V 5-il Glass _ Book 'Vj/Pi / THE PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY ILLINOIS ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1903 Vt. Mi^ Biography is the only true history."— EMERSON. INDKX. PAGE Abdill, Edward C 983 Acton, William M 325 Adams, Ellis 1047 Adams, Harvey C 22y Adams, L. P 842 Aldridge, Mahlou 544 Alison, Rev. M. M 51S Alldredge, W. R 828 Allen, Charles A 70 Alkrfcon, S. W 1024 Allhands, F. M 498 Allison, Alfred II45 Anker, William J 1005 Arnold, N. M 926 Atwood, Alfred 53- Auer, Rev. Melchior 1 151 Ay res, Fred H 5i7 Babcock, Dr. H. S 998 Bailey, Joseph 730 Bailey, J. P 238 Bailey, M. B 225 Baird, G. W 739 Baird, Joseph 1013 Baird, J. F 719 Baird, W. 1 375 Baker, H. S 818 Baldwin, John M 475 Baldwin, Lycurgus looi Barnhart, Ephraim 413 Barton, R. T 660 Baum, Samuel W 130 Baum, W. F 784 Beard, David 1054 Benjamin, A. B 736 Bennett, Thomas 656 Benson, O. C 887 Berhalter, A. A 338 PAGE Bever. William, Sr 904 Beyer, Mrs. Mary 583 Black, Samuel 270 Blackstock, W. J 351 Blair, Mrs. Mary J 1077 Blankenburg, Ernst 234 Block, R. .\ 483 Bogart, C. J 653 Bolles, H.H 944 Boo'rde, Elijah J 409 Brandon, D. C 748 Branham, Esther E 298 Bratton, T. A 429 Brewer, Daniel 694 Bridgett, William M 152 Briggs, CM 311 Bristow, S. A 790 Brothers, Stephen 685 Brown, Daniel mi Brown, Dr. W. A 955 Buckingham, George T 75 Buhl. Cliarles 312 Busby. C. F 627 Butterfield, Murry J 1051 Buy. Fred 1122 Calhoun, W. J 1042 Callahan, Simeon 995 Cameron, L. A 69 Campbell, F. M 659 Campbell. Joseph 323 Campbell, J. D 602 Campbell. J. J 1108 Campbell, Rev. W. L 1099 Cannon. Hon. J. G 968 Carnahan, Gen. R. H 616 Carson, John 490 Carson, John M 576 PAGE Carter, W. H 171 Castleman, T. B 867 Cathcart, W. G 1 157 Catiherwood, A. T 1 148 Catherwood, M r s. Mary Hartwell 208 Catherwood. J. S 206 Catlett, Herald 630 Catlett, Hiram H 947 Chamberlin, O. P 581 Chesley, C. E 378 Chesley, John L 721 Chesley, L. A 1 1 14 Chesley, Robert V 172 Christman, J. S 1102 Christman, T. F 38 Church, William A 802 Clark, Judge S. M 841 Clapp, A. R 888 Clements, Col, Isaac 852 Cline, Spencer 1 1 17 Clingan, J. W 1030 Clingan, L. A 385 Cloyd, Dr. Frazier N 667 Cloyd, Dr. R. A 5^5 Clutter, A. H 284 Coburn, G. F 261 Cochran, Dr. W. A 137 Cockerton, George E 135 Coddington, A. E nog Cole, George S 1089 Collins, Neville A 1078 Collison, F. A 132 Collison, Samuel 61 Collison, Thomas F 158 Conunercial Trust & Savings ■ Bank 1 103 Cook, B. F 882 INDEX. PACE Cook, Enos 88i Cook, James P l6i Cosat. John J 775 Cossairt, William 4'4 Courtney, J. B 941 Cox, J. A 1073 Craddock. William 567 Cromwell, Jackson 1058 Cronkhitc, B. E 1015 Crow, Charles F 495 Cruzan. Alpheus 1023 Current, Isaac 3-26 Current. W. H 283 Cunningham^ E. E 149 Cunningham, Joseph 41 Ctmninghani. J. A 45 Cunningham, William T.... 66 Custer, John M 125 Dale. John W 16 Daniel, O. M 600 Darr, George W 763 Davis, I'". L 1032 Davis. Henry 1050 Davis. Ira Grant 859 Davis. James 615 Davis, J. T 601 Davis, M. C 610 Davis, W. J 422 Davison, James 1076 Deal, John 777 DeL/jng. C. B 78 Dice. James H 433 Dickinson, John A 574 Dickson, Janies A 812 Diehl, John W 492 Dillon. George 372 . Dobhins, W. G 949 Dodge, Gen. A. G. P 978 Doney. B. T 151 Donnelly. Edward 482 Dougherty. James M 112 Dougherty. J. M 1083 Douglass, Dorman B yo6 Douglass, J. M 546 Duffin, Thomas 554 Dukes, John H 1098 Duley, W. W 1016 Dimcan, Darius 4.'?6 Dwiggins. Dr. Walter 28 Dye. W. W 905 Eader. U. R 203 Elliott, Milton 635 P.AGE Ellsworth, C. E 900 EllsworBh, J. P 963 F.nglisih, Charles L 96 English, J. G 196 Erikson. Ludvig 999 Evans. Judge D. D 57 Kverhart. Benjamin 401 Fairchild. Francis M 712 Fairchild, Harrison 402 Fairchild, N. R 769 F.iirchild, Seth 368 Fairhall. Dr. Joseph 388 Fares, F. C. V 1092 Fanlstick, August 681 Finley. Dr. J. L 896 Finley, Watts 650 Fisher, John W 35 Fithian, Elisha C. B 228 Fithian. Dr. Paul E 662 Fithian, Dr. William 825 Fleming. A. U 789 Fleming. J. .A 973 Flint, W. .-X 411 Fox. Dr. A. L 919 Fox. J. W 1 155 France. H. S 1119 Frazier, Jay M 1093 Frazier, John, Sr 458 Frazier, Perry 1091 Friends in Vcmiilion county. 848 Funk, Carl 3:^3 Gaines, Francis 286 Garner, James M 1093 Gass, L. D 138 George. Thomas J 1 1 16 Gerrard, John 569 Giddings, Frank .\ 1018 f.illc.spic, C. H 428 Gilmorc, James 939 Gones, Thomas 451 Goodner, Mrs. Linca E 883 GcKxKvinc. James 804 Goodwine. John, Jr 267 (;(K)dwinc, J. W.. Sr 636 Gravat, Oscar B ii.M Greenebaum, Gus M 82 (iregory. A. S 782 Griffith. Linn 11.., 491 Gustin. F. M 1068 Hacker, Frederick 531 Haggard, D. B 254 PAGE Hahn, Leonard J 634 Hamilton, John L 625 Hanly, Dr. G. M 1153 Hanson, William T 987 Harris, H. W 242 Harrison, George 1144 Harry. S. A. D 644 Hart, Charles B 515 Hart, Samuel 1 130 Hart, William 266 Hawkins, W. C 753 Hcaly, J. J 299 Hebel, .Andrew 484 Hented for its superiority in these respects. W iib the artesian out-])(nn" of ]inre water in unlimited quantities in the northwestern I)ortion of the county: with two and three six and seven foot veins of excellent bitumi- nous coal underlaying the west and south- west portion of the county : clay, sand and rock deposits favofably situated for utiliz- ing at minumum er-cpense. all well distributed throughout the county, such ad\-antages are to be considered w hen determining upon locations for manufacturing and the invest- ment of cai)ital .and cnterjjriscs. the success of which depends u])on economical material and the con\ersion of same into what is desired. X'crmilion county is especially favored in regard to its freedom from climatic extremes. The reason for this is that located as it is midway in the thermal belt between the tliirtv-nintli and fortieth degree of latitude, outside of the great air currents which follow the mountain ranges on both sides of the continental valley through which (low the water arteries north and south from the .\rctic circle to the Gulf of Mexico — there is a lessened liabilitv of barometrical disturbances which variations in pressure are primarily the cause of tornadoes, cyclones, gales and all of the variouslv named winds which benefit or in- jure mruikind. The relation of climate, more especially the weather, to health, is an inc|uir\- deserving of consideration. It will be found from statistics that this section of the state compares with the most favored, not only as regards diseases of the respira- tor}- .system Init is free from annual malarial diseases resulting from marshes and poorly drained alluvial soils. In the early part of 1827, (iuy W. Smith and Dan. W. Beckwith donated land to the countv for a countv-seat. Dan\ille occu- PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY. pies that and much more land at present. It was a fortunate as well as an ideal lo- cation. As the plainsmen ha\e it, "there was an abundance of wood, water and grass" all easily obtainable. No dang-er of floods, matters not if a repetition of Noah's time occured ; e.xcellent and economical drainage, yet easily accessible from all di- rections. Evidences of the Indian's appre- ciation of the beauty and advantages of this site was to be seen by the pioneer, their camping grounds and former \'illage sites extending from the crescent banks of the main Vermilion river on the south, along the billowy shaped bluffs on tiie west, which befined the course of the Xortlt Fork to the abrupt Denmark Hills. Eastward Stone Creek, which was a rapidly flowing stream of clear cold water, was the boundary. Re- member, too, that this plateau, level as a floor, was free from underbrush until long after the advent of the whites. A beautiful forest of sugar maple was in the southeast- ern part, while oaks, walnuts, elms and other varities of deciduous trees clothed the north- ern portion. It would be useless to attempt a pen photogra])h as it would in nowise furnish a picture of the natural beauties of the original landscape before it was marred and destroyed by the ruthless hand of man ; ready to sacrifice any and e\-ery thing for gain. I doubt if there exists a nature so barren of sentiment, so lacking in all that elevates mankind above the brute that has not some fondness and love of the beautiful. Can imagination, poetically inspired though it be, present and form any type of beauty compared with spring, clothed in her varied shades of the bursting; buds of trees and shrubs trimmed with garlands of flowers of e\"ery color: the summer of hope and antici- pation : followed ■ then by the season of fruition ; succeeded In- grim visaged winter which was, howe\er, a time of warm liearted hospitality in pioneer days. The latch string of their log cabins was out to all who be- sired to enjoy good cheer — letters of intro- duction, creed and party played no part in invitations to take a chair and make oneself at home by the hospitable host. The deep broad fireplaces, the width of one side or end of the cabin, with its back-log and pile of maple or hickory wooil gave both heat and light — a cheerful place it was for family or stranger when the day's work was done, to gather in front of the liright blaze, re- count the happenings of the day, discuss ])olitics (papers and boc^ks were few and far between in those days ) plan for the morrow's deer hunt or wolf drive, and not infrequently do some "sparking" if there was an un- coupled young woman in the house. Modern formalities were unknown, matri- monial as well as other proposals were direct and easilv understood. A couple in- tent on a better or worse program "mounted a nag" and were soon wedded by a minister or sc|uire at an outlay often times of not more than a "thank you squire" or "much obliged, Mr. Dominie." Efficient police were unnecessary for guarding presents or reporters needed for blazoning to the public the folly as well as names of friends. It would sound strangelv at the present time, if it was gi\'en out to the ubit(nitous reporter bjr a pork packer, that he intended building a boat at the foot of \'ermilion street with gunwales and jjlank from trees cut on the flat east and adjoining and loading this boat for New Orleans with hams and bacon from hogs butchered on the ground over which the Wabash railroad now passes on the north en.d of the bridge. This has been done, however, that ti> within the memory PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY. of hv no means tlie oldest inhabitant. E(|ually strange to the well fed citizen of this day is the fact that a little flutter mill on the North Fork, near the ground occu- pied by Beard X- Custer's icehouses, fur- nished the meal for mush and ])ones in 1834-5-6. for not only most of Danville's citizens but the ccnintry round about. The amount that an individual couUl get ground was limited to a bushel, half bu.shel custom- ers had the preference, although the rule of succession was as arbitrarily enforced as it is at a po])ular and brst class barber .shop. Waiting for hours in sunshine or in rain to get a half bushel of com mashed or cracked (it never was bolted) would not suit pre.sent customers who demand immediate attenticm in su])plying their retiuest by telephone and complain nf the tardiness of the grocer or butcher if tha\' fail in matcri;d or time. ,\ matter which may be forgotten if not noted is this: there was a time in Danville's history when there was no butcher shop or ])lace where provisions could be obtained at all times : beef was killed on the scjuare after ha\'ing been thoroughly tested for milk sickness; if affected it was shown by \iolent trembling which ga\e the disease the name it was generally known by (trembles) it was the cause of many deaths among the early settlers. Milk, butter or Ijeef from towns or country northeast of the city was regarded with sus|)i(5ion. An English family of se\-eii who liJid recently settled in Dan- ville on the southeast corner of Hazel and North streets died in a week from eating- butter coming a mile or so northeast from the junctifin. The father was a ])(jsitive man who said there was not a bit of truth in the sickness coming from eating butter, that there was no such thing ;is milk sick- ness, that he would show the 1 loosiers that he was right. I'oor fellow, his faniilv and him.self might have escaped a fearful death had he been willing to accept facts and not stubbornly ignored them. This milk sick- ness is something which has eluded in- vestigation ; that it is the result of poison taken into the system from lieef. butter or milk is accepted Ijy medical men wh()se practice has given them opportunities for inxestigation and treating it. Danville's fair name was clouded for years by the reported niilk sickness and from the reputation it gained in the business transactions at the land office which was located there. A re])utation smirched is like a name with a bar sinister, difl'icult to ])ut aside or over- come. With bright prospects for the future let us ho])e that all tending to detract from Danville's fair name is forever biuMed and will l>e forgotten. Accepting the pro])osition that effect fol- lows cause and is dei)endent itpon it. we have briellv outlined that which is termed history in the organization of X^ermilion comity, with incidental reference to those who gave to Danville the county seat an existence as such. An attempt to antidate the Indian occu])ancy when discovered by the whiles or Europeans takes us into a field of un- limited speculation, one in which ruithropol- ogists as well as archaeologists ha\e signally failed in determining. .■\s has been previously slated in this preface, France by right of discovery of the Padres (priests) claimed the Mississip])i \alley as also the territories adjacent to the lake from the .Atlantic to the Rocky Abiun- tains. In a work of this kind, however, an extended and detailed account of occurrences lirior to the time of occupancy of those whose biographies are given, would be of no special interest to them, their relatives PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILIOM COUNTY. or personal friends. The pressing" needs supplied by such a work as the "Past anrl Present" is recognized when we look around and note the absence of the many familiar faces who but a short time ago were prime factors and participants in every depart- ment and phase of life. How soon are they, and will we be forgotten ! Not a pleasant subject for contemplation for those whose lives have been and are a continuous strug- gle to attain some desirable aim — money, position, or office for themselves and chil- dren. No one, matters not how; lacking they are as regards public estimation while living, who does not crave for their families and friends some record of their existence — information which in years to come will be treasured and referred to. if not by the world at large by those who are directly interested — children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren — often by descendants of many times removed. The territory embraced in Vermilion county was a part of Crawford county, then of Clark county, which extended as far north as the Kankakee river. Edgar county fol- lowed in the secjuence of county creations and was taken from Clark county in January 182,3. By an act of the legislature January 18, 1826, Vermilion county was created from part of Edgar county and its bound- aries defined which were subsequently al- tered by subtractions and additions. In 1833 Iroquois was formed: Champaign county was given a goodly strip from the west side; Livingston county, organized in 1837, came in for another slice from the northwest corner of Vermilion county ; Grundy county in 1841. Will county, Iroquois, and Kankakee counties all had more or less and yet Vermilion county was left territory enough to make her rank as fourth in size of the one hundred and two counties in the state. The early immigration into this terri- tory was from the southeast, the Carolinas, Tennessee, \'irginia, Kentucky, southern Ohio and Indiana, furnished a majority of those who sought new homes and enjoy the free elbow room existing where neighbors were few and stock range unlimited. From the present standpoint it is not possible to have a correct understanding or idea of pioneer society. En\-ironments differing es- sentially from what existed fifty years ago necessarily effect not only society but every- thing connected with and related to it. At- tempted descriptions as ordinarily given are simply extravaganzas or caricatures. What would fashion's de\'otees of the present think if called upon to card, spin, weave, dye and make the linsey woolsey for their dresses and underwear — knit theirs and the stock- ings for the household from yarn, every thread of which from the sheep's back had passed through their busy fingers. The hum and whirr of spinning wheels large and small, the thud-thud of the loom — was the music of the drawing room, reception room, parlor, and kitchen all i n one and not "E-Pluribus-Unum", as it is now when evolution's re(|uirements declare for com- fort and ease which cannot be thorouglily enjoyed without an unlimited number of apartments and servants many therewith. What think you would one of those pioneer grandmothers have said if such a notice as the following had come under her eyes : "Girl wanted, two in family, no washing, two days out, good wages. Apply at once. Room 1903, Flat B". Here it may be well to also state tiiat first class girls equal in PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY. every respect to tliose employing them were paid twenty-five anil tiftv cents per week — were regarded as companions and treated as such, not as inferiors, drudges unworthy of notice. 'I'lie socialistic sentiment existing tlien was prochictive of genuine friendship wliicii lasted through life. The feudalistic idea of inherent iinhilitx' or blue-bloi.idism imported fn_)m lun'ope in later years would not have been tolorated in a true democracy. The government land office for this dis- trict was located in Danville in 183 1-2. Samuel .McRoberts (afterwards United States senator) was the tirst recei\er: J. C. Alexander the lirst register. This office re- mained until the public land or most of it was disposed of. This recjuired some years, many receivers and registers ser\'ing in these responsible ])ositions faithfully and well. Latterl)-, however, the office was used by out-siders for personal profit to the detri- ment of its rejjutation which reflected upon Dan\ille"s reputation and retarded its growth. Gold and silver coin alone was ac- cepted for land by the government. This coin was stored in boxes and stacked uj) mi the lloor of the office until the joist would bend and the fioor sag under the weight. When dei)osits were made at the sub-treas- lU'y in Chicago, a wagnn load nf monev was sent with no guard or protection except the driver and a citizen perhaps, who had busi- ness in the Lake City, one hundred and twenty-five miles distant, most of the wav through a- sparsely .settled fountry. What an iipportunity for present professionalists til burglarize vaults, .safes and strong boxes, terrorize whole communities, and hold up railroad trains with impunitv. A fortunate thing has it been for Dan- ville escaping as it has. all the booms except that of 1836 when it was slightly effected. It has lieen called old fogisli. a one-horse place, by town-site jjromoters and specu- lators whose boom cities ha\e gone to the wall long ago, while Danxille like the tor- toise has won the race. Progress based up- on established business in process of develop- ing interests which lung cx])erience has shown to be necessary and profitable, with assurance of continuance, attracts capital and investors notoriously shy and conservat- ive. Another thing which faxurs the future welfare of Danville, as well as that of \'er- milion county, if the awakening of the citizens to the necessity of utilizing the latent sources of wealth which ha\e remained un- disturbed until recently. Danville's first railroad was the ( ireat Western of Illinois in 1859. Consttlidated with the Wabash was efYected in June, 1865, when a division was made from the state line to Danville, making Danville thetenninal for east and west divisions. In December, 1869. the Indiana])olis. l*loomington & ^\'e,stem was built into Danville from the \\ est and from Danville east to Indianapolis in December, 1870. Chicago, Danville & \'incennes Railroad was completed to Dan- ville in Decenil)cr. 1871: the shops, engine house etc., during 1872. What is known as the Collett road from Terre Haute to Dan- ville (a part of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois .system) was com])leted into Dan- ville December, 1871. The Paris & Dan- ville Railroad (a portion of the Big Four system at present) was built in 1872. It is scarcely necessary to trace the de- velopment of the street car system of Dan- \illc from the day when two rats of mules with tinkling bells to warn ]iedestrians as well as others to clear the track for the PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY. swiftly moving car in whicli the conipan)- could have guaranteecl a sound snooze be- tween any of the parks, the Junction, public square and transfer office. Wonderful changes have been brought about by that agency, electricity, not in Inconiotion alone but evei"ything else in civilized life, viewed from the present standpoint. The lives and experiences of the earliest pioneers w'ould furnish material for volumes of greater interest by far than the creations of authors without the personal experience which alone gives true relish to recitals of border life. Simple statements of every day life filled with constant danger of robbery, murder and the many contingencies of at- tacks by Indians and worse still by the refugees and desperadoes that lived upon the borders of ci\'ilization. There was a num- ber of genuine trappers and hunters living in the vicinity of Danville — men of the Daniel Boone order. One well remembered by the writer was Captain Jim Clynian, a genuine frontiersman, hunter and trapper, tall, spare in flesh, keen deep-set blue eyes, face and hands as bronzed as the color of smoked buckskin ; hair that fell upon his shoulders; mouth that closed like a steel trap, surrounded by a hea\'y lieard which with his hair was the color of dried grass. Habited in a composite dress of linsey wool- sey wamus, buckskin pants, and foot wear, a coon skin cap w^orn when in the settlement. His long full stocked flint-lock rifle, toma- hawk and knife were never out of reach ex- cept when he was in the house of a friend, which was seldom. He had crossed the continent a number of times : years before the gold excitement he trapped and hunted on the head waters of the Columbia, Mis- souri, Yellow Stone and other rivers on the western side of the continent. He had crossed the Sierra Nevadas into Sacramento valley ; was thoroughly acquainted with the topography of California, its mild climate and abundance of game but knew nothing" of the gold which lay exposetl upon the slate bed rock of creeks and rivers on the wes- tern slope of the mountains. This, however, is not so strange when Fremont with his corps of scientists traxersed these ranges over the same ground no doubt which Clyman had hunted, and not a word was said in his reports to go\-ernment abijut gold. A pioneer California gold prospector is skeptical to the merits of the so called scientists who if they knew did not report it. Clvman's remarkable individuality attracted all who came in contact with him. At times when in conversational mood he could keep listeners s]3ell bound by narrating- his per- sonal experiences among the Indians ; of the manv hair-breadth escapes from capture, which meant death by torture, practiced only bv the Indians ; of his contests with mountain lions, panthers, grizzly bears and other wild animals which furnish the furs so much in demand and are captured at such hazard to life. Settling finally in Xapa Valley, Cali- fornia, this man of adventure passed the autumn of life in peace and plenty, dying at the ripe age of ninety-two. Space is given to this man Clyman as one of the very first pioneers of Vermilion county, and yet it never mentioned as far as the writer knows, in prose or poetry, eulogy or censure. Trails and foot paths blazed through the woods were the onlj' raods in the early days ; bridges there were none; rivers, creeks and slotighs must be forded or ferried ; in time of high water and floods, delays were neces- sary until the water subsided. Traveling PAST AND PRESENT OF VERMILION COUNTY. was done on foot or horse back by lioth fit fastened to the back of their saddles. In- men and women. Short as well as long dei)cndence of thousiht and actit>n character- journeys were made tliat way. Old and ized the women pioneers. What they lacked young women were jiroficient in c(|ucstra- in scholastic acquirements was made up in tion. It was not at all uncf>mm(in for practical know ledjic upon a basis of good journeys of several hundred miles to be sense, made by them on horseback with tlieir out- BIOGRAPHICAL JUDGE JOHN PEARSON. Judge John Pearson prol^ably took as active part in the development of Danville as any other one man, and his eiTorts were not alone along one line. He diil not merely contribute to the business growth of the city, but gave liberally of his means to the support of churches, and moreo\'er he shed around him much of life's sunshine, because of his kindly, benevolent spirit, his ready sympathy and his tired and true friendship. Thus it was that Danville loved and honored him and readily acknowledged her indebted- ness to him for what he accomplished in her behalf. Judge Pearson was born in A\on, New York, in January, 1802. His forefathers came from England to America, settling in Connecticut, and at an early day representa- tives of the family iiecame residents of Avon, being among the first settlers of western New York, The first of the name in this country was Rev. Abraham Pearson, who came from Yorkshire, England, in 1639. His son, who was also Rev. Abraham Pear- son, was the first president of Yale College, and died in Killingworth, Connecticut, in 1707, at the age of sixty-one years. John Pearson, the father of the Judge, was the 1 sixth child born to Ephraim and Hannah Pearson, his birth occurring in the town of Tolland, Connecticut, in 1765, while he died in western New York, at the age of forty-seven years. He was a pioneer mer- chant of that part of the state and a very wealthy man. He married Rebecca Wat- rous, whose first husband was General Hull, a Revolutionary soldier; her second, John Pearson; and her third. Colonel Samuel Blakeslee, also a hero of the Revolution. She survived all, dying at the age of ninety- six years. Judge John Pearson was a graduate of Princeton College, of New Jersey, and read law with Judge George Hosmer, of Avon. There in 1826 he married a daughter of George S. Tiffau}', an attorney of Scho- harie, New York, of a wealthy and aristo- cratic family, all of whom were in the pro- fessions. After his marriage Judge Pearson came to what was then the far west and be- gan practicing law. His brother-i*n-law. Rev. Henry Storrs, was then in Ravenna. Ohio, and the Judge located in that town. He later started for Chicago, stopping en route at Detroit to \-isit relati\'es, named Truax. At that place he took a sailing ves- sel for Chicago, arriving early in June, 1832, and as there was then no harbor the 12 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD vessel had to anchor out in tlic lake and the passengers were taken asliorc in yawls Alajor Whistler was in command of Fort Dearborn during the Sauk war of 1832. and, as he was a friend of Judge Pearson and his family, he had the Judge bring his family into the fort. The father, in look- ing around Chicago, found it was unsafe to remain there unless one was in the fort, so he came to Danville, the nearest point of safety, a company of rangers being sta- tioned here. The Judge came here on horse- back to look at the town. During his ab- sence the first steamer arrived at Chicago, bringing Scott's troops, but it also brought the cholera and a regxilar exotlus was made from Fort Dearborn. ]\Iark Beubcan took the family out to the summit and there waited until the father returned with a wagon 111 transport them. They were one week in making the trip, having to follow an Indian trail through Joliet. and quite a panic was caused by a lot of Indians who came uj) to them, but they were found to be not hostile, but in search of food because they were starving. Judge Pearson began the practice of law in Danville and was appointed by the legis- lature to the office of circuit judge, his cir- cuit comprising Cook, Will, Iroquois, Du Page and De Kalb counties, and he made his home in Joliet, while filling that office. He served on the bench until elected to the state senate, when he resigned the judge ship, and later he resigned as senator in favor of Joel Matteson. His wife died June 4, 1842, and in 1843 he married Kath- erine Passage, of Princeton, New Jersey. He then located in New York city, where he remained until 1846, but he did not like it there and besides his property was in the west, he having large landed interests in Chicago and in \'ermilion county. In 1849 li^ made the overland trip to Califor- nia, where he engaged in selling goods, taking out a fine outfit. He would not enter into politics there and after selling out his store at Bidwell's Bar, California, he went down among the Yumas on a trading ex- pedition and his partners were killed. Al- though he escaped with his life he lost all his possessions and soon after he returned to Danville, where he spent his remaining da_\s, having a fine property here and large laniled interests in the state. Judge Pearson was a strong Democrat and G. C. Peai-son now has a cane whicl was cut at The Hermitage and given to his father by Andrew Jackson. He was noted for keeping the first carriage and horses here and his first wife and the children dro\e thus to Detroit in 1836, passing through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. He was always an advocate of progress anil was quick to introduce anything which tended toward advancement along lines pro\ing of benefit to the community. He gave his attention to the supervision of his landed interests, and had extensive property holdings in this state. He at one time bought eighty acres of land south of Twelfth street in Chicago, of G. S. Hubbard, for seventeen dollars per acre, and forty acres on the west side, west of Halstead street, taking it in pa^t payment for property sold in Danville, but not considering it of any \alue he paid no attention to it and did not record the deed of sale. lie figured prominently in many events which had much to do with shaping the develo])ment of the state. His control of property interests not only led to business activity and to the re- clamation of wild land for purposes of civil- ization, but he was also an active factor THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 13 in assisting many other measures for the general good. Churches received his gen- erous support, and he was a man of very charitable and benevolent spirit. One of his predominant traits was his loyalty to his friends. He held friendship inviolable and was ever ready to assist a friend in any way possible. This naturally increased the cir- cle of his own friends, and it is safe to say that no man in Danville was held in greater regard by a wide circle of acciuaintances than was Judge Pearson, the honorefl pio- neer, who passed away in June, 1875. GUSTAVUS C. PEARSON. Gustavus C. Pearson, a capitalist of Danville, became a resident of this city July 4, 1832. Hardly another resident can claim personal recollection of the county at that remote period. Many events of , im- portance, however, have in the interval shaped the life history of Mr. Pearson, who was one of the argonauts who went to Cali- fornia in search of the "golden fleece" on the discovery of the precious metal on the Pacific slope; who was one of the early board of trade men of Chicago ; and was also largely engaged in promoting the trade interests of the Pacific coast. Prospering in his undertakings, he has largely placed his money in that safest of all investments — real estate — and is to-day accounted one of the capitalists of Danville, to which city he was brought in his boyhood when this was a frontier settlement. Mr. Pearson was born in Ravenna Ohio, July 17, 1827, a son of Judge John and Catherine (Tififany) Pearson. In childhood he came to Illinois and obtainedij attended Bishop Chase's Jubilee College near Peoria and Allegheny College at Mead\-ille, Pennsylvania, and took up the study of law under the direction of Josiah McRoberts in Danville in 1845-6. He af- terward went to Joliet and at the age of seventeen years had charge of the extensive business of Joel Matteson, with whom he remained until going to California. He left Joliet March 25, 1849, proceeded to St. Joseph, Missouri, and up 'the Platte river and thence across the country to Salt Lake, becoming well acquainted with the Mor- mons during his three months stay there, at which time he was engaged in hunting. He cut five and a half acres of wheat with a sickle, threshed it with a flail and cleaned it b}' means of the breeze from Salt Lake, which always blows in the afternoon. He sold his produce to a Mormon bishop, re- ceiving Mormon gold in exchange. With others he had been persuaded to stay until too late to go by the usual route — the Hum- boldt — to California, and then they were told to go by the southern route or else be- come Mormons, so the former alternative was accepted, the demand being made by Brigham Young in open meeting, it being his intention from the first to make them the explorers and openers of the southern route. Mr. Pearson gave up his wagon two hun- dred and fifty miles before reaching Cali- fornia. He had one of the finest outfits in his party but he turned it over to a starving family who were to deliver it to him in California. Ten of them then took their packs upon their backs and traveled night and day until they covered one hundred and thirteen miles, having no water during this time. The place has since been called Death's Valley. Two of the men went crazv from thirst. Thev had constantly to his early education in Joliet. He afterwardbe on the lookout and a new trail had to be 14 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD made for there was none. Tliey I'lnally reached Mohave and from there broke their way through the snow and over the moun- tains, crossing at the foot of San Bernardi- no mountain. Continuing on for two and a half days without anytliing to eat they reached Cocomongo ranch. Jackson, a former hunter of the Rocky mountains, wiio was major-domo in charge there, recognizing their condition, put tliem into a cellar, lock- ing them in and then ga\e them weak wine and a little beef broth. This uudmihtedly saved their lives for had they been permitted to eat in their half-famished condition, they would undoubtedly have killed themselves by eating too much. However, Jackson gradually increased their rations uniil they could partake of a regular meal. A beef was driven into the court and killed for the Indian employes daily and after a few days Mr. Pearson and his comrades were al- lowed to cut off from this beef as much as they wanted to broil. brom the ranch tliev went to Los .\n- geles, a Si)anish hamlet, and on the first night there was a ball. A southern gambler who had been norlh was shot down by one of a party of gamblers, with whose girl he had danced, yet nothing was done to him, as such th of .\pril. 1829. The grandfather, Gardner Herron, was a native of Maryland and served as a soldier of the war of 18 12. He wedded Maria Mo- raine, also a native of .Maryland, and, re- moving westward, became one of tlie pioneer settlers of Madison county. Ohio, where he was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1855. William G. Her- ron s])ent his youth in Olu'o, being reared upon his father's farm in Madison county, where he remained until twenty years of age. He then came west to Illinois, but for some years was connected witli a stock trader in driving stock to this state and Ohio and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 25 Pennsylvania. In 1855 he married Eva- line Robinson, also a native of Ohio. They began their domestic life in Piatt county, Il- linois, where Mr. Herron carried on general farming and stock-raising for about five years. In i860 he took up his abode in Monticello, purchasing an interest in a mer- cantile business and was there engaged in trade for several years. In 1881 he came to Ailerton and in connection with Samuel Al- lerton was extensi\ely engaged in farming and in the grain and stock business, this re- lation being maintained for a long period. Mr. Herron is an earnest and stalwart sup- porter of the Republican party, acti\'e in the local ranks of the party. He was nominated for the position of representative in tlie state legislature and, being elected by a good ma- jority, served for one term in the house with considerable distinction. He and his wife are devoted Christian people, having long held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and for eighteen years he served as superintendent of the Sunday-school of Monticello. He is a most effective and earn- est Sunday-school worker, his lal:)ors in this regard being far-reaching and important. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Herron were born nine children, to whom they gave good educa- tional privileges, fitting them for life's prac- tical duties. Having laid aside business cares, the father of our subject is now liv- ing a retired life in Sidell in company with his wife and they are numbered among the most highly esteemed residents of the com- munitv. John H. Herron of this review came to Vermilion county in 1881 with his parents. His early education was supplemented by a high school course and by two years of study in Columbia College of Washington, D. C. When he had completed his educa- tion he returned to Vermilion county and took charge of the elevator and grain busi- ness of Samuel W. Ailerton, at Ailerton, Il- linois. In 1890 Mr. Ailerton established a bank there and for six years our subject acted as its manager and cashier. In 1896 he came to Sidell, where he became a part- ner in an extensive grain business, the com- pany controlling- the grain trade at nine sta- tions and owning and operating" five ele- vators. They ha\-e just completed a large transfer and grain dqiot at Mount Vernon, Illinois, with a capacity of two hundred thousand bushels. Mr. Herron has mani- fested marked determination, enterprise and capability in the control of the branch of the business at Sidell and other places and he has contributed in no small degree to the suc- cess of the company. A man of resource- ful business abilitv, his efforts have not been limited to one line. He is interested in whatever tends to promote public improve- ment and progress and advance the welfare of the people and Sidell has largely profited by his efforts in its behalf. He was one of the promoters of tlie electric light plant at this place, is one of its largest stockholders and is now the manager and secretary of the company. He is also the president of the Building & Loan Association. An important event in the life of Mr. Herron occurred in 1893, at which time was celebrated his marriage to Miss Florence, a daughter of John W. Cathcart, a promin- ent business man of Sidell, but after a happy married life of six years Mrs. Herron passed away in May, 1899, and was laid to rest in Woodlawn cemetery at Indianola. She left one son, Alexander C, who finds a home with his maternal grandparents. Aside from business affairs Mr. Herron has been a citizen of worth in Sidell and is 26 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD widely recognized as one of the leaders of the Republican party, taking an active in- terest in local elections. In 1898 he was elected supervisor of Sidell township and has since I)een re-elected to the office, in which he is now serving. In 1902 he was chosen chairman of the county board of supervisors in which capacity he is also serving and he exercises his official prerogatives in support of all measures for the general good. In his life he exeniplilies the humanitarian spirit upon which the Masonic fraternity is found- ed. He belongs to the blue lodge at Sidell in which he has filled all of the offices and is now serving as master. He is also a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen Camp and i>f the Elks Lodge at Danville. A life-long resident of Illinois he is deeply interested in progress and advancement of the state and he has seen much of the growth and develop- ment of Vermilion county, being identified for a number of years with its institutions, its prosperity and its people. He is well known thmughout this portion of the state as a man of business integrity, of broad and liberal views, charitable and public-spirited. His salient characteristics are such as command respect and confidence in every land and every clime and in \'ermilion county they have won him many warm friends. W. T. JOHNSTON. W. T. Johnston is a representative of tlie Johnston Company, photographers of Hoopeston. A young man, enterprising, ■wide-awake and alert he is thoroughly con- versant with the business to which he de- votes his energies and has considerable ar- tistic talent which, combined with his com- prehensive understanding of the principles of photography and his capable business management, is bringing to him creditable and \\ell merited success. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana, on the 28th of Septem- ber, 1877, and is a son of J. W. Johnston, who now resides in Hoopeston and is a trav- eling salesman, representing the \V. D. Mes- singer Company, of Chicago. In his family were four children : \\'. T., of this review ; Anna; Thirza and Dell. In the year 1879 the father removed with his family to Chi- cago, where he spent seven years and then came to Hoopeston, which i>Iace has since been bis home. W. T. Johnston of this review was a lad of about nine years when brought by his parents to Hoopeston, and in the public schools here he pursued his education. He took up the study of photography in the College of riiotography at Effingham, Illi- nois, where he remained for nine months and then went to Chicago, l^eing in the em- ploy of Gibson, a celebrated photographer of tliat city, for two months. He was next in the eriiploy of Parrett, the president of the Indiana State Photographers' Associa- tion. On leaving him he came to Hoopes- ton .and for six months was in the employ of Mr. Schwab, at the end of which time he fiurchased his gallcrv, ha\ing been here since the ist of May, i8yj. The business is now- carried on under the name of The John.ston Compan}-, with our subject as manager and practical operator. Their pat- ronage increased so rapidly that they needed more room and bought the E. S. Hall's Studio on South Market street, an estab- lislied biisiness of twenty-five years. The company is to-day the only photographic firm in \'ermilion county to own their building. >\fr. Johnston has alwavs been THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 27 deeply interested in photographic work. Prior to the time that he embarked in the business as a Hfe work he was much inter- ested in amateur photography and manipu- lated a kodak, and he has to-day become a leader in his line in this part of Vermilion county, keeping in touch with the marked progress and ad\ancement which are being' made in the profession. He is thoroughly familiar with the latest improvements con- cerning the development, printing and fin- ishing of pictures, and added to this he has an artistic eye Avhich enables him to pose his subjects to the l^est advantage to secure life-like and natural results. He is a young man of unfailing courtesy, genial disposi- tion and pleasant manner, and he has won a host of friends througliout this locality. All who know him esteem him highly for his genuine worth and he is very popular in social circles. His ]xilitical support is gi\-en to the Republican party. NORBOURX NEVILLE. Norbonrn Xexille. who is engaged in the bakery and confectionery business in Fairmount, was born in Tippecanoe coun- ty. Indiana, September 17, 1847, and is a son of George N. and Mary S. (Throck- morton) Neville, who were natives of West Virginia, and on the paternal side the family is of Scotch descent. Unto the parents were born twelve children and those now living are : Mrs. Anna C. Taylor, of Fairmount ; Norbourn ; Mrs. ^Nlary E. Collins, of Catlin ; S. v., of Fairmount: Mrs. Ada Calfee, of California; and ]\Irs. N. Owen, of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Of those who passed away Delia died in infancy. George W., who enlisted in Company D, Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was in the serv- ice for three years and was wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, his death re- sulting from his injuries. Lucy also died in infancy. It was in the year 1854 that the father of this family came to Vermilion county accompanied by his wife and chil- dre!i. Upon arriving here he purchased the north half of section 10, Vance township, and cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers finding that everything around was new and wild, the land unbroken and the grass so high that when a boy our subject climbed upon a cabin in order to see where the cat- tle wer'e. The father first purchased an old log schoolhouse that stood on the Sandusky place, and lived in it for a year, after which he built a more substantial house, con- structing it from lumber hauled from Cov- ington, Indiana. Mr. Neville of this review has witnessed the development of the county from a wild condition when there was not a fence for miles upon the prairie, to its present state of progress and improvement. The father continued his farm work devot- ing to the cultivation of the fields his time and attention also engaging in the raising of stock, until about 1885, when he retired to Fairmount and put aside business cares. Fiis wife passed away .\ugust, 1889, and he died about sixteen months later, on the 8th oi January, 1801, at the age of se^•enty- one, his birtli having. occurred on the 2d of February, 1820. The ancestiy of Mr. Neville is traced back to the land of the thistle, his paternal grandparents emigrating from Scotland to Virginia in time for his great-grandfather, Joseph Neville, to take part in the Revolu- tionary war as a brigadier general. Un- like many of those who crossed the Atlan- tic at that time, he came fortified with am- ple means, which he invested largely in 2S \ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lands, comprising a valuable plantation, worked by slaves whom he liberated at the time of his death. Among the sons of Gen- eral Neville was George, the grandfatV.er of our subject, who was the youngest of a fam- ily of twelve children. He studied law at Winchester,' Virginia, under Ahram Lock, was admitted to the bar and tried one case, but then ga\e up the law for medicine, which he followed throughout life. He married Elizabeth Wolfe, of Winchester, Virginia, who was a daughter of Lewis and Catherine Wolfe, natives of Germany. George N. Neville, father of our subject, was one of seven children born to Dr. George and Catherine Neville. Norbourn Neville was the fourth child in his father's family and was reared and edu- cated in Vermilion county, working on the farm during the summer nn^ulhs while in the winter seasons he attended school. He remained at home until he was seventeen years of age and then offered his services to the government, enlisting in Company K, One Hundred and Thirty-third Illinois In- fantry, in 1864, under Colonel Phillips and Captain Somers. He served for five months, having been mustered in for one hundred days, and was then honorably discharged. After leaving home Mr. Neville rented a farm for a few years and then purchased a small tract of land, devoting his energies to general farming and stock-raising. Throughout his entire life he has been iden- tified with agricultural pursuits and he now owns one hundred acres in Vance township well improved and tilled, and supplied with good buildings. In 1901 he embarked in the bakery and confectionery business at Fair- moimt and having the onh^ exclusive bak- ery in the town he is enjdying an e.xtensive trade. In .September, 1870, Mr. Neville was united in marriage in this county to Miss Elizabeth J. Price, a daughter of John and Mary E. (Perritt) Price, who were pioneers of X'ermilion county. Mrs. Neville was horn in Fayette county, Ohio, October 31, 1850, and was the eldest child of her par- ents. She has no children of her own but has reared an adopted son, William F. Nev- ille, who is a graduate of the Fairmount school and also completed a business course in (juincy, Illinois. He now assists his fa- ther in the store. He was married Janu- ary 25. 1902, to Miss Edna Cox, who was bom September 12, 1883, a daughter of J. A. Cox. They have one daughter, Eliza- beth Neville, a bright little girl born June 30. iqo2. Mr. Neville of this review is a Republican in his political affiliations, be- ]ie\'ing firmly in the principles of the par- ty. \\ hich he endorses by his ballot. He has never been an office seeker, however, pre- ferring to give his time and attention to his business affairs in which he has met with signal success. DR. WALTER DWIGGINS. Dr. Walter Dwiggins, who is now so successfully engaged in the practice of os- teopathy in Danville, was born in Waytown, Indiana, July 17, 1874, his parents being John C. and Susannah (Fonts) Dwiggins, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this volume. They were married in In- diana, where the father was engaged in busi- ness as a stock dealer until failing health caused his retirement and he removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1889. In March, 1901, he came to Danville, where he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 29 now makes his home, enjoying a well earned rest, free from the cares and responsibilities of business life. In his political affiliations he is a Republican. He is the father of four sons but one died in infanc}'. The others are Howard, a resident of Danville and the secretary of the shoe factory at Gibson City, Illinois; Charles, a grain dealer of New- port, Indiana; and Walter. The Doctor acquired his early education in the public schools of Craw fords ville, In- diana, and later attended the public schools of Selma, Kansas, and Rossville, Illinois, graduating at the high school in the latter place in 1893. Later he matriculated at the American School of Osteopathy, where he was graduated in 1900. He first opened an office at Terre Haute, Indiana, but at the end of two months he came to Danville and has since engaged in practice at this place with most gratifying success, having a nice olTice in the Temple block. He thor- oughly understands his chosen profession and although his residence here has been of short duration he has already secured a lib- eral patronage which is constantly increas- ing. Fraternally he is an honored member of Lodge, No. 527, F. & A. M., and Ver- milion Lodge, No. 432, K. P., both of Ross- ville, and politically he is identified with the Republican party. WALLACE SPERRY. Among the native sons of Vermilion county still living Avithin its borders, is Wallace Sperry, the popular and efficient postmaster of Muncie. He was bnrn Oc- tober 23. 1 841, and is a son of Erastus and Ruth (Reese) Sperry, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. Their marriage, however, was celebrated in Ver- milion county, Illinois. The paternal grand- father of our subject was Wallace Sperry, who came to this count}' in the early '30s and cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers. He took a very active part in the work of early development and improvement. Both he and his son Erastus were farmers by occupation and were Whigs in political faith. They were also members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were ac- counted representative men of this locality. The father of our subject died in 1852, and the mother, still surviving, makes her home in Potomac, Illinois. In their family were three children, the eldest being Wallace Sperry of this sketch. Arminda is the wife of John W. Goodwine of Potomac; and Amanda is the wife of Samuel B. Demude, also of Potomac. Wallace Sperry pursued his education in the district schools at Higginsville, Ver- milion county, and at the age of fifteen put aside his text books, after which his time and energies were devoted to farm work, in the employ of others until he had at- tained his majority. He then began farm- ing on his own account, leasing his mother's land. He was married on the 26th of Sep- tember, 1872, in Blount township to Miss ]\Iary Bloomfield, whose birth occurred in this county on the ist of January, 1854. The lady is a daughter of Reuben Bloom- field, who here engaged in farming and who exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party. Lie died in 1873, while his wife passed away in 1890. In their family were four children : William, who is now de- 30 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ceased, wliile his widuw resides in Mis- souri ; Cindrella, the deceased wife of J. C. Tevebaugh, a resident of Danville; Mary, the wife of our subject; and Samuel, who has also passed away. Tlie home of Mr. and Mrs. Sperry was blessed with four children, but they lost the first three. Charles, their first born, having died at the age of eight years, while the next two died in infancy. Minnie, the surviving child, i^ now the wife of Orrie Dalbey, of Muncie, and they now have one child, a daughter, one and one-half years old. Mr. Sperry carried on farming opera- tions until 1882, when he abandoned the plow and turned his attention to merchan- dising in Higginsville, remaining there for one year. He then went to Blue Grass, Vermiliiin county, where he conducted a similar business for three years and on the expiration of that period he arrived in Mun- cie, where he opened a general store that he has since conducted, a growing trade prming the confidence reposed in him by the ptiblic. In 1897 he was appointed post- master and holds that position at the pres- ent time. In politics he is a Republican and at one time was town clerk. Here he be- longs to the Christian church and in all life's relations is found true to duty and loyal to trust and confidence reposed in him. J. S. McFERREN. I^rominent among the energetic, far- seeing and successful business men of east- ern Illiudis is the subject of this sketch. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued efifort in carrying out an honest purpose. Integrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points of his success and his con- nection with various enterprises and indus- tries have been a decided advantage to this section of Illinois, promoting its material welfare in no uncertain maimer. But not only has Hoopeston profited by his labors and his ability : many districts of the south have received an impetus to growth and com- mercial development through his efforts and his life-work has had a wide scope and been far-reaching in its infiuence. Mr. McFerren was born in \\' arren coun- ty, Ohio, in 1846, a son of William M. and Eliza (Sn}-der) ^IcFerren. The father, a native of South Carolina, died in 1894, but the mother, whose birth occurred in Ohio, is now living in Hoopeston. In their family were two daughters : Alvira B., the wife of Ed Griftith, cashier of the First Natidnal Bank; and Mrs. Mary Hewey of Hoopeston; while the brother of our stibject is Pingree IMcFerren. \Mien a young man of twenty-five years J. S. }iIcFerren sought a more western dis- trict than that in which he had been reared, as a field of business activity, realizing that the new but rapidly developing sections of the country offered the best opportunities to the ambitious young man. .Accordingly he came to Hoopeston in 1871 and from that date to the present the town has been largely indebted to him for its promotion. Not only in Ijusiness matters, Init as its chief executive and as a private citizen has he labored for her welfare, interested in all that has pro- moted advancement along material, social, intellectual and moral lines. At the same time he has controlled business affairs of magnitude. He first became associated with T. \V. Chamberlin in 1882 in fdunding a pri\'ale bank in Hoopestdti and later, pur- ^^^^-^^»-^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 35 chasing his partner's interest, he has since been its president and owner and has made the institutions one of the most rehable fin- ancial concerns in this part of the state. It would be impossible to give in detail the his- tory of his achievements but mention of some of his business interests will serve to show the scope of his undertakings and to indicate the ability which has enabled him to successfully handle S(3 many and so varied interests. He to-day individually owns thirty-four hundred acres of land near Hoopeston. He became a member of the real estate firm of Moore, ^IcFerren & Sea- vey, whose real estate operations through the year following March, 1874, amounted to three hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Mr. Seavey having witlulrawn from the part- nership the firm of Moore & ]McFerren still exists and has large landed interests in the south, scattered in the states of Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. These comprise twenty-seven thousand acres and represent six hundred thousand dollars of invested capital, for the firm has largely improved their lands, have established industries there- on and have secured transportation facilities through the binlding of railroads. Their landed possessions in Arkansas comprise thirty thousand acres and they are now con- structing twenty miles of railroad from Lux- ora, Arkansas, to Big Lake, called the Mis- sissippi, Big Lake & Western Railroad. This will furnish an outlet for their lumber and will also be a part of tlie trunk line form Joplin, Missouri, to the Mississippi river. Their sawmill at Luxora has a capacity of thirty thousand feet of lumber daily and in connection with Mr. Moore our subject also owns a sawmill at Pitman's Island and an- other at Woodstock, ^Mississippi, each hav- ing a capacity of twenty-five thousand feet per day, while three other sawmills which they own turn out twenty thousand feet of lumber each per day. Their most extensive lumber industry, however, is located at Memphis, Tennessee, where they have a dou- ble-band sawmill, with a capacity of fifty thousand feet per day, and the plant was erected at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. They also have a. large box fac- tory at ^Memphis. ]\Ir. ^McFerren was one of the founders of the Union Tin Can Company and since it has been merged in the American Tin Can Com- pany he is still a stockholder. In con- nection with A. H. Trego he owns and oper- ates the Hoopeston Canning Factory, which is engaged in the canning of corn exclusively. His- property values in Hoopeston real estate amount to two hundred thousand dollars and include the bank block, office buildings, the opera house block, store buildings and other structures. Mr. McFerren was Hoopeston's first mayor nor was that his only term in the office, for several times has he been chosen to the position. During his first incumbency he drove the saloons out of the village and there has never been a saloon since the town was incorporated. He is now the chief ex- ecutive of Hoopeston, honored and honor- able, putting forth strong effort for the good of the community and its substantial im- provement. Much of the street paving has been done while he has been in office and many improvements have been made during' his administrations. Chiuxhes and benevo- lent enterprises have received his support and his aid is witheld from no enterprise for the general good. Mr. McFerren has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Lida A. Shultz, who died in 1894 leaving two sons. \\^illiam and Donald. In 1807 Mr. McFerren Lottie L. Shultz, a sister of his first wife. His present 34 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD liome, erected in 1S85, has been improved until it is now a handsome property wortli twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. McFerren gave evidence of his love for Hoopeston by his generous gift to the city of a fine park. For this purpose he pur- chased the old fair grounds of thirty acres, at a cost of six thousand dollars, and tender- ing this to the city, it has since been main- tained as a park. Mr. McFerren has also made liberal donations to the public library and to other concerns of public benefit and pride. His name is synonymous with im- provement and progress in Hoopeston and is so interwoven with the history of the city that it forms a most important chapter in the annals of Hoopeston. He stands as the highest type of American citizenship, capable and discriminating in business, patriotic and loyal in citizenship and with conscientious regard for the rights and privileges of his fellowmen. Socially he is deservedly popu- lar, as he is affable and courteous in manner and possesses the quality of making friends readily and of strenghtening the ties of all friendships as time advances. JOHN R. SMITH. The life history of John R. Smith is one which shows a career of enterprise and busi- ness activity crowned with deserved rest. He is now living retired in Rossville after years of close application to agricultural in- terests. He is a native son of Vermilion countv, his birth having occurred March i, 1836. where Fithian station now stands. He is a son of William \V. Smith, a native of Clark county, Ohio, born alxjut 1800. His paternal grandfather was one of the first settlers of that county and there W. \\'. Smith was reared and after arriving at years of maturity married Catherine Yazel, also a native of Clark county. They began their domestic life upon a farm and a daugh- ter was born unto them ere their removal to Illinois in the year 1830. Emigrating west- ward they settled in \ennilion county, Mr. Sirith entering and purchasing land until he became the owner of one thousand acres in the western part of this county. Much of this he broke and improved, opening up a good farm, upon which he spent his re- maining days, his death occurring in 1S51. His first wife died in 1845 and he after- ward married again. John R. Smith was the fourth in order of birth in a family of four sons and a daughter and all reached mature years with tlie exception of the youngest son, although John R. and his brother \\'illiam are the only ones now living. After the death of his father our subject resided with his broth- er-in-law. Thomas Armstrong, who lived near Rossville. There he remained for fixe years, assisting in the farm work. He had fair common-school advantages, supple- mental b}' a term of study in the Danville hi.gh school and one term in Knox College. When he had reached man's estate he joined a brother at (irand View and acted as a clerk for him for two years in a general store. \\'hile there he returned to Rossville and was married here on the 3d of IMarch, 1839, to Josephine R. Stewart, who was born in Dan\'ille and was rearen county. He, too, became a farmer by occupation and established his home in Ross township, where he carried on farming for three years. He then returned to Indiana, where he re- mained for several years and then again came to Vermilion county, Illinois, where he re- suined farming. He is now living a re- tired life, making his home in Rossville ai the age of eighty years, his birth having oc- curred in January, 1823. His wife, who was born in the same year, passed away in 1882. They were the parents of nine chil- dren, of whom Thomas F. is the seventh in order of birth. In the district schools of Indiana and \'ermillion county Thomas I'rancis Christ- man pursued his education, continuing his studies until nineteen years of age. Througli- out the greater part of his business career he has followed farming, sa\-e for a brief inter\-al of a year or two that he was en- gaged in clerking. When he first came tc Vermilion county he purchased land in part- nership with his brother, and together they owned about two sections, but eventuallv ^Ir. Christman of this review sold to his brother. He then became cashier of the Commercial Trust & Savings Bank, which is capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars. He is now a leading, reliable and respected repre- sentative of the banking interests of this part of the state, thoroughly undersands banking business and methods in every de- tail, and has contributed in no small degree to the successful control of the institution with which he is connected. In 1900 Mr. Christman was united in marriage to Miss Anna Broody, of Will- iamsport, Indiana, and they have many warm friends in Danville, whore their own home is justly noted for its hospitality and socia- bility. I\Irs. Christman is a daughter of Thomas Broody, in whose family were six children. Mr. Christman is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Rossville and in poli- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 41 tics he is a stalwart Republican. He needs no special introduction to the readers of this volume, because almost his entire life has been passed in this locality and his history is largely familiar to those who know him. Without ostentation or undue display of his good qualities he has commanded the re- spect and confidence of his fellow men by reason of his sterling worth and is to-da} a leading and honored representative of busi- ness interests of Danville. JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM. Joseph Cunningham made his advent into Vermilion county in a "prairie schoon- er." People of the present century can scarcely realize the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers, the hero- ism and self sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of civilization, the hardships en- dured, the difficulties overcome. These tales of the early days read almost like a romance to those who have known only the modern prosperity and conveniences. To the pioneer of the early days, far remo\-ed from the privileges and conveniences of city and town, the struggle for existence was a stern and hard one, and these men and women must have possessed indomitable energies and sterling worth of character, as well as marked physical courage, when they thus voluntarily selected such a life and success- fully fought its battles under such circum- stances as prevailed in the Mississippi valley at the time the Cunningham family was here established. Few indeed are the resi- dents of Vermilion county who can relate tales of the pioneer days in which thev were participants, but this Mr. Cunningham can do and his reminisences are very interesting. He was born in Cynthiatown, Harrison county, Kentucky, February 27, 1828, a son of William and Mary (Humes) Cunning- ham. The father was born in Pennsylvanir about 1778 and died in \'ermilion county, May II, 1852, while his wife, a native of the Keystone state, has also passed away. They were married in Pennsyl\-ania and after Ii\- ing for a time in Kentucky they came to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1829, when our subject was a year and a half old. They settled on the prairie in Newell township at what was known as the Cunningham grove. There were no railroads and the family trav- eled in a prairie schooner, tlrawn by oxen, much time being consumed in making the trip. In the family were twelve children, Christine, eldest, was married and had three children — Squire, Alfred and Margaret, who became the wife of Joe Osborne. John, the second of the family, married Nancy Lindse>% and their children were : William David, deceased ; Mary Jane, wife of David Clapp; John L., who married Hannah Swisher, wdio after his death became Mrs. Hannah Justus and is now a widow ; George Washington, who lost his right arm while fighting for the Union ; Emily, wife of I\Iike Fury; and Sarah, who married Philo Knapp. After the death of his first wife John Cun- ningham married Elizabeth French and they had four children : Thomas, who married Maria Lane; Samantha, wife of Jefif Al- lison ; Humphrey, who married Josephine Campbell ; and Perry, who married Lou Duncan. James Cunningham, the third member of the family of ^Villiam and Mary Cunningham, wedded ]\Iary Ann Andrews and their children were : Hannah C, wife of John Allison; A. F., who married Polly Ann Lockhart ; William O., whose first wife 42 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD was Mattie Cliancller and his present wife Etta Clem; and James A., who married Anna Whoops. Xancy Cunningliam. tiie fourth cliild. Ijecame the wife of W'ilhan- Barger and liad two cliildren. John and AVilliam. Isaac was the next of the family. Washington, the sixth, was drowned in North l'"ork. Thomas married Jane Ann Starr and iiad one child, Mary, wife of Xoah Young. William liecame a cripple at the age of fifteen. Malinda, the ninth, married W. R. Chandler and had five children : Mary, who became the wife of Lew Young, while her present liusband is Andy Claypool : Emma, wife of K. Hoo\'er, of Dakota; Rose, wife of Howard Hicks; Josephus Chand- ler, deceased: and Ella, deceased, wife of Howard Hicks, who since her death has married her sister Rose. Joseph Cunning- ham, whose name heads this sketch, was the tenth in tlic father's family. After the ar- rival of the family in this county two more chilflren were born. Humes married Eliza- beth Winning rmd has a son, William, who wedded Ora .\lbright and has three chil- dren — Thomas. Oren and Willard. Jarrett. the youngest of the family, died in the army at Nasln-ille. Tennessee. Joseph Cunningham is the only sm^vivor of his father's family. He shared with the others in the hardships as well ;is the pleas- tires of ])ioncer life. He was educated in a subscription school, his first teacher being James Da\-is. who taught in a log school- house furnished with slab benches. Mr. Cun- ningham first plowed with two horses hitched to a plow with a wooden mold board. The second plow was a single-shovel affair and he cut grain with a sickle. The first trad- ing point of the family after their arrival here was Chicago, wdiere groceries were given in exchange for the farm products and Mr. Cunningham frequently drove oxen to tiiat village. The old homestead was on section 1 1 . Newell township. He has worked in the snow up to his boot lops, making fences out of rails cut in the timber. The country was filled with ])rairie wohes and there were also many black tim- ber wolves and wild games of all kinds, including deer. It was necessary to pen up the domestic animals at night for their protection. It is impossible for the citi- zen of Vermilion county to-day to realize what were the bardshi])s and trials endured, in those early times, when this district was cut ofi^ from the comforts of the older east and when the settlers had to depend upon what they could raise on the farms for near- ly ex'erything which they enjoyed. Our sul)- ject began farming on his own account in 1S49 and for forty-seven years \v;is irlenti- fied with agricultural pursuits and stock raising in this locality. He has shipped many car loads of cattle to the Chicago market and sold hundred of car loads of grain. On the 15th of October. . 1863, he suffered loss by fire, which destroyed his frame house, but with characteristic energy' he began to build a larger and better home, erecting a two-story brick residence twen- tv-six by thirty-six feet, which was ready for occupancy on the i^tli of December and still stands rm the home farm. In 1878 he built a barn, thirty-six by forty feet, and erected other substantial and com- modious buildings, making' bis a model farm. The corn crop usually yields about fiftv Inisbels to the acre and oats thirty- eight liushels. Joseph Cunningham was united in lu.ar- riage to Mary A. Swisher, wdio died .\pril 5. 1902. after a long and happy married life. In their familv were nine children : le farm of four luindred and eighty acres, constituting one of the finest and best improved farms of the county. He was extensively engaged in the buying and shipping of cattle for twelve or fifteen years, in addition to general farming, and became well known as a very successful stockdealer. In 1893 he became interested in the banking business as a stockholder in a private bank with which he was associated for seven years. In this enterprise he was connected with his nephew, bVed Collison. In 1890 lie purcliased the interests of Messrs. Cunningham and Christman in what was known as the Citizens Bank, which on the 1st of July, 1900. was organized under the name of the First National Bank, and is capitalized for tliirty-tixe thousand dollars. Mr. Collison is now the president of the in- stitution, with Mr. Crays as cashier, and the officers, together with P. Cadle, J. W. Fag- her, W. T. Cunningham, J. T. Christman, Ora Greer, and O. P. Stuftlebeam constitute the board of directors. The institution has prospered, becoming one of the reliable moneyed concerns of tlie county, and the capable management and enterprise of Mr. Collison are accountable in a large degree for this desireablc result. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Collison have l)een born two daughters, Mary and Olive. So- cially Mr. Collison is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, and politi- cally he is a Republican, who strongly en- dorses the principles of the party but has never sought office as a reward for party fealty. His life has been that of the enter- prising resolute American business man, watchful of opportunities, quick to note possil)ilities and yet never taking advantage of the necessities of his fellow men. His business career is one which any man might be proud to possess because of his success and the honorable methods he has ever fol- lowed. THOAIAS HOOPES. More than one Illinois man whose name figures to-day upon the pages of history was born, as was Mr. Hoopes, in a log cabin and reared amid the hardships and priva- tions of pioneer life, but it is only under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition tliat tlie best and strongest in men have been brought out. Although Thomas Hoopes did not direct his energies into chan- nels which brought him political renown or militarv distinction, he became an imjiorlant ^^' V-^zr^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 65 factor in reclaiming tlie great prairie dis- tricts of Illinois for the purposes of civiliza- tion and achieved success which awakened admiration and respect, and as long as the town of Hoopeston stands he will be hon- ored «is its founder and first settler. On the 26th of June, 1806, in a little log cabin which stood in what was then Jefferson county, but is now Harrison coun- ty. Ohio, Thomas Hoopes first opened his eyes to the light of day, being the fourth in order of birth in a family of six chil- dren. Primitive pioneer conditions then ex- isted in the Buckeye state and accordingly he was deprived of many of the advantages which could have been enjoyed in a more thickly settled region. His education was largely acquired under the direction of his mother, although later he had the opportun- ity of attending a private school for a month. About the time he attained his majoriy his father died, and he received as his share of the estate three hundred and thirt3'-four dollars and four cents, which served as the nticlus around which he gathered his for- tune in later years. Mr. Hoopes continued on the home farm until his marriage, which occurred July 8, 1846, Miss Anna Gray, of Harrison county, Ohio, becoming his wife. Soon afterward he purchased eight hundred acres of land near Marion, Ohio, and settling thereon ])ui up one of the first brick houses in thaf part of the state. He also made many other sub- stantial improvements upon his farm and devoted most of his attention to stock-rais- ing, having a large flock of sheep grazing upon his farm all the time. In .'\ugust, 1853, he came to Vermilion county to as- certain definitely the condition of the land and the prospects of the county. That he was satisfied with the investigation is indi- cated by the fact that in 1855 he brought his family to the west and purchased of W. I. Allen four hundred and eighty acres of land, on which he established his home. It lay northwest of the present site of Hoopeston, crowning a hill on the old Chicago road. As time passed he added largely to his land- ed possession until he became the owner of seven or eight thousand acres. For years he was one of the most extensive stock-dealers and raisers of this part of the state, making large shipments to the city markets and in- vesting his profits in land. On the 4th of July, 1871, the track of what is now the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad was laid across his farm and the year following the Lake Erie & Western also began running trains through this district. Mr. Hoopes, who was always a man of keen sagacity and foresight, believed that here would be a good site for a town and began laying off his farm in town lots, thereafter devoting his energies to the sale of these lots and to the supervision of the interests of the embryo village. The place was named Hoopeston by one of the railroad prospectors. Mr. Hoopes subse- ■quently sold one thousand acres of his land to the firm of Snell & Taylor, who had a part of it platted and sold as town lots. From that time until his death Mr. Hoopes was engaged in no active business enter- prise, save the supervision of his in\'ested interests. Fie spent much of his time in traveling with his wife, who was in deli- cate health, they visiting many portions of this country in the hope that she might be benefited therel:)y. Mr. and Mrs. Hoopes had no children but reared Mary R. Scott from a little six year old girl, who made her home with them until her marriage to J. A. Cunningham, who is represented elsewhere in this A'olume. 66 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mr. Hoopes was a man of benevolent spirit, charitable in tlionghl and action, and many liave reason to rememlier liim for the kindly assistance he rendered in their liour of need. No man ever accused Thomas Hoopes of taking unfair advantage of his fellow men or of performing any act that was not strict ly honorable. While not a church member, his life was governed by the most rigid prin- ciples of honesty and morality. The golden rule was his guide through life and he de- spised all unworthy or questionable means to secure success in any undertaking for any purpose. In his political views he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican, but tht honors of emoluments of office had no at- traction for him. His wife passed away April 25, 1886, and his death occurred Oc- tober 4, 1893. He left an estate valued at more than half a million dollars, which in- dicated his activity in business, his careful investment and keen discernment, but more than this he left a legacy to the state one of its beautiful and thriving towns; to the town he left the result of labors for the gen- eral good ; to his friends the memory of a kindly spirit; and to humanity the example of a life of untarnished honor. WTLLIAM T. CUNNINGHAM. William T. Cunningham is a financier of \'ermilion county who has had marked influence in tinancial circles here, his ef- forts being a potent element in promoting business activity and the consequent pros- perity of this portion of the state. Through long years he has been engaged in merchan- dising and banking in Rossville and is also connected through ownership with the bank- ing interests of Danville. Recently lie has taken up his abode in the latter city, being one of the founders of the Commercial Trust & Savings Bank. Mr. Cunningham was born near the city. December i, 1856, and is a son of Humes Cunningham, representing one of the pioneer families of Illinois. The grandfather, Will- iam Cunningham, came from Kentucky to Vermilion county at a very early day and Humes was born and reared upon a farm here. When he had reached years of ma- turitv he wedded Elizabeth Winning, a daughter of Thomas R. Winning, Avho also became a resident of \^ermilion county at an early epoch in its history. Mr. Cunning- ham devoted his energies to farm work and carried on the work of plowing, planting and harvesting until his death, which occurred in 1859, when the subject of this review was a child of only two years. His wife also passed away in 1857. William T. Cunningham of this review thus left an orphan, was reared by his ma- ternal grandparents and in the schools of Rossville and Danville he pursued his edu- cation. After arriving at mature years he engaged in clerking and eventually became owner of a mercantile establishment, carry- ing on active business in different lines in Rossville until 1901. Associated with Mr. Campbell in 1891, he established the old Citizens Hank of Rossville and afterward purchased his partner's interest. Later he admitted Mr. Christman to a partnership in the business and by these gentlemen the liank was conducted. In 1900 that business war re-organized and merged into the First Na- tional Bank of Rossville, of which Mr. Cun- ningham is one of the directors. He be- came a stockholder, aided in organizing the institution and was elected to the official posi- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 69 tion which he now fills. He has also had real estate interests, having bought and sold dif- ferent farms in the county and at the pres- ent time gives his personal supervision to the management of his farms near Ross- ville. He was one of the organizers of the Commercial Trust & Savings Bank of Dan- ville, being associated in this enterprise with Mr. Christman. This bank was capitalized at one hundred thousand dollars and is a new institution of the city, having been opened for business on the 22d of Januarj', 1903, with Mr. Cunningham as president and T. F. Christman, cashier. In the con- duct of all of the enterprises with which he has been associated he has proved him- self a successful business man and far-sighted financier and his probity and personal worth stand as unquestioned facts in his career. In the year 1880, in Rossville, Mr. Cun- ningham was married to Jennie Foulke, who was born, reared and educated in Rossville. Her death occurred in Danville in February, 1883, and in 1888 Mr. Cunningham was again married, his second union being with Orrie L. Albright, who was born, reared and educated in this county and also attended college in Ohio. Her father, Samuel Al- bright, was one of the early settlers of Ver- milion county and died in Rossville in 1902. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with three children, Thoma? A., Irene M. and Willard T. Politically Mr. Cunningham is a Demo- crat where national issues are involved and at local elections he votes independently, supporting the men whom he thinks best qualified for ofiice, regardless of party affil- iations. He has given his time and atten- tion to extensive business interests and has therefore had no desire to seek public office. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity of Rossville and his wife is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. On the opening of the bank in Danville they remo\'ed to the city and already our subject has been recognized as a leading representa- tive of financial interests here, because of the reputation which he has borne throughout Vermilion count}' for many years. He has ever taken an active interest in whatever has pertained to the general good and has gi\'en his hearty co-operation to many meas- ures for the public benefit. His business afifairs have been carefully and capably managed. He manifests keen discrim- ination, unfaltering perseverance and his judgment is rarely, if ever, at fault. Intricate business questions he com- prehends readily, forms his plans after ma- ture deliberation and then carries them for- ward with dispatch. As the years have passed he has thus prospered and to-day is one of the leading financiers of Ver- milion county. L. ANGUS CAMERON. § L. Angus Cameron, a well known resi- dent of Grant township living near Hoope- ston, was born in southern Ohio, on the 13th of January, 1852. His father. Chris- tian Cameron, was a native of the same lo- cality, and was a son of Alexander Cam- eron. The great-grandfather of our sub- ject was Daniel or Donald Cameron, who came from Scotland to America soon after the Revolutinary war. He married a sister of Simon Cameron, who was secretary of war under President Lincoln. He brought with him from the old country two church letters giving evidence of his membership 70 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and good standing in tlie Presbyterian cliurch. He lived an earnest Christian life and the family have always been noted for their loyalty to Christian teachings and their active work in behalf of the church. Christian Cameron was also a native of southern Ohio, and after arriving ai years of maturity lie wedded Miss Esther Core, who was one of a family of thir- teen children. Her father, John Core, was a native of Maryland, while her mother was of Pennsylvania German parentage. L. An- gus Cameron of this review is one of a family of eight children : Elizabeth, now deceased; Catherine; Sudie, who has also passed away ; John ; Anna ; Angus ; Emma ; and Rose, who has also departed this life. In the county of his nativity Mr. Cam- eron of this review was reared to manhood, spending his youth upon his father's farm and pursuing his education in the public schools. After arriving at years of matur- ity he was married and lived for four years thereafter upon a farm in the Buckeye state. It was on Christmas day of 1875 that his marriage to jMiss Mary James was cele- brated. The lady is a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (McCann) James, the latter coming of a family of Scotch-Irish ances- try. Mrs. Cameron is one of seven chil- dren, namely : Amarillus ; John, deceased ; Catherine; Eliza, who has also passed away; Mary; Sarah; Lucy; and Henry, the last named being also deceased. The history of the James family in America dates back to a very early epoch in the development of this country. In November, 1882, Mr. Cameron brought his family to Illinois, settling in Vermiliultry of the farmers throughout this section of the state and Indiana. The poultry is dressed here and shipments are made only to the markets of New York, Boston and Philadelphia The business has now assumed extensive proportions and his annual sales have reach- ed a large figure. Air. Snapp votes with the Republican part}'. He has never been an office seeker nor has he held a political position. So- cially he is connected with the Woodmen of America, and with the Knights of Pythias, bel(jnging to the lodges in Georgetown. Since entering upon his business career he has been very successful and is now a prom- inent man of tliis place. He owns a beauti- ful residence in the eastern part of the vil- lage near the poultry house and his sons are located in the same neighborhood. Mr. Snapp through his business relations and othenvise has become widely known, es- pecially to the farming community of Ver- milion county and all recognize in him a re- liable business man, whose energy and de- termination is supplemented by fair dealing. C. B. DE LONG. Perliaps no resident of Fithian has left his impress in a greater degree upon the business development and the consequent prosperity of the town than has Mr. De Long. His financial and mercantile interests there have been and are of an important charac- ter and he is a representative of that class of representative citizens who, while pro- moting individual success also contribute in a large measure to the general prosperity and upbuilding. Mr. De Long was born in Philo, Illinois, July 29, 1863, and belongs to that branch of the De Long family of which the famous Arctic explorer was also a representative. His father, C. G. De Long, is a native of TPIE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 8i New York, his birth having occurred near Utica. In Racine, \Msconsin, he wedded Edna Moore, a native of Alassachusetts. \\ hen bnt a boy he had acconipanieil liis parents to Racine and was there educatetl in the pubhc schools. He afterward engageii in farming and took his bride to the farm There lie continued to make his home until 1863, w hen he removed to Philo, Champaign county, Illinois. In that locality he pur- chased two hundred acres of very rich and productive land and in addition to this he owns a large tract of land in the irrigated^ section of Colorado. He is a wide-awake and enterprising business man whose keen discernment and unflagging industry have been potent forces in his success. A stanch Republican in politics, he does all in his power to promote the growth of his party, yet has always refused to hold office. He belongs to the Presbyterian church and is a man of prominence in his community. He and his wife have a family of six sons and two daughters: George A., a banker, re- siding in Foosland, Champaign county ; I". B., of Fithian ; Effie, who resides at home and formerly was a teacher in the public schools; Minnie, the wife of Eugene Burr, of Philo, Illinois; C. E.. who carries on farming at Rocky Ford, Colorado; Clarence, who died at the age of twenty-three years ; W. H., who is engaged in the banking and grain business at Sadorus, Champaign county; and E. B., who is in partnersliip with his brother W. H. Mr. De Long, whose name introiluces this record, pursued his education at home, in the public schools of Champaign county and in a business college, where he was graduated with the class of 1885. In the spring of that year he became connected with the grain trade at Strawn, Illinois, where he remained until the fall of 1886. He then came to Vermilion county, settling in Fithian, where he embarked in the grain business, purchasing and rebuilding the Rob- inson elevator. He is still extensively con- nected with the grain trade and owns an elevator at Bronson, in Oakwood township, in addition to the one which he has in Fith- ian. .\ man of resourceful business ability and energy, however, he has not confined his attention to one line of activity, but has extended his efforts into other fields. He is now engaged in the insurance business and he owns a large warehouse well stocked with farm implements, his trade in this direction being no unimportant one. On the ist of May, 1895, he established the Bank of Fith- ian, which he still conducts, and it has be- come a valued and important financial in- stitution of his locality. He owns six hun- dred and forty acres of land near Rochester, in Fulton county, Indiana, and four hun- dred and eighty acres in Regina, Assiniboia, Canada. The new interurban system con- necting Danville, Urbana and Champaign has taken a great deal of Mr. De Long's time during the past year as it was due to his efiforts that the route now in use was chosen. At first it was the intention to bring the road from St. Joseph to Homer and then along the Wabash Railroad to Danville but owing to the activity of Mr. DeLong that route was abandoned and the road now fol- lows the Big Four Railroad from St. Jos- eph to Danville, touching Ogden, Fithian, Muncie, Bronson, Oakwood, Bates Town and Vermilion Heights. Mr. De Long was the man who secured the right of way for the company along this route. On the 8th of October, 1891, in Fithian, was performed the marriage ceremony which united the destinies of C. B. De Lone and 82 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Miss Minnie Berkenbusch, who was born in this town Febrnarv 3, 1873, a daughter of Henry and Sarah (Stephenson) Berken- busch, the former a native of Germany and the kitter of Vermilion county. Her parents were also married in Filhian and iierc re- side. The father was a soUhcr (>i tlie Civil war, defending the Union cause, and in poh- tics he is now independent. Mrs. De Long, their only chikl, has become the mother ol two chiklren by her marriage: Rutli, bom November 14, 1894; and Ckirencc, born July 23, 1897- In his political views Mr. De Long is a Republican, and his fratei-nal relations con- nect him with the Modern Woodmen of America. He also belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is interested in what- ever pertains to the general good along ma- terial, social, intellectual and moral lines. He has led a very busy life and his marked enterprise has made him one of the most prosperous residents of his community. He has excellent aljility as an organizer, forms his plans readily and in their execution is determined, prompt and reliable. This en- ables him to conquer obstacles which would deter almost any man, and it has been one of the salient features in his success. GUS M. GREENEBAUM. In past ages the history of a country was the record of wars and conquests; to- day it is the record 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 estal)lish. conlrnl and operate extensive commercial interests. Gus M. Greenebaum is one oi the strong and inlluential men whose lives have become an essential part of the history of \'crmilion county. Tireless energ)-, keen perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing al the right time, joined to every-day common sense, guided by great will power, are the chief characteristics of the man. He is now closely connected with various important mercantile interests of Danville and his ef- forts in this direction have contributed largely to the commercial prosperity and upbuilding of this state, in fact a large ma- jority of the citizens here would give to ]Mr. Greenebaum the credit for the increased acti\ity which ])an\ille has enjoyed in busi' ness circles in recent years. Mr. Greenebaum is a native of Chicago — the city marvelous. He was born Sep- tember 21, 1863. and is a son of ]\Iichae'. Greenebaum. who in 1846 removed from Xew York to Chicago and for ma^iy years conducted a large wholesale hardware busi- ness there, becoming a leading merchant of that city. He was also the founder and president of the Zion Literary Society, which was organized in May, 1887, and was well known as a proprietor of many enter- prises that contributed to the general good along material, intellectual and moral lines. He married Sarah Spcigcl, a sister of Col- onel M. ]\1. Speigel, of Ohio, and the> reareil a family of ten children, of whom the subject of this review is the seventh child. ?ilichael Greenebaum departed this life in 1894. at the age of seventy-one years, and his wife died in 1897 at the age of sixty-nine years. Educated in the public schools of his native citv Gus M. Greenebaum completed THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 83 his course in tiie West Division high school, with the class of 1879. He then entered the employ of his father in the wholesale hard- ware business in Chicago, where he con- tinued until 1S90, when he became asso- ciated with Charles Friend, under the firm name of Friend, Greenebaum & Company in the conduct of a commission house. They dealt in wool and leather, carrying on busi- ness until April, 1897, when on account of ill health Mr. Greenebaum withdrew from the firm and removed to Danville. Here he purchased an interest in the store of Ike Stern & Company, dealers in clothing and men's furnishing goods. He became secretary and treasurer of the company and in May, 1902, he purchased the interest of A. Appel in the store and also became Mr. Appel's successor in the Danville Depart- ment store. These two large stores were then consolidated in 1903 with Mr. Greene- baum as president and active manager, and the business is now occupying enlarged quarters, fronting on both West Main and Vermilion streets, covering sixty-five thou- sand feet of floor space. This arrangement makes a high grade department store as large as any found outside the city of Chi- cago. It is the outgrowth of a business established thirty years ago by Ike Stern, who died in 1897. I" the enlargement and control of this enterprise Mr. GreeneDaum has displayed splendid business ability, keen discrimination, sound judgment and execu- tive force. In the spring of 1899 our subject was elected president of the Chamber of Com- merce and has been re-elected each year since. During this time the organization has dou- bled its membership and has been a most important factor in the progress of Dan- ville during these years. By his renomina- tion Mr. Greenebaum was complimented as one of Dan\-i lie's most popular and enter- prising business men. On account of addi- tional business duties that have recently de- volved upon him he desired to retire fron: the presidency but his ser\-ices were consid- ered so valuable that the members of the organization felt that they could not dis- pense with them and he was urged to remain in the ofiice. The Chamber of Commerce has indeed done much for the city and great credit is due our subject, who, though con- trolling extensive interests in other direc- tions, has given much of his time and atten- tion to the performance of the duties of the ofiice. The business men of Danville com- posing the membership of the Chamber of Commerce knew of no one likely to make as good a president and despite his urgent j-equest to be permitted to retire he was re- nominated in 1902 without a dissenting voice. It is safe to say that he will keep the Chamber of Commerce up to its present high standard and that it will coninue to be an active factor in the development of the commercial possibilities of this city. He is also the national vice-president of the Good Roads Assocation of Illinois, to which position he was re-elected for two years' service. He is also one of the promoters of the Danville, Paxton & Northern Inter- urltan Electric line and was a member of its first board of directors. On the 7th of September, 1886, occurred the marriage of Mr. Greenebaum and :Miss Leah Friend, a daughter of Nathan Friend, of Chicago. Their union has been blessed with three children : James, and Harold and Robert, who are twins. In his social relations Mr. Greenebaum is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; Chicago Lodge, No. 437, F. & A. M. ; 84 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Iroquois Lodge, Xo. Sj, of the Xational Union of Chicago. Reared amid the spirit of business activity and enterprise, wiiicli has led to the wonderful development of Chicago, he became imbued with that spirit and has infused it into the business life of his adopted city. Mr. (jrccnehaum has made good use of his opportunities, he has pros- pered form year to year, and has conducted all business matters carefully and success- fully, and in all his acts displays an apti- tude for successful management. He ha.' not permitted the accumulation of a com- petence to affect in any way his actions toward those less successful than he. and has always a cheerful word and ])lcasant smile for all whom he comes in contact. ALBA HOXEYWELL. .\ witness of many and a participant in some of the ad\-entures which have found their way to the pages of hi.story during mure than three-([uarters of a centurv of the world's ]jrogress. Alba Honeywell is en- titled to distinction and to honorable men- tion in the record of \'ermilion county. He came here in pioneer times and from the primiti\-e past to the progressive present he has lal)ored earnestly and effectively toward the prdniotiun of the best interests and the substantial development of this part of the state. Long has he resided in Hoopeston, an honored patriarch of the community. To bim there has cume the attainment of a dis- tinguished position in connection with the extensixe business interests of the commun- ity and in controlling such he has become one of the real upbuilders of the town. A native of ("avuga countv. Xew 'N'drk. Mr. Honeywell was born December 15, 1821. .and his father, Enc^ch Honeywell, was born in Westchester county, Xew \'ork, in 1787. His educati(;n was largely acquired in that county and upon approaching manhood he engaged in the manufacture of patent wheel beads for spinning. This proved a very paying enterprise. With marked business foresight he realized the future of the west and that a man w ho hatl enterprise enough to take ad\antage of the opportunities there might att.ain to a position of marked afflu- ence. Accordingly, in 1816, he made his way into Indiana and entered one hundred and si.xty acres of wild land, embracing the present site of the city of Terre Haute, where he estalilished a h(5me and lived for several years until malaria drove bim awav. In the meantime he engaged in farming and ship- ping pork, sending his boxes by way of Xew Orleans to Xew York city, often going with his merchandise himself. He subsequently located in Cayuga count}-, Xew York, and engaged in chair making, lixing there until 1S36, when he went on a farm in Steuben county, Xew "\"ork, where he made his home until his death in 1887. He was a man of marked mentality and of consideral)le liter- ary ability. Lnder more favorable circum- stances be woukl have distinguised himself in the world of letters, being a ready writer of both ])rose and ])oetrv. He looked upon life from a broad humanitarian standpoint, recognized the inlluences which were help- ful to mankind and those which were detri- mental, favoring with fidelity the former ami working with strong opposition to the latter. He opposed slavery and slave traffic and he also was directly opposed to Masonry and other secret societies. He was an agitator of public thought and inlluenced the same tj a great extent, doing bis best to arouse THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 87 the ]:)eople to a realization of the true situa- tion concerning elements or interests that were derogatory to the pui>lic welfare. He never sought political office, however, nor desired any honors of such a character. In early manhood he was a member of the Bap- tist church, i)Ut becoming dissatisfied with the faith of the church in regard to the slav- ery cjuestion he left it and became identified with the W'esleyan ]\Iethodist, remaining a de\'oted member of that denomination until his death, \\hich occurred in New York on the 14th of January, 1887, when he had reached the advanced age of ninety-nine years. His death resulted from an accident. He had retained his faculties to a remarkable degree and even in extreme old age he was a man of marked infiuence, laboring untiring- ly for the welfare of his fellow men. An ex- tensi\"e newspaper contributor, his vie^vs were wideh' read thrnughout the country and he also published many pamphlets at his own expense. He appealed to the hearts and minds of his fellow men in relation to their ethical duties, and who can measure the influences of such a life? Tennyson has said that our echoes "roll from soul to soul" and "grow forever and forever" and in the impetus which Mr. Honeywell ga\'e to tlie realization of man's duty is undoubtedly felt to-day in the li\'es of those witii whom he came in contact. He married Eliza Dye, a native of Rhode Island, who passed away about 1866. when seventy-four years of age. In their family were three children of whom the subject of this review was the eldest. Gilbert Honeywell is now a resident of Schuyler county. New York, while Emma became the wife of a 'Sir. Fenna and lives upon the home farm in Scliuyler county. .Alba Honeywell was a youth of twelve years when with his parents he removed to that section of Steuben county. New York, which is now included within the boundaries of Schuyler county, that state. His pre- liminary educati 1875. His father, A. J. Wysong, is a native of Ohio, and in Mansfield, this state, was united in marriage to ^liss Lavina Hil- ligoss, a native of Indiana. The father is a carpenter and contractor and was con- nected with building operations in Mans- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lOI lieUl until 1S91, when he removed to De- catur. Tliere he again engaged in contract- ing and at the present time he is occupying the position of foreman of the Decatur Re- frigerating & Manufacturing Conipan} Unswerving in liis adherence to Democratic principles, he has nevertheless refused pub- lic office, his loyal support being given in no hope of securing official reward for his party fealty. He belongs to the Christian church and is a man of strong purpose and upright character. The mother of our sub- ject died April 22, 1881, and ]\Ir. Wysong afterward married Elva Dickson, whose parents were from Ohio. By his first mar- riage there were two sons : O. B.. of this review; and I. T., who resides in ^ilansfield. The children of the second marriage are : Charles, John, Gladys and Elva. In the public schools of his native town O. B. Wysong acquired his preliminary ed- ucation, which was supplemented by study in the high school of Decatur, Illinois, and later he entered the Northern Indiana Nor- mal school at Valparaiso, where he was graduated on the completion of a business course with the class of 1890. He was af- terward employed in the Commercial Bank at Mansfield, Illinois, for two years and in 1895 he came to Fithian, where on the 22d of April, of that year, he was appointed cashier of the Fithian Bank, in which capac- ity he has since served with marked capa- bility, his labors contributing in large meas- ure to the success of the institution. He is also connected with the grain trade here and his income is thereby materially increased. In connection with Mr. C. B. De Long, the president of the firm, Mr. Wysong has been instrumental in securing the interurban electric line along the Big Four Railroad. It was first proposed to bring it from Ur- bana to St. Joseph, thence to Homer and follow the Wabash to Danville, but through the untiring eft'orts of Mr. De Long and ]Mr. Wysong, it now comes the other way, giving Fithian and adja- cent towns the advantage of good ser- \'ice which the_\- were unable to secure from the railroad. On the 25th of No^•ember. 1896. Mr, Wysong was happily married in Fithian to ]Miss Cora M. Post, who was born Septem- ber 5, 1878, a daughter of Dr. G. H. Post. They now have three interesting little chil- dren : Lois, Leda and Lenore. Theirs is one of the best homes in this part of Ver- milion county and it is a favorite resort with their many friends, which circle is al- most co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintances. ;\Ir. Wysong is a Republican and in 1897-98 he was one of the city trustees. In 1 90 1 he was elected mayor and in positions of public trust he has ever exercised hi'; official prerogatives in support of every movement calculated to prove of public ben- efit. He is a member of Ogden Lodge, F. & A. M. : Morning Star Lodge. No. 489. I. O. O. F., of Fithian; Corn City Lodge, K. P., of Ogden; Fithian Camp. No. 427, M. W. A. ; and of the ^Methodist Episcopal church. His genial manner, unfailing cour- tesy and kindly spirit have made him popu- lar and Mr. Wysong is indeed widely and favorably known in Fithian and this por- tion of Vermilion countv. J. L. RIDEOUT, D. D. S. Dr. J. L. Rideout, a successful and popu- lar dentist of Danville, was born in Fremont, Ohio. May 15. 1873, a son of F. W. and I02 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Anna (Deemer) Rideout. On the paternal side lie is of English descent and belongs to a very patriotic family which has been well represented in the \\ars of this coun- try, his grandfather being a soldier of the Mexican war, and his great-great-grand- father of both the war of 1812 and the Rev- olutionary war. The Deenier family is of German extraction and was founded in Pennsylvania during the seventeenth cen- tury', since which time they have always taken part in public affairs of an important character. F. W. Rideout, the Doctor's father, was also born in l'"remont, Ohio, and after reach- ing manhootl he there married Miss Anna Deemer, a native of Easton, Pennsylvania. For fifteen years after his marriage he was engaged in the real-estate, loan and insur- ance business at that place, and then re- moved to Tuscola, Illinois, where the fol- lowing ten years were spent upon a farm. He took quite an active part in political affairs while residing there. His next re moral made him a resident of Atwood, Illi- nois, where he practically lived a retired life, althougli he still dealt in loans and real estate to some extent. He was a Rei)ubli- can in politics, and while living in Tuscola served as county supervisor and held some of the township offices. In early life he was a member of Company K, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Ohio National Guards and was called out during the Ci\-il war. This entitled him to membership in the Grantl Army of the Republic and he was also con- nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. For many years he was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and an officer in the same, and died in that faith on the 14th of September, 1902. his reiTiains being interred in the Cartwright cemetery at Atwood, Illinois. His first wife had passed away in July. 1888. and in 1891 he married Miss May Barnett, who survives him. B\' his first marriage he had si.\ chil- dren : W. j., a physician of Freeport. Illi- nois, who makes a specialty of the diseases of the eye, ear and nose; E. L.. a farmer of Tuscola: J. L., our subject: R. !■"., a farmer of Atwood; Mayme, who is attending school in Freeport: and Clara, who resides in Freeport. The children of the second marriage are Harry, Xellic and ivay. Dr. Rideout began his education in the schools of Fremont, Ohio, and after the re- m<)\a! of his family to this state he attended the public schools of Tuscola. Deciding ui)on a professional life, he next entered the Indiana Dental College at In(liana]iolis, where he was graduated in i8()7 and the following year located in Danville, where he had since engaged in practice with marked success. He has a nice office in 412 Temple block, supplied with all the latest equip- ments known to the science, and he has al- ready secured a large patronage which is steadil}' increasing. On the 24th of December, 1.S96, at Tus- cola, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Rideout and Miss Vivian Boyce. who was born at that place October 5, 1875, '^"'1 '-"^ ^ daughter of Washington and Paulina (Per- ry) Boyce, the former a natixe of Illinois, and the latter of Jeffersonville, Indiana. Her parents were also married at Tuscola. Her father was a ])liotographer by ])rofes- sion and was identilicd with the Reiniblican party and the Grand Army of the Republic. He died in June, 1896, but his wife is still living and now makes her home with Dr. ixideout. They had seven children, six of whom survive the father, namely: David, a photographer of Tuscola; Albert, a dentist THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 103 of tliat place; William, farmer of Tuscola; Thomas J. and Charles ^L, twins, the for- mer a dentist of Chicago and the latter a manufacturer of photographers' paper in that city; and Vivian, the wife of our sub- ject. The Doctor and his wife have two children : Esther Pauline, born September 20, 1897; and Russell H., born July 19, 1899. In his political views the Doctor is a stanch Republican, and socially he is con- nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Fraternal Army. He is quite popular both in social and professional circles and is a man highly esteemed and re- spected by all who known him. C. B. SPANG. C. B. Spang, grain merchant and the proprietor of the Star Roller Mill and lum- beryard of Georgetown, is well known in Vermilion county. He is the leading busi- ness man of the southern portion of the county and through enterprise and capabil- ity has contributed not only to his own suc- cess but also to the general prosperity of the localities with which he has Ijeen identified. Mr. Spang has been a resident of Georgetown for the past thirteen years. He was born in Butler county, Pennsyl- vania, December 13, 1866, and is a son of Josiah R. and Margaret (Bracken) Spang, both of whom were also natives of the Key- stone state. The father there spent his en- tire life. He became manager of the Singer Manufacturing Company and occupied that position until his death. His widow and the family resided in Butler county until 1899, when they removed to Georgetown, Illinois. C. B. Spang was educated in the com- mon schools of his nati\e county and began to learn the miller's trade at Butler, Penn- sylvania, being employed in the Oriental Rolling i\Iills until he mastered the busi- ness. In 1887 he removed westward, set- tling in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he was employed as a miller for two years and on the expiration of that period he came to Georgetown. In 1889 J. E. Haywortlj es- tablished the Georgetown Flour Mill but he was formerly engaged in the milling business here from 1880. On coming to Georgetown Mr. Spang entered the employ of Mr. Hay worth, and after working in the mill for two months, he purchased a half interest in both the mill and lumberyard, forming a partnership under the firm style of Hayworth & Spang. They continued business together until 1899, when Mr. Hayworth sold his interest to C. I-. Austin, who was in partnership with our subject until 1902. Mr. Spang is now alone and is doing the largest business in Georgetown. His elevator, which is located near the depot, has recently been enlarged and is now one of the most e.Ktensive in the county. Fie buys and ships grain daily and his business has now assumed very creditable and profit- able proportions. The flour mill is located in the eastern part of the town and is con- ducted under the name of the Star Roller Mills. He manufactures the North Star flour, the Red Ball and other brands and has established a wholesale distributing house in Danville for the products of his manufactories. He deals in all kinds of lumber and building materials -necessary to the construction of a house from the foun- dation to the roof and his patronage in this line is very extensive as the business is con- I04 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD stantly increasing. He is well known throughout the country as a prominent busi- ness man of Georgetown and his enterprise and industry contribute in no small degree to the commercial prosperity of the place. JMr. Spank was united in marriage to Miss Florence Smith, of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and they now ha\e four chil- dren : Ethel, Genevieve, Charles and Bracken. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and he has taken an active interest in church work. Socially he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias, having aided in or- ganizing the latter lodge in Georgetown. In politics he is a Republican and he has been called to fill a number of offices in the village. Besides his business interests here he owns an addition to the city of Danville, where he is engaged in real-estate dealing, and is also interested in a lumben,-ard and real estate at Westville, Illinois. He is a self-made man, owing his prominence in business affairs to his own skillfully directed labor, and among the well-to-do citizens of Georgetown he is justly numbered. WILLIAM MOORE. No adequate history of William Moore can 1)6 written until many of the useful en- terprises with which he has been connected have completed their full share of good to the world and until his personal . influence and example shall have ceased their fruitage in the lives of those with whom he has come in contact. Yet, there is nnich concerning him that can be set down with profit here as an illustratioji of what can be done by a man with a clear brain and willing hands that sets himself seriously to the real labors and responsibilities of life. His name is so inseparably interwoven with the history of Hoopeston that no account of the business development ami substantial upbuilding of the town can be given without mention of his name. His efforts too have extended far beyond the limits of Hoopeston, and many other communities have benefited by his labors, his marked business ability and his indefatigable enterprise. He is to-day numbered among the capitalists of Vermil- ion county and to this position he has at- tained not through the aid of influential or wealthy friends, but because he has prospered in his work and has made honest dealing one of the characteristics of his useful and active career. Mr. Moore was I)orn in Coshocton coun- ty, Ohio, on the 30th of Noveml^er, 1841, and is a son of Silas and Mary (McCoy) Moore. LTpon the home farm he was reared, and his early education acquired in the public schools was supplemented by a preparatory course in Spring Mountain Seminary of Ohio. He was pursuing his study there with the intention of preparing for the law when the Civil war broke out. He had watched with growing . interest the attitude of he south and the progress of events leading up to hostilities, and, his patriotic spirit aroused, he resolved to strike a blow in de- fense of the LTnion if the country became involved in civil war, and on the 23d of April, i86i,.only ten days after Fort Sumter was fired on, he enlisted for three months' service as a member of Company D, Six- teenth Ohio \^olunteer Infantry. While with that command he was promoted to the rank of orderly sergeant and was mustered out the following August. On the 3d of Octo- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 107 ber, 1 86 1, he was commissioned by Gover- nor Denison, a first lieutenant with authority to raise a company, which he enHsted mostly among the students of Spring Mountain Seminary. This became Company I, of the Fifty-tirst Ohio Infantry under the com- mand of Colonel Stanley Matthews. With his company Lieutenant Moore fought at Phillipi, Perryville, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain. Mission Ridge and Ringgold, and in January, 1863. he was commissioned captain. In the battle of Chickamauga he lost nearly every man in his command, one- half of the number being killed or wounded, while many of the remainder were captured. All of the regimental officers of the Fifty- iirst having been taken prisoners, Captain Moore, as ranking line officer, assumed com- mantl, and with but a few men bearing the regimental colors and a stand of Rebel col- ors captured from a South Carolina regi^ ment in the last charge, he cut through the Rebel lines and safely reached Chattanooga the next day. It was a brave move and one which displayed superior knowledge of military tactics and undaunted bravery. On two particular occasions Captain Moore was selected for special service of a difficult and hazardous kind. He carried out his instruc- tions with signal success and was compli- mented by his fellow and superior officers and the general commanding the army. In April, 1864, he was mustered out of the military service, having for three years been a faithful defender of the old flag. Captain Moore has been a resident of Vermilion county since March, 1865. After his return from the war he remained a resi- dent of Ohio for about a year and then came to the west, locating in Grant township, Ver- milion county, where he had previously pur- chased a farm of three hundred and twentv acres. From that time forward he has been very prominent in public affairs as an offi- cial and as a business man, and his efforts have ever proven of the greatest benefit to the community with which he is associated. From 1866 until 1874 he filled the office of justice of the peace and from 1867 until 1870 was collector of Grant township, while from 1866 until 1872 he was school treas- urer of township 23, range 11. Fo'r sevrai years he was also a director of the Hoopeston public schools and it was through his energy and enterprise that the first imposing and sub- stantial school building at this place was erected, a building costing twenty-five thou- sand dollars. In this work Mr. Moore re- ceived much opposition, but he had firm faith in the ultimate development of the town and time has proven his confidence well placed, for to-day that school building is one of the four ward schools. It is a substantial monument to his efforts in behalf of his fel- low townsmen. The cause of education has no truer friend in all Hoopeston than Mr. Moore or one who has been more effective in his labors to advance the general good along lines of educational and intellectual progress. He has been a member of the Hoopeston Library Association since its or- ganization. Throughout all these years while capably performing official service Mr. Moore has also controlled extensive and important busi- ness interests. At an early day he purchased fifty acres of land at Hoopeston which was laid out in town lots as the Moore & Browrj addition. In April, 1872, he took up his res- idence in the village where he has since been engaged in the real estate business, buying and selling town property on an extensive scale. He was also a member of the firm of Moore & Perkins and later became the senior io8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD member of tlie well known firm of Moore, McFerren & Seavey. Between March, 1874, and March, 1875, the sales of this firm reached three hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Mr. Moore is still associated with Mr. McFerren and their business interests are most extensive and important, including large landed properties in the south, in the states of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennes- see. It would be impossible to give an ade- quate account of the extensive enterprises uhich have been established and carried for- ward to successful completion by Mr. Moore. Soon after the organization of the Illinois Can Company he became one of its heavy stockholder and is to-day the owner of one-half of the business and is acting as general manager. He was instrumental in organizing the Union Tin Can Company, of which he became a stockholder and di- rector and filled the position of president at the time the company was merged into the American Can Company. The business was founded in 1892 with a capital stock of forty thousand dollars, and when sold in 1900 returned to the owners one million dollars, the original stockhcjlders re- taining their respective interests as paid up stock. Industrial enterprises in many other parts of the country contribute not alone to Mr. Moore's individual success but promote the general prosperity of the localities in which they are located. In con- nection with Mr. McFerren he owns a large box factory at Memphis. Tennessee, the an- nual output of which is nine hundred cars of box shooks. These gentlemen are also the proprietors of a double band sawmill at Memphis, valued at seventy-five thousand dollars, and having a daily capacity of fifty thousand feet of lumber. Their enterprises owned and controlled bv them includes a large sawmill at Luxora, .\rkansas. with a capacity of thirty thousand feet of lumber daily, a sawmill on Pitman's Island, manufc- turing twent_\-five thousand feet of lumber per day, a sawmill at Woodstock, Missis- sippi, with a similar capacity, and three other sawmills, each ^turning out aljout twenty thousand feet of lumber daily. Mr. Moore owns abovit one thousand acres of Tand in Vermilion county and in connection with J. C. Mcl-'erren is the owner of thirty thousand acres of timl)erland in j\rkansas. They are now constructing a railroad from Luxora, Arkansas, to Big Lake, a distance of twenty miles, called the ^lississippi. Big Lake and Western Road. This will furnish an outlet for their lumber and also will form' part of a trunk line for the west from Joplin, Missouri, through to the Mississippi. Mr. Moore secured donations for the two rail- roads which enter Hoopeston and was a member of the committee for securing the right of way for the Lake Erie & Western Railroad through Vermilion county. He handled and sold the Thompson North Hoopeston addition and in connection with Mr. McFerren he purchased the Casement addition of one hundred lots, all of which were sold by the firm inside of six months and they also closed out the fifty lot addition of G. W. Smith. Mr. Moore's attention is. given to the superintendency of the land and timber estates of the firm in the south and to- the general management of the Illinois Can- ning Company of Hoopeston. On the 1st of March, 1892. Mr. Moore was united in marriage to Anna Hamilton, who was born at Ash Grove, Iroquois coun- ty. Her father is now deceased and her mother and brother. Senator Isaac Hamil- ton, are residents of Chicago. Mr. AToore has three living children by a former mar- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 109 riage: Winfield S., Claude H. and Cora M. The daughter is now the wife of Dr. Haines, of Memphis, Tennessee. In 1882 Mr. Moore erected his magnificent home at the corner of Fourth and Penn streets in Hoopeston. He is a RepubHcan in poHtics and though liis business interests are so extensive he yet finds time to serve his fellow towns- men in matters pertaining to the general welfare of the place in which he makes his home. He is a member of the board of al- dermen here, ha\ing served in that office continuously since street paving was begun, and to-day he is the chairman of the streets and alleys committee and of the buildings and grounds committee. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is a promi- nent Mason, holding membership in the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery, and was the first high priest of the chapter at this place. It is impossible to estimate the scope of Mr. Moore's accomplishment. The benefits of his enterprise are far-reach- ing, furnishing employment to many hun- dreds of workmen and promoting prosperity in various communities. Endowed by nature ■with a sound judgment and an accurate, discriminating mind, he has never feared that laborious attention to the details of busi- ness so necessary to achieve success, and this essential qualit/ has ever been guided by a sense of moral right which tolerates the em- ployment only of those means that will bear the most rigid examination, by a fairness of intention that neither seeks nor requires disguise. It is but just and merited praise to say of Mr. Moore that as a business man he ranks with the ablest, as a citizen he is honorable, prompt and true to every duty, and as a man he has the honor and esteem of all classes of people. JOHN H. PETTEGREW. John H. Pettegrew, an honored veteran of the Civil war, has been equally loyal to his country in private life and in civil ser- vice. For twenty-three years he was dep- uty sherifif of Vermilion county, has filled the ofifice of constable and is now one of the assistant county supervisors. He resides at his home at No. 82 Columbus street, in Danville, having retired from farm life, which for many years occupied his atten- tion. He was born in Ohio, March 22, 1 83 1, and is a son of Dr. Ezekiel and Eme- line (Beach) Pettegrew. His father was born near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and pur- sued a medical education, after which he engaged in practice in his native town and also in Scott county, Indiana. Subse- quently he removed to Coles county, Illi- nois, where he practiced for seven years and then went to Vermilion county, In- diana, where he continued his professional work until his life's labors were ended in death. His wife also passed away in that place. In their family were eight children, three of whom are yet living: John H., of this review; Daniel, a resident farmer of Lincoln county, Oklahoma; and Margaret who is the widow of William Coatney and lives in Danville. John H. Pettegrew accompanied his parents on their various removals during his youth and acquired a common-school edu- cation. He was about twenty years of age when he left home and came to Vermilion county, Illinois. He engaged in farming in Danville township in 1852 and followed that pursuit continuously for a quarter of a century, carefully cultivating his fields and caring for his crops until harvests were garnered in the late autumn and the sale of no THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD his products brought to him a creditable financial return for his labors. \Vhile re-, siding upon the farm Mr. Pettegrew chose a companion and helpmate for life's jour- ney. He wedded Miss Elsie Luddington and they li\-ed happily together for a num- ber of years, but the wife was at length called to the home beyond. There were four children born of that marriage: John T., a farmer who now resides in George- town township; Daniel, who is living in In- diana ; Clara, deceased ; and one that diefl in infancy. For his second wife Mr. Pet- tegrew chose Miss Susan Bullion, with whom he is now living. Unto them have been bom six children, but Clara, the eld- est, died in childhood. Marion is now clerking in a store in Himrod, this county. Charles is in the employ of the Nimrod Coal Company of that place. Mary is the wife of Charles Rice, a resident of Park county, Indiana. William married Anna Stuebe and is living in Georgetown town- ship. Park is a laborer of Danville. After his marriage Mr. Pettegrew set- tled on a farm near Newport, \'ermilion county, where he lived for six months. He then removed to Danville, where he was employed as a laborer and teamster until the Civil war broke out. He watched with in- terest the progress of events for a few months and then, feeling that his duty was to his country, he joined the army on the 4th of iVugust, 1861, as a member of Com- pany F, Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry, un- der Captain Keith and Colonel Smith. On account of physical disability, however, he was discharged at Rolla, Missouri, in De- cember, 1861. He then returned to Dan- ville, where he was engaged in teaming for a year, after which he was elected constable and filled that position for two years. He was then chosen first deputy sheriff under Joseph X. Payton and filled that oftice continuously for twenty-three years under the various sheriffs of the county. He was prompt and fearless in the discharge of his^ duties and stood as a faithful defender of law and order. On his retirement from office he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 2, Georgetown township and there resided for twenty-one years, (le\-oting his energies to the cultiva- tion of his fields. In February, 1899, how- ever, his son took charge of the farm, al- though Mr. Pettegrew still remains its owner. He then returned to the city, where he is now living a retired life. .\t the pres- ent time he is filling the position of assist- ant county su])ervisor, having served for several terms in this oftice. He takes a deep and active interest in political affilia- tions, keeps well informed on the issues of the day, and always votes with the Republi- can party. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church of Georgetown townshija. Mr. Pettegrew paid four hundred dollars on that church. He has always been liberal in his support of church and charitable work and his ef- forts have been effective in this direction. In his business affairs he has prospered and is now one of the well-to-do citizens of Danville. Fle owns a nice residence at No. 82 Columbus street and there hospitality abounds. The members of his household have many warm friends in the ci immunity and like Mr. i'ettegrew are held in high es- teem. He has long been in public service and over the record of his official career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD III WILLIAM D. KUYKENDALL. Among the large land owners of Ver- milion county is numbered William D. Ku}'- kendall, Avho resides on section i, Middle- fork township. He has ;i wide acquaint- ance in this portion of the state, his business interests having brought him in contact with many, while his social qualities have made him a popular citizen. He is a native of Virginia, his birth having occurred in Hampshire county, now West Virginia, February ii, 1831. His father, Luke Kuy- kendall, was born in the same county in 1812, and the grandfather, Isaac Kuyken- dall, was a native of the Old Dominion, where the fam.ily was established at an early epoch in the development of the state. Luke Kuykendall was reared in the place of his nativity and was there married to Elizabeth Welch, a native of the same locality. He was a farmer of Hampshire county for some years and afterward determined to seek a home in the far west, removing to Tippeca- noe county. Indiana, about 1852. There he resided for a number of years, after which he came to Illinois, the place of his destina- tion being Vermilion county, where he lo- cated in i860, his home being near Potomac. Pie was not long permitted to enjoy his new place of residence, for his death occurred ere a year had passed. In Hampshire county. West Virginia, William D. Kuykendall of this review was reared to manhood, receiving good educa- tional privileges in the common and higher schools. With the family he removed to the west and in 1858 he came to Vermilion count}', Illinois. Here he rented a fann for several years and after the war of the Re- bellion he purchased his first land, becom- ing the owner of a tract in Blount town- ship, comprising one hundred acres. This was an improved farm which he further de- veloped for one year and then removing to Danville he was there engaged in the liv- ery business with his brother Jacob, who is still a liveryman of that place. Their asso- ciation was maintained for eighteen years and then Mr. Kuykendall of this review sold his interest, although he is still the owner of a half interest in the brick barn in which his brother continues to conduct his stable. While in Danville our subject purchased projierty and built two good brick livery barns. The first one, however, was de- stroyed by fire, but with characteristic en- ergy he replaced it by one which is still standing. In 1889 Mr. Kuykendall re- moved from the city to the farm where he now resides, on section i, Middlefork town- ship. Here he has erected a large brick res- idence, which is one of the substantial homes of the county. He also has good bams and sheds for the shelter of grain and stock and the latest improved machinery facilitates the farm work. He has planted fruit and shade trees and shubbery and has carried on the work of improvement on the home place un- til his farm is one of the finest of the town- ship and stands as a monument of the enter- prise and labor of the owner. Mr. Kuyken- dall has to-day one thousand acres of well improved land in Vermilion county and his possessions are the visible evidence of his life of earnest an.d honorable toil. In 1862 Mr. Kuykendall went to Frank- lin county, Ohio, where he was married to Miss Emily J. Golliday, a native of the Buckeye state, her death occurring in Ver- milion county about 1870. They had two children: Frank, who is married and re- sides in Danville; and Susan Jane, the wife of Jay Freese, of Ogden, Illinois. In Ver- milion county Mr. Kuykendall was again married, in 1876, his second union being 112 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD witli Miss Martlia J. Smitli. a daughter of John Sniitli, a native of England, who came to lUinois wlien the work of improvement and progress liere was just begun. The daughter was born and echicated in this county and by her marriage has become the mother of two children, Jacob S. and Mae A. The former is married and now fol- lows farming in Middlefork township. At local elections, where no issue is in- volved Mr. Kuykendall votes independently, his ballot being deposited in accordance with his faith in the capability of the candidate. In national affairs he was for many years a Democrat, but at the two last presidential elections he voted for William McKinley. He is a believer in prosperity and expansion and thinks that the work of the Republican party has furthered both during the last two presidential administrations. Alatters of pu1)lic improvement, promoting the growth and u|)l)uilding of his locality have also re- ceived his endorsement and co-operation during the forty-four years of his residence in \'ermilion county. He is well known in Danville and in Potomac, also in outlying districts of the county and his genial and social manner has gained for him inany warm friends. His business interests have ever been capably conducted along lines leading to success and to-day among the prosperous agriculturists he is classed. JAMES M. DOUGHERTY. The record of an honor.nble life should ever be a source of inspiration and encour- agement, and the history of James M. Dougherty is well worthy of emulation for he always lived so as to command the conh' dence and good will of his fellow men. He was true to high moral principles and his high moral character and rectitude of action, his unquestioned probity as well as his busi- ness ability made him a valued citizen of \'ermilion county. He was born in Brown county, Ohio, April 28, 1829. His father, James Dough- erty, was also a native of the Buckeye state, and in Brown county wedded Mary Kirk- patrick. who was there born and reared. The great-grandfather of our subject was of .Scotch-Trish descent and was b(.irn in Scotland. Desiring to become a resident of the new world he crossed the Atlantic to Maryland and at the time the colonies at- tempted to throw off the yoke of British op- pression he joined the American army and under General Washington fought for the independence of the nation until the glorious result was achieved. His son. Francis Doughterty, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Maryland and emigrating west- ward took up his abode in Ohio. Subse- quently he came to Illinois in 1830 and was one of the extensive landholders of this lo- calitv. His four sons, including the father of our stibject, then came to the west and cultivated the land which Francis Dougherty had purchased. Here he died in September, i860, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Christian Hill, and whose mother was the daughter of an English lord, passed away in 1851. In addition to the four sons already mentioned they had four daughters who also came to Vermilion county. These children were as follows : Alexander died in \'ermilion county in 1888. He had mar- ried Jane Kirkpatrick who died in 1862, they had three daughters and one son, Jesse, whose death occurred while he was serving in the Civil war. Elizabeth became the wife of Mr. I-"errier. who died in \'ermilion coun- tv in 1836. Later, she married Samuel JAMES M DOUGHERTY THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 115 Gilbert, whose tleath occurred in the '50s. Mrs. Gilbert passed away about 1867, leav- ing four children, all of whom are now de- ceased. James, the father of our subject, was the third of the family. Malinda be- came the wife of William Leeper and they resided in Bloomington, Illinois, but lx)th are now deceased. They left three sons and three daughters, and two of the sons and the daughters are yet living, namely : Mar- garet, who is matron of the Young Women's Christian Association, of Chicago; Eliza- beth, the wife of Dr. Wallace, of Decatur; Charles, a resident of New York ; and Will- iam, of ^Minneapolis. Maybary^ wedded Nancy Hickman and resided in Vermilion county until his death which occurred in 1840. He left a son and three daughters, the latter all yet residents of this county. Margaret became the wife of Ira Butler and made her home in Vermilion county until her death, when she left two children of whom one is yet living. Samuel married Jane Dalby and has also passed away. He resided in this county and had four daugh- ters and three sons, of whom three daugh- ters and one son, Benjamin, are yet living. Nancy, the youngest member of the family of Francis Dougherty, died at the age of thirty years. James Dougherty, .the father of our sub- ject, came to Illinois in 1833, locating in Vermilion county, but was not long per- mitted to enjoy his new home, his death oc- curring in 1835, while his wife passed away in 1834. He was a Whig in his political views and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Of his family of four sons and one daughter we give the following record : Francis married Dassa Boggess, and she died leaving one child who has since passed away. He afterward married Susan Tavlor, who died leaving nine children ; Marcus, a resident of Shawnee, Oklahoma; Milton, of Kincaid, Kansas ; Louis and Al- vin, prominent merchants who reside in Logan, Kansas; Elizabeth, the wife of Sam- uel Parrish, of Missouri; Marietta, of Kin- caid, Kansas ; Lilly, the wife of John Irwin, who resides near Kincaid: James A., a trav- eling salesman residing in Portland, Ore- gon ; and Jennie, now deceased. After the death of Susan Taylor, Francis Dougherty wedded Belle McNeil and is now living in Kincaid, Kansas. They had four children, three of whom survive: Lyman, a traveling salesman representing a St. Joseph, Mis- souri, house; Charles, who is living near Kincaid ; and Francis, who resides with his father. Kirkpatrick died at the age of one^ year. John Dougherty, the second member of the family of James and Mary (Kirkpat- rick) Dougherty, wedded Margaret Cheno- weth and after her death wedded Cida Graves. He has since died and his widow is residing in Fairmount. Of this union there were two daughters and three sons : Law- rence and Joseph, who are living in Buena Vista, Colorado; Molly, the widow of Dr. Wright, and a resident of Danville; and Berta, of Fairmount. Charles, the young- est child, died in 1873. James M. Dougherty is the third member of the family. Joseph, now decea.sed, married Louisa Neville, and they had two sons, of whom one is living, Alfred, of Lincoln. Illinois. Edwin's death occurred in 1890. Mary Dougherty died at the age of sixteen years in the year 1841. James M. Dougherty began his education in the usual style of schoolhouse of the period, built of hewed logs, furnished with slab seats and lighted by greased paper win- dows. This building stood at the northeast corner of what is now the homestead farm. His opportunities, however, like those of other early settlers, were \ery limited and his Ii6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD education was largely acquired in tlie prac- tical school of experience. His father hav- ing died when he was six years of age, he lived with his grandfather, Francis Dough- erty, and worked upon the farm. After the grandfatlier's death he managed the prop- erty, and he inherited forty acres of timher- land from his father, and purchjised eighty acres of prairie land, thus becoming the owner of a good farm. Later he traded his eighty acres for a valuable tract of land in Vance township, and in order to further complete his arrangements for having a home of his own Mr. Dougherty was mar- ried March 30. 