consisted of only two rooms, 
 but in the fall of 1892 he erected his pres- 
 ent handsome brick residence, which is sup- 
 plied with all modern conveniences, includ- 
 ing a furnace and telephone. 
 
 On the 23d of April, 1871, Mr. Owen 
 was united in marriage with Miss Augusta 
 Anderson, a native of Sweden, who died 
 December 14, 1893, and was laid to rest in 
 Pleasant Ridge cemetery, Douglas county. 
 She was a faithful member of the Method- 
 ist church and a most estimable lady. The 
 children born of this union were Clara and 
 Daniel, both at home. The son is being 
 
462 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 educated at Allerton, Illinois, and when not 
 in school assists his father on the farm. 
 
 Mr. Owen is a prominent member of 
 the Pleasant Ridge Methodist church, of 
 which he is one of the trustees and stewards, 
 and has also been a teacher in the Sunday 
 school for a number of years. The Repub- 
 lican party finds in him a stanch supporter 
 of its principles, but he does not care for 
 political preferment, desiring rather to give 
 his individed attention to his fanning inter- 
 ests. He has manifested his interest in 
 educational affairs by most acceptably serv- 
 ing as school director for seventeen years. 
 
 W. MONTGOMERY. Not 
 every county in the great state of Illi- 
 nois was so fortunate in the character of its 
 founders as was Champaign county, and, 
 undoubtedly, much of its success and re- 
 markable prosperity is due to the energetic, 
 upright citizens who came here when the 
 land was wild and unclaimed, bearing little 
 promise of the great future in store for this 
 region. For the most part these sturdy 
 frontiersmen were law-abiding, God-fearing 
 men, whose second thought, after building 
 a sheltering cabin for their loved ones and 
 making some provision for their immediate 
 needs, was to establish schools and churches 
 and start the machinery of a useful, thrifty 
 community. Upon such a substantial basis, 
 and with such citizens, what could be ex- 
 pected other than what has occurred in the 
 history of this county? the waste places 
 have been made to "bloom and blossom 
 like the rose," and happy homes are to be 
 found upon every hand. 
 
 George W. Montgomery, one of the true 
 and loyal citizens of Champaign county for 
 
 the past forty-four years, was born in Salem 
 county, New Jersey, May 15, 1843. In 
 that same county his father, Gilpin Mont- 
 gomery, had had his birth thirty-five years 
 previously, and upon arriving at maturity 
 had married Elizabeth McCoombs, of that 
 locality. They removed to Ohio in the fall 
 of 1849, an d for a period of seven years 
 were engaged in farming near Urbana. In 
 1856 they concluded to try their fortunes in 
 Illinois, and after living on rented land in 
 Mahomet township for about a year, they 
 bought a partly improved homestead in the 
 same township. Building a substantial 
 barn and enlarging the house, and making 
 other marked improvements, they continued 
 to prosper and eventually owned two hun- 
 dred acres -of productive land. The wife 
 and mother was summoned to the silent 
 land in 1864, and the father died in 1883, 
 at the ripe age of seventy-five years. His 
 last years were passed in Erie, Neosho 
 county, Kansas, where his daughter, Mary, 
 wife of Wilson Weeks, also departed this 
 life, and where Abraham Montgomery yet 
 makes his home. The oldest surviving son, 
 Samuel Hyde, resides near Rising Station, 
 Illinois. 
 
 As may be inferred, George W. Mont- 
 gomery had very limited educational advan- 
 tages, for two reasons: first, that the schools 
 of his boyhood in the localities where he 
 dwelt were poor in character; and, second- 
 ly, that the arduous labors of clearing and 
 improving farms kept him extremely busy 
 the year round. Even in the winters, when 
 some of his comrades attended school, he 
 usually worked hard at cutting timber, and 
 thus he was left to his own resources in the 
 matter of education. 
 
 A very important event in the life of our 
 subject occurred when he was twenty-three 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 463 
 
 years of age, as, on February 22, 1866 (the 
 anniversary of the birth of his illustrious 
 namesake), he was united in marriage with 
 Susan B. King, whose father, David King, 
 was an early settler of this county, coming 
 here from Kentucky. When he retired 
 from active cares he lived in Urbana for a 
 period and spent his last days in Champaign. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Montgomery be- 
 gan housekeeping upon a farm in Mahomet 
 township, and later he carried on farming 
 in Hensley and Condit townships. In the 
 spring of 1899 he bought his present home- 
 stead, on section 16, Mahomet township a 
 place of fifty-three acres. Prior to this, 
 however, he had owned land in Ludlow 
 township, but had not made his home there. 
 He keeps a good grade of horses and Jersey 
 cattle, and has made a specialty of this 
 branch of farming. 
 
 Politically, our subject has been a life- 
 long Democrat, casting his first presidential 
 ballot for General George B. McClelian, in 
 1864. In 1896, as he did not favor the 
 silver standard, he voted for Palmer. He 
 has never been an aspirant to official dis- 
 tinction, nor would he accept positions 
 when urged to do so. At the same time 
 he has liberally aided in the maintenance of 
 all worthy local enterprises and has per- 
 formed his duty as a citizen and neighbor. 
 Both he and his wife are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church and take a 
 deep interest in the numerous departments 
 of work carried on by the prosperous de- 
 nomination. 
 
 VICTOR ARNOLD, an honored and 
 highly respected citizen of Condit town- 
 ship, is now practically living a retired life 
 on section 16, five miles from Fisher, where 
 
 he owns a highly cultivated and desirable 
 farm of three hundred and twenty acres. 
 He dates his residence in Champaign county 
 since the spring of 1865, and for many years 
 he was actively identified with its agricultural 
 interests. 
 
 Mr. Arnold was born in Jersey township, 
 Licking county, Ohio, December 14, 1821, 
 and is a son of Charles Arnold, whose birth 
 occurred in Morris county, New Jersey, in 
 1788. His grandfather, Colonel Arnold, 
 served with distinction as an officer in the 
 Revolutionary war, and his hotel at Norris- 
 town, New Jersey, was used as headquarters 
 by General Washington when the army was 
 in camp there. He was a prominent man 
 of Morris county, and served as sheriff for 
 some time. In his native county Charles 
 Arnold grew to manhood and married Eliza- 
 beth Wolfe, who was also born there, a 
 daughter of Squire Wolfe. They continued 
 their residence there until after the birth of 
 four of their children, and then moved to 
 Licking county, Ohio, which at that time 
 was a vast, unbroken wilderness. Mr. 
 Arnold cleared and improved three farms in 
 that county, and later removed to Delaware 
 county, Ohio, where he spent his last days, 
 dying there in 1851. His first wife, the 
 mother of our subject, died in 1823, but his 
 last wife survived him for a time. 
 
 Victor Arnold is the youngest in a family 
 of eight children, five sons and three daugh- 
 ters, all of whom grew to maturity, but he 
 is now the only survivor. He was reared 
 and educated in Licking and Delaware coun- 
 ties, and remained at home, aiding in the 
 operation of the farm, until sixteen years old. 
 
 In the former county he was married, in 
 1842, to Miss Ann M. Condit, who was born 
 there and was a daughter of Wickliff 
 Condit. 
 
464 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Coming to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 in 1865, Mr. Arnold purchased his present 
 farm of three hundred and twenty acres on 
 sections 16 and 17, Condit township, which 
 at that time was all. raw prairie land, and 
 the only improvement was an old house. 
 He broke the virgin soil, built fences, set out 
 an orchard in 1864, planted forest and 
 ornamental trees, erected a good set of farm 
 buildings, and later built a comfortable and 
 commodious residence. He continued the 
 cultivation of his land until 1883, when he 
 hired a man to carry it on, while he removed 
 to Champaign, where he bought residence 
 property and lived until 1895. During that 
 year he returned to the farm, which is now 
 operated under his supervision and kept in 
 good repair by him. Forsorne years he was 
 extensively engaged in sheep raising, but 
 later turned his attention principally to cattle 
 and hogs and became quite a successful 
 farmer and stock raiser, 
 
 Mr. Arnold lost his first wife in 1892, 
 and her remains were interred in Champaign 
 cemetery. She left five children, namely: 
 I. P. , a business man of Findlay, Ohio; J. 
 Aubert, a commercial traveler residing in In- 
 dianapolis; Julia, wife of George Barton, of 
 Kansas City ; Sarah, a resident of Champaign ; 
 and Emma L. , wife of Rev. R. M. Stephen- 
 son, a Presbyterian minister now located in 
 Omaha, Nebraska; Grant, the second in 
 order of birth, died at the age of twenty- 
 nine years, leaving a wife and two children. 
 Our subject was again married, in Chicago, 
 October 10, 1893, his second union being 
 with Mrs. Mary Rupert, a daughter of 
 Ephraim Finch, of Monroe county, New 
 York, where she was reared and educated. 
 Her first husband, William A. Rupert, died 
 in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1866, leaving one son, 
 William A. Jr., who is now married and 
 
 lives in Yates Center, Woodson county, 
 Kansas. 
 
 Originally Mr. Arnold was an old-line 
 Whig in politics and cast his first presidential 
 ballot for Henry Clay, but is now identified 
 with the Democratic party. He was offici- 
 ally connected with the schools of his dis- 
 trict for a number of years, both in Ohio 
 and Illinois, and has always taken a deep 
 and commendable interest in educational 
 affairs. He and his wife are consistent 
 members of the Presbyterian church, and 
 are highly respected and esteemed by all 
 who know them on account of their sterling 
 worth and many excellences of character. 
 
 /"CHARLES NOFFTZ, a highly respected' 
 V_y farmer and large land owner residing 
 on section 8, Pesotum township, has through 
 his own well-directed efforts met with won- 
 derful success in life, and is now able to lay 
 aside all business cares and spend the re- 
 mainder of his life in ease and quiet. As a 
 young man of twenty-three years he came 
 to America, and with no capital started 
 out in a strange land to overcome the dif- 
 ficulties and obstacles in the path to pros- 
 perity. His youthful dreams have been 
 realized, and in their happy fulfillment he 
 sees the fitting reward of his earnest toil. 
 
 Mr. Nofftz was born in Prussia, Ger- 
 many, in 1834, a son of Charles and Anna 
 Mary Nofftz, also natives of that country. 
 The father, who was a laborer and well re- 
 spected by his neighbors, died in his native 
 land in 1854, leaving a widow and nine 
 children, four sons and five daughters. 
 About three years after his death the fa mil] 
 emigrated to America, where the childrer 
 have made homes for themselves and rearec 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 465 
 
 their families. Six of therr. are still living, 
 namely: Caroline, wife of August Kreiger, 
 a respected farmer of Pesotum township, 
 this county; Minnie, the wife of F. Bial- 
 eschke, a large land owner of the same 
 township; Anna, wife of Theodore Prestine, 
 a farmer of Pesotum township; Gertrude, 
 widow of a Mr. Esner, of Chicago, where 
 she resides; Charles, our subject; and Al- 
 bert, a farmer of Pesotum township. The 
 mother passed away at the home of our sub- 
 ject in 1880. 
 
 In the common schools of his native 
 land Charles Nofftz acquired a good, prac- 
 tical education, and after leaving school 
 worked as a laborer, for some years. He 
 was twenty-three, when with his mother and 
 her family he came to the United States, 
 where a brother and sister of our subject 
 had previously located. He spent three 
 months in Chicago working for his brother- 
 in-law, who had advanced the money to pay 
 his passage, and then came to Champaign 
 county, where he was employed as a farm 
 laborer for several years. He was not only 
 without capital, but was unable to speak 
 the English language, and had to begin life 
 here at the bottom of the ladder, which he 
 successfully mounted by hard work a.nd per- 
 severance. 
 
 In 1 86 1 Mr. Nofftz married Miss Sophia 
 Messman, a native of Germany, who came 
 to this country with her parents. Of the 
 eleven children bon of this union, one died in 
 infancy, and Dora died at the age of nine- 
 teen years. Those living are as follows: (i) 
 Albert J., a prosperous farmer of Pesotum 
 township, is married and has four chil- 
 dren, Henry, Emma, Clara and Walter. (2) 
 Rosa is the wife of Charles Cekender, of the 
 same township, and they have nine children 
 Albert, Minnie, Charles, William, Harry, 
 
 Edward, Julia, Kate and Edith. (3) Will- 
 iam, who lives upon a part of his father's 
 farm and also owns eighty acres of land, is 
 married and has three children, Chester, 
 Marie and William. (4) John, a farmer of 
 Champaign township, is married and has 
 two children, Clarence and Howard. (5) 
 Julia is the wife of Paul Messman and has 
 two children Clarene and Mabel. (6) George, 
 (7) Charels and (8) Katie are all at home with 
 their parents. (9) Fred, who lives on a farm 
 adjoining his father's is married and has one 
 child. 
 
 For about three years after his marriage 
 Mr. Nofftz continued to work for others as 
 a farm hand, but in 1864 purchased twenty 
 acres of prairie land, and when that was 
 paid for he bought another twenty acres. 
 He would work by the month for neighbors 
 and after the day's work was done would 
 return home and devote his evenings to the 
 improvement of his own place, building 
 fences, cribs, etc. In this way he secured 
 a start until able to give his entire time and 
 attention to his own farming. Success 
 attended his efforts and he added to his farm 
 from time to time until he now has four 
 hundred and eighty acres of valuable and 
 well improved land in Pesotum township, 
 besides an improved farm of the same size 
 in Franklin county, Nebraska. Now, after 
 many long years of hard work, he is able to 
 retire from active labor and enjoy a well- 
 deserved rest. He has made all of the im- 
 provements upon his place, including the 
 erection of good and substantial buildings 
 and the planting of an orchard and smaller 
 friends. With the aid of his sons and by 
 good management he has acquired a com- 
 fortable competence, but while struggling to 
 get a start in life, he was forced to endure 
 all kinds of hardships and privations, which 
 
466 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 seems to him now almost impossible. All 
 of the sons remained home and assisted their 
 father until they were twenty-one years of 
 age. He then gave each one a good team 
 of horses, wagon and harness and let them 
 have eighty acres of land to which to start 
 in life. 
 
 As a Republican, Mr. Nofftz takes an 
 active interest in political affairs, but has 
 never been prevailed upon to accept office, 
 though several positions have been offered 
 him. He is an active and prominent mem- 
 ber of the Evangelical Lutheran church of 
 Sadorus, of which he is a liberal supporter, 
 and was a large contributer to the fund for 
 the erection of the new church. He is a 
 quiet, unassuming man, but makes many 
 friends, and is held in high regard by all 
 who know him. 
 
 HUGH MITCHELL. For over forty 
 years this gentleman has resided in 
 Champaign county, and his name is insep- 
 arably connected with its agricultural inter- 
 ests, his present home being on section 33, 
 Brown township. His thoroughly Ameri- 
 can spirit and his great energy have enabled 
 him to mount from a lowly position to one 
 of affluence. One of his leading charac- 
 teristics in business affairs is his fine sense 
 of order and complete system and the 
 habit of giving careful attention to details, 
 without which success in any undertaking 
 is never an assured fact. He is a man of 
 intrinsic worth, esteemed in all the relations 
 of life. 
 
 Mr. Mitchell was born in Lancaster 
 county, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1834. 
 His father, John Mitchell, was born in 
 Maryland, in 1802, and when a young man 
 
 went to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, 
 where he married Nancy Edgar, a native of 
 that state. He moved to Ohio in 1834 and 
 opened up a farm in Harrison county. 
 Being a blacksmith by trade, he also built a 
 shop, and engaged in that business in con- 
 nection with farming. About 1860 he dis- 
 posed of his property in Ohio, and joinec 
 his children in Illinois, locating in New- 
 comb township, Champaign county. His 
 last years were spent at the home of GUI 
 subject, where he died in the spring of 
 1896. His wife had passed away some 
 years previous, dying in 1874. 
 
 In Harrison county, Ohio, Hugh Mitch- 
 ell grew to manhood, and as his school 
 privileges were limited he is practically 
 self-educated as well as a self made man. 
 In 1856 he came to Illinois, and spent three 
 years in herding- sheep in Sangamon county. 
 In the spring of 1859 he came to Cham- 
 paign county, where he operated a rentec 
 farm for a time, and with the money h( 
 managed to save he purchased eighty acre 
 of land in Ringgold county, Iowa. He sooi 
 returned to this county, however, and en- 
 gaged in farming here upon rented land 
 until the Civil war broke out. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Mitchell enlisted as fiftl 
 sergeant in Company F, One Hundred and 
 Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 and was later promoted to second sergeant. 
 His regiment was assigned to the Army of 
 Tennessee, and participated in the battles of 
 Perryville, Kenesaw Mountain, Chicka- 
 mauga and Missionary Ridge. They were 
 in the numerous engagements of the At- 
 lanta campaign, and assisted in capturing 
 Jonesboro, the key to Atlanta. After the 
 fall of the latter city, they went with Sher- 
 man on the march to the sea, and ther 
 through the Carolinas, taking part in the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 467 
 
 battle of Bentonville the last engagement 
 of the war. From there they marched to 
 Richmond and on to Washington, D. C., 
 where they took part in the grand review. 
 Mr. Mitchell was never confined to the hos- 
 pital and lost no time from sickness. At 
 Washington he was mustered out, and hon- 
 orably discharged at Chicago, in June, 
 1865. 
 
 After the war Mr. Mitchell located in 
 Bloomington, Illinois, where he engaged in 
 buying and shipping stock for about a year. 
 He traded his Iowa farm for eighty acres of 
 land in Newcomb township. Champaign 
 county, upon which he located in 1866, and 
 again turned his attention to agricultural 
 pursuits. He added to his farm forty acres, 
 and later two eighty-acre tracts, making 
 two hundred and eighty acres of valuable 
 land in a body, upon which he built a good 
 substantial residence and barn. Subse- 
 quently he bought a farm of one hundred 
 and sixty acres in the same township, and 
 made many valuable improvements thereon. 
 After operating it until 1892, he purchased 
 the farm of four hundred and forty acres in 
 Brown township, where he has since made 
 his home. He is a hard-working and indus- 
 trious man of good business and executive 
 ability, and is to-day one of the most sub- 
 stantial citizens of his community, having 
 accumulated a fine estate of eight hundred 
 acres of land, divided into three well-im- 
 proved and valuable farms. 
 
 In this county, Mr. Mitchell was mar- 
 ried. September 20, 1870, to Miss Elizabeth 
 J. Groves, a native of Bunker Hill, Macou- 
 pin county, Illinois, and a daughter of Rev. 
 Isaac Groves, of Champaign. She received 
 a good education and successfully engaged 
 in teaching for some years prior to her mar- 
 riage. By this union were born eight chil 
 
 dren: Ralph is married to Miss Minerva 
 Hinton, and is engaged in farming in New- 
 comb township; Charley married Miss Anna 
 Cornell and follows the same occupation in 
 Brown township; Nellie is the wife of O. N. 
 Kurtz, a farmer of this county; Minnie is 
 the wife of Adrian Wornmeldorff, also a 
 farmer of this county, John, Roy, Frank, 
 and Belle, all at home attending the local 
 school. 
 
 Since voting for John C. Fremont in 
 1856, Mr. Mitchell has supported every 
 presidential candidate of the Republican 
 party, but has never sought political pre- 
 ferment. He has been connected with the 
 school board for several years, and always 
 takes an active interest in any enterprise 
 calculated to advance the welfare of his 
 township and county. He is an honored 
 member of the Grand Army.Dewey Post, of 
 Fisher, and both he and his wife hold mem- 
 bership in the Methodist Episcopal church 
 of Shiloh. 
 
 JOSEPH D. TAYLOR, one of the enter 
 prising farmers of Champaign county, is 
 a self made man, owing his present suc- 
 cess and influence in the community to his 
 own industry and enterprise in the manage- 
 ment of his business affairs. He has been 
 a friend to education and progress along all 
 lines, and has used his ballot and means for 
 the promotion of the public weal. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 Simon Taylor, was born in Virginia and at 
 an early day removed to Bourbon county, 
 Kentucky. In that locality John H. Taylor 
 was born in 1809, and upon arriving at ma- 
 turity he wedded Eliza Liter, a native of the 
 same county. They continued to dwell there, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits until the 
 death of Mr. Taylor, in 1849. 
 
 One of the children of John H. and Eliza 
 Taylor was Joseph D., whose birth took 
 place August 4, 1834, on the old homestead 
 in Bourbon count)'. He received some ed- 
 ucation in the subscription schools of the 
 period and early mastered the details of 
 farming under his father's judicious super- 
 vision. In 1861 he came to Champaign 
 county, where he had previously purchased 
 land, and where his widowed mother had 
 taken up her abode some ten years before. 
 Arriving here, the young man managed his 
 mother's homestead for two years, and then 
 traded his own property in Mahomet town- 
 ship for another tract near his present res- 
 idence. About that time he returned to 
 his native state and was married, and with 
 his bride began housekeeping on his new 
 homestead, where they dwelt for seventeen 
 years. A good opportunity then presenting 
 itself, he traded that place for another one, 
 comprising one hundred and nine acres, in 
 the same township. He has remodeled the 
 house and made various substantial improve- 
 ments, and to-day the place is considered 
 one of the valuable and truly desirable farms 
 in the township. He has made a business of 
 keeping a high grade of live stock, and rare- 
 ly fails in any of his undertakings, E.S he uses 
 excellent judgment and common sense. 
 Aided by his wife, who has, indeed, been a 
 true helpmate, he has amassed a compe- 
 tency and need have no fear for his declin- 
 ing years. He has served as a director of 
 the local school board, but has not been an 
 aspirant to public office. Politically, he is 
 a Democrat of no uncertain stamp, and has 
 been loyal to his party ever since casting his 
 first ballot for Millard Fillmore in 1856. 
 
 In Bath county, Kentucky, the marriage 
 
 of Mr. Taylor and Nancy Spratt was solem- 
 nized January 12, 1864. She was born in 
 the county mentioned, a daughter of A. G. 
 and Mary Ann (Duty) Spratt, also of Ken- 
 tucky. Eight children blessed the union of 
 Mr. Taylor and wife. George A. is married 
 and resides in Wyoming, and Hattie is the 
 wife of George C. Williams, a farmer of this 
 county. Alice and Eliza D., young ladies, 
 are at home, and Mamie A. is one at the 
 successful teachers of the county schools. 
 J. Frank and Grace are attending the local 
 schools. Kate was called to the better land 
 when in the eighth year of her age. When 
 she was young, Mrs. Taylor joined the 
 Methodist Episcopal church in her native 
 state, and ever since that time she has led a 
 beautiful Christian life. Both she and her 
 estimable husband possess many of the traits 
 of character that inevitably endear, and their 
 friends are numbered only by their acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 CAPTAIN JOSEPH DAVIDSON, de- 
 v_> ceased, was one of the prominent men 
 of Philo township, as well as one of its most 
 successful and prosperous farmers. He was 
 born in Toronto, Lawrence county, Ohio, 
 June 15, 1820, a son of Colonel Joseph 
 and Amy Davidson. The father was a 
 very influential and popular citizen of that 
 county, where he served as sheriff for many 
 years; was also a representative from his dis- 
 trict to the Legislature for four years, and 
 was an officer in the war of 1812. By his 
 first marriage he had only one child, Joseph, 
 our subject. The wife and mother died in 
 1829, and he was again married. Four 
 children were born of the second union, 
 one son and three daughters, all of whom 
 are now deceased. 
 
CAPT. JOSEPH DAVIDSON. 
 
. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Captain Davidson remained on the home 
 place until seventeen years of age, and 
 being a poor boy he sought any kind of em- 
 ployment for his support. For about eight 
 years he was connected with the flat boats 
 on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, plying 
 between Cincinnati and New Orleans, and 
 experienced the usual hardships and difficul- 
 ties of river men. Later he operated a 
 boat on the Tennessee river, and during the 
 war of the Rebellion was employed by the 
 United States government, transporting 
 troops and supplies. In this business he 
 met with excellent success financially. He 
 became captain of the J. H. Dohn, and 
 later built the J. H. Dohn No. 2, of which 
 he was in command. He transported the 
 first prisoners from Fort Donelson to Vicks- 
 burg for exchange, but later his craft was 
 used entirely by the army officials. He was 
 one of the most skillful pilots on the river, 
 and continued in that business until 1864, 
 when he sold his boats and returned to Iron- 
 ton, Ohio, where he was engaged in the 
 mercantile business with his brother-in-law 
 as partner and manager for a year, at the 
 end of which time he came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, but for two years longer 
 retained his interest in the business. 
 
 In 1850 Captain Davidson was united 
 in marriage with Miss Eliza Frampton, an 
 estimable lady and a native of Ohio, 
 and to them were bom six children, two of 
 whom are now living, Ada, wife of Chester 
 E. Bowman, a successful farmer of Tolono 
 township, this county, by whom she has 
 one son. Joseph C. ; and Joseph M., a grain 
 inspector of St. Louis. The wife and 
 mother died at their home in Ohio, in 1856, 
 and the Captain was again married, in 1865, 
 his second union being with Miss Susan F. 
 Hover, a native of Chester county, Pennsyl- 
 
 vania, and a daughter of David and Eliza- 
 beth (Frame) Hover, natives of Maryland. 
 The# spent their last days in Ohio. Mrs. 
 Davidson had a grandfather and an uncle 
 who were soldiers in the war of 1812, and 
 another uncle in the Civil war. She also 
 had three brothers in the latter conflict: 
 David E., a major; James V., a captain; 
 and Henry S. , a private. The la?t named 
 was discharged at the end of three years 
 from the service on account of illness, but 
 the others served all through the war. In 
 the family were eleven children, seven sons 
 and four daughters, all of whom reached 
 years of maturity, married and had families. 
 Those still living are Mary J., widow of L. 
 Minx, and a resident of Parkersburg, West 
 Virginia; Melissa, widow of William Nich- 
 ols and a resident of Belpre, Ohio; Allie E., 
 wife of Rev. Thomas H. Rymer, of Ripley, 
 West Virginia, by whom she has two sons 
 and a daughter, one son now attending the 
 St. Louis Medical College; Susan, widow of 
 our subject; William M., who lives in Den- 
 ' ver, Colorado, and is interested in the Crip- 
 ple Creek gold mines; and Fleming S., a 
 ranch owner and real estate dealer of Le 
 Mar, Colorado. 
 
 On coming to this county, Captain Dav- 
 idson made his home in Champaign for 
 two years, but preferring a more quiet life 
 than the city affords, he purchased a farm 
 of one hundred and sixty acres of land in 
 Philo township, to the improvement and 
 cultivation of which he devoted the re- 
 mainder of his life. He built a comfortable 
 residence, good and substantial outbuildings 
 for the accommodation of his stock, planted 
 an orchard, set out ornamental trees and 
 shrubbery, and in other ways beautified his 
 place. He also extended its boundaries 
 from time to time until he became one of 
 
472 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the largest land owners of his community, 
 having over six hundred acres of well im- 
 proved land at the time of his death, upon 
 which he had expended several thousand 
 dollars for tiling. 
 
 Captain Davidson died at his home, 
 April 28, 1898, and at his request was buried 
 on the farm which he loved so well. He 
 was a kind and considerate husband and 
 father, and was popular with his many 
 friends. Although he met with some re- 
 verses in life, he steadily prospered in his 
 undertakings, and the success that came to 
 him was due entirely to his own good 
 management, hard work, perseverance and 
 enterprise, for on starting out in life for 
 himself he was in limited circumstances 
 and at his death was a comparatively wealthy 
 man. He was a Republican in politics but 
 never cared for the honors or emoluments 
 of public office, preferring to give his undi- 
 vided attention to his home and farming in- 
 terests. He was a very charitable man, 
 thinking nothing but good of all men. He 
 assisted many men to get a start in life, and 
 in all things was extremely liberal. Mrs. 
 Davidson is a most estimable woman, loved 
 and respected by all who know her. For a 
 third of a century she was a true and faith- 
 ful helpmeet to her husband, and now cher- 
 ishes and reveres his memory with a love that 
 time cannot efface. She is a member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, still re- 
 taining her membership in the old church 
 in Ohio, which she joined when thirteen 
 years of age. 
 
 TJEZEKIAH S. NICHOLS. In study- 
 l I ing the lives and characters of promi- 
 nent men, we are naturally led to inquire 
 
 into ths sscret of their success and the mo- 
 tives that have prompted their action. Suc- 
 cess is a question of genius, as held by many, 
 but is it not rather a matter of experience 
 and sound judgment; for when we trace the 
 career of those who stand highest in public 
 esteem, we find in nearly every case that 
 they are those who have risen gradually, 
 fighting their way in the face of all opposi- 
 tion, self-reliance, conscientiousness, ener- 
 gy, honesty these are the traits of charac- 
 ter that insure the highest emoluments and 
 greatest success, and to these may we at- 
 tribute the success that has crowned the 
 efforts of Mr. Nichols, a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Sadorus, Illinois. 
 
 He was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, 
 April ii, 1833, and is the eldest son of 
 Judson and Mary A. (Wells) Nichols, also 
 natives of Fairfield, where for generations 
 the Nichols family has lived and flourished, 
 his ancestors being among the early Pil- 
 grims. The father was born July 19, 1795, 
 and in early life followed the sea, being 
 owner and captain of a vessel in the mer- 
 chant service, plying between New York 
 and Boston. He followed that life for a 
 number of years, but later turned his atten- 
 tion to agricultural pursuits, being thus en- 
 gaged at the time of his death, which 
 occurred in Fairfield, December 14, 1858. 
 His wife survived him many years, and 
 made several visits to our subject with her 
 daughter, who lived with her. She was 
 born April 27, 1806, and died in Connecti- 
 cut July 5, 1871. One son, Franklin 
 Wells, born in 1836, served as a soldier of 
 the Civil war in a division under General 
 Banks, and died at the age of twenty-six 
 years, from disease contracted in the ser- 
 vice. Thus the family gave one noble boy 
 for their country's cause. Mary J., the 
 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 473 
 
 only daughter, born in 1840, married David 
 H. Sherword, and both are now deceased. 
 
 During his boyhood Hezekiah S. Nich- 
 ols attended the common schools and an 
 academy of his native state. When a lad 
 of fifteen he found employment on a mer- 
 chant vessel engaged in the coasting trade, 
 and at the age of nineteen made his first 
 trip round Cape Horn, bound for San Fran- 
 cisco, as second mate of the vessel. Arriv- 
 ing in that city, he remained there in 
 service on the coast and rivers of California 
 for four years, when he decided to return to 
 his home in Connecticut. He made the 
 journey by the Isthmus of Panama, being 
 there while Walker and his filibustering 
 party were at work. On his arrival home 
 he gave up a sailor's life, in 1856, after hav- 
 ing followed it for fourteen years. 
 
 On the 5th of July, 1856, Mr. Nichols 
 left New York, for Chicago, and then, with 
 letters of introduction to prominent men, he 
 came to this county, looking for a location. 
 In driving over the county he selected a 
 farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Col- 
 fax township, which he purchased and im- 
 proved, operating it with varied success for 
 seven years. 
 
 After locating upon his property and 
 partly improving it, Mr. Nichols was mar- 
 ried, January 18, 1858, to Miss Eliza H. 
 Wilkinson, who was born in Greenfield, 
 Illinois, in December, 1836. Her parents 
 were natives of England, and on coming to 
 this country first located in Virginia, but 
 later removed to Greene county, Illinois, 
 where their deaths occurred. Of their chil- 
 dren only two survive, namely: Thomas, a 
 resident of Beatrice, Nebraska; and Eliza 
 H., wife of our subject. Nine children 
 were born to Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, but five 
 died in early childhood. The others are as 
 
 follows: Judson, born December 8, 1859, 
 in Sadorus, is now associated with his 
 father in business, as manager and partner. 
 He married Emma Ford, of this county, 
 and they have five children, Hezekiah O., 
 Judson, Jr., Mary E., Stanley and Sturgis, 
 twins. Mary, born in 1866, is at home 
 with her parents. Edna, born April 26, 
 1870, is the wife of William Styan, an em- 
 ploye of Joseph Kuhn, a clothier of Cham- 
 paign, where they make their home, and 
 they have one child, Gladys. Lydia, born 
 in 1896, is the wife of Charles Rock, of 
 Champaign, an employe of Ottenheimer. 
 
 After residing upon his farm in Colfax 
 township for seven years, Mr. Nichols sold 
 his personal effects, rented the place, and 
 returned to his boyhood home, remaining 
 there two years. On again coming to Cham- 
 paign county, he purchased property in the 
 village of Sadorus and erected a modern 
 residence equipped with all the conveniences 
 obtainable. He has eight acres adjoining 
 the village, upon which he has set out fruit 
 trees and shrubs, and has made his place 
 one of the most beautiful homes in the 
 locality. 
 
 Having acquired in his travels good busi- 
 ness ability, and wishing to broaden his 
 sphere of usefulness, he purchased on old 
 mill and elevator in Sadorus, which he has 
 enlarged and remodelled at an expense of 
 several thousand dollars, and now has the 
 largest and best equipped elevator on the 
 western division of the Wabash Railroad. 
 It has fourteen dumps, with a bin capacity 
 of one hundred and twenty-five thousand 
 bushels, and is supplied with facilities for 
 grinding and shelling grain, the machinery 
 being operated by a forty-horse-power en- 
 gine. For several years Mr. Nichols has 
 handled and shipped more grain than any 
 
474 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 two men on the divison, and during the 
 busy season has averaged about seventy-five 
 carloads of corn per month. He spares 
 no expense in keeping his elevator in repair, 
 and it is one of the most substantial and 
 thoroughly equipped buildings of its kind in 
 the county. Mr. Nichols has carried on the 
 grain business with marked success since 
 1865, and also deals in lumber and coal, 
 and owns and operates a general mercan- 
 tile store with a good paying trade. For a 
 number of years he has been interested in 
 the private banking business, and having the 
 entire confidence of the community, his de- 
 posits amount to many thousand dollars. 
 Associated with him is his son Judson, who 
 is manager of the business, under the firm 
 name of H. S. Nichols & Son. Both are very 
 competent and thorough business men, and 
 in all lines do the leading business of the 
 town. Mr. Nichols' landed property now 
 amounts to about six hundred acres of land, 
 and under his supervision it has been placed 
 under excellent cultivation, thoroughly tiled 
 and well improved, being considered some 
 of the best farming property in the town- 
 ship where it is located. 
 
 In his political views, Mr. Nichols is a 
 Republican, but has never sought public 
 prominence, though he has often had official 
 positions offered him. He was a member 
 of the school board when the school house 
 was erected at Sadorus, and served as jus- 
 tice of the peace four years. He has al- 
 ways been interested in securing anything 
 that would be of advantage to his town, 
 and to all charitable and church work he is 
 a liberal giver, although not a member of 
 any religious denomination. Fraternally he 
 has been an Odd Fellow for many years, 
 and is also a member of J. R. Gordon Lodge, 
 No. 537, F. & A. M., of Sadorus. 
 
 In 1879, in company with a friend, 
 Mr. Nichols, went to Europe, and spent 
 several months sight-seeing in the different 
 countries, visiting Switzerland, Italy, Ger- 
 many, England, Scotland and Holland, 
 and all places of interest and historical fame 
 in each country. This proved a very inter- 
 esting and instructive, as well as enjoyable 
 trip. In his own state he has seen and 
 noted the wonderful changes that have taken 
 place in the last half century. The barren 
 prairies have been converted into valuable 
 farming lands and drives, ranging in early 
 days from one dollar and a quarter to five 
 dollars per acre, having risen to seventy-five 
 and one hundred dollars per acre. In those 
 pioneer days he roughed it with the early 
 settlers for several years, and has ever borne 
 his part in the development and upbuilding 
 of the county. He is a man whom it is a 
 pleasure to meet, being of a hospitable and 
 jolly disposition, one who enjoys hearing 
 and telling a good story, and in business 
 life he is courteous and obliging. He is 
 widely and favorably known as one of the 
 foremost business men of wealth in the 
 county, and as such is deserving of promi- 
 nent mention in this volume. 
 
 EDMUND R. WADE, a well-known and 
 highly esteemed citizen of Brown town- 
 ship, Champaign county, Illinois, owns and 
 operates a fine farm of three hundred and 
 twenty acres on sections 34 and 35, within 
 two miles of Fisher. He is a progressive 
 agriculturist and a man of good business 
 ability, who carries forward to successful 
 complete whatever he undertakes. 
 
 A native of Ohio, Mr. Wade was born 
 in Adams county, October 29, 1847, and is 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 475 
 
 a son of Marcus L. Wade, who was born on 
 the same farm in 1818. The grandfather, 
 Zephamiah Wade, was a native of Maryland 
 and one of the first settlers of Adams county, 
 Ohio, locating there in 1792. Being a sur- 
 veyor by profession, he helped Israel Donald- 
 son survey that part of the state. The 
 father of our subject is the youngest and 
 only survivor in a family of fifteen children, 
 seven of whom died in childhood. The 
 other lived to a remarkable old age, William 
 being ninety-two years at the time of his 
 death; Elijah, eighty-six; Washburn, eighty- 
 four; Lydia, ninety-five; Mrs. Christina 
 Trenary, eighty-four; Mrs. Ann Pennywitt, 
 eighty, and Mrs. Mahala Naylor, seventy- 
 eight. 
 
 Marcus L. Wade bought the interest of 
 the other heirs in the old homestead, and 
 engaged in farming there for some years, 
 but finally sold the place and bought another 
 farm in the same neighborhood, where he 
 still makes his home. He is a hale and 
 hearty old man of eighty-two years, and has 
 spent the last three summers with our sub- 
 ject in Illinois. His wife, v\ho bore the 
 maiden name of Caroline Lawzon, died in 
 1889. Edmund R., our subject, was their 
 only son, but they had four daughters, two 
 of whom died young, Harriet, at the age of 
 six years, and Sophrona, at the age of seven- 
 teen. The others are Mary E., wife of 
 James L. Canada, of Adarns county, Ohio; 
 and Irena, wife of Reason Naylor, of the 
 same place. 
 
 In the county of his nativity Edmund R. 
 Wade, grew to manhood, and after attending 
 the home schools for some years, he com- 
 pleted his education by a term at Otterbein 
 University. He was married, November 3, 
 1870, to Miss Susanna Potts, also a native 
 of Adams county and a daughter of David 
 
 and Elizabeth (Charles) Potts. They began, 
 their married life upon his father's farnru 
 which he assisted in operating for nine years, 
 and then bought a place in the same neigh- 
 borhood, where he carried on farming for fif- 
 teen years. In 1865 his father had come to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, and purchased 
 two hundred and forty acres in Brown town- 
 ship, where our subject now resides, and. 
 had added to it a tract of eighty acres ad- 
 joining in 1875. At that time it was par- 
 tially improved, and he rented the place for 
 several years, but in the spring of 1895 our 
 subject moved hither and has since devoted 
 his time and attention to the further de- 
 velopment and cultivation of the farm. A 
 large and pleasant residence has been built, 
 and many other improvements made, which 
 add greatly to the value and attractive ap- 
 pearance of the place. 
 
 Mr. Wade has been called upon to 
 mourn the loss of his wife, who died Janu- 
 ary 23, 1897, and was laid to rest in Naylor 
 cemetery. The children born to them 
 were Ann E., who died in Ohio when a 
 young lady; Edmund Lafayette, who mar- 
 ried Viola Pritchard and resides in West- 
 field, Illinois, where he is pursuing a theo- 
 logical course preparatory to entering the 
 ministry; Charles Henry, who married 
 Lucy Ring, of Fisher, and aids his father 
 in carrying on the home farm; Elizabeth 
 Rosetta, at home; and Oris Luther and. 
 Orla Jefferson, students in the home 
 school. 
 
 Originally Mr. Wade was a Republican 
 in politics and cast his first presidential vote 
 for General U. S. Grant in 1868, but of 
 late years has supported the Prohibition 
 party in national affairs, having always been, 
 a friend of the temperance cause. At local 
 elections, however, he votes independent of. 
 
476 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 party ties, supporting the man whom he 
 believes best qualified for the office. He is 
 now efficiently serving as school director in 
 his district. Religiously he is a prominent 
 member of the United Brethren church of 
 Fisher, with which he is officially con- 
 nected, and has been an active worker in 
 both church and Sabbath school from his 
 youth, serving as superintendent of the 
 Sabbath school a number of times in Ohio, 
 and for a year and a half in this county. 
 He is a true and earnest Christian, and is 
 highly respected by all who have the pleas- 
 ure of his acquaintance. 
 
 JOHN W. REACH. Seventy-five years 
 ago this worthy citizen of Tolono 
 was born in Rhode Island, but in view of 
 the fact that his life had been an exceeding- 
 ly busy and active one, he carries the weight 
 of his years very lightly and bids fair to 
 enjoy many more. He has been a witness 
 of remarkable changes in Illinois during the 
 nearly half a century of his residence here, 
 and is deserving of much credit for the part 
 which he has played in the achievement of 
 this grand result. 
 
 Born in February, 1825, Mr. Reach is a 
 son of Amasa and Abigail (Hull) Reach, 
 who were, likewise, natives of Rhode Island. 
 The father owned land and was occupied in 
 farming in his native state, and later in 
 Vermont and New York. The mother died 
 in the Empire state, and the father then 
 diposed of his property and spent the re- 
 mainder of his life in Illinois. Of their 
 seven children, one died in infancy, and only 
 John W. and Calista, widow of David 
 Morgan, of Arkansas, now survive. Eliza, 
 Orin, Caroline and Lawson are deceased. 
 
 In childhood John W. Reach was taken 
 to Vermont, and in the schools of that state 
 and New York he obtained his education. 
 At the age of eighteen years he secured 
 employment with the Canada & Great 
 Western Railroad, in the construction de- 
 partment, and later performed work on 
 contract. In 1853 he came to Illinois, 
 where he was placed in charge of a con- 
 struction train on the Wabash railroad and 
 assisted in laying the first steel rail of that 
 system at Naples, Illinois. This calling he 
 continued to follow successfully until 1856, 
 when he located in Springfield, this state, 
 where he was the manager of a flour mill 
 for a period. At length he settled on a farm 
 in Champaign county, where he lived for 
 about three years, when, desiring to give 
 his children better educational advantages, 
 he became a resident of Sadorus, Illinois, 
 in 1863, and remained there for twenty 
 years. In 1883 he returned to the cultiva- 
 tion of the soil, though his task was merely 
 supervising the actual work and improve- 
 ments on his farms. They comprise over 
 four hundred acres of valuable land, with 
 modern buildings and accessories, and are 
 situated in the best portions of Tolono, Pe- 
 sotum and Colfax townships. In 1891 he 
 rented his property and purchased the pleas- 
 ant home in Tolono, where he and his es- 
 timable wife reside to-day. His business 
 career is above reproach and his example 
 should be emulated by the rising generation. 
 He early recognized the fact that hard work 
 and perseverance are at the root of success, 
 in almost every instance, and he spared 
 himself no effort in the accomplishment of 
 the tasks which he had set before him. 
 
 For a wife Mr. Reach chose Jeanette, 
 daughter of William and Mary (Olmstead) 
 Sebring, who were among the earliest set- 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 477 
 
 tiers of La Salle county, Illinois. Mrs. 
 Keach was born in that locality in 1838, and 
 thus has been a witness of nearly all of the 
 great changes which time and the progres- 
 sive spirit of mankind have brought to this 
 state. The eldest child of our subject and 
 wife was Hattie, who married Herbert Craw, 
 of Sadorus, andis deceased. Alma, the next 
 child, also has passed away. She was the 
 wife of Joseph Goudie, and died, leaving 
 one child, Ina. Lewis, who carries on one 
 of the farms belonging to his father, is mar- 
 ried and has two sons, Clarence and Guy, 
 and one daughter. Merle. Bessie, who be- 
 came the wife of Ernest Rutenber, lives on 
 one of her father's farms and has one daugh- 
 ter, Marie. 
 
 Mr. Keach never associated himself 
 with fraternal organizations, nor has he 
 taken an active part in politics, contenting 
 himself with voting for the nominees of the 
 Republican party. He has strenuously 
 avoided holding public office, preferring to 
 to devote his time and attention to his busi- 
 ness affairs and family, although while living 
 in Sadorus he served as justice of the peace 
 for four years, and for six years he served as 
 commissioner of the Kaskaskia special 
 drainage district. Mrs. Keach is a faithful 
 member of the Presbyterian church, and 
 both are liberal towards the poor and 
 worthy charities. 
 
 O AMUEL J. HICKS, M. D., the leading 
 Gj physician of Ivesdale and a prominent 
 citizen of that place, was born in Ripley 
 county, Indiana, August 21, 1863, and is a 
 son of John C. Hicks, M. D., whose father 
 and grandfather were also physicians and 
 surgeons of this country. On the maternal 
 
 side the latter was of Irish descent. The 
 father of our subject has for many years 
 been successfully engaged in practice at Na- 
 poleon, Indiana. Although now sixty-one 
 years of age, he attends regularly to his 
 professional duties. He married Miss Adelia 
 C. Lamb, a native of Butler county, Ohio, 
 and to them were born four children, name- 
 ly: Samuel our subject; Albert D. , an em- 
 ploye of the Big Four Railroad Company; 
 Alice M. , at home with her parents ; and Roy 
 M., who has been employed as guard at the 
 insane asylum, at Indianapolis, Indiana, for 
 several years. 
 
 As a boy our subject received his literary 
 education in the common and high schools of 
 Cincinnati, where he lived with an aunt 
 until fifteen years of age. After his gradua- 
 tion he taught school for a year and then 
 began the study of medicine, becoming a 
 student at the Miami Medical College of 
 Cincinnati, from which he was graduated 
 with the degree of M. D., March 11, 1890. 
 Returning to Napoleon, Indiana, he engaged 
 in practice there for six years, and then 
 spent the following year in Elliot, Illinois, at 
 the end of which time he came to Ivesdale, 
 where he opened an office. He is now rec- 
 ognized as one of the leading physicians 
 and surgeons in the western part of the 
 county, and enjoys quite an extensive prac- 
 tice. 
 
 In Champaign, Dr. Hicks was married, 
 in 1893, to Miss Fanny Donley, who was 
 born near Pekin, Illinois, in 1872, and they 
 now have two children: FerolM., aged six 
 years; and Ruth C., aged three. In his 
 political views the Doctor is a Republican. 
 He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, and the Court of Honor, and is 
 examining physician for these two orders, 
 also the New York Life Insurance Company 
 
478 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 and other old line companies. He is widely 
 and favorably known, being quite popular 
 in social as well as business circles. 
 
 CHARLES D. BABB. One of the 
 \^f many native-born sons of Champaign 
 county who have achieved success within 
 its borders, C. D. Babb, is now numbered 
 among the citizens of Homer. He has an 
 abiding faith in the future of central Illi- 
 nois, believing that though great prosperity 
 has come to this region already, by the en- 
 ergetic work and watchfulness of its resi- 
 dents, still greater things are in store for us, 
 and that, in due time, it will be a veritable 
 garden of bloom and beauty, as England 
 often is styled. 
 
 His father, Milton Babb, a native of 
 West Virginia, was a thrifty, energetic busi- 
 ness man, and though he died while in his 
 prime, he left a large estate and an honored 
 name to his descendants. From his youth 
 he was interested in live stock, buying, sell- 
 ing and shipping extensively, and his busi- 
 ness brought him into contact with people 
 throughout central Illinois and other states. 
 He owned a fine homestead in North Ogden 
 township, Champaign county, where he lo- 
 cated when he was twenty-five years of age, 
 upon arriving in this state. This farm, 
 comprising ten hundred and fifty acres, was 
 improved by him, and much increased in 
 value, though his career was cut short and 
 many of his ambitious plans were not car- 
 ried into execution. He was a Republican 
 in his political views, and, with his wife, 
 was a Methodist in religious belief. She 
 was Elizabeth Littler prior to their marriage 
 and their four children were: Edwin P., 
 who married Emma Conkey, and carries on 
 
 the old homestead in Ogden township; Alice 
 J., who was the wife of George Helm, and 
 died when twenty-one years of age, leaving 
 two little girls, Mary A. and Mabel J. ; 
 James E., who wedded Daisy Tinkham, and 
 has one son, James T. ; and the subject of 
 this sketch. James E., formerly a member 
 of the firm of Fry & Babb, attorneys-at- 
 law, in Chicago, now is engaged in the 
 practice of his profession in Lewiston, 
 Idaho. After the death of her husband, 
 Mr. Babb, in 1869, the young widow, with 
 her four little ones, found that her respon- 
 sibilities were extremely heavy. She is 
 still living, her residence being in Homer. 
 The birth of C. D. Babb took place on 
 the old homestead in Ogden township, 
 January 2, 1867, and his elementary educa- 
 tion was gained in the common schools of 
 Homer. Later it was his privilege to attend 
 Illinois college at Jacksonville, where his 
 brothers and sisters also were educated in 
 the higher branches. In 1888 he obtained 
 a position as collection clerk in the Cham- 
 paign National Bank, where he continued 
 for five years, in the meantime gaining wide 
 experience in the banking business. In 1 893, 
 in company with Eugene N. Raynor, of 
 Champaign, he established real estate and 
 loan offices at Homer, and Champaign, he 
 taking charge of the one at Homer, while 
 his partner attends to the Champaign office. 
 They make a specialty of dealing in im- 
 proved and unimproved property in central 
 Illinois, and are rapidly making a place for 
 themselves in the esteem of the business 
 public. Enterprise and strict integrity are 
 the secrets of their success, and uniform 
 courtesy marks their treatment of customers. 
 On the ist of March, 1900, the firm com- 
 menced a general banking business at 
 Homer, and being young and enterprising 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 481 
 
 men, having the confidence of the business 
 community, there is no doubt of their suc- 
 cess. 
 
 On the 20th of April, 1892, Mr. Babb 
 married Alta M. Woody, daughter of Ancil 
 C. Woody, who located in this county at 
 an early day, coming here from Indiana. 
 He was engaged in the grocery business for 
 some time, and for many years was a whole- 
 sale confectioner of Decatur. At present 
 he is employed by the wholesale grocers. 
 Peyton, Palmer & Company, of Danville, 
 Illinois, as a travelling salesman, his family 
 residing in Homer. . His only son, Robert, 
 died in childhood. Susan is at home and 
 Mary is a student in the Illinois Womens' 
 College, at Jacksonville. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Babb have a little daughter, Margaret Eliza- 
 beth. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Babb is a member of 
 Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. & A. M. Poli- 
 tically, he is a Republican. Both he and 
 his wife are identified with the Presbyterian 
 church, and are liberal in their contributions 
 to local enterprises and benevolences. 
 
 M 
 
 RS. HARRIET H. RAMEY is one of 
 the honored pioneers of Champaign 
 county, which, as she first beheld it, bore 
 little resemblance to the flourishing agricult- 
 ural tract of the present day. Both she 
 and her respected husband were active in the 
 actual improvement of their homestead, and 
 for more than half a century she has mani- 
 fested her deep interest in the prosperity of 
 this section. 
 
 Her parents were Valentine and Katie 
 (Coon) Mutchler, natives of Virginia and 
 Ohio, respectively. The father went to 
 Pickaway county, Ohio, in his early man- 
 
 2ft 
 
 hood, and there engaged in farming until 
 1822, when he located in Marion county, 
 same state. There he cleared a farm which 
 was covered with a heavy growth of beech 
 trees, and finally selling it at a good price, 
 he bought land on the bank of the Sandusky 
 river, and proceeded to run a saw-mill for 
 several years. He then went to Indiana, 
 where he cleared and improved three hun- 
 dred acres and passed his last years. His 
 wife had died some years previously in 
 Marion county, about 1835. 
 
 The birth of Mrs. Harriet H. Ramey 
 occurred in Pickaway county, Ohio, Decem- 
 ber 22, 1 820, and her early years were spent 
 upon her father's farms in the depths of the 
 forest. She was young when she gave her 
 hand in marriage to Samuel Ramey, the 
 ceremony which united their destinies being 
 performed January 31, 1839. He was a 
 native of Ross county, Ohio, born in 1819, 
 and his father, Presley Ramey, was one of 
 the first settlers in that portion of the state, 
 coming there from his former home in Vir- 
 ginia. He passed his last years at the home- 
 of his son Samuel, his death taking place irv 
 1841. 
 
 For several years subsequent to his mar- 
 riage, Mr. Ramey rented land in Wyandotte 
 county, Ohio, and in 1848 became to Piatt 
 county, where he bought a quarter section 
 of land. During the years that he made 
 his home there he greatly improved the 
 place, and in 1883 he was enabled to dis- 
 pose of it at a good price. Coming to- 
 Mahomet, he built a substantial house,, 
 which still shelters his widow, and later he 
 bought twenty-eight acres in one tract and 
 sixty-six acres in another piece not far from 
 the railroad station. For some years after 
 coming to this place he continued to cul- 
 tivate his land, and was regarded as one of 
 
482 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the most practical and successful agricult- 
 urists of the town. 
 
 In all of his dealings with his fellow- 
 men, Mr. Ramey was strictly upright and 
 just, his example being well worthy of 
 emulation. He never failed to do his full 
 share as a public-spirited citizen, and was 
 actively interested in the Democratic party, 
 though in local elections he supported the 
 best man or principle regardless of party 
 lines. At length, when his life work had 
 been well rounded out, he was summoned to 
 his reward, May 28, 1893, in the seventy- 
 fifth year of his age. 
 
 Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Ramey, four died in early years, and 
 Stephen, on whom the worthy couple built 
 their brightest hopes, died when in his 
 eighteenth year. One daughter, Letha, sur- 
 vives and is the wife of William Comer, of 
 Mansfield, Illinois, and they have seven 
 children, in each of whom Mrs. Ramey 
 takes great pride and comfort. For the 
 past five years she has had as her constant 
 friend and companion, Miss Eliza Jane 
 Parker, daughter of John Parker, of Pike 
 county. Loved and looked up to by all 
 who know her, she is quietly and happily 
 passing her declining years, secure in the 
 esteem and friendship of everyone, and free 
 from regrets over the past, for she has 
 earnestly striven to do her duty toward God 
 and man. 
 
 DF. D. HINTON. The hardy frontiers- 
 man of America had much greater 
 tasks before him than the mere tilling of the 
 soil for forests there were to raze, prairies 
 to be broken, rivers to bridge, roads to 
 make, privations and hardships innumerable 
 to endure, trials and dangers which might 
 
 make the bravest heart quail, yet rarely has 
 he faltered in the noble work, none the less 
 grand because self-imposed the work 
 which means civilization and progress in 
 regions hitherto uninhabited save by the red 
 men and wild beasts. In the mighty work 
 of rendering the great state of Illinois a fit- 
 ting place for mankind, D. F. D. Hinton 
 certainly has done his share, and no one is 
 more deserving of praise. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject 
 was one of the sturdy pioneers of Kentucky, 
 and in that state occurred the birth of the 
 latter's father, Judge M. L. Hinton. He 
 ' grew to manhood there and at an early day 
 went to Ohio, where he located upon a farm 
 in the depths of the forests of Ross county. 
 He was married, in the Buckeye state, to 
 Rachel, daughter of Daniel Poffenbarger, 
 both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. 
 In 1831 Mr. Hinton removed with his fam- 
 ily to Clinton county, Indiana, where he 
 cleared a homestead and spent the re- 
 mainder of his life, engaged in the quiet 
 routine of agriculture. Becoming well known 
 and thoroughly esteemed, he was honored 
 by being made county judge and justice of 
 the peace. In the last mentioned capacity 
 he served the people for twenty-four years, 
 and for a long period he was treasurer of 
 the local school board. Death put an end 
 to his useful career in 1866, and he was 
 survived for some eighteen years by his de- 
 voted wife, who had nobly shared the 
 vicissitudes of pioneer life with him. 
 
 The children of Judge Hinton and wife 
 were seven in number. The eldest, Isa- 
 belle, is the wife of Greenbury Blacker, of 
 Clinton county, Indiana. C. W. Hinton, 
 who died in Champaign county in 1898, re- 
 sided here for many years and was highly 
 esteemed. Paleman, who also died in this 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 483 
 
 county, was one of the early settlers here, 
 the date of his location here being 1851. 
 D. F. D. is the next in order of birth. Eve- 
 line, wife of Samuel bailey, lives in Clinton 
 county, Indiana, and Minerva, deceased, 
 was the wife of Matthew Osburn; Sarah J. 
 died when about ten years of age. 
 
 D. F. D. Hinton was born on the old 
 homestead in Ross county, Ohio, June 20, 
 1831, and in infancy was taken to the 
 Hoosier state, where he spent his boyhood. 
 He early learned farming in its various 
 branches, and his educational advantages 
 consisted of a few months schooling each 
 winter for a few years. One of the most 
 important events in his life was his marriage, 
 October 22, 1851, to Fannie Rowe, a school- 
 mate and neighbor. She was born in Ohio, 
 and accompanied her father, Samuel Rowe, 
 to Indiana, where the family dwelt for 
 years. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Hinton bought 
 one hundred and twenty acres of land in 
 Champaign county, at the land sale held at 
 Danville, Illinois. This property, which 
 was situated on the county line, is the place 
 now owned by R. Buchan. In the spring 
 of 1852 our subject moved to Newcomb 
 township, and during the ensuing years was 
 kept busy at the improvement and cultiva- 
 tion of his farm, which he converted from 
 wild prairie into a fertile, beautiful home- 
 stead. Selling out in 1867, he bought his 
 present farm of eighty acres, on which then 
 stood a small log cabin, and only a few acres 
 had been broken by the plow. Years rolled 
 away, and great changes for the better had 
 been instituted by the enterprising owner, 
 who later added eighty acres to his original 
 purchase, and still later bought another 
 tract of like dimensions, thus making two 
 hundred and forty acres altogether. His 
 
 home is located in section 9, Newcornb 
 township, where he carries on a quarter sec- 
 tion of land, having given eighty acres to his 
 sons. A substantial residence and barns, 
 orchard and numerous other improvements, 
 testify to his enterprise and success. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Hinton nine children 
 were born. The eldest, Michael, died: 
 November 24, 1897, but all of the others 
 are living and are respected citizens of the 
 several communities in which their lot is: 
 cast. William A. is engaged in farming on 
 the place adjoining the old homestead. 
 Jordan F. is a successful business man of 
 Fisher. W. S. is a farmer of Brown town- 
 ship, and Thomas D. is married and carries 
 on a farm in this township. Charles A. is 
 at home and aids in the management of the 
 farm. Jeanette, a young lady, is at home, 
 while Rosa B. is the wife of Samuel Wycoff 
 of this township, and Mary M. is the wife of 
 Ralph Mitchell. 
 
 As was his father before him, Mr.: 
 Hinton has been a life-long Democrat. He 
 has served his neighbors and friends in 
 numerous local offices, such as township 
 assessor, collector, trustee and commissioner, 
 of highways. In the last-named position he 
 served for twenty-four years, a portion of: 
 that period being treasurer of the board. He 
 also has used his influence in behalf of good 
 schools and educational facilities for the 
 young, and has long been an efficient mem- 
 ber of the school board. Mrs. Hinton is a' 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and all of the family are identified with 
 the grand work which this denomination is 
 carrying on. Both our subject and wife 
 have labored to perform every duty devolv- 
 ing upon them as parents, neighbors and 
 citizens, and with fortitude and true heroism 
 they mastered the difficulties of pioneer 
 
4 8 4 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 life and reared their children to take hon- 
 ored places in the " world's broad field of 
 battle." 
 
 GEORGE F. MAXWELL. Those who 
 are acquainted with the subject of this 
 sketch, and know something of the disad- 
 vantages under which he has labored in the 
 battle of life feel the highest respect and 
 admiration for him and what he has accom- 
 plished. He is a man of high principle and 
 courage, and by unflagging industry and 
 perseverance in his undertakings he has ac- 
 cumulated a considerable fortune, and at the 
 same time has discharged all of the duties 
 of citizenship in a creditable manner. 
 
 His grandfather, Jonathan Maxwell, was 
 one of the pioneers of Bartholomew county, 
 Indiana, and of Champaign county, Illinois. 
 He wedded Johanna Sterling, and in 1830 
 settled in this state, when it was looked 
 upon as the outpost of civilization. Thence- 
 forth he dwelt in Mahomet township, rear- 
 ing his children to take useful places in the 
 community. One of the number, Joseph, 
 born in Batholomew county, Indiana, May 
 1 6, 1824, grew to maturity in this town- 
 ship and here married Rosanna, daughter of 
 Samuel and Olive (Franklin) Hyde, who 
 were natives of Vermont and New York, re- 
 spectively, and had settled in Illinois in 
 1849. Joseph Maxwell became one of the 
 well-to-do and influential farmers of this 
 county and, after the death of his beloved 
 wife, January 16, 1883, he retired from act- 
 ive labors and spent his last years in Mans- 
 field, this state. His long and useful career 
 was brought to a peaceful close May 9, 1 897. 
 
 Of the children born to this worthy 
 couple, George F. Maxwell was the eldest. 
 His birth occurred on the old family home- 
 
 stead in Mahomet township, June 2, 1853, 
 and in his boyhood he mastered the details 
 of farming. When he was five years old 
 scarlet fever caused the loss of his hearing 
 and voice, and his education was obtained 
 in the Jacksonville Deaf and Dumb Insti- 
 tute, where he was graduated in the class 
 of 1873. While a student there he became 
 acquainted with Miss Phoebe M. Bird, who, 
 while not entirely deaf, had no control over 
 her vocal organs. The attachment between 
 the young people was genuine and finally 
 they were married, January 3, 1875, in East 
 Beatrice, Nebraska. Mrs. Maxwell is a 
 native of the state of New York, but re- 
 moved to Texas with her parents when she 
 was four years of age. Silas and Betsey A. 
 (Wooley) Bird, for such are their names, 
 also were born in the Empire state, and 
 after their removal to Texas the father was 
 actively engaged in merchandising and deal- 
 ing in live stock. He departed this life 
 February 22, 1859, when Mrs. Maxwell was 
 quite young. 
 
 After the marriage of our subject and 
 wife they commenced keeping house on the 
 old Maxwell homestead and by diligent at- 
 tention to every department of farming, 
 gradually acquired a competence. In 1890 
 they located upon their present place, on 
 section 17, Mahomet township. This prop- 
 erty had been improved materially by our 
 subject's father, and during the past decade 
 many other changes for the better have 
 been instituted by the thrifty owner. The 
 homestead comprises one hundred and 
 twenty acres, in addition to which Mr. 
 Maxwell owns a good residence in Mans- 
 field, while his wife is the possessor of two 
 lots and a pleasant house in Mahomet. The 
 result of their united efforts thus is some- 
 thing of which they may justly be proud and 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 485 
 
 though advantage has ofttimes been taken 
 of them by the unscrupulous, the world, as 
 a whole, has not used them unkindly and 
 their live? are peaceful and happy. They 
 have one child, Helen M., a bright, promis- 
 ing girl, now attending a neighboring school. 
 She speaks the deaf and dumb alphabet 
 with facility and also has the complete con- 
 trolof her vocal organs. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Maxwell favors the Pro- 
 hibition party with his ballot, though in 
 former years he supported the Democratic 
 platform and nominees. Religiously, both 
 he and his estimable wife are Baptists and 
 are valued workers in the denomination. 
 Their influence is always found on the side 
 of righteousness and progress, and the poor 
 and needy find in them sincere friends. 
 They are loved and honored for, their quali- 
 ties of sterling worth, and their example 
 should prove an inspiration to all who know 
 them. 
 
 TJ GRACE HAZEN. Possessing the na- 
 1 1 tive talent and keen business ability so 
 characteristic of the sons of New England, 
 Horace Hazen has made his own way in the 
 world without outside assistance or influence, 
 and now, in the evening time of life, he en- 
 joys the fruits of his former years of toil, 
 and the high regard of his scores of friends 
 and acquaintances. 
 
 This sterling citizen of Newcomb town- 
 ship, Champaign county, was born July 13, 
 1823, a son of Lyman and Polly (Ingraham) 
 Hazen, and grandson of Solomon Hazen, all 
 natives of the Green Mountain state. The 
 mother of our subject died when he was a 
 child of about three years, and he was taken 
 into the home of Abner Fuller, of Stowe, 
 Vermont. Thatgentlemanand his estimable 
 
 wife were extremely kind to the boy, treat- 
 ing him with all of the love and considera- 
 tion they would have manifested toward him 
 if he had been their own child. That he 
 appreciated this was shown later, when he 
 remained with his foster parents, buying and 
 managing the old homestead, and caring for 
 them in their declining years. 
 
 An important event in the life of Horace 
 Hazen was his marriage to Sarah Ann Kel- 
 logg, a native of Vermont, June 2, 1847. 
 She was a daughter of Warner and Jennie 
 (Gregg) Kellogg, who, likewise, were Ver- 
 mont people. The father came to the west 
 with Mrs. Hazen in 1854, after the death of 
 the mother, and died the following winter at 
 Metamora. Faithfully and cheerfully did 
 Mrs. Hazen aid her husband in the days of 
 his pioneer life, and she was beloved and 
 honored by all who had the privilege of 
 knowing her. Shepassed away attheir home, 
 January 15, 1897, and was placed to rest in 
 the cemetery at Shiloh. The four surviv- 
 ing sons of Mr. and Mrs. Hazen are fine, en- 
 terprising young business men. The eldest, 
 Fred, married Lelia Bonner, who was born 
 in Pickaway county, Ohio, and for several 
 years was successfully engaged in teaching 
 in Champaign county. Her father, W. J. 
 Bonner, removed from Ohio to Illinois many 
 years ago, and here she grew to womanhood. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hazen have four chil- 
 dren: Kate, Edna, George and Fred, Jr. 
 Pearl Hazen, who carries on a portion of his 
 father's old homestead, married Ada Jaynes 
 daughter of Amos Jaynes and has two sons 
 and two daughters: Sarah, Horace, Jennie 
 and Wiley. Mark, the next son, married 
 Cora Funston, daughter of John Funston, 
 and they reside in Champaign. Dan 
 married Jessie Reeder, daughter of Jacob 
 Reeder, and is a business man of Fisher, Illi- 
 
486 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 nois. They have one child, Cecil. The 
 two daughters of our subject and wife, Ellen 
 and Alma, were two and seven years of age, 
 respectively, when the" death angel claimed 
 them. George, the oldest of the family, 
 was accidentally killed. He was married, 
 and his daughter, Nellie, now is the wife of 
 Joseph Fletcher, of Sterling, Illinois, and 
 their child, Mildred, is the only great-grand- 
 child of our subject. Another son, Edward, 
 lived to maturity and then was summoned 
 to the silent land. 
 
 The first presidential ballot cast by 
 Horace Hazen was given to the free soil 
 candidate in 1844, but, from the time of the 
 organization of the Republican party, in 
 1856, he has never failed to be present at the 
 polls and has supported the nominees of 
 that great political body. He has rot been 
 an aspirant to official distinction, but for 
 several years was an efficient member of the 
 school board. 
 
 For two or three years subsequent to his 
 marriage, Mr. Hazen carried on a farm in 
 his native state, and then, selling out, he 
 came to the west. After spending one sum- 
 mer in Ohio he joined a colony of nine or 
 ten families who drove across the country to 
 Illinois, and passed through Mahomet, then 
 called Middleton, but continued to journey 
 to Clinton, De Witt county, where Mrs. 
 Hazen's cousin was living. Thence they 
 proceeded to Metamora and rented a house, 
 where they lived that winter. In the mean- 
 time, he and three of his brothers-in-law 
 bought adjoining farms. On his own tract 
 of eighty acres,,. Mr. Hazen erected a. good 
 house and barn .and made substantial im- 
 provements; including the planting of an 
 orchard and. shade trees. Later, he invested 
 in another tract of eighty acres next to his 
 original place, and finally, in 1875, he sold 
 
 out at a fair price, and came to Champaign 
 county. Here he purchased three hundred 
 and thirty acres of fine land, not far from 
 Shiloh, and, as the years passed, instituted 
 numerous changes which greatly increased 
 the beauty and value of the homestead. His 
 object in coming to Champaign was in order 
 to purchase enough land that he might 
 settle his boys near him. 
 
 /CLARENCE L. BALDWIN. Champaign 
 V_> county has many well-to-do and suc- 
 cessful agriculturists whose success in life 
 is due to their own individual efforts. Prom- 
 inent among these is the gentleman whose 
 name introduces this review. He is residing 
 on section 18, Pesotum township, where he 
 is industriously engaged in the prosecution 
 of his noble calling and is meeting with 
 far more than ordinary success. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin was born in Connecticut in 
 1847, and is a son of Samuel S. and Mary 
 E. (Fairchild) Baldwin, also natives of the 
 Nutmeg state, where their marriage was 
 celebrated. After following farming for a 
 time in Connecticut the father removed with 
 his family to New York state, where he 
 continued to engage in his chosen occu- 
 pation quite successfully for ten years, and 
 then, in 1856, came to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, purchasing three hundred and 
 twenty acres of land on section i 8, Pesotum 
 township, which at that time was wild and 
 unbroken prairie land and Sadorus con- 
 tained but two shanties. He took up his 
 abode near his tract and immediately be- 
 gan to improve it. . The first house erectec 
 was framed in Rome, New York, was 
 shipped by water to. Chicago and by rail tc 
 Tolono. .By hard work and with the ai< 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 487 
 
 of his sons he placed a part of his land un- 
 der cultivation the first year, and later add- 
 ed much in the way of improvements, 
 building fences and setting out fruit and 
 shade trees, which did much toward beau- 
 tifying the place. He was very active 
 throughout life. His death occurred in 1874 
 and his wife passed away in 1876. Both 
 were consistent and active members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. They were 
 the parents of six children, four sons and 
 two daughters, namely: Jerome, who was 
 a member of an Illinois regiment during the 
 Civil war and is now a resident of Chicago; 
 Melvin, a prosperous merchant of Lower 
 California; Clarence L. , our subject; Albert, 
 a farmer of Eastern Kansas; Martha L., 
 wife of Jesse Cook, a merchant of Salt Lake 
 City, Utah, where he owns a comfortable 
 home; and Carrie, wife of James Little, who 
 is in the oil business in Girard, Kansas. 
 
 The subject of this sketch began his edu- 
 cation in the common schools of New 
 York, and when ten years of age came 
 with his parents to this county, where he 
 attended school in the village of Sadorus. 
 He lived at home and assisted his father in 
 the farm work until of age, and then rented 
 land of his father and engaged in farming 
 for himself. 
 