1854, near Catlin, to Sarepta Jane Taylor, who was born in Tippecanoe countv, Indiana, September 5, 1837. Her father, Thomas A. Taylor, was a son of Harrison Taylor and a descendant of Zach- arv Taylor. He was a native of \^irginia, whence he removed to Kentucky and there died. His wife bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Allen, and also died in Kentucky. Thev were the ];arents of four s'lns and four daughters, all now deceased. Thomas Tay- lor was Ixirn in Kentucky, and in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, he married Iva Allen, whose birth occurred in Bourbon county, Kentucky. They liegan their domestic life in Tippecanoe countv, Indiana, where Mr. Taylor followed the tanner's trade and farming. In 1853 he came to \'ermilion county, purchasing five hundred acres of land, which he continued to cultivate until his death, which occurred September 20, 1876. His wife died Decem- ber 3, 1803. I" politics Mr. Taylor was first a \\"hig and afterward a Republican, and in religious faith he was a Cumberland Presby- terian. At the time of their marriage Mr. Dougherty and his wife lived in a double log house on their eighty acres of land in \'ance township, and he afterward purchased an additional tract of eighty acres. In 1864 they removed to Fainnount, where he en- gaged in the livery business for three years. He next purcliased what is now the home- stead farm of about three hundred acres, re- siding thereon for two years. On account of his own ill health and his desire to give his children better educational privileges he then removed to Dan\ illc. where for a time he was engaged in the butchering business. In con- nection with Benjamin Crane he built the Arlington Hotel in 1876, it l)eing opened with impressive ceremonies on the 4th of July of the centennial year. In the fall of 1876, however, Mr. Dougherty left Dan- ville and througli the succeeding year lived in Fairmount, after which he erected a hand- some and commodious residence upon his farm, taking up his abode there. It contin- ued to be his place of residence until his death, which occurred January 14, 1889, and lie was laid to rest in Dougherty ceme- tery. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Dough- erty was blessed by the birth of six children : Mary, born February 26, 1855, died October 25, i860. Enmia, born June 28, 1857, was married October 16, 1894, to H. Jester Stearns, and they reside on a farm near Man- son, Iowa. They have one son, Dorrance. For sex'eral years ?\Irs. Stearns served as a school director. Eva Frances, born May 22, i860, became the -wife of William Pankey, June 23, 1 886, and they reside in Danville with their three children, Loyette, Dwight and Lortdn. William Pankey is an attor- ney and manager of the X'ermilion County' Abstract Company. Alfred A., born January 29, 1863, died September 25, 1864. Maud L., born June 3, 1866, resides with her mother.' Clara Kirkpatrick, born August 25, 1869, wqs married December 28, 1894, to Dr. A. FI. Leitzbach, of Fairmount. Thev have one THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD "7 daughter, Elizabeth. Miss Mande possesses exceptional artistic ability and was educated in her art under Professor Aulich, of Chi- cago. She studied miniature work with Miss Cecile Payen, of New York. She also fur- ther prepared herself in this direction at the Julian Art Academy, in Paris, France. On account of ill health she is unable to devote her time to teaching, as she had hoped to do, but she still gives considerable attention to painting. In his political views James M. Dough- erty was first a Whig, afterward a Republi- can and later a Prohibitionist. He served as a candidate for representative from his dis- trict and succeeded in polling a large vote which made his defeat almost a victory. He held a number of township offices, the duties of which he discharged with marked prompt- ness and fidelity. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, served as elder of the church of that denomination in Danville for three years, and occupied a similar position in Fairmount. He was very charitable and generous, a consistent Christian man whose life was noble, whose motives were honor- able, and whose actions were manly and sin- cere. JOHN P. SWANK. Among the substantial farmers of Ver- milion county who have helped develop its natural resources and make it what it is to- day — one of the richest counties of the great state of Illinois — is numbered John P. Swank, now deceased. He was born in Indianola, Illinois, December i8, 1824. His parents were Ohio people who emigrat- ed to Vermilion county, Illinois, at a very early date in the history of the county. They became pioneers of the county and contributed much to the growth and prog- ress of their community. Mr. Swank had three brothers, and four sisters, and one brother and one sister are living in Kansas. In the public schools of Carroll town- ship Mr. Swank was educated. He was reared on the home farm, early becoming familiar with the work of field and meadow, and thus acquiring a practical knowledge of the occupation which afterward became his life work. He was united in marriage to Miss Phebe Dickson, February 18, 1851, at Indianola, Illinois. She was born in In-- dianola. May 17, 1829, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Doyle) Dickson, both of whom were born near Louisville, Ken- tucky. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children : Nancy Dickson Hub- bard, now deceased : Mrs. Swank ; Mary Jane, deceased; Simon, who died in the ser- vice of his country, being killed in the Civil war in 1863; James, a farmer of Fair- mount, Illinois, who is living with his son, his wife, Amanda (Shepherd) Dickson be- ing deceased ; and Elizabeth, who died in early girlhood. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Swank were born the following sons and daugh- ters: Albert D. is a farmer residing at CoUison, Illinois. He married Sarah Smart and they have one daughter, Pearl, who is noted as a successful trained nurse. He is fifty years of age. Gilbert E., aged forty-eight years, lives on a farm near In- dianola. He married Emma Carter, who died some years ago, and he afterward was married to Anna Poindexter. Of this mar- riage there was born one child, Zelda, who is now nine years of age. Robert P., aged forty-six years, is a farmer of Indianola. He married Mary Dickson. Alice is the wife of J. Harvey Patterson. They have one lovely Ii8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD child, Erceil, aged nine years. Edward, aged forty-one years, is a resident farmer of In- dianola. He was united in marriage to Drusilla Lane, and is the fifth and youngest child in the family. In his poli- tical views Mr. Swank was a Democrat, and his sons all followed his helief and are all adherents to the cause of that party and its principles. In his life Mr. Swank ex- emplified the spirit of true manliness and he was highly regarded by all with whom he was associated. This was not because of his position as a leading and substantial man of the community, Init because his character was so upright and honorable that they could not fail to respect and admire him. When he died he was laid to rest in W'oodlawn cemetery, at Indianola. His death occurred June 8. 1894, and many friends besides the immediate family mourned his loss. Mrs. Swank makes her home on the old place at Indianola, and in her declining- years she is being tenderly cared for by her children. The old age of a man or woman who have spent life rightly, is always beautiful to contemplate. Mrs. Swank has done this, and she receives the reverence and love of all who know her. GEORGE W. REILLY. The energies and efforts of George W. Reilly have been exerted along lines which have proven of benefit to his fellow men and he is well known as a ])rominent manu- facturer, church worker and also as a lead- hig representative of the fraternal order of the Modern^ Woodmen of America. His lal)ors in each direction have brought to him a wide acquaintance and he has accomplished much in each line of activity so that he well deserves mention among the leading and representative men of Danville and Vermil- ion county, where he has made his home since the fall of 1868. Mr. Reilly was born in Lafayette, In- diana, May II, 1852. His father, Luke Reilly, was a native of Ireland and spent his youth on the Emerald Isle. He sailed for the new world in 1830. He was a lawyer by profession, and, locating in Lafayette, he there engaged in practice until 1868, dur- ing which time he was also elected and served as states attorney. In the year men- tioned he came to Dan\'ille where he opened a law office and soon became known as one of the able and distinguished members of the bar at this place. For many years he en- joyed a large clientage which was indicative of the skill which he manifested in his pro- fession. His last days were spent in Dan- ville, where he passed away at the ripe old age of eighty-four years in 1897. George W. Reilly was reared in this city and pursued his education in the Danville schools. After ])utting aside his text books he learned the harness maker's trade, which be afterward followed as a journeyman for several years. Subsequently he l^ecame fore- man of a large manufacturing establish- ment, acting in that capacity for eight years, when he began manufacturing on his own account and continued the business with signal success until 1901, when he retired from active business life. Politically Mr. Reilly has 1)een a life long Republican, his first vote having been cast for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, while each presidential nominee of the party since that time has also received his support. He is quite active in local politics, but the honors and emoluments of public office have had LUKE REILLY. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 125 no attraction for him personally. He was, however, solicited to become a candidate for supervisor in 1898, and, consenting, he was elected to the office and ser\-ed for two years. He established during that time a system of records unlike what had been be- fore used. The expenditures previous to this time had been very extravagant and during his term of service he saved to the county twenty-two thousand five hundred and eigh- teen dollars. He was also president of the town board, occupying that position for two , years and on the expiration of his term he declined further political honors. Ml'. Reilly joined the Modern Woodmen in 1886, becoming a member of the local camp and at once taking active part in its work. He was instrumental in increasing its membership from eighteen to six hun- dred and for twelve years he served as coun- sel. In 1890 he was elected a delegate to the head camp and continued a member of every head camp until 1901. In that year he was elected a member of the board of di- rectors, a very responsible position and has since given his entire time to the order. This board pays out from five to six thousand dollars per month and the sum is constantly increasing as the membership of the fra- ternity grows. Mr. Reilly has firm faith and deep interest in the order, realizing how valuable it is as an insurance organization, protecting its members in illness and pro- viding for their families at death. He is justly proud of what the society has already accomplished and he has contributed in no small degree to this result. He also belongs to Danville Lodge No. 69, I. O. O. P., in which he served as financial secretary for four years. He likewise belongs to the en- campment of that order and both he and his wife are connected with the Rebecca de- gree. He is a member of the Tribe of Ben Hur, of the Court of Honor and is a mem- ber of the auditing board of the supreme court of the last named organization. He has filled many positions of honor and trust anc to whatever office he has been called he has- been found faithful, diligent and efficient. Mr. Reilly was married in Danville, No- vember 4, 1874, to Miss Amanda Decker ,^ a native of Hancock county, Ohio, and a daughter of Jeremiah Decker, who removed from the Buckeye state to Iroquois county,. Illinois, locating near Watseka, where Mrs Reilly was reared. Her father died when she was only five years of age and she then lived with her grandfather in Iroquois county until sixteen years of age. WHien a young^ lady she came to Danville, further pursued her education here and in this city gave her hand in marriage to the subject of this re- view. Lhito them have been born seven children. Gordon L., a business man of this city, is married and has one daughter, Edna. Louie C. is a stenographer holding a position in the head office of the Woodmen fraternity of Rock Island. Walter S., Irma, Georgie and Helen are at home. They also lost one son, George William, who died in 1878 at the age of two years. The parents belong to the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church and for several years Mr. Reilly was superintendent of the Sunday-school, which for three years was the largest Sunday- school of the city, owing to his earnest and indefatigable efforts in its behalf. He has erected three residences in Danville and has aided in improving the city along many lines. A man of strong purpose, of indubit- able probity, of marked devotion to any cause which he espouses, he has at all times and in all places commanded the respect and. confidence of his fellow men. 124 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD TI-IOMAS A. HOWARD. Thomas A. Howard, wlio was born in West Virginia, January 4, 1852, is a son of J. \\^ and Sarah (Adams) Howard, who w'ere natives of Virginia and were there married. Our subject was the third in order of birtl: in the family of three children and was educated in Iowa and in \^ermilion county, Illinois, while upon his father's farm he was reared, working in the fields through the months of summer and attend- ing school through the winter seasons. At the age of twenty-one he engaged in farm- ing on his own account and about 1880 he turned his attention to the confectionery business, which he conducted for a time and then established a meat market which he carried on for two years. He built the first twostory building in Fairmount and en- tered the grocery trade, being identified with that line of commercial activity until 1901. In his various business enterprises lie has been successful, carefully controlling his af- fairs and \\Sth keen foresight and energy conducting his interests until they have been made to yield to him a good return. On the nth of October, 1881, Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Ju- lia Lee, who was born in Vermilion county, September 25, 1855, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Jane (Saddler) Lee, both of whom are natives of West Virginia and be- came pioneer settlers of Vermilion county. Mrs. Howard was the third of their nine children and pursued her education in the public schools until she had entered upon the work of the senior yean She is an artist of exceptional ability, displaying particular skill in oil paintings, whereby she has won several premiums at the various fairs in Ho- mer and in Danville. She has engaged in teaching art for several years and a number of beautiful paintings of her production adoni the walls of her home. L^nto Mr. and Mrs. Howard have been born two children: Lottie Lee, who was married in June, 1900, to Thomas Hughes, of Fairmount; and Jo- seph Conrad, who is now thirteen years of age and is a student in the Fairmount schools. In his political views Mr. Howard is a Republican and is recognized as one of the leaders of his party in this locality. Called to public office by the vote of his fel- low townsmen, he served for two years on the board of aldermen and is now serving his second term as mayor of Fairmount, his re-election being indicative of his loyalty and efficient service. The cause of educa- tion has also found in him a warm friend and his co-operation in behalf of the schools has been of marked benefit. He is a liberal contributor toward the erection of the Bap- tist church now being constructed, and everything pertaining to the general good has found in him a friend, in fact, he has been a co-operant factor in whatever tends to advance the general welfare. He belongs to the blue lodge of Masons in Fairmount, in which he has passed all of the chairs and is also a meml>er of the Modern Woodmen Camp and the Court of Honor. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist church and take an active interest in its work, Mrs. Howard serving as a teacher in the Sunday-school and as leader of the choir for a number of years. Mr. Howard can go back in memory to the pioneer epoch in the history of Vermilion county when the deer ran over the hills and when lesser wild game was to be had in abundance. This country was all wild, open prairie and the trees and bushes were the native growth. Mr. How- ard has always greatly enjoyed hunting and has killed many deer, bears and wild cats. A witness of the growth of the county he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 125 has seen it advance from its pioneer condi- tions to take its place with the leading coun- ties of this great commonwealth, and what- ever has been of benefit to the community has received his endorsement. JOHN M. CUSTER. John M. Custer, who is now practically living a retired life after a long and honor- able connection with business affairs in which he gained for himself a handsome competence, was born in Putnam county West Virginia, on the 3d of April, 1831. He is a son of John M. Custer, who was a farmer by occu^^ation and was born and reared in eastern Virginia. On leaving the Old Dominion the father emigrated west- ward to Champaign county, Illinois, set- tling in Homer in the '60s, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new place of residence, his death occurring the following year. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Brown and who was of English lineage, died when her son John was a boy of only ten years. There were six children by that marriage. The sisters are all now deceased, while the brothers of our subject are M. B. and Edward Custer, both well known farmers. After the death of his first wife John j\I. Custer, the father of our sub- ject, was married in Ohio to Mrs. Eliza- beth Meyers, who died in Urbana, Illinois, in 1902. The subject of this review began his education in a log schoolhouse with a dirt floor, split puncheon benches and greased paper windows, while the immense fireplace that occupied one end of the room, was built of mud and sticks. He received only limited educational privileges but in the school of experience he learned many valu- able lessons. In his early youth he worked in field and meadow, assisting his father on the home farm until he was eighteen years of age, when he made his way to Homer, Champaign county, Illinois. There he went to school for one year and followed farm- ing as a laborer for some time. On the 20th of April, 1858, he rented land and com- menced its cultivation on his own account. On the 20th of April of that year Mr. Custer was united in marriage to Miss Lauretta Long, who was born in Vermilion ■ county, October 30, 1840, her parents hav- ing located here at an early day. She was a daughter of J. C. and Philadelphia F., (Spicer) Long, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Kentucky, their marriage, howe\-er, being celebrated in Georgetown, Illinois. In his early life the father was a blacksmith by trade, but became identified with the ministry of the Methodist Episco- pal church and labored in behalf of that de- nomination until his death, which occurred near Urbana, Champaign county, in 1886. He was at that time a member of the con- ference, although he held superannuated re- lations with it. His wife died in 1869 and was buried in the Concord cemetery near Georgetown. At the time of his marriage Mr. Custer of this review was engaged in managing a hotel in Homer. In 1870 he removed to South Danville, where he has since been en- gaged in the ice business and in farming. He owns fifty acres of land on the river bottom between Danville and South Dan- ville. He continued alone in the ice trade until 1888, when he entered into partner- ship with John Beard. . The firm now util- izes eight wagons in the delivery of its pro- 126 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD duct and its partners are regarded as the leading ice men of Danville. Their ice houses have a capacity of nine thousand tons and their trade is very extensive, the business constantly increasing. For several seasons Mr. Custer also engaged in tthe operating of coal mines on a small scale, working drift mines. To a large extent he is living retired, although he is still inter- ested in the ice business and looks after his land. Unto our subject and his wife have been born six children : Fannie, the wife of John Weaver, of Fairmount ; Mrs. Luella Yount, of Homer; John C, who married IMatilda Dickinson, of Danville, and is now manag- ing the ice business for the firm of Beard & Custer: Charles E., who is employed as a salesman by Isaac Stearns, of this city; May Viola, who is making a specialty of the study of vocal music ; Gertrude, at home ; and Jessie, who died at the age of four years. In his political views Air. Custer is a Republican and has several times been a member of the South Danville coun- cil. He belongs to Olive Branch Lodge, No. 38, F. & A. M.; to Chapter, No. 82, R. A. M. ; and to the commandery, Xo. 45, K. T. In his life he exemplifies the benev- olent spirit of the fraternity which is based upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. He is enterprising, intelligent, become one of the leading business men of honest man. Starting in life poor he has this city. His career has not been marked by business failure and vicissitudes, but by steady progress and straightforwardness. The methods which he adopted have been such as to lead to sucqess and therefore he is now enabled to live in practical retirement with a comfortable competence to supply him with all the necessaries and many of the luxuries of life. He has passed the psalm- ist's allotted span of three .score years and ten, being now se\enty-two years of age, but he still manifests an active interest in the city where he has so long resided and the welfare and progress to which he has largely contributed through his active co- operation in behalf of measures for the gen- eral good. MICHAEL KELLEY. A glance at the history of past centuries will indicate at once what would be the con- dition of the world if the mining interests no longer had a part in the industrial and commercial life. Only a few centuries ago agriculture was almost the only occupation of man and the landed proprietor surround- ed himself with his tenants and his servants who tilled his broad fields, while he reaped the reward of their labors; but when the rich mineral resources of the world were placed upon the market, industry found its way into newer and broader fields ; minerals were used in the construction of hundreds of inventions and the business of nations was revolution- ized. When considering these facts we can in a measure determine the value to man- kind of the mining interests. One who is connected with the mineral resources of Illi- nois is Michael Kelley. who is one of the oldest if not the oldest coal dealer in this^ state, operating extensive mines and having contracts for supplying some of the largest industrial concerns of the country with coal. Mr. Kelley was born in Ireland in 1837 and was twenty years of age when he crossed the Atlantic to America, arriving in New- York on the 24th of July, 1857. He there MICHAEL KELLY THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 129 remained until October of the succeeding year and worked for the g-overnment on fortifications at old Fort Schuyler on East river. He afterward spent four months in Pennsylvania and then came to Danville, in February, 1859. He was here employed in a brickyard through one summer and the next year secured work in the coal mines on the bluff, in i860. As his earnest labors brought to him some capital he resolved to engage in business for himself and purchased a piece of land which is now included within the city limits of Danville, being located near the Children's Home. He sold three acres of this but a portion of it he still retains. I\Ir. Kelley worked that place until about eighteen years ago, \vhen he bought twenty- six acres of land on South Fork, three miles from Danville, along the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. He tjien sunk a mine to the depth of seventy feet and continued its operation for ten years. In the meantime he sunk several other mines in the same lo- cality. He now operates six mines, being the largest mine operator in Vermilion coun- ty. His output in 1902 from two of his mines was eight hundred thousand tons. He now owns in one body eight thousand acres of land, on which he has si.x mines which are in operation, while another is now being started. As he has increased his business along this line he has also extended his la- bors into other fields of business activity, his efforts covering a wide scope. He built both the town of Kelleyville and Westville upon his land. The former was established without saloons and has been so continued. Mr. Kelley owns three general stores in Kel- leyville, and one in Westville, and he owns about three hundred and fifty houses in those places. He has another gen- eral store in Danville. Fie employs about 6 two thousand se\'en hundred men in the mines, and the output for 1903 will be a little over two million one hundred and! fifty-four tons of coal. Probably no other resident in the county has done so much for his fellow men in the way of fur- nisiiing employment and thus enabling oth-- ers to serve him and retain their self-respect because they are self-supporting and inde- pendent. Fle is now under contract to fur- nish six hundred thousand tons of coal to the Standard Oil Company of Chicago each year and nine hundred thousand tons each year to the Illinois Steel Company for use in its plants in Chicago and Joliet. Mr. Kelley is generous of his means and those in need of assistance are often helped by him. He possesses a most benevolent and humanitarian spirit. He is now build- ing a lirick schoolhouse at \\^estviile which will cost lietween eight and ten thousand dollars. This will be a free school in charge of the Catholic sisters and will be given to the city. Mr. Kelley is a lilseral supporter of churches of all denominations and gives freely to enterprises calculated to prove of general good. In 1865, in Danville, was celebrated the marriage of our subject and Miss Mary Dunn, who was born in the Empire state. They now have two sons and three daughters: Michael, who married Birdie Podgett; Edward, who is engaged in bookkeeping for his father; Nellie, Ruth and Jennie, all at home. The family have an elegant home opposite the postoffice. the former residence of Judge Davis. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley lost one child, Mary, who was a graduate of the Catholic school at Notre Dame, Indiana, who died in 1900, at the age of twaity-four years. Two daughters. Ruth and Jennie, are now students at St. Mary's Academy, Notre Dame, Indiana. 130 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD The famil}' are cummunicants of the Cath- ohc churcli. In his youth Air. Kelley had very limited opportunities for acquiring an edu- cation or to gain a start in life. He says that when he came to Danville he had noth- ing hut his health. That condition is a strong contrast to his present financial standing, for he today ranks among the wealthy men .of this state. All this is due to his business ■■ability, his enterprise and unremitting la- bor. His life has ever been a very l)usy one and that he has advanced beyond others on the road to success is due not to any in- herited fortune or to a combination of lucky circumstances, but is the direct result of the exercise of qualities which may be culti- vated by all. His wealth has come to him from the discrimination and utilization of opportunity and the most envious cannot grudge him his success, so honorably has it been won and so worthily used is it. ' SAMUEL W. BAUM. The three essential elements of success — industry, energy and jntelligence — may be acquired by all. They do not come through hereditary tendencies, save in a la- tent form which must be developed through exercise; they cannot be received as a leg- acy : nor can they be purchased. They are a matter of acquirement through cultivation and thus in a country unhampered by caste or class the road to success is open to all. Samuel W. Baum may well be termed a self- made man. for while he stands to-day among the prosperous men of Vermilion county, he was at the outset of his business career empty-handed and dependent entire- ly upon his own exertions. He became a leading farmer and stock-raiser, also ex- tended his ett'orts into other fields of en- deavor and now he is living retired in the en- joyment of the competence which he has gained. Mr. Baum was born February 15, 1842, on the old family homestead in Carroll township, Vermilion county, a son of Sam- uel and Sarah (Weaver) Baum. He be- gan his education in a little log schoolhouse in Indianola and after a few weeks entered a subscriptidu school taught in the old house that now stands i)eside the Baptist church. The teachers "boarded round" at the homes of the pupils. For two summers he was un- der the instruction of a capable lady teacher. Later he attended only for about two and a half months in the winter season, but in la- ter years he cultivated a power of observing as well as a love of reading and thus he con- tinually broadened his knowledge, becoming a well informed man. His father believed in keeping the boys busy and thus he early became familiar with hard work. He would break prairie with six yoke of oxen, turning a twenty-two inch furrow. After his father's death he left home and was em- ployed for a time as a farm hand by the day. His younger brother remained at home and as they each had a horse they had bought they made a team, purchased a plow and set of harness and rented their father's farm from the executors. After farming togeth- er for a year the\' borrowed some money and began buying yearling cattle, which they fed and grazed until they were three years old. when they fattened them and sold. The second vcar they both owned a team and re- mained on the farm. Their first crop brought eight and ten cents per bushel, but in war times prices advanced. When the estate was settled Samuel W. Baum received his share — eightv acres of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD t3i raw prairie, and after the f(jurth year he broke this. The timber with which he fenced it, he hauled seven miles. His uncle said he would not fence it for the land — such was the estimate placed on prairie at that time. The next year Mr. Baum bought anotlier eighty- acre tract, fenced the entire amount and placed it under the plow. Dur- ing this time he and his brother had contin- ued in the cattle business together and the partnership was maintained until 1872, dur- ing which time thev became extensive ship- pers of and dealers in cattle. They then dis- solved partnership, but Mr. Baum continued the business and from time to time he pur- chased more land until his possessions now aggregate fourteen hundred acres in Ver- milion county. I'br several years he boarded Avith his sister, Mrs. Pugh, who lived near by, and then he erected a small frame house, but later made extensive, valuable and splen- did improvements on his farm until it was one of the best countr)' seats of this portion of the state. There he lived until Novem- ber, 1S90, when he removed to Danville, and after two years he came to Indianola. Avhere he purchased property and has since made his home. While he is practically liv- ing retired, he yet gives his supervision to his large farm. He has been one of the most ■extensive dealers in cattle in eastern Illinois and for many years he was interested in fancy stock. In 1892 he fed six head of two years-old steers, that weighed on an average of nineteen hundred and fifty pounds. For many years he bred fancy shorthorn cattle, and he gave some attention to horses but made a specialty of beef cattle and hogs. For a time he was connected with the Danville Fair Association and the Indianola Associa- tion, and has ever been interested in what- ever tends to promote advancement along agricultural lines. His attention, however. has not been confined entirely to farm pro- ducts and kindred industries for he is a stockholder in the large Emery dry-goods house of Danville. On the 5th of November, 1879, Mr. Baum was united in marriage to j\Iiss Delia Stewart, a native of X'ermilion county and a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Jane (Cochran) Stewart. She was born on the old Achilles Morgan farm in the first brick house built in this county. Her parents were natives of Browri county, Ohio, were there married and in an early day went to Woodford county, Illinois. They went down the Ohio to the Mississippi, then up the latter to the Illinois and after following that waterwa}- for a time, landed at Spring Bay. whence they proceeded on horse back to their destination. After a residence of five or six years in Woodford county they came to Vermilion county and purchased the old Morgan farm in (ieorgetown town- ship, .southeast of Danville. Mr. Stewart lived to be sixty-four years of age and died in Danville, to which place he had removed after his children had married and left home. His widow now makes her home with her youngest daughter, Mrs. R. A. Rouse. To them were born seven daugh- ters : Mary Malinda, who died when three months old; Thamer Elizabeth, the twin of Mary and the wife of Thomas Patrick, who is a farmer of Vermilion county, Indiana; Lavina, the wife of J. C. Maddox, of Sidell township ; Sarah Amanda, who died at the age of five years; Josephine, the wife of Jasper N. Baum, of Edgar county, Illinois; Delia, the wife of Samuel Baum ; and Dol- lie, the wife of R. A. Rouse, of Danville. In politics Samuel Baum has been a Re- publican since voting for Abraham Lincoln in 1S64, but he has never held or wanted of- fice, preferring to give his attention to his 132 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD business affairs, in \\hicli lie has met with signal success. He is a self-niatle man in the best sense of that term, having had no assistance in his business career, and while winning prosperity he has also gained the respect and goodwill of his fellow men and is numbered among the valued and lead- ing men of the county. FRANCIS ASBURY COLLISON. J'rancis Asbury Collison is an extensive land owner and stock dealer in \'ermilion county, controlling large business interests, which demand executive force and ability, keen foresight and enterprise. He is wide- ly known throughout the county as "Bury" Colliscm and is recognized as one of the lead- ing representatives of stock-dealing interests of this ])ortion of the state. \''ennilion county claims him as one of her native sons, hfs birth having occurred June 25. 1837, in Pilot township, upon a farm which forms a part of his estate. He obtained his early education in the log school house and re- mained at home with his parents vintil twenty-two years of age, after which he was associated with his brother in Potomac for a year or two. On the 25th of October, 1866. Mr. Col- lison was united in marriage to Xannie J. Howard, who was born in Pilot township, February 20, 1846, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Martin) Howard. Her mother died during the infancy of Mrs. Collison and the father passed away when she was but five years of age. She had one sister, Margaret, and a half brother. G. C. How- ard, but the former died at the age of six- teen years. After the death of his first wife Mr. Howard had married Miss Barbara (Snyder j Morrison, who is now living in Potomac and is the widow of William I. Allen. The marriage of our subject and his wife was lilessed with nine children, of whom se\'en sur\ive. Fred married Fmma Martin and is lixing in Rantoul. Harry married Mollie Martin, a sister of his- brother's wife, and the two brothers are en- gagcil m the banking business, conducting the First National Bank of Rantoul. Lillie is the wife of David Fowler, of Danville township. Lulu, a twin sister of Lillie, is the wife of Robert Pollock, who is a stock- holder and cashier of the bank at Gilman. Illinois. Mae is the wife of E. G. Stephens, a farmer of Pilot township. ]\Iaude is the wife of Charles Atwood, who is conducting a general store in Collison. Nellie com- pletes the family. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Collison also have eight grandchildren. Thev lost two children : Joseph, who died at the age of seven months ; and Jessie, who died at the age of three months. He had given to tlieir children excellent educational jjrivileges. The youngest son is a graduate of the law department of the University of .Michigan at Ann .Arbor and was admitted to the Illi- nois bar but ne\-er practiced. I'red is a graduate of the (iem City Business Col- lege of Ouincy, Illinois, and for a number of terms engaged in teaching in the district schools and in the intermediate department of the public .schools of Indianola. The twin daughters attended De Pauw L^niversitv at (ireencastle. Indiana, and IMaude was a stu- dent in the Normal School at Normal, Il- linois. The first land which Mr. Collison ever owned \\as a tract of one hundred and twentv acres which he receixed as his share \c THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 135 of the estate which belonged to his father, who was the owner of nine hundred acres, and to this property our subject has added from time to time until his landed posses- sions now aggregate between eleven and twehe hundred acres, all of which is located in Pilot township with the exception of a quarter section in Oakwood ' township. From the age of sixteen years he has been •engaged in the stock business, giving much of his time to dealing in live stock. In an €arly day he drove cattle to Chicago, but his first shipments were made to New York. He now ships on an average of from ten to twelve carloads of stock each year and is breeding shorthorn cattle. For a number of years he is engaged in the cultivation of his fields, but of recent years he has rented his land, all save his pastures. Splendid improvements have been made upon his farm, which under his supervision has been brought to a rich state of cultivation. In 1880 he gave his first contract for tiling to the amount of two thousand dollars and almost every-year since that time he has added to the amount of tiling upon his place. One year he was a half owner in a tile factory east of Collison. In 1885 he erected his present beautiful home which stands on the site of the old residence so that he has here lived for thirty-five consecutive j-ears. His present palatial residence contains thirteen rooms, a bath, broad halls and all modern equip- ments and its furnishings indicate the re- fined and cultured tastes of the owners. Although not a member of any church Mr. Collison attends the Methodist Episco- pal church of which his wife is a member and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having formerly been identified with the lodge at Potomac. The first postofiice in Pilot township was secured through the ef- forts of ]\Ir. Collison and was called Bixb3^ being located on a portion of his farm. It was looked upon with disfavor by many at first but later they realized it was one of the best things that was ever done for the town- ship. In politics he is a stalwart Republi- can and has held some minor of^ces, but has never been an aspirant for political honors, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business affairs. Few men in Ver- milion county are more widely known than is "Bury" Collison, whose residence here covers sixty-five years — the entire period of his life. While he has controlled extensive business interests and won splendid success he has never allowed the accumulation of wealth to warp his kindly nature or to in- fluence him in any degree in his associations with old time friends. He is a genial gentle- man, companionable and kindly, and is very popular among those who know him. He certainly deserves to be classed among the representative agriculturists of this part of the state. Though he received some assist- ance in starting out in life his splendid pros- perity is due to his own efforts, to his diligence and to his correct business prin- ciples, and through the exercise of these qualities he has won success, which places him in the front rank among the substantial citizens of his native countv. GEORGE E. COCKERTOX. Among the "captains of industry" in Danville may be numbered George E. Cock- erton, a self-made man, who at the outset of his business career realized that there is no excellence without labor and whose ef- 136 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD forts therein have been exercised consecu- tively in an endeavor to acquire a hand- some competence. In tliis lie has suc- ceeded and at the same time he has won honor and respect which is accorded to those whose business careers will bear close investigation and scrutiny. As a boy in 1864 ]\Ir. Cockerton came to Danville with his parents. John C. and Hannah (Pate) Cockerton, who are yet residents of this city. The family is of English lineage and repre- sentatives of the name came from England to America, locating first in Chicago, Illi- nois, afterward in Ldgin and subsequently in this city. Both the father and mother of our subject were born in England and the year of their emigration to America was 1849. The father was engaged in finishing woolen goods. In the family were three children, but one brother, Frank, died in Dan\ille at the age of forty-seven years. The sister, Mrs. Edgar C. Dodge, now in Chicago, was a teacher in the schools of Danville prior to her marriage. George E. Cockerton completed his edu- cation in the high school of Danville under the direction of Professor Spellman, leav- ing that institution at the age of seventeen years. From the age of fourteen he has been connected almost continuously with the printing business. He first entered the of- fice of the Danx'ille Plaindealer, owned by the firm nf Clapp & Evans. Subsequently he entered the office of the Danville Times, own.ed by A. (i. Smith and closely applying himself to his work, he liecame one of the best printers in this portion of the country, being made manager of a plant. A weekly paper was published and a large jobbing business carried on, ^Ir. Cockertfin having supervision of the mechanical department and business management of the Enteiprise between the ages of eighteen and twenty- one years. On attaining his majoritv he went to the east where he remained for four years and there further acquainted himself with the line of work which he had chosen for a life occupation, h'or several years he was also employed in Indianapolis and whaa the financial panic of 1877 involved the country he came to Danville in response to an offer which was made him to take charge of the Times. He occupied that position for two years, managing the jobbing depart- ment. In 1879 he formed a partnership with F. F. Bowman, in the establishment of a job and ])rinting office on a small scale. Immediate failure was predicted for the new firm by all, but in face of these dire predic- tions they have succeeded, their strong reso- h'.tion, enterprise and good workmanship enabling them to overcome all oljstacles and difficulties in their path. At the expiration of three )-ears their business was sold at a good advance. Later Mr. Cockerton es- tablished a job office alone and conducted it for four x'ears. On the expiration of that ])erio(l ilie Press Company was. formed. Mr. Cockerton becoming inisiness manager and in that position he remained for two years. In 1889 he established an exclusive job and book business, and in January, 1901, he admitted his son to a partnership in the business. The new enterprise j^rospered from the beginning. The |)ublic had already I)ec')me familiar with his good workman- sliip and comprehensive knowledge of the ])rinting l)usincss in all its departments and it was not long before he had secured a lib- eral ])atronage. In 1898 he added a Iniok binding plant and also began manufacturing rubber stamps. The book binding and stamp nianuf.-icturing departments arc now under the direct management of Herbert F. Cockerton, the junior mcuilK.'r of the firm, and this ))ranch of his business has had i)he- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 137 nonienal growth. Tlie plant is valued at ten thotisand dollars and the value is constantly being increased by the addition of new ma- chinery and equipments calculated to pro- mote the effectixeness of the work and ad- vance the practical utility of the business. In 1876 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cockerton and Miss Lillian E. Jack, of Indianapolis. She was born in Centerville, Indiana, a daughter of Mathew \V. and Ann (Sackett) Jack. Both parents are now deceased. In their family were ten chil- dren, of \\'hom Mrs. Cockerton was the youngest. Thomas Carroll, of Carrollton, Maryland, a signer of the Declaration of In- dependence, was an uncle of her father. Mr. Jack died in Chicago at the age of ninety- one years. He was a tailor by trade and in later years carried on merchandising. He held membership in the Tippecanoe Club of Chicago and was quite prominent in public affairs there. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cocker- ton has been born one son, Herbert E. He was married in November, 1901, to Miss Lola G. Young, who was born in Danville in February, 1880, a daughter of C. M. Young, one of the well known residents of this city and general agent for the Home Sewing Machine Company for Indiana and Illinois. Mr. Cockerton owns a residence at No. 310 Oak street, valued at five thou- sand dollars, and has a suliurl.ian fruit ranch at the northeast corner of the city covering two acres and planted to small fruit. His father lives at that place. The son owns property at No. 710 Gilbert street. Mr. Cockerton is a member of Olive Branch Lodge. No. 38, F. & A. M. ; Vermilion Chapter, No. 82, R. A. M. ; Danville Coun- cil, No. 83, R. & S. M. : and Athelstan Com- mandery. No. 45, K. T. Of the last named he is past eminent commander and is past chancellor of Oamascus Lodge, No. 84, K. P.. He likewise belongs to the Benevolent and Protecti\e Order of Elks and to Paugh- caughnaughsinque Tribe, Improved Order of Redmen. He holds membership relations with the Cycling Club and has been a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce since its organization. His name is also on the membership roll of Danville Council, No. 160, of the National Lnion. In his life his- tory are many ex'idences of excellent busi- ness ability. His prosperity cannot be at- tributed to a combination of lucky circum- stances, but has arisen from energy, enter- prise, integrity and intellectual effort well directed. He is a man of strong individual- ity and indubitable probity and one whose influence has ever been exerted in behalf of measures contributing to the general good. W. A. COCHRAN, M. D. \y. A. Cochran who in the practice of medicine has displayed skill and comprehen- sive knowledg'e that ranks him among the leading members of the medical fraternity in Danville, was born in Madison, Indiana, in 1850. and is a son of Andrew and ]\Iin- erva (Morris) Cochran. The father, also a native of Madison, was a contractor and builder and in the year 1855 remo\-ed to Brookston, Indiana, where the mother died of smallpox in 1861. The father however, long survived her, passing away in Brooks- ton in November, 1901. By the first mar- riage there were three children of whom the Doctor is the eldest. His brother and sister died in childhood. After the death of his first wife Andrew Cochran was again mar- ried and by the second union had two sons, Clyde and Sherman, both of whom are now living in Brookston. 138 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Dr. Cochran pursued his studies in the Brookston Academy, lea\ing tliat institu- tion in 1868. I'lie following year he took up the study of medicine, entering the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, where he was graduated in 1873. The same year he estahlished the office in Brookston, Indiana, where he remained for one year after which he engaged in practice for a year in Han- over, Kentucky. On the expiration of that period he located in Indianapolis where he remained in practice until 1882. which was the year of his arrival in X'ermilion county, Illinois. He established his home and office at Grape Creek where he remained until 1895, when he came to Danville, where he has since li\ed. Experience of a varied character in former years, combined witk reading, study and investigation have al- ready made him a capable physician and in the city of his adoption he has long since left the ranks of the many to stand among the successful few. In 1877 occurred the marriage of Dr. Cochran and jNIiss Martha P. Medaris, the wedding taking place in Brookston, Indiana. The lady was born in Hartford, Indiana, April 3, 1855, a daughter of John Medaris, a physician of Brookston, Indiana. Her mother, ho\\e\er, is now deceased. The Doctor and ]\lrs. Cochran have two chil- dren : Charles H., who was born February 7, 1878, is a machinist in the employ of the Danville foundry and machine shops; Helen E., born August 30, 1880, is a graduate of the Danville high school. The Doctor is identified socially with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Tribe of Ben Hur and the Bene\'olent and Protective Or- der of Elks. In politics he is a Republican and for seven years he filled the office of county physician, while for two terms he was police magistrate at Grape Creek, Illinois. In i8cj4 he was elected assistant supervisor of Danville township. His home is at No. 910 \"ermilion street where he has a pleasant residence. In the line of his profession he is connected with the Tri County and the. State Medical Associations. He is engaged in the general practice of medicine and sur- gery and has served on the hospital surgical staff of the Vermilion county hospital for seven years. He is also examining physi- cian for a number of insurance companies and in this profession where advancement depends solely on strong mentality and in- dividual merit he has steadily worked his way u])ward until he now occupies a very creditable place in the ranks of the medical fraternity. ♦-•-• LE\TX D. GASS. Levin D. Gass is the well known cashier of the First National Bank of Danville and to say of him that he has arisen unaided from comparati\x obscurity to rank among the leading business men of Danville is a statement that seems trite to those familiar with his life, yet it is just to say in a history that will descend to future generations, that his business record has been one that any man would be proud to possess. Through his entire business career he has been looked upon as a model of integrity and honoT, never making an engagement that he has not fulfilled, and stands to-day an example of what determination and force combined with the highest degree of business integ- rity can accomplish for a man of natural ability and strength of character. He is re- spected by the comniunit}' at large and hon- ored bv his Imsiness associates. Mr. (iass was l)orn in Catlin, Illinois, November 22. i8;8. His father, T<-ihn H. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 141 Gass was born in Tennessee and died in August, 1895, in Chicago. He had been en- gaged in the hve stock commission business in tliat city in connection with John Adams, Son & Compan}', for twenty-four years. He took up his abode in Vermihon county in 1856, and in Danville in 1866. He was a wholesale and retail grocety of the ctiy as well as an extensive dealer in live stock in Chicago. His wife died in I'ebruary, 1901. In the family were the following children : Hamlet; Charles; Mrs. George Cutter and Mrs. Butler Miller, all of Chicago; and Mrs, Olmstead, of Danville. I,e\in D. Gass pursued his early educa- tion in the public schools of Danville and then became a high school student. In 1S75 he put aside his te.xt books and entered the First National Bank under J. G. English as president and E. H. Palmer as cashier. He acted as messenger and errand boy in the early days of his connection with the insti- tution and afterward served as collector for eighteen months and was then advanced to the position of general bookkeeper, which incumbency he retained for two years, after which he was individual bookkeeper for eighteen months. On the expiration of that period he was made teller and when four years had passed he was again promoted. becoming assistant cashier, in which ca- pacity he served for fourteen years. For five years he has been cashier of the insti- .tution and its growth and progress during this period is largely attributable to his ef- forts. He is a stockholder and director of the bank and his thorough understanding of the banking business combined with close application and unremitting diligence ha\-e made him one of the most valued of- ficers of the institution and a man who has won and retains the public confidence and regard. ' He is also a stockholder in the Danville Buggy Company and he owns both city and farm property, having made judicious investments in real estate. In this city, in 1881, Mr. Gass married Miss Eva Hulce, a native of Marshall coun- ty, Illinois, and a daughter of INIartin Hulce, now deceased, who was the president of the Danville Buggy Company. They have four children: Lewis, Martin, Inez and How- ard, all of whom are yet under the parental roof and are now students in school. The family home is at No. 318 Gilbert street and the household is celebrated for its gracious hospitality. Fraternally Mr. Gass is connected with the blue lodge and the chapter of Masonry. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Modern Wood- men of America, For many years he has been a member of the Kimber ^lethodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a trustee. He takes a very prominent and acti\e part in politics, is a stanch Republican and has served as school treasurer and presi- dent of the board of education in Danville. He was one of those who helped to start the mo\enient which caused the Republicans of Illinois to give an almost universal support to the sound money plank of the platform in 1896 and led the state delegation to give its unanimous strength to the ]McKinley ticket in that year. His has been a busy, useful and honorable life and while business affairs have made close demands upon his attention he has yet found time and oppor- tunity to faithfully perform his duties of citizenship and of social life. He has a very wide acquaintance in Danville and the circle of his friends is almost co-extensiA'e there- with. His enterprise and commercial ac- 142 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tivity have not t^nly contributed to his indi- vidual welfare but ha\e been a potent force in adsancing business prosperity here. FRAXKLIX ROBERT OSBORX. Franklin Knbert Osborn. who is en- gaged in tlie publication of the Ridgefarm Repul)lican, was bom February 24. 1859, in Mahomet, Champaign county, Illinois, his parents Ijeing RolDcrt Osborn and Mar- garet Allen (Flenley) Osborn. The Os- Ijorns were among the early English colon- ists who settled in North Carolina and grad- ual! \- migrated westward first to Kentucky and thence to Indiana. It was between the vears 1820 and 1823 that James Osborn, the grandfather (jf our subject, settled in Ver- milion county, Illinois, where Robert Os- born. the father of our subject, was born in 1824. The family resided at the place of their first residence for nine years and then removed tlue (jrass state, at the time when the red men were so hostile to the white settlers and killed so many of thenr tliat the country Ijecame knnwn as "the dark and bloody ground." Jonathan Prather was reared and married in Kentucky and there several of his chil- dreri were born. Jerry Prather, the father, removed to Illinois, settling in \'ermilion countv north of Danville, where he secured a wild tract of land afterward entering it from the government. Turning the furrows in his fields he developed his place into a richly cultivated farm upon which he spent his last years. He was born in Kentucky aljout 1820, and shared with the other members of the household in all the liardships and trials incident to the establishment of a pio- neer home here. He was married to Eve- Ivn ■Miller, also a native of Kentucky, and a daughter of (Cornelius Miller, a pioneer resi- dent of Fountain county, Indiana. After their marriage the young couple located in Ross townsluix where Jerry Prather became the owner of several hundred acres of land. He developed a good farm about three miles east of Rossville and was engaged in its cultivation and improvement. When in the prime of life he was called to the home be- yond, passing away in 1859. His first wife had died some years before and he after- ward married again. His second wife, after losing her first husband, also married again. Tames U. Prather, of this review, was the voungest in a family of seven children, all of whom reached mature years and were married, while four of the number are yet living. Sarah A., the eldest, is the wife of Daniel Kite, of Cass county, Missouri. Jon- athan is a resident of Rossville. Elizabeth C. is the wife of William Gundy, of Har- risonville, Cass county, Missouri. James N. I'rather, of this review, was reared on the f.arm and as socju as old enough to follow the i)low he began work in the fields. After his father's death he lived with his eldest sister until he had attained the age of eigh- teen years, when, in 1869, he went to ^\'rigl^t county, Missouri, remaining there for about twelve months, during which time he worked upon a farm. In 1870, however, he returned to Vermilion county, rented land here and engaged in farming for a number of years. After living upon a tract of one Imndrcd acres for a number of years he re- moved to Hoopeston, where he resided in re- tirement from labor for ten years. In 1902, however, he purchased the farm upon which he uiiw resides on section 15, Ross town- ship, located thereon and began the further improvement of this place. It is one of the fine farms of the community. ^ Near Carlisle, Arkansas, about 1878, oc- ctuTed the marriage of James U, Prather and Mariah L, Moyer, a native of Ver- milion county and a daughter of Samuel Moyer, one of tlic old settlers of Illinois. Her mother bore the maiden name of Nancy Gundy and they were married in Ross town- ship. She is now deceased and Mr. Moyer, who has married again, is now living in Houston, Texas. After the war he removed to Tennessee, later to Arkansas and is now a resident of the Lone Star state. Mrs, Prather spent the greater part of her girl- hood in Arkansas and prior to her marriage was a successful teacher. Four children ha\e been born of this union : Jennie, Eth- el, James h'orrest and Maude A,, all of whom are still under the parental roof, Mr. Prather has been lujuored with l)ul)lic offices by his fellow townsmen who ha\e recognized his worth and ability and ha\e therefore nominated him for positions of public trust. lie has served as township trustee, filling the office altogether for THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 147 t\vel\-e years. He has never I^een a poli- tician, however, in the sense of office seek- ing for his business affairs have made heavy demanils upon his time and attention. His first presidential ballot was cast in 1872 for General U. S. Grant and he has since been unfaltering in support of the Republican party. He and his wife and two daughters are members of the Christian church and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity in which lie has attained the Royal Arch degree. He nnw belongs to Hoopeston Lodge and is also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. The name of Prather is in- separably interwoven in the history of V^er- milion county, as from pioneer times down to the present representatives of the family have teen prominent in promoting the sub- stantial upbuilding of this section of the state. Our subject carries on the work which was begun by his grandfather and continued by his father and is known as one whose interest in the county is deep and sin- cere. THOMAS WILLIAMS. Thomas Williams has passed the sev- entieth milestone of life's journey and is now living a retired life in Hoopeston. The regard in which he is uniformly held is evi- dence of his high character, and he may therefore l)e mentioned as a representative of the best element of citizenship in this community. He is a man of the strictest in- tegrity and one, who by his life of industry and the exercise of economy and wise judg- ment, has obtained for himself a compe- tence. He is now living retired from ac- tive labor in a pleasant home in Hoopeston, attractively located on East Penn street — a home that was built in 1901 and is a model of beauty and convenience. Mr. Wil- liams settled in this county during his in- fancy and he has assisted materially in gaining for it its present importance. Thomas Williams spent the first nine- teen years of his life in Harrison county, Ohio, where he was born November 29, irmilion coun- ty in 1829 when Mrs. Sandusky was only three months old and settled on what is now the Indianola fair grounds, where he se- cured a tract of land from the government. He lived to be seventy-five years of age and his wife passed away at the age of thirty- eight. She was a daughter of ^lichael Weaver and their remains were interred in the old Weaver cemetery in Carroll town- ship. The marriage of Mr. anil Mrs. San- dusky was celebrated April 20, 1849, '^'^'^ they became the parents of five children, of whom a daughter died in infancy. Caroline is the widow of James Snapp and resides in Georgetown. She had three children by this union. Belle, Ivan and Willie, and by her former marriage she had two daug'iters, Mary and Josephine. Adeline is the wife of Thompson AlcMillan, a lumber dealer of Danville and they have two living children, Nellie and Edward. Rochester, who is en- gaged in the oi)eration of the home place, is one of the prominent farmers of Carroll township. Belle is the wife of William H. lames, a druggist of Rossville, Illinois, and thev have three children: Willie, Don and Mary Margaret. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Sandusky have two great-grandchildren. These are Fern and Ralph l-llliott. children of Mrs. Earl Elliott, of Georgetown. At the time of his marriage ]\lr. San- dusky started out with two hundred and forty acres of land and that he has li\-eil a life of industry, earnest labor and persever- ance is shown by the fact that he added to his ])ossespions until he now has fifteen hun- dred and twenty acres in the home place. This is a most creditable showing of a life work and, moreover. Mr. Sandusky has al- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 157 ways maintained lionorable business rela- tions and enjoyed the confidence and good will of his fellow men. From the beginning he engaged in the cattle business and was at one time interested in shorthorn cattle, be- ing an extensive raiser, ^\'hatever he has ■undertaken has received his undi\-ided at- tention and his work has been of a nature to return to him an excellent income. For many years he was recognized as one of the prominent cattle men of Illinois, buying cat- tle and feeding them to the extent of about three hundred head at a time. In his political views Mr. San- some years previous. They were the par- ents of eight children, all of whom arc still living in Scotland with tlie exception of our subjecc. Dr. Stewart grew to manhood in his native land and acquired his education in the school of which his father had charge. and he began his business career as an em- ploye in the office of the National Bank of Scotland. On leaving home he went tu the West Indies with his brother-in-law, John Wilson, but in 1873 returned to Scotland and in the fall of that year came to Ameri- ca. After spending about four years in Virginia he went to Indiana, in 1877, and became interested in the importation of fine horses from Scotland. In 1880 he was ; student in the \'etcrinary College of On- tario, Canada, and was later engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery in Indiana. Dr. Stewart removed to Danville, Illinois, in the summer of 1886, and here he has since made his home with the exception of two years spent in Chicago, having been appointed by President Harrison as veter- inary inspector in the stockyards of that city, which position he held for that length of time. On his return to Danville he re- sumed the practice of his profession and to- day has a splendid practice which extends far into the country for many miles in every direction. At Danville. November 11, 1896. Dr. Stewart married Miss Ethel Welch. The Doctor and his wife have a handsome hom< at No. 1 28 North Walnut street and he also owns other real estate in Danville, in- cluding his office and hospital at No. 17 the same street. He has met with excellent success in the practice of his chosen profes- sion and is now serving as assistant state veterinary. Socially he is an honored mem- ber of Olive Branch Lodge. F. & A. ]\I. ; Hesperian Lodge, K. P., of Franklin. In- diana; the Order of Ben llnr and the Royal Arcanum. He attends the Presbyterian church, of which he was a member in the old country, and is a stanch supporter of the Republican jiarty and its principles. He U. R. EADER. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 203 stands deservedly higli in the esteem of his fellow citizens and commands the confi- dence and regard of all with whom he comes in contact. ROY L. MURPHY. Roy L. Murphy, the editor and pro- prietor of the Fairmount Review, was horn at Mahomet. Illinois, July 7, 1870, his par- ents being David A. and Asenath Murphy. The father was a fanner by occupation and was a well known citizen of Champaign county. The subject of this re\'iew pur- sued his education in the public schools of Mahomet, where he was graduated in the class of 1896, after which he attended busi- ness college at Bloomington. Illinois, for two years. In his early youth he entered the printing office of his brother, C. W. Mur- phy, and finding the profession congenial he has since followed it. On the 15th of May, 1894, he became an employe in the office of the Sucker State Printing Com- pany at Mahomet and there learned the trade, working until the ist of October. 1897, with the exception of the periods which he spent in school. Later he was employed on different papers in Champaign and afterward in the same capacity in other cities in the state. On the ist of September, 1898, however, he embarked in a journal- isic venture on his own account, purchasing the Courier at Ogden, Illinois. He was the youngest editor in this part of the state at that time, being but nineteen years of age. He remained in charge of the Courier until the ist of February, 1899, after which he was employed in various printing offices until the ist of December, following, when he purchased the Review at Fairmount, where he has since been located. In the publication of this paper he has met with success, the circulation having increased as well as the advertising and job printing patronage. The enterprise is now proving a profitable one and Mr. Murphy has a well equipped office, from which he weekly is- sues a paper that is a credit to the town and to its owner. In his political affiliations he is a Republican and through the columns of his journal he advocates the cause of the party. On the 14th of November, 1899, at Sid- ney, Illinois, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss Maude Ethel McNichols, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. McNich- ols, old and respected citizens of Tolono, Illinois, where the former is engaged in the drug and grocery business. They now have an interesting daughter, Lois Mae, bom December 31, 1900. Socially Mr. Murphy is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America at Fairmount and with the Ameri- can Home Circle. U. R. EADER. \J. R. Fader is a prosperous resident of Danville, whose success has practically been won since 1894 although the previous years of his connection with business affairs proved an excellent training school for him, enabling him to carry forward to successful completion all that he has undertaken since he began business on his own account. He is now in control of one of the successful and important concerns of Danville, being engaged in the repair and manufacture of bicycles and dealing in guns and sporting goods and electrical and gas fixtures, also doing work along the lines of electrical con- struction. 204 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mr. Eader is one of the Wdiiliy citizens of Vermilion county that Oliio has fur- nished to this locahty. His Ijirth occurred in Lima, that state, on the 14th of Jnne, 1856. his parents being Thomas and Ellen (Coons) Eader. both of whi.ini were na- tives of Ohio. In the year i860 the family came to Illinois. Tlie father purchased land in Vermilion county upon which he carried on gcnerrd farming until 1871. In that year he came to Danville, purchased property and was here connected with tlie Danvilk Lumber Company for about ten years. He then sold his propertv and removetl to No- blesville. Indiana, where he purchased prop- erty and where he is now engaged in dealing in real estate and merchandising. He is al.so connected with the furniture and gen- eral store at that ])lace and is in partnership with his son, David F. Eader, in a similar enterprise at Noblesx'illc. Indiana. The mother of our subject died at Noblesville, Indiana, in 1896, and in 1901 the father was again married, i'.y the first union there were ten children, of whom the subject of this review is tlic eldest. The others yet living arc: I). P.: Samuel: Frederick; Mrs. Mary Shnmaker: ^Irs. Mirancla Mead: .Mrs. Rosa Hanners: and Sar.ah. In the schools of Vermilion countv ^Ir. Eader of this review pursued his education and from the age of eight years he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources for a living. He worked as a farm hand for his father and also for others in the neighborhood Init not wishing to make agricultural pursuits his life work he even- tually turned his attention to other lines of industry. In 1871 he became connectefl with the Danville Lumber Company and learned the machinist's trade. For eighteen years his connection with that company was continued, during which time he was advanced from one position to another as he gave evidence of having mastered the duties that devolved upon him, and he long served as foreman and manager. When he entered tiie ser\ice of that company he received ninety dollars per year and during the eighteen years which he served as fore- man he was i)aid four dollars and seventy- five cents per day, a fact which stands in incontrovertible e\idence of his value to the compan}'. In 1895, however, he sev- ered his connection with the com])an\- and entered lousiness on his own account. He at first handled l)icycles onlv and later he added sporting goods and estaljlished a re- pair department. At the present time the wheels which he handles are manufactured in his establishment. These arc called "Our Own Make" and there are four models. The oiUput in 1903 will reacli one thousand wheels. He is now employing lu'neteen men in the conduct of the liusiness, which IS divided into four de])artnients : re]iairing and manufacturing, the s])orting goods, the gun department and the electrical and gas department. He employs an experienced electrician and is engaged in electrical con- struction and deals in electrical suj^iplies. This branch of his business has proved one contributing in no small degree to his in- come. In fact his enterprise in all its de- partments is now paying well and the busi- ness amounts to more than twenty-five thousand dollars annuallv. Mr. Eader is also interested in gold mining in Washing- ton, being a stockholder in three mines, in- cluding the "Fortune," in which several prominent Dan\ille capitalists arc inter- ested. On the 20th of .Se]itcmber, 1883. in this city, Mr. Eader was united in marriage to THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 205 Miss Lavinia Tanner, of Champaign, Illi- nois. Her parents are both deceased. Two children ha\e lieen born of this union of Mr. and Mrs. Eader : Makel and Horace, aged respectively seventeen and nine years. The former will graduate in the high school of this city in 1903 and is now pvn-suing special work in music and elocution. The family home is at Xo. 1002 North Walnut street and is an attracti\-e residence valued at six thousand dollars. Socially Mr. liader is connected \\-ith the Modern Woodmen of America, with the Tribe of Ben Hur and the Court of Honor, and in his pnlitical affiliations is a Republican. His splendid success in business has been achieved since 1894. When he first opened his bicycle business he had no capital, Init he iiossessed an untarnished name and good credit. The growth of his business demanded larger quarters in the second year and has since annually increased in viilume and import- ance. A man of much natural aljility his success during the past nine years has heev uniform and rapid. As has l^een truly re- marked, after all that can he done for a man in the way of giving him early oppor- tunities for obtaining the requirements which are sought in schools and in book? he luust essentially formulate, determine and give shape to his own character and this is what Mr. Eader has done. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose and has gained a most satisfactory reward. * « » ORIN L. McCORD. Orin L. McCord, who is well known as a representative of mercantile affairs in Danville, is now filling the position of coun- ty treasurer and is a worthy custodian of the public funds. With business dispatch he discharges the duties of the position and his integrity and honor are above question. Mr. McCord is a native son of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Putnam coun- ty, on the 6th of April, 1863, He is a son of Ninon A. and Susan (Child) ^NlcCord. The father died at the age of fifty-eight years, but the mother still sur\-i\'es and is now living at East Lynn, Vermilion county. Ninon A. McCord was a native of Bond county, Illinois, and in 1875 removed to this county, settling in Butler town.ship, where he followed farming throughout his remaining days, being recognized as one of the progressi\-e agriculturists of his com- munity. Unto him and his wife were bi.irn five children, all of whom are yet li\-ing in Vermilion county. These are: Orin L., Wilmot J., Warren C, Charles C. and Frank P. In taking up the personal history of Orin L. McCord we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely known in Vermilion county for he was brought here by his parents when only twel\-c years of age. He pursued his education in the public schools of East Lynn and during the months of summer, when school was not in session, he became familiar with the work of field and meadow, assisting in the labors of the home farm until he had attained his majority. He then entered upon his business career and not desiring to follow the pursuit to which he had been reared, he sought and obtained a clerkship in the employ of B. M. Ludden & Company of East Lynn, remaining in that employ from 1874 until 1878. In the latter year he re- moved to Georgetown, Vermilion countv, where he liegan business on his own account 2o6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD as proprietor of a grocery and restaurant, wliicli he conducted for three years. At tliat time Mr. McCord came to Danville and was employed as a salesman in the clothing house of Mike Plant & Company, with whom he remained continuously until 1902. His long connection with the house plainly indicates his fidelity to duty, his close ap- plication and his unfaltering honesty in Inisiness matters. On the Stii of February, 1902, he received the nomination for the office of treasurer of Vermilion county, be- ing given a majority of thirteen hundred and se\enty-seven, which was the largest ever bestowed upon a Republican candidate for the office of treasurer of \^ermilion county. On the 15th of December, 1888, Mr. McCord was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Barnes of Hoopeston, Illinois, and their union has been blessed with three interesting children, namely: Stella L., Edwin .\. and Clarence .\. The name of Mr. ]\IcCord is on the membership rolls of Damascas Lodge. K. P. ; the Odd Fellows Lodge No. 69; Northcott Camp, M. W. A.: and of the Royal Neighbors, and of all of these he is a valued representative, be- cause of liis pleasing personal character- istics, his strict adherence to the teachings and principles of the orders. Both he and his wife are members of the Rebecca de- gree of Odd I'ellowship and of the Court of Honor, and he was formerly president of the retail clerks' union. He is now inter- ested in the lireeding of thoroughbred poul- try, making a specialty of Bufif Cochins, and is an expert judge of poultry, being at the present time secretary of the Illinois State Poultry Association, His life has been one of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor; and to-day he is numl)ered among the sub- stantial citizens of his county. His inter- ests are thoroughl}' identified with those of the west, and at all times he is reach- to lend his aid and co-operation to any movement calculated to benefit this section of the country or advance its wonderful development. J. STEELE CATHERWOOD. James Steele Catherwood, a well known broker and real estate dealer of Hoopeston, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, April 12, 1845, a son of James and Lydia (Tus- sey) Catherwood. The father was a native of Ireland and the mother of the state of Delaware. During his boyhood days the former came to the L'nited States and here learned the trade of a weaver. Later he and his wife's brother operated a cotton factory. In his early married days he removed from the east to Belmont county, Ohio, where he .engaged in merchandising, while later he turned his attention to farming. His death (Kcurred in Guernsey couny, Ohio, in 1854, when the subject of this review was only nine years old and in 1857 his widow removed to Shelby county and afterward to Christian county, Illinois, where she died at the very adxanced age of ninety-four years. She was the mother of ten children, of whom J. S. was the youngest son, but he had a younger sister. ^Ir. Catherwood of this review acqtiired his education in the schools of Ohio and of Christian county, Illinois. His early oppor- tunities in that direction, however, were limited and his knowledge has largely been obtained since he reached his majorit)-. In April, 1864, Mr. Catherwood enlisted for THE BIOGRAPHICAL :rECORD 207 service in the Union army as a member of Company E, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, with wliich he served for six months, spending most of that time in Missouri in guarding commissaries. After his return he worked upon a farm for two years and in the winter of 1866 he again attended school. He then went to Decatur, Illinois, and continued his studies in the vicinity of that city. Subsequently he be- came a student in the Concordsville Acad- emv at Concords\'ille, Pennsylvania, where he remained for a year. He next entered the general store of his brother in Old Ston- ington. Christian county, Illinois, where he received his first business training, but as there were indications of failing health he went to Saline county, Kansas, which was then considered the "far west." This was in 1869 and for five years he remained upon the plains herding cattle. He owned a ranch and herd of his own and for two years he was located in Saline countv. for one year in McPherson county and for two years in Ellsworth county, meeting with a fair de- gree of success until the country became in- volved in the financial panic of 1873-4. Mr. Catherwood then returned to In- dianapolis, Indiana, and entered the employ of his brother as a traveling salesman. He covered the territories of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and for three years was upon the road. On the expiration of that period he began merchandising on his own account at Fairfield, a little country crossroad town, being associated with L. L. Bennett under the firm name of L. L. Bennett & Company. Thev carried groceries, drugs, boots and shoes and dry goods. It was in that year, on the 27tli of De- cember, 1877, that Mr. Catherwood was united in marriac-e to ]\Iiss Marv Hart well, who later became distinguished as an au- thoress of marked ability. She is repre- sented on another page of this work. The marriage took place at the home of his brother, A. T. Catherwood, west of Hoopes- ton. For a time our subject and iiis bride lived in some rooms above his store, spend- ing about two years there. Mr. Catherwood then sold out to his partner and went to In- dianapolis, where he was engaged in the gro- cery business until October, 1882. He then again sold out and came to Hoopeston. Here he entered the employ of his brother, A. T. Catherwood, as a bookkeeper, a rela- tion that was maintained until April, 1885, when James Steele Catherwood was ap- pointed postmaster at Hoopeston by Grover Cleveland, succeeding Dale Wallace, who is now his partner. ]\Ir. Catherwood occupied that position until July, 1889, when he was succeeded by Charles W. W^arner. While acting as postmaster he formed a partnership with Charles A. Allen in the loan, insurance and collecting business and tog'ether they continued operations until May, 1890, cov- ering a period of four years. When this partnership was dissolved Mr. Catherwood entered into partnership relations with Dale ^^^allace and they have since been thus con- nected. The firm does a general insurance, loan and land brokerage business. They have disposed of a number of additions to Hoopeston and have done the leading real estate business of the town for the past twelve years. To-day their real estate in this city is valuable. In February, 1888, the North Vermilion Loan & Savings Associa- tion was formed and Mr. Catherwood was chosen its secretary, in which position he has served continuously since, covering a period of fi.fteen consecuti\e years. He and his wife owned a farm of four hundred acres in Iro- 208 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD quois county and one liiindred and sixty acres of land in (irant tnwiisliip. X'evniilinn county. Unto yir. and Mr.s. Catherwood were bom two children, a son, who died in in- fancy, and Hazel, who is now an art student in Chicago. Mrs. Catherwood died Decem- ber 26. 1902, and was laid to rest in Moral Hill cemetery. Vov twenty-one years James Steele Catherwood has been a resident of Hoojieston and gradually be has advanced to a prominent position in business circles. ]\IRS. M.\RV llARTWELL CATHER- WOOD. Beauty is nature's language. It tinds ex- pression in earth and sky. in the tcjwering mountain, the 1)oundless prairies, the ever- changing sea or the tiny flower which grows in crannied wall, and above all in the char- acter de\'clopment ni man, when the soul s]jeaks through its environment in an ex- pression of eternal ])rincip!es. Well may art be accorded the highest place among the works of man when it reproduces in any form this language of nature, whether ui)on the canvas, in ihe marble or through the pen pictures which perhaps more clearly than any other art forms perpetuate the good and the beautiful. The world's debt of gratitude can never be ]5aid to those great souls who in story and song have presented with great clearness the beauty of life in its personifi- cation of our highest ideals, giving us an in- spiration for good which is as the "echoes tlKit roll from smi! u> soul, and grow for- ever and forever." .\ brave-hearted girl, whose beauty and purity of soul blossomed into the highest type of womanhood, Mary Hartwell Catherwood left {n tlic wiirld a rich legacy in her literary productions and Hoopeston, wiiich for some years claimed her as a resident, will ever honor and vher- ish her memory. She was born in Luray, Ohio, December 16, 1847, '^^'^ in 1856 ac- companied her parents to Alilford, Illinois. Perhaps her life story has been best told in the words of Dale Wallace, who read the following sketch at a ban(|uet of the Mary Hartwell Catherwood Clul) of Hoopeston, on which occasion Airs. Catherwood was present. He said : "Dr. Hartwell was an ambitious young man. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and possessed the fine intellect and hartly phys- ique of the rugged pioneers of the west. Married quite young, e\en before he fin- ished his course in c(jllege, he and his still younger wife and the baliies migrated from the red hills of Ohio to the black loam of Illi- nois, locating in the old village of Mil ford and living in the little brick house about a block north of the old mill. Here he prac- ticed his profession and gave the children the benefits of the limited school facilities then in vogue. There was much malaria and fevers unlimited in those early days and the yt lung doctor was overworked. Then he was himself stricken with the prevailing mal- ady, and after a brave struggle, passed be- yiind. During the year following, the youngest child of the family — Marcus — was bom. I'ut the mother, so wholly de- ])cndent upun the strong arm and directing intellect of her husband, seeing nothing ahead but discouragement and possible des- titution, grieved herself into the grave a year later, leaving three helpless bairns de- uendent upon the generosity of friends. "Poverty develops genius. Wealth be- gets indolence. Show me the child born with a sih'er spoon in the mouth and I will shiiw vou a creature of ease, and laxiiv and '""'^^^^ Q^^^T^^^::^ ^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 211 languor. There are ie\y exceptions to this rule. Ambition is deadened and energy- is not required. If Hilary Hartwell's father had left her in an independent financial con- dition, the world might have been deprived of her splendid genius. "At ten she was given a home and taken in charge by her grandfather Thompson at New Hebron, Ohio, and placed in the vil- lage schools. At f(jurteen she was teach- ing, being thrown upon her own resources to obtain proper clothing and to prepare the way for entrance into the female college at Granville, Ohio, where she completed a four }'ears" course in three years. She retired from that institution eiglit hundred dollars in debt. Her uncle. Cyrus Hartwell, hear- ing of this,' agreed that if she would pay the deljt in four years by her own efforts, he would make her a present of five hundred dollars. She did it — so did he. "While still a little girl in pinafores and pigtails down her back, she contributed poems to the local papers of New Hebron. She loved the wild and weird in nature and often roamed in the woods alone to dream. Like Joan d" Arc, she would hear \-oices and songs and rippling laughter and the \erses would come to her without elTort. An eld- erly gentleman of rare perception, remarked that while her poems were very beautiful, her field lay in prose story telling, and ad- ^•ise(l her to try it. Then she began 'seeing things' as Riley says. The ambitious im- planted in her being by the elder Hartwell took entire possession of her and the future unrolled before her. She foreshadowed her destiny. She believed her career had been unveiled. If \-igor anil \-im, tireless energy, unceasing perseverance, economy and pri- vations would enaljle her to win. the in- domitable determination had her within its grasp, and she started on the voyage de- termined to never cease until she had reached the goal. Did she win, my friends? Did the little homeless orphan, who mastered a four years" course in college in three years by working nights, Saturdays and holidays — did she win? I say to you that Mary Hartwell Catherwood's name will be em- blazoned in glittering gold on the scroll of fame long after you and I are dead and for- gotten. "She wrote a short serial for Frank Les- lie — 'The Mill-Scott ^Million', and received her first check. Oh, the joy of that first check ! The happiness wrapped up in that first commercial recognition of her brain work was far and away beyond the size of the check. The new ribbon it would buy, and gowns, and brooches, and the manv lit- tle gim-cracks and furbelows that girls love to wear. She was saved. The die was cast. She journeyed out into the woods to hold sweet communion with her very own self, and to tell the good news to the birds, the trees, and the flowers and to the voices in the air, and the spirits of her departed parents. And she dreamed of the dav when ]\lary Hartwell would have a whole library of books all of her own composition. \Vasn"t that a ray of sunshine through the rift in the clouds that had hovered over her from the day of her mother's death? Then she began contributing to the lesser magazines — I.ippincott, Wide Awake, Golden Hours, Wood's Household, Youth's Companion — all short stories. _ The W^ide .\wake Com- ]3any published four of her jux'eniles- that met with immediate popidarity and have since become classics. Then she was re- quested to contribute to a magazine called 'Outing'. She demanded a deposit of twenty-five dollars in ad\-ance. which was cheerfully complied with. She forwarded the story and in due course it was returned. 212 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD scratclied, interlined and oi)literated, witli a request to make some alterations. The de- mand was unjust and she knew it. liut her carefully prepared manuscript was practi- cally ruined. She refused to comply with their demand and also retained the retainer, wliich was entirely satisfactorj- to the pub- lishers. Some time later they requested her to submit them another, and this one, prov- ing exactly, in harmony with their ideas thev accepted and remitted promptly, but de- ducted the twenty-five dollars which they had advanced on the other article. Then there was an earthcjuake. But it was not destructive. "As Mrs. Catherwood is present this evening I feel perfectly safe in announcing that she was born in 18 — 47. Thirty years later she was married in the house on the Perkins farm, northwest of this city. Then a few A-ears later came her baby boy, who remained t() bless the unimi Imt a moment, then passed on to the higher life. It was during this period of .sorrow following that she conceived 'The Romance of Dollard,' in the preparation of which she lived for a time in Canada, and was about three years in gel- ting it readv for the publishers. I doubt if there is a person in this audience who knows that the publishers to whom she first sub- mitted that beautiful historical romance de- clined it, luit such is the fact. Harpers re- turned it. It was then for the first time that Mrs. Catherwood faltered by the wayside. Her heart was cracking and breaking up into bits, and she was thoroughly discouraged. And it was here that her husband came in with one of his beautiful songs: 'Never Give Up the Shi]), Mary.' and said 'Go down to New York and beard the lion in his den," and in a few days she was in the office of the Century, proud, indei)endent and defiant, but quaking inwardly. She submitted the work to Mr. Gilder, the editor, who inquired as to the nature of it. 'It is a serial — an his- torical romance.' 'M}' dear madam,' ex- clamied the kind old man, 'don't you know that we can't use that class of work here in New '^'ork?' She arose, and there was the siuell of burning tow somewhere about the premises. 'Mr. Gilder, will you do me the lavor of reading that manuscript?' 'I will send, it out to our regular reader and wdien it is returned then 1 will read it. But there is just as nuich chance of your being struck by lightning as there is of our acceptance of your work and publication as you desire it. .\s it will be several days before we can give \du a reply, you need not be to the trouble any thousands throughout the United States. James W'hitcomb Riley had the highest appreciation for her work and said that her death to his mind was a distinct loss to the fraternity of letters. He spoke of her as being conspicuous for her industry, sin- cerity and conscience. He sent his floral tribute when death called her as did the Bowen-Merrill Publishing Company of In- dianapolis, Otis Skinner, who is now play- ing the dramatization of her Lazarre, and many others of note, together with countless friends fron: her home town. Her life work is ended, but Mary Hartwell Catherwood has joined "that choir inx'isil.ile who live again in lives made better by their presence." THOMAS I-IUGHES. Thomas Hughes is a well known and prosperous farmer residing on section 15, \^ance township, \'ermilion county, Illinois. In his life he exemplified the typical "self- made man," for all that he h;is ac(|uireil has been secured through his own industrious efforts. He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. February 28, 1831, and is a son of John and f.ydia (Musick) Hughes, both natives of I'enn.sylvania, where they were reared and married. The father engaged in coal mining and followed that oc- cupation for twenty-fi\e years. In 1856 they remo\ed to Indiana, and in 1866 came to \'ance township. X'ermilicm county. Illinois, making their home with the subject of this review who had come to V'ermilion county in 1864. John Hughes was a member of the iMiglish Lutheran churcli and his wife was for many years a member of the Ger- man Lutheran church. He was a Democrat in his political views but always declined to accept olYice. The father died in 1871, and the mother, surviving him for seven years, passed away in 187S. In their family were ten cliildren, nine of whom grew to years of maturity and four are still living, name- ly: John, who is a resident of Concordia, Kansas ; Thomas, of this review ; Mary, the wife (if James A. Burk. who lives at Bement, Illinois, and is a brother of the wife of our suliject ; and Lydia, who resides in Fair- mount. Illinois. Thomas Hughes had but limited edu- cational privileges. He was only able to at- tenil school for three months, which was all the schooling he ever recei\ed. This was a subscription school, conducted in a small frame schoolhouse in Ramsay Grove. His father was not a man of means, and luwing a large family of children he could not pro- vide them with the educational ad\-antages he would have liked. When the subject of this review was only ten years of age his fa- ther put him out to work, where he received his board and clothes until he was fourteen \-cars of age. He then obtained emi)loyment as a farm li;uid at two dollars i)er month and board. After this his salary was increased to three dollars and four dollars per month respectively, until he was seventeen years of age. Ilis father considered th.'it he was rather extravagant in the way he sjient his "large salary" of four dollars per month. Accordingly he hired him out to a farmer THOMAS HUGHES. MRS. THOMAS HUGHES. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 219 for thirty dollars for six months' service or fi\-e dollars per month, and of this the father received one-half. Mr. Hughes worked hard, doing his full share of the work, swinging a cradle side hy side with full grown men and working in the harvest field all day long. Later he concluded to change his occupation and learn a trade, becoming- apprenticed to a carpenter, but when work- ing on the tall buildings he became dizzy and gave up that occupation. He then worked with his father in the coal mines during one winter anil in tlie spring became apprenticed to a blacksmith, with whom he made a con- tract to work for three and one-half years, and in compensation for his services he was to receive his board and clothing and at the end of the time he was to receive a suit of clothes besides three months' schooling. He labored hard in this position for three years, often working until twelve o'clock at night, shoeing horses and performing other duties. During that time he did not receive one dol- lar, scarcely presentable clothing and his board. He then worked for three months for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, after which he returned to his former em- ployer, working for him for six months and recei\-ing a salary of eleven dollars per month. He next entered the employ of con- tractors who were constructing a large dam. He made the iron work for this and received eighteen dollars per month for his services. This was the heaviest kind of labor. On the nth of November. 1852, in \\'estmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Mr. Hughes was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Sanders, who was born May 16, 1837, and died March 17, 1858. She was a daughter of Abraham and Mary (Robin- son) Sanders, who were married in Penn- sylvania, where they spent the remainder of politics was a Democrat. Mrs. Hughes was tine of a family of eight children, four of whom are still li\'ing, as follows : John, Sallie, Charity, the wife of William Irvin, :\m\ Mrs. Wilson, all residents of \\'estmore- land county, Pennsylvania. Lnto Mr. Hughes and his wife were born two chil- dren : John, born December 27, 1853, mar- ried Mary Jester, February 8, 1881, and died in October, 1899. Plis widow is now living in Catlin township, \'ermilion county, with their only child. Pearl. James, born December 18, 1856, was married Novem- ber 12, 1884, to Miss Effie Rice, and they have one child. Earl. He is a painter by trade and they make their home in Danville. .\fter his marriage Mr. Hughes removed to a small town in Pennsylvania, near where there were some extensive coal mines. Here he opened up a shop and began housekeep- ing in a miner's shanty. He had not a dol- lar in the world but he possessed energy and determination and with the assistance of a friend he was enabled to buy his tools and furnish his home, going in debt to the ex- tent of two hundred dollars. Within a year he paid off this intlebtedness besides earning his li\ing, and at the end of three years he had cleared five hundred dollars. He then removed to Parke county, Indiana, and opened a similar shop for himself. There he remained for nine years, during which time he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, whose death occurred March 17, 1858. On the 14th of August, 1859, Mr. Hughes was again married, the lady of his choice being Miss Nancy Y. Burks, the wed- ding taking place in Parke county, Indiana. She was born March 16, 1830, in that state and is a daughter of Moses and Louisa (Van Cleve) Burks, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The father was born October their lives. Her father was a laborer and in 17. 1802, and died February 21. 1878. The 220 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD mother's birtli occurred December 13, 1802, and she died about 1S96. This couple were married in Kentucky in 1825. Mr. Burks was a farmer by occupation and removed to Parke county, IncHana, in the '30s. There he entered land antl lived until his death. He was a member and an officer of the Metho- dist Episcopal church and in politics was a Republican. He was the father of eleven children, four of whom are yet living: James A., a resident of Bement, Illinois; Nancy, the wife of our subject; Louisa J., the widow of Alex Breckenridge and a resi- dent of Putnam county, Indiana, and Moses R., of Parke county, Indiana. By his second marriage INIr. Hughes has six children. George, born March 11, 1861, was married December 30, 1886, to Dora Parish. They have two children, Charles A. and Cora, and reside in Vance township on the old homestead farm. William B., born July 22, 1863, was married February 18, 1890, to Fanny Garners, and also re- sides on the old home farm. He is traveling representative of the Modern Woodmen. Mary L., born July 24, 1868, died Novem- ber I, 1869. Charles M., born September 13, 1866, died June 18, 1894. An infant boy was born and died on the "th day of March, 1865. An infant daughter was born and died on the 22l\ of June, 1870. Mrs. Hughes also has a daughter by her first mar- riage, Margery A., who was born .\pril 29, 184S, and was married December 24, 1874, to Robert McNott. She died June 3, 1896, and was the mother of six children, two of w hi 1111, IJarry and Nellie, are still living. In July, 1862, Mr. Hughes enlisted for si.xty da}'s' service in the L'ni(_)n army, join- ing Com])any D of the Seventy-eighth Vol- unteer Infantry. He took part in the battle of Uniontown, Kentucky, and was stationed on the Ixjrder line between Kentucky and In- diana. He and his company were captured by the Rebels, but they were soon paroled. His service embraced forty-five days. In 1864, Mr. Hughes brought his family to \'ermilion county, Illinois, where he pur- chased eighty acres of land at eight dollars per acre. This was prairie land, unim- proved and wild. But few settlers were in the county at the time and wild game was plentiful, including prairie-chickens, geese, dticks and deer. The prairie wolves were also numerous and often howled at niglrt near the pioneer home. Fairmount was then a town consisting of one-half dozen houses and three stores. Air. Hughes erected a comfortable frame house of three rooms — the finest and largest in the vicinity, in 1864. In 1865 he purchased an additional eighty acres adjoining bis original purchase, at fif- teen dollars per acre, giving his note in se- curity for payment. This land he cultivated and imi)ro\ed, making additional purchases as the years passed and he accumulated the capital, until he is now the owner of two hundred and ninety acres in Vance and Cat- lin townships. His residence stands on sec- tion 15, Vance township. His home is com- modious, pleasant and attractive in appear- ance, and he has on his place large and sub- stantial barns and all necessary buildings. He also owns city property in Marshall, Illiiujis. Mr. Hughes is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Jamaica, be- ing a trustee, steward and district steward in the same. He is a prominent Republican and has been associated wilii the party since 1856, the year of its organization. Before that he was a \\'hig. He has held some of tlie offices in his township. .\ man of genial manner, a delightful companion and a true friend, he has won the esteem and regard of all with w horn he has been associated. The sterling characteristics which he possesses THE BIOGRAPklCAL RECORD 221 have won for him success and prominence and he is justly accounted one of the sub- stantial and wealthy men of Vermilion county. ALBERT G. OLMSTED. Albert G. Olmsted, whose connection with pioneer interests in Vermilion county has made his life record a part of the his- tory of this section of the state, was born October 14, 1831, in the vicinity of James- town, Chautauqua county. New York. He is descended from Puritan ancestry, his forefathers having been numbered among the early residents of New England. Later generations of the family became pioneers of Vermilion county, Illinois, the grand- parents and parents of our subject spend- ing much of their lives here. The Olmsted family purchased a ISIexiean land warrant in the early days for one hundred and twen- ty-five dollars, and for this amount secured one hundred and sixty acres of unbroken land, which, however, they never improved. Later owing to the rise in land values they sold it for one thousand dollars. George and Hannah (Roberts) Olmsted. the grandparents of our subject, were natives of New England, and in 1839 they emi- grated from their Ohio home to Illinois, with the father of our subject, the grand- father dying in this county two years later. His widow did not long survive him, pass- ing away in September, 1843. Their son, Stanley Olmsted, the father of our subject, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and was reared amid the wild scenes of pioneer life both in the Buckeye state and in the Prairie state. After reaching years of ma- turity he wedded Almira Green, a native 10 of Vermont and they began their domestic life upon a farm near Jamestown, Chau- tauqua county. New York, where his father carried on agricultural pursuits for several years, developing a farm in the midst of the primeval forest in that section of the country. He subsepuently removetl from there with his family to Marietta, Wash- ington county, Ohio, but when five years had passed he again started upon his west- ward way and in 1839 came to Vermilion, county, making the journey down the Ohio river and up the Wabash river to Perrys- ville, whence he went to what is now known as Batestown. He settled in that vicinity among the pioneers of a new district. For some time he operated what was known as the Olmsted sawmill and in addition to manufacturing lumber he engaged in build- ing flatboats. That was the only mill where such boats were built and he turned out more than any other man in this section of the country. He became prominent and in- fluential in public affairs and was a member of the Masonic fraternity. His death, which occurred in 1S48, robbed the com- munity of a valued citizen. When ten years had passed his widow became the wife of Thomas W. Douglass. She has lived an earnest Christian life, being a devout member of the Presbyterian church. Of the ten children born unto Stanley Olmsted and his wife, Albert G. Olmsted was the second in order of birth. He was but eight years of age at the time of the emigration of "the family to Vermilion county and he pursued his education in a log schoolhouse, furnished with slab benches and an immense fire place. An entire log would be hauled into the school- room and laid across the fire and as the middle portion was l)urned it was pushed 222 THE BIOGRAPHiCAL RECORD over into the embers until it was entirely consumed. The greater part of his boy- hood was passed in Danville and Catlin townships. He can remember how in his early days, before the introtluction of matches, fires were started by striking flint together until the sparks ignited tow which was furnished for that purpose, and often when these necessaries were not to be had the neig-hbors would jjorrow from each other. All cooking was done in the old fire place, pots and kettles hanging from the crane while the baking was done in a skillet placed among the coals. The young girls went barefooted to and from church ser\ices, only wearing their shoes during the time of meeting, thus practicing econo- my, which was an important element in that pioneer period. On one occasion Mr. Olmsted drove an ox-cart to church, his grandmother and mother riding in the cart wiiile he walked beside it with pants rolled up to keep out of the dirt of the road. Cam]' meetings were frequently held in the for- ests, candles being fastened to the bushes to provide light. Mr. Olmsted was about sev- enteep years of age when his father died. He never lived in anything but a log house until the second summer after his marriage. After his father's death the support of the family largely devolved upon him. He rented land and began farming, his first plow having a wooden mold board. To cultivate grain he used a single shovel plow and single rope line, leather harness being nut then in general use. He cut grain with a cradle and when he was plowing the lady who became his wife, then a maiden of six- teen years, dropped corn for him in the fur- rows, never thinking then of the marriage which was afterward to take place. Mr. Olmsted has seen manv changes made in the machinery and farm implements and has always kept in touch with the general progress. On the 22d of July, 1855. was celebrated the marriage of .Albert (i. Olmsted and Elizabeth iVnn W'riglit, who was l)orn in tliis county, September 22, 1832, a daughter of Thomas N. and ]\Iary Brown (San- dusky ) W'right, who were natives of this p.irt of the county. Mrs. Olmsted was born on the old homestead which now be- longs to our subject, it having formerly been the property of her parents. She was a splendid housekeeper and a most ener- getic woman. She spun and colored tiie yarn and made most of the clothing for the family and Mr. Olmsted has in his posses- sion two beautiful quilts for which she spun and colored the yarn in 1858. Hers was also a iiospitable home and the stranger was always welcome there. Her parents were nati\es of Bourbon county, Kentucky, and when her father was nineteen years of age and her mother twenty they came to Vermilion county, Illinois, and were mar- ried six weeks later, in 1831. near Tndian- ola, immediately afterward settling on a farm which is now the property of Mr. Olmsted. There Mr. W'right built a log cabin. His wife died May 31, 1851, leav- ing fi\'e children of whom Mrs. Olmsted was the eldest. Mr. Wright afterward married Nancy Dougherty and he died No- vember 18, 1872. on the old homestead which he developed from a wild prairie. It was upon this same farm that five children were Ijorn unto our subject and his wife: Mary B.. now the wife of John H. Palmer; Charles, who married Agnes Emmett. whose death occurred November 17. 1887; ^\'illiam C. who married Eva Beck; C.eorge E.. who wedded Nora Champion, of M. B. BAILEY. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 225 Catlin, Illinois; and Albert C, who married Bessie Davis and is now a bookkeeper in the employ of the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois Railroad. Mr. Olmsted also has eight grandchildren. After their marriage the parents located iipon a rented farm in Catlin township, which was their home-for several years and after that Mr. Olmsted purchased a place m the village of Catlin. He says the first beds he ever saw used were made of a few posts nailed together and the bedding placed upon them. The houses were built of round logs. In these early days he used to haul corn and pork to river towns, Attica and ■dther places, and he would go to Liffayette, Indiana, to have his wool carded. Danville was the main trading point in these early days and was but a village. After remov- ing to Catlin he continued to rent land for "three years. In 1867, the second year after the purchase of the county farm, he was ap- pointed its superintendent and owing to his kindness to the inmates and his efficiency he was retained in that position for eight years, after which he tendered his resigna- tion, desiring to invest in - farm on his own account. He then became the owner of the property, which he now possesses on section 27,, Catlin township, Mrs. Olmsted having inherited a portion of this land, while our subject purchased the remainder. He now has one of the best improved farms in the neighborhood, supplied with good substan- tial buildings and a splendid farm residence, where he and his wife resided happily to- gether for many years. He then retired to Catlin, where he has now resided for nine years. Mrs. Olmsted lived to rear and edu- cate her family and departed this life July 26, 1 90 1. She Avas indeed a devoted and loving wife and mother, her manv excellent qualities endearing her to all with whom she came in contact. She was ever kindly and charitable and her good deeds were many. Mr. Olmsted has long been identified with the Vermilion County Fair Association and for seven years he acted as gatekeeper. He served for two years as a member of the board of supervisors, as school trustee for eleven years and his incumbency in the office of school director dates back to a period al- most beyond his memory. He has served as judge of elections for several years and has been deeply identified with the upbuild- ing and progress of the county along social, material, moral and intellectual lines. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyter- ian church, of which he is now serving as a trustee and he belongs to Catlin Lodge, No. 285, F. & A. M., in which he has served as master. Politically he is' a Democrat and ht assisted in the organization of the militia during the call for the draft. The history of Vermilion county is indeed a familiar one to him, because of his active connection with many interests which have contributed to the general progress and improA'ement here, from pioneer times down to the pres- ent. He has so lived that his name is a synonym of honor and no man is more de- serving of respect in this community than Alfred G. Olmsted. M. B. BAILEY. Whatever else may be said of the legal fraternity, it cannot be denied that members of the bar have been more prominent actors in public aft'airs than any other class of American people. The ability and training which qualify one to practice law also 226 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD qualify liini in many respects for tlie duties which he outside the strict path of his pro- fession and w hich toucli the general interests of society. The subject of this record is a man who has brought his keen discrimina- tion and thorougli wisdom to bear not alone in professional paths but for the benefit of the community in which he lives, and he is now serving as mayor of Danville and state senator from the twenty-second senatorial district of the state. Mr. Bailey is one of Vermilion county's native sons, his birth having occurred in the town of Indianola, January 23, 1858. He parents were Joseph and Sarah (Brackall) Bailey. After attending" the public schools of Georgetown for some time he entered Earlham College, an old Quaker school at Richmond, Indiana, and on lea\ing that in- stitution was a student at the State Normal School at Normal, Illinois, for a time. In 1883 he matriculated at Columbia College, Washington, D. C, where he was graduated in the law department in 1885. The follow- ing year took a post-graduate course there and was granted the degree of Master and Bachelor of Law. Prior to taking up the study of law Mr. Bailey had taug'ht school in ( ieorgetown township and also worked on a farm. In 1879 he went to Colorado and spent three 3'ears in the silver mines near Leadville. On his return east he was offered a position in the treasury department at Washington. O. C. and while there he pursued his law- studies at Columbia College. He began practice at Kansas City, Mi.s.souri, but only remained there a short time, returning tn Danville on the death of his mother in 1S88, and soon afterward he o])ened an office in this city. In 1889 he again went to \\'ash- ington to accept the pijsition of chief of the law division of the pension bureau and .serxed in that capacity until 1892, when we again find him in Danville. Here he has since engaged in the practice of his profes- sion and has met with most desirable suc- cess. On the 1 8th of January, 1899. Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Payne, a native of Rock Island, Illinois, and one of the four children born to Senator Payne and his wife. Her parents were also natives of Rock Island. Mr. am! Mrs. Bailey have one child, Joseph, born Decem- ber 6, 1899. Since attaining his majority Mr. Bailey has taken quite an active and prominent part in public affairs, and in 1894 was elected to the thirty-ninth general assembly, being a member of the lower house for two consecu- ti\e terms. In 1808 he was nominated by the Republican party for state senator, but owing to the supreme court's decision on the apportionment bill no vacancy existed. He was :igain nominated, however, in 1900 and this time was elected by a good majority. He became quite a prominent and influential meml)cr of the legislature, and in the thirty- ninth anil fortieth assemblies he served on the judiciary, building and loan, assessment and insurance committees, of which he was also a member after entering the senate. He took an active interest in the school board law, regulating the power of the boards and decreasing the cost of te.xt Ijooks. He also worked hard to get a bill passed reducing the rate on railroads from three to two cents and prohibiting passes, and took a special interest in mining legislation, being instru- mental in getting a purer grade of oil to be sold to the miners and also a law passed i)ro- viding the wages for labor should be paid in cash and thus doing away with the truck store system. He also secured the passage of the check weighman law. this giving the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 227 miners the right to designate the man to weigh tlie coal and thus avoiding disputes between them and the operators. Mr. Bailey was chairman of the committee on mines and mining and also the committee on pub- lic grounds during the last session. In April. 1899, he was elected mayor of Dan- ville, and so acceptably did he fill that office that he was re-elected in 1901, carrying everv ward and precinct for the first time in the history of the city, and is the present in- cumbent. During his administration many needed improvements have been made, in- cluding the extension of all the railroad lines, and the doubling of the sanitary sewer system. Never were the reins of city gov- ernment in more capable hands, for he is a progressive man, pre-eminently public spirited, and all that pertains to the public welfare receives his hearty endorsement. Socially he is an honored member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the blue lodge and chapter of the Masonic fra- ternity, the Knights of Pythias, the Im- proved Order of Red Men. the .\ncient Or- der of United Workmen, the Fraternal Army of America, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of .\merica. He is deser\-edly popular, as he is affable and courteous in manner and possesses that essential qualification to suc- cess in public life, that of making friends readily and strengthening the ties of all friendships as time advances. HARVEY C. ADAMS. To his own unaided efforts may be at- tributed whatever success Harvey C. Adams has achieved or whatever prominence he has attained. He is yet a young man, but at the bar he has won a position wJTich would be creditable to many an older practitioner. A native of the neighboring state of Indiana, his birth occurred in Cass count}- on the 2d of February, 1870, his parents being Lewis and Hannah (Schuman) Adams, both na- tives of Ohio. In the state of his nativity the father was educated and reared to man- hood. After arri\-ing at years of maturity he wedded Hannah Schuman, a daughter of Christian and Anna (Fall) Schuman. and they now reside in Hutsonville, Illinois, having lived in or near that place continu- ously since 1875. Harvey C. Adams was eight years of age when the family took up their abode in Hutsonville, and entering the public schools there he began his education. He was af- terward for a short time a student in the Union Christian College at ]\Ierom, In- diana. Desiring to broaden his knowledge and realizing how important a factor in the affairs of life is education, he has spent much time in private reading and study. He pursued the Chautauqua course, also took a course in shorthand in the Northern Indiana State Normal school at Valparaiso, Indiana, and later, while acting as stenog- rapher in the office of the firm of Callahan, Jones & Howe at Robinson, Illinois, he took up the study of law and thus laid the foundation for his present successful career as a member of the bar. He was appointed by the circuit judge of Crawford county, Illinois, to the position of court stenograph- er. .\fter passing the civil service examina- tion he entered the treasury department at W^ashington, D. C. as stenographer. When six weeks has passed, during which time he gave proof of his business skill, adaptabil- ity anfl personal worth, he was transferred to the civil service commission as a stenog- rapher, and while thus engaged he took dic- tation from Theodore Roosevelt, who was 228 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD then one of the tliree civil service commis- sioners. Through the kindness of Congress- man Joseph Cannon Mr. .\dams was trans- ferred to the postoflice department and this gave him an opportunity to pursue his law studies. Every step which he took, every po- sition which he filled, was regarded, as but a means to an end — that of the practice of law. His residence in Washington covered a period of almost three years, from 1890 until the 4th of March, 1893. In June, 1892, he was graduated in the Columbian University on the completion of a law course, and in I\Iarch of the following year he resigned his position and returned to Illi- nois, seeking a location as a lawyer. In April, 1893, Mr. Adams came to Danville, where for the past ten years he has practiced his profession, gaining a clientage which is \ery creditable for one so young. He now holds the position of secretary to Justice Jacob W. Wilkin of the Su])reme Court of Illinois. Mis law prac- tice, which he pursues in addition to his sec- retary work, consists mainly of probate bus- iness, chancery and the settlement of es- tates. On the 8th of November, 1892, was performed the marriage ceremony which united the destinies of Harvey C. Adams and Miss Blanch Meserve, a daughter of Dr. Stephen Decatur Meserve, of Robinson, Illi- nois, and they now have one son, Stephen Meserve Adams. The subject of this re- view endorses the principles and platform of the Republican party and upon that ticket he was elected to the office of city alderman in 1899 l)ut refused to serve a second term. Fraternally he is connected with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Pvthias and the Modern Woodmen of America. From his early boyhood days Mr. Adams has depended entirely upon his own resources and efforts for advancement along educational, professional and financial lines and although he is yet a young man his life history proves conclusively that prog- ress in these directions may be made through strong delei'niinatinn. honorable purpose anfl laudable ambition. ELISHA C. R. FITHIAN. "Success," said Napoleon, "depends upon three things, energy, system and per- se\'erance." W iti: the realization of this truth Elislia C. B. Fithian has so directed bis business affairs that he has prospered in his undertakings and to-day he is one of the most extensive landowners of Vermilion county. He is also one of its pioneer citi- zens, for his birtli occurred November 8, 1837, in Danville, when that city was but a village. His parents were Dr. \\'illiam and Orlethea T. ( Berry j Fithian, who are men- tioned elsewhere in this volume. The son pursued his early education in a little log building called the Williams school, his first teacher being a Scotchman named Robin- son. He was not only a good instructor, but he also exemplified his belief in the old adag^e "spare the rod and spoil the child." This was a subscription school and the teacher "boarded around'' in the homes of the diff'crent pupils. Later Mr. Fithian was a student in the White Seminary, a Presby- terian institution, where he continued for some time, acquiring a good English edu- cation. After completing bis school duties he entered the general store of his lather in E. D. B. FITh I AN THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 2 si Dan\^ille, remaining there for aljout a year. He tlien came to tlie farm in Oakwood township, for he believed that the outdoor life would prove beneficial to his failing health. He took charge of his father's farm of thirty-seven hundred acres, very little of which was at that time tuider cultivation. Mr. Fithian began breaking the prairie, us- ing five or six yoke of oxen to a breaking plow A\hich would turn a furrow of twenty- two inches. He broke a tliousand acres in this way, but much of it had to be gone over again, often as many as three or four times, for there had been no ditching done and the warm water would again start the prairie grasses. Finally Air. Fithian gave up the attempt to transform into cultivable fields ■ the low land and used it as pasture. He tin^ned his attention to the stock business on an extensive scale. His father was a large stock man and he had gained practical knowledge of the business. When the rail- roads were built through this portion of the state he made shipments of his cattle to Chicago. He remembers distinctively, how- ever, the early conditions of the county when there was much game, includ- ing prairie chickens, ducks, brant and geese. There were also larg'e numbers of prairie wolves that might be heard howling at night or seen skirring over the country in the day- time. Mr. Fithian has seen as many as sixteen deer in a single herd pass through his orchard. At night, if the corn was not well fenced, the deer would enter the fields and eat and tramp down the crop. As time passed, however, marked improvements were made in methods of agriculture, with all of which Mr. Fithian' kept abreast, in fact, he lias ever been regarded as one of the most progressive agriculturists of this part of the state as well as one of the most extensi\-e and prosperous landowners. On the 23d of February, 1865, occurred the marriage of Mr. Fithian and Miss Anna M. Hayes, a native of Athens county, Ohio, and a daugliter of John and Adaline ( Neb- lock) Id ayes, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and were of Scotch and German descent, respectively. Their mar- riage was celebrated in Ohio and Mr. Hayes was a carpenter by trade. Jn 1850, accom- panied by his wife and chililren, he drove across the country to Danville in a prairie schooner, as the old covered wagons at that time were called. The journey occupied twetity-one days and at night the family camped by the roadside. After reaching Vermilion county Mr. Hayes spent a few months in Danville and then located a half mile south of the old town of Homer, Champaign county. There he purchased land ui)on which he resided for seven or eight years, after which he returned to Ver- milion county, where he lived upon a farm a half mile from the Fithian homestead, his home being in Oakwood township, where he spent his remaining days. There his death occurred in 1885 and his wife passed away on the home place in 1894. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom six are now living, namely : Mrs. Fithian; John, of Vermilion cotinty; Mrs. Edith McCoy, of Kansas ; William, of In- diana ; Mrs. Lydia Cass, of Danville ; and James, who is also living in this county. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Fithian has been blessed with five children: Paul H. is a practicing physician of Fithian ; Lalla is at home; Elisha C. B. is living upon a part of his father's farm, and is married to Christiana Illk, by whom he has two chil- dren, George William and Anna Dorothy ; John. Charles, who is also upon his father's farm, married Sarah Reese and has one son, Orion P>. ; and David W. is a practicing 232 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD dentist of Rossville. He wedded Jessie Fellow. Mr. Fithian was made a Mason in 1875 and belongs to Fairmount Lodge, No. 590, F. & -\. AI. His wife is a member of the Methodist church and his political support is given the Republicans, but while he keeps \\ell informed on the issues of the day he lias never consented to hold office except that of school director. He has eleven hun- dred acres of valuable land and lor some years he has been living practically retired, having rented almost all of his land to his sons. Mr. Fithian is well informed con- cerning the history of Vermilion county from an earlv epoch in its liistory. In the year 1834 he had an aunt in Iowa who re- turned to Danville on her wa_\- to Oliio and here she was joined bv the mnlher of our subject who, taking her baby son with her, accomjjanied the aunt to thf^ir old home in the Buckeye state, making the entire trip on horsel)ack. This fact goes to shdw what the pioneer women of that day were capa- ble of. On one occasion Mr. Fithian's fa- ther sent by wagon to Ohio for two McCor- mick rea]5ers, which Cduld nut then lie pur- chased in the west. In those early days our subject hauled wheat to Attica, Indiana, and if prices were "high" he could sell for fortv cents per Inishcl. Cdhi brought eight and ten cents per bushel and in his boyhood T\Tr. I-'ithian would measure corn from the crib in a half bushel measure and would pass it through ilie window to the men on the f)utside. .As time passed Mr. Fithian, taking his part in the agricultural work of the county, became a leader in ])rogress and im])rovement in his line of activity and by the capable control of his business interests he won splendid success. He has, however, never allowed the accumulation of wealth to in anv wav warri his kindlv nature and there is no man in the community who en- joys to a wider extent the esteem and regard of those with whom he was associated. WILLIAM M. SILVER. It would be impossible to give a com- plete history of Hoopeston without mention- ing William M. Silver, for no resident of the town has done so much for its improve- ment as Mr. Silver, who in the line of his business affairs has continually added to the citv's growth and upbuilding. He is a con- tractor and builder and a large part of the brick structures in the town stand as monu- ments to his enterprise and skill. He enjoys a s])lendid reputation as a representative of this department of business activity and is a man whose business honor and integrity are beyond question. 'Sir. Silver was born in Shelby county, Ohio, in the town of Sidney, in 1844. His father. Peter Silver, was born in Frank- fort, Kentucky, and having arrived at years of maturity he wedded Man,' Benham, of Ohio. He, too, was a contractor and build- er and died in Hoopeston in 1883, while his wife passed away in 18S8. They had been residents of this place from 1875. and were well known people here. They had the fol- lowing children : William M.. of this re- view ; Joseph M., a resident of Leavenworth, Krmsas; Mrs. Sarah ^Morris, of Peoria. Illi- nois; Mrs. Abbie Boggs, who is living in Warsaw, Indiana : and Mrs. Mary E. Hall, of Hoopeston. \\'hen only about si.\ months old Will- iam M. Silver of this review was taken by his parents to Elkhart county, Indiana, where he remained until fifteen years of age, during which time he attended school. He then went to Kosciusko county, Indiana, TflE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 233 and from that place entered the army on the 27th of April, 1862, when only abont eighteen years of age, joining the Twelfth Indiana Infantry under the command of Captain Samuel Boughton and Colonel W. H. Link. He was also under Generals Lo- gan and Sherman and lie served for mort than three years but was never wounded. At Richmond, Kentuclcy, on the 30tli of x^u- gust, i86->, he was taken prisoner and after- • ward was paroled and sent to Indianapolis to the parole camp, where he remained until the 14th of November, of that year. On that date he was exchanged and went to the south at once, proceeding to Memphis, Ten- nessee, and on to Vicksburg, participating in the siege of that city until its surrender. Later he went with his command to Chatta- nooga and also took part in the battles of Missionary Ridge and Knoxville, and later went into winter quarters at Scottsboro, Alabama. .\t that point he remained until the 1st of May, 1864, when the regiment started on the Atlanta campaign, participat- ing in many of the hotly contested engage- ments W'hich preceded the siege and fall of the city. With his regiment Mr. Sil\"er then continued with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea and after the surrender of Savannah he was in the Carolina campaign and continued northward to Washington, D. C. his regiment participating in the grand review, leading Sherman's army in that cel- ebrated military pageant on the 24th of May, 1865. Mr. Silver was there mustered out on the 8tli of June and received his final discharge on the 20th of June following. He was in twenty-one engagements, taking part in every battle in which his regiment participated with one exception. He marched a little more than six thousand miles in three years and was in all of the southern states except Texas and Florida. During all of this time he made the long- marches on foot. His military record is a most creditable one and he certainly deserves the gratitude of the nation for what he ac- complished in aiding in the struggle to main- tain the L^nion intact. After his return home My. Silver began learning the brick layer's trade at Warsaw, Indiana, beginning that work in 1866. He remained there four years. During that time he was married in the month of Feb- ruary, 1866, to Miss Sarah Bybee, who died eleven months later. In 1868 he was joined in wedlock to Jennie McGrew, of Warsaw, Indiana, and removed to Elkhart, Indiana, where he remained inUil 1871. In that year his second wife died and the two chil- dren of that union both passed away in in- fancy. Succeeding the great fire in Chicago in 1871 Mr. Silver went to that city, where he followed his trade for eighteen months aufl then came to Logan county, Illinois. In January, 1873, he was united in marriage to Mary A. Weaver, and removed to Mid- dletown and later li\'ed in Lincoln, where he continued until 1879. the year of his ar- rival in Hoopeston. Mr. Silver began con- tracting here for brick and stone work and still follows his business with splendid suc- cess. He has taken contracts for work all ovei' the eastern part of Illinois and western Indiana. In Floopeston he erected the city hall, the west side school, the N. Brillhart house, ten storerooms for J. S. McFerren, and with three exceptions all of the brick store buildings in Hoopeston. He also erected the Cunningham House, the Catherwood resi- dence and the additions to the McFerren residence. He built the first building of the Union Canning Company and many others of the business structures here, his services 234 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD being- in constant demand because of his thorough understancUng of tlie business and his faithfuhiess to tlie terms of a contract and his known rehabihty in all trade transac- tions. In 1901, Mr. Silver was called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife, who passed away in January of tliat year, leaving three living children. There was also one child by the first wife, Abbie J., now the wife of X. E. Weaver, of Hoopeston, who is as- sociated with her father in the contracting business. She has five children. The other members of Mr. Silver's family are: Le- ona G. ; Nellie, the wife of I.. A. Blakeley, a brick layer of Danville; and Harry Clyde, at hotne. In social relations Mr. Silver is promi- nent, being a valued member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Grand Army of the Republic. His political support is given to the Republican party and he is the present member of the city council from the third ward. He is now serving his third term in that position and he filled tli' position of township supervisor for one full term and for one year of an unexpired term. His home is on Market street and he owns five tenement houses here. His time and at- tention are largely given to his contracting and building interests and during the winter months he also operates a broom factory which adds in a degree to his income. Mr. Silver well merits his success, for it has been worthily won. He found the opportunities he sought — which by the way are always open to the energetic, ambitious man — and making the best of these he has steadily worked his way upward. He possesses resolution, perseverance and reliability and his name is now enrolled among the best citizens of ^^ermilion countv. ERNST BLANKENBURG. Ernst Blankenburg, who is the leading retail dealer in wines, liquors and cigars in ]3anville, was born in Eberswaldr, Prussia, on the 6th of October, 1843, his parents be- ing \\'illiam and Caroline (Torge) Blanken- burg, both of whom were natives of Prus- sia. The father died in the year 1871, when sixty-nine years of age, and his wife passed away in 1874. at the age of sixty- two years, iliey reared a family of nine children, in the '60s they crossed the At- lantic to the new world, establishing their hor.ie in Danville. Our subject was the fourth in order of birth in a family of nine children, of whom those still living are: (iottlieb; August; Louise, the wife of George Rust ; and Ernst. Those who have passed away are : William, Frederick, Christian, Lewis and Ferdinand. In the public and private schools of his nati\-e town in Prussia Ernst Blankenburg pursued his education. He has been a res- ident of Danville since 1867, coming here wIkmi a young man of twent\--four vears. He was first employed as a clerk, serxing in that capacit)^ for three years in the dry- goods store of William Hessey, after \\liich he estal)lished a brewery which was later sold to John Stein. In 1875 '^^ established his present business which he has now con- ducted for more than twcnty-se\'cn \-ears. He retails wines, liquors and cigars and is conducting the largest establishment of the kind in Danville, realizing a handsome and gratifying profit from the enterprise. In 1880 ]\Ir. Blankenburg was united in marriage to ]\liss Mary S. Lee of this- city ;uul they now ha\-e two children, a daughter and a .son, Edna and Russell. Tliev also lost one son, Herman, who died ERNST BLANKENBURG. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 237 at the age of three years. Mr. Blankenburg is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is secretary of the Dan- ville Socialer Turn Verein. He is a gen- tleman of affable manner, genial and cour- teous and is a leading German-American citizen of Danville. GEORGE T. RAY. There is nothing in this world that will take the place of skillfully directed labor and this fact Mr. Ray has realized as be has car- ried on his life work. It is to his industn,' and enterprise that he owes his place among the progressive and substantial farmers of Ross township, his home being on section 30. Among the honored pioneer settlers be is likewise numbered for he dates his resi- dence in Vermilion county from 1835. The family is of German origin, his great-grand- father being a native of Germany. The grandfather, George Ray, was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Ohio, settling near Circleville, in Picka- Avay county. His son, John Ray, the father of our subject, was born at Buffalo Valley, Union county, Pennsylvania, and was reared to mature years in Ohio, where he formed the acquaintance and married Eliza- beth Glover, who was likewise a native of the Keystone state. He turned his atten- tion to farming, which he followed in Pick- away county for a number of years and in 1S31 he came to Illinois, settling in Will counU . where he resided until the spring of 1832 when he had to take his family to Fort Dearliorn on account of an Indian uprising. After a short time, however, he made his, way southward to Vermilion county, In- diana, where he continued until the Indian troubles were settled. He then removed to this county in 1835, entering three hundred and twenty acres of land in Ross township, located on sections 29 and 30. He at once began to break this, fenced it and in course of time developed a good farm. The entire country around, too, was an almost un- broken wilderness and in true pioneer stvle the family lived. There the father spent his remaining days, jjassing away on the 4th of March, 1856. His wife long sm"vi\-ed him and was caUed to her final rest Feliruary 13, 18S2. In their family were three sons antl three daughters, but two of the daugh- ters are now deceased. Those living are: William G., who resides in Alvin : John, Avbo owns and operates a part of the old home- stead ; and Sarah Ann, the wife of John Hitchens, a blacksmith of Alvin. When but a small boy George Ray be- came a resident of Vermilion county and on the old home farm his boyhood days were passed. Amid the wild scenes,of the fron- tier he shared with the family in all the hard- ships and trials incident to the establishment of a home aiuid pioneer surroundings and when his strength and age would permit he assisted in the work of clearing and develop- ing the farm. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey lie chose Miss Mary E. Hickman, their wedding being celebrated in Catlin township, October 29, 1863, the lady being a daughter of Hiram Hickman, a na- tive of Kentucky, who, when a small boy, went to Tennessee and afterward to Ohio. In the latter state he married Martha A. Allen and subsequently they removed to Illi- nois, settling in Vermilion county about 1835. Mrs. Ray was born in Brown county, Ohio, was reared in this county, and pursued her education here and in the Georgetown 238 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD liigh scliool. For several years prior to her marriage she was a successful teacher and is a most estimable lady, who has been to her husband a faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey. They began their domes- tic life on a part of the old Ray homestead, our subject clearing the land and preparing it for the plow. He afterward built a good substantial residence, a large barn and made many important and \aluable improvements. The home was blessed by the ]jresence of five children : Daniel V., who is married and has three children, Mary E., Angelena, and George T., and resides in Jamesburg, Illi- nois, where he is engaged in the practice of medicine; (leorge A., a lawyer of Ross- ville: Frank H., who is married and is living in Chicago, having two children, Ruth and Paul Keneth : Benjamin, who is married, has one child. Bertha ]\r.. and resides with his parents ; and Charles, who completes the family. Politically Mr. Ray is a Jeffersonian Democr.'it, who in 1852 voted for Franklin Pierce, age having given to him the right of franchise for the first time at that election. He served for several years as township school trustee and also as director and has e\'er been earnestly interested in the ad- vancement of the schools and the emi)loy- ment of good teachers, believing that edu- cation is one of the bulwarks of our nation. From pioneer times down to the present he has been a witness of the substantial de\-el- opment of Vermilion count)'. ]-le c;uiie here when much of the land appeared just as it did when nature completed her work. It was the haunt of deer and other wild ani- mals and venison furnished m.nny a meal for the early settlers, while wild fowls were fre- quently seen on the pioneer board. .A num- ber of years have passed ere the wild prairie grasses had ctuircly been replaced by the fields of waxing grain in the midst of which to-day stand substantial farm houses, whik towns and villages have here and there sprung up. Mr. Ray's memory forms a connecting link between the pioneer past and the progressive jjre.sent and he has manv interesting incidents to relate of \'ermilion county's history. J. P. BAIFEY. J. P. Bailey, a well known carpenter and contractor of Dan\-ille ami an honored vet- eran of the (^i\il war. is a native of this county, his birth having occurred February 8. 1S42. seven miles southeast of George- town on the horseshoe l)end of the Little \'ermilion river. His father, James S. Bailey, was born in Chillicothe, Ross coun- ty Ohio, and on reaching manhood was m.-irried in Newport, Indiana, to Miss Orena West, a native of Vermilion county, that state, who died on the 3d of Xo\-eniber, 1853. He continued to reside in Newport until iS(')~. when be remoxed to Sangamon county. Illinois, where his death occurred December 25. 1S73, his remains being in- terred in Blunk cemetery-, fifteen miles southeast of Springfield. By trade he was a coo])er. In religious faith he was a Pres- Inierian. x\as also connected with the Mason- ic lodge and was a stanch supporter of the Republican party. His brother, William Bailey, was a prominent old settler of Ver- milion county. Indiana, where he served as sheriff and coviiUy clerk at an early day. Our sul)ject is one of a family of three children, but his brother is deceased. His sister. Marv. is the wife of \\'illiam H. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 239 Gowdy, of Covington, Indiana. Mr. Bailey began Iiis education in the Billings school at the crossroads near his home prior to the election of President Pierce, the "temple of learning" being a log structure furnished with slab seats, and the school was con- ducted on the subscription plan. After the removal of the family to Perrysville, Indi- ana, he attended the ]jublic schools at that place and made his home there until after the outbreak of the Civil war. Since the death of his mother, when he was eleven years of age, he has been dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood, working on a farm the first summer. The following winter he carried the mail from Perrysville to Georgetown and Danville, Illinois, and the next summer drove a three-mule team on the canal from Perrysville to Toledo, Ohio. During the next winter he drove the stage for Teller Brothers from Covington to Armiesburg, Indiana, and on giving up that position he began learning the mill- wright's trade in the construction of the old Williams mill at Hillsboro, Indiana. La- ter he was employed on the Smith & Jones mill in Fountain county, that state; the Kirkpatrick mill at Perrysville and the woolen mill at that place. He helped to build the old North street church in Dan- ville in 1857, and assisted in the erection of the seminary at Perrysville in 1859, besides a great many mills throughout the country. During the dark days of the Rebellion, however, [Mr. Bailey laid aside all personal interests and offered his services to his country, enlisting at Perrysville, Indiana, September 9, 1861, in Company D, Thirti- eth Indiana Volunteer Infantry under Cap- tain Weldon and Colonel I. Bass, of Fort Wayne. His regiment was mustered in at Indianapolis and assigned to the Army of the Cumljerland. They participated in quite a number ui skirmishes in Tennessee and their first important engagement was the battle of Shiloh in 18(12. In 1864 the com- mand was transferred to the Army of the Tennessee and was with Sherman on his At- lanta campaign until the surrender of that city, after which they returned to Nashville under the command of General Thomas. They next went to Huntsville, Alabama, and from there started to Richmond to re- lieve the Army of the Potomac, but in the spring of 1865 were transferred to New Or- leans and from there went to Victoria, Tex- as, where Mr. Bailey was mustered out on the 25th of November, 1865. He was wounded in the left side by a minie ball dur- ing the second day's fight at Nashville, De- cember 16, 1864. Returning home Mr. Bailey resumed work at the millwright's trade, which he continued to follow until 1890, since which time he has devoted his attention to carpen- tering and contracting with good success and is to-day one of the leading Inisiness men of Danville, where he has made his home since 1879. He has erected a great many of the ele\'ators in this county besides other buildings and has always faithfully fulfilled his part of every contract. On the 23th of March, 1865, in New- port, Indiana, Mr. Bailey married Miss Frances A. Seay, who was born in George- town, Illinois, April 26, 1846, a daughter of Thomas A. Seay. As a child she made her home with Elisha R-iiney, of George- town, but was later adopted by Dr. Perkins, of Eugene, Indiana. After a short married life of fourteen years she died April 12, 1879, leaving four children, namely: Min- nie, the wife of William Buckley, of St. Lou- is, Missouri; John G.. a candy manufacturer of that city; William H., who married Lena Miller and resides in Danville, where he as- 240 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD sists his father in business; and .Maud, wife of Jerome Alaloy, of Pertli Amhoy, New Jersey. Mr. Bailey was again married, l-"ebru- ary 16, 1886, his second union being with Miss .\mie E. Ohver. wiio was born eight miles north of Danville, in Vermilion county, April 6, i860, a daughter of Bushrard and Melvina (Kritzer) Oliver. Her father was a native of Bourbon county, and her mother of Rainesville, Indiana, but they were mar- ried in Danville, Illinois. The father was a farmer by occupation, a Democrat in poli- tics and a member of the Christian church. He died on the 23d of May, 1894, but his wife is still living and now makes her home witJT our subject. In their family were six- teen children, of w'hom twelve are still living. Mr. Bailey is a prominent member of several civic societies, including the Grand Army of the Republic, the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors and the Mutual Protection League. Politically he is identified with the Republican party and has taken a ver}' influential and prominent part in public affairs, having served as deputy sheriff at Dexter, Missouri, and as city mar- shal, councilman and mayor of Dexter. He is pre-eminently public-spirited and progres- sive and as faithfully discharges his duties of citizenship in times of peace as when he followed the old flag to victory on southern battle-fields. THOMAS \\OOLVERTON. Among the native sons of Vermilion county is numbered Thomas Woolverton and his life history sets at naught the old adage, that "a prophet is not without honor save in his own countrv." There is there- fore particular interest attaching to the sub- ject of this re\icw in his business career. He is a native son of the county where he has passed his active life and has so directed his ability and efforts as to gain recognition as one of the representative men of Hoopes- ton. He to-day is the owner of the Hoopes- ton machine shops, an enterprise of magni- tude and importance returning to the owner and proprietor a very desirable annual in- come. Mr. Woolverton was but thirteen years of age when he started out in life for him- self. His birth occurred in Grant town- ship in 1 85 1. His father. Colonel Abel W'oolverton, was commander of a regiment in the war of 181 2 and was a farmer by oc- cupation. He came of a family that lived near Cincinnati, Ohio, prior to the emigra- tion to Illinois. In the year 1S50, how- ever. Colonel W'oolverton sought a home in the Mississippi valley and located in Grant township, Vermilion county, settling on government land on the North Fork. He became one of the early settlers of the com- munity. He had finn faith in the future of this ]:)ortion of the state and he foretold the building of the two railroads which now cross the county. Colonel Woolverton se- cured a large tract of land in this locality and began the development of a farm. There were many wild animals here, including woKes, and among the wild game there were numbered deer, geese, brant and ducks. The mother of our subject died when he was but six years of age and the father afterward married ag"ain. Thomas Woolverton has one sister, i\Irs. Sophia J. Holmes, of Hoopeston, and one brother, Charles. At the time of his father's death, which occurred when he was thirteen years of age, Thomas Woolverton started out in life on his own account. He was but a bov, vet THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 241 lie possessed courage and self-reliance and determined that he would win for himself a •creditable position in the business world. He herded cattle at an early day and en- . gaged in farm labor until his marriage, which occurred in 1871, Miss Eliza J. Fort- ner becoming his wife. The lady is a native of Indiana and her parents are both now de- ceased. By this marriage there are two liv- ing children, Mrs. Ed. R. Knox, whose hus- band is deputy circuit clerk in Danville, and N. G., a lawyer who is now in partnership with Charles A. Allen, of Hoopeston, and is serving as city attorney. For several years after his marriage Mr. Woolverton engaged in farming and was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, but after about six years he abandoned the plow and removed to Hoopeston, where he opened a meat market Avhich he conducted for six years. By going security he was forced to begin life anew. Eater he was elected township assessor and •constable and served in this office until about seventeen years ago when he began selling farm machinery in a small way. He has car- ried on this business with ever increasing success and he is now proprietor of the Hoopeston machine shops and does an ex- tensive business in McCormick harvesters, the Deere plows, buggies, wagons and har- ness ; in fact, he carries everything needed upon a farm in connection with its cultiva- tion. He has a machine shop and a general repair shop, forty by one hundred and twen- ty feet, and part of this is two stories in height. During the busy season he employs fifteen men in the shop and does all kinds of repair work from the repairing of a hammer to a threshing machine. His macine shop and implements are upon the west side of Bank street, the harness and buggv empor- ium on the east side, but these are near to- gether so that he gi\-es his personal super- \-ision to all branches of his business. He engages in the manufacture as well as the repairing of harness and also i^epairs bug- gies. The shop on the east side of the street is fifty by sixty feet and he also nas two stores wdiich he rents. The business has constantly grown in volume and importance until it is now the leading industrial and commercial concerns of the town and the owner has become one of the substantial residents of Hoopeston. Long since has he regained his lost possessions, pushing for- ward to continued success in the conduct of the enterprise which has proved to him a profitable one. In his political views J\Ir. Woolverton is a stalwart Republican and was appointed to fill the unexpired term of \V. R. Clark on the board of supervisors. At the next reg- ular election in 1894 he was elected to fill that office, which he has held continuously since, and bv re-election he is now serving for the fourth term and is one of the most prominent and \-alued members of the board. He has served as its chairman for t\\o different terms and is now chairman of the committee on buildings and grounds. For eight years he was justice of the peace in Grant township and was at one time a member of the city council of Hoopeston, filling the office before the city was divided into wards. No public trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree and he has the entire confidence of his fel- low men concerning matters of importance to the city. Fraternally he is connected with the blue lodge of Masons, with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has served as noble grand, with the Forest- ers and with the Modern Woodmen of America. He has a pleasant home at the corner of Bank and Penn streets and he 242 TtlE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD owns hall a block in tlie center of the town on wliich are located his Inisiness blocks. He was a resident of this place when the entire locality was covered with rosin- weed and milk-weed and prairie grasses grew in abundance. He herded cattle on the pres- ent site of Hoopeston, but as the years have passed he has witnessed great changes, a transfonnation being wrought which has contril)uted in a marked degree to the im- ])ro\enien_t antl upbuilding of the eiuire com- munit}-. Mr. Woolverton possesses marked energy and keen perception. This enables him to form his plans readily and he never wavers in carrying them to a successful completion. His close application to busi- ness and his excellent managemeiU have b; ght to him the high degree of prosperity which is to-dav his. H. W. HARRIS. H. W. Harris is now living a retired life on his farm on section 15, Ross town- ship, five miles east of Rossville. Here he has a valuable property of two hundred and forty acres and thereon has made his home for forty-eight years. His residence in the county covers a longer period, however, for he arrived here in February, 1848. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. July 6, 1827, and comes of a family of English an- cestry. Plis grandfather, Samuel Harris, settled in Alaryland at an early day and there Jesse Harris, the father of our sub- ject, was born on the 21st of July. 1800. In the city of his nativity he was reared and was there united in marriage to Lydia Ann Warner, whose birth occurred in Wilming- ton. Delaware. By trade he was a cooper and followed that pursuit througliout most of his active business life. In his later years, however, he became general agent for H. J. Williams, a prominent attorney of IMiiladelphia. In the year 1841 he left Pennsylvania and took up his aliode in Ross county, Ohio, where he resided for seven years, when he came to Illinois and here set- tled in Ross township, Vermilion county, spending his last years upon the home farm of his son, H. W. Harris. The last named was reared in Philadel- phia to the age of fourteen years and began his education in the public schools there. The remainder of his boyhood days were passed in Ohio upon his father's farm and in 1848 he came to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, where he began earning his own liv- ing by working as a farm hand by the month. In the fall, howe\'er, he returned to the Buckeye state, making the journey on horseback in order to vote for Zachary Tay- lor, casting his first ballot in that year. \\'hen his mission was accomplished he once more came to Illinois, where he worked on a farm until he decided to engage in agri- cultural pursuits on his own account and rented a tract of land. In the new work he prospered and when he hail acquired S(ime capital he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres in 1853. It was then a tract of raw prairie on which not a furrow had been turned or an im- provement made, but he broke it and fenced it and otherwise developed the pro])erty, luaking it a valuable tract of land, which returned to him golden liar\-ests in reward for the care and labor whicli he Ijestow^ed upon the fielils. .\s his financial resources increased he added to the farm and now within its boundaries there are two hun- dred and forty acres of good land. He erected a neat and substantial residence, also a large barn and other necessary out- buildins's. These were but a few of the im- H. W. HARRIS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 245 pro\enients which he made. He planted an orcliard, tiled his tields and divided the farm by well kept fences. He also raised good stock and although he came to Ver- milion county a poor man he gradually worked his way up\vard until he gained a place among the substantial residents of the county. Air. Han"is has been twice married. In Indiana in 1853, he wedded Nancy Clark, who died in 1864. leaving five children: H. P., who is married and li\-es near Wichita, Kansas; Emma, the wife of Walter Wood, of Hoopeston ; Isabella, the wife of Chris- topher Fred, of Fulton, Indiana; Edwin Stanton, who is married and follows farm- ing in Oklahoma; and Olive, who married George Holtz, of Ross township. After the death of his first wife Mr. Harris wedded Mary Money, a native of Kentucky, who, when a young lady, came to this county and on the 22d of June, 1865, gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Harris. There are six children of this marriage: Salome J., the wife of Charley W. Smith; Lydia A. ; Jose- phine; John; Minnie, the wife of Albert Statzell, of Williamsport, Indiana : and Jesse S., who with John assist? in the opera- tion of the home farm. Politically Mr. Harris was originally a Whig and joined the ranks of the Republi- can party upon its organization. He voted for John C. Fremont in 1856 and has never failed to cast his ballot for each presidential nominee of the party since that time. He first voted for Taylor in 1848. In 1875 he was appointed to the position of school treasurer and was elected and re-elected to the otilice until he served for tw^enty-seven consecutive years. He has also been a del- egate to numerous count\' conventions of his party. I-^rom pioneer times down to the present he has watched the growth and de- 11 velopment of Vermilion county, having seen a swampy land reclaimed for purposes of civilization by tiling and cultivation and modern farming methods have been intro- duced and carried on until the country has been made to bloom and blossom as the rose. The work of progress has also been instituted in this city and Mr. Flarris feels a just pride in wdiat has been accomplished here. He is now a venerable man of seven- ty-fi\-e years, receiving the respect and hon- or which should e\er be accorded one who has advanced far on life's journe\'. A. WARD. Eighty acres of good farming- land on section i, (jcorgetown township, constitutes the farm of A. Ward, who is there carrying on general agricultural pursuits and stock- raising. He has resided in Vermilion cmin- ty since 1871 and is a native of Switzerland county, Indiana, born on the 5th of January, 1833. His parents were Bennett and Nancy (Boggs) Ward, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Kentucky. In an early day the father removed to Indi- ana, where he lived for a number of years. He afterward spent a few years in Missouri and while there his wife died. Subsequent- ly he retmmed to Vermilion county, Illinois, making his home with the subject of this re- vlew until his death, which occurred on the 3d of July, 1 88 1. A. Ward is the only one of the children born unto his parents now residing in \'er- milion county. He pursued his education in the district schools of Delaware county, Indiana. He settled upon a farm there, making it his place of abode until 1871, when he came to this county. In 1875 he 246 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD bought his present farm on section i, Georgetown township. Throughout his en- tire lite he has carried on the occupation to wliich he was reared and in his farming methods is progressive, keeping in toucli with tlie best methods of cuhivating the soil and caring for stock which are in vogue at the present day. When he located here the land was all covered with timber, but he cleared this and has placed his fields under a high state of cultivation. His farm is to- day well improved with modern equipments and he is successfully carrying on general farm work and stock-raising. Mr. Ward was first married while liv- ing in Delaware county, Indiana, to Miss Phoebe Edginton, a nati\e of Ohio. Her father removed to Delaware county, Indi- ana, at an early day and there died. Mrs. W'ard passed away at her home in this coun- tv in 1877. Of seven children born of that marriage five are yet living: Alonzo, who resides in Kansas; Wilson, who married Maggie Rogers and is living in INIead coun- ty. Kansas; Franklin, who resides at home with our subject; Grant, who wedded Mar}- Rosenbarger and is living in Veedersburg, Indiana; and Cooley, who married Maude Man ley and resides in Georgetown, where he is conducting the Rival Restaurant. Those deceased are Mary, Amanda and Cal- vin. After the death of his first wife Mr. Ward was again married, his second union being with Mary J. Estes, a native of El- wood township, Vemiilion county, born in October, 1845. Her parents, Laborin and Polly (Chambers) Estes, were very early settlers of this county, coniing to Illinois from North Carolina and here they spent their remaining days. Both Mr. and Mrs. \\'ard Imld member- sliip in the Christian church of Georgetown township and are faithful to its teachings and principles. He has always \((ted with the Democracy but has ne\er Ijeen an office seeker. His life has been one of untiring industry and since coming to Vermilion county he has accomplished a great amount of work, in clearing his land, preparing it for the plow and placing it under the higli state of cultivation in which it is to-day found. ROBERT PIOLMES. The story of a successful career is al- ways a matter of interest and althougli jeal- ousy is sometimes manifest the great major- ity rejoice in advancement, especially when one has risen to prominence and success from a humble financial position. This Robert Holmes has done and to-day he is controlling one of the most extensive and important industrial enterprises of \''ermilion county. He was born in Sandusky, Ohio, December 25, 1858, and is a son of William and Re- becca (Thomas) Holmes, the former a na- ti\e of New Castle, Delaware, and the latter of \\'ales. They were married in Sandusky and a year later located in Marion, Ohio. The father was a machinist by trade and conducted a shop there, making that place his home until his death, which occurred on the i8th of December, 1872. His political support was given the Republican party and he was e\er a progressive and loyal citizen. His wife died March 18, 1899. In their family were five sons and four daughters, of whom three sons and three daughters are yet living, Robert being the eldest. Grant, a ])artner of our subject, now conducts a machine shop and makes his home in Dan- ville. Sherman is engaged in gold mining in Dutch Guiana, South America, and is also a partner of the firm of Robert Holmes THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 247 & Brothers, incorporated. Mary is the wife of Dr. \V. H. Snaveley, a resident of Seff- ner, Florida. Mattie is the wife of J. A. Johnson, who is living in Thomotosassa. Florida; and Hattie is the wife of Howard Bolander, of Marion, Ohio. Robert Holmes began his education in the schools of Marion and afterward worked in machine shops there. Owing to his father's early death he was forced to be- gin work when only thirteen years of age and was there employed until he had at- tained his majority. In 1880 he came to Danville and secured a position as a ma- chinist in the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad shops, where he remained for si.x months. He then accepted the agency of the Huber engine and thresher which is manufactured in Marion. He established an agency in this city in partnership with P. T. Baker and conducted the business with suc- <:ess for ten years, when his partner sold out to W. W. Kent and the latter relation was maintained for a year. Mr. Holmes then purchased his partner's interest and in- creased the business, extending its scope. In 1893 his brothers removed to Danville and he became a partner in the business. It was then that the firm established a machine shop at Nos. 30 and 36 North Hazel street. Since then the business has constantly grown and they now occupy not only the machine shop space but also a building one hundred and twenty by one hundred and fifty feet, extending from No. 49 to No. 53 North Hazel street. It is in this building that the main offices are located. The firm of Robert Holmes & Brothers employs more than fifty workmen in the machine shops. They make a specialty of locomotive bell ringers and air compressors and also of the manufacture of shaker screens for coal min- ers. They do a big business in mill and mine machine-repairing and sell everything in the Une of farm machinery and also "everything on wheels," as their advertisement reads. This includes all kinds of vehicles, makins: a specialty of high grade automobiles. The output of the house is now very extensive and the business has reached large and prof- itable proportions. In his political views Mr. Holmes is a Republican, but has never sought or de- sired office and in fact has always refused to become a candidate for political prefer- ment, although as a private citizen he is ever true to the welfare of his city, state and na- tion and is deeply interested in the success of party principles. He belongs to Damas- cus Lodge, K. P., and to the Danville Lodge of Elks. Coming to this city without cap- ital, accepting a position as an employe, he stands to-day as a worthy representative of what may be accomplished through earnest effort combined with a thorough knowledge of the business undertaken, capable manage- ment in its control and honorable dealings in the relations with the public. M. t. PORTERFIELD. M. F. Porterfield, a representative of the banking interests of Vermilion county now, owning and conducting the Porterfield Bank at Fairmount, was born in Pennsylvania, on the 17th of February, 1849. His parents, James B. and Elvira H. (Blaine) Porter- field, were also natives of the Keystone state. The father was a tanner and harness-maker and in the year 1856 came westward with his family, first settling in Monmouth, War- ren county, Illinois, where he remained for a year. He then removed to Champaign and became a contractor for the Illinois Central 24i$ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Railroad Company, making his lionie in tiiat place until the fall of 1862. He next set- tled upon a farm near Sidney, this state, and later he retired from active life, spending his last years in the town of Sidney. There he died in February. 1891, and his wife passed away in 1895. In their family were six sons and three daughters, all of wIkmh are yet living, namely: Al. V., of this review; Mary B.. who is living in Sidney; E. N., who is engaged in the real estate and loan business at Kearney, Nebraska; S. E.. who is engaged in the grain business with his youngest brother. J. Bert, at Sidney; J. C, who is employed in the veterinary depart- ment of the Union Stock Yards of Chica- go; Carrie F., the wife of Charles J. Free- man, a resident of Decatur; L. W., who is engaged in the grain trade in Champaign ; and Nettie, the wife of John F. Largent. a lawyer of Salt Lake City, Utah. M. F. Forterfield pursued his early edu- cation in the public schools near Sidney and later continued his literary course in the State University of Illinois, at Urbana, while he jircpared for business life in a com- mercial college. He was one of the orignial students of the State University, entering in the winter of 1869-70. After putting aside his text books he lived upon the farm witli liis father until 1873, when lie i)ur- chased a tract of land .southeast of Sidney and began farming on his own account, there carrying on agricultural pursuits un- til 1891. In that year he came to h'ainnount and established the Forterfield Bank, which he is now conducting. It is a private bank- ing institutiiin, well meriting public support because of the ca]jability and enterprise of the owner. Mr. Forterfield also owns the bank building and other business blocks in l"airni(innt and an elegant residence which is the faniih' home. On the ist of January. 1885. near Fhilo, Illinois, Mr. Forterfield was united in mar- riage to Miss Belle J. Cole, who was torn in W'orthington, Massachusetts, August 5, 1861. a daughter of Charles ]•'. and Maria J. ( Fease) Cole, who were likewise natives of the Bay State. In the year 1S63 they came west, locating near Philo, Champaign coun- ty. ui)on .'1 farm. There the father died in 1898 but the mother is still !i\-ing. In their familv were three sons and four daughters, but one son and one daughter have now passed away. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Forterfield has been blessed with three chil- dren : N. Raymond. N. Mildred and Wil- lard B. Mr. Forterfield is a member of the Mod- ern Woodmen Camp and of the Court of Honor and he belongs to the Cumberland I'rcslivterian church. His father was a Whig and upon attaining his majority Mr. Forterfield becariie a Republican, having since given earnest and loyal support to the ]iart\'. While there has been nothing e.xcit- ing or adventuresome in his business career, the history of his success is one of interest, because it shows what can be accomplished when one has strong deternfination and laudable ambitic^n. guided by sound judg- ment. The.se are the (|ualities which have gained success to I'airniounl's popular banker, making him a jirosperous citizen of \'ernnlion countv. ABRAM B. SMITH. -\bram B. Smith, a retired farmer of Danville, was born in eastern Tennessee on Christmas Day. 1817. He is a son of Jos- eph and Sarah (lirown) .Siuith. Ixith of whom were natises of eastern Tennessee. A. B. SMITH. MRS. A. B. SMITH. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 253 and resided tliere until 1828, when they came to \'ermiiion county. lUinois, casting in their lot with its iirst settlers. Only ten years before had the state been admitted to the Union and this portion of Illinois was largely wild and unimproved, awaiting the awakening touch of the white race to trans- form it into one of the richest agricultural, industrial and commercial sections of this great commonwealth. Joseph Smith took up his abode in Georgetown township, turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and improved a good farm, upon which he made his home until called to his final rest at the age of seventy-three years. His wife has also passed away. They were the par- ents of thirteen children, of whom five are now living: Eliza, the widow of William Gantz and a resident of Georgetown town- ship; Abram B., of this review: Amanda, the wife of Andrew Runnells. of George- town township; Michael E., who is engaged in selling farm implements in Brockstown, Illinois; and Catherine, the wife of Adam Kyger, of Missoiu'i. The others were all reared here and most of them died in Ver- milion county. Like the other members of the family Abram B. Smith pursued a common-school education, the schoolhouse being five miles from his home. He was only eleven years of age when with his parents he came to Vermilion county. In 1841 he settled on a farm in Georgetown township, where he lived until his removal to Danville, devot- ing his energies to the tilling of the soil. He married Eliza E. Lockett. a native of ^^irginia and a daughter of Richard Lock- ett, who was one of the early settlers of Georgetown township and of Dan\-ille. Throughout his entire life Mr. Lockett car- ried on agricultural pursuits and in early davs he also conducted a grist mill in Dan- ville township. His death occurred in Georgetown. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Smith traveled life's journey together and were then separated by the death of the wife, which occurred December 6, 1898, while she was on a \'isit to a cousin in Chicag'o. Unto them were born nine children but Lockett R.. Sarah J., Dora E. and Mary Alice are all deceased and buried in the McKindree cemetery. David A. is engaged in farming in Georgetown township. Matilda A. is the wife of Hiram W. Ross, a resident of Dan- \-ille. Joseph H. is a farmer of Edgar coun- ty. Illinois. Tilmon C. is engaged in the practice of law in Danville. Charles New- ton was born in Georgetown township. Jan- uary 25, i860, and frcini the common schools of his native county he entered the State Normal School at Normal, Illinois, graduating from that institution in the class of 1882. Choosing the profession of medi- cine as a life work, he then matriculated at Rush Medical College of Chicago and was graduated with the class of 1885. For two years he successfully engaged in practice at Homer, Illinois, but on account of failing health he was compelled to give up the prac- tice and is now living retired in Dan\ille. •He married Miss Mary L. Walker, a daugh- ter of George Walker, deceased, who was an early settler and prominent citizen of Taze- well ciiunty, Illinois. After his marriage Abram B. Smith en- gaged in farming in Georgetown township until his removal to Danville. He took up his abode here on the 4tli of August, 1899, and has since lived retired, occupying a pleasant home at No. 509 Buchanan street. He also owns a house on Jackson street, another on Park street, and has two houses and lots in Homer, Illinois. He is likewise the owner of three hundred and forty acres 254 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of land in Georgetown township and the rental of his property brings him a good in- come. His success in life was due entirely to his own labor and diligence, together with the assistance of his estimable wife. By their frugality they became the owners of six hundred and sixty acres of choice land in \'ermilion county, a part of which has since been divided among his cliildren, though Mr. Smith still retains the old home- stead of three hundred and forty acres. While residing upon his farm he served as school director but has never been an off'ce seeker, his farming and stock-raising interests leaving him no time for political work. In early life he was a Whig, al- though his father was a Democrat. He cast his first presidential vote for William Henry Harrison and after the dissolution of the Whig party became independent. He holds membership in the ^lethodist Episcopal church of Georgetown township and is one of the leading retired citizens of Danville. For seventy-four years Mr. Smith has resided in \'ermilion county and its history is therefore familiar to him. He has been an eye witness of almost its entire growth and development ; has seen its wild lands claimed for farming purposes and de\-el- oped into very rich and ]iroductive tracts; has seen the county crossed by a network of railroads so that it is supplied with splendid transportation facilities ; has seen hamlets grow into thrixing towns and villages, while Danville lias developed from a little country crossroads into a city of metropoli- tan proportions. Throughout all these years Mr. Smith has followed the even ten- or of his way as a farmer, yet has kept in touch with the general progress and im- provement, has kept informed concerning the leading questions of the day, and at all times he has been loyal and true to the best interests of his community, so that he well deserves representation in this volume as one of the representati\e men of Vermilion county. D. BYRON HAGGARD. Through the years of his identification with the business interests of Danville D. Byron Haggard enjoyed the highest respect of his fellow townsmen by reason of his strict integrity and sterling worth, and in his death the community realized that it had lost a valued citizen. He was Ijorn in Lo- gansport. Indiana, on the 6th of December, 1839, a son of John and Cynthia Haggard, of that state. His father was a tinner by trade and for some time conducted a hartl- ware store in Logansport. Both he and his wife died in Kokomo, Indiana. During his boyhood David Haggard had only the advantages of a common-school ed- ucation but by reading and observation in subsequent years be became a well informed man. In 1858 he received the offer of a po- sition in the dry -goods store of IMr. Moore, of Danville, who had formerly been a resi- dent of Lafayette, Indiana, and with whom Mr. Haggard had prexiously been ac- quainted. Accepting the office he came to Danville that year and engaged in clerking for a few years or until Mr. Moore sold out. He then formed a partnership with a Mr. Miller, under the firm name of Miller & Haggard, and they embarked in the retail boot and shoe business, which thev carried on quite successfully until their store was destroyed by fire in 1861. With character- istic energy they then rented a small room on Vermilion street and put in a stock of boots and shoes. Prospering in their business they subsequently removed to more commo- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 255 dious quarters in order to meet the growing demands of their trade. The partnership be- tween Mr. Miller and Mr. Haggard was of comparatively short duration and after it was dissolved our subject was alone in busi- ness throughout the remainder of his life. His brother Edward, who was a shoemaker by trade, worked for him in the store until the Civil war broke out, when he entered the L'nion army and died in Andersonville prison. They were the only members of the family to come to this county. In April, 1859, Mr. Haggard was united in marriage to Aliss Charlotte Creamer, who was born in Champaign county. Ohio, Feb- ruary 21, 1840. Her parents, Moses and Margaret (Reed) Creamer, were natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively, and the father spent his entire life in the Buck- eye state, where he died when Mrs. Haggard ^vas quite young. Her mother subsequently married John Moftltt. now deceased, and his death occurred in December, 1901. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Haggard were born five children : Minnie, a graduate of the Dan- ville high school, is now a teacher in the public schools of the city and resides at home with her mother. Carrie is the wife of John Elwood, a civil engineer living in Chicago. Ella is the wife of Charles Harmstead, who is a dealer in harness, buggies, etc., in Ur- bana, Ohio. Grace is the wife of George Rearick, a prominent attorney of Danville. Royal, the only son, died at the age of two years. Mr. Haggard continued in active busi- ness until a few months prior to his death, which occurred on the 7th of December, 1872, and he was one of the leading shoe merchants of the city. He was what the world terms a self-made man, for all that he had was obtained through his own well directed efforts. He began business in Dan- ville on capital borrowed from his father and his partner, Mr. Miller, but he was soon able to pay off this. By untiring industiy, strict attention to his business affairs and sound judgment he met with well merited success in his undertakings and won an enviable po- sition in business circles. By his ballot he usually supported the men and measures of the Republican party, but he never cared for otificial honors. Socially he was a worthy member of the Masonic order in Danville. His widow still makes her home in Danville, occupying a pleasant residence at No. 312 North Hazel street, where she antl her hus- band lived for a numlaer of years, and she also owns other valuable property in the same locality. She is an earnest member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of the city, and is a most estimable lady of many sterling qualities, who has a large circle of friends in Danville. JOHN W. KEESLAR. John W. Keeslar, who is filling the po- sition of states attorney in Danville, having been elected to the office in 1900, for a term of four years, is one of Vermilion county's native sons, his birth having occurred on the 24th of August, 1864. His parents were Charles W. and Sarah (Snyder) Keeslar, natives of New York and Ohio respectively. The maternal grandfather, also a native of the Buckeye state, emigrated westward with his family in 1849 and estab- lished his home in Pilot township, Ver- milion county. The father of our sub- ject settled in the same township in 1858 and is li\'ing a retired life there, after many years' connection with agricultural pursuits. He has also been prominent in public affairs 2s6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and from 1878 until 1885 he filled the office of chairman of the board of super\isors. No event of special importance occurrey gal- lant soldiers of the name in the war of 1812: and in the subjugation of the western wilderness they bore a part. Daniel Boone opened the gates of Kentucky and soon he was followed into "the dark and bloody" region by the grandfather of our subject, who settled there just after the close of the Re\'ohitionary war. Abraham Sandusky, the father, was born in that state and mar- ried Jane McDowell, by whom he had eight children, of whom Josiah Sandu.sky was the youngest. As will be seen some of the mem- bers of the family have anglicized the spell- ing of tlie old Polish name, while others ha\-e retained the original orthography. Josiah Sandusky obtained his education in the district schools in early youth and through reading, observation and experi- ence in later years. He became an extreme- ly well informed man for he not only read broadly but mastered what he read and pos- sessed a retentive memoiy. As the years passed he gathered a large and well selected library with the contents of which he be- came very familiar and many of his most pleasant hours were spent in the compan- ionship of his books. Throughout his busi- ness career he carried on general farming and stock-raising. He remained at home until his father's death, which occurred when the son was about twenty^five years of age. After this he entered into partnership with his brother Aljraham, which connec- tion was continued for many years. From his father he inherited some land but to this he added from time to time until at his death he was the possessor of about one thousand acres of valuable land in eastern lllini.iis. He became one of the best known cattle men of the state and at the time of his demise possessed one of the largest herd of di'.chess cattle in the world. Stock dealers would come from all parts of the United States and Canada and buy of him, and he was also one of the leading breeders of fast horses, both running and trotting stock. At the sale which was held subsequent to his death his horses brought about five thou- sanne of the finest libraries in eastern Illi- nois and is not only well versed in his profes- sion, but has knowledge of Latin, Greek and many scientific subjects. He is also largely ac(|uainted with history and biography and thus his reading has covered a wide range, making him a man of scholarly attainments and broad general information. He be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is an active worker in the Siuiday- school, having ser\-ed for thirty-four years as superintendent and teacher in that branch of church work. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen organization and was l)resident of the local camp some time. A nrin of genial temperament, of high moral character, of splendid intellectual attain- ments and marked ability in the line of his chosen profession, George F. C'oburn com- mands admiration at the bar and respect among his fellow men rnnong whom he has so long lived. — ■ » » » .M'STIX S. PRICE. For thirty years Austin S. Price has been engaged in the real estate business in Dan\'ille and i.s now the land and emigra- tion agent for the Frisco System at this place. .At eleven .\. m.. on the 13th of De- cember, 1833. in comprmy with his father and two brothers, he drove into the public A. S. PRICE. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 265 square of Danville, which was then a village of five or six hundred inhabitants. Since that time he has been interested in the wel- fare of the city and has contributed in no small degree to its improvements and pro- gress, but his efforts have also had a wider scope and range .and his labors have been an important element in the development of various sections of the country, which through his labors have largely been opened u]i to the work of cultivation and improvement. Mr. Price is a native of Johnson county, Indiana, born on the 26th ni June. 1840, his parents being William and Letitia ( Huston ) Price, both of whom are now de- ceased, the father having died at the age of seventy-eight years, while the mother's death occurred at the age of sixty-seven years and the former was laid to rest in the cemetery at Danville and the latter in Plig- ginsville. The father was a farmer by occu- pation and through the tilling of the soil pro- \ided for his family, of whom our subject is now the stantial farmers and stock dealers of this lo- cality and owns and operates a farm of fif- teen hundred acres of well improved land, pleasantly situated within about a mile of Potomac. He is a native son of Illinois, his birth having occurred in this county De- cember 2, 1848, his parents being John W. and Jane (Charlton) Goodwine. A sketch of the father appears on another page of this work. The subject of this review was reared to manhood in his native county, spent his boyhood days on the old home farm and in the common schools he acquired his educa- 268 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tioii, also attending W'arren Academy in In- diana. W'lien al)out nineteen years of age he left home ad started out on his own ac- count. He was engaged in herding stock and in other work until 1870. On the 22<\ of Dcccmher. US70, Mr. (i<3()(hvine was united in marriage to Mary K. Alexander, who was horn in Middlefork township and is a daughter of John C. and Esther .Ale.vander, who were among the first settlers of the county. The young cuple hegan their domestic life upon a farm. Mr. Goodwine hegan U) improve the place upon which he now resides. The happy married life of the young coui)le was of short duration, however, for on the jgth of Octoher, 1872, Mrs. Goodwine passed away. After her death the husband went west to Colorado, where he remained until the fol- lowing year, returning then to Vermilion county. On May 14, 1874. he was united in marriage to Lidora A. Lane, a daughter of R. 1 1. and Mary Lane, who came to Ver- milion county from Ohio about 1864, the daughter being reared and educated in this county. Mr. Goodwine took his wife to his farm whereon he is yet li\-ing and at once hegan to culti\'ate and improve the place. He commenced here with about five hundred acres of land which was partiall_\- inipro\'C(l. Mis father has since given him more land and he has also purchased seven hundred acres, 9.0 that tfi-day his farm is a \ery ex- tensive one. embracing fifteen hundred acres. He has erected a good and substan- tial residence, commodious bam anert Knight, is a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia. Our subject acquired his early education in the common schools of his native state and there grew to manhood. Coming west in 1857 lie first located in Springfield, Il- linois, and soon afterward became identified with the building of the Wabash Railroad, being overseer of construction for a time. In 1858 he took up his residence in Dan- ville and had charge of a construction train here for a few years until the completion of the road in this section. In the capacity of of conductor he ran the first train into Dan- ville over the Wabash road, his run for some time being between this place and Ouincy and later between Danville and To- ledo. He remained in the train service until 1865, when he was made station agent for the same company at Danville, and held that position for several years. On leaving the railroad company Mr. Knight embarked in the boot and shoe business, which he carried on for some time and later turned his atten- tion to real estate, Iniving and selling all kinds of city property in Danville, but his last days were spent in retirement from business at that place. In i860 Mr. Knight was married in Danville to Miss Mary Elizabeth Probst, who was born in this city, December 20, 1836, and is a daughter of James and Nancy (Barnes) Probst, natives of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, respectively. Her father came to Dan\'illeat a ver\ early day when the Indians were still numerous in this locality. In his younger years he followed the tail- 270 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD or's trade, Imt later discdnlinucd business in order to devote his entire time to his ot^cial duties. For some time he served as constable in Danville and suhsequently filled the office of sheriff of Vermilion county for a number of years and also count}' treasurer. After leaving office he lived retired up U> the time of his death. He was a \ery pri )minenl and high- ly respected citizen of Danville, with whose interests he was closely identified for many years. Unto Mr. and Airs. Knight were also l)orn three children, as follows: Charles F., who now holds a position with the Lartz Wall Paper Company, of Chicago, and re- sides in that city; Alice, wife of B. H. Bab- bit, business manager for the Albert Peats Wall Paper Company, of Chicago ; and Grace, who is at home with her mother. The family ha\'e a beautiful home at 204 Frank- lin street and occupy an enviable position in the social circles of Danville. In politics Mr. Knight was a staunch Republican, Init he never cared for the hon- ors or emoluments of public office. Socially he was connected with the Masonic order, being a charter member of the Commandery of Danville, and was also a Knight of Honor and was a prominent luember of both lodges. In 1863 he went to California and was identified with railroad work. After a useful and well spent life he passed quietly away on the 22d of October, 1900, honored and res])ected by all who knew him. In busi- ness affairs he was prompt, energetic and notably reliable, and generallv carried for- ward to successful completion whatever he undertook. At his death he left consider- able priii)ertv which his widow still owns, in- cluding several business blocks on North street near the .^etna Hotel, the Byers lilock and also much valuable property on Wahnit street and sixteen and a half acres near Lin- coln Park. Those who knew Air. Knight intimately speak in unqualified terms of his sterling integrity, his honor in business and his fidelity to all the duties of public and private life. His death occasioned the deep- est regret throughout the community and Danville thereby lost one of its most valued citi/ens. Mrs. Knight is a member of the l'resl)yterian church and is a charming lady whose gracious manner wins her many friends. *—*■ SAMUEL BLACK. .Samuel Black is a retired farmer living in I'ithian. Lie was born in Warren coun- ty, Indiana, August 30, 1837. His grand- father, John Black, was a native of Pennsyl- vania and served his country as a loyal .sol- dier in the war of 1812. At an early day he came to Kentucky and in the year 1834 he was killed by an elephant while attending the circus at Covington, Indiana. James Black, the father of our subject, was born in Kentucky and in early manhood went to Indiana, where he became acquainted with and wedded I'diza .\nn Odell. a native of Xew "S ork, who was descended from Hol- land ancestry. They located upon a farm in \A'arren county. Indiana, where James Black devoted his time and attention to ag- ricultural pursuits until 1856. He then c.ime to \'ermilion county, settling in Oak- wooil township, three miles northwest of Fitliian. Purchasing land he lived thereon until his death, which occurred in 1894. His wife had passed away in 1882. They were consistent members of the Methodist F.jiiscopal church and Mr. Black was first a Whig in politics and afterward a Repub- lican. In their familv were ten children, of whom four are yet living: John, a resident of Butler countv, Kansas; Samuel, of this SAMUEL BLACK MRS. SAMUEL BLACK. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 275 review; Harriet, the wife of William Jen- kins^ who resides 011 the old home place jiortliwest of Fithian ; and Rebecca, the wife of Oliver Thomjpson, whose home is four miles northwest of Fithian. In early life Samuel Black suffered greatly from ill health. He is to-day, how- ever, a man of robust manhood, weighing two hundred and forty pounds. In early life he engaged in farming and his pur- •chases of land made him the owner of two hundred acres in Oakwood township. Throughout his business career he carried on its cultivation and improvement and when his labors had brought to him a com- fortable competence he put aside farm work in 1892 and removed to Fithian, where he is now living retired in a splendid home which he purchased. On the 25th of March, 1858, Mr. Black was united in marriage to Priscilla McCarty, the wedding taking place near Muncie, Illi- nois. The lady was born in that locality, August 14, 1840, a daughter of John and Miriam (Sewell) McCarty, both natives of ■Ohio. They were married in the Buckeye state and there lived upon a farm until their removal to Oakwood township, Vennilion ■county, Illinois, about 1840. There they lived until called to their final rest, the fa- ther passing away in 1880 and the mother in 1901. He was a Democrat and served his fellow townsmen in the offices of con- stable and justice of the peace. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Black were born nine children : William, who resides in the province of Alberta, British Columbia, where he follows farming, married Mattie Mansfield and they have five children. Mar}' Alice is the wife of John McKinney, who is serving as deputy sheriff of Cham- paign county and resides in Urbana. and they have five children. Minnie became the wife of Myron I'aylor and afterward mar- ried Jesse Blue, a resident of Nebraska, by Avhom she has two children, while two two children were born of her first mar- riage. George, who is in the employ of the Chicago Si Eastern Illinois Railroad Com- pany and resides in Danville, married Clara Anderson and has three children. Frances married Alois Rueb and with their three children they reside in Chandler, Oklahoma. James died at the age of fifteen years. John married Grace Kirkpatrick and is living in Fithian, Illinois. Abbie Florence is the wife of \V. W. Soward and resides in Fith- ian. They have two children. Charles is married and has one child. His home is now in Collins, Iowa. In February, 1891, Mr. Black was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife, who was laid to rest in Steams cemetery. On the 27th of No- vember, 1894, in Catlin, Illinois, he wedded JVIrs. Jennie (Kistler) Harper, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1850, a daughter of AT. F. Kistler, a native of the same state. By her first marriage she had one son, Charles Harper, who is now residing in Catlin. Mrs. Black was one of a family of eight children born of her father's first mar- riage and by his second marriage there were two children. Mr. Kistler was a Republi- can in politics and was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. When the country became involved in civil war, Mr. Black laid aside all per- sonal considerations, and in August, 1861, enlisted in Company F, Twenty-sixth Illi- nois \^olunteer Infantry. When his first term expired he re-enlisted in the same com- pany and regiment and during his four years' service participated in fifty-four bat- tles. These included the siege of Atlanta, the siege of Corinth and the battles of Cor- inth, Goldsboro, Holly Springs, Island No. 2/6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lO, Jackson, Mississippi, Kenesaw Mount- ain. Mission Ridge, Resaca and Vicksburg. He was also with Sherman on the cele- brated march to the sea and was in the grand review at Washington, D. C. Al- though in so many engagements, Mr. Black was fortunately never wounded or injured in any way. It is estimated that he marched six thousand nine hundred and thirty-one miles during his service. The war having ended he was mustered out on the 22d of July, 1865, and finally discharged at Springfield, Illinois. Mr. Black sometimes supports the Re- publican party and at other times votes the Prohibition ticket, being a strong temper- ance man. He served as road commissioner one term but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He l)elongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is serv- ing as one of its trustees. In the enjoyment of a well earned rest, he is now living re- tired in Fithian and is one of the respected citizens of that locality. ZACHARIAH ROBERTSON. Zachariali Robertson has reached the eightieth milestone in life's journey and to- day he is numbered among the highly re- spected citizens and pioneer settlers of \'er- milion county, his home being on secticm 3''), .Vewcll township, where he owns one hundred and fi\-e and a half acres of land. He was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, October i, 1822, a son oi Zachariali and Elizabeth (Jones) Robertson, who were also natives of Harrison county. Zachariah Robertson, .Sr., was a soldier in the Revolu- tionarv War. When our subject was twelve years of age the family came to \'er- milion county, Illinois. The father was married a second time and had nineteen children altogether. Mr. Robertson of this review has one sister living. Mrs. Delilah Starr, the widow of Solomon Starr. She is the second survivor of a family of ten chil- dren. When the Robertsons came to Il- linois they made the journey overland in an old time "prairie schooner," camping out by the wayside at nights. Our subject waded the Wabash river driving the stock through. When they arrived here deer was plentiful and there were many prairie chickens, cranes, ducks and wild turkeys. Hunting and fishing were sports in which the settlers might easily indulge and find good reward for their expenditure of time. Zachariah Robertson, Sr., lived to be ninety-four years of age, dying in Newell township on the land where Bismark now stands. There his wife also passed away. Mr. Robertson entered forty acres of land and upon this he built a log cabin. He was numbered among the pioneers who felled the forests and broke the prairie, thus pa\ing the way for civilization and laying the fountlation for the present progress and prosperity of the county. Zachariah Robertson of this review pur- sued his education in one of the old time log schoolhouses in which an immense fire- ])lace occupied an entire end of the room. The seats were formed of slabs, resting upon wooden pins and the desks which were used were similarly constructed. In the summer months Mr. Robertson assi.sted in the work of the home farm. At the age of nineteen years he left school altogether and began working in the neighborhood as a farm hand, being thus employed for several years. He then rented land for a time and after- ward entered fifty-two and one-half acres of wild prairie for which he had to ])ay one dollar and a halt per acre. Willi char- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 277 acteristic energy he began to break and im- prove this and to the property he has added from time to time until he now has one hun- dred and five and a half acres. He manu- factured his first plow which had a wooden mold board and the next was a single shovel plow. He first cut his grain with a sickle and afterward with a cradle. He knew the use of a crane from practical experience and would light the fire with flint. It was the custom to always keep a fire burning and if it would go out one would often visit a neighbor and borrow a little fire. The old dipped candles were used for illuminating purposes before kerosene was used. When the young girls would go to church they would carry their shoes until they neared the house of worship, when they would sit down upon a log and put them on before entering the meeting. Such were pioneer customs and conditions but while the early settle'rs had to endure many hardships and privations they also experienced many pleasures which are not known at the pres- ent time. Through the greater part of his active life Mr. Robertson carried on gen- eral farming but is now largely living retired, leaving the care of his place to his sons. In early days he made several trips to Chicago, taking produce with him and it required twelve days to go and come. He would sleep out upon the ground at night by the side of his wagon. There were many sloughs and ponds, creeks and rivers to be forded. He saw Chicago when it was but a village and Danville a mere hamlet. Church was first held in the home of Peter Starr and afterward in a log schoolhouse. In his father's family there were eleven daughters, who aided materially in furnishing the family with clothing. Mr. Robertson would take the sheep to the creek and wash them and after this thev were sheared and the wool carded, then the daughters would take their place at the spinning wheel and thus the family clothing was supplied. Mr. Robertson has ever taken a deep interest in general progress and improvement, in the building of good roads, in the establishment of churches and schools and in the develop- ment of farms. He has served as township commissioner of highways and as school director and has ever been active and help- ful for the general good. On the 25th of August, 1842, Mr. Rob- ertson wedded Abigail Starr, a daughter of Peter Starr. She was born in Preble coun- ty, Ohio, July 8, 1824, and by her marriage she became the mother of the following chil- dren : Priscilla J., the wife of Jacob Deek; Mrs. Rachel Mesmore; Celina, who was scalded to death when about seven years of age; Jacob, who married Melissa Britting- ham: Peter, who wedded Belle Byers; Cath- erine, the wife of William Cox; Maggie, the wife of John Smith; Isaac, who married Irene Cox; William, who wedded Clara Ringel ; James, who married Rebecca Phil- lips, and died in 1901 ; Anna, the deceased , wife of William Chumley; and Delilah and Solomon, twins, who died in infancy. The mother dqparted this life December 25, 1877, when about fifty-two years of age. She was a devoted mother, a model wife and earnest Christian woman and thus she left to her family an untarnished name. Mr. Robertson is well preserved for a man of his years. His eyesight and physical faculties are scarcely impaired and he possesses the vigor of a man of much younger age. He has always voted the Democratic ticket and has long been one of the standard bearers of the party in this locality. At the age of sixteen years he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has since been identified therewith, serving as a class 278 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD leader and as superintemlent (jf tlie Sunday school for a number of years. He has long been numbered among the substantial, hon- ored and respected citizens of Newell town- ship and in tliis V(jlume well deserves men- tion. •-•-• HENRY B. KESTER. Mure than a halt century ago Henry B. Ke-Ster became identified with building in- terests in Danville and to-day there stands in the city a building which he erected in 185 J. Other structures of his building may also be seen as the visible evidence of his life of thrift and industry. At the present time he is living retired, making his home at No. 7j8 Wayne street. He came to this county on the 2d of May, 1850. A native of West Virginia, he was born in Clarksburg, that state. May 28, 1828, his parents,, George and Al)igail (Bennett) Kester, being also natives of Clarksburg. Tile father there resided imtil 1831, when he removed to Morrow county, Ohio, set- tling on a farm which was his home until his death. His widow afterward came to \'ermilion county and spent her last days here. Of their eleven children, but four are living, the eldest being Henry B. The oth- ers are: Mary, the wife of Thomas Math- ews, a resident of Hoopeston. Vermilion county; Russell B., a resident of Vermilion county; and Sarah J., the wife of James Whitbeck, of Lawrence, Kansas. Those who have passed away are : .Mexander, Josiah, Sinmn. Mihon, Hester A.. William and Harriett. When about three years of age Henry B. Kester was taken by his parents to Mor- row county, Ohio, where he pursued his education in the common schouls. He then learned the carpenter's trade in Mt. Gilead, following it at that place for about four years. On the expiration of that period he came direct to Danville, arriving on the 2d of May, 1S50. He soon secured employ- ment as a carpenter and as a contractor was early recognized as one of the leading rep- resentatives of his line of business in this city. He erected some of the first liuildings here and his patronage steadily increased as the \ears passed In- until he employed a large force of workmen to assist him in exe- cuting his contracts. On the 5th of ]May, 1S53, Mr. Kester was united in marriage to Catherine Umphenour. who was born near her hus- band's boyhood home in West \'irginia. Her father, George Umphenour, was an early settler of Danville and followed farm- ing in this localitv until his death. Se\'en children lia\e been l)orn unto Mr, and Mrs. Kester : Charles Edwaril, who died in in- fancy; George Franklin, deceased; Albert Eugene, who married Martha Lynch and is a carpenter of Danville; Henry Lewis, who died in childhood; Francis E., who mar- ried Flora E. .Ailsworth and is a train dis- patcher on the \'v'abash Railroad at Deca- tur, Illinois; and (jeorge W. and Minnie, who died in childhood. After his marriage .Mr. Kester contin- ued contracting and building until the 6th of I'cbruary, i8()5, when he joined Com- pan\- E, One Ilundred ami I'orty-ninth Illi- nois Regiment, under the command of Cap- tain Laferty and Colonel W. C. Kcifner. This company did garrison duty until after the close of the war and at Dalton, Georgia, on the 27tli of January, 1866, Mr. Kester was honorably discharged. He then re- turned to Danville, resumed his former business interests here and until his retire- ment continuouslv followed his trade with H. B. KESTER. MRS. H. B. KESTER. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 28.3 the exception of the years 1881 and 1882, which he spent in Florida as a pattern-mak- er for tiie Florida Southern Raih'oad Com- pany. In 1883 he again took up his resi- dence in Danville and in connection with his buikling- interests he also worked in a planing mill here until 1899, when he re- tired from business to enjoy a comfortable competence which had been secured through indomitable energy, perseverance and close application to the work in which, as a young tradesman, he embarked. In that year he built his present home which he has since occupied. He has held a few minor offices such as school director, but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He votes with the Democracy on cjuestions of national importance but at local elections votes independently of party ties. A prom- inent and influential member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church of Danville, he served as one of its class-leaders for several years. His life history illustrates most happily for the purpose of this work, that success is not a matter of genius but the outcome of judg- ment and experience and that an upright character commands respect and regard in this country which is not hampered by caste or class. W. H. CURRENT. W. H. Current, who is engaged in grain dealing in Indianola, was born in East Dan- ville, on the 4th of September, i860, a son of J. M. Current. He pursued his educa- tion in Danville and in the country schools, putting aside his text books when eighteen years of age. He afterward devoted his en- tire attention to work upon his father's farm until he v>-as twenty-three years of age, when he was married and started out in life for himself. On the 29th of November, 1883, he wedded Miss Lavina Gibson, who was born in Vermilion county, September 13, 1863, their wedding being celebrated at her home southwest of Fairmount. Her father was Thomas Gibson, a native of Marion county, Illinois. The home of uur subject and his wife has been blessed with four chil- dren : Bertha M., born February 15. 1887; Fred F., born July 29, 1889; Clara I., born August 15, 1893; and Seymour M., born August 24, 1896. After his marriage Mr. Current located on a farm near the old home place and there resided continuously until 1892, when he re- moved to Fairmount where he worked for his father, who was engaged in the grain trade. In 1899, ho\\ever, his father sold out to the firm of Hill & Crow, and removed to Homer, Champaign county, Illinois, where he is now engaged in the grain trade. In 1898 Mr. Current of this review came to Indianola, arriving on the 12th of Decem- ber. Here he purchased the Downey ele- vator and has since carried on the grain trade on his own account, handling a large quantity of corn and other cereals each year. He owns eighty acres of land four miles southwest of Fairmount, and his property possessions also include city real estate. He is likewise agent for a number of insurance companies and his varied business interests are successfully conducted, so that he is now regarded as one of the prosperous residents of his community. Politically he is an earn- est Republican and is a member of Ver- milion Lodge. No. 265. A. F. A. M.. of In- dianola, the Benevolent and Protectixe Or- der of Elks, of Danville, the Modern Wood- men of America and the Fraternal Army. He is also connected with the Royal Ameri- cans and in two of these lodges, the Masonic and Fraternal Armv, he has filled the office 284 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of secretary. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Indianola ami is serv- ing; as one of its trustees and stewards. His life has been quietly passed in the faithful performance of the duties of public and pri- vate life in the direction of his business and in the ])roniotion of measures or movements calculated to advance the general welfare. A. H. CLUTTER. .\. H. Clutter, who is now li\ing a re- tired life in Sidcll, was for many yeru's ac- tixely and prominently associated with farming interests in Vermilion county. He is also nunil)ered among the early settlers of Illinois, dating his residence in the state from 1853. so that through almost a half century he has been a witness of the de\-el-ears and reached advanced ages, al- though the subject of this review and one si.ster are now the only survivors, she be- ing Mrs, Mary Elliott, a widow who is re- siding in Ohio, \\'est \'irginia. In the county of his nativity A. H. Clut- ter was reared upon his father's farm. He received but limited school privileges, but his training in the work of field and mead- ow was not limiteil. When a young man he came to the west, arriving in Illinois in 1855. He joined his three brothers who had previously located in \'ermilion cotinty ami here be Ijegan work as a farm hand for one of his brothers by wdiom he was employed for three years, at feeding and caring for the stock. In August. 1861, Mr. Clutter and there took charge of the home farm which he continued to operate for eighteen years, purchasing the interest of the other heirs in the old homestead which he suc- cessfully conducted. He was married in (h-eenc county in October, 1863, to Miss Mary Miller, who was born, reared and edu- cated there and engaged in teaching prior to her marriage. Her father, Joseph Miller, was one of the early settlers of Greene county. In 1881 Air. Clutter returned to \'ermil- ion county. Illinois, and located on the .\sa Daniels farm near .-\rmstrong. superintend- ing that place. Subsequently he became su- perintendent of the Hiram Sibley farms in \'ermilion county, acting in that capacity THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 285 for six years. He then rented land and en- gaged in farming on his own account until 1895, when he purchased a lot in Sidell and erected thereon a nice residence. He afterward sold that property and he has pur- chased and improved other property. At the present time he is living retired, enjoying a well merited rest, for his life has been one of industry and earnest toil. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Clutter was blessed with ten children, of whom two sons and three daughters are yet living: Joseph Reed, who resides in North Dakota upon a farm, and is married, and has two daugh- ters and a son; Nevada, the wife of Robert Phillips, a druggist of Springfield, Illinois ; Fannie, the wife of M. E. Pancoast, a con- tractor and builder of Danville, by whom she has two sons and a daughter; Jcjhn, a resident farmer of Sidell township, who is married and has two sons ; and Nettie, who is occupying a business position in Omaha, Nebr.'iska ; Thomas Miller,^ who w as edu- cated in this county and was one of its suc- cessful teachers. He died January 27, 1903, at the age of twenty-three, lacking three weeks. Of the children who have passed away, the first born died at the age of four years. \Villiam died at the age of eighteen years. Jennie grew to mature years and passed away at the age of twenty-four. Ida became the wife of James Morrison and died at the age of twenty-eight years. Politically Mr. Clutter has been a life- long Democrat, having cast his first presi- dential vote for General George B. Mc- Clellan in 1864, and for each nominee of the party since that time. In local elections however, he has always been independent, supporting the men whom he thinks best qualified for office regardless of party affili-, ations. He was elected and served for one term as a member of the town board, filling the position for three years, and he is now ser\'ing as police magistrate of Sidell. He also served for a number of years on the school board and did effective service in pro- moting the cause of education. Forty- sev'en years ago he came to Illinois, casting in his lot among the early settlers of Ver- milion county at a time when the work of progress and improvement had scarcely been begun here. There were large herds of deer and venison was no rare dish upon the board of the early settlers. There were also wild geese and other wild game, and wolves were frequently killed, but all these have disappeared and the swamps and sloughs ha\'e been drained, the prairies broken and fenced and the work of cultivation carried on until now- this is one of the garden spots of the great state of Illinois, famed through- out the nation as an agricultural district. He has also witnessed the introduction of the railroad, the telegraph and telephone, and along many lines of improvement and progress he has assisted materially, taking a deep interest in what has been accom- plished here. MRS. ANN E. SMITH. For almost sixty-nine years this lady has made her home in Vermilion county and has therefore witnessed nearly the entire growth and development of this section of the state, her familv being pioneers here. She has seen the wild lands transformed into fine farms, while towns and villages have Sprung up and developed into flourishing cities with all the luxuries and advantages of the older east. Mrs. Smith is the widow of Edwin G. Smith, who was also one of the early set- tlers of the county, having located here in 286 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1848. He was a native of England, boni in 1825, and was a son of Joseph Smith, who was also born in that country and with his family came to iVmerica in 1848. On land- ing in this country he made his way direct to Vermilion county, illincMs, where he en- gaged in farming until his death. Edwin Giles Smith was reared and edu- cated in his native land, lieing nearly grown on the emigration of the familv to the new world. J-le had previously learned the blacksmith's trade and after coming to Dan- ville, he followed that occupation through- out the remainder of his life, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home as he died on the 5th of October, 1854, at the early age of twenty-nine years. His political sup- port was always given to the Democratic party. He was a very industrious, energetic and enterprising man and had already at- tained a fair degree of success when called to the world beyond. In Danville was celebrated the marriage of ]\Ir. Smith and Miss Ann E. Greggson. who was also born in England, October 24, 1827, her parents being George and Ann (Hazeldine) Greggson, natives of the same country-, where the father was employed as a shepherd. In 1834 he brought his family to America and took up his residence in Ver- milion county. Illinois, where he died the following year. Of the two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Charles E., the older, died in October, 1854, and Edwin G., who became a prominent druggist of Dan- ville, died in 1890. The father was a char- ter member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of Danville, and Mrs. Smith is a faithful member of the I'irst Methotlist Episcopal church. She owns and occupies a nice home at No. 305 North Hazel street and has other valuable property in Danville, including a residence ;it No. 307 the same street. She is widely and favorably known in the city where she has so long resided and has a host of warm friends who esteem her highly for her sterling worth. EK.VXCIS GALNES. I'rancis Gaines scarcely needs an intro- iluction to the readers of this volume. He was a ]iarticipant in pioneer e\-ents. as well as those of later-day progress, and thus with the "Past and Present of \'erniilion Coun- ty'' he has lieen identifietl. improving the business opportunities wliich the county has offered to its citizens, and in return render- ing valuable aid in the work of improvement and progress here. For many years he was engaged in general farming and stock-deal- ing, but since 1883 has lived retircil in In- dianola, where he has a commodious and pleasant home. His circle of acquaintances is a wide one and all who know him are glad to claim the friendship of this honored man. Mr. Gaines is a native of Ohio, his birth ha\ing occurred in Clark county, near South Charleston. July _'8. 1823. His parents were Alexander and Mary (Chris- pin) Gaines, the former a native of \'ir- g'inia and tiie latter of New Jersey. The Chrispin family was of German lineage and the (iaines family in America is descended from Irish ancestry and was represented in the patriot army during the war of the Rev- olution. Benjamin P. Gaines, the grandfa- ther of oin- subject, went to Ohio in pioneer times, becoming one of the first settlers of Greene county. He was a shoemaker by trade and \\ould travel from house to house, making shoes for an entire family, and then proceed to the next house on his route. The farmer would take his hides to the tan- FRANCIS GAINES. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 289 ner, returning home with the tanned leath- er, preparatory to the visit of the shoemak- er. Benjamin P. Gaines hved to be about seventy-five years of age and followed his trade to the last. Alexander Gaines spent his entire life in Greene county, Ohio. Settling in the midst of a heavily timbered district he be- gan to clear a farm. He did not follow the cultivation of grain to any extent but gave his attention to the cattle business, first making his purchases in Ohio and later in Indiana and Illinois. He would come to this state, purchase two or three hundred head of cattle and then- drive them to the east, selling in the markets of either Ohio or Pennsylvania. lie continued to engage ac- tively in the cattle business until seventy- five years of age, when he retired to pri- vate life, having in the meantime removed to Cedarville, Greene county, Ohio, where his last days were passed. He died Sep- teml>er, 1886, and had he lived another month he \\'Ould have reached the age of eiglity-six years. He was regarded as one of the leading cattle men of Ohio, his excel- lent judginent concerning stock enabling him to make very judicious investments, and thus in his business he prospered. Unto him and his wife were born eleven children, of whom six are yet living, but none are residents of Vermilion county with the exception of our subject and his brother Jonathan, who was the fourth in order of birth and is now a resident of Car- roll township. Another brother, James, is one of the large landowners and prosperous residents of Edgar county, Illinois. The mother died in 1882, at the age of eighty- five years. The conditions which surrounded Fran- cis Gaines in his youth were those of most farmers' boys. He had, perhaps, more op- portunities than some and less than others. Altog'ether his early youth was a period of earnest toil for he was the eldest of the six sons of the family and his services were needed on the home farm. He had to begin plowing before he was ten years of age and he used a wooden mold board to turn the furrows. His educational privileges were e.xceedingly limited. He had to go two miles to school and after wading through the snow that distance would sit all day in wet boots. The schoolhouse was built of logs and had a puncheon floor, slab benches, and a plank placed on pins driven into the wall served as a writing desk. There were no l:)lackboards and the text books were quite primitive. In one end of the room was an immense fire-place that would ac- commodate a six-foot log. Mr. Gaines was eleven years of age before he mastered the alphabet and most of his knowledge has been gained through observation, reading and experience, but possessing an observing eye and retentive memory he became a well informed man ere he had been in the busi- ness world many years. As a boy and youth he was always busy. His father be- lie\'ed in keeping his sons employed and when the work of the fields was over they were sent into the timber, so that there were few leisure moments that fell to their lot. The only coats \\-hich Francis Gaines had up to the time he was twenty-one years of age were woven and made by his mother, who spun and wove for her entire family. In early life the father had learned the tailor's trade and after working hard all day he would return home at night and assist his wife in cutting and making clothes for the children. In February, 1842, Mr. Gaines came with his father to Illinois, visiting Edgar and A^ermilion counties, where thev bought 290 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD two luindred head of cattle, which they drove to market in Lancaster county, Penn- syhania. It required alx)ut sixty days to make the trip to tlie east. Danville was then a little village with few improvements. James Gaines and our suhject came west in 1846 and herded a bunch of cattle for his father for four months, the father propos- ing to give his sons half the proceeds for their assistance, so when the cattle was sold the}' found that they each possessed three hundred dollars, having sold them for four- teen dollars and fifty cents apiece. .\s Fran- cis Gaines had married the year before he and his wife started west with four cows and twenty head of sheep. They left their Ohio home in .August. 1847. accompanied by his sister and her husband, who had a similar outfit. On arriving in Vermilion county. Mr. Gaines took up his abode in a house Axliich his father had purchased for him a short time before. Immediately after his arrival he entered forty acres of land and his father had purchased eighty acres for him. Four years later he bought one hun- dred and si.xty acres that his father had en- tered, lie made his first two payments with the [iroceods on corn which he sold at twelve and a half cents per bushel, which was a good price in those days. Mr. Gaines Udw has three hundred acres of \alu.il)le land on sections 32 and 33, Carroll town- slii]). On the 27th of Novemlx^r, 1845, Mr. Gaines was married to Mary J. McFar- land, daughter of Arthur McFarland. one of the early settlers of Greene county, Ohio. They became the parents of se\en children, but onlv two reached mature \-ears. Sarah A. is the wife of F. D. Neblick, who is farming on her father's land, ami they have three children. Dale, Mabel and Edith. Ed- mund B., the son, resides near \'irginia Hill, Montana, and has three children, For- rest. Raymond and Beulah. Mrs. (iaines died on .\i)ril 20. 1871, and on the 29th of October following Mr. Gaines wedded Mrs. Josei)liine Gaines, a daughter of Leonard and Catherine ( Ikuim ) Patterson and the widow of his brother William. The only child of this marriage died in infancy. By her first husband Mrs. Gaines had a .son, Frank, who is engaged in farming in Car- roll township. He married Ada Kilgore and has one child. Buena Lillian. Mrs. Gaines was one of seven children and the eldest of the three now lix'ing, the others being; Emm;i, wife of William A'anneman, of Ridgefarm. Illinois; and John Harvey Patterson, who resides on the old Patterson homestead in Carroll township. Mr. and Mrs. Gaines are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Tndianola, to which he has lielonged for fifty-two years and for a half century he has been steward and also a trustee. For many years he voted the Democratic ticket but is now a Prohi- bitionist. He served as school director for twch'e years, was commissioner of high- ways three years, was school trustee six years and was elected supervisor but refused to serve. Until 1883 Mr. Gaines lived upon his farm and then built a commodious resi- dence in Indianola, which he has since oc- cujiied. Here through the past twenty years he has lived retired from active Ijusi- ness, having for more than a quarter of a century been an active factor in the agricul- tural circles of the county. His trustworthi- ness in business made his word as good as any bond c\er solemnized by signature or seal, and his uprightness in all life's rela- tions has commanded for him uniform con- fidence and regard. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 291 J. A. INGLES, M. D. Not to know Dr. Ingles, of Hoopeston, is to argue one's self unknown. He has for many years practiced here and his kindly manner, deep sympathy and sincere interest in his fellow men, combined with his medical skill, have made him the loved family phy- sician in many a household. He traces his ancestry back to 1750, when the family was founded in America by representatives of the name who came from Scotland to the new world. The grandfather of our subject was James Ingles who settled in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, there carrying on the occupa- tion of farming. When the country became involved in war with the mother country he joined the American army and fought for the independence of the nation. His death occurred in Beaver county when he had at- tained the advanced age of ninety-three years. The Doctor's father was born in the same county and became a minister of the Associate Presbyterian church. As a pastor of that denomination he la- bored largely in northern Indiana, but his death occurred in Edina, Missouri, in 1864, when he was sixty-six years of age, his birth having occurred in 1798. His wife bore the maiden name of Eliza J. Hillis and was born in Madison county, Indiana. Her father being Judge David Hillis, a distin- guished citizen of an early dav who served as judge of the circuit court and later rep- resented his district in congress. He was a civil engineer by profession and did much of the surveying of the state of Indiana, be- coming a pioneer settler of Jefferson county. Not only did he render his country service in civil life but also in military circles was he known as a defender of the best interests of his nation, for he served in the war of 1812. He was the only member of his family who ever took a prominent part in politics, but the judge was recognized as a leader of public thought and action in his community and he left the impress of his individuality upon the place of his residence. His daughter, Mrs. Ingles, died on the 31st of August, 1893, when more than eighty years of age. In their family were four children, James, J. A., Sarah and Ealy. Dr. Ingles, whose name introduces this record, attended the district common schools of Indiana and worked for his father until the spring of 1864, when he started out upon an independent business career. Wishing to make the practice of medicine his life work he prepared for this calling as a student in the .Starling Medical College, of Columbus, Ohio, which he entered in 1868. There he remained for two years, after which he be- gan practice in southern Illinois, being lo- cated for twenty years at Morea. Continu- ing his reading he secured a certificate of practice from the state board of health in 1878 On the 19th of September, 1889, he came to Hoopeston, where he opened an of- fice and has since remained, devoting his at- tention to medical and surgical work. He has a fair share of public patronage and his ability is being continually augmented by his reading and research in the line of his pro- fession. In Parke county, Indiana, in 1861, Dr. Ingles was united in marriage to Miss Amy S. Ramsay, a native of that state. They now have four children, David W.. who is a barber, of Portland, Oregon, and married Carrie Chaffee : John S.. who is express agent on the Illinois Central Railroad at Paxton, this state and married Marguerite McCoy : Harry E., a plumber, li\ing at home; and Amy Grace, the wife of J. F. Mitchell, of Oklahoma. 292 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD The Doctor resides with liis wife and son on Soutli Market street, where he lias a pleasant home. In politics he is a Repub- lican. He is a member of the Tri-County Medical Society. For about three months he was in the United States service during the Rebellion, being connected with the Fif- tieth Missouri Mounted Infantry as a mem- ber of Company A. under the command of Colonel Wirtz. The regiment was in the eastern part of the state, doing scouting duty to protect against bushwhackers, being en- gaged in chasing Quantrall's band most of the time This was in the latter part of 1864. The Doctor is a man of many estima- ble qualities. His quiet, easy manner is cer- tainly an excellent characteristic for a physi- cian, in whom there should be no evidence of nervousness or excitability, quiet l>eing an essential of the sick room. He has, too, a cheery manner and sunny disposition which have rendered him popular with a large cir- cle of friends who also know him as a physi- cian of wortli. ANDREW H. KIMBROUGH, M. D. Among the citizens of Danville whose genuine worth and many excellent qualities have endeared them to their fellow men is Dr. Andrew II. Kimbrough, whose position in the public regard is not less the result of his professional power than of his irre- proachable private life. The Doctor is a na- tive of Hardin county, Kentucky, born on the 27th of February, 1823. He is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, his an- cestors having taken part in the war which brought independence to the colonies. The line of descent can be traced back directly on the father's side to General Ethan Allen, the distinguished commander of Vermont troops. Richard Cahin Kimbrough, the fa- ther of our subject, was a native of North Carolina and became a soldier in the war of I Si 2. He w-as wounded at the battle of Horseshoe Bend, his arm being almost en- tirely severed by the Indians. He was also in the battle of New Orleans. It was during the progress of the war of 1812 that the Kimbrough family was founded in Ken- tucky, the settlement being made near the birthplace of Lincoln, in Hardin county. In that locality resided the family of Colonel Morrison, who was an uncle of Dr. Kim- brough. Richard C. Kimbrough was united in marriage in Hardin county, Kentucky, to Jane Morrison. He was a tanner by trade and in Kentucky he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which he continued to cultivate for some time. At length, how- e\er. he removed to Edgar county, Illinois, where he lived until his death, which oc- curred in 1S33. In his political affiliations he was a Democrat and in his religious faith was a member of the Christian church. His wife long survived him and died on the ist day of June, 1876. In their family were four children, three of whom reached years of maturity, but the Doctor is the only one who now survives. In taking up the personal history of Dr. Kimbrough we present to our readers the life record of one who has a very extensive ac- quaintance in Vermilion county and who is honored by all who know him. He was but a boy when taken by his parents to Edgar county, Illinois, where he acquired his lit- erary education. Determining to make the practice of medicine his life work, he then entered the Jefferson Medical College, in which he was grailuated in the spring of 1858. He took up the subject of medicine, however, in 1842, and removed to Paris, Illi- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 295 nois. ^ He then practiced for four months. In the year of his graduation he located in Georgetown, \'ermihon county, and in 1873 he came to Danville, where he practiced con- tinuously and successfully until igoi, when, •on account of his age and health, he was compelled to retire. He ever kept abreast of the times with the best thinking men of his profession. He read and studied extensive- ly and had the ability to apply with accuracy and benefit to his fellow men the knowledge that he had acquired. He is a member of the Vermilion County Medical Society, the State Medical Society, the National Medical Society and he was one of the charter mem- l:)ers of the Vermilion County Medical So- ciety. The Doctor has been very prominent in the Odd Fellows fraternity of which he has been a member for fifty-one years, being one of the oldest representatives of the or- ganization in the state. For sixteen years he was elected high priest of the order and for many years he has been a valued repre- •sentative of the Knights of Honor. In pol- itics he is now a warm Democrat and while he has always kept well informed on the is- sues and questions of the day he has always refused to accept public office, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business affairs which have been of an important ■character and extensive proportions. On the 14th of March, 1847, "^ar Mar- shall, Clark county, Illinois, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ashmore, who was born in that county April 10, 1820, a daughter of Amos Ashmore, whose birth occurred at Greenville, Tennessee. Her mother bore the maiden name of Patience McGuire, and was a native of Marion, Penn- sylvania, in which place she was married. Mr. A.shmore was the first white child born in Greenville and Jived in an old cabin there. His father entered eleven hundred acres of land on Duck river, in Kentucky, but lost it through' war claims. The great-grandfather of ^Irs. Kimbrough was a professor in the University of Edinburg, in London, and a clunTh and street of that city were named in his honor. Her grandfather was born in London to which place his parents had re- moved from Scotland. Her grandfather McGuire was born on the ocean when his parents were crossing the Atlantic to Amer- ica. They were strong Catholics and fled from the Emerald isle during the period of the persecution of the Irish people. Both the paternal and the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Kimbrough served in the Revolution- ary war under Washington. Her father was an own cousin of Sam Houston, the libera- tor of Texas, and was said to resemble him greatly in personal appearance. A farmer by occupation, he also engaged in taking contracts for the construction of public roads. For a time he resided near Newman, Tennessee, but before the birth of his daugh- ter he removed to a place five miles from Terre Haute, Indiana, thence going to Clark county, Illinois. Later he became a resident of Georgetown, "V^ermilion county, and died in Elwood township in 1863, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife had passed away in 1 86 1. In his political faith he was a Jack- son Democrat and in religious belief was a Presbyterian. Mrs. Ashmore had four brothers who were Presbyterian ministers. One of these. Rev. Stephen Balch, was chap- lain of the first congress that convened after the election of George Washington to the presidency of the United States. At his death his remains were interred in the Con- gressional cemetery at Washington. Mrs. Ashmore is also a distant relative of Gen- eral ^^'ayne and it is said personally re- seml:)led him. Mr. Ashmore in the paternal line was a lineal descendant of Rev. Wither- 2 was married to Miss Belle Uoke. who died in 1899 leaving one son. Jay, who is now sixteen years of age and is a student in his father's law office. On the 12th of June, 1901, Mr. Briggs was again married, his second union lieing with Mrs. Addie Snively, a nati\e of Inxiuois county, Illinois. They ha\-e a pleasant home on Second avenue in the south end of the town and its gracious hospitality is cordially enjoyed by their many friends. Fraternally Mr. Briggs is con- nected with the Knights of Pythias, with the Mcidern Woodmen of America and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. lie stands at the head of the silver element of the Democratic party in the northern part of \'crmiIion county and is very active in political work. He is a Buent orator, a logi- cal and entertaining speaker and during the two campaigns in which Bryan has been the nominee of the Democracy for president he has delivered many addresses in behalf of the Nebraska statesman. His prominence in ])olitical work resulted in his nomination for congress in opposition to Joseph Cannon, in T900. This nomination came to him not oidy unsought but entirely without his knowledge. At the time he was in Danville trying a case in court when a telegram was handed him announcing that his name had been placed on the ticket in connection with the office of congressman. Accepting the nomination he did efifective work in the cam- paign, using his efforts for the success of the Democratic party. It was a foregone con- clusion that his election was an impossibility but he carried the full vote of his party. He is a member of the Democratic county cen- tral committee and in 1898 he served as city solicitor of Hoopeston. On numerous oc- casions he has been a delegate to the Demo- cratic state conxentions and in the con\cn- tion of 1900 he was a member of the commit- tee on resolutions. Mr. Ilriggs is a young man of marked ability, possessing excellent traits of character. He is manly, sincere and outspoken and he has gained a high place in his profession by hard work and b}- merit which is widely recognized not only by the public but by the members of the legal fra- turnitv as well. CHARLES BUHL. For years an honoreil and respected resi- dent of l^an\ille, Charles Buhl p-issed away on the lotli of July, 1898, at the age of eighty-six years. As the day with its morn- ing of hope and promise, its noontide of ac- tixity, its evening of completed and success- ful effort, ending with the grateful rest and quiet of the night, so was the life of this lionored man. who was for many years ])rominent in l)usiness circles and after com- ing to Danville invested largely in real estate, doing much to improve property in- terests here. He was born in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of Feljruary, 181 2, his parents being' Christian and i'"redericka Buhl, both of whom were natixes of Germany, whence they came to America prior to their mar- riage. The father took up his residence in the Keystone state and for a number of N'cars was justice of the peace. He after- ward served for a number of terms as county judge and his decisions were strictly fair and imjiartial. He left the impress of his indi\iduality upon the early judicial his- tory of his county. He was a man of marked ]5ersonalit\-, well fitted to become a CHARLES BUHL. MRS. CHARLES BUHL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 317 leader of public thought and action and in the community where he made his home he was honored and respected by all who knew him. He died at the age of eighty-seven years, and his wife passed away at the same age. In their family were eleven children, of whom Charles was the fourth in order of birth. All are now deceased with the excep- tion of Mrs. Robert King, who is residing in Detroit, ]ilichigan ; and Mrs. Robert Hay, whose home is in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. In the common school Charles Buhl ac- quired his early education and after putting aside his text books he became connected with commercial life. Removing to the west he established a general furnishing goods store in Detroit, Michigan, where he carried on business for several years. Later he became a resident of Chicago, where he enjoyed an extensive trade in the same line of business for eleven years. On account of ill health, howe\er, he was obliged to retire from business life and removed to a farm near Chicago, where he lived for ten years. In 1 86 1 came to Danville, where he spent his remaining days. Here he made ex- tensive investments in real estate. His money was so judiciously placed that he. continually derived a growing income from his property interests, owing to the increase in value with the growth of the city's popu- lation. In business affairs his judgment was always faultless and he seemed readily to look beyond the exigencies of the mo- ment to the possibilities of the future. His careful control of extensive commercial transactions brought to him splendid suc- cess and moreover he sustained an unassail- able reputation as an honorable business man. On the 9th of July, 1839, in Pennsyl- vania, Mr. Buhl was united in marriage to Miss Elezan McConnaughy, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Jones) McCon- naughy, the former a native of Ohio. L^nto this marriage were born six children, as follows : Charles ; Sidney, who is a re- tired farmer, living in Danville; Walter, who died in infancy; Frank, also resident of Danville; Emma, who became the wife of William Myers and died at the age of forty- one years; and Laura, the wife of John Lawrence, of this city. Mrs. Buhl, the mother, was born on the ist of January, 1820, and was the youngest and is now the only surviving member of a family of eleven children. She possesses remarkable vigor and strength for one of her years and is a most highly esteemed resident of Danville, where she has made her home for more than four decades. In his political views Mr. Buhl was a stalwart Republican, always interested in the questions and issues of the day, yet never seeking or desiring public office. After a happy married life of fifty-nine years he was called to his final rest on the loth of July, 1898. His was an upright character and his career displayed many sterling traits well worthy of emulation. A man of domestic tastes he was devoted to the welfare of his wife and children and he held friendship in- violable. In business transactions he was the soul of honor and at all times he was loyal to the best interests of the city, state and nation. WILLIAM WPIITE. \\'illiam \Vhite is now living on section 5, Newell township, and was born in Blount township ]\Iarch 20, 1830. Among the early settlers and prominent men of Vermilion was his father, James White, now deceased. 3'8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He married Xancy Wiles and botli were na- tives of Switzerland county. Indiana. They took up their abode in Vermilion county. Illi- nois, when many red men still lived in this section of the state, the i)rairies were covered with tlie native grasses and in the forests the trees stood in their primeval strength. Deer roamed among the trees or over the prairies and there were many prairie wolves. The family arrived in a covered wagon after having forded the rivers and swamps and here they settletl in the midst of a Ijarren wilderness. He entered government land and erected a log cabin with a stick and clay chimney. The wo!\-es often gathered around this pioneer home making the night hideous with their howling. Indians often visited them I)ut ^vere friendly. James White was a great hunter and shot many deer and even after game began to get scarce in this locality he would go miles to hunt. He saw- Chicago when it was but a mere hamlet and many times drove his ox-team to that mar- ket, fording rivers and traveling over the sloughs which cut up the country, making the land of little value until it had been drained. Upon the way he would camp out at night. He frecjuently had his son Will- iam ride the ox in front which was harnessed up for the purpose. James White cut down many a forest tree in preparing his land for culti\-ation and he broke the prairie with oxen, using six to nine yoke to a breaking plow. He lived to see the whole country de- veloped from an unsettled wilderness to one of the most highly cultivated farming dis- tricts in this great state dotted here and there with thri\-ing towns and \illagcs and a city of which the inhabitants have every reason to be proud. He was often heard to say that he and a friend swam nearly every stream between old Denmark and Chicago. At the birth of each of his children he would go on a hunt fur a deer and when his son William was born he brought home both a deer and a wikl goose. Many times he trampled upon rattlesnakes, never knowing that they were dangerous. He served as a soldier in the Black Hawk war as did also Langford Wiles, the father of Mrs. William White. James White lived to the age of eighty-six years, dying in June, 1887. In his family were fourteen children, ten of whom reached adult age and reared families of their own, while hnir died in infancy. The following are yet living, namely : Mrs. Mary Shafer, of Nebraska; William Langford, of Blount township; Mrs. Robert VanVickle, of Blount township: Silas and Richard, who are li\-ing in the same township; Thomas, a resident of Minnesota; and James, of Blount township. William White, the second in order of birth, ac(juired his education in the early sub- scription schools which he attended during the winter seasons and in the summer niiinths he worked on a farm. From the time he was ten years of age he followed the plinv to which a team of oxen was hitched. He often ])l()\ved with a wooden mold board and afterward with a single shovel plow, while the harness had a single line. He planted ccjrn by hand, cradled the grain and bound his wheat by hand. He also assisted in dipping candles until the candle molds came into use and at times he saw a tuniip hollowed out and in this was placed a greased rag. It was then lighted and served for a parlor lamp. In the father's family tlax was used for making cotton clothing and thrc;id and the wool was spun and woven into cloth for the winter clothing, spinning wheels forming a part of the furni- ture of every household. Many times Mr. White assisted his mother in that work. He can also remember the days when the girls THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 319 would carry their shoes to church, wearing them only during the service and tlien re- turning barefooted in order to economize be- cause only one pair of shoes was allowed to each person for a year. People rode to church on horseback, sometimes as many as three people sitting upon a sheepskin upon a single horse. William White owned the last yoke of oxen used in the neighborhood. It was a splendidly yoked team, weighing for- ty-seven hundred pounds, but at length he sold these animals, keeping the yoke, how- ever, as a relic of early days. Mr. ^A'hite was united in marriage to Elizabeth Wiles, who also came of a pioneer family. She was born in Blount township March 20, 1840, a daughter of Langford and Mary (Cassat) Wiles. Two children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. White. Mary was married in 1885 to Alfred Ingles- by, a farmer of Blount township, and they have nine children, six sons and three daugh- ters. Cordelia Edna is the wife of Ed. Neff and they were married in 1900. They have a little daughter, Iva E., ten months old, and their home is in Blount township. Mrs. White was reared upon a farm and many a day has dropped corn, following the plow. For seven weeks when she was two vears old her mother was left all alone with her and a brother, while the father made a trip to Mis- souri. Some boys tried to scare her mother with dogs, but although she was alone with her young children she ne\'er flinched nor showed any signs of fear. \\'hen our sub- ject settled on the eight mile prairie there was not a house within miles. They lived in pioneer style, cooking over a fireplace, but with the advancing years they have ac- quired all the comforts and conveniences that have been introduced. Mr. W'hite now owns a valuable farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 27, Blount township. and one hundred and fifty acres on section 8, a part of this being covered with timber. He also has other lands in Newell township. He and his wife and youngest daughter are members of the Baptist church, while the others are members of the Christian church, and in his political \iews he is a Democrat. He has served as commissioner of highways and as a school chrector for many years. He is now living retired in the edge of Blount township, his home being in Newell town- ship. JOHN L. STEWARD. John L. .Steward, deceased, was for about thirty years an honored and highly re- spected citizen of Vermilion county, having arrived here in 1851, at which time he lo- cated on a tract of wild prairie land in New- ell township, twelve miles northeast of Dan- ville. Pie was born on the 13th of July, 18 1 6. in Broome county. New York, of which state his parents, John and Catherine (Catlin) Steward, were also natives. From there they removed to Fountain county, In- diana, where the father purchased land and engaged in its cultivation throughout the re- mainder of his life. Both he and his wife died in that county. The primary education of our subject was obtained in the common schools of Broome county. New York, and he contin- ued his studies in the public schools of Fountain county, Indiana, after the removal of the family to that state. As soon as old enough to be of any assistance he com- menced to aid his father in the operation of the farm and was thus employed until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred on Easter Sunday, April 19, 1840, Miss Mary E. Johnson becoming his wife. 320 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mrs. Steward was born in Jackson coun- ty, Ohio. June -'5, 1822, and is a daughter of Richard and Alilbry (Graves) Johnson, the former a native of Chester county, Pennsyl- vania, born in 1793, and the latter of Chat- ham county. North Carolina. The father, who was an old tavern keeper, removed to Lafayette, Indiana, at a \eiy early day when Indi.nns were still numerous in that locality antl when the present nourishing city of La- fayette contained but four houses. There he took charge of a hotel, known as the Seven Stars and C(intinued to carry it on until his death, which occurred in 1830. In his fam- ily were seven children, three of whom are still living, as follows: Harvey, who mar- ried Amanda Sewell, now deceased, is a re- tired farmer and land ow'ner residing in Bis- marck, this county. Alary E. is the widow of our subject. Colonel Henderson Johnson married Susan Goodlow, of Kentucky, and is now living retired in Danville. He is one of the leading citizens of the place. Those of the family now deceased are Margaret Jane, James Clay, Josephine and \\'illiam R. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Steward were born twelve children, namely: Harvey J., de- ceased, served all through the Civil war as a member of Company B, One Hundred anil Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry ; Ella is the wife of Frank Gordon, a fanner of the state of Oregon ; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Martin Barker, now an officer in the Soldiers' Home in Danville; William died at the age of eighteen years; Jnhn H. married Belle Pierce and is now a retired farmer living at Hoopeston, this county; Amanda is the wife of J. H. Henderson, a grocer of Crawfordsville, Indiana; Laura is the wife of Henry Peters, who holds a posi- tion in a htmberyard in Danville: Lizzie died at the age of twenty-four years; Sue is the wife of C. A. Parsons, a leading photogra- pher of l)an\ ille, b_\- whom she has two chil- dren : liarry, burn Xuvemljer y, 1886, and P^dward, born October 21, 1893. and they make tlicir home with Mrs. Steward ; Annie is the wife of William C. Thompson, ex- county treasurer of Vermilion county ; Bert L. married Alecia Jones and resides in Dan- \ille, Illinois; and Emma died young. After his marriage Mr. Steward contin- ued to engage in farming in Fountain coun- ty. Jniliana, until 1852, when he came to \'ermilion county, Illinois, and settled on what was known as Grand Prairie in Newell townshi]), twehe miles northeast of Dan- ville, where he purchased a farm of two hun- dred and sixty acres. He made many im- Ijrovements upon that place and there suc- cessfully engaged in general fanning and stock-raising until 1879, when on account of ill health he sold his property and went west, locating on a farm near Portland, Oregon, where he spent three years. At the end of that time sickness again caused him to change location and he returned to Ver- milion county, purchasing property near the village of Bismarck, where he lived until called to his final rest on the ist of October, 1882. He held several minor offices while residing in Newell township, such as road overseer, school director, etc., and was ac- counted one of the valued and representative citizens of his community. His political sup- port was given the Democratic party, and having always been a great reader he was well informed on the leading questions and issues of the day. At his death he left many friends to mourn his loss as he was a very popular and prominent citizen of the com- munity in which he lived. After her husband's death Mrs. Steward continued to make her home in Bismarck for two years, and then, disposing of her prop- ertv there, she removed to Danville, where MRS. ELIZA CAMPBELL THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 323 slie bought a lot and erected her present resi- dence at No. 119 East Aladison street. Slie also owns other property on the same street. She is a most estimable lady, who has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and is a consistent member of the First Methodist Episco])al church of Danville. JOSEPH CAMPBELL. Among the early pioneer settlers of Newell township, Vermilion county, the name of Joseph Campbell, now deceased, was prominent. He was born in New York. May zj. 1816, aud his death occurred March 7, 1858. No more fitting tribute can be given to the life record of any man than to say that the county in which he lived and labored has been benefited by his life. This can truthfully be said of Joseph Campbell, for he was e\-er faithful t(,) his duties as a citizen and as a man. He was a son of Samuel and Mary (Harper) Campbell, both natives of New York, who came to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, and settled on the old Campbell farm on section 26, Newell township. There Samuel Campbell purchased land and the family made their home in a primitive log cabin, which was the only shelter of the early settlers of the county. At that time game abounded and the prairies were un- broken and uncultivated, the timber being uncut and the entire land untouched by the civilizing touch of man. The enterprise and energy of such people as the Campbell fam- ily, however, have wrought a great change in this great commonwealth and to-day it stands among the great states of the Lhiion, through the united and consecutive efforts 14 of those who have labored for its welfare and upbuilding. Cnto Samuel Campbell and his wife were born seven children, the subject of this review being the youngest of the family. In the Empire state he received his early education and there remained until eighteen years of age, when with his parents he removed to Vermilion county. Here he continued his education, which well fitted him for the duties of life. He engaged in farming on his father's farm, which after- ward came into his possession. .\n imi)ortant event took place in his life \\hen, on the 21A of December, 1840, he was united in marriage to Eliza Jane Mackeson, who was born November j8, 1819. This lady is now eighty-three yearse of age and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. McCowan, in State Line, Indiana. Mrs. Campbell is a daughter of Andrew and Han- nah (^lartin) Mackeson, both natives of Harrison county, Kentucky, and is the oldest in a famil\- of four children. Unto Joseph Campbell and his wife were born five chil- dren, namely : Hannah Jane, who married James Gahn, September 14, 1871. They have two children. The elder, Joseph Franklin, is now a lieutenant in the Cnited States army, stationed at Philadelphia, He is a graduate of West Point and was the lieu- tenant who hoisted the United States Hag at Pekin. China, on the famous walls of that city. He has been in the United States army for several years. He was married September 14, 1902, to Laura Andia Colt. Mar}', the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Gahn, was marriel in 1901 to Fred Hard- ing, and resides in East St. Louis. John D., the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, is now a farmer residing in New- ell township. Andrew, of Newell township, is the next in order of birth. He also fol- 324 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lows fanning. Samuel also carries on farm- ing in Newell township. Mary is the wife of luhn Mc Cowan, of State Line, Indiana. She was born September 12, 1852, and was married November 18, 1874. Mr. Mc- Cowan was born in Edgar county. Illinois, August 26, 1849, and was an extensive cat- tle dealer and shipper. Coming to Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1870, he settled on section 18, Newell township. His par- ents were natives of Kentucky. In June, 1S96, he retired to State Line, Indiana, where he resides in his comfortable dwell- ing, with his wile and mother-in-law, ]Mrs. /Campbell. J\Irs. Campbell is of sturdy Scotch an- cestry and has many of the sterling charac- teristics of her race who have always held exalted ideas of what is right and have lived np to the same. She is among the pioneer residents of \'crniilion county and has seen great transformation wrought here, the once unbroken prairies being now dotted by flourishing towns and villages. She is a A'irtuous antl estimable lady and is one of Ihe Ijcst known residents of the county. WILLIAM LYNCH. William Lynch, whose large business in- terests make him a valued representative of ■commercial and industrial activity in ]\Iun- cie, was born in New York, September 15, 1854, and may truly be called a self-made man, for from an early age he has been de- pendent entirely upon his own labors. Early in life he was left an orphan and in 1861 Avent to live with Henry Sallee, who filled the position of township treasurer and township clerk for thirty-seven years. Mr. Lynch was permitted to attend school for about three months during each year and throughout the remainder of the year his labors were given to his emi)loyers. When twenty years of age he left' school altogether as a student. Mr. Lyncli was permitted to attend for a short time in Ladoga, Indiana, and for six months he engaged in teaching. He then learned te- legraphy which he followed for two years, after which he became connected with the grain trade and also bought and sold stock, lie devoted his energies to dealing in grain and live stock for seventeen years, after which he managed a store for Mr. Reinstein. Later he purchased his employer's store and conducted the business himself in connec- tion with his ])artner, A. L. Stearns, a rela- tion that was maintained for ten years. On the expiration of that period he began oper- ating the coal mine which he now owns and which has been very productive. lie has three partners in the Muncie Coal Company l)ut is one of the largest stockholders of the enterprise. The mine has a capacity of about fi\e hundred tons per day and the out- put is therefore valuable. ]\Ir. Lynch also owns a general mercantile store in Muncie and a good farm property of eighty acres besides city real estate and twenty-five acres in Muncie. In his political aliiliations Mr. Lynch is a Republican but has no aspirations for office. He belongs to Morning Star Lodge, No. 489, I. O. O. F., and IMuncie Camp, No. 4S78, M. W. .\. He is also identified with the Fraternal Army of America and in these different orgaizations he enjoys the warm regard of his brethren. He has been twice married, having in December, 1873, in Muncie wedded Marga- ret Lowman, who was born in Vermilion countv. They became the parents of four children : Cato, Grace, Blaine and Elbert. but the last two are deceased. The wit'e and TflE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 325 mother died in 1886 and in September, 188S, in Indianapolis, ^Ir. Lynch was again mar- ried, his second union being with Sarah -Campbell, who was born in Coles county, Illinois. They have three children : Olive, aged twehe years; Willie, nine; and Verla, eight. This is a utilitarian age when the prom- inent factor of a community is he who con- trols important and extensive business enter- prises and fortunate is the ctjmmunity if such a man not only has regard for the growth of his business but also for the development of the community. Such a quality character- izes the career of Mr. Lynch and while ad- vancing his individual success he also con- trilnites to the general prosperity by the con- trolling- of his affairs and by the active co-op- eration which lie gives to many measures for the public good. WILLIAM M. ACTON. Among the young men of Vermilion ■county successfully practicing at the bar and also prominent in political life is William M. Acton, whose birth occurred in this coun- ty on the 30th of August, 1876. He is a son of William H. and Eliza J. (Laflin) Ac- ton. The father was a native of Ohio, and in 183Q removed to Vermilion county, lo- cating in Pilot township, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising and was known as one of the progressive agricultur- ists of his community. He died February 2.J, 1899, at the age of sixty years, respected by all who knew him. His widow still sur- vives him and is now living in Potomac, Vermilion county. The paternal grandfa- ther of our subject was James Acton, a na- tive of Kentucky, and he became a pioneer settlers of this county. Matthew Laflin, the maternal grandfather, was also one of the early residents of the county and both aided in the material development and upbuilding ijf this portion of the state. After acquiring his literay education in the public schools, ^^'illiaIn M. Acton fur- tlier prepared for the duties of an active busi- ness career by a course of study in the Dan- ville Business College, of Danville, Illinois. He also pursued the classical course in Greer College, in Hoopeston, Illinois, where he was graduated in 1896 with the valedictor- ian honors of his class. Desiring to make the ]3ractice of law his life work, he then be- gan reading in the office of C. L. Chamber- lin, of Hoopeston, while later. J. W. Keeslar, of Danville, was his preceptor. In October, 1S09, lis was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Mr. Keeslar. He is now assistant state's attorney, to which position he was appointed in December, 1900. His success has come soon, because his equip- ment is unusually good. Along with those qualities indispensible to a lawyer — a keen, rapid, logical mind plus Imsiness sense and a ready capacity for hard work — he brought to the starting point of his leg"al career elo- quence of language and a strong personality. On the 29th of November, 1899, Mr. Acton led to the marriage altar Miss Adolyn M. Herlocker, a daughter of the late U. R. Herlocker, of Danville. The young couple have many friends in this county. Mr. Ac- ton is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen, to the Tribe of Ben Hur, and to the Methodist Episcopal church, all of which indicate the high character of his social life and his religious belief. In poli- tics he is a Republican, takes an active part in campaign work and has delivered many addresses in behalf of his party, for he be- 326 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lie\es tliat one of tlie salient features of good citi/ensliip is the endorsement of political principles pertaining to good goxernment. ISAAC CLRREXT. Among those who have, after long con- nection with agricultural -pursuits, put aside the work of the farm and taken up their ahode in the city nf Danville is numbered Isaac Current, one of Vermilion county's native sons. His birth occurred in Newell township, on the 17th of .\o\-ember, 1845, his parents being William and Mary (Bast- win) Current, Ijoth of whom were natives of X'irginia. The father was born April 20, 1803. The maternal grandfather. Hen- ry Bastwin. was also born in \"irginia. and on leaving that state traveled westward un- til he took up his abode in Danville town- ship. \ ermilicn county. Illinois. Here he engaged in business as a hat maker, follow- ing that pursuit for a number of years. La- ter he went to southern Illinois and after his retirement from business he made his home with his daughter. Mrs. Current, for a short time. He next went to Iowa, where he lived with another daughter until his death, which occurred when he had reached the very ad- vanced age of nearly one hundred years. In 1829 William Current, the father of our subject, came tn X'crmiliim county with a brother and sister, settling in Xevvell town- ship, where he engaged in farming. He was a blacksmith ami wagon-maker by trade and after coming west sold some wagons of his manufacture in Chicago, besides mak- ing those for his own use. In those early days Chicago was the market at which he sold his butter, eggs and other farm pro- duce. He continued farming here until his death, passing away August 6. 1851. and our subject now has in iiis possession many relics of his fatiier, including a cowbell, a day book, a Bible and a pocket lx)ok, all of which are valued family relics. The mother died in 1885. at the advanced age of sev- enty-eight years. They were the parents of fourteen children, of win mi live are yet liv- ing, namely : Andrew J., who is a farmer residing in Tracy. Iowa: George, who lives in the Soldiers' Home at Ouincy, Illinois; lames, who is a grain merchant i)f Momer, Illinois; Isaac; and Samuel, a grocer of l-"ranklin, Nebraska. Those who have ])assed away are: Henry B., Nancy, Mariin W., John. Mary Jane. Susanna. Ivebecca. Lucinda and Matilda. Isaac Current attended the common scliools in his youth and afterward engaged in farm work on the home place. He later ])inxhased a tract of land on Covington J-ioad in Danville township and there he car- ried on agricultural pursuits until he re- moved to Danville on the 17th of Septem- ber, 1900, having for many years been ac- tively engaged in farm work, whereby he won a competence that now enables him to enjoy a well merited rest, surrounded In' all of the comforts and many of the luxuries wliich go to make life worth the living. Mr. CiuM-ent has beei* three times mar- ried. In 1802 he wedded Clarissa E. Lynch, who was Ixirn in this county, .August 10, 184^. ;i daughter of Isaac 1'. and Mary l,ynch, wlu) were early settlers here and are now deceased. Mrs. Current ])assed away June 14, 1869. leaving a tlaughter. while their son, Samuel, who was born JiU\- 2, i8<')4, had died in infancy. The daughter, Rachel !■'.. Ixmi Dccemlier 8. 1865. is now the wife of Isaac Bowni.m ;nid they reside upon her father's farm in Danville town- ship. On the 28th of October, 1869, Mr. ISAAC CURRENT. MRS. ISAAC CURRENT. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 331 Current wedded Mary (Campbell) ^\'yatt. of Vermilion county. Her father, Harp Cam])bell. having located here at an early period in the dexelupment of this portion of the state. The second wife died June 21, 1872. Her son, William Frederick, Ixirn March 20, 1871, died in infancy. For his third wife Mr. Current chose Mrs. Dorothy J. Noel and they were married January 26, 1873. The lady is a native of Parke count}'. Indiana, born January 13, 1843, and a daughter of Cornelitis and Nancy Jones, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Miami county, Ohio. Her father was an own cousin of John Brown, the noted abo- lition advocate and for many years was a resident of Parke county, Indiana, but died in southern Illinois. By the third mar- riage of Mr. Current there was born one child, Charles Raymond, whose birth occurred November 17, 1876. He married Katie Shepherd and is a farmer by occupa- tion, residing in Danville. When Mr. Current removed to the city be built his present beautiful home at No. 71 1 Illinois street and he still owns his farm of one hundred and fi\e acres on section i iind 6, Danville township, together with a farm of forty acres on section 30 in the same township and another forty acre tract near Fairmount, this county. He had made splaidid improvements upon the old home- stead. He erected a nice residence there and it is to-day one of the best farms in the township. He also built houses on botii of his small farms. He formerly gave his po- litical support to the Democracy but is now a Republican and both he and his wife are consistent and devoted members of the First Methodist church of Danville. At all times Mr. Current has been actuated in his con- duct and in his relations to his fellow men by honorable principles and by his Chris- tian belief, and those who know liim — and his acquaintance is e.Ktensi\e — therefore cherish for him high respect by reason of his genuine worth of character. HARVEV SODOWSKY. When civilization made its way into the Mississippi valley the great farms of this section of the country became the wonder of the world. The broad prairies of the valley were transformed into vast country seats, comprising hundred and sometimes thou- sands of acres. The more mountainous re- gions of the eastern country had made farm- ing on this extensive scale impossible, but in the west nature provided splendid opportuni- ties and agriculture and its kindred occupa- tion of stockraising became the leading pur- suit of the enterprising people who settled this region. Harvey Sodowsky directed his energies into these departments of activity and won a place second to none among the raisers of shorthorn cattle in America, and ])erhaps second to none in the world. His success was of gradual growth — the natural result of energy, perseverance, sound judg- ment and keen discrimination. In his life he exemplified many of the sterling traits of his Polish ancestry — the patriotism, the fearless defense of what he believed to be right and conscientious regard for the rights of others. The Sodowsky family was founded in America by James Sodowsky. a Polish exile of noble birth, proud spirit and lofty patriot- ism. \\dien his love of liberty could no long- er tolerate the despotic rule of Russia, he be- came the leader in a rebellion against the czar, and when defeated, but not subdued, he came to America — "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Later he married 332 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tlie sister of Governor Inslip, of the colony of \irginia, and among tlieir descendants was tlarvey Sodowsky, of this review. In the course of years representatives of the family changed the spelling of the name, in- cluding the brothers of our subject. Two of these bmthers, William and Aliraliam Srnidusky, are now prominent farmers and stockmen of Carroll township, Vermili(jn county. Har\ey Sodowsky, however, re- tained the ancestral spelling of the familv name. The spirit which led James Sndnwskv, the emigrant, ilrst tn fight for libertv and then come to America, has been mani- fest in his descendants throughout succeed- ing generations. It was shown by the Sod- owskys who fought for the liberty of the col- onists of the new world, and how their hearts must have rejoiced at the glorious outcome of the struggle; it was again shown by gallant .soldiers of the name in the war of 1812; and in the subjugation of the western wilderness they bore a part. Daniel Boone opened the gates of Kentuck\- and soon he was followed into "the dark and bloody" re- gion by the grandfather of our subject, who settled there just after the close of the Rev- olutionary war. Alir;di;im Sandusky, the fa- ther, was born in that state and married Jii'ie McDowell, by whom he iiad eight children, of whom Harvey Sodowsky was the eldest. In 1830 they removed with their familv fn>m Kentucky to V'ermilion county and located September 20, 1830. on the Little Vermilion river, where .\braham Sandusky made his home until his death. The birth of Harvey Sodowsky occurred in Bourbon county, Kentucky, May 17, iSij. ;inutli and made his way to Ohio, settling in Coshocton county, where he entered land from the government. This was covered with a dense growth of timber. 344 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD but lie cleared away llie trees and in course of time developed a good farm. Lewis B. Williams was born upon that farm, was there reared to manhood and afterward as- sisted in carrying on the work of the home place. He married Rebecca McCoy, a na- tive of the Buckeye state and a daughter of William McCoy, who was one of the early settlers of Ohio, to which place he had re- moved from Pennsylvania. During the greater part of his life Lewis B. Williams resided upon the old family homestead in Washington township, his last years were there passed and he died in the spring of 1850 at the age of forty years. His wife had passed away in 1844, when the subject of this review was a child of only five years. James Williams was reared upon the old familv homestead and his common school advantages were somewhat meagre, for he Avas enabled to attend only in the winter months while in the summer he aided in the work of ])lowing, planting and harvesting. After arriving at years of maturity he was married in Coshocton county, in November, 1858, to Miss ]Mindwell Roberts, a native of Ohio, born, reared and educated in Cos- hocton county. Her father, Dr. Martin Roberts, removed to the Buckeye state from New York. The }\iung couple began their domestic life upon an Ohio farm where they lived for about six years and in 1864 they <;ame to Illinois, settling in Vermilion coun- tv. Here Mr. Williams ])urchased land which was then in Carroll township. He and his brother-in-law, Isaac Turner, first bought one hundred and si.xty acres which they broke and fenced, developing a good farm. They worked together for about four years at the end of which time Mr. Wil- liams bought out Mr. Turner's interest and later he added to his farm from time to time purchasing and trading for more land. He now owns three hundred twenty acres in- cluded within two farms which are about a half mile apart. On his home place he erect- ed a good residence, substanti.'d barns and outbuildings, having two sets of buildings. He also tiled and fenced the place, planting fruit and shade trees, and there continued the work of cultivation, development and improvement until his farm was one of the best in the locality. In connection with the cultivation of the grain best adapted to this climate he was also engaged in raising a good grade of stock, feeding cattle and fit- ting them for the market. He began life in \'ermilion county with but little means, but l)y his own exertions, by unflagging indus- try and strong will he has steadily worked his way upward until he is now numbered among the substantial residents of this lo- cality. Unto Mr. and }ilrs. Williams were born four sons and four daughters: Miles, who is married and follows farming in Shelby countv. Illinois; Winfield Scott, who is en- gagetl in mining in Colorado; Lyman T., who is married and follows farming in Champaign county, Illinois; Fred, a resi- dent of Vermilion county; Ella May, the wife of James B. Lamar, of eastern Colo- rado; Mary M., Jessie P., .