 In December, 1869, Mr. Baldwin was 
 united in marriage with Miss Mary Rawl- 
 ings, who was born in Rush county, Indi- 
 ana, in 1851, a daughter of Coleman and 
 Eleander (Wells) Rawlings, natives of Ken- 
 tucky. Her mother died in Indiana in 
 1860, and the following year the remainder 
 of the family came to Champaign county, 
 Illinois. The father is still living at the age 
 of eighty-five years, and now makes his 
 home in eastern Kansas. He has always 
 been a very hard working man, and has had 
 
 a very eventful career as a pioneer. He 
 was three times married and by his first wife 
 had five children, three of whom are still 
 living. Mrs. Baldwin's mother was the sec- 
 ond wife, and by that union there were also 
 five children, three now living, namely: 
 Preston, who is living in eastern Kansas; 
 Mary, wife of our subject; and Florence, 
 wife of A. Little. By the last marriage 
 there is one child. Of the eight children 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, one died in 
 infancy; Charles H., proprietor of a livery 
 stable in Sadorus, is married and has one 
 daughter, Alta M. ; Edgar S., living upon a 
 part of his father's farm in Sadorus town- 
 ship, is married and has one daughter, Nel- 
 lie; Harry M. is an employe of the Vandalia 
 Railroad Company at Effingham, Illinois, 
 and Ray L., Walter J. Nellie E. and Bert 
 P. are all at home attending school. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin began their do- 
 mestic life in a rough house on the site of 
 their present comfortable home. At that 
 time the land was wild and unimproved, and 
 in order to convert it into a highly cultivated 
 tract he had to begin at the very bottom. 
 After the death of his father he purchased 
 the interest of the other heirs in the home 
 property, and is now owner of the same, 
 having two hundred and thirteen acres of 
 land in Pesotum and Sadorus township. 
 Throughout his active business life he has 
 given his entire time and attention to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, and has met with most 
 excellent success in his labors, being a thor- 
 ough and systematic farmer of good business 
 and executive ability. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin is a prominent worker in 
 the Republican party in his community, 
 though he has never been prevailed upon to 
 accept any political position. He has, 
 however, served as school director in his 
 
488 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 district for a quarter of a century, and al- 
 ways takes a deep and commendable inter- 
 est in the welfare of his township and 
 county. Althopgh not a member of any 
 church, he is a supporter of church work, 
 and is a member of the Masonic Lodge at 
 Sadorus. He is of a jovial disposition, has 
 the respect and confidence of all who know 
 him, and is very popular with his many 
 friends. 
 
 MORTIMER SMITH, an honored 
 pioneer of Homer, has experienced 
 frontier life in many phases, and has man- 
 fully and indefatigably labored for the ad- 
 vancement of civilization throughout his long 
 and varied career. A full account of the 
 many enterprises he has undertaken, the rail- 
 roads he has assisted to build, the roads he 
 has made, the forests he has hewn, the land 
 he has improved, would constitute a volume 
 of itself, and prove of interest even to those 
 who are not acquainted with him, as show- 
 ing what may be accomplished by a man of 
 determination and energy. 
 
 Mr. Smith was born in Washington 
 county, Indiana, March 2, 1833, and is 
 the son of William and Julia A. (Ransom) 
 Smith, the former a native, of Lancaster- 
 shire, England, born April 23, 1801, and the 
 latter of Albany, New York, born June 12, 
 1806. They were married September 5, 
 1826, in Harrison county, Indiana, and be- 
 came the parents of six sons and four 
 daughters, as follows: Oliver, born May 24, 
 1828, died June 5, of the same year. 
 George W., born December 22, 1829, mar- 
 ried Louisa Bliss, at Salem, Indiana, No- 
 vember 22, 1849. They have three sons 
 and two daughters. Mary E. , born January 
 6, 1831, was married in Hanover, Indiana, 
 November 14, 1854, to Daniel W. Bowen, 
 
 and became the mother of one son and four 
 daughters. She died at Fort Wayne, Indi- 
 ana, November 12, 1894. Mortimer is the 
 subject of this sketch. Milton W., born De- 
 cember 21, 1834, was married in Salem, 
 Indiana, in 1863, to Margaret E. Wiseman. 
 Two daughters blessed their union. He 
 died in Scottsburg, Indiana, February 14, 
 1887. Sarah R. H., born May 26, 1837, 
 died June 9, of the same year. William H. 
 H., born April 12, 1839, married Cordelia 
 C. Ervin, at Homer, Illinois, December 
 28, 1868, and to them were born four sons 
 and three daughters. Alice F., born March 
 6, 1841, died March 19, 1844, at Salem, In- 
 diana. Francis M., born April 24, 1843, was 
 married September 13, 1870, at Homer, Illi- 
 nois, to Frances B. Butler, and they have one 
 son and one daughter. LoisJ. A., born May 
 10, 1845, married Alexander L. Thompson, 
 at Homer, Illinois, November 10, 1868, and 
 became the mother of three sons and three 
 daughters. She died in Homer, Illinois, 
 May 27, 1886. All the children were born 
 in Salem, Indiana. The parents are both 
 deceased, the father dying in Hanover, In- 
 diana, July 3, 1849, and the mother in Ho- 
 mer, Illinois, July 28, 1890. 
 
 Mortimer Smith was reared on a farm 
 and received the limited educational ad- 
 vantages common to the children of that 
 period and locality. Indeed, he was not 
 fourteen years of age when he started out 
 to fight the battle of life for himself, at 
 least in a measure, for he worked at sawing 
 wood and received twelve and a half cents a 
 day, being thus employed much of the time 
 for two or three years. He then removed 
 with his parents to Scott county, Indiana, 
 and there engaged in agriculture for one 
 season. He then went to Hanover, Indiana, 
 where he carried on a farm and at the same 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 491 
 
 time did teaming for five or six years, and 
 thence to New Orleans on a flat boat, the 
 trip taking fifty days. His experiences in 
 this line were very novel and not altogether 
 pleasant, for the feeling between the north 
 and south was waxing strong, and threats 
 and violence were more or less open and de- 
 termined. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Smith came to Champaign 
 county, and, after clerking for a few weeks 
 in the Donahue House, at Urbana, he made 
 a contract with some New York parties to 
 get out ties and timber for the new railroad. 
 Hiring a number of hands, he proceeded 
 with them to the present site of Danville 
 Junction, then a heavily wooded country, 
 and Danville itself containing only two brick 
 stores. He remained in the employ of the 
 railroad for about a year, having charge of 
 all the horses and wagons, and a crew of 
 some sixty Irishmen for grading the road- 
 bed. Under his supervision the trees stand- 
 ing where the present depot and round- 
 house are located were leveled to the 
 ground. Later, he accepted a place as 
 watchman near one of the railroad bridges, 
 after which he became road foreman at Sid- 
 ney, Illinois. Finally, he came to Homer, 
 where he was foreman for ten years, and 
 thus terminated his railroad service. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Smith purchased a tile 
 horse-power mill from J. W. Penfield, who 
 had placed it on exhibition at Decatur, and 
 for twelve years he continued to operate the 
 mill at Homer, where he had set it up. In 
 the meantime he also bought three sawmills 
 which he placed in operation in this vicinity. 
 Selling one of them, he invested a large sum 
 in the steam flouring mill belonging to John 
 Hays. This mill, substantially built, and 
 four stories in height, was situated in Homer, 
 but was destroyed by fire about two years 
 
 after it came into the possession of our sub- 
 ject. He continued to carry on the tile fac- 
 tory until 1894, when he sold out and the 
 last one of his sawmills was disposed of 
 more than a score of years ago. 
 
 Gradually, Mr. Smith had been accumu- 
 lating land, and more and more had devoted 
 his attention to agriculture and stock raising, 
 in which enterprises he has been very suc- 
 cessful. His first purchase of land was in 
 1870, it consisting of eighty acres of section 
 28, Homer township, and at the present 
 time he owns twelve hundred and fifty-three 
 acres. This property, improved and valu- 
 able, is located in Champaign and Homer 
 townships, and in Sidell township, Vermil- 
 ion county. The home place of Mr. Smith, 
 comprising one hundred and forty acres, 
 lies at the limits of the town of Homer, 
 about fifty acres being within the corpora- 
 tion limits. He removed here from his 
 former home in the village,, about eighteen 
 years ago, and for some time he has made a 
 business of feeding hogs and cattle for the 
 market, shipping about two or three car- 
 loads of cattle each year. 
 
 The only secrets of Mr. Smith's success 
 are that he has not scorned to perform 
 " honest work for honest pay," and that he 
 has been economical and upright in all his 
 transactions. He merits and enjoys the 
 high respect in which he is held by his fel- 
 low citizens, and is not slow to manifest the 
 genuine interest which he maintains in the 
 progress of this community. He served as 
 a school director for ten years and for a like 
 period was a highway commissioner. He is 
 one of the stockholders of the Homer Fair 
 Association and at different times has in- 
 vested money and influence in local enter- 
 prises. Socially, he is identified with 
 Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. & A. M., and 
 
492 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 politically, he is affiliated with the Repub- 
 lican party. 
 
 In September, 1857, Mr. Smith married 
 Jennie, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth 
 (Jones) Trisler. They were natives of Ohio 
 and became pioneers of Danville, Illinois, 
 as early as 18.39. The father was a carpen- 
 ter by trade and also was skilled as a wagon- 
 maker, but after his arrival in this state he 
 engaged in farming in Vermilion county for 
 some time; later resumed his accustomed 
 employment. Mrs. Smith, who was born 
 in Danville, is one of the three surviving 
 children of the parental family. 
 
 The eldest child of our subject and wife 
 is Julia, wife of L. M. Yeazel, of Homer, 
 and their children are named respectively: 
 Estella, Jennie, Nellie and Lenia. Will- 
 iam, the eldest son, wedded Jennie Robin- 
 son and resides in Homer township. Clara 
 died at the age of twenty months. Mary is 
 the widow of B. L. Poisal, whose death, 
 February 24, 1899, was the result of an ac- 
 cident, and who formerly was a general 
 merchant in Iowa. Charles, whose home is 
 in Vance township, Vermilion county, Illi- 
 nois, chose as his wife Elizabeth Jurgens- 
 myer, and their four children are Esther, 
 Howard, William and Oral. Jennie, who 
 is the wife of Wiley C. Wamsley, a farmer, 
 resides near Dumont, Iowa. Nellie is the 
 wife of Charles B. Coffeen, who is a miner 
 and prospector at Idaho Springs, Colorado. 
 Harry J., the youngest of the family, is at 
 home, and loyally aids his father in all of his 
 undertakings. 
 
 WILEY DAVIS, who dates his resi- 
 dence in Champaign county from 
 February, 1849, is one of the honored citi- 
 zens of this section of the state. He has 
 
 witnessed almost the entire development of 
 the county and has aided materially in the 
 advancement of its interests along all lines 
 of progress, and therefore is justly entitled 
 to representation in its annals. 
 
 The birth of Wiley Davis took place in 
 Neenah, Licking county, Ohio, May 5, 1819. 
 His father, Zachariah Davis, a native of 
 Pennsylvania, was one of the first settlers of 
 Licking county, and his mother, whose 
 maiden name was Elizabeth Roberts, was 
 born in Virginia. The father was a wheel- 
 wright by trade, and for many years he was 
 successfully engaged in business at Neenah. 
 Later he came to Illinois, and his remain- 
 ing years were passed at the home of his 
 daughter in Danville. His wife was sum- 
 moned to the better land in 1847, and of 
 their eight children who lived to maturity 
 only three now survive. William Davis re- 
 sides in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he is en- 
 gaged in farming, and Eliza, wife of Robert 
 Carnahan, lives in Danville, 
 
 Wiley Davis enjoyed common school 
 privileges, and when a young man learned 
 the butcher's business. He then carried on 
 a shop at Neenah in partnership with a 
 brother for some ten years, and in the be- 
 ginning of 1849 he came to this county and 
 bought two hundred and forty acres of his 
 present homestead. There was a good log 
 house upon the place, and about forty acres 
 had been cleared. He continued to improve 
 his farm, and, as opportunity offered, 
 bought additional property, until he owned, 
 altogether, about eight hundred acres. He 
 erected a commodious farm house and large 
 barns, and greatly added to the value and 
 desirability of his homestead in various 
 ways, until it was conceded to be one of the 
 best country places in the county. In 1893 
 his house was destroyed by fire, and he soon 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 493 
 
 set about the building of another one, de- 
 signed on modern lines. This attractive 
 residence, together with all of the numerous 
 other improvements upon the place, renders 
 it a pleasant and profitable place to dwell. 
 Mr. Davis has made a specialty of raising 
 and feeding polled Angus cattle and keeping 
 standard bred horses and other fine live 
 stock. In 1899 he bought eight lots in the 
 village of Mahomet, the particular beauty 
 of the premises being the fine shade trees. 
 Here he has had erected a large modern 
 house, with a furnace and all of the essen- 
 tials of the ideal home of the period, and, 
 without question, it is the most beautiful 
 residence in the town. He has shown good 
 taste in every detail of his new house and 
 takes just pride in fitting up his new home, 
 which he has earned by a long and busy 
 career. 
 
 In Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Davis married 
 Mary Jane Slyder, a native of that town, 
 the wedding ceremony taking place Feb- 
 ruary 1 8, 1847. In 1897 they celebrated 
 the fifteth anniversary of that event, a host 
 of their friends coming from Champaign and 
 Urbana, and, in fact, from all parts of this 
 county to do honor to the occasion. They 
 brought many beautiful^ and substantial 
 tokens of their respect and affection, and the 
 event will long be remembered by everyone 
 present. Mrs. Davis a daughter of the Rev. 
 Elijah Slyder, who for some years was a 
 well known citizen of Dayton, Ohio, but 
 who died during the cholera epidemic of 
 1831. 
 
 Since 1857, when Mr. Davis and wife 
 joined the Methodist Episcopal church they 
 have faithfully assisted in the noble work of 
 that denomination, and have endeavored to 
 live lives beyond reproach. Politically, Mr. 
 Davis originally was an old line Whig, and 
 
 cast his first presidential ballot for William 
 Henry Harrison, in 1840. When the 
 Republican party was organized, he be- 
 came an ardent supporter of that body, 
 and at every election for the past sixty years 
 he has been at the polls, ready to deposit 
 his ballot a record which is rarely beaten. 
 He has manifested the same devotion to 
 what he has believed to be his duty in 
 every branch of human enterprise, and his 
 example is worthy of omulation by the ris- 
 ing generation. Fraternally, he is associated 
 with the Masonic order, being a Master 
 Mason, and in the Odd Fellows Order he 
 is past noble grand. Both he and his 
 estimable wife are highly esteemed by those 
 who have known them almost a lifetime, 
 and, as together they struggled against 
 poverty and the hardships which only the 
 pioneers can know, so now they are enjoy- 
 ing the peace and plenty which they richly 
 deserve. 
 
 JAMES REARDEN eminently deserves 
 classification among the purely self- 
 made men of Champaign county who have 
 distinguished themselves for their ability to 
 master the opposing forces of life and to 
 wrest from fate a large measure of success 
 and an honorable name. He now owns and 
 operates a fine farm of three hundred and 
 twenty acres on section 35, Brown and 
 Newcomb township, pleasantly located 
 within two miles of Fisher. 
 
 Mr. Rearden is a native of Ireland, born 
 in county Cork, in 1832, and is a son of 
 Dennis Rearden. He came to the United 
 States in 1846, when a lad of fourteen years, 
 landing in Baltimore in May of that year. 
 Going to Pennsylvania soon afterward, he 
 began work on the Pennsylvania Central 
 
494 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Railroad, driving a team for a short time at 
 first. He helped build the road to Pittsburg 
 and remained with the company for several 
 years. He visited Johnstown when it con- 
 tained but one overall store and a black- 
 smith shop. In 1857 he came to Illinois 
 and located in Carroll county, where he 
 rented land and followed farming for several 
 years. 
 
 At Dixon, Illinois, Mr. Rearden was mar- 
 ried, in 1865, to Miss Ellen Burns, and soon 
 afterward went to Bloomington, where he 
 worked on a farm for three years. In 1867 
 he came to Champaign county and pur- 
 chased forty acres of wild land in Brown 
 township, where he now resides. He im- 
 mediately commenced to break and improve 
 his land. Although it was with difficulty 
 he managed to get along during the first few 
 years of his residence- here, he had steadily 
 prospered and is now the owner of three 
 hundred and twenty acres in the home place 
 and has an eighty-acre tract in Newcomb 
 township. He has made many improve- 
 ments upon his farm, including the erection 
 of good buildings, and now has a very val- 
 uable and attractive place. 
 
 Mrs. Rearden died in July, 1899, and 
 was laid to rest in the Rantoul Catholic 
 cemetery. Our subject has one son, John, 
 who assists his father in carrying on the 
 farm. In politics Mr. Rearden is a stalwart 
 Democrat, and in religious belief is a Cath- 
 olic. Coming to America without a dollar 
 in his possession he deserves great credit for 
 the success that he has achieved in life, it 
 being due entirely to his industry, persever- 
 ance and sound judgment in business transac- 
 tions. Upright and honorable in all things, 
 he commands the respect and confidence of 
 all who know him, and his friends are many 
 throughout Champaign county. 
 
 JOHN CARTER, a prominent citizen of 
 Mahomet township, Champaign county, 
 has dwelt within the borders of this county 
 for just half a century, and has been very 
 active in bringing about the peace and pros- 
 perity which is the lot of the inhabitants of 
 to-day. Starting out in the battle of life a 
 poor lad, he overcame the almost innumer- 
 able obstacles in his pathway, and after en- 
 during the hardships and privations which 
 are the common lot of the frontiersman, he 
 achieved the success so richly deserved by 
 him. 
 
 The birth of John Carter took place 
 seventy-eight years ago, in Queens county, 
 Ireland. His twin brother, Robert, came 
 to Illinois in 1850, and for many years has 
 been numbered among the substantial agri- 
 culturists of Peoria county. He reared seven 
 children to maturity and has lived to see 
 each of them happily married, and in homes 
 of their own. Our subject and his brother, 
 upon reaching manhood, determined to try 
 their fortunes in the west, then first giving 
 promise of the great future in store for it. 
 A sister had preceded them and was living 
 in Peoria county, Illinois, and,- after making 
 her a visit, John Carter came to Cham- 
 paign county, where he commenced work- 
 ing by the month for farmers. In 1857 he 
 located in the village of Mahomet, and there 
 built a substantial two-story frame house, 
 which sheltered himself and family for up- 
 wards of fourteen years. 
 
 In the meantime the war of the Rebellion 
 broke out, and Mr. Carter enlisted in the 
 Union army, August 8, 1862, on the old fair- 
 grounds, at Danville, becoming a private of 
 Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and later was 
 transferred into the Peoria Artillery. He 
 was sent to the front almost immediately, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 495- 
 
 and participated in a severe engagement 
 with the enemy about one month after his 
 enlistment. This was the battle of Chapel 
 Hill. Kentucky, and, though he and his 
 comrades were in there serve corps, they were 
 called upon to turn the tide which seemed 
 to be going against the Federal troops, and 
 from that time forward the Peoria Artillery 
 was active in numerous battles. About the 
 time that his term of enlistment was draw- 
 ing to an end, Mr. Carter was granted an 
 honorable discharge on account of disability. 
 
 For a short time after his return our 
 subject made his home, as formerly, in 
 Mahomet, and then invested his means in a 
 farm near his present place of abode, which 
 is on section 34, Mahomet township. At 
 one time he owned here some four hundred 
 and forty acres, well improved and valuable, 
 but he has given property to his sons and 
 now retains only one hundred and twenty 
 acres. Each member of the family has been 
 industrious and energetic, working toward a 
 common end, mutual prosperity, and each 
 deserves credit: 
 
 When he chose a wife, Mr. Carter was 
 more than fortunate, and has found a true 
 companion and helpmate in the lady who 
 formerly bore the name of Katherine Cooke. 
 They were married in Kitcooley, Ireland, 
 September 12, 1848, and the young wife did 
 not come to the United States until after 
 her husband had arranged a home for her 
 and saw his way clear to provide well for 
 his family. Of their eight children, five 
 manly sons are left to cheer their hearts in 
 their declining years. Jane, their first-born, 
 died when in her fifth year, a little son died 
 in infancy, and Peter, a young man of great 
 promise, died at the age of twenty-seven 
 years. Henry A. is married a.nd is a suc- 
 cessful farmer in the vicinity of Ogden, 
 
 Champaign county. George W., John R., 
 Oscar F. H. and Charles W. are practical 
 farmers of this or neighboring townships, 
 the last named remaining on the home farm, 
 where he is of great assistance to his father, 
 who is getting well along in years. 
 
 Mr. Carter cast his first presidential bal- 
 lot in 1 860 for Abraham Lincoln, but of late 
 years has given his allegiance to the Dem- 
 ocratic party. Religiously, he and his wife 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and both are well and widely known 
 by the people of this section of the county. 
 Their comfortable house has ever been hos- 
 pitably open for the entertainment of their 
 many friends, or the occasional minister or 
 stranger whom circumstances brought to- 
 their door. Hard and long-continued labor 
 brought prosperity to them, but they are 
 generous toward the needy and afflicted. 
 
 A LBERT C. BOND, a well-known dealer 
 2\ in agricultural implements at Ivesdale, 
 Champaign county, Illinois, is now one of the 
 leading business men of that section. En- 
 terprise, activity and energy are numbered, 
 among his chief characteristics, and although 
 a comparatively young man he has already 
 attained a fair success in life. 
 
 A native of Illinois, Mr. Bond was born 
 in Chicago, February 26, 1862, and is a son 
 of Daniel and Mary R. (Gates) Bond, natives 
 of Virginia and Vermont, respectively. The 
 father who was a farmer by occupation, 
 moved from Chicago to Minnesota, where he 
 followed his chosen calling for a time, and 
 then came to Piatt county, Illinois, where he 
 farmed successfully for thirty years. He 
 died December 19, 1894, but the mother is 
 still living and now makes her home in. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Monticello. To them were born twelve 
 children, five sons and seven daughters, .but 
 three daughters died young. The others 
 were Edward D., a well-known and success- 
 ful butcher of Cannon City, Colorado, who 
 is rated at two hundred thousand dollars, 
 all of which he had made by judicious man- 
 agement; Albert C , our subject; Ernest 
 E., a conductor on the Traction Car Line 
 at Los Angeles, California; Charles L. , who 
 is employed in a butcher shop in San Fran- 
 cisco, California; Fred L. , at home with his 
 mother; Lillia, wife of James Markle, a 
 teacher in the Bementhigh school; Nellie, at 
 home; Florence, deceased wife of W. B. 
 O'Neal, of Sadorus, and Louis, at home. 
 
 Albert C. Bond is indebted to the public 
 schools of Piatt county for his educational 
 advantages. He remained on the home 
 farm until twenty-four years of age, and as 
 he was thoroughly conversant with every 
 department of farm work, he successfully 
 managed the same for a time. In 1887 he 
 went west and found employment as rail- 
 way engineer, having learned the business 
 when a young lad at home by working in 
 different shops. At the end of two years he 
 turned his steps homeward and operated the 
 farm until the fall of 1899, when he sold his 
 personal effects and removed to Ivesdale, 
 where he purchased a building and embarked 
 in his present business in December of that 
 year. He carries a full and complete line of 
 wagons, threshers, shelters, traction engines 
 and all kinds of farm machinery; in fact there 
 is nothing used on a farm or in a shop but 
 what can be found in Mr. Bond's warehouse. 
 He carries the most complete stock of 
 any in his line in the western part of the 
 county, and has already built up a Jarge 
 trade extending far into Piatt county. Be- 
 ing a competent business man of known re- 
 
 liability, his success is assured as his open- 
 ing trade has passed his expectations. 
 
 On the 29th of September, 1895, vvas 
 celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bond and 
 Miss Ada Gates, who was born near Watse- 
 ka, Iroiquois county, Illinois, in 1879. Her 
 parents, Chandler and Mary Gates, now re- 
 side in Seymour, having made Champaign 
 county their home for six years, and are 
 well respected people there. To Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bond were born two children, but one 
 died in infancy. Ruth R. , aged two years, 
 is now the joy of the household. 
 
 Since attaining his majority, Mr. Bond, 
 has affiliated with the Republican party, but 
 has never cared for official preferment. He 
 is a member of Ivesdale Camp, M. W. A., 
 and both he and his wife hold membership 
 in the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 WILLIAM R. MILLER is one of 
 Champaign county's native sons and 
 a worthy representative of one of her hon- 
 ored and highly respected families, whose 
 identification with her history dates from an 
 early period in the development of the 
 county. For many years he was actively 
 identified with the agricultural interests of 
 the county, but is now practically living a 
 retired life upon his fine farm of one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres on section 18, Pesotum 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Miller was born in Tolono town- 
 ship, in September, 1855, a son of 
 Isaac J. Miller, whose birth occurred in 
 Butler county, Ohio, in 1817. It was in 
 1840 that the father came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and was one of the first 
 settlers of Sadorus Grove. His children 
 were born and reared in Tolono township, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 497 
 
 where he owned a large tract of land, which 
 he improved and successfully operated with 
 the aid of his sons, being engaged in general 
 farming and stock raising, his specialty be- 
 ing hogs. He was three times married, his 
 first wife being Elizabeth Carr, by whom 
 he had five children, but the only one now 
 living is Jerome B., a miller by trade and a 
 resident of Cheney, Kansas. In 1835 tne 
 father married Elizabeth Rock, who died 
 June 6, 1879, and by that union had nine 
 children, two of whom died young. The 
 others are Scipio A., formerly a merchant, 
 but now an extensive farmer^ of Sedgwick 
 county, Kansas; William R. , our sub- 
 ject, Jefferson H., a farmer of Brown 
 county, Kansas; Alice C. , wife of R. F. 
 Chandler, of the same county; A. J., 
 state's attorney of Champaign county ;Isaac 
 G., an engineer on the Missouri, Kansas & 
 Texas Railroad residing in Parsons, Kansas 
 and Mollie R., wife of Otis L. Barnett, of 
 Eemaha county, Kansas. For his third 
 wife the father married Mrs. Maggie D. 
 Rock. He still enjoys good health at the 
 advanced age of eighty-three years, and is 
 now living retired in Brown county, Kansas, 
 having in former years accumulated a com- 
 fortable competence. His ancestors were 
 of German lineage. 
 
 During his boyhood William R. Miller 
 attended the common schools of Champaign 
 county. At the age of seventeen years he 
 left home and went to live with his grand- 
 father Rock, remaining with him until he 
 attained his majority. He then removed to 
 Kansas, where he spent about six years en- 
 gaged in farming upon a quarter section 
 of land in Brown county, one-half of which 
 he purchased, while the remaining eighty 
 acres were given him by his father. 
 
 During his residence in that state, Mr. 
 
 Miller returned to Illinois, and in October, 
 1 88 1, married Miss MattieJ. Robinson, who 
 was born in Sadorus township, this county, 
 in 1862, a daughter of H. J. Robinson. By 
 this union have been born two children:Edith 
 J., who is attending school in Urbana; and 
 Jessie E. , who is attending the district 
 school. 
 
 For two years after his marriage, Mr. 
 Miller continued to reside in Kansas, but at 
 the end of the time he sold his property 
 there and returned to his native state, pur- 
 chasing his present farm on section 18, 
 Pesotum township, Champaign county. He 
 carried on general farming with marked suc- 
 cess until 1900, when he rented his land, 
 and though still residing on the farm, he has 
 retired from active work. It is operated, 
 however, under his supervision and is kept 
 in good repair by him. He has erected 
 thereon a good set of farm buildings, in- 
 cluding a pleasant modern residence, and 
 substantial and commodious barns and other 
 out-buildings. The place is thoroughly tiled 
 and is one of the most valuable farm of its 
 size in the township. Mr. Miller has made 
 a specialty of raising heavy draft horses 
 for market, and takes a just pride in the 
 coach horses he keeps for his own use. He 
 is an enterprising and progressive man 
 whose success in life is well-merited, and he 
 commands the confidence and respect of all 
 with whom he comes in contact either in his 
 business or social relations. Fraternally he 
 is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Sado- 
 rus, and though not a member of any 
 church he is a liberal supporter of those in- 
 terests calculated to advance the moral or 
 material welfare of his community. As a 
 Republican he takes quite a prominent part 
 in local politics, but has never sought polit- 
 ical preferment. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ELIAS O. CHESTER is one of the well- 
 known and successful farmers of Cham- 
 paign county, though he is now living a 
 retired life on his farm one-half mile south 
 of the city of Champaign. He was born in 
 Franklin county, Ohio, October 16, 1829, 
 and is of English descent, tracing his ances- 
 try back to John Chester, a native of Ches- 
 ter, England, who came to this country 
 with two brothers prior to the Revolution- 
 ary war, and located in Connecticut, after- 
 wards moving to New York, where Elias 
 Chester, Sr. , the grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, was born. The father, Elias Chester, 
 Jr., was a native of Ohio, where he made 
 his home throughout life, and where he 
 owned a fine farm of two hundred acres, 
 following a successful career as an agricult- 
 urist. He married Anna M. Smith, who 
 was also born in Ohio, and who did not 
 long survive her husband, both dying on the 
 old homestead in the Buckeye state. Our 
 subject is the oldest of their six children; E. 
 E., the next in order of birth, is a resident 
 of Champaign, Illinois, and is represented 
 on another page of this volume; Ann mar- 
 ried David Taylor, and both died in Iowa, 
 where they made their home; Martha is the 
 widow of Turner Hendren, of Ohio, and she 
 now resides in Champaign; Hubert, de- 
 ceased, was also a resident of Champaign 
 for many years, and a sketch of him and his 
 family may also be found on another page 
 of this work; and Homer is living in Chi- 
 cago. In politics the Chester family were 
 Whig, and now Republicans. 
 
 The subject of this sketch obtained the 
 greater part of his education in the common 
 schools, but also pursued a short elective 
 college course, well fitting him for a suc- 
 cessful and practical farmer. On leaving 
 home at the age of twenty-one years, he 
 
 began farming for himself in his native state. 
 He prospered in the undertaking and soon 
 became quite well-to-do. On the 3ist of 
 January, 1854, he was united in marriage 
 with Miss Catherine Chain, also a native of 
 Franklin county, Ohio, and to them were 
 born two children: Belle, at home with her 
 parents; and Minnie, wife of George War- 
 rington, of Chicago, superintendent of the 
 National Boiler Works, by whom she has 
 one son, Chester W. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Chester sold his possessions 
 in Ohio, and moved with his family to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, where he pur- 
 chased three hundred and twenty acres of 
 land in Champaign township, which at that 
 time was only partly broken, prairie grass 
 and marshes being the principal features of 
 the place. This farm was two miles south- 
 east of Champaign, and he there resided 
 for five years. He then moved into Cham- 
 paign and went into partnership with Miller 
 & Toll, raising broom corn. This partner- 
 ship continued seven years. He then pur- 
 chased half of section 14, a portion of 
 which he still retains. 
 
 By persistent labor Mr. Chester has 
 transformed the place into one of the most 
 desirable farms of the county, having tiled, 
 ditched and otherwise improved it by the 
 erection of good and substantial buildings. 
 He has raised large crops of broom corn, 
 making a specialty of that product for a 
 quarter of a century and devoting between 
 two and three hundred acres to the same. 
 Prices have been good and he has steadily 
 prospered. He has disposed of a part of 
 his land, but still retains one hundred and 
 sixty acres, upon which he has erected a 
 pleasant residence supplied with all modern 
 conveniences. For the past ten years he 
 has engaged only in the stock business and 
 
K. 0. CHKSTKK. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 501 
 
 in farming to a limiied extent, and is now 
 practically living retired. 
 
 Mr. Chester lost his first wife in 1867, 
 and the following year married Miss Fran- 
 ces Virginia Skinner, who was born in New 
 York, Orange county, and when a child, in 
 July, 1858, was brought by her parents to 
 Champaign county, where she grew to 
 womanhood, and has since resided. She is 
 the eldest of six children. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Chester have five children, namely: Paul, 
 now a successful physician of Chicago; Earl, 
 an electrician with the Western Electric 
 Company, of that city, both graduates of 
 the Illinois University; Velma E. and Roy 
 died in infancy; and Mabelle, who is at- 
 tending school in .Champaign. 
 
 Mr. Chester has lived a rather quiet 
 life, but has always identified himself with 
 any movement to better the condition of 
 his town or the people. In politics he has 
 always been a strong Republican, but has 
 been prevailed upon to accept office, though 
 often solicited to do so, but persistently 
 refused. Since 1857 he has lived in or 
 near Champaign, having resided upon his 
 present farm for twenty-eight years, and 
 for forty-three years has retained the same 
 postomce-box in the postoffice at Cham- 
 paign. He is a prominent and influential 
 member of the Presbyterian church of that 
 city, has. always taken an active part in its 
 work, and has served as elder for forty-three 
 years. Mrs. Chester was reared in the 
 Methodist faith, but after her marriage she 
 united with the Presbyterian church, of 
 which body nearly all the family are now 
 members. 
 
 HON. HUGH J. ROBINSON, whose 
 home is on section 33, Sadorus town- 
 ship, is one of the most prominent and in- 
 
 26 
 
 fluential men in his community and a leader 
 of the Democratic party in Champaign 
 county, his large acquaintance and un- 
 bounded popularity giving him an influential 
 following, while his shrewd judgment of 
 men and affairs make his counsel of value 
 in all important movements. In business 
 circles also he takes a foremost rank, his 
 success as an agriculturist being all the more 
 notable from the fact that it has been se- 
 cured by his own judicious management. 
 
 Mr. Robinson was born of Scotch parent- 
 age near Belfast, Ireland, March 28, 1833, 
 and is a son of Robert and Maria M. (Jack- 
 'son) Robinson, the latter a first cousin of 
 General Jackson. The parents were both 
 born in Scotland, and in early life the 
 father served as an officer in the British 
 army. The mother died in Ireland when 
 our subject was but two years of age, and 
 in 1837 the father came with his family to 
 the United States, locating first in Dutchess 
 county, New York, where he followed farm- 
 ing for some time. Later he removed to 
 Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, where he 
 improved and opened up a new farm, and 
 where he continued to make his home until 
 called from this life in 1852. In religious 
 belief he was an Episcopalian. Of his nine 
 children, six, three sons and three daugh- 
 ters, reached, years of maturity, namely: 
 John, a farmer, who died in Harrison- 
 county, Iowa, in 1898; Hugh J., our sub- 
 ject; William K., deceased, who was en- 
 gaged in lumbering in Utah; Mary A., wife 
 of J. C. Johnson, of Harrison county, Iowa; 
 Eleanor, widow of William Hall, and a 
 resident of the same county; and Jane, 
 wife ofThomas Hasty, of Greenwood county, 
 Kansas. 
 
 Our subject received a good practical 
 education in a select school in Dutchess 
 
5O2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 county, New York. He grew to manhood 
 upon his father's farm in Fond du Lac 
 county, Wisconsin, and remained with him 
 until the latter's death in 1852. In October 
 of the same year he started out to seek his 
 fortune with no capital but a pair of willing 
 hands and a determination to succeed. He 
 took a boat to Chicago, but from there 
 walked to Urbana, not having money enough 
 to pay for a conveyance, and when he 
 landed here he had the munificent sum of 
 three dollars and a half. With the pluck 
 characteristic of his race, he secured em- 
 ployment with J. S. Gere, a contractor fur- 
 nishing ties to the Illinois Central Railroad 
 for their first track bed. Not having any 
 unnecessary expenses, he saved a little 
 money. He soon won the confidence and 
 esteem of his employers, by steady work 
 and fidelity to duty, and was subsequently 
 taken into partnership, the firm being Gere 
 & Robinson until the death of the senior 
 member. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Robinson went to Douglas 
 county and assisted in building a mill at 
 Bourbon, furnished by contract two hun- 
 dred and fifty thousand tiesto the Illinois Cen- 
 tral and Wabash Railroads, and sixty- five hun- 
 dred cords of wood for the former company. 
 Being successful in this, he invested his 
 money in land in Champaign county, pur- 
 chasing, in 1858, one hundred and sixty 
 acres of barren prairie land in Sadorus town- 
 ship, in which locality there were but few 
 cabins and these were widely scattered. 
 After filling his contracts with the railroad 
 companies, he disposed of his interests in 
 Douglas county, and in 1860 took up his 
 residence upon his farm, which at that time 
 was half covered with water. He first 
 erected a cabin and then began to improve 
 his place by fencing and draining. At first 
 
 he engaged in general farming on a small 
 scale, but being very successful, he branched 
 out and kept adding to his land and making 
 better improvements in buildings and tiling, 
 having expended many hundred dollars in 
 this way. He now owns a valuable farm 
 of three hundred and twenty acres on sec- 
 tion 33, Sadorus township, all under a high 
 state of cultivation, and by his labors and 
 good management he has made enough 
 money to enable him to retire, so that he 
 now rents his farm, giving his time to the 
 enjoyment of the pleasures he has justly 
 earned. Besides his property in this coun- 
 ty, Mr. Robinson owns a large cattle ranch 
 in Haskill county, Kansas, near Santa Fe, 
 which is now yielding him a good income. 
 His farm work has been devoted entirely to 
 the raising, feeding and shipping of stock. 
 In his place he has erected a barn with a 
 capacity of one hundred and twenty-five 
 tons of hay, and other buildings in propor- 
 tion for the accommodation of his extensive 
 business. 
 
 On the 8th of October, 1856, Mr. Rob- 
 inson was united in marriage with Miss Jane 
 Thrasher, who was born in Geauga county, 
 Ohio, in 1833, a daughter of Dr. Jacob 
 Thrasher, and by this union were born three 
 children, namely: (i) Robert T., a miller 
 of Urbana, married Lillias Kellar, and they 
 have one daughter, Estella. (2) William 
 C. , who owns two hundred acres of land 
 adjoining his father's on section 33, Sadorus 
 township, married Edith Styan, who was 
 born in England, and came to this country 
 in 1 88 1 with her parents. They have two 
 children, Nellie and Olive. (3) Mattie is 
 the wife of William R. Miller, whose sketch 
 appears elsewhere in this volume. The 
 wife and mother died July 4, 1874, and in 
 1875 M r - Robinson married Miss Jennie 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 503 
 
 Hutchinson, a native of Calhoun county, 
 Michigan, a daughter of Captain Scott 
 Hutchinson. By this union there was born 
 one son, John W. , who died at the age of 
 four years. 
 
 In religious belief Mr. and Mrs. Robin- 
 son are Universalists. .Socially he is a char- 
 ter member of J. R. Gorm Lodge, No. 537, 
 F. & A. M., of Sadorus, and he also holds 
 membership in the chapter, R. A. M., of 
 Bement, and the commandery, K. T., of Ur- 
 bana. Since 1866 he has been prominently 
 identified with the political affairs of the 
 county, serving from that year until 1896 as 
 supervisor, only being out of office a few 
 terms. In 1896 when his name was again 
 put before the people, he refused to become 
 a candidate for re-election, having already 
 served eleven consecutive terms. From 
 force of habit he still goes to Urbana when 
 the board is in session as he enjoys talking 
 over old times with his associates, and his 
 advice is often sought on matters of import- 
 ance that come before that body. His first 
 office in Sadorus township was that of col- 
 lector, which he filled for three years. He 
 has been officially connected with the schools 
 during his entire residence in the county, 
 having served as director and treasurer of 
 the board for many years, and as a trustee 
 continuously since 1880. During his term 
 as supervisor the court house was enlarged 
 and improved; the dredging was done for 
 the drainage of lands in the county; and 
 nearly all the iron bridges of creeks and 
 rivers were constructed. He served faith- 
 fully the people he represented. Though a 
 Democrat in politics, he is always the 
 choice of the people of his home county, 
 and when nominated for representative to 
 the Forty-first General Assembly in 1898, 
 he was elected on the minority ticket. He 
 
 received twenty-two thousand votes and is 
 conceded to have polled the largest number 
 of votes of any one in the state of Illinois. 
 He is now a candidate for re-election and 
 as he is the choice of both the Democratic 
 and Republican parties he will certainly re- 
 ceive the nomination. He is eminently 
 public-spirited and progressive, with the best 
 interests of the community at heart, and 
 his popularity is therefore justly merited. 
 
 Mr. Robinson has always had excellent 
 health, and now intends spending the re- 
 mainder of his life in ease and quiet, enjoy- 
 ing the fruits of former toil. He has trav- 
 eled quite extensively, spending his winters 
 in California, Florida, New Orleans, Hot 
 Springs or wherever he may desire to go. 
 Travel and his social, genial nature, have 
 made him an entertaining companion, and 
 he is a stanch and loyal friend, fond of good 
 fellowship and devoted to those who have 
 his confidence. 
 
 JACOB HAYWARD. More than two- 
 score years have passed since Ja:ob 
 Hayward came to Champaign county to 
 make a permanent abiding place, and dur- 
 ing this period he has been numbered among 
 the leading agriculturists of thisregion. His 
 record has been one of strict business in- 
 tegrity and justice, and like a true and public 
 spirited citizen, he always has cast his influ- 
 ence on the side of education and progress. 
 Our subject's father and grandfather 
 bore the same Christian name as himself. 
 The latter, who was a tanner by trade, was 
 a resident of Maryland, and three of his 
 sons, Jacob, Joseph and Thomas, followed 
 the same business in Maryland, and later 
 owned large tanneries in Fayette county. 
 
504 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Indiana. The father of our subject was 
 born near Baltimore, Maryland, April 25, 
 1806. He worked at his accustomed calling 
 in Cincinnati prior to settling in Fayette 
 county, and after locating in the Hoosier 
 state he became more and more interested 
 in the management of his farm, and kept in- 
 vesting in land until he owned a large estate, 
 and finally gave up his tannery. He was 
 united in marriage in Fayette county to Re- 
 becca Crandall, February 24, 1828. She 
 was a native of Ohio, and a daughter of 
 Elihu Crandall, whose birth occurred in 
 New Jersey. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Hay- 
 ward removed to the vicinity of Hiawatha, 
 Kansas, and there he passed to his reward 
 some twenty years later. His widow then 
 lived with a daughter until her death, De- 
 cember i, 1894, when she was placed by 
 the side of her husband in Hiawatha ceme- 
 tery. Eight of their eleven children sur- 
 vive: Mary Rose, a widow, residing in 
 Fayette county; Thomas, a merchant of 
 Fairfield, Indiana; Elihu and Jacob, farmers 
 of this county; Joanna, wife of David Shel- 
 ton, of Brown county, Kansas; Mrs. Eliza- 
 beth Bacon and Mrs. Rebecca Hanson, 
 widows, living in Hiawatha; and Lydia, 
 wife of Taylor Hulett, of Brown county, 
 Illinois. 
 
 Jacob Hayward, of this sketch was, born 
 in Fayette county, May 5, 1839, and, like 
 his ancestors, he early learned to work at 
 the various departments of farming and 
 tanning. Neither of these callings being to 
 his liking at that period of his life, he 
 mastered the painter's trade, and was em- 
 ployed in that line for three years prior to 
 coming to Champaign county in 1858. The 
 town of the same name was but a cross- 
 roads village, and he had little opportunity 
 to learn a livelihood at his trade, but in 
 
 Mahomet he fared better and devoted 
 twelve years to the business. Then he 
 located upon a rented farm, and later bought 
 one hundred and four acres adjoining his 
 present homestead. This place he pur- 
 chased in 1892, and, by remodeling the 
 house, putting in needed tiling and other 
 improvements upon the farm, which com- 
 prises one hundred and twenty-four acres, 
 he has made a very desirable country home. 
 His many years of energetic work and good 
 management have resulted in his having a 
 good bank account and an enviable posi- 
 tion in the community. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hayward was a Republi- 
 can in the days of the Civil war, and in 
 1860 he voted for Abraham Lincoln. Of 
 late years, however, he has given his alle- 
 giance to the Prohibition party, as he has- 
 been led to believe that the temperance 
 question surpasses all others confronting 
 this country, and thinks that proper legisla- 
 tion would remedy what is acknowledged to- 
 be one of the giant evils of this land, as, in- 
 deed, of every other country. Both he and 
 his wife are members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 On the 3ist of January, 1865, Mr. Hay- 
 ward married Margaret E. Killgore, daugh- 
 ter of J. C. and Margaret (Karr) Killgore, 
 all natives of Indiana. The family removed' 
 to this county in 1848, and here Mrs. Kill- 
 gore died seven years later, when her name- 
 sake was fourteen years old. Mrs. Hay- 
 ward, who was an able helpmate to her 
 husband during the years of his struggles- 
 for a competence, died upon the anniversary 
 of their marriage, January 31, 1896. She 
 left one son, J. J., a thrifty farmer of this 
 county, and by his marriage he has one 
 daughter, Merle. The marriage of our sub- 
 ject and Mrs. Donna Hammer, a native of. 
 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 505 
 
 Fayette county, and one of his boyhood's 
 companions and school-mates, took place 
 March 7, 1898. She is a daughter of John 
 H. and Elizabeth (Brown) Eyston, both 
 natives of Fayette county. They removed 
 to Champaign county in the spring of 1858, 
 and here the daughter grew to womanhood, 
 and gave her hand in marriage to Thomas 
 Hammer, March 12, 1866. For thirty-one 
 years she dwelt upon one farm, in Scott 
 township, and after the death of her hus- 
 band tenderly reared their children alone. 
 The eldest, Ora A. Hammer, now carries 
 on the old homestead. Clara is the wife of 
 Robert Quayle, of Champaign township; and 
 Blanche is the wife of Charles Dennis, of 
 Fennimore, Wisconsin. 
 
 r>EORGE HEWERDINE is one of the 
 VJ leading citizens of Condit township, 
 who has taken an active part in promoting 
 its substantial improvement and material 
 development. He has been a resident of 
 the county since the fall of 1859, and has 
 succeeded in building up a fine homestead of 
 two hundred and ninety-two acres on sec- 
 tions 8 and 18, Condit township. An 
 adopted son of America, his loyalty is above 
 question and his labors in the interests of 
 his community have been most effective and 
 beneficial. 
 
 Mr. Hewerdine was born in Lincoln- 
 shire, England, January 10, 1842, a son of 
 N\ illiam Hewerdine, who spent his entire 
 life in that country. In 1859, at the age of 
 seventeen years, our subject crossed the 
 Atlantic and came to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, where he worked on a farm until he 
 entered the Union army during the Civil 
 war. In July, 1862, he enlisted for three 
 
 months in Company H, Seventy-first Illinois 
 Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to 
 the Thirteenth Army Corps and sent to 
 Kentucky to do guard duty. There he was 
 taken ill and sent to a hospital. His hear- 
 ing was greatly impaired by his illness and 
 he was honorably discharged. On his re- 
 turn to this county, he continued to work at 
 farm labor by the month for some time. 
 
 Here Mr. Hewerdine was married, Sep- 
 tember 7, 1869. to Miss Mary Ann Jeffries, 
 a daughter of William and Ruth (Johnson) 
 Jeffries, natives of Fayette county, Ohio, 
 where most of their children were born. In 
 1859 the family removed to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, where Mr. Jeffries pur- 
 chased land and improved a fane in East 
 Bend township. Some years previous to 
 this time he had come to this county and 
 made his home for two or three years, and 
 then returned to Ohio. He died in East 
 Bend and his wife died in Condit township. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hewerdine began their 
 married life on a rented farm, which he 
 operated for three years, and he then pur- 
 chased a tract of eighty acres, upon which 
 they also made their home for three years. 
 At the end of that time he sold ths place 
 and purchased another eighty-acre farm on 
 section 8, Condit township, where they 
 have since lived. He has added to it from 
 time to time until it now comprises two 
 hundred and ninety-two acres, which he has 
 placed under excellent cultivation and im- 
 proved in a most creditable manner. Be- 
 sides this valuable property he owns a well 
 improved farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres in Hancock county, Iowa, and another 
 of eighty-eight acres in Shelby county, Illi- 
 nois. He and his wife began life together 
 in limited circumstances, but by their united 
 efforts they have accumluated a fine prop- 
 
506 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 erty, and are now numbered among the sub- 
 stantial and prosperous citizens of their 
 community. 
 
 Their family consists of two daughters: 
 Ruth, the older, is now the wife of Joseph 
 Shaffer, of Hancock county, Iowa, and 
 they have four children: Sylvia', Harry, 
 George and Edna. Sarah is the wife of 
 Charles Gauble, a farmer of Condit town- 
 ship, this county, and they have five chil- 
 dren: George Orville, Adda Bertha, Floyd 
 Latin, Cassie Fern and Clifford Franklin. 
 Our subject and his estimable wife have also 
 reared John Ackerman, who is now married, 
 and now have Amelia and Ernest Wamster, 
 whom they are educating and caring for. 
 
 Politically Mr. Hewerdine was formerly 
 a Republican, but of late years has voted 
 independent of party lines, supporting the 
 men whom he believes best qualified to fill 
 the offices. His wife is a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church of Fisher, and 
 he holds membership in the Grand Army 
 Post of that place. They have many 
 friends throughout the community in which 
 they reside, and are held in high regard by 
 all who know them. 
 
 JESSE M. SADORUS, one. of the repre- 
 sentative young men who is successfully 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits in Sadorus 
 township, his home being in section 12, be- 
 longs to the oldest family of the county, his 
 ancestors being among its honored pioneers 
 and influential citizens. His father, Henry 
 T. Sadorus, was born in Rush county, 
 Indiana, in 1823, and when a year old was 
 brought to this state by his parents, Henry 
 and Mary (Titus) Sadorus. being the first 
 people to settle in Champaign county. Their 
 
 family consisted of six children, three sons 
 and three daughters, of whom only two now 
 survive: Allen M., of Sadorus, and Mrs. 
 Eliza Jordan, of California. The town of 
 Sadorus was named in honor of this worthy 
 family. 
 
 Here Henry T. Sadorus grew to man- 
 hood. In 1849, with other young men, he 
 went to California during the gold excite- 
 ment in that state to seek his fortune. After 
 following mining for two years he saw that 
 there were other industries by which wealth 
 could be gained, and turned his attention to 
 the butcher business. He bought cattle in 
 Texas and drove them to Butte county, Cali- 
 fornia, but on the way the Indians stampeded 
 a part of his herd, causing a loss of about 
 seventeen thousand dollars, which was part- 
 ly settled for by the United States govern- 
 ment in 1893. In 1852 he came to Illinois 
 and purchased a drove of cattle, taking these 
 to the same place. In this venture he was 
 very successful. On his return home in 
 1867, he embarked in farming, purchasing 
 four hundred acres of valuable land in Peso- 
 turn and Sadorus townships, and he also 
 owned three hundred and twenty acres of 
 farm land in Kansas. The land he acquired 
 in this county was all improved by him dur- 
 ing his life time, it being all timber and wild 
 prairie when he took up his residence there- 
 on. During his career as a farmer he de- 
 voted his attention principally to the raising 
 of stock for market, using in this way all the 
 grain he raised upon his land. 
 
 In 1868, Henry T. Sadorus married Miss 
 Sarah Fields, a native of Kankakee county, 
 Illinois, and to them were born five chil- 
 dren, but John died in infancy. The four 
 surviving are Jesse M., the subject of this 
 sketch; Melissa, now the wife of George 
 Hastings, of Sadorus township; Aldula, a 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 507 
 
 resident of Effingham, Illinois; and Jordan, 
 a liveryman of Sadorus. The mother died 
 July 12, 1885, and the father departed this 
 life June 12, 1895. He was one of the three 
 pioneer brothers who with their father 
 aided materially in the early development 
 and upbuilding of this county, doing all in 
 their power to advance its interests. He 
 was a Democrat in politics and an active 
 party worker in his community. He was 
 always ready to assist by his advice or 
 financially any project worthy of advance- 
 ment, and in his death the community 
 realized that it had lost a valuable citizen. 
 
 Jesse M. Sadorus was born in Pesotum 
 township in 1870, and as he was reared to 
 manhood on the home farm his education 
 was obtained in the common schools of the 
 township. When of age he began farming 
 for himself and has become quite a prosper- 
 ous young business man. In 1893 he mar- 
 ried Miss Mattie Nogle, who was born in 
 Sadorus in 1872. Her parents, David and 
 Isabella (Peat) Nogle, have been residents 
 of Sadorus for many years, and now reside 
 within the western corporate limits of the 
 village. Our subject and his wife have one 
 child. Chester H., who was born in 1896, * 
 and is the joy of the household. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Sadorus began 
 farming on the place which he still owns 
 and occupies, consisting of eighty acres on 
 section 12, Sidorus township. When he 
 located thereon, the only improvement 
 upon the place was a small house, but by 
 hard work and perseverance he has cleared 
 acre after acre of the timbered tract, and 
 has placed the land under a high state of cul- 
 tivation. He has erected a good modern resi- 
 dence and other buildings, and has made many 
 other improvements which add greatly to 
 the value and attractive appearance of the 
 
 place. Politically he is a Democrat and has 
 served his fellow citizens in the office of as- 
 sessor for two years. Fraternally he be- 
 longs to the Odd Fellows Society of Sado- 
 rus and to J. R. Gorm Lodge, No. 537, 
 F. & A. M. 
 
 WILLIAM MORFEY. Numbered 
 among the sterling citizens of Cham- 
 paign county is the gentleman whose name 
 heads this article. Nearly forty years ago 
 he came to this region, and in the meantime 
 has been an interested spectator and active 
 participant in the transformation which has 
 been wrought in the former swamp and 
 wild lands here, then giving little promise 
 of the abundant crops they were destined to 
 yield, under the judicious management of 
 the thrifty pioneers. He is worthy to be 
 classed with the founders of this county, 
 for, at all times, he has stood for the main- 
 tenance of law and order, of good govern- 
 ernment and progress. 
 
 A native of England, William Morfey 
 was born in Sussex, March 22, 1840, and 
 passed his early years upon a farm, there 
 learning agriculture in a practical form, and 
 laying the foundations of a future of success 
 by becoming habituated to hard and perse- 
 vering labor. Having heard glowing ac- 
 counts of the greater opportunities afforded 
 by the United States to ambitious young 
 men, he decided to seek a home and com- 
 petence here, and at the age of twenty years 
 bade adieu to the friends and scenes of his 
 youth. He sailed from Liverpool and arrived 
 in New York city in May, 1861. Proceed- 
 ing westward, he came to Champaign county 
 by way of Chicago, and for six years worked 
 by the month for John Rayburn. Having 
 carefully husbanded his earnings, he at last 
 
508 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 concluded to embark in business upon his 
 own account, but for several years merely 
 rented a farm in Hensley township. In 1879, 
 when so much was being said in favor of 
 Kansas, he removed with his family to Reno 
 count}', where he bought a claim. Two 
 years later he sold the place at a profitable 
 figure, and returned to this county, where 
 he purchased eighty acres of his present 
 homestead. Instituting numerous improve- 
 ments at once, he gradually added others, 
 and developed his farm into what it is 
 to-day, one of the best in this section of the 
 county. He has extended its boundaries to 
 its present dimensions, upwards of two 
 hundred and forty acres. The substantial 
 farm-house is situated upon section 36, 
 Mahomet township, and the large barns, 
 yards, orchard and everything about the 
 premises bespeaks the constant care of the 
 neat and systematic owner. 
 
 Beginning his mature life as he did, a 
 poor man without capital, among total 
 strangers, and during the stormy, unsettled 
 period of the Civil war, Mr. Morfey's suc- 
 cess is the more remarkable and deserving 
 of credit. With half his spirit and pluck, 
 many a man who to-day is a pauper might 
 be in the possession of a competence, but he 
 is one of those sturdy, upright souls who 
 "despise not the day of small things" and 
 are not above hard work. Never an office- 
 seeker or politician in any sense of the word, 
 he has used his ballot on behalf of the nomi- 
 nees of the Republican party since he was 
 given the right of franchise, and patriot- 
 ically meets every obligation of citizenship. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Morfey and Gen- 
 netta Stokes took place in this county, 
 August 19, 1869. She is a native of Ohio, 
 a daughter of Richard Stokes, who was born 
 in Virginia, but reared in the Buckeye state. 
 
 There he wedded Phoebe Stiles, a native of 
 Pennsylvania, and at an early day removed 
 to Champaign county, where he became a 
 well-to-do farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Morfey 
 lost an infant and a son, John, who died 
 when in his thirteenth year. Their surviv- 
 ing children are: Anna, wife of Thornton 
 Wilt, of this county; Elijah, who is married 
 and a successful local farmer; James, also 
 married and engaged in agriculture in this 
 vicinity; Eliza, wife of Ed Abrams, of this 
 county; Nettie and Effie, unmarried; Dan, 
 Ivan, Carl and Willie, at home. The chil- 
 dren have been given good school advan- 
 tages and the elder ones are already taking 
 honored places in the several communities 
 where their lot is cast. 
 
 JACOB A. BELLINGER. Such citizens 
 as the subject of this review are the 
 mainstay of any .community, and, wherever 
 they have resided for any length of time, one 
 is sure to find that their influence has been 
 felt for good in many directions. Through 
 their earnest co-operation the highways have 
 been improved, bridges built, schools es- 
 tablished and maintained, churches erected 
 and supported, and enterprises of every kind 
 have been encouraged. 
 
 Jacob A. Bellinger, after a very busy 
 and useful career, is now living retired from 
 active labors, and is enjoying the rest which 
 he has truly earned. He is a native of 
 Herkimer county, New York, his birth, hav- 
 ingoccurred February 17, 1838. His father, 
 Andrew Bellinger, also was born in that 
 section of 'the Empire state, where our sub- 
 ject's grandfather and two brothers had set- 
 tled among the first colonists, locating there 
 upon their arrival from Germany. They 
 
J. A. BELLINGER AND WIFE. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 became stanch patriots and the grandfather, 
 in company with seven of his nephews (all 
 from one family), served gallantly in the war 
 of the Revolution. Five of the young men 
 were killed in one battle, while another was 
 taken prisoner by the Indians who were 
 fighting in the British interests, and it was 
 seven years ere he regained his liberty. 
 The grandfather of Jacob A. cleared and 
 improved a large farm in the Mohawk valley, 
 near Little Falls, and there he spent his life. 
 Andrew Bellinger married a Miss House, 
 also of German ancestry, and a native of 
 Herkimer county, and to them six sons and 
 six daughters were born, all but one of whom 
 lived to maturity. The family came to 
 Champaign county in the spring of 1855, 
 and in the following September they were 
 bereft of the husband and father. His wife, 
 who nobly strove to care for her numerous 
 children, and to manage the new farm they 
 had taken, survived him many years, passing 
 away March 31, 1876. 
 
 . The tenth in order of birth, Jacob A. Bel- 
 lenger, was the youngest of the six sons, and, 
 with his brother John, a retired farmer of 
 the Empire state, is the only one of the 
 parental family to perpetuate the name. 
 Three sisters, Catherine, wife of Dr. Cooper, 
 Mrs. Mary Hartwell, and Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Wolsey, reside in Nebraska, while the fourth 
 surviving sister, Mrs. Amanda Campbell, 
 lives in Oklahoma. 
 
 One by one the elder members of the 
 family left home and Jacob A. continued to 
 stay with his widowed mother until he was 
 twenty-five years of age. In the fall of 
 1863, he married Eleanor, daughter of 
 Fielding L. Scott, one of the early settlers 
 of Illinois. He was a native of Kentucky, 
 and in 1834 came to the prairie state, sub- 
 sequently entering two hundred and forty 
 
 acres of land in Champaign county. Mrs. 
 Bellinger was born and reared in the house 
 where she was married and has since spent 
 most of her years. Her father made his 
 home with our subject and wife for several 
 years prior to his death. The elder daugh- 
 ter of this estimable couple is Kate, wife of 
 J. M. Herriott, a farmer of this vicinity, and 
 their two children are named Harry and 
 Eleanor. Rosa, who became the wife of 
 William W. Herriott, is the mother of two 
 children, Lelia and Nova. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bellinger commenced their 
 wedded life on a farm of one hundred and 
 fifty-three acres, situated not far from the 
 old Scott homestead, and for thirteen years 
 they resided there. At the end of that 
 period, our subject bought his father-in- 
 law's property and subsequently remodeled 
 the house, built a good barn and made other 
 substantial improvements, expending much 
 time and money judiciously. He has made 
 a specialty of raising, feeding and dealing in 
 live stock, and has been considered an au- 
 thority on the subject. Success attended 
 his ventures in most instances, and integrity 
 and justice ruled his actions in all business 
 transactions. About six years ago he gave 
 up his more arduous duties to his sons-in- 
 law and is quietly attending to the few tasks 
 which he has reserved for himself. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bellinger has been a true 
 blue Republican since casting his first presi- 
 dential ballot for Lincoln in 1860. He was 
 elected and served as supervisor of Hensley 
 township and also acted in the capacity of 
 commissioner of highways in that township 
 and also as commissioner in Mahomet town- 
 ship. His sincere interest in the cause of 
 education led to his being chosen to serve 
 on the school board, and for some time he 
 was the president of that organization. 
 
512 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Fraterally, he is a member of the Masonic 
 order, and is a Master Mason, identified with 
 the Mahomet lodge. For many years he 
 has been an official member of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church, his wife also being 
 one of the active workers in the denomina- 
 tion. Both are loved and honored by the 
 whole community in which they have dwelt 
 so long, and as the shadows of the evening- 
 time of life begin to gather around them, 
 they have the satisfaction of knowing that 
 they have done their duty and that the 
 world is the better for the little part which 
 they have played in its history. 
 
 QTEWART LANAM has long baen asso- 
 O ciated with the development of Cham- 
 paign county, and in peace and war has 
 proved himself to be a true patriot, devoted 
 to his country and community, and holding 
 his personal interests secondary to the pub- 
 lic welfare. His record is that of an 
 honest, straightforward man, who has con- 
 tinued faithfully in the path of duty, doing 
 good to all as he had opportunity, and win- 
 ning the commendation of his own con- 
 science and the good opinion of his acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 He is a grandson of Thomas, and son of 
 Jesse Lanam, who were natives of Pennsyl- 
 vania. The latter chose Martha Stewart, of 
 the same state, for a wife, and in the early 
 part of the '303 settled in Noble county, 
 Ohio, where Mrs. Lanam died. Later, in 
 1846, he removed to Indiana, and thence- 
 forth made his home in Clinton county, 
 rearing his children to take useful places in 
 society. In 1864, he bought eighty acres of 
 land in Newcomb township. Champaign 
 county, but died soon afterwards. 
 
 The birth of Stewart Lanam occurred 
 July 2, 1836, in Noble county, Ohio, and 
 much of his youth was spent in Indiana, 
 where he received his education and became 
 familiar with the details of farm work. In 
 August, 1862, he enlisted in the Third In- 
 diana Cavalry, which was attached to the 
 Army of the Cumberland. With his regi- 
 ment, he participated in many of the severe 
 campaigns and engagements of the Civil 
 war, including the battles of Stone River, 
 Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and march 
 through Georgia to the sea under command 
 of General Sherman. He was ever at the 
 post of duty and was fortunate in escaping 
 wounds or illness, so his army record is of 
 the best, in every respect. 
 
 Returning home after receiving an hon- 
 orable discharge from the army, Mr. Lanam 
 rented land and worked for farmers in In- 
 diana until after his. marriage at the begin- 
 ning of the year 1868. He then rented the 
 farm which his father had purchased in 
 Newcomb township, Champaign county, and 
 within a few years was able to buy the 
 place. Subsequently, he bought an adjoin- 
 ing tract of eighty acres, and built a neat, 
 modern residence, barns and fences, besides 
 putting in tiling wherever needed. By his 
 well directed efforts he has won financial 
 success, and his example is worthy of emu- 
 lation. 
 
 On the 9th of January, 1868, Mr. Lanam 
 married Eliza jane Wyant, a native of 
 Boone county, Indiana, and daughter of Wil- 
 son and Maria Ann (Bowen) Wyant, both of 
 whom died by the time Mrs. Lanam was 
 three years old, and she was reared by her 
 grandmother Wyant. Of the five children 
 born to our subject and wife, the eldest, 
 Martha Ann, is the wife of G. W. Funston, 
 a farmer of this township; Maria, who mar- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ried Charles Chenoweth, a farmer, resides 
 in McLean county, this state; Joseph S., 
 unmarried, assists in the management of the 
 home farm; Clara Belle is the wife of Will- 
 iam Hinton, one of the enterprising farmers 
 of this township; and Nannie, a young lady, 
 is at home. 
 
 Originally Mr. Lanam was identified 
 with the Democratic party, but of late years 
 he has given his ballot and influence to the 
 nominees of the Prohibition party. He was 
 elected and served for a term as com- 
 missioner ot highways, and also served 
 as one of the township trustees. Dur- 
 ing the eighteen years when he was a 
 member of the school board, a part of 
 the time as president of that body, he 
 did effective service for the cause of ed- 
 ucation in this locality. He belongs to the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, being identi- 
 fied with Dewey Post at Fisher. With his 
 family, he holds membership with Shiloh 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and for several 
 years has been an officer in the congrega- 
 tion. 
 
 DAVID RUSH. Among the enterpris- 
 ing and prosperous farmers of Cham- 
 paign county, who thoroughly understand 
 the vocation which they follow and are 
 consequently enabled to carry on their call- 
 ing with profit to themselves, is the subject 
 of this sketch. He is actively engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits on section 28, Condit 
 township, only ten miles from Champaign, 
 where he owns a good farm of one hundred 
 and seventy-eight acres. 
 
 Mr. Rush was born in Franklin county, 
 Ohio, in 1830, a son of Benjamin and Cath- 
 erine (Parkinson) Rush. The father, who 
 was a native of either Pennsylvania or Ohio, 
 
 followed farming in Franklin county, and 
 continued to make his home there until his 
 death, which occurred in 1841. David is 
 the sixth in order of birth in his family of 
 seven children, six of whom reached years 
 of maturity, but only our subject is now liv- 
 ing. He grew to manhood in his native 
 county and received a good, practical edu- 
 cation in the common and select schools. 
 In early life he served a three years' appren- 
 ticeship to the carpenter's trade, and was 
 working as a journeyman when the Civil war 
 broke out. 
 
 In August, 1862, Mr. Rush enlisted for 
 three years or during the war in Company 
 I, Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as 
 a practical mechanic, and served with that 
 regiment for about eighteen months, during 
 which tfme he participated in a number of 
 engagements, including the battle of Rich- 
 mond, Kentucky; Jackson, Mississippi; Black 
 River Bridge, and Vicksburg. During the 
 siege of Vicksburg he was detailed with the 
 mechanical department and later helped 
 to build the bridge over Black river, re- 
 maining in that department until the close 
 of the war. He received credit for serving 
 in all the battles in which his regiment took 
 part, and was finally mustered out at Louis- 
 ville, Kentucky, and honorably discharged 
 at Columbus, Ohio, in August, 1865. He 
 lost no time in the service from illness or 
 other cause. 
 
 Returning to his home in Franklin coun- 
 ty, he resumed work at his trade and en- 
 gaged in contracting and building there for 
 a year. In October, 1865, in that county, 
 he was united in marriage with Mrs. Abigail 
 Rush, a native of Seneca county, New York, 
 and a daughter of Squire Wheaton and 
 Mercy (Jacobus) Wheaton, who were born, 
 reared and married in New Jersey, and from 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 there moved to Seneca county, New York, 
 where most of their children were born. 
 About 1835 her parents moved to Delaware 
 county, Ohio, where her father bought land 
 and cleared and improved a farm, making 
 his home there until called from this life in 
 1864. By her first husband she had one 
 son, who resides in western Kansas, George 
 Rush. 
 
 After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rush 
 located in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, where he 
 worked at his trade until August, 1866, and 
 then came to Champaign county, Illinois. 
 The previous March he had visited this lo- 
 cality and purchased an eighty-acre tract of 
 raw prairie land in Condit township, upon 
 which he located in August. He built a 
 smair house, and the following season broke 
 forty acres of his land. He has since en- 
 larged and improved his residence, has built 
 good outbuildings and made many other 
 improvements upon the place. He has also 
 added to his farm and now has one hundred 
 and seventy-eight acres of land, well tiled 
 and under a high state of cultivation. Since 
 locating here he has engaged in contracting 
 and building to some extent, but has de- 
 voted the greater part of his time and at- 
 tention to farming. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rush have no children, 
 but for twenty- one years Miss Anna Berry 
 has made her home with them. She was 
 born in Wisconsin, but was reared and edu- 
 cated in Indiana. They are all active and 
 prominent members of the Presbyterian 
 church of Jersey, in which Mr. Rush- is 
 serving as elder, and Miss Berry is a 
 worker in the Christian Endeavor Society, 
 and a teacher in the Sabbath school. Orig- 
 inally Mr. Rush was a Democrat in poli- 
 tics and cast his first presidential vote for 
 Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, but for some 
 
 years was identified with the Republican 
 party, and now on account of his views on 
 the temperance question he affiliates with 
 the Prohibition party. He has led an up- 
 right, honorable and useful life, and due 
 success has not been denied him. His 
 career has ever been such as to commend 
 him to the confidence and respect of all 
 with whom he has come in contact either 
 in business or social life, and it is safe to 
 say that no man in the community is held 
 in higher regard than David Rush. 
 
 TTEZEKIAH ROBINETT. One of the 
 1 1 most exemplary citizens of Champaign 
 county is the subject of this review, now 
 living retired at his pleasant home in section 
 5, Newcomb township. He is another ex- 
 ample of the man who rises from poverty 
 and obscurity to an honored position, solely 
 through his own merits and untiring energy. 
 He has aided, in all possible ways, the gen- 
 eral welfare, and has used his influence for 
 good schools, good government and prog- 
 ress. 
 
 The Robinett family is of French origin, 
 and at an early day they were numbered 
 among the inhabitants of Virginia. Stephen 
 Robinett, father of our subject, was born in 
 Athens county, Ohio, in 1800, his father be- 
 ing one of the first settlers in that section of 
 the Buckeye state. When he had matured, 
 Stephen Robinett married Elizabeth Mc- 
 Kee, a native of the same county, and, after 
 carrying on the old Robinett homestead for 
 a few years, removed to Hamilton county, 
 Indiana, where he cleared a farm and con- 
 tinued to live until his death, about 1870. 
 His wife survived him a few years. 
 
 Hezekiah Robinett was born on the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 parental farm in Hamilton county, Indiana, 
 Novembers, 1836, and remained there until 
 he reached his majority. At the time that 
 he embarked in business upon his own ac- 
 count, he rented land for a year or more, 
 and then, removing to Whitley county, In- 
 diana, bought a place of forty acres, and 
 cultivated it for a couple of years. Then, 
 selling out, he purchased an eighty-acre 
 tract, which he carried on and improved for 
 two years. He next became the owner of 
 another forty-acre farm, which he cleared 
 and greatly increased in value during the 
 four years of his stay there, after which ha 
 dwelt for a decade upon still another home- 
 stead, this comprising forty acres of heavily 
 timbered land. At the expiration of that 
 period, he came to Illinois, and invested in 
 one hundred acres of his present homestead. 
 The land had been partially broken and im- 
 proved, but he had a big task in reducing it 
 to its present condition. He forthwith in- 
 stituted many improvments. put in ditches 
 and tiling, later built a substantial residence 
 and barns, planted shade and fruit trees, and 
 has steadily invested time and money in the 
 beautifying of the place. Finally he bought 
 sixty acres adjoining, which makes his farm 
 contain just a quarter-section, and in ad- 
 dition to this he owns thirty-three acres, 
 fairly improved, in Brown township, near 
 Dickinson station. 
 
 HezekiahRobinett was married, May 27, 
 1860, to Orrel Shearer, daughter of John 
 Shearer, who was one of the pioneers of 
 Hamilton county, Indiana, and originally 
 lived in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. The 
 eldest child of our subject and wife is 
 George, who is an enterprising farmer of 
 this county, is married, and has five chil- 
 dren. John S. is married and has one child. 
 He is a carpenter and is a resident of Cham- 
 
 paign, where he finds abundant employment. 
 Joseph and Howard F. , unmarried and 
 young men of much promise and ability, 
 live with their parents on the home farm. 
 Marilla is the wife of Luther Haines, a 
 farmer of this county, and has one child. 
 Alice is the wife of Oliver Paulus, a farmer 
 of this county, and they have one child. 
 Martha married George Beatty, a farmer of 
 this county, and they have three children. 
 Sadie Ruth is the wife of Edward Foster, a 
 local farmer, and they are the parents of one 
 child. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Robinett is a Jeffersonian 
 Democrat, and cast his first presidential 
 ballot for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. In- 
 local elections he is independent of party 
 lines. In company with his wife, he is one 
 of the original members of the Walker 
 Methodist Protestantchurch, and now serves 
 as one of the trustees. Socially, he is a 
 member of Fisher Lodge, No. 704, I. O. O. 
 F. His life has been actuated by high 
 principles, and all who have come within 
 the sphere of his influence have been made 
 better and happier. 
 