-ind Lizzie, all at home. The last named is a student in the high school of Danville. Both Mr. and Mrs. Williams hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs to the Ma- sonic fraternity, being identified with the blue lodge of Danville. In his political views he is an ern-nest Republican ami has supported each j)residential nominee of the partv since he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, in i860. He has never sought of- fice for himself, however, although he has served on the school board for a number of years and as township school trustee. He THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 345 carried on his farm work until 1900 when he purchased his residence property in Danville and lias since li\ed a retired life in the city. He has made his home in \'ermilion county for thirty-eight years, during which time many changes have occurred. Within this period the prairies have been broken and transformed into rich fields; roads have been laid out and have been cut off from private property Ijy well kept fences ; progress and improvement have also been carried forward in town and city ; and in the work of develop- ment Mr. \^'illiams has borne his part. • He is a man of integrity and worth and he and his estimable wife and family are highly esteemed throughout the community. All that Mr. ^^''illiams possesses has come to him through his own enterprising efforts, his farm property being the just reward of his earnest labor. J. M. McCABE. Starting in business life as a farm hand and realizing that there is no royal road to wealth, J. M. McCabe early displayed the salient traits of his character which have made him a prosperous and leading man of Vermilion county. He is now residing in Fairmount where he owns and operates the tile works and has valuable property inter- ests, while his real estate possessions also in- clude farm lands in this county. Mr. McCabe was born February 19, 1844, in Dearborn county, Indiana, a son of Alexander and Rhoda (Knapp) McCabe, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born near Niagara Falls, in New York. The McCabe family was established in Dearborn county, Indiana, when the father of our sub- ject was but ten years of age. After reach- ing years of maturity he was married there to Miss Knapp and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, which he followed until sometime in the '70's, when he re- moved with his family to northwestern Mis- souri, there remaining for about twenty years. On the expiration of that period he continued his western journey to Indepen- dence, California, where both he and his wife spent their last days. In their family were eight children who reached years of ma- turity, while six of the number are yet liv- ing. Arad K., is now deceased. B. F. re- sides upon a farm in Dearborn county. In- diana. P. H. is a resident of Independence, California. S. L. lives in Oklahoma. J. M. is the next younger. William is engaged in farming in Oregon. Mrs. Olive A. Van \'acLer, a widow, is now living in Gentry county, Missouri. Emma, deceased, was the wife of Ed Myers of Indiana. In the district schools of his native coun- ty J. M. McCabe acquired his preliminary education, which was supplemented by study in tlie high school of Danville, Illinois. He , came to Vermilion county at the age of nine- teen years and for six months he was em- ployed by the month as a farm hand. Dur- ing the succeeding winter he engaged in teaching school. Afterward he worked by the month on a farm and engaged in teach- ing school. Desiring a companion and help- mate on life's journey he was married on the 27th of November, 1865, in Fairmount, Il- linois, to Miss Mary E. Dougherty, a daugh- ter of Samuel and Jane (Dalby) Dougherty, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her father was one of the first settlers of Vermilion county and here engaged in farming, but both he and his wife have now passed away. In their family were 346 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD seven children. Tlie Iionie of Mr. and .Mr.s. McCahe lias been blessed with four children, but only '.wo are now lixing, Effie and Elsie. As time has passed Mr. McCabe has jiros- pered in his business afl'airs, and making ju- dicious investments he has become one of the prosperous men of Iiis adopted county. He now owns and operates the large tile and brick works of Fairmount, an important in- dustry which ])roves of value to the com- munity by affording employment to a num- ber of men and at the same time brings him a very desirable return for his investment. He is also the owner of a zinc mint- in .Mis- souri, owns the bank building in this i)lace and good residence jjroperty here, besides one hundred and thirty-five acres of valuable land. He possesses keen lousiness discrim- ination and e.xecutive force. He forms his plans readily, is determined in their exe- cution and through his j)ersistencv of pur- pose and honoral)le dealing he has gained a place which is alike gratifying and lionor- al)le as one of the prominent Imsiness men of liis county. Socially he is connected with Fairmount Lodge, No. 590. F. & A. M.. and has served as its representative in the grand lodge. He also belongs to the ^b)dern Woodmen of America, and in politics he is inde])endent. voting for the men and measures rather than for the ]jarty. He has himself tilled se\eral of the township and city oiifices. although lie has never been a politician in the sense of oiifice seeking. At the present time he is serving as school treasurer. Mr. McCabe belongs to that class of re])resentati\e citi- zens who at all times have due regard for the welfare and upbuilding of the commnnilios with which they are connected, and no mat- ter how great their l)usiness interests, can always find time and ojiportunity to pro- mote the general welfare. 'Ihe entire period of his manhood has been passed in \'ermilion county and the friends who have known him throughout this period speak of him in terms of commendation, because his life has Ijeen consistent with honorable, manly principles. LEONARD R. MYERS. Leonard R. Myers, now deceased, was born in Reading, I'ennsylvania. January -'5. 1836. a son of Leonard and Hannah ( Ratholan ) Myers, who were of Pennsyl- vania l^ntch descent. In the year 1854 Mr. Myers came to the west. belie\ing that he might ha\e better business opportunities in a less thickly settled district of the country where com])etition was not so great. .\c- conlingh' he came alone to Illinois and be- gan fp.rming in N'ermilion county upon rented land. In the meantime he dealt ex- tensively in stock, making a specialty of horses, and for some years he continued to rent land, but later he ]iurchased a farm com])rising what is now the greater part of the old homestead. There he lived for about eight years, when he purchased the .Mc- Knight farm on section 6, Oakwood town- ship, upon which his widow is now living. This is ])leasantly located one mile north of I'ithian'. As the vears passed .Mr. Myers prospered in his work and ac(|uire(l a very comfortable and desirable competence, and when he died he owned about six hundreil acres of valuable land all imi)roved. On the I St of January. i8(k>. occurred the marriage of Mr. Myers and Sarah E. l,owni;ui. .She was born July 13. 184''), in Oakwood tow nshii). and was reared and edu- cated here. She comes of an old \'irginian family and her great-grandfather was burned at the stake l)v Indians in \"irginia. L. R. MYERS. MRS. SARAH E. MYERS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 351 Her mother at the time of her death, wliich occurred in 1898, when she was seventy- two years of age, had thirty-six grandchil- dren and. twenty-one great-grandchildren. Her husband had died many years before, passing away at the age of forty-two. Unto Air. and Mrs. Myers were born eleven children : Mrs. Minnie Frederick, of Champaign county, Illinois; Mrs. Hattie Cessna, of Rochester, Indiana ; William, who marrietl Cora Black and is living in Lohrville, Iowa ; Leonard, who married Zena Wray and resides in Fithian ; Reuben, who wedded Doris Hayes and makes his home in Vermilion county: Mrs. Jeanette Mead, of this county ; Sylvia, who died at the age of eleven months; Winfred, who' married Fan- nie Bantz and resides upon the home farm ; Gracie, Lola and George, all at home. Mrs. Myers was the third in order of birth in a family of eleven children born unto George and Margaret Lowman, and of the num- ber five are now living. Her father came to this county at a very early day, cast in his lot with the early pioneer settlers and Mrs. Myers assisted in the fields bv dropping corn by hand, keeping up with the plow. She has seen wooden mold boards used with a breaking plow which was drawn by oxen, guided by a single rope line manufactured from flax. She can remember when the grain was cut with a sickle and later by a cradle, while all the clothing was of home manufacture, the girls wearing linsey dresses and flannel waists. The spinning- wheel at that time formed a part of the fur- nishings of every household and all cooking was done at an old-fashioned fireplace. The first mowing machine used in the neighbor- hood was brought into the county by Mrs. Myers" father, and people would come for miles to see it. In the early days Mrs. Myers aided in making candles by dipping 15 them and later candle molds came into use- On the J/th of April, 1897, she was called upon to mourn the loss of her husband. She has since remained upon the old homestead, where her son Winfred now resides, having charge of the home place. She has ten grandchildren and the family is one well known in the commuiity. WILLIAM J. BLACKSTOCK. The life history of William J. Black- stock, if written in detail, would furnish a 'more thrilling story than is found on many of the pages of romance and fiction for his has been an eventful and varied career. He was born in Allegheny. Pennsylvania, Au- gust 14, 1S48. and is a son of James and Mary ( Ritchey) Blackstock. In the pater- nal line he comes of Scotch ancestry. His grandfather, Joseph Blackstock, was a na- tive of the land of the hills and heather and in early life he crossed the briny deep to the new world, settling in Canada, where the greater part of his years were passed. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Samuel Ritchey, a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and spent his entire life there, following the occupation of farming. James Blackstock, the father of our subject, was born in Dumfrieshire, Scotland, and about 1820 left that country and became a resi- dent of Canada, his home being near Que- bec where other members of the family were also located. He did not remain long in the Dominion, however, but removed to Pitts- buig, Pennsylvania, where he followed the trade of a carpenter and also engaged in tak- ing contracts along that line. He was united in marriage to Mary Ritchey. a native of Bedford count v and he died in 1862 at the 352 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD age of fifty years, while liis wife, surviving him for some time, passed away at tlie age of sixty-six years. They were the parents of six children, two of whom are still living: Eliza- beth D., the wife of M. V. Freidenrich, of Philadelphia; and \Mlliani J. Of the others all died in infancy with the exception of Mamie, who reached the age of three years. William J. Blackstock attended school in his early boyhood l)ut through a little strat- egic movement on his part he managed to become a member of the iMfty-eighth Penn- sylvania Regiment for service during the Civil war and after serving for a time was discharged on his fifteenth birthday, the 14th of August, 1863. He was very young to have a soldier's record but while at the front he was always found faithful to his duty. Soon afterward he went up the Ohio river as a cook. In 1S64 be left that service, however, and went to Dakota, living, among the Indians for several years in that wild western district. In 1868-9 he traveled over the ground where Custer was killed and during his stay amid the various Indian camps he became acquainted with the leaders of all of the tribes of the northwest. For eight years he "roughed it" in Dakota and Montana and the history of that period of the development of the northwest is famil- iar to him through actual experience. In 1872 he went to Minnesota, where he en- gaged in lumbering but after a short time he purchased the Pine County News, at Pine City, Minnesota, continuing its publication for five years. On the expiration of that period in 1877 he disposed of his plant and returned to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he remained for one year and then removed to Sewickley, where he became the owner of the \'alley News. He changed the name of this paper to the Sewickley Tribune and re- mained its editor and publisher until 1884, when he sold out and again went to Pitts- burg. There he secured a position as repor- ter in the interest of the Gazette and was also employed on the Pittsburg Dispatch. In 1887 he removed to Chicago, but after a few months he purchased the News at Crisman, Illinois, changing the name of that publication to the Courier. On .selling the plant there he came to Danville in 1891 and has since been engaged in the painting, pa- per hanging and contracting business here He receives a liberal patronage. He opened his present store in October, 1901, and the new enterprise has prospered from the be- ginning. In 1 88 1 occurred ttlie marriage of Mr. Blackstock and Miss Ella MacNutt, a daughter of William and Matilda (McFar- land) McXutt, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, born near Philadelphia in which locality they spent their entire lives, the mother dying when only thirty-three years of age, while the father reached the vaiiced age of eighty-six year. The ]\Ic- I<"arlands were highlanders of Scotland, there being only a slight trace of English blood found in Mrs. Blackstock's family. In his political views Mr. Blackstock is an earn- est Republican, unfaltering in his allegiance to the principles of the party and taking an active part in its work, doing everything in his power to promote its growth and insure its success. WILLIAM T. SANDUSKY. William T. Sandusky was born in Bour- bon county, Kentucky, March i, 1829, his ])arents being William and Julia (Earp) Sandusky, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. They were mar- ried in the Blue Grass state and in the fall THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 353 of 1829 remo\'ed from Bourbon covintv to Shelln' county, Illinois, making the journey overland in. a cox^ered wagon. Everything was new and wild and the father purchased ii claim. He arrived in the fall of the year and died in the following March. His Avidow survived him only until 1840, when she, too, passed awa}'. In their family were three children anil the two sisters are now ming a member of Fairmount Lodge, No. 590, F. & A. M. He is also a member of b'ainnount Lodge, No. 319, I. O. O. F., and belongs to the Odd Fellaws Encamp- ment of Danville, and is a member of the grand lodge of the state. For thirteen years he represented Fairmount in the grand lodge and for two terms he has been chief patri- arch. He has al\va}'s refused to hold i)ublic office, but in his political affiliations is an earnest and loyal Republican. Both the Doctor and his wife are members of the Ba])tist church and are most highly esteemed residents here. Many accord to the medical profession the highest rank among the call- ings to which man devotes his energies. At all e\cnts it is one of the most important and great are the responsibilities which rest u]x)n the physician. Dr. \\'ilkins has fully met e\erv obligation which has de\iil\ed upon him in this connection and with con- scientious eft'ort has met the demands of the ])ul)lic for his professional services. He has continually promoted his proficiency through comprehensive reading and study, and, moreover, he has a deep human sympathy without which medical research. l)ringing with it broad knowledge, is of little a\-ail. CHARLES \V. WARNER. The press has not onlv recorded the his- tory of ad\'ancement, liul has also e\'er been the leader in the work of progress and im- provement, — the vanguard of civilization. The philosopher of some centuries ago pro- claimed the truth that "the pen is mightier than the sword," and the statement is con- tinually being x-erified in the affairs of life. In molding public opinion the power of the u. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 363 newspaper cannot be estimated, but at all e\'ents its influence is greater than any other single agency. Mr. Warner is a well known representative of tlie journalistic interests of Vermilion county, being the editor and proprietor of the Hooi)eston Chronicle. Through the columns of his paper he has e\-er ad\ocated progress, reform and im- provement and has exercised marked in- fluence in behalf of the general welfare here. He is also the efficient postmaster of the town and as a public oi^cial has gained the commendation of his fellow citizens. Mr. Warner was torn near Crawfords- ville, Indiana, on the J4th of January, 1857, his parents being Abner and Mary (Cad- wallader) ^\'arner, the former a native of Ohio and the latter born near Crawfords- ville, Indiana. They were married at Old Darlington and for many years they trav- eled life's journey together, but in 1888 were separated liy the death of the husljand. Mrs. AVarner still survives and is living in Rossville. Mr. Warner was a farmer by oc- cupation, lie came to Illinois in 1850 and here herded cattle on the prairies, driving them across the country to the Philadelphia markets. He thus dealt in stock in his younger years but in later life he turned his attention to farming, which he followed in Vermilion county, meeting with fair suc- cess. His death occurred in Rossville. In the family were but two children, the younger brother being Perry ]\I., who is manager of the Telephone Exchange at Rossville. During his earl_\' boyhood days Charles W. ^\'arner accomi)anied his parents on their removal to Rossville, where he ac- quired his preliminary education. He after- ward engaged in teaching for two terms in the district schools of Champaign county. He received further mental discipline in the "poor man's college" — a printing office, — learning the printer's trade in Rossville after leaving school and before teaching. When he had completed his work as an educator he canie to Hoopeston and was employed in the office of the Chronicle, which was then owned by Dale Wallace, with whom he re- mained for three years. During this time he also served as journal clerk in the state legislature of the thirty-second general as- sembly, appointed through the influence of Messrs. Butteiiield and Holden, members of the house from his district. On the ist of July. 1882, Mr. W^arner purchased the Chronicle plant, incurring an indebtedness of three thousand dollars in order to do this. He has since been editor and proprietor of the paper, which he has successfully pub- lished. Owing to an increased circulation, to a good advertising patronage and to his capable management, he has been enabled to discharge the indebtedness and he now publishes both a daily and weekly edition of the Chronicle, which is regarded as one of the best papers which comes from the press of this portion of the state. He employs six people and has a well equipped office. There is a gas engine, a cylinder press and all of the latest improvements usually found in a first class printing office. The paper is devoted to the local interests and to the dis- semination of general news and has proved a profitable investment. In the year 1889 Mr. Warner was elected postmaster. Congressman Cannon calling an election for that purpose, because there were seven candidates in the field. Mr. Warner was the choice of the people and served acceptably in the office during President Harrison's administration. He tired and was superseded by a Democrat during President Cleveland's term of office and was then again appointed by President 3^4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ]\IcKinley, and was a lliird time appointed by President Roosevelt, so that lie is now the incumbent. His administration is prac- tical, business-like and progressive and the affairs of the oiBce are capably managed b)- him. He has likewise ser\ed as city clerk and at the present time he is a mcin1)er of the Cfjunty committee of the Republican par- ty, being a recognized leader in the ranks of that organization. On the 13th of December, 1883, in Hoopeston, Mr. Warner was united in mar- riage with Aliss Lillian Clark, who was born at \\'enona, Illinois, on the 9th of May, 1864, and they have one child, Gladys, born December 8, 1891. Mrs. Henrietta B. Clark, the mother of Mrs. Warner, is also a member of the household, and they have a pleasant home at the corner of Penn and Third streets. Mr. Warner is a prominent Mason, belonging to Star Lodge, No. 709, F. & A. M.. Hoopeston Chapter, No. 181, R. .\. M., and Grant Council, No. 89, R. & S. -M. He is also a member of Hoopeston Lodge, No. 193. K. P., and Hoopeston Camp, No. 257, M. W. A. He has passed all of the chairs in the Knights of Pythias lodge and has been a delegate to its grand lodge and deputy grand chancellor of the order. Mr. Warner's political, fraternal and business relations has brought him a wide acquaintance and he is justly esteemed as one of the progressive, enterprising and respected citizens of his adopted county. P.VTRICK MAKTIX. Vermilion county has been the home and tlie scene of labor of many men who iiave not only led Hves that should .serve as an ex- ami)lc to those who come after them but have also been of important service to the com- munity through \arious avenues of useful- ness. Among them may be numbered Pat- rick Martin, who ilied at his pleasant home iii Danville on the 20th of April, 1896. He was horn in County Kilkenny. Ire- land. March 3. 1840. a son of Michael and Julia Martin, who were natives of the same county, where they continued to reside until 1 85 1. That year witnessed the emigration of the family to .\merica, and on -landing in X'ew ^'ork. March 17. they proceeded at once to Schenectady. Xew York, where they spent only a short time, however. They next went to Michigan City, Indiana, and a few vears later liveil for brief periods in Ottowa and Chicago. Illinois, finally locating near Statcline. where the father improved a farm. In the meantime he was looking up a favor- al)lc location with the intention of buying a place and was not satisfied until he found a farm near h'airmount, Vermilion county, upon which he and his wife spent the re- mainder of their ]i\es. They were the pa- rents oi five children, who are still living, namely: Bridget, now the wi(U)w of Thomas Caxanagh and a resident of Dan- ville: Mary, widow of John W;dl and a resi- dent of Terre Haute, Indiana; Walter, an engineer on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi- cago & St. Louis Railroad and a resident of Indi;niapolis. Indiana: Ella, now Mrs. Pat- terson, of Cripple Creek, Colorado: and An- nie, wife of Edward Langin, of Lousi- \ilk'. Kentucky. Our subject's educational advantages were limited. At the age of eleven years he c;une with his parents to the new world and continued lo assist his father in the opera- tion of the home farm until the Civil war broke out. Having a sincere love for his adopted country he enlisted in 1862 for three vears" service, becoming a member of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 365 Company E, Seventy-tliird Illinois Volun- teer Infantry, which was under the com- mand of Generals Sheridan and Grant. He was in a numher of engagements, including those of the Atlanta campaign, and was wounded in the battle of Franklin by a bul- let in the leg-. After some time spent in the hospital he received an honorable discharge on account of his wound, March 25, 1865, and returned home. In 1868 Mr. Martin married Miss Sarah Tighe, who was also born in Ireland, March 17, 1834, her parents, Dennis and Mary Tighe, spending their entire lives in that country. By occupation her father was a farmer. Of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin, Annie died in 1894, Mary is living with her mother in Danville, and the other two died in infancy. After his marriage Mr. Martin pur- chased a farm near Fairmount, where he continued to reside for several years, his time and attention being devoted to gen- eral farming and stock raising. Later he bought a farm near Homer, this county, where he made his home until his removal to the city of Danville in 1890. A hard working, industrious and en- ergetic man, he had acquired a comfortable comiietence and was able to spend his last years in ease and retirment from active la- bor. Bv his ballot he always supported the men and measures of the Democratic party but never cared for the honors or emolu- ments of public office. Like his wife and daughter he held membership in the Catho- lic churcli, and his upright, lionorable life won for him the confidence and high regard of all with whom he was brought in coh- tact. Mr. Martin eminently deserves classi- fication among the purely self-made men of the county who have distinguished them- selves for their ability to master the oppos- ing forces of life and to wrest from fate a large measure of success and an honorable name. He left to his widow some \-alual)le propert}- in Danville, including the beauti- ful residence at Xo. 442 Jackson street, which she and her daughter now occupy, and also a fine farm of one hundred acres near the \-illage of Tilton in this county. She is a most estimable lady and was to her hus- band a faithful companion and helpmate, aifling and encourag'ing him in every possi- ble May along the pathway of life. JOHX A. PHILLIPS. The sul.iject of this re\'iew is a self-made man wlio, without any extraordinary family or pecuniary advantages at the commence- ment of life, has battled earnestly and ener- getically, and by indomitable courage and integrity has achieved both character and a comfortable competence. By sheer force of will and untiring effort he has worked his way U])ward aiiil is numbered among the leading business men of Danville. He is now the proprietor of the Phillips Laundry, (jne of the leading enterprises of this char- acter in \'ermilie to the grand encampment. He is also identified with the Knights of Pyth- ias, the Modern Woodmen, the Court of Honor and the Battery A Association. Ilis success has been by no means the result of fortunate circumstances, but has come to him through energy, labor and perseverance, directed by an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business principles. He com- luands the respect of all with whom he comes in contact and his hi)noral)le career excites their admiration. JAMES J. RICE. This venerable and highly honored gen- tleman, now a nongenarian, was born in Chautauc|ua county, New York, June 13, 181 2, and since 1835 he has been a resident of Vermilion county. Although the snows of many winters have whitened his hair he seems to possess the vigor of a man of much vounger age, for nature is kind to those who alnise not her laws and Mr. Rice's career has been one of right living. Throughout his long life he has ever commanded the regard THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 367 and confidence of his fellow men and his ex- ample should serve as an inspiration to the young and is well worthy of emulation. Air. Rice comes of good old Revolutionary stock. His maternal grandfather was of Scotch de- scent and served for seven years as a mem- ber of the Colonial army, fighting for the in- dependence of the nation. Silas Rice, the fa- ther, was born in eastern New York and died when awav from home. His wife bore the maiden name of Phebe Leonard and was a native of Cayuga county, Xew York. She died in Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1857, at the age of seventy-seven. In their family were eight children, of whom only three are now li\ing: J. J., of this review; Lucy and Hannah. The sister Lucy is the widow of Isaac Balengee, who was a soldier of the Confederate army and is now deceased. She makes her home in Danville. Hannah is the wife of Charles Clifton, of Omaha, Ne- braska. In the fall of 1835 Mr. Rice of this re- view came to Vermilion county with his mother and li\ed for nine years on Salt Fork. He then removed to Pilot township, taking up his abode in the eastern part, and there lived for five years, when he moved to his farm on section 16, where he resided un- til about fifteen years ago, when he and his wife removed to Charity, where he has since made his home. Since the death of his wife in 1901 \lr. Rice has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Harter, of Charity. He started out in the business world with less than one hundred dollars, but now he is a man of affluence, owning two hundred and forty acres of valuable land, worth one hun- dred dollars per acre. .\11 this has been ac- quired through his own perseverance, dili- gence and honesty. On the nth of September, 1845, ^^''• Rice was united in marriage to Miss Mary Davis, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, September 13, 1823. They traveled life's journey together for almost fifty-six }'ears and then on the 12th of August, 1901, Mrs. Rice was called to her final rest, when nearly seventy-eight years of age. She was one of a family of seven children, her broth- ers and sisters being as follows : Irene, who is the widow of F. M. Brewer and resides in Indiana ; Emily, the widow of George Wil- son, her home being near Ouincy, Illinois ; Cynthia Ann, who is the widow of Milton Cannon, and lives in Chicago ; Diana, the widow of Daniel Cannon, residing near Fith- ian ; Lura J., the widow of James H. West, and a resident of Kansas ; and Owen, who married Sarah Brown and is a farmer of -Vrkansas. Seven children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Rice, but only three are now living. Bruce L. died January 5, 1902, from blood poisoning caused by an injury sustained in a runaway. He was then fifty- six years of age. Fie servetl in the Civil war as a private, entering the army when only eighteen years of age for one hundred days' ser\-ice. He had seven children : Mary, Grant, Minnie, Oscar, Lucy, Elmer and Grace. Isaac, who is living in Arkansas, has two children. Perry and Jessie. George C. was killed at Oakwood while weighing grain at the elevator. He fell into the hopper and was suffocated August 29, 1902. He had been a merchant in Oakwood for about fif- teen years and had previously been a mer- chant and the postmaster at Charity. He was a graduate of the University of Cham- paign and was a very prominent and influ- tial citizen here. Recognized as one of the leaders of the Republican party he served as a member of the county central committee. He was also a devoted Christian gentleman and his death, which occurred when he was fifty-two years of age, was very deeply 368 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD mourned. Emeretta is tlie wife of T. J. Harter, of Charity, and they have five chil- dren : John, NelHe, LilHe, Roy and George. Mr. Harter is now operating the old home place and Mr. Rice lives with him and his wife in Charity. John D. makes his home in Arkansas and has one child, Carl. Mary C. became the wife of Solomon Strong and died in Chicago, September 29, 1891. Jas- per, the youngest of the family, has also passed away. All of the children were born on the old home place with the exception of two. There are also fi\-e great-grandchil- dren : Arvin and Leora are the children of IMrs. Mary E. Bates, of Des Moines, Iowa ; Wesley is the child of Oscar Rice; Beatrice Irene is the daughter of Mrs. Nellie Scaff, of Charity; Edith May is the daughter of Lillie M. Cline, of Charity. Three of the children of Mrs. Emeretta Harter are also married : John wedded Daisy Eubank and lives in Fithian; Nellie is the wife of D. L. Scaff. of Charity; and Lillie is the wife of Mack T. Cline, of the same place. Mr. Rice is now the oldest living settler of Pilot township and of the county now liv- ing in this township. He entered eighty acres of land from the government and after- ward purchased forty acres of the school land when it was placed upon the market. With characteristic energy he began the de- velopment of his farm and though he had crude farming implements compared to the improved machinery at the present day, it was not long before his land was placed un- der the plow and made to yield good returns for his efforts. He always provided com- fortably for his family and is to-day the owner of valuable interests here. For more than sixty years he has been a devoted mem- ber of the Church of Christ and through a long period has served as one of its elders. During the past forty years he has advocated Prohibition principles. In his early life his political support was given to the Whig par- ty and u])on its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. For the past twenty years Mr. Rice has voted the Prohibition ticket. For many years he filled the office of school director and has served on county and state juries, in matters of citizenship he has ever been public spirited and ])rogTessive, taking an active interest in whatever has tended to promote the general progress. He has ever been honorable and straightforward in all his dealings and rela- tions with his fellow men and now in the evening of life he can look back over the past without regret and forward to the future without fear. His name comm.ands respect l)ecause he has ever been true to upright principles. Certainly he deserves honorable mention in the history of Vermilion county and, indeed, the record of this portion of the state woulfl be incomplete without an ac- count of his life. SETH FAIRCHILD. Among the brave men who devoted the opening years of their manhood to the de- fense of our country during the dark days of the Civil war was Seth Fairchilil, who throughout his active business life was iden- tified with the interests of Vermilion coun- ty. He was a native of this county, born near Danville, Illinois, October 14, 1836, and was a son of Orman and Hannah (Wagnon) Fairchild. His father died here, and after his death his widow, who was a native of Kentucky, resided in Vermilion county. It was in 1872 that Seth Fairchild took up his abode in Danville rod for two years THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 369 carried the mail between this place and East Lynn. Later he made his home in Potomac, this county, for six years, and while resid- ing there was employed to carry the mail be- tween there and Danville. At the end of that period he removed to a farm in Blount town- ship and throughout the remainder of his life was successfully engaged in farming", be- ing a practical agriculturist and a man of good business ability. When the south attempted to secede Mr. Fairchild resolved to join the boys in blue and it was not long after hostilities began that he enlisted on the ist of June, 1861, in Company B, Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. With his company he participated in many important battles and skirmishes and during the engagement at Chattanooga was wounded in the foot, being confined in the hospital there nine days. When his term of enlistment expired he was honorably dis- charged at Springfield, Illinois, September 5, 1864, and returned to his home in this county. In 1865 Mr. Fairchild married Miss Pleuma H. Lyon, who was born in Ohio Junction, July 26, 1846. Pier parents, Fred- erick and Bolivia (McCleary) Lyon, were also natives of the Buckeye state, where in early life the father followed the carpenter's trade and later was captain on a canal boat, his home being at Ohio Junction, where he died when Mrs. Fairchild was young. Her mother married again. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild but only three are now living. Laura B. is the wife of William Crawford, a contractor of Danville. John, also a con- tractor, who lives with his mother, married Katie Trout and has three thildren, Lowell O., Edith L. and John Leo. Stella is now clerking in the Danville Department store in Danville. Those of the family now deceased are Freddie, May, Luther and a daughter who died in infancy unnamed. Mr. Fairchild continued to make his home upon his farm in Blount township un- til his death, which occurred on the 13th of March, 1886. By his ballot he always sup- ported men and measures of the Republican party and took considerable interest in pub- lic affairs, aiding in promoting all enter- prises wdiich he belie\-ed would advance the moral, social or material welfare of the com- munity in which he lived. He was a con- sistent member of the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church of Danville, to which his wife and children also belong. For two years and a half after his death Mrs. Fair- child continued to reside on the farm and then removed to Danville, erecting there her present comfortable residence at No. 11 24 Gilbert street. Her son owns other Danville property, including a place on the corner of Madison and Chandler streets and in Ver- milion Fleights. JOHN G. SHEA. Prominent among the energ^etic, far-see- ing and successful business men of Danville is John G. Shea, president of the Danville Brick and Tile Company, incorporated. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose. In- tegrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points in his success and his con- nection with various business enterprises and industries have been of decided advantage to different sections of Illinois, promoting their material welfare in no uncertain man- ner. Mr. Shea was born in Ireland, July i, 1842, a son of Dennis and Honora (Sulli- 370 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD van) Sliea. who were also natives of the Emerald isle. In 1850 the father brought his family to the new world and took up his residence in Cobiirg, Canada, where he en- gaged in farming f(jr several years. He then came to Illinois, where he followed the same pursuit up to the time of his death, which oc- curred in 1887. His wife passed away in 1889. louring his boyhood and youth John G. Shea attended the common schools of Can- ada and after com])leting his education went to Auburn, Xew "^'ork, where he was lo- cated when the country became involved in civil war. Feeling that his adopted country needed his services, he enlisted in 1861, in Coni])any !>, Xinetecntli Xew ^'ork Infantry, which afterward became Battery E, Third Xew York Artillery, and served as an (j\er- seer on the engineer corps. He partici])ated in a number of skirmishes but was ne\-er in- jured in any way and was finally discharged at .\uburn, Xew York, in June, 1863. Mr. Shea then came to Illinois and set- tled in Cumberland county, where he was en- gaged in farming for a year, and at the end of that time crossed the plains to the Pacitk coast, the following four years being de\-oted to mining in California and .\rizona. On the expiration of that term lie returned east and located in Decatur, where he was en- gaged in the grocery business until 1888. He lirst embarked in the manufacture of jjrick and tile, becoming manager of the De- catur Tile Company. He also liad charge of the erection of their plant, and he remod- eled and became interested in two plants at Ouincy, Illinois, manufacturing pa\ing lirick and dry pressed brick. In 1896 he sold his interest in tiie I3ecatur works, but is still connected with those at Quincy, liis son be- ing the present sui)erintendent, secretary and treasurer of the same. Mr. Shea removed tt) Danxille in 1892 and settled at X'ermiiion Heigiits. where he bought his present plant and has since carried on business here. The business was incor])t)rated in 1892 under tlie name of the Danville Brick and Tile Com- jianw with our subject as jjresident and treasurer: his son John C, vice president and his wife, secretary. They manufacture all kinds of paving brick, selling largely to the local trade, and have supplied a portion of the brick for the streets of Danville. l)ut they have also shipped brick to Chicago antl Mattoon, Illinois, and to South Bend, Indi- ana, having built up a large trade in these and other cities. The companv has a \'ery extensive plant and regularly emi)lovs c)ver forty hands. Mr. Shea also owns a coal mine near his works, from which he gets his supply of coal to carry on the business. His office is at his residence at Xo. 100 Warring- Ion ayenue, \'ermilion Heights, in the same locality. Besides his valuable property in this state he also owns a nice ranch in south- ern California. On April 17, 187J, Mr. Shea mar- ried Miss Lusannah Clark, who was born in West \'irginia, on the 17th of July, 1845. Her parents, Cornelius and .\bigail ( Wright ) Clark, were both natives of Mas- sachusetts and she is able to trace her an- cestry back to the Clarks that came to this countrv in the Mavllowcr. Her father was interested in a number of difYerent enter- prises. I le not only followed farming but he owned and operated salt works in West \'irginia and also run a grist and saw mill there. I.;itcr he came west and died in Coles county. Illinois, while the death of his wife occtn-red in Decatur, this state, at the age of eighty years. Mr. and .Mrs. Shea have two children, John C. the older, was born August 26, 1873. and was graduated at the uni\ersity at THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 371 Urbana, Illinois, as an electrical engineer. He married I'Vances Meyers and is now liv- ing in Ouincy. where he is superintedent of his father's tile works but expects soon to remove to Danville and assist in the works here. Willard \V., born December 17, 1880, receixed a college education and was a sol- dier in the Cuban war, belonging to the bat- tery from Danville. He married Elizabeth Dinwiddle and lives on one of his father's ranches in southern California. In politics Mr. Shea is a Republican but is an advocate of the free coinage of silver. While a resident of Decatur he took quite an acti\e and prominent part in local politics and served as alderman of the city for two years. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, the Crand Army of the Re- public and the Royal Templars, all of Dan- ville, and his wife is a member of the Uni- tarian church and was president of the Wo- man's Christian Temjjerance Union of De- catur. Druing the ten years he has been a resident of this city he has become one of its leading and influential business men. Thor- oughness and persistency have characterized his entire business career and have been sup- plen^.ented by careful attention to details and by honorable straightforward effort that has gained him a most excellent and enviable reputation. \^■fLLIAM H. YORK. William H. \'ork, who for many years has been a well known liveryman at Ridge- farm, was born in Phelps county, Missouri, November 24, 1854, and is a son of William and Mary ( Dodd ) York. The father went to Missouri from eastern Tennessee about 1833. being at that time nineteen years of age. He was reared as a farmer lad and on 16 attaining his majority he wedded Mary Dodd, and they became the parents of three daughters and two sons. The mother died near Rolla. Missouri, in i86_'. The father remained in that state until 1867 when with his family he went to Edmonson, Kentucky, and in 1877 with his children he removed to Texas, where he is still living. Two sisters of our subject reside in the Lone Star state and one sister is now a resident of Sumner county, Kansas. William H. York of this review pur- sued a common-school education and at the age of sixteen left his Kentucky home to make his own way in the world. He came direct to Ridgefarm where he has lived con- tinuously since the year 1871. For some nineteen years he was engaged in rail- roading on various railroads, as station agent and ojjcrator. In 1898 he became connected with the lixer)- business and has since owned and conducted a barn in which he has a number of good horses and fine vehicles. His earnest desire to please his patrons, combinerl with an oblig- ing manner and honorable dealings has been the means of bringing to him a [jrofitalile trade. On the 7th of March, 1877, Mr. York was united in marriage to Miss Alice Lewis, a daughter of Caleb and Esther Lewis, of Ridgefarm. Her parents were natives of Indiana and Mrs. York had three sisters, of whom two are still living. Our subject and his wife have resided continuously in Ridge- farm from the time of their marriage with the exception of a brief period of three years, when they were living in Vermilion county, Indiana, and one year in Texas. They have four children : Roy. who is now twenty-two years of age, is married and lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and one child ; Glenna, eighteen years of age, Katie. 372 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD thirteen years of age. and Lewis, who is a Httle lad of seven summers, arc at home with their parents. Mr. York is independent in his pohtical views and afliliations. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the Odd Fellows So- ciety and the Knights of Pythias, and is a good citizen, acti\e in support of measures for the general welfare and is popular with his many friends and neighbors. From an early age he has been dependent upon his own resources and as the architect of his o\\ n fortunes he has budded wisely and well. GEORGE DILLOX. [n public oliice George Dillon won for himself a reputation for loyalty and tidehty and in pri\ate life he gained the highest re- gard of his fellow luen liy reason of his pos- session of many excellent traits of character. He was for many years a leading and influ- ential citizen of Danville and he left the im- press of his individuality upon the devel- opment of the city and upon its policy in public office. He represented one of the old Ouaker families of the county and was born near Georgetown on the i6th of January, iSv". his parents being Luke and Charity (Wrio-bt) Dillon. His father removed from North Carolina to Ohio at a very early day and was a resident of that state until 1830. when he came to the west, settling in \'ermilion county. He took up his abode on a farm near Georgetown and there de- voted his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout his remaining days, passing away in 1852. His wife also orne by the eldest so!i in each successive generation. From an early ])criod in the history of England the l'"airhails were connected with progress and ad\-ancement in the counties of Sussex and Kent. Tradition says that the ancestors of the Doctor were paid soldiers of William the Conqueror. Josei)h Fairball. the father of tb.e Doctor, was also born on tlie isle of Sb.ei)py and there wedded Esther Shaw, whose birth occurred in the same l<:)cality. They located at Tadwell Hall, the father be- ing a country gentleman. In 1868 they re- mo\ed to Sittingbourne, which was a town in that locality, and there his death occurred in 1 885. when be was seventy-two years of age. The mother sur\-ived until March 15, iqcy>. and both were laid to rest in the fam- ily \;uilt at Oueensboro. in Kent county. England. Dr. Fairball acciuired bis earlv cduc:i- DR. JOSEPH FAIRHALL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 391 tion in what was known as the National School of Minster on the isle of Sheppy and afterward entered the grammar school at Sheerness. Later he became a student in the Uni\ersity at London, England, in which institution lie was graduated with the class of 18S1. He next entereil the Charing Cross Medical University in Lon- don, where he remained for three years. In 1877 lie joined the Irish Rifles, in which reg- iment he served with credit as a volunteer for eight years, being mustered out in 1885. He continued to remain in London, how- ever, until 1887, and in that year he came to .America. Making his way westward, he became connected with the South Chicago Dock Company and also with the Grape Creek Coal Company, iKjlding the ofiice of vice president of botli. During the first three years after his arrival in America he. made his home in Chicago, having become interested in the coal company while en- route, an.d he acted as its vice president un- til the company went into the hands of a re- ceiver in !8g2. In 1890 he took up his res- idence on the property of the company at Grape Creek and was instrumental in in- augurating the village. While there he studied practical mining engineering and at the same time took the active management of the company's affairs. Both he and his. wife gave their attention to the improve- ment of the social condition of the working classes in the community by inaugurating church and Sunday-school work, concerts and other means of entertainment of a ben- eficial character, and in 1892 he was the means of establishing the Grape Creek Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and became its first presiding of- ficer. He was always very enthusiastic for the welfare of the order and passed through its various degrees until he had arisen to high office in the Uniformed Rank of Patri- archs Militant. In connection with this di- vision of the fraternity he founded the de- gree of Ladies Militant in 1901. In all of this work he was ably assisted by his wife who fi:)unded the White Oaks Rebekah de- gree lodge at Grape Creek and later was the first president of the Ladies Militant. In the meantime the coal company be- came involved in litigation and after pass- ing into the hands of a receiver Mr. Fairhall assumed control of the Grape Creek Clay Works and by close study of the various clays found in the vicinity coi^ipled with his knowledge of chemistry, he was enabled to master the art of brick manufacture. He became a member of the National Brick Manufacturers' Association, at whose con- ventions he was always present, taking an active part in the work of the organization. ' Owing to the long litigation in which the coal company was involved and which pre- cluded him from obtaining a lease of the clay works for longer than one year at a time, he found at the end of four years that he could no longer continue the work with profit and conseciuentlt? determined to retire from business. On th.e 27th of March, 1896, he went before the state board of health and ap- plierl for a license to practice the profession of medicine, and after satisfactorily pass- ing the required examination the license was granted. In the spring of 1898 he took up his residence in the city of Danville, build- ing a house and office near the Gilbert street bridge, commanding an extensive and pic- turesque view of the Vermillion river. In the same year — 1898 — he was elected a member of the staff of physicians of the Vermilion county hospital, and professor of anatomy and physiology in the Danville training school for nurses. Progressive in 392 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD his profession, lie keeps abreast with the best thinking men who are connected with this hne of Inisiness activity through his mem- bership in tlie \''ermiHon County Medical Association, the Tri-County Medical Asso- ciation, the Danville Physicians Protective Association and the National ■Medical Asso- ciation. On the 17th of November, 1877, Dr. l'"airiiall was united in marriage to Miss Eli.^abeth Sandys, the third daughter of William King, Esquire, of Elwick Villa, at Ashford, Kent county, England. \\'hen he emigrated to .\merica he was accompanied by his wife and two eldest sons, arriving in this country on the 29th day of March, 1887. In 1893 '^ third son was born unto them while they were living in Chicago and in 1894 they became the parents of a daugh- ter, Lucy Winnifred, Ijorn at Grape Creek. Both the Doctor and his wife have gained a large circle of friends in Danville and the hospitality of many of the best homes of the city is extended to them. Thoroughly equipped by his collegiate work for the pro- fession which now engages his attention, and continually promoting his efficiency by reading and study, he is to-day one of the best informed members of the medical fra- ternity in this city, having gained a high standing in a calling where influence and wealth availeth little or naught but where merit is the foundation of ad\'ancement. WILLIAM M. SMITH. William M. Smith is now practically liv- ing a retired life at his home in Danville and well does he deserve rest from labor, but to a man of his nature it is almost im- possible to utterly put aside business cares. Indolence and idleness have ever been ut- terly foreign to him and therefore he yet gives his supervision to the management of his invested interests, and his sound busines judgment and enterprise are manifested in the capable control of his property. He re- sides at No. 142 South Logan avenue, in a nice home which is a monument to his inde- fatigable labor and capability. Mr. Smith was born near the village of Potomac, Vermilion county, on the i6th of October, 1840, and is a son of Henry and Jane (Stewart) Smith. The father was a native of Oxfordshire. luigland. born No- vember 20, 1806, and the mother's birth oc- curred in Birmingham, England. The pa- ternal grandparents of our. subject were Thomas and Mary (Fletcher) Smith, also natives of England where the grandfather followed farming and likewise engaged in conducting a dairy and cheese factory. He followed those lines of business until his later years when he came to America and after a year's residence in this country he was called to the home beyond. Henry Smith crossed the broad Atlantic to the new world in 1838 and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he es- tablished a meat market. He also engaged in buying and shipping stock there for three years, after which he removed to \'ermilion county, Illinois, settling near the village of Potomac, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1847. In that year he came to Danville where he opened a meat market and' was the third oldest merchant in that line in the city. He did his own butchering and engaged in selling fresh as well as salt meats, tmtil 1867 when he disposed of his store and purchased a farm near the village of Tilton in this county. There he carried on the work of cultivating his fields until 1880 when THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 393 he returned to Danville and was again en- gaged in the meat business through the two succeeding years. Afterward he lived re- tired in this city until his death which oc- curred in 1S97. His wife passed away here on the 14th of No\-ember. They were highly respected people esteemed because they were true to upright principles and were honorable in all their relations with their fellow men. Unto this worthy couple were born eleven children, but only four are now Hving, namely: William M. ; Mary, the wife of Roljert Stevens, of Danville; Fannie J. and Lucy, who reside at No. 116 South Jack- son street in the old home which their father built here. Those who ha\e passed awa}- are John. Edwin, Sarah, Frank, Henry, Charlie and Joseph. William M. Smith acquired a common school education in Potomac and in Dan- ville and in early life he assisted his father in the meat market, being thus engaged until after the inauguration of the Civil war. He watched with interest the progress of events in the south, saw that the war was to be no mere holiday affair and that it would require the united strength of the great majority of the loyal sons of the nation in order to pre- serve the Union. Accordingly, on the 12th of August, 1862, he offered his services to the government enlisting as a member of Company' A, One Hundred and Twenty- fifth Illinois Infantry, under command of Colonel Harmon. His company was com- manded by Captain Ralston and afterward by Captain Brown. With his regiment Mr. Smith participated in many important en- gagements, including the battles of Kene- saw, Chattanooga, Atlanta and Perryville. Although often in the thickest of the fight, exposed to the hot fire from the enemy's guns, Mr. Smith was never injured in any way. He was discharged at Washington, D. C, on the ist of June, 1865, returning to his home with the consciousness of having faithfully performed his duty, his military record being a most creditable one. After the war was over Mr. Smith again assisted his father in the meat market in Danville and after his father's removal to the farm he took charge of the market, con- ducting it successfully until 1880. He then sold a part interest in the establishment, and he also owns a slaughter house which is near his home. Mr. Smith is also engaged to some extent in the nursery business, having his place set out in nursery stock and shade trees which he sells to the local trade. In addition to all this he is the owner of several houses and lots on South Logan avenue and he owns some residence property in Vermil- ion Heig-hts and in Danville. On the 25th of December, 1867, occurred the marriage of Mr. Smith and Miss Mary A. Morgan, a native of Indiana and a daugh- ter of John Morgan who was engaged in the livery business in the Hoosier state and came to Danville at an early day. Here he en- gaged in teaming until his death which oc- curred in 1864. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born six children : Bertie, at home; Kittie, the wife of Charles Milemore, of Danville; Belle, the wife of Ed Laflin, re- siding near her parents; Roena and Wilma, both at home; and Harry, who died in in- fancy. The family home is an attractive residence at No. 142 South Logan avenue, near the Vermilion river. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith hold membership in the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church of Danville and he belongs to the Grand Army Post in this city. In politics he is a Republican. Those who read between the lines can gain consid- erable knowledge of the life work of Mr. yj4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Smitli. A self-made man. lie started out upon iiis business career determined to make the most of his opportunities and advantages and he is to-day one of the oldest representa- tives of the meat trade in this city. More- oxer, he sustains an unassailable re])utation because of reasonable prices, of honorable dealing and an earnest desire to please his patrons through his trade relations as well as in social life and he has won many warm friends who esteem him highly. \OAII E. HUBBARD. One of the extensive landowners of \'er- mili(jn county is Noah E. Hubbard, whose property possessions aggregate six hundred acres of valuable farm land. He has resided in this county since 1840 and is now- living retired from active business, enjoy- ing a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. One-half the width of the continent separates him from his ])irth place — She.'^ield, Massachusetts, where he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the joth of .\o\ember, 1814. He is a son of Xoali E. and Cynthia (Clark) Hubbard, both of whom were natives of the same lo- cality. His father there conducted a dis- tillery and sawmill and also engaged in farming in Massachusetts until 1S19, when he removed westward with his family, set- tling in Michigan, which was his home for two years. He then purcliased an ox team and started for Indiana, while his family made their way to that state in an old log canoe on tlie river. All were on the trip for ;ibi.u.t '^ix weeks and a settlement was then maile in Vermilion county. Indiana, where Noah E. Hubbard, Sr., purchased a farm and also bouglit a hempmill. He engaged in the operation of the latter in connection with the cultivation of his fields until 1835, when he joined the Mormons. Leaving his family in Indiana, he went to Missouri, where he li\ed for three years. On the ex- piration of that ijeriod he returned to Illi- nois, settling in Xau\oo, where he lived with the Mormons until they left that jjart of the country. Mr. Hubbard at that time took up his abode in Vermilion county, Indiana, on tiie (^Id home farm, where he had previ- ously lived, continuing there for two years, when, with his wife, he started for Salt Lake City, Utah, to join the Mormons there. They only proceeded to Council P>luffs, Iowa, when the father was taken ill and died. The mother then returned and lived with her children until her own death. They were the parents of ten children : Parmelia, who n(5w resides in Topeka, Kansas: Lucy Ruth, dececeased ; Charles, a fanner living in L'tah; Cynthia, wh>) has passed away; Xoah E. ; Trudence, deceased: Lucy, who died in infancy: Clark, who is the owner of a large cattle ranch in California and makes his home in that state: William, a farmer of Benton county, Indiana; and David, who died in infruic}'. .\t the age of seventeen years Noah K. Hubbard went to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he worked in a tanyard for four years, receiving his board and clothing in com- ])ensation for his services. He then re- turned to Vermilion county. Indiana, living upon the old home farm there until 1S40, when he crossed the line to X'ermilion coun- ty, Illinois, settling in Georgetown town- shii) at what is now known as Hubbards E(jrd on Big Vermilion creek. There he accepted a position as superintendent (if a sawmill for fifty cents per day and followed that pursuit for six years. He next settled MRS. N. E. HUBBARD. NOAH E. HUBBARD. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 399 on what is known as the Sprouls farm on section 36, Georgetown township, purchas- ing the land and hving there until 1867. In that year he removed to his present farm and in connection with its cultivation also engaged in operating a sawmill until 1892, when hecause of failing health he retired to private life. His has been a useful, active and successful career, in which he has won prosperity and also gained an untarnished name. In 1845 Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Ogden, a daughter of James Ogden, an early settler of this county. Her death occurred in 1880 and many friends mourned her loss. Six children had been born of this marriage : Cardin, who married A. Hayworth and lives in the village of Georgetown; Cynthia, the wife of Ira Courtney, a farmer of George- town township ; Lucy, who died in infancy ; Azrell A., who married Marietta Hayworth and is engaged in farming near Ogden ; Ja- cob, who wedded Sarah Commons and fol- lows agricultural pursuits in Georgetown township ; and Cornelia Alice, the wife of Joseph Gantz, by whom she has one child, Lilly. They reside upon her father's farm, Mr. Gantz carrying' on the work of the fields. When Mr. Hubbard first purchased land in Georgetown township the tract was all co-^-ered with timber, but soon the wood- man's ax gave evidence that the trees were falling beneath his strudy strokes. He cleared off the land, plowed and planted it and also made other improvements. As the years have passed great transformation was wrought in the appearance of his property, which became a very valuable and highly productive farm. His boundaries, too, were extended as Mr. Hubbard made additional 17 purchases until he now owns over six hun- dred acres of land in different parts of Georgetown township and he has likewise given some land to his children. He has a beautiful home on his farm which is now oc- cupied by his daughter and her family, it being one of the most attracti\-e residences in this part of the county. In early life Mr. Hubbard gave his political support to the ^Vhig party. In the ante-bellum days he attended the debates held by Douglas and Lincoln, shaking hands with each statesman. Since the election of Lincoln he has always voted the Republican ticket, strongly en- dorsing the principles of the party. He has almost reached the eighty-ninth milestone on life's journey and no man is better known in this part of V'ermilion county or is more highly esteemed. Splendid success has at- tended his efforts in business. He has worked earnestly and indefatigably and his labors have brought to him a rich reward so that he is now one of the wealthy agri- culturists of this portion of the state. In re- cent years he has enjoyed an honorable re- tirement from labor and the competence which he formerly acquired supplies him with conveniences and many of the luxuries of life. Vast changes have occurred in Ver- milion comity during the time in which he lias resided within its borders, its forests hav- ing been cleared away, its prairies cultivated and the entire district transformed into a rich agricultural tract. Towns and villages too have shared in the general progress and ad\-ancement has been made along material, social, intellectual and moral lines. In the evening of life Mr. Hubbard can look back over the past with just pride for what he has accomplished and he has always lived so that he has enjoyed the esteeem and high regard of his fellow men. 400 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD MRS. RHODA M. HESTER. Ml'.-;. Rhuda Al. Hester is one ut the nati\e residents of \'ennilion county wliu through more tlian three score years and ten has been a witness of the growth and u]i l)uil(Hng of this portion of tlie state. She is now residing in Ridgetarm and enjoys tlie high esteetn of all who know her. She was born December 7, 1827. near X'crmilion Grove, a daughter of Ira and Esther, (Hor- ney) Mills, and her father was a native of Jefferson countv. Tennessee, burn December 4, 1806, and came of a family of rich farm- ing people. He was one of eleven children, all of whom are now deceased. When he was sixteen years ui age he accompanied his par- ents on their removal from Tennessee to Illi- nois, a settlement being made on what be- came known as the Great Mills Farm, two miles west of Vermiliem (Jrove. From that time to the present representatives of the familv have lived upon the land which be- came the property of the grandparents. After arriving at years of maturity Ira Mills was united in marriage to Miss Esther Homey, who was born in Xenia, Ohio, December 12, 1805. Her parents were also farming peo- ple, and she was one of five children. About 1825 the family was established in ^'ermilion county and here on the 1 2th of December, 1826, she gave her hand in marriage to Ira Mills. They lived happily together until the 23d of November, 1836. when ?\Irs. Mills was called to her final rest, leaving a family of six children. The father afterward married ]Mary Dillon, who also belonged to an old family of Tennessee and came to Illinois during her early girlhood. By her marriage she became the mother of thirteen children. In the year 1868 Mr Mil1s removed with his family to Carthage, Missouri, and there he spent his remaining ilays. His second wife died there in 187-'. while his death occurred on the 8th of Ajjril. 1880. The brotiiers and sisters of Mrs. Hes- ter are: Mrs. Louisa Lewis, who was the mother of nine children and is now deceased ; John R., who has also passed away; Paris, who is a merchant of Syracuse, Kansas, and has (jue child; William, who dieil lea\ing four children; and Mrs. Lydia Smith, whose husband is a millwright, of Los Angeles, California. Mrs. .He.ster was reared under the pa- ternal roof and trained to the duties of the' household, continuing her education in th> district schools until she put aside her text books. On the loth of November, 1853, she gave her hand in marriage to John Hester, who ^vas l)orn near Richmond, Indiana, March 1 1, 1827, and was one of a family of se\'en children. By his parents he was brought to \''ermilion county in 1829 and was here reared as a farmer boy, early becom- ing familiar with the duties and lalxirs that fall to the l(.)t of the agriculturist. His entire life was spent in Elwood township and his attention was always given to farm work, which he conducted with profit. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hester was blessed with the following children : Al- fred, who is li\ing at Ridgefarm; Ida M., who died at the age of eleven years; Mrs. Mary E. Rook, of Elwood townshi]), wl. had six children, four of whom are yet liv- ing; Cyrus, of Ridgefarm. who has two children ; Ada, who died in childhood ; and Paris J., a farmer of Ridgefarm. who has five children. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hester were reared in the faith of the Society of I'riends. He was an earnest Christian man whose upright life commended him to the confidence and good will of all with whom THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 401 lie was assuciated. He passed awa}' Jul\ 17, 1899, leaving to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name and to the young an example well worth)' of emulation. Mrs. Hester was always an able assistant of her husband. When she was but seventeen years of age she began teaching, following that profession for se\-en years in order to assist in the support of her father's large family. She had been a student in the Georgetown High School and is a lady ot culture and intelligence. She also spun and wove in an early day in order to assist her family, and after her marriage she faithfully performed the duties of her household, wliile her husband was working in the fields, ^dr. and Mrs. Hester continued to reside upon the home farm until 1S91, when thev came to Ridgefarm where she is now li\-ing, lun'ing here a comfortable home. Her memory forms a connecting link between the pioneer past and the progressive present of Vermil- ion c(.ninty, and she can relate many interest- ing incidents of the days when this section of the state was upon the frontier, and can tell many pleasing tales of the mode of life in that early period. Kindly and generous, the sterling traits of her character and her good c|ualities of heart and mind have made her a loved friend, and one widely and favorabh known in her native county. BENJAMIN EVERHART. On the roll of the dead, anning the men who were prominent, honorable and success- ful in business, appears the name of Benja- min Everhart, and wdiile he has passed away he is yet remembered by many who knew him in Danville and throughout A^'ermilion coun- ty. He came to this city when the Waljash Railroad entered it, from Decatur, Illinois, driving a yoke of oxen. His entrance here was symbolical (jf his business connection with the city for throughout the greater part of his residence here he was engaged in team- ing and his patronage grew as the 3'ears passed by until his luisiness had assumed ex- tensive and profitable proportions. Mr. Everhart was a native of Switzer- land, born on the 17th of September, 1833, and both his parents died in Switzerland dur- ing his early boyhood. He remained a resi- dent of his native land until he was seven- teen years of age wdien he sailed from that country for America, believing that he might ha\'e better opportunities to secure business ad\-ancement in this country where the ener- gy of young men is not ham[)ered by caste or class. Landing in New York he worked as a laborer in the Empire state for a few years, after which he came to the west, settling in Decatur, Illinois. There he purchased an ox- team and was engaged in the draying busi- ness until his removal to Vermilion county. After coming to Danville Mr. Everhart was • here married in i860 to Miss Dorothy Kline, who was a native of Germany, born Febru- ary 27, 1842, her parents being Jacob and Dorothy (Miller) Kline, both of wdiom were natives of the fatherland. Coming to Amer- ica they established a home in Michigan where Mr. Kline eng'aged in farming until he was called to his final rest. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Everhart was blessed with eleven children : John, who is now engaged in the baking business in Indian Territory; Charles, who married Maude Chaftield, and is engineer for the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois Railroad, his home being in Danville; Katherine and Bennie, both deceased; ^Nlary, the wife of Charles Anderson, of Danville. 402 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD wlio left two children, Bennie ami Bessie (twins), who have been adopted by Mrs. Everhart and now live with her; Annie, the wife of John Louck, of Fairmount, Vermil ion county; Rebecca, the wife of Grant Kl berson, a machinist of Danville; Kninia and Bennie, who have also passed away ; Eliza- beth, who resides at home and is employed as a clerk in a stor&in this city ; and \' irginia. also with her mother. The children were all given go(xl educational privileges and thus prepared for life's practical and responsible duties. After coming to this city Mr. Everhart engaged in teaming with his ox-team and assisted in hauling the rock used in the con- struction of the first bridges over the Ver- milion river at Danville. He also aided in the construction of those bridges. For several years he carried on general teaming and then took charge of the Danville dray line. During the last seventeen years of his life he was engaged in the draying business and his services were in constant demand. There was nuich difference between his good teams of horses and his outfit of oxen and old fashioned wagon which he had at the timt oi his arri\-al. His patronage, too, had in- creased with the passing years and as the result of liis labors he had acquired a com- fortable competence. He was always an in- dustrious, hard working, energetic man, and these qualities brought to him the confidence and good w'ill of those witli whom he came in contact. Fie passed away July 28, 1895 but his memory is still cherished by many who knew him and respected him because his life was in consistent harmony w ilh the prin- ciples of upright manhood. In politics he was independent. sup])orting the candidates whom he believed best (pialified for ofificc. He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Danville, and was highly esteemed in the fraternity. Mrs. Everhart is a member of tlie German ^lethodist Episco- l)al Church of this city and siie now resides at her home at Xo. 31 South Walnut street with her daughters. She has long lived here and has a wide acquaintance. She has seeti Danville grow from the conditions of a vil- lage until it has become one of the leading metropolitan centres of this great state. IJke her husband she well deserves mention u\ this volume devoted to the worthy and re])re- sentative citizens of Vermilion county. H.XRRISON FAIRCHILD. The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferretl hon- or and dignity upon society. The world judges the character of a community by that of its representative citizens and yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of a state's prosperity and ])ride: and it is their character, as exemplified in probity and be- nevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in the affairs of life, that is ever afYording worthy examples for emul;ili(jn and \-aluable les- sons of incentive. To a student of biogra])hy there is noth- ing more interesting than to exaiuine the life historx' of a self-made man and to de- tect the elements of character which have enabled him to pass on the highwa_\- of life many of the ci Danville and he is now serving as one of its stewards. He was elected by the ([uarterly conference. Bismarck circuit, Dan\illc district, as a lay delegate to the Illinois (|uadrennial confer- ence of the Methodist Epi.scopal church held in Jacksonville, September, 1879; Danville in 1883: Decatur in 1887; and Jackson\ille in 1 891. His wife belongs to several nf the church societies and both are active in sup- port of the church, contributing in m;uiy wavs to its growth and upbuilding. In all THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 409 the relations of life Mr. Fairchild has proved himself to be an earnest, honest, up- right man and a citizen of whom the com- munity luay justly be proud. ELIJAH J. BOORDE. In pioneer times, about a half century agx), the Boorde family was established in Vermilion county and the old homestead farm was the birthplace of the subject of this review, his natal day being May 17, 1859. He is a son of George and Sarah A. (Bow- ling) Boorde and the ancestry can be traced back through sevral generations to England the first of the name coming from Yar- mouth, that country, to America, bringing with him his wife, their two children and their maid servants. They took passage on a vessel called Mary Ann, and on the i6th of October. 1^137, they became residents of Newberry, ^lassachusetts. The progeny of these first American ancestors is now very numerous in the new world. Elijah Boorde, Sr., the grandfather of our subject, was a brick mason and farmer. He married Nancy Crane, who was born March 4, 1801, and was a representative in the si.xth generation of the Tappan familv, of Enghsh descent. Among their children was George Boorde, the father of our subject. He was born June 27, 1826, in Warren county, Ohio, and on the 9th of September, 1847, h^ was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Bowling, wdiose birth occurred October 21, 1829, in Fountain county. Indiana. Mr. Boorde was reared about seven miles east of Covington, in Fountain county, having accompanied his parents on their removal to that locality when the country was all wild and unimproved. and in the midst of pioneer conditions he spent the days of his boyhood and youth, acquiring his education in the primitive schools of those days. He afterward en- gaged in farming through tire summer months, while in the winter seasons he fol- lowed teaching, and his wife also engaged in teaching before her marriage. Mrs. Boorde was a representative of one of the earliest families of Covington, Indiana, and there she resided until 1854, when the family came to A'ermilion count) Illinois. Here the father began farming up- on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of land which was entirely destitute of im- pro\-ements, not even a furrow having been turned upon the place. The journey west- ward had been made in a "prairie schooner" in the primiti\'e style of the times, for there were no railroads and the work of progress and improvement had scarcely been begun in this portion of the state. \\'ith character- istic energy, however, ]\Ir. Boorde began to clear and improve his land, using a plow wdiich was drawn by an ox-team. The family lived in true pioneer style and while the father was engaged in the work of the fields the mother spun and wove the material used for clothing for the family. As the years progressed the labors of Mr. Boorde resulted in transforming his land ' into a very richly culti\-ated farm, the well tilled fields returning to him golden harvests while the e.xcellent buildings placed upon the land also stood as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He devoted his energies to the raising of grain and stock until after the outbreak of the Ci\il war, when his patriotic spirit being aroused he offered his services to the government, enlisting in Company C, of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illi- nois Infantry, being with the regiment as 410 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD it marched to Nashville. The long, arduou- march, ho\ve\'er, undermined his health, am' he was transferred to the Invalid Corps and afterward stationed at a camp in southern Indiana. Subsequently he was sent to Canii Dennison, in Ohio, and for some time was ill. Word reached his wife that he was worse and she immediately started for Columbus, Ohio, and on reaching there hastened to Camp Chase thinking to find her husband, but before her arrival he had passed away and was Iniried, his death having occurred November 5, 1863, — one of the brave sol- diers who laid down his life as a sacrifice upon the altar of his country. He was a de- \-out meml)cr of the Christian Church, a man of upright life and irreproachable character, and his remains were interred in the cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. Mrs. Boorde still sur- vives her husband and is now living in In- dianola in her seventy-tliird year. In the family were six children : Rosina, now de- ceased ; Alpheus, who married Stella Jones, and is living in Oakwood township; Enoch P., who died at the age of two years; Mar- tha, the wife of Joseph Fisher, of Fith ian ; lilijah J. ; and Ida May, who died at the age of twenty-four years. Elijah J. Boorde, the fifth in order of birth, named in honor of his grandfather, was reared upon the old home farm which is still his place of residence, and in the dis- trict schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education. He has always lived here with the exception of a period of two years spent in Danville and one year in South Da- kota. He to-day owns the old homestead and has added to it a tract of eighty acres, making in all two hundred and twenty acres save that at the time of the building of the railroad a small ])ortion was cut off, lca\ing two hundred and sixteen acres, which con- stitutes one of the richest and best improved farms of the Prairie state, pleasantly and conveniently located on section 12, Oakwood township, about a mile and a quarter north- west of the town of b'ithian. His farm is .splendidly improved with all modern equip- ments and accessories for facilitating work Mr. Boorde employs a number of men to ])erf irm the active \vork of field and mead- (jw, and to the business of farming he gives his careful super\ision, and his capable man- agement and executive ability form import- ant elements in its successful control. The land is well tiled, the fields highly cultivated and fine stock is raised. The home is a very attractive, commodious residence, forming one of the pleasing featvu'es of the landscape and all the other buildings of the place are substantial and well adapted for the use to which they are put. Mr. I'x.iorde also owns an interest in the Fithian Telephone Com- pany, the line extending from Fithian throughout the surrounding country and also into Champaign county. On the 23d of February, 1888, Mr. Boorde was united in marriage to Miss An- nie B. Thompson, whose birth occurred March 31, 1861, in Oakwood township. Ver- nu'lion county, while in the district schools she acquired her preliminaiy education which was supplemented bv one year's attendance at the high .school of Danville. She has been a popular teacher of her native county hav- ing successfully taught for about twelve terms in Oakwood township. She was the third in a family of twelve children born unto John R. and Elizabeth (Wright) Thompson. Her paternal grandparents were Joseph and Xancy (Stoughton) Thom]>son, the former a native of Xcw Jer- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 411 sey and the latter of Pennsylvania. John R. Thompson was horn in Washington county, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1830, and was the eighth in a family of eighteen chil- dren, twehx of whom reached years of ma- turity. On the 27th of Nox'emher, 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizaheth Wright, and in order to pro\ide for his fam- ily he engaged in agricultural pursuits, be- coming one of the leading stock raisers of Vermilion county. He made a specialty of sheep, keeping on hand graded Shropshire and i\Ierinoes. He herded a drove of over one thousand sheep upon the prairie in an early day. He was also a lover of good horses and owned four fine horses of Ken- tucky running stock. In business afi'airs he was prominent and influential, and was a citizen of worth in Vermilion county, hon- ored and respected by all who knew him Mrs. Boorde is a sister of Judge Thompson. of this county. By her marriage she has' become the mother of two children, !\Ial)el and John Rosslyn, both of whom are stu- dents in the schools of Fithian. Mr. Boorde has served as school director and the cause of education finds him an advocate of progress and improvement along that line. He has also served as township trustee and has been Republican county com-' mitteeman for two terms, being a stanch advocate of the Republican party. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Metho- dist Episcopal church of Fithian and he is a member of the Modern Woodmen Camp of that place. His entire life has been passed in this county and the circle of his friends is an extensive one. While there has been nothing exciting or sensational in his career it is that of a man who has always been loyal to duty, faithful in citizenship and true to the relations of the home and of friendship. \\'. A. FLIXT. From the age of twehe years W. A. Flint has depended upon his own resources for a livelihood and the success which he has achieved has come to him as a result of his own labor and diligence. He was born i. Lincoln county, Kentucky, on the lOth of Alay, 1862, and was reared to manhood in that state. His educational privileges were \'ery meager, for his parents were poor and his services were needed upon the home farm. After his fathers' death, wdiich oc- curred when the subject of this review was only eleven years of age, W. A. Flint assisted in supporting the family of eight children. When twelve years of age he entered the store as a clerk and there remained for five years, li\-ing during that time at East Bern- stead, Kentucky. During the first year o his business connection at that place he sent ten thousand dollars by express, as the re- sult of the year's trade. He remained there for three years and then sold out. He had had the entire management of the business and had displayed much ability in its con- trol. On the expiration of that period he returned to his native county and entered the store in which he had formerly acted as clerk. In the meantime he had broadened his knowledge by attending night school and through reading and observation he had be- come a well informed man, realizing that mental training and education were necessi- ties of a successful bnsiness career. For two years he remained in his native county and after his marriage he went to Texas in 1886, making his way to Abilene. He took with him two hundred dollars in cash and there rented a house for twelve dollars per month. He entered the employ of a furniture dealer who paid him one dol- 412 THE BIOGRAPHICJAJ. RECORD lar per day for llie lirst year's wages. He prnseil So valuable to the owner that he won promotion rapidly and inside of tlirei. years he owned the building and tlie stock, acquiring this by reason of the stringency of the money market caused b)' the drought of 1887-8. its proprietors became discour- aged and on account of poor lousiness i)ros- pects he left Texas and went to Central America where he is now li\ing. When a year had passed ]\Ir. Elint admitted a part- ner to the business. Sales had not been very good because of the drouglit and ex- isting conditions of things in the south, but he persevered in his work and in 1888-9 he purchased the stock of all competitors in the turniturc business, becoming the owner of two stores, one in the northern ])art of the town and another in the southern jiart. He did all of the furniture and undertaking busi- ness in this town of live thousand inliabi- tants for ten years, having no competition. His trade covered a radius of one hundred miles in all directions. He remained in busi- ness there for fifteen years meeting with splendid success in his undertakings. He also became the owner of two valuable ranches, one of twenty-seven hundred acres, and the other of four thousand acres. These were splendidly stocked, his horses number- ing four hundred, his cattle five hundred. At length, however, Mr. IHiut disposed of his various business interests in Texas and came to Hoopeslon in 189S. At Lincoln. Illinois, he piu'chased a stock of shoes value;» at ten thousand dollars and shipped these to Hoopeston, also adding a grocery stock. In the meantime he had purchased a stock of dry goods in Kansas City, which he also shipped to Hoopeston, and opening these various lines of goods he conducted business for about two years as an extensive and suc- cessful merchant. .\t the end of that time, however, he suffered verv serious losses amounting to about twenty-five thousand dollars. This was a result of a diftlculty which he had with a man by the name of H. Kirliy, who had talsely manipulated land deals for Mr. Mint, making these business relations result to his own benefit instead of to the owner of the ])roperty. Mr. Kirby had completely won Mr. Mint's confidence and later he abused this in the most shame- ful manner. Troul)le arising between them in self-defense Mr. Mint shot the man bu did not fatrdl\- injure him. In his course our subject received the su])port of the best resi- dents of Hoopeston antl was ac(|uitted. Starting out in business life anew at this place he became a broker and real-estate agent and has since continued his efforts along these lines. \\'hile maintaining liis residence in Hoopeston he has to a large ex- tent superintended landed investments scat- tered over the state which are the property of the Bank of Salem, acting as agent for ]\Ir. Marshall, of that place. He sold one farm in southern Illinois for yiv. Alarshall, for twenty-two thousand live hundred dollars cash. This tract com]irised one hundred and sixty acres, .and Mr. Mint succeeded in get- ting a higher \n\ce for the land than any that had ever been paid in that part of the state. He possesses sound judgment, keen discrimination and marked executi\'e force — qualities which are very valuable in business life. lUiilding a hotel in I'ana, Illinois, he ciMiductcd it for a number of years and then sold out. He has also'bought and sold farms in this state and he now owns six hundred and forty acres of valuable land on the Chi- cago & Eastern Illinois Railroad about fifty- five miles south of Ciiicago. He also owned the city electric light plant for a year and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 4'3 managed it during that time, after which he sold it tn J 901. He is also the owner of a half interest in the Cuinningham Hotel. He has two hundred and forty acres of farm land near Salem. Illinois, and eighty acre^ near Kankakee, togetlier with some town property. Mr. Flint was united in marriage tn Lockie B. Daniels, a native of Lincoln coun- ty, Kentucky, wdiere they were married. Her people are now living in Abilene. Texas, while Mr. Flint's people still reside in Ken- tucky. Three days after the wedding wa: performetl the young couple started for the Lone Star state, where they remained for a numlier of years. The marriage has been l)Iessetl w ith four children : Harold, War- ren. J. P. and Ferris Audrey. In his polit- ical \iews Mr. Flint is a Bryan Democrat. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity, of Abilene, Texas, and holds mem- ijership in the Baptist church. Such in brief is his life history and those who read be- tween the lines may know something of the struggle which he has had in the business world, but though he has met difficulties and obstacles he has persevered in the face of such opposition and to-day he occupies an enviable position, prominent both because of his success and of the confidence reposed in him. EPHRAIM BARNHART. Ephriam Barnhart. now deceased, fol- lowed farming throughout his entire life and was long a resident of Vermilion county re- spected as a worthy representative of its agricultural interests. He settled in Edgar county, Illinois, at an early day and thence came to this section of the state. Mr. Barn- hart was a native of Pennsyh'ania. liorn July 10. 1834. and his parents, Jacob and Mary Barnhart. were also natives of the Keystone state. There they spent the greater portion of their lives, the father following the occupation of farming in Pennsylvania until his death. The mother, however, af- terward came to Illini)is and died at the home of her son George in Edgar county. * Mr. Barnhart of this review was indebted to the common schools of Pennsylvania for the educational pri\-ileges which he enj(.iyed in his youth. He resided in the state of his nativity during the period of his minority, assisting his father upon the home farm un- til after he became of age. He then made his way westward settling in Edgar county, Illi- nois, where he purchased a farm seven miles east of Paris. Here he began cultivating the soil on his own account and was engaged in the further development and improve- ment of his place. When the country, aroused over the issue of slavery and of the secession of the south, became involved in Civil war, he resolved to strike a blow in defense of.the L'nion. It was on the 28th of May. 1862. that Mr. Barnhart enlisted, be- coming a member of Company E, One Hun- dred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, at Paris, this state. He was under the com- mand of Captain Campbell and Colonel Birge and with his regiment he participated in a number of important engagements in- cluding the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. Fie was never injured, however, in an encounter with the enemy, but because of failing health he received an hon(5rable discharge. Fie then returned to the farm in Edgar county and was there living at the time of his marriage. In 1863 Mr. Barnhart was joined in w'edlock to Miss Eliza T. Barrow, a nali\-e 4'4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of Augusta county, X'irginia, born Xovem- ber i6, 1835, her parents being Bayless and Nancy (Myers) Barrow. Theye were na- tives of \'irginia and removed to Vigo coun- ty, Indiana, during tlic early girlliood of Mrs. Barnhart and there they h\ed until their death. The father devoted his atten- tions to agricultural pursuits. The home of oiu' subject and his wife was blessed with four children : Halbert. who resides with his mother, and is engaged in farming near the city ; Carrie, the wife of Walter Hannum. a plumber of Dan\-ille. by whom she has two children. Howard and Walter: Elea- niira, the wife of Robert Sage, a boiler ma- ker in Chicago; and Mayme, the wife of William H. Carson, a plumber of Danville, who is a member of the firm of Carson i^ Company. They reside with Mrs. Barnhart and have two children, Thomas Henry and Freddie Barnhart. Our subject and his wife Ijegan their domestic life upon his farm in Edgar county, Illinois, and there remained for eight years, after which they removed to Denison. Texas, where our subject .carried on agricultural pursuits for two years. He then returned to Illinois, settling in Clark county, where he carried on farm work for four rears, or until 1884 when he moved with his family to Dan- ville. During the summer months he con- tiiuicd his farm work and during the winter seasons he followed teaming in this city until his health failed him and he was obliged to ]Mit aside business cares, living retired from that time imtil called to his final rest. He passed away December 24, 1898. deeply re- gretted by his many friends. He had very firm faith in the principles of the Republi- can party and always supported its men and measures. Socially he was connected with the Grand Army Post of this city. Brooking no obstacle that could be overcome by de- termined and earnest effort, he achieved suc- cess in this way and at the same tiine he won a good name and left to his family and friends an example well worthy of emula- tion. .Mrs. Barnhart is a member of the First Cumberland Presbyterian church of Danville. She occupies a nice residence at No. 907 Robinson street, where she is li\ing with her son and with Mr. and Mrs. W. II. Carson. » » * • \\ILLIAM COSSAIRT. L'])ni; a good farm on section 4, Middle- fork township, lives William Cossairt and his ]jlace of one hundred and sixtv acres is eipiippetl with modern accessories which in- dicate him to l)e a progressive agriculturist. His land adjoins the town of Potomac on Ihe west and thus the comforts of town life are easily secured. A native son of Illinois, he was born near the city of Danville, July 5, 1836. His father was Da\id Cossairt, his grandfather Albert Cossairt and both were natives of Kentucky. The latter re- miived with his family to Illinois in early j)ioneer liiues, settling in \'ermilion county north of the present city of Danville. There he secured a tract of wild land, which he transformed into a good farm, becoming one of the prosperous and well known agri- cidturists of his community. L'pon that place he reared his family and there lived to the rijic old age of more than ninety years. D.-ivid Cossairt was reared upon the old h(imestead and early became familiar with the arduous task of developing new land, lie also shared with the family in the vari- ous hardships and trials incident to frontier life. He was married in X'ermilion county MRS. WILLIAM COSSAIRT. WILLIAM COSSAIRT. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 419 to Jane Caldwell, a native of Germany, who came wit1i her parents from Ohio to Ilh- nois. In order to provide for liis wife and fiir the children who were afterward added to the family, David Cossairt followed farming, living near the old homestead for several years. In 1842 he purchased the place now owned and occupied by his son \\'illiam and here he began farm work, making the first impro\ements on the place. His home w^as a hewed log house, in which he resided until the time of his death, which occurred about 1845, when he w^as yet a young man. His wife survived him for sev- eral years. Of the family of two sons and two daughters ^Villiam Cossairt is the eld- est. His brother John was a soldier of the war of the Rebellion, serving in Company I of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illi- nois Infantry, and he died at Nashville, Tennessee, during the war. Mary, one of the sisters, grew to womanhood, was mar- ried and at her death left a son, William H. Young, who now resides in Idaho. The other sister, Margaret, is the wife of Isaac Dwiggin, of Waynetown, Indiana. In taking up the personal history of William Cossairt we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Vermilion county. He grew to manhood on the farm wdiere he now li\'es and bought out the interest of the other heirs in the old home place, thus suc- ceeding to the ownership. He has cleared and broken the land, has fenced the fields and made the farm what it is to-day — a rich- ly developed tract splendidly adapted for ag- ricultural pursuits. He also erected a neat and substantial residence and planted an or- chard, the trees of which now bear good fruit. Some of the trees of his own planting are at the present time more than two feet in diameter, these being set out fifty-eight years ago. He has also tiled his land and added many ecjuipments of value to facili- tate farm work. He is now making a spe- cialty of feeding and fattening hogs and cat- tle for the market and is justly numbered among the successful stockmen of the county. In Middlefork township in 1861 was cel- ebrated the marriage of Air. Cossairt and Louisa A, Smith, a daughter of Septimus Smith, a native of England, but his daugh- ter was born and reared in Vermilion coun- ty. By this union there have been born nine children; William S., who is a practicing physician of Potomac ; Adeline S., at home ; David S., who is married and follows farm- ing in Middlefork township; Samuel A., also a farmer of the same township ; Laura Grace and Mary May, both at home; an I John. They lost two children, Emma, the first Ijorn, who died at the age of twenty months ; and Josephine, who died in in- fancy. Mr. Cossairt became of age in 1857 and it was therefore that in i860 he cast his first presidential vote. His ballot was de- posited for Abraham Lincoln and he has since been an earnest supporter of the Re- publican party, its men and its measures. He has served as school trustee since twen- ty-seven years of age, covering a period of more than four decades. He has also been township trustee for a number of years and for four consecutive years has been asses- sor. He has likewise served as a delegate to numerous conventions of his party and in all public offices of trust he has been prompt and faithful in the discharge of his duties. He and his wife hold membership in the Potomac Methodist Episcopal church and have been true to its teachings as exemplified in their noble relations with their fellow men. For over sixty years ]\Ir. Cossairt has 420 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD resided upon the farm which is yet his home. Perliaps this record is equalled by that of no other resident of \'crmilion county. His entire life has been passed within the borders of tins county and he has watched its won- derful transformation. Great indeed have been the changes which have been wrought as the swampy land has been made to pro- duce abundant harvests. As towns and cities have been built the work of progress and im- provement lias been carried forward along all lines. There is not a man in the commu- nity more highly respected than William Cossairt and no history of this portion of the state would be complete without the rec- ord of his life. JESSE LEEKA. M. D. The (_[ualitics which make a successful physician ha\e long been manifested in the career of. Dr. Leeka, who is now practicing in Oakwood, Vermilion county, and his pro- fessional business has long been of an im- portant as well as of an extensive charac- ter. The Doctor was born in Clinton coun- ty, Ohio, May 19, 1830, and his father, Philip Leeka, was born in Washington coun- ty, \^irginia, in 1799, wdiile the grandfather of our subject was of German birth and was one of the Hessian soldiers that were hired by England without their consent to servt: in the Revolutionary war. Contrary winds, however, delayed the shi]is in which they embarked and the war was o\er before they arrix'ed in the new world. jNIr. Leeka, how- ever, decided to remain and settled in Vir- ginia. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Hodson, who was ])nrn in North Carolina in 1797. It was in Clinton county, Ohio, that .she gave her hand in marriage to Philip Leeka, who was a farmer by occupation. He remo\ed to that county about 1815, settling upon a tract of land there. He spent his remaining days in that locality and died in June, 1884. The mother of our subject had passed away ir. Januar}-. 1843, and Philip Leeka later wed- ded Miss l*"razier, who is also now deceased. His political adherence was given to the Whig party in early life and he afterward became a Republican. In the family were ten children, namely. Jonathan, wIk) resides at New Vienna, Clinton county, Ohio Sarah, whu died in September, 1900; Han- nah, will 1 became the wife of Joseph A. Han- sel and Ii\ed for a time in Cedar county, Iowa but afterward removed to Linn coun- ty, that state, and died in Marion, Inwa, in the spring of 1900; Christian, who died at the age of seven years; the Doctor, who is the fifth in order of birth ; Henry, who was twice in.arried and who served as a L'ninn soldier in the Civil war and made his home in Clinton county, Ohio, where he died in May, 1901 ; Mary, who wedded John In- gold, who died in 1879 in New \^ienna, Clinton county, Ohio, where his widow now resides : ^Vlathew, who married Lucinda But- ler, of Hancock county, and has one chile' a daughter, and resides upon the old home- stead farm in Clinton county; John \\''esley. who enlisted in 1861 as a member of Com- pany A, Forty-eighth Ohio Infantry, and served for three years with the Union army and while on duty was wounded in the foo; at Pittslnirg Landing; and Martha E., who is the youngest of the family, now li\-ing in New \^ienna, Clinton county, Ohio. Dr. Leeka pursued his education in the Hoskins district school and in New Vienna. Ohio. He afterward engaged tn teaching BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 42 I for four niunths and later he came to Illi- nois, settling in Tuscola, Douglas county, where he taught school in the winter of 1883-4. r^rom 1876 until 1878 he was a stu- dent in the Indiana Physio Medical College at Indianapolis, in which he was graduated with the class of 1878. He afterward prac- ticed in Jerome and Kokomo, Indiana, and later went to Missouri and to Kansas, but after a few months spent in the west he re- turned to Illinois and engaged in teaching school in Tuscola. From that place he re- moved to Fairmount, where he practiced medicine until 1886, when he came to Oak- wood and entered upon a professional career which has been profitable and has dcmon- ctrated his skill in a marked degree. On the 22(1 of February, 1855, in Rush- ville. Rush county, Indiana, the Doctor wed- ded Rebecca A. Macy, who was born in Henry county, Indiana, June i, 1835. Her father, b^rancis B. IMacy. was a native of North Carolina, and was descended from one of three brothers of the name, who came from England to the new world when the Quakers were being banished from that country. They took up their abode in Nan- tucket and there, intermingling with the In- dians, married some of the maidens of the red race. Francis B. married Hulda B. Hunt, a nati\-e of North Carolina and a rep resentative of an old family of that state, prominent in jjublic affairs and active as members of the Quaker Society. They were married in Henrj' count)', Indiana, where the father followed his trade of a tinsmith. Subsequently he removed to Rush county, Indiana, and afterward to Kokomo, where both he and his wife lie buried. He voted with the Whig party and was identified with the Society of Friends. Mrs. Leeka was one of a familv of four children, but the onh' one now survi\-ing is John L. Macy, a resident of Kokomo. Mrs. Leeka died April 14, 1873, and on the 3d of May, 1885, i" Fairmount, Illinois, the Doctor wedded Miss Elizabeth J. Timmons, who was born in Car- roll county, Indiana, in 1838. By the first marriage there were five children. Francis Edgar, who married Sarah Sisson, is man- ager of the Durango Smelting Works of Durango, Colorado. Charles V.. who re- sides on a farm in Porter county, Indiana, wedded Ida Ailsworth and they had fi\-( children, of whom two are living. Theodore and Ethel. \\'illiam L., wh became a phy- sician but is now a photographer of Fair- mount has been twice married and by his union with :Mary Gibson had three children, while by the second marriage one child has been born. Cora Ann, the fourth of the family, died at the age of twelve years. Dan- iel K., who is a practicing dentist, is also a photographer. Dr. Leeka is a stanch Republican and for two terms served as coroner in Henry coun- ty, Indiana. For fourteen years he has been notary public and for four years was post- master, while at the present time he is serv- ing as clerk of Oakwood township. He be- longs to Newton Lodge, No. 714, F. & A. M.. having been a Mason for forty-nine years, becoming a member of the craft in New Vienna, Ohio. He has served as ex- aminer for all the insurance fraternal or- ganizations which have representatives in Oakwood and for many insurance societies. He is a member of the American Phvsio Medical Association and of the Illinois Phy- sio Medical Association and through these relations he keeps in touch with the advanced thought of the profession, with the investiga- tions which are continually being made and with the experiments which result in broad- 422 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ening knowledge and promoting the effi- ciency of the physician. The Doctor is also a member of tlie Metlrodist Episcopal church and of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is entitled to membership in the latter be- cause of his services as a Union soldier in the Civil war. He enlisted at Carthage in Rush county, Indiana, December 12, 1863, as a member of Company E, Ninth Indiana Cav- aln,% with which he served until the 29th of September, 1S65. He was then mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi. His regiment par- ticipated in a number of noted engagements and while at the front he contracted rheuma- tism because of the dampness occasioned by the swamps by which the troops were many times surrounded. Dr. Leeka is to-day as true and loyal in matters of citizenship as he was when he wore the nation's blue uni- form and in ci\ic office and in professional life he is most faithful to the trust reposed in him. He stands to-day among the promi- nent res])ected and honored men of his com- munitv. and nn history of Oakwood or this section of Vermilion county would be com- plete without the record of his career. WILLIAM DAVIS. ^^'illiaul f. Davis, a real-estate operator of Danville, was born in Vermilion county, August I, 1838, and is a representative of one of the old pioneer f;unilies of that local- ity. His father. James A. Davis, was a na- tive of England and in the year 1828 sailed for .\merica, landing at Savannah, Georgia, where for a time he was cm])loyc(I as a clerk in a store. He afterward started up the ■Mississi])pi river in the boat. Rrandywine, but the vessel caught lire and he jumped into the ri\er, swimming ashore with the aid of a board. He lost all he had, however, and after being furnished transportation to Natchez, he walked from there to Danville. He had been given a suit of old clothes and a little nioncN', but he bad only twehe cents upon his arrival here and he had never worked out of doors before in his life, being entirely unused to the hard labor of a farm or other such occupation. He was accom- panied by a man of the name Russell, who was also without funds. An old Quaker gave them shelter over night and then made a gift of one dollar and twenty- fi\'e cents to each, sending them on their way rejoicing. The lirst thing which Mr. Davis did in X'crmilion county was to conduct a school, '[lie settlers built a little log school-, house in the spring of 1S32 and he became a teacher of the first school e\'er taught in Danville, thus laying the foundation for the educational ilevelopment of this portion of the state. The building was located at what is now the foot of Hazel street and there Mr. Davis taught for three months, after which he volunteered for service in the Black Hawk w.ir and not only did he do his mili- tary (hity but he also acted as nurse to some old soldiers who had cholera. He was never sick or wounded, however, and after the war he returned to Danville, where in tlie foUowuig spring he was married and llicn engaged in farming. It was on the 22(1 (jf March, 1833, in this city that he wedded Lavina Canaily, a native of Kentucky, and for a year be li\cd upon a rented farm, after which be took up go\-ernment land near Statelinc, coiitinuing there until 1847, when he removed to a large farm in the north- western part of the county, carrying on ag- ricultural pursuits until the 15th of May, 1S51. when he retired from farm life and removed to Danville, where he lived until 1888. Me then went to California in tlie WILLIAM J. DAVIS THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 427 hope of benefiting- liis witVs healtli and they Hved in Anaheim, Orange county, until called to their final rest, Mr. Davis passing away May i. 1902, and his wife on the 17th of August, 1S95. He was a Republican in politics and by appointment served for sev- eral terms as deputy shei-itT, but he always refused to become a candidate for any elec- tive office. He was, however, deeply inter- ested in public alTairs, contributing of his time and efiorts to the jiromotion of all measures calculated to prove of general ben- efit. For many years he was a member of the Odd Fellows Society and was an active and helpful member of the Christian church, his life being in harmony with its teachings, in fact, to known James A. Davis was to es- teem and honor him for his upright career made him win the regard of all and he should also be held in grateful remembrance by the people of Vermilion county for what he did in its behalf, for he assisted in laying broad and deep the foundation of pioneer development, upon which rests the present prosperity and progress of this section of the state. William J. Davis is one of a family of five children, all yet living, and was the first born. The others are: Frances P., the wife of W. R. Harker, a resident of California; Mary, the widow of Leonidas M. Brown, who died in Los Angeles, California, where she is now living; Julia, who is the widow of John Lane and resides in Gardetr Grove, Orange county, California; and Alice, who makes her home with her sister Julia. In his early youth W^illiam J. Davis pur- sued his education under his father's in- struction in a country school in Newell township and afterward attended the public schools of Danville until nineteen years of age. when he accepted a clerkship in the Le Seuer store, where he remained for a year. 18 He was afterward in the employ of W. R. Gessie for six months and then accepted the position of deputy county clerk under J. C> Short, serving for four years. At the end of that time, in August, 1862, Mr. Davis became a defender of the Union, joining the boys in blue of Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, enlisting at Danville under Captain William W. Fel- lows and Colonel O. F. Harmon. He was then ordered to Louis\-ille, Kentucky, to join the Ami}- of the Cumberland and served for four months when he was taken ill, because of exposure and was discharged for physical disability. He returned to Danville but for a year thereafter was confined to his home and when he had sufficiently recovered his health he entered the office of the circuit clerk, who had been county recorder when ^[r. Davis served as deputy. For four years he occupied that position and then w'as en- gaged in the abstract business for five years, since which time he has been engaged in real estate dealing. Perhaps no better idea of Mr. Da\'is" high reputation as a business man can be given than to quote a letter wdiich was signed and endorsed by many of t he leading citizens of this section of the state an.d other portions of Illinois. It read : "This letter will introduce to you Mr. Will- iam J. Davis, a man whom I have known for many years as a careful, honest, inde- fatigable worker. He has been in the real estate and abstract business for a great many years and he is well ([ualified to attend to anything in that line of business as any man in the county. I heartily commend him to your careful consideration. "V^ery truly yours, Thomas J. Dale, county cleric. W. C. Thompson, county treasurer. "I heartily and cheerfully concur." J. G. Cannon, member of congress. 428 THE BIOGRArillCAL RECORD F. Bodkwalter. judge of the circuit court of tlie fifth judical district. M. J. Barger. circuit clerk. C. V. Guy, manager of \'enTiilion County .M)jtract Company. W. J. Callioun. inter .state commerce commissioner. C. M. Swallow, president of Glcnbiirn Coal Com- pany. "I concur in the above :" William P. Cannon, president Second National Bank. "So do I :" John C. Black, Manadnock Building, Chicago. J. B. Mann, Lawyer, Marquette Building, Chicago. Jacob W. VVilkins, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Illinois. James Sloan, Sheriff. M. W. Thompson, county judge. L. D. Gass, casliier First Natinal Bank. M. J. Wolford, cashier Palmer National Bank. Jolin G. Thompson, assistant attorney general of I Washington. D. C. On the lotli of December, 1863, in Dan- ville, Mf. Davis marfied Charlotte E. Baker, who \vas horn in Fort Kent. Essex county, Xew "^'ork. October 22, 1843. ^^^ father, J. R. Baker, was a native of Eng- land and in New York was married to Mar- garette Frazier, a native of Fort Kent, New York, In the year 1850 they came to the west and after ten years located in Danville, where Mr. Baker was engaged in the boot and shoe business until his death, which occurred in 1881, His wife survived him until 1888. In politics he was a Democrat. Mrs. Davis had three brothers. Unto our subject and his wife have been born three children : Charles E., who died at the age of eighteen years; Edwilda F.. the wife of Walker F. Rabb, a resident of Engle- wood, Illinois, by whom she has one child. Ina. and Harry W,. who married Clara Shultz. who died in 1894. since which time he has wedded Lena Burroughs. They reside in Danville and ha\e two chil- dren, Charles E, and James A. In his political views Mr, Davis is a Rei)ubhc;in but has always refusetl to be- come a candidate for oftice. He was formerly a member of the Odd I'ellows So- ciety and he belongs to the Christian church. He owns property in Dan\ille and has an office in the Daniels Building, where he con- ducts a good real estate business. C. H. GILLESPIE. C. H, Gillespie is thoroughly familiar with the builder's art and through a number of years has been closely associated with the building interests of Danville where many line structures have arisen as monuments to his skill and enterprise. He was born in Detroit, ^Michigan, November 21, 1849, '""'^ father being William G, Gillesi)ie, who was born in the Shenandoah Valley of Pennsyl- vania, In Michigan he was united in mar- riage to Eliza Swan and in order to i)rovide for his family he followed agricultural pur- suits. They became the parents of five chil- dren, all of whom are yet living, namely C. LI., Lo\ell, I'rank, Ba.xter and Grace. The last named is now making her home with her mother in Birmingham, Michigan. The father is deceased, having departed this life in 1887. .\t the usual age C. H. Gillespie entered the public schools and thus he acquired his education. In the periods of vacation he worked upon his father's farm, becoming familiar with the labors of field and meadow, FIc was thus emplyed until twenty-one years of age when he abandoned the i)low for the saw and plane. He mastered carpentry work in Michigan and in 1875 '^^ came to Dan ville, where two days later he secured a posi- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 429 tiun in the coach department of tlie Chicago & Eastern lUinois Raih"oad Company. Tliere lie was employed for four }-ears and ter. mcjnths, giving excellent satisfaction. On lea\ing that service he worked for two years as a journeyman carpenter and then began general contracting and building which ho has since followed with signal success. He has erected many of Danville's sul)stantial and attractive residences and business houses. He built the Young Men's Chris- tian Association block, the Germantowri school building, the Hendricks flats and the Gimbell store building, together with many others. In tact he has enjoyed a liberal share of the patronage in his line in Dan- ville. For two years he was associated with a partner, but throughout the remainder of the period since Ijeginning business on his own account he has been alone. During the past few years his work has been conifnefl chiefly to this city and he has executed man) important contracts which indicate his aliil ity in the line of his chosen occupation. He is most trustworthy and reputable in busi- ness afifairs and this, combined with his me- chanical skill, enables him to enjoy in a large measure the support and confidence of the public. Mr. Gillespie is a member of the Knights of the Globe. His political support is given the Republican party and he was solicited to become a candidate for alderman from his ward but refused to do so, having no political ambitions, being content to devote his entire time and attention to his business affairs wdiich are now extensive and impor- tant, so that he employs from ten to twenty men during the building season. He erected his own home at the corner of Hazel and Davis streets and has other city prop- ert}- \alued at about twenty thousand dol- lars. In 1876, in Dan\-ille, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Gillespie and Miss Delilah Clutter, who vras born in \'ermilion county I'ebruary 2, 1856. Her father died during her childhood and her mother now resides in Homer. She has one sister, Mrs. Eliza- beth Morrison, who lives near Homer. Four sons ha\-e been born unto our subject and his wife. Lovell married Ici Dora Cass, and is acting as foreman for his father. He was with Battery A from Danville, under Captain Yeager, of this place, with the command of General Miles, in Porto Rico ; William, the second son, is also in his father's employ; Dane lives at home; and Harry, the young- est son. is in the Indian Territory and will probably become a rancher. In analyzing the life work of Mr. Gillespie it will be found that his history is one which will bear the closest scrutin}', for his entire career has been colored by straightforwanl dealing with his fellow men. Courteous, genial, well in- formed, alert and enterprising, he stands to-day among the leading representative men of his citv. TILGHMAN A. BRATTON. Through almost forty-six years Tilgh- man A. Bratton has been a resident of Ver- million county and to-day is one of the suc- cessful and enterprising farmers of Ross township where he owns one hundred and sixty-four acres of good land. He is a na- tive of the neighboring state of Indiana, his birtli having occurred near Waynetown, in Montgomery county, September 4, 1849. His father, Charles S. Bratton. was born in 43" THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Montgomery count}', in i8j8. while the grandfatlier of our sul)ject, Archer Bratton, was a native of Kentucky. The great-great- grandfather was born in Ireland and on leaving that country crossed the Atlantic to the new world Ijecoming one of the i)io- neer settlers of the Blue (irass state. Archer r>ratton grew to manhood in that state and was there married, after which he remcivcd to Indiana, becoming one of the first settlers of Montgomery county. There he cleared away the trees from a tract of land, turned the furrows in liis fields, planted the crops and in course of time reaped good har\-ests. Upon the farm whicli he developed he reared his family, including Charles S. Bratton. The latter after arriving at years of matm-- itv wedded Sarah .\rniontrout, born near \\'avnet(nvn, Indiana. They began their d()- mestic life upon the Shawnee prairie and while living there Mrs. Bratton died, leaving two children, Tilgliman and Mrs. Eliza Jane Hamilton, who is now a widow living in" Vermilion county, Illinois. After the death of his first wife the father married again and aljuut 1856 came to this state, purchasing land in what is now known as Butler town- shi]), \'ermilion county. He entered a tract of three hundreil and twenty acres which he 1)roke and improved. Later lie sold one hun- dred and sixty acres and on the remaining ([uarter section placed substantial improve- ments and developed a fine farm, rearing his family there. In 1888 he removed to Rossville, purchased projjerty in the town and spent his last years there in honorable retirement from l;ibor, passing away in Au- gust, 1892. His second wife still survives him and makes her home with the subject of this re\-iew. On the old home farm Tilghman A. Bratton was reared. His school ])rivileges were limited and he is almost entirely self- educated, but he has greatly broadened his knowledge since arriving at years of matur- ity. He remained with his father antl car- ried on the home place until 1888. His father then removed to the town and our sul)ject continued to operate the home farm until i8<)3. The following year he came to Rossville and in lyoi he purchased the farm in Iv iss lownsliip which he now owns and to the cultixation of which he dev(jtes his ener- gies. In 1870, in Iiutler township, .Mr. Bratton was united in marriage to Maria Biddle, who was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, and is a daughter of Stephen Biddle, who removed to P'orter and afterwarel to Jasper, Indiana, and about 1861 c;une to \'ermilii)n countv, Illinois, where Mrs. Bratton spent the greater part of her girlhood. I'>y her marriage she became the mother of two children, but Lennie died in 1890 at the age of eighteen years. The son, Charles S., is still \\ith his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. lirattcin are devout members of Rossville Christian church in which he is serving as an elder and trustee, and in the work of the church they take an active and deep inter- est. I'lilitically he is independent, casting his ballot in support of the candidates whom he regarils best cpialified for office and of the measiu'es which be thinks will most largely serve the genera! good. He is a friend of the cause of education, believes in having good schools and cm])lo\'ing competent teachers, and for ;i (|uarl(.'r nf a centnr\- he has done effective service in this regard by serving as a member of the school board. He has been on the tciwn school board for seven vears and used bis intluence to se- cure the present substantial school build- ings of which Rossville has everv reason to MR. AND MRS. JAMES H. DICE. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 433 be prond. During his long residence in Vermilion county he has become widely and fax'orably known. The traveler of to-day looking upon the cities with their pulsing- industrial and commercial activity and upon the fine farms of Vermillion count}^ can scarcely realize that within the memory of Mr. Bratton this district of the state was largely' a wild and unimproved region crossed with sloughs, while much of the land therefore was swampy. He has seen deer and wolves in the county and has rid- den for miles over the wild prairie unim- peded by a fence, i)ut there came to this region a class of people with resolute spirit and progressive ideas and through their efforts Vermilion county has been splendidlv developed, Mr. Bratton bearing his share in all the work of improveiuent. JAMES H. DICE. James H. Dice, the well known pvn- prietor of the South Side Jersey farm and one of the leading business men of Hoopes- ton, is a native of the neighboring state of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Fountain county on the loth of January, 1862. His parents, George and Catherine (Workman) Dice, were also born in that county, the former in 1833 and the latter in 1843. Throughout his acti\'e lousiness life the father has engaged in agricultural pursuits and still owns and operates a fine farm of two htindred acres in his native county. In his family were twelve chil- dren, nine of whom are still living, namely: James H., of this review; Frank, a resident of Grant township, Vermilion county, Illi- nois : Carrie, wife of Dr. Savior, of Coving- ton, Indiana: Ah'essa, wife of Frank Good- win, also of Grant township: Amanda, wife of Walter Harris, of Fountain county. In- diana ; Winifred, wife of ;\lr. Crooks, a school teacher of \''ermilion county, Illi- nois: Josie, a singer of much ability who is now with a traveling evangelist; and Katie and Clifford, both at home. James H. Dice, whose name introduces this sketch, grew to manhood in Van Buren township. Fountain county, Indiana, and is indebted to the puhlic schools of the local- ity for his educational privileges. As soon as old enough to be of any assistance he commenced to aid in the work of the home farm and continued to give his father the benefit of his lalx)rs until his marriage. It was on the 18th of December, 1887, that Mr. Dice \\edded Miss Kittie B. Ray. who was also born in Fountain county, In- diana, November 20, 1867, a daughter of W. L. and Mary Jane (Carpenter) Ray. Her father is still living and makes his home in Lafayette, Indiana, but her mother is now deceased. She has three sisters, namely : Victoria, wife of Henry Bushing, of Denver. Colorado: Julia, wife of W. D. Coffing, of Stone Bluff", Indiana ; and Cretie, wife of Harry Dice, of Hoopeston. Our subject and his wife have three children: Glen Lloyd, Chauncey and Marie. In 1888 Mr. Dice came to Vermilion county and has since made his home in Grant township, living upon rented land for twelve years. In the meantime he purchased a farm of one hundred acres near Roval Center, Indiana, which he sold three years later and then bought a tract of two hun- dred and twenty acres southwest of Hoopes- ton, which he held for two years. In Sep- tember, 1900, he purchased his present farm, then consisting of fifty-two acres ad- joining the corporation on the south, on 454 Till-: JilOGRAPllICAL RECORD which was a good residence costing fort\- iive hundred dollars. He has since platted fifteen acres oi this tract, dividing it into forty-five lots facing Second avenue and Orange street, which he subsequently traded for a farm of two hundred and forty acres near l-iochester. Indi;uia, S(j that he now has about thirty-seven acres of the original purchase, which he has fitted lip for dairy purposes, and now gives his entire time and attention to that business. He has a fine herd of t\venty-se\en Jersey cows and finds a ready market for his milk and cream in Hoopeston. In May, 1900, Mr. Dice purchased a half interest in a brick and tile factory south of the town, co\'ering ten acres, and operated it in connection with. E. A. Smith for about a year, when his partner sold out to Peter Anderson. I'lie works were burned, howe\'er. on the 26tli of May, 1901, and tlie following July ^Ir. Dice traded his interest in the land on the proi^erty near Ivochcstcr, Indiana. ])re\ious- ly referred to. Since that time he has gi\-en his attention exclusively to his dairy busi- ness, renting his farm in the Hoosier state. He is a very wide-awake and energetic Ijusi- ness man and in all his undertakings has met with a well merited success. Religiously Mrs. Dice is connected with the Christian church .'uicl sociallv he is .a member of the Independent Order of Intresters. while politicall}- he is identified with the Republi- can partv. JOSEPH B. MANN. Joseph B. ]\lann was the first city attor- ney of Danville and almost continuously since that time he has been a member of the Vermilion county bar. his jjractice covering all departments of jurisprudence, showing a comprehensive knowledge of the science of law. Mr. Mann is a native of Xew Jer- se_\'. his birth having occurred in Somer- ville. Somerset county, on the 9th of Xo- vember. 1.S43. Tlie Mann family is of Hol- land lineage and was founded in Pennsyl- vania prior to the Revolutionary war. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject was a colonel in the Pennsylvania militia and participated in the battle of Germantown during the struggle for independence. After the cessation of hostilities he took up his abode in Berks county, Pennsylvania, among its earliest residents. Joim M. Mann, the father of our subject, was l)orn in Pennsyl- vania, but in early youth accompanied his familv on their removal to Middlesex cotm- t\-. Xew Jersex', and later to Somerset coun- tv. where he was reared to manhood. Pre- ])aring for the bar he became one of tlic dis- tinguished lawyers of that state and left the impress of his strong mentality and marked ability upon its judicial history. He was also a recognized factor in ])olitical circles. but never sought the rewards of office in recognition of jiartv fealty. He served, however, as clerk of courts and also as sur- rogate for two terms, and later in life he was elected a member of the New Jersey legis- lature. He was several times offered the nomination for congress in his county, where such a nomination was equivalent to election, but he alwavs declined the honor. He was ne\'er ;imbitious for ])olitical jirefer- nient. content to do his duties as a ]irivate citizen and in that way to exercise his influ- ence in behalf of ])ul)lic progress and ini- ])rovement and as a molder of public opin- ion. He was united in marriage to Eliza Bunnell, of Hunterdon county. New Jersey, who was of l-"rencli lineage on the paternal THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 435 side and of Irish ancestry in the maternal hne. Her great-grand fatlier served as a private in the Re\-ohitionary war. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mann were born eight chil- dren, five of whom are yet living: Mrs. A. Bishop Baldwin, the widow of General A. Bishop Baldwin, of New Jersey; Alexan- der v., who is president of the Lumber- man's National Bank, of Muskegon, Alichi- gan ; Charles B., a merchant of Muskegon: Samuel B., who is the treasurer of the firm of Aiken & Lambert, of Maidens Lane, Xew York; and Joseph B. Of those who have passed away one died in infancy. William, the second, was an adjutant of the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry in the Civil war and served for three years. For a long period he was a promi- nent merchant of Danville, but has now de- parted this life. Charles B. was a major of the Seventy-fourth Indiana Infantry with which lie ser\'ed until the close of the w'ar and both he and \Villiam Mann went with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea. Samuel B. was sergeant-major of the Third New Jersey Infantry and John W. was ad- jutant of the Twenty-seventh New Jersey Infantry and died from disease contracted while in the service. When a boy of six summers Joseph B. Mann became a student in the common schools of Somerville, New Jersey, and later pursued a preparatory course at Flat- bush, Long Island, and at Poughkeepsie. New York. He then entered Rutgers Col- lege, at New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the fall of 1863, becoming a member of the sophomore class. He pursued the full course and was graduated in June, 1865, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while in 1868 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by his alma mater. When in C(il- lege he was an active and influential mem- ber i)f the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and he was appointed to fill the positiun of junior orator in his junior year. After his graduation Mr. 2\lann made his wa\- westward to Chicago and became a student in the law schoiil at the corner of Clark and Washington streets. He was led to locate in that city because Iiis brothers had pre\-iously taken up their abode in the West. A year later, howe\-er, Mr. Mann came to Dan\-ille to study law in the office and under the direction of Judge O. L. Da\"is. He entered the office in July, 1866, and in February, of tlie following year he was admitted to the bar, passing an examina- tion before the circuit judge and the pros- ecuting attorney. In May, 1867, he was elected attorney of Danville, which city had just been incorporated and thus he was the first one to hold the office. The following year he refused a second nomination, ha\'- ing in the meantime entered into partnership with Judge Davis, his former preceptor. This relation was continued until the judge was re-elected to the bench in 1873, after which Mr. Mann practiced alone for a few years, when he entered into partnership with W. J. Calhoun and later D. W. Frazier was admitted to the firm under the style of Mann, Calhoun & Frazier. This partner- ship was maintained until Mr. Calhoun was elected prosecuting attorney of \^erniilion county, which necessitated a dissolution of the business relationship, because the prac- tice of the firm included criminal cases. The firm of Mann & Frazier thus existed until the retirement of Judge Davis from the bench in 1885, when the firm of Davis & Mann was again formed, a most harmonious relationship existing between the two men until the Judge retired from the active prac- 436 !!•: BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tice of law. At that time IMr. Calhoun again became a partner of Mr. Mann's and so remained nntil 1891, when our subject went to Chicago, there entering into part- nership with Curtis H. Reniy, under the firm name of Remy & Mann. Thus he practiced until Julv. 1901. and since his return to Danville he has been alone in Inisiness. On the 1st of January, 1874. Mr. Mann was united in marriage to Miss Lucy A. Davis, a daughter of Judge O. L. Davis. and they now have three children : Fred B., Oliver D. and Nellie. The eldest is in the employ of the Western Steel Car Com- pany, of Chicago, while 01i\'er is studying law in the office of his father and Xellie is at home. A prominent ^lason, Mr. ^lann is a member of the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery of Danville and he also be- longs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In his jjolitical views he has followed in his father's footsteps and all of his broth- ers have likewise been stanch advocates of the Democrac}'. He has served as city attorney, as alderman, as a member of the board of supervisors and of the thirty- second general assembly of Illinois, was a delegate to the national convention in Chica- go in 1884. when Grover Cle\-eland was nominated, and has been a delegate to every state convention that has been held during his residence in \'crniilion county. To the student who can read between the lines this is an evidence of his prominence in political circles. His opinions carry weight in tin councils of the party. While undoubtedly he is not without that honoraljle ambition which is so powerful and useful as an in- centive to activity in i)ublic affairs, he re- gards the pursuits of pri\-atc life as being in themselves abundantly worthy of his best efforts. Well versed in the learning of his profession, and with a deep knowledge of human n;iture and of the springs of human conducts, with great shrewdness and sagacity and extraordinary tact, he is in the courts an aihocate of great power ;md influence. Both judges and juries always hear him with attention and dcci) interest. DARRS DUXCAX. In the days when A'ermilion countv was situated upon the frontier Darius Duncan became one of its residents. Illinois has affi^rded \ery splendid opportunities to the fanners and stock-raisers, its broad lands being rich and fertile and its meadows furn- ishing excellent pasturage. Recognizing Inisiness possibilities in this direction Mr. Duncan became an active factor in agricul- tural circles, his business constantly grow- ing lioth in volume and imiiortance until it had assumed great magnitude. Thus he be- came quite wealthy and was also recognized as one of the prominent and influential resi- dents of his county. ^Ir. Duncan was born Devember 2. i8i_^. in Kentucky. His father. James Diuican. was a natix'e of Pennsylvania and with his family removed to Kentucky at an early day. there engaging in farming and stock-raising imtil his death. The subject of this review acquired a limited education in liis native state. He assisted his father in the work of the home farm in Kentucky until 1833. when he resolved to locate in Vermilion county. Illinois, recognizing that the business opportunities here would lead to success. Accordinglv he took up his DARIUS DUNCAN. MRS. DARIUS DUNCAN. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 441 abode near Stateline. where he Ijegan mak- ing improvements, engaging in farming at first on a small scale. In course of time his lands begun to return to him excellent har- vests and thereby his financial resources were materially increased. He then turned his attention to the stock business, rais- ing fine stock. His operations in that enterprise also were enlarged from year to year until he liecame one of the most extensi\e buyers in this portion of Illinois. He purchased cattle, horses, hogs and sheep and shipped to the markets of New York and Chicago. He handled hundreds and thousands of grades of stock and gained a wide reputation as one of the leading stock dealers upon the broad prairies of Illinois. At the same time he was also investing his capital in land and dealing- in real estate. His judgment concerning farm property was equally reliable with his opinions con- cerning stock and he bought and sold many farms and at one time was the owner of a valuable farm of one thousand acres near Stateline. He was, too, in a limited de- gree engagetl in agricultural pursuits, hav- ing most of the work done upon the farm while his attention was devoted to the pur- chase and sale of stock and to his real estate interests. He continued his business until it had assumed mammoth proportions and then he decided to retire to private life, finding that his commercial afTairs made too heavy demands upon his time and strength. In 1865 he sold one farm for fifteen thou- sand dollars and removed to Danville. Later he sold another farm for twelve thou- sand dollars. In the city he purchased a lot adjoining the Temple on the north and erected a home. He afterward sold ten feet of his lot to the Temple. To a man of his enterprising nature, indolence and idle- ness were utterly fureign. It was impossi- ble for diim to entirely put aside business cares all at once and for a few years he engaged in shipping stock to a limited ex- tent. Gradually. ho\ve\'er, he ceased his ef- forts in this direction and then lix'ed retired until his death. He was a man of remarka- ble business sagacity and enterprise and car- ried forward to a .successful completion whatever he undertook. In i8..J3 occurred the marriage of Mr. Duncan and Miss Mary Caldwell, a native of Circleville, Ohio, born March 22, 1829, anil a daughter of James and Alary (Hoo- ver) Caldwell, both of whom were natives of Virginia, whaice they removed to Ohio and later they came to Vermilion county, Illinois, casting in their l(jt among the early settlers here. Her father was a farmer by occupation in his early days and subse- quently he 'engaged in speculating in land and in buying stock, his time and atten- tion being thus occupied until his death. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were born two children : Irwin, w ho was a clerk in a retail house in Danville, died June 20, 1892. at the age of thirty-two years. Char- lie married Miss Emma Da}-, and resides on Lafayette street in Dan\ille. He is now a salesman in the Ike Sterns Clothing House of this city, where he has been employed for a number of years. Mr. Duncan was ne\'er an office seeker, although he held several minor offices in his township and for one winter he served on the L'nited .States jury at Springfield, Illinois. Although his father and seven brothers were Democrats, he was alwa^-s a stanch Repuljlican and never wavered in his allegiance to the party. He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and it is said that in appearance they were much alike. 