 THOMAS DALE. It has often been re- 
 marked that Champaign county is es- 
 pecially indebted to its founders, who were 
 men of unswerving fidelity to whatever they 
 believed right and best, and, included in 
 the number of these sterling pioneers is 
 Thomas Dale, now living retired at his 
 pleasant home in Mahomet. More than 
 fifty. two years ago he permanently located 
 here, and nobly and conscientiously has he 
 met every obligation as a patriot, neighbor 
 and head of family. 
 
 From sturdy, God-fearing German an- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 cestors Mr. Dale has inherited many of the 
 sterling qualities for which he is noted. 
 Not long after the settlement of Pennsyl- 
 vania by William Penn and his followers, 
 the Dales located there, and became 
 wealthy and influential as the years rolled 
 by. Moses, son of Philip Dale, the father 
 of our subject, was born in Union county, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1804, and there wedded 
 Susan Wise, in 1828. He was a natural 
 mechanic, and in his early manhood learned 
 the shoemaker's trade, which he followed 
 to some extent. His father was a well-to- 
 do merchant, and employed his boys in his 
 store when they were young, forming cor- 
 rect business habits in them. Two years 
 after his marriage Moses Dale removed to 
 that section of Ohio now included within 
 Crawford county, and during the seven- 
 teen years of his residence there cleared 
 and greatly improved a tract of land. In 
 1847 ne s ld his property, and, with his 
 family and household goods in a wagon, 
 drove across the country to Champaign 
 county, whsre his wife's brother, Isaiah 
 Wise, had settled previously. Mr. Dale 
 bought two hundred and forty acres of land 
 in Mahomet township, and built a log house. 
 Year by year he cultivated and increased 
 the value of his farm by judicious expendi- 
 ture of labor and money, and here he con- 
 tinued to dwell until claimed by the angel of 
 death, in August, 1865. His widow sur- 
 vived him about ten years, and their last 
 earthly resting place in Bryant Cemetery is 
 marked by a substantial monument erected 
 to their memory. Of their seven children, 
 only two are living, Thomas and Isaac, the 
 latter a resident of Russell county, Kansas. 
 The birth of Thomas Dale occurred 
 on the old farm in Crawford county, Ohio, 
 March 19, 1834, an ^ there he spent thirteen 
 
 years. Coming then to Champaign county, 
 he worked for his father, and after attain- 
 ing his majority found employment with 
 neighboring farmers for some six years. 
 After his marriage he rented a farm for 
 three years, at the end of which time he 
 purchased his first land forty acres, but 
 lived upon the Mead place, eighty acres of 
 which he later added to his own possessions, 
 and years afterward he bought eighty acres 
 mere land, thus making his homestead one 
 of two hundred acres. On this property he 
 built a good brick house and barn, planted 
 an orchard and shade trees, put in tiling and 
 ditches, and made other valuable improve- 
 ments, thus rendering it one of the most de- 
 sirable farms in this locality. 
 
 In Mahomet township, Mr. Dale had 
 married, February 22, 1861, Mary, daugh- 
 ter of John Mead, one of the first settlers of 
 this county, and a native of New Jersey. 
 In all his strivings after success, Mrs. Dale 
 was an able and loyal helpmate to her hus- 
 band, but when life was beginning to be 
 easier for them she was summoned to the 
 home above, January 24, 1883. Their eld- 
 est son, W. Oscar, is carrying on the old 
 homestead; Tena is the wife of William 
 Webb, a farmer of this county; F. L. and 
 C. W. are proprietors and publishers of the 
 Record, a leading journal, printed in St. 
 Joseph, Illinois, and Charles is leader of 
 a brass band and is a prominent teacher of 
 music, besides being in partnership with his 
 brother in St. Joseph. In June, 1893, 
 Thomas Dale married Mrs. Maggie Savage, 
 widow of Lafayette Savage, and daughter of 
 Gardner and Maria Herron, one of the early 
 settlers of this county, and formerly of 
 Ohio, in which state Mrs. Dale was born. 
 
 In 1 889 our subject retired from the act- 
 ive cares of the farm and bought a com- 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 fortabie residence in Mahomet. In his po- 
 litical standing, he is an uncompromising 
 Republican, but has not been an aspirant 
 to public positions. Since he was twenty- 
 three years of age he has been actively 
 identified with the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and at the present time is a mem- 
 ber of the building co-nm'.ttea having in 
 charge the matter of erecting a new parson- 
 age. More than a score of years did he act 
 on the local school board, always advocat- 
 ing excellent educational advantages for the 
 young. 
 
 WILLIAM HEWERDINE. The sub- 
 ject of this review is one of the lead- 
 ing citizens of Condit township, who, by de- 
 veloping a good farm from the wild prairie 
 land, has materially aided in its growth. 
 He has met with well-deserved success in his 
 calling, and his fine, well-ordered farm of 
 three hundred and twenty acres, which is 
 pleasantly situated on section 16, thre'e and 
 one-half miles south of Dewey, with its care- 
 fully cultured fields, its near buildings, and 
 all their surroundings, denote the skillful 
 management, industry and well-directed 
 labors of the owner. 
 
 Mr. Hewerdine was born in Lincolnshire, 
 England, March 21, 1828, and there grew 
 to manhood with no school privilege, so 
 that he is wholly a self-educated as well as 
 a self-made man. After working on a farm 
 in early life, he followed railroading in his 
 native land for three years on a road run- 
 ning between London and York. . In the 
 spring of 1855 he took passage on the 
 Owego, a sailing vessel, which was seven 
 weeks in crossing the pcean, during which 
 time they encountered several severe storms 
 and collided with another vessel in mid- 
 
 ocean, both being managed. Mr. Hewer- 
 dine landed in New York, in June, and pro- 
 ceeded at once to Canada, where he worked 
 in a brickyard that summer. He then came 
 to Illinois, and after spending a few weeks 
 with a brother at Ten Mile Grove went to 
 Indiana, where he worked on a farm by the 
 month for Samuel Mahara for three years 
 and for Jesse Mahara one year. In the 
 meantime he twice visited Illinois, and in 
 the spring of 1860 took up his residence in 
 Champaign county, where he worked by the 
 month several years. 
 
 In East Bend township, June 15. 1864, 
 Mr. Hewerdine was united in marriage with 
 Mrs. Nancy Jane Hyer, ncc Jeffries, who 
 was born in Fayette county, Ohio, and is a 
 daughter of William and Ruth Jeffries, 
 natives of Ohio and -Pennsylvania, respact- 
 ively, and early settlers of East Bend town- 
 ship, this county. Mrs. Hewerdine's first 
 husband was Amzi R. Hyer, who after resid- 
 ing here for one summer, returned to Ohio, 
 where during the Civil war he enlisted as a 
 mechanic in Company G, Ninetieth Ohio 
 Volunteer Infantry, and was engaged in 
 bridge building. He died in the service 
 July 29, 1862, leaving one son. William 
 Wallace Hyer, a carpenter and joiner of 
 Champaign, who is married and has two 
 children, Gertie May and Ora Miner. Our 
 subject and his wife have three children: 
 Tabitha C. is now the wife of William Sitts, 
 who operates a part of the Hewerdine farm, 
 and they have four children, Delia Grace, 
 Lucy Ethel, Nina Arvilla and Ruby Agnes; 
 Ira, the only son of our subject, is carrying 
 on the home farm; and Ida Dell is the wife 
 of Hal Nelson, a farmer of Hensley town- 
 ship, this county. 
 
 For one year after his marriage Mr. 
 Hewerdine engaged in farming upon rented 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 land, and then purchased eighty acres of 
 land upon which he still continues to reside. 
 He has added to his place from time to time 
 until he now has three hundred and twenty 
 acres, which he has placed under a high 
 state of cultivation and converted into a 
 most attractive and desirable farm. He 
 and his wife began life together at the very 
 bottom of the financial ladder, but by their 
 united efforts they have accumulated a large 
 and valuable estate, which stands as a monu- 
 ment to their thrift and industry. They 
 are both earnest members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church of Fisher, and are highly 
 respected and esteemed by the entire com- 
 munity in which they live. Since casting 
 his first presidential vote for Abraham Lin- 
 coln in 1864, Mr. Hewerdine has been un- 
 wavering in his support of the Republican 
 party and its principles, but has never 
 sought official honors, preferring to give 
 his undivided attention to his. business in- 
 terests. 
 
 WILLIAM MEHARRY is well and favor- 
 ably known in Champaign county^, 
 and is ranked among the leading citizens of 
 Tolono, a pretty, flourishing town, which 
 has a bright future opening before it. Hav- 
 ing amassed a large fortune large in the 
 estimation of the hard-working, economical 
 people of this section, if not in that of a 
 millionaire, he has retired from active 
 labors, merely attending to his property and 
 financial investments. A true patriot, in 
 the limited, as well as in the broader sense 
 of the term, he has striven to promote the 
 welfare of his town and community, and 
 enjoys the respect of all who are associated 
 with him. 
 
 His father, Thomas Meharry, was a 
 
 native of Ohio, whence he removed to 
 Montgomery county, Indiana, where he en- 
 gaged in farming until a short time before 
 his death. For a wife he chose Unity Pat- 
 ton, likewise born in the Buckeye state. 
 In Indiana Mr. Meharry became an exten- 
 sive land owner, some fifteen hundred acres 
 being in his possession, and in addition to 
 this, he purchased four thousand acres of 
 land in Champaign, McLean and Shelby 
 counties. All of this property was divided 
 among his children, who placed it under 
 cultivation. Mr. Meharry and wife, who 
 lived to a good age, were members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. They 
 were the parents of seven children, namely: 
 Jane, widow of Eli Dick, of Philo, Illinois; 
 William; Ellen, wife of John Martin, of 
 Indiana; Jesse, of Tolono; Polly A., de- 
 eased, wife of A. C. McCorkle, lived near 
 Shawnee Mound, Tippecanoe county, Indi- 
 ana; Abraham P., of Crittenden township; 
 and Isaac N., his twin brother, living on 
 the o'ld homestead in the Hoosier state. 
 
 William Meharry was born in Montgom- 
 ery county, Indiana, October 27, 1830, at- 
 tended the district schools of the neighbor- 
 hood, and remained with his father, assist- 
 ing in the work of the home farm until he 
 was twenty-seven years of age. Then he 
 embarked in independent life, and cultivated 
 a farm in his native state until 1864, when 
 he sold the place and bought wild prairie 
 land in Champaign county. He continued 
 to cultivate one section of land here until 
 1885, since which time he has rented the 
 place. In addition to this homestead, he 
 kept investing in land as opportunity of- 
 fered, until he owned fourteen hundred 
 acres. This has all been placed under cul- 
 tivation, and, by means of the excellent 
 improvements made upon it, has become 
 
WILLIAM MEHARRY. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 521 
 
 valuable farm property. Mr. Meharry was 
 particularly successful as a raiser of grain 
 and live stock, and his investments were 
 judicious and extensive. 
 
 In all of his undertakings for more than 
 three decades our subject has been aided 
 by the counsel and sympathy of his devoted 
 wife, formerly Margaret McCorkle. She 
 was born January 4, 1843, in Putnam 
 county, Indiana, and was married to Mr. 
 Meharry. March 11, 1869. Her parents, 
 Andrew and Mary (Gooding) McCorkle, 
 were natives of Kentucky, and at an early 
 day removed to Putnam county, Indiana. 
 On their homestead their eleven chil- 
 dren were born, and there the father re- 
 sided until his death, after which event the 
 mother made her home with Mrs. Mary 
 Meharry. They were loyal patriots, and 
 gave four of their sons to the preservation 
 of the Union which they loved. Joseph, 
 deceased, was a soldier in an Iowa Regiment 
 during the Civil war. Abram S., who was 
 in the Eighteenth Indiana Artillery, was 
 killed at the battle of Chattanooga. A 
 thirty-two pound cannon-ball took off his 
 leg, and passing on, killed four horses. The 
 ball was later presented to Andrew C. Mc- 
 Corkle, who gave it to the state of Indiana, 
 and to-day it may be seen among the war 
 relics in the state-house at Indianapolis. 
 At the re-union of the Eighteenth Artillery 
 in 1 898, there werebuttwelve surviving mem- 
 bers of the original force. Nathan C., who 
 died only a few years after the close of the 
 war, and who was the youngest of the fam- 
 ily, enlisted in the Fifty-first Indiana In- 
 fantry, and served until there was no longer 
 need. John G., the second son, resides in 
 Marion county, Iowa. The third, James 
 F., is deceased. William, a carpenter, lives 
 
 in the state of Washington. Zibbeath A., 
 27 
 
 deceased, was the wife of M. Barker, of 
 Indiana. Edward W. lives in Iowa, and 
 Andrew C. also served during the Civil war, 
 and now is a citizen of Lafayette, Indiana. 
 Mary F. is the widow of Robert Hessel, and 
 makes her home in San Jose, California. 
 
 Three children blessed the marriage of 
 William Meharry and wife. They lost their 
 only son, Charles Howard, who died when 
 he was young. The eldest-born, Mae, now 
 living at home, received superior educational 
 advantages, her studies having been pursued 
 in Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and 
 at Wooster College. She possesses fine 
 musical talent, and with her parents, is 
 identified with the Presbyterian church of 
 Tolono. Lelia A. became the wife of S. M. 
 Bower, of Tolono. The home of the Me- 
 harry family is modern, beautifully furnished, 
 and surrounded by well kept grounds. In 
 addition to owning this attractive residence 
 property, and the extensive farm lands 
 previously mentioned. Our subject has 
 forty acres of land adjoining the village, 
 which, if the town extends in that direction, 
 may prove a fortune in itself. In the work 
 of the Presbyterian church, he is actively 
 interested, and for years he has been a 
 trustee. All worthy charities and persons 
 in need find in him a sincere friend and 
 helper, and he counts it one of his chief 
 pleasures to be in a position to succor the 
 afflicted. 
 
 ANDREW J. LAMB, who is now living 
 a retired life upon his farm on section 
 26, Brown township, Champaign county, 
 within two miles of Fisher, was born near 
 Syracuse, in Onondaga county, New York, 
 April 18, 1833, and is a son of Dudley and 
 Lucy (Lull) Lamb, also natives of the Em- 
 
522 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 pire state. The father served with distinc- 
 tion as a captain in the war of 1812, and 
 throughout his active business life engaged 
 in farming in Onondaga county, where he 
 died in 1834. His wife survived him a 
 few years, passing away in 1846. 
 
 Our subject was the youngest of their 
 children, all of whom grew to mature years. 
 After his mother's death he was dependent 
 upon his own resources for a livelihood, 
 and his educational advantages were there- 
 fore limited. He was reared upon a farm 
 and his training at farm work was not so 
 meager. He continued to engage in agri- 
 cultural pursuits until his marriage, whichwas 
 celebrated in Oswego county, New York, 
 September 18, 1859, Miss Amanda Joseph- 
 ine Gillette, a native of Hannibal, that 
 county, becoming his wife. Her parents 
 were Ephraim and Lydia Gillette. To Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lamb were born two children. 
 The elder, Mrs. Florence Smith, is now a 
 widow and resides with her parents. She 
 has two children, Fred and Neva, who are 
 attending the home school. George Lamb, 
 the only son of our subject, is married and 
 resides in Chicago. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Lamb located on 
 a farm in his native state, and in connection 
 with its cultivation he engaged in dairying, 
 teaming and other employments. In No- 
 vember, 1869, here moved to Vermont, Ful- 
 ton, Illinois, and while living there followed 
 farming and bridge building, being in the 
 employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
 Railroad Company from March 7, 1870, to 
 March 31, 1883. On the nth of April, of 
 the latter year, he came to Champaign 
 county, and purchased an improved farm of 
 eighty acres on section 26, Brown township, 
 where he has since made his home. He 
 has retired from active labor, and surrounded 
 
 by many comforts secured by former toil, 
 he expects to spend the remainder of his 
 life in ease and quiet, enjoying a well-earned 
 rest. 
 
 Mr. Lamb cast his first presidential vote 
 for Millard Fillmore in 1856} and since then 
 has been identified with the Republican 
 party. For twelve consecutive years he has 
 most capably and satisfactorily served as 
 commissioner of highways, and is also a 
 member of the school board. Fraternally 
 he is a member of the Masonic Lodge of 
 Fisher, and the Odd Fellows Lodge of Ver- 
 mont, Illinois, in which he has filled all the 
 chairs and is now past grand. 
 
 SIMEON S. WILLIAMS, a practical and 
 enterprising agriculturist of Hensley 
 township, owns and operates one hundred 
 and thirty acres of land on section 31, con- 
 stituting one of the valuable and highly im- 
 proved farms of the locality. His posses- 
 sions have been acquired through his own 
 efforts, and as the result of his consecutive 
 endeavor he has won a place among the 
 substantial citizens of the community. 
 
 Mr. Williams was born in Champaign 
 county, Ohio, April 25, 1839, and is a son 
 of George and Nancy (Morecraft) Williams, 
 the former a native of Virginia, the latter of 
 Delaware county, New York. Both re- 
 moved to Ohio with their respective parents 
 at an early day and were married in Cham- 
 paign county. The mother was the seventh 
 in order of birth in a family of eight chil- 
 dren, the others being James, Samuel, John, 
 Arthur, Simeon, Richard and Polly, all now 
 deceased. The father of our subject was 
 only six years old when he went to Ohio, 
 and in the subscription schools of Cham- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 523 
 
 paign county he acquired a limited educa- 
 tion. When his school days were over he 
 learned the trade of a wheelwright, which 
 he followed in connection with farming 
 throughout life. On attaining his majority 
 he supported the Democratic party, but 
 after his marriage he became a Whig, ow- 
 ing to the influence of his wife, and in 1840 
 he cast his presidentiaJ ballot for William 
 H. Harrison. On its organization he joined 
 the Republican party and continued'to vote 
 that ticket until his death. He died in 
 1886, at the advanced age of eighty-eight 
 years, seven months and eight days, and 
 his wife passed away in 1884, at the age of 
 eighty-three years. She took an active part 
 in church and Sunday school work as a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and was a most estimable lady. 
 
 To this worthy couple were born six 
 children, namely: (i) Esther E. died at 
 the age of sixteen years. (2) Richard mar- 
 ried Maria Taylor and moved to Kansas, 
 where he followed the wheelwright's trade, 
 having learned the same with his father. 
 There he died in 1888, but his widow is 
 still living 'in that state. Before going to 
 Kansas he spent thirty-five'years j n Qttum- 
 wa, Iowa, engaged in the milling business. 
 (3) Jonathan married a native of Florida, 
 with whom he became acquainted during the 
 Civil war, and they reside at his native place 
 in Champaign county, Ohio. (4) Mary 
 Margaret died from the effects of a scald at 
 the age of three years. (5) Simeon S., our 
 subject, is next in order of birth. (6) 
 Charles is married, and is engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits in Kansas. 
 
 Simeon S. Williams received his educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Champaign 
 county, Ohio, and during his vacations 
 aided in the work of the home farm, re- 
 
 maining with his parents until he was mar- 
 ried, in 1864, to Miss Harriet Stokes, a 
 daughter of Richard M. and Phoebe (Stiles) 
 Stokes, who were natives of Virginia and 
 Pennsylvania respectively, and at an early 
 day removed with their parents to Cham- 
 paign county, Ohio, where they were mar- 
 ried in 1837. Mrs. Williams is one of a 
 family of eleven children, of whom two 
 died in infancy; Telitha, now deceased; 
 Calvin, a veteran of the Civil war, having 
 served for three months at the first call in 
 1 86 1, married Anna Washington, and rer 
 sides in Champaign county, Ohio; John W. 
 who enlisted in 1864 in the one hundred 
 days service and did guard and picket duty, 
 married Sarah Lindsley, and lives in Kan- 
 sas: Harriet is the wife of our subject; Ivan 
 T., who enlisted for three years but only 
 served a little over two years, taking part 
 in the battle of Cumberland Gap and many 
 skirmishes, married Lizzie Thurman and 
 , died January 15, 1899, leaving a widow 
 who now resides inUrbana, Illinois ;Lydia is 
 the wifeof T.E. Nash, who is engaged in the 
 livery business in Sterling, Kansas; Merdula 
 died unmarried at the age of thirty-four 
 years; Jennetta is the wife of William Mor- 
 fey, a farmer of Mahomet township, this 
 county; and Emma married George Black, 
 of Mingo, Champaign county, Ohio, and 
 died at the age of thirty-four years. The 
 father died in that county, in 1869, at the 
 age of fifty-five years, the mother in 1859, 
 at the age of forty-two. They and their 
 family were members of the Free-Will Bap- 
 tist church. 
 
 For four years after their marriage, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Williams continued to make their 
 home in Ohio, and there two children were 
 born to them: Oliver S., December i o, 
 1864; and Charles O., September 2, 1866. 
 
524 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Both are at home. On' the 3d of Novem- 
 ber, 1867, the family arrived in Champaign 
 county, Illinois, establishing a residence 
 here just in time to enable Mr. Williams to 
 vote for U. S. Grant for president in 1868-. 
 He purchased his present farm on section 
 31, Hensley township in 1882, which, at that 
 time was a tract of wild land, but he has 
 since transformed it into one of the highly 
 cultivated and productive farms of the 
 township. Since casting his first presiden- 
 tial vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, he 
 has been a stanch supporter of the Repub- 
 lican party, but has never cared for politi- 
 cal honors, preferring to devote his entire 
 time and attention to his business interests. 
 He takes an active interest in educational 
 affairs, however, and has served as school 
 director one term. 
 
 EORGE WARNER is one of the hon- 
 V-J ored pioneers of Champaign county, 
 and by years of uninterrupted toil has 
 amassed a snug little fortune. He has wit- 
 nessed great changes in this section of the 
 state, and has performed his full share of 
 labor for the general welfare. Upon such 
 upright, strong minded citizens as he the 
 task of founding the county upon a sure 
 basis devolved, and nobly did they stand 
 for good government, good schools and im- 
 provements along all lines. 
 
 The father of our subject, George War- 
 ner, Sr. , was born in Pennsylvania, in 1798, 
 and in 1815 he went to Ross county, Ohio, 
 where he cleared and improved a farm. 
 Later, he removed to Pickaway county, 
 Ohio, and there spent his last years, act- 
 ively occupied in agriculture. He died in 
 1843, when in the prime of life, and was 
 
 survived thirty-four years by his widow, 
 who in her girlhood bore the name of De- 
 lilah Ulery. She was a daughter of Cap- 
 tain Ulery, one of the heroes of the war of 
 1812, as during that conflict, he enlisted in 
 defense of his country and was killed by 
 Indians who were fighting under the Eng- 
 lish flag. Mrs. Warner was a member of 
 our subject's household for several years 
 previous to her demise. 
 
 George Warner, Jr., was born in Ross 
 county, Ohio, February 5, 1834, and in his 
 youth his educational advantages were ex- 
 tremely meager. He was twenty years of 
 age when he left Pickaway county to seek 
 a new home in the Prairie state, and join- 
 ing some friends who had come to Illinois 
 from the neighborhood of his old home, he 
 found employment with different farmers 
 and gradually added to his small capital 
 until he was ready to commence an inde- 
 pendent career. 
 
 Everything was progressing well with 
 Mr. Warner when the Civil war came on and 
 engaged the attention of all who were con- 
 cerned in their country's security and future. 
 On the 2d of August, 1862, he enlisted in 
 Company E, One Hundred and Seventh Il- 
 linois Infantry, and from that time until 
 the close of the war he was found faithful 
 at his post of duty. He took part in a 
 number of the most important campaigns 
 and battles of the strife, being actively en- 
 gaged in the siege of Knoxville, the battle 
 of Franklin and many others, and later 
 going through the long and terrible march 
 to Atlanta. He was mustered out at Salis- 
 bury, North Carolina, and was honorably dis- 
 charged at Springfield, Illinois, in July, 
 1865. His record as a soldier is of such a 
 character that he may justly be proud of it, 
 and his officers and comrades unite in praise 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 525 
 
 of his conduct at all times. Resuming his 
 interrupted labors, Mr. Warner engaged in 
 breaking prairie, making ditches, and other 
 exceptionally hard work, for several years, 
 and at last invested in a quarter section of 
 land in Philo township. Here he at once 
 commenced niaking improvements, laying 
 tile and building fences, with the result 
 that he converted what was a wild tract 
 into a desirable homestead. In 1879 ne 
 sold this, and bought fifty acres of his pres- 
 ent farm, to which he afterwards added 
 more land until the place now comprises 
 two hundred acres. In addition to this 
 place, which adjoins Mahomet village, he 
 owns and manages another good farm. 
 Upon the farm now stands a substantial 
 house, barns and other buildings, all of 
 which were erected by the owner. For the 
 past twelve years he has made a specialty 
 of raising high grade live stock and feeding 
 cattle extensively for the markets. He is a 
 breeder of and dealer in fine English shire 
 horses and Poland-China hogs, and has es- 
 tablished an enviable reputation throughout 
 this locality for his good judgment and ab- 
 solute trustworthiness in matters pertaining 
 to live stock. He certainly is entitled to 
 much credit for the manner in which he has 
 made his way upward from a lowly position 
 to one of wealth and prominence. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Warner and Eliza- 
 beth Steen was solemnized Christmas eve, 
 1869, in the town of Mahomet. She 
 is a native of Indiana, and with her father, 
 Simon Steen, removed to this county in 
 1854. The overwhelming grief of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Warner' s lives came to them in the 
 death of three of their children within ten 
 days. They were Rosella, Edgar and Will- 
 iam, aged respectively five, three, and a 
 year and two months. Dell departed this 
 
 life April 9, 1900, aged twenty-two years, 
 seven months and seven days, and the only 
 son, Bert S., is assisting his father in the 
 management of the farms. 
 
 Politically Mr. Warner is a true blue 
 Republican, and ever since 1860, when he 
 voted for Lincoln, he has faithfully depos- 
 ited his ballot in favor of Republican 
 nominees. He has been identified with the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and is a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic order. He and his 
 family are active in the work of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church and are sincerely 
 esteemed. 
 
 JAMES B. BUSEY, one of the repre- 
 sentative farmers and a prominent and 
 influential citizen of Newcomb township, 
 who owns and operates a well improved and 
 valuable farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres on section 12, one mile south of 
 Fisher, is a native of Champaign county, 
 born on the old college farm in Urbana 
 township, November 3, 1856, and is a son 
 of Simeon H. and Artemisia (Jones) Busey, 
 of Urbana. He was reared and educated in 
 Urbana, and remained with his father until 
 nineteen years of age, when he went to 
 Penfield township and there engaged in 
 farming for one year. During the years of 
 1876 and 1877 he was interested in mer- 
 cantile pursuits, conducting a general store 
 at Penfield, as a member of the firm of 
 Busey & Riley. In 1878 he took up his 
 residence on the farm in Newcomb town- 
 ship, where he now resides. The land at 
 that time was only partly broken, and to its 
 further improvement and cultivation he has 
 since devoted his energies with most gratify- 
 ing results. He has fenced, ditched and tiled 
 
526 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the place, placed the land under excellent 
 cultivation, set out an orchard and small 
 fruits, erected a good residence, barn, gran- 
 ary and other outbuildings, all of which im- 
 provements add greatly to the value and at- 
 tractive appearance of the place. 
 
 On the 29th of December, 1880, Mr. 
 Busey was married in Urbana to Miss Cath- 
 erine Kaucher, who was born, reared and 
 educated in that city. Her parents were 
 M. W. and Mary Frances Kaucher, natives 
 of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. 
 Her father came to Urbana in 1855, and for 
 several years was one of the leading con- 
 tractors of the city, erecting many of its 
 public buildings, business houses and resi- 
 dences. The children born to Mr. 1 and 
 Mrs. Busey are Martin, Simeon, James, 
 Frances and Josephine, who are all attend- 
 ing the home school; and Matthew W. 
 
 Politically Mr. Busey has been a life- 
 long supporter of the men and measures of 
 the Democratic party, and has been honored 
 with several important official positions by 
 his fellow citizens, who recognize his worth 
 and ability. He has served as township 
 clerk; was assessor about ten years; and is 
 now serving his sixth year as supervisor of 
 his' township, and has ever taken an active 
 and commendable interest in public affairs. 
 He has ever given a hearty support to the 
 public schools, has for twenty years been a 
 member of the board, and is now president 
 of the district. Both Mr. and Mrs. Busey 
 were reared in the Baptist faith, but now 
 hold membership in the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church of Fisher, and he is also a mem- 
 ber of the Modern Woodmen of America, 
 the Court of Honor and the Knights of 
 Pythias, all of Fisher. He has passed 
 through all the chairs of the last named or- 
 der, and is now past chancellor of his lodge. 
 
 He is public-spirited and progressive, and is 
 justly numbered among the leading citizens 
 of his community, 
 
 JOHN J. ZERBE, one of the most in- 
 telligent and enterprising citizens of 
 Brown township, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, who is successfully engaged in general 
 farming and stock raising on section 21, was 
 born September 30, 1837, in Berks county, 
 Pennsylvania. The family is of Swiss 
 origin and the ancestors of our subject were 
 among the first settlers of Berks county. 
 His father, John W. Zerbe, was born there 
 in 1805, and was a son of John Zerbe, also 
 a native of Pennsylvania. The former 
 spent his boyhood and youth on the old 
 homestead, and on reaching man's estate 
 married Miss Elizabeth Arnold, a native of 
 Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and a 
 daughter of Squire Arnold, who was killed 
 in battle near Baltimore, Maryland, while 
 serving as a soldier of the war of 1812. In 
 early life the father of our subject followed 
 the shoemaker's trade and later engaged in 
 farming in his native state. In the spring 
 of 1877 he joined his children in Illinois, 
 but died in Sidney in the fall of the same 
 year, at about the age of seventy-three. 
 His wife survived him some time, dying in 
 1890 at the age of eighty-six. They had a 
 family of twelve children, five sons and 
 seven daughters, of whom ten reached man 
 and womanhood, and three sons and three 
 daughters are yet living. 
 
 In the county of his nativity, John J. 
 Zerbe grew to manhood, and was given 
 good educational advantages, attending first 
 the public schools and later the Stouchs- 
 burg Academy for about three years. He 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 527 
 
 pursued his studies in the latter institution 
 during the summer months, while through 
 the winter he taught school, following that 
 profession in Berks county for six terms. In 
 1859 he visited a sister in Ford county, Illi- 
 nois, but returned to Pennsylvania, and did 
 not locate permanently in this state until 
 April, 1863, when he took up his residence 
 in Champaign county. That spring he en- 
 gaged in teaching school, and again the fol- 
 lowing winter. For some years he contin- 
 ued to devote a part of his time to that 
 profession, teaching in all eleven terms in 
 this county. 
 
 Here Mr. Zerbe was married December 
 i, 1870, to Miss Maggie Mitchell, a native 
 of Harrison county, Ohio, and a sister of 
 Hugh Mitchell, whose sketch appears else- 
 where in this volume. By this union were 
 born six children, namely: Maud, now the 
 wife of Samuel E. Kurtz, a business man of 
 Sac City, Iowa; John F. , who is married 
 and engaged in farrnin in Newcomb town- 
 ship, this county; Charles G., who as- 
 sists his father in the operation of the farm; 
 Lillie B., who was educated in the home 
 school and at Green College, Hoopston, 
 Illinois, and is now a a successful teacher of 
 this county; George W. , who was educated 
 at Hoopston and Dixon, and is now at 
 home; and Grover C., who died at about the 
 age of twelve years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Zerbe began their married 
 life on a farm of eighty acres in Brown town 
 ship which he had previously purchased, and 
 where they still reside. At that time only 
 a portion of the land had been broken and 
 the only improvement was a little house, 
 but he has since built a good substantial resi- 
 dence, barns, cribs and other outbuildings, 
 has tiled and fenced the land, has planted 
 an orchard and shade trees, and has added 
 
 to his property until he now has two hun- 
 dred and twenty acres of land under a high 
 state of cultivation. 
 
 Politically Mr. Zerbe is a Jeffersonian 
 Democrat, in which faith he was reared, 
 and he cast his first presidential ballot for 
 Stephen A. Douglas, the "Little Giant," in 
 1860. He takes an active and prominent 
 part in local politics; and has served three 
 consecutive years as assessor of his township; 
 township clerk about twenty years; justice 
 of the peace eight years; trustee ten or 
 twelve years; and a member of the school 
 school board and clerk of the district several 
 years. He has been a delegate to numer-. 
 ous county conventions, and is again serv- 
 ing as assessor of Brown township. He has 
 proved a most competent officer, discharg- 
 ing his duties with fidelity and promptness, 
 worthy of the highest commendation. He 
 and his wife are leading members of the 
 Methodist Protestant church of Foosland, 
 of which he was a trustee some years, and 
 he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. 
 He has filled all the chairs in his lodge, is 
 past chancellor, and has been a representa- 
 tive to the grand lodge of the state. In all 
 the relations of life he has been found true 
 to every trust reposed in him, and has the 
 entire confidence and respect of the commu- 
 nity where he has so long made his home. 
 
 FRANKEBERGER. As his 
 name indicates, this sterling citizen of 
 Mahomet is of German extraction, and, as 
 is well known, he possesses many of the 
 notable traits of character which have 
 brought the people of the Fatherland to 
 their prominence among the nations. Sev- 
 eral generations of his family have dwelt in 
 
5 28 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 America, and many of his relatives and an- 
 cestors lived in Pennsylvania, where they 
 were well-to-do and influential. His father, 
 John, son of William Frankeberger, was 
 born in York county, Pennsylvania, April 
 23, 1817. and when fifteen years of age re' 
 moved with the family to Richland county, 
 Ohio, where he grew to maturity. For a 
 wife he chose Susannah, daughter of John 
 Swisher, who also was from the Keystone 
 state. She was born January 23, 1817, and 
 was but nine years of age when she located 
 in Richland county. There she was mar- 
 ried, April 9, 1844, and ten years later she 
 was bereft of her father, who died at his old 
 home in the Buckeye state. In 1853 John 
 and Susannah Frankeberger came to Cham- 
 paign county, arriving here in June, and 
 located upon a partly improved farm in 
 Hensley township, about a mile north of 
 Rising Station. Later they bought other 
 property and owned a quarter section of 
 very desirable farm land. The father was 
 so badly injured by a runaway team, at- 
 tached to a McCormick harvester, that 
 death resulted, July n, 1863. The mother 
 is yet living and at present is making her 
 home with her youngest daughter, Mrs. 
 Jane Richards, of Champaign. 
 
 The birth of George Frankeberger took 
 place February 7, 1845, ' m Richland coun- 
 ty, Ohio, and from the time he was eight 
 years old he has lived in this county, his ed- 
 ucation having been obtained in the district 
 schools. The first school-house in District 
 No. 2, Hensley township, was built in the 
 fall of 1852, and our subject was a pupil of 
 Miss Margaret Scott, the first teacher there. 
 He early mastered farming in its various 
 branches, and had plenty of opportunity of 
 working hard on the pioneer prairie home- 
 stead. For several years subsequent to the 
 
 death of his father, the young man re- 
 mained upon the farm, conducting its affairs 
 for his mother. 
 
 An important step in his life occurred 
 February 16, 1871, when he married 
 Nancy, daughter of John and Mary Ann 
 (Harper) Hammer. They were natives of 
 the Keystone state, while Mrs. Franke- 
 berger was born in Franklin county, Ohio, 
 and about 1856 came to Illinois with her 
 parents. Our subject and wife have one 
 daughter, Mary Alma, a young lady, at 
 home. 
 
 Before his marriage George Franke- 
 berger, in partnership with his mother, had 
 bought eighty acres of land and here he 
 and his wife commenced housekeeping. 
 Afterwards he purchased his mother's in- 
 terest in the place, and finally traded it 
 for his present farm, paying the difference.* 
 About 1849 Squire Stewart took up his res- 
 idence upon the homestead, which is one of 
 the oldest upon the old state road, and on 
 the place is an orchard with apple trees 
 fifty years old. To the original property 
 he later added sixty-five acres of his fa- 
 ther's estate, and now manages two hun- 
 dred and forty acres, which he has im- 
 proved with fruit and shade trees, tiling 
 and ditches. He also owns property in 
 Champaign. Until 1893, when he retired 
 from active cares, he was occupied in gen- 
 eral farming and stock-raising, and by in- 
 dustry and economy laid the basis of his 
 present prosperity. For the past seven 
 years he has rented his farm and has lived 
 in a pretty home in Mahomet, where he is 
 a highly prized citizen. 
 
 During his entire life, Mr. Franke- 
 berger has been a true friend to education, 
 and besides giving his vote and influence for 
 the maintenance of good schools, he served 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 529 
 
 as one of the trustees in his township. He 
 never has sought nor desired public office, 
 and in local elections uses his franchise in 
 favor of the best man, regardless of party, 
 while in national affairs he is a stalwart 
 Republican. He cast his first presidential 
 ballot for General Grant in 1868, and never 
 has failed to aid the Republican candidate 
 ever since that time. With his wife and 
 daughter, he holds membership in the 
 Methodist Episcopal church of Mahomet, 
 and delights in the grand work of his de- 
 nomination. 
 
 HENRY B. FREEMAN, an honored vet- 
 eran of the Civil war and a highly re- 
 spected citizen of Brown township, Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, residing on section 
 21, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, Au- 
 gust 8, 1845, and is a son of Benjamin L. 
 Freeman, whose birth occurred on the same 
 farm about 1820. The grandfather, Cap- 
 tain Benjamin L. Freeman, was a native of 
 Pennsylvania, and a soldier of the war of 
 1812, in which he held a captain's commis- 
 sion. He was one of the first settlers of 
 Fairfield county, Ohio, and in the midst of 
 the wilderness opened up a large farm of 
 about four hundred acres, which he entered 
 from the government. He lived to the ripe 
 old age of eighty-three years. His ances- 
 tors were of German descent and were 
 among the pioneers of Pennsylvania. 
 
 On the old homestead the father of our 
 subject grew to manhood, and in early life 
 he married Miss Fanny Leitnaker, also a 
 native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and a 
 daughter of Squire Leitnaker. one of its 
 pioneers. Mr. Freeman succeeded to a part 
 of the home farm, and became one of the 
 thrifty agriculturists of the community, 
 
 where he is still living at the age of eighty 
 years. His wife departed this life in Jan- 
 uary, 1898. In their family were eight chil- 
 dren, four sons and four daughters, namely: 
 Newton, who died in childhood; Almeda, 
 who married Thomas Brooks and died in 
 Ohio; Ellen, who married V. H. Cupp and 
 died in Indiana; Henry B., our subject; Liz- 
 zie A., who married Marion F. Cupp and 
 lives on a part of the old homestead in Ohio; 
 O. P., a farmer of Michigan; L. A., who is 
 engaged in farming on the home farm; and 
 Mary, wife of Brock Cooprider of Licking 
 county, Ohio. 
 
 Henry B. Freeman was reared in much 
 the usual manner of farmer boys of his days, 
 and as his school privileges were limited, he 
 has acquired the greater part of his educa- 
 tion through his own efforts since reaching 
 maturity. In November, 1862, he joined 
 the boys in blue of Company M, Twelfth 
 Ohio Cavalry, and with the Army of the 
 Tennessee participated in- the battles of Mt. 
 Sterling, Kentucky, Cynthiana, Nashville. 
 Cadmus and many skirmishes. He was 
 taken prisoner at Mt. Sterling, but made his 
 escape in less than two days, and at Mur- 
 freesboro was ill with typhoid fever for a 
 time. With these exceptions he was al- 
 ways found at his post of duty, valiantly 
 defending the old flag and the cause it repre- 
 sented. He was mustered out at Nashville, 
 Tennessee, and honorably discharged at 
 Columbus, Ohio, in November, 1865. 
 
 Returning home, Mr. Freeman resumed 
 work on the farm, and the following season 
 purchased a threshing machine, which he 
 operated in season until 1872. In the fall of 
 1871 he came to Illinois and rented a farm 
 in Champaign county. He then returned 
 to Ohio, where he was married January 16, 
 1872, to Miss Maggie Ewing, also a native 
 
530 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of Fairfield county, and a daughter of 
 David Ewing, who was born on the same 
 farm as Mrs. Freeman, being a son of Judge 
 David Ewing, one of the pioneers of the 
 county. Her mother, who bore the maiden 
 name of Priscilla Wells, was born in Penn- 
 sylvania, and died when Mrs. Freeman was 
 only six years old, leaving two children, the 
 other being John W. Ewing, a business man 
 of Chicago. The father married again and by 
 his second union has seven children living. 
 He is stilllivingon the old homestead in Fair- 
 field county, Ohio. Our subject and his wife 
 have two sons: Harlan L., who will complete 
 the course of study at Adrian College, Mich- 
 gan, in 1900; and Harry E., who is attend- 
 ing the home school. 
 
 Soon after his marriage Mr. Freeman 
 brought his bride to Champaign county, 
 Illinois, and located on the farm which he 
 had previously rented, remaining there two 
 years. He then rented property in Brown 
 township for one year, during which time he 
 purchased eighty acres of raw land on sec- 
 ting 21, where he still resides. He broke 
 the virgin soil, erected a neat set of farm 
 building, and has made many other improve- 
 ments upon that farm, so that it is now 
 one of the most desirable places of its size 
 in the locality. 
 
 Mr. Freeman is an ardent Republican in 
 politics and cast his first presidential vote 
 for General U. S. Grant in 1868. He has 
 served two term as township trustee, and 
 was a member of the school board some 
 years, having ever taken an active interest 
 in educational affairs, and given his influence 
 to secure good schools and competent 
 teachers. He was reared in the new school 
 Lutheran church, but now holds member- 
 ship in the Mt. Hope United Brethren 
 church, while his wife is a member of the 
 
 Methodist Protestant Church of Foosland. 
 Fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows 
 Lodge of Pleasantville, Ohio, with which 
 he united at the age of twenty-one, and is 
 also a member of the Knights of Pythias of 
 of Fooland, Illinois, and Fisher Post, 
 G. A. R. 
 
 JOHN H. HINTON, a well-to-do and 
 vJ successful farmer residing on section 15, 
 Newcomb township, is a native of Cham- 
 paign county, his birth occurring February 
 i, 1856, in the township where he still con- 
 tinues to make his home. His father, 
 Pieman Hinton, was born in Ohio, and dur- 
 ing childhood was taken by his parents to 
 Clinton county, Indiana, where he grew to 
 manhood and married Nancy Anderson, a 
 native of Indiana. After the birth of two of 
 their children they came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and took up their residence 
 in Newcomb township, where the father 
 opened up and improved a farm of one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres, and where the re- 
 mainder of their lives were spent. 
 
 On the home farm John H. Hinton 
 passed his boyhood and youth and was 
 educated in the district schools of the 
 locality. He remained with his father until 
 twenty-two years of age and then started 
 out in life for himself. His first purchase 
 consisted of forty acres of partially im- 
 proved land, upon which a house had been 
 erected and a few rods of fence built. For 
 two years he devoted his time to its further 
 improvement and cultivation, and then sold 
 the place at an advantage and bought sixty- 
 five, acres of his present farm. As his finan- 
 cial resources have increased, he has added 
 to the place from time to time until he now 
 owns one hundred and eighty-six acres all 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 53i 
 
 in one body, which he has placed under a 
 high state of cultivation and improved by the 
 erection of a new and substantial residence 
 and good barns and outbuildings. He has 
 also tiled the land, fenced it, and set out an 
 orchard, small fruits, forest and ornamental 
 trees. 
 
 In his native township Mr. Hinton was 
 married, January 10, 1878, to Miss Mollie 
 Funston, a daughter of J. H. Funston, now 
 of Champaign. She wasborn in this county, 
 and died here, February 13, 1898, aged 
 thirty-eight years. By that union there 
 were three children: Vera, now the wife of 
 Cecil Hinton, of Forest, Illinois; Claude 
 and Orpha. Mr. Hinton was again married, 
 at Fisher, September 20, 1899, his second 
 union being with Miss Lucy Blake, who was 
 born, reared and educated in Ford county, 
 Illinois, her father, A. T. Blake, being one 
 of the substantial farmers of that locality. 
 
 In his political affiliations Mr. Hinton is 
 a Democrat, and cast his first presidential 
 vote for Grover Cleveland, but at local 
 elections votes independently, supporting 
 the best men regardless of party lines. He 
 takes a deep interest in the temperance 
 cause and believes firmly in prohibition. 
 Both he and his wife are active members of 
 the Shiloh Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 he is also connected with the Knights of 
 Pythias Lodge of Fisher. As a business 
 man he is upright and honorable in all his 
 dealings, and the success that he has 
 achieved in life is due entirely to his own 
 well-directed efforts for he started out for 
 himself empty-handed, and has had to work 
 his way upward unaided. He had to go in 
 debt for his first land, but he has steadily 
 overcome the difficulties and obstacles in the 
 path to prosperity, and is now the owner of 
 a large and valuable farm and a good home. 
 
 JONAS LESTER, one of the sterling pio- 
 neers of Champaign county, is self-made 
 and self-educated and, in view of the many 
 obstacles which he had to overcome in his 
 early manhood and prime, his success is the 
 more remarkable. Nearly half a century 
 has passed since he cast in his lot with the 
 then few inhabitants of this portion of Illi- 
 nois, and in this period he has been active 
 in the development of its resources and in 
 all that has pertained t,o its well-being. 
 
 David Lester, paternal grandfather of 
 our subject, was of German parentage, and 
 the family settled in Albany county, New 
 York, upon their arrival in this country. 
 Benjamin, father of Jonas Lester, was born 
 in Albany county, August 10, 1807, and was 
 about fifteen years of age when he became 
 a resident of Switzerland county, Indiana. 
 There he married Deliverance R., daughter 
 of Jonas Baldwin, who was sheriff of that 
 county for a number of years. Subsequent 
 to his marriage, Mr. Lester was engaged in 
 teaming in Cincinnati, Ohio, three or four 
 years, and then, returning to Switzerland 
 county, he bought a quarter-section of land, 
 only three acres of which was not covered 
 with heavy timber. He devoted himself to 
 the heavy task of clearing the farm, and 
 made his home there for eighteen years. In 
 April, 1854, he purchased the property in 
 Newcomb township, Champaign county, 
 that is now owned by his son, Captain J. B. 
 Lester, and there he continued to dwell 
 until his death, February 19, 1867. His 
 wife surviving him, died at the home of our 
 subject, August 17, 1888. Of their ten 
 children, six have been called to the better 
 land, and those living are, Jonas; Captain 
 John B. ; H. D., of Gibson, Illinois; and 
 Sarah, wife of John Mitchell, of Newcomb 
 township. 
 
532 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The birth of Jonas Lester took place in 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, February 14, 1832, and, 
 as he was reared in the depths of the Swit- 
 zerland county forests, nature was his only 
 teacher. With his parents he came to 
 Champaign county about the time that he 
 arrived at his majority, and for a few years 
 he worked by the month. At length he 
 bought eighty acres of wild land situated in 
 East Bend township, and after building a 
 small cabin, proceeded to otherwise im- 
 prove the place. At the end of eight years 
 of well-spent toil, he sold out and invested 
 in a portion of his present farm in Mahomet 
 township. It comprised one hundred and 
 twenty-three acres until he gave forty-nine 
 acres to his son, but he has retained as 
 much land as he now cares to manage. He 
 built a substantial house and other farm 
 buildings upon the place, planted an orchard 
 and set out a good variety of small fruit. 
 For the past twenty-three years the com- 
 munity hereabout has been supplied with 
 all the sand and gravel required from the 
 sand and gravel pits upon Mr. Lester's 
 farm, and in other ways it has proved a 
 good investment. The first wife of Mr. 
 Lester was Sarah A. Hannah. She died at 
 the birth of her first child, Nancy D., who 
 grew to womanhood and married L. H. 
 Hinton, by whom she had two children. 
 She is deceased. 
 
 The second marriage of our subject was 
 to Amelia L. Flower and was celebrated in 
 this township, September 4, 1859. She 
 was born in Brooklyn, New York, and came 
 to this state with her parents at an early 
 day. Her father, Gideon Flower, located 
 upon a farm in St. Clair county, and there 
 both he and his wife died. Subseqently, 
 their daughter Amelia and her sister re- 
 turned to Brooklyn, where they received 
 
 their education, and, having qualified them- 
 selves for teaching, came back to the west. 
 Mrs. Lester, who nobly shared the hard- 
 ships of her husband's pioneer life, was 
 summoned to her reward January 7, 1892. 
 Levina M. and Adelaide Lester are unmar- 
 ried and live with their father, while the 
 only son, Charles A., is an enterprising 
 farmer of this township. On the 3ist of 
 March, 1897, Jonas Lester wedded Millie A. 
 Lawson, daughter of Robert and Millie Ann 
 (Osborn) Lawson, all natives of New York 
 City. She was an infant when her parents 
 died, and of her eight brothers and sisters only 
 two survive: Mrs. Sarah Smith, of Brook- 
 lyn, and Charles, of Williamsburg, New 
 York. When she was about twelve years 
 old she came to Champaign county, where 
 she has since resided. She is identified 
 with the Methodist Episcopal church, while 
 Mr. Lester is a Baptist. Politically, he is 
 a true-blue Republican, and prior to the 
 organization of the party was a Whig. 
 Never an aspirant to public positions or 
 honors, the only office he ever was induced 
 to hold was that of tax collector, when he 
 was a young man. 
 
 EUGENE B. LARKIN, a prominent and 
 representative farmer of Champaign 
 county, residing on section 16, Brown town- 
 ship, within a half-mile of Foosland, has 
 made his home in Illinois since 1855. He 
 is a native of New York, born in Clinton 
 county, May 9, 1843, an d is a son of Edgar 
 Larkin, who was born in the same county 
 in 1814. The Larkin family is of English 
 descent and was founded in New York at 
 an early period in its development. Ira 
 Larkin, the paternal grandfather of our sub- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 533 
 
 ject, was also a native of Clinton county, 
 and married Miss Ostrander, whose an- 
 cestors were among the Holland settlers of 
 that state. He was a drum major in the 
 war of 1812, and participated in the battle 
 of Plattsburg. 
 
 Edgar Larkin was reared in his native * 
 county, and there married Lucretia Craw- 
 ford, who was born in Canada but passed 
 her girlhood in Clinton county, New York. 
 Her father, Squire Crawford, was a naitve 
 of Wales. In early life Edgar Larkin en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of lumber and 
 also carried on a small farm in New York, 
 where five children were born to him and 
 his wife. In 1855 he moved to La Salle 
 county, Illinois, where he purchased land 
 and improved a farm, making his home 
 there until 1868, when he sold his property 
 and removed to Kankakee county, this state. 
 His last years were spent in retirement at 
 Buckingham, where he died in July, 1884. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was a lad of 
 twelve years on the removal of the family 
 to La Salle county. He acquired a good 
 education, attending the common schools 
 and also the Leland high school for one 
 term. Hardly had the echoes of Fort 
 Sumter's guns died away when he offered 
 his services to his country to assist in put- 
 ting down the rebellion, enlisting April 30, 
 i86r, before he was eighteen years of age, 
 as a private in Company D, Twenty-third 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
 served until the following September. He 
 was captured at Lexington, Missouri, but 
 paroled, and later mustered out, when he 
 returned home. Soon after his exchange 
 he re-enlisted at Ottawa, as fifth sergeant in 
 Company D, Fifty-third Illinois Volunteer 
 Infantry, which was assigned to the Fourth 
 Division under General Hurlbut. The com- 
 
 mand first went to Savannah, and later par- 
 ticipated in the battle of Hatchie's Run, the 
 second battle of Corinth, the siege of Vicks- 
 burg, and the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, 
 where the regiment charged the works and 
 their flag was captured. Later they were 
 in the Atlanta campaign, and were with 
 Sherman on the march to the sea. At Sa- 
 vannah Mr. Larkin was mustered out, Jan- 
 uary i, 1865, but he later veteranized, join- 
 ing the Fourth United States Veteran Vol- 
 unteers. From Washington, D. C., his 
 command went to Winchester, West Vir- 
 ginia, where they did guard duty, and also 
 guarded the conspirators connected with the 
 assassination of President Lincoln, and 
 were on duty at Columbus, Ohio, for a time. 
 Mr. Larkin was finally mustered out and 
 honorably discharged in March, 1866. 
 
 Returning to his home in La Salle coun- 
 ty, he was married, March 20, 1866, to Miss 
 Ellen Riggs, a native of that county, and a 
 daughter of Isaac Riggs, one of its early set- 
 tlers. By this union were born four chil- 
 dren: Lillian, now the wife of Oliver Ball, 
 agent for the Wabash Railroad at Eming- 
 ton, Illinois, by whom she has one child, 
 Arthur Ball; Arthur Larkin, who assists his 
 father in carrying on the home farm; Lena 
 Maud, at home; and Eva May, who died at 
 the age of two years and a half. 
 
 Soon after his marriage Mr. Larkin 
 located on a farm near Cabery, Ford county, 
 Illinois, where he bought one hundred and 
 twenty acres of land, and operated the same 
 for six years. In 1874 he purchased a tract 
 of eighty acres on section 16, Brown town- 
 ship, Champaign county, where he has since 
 made his home, having added to it another 
 eighty acres. His first residence, which was 
 quite small, he has replaced by a more com- 
 modious and modern structure, has placed 
 
534 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the land tinder a high state of cultivation, 
 and made many other valuable and useful 
 improvements. He follows general farming 
 and stock raising, and is accounted one of 
 the thrifty and successful agriculturists of 
 his community. 
 
 Since casting his first presidential vote 
 for General U. S. Grant, Mr. Larkin has 
 never wavered in his allegiance to the Re- 
 publican party, but has taken an active part 
 in local politics and has been a member of 
 the county central committee. He was a 
 member of the school board for seventeen 
 years, and served as supervisor one term, 
 being a member of several important com- 
 mittees while filling that office. Both he 
 and his wife hold membership in the Method- 
 ist Protestant church of Foosland, of which 
 he is a trustee, and he also belongs to the 
 blue lodge and chapter of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity at Gibson. His many sterling qual- 
 ities command the respect and confidence of 
 all and have secured for him the high regard 
 of a large circle of friends and acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 CALVIN BEATTY, one of the most 
 prosperous and substantial farmers 
 of Newcomb township, Champaign county, 
 came to this state without capital, and by 
 the exercise of his resolute will and perse- 
 vering industry has built up a most credita- 
 ble homestead, consisting of four hundred 
 acres of well-improved and valuable land 
 on section 5. His straightforward methods 
 of doing business and his value as a mem- 
 ber of the community, have gained for him 
 a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, 
 who have watched his career with interest 
 and are not slow to acknowledge that he is 
 deserving of all the good that has fallen to 
 him. 
 
 Mr. Beatty was born in Sparta, Sussex 
 county, New Jersey, February 6, 1840, and 
 on the paternal side is of Irish and on the 
 maternal side is 'of English descent. His 
 grandfather, Thomas Beatty, was a native 
 of Ireland and an early settler of New Jer- 
 sey. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, 
 being stationed most of the time at Sandy 
 Hook. George B. Beatty, the father of 
 our subject, was born in Andover, Sussex 
 county, New Jersey, in 1811, and on reach- 
 ing manhood married Elizabeth Stites, a 
 native of Somerset county, that state, and 
 a daughter of John Stites. After his mar- 
 riage he located on the old Beatty home- 
 stead, where he followed farming through- 
 out his active business life, dying there 
 March 17, 1888. His first wife, the mother 
 of our subject, died in 1843, and he was 
 again married. He survived his second wife 
 three years. In early life he was a mem- 
 ber of the home militia; for thirty years 
 served as justice of the peace, and being 
 one of the most prominent men of his com- 
 munity he was called upon to fill other pub- 
 lic positions of honor and trust. 
 
 During his boyhood Calvin Beatty at- 
 tended the home school and an academy of 
 his native state, and remained with .his 
 father upon the farm until reaching matur- 
 ity. After leaving the parental roof, he 
 clerked in a store for over a year, and there 
 received a practical business training. In 
 September, 1866, he came west and first 
 located in Galva, Henry county, Illinois, 
 where he worked on a farm by the month 
 for two years. 
 
 Returning to his native state early in the 
 year 1868, Mr. Beatty was married, Feb- 
 ruary 25, to Miss Ella McKinney, who was 
 born in the same neighborhood as her hus- 
 band, and is a daughter of John McKinney, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 535 
 
 whose death occurred there when she was 
 twelve years of age. She was then reared 
 by an uncle, and was well educated. To 
 Mr. and Mrs. Beatty were born five chil- 
 dren, namely: George L. is married and 
 follows farming on the home place; Lillie 
 M. is the wife of Thomas Sloan, who oper- 
 ates a part of the farm; Lula G. was edu- 
 cated in the Normal at Urbana, and is now 
 one of the successful teachers of the coun- 
 ty; Sadie is at home, and Hattie is a student 
 in the home school. They also have an 
 adopted son, Guy Ferrell Beatty, now 
 twelve years of age. 
 
 The day after their marriage, February 
 26, 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Beatty started for 
 their new home in Henry county, Illinois. 
 After raising one crop there, our subject 
 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of 
 land in Newcomb township, Champaign 
 county, to which he removed in the fall of the 
 same year. At that time some of the land 
 had been broken and a small house and stable 
 had been erected thereon. To the further 
 improvement and development of the place 
 he immediately turned his attention, and 
 has extended its boundaries from time to 
 time, until he has four hundred acres, upon 
 which he has built a neat and commodious 
 residence, two good barns and other out- 
 buildings. He has divided the land by good 
 fences into fields of convenient size, has 
 laid many rods of tiling and planted fruit 
 and ornamental trees, making it one of the 
 most valuable farms in the township. 
 
 On national issues Mr. Beatty is a Demo- 
 crat and cast his first presidential ballot for 
 George B. McClelland in 1864, but at local 
 elections he votes independent of party 
 lines, endeavoring to support the man best 
 qualified for the office. He has never cared 
 for political honors, preferring to devote his 
 
 entire time and attention to his business in- 
 terests, but has served for three consecu- 
 tive terms as justice of the peace. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Beatty are active and prominent mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Protestant church lo- 
 cated upon his land, he having given the 
 lot and contributed liberally to the erection 
 of the house of worship. He is one of the 
 charter members and an officer of the 
 church. He is a man of exemplary habits, 
 of tried integrity and sterling worth, and 
 has the confidence and esteem of all who 
 know him. 
 
 JOHN W. TANNER, of Mahomet, is one 
 <J of the best known citizens of this local- 
 ity and specimens of his skill and handi- 
 work are to be seen upon every side. For 
 many years he has been actively connected 
 with various local enterprises and his in- 
 fluence always has been exercised on behalf 
 of progress and good government. 
 
 Born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, 
 February 17, 1851, Mr. Tanner is a son of 
 John and Mary (Pass) Tanner, who were 
 natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, re- 
 spectively. The family settled in the 
 Hoosier state in 1847, and there the father 
 carried on a farm successfully until his 
 death, which came as the result of injuries 
 sustained in an accident in 1865. His de- 
 voted wife, who had been a true helpmate, 
 died the year following his demise. 
 
 John W. Tanner resided upon the 
 parental farm until he was sixteen years 
 of age, and in his early life he had but lim- 
 ited educational advantages. After spend- 
 ing about two years as an apprentice to the 
 carpenter's trade he came to Illinois in 1869, 
 and engaged in farming in Coles county, and 
 later in Champaign county for several years. 
 
536 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In the meantime he was employed to some 
 extent at his trade, and having made a rep- 
 utation for skill and integrity his future was 
 assured. Taking up his residence in Ma- 
 homet in 1875, he began contracting and 
 building, some seasons employing from 
 twenty-five to thirty men. His patrons 
 were not those of this immediate locality 
 merely, but throughout this section of the 
 county he erected residences and public 
 buildings, which plainly manifest his skill 
 and stand as monuments to his enterprise. 
 Gradually he began investing in real estate 
 and built houses upon his property,' and 
 thus to-day is the owner of five residences 
 and two small farms, situated just outside 
 the corporation limits. In 1887 he estab- 
 lished a lumberyard, with sheds for the best 
 grades of building material, and a few years 
 later commenced dealing in coal also. In 
 connection with his other enterprises he 
 owns and operates a planing-rnill and carries 
 a good stock of builders' hardware and 
 plumbing material. A natural mechanic, 
 he readily takes up many lines of work not 
 strictly within his province, and with all the 
 versatility of the true American. In his 
 early efforts to gain a foothold and standing 
 in the business world he received the in- 
 fluence of B. F. Harris & Sons, of Cham- 
 paign, who recognized his ability and put 
 faith in his integrity. For his own family 
 Mr. Tanner built a pretty residence in the 
 southern part of Mahomet, and also put up 
 four houses to rent, all of which are sup- 
 plied by a fine water system, planned by 
 the proprietor. A wind-mill and large tank 
 pumps and stores the water, which is con- 
 veyed by a complete system of underground 
 pipes into the different houses. Persever- 
 ance and hard work can accomplish wonders, 
 must be the verdict of the reviewer of Mr. 
 
 Tanner's career, and his example is worthy 
 of being held up to the rising generation. 
 
 In his political attitude Mr. Tanner has 
 been affiliated with the Democratic party 
 until the campaign of 1896, when he gave 
 his ballot to McKinley and the gold stand- 
 ard. He has been a stalwart advocate of 
 temperance for many years, and in all 
 elections where his ballot can be of real 
 service to the cause he uses it for Prohi- 
 bition candidates and measures. Fraternally 
 he is a Master Mason and has occupied 
 various positions of honor in his lodge. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Tanner and Alice 
 Belle Bolton, a native of Ohio, was solem- 
 nized November 11, 1875, in this county. 
 She is a daug'hter of Reason Bolton, one of 
 the early settlers of Champaign county. 
 For many years he was actively engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits, and he now makes his 
 home with our subject and wife. Forrest 
 L. , the only son of the latter, received an 
 excellent education, and has been connected 
 with his father in business for some time. 
 Eva Gertrude, the only daughter, is a 
 student at the Jacksonville Female College. 
 Mr. Tanner and the young people are mem- 
 bers of the Baptist church, while the wife 
 and mother is identified with the Methodist 
 Episcopal denomination. 
 
 JESSE MEHARRY, a well known citizei 
 of Champaign county, is now living 
 retired life and is enjoying a rest which h< 
 has justly earned. His residence in Tolono, 
 erected by him about seven years ago, is on< 
 of the most beautiful modern houses in the 
 state. Finely furnished throughout, am 
 equipped with the latest appliances and con- 
 veniences, it bespeaks the enterprise and ex- 
 
JESSE MEHARRY. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 539 
 
 cellent taste of the owners, who have reason 
 to be proud of their attractive home. 
 
 Jesse Meharry is of Scotch-Irish and 
 \Yelsh extraction. During the reign of 
 Queen Mary, and the terrible persecutions 
 in the name of religion, the forefathers of 
 our subject escaped, by going to Ireland. 
 In that country the latter's grandparents 
 were married in the spring of 1794, and in 
 May of that year they settled in America. 
 .After spending thirteen weeks on the broad 
 Atlantic, they landed in New York, from 
 whence they proceeded to Philadelphia, and 
 later to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. 
 Subsequently they located in Connellsville, 
 in the same state, and afterwards took up 
 their residence in Adams county, Ohio, 
 where the grandfather met his death in a 
 peculiar manner, June 21, 1813. The mid- 
 summer day was calm and clear, as he was 
 riding along a rural road, when, without 
 warning, a tree which leaned slightly over 
 the highway, crashed to the ground, killing 
 the unfortunate man. His widow was left 
 with seven sons and one daughter, whom she 
 reared to maturity, and, her life work well 
 performed, she passed to her reward in 1844. 
 
 The parents of our subject were Thomas 
 and Eunity (Patton) Meharry, natives of 
 Adams and Brown counties, Ohio, respec- 
 tively. The mother, whose birth occurred 
 in 1802, became the wife of Mr. Meharry 
 in December, 1827. He was a life-long 
 farmer, and at an early day removed with 
 his family to Indiana. Politically he was 
 first a Democrat, then a Whig, and on its 
 organization became an earnest advocate of 
 the principles of the Republican party, and, 
 while a worker in the party organization, 
 never aspired to public office. He was a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and was a worthy, patriotic citizen, having 
 
 28 
 
 the respect and esteem of all who knew him. 
 He entered the silent land January 29, 1874. 
 
 Seven children were born to Thomas 
 Meharry and wife. Jane P., widow of E. 
 H. Dick, who was a farmer in the vicinity 
 of Philo, now resides in that village. (See 
 sketch on another page of this work). Will- 
 iam, a resident of Tolono, is also repre- 
 sented elsewhere in this volume. Ellen 
 married John S. Martin, and they are now 
 living retired in Newtown, Indiana. (Their 
 children are Rhoda E., Unity, Ephraim, 
 Ida, Jesse and Etta). Jesse, of this 
 sketch, is next in order of birth. Polly 
 A., deceased, was the wife of A. C. Mc- 
 Corkle, a farmer of Tippecanoe county, In- 
 diana, and their two sons are John and 
 Charles. Abraham P., of Crittenden town- 
 ship, Champaign county, has one son, 
 Charles. Isaac M. carries on the old fam- 
 ily homestead in Montgomery county, In- 
 diana. He has five living children Effie 
 R. , Annie, Abraham J. , Jennie and Vinton S. 
 
 Jesse Meharry was born in Montgomery 
 county, Indiana, October 9, 1835. His 
 primary education was obtained in the com- 
 mon schools of his native county, but he 
 later entered Asbury (now De Pauw) Uni- 
 versity, at Greencastle, Indiana, where he 
 pursued a course of study. He was in the 
 University during the campaign of 1860 and 
 cast his second presidential vote for Abra- 
 ham Lincoln. In 1856, shortly after attain- 
 ing his majority, he cast his first presiden- 
 tial vote for John C. Fremont, the great 
 "Pathfinder." With the exception of the 
 time spent in the University, he remained at 
 home, assisting in the work of the farm, thus 
 acquiring a thorough knowledge of the voca- 
 tion which he has since followed with such 
 gratifying success. While yet at home he 
 engaged quite extensively in buying and 
 

 540 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 selling live stock, by which means he laid 
 the foundation for the wealth that he has 
 since acquired. 
 
 Irr 1862 Mr. Meharry came to Cham- 
 paign county, his father having previously 
 entered four thousand acres of land in 
 Champaign, McLean and Shelby counties. 
 Here he fed and herded cattle on land now 
 owned by him, a part of which is included 
 within the present corporate limits of the 
 town of Tolono. Though he remained here, 
 it was not until 1865 that he concluded to 
 permanently locate here. At that time he 
 embarked in farming, and as his means in- 
 creased he gradually extended his landed 
 possessions until he now owns about two 
 thousand acres. He first located on a 
 farm in Philo township, three miles east of 
 his present home, and, as formerly, gave his 
 attention to the raising of stock and grain, 
 with good financial results. By diligence 
 and energy, and the application of sound 
 business principles, he won success far be- 
 yond the average. 
 
 The marriage of Jesse Meharry and Ad- 
 die A. Francis was celebrated at her 
 home in New Lenox. Will county, Illinois, 
 February 27, 1873. She is a daughter of 
 Abraham and Mary A. (Davison) Fran- 
 cis, the former a native of Ireland and the 
 latter of Brown county, Ohio. Her pater- 
 nal grandparents were William and Jane 
 (Love) Francis, who owned land in Adams 
 county, Ohio, where they died. Her mater- 
 nal grandparents were William and Mary 
 (Francis) Davison, natives of Ireland. Abra- 
 ham Francis removed to Will county, Illi- 
 nois, in 1835, where he built the first log 
 cabin in that section. Mrs. Addie A. Me- 
 harry was born in Will county, Illinois, 
 September 12, 1851, and was ninth in a 
 family of eleven children. 
 
 Four children were born to Jesse Me- 
 harry and wife, and they have just cause 
 for pride in their fine, manly sons. The 
 eldest, Jessie Erie, was graduated from the 
 University of Illinois in 1899, and is now, 
 in 1900, pursuing a post graduate course. 
 George F. , who was graduated from the 
 Tolono high school in 1899, is now a stu- 
 dent in the University of Illinois. Edwin 
 T. is a member of the Tolono high school 
 class of 1900, and Paul F. , the youngest, is 
 also making good progress in his studies. 
 
 In 1893 Jesse Meharry became a per- 
 manent resident of Tolono, and actively 
 identified with its progress. For seven or 
 more years he served as supervisor in Philo 
 township; was commissioner of highways for 
 several years, and acted upon numerous 
 special committees, one having in charge 
 the extensive court-house repairs. Polit- 
 ically, he is a consistent Republican, and at 
 one time represented his township in the 
 county central committee for four years. 
 Both he and his wife are active members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. He has 
 served as superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school and on the church board of officials, 
 besides having been a member of the build- 
 ing committee at the time the new house of 
 worship was being constructed. To that 
 cause he was a generous contributor of time 
 and money, and his means are liberally 
 distributed in the aid of religion, education 
 and private charities. 
 
 MRS. LUCY J. JAMES. While it is often 
 truly said that this is the woman's cen- 
 tury as compared with all preceding ones it is 
 certain that few historians give as much 
 credit as they should to the brave pioneer 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 women who performed labor and endured 
 hardships that to the present generation 
 seem nothing short of marvelous, yet were 
 happy and cheerful, rarely faltering in the 
 tasks which they had taken up for love of 
 husband and children, home and friends. 
 What wonder that from such humble cab- 
 ins as sheltered the frontiersman and his 
 family came the men who have become 
 foremost in the annals of our beloved coun- 
 try. What wonder that the influence of the 
 quiet loving mother, humbly striving to 
 lead a sweet Christian life, should reach out 
 to uplift and benefit mankind in a thousand 
 ways that she dreamed not of. It is emi- 
 nently fitting that a place should be given to 
 the pioneer women of Champaign county, 
 in every history of this now flourishing re- 
 gion, and the numerous friends and acquaint- 
 ances of Mrs. Lucy J. James will undoubt- 
 edly take pleasure in perusing this tribute to 
 her worth, and the annals of her life. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of this estima- 
 ble lady was Christian Baughman, who, as 
 his name implies, was of German extraction, 
 and who certainly possessed the sterling 
 qualities of that hardy, virile race. He was 
 born near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, about 
 1780, and in 1804, when Ohio was not much 
 more than a name to the majority of the 
 people of this land, he located there, and 
 in the midst of the wilderness cleared a 
 farm and reared his family. One of his sons, 
 George, father of Mrs. James, was born in 
 the pioneer cabin, in Muskingum county, 
 Ohio. He gre^v to manhood in that locality 
 and there wedded Catherine Rees, also of 
 that neighborhood, and thirteen children 
 blessed their union. 
 
 Mrs. Lucy J. James, whose birth oc- 
 curred in the parental home near Roseville, 
 Ohio, passed her girlhood there, and on the 
 
 7th of October, 1869, she gave her hand in 
 marriage to Enos James. He, too, was a 
 native of Muskingum county, the date of his 
 birth being February 24, 1821, andhis father, 
 Isaac James, was one of the early settlers in 
 that section of the Buckeye state. For 
 several years Enos James had been actively 
 engaged in farming and in the spring pre- 
 ceding his marriage he had come to Cham- 
 paign county and had bought half a section 
 of land in section 19, Newcomb township. 
 The place had a few improvements, includ- 
 ing a small cabin, and the young man pro- 
 ceeded to make the house comfortable and 
 to put everything in as good order as possi- 
 ble for his bride. Soon after their marriage, 
 they set out on their journey to their new 
 western home, and though the years which 
 followed were filled with arduous toil, they 
 were happy ones, and gradually they saw 
 prosperity crowning their efforts. Mr. 
 James was progressive in his methods and 
 invested large amounts of money in tiling, 
 by means of which he drained all the low 
 lands, and made highly productive fields. 
 Finally he erected a large, substantial resi- 
 dence and barn, and planted fruit and shade 
 trees and small fruits, and everything about 
 the place showed his forethought and excel- 
 lent judgment. He stood well in the opin- 
 ion of his neighbors and his integrity was 
 beyond question. Though he attended 
 strictly to his own business affairs and never 
 was persuaded to accept public office, he 
 was interested in everything pertaining to 
 the welfare of the community and country, 
 and at presidential elections voted the 
 straight Republican ticket. 
 
 Since the death of Mr. James, Septem- 
 ber 26, 1891, when he had passed the sev- 
 entieth milestone of his life, his widow has 
 managed the old homestead, with the as- 
 
542 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 sistance of her sons. The fine farm of 
 three hundred and twenty acres is kept in 
 as thriving a condition as ever, and Mrs. 
 James has displayed rare judgment in all of 
 her business affairs. Her husband always 
 cheerfully acknowledged that to her he owed 
 a large measure of his success, and she has 
 proved herself to be well qualified as a finan- 
 cier and agriculturist. She was reared in 
 the faith of the Lutheran church, and ex- 
 emplifies in her daily life the high Christian 
 principles in which she believes. 
 
 Moses B. James, the eldest child of 
 Enos and Lucy James, resides in a pretty 
 modern residence which was built for him 
 on the old homestead, which he assists his 
 mother and brother in managing. He chose 
 for a wife, Mary Emma Keene, who was 
 born in Kentucky, and their two children 
 are named, respectively, Leslie and Iva. 
 Lucy C. , eldest daughter of our subject,' is 
 the wife of John Patterson, of Fisher, and 
 their three children are named, respectively, 
 Alma L., Lena L. and Stella M. Mary E., 
 the second daughter, is the wife of James T. 
 Adams, of Bloomington, Illinois, and her 
 children are Mabel C. and Grace I. Anna 
 R., George E. G.- and Clara I. are yet mem- 
 bers of their mother's household and are 
 promising young people. She was bereft 
 of three children, one who died in infancy, 
 John W. , who died when ten months old, 
 and Bessie E., who lived to be fifteen years 
 of age. 
 
 During the many years of Mrs. James' 
 residence in this county, she has been the 
 witness of remarkable changes, and has 
 been actively associated with the increasing 
 prosperity of this section. Both she and 
 her husband have been recognized as pub- 
 lic spirited citizens, kind and charitable to 
 the poor and needy, ever ready to lend a 
 
 helping hand to those who were unfortu- 
 nate, and when they shall have entered into 
 the silent land, their names will be remem- 
 bered with gratitude and love and "their 
 children shall rise up and call them blessed." 
 
 WALLACE BLACK. Quite a number 
 of the leading and prominent agri- 
 culturists of Champaign county are of for- 
 eign birth, and have transported to this land 
 of fertility and plenty the thrifty habits of 
 their native country. Among these there is 
 none better known or more widely respected 
 than the gentleman whose name appears 
 at the head of this sketch. He possesses 
 many of the sterling traits which character- 
 ized his Scotch ancestry, and in his labors 
 he has been eminently successful, so that 
 he is now able to lay aside all business 
 cares and live retired upon his farm on sec- 
 tion 1 6, Sadorus township. 
 
 Mr. Black was born in Forfarshire, 
 Scotland, April 4, 1837, a son of James and 
 Elizabeth (Frazier) Black, also natives of 
 Scotland, whence they emigrated to America 
 with their family in 1854. For one year 
 the family made their home in Chicago, 
 where the father was employed as an engin- 
 eer, having always followed that occupa- 
 tion in his native land, but in 1855, on their 
 removal to Champaign county, he purchased 
 a farm and turned his attention to agricult- 
 ural pursuits. Here he continued to reside 
 throughout the remainder of his life, dying 
 upon his farm in 1892, aged seventy-nine 
 years, his wife in 1891, aged about seventy- 
 seven. Their children were William, a resident 
 of Champaign, whose sketch appears else- 
 where in this volume; Wallace, our subject; 
 Ellen, deceased; and Jane, wife of Charles 
 Brown, a prosperous farmer of Nebraska. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 543 
 
 Wallace. Black received his education in 
 the common schools of his native land, and 
 when quite young was apprenticed to. the 
 shoemaker's trade, at which he found em- 
 ployment during the residence of the family 
 in Chicago. On coming to this county he 
 took up farm work and has since devoted 
 his time to that occupation. He grew to 
 manhood on his father's farm and then 
 started out in life for himself. 
 
 In August, 1860, Mr. Black married Miss 
 Ellen Steven, also a native of Scotland, 
 born August 10, 1837, an d a daughter of 
 James and Christina (Gray) Steven, who 
 spent their last days in this country dying 
 in Champaign county. Six children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Black, but one died 
 in infancy. The other reached years of 
 maturity, (i) Elizabeth, the eldest, mar- 
 ried James Ross, by whom she has three 
 children, Harry, Russell and Nellie, and she 
 now lives at home with her parents. (2) 
 Stewart, a prosperous farmer of Sadorus 
 township, is married and has one child, 
 Edna (3) Agnes is the wife of Frank Bar- 
 racks, a farmer of Nebraska, and they have 
 one son, Wallace. (4) George married Annie 
 Mattox and operates one hundred and sixty 
 acres of his father's land. (5) Nellie is the 
 wife of Guy Cook, a farmer of Sadorus town- 
 ship, and they have two children, Grace and 
 Gertrude. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Black located on 
 the home farm and began a successful career 
 as a general farmer. His first purchase 
 consisted of fifty-three acres of land, which 
 he improved by the erection of a very large 
 and comfortable residence. He has since 
 added to his place until he now owns eighty 
 acres on section 16, Sadorus township, and 
 one hundred and sixty acres on section 21, 
 all under a high state of cultivation, well 
 
 tilled and otherwise improved, making it 
 one of the most valuable tracts of land in 
 the township. Of recent years Mr. Black 
 has rented his farm and retired from active 
 labor, though he busies himself in looking 
 after his interests. 
 
 In political sentiment Mr. Black is a 
 Democrat, but at local elections he supports 
 the man whom he considers best qualified 
 to fill the position regardless of party lines, 
 and has never been prevailed upon to accept 
 any office in his township. He has, how- 
 ever, served as school director and ditch 
 commissioner for a number of years each, 
 and always faithfully performs any duty de- 
 volving upon him. whether public or private. 
 He is therefore numbered among the useful 
 and valued citizens of his community, and 
 is held in high regard by all know him. 
 
 ROBERT GORE BALL, living on sec- 
 tion 17, Brown township, is an enter- 
 prising and progressive farmer, who for the 
 past nine years has had charge of the Foos- 
 land estate, consisting of thirty-eight hun- 
 dred acres of land in the northern part of 
 this county. He was born in Boone county, 
 Indiana, November 8, 1836, and is a son of 
 Joseph and Ingabo (McDaniel) Ball, both 
 natives of Monroe county, West Virginia, 
 where they were married in 1833. Our 
 subject's paternal grandfather, William Ball, 
 was a pioneer of that state. In 1834 the 
 parents moved to Boone county, Indiana, 
 and in the midst of the forest the father 
 cleared and improved a farm, upon which 
 he reared his family. He died there March 
 3, 1 86 1, and his wife passed away in 1856. 
 The subject of this review remained 
 under the parental roof until twenty years 
 
544 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of age, aiding in the arduous task of clear- 
 ing away the timber, and transforming the 
 wild land into fertile fields. In 1856 he 
 came to McLean county, Illinois, where he 
 worked by the month until 1861. On the 
 22nd of September, that year, at Blooming- 
 ton, he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Susan Brock, a native of McLean county, 
 and a daughter of Sherwood and Nancy 
 Brock, formerly from Ohio and among the 
 pioneers of McLean county. There Mr. 
 and Mrs. Ball began their married life on a 
 farm in Randolph township, where he rented 
 land for six years, and in 1867 removed to 
 Brown township, Champaign county, where 
 he engaged in farming upon rented property 
 for several years. He finally purchased a 
 farm and made it his home until 1891, when 
 he sold the place and took charge of the 
 Foosland estate, locating on section 17, 
 Brown township, in 1892. This isthe largest 
 body of land under the control of one man 
 in the northern part of the county. In the 
 management of the place Mr. Ball has dis- 
 played excellent business and executive 
 ability, giving entire satisfaction to the 
 owners, who have been fortunate in securing 
 such a competent overseer. 
 
 Mr. Ball has been called upon to mourn 
 the loss of his estimable wife, who died 
 August 23, 1894, and was laid to rest in Mt. 
 Hope cemetery. To them were born thir- 
 teen children, namely: Emma, now the 
 wife of William Ritchie, a merchant of 
 Foosland; Caroline, wife of K. D. Boyd, of 
 the same place; Oliver, railroad agent on 
 the Wabash at Emington, Illinois; Charles, 
 who is married and follows farming in Brown 
 township; Mary, deceased wife of S. F. 
 Gibbons, of Brown township; Sherman, who 
 is married and follows farming in Otero 
 county, Colorado; Corley, who is married 
 
 and living at Toledo, Ohio, being mail 
 agent on the Wabash Railroad running from 
 Toledo to St. Louis, Missouri; Ida, wife of 
 J. P. Pollock, of Otero county, Colorado; 
 W. T. , who is married and living in the 
 same county; Nora, wife of L'oren Pfoff, a 
 grain dealer of Harpster, Ford county, Illi- 
 nois; David, agent for the Wabash Railroad 
 at Ritchie; Hattie Ethel and Vivian Alice, 
 both at home. Mr. Ball also has twenty- 
 four grandchildren. The family are all 
 members of the same church, and he holds 
 membership in the Mt. Hope United Breth- 
 ren church. Socially he belongs to the 
 Knights of Pythias Lodge at Foosland, and 
 politically is a stanch Republican, having 
 always supported that party since casting 
 his first presidential vote for Abraham Lin- 
 coln in 1860. He is an upright, honorable 
 man of strict integrity and sterling worth, 
 and is held in high esteem by rll who 
 know him. 
 
 SACKRIDER. For a place 
 of its size, Mahomet is blessed with an 
 exceptionally large number of wide-awake, 
 energetic business men, and prominent in 
 the list for the past score of years has been 
 the subject of this sketch, who is a son of 
 Peter Sackrider, who was born in German 
 October 18, 1835. 
 
 Believing that America offered bette 
 opportunities to an ambitious young man 
 Peter Sackriter emigrated to these hospi 
 table shores, and, having learned the butch- 
 er's business in Columbus, Ohio, proceede 
 to work at that calling there until 1858 
 when he located in Edgar county. Illinois 
 When the Civil war came on, he enliste 
 and loyally served in the ranks until peac 
 had been declared. Returning home h 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 545 
 
 then conducted a meat business in Piatt 
 county for a few years, also engaging in the 
 manufacture of brick. At the last-named 
 occupation he later was employed in Mahom- 
 et, and at this writing is living retired at his 
 home in Anderson, Indiana. 
 
 The nativity of George Sackrider took 
 place near Columbus, Ohio, August 2, 1858. 
 He grew to manhood in this state, and has 
 had to rely mainly upon his own efforts in 
 the acquisition of an education. In fact, 
 he may justly be termed a self-made man, 
 for he has had his own way to make, and 
 has nobly struggled against the numerous 
 difficulties which confronts one who starts 
 out without means or influence. In 1878 
 he joined his father at Mahomet, and for 
 over ten years was employed in the brick 
 yard here, thoroughly learning the trade. 
 He became the owner of the plant about 
 1891, by purchase, and since then he has 
 greatly increased the capacity of the factory 
 and the superiority of the manufactured 
 article. From four to five hundred thou- 
 sand bricks are made here each year, and 
 there has been a growing demand for the 
 product, which compares favorably with the 
 best grades in the market. Fairness char- 
 acterizes all of our subject's dealings, and 
 he possesses the respect of the entire com- 
 munity. 
 
 On the 24th of December, 1882, Mr. 
 Sackriter married Fonnie Morse, daughter 
 of John H. and Sarah Ann (Cox) Morse, 
 natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. 
 The former, who was born October 18, 1835, 
 was a son of Henry Morse, one of the pio- 
 neers of the Buckeye state, and originally of 
 Canada. J. H. Morse followed the calling 
 of a carpenter, and was a citizen of Ma- 
 homet for many years. The only child of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sackriter is Lloyd, who is a 
 
 promising youth, now attending the home 
 schools. Another son, Wilbur, died when 
 five years of age. 
 
 The home of the Sackriter family is a 
 very attractive one, and no pains or expense 
 have been spared in'improvingthe property. 
 Fine fruit and shade trees and a well kept 
 lawn add greatly to the beauty of the 
 premises, and everything is kept up in 
 a thrifty manner. In local elections our 
 subject is independent, while in nation- 
 al issues he uses his franchise in favor 
 of the nominees of the Prohibition party. 
 He has never desired public offices, but 
 served for two terms as a member of 
 the town board. Fraternally he is an Odd 
 Fellow and now holds the office of noble 
 grand in the Mahomet lodge, while in the 
 Modern Woodmen of America he also 
 holds an official position. Everything 
 which affects the general prosperity of this 
 community is of deep interest to him, and 
 he faithfully meets all of the obligations 
 which devolve upon him as a citizen. 
 
 y^EORGE M. SEEBER. This gentle- 
 VJt man worthily illustrates the commonly 
 accepted view of the character of an enter- 
 prising German citizen, who through his 
 own unaided efforts has achieved remark- 
 ably successful during his residence in the 
 new world. He makes his home on section 
 13, Condit township, Champaign county, 
 Illinois, where he owns and operates a 
 valuable and well-improved farm of six 
 hundred and forty acres. 
 
 Mr. Seeber was born on the 2nd of 
 April, 1832, in the village of St. Martin, 
 Bavaria, Germany, his father being a wine- 
 grower on the River Rhine. Our subject 
 
546 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 was reared upon a farm and given fair com- 
 mon-school advantages. He was married 
 April 27, 1 86 1, to Miss Sabilla Schreieck, a 
 native of St. Martin, which was also the 
 birthplace of the five, children born of this 
 union, namely: Elizabeth, at home; Gret- 
 chen, wife of Ferdinand Hammel, a farmer 
 of Champaign county; and Fred, Egidius 
 and Peter, who are all at home and assist 
 their father in carrying on the farm. 
 
 Mr. Seeber owned a vineyard at St. 
 Martin, and for twenty-five years svas en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of wine and 
 brandy. For a number of years he also 
 followed contracting in his native land, 
 furnishing timber to a railroad company. 
 In 1882 he emigrated to the United States, 
 taking passage on a vessel at Rotterdam and' 
 landing in New York in July of that year. 
 He came direct to Illinois, and for five years 
 operated a rented farm south of Farmer 
 City, at the end of which time he -pur- 
 chased one hundred and sixty acres of land 
 on the county line in McLean county, and 
 made several improvements on the place, 
 including the erection of a small house and 
 some outbuildings. Later he added to his 
 farm a tract of eighty acres, making two 
 hundred and forty acres in all, and continued 
 to engage in farming there until 1892, when 
 he sold out at a good advantage and bought 
 the section of land in Condit township, 
 Champaign county, where he now resides. 
 He has erected thereon a commodious and 
 substantial residence, a barn, cribs, sheds 
 and other outbuildings; has tiled and fenced 
 the land, and now has one of the best im- 
 proved and most desirable farms in the 
 locality. He is one of Champaign county's 
 most extensive agriculturists, raising on an 
 average from twenty to twenty-five 
 thousand bushels of corn per year and 
 
 from eight to ten thousand bushels of oats. 
 He also gives considerable attention to 
 stock, raising a good grade of cattle and 
 hogs, but his specialty is the breeding and 
 raising of Percheron and French coach 
 horses. He is a wide-awake, progressive 
 business man, of good executive ability, and 
 is able to carry forward to successful com- 
 pletion whatever he undertakes. He has 
 steadily prospered since coming to this 
 country, and is to-day one of the most sub- 
 stantial citizens of Condit township. Polit- 
 ically he has been identified with the Dem- 
 ocratic party since casting his first presiden- 
 tial vote for Grover Cleveland, but has 
 never sought political preferment. Relig- 
 iously Mr. Seeber and his family are mem- 
 bers of the German Catholic church of 
 Champaign, and are people of prominence 
 in the community where they reside. 
 
 EZRA E, CHESTER. Among the many 
 men in Champaign county who will be 
 held in grateful remembrance in coming 
 years is the subject of this sketch, who for 
 nearly half a century has been one of its 
 honored citizens, and who has left the im- 
 press of his mind and character upon 
 nearly every page of its history during that 
 time. " Farming, " said Washington, "is 
 the most honorable and useful of all occu- 
 pations, " and to this occupation he has 
 given the best years of his life, having done 
 more than any other man in Champaign 
 county to promote the welfare of the farm- 
 ing class. His influence upon farmers and 
 farming interests have not alone been felt 
 in his adopted county, but has extended 
 throughout the length and breadth of the 
 land. An honored commissioner from the 
 
E. E. CHESTER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 549 
 
 state of Illinois in the World's Columbian 
 Exposition, his work in connection with 
 the agricultural and educational exhibits of 
 the state brought him in contact with many 
 of the best men throughout the world, and 
 the departments of which he was superin- 
 tendent attracted wide-spread attention and 
 awakened general interest and favorable 
 comment. 
 
 Ezra E. Chester was born near Colum- 
 bus, Ohio, April 30, 1837, and he is a son 
 of Elias and Anna M. (Smith) Chester. 
 The family was of English origin and was 
 founded in Nova Scotia, whence repre- 
 sentatives of the name removed to New 
 York, thence to Ohio, and later to Illinois. 
 The paternal grandfather, Elias Chester, 
 was born on Lake Champlain, and became 
 one of the pioneers of what was then con- 
 sidered the extreme west. He took up his 
 abode upon a tract of land which was se- 
 cured in return for his father's service in 
 the Revolutionary war, covering a period 
 of seven years. Elias Chester, the father 
 of our subject, was born and reared in 
 Ohio, becoming one of the leading farmers 
 of his locality. He was also a man of con- 
 siderable prominence in public affairs and 
 was one of the influential members of the 
 Presbyterian church, aiding in founding the 
 society of that denomination near his 
 home and acting as one of the elders in the 
 church. He married Anna M. Smith and 
 spent his entire life in Ohio, although 
 prior to his death he visited Champaign 
 county and was making preparations to 
 remove here when he was taken ill, his 
 death resulting. 
 
 Mr. Chester, of this review, had acquired 
 his preliminary education in the common 
 schools, and for two years pursued his stud- 
 ies in Hanover College, but was compelled 
 
 to leave that institution on account of the 
 death of his father and of his older brother, 
 Thaddeus Smith, whose demise occurred 
 about that time. In consequence the man- 
 agement of the estate devolved upon our 
 subject. The mother and her two younger 
 children remained in Ohio until the death 
 of Mrs. Chester, when the children 
 came to Illinois. The younger broth- 
 ers and sister of our subject are Hubert, 
 who was a business man of Champaign 
 and died in 1897; Mrs. M. A. Hendren, of 
 Champaign, and Homer W. , who is living 
 in Chicago Lawn. 
 
 Ezra E. Chester became one of the land- 
 holders of Champaign county, in October, 
 1857, when he purchased one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land. He immediately began 
 the work of improvement, and for many 
 years was actively and prominently con- 
 nected with agricultural pursuits in this 
 county. He operated his farm with a view 
 to stockraising and was one of the first to 
 introduce a herd of registered short horn 
 cattle into this county. He added to his 
 original farm from time to time until now 
 the old homestead comprises nearly five 
 hundred acres of rich land. Again and again 
 he was called to fill local offices by his fel- 
 low townsmen who recognized his worth 
 and ability, and was constantly a member of 
 the school board, the cause of education 
 finding in him a warm friend. Still he did 
 not neglect his business affairs, continually 
 improving his farm until it is to-day looked 
 upon as "the farm of the county." He 
 broke the prairie, planted trees, built fences, 
 erected large and substantial buildings and 
 now has a little village known as the ' ' Ches- 
 ter farm." His eldest son, Thaddeus P., 
 was educated in the Agricultural College, 
 of Champaign county, and later was taken 
 
550 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 into partnership by his father and now has 
 charge of the old homestead, upon which he 
 resides. Ezra E. Chester has proved that 
 farming can be made a very profitable source 
 of income. He carried on his business sys- 
 tematically and methodically, making a 
 careful study of his work in all its depart- 
 ments, avoiding losses and yet not sparing 
 expense for progressive measures which he 
 believed would result beneficially in the end. 
 He remained upon the farm until Septem- 
 ber, 1892, when he came to the city, being 
 prompted to this step by reason of his chil- 
 dren attending the University and high 
 school, by a wish to retire from the more 
 active duties of life, and by a desire to give 
 more attention to his work as a World's 
 Fair commissioner, to which position he had 
 been appointed by the Legislature. 
 
 Prior to this time Mr. Chester had been 
 for fourteen years a member of the state 
 board of agriculture, as the representative 
 from this district, and as such had been 
 officially interested in the Agricultural Col- 
 lege. In this way he has become widely 
 known in agricultural circles, and his labors 
 have been most effective and beneficial in 
 promoting farming and stockraising interests 
 throughout the state as well as in this im- 
 mediate community. While serving as a 
 member of the State Board of Agriculture, 
 he advocated the subject and brought before 
 the board the idea of locating the State Fair 
 permanently, instead of having it "on 
 wheels, " as had been the case. At the time 
 the improvements were made at the fair 
 grounds at Springfield, Mr. Chester was a 
 member of the committee on the improve- 
 ment of the grounds, and that in which he 
 takes the most pride was in the securing of 
 the dome of the horticultural building of the 
 World's Fair and which was brought to 
 
 Springfield. The building known as the 
 Dome building on the fair grounds is used 
 for the exhibition of all agricultural products. 
 The fair grounds at Springfield are admitted 
 to be the finest of their kind in the world, 
 and much of the credit is due to Mr. Ches- 
 ter. He was the first person named to 
 serve as a director of the Illinois experiment 
 station and held that office nine years, serv- 
 ing on the advisory board having in charge 
 the management and planning of the work, so 
 that he was closely identified with the sta- 
 tion throughout that period. 
 
 At an early day, at an annual meeting 
 held for the purpose of discussing the inter- 
 ests of the county agricultural fair a prop- 
 osition was made to discontinue the Cham- 
 paign county fair, Mr. Chester made his 
 maiden speech, saying, among other things, 
 that it was a burning disgrace that Cham- 
 paign county was not able to support a cred- 
 itable agricultural fair, when a nickel frorn^ 
 each inhabitant of the county would put 
 the association upon its feet. His speech 
 was immediately followed by a resolution 
 that ' ' Whereas, Mr. E. E. Chester is the only 
 hopeful man in the county: Resolved, that he 
 be made president and instructed to find the 
 nickel." He was elected and took the chair. 
 
 The grounds formerly used by the asso- 
 ciation were in bad condition and there was 
 an indebtedness of over seven thousand dol- 
 lars. Great, indeed, was the contrast when 
 Mr. Chester resigned the office twenty-two 
 years later. The debts were all* paid, an 
 equal amount had been spent in improve- 
 ments, three thousand dollars had been 
 loaned on farm mortgages and there' was a 
 surplus of twelve hundred dollars in the 
 bank. Mr. Chester had indeed obeyed in- 
 structions and "found the nickel." He 
 made the annual fairs events of great im- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 55' 
 
 portance and largely stimulated the farmers 
 to produce the best kinds of vegetables and 
 grains and to raise stock of high grades. 
 
 Along other lines Mr. Chester also 
 labored for the promotion of the agricult- 
 ural interests of the state. For four years 
 he was chairman of a committee of three 
 who had charge of the Farmers' Institute 
 work throughout Illinois and in the discharge 
 of his duties he traveled all over the state, 
 his enlarged and progressive views on farm- 
 ing and stock-raising having a marked in- 
 fluence on those departments of labor. He 
 gave the greater portion of his time to his 
 committee work during the winter months, 
 and held institutes throughout the state. 
 He discussed the best methods of raising 
 live stock, and questions of farming econo- 
 my and delivered many lectures touching 
 upon the practical side of farm work. His 
 efforts have been untiring in behalf of the 
 gxeat department of labor of which he was 
 so long an active representative. He not 
 only believes in the practical work of the 
 farm, but in the improvement along other 
 lines, and to this end he encouraged spelling 
 and singing schools in order that the young 
 people might have their time pleasantly and 
 profitably occupied. He was also instru- 
 mental in forming farmers' clubs, which 
 continued in existence for many years, much 
 to the benefit of the communities in which 
 they were located. Professor Morrow has 
 said: "Mr. Chester has done more with- 
 out hope of compensation for the improve- 
 ment of the agricultural interests than any 
 other man in Champaign county." At the 
 present time he is vice-president of the 
 National Horse Breeders' Association, with 
 which he has been connected since its organi- 
 zation. He is also one of the executive com- 
 mittee of the Illinois Live Stock Breeders' 
 
 Association, and president of the Champaign 
 County Percheron Horse Association. 
 
 Mr. Chester's work in connection with the 
 World's Columbian Exposition brought him 
 wide fame. He was made chairman of the 
 educational committee for Illinois, and it is 
 now a matter of history that the committee 
 prepared the most complete and splendid 
 exhibition of the kind ever seen at a World's 
 Fair. He was also special director of the 
 agricultural exhibit, and divided his time be- 
 tween the two lines of duty. How splen- 
 didly he accomplished the work is now well 
 known. For more than two years he gave 
 his time entirely to this work, remaining in 
 Chicago during much of that period in order 
 to more closely direct the labor of collect- 
 ing and preparing material. During the 
 first month or more the different educational 
 institutions endeavored to see how much 
 money they could secure, and then they 
 settled down to the hard monotonous work. 
 In his reports Mr. Chester has been very 
 conscientious in giving to each department 
 and person the credit due them, and in his 
 official report to the governor said: " The 
 preparation of this great exhibit (educa- 
 tional) required and received an immense 
 amount of thoughtful planning and self-im- 
 posed labor on the part pf the professors of 
 the University of the State and their assist- 
 ants, all of whom, however, cheerfully made 
 the contribution to the successful result." 
 A special committee of the faculties ap- 
 pointed for the purpose had a very large 
 share in the labor, and, Mr. Chester says, 
 should share in the credit. He was a mem- 
 ber of the committee, that built up the re- 
 lief maps of Illinois. 
 
 It was the plan of the educational com- 
 mittee to illustrate the work of the schools 
 of all grades from the small country schools 
 
552 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 up to the best city schools. As chairman 
 of the committee -Mr. Chester was allowed 
 to have Champaign county represented and 
 Mr. Shawham selected the school on Mr. 
 Chester's farm. There was an appropria- 
 tion of eight hundred thousand dollars made 
 for the various exhibits of the state and the' 
 various commissioners so carefully managed 
 the expenditures that forty thousand dollars 
 were returned to the state. His work in 
 connection with the agricultural exhibit was 
 no less creditable. Under his direction were 
 gathered much of the grain and material for 
 the picture that attracted so much atten- 
 tion, a model farm made of grains and 
 grasses, which "attracted more attention 
 than any one thing." His work in this con- 
 nection brought him into contact with the 
 celebrities from all over the world, from the 
 leading men of central Africa to the -presi- 
 dent at Washington. One of the most 
 memorable incidents of his connection with 
 the Fair was his meeting with the repre- 
 sentatives from the Orange Free State, who 
 wanted to know what we did with all our 
 corn. Mr. Chester answered that we man- 
 ufacture it into beef, pork, mutton and wool 
 and sent it all over the world. This was a 
 new idea to the questioner, who before had 
 always been accustomed to the idea of pro- 
 ducing corn simply for sale. An appropri- 
 ation of forty thousand dollars was made to 
 encourage exhibitors of improved breeds of 
 live stock in Illinois, and Mr. Chester, as 
 one of the commissioners having that in 
 charge, was careful that the expenditures 
 should not go over the appropriation one 
 cent, and in fact returned three dollars and 
 ninety-seven cents of it to the state treas- 
 ury, after paying heavily for all live stock 
 exhibited by men of Illinois, one hundred 
 and sixty dollars for each horse and forty 
 
 dollars for each cow. His service in con- 
 nection with the establishment of the Ex- 
 position was most commendable and credit- 
 able, and his record was at all times unas- 
 sailable and free from criticism. 
 
 Mr. Chester continued a member of the 
 State Board of Agriculture until January I, 
 1896, having been first elected in 1882 
 and since that time has been for four years 
 supervisor of his township and most of 
 the time chairman of the committee on 
 bridges, in which capacity he supervised 
 the building of forty-two bridges for the 
 county. He is now serving another term 
 upon the board, having been re-elected in 
 April, 1900. As a member of the board he 
 labored earnestly and untiringly in behalf 
 of the Cunningham Deaconess & Orphans' 
 Home and the Julia F. Burnham Hospital, 
 and after a hard struggle succeeded in 
 getting the good will of the board for both 
 institutions so that they became patrons of 
 the same. For two years he filled the 
 office of mayor of Champaign, and his ad- 
 ministration was characterized by execu- 
 tive ability and purity. The city was bank- 
 rupt when he took the office, and his chief 
 object was to place it on a creditable 
 financial basis, reducing the indebtedness to 
 a legal basis. His labors were not only 
 effective in that direction, but marked im- 
 provements were also made. Plans were 
 made for twenty-two miles of sewerage and 
 a part of the work was carriedout. Crime 
 and lawlessness were largely quelled and 
 the city was rid of many of its desperate 
 characters. More men and women were 
 sent to the penitentiary during his adminis- 
 tration than during the terms of the five 
 previous mayors, and thus it became safe 
 for the wives and daughters to appear upon 
 the streets without fear of being molested. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 553 
 
 On the 25th of February, 1864, Mr. 
 Chester was united in marriage to Marga- 
 ret E. Powell, of Columbus, Ohio, and they 
 have nine children: Thaddeus. who oper- 
 ated the home farm; D. H., who was edu- 
 cated in the University and now has a 
 prominent position with the Worthington 
 Hydraulic Company at Pittsburg, Pennsyl- 
 vania; Henry E., who was educated in the 
 University, and is now living at home en- 
 gaged in the mercantile business; Mary and 
 Florence, who were also students in the 
 University; Guy J., who is with the Cen- 
 tral Union Telephone Company, of Chi- 
 cago, and chief draftsman in the construc- 
 tion department; Margaret B., who is now 
 a student in the University; Anna, who is 
 attending the high school; and Edward E., 
 who completes the family. The parents 
 are members of the Presbyterian church, 
 and Mr. Chester is a member of the board 
 of trustees and for a number of years was 
 superintendent of the Sunday school of the 
 Prairie View Presbyterian church. He is 
 devoted to the interests of his family and it 
 seems that he cannot do too much to en- 
 hance their welfare and happiness. In all 
 the years that have passed, Mrs. Chester 
 as been truly the helpmeet of her husband 
 and to her watchful care and advice much 
 of his success in life is due. 
 
 In the days of his early residence in the 
 county he suffered heavy losses through 
 fire, the death of his horses and through a 
 storm which destroyed his crops, and for 
 six months thereafter he had only a ten 
 dollar bill. He lived on this, incurring an 
 indebtedness of only three dollars and a 
 half in that time. When we stop to con- 
 sider this and contrast it with his present 
 financial condition his success seems amost 
 marvelous, but it is the outcome of his own 
 
 efforts. Steadily pursuing his way, unde- 
 terred by the obstacles and difficulties in 
 his path, he has achieved marked prosper- 
 ity, yet has never allowed the acquisition of 
 wealth to warp his kindly nature. He is a 
 man of broad humanitarian principles, is 
 very charitable in his opinions and benevo- 
 lent in his giving; and in manner he is 
 pleasant, genial and very approachable. 
 He inspires personal friendships of unusual 
 strength, and all who know him have the 
 highest admiration for his good qualities of 
 heart and mind. 
 
 r>ETER WILLIAMSON, numbered 
 1 among the substantial citizens of 
 Mahomet, Champaign county, is a native of 
 Mason county, Kentucky, his birth having 
 occurred June 12, 1837. His father, Mahlon 
 Williamson was born near Trenton, New 
 Jersey, July 15, 1799, and was a son of 
 Peter Williamson, who was a native of Ger- 
 many, and at an early day settled in this 
 country, becoming the proprietor of one of 
 the old-style taverns, this particular one being 
 located between Trenton and New Bruns- 
 wick. 
 
 Mahlon Williamson learned the miller's 
 trade in his native state, and in early man- 
 hood went to Mason county, Kentucky, 
 where he engaged in milling on the north 
 fork of the Licking river until shortly before 
 his death. He chose for a wife Margaret 
 Stout, their marriage taking place July 25, 
 1822. She was born in that county, April 
 23, 1800, and was a daughter of Albert 
 Stout, one of the first settlers of that section. 
 Her death occurred January 6, 1861, and ten 
 years later, October 9, 1871', the husband 
 and father died while visiting one of his chil- 
 dren at Moberly, Missouri. 
 
554 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mahlon and Margaret Williamson were 
 the parents of nine children, the eldest of 
 whom was Zebulon S., who lived and died 
 at the old Mason county homestead; Charity 
 E. became the wife of John Lee, and re- 
 moving to Henry county, Iowa, passed the 
 the remainder of her life there; Thomas J. 
 is a farmer of Randolph county, Missouri; 
 Louisa A. is the wife of Albert Dixon, of 
 Waverley, Missouri; Mrs. Margaret D. 
 Morse, a widow, lives in Mahomet; Huldah 
 S. died at Moberly; Cinderella died in child- 
 hood; and Osa married Jasper Calvert, of 
 Mason county, Kentucky. 
 
 Peter Williamson had very little educa- 
 tional advantages in his youth, and for six 
 years he worked at the milling business with 
 his father. After his marriage he moved to 
 Illinois, where he obtained his first expe- 
 rience in agriculture. For nine years he 
 cultivated rented land and then, buying a 
 residence in the village of Mahomet, he 
 turned his attention to the task'of moving 
 buildings, and soon found his time fully oc- 
 cupied. He became an expert at the busi- 
 ness, and has orders from all parts of this 
 and adjoining counties. On the three-quar- 
 ters of an acre of his home place he built a 
 large modern house and made many other 
 substantial improvements, and on another 
 tract of five acres he erected a substantial 
 residence which he rents. Good business 
 foresight and enterprise have characterized 
 all of his dealings, and to-day he is well-to- 
 do and prosperous. 
 
 Mr. Williamson and Armena Bell were 
 united in marriage September 18, 1860, 
 the ceremony being performed by old 
 Squire Shelton. She was born in Fleming 
 county, Kentucky, a daughter of Solomon 
 Bell, also of that state. To the union of 
 our subject and wife four children were 
 
 born, one of the number, John, dying in 
 infancy. Charles H. is married and lives 
 in Mahomet, and James, also married, 
 makes his home in Chichaska, Indian Terri- 
 tory. Maggie Z., who received an excel- 
 lent education in Mahomet and Dickson, 
 has been engaged in teaching for the past 
 five years in this county. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Williamson has been a 
 stanch Democrat in national elections, 
 while in local affairs, he is independent of 
 party lines, supporting the best man. In 
 1867 he joined the Odd Fellows Society at 
 Champaign, and is a charter member of 
 the Mahomet lodge, where he has served for 
 several years as treasurer. In religious 
 faith he is a Seventh Day Adventist, but at- 
 tends the Baptist church with his wife, who 
 is identified with that denomination. His 
 record is unblemished, and to his children 
 he will leave the heritage of an unsullied 
 name and of duties conscientiously per- 
 formed. 
 
 HENRY BURNEY SHEPHERD, a well- 
 known farmer and stock raiser residing 
 on section n, Brown township, Champaign 
 county, Illinois, five miles south of Gibson, 
 owns and successfully operates a fine farm 
 of three hundred and twenty acres of land. 
 Naturally energetic and of more than or- 
 dinary business capacity, he has been ex- 
 tremely fortunate in his labors and invest- 
 ments, and seems especially adapted to the 
 business which he follows. 
 
 Mr. Shepherd was born in Adams coun- 
 ty, Ohio, March 21, 1841, and is a son of 
 Johnson Shepherd, a native of Brown coun- 
 ty, that state. His 'grandfather, Jacob 
 Shepherd, was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 555 
 
 and was a son of Isaac Shepherd, who was 
 born in Shepherdstown, Virginia. From, 
 his native state Jacob Shepherd moved to 
 Brown county, Ohio, where he opened up a 
 farm of three thousand acres. There the 
 father of our subject grew to manhood and 
 learned the tanner's trade with Jesse Grant, 
 father of the General. He continued to 
 follow that occupation for some years. He 
 first married Malinda Livingston, and in 
 1833 Amoved to Putnam county, Illinois, 
 where his wife died. Returning to Ohio he 
 married Miss Mary Henry, the mother of 
 our subject, and in the fall of 1861 again 
 took up his residence in Putnam county, 
 Illinois, where he made his home for about 
 nine years. He moved to Livingston county 
 in 1869, and spent his last years in the vil- 
 lage of Chatsworth, where he died August 
 4, 1874. His wife died in 1883 and both 
 were laid to rest in the Chatsworth ceme- 
 tery. 
 
 In the county of his nativity Henry B. 
 Shepherd passed his boyhood and youth, re- 
 ceiving but a limited education. In 1861 
 he accompanied his parents on their re- 
 moval to Putnam county, Illinois, and be- 
 ing the youngest son he remained at home 
 and took charge of the farm. His first pur- 
 chase of land consisted of one hundred and 
 sixty acres of wild prairie in Livingston 
 county, which he broke, fenced and im- 
 proved by planting fruit and shade trees 
 and erecting buildings there. He laid the 
 first tile in Chatsworth township, and con- 
 tinued the cultivation of his land until 1890, 
 when he sold the place and removed to the 
 village of Chatsworth, where he spent three 
 years engaged in breeding and dealing in 
 roadsters and trotting horses. Prior to this 
 time, in 1888, he purchased his present farm 
 on section 11, Brown township, Champaign 
 
 county, but did not locate thereon until 
 1893, since which time he has devoted his 
 energies to its further improvement and 
 cultivation. He has built a large and sub- 
 stantial barn and good outbuildings, and ex- 
 pects, in 1900, to erect a more modern and 
 commodious residence upon the place. He 
 has planted a pear and plum orchard, be- 
 sides other fruit, and now has a very valu- 
 able and productive farm, well tilled and 
 neatly fenced. 
 
 On the 2Oth of March, 1866, in Livings- 
 ton county, Mr. Shepherd was united in 
 marriage with Miss Hannah Husted, who 
 was born near Brookville, Indiana. Her 
 father, William Husted, was a native of New 
 Jersey and a sailor before the mast from the 
 age of sixteen to thirty-two. On leaving 
 the sea, he removed to Indiana, where he 
 married and engaged in farming for some 
 years, but later made his home in Putnam 
 county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd 
 have seven children living: Mauriel K., who 
 is engaged in dressmaking in Fisher; Mary 
 A., wife of S. W. Davis, of Livingston coun- 
 ty; Ethelyn O., Millie T., Sigmund C., 
 Jacob H. and Bernice, all at home. They 
 have also lost two children: Lillian, who 
 died in infancy; and LyleJ., who died at the 
 age of five years. 
 
 Politically Mr. Shepherd has been a 
 stanch Republican since casting his first 
 presidential vote for U. S. Grant in 1868, 
 and has served as a delegate to numerous 
 conventions. He is a friend of education 
 and public schools, and has been an efficient 
 member of the school board twenty-five 
 years, and is now president of the district. 
 He is a member of the Knights of Pythias 
 Lodge of Chatsworth, in which he has filled 
 office, and in religious belief is a Universal- 
 ist, though, with his wife, he attended the 
 
556 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Presbyterian church, of which she is a mem- 
 ber. During their residence in Champaign 
 county they have made many warm friends, 
 and wherever known are held in high regard. 
 
 WILLIAM H. SWAYZE, an honored 
 veteran of the Civil war and a repre- 
 sentative farmer of Champaign county, re- 
 siding on section I, Newcomb township, 
 one mile from Fisher, was born in Wyandot 
 county, Ohio, June 28, 1840, and is a son 
 of Bescherer Swayze, who was born in New 
 Jersey, in 1812. The grandfather, James 
 Swayze, one of the Revolutionary heroes, 
 was also a native of New Jersey, and a rep- 
 resentative of one of the old families of that 
 state. About 1832 the father left his na- 
 tive state and removed to Wyandot county, 
 Ohio, opening up a farmon Sandusky Plains. 
 There he married Matilda Hunt, a native of 
 that county and a daughter of William 
 Hunt, who was born in Virginia and set- 
 tled in Wyandot county, Ohio, at an early 
 day in its development. After his marriage, 
 Mr. Swayze continued the operation of his 
 farm in the Buckeye state for a number of 
 years, but in 1863 sold his property there 
 and came to Champaign county, Illinois, 
 buying a farm in East Bend township, to 
 the cultivation and improvement of which 
 he devoted his time and attention until 
 called from this life in 1867. His wife sur- 
 vived him several years, dying in 1885. In 
 their family were ten children, of whom 
 four sons and four daughters reached ma- 
 turity, but only two sons and two daughters 
 are now living, namely: John, a resident 
 of Ford county, Kansas; William H., our 
 subject; Mrs. Nancy Rollings and Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Matheny, both residents of Ran- 
 toul, Illinois. 
 
 In the county of his nativity William 
 H. Swayze grew to manhood, and as his 
 school privileges were limited he is almost 
 wholly self-educated. He aided in the op- 
 eration of the home farm until the Civil 
 war broke out, when he responded to his 
 country's call by enlisting, August 17, 1861, 
 for three years or during the war, in the 
 Eleventh Ohio Battery an independent 
 organization, which was assigned to the 
 Western army and served wherever needed. 
 He participated in the battles of luka, Cor- 
 inth and Shiloh; was all through the Vicks- 
 burg campaign, and took part in the battles 
 of Little Rock and Pine Bluff, remaining at 
 the latter place until his term of enlistment 
 expired. He was never wounded and lost 
 no time from sickness. He was mus- 
 tered out and honorably discharged at 
 Columbus, Ohio, November 24, 1864. 
 
 Mr. Swayze then joined his parents in 
 Champaign county, Illinois, whither they 
 had removed during his absence, and he 
 carried on the home farm until after his 
 father's death. He and a younger brother 
 then purchased the interest of the other 
 heirs in the place and operated it together 
 for a few years. After his marriage the 
 property was divided, and he continued the 
 cultivation and improvement of his one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres until 1892, when he 
 sold out and bought a farm of similar size 
 on section I, Newcomb township, where he 
 has since made his home. He now has a 
 fine young orchard, has built a large and 
 substantial residence and good outbuildings, 
 and made many other improvements which 
 enhance the value of the place and add 
 to its beauty. 
 
 In Champaign county, September 15. 
 1870, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
 Swayze and Miss Mary Frances Mcjilton, a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 557 
 
 native of Woodford county, Illinois; and to 
 them have been born ten children, namely: 
 Delia, now the wife of Frank Boyd, a farmer 
 of Champaign county; Barbara, wife of 
 Frank Allison, of Nevada, Story county, 
 Iowa; Jay T., who is engaged in farming 
 near Dewey; Lora, wife of John Henson, of 
 West Baden, Indiana; Nira, Myrtle, Eliza- 
 beth, Ada, Alma and Roy, all at home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Swayze is a stanch sup- 
 porter of the men and measures of the Re- 
 publican party, and has served as delegate 
 to numerous county conventions. He has 
 rilled the office of road commissioner for 
 four terms, and has been a member of the 
 school board thirty years, serving as district 
 clerk nearly all of that time. He is an hon- 
 ored member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at 
 Fisher, in which he has passed all the chairs, 
 and is now past grand, and he has also 
 represented the lodge in the grand lodge of 
 the state. He is also a prominent member 
 and past commander of Dewey Post, G. A. 
 R., and both he and his wife hold member- 
 ship in the Christian church, with which he 
 is officially connected. He never withholds 
 his support from any enterprise calculated 
 to advance the moral, intellectual or material 
 welfare of his township and county, and is 
 as true to his duties of citizenship in days of 
 peace as in time of war. 
 
 FREDERICK J. BARBER, who owns 
 and operates a well improved farm in 
 section 35, Mahomet township, Champaign 
 county, is one of the wide-awake, ambitious 
 agriculturists of this locality, and stands 
 high in the regard of all who know him. He 
 possesses many of tlje sterling traits of 
 character of his English ancestors and the 
 
 29 
 
 same practical views on farming and stock- 
 raising that his father has always maintained. 
 The latter, Benjamin Barber, now residing 
 with our subject, was born in Norfolk, Eng- 
 land, June, 1818. He passed his youth and 
 early manhood in his native land, and there 
 married Eliza Bowers. In 1853 they 
 crossed the ocean to the United States, and 
 at first dwelt in Ohio, whence they came to 
 Champaign county in 1858. Buying land 
 here, Mr. Barber energetically engaged in 
 its cultivation and improvement until old 
 age crept on apace. 
 
 On the old home place in this county 
 the birth of Frederick J. Barber occurred, 
 October 2, 1861, and when he was old 
 enough to be of service in the general work 
 of the farm he commenced laying the foun- 
 dations of his knowledge as a practical man 
 of affairs. His first purchase of land was in 
 1887, when he bought forty acres, the tract 
 near his present homestead. Later he pur- 
 chased another tract of forty acres. After 
 spending six years or more in the culti- 
 vation and improvement of the place he 
 sold it, and in its stead bought the quarter 
 section of land included in his fine place in 
 section 35, paying for this ' eighty-one dol- 
 lars and a quarter an acre. By tiling and 
 other improvements he has greatly increased 
 the beauty and value of the farm, and in 
 addition to raising the usual line of cereals 
 and crops in general, he had raised and fed 
 live stock to some extent. In 1881 he 
 bought a steam thresher, and about the 
 same time he became the owner of one of 
 the first twine binders ever introduced into 
 Champaign. Since then he purchased a 
 corn sheller, and, during the season finds 
 plenty of work to do in his neighborhood, 
 of late years hiring a man to run the ma- 
 chines. A natural mechanic, Mr. Barber 
 
558 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 does all of his blacksrnithing and repairing 
 in a small shop which he has made upon his 
 farm, and by his systematic methods he 
 manages to accomplish a vast amount of 
 work. He has accumulated a large fortune 
 for one of his age and occupation, and at 
 the same time he has won a well deserved 
 reputation for rectitude and fair dealing 
 with everyone. 
 
 On Christmas Day, 1883, the marriage 
 of F. J. Barber and Dora -Wright was cele- 
 brated. Her father, Joseph Wright, was 
 one of the early settlers of this county, and 
 she was born in Mahomet township. Six 
 children bless the happy home of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Barber, namely: Jesse, Orville, Bertie, 
 Frank, Mabel and Etta. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Barber has 
 reserved the right of independent choice, 
 and never has attached himself to any party 
 organization, and in local affairs he has 
 steadily declined to enter into the political 
 arena or to accept office. Fraternally, he 
 is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, belonging to the Mahomet lodge. 
 
 JAMES I. RICHARDSON, the proprie- 
 tor of a model country home and many 
 broad and fertile acres in Tolono township, 
 Champaign county, has just cause for pride 
 in the success which he has achieved by his 
 industry and genius, within a comparatively 
 short period of time. In every point of view 
 he is a reliable citizen, always using his 
 influence in the advancement of his county 
 and community, and all who have the pleas- 
 ure of his acquaintance speak of him only 
 in the highest terms. 
 
 In tracing his history it is found that he 
 is one of the native born sons of Illinois, his 
 
 birth having occurred in Morgan county, 
 March 13, 1854. His parents, Vincent S. 
 and Lydia (Rawlings) Richardson, were 
 natives of Yorkshire, England, where they 
 were married. The father, who was born 
 May 9, 1806, was somewhat ambitious, and 
 believing that America offered better 
 opportunities to a young man, crossed the 
 ocean, and came to Illinois, with a view to 
 making a permanent home here. He 
 arrived in Chicago in 1830, when it con- 
 sisted only a few cabins, and for a short 
 time he worked at the business of shaving 
 clapboards by hand, these to be used in 
 buildings. Locating in Morgan county, he 
 entered a quarter section of land in his own 
 name and three hundred and twenty atres 
 in the name of his father, John Richardson, 
 who also desired to try his fortunes in this 
 country. Returning to England, Vincent 
 Richardson arranged his affairs there, and 
 with his father and family sailed for these 
 hospitable shore*, where they arrived after 
 a tedious journey, the entire trip from Eng- 
 land to Morgan county consuming fifteen 
 weeks. A hard task was before them, for 
 their land was the wild, unbroken prairie, 
 and for many years they fought gallantly to 
 reduce it to cultivation, and erected build- 
 ings, planted trees and made other improve- 
 ments. The father, John Richardson, died 
 a few years after locating here, and only 
 one of his eight children survives, Mrs. 
 Rachel Hembrough, whose home is near 
 Jacksonville, Morgan county. Vincent S. 
 Richardson reared several sons to be pros- 
 perous, useful citizens, and to them he 
 left the legacy of an umblemished record. 
 He was a Republican in politics, and held 
 many minor township offices to the satisfac- 
 tion of all concerned. His wife departed 
 this life in 1865, when she was in her fifty- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 559 
 
 fifth year. At the time of his death, in 
 1896, he lacked but a few days of being 
 ninety years old. He had been an active 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 for years and had served as a trustee. 
 
 Of the nine children born to Vincent S. 
 and Lydia Richardson, two died in infancy: 
 John W. is a well known and prosperous 
 farmer of Morgan county; Mary A. is the 
 wife of Robert Riley, a farmer; William 
 resides east of Jacksonville; Elizabeth W., 
 deceased, was the wife of Charles Lazenby; 
 George S. resides west of Jacksonville, in 
 Morgan county; Vincent, Jr., is a farmer in 
 the same county, and James I. is the gentle- 
 man of whom this sketch is penned. 
 
 He received a common-school education 
 in his native county, and until he attained 
 his majority aided his father in the man- 
 agement of the home farm. He then 
 rented land and worked upon an independ- 
 ent basis for seven years, succeeding in 
 acquiring a competency. After his mar- 
 riage, in 1882. he removed to Champaign 
 county, where he purchased his present 
 farm on section 20, Tolono township. The 
 land was only partially improved, and one 
 by one Mr. Richardson supplanted the old 
 buildings with new, modern structures. 
 The large, handsome residence and sub- 
 stantial barns and cribs bespeak the char- 
 acter of the thrifty owner, and everything 
 about the homestead bears out the favora- 
 ble impression which the visitor has at the 
 'first glance. He makes a specialty of rais- 
 ing grain and live stock, and in nearly all 
 of his transactions he has met with de- 
 served success. 
 
 In 1879 the father of our subject vis- 
 ited England, and on his return he was ac- 
 companied by several of his old friends and 
 other acquaintances. Among them was a 
 
 young lady, Jane A. Wilson, daughter of 
 William and Frances (Warriner) Wilson, 
 both of whom are deceased. Their home 
 was in Starborough, Yorkshire, England. 
 James I. Richardson and Miss Wilson were 
 married March 15, 1882. Since then she 
 has made two trips to her native land, 
 and since her parents' death her sister. 
 Sarah H., has lived with her. Two of 
 their brothers reside in England. Seven 
 children have been born to our subject and 
 wife, namely: Grace W., Vincent S. (whose 
 birth occurred in England, while his par- 
 ents were visiting there), Alma W. , Harry 
 J., George A., and two who died in in- 
 fancy. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Richardson are members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church of Sa- 
 dorus, the former being a trustee. Socially, 
 he is identified with Sadorus Camp, No. 
 3302, Modern Woodmen of America. In 
 his political faith he is a Republican. The 
 cause of education finds in him a sincere 
 friend, and for thirteen years he has been 
 a school director and at present is clerk of 
 the school board. 
 
 RICHARD.JOHNSTON. In tracing the 
 history of this highly esteemed citizen 
 of Mahomet and honored citizen of the Civil 
 war, one is deeply impressed with the fact 
 that success is a matter of merit, of a wise 
 use of opportunities, and not dependent 
 upon external aids v and influences. The 
 prosperity which our subject enjoys has 
 been won by diligent and long continued la- 
 bor, and the obstacles to his success have 
 been more formidable than those confront- 
 ing most young men upon beginning their 
 active career. 
 
560 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 The birth of Richard Johnston occurred 
 in county Fermagh, Ireland, in 1837, an d 
 until he was sixteen years of age he resided 
 in the Emerald Isle, having but limited 
 educational advantages. Wisely determin- 
 ing then to try his fortunes in America, he 
 took passage in a ship bound for Montreal, 
 and for two years after his arrival there he 
 worked for farmers in Canada. In 1855 he 
 came to Illinois, where, in 1857, he was 
 joined by his mother, brothers John and 
 Robert, sister Jane, now the wife of Dr. 
 Hadden; sister Anna, wife of A. J. Ham, of 
 Fisher, and a half brother, James Karr. 
 John later enlisted in Company H, One 
 Hundred and Twenty-fifth Regiment of Illi- 
 nois Infantry, and died while confined in 
 Andersonville prison. After" working for S. 
 C. Koogler, of Slott township, for several 
 years, he rented a farm in the same town- 
 ship, and had made a fair start on the high- 
 way leading to success, when the imperiled 
 position of his adopted country put to rout 
 all personal plans and ambitions. 
 
 In August, 1862, Mr. Johnston with his 
 brother mentioned above enrolled them- 
 selves as privates of Company H, One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and 
 soon were sent to the front. Assigned to 
 the Army of the Cumberland, they partici- 
 pated in the battles of Perryville, Chicka- 
 mauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzards Roost and 
 many other noted engagements. Our sub- 
 ject was wounded in the fight at Kennesaw 
 Mountain, a bullet penetrating his thigh, 
 and other shots also taking effect. He was 
 sent to the hospital in the vicinity, and later 
 was conveyed to the one at Chattanooga, and 
 finally Nashville hospital No. 2. When he 
 had partially recovered, he went home on a 
 two months' furlough, and then reported at 
 Nashville, where he was assigned to the vet- 
 
 eran reserve corps, and sent to Indianapolis, 
 in which city he was mustered out of the 
 service, July 5th, and was honorably dis- 
 charged just a week later at home. He had 
 left his young wife and all of his business 
 enterprises, and manfully devoted some of 
 the best years of his life to the land of his 
 love and devotion, and his record as a sol- 
 dier is of the best. 
 
 For three or more years after his return 
 from southern battle-fields, Mr. Johnston 
 rented farms, after which he bought forty 
 acres of land in Mahomet township. Here 
 he made good improvements, and, desiring a 
 larger farm, he later rented other property 
 and finally sold his own place. He then 
 invested in his present fine homestead of one 
 hundred .and thirty-two acres, located in 
 Mahomet township. Only a few improve- 
 ments had been made, but he soon reduced 
 the place to cultivation, and in the course 
 of time erected a substantial house and 
 other buildings upon the place, besides 
 planting an orchard, making fences and in 
 numerous ways added to the value of the 
 farm, which is a model one in every respect. 
 In 1896, he leased the homestead and since 
 then has been practically retired, making 
 Mahomet his place of abode. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Johnston and Miss 
 Mary Mahony, a lady of Irish birth, was 
 solemnized in Scott township, March 28, 
 1 86 1. They lost two children, George T. , 
 who died at the age of five years, and Ida, 
 who died when five months old. Five chil- 
 dren survive their devoted mother, who was 
 summoned to the better land, in March, 
 1888, and was placed to rest in the River- 
 side cemetery. Belle Johnston, unmar- 
 ried, keeps house for her brother, Robert 
 Grant, who is a successful farmer, now liv- 
 ing upon the old homestead, and is the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 561 
 
 present clerk of this township. \Yilliam 
 Ellsworth is married and resides in Mahomet. 
 Jennie, who was one of the successful teach- 
 ers of this county prior to her marriage, is 
 the wife of Zena Keene, of Mahomet. 
 Alice May, the youngest, is a graduate of 
 the local school, and is very active in church 
 work, being a member of the choir and sec- 
 retary of the Epworth League. With her 
 sisters, she is identified with the Daughters 
 of Rebekah, and is popular in local society. 
 Mr. Johnston is a member of the Odd 
 Fellows order, as are his sons, also. For 
 twelve years or more he was quartermaster, 
 and was commander of Scott Post, No. 
 464, G. A. R. He has voted for every Re- 
 publican nominee for the presidency since 
 he cast his first ballot for Lincoln in 1864, 
 when at home upon his furlough. He was 
 elected and served eight consecutive years 
 as highway commissioner, was president of 
 the board for two years and now is acting 
 on the village board. In the Methodist 
 Episcopal church he has been very promi- 
 nent, serving as a trustee and steward, and 
 at present is a member of the building com- 
 mittee. 
 
 A NTHONY SCHENK. America boasts 
 J\ no better, more patriotic citizens than 
 those children of the German empire who 
 have lived beneath the Stars and Stripes for 
 a few years, enjoying and participating in 
 this government "for the people, by the 
 people," and in the case of the subject of 
 this article this truth is plainly shown. 
 For more than two-score years he has con- 
 stantly given proofs of the love and loyalty 
 which he gives to this, the land of his adop- 
 tion, and while many ties of affection and 
 memory bind him to his native country, he 
 
 has never regretted his decision to cast in 
 his lot with the United States. 
 
 Born October 28, 1832, in Prussia, Ger- 
 many, our subject passed nineteen years of 
 his life there, in the meantime acquiring an 
 excellent general education in the govern- 
 ment schools, and later mastering the trade 
 of a molder. In 1851 he took passage at 
 Bremen in the good ship Norman, bound for 
 New York, and after a long, weary voyage 
 of fifty days, during which time some severe 
 storms were encountered and a collision 
 with another ship was narrowly averted, he 
 arrived at his destination November 10, 
 1851, and proceeded up the Hudson river to 
 Albany, where he had some German friends. 
 There he found plenty of work at his trade, 
 as he thoroughly understood the business, 
 and being ambtious to succeed, he com- 
 menced attending a night school, thereby 
 gaining knowledge of the English language 
 faster than he could have done otherwise. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Schenk went to St. Louis, 
 where he was employed at his trade for 
 three years. In 1857 he came to Cham- 
 paign county, and with the earnings which 
 he had carefully husbanded bought a 
 quarter-section of land in Brown township. 
 This property belonged to the Illinois Cen- 
 tral Railway, and was in a state of nature, 
 entirely unimproved. He thus had a great 
 undertaking before him, but with the pa- 
 tience and perseverance which are char- 
 acteristic of his countrymen, he never 
 faltered, and in the course of a few years 
 the results of his well applied energy were 
 apparent upon every hand. The wild 
 prairie had been made to "blossom like the 
 rose," and comfortable buildings sheltered 
 his live stock. Many improvements were 
 instituted by him at different times and the 
 homestead constantly increased in value 
 
5 62 
 
 THE BIOGRAHHICAL RECORD. 
 
 under his wise management. Buying addi- 
 tional land after a period, he thus increased 
 the boundaries of his farm to two hundred 
 and forty acres, and by the proper use of 
 ditches and tiling he has reduced the entire 
 proderty to cultivation. 
 
 On the 2nd of May, 1858, Mr. Schenk 
 wedded Mary, daughter of Christian Free- 
 hauf, natives of Prussia, Germany. Mrs. 
 Schenk was eight years old when she came 
 to this country, and with her father she 
 dwelt first in Peoria county, Illinois, thence 
 removed to McLean county, and finally set- 
 tled in Champaign county. She has nobly 
 borne her shore of the burdens incident to 
 pioneer life, and has been an important fac- 
 tor in her husband's success, as he cheerful- 
 ly acknowledges. Of their fourteen chil- 
 dren, four died in infancy. Emma, wife of 
 George Hayes, resides in Carroll county, 
 Iowa. Louise, wife of Frank Barrett, lives 
 in Audubon county, Iowa. Clara, unmar- 
 ried and now at home, has been one of the 
 successful teachers of this county for eleven 
 years, and three of her sisters also were 
 teachers in former years. Catherine, mar- 
 ried Charles Steele, of Wapello county, 
 Iowa. Adolp, now a resident of Blooming- 
 ton, Illinois, is married. Minnie is the wife 
 of Charles Fairfield, and lives on our sub- 
 ject's home farm. Ella is the wife of Allen 
 Fairfield. of Fisher. Cleveland H. is the 
 youngest of the family. Miss Clara is iden- 
 tified with the Methodist Episcopel church, 
 while Mr. and Mrs. Schenk are members of 
 the Christian church. 
 
 In 1860 our subject cast his first presi- 
 dential ballot for Stephen A. Douglas, at the 
 first election held in Brown township, and 
 from that time to the present he has used 
 his ballot in favor of the nominees of the 
 Democratic party. For fifteen years he 
 
 served as treasurer of the school board in 
 his district, and aquitted himself of his res- 
 ponsibilities with good judgment and ab- 
 solute fidelity to the great trust reposed in 
 him. He also was one of the first trustees 
 of his township and in that capacity, as well 
 as in that of supervisor, was zealous in the 
 promotion of the welfare of his district. 
 
 DAVID RICE. In the pioneer epoch of 
 of this section of Illinois David Rice 
 came to the Prairie state and has been an 
 important factor in the substantial develop- 
 ment and permanent improvement of Cham- 
 paign county. He has seen the wild lands 
 transformed into fine farms, while industrial 
 and commercial interests have been intro- 
 duced and thus towns have become thriving 
 cities. In the work of progress he has borne 
 his part and has been particularly active as 
 a representative of the agricultural interests 
 of the community. For many years he was 
 successfully engaged in farming in Sadorus 
 township, but now makes his home in the 
 the village of Sadorus, where he is numbered 
 among the leading business men a well- 
 known and prosperous stock buyer and lum- 
 ber dealer. 
 
 Mr. Rice was born in West Virginia, 
 April 7, 1836, and is the eldest son of Shel- 
 ton and Elizabeth (Brown) Rice, who were 
 born, reared and married in the Old Domin- 
 ion. His paternal grandfather was one of 
 the heroes of the Revolutionary war, serv- 
 ing for five years and nine months in that 
 struggle for American independence. By 
 occupation the father of bur subject was a 
 farmer and successfully followed that pur- 
 suit in his native state for a number of years. 
 There his wife died in 1854, and in Febru- 
 ary, of the same year he came to Campaign 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 563 
 
 county, Illinois, purchasing a farm in 
 Sadorus township, where he reared his 
 family. After enduring all the hardships 
 and trials incident to pioneer life, he passed 
 away at his home in Sadorus township, in 
 1863, honored and respected by all who 
 knew him. He made many improvements 
 upon his farm and had just completed a new 
 residence at the time of his death. Of his 
 eif^ht children, four died in infancy, and the 
 others are as follows: David, the subject 
 of this sketch; Arthur, a farmer of Urbana 
 township; Sarah, wife of John Rollings, a 
 farmer of Cherokee county, Kansas, and 
 Martha, wife of G. W. Harrison, a pros- 
 perous farmer and fruit raiser of California. 
 
 The limited education which our subject 
 acquired during his boyhood was secured by 
 six months, attendance at the common 
 schools of his native state. Being the eldest 
 son he had to assist his father in the work 
 of the farm, receiving in that way a good 
 practical knowledge \vhich has been of great 
 benefit to him in later years. In 1854 he 
 came with his family to Champaign county, 
 and continued to work for his father until he 
 attained his majority, when he rented land 
 and began farming on his own account. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Rice was united in marriage 
 with Miss Sarah Haines, who was born in 
 Coles (now Douglas) county, Illinois, in 
 1840. Her parents, Elijah and Matilda 
 (McLain) Haines, were natives of Ohio and 
 Arkansas, respectively, and came with their 
 families to this state, being married in Dan- 
 ville, Vermilion county. They had seven 
 children, of whom two died in infancy and 
 two after reaching maturity. Those living 
 are Sarah, wife of our subject; William M., 
 a well-'known farmer of Garrett, Douglas 
 county, Illinois; and Eunice, wife of Jasper 
 Kawlings, of Arkansas. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rice began their domestic 
 life upon the farm which he had already se- 
 cured. Two children blessed their union: 
 (i) Eleanor M. is now the wife of F. T. 
 Hutchinson, who is a representative young 
 farmer living" near the village of Sadorus 
 and is one of the popular msn of his town- 
 ship. They have three children, Nora M., 
 David ,S. and Iva R. (2) Carrie M. is the 
 wife of Dr. C. M. Craig, a successful phy- 
 sician and surgeon of Champaign, and they 
 have two children, Hazel L. and Walter R. 
 
 Mr. Rice's first purchase of land con- 
 sisted of ninety-five acres in prairie land in 
 Sadorus township, which he worked hard to 
 improve, and finally sold and a good profit. 
 He then bought another farm, which he 
 improved, and as he succeeded in his farm- 
 ing and stockraising he kept adding to his 
 land until he became owner of seven hun- 
 dred and forty acres. He has since given 
 to each of his daughters one hundred and 
 forty acres of this, but is still the owner of 
 some valuable property in the count}'. 
 Since 1858 he has engaged in the stock 
 business, and has met with most wonderful 
 success in that undertaking. He not only 
 raises stock in large numbers, but buys 
 others to feed and fatten for shipment. 
 His land has been thoroughly tiled, and 
 good and substantial buildings have been 
 erected for the accommodation of his stock, 
 as well as a comfortable and commodious 
 residence. Orchards have been planted 
 and the premises otherwise beautified with 
 shrubbery and groves. Here Mr. Rice 
 lived a very quiet life until 1891, when he 
 purchased a home in the village of Sadorus, 
 but he still keeps his farm stocked and 
 receives one-half of the proceeds. Of a 
 very energetic nature, he was not content to 
 remain idle, and again began shipping stock 
 
564 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 to market, being one of the oldest stock 
 dealers in the southwestern part of the 
 county and also on that division of the 
 Wabash Railroad. There being a good 
 opening for a first-class grain elevator busi- 
 ness in Sadorus, he purchased the ground 
 on which was standing an old' mill, and 
 after tearing it down built a modern eleva- 
 tor, the heavy timbers and all the frame 
 work having been cut from his own ground 
 and converted into the material necessary 
 for the building. Mr. Rice had watched 
 these trees grow from small sprouts after a 
 fire had swept over the prairie, and before 
 the land was broken, fenced or improved. 
 His elevator is considered a model building 
 of the kind, being substantially and conven- 
 iently built, and having a capacity of about 
 eighty thousand bushels, and a twenty- 
 horse-power engine to operate it. He only 
 engaged in the grain business a short time, 
 however, and then sold out to De Long 
 Brothers, who still carry it on. He em- 
 barked in the lumber business in 1896, in 
 partnership with W. B. O'Neal, who is also 
 associated with him in the stock business, 
 and as a side issue they also carry a line of 
 undertaker's supplies. 
 
 For many years Mr. Rice has been 
 prominently identified with the growth and 
 welfare of the town and township of Sa- 
 dorus. He with two others brought the 
 first grain separator to the county in 1858 
 from Pickaway county, Ohio, and did all 
 the threshing for farmers from Bourbon, 
 Douglas county, to the northern part of 
 Champaign county, at what was then called 
 Big Grove. They threshed eighty acres of 
 grain for a Mr. Pierce where the city of 
 Champaign now stands, and while thus em- 
 ployed had to board in Urbana as there 
 was no place to board in Champaign. 
 
 They threshed three hundred and twenty 
 acres of grain for Stewart Brothers in 
 Somer township, and for that work Mr. 
 Rice received two hundred dollars in gold, 
 it being the first gold ever handled by him. 
 At that time there were many wild animals 
 on the prairie, and our subject has killed 
 deer upon his own farm. He is a good con- 
 versationalist, and can relate many inter- 
 esting incidents of pioneer life. He has 
 always affiliated with the Republican party, 
 and from 1891 served two terms as super- 
 visor of Sadorus township, being one of the 
 two Republicans who have ever held that 
 office. He is an active member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and a liberal 
 supporter of both church and Sunday school. 
 He is a pleasant, genial gentleman, upright 
 and honorable in all his dealings, and has a 
 most extensive circle of friends and ac- 
 quaintances who esteem him highly for his 
 genuine worth. 
 
 JAMES H. HUME. The mainstay of 
 ^J any commonwealth is the agriculturist, 
 and the prosperity of any nation depends in 
 a greater degree upon the products of the 
 farm than upon all other industries and en- 
 terprises. Too many do not give due credit 
 to the farmer, but the political economist 
 and the deep, well read scholar know that 
 to no other class of men does the world owe 
 such a far-reaching debt of gratitude. 
 America is specially fortunate in her tillers 
 of the soil for the majority of them are in- 
 dustrious, energetic men, well equipped to 
 meet the general duties of a good citizen, 
 and it is a well known fact that our fore- 
 most statemen and representative men in 
 every profession and position have corne 
 from the farm. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 565 
 
 James H. Hume, of Mahomet township, 
 is one of the leading farmers of his district 
 and his numerous friends will take interest 
 in reviewing his career. He was born on 
 the Fourth of July, 1856, in Shelby 
 county, Ohio. His father, John Hume, was 
 a native of Pennsylvania, whence he re- 
 moved to Ohio, and there married Martha 
 Reed, whose birth had occurred in that 
 state. He decided to settle in the west, 
 and arrived in this vicinity the middle of 
 May, 1858. After prospecting with a view 
 to locating here permanently, he bought land 
 in Mahomet township, and proceeded to im- 
 prove and cultivate the property. In early 
 manhood he had been a gunsmith, and, be- 
 ing a natural mechanic, he built a flour and 
 saw mill, east of the village of Mahomet, on 
 the Sangamon river, and for several years 
 operated the mills, which he subsequently 
 traded for a farm. Afterward, he went to 
 Nebraska, where he was engaged in the con- 
 stuction of a mill near Juniata, Adams coun- 
 ty, in 1874, when death put an end to his 
 labors. His widow survives him, and now 
 makes her home with her daughter in Wei- 
 don, Illinois. 
 
 James H. Hume's life and memories are 
 all closely associated with Champaign coun- 
 ty, where he grew to manhood and received 
 his early training and education. Under 
 his father's instruction he learned the mill- 
 ing business, and for seventeen years de- 
 voted his time and attention to that calling. 
 He was careful of his earnings and invest- 
 ments, and in 1883 was the possesser of a 
 good bank account. A portion of his means 
 he then invested in a farm of one hundred 
 and twenty acres situated infection 21, Ma- 
 homet township. Here he has built a com- 
 fortable house, substantial barns and farm 
 buildings and fences, planted an orchard, 
 
 placed tiling where necessary, and instituted 
 various other valuable improvements. The 
 place is kept in a neat and thrifty manner, 
 and everything bespeaks the constant at- 
 tention of the enterprising owner. 
 