442 THE I'.IOORAl'lIICAL RECORD He had the Iionor of entertaining Mr. Lin- cohi several times in his own lionie and the friendly relations hetween them was main- tained nntil the President's death. Mr. Duncan held nienibershii) in the First Methodist Episcopal church of Danville and his widow still lielongs to that church. From an early da\' dependent upon his own resources, a splendid success in life was the result of his labor. His career proved that the only true success in life is that which is accomplished 1>_\' personal effort and con- secutive 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 inspiration to the young of this and future generations, and teach by incontro- vertible facts that success is ambition's an- swer. Mr. Duncan passed away I'ebruary 8. i8c)3. honored and respected by all who knew him and thus one more of the pioneers of Vermilion county joined the silent ma- jority. Mrs. Duncan is now residing at No. 129 Franklin street. She is the owner of several hue residences in the northern part of the city. She expects soon to erect a beautiful home for herself here. She has a very wide circle of acr|uaintances and all who know her are her friends. gi\ing to her their warm regard in recognition of her manv excellent qualities of heart and mind. REV. SYLVESTER TTODGES. For twenty-three years Rev. Hodges de- voted his life to the ministry of the gospel and through long years he has been an active factor in business in Vermilion county. He has now passed the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey. ha\ing been liorn in Rip- ley county, huliana. April 12. i82- and industry that never fiags. He is public THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 455 spirited and thoroughly interested in what- ever tends to promote the moral, intellect- ual and material welfare of the city. He was for many years the cashier of the First National Bank and for a long period has been identified with mercantile interests, be- ing at the present time a wholesale grocer of Danville. His success in all his under- takings has been so marked that his methods are of interest to the commercial world, and an analyzation of his life work shows that he has based his business principles and actions upon strict adherence to the rules which govern industry, economy and un- swerving integrity. Few native sons of Danville can claim a longer residence in the city that E. H. Palmer. His birth occurred in the family home at the corner of Walnut and Main streets, August lo, 1830. He is a son of Dr. Asa R. Palmer, a native of Connecti- cut, who was born at Coventry, in 1786. The grandfather, Abel Palmer, was born in New England and was of English ancestry. The family has become very numerous in this country and in 1880 the subject of this review attended a re-union held at Stoning- ton, Connecticut, at which about twelve hundred representatives of the family were present. Dr. Asa R. Palmer became a res- ident of Vermont and his boyhood days and later lived in the Black River country of New York. Subsequently he became a resident of Moscow, where his parents both died. While in the Empire state Dr. Pal- mer studied medicine and practiced there to some extent. He was three times mar- ried, being first married ere his removal from New York. His trip to Illinois was made on horseback in search of a location and he took up his abode here about 1825. This journey was made by boat to Pitts- burg, thence down the Ohio river and up IQ the Wabash river. Danville, or rather the site of the present city, was the place of his destination. For miles throughout the coun- try Dr. Palmer engaged in the practice of medicine, being one of the old time pioneer physicians, whose professional duties took him over a broad territory. Eventually, however, he gave up the practice of medi- cine and lived retired. In connection with his son, E. F. Palmer, he established the first drug store in Danville and was a lead- ing and influential resident of the city from the time that he came to Vermilion county until his death, which occurred about 1861. It was in this city that he married Adelia Hawkins, who was his third wife and the mother of our subject. She was born near Rochester, New York, and was a daugh- ter of Ebenezer Hawkins, also a native of the Empire state and one of the honored pioneers of Vermilion county. His inter- ment was the first burial in the old grave- yard of this city. Mrs. Palmer, the mother of our subject, died in 1851, and E. F. Palmer, the druggist, a half-brother of our subject, passed away here. Dr. Palmer was one of the original members of the Presby- terian church and aided materially in the upbuilding and progress of the town. E. H. Palmer, whose name introduces this record, was reared to manhood in Dan- ville, acquiring his elementary education here, while later he pursued a four years' course in Wabash College. He entered up- on his business career in the employ of J. M. Cubertson when a lad of thirteen years, and thus acted as a clerk for four years, after which he pursued his college course. When he had completed his studies he again engaged in clerking for a year or more and next entered into a business partnership, as a member of the firm of Humphrey, Palmer & Company, general merchants and 456 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD druggists. This was about 1855 ^"^ since that time Mr. Pahner has been one of the active, influential and successful business men of this city. He was at one time ap- pointed to fill out an unexpired term as county superintaident of schools, succeed- ing his uncle, who had died in office. On the expiration of his term Mr. Palmer aided in organizing the First National Bank and became one of its stockholders. At that time he was also elected its cashier and oc- cupied the position continuously for twen- ty-six years, his efforts being a potent fac tor in establishing the institution on a safe financial basis. He was a i)opular official, always courteous and obliging, and he had a comprehensive knowledge of the banking business, which made him valuable in the control of the institution. On his retire- ment from the bank he was presented with a line gold watch, which bears his name and the date, January 15, 1885, engraved on the inside case, and of this token of esteem he is justly proud. On severing his active con- nection with the banking business he em- jjarkcil in the wholesale grocery trade, with which he is still connected. He has also contributed to the improvement of the city bv the building of three good residences here. He now has a large, substantial ami pleasant home just outside the corporation limits of Danville, while his other projierty he has sold. y\\\ Palmer was married in Urbana, Illi- nois, in 1854 to Frances B. Nelson, who was born near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, her father, William Nelson, also being a native of the Keystone state. He died during her girlhood atid she came to the west with her brother, locating in Champaign county, Illi- nois. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have been born four children : Flora; Frank N., who is a minister of the Presbyterian church, now located in Dayton, Indiana ; Lula C. ; and Delia, the wife of Loren E. Shetts, who occupies a responsible position in the Pal- mer Wholesale Grocery Company. The father of our subject was a Whig in his political affiliations and a stanch Abo- litionist. He did everything in his power to oppose the growth of slavery, and when F. H. Palmer attained his majority he \dtc(l with the Repul)lican party, which was formed to prevent the fiu'ther ex- tension of slavery, his first presidential bal- lot being cast for John C. Fremont in 1856. He has since been iden- tified with the party. ne\er wavering in his allegiance. He served a few terms on the school board and has ever been a warm friend of the cause of education, believing in ha\ing competent teachers in charge of good schools, realizing that intellectual training is the bulwark of the nation. Mr. Palmer also served as alderman for a few terms but has otherwise never filled public office, having no ambition in this direction, lie and his wife belong to the b'irst Pres- byterian church. I'or seventy-two years he has resided in Danville and has watched almost its entire growth as it has ilevel- oped from a cross-roads village to one of the great cities of this state. He at one time knew every man, woman and child in \'ermilion countv and to this day not to know E. H. Palmer is to argue one's self unknown in Danville. Although he has passed the allotted psalmist's span of three score years and ten he is yet an active factor in the business workl. Old age does not necessarily suggest helplessness or want of occupation. There is an old age which grows stronger and better with the passing years and gives freely out of its rich stores of learning and experience, thus proving a benediction to all — such has been the career THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 457 of E. H. Palmer, whose sterling manliood, unfailing honor and Christian principles have made his life an example one well worthy of emulation. H. H. PAINTER. H. H. Painter is one of the oldest har- ness manufacturers of Vermilion county, having been connected with the business through a continuous period of twenty-two years. Since 1882 he has engaged in busi- ness on his own account in Fairmount, and a liberal patronage has been accorded him. He was born in Zanesville, Ohio, June icf, 1844, and is a daughter of George and Sarah (Mills) Painter. The father was born in Pennsylvania, and the mother in Virginia, but they were married in the Buckeye state, and there lived for many years. Mr. Painter carried on farming in Ohio until 1833, when he removed to ^lon- ticello, Illinois, his wife having died in Ohio in 1850. He then lived upon a farm at Monticello until 1855, when he. too, was called to his final rest. In his political views he was a Whig. The family of this worthy couple numbered ten children, of whom H. H. Painter is the youngest. Two sister? and tliree brothers are now living, namely : Harrison, who is engaged in the li\'ery busi- ness in Attica, Indiana; Emily, the wife of Andrew C. Varner, a farmer of Monticello. Illinois ; Eliza, the widow of William Dick- son, and a resident of Charleston, Illinois ; George W., who is living retired in At- tica, Indiana ; and J. M., who resides in St. Joseph, Missouri. H. H. Painter began his education in the Bush Row school in Greene countv. Ohio, the little temple of learning being a log building, and his brother-in-law, A. C. \'arner, was the teacher. His educational privileges, however, were somewhat limited and he never attended school after he was seventeen years of age. In early life he began work on his father's farm and con- tinued to engage in the labor of held and meadow until 1862, when thinking that he would find some other pursuit more con- genial he began learning the harness ma- ker's trade under the direction of Theodore Swagert, who now resides in Newman, Illi- nois. After serving a three years' appren- ticeship Mr. Painter worked as a journey- man harnessmaker for three years. He was employed in various states and in 1S80 he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, enter- ing the employ of F. Kehoe, of Danville, \\-ith whom he remained for two years Later he was in the service of B. F. Daugh- erty and then returned to Mr. Kehoe, who in the meantime had removed to Fair- mount. In i88j he purchased his employ er's business, which he has since conducted with good success. His expert workman ship, his thorough understanding of the trade, his earnest desire to please his pat- rons and his reasonable prices have been qualities which have insured him a success- ful career. In May, 1882, in Fairmount, IlHnois, the Rev. Crawford performed the wedding ceremony which united the destinies of H. H. Painter and Lizzie L. Love, who was born in Danville. Illinois, in 1839, a daugh- ter of William and Lizzie (Gish) Love whose liirth occurred in Bedford county, Virginia. They were married in the Old Dominion and removed to Illinois at an early day, settling in Danville. There the father engaged in brick-making for a time 458 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD but afterward removed to a farm near Cat- lin, where he spent his last days. His wife has also passed away. In their family were four daughters and a son : Sarah, now the deceased wife of John Church, who resides near Catlin ; Hannah, who is now the widow of Frank Keeney and makes her home in Winfield, Kansas; Wallace, a resident of Catlin; Amanda, the wife of Aaron Tid- row, who is residing in Georgetown, llli- onis; and Mrs. Painter. In his political affiliations Mr. Painter is a stalwart Republican, and he belongs to Fairmount Lodge, No. 591, F. & A. M., and to Normandy Lodge, No. 510, K. P. He also holds membership relations with Catlin Post, No. 791, G. A. R. He is en- titled to this because of his military service which began in 1864, although he was un- der military age. He enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Indiana Infantry, under command of Captain Lu- cas and Colonel William Nelson, serving for six months, after which he received an honorable discharge at Indianapolis in Sep- tember, 1864. Mr. Painter is now serving as collector for the Twin City Building & Loan Association, of Champaign, Illinois, and he has a most successful business in Fairmount as a harness-maker. He is a courteous and pleasant gentleman — one whom it is a pleasure to meet, and as a rep- resentative citizen of Fairmount he well de- serves mention in this volume. JOHN FRAZIER, Sr. This well known and prominent citizen of Georgetown is one of the typical busi- ness men of the west — prompt, energetic and reliable, to which elements in his char- acter he owes his success in life. He was born in Georgetown on the 13th of May, 1850, and is a son of Abner and Mary (Millickan) Frazier, the former a native of Newmarket, Tennessee, and the latter of Indiana, her parents having removed to that state from near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at an early day. It was about seventy years ago that Abner Frazier came to Vermilion county and located in Georgetown, where he embarked in general merchandising and continued to carry on that business for many years. He was thus engaged at the time of his death when well advanced in years. In his family were eight children, all of whom are now living and are married. Those residing in this county are Perry, Mrs. James Snapp ; Mrs. Sophia Newlin and John, while Mrs. John Rodgers and Mrs. Dr. Mendenhall live in Lacygne, Kansas ; and Mrs. W. E. Moore makes her home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, her husband be- ing a leading real estate dealer of that place. On attaining his majority Mr. Frazier of this review began his business life as a clerk in his father's store in Georgetown, in which capacity he served for about two years and then entered into partnership with his father and brother William, under the firm name of Frazier & Sons, which con- nection continued for about fourteen years. At the end of that time our subject sold his interest in the store to his brother and pur- chased an improved farm three and one-half miles northwest of Georgetown, which he rents on the shares, taking his pay in grain. This he believes is for the best interest of his tenant, lor in case that the crops are a failure the owner then bears his rightful share of the burden, instead of renting for cash and securing notes and mortgages as his pav. The farm is kept in first class con- ABNER FRAZIER. JOHN FRAZIER, SR. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 463 dition, is well tiled and supplied with good buildings. Since selling his interest in the mercantile business Mr. Frazier has en- gaged in buying, feeding and shipping cat- tle, hogs and sheep, and handles a large amount of stock each year. To this business he has now devoted his attention for twenty years and is to-day at the head of his line of trade in the eastern part of the county. Besides his farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 24, Georgetown township, Mr. Frazier owns two lots fronting on Mill street and two on Walnut street, George- town, on one of which he has erected a nice four-room cottage. His own home is a neat and commodious residence on Main street, where he has one and a half acres of land laid off into beautiful grounds. It has all modern conveniences which the place affords, including telephone connection, while the Dan\-ille electric car line passes the door. On the 1st of September, 1881, Mr. Frazier was united in marriage to Miss Laura Richmond, a daughter of Samuel and Susan (Bolton) Richmond. Her father, who was a native of Hamilton, Hamilton county, Ohio, died in Parke county, Indi- ana, when Mrs. Frazier was only fifteen months old, and her mother, who was born in Kentucky, has, also passed away. She had two brothers, both of whom are now deceased. Mrs. Frazier received a good academic education and prior to her mar- riage taught school in Georgetown for three years -with marked success. She is now an active member of the school board of that city and has served on several important committees, among them the building and supply committee. Religiously she is con- nected with the Methodist church, is active in all its lines of work, and is now secretary of the Ladies' Foreign Missionarv Societv. She presides with gracious dignity over her home, where hospitality reigns supreme. In politics Mr. Frazier is a Republican but has never cared for political honors, having se\-eral times been proffered offices which he would not accept, though he once served as town trustee. At another time he was elected justice of the peace but re- fused to qualify, preferring to give his un- divided attention to his extensive business interests. He is a man of excellent business and executive ability, whose sound judg- ment, unflagging enterprise and capable management have brought to him a well merited success. In manner he is pleasant and cordial, which, combined with his ster- ling worth, makes him one of the popular citizens of the community. WILLIAM A. LOTTMAN, M. D. In taking up the personal history of Dr. William A. Lottman we present to our readers the life record of one whose promi- nence in his profession has come as a direct result of merit, comprehensive knowledge and skill. He was born in Franklin county, Missouri, March 27, 1871, a son of Frank and Minnie (Berman) Lottman. The father was born in Pennsylvania, the mother in St. Louis, Missouri, and they were mar- ried in Franklin county of the latter state, where they still make their home, Mr. Lott- man devoting his attention to farming. He is a Republican in his political views. Three children were born unto this worthy couple, the Doctor being the eldest. The others are : Carrie, the wife of August Myer, a resi- dent of Shotwell, Franklin county, Mis- souri ; and Fred, who is with his parents. The Doctor began his education in Beaufort, Franklin county, Missouri, and 464 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD afterward attended liigh schuol in Wash- ington, tliat state. Subsequently he became a student in tlic University of Kentucky, at Lexington, and was tliere graduated. In the meantime, however, he had engaged in teaching for two years in his native state. After his graduation in tlie Kentucky Uni- versity lie entered the ChiHicothe, Missouri, Normal School, where he was graduated in the spring of 1892. He then taught school and was appointed superintendent of the schools of Exeter, Berry county, Missouri, where he remained for a year. He was then elected assi-stant superintendent of the i)ub- lic schools at Seguin, Texas, where he spent two years. During all of this time, however, he was reading medicine jjrepara- tory to entering u])on his professional ca- reer as a member o.f the medical fraternity. He further continued his preparation by be- coming a student in the Medical University of Texas, at Galveston. He then located in Mason, Texas, where he practiced for three years, after which he removed to St. ]-ouis, and matriculated in the College o; Physicians and Surgeons at that place, be- ing graduated on the 7th of April, 1902. After passing a severe examination before the Illinois and Missouri Medical Board, he located in Oakwood, where he is now living. Well equipped for liis professional duties, he has manifested marked ability in handling many important cases and the pulilic has great confidence in his superior skill. On the 1 8th of July, 1894, in Danville, Dr. Lottman was married to Miss Jennie Glick, who was born near Georgetown, in Vermilion county, August 9, 1871, a daugh- ter of Aaron and Catherine (Goodner) Glick, the former a native of Indiana, while the latter was born in Vermilion county, Illi- nois, near where the Fairview church now stands. Their marriage was celebrated at tdennan. this, county, and to provide for hi^ family the father has always carried on ag- ricultural pursuits, his present home being near Sullivan, Indiana. Unto him and his wife were born four children: Jennie, now Mrs. Lottman ; George, who married Ora Coe, and resides at Sullivan, Indiana; Floy and h'rancis, both with their parents. Mr. (jlick is an earnest advocate of the Democ- racy and is a member of the Presbyterian church. Dr. Lottman is cimnccted with the Woodmen of the World, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Sons of Her- man. He is a Republican, strong in sup- port of the parly, l)ut has no time nor desire to seek public office. He holds mem- bership relations with the National, the State and the County Medical Associations. and is medical examiner for the New York Life Insurance Company, the Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York.' the Equitable Life of New York, the Modern Woodmen. Woodmen of the World, and other organizations. He also holds a spe- cial diploma in railroad surgery. He is widely regarded as a growing man in his profes- sion. Already he has attained success and gained a reputation which many an older man might well envy. His equipment was unusually good and in the exercise of his professional duties he manifests strict re- gard for the ethics of the profession. I A. T. LEITZBACH. M. D. Since 1887 Dr. A. J. Leitzbach has been engaged in the practice of medicine and sur- gery in Fairmoimt, and his professional THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 465 skill has won recognition in a liberal ant! constantly growing patronage. He was born in Robertsville, Connecticut. August 3, 1862, and is a son of Nicholas and Eliza- beth (Eslinger) Leitzbach. both of whom were natives of Germany. They were mar- ried, howe\'er, in Winsted, Connecticut, and in the east the father followed his trade of cabinetmaking for many years. In the spring of 1887 he removed to Humboldt, Kansas, where he was engaged in the man- ufacture of furniture in connection with his son. His wife died there in 1891. He con- tinued a resident of Humboldt until 1901, when he removed to Ottawa, Kansas, where he is now living retired. His political alle- giance is given the Democracy. Three chil- dren, all of whom are yet living, were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Leitzbach : Anna L. is the widow of Rev. Clinton L. Wood and a resident of Ottawa, Kansas, and has two sons. The Doctor is the second in order of birth. Edward H. is a resident of Hum- boldt.' Kansas, where he is engaged in the furniture business. Dr. Leitzbach began his education in his native town, later becoming a student in the public schools of Riverton, Connecti- cut. Afterward he attentled the State Nor- mal School at New Britain, Connecticut, where he was graduated with the class of 1882. After teaching a term of twenty weeks in the country he was then appointed principal of the school at Riverton, which position he held until he entered medical college. He began his reading in the office and under the direction of Dr. Bidwell, of Winsted, Connecticut, and later entered Belle\'ue Hospital Medical College, where. on the completion of a three years' course, he was graduated in 1887. After visiting several .states he came to Fairmount. Illi- nois, in the fall of 1887 and has practiced here continuously since, his efforts being attended with a high degree of success. He is a member of the Vermilion County Medi- cal Association and is now serving on the medical staff of the Vermilion County Hos- pital. He is likewise examiner for a large number of insurance companies. His pri- \-ate practice is also extensive and the public have firm faith in the ability of Dr. Leitz- bach because his skill has so often been man- ifest in the skillfid conduct of importan cases. On the 28th of December, 1893, near Fairmount, the Doctor was united in mar- riage to Miss Clara K. Dougherty, who was ' bom in this place, August 25, 1869, and is a daughter of James M. and Sarepta (Tay- lor) Dougherty, the former a native of Rip- ley, Ohio, and the latter of Romnev, In- diana. Her parents were married near Cat- lin, and the father engaged in farming in this county until 1876, when he removed to Danville and erected the Arlington Ho- tel. He then returned to his farm and there died January 15, 1889, his remains beinr.^ '■ interred in the Dougherty cemetery. He was a memlier of the Cumberland Presby- terian church and his strong temperance principles were embodied in the political support which he gave to the Prohibition party. Mrs. Leitzbach is one of a family of six children, four of whom are now liv- ing, namely : Emma, the wife of H. J. Sterns, who resides upon a farm at Man- son, Iowa, and has one son; Eva F., the wife of William T. Pankey, a lawyer and abstract and loan agent of Danville; Maud, who resides at home with her mother; and Mrs. Leitzbach. The marriage of the Doc- tor and his wife has been blessed with one daughter, Elizabeth, born June 16, 1896. 466 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 111 his political views the Doctor is ai earnest Democrat, and for one term he served as supervisor of Vance towiiship. Socially he is connected with the Modern "W'oodnien Camp of Fairmount, which he organized. He owns real estate interests in this place, including one of the finest homes in the city. A pleasant, genial and courteous gentleman, he is widely known here and hoth he and his wife have a largt circle of warm friends. They are memhers of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in which the Doctor has held office for several years. ♦-•-♦ CHARLES MORAN. Charles Moran, now deceased, was one of the pioneer business men and leading cit- izens of Danville for many years, having located here in 1852. He was a native of Ireland, born in County Antrim in 1826, and was a son of John Aloran, \Vho spent his entire life upon the Emerald Isle, our subject being the only one of the family to come to the new world. He landed in New York city in 1848, and after spending a short time in the eastern metrii]jolis went to Mount Vernon, New York, where he worked at his trade, laying the first stone for many of the stone buildings of that place. On leaving Mount Vernon in 1852 Mr. Moran came to Danville. Illinois, though the site of the city at that time was cov- ered with timber and gave little promise of its present flourishing condition. He se- lected a home near the old I'air Grounds and became closely identified with the up- building and development of the place as a stone mason and contractor. In partner- ship with Mr. McCormick. he erected the first stone buildings in the city and built the old stone jail which was then located on the public square. As a contractor he was connected with the Big Four Railroad Company at Danville, doing all their stone work, such as curbing, etc., and he also su- perintended the stone work on all the bridges of Danville and many of the old and fine residences that are still standing. On November 18, 1855, Mr. Moran was united in marriage to Miss Catherine O'Connor, who was born in Londonderry, Ireland, on the I9tli of h^ebruary, 1835. ^^^ father. Charles O'Connor, was a bookkeeper by occupation and followed that pursuit in Ireland throughout the greater part of his life, but his last days were spent with his children in this country. On first coming to America he spent a short time in New York city, then came to Danville, Illinois, and from here went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he died at the home of one of his children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moran were Ijoni eleven children, five of whom are still living, namely : Eliza and Mollie, both at home; Ruth, who is a telegraph operator in Danville; Catheriiie, who is married and re- sides in Chicago; and Helen, a teacher of Chicago. Other children died in infancy. Mr. Moran continued to work at his trade in Danville throughout life but was also interested in other business enterprises, opening a retail grocery store in 1873 and conducting it for several years. He was also intereste!uffs Railroad, at St. Joseph, ^Missouri ; H. C, who is a farm- er: and Mrs. Putman. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed by an interesting little daughter, Lila Mae, born August 20, jS86. The parents hold membcrslii]) in the Methodist Episcopal church, n( which i\lr. Putman is serving as trustee. He votes with the Republican party and at one time was alderman and city treasurer. He is the present chairman of the cemetery com- mittee and he has taken little part in politi- cal work, preferring to devote his time and energies to the marble and granite business. I'raternally he is connected with Star Lodge, No. 709, E. & A. M., and with the IModern Woodmen of America, No. 207. His home is on South Market street and he owns other real estate in Hoopeston val- ued at twenty thousand dollars. In busi- ness he has achieved success thnuigh hon- orable effdrt, untiring industry and capable management. He has been watchful of his interests, careful in controlling his affairs, and in his actions has been guided by sound judgment which has come as the result of mature rejection. He has, moreover, a name which is above reproach, because of his al- legiance to honorable business principles, his integrity standing as an un(iuestioned fact in his career. FRANK S.\NFORD. The pre-eminence of Drmville is due not only to the men of light and learning who controlled her affairs in the early days, but even more to those men whom she is con- stantly attracting from other cities. In 1897 Frank Sanford removed to this place, en- larging the scope of his business activities, and to-day is numbered among the fore- most merchants of the city, controlling an extensive furniture trade which because of its extent is bringing to his an excellent profit. It is a well known fact that the greatest merchants of ow country ha\-e de- veloped from the humblest origins and from clerkships have emerged men who have built up great enterprises. Mr. Sanford had no especial advantages in his youth, in fact, he depended upon his own resources from THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 471 tlie time wlien lie completed his educatioii and left the public schools. He was born in Ionia, Michigan, Xo- vember, 30, 1861, and is a son of J. B. and Maria (Yeomans) Sanford, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. Becoming residaits of Galena, Illinois, having resided in Michigan for a time, "Sir. Sanford there estal.ilished a dry goods business, which he conducted for five years. He next openeil a drv goods store in Chicago, where he remained for three rears and then returned with his family to Ionia, Michigan. Later he resided in St. Louis, Michigan, and there died in 1893. His widow still survives him and is yet li\-ing in St. Louis. Mr. San- ford was a Republican in his political views and was a member of the Episcopal church, honored and respected by his fellow men for his excellent traits of character. In his family were nine children: Edward, \\\v married and died in Ionia, Michigan; Mar- ian, who is living in Denver, Colorado ; Herbert, a locc/)moti\e engineer located in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Willard, a con- tractor and builder residing in Springfield, Illinois ; George, who has mining interests at Chattanooga, Tennessee ; Frank, of this review; Adelaide, the wife of Fred W. Hughes, of Mecosta, Michigan; Frances E., the wife of John Burns, of St. Louis. Michigan; and S. B., who is a locomotive engineer living in Decatur, Illinois. In his native city Frank Sanford pursued his education, putting aside his text books at about the age of twenty-two years. He also engaged in teaching school in Ionia, Michigan, for two years. In connection with his brother he established an agency for a wringer and washer in Indiana and Illi- nois, traveling in the interest of that busi- ness for two years. He then formed a part- nership with C. E. Akers. at Decatur, Illi- nois, in the installment business and with this beginning he built up a large trade as a dealer in furniture. In 1897 ^''^ ^o^d his business to his partner and came to Dan ville, where he opened a store at No. 40 Jackson street. His business steadily in- creased until he had three rooms completely tilled with a large and well selected stock of furniture. In 1901 the Edwards busi- ness block was erected especially for his use and he now occupies that new and mod- ern structure. In 1898 his sister, Mrs. Mar- ian Hobbs, a widow residing in Denver, Colorado, became his partner. In the con- duct of his afTairs Mr. Sanford has been energetic, enterprising and determined. His larg-e stock of furniture now occupies three floors and a basement, and he also has a large ware-rooiu in another part of the city. He has throughly studied the trade so that he undestands the wishes of the public and his labors have brought to him a substantial financial return. He is also a partner in the Frank Sanford & Company furniture store in Springfield, Illinois, and another store conducted under the same name at Westville. Illinois. It will thus be seen that he is a leading representative of the furni- ture trade of the state and his establishment in Dan\-ille is headquarters for all novel- ties as well as articles of a utilitarian char- acter. He carries goods of all grades, in- cluding some of the finest manufactured, and he receives his patronage from a good class of citizens. In November, 1887, in Ionia, Michigan, Mr. Sanford was united in marriage to Miss Ida Terry, who was born in Ionia, August 20, 1864, a daughter of John Terry, who is a native of New Jersey and is a fruit gardener. Both he and his wife are still 472 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD living. In their family are four children : Samuel, who resides in Alden, Michigan; Myra, the wife of Samuel Arntz, of Ionia, Michigan; Ida, the wife of our subject; and Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Jack, who is living in Ionia. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Sanford has been blessed with four children: Myrtle M., Otto F.. Ade- laide and Frances. In his political affiliations Mr. Sanford is a Republican. Fraternally he is connect- ed with Olive Branch Lodge, No. 184, F. & A. M.. having been made a Mason i;i Danville in June, 1901. He is also a mem- ber of the Danville Lodge of Elks, the Mod- ern Woodmen of America, and is a ruler of the Royal Circle Lodge of Danville, to wliicli his wife also belongs. She is like- wise a member of the Women's Club of this city and both Mr. and Mrs. Sanford hold membership in the Methodist Episco- I)al church. Although they ha\-e resided liere Init for a brief period they are wel! known and the hospitality of the best homes of the city is extended to them. HENRY SMITH. For many years this gentleman was a worthy citizen of Danville and he was also classed among the honored pioneers of the county, having come here in 1834 when the greater part of this region was still wild and undeveloped. He was born in Oxford- shire, England, on the 20th of November. 1806, and was a son of Thomas and Sarah (Fletcher) Smith, who were also natives of that country. After the emigration of our subject and his wife to the new world his father joined them in this country but died a vear later. In his native land Henry Smith was reared and educated no event of special im- portance occurring during his boyhood and youth. Before lea\'ing England he was married in 1834 to Miss Jane Jordan Stew- art, who also claimed that country as her birthplace. Of the eleven children born of this union three died in infancy, the others being as follows : John, now deceased ; William, who is living retired in Danville; Edwin, deceased ; Sarah, deceased wife of Charles Coten and a resident of Danville; Frank, deceased; Alary, wife of Robert Stevens, of Danville; and Fannie J. and .Lucy, who are li\ing at the old homestead in the same city. Not long after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Siuith sailed for America, and on land- ing in New York city made their way direct to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was engaged in buying stock for two or three years. In 1838 he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, and first located on a farm near the village of Potomac, where he was engaged in farm- ing until 1845. He then removed to Dan- ville and opened the first meat market at this place, being engaged in business here until 1867, when he sold his shop and en- gaged in farming in Danville township near the village of Tilton. There he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1880, when he rented that jilacc and returned to Danville, where he lixed a retired life until his death, which occurred in 1S98, when ninety-one \ears of age. His wife passed away on the 14th of Noveml)er, 1900. With the First Methodsit Episcopal church of Danville thev had long held membership and were consistent and useful memljers. Their daugh- ters. Misses l''annio J. and Lucy Smith. are also members of the same church and are prominent in society here. They have HENRY SMITH. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 47 5 a pleasant home at No. Ii6 North Jackson street, which was erected by their father in 1845 and also own other residence prop- erty in the city. In his political views Mr. Smith was a Republican and he ever took a commendable interest in public affairs. He enjoyed the well earned distinction of being what the public terms a "self-made man/' and an analyzation of his character revealed the fact that enterprise, well directed effort and honorable dealing were the essential feat- ures in his prosperity. JOHN M. BALDWIN. The agricultural interests of Vermilion county form a very important part in the prosperity which it enjoys. A representa- tive of this honorable and useful occupation is John M. Baldwin, who was born Septem- ber 20, 1857, near Ridgefarm. in Vermilion county, Illinois. His grandparents on the paternal side were James and Rachel (Par- ry) Baldwin. He is a son of Franklin and Editha (Naylor) Baldwin. The father was born in Brown county, Ohio, April 26, 1832, and came to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, when he was but six years of age, brought here by his parents. They settled in the village then known as Sunover, near the present village of Georgetown. At that time the primeval forests covered a great deal of the land, and there the grandfather followed farming and he and his wife spent their remaining days. Their son Franklin was left an orphan when but eight years of age. He remained on the home place until 1863, when he came to a farm near Indianola, with other members of the fam- ily. Here he followed the occupation of farming until 1886, when he removed to Sidell, Illinois, where he is engaged in the hardware business. His brothers and sis- ters were farmers and farmers" wives, and their names are as follows : Caroline Cord, Amanda Flaugher, Betsy Bates, Darius B., John M., Polly Graham, James, Elijah, Thomas, Franklin, Jane Golden and Will- iam. Jane lives in Dallas county, Iowa; Thomas at Ridgefarm, Illinois, and the others are deceased. All grew up, married and reared families, except William, who died in infancy. The mother of our sub- ject was born in Vermilion county, Indiana, June II, 1840. Her parents were John and Betsey (Stewart) Naylor. Her brother and sister are Benjamin Naylor, who was a Union soldier and died in Sidell in 1901, of army troubles, and Mary Rutherford, now living with her family at Longview, Illinois. Franklin and Editha (Naylor) Baldwin became the parents of the follow- ing named children: John M. is the eldest; Perry is a farmer of Indianola, who mar- ried Ella Lawrence, in 1882. They have a fine family, consisting of three boys and four girls, all healthy and bright. Charles M. is a farmer of Franklin county, Illinois. He married Emma Kries and had four boys and four girls. Of these two boys and one girl are deceased. They had three pairs of twins, a boy and girl in each pair. Thomas W. lives in Sidell and assists his father in the hardware business. He first married Nora E. Allison, by whom he had a boy and a girl, but the girl is now de- ceased. His first wife died and he married Hattie Harroll, and they have one child. William A. is a twin brother of Wilbur A. He is a farmer and for his first wife chose Sadie Harroll, by whom he- had one boy 470 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and a girl. His second marriage was with Gertie Ilarroll, a sister of his first wife, and they liave one boy. \\'ill)ur A., the twin brother of William A., married Mary Burke. Benjamin F. is a blacksmith living at Sidell, Illinois. He married Florence Canada, who is now deceased. By this marriage there is a little girl, seven years old. Nora K. died in infancy. Robert W. is a farmer of I'Vanklin county, Illinois. He married Cana Linn, and they have two girls. John M. Baldwin of this review was educated in the district schools and in the common schools of Indianola, and he is now the possessor of a beautiful and valu- able farm of one hundred acres lying just west of the village of Indianola, This is un- der a high state of cultivation, being equipped with all the accessories which go to make up a well conducted farm of the twentieth century. On this farm he has a fine residence, an ideal home for the family. He has made his own way in the world, starting out with no capital, and through his untiring efforts, ably assisted by his de- voted wife, he has won success. ^Ir. B;ddwin was unitefl in marriage December 25, 1879, at Indianola, to Miss Lucy F, Thornton, who was born .'\ugust 30, 1859, at Catlin, Illinois, her ])arents being David and Nancy (Si)icer) Thorn- ton, who were natives and pioneer settlers of Vermilion county. Her father died in the Union army in 1864 and her mother afterward became the wife of Charles Cole, and is living in Indianola. Mrs. Baldwin had one sister, Martha Thornton, and ten half-brothers and sisters. The family were agriculturists, and her father was a valiant soldier, giving up his life upon the altar of his country. L'nto Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin were born the following named children : The eldest, born October 30, 1880, died in infancy. William i\I., torn June 27, 1882, was one of the most popular and bright young men in Vermilion county. He grad- uated from the Indianola schools before he was eighteen, with high honors, being presi- dent of his class. He was converted and joined the Methodist church at the age of seventeen years, immediately became an act- ive worker in the Sunday-school and church and was soon made assistant superintendent of the Sunday-school, He became a teacher in the schools of the county and was recog- nized as a young man of ability. He had good oratorical qualities, was a very brill- iant speaker, and studied l;iw, ct)mpleting the college course with a grade of ninety- seven per cent. He entered Austin College, but at the end of one term returned home, and on March 9, 1902, he died. His death caused the family and many friends heart- felt grief, and his fate seemed doubly sad because of his bright intellect and the ])rom- ising future befurc him. but He who doeth all things well, saw fit to take him in the flower of his youth. His loss was the cause of sorrow to the entire commuiiilv. Samuel v.. the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Bald- win, born June 3, 1884. was graduated from the Indianola schools in 1902, and is now teaching. Clyde .\., the fourth in order of birth, was born October 30. 1886. E\-a and Evert, twins, were born November 3, 1889, and died in infancy. Russell, born January 14, 1893. is now in school. Mr. Baldwin is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Court of Honor. He has been a member of the board of school directors of Indianola for the past nine years and is now president of the board. He was census enumerator for Carroll THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD \n township in 1900 and has been a trustee of Woodlawn cemetery for the past nine years. This is the finest cemetery in \'ermihun county outside of DanviUe. In religious faith Mr. Baldwin is a Methodist, and in politics is an earnest Republican. In all mox-ements and measures for the general improvement and upbuilding he takes an active and helpful interest, and he is justly regarded as a \alued and representative farmer of Carroll township. W. R. NASH, M. D. Dr. W. R. Nash, who is eng^aged in tlie practice of medicine and surgery in Fair- mount, is a native of Indiana, his birth ha\-- ing occurred in Hendricks county, on the I2th of May, 1841. His parents, R. T. and Frances (Smith) Nash, were both na- tives of Kentucky, and were there married. The father engaged in farming in that state until his removal to Hendricks county, In- diana, where he entered land from the gov- ernment and carried on farming until hi, life's labors were ended in death. He passed away on the old homestead there in 1846, and his wife in 1852. Both were devoted and zealous members of the Baptist church. In his political views the father was a Dem- ocrat. In the family were four sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and two daughters are yet living: George W., a physician of Indianapolis ; Parthenia, the widow of John T. Bums, who w-as an at- torney of Brownsburg, Indiana ; \V. R. ; and Martha H., the wdfe of Charles Ridgeway, a millwright of Newcastle, Indiana. Those deceased are: Isaac N., who was killed dur- ing the assault at Weldon Railroad, while a member of the Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war, and was buried at City Point, Virginia ; Richard T., who was a men.iber of Company K, Seven- tieth Indiana Infantry, the regiment com- manded by Benjamin Harrison, and died of smallpox while in the service, his remains being interred at Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Mahala J., the deceased wife of Will- iam F. Dinwiddie, of Brownsburg. Indiana. In the district schools of Brownsburg Dr. \V. R. Nash pursued his literary edu- cation. Later he removed to Indianola, Illi- nois, where he entered upon his business career as a clerk in the store of John Grace, also looking after the stock upon his em- ployer's farm. He remained with Mr. Grace for tw-enty-eight months and then donned the nation's blue uniform as a memljer of Company D, Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantrv the first company that went to the front from Vermilion count}'. The date of his en- listment was June i, 1861, and the place In- dianola, Illinois. He was mustered in at St. Louis, where \^^ \\'. Osborn was elected captain of the company and Colonel Will- iam Coler of Decatur was chosen to com- mand the regiment. With his command Dr. Nash was ordered to Jefferson City and thence to Sedalia,, Missouri, and on to Pea Ridge, participating in the battle there. He was also in the engagement at Pittsburg Landing, and at Corinth and luka, after which he made the famous march to Louis- ville, Kentucky, and on to Perryville. Sub- sequently he was in the battle of Stone River and under the command of General Rosecrans took a part in that hotlv con- tested engagement at Chickamauga. After meeting the enemy's fire at Missionary Ridge the troops of General Thomas w'Cnt south and fought the battles of Resaca, Burnt Hickorv, Big Shantv, Kenesaw 478 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mountain, Chatahoochee River and Peach Tree Creek. Dr. Nash was also in the bat- tle of Atlanta, and on the 4th of August, 1864, was relieved and sent to Springfield, Illinois, where he was honorably discharged by reason of the expiration of his term of service, and was mustered out at Springfield September 5, 1864, having been with the army for three years and four months. He took part in a number of battles and skir- mishes in addition to those already named and was five times promoted for valorous service, from fifth to first sergeant. At the battle of Stone Ri\-er he was wounded in the left thigh by a pistol ball, and still car- ries the bullet. At Chickamauga, he was wounded in the right shoulder by a piece of shell, and after the battle he took com- mand of his company with his arm in a sling. He displayed wonderful resolution and courage, refusing to go to the hospital when wounded, continuing instead in actixe service with his company. When his military experience was over Dr. Nash returned to Brownsburg, Indiana, and was there engaged in the drug business. In the same city on the 14th of May, 1863, he was married to Miss Ruth J. Caywood. who was born in Hendricks county, In- diana, October 20, 1844, ^ daughter of Henry V. and Rebecca (Wells) Caywood. who was born and reared in Kentucky. The father was a farmer by occupation and he served as a loyal soldier of the Union army for three years in the Seventy-ninth Indiana Infantry. Removing to Wilson county, Kansas, both he and his wife died there, the former in 1892 and the latter in 1890. Mr. Caywood was a member of the Christian church and a Republican in his political views. Mrs. Nash was one of three chil- dren and her brother William is now resid- ing in Wilson county, Kansas. The other member of the family has passed away. Two daughters were born unto the Doctor and his wife, of whom one is living, Mabel E., now the wife of Dr. Goodwin, of Fair- mount. After his marriage Dr. Nash located in Brownsburg. Indiana, and took up the study of medicine under Dr. Joseph A. Eastman He was graduated in the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons of Indiana, in 1876, and then located at Ridgefarm, Vermilion county, in the spring of that year, practicing there until 1882, when he came to Fair- mount, where he has since lived. He is a member of the American Medical, the State Medical and the Vermilion County Medi- cal Societies, and is continually broadening his knowledge and thereby promoting his efficiency through reading, investigation, and study. The Doctor belongs to Fair- mount Lodge, No. 590, F. & A. M., having been made a Mason here in 1888. In 1866 he was made an Odd Fellow in Browns- biu-g, Indiana, and he likewise belongs to Catlin Post, G. A. R. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party and is well read on political subjects, but other- wise is not active in politics, preferring that his undivided attention shall be given to his professional duties which are onerous and important, and which are discharged with conscientious fidelity. JOHN G. LEVERICH. For many years John Goldsmith Leverich filled the office of master in chancery in Danville and at the age of seventy years he passed away, leaving behind him the record JOHN G. LEVERICH. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 481 of a life of great usefulness and of honor. He was born in Newtown, Queens county, New York, on the loth of October, 1819. His father, John Leverich, was born Jan- uary 30, 1789, and in the year 18 14 he was united in marriage to Alletta Berrien, whose birth occurred July 18, 1788. They located- on Long Island, where the father followed the blacksmithing trade for a time, but eventually he removed to the west and lived for a time with his son, John G. Later, however, he retired from active life and eventually returned to Newtown, where he died April 25, 1858. He had served his country in the war of 18 12, holding the rank of sergeant. His wife passed away at Newtown, December i, 1863, having sur- vived him only for about five years. Both were devoted members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Leverich was a Whig in his political affiliations. In their family were four children, but the only survi\ing rep- resentative of this family is Mrs. M. E. Witte, who resides at Northport, on Long Island. John Goldsmith Leverich pursued his education in his early boyhood in a school on Long Island and later became a student in a private academy in New York city. He accepted a clerkship in the wholesale drug store of McKessen & Roberts on entering upon his business career, and remained with that house until 1841, when he came to Illi- nois in company with O. L. Davis. Danville then became his place of residence and he accepted a position as a salesman in the store of L. T. Palmer, while later he en- gaged in business on his own account in partnership with his brother, R. T. Le\e- rich. They conducted a general mercan- tile store for fi\-e years and in 18O0 Mr. Leverich of this re\iew was appointed mas- ter in chancery, which position he held for 20 nineteen years, a longer period than almost any incumbent of a similar ofiice in the state. In 1881 he retired from the position with the confidence and good will of the public, and spent his remaining years in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former la- bors. On the 13th of October, 1847, '" Dan- ville, Mr. Leverich was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Tilton, who was born in Shipton, Canada, December 25, 1822, a daughter of Abial Foster and Cynthia (Thompson) Tilton, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the latter of Massa- chusetts. They were married in the Green Mountain state and on their removal to the west located first in Ohio, where they re- mained for a short time, the father follow- ing the millwright's trade. He then came to Vermilion county, Illinois, and erected a mill on Yermilion creek, being, thus identi- fied with industrial interests for some time. Subsequently he removed to Middle Fork, where he owned a large farm, operating it successfully until his deatii, which occurred about 1866. Mr. Tilton was a W'hig in his political affiliations and was a man of strong character and sterling purpose. In his family were nine children, but only one of the number now sur\ives — Charles, who is a traveling salesman antl resides in St. Louis, Missouri. After his marriage Air. Lexerich look up his abode in Danville and contimied to (iccupv the position of master in chancery until his retirement from acti\'e life. L'nto him and liis wife were linrn fix'e children : Edward, who died August 24, 1856, at the age of se\'en vears : IMary Bonette. who died Septemlier 14, 1853. when a year and a half iild; Alletta B., who became the wife lit H. .\. Hall, a resident of Dan\-ille, and died June 29, 1900, leaving two children. 482 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Janette A. and Edward L. : Sarah, tlie wife of O. D. Pollock, who is livng in Danville: and Catherine E., who is a twin sister of Sarah and also lives in Danville, the family home at No. 14 Gilbert street being now owned by her. In politics ]\Ir. Leverich was known as an earnest Republican, believing firmly in the principles of the party, yet never a poli- tician in the sense of office seeking. In manner he was quiet and unostentatious, yet he possessed strong character and de- termined purpose and he commanded the respect and confidence of all by whom he was known. In the discharge of his official duties he was strictly fair and impartial, etjuity being one of the salient traits of his public service. WhWe he never connected himself with any church organization he believed in the fatherhood of God, the l)rotherhood of mankind and closely fol- lowed the golden rule. He was charitable and benevolent, kindly in spirit and in thought, was absolutely honest and never afraid to express his honest convictions. He passed away March 18, 1889, and his wife, who was a member of the Presbyterian church, departed this life October 30, 1902. They were laid to rest side by side in Spimg Hill cemetery of Danville, but the influence of these worthy people is still made mani- fest in the lives of those with whom they came in contact. While unassuming and quiet in demeanor Mr. Leverich was by no means a negative factor in Danville. There was nothing of the pessimist about him. nor was his the character of a visionary optimist ; he looked at life from a practical standpoint. He possessed strong humani- tarian principles and closely adhered to the rules of conduct which govern an honor- able, upright manhood. He indeed stood as a representative of a high type of American citizenship and well does he deserve that his name should l)e inscribed high on the roll of representative men of the city in which he so long made his home. EDWARD DOXXELLY. Through twenty-two years Edward Don- nelly was numbered among the prominent farmers of Danville township. He there- fore deserves mention in this volume among the men whose efforts have con- tributed to the general welfare and who in matters of citizenship have always been Inyal and true. He was born in county Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1822, his par- ents being John and Frances Donnelly, who were also natives of that county, where the father resided until his death. In 1851 our subject bade adieu to his native country and crossed the broad Atlantic to America settling first in the Empire state, and after- ward removed to Indiana. Some of the brothers of our subject came to Danville in 1864, among them John Donnelly, who ncnv resides in this city, being engaged in the grocery business on the corner of Jackson and South streets. Edward Donnelly spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the Emerald isle and pursued his education in the common schools there and then came to America to America. After living for a few years in the state of Xew York, he made his way v.estward to Indiana, locating first at Will- iamsport, where he was engaged in fa''m- iiig. Dm-ing that time he was united in marriage to Marv Denneny, a native of Xew ^'ork. Her parents, Thomas and Cather- ine Deunenv, were natises of Ireland and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 483 after coming to the United States they set- tled in New York and afterward made their way westward to Williamsport, Indiana, wliere the father carried on agricuUural pursuits throug'hout the remainder of his career, his hfe's labors being ended in death. Both he and his wife passed away at Williamsport. The marriage of ^Ir. and Mrs. Donnelly was blessed with twelve children : Cornelius, now deceased ; Fran- ces, the wife of John Gross, a resident of Benton county, Indiana ; Katherine and William, who have also passed away ; Ed- ward, who resides in Alton, Illinois; Thomas, who married Annie Brennan and conducts a fine saloon on South street in Danville; Elizabeth, who is living at home with her mother ; James, who is em- ployed as a salesman in his uncle's grocery store on South street and who also resides with his mother; Nellie, the wife of John Belton, of Danville; Annie, deceased; Har- ry, at home; and one that died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly began their do- mestic life upon a farm near Williams- port, Indiana, where they remained until February, 1866, when they came to Ver- milion county, Illinois, settling on a farm two and one-half miles from Danville and near the town of Perrysville. Through the succeeding twenty-two years Edward Don- nelly conducted this place his time and at- tention being given to its further develop- ment and improvement. His labors were attended with a high degree of success and as a result of his cultivation of the fields he annually harvested rich crops which found a ready sale on the market and brought to him a very gratifying income. He was a Democrat in his political affiliations and al- though he was never an office seeker he held the position of assistant road commissioner of Danville township for several years. He belonged to the Catholic church of which his wife and children are also com- municants and he died in that faith on the 1 2th of June, 1888. Loyal in citizenship, faithful in friendship and devoted to the welfare of his wife and family he was a man who possessed many sterling traits of character worthy of emulation. After the death of her husband Mrs. Donnelly re- moved with her children to Danville, where they have since lived. They now reside in a \'ery pleasant home at No. 507 Green street and in addition to this property Mrs. Donnelly also owns a farm of ninety-six acres and another of forty acres, both in Danville township. These are rented and return to her a good income. Mr. Don- nelly was a successful business man and thus provided a comfortable living for his family after he passed away. RICHARD ARTHUR BLOCK. Among the young men of Vermilion county whose worth in the business world is recognized is Richard Arthur Block, cashier of the recently established bank of Indianola. He was born July 14, 1874, in Sidney, Illinois, a son of Theodore L. and Mary P. Block, both of whom are of German ancestry. William Block, the grandfather came to America from the fatherland in the year 1856 and immediate- ly after his arrival in Illinois purchased the farm which is still owned by his son, Theo- dore L., and is known as the William Block farm. In the family were two sons, Theo- dore L. and August F., both still residents of Sidney. The mother of our subject had 484 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD two brotliers, Charles T. and Albert A., the former residing at Broadlands, Illinois, and the latter at Sidney. Theodore L. Block has always carried on the occupation of farming and is one of the leading agricul- turists and capitalists of Champaign county. He owns about one thousand acres of fer- tile land, most of which is adjacent to Sid- ney, Illinois, while a portion adjoins Lii- fayette, Indiana, and his extensive agri- cultural interests have proven a safe guar- antee for the Indianola Bank, which has been established by the father and his son, Richard A. There is also another son. Edgar W. Block, and three sisters: Mrs. L. Hartzigg, a resident of Lafayette, Indi- ana; and Mrs. G. S. Gerhold and Lanora A., of Sidney. Having acquired his preliminary educa- tion in the public schools of his native town Richard A. Block afterwanl entered the University of Illinois at Champaign in 1891. Subsequently he prepared for business life liy entering the Draughen's Business College at Nashville, Tennes- see, wliere he was graduated in 1898. Until his remo\-al to Indianola in the sjjring of 1902 he always resided in Sidney excejjt during the period when he was attending college. In the fall of 1901 he accepted a position in Winston's Bank in Sidney, where he remained until the spring of the following year. He then joined his father in the or- ganization of the Indianola Bank of which the father is president and the son cashier. The latter then removed to Indianola. where he is now living. The liank has an in- dividual responsibility of over one hundred and tiltv thousand dollars and has already gained a good start. It was eagerly wel- comed by the people of the village for prior to this time their business had been carried on through the banking institutions of Dan- ville. The new bank is fitted up with a National Cannon Screw door safe, steel vault chambers, absolutely burglar proof and is insured against burglary or loss by one of the great casualty companies. In 1899 ^^'*- Block became a member of Sidney Grange, No. 502, in which he held various offices and at the time of his re- moval from his native town he was filling the position of master of the Grange of Sidney. At the age of fifteen he became a member of the Evangelical cluu-cli with which he has since been connected. He is a young man of good business ability and his pre\ious experience in banking well equipped him for the work to which he is now devoting his energies. In manner he is genial, courteous and obliging and these qualities lia\e made him a popular bank official. *-•-♦ ANDREW HEBEL. The Gernirm element in our national citizenship is an inijinrtant (me. I'"rom the fatherland li;i\e come many men who have been acti\e and prominent factors in de- \-elo])ing dift'erent sections cif the country, 'i'hey ha\'e taken an inipcirtant ])art in pro- moting business activity and have Ijeen found loyal and ])rogressive in citizenshiji. Such a one is Ainlrew Hehel, who for more than twenty years was a manfacturer and representative business man of \'ermilion cnuntv, living in Rossville, Illinois. He lias been a resident of Illinois since July 6, 1871;. and his birth nccurred on the River Rhine, in Ciermany, December _m. 18 18. He came to the new world in 1833 and was reared to manhood in Cincinnati. Ohio, ANDREW HEBEL. MRS. ANDREW HEBEL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 489 where he learned the brick-maker's trade. He made his home in that city until 1854, when he removed to Ripley county, Indi- ana, where he followed brick-making for a number of years prior to the Ci\-il war. When the country became involved in hostilities over the slavery question and the south attempted to withdraw from the Union, he offered his ser\-ices in behalf of the g'overnment, enlisting in June, 1862, as a member of Company G, Eighty-third In- diana Volunteer Infantry. The regiment then went south, was attached to the Army of the Tennessee and the first fight in which Mr. Hebel participated was at Chickasaw Bayou. Later he took part in the engage- ments of Arkansas Post and in the siege of Yicksburg, being present at its surrender. He was also in the battles of Resaca, Kene- saw Mountain and the Atlanta campaign, and assisted in the capture of Atlanta. His regiment was attached to the Second Bri- gade, Second Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps, and marched with Sherman to the sea, participating in all of the fights en route and in the last battle of the war at Bentonville. With his command Mr. He- bel then marched through Richmond and on to Washington, D. C, where he was one of the vast host of victorious men who marched in grand review before the presi- dent of the United States, carrying the ban- ners of victor)'. He lost but little time through illness while in the service and was never in a hospital, although he received a gut-shot wound in the right cheek and still carries the scar — an honorable token of his faithful defense of the old flag and the na- tion. He was discharged in Washington, in June, 1865, Vjut was paid off at Indian- apolis, and with a most creditable military record returned to his home. Mr. Hebel located in Lawrenceburg, In- diana, where he worked at his trade of brick-making, continuing there for some years. Later he removed to Sunman, Rip- ley county, Indiana, where he worked for two years, establishing a brick and tile yard of his own at that place. In 1879 he came to Rossville and took charge of the Arm- strong Tile Works, acting in that capacity for five or six years. He afterward became owner of a brick and tile plant at Potomac, which he purchased for his sons, who car- ried on the business for several years. Our subject afterward sold that property and bought a plant in Rossville, where the sons have since carried on a large brick and tile business. They also own and operate an- other factory at Henning. Mr. Hebel wa.s an active factor in the control of the plant at this place until about 1890, since which time he has lived in honorable retirement from labor, having in former years acquired a comfortable competence. In Aberdeen, Ohio, on the 14th of Sep- tember, 185 1, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Hebel and Miss Margaret Kuntz, who was born in Germany July i, 1834, and came to America when eight years old. She passed away on the 24th of June, 1901. They were the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters : George H., who is now engaged in business in San Francisco, California; Thomas A., who is conducting the brick and tile manufactory in Henning"; Theodore E., postmaster of Rossville; Benjamin J., who is engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile in Ross- ville; Charles F., a jeweler of Rossville; Mary I., the wife of George Kammeyer, a drayman of Rossville; Margaret B., the wife of Lewis Overling, who is engaged in the harness business in Cincinnati, Ohio. When Mr. Hebel became an American citizen he endorsed the principles of the 490 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Whig party and cast his first pres- idential vote for W'iiHam Henry Har- rison in 1840, wiien the rallying cry of the Whigs was "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," but as the years passed a new issue arose and this led to the forma- tion of the Republican party to prevent the further extension of slavery. John C. Fre- mont entered the field as its first presidential candidate in 1856, and Mr. Hebel gave to him his support and has never failed to vote the Republican ticket at each presi- dential election since that time. He has served as police magistrate for one term, but otherwise has always refused to accejjt public office, preferring to give his attention to his business interests. He is a Master Mason, and belongs to Rossville Post, No. 277, G. A. R., in which he has twice served as commander. He has never had occasion to regret the fact that in early life he be- came an American citizen. He has enjoyed the business privileges and opportunities af- forded by this countn,- and through the ex- ercise of industry, enterprise and honorable dealing he has steadily progressed in the business world until a comfortable compet- ence, accpiired through his own efforts, en- ables him to live a retired life. He has reached the advanced age of eighty-four years, but can look o\-er the past without regret, for his career has been honorable and straightforward and in his life he has accomplished much that is worthy of com- mendation. JOHN CARSON. Public-spirited and progressive, John Carson is a worthy citizen of his adopted county and is deserving of creditable men- tion in this volume. He was born in County Antrim, Ireland, but his paternal grand- parents were both natives of Scotland. His father, James Carson, was united in mar- riage to Rachel McCoy, and it is thus that our subject is of Scotch-Irish parentage. His father was in quite humble financial cir- cumstances and both he and his wife died in the Emerald isle. The natal day of our subject was August 26, 1834. He acquired a limited education in his native country and remained upon the farm of his uncle and grandfather until he came to America in the year 1854. He was then a young man of twenty years, who, wishing to see something of the world and believing that he might better his financial conditions in the United States, crossed the briny deep. Continuing his westward way he at length reached De- catur countv, Indiana, and settled near Greensburg, where he was em]iIoyed as a farm hand for four years. He was then married in 1858 to Martha C. Glass, a native of County .\ntrim. Ire- land, born February 3, 1832. Her parents were John and Jane (McDowell) Glass, both of whom are now deceased. Mrs. Carson came to America in the frdl of 1837, to join her brother, Henry, who had made the voy- age across the Atlantic in company with our subject. Mr. Carson had accumulatefl a small sum of money prior to his marriage and at that time he rented land, engaging in farming on his own account. In the fall of i860 he removed to Tipton comity, where he continued to engage in agricultural pur- suits until the spring of 1865, when he ar- rived in Jasper county, Illinois. There he remained for about five years and then re- turned to Tipton county, Indiana. Later he bought eighty acres of land which he continued to cultivate from 1871 until igoo, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 491 when he put aside business cares. He came to Hoopeston, selling all of his Tipton coun- ty property, and purchased property in this town, becoming the owner of an attractive home valued at twenty-five hundred dollars. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Carson have been born the following children : Margaret Jane, the wife of Edwin Moss; Emma G., the wife of Silas Hughes: William A., who married Agnes McCracken; Mehin \V., who wedded Emma Mendenhall ; Atlanta, the wife of E. A. Ogle, and six who have passed away, four having died in infancy. Thomas Henry, who was a twin brother of Margaret, died at the age of ele\en years, while attending school in Indianapolis. John Edwin, who was a graduate of a law college and was just beginning to practice in Tipton, died at the age of twenty-nine years. He was quite well known as a prom- inent Republican of his party in that locality. Mr. Carson gave to his chiklren good educational privileges, the different mem- bers of the family having attended college at Indianapolis, Valparaiso or in Hoopes- ton. When they have arrived at years of maturitv he has assisted them in starting out on their business careers. His home has ever been to him the dearest place on earth and he has put forth every effort in his power to promote the welfare and advance- ment as well as the happiness of his family. For forty-six years he has been a member of _the United Presbyterian church, has been very active in its \vork and served as chairman of the building committee when the parsonage was erected in Hoopeston. He has been liberal in his support of the church and the Sunday-school. A Republican in politics he was tendered the office of sheriff of Tipton county, Indiana, but he refused to become a candidate, caring nothing for political honors, but after coming to Hoopes- ton he was elected alderman from the fourth ward and re-elected in the spring of 1902, so that he is now serving as a member of th common council of this city. He is a mem- ber of the committee on streets and alleys and is doing his utmost to promote the wel- fare and improvement of the place. He and his wife are esteemed and honored resi- dents here. Comfortably situated in life, they ha\e the warm regard of all who know them. The welfare of Hoopeston is dear to the heart of Mr. Carson, whose many ex- cellent qualities have gained for him the friendship of all with whom he has been brought in contact. PROF. LINN H. GRIFFITH. Professor Linn H. Griffith is the super- intendent of schools in Danville. He was born in Ohio, September 2}^, 1858, and is a son of Benjamin B. and Margaret Griffith, both of whom were natives of Piedmont,* Harrison county, Ohio, where their entire lives were passed. The father was born in that county in the year 1836 and both he and his wife have now passed away. Professor Griffith was one of a family of si.x children and in the public schools he acquired his preliminary education which was supplemented by a special course of study in Franklin College of Ohio in which institution he was graduated with the class of 1883. During his college days he also engaged in teaching to some extent and his entire life since arriving at man's estate has been devoted to educational work. Soon after his graduation he came to the west, locating first in McLean county, Illinois. 492 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD For five years lie was superintendent of tlie schools of Potomac, Vermilion county, am! in 1889 he was elected county superinten- dent of schools of this county, holding the position continuously for ten years. In 1890 he was chosen assistant state superintendent and filled the office for two terms, and in 1899 he was elected superintendent of the Danville city schools, the position he now holds. In 1884 Professor Griffith was united in marriage to Lulu Heffling, of Leroy, Illi- nois, who died in October, 1886, le:iving a daughter, Viola. On Christmas day of 1887 Professor Griffith was again married, his second union being with Miss Nannie Heaton, of Hoopeston, Illinois. They now have four children. Helen, Florence, Roljert, and Howard. The father is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, the Modern W'oodnien Camp, and of the Sons of Veterans Camp, all of Dan\ille. He is also a trustee of the city hospital and is a citizen deeply inter- ested in public progress and improvement. He has long occupied a position as one of the distinguished educators of this state, his ability winning him recognition and promo- tion. His scholarly attainments and broad general knowledge are also supplemented b\- the humanitarian spirit which promotes not only the study of sociology rmd of the ques- tions affecting mankind, but also lends an active co-operation in many measures for the general good. JOHN W. DIFHL. John W. Diehl, of Hoopeston, was born in Pennsylvania, January 8, 1843, ^^'thin seven miles of Gettysburg. His parents were Samuel and Catherine (Brame) Diehl, both of whom were natives of the Keystone state and were of German descent. The father was a farmer by occupation and died about 1865, while the mother's death oc- curred six or seven years later. Mr. Dieh! has one sister, Ellen, now the wife of Will- iam Saddler, of Pennsylvania. In the place of his nati\'ity John \\'. Diehl was reared and pursued his education in the subscription schools. He was about twenty-one years of age at the time of the liattle of Gettysburg, one of the most hotly contested engagements of the entire Civil war. He well remembers that terrible fight when the shells screamed over the little town nestling among the mountains. There came an order from the govermnent that the settlers should remove all of their stock and effects across the Susquehanna or the government would not be amenable for any losses. In consequence of this order the family property of the Diehls was taken across the ri\-er before the battle. After the engagement our subject and his brother returned with the stock to the home farm, the father having died in the meantime. In the year 1869 John W. Diehl made his way westward, and after spending a part of the summer in Iowa he returned to Indiana, where he engaged in farming for a year. He then came to Hoopeston in 1872, at which time the town was just be- ing establisheil. Here he became connected with Miller Brothers in the grocery business under the firm name of Miller Brothers Company. After two years he sold out and gave his attention to teaming until he em- barked in the livcrv business, whicli he con- ducted successfully for six years. He then traded his livery stock for a i)art of his present place. He now has al)out sev- JOHN W. DIEHL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 495 enty-eight acres of land, of which thirty acres is within the city limits of Hoo])eston, including fifteen lots which ha\e been platted and form a part of Diehl's subdi- vision. In 1 88 1 he took up his abode at his present home and since that time has been engaged in farming, in the raising of fruit, and has a large vineyard. He practically leaves the care of his property to his son, while he is enjoying a well earned rest. In 1875, in Hoopeston, Mr. Diehl was united in marriage to Miss Mary, Robinson, of Ohio, whose parents were then living in Hoopeston but are now deceased. Her father was a farmer by occupation. Mrs. Diehl has two sisters and three brothers : Robert; William; Edward: Sally, the wid- ow of S. Thurman ; and Jane, the wife of Ed. Cory, a resident of Hoopeston. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Diehl was blessed with two children, but George died at the age of seven years. The living son, Charlie. is now carr}'ing on the farm work for his father and is an enterprising, wide-awake young business man. In his political affiliations Mr. Diehl has always been a stalwart Republican, and for two years he served as street commissioner. He made no mistake when he determined to establish his home in the west, taking ad- vantage of the business opportunities in this portion of the country. These opportuni- ties he has improved, and through his capa- ble management and untiring energy he has gained a place among the men of affluence of the community. CHARLES F. CROW. Charles F. Crow, proprietor of a grain elevator in Fairmount, is one of the native sons of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Macon county on the loth of August, 1876. He comes of New England ancestry, his grandparents having been born in that part of the country. His father, E. W. Crow, is a native of Ohio, and in Macon county, Illinois, at Blue Mound, was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Deatley, whose birth occurred in Indiana. The father has long been engaged in the grain trade and has resided continuously at Blue Mound since the time of his marriage. There hi- owns considerable real estate. He is a man whose successful career has been the legiti- mate result of his own efforts and to-day he is accounted one of the prosperous resi- dents of his locality. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have fre- quently called him to public offices of trust and he has served in all of the townshii- offices, elected upon the ticket of the Repub- lican party, of which he is a stanch adher- ent. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, and for twenty-fi\'e years he has been a devoted member of the Christian church, of which he is now serving as elder. In the familv are seven children : Myrtle, who resides at home; Charles F., of this review; O. L., who makes his home in St. Louis, Missouri ; Earl, Roy, Grace, and Eva, who are still with their parents. Charles F. Crow acquired his early edu- cation in Blue Mound and afterward became a student in Eureka College, of Eureka, this state, where he was graduated with the class of 1894. Subsequently he engaged in teach- ing school for three years in Blue Mound and then went to Butte, Montana, wliere he had charge of a commission house. In 1900 he located in Fairmount, Illinois, suc- ceeding J. M. Current as proprietor of the elevator of the elevator which he now owns. 496 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He is a young man of perseverence, energy and laudable ambition, and the business has doubled under his capable management. He also has a grain station at Bennett, on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, and his business is in a prosperous condition, bringing to him an excellent return from his investment. In I'riirninunt. April i6, 1901. Mr. Crow Avas united in marriage to ^liss Belle How- ard, who was born in Vermilion county. January 18, 1874. and is a daughter of J. J. and .Mice (Gunder) Howard, the former a native of Iowa and the latter of Indiana^ They were married, however, in Illinois, and the father is now engaged in farming, his home being in Vance township, where he owns extensi\e landed interests. He is a Democrat in his political views and in the spring of 1902 was elected su])ervisor in a Repul)lican township, a fact which indicates his popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens. He is also a valued member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Court of Honor, and his high moral character is indicated by the fact tliat he is now serx'ing as a deacon of tin. Baptist church. Unto Mr. and Mrs. How- ard were born two daughters. Belle, the wife of our suljject: and Stella, who resides with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Crow have a l)eautiful home in Fairmount, elegantly furnished and celebrated for its good cheer. Mr. Crow strongly endorses Republican principles and is now serving as one of the city aldermen. He belongs to Fairmount Lodge, No. 590. F. & A. M., of which he is the secretary and is also a member of Lodge, No. 1868, M. W. A., and the Court of Honor. He has won for himself a host of friends in Fairmount and belongs to the class of wide- awake, representative young business men who are a valueil addition to any commun- ity. .\lready he has attained the success that many an older man miglit well envy. His ambitious, resolute nature and conformitx to commercial ethics argue well for the future. GEORGE BUSH YEOMAXS. With the development of the world his- tory is no longer a record of wars and con- quests but the account of the upbuilding of community, city, state or nation, and their business activities and they who are promi- nent in public afifairs are the ones who con- trol extensive and important business inter- ests and who, through a close following of correct commercial ethics, maintain the re])- utation of their locality as a commercial cen- ter and uphold its legal and moral status. It is therefore fitting that George Bush Yeo- mans should be jjrominently mentioned in this volume, whose purpose it is to record the life records of the representative men who ha\e been and arc residents of Danx'ille. Mr. Yeoman was a leader in mercantile circles and by straightforward dealing, as well as enterprise and ability, commanded the con- fidence and esteem of those with whom he came in contact. A native of Massachusetts Mr. Yeomans was born August 24, 1835, and in his early boyhood days was taken by his parents to Warsaw. New York. His father. Rev. Na- thaniel T. Yeomans, was a Congregational minister and wedded Miss Frances Bush, a sister of the noted Dr. George Bush. The subject of this review was the eldest of their five children. He acfjuired his early educa- tion in the Empire state and fitted himself THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 497 for college but did not pursue a collegiate course. Instead he entered upon his business career, becoming a salesman in a hardware store in Wellsville, New York, where he was employed at the time the Civil war was in- augurated. With patriotic spirit he re- sponded to his country's call for aid, enlist- ing in the First New York Dragoons, as the regiment was then known. F(ir three and one-half years he remained at the front. Joining the army as a private, his meritori- ous conduct on the field of battle won him promotion and he was mustered out with the rank of first lieutenant, participating in a number of important engagements, includ- ing the battles of \Vinchester, Washington Courthouse and the W^ilderness and was a; Appomattox when General Lee surrendered his sword to General Grant and thus prac- tically terminated the war. He acted as an aide on the staff of a cavalry general and was always most loyal and fearless in the dis- charge of his duties. He was mustered out in Washington, D. C, and there ])articipated in the Grand Review, which was the most celebrated military pageant that has ever been seen in the new world, company after company of the victorious army marching by the place from which the president cheered the return of the brave boys in blue. His brother, Henry, was also in the service and, being captured, was confined in Ander- sonville prison for many months, where his sufferings were so great that he died three weeks after his release. Soon after the close of hostilities Mr. Yeomans of this review made his way west- ward to Chicago and was there engaged in the hardware business until 1866, when It came to Danville and entered into partner- ship with A. L. Webster, as proprietor of a hardware store. This they conducted for some years, after which Mr, Yeomans en- gaged in the lumber business up to the time of his death, enjoying a large trade, because of his capable management, his keen sagac- ity in business affairs, his close application and his unremitting diligence. On the nth of May, 1870, was celebrat- ed the marriage of Mr. Yeomans and Miss Alice Merrill, a native of Danville, and a daughter of Guy Merrill, one of the pioneer settlers of this city. Her father was born in Massachusetts and at an early day located in Danville, the year 1835 witnessing his arrival in what was then a mere hamlet, frequently \-isited by the Indians. He firs engaged in merchandising here and later became county surveyor, laying out many of the farms of this county. Subsequenth- he was elected probate judge and held the ofiice for many years. He wedded Anna Kingsbury, a sister of the Rev. Enoch Kingsbury, a celebrated divine of the early days who established the Presbyterian church at Danville. L^nto Judge Merrill and his wife were born two children, but one died in infancy, Mrs. Yeomans being the younger. The Judge was a Republican in politics and a very strong and influential man in his party at the time when Lincoln, Davis and Sweet were noted actors on the political stage, and of all these men he was a warm personal friend. He died in 1867 and his wife passed away in 1855. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Yeomans were born fi\-e chil- dren : Frances, wdio is a teacher in the high school of Sandusky, Ohio; Edith M. ; Ruth; George M., who is connected with the Wes- tern Brick Company ; and Heriry, who is now^ a student in the high school. Mr. Yeomans was a leading member of the Presbyterian church to which his widovv also belongs and for manv vears he served 498 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD as one of the elders. In ])()Iitic.s lie was a Repnblican and was a very strong temperance man. He once ser\ed on the board of supervisors, but with this excep- tion he would ne\er hold office. He passed away January i6, 1897, after an illness of a few hours and was laid to rest in Spring- hill cemetery. His friends cherished him as a man worthy of their utmost confidence and regard. In his family he was most devoted to the welfare of wife and children and he stood as a high type of American citizen- shi]) and chivalry. FRANCIS M. ALLHAXDS. Xo pul)lic officer of Vermilion county was ever more faithful to duty or more de- ser\ing of the unqualified confidence of his fellow men than was Francis M. Allhands, and that he was ever loyal to the trust re- posed in him is indicated by the fact that he was long continued in office by the power of popular suft'rage. He came to Vermilion county in 1843 and his life work was in- terwoven with business and official activity here until he was called to his final rest. Air. Allhands was a native of Vermilion county. Indiana, born January 17, 1832. his parents being Andrew and Margaret .\11- hands. They, too, were born in Intliana and at an earl}' day the father came to Illinois. purchasing a farm in Blount township. Ver- mili(jn county, where he carried on agricul- tural pursuits until his death. But three of their children are now living: Rebecca, who resides in Fairlnu'v. Illinois; Parinelia Fredericka, who is also living in this state; and Martha, who resides near Monticello. Indiana. The father provided his children with goixl school ])rivileges, their edvici- tions being pursued in Indiana and in \'er- niilion county. Francis ^1. Allhands spent the first eleven years of his life in the county of his nativity and with Iiis father came to Illi- nois. After completing his education he as- sisted his father upon the farm on the old home in Blount township and also in Catlin township. During this time and while yet a young man he began to learn the carpen- ter's trade and followed it in dift'erent parts of the state, assisting in the building of many country residences and school houses. He was thus associated with the improve- ment of the county until his marriage. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss ]\Iar\' J. Hilliary, the wed- ding taking place on the 4th of March, 1S58. The lady is a native of Ohio, born September 19, 1836, and a daughter of (leorge and Sarah (Freese) Hilliarv'. Her father was a native of Ohio and became an earl)- settler of \'ermilion county, Illinois. He entered land from the government in Danville township, for all of the district had not yet been claimed by the white race. L'pnn his farm he resided for many years, devoting his attention to agricultural pur- suits. He was also a tailor by trade and he followed that business for a year in Dan- ville, but throughout the remainder of his life he matle his home upon a farm and both he and his wife died in Danville town- ship. Unto the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. .Mlhands were born eight children : Orpha, now deceased; Orrilla E., the wife of W. P. Myers, of Danville; Grant \\'.. who has also passed away; Nettie M., the wife of II. \V. Funck, of this city; Luella and Sarah \\'.. lxith deceased; one that died in infancy; and ?>Tabel E. After his marriage Mr. .Mlhands fnl- iDwed carpentering in \'crmilion countv F. M. ALLHANDS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 501 and also carried on fanning, being tlins engaged until after the breaking out of the Civil war, when in September, 1861, he enlisted for three years' service as a mem- ber of Company E, thirty-fifth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. He was in many hard fought battles of importance, includ- ing the engagements of Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga and Pea Ridge. In the last named he was wounded by a bullet in the left leg and he was in the hospital from May until September. His wife being sent for, quickly made her way to his side, nursing him back to life, but it was found necessary to amputate his leg and he was thus left a cripple for life. Being then brought home he received an honorable discharge in Jan- uary, 1865. It was impossible for him afterward to do hard work and he was elected to the office of assessor and collector of Catlin township, filling that position until 1869. He then left the farm and removed to Dan- ville, where he was elected county treasurer of Vermilion crmntv and in that office he served for a numljer of terms, discharging his duties with marked capability, prompt- ness and fidelity. Upon his retirement from the positirm he did ^"arious kinds of office work in Danxille until his later years, when he retired to private life and rested in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil until called to his final home on the 3d of September. i8y8. In politics he was a stanch Republican, giving a firm suppart to the principles of the party. He was re- garded as one of the most prominent citi- zens of Danville and had a verv wide ac- quaintance among county (officials. His friends, too, were numerous and many ha\-e expressed a wish that his life record l)e recorded on the pages of this work. His widow is a meml)er of the Kimber Method- ist Episcopal church, of Danville, and she and her daughter now reside in her beauti- ful home at Xo. 330 Harmon avenue. She is also the owner of other residence prop- erty in Danville. The name of Mr. All- hands deserves to be inscribed high upon the role of honor of the soldiers of the Civil war. He made a great sacrifice for his country, yet he made it willingly because he believed in the Union and wished to aid in its preser\ation. In times of peace he was equally faithful to the old flag and the cause it represented, and his loyalty to his family and friends was also one of his marked characteristics. O. W. :sIICHAEL, M. D. Dr. Michael is one of the native sons of \"ermilion county, his birth having occurred in Oakwood township August 4, 1875. ^'^ paternal grandfather, Robert Michael, was one of the honorefl pioneers of this section of the state, liicating in Vermilion county when the Indians still inhabited this dis- trict. He came from Booneville, Kentucky, and was a son of John Michael, a native of Scotland, who. on crossing the Atlantic to America, located in Soutli Carolina. After being pressed into na\-al service and ser\'ing for fifteen }'ears, he managed to escape from the English war vessel. During all of that time he had never set foot on land without be- ing attended b\- a guard. At length, wher the Revolutionary war was inaugurated, he managed to obtain his freedom from Eng lish ser\-itude and enlisting in the Colonial arin\' he ser\ed under General W^ashington, fighting for the cause of American inde- pendence. Robert Michael, the grandfather of our subject, married a lady who was a 50i THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD granddaughter of John Rutledge, of South Carolina, one of the signers of the Declara- tion of Independence. James K. [Michael, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, and after arriving at years of maturity he wedded Mary Burton, also a native of this county, her parents removing from southern Indiana to I'ilot, Illinois. They were among the early settlers of this county. James K. and Mary (Burton) IMichael were married in Oakwood township and the father there engaged in farming. Through many years he carried on that business with excellent success and then with a handsome compet- ence he retired to pri\ate life, his present home being in Pilot. Illinois. In politics he is a Democrat and has held a number of township offices. In his family were seven children: J. T., an attorney of Danville, who married Rose Ohmke; the Doctor; Delia, who died at the age of seventeen years ; Ber- tha, who is a teacher in the public schools of this county ; Chester, James and Van, who reside with their parents. Dr. Michael first attended the Newtown district school and afterward became a stu- dent in the Normal School at Normal. Illi- nois. He next went to Lyons county, Iowa where he studied under a preceptor until he altered the L'niversity of Indianapolis, there pursuing a medical course. He was graduated March 29, 1898, and located in Muncie on the 25th of April of the same year. Here he has succeeded in gaining a most lucrative practice because of his thor- ough understanding of the principles of medical science and his correct application of his knowledge to the needs of suffering humanity. On the 31st of December, 1899, in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, the Doctor wedded Miss Alice Pricer, who was born in \"erniilion county, January i, 1877, a daughter of James and Arminta (Abbott) Pricer, both of whom were natives of Ohio and were there mar- ried. Mr. I'ricer is also a farmer ami in 1869 he came to Vermilion county, locating west of Fithian, in Oakwood township, close to the county line. 'I'hei'e he pur- chased a good farm, which he continued to successfully cultivate for ten years. He then removed to Potomac, Illinois, where he lived for seventeen years. Here he also ai- gaged in farming. His next home was es- talilished in Muncie. where both he and his wife resided until the spring of 1903, wheiT they purchased a farm on the outskirts of Rossville, where they now reside. A Re- publican in politics, he has held a numljer of township offices. He is a valued mem- ber of the Grand .\rniy of the Republic. He served for four years in the Civil war, hav- ing enlisted in an Ohio regiment. Pie was in the campaign of the Carolinas, went with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea, and at one time was captured by Quan- trell's band and sent home. He then re-en- listed as a member of Company F, Eighty- first Ohio Infantry, and with that command served throughout the remainder of the war. Mrs. Pricer had two uncles who were soldiers in the war of 1812. Mrs. Michael belongs to a family of ten children : Charles A., who married Etta Possee, and resides in Mahomet, this state; Luella, the wife of Lovette Williams, of Ambia. Indiana ; John L., who married Dora Tomm and resides in El Paso, Illinois; Nancy, the wife of C. C. Young, of Oakwood; Artie, the wife of Thomas Reynolds, of Rossville, Illinois; Alice, the wife of the Doctor; George. Tliomas and Clara, who are at home; and Clvde, who died at the age of four months. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 503 Dr. Michael belongs to the Vermilion County Medical Association and through extensive reading and study he keeps well informed concerning the progress made by the profession. His specialty is the treat- ment of the diseases of women and children, and in this branch he has been very suc- cessful. One of his most noteworthy cases was the saving of the life of a woman who was shot through the lungs. She still lives although she carries the Ijullet. The Doc- tor has been exceptionally successful in his surgical work. This is due to his accurate knowledge of anatomy and his understand ing of the component parts of the body, combined with masterly skill in handling his instruments of surgery and his coolness and deliberation in trying circumstances He is examiner for the Court of Honor, for the Modern Woodmen of America, and the IMutual Life Insurance Company, of New York. He belongs to the Modern Wood- men Camp and in his political views he is a Prohibitionist. The Doctor possesses su- perior musical ability and is a proficient per- former on the violin, mandolin, guitar, clarionet, and cornet. To some extent he has engaged in teaching music, and his abil- ity in this direction makes him very popular in musical and social circles. The public and the profession accord him prominence in the ranks of the medical fraternity, while his genial manner and sterling worth have gained for him many friends in social life. W. J. PAYNE. I For six years W. J. Payne has occupied the position of assistant postmaster of Dan- ville and now practically has control of the office, in which the volume of business has largely increased during recent years. He was born in Vigo county. Indiana. April 10, 1855, and is the second son of Allen F. Payne, who carried on general merchan- dise in Clay county and died there. W. J. Payne of this review acquired his early edu- cation in the public schools and afterward attended Grafton Seminary, at Staunton, Indiana. In connection with his brother he became the owner of some coal lands and was engaged in the coal business for a num- ber of years. On the expiration of that period he went to Texas and was overseer on a cotton plantation for two years, this sojourn in the south Ijeing made in the hope of benefitting his health. Returning to Bra- zil. Indiana, he secured a position with the Sing-er Manufacturing Company, first trav- eling on a wagon and afterward as special agent. In August, 1879, he removed to Rockville, Indiana, where he was again connected with the Singer Company. In July. 1887, he came to Danville, where for four years he occupied a position with the Illinois Printing Company, after which he became connected with the Danville News, serving as its business manager for eight years. On the 27th of March, 1897, he was appointed assistant postmaster by W. R. Jewell, and is now serving in his sixth year under that gentleman. During this long period he has become thoroughly familiar with the ofifice in every detail and practically has charge at this time. During the last six years the business of the office has nearly doubled and the ofifice force has been cor- respondingly increased. Danville has been made a depositary for postal money order funds and nine rural routes have been es- tablished, Mr. Payne being largely instru mental in this. 504 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD On August 19, 1879, he was married to Rachel A. Oliver, who was born June 13, 1859. Of this union nine children were born, seven of whom are living: William A., born October 28, 1881 ; Gertrude, born January 26, 1884; Frank, born May 18, 1886; Harry, born September 12. 1888: George O., born February 28, 1894; Isabel, born July 26, 1896; and Joseph C, born September 26, 1900. Mr. Payne is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and is a charter member of Lodge No. 254, the first organ- ized in \'ermilion county. His political views are in accord with the principles of the Republican party and for eight years he has been a member of the county central committee and was chairman of the Dan- ville townsliip committee, in 1898. when the township was won for the Republican party. That for which the comnumit)- stands chief- ly indebted to him is his marked fidelity to duty and his excellent executive ability com- bined with an accurate, farsighted knowl- edge of men and affairs which constitutes him naturally an eminent assistant in large enterprises. GEORGE W. ['RATHER. George W. Pratlier. who is now en- gaged in agricultural pursuits and stt)ck- raising owns a valuable farm of two hun- dred and seventy acres located in Ross and Grant townships. He has ]ilaced his land under a very high state of culti\'ation and has added to his farm all modern equip- ments and accessories so that it is to-day a valuable jilacc and in its neat .and thrifty appearance indicates to the passerby the careful sniicrvisjon of the owner. ]\Ir. Prather is a native son of \'ermilion county, his birth having occurred here on the 15th of March, 1845. His father, Uriah Prather, was born in Kentucky in 1 82 1, while the grandfather, Jonathan Prather, was a native of Virginia. The family comes of German ancestry and the first of the name to emigrate from the fa- therland to America settled in Pennsyl- vania. In pioneer times of \'irginia the family was also established in that state and Jonathan Prather removed from the Old Dominion to Kentucky, becoming one of the first settlers of Bath county. He was one of nine brothers and three sisters who became residents of the Blue Grass state. Subsequently the grandfather of our subject remo\ed to Illinois, settling here in the year of the Black Hawk war — 1832. He took up his abode near the present city of Danville and was one of the first to es- tablish a home in this locality. Later he removed across the state line into Indiana, his home being in Vermilion county, that state, and there he opened uj) a farm which he ctilti\'ated and inipnned. V>y trade, however, he was a cai)inet-niaker. and after establishing his home in Indiana he was employed in making the seats for the old I'nion chapel on the Prairie\ille road. L'riah Prather. the father of our sub- ject, was reared to manhood in \erniilion conntx', Indiana, and was there married to Sarah Kilter, who was born in Lancaster coun'.x', i'ennsvlx'ani.a, a daughter ot John Ritter. i k- renioxed from the i\e_\stone .state to Ohio, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. During her childhood Mrs. Prather came to Illinois with ;i Cousin and was reared here. For four or fi\-e _\-ears the father of our subject ensfayed in farming near Danville and then G. W. PRATHER. MRS. G. W. PRATHER. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 509 removed to a farm two and one-half miles east of Rossville, in the fall of 1850, pur- chasing more than four hundred acres of land, which he broke and improved, his richly cultivated fields in time yielding to him golden harvests. He died while in the prime of life, passing away in January, 1855, at the age of thirty-two years and eleven months. Mrs. Prather survived him and reared her family of six children, live sons and a daughter, all of whom are yet living with the exception of one son. George W. Prather of this review was the eldest and in the county of his nativity he was reared, pursuing a common-school education, although his advantages in that direction were somewhat limited, for his services were needed to carry on the work of the home farm. In July, 1862, he offered his aid to the government for a one hundred days' service, and joined Company A of the Seventy-first Illinois Infantry, with which he went south to Cairo and joined the West- ern army. He was engaged in guarding railroad and government property and later was in Kentucky until the expiration of his term of service, when he received an hon- orable discharge in Chicago in October, 1862. From the age of seventeen years he has depended upon his own resources for a living and all that he possesses has been acquired in this way. For several years he was largely engaged in stock-raising. As a companion and helpmeet on the journey of life Mr. Prather chose ]\liss Cynthia A. Beebe, their wedding being cel- ebrated May 10. 1877. The lady was l)orn near Williamsport, Indiana, and was there reared. Mr. Prather secured eighty acres of raw prairie land, which he broke and fenced, and the early spring plowing and planting was followed by good harxests in the autumn. He also rented other laml 21 which he operated and as his financial re- sources increased he bought more land from time to time until he has to-day three farms in the same neighborhood, comprising two hundred and seventy-seven acres of valua- ble land, on which are three sets of farm buildings. He has tiled and fenced his land, has added all modern equipments and now has a very desirable property which returns to him a good income. In connection with the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate, he makes a specialty of raising, buying, feeding and shipping stock, fattening about two or three carloads of cattle and about three carloads of hogs each year. He is accounted one of the suc- cessful farmers and stock-raisers of the county and certainly deserves all the pros- perity that has come to him. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Prather has been blessed with three children. Mary is the wife of Andrew A. Miller, a farmer of this county, and they have one son, Harold. Carrie is the wife of Louis Mouery, a mer- chant of Rossville, and they have one son, Clarence A. Albert, the youngest, is at home. In 1895 Mr. Prather purchased property and built a neat residence in Ross- ville, where he has since made his home and from this point he superintends his farming and stock-raising interests. Politi- cally he is a stanch Republican, although he was reared in the faith of the Demo- cratic party. He cast his first presidential ballot for General U. S. Grant in 1868, but had previously \-oted for Josq^h Cannon for congress. He has never sought nor would he accept political ofiice, preferring that his attention should be given to his business af- fairs. His wife is a member of the Chris- tian church. During fifty-seven years, covering the period of his entire life, he has witnessed 5IO THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD the wonderful growth and advancement of this portion of lihnois. He hved here wlien the country was so new that deer and other wild game were to be seen and the farmers had to watch very closely in order to keep the wild geese and cranes from eating the young crops. Great changes have since oc- curred as civilization has advanced, popula- tion increased and the work of improve- ment and development been carried forward by a progressive and contented people who have made the county one of the richest agricultural districts of the state, while its towns and villages have taken on metropol- itan proportions and have become imbued with all the industrial and commercial ac- tivity known to the older east. Both Mr. Prather and his wife are highly esteemed in the community and have many friends who will be glad to read the record of their lives in tliis volume. FRANK E. KESPLER. This well-known druggist of George- town is a man whose sound common sense and vigorous, able management of his af- fairs have been important factors in his suc- cess and with his undoubted integrity of character have given him an honorable posi- tion among his fellow men. For twenty- four years he has been a resident of Ver- milion county, and throughout his active business life has been identified with its com- mercial interests. Mr. Kespler was born in Perrysville, Indiana, November 19, 1869, and is a son of E. C. and Anna P. (Neigenfind Kes- pler, both natives of Germany, the former born in the Hessian province and the latter in the Schlesien Province. In carlv life tliev came to the United States and \vere mar- ried in Danville, Illinois, in 1S65. Remov- ing to Indiana, the father purchased a farm adjoining the city of Perrysville, where he followed agricultural pursuits threnighout the remainder of his life, dying there No- xember 27, 1S78. His funeral was under the auspices of the United Brethren and was attended by a large number of friends and acquaintances who gathered to pay their last tribute of respect to their fel- low townsman. He was a prominent man of his township and was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him. In pol- itics he was an ardent Republican and took quite an active part in local politics, though he was never an office seeker. After her husband's death Mrs. Kespler rented the farm and returned to Danville, Illinois, to make her home with her parents. She had four children, namely: Mary I., now the wife of Louis Steck, a farmer of Ogden, Illinois; Frank E. ; Anna K., wife of H. L. Schmidt, who is conducting a meat market in Danville; and W. F.. who mar- ried Alay Will, a daughter of Henry Will of Danville, and is now clerking for the Bell Clothiers of that city. I'rank E. Kespler began his education in the public schools of Perrysville, Indi- ana, and later attended the city schools of Dan\ille, Illinois, being only nine years of age on the removal of the family to the lat- ter city. Laying aside his text books at the age of fourteen he entered the drug store of E. C. Winslow, of Danville, as an ajjpren- tice. and after five years spent there he matriculated at the Illinois College of Phar- macy in Chicago, where he completed the prescribed course. Fie then took the ex- amination before the state l)oard of phar- macy, and passing it satisfactorily he ac- cepted a position as managing druggist of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 511 the T. R. Davis drug stare at Hinckley, Illi- nois, where he remained two years and a half. He was next in the employ of Arthur Esslinger, a druggist of Danville, for a lit- tle over two years, and on resigning that position he purchased the drug store of Donnelly & Shepherd, at Germantown, whicli he conducted for a year. He then removed his stock to the McCusker block. No. 40 Jackson street, Danville, and after two years spent at that place removed to the corner of Main and Hazel streets, at which point he carried on business for three years and a half. He then sold out to U. J. Over- man, and in October, 1900, opened his pres- ent up-to-date drug store in Georgetown, where he is now carrying on business with most gratifying success. He makes some- what of a specialty of putting up physicians' prescriptions and family recipes. Besides the best line of drugs and patent medicines, he handles paints, oils, turpentine, putty, window glass, stationery, cigars, tobacco, etc. On the i6th of May, 1894, Mr. Kespler was united in marriage to Miss Lydia M. Pracht, a daughter of John G. and Rosa M. (Schmidt) Pracht. The father, who was a native of Germany, is now deceased, and the mother is now the wife of Joshua Schec- ter, a liverj'man of Georgetown. Unto our subject and his wife has been born one child, Blanche Esther, now seven years of age. The family is one of prominence in George- town, standing high in social circles. Politically Mr. Kespler is identified with the Republican party but takes no active part in politics aside from voting, though he is interested in good government. Fra- ternally he is a member of Ionian Lodge, No. 502, K. P., of Georgetown ; Weltonomah Tribe, No. 120, I. O. R. M., of Westville: and Georgetown Camp, No. 188, M. W. A. He may well be classed among the self-made men of his adopted county, for his success in life is due entirely to his own well directed and energetic efforts. His store is a model of neatness, and with his thorough knowl- edge of the business and affable manner he is sure to meet wath success wherever he may go. J. F. McCOY. Comparatively few of the citizens of the Union have attained eminence in affairs of state or in military circles, but the field of business is limitless and the man of ability in his chosen calling can always win success if he but guides his efforts by correct busi- ness principles. Mr. McCoy chose as a life work the profession of the architect and builder. He thoroughly mastered the busi- ness both in principle and in detail and thus well equipped for his calling he has become a factor in the building interests of Vermil- ion county, gaining for himself a reputation* that is second to none in his line in this part of the state. A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. McCoy was born in Carlisle, that state, July 2, 1849, his parents being Joshua and Eliza (iNIcCar- rol) McCoy, both of w*hom are natives of the Keystone state and were there married. The father was a shoemaker and continued to reside in Pennsylvania until called to his final rest in the year 1876. His wife passed away the year previous. In his political affiliations Mr. McCoy was a Democrat. In his family were twelve children, eight of whom are yet living : Sarah, the widow of Jonathan Etter, a resident of Shippensburg, Pennsvlvania ; William, who resides in Car- 512 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lisle, Pennsylvania; Margaret the widow of Samuel Pystle and a resident of Roxbury, Pennsylvania; Ellen, the wife of William Keifer, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania ; J. Keifer, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; David, who is residing in Newville, Pennsylvania; J. P., of this review; Archer, whose home is in Newburg, Pennsylvania; and Daniel, who is re- siding in Blount township, Vermilion C(junt\', Illinois. Those who have passed away are as follows : Rosanna be- came the wife of John Wolf, and after his death married Mr. Burkholter, who is also now deceased. By her first union she had one child, Samuel Wolf, who now resides in Kirkwood, Illinois. By the second marriage there was one daughter, Ella, who is mar- ried and resides in Pennsyh-ania. Joshua died at the age of eighteen years, being ac- cidentally poisoned through eating pie while serving his country in the Civil war, being at that time with McClellan on the march to Richmond. Lacy became the wife of William McMullen, who resides in Oak- villc, Penns)'l\'ania, and died leaving three children. Rebecca was also married and is now deceased. She resided near Stouchs- town, Pennsylvania, and had one child. J. F. McCoy, whose name introduces this record, attended the district school near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and when only six- teen years of age he became a teamster in the Civil war, acting in that capacity in Pennsylvania. When seventeen years of age he began learning the carpenter's trade, serving a three years' apprenticeship. In 187J he came west, locating first at Stateline, In- diana, where he resided for eleven months. He then removed to Danville and has since been an active factor in the business affairs of this citv. In the meantime he had married, hav- ing on the 7th of ^larch, 1870, near Carlisle. Pennsylvania, wedded Miss Martha J. Cib- Ixins, who was l)orn in Perry county, Penn- sylvania, January 13, 1851. She was a daughter of David and Mary (Smith) Gib- bons, both of whom were nati\-es of Perry county, where they were married, locating then in Blaine. Pier father was a black- smith and resided in the county of his na- tivity until his death, which occurred about 1858. His wife long survived him, passing away in 1891. In their family were five children, of whom four are yet li\ing: Mrs. McCoy; Kate, the wife of Edward Hawk, of Danville; Reuben, who is also living in this city; and Da\id, who makes his home near Canton, Ohio. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. McCoy has been blessed with six children : Clarence, who married Anna Clark and resii^es in Danville, where he is following carpentering and cimtracting; Myrtle, the wife of Robert Kinningham, of Danville; Kate, the wife of Harry Conno- ver, of this city, by whom she has one child, Edna ; May, who is an architect in her fath- er's office: Ethel and Harold, at home with their parents. In 1873 Mr. McCoy began liusiness in Danville, since which time he has engaged in contracting and in doing architectural work. He devotes his time largely to the latter branch of his business and to superin- tending the ci instruction of buildings. He has erected or assisted in building many of the finest structures of this city, including the opera house: the I'irst Methodist Epis- copal church: St. Patrick's Catholic church. St. Mary's Academy ; the Daniels building. He remodeled the I'irst National Bank building: built the Danxille high school: Lincoln. l'"ranklin and Grant schouls; also CHARLES B. HART. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 515 the First Church of Clirist ; the Lincohi street church ; the Methodist Episcopal church at Verniihoii Heights; the Greer CoHege and the puhhc school, of Hoope- ston. the Methodist Episcopal church of Hoopeston and at least fourteen business blocks there ; the Methodist Episcopal church at Catlin; the Catholic school at Westyille; the Baptist church at Sidell ; and the public school there. He is now engaged on the construction of the Cumberland Pres- byterian church in Danville, the Presbyter- ian church in Fithian ; and the public library of Danville. He has erected not less than one hundred of the business blocks of this city and one hundred of its best residences, besides hundreds of attractive homes in the county. He is one of the most widely known architects and contractors of this part of the state. The beauty of the designs which he makes, combined with his excellent work- manship manifested in the execution of a contract, have made him an important fac- tor in the ])rogress and improvement as well as the adornment of Vermilion county. He has offices at No. 305 First National Bank Building. Mr. McCoy is a strong temperance man and his views on this subject are embodied in the political support, which he gives to the Prohibition party. He is also a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has gained for himself the confidence and re3]5ect of the entire community in which he lives by his honorable, straightforward career. We read of the lives of the heroes of the past and they not only prove of his- torical interest but serve to inspire and en- courage us, yet we need not go to former days for e.xamples that are worthy of emu- lation. The men of to-day who have won distinction and honorable success equal in exemplary traits of character those who have passed away and the life record of Mr. McCoy may well pro\-e of great benefit if we will but heed the obvious lessons whicli it contains. CHARLES B. HART. The large concourse of people who gath- ered to pay their last tribute of respect and love to Charles B. Hart when his remains were interred in Spring Hill cemetery, spoke eloquently of the place he had held in the affections of those with whom he was associated. Seldom within the history of Dan\-ille has there been brought together on a similar occasion such a large number of people. The deepest regret throughout the community was felt, for Mr. Hart had en- deared himself to all. He was pleasant, frank and jovial in manner and had gained a host of warm friends. Certainly he should be classed among the representative men of this city and upon the pages of the history of Vermilion county his life record deserves a place. Mr. Hart was born in Mooresville, In- diana, May 28, 1S59, and is a son of Rich- ard and Emma Leah (Farrend) Hart. The father was a native of Virginia and his father was of German birth, while John Farrend, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of Scotch-Irish lineage and was a farmer by occupation. Mrs. Hart was b(.irn in Cincinnati, in which city her marriage was celebrated. There the father of our stibject worked at the carriage-build- ing trade and subsequently carried on the same business at Mooresville, Indiana, re- maining there for a time, or until he took up his abode in Terre Haute, that state. In the last named place he was extensively 516 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD engaged in the carriage nianulacturing business. In 1871 he came to Danville, where he embarked in stair-building, and he is now superintendent of the turning de- partment in the Watson Planing Mill, oc- cupying the position at the age of eighty years. Such a life record of usefulness and activity should put to shame many a man \vho, grown weary of the burdens and re- sponsibilities of a business career, would relegate to others the work which he should perform. About fourteen years ago Mrs. Hart passed away. in the family were seven children, but only three are now liv- ing: Alice, the wife of L. B. Wolf, who resides at Xo. 16 Fremont street, in Dan- ville; Jesse, of Homer, Illinois; and Ran- dolph, of Lafayette, Indiana. Charles B. Hart acquired his early edu- cation in the schools of Terre Haute, Indi- ana, and of Danville, Illinois, having come to the latter city when a youth of ten years. On leaving the schoolroom he began learn- ing the trade of a painter, paper hanger and decorator, and became so expert in this line of work that his skill was equalled by few in this part of the state. He soon left the ranks of a journeyman to become a con- tractor in the business, and in his industrial career he prospered, his patronage becom- ing so extensive as to enable him to employ a number of men. Large and important contracts were awarded him i)y reason of the excellence and attractiveness of the work, and as the years passed he gradually acquired a competence. In his political views Mr. Hart was an earnest Republican who belie\'ed firmly in the ])rinciples of the party, Init refused to hold office. Fraternally he was connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Court of Honor, the Royal .Americans, tlie Roval Circle and the Fraternal Armv and he was a consistent and helpful mem- ber of the Methodist church. On the 24th of June, 1886, at the resi- dence of Congressman Joseph G. Cannon, in whose family the lady had lived for twen- ty-three years, Mr. Hart was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie A. Mclntyre, who was born in Montreal. Canada, Septemiier 22, 1859. Her father, Samuel Mclntyre, also a native of Canada, was of French an- cestiy, a son of Samuel Mclntyre, who was born in France and carried on merchandis- ing in Canada. He married Agnes Hays, who was born in the same country, a daugh- ter of William Hays, who was of Scotch birth. Their marriage was celebrated in Montreal, Canada, and Mr. Alclntyre fol- lowed the carpenter's trade there until 1862, when he removed to Camargo, Douglas county, Illinois, where he engaged in con- tracting and building. Subsequently he took up his abode in Tuscola, Illinois, where he resided for many years and then went to Hammond, Illinois, where his last days were passed. He erected many public build- ings, residences, schools and churches, which still stand as monuments to his skill and enterprise. In his political xiews a stal- wart Republican, he served as constable and filled various township offices, taking an acti\e part in political affairs. He held membership in the Presbyterian church and died in that faith October 14, 1891, his re- mains being then interred in the cemetery at Camargo, Illinois. His wife had ])assed away when Mrs. Hart was but five years of age. In the family were three sons and three daughters : John, who resides in Tus- cola, Illinois; William, of Hanuuond, Illi- nois; Mrs. Hart; Samuel, who is in the west; Martha, the wife of Charles Combs, of Den\-er, Colorado ; and Jennie, the de- ceased wife of Christopher Cross, who re- . THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 517 sided in Tuscola, this state, and left two children — Harry E., who is married and lives in Tuscola; and Agiies, who is a singer of that place. Mr. and Mrs. Hart became the parents of one son and tuo daughters : Le Roy, who was born June 14, 1887, and is a member of the class of 1903 of the high school of Danville; Mabel Helen, who was born January 18, 1888, and is now in her first year in the high school ; and Gertrude Hazel, who was born January 2, 1891, and is now attentling the public school. It was on the 25th of August, 1902, that the family were called upon to mourn the loss of the husband and father, who passed away on that date and was laid to rest in Spring Hill cemetery. As the result of his business activity he was enabled to leave his family in comfortable circumstances, and moreover he left to them an untarnished name and pleasant memories of the many happy hours spent in his company, for his greatest interest centered in his family and he considered no sacrifice on his part too great if it would promote the happiness or enhance the welfare of his wife and children. Wher- ever he went he made friends by reason of his genial, kindly and sympathetic manner. He was always good natured and jovial and belonged to that class of citizens who shed around them much of the sunshine of life. Mrs. Hart is a member of the Fraternal Army, of the Court of Honor, and of the Tribe of Ben Hur, and she is likewise a de- voted member of the First Methodist Epis- copal church. She, too, is widely and fa- vorably known in Danville and with her family she resides at No. 437 Outten street. Her many excellent traits of heart and mind are recogiiized by her many friends and like her honored husband she certainly deser\-es mention in this volume. FRED H. AYERS. it Fred H. Ayers is extensively engaged in real-estate dealing in Hoopeston, largely operating in farm lands, and his own in- vestments in property have been extensive and profitable. ]\Ir. Ayres is a native of Grundy count)', Illinois, born in the year 1850, his parents being William Henry and Eliza Jane (Benedict) Ayres. They were residents of New Haven, Connecticut, and he emigrated westward taking up his abode in Grundy county, Illinois, in 1846. On both sides Mr. Ayres comes of English an- cestry. The Ayres and Benedict families were founded in the new world prior to the Revolutionary war and representatives 0/ the latter name have frequently been men- tioned on the pages of American history in connection with affairs of prominence bear- ing upon the substantial development and upbuilding of the nation. While residing in the east the father of our subject engaged in business as a tanner and currier, and after coming to Illinois he secured a homestead in Grundy county where he carried on farm- ing until 1883. In that year he sold his property there and removed to Iroquois county, living upon a farm with his son, F. H. Ayres, until 1894. In that year the par- ents of our subject came to Hoopeston, where the mother died in ^Nlarch, 1898, and the father in February, 1899. Fred H. Ayres always resided with his parents and in their declining years, by his filial atten- tion and regard he repaid them for the care and love which they had lavished upon him in his youth. There was one daughter in the family, Louvicea, now the wife of the Rev. Dana Sherrill, a retired Congrega- tional minister of Hoopeston who at one time engaged in preaching the gospel at For- 5i8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD rest and at Marshall, Illinois, and afterward went to Savannah, Georgia, as superinten- dent of the colored schools there. The father, William Henry Ayres, was a plain, unassuming man, who possessed sterling- traits of character that Ijrought him the con- fidence and good will of all with whom he was associated. Fred H. Ayres spent his hoyhood days witli his parents in the pursuit of education His business training was received under the direction of his father. He assisted in the cultivation and improvement of the home farm, father and son w^n^king together in com])lete harmony. He was married on the old home place near Morris, Grundy coun- ty, to Miss Mary E. Leach, a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, who at an early age became a resident of Kendall county, Illinois. Roth of her parents are now de- ceased. The marriage of the young couple was cclehr;ilcd on the 15th of January, 1873. and has been blessed with one child, Mary L., who is now the wife of Marion R. Cle- ments, a music dealer of Hoopeston. Mr. and Mrs. Ayres also lost two children in chililh t. I'rnm the lime of his marriage until 1883 Mr. .\yres operated his father's farm. In the latter year the Grundy ])roperty wasf sold and he remi;)\'ed to Irof|uois county, settling in Prairie Green township. He re- mained on this place until 1894. The family then came to Hoopeston and in January, 1895. our subject embarked in business with F. W. Nelson, as a dealer in farm imple- ments, harness, buggies and hiardware. This partnership was continued until the ist of January. 1902. Since that time Mr. Ayres has been engaged in the real-estate business handling farm lands on an extensive scale. He to-dav owns eight hundred and sixty acres of land in l-'ulion C(.)unty, Indiana, which is splendidly improved and yields t(. him a good financial return. The family home is on East Penn street and is a charm- ing residence noted for its pleasing hospital- ity. In his social relations Mr. Ayres is a Knight of Pythias and politically is a Re- publican. He served for two terms as su- pervisor of the township in which he was reared, but has ne\'er Ijecn a politician in thc sense of ofifice seeking. While possessing the qualities of a successful business' man and a desirable social companion, perhaps Mr. .\yres" most strongly marked charac teristic is his unswerving fidelity to duty. His private interests must always give way to the public good and thus he has become honored, esteemed and distinguished by all who have the pleasure of his accpiaintance or who iiave met him in a business wav. REV. M. M. .VLISON. Rev. M. M. Alison, who is now living a retired life in Alvin but for more th.an a quarter of a century was one of the enter- prising and ])rogressi\e farmers and stock- raisers of V^ermilion county, came to this ])ortion of the state in the spring of 1864 and has since been deeply interested in its impriivement along material, intellectual and moral lines. He is one of the worthy citizens of the locality that Ohio has fur- nished to this state. His birth occurred in Jefferson county, Ohio, December 15. 1823, and is a representative of one of the old families of Virginia. His paternal grand- father, Ross Alison, lived in that state and there Samuel Alison, the father of our sub- ject, was born and reared. As a companion MRS. M. M. ALISON. REV. M. M. ALISON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 523 and helpmate for life's journey he chose Margaret McGavran, who was of Irish par- entage. Thinking to better his financial condition in a newer region he emigrated to Ohio, becoming one of the first settlers in Jefferson county. Subsequently he re- moved to Jackson county, where he reared his family and spent his remaining days, being called to his final rest in 1S58, when about sixty years of age. Our subject was the younger of his two sons, the older being Ross Alison, now a well known business man of Danville. Rev. Alison of this review spent the days of his manhood in Jackson county, working upon his father's farm from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn. He then en- tered the public schools, where he pursued his studies until returning spring again brought new duties. After arriving at ma- ture }'ears he engaged in teaching in Jack- son and Vinton, counties, of Ohio. He fol- lowed that profession continuously for five years and druing the winter months of many years. Ere he left Ohio he was mar- ried in Jackson county, on the 8th of March, 1849, to Sarali Salmans, who was born in Guernsey county, that state, but spent her girlhood days largely in Jackson and Vin- ton counties. Her father, William Sal- mans, was one of the pioneers of Ohio from Delaware. Different farms in the Buckeye state were owned and operated by Rev. Alison, who carried on agricultural work there un- til 1864, when he packed up his belongings and came to Illinois, accomplishing the journey to Vermilion county with a team and wagon. This was a long, hard trip, but at length he safely reached his destina- tion and purchased land in Ross township, becoming the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, a small portion of which had been fenced and cultivated, while a little house had also been built. With char- acteristic energy he began the further im- provement of the property and afterward bought more land, extending the boundaries of his fami from time to time until he had four hundred acres in one body. He also erected a comfortable residence and barn and planted two orchards upon his place. His farm work there was continued until about 1882, when he divided his farm among his children and purchased twenty acres where he now resides, on which he erected a comfortable home. He has since b(jught land adjoining the original tract un- til he has seventy-six acres in his home place and his time and energies are gi\-en to the further improvement of the property. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Alison have been born two children, who are yet living: Cic- ero, a prominent business man and grain dealer of Alvin; and Almira, now the wife of John N. Ross, of Chicago. They also lost four children, of whom two died in infancy. Sarah Margaret grew to matur- ity, married Harvey J. Stewart, and after his death became the wife of Andrew Cope- land, with whom she removed to Okla- homa, where her death occurred on the 17th of April, 1895. Rachel F. married Wal- lace Salmans, of Danville, and died in that city, in December, 1892. William and Mary Ada both died when three years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Alison have seventeen grand- children and one great-grandchild. In early manhood the subject of this review joined the Methodist Episcopal church and was afterward ordained to the ministry. He was first licensed to preach in W'ilkesville in 1852 and later was or- dained in Chillicothe, Ohio, about 1856. He has always been active in church work and 524 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD continued to serve as a local minister of the church both in Ohio and in Vermilion county until 1900. His labors have lieen effective in promoting the cause of Chris- tianity and his influence has been a potent element for good in \vhate\'er community he has lived. When the Republican party was organized and nominated John C. Fre- mont as its tirst candidate for the presi- dency, he gave to it his support and has never \va\'ered in his allegiance to the or- ganization, believing that its principles are best calculated to conserve the cause of good government. He believes in ad\ancement along all lines tending to develop character and therefore is a warm friend of the cause of education and has lieen a member of the school board for a number of years. He also served as village treasurer of Alvin for eight years and is still the efficient treasurer of the town board. He has a wide acquain- tance among the early settlers of Danville and the northeastern part of the county, and is a man of tried integrity and worth. He and his estimable wife and also their chil- dren have many friends in this locality who will be pleased to receive the record of their history. LEVIN VINSON. Levin Vinson, whose well developed farm is located on section i , Oakwood town- ship, was born in Parke county, Indiana, February 20, 1828, and is a son of Hen- son and Abigail (McDowell) Vinson, both natives of Kentucky. At an early day they removed to Indiana and there they reared their family of nine children, of whom four are living: Mrs. Delia Ann Burton of Oak- wood township ; Levin ; Henson, who re- sides on the old homestead; and Abigail Dizard, of Oakwood township. Three sons and two daughters have passed away. When the subject of this review was ten years of age, the parents removed to Ver- milion county, Illinois, and the father ]5ur- chased land in Oakwood township, living in a log cabin while to general farming and stock-raising he devoted his energies. Upon the place which he there developed, he re- sided until his death and his wife's death also occurred there. Levin Vinson was educated in a log schoolhouse furnished with slab benches and greased paper windows. In the sum- mer months he worked upon the farm, great- ly assisting his father in the care and culti- vation of the home place, in fact, much of the work devolved upon him because his father was in poor health. He plowed in the earlv davs when he used a wooden mold board plow and a single shovel plow for the corn. The grain in those early days was drop])ed by hand. \\'hen the summer sun had rijiened the crops he used a reap hook and cradle in the harvest field. The family wore homemade clothing and raised the flax from which were spun and wo\en the garments. They also raised their own wool, which was taken to carding machines where it was spun and woven into cloth at home. Each member of the faniil\- liatl but a single pair of shoes a year. In order to have a fire they would go into the timber and pick punk and then with this and the flint and tow would make a fire, for there were no matche> at that time. Economy was practiced in all lines of life, even to the carrying of shoes to church by the children, who wore them only during the services, removing them as soon as they left the meeting house. The pioneer families dnne to church with ox- teams, Mr. \'inson never seeing a buggy until he was sixteen years of age. Many THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 525 times he watclied liis mother dip candles be- fore the days when candle molds came into use and in the home the old grease lamp was also utilized. Mr. Vinson remained with his parents until he attained his majority and afterward engaged in breaking prairie with oxen for many years. He once drove eight yoke of oxen in turning the first furrows on the prairies of Illinois. In those days trading was done at Covington. Perrysville and Dan- ville, the last named then containing only one store. On the 12th of November, 1850. he married Aliss Naomi Liggitt, who was born in Ohio in March, 1832, a daughter of Jesse and Mary (Coddington) Liggitt. In order to provide for his wife Mr. Vinson continued to break prairie and follow farm- ing and was thus engaged until after the Civil war broke out. He and his brother John, who became a lieutenant and is now deceased, formed a company wdnich was mustered in as Company I of the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, September 4, 1862, the regiment being com- manded by Colonel Harmon, while Mr. Vinson was given command of the com- pany. The first battle in which he partici- pated was at Perryville, Kentucky, and af- ter taking part in the engagement at Crab Harbor he returned with his men to Nash- ville. Being taken ill he only served for a year, resigning February 29, 1864, when he returned home. In the spring of that year he located upon his farm, where he remained until he went into business at Glenburn, dealing in meat and groceries. He now conducts the only general store at that place and he also owns one hundred acres of rich farming land on section i, Oakwood township, all of which is under a high state of cultivation and is pleasantly located a half mile east of the village. In politics Mr. V^inson is a Republican and has served as road overseer and school director. He belongs to the Grand Army Post at Glenburn, of which he has served as commander. In the work of improvement and progress here he has rtaken an active and helpful part, has seen the county grow from a wilderness to its high state of culti- vation and has been one of the upbuilders of Oakwood township, having in'oken more land than any other man within its borders, while he has made as many rails as any one living here. In tlie improvement of the county he has taken a deep interest and he well deserves mention among the early set- tlers. RICHARD A. CLOYD, M. D. Through a longer period than any other physician in Catlin, Dr. Richard A. Cloyd practiced his profession in this place. He was born in Georgetown, Illinois, May 24, 1864, and is a son of John P. Cloyd. a leading physician of Vermilion county. The paternal grandparents were William and Julia (Northington) Cloyd, the former a native of Washington county, Tennessee, and the latter of Virginia. William Cloyd was a wagon manufacturer and made the celebrated six-horse wagon, known as the old schooner. He died in 1848. leaving a wid- ow and three children, John P., David G., and James W. After John P. reached man- hood his mother married again and by that union there was one child. She died in Greenville, Tennessee, at the age of sixty- 520 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD seven years. William Cluyd. an uncle of our subject, is a practicing physician of east- ern Tennessee. John P. Cloyd has been a resident of Georgetown since 1869.. He pursued his studies in Rhea Academy at Greenville, Tennessee, where he completed a prepara- tory course and at the age of seventeen years he Ijecame a student in Washington county, Tennessee. At the close of the first term he started for \'ermilion county, Indiana, where he engaged in teaching school tor two years and in 1859 he came to Illinois, following the profession, teaching in this state until 1864. He then went to Chicago, where he entered the Rush Medical College and after pursuing two courses of lectures was graduated with the class of 1869. Three and one-half years prior to receiving his di- plnma. however, he had begun the practice of medicine at Yankee Point, but since he graduated he has been located in George- town and is one of the oldest physicians of the county. In 1859 Dr. Cloyd was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Golden, a na- tive of Vermilion county, Illinois, and a daughter of Jacob and Alice (Frazier) Gol- den, who removed from eastern Tennessee to Vermilion county, becoming pioneer set- tlers of Elwood township. Unto the mar- riage of Dr. and Mrs. Cloyd ha\e been born five children, namely : Richard ; Belle, the wife of Rev. D. G. Murray, of Texas: F. N., a practicing physicain of Westville, Illi- nois, who married Jessie Summers, a native of East Park, Indiana, by whom he has one child, Mildred; Grace D., the w-ife of C. E. Pritchard. of Georgetown; and John, who is now a student of dentistrv in Indianapo- lis, Indiana. The father. Dr. Cloyd, is a very prominent Mason, belonging to the lodge in Georgetown and to .