 Being very popular and trusted by his 
 neighbors. Mr. Hume is often called upon 
 to serve the general public in some official 
 capacity. In 1898 he was elected assessor 
 of his township, and has made two assess- 
 ments, thoroughly and systematically, as is 
 his custom in everything which he under- 
 takes. The cause of better schools and 
 strictly competent teachers is one which he 
 has deeply at heart, and for several years 
 has served his community as a member of 
 the school board. In national elections he 
 uses his franchise in favor of Republican 
 principles and nominees. 
 
 On the 3rd of March, 1880, occurred the 
 marriage of Mr. Hume and Clarissa I. Park, 
 a daughter of J. W. Park, one of the early 
 settlers and a much respected citizen of 
 Champaign county. Mrs. Hume is a native 
 of Ohio, but passed her girlhood in Illinois. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hume are active members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and she is 
 especially interested and efficient in the 
 Sunday-school and Epworth League, at 
 present being one of the corps of teachers 
 and vice-president of the League. Like her 
 husband, she is highly esteemed by all, and 
 strives to promote the happiness of all with 
 whom her life comes into association. 
 
 J\V. RICHMOND, of Fisher, Champaign 
 county, needs no introduction to the 
 people of this section of the state, as he has 
 been actively engaged in farming and stock- 
 raising here for many years, and has made 
 
566 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 an enviable reputation as a keen financier 
 and business man. The history of a suc- 
 cessful man is always of interest to the pub- 
 lic, and the hosts of friends of Mr. Rich- 
 mond will be especially desirous of tracing 
 his career and noting some of the features 
 of his character as shown by the masterly 
 way in which he overcame difficulties and 
 wrought his own prosperity unaided by 
 others. 
 
 To one knowing the patriotic spirit of 
 Mr. Richmond it is no surprise to learn that 
 he comes of the grand old Revolutionary 
 stock, and that his greatgrand-father, Col- 
 onel Frank Richmond, was one of those 
 heroes who laid life and fortune and all per- 
 sonal aims and ambitions upon the altar of 
 his country, resolved to sacrifice everything, 
 if necessary, for the triumph of the prin- 
 ciples of justice and liberty in which he be- 
 lieved. The gallant colonel, who owned 
 goodly estates in Virginia, his native state, 
 won his title by long and meritorious service 
 in Washington's army, "and not until victory 
 had lighted upon our banners did he sheath 
 his sword. Quite as patriotic service was 
 performed by him in his voluntary contri- 
 bution of more than o-ne thousand head of 
 horses and cattle to the struggling young 
 government. When peace had been pro- 
 claimed he returned to his quiet life as a 
 country gentleman, and passed his last days 
 upon his old plantation, secure in his dear- 
 bought liberty. Tradition says that the 
 city of Richmond, Virginia, was named in 
 honor of the Richmond who first settled in 
 the state of Virginia, the family being very 
 prominent at that time. 
 
 Joseph, son of Colonel Richmond, was 
 born at the old Virginia home, and having 
 been reared in the principle that country 
 has the first claim upon a loyal citizen it is 
 
 not strange that he, too, took up the old 
 musket which his father had carried in the 
 Revolution, and went forth to meet the 
 same foe in the war of 1812. Later he 
 went to the new state of Ohio, and settled 
 upon a tract of land in Muskingum county. 
 He married there, and his son, Wilson, 
 father of our subject, was born on the old 
 homestead cleared in the midst of the forest, 
 the date of the event being September 9, 
 1815. In 1830 the family removed to Illi- 
 nois, where the father had been granted 
 some land in consideration of the services 
 he had rendered in the second war with 
 Great Britain. This property was located 
 in Tazewell county, and here, on the bleak 
 prairies, swept by the keen winter winds 
 from the great northwest, the pioneers 
 found that they had many difficulties to 
 meet, which had not been included in their 
 experience hitherto. In 1831, the winter 
 of the "big snow," as the early settlers 
 termed it, the husband and father perished 
 with the cold while returning home from a 
 trip to Mackinaw, then the county seat. 
 Thus the care of the family devolved largely 
 upon Wilson Richmond, who was the eld- 
 est of the seven surviving children. He 
 nobly aided his mother in the task of rear-; 
 ing the younger brothers and sisters, and 
 when he felt free to establish a home for 
 himself he wedded Mary Judy, daughter of 
 John Judy, both natives of Ohio. Mr. 
 Judy was a veteran of the war of 1812, and 
 was one of the first settlers of Tazewell 
 county. It is a pleasure to record that 
 success blessed nearly every undertaking of 
 Wilson Richmond, and that by honest toil 
 and well directed energy he became wealthy 
 and extremely influential in Tazewell county, 
 where he is yet living, hale and happy, 
 despite his eighty-five years. During the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 567 
 
 Civil war he was extensively engaged in the 
 raising of sheep, annually selling from fifteen 
 hundred to two thousand fleeces, and, as 
 cotton could not be cultivated in the south 
 to any extent for several years, his product 
 brought him a handsome income. Grad- 
 ually buying real estate, he at length was 
 the possessor of about fifteen hundred acres 
 of fine farm land. 
 
 J. \V. Richmond, whose birth occurred 
 on his father's farm in Tazewell county, 
 February 26, 1845, early acquired famil- 
 iarity with agriculture in all its departments, 
 and from the time that he was fifteen years 
 of age until he left home, in 1884, he super- 
 intended his father's large homestead. At 
 intervals he invested in land upon his own 
 account, and owned in the neighborhood of 
 eighteen hundred acres of fine farm prop- 
 erty when he came to Champaign county as 
 a permanent resident, at the time of his 
 marriage. He has improved several farms 
 since then and at the present time is the 
 proprietor of about three thousand acres of 
 land, most of this being located within the 
 boundaries of this county, and some being 
 situated in the best districts of Iowa, In- 
 diana, Nebraska and Kansas. 
 
 More than a quarter of a century ago, J. 
 \Y. Richmond determined to devote some 
 attention to the matter of raising and deal- 
 ing in high grade horses and cattle. In 
 1874 he made his first trip to Europe, and 
 brought back some fine Percheron horses. 
 Later he imported coach and Shire horses 
 in large numbers and, altogether, has made 
 five journeys to the old world, traveling 
 through England, Germany, France, Bel- 
 gium and Holland. He owns some famous 
 blue grass pasture land along the Sanga- 
 mon river, and for many years has made a 
 business of feeding cattle for the market, 
 
 selling from one hundred to one hundred 
 and seventy head of stock each year. 
 
 Sixteen years ago Mr. Richmond and 
 Nora Havenhill were married in New York. 
 She was born in Monroe, Kendall county, 
 Illinois, and is a daughter of Hiram Haven- 
 hill, a pioneer of Tazewell county, and late 
 a resident of Kendall county, this state. 
 Four children bless the home of our subject 
 and wife, namely: Wilson, Lelia, Cum- 
 mings and Arthur Dean. 
 
 Since becoming a citizen of Fisher, Mr. 
 Richmond has made five additions to the 
 town, and in numerous substantial ways has 
 increased the prosperity of the place. He 
 is a stanch Republican, but in no sense of 
 the word is a politician, and has resolutely 
 declined to hold office. In the Masonic 
 fraternity he stands high, and has attained 
 the Knight Templar degree, being identified 
 with the Urbana Commandery. 
 
 OOBERT DAVIS is a worthy representa- 
 1\ tive of a family which has been noted 
 for all of the attributes of upright business 
 men and loyal citizens for many generations. 
 For nearly four and a half decades he has 
 been numbered among the inhabitants of 
 Champaign county, and few take precedence 
 of him as a farmer and stock raiser in his 
 own community. 
 
 His paternal grandfather, Zachariah 
 Davis, was born in Virginia, and at an 
 early day removed to Ohio, where he built 
 the first brick business block ever erected in 
 Newark, and, strange to say, it is still used 
 for the same purposes as formerly. His son 
 James, father of our subject, was born in 
 the town mentioned, November 14, 1811, 
 and there married Mary McCullum; also a 
 
568 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 native of Ohio, for his second wife. In his 
 early manhood he had learned the trade of 
 a wheelwright, and in 1842 he removed to 
 Iowa City, Iowa, where he assisted in build- 
 ing the first state house. At the end of two 
 years he went to Wabash county, Indiana, 
 and carried on a mercantile business for 
 some years. In 1856 he came to Cham- 
 paign county and settled upon a farm situ- 
 ated about four miles north of Mahomet 
 township, and there he was successfully en- 
 gaged in the cultivation of the place for six 
 years. Afterwards he turned his attention 
 to other enterprises, and lived in Mahomet 
 for several years. He died at the home of 
 his son Robert, December 18, 1897, when 
 eighty-six years of age, having survived his 
 wife about two years. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in 
 Iowa City, Iowa, October 17, 1842, and 
 when about fourteen years of age he came 
 to this county, where he grew to manhood. 
 After completing his education in the Dan- 
 ville high school, he was employed by his 
 father- and laid the foundations for a suc- 
 cessful business career. Having determined 
 to devote his time and labors to agriculture, 
 he commenced farming, and for four years 
 carried on a place in Hensley township. 
 Later, he located on the old Scott home- 
 stead, and two years afterwards bought two 
 hundred and thirty acres of his present farm. 
 But little improvement had been made, and 
 he replaced the old house with a modern 
 one and instituted many other changes. 
 From time to time he bought additional 
 land, and now owns four hundred and 
 thirty-three acres, all in one body. He 
 also built a house and barns for his son, on 
 a good site on the homestead, and by plant- 
 ing fruit and shade trees at different points 
 greatly increased the beauty of the place, 
 
 which is justly considered one of the best in 
 the county. He has kept a good grade of 
 live stock, and has made a comfortable in- 
 come from this line of business alone. 
 
 On the 1 9th of October, 1864, Mr. 
 Davis married Elvira, daughter of Fielding 
 L. Scott, who had settled in this township 
 at a very early day, and had lived in Illinois 
 from 1834 until his death, coming here from 
 Kentucky. Mrs. Davis became the mother 
 of five children, three of whom died in in- 
 fancy, and in January, 1876, she was sum- 
 moned to the silent land. Wiley Davis, 
 the only surviving son, is married, and his 
 four children are named, respectively, Hazel, 
 Ralph, Floyd and Elsie. Julia Belle, the 
 daughter, is the wife of F. E. Bryan, a mer- 
 chant of Mahomet. The second marriage 
 of. Robert Davis took place September 14, 
 1876, when Miss Sarah G. Little became 
 his bride. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, 
 she is a daughter of Levitt and Lucy Jane 
 (Dix) Little, both of whom were born in the 
 east. Mrs. Davis was educated at Gran- 
 ville, Ohio, and for ten years was a success- 
 ful teacher at Mahomet, Urbana and other 
 places. To our subject and wife three chil- 
 dren were born, namely: Fannie Dix, 
 Ernest L. and J. Robert. The daughter be- 
 came the wife of Leonard Rayburn, a farmer 
 of this county, and their only child is Robert 
 Lee. 
 
 In 1864 Robert Davis cast his first presi- 
 dential ballot for Abraham Lincoln, and 
 from that day until this he has never faltered 
 in his allegiance to the Republican party. 
 For himself he has not sought nor desired 
 public office, but in order to do his duty as 
 a citizen and to meet the earnest wishes of 
 his neighbors he acted as commissioner of 
 highways and as a member of the school 
 board at various times. Fraternally he is 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 569 
 
 a Master Mason, belonging to the lodge at 
 Mahomet. Both he and his wife are identi- 
 fied with the Presbyterian church and are 
 liberal in their gifts to religious and chari- 
 table organizations. 
 
 DOUGLAS PARNELL is ranked among 
 the progressive and successful farmers 
 of Mahomet township, Champaign county. 
 From his English ancestors he undoubtedly 
 inherited many of his eminently practical 
 traits and ideas in regard to the management 
 of a farm, and his business affairs are con- 
 ducted in a systematic was which does him 
 credit. He is a patriot, devoted to whatever 
 tends to promote the public welfare, and his 
 influence is always safely counted upon when 
 local progress is at stake. 
 
 His father, William Parnell, was born in 
 Devonshire, England, January 5, 1809. 
 There he passed the happy days of his 
 youth, receiving a liberal education for that 
 period, but when quite young he formed the 
 determination to come to America. In 1832 
 he bade adieu to his old home and friends 
 and sailed for the new world, where he was 
 destined to become rich and honored. For 
 some time he made his home in Ohio, there 
 wedding Catherine Goodman, who was of 
 German extraction, but herself a native of 
 New York. In 1844 the couple moved to 
 Peoria county, Illinois, where the father im- 
 proved and carried on a farm of two hun- 
 dred and twenty acres. His long and use- 
 ful career was brought to a close November 
 i> iS(jj, and his faithful wife had entered 
 the silent land some six years or more 
 previously. Of their seven children who 
 survived to maturity and became respected 
 heads of families, Mrs. Eliza Ann Goodner 
 
 resides in Hoopstown, Illinois; William F. 
 lives in Monon, Indiana; Frances is the 
 wife of Thomas Lowry; Mrs. Catherine 
 Armstrong; John, of Seymour, Illinois; 
 Caroline, wife of William Meaker, of 
 Peoria county, and Douglas P. completes 
 the number. 
 
 The subject of this narrative was born 
 upon the parental homestead in Peoria 
 county, Illinois, December 27, 1857. He 
 obtained such knowledge of the elementary 
 branches of learning as he could in the 
 country schools, and at the same time be- 
 came thoroughly acquainted with farming 
 in all its departments. His father being 
 anxious for him to stay and carry on the 
 homestead after he had attained his major- 
 ity, the young man did so, and it was not 
 until his marriage, in the autumn of 1883, 
 that he entered upon an independent career. 
 A few months before he had come to Cham- 
 paign county and purchased eighty acres of 
 land, the nucleus of the present farm. A 
 small house of but two rooms stood on the 
 place, and soon he added a wing, and later 
 remodeled it, making a comfortable res- 
 idence. He has good barns and other farm 
 buildings, well kept orchards and berry 
 patches, and beautiful shade trees add 
 greatly to the charm of the homestead. 
 Having bought an eighty-acre tract of ad- 
 joining land, our subject now owns a quar- 
 ter section, situated in one body and divided 
 into fields of convenient size. One of the 
 features of his financial success is the active 
 part he has taken in the raising of high 
 grade horses and Jersey, Holstein and 
 Polled Angus cattle. He also feeds stock 
 for the market, and derives a large share of 
 his income from this source. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Parnell and Mary 
 Schaad, daughter of Jacob Schaad, took 
 
570 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 place in Peoria county, September 20, 1883. 
 She was born in Illinois, while her father 
 was a native of Germany, and is numbered 
 among the pioneers of Peoria county. Five 
 children bless the home of our subject and 
 wife, namely: Clara Estella, William J., 
 Lena Viola, Bertha C. and James E. 
 
 Since he attained the right of franchise, 
 Mr. Parnellhas used his ballot in behalf of 
 the nominees of the Democratic party. He 
 is a firm believer in temperance, and in local 
 elections he has voted for Prohibition men 
 and measures. He has not sought nor de- 
 sired public office for himself, but is a great 
 worker for his friends who happen to be 
 candidates. For the past two years he has 
 been one of the directors of the Farmers 
 Mutual Insurance Company, and socially, 
 he is connected with the Modern Woodmen 
 of America. He possesses the confidence 
 .and sincere regard of all who know him, 
 and his friends are legion. 
 
 JAMES HARVEY LEE. It is now fifty 
 years since the family to which this 
 well-known citizen belongs became identi- 
 fied with Champaign county, and its vari- 
 ous members have won for the name an 
 enviable distinction by their intelligence and 
 worthiness. They have also aided in the 
 wonderful growth and development of the 
 county and have been important factors in 
 its prosperiry. Our subject, who is counted 
 among the leading agriculturists of Peso- 
 turn township, his home being on section 
 15, displays in a marked degree the admir- 
 able characteristics which the name of the 
 family suggests. 
 
 Mr. Lee was born on the 3d of Febru- 
 ary, 1847, m Pulaski county, Kentucky, of 
 
 which his parents, Squire and Elizabeth A. 
 (James) Lee, were also natives, the former 
 born in 1820, the latter in 1821. The 
 mother was a daughter of Rev. J. M. James 
 and a sister of John James, both Baptist 
 ministers of renown. The latter has 
 preached in Sadorus. Squire Lee grew to 
 manhood in his native state and received but 
 a limited education in early life. In 1847 he 
 removed with his family to Mercer county, 
 Kentucky, and three years later came to 
 Illinois, first settling in Douglas county. 
 In 1853 he came to Champaign county and 
 took up his' residence south of Sadorus 
 Grove. He was the first settler in that 
 locality to locate on the prairie instead of 
 in the timber. Being of a practical mind 
 he thought the wealth laid in the soil and 
 not in the woods. After erecting a log 
 cabin for the accommodation of his family, 
 he began to break his land and soon had 
 acre after acre under the plow. Meeting 
 with success on his prairie farm, his example 
 was soon followed by others. He pur- 
 chased and improved four hundred and 
 eighty acres of land. He first set out over 
 one hundred apple trees, which were de- 
 stroyed by some of his enemies, but later he 
 put out six hundred and fifty more, his 
 being the first attempt to plant fruit bear- 
 ing trees in his part of the county. In all 
 his undertakings he met with excellent suc- 
 cess, and to his original purchase he added 
 one hundred and sixty acres of improved 
 land. At the time of his death he had 
 about seven hundred acres of land all under 
 excellent cultivation and well improved. 
 On first coming to the state he hauled ties 
 to where Tuscola is now located for the 
 Illinois Central Railroad, then under con- 
 struction. Beginning life here without cap- 
 ital, his possessions were all acquired by 
 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 571 
 
 his own perseverance, industry and good 
 management, and for the success that he 
 achieved he deserved great credit. He was 
 always hale and hearty, possessing a strong 
 constitution. He was a Democrat in poli- 
 tics and in his day a prominent and ardent 
 worker for his party. His brother Noah 
 came to this county but remained here only 
 a short time. 
 
 The parents of our subject were mar- 
 ried in 1841, and seven children blessed 
 their union, namely: Martha J., born in 
 
 1842, is the wife of A. P. Gregory, a farmer 
 of Kansas; Mary A., born in November, 
 
 1843, is the wife of Arthur Rice, Cham- 
 paign township, this county; George W. , 
 born August 8, 1845, is a carpenter and 
 builder of Champaign; James H., our sub- 
 ject, is next in order of birth; Henry, born 
 February 27, 1850, lives near the old home- 
 stead in Pesotum township; Noah, born 
 May 27, 1853, died in 1890, leaving a wife 
 and two childre.n, now residents of Cham- 
 paign; and Sarah E., born in 1857, mar- 
 ried Thomas Adair, and died in 1890, leav- 
 ing one son, Howard. She was the first 
 white child born in Pesotum township. The 
 father of this family died March 21, 1885, 
 and the mother passed away August 3, 
 1896. 
 
 Reared to manhood upon the home 
 farm, James H. Lee attended the local 
 schools during the winter months until twen- 
 ty-one years of age, while he aided in the 
 labors of the field through the summer sea- 
 on. He began his education in a primi- 
 tive log school house built in the woods. 
 It had no desks and the benches were made 
 of rough hewn logs. His teacher was his 
 uncle, Henry James. The family lived in 
 true pioneer style, and our subject was eight 
 years of age when he became the proud 
 
 possessor of his first pair of shoes. On 
 reaching his majority his father paid him 
 wages for a year. 
 
 In 1869, Mr. Lee was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Mary A. Cook, who was 
 born in Rush county, Indiana, March 8, 
 1853, and was a daughterof Eli and Emily 
 (Shupp) Cook, the former also a native of 
 Rush county, Indiana, the latter of Ohio. 
 The father, who was one of the early set- 
 tlers of this county, kept the section house at 
 Cherry Grove, now Ivesdale, for four years 
 before the Civil war, but in 1862 he en- 
 listed in Company E, One Hundred and 
 Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 and died in hospital from disease contracted 
 in the service, being buried at Nashville, 
 Tennessee. His wife died in 1873. In 
 their family were six children, of whom one 
 died in infancy. The others were as fol- 
 lows: Mary A., wife of our subject, is the 
 oldest; Martha J., born December 12, 1856, 
 is now the widow of Benjamin E. Harrison, 
 of Sadorus township; Olive F., born Au- 
 gust 27, 1858, is the wife of J. Walker, of 
 Kansas City, Kansas; Flora A., born May 
 26. 1860, married George Watson, and died 
 in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1886; Charles E., 
 born May 28, 1862, died in Wellington, 
 Kansas, in 1884. 
 
 Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lee one died in infancy; Cora O., born 
 March 3,1, 1870, is now the wife of Walter 
 Coleman, and they have two children, Earl 
 and Edith; Lillian A., born January 11, 
 1872, is the widow of S. Finch, by whom 
 she had one daughter, Mildred, and they 
 live in Mattoon, Illinois; Myrtle A., born 
 November 10, 1873, is the wife of William 
 L. Roy, a farmer of Pesotum township, and 
 they have one son, Walter D. ; Arthur C., 
 born November 16, 1876, is a teacher of 
 
572 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 short hand and type writing in the Cham- 
 paign Business College; Robert R., born 
 November 5, 1879, is a graduate of that 
 business college and now has charge of the 
 home farm, being a practical agriculturist; 
 Herbert C. , born January 21, 1883; Jessie 
 E., born May i, 1886; Ralph W., born 
 August 26, 1888, and Ruby Fern, born De- 
 cember 10, 1894, are all at home. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Lee rented land 
 from his father for some time and operated 
 the same with varied success. In 1872 he 
 moved to Indiana, where he raised two crops 
 snd also operated threshing machine for two 
 years, but concluding that Illinois was good 
 enough for him, he returned to Champaign 
 county in 1875 and rented a farm which he 
 successfully conducted for some time. In 
 1880 he purchased of his father his present 
 farm inPesoturn township, and since it came 
 into his possession has thoroughly tiled the 
 land, and in place of the rude house and 
 barn has erected good modern buildings, 
 which stand as monuments to his thrift and 
 industry. In 1877 he began working at the 
 carpenter's trade, and has since done a good 
 business as a contractor and builder, erect- 
 ing nearly all the buildings put up in Peso- 
 turn township in that time, a-s well as doing 
 considerable work throughout this county 
 and in Douglas county. He is a man of 
 more than ordinary ability and carries for- 
 ward to successful completion whatever he 
 undertakes. Politically he is identified with 
 the Prohibition party, and fraternally he 
 affiliated with the Modern Woodmen Camp, 
 No. 1617, of Pesotum, of which he is one 
 of the board of managers. He is a devout 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 of which he was formerly a trustee, and is 
 highly respected and esteemed by all who 
 know him. 
 
 MILTON BABB, deceased, was for sev- 
 eral years one of the prominent farmers 
 and wealthy citizens of Ogden township, 
 Champaign county. He was actively identi- 
 fied with the early development of the com- 
 munity, and never withheld his support 
 from any enterprise calculated to prove of 
 public benefit. He departed this life Janu- 
 ary 8, 1869, and in his death the commun- 
 ity realized that it had lost one of its most 
 valued and useful citizens. 
 
 Mr. Babb was born November 10, 1826, 
 in what was then Hardy county, Virginia, 
 but is now Grant county, West Virginia. 
 His great-grandfather, John Babb, emigrated 
 from Germany to America, and arrived in 
 this country about 1750, possibly Septem- 
 ber 22, 1752, landing at Philadelphia from 
 the ship Brothers. He located at Easton, 
 Pennsylvania. In his family were four 
 children, namely: Abraham; John; Peter, 
 grandfather of our subject; and Letitia, wife 
 of Peter Thrie. Among his descendants are 
 Hon. Washington Irving Babb, of Mt. 
 Pleasant, Iowa; Clement E. Babb, D. D., 
 of San Jose, California; and Hon. E. S. 
 Huston, of Burlington, Iowa. Peter Babb, 
 grandfather of our subject, moved to Vir- 
 ginia, 'where he made his home throughout 
 life. He married a Miss Weaver, and to 
 them were born the following children: 
 John; Peter, Jr., father of our subject; 
 Daniel; William; Samuel; Levi; Letitia, 
 wife of Samuel Fry, of Newark, Ohio; and 
 Catherine. Of this family Peter Babb, Jr., 
 married Phoebe Scott, and their children 
 were Rebecca Catherine, wife of Okey 
 Johnson; James P.; Sarah Ann, wife of 
 Thomas R. Carskadon; Jane, wife of Henry 
 Suit; Milton; Daniel; and Obed. 
 
 In early life Milton Babb worked upon 
 the home farm and clerked in a store at 
 
MILTON BABB. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 575 
 
 Moorefield, Hardy county, West Virginia. 
 About 1852 he came to Illinois and after 
 stopping for a time with John J. Scott, a 
 relative who owned the Pilot Grove farm in 
 Vermilion county, he came to Champaign 
 county and purchased a farm in Ogden 
 township, where he successfully engaged in 
 farming and stock raising until his death, at 
 which time he owned eleven hundred acres 
 of land under a high state of cultivation and 
 well improved. 
 
 On the 1 7th of December, 1857, Mr. 
 li.ihb was united in marriage with Miss 
 Elizabeth Littler, a daughter of Edwin and 
 Margaret (Start) Littler, of Vermilion coun- 
 ty, Illinois. By this union were born four 
 children, namely: Edwin P., who is en- 
 gaged in farming upon the place left by his 
 father; Mary Alice Jane, who married 
 George W. Helm and died -February 12, 
 1880; James E., a successful and prominent 
 attorney, who was engaged in practice in 
 Chicago from 1884 to 1892,, and since then 
 in Lewiston, Idaho; and Charles D., who 
 is engaged in the real estate, loan and bank- 
 ing business in Homer, this county. After 
 the death of Mr. Babb. his widciw made her 
 home in Homer, where she is stfll living. 
 
 Mr. Babb and his wife are both active 
 and faithful members of the Methodist 
 church. Although reared in a slave state he 
 was opposed to the institution of slavery, 
 and was a stanch supporter of first the Whig 
 and later the Republican party. He was 
 strictly a business man, practical, indus- 
 trious and enterprising, and to these charac- 
 teristics maybe attributed his success in life, 
 lu his dealings he was upright and honor- 
 able, and he always took an active interest 
 .in public affairs. When young he made a 
 study of the biographies of our great states- 
 men and the sermons of noted divines, and 
 
 though death claimed him at a comparatively 
 early age, it found his affairs, both temporal 
 and spiritual, in perfect order. 
 
 30 
 
 WILLIAM J. GILMORE, an energetic, 
 progressive and successful agricult- 
 urist of Champaign county, owns and op- 
 erates a fine farm of two hundred acres on 
 section 16, Newcomb township, pleasantly 
 located four miles southwest of Fisher. The 
 neat and thrifty appearance of the place 
 testifies to his careful supervision and shows 
 conclusively that he thoroughly understands 
 the occupation which he has chosen as a life 
 work. 
 
 A native of Ohio, Mr. Gilmore was born 
 in Licking county, August 15, 1862. His 
 father, George W. Gilmore, was born in 
 Preston county, West Virginia, July 4, 1830, 
 and was a son of Peter and Sarah (Wiles) 
 Gilmore, also natives of that county, and 
 the latter of German parentage. In his 
 native state George W. Gilmore was mar- 
 ried, October 8, 1861, to Miss Hannah J. 
 Holland, who was born and reared in 
 Monongalia county, West Virginia. Her 
 parents, Reason and Lah (Way) Holland, 
 removed from that state to Pennsylvania, 
 and later to Licking county, Ohio. In Feb- 
 ruary, 1862, Mr. Gilmore also took up his 
 residence in Licking county, Ohio, where 
 he engaged in farming for a few years. In 
 the fall of 1862 he was drafted and joined 
 Company C, Seventy-sixth Ohio Volunteer 
 Infantry, with which he served eleven 
 months, participating in the siege of Vicks- 
 burg, the battle of Arkansas Post and other 
 minor engagements. While in Mississippi 
 he received a sunstroke and later was dis- 
 charged on account of disability. Return- 
 
576 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ing to Licking county, Ohio, he engaged in 
 farming there until the spring of 1876, when 
 he came to Champaign county, Illinois, and 
 bought two hundred acres of land in New- 
 comb township, which he subsequently 
 transformed into a good farm, becoming 
 one of the substantial and well-to-do farmers 
 of the county. He finally rented his land 
 and bought nice residence property in Fish- 
 er, where he lived retired until called from 
 this life, June 2, 1898. During their resi- 
 dence in Ohio he and his wife held mem- 
 bership in the Baptist church, but on com- 
 ing to this county united with the Methodist 
 Episcopal church at Shiloh, and on their re- 
 moval to Fisher transferred their member- 
 ship to the Methodist church there. Mr. 
 Gilmore was widely and favorably known 
 throughout the county, being a man of un- 
 blemished character and sterling worth. 
 His wife survives him and continues to 
 make her home in Fisher. To them were 
 born six children, of whom our subject is 
 the oldest; Zela, the next in order of birth, 
 is the wife of D. D. Hinton, a farmer of 
 Newcomb township; Belle is the wife of R. 
 J. Myers; F. W. and C. H. are both farmers 
 of Newcomb township; and O. I. is study- 
 ing pharmacy. 
 
 Our subject accompanied his parents on 
 their removal to this county, and upon the 
 home farm he grew to manhood, his educa- 
 tion being acquired in the- common schools 
 of the locality. He assisted in the opera- 
 tion of the farm and continued to carry it 
 on for some years. His first purchase con- 
 sisted of eighty acres adjoining the home 
 place; later he bought forty acres across 
 the road, and still later another eighty-acre 
 tract, making two hundred acres in all. He 
 has made many improvements upon the 
 place in the way of tiling, fencing, and the 
 
 erection of good and substantial build- 
 ings, and now has a most desirable and at- 
 tractive-looking farm. 
 
 In Le Roy, McLean county, Illinois, 
 Mr. Gilmore was married, September 14, 
 1895, to Miss Ella M. Morris, a native of 
 that place, and a daughter of A. H. Morris, 
 a business man of Le Roy. By this union 
 has been born one child, Lucile. Since 
 casting his first presidential vote for Grover 
 Cleveland, Mr. Gilmore has been a stanch 
 supporter of the Democratic party, but has 
 never sought political honors. He is now 
 serving as school trustee. His wife is a 
 member of the Shiloh Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and he attends church with her and 
 contributes to its support. As a business 
 man he is prompt and notably reliable, and 
 the success that he has achieved in life is 
 due entirely to his own industry, persever- 
 ance and good management. 
 
 WILLIAM B. LYONS. One of the 
 most enterprising agriculturists of 
 Mahomet township, Champaign county, is 
 the gentleman of whom the following lines 
 are penned. He is one of the native sons 
 of this township, his birth having occurred 
 here September 21, 1858, and his entire life 
 has been intimately connected with the de- 
 velopment of this locality. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 William D. Lyons, was born and grew to 
 maturity in Maryland, whence he emigrated 
 to Kentucky at an early period. He served 
 as a soldier in the war of 1812, and was a 
 true patriot in times of peace and war alike. 
 About 1851 he removed from the Blue 
 Grass state to Champaign county, and buy- 
 ing a farm in Mahomet township, spent his 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 577 
 
 last years here. Samuel Lyons, one of his 
 children, and the father of William B. , was 
 born in Lewis county, Kentucky, April 10, 
 1831, and passed two decades of his life in 
 that beautiful section of the Union. In 
 1851 he came to Illinois with the rest of 
 the family, and at the death of his father in- 
 herited a portion of the estate. He bought 
 other land and made a fine farm, one of 
 best in the community. He enjoyed the 
 respect of his neighbors and all who had 
 dealings with him, and reared his children 
 to be good and useful citizens. His wife, 
 formerly Martha Newell, he married in 1857 
 in this county, whither her father, William 
 Newell, had come to dwell many years be- 
 fore. She was born in Geauga county, 
 Ohio, and received much of her education 
 there prior to her arrival in this state. She 
 survived her husband, who died August 2, 
 1888, and since that time has lived with her 
 eldest son, our subject, Another son, Wy- 
 man, died when he was ten years old, and 
 Dwight Lyons, now of Urbana, is in the em- 
 ploy of the Big Four Railroad Company. 
 The only daughter, Laura, is the wife of M. 
 O. Stover, who is a successful farmer of 
 this township. 
 
 The record of the life of William B. 
 Lyons presents no startling occurrences, 
 and, in fact, it has outwardly flowed in.very 
 quiet, even channels. His boyhood was 
 that of the usual farmer's lad, and from the 
 time that he was old enough to be of any 
 service in the management of the homestead 
 he commenced performing a share of the 
 labors which fell to. his father. He attended 
 the district schools, of course, and without 
 difficulty mastered their limited curriculum. 
 After his father's death the estate was di- 
 vided, and for ten years he cultivated the 
 portion which came to him. He made 
 
 material improvements upon the place, and 
 by tiling and ditching the low-lying ground, 
 every acre was reduced to cultivation. In 
 1899 he sold part of the property and 
 bought his present fine place, with his resi- 
 dence in section 9, about two miles from 
 the village of Mahomet. The farm com- 
 prises three hundred and thirty acres, all of 
 which is fertile and very productive, yield- 
 ing a harvest of golden ducats to the owner 
 each year. He found it advisable to erect 
 larger barns, and has all facilities for hand- 
 ling his crops. 
 
 As may be justly inferred, Mr. Lyons, in 
 the multiplicity of his business interests, has 
 had little time to devote to outside matters, 
 yet he retains a loyal concern in whatever 
 affects his community, state and country. 
 Politically he is a Democrat and cast his 
 first presidential ballot for Grover Cleveland. 
 Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fel- 
 lows Order, belonging to the Mahomet 
 Lodge. His mother, who keeps house for 
 him, is an earnest member of the Baptist 
 church of Mahomet. Both are contributors 
 to benevolences and to the worthy poor, and 
 their names are honored in many a house- 
 hold where their timely help has brought 
 comfort and cheer. 
 
 A BRAHAM P. MEHARRY, residing on 
 l~\ section 5, Crittenden township, is one 
 of the most progressive and successful agri- 
 culturists of Champaign county. Many of 
 the leading enterprises and business inter- 
 ests of the community bear the impress of 
 his individuality and owe not a little of their 
 success to his ability and capable powers of 
 management. His great determination and 
 energy have enabled him to overcome all 
 
578 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 difficulties and obstacles in his path and work 
 his way steadily upward to prosperity. He 
 is known among his fellow citizens for his 
 reliability in all trade transactions and justly 
 merits their confidence and regard. 
 
 Mr. Meharry was born near Wingate, 
 Montgomery county, Indiana, February 16, 
 1842, and is of Scotch-Irish descent. In 
 1644, during the reign of Queen Mary, his 
 ancestors were driven from Scotland on ac- 
 count of their religious opinions and sought 
 homes in Ireland. His grandfather, Alex- 
 ander Meharry, was born in the latter coun- 
 ty, and there he was married in 1794. The 
 following year he and his wife took passage 
 on a sailing vessel, and after a tedious voy- 
 age of thirteen weeks landed in New York, 
 whence they proceeded to Philadelphia, and 
 afterward lived for a short time in Chester 
 county, Pennsylvania, and in Connellsville, 
 Fayette county, the same state. In 1798 
 the grandfather fitted out a houseboat and 
 floated down the Ohio river to the site of 
 Manchester, Adams county, Ohio, where he 
 landed. He purchased a tract of land at 
 the fork of Eagle creek and spent several 
 years in the struggles of pioneer life. While 
 returning from a camp meeting he was 
 killed by a falling tree, June 21, 1813. His 
 widow was reft with eight children, namely: 
 Hugh, Thomas, James, Mary, Jesse, David, 
 Samuel and Alexander. She did a noble 
 part by them, remaining on the homestead 
 and keeping them together until they were 
 able to take care of themselves. She died 
 in 1844. 
 
 Thomas Meharry, the father of our sub- 
 ject, was born in Adams county, Ohio, in 
 1799, and throughout his active business life 
 followed the occupation of a farmer, but for 
 ten years before his death lived retired. He 
 was of a retiring disposition and took no 
 
 active part in public affairs. He was a con- 
 sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and was a Republican in politics 
 from the organization of that party. In 
 December, 1827, in Brown county, Ohio, 
 he married Miss E'inity Patton, who was 
 born in that county in 1802. Their chil- 
 dren were Jane P., now the widow of Eli 
 H. Dick, and a resident of Philo, this coun- 
 ty; William, a resident of Tolono, whose 
 sketch appears on another page of this vol- 
 ume; Ellen, wife of John S. Martin, a re- 
 tired farmer living near Newtown, .Indiana; 
 Jesse, also a retired farmer of Tolono, who 
 is represented elsewhere in this work; Polly 
 A., deceased wife of A. C. McCorkle, a 
 farmer of Tippscanos county, Indiana; 
 Abraham P., our subject; Isaac N. , who is 
 living on the old homestead in Montgomery 
 county, Indiana. 
 
 Our subject was reared on the home farm 
 and educated in the public schools and the 
 Wesley Academy near Crawfordsville, Indi- 
 ana. In 1866, at the age of twenty-four, he 
 came to Philo township, Champaign county, 
 Illinois, joining his brothers, William and 
 Jesse. They took possession of the land 
 purchased by their . father, who owned four 
 sections in this county, one in McLean 
 county, and a half section in Shelby county, 
 Illinois. During the first year of his resi- 
 dence here' our subject engaged alone in the 
 stock business, and then became associated 
 with his brother Jesse in farming and stock 
 dealing on a large scale, feeding and hand- 
 ling several hundred head of stock annually. 
 
 Mr. Meharry made his home with his 
 brother Jesse until his marriage, which was 
 celebrated June 3, 1879, Miss Martha 
 McMillin becoming his wife. She was born 
 inTippecanoe county, Indiana, November 23, 
 1846, a daughter of John King and Sarah 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 579 
 
 (Stafford) McMillin. Her ancestors were 
 also of Scotch-Irish descent. Her great- 
 grandfather, Hugh McMillin, emigrated 
 from Scotland to America and settled in 
 Raleigh, North Carolina, but afterward 
 moved to Spartansburg, South Carolina, 
 where the grandfather, Andrew McMillin, 
 was born. He had eight children, the oth- 
 ers being Andrew, Robert, Hugh, William, 
 Anna, Mary, and two daughters whose 
 names are unknown, and who married men 
 by the name of McClure. Near King's 
 Cove, Tazewell county, Virginia, Andrew 
 McMillin married Nancy King, a daughter 
 of James King, and one of a family of four 
 children, the others being Elijah, Isaac and 
 John. Her paternal grandfather emigrated 
 from England just before the Revolutionary 
 war and settled near King's* Cove. He is 
 supposed to have been killed by the Indians. 
 After his marriage Andrew McMillin located 
 on a farm near Pucklet river, in Spartans- 
 burg county, South Carolina, where he 
 lived for a number of years, but finally re- 
 turned to Virginia, and later moved to Clai- 
 borne county, Tennessee, locating at the 
 head of Oldtown creek, ten miles west of 
 Cumberland Gap. After a residence there 
 of seven or eight years, they returned to 
 Virginia, where the family continued to 
 make their home until 1830, but in the 
 meantime Andrew McMillin died in South 
 Carolina. In the fall of 1830 his widow 
 and children moved to Tippecanoe county, 
 Indiana, where, with a capital of only fifty 
 dollars, they assumed the trials of pioneer 
 life and the labors of clearing a farm in a 
 heavily timbered tract. This farm, consist- 
 ing of two hundred and eighty acres, is now 
 known as the Sayers place. There Mrs. 
 McMillin's death occurred. Her children 
 were Jane, who married John Montgomery, 
 
 and died near Sugar Grove, Tippecanoe 
 county; Martha, wife of Robert Sayers, of 
 Wheeler's Grove; Nancy Ann, who married 
 Richard Belcher, and died in Trenton, 
 Missouri; Robert, who died at Shawnee 
 Mound, Tippecanoe county, Indiana; Pinck- 
 ney, a Methodist Episcopal minister, who 
 went to California as a missionary in 1849, 
 and died there; Mary, who wedded Eli 
 Hicks, and died in Missouri; Elizabeth, who 
 married James Kirkpatrick, and died in 
 Iowa; and John King, father of Mrs. Me- 
 harry. 
 
 John King McMillin was born near King's 
 Cove, Tazewell county, Virginia, Septem- 
 ber 27, 1807, and early developed traits of 
 strong character that marked his after life. 
 He procured mainly by his own efforts an 
 education sufficient to enable him to teach 
 school. He subsequently purchased two 
 hundred acres of land one-half mile north 
 of Sugar Grove, Tippecanoe county. Indi- 
 ana, which became his permanent home 
 and the nucleus of an extensive tract of 
 two thousand acres. In early life he did a 
 large business in buying, feeding and hand- 
 ling stock, which he drove to Chicago, as 
 it was before railroads were established. 
 He was married, January 16, 1838, to 
 Sarah Ann Stafford, a native of Highland 
 county, Ohio, and a daughter of James and 
 Sarah (Micklef) Stafford. By this union 
 were born eight children: Nancy A., who 
 married John Lofland and died in Craw- 
 fordsville, Indiana; Susan M , who died at 
 the age of nineteen years; Mary Z. , who 
 died in childhood; Martha J., wife of our 
 subject; Sarah E., wife of Frank A. Insley, 
 of Portland, Oregon; William B. , a Metho- 
 dist Episcopal minister of Los Angeles, 
 California; John S., a resident of Roche 
 Harbor, Washington; and Adda E., wife of 
 
580 
 
 THE BIOGRAHHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Barney Simison, of LaFayette, Indiana. 
 The father of these children was a man of 
 splendid physique, being over six feet in 
 height. He was born under the institution 
 of slavery, but in early life learned to hate 
 it. In his business and church relations he 
 was a man of considerable prominence in 
 his county and state. Though averse to 
 public positions, he filled the office of com- 
 missioner of Tippecanoe county for two 
 terms, and his public service was marked 
 with the same integrity and honor which 
 distinguished his private life. In 1878, af- 
 ter his children were all grown and estab- 
 lished in homes of their own, he retired 
 from the farm to LaFayette, where for sev- 
 eral years he spent a quiet and peaceful 
 life. His wife died February 23. 1885, 
 while visiting her daughter, Mrs. Meharry, 
 and he afterwards found a welcome home 
 with hischildren. He, too, died at the home 
 of Mrs. Meharry, November 10, 1896, when 
 in his ninetieth year. In speaking of his life, 
 one who knew him well wrote: "John K. Mc- 
 Millin was one of the men of Tippecanoe 
 county whose lives have stamped for genera- 
 tions to come a strong approval upon indus- 
 try, honor, integrity, charity, parental affec- 
 tion, observance of moral and civil laws. 
 These men have left rich heritages to their 
 children. They were a noble class, and their 
 departure is an occasion for sadness and also 
 for inspiration." 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Meharry com- 
 menced housekeeping on his farm in a 
 modest little abode, sixteen by twenty-four 
 feet, and one and a half stories in height, 
 which stood on the east side of the creek, 
 near the northeast corner of section 5, Crit- 
 tenden township, where he owns six hundred 
 and forty acres. At that time his farm was 
 mostly under cultivation and leased to ten- 
 
 ants. In addition to this he owns one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres in this township. He 
 afterward enlarged and remodeled his resi- 
 dence, and it continued to be his home for a 
 number of years. There two chil- 
 dren were born to our subject and his wife, 
 but the older, a son, died in infancy. The 
 younger is Charles L., born March 1 1, 1885. 
 Since first locating upon his farm, Mr. 
 Meharry has given his personal attention to 
 his extensive farming interests. He made 
 stock rasing, feeding and dealing an important 
 part of his business until 1892, when he 
 leased his land and has since devoted his 
 time to looking after his property. For 
 several years he was interested to a consid- 
 erable extent in the breeding of thorough- 
 bred polled Angus cattle, commencing with 
 two imported animals, but when he discon- 
 tinued the business he had a fine herd of 
 about fifty. Besides his large farm in Crit- 
 tenden township he owns a section of land 
 in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, a portion 
 of the McMillin estate having added by 
 purchase the shares of several of the heirs to 
 that of Mrs. Meharry. In 1888 Mr. Me- 
 harry erected his present elegant residence 
 at a cost of twelve thousand dollars, being 
 one of the most expensive and best ap- 
 pointed among the many fine rural homes 
 of Champaign county. It is palatial in its 
 arrangements and furnishings, and possesses 
 all the conveniences and comforts of a mo- 
 dern city residence. It is pleasantly located 
 on a gentle eminence, surrounded by spa- 
 cious and well-kept lawns, and in its artistic 
 appointments indicates the culture and re- 
 finement of the inmates. Mr. Meharry 
 has certainly demonstrated beyond the pos- 
 sibility of a doubt that it is not necessary 
 to move to a city to enjoy a comfortable 
 and luxurious home, as well as the propriety 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 581 
 
 of receiving during life some of the benefits 
 which ought to accompany a competence. 
 In public affairs he has ever been inter- 
 ested in the advancement and improvement 
 of his locality. Although his time and at- 
 tention have been principally devoted to 
 agricultural pursuits, he has assisted in the 
 organization of some of the commercial en- 
 terprises of the locality. In 1896 he was 
 one of the founders and still owns a third 
 interest in the Mattoon Ice & Cold Storage 
 Company of Mattoon. To his own personal 
 efforts and influence the community is in- 
 debted for the establishment of the first 
 free rural delivery route in this coun- 
 ty. This he secured in the fall of 1899, 
 giving a free delivery to Crittenden town- 
 ship, which has no postoffice within its boun- 
 daries, and some of its citizens live seven 
 miles from the nearest postoffice. In pol- 
 itics Mr. Meharry is a zealous Republican 
 and earnest worker for the interests of his 
 party. He has served as a delegate to 
 various county, state and congressional 
 conventions, but has always declined 
 office. He takes an active interest in edu- 
 cational matters, however, and has served 
 on the school board during most of his res- 
 idence here. He and his wife are leading 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 of Tolono, in which he has served as 
 steward for many years. In the erection of 
 the new Methodist Episcopal church Mr. 
 Meharry took a prominent and active part. 
 
 A RTHUR BABB. Among the agricultur- 
 /i ists of this county who have attained 
 success from a financial point of view is the 
 gentleman whose name introduces this 
 sketch. He is one of the most progressive 
 
 and energetic farmers and stock raisers of 
 Condit township, his home being on section 
 12, and is a complete master of the calling 
 which he is following. His sterling integri- 
 ty and honorable, upright manhood, fully 
 entitle him to the position which he holds 
 in the estimation of the people of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 Mr. Babb was born June 3, 1862, in 
 Staffordshire, England, of- which shire his 
 parents, Charles and Eleanor (Bunting) 
 Babb, were also natives. After following 
 farming there for some years, the father, in 
 1870, emigrated to America with his family, 
 and on landing in this country came at once 
 to Champaign, Illinois, where he joined some 
 English friends. For some time he worked by 
 theday or month at anything he could find to 
 do, and then rented land in Rantoul town- 
 ship and turned his attention to agricultural 
 pursuits. Subsequently he bought eighty 
 acres in that township, to which he later add- 
 ed from time to time until he now owns 
 two hundred and eighty acres of well im- 
 proved land near the village of Rantoul, all 
 of which has been acquired through his own 
 well directed labors. He is one of the most 
 successful farmers, stock raisers and dealers 
 in this part of the county, and is widely and 
 favorably known. He lost his first wife in 
 in 1896, and he later married again. 
 
 Arthur Babb was quite small on the emi- 
 gration of the family to the United States, 
 and in this county he grew to manhood, his 
 education being obtained in its district 
 schools. He helped carry on the home farm 
 until twenty-three years of age, and thus ac- 
 quired an excellent knowledge of agricultural 
 pursuits. He was married in Rantoul town- 
 ship, August 27, 1885, to Miss Alice Mer- 
 chant, a daughter" of George and Martha 
 (Crane) Merchant. She was born in Fulton 
 
5 82 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 county, Illinois, but was principally reared 
 in Champaign county. Our subject and his 
 wife have two daughters, Jessie and Flor- 
 ence, who are students in the home school. 
 After his marriage, Mr. Babb rented a 
 farm of one hundred and twenty acres of 
 land in Rantoul township for one year, and 
 for the following five years operated a two- 
 hundred-acre farm in Condit township, which 
 he rented. During that period he bought 
 one hundred and sixty acres of land on sec- 
 tion 12, Condit township, upon which he 
 located in 1892 and which has since been 
 his home. He has made many improve- 
 ments upon the place in the way of buildings, 
 has set out an orchard, and tiled and fenced 
 the land, transforming it into a fine farm. 
 Besides his property he owns a well-im- 
 proved farm of one hundred and twenty 
 acres in Rantoul township. Though he 
 commenced life for himself in limited cir- 
 cumstances, he has by his own labor, 
 enterprise and good management acquired a 
 competence, and is now numbered among 
 the well-to-do men of his community. He 
 has been a member of the school board in 
 his district, but has never cared for political 
 honors, desiring rather to devote his entire 
 time and attention to his business interests. 
 In his political views he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. His estimable wife holds member- 
 ship in the Christian church. 
 
 JOSEPH H. RITTENHOUSE, a pro. 
 gressive agriculturist who, own and 
 operates a fine farm of one hundred and 
 eighty acres of land on section 7, Hensley 
 township, Champaign county, Illinois, was 
 born in Ross county, Ohio, April 30, 1844, 
 and is a son of John and Sarah J. (Veatch) 
 
 Rittenhouse, the former also a native of 
 Ohio, the latter of Maryland. His paternal 
 grandfather was a soldier of the war of 1812. 
 In early life the father learned the tanner's 
 trade which he followed for several years, 
 but later turned his attention to farming and 
 stock raising. While a resident of Ohio, 
 before the railroads were built, he used to 
 drive his stock to Wheeling, Baltimore, Cin- 
 cinnati, Louisville and other -markets. It 
 was in 1858 that he came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and purchased a farm in 
 Hensley township, upon which he spent the 
 remainder of his life. He always took an 
 active interest in politics, was a Henry Clay 
 Whig, and a strong opposer of slavery. On 
 the formation of the Republican party in 
 1856 he adopted its principles, and ever 
 afterwards supported its candidates. He 
 never aspired to office, his time being de- 
 voted to his farming operations and home 
 relations. He was an active member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church and Sunday 
 school; was a deacon and trustee for many 
 years; was a licensed exhorter, and a leader 
 in the Mt. Vernon church of Hensley town 
 ship for several years. He departed this life 
 December 25, 1873, aged sixty-three years, 
 his estimable wife passed away November, 
 1864, aged fifty-four years. She was a true 
 and faithful wife and mother, and an active 
 worker in both church and Sunday school. 
 To this worthy couple were born fifteen 
 children, of whom four died in early child- 
 hood, while the eleven who reached man and 
 womanhood were John F., Sarah J., 
 Hezekiah V., Lena, William, Edna, David, 
 Leathy A., Joseph H., J. S. and Charles E. 
 All of the daughters are now deceased; 
 Charles E. is a resident of Cambridge, Ohio; 
 William, of Bainbridge, Ohio; David, of 
 Champaign, Illinois; and J. S., of Peoria, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 583 
 
 this state. Five of the sons were numbered 
 among the boys in blue of the Civil war and 
 valiantly fought for the old flag and the 
 cause it represented. William and Hezekiah 
 V. enlisted in the Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer 
 Infantry, but after serving for a few months 
 William was discharged on account of dis- 
 ability, though he later enlisted in another 
 regiment and served for one year. Hezekiah 
 was in active service from 1862 un- 
 til hostilities ceased. He was under 
 the comnad of General Roseranz and 
 participated in the battle of Murfrees- 
 boro and several other engagements,' 
 but was never wounded or off duty for a 
 single day. Levi was a member of the 
 Tenth Kansas Regiment, which was assigned 
 to the Western Division of the army and 
 was stationed on the frontier. J. S. enlisted 
 in 1863, at the age of fifteen years, in the 
 Seventy-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, 
 which was later changed to the Mounted 
 Infantry. He was under the command of 
 General Burnside and saw some hard ser- 
 vice, taking part in the battles of Knoxville, 
 Cumberland Gap and others. Our subject 
 was also in the service, enlisting in 1862 
 in the Company H, Seventy-first Illinois 
 Infantry, and did garrison duty for three 
 months. 
 
 Joseph E. Rittenhouse was about four- 
 teen years of age when with his parents he 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois, and in 
 Hensley township he grew to manhood, 
 early acquiring an excellent knowledge of 
 agricultural pursuits and obtaining a good 
 practical education in the schools. After 
 laying aside his text books he worked for 
 his father until attaining his majority and 
 then started out in life for himself as a farm- 
 er. In 1872 he located on the farm which 
 has since been his home, and in its oper- 
 
 ation has met with marked success. It is 
 under a high state of cultivation and well 
 improved, in fact is one of the most 
 desirable farms of its size in the town- 
 ship. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Rittenhouse married Miss 
 Mary Richards, a daughter of John Wesley 
 and Drusilla (McCabe) Richards, natives of 
 Kentucky and Ohio respectively. The father 
 died in Sacramento, California, in. 1850, at 
 the age of forty years, and later the mother 
 married S. Osborne, of Mahomet, this 
 county. She died in 1874 at the age of 
 fifty-eight years. There were six children 
 born of the first marriage: George M., now 
 a printer of Warsaw, Missouri; David, who 
 was killed in the battle of Missionary Ridge 
 during the ivil war; Mary, wife of Cour sub- 
 ject; John Wesley, a resident of Cole Camp, 
 Bsnton county, Missouri; William, a printer 
 and farmer of Clark county, Illinois; and 
 Eliza M., deceased wife of Theodore Funk. 
 The family hold membership in the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church. 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Rittenhouse have been 
 born five children, namely: Arthur, at home 
 with his parents; Addie, wife of D. S. Her- 
 riott, a farmer of Condit township, this 
 county; John R., who married Ida Stoudt, 
 and is engaged in fanning in Mahomet town- 
 ship, this county; Levi W., who married 
 Mary Betz and lives on the homestead 
 with his parents; and Kate, wife of Charles 
 S. Herriott, a farmer of Hensley town- 
 ship. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Rittenhouse is a mem- 
 ber of Ephraim Scott Post, No. 464, G. A. 
 R. , of Mahomet. He takes an active and 
 commendable interest in public affairs, and 
 has most creditably and acceptably filled the 
 offices of school director for several terms 
 and assessor nine years. 
 
584 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 MYRON E. NELSON. Among the 
 progressive and enterprising farmers 
 and stock raisers of Condit township none 
 stand higher in public esteem than the gen- 
 tleman whose name heads this sketch. He 
 has been a resident of the county since 
 January, 1862, and now makes his home 
 on section 23, Condit township, where he 
 owns a good farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres. He also has another farm of eighty 
 acres on section 26, and an undivided inter- 
 est in two hundred and forty acres in the same 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Nelson is a native of Vermont, born 
 in Windham county, March 16, 1845, and 
 is a son of Myron E. Nelson, Sr. , who was 
 born in Franklin county, Massachusetts, in 
 1821. The grandfather, Obed Nelson, was 
 also born in the old Bay state, where the 
 family was founded at an early day in 
 the history of this country. The father of 
 our subject grew to manhood in Massa- 
 chusetts, and married Lucy E. Lynde, a 
 native of Vermont and a daughter of Squire 
 Lynde. After his marriage he engaged in 
 the hotel business in Vermont and Massa- 
 chusetts, and on coming west in 1852 
 opened a boarding house in Cook county, 
 Illinois, which he conducted in connection 
 with farming for six years. In 1862 he re- 
 moved to Champaign county and bought 
 one hundred and sixty acres of raw land on 
 section 26, Condit township, where he 
 opened up and improved a farm. There he 
 died in the winter of .1885, but his wife is 
 still living and now makes her home in 
 Champaign. 
 
 Our subject is the oldest in a family of 
 four sons, all of whom reached manhood, 
 while three still survive. He was reared in 
 Cook and Champaign county and given the 
 advantages of a common-school education. 
 
 He remained upon the home farm some two 
 or three years after attaining his majority, 
 and then purchased a farm of one hundred 
 and sixty acres in Condit township, upon 
 which he made some permanent improve- 
 ments and which he operated for five years. 
 On disposing of that place, he bought 
 another tract of one hundred and sixty 
 acres of new land, which he broke and im- 
 proved. He built a good house, which he 
 has since enlarged, has erected a barn and 
 other outbuildings, put up a wind pump and 
 stock scales, has tiled the land and planted 
 an orchard and forest trees, all of which 
 improvements add greatly to the value and 
 attractive appearance of the place. He 
 purchased eighty acres of land on section 
 26, Condit township, and also owns an in- 
 terest in the old home farm, which he 
 operates. To his own industry, enterprise 
 and perseverance may be attributed his suc- 
 cess in life, for he started out for himself 
 empty-handed, and unaided has overcome 
 the obstacles in his path until he is now 
 quite well-to-do. 
 
 On the I4th.of April, 1870, in this coun- 
 ty, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage with 
 Miss Amanda E. Hensley, a native of Ohio, 
 and a daughter of A. P. Hensley, one of 
 the first settlers of the county, who came 
 to this locality from Ohio by team. Here 
 Mrs. Nelson was reared. Our subject and 
 his wife have four children: Archie M., 
 who assists his father in carrying on the 
 home farm; Lucy E. , at home; Elmsr P., 
 who married 'Bessie Stanbus and lives in 
 Condit township; and William, at home. 
 
 Since casting his first presidential vote 
 for General U. S. Grant in 1868, Mr. Nel- 
 son has been an ardent Republican, and has 
 served as a delegate to numerous county 
 conventions of his party. He filled the of- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 585 
 
 fice of township assessor two terms; com- 
 missioner of highways two or three terms; 
 has been a member of the school board 
 twelve years, and is now township school 
 trustee. He has also served as collector, 
 and in 1896 was elected sjpervisor, to 
 which office he was re-elected. He was a 
 member of several important committees, 
 and chairman of the committee on swamp 
 lands. In the spring of 1900 he was ap- 
 pointed to fill an unexpired term in the 
 same position and is now a member of two 
 committees. In whatever position he has 
 served he has proved a faithful and efficient 
 officer, and his public and private life are 
 alike above reproach. 
 
 FREDERICK SPERLING, whose home 
 1 is on section 32, East Bend township, 
 Champaign county, Illinois, is one of the 
 highly respected and worthy citizens of his 
 community. Although born on the other 
 side of the Atlantic, he is thoroughly Amer- 
 ican in thought and feeling, and that he is 
 patriotic and sincere in his love for the stars 
 and stripes was manifest by his service in 
 the Union army during the Civil war. 
 
 A native of Germany, Mr. Sperling was 
 born in Prussia, September i, 1836, and there 
 spent the first thirteen years of his life, re- 
 ceiving good educational advantages in the 
 schools of that country. In 1850 his father, 
 Godfrey Sperling, with his family sailed 
 from Hamburg on the Elba, commanded by 
 Captain Hydeman, and after a stormy voy- 
 age of fifty-two days landed in New York, 
 in August of that year. They immediately 
 proceeded westward, going up the Hudson 
 river to Albany, by rail to Buffalo, and by 
 boat round the lakes to Sheboygan, Wis- 
 
 consin, where the family spent two years. 
 The father then purchased land near that 
 city, cleared away the timber and trans- 
 formed the wild land into a good farm. 
 
 In the public schools of Wisconsin our 
 subject obtained a good knowledge of the 
 English language, and he remained with his 
 father until grown. In April, 1861, at the 
 first call for troops, he enlisted for three 
 months in the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer 
 Infantry, but was n^ver called into active 
 service. The following June he re-enlisted 
 in Company A, Ninth Wisconsin Volunteer 
 Infantry, which' was assigned to the Army 
 of the Frontier, and sent to Leavenworth, 
 Kansas. His first engagement was at New- 
 tonia, which was followed by the battle of 
 Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and small engage- 
 ments at Little, Missouri, Boonsboro, 
 Prairie De Ann, Poison Springs, Camden, 
 and the battle on the Saline river, Arkansas. 
 They pursued the Quantrell band through 
 Missouri and Arkansas, and were in many 
 skirmishes. Although his clothes were 
 pierced by bullets in many places, Mr. 
 Sperling was never seriously wounded, and 
 lost no time from his regiment on account 
 of sickness. He was honorably discharged 
 at Milwaukee, in December, 1864, and re- 
 turned home. 
 
 Mr. Sperling was married, in Wisconsin, 
 in 1860, to Miss Anna Marie Miller, who was 
 also born in Germany, who was reared on 
 a farm in Wisconsin. The early home of 
 her family was near the River Rhine in 
 Hesse-Darmstadt. It was in 1848 that she 
 came to America with her father, Christ- 
 opher Miller, and settled on a farm in 
 Sheboygan county. Mr. and Mrs. Sperling 
 have six children living, namely; Dorothea, 
 wife of John A. Marriner of Chicago; J. C. 
 R. , who is married and also lives in Chicago; 
 
586 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Laura H., wife of James McGowan of South 
 Evanston, Illoinis, Minerva who died when a 
 young lady Edwin L. who is engaged in farm- 
 ing near Urbana, this county; Frederick W., 
 who went to Cuba as a soldier of the Span- 
 ish-American war, but is now at home; and 
 Marie, who is now with her brother in Chi- 
 cago attending school. 
 
 In the spring of 1865 Mr. Sperling and 
 his family removed to Bloomington, Mc- 
 Lean county, Illinois, where he worked in 
 a nursery and in George Burner's lumber 
 yard until the following December, when 
 he came to Champaign county. Here he 
 engaged in farming upon rented land for 
 several years. His first purchase consisted 
 of one hundred and sixty acres of raw land, 
 which he bought in partnership with his 
 brother, and in connection with its cultiva- 
 tion they also operated rented land and en- 
 gaged in the stock business quite extensively 
 for seven years, the partnership being dis- 
 solved at the end of that time. The prop- 
 erty was then divided and our subject took 
 the farm of one hundred and twenty acres 
 on section 32, East Bend township, where 
 he now resides. It was purchased from the 
 Illinois Central Railroad in 1869, and has 
 since been converted into a well-improved 
 and productive farm. 
 
 In his political affiliations Mr. Sperling 
 is a stanch Republican, and cast his first 
 presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 
 1860. He has ever taken an active interest 
 in educational affairs, and for eleven years 
 was a member of the school board and clerk 
 of the district. In 1888 he was elected 
 supervisor, and so acceptably did he fill that 
 office that he has been continuously re- 
 elected, and is the present incumbent, his 
 term not expiring for two years. He has 
 been a member of nearly every committee, 
 
 and has been chairman of some of the most 
 important, including those on education and 
 the poor house and farm. He has served 
 as a delegate to numerous county, con- 
 gressional and senatorial conventions. of his 
 party, and has discharged all his duties, both 
 public and private, in a most commendable 
 and satisfactory manner. He and his wife 
 attended the Evangelical Lutheran church 
 of Dewey, and he is a member of the Dewey 
 Post, No. 282, G. A. R. of that place, of 
 which he is now commander, having served 
 in that office for two years. He is also a 
 prominent member of Dewey Lodge, No. 
 994, I. O. O. F., of which he is past grand 
 and past representative, and is a member of 
 the Encampment at Fisher, No. 158. 
 
 WILLIAM COOK. Prominent among 
 the citizens of Champaign county 
 who have witnessed the marvelous develop- 
 ment of this state in the past sixty years, 
 and who have, by honest toil and industry, 
 succeeded in acquiring a competence and 
 are now able to spend the sunset of life in 
 quiet and retirement, is the gentleman 
 whose name introduces this sketch and 
 who now makes his home at No. 409 
 Springfield avenue, Champaign. 
 
 A native of Illinois, Mr. Cook was born 
 in Will county, December 14, 1835, and is 
 a son of Jesse and Nancy (Linebarger) 
 Cook, natives of Ohio and North Carolina, 
 respectively. The father was reared in 
 Ohio until twenty-one years of age, and 
 then removed to Park county, Indiana, 
 where he was married. In the midst of a 
 heavily timbered tract, he cleared and de- 
 veloped a farm, and made his home there 
 until about 1830, when in company with a 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 587 
 
 number of other families moved to what is 
 now Will county, Illinois, where he entered 
 land from the government, but after residing 
 there for a short time they were forced to 
 leave on account of Indian troubles, the 
 families being warned of their danger by a 
 friendly Indian. They all returned to In- 
 diana, but after peace was. restored they 
 again took up their residence in Will county, 
 where the father of our subject lived until 
 1840, when he sold his property there and 
 moved to Macoupin county, Illinois, becom- 
 ing a pioneer of that locality. He again 
 entered a tract of wild land and underwent 
 the trials and difficulties of frontier life. In 
 1870 he came to Champaign county and 
 purchased land in Tolono township, where 
 he engaged in farming for some time, but 
 finally sold his farm and retired from active 
 life, spending his last days with his children. 
 He died November, 1883, his wife March 8, 
 1885, honored and respected by all who 
 knew them. Both were active and faithful 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and in politics he was a Democrat. 
 
 To this worthy couple were born eight 
 children, namely: Mary A., who married 
 Greenup Kinder, of Macoupin county, and 
 both are now deceased. John, a retired 
 farmer of Tolono township, this county; 
 Andrew', who spent most of his life in 
 Macoupin county, but finally moved to Cass 
 county, Missouri, where he died in 1893; 
 Lavina, widow of Samuel Kinder, and a 
 resident of Montgomery county, Illinois; 
 William, our subject; George, a farmer of 
 Tolono township, this county; Elizabeth, de- 
 ceased wife of M. P. Bobo, of Jasper county, 
 Missouri, and Charles F. , a farmer of Mont- 
 gomery county, Illinois. In 1856 the father 
 and his son Andrew made an overland trip to 
 California in company with a number of 
 
 their friends, and engaged in mining near 
 Sacramento for about a year, returning 
 home by way of the Isthmus and Gulf of 
 Mexico. In 1854 they went again to the 
 Pacific slope, and this time were accom- 
 panied by the other members of the family, 
 the elder son remaining in Illinois. They 
 left their home in Macoupin county, Illi- 
 nois, on the 1 6th of March, that year, and 
 reached their destination four months later. 
 The parents conducted a boarding house, 
 while our subject and his brothers engaged 
 in mining, until December, 1857, when 
 they returned to this state by the water 
 route, our subject taking his first car ride 
 across the Isthmus. 
 
 William Cook was only five years old 
 when the family removed to Macoupin coun- 
 ty, Illinois, where he grew to manhood on the 
 farm, and from the time he was ten years 
 old followed the plow and bore his share in 
 the other farm work. His education Was 
 obtained in the primitive schools of the 
 time, which he attended only during the 
 winter months when he could be spared from 
 the farm work. On reaching his majority 
 he started out in life for himself by opera- 
 ting rented land on his own account. 
 
 On the 29th of March, 1860, Mr. Cook 
 was united was united in marriage with Miss 
 Elizabeth Bayless, who was born in Park 
 county, Indiana, April 30, 1843, a daugh- 
 ter of George P. and Amelia (Powers) Bay- 
 less, also natives of Indiana, where they 
 spent their entire lives. The father was 
 a farmer by occupation and a Democrat in 
 politics. He was quite a prominent and 
 influential man in his community, and was 
 honored with several local offices, including 
 that of assessor. He died September 28, 
 1858, and his wife passed away Jan- 
 uary 7, 1855. They had a family of six 
 
588 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 children: Elizabeth, wife of our subject; 
 Francis, a farmer of Pottawattamie county, 
 Iowa; Martha, who married William Mc- 
 Coskey, a farmer of Vigo county, Indiana, 
 and both are now deceased; Susanna, wife 
 of James Campbell, of Kentucky; John 
 Wesley, who has spent his entire life in 
 Park county, Indiana; and William Perry, 
 a resident of Cayuga, Indiana. Of the five 
 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Cook, three 
 died in infancy. Nettie is now the wife of 
 James W. Crow, a farmer of Colfax town- 
 ship, this county, and they have one child, 
 Hazel G. Luella A. is the wife of Eugene 
 Brownlee, a general merchant and postmas- 
 ter of Norwood, Mercer county, Illinois, 
 and they have two sons, Kenneth C. and 
 Clifton D. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Cook continued 
 to operate rented land for five years, and 
 then purchased property arid began life in a 
 modest way upon his own farm. Conclud- 
 ing to try his fortune in Kansas, he went to 
 that state in the spring of 1866 in company 
 with about six other families from the same 
 neighborhood, traveling by team the entire 
 distance, but the ravages of the war left 
 both Missouri and Kansas in a desolate con- 
 dition, and the inhabitants of the little vil- 
 lages along the way carried revolvers and all 
 presented so wild and lawless an appear- 
 ance that upon reaching Fort Scott Mr. 
 Cook said he would not live in such a coun- 
 try, and immediately started to retrace his 
 steps. He had two wagons and on the re- 
 turn trip was accompanied by his own 
 brother and his wife's brother. After an 
 absence of two months he again found him- 
 self in Macoupin county, Illinois, but too 
 late to plant crops that year. Taking a 
 train he came to Champaign county and 
 purchased eighty acres of land in Tolono 
 
 township for twenty-five dollars per acre, 
 and in November, 1866, took up his resi- 
 dence thereon. To the improvement an< 
 cultivation of that farm he devoted his en- 
 ergies for many years, and added to it, mak- 
 ing a fine farm of one hundred and twenty 
 acres. He finally sold his place in 1892 
 and moved to Pottawattamie county, Iowa, 
 where he bought a quarter-section of lane 
 and resided there for two years. Disposing 
 of this property at the end of that time, h( 
 returned to Illinois and purchased ninety 
 acres of land near Alexis, Mercer county, 
 but after living there for eight months he 
 concluded Champaign county was good 
 enough for him, and accordingly sold his 
 farm and returned to this region. He has 
 since made his home in Champaign, occu- 
 pying a pleasant residence at No. 409 West 
 Springfield avenue. He has laid aside al 
 business cares, but still owns a good fan 
 of ninety acres in Clinton county, Indians 
 In his farming operations he met with tl 
 success that usually followed the industrious 
 and enterprising man, and the prosperity 
 that has come to him is due entirely to his 
 own well-directed and energetic efforts. As 
 a Democrat he takes an active interest in 
 public affairs, and he merits and receives 
 the confidence and respect of the entire 
 community. His estimable wife is a mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 AUGUST SPERLING, one of the self- 
 made men of Champaign county, 
 
 whose early home was in the German father- 
 
 / J . . 
 
 land, commenced life without other capital 
 
 than his strong hands and resolute will, and 
 has attained a fine position, socially and 
 financially, among his fellow citizens. He 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 589 
 
 dates his residence in Champaign county 
 from the fall of 1865, and for the past ten 
 years has been successfully engaged in the 
 grain, coal and implement business in 
 Dewey. 
 
 Mr. Sperling was born near Werninge- 
 rode, Prussia, Germany, June 14, 1839, and 
 is a son of Godfrey and Christina (Bailer) 
 Sperling, also natives of Prussia, where the 
 father owned and operated flour and oil 
 mills for some years. In 1850 he brought 
 his family to the United States, and settled 
 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where he resided 
 for two years. He then located on a farm 
 near that city, where he reared his family, 
 and where his wife died July 3, 1869. He 
 spent his last days with his sons, August and 
 Frederick, in this county, and died at the 
 home of the former in 1888. Both were 
 laid to rest in Beekman cemetery. 
 
 Our subject began his education in the 
 schools of his native land, but his advan- 
 tages along that line were limited. His 
 knowledge of English was obtained in the 
 schools of Wisconsin. He remained at home 
 until reaching man's estate, aiding in clear- 
 ing and cultivating the farm. On the 22nd 
 of April, 1 86 1, at Sheboygan Falls, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Johanna Burk- 
 hardt, who was born in Wurtemburg, Ger- 
 many, and when a child of eleven years 
 came to the United States with her father, 
 Gottlieb Burkhardt, who settled in Sheboy- 
 gan county, Wisconsin. By this union has 
 been born the following children: Emma 
 Felthan, at home with her parents; J. A. F., 
 who assists his father in the grain business 
 in Dewey; Anna, wife of J. M. Jones, of 
 Dewey; Alvin H., a farmer of East Bend 
 township, this county; Godfrey, a civil en- 
 gineer, who is now assistant treasurer of the 
 Idaho, Pacific & Northern Railroad at Wei- 
 
 ser, Idaho; Hannah, wife of William Burk- 
 hardt, a farmer of this county. They have 
 lost four children: August and Alexander, 
 who both died at the age of one year; 
 Bertha, who died at the age of two years, 
 and one who died in infancy. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Sperling moved 
 to Winona, Minnesota, where he rented and 
 operated a flouring mill for a few months, 
 and then engaged in buying grain one year. 
 He then returned to Sheboygan county, 
 Wisconsin, and carried on the home farm 
 until the spring of 1865, when he came to 
 Champaign county, Illinois. The following 
 year he and his brother Frederick bought 
 two hundred and forty acres of raw prairie 
 land, and in connection with its cultivation 
 and improvement also operated rented land 
 and engaged in the stock business, feeding 
 and dealing in cattle at first, but later giv- 
 ing their attention principally to hogs. In 
 1872, at the end of seven years, the part- 
 nership was dissolved and the property di- 
 vided. Our subject located on the farm 
 where he still resides in 1871, and has since 
 made many improvements upon the place, 
 including the erection of good and substan- 
 tial buildings, and the planting of a fine 
 orchard, containing over one hundred and 
 sixty varieties of fruits. His place consists 
 of one hundred and seventy-seven acres of 
 land on section 20, East Bend township. 
 Since 1880 Mr. Sperling has been engaged 
 in the grain business in Dewey, and in 1882 
 built an elevator there. He also bought a 
 residence which he remodeled and improved, 
 making his home there for ten years, but in 
 the fall of 1899 he returned to the farm, 
 though he is still actively engaged in the 
 grain business at that place and owns busi- 
 ness property there. 
 
 Like his father, Mr. Sperling has also 
 
590 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 
 
 been identified with the Republican party, 
 casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, 
 and he takes quite an active part in local 
 politics. He served twelve consecutive 
 years as township treasurer, and has also 
 filled the offices of assessor and collector, 
 being first elected assessor in 1 877. He has 
 been a delegate to the county conventions 
 of his party, has served as notary public, 
 and is now justice of the peace of East 
 Bend township. His official duties are al- 
 ways promptly and faithfully discharged, 
 and his services has given the utmost satis- 
 faction. Both he and his wife were reared 
 in the Evangelical Lutheran church. He is 
 quite a prominent Mason, a member ot 
 Sangamon Lodge, F. & A. M., of Fisher, 
 Gibson Chapter, R. A. M. ; and the Com- 
 mandery, K. T. , of Paxton. He has 
 served three terms as master of his lodge 
 and has represented it in the grand lodge of 
 the state for several years. He also belongs 
 to Dewey Lodge, I. O. O. F., in which he 
 has passed through all the chairs, and is now 
 past grand, and is past chief patriarch in the 
 encampment at Fisher. His success in life 
 is due entirely to his own well-directed and 
 energetic efforts, and the prosperity that has 
 come to him is certainly well merited. 
 
 S WILLIAM POTTER, one of the most 
 popular and influential citizens of 
 Ayres township, Champaign county, Illinois, 
 who is successfully engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits on section 17, was born in Morgan 
 county, this state. His father, John Potter, 
 was a native of England, born in Oldham, 
 Lancastershire, March 27, 1832, and was a 
 son of Samuel Potter, who was in the em- 
 ploy of an English cotton manufacturer, and 
 
 prior to his removal to this country he 
 visited Mexico on business connected with 
 his manufactory. In 1848 he emigrated to 
 America and took up his residence in Morgan 
 county, Illinois, where he made a contract 
 to purchase land, but died before his funds 
 left in England arrived. Of his children 
 two married daughters remained in that 
 country. Those who came with him to 
 America were Joseph, and John, father of 
 our subject, while Ann and her husband, 
 James Wilson, one year later crossed the 
 Atlantic and brought Ralph and Elizabeth, 
 and also located in Morgan county, Illinois. 
 By a former marriage he had one son, 
 Samuel, who also remained in England. 
 
 After the death of their father, John 
 Potter and his brother started out in life on 
 their own account. The former was mar- 
 ried in Morgan county, October 28, 1858, 
 to Miss Rebecca Jane Gibson, who was born 
 in Guernsey county, Ohio, July 19, 1835, 
 and when a child came to Illinois with her 
 widowed mother. After his marriage, Mr. 
 Potter rented land in Morgan county, where 
 he made his home until 1877, when he 
 moved his family to Champaign county and 
 purchased the northeast quarter of section 
 23, Raymond township, it being a part of 
 the Broadlands tract then offered for sale. 
 He was not long permitted to enjoy his new 
 home, however, for he died three yearslater, 
 on the 2ist of July, 1880. He was a prom- 
 inent member of the Masonic fraternity, and 
 was laid to rest with the imposing ceremonies 
 of that order. His wife survived him about 
 five years anda half, dying January 29, 1886. 
 To this worthy couple were born eight chil- 
 dren, of whom S. William, our subject, is 
 the eldest. Hugh D., born October 18, 
 1860, is a retired farmer of Broadlands. 
 Joseph P., born September 5, 1862, married 
 
S. W. POTTER. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 593 
 
 Miss Louie Walker, and is engaged in farm- 
 ing in Ayres township. John S., born No- 
 vember 26, 1863, married Miss Lillie 
 Koontz, and is also farming in Ayres town- 
 ship. Margaret E., born November 21, 
 1865, is the wife of James Astell, of Ray- 
 mond township. Ira I., born April 8, 1868, 
 died August 16, 1869. Robert L. , born 
 Octobers, 1869, resides in Broadlands, and 
 is a salesman for fine horses. He married 
 Miss Mary Miller, daughter of Thomas Mil- 
 ler, of Ayres township. Hannah E., born 
 July 2, 1874, is the wife of Samuel E. 
 Shultz, a farmer of Ayres township. 
 
 S. William Potter was reared on the 
 home farm, early becoming familiar with all 
 the duties which fall to the lot of the agri- 
 culturist, and he obtained his education in 
 the common schools of the neighborhood 
 and the practical school of experience. He 
 had just attained his majority when his fa- 
 ther died, and being the eldest son the care 
 and responsibility of the head of a large 
 family devolved upon him. He kept the 
 children together until the youngest was of 
 age, and the boys worked together in har- 
 mony upon the farm, to which they added 
 another one hundred and sixty acres, mak- 
 ing three hundred and twenty acres in all. 
 As the children married and left home their 
 shares were purchased, and upon the mar- 
 riage of the youngest sister a final division 
 of the property was made, our subject re- 
 ceiving one hundred and sixty acres on sec- 
 tion 17, Ayres township as his share. He has 
 always given his attention to general farming 
 and stock raising and takesa pride in keeping 
 well bred stock, being a good judge and ad- 
 mirer of horses. 
 
 Since old enough to cast the first vote, 
 Mr. Potter has taken an active interest in 
 public affairs, is an earnest supporter of the 
 
 31 
 
 Republican party, and for its success he is 
 a zealous worker, having served on the 
 town and county central committees and as 
 a delegate to various conventions. When 
 but twenty-one years of age he was elected 
 a member of the school board, in which 
 capacity he served for eight years. His 
 next office was that of collector of his town- 
 ship, which he filled two terms, and was 
 the assessor of the township of Ayres for 
 the same length of time. In April, 1897, 
 he was elected supervisor of Ayres town- 
 ship, and served in that responsible position 
 for two terms with credit to himself and to 
 the satisfaction of his constituents. He 
 was a member of several important com- 
 mittees, including those of ways and means, 
 claims, and swamp lands. In 1893 he was 
 elected commissioner of the Little Vermil- 
 ion drainage district, in which capacity he 
 served six consecutive years. Fraternally 
 he is a member of Broadlands Lodge, No. 
 791, F. & A. M. ; Newman Chapter, No. 
 172, R. A. M., of Newman; and Melita 
 Commandery, No. 37, K. T. , of Tuscola, 
 and Broadlands Chapter, No. 416, O. E. S. 
 For the past seven years he has been an 
 active worker in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church and Sunday school, serving as stew- 
 ard and trustee of the church and superin- 
 tendent of the Sunday school. He has won 
 a high place in the regard and esteem of 
 his many friends and acquaintances for his 
 sterling qualities of head and heart, and he 
 has the confidence of all with whom he 
 comes in contact either in business or so- 
 cial life. 
 
 ABRAM D. CROSS, an honored and 
 highly esteemed citizen of Rantoul, 
 Illinois, is a worthy representative of an 
 
594 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 excellent Pennsylvania family of English de- 
 scent, and was himself born near Danville, 
 Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, in Novem- 
 ber, 1830. His parents were Joseph and 
 Mary A. (Davis) Cross, natives of England 
 and Wales, respectively, who during their 
 youth emigrated to this country and after 
 their marriage settled on a farm in Lycom- 
 ing county, Pennsylvania. The quiet of 
 their rural life was interrupted, however, by 
 the wars with Texas and Mexico, in which 
 the father took part as a Federal soldier, 
 and as he never returned home he is sup- 
 posed to have been killed in battle. His 
 widow was left with four children, two sons 
 and two daughters, of whom our subject was 
 the eldest. 
 
 Upon leaving his mother's home, Abram 
 D. Cross drifted to the city of Philadelphia, 
 where he learned the carpenter's trade, re- 
 maining there until coming west in 1856. 
 Soon after reaching Illinois he concluded 
 to take up his abode in Rantoul, where he 
 commenced business as a contractor and 
 builder. He afterward served as secretary 
 of the H. R. & E. Ry. and later as a pas- 
 senger conductor, and subsequently, in con- 
 nection with Harvey Bullock, distinguished 
 himself as one of the publishers of the Ran- 
 toul Press, with which he was connected 
 from 1874 to 1877, when he resumed rail- 
 roading as a conductor on the Nickle Plate 
 Road, running from Fort Wayne, Indiana, 
 to Bellevue, Ohio, and on the Cleveland & 
 Marietta Railroad from Cleveland to Valley 
 Junction. In June, 1885, he was appointed 
 postmaster of Rantoul, the duties of which 
 office he performed with credit to himself 
 and to the satisfaction of those recommend- 
 ing him. He has been a life-long Demo- 
 crat, and attends the Methodist church. 
 
 In November, 1851, Mr. Crosswas united 
 
 in marriage with Miss Martha Jacoby, of 
 Andalusia, Pennsylvania, a daughter of John 
 and Elizabeth Jacoby, of Bloomsburg, that 
 state. Eight children were born of this 
 union but only four are now living, of whom 
 George S. is tlje oldest. Lillian E. is now 
 the wife of O. L. Downey, of Chicago. 
 Frank Raymond, born in Rantoul, in 1870, 
 started the Rantoul News in 1889, but after- 
 ward sold out and went to Chicago, where 
 he attended the Northwestern University 
 for a time. Subsequently he conducted the 
 Daily and Weekly Tribune at Harvey, Illi- 
 nois, for some years, but in 1894 he re- 
 turned to Rantoul, and since April of that 
 year has published the Rantoul Press. He 
 was married September I, 1891, to Alice 
 Lenox, of Rantoul. Ruth D. , the youngest 
 of the family, is the wife of Joseph L. 
 Hamel, a stenographer of Chicago. 
 
 JULIUS CRANSTON. Prominent among 
 the representative citizens, and respect- 
 ed and influential menof East Bend township 
 is the subject of this biographical notice, 
 who owns and operates a well-improved and 
 valuable farm of one hundred and ninety 
 acres on section 6. The place is under a 
 high state of cultivation and shows con- 
 clusively that the owner has not mistaken 
 his calling in adopting agriculture. 
 
 Mr. Cranston was born in Champaign 
 county, Ohio, October 26, 1833, and is a 
 son of Stephen and Esther (Hammond) 
 Cranston, natives of Rhode Island and Con- 
 necticut, respectively. 
 
 Reared upon a farm, Mr. Cranston be- 
 gan his education in the common schools 
 of the neighborhood and later attended the 
 Mechanicsburg Academy. On coming to 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 595 
 
 Illinois in 1855, he worked on a farm in 
 Knox county for one season, and then found 
 employment in a brick yard at Clinton, De 
 Witt county. In 1857 he came to Cham- 
 paign county and bought land where he 
 now resides, which he at oqce commenced 
 to improve, erecting thereon a small house, 
 but after operating the farm for seven years 
 he sold out in 1868 and removed to Ford 
 county, buying a place one mile north of his 
 first farm. He made his home there for 
 eight years and then returned to Champaign 
 county, and purchased one hundred and 
 twenty acres on section 6, East Bend town- 
 ship, where he is now living. At that time 
 only forty acres had been broken and a 
 small house erected thereon. He has since 
 made many improvements upon the place, 
 and has added to it until he now has one 
 hundred and ninety acres, well tiled and 
 under a high state of cultivation. In con- 
 nection with general farming, he is engaged 
 in breeding and raising Galaway cattle, and 
 now has a fine herd of high grade thorough- 
 breds upon his place. 
 
 On the ist of May, 1859, in Woodford 
 county, Illinois, was celebrated the mar- 
 riage of Mr. Cranston and Miss Artemisia 
 R. Atwood, a native of Vermont, and a 
 daughter of Luke Atwood, who was also born 
 in the Green Mountain state, and in 1851 re- 
 moved to Ohio, and three years later to 
 Woodford county, Illinois. Our subject 
 and his wife were reared in the same neigh- 
 borhood in Ohio and educated in the 
 same school. They have a family of seven 
 children, namely: Leslie A., who is en- 
 gaged in the practice of law in Gibson, Illi- 
 nois; Clara, wife of Professor Stephen Wag- 
 goner, both of whom were teachers in the 
 Indian reservation, South Dakota, for five 
 years and now reside in Nebraska; Mary, 
 
 wife of Lincoln H. Green, a farmer of Oak- 
 wood, Illinois; Lucy, wife of W. G. Green, 
 a farmer living near Oakwood; Phoebe, who 
 died at the age of four years; Stephen C. , 
 who assists his father in carrying on the 
 farm; Grace A. and Artie F., both at home. 
 Mr. Cranston has been an ardent Re- 
 publican since the organization of that 
 party, having voted for John C. Fremont in 
 1856, and for all of its presidential candi- 
 dates since that time. He has been an ef- 
 ficient member of the school board for years, 
 has been a clerk of the district, was high- 
 way commissioner three years, and has also 
 filled the office of township collector. He 
 and his wife are members of the Methodist 
 Protestant church at Union, Ford county, 
 and are held in high regard by all who know 
 them, on account of their sterling worth 
 and many excellences of character. 
 
 A RCHIBALD B. CAMPBELL. One of 
 /\ the wide-awake young journalists of 
 Champaign county is Archibald B. Camp- 
 bell, editor and proprietor of the Tolono 
 Herald. He has manifested great interest 
 in the improvement and progress of this 
 town and the surrounding country, and is 
 personally very popular with everyone who 
 has the pleasure of his acquaintance. With- 
 in a few years he has risen to a position of 
 assured influence in the community, and his 
 future is one of great promise. 
 
 A native of Ayrshire, Scotland, he was 
 born on the 4th of August, 1870, his parents 
 being Archibald B. and Christina (Stewart) 
 Campbell, of the same locality. The father 
 died in Scotland in 1872, and about a year 
 afterward the mother came to America, set- 
 tling in Tolono, where she is yet making 
 
596 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 her home. Of her seven children Alexan- 
 der, the eldest, who was cashier of the To- 
 lono bank, died in 1888; Jennie, wife of G. 
 L. Baker, a music dealer of Champaign, has 
 three children; Mary married Robert Leslie, 
 agent of the Wabash Railroad at Tolono, 
 and has four children; John died in Scotland 
 when three years of age; William, who was 
 a clerk in the local railway offices, died in 
 1896; Peter S., foreman of the Urbana 
 Herald, is married and has two children; 
 and A. B. completes the family. 
 
 The education of Archibald B. Campbell 
 was gained in the common schools of Tolono, 
 supplemented by private study and system- 
 atic reading. For several years he was 
 employed in the railroad offices, but in 1891 
 he embarked in the newspaper business here, 
 by purchasing the Herald publishing plant. 
 He has added materially to the style and 
 quality of the paper, and from year to year 
 its circulation has increased in a measure 
 exceedingly gratifying to the young proprie- 
 tor, who spares no effort in rendering the 
 journal one of the brightest and newsiest 
 sheets published in the state. 
 
 In his political faith, Mr. Campbell is a 
 stalwart Republican. He was appointed 
 postmaster of Tolono in July, 1897, since 
 which date the service has been increased 
 and improved, much being due to his inde- 
 fatigable efforts. At one time he acted in 
 the capacity of town clerk for some two 
 years, amply proving his general ability and 
 wise judgment in public affairs. In fra- 
 ternal circles he is very popular, striving, 
 by all honorable means, to advance the wel- 
 fare of the several organizations with which 
 he is connected. He is now officiating as 
 junior warden of Tolono Lodge, No. 391 , F. 
 & A. M. ; director of Crown Lodge, No. 578, 
 Knights of Pythias; a manager of Central 
 
 Camp, No. 293, Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
 ica; and a trustee of White District Court of 
 Honor, No. 229. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Campbell and 
 Bertha Skinner, daughter of A. D. and 
 Sarah (Rich) Skinner, was solemnized Au- 
 gust 21, 1893. They have become the par- 
 ents of a little daughter, Florence, who is 
 the pride and sunshine of their pleasant 
 home. Mrs. Campbell is a native of this 
 county, where she was reared to womanhood 
 and educated. Like her husband, she is 
 very popular in social circles, yet finds her 
 chief joy in the quiet home where she pre- 
 sides with grace and gentle dignity. 
 
 CHARLES ALD, a representative farmer 
 and stock raiser of East Bend town- 
 ship, residing on section 4, is a native of Illi- 
 nois, his birth occurring in Woodford coun- 
 ty, February 18, 1844. His father, Henry 
 Aid, was born in Germany, and on his emi- 
 grating to the United States located first in 
 Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked at 
 the tanner's trade for a year or two. He 
 then removed to Illinois and was one of the 
 first settlers of Tazewell county, but after 
 two years spent there he took up his resi- 
 dence in Woodford county, where he passed 
 his remaining days. 
 
 In the county of his nativity Charles 
 Aid grew to manhood upon a farm. On the 
 22nd of August, 1862, at the age of eighteen 
 years, he enlisted in Company F, Seventy- 
 seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which 
 was assigned to the Thirteenth Corps, Army 
 of the Tennessee, and took part in the bat- 
 tles of Port Gibson, Champion Hills and 
 Black River, was in the siege of Vicksburg 
 until the surrender of that stronghold, in 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 597 
 
 the last battle of Jackson and the engage- 
 ment at Sabine Cross Roads. At the last 
 named place Mr. Aid was taken prisoner 
 and held for thirteen months at Tyler, 
 Texas. The war ended ere his release and 
 he was honorably discharged at Springfield, 
 Illinois, in July, 1865. 
 
 Returning to his home in Woodford 
 county, Mr. Aid operated rented land there 
 for several years, but in 1874 he removed 
 to Ford county, where he also engaged in 
 farming upon rented land for five years. In 
 1878 he purchased eighty acres of his pres- 
 ent farm on section 4, East Bend township, 
 Champaign county, to which he added an 
 adjoining forty acres in 1888. Upon this 
 place he has made his home since 1879, and 
 has devoted his energies to its improvement 
 and cultivation with most gratifying results. 
 The land is now thoroughly tiled and is sup- 
 plied with a good set of farm buildings. 
 Renting his place in 1893, Mr. Aid went to 
 Kansas and Iowa, but soon returned to this 
 state and resided in Gibson until the follow- 
 ing spring when he returned to his farm. 
 He ha*s made a specialty of breeding and 
 dealing in pure blood short horn cattle for 
 about twenty years, and he has twenty head 
 of fine stock, nearly all of which are pedi- 
 greed stock. The herd is headed by Water- 
 loo Lad, a fine animal weighing over two 
 thousand pounds. 
 
 In Woodford county, September 29, 
 1867, Mr. Aid was united in marriage with 
 Miss Martha Maria Arrowsmith, a daughter 
 of Thomas Arrowsmith, a native of England 
 and one of the early settlers of Woodford 
 county. She was born in New York, but 
 was reared in Woodford county, this state. 
 The only child born to our subject and his 
 wife died in infancy. They are members of 
 the Methodist Protestant church, and are 
 
 highly respected and esteemed in the com- 
 munity where they make their home. By 
 his ballot Mr. Aid supports the men and 
 measures of the Republican party, and cast 
 his first presidential vote for U. S. Grant. 
 He is a wide-awake, progressive man, whose 
 success in life is mainly due to his own in- 
 dustry, perseverance and excellent manage- 
 ment. 
 
 ED\VARD DONOGHUE, superintendent 
 of trains and tracks of the Illinois Cen- 
 tral Railroad Company, residing at Rantoul, 
 was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, 
 August 15, 1829, and is a son of Sylvester 
 and Catherine (Griffin) Donoghue, also 
 natives of the Emerald Isle. The father 
 was a prosperous farmer and land owner of 
 County Wicklow, who died at his birthplace 
 in 1877, at the age of seventy-seven years. 
 The mother died in 1879, at the age of 
 seventy-one. They had a family of eight 
 children, but only two are now living, the 
 other besides our subject being Michael, 
 who came to this country at an early day 
 and is now a prosperous farmer living a 
 short distance west of Springfield, Illinois. 
 Edward Donoghue continued to reside 
 in his native county until 1846, attending 
 school and working on his father's farm. It 
 was during that year that he emigrated to 
 the United States and located in Essex 
 county, New Jersey, where he was employed 
 on a farm until 1848. The following year 
 was spent in traveling through the western 
 and southern states, spending some time in 
 Texas and Mexico, and in the spring of 
 1849 he came to Springfield, Illinois, the 
 greater part of that year being devoted to 
 hunting as game was very plentiful in this 
 state at that time. He spent the winter of 
 
598 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri, but did not en- 
 gage in any regular employment there, and 
 the following year returned to Springfield, 
 where he worked on the construction of the 
 Chicago & Alton Railroad until March, 
 1852, when he moved to Cairo, this state, 
 and became connected with the construction 
 corps of the Illinois Central Railroad. In 
 the spring of 1864 he returned to Spring- 
 field, and for four years was engaged in 
 farming a few miles east of that city. At 
 the end of that time he again became con- 
 nected with the Illinois Central Railroad 
 Company on the Springfield division of that 
 road, and in 1880 removed to Centralia, 
 Marion county, to take charge of the road 
 department there. In the employ of the 
 same company he came to Rantoul in 1887, 
 and has since held the position of super- 
 intendent of trains and tracks. 
 
 On the Jth of April, 1856, Mr. Dono- 
 ghue was united in marriage with Miss An- 
 istasia Hogan, also a native of Ireland, who 
 on coming to this country located in Spring- 
 field, Illinois. To them have been born 
 twelve children, eight of whom are living, 
 namely: Catherine, born in Sangamon 
 county, 111., is the wife of Thomas Kenne- 
 dy, a prosperous blacksmith of Springfield: 
 Annie is the wife of Thomas Jackson, a 
 grocer of Rantoul; Ellen is the widow of 
 Harley Marsh, a conductor on the Illinois 
 Central Railroad; Mary, Alice and Anistasia 
 are all at home; Edward C. is an engineer on 
 the Illinois Central Railroad, and Sylvester 
 is a fireman on the same road. All were 
 born in Sangamon county, this state. 
 Thomas, Michael, Edward and Alice died 
 when quite young. The children have been 
 provided with the best possible advantages, 
 and the family is one in which the parents 
 may take a just pride. 
 
 For forty-two years Mr. Donoghue has 
 been in the employ of the Illinois Central 
 Railroad, and has the entire confidence and 
 respect of the company, and is also greatly 
 liked by the men under his jurisdiction. 
 Although now well advanced in years he is 
 well preserved and very active, and able to 
 give close attention to his various duties. In 
 politics he is a Democrat, but has never 
 sought nor desired public office, preferring 
 to devote his spare time to his home and 
 family, of which he is quite fond. He is a 
 member of the Catholic church of Rantoul. 
 
 A LEXANDER F. STAUBUS, a well- 
 /~\ known farmer residing on section 12, 
 Condit township, Champaign county, Illi- 
 nois, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, 
 May 10, 1834, and is a son of Christian and 
 Maria Elizabeth (Helker) Staubus, natives of 
 Wurtemburg, Germany, where they were 
 married and continued to reside until after 
 the birth of two of their children, the father 
 being engaged in farming. On their emigra- 
 tion to the new world ini8i3,they settled in 
 Augusta county, Virginia, where he followed 
 the same pursuits throughout the remainder 
 of his life. In their family were fourteen 
 children, nine sons and five daughters, all 
 of whom reached man and womanhood and 
 became heads of families. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of our subject 
 were passed upon the home farm in his na- 
 tive county, and there he was married, 
 December 25, 1856, to Miss Frances Miller, 
 who was also born, reared and educated 
 there. Her father, Daniel Miller, was born 
 in Virginia, of German parentage. Seven 
 children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Staubus, namely: Edward Lee is married 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 599 
 
 and engaged in business in Rochelle, Illinois; 
 Joseph A. follows farming in Lee county, 
 this state; Charles J. is at home; Minnie G. 
 is the wife of E. L. Titus, of Lee county; 
 Allie is the wife of Tomas Jervus, of Cham- 
 paign county; Bessie is the wife of Elmer 
 P. Nelson, of this county, and Luella K. 
 married J. T. Fletcher, and died leaving 
 one daughter, Bessie, who resides with our 
 subject, and one son, Delbert, who is with 
 his father. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Staubus rented 
 land and engaged in farming for some years 
 in the Shenandoah Valley. He entered the 
 Confederate army at the opening of the 
 Civil war, enlisting in 1861 in Company B, 
 Fifty-second Virginia Volunteer Infantry, 
 under the command of Generals Lee and 
 Stonewall Jackson. He participated in the 
 battles of McDowell, West Virginia; Win- 
 chester; and a continuous fight from Har- 
 pers Ferry to Cross Keys. He also took 
 part in the battle of Fort Republic and 
 Richmond and the seven days engagement 
 there against McClellan. He was in the 
 two battles of Menasas, and the battle of 
 Antietam, after which his command fell 
 back to the Rappahannock river. The fol- 
 lowing spring he took part in the battle of 
 Spottsylvania, driving out Hooker, and then 
 marched to the Shenandoah Valley and at- 
 tacked General Millroy at Winchester, driv- 
 ing him out. Later in July, Mr. Staubus 
 with his command participated in the bat- 
 tle of Gettysburg, and then fell back to the 
 Rapidan river. The following spring they 
 were attacked by General Grant, arid op- 
 posed him in his march to Richmond. They 
 took part in the battle of Cold Harbor, and 
 several other engagements between Rich- 
 mond and Petersburg, ending in the surrender 
 at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. 
 
 The war being over, Mr. Staubus re- 
 turned to his home in Augusta county, 
 Virginia, where he engaged in farming for a 
 couple of years. In 1867 he removed to 
 McLean county, Illinois, where he rented 
 land and followed farming for six years, and 
 at the end of that time came to Champaign 
 county, purchasing the farm of one hundred 
 and twenty acres on section 12, Condit 
 township, where he has since lived. When 
 he took -up his residence thereon it was 
 a wild, unbroken tract, but he has 
 transformed it into a highly cultivated and 
 well improved farm. The success that has 
 crowned his efforts in life has been obtained 
 by his own labor and the assistance of his 
 estimable wife. Both are faithful members 
 of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and 
 are held in high regard by all who know 
 them. In his political affiliations Mr. Stau- 
 bus is a sta.lwart Democrat, and cast his first 
 presidential vote for James Buchanan in 
 1856. He takes an active and commend- 
 able interest in educational affairs, and most 
 efficiently served as school director for 
 twelve years. 
 
 JOHN B. SAWYER. Among those ag- 
 riculturists of Champaign county whose 
 places manifest to the most casual observer 
 the energy and ability of their owner in his 
 chosen calling, is the subject of this personal 
 history. He makes his home on section 
 4, East Bend town, and is successfully en- ' 
 gaged in both general farming and stock 
 raising. 
 
 Mr. Sawyer was born near Olney. Rich- 
 land county, Illinois, January 2, 1851, and 
 is a son of Sassander Sawyer, who was born 
 and reared in Kentucky, and came to Illi- 
 nois when a young man, being one of the 
 
6oo 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 first settlers of Richland county, where he 
 spent the remainder of his life as a farmer, 
 dying there in 1873. His wife, who bore 
 the maiden name of Elizabeth Bullard, was 
 a native of Richland county and a daughter 
 of Bryant Bullard, one of the pioneers of 
 that county from one of the Carolinas. 
 
 On leaving home at the age of four- 
 teen years, John B. Sawyer went to Wood- 
 ford county, Illinois, where he worked by 
 the month on the farm for fifteen months. 
 In 1869 he went to Ford county where 
 he was similarly employed for two years, 
 and then engaged in farming for him- 
 self upon rented land in that county for 
 several years. On first coming to Cham- 
 paign county, in 1871, he rented land. 
 He was married in Richland county, De- 
 cember 24, 1874, to Miss Cornelia Knerr, 
 also a native of that county, and a daugh- 
 ter of Jacob Knerr, formerly from Penn- 
 sylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer began their 
 domestic life in Champaign county upon a 
 rented farm adjoining his present place, and 
 lived there for seven years. At the end of 
 that time he purchased one hundred and 
 sixty-six acres where he now makes his 
 home. At that time it was but slightly 
 improved, but to its further development 
 and cultivation he' has since devoted his 
 time and attention with most gratifying re- 
 sults, and now has a well improved and 
 valuable farm, on which is a pleasant resi- 
 dence and substantial outbuildings. He is 
 engaged in raising, feeding, and dealing in 
 cattle and hogs, and now ships annually 
 three car loads of cattle and two car loads 
 of hogs to the city market. Besides his 
 home farm he now owns a place of ninety- 
 five acres in East Bend township, Cham- 
 paign county, and another of forty acres 
 in Ford county, making in all over three 
 
 hundred acres, which has been acquired 
 through his own energy, perseverance and 
 good management, for he started out in life 
 for himself empty-handed, and has had to 
 make his own way in the world unaided by 
 capital or influential friends. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer have five children: 
 Pearl, who assists his father in carrying on 
 the farm; Ethel, a student in the Onarga 
 Seminary, Iroquois county; Lela, Lula and 
 Grace, all at home. The wife and mother 
 is a consistent member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Since casting his first 
 presidential ballot for General U. S. Grant, 
 in 1872, Mr. Sawyer has been identified 
 with the Republican party, and has taken a 
 commendable interest in public affairs. He 
 is the present efficient highway commis- 
 sioner of East Bend township, and has been 
 a member of the school board and clerk of 
 the district for several years, the duties of 
 which positions he has most capably and 
 satisfactorily performed. Fraternally he is 
 a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, the Code of Honor, and Elliott 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F., Elliott, Illinois, in 
 which he has filled all the offices and is now 
 past grand and district grand deputy. He 
 is also a member of the Encampment at 
 Gibson, of which he is senior warden, and 
 is a lieutenant of the Canton Uniformed 
 Rank. He is highly honored and es- 
 teemed in social as well as business circles, 
 and wherever known commands the confi- 
 dence and respect of all with whom he is 
 brought in contact. 
 
 CAPT. GEORGE W. B. SADORUS, an 
 honored citizen of the town of Sado'- 
 rus, is believed to be the oldest living na- 
 tive-born resident of Champaign county, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 60 1 
 
 and certain it is that his family was one of 
 the first to permanently locate in this sec- 
 tion of the state, and for three-quarters of a 
 century has been prominently identified 
 with the upbuilding and development of its 
 resources. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 Henry Sadorus, born in 1783, served in the 
 war of 1812, and in 1824 came to Cham- 
 paign county, where he was the second 
 white settler. He located in the southwest- 
 ern part of the county, which then included 
 land from which five counties were subse- 
 quently formed. Indians were numerous 
 and wild game abundant, and the pioneers 
 spent considerable time in trapping and 
 hunting. Sadorus Grove was named in 
 honor of Henry Sadorus, who continued to 
 dwell on the old homestead which he had 
 improved, until he had completed his earth- 
 ly career, his death taking place in 1878. 
 Of his four daughters and three sons only 
 two survive, a daughter whrse home is in 
 California, and Allen M., of Sadorus. The 
 latter has several children living in Califor- 
 nia, to which state he went in company 
 with his brother Henry, in 1849, making 
 the difficult and dangerous trip across the 
 plains, and, during his residence on the Pa- 
 cific slope he lost his wife by death. 
 
 William, the eldest son of Henry Sador- 
 us, Sr. , and father of the gentleman whose 
 name heads this sketch, was born in Penn- 
 sylvania, July 4, 1812. He was a lad of 
 about twelve years when he came to this 
 county, and with the exception of a few 
 years when he devoted a portion of his time 
 to milling and Merchandising, he was oc- 
 cupied in agriculture. The village of Sa- 
 dorus was built upon a part of his home- 
 stead, and no more public spirited citizen 
 ever dwelt here. He donated land to each 
 
 of the three churches, besides subscribing lib- 
 erally to them, and also gave lots for school 
 purposes. His influence and means assist- 
 ed many a local industry and improvement, 
 and when the Wabash Railway was built 
 through here he contributed land for the 
 yards and station. The high esteem in 
 which his business ability and judgment 
 were held was shown by the number of 
 township offices to which he was elected, 
 and faithfully did he discharge every trust re- 
 posed in him. He was a Democrat of the old 
 school, and religiously was a Baptist, an 
 earnest worker, holding different official 
 positions in the church. Prior to his death 
 he divided over a section of land among his 
 children, for whom he had previously made 
 good provision. Recognized as the oldest 
 living settler of the county, he was present- 
 ed with a gold-headed cane in 1890, and 
 this cane he left to his eldest son, George 
 W. , with the understanding that it is to de- 
 scend to the eldest son in each succeeding 
 generation. His long and honorable life 
 came to a quiet close, June 18, 1899. at his 
 old home in Sadorus, and, as he was a Ma- 
 son of good standing, his funeral was con- 
 ducted under the auspices of that order. 
 
 In his early manhood, William Sadorus 
 married Mary Moore, a native of Kentucky. 
 She came to Champaign county when young 
 and died when in her prime, in 1850. Seven 
 children were born to this worthy couple, 
 one dying in infancy. George W. B. and 
 Henry are farmers of Sadorus township, 
 and Samuel is a farmer in Nevada. Mar- 
 garet is the widow of O. C. McConney, 
 and lives in Sadorus. Sarilda J. mar- 
 ried Thomas Hixon, and lives on a farm in 
 Jasper county, Missouri, and Sarah S., wife 
 of Charles Mills, lives in Pana, Illinois. 
 The second wife of William Sadorus bore 
 
6O2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 ; 
 
 the name of Jincey A. Brumley. She was 
 born in Kentucky and resided in Urbana at 
 the time of their marriage. Two children 
 were born to them, but lived only a few 
 years, and the mother also soon passed 
 away. Later Mr. Sadorus married Charity 
 Hastings, a widow with three children, and 
 one daughter was born to this union, Ida, 
 who is living with her widowed mother on 
 the old homestead, west of this village. 
 
 The birth of George W. B. Sadorus took 
 place in the humble pioneer log cabin of 
 his parents, at Sadorus Grove, December 
 31, 1838. As is obvious, his educational 
 advantages were limited, though subsequent 
 observation and experience greatly widened 
 his fund of knowledge. In 1857 he left the 
 occupation of farming, to which he had 
 hitherto given his energy and time, and em- 
 barked in the mercantile business in Sadorus. 
 When the Civil war came on and patriots 
 laid aside personal ambitions, Mr. Sadorus 
 arranged his affairs, and in 1862 enlisted in 
 Company E, One Hundred and Twenty- 
 fifth Volunteer Infantry. From that time 
 until the dreadful conflict was at an end, 
 he stood faithfully at his post, nobly per- 
 forming his duties and winning the admira- 
 tion and commendation of his superior offi- 
 cers and comrades. When setting out for 
 the front he was fifth sergeant, but for 
 bravery and efficiency he was subsequently 
 promoted to a captaincy. Though he par- 
 ticipated in some of the hardest campaigns 
 of the war, and took an active part in about 
 twenty-five engagements, including Perrys- 
 ville, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Mission 
 Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw, Jones- 
 borough, Burnt Hickory, siege of Atlanta, 
 and went with Sherman on his march to the 
 sea, participating in the battles of Savanna, 
 Averysboro and Bentonville, he seemed to 
 
 lead a charmed life, as he was never severel 
 wounded. Twice he was struck with spent 
 balls, and at Kenesaw Mountain he saw a 
 comrade on each side of him fall, mortally 
 wounded. W 7 ith his regiment he was in the 
 grand review at Washington, and in that 
 city he was mustered out June 9, 1865, and 
 was honorably discharged at Chicago. The 
 sword which he carried through his entire 
 service is yet in his possession. 
 
 In 1866 Captain Sadorus married Phoebe 
 J. Brown, daughter of Richard and Rebecca 
 (Kress) Brown, and granddaughter of Ethan 
 Brown, who owned the land upon which 
 the city of Buffalo, New York, mow stands. 
 Richard Brown, who died in Indiana, in 
 1852, was a native of New York state, as 
 was his wife also. She removed to Cham- 
 paign county in 1857 with her daughters, 
 two of her sons having .come to this locality 
 in 1855, and made a home for them. Mrs. 
 Sadorus was born in Erie county, Ohio, in 
 1844, and has two sisters and one brother 
 living. 
 
 The union of the Captain and wife was 
 blessed with six children, one of whom died 
 in infancy. William Elmer, Frank A., 
 Warren and Mary E. are -at home. Enos 
 B., the second son, married Lillian Marsh, 
 and resides in this township. They had 
 two children, both of whom died in infancy. 
 
 When he returned from the south at the 
 close of the war, Captain Sadorus com- 
 menced farming on a small place of forty 
 acres, the nucleus of his present homestead, 
 which comprises one hundred and six acres 
 in the home place. He has placed all of 
 the numerous improvements here and keeps 
 his buildings, fences and trees in a neat and 
 thrifty condition. He has engaged in gen- 
 eral farming, and has met with success in all 
 his enterprises. In addition to his country 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 603 
 
 home, he owns a house and three acres of 
 land in Sadorus township, which place is 
 occupied by his married son. 
 
 For many years the Captain has taken 
 much pleasure in collecting curios and rel- 
 ics, and in his two large cabinets there may 
 be seen extremely interesting articles from 
 all portions of the world. One of His chief 
 treasures consists of a complete and authen- 
 tic history of the Civil war, detailing the 
 parts taken by both the Federal and Con- 
 federate armies. There are one hundred 
 and thirty volumes in this set, besides which 
 he is the fortunate possessor of a fine and 
 well selecte?! library, comprising works of 
 the leading standard authors. 
 
 With his wife and children the Captain 
 holds membership in the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church. * He has been honored with 
 nearly all the official positions in the congre- 
 gation, was class-leader and superintendent 
 of the Sunday-school for years, and has been 
 recognized as one of the most active work- 
 ers in the church for the past twenty-eight 
 years. In his home township he has served 
 as a school director for twelve years, and 
 for the same length of time has been a ditch 
 commissioner. Fraternally he is a member 
 of the Grand Army of the Republic, belong- 
 ing to Sadorus Post, No. 322. In politics 
 he is a stanch Republican. 
 
 PHILIP HUMMEL, JR. Among the 
 prominent and enterprising citizens of 
 the northern part of the county who are 'of 
 alien birth is this gentleman, who is now 
 living a retired life in Dewey. Like others 
 of his countrymen, he brought to the new 
 world the habits of economy and frugality 
 which are inherent characteristics of his 
 
 native land, and the exercise of which, ac- 
 companied by industry and good manage- 
 ment, has secured him a comfortable com- 
 petence that now enables him to lay aside- 
 all business cares. 
 
 Mr. Hummel was born in Hessen-Darm- 
 stadt, Germany, March 4, 1844, a son of 
 Philip and Elizabeth (Blase) Hummel, also 
 natives of the same place. The father, a 
 farmer by occupation, was born in June, 
 1815, and came to America in 1854, locat- 
 ing in Kane county, Illinois, where he 
 spent about six years. In 1861 he came 
 to Champaign county, where he had pre- 
 viously purchased one hundred and twenty 
 acres of and, and for a year or two he 
 lived upon rented land before locating upon 
 his own place. Subsequently he purchased 
 one hundred and sixty acres more, and 
 continued to engage in agricultural pur- 
 suits for some years, but now rents his land 
 and lives retired in Dewey, where he owns 
 two residences. Although eighty-five years 
 of age, he is still well preserved and quite 
 active for one of his years. He has been 
 married three times, the mother of our 
 subject having died in Germany. 
 
 Philip Hummel, Jr., was a lad of ten 
 years when he came to the new world, and 
 in Champaign county he grew to manhood. 
 He assisted his father in opening up the 
 farm, and attended the public schools to 
 some extent, but is mostly self-educated. 
 On the i 5th of August, 1862, he joined the 
 boys in blue of Company F, One Hundred, 
 and Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infan- 
 try, with which he served less than a year, 
 being then transferred to the Second Illi- 
 nois Battery, Army of the Tennessee. He 
 participated in the battles of Perryville, 
 Chickarnauga and Missionary Ridge, the 
 Atlanta campaign, and was with Sherman- 
 
604 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 on his famous march to the sea. He was 
 slightly wounded at Perryville, and still 
 carries a scar received in the defense of the 
 old flag and the cause it represented. He 
 took part in the last engagement of that 
 war, and with his command marched 
 through Richmond and on to Washington, 
 D. C., where he particpated in the grand 
 review. ' Near Buzzards Roost he was cap- 
 tured, but soon made his escape. He was 
 honorably discharged at Chicago in June, 
 1865, and returned home, remaining with 
 his father on the farm for about two years. 
 
 On the 25th of February, 1868, in East 
 Bend township, Mr. Hummel married Miss 
 Anna Lorenz, a native of Saxon Weirner, 
 Germany, and a daughter of Gottleib and 
 Dorothea (Rush) Lorenz, who brought their 
 family to America in 1853, and first located 
 at Covington, Kentucky, where they resided 
 for some years, but in 1867 came to Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois. Our subject and his 
 wife have one son, Louis, who is now en- 
 gaged in business in Dewey. Two other 
 children, Louisa and Elvira, were born .to 
 them, but both died in infancy. 
 
 After his marriage, Mr. Hummel located 
 on a farm. His first purchase consisted of 
 forty acres, to which he later added another 
 forty-acre tract of raw land, and engaged in 
 the cultivation of that farm for eight years, 
 when he sold and bought a Well-improved 
 farm of eighty acres elsewhere in East Bend 
 township, making it his home for seventeen 
 years, during which time he devoted con- 
 siderable attention to raising and feeding 
 stock. Renting his farm in 1895 ne re- 
 moved to Dewey, where he bought a lot and 
 erected a substantial residence where he 
 now makes his home, and also has a resi- 
 dence and three business lots in Dewey. He 
 has since purchased another forty-acre tract 
 
 near Dewey, but is now living retired, leav- 
 ing the operation of his land to others. 
 Since casting his first presidential vote for 
 General U. S. Grant'in 1868, he has been a 
 stanch supporter of the Republican party, 
 but has never cared for the honors or emolu- 
 ments of public office. ' He has been a mem- 
 ber of Dewey Post, G. A. R. , since its or- 
 ganization, and both he and his wife are 
 members of the German Lutheran church at 
 that place. 
 
 JAMES R. WILSON is now successfully 
 engaged in the stock business in Dewey, 
 but formerly was one of the most active and 
 progressive farmers of" East Bend township, 
 where he stiil owns a valuable farm of two 
 hundred and forty acres two miles from 
 the village. He is numbered among the 
 old settlers of the state, dating his residence 
 here from 1853, and has made his home in 
 Champaign county since 1870. 
 
 Mr. Wilson was born on the Ohio river, 
 near Evansville, Indiana, August 24, 1837, 
 and is a son of James Wilson, a native of 
 Virginia, who when a young man removed 
 to Indiana and there, in the midst of the 
 forest, cleared and opened up a farm. In 
 that state he married Susan Whiting, a na- 
 tive of Kentucky, and for a number of years 
 he continued to follow farming there. It 
 was in 1853 that he removed to Danvers 
 township, McLean county, Illinois, and 
 purchased a farm, which he operated several 
 years. His last days were spent in the vil- 
 lage of Danvers, where he died in 1866. 
 His wife had previously passed away, dying 
 in 1883. 
 
 Our subject came with his parents to this 
 state in 1853, and assisted his father in the 
 cultivation of the home farm until after the 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 605 
 
 Civil war broke out, his education being ob- 
 tained in the common schools of the neigh- 
 borhood. On the 22nd of August, 1862, he 
 enlisted in Company F, Eightieth Indiana 
 Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to 
 the Army of the Tennessee. His first en- 
 gagement was the battle of .Perryville, Ken- 
 tucky, which was followed by the battles of 
 Franklin, Nashville and Resaca, and the 
 Atlanta campaign, where he was shot 
 through the right thigh and permanently 
 disabled. For a time he was confined in 
 the hospitals at Cumberland and Nashville, 
 and was then sent to Louisville, Kentucky, 
 and later to the marine hospital in Evans- 
 ville, Indiana. On his recovery he rejoined 
 his regiment at Nashville, and took part in 
 the battle of Clifton, Tennessee, and assisted 
 in driving Hood from the state. The com- 
 mand then went to Cincinnati, from there 
 to Washington, D. C. , and. by sea to Ben- 
 tonville, North Carolina, where they par- 
 ticipated in the last battle of the war, John- 
 ston's army surrendering at that place. The 
 regiment then proceeded to Salisbury, 
 North Carolina, where they remained until 
 mustered out, being discharged at Indian- 
 apolis, Indiana, July 12, 1865. 
 
 For some time after his return home Mr. 
 Wilson worked by the month as a farm hand 
 or was employed in a sawmill and at any- 
 thing which he could find to do. In Mc- 
 Lean county he was married, December 30, 
 1869, to Miss Lucilla Franks, who was born, 
 reared and educated in that county. Her 
 father, James Franks, was a native of Fred- 
 ericksburg, Virginia. When a young man 
 he went to Kentucky, where he married Re- 
 becca Walton, a native of that state, and 
 about 1830 they came to Illinois. After 
 spending some years in Pekin, they removed 
 to McLean county, where Mr. Franks en- 
 
 gaged in farming, and where he died in 1872. 
 His wife survived him ten years, passing 
 away in 1882, and was laid by his side in 
 Stout Grove cemetery. Our subject and 
 his wife have one son, Charles S., who 
 served one year in the Second Illinois Vol- 
 unteer Infantry during the Spanish-Ameri- 
 can war, and now holds a business position 
 in Chicago. 
 
 In the spring of 1870 Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wilson took up their residence in East Bend 
 township, Champaign county, where he had 
 purchased eighty acres of land, on which 
 had been erected a small house. Prosperity 
 seemed to smile upon his efforts, and he was 
 able to purchase one hundred and sixty 
 acres adjoining, making a fine farm of two 
 hundred and forty acres, which he placed 
 under a high state of cultivation, and upon 
 which he made many useful and valuable 
 improvements. In 1890 he rented the place 
 and moved to Dewey, where he has erected 
 a large neat residence, one of the best in 
 the village, and has since engaged in buying 
 and shipping stock. Besides the property 
 already mentioned he now owns a well im- 
 proved farm of one hundred and sixty acres 
 in Lee county, Illinois. He has met with 
 marked success in his undertakings, being 
 one of the most energetic, enterprising and 
 progressive business men in the community, 
 and the prosperity that has come to him is 
 certain justly merited for it is due entirely 
 to his own unaided efforts and good man- 
 agement. 
 
 The" Republican party has always found 
 in Mr. Wilson a stanch supporter of its 
 principles since he cast his first vote for 
 Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He served as 
 commissioner of highways for fifteen con- 
 secutive years, and as a member of the 
 school board for some years, his services 
 
-6o6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 giving the utmost satisfaction. He is a 
 charter member of Dewey Post, G. A. R., 
 of which he is past commander; is a mem- 
 ber of the Blue Lodge, No. 801, F. &. A. 
 M., of Fisher; and Gibson Chapter, R. A. 
 M. ; the Odd Fellows Lodge of Dewey, in 
 which he has filled all the offices, and is now 
 past grand; and a member of the encamp- 
 ment of Rantoul. 
 
 LEWIS H. LOREXZ, a well-known 
 general merchant of Dewey, Champaign 
 county, Illinois, was born in Saxony, Ger- 
 many, November 11, 1847, a son of Gottlieb 
 and Dorothea (Rush) Lorenz, also natives 
 of Saxony. On the emigration of the family to 
 the new world in 1850, they located in Ken- 
 tucky, where they made their home for some 
 years, but in 1 866 carne to Champaign coun- 
 ty, Illinois, and the father purchased a farm 
 in East Bend township, where he spent the 
 remainder of his life, dying there July 10, 
 1897. The mother died in 1872. In their 
 family were the following children: Edward, 
 a resident of Covington, Kentucky; Ernest, 
 the present sheriff of Champaign county; 
 Annie, wife of Philip Hummel, Jr., of 
 Dewey, and Lewis, our subject. 
 
 The subject of this review was twenty 
 years of age when the family came to this 
 county, and for two years thereafter he aided 
 his father in the operation of the home farm. 
 He then rented land and engaged in farm- 
 ing on his own account for several years. 
 In August, 1872, he was married in this 
 county to Miss Matilda Heinmann, a native 
 of Indiana, and a daughter of John N. Hein- 
 mann, who was born in Germany and came 
 to America when a young man with Mr. 
 Lorenz' family. After spending some years 
 
 in Indiana, he removed to Mattoon, Illinois, 
 then to Ford county, and later carne to 
 Champaign county. He became one of the 
 prosperous and substantial farmers of East 
 Bend township, where he died in 1898. His 
 wife is still living, and now makes her home 
 with her daughter, Mrs. Lorenz. Our sub- 
 ject and his wife have three children living, 
 namely Lillian, wife of John Huffman, a 
 resident of Gilman, Illinois; Minnie, wife of 
 Harry Alexander and residents of Dewey, 
 and Rozella, who is attending the home 
 school. The daughters have all assisted 
 their father in the store. Three children of 
 the family died in childhood, two sons and 
 one daughter. 
 
 For two years after his marriage Mr. 
 Lorenz continued to operate rented land, 
 and then purchased "one hundred and sixty 
 acres of raw land, which he converted into 
 a good farm, giving his entire time and at- 
 tention to its improvement and cultivation 
 for several years. He next engaged in 
 the restaurant business In Elliott for nine 
 months, and later conducted a hotel in Pax- 
 ton for a year and a half, in January, 1881, 
 he came to Dewey, and was with his brother 
 until the following August, when he started 
 in business for himself in a small way. When 
 Mr. Lorenz first started in business his stock 
 of goods cost only seventeen dollars and 
 fifty-five cents, the bill for which he still 
 keeps as a souvenir. He has gradually in- 
 creased his stock to meet the -growing de- 
 mands of his trade, and now has a good 
 general store, supplied with everything 
 found in a first class establishment of the 
 kind. As a business, man he enjoys an en- 
 viable reputation for fair dealing, and to- 
 day enjoys the reward of his painstaking 
 and conscientious work. His success has 
 been worthily achieved, being due entirely to 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 607 
 
 his own industry, perseverance and sound 
 judgment in business affairs. He owns the 
 building in which he carries on business and 
 three good residences in the village. 
 
 Since casting his first presidential vote 
 for General U. S. Grant in 1872, Mr. 
 Lorenz has been a stalwart supporter of the 
 Republican party and its principles,, but has 
 never sought office preferring to devote his 
 entire time and attention to his business in- 
 terests. Religiously he and his estimable wife 
 are membersof theGermanLutheranchurch. 
 
 DAVID H. LESTER, or, as he is more 
 frequently called by relatives and old 
 friends, "Harvey" Lester, is an active, en- 
 terprising business man and agriculturist of 
 Champaign county. His record as a citizen 
 and neighbor and in all of the relations of 
 the domestic circle is beyond reproach, and 
 to his posterity he will leave what is better 
 than riches, an untarnished name. 
 
 He is one of the native sons of Indiana, 
 his birth having occurred in Switzerland 
 county, not far from the Ohio river, October 
 1 8, 1848. His father, David Lester, was 
 born in the same county twenty-one 
 years previously, and the grandfather, David 
 Lester, Sr. , was a native of New York, and 
 one of the sterling pioneers of the Hoosier 
 state. David Lester, Jr., upon reaching 
 maturity, married Eliza Gerard, daughter of 
 Squire Gerard, who had died when she was 
 young. Mr. Lester engaged in farming in 
 the county of his birth until death put an 
 end to his labors, in 1862, when he was in 
 his prime only thirty-five years old. His 
 widow subsequently became the wife of 
 Daniel Sullivan, since deceased, and she 
 now'makes her home in Champaign county. 
 
 David Harvey Lester, as he was the 
 
 eldest of his parent's children, was his moth- 
 er's mainstay after the father's death, and 
 he continued to manage the home farm in 
 Switzerland county until he was twenty 
 years of age. At that time he- came to Illi- 
 nois, joining his 'cousin, John B. Lester, 
 and for two years he worked for farmers in 
 this locality. Later he rented land for 
 about a year, and after his marriage he and 
 his wife went to Furnas county, Nebraska, 
 where they took up a homestead and made 
 some improvements. They stayed there 
 nearly three years and then sold out and re- 
 turned to Champaign county. Here Mr. 
 Lester rented land again until 1882, when 
 he bought forty acres of his present home- 
 stead in section 22, Newcomb township. 
 His wife afterward fell heir to thirty-two 
 acres of her father's property, which ad- 
 joined, and buying another small tract, our 
 subject extended the boundaries of his farm 
 to its present dimensions, eighty-eight acres. 
 He has expended a large amount of money in 
 improvements, and the attractive residence, 
 good barns, orchards, fences, ditches and 
 tiling speak eloquently of his enterprise 
 and thrift. In addition to raising a general 
 line of cereals, hay and other crops, he pays 
 considerable attention to the raising and 
 feeding of live stock. 
 
 For some years Mr. Lester served as 
 highway commissioner of his township, and 
 he also acted as constable for a like period. 
 The cause of education finds a sincere 
 friend in him, and for sixteen years he was 
 a member of the school board and at this 
 writing is president of that organization. 
 Politically, he is a stalwart Republican in 
 national issues, and never fails in deposit- 
 ing his ballot for his party's nominee. So- 
 cially, he is identified with the Fisher Lodge 
 of the Knights of Pythias. 
 
6o8 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 In this county Mr. Lester and Phoebe 
 Broderick were married, November 16, 
 1872. She was born in Newcomb township 
 on the farm next to the one on which she 
 now resides. Her father, William V. Brod- 
 erick, was born in the vicinity of Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio, May 10, 1815. He was only 
 fourteen years of age when he commenced 
 earning his own livelihood, and going to In- 
 diana, resided in Dearborn and Tippecanoe 
 counties until 1853, when he came to New- 
 comb township. He married Phceba Keel- 
 er, in Tippecanoe county, April 13, 1839, 
 and they became successful farmers of this 
 locality. He was called to his reward No- 
 vember 8, 1895, having survived his wife 
 forty years, as she had died January I 5, 1855. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Lester were born six chil- 
 dren, of whom five are living. Erne, the 
 eldest, married Hiram S. Wright, a farmer 
 of this township, and they have one son, 
 Harry Smith. Jesse is at home and aids in 
 the management of the farm. Bert, Orren 
 and Daisy are students in the neighboring 
 school. Willie died when eighteen months 
 old. Mr. and Mrs. Lester are members of 
 the Shiloh Methodist Episcopal church and 
 the latter is a member of the Women's Home 
 Missionary Society. They are liberal con- 
 tributors to all worthy enterprises, and many 
 a poor and needy one remembers them with 
 gratitude for kindnesses shown. 
 
 ISAAC N. PARKER, a thorough and sys- 
 tematic farmer and stock-raiser residing 
 on section 11, East Bend township, Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, was born fn Hardy 
 county, West Virginia, June 23, 1837, and 
 belongs to an old Virginian family of Eng- 
 lish origin. His father, Joseph Parker, was 
 
 a native of Jefferson county, West Vir- 
 ginia, and there wedded Mary Jenkins, a 
 native of the same state, and a daughter of 
 Benjamin Jenkins. Both died in Hardy 
 county, where the father was engaged in 
 farming for many years. In their family 
 were ten children, six sons and four daugh- 
 ters, of whom four are still living, namely: 
 Jane, wife of Washington Cook, of this 
 county; Joseph J., a resident of Fayette 
 county, Ohio; Eli, of Hardy county, West 
 Virginia; and Isaac N., of this review. 
 
 Our subject grew to manhood in his na- 
 tive state, and at the opening of the Civil 
 war was drafted in the Confederate army, 
 but his sympathies being with the north, he 
 enlisted August 4, 1862, in Company G, 
 Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which 
 was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. 
 His first engagement was at Richmond, 
 Kentucky, and was followed by the battles 
 of Jackson, Mississippi, Black River Bridge, 
 the siege of Vicksburg. the second battle of 
 Jackson, and the engagement at Guntown, 
 Mississippi, where he was taken prisoner, 
 being held in captivity at Cahaba, Alabama, 
 for nine months. After being exchanged at 
 Black River Bridge, he started for home on 
 the steamer Sultana, which was blown up 
 near Memphis, Tennessee, sixteen hundred 
 out of the twenty-three hundred on board 
 being lost. The others were all more or 
 less injured. Our subject was taken to 
 Memphis, where he was cared for a short 
 time, and was then sent up the river to 
 Cairo, and on to Camp Chase, Ohio, where 
 he was honorably discharged in May, 1865. 
 
 Mr. Parker then went to Clark county, 
 Ohio, where the family had removed during 
 the war, and where he engaged in farming 
 that summer. In the fall of 1865 he was 
 married in Madison county, Ohio, to Miss 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 609 
 
 Lucinda R. Stanley, a native of that county, 
 and a daughter of John Stanley, an old 
 settler from North Carolina. By this union 
 were born eight children who are still living: 
 Mary, now the wife of George Seward, of 
 Quincy, Illinois; Sarah, wife of Frank 
 Boley, of Jackson, Mississippi; Frances, 
 wife of Edward Wolever, a farmer of this 
 county; Lulu, wife of Samuel Braden, a 
 farmer of East Bend township; Charles 
 Edward, who holds a business position in 
 Elmwood, Illinois; John, who is employed 
 in Ouincy; Clarence Standley, who assists 
 his father on the farm; and Frank, a student 
 in the home school. Two children of this 
 family died in infancy, and Etta May at the 
 age of five months. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Parker engaged 
 in farming upon rented land in Clark coun- 
 tv, Ohio, for several years, and in 1870 
 came to Champaign county, Illinois, and 
 purchased forty acres oH land in East Bend 
 township, where he erected a small house, 
 making that his home for four or five years. 
 He then sold the place, and after renting 
 another farm for two years he moved to 
 the farm where he now resides, but did not 
 purchase the place for sometime afterward. 
 It consists of one hundred and sixty acres, 
 which is well tiled and under excellent cul- 
 tivation, while the improvements thereon 
 are good and substantial, including a com- 
 fortable residence erected by our subject. 
 
 By his ballot Mr. Parker supports the 
 men and measures of the Republican party, 
 and cast his first presidential vote for 
 Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has effi- 
 ciently served as a member of the school 
 board for a number of years, but has never 
 cared for political preferment, although he 
 always takes an active interest in every- 
 thing tending to promote the public welfare. 
 
 32 
 
 He is a member of Dewey Post, No. 282, 
 G. A. R. , and both he and his wife are con- 
 sistent and faithful members of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church at Harmony. 
 
 JOHN DAY has for thirty years been 
 prominently identified with the agri- 
 cultural interests of Champaign county, and 
 now owns and operates a fine farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres on section 14, East 
 Bend township. He was born on the 8th 
 of March, 1824, in New Jersey, of which 
 state his parents, Cornelius R. and Mary 
 (Weatherholt) Day, were also natives. 
 About 1828 the family removed to Ohio, 
 becoming pioneers of Franklin county, 
 where the father cleared and improved a 
 farm, making his home there until called to 
 his final rest. 
 
 Our subject is the oldest of a family of 
 seven children and the only survivor. Amid 
 pioneer scenes he grew to manhood upon a 
 farm, and at an early day commenced earn- 
 ing his own livelihood by making rails, 
 chopping wood and cradling grain. Being 
 very active and rugged, he could endure 
 much hard work, and became an expert in 
 wielding a scythe and cradle. While in his 
 prime he could easily cut and stack six acres 
 of heavy wheat or oats in a'day, and recalls 
 with pleasure those early days when the men 
 tried hard to follow him in the harvest field. 
 
 In the fall of 1862, Mr. Day was married 
 in Fairfield county, Ohio, to Miss Emma 
 Houck, who was born, reared and educated 
 near Lancaster, that county. By this union 
 were born four children, three sons and one 
 daughter, namely: Pearl W. is married and 
 engaged in farming in Lee county, Illinois; 
 Dwight follows the same occupation in 
 Kansas; Ella M. is the wife of C. J. Ricker, 
 
6io 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 of Urbana, this county; and Harry A., who 
 carries on the home farm, married Maggie 
 Kennelley of Rantoul, and they have one 
 daughter, Gladys M. 
 
 For about three years after his marriage 
 Mr. Day continued to make his home in 
 Ohio, engaged in farming and hauling wood, 
 but in the fall of 1865 came to Illinois, and 
 first located in Greenup, where he worked 
 at making rails, digging wells, or anything 
 by which he could earn an honest dollar. 
 He also engaged in farming to some extent. 
 In 1868 he removed to Woodford county, 
 where he followed farming for a year, and 
 then went to McLean county, where he was 
 similarly employed until coming to Cham- 
 paign county in 1870. He had previously 
 purchased his present farm of one hundred 
 and sixty acres on section 14, East Bend 
 township, upon which not a furrow had 
 been turned nor an improvement made. 
 The first year spent here he built a house 
 and broke seventy acres of his land, and has 
 since ditched and tiled the land, has built 
 fences, a barn and other outbuildings, has 
 planted an orchard, and made many other 
 improvements upon the place, which add to 
 its value and attractive appearance. Since 
 locating here he has met with fair success 
 and become quite well-to-do. 
 
 Mr. Day cast his first presidential ballot 
 for Martin Van Buren, the Democratic can- 
 didate, but at national elections he now 
 supports the Republican party, and in local 
 affairs votes for the men whom he believes 
 best qualified to fill the offices regardless of 
 party lines. His son Harry is a stanch 
 Republican. Our subject and his family 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and are highly respected and es- 
 teemed in the community where they have 
 so long made their home* 
 
 HENRY HUMMEL. Prominent among 
 the agriculturists of East Bend town- 
 ship, who have witnessed almost the entire 
 development of Champaign county, and who 
 have, by honest toil and industry, succeeded 
 in acquiring a competence, is the gentleman 
 whose name heads this sketch. He is one 
 of the most active and thrifty farmers of his 
 community, and now owns and occupies a 
 desirable farm of two hundred and forty 
 acres on section 28, East Bend township, 
 conveniently located within a mile and a 
 half of Dewey. 
 
 Mr. Hummel was born in Germany, Au- 
 gust 28, 1850, and was only about three 
 years of age when brought by his parents to 
 this country. His father is Philip Hummel, 
 Sr. , a retired farmer of Dewey, who is men- 
 tioned more fully in the sketch of Philip 
 Hummel, Jr., on another page of this vol- 
 ume. After living in Kane county, Illinois, 
 for about six years, the family came to 
 Champaign county, in 1861, and located in 
 East Bend township, where our subject 
 grew to manhood and attended the public 
 schools. 
 
 Mr. Hummal assisted his father in carry- 
 ing on the home farm until twenty-seven 
 years of age, when he was married, in Har- 
 wood township, this county, February 10, 
 1879, to Miss Mary Hannagan, who was 
 born in Grundy county, Illinois. Her fa- 
 ther, Felix Hannagan, a native of Ireland, 
 was one of the early settlers of Tazewell 
 county, and finally became a resident of 
 Champaign county. Mrs. Hummel, was 
 educated at the Normal in Bloomington, and 
 for ten years successfully engaged in teach- 
 ing school in this county. To our subject 
 and his wife have been born the following 
 children: Charles, Ella, Kate, Maggie, Al- 
 oysius and Jennie. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 611 
 
 Prior to his marriage. Mr. Hummel had 
 purchased a partially improved farm of 
 eighty acres in East Bend township upon 
 which he and his wife began their domestic 
 life, and he has since added to it until he now 
 has two hundred and forty acres of well im- 
 proved and valuable land, besides five acres 
 of timber. In connection with his farming 
 operations, he has owned and operated a 
 steam thresher and cornsheller in season for 
 the past twenty-four years. He is a wide- 
 awake, energetic business man, progressive 
 and methodical, and in all his undertakings 
 has been remarkably successful. He is a 
 stanch friend of the public schools, and has 
 most capably served as a member of the 
 school board in his district for a number of 
 years. In his political affiliations he is a 
 Republicnn, unwavering in his allegiance to 
 that party since casting his first presidential 
 vote for General U. S. Grant in 1872. 
 Mrs. Hummel is a member of the Catholic 
 church of Rantoul. 
 
 JOHN F. TROTTER is a thrifty and 
 progressive agriculturist, who is now 
 successfully operating the old Trotter home- 
 stead of two hundred and forty acres on 
 section 14, Newcomb township, Champaign 
 county, Illinois. He was born in Clinton 
 county, Indiana, April 7, 1852, a son of 
 Hiram and Lydia (Allemang) Trotter, who 
 were born, reared and married in Virginia. 
 On leaving their native state the parents re- 
 moved to Clinton county, Indiana, where 
 the father engaged in farming for a few 
 years, and then, in March, 1856, came to 
 Champaign county, Illinois, locating upon 
 the farm now occupied by our subject. At 
 that time the land was all wild, and to its 
 
 improvement and cultivation the father 
 gave his time and attention for a number of 
 years, but is now living retired in Fisher, at 
 the age of eighty-seven years, his birth oc- 
 curring in 1813. He was one of the active, 
 enterprising and successful farmers of the 
 county. His wife died on the old home- 
 stead in 1879, leaving nine children, four sons 
 and five daughters, who are still living. 
 
 John F. Trotter was a child of four 
 years when brought by his parents to this 
 county, and amid pioneer scenes he grew to 
 manhood, attending the common schools 
 and aiding in the arduous task of trans- 
 forming wild land into highly cultivated 
 fields. He was married in this county Jan- 
 uary 20, 1876, to Miss Eliza Jane Funston, 
 a native of Piatt county, Illinois. She re- 
 ceived a good practical education and suc- 
 cessfully engaged in teaching school prior 
 to her marriage. Her father, J. H. Funston, 
 was one of the early settlers of the county 
 from Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Trotter have a 
 family of four children, namely: Ira, who 
 assists his father in the operation of the 
 home farm; Maud, who has acquired a good 
 education in the local schools and now holds 
 a teacher's certificate; Grace, at home; and 
 Daisy, who is attending the district school. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Trotter located 
 on a farm of eighty acres which he owned 
 in Newcomb township, but after operating 
 it four years, he sold out and moved to 
 Nebraska in 1884, locating in Butler county, 
 where he bought and improved a farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres. After residing 
 there for a year, he sold his place and re- 
 turned to this county, taking up his abode 
 on the old homestead, which he has since 
 carried on with marked success, being ac- 
 counted one of the best and most success- 
 ful farmers in Newcomb township. 
 
6l2 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Politically Mr. Trotter was formerly 
 identified with the Democratic party, but 
 now votes independent of party lines, en- 
 deavoring to support the men best qualified 
 for the offices. He has served as township 
 clerk two or three years, and in 1895 was 
 elected collector, to which office he has 
 been three times re-elected, being the pres- 
 ent incumbent. He is a stanch friend of 
 education and public schools, and for some 
 years has been a member of the school board 
 and is now president of the same. His of- 
 ficial duties have always been most capably 
 and satisfactorily discharged. Socially he 
 is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge 
 of Fisher, and, together with his wife 
 and children, he holds membership in the 
 Methodist Episcopal church of Shiloh. For 
 almost forty-four years he has been a resi- 
 dent of Champaign county, and has wit- 
 nessed his wonderful growth and develop- 
 ment. He has seen the swamps drained 
 and transformed into fertile farms, has 
 seen cities and villages spring up, and 
 has seen the wolves, deer and other wild 
 game disappear. He is widely and favor- 
 ably known and has a host of warm friends 
 in the community where almost his entire 
 life has been passed. 
 
 WILLIAM H. COSNER. Indiana has 
 contributed a large quota of the stur- 
 dy, energetic agriculturists of this country, 
 and among them are to be found men of 
 sterling worth and integrity, who have con- 
 tributed much toward the development and 
 improvement of the locality in which they 
 settled. Prominent among these is Mr. 
 Cosner whose home is on section 18, East 
 Bend township, three and a half miles from 
 Fisher. 
 
 This honored pioneer was born in Monroe 
 county, Indiana, January 24, 1844, and is 
 a son of Jacob L. Cosner, who was born in 
 North Carolina, in 1822, and in 1831 re- 
 moved to Indiana with his father, Henry 
 Cosner, locating in Monroe county, where 
 the latter opened a shop and engaged in 
 blacksmithing. There the father of our 
 subject grew to manhood, and spent his 
 early life in making rails and working on a 
 farm. He married Lettie A. Jordan, 
 a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Will- 
 iam Jordan, who removed from that state 
 to Kentucky, and later to Indiana. In 
 1849 Mr. Cosner brought his family to Illi- 
 nois, and after spending one year in Cass 
 county came to Champaign county in the 
 fall of 1850. He purchased forty acres of 
 the farm where our subject now resides, 
 and later added to it until he had one hun- 
 dred and fifty-five acres, which he placed 
 under a high state of cultivation and im- 
 proved in an excellent manner. He was 
 one of the thrifty farmers of East Bend 
 township. Here he died February 21, 1896, 
 at the age of seventy-four years, honored 
 and respected by all who knew him. His 
 wife survives him and still resides on the old 
 homestead at the age of seventy -seven years. 
 
 The only son of this worthy couple is 
 William H. Cosner, our subject. He spent 
 his boyhood and youth in much the usual 
 manner of farmer boys, and received but 
 limited educational advantages, though he 
 later attended the Champaign Commercial 
 School, and through his own efforts has be- 
 come well informed. In early life he en- 
 gaged in teaching school for one term of 
 seven months. He never left the parental 
 roof, and on reaching manhood took charge 
 of the home farm, which he still operates. 
 He owns a farm of eighty acres in the same 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 613 
 
 township, and as an agriculturist he has 
 met with excellent success in his labors. 
 