\thelstan C( mimandcry in Danxille. He is also a char- ter member of the Vermilion County Medi- cal Association and in his political views is a Democrat. Dr. Richard A. Clo}d acc^uired his pri- mary education in the schools of George- town, and after completing a high school course there entered Wabash College at Crawfordsville, Indiana, as a member of the class of '86. Later he attended the East- ern Illinois College, after which he engaged in teaching for three years jjreparatory to becoming a medical student. He taught school altogether for eight years. He spent one year in Rush Medical College of Chi- cago, and in the class of 1890 he was grad- uated in the Indiana Medical College of Indianapolis. Subsequently he entered the Wabash Railway Hospital at Peru, Indiana, where he acted as house surgeon for two years. On the expiration of that period he returned to his native county, locating in Catlin, where he has since successfully en- gaged in practice, securing a good jritron- age. He is a member of the Vermilion County Medical Association and the Sytlen- ham Medical Society of Indianapolis and the Illinois State Medical Society. He thus keeps in touch with the advanced thought and knowledge of the profession and is con- timially augmenting his efficiency by this means and through personal reading and investigation. He was president of the pen- sion board of examining surgeons, to which he was appointed in 1893, and in that ca- pacity he served until the end of the presi- dential administration. He is now serving as examining physician for Woodman Camp, No. 431, and is examiner for twelve of the large eastern old line insurance com- panies. Dr. Clovd was married in Chicago in THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 527 1897 to Miss May Terpening, a daughter of D. H. Terpening, who was Ijorn in the Em- pire state and whose wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Pritchard, was a na- tive of North CaroHna. Mrs. Cloyd is a lady of superior culture and refinement and is one of the popular residents of V'ermilion county. She graduated from the Catlin schools, diligently pursuing her studies un- til she had successfully passed an examina- tion, which prepared her to become a teach- er. When only sixteen years of age she be- gan teaching and was very successful and popular as an educator. She has also grad- uated from the Chautauqua course of study and attends many of the annual meetings of the Chautauqua circle. She has gained a wide reputation as a reader of marked abil- ity and has won several gold medals in ora- torical contests, including the Demorest grand medal. She does excellent crayon work, but is more widely known because of her elocution, which ranks her among the best representatives of the art. The Doctor is a member of the Phi Gamma Delta, a college fraternity of Craw- fordsville, Indiana. While engaged in teaching school he enlisted on the loth of August, 1887, in Battery A, of the Illinois National Guard under Captain Edwin Win- ter, serving until August 8, 1888, when he was honorably discharged by special order on account of disability. Fraternally the Doctor is a member of the Knights of Pyth- ias Lodge of Georgetown, the Impro\-ed Order of Red Alen at Catlin, the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic fraternity of Catlin. He has passed all of the chairs in the Odd Fellows Lodge and is its medical examiner. He is also a member of the chapter of Royal Arch Masons and Athelstan Commanderv in Danville, and of the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks and his wife is a member of the Rebekah degree of the Odd Fellows society, the Roy- al Neighbors and Eastern Star. Dr. Cloyd deserves much credit for what he has ac- complished. His education was ac(|uired through his own efforts, his labors bringing to him the fund sufificient to meet his ex- penses of a college course. In his profes- sion he ranks high and has strict regard for professional ethics and at the same time pos- sessing marked ability in administering to the needs of the sick. In political faith he is a Democrat and is a public-spirited and popular citizen of Catlin. JOSIAH RUSK. It would be impossible to give an ac- curate account of business development in Hoopeston without mention of Josiah Rusk, who occupies a most enviable position in in- dustrial and financial circles owing to his honorable, straightforward business policy as well as to the brilliant success he has achieved. He was born in Fountain county, Indiana, November 11, 1838. His father,' Benjamin Rusk, was a pioneer of Fountain count}-, settling there at an early day amid the wild woods where he secured one hun dred and sixty acres of land. He died when our subject was less than a year old and his widow afterward became the wife of Abra ham Dove. Three children were born of this union, of whom two are living, David W. and William. George Dove, the oldest of the three children of the second marriage was for many years a prominent resident of Hoopeston, where he died. Josiah Rusk was reared in RiclinKind township. Fountain count}'. Indiana, re- 528 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD maining with iiis mother after Jiis father's death until he was twenty-one years of age. He acquired a common-school education and on attaining his majority he started uut in liie for himself, going to Kansas. He there purchased land and made a prospecting tour over the state. After holding his property in the west for about seven years he sold out. Inheriting some land in his native county. he lised upon the farm upon which he was reared, devoting his attention with marked eiiergy to its cultivation. The old home place comprised one hundred and sixty acres and later he added to this a tract of two hundred and ten acres, remaining on the farm for four years. After his marriage he took up his abode near Covington, Indiana, and later sold his original property. About seven miles from the city of Covington he bought t\vo hundred and eight acres, part of which was improved, while the remainder was covered with timber. There he con- tinued his work as an agriculturist until 1889, when he came to Hoopeston, in the meantime having transformed his property into a very valuable and productive farm. His wife had inherited three eighty-acre tracts of land southeast of Hoopeston and our subject purchased four hundred acres in this locality. Subsec|uently, by additional purchase, he secured a tract of two hundred and forty acres and still later he bought two hundred and eighty acres adjoining Talbot, Indiana. He also purchased another eighty acres in Grant township, Vermilion county. Thus from time to time he increased his realty possessions until they became quite extensive. Now all of this land with the exception of eighty acres in Grant town- ship, the Talbot farm and his town prop- erty, has been divided among his five chil- dren. On the 20th of April, 1862, in Indiana, Mr. Rusk was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Brown, who was born and reared in the neighborhood in which her husband spent his early life. Her parents were Jacob and Susan Brown, both of whom are now deceased. They were pioneer farmers of this section of Indiana and at the time of their death had become well-to-do, in fact were considered in splendid circumstances for that period. Her father entered about ele\en hundred acres of land in \'ermilion county, but retained his residence in Foun- tain county. There he died in 1884. after which the mother lived among her children and died in Hoopeston, October 17, 1895. Mrs. Rusk has one sister, Mrs. Miranda Dove, of Hoopeston. In the family there were originally four children, !\Irs. Rusk being the third. Our subject was one of three children and has a living brother, James, also one sister, Ellen Roher, de- ceased, who invented the New remedy for the lungs. Noah Brown, a brother of Mrs. Rusk, came to Hoopeston and was one of the founders of the town, the northern part of the town being platted upon his land. At the time of his death he was associated with William Moore in extensive real-estate operations. Miss Miranda Brown, the sis- ter of the wife of our subject, married George W. Dove, a half-brother of Josiah Rusk. Mr. Dove was engaged in general merchandising in Hoopeston for many years and his widow is still living here. As above stated Mr. Rusk has largely divided his lamletl interests among his children. His daughter, Sarah Susan, is the wife of Phin- eas Rempster and to her he gave two hun- dred and forty acres. John, who married Maggie Glover, also recived two hundred and forty acres. Ellen is the wife of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 529- Cliaiies Reynolds and she was given one hundred and sixty acres. Albert, who mar- ried Ellen Sherrin, also received one hun- dred and sixty acres. Miranda, the wife of Karl Matthews, was given a quarter sec- tion of land. Mr. Rempster is residing near Cheneyville but the other four live in Hoopeston. John Rusk, the second child, is. the inventor of the Rusk evener, and is giving his attention to the manufacture and sale of the same, in which he is meeting with splendid sttccess. Mr. Rusk of this review owns about fifteen thousand dollars' worth of property in houses and lots in Hoopeston. While not actively engaged in business af- fairs he still looks after his farming inter- ests and his town property. At the time of the Civil war IMr. Rusk was di^afted in the United States service in Rich- land township, Fountain county, Indiana, but was never sworn in. He had been reared in the faith of the Quaker church and was therefore opposed to war. In politics he was formerly a Democrat but is now a Pro- hibitionist. His wife was reared in the faith of the United Brethren church. After her marriage she joined the New Light church, in which Mr. Rusk held member- ship, but both joined the United Brethren church just before coming to Hoopeston. For many years he served as a deacon and was very prominent in church affairs. About 1887, however, he became deeply interested in Christian Science and studied the litera- ture bearing upon that subject. There was no church organization of that denomina- tion here, but a reading circle was formed and many became interested. Mr. Rusk also took lessons in the Christian Science school, in Chicago, and after coming to Hoopeston he was among the leaders that organized the society here and conducted it for a few years. About 1899 the church was organized and secured a charter, there being at that time a membership of foiuteen which has now been increased to nineteen. Our subject and his wife have been leading spirits in the building of the present new edi- fice, a modern church building which -was erected at a cost of between seven and eight thousand dollars, including the ground. The trustees are Michael Hausz, Josiah Rusk, and Charles Reynolds. Mrs. Rusk's sub- scription to the new church was fifteen hun- dred dollars, and he also donated twelve hundred dollars. He was the treasurer of the building fund, is clerk of the church, and his wife was formerly a director but later resigned. Miss Stella F. Sabin was the first reader and Miss C. H. Catherwood the second reader. Before work was com- menced on the church not only had the en- tire amount necessary for building been subscribed, but it had also been collected and placed in the bank. In the character of Josiah Rusk there is something he obtained in the early schools where he was educated and in his early fanning experiences — • sometliing which might be termed solidity of purpose and which is a characteristic worthy of emula- tion. In the school of experience he has learned lessons that have made him a well informed man, broad minded and liberal in his \iews and with a charity that reaches out to all humanitv. JOHN JOHNS. The name of this gentleman is well known to every early settler of Vermilion countv and it is also honoralilv inscribed 530 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD iqjoii tlie pages of pioneer liistory. for Mr. Johns settled here in 18J9 when this portion of the state was yet an unbroken wilderness, few having taken up their abode in what is now \^erniili(>n county. He was born in Kentucky on the 25th of May, 1805, a son of George W. Johns who was likewise a native of Kentucky and was a farmer by occupation. On leaving the Blue Grass state he removed to Indiana, where he lived until liis death. John J(_)hns accompanied his parents on their removal from Kentucky to Vigo coun- ty, Indiana, and there was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life, experiencing all the hardships which fall to the lot of the pioneer. He assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm and there carried on agricultural pursuits until 1828, when he returned to his native county in Kentucky and lived for a year. In 1829, however, he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, casting in his lot among its first settlers. He se- cured a tract of land in Blount township of wild prairie and timberland. Clearing away the trees he prepared the fields for cultivation and soon made extensive, valua- ble and important improvements. As the years passed his place was transformed into a fine farm and thereon he carried on agri- cultural ])ursuits until 1866, when having acquired a handsome competence through his untiring efforts and capable management he retired to private life and removed to Danville, where he made his home until his death. Air. Johns was twice married. He first wedded Aliss Jane Myers, who died and left two children, Charles, who is em])loyed as a clerk in the Temple Departmait store of Danville, and Amelia, who is conducting a millinerv store in this citv. For his second wife Mr. Johns chose Miss Mary Hum])h- rey, a daughter of John Humphrey, of Vir- ginia, who removed from the Old Dominion to Kentucky, where he entered land from the government and de\eloped a farm, to the further cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his energies until his death. By the second marriage of Mr. Joims were born eight children, but only one of this number is now living. Sarah is the deceased wife of Perry Copeland. Eliza is the deceased wife of J. H. Miller. Sue is a resident of Danville. Martha became the wife of R. S. Partlow, of Oregon, and has also passed away. Margaret is the wife of Charles Hacker, and her husband now resides in Danville. William H., Emily and Charles, have also passed away. The chil- dren were provided with good educaticinal privileges in the best schools of this city. In his early days Mr. Johns was a Whig, earnest and faithful in support of the party, and upon its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party to which he firmly adhered throughout the remainder of his life. He was cpiite prom- inent in public affairs and for two terms he served as alderman of Danville and was also a member of the city school board. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Daiuille and he took a deep and active interest in church work and Avas also a zealous advo- cate of the cause of temperance. The first Methodist ser\ice held in \'ermilion county was at his country residence in Blount township, in 1829. His influence was ever on the side of right, of progress and of Christianity. In matters of citizenship he was true and faithful and he performed no unini]iortant part in the early development of Ibis portion of the state, contributing of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 531 his time and means to many measures for the general good. He was also successful in his business and his name is inter\vo\-en with the early history of Dan\-ille county as that of a man whom to know was to re- spect and honor. Miss Sue Johns, the only sur\'i\-ing member of the family, was one of the effi- cient and successful teachers in the public schools of Danville for twenty years. On account of her health she then gave up school teaching and afterward conducted a private school in this city for several years, leaving the impress of her individuality upon the educational work and intellectual advancement in this portion of the state. She now owns a beautiful home at No. 428 Franklin street and she has a large cir- cle of friends in Danville. FREDERICK HACKER. Frederick Hacker, now deceased, be- came a resident of Vermilion county in' 1877, and for a number of years was a re- spected and honored agriculturist here. A native of Germany, he was educated in the common schools of that country antl af- terward assisted his father upon the home farm where he remained until his marriage. He wedded Miss Eliza Freis, also a native of Germany, in which country her parents spent their entire lives, both being now de- ceased. Fourteen children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Hacker: Fred, a carpenter residing in Danville; Emma, the wife of William Evert, a brick manufacturer resid- ing in this city; Annie, William Ella, the wife of Isaac Keene, their home being with Mrs. Hacker; Caroline. Johnie, Eva and six who died in early childhood. 22 In the year 1862 Mr. Hacker came with his family to the new world, for he believed that he might have better business oppor- tunities in this country. Crossing the At- lantic to America, he took up his abode in Buffalo, New York, where he worked as a laborer for several years. He had a sister living in Vermilion county and it was this tliat induced him to become a resident of this count)'-, in the year 1877. After hi; arrival he purchased a farm on the old state road in Danville township and at once began making improvements, there carry- ing on the work of development and culti- vation throughout his remaining days, fol- lowing farming with good success, although owing to ill health his sons largely relieved him of the active work of the farm. How- ever, he supervised its management and his excellent business judgment contributed in a large measure to the success of the busi- ness. In his political views he was an earn- est Democrat, supporting the party from the time he became a naturalized American citizen. He held membership in the Ger- man Lutheran church of Danville and died in that faith on the 17th of October, 1891, respected by all who knew him. He never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world. f(ir he found that the favorable reports which he had heard prior to his emigration were not ex- aggerated. Taking advantage of oppor- tunities offered, he steadily worked his way up in the business world and gained not only a comfortable competence but a good home and many friends. Mrs. Hacker is also a tlevoted member of the German Lutheran church. In 1892 she sold the home farm and removed to Danville, where she is now living with her son-in-law. Isaac Keene, at No. 1 1 19 Tennessee street, in the suburb 532 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of Germantown. She has now been a resi- dent of tlie county for a quarter of a centur\- and is widely known here. ALFRED ATWOOD. Alfred Atwood was one of the soldiers of the Union army who laid down his life upon the altar of his country, for though he did not pass a,way on the battlefield, his death resulted from his army experience only a few weeks after his return from the front. He was a native of Ohio, born in 1823, and when but six years of age he was brought to Vermilion county. Li iS.)" he was united in marriage to Diadama Bloom- field, whose parents were neighbors of Mr. Atwood's parents in Ohio. He had been reared in Pilot township and in early life he learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed for some time, Ijeing a good work- man so that his services were in continual demand. Later, however, he turned his at- tention to farming and also gave consider- able time to the work of the ministry, as a preacher of the Christian church. At one time he was pastor of the church which met in the Gorman school house, was also pas- tor at Burr Oak Grove and at Craig school house, before he entered the army. LI is in- fluence was widely felt as a potent power for good in the community and his labors resulted greatly to the benefit of the moral development of this portion of the state. As before stated Mr. Atwood was united in marriage to Miss Bloomfield, who was born in Pilot township in 1832 and has alwa\s lived here. Her father, Samuel Bloomfield, was a nati\e of Virginia or Ohio and in the latter state he wedded Margaret Kirkham, who was born in Kentucky and was of Irish descent. I'hey became the parents of twelve children, Mrs. .Vtwood l)eing the sixth in order of birth and four of the daughters are yet living, namely: Mrs. Xancy Mozier, Mrs. Eliza ^Masters; and Margaret, who is living with her sister, ]Mrs. Atwood. .At an early day the father came to Illinois, set- tling near Georgetown in \'ermilion county and subsequently he removed to Pilot town- ship. His remaining days were here passed, his death occurring upon the farm in Pilot township that is now occupied by Isaac At- wood. His widow survived him for some time and spent her last days in the home of a daughter in Missouri. Mrs. 2\twood was educated in the dis- trict school and reared under the parental roof. After her father's death she pur- chased the interest of tlie other heirs in the old home place of ninety-two acres and she secured forty acres through the division of the estate. They lived upon the home farm and I\Ir. Atwood not only supervised the management of the property but also la- bored earnestly for the promotion of the cause of Christianity. He was an earnest speaker, full of zeal lor his religion and the cause of the Master found in him an able exponent, who taught by example as well as i)recept. After the inauguration of the Civil war Mr. Atwood enlisted for three years' ser- vice, but returned home before his time had expired, owing to ill health. He was in a hospital for nearly a year, being first in a hospital in Kentucky, whence he was trans- ferretl to Chicago and there he was hon- oraljlx' discharged. He had joined the army as a memlier of Company I, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantr_\-, under the command of Captain \'inson and Cap- tain llanndii. He joined the army as a MRS. DIADAMA ATWOOD. '^■^•"-- ■■■•-^^^'j'^«I»»°«»« ALFRED ATWOOD. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 537 t)rivate biit was promoted to the rank of orderly sergeant at Danville before the reg- iment was sent to the front. He participat- ed in no battles, his regiment being held in reserve. His health, however, was under- mined through the hardships and exposures of army. life and he lived only twelve weeks after his return, passing away on the 2d of June, 1865. In his political views he was an earnest Republican and in all life's rela- itons was found true to his honest convic- tions, never faltering in the pursuance of a course which he believed to be an honorable one. He left to his family the piriceless her- itage of an untarnished name and his ex- ample is still a potent influence for good in the lives of those who knew him. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Atwood were born four children. Mary Margaret became the wife of George Johnson, of Danville, and they have four children, Diadama, Lulu, Elmer and Alfred. Isaac J., of Pilot town- ship, married Rachel Johnson, and they have two children, Edna and Charlie. Sam- uel A. married Belle Goodner, of Pilot township, and their children are George A., Maude V., Robert and Walter. James William, also living in Pilot township, mar- ried Fannie Brooks, now deceased, and they had a son and daughter, Gilbert and Ger- trude May. After her death he rnarried Anna Rickard, and they have one child, James Russell. Mrs. Atwood also has four great-grandchildren. Palmer and Roland Craig, Marion Leland Van Allen, and Dor- othy L. Atwood. Like her husband, Mrs. Atwood is an earnest Christian, for thirty-five years hav- ing held membership with the Christian church, and to the cause she is most de- voted, taking an active interest in every- thing pertaining to its growth. Her young- est child was but four years of age at the time of her husband's death, so that upon her devolved the task of rearing the family, educating them and preparing them for the practical and responsible duties of life. At the time of his death Mr. Atwood owned one hundred and sixty acres of land, but before the property was divided, owing to the capable management and business abil- ity of the widow this estate had been in- creased to three hundred and seventy-two acres. She gave to each of her children forty acres of land, retaining possession of one hundred acres upon which she lives and she also has eighty acres in two other farms. She has always been the manager of her own landed interests, has built a home and barn upon her place and with the aid of hired men carries on agricultural pursuits. She has fed as high as forty-three head of cattle of her own raising, and has sold and shipped much stock. She has always han- dled stock since her husband's death and is well known as a lady of marked enter- prise, executive force and keen busines dis- cernment. She certainly deserves great credit for what she has accomplished, not only in a business way but in rearing her family of chiklren, all of whom are members of the church and are a credit to this ex- cellent mother. CHRISTOPHER MULVANY. Christopher Mulvany, who is filling the office of justice of the peace and engages in the practice of law in Fairmount, was born in eastern Tennessee on the 7th of April, 1845. His father, G. W. Mulvany, was a native of Pennsylvania, while the mother of our subject, likewise born in that state, bore the maiden name of Susan Stansberry, and was of German lineage 538 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD her father having been born in Ger- many. Mr. and Mrs. Mulvany were mar- ried in Tennessee and there he carried on farming until 1853. \\hen lie removetl witli liis family to Marion county, llHnois, making his home there until June, 1881, Avhen he was called to his final rest. His wife had died in the '50s, during the early childhood of our subject, and he was again married in i860, his second being with Annie E. Adams, who was born on the Ber- muda islands. She yet resides in Marion county upon the old home place. Mr. Mul- vany was a Democrat in political athliations and his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. By his first marriage he had ten children, of whom five are yet living, namely : Catherine, who is the widow of William Hockaday, and a resident of Mis- souri ; Christopher, of this review ; Hiram, who resides in Nebraska; J. H.. who makes his home in Clark county, Illinois; and George W., who resides in Marion county, this state. The children of the second mar- riage were five in number, and three yet survive: Wesley. Florence and Asbury, all of Alarion county. In the district schools of Marion county Christopher Mulvany pursued his educa- tion, but his opportunities in that direction were somewhat limited. He was only about eight years of age when his father came to Illinois and here he was reared upmi the old homestead, assisting in the work of the farm until the 4th of October. 1862. when he placed his name upon the roll of volun- teers for .service in the Civil war. enlisting in Salem. Illinois, as a member of Company K. One Hundred and Eleventh Illinois In- fantry, under the command of Captain Jo- seph Shultz and Colonel James S. Martin He was mustered in at Paducah, Kentucky, July 3, 1863. having ser\ed for nine months before being mustered into the United States ser\-ice. After his enlistment he was ordered to Columbus, Kentucky, and re- mained there through the winter, going in the spring to Fort Hindman. Kentucky. From that place he proceeded to Paducah. and afterward to Eastport, Mississippi, and Pulaski. Tennessee. He next went to De- catur Junction, Alabama, and on to Law- renceville. Alabama, after which, uufler tin. command of General Giles A. Smith, he went on the raid against Atlanta. He took part in the engagement at Snake Creek Gap and Resaca, Dallas and Kennesaw Mountain, and afterward proceeded to Rossville, cross- ing the river on the 22d of July and taking part in an engagement at Xew Hope Church on the 28th of the .same month. He was afterward in the battle of Jonesboro, was encamped at Camp McPherson, Georgia. and then followed Hood to the Chatta- nooga valley, after which his command re- turned to Atlanta and joined General Sher- man's forces on the march to the sea. The next battle in which Air. ^^lulvany jiar- ticipated was at Fort McAlister. after which his division went by transport to a point where they landed and captured a large number of supplies. Throughout the Car- olina campaign our subject followed the old flag and was at Raleigh. North Caro- lina, when General Johnston surrendered. With his command he then participated in the grand review at Washington, which marched through the streets of the capital citv and passed the reviewing stand on which the president stood watching the vic- torious troops who had saved the national honor and preservefl the Union intact. In Mav of that vcar Air. ■Miilvanv was trans- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 539 ferred to Company F, Forty-eighth Ilhnois Infantry and sent to Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained until June. The regi- ment then proceeded by steamer to Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas, and on to Little Rock, af- ter which they returned by steamer to Cairo, Illinois, and on the 15th of August, 1865. our subject was honorably discharged at Camp Butler. Illinois. He was mustered out on the 15th of September. Returning to Marion county, our sul.)- ject engaged in farming and remained there until August 18, 1 88 1, when he came to Fairmount, Vermilion county, where he turned his attention to teaming. The fol- lowing year he began work for J. H. Par- rish, in the grain business, remaining with him for seven years. He afterward spent two years in the employ of Mr. Benson in the grain trade, but during that period, in 1883. he was elected constable. The fol- lowing year he was chosen justice of the peace and has since occupied that position, proving a most capable officer, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial. He has held several other offices in the village, in- cluding that of clerk and village attorney. and in his political views Mr. Mulvany is a stalwart Republican. On the 2d of October, 1866, in Paoli, Indiana, Christopher Mulvany was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Adams, wIk was born in New York, September 11, 1850, a daughter of John and A. E. (Mor- tin) Adams. Her father was a native of Ireland and her mother was born in the Bermuda islands, where they were married. They located first in Canada and in 1855 re- moved to Farina, Illinois, where they re- mained for a number of years, Mr. Adams being engaged as section foreman for the Illinois Central Railroad Company. In i860 he went to California, settling near San Diego, where he resided for twenty years, his death occurring there in 1886. He was a member of the Catholic church. His widow afterward married G. W". Mul- vany, who died in 1881. She is now living in Marion county, Illinois. L'nto Mr. and Mrs. Mulvany have been born seven children: A. T., who married Anna Crane, by whom he has three chil- dren, and resides in Marion. Illinois, where he is employed as house engineer for the coal company; Etta C, the wife of J. L. O'Harrow, a telegraph operator of Fair- mount, by whom she has five children : Charles A., a coal operator of Riverton, Illinois, who wedded Maggie Menzer and has one child, Nora, who is employed in the telephone exchange in Fairmount ; M. S., who is engaged in the jewelry business; O. H., who follows farming; and Gracie B., who is employed in the wall paper store of Lock & Robinson. The last four are all at home with their parents in Fairmount. Mr. Mulvany is a member of the Modern W^jodmen Camp and is well known in the town where he makes his home. For eigh- teen years he has filled the position of jus- tice of the peace, and no higher testimonial of his capability and his efficient service could be given than the fact that he has so long continued in this office. He is to- day as true and loyal to his duties of citi- zenship in times of peace as he was when he followed the old flag on southern bat- tlefields. DAVID JOHNSTON. David Johnston Avas born in Mason county. Kentucky, February 6, 1826, his parents being John and Sarah (Matheny) S40 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Jolinston. the former a native of Kentucky and tlie latter of Ohio. Her father was .Ehas Matlieny. who serxed umler Washing- ton in the Revohitionary war. They re- moved from Mason county, Kentucky, to Adams county, Ohio, during the infancy of our subject and in 1844 he came on liorse- back'to Vermilion county. Illinois, settling in the ei]ge of the prairie a mile and a half from the present site of Oakwootl. While in his native state he had worked as a farm hand for eight dollars per month and he continued to earn his living in that way until 1850, when he secured three yoke of oxen, which he used breaking the prairie. That fall with an old \^irginian wagon filled with apples he started for Chicago, peddling his fruit along the way. In 1852 he went to Cliicago with a team of horses and brought back a load of shingles for a neighbor. He hauled oats to Covington, where he sold them at ten cents per bushel and his trading point in those early days was Danville. On the nth of November. 1852. Mr. Johnston wedded Mary Brittingham, a daughter of A. W. and Matilda (Watson) Brittingham, the former a native of Vermil- ion county and the latter of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston began life here in a primitive way. Her mother had given her a bedstead which she still has in her pos- session, cherishing it as a relic of those pio- neer times, but with the exception of this piece of furniture all that the little home contained was made by Mr. Johnston. Drixing some wooden pins into the logs. he placed thereon some boards and thus formed a cupboard. All cooking was done in skillets or in kettles in the great fireplace and cornbread was baked upoti a smooth board, placed amid the coals. Mr. Johnston was but fourteen vears of age when his mother died and he had nothing with which to begin life save what he made, but with the assistance of his esti- mable wife he has managed to not only provide his family with the necessities of life, but to secure many of its comforts. In the early days, when riding horseback, he run jirairie wolves down and knocked them 1)11 the head and he has seen as many as twenty-five deer at a time, while wild turkeys were to be shot in vast numbers and other wild game was plentiful. The picture of farm life at that time is very different from that presented at the present day. Now the farmer rides over the fields upon his improved plows, cultivators or harvest- ers, but in those days he walked behind his little primitive plow with its wooden mold board, using rope traces to guide the horse. There was also a wooden bridle and a rope head-stall. The reap hook and cradle were used in the harvest fields and corn was dropped by hand, Mrs. Johnston in her early days frecpiently dropping corn for her fa- ther in the fields. Mr. Johnston has cradled grain many days for seventv-five cents per day. He is one of the honored pioneers of the county and there is little concerning the primitive development of this section of the state that is not familiar to him. His wife was born only a mile and a quarter north and a half mile cast of her present home. By her m.'irriage she has become the mother of two children, but Matilda J. is now deceased. The son. John W., is a resident of Oakwood township. The daughter was the wife of David Young and at her death left a daughter, Mary F„ Young, who became the wife of William Van Allen, a son of John Van Allen and of this marriage there is a daughter, Grace Van Allen. EDWIN MARTIN. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 543 It was on the 5th of March, 1857. tliat My. and Mrs. Johnston removed to the farm upon which they are now residing on section I, Oakwood township, where he owns tw(.' hundred and twenty-five acres of tlie best improved land of Yermihon county, all tiled and under a high state of cultivation. He is a Republican in his political \-ie\\s and has served as school director antl path- master. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and are earnest Christian people, respected by all \\'ho know them. EDWIN }.IARTIN. solved .to make the most of his opportunities and work his way upward. Early in life he engaged in clerking in a mercantile es- tablishmait, and afterward in a large grocer house. In 1870 he carried out his cherished plan of coming to America, for the reports which he had heard concerning this country led him to believe that better business opportunities were here aftVirded, nor was he disappointed in the hope that brought him to the new workl. He came directly to Danville and soon secured a clerkship in the dry-goods store of C. B. & J. R. Holloway, with whom he remained for se\'eral years, when, having ac([uired some capital through his industrjr and econ- omy, he began business on his own account When twenty-five years of age Edwin Martin came from the old world to the United States and at once took up his abode in Danville, where he lived continuously until called to the home beyond. For many years he occupied a creditable position in business circles, conducting a grocery store which brought to him success, making him one of the substantial residents of the com- munity. Mr. Martin was born in Bedfordshire, England, October 29, 1845, and his parents were also natives of that country, where they spent their entire lives, but they died during the early boyhood days of our sub- ject, so that he knew little concerning the family history. He had four sisters and one brother, but all are now deceased. His educational privileges were extremely mea- ger but in the school of experience he learned many valuable and practical les- sons, and early realizing that advancement can be secured through close application, faithfulness and laudable ambition he re- On the 30th of May, 1877, in Danville, Illinois, Edwin Martin was united in mar- riage to INIiss Laura Giddings, an estimable lady who proved an able assistant and help- mate to him. She was born in this city, a daughter of William and Caroline (Kitchiner) Giddings, both of whom were nati\es of Bedfordshire, England, where they were reared and married, Mr. Gid- dings clerking in a mercantile establishment of his native country until 1837, when he came to America and established his home in this city. He then began dealing in wagons and carriages, and retired from ac- tive life about 1865, spending his last ten years in the enjoyment of a well merited rest. He exercised his right of franchise in support of the Republican party, was a charter member of the Danville Lodge of Odd Fellows, in which he was honored with office for many years, and belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. Both he and his wife passed away in 1875 and were laid to rest in Spring Hill cemetery. In their 544 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD f;uiiil\' were nine children, of wiunn ti\e yet survive, namely: j. \\'., nl Danville: Fran- ces, the widow of John Partlow and a resi- dent of this city; C. H.. who makes his home in Evanston, Illinois ; Albert, of Dan- ville: and Mrs. INIartin. IMr. and Airs. Gid- dings were people of genuine worth whose hfe experience developed in them characters of uprightness and honor and by all who knew them they were held in the highest esteem. The home of Mr. and .Mrs. Mar- tin was blessed with two children. Xellie is the wife of E. C. Thornton, a professor of music in Danville and the organist of the First Methodist Episcopal church. His fa- ther is chaplain in the penitentiary of Joliet, Illinois. Professor and Airs. Thornton have two .sons — Edwin ,^1. and Jes.se D. William E., the only son ui Mr. and Mrs. Martin, is now a practicing dentist of Dan- ville, with an oflice in the Temple building. After his marriage Mr. Martin contin- ued in the grocery trade for a number of years and subsequently retired In pri\ate life, having in the meantime conducted a profitable trade. He always made it his habit to .spend less than his income and thus year by year he added to his capital until he became the possessor of a very de- sirable competence, which enabled him to rest from further labor. He was a Repub- lican in ])olitics, but refused to hold office, although he took an active and helpful in- terest in the growth and success of his party. An exemplary member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, he was made a Mason in Danville in 1880 and attained to the Knight Templar degree. He was also connected with the Knights of Honor and was a mem- ber of the .Methodist Episcopal church. He had due regard for the obligations of religious life, served as a member of the ofiicial board of the church, as suiierintend- ent of the Sunday-school and labored earn- estly and effectively for the promotion of the cause of Christianity among his fellow men. Stich labor always reacts upon the individual and there was developed in Mr. Martin's character nobility, generosity and bene\olence which caused him to \ye revered and respected by all, awakening the regard of those whom he met and gaining him the friendshii) of many. He passed away Feb- ruary 24, 1885, but those who knew him ciierish for him pleasant recollections and bis influence is yet felt as a moving force in the li\-es of those with whom he was in- timateb: connected. M.MILOX ALDRIDGE. IMahlon Aldridge, now deceased, was a man of sterling worth and uprig'ht princi- ])lc who enjoyed the respect and confidence of many friends. He came of a family noted for their patriotic spirit, and the same lo\-e of country and fidelit}' to duty prompted his service in the Civil war. His great-grandfather fotight under Washing- ton in the war of the Revolution. His grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was with Flarrison in the battle of Tippecanoe. His father took part in the Black Hawk war, being a member of the Flome Guard, and our subject joined the Union army. John Aldridge, the father, was a native of Ohio, born in 181 1, and was twice married. For his second w-ife he chose Grace Williams, a daughter of Will- irun and .\nna (Loveday) Williams. She was born in Cornwall, England, January 17, 1806, and came to America with her father's family, in 1819. settling in W'ash- ington. D. C. the following vear. Her THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 545 mother died in iS-'J and the father reni(j\-ed with liis family to Wihnington, Indiana, in 1823. The daughter Ijecame a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at North Hogan. near Johnston's Mill, and ever lived a consistent Christian life. On the i6th of December, 1825, she gave her hand in mar- riage to John Powell, and unto them were born three sons and three daughters, of whom one is living, Mrs. S. A. Cornelius, of Sidell, Illinois. They lived happily to- gether until his death, and in 1841 she gave her hand in marriage to John Aldridge. By the second marriage she had but one child, the subject of this sketch. Mahlon Aldridge, whose name intro- duces this record, began his education in the schools of Indiana, and at the age of ten years he became a resident of the vicinit of Fairmount. He resided in this portion of the state throughout his remaining days, with the exception of a period of five years spent in West Lebanon, Indiana. In early life he became a factor in the operation of his father's farm, and continued to assist in its cultivation until eighteen years of age, when his patriotic spirit being aroused bv the at- tempt of the south to overthrow the Union, he enlisted in the Thirty-fifth Illinois In- fantry, as a member of Company B. Later, on the 6th of August, 1862, he became a member of Company E., Seventy-third Illi- nois Infantry, in which he held the rank of sergeant. He took part in many important battles of the war up to the battle of Frank- lin, Tennessee, on the 30th of No\'em- ber, 1864, at which time he was wounded in the shoulder by a rifle ball. He was then sent to the hospital at Nashville, Tennes- see, where he remained for a short time, af- ter which he was transferred to the hospital in Cairo, Illinois, where he remained for ten months. On the expiration of his term of enlistment he was hnnoralily discharged, the war having ended. In 1865 Mr. Aldridge returned to Fair- mount, and engaged in clerking with his father, later becoming a partner in the store. In 1866, however their business was de- stroyed by fire and at that time our subject removed to a farm, where he remained until 1 87 1. The following five years were spent at West Lebanon, Indiana, after which he returned to Illinois, beginning farming in \'ance township, \"ermilion county, where he had two hundred acres of good land. To the! further de\'elopment and improvement of this property he de- voted his energies until his death, and was a progressive and leading agriculturist of his community. On the 6th of November, 1866, Mr. Aldridge was married in Logansport, In- diana, to Miss Maggie Braught, who was born in Monticello, Indiana, September 12, 1845, a daughter of William and Adeline ( Reame) Braught, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Their marriage, however, took place in Monti- cello, Indiana, where they began their do- mestic life, the father following cabinet- inaking there until 1850, when he was called to his final rest. The mother survived him only about two years. In his political views he was a Republican and fraternally he was a Mason, while in religious faith he was a Presbyterian and long filled the position of elder in his church. In his family were three children. Alva W. Braught, the brother of Mrs. Aldridge, was in the regu- lar army when last heard of. Her sister, Mrs. Caroline Graham, resides in Gossport, Indiana. Unto our subject and his wife were bom 546 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD eight children. Charles L., the eldest, born August 8, 1867, is an official in the state penitentiary at joliet. Illinois. He wedded May Towner, who died November 9, 1899, leaving fi\-e children, of whom four are now living, Stella, Edna, Opal and Roy. George L., born March 15, 1869, resides in Fairmount. John William, born August 5, 1S70, enlisted in the regular army during the Si)anisli -American war, becoming a member of Company G, Third Regiment. He was in the sharp and sanguine engage- ments at Santiago, El Caney and Saboney and was with Colonel Roosexelt and his Rough Riders in the charge on San Juan Hill. He contracted yellow fever, which reduced his weight from one hundred and sixtv-tive pounds to eighty pountls, and dieil from the effects of his service on the 24th of August, 1902. Clara Belle, born Feb- ruary 27, 1872, is the wife of L. McAllister, a farmer residing near Indianola, Illinois, and they have five children, Grace, Claude, Virginia, Yenl and Aldridge. Emma Blanche, born October 17, 1873, is the wife of W. E. ^Morrison, of Jamaica, Illinois, and they have two daughters, Mary M. and Jessie. Harry F., born March 2, 1875, married Phebe Hague and resides in Deer Lodge, Montana. At the beginning of the Cuban war he enlisted at Pekin, Illinois, in Company L, Fifth Illinois Infantry, but was afterward transferred to Company H of the same regiment. He remained in the service until the close of the war but his regiment never left the United States. Mahlon Ray. burn I-Aliruary i, 1878, is liv- ing in Butte, Montana. Grace A., born February 15, 1880, was married on the 30th of April, 1902, to Charles Dougherty, and they now reside in Fairmount, Illinois. Mr. Aldridge, whose name introduces this review, was a stalwart Republican but though he believed firmly in the principles of the party and did all in his power to pro- mote its growth and insure its success, he ever refused to hold office. He passed away January 24, 1888, and was laid to rest in FairniDunt cemetery. He had been a valued member of the Odd Fellows Society and of the Grand .Vrmy of the Republic and was'' a man who in all the relations of life was true to upright principles and of sterling worth. In 1890 his widow removed with her family to Sidell and in 1892 took up her residence in I'airmount, where she is now living. She now has in her possession a birch cane which was cut on the Tippe- canoe battle ground May 20. 1840, by her father, William Braught. That same day he and a companion killed a deer and divided the horns. A part of one of these was used to adorn the cane. Mrs. Aldridge has been offered fifty dollars for this cane by the war museum of Indianapolis luit has refused to part with it. The Aldridge fam- ily has long been a prominent and influential one here and the members of the household occupv an envialile position in S(icial circles. JO FIN IM. DOUGLASS. John 'M. Douglass is a retired farmer and pioneer settler of \'ermilion county, living in Catlin. He was born in Ripley county. Indiana, .August 23, 1823. His fa- ther, Thomas W. Douglass, was born on the T'enobscot river in I\laine and emigrated to Dearbiirn county. Indiana, settling near Rising Sun. He married l^elilah Payne, a native of New York, and they became the parents of twelve children, ten of whom J. M. DOUGLASS. THOMAS W. DOUGLASS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 551 reached adult age, while seven are yet liv- ing, the subject of this review being the fourth in order of birth. The fatlier was a fanner by occupation and on coming to Illi- nois he drove through the black swamps of Indiana, while the wheels would sink into the mud to the hubs. He arrived here in the spring of 1830, several families making the trip together. Here he entered two hun- dred and forty acres of land upon the sec- tion where the county farm is now located. The tents of the Indians were still pitched in the forests and the redmen roamed over the prairies. The wohes then were more numerous than rabbits at the present day and there were many kinds of wild game, including turkeys, geese, prairie chickens and deed. The Douglass family lived in a double log house for over thirty years, which the father had built. It had a stick and clay chimney and wood was used for fuel, for although there was coal in abund- ance in this part of the state, its utility was not recognized. Chicago was the main trading point and often trips were made to New Orleans in flatboats with cattle and hogs, business being conducted at various river points along the way. The father frecjuently hauled pork to Chicago and re- turned home with salt and other provisions, also with leather to make shoes for the chil- dren. The mother used to spin and weave all the cloth, for the clothing, making thread from tiax. Fires were often lighted with punk gathered in the timber and ignited by means of flint and tow. Camp meetings were often held in the forests where the tal- low candles furnished light and the girls of the household frequently went to church barefooted, carrying their shoes until they neared the house of worship and removing them after the service was over. Mr. Doug- lass of this review hauled wheat to Chicago when in his seventeenth year and at that time he camped out at night, forded the rivers and carried with him provisions for the trip, d(jing his own cooking. Sucli a trip consumed seven days and on reaching the market wheat was sold for fifty cents a bushel. He visited Chicago in 1846 when it was but a hamlet and Danville contained only a few log cabins and one store. The father died in the village of Catlin in Octo- ber, 1865, and the mother passed away in September, 1856. Three of their sons en- tered. the army and but one of the number is now living, he being a resident of Kansas. Mr. Douglass also has a sister in that state and another in Iowa. John M. Douglass attended school al- together for only six months and during that time he sat upon a slab Ijench in a hewed log school building, lighted by greased paper windows. His training' at farm labor, however, was not meager and he v.'orked in the fields with a plow having a wooden mold board and cultivated the com with a single shovel. The single rope line was used in dri\'ing the horses as leather harness had not been introduced. The girls of the household would drop the corn, keep- ing up with the plow. The grain was first cut with a sickle and afterward with a cra- dle. Mr. Douglass was but seven years of age when he came with his parents to this coimty and when he attained his majority he started out in life for himself. He was married November 14, 1844, to INIahala Burroughs, who was born April 3. 1824, a daughter of Jesse and Polly (Wilson) Bur- roughs. They became the parents of nine children: Judith A., the wife of Joseph Tristler; \\'infield S., who married Lizzie Clark; Mary Delilah, who died at the age of two vears ; Thomas Wilson, who died in 552 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD infancy; Clarissa, the wife of James Clip- son, of Catlin township; Maliala, the wife of Charles Birley. of Cathn township; Per- melia, who died in infancy; Arniilda. the wife of Richard O'ConneU; and Esther, who died when only a week did. The liv- ing children are residents of Catlin town- ship with the exception of W. S. Douglass, who resides in the \'illage. John ]\I. Douglass of this review pur- chased two hundred acres of land on sec- tion 1 6, Catlin township, at three and one- half (liillars per acre in 1852. His son-in- law now lives on this property, which is one of the best improved farms of the coun- tv. It is equipped with a fine residence, substantial outlnnldings. a splendid lawn and the richlv cultivated fields are also supple- mented by a forty acre timber tract. In 18S7 Mr. Douglass was called ui)on to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 1 0th of October, of that year. On the 30th of November. 1892, he was again mar- ried, his second union ])eing with Laura A. Stone, who was born at Irish Crove. Sanga- mon cotmty, Illinois. In politics Mr. Douglass is a Democrat and is a memljer of the Cumberland Pres- byterian church of Catlin. with which his family is also connected. He likewise be- longs to the Masonic lodge of Catlin. He has resided in the village since the fall of 1901. enjoying a well earned rest from fur- ther labor. He saw the first plank laid in that village and has witnessed its entire de- veloi)ment, in fact, has seen nearly the en- tire growth and progress of the county as it has merged from the conditions of frontier life to take its place among the richest and most prosperous districts of this great state. I\Ir. Douglass is now in his seventy-ninth year, a venerable man, whose worth is wide- Iv acknowledged. ARTHUR JOXES. Arthur Jones belongs to a ])rominent and highly honored family of X'ermilion county and is now living upon a farm on section 20. Elwood township. He was born in this township on the 5th of January. 1879, '""'^ parents being Ira G. and Rhoda J. (Weller) Jones. The father is a native of Pennsylvania and in his boyhood days accompanied his parents to Indiana, whence he afterward came to Elwood township. \'ermilion county. Illinois. He represented a family long connected with agricultural pursuits and was the youngest of a number of children, but he is now the only snr- \ivor. Ira Jones is an enterprising and prosperous man who has conducted exten- si\-e and important Inisiness interests, and he now owns nearly three thousand acres of the finest farming land of this state. He resides in Ridgefarm at the present time and is accounted one of the extensive land owners and capitalists as well as a citizen of sterling worth. His wife was Ijorn in Indiana, and in Newport that state gave her hand in marriage to ^Ir. Jones whom she then accompanied to Illinois. All of their children were born in this county. Mrs. Jones had three half sisters and three half brothers. Early in life the father of our subject married a Miss Connor, and there were five children by that marriage. By his marriage to the mother of our suliject there were the following children. Perl, the husband of .Alice Davis, by whom she has three children, is employed in a planing mill and lumber yard in Ridgefarm; h'rank. a resident farmer of Edgar county, has two children ; and Arthur. Having acf[uired his early education in the common schools, .\rthur |ones after- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 553 ward pursued a high school course. He was early trained to the work of the home farm, assisting in the labors of field and meadow during his boyhood days. On the 17th of September, 1902, he married Nettie Cooke, a daughter of Joseph F. and Dru- silla (^ Campbell) Cooke, residents of Love township, Vermilion county. Her father is a native of Indiana and her mother of Missouri. They are now following farm- ing in this locality. Their children are Mrs. Jones; Roy, of Indianapolis, who is now twenty-one years of age ; Mrs. May Hughes, who is eighteen years of age an< lives in Humrick ; Clay, Blanche, Harley, Lura, and Glen, aged respectively fourteen, eleven, nine, seven and four years and all yet under the parental roof. Mrs. Jones was born on the ist of December, 1879. in Edgar county, Illinois, and after attend- ing the common schools continued her studies in the Bloomingdale Academy. She is a member of the Cumberland Presbyter- ian church and Mr. Jones belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and to the Modern Woodmen. In politics he is a Re- publican and is a young man of energy and enterprise now successfully engaged in farming on section 20, Elwood township. He has always li\ed in this township and is widelv known among its citizens. A. R. SAMUEL. A. R. Samuel is cashier of the Second National Bank of Danville, and from a humble position in the business world he has risen until he is now known as one of the leading financiers of the city of his adop- tion. He was born in Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, on the 31st of March, 1859, and is a son of A. R. and Catherine (Boden) Samuels, the former a native of Wales. When a boy of twelve years the father came to America with his parents, locating in Philadelphia where he learned the trade of a glass manufacturer. Subsequently he en- gaged in the manufacture of glass under the name of the Keystone Glass Works, of which he was sole proprietor. This enter- prise became an extensive and important one and contributed to him a \ery liberal income. He died in 1871 at the age of fifty-six years and his wife, surviving him until 1883, passed away at the age of sixty- six years. In their family were seven chil- dre, six sons and three daughters, of whom three are yet living, Mf. Samuel of this re- view being the youngest. The others are : John B., a resident of California, and H. H., who is living in Philadelphia. The maternal ancestors of our subject were of an old Penn- sylvania family that resided near Harris- burg. A. R. Samuel pursued his education in the public schools of Philadelphia. At the age of thirteen he went into business for himself, thus entering mercantile life at an early age, on account of his father's failure, caused by the wide-spread financial panic of 1873. He was first employed as a clerk in a grocery store in Philadelphia, receiv- ing three dollars per week. A few years afterward he went into a liank, becoming an employe in the \\'estern National Bank, of Philadelphia, where he was employed at twenty dollars a month, giving up a position of thirty dollars in order to accept this be- cause he desired to learn the banking busi- ness. He first acted as messenger boy, but steadily was he advanced, promotion com- ing to him in recognition of his ability, close application and trustworthiness. Upon 554 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD leaving the institution lie was occupying the position of cashier's clerk. In November, 1881, however he severed his business rela- tions with the east and came to Danville, arriving here on the 30th of the month. On the 1st of December, 1881, the Second National Bank sprang into existence as a result of the organizing efforts of Mr. Sam- uel, who has since been connected with the institution. He at first occupied the posi- tion of bookkeeper and after ninety days was appointed teller, while within a few months he was made assistant cashier. In 1888 he was elected cashier and has since continued in this position. Upon the death of William P. Cannon he was also chosen vice-president, holding the dual office at the present time. He has been a xery promi- nent factor in the growth of the institution. He is thoroughly familiar with the banking business in every department and in every detail, and he considers nothing connected with the institution too unimportant to re- ceive his attention. This has been one of the salient features in his career and has contributed in no small degree to the pros- perity of the institution. He has always followed a safe, conservative policy in handling financial questions and interests and his work has been of marked benefit to the Second National Bank. A man of strong executive force" and excellent busi- ness foresight. Mr. Samuel has extended his efforts in various lines. He was for several years one of the owners and was occupying the position of treasurer of the street railway company from the organiza- tion of the company in 1886 until 1900. when the plant was sold to eastern capital- ists. This company also controlled the gas and electric light plant in connection with its realtv interests. On the 6th of November, 1889, Mr. Samuel was united in marriage to Miss (iertrude T. D. Daniel, a -daughter of A. C. Daniel. L'ntu Mr. and Mrs. Samuel ha\-e been born two children, but both are now deceased. They ha\e also an adopted daughter, Rosetta. who was the daughter of his brother John B. Samuel. They adopted her legally and she has since been a member of the household. Mr. Sam- uel is a man of broad humanitarian spirit, progressive and enterprising, and at the present time he is serving as a director of the Lake View Hospital. Socially he is identified with the Knights of Pythias fra- ternally and with the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. In politics he is a stalwart Republican and has served as township school treas'urer, but the honors of office have had little attraction for him as he has preferred to devote his time and en- ergies to his business aft'airs. There has been nothing sensational in his career. Every step has been thoughtfully and de- liberately made and every advance has been at the cost of hard and self-denying labor. He stands to-day a strong man — strong in the consciousness of well spent years, strong to plan and perform, strong in his credit and good name and a worthy example for young men. •-■•-♦ THOMAS DUFFIN. Thomas Duffin. a retired farmer and man of wealth living in Grant township, Vermilion county, was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1831, five generations of the familv living in the same house in Lincoln- shire, and the old home place is now occu- pied bv his brother John. His parents were THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 555 John and Jane (Holmes) Duffinj who spent their entire hves in England. In their fam- ily were thirteen children, ten of whom are now living, the subject of this review being the eldest. At the age of nine years Thomas Duffin left school and began earning his own living, He remained in Lincolnshire until twenty- one years of age and on crossing the At- lantic to America he located in Plymouth, Ohio, where he was employed as a farm hand for a year. He then returned to his native country and while there was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Arnold. Bringing his bride to the new world he then again took up his abode in Plymouth, Ohio. In 1864 lie came to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres- of land at nine dollars per acre. He now has a valuable farm of one hundred and eighty acres which is under a very high state of cultivation and well improved, with all modern equipments. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Duffin has been blessed with six children who are yet living. They also lost three. John H., the eldest, married Etta Carl. George wedded Lillie Raridan and is living in Grant town- ship. L. J. is the next of the family. F. G., the present treasurer of Grant township, married Marintha Smith, a daughter of Rhodes and Minerva (Cossey) Smith, who are residents of Hoopeston, the father being a retired farmer. The daughter was born in Indiana and by her marriage she has be- come the mother of one son, Russell Maurice. F. G. Duffin and his wife have an adopted daughter, Vena, who is now ten years of age. For some years F. G. Duffin engaged in teaching, and for one year was principal of the schools of Cheneyville. At the present time he is engaged in studying law in Bloomington, Illinois. The next member of the family is P. S., who was principal of the Lincoln school of Hoopes- ton, and is now a student. The youngest member of the family is Charles A. The three sons, F. G., P. S. and C. A. are all graduates of Greer College, of Hoopeston, and the wife of the first named is likewise a graduate of that college. In 1893 Mr. Duffin of this review was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died in the month of July and was laid to rest in Floral Hill cemetery, of Hoopes- ton. He belongs to the Church of England, while his children are members of the Chris- tian church. In politics he has always been a Republican, earnest and faithful in sup- port of the party. About five years ago he practically retired from farm life, while his sons operate his land. He placed all of the improvements upon his farm, however, and they are the visible evidences of his life of industrv and earnest toil. CHARLES M. LEWIS. Charles M. Lewis, an architect of Dan- ville, was born in Macon county, Illinois, No\ember 18, 1873. He is therefore yet a young man and is just reaching the zenith of his powers. His business is annually growing both in volume and importance, and to-day he is a leading representative of his line of industrial activity in the city where he makes his home. His father. Charles S. Lewis, was a native of New Jer- sey, and in this state was married to Nancy Clements, a native of Kentucky. They located at Blue Mound, Illinois, where the father engaged in the lumber business for some years, but is now living retired. He is a Democrat who has been honored with 55& THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD many local offices and is a member of the Christian church. He had but two chil- dren, the sister ot (,)ur subject being Sarah, the wife of Elton Nichols, a resident of Blue Mound, by whom she has two children. Charles M. Lewis attended the public schools of Alacon county and the business college of Decatur, while later he became a student in the University of Illinois, and was graduateil from the architectural de- partment with the class of 1896. He was afterward associated with his father in the lunil.ier business for a year and a half, and then came to Danville, where he secured a position under the government in the arch- itectural department, building the Soldiers' Home at that place. Afterward he opened an office of his own in the Temple building and has since made his headquarters here and has been connected with the construction of many of the important buildings here. He is also a stockholder of the Danville Artificial Ice & Cold Storage Company and tile Western Ice & Cold Storage Company of Indianapolis. On the 2 1 St of April, 1898, in L'rbana, Illinois, ]\Ir. Lewis was married to Miss Marian Wright. l)ut on the 2y\ of May, 1899, she passed away. Her father. Judge F. M. Wright, was a prominent member of the Court of Claims of the United States. ]\Ir. Lewis is a Republican in his pi)Iitical views, a member of the Elks Society, and of the Sigma Chi fraternity of the State Uni- versity. « ■ » ■ — S.\Ml LL PERRY LE NEVE. Samuel I'erry Le Neve is one of the prominent and iKjnored pioneer settlers of Newell township, his birth having here oc- curred on December 2^, 1828. He is a son of Jolm and Rebecca (Newell) Le Neve, his* fa- ther a native of Tennessee and his mother of Harrison county, Kentucky. They were among the earliest settlers of Newell town- ship and of Vermilion county. The mother was a daughter of William Newell, in whose honor Newell township was named. The father of our subject began life with the modest capital of one hundred and thirteen dollars and fifty cents. With this he pur- chased eighty acres of timl^r and prairie land at one dollar and a quarter per acre. He then had remaining just thirteen dollars and fifty cents with which to begin house- keeping. He made rails to pay for the first cow he possessed, and he made a place for their dishes by driving pins in a log of the cabin and placing a board on them. This old log house was the birthplace of Samuel P. Le Neve and he was there reared. John Le Neve came to Vermilion county with his parents in an old "prairie schooner." The parents settled seven miles west of Vin- cennes, on Elliston prairie, and there spent their remaining days. John Le Neve was engaged in general farming and was a noted stock man of his locality, raising a fine grade of stock and deriving a good income from the sale of the same. He spent his re- maining days on the old homestead in New- ell tov,nship. and his wife also was called to her final rest while living there. The brothers and sisters of our subject shoidd also be mentioned in connection with the family history as they have all borne important ]iarts in the development of the communities in which they have resided. Samuel I'erry is the oldest of tlie family. Isabel Martin, the second in order of birth, is deceased. \\'illiain, who was a well known and honored resident of Indiana, S. p. LE NEVE. MRS. S. P. LE NEVE. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 561 died there ^larch 16, 1902, after a life tilled with good deeds. He lirst married Emma Smith, of Champaign county, Illinois, by wiiom he had two children and after her death married IMinnie Mills. Their chil- dren were Emma and John S., deceased; Santford W. ; Lilly, Thomas ; Samuel ; Laura and Nellie, twins. John, the fourth member of the Le Neve family, is deceased. Seraphine married John S. Webber, a res- ident farmer of Paxton, Illinois, and they had eight children : Perry, deceased ; Al- mond Flavins, who married Hattie Har- nett ; John ; Charlie ; Lincoln ; Julia, the wife of Henry Corbly, of Champaign county ; Nettie, the wife of l-'rank Voule and the mother of one son; and Ross, now Mrs. Stanley Sutton, who also has one son. The si:cth member of the Le Neve family is Al- mond N., whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. Mrs. Mary J. Leon- ard is deceased and left two children. Perry and Belle. Thomas, who died in infancy, completes the family. Samuel Perry Le Neve of this re\'ie\v spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the old home farm, assisting his father in the spring, summer and fall and attending the district schools during the winter sea- sons. His early education was supple- mented by attendance in the Danville high school. His first attendance was in a log schoolhouse where they sawed off the logs for benches and put in pins for legs. They had a long desk made of slabs, and the light came through an aperture that was covered with oiled paper. Later he entered the Georgetown high school, where he contin- ued until his senior year. In 1832 he went to California by way of New Orleans, the Gulf of Mexico and the Isthmus of Pana- ma, crossing that neck of land by way of the Chagres river, and on reaching the 23 other side he found seven thousand passen- gers awaiting transportation to California. After a delay of nineteen days he secured passage on the John J. Russell to San Fran- cisco. After leaving the isthmus he was out fifty-three days, during which time he near- ly died from starvation and was put on an allowance of one-half pint of water per day. At the republic of Mexico he remained for twenty-two days and later he purchased a ticket on the Golden Gate steamship and went through to San Francisco. His first work done in the western country was iu the mines of Marysville, California. He re- ceived eighty dollars and later one hundred and ten dollars per month for his services, and was finally advanced to one hundred and twenty dollars per month, being em- ployed in the town of Marysville at the time he received the latter compensation. Later he engaged in the teaming business for him- self, which occupation he followed for four- teen years. He then went to Nevada City and became identified with the stock and grain business. After this he made his home in Virginia City for two years. Mr. Le Neve then returned to his native countv of Vermilion, by way of New York city, and engaged in general farming on section 23, also carrying on stock-raising to a considerable extent, dealing in shorthorn cattle, as well as good grades of hogs and horses. Here he resided until he retired to his present comfortable home three mjies north of Danville. Mr. Le Neve har wit- nessed the growth and development of this progressive city, which as he remembers it in its primitive state had only three small stores. He has been closely associated with the upbuilding and progress of Vermilion cciunty, and especially of Newell township, having borne his share of the work which was ably carried forward by his fellow pio- 562 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD neers. On his farm lie has worked with untiring activity, has broken the prairies, plowed the fields, planted the grain and^ reaped the rich harvests resulting there- from, and to-day is one of the foremost men of the community, honored and re- spected by all. He has been able to acquire a comfortable competence through his own exertions mainly, supplemented by the little assistance which his father was able to give him and by the education which htted him to take his place among the leading business men of the state. Mr. Le Neve was married March 8, 1869, the lady of his choice being Miss Ad- eline Wilson. She was born in Virginia, December 13, 1847, and is a daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth (Stump) Wilson, both natives of Virginia. She is the third in or- der of birth in her father's family. Mr. Le Neve had many exciting experi- ences during his travels in the western coun- try, where the desire for gold brought many adventurers of a dangerous charac- ter, as well as good citizens of the calibre of Mr. Le Neve. During his absence he was accounted l(jst for many years, and on returning to his native county his own rela- tives did not at first recognize him. He settled in Pilot township, on section 23, in 1868, and from there removed to Danville. He owns over four hundred acres of the best land in Vermilion county and should be numi)cred among the substantial agricult- urists who have made the county what it is to-day — one of the richest in the state. He and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church of Pilot Grove, in which they have both been active and earn- est workers. He has contributed liberally to tlie su]iport of the churches of the county as well as the schools and to other i)ul)lic enterprises. In his political affiliations Mr. Le Neve was first a Whig and upon the or- ganization of the Republican party joined its ranks. He takes a deep interest in the issues and questions of the day, Ixith ])(ilii- ical and otherwise, and has ever a good word to speak in favor of the social, moral and intellectual advancement of his town- sliii). state and county. JOHN \V. :\IILLER. John W. Miller, a member of the firm of ]\Iiller & Dye, proprietors of marble works in Danville, was born near Des ^loines, Iowa, July 10, 1865. a son of Ellis F. and Martha (Robinson) Miller, both ol will im were natives of Montgomen,- county, Indiana, and were there married. The fath- er was a farmer by occu])ation and in 1862 rcmo\e(I to Iowa, where he carried on agri- cultural pursuits until 1866, when he became a resident of Vermilion county, Illinois. After farming here for three years he took up his abode in the town of Hoopeston. where he engaged in the marble and gran- ite busines until 1899, when he retired and moved to Danville. There he died July 23, 1901. He was a Democrat but not a poli- tician and cared naught for the honors and emoluments of office. He belonged to th Church of Christ, in which his wife also held membership. She died July 23, 1887. and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Hoopeston, after which the father was again married in the year 1880. his second union being with Mrs. Mattie (Knox) Copeland, of Potomac. By the first mar- riage there were eight children, of whom four arc li\ing, naiuely : John W. ; Lyda, JOHN LE NEVE. MRS. JOHN LE NEVE. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 567 the wife of George P. Wright, of Danville; Evelyn, the wife of John Waffle, of Cleve- land, Ohio; and Lynnie, the wife of Lyman L. Logan, of Hoopeston, by whom she has one son, Gail. By the second marriage of Ellis F. Miller there was one child, Paul D., who is residing in Danville with his mother. John W. Miller obtained his early edu- cation in the public schools, after whch he began working in his father's marble shop, remaining there for eight years. He then removed to Danville and in 1894 embarked in business as a partner of F. D. Knox, a connection that was maintained for iive years, when Mr. Miller formed his present partnership with W. W. Dye, under the firm style of Miller & Dye, proprietors of marble and granite works. They have se- cured a good business of growing propor- tions and already their trade has brought to them a gratifying income. On the 20th of February, 1889, Mr. Mil- ler married Miss Lina Green, who was born in Iroquois county, Illinois, March 23, 1867, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth E. (Rogers) Green, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Indiana. They were married in Montgomery county, In- diana, where the father devoted his energies to farming until his removal to Illinois, about i860, when he settled near Hoopes- ton, living there until about thirty years ago, when he retired from business life and both he and his wife are now living in the town of Hoopeston. In politics he is a Pro- hibition Republican. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and has long been a member of the Church of Christ; in which he is holding the office of deacon. In his family are four children who are yet liv- ing: Titus, a resident of Hoopeston: Wil- lis T. and Henry Clay, who are also living there; and Mrs. Miller. By her marriage Mrs. Miller has become the mother of four children: Netta, who died in 1890; Ruth; Herman, who died in 1898; and J. Franklin. In his political affiliations Mr. Miller is independent, voting for the men and meas- ures rather than the party. He has many social relations and is a valued representa- tive of the Knights of Pythias, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Court of Honor, the Tribe of Ben Hur and the Travelers' Protective Association. He also belongs to the Church of Christ and main- tains a spirited interest in whatever tends to promote the welfare and improvement of his city and county. From early boyhood he has closely applied himself to the busi- ness which he yet follows, and now his trade extends far beyond the limits of Vermilion county. In fact, his patronage comes from almost every county of the state and the prosperity which thereby accrues is the just- ly merited outcome of his own work. WILLIAM CRADDOCK. Among the residents of Sidell who, af- ter long years of business connection with the interests of the city and communit}^ are now living retired, is numbered William Craddock, a most responsible and worthy citizen who for forty-three years has been a resident of Vermilion county and is very widely and favorablj' known here. He is a native of England, his birth having oc- curred in Northamptonshire, on the 4th of July, 1 83 1. There he was reared upon a farm, enjoying but meagre school privileges, so that he is largely a self-educated as well as a self-made man. He was twentv-six 568 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD years of age when he came to tlie new world. He liad heard favorable reports of the op- portunities afforded for advancement in this land, and hoping that he might more rapidly secure a competence he took passage on a sailing vessel which weighed anchor in the harbor of Liverpool, and in October reached the harbor of New York. During the voy- age they had encountered some severe storms, one lasting three days. Mr. Crad- dock did not tarry long in the east, but pro- ceeded westward to Ohio, there joining some acquaintances who had previously located in Elyria. In that locality he secured work upon a farm, being employed in that capac- ity for two years. In 1859 he went to Chi- cago and then came to Vermilion county, where he was employed for a number of years as a wagon boss for Kirkland Broth- ers, coal merchants. He remained with them for a number of years and then with the capital which he had acquired as the re- sult of his industry and enterprise, he pur- chased his first land, becoming the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of broad prairie. This he broke and fenced and soon he erected thereon a good dwelling and barn. After a few years, however, his house was destroyed by fire, but he replaced it with a still better one. He continued his farming operations upon the land which lie originally owned, until 1894. and then bought resi- dence property in Sidell. His present home, however, he purchased in 1901. Since re- moving to the town he has engaged in farm- ing a small tract of land of fifteen acres adjoining the corporate limits of Sidell. In- dolence and idleness have ever been utterly foreign to his nature and it seejns impossible for him to entirely put aside business cares. In this respect his example is indeed worthy of emulation and might profitably be fol- lowed by many. Mr. Craddock was married in \'ermilion county in 1865. the lady of his choice being Sophia ]^liller, a native of Coshocton coun- ty, Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob Miller, a native of Pennsylvania, who removed from the Keystone state to Ohio, and about 1850 settled in Crawford county, Illinois, whence he came to Vermilion county. The home of }»Ir. and Mrs. Craddock was blessed with ten children: James, a resident of Sidell township; Sarah, the wife of Neil Culp, of Sidell ; Jacob, who is operating the home farm ; Anna, the wife of Richard Swank, a farmer of Sidell; Elizabeth, the wife of Frank Tafflinger, a carpenter and joiner, of Sidell ; Lucy, the wife of Robert Hedges, of this place; Alice, the wife of Roscoe Ow- ens, a farmer of Sidell township ; Mollie and William R.. who are at home; and Frank, who is a student in the schools of Sidell. In early life William Craddock was iden- tified with the Democratic party, and for several years past he has supported the Re- publican party and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, although he has never been a politician in the sense of office seek- ing. Fle is a true and tried friend of the cause (if education, believing in good scliools and the employment of competent teachers. Lie served as one of the school directors for a number of years and was also road su- ljer\'is(ir for some time. Both be and his wife bold membership in the b'ree Methodist church and are deeply interested in every- thing pertaining to the uplifting of their fellow men and to the support of the cause of Christianity. From pioneer times down to the present, covering the period of forty- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 569 three years which embraces the time of his residence in the county, Mr. Craddock has ahvays been an advocate of every measure for the general good and has manifested a pubHc spirited pride in what has been ac- comphshed in the county as the work of development and improvement has been car- ried forward and \'ermilion county has been transformed from the wet, uncultivable dis- trict into one of the richest farming sections of the state, in the midst of which stands one of the leading metropolitan centres of Illi- nois, gether with Nourishing towns of lesser proportion but of marked enterprise and progressive spirit. JOHN GERRARD. Wide-awake and enterprising, quick to recognize business opportunities and to im- prove them, John Gerrard is now numbered among the leading merchants and citizens of Westville and is successfully conducting a general store wherein a liberal patronage is accorded him. He was born in George- town township, Vermilion county, Decem- ber 16, 1855. His parents, Jacob and Sarah H. (Stevens) Gerrard, were both natives of Indiana and about 1850 the father came to this county, settling on a farm on section 7, Georgetown township. He was then nine- teen years of age and had made the journey hither with his father, the latter purchasing a farm, upon which he carried on agricul- tural pursuits until his death. The father of our subject also engaged in farming upon a part of the old homestead in Georgetown township and subsequently he removed to a farm near Armstrong, this county, contin- uing to cultivate the soil there and harvest his crops. As the years passed by his work brought to him a comfortable living and he died February 13, 1886, respected and honored by all who knew him. His wife passed away in 1880. They were the par- ents of eight children, as follows: John; Eliza J., who is the widow of James P. Cook, and is living in Catlin township ; Will- iam, a retired farmer of Georgetown ; Sam- uel, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Danville township; Alexander, who was born February 11, 1864, and is a prominent farmer of Catlin township ; Sarah Hannah, who is also living in that township : Jacob artd Elzora, both deceased. All were af- forded the school privileges of the district. After completing his education John Gerrard turned his attention to farm work in Georgetown township and was thus en- gaged until 1 88 1, when he went to South Dakota and took up a claim. He resided in that state for six years, giving his time and energies to the development of his farm. He then returned to Vermilion county and in connection with his brother embarked in general merchandising, opening a store near Grape Creek. This they conducted for some time, after which they sold out and came to the village of Westville. Here the brothers again established a general mercantile store, which they conducted in partnership until 1896, when our subject purchased his broth- er's interest in the business and has since been alone. He now- has a large and care- fully selected stock of goods, having the most extensive store in the village and he does a constantly growing and profitable business. Mr. Gerrard was married in this county to Miss Mary Alexander, a daughter of F. M. Alexander, also one of the early settlers of this part of the state, where he engaged 57° THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD in fanning. He imw resides in Danxille. living a retired life. Tlie home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerrard has been blessed with one child, Bertie Frances. Our subject votes with the Republican party. He is identified with the Modern Woodmen lodge, No. 27, of Westville, also with Tribe No. 120 of the Improved Order of Red J\Ien, in which he is now serving as treasurer. His wife belc:)ngs to the Christian church and he con- tributes liberally to its support.- He gives his aid and influence to all measures for the general good and is a progressive citizen, recognized as one of the valued men of West\ille. He entered upon his business career without the aid of influential family coimections or pecuniary assistance and that he has won a creditable position on the plane of affluence is the direct result of his own labor. ROBERT A. LEEMON. Robert A. Leemon needs no special in- troduction to the readers of this volume for he has always lived in this portion of Illi- nois and because of the prominence of his father and his own sterling worth he has become widely known. He was born in Iro- quois county, November ig, 1872, and is a son of John Leemon, who is represented elsewhere in this work. When the family removed to Vermilion county he continued his education in the schools of this locality and later he became a student in Greer Col- lege of Hoopeston, while he was prepared for the responsible duties of a business ca- reer as a student in the Gem City Commer- cial College, at Quincy, Illinois. On the 28th of August, 1895, Mr. Lee- mon was united in marriage to Miss Bessie I. Gilson, who was burn in Cook county, this state, on the 7th of April, 1875. Her father is E. W. Gilson, a resident of Chi- cago, and she has three brothers and one sister: Sarah Gertrude, . now the wife of Eugene Rinkenberger, of Chicago ; Chan- ning, Elmer and Lyell, all of Chicago. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Leemon has been blessed with two interesting children: Dor- cas Irene and Allen Wallace. In the fall of 1896 Mr. Leemon removed to Chicago, where he lived for four years. During that time he was connected with the National Biscuit Company as wagon sales- man, and he also worked for the Brink's City Express Company. He now owns three hundred and sixty-six acres of valu- able land in Iroquois and Vermilion coun- ties. For about a year he has lived in Hoopeston, hax'ing an attractixe home on East Penn street, worth about four thou- sand dollars. He is extensively engaged in raising fine stock, making a specialty of shorthorn cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs. Shrop- shire sheep and standard bred horses. He also has an interest in twelve hundred acres of land in Scott county. Although he re- ceived from his father a goodly inheritance, he has never felt that it released him from business duties or obligations, and instead of sc|uandering the legac\' which he recei\ed he has made it his effort to increase this through honorable business methods. He is to-day a representative and enterprising farmer, and his land adjoining Hoopeston on the north brought him an offer of one hundred and twenty-flve dollars per acre, which, howexcr, he refused. In December, 1902, he established a dairy business and now has thirty cows in his herd and to-day has the leading milk business of Hoo])eston. He possesses excellent business ability and ROBERT A. LEEMON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 573 executive force, and his keen discriminatioii, combined with his enterprise, has enabled him to carry on his work to a successful completion. In his political at^liations he is a Democrat, but has never had time nor the desire to become an active factor in po- litical circles. The community in which he lives, however, values him for his public spirited interest in everything pertaining to the general good. GEORGE PRICE. In the year 1833 George Price became a resident of ^'ermilion county and through the long years which have since passed he has manifested a spirit of citizenship that has promoted the general welfare along pro- gressive lines. He was born in Madison county, Ohio, August 19, 1834, and comes of a family that in an early day was estab- lished in Virginia. His father, John Price, was born in that state and, removing to Ohio, was married to Elizabeth Rowe, a native of the Buckeye state. They settled in Ross county, Ohio, and afterward re- moved to Madison county, the father there engaging in farming until his death. He had become the owner of an extensi\'e and valuable tract of land. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and passed away about 1839. His widow after- ward became the wife of Thomas Green and, removing to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, settled in Vance township, where Mr. Green purchased land and where she lived until called to the home beyond in 1862. Our subject was one of a family of ten children: Nancy, the wife of Andrew Shepherd, a resident of Madison county, Ohio: William, who is living in the same countv ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Charles Goings and resided in Catlin, but both are now deceased ; Polly, the wife of Moses Shepherd, of Tilton< Illinois; Susan, who became the wife of Wesley Cheshire and resided in Indianola. Iowa, but both are now deceased ; John, who resides in Homer, Illinois ; Gertrude, who became the wife of Jacob Shoemaker, and lived in Madison county, Ohio, until called to the home beyond : George, the next of the family : and Abraham and Fannie, who are deceased. In the county of his nati\'ity George Price pursued his education until sixteen years of age, although his school privileges were somewhat meager even during that period. He afterward worked by the month as a farm hand and remained in Madison county until 1853 — the year of his arrival in Vermilion county, Illinois. Here he rent- ed land and engaged in farming on his own account. He fully completed his arrange- ments for having a home of his own by his marriage, which took place near Catlin, on the 7th of May, 1855, the lady of his choice being Miss Ruth Wooden, who was born in Catlin township, Vermilion county, July 25, 1830. Her parents, Amos and Elizabeth (Berdick) Wooden, were born, reared and married in New York and after living for a time upon a farm in that state came to the west. During the war of 181 2 they stopped at Bus Row Prairie in Indiana and about 1825 came to this county, locating at the Salt Works near Catlin. The town of Catlin is now built upon the land which Mr. Wooden purchased at that time, his farm comprising three hundred acres, the most of which he entered from the government. He did his dealing at Danville, which at that time contained two or three stores and a few houses. He voted with the Whig 574 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD party and was a member of the Masonic fraternity. Upon his farm he lived until his death, which occurred alxnit 1837. after which his widow remained on the old home- stead until after her children were marrieerience anything but pleasant. Locating in Cincinnati, Mr. Carson worked for a short time at his trade there and then went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he opened a plumbing shop, conduct- ing business at that i)oint for several years. While there he built the waterworks at Owensboro, Kentucky, and also at Jeffer- sonville, Indiana. After his marriage, which was celebratcil in Lciuisville, Ken- JOHN M. CARSON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 579 tucky, he continued business in that city un- til 1882, when he arrived in Danville and established his plumbing store. He also built the waterworks at Champaign, Illi- nois, and in Danville and for several years he was employed to operate the plant here. Throughout all the years he conducted his plumbing work and at the time of his death was proprietor of an extensive and profit- able establishment at Xo. 32 Hazel street, conducted under the firm name of Carson & Company, plumbers and steam fitters. Mr. Carson was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Young, a native of Ken- tucky, and unto them were born six chil- dren: William H., who is engaged in the plumbing business at \o. 12 East North street, Danville; G. G., who is in business at Texarkana, Arkansas ; John \V., who is manager of the business established by his father at the corner of North and Hazel streets, Danville, and resides w'ith his moth- er; Robert H., who is also a member of the firm, his home being in this city ; Arthur, deceased; and Harry, who is yet with his mother. Mr. Carson was a meml)er of the school board of Danville for a number of years but was never a politician in the sense of oflrce seeking, preferring to devote his time and attention to his business affairs in which he met with signal success. He voted with the Republican party and at one time he was a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Knights of Pythias Lodge in Lou- isville but he never joined either organiza- tion after coming to Danville. He was, howe\-er, a member of the Grand Army Post here and served as its commander for sometime. Both he and his wife were mem- bers of the Presbyterian church of this city and he always took a deep and active inter- est in the church work, doing everything in his power to promote its growth and extend its influence. Pie served as a deacon for sometime and for several years he was also superintendent of the Sunday-schools. Mrs. Carson is quite prominent here, her circle of friends being very extensive. She owns one of the finest residences in the northwest part of the city, located at No. 903 Logan avenue. I\lr. Carson was a very successful business man. He possessed those qualities of character which mainly contribute to the success of private life and to the public stability and he therefore en- joyed the respect and confidence of those with whom his business affairs were con- ducted, the same being in strict conformity with the ethics of commercial life and among his friends he displayed qualities of man- hood that endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. JACOB YAPP. Jacob Yapp has been a resident of Ver- milion county for forty-eight years. He was born in Allegany county. New York, June 12, 1822, and is a son of Samuel and Mary (Ay res) Yapp, she being a member of the family of Ayres of sarsaparilla fame. He was a native of New Jersey, born near Hoboken, and his father, the grandfather of Jacob Yapp, was born in Great Britain in 1716, while the paternal grandmother was a native of New Jersey. Samuel and Mary (Ayres) Yapp became the parents of ten children: Horatio J. died in Nebraska, in 1885. leaving a widow and eight chil- dren. The widow afterward died in Ne- braska also. Gideon W. died in Iowa in 1864 and left a widow and four children. The widow afterward died in Sangamon 5»o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD county, Illinois. Susan H. was the widow of James Jackson, of Vermilion county, and died in 1901, leaving two daugiiters, Mary, the wife of Gilbert F. Canady, of Homer, and Sarah A. Jackson, also of Homer. Jacob of this review is the next younger. Phineas died in infancy. Abigail, who became the wife of John Mills, of Fairmount, Illinois. died in 1894. Her husband was a minister and was connected with Partlows and others, in Danville. Jane died at the age of twenty in western New York. David E. now lives in Allegany county, New York, where he is engaged in farming. He has one son, Herbert. Samuel died in Ogden. Illinois, July ij, 1902. at the age of seventy-one. He left a widow, but no children. Mrs. Mary Davis is a widow living in Iowa. All the children enjoyed common-school edu- cations, and Mary and Abigail were teach- ers. The father and mother died within twenty-one days of each other, the father preceding. At the age of seventeen the subject of this review entered the employ of Rufus Kinney, of Cuba, New York, as an appren- tice at harness-making and carriage-trim- ming, in which capacity he served for three years. He was then engaged in business for himself for a short time. He afterward sold out and accepted a position as fore- man in a large harness and trimming establishment, where he had charge of some fifteen or twenty hands. This was in the employ of William P. Stevens, at Cuba, New York, where he continued for seven years. He then engaged in business for himself for about three years, when he sold out and came to Georgetown, Illinois. He was married to Miss Ambrosia C. Sheldon, a daughter of Jeremiah and .Anna (Mun- ter) Sheldon, l)otli of whom were n;ilives of New York. Mr. Yapp lost his first wife by death. By this marriage there was one child, Helen A., the wife of Pleasant West, of Georgetown. Illinois. He was at one time in the mercantile business and also owns a farm near Georgetown. They have two children. Derelle is the wife of C. Por- ter Johnson, now residing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Mr. Johnson being a prom- inent lawyer of that place. Roy O. West, also a prominent lawyer, resides in Chica- go. He is now president of the board of review, of Cook county, which position he has filled for nearly four years. He was married June 11, i8g8, to ]\liss Louise Au- gustus, of Paris, Illinois, who died leaving a son, Roy Owen West. Mr. ^'app was again married, his sec- ond union being with .Vdelia E. Palmer, the marriage ceremony taking place on Feb- ruary 13, 185 1. She was a daughter of Joseph Palmer, of Cuba. New York, a na- tive of that place. Mrs. Yapp was born at Warsaw, ^Vyoming county. New "S'ork, June 23, 1829. Upon arriving in Georgetown Mr. Yapp opened a saddlery and harness business on the northwest corner of the square, where he continued about two years, then removed to the building on the south side of the square owned by Henderson & Holloway, where he great!}- enlarged his business, carrying a good stock and adding all necessary e(|uip- ments for the conduct of his extensi\e es- tablishment. He continued in the above named building for several years, when he built a large two-story frame building one block north of the square, Avhich he cx])ect- ed to use as a shop and residence, but on account of the hotel of the town burning . about this time he opened a hotel instead. \\'hile conductinq- the hotel he had a con- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 581 tract for carrying mail from Danville to Paris, for twelve years. In 1862 Mr. Yapp was elected justice of the peace, which posi- tion he held for thirty-six years. He could have retained the office longer, but would not accept it. He discharged his duties faithfully during his incumbency, showing" favor to none, and his decisions were ever on the side of right and justice. In 186S Mr. Yapp, with his son-in-law, Mr. West, engaged in the hardware and tinning busi- ness, afterward adding lumber. In this business they continued until 1888, when they closed out the business and engaged in farming for ten years, on the expiration of which period they sold their stock and rent- ed their lands. They have an ofiFice in Georgetown, where they write insurance and entertain their friends who are legion. Mr. Yapp owns something over one hun- dred acres of land, considerable of this ly- ing in Georgetown. He has just sold fifty acres to Grace C. Pritchard, which is platted and known as Jacob Yapp's addition to Georgetown. ]\Ir. Yapp's residence in Georgetown is commodious and modern, with convenient outbuildings and all the ac- cessories of an attractive American home of the twentieth century, whose appointments are in perfect taste. This home is situated on the northeast corner of North Second and Main streets, and there the cordial hos- pitality of the household is extended to many friends. For almost a half century Mr. Yapp has been a resident of this county and has watched with interest the develop- ment and progress which has since taken place. His share in this work has been of no small value, for in building up the busi- ness interests of the place he has taken an important part. When he came to this coun- ty he recei\-ed assistance to the amount of three hundred dollars from his former em- ployer in Cuba, New York, and Mr. Yapp bought hides and shipped to this gentleman for a number of years. With the capital so acquired he started out upon his busi- ness career and through industr\' and fair dealing he has achieved the proud position in the financial and social world which he to-day occupies. He has been a Mason for fifty-three years, having become connected with the fraternity in Cuba, New York. He is a member of the blue lodge of Georgetown, and Scottish Rite Consistory of Chicago, and has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for over fifty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Yapp have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years. In politics he is a Republican, and in past years has taken an active interest in the work of the party, but he has never been an office seeker, preferring" the quiet life of a private American citizen, to the honors and emoluments of office. He> has been a consistent and conservative man of business and has ever been regarded as one of the substantial and representati\e men of his county where he is widely and favorably known. O. P. CHAMBERLIN. O. P. Chamberlin, who is now exten- sively and successfully engaged in the grain brokers' business in Hoopeston. was born in Seneca county, Ohio, on the 17th of Decem- ber, 185 1, a son of James M. and Cather- ine A. fjones) Chamberlin. The father was a farmer by occupation and died in Ohio, August 13, 1888, while his wife passed away in 1884. In their family were 582 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD four sons: O. P. ami Charles W., twins, the latter dying at the age of twenty-three; W. H. and James M. By a former mar- riage of James M. Chamberlin one cliild was born, John ^\^, who was for many years one of the most prominent Masons of Ohio. His death occurred at Tiffin, Ohio, in August, 1901. Under the parental roof on the home farm the subject of this review was reared while in the common schools he pursued his education. He left home at the age of eigh- teen years, and for a year followed farm- ing. He was also employed in an elevator and general store at Adrian, Ohio, for about eighteen months, and then began learning- telegraphy in Oberlin, where he continued for three months. In 1874 he came to Bloomington, Illinois, arriving in the month of August, and for two years was employed as an operator on the line of the Wabash Railroad. On the ist of September, 1876, he arrived in Hoopeston and took charge of the station of the Wabash Railroad, now the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, filling that position acceptably until 1885. In the latter year he accepted the position of bookkeeper in the firm of Moore & Bushnell, grain oper- ators, with whom he remained for two years, at the end of which time they went out of business. Mr. Chamberlin then re- moved to Danville, where he was engaged in the grain brokerage business for a number of months. At the end of that time, how- ever, he resumed railroading, acting as as- sistant in his old position for a few months. He was then transferred to Tipton, Indiana, where he had charge of the station for three months, and in September, 1890, he was offered the position of assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Hoopeston. .\c- cepting the offer he capably served in that capacit}' until April, 1898, when failing health compelled him to resign. While fill- ing that position he also engaged in the in- surance business in connection with E. C. Griffith, and he also conducted a grain brok- erage business. Mr. Chamberlin is a man of wonderful business aljility. He was the orig- inator of the telephone system of Hoopeston, in which enterprise he was associated with U. E. Cory, and the business relation between them is still continued. They have control of the entire telephone system of Hoopeston and surrounding towns. They began oper- ations on the 1st of May, 1895, with twen- ty-seven subscribers. They now have over three hundred subscribers, while the busi- ness is rapidly increasing. When they be- gan operations they had a capital of about one thousand dollars invested, but this has been increased to fifteen thousand, as they have built new lines and placed new "phones throughout the city and surrounding dis- trict. They also have a branch exchange at Ea.st Lynn. Mr. Chamberlin also con- tinues in the grain and brokerage business, representing eastern firms. He buys throughout this portion of the country, hand- ling millions of bushels of grain annually. In this line of business activity he is also meeting with splendid success, his opera- tions having reached very extensive propor- tions, which make his efforts profitable. While connected with banking interests in connection with Air, Griffith he owned a grain elevator at Hoopeston and one at ("I^eney^•ille. WHiatever he imdertakes he carries forward to successful completion and his enterprise, keen discernment and per- severence are marked elements in his suc- cessful career. On the 1 2th of April. 1877, in Bloom- ville. Ohio. Mr, Chamberlin was united in THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 583 marriage to Miss Nettie Cory, whose par- ents are now residents of Hoopeston. This union has been blessed with one child : Charles Cory, who was born April 9, 1878, and is now employed in the general offices of the American Car Company of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin have a very pleas- ant home at No. 306 East Penn street, which was erected in 1889, and in addition to this property and the various business interests mentioned, he owns a half section of land in Stevens county, Kansas. In his political views he is an earnest Republican, for two terms has served as alderman of the city and he has also been a member of the school board. Fraternally he is both a blue lodge and chapter Mason, and he is con- nected with the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. He belongs to the Presbyterian church in which he is now serving as an elder. He is likewise superintendent of the Sunday- school. Since coming to Hoopeston he has served as treasurer of the church here and has taken a very acti^'e and influential part in its promotion and upbuilding. While Mr. Chamberlin has largely devoted his time and attention to the demands of ex- tensive and important business interests, he has at the same time found opportunity to faithfully perform his duties of citizenship and to co-operate in many movements for the general good along social, intellectual and moral lines. MRS. MARY BEYER. Mrs. Mary Beyer is a highly respected and prominent resident of Fairmount. \^er- milion county, Illinois. She was born in this county, March 19, 1869, and is a daugh- ter of Daniel and Elizabeth ( Hughel j Gun- der, the former born in Lancaster county, Ohio, May 24, 1825, and the latter a native of Madison county, Indiana, born August 24. 1832. They were married at Anderson, Indiana, in 1840. Mr. Gunder followed farming throughout his active life, and in 1868 the family removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, locating in Vance township. He purchased land and followed farming until 1892, when he retired from active life and located in Fairmount, Illinois, where he remained until his death, which occurred August 24, 1899. He was buried in Davis cemetery. The wife and mother died Octo- ber I of the same year. He was a prominent and influential man of his community, being county supervisor for several terms and hav- ing filled all the township offices. He was a member of the Baptist church, in which he was a deacon, and was a member of Fair- mount Lodge, No. 590, A. F. & A. M., of which he was a charter member. In politics he was a Democrat. Mrs. Beyer was one of a family of ten children. Alice, the wife of J. J- Howard, resides in Vance township. Susie became the wife of Charles Baldwin but both are now deceased. J. N. is a drug- gist of Indianapolis, Indiana. James is freight agent of the Wabash Railroad at Decatur, Illinois. Samuel resides in Chi- cago, where he is engaged in manufactur- ing Dr. Graves' toothpowder. Jennie died unmarried. Daniel died in infancy. Our subject is the eighth child. Julia is the wife of Frank Goodwin, a real estate dealer of Decatur, Illinois. Arthur H. resides on the homestead farm in Vance township. The Gunder family is of German and English extraction. On the loth of December. 1890, in \'ance township, occurred the marriage of 584 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Peter Beyer and Miss Hilary (Juiuler. Mr. Beyer was born in Danville, Illinois, August 8, 1805. He was the son of Peter and Julia (Ford) Beyer, the former a native of Ger- many. This couple located in Dan\'ille, 111 nois, where the father engaged in the shoe business, so continuing until his death, which occurred in September, 1898. His widow' still siu"\i\es him and is living in Danville. Mr. Beyer, Sr.. was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fra- ternally lie was connected with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows and in politics was a Republican. L'nto Peter and Julia (Ford) Byer were born twelve children, of whom the following grew to years of maturity : Lucy is the wife of John Hill, a jeweler of Danville. Ellen is the wife of Douglas Stahl, and resides in Lincoln, Nebraska. David resides in Dansillc, Illinois. Peter was the husband of Mrs. Beyer of this re- view. Edward, George, Fred, Katie and Hester, all reside in Danville. For the first two years after the mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Beyer, he engaged in the nursurv business, owning a nursery near Danville. They then located in Springfield, Illinois, where Mr. Beyer engaged in the market and provision business until his death, which occurred Novemlier 17, 1896, His remains were interred in Danville, Illi- nois. Unto Mr. Beyer and wife w-ere born three daughters : Vera, born November 23, 1891 ; Bessie, born March 2, 1894; and Sarah, born July 8, 1896. Mr. Beyer was an energetic and a good business man. He was a man of sterling characteristics, being honorable and upright, and charitable to a high degree. He won many friends who sincerely mourned his loss. He was a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias lodge and in politics was a Rei)ublican, but refused to hold office. Mrs. Beyer owns a farm of forty-eight acres in Vance township and also residence property in Fairmount. She has a comfortable and attractive home and is highly regarded in the communitv where she resides, as a lady of estimable worth. JONATHAN C. STEARNS. The Buckeye state is noted for its high class of citizens who, whether statesmen, in- ventors or those following mercantile and agricultural pursuits, have always been a credit to tlie communities in which they ha\'e lived. Illinois, like other western states, has been benefited by the emigration of some of these men and among their num- ber is Jonathan C. Stearns, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, August 5, 1835. He is a son of Seneca and Hannah (Hun;- phrejs) Stearns. The father was born near Bennington, Vermont, December 17, 1810, and the mother was a nati\e of New Jer- sey, born March 7, 181 1. They were mar- ried in Clinton county, Ohio, and there he engaged in farming. In 1836 he removed with his family to Illinois, settling in Oak- wood township, one mile northeast of Fiftb- ian. in X'ermilion county. Here he entered land and carried nn farming until the death of his wife, when he lived with his children until his death, which occurred August i , i8q8. Flis w'ife had passed away July 7, 1881. He was a member of the Baptist church, of which he was a trustee, and in politics was first a Whig but became a Re- iniblicau. on the organization of that party. He and his wife were the parents of six children, five sons and one daughter. The subject of this review is the eldest child. Tames N. resides at iMthian. Illinois. Will- J. C. STEARNS. MRS. J. C. STEARNS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD S89 jam H. resides at Yankton, South Dakota. John H. resides in Sioux City, Iowa. Al- fred L. resides in Muncie, IlHnois. Sarah E. is the wife of Wilham H. Littell and re- sides in Fithian, Ilhnois. The history of the Stearns family is in- teresting, fomiing part, as it does, of the annals of early days in the settlement of this country. Seneca Stearns was a son of Mel- ville Stearns, a native of Massachusetts. He was a son of David Stearns, who was also born in that state. The ancestors who established the Stearns family in America came from England in 1632 and settled in Massachusetts, three brothers coming to the United States at that time. The grandfa- ther of our subject,, in company with his fa- ther, started from Olean, New York, on the Alleghany river near the Pennsylvania line, on a raft, in 1815. They proceeded down the Ohio river and settled in Clinton coun- ty, Ohio, where they lived and died. Sen- eca Steams was one of a family of two brothers and one sister, all of whom lived in Clinton county, Ohio. Later they came to Illinois. Seneca Stearns and his brother Harrison came to Illinois in 1836. His sis- ter, Sarah E. Izard, came in 1845. H^'" death occurred in Muncie, Illinois. Han- nah (Humphreys) Stearns, the mother of our subject, was taken by her parents from New Jersey to Ohio in 1815. Her ances- tors originally came from England and set- tled in New Jersey. She had only one sis- ter, Phebe, who went to Ohio in 181 5 and died in Parke county, Indiana, in 1841. Jonathan C. Stearns of this review at- tended school in the winter of 1841-2 in an old log schoolhouse on the state road, one mile south and one-quarter of a mile east of Muncie, Illinois. He then attended school in a log house one-quarter of ajnile northeast of Muncie in 1843. ^^^ oppor- 24 tunities in the educational line were limited, as he could only attend during the winter months. In the summer his services were required on the home farm. He continued his schooling until he was eighteen years of age, or until 1853. He then worked for seven years at the carpenter's trade and also engaged in farming on rented land, where he lived for three years after his marriage. This important event in his life occurred on the 4th of December, x86i, in Catlin township, the lady of his choice being Mary S. Snyder, who was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, November 6, 1841. She was a daughter of Jacob Snyder, a native of Butler county, Ohio, who removed from that state to Indiana. His father was also named Jacob and was a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. In 1808 he removed to Butler county, Ohio, and there made his home until his death. His ancestors were originally from Germany and on , coming to the United States settled in Pennsylvania. The mother of Mrs. Stearns in. her maid- enhood was Emily Allen, a native of Ken- tucky, born May 20, 1818. She first mar- ried Jacob Snyder, and after his death mar- ried William McBroom and in 1854 moved to Catlin township, Vermilion county, where she is still living. She is a daugh- ter of William Allen, also a native of Ken- tucky, the Allen family having been estab- lished in that state at a very early day, emi- grating thence from Virginia. Jacob Sny- der fbllowed cai-pentering in connection with his farming interests, and died near Crawfordsville, Indiana, about 1845. In politics he was a Democrat. He and his wife became the parents of four daughters and two of the number are still living, namely : Mrs. Stearns ; and Amanda, the wife of L. J. Place, of Newport, Indiana. The home of Mr. and ^Irs. Stearns has 590 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD been blessed witli five children, four of whom are now living. The first born was James, who was born on the 14th of Feli- ruary, 1863, and died at the age of twenty- two months. He was a remarkably bright child :uul knew all of his letters at the age of twenty months. Emily S. married Will- iam G. Yount. They have one child and reside in Catlin township. Ellis married Irene McDonald, who is now deceased. He lias two sons and resides in Oakwood town- ship with his parents. Hattie is the widow of Scott Pate and resides in Oakwood town- ship. She has two sons and lost one daugh- ter. Isla F. married Winifred C. Dalbey and he resides on one of his father-in-law's farms in Oakwood township. He had one child, now deceased, and a little daughter, Elsie E., born February 11, 1903. Three years after his marriage Mr. Stearns purchased the farm which is now his home. This comprises two hundred and sixty-one acres on section 22, in Oakwood township, Vermilion county. Besides his farming interests Mr. Stearns also has gold mining stock in Oregon. His farm is well cultivated and equipped with all the acces- sories of a model farm of the twentieth cent- ury. He raises a good grade of stock and is accounted one of the leading agricultur- ists of the township. A firm adherent to the Republican party, he has yet refused to acce|)t ofiice. Mr. Stearns and his w'ife are genial, kindly people who have ' hosts of friends. LEVI JOHNS. Since the year 1866 Levi Johns has been' a resident of Danville. He has been one of the hardest workers, leading a busy, useful life and through his earnest labor, guided by sound business judgment, he has accum- ulated a comfortable competence. Fie was born in Pennsylvania, October 12, 18 14, and is a son of Samuel and Nancy (John- son) Johns, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. At an early day they went to Ohio, where the father engaged in farm- ing. Subsequently he took up his abode in Zanesville, where he lived until his death, his wife also passing away near that city. Levi Johns obtained but limited school advantages in his native county and after putting aside his text-books worked at odd jobs until his marriage. In Zanesville he wedded Miss Rebecca J. Boyd, who was born near that city, October 20, 1819, a daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth Boyd, both of whom are natives of Ohio and there spent their entire li\es. L^nto Mr. and Mrs. John ha\e been born five children: Alice M., who died in childhood; George Elbert, who died in Indian Territory in 1881 ; Alice Elizabeth, who died at the age of two years; Caroline L., who has remained at home with her parents, and largely re- lieves her mother in afifairs of the house- hold ; and Alice Anna, the wife of Henry Johnson, also deceased. .\fter his marriage Mr. Johns took up his abode in Coshocton, where he remained until 1853 when hoping to more rapidly ac- quire success amid the mines of California he made his way to the Pacific coast and was there engaged in nuning until 1866. Upon his return eastward he settled in Dan- ville where he has since made his home. For a number of years he was engaged in the coal business and then for several years operated a stone quarry near the city. His business brought to him prosperity and year by year he added to his capital until at length SENECA STEARNS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 593 with a comfortable cempetence he retired to private hfe. In pohtics he is an earnest RepubHcan, but has never sought office. Mr. Johns, his wife and daughter are all mem- bers of the Kimber Methodist church of Danville. They have a pleasant home at Xo. 432 Br^'an ax'cnue, where they have resided since locating in the city more than a third of a century ago. Mr. Johns always com- mancjed the confidence of his patrons be- cause lie was ever fair and honorable in his business dealings, and his incorruptible in- tegrity has been a salient feature in his career. HENSON VINSON. Henson Vinson is a representative of one of the old families of Vermilion coun- ty, whose history is inseparably interwoven with the records of this portion of the state. He was the seventh child in the family of Henson and Abigail (McDowell) Vinson and was born April 16, 1837, in Parke coun- ty, Indiana. During his infancy he was brought to this county by his parents and ir, order to acquire an education he had to go about two or three miles to a log school house, which was seated with slab benches and lighted by greased paper windows. Heat came from an immense fireplace, which occupied one entire end of the room and the school was conducted on the subscription plan. Mr. Vinson has always lived upon the farm on which his father settled on com- ing to the county and the place is therefore endeared to him by the associations of his boyhood as well as those of later life. He has seen all of the improvements made in the county, witnessing great changes in methods of farming, as the primitive farm machinery has been replaced by the substan- tial improved implements of the present day. He did his share in the work of field and meadow, tramping after the plow for many an hour at the time of early spring planting, and later assisting in gathering the crops which were cut with a sickle, 'while later a cradle was used in the harvest field. Corn was dropped by hand and covered with a hoe and jumper. Matches had not then been in- troduced and flint, tow and punk often proved the factors in lighting a fire, while the houses were illuminated at night by tal- low candles made by the mother or by greased lamps. Tlie mother also had her loom and from the wool taken from the sheep raised upon the farm she wove and spun the clothing that was utilized in mak- ing the garments for the different members of the family. The individual considered himself fortunate if he was able to have one pair of shoes a year. Oxen were not only used in breaking prairie and in cultivating fields, but also hauled the wagons in which the family would go to church or market, for there were no carriages at that time. As horses came into more general use the girls would often sit behind the man upon the pillion. The country was full of wild game and there were also many prairie and timber wolves. The old fainily home which was erected by the father in 1842 is still stand- ing and, being weather boarded, is to-day used as a barn. It was built of walnut tim- I^er taken from the farm and the gable ends still remain as they were in the beginning. There is enough timber in the frame work of this structure to build two houses such as are in use at the present day. For sixty years has this building looked out upon the surrounding landscape — a mute witness of the development and progress of the cotm 594 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ty. The father of our subject took an act- ive part in the early upbuilding and develop- ment of this portion of the state and his brother, Levin, was also a pioneer settler, who became an extensive landowner, pur- chasing many farms from squatters. Hen- son Vinson, St., died in 1848, at the age of fifty years and his wife passed away in February, 1897, at the very advanced age of one hundred and two years. Mr. Vinson of this review has never been away from the old homestead for three months at a time. He can remember the first cook stove brought into the neighbor- hood. It was a step sto\e, owned by his brother Levin. Our subject made a trip to Chicago with ox-teams taking with him a load of apples and meat and returning with salt and a cook stove. In order to see that wonderful piece of household furniture neighbors came for miles, for previous to this time all cooking was done over the fire- place in iron kettles or skillets, while corn- pone was baked on a smooth board with a flat iron behind it. When neighbors killed their hogs the meat was divided and thus all got to share in the supply of pork. On the 31st of October, 1867, Mr. Vin- son wedded Marian Hall, who was born in Putnam county, Indiana. She died May 17, 1883, at the age of thirty-nine years, ten months and two days, leaving three chil- dren : Nora, now the wife of Joseph Broth- ers of Oakwood township, by whom she had two children. Pearl and Clyde; Mary, the wife of John Olihy, of South Dakota, by whom she has four children; and Ida, who is living in Danville. In 1893 Mr. Vinson was united in marriage to Harriet O'Neil, of Vermilion county. He now owns about one hundred acres of rich farming land on section i, Oakwood township. He served as school director for sixteen years and in politics is a stanch Republican. JOHX W. NEWLOX. From the time when as a soldier boy of the Civil war John Newlon placed himself on the side of his country's protectors down through various official positions to the present time, he has manifested unswerving loyalty to the United States. Both local ad- vancement and national progress are causes dear to his heart and in various offices he has manifested unswerving fidelity to the trust reposed in him. John W. Newlon is a native of Oakwood township, Vermilion county, born June 13, 1840. His father, Thomas B. Newlon, was born in Harrison county, Virginia, and wedded I\Irs. Ange- line Griffith Makemson, a native of Wayne county, Indiana, and a daughter of Stephai Griffith, who became a resident of Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1826. At that time Mrs. Newlon was nine years of age and to-day she is more than ninety, but she still resides in Kansas and is enjoying good health. Thomas Newlon, the father of our subject, accompanied his father, John New- lon, to Vermilion county in 1837, removing thither from Champaign county, Ohio. They settled in Catlin township and after the marriage of the parents of our subject they took up their abode in Oakwood town- ship, where Mr. Newlon followed general farming for a number of years and was also actively identified with the development of his portion of the state. In 1866 he re- moved with his familv to Kansas but in JOHN W. NEWLON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 599 1872 returned to Vermilion county and spent his remaining days in Danville, pass- ing away in February, 1877. John W. Newlon was the eldest of the seven children of the family and was reared upon the home farm, attending the common schools in the winter months and afterward suplementing his earh^ education through reading, study at home and through experi- ence and observation. Thus he became well informed and for several years he taught school, but during much of his life he has carried on farming and has been largely en- gaged in buying and shipping stock, car- rying on extensive operations in that wa}'. In the month of June, 1861, Mr. New- lon attained his majority and in July he enlisted for ser\ice in Company I, Thirty- fifth Illinois Infantry, with which he was connected until 1864. He participated in the battles of Pea Ridge, Stone River, Cor- inth, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and went with Sherman on the Atlanta cam- paign. At Kenesaw Mountain he was slightly wounded and he was twice taken prisoner, but he managed to elude the vigi- lance of his captors and both times suc- ceeded in making his escape. At the close of his term he was mustered out at Spring- field with the rank of sergeant. He then returned to his native township and was en- gaged in general farming and in teaching school until the close of the war. On the 19th of September, 1865, Mr. Newlon was married to Ivea E. Taylor, a daughter of Thomas A. and Ivea (Allen) Taylor, who came to Vermilion county in 1853 and located in Catlin township, where Mr. Taylor died September 19. 1876. His wife survived him several years, departing this life in 1893 in her seventy-eighth year. Mrs. Newlon continued her education until she had reached the senior vear in the high school of Springfield, Illinois. She was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, Febru- ary 2, 1845, ^"d after her marriage she went with her husband to Winterset, Iowa, but a year later they returned to Vermilion county. Their children are Temperance Jane; Nora, the wife of H. B. Catlett, by whom she has four children — Roland J., Elizabeth Ashton, Stanley B. and Eugene Leigh; Mildred, who is at home; Lena, also at home; and Lowell T., who is assistant teller in the First National Bank of Dan- ville and married Miss Vera Seed, by whom he has one son, John. Mr. Newlon of this review has been quite prominent in his community, having been called to various laublic offices. For three terms he served as supervisor of Cat- lin township and was also collector and as- sessor there. In 1888 he came to Danville and was appointed deputy sheriff under J. C. Gundy, filling that office for two years. In 1890 he was elected sheriff and for four years acted in that capacity, during which time there occurred the great strike of the American Railway Union and at the same time five thousand miners in Vermilion county went out on a strike. The exigencies of the position were such as have seldom been imposed upon a county official, but he met the diftlculties which confronted him and the seven companies of militia who were called into service were all under his direc- tion. He proved himself most capable in handling the troops and in mastering the situation at this critical time and the peo- ple manifested their confidence in him and their approval of his course by electing him county treasurer without opposition when his term as sheriff' had expired. He served for four years as treasurer and in 1898 he became chief deputy sheriff, serving for three and one-half vears under lames Sloan, 6oo THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He was then appointed commissary in the Danville branch of the National Home for disableil soldiers and has since acted in this capacity. Mr. Xewlon has always been an active member of the Republican party and has served several years as a delegate to the county and state conventions. He was as- sistant sergeant-at-arms at the St. Louis convention when William McKinley was nominated for the presidency and for sev- eral terms he has served as a central com- mitteeman. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belongs to Vermilion Chapter, No. 89. R. A. M., and to Athelstan Com- mandery, No. 45, K. T. Both he and his wife are zealous members and active work- ers in the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He owns a splendid farm in Catlin town- ship in addition to town property, and in Danville and Vermilion county Air. Newlon ranks among those whose worth to the com- munity is widely recognized. His public career will bear the light of the strongest investigation and scrutiny for his fidelity to duty has ever been one of the strongest elements in his career. O. M. DANIEL. O. M. Daniel, who is now living a retired life in Dan\ille, was born in Roxbury, New York, June 19, 1843. a son of Aaron Burr and Cornelia Ann (Mofifett) Daniel, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. The Daniels family are descendants of the Sturgis family, to whom Jay Gould also traced his ancestry. They came originally from Scotland and settled in New York. The parents of O. M. Daniel were married in New York, after which they located in the town of Deposit, the father there en- gaging in farming. After the death of his first wife he married Phebe Ogden, also a native of New York. About 1870 he re- moved to Danville, Illinois, where he en- gaged in farming and contracting. He as- sisted in the construction of the Paris & Danville Railroad, now a branch of the Big Four system, and then retired from business life. In politics he was a Democrat and was a member of the Presbyterian church. He died about 1891 and is survived by his sec- ond wife, who is still living near Danville. By the first marriage there were seven chil- dren, of whom four are living: O. M., of this review ; Ella, who is married and resides in Chicago ; Sarah, the widow of James Thompson, her home being near Danville; and Mrs. Cornelia Smith, of Kansas. By the second marriage there were four chil- dren : Charles, who resides in Indiana ; William, of Danville; Irving, of Catlin, Illi- nois ; and Leslie, who resides with his mother. In the public schools of Deposit, New York, O. M. Daniel pursued his education and in the year of 1861 came to Danville, where he began earning his living by driv- ing a team for the firm of Donlain & Daniel, coal dealers, with whom he remained for twcv years. He then spent six months as night operator and ticket agent in what was called the Great ^^'estern depot. He next went to- Champaign, Illinois, and for six months was employed as a brakeman on the road, after which he was advanced to the position of conductor and sent to the southern dis- trict of Illinois, running between Centralia and Cairo. For a year and a half he re- mained with the road and then returned to New York. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 60 1 The object of his visit was his marriage, which occurred on the 3d of June, 1871, the lady of his choice being Miss Jane Thomp- son, who was born in Delhi, New York, May 8, 1841, a daughter of Robert Thomp- son, whose birth occurred in Scotland. After coming to America he was married in Delhi, New York, to Helen Shaw, a native of that place. In order to provide for his family he first learned the stone mason's trade and afterward carried on farming. His last years were spent in Deposit, New York,, where his death occurred about 1894, while his wife passed away in 1898. He belonged to the Baptist church and gave his political support to the Democracy. In his family were thirteen children, of whom five are yet living : Jane, now the wife of Mr. Dan- iel; Helen, the wife of John Faulkner, a resi- dent of Deposit, New York; Robert, who is living in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and Everett and Etta, who are also residents of that place. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel has been blessed with five children, but Orin, the first born, died in Danville. Alvin married Anna Smith, by whom he has a daughter, Edna, and their home is near Danville. Fred, a resident of Chicago, Illi- nois, married Jennie Faulkner, and has two children. Perry is physical instructor of the Young Men's Christian Association, of Salt Lake City, Utah. Effie L. resides with her parents and is a member of the class of 1903 in the high school. Mr. Daniel has fifty acres of land two miles south of Danville and also owns a good home and other real estate in the city. To some extent he buys and sells coal, but is now practically living a retired life. In politics he has always been a Democrat, but has ever refused to hold office. Some years ago he became the candidate for county sherifif and succeeded in reducing the usual Republican majority of thirty-three hundred to nine hundred, a fast which indicates his personal popularity and the confidence re- posed in him by his fellow townsmen. He belongs to the IModern Woodmen of Ameri- ca and to the Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks in Danville. Having long re- sided in this county he is widely known and enjoys the respect and good will of those with whom he has been associated. JOHN TEXAS DAVIS. John Texas Davis is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Ver- milion county. Through more than fifty years he has been a witness of the progress and upbuilding of this portion of the state because he has spent his entire life here. He was born in Vance township, September 17, 1850, his parents being James and America (Boggess) Davis, who are repre- sented on another page of this work. At the usual age the subject of this review be- gan his education as a student in the Wal- nut Grove schoolhouse and there he contin- ued his studies until he reached the age of twenty years, attending, however, mostly in the winter seasons, while during the naonths of the summer he worked in the fields from the time of early plowing and planting until the crops were gathered in the autumn. He assisted in the cultivation of the home farm until he was twenty-three years of age and then removed to the farm upon which he is now living, it having since been his home. It gives evidence of the care and labor which he has bestowed upon it in its well tilled fields, excellent improve- ments and neat and thrifty appearance. 602 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD On the I3tli of February, 1873, in Vance township, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Davis and Miss Jennie Gilbert, a na- tive of Ohio. By this marriage there has been born one son, James Roy, who resides upon one of his father's farms. He married Myr- tie Rogers and they have two children, Daisy D. and Texas Eugene. On the 15th of August, 1888, in Danville, j\Ir. Davis wedded Katie Thomas, who was born in Nyesville, Indiana, on the 31st of July, 1864. Her father, Andrew J. Thomas, was a native of Kentucky, and when he had reached years of maturity he wedded Sarah J. Dice, whose birth occurred in Indiana. They were married in Rockville of the latter state. The mother of INIrs. Davis died in August, 1S75. but the father is still living, his home being in Conkeytown. He is a farmer by occupation, having followed that pursuit throughout his entire life. His po- litical sui)])orl is given to the Republican party. In his family were nine children, of whom four are yet living. Mr. Davis is the owner of two hundred acres of very rich and valuable land on sec- tion 7, Vance township. It was formerly the property of his paternal grandfather and has since been in possession of the family. He is a partner in the ownership of the famous Shire stallion, Newton Ladd, and is extensively engaged in breeding horses, in which Ijranch of business he has been very successful. He also buys and sells horses and Poland China hogs, and as a stock deal- er is very widely known, being one of the leading representatives of this business in ^''ermilion county. As a general farmer he is also prospering and his enterprise and capable management are important elements in his success. Although his life is a busy one he yet finds time to support the principles in which he believes, and is an ardent Republican. He has always refused to hold oiilice, however. Socially he is connected v.ith Homer Lodge, No. 199, F. & A. }>!., having been made a Mason there when twenty-four years of age. He also belongs to the chapter at Homer and is a Knight Templar of Athelstane Com- mandery, No. 45, K. T. of Danville. He has attained to the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, and is a member of the consistory and Mohammed Temple of the ^Mystic Shrine at Peoria. He holds member- ship relations with ti:e Modern Woodmen of America and the Court of Honor, and is popular in these organizations because of his good fellowship, genial spirits and cor- dial manner. JOHN D. CA^IPBELL. John D. Campbell is now practically liv- ing retired but still owns and operates his valuable farm property on section 23, New- ell township, where he has long lived and where he lias two hundred and five acres of rich land, well improved with substantial bulidings. His birth place was on section 26, Newell township, south of his present home and his natal day was June 7, 1843. Flis parents were Joseph and Eliza (Makemson) Campbell, the former a native of Seneca county. New York, the latter of Harrison county, Kentucky, His grandfa- ther, Samuel Campbell, came to Vermilion county about 1828. settling on the farm on which the birth of our subject occurred. He made the journey overland in a covered wagon from New York to Ohio and then some of his sons came ahead to Vermilion countv, being later followed by the parents, J. D. CAMPBELL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 607 Avho lived first in a little log cabin sur- rounded by Indian neighbors. There they underwent all the hardships and trials inci- dent to the establishment of a home upon the frontier. Later the little log cabin was replaced by a more substantial and modern residence and was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Campbell until called to their final rest at an advanced age. In their fam- ily were eight children, of whom Joseph Campbell was the young'est son. After his father's death he purchased the interest of the other heirs in the old homestead and there carried on agricultural pursuits until his own death, which occurred March 7, 1858, when he was forty-one years of age. He was the father of three sons and two daughters. John D. Campbell, the eldest son and the second in order of birth, pursued his ed- ucation in the district schools, the little tem- ple of learning- being a log schoolhouse, seated with slab benches and heated b)' an immense fire-place, from which the smoke made its egress through a mud stick chim- ney. The school was conducted on the sui> scription plan. His father served as a mem- ber of the school board at the time when the log school building was replaced by a frame structure and also acted in that position be- fore the building of the new schoolhouse. Mr. Campbell of this review attended school for about three months in the winter and throughout the remainder of the year as- sisted in the work of the home farm. Later he engaged in teaching school, having about forty or fifty scholars. After a time, how- ever, he devoted his entire energies to farm work and for more than thirtj^-five years has been identified successfully with agri- cultural interests. At the age of twenty-five years he married Julia Howard, the wed- ding ceremon)' being performed October 13, 1869, by the Rev. J. S. Johnson. Four chil- dren were born unto them, of whom two are yet living. Ida is the wife of O. M. Berr}', of Newell township, whom she wedded December 18, 1895. Joseph How- ard is a practicing physician of Bismarck. He attended the high school of Danville and for one term was a student in Greer College of Hoopeston. He afterward entered Kan- kakee Hospital, where he was employed for about four or five years and there he met Beatrice May Krohn, an experienced nurse, to whom he was married August 22, 1900. Determining to make the practice of medi- cine his life work he entered the college of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago and was graduated on the 20th of May, 1902. Immediately afterward he opened his ofifice in Bismarck and is now successfully engaged in practice. After the death of his first w-ife Mr. Campbell, of this review, was married to Miss Mary K. Barger, the wedding cere- mony being performed liy Re\-. H. Woods on the 22d of May, 1888. Her parents were \\'i]liam Charles and Ann (Barns) Barger, the latter a native of Kentucky. Her father was born in Newell township, where his father had located in an early day, coming to the west from Ohio. Mrs. Camp- bell was the eldest of five children, three sons and two claughters, all of whom are living, her birth occurring in Newell township, Oc- tober 26, 1 86 1. She pursued her education in Stateline, Indiana, and by her marriage she has become the mother of three chil- dren : Jessie ]M., Bessie D. and McCowan. Mr. Campbell has been quite successful in his business affairs. He located on his present farm about 1868 and has since de- voted his energies to general farming and stock-raising, although at the present time 6o8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lie is largely living retired. He lias made a specialty of handling shorthorn cattle and their ready sale upon the market has brought to him a good return. He now rents the greater part of his farm, the in- come from his property supplying him with all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. He saw Dan\ille before there was a railroad in the town and in those early days all grain was hauled to Covington. He also remembers well when the stage coaches ran from Terre Haute to Danville and to Chicago, going north along the state road. All travel in that period was by river, cana! and stage. In the work of progress and im- provement ]\Ir. Campbell has always taken a deep and active interest, doing everything in his power to promote the general good. For about nine }'ears altogether he has ser\-ed as commissioner of highways and for thirty years he has acted as school director, taking a helpful part in erecting schools and secur- ing competent teachers. He is a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Stateline and for several years he has been one of its trustees. His wife is a mem- ber of the Christian church. Mr. Campbell belongs to the Masonic fraternity at State- line and to the Odd Fellows Society and for a number of years he has been active in fra- ternal circles, but now largely leaves this work to younger men. Both he and his wife are well known in Vermilion county and enjoy the warm regard of those with whom they have come in contact. They are now favorably situated in a comfortable home which has been gained through their combined and well directed efforts. IMr. Campbell has cleared much timber land in this county and has assisted materially in making the county what it is to-day, one of the richest counties in this great state. T. H. RUXYOX. M. D. Dr. T. H. Runyon of Tilton was born in Mason county, Kentucky, April 25. 18.^1, his parents l:)eing Daniel and Ruth (Rob- inson) Runyon. The paternal grandparents were Daniel and Rachel Runyon, the former born August 28, 1750, died December 26, 1817, while the latter, whose birth occurred May 13, 1752, survived her husband until December 2y, 1833. The father of our sub- ject was born in Kentucky, May 23, 1788, and died May 6, 1876. He married Ruth Robinson, who was born in Kentucky, March 22, 1788, and died February 3, 1857. In their family were nine chil- dren and two sisters of the Doctor are now li\ing — Mrs. Sarah Worthington and Mrs. Mary W'ritt, both of 'whom are resi- dents of Kentucky. The Doctor has recently visited them and the former is now eighty-five years of age and the latter sev- enty-four years of age. The members of his father's family who have passed away are: J. R.. who died in 1900, at the age of eighty-eight; W. G., who died in 1843: R. L., who was born in 181 2 and died in 1876; E. A., who was born December 5, 1821, and departed this life December 27, 1899; Asa. who died in infancy; and E. J., who was born October 17, 1826, and passed away March 9, 1852. Dr. Runyon spent the days of his boy- hood and youth in his native state, coming to Vermilion county in 1869. He had ac- quired his literary education in Kentucky and pursued his medical course in the Jef- ferson Medical College of Philadelphia, where he was graduated in the class of 1855. He began practice in Mason county. Ken- tucky, and in i860 he went to Louisiana, practicing in Concordia Parish until the fall THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 609 of 1861. He then enlisted as a private of Company F, First Louisiana Cavalry, under Colonel John S. Scott and Lieutenant Col- onel J. O. Nixon of New Orleans. With the command Dr. Runyoji was sent to Bow- ling Green and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He participated in the battles of Fort Donelson, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Springhill. Kentucky; Big Hill, Kentucky; Stone Riv- er, Perryville and others of minor import- ance, and was mustered out at Holly Springs, Mississippi, in May, 1865. He acted as officer's guard and most of the time was assistant surgeon. He also aided in making the exchanges of prisoners on nu- merous occasions. His experience as as- sistant surgeon proved of value to him ii his later practice. At the close of the war he returned to Mason county, Kentucky, where he established an office and continued in practice until 1869. when he arrived in Catlin, Vermilion county, Illinois. Here he opened an office and continued in the prosecution of his profession until 1876, when he left for Florida. Later he returned to McLean county, Illinois, and subsequent- ly settled in Perrysville, Indiana, but in 1880 he again went to Catlin, where he remained continuously until 1902, when he removed to Tilton, where he is now located. He is examiner for a number of the old line in- surance companies. Dr. Runyon was married February 26, 1867. in Minerva, Kentucky, to Miss Cora Lee Triplett, a daughter of Dr. and Martha (Anderson) Triplett, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. Mrs. Runyon was their second child and was born in Kentucky June 21, 1845. She died Aug- ust 27. 1880, leaving three children, while three had also passed away in infancy. Those still living are: William H., of In- dian Territory; Kate L., the wife of A. L. Olmsted of Tilton, by whom she has three children — Orvil, Ward and Ruth; and Clay, of Oklahoma, who married Miss Albright and has one daughter, Ruth. On the 5 th of April, 1883, Dr. Runyon was again mar- ried, his second union being with Tillie A. Onley, a daughter of William and Mary (Adams) Onley. She was born in London, England, October 20, 1847, ^'""^ her par- ents, also natives of that country, came to Vermilion county at an early day. ]\Irs. Runyon was educated in this state and has made three trips across the Atlantic. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of which he has been examining physician and he also belongs to the Court of Honor and is a charter member of Cat- lin Lodge, I. O. O. F. He has served as school director for a number of years and he \-otes for men and measures rather than for party. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church of Danville. Th« Doctor has seen many changes in this coun- ty, has witnessed the development of Dan- ville from a small village. He has ridden for miles across the country in the early days of his professional career here and is now one of the oldest physicians in this part of the state, being still actively engaged in practice, although now in his seventy-first year. He has in his possession a coverlet which his mother wove. He has seen the flax used in his mother's home, the garments for the men being made of jeans and gar- ments for the girls and women of linsey. He has seen the dipped candles and remem- bers when the candle mold came into use. With matters of growth and improvement ^10 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD in ^'emliIion county he has been identified, ever taking a deep interest in what has tend- ed to promote the general welfare. -MARCUS C. DAVIS. IMarcus Cerelious Davis, who carries on general farming in Pilot township, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, November lo, 1833, his parents being Owen and Mar- garet (Nefif) Davis. They were married in the Buckeye state, of which the father was a native, while the mother's birth oc- curred in Virginia. Both now have depart- ed this life. In their family were three chil- dren: Absalom; Mary, the wife of Thomas Snider; and Marcus Cerelious, all yet liv- ing in Pilot township. Mr. Davis, whose name introduces this record, spent the first eighteen years of his life in the county of his nativity and pur- sued his education in an old log schoolhouse with its accessories and old time appoint- ments. It was about 1S48 that he came to the west, settling in Pilot township. On at- taining his majority he left home and was married in Pickaway county, Ohio, on the 2d of May, 1853, to Miss Mary Nefif, whose birth occurred in Plardy county, Virginia, August 19, 1832. j\lrs. Davis has but one living brother, Peter Neff, who still resides in Ohio. They are the only surviving mem- bers of her father's family. Immediately after his marriage Mr. Davis returned to this part of Illinois, set- tling in Pilot township, and has since lived upon his present farm on section 23. He began his domestic life here with a cash capital of about two hundred dollars. From his father he rented land and also operated other leased land for several rears, but as time passed he added more and more to his savings until he was enabled to purchase his present farm, comprising one hundred acres on sections 14, 19, and 23, Pilot township, and ten acres in Blount township. Here he devotes his energies to the cultivation of the fields and to the raising of crops best adapted to the soil and climate, and also keeps a good grade of stock upon the farm, but while he is yet living on the old home place the work of the farm is largely per- formed by his son, so that he is enjoying a well merited rest. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davis were born six children, but the first born died in in- fancy, and George, whose birth occurred June 3, 1855, passed away on the 12th of June of the same year. Ilettie, born No- vember 18, 1856, is the wife of John Craig, of Oakwood township, and they have eight children, Minnie, Mabel, Maude, May, Edith, Nellie, Willie and Emily. INIary, born February 7, i860, is tlie widow of Charlie Cork, and lives with her father. Absalom John, who was born June 28, 1865, married Nettie Cork, by whom he had three children, Robert L., Glenn V. and Cord McLean, but the mother died Feb- ruary 13, 1896, and on the 7th of Septem- ber, 1898, Mr. Absalom J. Davis was again married, his second union being with Flora \\'iltermood.- Josie, born October 26, 1870, is the wife of Charles Vinson, of Pilot town- ship. l)y whom she has two children. Ross and Clarence. Mr. Davis is a member of the Church of Christ, at Charity, and for several years has served as its steward. He gives his political support to the Republican party and is serving as a school trustee. He has also been road commissioner and school di- rector, belongs to Newto\vn Lodge, No. 714, F, & A. M.. and is a worthy examplar MRS. M. C. DAVIS. M. C. DAVIS. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 6is of the craft, his hfe being in harmony with its teachings of mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. During the long years of his residence in Vermilion county he has ever lived as to command the respect and good will of those with whom he has been associated. He has seen the county develop from a wild frontier district into one of the richest portions of this great state, and in the work of development and progress he has borne his part and taken deep interest in what has been accomplished here. JAMES DAVIS. The citizen who comes to Vermilion county to-day enjoys all the privileges and advantages known to the older east, who is surrounded by the evidences of progress and de\-elopment known to the world in the last half century cannot realize what was the condition which the pioneer of fifty years ago faced. The Davis family is one of the oldest of the county and James Davis well deserves honorable mention among the early settlers who, taking up their abode here upon the frontier, reclaimed this wild dis- trict for the uses of the white man and sought the raw land for purposes of civiliza- tion, that it might be made rich and pro- ductive farms. James Davis was born in the state of Ohio, January 21, 1828, and in various lines the family ancestry can be traced back to Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Henry Davis, his father, was born on the 20th of Septem- ber, 1781, and served his country as a valiant soldier in the war of 181 2. His uncle Van Meter was one of the heroes of the Revolu- tion and owned a powder horn which was brought from England and which was car- ried in the battle which resulted in the de- feat of Braddock. It is now a highly prized family heirlooms in the possession of George 'Davis. After arriving at years of maturity Henry Davis married Miss Rachel Pollock, who was born June 3, 1785, and they be- came the parents of ten children : Azariah married Jane Conner but both are now de- ceased ; Samuel died in infancy ; William married Elizabeth Hays, of Ohio, and after her death he wedded Mrs. Mary Jane (Cot- lett) Lee; Jane became the wife of Moses Hays and they resided near Homer, Illinois, but both are now deceased; Abraham mar- ried Electa Stearns and for a time they re- sided in this county, but afterward removed ■ to Iowa and died in Wapello county, north of Ottumwa; Joseph was married in Iowa, in May, 1849, 'i"^ his widow now resides in that state ; Van Meter wedded Mary Ann Copeland and after her death married Katie Callahan, who died in 1893, since which time he has married Elvira Thompson and they make their home in Danville; Martha became the wife of John T. Hardin, a resi- dent of Hardin county, Iowa, where she died in August, 1892; John died in Te^as at the age of twenty-four years ; and the other member of the family is James Davis of this review. The father of this family died in 1855 and the mother's death oc- curred November i, 1848. Educated in the district school and reared upon his father's farm, James Davis early became familiar with the occupation which he has made his life work. In early manhood he was married to Miss America J. Boggess, who comes of Scotch-Irish an- cestry, and who was born in Vermilion coun- ty, Illinois, on the 3d of May, 1833. Her father, John Boggess, was a native of Green- brier county, Virginia, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Jane McCorkel, 6i6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD was also born in the Old Dominion. Unto them were born eleven children : ^Villiam, who died at the age of twenty-one years ; Diana, who became the wife of Joseph Grif- fith and resided in Vermilion county, but both are now deceased ; Becky, the wife of William Ray, a resident of Delevan, Mor- rison county, Kansas ; Harvey, deceased, who married Emma White and resided in Kansas; Charles, who married Hulda Patter- son and resides in Homer, Illinois; America J., the wife of our subject; Perry, who wedded Alary Lightner and after her death married Lizzie Austin, who also passed away, since which time he married Antoinetta Elliott, their home being now in Catlin town- ship, this county; John, who married Bella Piper and is a physician of Catlin, Illinois; and three who died in early childhood. The marriage of James and America Davis was blessed with two children : John Texas, who was born September 17, 1850; and Rachel A., born November 19, 1852. She is the wife of E. R. Danforth, a produce commission merchant of Danville, Illinois, and they have two living children, Jennie and James. Throughout the years of an active busi- ness career James Davis has carried on farming. Coming to Vermilion county when this district was upon the western frontier he secured a tract of wild land and with characteristic energy began its develop- ment, transforming it into a productive tract. As the years passed he added to his possessions until he had about four hundred acres. He still resides upon a farm in Vance township, one of the esteemed and worthy pioneers who deserves much credit for the active and helpful part which he has taken in the development and upbuilding of his adopted county. GENERAL ROBERT H. CARNAHAN. General Robert H. Carnahan was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 21, 1823, and therefore his life rec- ord covers more than eighty years. In this long period he has displayed a patriotic spirit which, whether it be an inheritance from his Revolutionary ancestors or an in- herent quality, has made him a citizen of worth. He traces his lineage from Robert Carnahan, who was a valiant soldier of the Continental Army and was detached from his command by General Washington to guard the frontier. As an Indian scout he gained considerable reputation and did ef- fective and valient service in defending the borders against the advances of the hostile red men. He had two relatives who were also in the war and one of them went down the river with Aaron Burr on the filibuster- ing expedition which has become a matter of history, settling in Louisiana. The Carn- ahan family is of Scotch-Irish descent and the father of our subject was a cousin of Professor Carnahan, president of Prince- ton College, who was the preacher that de- livered the funeral sermon over the remains of Aaron Burr. Pie often visited at the home of William Carnahan. In the early days when William Penn led his colony into the state which was named in his honor, the Carnahans crossed the Delaware river into that district and through many generation? representatives of the name were prominent in public affairs of Pennsylvania. William Carnahan was born in Cumberland county, as was his wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Houston. Their marriage occurred in that country and the father there car- ried on agricultural pursuits in order to pro- vide for his familv until his removal west- €i yH^c THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 619 \vard when lie took up his abode in Foun- tain county, Indiana, where he remained un- til called to his final rest. The mother of our subject died in 1824 and the father married Margaret Cooper, of Cumberland count}', Pennsylvania. In his political views he was a Republican and was an earn- est Christian man who long held member- ship in the Presbyterian church and for many years sen-ed as one of its elders. He died in the spring of 1870 and his second wife passed away in 1882. By the first mar- riage there were two children, the brother of our subject being Andrew Carnahan, who served as a member of the state legis- lature in Indiana, and died in Covington, in 1852. By the second marriage there were three daughters and two sons, and three of the number are yet living: Mary, who is the widow of Dr. Cole, and resides at Rob Roy, Indiana; Sarah, the widow of John McGiffort, and a resident in Duluth. ]\Iinne- sota : and John, who is living in Maysville, Tennessee. To a limited extent General Carnahan attended the schools of Cumberland county. Pennsylvania, but his education has been largely acquired in the school of experience, and therein he has learned many lessons of practical value. He remained upon the home farm until twenty-five years of age. after which he became a clerk in a ware- house in Attica. Indiana, and later he pur- chased the business continuing as a commis- sion merchant at that place until 1861. In the meantime General Carnahan was married on the ist of January, 1849, to Miss Eliza Davis, who was born in Newark, Licking county, Ohio, May 27, 1822, a daughter of Judge Zacliariah and Elizabeth (Roberts) Davis, the former a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Martinsburg. Virginia. They were mar- ried in Newark, Ohio, and in early life tlie Judge followed the wheelwright's trade, while later he devoted his energies to pork- packing, which business he carried on ex- tensively. A Republican in politics, a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity and also a member of the Presbyterian church — the character of the man is thus indicated, for his endorsement of the beneficent principles of the craft and the Christian teachings of the church was manifest in a life of up- rightness and honor. He died in 1865, and his wife passed away in 1848. In their family were eight children, six sons and two daughters, but only three of the number are now living: Mrs. Carnahan; Wylie, of Mahomet, Illinois; and William, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The home of General and Mrs. Carnahan was blessed with two chil- dren, the daughter being Clara, the wife of Thomas S. Parks, who is a clerk in the • treasury oflice in Washington, D. C, and by whom she has two children, Robert and Margaretta. The son, William ^McDowell, is engaged in the coal business in Chicago. General Carnahan continued in the com- mission business until after the inaugura- tion of the Civil war, but previous to the outbreak of hostilities he had watched with interest the progress of events in the south, had noticed the hostile attitude of certain commonwealths below the Mason and Dixon line and resolved that if a blow was struck to overthrow the Union he would strike one in its defense. Accordingly, in July, 1861, at Fairbury, Livingston county, Illinois, he offered his services to the government in de- fense of the country which his ancestors had aided in establishing and became a member of Company K, Third Illinois Cavalry, un- der command of Colonel, now General Eugene A. Carr. He was elected captain of his company and w-as mustered in at 620 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Camp Butler, at Springfield, Illinois, by General Pitcher, after which the regiment went to St. Louis to join General Fremont. Later the Third Illinois proceeded to St. Charles, ]\Iissouri, and afterward to Spring- field, followed by a trip to Rolla and on to Lebanon, from whicli place they returned to Springfield with General Hunter, who suc- ceeded General Fremont, and later General Ciu'tis. In that locality Captain Carnahan with his command was engaged in scouting for a time and was in the rear of Springfield when Zargonia charged upon the city. La- ter the troops proceeded to Pea Ridge and from tliere \\-ith Curtis to Helena, Arkansas, and afterward were with General Shemian in the attack on \'icksburg and in the Yazoo river campaign. After the battle of Chick- asaw Bayou, in which the Union troops were repulsed. Captain Carnahan went to Arkansas with General JMcClernand and captured Arkansas Post with five thousand prisoners. Next they proceeded to Young's Point where they went into camp and at that place General Grant took command of the western army, following which he started for the rear of Vicksburg. At the battle of "Pea Ridge our subject had received the appointment as captain in charge of the battalion and this battalion was ordered with Grant in the spring of 1863. At Vicksburg it was attached to Osterhouse's Division under command of General Mc- Clernand and Captain Carnahan was ap- pointed provost marshal of the division, and also at siege of Vicksburg. Following the surrender of Vicksburg he was with bio command in the battles of Raymond, Cham- pion Hills and Big Black River, in the rear of Vicksburg, and subsequently the division was ordered to join Sherman, proceeding to Jackson, Mississippi. After the "surrend- er of that place Captain Carnahan returned to Vicksburg and. by General Grant was ordered to report with his battalion of cav- alry to General Banks of New Orleans, and following this order he next proceeded with Banks up the Red river. When the cam- paign in that part of the country was ended he went with General Franklin into the Tash Bayou country west of Louisiana, fol- lowing which he was attached to General McClernand's stafif, on the expedition up the Red river. After General Fremont's ex- pedition he remained in command of the post at Germanlown for a short time, later he recei\-ed orders to scout in western Ken- tucky, and then reported to General Paine in Paducah, that state. About this time his three years' temi of service expired and re- porting at Spring-field, Illinois, he was given command of a regiment of Illinois Veteran Cavalry and filled up the quota. This regi- ment was then stationed at Memphis, Ten- nessee, and afterward marched with Hatch to confront General Hood who at that time crossed the Tennessee river at Florence. The Union troops fell back in front of Hood, fighting day and night, a battle oc- curring each day until they reached Nasli- ville. Then occurred the siege and battles of Na.shville. The Union troops followed General Hood on his retreat to the Tennes- see river. Returning they went into camp at Gra\-elly Springs, near Paducah. Ken- tucky, where they remained for three weeks, when Colonel Carnahan was ordered to take his regiment to St. Louis and there report. In the latter city the regiment was equipped and then sent to join General Sibley, at St. Paul. Minnesota, at which place Colonel Carnahan was given command of the inde- pendent Indian expedition across the plains. He scouted all over the country in the Da- kotas and Montana clear to the British line and returned to Fort Snelling upon the lotb THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 621 of October, 1865, when he was mustered out. He then took his regiment to Spring- field, Ilhnois, where the men were paid off. In recognition of his meritorious service he was brevetted brigadier general, an honor recommended by Governor Richard Ogles- by, and at Washington he was specially recommended for promotion by those high in authority. His commission was signed by President Johnson. When on the Red river expedition he had been detached from his regular command and was on General McClernand's staff, acting as chief of pick- ets of Thirteenth Army Corps on that occa- sion, his regiment at that time being at Memphis, Tennessee. General Carnahan never sustained a wound which he considered serious enough to cause him to retire from active service, although many times he suf- fered much from the Rebel bullets and had many narrow escapes. After being mustered out of the United States Army General Carnahan came to Danville and it is a noticeable fact in his career that while for many years he has held office he was never elected to a position of public trust, the honors coming to him by appointment from those Avho recognized his capability. He was chosen as assessor of internal revenue for this district when it com- prised eight counties, and for two years he acted in that capacity. On his retirement from the office he was elected superintendent of the Moss back, or Diamond coal mine, and for twelve years was connected with that business after which he was chosen quarter- master and commissary of the Soldiers Home at Quincy, Illinois, occupying that po- sition from the opening of the institution until a period of six years had passed. He then returned to Danville and has since lived a retired life making his home at the corner of Madison and Franklin streets where with 25 his estimable wife he resides. In his political views the General is a stalwart Republican and while he believes firnil}- in the principles of the party he has never been an office seeker. He belongs to the ^lasonic frater- nity, having been made a Alason in 1865, and he has attained the Knight Templar degree in the commander}^ of Danville. Both he and his wife attend the service of the Presbyterian church. General Carnahan rendered his country effective and signal service in the greatest war of modern times and high on the roll of fame should his name be inscribed. While in recent years his life has been more quietly passed, he has been no less loyal to duty and to the right, and throughout the city in which he makes his home he is honored and respected for what he has accomplished. He receives the vener- ation and regard which should ever be ac- corded those who have attained advanced years and which should ever be given to a man whose love of country is greater than personal considerations and whose faithful- ness to duty stands as the strongest element in his career. MRS. MARY JANE LANCASTER. Mrs. Mary J. Lancaster, who has many friends in Vermilion county and well de- serves mention in this history, was born July 8, 1858, Jn Carroll township, Vermilion county, Illinois, her parents being Mer- rick and Priscilla Patten, both of whom are now deceased. Her father was a farmer and came from Indiana to Illinois. In his family were the following named : Mahlon, who is a resident farmer of Georgetown and has one child, Mrs. Lancaster: Davis R.. who was a farmer and well driller of Ridge Farm, is married, and has four children : 622 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Lilla; Allee, whose husband is a driller at Carmel, Indiana, ami has one child; and I. E., who is engaged in the real estate business in Houston, Texas. He is married and has two children. Under the parental roof Mary Jane Patten spent her girhood days and was in- terested in the duties of the household, so that she was well prepared to take care of a liome of her own at the time of her mar- riage. She pursued her education in the public schools and on the 25th of February, lS/"8, she gave her hand in marriage to Elwood Lancaster, of this county, a son of Robert and Martha Lancaster. His fa- ther is still living in Carmel, Indiana, at the age of eighty-si.x years and is a well preserved man able yet to visit among his relatives. Elwood Lancaster had seven brothers and five sisters. He was a farmer ])\ occupation and at the time of their mar- riage he and his young wife removed to a beautiful farm which lies about two miles east and a mile north of Ridgefarm. Here Mrs. Lancaster has always remained. He was a good neiglibor, a Christian man, faithful friend and a devoted father and husband. As a citizen he was public-spirited and progressive and took much interest in whatever pertained to the general good and to the material upbuilding of his commun- ity, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend, and he desired that his chil- dren should have good educational privi- leges. In 1 89 1 he became ill of a fever, and on the 28th of November, of that year, was called to his final rest. He left behind him an honorable name and an example which is in many respects well worthy of emulation. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster were born five children. Mvrtle is now the wife of Wade Hampton, who is proprietor of a restaurant in Danville, Illinois. Addie, Albert, Ira, and Ekie, the last named now thirteen years of age, are still at home with their mother. The children have been pro- vided with good educational advantages. On completing the common-school course they ha\e entered high schools and Albert and Addie were graduated in the Vermilion Academy, with the class of 1901. Mrs. Lan- caster is a member of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, and is an earnest Christian woman, devoted to her family and to all that is ennobling and beneficial to the human race. GEORGE C. MAHOXEY. George C. Mahoney, who is now en- gaged in real estate operations in Hoopes- ton, largely handling his own property, was born in Madison county, Ohio, on the 5th of January. 1864, his parents being John and Elizabeth Mahoney, who are also residents of Hoopeston. The father was a farmer by occupation and took up his abode in Hoopes- ton in 1898, now living retired. He owns property on South Market street and is the possessor of a comfortable competence which supplies him with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life. His chil- dren were : Lam'a, Kate, Mame, Sallie, Effie, Lemuel, John, Ed., Charlie and George. George C. Mahoney was but three years of age when brought by his family to Illi- nois, his parents settling in Ford county, where he was reared to manhood and pur- sued his education in the district schools. At the age of twenty-two years he left home and was united in marriage in 1886 to IMiss THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 625 Alice A. Phebiis, who was born near Cov- ington. Indiana, in 1861. Her father, WiU- iam Phebus, is now Hving a retired hfe in Rankin, and is a well-to-do man, owning two hundred and forty acres of valnalile land together with several good properties in the town of Rankin. The living members of his family are, Emma, Katie, Grace, Frank, William, Orville, Delmer and Ira. Both yir. and Mrs. Mahoney were reared amid the scenes of farm life and educated in the district schools. Their marriage has been blessed with one child, Cora, who is now nine years of age, and they also lost one child in infancy. At the time of his marriage Mr. Mahoney began farming on his own account and successfully carried on agricultural pursuits for many years. He at first had few possessions, in fact at the time of his marriage he owned but little save a horse. He rented land for about ten years and then purchased a farm and as time passed he has gradually extended his pos- sessions until he is now rated among the substantial citizens of his community. He carried on his farm work until 1897. The year following he was engaged in the livery business in Rankin. He then traded his barn for one hundred and sixty acres of land south of East Lynn, and then he sold a number of lots. He also bought eighty acres of land in Vermilion county. His farm possessions in Ford county comprised one hundred and twenty acres which he traded for his livery business in Rankin, and he also owned eighty acres of land south of the town. He now has one hundred and ten acres near iVrcadia, Indiana. On selling the farm of one hundred and sixty acres in 1898 lie removed to Hoopeston and here Ijegan dealing in real estate, which business he carried on for three years. He then pur- chased a grocery store which he conducted for seven months, during which time his business amounted to eight thousand dol- lars. He then sold out and re-entered the real estate business, dealing in both farm lands and town property. During his first connection with this line of activity he was associated with his father. He has pur- chased and sold land on his own investment and has always been successful. In his political views Mr. Mahoney is a stalwart Republican, taking an active in- terest in promoting the growth and insuring the success of his party, yet he has never been a candidate for office nor desired political honors. He is prominent in sev- eral civic societies, belonging to the Modern Woodmen of America, in which he has held office, and to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity in which he is now serving as senior guard. Mr. Mahoney is widely known as a man of marked enterprise and though he has met some obstacles and difficulties in his path, he has steadily overcome these by persistent effort and to-day is numbered among- the successful men of his com- munitv. JOHN L. HAMILTON. John L. Hamilton has long occupied a prominent position in the foremost ranks of the financiers of Illinois. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a high degree of success, yet he is not less esteemed as a citizen than as a man, and his kind)}' impulses and charm- ing cordiality of manner have rendered him exceedingly popular among all classes. John L. Hamilton was born on the 8tl'i of May, 1862, on a farm in Macoupin 626 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD county, Illinois. His father John J^. Hamilton, Sr., died in Watseka, Illinois, in May, 1900, and the mother still lives there. He was a very preeminent and influential citizen and at the time of his death was serving as a member of the state legislature, having been elected on the Republican ticket four different times. He left the im- press of his individuality upon the legisla- tion enacted during his service and he was a man widely recognized as a leader of pub- lic thought and action and a molder of pub- lic opinion. He was commended, too, be- cause of his loyalty to the general good and his untiring efforts in behalf of the best in- terests of the state. His property holdings were extensive. He owned twenty-four hundred acres of land in Iroquois county, Illinois, and seventeen thousand acres of land in Texas. In his family were four sons : John I.., William A., Edward C. and George H. The last three' are all resi- dents of Iroquois county and are extensively engaged in the cattle business in Texas. When a small child of two years John L. Hamilton was taken to Iroquois county, the family settling near W^ellington. He obtained his education in the schools of Watseka. The family removed to that place in 1875, and when his father was elected county treasurer our subject oc- cupied the position of deputy treasurer and later he became deputy county clerk. He also assisted in organizing the Citizens' Bank of Watseka, and was one of the stock- holders, but disposing of his interests he came to Hoopeston on the ist of April, 1889. Here he accepted the position of cashier in the banking house of Burwell, Hamilton & Morgan. Changes have since occurred in the ownership of the institution and the firm is now Hamilton & Cunning- ham. They conduct a private banking in- stitution of large proportions with Mr. Cun- ningham as the jiresident and Mr. Hamilton as cashier. This institution has a capital of fifty thousand dollars and its owners are men of well known business reliability. They receive a liberal patronage and do a general banking business, following a safe, conservative polity which has won uniform confidence. Mr. Hamilton is likewise vice- president of the Commercial Trust & Sav- mgs Bank, of Danville, and one of its stock- holders. He is to-day one of the most dis- tinguished members of the State Bankers' Association of Illinois, and of the Ameri- can Bankers' .\ssociation. He has been hon- ored by his fellow members of those or- ganizations with various important offices. Perhaps no better idea of his prominence among the representatives of his own line of business can be obtained than by quoting from one of tlie Vermilion county journals of 1901, which said : "At the annual meeting of the Ameri- can Bankers, Association held in Islilwau- kee, October 15, 16 and 17, Mr. Hamilton was elected one of the ten members of the executive council. He was also made chair- man of the fidelity bond committee, which is considered one of the leading if not the most important committee of the associa- tion. The conferring of these high honors upon I\Ir. Hamilton, without solicitation upon his part, comes as the strongest pos- sible official endorsement of the valuable work he has been doing for the association for many years. The honors in this in- stance have fallen iqwn shoulders well worthy of recei\ing them. No man in the association takes a deeper interest in look- ing after all that tends to improve the pres- ent system of banking than Mr. Hamilton. His careful and conscientious study of the financial problem with which all banking THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 627 institutions must necessarily come in con- tact, has supplied a fund of information that has earned for him the well merited distinction of being one of the ablest and .most conspicuous authorities on financial questions in the association. In recogni- tion of his ability to pursue a thorough and ■exhaustive study of all questions involving the interests of banks Mr. Hamilton was sent to England in June, 1901, by the Amer- ican Bankers' Association to study the financial conditions in that country. When it is taken into consideration that this asso- •ciation now has six thousand and three hun- dred members, and is the largest financial association in the world, the reader can form sone idea of the responsibility assumed by Mr. Hamilton in accepting this work. The task occupied about two months, and the able and exhaustive report he rendered the association on his return elicited from its members the most favoilible comments, and the Hoopeston banker was the recipient -of many congratulations for the successful manner in which he carried out the mis- sion assigned him. Mr. Hamilton has not ■only held the highest positions within the gift of the State Bankers' Association, of which he was chosen president in 1898, but has served on some of the most important committees in the American Bankers' Asso- ciation." He likewise served as chairman of the executive council of the State Bank- ers' Association for four years, and is a life member of that committee. He also has served for the past ten years on the legislative committee. In addition to his other business inter- ests i\Ir. Hamilton owns considerable land, having about two hundred acres in Iroquois county, two thousand acres of prairie land in Texas and thirty thousand acres in Geor- gia, covered with yellow pine. He also has extensive interests in Echols, Worth and Irwin counties, of Georgia, and in Hoopes- ton he owns a pleasant home at the corner of Penn and Fifth streets. He is a director and the secretary and treasurer of the Hoopeston Horse Nail Company. On the 8th of February, 1892, in Homer, Illinois, Mr. Hamilton was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Hall, a na- tive of Iroquois county, and they have three sons, John Lawrence, Donald H. and Rob- ert H. In his political views Mr. Hamilton is a stalwart Republican. He has been hon- ored with the highest office within the gift of his fellow townsmen, that of mayor. He has also been alderman of Hoopeston. While he was chief executive five miles of pavement were laid here, the city hall was built and he established and appointed the library board. His administration was very practical and business-like and he exercised his official prerogatives in support of prog- ress, reform and improvement. He has fre- quently been a delegate to state conventions and his influence in the councils of his party is of no restricted order. He is a member of the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and consistory and the Mystic Shrine, de- partments of Masonry, is also identified with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and has passed through all of its chairs. CHARLES FREMONT BUSBY. Charles Fremont Busby, an enterprising farmer living on section 32, Elwood town- ship, was born near Catlin, in this county, October 24, 1857. His paternal grand- parents were John and Phebe (Boggess) Busby, who in the year 1822 removed from West Virginia to Indiana, thence coming 628 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD to Vermiliun counly, Illinois, in 1853. The grandfather of our subject was born in West \'irginia, in 1800, and died in Madi- son county, Iowa, in 1880. His wife, whose birth occurred in West Virginia, in 1800, also passed away in IMadison county, Iowa. The parents of our subject were, William H. and Virginia (Poyndexter) Busby, na- tives of Madison county, Indiana. The father was one of a family of six sons and six daughters. Those who lived to mature years were I. N., who is a retired farmer of Fairmount and is eighty years of age; Thomas K., now deceased; William H., the father of our subject; Dudley F., who is seventy-two years of age and is a retired farmer of Creston, Iowa; S. M., sixty-four years of age, an agriculturist of Ridge- farm; Mrs. Malinda Boggess, deceased: Mrs. Sarah A. McNeer, also deceased; and Mrs. Frances Morey, of Winterset, Iowa. After arriving at years of maturity William H. Busby, the father of our subject, was united in marriage to Virginia Poyndexter. She was horn in Madison county, Indiana, a daughter of Joseph and Sydney Poyn- dexter. of that count}', in whose family were twehc chililrcn. Mrs. Busliy died on the 23d of January, 1857, at the early age of twenty-four years, five months and twenty- three days, our subject being then an infant only three months old. His only brother, Leonidas Poyndexter Bu.sby, is a farmer living near Catlin. He married Laura A. Church, a daughter of William .\. and Hes- ter Church, of Catlin township, and their family now numbers seven children, two sons and five daughters. When the country became involved in civil war the father of our subject responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting in 1861 as a member of Company K. Seventy-third Illinois Volun- teer Infantry. I*'or two years he fought for the preservation of the union and died in the service, passing away at Nashville, Ten- nessee, August 7, 1863, at the age of thirty- four years, two months and twenty-two days. Charles F. Busby of this review pursued his education in the common graded and normal schools and for two years prior to his marriage he was successfully engaged in teaching. He has always followed farm- ing and is to-day numbered among the progressive agriculturists of his community. On the 17th of September, 1890, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Rosa E. Gannon a daughter of James and Samantha Gannon. Her father was Ijorn in Kings county, Ire- land, and emigrating to the new world set- tled in Ohio, where he remained for a short time, after which he came to Georgetown,. Illinois. In this county he married Sa- mantha Wyre, a daughter of David and Sarah Wyre. of Georgetown township. Her brother, David Wyre, was a brave soldier of the Civil war, serving as a defender of the Union. Mr. Gannon, the father of Mrs. Busby, died in 1900, but her mother is still living, making her home on the old homestead farm in Georgetown township. In their family were seven brothers and two sisters, and with the exception of one broth- er, :dl are still living, while one sister and two brothers are yet at home with the mother. The home of Mr. and JNIrs. Busby has been blessed with four children: Earl, born December 3, 1893, is a bright boy, now in school. Garnet, born July 17, 1895. is also attending school. Roy. born Octo- ber 23. 1897, and Cdadys. born July 27, 189Q. are the younger members of the family. Mr. Busbv resides on an excellent farna THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 629 of eiglity acres one mile east of tlie town of Ridgefarm. His land is under a high state of cultivation and is well improved with modern improvements and fine build- ings. Everything about the place denotes the care and supervision of the owner, who is accounted one of the progressive agri- culturists of this portion of the state. His political support is given to the Republican party, and fraternally he is connected with the jN'Iodern Woodmen of America, while his religious faith is that of the Presbyter- ian church in which he holds membership. He is regarded as a good neighbor, a kind and considerate husband and father and a loval citizen. JAMES C. WOODBURY. Among the young men of business abil- ity whose skill and enterprise are rapidly winning for them a place in the front ranks among the representatives of commercial interests in Danville, is numbered James C. Woodbury. He was born in this city, Jan- uary 31, 1870, a son of James H. and Sarah Jane (Chandler) Woodbury. The father was born in Ripley county, Indiana, and they were married in Danville in 1855. He then followed his trade of wagon-mak- ing and some years later he engaged in the insurance business, which he carried on until 1876. He then retired and removed to his fruit and stock farm in Danville township, remaining there until his death, which occurred January 28, 1885. In poli- tics a Republican, he served as internal revenue collector for his district and also city treasurer of Danville. Pie belonged to the Indepaident Order of Odd Fellows, to the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church and was a man of marked probity of char- acter and genuine worth. His first wife passed away February 7, 1870, and on the 15th of June, 1 87 1, he wedded Alwilda E. McClellan, who died in January, 1894. Our subject was one of five children born of the first marriage, of whom three are yet living: Jane, the wife of James S. Bick- nell, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church residing in Champaign, Illinois ; and May, who resides with her brother James, the youngest member of the family. By the second marriage there were three chil- dren, of whom one is yet living, Fannie E., a resident of Danville. James C. Woodbury became a student of the public schools of Dan\ille at the usual age and was graduated in the high school with the class of 1887. He then spent two and one-half years as a student in the Polytechnic Institute at Terre Haute, In- diana, after which he returned to Danville. He was married on the i8th of March, 1891, in Lovington, Moultrie county, Illinois, to Mertie L. Foster, who was born in L(n-ing'- ton, August 2, 1871. Her parents, John, A. and Adelia (Bicknell) Foster, were both natives of Illinois and were married in Lovington, where the father engaged in general merchandising, while later he car- ried on farming. He was a member of the Masonic fraternit}- and died in 1874. while his wife passed away in 1877. Mrs. Wood- burj' was their only child and by her mar- riage she has become the mother of one son, Bicknell J., who was born May 10, 1896, in Danville, and is here attending school. After his marriage Mr. Woodbury be- gan reading law in the office of E. R. E. Kimbrough, who directed his study for three years and on the 12th of June, 1895, 630 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD he was admitted to the bar and opened a law oflice, entering upon the practice of his profession wliich he continued until the ist of February, 1902, when he entered the em- ploy of the Emery Dry-Goods Company of Danville, in wliich he was a stockholder and officer as well, being the secretary of this company. He assisted in its organization and the business has grown until theirs is one of the best dry-goods houses of eastern Illinois. In January, 1903. ]\Ir. \\'oodbury disposed of his interest in the business and resumed the practice of law with his office at 517 Temple Building. He owns a resi- dence in Danville \alued at seven thousand dollars and his wife is the owner of a sec- tion of farm land in Moultrie county. -Mr. and Mrs. Woodbury hold member- ship in the First Presbyterian church and he belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity and to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His right of franchise is exercised in support of the Republican party, but he has refused to enter political circles as an oftke seeker. He has, however, been acti\e in promoting everything in- tended for the general good, and is a rep- resentative of the best type of citizenship in Danville — trustworthy in business, faith- ful in friendship and loyal to the interests of the home and of the jniblic welfare. HERALD CATLETT. Through the long years of an active iness career Herald Catlett was extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He became widely known as a representative of this branch of business and was also a val- ued citizen, because of his loyalty to every measure tending to advance the general good. When he had reached an advanced age he was called to the home beyond, leav- ing, however, to his family a comfortable competence and the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. In early pioneer days he came to Vermilion county and from that time until his death was classed among the citizens of worth here. A native of Virginia, Mr. Catlett was bom in Charlottesville, June 5, 1826, a son of Lawrence Talaferro and Sally (Har- nian) Catlett. The father came from Eng- lish and Italian ancestr}^ The family, a wealthy one, was founded in Virginia at an early day and the grandfather of our subject at one time owned all of the land on which Thomas Jefferson established his home, calling the place Monticello. The maternal ancestry of our subject came from Germany and the grandfather was a sur- geon in the army under General Washing- ton in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Cat- lett was born in Stanton, Virginia, in which state she was reared and married and it was in that place that the parents of our subject began their domestic life, remain- ing there until 1828. The father was edu- cated for the legal ])rofession, but in going security for others necessity compelled the adoption of the saddlers trade. In 1S28 he removed to Tuscumbia, Alabama, antl shortly afterward went to Winchester, Ten- nessee, but two years later returned to Char- lottesville, Virginia. There he remained until 1835, when he became a resident of Bloomingburg, Ohio, and on the ist of October, 1846, he started for Vermilion county, Illinois, arriving on the i8th of the same month. Here he was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred July 2, 1861. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity, was a Baptist in religious faith and a stanch Democrat in his political affil- HERALD -CAT! JTT THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 633 iations. INIost charitable and benevolent, his generous gifts were many and the poor and needy never appealed to him in vain. In fact, much of his wealth was bestowed in charity upon his fellow men, yet he was still in comfortable circumstances at the time of his demise. His wife survived him ten years, passing away January lo, 1871. They were the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, but only two are now living: Virginia, the wife of Dr. Charles Lamon, of Fairmount ; and Hiram H., who is represented elsewhere in this volume. Herald Catlett pursued his education in the schools of Charlottesville, Virginia, un- til nine years of age when he accompanied his parents to Bloomingburg, Ohio, where he remained until he attained his majority. At that time he became a resident of Ver- milion county, Illinois, and turned his at- tention to farming. On the 6th of Octo- ber, 1858, in Bethel, Ohio, he wedded Miss Elizabeth H. Boulware, who was born in Williamsburg, Clermont county, Ohio, April 17, 1840, a daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Shottwell) Boulware, both natives of Clermont county, where their marriage was celebrated. The Boulware family was founded in the Buckeye state at a very early day and was of French extraction. Some of the name lived at Pittsburg at the time when the old fort stood there and later rep- resentatives of the family became pioneers of Ohio and of Kaskaskia, Illinois, settling in this state when it was almost an unbro- ken prairie'. Mrs. Catlett's grandmother, Mary Shottwell, certainly deserved her name, because she was considered an expert with the rifle and in the early days of Ohio she killed over one hundred squirrels in a single day to protect their corn. She found no difficultv in bringing down a hawk on the wing, and Simon Kenton, the great jjioneer, trapper, hunter and explorer of Kentucky, when dining with her family, complimented her on her superior marks- manship. Mrs. IBoulware was born in Cler- mont county, Ohio, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Her father lived to the age of eighty-four and her mother reached the age of ninety-four. Mr. Boulware gave his attention to farming and lived in Clermont county, Ohio, until his death, which occurred in 1845. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, was a Whig in his political views and filled the ofiice of justice of the peace. In his family were three children, the eldest being Mrs. Catlett. Charlotte is the widow of Charles Triplette and resides in Unionville, Mis- souri. She has two sons and two daugh- ters. Hiram, the brother, entered the ser- vice of his country in the Ci\'il war at the age of sixteen years and two years later was killed in the battle of Shiloh. Throughout the period of his entire manhood Herald Catlett resided in Vermil- ion county, Illinois, and in his business affairs he prospered because his life was a very industrious and energetic one. He not only engaged in the tilling of the soil, but also bought and sold cattle on an ex- tensive scale in partnership with his broth- er, Hiram. They perhaps handled more cattle than any other man in the county. In later years he devoted his attention to both stock-raising and farming and he accumu- lated over five hundred acres of land in Vermilion county and also assisted his sons in becoming owners of farms. He possessed excellent executive- ability and keen business force and whatever he undertook he car- ried forward to a successful completion. He possessed strong resolution and unflagging diligence and thus he gained his place 634 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD among the men of affluence in liis adopted county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Catlett were born eight children. Orin resides with his motli- er and manages the home farm. H. Boul- ware married Nora Newlan and is the vice president of the First Uational Bank of Weleetka, in the Indian Territory. He also owns three hundred and forty acres of land near Jacksonville, Illinois. In politics he is a Democrat and he belongs to the Bap- tist church. In his family are four children : Roland, Elizabeth, Stanley and Eugene. Blanch, the third member of the family, died in infancy. Robert, who resides upon the farm of four hundred and twenty acres near Jacksonville, wedded Rose Nicholson and they have two children, Gilbert D. and Thelnia B. In politics he, too, is a Demo- crat, and also belongs to the Baptist church. John died at the age of five years. Portia L., Wilfred 11. and Plarman reside with their mother. Mr. Catlett strongly endorsed llic prin- ciples of the Democracy but would never consent to become a candidate for public office. He was an exemplary member of Fairmount Lodge, No. 590, F. & A. M., and from tlie age of fourteen years was a consistent and devoted member of the Bap- tist church, in which he long served as dea- con, lie died in that faitli May i, 1902, and was laid to rest in tlie Davis cemetery in Vance township. Through an acti\-e career he accomplished nuich both in the acquirement of a fortune and the develop- ment of an upright character and while he left his family in comfortable circumstances lie also gave to them a legacy which is far better than gold — an untarnished name. In the pioneer development of tlie county he took an active and interested part and his labors contributed in no small degree to the s])lendid result accom])lished by the early settlers. LEONARD J. IIAII.V. Leonard J. Hahn, who since 1876 has made his home in Danville and is engaged in the grocery business at No. 412 Green street, was born in Germany, Sqjtember 3, 1 84 1. His father was manager of a factory there, and both he and his wife spent their entire lives in that country. Our subject and a brother who is now living in Wiscon- sin came to America in 1871, settling first in Iloboken, New Jersey, where Mr. Hahn of this review remained for a short time. He afterward visited many of the leading cities of the United States in search of a location and finally took up his abode in Wisconsin, where he attended school for four years in order to learn the English language. He next went to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he remained for a short time and on the expiration of that period he removed to Pilot, Illinois, where he was en- gaged in teaching school for three years. In 1876 he came to Danville, where he con- tinued educational work for four years and then accepted a clerkship in a grocery store where he was employed for a similar period. When that time harl elapsed he embarked in the grocery business on his own account at 412 Green street and here he carries a fine line of staple and fancy groceries, country produce, cigars, tobacco, and in fact everything found in a first class estab- lishment. In his l)usiness career he has been very successful and now has a large trade bringing to him a gratifying income. Mr. Hahn was united in marriage to THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 635 Miss Albertina Snyder, of Champaign county, Illinois, but in February, 1890, was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who passed away leaving two children, Henry, who is now attending school in Peru, Illinois, and Constance, who resides with her grandfather. Another daughter, Shebella, is now deceased. In his political views Mr. Hahn is inde- pendent, supporting men and measures rather than party, and never, seeking office. He belongs to the German Catholic church of Danville and is regarded as a prominent merchant here, a splendid representative of our German-American citizenship, loyal to the best interests of his adopted land and with a strong love for the countrv. MILTON ELLIOTT. Milton Elliott, now deceased, was at one time a very prominent and iniluential farmer of Vermilion county. He was born in Clinton county, Ohio, Feliruary 24, 1827, and was a son of James and Elizabeth (Smith) Elliott. They lived on a farm in Ohio until 1829. when they came to Ver- milion county. Illinois, where the father purchased land. He was a member of the Baptist church and in politics was a Repub- lican. He was three times married, his second union being with Elizabeth Smith, and his third wife being Mrs. (Sewell) Dalby. By the first marriage there was one child, now deceased. By the second mar- riage, two children are still living out of a family of six. Francis, who resides in Potomac, Illinois, married Jane Doney, and after her death was married to Elizabeth McFarland, now also deceased. ^larv, the second child of the second union, is the widow of Elland Speary and is also a resi- dent of Potomac, Illinois. There were no children by the third marriage. Milton Elliott of this review attended the district schools of Vance township until he was able to work on the farm, when he put aside his text books and assisted in the work of plowing the fields and reaping the harvests. Later he purchased the farm which is now the home of his widow. On the loth of March, 1853, near Fairmount, Illinois, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Smoot, who was born in Coshocton, Ohio, January 22, 1831. She is a daughter of Barton and Hannah (Doney) Smoot, both of whom were natives of Ohio, where they were marrietl and resided until 1841, when they removed to Indiana, settling near Logansport. They remained in the latter place for four years, when they removed to Vance township. The mother died April 30, 1895, and the father passed away in 1884. He was a member of the Baptist church and was an advocate of the Demo- cratic party. Mrs. Elliott is a member ff a family of thirteen children, of whom four brothers and two sisters are yet living : Elizabeth, the wife of our subject; James, who married Mary Davis and resides in Greenville, Missouri ; John, who married Sarah Lewis and resides in Homer, Illinois ; Lysander, a farmer of Fithian, Illinois, who married Lydia Randall; Daniel, a resident of Fairmount, who married Nettie Doren : Phoebe, the wife of Robison Cook, a resi- dent of Tallula, Illinois; and Molly, the wife of Garry Temple, of Fairmount, Illi- nois. The marriage of Mr. Elliott and his wife was blessed with six children. Bart mar- ried ^larv Baldwin and lives in Fairmount, 636 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Illinois. They have three chiklren. Everett, Oscar and Goldie. James married Lizzie Egy. They reside in Danville, Illinois, and have five children, Grace, Burleigh, George, Holmes and Ferrol. Ellis marrietl Fanny Lowell and they reside in Fairmount. Mil- ton married Ulta Bale. They reside in Vance township and have two children. Earl and Myrtle. John is at home with his mother and manages the farm for her. Rosa is also at home with her mother. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Elliott located upon the farm which she now occupies. Mr. Elliott was very industrious and energetic and through his capahle man- agement became the owner of four hundred and ninety-six acres. This has now been partly divided among the children and the remainder is controlled by his widow. He was a member of the Baptist church and in politics was a Republican. In his life he exemplified the principles of truth and right and he was a man highly respected in his community. He left many friends besides his family to mourn his loss. His death oc- curred on the 2ist of November, 1878, and he was laid to rest in Davis cemetery. Mrs. Elliott is a lady of estimable character who is now successfully managing her landed interests and she is a valued resident of Vance township. JOHX \\'. GOODWTXE. Sr. John W. Goodwine, Sr., is an octogenar- ian of Vermilion county, living in Potomac. He is now enjoying a well-earned rest which has crowned a life of labor and industry. For over fiftv vears he was connected with the farming interests of the county and the prosperity which attended his efforts has supplied him with the means of living in retirement from further labor,, his com- petencj' being sufticient to supply him with all the necessaries and comforts of life. Mr. Goodwine is a native of Vermilion coun- ty, Indiana, born December 9, 1822. His father, James Goodwine, was born in Penn- sylvania and was a son of John Goodwine. The family is of English lineage and was established in the Keystone state at an early epoch in its development. It was in that state that James Goodwine was reared to manhood and subsequently he removed to Buft'alo, where he was married to Elizabeth Snyder, of German lineage. For some years thereafter they resided in Kentucky and then removed to Indiana, settling in Bartholomew county. There in the midst of the green forest the father of our subject developed a farm. The sound of the wood- man's ax was soon heard as he chopped away the trees in order to transform his farm into productive fields for the raising of crops best adapted to soil and climate. Subsequentlx- he remo\ed to Warren county where he again opened up a farm upon which he reared his family and spent his remaining days, passing away there about 1848, when seventy years of age. His wife had died in 1824, when John W. was a lit- tle child of two years. The father after- ward married again. L'pon the old homestead in Warren county, Indiana, John W. Goodwine was reared and early in life he became familiar with the arduous task of clearing and de- veloping a new farm. He took his place in the forest where he assisted in cutting down the trees, clearing away the brush and preparing the fields for cultivation. When MRS JOHN W GOODWINE JOHN W.GOODWINE . SR THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 641, this was done he bore his part in the work of plowing and planting and later in har- vesting the rich grain. His school privi- leges were limited and he is almost entirely a self-educated as well as a self-made man who deserves great credit for what he has accomplished. As a companion and help- meet for life's journey he chose Miss Jane Charlton, who was born and reared in In- diana, their wedding being celebrated in Warren county, that state in 1845. They became the parents of five children and the mother died in Vermilion county, Illinois, about 1867. Of her four sons Marion, John and James are yet living, while Fre- mont died at the age of four years. The daughter, Mary Jane, is also deceased. Mr. Goodwine was again married in this coun- ty, his second union being with Mrs. Ar- minda Dare, a widow, who was born in this county. They, too, have four children : Martha, the wife of D. E. Juvinall, of Cali- fornia; Helen, the wife of De Marcus Juvi- nall, of Vermilion county; Dora, who was married but is now deceased ; and Grant W. The year 1848 witnessed the arrival of John W. Goodwine in Vermilion county. He settled in Blount township, where he purchased six hundred acres of good farm land, which he began to improve and in ad- dition to the cultivation of the fields he engaged in stock-raising and feeding. He soon became recognized as one of the most progressive and extensive farmers of tliis section of the state. From time to time he added to his landed possessions until he owned six thousand acres comprised in dif- ferent farms. From his youth he made a specialty of feeding cattle for the market, and his extensive corn products were thus utilized. Each year he would sell from three to five hundred head of cattle and a large number of hogs were also raised upon his farm and sent to the city markets. He became one of the most extensive, stock dealers in the county, and his well directed efforts l^rought to him splendid success. In 1898, however, he put aside the more ardu- ous cares of business life and removed to Potomac where he is now living retired save that he gives his attention to th.e supervis- ion of his farms and invested interests. He still owns three thousand acres of the rich and valuable land of this section of the state. All has been deeded to his children and will pass into their possession at his death. Politically Mr. Goodwine was an old line Whig and he probably cast his first presi- dential vote for Zachary Taylor. He con- tinued to affiliate with the party until 1856 when he joined the ranks of the new Re- publican party and has never failed to vote for each of its presidential candidates since that time. The honors of public office have never been sought by him for his time has been fully occupied by his large business in- terests. During fifty-four years he has re- sided in the county and is to-day one of its most respected and honored agriculturists. He has seen Danville grow up from a small village and has watched the onward march of progress in the state. All that has tend- ed to improve the county and promote its welfare has received his endorsement. He is well-known in Danville and throughout the community as a man of tried integrity and worth and his life history should serve to encourage young men who have to begin in business as he did, without capital or the aid of financial friends. His own career proves conclusively that strong determina- tion and unremitting diligence can secure splendid success. 6'2 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ROBERT CRAWl-ORU SAIALLEY. The life record of such a man as Robert Crawford Smalley sliould serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to his fel- low men because it proves that success may be won through earnest and persistent effort and without the aid of wealthy or influential friends at the outset of one's career. Air. Smalley is now li\ing retired, having dur- ing the. years of his business activity won a handsome competence which classes him among the sul)stantial citizens of Hoopes- ton. A native of Benton county, Indiana. he was born on the 31st of August, 1847, and when only about eighteen months old removed to Warren county, Indiana, with his parents. His father, William Smalley, a native of Kentucky, born January 11, 1813, of German lineage, was engaged in cabinet work in his younger days and after- ward turned his attention to farming. He married Sarah Sargeant, who was born in Warren county, Indiana, June 20, 181 7, the wedding being celebrated on the 29th of Au- gust, 1833. The lady was born, reared and educated in Warren county, obtaining a common-school education. She died April 26, 1 85 1, at the age of thirty-four years, when our subject was but three years of age. The father afterward married Eliza Stew- art, this wedding being celebrated on the 20th of November, 1851. She, too, is now deceased and Air. Smalley passed away on the 3d of February, 1868, at the age of fifty-five years. By his first marriage he had nine children, but only three are now liv- ing: David, who was born June 13, 1839, and is living in Sheldon, Illinois ; Robert C. ; and Anna E., the wife of Charles Hick- man. She was born August 29, 1850, and is living in Hoopeston. By the father's second marriage the children were : Alary A., now the wife of Robert Alillikin, a resi- dent farmer of Warren tnwnship, Warren county. Indiana; Charlotte AI. the wife of Alfred Alillikin, of the same county; Eliza J., the wife of Newton Atkinson, of Mount Gilboa, Indiana; Martha E., the wife of Peter Ault, of Warren county; and Edwin G., who is living in the same county. Reared and educated in Warren county, Indiana, Robert C Smalley afterward en- gaged in farming there and for two years operated the old home place near Attica, Indiana, after his father's death, lie then rented a farm belonging to his father-in-law, P. J. Hickman, Sr., and in 1872 he took up his abode in Vermilion county, Illinois, upon a farm northeast of Hoopeston, hav- ing inherited forty-two acres at that place. This he at once improved and cultivated, making it his home for a year. In August, 1872, however, he removed to Ashgrove township, Iroquois county, Illinois, where he lived for fourteen years, lacking two days. At that time he came to Hoopeston and has since been a valued resident of this place. He now owns four hundred and five acres of valuable land all in one body, the place being known as the James Coleman farm. It is now rented and returns to Mr. Smalley a very good income. In August, 1886. he took up his abode in Hoopeston. In March of the following year he embarked in the hardware business which he carried on for five years, being for two years asso- ciated with Albert Daggett, while for three years he was connected with his son Wesley. At the end of that time Air. Smalley pur- chased a stock of drugs in Alilford. placing the business under the care of his son. Per- sonally he has given the most of his atten- tion to his farming interests. In 1890 he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 643 built a brick storeroom now occupied by Elliott Brothers. Mr. Smalley traded his stock of drugs in jMilford for a farm in Crescent township, Iroquois county, com- prising one hundred and sixty acres, and re- tained the ownership of this until June, 1901, when he sold it. In the fall of the same year he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Ross township, Ver- milion county, and the same year became the owner of fifty-two acres of land near Cicero, Indiana. He has in Hoopeston a pleasant home on Honeywell avenue which he erected in 1892. Mr. Smalley was married in \Varren county, Indiana, on the nth of January, 1871, to Miss Sarah Hickman, whose birth occurred March 4, 185 1, a daughter of Peter and Mary (Gullett) Hickman, both natives of Delaware, the former born in Kent and the latter in Sussex county. Her father was a farmer and stockman and died in Indiana, November 12, 1892, while his wife passed away on the 13th of February. 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Smalley now have four children. Mary Edith, born February 5, 1873. ■^'^■^s married in 1893 to Dr. J. O. Miessen, of Cicero, Indiana, and they have two children. Dale and Robert. Wesley, born September 8, 1874, married Laura Forrester, by whom he has one child, Helen, and they live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Annice, born December 4, 1876, is the wife of John Bennes, an architect of Baker Citv, Oregon. They have one son, John V. Robert, born April 29, 1896, is the youngest member of the Smalley family and is with his parents. Edward, the first born, whose birth occurred November 13, 1871, died at the age of ten months and a half. Mr. Smalley is a member of Star Lodge, No. 709, F. & A. I\I., and Hoopeston Chap- ter, No. 181, R. A. M. He and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star. He is a past master and at the pres- ent time is serving as senior warden of his lodge, and has been a delegate to the grand lodge whicii met in McVicker's theater, of Chicago, in 1897. In politics he has been an earnest Republican since lie cast his first presidential \-ote for General Grant in t868, at Independence, Indiana. While living, upon his farm he served for several years as school trustee and after coming to Hoopeston he was elected a member of the school board on which he serx-ed for about eleven years, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend. For two years he represented the third ward on the board of city aldermen. Mr. Smalley is to-day num- bered among the men of affluence of his county. Starting out in life for himself at an early age, he realized that energy, determination and ambition are important elements in success and upon these as a foundation he has reared the superstructure of his prosperity. Such a character is well worthy of emulation and respect, and Mr.* Smalley is justly numbered among the lead- ing and representative men of his adopted countv. GEORGE R. TILTON. George R. Tilton is one of the leading member of the Democratic party in Ver- milion county and since the ist of Januan,% 1898, has been the editor and manager of the Danville Daily Democrat, which is published in the interest of the national organization. He was born October 8, i860, in Ripley county, Indiana, the only child of William W. and Martha J. Tilton. He pursued his 644 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD literary education in the public schools and lived upon the liome farm at Elrod, Indiana, until twenty-two years of age. Determining to. engage in the practice of law he then en- tered the law department of the Wesleyan University at Bloomington, Illinois, in 1883. In June, 1884, he located in Dan- ville, where he engaged in the practice of his chosen profession until the ist of Jan- uary, 1897, when he turned his attention to journalism and has since been the editor and manager of the Danville Daily Democrat. In 1884 he was nominated for the position of states attorney on the Democratic ticket and in 1888 he was elected to represent his district in the Illinois house of representa- tives, where he served for one term, proving an active working member of that body. From 1892 until 1902 he was chairman of the Democratic county central committee and is a most active and efficient political worker. He recognizes possibilities and opportunities readily and by securing con- certed action has contributed in no small de- gree to the growth and success of his party in this portion of the state. On the 6th of June, 1894, j\Ir. Tilton was united in mar- riage to Miss Catherine M. Thompson, of Urbana, Illinois. They are well known in Danville, and with matters of public concern Mr. Tilton has been actively connected, aid- ing not a little to form public opinion through the columns of his paper. STEPHEN A. D. HARRY. To an early epoch in the history of America may the ancestry of the Harry family be traced, representatives of the name having established a home in the new world during its pioneer development. Ja- cob Harry, the father of our subject, was a native of Preble county, Ohio, and after arriving at years of maturity he wedded Susanna Tobey, who was born near Hag- erstown, Maryland. Her grandfather in the paternal line came from Germany, crossing the Atlantic to America at a very early day. One of the great-grandfathers of our sub- ject was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and was killed at the battle of King's Moun- tain. Jacob Harry was a brick mason by trade, following that pursuit in early life. He subsequently carried on farming, be- came moderately well-to-do, and at the time of his death owned two hundred and forty acres of valuable land. He also reared a large family, to whom he gave educational advantages of a high order, most of .his children attending college. Taking up his abode in Illinois at a primitive period in its development, he resided in Coles county when the prairie was unreclaimed and un- improved and ^vhen there were many wohes, and when the deer were also quite numerous, while the smaller game was to be had in abundance. His life was one of industry and earnest toil and his sterling worth commended him to the confidence and respect of all who knew him. His death occurred in March, 1899, and his wife, surviving him for a few years, passed away in April, 1902, in Coles county. In the family of this worthy couple were eleven children : Francis, who died in in- fancy; Jefferson, a resident of Coles coun- ty; Madison, who is a twin brother of Jef- ferson and is a Baptist preacher of the state of New York; Mrs. Amanda Hedges, who is living in Coles county; Hiram, a resi- dent farmer of Lamar, Missouri; Nathan- iel, who was engaged in merchandising in Springfield, Missouri, . where he died in THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 647 1894; Frank, a distinguished lawyer of Watseka, Illinois, who is now servmg as a judge of Iroquois county; Ellen, who died iia infancy; Clinton, a resident farmer of Coles county ; Stephen A. D. ; and Nel- son, a farmer of Coles county, who died in 1896. Prof. Stephen A. D. Harry has attained to a distinguished position in educational circles, being recognized as one of the fore- most members of the profession in eastern Illinois. He was bom near Mattoon, in Coles county, on the 24tli of May, i860, and his early lite was spent upon his fath- er's farm, during which time he 'acquired his preliminary education in the common schools. He then began teaching and thus acquired the funds necessary to enable him to continue his own education. He became a student in the Central Indiana Normal School, in which he was graduated, com- pleting the teacher's course. He afterward taught again near Areola and then for a time was a student in the Eastern Illinois College of Danville, in which he was grad- uated with the class of 1884. Entering the profession of teaching as a life work, Mr. Harry was employed in the Indiana Normal School at Covington, In- diana, for a year, after which he was offered and accepted the position of superintendent of the public schools of Covington, filling that position in a most acceptable manner for four years. In 1891 he came to Dan- ville and for a short period was assistant principal in the high school, while from 1892 until 1897 he was principal of the high school. In the latter year he came to Hoopeston and has since been superinten- dent of the schools of this city. He holds a state certificate from Indiana, having in 1890 successfully passed an examination there upon twenty-two subjects, the exam- 26 ination covering three days. While resid- ing in Indiana he served for two years as president of the County Teachers' Asso- ciation and for one year during his resi- dence in Danville was president of the Ver- milion County Association. He has done considerable institute work during the sum- mer months and his entire attention is de- voted to school work, in which he has steadily progressed, and his own zeal and earnestness have been potent factors in se- curing advancement in the different insti- tutions of learning with which he has been connected. On the 5th of August, 1884, in Coles county, Illinois, Professor Harry was unit- ed in marriage to Miss Madge Wyeth, a native of that county, born December 9, i860. Her father, Thomas E. Wyeth, is still living in Coles county, and is num- bered among the wealthy farmers there. His wife died in 1874 when Mrs. Harry was but thirteen years of age, and he after- ward wedded Julia Price, with whom he is now living. The home of Professor Harry and his wife was blessed with one daughter, Zola Bernice, who was born Jan- uary 30, 1886. On the loth of July, 1901, the family were in a wreck on the Chicago & Alton Railroad near Marshall, Missouri, and Mrs. Plarry was so severely injured that she died the following day in Kansas City. The Professor and his daughter also sustained injuries of a permanent nature. The wife and mother was brought back to Illinois and tenderly laid to rest in the cem- etery at Areola. She was a most estimable lady and enjoyed the high regard of many warm friends. The family received a total of twenty-nine thousand dollars from the railroad company because of their injuries, the daughter being awarded fourteen thou- sand, four hundred dollars of the amount. 648 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD From his bo}liood days Professor Har- ry has been identified with the Methodist Episcopal churcli and is now superinten- dent of the Sunday-school. He was also superintendent of the First Methodist Epis- copal Sunday-school in Danville for four years, and has been actively and earnestly identified with religious work through a long period, his inHuence being of marked benefit in that direction. He has been a prominent factor in musical circles in every city where he has resided, being leader of the church choirs at Covington. Indiana; Danville and Hoopeston in addition to his duties as sui)erintendent of the Sunday- schools. He is also instructor in vocal nui- sic in the schools of Hoopeston. For four years while living in r3an\ille, he was first tenor in the Arion Male Quartet, being as- sociated with Charles P. Nelson, second tenor: L. H. (Jriffith. first bass; and Will Pundt, second bass. This (piartet sang in various places throughout Indiana and Illinois. Socially Professor Harry is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and he belongs to the blue lodge, chap- ter and commandery of Masonry, serving at the present time as chaplain in the l)lue lodge. In his political afiiliations he was long a Democrat, but for the past eight years he has given his support to the Pro- hibition party. As the years have passed he has made judicious investments in real estate and to-day owns a good farm in Coles county, one in Iroquois county and two in Fulton county, Indiana, his posses- sions thus aggregating six hundred and forty acres. He also has stock in the Cen- tral Trust Company, of Chicago, and has joined a syndicate owning twenty-seven thousand acres of land in Cuba, the com- pany having been incoroprated under the laws of the land and comprising about fif- teen members. At this point it would be almost tautological to enter into any series of statements as showing the Professor 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 his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his convictions, but there are dominating elements in his individual- ity, a lively human sympathy and an abid- ing charity, which, taken in connection with the sterling integrity and honor of his char- acter, have naturally gained for him the re- spect and confidence of men. J. L. SMITH. Prominent among the old settlers oi Vermilion county is J. L. Smith, who was born in Georgetown July 2^, 1837, and has therefore witnessed and taken part in much of the development and improvement of the community whicli is the outward indication of its prosperity. His parents were Joseph and Sarah (Brown) Smith, both natives of A\'ashington county, Tennessee, their mar- riage taking place in Jonesboro, that state. The father followed teaming and farming in that locality, and throughout his active business career was an agriculturist of prom- inence and influence. Later the family set- tled in Georgetown township, where the sub- ject of this review was born. In the family were thirteen children, nine of whom were born in Tennessee. Those deceased are Mar- tha Jane, who died at the age of twenty; George \\'., who died at the age of forty- five; Jessie, who died at the age of forty- three; Enoch, who was killed in the battle of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 649 Lookout ^Mountain, at the age of thirty ; William D., who died at the age of seventy- eight; and John, who died at the age of seventy-six years. The two latter were hur- ied on the same day. The living members of the family are : Abram, a resident of Dan\-ille, now living retired at the age of €ight}'-six ; Eliza, wdio is eighty-eight years of age and is the widow of William Gaiitz, residing in Georgetown township; Amanda, the widow of Andy Reynolds, also of Georgetown township, who is eighty- two years of age; Katherine, the wife of Adam Kyger, a resident farmer of Douglas county, Missouri ; Eliza- beth, the widow of a Mr. Haines, who was a farmer living near Paris, Edgar cotm- ty, where the widow now resides; M. C, a farmer of Brocton, Edgar county, now aged seventy-eight years ; and J. L. All the chil- dren received common-sciiool educations. Mr. Smith, Sr., was in politics first a Whig and afterward a Democrat, and died believ- ing in the principles of that party. He and his wife were earnest and consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church. The subject of this review pursued his education in the common schools near the home farm. Here he grew to manhood, as- sisting his father in the work of field and meadow until he was twenty-one years of age, when his father allowed him for his time and he began saving money on his own account. He continued to operate his fath- er's farm and for twenty years also ran a thresher in connection with his farm work. At the age of twenty-two, in August, 1861. he was married to Mary Ann Cook, a daugh- ter of James and Sarah (Myers) Cook, both of whom were natives of Ohio. There were seven children born of this union : ^Vl- bert, who died at the age of one and one- half years; Jessie, who passed away at the age of sixteen years ; Melvin, who lives in Elwood township and follows farming there, his wife being Annie Carrigan, a daughter of Henry Carrigan, of "V^ermilion county ; Dora, who married Thomas Hughes, the latter now renting and operat- ing the farm of J. L. Smith; O. T., who married Cora, daughter of Andy Tipton, and who lives in Georgetown township, fol- lowing farming there; W. C, who married Grace Alderson, and follows farming in northern Indiana ; Bertie E., who married John Bennett and lives two miles west of Georgetown. These children all received a good common-school education and were thus well fitted to enter upon life's practical duties. About the time of his marriage Mr. Smith began working in the winter for a pork packing establishment. In this place he had the distinction of doing the lai'gest day's work on record. He cut up one thou- sand five hundred and fifty hogs and threw one-half that number on the block. This of itself beat all former records, but in addi- tion, after 11 P. M. of that day he cut up five hundred frozen one-half hogs. This is a slight indication of the energy and activity of Mr. Smith, and it is owing to such ef- forts that he is to-day the possessor of his valuable farm, comprising two hundred and fifty-eight acres on section iS, in George- town township. Upon the farm he has made all improvements and is now renting the land and living retired, enjoying a well- merited rest from business cares. Mr. Smith was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife February 10, 1877, and was again married, his second union be-> ing with Lucy Ann (Ogden) Lewis, the widow of Jacob Lewis. She too passed 650 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD away on the 20th of June, 1899. Mr. Smith has had a great deal of sickness in his fam- ily, but by careful management and by rea- son of his beautiful character which enables him to patiently bear affliction, he has out- ridden the storms of adversity and has come ofif victor in the struggle. He has been a faitliful and devoted member of the Church of Christ for forty-two years, has been its elder for two years and also one of its trus- tees. Fraternally he is a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, and also of the Daughters of Rebekah, of George- town. In his political views he is a Demo- crat, practically, but always votes for the men and measures that he thinks are right. He has filled the office of school director, and though he does not care for office, yet he ever takes a deep interest in the political issues and questions of the day. A man of sterling qualities and upright life, Mr. Smith is an honored pioneer son of Vermil- ion county. \\'ATTS FINLEY. Watts Finley, of Hoopeston, was born near Lawrenceljurg, in Ripley county, Indi- ana, on the 4th of November, 1833. His father, David Finley, was a native of Ken- tucky and wedded Nancy Miller, who was born in Pennsylvania. They lived for some years along the bottoms of the Miami ri\er, and in 1834 came to Vermilion county, lo- cating near the present site of Catlin. They were among the pioneer settlers and bore all of the hardships and trials incident to pioneer life and assisted in laying the foun- dation for the present prosperity and up- building of this section of the state. The fatlipr died in 1853 at the age of seventy- three years, and his wife passed away when sixty-six years of age. They died within three days of each other, departing this life in the month of August. In their family were seventeen children, including two pairs of twins. Our subject is the youngest of the family and is the only one now living. Mr. Finley of this review was only about six months old when brought by his parents to Vermilion county, Illinois. The family home was on a tract of land south of Danville and he remained with his father and mother until their death. His educa- tion was ac(|uired in a log schoolhouse and in a frame building which was used both for church and school purposes. For about eight or ten years he continued his studies thTough the three ^\'inter months and witli returning spring he again took up his work in the fields to assist in the cultivation and development of the home farm. In the spring of 1855, in com- pany with his brother, Miller T. Finley, and his sister Nancy, afterward the wife of Captain Eraser, he removed to a farm upon which he lived with his brother for four years. He was then married to Miss Mar- garet P. Davis, the wedding taking place on the 17th of April, 1859. She was born April 16, 1834, in Ohio, a daughter of Amaziah Davis, who came to Vermilion county during the period of its early devel- opment. His wife is still living in Ross- \\]\c at the advanced age of ninety-one years. At the time of their marriage Mr. and iilrs. Finley took up their abode upon a farm in Grant township, which he had purchased in 1855, comprising two hun- dred and forty acres of wild land. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made, but with characteristic energy Mr. Finley began the improvement of his prop- //^// X;.,.^^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 653 •€rty -which he soon transformed into a fine farm. His wife proved a capable and faith- ful assistant and helpmate to him and they traveled life's journey happily together for a number of years, but at length the wife suffered from mental disease and during the last five years of her existence she was in a hospital at Kankakee, where she died in 1895. Three children were born unto them, of whom two are yet living, Mary and Charles. The former is the wife of A. M. Honeywell, a resident of Hoopeston, and their children are Gilbert, Helen, Mar- garet, and ilarie. Charles R., the son of our subject, married Addie Reece and is engaged in the operation of his father's old homestead. His children are, Marion, Mar- garet and Watts. In 1896 Mr. Finley was again married, in Danville, the lady of his choice being- Leah Hamilton, who for a number of years prior to his first wife's death had acted as his housekeeper. She is a native of Ver- milion county and her mother now resides in Livingston county, although she spends part of the time with Mr. and Mrs. Finle}'. Throughout the greater part of his bus- iness career the subject of this review has •carried on agricultural pursuits and in con- nection with general farming has engaged in stock-raising Avith excellent success. He is to-day the owner of seven hundred and forty acres of valuable land on sections 24 and 25,_ Grant township, the farm being occupied by his son at this writing. In 1892 he left the farm and removed to Fair- Tjury, Livingston county, where he remained for four years. In his business affairs he has been very successful and all that he .possesses is the reward of his own enter- prise and labor. He certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished -and his life should serve as a source of in- spiration and encouragement to others. In politics he has always been a Republican, interested in the success of the party, but has never been an office seeker. Both of his wives were members of the Methodist church and he has been a liberal contrib- utor to church work and to other inter- ests which he believes will prove of value to the community. Mr. Finley is one of the oldest residents of this section of Illi- nois. Continuously connected with its de- velopment and improvement, he has watched its progress from pioneer times and has taken an active and helpful interest in much that has pertained to the general good and to the substantial upbuilding of Vermilion county. C. J. BOGART. C. J. Bogart, who is now efffciently serving on the police force of Hoopeston, was born in Covington, Indiana, on the 25th of March, 1872, a son of Nelson and Eliza Bogart. His mother died when he was only eight years of age, and his father passed away at Marion, Indiana, in 1897. After the death of his mother he came to Vermil- ion county, Illinois, and made his home with an uncle in Danville township until sixteen years of age, his education being acquired in the district schools of that locality. Later he worked as a farm hand near Danville until 1885, when he came to Hoopeston and held a position in a meat market for a time and later drove an ice wagon for two years. In 1896 he was appointed to a position on the night police force under Mayor McFer- ren, and has since been connected with that department of the city government, his du- ties being performed in a most capable and 654 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD satisfactory manner. In 1902 he was ap- pointed by Mayor McFerren as marshal of Hoopeston, and is now serving in that ca- pacity. On the 25th of March, 1900. at Hoopes- ston, r\Ir. Bogart married Miss OIHe Tim- mons, a daughter of John Timmons, a ma- chinist employed in the Sprague factory of Hoopeston. Her brothers and sisters are Eva, Wilbur, Tearl. Nellie, Parker and Har- old. Mr. Bogart has two brothers and one sister living, namely : Will, now a resident of Los Angeles, California; Morton, of Ox- ford, Nebraska; and Myrtle, wife of Rowan Yerkes, of Covington. Indiana. Unto our subject and his wife has been born a son, Ralph, whose birth occurred June 13, 1901. l''raternally Mr. Bogart is connected with the Yeomen of America, and politically he is identified with the Republican party. He is a wide-awake, energetic young man, whose success in life is due entirely to his own efforts for since the age of nme yeacs he has practically been dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood. A. A. TAYLOR. To Indiana Vermilion county is indebted for many of her valued residents. A. A. Taylor is a native son of the Hoosier state, born December 9, 1839. His father was Thomas A. Taylor, a native of Shelby coun- ty, Kentucky, born in 1805, and his mother was Iva (Allen ) Taylor, a native of Bour- bon county, Kentucky, born in 1806. They were married near Lafayette, Indiana, Sep- tember 21, 1830, and after their marriage tlie\' located on a farm there, where Mr. Taylor also worked at the taimcr's trade. They removed to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, in April, 1853, and located in Catlin township. Here he purchased a farm and lived on it until his death, which occurred September 20, 1876. The mother, long sur- viving him, passed away December 3, 1893. Mr. Taylor was a member of the Cumber- land Presbyterian church and in his political views was a Ivepublican. Un- to himself and wife were born eight children, fi\e of whom are now liv- ing: Serepta, bom September 5, 1837, was married March 29, 1854, to James M> Dougherty, now deceased, whose sketch is given on another page of this volume. A. A. is the subject of this review. Elizabeth, born l"cl)ruary 2, 1845, was married Sep- tember 19, 1865, to John W. Newlin. of Danville, Illinois. Thomas A., born April 25, 1847, was married March 11, 1869, to- Mary C. Acree, and they live in Catlin. Cyn- thia, born May 13, 1857, was married to Robert Smith. December 25, 1873, and they now reside in Bolivar, Missouri. In the schools of Tippecanoe county, the subject of this review received his boy- hood training until he was thirteen years of age, when he removed with his parents to Catlin township, Vermilion county, Illi- nois. There he continued his studies and assisted on the farm. At Catlin, July 3, 1861, he responded to his country's call for aid, enlisting in Company I, Thirty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Lewis, Colonel A. G. Smith, and Lieutenant Colonel William P. Chandler. He was nnistered in at St. Louis, Missouri, and was from there ordered with his command to Jefferson City, Alissouri. He then joined General h'remont's forces in pursuit of Price and went to Raleigh. Missouri, where the regiment went into winter quar- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 655 ters. After the battle of Pea Ridge, they returned to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. From there they took a boat and went south, joining Grant's forces. Later they came back to Corinth and Louisville, Kentucky, and were there under the command of Gen- eral Buell. Mr. Taylor participated in the battle at Peach Tree Creek, then went south to Nashville and was in the campaign at Murfreesboro. He was in the battle of Stone River, then under General Rose- crans. He took part in the battles of Chat- tanooga, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge and was in all the skirmishes and bat- tles of his command. He was with Sher- man in his Atlanta campaign, and was wounded in the face with a rifle ball at Rock Face Ridge, in Georgia, near Dalton. He had received a wound in the arm at Chicka- mauga, but continued in the fighting line. He was taken to the hospital on account of his wound in the face and before he was re- leased by the surgeons his time had ex- pired. He was mustered out with his regi- ment at Springfield, Illinois, September 27. 1864. He then returned to Catlin township and engaged in farming. On the 22d of February, 1866, Mr. Tay- lor was united in marriage to Miss Anna Neville, who was born in Tippecanoe coun- ty, Indiana, January 15, 1845, ^ daughter of George N. and Mary Susan (Throck- morton) Neville. Her father was a native of Moorefield, Hardy county, Virginia, born February 2, 1820. and her mother was a native of Romney, Flampshire county, Vir- ginia, born December 16, 1823. The father came to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1835. and the mother came in 1839. They were married in Romney, that county, Sep- tember 24, 1840. They removed to Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1854. He fol- lowed farming and also engaged in carpen- tering. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics was a Re publican. His death occurred January 8, 1891, at 12:15 '■^- M-. while his wife died August 24, 1889, at 3 :oo P. M. They were the parents of the following children, ten in number; Delia E., born ^May 26, 1841, died April 7, 1843. George W,, born No- vember 16, 1842, and a member of Com- pany D, Twenty-fifth Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 2t,. 1864, and died July nth, of the same year. Ann Catherine, bom January 15, 1845, '^ now Mrs. Taylor. Norborn N., born Sep- tember 17, 1847, married Elizabeth Price September 14, 1870. He is in the bakery business and resides at Fairmount, Illinois. Mary Elizabeth, born December 13, 1849, was married August 9, 1870, to Henry Col- lins. Frank, born September 8, 1853, mar- ried Maggie Cannon, January 2, 1877, and they reside in Fairmount. Sallie Virginia, also of Fairmount, was born September 8, 1855. Ada, born January 26, 1858, wSs married June 24, 1879, to Rev. L. W. Cal- fee, and they reside in San Jose, California. Nellie, born June 30, 1861, was married January 27, 1881, to G. W. Owen. Their home is in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Lucy T., born September 22, 1863, died Tune 9. 1864. LTnto Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have been born three children, but two have passed away. George A., born February 9, 1869, in Catlin, Illinois, married Orpha D. Sil- vers. They reside near Catlin, and have two sons. Frank and George A. After his marriage Mr. Taylor purchased the farm on which his son George A. now resides, in Catlin township. He remained upon that 656 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD farm until 1881, when lie went to Eureka Springs. Arkansas. spending eighteen months there. He then returned to Illinois and located in Fairmount, where he has since lived, retired from active life. His former years of industry had brought to him a good competency, and he has been very successful. He owns one hundred and seventy acres of land besides city property in Fairmount. In that place he has a spa- cious, modern home, and is surrounded with all the comforts of life. Both he and his wife now belong to the Christian Science church and he has ever been interested ir. its welfare and in the uplifting of his fellow men. He is a Republican in his political views, but has refused to accept office, pre- ferring to devote his energies to his busi- ness interests. In all of these he has pros- pered and he is regarded as a substantial citizen of Fairmount. IMr. Taylor has a complete genealogical history of the Taylor family. THOMAS BENNETT. I'^rom pioneer times down to the present Thomas Bennett has been a resident of Ver- milion county and here through his busi- ness affairs carefully and honorably direct- ed he has won excellent success. His pala- tial home, which was erected at a cost of alx)ut fifteen thousand dollars, stands as a monument to his life of enterprise. This is one of the most attractive residences of the county, beautifully furnished with all that wealth can secure- and refined taste sug- gest. It contains fourteen rooms with hard .wood finishing throughout and all modern conveniences. It is lighted with gas and Mr. Bennett has his own water works upon the place with two and a half horse power gasoline engine. A native of England, Thomas Bennett, was born June 24, 1830, in Bedfordshire, his parents being Thomas and Rebecca (Stewart) Bennett, both of whom were na- tives of England and came to America in 1S51, settling in Ross township, Vermilion county. Here the father purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land and be- came a well known farmer, cultivating and improving his property, which in the course of years became quite valuable. It was a raw tract when it came into his possession,- but he had splendid equipments and contin- ued his farming operations throughout his active business career. He died when about seventy-four years of age, and like his wife was laid to rest in the Mann burying ground. Thomas Bennett was the seventh in or- der of birth in a family of nine children, of whom three are now living. His brothers, Samuel and Simeon, are both residents of Dan\ille. He obtained his early education in England, attending the common schools of his native country and after coming to America he assisletl his father in farming. He had learned the butcher's trade in Eng- land and he also followed that pursuit for fifteen years at Covington, Indiana. He also began the packing business in a small way and gradually developed a large enter- prise of profitable proportions. Mr. Ben- nett likewise engaged in butchering at Dan- ville and he was in the employ of Henry Smith, a pioneer butcher of Danville, work- ing for twelve dollars per month. He also drove a team for William Lamb, another pioneer settler of tiie county, who was killed during the Civil war. For this work he '/^^ /J^^^p^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 659 recived only twelve dollars per month and had to board himself. In October, 1858, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to Miss Catherine E. Mann, a sister of Abraham Mann, and a daughter of Abraham Mann, Sr. She died in 1872 and the six children born of that marriage are also deceased. For his sec- ond wife Mr. Bennett chose Miss Frances Beal, a native of Kentucky and a resident of Vermilion county. They occupy the beautiful home before described and extend to their many friends its gracious and warm-hearted hospitality. Mr. Bennett now owns about one thou- sand acres of well improved and highly cul- tivated land. As his financial resources have increased he has made judicious in- vestments in real estate and was at one time the owner of sixteen hundred acres, but of recent years has sold six hundred acres. He makes a specialty of the feeding of cat- tle and the raising of high grade hogs. He annually ships from three to five hundred head of Duroc Jersey hogs and from seven- ty-five to one hundred head of cattle each year. His business interests have been well managed and he is to-day widely known as a successful and leading stock-dealer of this portion of the state. Great changes have occurred in the county since his arrival here for the primitive conditions had not given way before the advance of civilization when the Bennett family was established in east- ern Illinois. Prairie chickens, geese and ducks furnished ample opportunity for the hunter to indulge his love of that sport and Mr. Bennett also engaged in hunting wolves on many occasions. He cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont and long gave his support to the Republican party, but now votes in- dependently. For many years he served as school treasurer and has always been inter- ested in the cause of education and the prac- tical development of the schools here. Both he and his wife are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church and Thomas Bennett is numbered among the influential citizens and pioneer settlers whose life record forms an integral part in the history of Vermilion county. His achievements in business are all of a notable character, because without capital he started out in life for himself and he stands to-day among the prosperous men of the county, his beutiful home being a monument to his well spent life. FRANCIS M. CAMPBELL. Among the representatives of agricul- tural interests in Vermilion county who were also numbered among the boys in blue of the Civil war, is Francis Marion Camp- bell, who now resides on section 17, F.lwood township, where he has two hundred and ninety acres of valuable land. He was bora October 8, 1846, in Vermilion county, In- diana, near Clinton, on the edge of Heath Prairie. His parents were Jonas and Anna (Tenbrook) Campbell. His father was a native of southern Ohio, and his mother of Pennsylvania, and in childhood they re- moved with their respective parents to In- diana, settling near Terre Haute, in 1806. Some years afterward Jonas Campbell went up the river to Parke county, where he tormed the acquaintance of Miss Tenbrook, and they were united in marriage, beginning their domestic life in Indiana. They there remained until 1854, when they came to Vermilion county, Illinois, settling in El- wood township. Upon the farm which the 66o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD father there secured, they reared their fam- ily, numbering eight children, namely : Ol- ive, who died at the age of twenty-three years; Mrs. Barbara Long, a widow, resid- ing in Danville; William, who was killed in the battle of Mission Ridge, while serv- ing as a sergeant in the Union army, during the Civil war, at the age of twenty-five years ; Mrs. Rachel Van Dyne, a resident of Sidell, Illinois; Nancy, who died at the age of eighteen years; Francis M. ; Mrs. Isabel Nicholson, of Upland, California; and Mrs. Lizzie Bell, of Oakwood, Illinois. The father of this family was called to his final rest in 1875 and the mother passed away in 1870. Francis M. Campbell pursued his etlu- cation in the common schools and was reared under the parental roof in \'ermilion county, Illinois, having been brought to this locality when a young lad. He was mar- ried on the nth of January, 187 1, to Mary J. Reynolds, a daughter of Moses and Eu- nice (Pearson) Reynolds. In early life they were residents of Parke county, Indiana, were there married, and in the year 1854 came to Vermilion county, Illinois, settling in Elwood township. Their children were Mrs. Campbell and Elvira A., who died February 24, 1878, at the age of nineteen years. Our subject and his wife began their domestic life on a farm in Elwond town- ship, and in the year 1871 he purchased his present home farm on section 1 7. which is now under high cultivation, and returns to him a golden tribute for the care and labor he bestows upon it. Through his entire life his time and energies have been devoted to agricultural pursuits with the exception of the period of his service in the Civil war. At the time when the country became in- volved in hostilities over the slavery cjues- tion he offered his services to the govern- ment, enlisting in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry. In his farm- ing methods he is enterprising and pro- gressi\e and upon his place are some of the latest improved farming implements and other equipments for facilitating his work. In his business methods he is alike honor- able and trustworthy and bis succe.ss is due none the less to his business integrity than to his indefatigable labor. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell has been blessed with three children, but only one is now Hving: Cloyd, born November 20, 1873. died at the age of five years. Clay- ton, born October 15, 1880, passed away October 15. 1883. on his third birthday. Paul J., born November 8, 1884, is still with his parents. He possesses considerable lit- erary ability and is a wide-awake, enter- prising and intelligent young man. Mr. Cam])l)ell is identified with the Society of Friends and with the Republican party, to which he gives a loyal support, although he has never been an aspirant for office He is regarded as one of the best citizens of his community because in all life's rela- tions be is true and honorable, and to-day he is also clas.sed among the substantial ag- riculturists of Elwood township. R. T. BARTON. The prosperity of any community, town or city depends upon its commercial activ- ity, its industrial interests and its trade re- lations, and therefore the real upbuilders of a town are those who stand at the head of its leading enterprises. Mr. Barton is well THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 66 1 known in Jamaica in connection with the grain and lumber trades, and ahhough a }-oung man has met with sucess that many a one of twice his years might well envy. He is a native of Urbana, Illinois, born June 7, 1872. His father, C. W. Barton, was born in Walker, Indiana, and after arriving at years of maturit}' was married in that state to Emazetta Dillon, a native of Mar- ion, Indiana. The father was a stationary engineer and after residing for a time in Marion, Indiana, he removed to Urbana, where he worked at his trade. In the year 1882 he came to Fairniount, where both he and his wife are now residing. He became employed as an engineer in the Fairmount coal mines. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat and fraternally he is connect- ed with Fairmount Lodge, No. 590, F. & A. ]\I., and with the Brotherhood of Mine Hoisting Engineers. In the family were six children : Ida, the wife of William Holmes, a resident of San Francisco, Cal- ifornia; \V. C, who is conducting a barber shop in Champaign ; Royal T. ; Zerba, the wife of C. N. Perkins, of Fairmount, Illi- nois : Elmer, who is weighmaster of the coal mines of Fairmount ; and Sadie, who resides with her parents. R. T. Barton pursued his education in the schools of Urbana, Illinois, and of Fair- mount, putting aside his text-books in Jan- uary, 1893, in order to become a factor in the business world. He accepted the posi- tion of bookkeeper at the coal mines, where ■ he remained for six months. He was then transferred to the office of the superinten- dent of the mines in Danxille. acting in the capacity of assistant there for a year and a half. He was next returned to Fairmount, having charge of the c(impany's busin£ss at this place for two years. He retained his position as manager, and was engaged in business on his own account. He then re- signed, and in January, 1897, he purchased a half interest in an elevator at Jamaica, Illinois, becoming a member of the firm of Porterfield & Barton, his partner being M. F. Porterfield, the banker at that place. They still conduct the business which is success- fully carried on, and are doing a large trade in grain, making extensive purchases and sales, yiv. Barton is also engaged in the lumber business with W. I. Baird, under the firm name of Barton & Company, at Jamai- ca, and in this enterprise is meeting with creditable success, the patronage of the firm having constantly grown until the sales are now large and profitable. He has made judicious investments in real estate and is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land in Harris county, Texas, near Houston, which is devoted to the cultivation of rice. On the 19th of August, 1897, in Fair- mount, ^Ir. Barton was united in marriage to Miss Mamie Browning, who was born in Danville, Illinois, on the 9th of Decem- ber, 1874. Her father, George Browning, was born April 30, 1826, in Sheffield, Eng- land, and in 1836 the parents came to Amer- ica, establishing their home in Cherry Val- ley, New York. Later they removed to Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Browning became identified with the butchering business and engaged in that trade in Springfield until 1848, when he came to Fairmount, Illinois. Here he also engaged in the butchering busi- ness and purchased land. He was a son of Benjamin Boothby Browning, also a native of England. After arriving at years of ma- turity George Browning was joined in wed- lock to ]\Iary Riley, a daughter of John and Rachel (Dalby) Riley, who were also na- 662 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tives of the "nierrie isle." Mrs. Browning's birth occurred February 23, 1836, in Lin- ton, Greene county, Indiana. Mr. Brown- ing gave his pohtical support to the Prohi- bition party and was a member of the Bap- tist church. His death occurred in July, 1897. Unto him and his wife were born the following children: Harriet, the wife of J. S. Baird, of Homer, Illinois; Fannie, the wife of J. R. Wragg, a resident of Springfield, Ohio; Hanson, who married Alice Cluxton, and is living in Urbana, Illi- nois ; Albert, who married Lucy Wilson, and makes his home in Gibson City, Illinois; \\'alter, who died at the age of twenty- eight years; ]\Iamie, the wife of our sub- ject; Ruth, who died in October, 1897, ai the age of nineteen years; Naomi, who is a twin sister of Ruth and resides in Fair- mount; John O., who is a plumber and gas fitter of Seattle, Washington; and Ethel, who resides with her mother. By a former marriage there was one child, Jessie, wife ■of J. F. Baird, of Vance township. The home of iMr. and Mrs. Barton has been blessed with one child, Mildred, born June 12, 1898. The family have a very pleasant home in Jamaica, and the parents are members of the Baptist church of Fair- mount. In ])olitics Mr. Barton is a Repub- lican, and has served as town clerk. Fra- ternally he is connected with Jamaica Camp, No. 9222, M. W. A., of Jamaica. A j^oung man, he possesses the enterprising spirit of the west which has been a dominant factor in producing the wonderful development of this section of the country. To him there has come the attainment of a leading posi- tion in connection with the commercial en- terprises of his county, and his efforts have been so discerningly directed along well de- fined lines of labor that he seems to have realized the full measure of his possibilities for accomplishment. His success is the di- rect result of his own foresight, business ability and perseverance, and he is justly accounted one of the leading young business men of Jamaica. PAUL E. FITHIAN, M. D. Dr. I'aul E. Fithian has become recog- nized as a capable physician of his native county. His thorough preparation and earnest study have made him proficient as a practitioner of medicine and gained for him a liberal patn^inage. He was born on the old Fithian homestead, July 4, 1866, a son of Elisha C. B. Fithian, whose sketch is given on another page of this volume. He began his education in the district schools and later became a student in the high school at Danville. Subsequently he obtained a county certificate and began teaching in Oakwood township, following that profession for two years. Having then determined to make the medical pro- fession his life work, he began studying and for sexeral years continued to read private- ly. He then entered the Keokuk Medical College, at Ket)kuk, Iowa, in 1888, and was graduated \\ith the class of 1890. Not content yet to enter the ranks of medical practitioners he matriculated in Rush Med- ical College of Chicago, in which he was graduated with the class of 1B91. After his graduation Dr. Fithian went to Spring-field, Illinois, where he began practicing as house physician in the Wa- bash Hospital, acting in that capacity for two vears. On the expiration of that period he removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 665 was in charge of the Wabash Dispensary for three years and there he gained a good practice. He next returned to Springfield, Ilhnois, where he had charge of the Wabash Hospital until his removal to Fithian. He has built up a good practice in tliis place and has demonstrated his ability to cope with many of the intricate problems which continuall}^ face the physician. In March, 1898, occurred the marriage of Dr. Fithian- and Mrs. Cora Jewell. The Doctor was made a Mason in Macon Lodge, No. 8, A. F. & A. M., and he also belongs to Macon Chapter, No. 21, R. A. M. In his political views he is an earnest Demo- crat, but the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him. In con- nection with his practice he superintends his father's landed interests, comprising eleven hundred acres. The Doctor is well known in his native county as a man of many ex- cellent traits of character and a genial dis- position and is popular with a large circle of friends. GEORGE T. JONES. George T. Jones is a representative agri- culturist of Vermilion county and the owner of one of the best farms in Oakwood town- ship. He was born June ist, 1859, and is a son of William R. and Peninnah (Coon) Jones, the former a native of Greene county, Ohio, and the latter also a native of the Buckeye state, where they were married. In the sketch of Charles E. Jones, which appears on another page of this work, the genealogy of the Jones family is traced back to Elisha Jones, the great-grandfather, whose son, Elisha Jones, was the father of William R. Jones, who in turn was the fath- er of the subject of this review. William R. Jones was born June 11, 1828, and was married October 4, 1848. Seven children were born to him and his wife : James- K., born September 20, 1849, married Car- rie Harrison. They have one child and re- side in Norwood, Kansas. Maiy Angelina, now deceased, became. the wife of Samuel Adolphus Copeland, a resident of Oakwood township. She was born August 9, 185 1, and his birth occurred j\Iay 16, 1850. Charles E. is the third in order of birth. Lydia Ann, born March 20, 1856, died July 15, 1857. George T. is the fifth child. Mar- guerita Louisa was born July 5, 1862. Mil- lie, the sevnth child and youngest of the family, was born August 10, 1865, and died January 30, 1866. William R. Jones was a blacksmith by trade and also followed min- ing in Dubuque, Iowa, besides owning and operating farms in Ohio, Iowa and Illinois, his last farm being in Vermilion county, Illi- nois, where he resided continuously for thir- ty-four years before his death, which oc- curred March 9, 1901. He lost his first wife by death and was married the second* time, the lady of his choice being Henrietta Smith, a native of Illinois, and now a resi- dent of Fithian, Illinois. Mr. Jones was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and fraternally was connected with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. In poli- tics he was a Republican. He was a very active and energetic man and did much to- ward the upbuilding and development of the communities where he resided. George T. Jones attended school in Fairmount, Illinois, and also in Oakwood township, he having come to Vermilion county when he was six years of age, with his parents. He left school at the age of nineteen and then worked on his father's 666 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD farm until his marriage, wliich important event in his hfe occurred on the 9th of De- cember, 1882. near Armstrong, \^ermi!ion county. Illinois, when he led to the altar Miss Martha A. Seals. She was born in Vermilion county, December 9, 1861, and is a daughter of Rev. Charles Brady Seals, a nati\e of Tennessee. Rev. C. B. Seals was of German descent and was a son of Dawson Seals, a native of Pennsylvania. Rev. Seals was a minister of the Baptist church and was married to Jemima Parsley, a native of Indiana. The wedding was sol- emnized in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Seals was ordained at ]\Iount Pleasant church, near Muncie, Illinois. He continued as pastor of that church for over twenty years, also preaching the gospel at the Bap- tist church, at Momence. Illinois, and sev- eral other churches in Illinois. He gave up his pastorate at Walker's Point, Illinois, and went to Chrisman, this state, there re- maining for four years, and then his health failing, he removed back to his farm. He has been minister of the church at East Lynn and at Luddenville, Illinois, and since then has been preaching in the south, through Tennessee. He is a very accom- plished theological scholar, a man of brill- iant intellect and strong moral and spiritual character. His mental attributes are of the highest quality, and his influence for good has been widely felt throughout the com- munities where he has labored as a minister, and many have been brought to choose the "straight and narrow path" by reason of his eloquence and good example. He and his wife are both people of noble character and have many friends. He is a member of the ^Masonic fraternity and in politics is a strong Democrat, believing firmly in the principles of the party. Rev. Seals and wife became the parents of eight children, six girls and two boys. Of these, five grew to years of maturity and are still living, as follows: Molly, the wife of Frank P. Dal- bey, has six children and resides on a farm near l-'ithian, Illinois. Martha is now ]\Irs. Jones. Emma, the wife of Brazier Brown, resides in Monon, Indiana, and has four children. John B. married Lucy Lynch and resides in Leverette, Illinois. Retta, the wife of Frank Umi)henour, resides in St. Louis, Missouri, and has one child. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been born six children, three of whom are still living : Nellie A., born July 3, 1885, and Ernest R.. born August 13, 1887, members of the Methodist JCpiscopal church: and George Raymond, born September 30, 1898. After his marriage Mr. Jones located on a farm near Armstrong, Illinois. There the young couple remained for one year, when they removed to the farm of i\Ir. Jones' father, situated opposite to the farm on which they now reside. They remained on the father's farm for one year and then re- moxed to the farm of C. E. Jones, a brother of the subject of this review. Here they also lived one year, when Mr. Jones pur- chased a farm one and three-fourths miles west of Oakwood, February 10. 