 In Monroe county, Indiana, in the fall 
 of 1872, was celebrated the marriage of 
 Mr. Cosner and Miss Mary J. Gentry, who 
 was born, reared and educated in that 
 county, and is a daughter of James S. Gen- 
 try. By this union there is one child, 
 Eliza Myrtle, now a student in the home 
 school. Mr. Cosner, his wife and mother, 
 all hold membership in the Methodist Prot- 
 estant church, of East Bend township, and 
 the family is one of the most prominent 
 and highly respected in the community 
 where they reside. Our subject has been 
 a life-long Democrat, and has served one 
 term as assessor of his township; was a 
 member of the school board for several 
 years; and is now president of the district. 
 He' is one of the oldest members of the 
 Odd Fellows Lodge at Rantoul, with which 
 he became connected in 1870. He now 
 holds membership in Fisher Lodge, No. 
 704. He has filled all the chairs, and is 
 now past grand. During his residence here 
 he has seen the county transformed from 
 an almost unbroken wilderness into a 
 thickly populated district containing good 
 schools, fine churches and beautiful homes 
 and farms. Wolves, deer and other wild 
 game have disappeared, railroads have 
 been built, and towns and villages sprung 
 up. In the work of advancement Mr. 
 Cosner has always borne his part, and is 
 justly numbered among the honored and 
 valued citizens of his community. 
 
 JULIUS K. UNZICKER, a successful 
 and prosperous farmer residing on sec- 
 tion 13, Brown township, Champaign coun- 
 
 ty, where he owns a fine farm of two hun- 
 dred and seventy acres, pleasantly located 
 three miles north of Fisher, is a native of 
 Illinois, born in Tazewell county, July 18, 
 1864, and there grew to manhood, being 
 reared to agricultural pursuits and educated 
 in the district schools near his home. 
 
 Peter Unzicker, fatherof oursubject, was 
 born in Germany, and was a young man at 
 the time of his emigration to the new world. 
 He first located near Cincinnati, in Hamil- 
 ton county, Ohio, where he married Cath- 
 erine Kennel, who was also a German by 
 birth, but was reared in Ohio. After farm- 
 ing in that state for a few years, they came 
 to Illinois, in 1844, and settled in Tazewell 
 county, where the father opened up a farm 
 and engaged in agricultural pursuits until 
 his death, which occurred in 1890. His 
 wife died January 12, 1898. 
 
 The subject of this sketch remained with 
 his father until the latter's death and then 
 took charge of the home farm, which he 
 carried on until coming to Champaign coun- 
 ty, in 1893. Purchasing the place where 
 he now resides he has since devoted his 
 time and energies to its further improve- 
 ments and cultivation, and now has one of 
 the most desirable farms of its size in Brown 
 township, it being supplied with all the ac- 
 cessories and conveniences found upon a 
 model farm of the present day. 
 
 In Tazewell county, Mr. Unzicker was 
 married, in May, 1887, to Miss Mary H. 
 Oesch, who was born in Elm Grove town- 
 ship, that county, near Pekin. Her father, 
 Christian Oesch, was a native of Germany, 
 and an early settler of Tazewell county, 
 where he located when a young man, and 
 where he was married. He is now living in 
 Champaign county at the age of eighty-one 
 years. As a farmer he met with excellent 
 
614 
 
 THE BIOGRAHHICAL RECORD. 
 
 success, becoming quite well-to-do. To 
 our subject and wife have been born five 
 sons, namely: Otto, Walter and Arthur, 
 twins, Ezra and Roy. 
 
 By his ballot Mr. Unzicker has always 
 supported the Democratic party since cast- 
 ing his first presidential vote for Grover 
 Cleveland, but he has never sought nor de- 
 sired official honors. In religious belief 
 he and his wife are German Baptists, and 
 hold membership in the old Amish church in 
 East Bend township. They are widely and 
 favorably known and have made many warm 
 friends during their residence in this county. 
 
 G. STEVENSON. There is proba- 
 bly no man in East Bend township wider 
 or more favorably known than Mr. Steven- 
 son, who came to this county in pioneer 
 days, and is recognized as one of the impor- 
 tant factors in its progress and develop- 
 ment. Throughout his entire business ca- 
 reer he has engaged in agriculture pursuits, 
 and now owns a good farm of one hundred 
 acres on section 19, two and a half miles 
 from Fisher. 
 
 A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Steven- 
 son was born in Warren county, September 
 20, 1839, and is a son of Martin Stevenson, 
 who was born in the same county in 1812. His 
 paternal grandfather was Stephen Stevenson. 
 The father grew to manhood in his native 
 state, and then removed to Switzerland 
 county, Indiana, where he wedded Mary F. 
 Peabody, a native of that county, and a 
 daughter of S. G. Peabody, a soldier of the 
 war of 1812, who was born in Pennsylva- 
 nia, and was one of the early settlers of 
 Switzerland county, Indiana. Afler his 
 marriage the father of our subject spent a 
 
 few days in Pennsylvania, and then re- 
 turned to Indiana, where he followed farm- 
 ing and also operated a grist and saw-mill. 
 In the fall of 1850 he came to Champaign 
 county, Illinois, and entered eighty acres of 
 land in East Bend township, upon which 
 our subject now resides, and the patent for 
 which was signed by President Franklin 
 Pierce. Before locating upon his own land 
 he rented and operated a farm in Newcomb 
 township for three years, and then removed 
 to the farm which continued to be his home 
 until called from this life in 1886. His wife 
 survived him for a few years, passing away 
 in 1890. 
 
 Our, subject was a lad of eleven sum- 
 mers on the removal of the family to this 
 county, and in its common schools he com- 
 pleted his education. Prompted by a spir- 
 it of patriotism, he enlisted in July, 1862, 
 in Company F, One Hundred and 
 Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 under Captain Lester, and served with the 
 Army of the Cumberland, under the 
 command first of General Rosecranz and 
 later General Sherman. He participated 
 in the battle of Perry ville, Kentucky; 
 was next on patrol duty at Nashville, 
 and later was in the engagements at Chick- 
 amauga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mount- 
 ain, and the Atlanta campaign, during 
 which time he was under fire nearly every 
 day. After the surrender of Jonesboro, 
 the regiment went with Sherman on the 
 march to the sea, was in the battle of Ben- 
 tonville, and then marched through Rich- 
 mond and on to Washington, D. C., where 
 they participated in the grand review 
 at the close of the war. Later they were 
 mustered out and honorably discharged at 
 Chicago, in June, 1865. 
 
 Mr. Stevenson lost very little time from 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 615 
 
 sickness or other causes during his service. 
 After his return home he took charge of the 
 farm, and cared for his parents in their de- 
 clining years. In connection with the cul- 
 tivation of his land, he has owned and 
 operated a steam thresher, having been 
 engaged in that business for nearly twenty 
 years. 
 
 On the 26th of January, 1866, in East 
 Bend township, Mr. Stevenson was united 
 in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Tucker, 
 who was born in Ohio and came to this 
 county with her father, John Tucker, about 
 1856. By this union were born the follow- 
 ing children: Thomas Elmer, who died 
 April 23, 1899; Elizabeth, now the wife of 
 Fred Covert, of East Bend township; Addie, 
 Gertie, Iva, Myra, Frank and George, all 
 at home; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Stevenson has been identified with 
 the Republican party since casting his first 
 presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 
 1860. He is now acceptably serving his 
 second term as commissioner of highways, 
 and has been a member of the school board 
 for some years. Socially he is a member 
 of the Grand Army Post and the Odd Fel- 
 lows Society of Fisher, and both he and his 
 wife are earnest and faithful members of 
 the Methodist Protestant church. 
 
 /COLONEL SAMUEL T. BUSEY. It 
 ^-J is not an easy task to describe ade- 
 quately a man who has led an eminently 
 active and busy life and who has attained to 
 a position of high relative distinction in the 
 more important and exacting fields of human 
 endeavor. But biography finds its most 
 perfect justification, nevertheless, in the 
 tracing and recording of such a life history. 
 
 It is, then, with a full appreciation of all 
 that is demanded, and of the painstaking 
 scrutiny that must be accorded each state- 
 ment, and yet with a feeling of significant 
 satisfaction, that the writer essays the task 
 of touching briefly upon the details of such 
 a record as has been the voice of the char- 
 acter of the honored subject whose life now 
 comes under review. In the active affairs 
 of life he has achieved most honorable and 
 creditable success, yet has not labored alone 
 for individual prosperity for his efforts have 
 contributed to the general welfare along 
 many lines. 
 
 Colonel Samuel T. Busey was born in 
 Greencastle, Indiana, on the i6th of No- 
 vember, 1835, and is a son of Mathew 
 Wales and Elizabeth (Bush) Busey, natives 
 of Shelby county, Kentucky. The paternal 
 grandfather, Samuel Busey, was born in 
 Yadkin county, North Carolina, and was a 
 son of Mathew Busey, who was probably 
 born in Frederick county, Maryland. The 
 family is of English lineage, the original 
 American ancestors having located in Fred- 
 erick county, Maryland, about the middle 
 of the eighteenth century. Mathew Busey 
 removed to North Carolina where hebecame 
 associated with Daniel Boone, and married 
 a relative of the noted Kentucky explorer. 
 He accompanied Daniel Boone to the "dark 
 and bloody ground," was in the fort at 
 Boonesboro when it was besieged and was 
 a companion of Boone in many of his ad- 
 ventures. His son, Samuel Busey. was 
 captured by the Indians when a lad of twelve 
 years and was carried far to the northward, 
 but managing to make his escape from the 
 Red Men he found his way home, guided by 
 marks which he had apparently carelessly 
 made on the way north in the hope that 
 they might later prove of benefit to him. 
 
6i6 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Afterward the family removed to Shelby 
 county, Kentucky, where Mathew Busey 
 made his home until his death, becoming 
 the owner of a large farm there. 
 
 Mathew Wales Busey, the second son 
 of Samuel Wales, and the father of our sub- 
 ject, was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, 
 in 1798, and during his boyhood accompan- 
 ied his parents on their removal to Wash- 
 ington county, Indiana, where he married 
 Elizabeth Bush, also a native of Shelby 
 county. Soon afterward he removed to Put- 
 nam county, Indiana, where he was elected 
 colonel of the state militia, which position 
 he held until his removal to Illinois, when 
 he was again elected colonel in that state. 
 He was also chosen to represent his district 
 in the General Assembly, filling that im- 
 portant office from 1840 to 1842. He also 
 held several minor offices and was a recog- 
 nized leader in public thought and action. 
 For some years he made his home in Ur- 
 bana, where he was extensively engaged in 
 the manufacture of brick. His sons, Simeon 
 H. and John S., were also members of the 
 State Legislature. His death occurred in 
 December, 1852, and his wife, long surviv- 
 ing him, passed away in 1880, at the age of 
 eighty years. 
 
 Samuel T. Busey, their third son, was 
 reared on a farm amid the wild scenes of 
 frontier life and received his education in a 
 log school-house. In 1857 he began mer- 
 chandising in Urbana and for many years 
 was an active factor in the business life of 
 the city. In 1867, he and his brother, 
 Simeon H., opened a private bank, which 
 was conducted under the name of Busey 
 Brothers & Company Banking Company, 
 the Colonel giving to it his personal super- 
 vision and making it one of the most suc- 
 cessful and reliable institutions of the kind 
 
 in the county. He continued active con- 
 nection therewith until 1888, when with a 
 handsome capital he retired to enj oy a well- 
 earned rest from business cares. 
 
 A public-spirited and progressive citi- 
 zen, he has labored most earnestly and ef- 
 fectively for the welfare of the county, state 
 and nation. In 1 860 he was a Douglas Demo- 
 crat, but after the inauguration of the war 
 he became a strong supporter of the Lin- 
 coln administration, and in 1862 he disposed 
 of his business interests, entering the re- 
 cruiting service as second lieutenant of Com- 
 pany B, Seventy-sixth Illinois Infantry. He 
 was made captain on its organization at 
 Kankakee, August 7, 1862, was appointed 
 lieutenant-colonel on the I2th of August 
 and became colonel of the regiment in May, 
 
 1863. His command won distinction as be- 
 ing the best drilled regiment and best dis- 
 ciplined in the Army of Tennessee and was 
 so mentioned by the inspector-general. Aft- 
 er the siege of Vicksburg he refused the 
 promotion to the rank of brigadier-general, 
 and after the battle of Jackson he refused 
 the command of the district of Natchez, 
 Mississippi, preferring field service. He 
 joined the Army of the Gulf, January 5, 
 
 1864, marched to Pensacola, Florida, and 
 then proceeded north in March, 1865. At 
 the siege of Fort Blakely, Alabama, he was 
 wounded in the eye by the bursting of a 
 shell, while landing the regiment in an as- 
 sault on the fort. Three days later, on the 
 8th of April, single-handed, he engaged a 
 gun squad inside the works, killing the gun- 
 ner and dispersing the squad. He received 
 a severe wound in the left thigh in that en- 
 counter. On account of his meritorious 
 service he was brevetted on recommenda- 
 tion of his division commander, Major-Gen- 
 eral C. V. Andrews. W 7 ith a most honor- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 617 
 
 able war record Colonel Busey returned to 
 his home, having on many a field of battle 
 fought for the supremacy of the stars and 
 stripes and the cause they represented. 
 
 He has been very prominent m public 
 affairs, a recognized leader in thought and 
 action, and his name is deeply engraved on 
 the public records of the state. He was a 
 candidate for the Legislature on the Demo- 
 cratic ticket in 1866, and for trustee of the 
 Illinois University in 1888, but was defeated. 
 His popularity in his own city, however, 
 where he is best known, is most marked, and 
 his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth 
 and ability, have five times elected him 
 mayor of the city. During his service as 
 the chief executive of Urbana, the water 
 works system was established and the elec- 
 tric light system was put in. He gave to 
 both measures his hearty endorsement, in 
 fact has at all times supported every pro- 
 gressive measure having for its object the 
 welfare and improvement of the city. He 
 has been treasurer of the Democratic county 
 committee for a number of years, and has 
 taken a very active part in the work of the 
 organization, doing all in his power to secure 
 the adoption of the principles of Democracy. 
 He was elected to the fifty-second Congress, 
 wherein he served on the committees on 
 banking and currency and on the District of 
 Columbia. He was active in supporting 
 Crisp for speaker, and through his influence 
 in securing votes secured his election. He 
 was also instrumental in calling up a bill de- 
 manding air brakes and couplers on trains 
 and secured its passage. It was also through 
 his efforts that the Sibley bill was defeated 
 and that the amendment to the national 
 bank bill a very important measure, pro- 
 viding for an agent for banks that had been 
 in the hands of a receiver, was secured. 
 
 The agent is to close up the affairs of the 
 bank after the receiver has finished his work. 
 This greatly simplifies matters and makes 
 titles more secure in the sale of real estate, 
 as in the old way it required a majority of 
 the stockholders, while now the agent can 
 sell real estate, and bring the business of the 
 bank to a more speedy termination. In 
 1892 Colonel Busey was again the nominee 
 of his party, but was defeated, although he 
 ran fifteen hundred votes ahead of the rest 
 of his ticket. He is public-spirited in an 
 eminent degree; national progress and local 
 advancement are causes both dear to his 
 heart and his devotion to his country is 
 above question. 
 
 The Colonel is a valued member of Black 
 Eagle Post, of the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, was active in its organization and 
 was its first commander. He does all in his 
 power to advance the interests of the local 
 post, his opinions carry weight in its coun- 
 cils, and he has been chosen as its represent- 
 ative to the state encampments. He was 
 also at one time a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity and served as its secretary for 
 several years, but has not been connected 
 with the lodge since the war. His home 
 life is very pleasant, and he is a man of 
 strong domestic tastes. He wedded Miss 
 Mary E. Bowen, of Delphi, Indiana, a 
 daughter of Abner H. and Catherine Gay 
 (Trowen) Bowen. Her mother was born 
 in India, being a daughter of Rev. Trowen, 
 one of the first Presbyterian missionaries to 
 that land. He died in India and his widow 
 afterward returned to Virginia, where she 
 was arrested on account of teaching her 
 negro servant how to read. Her persecu- 
 tion led to her removal to Delphi, Indiana. 
 The marriage of Colonel and Mrs. Busey oc- 
 curred December 25, 1877, and has been 
 
6i8 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 blessed with three children Marietta, 
 Bertha and Charles B., all at home. His 
 wife and children attend the Presbyterian 
 church and the Colonel contributes liberal- 
 ly to its support. 
 
 With a capacity and experience which 
 would enable him to fulfil any trust to which 
 he might be chosen, he has never given 
 much time to office seeking but has been 
 content to do his duty where he could and 
 and leave the self-seeking to others. 
 Viewed in a personal light, he is a strong 
 man, of excellent judgment, fair in his 
 views, but strong in advancing ideas which 
 he believes to be right. His friends are 
 many, and on the list are numbered many 
 who are numbered among the representative 
 men of the state. His life has been manly, 
 his action sincere, his manner unaffected 
 and his example well worthy of emulation. 
 
 WILLIAM FRANKLIN BURRES, M. 
 D. The motto " merit always com- 
 mands its reward " is well exemplified in 
 the career of this gentleman. He early 
 learned that knowledge is the key with 
 which the poor boy can open the storehouse 
 of the world and cull its choicest fruits, and 
 the result is that he is now one of the most 
 successful physicians and surgeons of Urba- 
 na,with office at No. 217 West Main street. 
 The Doctor was born in Coles county, 
 Illinois, June 29, 1857, a son of George W. 
 and Amanda J. (Woods) Burres. The fa- 
 ther was born in Ohio and left an orphan 
 at an early age. In 1836, when about four 
 years old, he was brought to Coles county, 
 Illinois, becoming one of the pioneers of 
 that locality, where he subsequently engaged 
 in farming for many years. For a time he 
 
 carried the United States mail on horse- 
 back from Ashmore to Oakland, a distance 
 of twelve miles, and served as deputy sher- 
 iff and constable in Coles county for some 
 years. He and his wife are still living in 
 Texas county, Missouri, the former at the 
 age of sixty-four, the latter at the age of 
 sixty-three years. They are members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church and are 
 highly respected by all who know them. 
 Mrs. Burres was born in Stanton, Virginia, 
 and is a representative on her mother's side 
 of the Miller family, one of the old and 
 prominent families of that state. At the 
 age of six years she came with her parents 
 in a covered wagon from Green Brier coun- 
 ty, Virginia, to Edgar county, Illinois, 
 and located near Grandview. The Doc- 
 tor's parents were married March 11, 1856, 
 and to them were born nine children: 
 J. R., an attorney of Chicago; Ella, who 
 for the past sixteen years has engaged in 
 teaching school in Richland, Missouri; 
 Charles, who died at the age of thirty- 
 three years; John, who died at the age of 
 twenty-two; Ira, who is engaged in farm- 
 ing in Kansas; Viola, wife of Peter Jensen, 
 of Marissa, Illinois; Lewis, a resident of 
 New York; and Florence, also a teacher in 
 the schools of Richland, Missouri. Of the 
 nine children, eight have followed the teach- 
 er's profession. 
 
 Dr. Burres, the eldest of this family, 
 pursued his studies in the common schools 
 until thirteen ^years of age, and among his 
 early teachers he gratefully remembers W.C. 
 Kimball, now deceased, of Ashmore, Illi- 
 nois, and Dr. H. C. Hobart, now a practic- 
 ing physician of that place. Next to his 
 parents he feels more indebted to these two 
 gentlemen than to any one for many favors 
 and acts of kindness received at their hands. 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 619 
 
 At the age of thirteen he removed with his 
 parents to Douglas county, where he worked 
 on a farm for several years. Feeling the 
 need of a better education, he entered As- 
 bury (now DePauw) University, at Green- 
 castle, Indiana, in 1875, and being without 
 means worked his way through college. He 
 arrived at that place just after having a chill, 
 and the recollection of that with other 
 things which closely followed has left a very 
 vivid picture on his mind. One of these 
 was that he had only one dollar remaining 
 after paying his matriculation fee and tuition 
 and buying some books which were needed 
 to carry on his studies, but those were happy 
 days and the year soon passed, leaving him 
 much better physically and mentallynotwith- 
 standing the fact that while not engrossed in 
 study he was working for his board most of 
 the time. The following year he attended 
 the Wesleyan University of Illinois, at 
 Bloomington, where he paid his bills by 
 carrying coal for the Munselian Hall. He 
 then took the place oj his brother, J. R. , 
 upon the farm, and engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits through the summer and teaching 
 during that winter, that his brother might 
 attend the law department of the Illinois 
 \Yesleyan University. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Burres took up the study of 
 medicine in the office of Dr. Dunn, a 
 homeopathic physician of Bloomington, 
 with whom he remained three months, and 
 later was in the office of Dr. Wagner, of 
 Newman, Illinois. He then attended Rush 
 Medical College, of Chicago, for one term, 
 and at the end of that time passed the re- 
 quired examination before the board of 
 health and was licensed to practice, but the 
 following year he returned to college and 
 was graduated with the class of 1882. Lo- 
 cating at Sidney, Illinois, he was success- 
 
 fully engaged in practice at that place for 
 several years and served as local surgeon of 
 the Wabash Railroad for twelve years. In 
 the meantime he took a post-graduate 
 course at Rush Medical College in 1895, 
 and on the ist of May, 1899, went to Lon- 
 don, England, where he made a study of 
 hospital work, remaining there until the fol- 
 lowing fall. During this time he made 
 special study of children's diseases, receiv- 
 ing a certificate from the Children's Hos- 
 pital at that place. On his return to this 
 country he decided to sell his practice in 
 Sidney and come to Urbana, where he is 
 already meeting with well-deserved success, 
 his skill and ability being soon recognized. 
 While a resident of Sidney he was a mem- 
 ber of the Wabash Surgeons Association, 
 has also served as president of the Cham- 
 paign County Medical Society for one term, 
 and holds membership in London Medical 
 Graduates Polyclinic. 
 
 Dr. Burres was married November 23, 
 1882, to Miss Allie Coolley and they have 
 one child, Opal, now fourteen years of age. 
 Mrs. Burres is the eldest daughter of Rev. 
 C. P. Coolley and the granddaughter of 
 Rev. Jonathan Coolley, one of the pioneer 
 ministers of the Cumberland Presbyterian 
 church. Mrs. Burres was born at Newman, 
 Illinois, where she was married to the Doc- 
 tor on her twentieth birthday, November 23, 
 1882. In deference to the wishes of the 
 Doctor she has always maintained her re- 
 lation to the Presbyterian church, thus 
 cherishing the memory and ministerial work 
 of her ancestors who have been so devoted 
 to that denomination, her father having 
 been for some time the financial agent of 
 Lincoln University and at this time pastor 
 for the Presbyterian church of Virginia, Illi- 
 nois. 
 
62O 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 Politically Dr. Burres is identified with 
 the Republican party, and socially, affiliates 
 with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows, the Knights of Pythias, the Modern 
 Woodmen of America and the Court of 
 Honor, while religiously, he is a member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and his 
 wife of the Presbyterian. He is a pleasant, 
 genial gentleman, who is held in high re- 
 gard by all who know him, and has already 
 made many friends in Urbana. 
 
 /CHARLES M. BRIDGES. The fam- 
 V^ ilies from which our subject has des- 
 cended were prominent and honored ones of 
 Virginia, and his father, Dr. Vernon Brid- 
 ges, was a representative member of the 
 medical profession in'Mattoon, Illinois, for 
 many years and his fame was not confined 
 to his own state or community. Born in 
 Virginia, he became a resident of Charles- 
 ton, Illinois, when about twenty years of 
 age', and having been graduated in Rush 
 Medical College, of Chicago, and in Bellevue 
 College, New York, embarked in practice. 
 At the first call for defenders of the Union, 
 in the Civil war, he promptly proffered his 
 services, and was connected with the Seven- 
 ty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dur- 
 ing the almost five years of his army 
 life, he made a splendid record, and 
 for some time was the assistant surgeon in 
 the brigade commanded by General Grant, 
 and continued to serve as surgeon during 
 the entire war. Subsequently he was ap- 
 pointed to act as a member of the local 
 pension board, and continued to serve there- 
 on until his death. In the meantime, Presi- 
 dent Cleveland had appointed another man 
 to the place, but as the remaining members 
 
 of the board refused to act with the new- 
 comer, Dr. Bridges was reinstated. This 
 action faintly indicates the popularity of the 
 Doctor, and the high regard in which his 
 opinions were held by his colleagues. He 
 was a great student, and contributed nu- 
 merous notable articles on timely subjects re- 
 lating to his profession, to medical journals 
 of high rank, and upon several occasions 
 he gave lectures before the various medical 
 societies with which he was connected. 
 Politically, he was an ardent Republican, 
 and at one time his friends brought forward 
 his name as a candidate for the Legislature, 
 but his own party being in a minority he 
 was defeated. Fraternally, he was a Mason. 
 He was a man of fine constitution and hard- 
 ly knew what illness meant for himself un- 
 til he was stricken with pneumonia in 1895, 
 and died in the sixty-ninth year of his age. 
 His loss is deeply felt in the community 
 where he so long made his home, and where 
 his influence was always exercised for truth 
 and right. 
 
 The first marriage of Dr. Vernon Bridges 
 was to Mary E. Boyd, who, with her par- 
 ents, John A. and Rebecca Boyd, were 
 natives of Kentucky. The father lived to the 
 advanced age of ninety years and the mother 
 was seventy-six years old when called to 
 her reward. They were loyal members of 
 the Presbyterian church. Dr. Bridges and 
 wife identified themselves with the Christian 
 church, and continued active workers for 
 Christian unity and primitive Christianity as 
 long as they lived. Mrs. Bridges was sum- 
 moned to her reward when she was in her 
 fifty-seventh year. Subsequently the Doctor 
 married Miss Jennie Cushman, of Mattoon, 
 who survives him, and with their thirteen- 
 years-old daughter, Marion, is still making 
 her home in Mattoon. Of the four children 
 
THE BIOGRAHPICAL RECORD. 
 
 621 
 
 born to Dr. Bridges and his first wife, the 
 eldest, Emma, who was a successful music 
 teacher, died at the age of twenty-one years, 
 and the youngest, Edward, passed to the 
 better land when he was seven years of age. 
 Flora, who was graduated in the Mattoon 
 high school, and in Oberlin (Ohio) College, 
 received such high honors in the last-named 
 institution that she was awarded a scholar- 
 ship prize, consisting of a two-years course 
 in a German university. Upon her return 
 she accepted the chair of Greek in Mt. 
 Holyoke Seminary, and later occupied the 
 same chair in Butler University, near In- 
 dianapois. At present she is teaching both 
 Latin and Greek in the Mount Olivet (Michi- 
 gan) schools, and is steadily progressing in 
 her chosen avocation. 
 
 Charles M. Bridges was born in Coles 
 county, Illinois, July 12, 1861, and was a 
 pupil in the public schools of Mattoon, and 
 later of Lee's Academy, near his home town. 
 After spending four terms in the academy, 
 he went to the Illinois State University for 
 a year. Having been called home by the 
 illness and death of his mother, he then de- 
 cided to commence earning his own liveli- 
 hood entirely, and to that end accepted the 
 first opportunity which presented itself 
 this proving to be a clerkship in the Mattoon 
 general store. About a year later he went 
 to Caldwell, Kansas, where he was similarly 
 employed for two years more. Acting upon 
 his father's suggestion he returned home in 
 1884 and entered the competitive examina- 
 tions for a lieutenancy in the regular -army. 
 The result was highly creditable to him, on 
 the whole, but his average was materially 
 lowered on account of the questions in 
 astronomy, which branch of learning he had 
 never studied. 
 
 About this time he obtained his initial 
 
 experience in railroading as fireman in the 
 employ of the Iron Mountain & Southern 
 Railroad, but had made only four trips when 
 by the carelessness of another man the end 
 of his thumb was smashed. He then ob- 
 tained a position as a teacher in Little Rock, 
 and successfully conducted a school for four 
 terms. Finally he returned to Mattoon and 
 obtained a situation as voucher clerk for 
 the St. Louis division of the Big Four Rail- 
 road, with which corporation he has since 
 been connected. In 1885 he was sent to 
 Urbana as assistant clerk in the motive 
 power department, and in 1886 was chief 
 clerk; in 1898 was made round-house fore- 
 man, and in 1899 was made general fore- 
 man, and is still serving in that capacity, 
 one of the most reliable and trusted em- 
 ployees of the company. He now has the 
 general supervision of the locomotive de- 
 partment of the Big Four shops. When a 
 resident of Mattoon he was a member of 
 the Sons of Veterans, and during the 
 Spanish- American war he assisted in raising 
 a company in Urbana. The quota of Illi- 
 nois being filled, they were not called upon, 
 but retained the organization for some time 
 in order to respond to an emergency call, 
 should any come. During the great strike 
 at Pana Mr. Bridges and his comrades as- 
 sembled and made preparations to do their 
 duty as soldiers, but, fortunately, the matter 
 was adjusted without bloodshed. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Bridges and Miss 
 E. M- Gray occurred April 14, 1884. She 
 is one of the five children of George and 
 Rosa Gray, the former a native of Durham, 
 England, and the latter of Illinois. Robert, 
 her eldest brother, is foreman in the boiler 
 shops of the Union Pacific Railroad Com- 
 pany at Trinidad, Colorado. John, the 
 next in order of birth, is taking a post- 
 
622 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 graduate course in the University of Illinois, 
 and at the same time is serving on the re- 
 portorial staff of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, 
 Times-Herald, and the St. Louis Globe. 
 Albert, who resides with his parents in Ur- 
 bana, is a member of the high-school class 
 of 1900, and is the president of his literary 
 society. 
 
 Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Bridges are 
 members of the Christian church, and are 
 deeply interested in whatever makes for the 
 uplifting of humanity. He is connected 
 with the Knights of Pythias, and uses his 
 franchise in favor of the nominees of the 
 Republican party. 
 
 WILLIAM SIM, deceased, was one of 
 the founders and foremost citizens 
 of Urbana, and to his posterity he has left 
 an unblemished name and record, of which 
 they may justly be proud. Though he was 
 actively engaged in business here, from the 
 time when the now flourishing city was a 
 mere hamlet until he was called to the si- 
 lent land, a few years ago, he maintained a 
 high standard of rectitude in all his deal- 
 ings and won the admiration and genuine 
 esteem of all who knew him. 
 
 The Sim family, which had the blood of 
 the Bruces flowing in their veins, espoused 
 the Stuart cause in their native Scotland, 
 and when they were defeated and their 
 large estates confiscated, three Sim broth- 
 ers cast in their lot with the American col- 
 onies. Colonel Joseph Sim, one of them, 
 fought with Generals LaFayette and Green, 
 in the Revolutionary war, and subsequent- 
 ly settled in Frederick county, Maryland. 
 Anthony, son of Colonel Joseph Sim, also 
 made a permanent location in Frederick 
 
 county, and at his death he left two sons, 
 Joseph W. and Thomas. 
 
 The former, Joseph W. Sim, father of 
 our subject, was born and reared in Mary- 
 land, and there married a lady of that state, 
 Keturah Mercer, who was of French lineage. 
 They removed to the vicinity of Mt. Vernon, 
 Ohio, in the spring of 1831, and in the spring 
 of 1854 they came to Champaign county 
 and located upon the Isaac Downs farm, a 
 mile and a half from Urbana. Subsequent- 
 ly they removed to the village, where he 
 died at an advanced age. The wife and 
 mother was a devout member of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church. They were the par- 
 ents of eleven children, of whom ten grew 
 to maturity. One of the number was the 
 mother of John Nelson, once chief justice of 
 the supreme court of the United States, and 
 minister to France. The only survivor of 
 this large family is Keturah, wife of Will- 
 iam Hessler, of Chicago. 
 
 The birth of William Sirn occurred No- 
 vember 2, 1825, in Maryland and in his 
 youth he received a good education. After 
 completing his common school studies, he 
 commenced teaching, in order to obtain 
 the means to pay his way through Martins- 
 burg Academy. Later he attended the 
 Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, 
 Ohio. Subsequently he taught in the high 
 school at Fredericksburg, Ohio, and in 
 1853 he came to Urbana, where he had 
 charge of a school for three years. 
 
 At the end of that period Mr. Sim em- 
 barked in the drug business, in what has 
 been known for years as the Sim Drug Com- 
 pany, of Urbana. Until 1861 he was in 
 partnership with Dr. C. A. Hunt and M. 
 Lindley, and later he was associated with 
 John T. Farson for three years. From 
 that time forward Mr. Sim was in business 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 623 
 
 alone, and by good methods and square 
 dealing won the regard and patronage of 
 the public. He accumulated considerable 
 property in the course of a few years, own- 
 ing the business block occupied by his 
 store, and a desirable residence, besides his 
 extensive drug stock and other investments. 
 The marriage of Mr. Sim and Lucinda 
 Lindley took place August 9, 1853. She is 
 a daughter of Mahlon and Anna (Wolfe) 
 Lindley, who were natives of Ohio, and 
 owned a valuable farm near Fredericks- 
 town, that state. The father lacked but 
 three months of ninety years at the time of 
 his death, and the mother died nine months 
 before, aged about seventy-five years. They 
 were earnest and zealous members of the 
 Presbyterian church. They had eight chil- 
 dren, namely: Jane, deceased, was the wife 
 of Rev. Dr. Sweaney; Joseph, who died in 
 Florida, where he owned an orange grove, 
 was a graduate of Kenyon College, and for 
 years was a teacher in the Episcopal Fe- 
 male Seminary; James W. died at the age 
 of seventy-six years, January, 1899; Phrebe 
 is the widow of Rev. Doolittle, of the Epis- 
 copal church, and is a resident of Mansfield, 
 Illinois; John W. , who resides on the old 
 homestead in Knox county, Ohio, is a grad- 
 uate of Miami University, of Oxford, Ohio, 
 where he had the honor of initiating into 
 the literary society the gentleman since 
 known as president of the United States, 
 Benjamin Harrison; Mrs. Sim; Jacob, whose 
 wife, Almira (Green) Lindley, is deceased, 
 lives upon a farm in northern Illinois; and 
 Dr. Mahlon Lindley is a prominent physi- 
 cian of Urbana. The six brothers and sis- 
 ters then living met at the home of Mrs. 
 Sim, in Urbana, in October, 1898, the first 
 time they had been together in happy reun- 
 ion in forty years. 
 
 Mrs. Sim attended the schools of Ha- 
 gerstown and Martinsburg Academy in her 
 native state, Ohio. She came to Urbana a 
 bride, determined to prove herself a true 
 helpmate to her husband, and well did she 
 carry out her resolve. To them six chil- 
 dren were born. Anna, who is the widow 
 of A. B. Shuck, of Urbana, has one child, 
 Helen; Coler L. , who graduated in the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois, class of '77, married Nel- 
 lie Huntoon, and has two children, Arthur 
 B. and Nellie. He formerly was engaged 
 in the drug business in Topeka, Kansas, and 
 at present is carrying on a real estate busi- 
 ness in Wichita, same state. Edward T. 
 and Frank B. are enterprising druggists at 
 Topeka, Kansas. Edward married Belle 
 Young and Frank chose Nellie Morris as a 
 wife. The latter couple have two children, 
 Zenorah and Anna. Walter T., of St. 
 Louis, is a traveling salesman for a promi- 
 nent drug house, and his wife formerly was 
 Miss Emma Coogan. William, a graduate 
 of the Urbana high school and of the School 
 of Pharmacy, of Chicago, is a practical 
 druggist, and since his father's death has 
 had charge of the drug store so long ago 
 established by his senior. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Sim united with the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and for just forty 
 years he was actively connected with all of 
 the enterprises of that great denomination. 
 He occupied some official position in the 
 church nearly all of the time of his mem- 
 bership, and liberally contributed to its 
 maintenance. Upon the organization of 
 the Republican party he became affiliated 
 with that body, and for twenty-eight years 
 he served as school treasurer of Urbana 
 township. During that time many thou- 
 sands of dollars passed through his hands, 
 and every cent was accounted for by him in 
 
624 
 
 his usual systematic, manner. The life of 
 this noble Christian man came to a close 
 May 22, 1889, when he was in his sixty- 
 fourth year. Mrs. Sim and several of her 
 children are members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. She resides in the at- 
 tractive home provided for her by her hus- 
 band on West Green street. 
 
 WILLIAM F. MORGAN, an old and 
 honored resident of Champaign, Illi- 
 nois, where he has made his home since 
 1862, was born in Carlysle, Nicholas coun- 
 ty, Kentucky, April 19, 1813, and is a son 
 of Gerard and Sarafi (Sanderson) Morgan, 
 both natives ol Virginia and early settlers 
 of Kentucky. The father was born in Gooch- 
 land county, Virginia, October 28, 1772, 
 and died in March, 1814, and the mother 
 was born in 1777, and disd in Covington, 
 Kentucky, in 1848. After the father's 
 death, when our subject was fifteen years of 
 age, the mother moved to Greensburg, 
 Indiana, where she purchased a farm. She 
 was left with seven children, namely: John 
 S. ; James; Woodson; Gerard; Elizabeth, 
 who married a Mr. Jemison; Mary, who 
 married a Mr. Hamilton; and William F., 
 our subject. The family became quite 
 prominent in Kentucky politics, John S. 
 serving as a member of the state legislature 
 and senate; James, a member of both the 
 lower house and senate; and Woodson, of 
 the senate. 
 
 William F. Morgan remained on his 
 mother's farm in Greensburg, Indiana, 
 until he attained his majority and then re- 
 moved to his native county in Kentucky, 
 where he clerked in his brother John's store 
 at Carlysle for two years, at the end of 
 
 which time he brought out the business, con- 
 tinuing to successfully engage in general 
 merchandise at that place for two or three 
 years on his own account. He then re- 
 moved to the neighboring town of Moore- 
 field, where he engaged in the same line 
 of business for some time. 
 
 While there Mr. Morgan was married, in 
 1838, to Miss Ann T. Bruce, of Fleming 
 county, Kentucky, who was born June 9, 
 1818, a daughter of Henry and Eleanor 
 (Threlkeld) Bruce, natives of Virginia, who 
 were married January n, 1798. The father 
 was born October 30, 1777, and when fifteen 
 years of age removed to Kentucky with his 
 father, George Bruce, who was of Scotch 
 descent, and died in Scottsville, Kentucky. 
 Mrs. Morgan's maternal grandfather, Ben- 
 jamin Threlkeld, spent his last years as a 
 farmer in Mason county, Kentucky. Her 
 mother was born in King George county, 
 Virginia, May 15, 1778, and died April 6, 
 1863, and her father departed this life July 
 10, 1855. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Morgan con- 
 tinued in business in Moorefield, Kentucky, 
 until 1844, when he returned to Carlysle, 
 where he followed farming for a short time, 
 and later engaged in the same pursuit in 
 Fleming county, Kentucky, but at the end 
 of five years he resumed merchandising, to 
 which he devoted his attention until com- 
 ing to Champaign. He also served as post- 
 master of Elizaville, Kentucky. In June, 
 1862, he came to Champaign county with 
 his family, and at first operated a rented 
 farm of six hundred and forty acres. Sub- 
 sequently he purchased a farm near Savoy, 
 which he improved and cultivated until his 
 removal to the city of Champaign in 1870. 
 He was one of the first express agents of the 
 city and filled that position for about seven 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 625 
 
 years, since which time he has lived a re- 
 tired life. In 1875 he bought a good brick 
 residence at No. 10 North Hickory street, 
 which is now in the center of the city, and 
 which is still his home. He and his wife 
 are leading and influential members of the 
 Baptist church of Champaign, of which 
 he was a deacon for many years and his 
 name appears on one of the memorial 
 windows of the new church. 
 
 To this worthy couple were born ten 
 children, namely: Lucinda Bruce, born De- 
 cember 31, 1839, is the wife of Rev. W. T. 
 Green, a Baptist missionary, now in Mex- 
 ico City, Mexico, who has founded churches 
 at that place and also in San Lois Potosi 
 and Puebla; Amelia I., born March 3, 
 1842, is the widow of P. Richards, who is 
 represented on another page in this volume; 
 Gerard, born April 10, 1844, is a resident 
 of Peoria, Illinois; Henry B., born Septem- 
 ber 30, 1847, is a prominent citizen of Peo- 
 ria, where he has served as postmaster for 
 four years, and is now president of the water 
 works company; Woodson, born February 
 19, 1849, is a photographer of Champaign; 
 Elizabeth, born April 17, 1851, married S. 
 C. Knight, of Champaign, and died August 
 27, 1875; William B., born December 29, 
 1853, is a photographer of Louisvilie, Ken- 
 tucky; Anna, born May 19, 1856, died Oc- 
 tober 26, 1870; Millard M., born January 
 15, 1858, is a photographer of Chicago; and 
 James, born December 18, 1861, is now as- 
 sistant managing editor of the Boston Globe, 
 ot Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
 REV. ISAAC GROVES. " Excellence 
 encourages us about life in general," 
 says that thoughtful observer, George Eliot. 
 
 This saying is true even in the case of that 
 careful discharge of duty which leads to well- 
 doing in worldly enterprises, but the life 
 which reveals religious ardor and suggests 
 the uplifting force of consecrated purpose 
 does indeed demonstrate to humanity new 
 and lofty possibilities. The life of Mr. 
 Groves has been a constant inspiration to 
 those who have seen his zealous and untir- 
 ing work in the advancement of the cause 
 of religion. After a long life of usefulness, 
 he is now living retired at his pleasant home 
 in Champaign. 
 
 Mr. Groves was born in Cerneabbas, 
 Dorsetshire, England, January 28, 1823, a 
 son of John and Elizabeth (Tabra) Groves, 
 who spent their entire lives at that place, 
 which was the old ancestral home of the 
 family for many generations. The father 
 was a gardener, having charge of the gar- 
 dens of an estate. The mother was a 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the schools 
 of his native place and remained with his 
 parents until his marriage, in 1848, Miss 
 Elizabeth Vawter becoming his wife. At 
 the age of eighteen years he united with the 
 Wesleyan Methodist church, and was a local 
 preacher, being licensed to preach in 1845. 
 On the 27th of January, 1848, he started for 
 America, and in this country first made his 
 home at Woodburn, Macoupin county, Illi- 
 nois. The following year he joined the Illi- 
 nois Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church and was located at different places 
 in the central part of the state. His wife 
 died in Marshall, in 1852, leaving two 
 daughters: Elizabeth J., now the wife of 
 Hugh Mitchell, of Dickerson, Illinois, and 
 Harriet A., wife of Thomas Foster, of Sac 
 county, Iowa. Mr. Groves was again mar- 
 ried, December'26, 1852, his second union 
 
 33 
 
626 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 being with Mary E. Cole, of Casey, Illinois, 
 a daughter of John and Eleanor (Harris) 
 Cole, natives of Maryland, who came to this 
 state when Mrs. Groves was a little girl. 
 The father purchased a large tract of land 
 and laid out the town of Casey, near which 
 place both he and his wife died. They 
 were leading members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church at that place. By his sec- 
 ond -marriage Mr. Groves has two sons: 
 John I. is engaged in the practice of medi- 
 cine in Champaign and also looks after his 
 father's farming interests. He married 
 Eliza L. Burton, and has one child, Eva. 
 Charles W. is superintendent of the Dixon 
 schools. He married Dora Tribune, of 
 Bement, and they have two children: Pau- 
 line and Charles Harold. 
 
 Mr. Groves' first pastoral charge in this 
 country was at Staunton, Macoupin county, 
 Illinois, and second at Freemanton Mission, 
 Fayette county, where he built a church 
 and had many additions. At Salem he also 
 built a church, his denomination having no 
 house of worship in the county seat of Ma- 
 rion county, and while there he filled twen- 
 ty-four appointments. At Marshall, Clark 
 county, he built a parsonage, had a goodly 
 number of conversions, and left twenty-two 
 appointments where he had only found nine- 
 teen. He went with Peter Cartwright to 
 Virginia, Illinois, where he built a church; 
 also built another at Chandlerville, where he 
 held four revivals at which many were con- 
 verted; finished another in Newmansville, 
 the same county; raised one thousand dol- 
 lars for a fourth church built after he left; 
 and also built a parsonage at Chandlerville 
 which is still occupied. He then went-with 
 Dr. Cartwright to Pleasant Plains, where 
 he had charge of a well-to-do circuit, and 
 while there built a parsonage and church 
 
 near Springfield. He next went to Shelby- 
 ville, where he held a splendid revival and 
 built a parsonage. Among his Sunday school 
 scholars at that place was George Wendling, 
 the lecturer. After filling a number of ap- 
 pointments in that circuit, he was sent to the 
 Edgar circuit, which, being quite large, kept 
 him away from home most of the time, as 
 was true of most circuits. There he built 
 
 % 
 
 a church, held some glorious meetings, and 
 had many conversions. He was next pastor 
 of the church at Sullivan, where he built a 
 church; finished one at Lovington; held a 
 good revival at Monticello and built a 
 church at Bement; built another and also 
 a parsonage at Fairmount; finished one at 
 Sidney; and raised four thousand dollars 
 for one at Homer; and built another on 
 Georgetown circuit called McKendreechapel. 
 He also held revival meetings at Sidney and 
 Fairmount. He next went to Camargo, 
 Douglas county, where he remodeled and 
 rededicated a church; and from there came 
 to the Urbana circuit, where he built 
 churches at Ogden and Mayview, and held 
 a good meeting at Ogden; next at Mansfield 
 where he had a glorious revival at Shiloh. 
 He was next connected with the Pilot cir- 
 cuit and built a church north of Oakwood; 
 held a fine revival in Rankin circuit. Fine 
 meetings at Gifford; built another church in 
 Somer township, Champaign county, which 
 he called Carley chapel ; and held meetings in 
 De Witt and Deland, the best in the history 
 of the church. He then returned to Gif- 
 ford for two years. 
 
 After this Mr. Groves took supernumer- 
 ary relations with the conference, and has 
 made his home in Champaign since 1878, 
 but has supplied many pulpits in this part 
 of the state. About ten years ago, owing 
 to the ill health of his wife, he went to 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 627 
 
 Hammond, Louisiana, which was then a 
 new place, and there he organized a society 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and se- 
 cured the means to build a church. He 
 spent two winters at that place. Since 
 then he has not engaged in any regu- 
 lar ministerial work, but frequently assists 
 other preachers. Having seen so many 
 worn out people of his profession, who in 
 their old age had no means of support, he 
 saved some of his salary and purchased 
 government land, which he continued to 
 own until he retired from the ministry, and 
 then sold and bought farms in this county. 
 By his foresight and self-denial in early life, 
 he is now independent and can enjoy his 
 well earned rest surrounded by the comforts 
 of life. He is widely known throughout 
 central Illinois, where he has labored so 
 long and earnestly in the Master's cause, and 
 it is safe to say that no citizen of Cham- 
 paign county is more honored or highly re- 
 spected than Rev. Isaac Groves. 
 
 SC. BRIGGS, a prominent locomotive 
 engineer on the Big Four Railroad, re- 
 siding at No. 212 West High street, Ur- 
 bana, Illinois, was born in Piscataquis 
 county, Maine, October 11, 1840, and is a 
 son of Solomon and Ruth (Curtis) Briggs, 
 who spent their entire lives in that state. 
 The father, who was by occupation a farmer 
 and merchant, was widely and favorably 
 known and held a number of minor offices. 
 He died at the age of seventy-four years, 
 the mother at the age of forty-five, when 
 our subject was quite young. Both were 
 earnest and consistent members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church. Their children were 
 Judson, a resident of Brownsville, Maine; 
 
 Vesta A., a resident of the same place; Oc- 
 tavia, deceased wife of Alonzo Lane; Gis- 
 tavus, who died young; Salmon Curtis, our 
 subject; Sarah A., a widow living in Maine; 
 Frank M.,also a resident of that state; Clara, 
 who died at about the age of twenty years; 
 arid Charles. 
 
 During his boyhood our subject pursued 
 his studies in the schoolsof Parkman, Maine, 
 and when his education was completed 
 worked on a farm for his brother, Judson. 
 When the Civil war broke out he enlisted 
 in Company C, Seventeenth United States 
 Infantry, which at different times was un- 
 der the command of Generals McClellan, 
 Meade and Burnside. He participated in 
 the first and second battles of Fredericks- 
 burg, and was under General Burnside in 
 the battle of Gettysburg, where the regi- 
 ment lost all but eighty of its men. Here 
 Mr. Briggs was wounded in the left arm 
 and back of the neck, and was left on the 
 battlefield for about a week, after which he 
 was taken to the Ladies' Home Hospital in 
 New York City, and two months later trans- 
 ferred to Fort Preble, Portland, Maine. His 
 command had charge of three forts Preble, 
 Scamble and Gorges, the latter being at the 
 entrance of Portland Harbor. After having 
 served his country faithfully for three years 
 Mr. Briggs was honorably discharged July 
 3, 1865. 
 
 On his return home he resumed farming, 
 but havingreceived a sunstroke while in the 
 service, he found that he was unable to en- 
 gage in that occupation. From October, 
 1869. to October, 1870, he was employed 
 as a fireman on an engine on the old I. B. & 
 \\'. Railroad, now the Big Four, with which 
 he has since been connected, having served 
 as engineer since the latter year. He is one 
 of the most reliable and trusted employes of 
 
628 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 the road, and has the confidence and re- 
 spect of all with whom he comes in contact, 
 either in business or social life. 
 
 On the 28th of February, 1861, Mr. 
 Briggs married Miss Ruth B. Daggett, a 
 daughter of Elisha and Augusta (Bolster) 
 Daggett, also natives of Maine, the former 
 of Scotch and the latter of English descent. 
 The father was a carpenter and contractor, 
 and in early life engaged in teaching school 
 during the winter, while he worked at his 
 trade through the summer months, but later 
 turned his attention to farming. He served 
 as superintendent of schools, and was one of 
 the three selectmen of his town and town- 
 ship. He was born December 19, 1802, and 
 died in 1877, but his wife, who was born 
 February 12, 1812, is still living in Maine. 
 In religious belief he is a Universalist. In 
 their family were seven children: Albion is 
 a resident of Macon, Illinois. Lydia died at 
 the age of eighteen months. Henry and 
 Franklin, twins, were members of Company 
 F, Twentieth Maine Volunteer Infantry, dur- 
 ing the Civil war, and after serving a year 
 and a half the latter died at the age of 
 twenty-five years. The former is now a 
 resident of Milo, Maine. Mrs. Briggs is the 
 next in order of birth. Thomas was a mem- 
 ber of the same company as his brothers in 
 the Civil war, and is now -a resident of 
 Foxcroft, Maine. Simeon died in 1863, at 
 the age of eighteen years. Our subject and 
 his wife have two daughters, Lenora and 
 Grace A. 
 
 In politics Mr. Briggs is a Republican, 
 and is an admirer of President McKinley. 
 He is a member of the Brotherhood of 
 Locomotive Engineers, in which he has 
 nearly always held office. Both he and his 
 wife have long been earnest members of the 
 Presbyterian church, and in many respects 
 
 his life is well worthy of emulation, as he 
 never uses tobacco or liquors in any form. 
 He has always been found true to every 
 trust reposed in him, and justly merits the 
 high regard in which he is uniformly held. 
 
 LESLIE ALVORD WEAVER, a prom- 
 inent and successful young attorney of 
 Champaign, Illinois, was born in Cleveland, 
 Ohio, February 21,1 872, and is a son of Ben- 
 jamin and Martha M. (Campbell) Weaver. 
 His paternal grandparents were Bartholo- 
 mew Knox and Mary (Chamberlain) Weaver, 
 residents of Albany and Schenectady, New 
 York. The maternal grandfather, Alonzo 
 Campbell, also came* from eastern New 
 York, but early in the '405 removed to Dan- 
 ville, Illinois, locating about fourteen miles 
 northwest of that city, at what is now 
 known as the old Campbell homestead. 
 He was a man of standing in the commu- 
 nity, was quite prominent in political affairs 
 and held different local offices. He died in 
 August, 1871. .His wife, who bore the 
 maiden name of Julia Eldridge, was born 
 north of Troy, New York. His father was 
 Mervin Campbell. 
 
 The father of our subject was born in 
 Schenectady, New York, May I, 1847, and 
 was educated there. At the age of seventeen 
 years he enlisted in the Union army during 
 the Civil war, becoming a member of the 
 Ninety-first New York Volunteer Infantry. 
 He participated in all of the engagements of 
 that regiment, including the battle of the 
 Wilderness, and at the close of the war was 
 honorably discharged and returned to Troy, 
 New York, from which place he had en- 
 listed. Hestudied short hand under Graham, 
 the founder of the system that bears that 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 629 
 
 name, and after being employed in the east 
 for a time, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, 
 being the first stenographer to locate west 
 of the Alleghany mountains. He has 
 always made a specialty of reporting for 
 medical, railroad and other conventions, 
 and while in Cleveland made that his prin- 
 cipal business. After residing there for sev- 
 eral years he moved to Danville, Illinois, 
 and for twenty years served as the official 
 court reporter of the old thirteenth congres- 
 sional district. Altogether he has filled that 
 office for twenty-four years. He is still a 
 resident of Danville. There he was mar- 
 ried, in 1870, to Miss Martha M.Campbell, 
 and they have three children, Leslie A., 
 Edith M. and Ben Perley. 
 
 Leslie A. Weaver was six years old 
 when brought by his parents to Danville, 
 Illinois, and his early education was ob- 
 tained in the public schools of that city, 
 graduating from the high school in the class 
 of 1890. In the fall of that year he en- 
 tered the University of Illinois at Cham- 
 paign, and was graduated from that institu- 
 tion in 1894 with the degree of B. L. He 
 then took up the study of law with Calhoun 
 & Steeley, of Danville, and after spending 
 one year with them entered the office of 
 Gere & Philbrick as a student and stenog- 
 rapher in 1885. He was admitted to the 
 bar at Springfield, in November, 1896, but 
 continued with that firm for a year longer, 
 and in September, 1897, formed a partner- 
 ship with F. G. Carnahan, under the firm 
 name of Weaver & Carnahan. They opened 
 an office at their present location, and are 
 now successfully engaged in the general 
 practice of law. They already occupy an 
 enviable position at the bar of Champaign 
 county, and from the start have been re- 
 markably successful. 
 
 On the 8th of June, 1898, Mr. Weaver 
 was united in marriage with Miss Eunice 
 McC. Sheldon, of Urbana, a daughter of 
 Clarence C. Sheldon, and granddaughter of 
 Hon. J. C. Sheldon, ex-senator. Her fa- 
 ther, who was the founder of the Sheldon 
 Brick Company, died in 1891. Oursubject 
 and his wife have one child, Dorothy. 
 
 As a Republican Mr. Weaver takes an 
 active interest in political affairs, but is not 
 a politician in the sense of office seeking. 
 He is a member of Western Star Lodge, F. 
 & A. M. ; the Benevolent & Protective Order 
 of Elks, and the society of that order; and 
 also of the Delta Tau Delta, a college fra- 
 ternity. He is popular in social as well as 
 professional circles, and is held in high re- 
 gard by all who know him. 
 
 CHARLES P. HOFFMANN, M. D., 
 V-x the leading physician and surgeon of 
 Sadorus, Illinois, was born in Greenup, Ken- 
 tucky, August 21, 1873, and is a son of John 
 E. and Carrie (Eberwein) Hoffmann, both 
 of whom were born in Germany and when 
 young came with their respective parents to 
 America, locating in Kentucky, where their 
 marriage was celebrated. The father was 
 but nine years of age when the family set- 
 tled near Greenup, in 1853, and there he 
 grew to manhood. On the completion of 
 his education he learned the butcher's trade, 
 and followed it for twenty-seven years, own- 
 ing a large establishment and supplying to 
 the public large quantities of meat. He also 
 bought stock for shipment for a number of 
 years. He prospered in his undertakings, 
 meeting with most excellent success, and he 
 is now practically living retired at Greenup, 
 enjoying his wealth in true southern style, 
 
630 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 having laid aside his business cares in 1890. 
 He has been an extensive traveler, and has 
 that broad and liberal knowledge of men 
 and affairs which only travel can bring. In 
 his family are three sons: John, who is a 
 graduate from the Miami Medical College, 
 and has been successfully engaged in prac- 
 tice at Pesotum, Illinois, for the past ten 
 years; George F., a druggist of Pesotum, 
 formerly of Toledo, Ohio; and Charles P., 
 our subject. All are married and have fam- 
 ilies. 
 
 Dr. Hoffmann, whose name introduces 
 this review, acquired his early education in 
 the public schools of Greenup, Kentucky, 
 graduating there in 1890. He then entered 
 the State University at Columbus, Ohio, 
 where he pursued his studies for one year, 
 and was next a student of Ada University, 
 where he graduated in 1892 with the degree 
 of B. S. Coming to Pesotum, Champaign 
 county, Illinois, he read medicine with his 
 brother until the fall of 1892, when he en- 
 tered the Miami Medical College and took 
 a complete course, graduating in 1896. The 
 same year he located in Sadorus, Illinois, 
 where he rented an office for a year. Meet- 
 ing with most wonderful success in his chosen 
 profession, he then leased a lot and erected 
 thereon a comfortable office, and also bought 
 a residence in the place. He now enjoys a 
 large and lucrative practice, which not only 
 embraces the villages butextendsmany miles 
 throughout the surrounding country. He 
 is a lover of fine horses and now has in his 
 possession three very fine blooded animals. 
 
 In 1898 Dr. Hoffmann was united in 
 marriage with Miss Beatrice Styan, who 
 was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1878, 
 and came with her parents from that coun- 
 try to the new world, the family locat- 
 ing in Sadorus township, Champaign coun- 
 
 ty, Illinois. There were five sons and three 
 daughters, all of whom are still living in this 
 county, with the exception of two sons, who 
 are engaged in farming in Mississippi. The 
 Doctor and his wife have one son, Carl B. 
 M., who was born January 6, 1899, and is 
 the pride of the household. 
 
 Politically Dr. Hoffmann is an ardent Re- 
 publican and an active worker for the in- 
 terests of his party. He belongs to the 
 Knights of Pythias and the Masonic frater- 
 nities, and is also a member of and exam- 
 ining physician of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America and Court of Honor at .Sadorus, 
 and examiner for some of the neighboring 
 lodges in Colfax township. As a physician 
 he has been quite successful and his ability 
 is widely recognized. He is young, am- 
 bitious and very popular, and undoubtedly 
 a brilliant future awaits him in his chosen 
 calling. 
 
 CAPTAIN THOMAS J. SMITH, a prom- 
 v_y inent attorney of Champaign, and 
 trustee of the University of Illinois, was 
 born near Kingwood, Preston county, Vir- 
 ginia, July 4, 1843, a son of Jacob and 
 Celia (Shaw) Smith, natives of the same 
 locality, where the father followed farming 
 for some years. Our subject's paternal 
 grandfather was Henry Smith, of the same 
 place, and his maternal grandfather was 
 Colonel Shaw, an officer in the Revolution- 
 ary war. From their native state the par- 
 ents removed to Logan county, Ohio, where 
 the father engaged in farming for several 
 years on quite an extensive scale, but spent 
 his last days in retirement from active busi- 
 ness in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and some ten 
 years prior removed to near Muncie, In- 
 diana, where he died in November, 1885, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 631 
 
 and the mother in 1860, at Bellefontaine, 
 Ohio. Both were earnest members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics 
 the father was first a Whig and later a Re- 
 publican. 
 
 During his boyhood and youth Captain 
 Smith attended the district schools of Logan 
 county, Ohio, and the high school of Belle- 
 fontaine. After leaving the latter institu- 
 tion he taught school in that state for one 
 year, and in 1862 removed to Clay county, 
 Illinois, where he followed the same pursuit 
 for a year. While theie he enlisted as a 
 private in Company F, Ninety-eighth Illi- 
 nois Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered 
 in at Centralia, in July, 1862. From there 
 he proceeded with his command to Louis- 
 ville, Kentucky, and on to Atlanta with 
 Rosecrans, Sherman and Thomas. At 
 Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he was made sec- 
 ond lieutenant; immediately after the battle 
 of Stone River was promoted to first lieuten- 
 ant, and prior to the battle of Chickamauga 
 was commissioned captain of his company, 
 in which capacity he served until the close 
 of the war, being mustered out in 1865. 
 
 After the war Captain Smith came to 
 Champaign and opened a law office, having 
 previously prepared for that profession while 
 teaching school and been admitted to the 
 bar just before entering the service. For 
 two years he was in partnership with Colo- 
 nel Langley, but since 1867 has been alone 
 in business. He is engaged in general prac- 
 tice in the federal and state courts, and is 
 also attorney for the Wabash Railroad. His 
 practice is very large and lucrative, and he 
 has met with most excellent success in his 
 chosen calling. 
 
 On the 25th of January, 1864, Captain 
 Smith was united in marriage with Miss 
 Tina W r . Weeden, of Murfreesboro, Tennes- 
 
 see. They are both active members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of which he 
 has been trustee and steward at different 
 times for twenty years. In his political 
 views he is a stanch Republican, but has 
 never sought office, though he served as city 
 attorney in early life. He was elected a 
 trustee of the University of Illinois on the 
 ticket with President McKinley, in 1896, by 
 a majority of one hundred and forty-seven 
 thousand, and has since served in that capac- 
 ity. During his term the library building 
 has been completed, and the agricultural 
 building, the largest of its kind in the coun- 
 try, is now in course of construction. Fra- 
 ternally he is a member of Colonel Nodine 
 Post, G. A. R., and Champaign Lodge, F. 
 & A. M. As a lawyer he ranks among the 
 best in the city, and as a citizen is pre- 
 eminently public spirited and progressive. 
 
 OR EN B. SAWDEY is an energetic 
 and progressive business man of Gif- 
 ford, Champaign county, Illinois, who is 
 now devoting his attention to the manu- 
 facture of harness, saddlery, etc. He also 
 deals in factory-made articles along that 
 line, and has built up an excellent trade. 
 
 Mr. Sawdey was born in Wayne county, 
 N. Y., December 28, 1830, and when a 
 child of six years was taken to Ohio by his 
 parents, Elijah R. and Catherine (Briggs) 
 Sawdey, also natives of the Empire state 
 and prosperous farming people. His ma- 
 ternal grandfather was Jeremiah Briggs, of 
 Wayne county, New York. After a short 
 time spent in Ohio, the family removed to 
 Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where they 
 followed farming near Jamestown, and 
 where our subject obtained his education 
 
632 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in the district schools. He assisted his 
 father in the labors ot the farm until 1848, 
 when they came to Stephenson county, 
 Illinois, and engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 there. The father died near Warren, that 
 county, in 1863, at the age of sixty-five 
 years, and the mother passed away in the 
 same county in 1848. 
 
 Our subject is the third in order of 
 birth in their family of nine children, and 
 has one brother and two sisters still liv- 
 ing, namely: Catherine J., born in New 
 York state in 1834, is the wife of Marona 
 Parson, a wealthy retired farmer of New- 
 hall, Iowa; Cynthia Ann, born in Pennsyl- 
 vania in 1836, is the wife of Anthony 
 McKnight, a retired farmer of Warren, 
 Stephenson county, Illinois; and Jeremiah, 
 born in Pennsylvania, in 18 , served for 
 three years in the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, 
 during the Civil war, married a Miss Way, 
 of Warren, Iowa, and is now living in Cal- 
 ifornia. 
 
 Oren B. Sawdey remained with his 
 parents until 1856, when he went to Peoria. 
 county, Illinois, and worked by the month 
 on various farms there for five years. In 
 1855 he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Margaret M. Smith, of Peoria, a daughter 
 of William and Sarah (Bevens) Smith, who 
 were born in Ohio and came to Illinois 
 about the close of the Black Hawk war. 
 Her father, who followed the occupation of 
 farming throughout life, died in 1866. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Sawdey removed to Van- 
 dalia, Jasper county, Iowa, where he en- 
 gaged in farming for three years, and later 
 followed the harness business at that place 
 until after the Civil war broke out. In 1862 
 he offered his services to his country, en- 
 listing for three years in Company C, Twen- 
 ty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which 
 
 regiment was organized in the state at large 
 from July to September, 1863, and was 
 mustered out of service July 25, 1865. 
 Colonel William M. Stone, who was brev- 
 etted brigadier-general March 13, 1865, re- 
 signed August 13, 1863, being succeeded by 
 Colonel Harvey Graham, who received the 
 brevet of brigadier-general July 25, 1865. 
 Ephraim G. White was the lieutenant- 
 colonel. The total enrollment was one 
 thousand and sixty-seven men, of whom one 
 hundred and fourteen were killed in battle 
 or died of wounds, a loss of ten and six- 
 tenths per cent, of the whole number of en- 
 listments, which gives it place among 
 Colonel Fox's three hundred fighting regi- 
 ments. The total number of killed and 
 wounded was four hundred and twenty-one, 
 and one hundred and thirty-six men died in 
 prison of disease, accident, etc. In the as- 
 sault on Vicksburg, May 22, it sustained the 
 greatest loss of any regiment engaged, its 
 casualties amounting to twenty-seven killed 
 outright, one hundred and eighteen wounded, 
 including those mortally, and nineteen miss- 
 ing. The brigade was formed for this as- 
 sault by column of regiments with the Twen- 
 ty-second in advance, the point of attack 
 being a fort on a hill in front of the column. 
 The regiment passed the abatis, gained the 
 ditch and planted its flag on the parapet, 
 where it remained waving for nine hours. 
 The assault having failed at other points the 
 regiment was compelled to abandon the po- 
 sition. At one time during the assault Ser- 
 geant Joseph E. Griffith, of Company I, 
 with a squad of twenty men, climbed the 
 wall of the fort and effecting an entrance 
 engaged in a hand-to-hand fight, from which 
 the sergeant and only one man returned 
 alive. The regiment took part in the en- 
 gagements at Magnolia Hills, Vicksburg, 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 633 
 
 Jackson, Opequon, Cedar Creek, Champion 
 Hill, Black River Bridge, Iberta, Opelousas, 
 Indianola, Port Lavaca, Bermuda Hundred, 
 Halltown, Berryville, Fisher's Hill and 
 Woodstock. 
 
 On being mustered out of the service at 
 Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Sawdey returned to 
 Peoria, Illinois, where he was engaged in 
 farming until the spring of 1869, and then 
 came to Champaign county, locating first 
 on section 26, Harwood township, where he 
 purchased a farm of eighty acres, and to its 
 cultivation and improvement devoted his 
 energies until 1879. During that year he 
 settled in Gifford, where he has since en- 
 gaged in the harness business, with the ex- 
 ception of four years spent in farming in 
 Hamilton county, Illinois, and at Rantoul, 
 this county. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sawdey had two children. 
 
 (1) Arietta, born in Jasper county, Iowa, in 
 1845, is now the wife of John Woods, a 
 grain dealer, of Gifford, Illinois, and to 
 them have been born eight children: Oren, 
 who died at the age of eighteen years; Wal- 
 ter, who is working for his father; Margaret, 
 Richard, Eunice, Glenn, Flosy and Blanche, 
 all at home. They were all born in Gifford, 
 
 (2) Elizabeth Ann, born in Jasper county, 
 Iowa, married Newton W. Couch, of Gif- 
 ford, who has been in the Klondike for the 
 past two years. She died leaving three 
 children, but Otis, the second in order of 
 birth, died at the age of eleven years. 
 Those living, Stella and Everett, were born 
 in Gifford and reside with our subject and 
 his wife. 
 
 The family attend the Methodist church, 
 of which botH Mr. and Mrs. Sawdey are 
 earnest members, and he also belongs to 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
 Simon Cameron Post, No. 679, G. A. R., 
 
 of which he has been commander for seven 
 years. Politically he always affiliates with 
 the Republican party. He is greatly at- 
 tached to his home and family and is highly 
 respected by all who know him. 
 
 HON. CALVIN J. SABIN, the present 
 efficient and popular mayor of Cham- 
 paign, was born in Hanover, Chautauqua 
 county, New York, June 8, 1831, a son of 
 Ebenezer and Jerusha (Gage) Sabin. The 
 father was born September i, 1801, in the 
 town of Jamaica, Windham county, Ver- 
 mont, where he grew to manhood and 
 learned the trades of wool carding, cloth 
 dressing and also dyeing. Soon after his 
 marriage he removed to Chautauqua coun- 
 ty, New York, locating twelve miles from 
 Dunkirk, and becoming one of the pioneers 
 of that locality. After following his trade 
 for a time, he purchased a farm and devoted 
 the remainder of his life to agricultural pur- 
 suits. He lived to be eighty-six years of 
 age. His father was Ebenezer Sabin, a 
 carpenter and stair builder by trade, and 
 his grandfather also bore the name of Eben- 
 ezer. The latter was a soldier of the Rev- 
 olutionary war and participated in the 
 battle of Bunker Hill. The Sabin family 
 was of English origin. Our subject's ma- 
 ternal grandfather, Asa Gage, and his fa- 
 ther were also among those who fought for 
 the independence of the colonies in the 
 Revolutionary war. 
 
 Our subject is the second in order of 
 birth in a family of seven children who 
 reached years of maturity. He received a 
 good practical education in the common 
 schools, which he attended until sixteen 
 years of age, and after leaving school con- 
 
634 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 tinued his studies for some time. He com- 
 menced work upon his father's farm and 
 later was employed in a distillery for four 
 years. In 1851 he became fireman on the 
 New York & Erie Railroad, and in 1854 
 became connected with the Illinois Central 
 Railroad, taking care of engines and doing 
 yard work for one year. He went to Ga- 
 lena on the first passenger train run into 
 that city, and from April I, 1855, to April 
 i, 1866, was an "engineer on that road, being 
 connected with the Galena division for some 
 years. In April, 1857, he was transferred 
 to what is now the main line and was con- 
 nected with it until leaving the road. His 
 engine was very different from those used at 
 the present time, having a thirteen and a 
 half inch cylinder, and a capacity of twenty- 
 eight tons. 
 
 From April, 1866, until January, 1898, 
 Mr. Sabm was engaged in the agricultural 
 implement business in Champaign, Illinois. 
 In October, 1858, he located permanently 
 here. Here he built up an extensive trade 
 as a dealer in agricultural implements, 
 wagons, buggies, hard and soft coal, and 
 also helped improve many kinds of farm 
 machinery. He continued in that business 
 with good success until January, 1898, and 
 furnished employment to many men, includ- 
 ing traveling salesmen. Having disposed of 
 that business, he purchased stock in the 
 Phrenix Telephone Company, of which he 
 became manager, and July 5, 1898, he was 
 made president of the company, which posi- 
 tion he is now most creditably filling. They 
 have established a large and successful busi- 
 ness.and now have over four hundred phones 
 in use. 
 
 On the 1 3th of December, 1855, Mr. 
 Sabin was united in marriage with Miss 
 Hannah E. Whitcomb, a native of Nashua, 
 
 New Hampshire, and a daughter of Thomas 
 Whitcomb, who on coming west first located 
 in Dunkirk, New York, and later removed 
 to Ransom, Michigan, and later to Edge- 
 wood, Illinois, where his death occurred. 
 Our subject and his wife have six children: 
 Irwin C., a resident of Farmer City, Illinois; 
 Mrs. Nellie I. Wirick, a widow residing at 
 home with her parents; Elmer C. and Frank, 
 both engineers on the Illinois Central Rail- 
 road; Earl, a resident of Nebraska, and Roy 
 C., an employe in the postoffice of Cham- 
 paign, who was a member of Company M, 
 Third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during the 
 war with Spain, and went with his regiment 
 to Porto Rico. Mr. and Mrs. Sabin attend 
 the Presbyterian church, and make their 
 home at the corner of Clark and State 
 streets, where they have resided since 1858. 
 Although Mr. Sabin has never been a 
 politician in the sense of office seeking, his 
 fellow citizens recognize his worth and ability 
 and have called upon him to serve in official 
 positions of honor and trust. He was a 
 member of the city council in 1866, 1884, 
 1885 and 1887, and in April, 1899, he was 
 elected mayor, in which capacity he is still 
 serving with credit to himself and to the 
 entire satisfaction of his constitutents. Never 
 have the reins of city government been in 
 more capable hands, for he is public spirited 
 and progressive, and gives his support to 
 every measure which he believes will ad- 
 vance the general interest. 
 
 OP. KELLOGG, one of the most en- 
 terprising business men of Champaign 
 county, and actively interested in everything 
 pertaining to its advancement, is a broad- 
 minded, patriotic citizen, of the kind which 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 635 
 
 does credit toany community. He is in the 
 prime and vigor of manhood, an earnest 
 advocate of whatever he believes to be ben- 
 eficial to his town and county, and always 
 faithful in the discharge of every duty devolv- 
 ing upon him. 
 
 The birth of Mr. Kellogg occurred June 
 26, 1852, in Marion, Linn county. Iowa. 
 His father, Dr. Alonzo S. Kellogg, was a 
 native of Albany county, New York, while 
 the mother, Nancy (Burtt) Kellogg, was 
 born in Clark county, Indiana. In his early 
 manhood Mr. Kellogg removed to Clarke 
 county, where he engaged in the practice of 
 medicine, in connection with the manage- 
 ment of a farm. In 1848 he removed to 
 Linn county, Iowa, where he carried on a 
 large farm successfully. He died July 14, 
 1854, when our subject was only two years 
 old. For many years he was an active 
 member and elder of the Christian church, 
 and every one who knew him loved and 
 esteemed him highly. He was twice mar- 
 ried and three of the seven children of his 
 first union survive, namely: Alonzo, a 
 farmer of Shellsburg, Iowa; Ira, of Oberlin, 
 Kansas, and Anna, wife of Judge F. D. 
 Snyder, of Marysville, Missouri. Of the sec- 
 ond marriage there are four children living. 
 John L. is a retired railroad man of Rumsey, 
 California. E. J. resides in Craig, Holt 
 county. Missouri; and Sarah A. is the wife 
 of Elder S. S. Murphey, of Red Bluffs, 
 California. 
 
 O. P. Kellogg was reared in his native 
 county, where he attended the common 
 schools and went to the Marion high school. 
 When still a mere youth, he left home, and 
 going to Marysville, Missouri, he took 
 charge of a general store, which he man- 
 aged with ability for two years. In 1877 
 he came to St. Joseph, rented land and en- 
 
 gaged in farming for about three years, after 
 which he was occupied for five years in con- 
 tracting and building. In November, 1885, 
 he purchased the Irons Brothers wagon shops 
 in this place, and two years later he added 
 a full line of farming implements. In 1898 
 he erected his present commodious brick 
 building, which has a frontage of sixty-six 
 feet and is sixty-two feet in depth. This 
 affords him a space of twenty-two by sixty- 
 two feet for a blacksmith and repair shop, 
 and the remainder is reserved for his large 
 and well selected stock of tools and imple- 
 ments. He employs three men and enjoys 
 a large and remunerative trade. He keeps 
 a fine line of wagons and buggies, and 
 makes a specialty of dealing in the famous 
 Deering binders, mowers, plows and Troy 
 wagons. He stands well in the business 
 world, his integrity being unquestioned. In 
 1899 he was honored by being chosen as 
 president of the Association of Implement 
 Dealers, which he aided in organizing. 
 
 That Mr. Kellogg is possessed of much 
 more than ordinary enterprise is shown in 
 the fact that since his arrival in St. Joseph 
 he has systematically studied law, and, 
 though he has not applied for admission to- 
 the bar, he finds himself abundantly able to 
 cope with most of the practical phases of 
 the law as related to business. Moreover, 
 he is an orator of no small ability, and he 
 frequently is called upon to deliver speeches, 
 especially those of a political or patriotic 
 nature. He is a zealous champion of the 
 Republican party principles and has effi- 
 ciently acted upon various town and county 
 committees. His name was prominently 
 mentioned in 1900 for the position of state 
 senator from this district. For the past two 
 years he has been one of the village trustees 
 and for years he has been an enthusiastic 
 
636 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 friend of education, and has belonged to the 
 local school board. Religiously, he is 
 identified with the Christian church and for 
 several years was an elder, besides having 
 been superintendent of the Sunday-school 
 for eight years. Fraternally, he is a charter 
 member of Lodge No. 220, Knights of Pythias, 
 and was the prime mover in the erection of 
 the handsome brick block which the lodge 
 owns. He was chairman of the building 
 committee and may well be proud of the 
 noble structure, as it is a credit to the town 
 and society. He has been a delegate to the 
 grand lodge of the state seven years and 
 ranks high in the order. He is past venerable 
 consul of St. Joseph Camp No. 222, Modern 
 Woodmen of America, and for six years was 
 was delegate to the head camp. He is a 
 charter member of Eucala Camp, No. 1430, 
 Royal Neighbors of America, and in each 
 and all of these various fraternities is looked 
 up to and highly respected. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Kellogg and Anna 
 L. Spurgeon was solemnized December 12, 
 1878. She is one of the eight children of 
 A. J. and Mary (Miller) Spurgeon, who re- 
 side in Jamestown, Ohio. She was born in 
 Wilmington, Clinton county, Ohio, Novem- 
 ber 1 8, 1859, and received an excellent ed- 
 ucation. To Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg seven 
 children have been born, namely: Oliver 
 M., Jesse A., Dale W., Nellie B., Marie, 
 Mary and Ruby. Marie and Mary died in 
 infancy. The family reside in a pleasant 
 home, where they are surrounded by many 
 of the evidences of refined tastes. 
 
 JAMES B. McKINLEY, a well-known 
 capitalist and prominent citizen of 
 Champaign, where he has made his home 
 
 since 1857, was born February 10, 1821, in 
 Ross county, Ohio, five miles east of Chil- 
 licothe. His father, Thomas McKinley, 
 was born in county Derry, Ireland, of Scotch 
 ancestry, and came to this country as a 
 young man in 1801, locating first in south- 
 ern Pennsylvania, where he married Alice 
 Barcley, also a native of Ireland, who came 
 to America at the age of seven years. After 
 farming in southern Pennsylvania for a time 
 the father moved to Ross county, Ohio, 
 where he purchased a timbered tract and 
 transformed the same into a good farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres, making his 
 home there until his death. He attended 
 and supported the Presbyterian church of 
 which his wife was a consistent member. 
 
 Our subject began his education in the 
 common schools of his native county, and 
 later attended the academy at South Salem, 
 Ohio. He began his business career as a 
 clerk in a dry goods store at Chillicothe, and 
 on leaving that establishment came to Hen- 
 nepin, Illinois, on the Illinois river, where 
 he taught school and also read law with a 
 friend for a time. From there he went to 
 Petersburg, Menard county, where he fin- 
 ished his studies and was admitted to the 
 bar. After practicing there for a short 
 time he removed to Clinton, where he con- 
 tinued the prosecution of his profession for 
 a number of years. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. McKinley came to Cham- 
 paign, which then contained but three hun- 
 dred people. He engaged in the general 
 practice of law until 1860, and in the mean- 
 time became interested in loaning money, 
 to which he has since devoted his entire at- 
 tention, he and D. K. Penson, of Chicago, 
 being the first to loan money on farms in 
 the state for eastern capitalists. His busi- 
 ness steadilv increased until it assumed ex- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 637 
 
 tensive proportions. For many years Mr. 
 McKinley was alone, but finally gave a 
 nephew an interest in the business, and this 
 partnership has since existed, although our 
 subject still manages affairs. He is justly re- 
 garded as one of the ablest financiers of the 
 city, and has been remarkably successful 
 during his residence here. He was one of 
 the organizers of the Champaign National 
 Bank, of which he was a director and vice- 
 president for some years, but a few years 
 ago he sold his interest in the, same. He 
 was mayor of the city for one term, but has 
 never been an aspirant for official honors, 
 preferring to devote his entire time and at- 
 tention to his business interests. 
 
 Mr. McKinley was married to Miss Jane 
 Sanford, of Racine, Wisconsin, and to them 
 were born four daughters, namely: Isabelle, 
 now Mrs. Harris, of St. Louis; Harriet, 
 Mrs. Scudder, of the same city; Agnes, Mrs. 
 Miller, of Trenton, Missouri; and Jane, Mrs. 
 Cannon, a widow, of Chicago. Mr. and 
 Mrs. McKinley are active members of the 
 Presbyterian church, of which he was elder 
 for some years, and to the building of the 
 present house of worship he contributed 
 liberally. 
 
 LEWIS A. SMYRES, a well-known citi- 
 zen and prominent attorney of Ran- 
 toul, with office in Neal's Block on Sanga- 
 mon avenue, was born in Logan county, 
 Ohio, February 9, 1852, and is a son of 
 Lewis and Martha (Fink) Smyres. His ma- 
 ternal grandfather was Henry Fink, a Meth- 
 odist preacher and also a manufacturer of 
 Laurel, Ohio. The father, who was a na- 
 tive of Ohio and a farmer and stock-raiser 
 by occupation, died in Wabash, Indiana, in 
 
 1892, and the mother died during the in- 
 fancy of our subject. They had four chil- 
 dren, three of whom are still living, namely: 
 Daniel P., a farmer and stock-raiser of Win- 
 dom, Kansas; Henry F., also a stock-raiser 
 of Kansas; and Lewis A., our subject. All 
 are married and have families. Eliza, the 
 second in order of birth, died at the age of 
 five years. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was a child of 
 six years when the family removed to Wa- 
 bash, Indiana, where he received his early 
 education in the public schools, and later 
 attended the Wabash Academy and high 
 school. He then went to Valparaiso, In- 
 diana, Normal School, which he attended 
 for several terms, teaching in the public 
 schools of his home county for several years. 
 He read law during the winter with William 
 Johnston, of Valparaiso, for two years, and 
 with the firm of Cowgill, Shively & Cowgill, 
 of Wabash. He was admitted to the bar in 
 1877 by the Thirty-first Judicial Court, and 
 and passed his examination at Valparaiso. 
 Subsequently he again engaged in teaching 
 school, and for one year engaged in the 
 practice of his chosen profession at Lagro, 
 Wabash county, Indiana. In May, 1880, 
 he went to Burlington, Kansas, where he 
 remained until the close of 1883, and then 
 returned to Champaign county, locating 
 in Rantoul which has since been his home, 
 his time and attention being devoted to his 
 professional duties. He has served as vil- 
 lage attorney for several years, and in 1888 
 was elected state attorney for Champaign 
 county. So acceptably did he fill that of- 
 fice that he was re-elected and served con- 
 tinuously until the close of 1896. In this 
 position, as in all others in life, he was thor- 
 oughly in earnest, and the affairs of the 
 county were never better managed than un- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 der his prosecution. As a trial lawyer he 
 has shown unusual force and has developed 
 great strength as well in the systematic 
 preparation of his cases and the logical and 
 convincing manner of their presentation be- 
 fore court and jury. Since March, 1897, 
 he has held the office of general attorney for 
 the Supreme Court of Honor, a mutual in- 
 surance society, and has entire jurisdiction 
 of the United States from New York to 
 California. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and in social relations is a Knight Templar 
 Mason, a member of the Corn.mandery, No. 
 16, of Urbana. He is also a member of the 
 Modern Woodmen of America, and belongs 
 to the different branches of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Smyres was united in 
 marriage with Miss Clara B. Halstead, of 
 Rantoul, a daughter of H. H. and Sarah 
 (Bullock) Halstead. She died in August, 
 1889, and was buried at Rantoul. The 
 children of this union were Erva Pearl, 
 born in Burlington, Kansas, July 19, 1882; 
 Aimee L., born in Rantoul, May 14, 1885; 
 and Edna C., born in Rantoul, April 26, 
 1887. Mr. Smyres was again married, in 
 November, 1891, his second union being 
 with Miss Ernma R. Cary, of Belle Plaine, 
 Illinois, a daughter of Dr. David and 
 Nettie (Irvin) Cary, both now deceased. 
 The father was a physician of Belle Plaine. 
 By his second marriage our subject has one 
 child, Esther J., born in Rantoul, Decem- 
 ber 19, 1893. 
 
 JB. MARTIN, the well-known editor and 
 proprietor of the Homer Enterprise, of 
 Homer, Illinois, was born in Washington 
 county, Indiana, April 26, 1858, and is a 
 son of L. G. and Elizabeth Martin, also 
 
 natives of Indiana. The mother died when 
 our subject was only six years old. In early 
 life the father followed the occupation of 
 farming, but later turned his attention to 
 the blacksmith's trade, conducting a shop 
 at Rantoul, Champaign county, Illinois, for 
 some years, having removed thither when 
 our subject was about seven years of age. 
 He continued his residence there until 1885, 
 when he removed to Wilson county, Kan- 
 sas, where he now makes his home. In his 
 family were seven children, five of whom 
 grew to maturity, our subject being the 
 fourth in order of birth. The sons all re- 
 side in Kansas with the exception of J. B., 
 and the daughter, Mrs. D. W. Cummings, 
 who is a resident of Gifford, Illinois. 
 
 J. B. Martin was educated in the schools 
 of Rantoul, and at the age of fourteen 
 years commenced learning the printer's 
 trade in the office of the Rantoul Journal, 
 conducted by C. W. Gulick. He remained 
 there for fifteen years, the last twelve years of 
 that time being in the employ of F. E. Pink- 
 erton, now publisher of the Clinton Pub- 
 lic, at Clinton, Illinois. After leaving that 
 office- Mr. Martin came to Homer, and on 
 the 1 2th of June, 1889, purchased the Ho- 
 mer Enterprise, which had been established 
 by J. C. Cromer, but was then owned by 
 W. L. Samson, who had conducted it for a 
 number of years. The paper is devoted to 
 local and general news and is Republican 
 in politics. In connection with its publica- 
 tion, Mr. Martin also does job printing. 
 
 On the 23d of September, 1882, he was 
 united in marriage with Miss Addie Cupper- 
 nell, a native of New York, and a daughter 
 of M. V. Cuppernell, who came to Cham- 
 paign when Mrs. Martin was a small child, 
 and later removed to Rantoul, where he still 
 resides. He was engaged in milling until 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 639 
 
 1890, but now follows farming. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Martin are both members of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, of which he has been 
 a trustee for the past nine years, and he 
 also belongs to Homer Lodge, No. 99, F. \ 
 A. M. He is also a charter member of Bril- 
 liant Lodge, No. 232, K. P., and was also a 
 charter member of the same order in Ran- 
 toul. He has passed through all the chairs, 
 and has taken the grand lodge degrees, the 
 highest in the order. In politics he is a 
 Republican, but has never cared for office. 
 
 I SAAC FIELDING, of the firm of Powers 
 1 Fielding, editors and publishers of the 
 Champaign Times, is one of the best 
 known citizens of Champaign count}', with 
 whose welfare he has been closely identi- 
 fied for more than a score of years. As a 
 journalist, his influence has been far-reach- 
 ing, and it has always been used for the 
 progress and material advancement of 
 Champaign county and the state at large. 
 In political circles, no less than in the 
 newspaper world, he is recognized as a 
 potent factor, and his personal popularity 
 is beyond dispute. 
 
 Mr. Fielding was born in Westport, 
 Connecticut, February 16, 1857, and is the 
 son of William and Esther (Nuttell) Field- 
 ing, both of whom were natives of England, 
 both born in Ashton Underlyne, Manches- 
 ter, the former January 22, 1820, and the 
 latter January 16, 1820. He was a cotton 
 spinner by trade, an occupation which he 
 followed both in his native country and 
 after his arrival in the United States, where 
 he came with his young wife shortly after 
 their marriage in 1848. For several years 
 prior to the Civil war he was foreman of a 
 
 department in a Connecticut mill, and con- 
 tinued to act in that capacity until the fall 
 of 1864, when he came to Illinois and 
 turned his attention to farming in Shelby 
 county. At the end of a year, however, he 
 retired from farming and returned to the 
 mill, passing the rest of his life in Sullivan, 
 Illinois, where he died February 13, 1883. 
 He was an earnest and devoted member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and died 
 in that faith. His widow, who is also a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 is yet living in Sullivan, and four of their 
 children survive. When a young girl, Mrs. 
 Fielding rode upon the historic first rail- 
 road train, running from Manchester to 
 Liverpool. 
 
 Isaac Fielding's advantages in his youth 
 were very meager, indeed. His father failed 
 in his farming enterprise and the lad was 
 obliged to leave school and aid in the sup- 
 port of the family, and help to pay all the 
 indebtedness in full with ten per cent, inter- 
 est. Thus he has been literally self-edu- 
 cated and self-made, yet in spite of adverse 
 circumstances he fitted himself well for 
 life's duties. He was twelve years old 
 when he entered the office of the Sullivan 
 Progress, and there he earnestly and labor- 
 iously struggled to obtain thorough knowl- 
 edge of the business, in every detail. Re- 
 maining there until he had attained his 
 majority, he then concluded to start inde- 
 pendently, and, in partnership with Mr. 
 Powers, who had been in the same office 
 with him, he came to Champaign and 
 bought the Times, which for a period was 
 managed by the firm of Smyser, Powers & 
 Fielding. The senior member subsequently 
 retired from the firm, and the paper has 
 since been conducted by Messrs. Powers & 
 Fielding, who have made a financial sue- 
 
640 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 cess of the enterprise. Until quite recently 
 it was the only Democratic paper in the 
 county, and it ranks with the leading 
 organs of that party in the state. In fact, 
 it has the largest circulation of any paper 
 in the county, and year by year has added 
 to its lists of regular subscribers. 
 
 For a number of years Mr. Fielding was 
 the treasurer and secretary of the Demo- 
 cratic central committee of this county. 
 Though he was not a regular candidate for 
 the postmastership of Champaign in the 
 fall of 1886, his name was brought forward 
 by General J. C. Black, who suddenly 
 withdrew his support, and then the friends 
 of our subject came to his rescue with flat- 
 tering alacrity. It had bee*i supposed that 
 General Black controlled the Democratic 
 patronage of this district, but every mem- 
 ber of the county central committee, most 
 of the state central committee, every Dem- 
 ocratic congressman of Illinois, and such 
 representative citizens as Franklin Mac- 
 Veigh, and several of the members of Presi- 
 dent Cleveland's cabinet filed letters of 
 commendation and recommendation, and in 
 other effective ways brought to the notice of 
 the chief executive the fact that Mr. Field- 
 ing, and no other, was the man desired by 
 the Democrats as postmaster. He was duly 
 appointed by the president and entered upon 
 his new duties here on New Year's Day, 
 1887, and served efficiently for about a year 
 and seven months when he was removed 
 by Harrison. When Cleveland was again 
 elected, Mr. Fielding was at once appointed 
 anew to the office, and continued to serve 
 until about eight months after the expira- 
 tion of the president's term. During this 
 period the population of Champaign nearly 
 doubled, and the business of the post office 
 more than kept pace with this gain. Mr. 
 
 Fielding proved himself to be the right 
 man in the right place, and made hosts of 
 new friends. While he held the post the 
 office was removed to its present com- 
 modious quarters in the new building and 
 many improvements were put in force in 
 the management of the business. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Fielding and Alice 
 B. Yeats, daughter of A. J. Yeats, was 
 celebrated April 23, 1884. They have one 
 daughter, Alice Bernice. The parents are 
 members of the Episcopal church of Cham- 
 paign and were the first couple married 
 within that house of worship. The home 
 of the family is a pleasant one, located at 
 No. 207 West Clark street. Mr. Fielding 
 erected this residence and takes great pride 
 in making improvements in and about it. 
 
 DANIEL D. CANNON, a worthy and 
 thoroughly patriotic citizen of Urbana, 
 has been honored with public positions for a 
 score of years, and always has proved 
 himself to be eminently suited to offices of 
 trust and responsibility. Perhaps no man 
 is better known in this section of Champaign 
 county, and wherever he is known he is 
 highly esteemed. 
 
 He comes of the hardy, sterling Prot- 
 estant Irish stock which has materially 
 contributed to the progress and prosperity 
 of this country. His parents, Richard M. 
 and Mary (Brodrick) Cannon, emigrated to 
 these hospitable shores from the northern 
 part of the Emerald Isle, in the early part 
 of this century. Thenceforth the father 
 was actively engaged in farming in Shelby 
 county, Ohio. For many years he held 
 various township offices, besides being a 
 justice of the peace, and was favorably 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 641 
 
 known for a radius of forty miles, perhaps. 
 He endured the innumerable hardships 
 incident to pioneer life, and participated in 
 the last war with the Indians in the Buck- 
 eye state. First of all, he was a patriot, 
 and so thoroughly did he inculcate the 
 principles of loyalty to country into his sons 
 that four of them enlisted in the defence of 
 the Union, two of the number giving their 
 lives to the cause. The boys who wore the 
 blue occupied a warm corner in his heart, 
 and it was while attending a Grand Army 
 re-union at Columbus, Ohio, that death 
 overtook him. Though lacking only two 
 weeks of being ninety-two years old, he was 
 well preserved, his mind being clear as in 
 his -prime. Formerly a Whig, he then 
 united ' with the Republicans, and was 
 actively interested in the welfare of the 
 party. Both he and his devoted wife were 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 he being an officer during the greater part 
 of his mature life. She was called to the 
 better land when in her sixty-sixth year. 
 
 Of their children, Permelia, the eldest, 
 married W. B. Laughlin, and is deceased. 
 Caroline, the next child, widow of William 
 Swan, resides upon a farrn near Kankakee, 
 Illinois. Susan died at the age of eight years. 
 William B., whose death occurred in 
 February, 1899, when he was seventy-three 
 years old, served for over three years in the 
 Twentieth Ohio Infantry during the Civil 
 war, and was stationed in the west much of 
 the time. Charles, also a soldier in the 
 Federal army, died from the effects of a 
 wound received in the service. Abraham S. 
 lives in northern Ohio and Thomas S. 
 carries on the old homestead in that state. 
 Clara died when eighteen years of age, and 
 Warnoc R., the youngest of the family, died 
 at twelve years. N. F., the tenth in order 
 
 34 
 
 of birth, enlisted in the Union army, rose 
 to the rank of lieutenant, and at the end of 
 about six months of service, was killed on 
 the battle-field. 
 
 Daniel D. Cannon, who was born in 
 Shelby county, Ohio, March 10, 1837, was 
 reared as a farmer, and had only the advan- 
 tage of a district school education. Having 
 a desire to see something of the west, he 
 came to Illinois, and at the end of six 
 months arrived in Champaign county. This 
 was in 1856, and since that time he has been 
 actively associated with the development of 
 this locality. He was engaged in agriculture 
 and carpentering for a number of years, and 
 had made a good start on the high road to 
 a competency, when the war of the Rebellion 
 broke out. He had closely followed the 
 tide of events leading up to that memorable 
 strife, and in August, 1861, enlisted as a 
 private in Company I, Second Illinois 
 Cavalry. Going to the front, he continued 
 to serve faithfully at his post of duty until 
 the close of the war, April, 1865. Like his 
 father before him, he is a stalwart Republi- 
 can, firmly believing in the policy of the 
 party, which has scored so many triumphs. 
 In 1878 he was made deputy sheriff, and 
 for sixteen years performed the duties of 
 that responsible position with z"eal and 
 credit. In 1894 he was further honored by 
 election to the office of sheriff, in which 
 capacity he won new laurels, during his 
 four years term. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Cannon and Mary 
 E. Black was celebrated in 1858, and two 
 daughters of that union survive. Addie F., 
 wife of George VV. Scott, of Havana, Illi- 
 nois, has nine children: and Jennie E., wife 
 of James W. Braddock, of Decatur, Illi- 
 nois, is the mother of two children. After 
 the death of his first wife, Mr. Cannon 
 
642 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 wedded her sister, Aseneth Black, the mar- 
 riage occurring August 6, 1890. He is a 
 member of the Presbyterian church, and 
 and always has been a liberal contributor 
 to religious and benevolent enterprises. 
 
 WILLIAM H. MILLER, a successful 
 farmer and highly esteemed citizen 
 of Ludlow township, residing on section 
 15, was born in Clinton county, Indiana, 
 December i, 1845. His father, William 
 Miller, was a native of Virginia, born 
 March 5, 1801, and was a son of Samuel 
 and Margaret Miller. Throughout his en- 
 tire life he devoted his attention to agri- 
 cultural pursuits. On the 6th of October, 
 1851, he married Miss Catherine Ireland, 
 who was born June 23, 1812, and they be- 
 came the parents of the following named 
 children: James, born September 11, 1832. 
 married Nancy Starky, and is now a retired 
 contractor of Jefferson, Indiana. Mar- 
 garet L., born July 17, 1834, an ^ is the 
 wife of Charles C. Wright, of Tippecanoe 
 county, Indiana; John A., born September 
 25, 1835, was a manufacturer of sash, doors 
 and blinds, and died at Oshkosh, Wiscon- 
 sin, in 1881; Thomas L. , born August 
 31, 1837, married Margaret Stewart and 
 died in Clay county, Illinois, where his 
 family still reside; Annie C., born June 26, 
 1839, is the wife of James Scott, a retired 
 farmer of Monroe, Indiana; C. Perry, born 
 August 14, 1841, married Priscilla Stout, 
 and is engaged in farming in Pawnee 
 county, Nebraska; Eliza P., born January 
 3, 1844, is the widow of Nelson Howard, of 
 Indianapolis, Indiana, and now resides with 
 her two children; and William Henry, our 
 subject, is the youngest of the family. The 
 
 father died February 17, 1848, at the age of 
 forty-seven years, and the mother departed 
 this life a year later at the age of thirty- 
 seven years. All the children were born in 
 Clinton county, Indiana. 
 
 Oursubject remained in his native county 
 until fourteen years of age and then re- 
 moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, 
 where he attended school during the winter 
 and worked for a Mr. Wright on a farm five 
 years receiving his board and clothes, and 
 at the end of that time one hundred and 
 fifty dollars. At the age of twenty-one 
 he went to Paxton, Illinois, where he re- 
 mained one year and then returned to In- 
 diana. At the end of three months, how- 
 ever, he again came to Illinois, in 1867, 
 and this time settled in Champaign town- 
 ship, Champaign county, where he worked 
 by the month five years for one man. At 
 the end of that time he purchased a place 
 of eighty acres in Scott township, where 
 he followed his chosen occupation for sev- 
 eral years. In March, 1882, he sold that 
 farm and purchased a quarter section of 
 land in Ludlow township, where he now 
 resides. Being industrious, energetic and 
 enterprising, he has steadily prospered, and 
 has added to his first purchase until he now 
 has a fine farm of two hundred and forty 
 acres, which he has placed under a high 
 state of cultivation and upon which he has 
 made all of the improvements. In connec- 
 tion with genera] farming, he is also en- 
 gaged in stock raising, making a specialty 
 of short horn cattle, and Norman horses. 
 
 On the I9th of January, 1875, in this 
 county, Mr. Miller married Miss Amanda C. 
 Frankeberger, who was born in Ohio, but 
 has made her home in Illinois since one 
 year old, her parents, John and Susan 
 (Swisher) Frankeberger, having come to 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 643 
 
 Champaign county in July, 1853. By oc- 
 cupation her father was also a farmer. 
 More extended mention is made of the 
 family in the sketch of George Franke- 
 berger on another page of this volume. To 
 our subject and his wife were born three 
 children: Alvin L. , born December 15, 
 1875, was educated in the district schools 
 and at Rice College in Paxton, Illinois. 
 He was married December 19, 1899, to 
 Miss Grace De Spain, of Rantoul, Illinois, 
 a daughter of J. J. De Spain. He is now 
 engaged in farming on eighty acres of land 
 on section Ij5, Ludlow township, belonging 
 to his father. The seeond child died in 
 infancy unnamed. Carrie, born August 15, 
 1888, is at home with her parents. 
 
 Suffering from the effects of an accident 
 in a runaway, Mr. Miller has been in rather 
 poor health for the last fifteen years. He 
 takes an active and commendable interest 
 in public affairs, has served as tax collector 
 of his township for two years, and has been 
 an efficient member of the school board for 
 seventeen years. Politically he is a Repub- 
 lican, and religiously is an earnest member 
 of the Methodist church. 
 
 WA. MILLER. The financial and 
 commercial history of Champaign 
 county would be incomplete and unsatisfac- 
 tory without a personal mention of him 
 whose name introduces this article. He is 
 the leading representative man of Ivesdale, 
 and though not an old settler, he has be- 
 come prominently identified with the inter- 
 ests of the village, and is an important fac- 
 tor in promoting its welfare. 
 
 Mr. Miller was born in Piatt county, Il- 
 linois, November 24, 1853, and is a son of 
 
 James L. and Eliza J. Miller, who came to 
 Illinois in 1852 from Kentucky, locating in 
 Piatt county, where the father became 
 somewhat prominent in public affairs, and in 
 1858 was elected county clerk of the coun- 
 ty. He was not permitted long to dis- 
 charge the duties of the office, as his death 
 occurred the following year. He left a wife 
 and two children, as well as many friends, 
 to mourn his loss. 
 
 Our subject was reared in the usual man- 
 ner of farmer boys and acquired a good 
 practical education in the public schools of 
 his native county. When a young man he 
 commenced teaching in the country schools, 
 and being very proficient in all he under- 
 took, he gave excellent satisfaction. Subse- 
 quently he found employment as a clerk 
 with N. E. Rhodes & Son, the leading 
 clothiers of Monticello, then the home of 
 our subject, and he followed that pursuit 
 for a number of years. On attaining his 
 majority, Mr. Miller identified himself with 
 the Democratic party, and in 1882 was 
 nominated for county clerk of Piatt county, 
 and was only defeated by one hundred and 
 seventeen votes, his county being heavily 
 Republican. During President Cleveland's 
 first term he was appointed postmaster at 
 Monticello, which position he filled with 
 credit to himself and party. In 1890 he 
 was again recognized by his party, receiving 
 the nomination for county treasurer, and 
 was defeated by only forty-six votes, thus 
 showing his popularity in the county. 
 
 In 1893 Mr. Miller came to Ivesdale as 
 partner and manager for the firm of Digh- 
 ten & Miller, the firm representing a wealthy 
 capitalist of Monticello. They embarked 
 in the banking business at Ivesdale, and 
 are now receiving an excellent patronage, 
 their deposits amounting to many thousand 
 
644 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 dollars. They were not long in securing 
 the confidence of the people of the sur- 
 rounding country both in Champaign, Piatt 
 and Douglas counties, and in business cir- 
 cles they stand deservedly high. 
 
 In 1881 Mr. Miller was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Ella Norris, a daughter of 
 Daniel and Mary Norris, who belonged to 
 an old Piatt county family and are now liv- 
 ing retired in Monticello. Three children 
 have been born unto them Mabel, born 
 October 4, 1883; Harry J., February 11, 
 1887; and Mary, March 22, 1890. 
 
 Upright and honorable in all his deal- 
 ings, Mr. Miller commands the respect and 
 Confidence of his business associates, and is 
 held in high regard by all with whom he 
 comes in contact in any of the relations of 
 life. He has made a host of warm personal 
 friends during his residence in this county. 
 He takes an active interest in public affairs, 
 and his support is never withheld from any 
 enterprise calculated to prove of public 
 benefit. 
 
 THOMAS BABB, a prosperous business 
 man of Thomasboro, Illinois, was born 
 December 15, 1841, in the town of Great- 
 witch, Staffordshire, England, and is a son 
 of Jeffrey and Catherine (Deville) Babb, 
 natives of the same county. His mother's 
 ancestry can be traced back to the time of 
 William the Conqueror, with whom the pro- 
 genitors of the family in England crossed the 
 channel from Normandy. The father of our 
 subject spent his entire life in his native 
 land, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 
 died on the farm where he had lived many 
 years and where his father had lived before 
 him. After the death of her husband the 
 mother came to America in December, 1882. 
 
 The parental household included eleven chil- 
 dren, all of whom lived to become men and 
 women. They were John, Elizabeth, Mar- 
 garet, Thomas, Catherine, Jeffrey, Jane, 
 Ann, William, Mary and Alice. 
 
 The subject of this sketch remained with 
 his parents until eighteen years of age, when 
 he commenced hauling freight at a railroad 
 station, being thus engaged until starting 
 for the United States. Being enterprising 
 and ambitious he resolved to try his fortune 
 in the new world, where many of his coun- 
 trymen had settled and become prosperous 
 citizens. It did not take him long to decide 
 to follow their example, nor to put his re- 
 solve into execution. In May, 1860, he 
 sailed from Liverpool and after a voyage of 
 fourteen days set foot on American soil. 
 After a brief time spent in New York City, 
 he proceeded to Licking county, Ohio, 
 where he was variously employed until 
 October of the following year. He then 
 started overland for Illinois with a team and 
 cow, and on reaching Champaign county 
 rented a farm. With his team he 
 was enabled to earn the munificent income 
 of ninety cents per day, out of which he 
 boarded himself and horses. Mr. Babb 
 prospered, however, and the following spring 
 practically started in business for himself by 
 renting a farm. He successfully operated 
 this one year, and with the means which he 
 had saved by the closest economy, he pur- 
 chased forty acres of prairie land in Mahomet 
 township, one-half of which had been broken, 
 but no other improvements made. As he 
 had a young wife to care for, his first labor 
 was to prepare a habitation. He erected a 
 small frame house, and broke the remainder 
 of the land, but after residing thereon for 
 two years he sold the place and bought fifty- 
 seven acres in Hensley township, which was 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 645 
 
 in much the same condition as his late pos- 
 session at time of purchase. There he also 
 built a house. A year later he moved to an 
 eighty-acre tract which he had purchased in 
 Condit township, and occupied it for two 
 years, after which he disposed of the farm 
 and purchased eighty acres of wild land in 
 the same township. To the improvement 
 and cultivation of the latter tract he devoted 
 his energies for twelve years, during which 
 time he transformed it into a good farm. 
 Renting it, he next removed to Rantoul 
 township, where he -bought eighty acres ad- 
 joining the village of Thomasboro. By this 
 time Mr. Babb had obtained quite an in- 
 sight into the American method of doing 
 business, and had become thoroughly 
 Americanized in thought and action. In 
 1878 he commenced buying and shipping 
 hogs, and two years later also became in- 
 terested in the grain business, in both of 
 which undertakings he met with success. 
 Since he started the latter business Thomas- 
 ton has become one of the best grain mar- 
 kets in this section. By honorable and up- 
 dealings and strict attention, Mr. Babb 
 steadily prospered and from time to time 
 added to his farm property until he now 
 owns several hundred acres comprising some 
 of the finest land in Rantoul and Condit 
 townships. He has sold his grain business 
 to Mr. Grindly, and is now engaged in buy- 
 ing cattle in Texas, where he has spent the 
 last three years. He was reared in the 
 Episcopal faith, and although not at present 
 a member of any religious denomination, 
 he cherishes a profound respect for the re- 
 ligion of his parents. 
 
 In Licking county, Ohio, Mr. Babb was 
 married, in October, 1861, to Miss Eleanor 
 Philbrook, who was born in that county, in 
 1837. They have become the parents of 
 
 four children, (i) Jeffrey E., a prosperous 
 farmer of Vermilion county, Illinois, married 
 Louisa Appelgate, of Thomasboro, and they 
 hav.e four children, Eleanor, Hazel, Blanch 
 and the baby. (2) Lena A., born in Cham- 
 paign county, is the wife of Frank Lache- 
 lyre. a farmer living southwest of Cham- 
 paign, and they have one child, Lena A. 
 (3) Cyrus E. operates the old home farm in 
 Rantoul township, while his own farm in 
 the same township is cultivated by hired 
 men. He married Lena Baker, of Thomas- 
 boro, and they have three children, Nellie, 
 Mauriel and Averi). (4) Bertha A. married 
 William Lachelyre, a brother of Frank, and 
 a farmer of Rantoul township, and they 
 have two children, Iva and Lemere. 
 
 Cyrus Philbrook, the father of Mrs. Babb, 
 was a native of Maine, and worked on his 
 father's farm in that state until nearly of 
 age, when he went to sea and followed that 
 life for several years. On leaving the water 
 he removed to Ohio, and engaged in fann- 
 ing near Granville for a number of years. 
 It was there that most of his children were 
 born. His next home was in Licking coun- 
 ty, Ohio, where he continued to follow farm- 
 ing for about thirty-five years. He died at 
 the age of about eighty years. He was a 
 Whig, but never took an active part in poli- 
 tics, and in religious belief was a B iptist. 
 He was quite a prominent man in his com- 
 munity and accumulated some property. 
 He married Anna Christina Martin, who 
 was born near Granville, Ohio, and they be- 
 came the parents of the following children: 
 Henry W., a farmer, married Elizabeth 
 Pephers, of Jersey, Ohio, and died in Cali- 
 fornia, in the summer of 1899. Barnabus 
 wedded Mary Smith, of Jersey, Ohio, and 
 and died in Champaign county, Illinois. 
 Mary Ann is the wife of Swayne Williams, a 
 
646 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 farmer of Jersey, Ohio. Phineas died at the 
 age of eight years and Francis at the age of 
 seventeen. Americus died in the Civil war. 
 Christopher was killed in battle during the 
 same conflict. Mrs. Babb is next in order 
 of birth. David, a farmer, married Lucinda 
 Webster, of Delaware county, Ohio, and 
 died in the west. Helena is the wife of 
 Charles Schimerhorn, a farmer and black- 
 smith of Harvey, Illinois. Elmira is the 
 wife of Daniel Phillips, a farmer of Iowa. 
 All were born on the old homestead in Lick- 
 ing county, Ohio. The m'other died in 
 Thomasboro, Illinois, at the age of about 
 eighty years, and enjoyed good health until 
 a short time before her death. 
 
 GB. HOLMES, the well-known city 
 clerk and tax collector of Urbana, 
 Illinois, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, 
 August 17, 1852, and is a son of Rev. John 
 L. and Rhoda A. (Henry) Holmes, also na- 
 tives of Ohio. The father was a member 
 of the Erie Conference and rilled many pul- 
 pits in eastern Ohio for many years. In 
 1858 he came to Illinois, and settled on a 
 farm twelve miles west of Champaign, in 
 Champaign county. This was operated by 
 his sons, while he acted as agent for the 
 American Bible Society for ten years. Then, 
 owing to ill health, he lived retired upon 
 his farm for three years. He died in 1876, 
 at the age of sixty-three years. His wife 
 had died three weeks previous at the age of 
 sixty-four. She, too, was a devout mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 throughout life took an active part in the 
 work of both church and Sunday school. 
 In the family were six children, namely: 
 (i) Henry L. was formerly a farmer in Min- 
 
 nesota, but is now engaged in mercantile 
 business in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. (2) 
 Rev. E. J. is a member of the Florida Con- 
 ference, with which he has been connected 
 since the Civil war. In early life he went 
 south to engage in teaching, but when that 
 section of the country took up arms against 
 the union he returned to Illinois, and taught 
 in Rantoul for a time. He has served as 
 presiding elder for two terms and now makes 
 his home in Tallahassee, Florida. ( 3) 
 William H. is engineer on a passenger train 
 and makes his home in Minneapolis, Min- 
 nesota. (4) James Wilbur is a locomotive 
 engineer residing in Two Harbors, Minne- 
 sota. (5) C. B., our subject, is next in 
 order of birth. (6) Rollie A. is a locomo- 
 tive engineer of Escanaba, Michigan. 
 
 During his boyhood C. B. Holmes at- 
 tended the public schools of Ohio and "also 
 of Champaign county, Illinois, at the re- 
 moval of the family to this state, and com- 
 pleted his education at the University of 
 Illinois. He entered the service of the Big 
 Four railroad as night caller, in which ca- 
 pacity he remained with them for twelve 
 years, and was night round-house foreman 
 eight years. He was connected with the 
 Big Four until 1895, but in the meantime 
 was elected and re-elected city clerk, which 
 office he has now filled since May, 1877, to 
 the entire satisfaction of all concerned. In 
 1895 ne was elected township collector and 
 has served his fellow citizens in that capac- 
 ity for four terms. During his boyhood, 
 while a resident of Ohio, he had his left 
 arm so badly injured in a threshing ma- 
 chine that it had to be amputated above 
 the elbow.. Although he had this misfor- 
 tune to contend with, he has made the 
 most of his opportunities, and to-day occu- 
 pies a prominent position among the public- 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 647 
 
 spirited and enterprising citizens of Ur- 
 bana. 
 
 On the 23d of September, 1878, Mr. 
 Holmes was united in marriage with Miss 
 Martha Dempsey, a native of this county, 
 and a daughter of John Dempsey, of Ur- 
 bana, who came to this state from Canada. 
 To them have been born six children: 
 Agnes E., who graduated from the Urbana 
 high school in 1897; Charles Frederick, who 
 is now a machine apprentice in the Big Four 
 railroad shops of Urbana, and has received 
 high commendation for the work he has al- 
 ready done; William Turner, who is learn- 
 ing the tinner's trade in Urbana; Bessie 
 May; Clara Booth; and Wilbur. 
 
 Mr. Holmes is a Republican in politics, 
 and in his social relations is a member of 
 the Modern Woodmen of America. He 
 holds membership in the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, while his wife is a Baptist in 
 religious belief. 
 
 WALTER S. ODELL, a well-known 
 engineer on the Big Four Railroad 
 residing in Urbana. Illinois, was born in 
 Schoharie county, New York, August 26, 
 1856, and is a son of William S. and 
 Lavinia Odell, the former a native of New 
 York City, the latter of the western part of 
 the Empire state. For several years the 
 father was general manager of the Wagner 
 system of sleeping cars with headquarters 
 at Buffalo, New York, and had formerly 
 served as conductor with the same com- 
 pany. He is now living retired in Buffalo 
 at a good old age, and owns a farm near 
 that city which he rents. His wife died 
 about 1891. In their family were four 
 children, of whom our subject is the oldest. 
 
 Reed was killed by being thrown from a 
 horse at the age of sixteen years. Maggie 
 died at the age of seventeen. Ida, the 
 youngest, is the wife of Charles Brown, of 
 Buffalo, who is chief clerk in the New York 
 Central Railroad yards at East Buffalo. 
 
 Walter S. Odell was educated at the 
 East Pembroke Seminary, Genesee county, 
 New York, and after leaving school began 
 his railroad career as brakeman on the 
 New York Central Railroad. He served as 
 baggage master for a short time, after 
 which he filled the position of fireman for 
 about five years, and was then given au 
 engine, having now served as engineer for 
 over twenty-one years. In that capacity he 
 was with the New York Central Railroad 
 for fourteen years, running a freight train 
 twelve years and a passenger train two. 
 He left that road on his own account as he 
 desired a change of occupation. On leav- 
 ing that company, George Colburn, the 
 official engine dispatcher at Rochester, New 
 York, gave him the following written state- 
 ment: " Walter Odell, who is a locomo- 
 tive engineer of twelve years experience, 
 . during which time he was under my super- 
 vis : on, I always found him competent, 
 obliging, careful in all his duties, and 
 strictly temperate. He left the road of his 
 own choosing and I know of no reason why 
 he should not be employed by any com- 
 pany in need of a competent engineer. I 
 cheerfully recommend him as such and will 
 be pleased to learn of his obtaining employ- 
 ment in that capacity, as I am confident he 
 will give entire satisfaction. Given under 
 my hand. George Colburn." 
 
 For two years after leaving the New 
 York Central, Mr. Odell was engaged in the 
 hotel business in .Syracuse, New York, but 
 in 1896 came to Urbana, Illinois, and has 
 
648 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 since been one of the trusted engineers of 
 the Big Four Raifroad. Although he has 
 been in several wrecks, he has never been 
 seriously injured. He is an honored mem- 
 ber of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
 Engineers, No. 143, of Urbana, and also 
 belongs to the Masonic Lodge, No. 475, of 
 Batavia, New York. In politics he is 
 independent. He is a man of pleasing 
 address, makes many friends and is quite 
 popular with all who know him. 
 
 In 1879, Mr. Odell married Miss Flora 
 Dyer, a daughter of John and Almira Dyer, 
 natives of New York, both now deceased. 
 She was born in Genesse county, New York, 
 and educated in Darien Academy, that state. 
 To our subject and his wife were born two 
 children. Bertha is the wife of Peter Green- 
 ing, an engineer of Yonkers, New York, and 
 they have two children, Eddie and Walter. 
 Charles P., the only son of our subject, was 
 killed while firing on a fast freight on the 
 New York Central, in March, 1899, when 
 not quite twenty-one years of age. He lived 
 only a few hours after being injured. He 
 was attending strictly to his duties when the 
 accident occurred. His death cast a gloom 
 over his large circle of friends and acquaint- 
 ances, for he was a most promising young 
 man, well liked by all who knew him. 
 
 JAMES M. DUNSETH, a well-known 
 and prominent lawyer of Urbana, Illi- 
 nois, with offices in the Kirkpatrick Lindsey 
 building, was born in Champaign county, 
 September 22, 1867, and is a son of James 
 W. and Eliza Jane (Connell) Dunseth, the 
 former a native of Louisville, Kentucky, 
 the latter of Adams county, Ohio. On the 
 paternal side he is of Scotch descent, his 
 great-grandfather Dunseth being a native of 
 
 Scotland. His grandparents were David 
 and Sarah (Moore) Dunseth, the latter also 
 of Scotch extraction. Their children were 
 Robert, who married first Mary Bruer, and 
 second Sarah A. Connell, a sister of our sub- 
 ject's mother; James W., father of our sub- 
 ject; Ann, who married first Robert Patten 
 and second David Vandevender; John, who 
 married Mary Burnsides, a relative of Gen- 
 eral Burnsides; David, who married Massey 
 Bryan. Samuel, who was married twice but 
 the names of his wives are unknown; Eliza- 
 beth, who married Abner Mickings; Ellen, 
 who married Silas Patten; and Alexander, 
 who married Elizabeth Burnsides, a sister 
 of Mary, previously mentioned. Ann, John, 
 David, Samuel and Alexander are still 
 living. 
 
 Jarnes W. Dunseth, father of our sub- 
 ject, was young when he removed with his 
 parents to Adams county, Ohio, where he 
 was married March 15, 1848, and in the fall 
 of 1852 removed to McLean county, Illi- 
 nois. He came to Champaign county, 
 about 1858. Throughout his early life he 
 followed the occupation of farming, but in 
 1889 located in Urbana, where he spent his 
 last days. He was born on Christmas Day, 
 1817, and died December 10, 1894. He 
 was a devout member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and held the offices ac- 
 corded a layman. He always kept well in- 
 formed on the questions and issues of the 
 day, but took no active part in politics aside 
 from voting. The only office which he 
 would ever accept was that connected with- 
 the schools. 
 
 Mrs. Eliza J. Dunseth, the mother of 
 our subject, is still living, an honored resi- 
 dent of Urbana. She is a daughter of Moses 
 and Nancy (McColm) Connell. Her father, 
 who was a farmer by occupation, was born 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 in Adams county, Ohio, in June, 1793, a son 
 of John R. and Sarah (Mehaffy) Connell. 
 His mother died January 13, 1826. She 
 had fifteen children, namely: Rebecca, born 
 in March, 1792; Moses, June, 1793; Jane 
 and Polly, twins, July 28, 1796; William, 
 Decembers, 1798; Hiram,- September 16, 
 1 800; Joseph Mehaffy, July 14, 1802; Nancy, 
 February 16, 1804; John and Stephen, 
 twins, February 13, 1806; Paul and Silas, 
 twins, December, 1807; and Sarah, Cath- 
 erine and Greenberry, the dates of whose 
 births are unknown. For his second wife 
 John R. Connell married Rachel Ellis and 
 had one daughter by that union, Mary, born 
 October 4, 1828. John R. Connell was 
 born in Pennsylvania, June 6, 1767, and re- 
 moved to Ohio soon after it became a state, 
 becoming a pioneer farmer of Adams coun- 
 ty. His son, Moses Connell, the maternal 
 grandfather of our subject, came from Ohio 
 to Champaign county, Illinois, and settled 
 on a farm near Homer, where he died August 
 20, 1870. He was a life-long member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, in which 
 he served as class leader, and he filled the 
 office of school director for many years. 
 He married Nancy McColm, a native 
 of North Carolina, and a daughter of Mal- 
 colm and Sarah McColm, in whose family 
 were six children, the others being John, 
 David, Lucinda, Permelia and Eliza. Moses 
 and Nancy (McColm) Connell had only two 
 children. Sarah Ann, who was born January 
 8, 1822, and married Robert Dunseth, an 
 uncle of our subject; and Eliza Jane, who 
 was born January 2, 1828, and is the mother 
 of our subject. 
 
 James M. Dunseth, of this review, is the 
 youngest in a family of seven children, the 
 others being as follows: (r) Jennie N. was 
 married, in December, 1868, to Isaac A. 
 
 Yeazel, a farmer of Sidney, Illinois, and 
 they have five children, Orpha, Wilber, 
 Effie, Leslie and Frank. (2) David C. , a 
 telegraph operator for the Illinois Central 
 Railroad at Champaign, was married, No- 
 vember 14, 1875, to Lida A. Peters, and 
 they had two children, Orin and De Clyde, 
 both deceased. (3) M. Bell died at the age 
 of one year. (4) Ansel B., a resident of 
 Beason, Logan county, Illinois, was" mar- 
 ried, May 17, 1880, to Jennie McElvane, 
 and has three children, Claude, Clara and 
 Sarah. (5) Sarah Ann was married March 
 7, 1880, to David C. Butler, who is engaged 
 in farming near Urbana, and they have six, 
 children, Oliver, Mable, Edward, Ethel, 
 Jennie and Ray. (6) William Henry, a 
 minister of the United Brethren church at 
 Williamsport, Indiana, was married Decem- 
 ber 26, 1886, to Arilla B. Walston, and they 
 have one child, Cecil. 
 
 James M. Dunseth spent his early life 
 upon the home farm, attending the country 
 schools and aiding in the labors of the fields. 
 At the age of seventeen he entered the pub- 
 lic schools of Urbana, where he pursued a 
 literary course for two years. Later he was 
 a student at the Northern Illinois College of 
 Law for two years, and was graduated from 
 that institution in the class of 1898. He 
 immediately opened an office in Urbana, 
 and has already built up a large and con- 
 stantly increasing practice. On the 2nd of 
 July, 1897, he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Fannie L. Kirkpatrick, a daughter of 
 J. C. 'and M. C. Kirkpatrick, who are repre- 
 sented on another page of this volume. She is 
 a graduate of the New England Conservatory 
 of Music at Boston, Massachusetts, and has 
 been a member of the choir in the Method- 
 ist Episcopal church of Urbana for many 
 years. 
 
650 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 WILSON WHEATLEY, who is now 
 living a retired life in the village of 
 Seymour, Champaign county, Illinois, was 
 born in Pennsylvania, February 26, 1825, 
 a son of Mordecai and Mary Wheatley, 
 both of English extraction. The family was 
 founded in this country by three brothers, 
 George, Isaac and James Wheatley, who 
 settled in Pennsylvania, the last named be- 
 ing our subject's grandfather, who died in 
 Bellaire, Ohio, many years ago. Mordecai 
 Wheatley, the father of our subject, was 
 born in 1802 on board a ship while his par- 
 ents were coming to the United States. In 
 1826 he removed from Pennsylvania to Tus- 
 carawas connty, Ohio, and settled on a 
 farm, our subject being only one year old 
 at that time. Later the parents removed 
 to Perry county, Illinois. They were de- 
 vout members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and always took an active part in 
 the work of church and Sunday school, the 
 father having formed the first Methodist 
 Episcopal class in thatco.unty. He died in 
 1880, and his wife, who was born in 1803, 
 died in 1881. 
 
 Our subject was one of a family of eleven 
 children, the others being as follows: John 
 served four years and four months in the 
 Second Illinois Cavalry during the Civil war 
 and was taken prisoner at Holly Springs, 
 Mississippi, but soon managed to escape. 
 He was a Mason, and in early life a minis- 
 ter of the Baptist church, but later preached 
 the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. He died in December, 1899, aged 
 seventy-eight years. Warren served four 
 years in the Seventh Illinois Volunteer In- 
 fantry, and was promoted tothe rank of com- 
 missary sergeant for carrying his wounded 
 colonel to the rear in the thickest of the 
 fight at Fort Donelson. Mordecai served 
 
 four years in the Twenty-fifth Illinois Volun- 
 teer Infantry under General John A. Logan 
 and U. S. Grant as orderly. Reece died in 
 Champaign county, at the age of fifty-five 
 years. Mary E. married Joseph Duncan 
 and died many years ago. Robert, an en- 
 gineer for many years, died in Duquoin, 
 Perry county, Illinois, at the age of forty- 
 eight. Thirza A. died at the age of two 
 years, and Isaac and George died in early 
 childhood of scarlet fever. 
 
 Wilson Wheatley left home at the age 
 of fourteen years and started out to make 
 his own way in the world with only fifty 
 cents in his pocket. For two years he led 
 a roving life, and at the end of that time 
 found himself where Kansas City now 
 stands, that region being then all wild and 
 unimproved and inhabited principally by 
 Indians. From there he went to Deca- 
 tur, Illinois, where he remained some time, 
 and then came to Champaign county, where 
 he found employment with B. F. Harris, in 
 whose employ he remained fourteen years. 
 In the meantime he saved his earnings and 
 invested in a farm. In 1848, when many 
 people were going to California, he de- 
 cided to join them. Accordingly he 
 sold his farm and secured the necessary 
 outfit, which cost him twelve hundred 
 dollars. With two hundred and six persons 
 he started overland, but on reaching Bear 
 creek was taken ill and left in the care of 
 Dr. Liggon, who had accompanied the 
 train from Omaha. The Doctor took him 
 back to that city and later to his home in 
 Platt county, Missouri, while the emigrant 
 train moved on, taking our subject's outfit. 
 All were murdered in the Mt. Meadow 
 massacre, our subject being the only one 
 to escape. Later he went to St. Louis, 
 and in March, 1849, returned to Champaign 
 
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 
 
 6 5 r 
 
 county and resumed work with his former 
 employer, B. F. Harris. 
 
 In April, 1851, Mr. Wheatley married 
 Miss Jane Mary Dale, a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania, where her parents, Moses and Susan 
 (Wise) Dale, were also born, but during her 
 childhood the family removed to Ohio. 
 She was the second in order of birth in a 
 family of seven children, the others being 
 John, Thomas, Richard, Jemima, Susan 
 and Isaac, all now deceased with the ex- 
 ception of Thomas, a farmer of Mahomet 
 township, this county, and Isaac, a resident 
 of Russell county, Kansas. Nine children 
 were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley, 
 namely: Mary is the wife of Marshall Keith, 
 a farmer of Russell county, Kansas; Susan 
 R. is the wife of James McDowell, who was 
 formerly a farmer, but is now sergeant at 
 the Soldiers' Home in Fort Dodge. Kansas; 
 John Charles Fremont married Mattie Sul- 
 lens, and is engaged in the livery business 
 in Russell county, Kansas; Emma Panola is 
 the wife of Charles Darst, a retired farmer 
 of Mexico, Missouri; Alice is the wife of 
 Ezra Cade, who owns a large stock ranch 
 in Russell coiinty, Kansas; Mordecai mar- 
 ried Kate Miller, of Champaign county, and 
 is now engaged in the agricultural imple- 
 ment business in Seymour, Illinois; Minnie 
 is now studying Delsarte and elocution in 
 Chicago, and is an active worker in the 
 Methodist Episcopal church and Sunday 
 school; William W. married Mamie Stew- 
 art, and is a mechanic living in Seymour; 
 and Didona Bell taught school for seven 
 years 'prior to her marriage, and is now the 
 wife of Jesse Mitchell, a farmer of Ma- 
 homet township, this county. The wife 
 
 and mother, who was an active and con- 
 sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church for over twenty-five years, died in 
 December, 1887. 
 
 In 1860 Mr. Wheatley purchased a 
 farm in Hensley township, which he oper- 
 ated many years, and then sold and bought 
 a house and lot in the village of Seymour, 
 bnt he lived for several years after the 
 death of his wife, but for the past three 
 years has made his home with his children. 
 As a farmer he met with well-deserved suc- 
 cess and became q-iite well-to-do. For 
 over forty years he has been an earnest 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 and has filled the offices of steward and 
 collector. Socially he has been a member 
 of the Odd Fellows Society for over forty- 
 four years and has occupied all the chairs 
 in that order. In early life he was a Henry 
 Clay Whig, and since the dissolution of 
 that party has been a stanch Republican, 
 casting his first presidential vote for Zach- 
 ary Taylor. He was well-acquainted with 
 Abraham Lincoln, and in memory goes 
 back to many pleasant times spent with the 
 martyr president. As a young man he was 
 quite a sportsman, delighting in horse rac- 
 ing, foot-racing, wrestling, etc. He is one of 
 the old and honored residents of the county, 
 and can relate many interesting incidents of 
 pioneer days. While with Mr. Harris he 
 used to go to either Peoria or Bloomington 
 to mill, a distance of forty miles, and made 
 many trips with ox teams to Covington, 
 Indiana, for salt and other supplies. He 
 has probably split more rails than any other 
 man in the county, and has endured all the 
 hardships and privations of pioneer life. 
 
PAGE 
 
 Abernathy, Robert 141 
 
 Ahlrichs, August 273 
 
 Ahrens, Henry C 100 
 
 Aid, Charles 596 
 
 Alpers, Dr. John H 329 
 
 Arnold, Cyrus 446 
 
 Arnold, Victor '. 463 
 
 Babb, Arthur 581 
 
 Babb, Charles D 478 
 
 Babb, Milton 572 
 
 Babb, Thomas 644 
 
 Bacon, Tuell M 243 
 
 Bailey, David 16 
 
 Bainum, J. Harvey 70 
 
 Baldwin, Charles H 433 
 
 Baldwin, Clarence L 486 
 
 Ball, RobertG 543 
 
 Banes, Horatio G 71 
 
 Barber, Frederick J 557 
 
 Barry, Rev. John 373 
 
 Battershell, James 233 
 
 Beardsley, John W 14 
 
 Beatty, Calvin 534 
 
 Beisser, Frederick A 271 
 
 Bellinger, Jacob A.. 508 
 
 Bennett, Jonah 364 
 
 Besore, George 103 
 
 Bireley, Louis R 276 
 
 Black, Wallace 542 
 
 Black, William 33 
 
 Blackshaw, Edward 130 
 
 Blaine. Edward W 236 
 
 Blue, James P 284 
 
 Bond, Albert C 495 
 
 Bragg, John 221 
 
 Braithwaite, Richward W 283 
 
 Bridges, Charles M 620 
 
 Briggs, S. C 627 
 
 Brown, Isaac 377 
 
 Buch, Jacob 72 
 
 Buckles, Harness R 211 
 
 Burke, Arthur M 93 
 
 Burnham, Albert C. .". 9 
 
 Burr, Franklin E.*. 378 
 
 Burr, John N 396 
 
 Burrill, Thomas 1 1350 
 
 Burres, Dr. William F 618 
 
 Busey, James B 525 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Busey, R. R 418 
 
 Busey, Samuel T 615 
 
 Butler, Calvin B 356 
 
 Cailey, John L 404 
 
 Campbell, Archibald B 595 
 
 Canaday, Gilbert F 393 
 
 Cannon, Daniel E 640 
 
 Carle, Albert G 263 
 
 Carley, Mark 289 
 
 Carnahan, Franklin G 205 
 
 Carpenter, James M 63 
 
 Carter, John 494 
 
 Chadwick, Harry W 375 
 
 Chaffee, Dr. Heman 339 
 
 Cherry, William..; 20 
 
 Chester, Elias 498 
 
 Chester, Ezra E 546 
 
 Chester, Hubert 346 
 
 Clark, A. J 229 
 
 Clark, Jesse H 431 
 
 Clark, John G 56 
 
 Clark, William R 395 
 
 Coffey, Thomas 85 
 
 Columbia, Curtis F 54 
 
 Cook, William 586 
 
 Cosner, William H.' 612 
 
 Craig, James M 246 
 
 Cranston, Julius 594 
 
 Craw, George B 456 
 
 Craw, James W 427 
 
 Cross, Abram D 593 
 
 Cunningham, Joseph 26 
 
 Dale, F. L. & C. W 327 
 
 Dale, Thomas 515 
 
 Darrah, Thomas 419 
 
 Davidson, Capt. Joseph 468 
 
 Davis, Wiley 492 
 
 I >avis, Robert 567 
 
 Day, John 609 
 
 Deere, Moses 291 
 
 DeLong, Charles' G 421 
 
 Dick, Eli H 4.H4 
 
 Dilling, Jacob R 337 
 
 Dobbins, Oliver B 255 
 
 Dodson, William '_'! "> 
 
 I Jnnoghue, Edward 597 
 
 Doty, Joseph 442 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Draper, Andrew S 386 
 
 Dresback, John 358 
 
 Dresser, Rev. David W 400 
 
 Dunseth, James M 648 
 
 Eagleton, Charles M 153 
 
 Ehler, Gerd 266 
 
 Emig, Zachariah 226 
 
 Eversole, Henley 380 
 
 Fackler, William 414 
 
 Fauley, Armstead M 126 
 
 Fielding, Isaac 639 
 
 Finch, Dr. James H 103 
 
 Fitzgerald, James 245 
 
 Fluck, Martin J 275 
 
 Flynn, George W 106 
 
 Foster, Ejdward 96 
 
 Fox, Samuel C 66 
 
 Frankeberger, George 527 
 
 Free, William H 124 
 
 Freeman, Henry B 529 
 
 Gardiner, J. C 360 
 
 Gensel, Z. T 244 
 
 Gehrke, Charles 225 
 
 Geiger, George F 75 
 
 Gill, Rudolph Z 60 
 
 Gilmore, William J 575 
 
 Glascock, A. B 320 
 
 Graves, Samuel 331 
 
 Gregory, John M 368 
 
 Groves, Rev. Isaac 625 
 
 Groves, Dr. John 1 125 
 
 Gulick, Jesse R 170 
 
 Haines, Charles A 254 
 
 Hall, Albert T 94 
 
 Hammer, Jacob T 384 
 
 Hannan, Bernard 250 
 
 Harbison, Baxter D 43 
 
 Hardy, William Fisk 84 
 
 Hartford, Dr. William 146 
 
 Hartman, A. H 89 
 
 Hayward, Jacob 503 
 
 Hazen, Hordce 485 
 
 Hebel, Charles 231 
 
 Heller, Joshua 25 
 
 Herbstreit, Jacob F 140 
 
654 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Hewerdine, George 505 
 
 Hewerdine, William 517 
 
 Hicks, Doctor Samuel J 477 
 
 Hill, Warren M 361 
 
 Hill, William 152 
 
 Hinton, D. F. I) ' 482 
 
 Hinton, John H 530 
 
 Hoffman, Charles P 629 
 
 Holmes, C. B 646 
 
 Hough, Sanford 363 
 
 Howard. Ur. H. C 36 
 
 Hubbard, George W 134 
 
 Hubbard, Thomas S 76 
 
 Hume, James H 564 
 
 Hummel, Henry 610 
 
 Hummel, Jr., Philip 603 
 
 Ireland, Edward C 186 
 
 Ijams, Burt Gordon 154 
 
 James, Mrs. Lucy J 540 
 
 Jessee, Dr. R. E. L 403 
 
 Jones, Henry T 429 
 
 Johnston, Richard 559 
 
 Karcher, George .' . . . 319 
 
 Keach, John W 476 
 
 Kenney, Andrew M 373 
 
 Kirkpatrick, John C 193 
 
 Kilbury, Mortimer 340 
 
 Kellogg, O. P 634 
 
 Klein, Peter 287 
 
 Kratz, Dr. Edwin A 61 
 
 Kyle, Thomas B 34 
 
 Lamb, Andrew J 521 
 
 Lanam, Stewart 512 
 
 Lange, Franc H 220 
 
 Larkin, Eugene B 532 
 
 Lawder, John W 206 
 
 Leal, Thomas R 52 
 
 Lee, James H 570 
 
 Lehman, Daniel M 293 
 
 Lenington, Wade 347 
 
 Lenington, William 82 
 
 Lester, David H 607 
 
 Lester, Jonas 531 
 
 Lindley, Walter W ... 121 
 
 Lindstrum, Andrew J 252 
 
 Lloyde, F. H 280 
 
 Loomis, Oliver P 164 
 
 Lorenz, Lewis H 606 
 
 Lumsden, John T 156 
 
 Lutz, George H 92 
 
 Lyons, William B 576 
 
 McCann, James 239 
 
 McCarty, George E 232 
 
 McClurg, John A 269 
 
 McCoy, Patrick 424 
 
 McHugh, Thomas W. : 101 
 
 Mclntyre, Daniel P 410 
 
 McKinley, James B 636 
 
 McLean, Lewis A 314 
 
 Manspeaker, Lewis V 185 
 
 Martin, J. B 638 
 
 Massey, Lorenzo Dow 151 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Mathews, Hon. M. W 176 
 
 Maxwell, George F 484 
 
 Meharry, Abraham P. 577 
 
 Meharry, Jesse 536 
 
 Meharry, William 518 
 
 Miebach, William 216 
 
 Miller, Andrew J 22 
 
 Miller, William H 642 
 
 Miller, W. A 643 
 
 Miller, William R 496 
 
 Mills, Dr. Milton H 102 
 
 Mitchell, Hugh 466 
 
 Montgomery, Geo. W 462 
 
 Morfey, William 507 
 
 Morgan, William F 624 
 
 Morgan, William H 325 
 
 Morris, Rev. Nathan S.. 173 
 
 Mosier, Dr. P. C 303 
 
 Mudge, William W 323 
 
 Mullin, W. A 181 
 
 Munhall, James 253 
 
 Murphy, William A 330 
 
 Myers, Robert J 454 
 
 Neblock, S. N 45 
 
 Nelson, Myron 584 
 
 Newcomb, Dr. William K 64 
 
 Nichols, Hezekiah S 472 
 
 Nicolet, J. G 413 
 
 Nofftz, Charles 464 
 
 Nogle, David 444 
 
 Nye, John E 308 
 
 O'Brien, Joseph 160 
 
 Odell, Walters 647 
 
 O'Neal, William B 302 
 
 Owen, Henry C 458 
 
 Paine, Andrew J 392 
 
 Parker, Isaac N 608 
 
 Parks, Milton S 309 
 
 Parnell, Douglas 569 
 
 Pattengale, Thomas J 135 
 
 Pell, Frederick 312 
 
 Peters, Frederick J 383 
 
 Pettenger, George C 285 
 
 Pf isterer, August 136 
 
 Porterfield, L. Wilson 348 
 
 Potter, S. William 590 
 
 Prather, Benjamin P 261 
 
 Price, William 196 
 
 Pulliam, William 342 
 
 Quayle, John 224 
 
 Ramey, Mrs. Harriet H 481 
 
 Ratts, Dr. R. P 440 
 
 Rearden, James 493 
 
 Reed, Rev. S. K 133 
 
 Reimund, John 143 
 
 Renner, E. H. & Bro 40 
 
 Rice, Arthur 294 
 
 Rice, David 562 
 
 Rice, Samuel D 402 
 
 Richards, J. A 123 
 
 Richards, Patrick... 86 
 
 Richardson, James 1 558 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Rittenhouse, Joseph H 582 
 
 Richmond, J. W 565 
 
 Roberts, Joseph T 439 
 
 Robinett, Hezekiah 514 
 
 Robinson, Hugh J 501 
 
 Roughton, William H 112 
 
 R oyal, William S 150 
 
 Rush, David 513 
 
 Russell, Elias 116 
 
 Sabin, Calvin J 633 
 
 Sackrider, George 544 
 
 Sadorus, George B 600 
 
 Sadorus, Jesse M 506 
 
 Saffell, W. 1 200 
 
 Sale, Dr. Frank O 105 
 
 Savage, John H 190 
 
 Sawdey, OrenB 631 
 
 Sawyer, John B 599 
 
 Schenk, Anthony 561 
 
 Schu^rich, Dr. Joseph 385 
 
 Scheurich, Martin 412 
 
 Seeber, George M 545 
 
 Sheffer, George K 210 
 
 Sheldon, Hon. J. C 332 
 
 Shepherd, Henry B 554 
 
 Shurtz, Richard E 121 
 
 Shurtz, Straut W 119 
 
 Sim, William 622 
 
 Singbusch, August C 115 
 
 Skinner, George 113 
 
 Smith, Joshua 452 
 
 Smith, Motimer 488 
 
 Smith, Thomas J 630 
 
 Smyres, Lewis A 637 
 
 Somers, William D 13 
 
 Sperling, August 588 
 
 Sperling, Frederick 585 
 
 Spore, Dr. J.D 51 
 
 Spradling, Alfred 166 
 
 Stacker, John E 272 
 
 Stark, Rev. Edgar C 219 
 
 Staubus, Alexander F 598 
 
 Stedman, Rev. W. H 194 
 
 Stephens, B. C 161 
 
 Stewart, Arthur R 326 
 
 Stewart, Thomas P 306 
 
 Strong, Mrs. Mary B 191 
 
 Stevenson, S G . . 614 
 
 Stitt, William E 27C 
 
 Suessmith, Rev. William 144 
 
 Swayze, William H 556 
 
 Tackett, Walker B 74 
 
 Talbott, James A 432 
 
 Tanner, John W 535 
 
 Taylor Joseph D 467 
 
 Tierney, John 235 
 
 Thomas, Charles D 184 
 
 Thorpe, James 275 
 
 Towne, Walter H 366 
 
 Trotter, John F 611 
 
 Tucker, Alanson P 110 
 
 Turner, Isaac 408 
 
 Turner, Dr. John W 344 
 
 Twin City Ice & Cold Storage 
 Co... . 318 
 
INDEX. 
 
 655 
 
 Unzicker, Julius K.. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 . 613 
 
 Voss, John A 213 
 
 Wade, Edmund R 474 
 
 Wagner, Rev. A. J 163 
 
 Walker, William 399 
 
 Wall, Dr. Albert S 81 
 
 Warner, George 524 
 
 Warnes, William 182 
 
 Watkins, John R 365 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Wiggins, H. J 390 
 
 \\Ynver, Leslie A 628 
 
 Webber, George G 260 
 
 Webster, Joel V 256 
 
 Weeks, Simeon E 131 
 
 Wheatley, Wilson 650 
 
 White, Davison 397 
 
 Williamson, Dr. George L 317 
 
 Williamson, William 202 
 
 Williamson, Peter 553 
 
 Williams, Simeon S 522 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Wilson, James R 604 
 
 Winchester, Samuel E 281 
 
 Wright, Francis M 46 
 
 Wright, Hon. R. C 299 
 
 Wright, Robert 443 
 
 Wrisk, Charles N 423 
 
 Yeats, Andrew J 201 
 
 Yeats, John E 175 
 
 Zerbe, John J 526 
 
 Zimmer, J. F 455 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF CHAMPAIGN COU