1887. This was a farm of eighty-four acres. Mr. Jones remained on this farm for fourteen years. He then sold it and purchased the old home- stead farm of one hundred and sixteen acres situated on section 20, in Oakwood town- ship. He acquired this farm by purchasing the interest of the other heirs. His father had burnt the brick and lime to build the house and cut the timber on this place, in 1874. The residence is one of the finest in the county, and its appointments are in the very best taste, having an artistic appear- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 567 ance and also being very comfortable. !Mr. Jones raises a high grade of stock for the market upon his farm, and this returns to him a good income for his care. He is accounted a progressive farmer and one who is thoroughly up-to-date, ha\'ing all modern ec|uipments and accessories with which to conduct the work and compel the fields to yield crops of the best quality and large amount. In January, 1903, Mr. Jones pur- chased the Fithian telephone exchange, which covers the surrounding country within a radius of several miles from Fithian. This is a personal affair and he gives his direct supervision to it. Mr. Jones and his wife are members of the Baptist church and he has always voted the Republican ticket, be- ing a strong adherent to the principles of that party. Mr. Jones has added to his in- come through diligence and perseverence and he well deserves the respect and confi- dence of his friends and associates, which is cheerfully accorded him. FRAZIER N. CLOYD, M. D. Frazier N. Cloyd, a leading physician of Westville, was born in Georgetown town- ship, Vermilion county, May 19, 1868, and is a son of Dr. J. P. and Hannah (Golden) Cloyd, the father a native of Tennessee, and the mother of Illinois. Dr. Cloyd, the elder, has followed the practice of medicine for thirty-five years, and is a well known phy- sician of his part of the county, command- ing a liberal patronage by reason of his effi- ciency in his chosen calling. Fraternallv he is a thirty-third degree Mason, who in his life exemplifies the precepts of the craft. His wife departed this life in February, 1895. When the subject of this re\'iew was but eleven months old he was brought by his parents to the \-illage of Georgetown, where the family has since resided and where Fra- zier N. Cloyd grew to manhood. In his youth he received a good education, attend- ing the high school and being a graduate of the same. He then taught school at Maple Grove schoolhouse for one year, at West- ville two years, Georgetown grammar school for one year, after which he was principal of the Catlin schools for one year. In the fall of 1891 he entered Rush Medical College, of Chicago, there to pursue a course of study ^preparatory for the practice of medicine. He attended the sessions of 1 89 1 -2, and then became a student in the medical department of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, during 1892-3, in which he was graduated March 13, 1893. He then returned to Georgetown and upon arriving home found an appointment await- ing him as a member of the medical staff of the Eastern Illinois Hospital for the Insane, at Kankakee, Illinois, which position he ac- cepted and capably filled until September 15, of that year, when on account of the severe illness of both his parents and the need of his presence at home he resigned his position and returned home to care for them. The following February — 1894— he opened up an office in Georgetown and con- tinued in the practice of medicine there un- til February 16, 1897, when he moved to Westville, where he already had quite a practice built up in recognition of his worth and ability in his chosen profession. He purchased a lot on North State street, front- ing east, where he erected a commodious house and office. He has since continued to practice with increasing success. He has inherited a natural gift for his line of work. 668 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and to this he has added all tlie advantages that may be acquired through careful study and research as well as practical experience, and he is widely known in his community as a skilled physician whose sympathetic na- ture and cheery manner in the sick-room have brought comfort and health to many a household. On March 15, 1896, Dr. Cloyd was unit- ed in marriage to Miss Jessie M. Summers, of Earl Park, Indiana. They have one child, Mildred, born July 17, 1S97. Dr. Cloyd is a member of Ionian Lodge, No. 502, K. P., of Georgetown ; Danville Lodge, No. 132, B. P. O. E. ; Weltonomah Tribe, No. 120, I. O. R. M., of Westville, Illinois; and Westville Camp, No. 2966, M. W. A. The Doctor is medical examiner for several old line insurance companies as well as for some fraternal organizations, and is local surgeon for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company. His religious faith is indicated l)y his membership in the Metho- dist church of Georgetown, to which his wife also belongs. They are valued mem- bers of the community and the cordial hos- pitality of their attractive home is extended to their many friends. GEORGE W. INGLE. George W. Ingle is one of the large land owners of Vermilion county. There is much that is of deep interest in the life rec- ord of this gentleman, showing that a char- acter of worth and marked industry and enterprise can overcome all disadvantages such as are occasioned by a lack of wealth or of adequate education. Again and again does the history of American citizenship prove that upon the foundation of energy and unfaltering industry may be builded prosperity. This is exemplified in the life record of our subject and to-day he is one of the honored and respected as w-ell as prosperous men of Hoopeston. He was born in North Carolina and when only four years of age was taken to the wild forest region of Ohio by his parents, both of whom died there, the mother passing away when our subject was only four and one- half years of age. He then went to live with his uncle, Sam Ingle, in Darke county, and with him he remained until nine years of age. At that early period in his career — a time when most boys are sheltered by the loving influence of the home and are en- joying educational privileges which prepare them for later duties in life — he began earn- ing his own livelihood, working at farm labor until he reached the age of fourteen. He then went to Detroit, ^Michigan, where he spent a few months, and then returned to Marion county, Ohio, where he remained until 1855, when he came to Grant town- ship, Vermilion county, Illinois, tin com- pany with Thomas Hoopes, who purchased about fourteen hundred acres of land. For twenty-three years Mr. Ingle remained with Mr. Hoopes, each year earning more and more largely the confidence of that gentle- man because of his fidelity to his interests, his energy and capability in business and his honesty in all life's relations. When the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad was in process of construction Mr. Ingle aided in carrying the chain and driving the sticks in the survey for the original plat of Hoope- ton, the town being named in honor of his friend and benefactor, Mr. Hoopes, most of it being laid out on land belonging to that eentleman. M' ,MI\iULI_ ^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 671 In JMarcIi, 1872, in Danville, Mr. Ingle was united in marriage to Miss Rachel A. Scott, \vho was born and reared in Harri- son county, Ohio, and whose parents are deceased. The home in which Mr. Hoopes lived was built for two families and after the marriage of our subject he took his young bride to that house, which they occu- pied for a year together. At the end of that ime Mr. Hoopes removed with his fam- ily to the town and Mr. Ingle rented the farm, comprising six hundred acres. There he was extensi\ely engaged in handling stock which he obtained, fattened and sold to local buyers. Pie leased the farm for about six years and then began to purchase land, later moving to his own property, Avhere he remained continuously until he took up his abode in Hoopeston, in 1895. Two years later he returned to his farm, ■\\hicli was again his home for three years, and in the spring of 1900 he returned to Hoopeston, where he has since remained. He owns one thousand acres of land in three farms and has one hundred and forty acres within the corporation limits of Hoopeston. He also owns three hundred and thirty acres in the school district, while one of his farms is three miles southwest of Hoopeston and the other is four miles south of Rossville. Mr. Ingle was remem- bered by Mr. Hoopes in his will, a merited recognition of his fidelity to his former em- ployer and his earnest labors for his wel- fare and prosperity. In business matters trained in the hard school of experience, Mr. Ingle has shown marked discernment and capability and in the control of his own affairs he has met with splendid success. The home of our subject and his wife has been blessed with one son, Scott, who is living with his parents and was born Feb- ruary 24. 1878. He has been a student in 27 Oberlin College of Ohio, Knox College of- Galesburg, Illinois, and in Bryant & Strat- ton Business College of Chicago. Mrs, Ingle is a daughter of ^Merchant and Mary (Stringer) Scott and was born in Easton, Jefferson county, Ohio. Her father was a farmer and school teacher and died in the year 1859, while his wife passed away in 1896. At the time of her father's death Mrs. Ingle, tlien about seventeen years of age, went to live with her uncle and was reared among relatives. She acciuired a common-school education and completed her studies in the United Presbyterian school at New Athens, Ohio, taking ad- vanced work in geometry and algebra there. In 1870 she came Avest to visit her sister, Mrs. Cunningham, who was reared by Mr. Hoopes, and. it was a sister of Mr. Hoopes with whom Mrs. Ingle made her home in Ohio. For one term the wife of our sub- ject engaged in teaching school in Prairie Green township and for two terms in Grant township. She is a lady of superior cul- ture, intelligence and refinement and is held in the highest regard by a large circle of » friends here. As before stated, by her mar- riage she became the mother of one son. He too was educated in Oberlin College, where he studied music, making that his one study. He is an expert performer on the cornet and from the age of thirteen has been a member of the band in Hoopeston. He possesses marked musical ability. In his political aftiliations Mr. Ingle is a Republican, although his father was a Jackson Democrat. He is ever fearless in defense of what he believes to be right, whether in political circles or elsewhere. He served as path master of roads in his township and for ten years was a member of the school board of Hoopeston, at the end of which time he resigned on account 672 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD i)f ill health. During his incuiulx-ncy the west side sdiool building was erected and the old building was improved and enlarged. Mrs. Ingle is at present the president of the board of education here, having been elect- ed in 1902, being the first lady ever chosen as a member of the Hoopeston school board. Since his arrival in Vermilion county Mr. Jngle has resided continuously in Hoopeston. or wit'.iin a mile of the city. He has always taken the deepest interest in the progress and upbuilding of this por- tion i)i the stale and as his lime and means have permitted he has assisted largely in the development, improvement and advance- ment of this portion of the state. Strong of purpose, resourceful and with keen dis- crimination he has made the most of his opportunities and by reason of his large success, his uni)lemishcd character, his just and liberal life and the universal esteem which he here enjoys, Mr. Ingle might without invidious distinction be called one of the foremost citizens of his adopted countv. THOMAS WATSON. Long acti\ely connected with agricul- tural interests in \'ermilion county, owning and operating five hundred sixty acres of valuable land. Thomas Watson thereby ac- quired a handsome competence which now enables him to live retired from further business cares and at his pleasant home at No. 417 Gilbert street, in Danville, he is now enjoying a well merited rest. He was born in Vermilion county, near the city of Danville. February 18, 1846. and is a son of John R. A\'atson, whose birth occurred in Nelson county, Kentucky, May 4, 181 1. The grandfather, William W'atson. was alsci a native of Nelson county, and on leaving the Bluegrass state removed to Indiana and took up his abode in Harrison county. In 1826 he removed to Illinois, settling in Vermilion county among its earliest resi- dents. Here he purchased lantl^ and devel- oped a farm, being one of the pioneer agri- culturists of this portion of the state. He was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, however, for his death occurred in 1829. His son, John R. Watson, was but a boy when the family came to Illinois. He served in the Black Hawk war and l)ecame identified with pioneer development and im- provement here, being reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier. He shared with the family in all the hardships and trials inci- dent to establishing a home in the wild west- ern district. When he started out in life on his own account he had no capital save strong determination and a pair of willing hands. .Steadily, however, he removed all difificulties and obstacles, gradually working his way upward until his landed possessions were extensive, comprising about one thou- sand acres. i\Iuch of his land was highly cultixated and splendidly improved, and he became one of the most successful farmers of \'crmilion county. His home was sit- uated aI)out five miles northeast of Danville, and there he remained until 1873, when he left the farm and purchased residence prop- erty in the city, spending his remaining days in retirement from agricultural pur- suits. He enjoyed a hale and hearty old age and passed away in Danville in 1S98 at the age of eighty-seven. His wife was called to her final rest in May, 1889, anrl after her death the father of our subject was mar- ried again. Thomas Watson is the young- est living son of a family of six sons and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 673 one danghter that reached mature years. Four of the numljer are yet surviving. One brother, John Watson, is now a resident of Williamsport. Indiana, and George Wat- son makes his home at No. 1 1 1 1 Gilbert- street, Dan\'ille, a retired farmer. There is one sister, I\Iiner\-a, wlio is tlie widow of Ira M. Henry, of Vermihon county, lier husl^and having died July 22, 1895. Thomas Watson was reared to manhood on the old family homestead and early be- came familiar with the active work of the farm, assisting in the plowing, planting and harvesting from early spring until the crops were garnered in the autumn. The country schools afforded him his educational privi- leges and he remained with his father until after he attained his majority, lieing an act- ive factor in the cultivation of the old home place. At length he desired to engage in business for himself and he made prepara- tions for having a home of his own by his marriage, which occurred in this county September 21, 1865, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah E. Adams, a native of Vermilion county, and a daughter of Sam- uel Adams, who was one of the first set- tlers in this portion of the state, having come here in 1825, from Harrison county, Kentucky, where he was reared. He aided in erecting the first house in Danville, a log structure, which was built after the primitive manner of the times. Before com- ing to Illinois he had married Nancy Mar- tin, a native of Kentucky. In Vermilion county he secured a tract of land wdiich he at once began to cultivate and improve and gradually he extended the boundaries of his farm until it became a large one. The rich prairie land' of Illinois also returned to him a good income for his Labor. Seldom if ever are crops a perfect failure in this state, and year by year, by the sale of his products he was enabled to add to his cap- ital. He died May 17, 1881, and the mother of Mrs. Watson passed away during the early girlhood of her daughter, after which Mr. Adams was again married. Our sub- ject and his wife began their domestic life upon a farm near Danville, the place com- prising one hundred si.xty acres, the greater part of which was not yet ready for culti- vation, but he began to clear it and after plowing the fields he planted his grain and in course of time gathered rich harvests. For seven years he resided upon his first place and then sold that property, removing to the city. He he purchased a harness store, carrying on business for two years, after which he s<;)ld the enterprise and bought a farm east of Bismarck, in Newell township, comprising three hundred and twenty acres. On this he took up his abode and at once began its further improvement. Later he purchased more land in Ross town- ship, becoming the owner of five hundred sixty acres in one body. He built a large and attractive residence, also barns and nec^ essary oiitbuildings, and carried on the worl- of improvement in accordance with the ad- vanced ideas of his time and state. He planted an orchard, set out a grove of ma- ple and ornamental trees, tiled his fields, fenced his property and aflded the latest improved machinery for facilitating his farm w^ork. He also bought another place of one hundred and sixty acres in Ross township and carried on farming there until 1888. In that year he removed to Califor- nia, where he spent several months, but not liking the country he returned to his farm in Vermilion county, Illinois, making it his place of residence until 1893, when he pur- chased a lot in Danville and erected a neat 6/4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and substantial home lierc. He has since purcliased land and built other houses, in- cluding the block at the corner of Van Bur- en and Jackson streets. This is a valuable two-story brick business block. Since lo- cating in Danville he has practically lived retired, for his activity in agricultural pur- suits has brought to him a sufficient capital- to enable him to put aside the more arduous cares of business life. Unto Mr. and I\Irs. Watson have been born five children, all of whom reached ma- ture years : Dora E. is the wife of George S. Job.nson, of Terre Haute, Indiana, and they have one .son, Clarence Scott ; Samuel R., who resides on the old homestead, is married and has four children. Pearl, Ruth. Haldnn and Leon; Bertha A. i> the wife of W. H. Ogden, of Ploopcston, Illinois, and has two children, Grace and Alice: Ernest RI., who owns and operates a part of the old home place, is married, and had one son, Lowell W., who. at the age of seventeen months, died September ii, 1902; ^^'ill- iani \\'.. the youngest, is married and is now living in Hoopeston. Eor a number of years Air. W'atson served on the school board, and the cause of education ever found in him a warm friend. He and his wife hold membership in the First Christian church of Danville, and in politics he is a Democrat and does all in his power to advance the success of the party, but has never sought or desired office for himself. ^Vith the exception of the short period of time which he spent in Cali- fornia he h:is always resided in Vermilion county, and i.s justly proud of what has been accomplished here in the line of material progress, intellectual advancement and mor- al culture. He has seen much of the land cleared, the prairies broken, the fences built and the roads constructed. He has wit- nessed the development of fine farms and the growth of thriving towns and cities, mani- festing a deep and active interest in every- thing pertaining to the general good. Throughout all the years he has maintained an upright character and he and his estima- ble wife ha\e a very large circle of friends in this countv. T. T. TTO\\'.\RD. J. J. Howard, a farmer and supervisor of Vance township, was born in Spottsyl- vania county, Virginia, December 17, 1846, and is descended from good old Revolu- tionary stock, his great-grandfather ha\-ing been one of the heroes who fought for the independence of the nation. James \V. Howard, the father of our subject, was also a native of the Old Dominion, and in I'red- ericksburg. Virginia, he wedded Sarah .\d- ams, a native of Xew Jersey. They located in Spottsylvania county, where they lived for twenty years, and the father of our sub- ject engaged in farming there. He pur- chased land which he cultivated for some time, but subsequently he disposed of his business interests in the east and in 1858 brought his family to Vermilion county, Illinois, locating in X'ance township. Here he bought eighty acres of land south of Eairmount, and made his home thereon for twehe years. Subse([uently he purchased another farm which he later sold, and in 1870 he removed to Davis county, Iowa, where he became the owner of two hun- dred and forty acres of land which he owneil and cultivated for twelve years. lie was then called to his final rest in 1882. The mother of our subject had died in Sq^tem- DANIEL CtUNDER. JAMES W. HOWARD. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 679 ber, 1858. The father had afterward mar- ried ]Mrs. Hettie (Redman) Davis, who died in Da\is county, Iowa, in 1885. ^Ir. Howard was a Democrat in his pohtical views and was an exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity. He also belonged to the Baptist church in which he served as a trustee for a number of years. In the family of this worthy couple were four chil- dren : J. J.; Belle, the wife of Allen Baer, a resident of Cass county, Iowa; Thomas A., a prominent citizen of Fairmount. who is now serving as mayor; and Ellis, who died at the age of twenty-three years. J. J. Howard began his education in the public schools of Spottsylvania county, Vir- ginia, and afterward continued his studies at Pleasant Valley, having come with his parents to \'ermilion county when only twelve years of age. Later he was a stu- dent in Fairmount and thei: in the Battle Ground school of Indiana. He considered his school training completed at the age of twenty-one years, after which he assisted his father in the cultivation of liis farm until his marriage, which was celebrated the 4th of January, 1872, in Vance town- ship, the lady of his choice being Alice A. Gundei'. She was born in Madison coun- ty, Indiana, near Anderson, January 21, 1852, and comes of a family of German lineage. Her father, Daniel Gunder, was a native of Lancaster, Ohio, and wedded Elizabeth Hugel, w-ho was born in INIadi- son county, Indiana, where their marriage occurred. There they located upon a farm, making it tlieir home until 1868, when they came to Illinois, settling in Vance town- ship, \'ermihon county. In 1893 the father retired from active business life and re- moved to Fairmount. where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring there in August, 1898. His wife passed away in October, of the same year. I\Ir. Gunder was a Democrat in his political affiliations and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, frequently called him to public office. He served for three terms as supervisor and held all of the township offices, including that of road commission- er, in which capacity he served for many years. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, a deacon in the Baptist church and a man of exemplary life, honored and respected for his genuine worth and fidel- ity to principle. In the Gunder family were the following children : Jasper, who mar- ried Gertrude Maderius, a resident of In- dianapolis; Alice, the wife of our subject; Susie, wdio became tlie wife of Charles Bald- win and resided near Catlin, but both are now deceased; J. H., who married Nora Ewing, and is engaged in the grain busi- ness in Decatur, Illinois; S. H., who mar- ried Nettie Weax-er, and is living in Chi- cago; Jennie, who died in 1885, at the age of twenty-three years ; Mary, who mar- ried Peter Beyers, whose death occurred in 1896, the widow being now a resident of^ Fairmount; and Julia, the w'ife of Frank Godwin, a resident of Decatur. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard has been blessed with three children : Belle, the wife of Charles Crow, who is engaged in the grain business at Fairmount ; Stella, at home; and Robert, who died in infancy. After his- marriage Mr. Howard located upon a farm in Vance township, purchas- ing eighty acres which he continued to oper- ate for twelve years. He then sold that property and bought the farm on which he is now living, having two hundred and sev- enty acres on section 5, Vance township. Upon his place he has made many excellent improvements and now has one of the best country seats of \'ermilion county. His 680 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD handsome limne is nicely furnislied and ev- erything aljoiit the farm is neat in appear- ance and indicates tlie labor and direction of the prt)gressive owner. Mr. Howard votes v.ith the Democracy, and in 1902 he was elected supervisor of his township, in which position lie is now creditably serving. Fraternally he is connected with the Court of Honor, the Knights of the (ilobe, and the Knights of I'ytliias, and his religoius faith is indicated by his membership in the Bap- tist church, in which he is ser\-ing as a deacon. Energy and perseverance have been the means of bringing to him success and he is now numbei-ed among the sub- stantial and leading farmers of Vance town- ship. W. X. RE\'E.\L. W. X. Reveal is a leatling representa- tive of the business interests of Hoopeston, Illinois, being quite extensively engaged in real estate dealings. He was born in War- ren, Indiana, January 14, 1854, a son of George P. and Rebecca (Terrell) Reveal, both of wdioni were natives of Ohio. Throughout his active business life the fath- er was engaged in farming but is now re- tired in Glenwood, Iowa, enjoying a well earned rest and the fruits of his former toil. He was in the serx'ice of his country for three years during the Cix'il war but for- tunately was never wounded. I*"rom pri- vate he was promoted to post forage mas- ter and later to wagonmaster, holding the latter rank while with General Sherman on the mari-h to the sea. haxing charge of team- ing. His ]mrents came to this country from Spain, where the family name was spelled Re Veal. They settled in Ohio, where our subject's grandfather followed farming as a means of livelihood. Our suliject has two sisters living: I'edora, wife of James E. \'an Pelt of Glenwood. Iowa; and Ilattie, wife of George Tracy, of the same state. After completing his education in the public schools near his boyhood home \V. X. Reveal taught school for fourteen years or uiuil he had attained the age of thirtv- one, fue years of that time being principal of the schools of Mackinaw, Tazewell coun- ty. Illinois. From that place he came to Hoopeston in December, 1892, and has since been engaged in the real estate business here. Besides his own home on East Main street he owns eight other houses which he rents and from these deri\-es a ffood income, while his wife has a good farm of one hun- tlred acres in Tazewell county. On the 8th of December, 1901, his office in the Mc- Ferren block was destroyed by lire, together with all furniture, fi.xtures, etc., but he now has a nice suite of rooms in the new Mc- Ferren building. He confines his attention to the sale and transfer of city and town property and is meeting with good success in his business ventures, being a man of known integrity and strictly reliable. In 1880 Mr. Reveal married Miss Em- ma \'iemont. who died on the 2d of August, 1886, lea\ing one child, Vernon, now a resi- dent of Hoopeston, who was born in Taze- well county. Illinois, and married Pearl Lewis. Our subject was again married at Lilly, Illinois, in 1892, his second union be- ing with Miss M.ary Lindsey, who was born near that place and engaged in teaching school for about eight years prior to her marriage. l'>\' this marriage there is alscv one son, Ivan L. L. Mr. Reveal holds membership in the Christian church, and is also connected with THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 68 1 the blue lodge chapter and council of the Masonic fraternity and the Camp of Mod- ern Woodmen of America. His political support is given the men and measures of the Republican party and he takes quite an active interest in public affairs. During his residence in Hoopeston, he served two years as tax collector, and is now serving his sixth year as justice of the peace. He is thor- oughly impartial in meting out justice, his opinions being unbiased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him is above question. He is regarded as one of the leading and most highly respected citizens of Hoopeston. AUGUST FAULSTICK. August Faulstick, one of the leading grocery merchants on East Main street in Danville, has been a resident of this city since 1872 and his continuous activity in mercantile life has been the means of gain- ing for him the creditable position which he now occupies in trade circles. He was born in Germany, April 21, 1853, and is a son of Peter Faulstick, who spent his entire life in Germany and throughout his business career carried on agricultural pursuits. In the family were four children who came to America and settled in Danville, namely : August; Anton, who is engaged in the shoe business on North street ; Frank, who is a member of the firm of Bott & Faulstick; and Grace, the deceased wife of Joseph Fares, of Danville. In his native country August Faulstick acquired the greater part of his education, but attended school to a limited extent after coming to America. It was in an early day that he crossed the broad Atlantic to the new world and as soon as he landed he started across the country to Vermilion county, where he began work as a laborer for the Wabash Railroad Company. After being in that service for a short time he en- tered the employ of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company as foreman of the lumberyard and was afterward trans- ferred to the freight department as foreman of the repair work there. For nineteen years he continued in that position and his fidelity and close application won him the entire confidence and regartl of those whom he served. Throughout the nineteen years he lost only one week. At length with money he had" acquired through his own in- dustry and economy he embarked in busi- ness on his own account and established a grocery store at No. 621 East Main street. There he has a large and well selected stock of staple and fancy groceries and country produce and enjoys a good trade. He has the faculty of retaining the patronage of those whose custom he once secures, this being due to his honorable business method^ and earnest desire to please his customers. In Danville Mr. Faulstick was united in marriage to Miss Mary Foher, a native of Germany, and they became the parents of ten children: Joseph, now deceased; Toney; Annie, who assists her father in the store; Mary, August, Jr., Clara, Helen, Celia, Ger- trude and Victoria. In his political \'iews ^Ir. Faulstick is independent, voting for the men whom he thinks best adapted and qualified for office regardless of party affiliations. He belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters, to the German Aid Society, to the Mechanics' La- bor Society, and he and his wife are com- municants of the German Catholic church of 682 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Danville. Such in brief is his life history and those who read between the lines will gain recognition of the work of a self-made man, for when he arrived in Danville he not only possessed no capital, but had incurred an indebtedness of forty-live dollors. This, howe\er, was soon paid up, because he worked untiringly, his life having been one of earnest labor. As soon as possible he engao-ed in business for himself and to-day he is enjoying a large and well merited trade while in addition to his business he owns property here, his store and real estate being the visible evidence of his life of industry and thrift. .'=:. A. WATSON. S. A. Watson has gained a foremost position as a representative of the photog- rapher's art. his ability being recognized throughout the state on account of the ex- hibits which he has made. He is located in Danville, where he conducts an art studio. ]\Tr. Watson was born in LaSalle coun- ty, Illinois, October 9, 1853. His father, Ira Watson, was a native of New York and with his parents took up his abode in La- Salle county. At the time of the discovery of gold in California he went to the Pacific slope in 18..J9 to seek for the precious metal in the mines of the far west. Subsequently he resided in Ottawa, Illinois, for several years and in 7863 liecame a resident of Dan- ville, where he entered into business as a coal merchant. I'or some time he conducted liis efforts along that line and eventually sold to A. C. Daniels. He then entered into the li\'e stock business, buying and shipping horses, mules and cattle. His death occurred in Cairo, Illinois, in 1872, and his widow, Mrs. Nancv A. Watson, a native of Parke county, Indiana, is still liv- ing and makes her home with her son, S. A. Watson. In the schools of Ottawa, Illinois, S. A, Watson began his education in 1B59, and for three years was a student in the old Red Seminary of Danville. He completed his common-school course in Cairo, Illinois, in 1 87 1 and the following year was graduated in P.r\'ant & Stratton Business College, Removing from Cairo, he took up his abode in LaSalle county \\ flh his mother and two younger brothers in the spring of 1873 and was there employed as a stationary engineer and also at carpenter work for two years. On the expiration of that period he began the study of his present profession, iirst working at portraiture, crayons,, water col- ors and India ink ])ortraits. This was the initial step toward his connection with pho- tography. He entered into the latter busi- ness in 1875, following it continuously un- til 1878. at which time he embarked in an entirely new line, that of sketchiiig for county history- work and directory publish- ing. He followed the new pursuit, how- ever, for only two years, and then turned his attention to farming, buying a tract of land in LaSalle county. To its further de- velopment and inipro\'ement he devoted his energies for three years and then selling out he again entered the business of photog- raphy, which has since been his life work. He has remained in it almost continuously, having operated in Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Baltimore and many other large cities. He worked in these various places with a view of perfecting himself in his chosen calling and in July, 1889, he settled in Danville, where he has enjoyed an excellent patron- age, building up for himself a reputation that classes him with the leading artists of S. A. WATSON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 685 the country. He is a student of his pro- fession, always keeping informed concern- ing the advancement whicli is continually being made in the photographic art. He is not only a follower, but is also a leader, for he has improved upon methods already instituted and has done credita])le work that has attracted to him the attention of the entire profession in the country. He did all of the photographic work from which the portraits of this A-olume have been made and the high character of the work has given universal satisfaction. On the 28th of January, 1878, in Dan- ville, Illinois, Mr. Watson was. united in marriage to Miss ]\Iattie D. Rupert and they have two daughters and a son, Edna Alice, Flossy May and Walter J. Mr. Wat- son is a charter member of the Tribe of Ben Her of Danville and for fifteen years has been a member of the Knights of Pyth- ias fraternity. He was one of the organiz- ers and is the present secretary of the Ver- milion County Mutual Aid Society and he was at one time a member of the Jefifer- sonian Club of Washington, D. C. In poli- tics he is a Democrat and bi-metalist. His attention, however, is chiefly given to his profession and he is the official photog- rapher of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company of the Frisco system. He is likewise a contributor to many of the leading photographic journals of the coun- try and is connected with the leading pho- tographic societies of the United States. He has frequently been an exhibitor to the na- tional conventions and has secured diplomas .for excellence of work on six different ex- hibits. He has artistic taste and talent and while perfecting himself in the mechanical side of photography he has advanced far beyond this to a recognition of the possi- bilities of light and shadow which form the basic element of all beauty and excellence in his art. STEPHEN BROTHERS. Stephen Brothers, whose home is located on section i, Oakwood township, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, September 25, 1829. His father, Levi Brothers, was born in the east, and after arriving at j^ears of maturity married Lydia Clark, a lady of Scotch descent. The}' becaiue the parents of eleven children, of wdiom our subject is the sixth in order of birth. Of the five now living Stephen is the eldest. The others are: Lydia Carson, of Ohio; Austin, Rich- ard and Fanny, all of wdiom are living ir Carroll county, where our subject was born and reared. Having spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his nati\'e state Steph- en Brothers came to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, in a covered wagon in the '50s, arriv- ing here in the spring of the year, having traveled through the black swamps of In- diana. His wagon was drawn by a team of horses, and it required about four weeks to make the trip. He was accompanied by his brother Joseph, who is now deceased, and he settled upon a tract of land which his father had entered, his first home being a log cabin. At once he began the cultivation of the land, making it a rich and productive tract. There were no fences for miles and the homes of the early settlers were wiflely scattered, much of the land being still in its primitive condition. There were many prairie wolves and deer were to be seen in large numbers. By trade Mr. Brothers is a blacksmith and in his early residence in this county he fol- lowed that pursuit to some extent. 686 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD In May, 1858, occunctl tlie m:irriage of our subject and Miss Mary Hall, who was born in rutiiani county, Indiana, April 21. 1840, a daujf liter of Marvin C. and Sa- plironia (Spear) Hall, who were natives of Vermont and became early settlers of In- diana. Mr. and Mrs. Brothers were mar- ried in Edj^ar county, Illinois, and after living there for a year renio\'etl to the old homestead in Vermilion county, two miles west of their present farm. After several years were there passed they took up their abode at the edge of the timber where Mr. Brothers conducted a blacksmith shop for a number of years. Later he spent four years in Nebraska, but it was during the grass- hopper rage, and, thinking it nut a gooc. place to earn a living he returned to Ver- milion county and took up his abode on sec- tion I, Oakwood township, where he has since lived. His business career was inter- rupted by his military service when in 1862 he responded to his country's call for aid, enlisting in Comjjany I. One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, entering the service as a second lieutenant under the command of Captian Le\-in Vinson, .Adju- tant William Mann, Lieutenant Colonel Stanley and Colonel Harmon. He partici- pated in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, and in April, 1863, he resigned. Through- out the greater part of his life he has car- ried on both blacksmithing and farming and his labors have been attended with a well merited degree of success. He now owns one hundred and forty-six acres of valuable lanfl and from his farm derives a good in- come. Mrs. Brothers was one of a family of nine children, four of whom are now living: William Hall, a retired farmer of Nebraska; ]\Irs. Harriet Demmick, of Terre Haute, Indiana; Joan, wife of John Edgington, of Edgar countv. Illinois; and .Mrs. iirothers. The last named by her marriage has become the mother of two children. Le\i. who married Emeline Smith, was born in Ed- gar comity. Illinois, and resides upon the home farm in X'ermilion county. Eilwin married Martha Olihy. and they have three children: (iertie. Dean and Mabel. Mr. Brothers votes with the Republican party, and he belongs to Morrison Post, G. .\. R., of Glenburn, while both he and his wife hold membership in the Pleasant Grove ]\[etliodist Ejjiscopal church. BEXTAMIX STITKS. The name of Benjamin 1". Stites is en- rolled among those who have been active in business affairs in \'^ermilion county and who, through energy and industry, have contributed to jniblic progress and improve- ment. Called to his final rest in 1880, his memory is still enshrined in the hearts of those who knew him. He was born in Cin- cinnati. Ohio, July 20, 1833, a .son of Ben- jamin and Susan (Stewart) Stites, who in the spring of 1837 came to Vermilion coun- ty, Illinois, settling in Blount township, at Rickard Cijrners. The next year they re- moved to a place two miles south of Mycrs- ville, there living until 1857, when they went tf) Paxtoii, I'ord county, on the 6th of December, i860. In the winter of 1853-4 Benjamin l-". Stites had left home, going to Paxton. where for one year he engaged in fanning, and in the second year. 1S33. he established a store on the prairie, selling goods there for eighteen months. In the fall of 1856 he disposed of his stock and re- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 687 moved to Benton county, Arkansas, where he followed carpentering, milling and also farming, investing in six hundred acres o; land. Immediately after the presidential election of i860 he was forced to flee with his family to the north, escaping from the toils of the fire-eaters by strategy. He was forced, however, to abandon his property and lost all that he had invested while in the south. In 1 86 1 he embarked in the furni ture business in Paxton on a very small scale. After his return from Arkansas he went to Chicago and purchased the neces- sary equipments for again keeping house and found that he had about fifty dollars re- maining. This he in\-ested in a small line of furniture. At that time there was no furniture store nearer than Kankakee, and he began business in Paxton, his trade steadily increasing and making it necessary for him to add more and more to his stock. Being a cabinet-maker he also manufactured coffins for the neighborhood and he brought the first ready-made casket into Ford coun- ty. In the fall of 1871 he removed from Paxton to Hoopeston, where he followed carpentering for two years and then estab- lished a furniture and undertaking store, which he carried on continuously up to the time of his death. On June 15, 1859, Mr. Stites was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Dunn, who was born in Clifton Springs, New York, a daughter of George and Angeline (Foster) Dunn. Her father was born in Ireland and when but a child came to America. Here he married INIiss Foster, a native of Roch- ester, New York. He was a cooper by trade and followed that pursuit at Clifton Springs and Scottsville, New York. In the winter of 1856-7 he came to the west look- ing for a location. While residing in Rock Island. Illinois, he enlisted for service in the Ci\-il war, becoming a member of the Fifty- first Illinois Infantry. He was taken pris- oner at the battle of Corinth and was ill at the time. He was then sent to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, where he died in September, 1862. His wife died in Chicago, while visiting a daughter there and attending the World's Fair. Mrs. Stites had four brothers who were also in the Civil war, and one of these, who was a member of Company F. Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, was also killed in battle. Mrs. Stites was eleven years of age when she removed from Clifton Springs to Scottsville, New York. She pursued her education in the LeRoy Seminary and the Collegiate Institute, a Baptist school, of Rochester, New York. She engaged in teaching in Monroe county, that state, for several terms and in 1857 came to the west, taking up her abode in St. Louis. Missouri, where she remained throughout the winter with relatives. She then went to Arkansas in March, 1858, and while there became accjuainted with and married 'Sir. Stites. She was one of a fam- of twelve children, of whom ten are still living, namely : Charles, of Winona, Min- nesota ; Margaret, who is living in Detroit, Michigan: Henry, of Tuscola, Michigan; Frank, of Eldorado, Kansas; Minerva, of El Paso, Texas ; ^Minnie, of St. Louis ; Maria, whose home is in Santa Cruz, Cali- fornia ; Delos, who is a resident of Escon- dido, California; Mary, of Chicago; and ]\Irs. Stites. Fourteen children were born to our sub- ject and his wife, and of these ten are yet living: Frances E., the wife of John Simp- son, of Rake, Iowa; Charles, who is living in Hoopeston: Benjamin, who wedded May Alissen, of Omaha, Nebraska ; William, 688 :he biographical record wlio is a machinist now living in Xicara- giia. Central America; Carrie Louise, the wife of William McKeever, of Ambia, In- diana; Samuel, who married Maude Men- agh, of Hoopeston; Susan, the wife of John Wagner, of Hoopeston ; Kate, who has served as city librarian of Hoopeston for four years; Martha A., the wife of Frank Wallace, a machinist of Hoopeston; and Clara Maria, who is teaching school. Mrs. Stites also has eleven grandchildren. In his political affiliations ]\Ir. Stites was a Democrat and (jreenbacker. For thirty years he held membership in the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, was one of its exemplary representatives. He also be- longed to the Universalist church and was a man of upright life, loyal to every trust reposed in him. He continued his furniture business in Hoopeston until his death, which occurred October 21. 1889. At that time 'Sirs. Stites assmncd the management of the business, which she conducted for thirteen years. She paid off the seven hundred dollars indebtedness upon the store and successfully carried on the enterprise, ■enlarging her stock to meet the growing demands of the trade until 1901, when she sold out to the firm of Parker & Scott. She took a course in embalming and conducted an imdertaking business, carrying a stock worth about twenty-five hundred dollars. She also purchased a hearse and her under- taking establishment received a liberal and well merited patronage. Mrs. Stites en- gaged in teaching a select school in Hoope- ston before a public school was organized here. She is a member of the Order of Re- bekahs, the Order of the Eastern Star, and of the Womens' Relief Corps. She now owns several tenement houses which she rents, and her own beautiful home on North Market street, which was built in 1902. A lady of culture and refinement she also pos- sesses marked executive force and business ability and deser\es great credit for what he has accomplished, since her huband's de- mise. In social circles she occupies an en- viable position and has a wide acquaintance in Floopeston and throughout Vermilion county. JA]\IES G. PAYTOX. James G. Payton, who is filling the office of justice of the peace in Danville and is a conscientious and careful officer, was born in Clinton county. Ohio, September 30, 1S32, his parents being Valentine and Mary (Morgan) Payton. Both the Payton and IMorgan families came originally from Vir- ginia, having lived in the locality known as Apple Pie Ridge. In the maternal line the family was related to General John Mor- gan, the noted Rebel leader. Mrs. Martlia Morgan, the grandmother of Mrs. Payton, the mother of our subject, is the only one of the famil\- that Judge Payton has known, and she died in Wilmington, Ohio, at an advanced age. The father of our subject, on coming to Illinois, settled first near j\Iun- cie, in 1840. He was a shoemaker by trade and in coniiection with tliat pursuit he gave considerable time to farming, making a specialty of the rasing of corn. When the farm work was over for the season he and his sons would spend their time in the man- ufacture of boots and shoes in the little shop which they conducted. For several years (luring the early development of the state, when there was little market for farm pro- ducts, they sold their corn at eight and ten cents per bushel. \Vhen a boy Mr. Payton MRS. JAMES G. PAYTON. JAMES G. PAYTON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 695 had been bound out as an apprentice to learn the shoemaker's trade and whatever success he acliieved in hfe was due entirely to his own efforts. In his political views he was a Whig. His wife died in 1850 and he passed away in 1873. In their fam- ily were ten children, of wh(_)m those living are; John M., Zephaniah C, James G. and Asa H. Those who have passed away are : Martha, who was the wife of Allen Cass ; Deborah, the wife of Isaac V. Shepherd; Robert: William M. ; Joseph M. ; and Isaac yi. In taking up the personal history of James G. Pay ton we record the life work of one who is actively and favorably known in Danville and the surrounding districts. He gained his education in the schools near his boyhood home, for he had come to Illi- nois with his parents when about seven years of age. Later he continued his stud- ies in the schools of Dan\-ille and through the period of his youth he worked in his father's shoeshop and also in the cornfields, turning the furrows in many a field in the early spring-time. When twenty-five years of age he started out in life for himself, leaving the parental roof at that time. For three years he worked in teaching school and then began farming on his own ac- count. Mr. Payton completed his arrange- ments for a home of his own by his mar- riage about this time. On the 27th of No- vember, 1855, he wedded Catherine Dea- kin, a daughter of William and Nancy Dea- kin, of Muncie, Illinois. Her father was a farmer who had come to this state from Ohio. Her brothers and sisters are: Will- iam, who died in Nashville, Tennessee; Elizabeth and Emeline, also deceased. The latter was the wife of Zephaniah C. Payton and died in the Indian Territory, in 1901. Unto the marriage of our subject and his wife, have been born four children : Theo- dore T. is the only one who survives. Those who have departed this life are Emma, who was the wife of P. L. Zarbo; John; and Alwilda. Theodore T. married Kitty Hall, and they have four children : James Ray- mond, Royce Archer, Robert B. and Ruth S. After his marriage Air. Payton carried on farming until the 3d of September, 1862, when, influenced by a patriotic spirit he offered his services to the L'nion and en- listed as a member of Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Regiment of Illinois Infantry, serving as a private for three years or until after the close of the war in 1865. He participated in numerous engagements, among the most important being at Perryville, J^Iurfreesboro, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta and Jonesboro. At Ben- tonville. North Carolina, he was wounded by a thorn which was thrust into his leg and for six weeks he lay in the hospital. He returned to Illinois, and coming to Fair- mount he was appointed deputy sheriff un- , der his brother, Joseph M. Payton, serving in that office for two years. He next went to Springfield, Missouri, where he engaged in working in a lumber yard for eight years and subsequently spent a short time in Kan- sas. On the expiration of that period he returned to Danville, where he conducted a farm for two years. His next place of resi- dence was at Hamilton, Ohio, but within a short period he removed from there to Fort W^ayne, Indiana, and then again came to Danville, where he entered the employ of the firm of Payton, Palmer & Company, wholesale grocers. In 1893, however, he was called from business life to political office, being elected constable, and in 1897 was elected justice of the peace, his present 694 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD term continuing until IMay, 1905. ]Ie is the president of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Reunion and is commander of Kenesaw Post, G. A. R., being thus honored by liis fellow comrades of the Civil war. The fulfillment of his dtity to his country in times of peril and to his com- munity in times of peace and prosperity has been the chief and high aim permeating the life of James G. Payton, and to this class of honored citizens is due the substantial develo])ment and growth of this great coun- try, making it to-day foremost among na- tions. DAXIEL BRE\\'ER. The jirosperity of Vermilion county has been assured and continuous from the time of its early settlement by the l)rave and sturdy pioneers who have here made their homes, clown to the present, when its well tilled fields and fine grades of stock may be seen on e\ery side. From the early development of this county Daniel Brewer has taken an im- portant part, as did also his father, Richard Brewer, who came here from Ohio, locating in Vermilion county when all was wild and unimi)roved, awaiting the work of the white man to develop its rich and productive soil. Daniel Brewer was born on the 5th of De- cember, 1832, four miles northeast of Dan- ville, in Vermilion county. He is a son of Richard and Christina (Roderick) Brewer, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, but were reared and married in Ohio, having been taken by their parents to the Buckeye state when they were children. Richard Brewer was a son of John Brewer, who came from Holland to Pennsylvania and later to Ohio. The Roderick familv came from Germany antl settled in Pamsylvania and later, as has been stated, in Ohio. Richard Brewer was a man six feet tall and weighed two hundred and five pounds. His brothers were all large men, weighing over two hundred pounds. During his active business career he engaged in farming and also worked at the shoemaker's trade. Af- ter his marriage he removed to Lafayette, Indiana, and later to Danville, Illinois, lo- cating on a farm where he and his good wife spent their remaining days. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, taking an active interest in its welfare and holding se\eral offices therein. He served as class leader for many years and was a good, consistent Christian man. In politics he was an old line Whig. Although a man of influence in bis community he refused office. He died l-'cbruary 21. 1849. at the age of fifty-eight years and six months, and his wife passed away in 1871, at the age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of nine children, six boys and three girls, all of whom grew to years of maturity. Millie became the wife of Simeon Lamb and they resided near Danxillc, but both are now deceased. Mashec, now deceased, re- sided in Marion county, Illinois. Charles was a resident of Douglas county, but is now deceased. Benjamin, also deceased, resided on the old homestead farm. John resided in Onarga, Illinois, but has now passed away. Sarah became the wife of Thomas Elder and resided near Danville. Illinois, but both arc now deceased. Rev. David resided at Woodland, Illinois, and has also passed away. Mary is the wife of Henry Martin ruid resides in Saline county, Kansas. Dan- iel is the youngest of the family. He spent his boyhood days on the farm attending school near Danville in what was known as THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 695 the Lamb district school, a hewed log school- house, with slab seats and table, and an old fashioned fireplace. He had but limited op- portunities of acquiring an education, yet he managed to become well informed and taught school at an early age. He then worked on the home farm, assisting his mother. She died in 1871. On May 4, 1851, Mr. Brewer was united in marriage to Miss Mariah Cunningham, who was born in Clinton county, Indiana. October 22, 1832, and is a daughter of Nicholas and Matilda (Lackey) Cunning- ham, both of whom were born in Ohio and were there married. Later they removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, where they re- mained until his death, which occurred in 1848. Mrs. Cunningham then became the wife of Samuel Roderick, a native of Penn- sylvania, who came to Ohio when he was about nine years of age. He had been pre- viously married and had six children by his first wife. He was a member of the J^Iethod- ist Episcopal church and in politics was an old line Whig. His death occurred in 1872. Mrs. Brewer was the oldest of a fam- ily of eight children by the first marriage of her mother. Five of these children still survive. The others living are : James, a resident of Danville ; Eliza, a resident of Nebraska and the widow of Rev. Joshua Wooley; Ann, a resident of Vermilion county and the widow of Martin Watson ; and Nicholas, who resides in Danville. By the second marriage of Mrs. Brewer's mother there were born two children, but only one, George, of Vermilion county, sur- vives. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brewer was blessed with eight children, but only three are now living. Jennie is the wife of James Villiars and resides twenty-five miles east of Lafayette, Indiana, Martha, the the widow of George Villiars, has five chil- dren and resides with her father. Cyrus Rinaldo resides twenty-five miles east of Lafayette, Indiana, and has one child. Mr. Brewer sold the farm he had pre- viously owned and purchased the farm upon which he now lives, consisting of one hvm- dred acres on section 30, in Jamaica town- ship. He also bought an additional ninety- seven acres which he gave to his son Cyrus R. He has always been an active and en- ergetic man, and has carried on general farming with good success. He raises high grades of stock and selling them in the mar- ket receives a good annual income there- from. His sliort-horn and Jersey cattle are well known in the county and bring a high price. His horses are very fine in breed and he raises quite a number of these. He is a devoted member of the Methodist Episco- pal church and taught in the Sunday-school for twenty years. For twenty years also he has acted as school director, although he did not desire the office. A Republican in his political view's he has positively re- fused to accept office, although he strongly * endorses the principles of the party and gives it his support. He is a genial, kindly old gentleman, whom it is a privilege as well as a pleasure to meet and converse with. During his residence in this county he has witnessed a great transformation. He at one time cradled wheat upon the land where Danville now stands and the settlers lived in round poled cabins whose logs were daubed with mud. His sister Mary was born in a house of this description in Dan- ville township. There were no railroads and the land on the site of the present city of Danville w-as worth fifteen dollars per acre. The town was at that time about the 696 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD size of Fairmount, Illinois. Their trading Avas done partly at Covington, Indiana, but mainly at Chicago, Illinois. His father bought leather in Chicago and hauled it in wagons. Calico was a precious article, worth twenty-five cents per yard. The women wore dresses to church made of this fabric and were delighted to get them. They also had hand looms with which they spun Jlax and wove flannels and fancy dress goods. Wheat was worth fifty cents per bushel and corn was worth from ten to twen- ty cents per bushel. \\'hen the canal was built at Covington the price of corn went up to twenty-five cents per bushel. Mr. Brewer has bought and sold good cows lor ten dol- lars each. The courthouse of Danville was built over se\enty years ago, a1x)ut the time Mr. Brewer was born. Mr. Brewer has been an interested spectator in the great changes which have taken place in the coun- ty during the past half century. He has seen the towns and villages spring up and develop into thriving and progressive cities, and in all the improvement he has borne his full share. To such men as Mr. Brewer Vermilion county is to-day indebted for her present prosperity. JOTHAM LYON. The .-igricultural interests of \'ermilion county are well represented by Jotham Lyon, who follows farming in Georgetown township, his home being on section 25. He is also well known as a raiser of fine shorthorn cattle, and in this regard be has done much for the coninuuiity, for he who introduces fine stock into a locality is in- strumental in bringing up the prices for stock and thus all are indirectly aided by his efforts. ]\Ir. Lyon is numbered among the na- tive sons of this township, for here he was born September 25, 1832. He comes of an old New England family. His father Jotham Lyon, was born either in Massa- chusetts or Connecticut and in early life A\cnt lit Ohio, where he was reared. In that state he was united in marriage to ?*Iiss Mary Harrington, whose birth occurred in Hamilton county, Ohio. They left that state, emigrating westward and cast in their lot \\ ith the early settlers of Vermilion county, Illinois. From the government ]Mr. Lyon entereil a tract of land in George- town township near where the subject of this review is now living and was the first settler in that locality. From that time for- ward he took an acti\e and helpful part in the work of general progress and improve- ment and at the same time carefully con- ducted his private business .interests. He was made highway commissioner soon af- ter his arrival and assisted in laying out the various roads in the township. In other w;ivs, too. he carried forward the work of improvement in |)ioneer days, helping lay the foundation for the present prosperity of this section of Illinois, He carried on farm- ing upon the home place until his death, which occurred in 1841, when he was yet in the jMime of life. His widow, however, long survived him, passing away in 1888. Of their f.imily of seven children only our subject is now living. Of the first marriage Masse, who is the widow of Slc])hen Looni- er, resides with her children in Minnesota. Like the other members of the family jotham Lyon was educated in the common schools, such as were found upon the prai- ries of Illinois in pioneer times. His train- JOTHAM LYON. MRS. JOTHAM LYON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 701 ing at farm lalxir was not meager for as soon as old enougli to handle the plow he began work in the fields and assisted in the operation of the home place until his mar- riage. That important event in his life oc- curred in 1858, when Miss Sarah Worth, a native of Wisconsin, became his wife. She was the third white child born in the vicinity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her father, William Worth, had settled in that state at a very early day, taking a claim near Milwaukee, where he developed a good farm. He is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon became the parents of six children : Mary, the wife of John Boggess, a promi- nent famier of Georgetown township; Will- iam, who is living with his father and as- sists in carrying on the home farm ; Datus, who is also residing in Georgetown to\\'n- ship; Emma, who was a twin of Datus, and died at the age of two years ; Noah, an agriculturist of the same township; Elmer, who married Ada Ward and resides upon the old homestead. After his marriage Mr. Lyon removed to Wisconsin, where he remained for one year and then returned to Vermilion coun- ty, settling on his present farm on section 25, Georgetown township, where he now owns one hundred and fifty-two acres of valual)le land, splendidly adapted to the culti\ation of grain. All of the improve- ments upon his place stand as monuments to his thrift and industry. He and his sons cut the timber, hauled it to the sawmill, where it was converted into lumber and then erected the barn. Mr. Lyon here also owns another farm of seventy acres in the same township, and in connection with his two sons he is successfully carrying on gen- eral agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, making a scpecialty of'the raising of short- horn cattle. He has also gained a wide 28 repittation as a horticulturist and very fine fruit is found upon his place. Whatever he undertakes he carries forward to suc- cessful completion and in the various branches of his business he has met with success, being progressive in his methods and indefatigable in his work. Mr. Lyon has been called upon to serve in several lo- cal official positions and in his political views he has always been a Republican. He represents one of the old and prominent families of the county and has many relics of pioneer days, among which is a deed given to his father when he secured gov- ernment land in this township, the paper bearing the date of July 27, 1824, and signed b}' President James Monroe. In his later years Mr. Lyon has been largely re- lieved of the more arduous work of the farm by his two sons and he well deserves rest from labor. For seventy years he has lived in Vermilion county with the exception of a brief interval spent in Wisconsin and therefore the history of pioneer develop- ment and of later-day progress is a story well known to the subject of this review. MILTON M. McNeill. Prominent among the successful busi- ness men of Danville is numbered the sub- ject of this sketch, who is a dealer in hard wood lumber. He is a native of Indiana, born in Perrysville, December 24, 1845, and is a son of George H. and Reljecca K. (Beers) McNeill, who were natives of Maryland and Ohio, respectively. In early life the father followed surveying for many years, and later opened a drug store in Per- rysville, Indiana, which he carried on until his death, which occurred September g, 1892. He was a well read man and very 702 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD popular, his advice being often sought. Since his death the Inisiness which he estab- Hshed lias been carried on by liis son, \V. K. McNeill, it being now sixty years since the store was opaied. During his boyhood Milton M. McNeill attended the graded schools of his native place and subsequently was a student at Asbiu-y University, (ireencastle, Indiana, for two years. With the intention of be- coming a druggist, he made a special study of pharmacy and chemistry, and after leav- ing school entered upon his business career along that line in his father's store at Per- rysville, but on his removal to Danville, Illinois, in 1880, he embarked in the lumljer business, making a specialty of house furn- ishing and cabinet lumber, such as walnut, ash, etc., handling hard woods exclusively. He enjoys a good trade and is accounted one of the leading business men of his adopted city, with whose interests he has now been identified twenty -three years. Mr. McNeill married Miss Ruhamah R. Bell, a daughter of William M. Bell, of Per- rysville, Indiana, who was one of the leading merchants of the Wabash valley. By this union the following children have been born : George W., who is now a member of the Danville Wholesale Cirocery Com- pany; Mary L., the wife of James R. Mar- tin, of Attica, Indiana; Rebecca B., the wife of Frank Hannum, of Dan\ille; Ruhamah R., wife of Prank D. Bushnell, of Sidell, Illinois; and Helen M. and Nadyne Vera, at home. The family residence is one of the most attractive homes on North W^alnut street, being tastefully furnished and sur- rounded by a beautiful lawn, but Mr. and Mrs. McNeill now spend a great portion of their time in Texas on account of the hit- ter's health. Mr. McNeill is a prominent Odd Fellow and has passed through all the chairs in that lodge. Of excellent business ability and broad resources he has attained to an enviable position among the substantial men of Danville antl is recognized as a leatler in commercial circles. He has won success by his well directed, energetic ef- forts, and the prosperity that has come to him is certainlv well deserved. THOMAS OAKW^OOD. Thomas Oakwood is a prominent farmer and a native son of \'ermilion county, hav- ing been born April 25, 1858, on the farm he now occupies. He is a son of Henry J. Oakwood, for whom the township of Oakwood was named. His mother was Priscilla (Sailor) Oakwood, a native of Logan county. They were married in Ver- milion county, Illinois. Henry J. Oakwood was born in Brown county, Ohio, March 7, 1819, and came overland to this county in 1833 and was a very prominent man in the township which was named for him. His father, too, had settled in Vermilion county at an early date, and thus the Oakwood family has become associated with the his- tory of the county, Henry J. Oakwood was supervisor of the county for several years and during his time the courthouse at Danville was built. His name is engraved on the corner-stone of that building and when he first came to the township five hun- dred Indians were encamped here. He died January 5, 1901, His widow is living on the old home place with her son Charles in O.-ikwood township. Mr. Oakwood was a member of the Independent Order of Odd THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 703 Fellows. To Henry J. Oakwood and his wife were born eight children, of whom the fol- lowing are living : William, a farmer of Oakwood township; Thomas; Harvey and Charles, who follow farming in Oakwood township. Thomas Oakwood received his educa- tion in the district schools and was early trained to farm work by his father. During the seasons of vacation he helped to till the fields and they in turn brought forth abund- ant harvests. He has seen the prairies all around converted into productive farms which are now the possessions of a happy and contented people. When his father set- tled in Oakwood township it gave little promise of the brilliant future which was before it, but he, with other public-spirited men, united in their efiforts to develop and improve the township and that their efforts were highly successful is indicated by the prosperity which is seen on every hand. At the age of nineteen Thomas Oakwood left school. After this he continued to work on the home farm which was the place of his birth. He now owns one hundred and thirty acres of land on section 19, Oakwood town- ship. Here he raises a high grade of stock in connection with his other farming inter- ests. He has acquired a comfortable com- petence through his energy and thrift and to-day is one of the substantial business men of his community. Mr. Oakwood was united in marriage on the 9th of September, 1882, to Miss Mariet- ta I.ongstreet, who was born in Vermilion county, May ir, 1861. She is a daughter of Benjamin Longstreet, whose first wife was Jane (Lee) Longstreet, a native of Champaign county, Illinois. They' were married in Champaign county, where she af- terward died; Benjamin' Longstreet was a native of Warren county, Ohio, and was a son of George F. Longstreet, a native of Ohio, and of English origin. After the death of his wife Mr. Benjamin Longstreet removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, and here entered one-half a section of land. About this time he was married to Elizabeth (Board) Foland, of Fountain county, In- diana. By a previous marriage she had one child, Mrs. Rena Fulton, who now resides in Danville. After residing in another por- tion of Vermilion county for nine years Mr. Longstreet removed to Oakwood township, where he resided for ten years. About the year 1 847 he removed to the village of Oak- wood and there lived retired until his death, which occurred April 5, 1889. His second wife died June 30, 1883. He had held all of the township offices, including that of justice of the peace, in which capacity he served for a number of years. In his political views he was a Republican. By his first union one child was born, but is now deceased. By the second marriage were born nine children, seven of whom are now living: Anna is the wife of William Oak- wood, a brother of Thomas, and resides north of Oakwood, Illinois. They have six children. Marietta is the wife of our sub- ject. Belle is the wife of Richard Seymour. She has two children and resides near Oakwood. Newton, the fourth member of the family, married Maggie Sampson. He has two children and resides near Oakwood. Dora is the wife of Frank Clark. They have two children and reside in West Lebanon, Indiana. Katie is the wife of Otis P. Hayworth, has three children and resides in Fairmount, Illinois. S. B. re- sides in Oakwood, Illinois, and is a pro- fessor in the -public schools of Indiana. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Oakwood have been 704 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD bom six children: Oscar L., born 2^1arch 2j, 1883; Edgar V., born July 16, 1887; Henry \'.. born October 4, 1889; Xina Belle, l)orn March 20, 1892; Ruby Edith, born February 18. 1897; and Hubert, born August 12, 1894. and who died March 14. 1895. Mr. Oakwood is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in which he is trustee and steward. He takes a deep inter- est in church work. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and in politics is a stanch Republican, but has never sought office. He is a man of sterl- ing character who enjoys the confidence and respect of his friends and acquaintances by reason of his genuine worth. GEORGE WHEELER JONES. George Wheeler Jones was born at Bath, Steuben county. New York, Febru- ary 4, 1839, t'l^ oldest son of Dr. John Sproson Jones and Charlotte Wheeler, his wife. The family removed to Covington, Indiana, in 1X46. His early life was spent in laying the foundation of a good educa- tion, as he was a most ambitious student. He was a devoted son and the tie between him and his mother was unusually close. He attended Wabash College and later made a choice of the medical profession, studying for a while under his father. La- ter he studied in Chicago under Dr. NA'ill- iam H. Byford, graduating from what was then the medical department of Lind L'ni- versity, now the Chicago Medical College of the Northwestern University. He commenced the practice of medicine in Terre Haute. Indiana, but soon enlisted as a volunteer surgeon for three months, later re-enlisting for three years, serving as assistant surgeon of the Sixty-third Indi- ana Volunteers. In 1865 he was married to Miss Emelyn K. Enos of Indianapolis and located at Dan\ille, Illinois. Here he commenced again the practice of medicine also, l)eing associated with his brother, James Sanger Jones, in a drug store at the northeast corner of Main and Hazel streets, under the name of Jones Borthers. The brother. James, a gay-hearted, fun-loving young fellow, endeared to every one who fell under the inHuence of his merrv' ways and kind heart, died suddenly October 26, 1872, and after three years the drug store was sold, leaving Dr. Jones to devote his entire time to the practice of his beloved profession, h'or twenty-nine years his busy life continued in Danville and his lalx)r was unremitting in the cause of healing. One of his friends bore testimony to his faith- fulness when he said : "His parents gave him pure blood, and nature gave him a Grant-like frame, four square and solid as a tower, an iron con- stitution, a large, clear, active brain, a warm, loving, hopeful heart. He was my family physician and very intimate friend for over twentv years. I knew him from the heart out. Often has he carrietl my sick children on his bosom about the rooms, say- ing, "I can do more for a child when it knows me and is not afraid.' He has done the same with your children. How ten- derly he watched and nursed our sick. How he toiled to know what was Ijest for them. For almost twenty years I passed his office late at night from my own work. Yet, howe\er late, his lamj) was burning : his patients were in his heart; no day of toil was sest results, loving the work fur the work's sake. And the singing schools, the sleigh rides, the active, gay young company, the enduring friendships, the father's tender love, the quiet mother's example — what a rich furnishing they made for her after life, her children know. When she was twenty-three years old she married John Sproson Jones, a young physician and began with him the life of self-denial and hardship that falls to the lot of a country doctor struggling for a foot- hold. After a numl)er of changes, with \arying fortunes, in 1846, she moved with him and her three little boys to Covington, Indiana, then a new country, differing in climate, people and ways of living from New York and her beloved home. She be- gan the new life in homesickness and weari- ness of spirit, under circumstances that called out all the strength of her character, tried her soul and purified her nature. Her sweetness of heart, her courage, her lofty endeavor W(_)n her faithful friends. Suc- cess came, and a new home was estal)lished where she trained her children in the ways she knew and loved. She was the mother of eight children, and raised five to be men and women. She sent her two sons to the Civil war and received them again unhurt. The sons settled in l);uiville, Illinois, and in 1 87 1 the family left Covington and fol- lowed them. Before they had lived in Dan- ville a year the father. Dr. J. S. Jones, died and in less than a year later the younger unmarried son, James S. Jones, died sud- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 711 denly. With bowed spirit, but brave cour- age, she took her place as head of the fam- ily, and during the thirty-one years that she held that place, moving in and out be- fore the people, not once did she fail in her duty to her family, her friends and the community — always the same sweet pa- tience, always the same high courage, al- ways the "saving grace of humor" carry- ing her over the many hard places. Her nobility of character won all hearts, her loyalty and interest kept them. Everybody loved her and when, after she was eighty years old. she received the unexpected tid- ings of the death of her oldest child and only son in a foreign land, she was borne up by the deep, loving sympathy of the en- tire community, and while she "wept like a child, she had the faith of a saint." She showed the strength of her nature by her continued interest in the welfare of others, the work of the world and the every day concerns of life. In her later life she was cherished and guarded and petted, and her sweet presence was a blessing and a com- fort to all who had a sight of her. Her wisdom, her purity, her nobleness, were so evident that strangers knew and wondered, and every nature grew finer and sweeter by even a passing intercourse. Her strength of mind and heart remained stead- fast and when, on the nth of November, 1902, after a three weeks' illness from bronchial pneumonia, she slipped away from the precious body, ending a long life of nearly eighty-nine years, her "eye was not dim nor her natural force abated." In every house there was sorrow and mourn- ing for the loss of the life that in passing left a benediction of love. She gave to her children the priceless heritage of an honored name, made so by a long life filled with kind and noble deeds. "A sweeter woman ne'er drew breath." As daughter, child, wife, mother, compan- ion, friend, neighbor, there is no flaw. Her loving heart, that made a pet of every liv- ing thing; her bright intellect, that appre- ciated the best in every department of the world's work ; her quick and kindly sym- pathy, that made friends of the lowly and those of high estate alike; her courage, that faced every oljstacle and danger; her faith, that saw the good in all things ; her love of this beautiful world, that made every mornT ing a delight and the works of the Almighty a constant marvel ; her enjoyment of the fine and good things of life; her keen wit, her serene sell-poise, her brightness of speech, her contented spirit made her the charming companion, the sweet friend, while her in- spirational insight and generous hand made her the dear comforter in any grief or trouble. Hers was "the humility that sets a seal upon her lips and forgets what she has done, the patience that endureth all things, the guilelessness that thinketh no evil, sincerity that rejoiceth not in iniquity, the kindness that makes hands and feet ac- tive, the chastity of temper that purifies every impulse and the spirit of forgiveness that makes the soul Godlike." WILLIAM STRATMAN, Jr. William Stratman, Jr., who for ten years has engaged in business in Danville as a horseshoer at No. 16 South Hazel street, was born near Madison, Indiana, on the 7th of May, 1874, and is a son of Will- iam and Katy (Ricken) Stratman, both of whom were natives of Germany and about 1 87 1 came to America, settling in Danville, Illinois, where thev remained for a short 712 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD time prior to their removal to Indiana. In the latter state, however, their residence was hut l)rief and they returned to Danville, where the father estalihshed a hlacksmith shop. Here he still works at his trade at No. 422 South Bowman avenue. In the family are live children : .\nnie, the wife of August Lindehauni. a hlacksmith in the coal mines of Danville; Josephine, the wife of Andrew Hagen, who is employed as a boiler maker by the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois Railroad Company, at Danville. Illi- nois: William; Joseph, who married Tilda Biu'rows and is also a hlacksmith of Dan- ville; and John, who follows blacksmithing in the coal mines. The children were edu- cated in the public schools of Indiana and of this city. L'pon leaving school W'illiam Stratman, Jr., began to learn the blacksmith's trade, which he followed in the employ of others for hve years and then started in business on his own accouiu. He purchased jjrop- erty at 805 Main street and there worked at his trade for nine years, when he sold his shop to the city of Danville for a hre engine house and pinxdiased his present ])roperty at No. 16. South Hazel street. He now owns a hne brick simp and has disccjutinuetl gen- eral blacksmithing work, devoting his atten- tion to horseshoeing. He employs two men during the winter season and five men in the summer. He is the leading horseshoer of Dan\ille, doing a very large business in this line. He has become an expert work- man and his practical understanding of the business enables him to cajjably direct the labors of his men. In 1896 Mr. Stratman was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Culbert, a native of St. Louis, and a daughter of James and Nettie dohnson) Culbert. both of whom are resiilents of Rossville, \'ermUion coun- ty, the father being the owner of a green- house in that city aiul successfully conduct- ing a Horist's business. Two children were born unto our subject and his wife but the first child died in infancy. The other, Gretia, is at home. Mr. Stratman gives his political support to the Republican party, but has ne\er been an aspirant for office. Socially he is identi- fied with the Modern Woodmen, of Dan- ville, with the Benevolent antl Protective Order of Elks and the Catholic Order of I'oresters. while both he and his wife are communicants of the St. Patrick's Catholic church of this city. They have a pleasant home at No. 831 East Main street and Mr. Stratman is regarded as a successful busi- ness man in the commiuiity. The greater part of his life has been here passed and his acquaintance is a wide one. Yet a young man, he has achieved a prosperity which many an older person might well envy, and arguing from the jjast one may well pro|)hesy for him a still more prosperous future. FRANCIS M. FAIRCHILD. Among the ])rogressi\e agriculturists and representative citizens of Blount town- ship is classed Mr. I'airchild. whose landed jjossessions aggregate five hundred and fifty acres on sections 3. 4. 10. and ^7,, Blount township. He was born here. April 20. 1848. within one hundred rods of where he now lives. His father, Daniel Kairchild, was commonlv known as Pre^icher hair- child and was one of the earliest settlers of the county. He married Lucy Hemingway, who like her husband was a native of New MRS. DANIEL FAIRCHILD. FRANCIS M. FAIRCHILD THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 717 York. Onr subject was the eighth son in their family. His education was acquired in the district schools and in this county he was reared to manhood. He assisted in the work of the home farm and during the winter months he pursued his education in the district schools, being thus engaged until he reached his majority, when he started out in life on his own account. On the 3d of March, 1870, in his twen- ty-second year, he married Ina B. Fitzger- ald, a daughter of Benjamin and Eliza Fitz- gerald. She was born in 1852, only a mile and a half from her Inisband's 1)irth place and she died Decemlier 5, 1894, at the age of forty-two years and twenty-five days, her ileath occurring in Colorado, where she had gone for the benefit of her health. By tiiis union there had been fourteen children, six of whom are living; Daisy, now the wife of G. E. Albert, of Danx-ille, by whom she has one daughter, Ina H.; Galen G.. who married Carrie Starr, a daughter of J. R. Starr, and they have one son; A. R., who was formerly a student in the University of Illinois at Bloomington and was then ap- pointed to the University at Champaign, Illi- nois; Maude E., who in iier eighteenth year is attending school ; R. B. and Daniel Hazel, who are at home. The deceased of the fam- ily are: Arthur, who died January 7, 1875, at the age of eleven months and twenty- one days ; Clara and Clarence, twins, the former dying August 23, 1892, and the lat- ter August 18, of the .same year; Loto R., who died at the age of one year, six months and nineteen days; Charles W.. who was born December 4. 1870, and died January 28, 1896, at Falcoln, Colorado; Lola M., who became the wife of John Snyder and died at the age of nineteen years ; Oliver Lincoln, who was born June 28, 1877, and died January 28. 1897; and one that died in infanc}-. On the ist of December, 1897, Mr, Fairchild was again married, his sec- ond union being with Miss Annie White, a daughter of \\''illiam and Elizabeth White. Three children, two sons and one daughter, were born of this marriage but all died in infancy. In less than a month after the death of his first wife Mr. Fairchild lost his home, which was destroyed by fire, but he has since rebuilt a good residence upon his farm. He can well remember the period of his bo}'hood days when everything was new and undeveloped in this section of the state. He has engaged in feeding cattle, making a specialty of shorthorns and he always keeps good grades. His land is rich and well improved. It was largely cultivated originally by our subject and his brother, Harrison, who were among the first to tile their land. Mr. Fairchild has done con- siderable tiling and the fields are now well drained. When he began farming his trad- ing was done at Danville and. on one oc- casion he made a trip to Joliet, Illinois, with apples. He has plowed with a single shovel plow and cut grain with a cradle. He re- members clearly the way his mother used to spin and wea\-e, all the clothing of the family being home-made. Not an improve- ment had been placed upon his land when he took possession, but with characteristic energy he began its development and owing to his excellent management and enterprise he in course of time transformed his land into a very productive and valuable tract. In this work he was assisted by his wife, who proved to him a faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey. She was an excellent manager and was revered and loved by all who knew her, not only in her immediate household but also by her many friends. She was also an active church 7i8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD worker and when she passed away she left a husband and nine cliildren to mourn her loss, but three of tlic children soon after- ward followed her. Mr. Fairchild held the oftice of town clerk for two terms and was collector of taxes for a number of years and supervisor for two years. I-'or a quarter of a century or more he has been a memljer of the school biianl. is still in that ixjsition, and has assisted largely in building schools and churches. For thirty-four years he has been a memljer of the Method- ist Episcopal church, in which he has served as a class-leader, steward for a number of years and as a Sunday-school teacher. He has frequently been a delegate from this place to conventions. In his political affairs he is an earnest 'Republican. Although he has had many hardships and difficulties to overciime he has progressed in his work and to-day i:e stands among the prominent and iniluential agriculturists of his com- munity, occupying a very en\iable position because of his splendid success as well as by reason of his upright life. BKXJA.MIX F. LEACH. Benjamin F. Leach is engaged in mer- chandising in Fhunrick, and is also serving as postmaster there. He was born in Pick- away county, Ohio, September 23, 1846, and is of Irish lineage, his paternal grand- father having been a native of the Emerald isle and the founder of the family in the new world. William M. Leach, the father of iiur subject, was born in Frederick coun- ty. X'irginia. in 1796, and was the youngest of a large family who devoted their energies to agricultural pursuits. In 1832 he re- moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, where he resided for twenty years, coming to Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1852.- He was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, however, for he died the following year on a farm about three miles north of Indianola. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mar\' Monroe, was born in Culpeper coun- ty, \'irginia. in 1800, and also belonged to a large family of farming people. She came of an aristocratic family of the south and a number of her ancestors were valiant sol- eing performed in \"irginia, and subse- (^uently they lived for twenty years upon a farm in Ohio. The\' became the parents of the following children : Edgar B., now tleceased ; A\'illiam M., a resident of Kan- sas; John and George, who have also passed away; Henry C. of Arkansas; Benjamin F. ; Mrs. Sarah Parker, also deceased; and ^Irs. Mary Carney, of Arkansas. Four of the sons were soldiers of the Civil war, valiantly aiding in the preservation of the L'nion. lienjainin F. Leach spent the first six }ears of his life in the county of his na- tivity, and then accompanied his parents to \'ermilion county, Illinois, where he was educated in the common schools and reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period. On the 30th of :March, 1875, he was united in marriage to Miss Alma J. Baldwin, who was born in this county, in 1 856, a daughter of Darius and Mary Bald- win, in whose family were .six children: THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 719 James and William A., both deceased; B. F., who is living in Pueblo, Colorado; L. P., a resident of Vermilion county; and Mrs. Mary Rutherford, of Wichita, Kan- sas, besides the wife of our subject. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Leach was blessed with the following children : Albert W., now twenty-six years of age, is employed at the Eastern Illinois Hospital for the Insane at Kankakee, Illinois. Richard B., a young man of twenty-four years, is in the govern- ment employ at Washington, D. C. Mary E., Nellie C, and Daisy G. are yet under the parental roof. The wife and mother died in 1891. her loss being deeply mourned not only by her immediate family but also by many friends throughout the community. Richard, the son of our subject, was a sol- dier in the Spanish-American war, serving with the Third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Leach continued his connection with agricultural pursuits in the county until 1885, when he took up his abode in Hum- rick. He first worked on a farm and then was employed by a grain company until 1901. when he established his general store in this town. He has since conducted the enterprise with good success and is to-day enjoying a constantly growing trade. He is also the postmaster of the town, having served in that capacity for three terms dur- ing the administrations of President Harri- son and McKinley. In politics he is a stal- wart Republican, earnest and unfaltering in his support of the party. He served as col- lector of El wood township for three terms and was road commissioner for one term, and was the first supervisor of Love town- ship. He has also been justice of the peace for two terms and that he is strictly fair and impartial in his rulings is shown by the fact that he has never had a case ap- pealed from his court. Mr. Leach never had a lawsuit of his own in his life, but has always lived peaceably with his fellow men. His religious faith is indicated by his mem- bership with the Baptist church and fra- ternally he is connected with the Tribe of Ben Hur. He has a pleasant, comfortable home in Humrick and is a public-spirited, progressive citizen who enjoys the confi- dence of his neighbors and the esteem of manv warm friends. J. F. BAIRD. The name of Baird has through long years been closely associated with agricul- tural interests in Vermilion county and he of whom we write is a representative farm- er and successful business man, possessing excellent executive ability, keen discrimina- tion and marked enterprise. He was born- in Brown county, Ohio, on the 7th of Sep- tember, 1852, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Baldwin). Baird, the former a natix'e of Ohio and the latter of Kentucky. They were married in the Buckeye state and are represented elsewhere in this work. The father had learned the blacksmith's trade in early life and followed that pur- suit in Ohio until 1865, when with his fam- ily he came to Illinois, settling in Vermilion county. Here abandoning his trade he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and is now living upon a farm in Catlin township. He has been three times married and with him resides his third wife. In- dependent in politics he has never sought or desired the honors and emoluments of office for himself, but has ever been earnest in support of political measures which he 720 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD deemed would advance local welfare or na- tional progress. In the schools of his native county J- Frank Baird of this review obtained his education, pursuing his studies there through the w inter months until he was ten years of aee. while in the summer seasons he assisted his father in the work upon the farm. Af- ter putting aside his text books he gave his entire attention to farm work, first in the emplov of others and then in operation of rented land. With the family he came to Vermiliiiii county and on Christmas day of 1877, in Fairmount. was celebrated the mar- riage of J. Frank Baird and Miss Jessie Freemont Browning, who was born in Danville on the 4th of May. 1857. and is a daughter of (ieorge Browning, whose birth occurred in Derbyshire, England. After arriving at years of maturity and in the meantime becoming a resident of America, he was married in Georgetown, \'emiilion county. Illinois, to Miss Emily D. Booker, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of James and Ann (Throckmorton) Booker, the former a native of the Old Dominion. A brother of Mrs. Baird's great-grandfa- ther served as a soldier of the Revolutionary war. At the time of their marriage Ch- anel Mrs. Browning became residents of Danville, where the former engaged in merchandising for two years. They then removed to Fairmount, which was their home until January, 1859. Mrs. Browning then went to Ohio for her health, but in that month died and was buried at Plattsburg near Springfield, Ohio. In i860 Mr. Browning was again married, his second union being with Miss Mary Reiley. of New .\lbany. Indiana, a native of Posey county, that state, bom February 23. 1838. Her parents. Benjamin and Mary (Dalby) Reilev. were iiotli nati\es of England, were married in that country and afterward came to the new world, locating first in Illinois. Subse(juently they removed to Ohio and some vears later returned to \ermilion county, where Mr. Reiley died July 9, 1897. His widow still survives him and is living in \'ance township. By his first marriage Mr. (jeorge Browning had three children: F\angeline. Eva and Jessie F.. the last named the wife of our subject. By the sec- ond marriage there were ten children : Harriett Angeline. the wife of Smiley Baird. a resident of Homer, Illinois, anil they have five children : Fannie B.. the wife of Joshua Wragg. of Springfield. Ohio; George Harri.son. who wedded .Mice Clux- ton, who with their one child reside in Ur- bana. Illinois; .\lbert B., of Gibson City. Illinois, who wedded Lucy \\'ilson, by whom he has one child: Walter, born in 1872 and died June 9, 1899: Mary B.. the wife of J. R. T. Barton, of Jamaica. Illi- nois, by whom she has one child: Xe\ina, who is at home; Ruth, who died in 1897. a tw in sister of Xevina : J. Oscar, a resident of the state of W^ashington : and Ethel B.. still with her parents. After his marriage J. F. Baird of this review rented a tract of land which he con- tinued to cultivate for six years. He then purchased the farm upon which he now re- sides, becoming the owner of one hundred and eighty-five acres, a valuable tract on sections 6 and 7. Vance township. Here he has a splendid residence, good barns, and all the efpiipments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. He has placed his land under a high state of cultixation and everything about his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating the careful supervision of the owner. The THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 721 improvements upon his farm stand as mon- uments to his enterprise and are substan- tial evidences of his Hfe of well directed labor. The home of Air. and Mrs. Baird has been blessed with three children : Earl Ray, who was born October 28, 1878, and assists his father on the farm ; Emily Ethel, who was born August 31, 1882, and died August 20, 1884, and Pearl B., who was born November 14, 1885, and is now an accomplished music teacher. The family attend the services of the Baptist church, of which Mr. Baird is a member and fratern- ally he is connected with the Court of Honor and the Knights of the Globe, while in his political views he is a Republican, un- faltering in support of the principles of the party. The greater part of his life has been passed in \'ermilion county, where he has gained a wide acquaintance among the best classes of citizens. In his business inter- ests he has prospered and although he started out in life for himself empty handed he has steadily worked his way upward, brooking no obstacles that could be over- come by honest and earnest purpose. Thus he has gained the place of affluence, being to-day classed among the substantial ag- riculturists of his community. JOHN L. CHESLEY. John L. Chesley is one of the owners of the Chesley Brothers Boiler Works of Dan- ville, a business which has become of con- siderable importance in industrial circles of the city. The men who stand at its head owe their success to their own labors and capable control of their trade, and undoubt- edly the future holds in store for them further prosperity. John L. Chesley was born in this city May 25, i860, his parents being Robert V. and Helen Chesley. He attended the public schools, but after his father's death, which occurred in 1872, he began learning the trade of boiler-making in the employ of William F. Button, serv- ing an apprenticeship which covered three or four years. He afterward entered the employ of William Stephens, with whom he remained for a year and then went to Paris, Illinois, and afterward to Decatur. In the latter city he entered the shops of the ^\'abash Railroad Company, remaining for a year and then returned to Danville, where he embarked in business for himself on West Main street. He had been established in trade there for three years when his brother Charles E. abandoned railroading and entered into partnership with him. Later they purchased the Stqihens plant at the junction and established their present lousiness, which is conducted under the iirni name of the Chesley Brothers Boiler Works. They manufacture all kinds of boilers, in fact, do everything in the line of iron work, including the construction of wagons and cars for mines, tanks and stacks. The plant is composed of three buildings cover- ing an area of one hundred by one hundred and fifty feet, and it is supplied with all modern equipments, including the latest improved machinery for facilitating the work and making their products durable. On the 26th of March, 1885. in Dan- ville, Mr. Chesley wedded Miss Eliza Ham- nett, who was born in Trenton. New Jer- sey, August 21, 1864, a daughter of Henry and Mary (Vaughan) Hamnett, the for- mer a native of Lincolnshire, England, and the latter of County Fermanagh, Ireland. 722 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD They were married, however, in Trenton, New Jersey. Two sisters of the father sur- vive him and Hve in England, while the mother's relatives are residents of the Emerald isle. Mr. Hamnett followed the trade of spinning in England and worked in the woolen mills for a time after his arrival in America. Later, however, he turned his attention to farming, which he followed for a few years prior to his marriage and subse- quently he became a stationary engineer. In the year 1866 he came with his family to the west, locating in Danville, where he was employed as an engineer by the Dan- ville Foundry & Machine Company until his death, which occurred on the i6th of August, 1869. The mother died the same day, five hours after her husband passed away. He was a Republican in his politi- cal views and while he lielieved firmly in the principles of the party he always refused to hold office. He held membership with the Independent Order of Foresters and he belonged to the Episcopal church. At the time of the Ci\il war he served for fifteen months as a defender of the Union. He enlisted for three years' service in a New- Jersey regiment but the war closed before that time expired. In his early manhood he had been a soldier in the English army and as such had traveled over the greater part of Europe, taking part in several Eng- lish wars. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hamnett were five children, of whom two are living: Mrs. Chesley, and Jennie E., the wife of \Y. J. Withner, a resident of Vermilion Heights. Mr. Chesley of this review is an earnest Republican and while he is able to support his position by intelligent argument because of his thorough understanding of the ques- tions and issues of the day, he, too, has always declined to become a candidate for office. He belongs to the Modern Wood- men Camp of Danville, but his attention is chiefly given to his business interests, which make heavy demands upon his time. The Chesley Brothers have gained a creditable standing in business circles in their city and deserve much credit for what tiiey ha\e ac- complished, because at an early day they started out in life for themselves, working their way upward through fidelity to duty, earnest purpose and indefatigable energy. G. M. McCRAY, G. M. McCray is one of the practical and progressi\e young farmers of Pilot township, his birth having occurred in 1876, u])on the farm which is yet his home. Here he was reared to manhood and in the dis- trict schools he pursued his education. His parents are still living in Fithian and the fa- ther is a stock dealer and shipper, which business he has followed for many years. In the family are three living children: William, a resident of Oakwood township; G. M. ; and Verla, who is still with her parents. After acquiring his preliminary educa- tion in the schools near his boyhood home G. M. McCray entered a business college in Dixon, Illinois, wherein he was graduated and was thus well fitted for the practical duties of a business career. L'pon the re- moval of his parents to Fithian in the year 1896 he assumed the management of the old farm which he is now operating. It belongs to his mother and comprises four hundred acres of rich and arable land which, under his control, is highly cultivated, while THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 723 everything about the place is neat and thrif- ty, indicating his careful supervision. He is a wide-awake young business man and is meeting with creditable success in his work. - In the year 1896 Mr. McCray was united in marriage to Miss Julia Ludwig, a daugh- ter of J- V. Ludwig and unto them have been bom two children, of whom one is now living, Marian, an interesting little daughter. In his fraternal relations Mr. McCray is a Mason, belonging to the lodge at Hope, of which he is now serving as secretary. In his political views he is a Republican and keeps well informed on the question and issues of the day but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to devote his energies to his business interests. GEORGE WILSON TILTON. George Wilson Tilton, whose connec- tion with mercantile interests in Vermilion county covers a period longer than that of any other merchant within its borders, is carrying on business in Catlin. He was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Jan- uary 8, 1836, and comes of a family of English ancestry that was established in America during the colonial epoch of om- nation's history. Most of those, if not all, in the United States bearing the name of Tilton are descended from the three broth- ers who left their English home to become colonial settlers of this country. Enoch Tilton, the father of our subject, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, July 22, 181 1, and was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Wilson, whose birth occurred on the I2th of January, 181 1, and who was of Irish lineage. A blacksmith by trade the father carried on business along that line in early life, but during the last forty years of his life devoted his time and energies to the work of the ministry as a preacher of the Baptist church in Ripley county, Indi- ana. He located in that county in 1844, when everything was new, the land unbro- ken, the forest uncut, and the timber full of various kinds of wild game as well as of wolves and other wild animals. The family endured many of the hardships in- cident to frontier life. ,The father served as minister of four congregations in that county and died in 1885, while his wife, who survived him for some years, passed away in Potomac, Vermilion county, Illi- nois, in 1887, leaving a family of nine sons, of whom the subject of this review was the second in order of birth. George Wilson Tilton acquired his edu- cation in the early schools of Ripley county, Indiana, and in Moorshill College of that state. He afterward engaged in teaching, a profession which he followed for thirteen years, nine of which were spent in Ripley county, one in Missouri and four years in Catlin. He arrived in Vermilion county in 1862 when twenty-six years of age. taking charge of the Catlin school, of which he was a capable and successful teacher until 1866. He then entered the employ of Rich- ard Jones in the capacity of bookkeeper and salesman and afterward entered into part- nership with Jacob Sandusky under the firm name of Sandusky & Tilton, a relation that was maintained with mutual pleasure and profit for seven years. On the expira- tion of that period Mr. Sandusky sold his interest to L. C. Kiger, and the business was then continued under the firm style of Tilton & Kiger, for five years. Our sub- 724 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD jcct then purchased liis partner's interest and lias since remained alone in the busi- ness. He has carried on his mercantile en- terprises at his present location since the •1st ut January, 1868, covering a period of more than thirty-tour consecutive years. Here he deals in general merchandise, and the fact that many of his patrons have con tinned with him throughout this entire per- iod is unmistakal)le proof of his honorable business methods and reliable dealing. He also owns considerable real estate and does not a little business in handling property. He has town property in Catlin and also in Danville and owns a half interest in the business of the tirm of Tilton & Son, gen- eral merchants of I'airmount. His farm land is all leased to good tenants and the rental therefrom supplies a gratifying income. Mr. Tiltiin was united in marriage in Rijilcy county, Indiana, to Miss Elizabeth Allbright, a native of Ohio, born in 1837. They have three children : Charles Virgil, of Fairmount, is the junior member of the firm of Tilton & Son, general merchants there. He married Nettie Reese of tliat place, and they have four children : Claude, Nina, Walter, and Julia. Elsie Venus is the wife of A. R. McGregor, a clerk in her father's store. Bertie Victor is the wife of Getirge Catlett, a farmer of Fairmount and they have two children, Shirley and Kent. In 1863 -Mr. Tilton became a member of the \'crmilion County Agricultural and Me- chanical Association, in which he took a very active part for several years, serving as secretarv, as vice president, and for three years as its president. He has been active and influential in public affairs, and for one term served on the county board of super- visors, representing Catlin township. He has filled all of the township offices and for two terms served under President Cleveland as postmaster. This fact indi- cates his affiliation with the Democratic party, of which he has long been an earnest advocate. He served on the building com- mittee of the Methodist Episcopal church at the time of the erection of its house of worship in Catlin and well may he be classed among the substantial residents of Cat- lin and of \'ermilion county for he has been closely identified with its growth along material, social, intellectual and moral lines. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs to Catlin Lodge, No. 285, F. & A. M., of which he was the honored master for nine years. He also belongs to the chapter at Danville and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has filled all of the chairs, and both he and his wife are connected with the Rebekah degree. Mr. Tilton possesses considerable literary abil- ity and for thirty years has been a corres- pondent for the Danville News. His con- tributions are furnished to the paper under the nom de plume of "Hannah Mariah," and he treats of many subjects, often in a humorous way. He is the author of a num- ber of comic productions and is considered a fluent and able writer as well as a suc- cessful business man and a loval citizen. ALONZO A. LOUTZENHISER. Through almost a half century Alonzo A. Loutzenhiser has resided in Danville and although now nearly eighty years of age, he is yet concerned with business interests to some extent, following his trade of shoe- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 727 making. He was horn in ■Mercer county, Pennsyhania, February 29, 1824, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Trindle) Loutzenhiser, botli of whom were natives of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. The father was a miller by trade and removed to Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where he followed that pursuit until he reached old age. after A\hich lie and his wife lived among their children until called to their final rest. The father died in ilissouri. In their fam- ily were nine children : David, Mary and Catherine, all deceased; Jacob, who is a blacksmith by trade but is now living retired in Mercer county, Missouri ; Alonzo A. ; Catherine and Daniel, both deceased ; John, who was assistant c^uartermaster in the Civil war and was killed in the service; and Helen, who has passed away. Alonzo A. Loutzenhiser acquired a good education in the schools of Mercer county, Pennsylvania. At the age of nine years he began to learn the tailor's trade, which he followed in his native county until he came west in 1853. Since that time he has resided continuously in Danville and here he fol- lowed his trade until i860, when he was elected to the position of constable, filling that office until after the Civil war began. In July, 1 86 1, he entered another depart- ment of his country's service — the military. He joined Company F, of the Fourth Illi- nois Cavalry under Captain Search and Colonel Dickey. He was made a first lieu- tenant after having served for a time as second lieutenant. He participated in many important engagements, including tlie bat- tles of Forts Henry and Donelson, Pitts- burg Landing, Vicksburg and Holly Springs. While at Corinth, Mississippi, our subject resigned and was there dis- charged after thirteen months' service. For a short time after his return from 29 the war ^Nlr. Loutzenhiser remained in Danville and then went to Champaign, Illi- nois, where he remained for a brief period. He next went to Lansing, Iowa, where he began working in the forests, cutting cord wood for steamboats. He was thus engaged until 1868, when he again came to Danville and in 1870 he was elected consta- ble, He also served as bailiff under J. Probst one year, and under Colonel Search, John W. Myers and Ed Gregory for four years each. On his retirement from office he began shoemaking in Danville, which he followed for three years, when he was appointed to a position on the police force and acted in that capacity for four years. In October, 1886, he built his present shoe shop and has since engaged in shoemaking. Mr. Loutzenhiser has been three times married. He first wedded Miss Mary Lohr, of Kentucky, who died in 1849, of cholera. He afterward wedded Miss Sophia Day, of Ohio, who died in Homer, Illinois, in 1853. For his third wife he chose Miss Eliza W. Weir, of ^Massachusetts. She i^ of Scotch descent and now resides with our subject in Danville. By the first marriage there were two children : Sarah, now the wife of C. C. Bates, a resident of Decorah, Iowa; and Nettie, now the wife of a Mr. Clements, of San Francisco, California. There was one child by the second marriage : Retta, who was the wife of Benjamin Kirtly, and died in 1901. The children born of the third marriage are : Charles, a paper hanger now living in Chicago ; and Lott A., a conductor on the Illinois Central Rail- road, living in New Orleans. Mr. Loutzenhiser voted with the Dem- ocratic party until 1900, but is now a stanch Republican. Besides holding the offices mentioned above, he served as police magis- trate in New Westville, Ohio, for four yejirs. 728 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and was also townsliip clerk for four years, while for a similar period he ser\ed as a member of the scluxil Ijoard of Danville. He o\tns a nice residence at No. 306 Chand- ler street and his shoe shop is on the same lot. He is also the owner of other property in this city, having made judicious invest- ments in real estate. He is largely living- retired from active business, but indolence is utterly foreign to his nature and he keeps his shop in order "to have something to do." He is now nearly eighty years of age, a hale and hearty old man, having never been con- fined to his bed by sickness throughout his entire life. Nature is kind to those who oppose not her laws and Mr. Loutzenhiser has always lived in harmony with the prin- ciples of health and of right living. While in Ohio he served as superintendent of a Methodist Sunday-school and addresseil many meetings. ISAAC A. LOVE. Undaunted by obstacles that would have discouraged many a man of less resolute spirit, from a humble position Isaac A. Love has arisen to prominence. When opportun- ities have i)resented themselves he has (juickly utilized them, when there has seemed to be no opportunity he has made one. He realized fully that there is no royal road to wealth or learning, but with stout heart he started upon the upward jjath and though the road has offtimes been a rugged one, he has now reached the plane of affluence and is accorded recognition as one of the most capable members of the Danville bar, where he has practiced for eight years. Mr, Love was born in the north of Ire- land, May 16, 1855 and is of Scotch-Irish parentage. His father, \\'ashington Lo\e, was a farmer and fisherman who came to America when our suliject was but live years of age, locating in Brooklyn, New York, where he remained for three years. He then removed to Columbiana county, Ohin, where he engaged in farnung. lie and his wife are still living in that state, the former at the age of eighty years, the latter at the age of seventy-six. In their family were nine children, Isaac being the fifth in order of birth. Isaac A. Love first attended school in Brooklyn and later resumed his studies in Columbiana county, Ohio, but when only ten vears of age he began working in the coal mines. His father having suffered financial reverses in Brooklyn, the sons all secured employment in the mines after the removal to Ohio and though our subject was but a youth of ten years he began bail- ing water with a Ijucket that was higher than his head. Later he became a mule driver and finally engaged in mining the coal. .Although thus prevented from at- tending school he was anxious to improve his education and as he found opportunity he studied and recited to a lady at night. A laudable ambition to attain something better has e\er been one of his strong char- acteristics and setting his mark high he has eagerly embraced every o])i)ortunity for raising liim-^elf to its level. When he was thirteen years of age he chanced to see one of Dr. Chase's recipe books in which was a cut of Ann .Arbor L^^niversity, showing the law department. At that moment he de- termined to become a lawyer and never for a moment did he waver in his purpose. When he was seventeen years of age and a resident of Washingtonville. Ohio, J. C. Ryan of that ])lace invited Mr. Love THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 729 to study law with him. In order to accept this offer he attended the pubHc school in the mornings, worked in the mines in the afternoon, doing a full day's work, and af- ter supper he studied until nine o'clock. At the end of a year Mr. Ryan concluded that Mr. Love was taxing his strength too se- verely and persuaded his father to let Isaac live with him, which consent was granted and Mr. Love then lived with his preceptor for two years. When he was twenty years of age he was admitted to the bar. Dur- ing the two years just passed he had also attended the public schools and had com- pleted the high school course. After his ad- mission to the bar, realizing that he was deficient in literary knowledge, he engaged in teaching school for two years and th. money thus earned was used to defray his expenses as a student in Mount Union Col- lege, near Alliance, Ohio. He was after- ward elected principal of the Lafayette school, of South Bend, Indiana, although but twenty-two years of age. He remained there for a year and then opened a law of- fice in La Porte, Indiana, where he practiced for six years with success, being a part of that time a member of the law firm of Love & Thomas. Shortly after his admission to the bar he and his brother had formed a partnership, but soon agreed that they were too voung to begin business together. While in La Porte Mr. Love was twice the candidate of the Republican party for the position of states attorney, but the Democ- racy had an overwhelming majority in that district. During his second candidacy he made speeches for the congressional candi- date, who had no oratorical ability, deliver- ing altogether fifty-seven addresses, many times speaking twice a day. About that time many people were re- moving to Kansas and Air. Love decided to seek a home in the west, locating in An- thony, Harper county, Kansas, where he became the senior member of the firm of Lo\"e & Snelling. There he remained for ten years and during the first six years he never lost a jury trial. In 1890 he was nominated by the Republicans for district judge, but the Populistic wave swept over the state and not a Republican candidate was elected in Kansas. In 1894 he came to Danville and shortly afterward entered into partnership with W. R. Jewell, Jr., a re- lationship that has since been continued. In 1 89 1 he was admitted to practice before the United States supreme court. He is well versed in the principles of jurispru- dence and reading is continually broaden- ing his knowledge. His preparation of cases is thorough and exhaustive, and he has an ambition which nothing short of success will satisfy if it can be won through open, honorable methods. He has, how- ever, great respect for the dignity of his calling, and will never win a case if it must be done by debasing himself, lowering the standard of public morality or degrading the dignity of the profession. Mr. Love was married in 1891 to Miss Hattie Boggs, a daughter of B. F. Boggs. of Urbana, a lady of superior culture and innate refinement, who has won the degree of Master of Arts from the University of Illinois. In their family there are six chil- dren, a son and five daughters. Fraternally Mr. Love is connected with the Masonic order, belonging to the blue lodge and chap- ter. In politics he has always been a stal- wart Republican and in 1888 was a delegate to the national convention which nominat- ed Benjamin Harrison for the presidency. For a long time he has been an interested 730 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD worker and zealous meniljcr in the Metho- dist Episcopal chnrcli. For a number of years he has been the superintendent of the Sunday-schoool of the First Methodist Episcopal church, of Danville, and in 1900 was sent by the Illinois conference to the general conference of the church in Chica- go. Love township, this county, was named in his honor. It will thus be seen that his development has not been along one line, producing abnormal growth, but has been that of natural aihancement, that the I'hy- sical, intellectual and moral have been given due attention and that his strong manhood is the outcome of a sound mind in a sound body and aclimi added l)\- high mora! pur- pose. JOSEPH BAILEY. The ancestral history of Joseph Bailey is one wliicli traces back to a very early epoch in the annals of this country. Among the tirst families to establish homes in Essex county. Massachusetts, were the Baileys, and for many years representatives of the name ha\e there resided, Ijeing connected with agricidtural piu'suits. Lieutenant Thomas Bailey, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, received a commission from King Cieorge the Second, of England, in 1732, and this commission, now framed, liangs on a wall in the home of our subject. Manv other cherished heirlooms handed down through generations are also pos- sessed by .Mr. I'.ailey. a number of these being more than two lnui(lreesides valuable property in Fair- mount, A'ermilion county, Illinois. He was born in Brown county, Ohio, October 18, 740 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1851, aiul is a son of Josei)h ami Elizaljeth (Baldwin) Bainl, the former a native of Ohio and the lalter born in Kentucky. They were married in Kentucky and located in Ohio, wliere Joseph Baird followed black smithiiii^. in Brown county. They came to \'ermilion county. Illinois, in 1889 and lo- cated on a farm in V'ance township. In 1897 they removed to Catlin township. The mother died in 1857 and two years later Mr. Baird married again, his second union being with Miss Wyckoff. She died in i860 and in 1863 Mr. Baird was united in mar- riage to Alary Xeal, who is now living with her husband in Catlin township. He is a Democrat in his political views. G. W. Baird of this review has two brothers and one half brother living. I-"rank resides on a farm in \'ance township. John S. re- sides on a farm in Homer township. Cham- paign county, Illinois. Mr. Baird's half- bn)ther, Samuel, resides with his father in Catlin township. Mr. Baird of this review attended the district schools of Brown county, Ohio, but his educational privileges were quite lim- ited. However, I)y reading, experience and obser\ation he has since broadened his knowledge and is now a well informed man. He came to Vance township, Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1869, afterward purchased land fur himself and has since been engaged in farming and stock-raising, in which occupation he has been very suc- cessful. This is because he never neglects a dutv and is energetic and pro,gressive. Besides his large farm of three hundred and twenty acres he owns city property and a splendid home in Fairmounl. In that city, on the 1st of January, 1871, he was united in marriage to Miss Lydia E. Davis, who was born in Vermilion countv, Illinois, May _'3. 1852. She is a daughter of Will- iam and Elizabeth (Hays) Davis. Will- iam Davis was lx)rn in Guernsey county, Ohio, January 2^. 1811. His father was born in Pennsylvania, September 20, 1781, ruid died in 1S55, while his wife was born June .5, 1785, anil died in Xovemijer. 1848. The\- were among the early settlers of \'er- milion county, Illinois, having come from Ohio in 1834. The father of William Davis took part in the war of 181 _> and his grand- father was a soldier in the Re\'olutionary war. William I)a\'is came from Guernsey county, Ohio, to X'ermilion county, Illinois, in 1834 and located on a farm. He was twice married, his first union being with Elizabetli Hays, the mother of Mrs. Baird. This marriage took place on the I7tli of September, 18.34. She was a native of Washington county. I'ennsylvania. was born in 181 1 and departed this life in 1861. I'or his second wife Mr. Davis chose Mary Catlett. the marriage ceremony being per- formed in 1863. She was a native of \^ir- ginia, born August 23. 1821. She died in 1890 and Mr. Davis passed away on his eighty-fourth birthday, January 23, 1895. He was a member of the Baptist church and in politics was a Democrat. He was the father of seven children : Rachel is the wid- ow of D. Roudybush. and resides in Port land. Oregon; Edith.^ now deceased, Ije- came the wife of B. Browning, and resided in Los Angeles, California: David C. resides in Fancher. Shelby county, Illinois; Henry resides in Fairmount, Illinois: Jemima is the wife of S. Cox, and resides in Bement. Illinois: William F. is deceased: and Lytlia is the wife of our subject. ]\fr. and Mrs. Baird have three living chiklren : Harry D.. born August 3, 1873; Jennie G., born September 2, 1884; and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 741 Opal S., born May 28, 1888, all with their I^arents. They have two children deceased, one who died in infancy and Nellie M. Mr. Baird is a member of the Baptist church, and fraternally is connected with the Knights of the Globe and the Court of Honor. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat. He and his wife are valued cit- izens of Fairmount, where they are honored and respected by all who know them. CAPTAIN G. W. HOLLOWAY. Captain G. W. Holloway is an hotiored veteran of the Civil war, whose title was won by meritorious conduct on the field of battle in defense of the Union. He has been a resident of Vermilion county since No- vember 7, 1835. His birth occurred in Berkeley county. West \'irginia, February 22, 1823, his parents being Jesse and Susan (Roach) Holloway. The father was born in Stafford county, Virginia, and in Balti- mpre wedded Miss Roach. He then estab- lished his home in Berkeley county. West Virginia, where he engaged in farming until 1835, when he removed with his family to Vermilion county, Illinois. He entered land in the McKindree neighborhood, securing one hundred and sixty acres on section 21, Georgetown township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his re- maining days. This quarter was the last government land in this vicinity. Mr. Hol- loway was a Whig in politics ,and in religi- ous faith his wife was a Methodist. His death occurred July 2, 1854. Of their six children one died in infancy and Isabella died in 1845. The others are G. W. ; John, who died October 23, 1844: and Eliza, who resides with her brother, Jesse, who is mar- ried and lives in Oklahoma. Captain Holloway was a latl of twelve years when he accompanied his parents to this count}' and here he was reared upon the home farm. In the spring of 1853 he en- tered into partnership in a general mercan- tile business with Elam Henderson and af- ter about one year his brother, Jesse, also became a member of the firm, which was known as Henderson & Holloway. This partnership was maintained for twenty years, when they sold out and soon after- ward Mr. Henderson died. From 1874 until 1889 Captain Holloway carried on general merchandising alone and since that time has lix-ed retired. He was known as one of the reliable, enterprising merchants of his locality and in the conduct of his business afifairs he met with honorable and gratifying success. On the 17th of January, 1855. the Cap- tain married Miss Sophia M.. a daughter of Jesse and Sophia (McCullough) Lyons, both of whom were natives of Massachu- setts. Her father was married three times, and died in the Bay state, after which the mother of Mrs. Holloway came to Clinton. Indiana, and soon removed to Urbana, Illi- nois. Mrs. Holloway is the youngest of twenty children, and by her marriage she became the mother of six children. The fourth child died in 1864 at the age of sev- enteen months. Jesse L. died August 21, 1901. He had been a railroad conductor for several years and was stricken with apo- plexy while on duty. Belle, the eldest, is the wife of David Webb, a real-estate deal- er at Danville. George was for fifteen years a railway mail clerk and was then promoted to the position of postoffice inspector, in which capacity he has served for several 742 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD years, witli headquarters in Chicago. Rose is llie wife of John R. Thompson, a pronii nent Imsiness man in Chicago. Abby is now at liome. At tlie time of the Civil war Captain Holloway was aroused by patriotic impulses to enter the government service, enHsting August 6, 186.2. in the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry under Col- onel Harmcin. He was mustered into ser- vice on the 3d of September and became captain of Company D. On the 13th of September the company proceeded by rail to Cincinnati, thence to Louisxille bv boat and from that point started after Bragg, meet- ing the enemy in l)attle at Perryville. Later the regiment went to Nashville, where it remained through the winter, doing post duty. Later it was sent to Chattanooga and with his command Captain Holloway participated in the battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Riflge, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and Jonesboro. The fol- lowing winter was spent at Chattanooga, and in the spring of 1864 he started on the Sherman campaign. He marched into At- lanta on the 4th of September, there re- maining until Xox'ember. With Sherman's command he tlien started for Savannah, the troops arriving on the i ith of December, 1864. In the following January they went to Goldsboro, .\orth Carolina, .\\eraslxiro and Bentonvilie, where there was a battle^ in which the Union forces lost twelve hun- dred men. They then proceeded to Raleigh. North Carolina, and on the way learned of Lee's surrender. They were then encamped at Raleigh until Johnston's surrender, after wliich they marched to Richmond and on to Washington, participating in the grand re- view at that city on the 25th of May, 1865. With his regiment Captain Holloway was mustered out and sent to Chicago to be paid off, having received no pay since the 15th of the previous November. On the 3d of July. 1865, Captain Hol- knvay returned home. During his absence his brother Jesse and Mr. Henderson had conducted the mercantile business and after bis return the firm purchased the fiourmill in Georgetown, which our subject conduct- ed for six years. He is a Republican, hav- ing supported the party from its organiza- tion and in 1844 he voted for Henry Clay. He takes much interest in securing good government and is a friend of all public measures tending to promote the general good. Several times be has served as town- ship collector. He is a member of the? Methodist Episcopal church. His wife, who also belonged and was active in all lines of church work, died July 7, igoi. The Cajjtain belongs to Keyger Post. No. 204, (i. A. R., of Georgetown. The regi- ment to which be belonged held ,1 re-union on the 3d of September, 1902, the anniver- sary of its muster into service. In his busi- ness affairs Captain Holloway has been (|uite successful, and to-day he owns a pleasant home and valuable farming land which he rents. ♦-•-* LK ROY JONES, M. D. In r^Iarch, 1895, Dr. LeRoy Jones, lo- cated in Iloopeston. where he has since en- gaged in the practice of his profession with excellent success, having already gained a reputation which many an older physician might well envy. He was born in Milford. Iro(|ui^is county. Illinois, in 1863, a son of Henry and Sarah E. (Jones) Jones. His parents removed to Pettis county. IMissouri, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 7AI when the subject of this review was but four years of age, and the father has since carried on farming there. Both he and his wife are still living in Missouri and they reared a family of seven children, six of whom are yet living. Dr. Jones of this review spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old family homestead in Pettis county, and pur- sued his literary education in the public schools and in Westminster College at Ful- ton, Missouri, where he pursued a collegi- ate course. Determining to make the prac- tice of medicine his life work he began preparation for this calling as a student in the medical college at St. Louis, Missouri. in which he was graduated with the class of 1888. He entered upon practice in Greenbridge, Missouri, where he remained for two years and then removed to Indiana, settling at Pine Village, where he practiced for four years. On the expiration of that period he came to Hoopeston in March. 1895, -^'^"^^ '^'^s remained here continuoush' since. In July, 1902, in Ann Arbor, Michi- gan. Dr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss ^largaret Van Ness Phelps, a native of Michigan, and they have a pleasant home in Hoopeston, while the hospitality of many of the best residents here is extended to them. They hold membership in the First Presbyterian church, taking an acti\e inter- est in this work and the Doctor is serving as chorister and as a teacher and assistan, superintendent in the Sunday-school. In politics he is a Democrat and is now serv- ing as a member of the board of health of Hoopeston. In the line of his profession he is connected with the Tri-County Medi- cal Society and the Illinois State Medical Society and his reading in the line of his chosen work has been broad and compre- hensive, making him well informed. His office located in the McFerren's Block was destroyed by fire when that building was swept away and now he has new and mod- ern furnishings of the latest appro\'ed pat- terns in his office. He has won the public confidence through the display of his skill and ability in handling many important cases, and now has a liberal and well mer- ited patronage. MRS. FRANCES RUSLING. Mrs. Frances Rusling. who resides at No. 405 Cherry street, in Danville, is a na- tive of Ohio, and a daughter of Benton and Frances Smith, both of whom are natives of Ohio, although they resided during the greater part of their lives in Spencer coun- ty, Indiana, where both passey away. Their daughter, Frances Smith, gave her hand in marriage to John Oliver, an agriculturist, who carried on farming near Dan^•ille and died in this county. Later she gave her hand in marriage to Henry Payne, who was widely and favorably known in this citv. He was born in Vermont and came to Dan- ville about 1875. baving in the meantime, however, resided in Lafayette, Indiana. There he was first married, his wife being Miss Gillen, who died in Danville. After removing- to this city Mr. Payne was em- ployed as a brakeman on the Wabash Rail- road and subsecpiently he followed garden- ing until his marriage to Mrs. Rusling. He then lived retired until his death, which oc- curred on the 6th of March. 1901. In July, 1902, Mrs. Rusling married her present husband. George R. Rusling, who is a na- 744 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tive of England, and was a sailor on the Atlantic ocean for several years. In i860 he took up his abode in America and when the Civil war broke out he enlisted for ser- vice in Company I, Twentieth Indiana In- fantry, in 1861. He participated in the fol- lowing engagements: Hatteras Island, battle of the Wilderness, Yorktown, \'ir- ginia ; Petersburg. \^irginia, and all through the eastern cani])aign. lie was wounded in the Wilderness, losing two fingers, and after the war he turned his attention to farming, which he followed in the south for a few years. He then came to Danville, where he has since lived retired. He owns, however, a lArge farm in .\labama and was verv .successful in his agricultural pursuits, acquiring a richly merited competence through his successful control of his farm- ing interests. ]\Irs. Rusling is a member of the First Church of Chri.st of Danville She owns a nice little home at No. 405 Cherrv street and is well known in this citv. where she has resided for many years, her manv womanly ((ualities and kindliness of heart gaining for her the friendship of a large number of those with whom she has come in contact. LEWIS I\I. TH©MPSON. From the days of his infancy down to the present Lewis M. Thompson has been a resident of Vermilion county. This covers the i)eriod of a boyhood spent amid frontier conditions, the period of mature manhood devoted to agricultural pursuits when the county had become possessed of modern improvements and the comforts of civilization, .ind the period of the later-day progress in which he is now living retired from further labor — a man of seventy-four years, respected and honored because of a life of industry, integrity and uprightness. Mr. 'J'hompson was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1829, a son of John and Esther (Payne) Thompson. The father was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 1797, and was of Irish descent. In his early life he engaged in teaching .school and was a well informed man, but during the greater part of his business career he made farming his principal occupation, al- though to some extent he dealt in real es- tate. About 18.23, in Dearborn county, In- diana, he married F,sther Payne, and in 1830 they came to this county, settling near Danville, wlierc Mr. Thompson l>ecame the owner of three hundred acres of land, a \r,irt of which lie secured from the govern- ment. This was all unbroken, not a furrow having been turned upon the tract, and his labors brought the place under a high state of cultivation, transforming it into a valu- able farm. The first house on the place was a log cabin, wliich was occupied by the fam- ily until 1844, when a two story frame structure was erected. It stood until 1902, when a handsome residence was built by a son of our subject. This land has been in possession of the family continuously since 1830. John Thom])son was a man of UKax than ordinary capability and he took an ac- tive part in the early .settlement and develop- ment of the county. lie also acquired con- siderable property, his labors being re- warded with success. In politics he was a Whig and at one time served as county commissioner. I Ic was also one of the charter members of the Danville Lodge of Masons and tilled many offices therein. Both he and his wife attended the Method- ist church. He died in 1861. at the age of L. M. THOMPSON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 747 sixt}'-five }'ears, and her death occurred in Danville, in 1899, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. Both were laid to rest in the Danville cemetery. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom four died in infancy, while eight reached years of maturity, namely : Melissa, Martha, Lewis, S. D., Philander, ]Mary, Harriet and John, and of these four are now living". In the district schools of \^ermilion county Lewis M. Thompson was educated and amid the scenes of pioneer life he was reared. He assisted his father in the work of the home farm up to the time of his mar- riage, which occurred August 17, 1848, Miss Judith Ann Burroughs becoming his wife. She was a native of Ripley county, Indiana, and by her marriage became the mother of eight children. Viola, the eldest, is the wife of \V. H. Chamberlain, who is a professor in the schools of Chicago ; Mary A. is the wife of Hon. Charles A. Allen. J. G. Thompson, who was graduated in the law department of the State University of Michigan, in the class of 1881, became iden- tified in practice with W. R. Lawrence. He was appointed and served for one term as prosecuting attorney and on the expiration of that service was elected county judge, when only twenty-seven years of age. Later he was appointed assistant United States attorney general by President Mc- Kinley and has since remained in that posi- tion, which his legal learning and marked ability well qualifiy him to fill. Esther is the wife of A. P. Green, a leading business man of Attica. Lena is the wife of A. E. Ray, a prominent shoe dealer of Attica. Harriet is the wife of J. W. Morrow, a prominent druggist of Danville. The other two children have passed away, and the mother is also deceased. In 1891 Mr. Thompson was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Belle Bales, a daugh- ter of John Xewlin, a pioneer of this coun- ty, who resided near Georgetown. He was a saddler and followed his trade for many years. He also served as postmaster and justice of the peace through a long period and was an influential citizen of his locality. A native of North Carolina, born in 181 3, he came to Danville in 1830 and was there- fore one of -the early settlers. For his first wife he married Asenath Henderson and his second wife was Verona Newlin, who became the mother of Mrs. Thompson. He was also married a third time. The parents "of Mrs. Thompson were earnest Christian people and the father belonged to the So- ciety of Friends or Quakers and the mother to the Methodist church. His death oc- curred in Danville, in 1879. when he was seventy-five years of age. The daughter, Belle, was first married to C. P. Bales, and they had two children : LeRoy, who is head nurse in the Insane Hospital at Kan- kakee, Illinois ; and Ehvood, an operator on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. Mr. Thompson made his first purchase of land in 1848, becoming owner of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres near Ross- ville. This was all raw and unimproved, but he placed it imder a high state of culti- vation, erected excellent buildings and reared his children upon the farm which he there developed. At one time he owned seven hundred acres, constituting a very valuable property, but during the financial panic of 1873, because of his endorsement of paper for others, he suffered a loss of ten thousand dollars. He now has about one hundred acres in Vermilion county and a half section in Fulton county, Indiana, and he likewise owns property in Rossville, where he is now living retired. Mr. Thomp- son is a charter member of Rossville Lodge, 748 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I. O. O. F., \\liicli was organized in 1858. In liis political views he is a Republican and in religious faith his wife is a Method- ist. He has served * as assessor, collector and in other township offices, and has ever been obser\atil of his duties of citizenship, fully meeting every oliligation which thus devolves upon him and putting forth effect- ive effort for the welfare and progress of the county w hich has been his home through more than three score years and ten. He is to-day one of the oldest settlers of this locality and his mind carries the impress of the early annals of this section of the state as well as the history of its later-day prog- ress and improvement. D. C. BRANDON. D. C. Brandon is a prosperous farmer and one well and favorably known in \^er- milion county. In the years of an active business career his course has ever been honorable and upright and his energy and indefatigable industry have brought to him creditable and gratifying success. He w'as born in Jefferson, Indiana, February 16, 1854, and is a son of Robert Brandon, a nati\e of PenusyKania. 'i'lie grandfather, John Brandon, was burn in Virginia and came of a family of Scotch-Irish de.scent. By his marriage he had two sons and four daughters, and tliree of the daughters are now living, namely: Henrietta, the wife of Nicholas Manville, of Indianapolis ; Eliz- abeth, the wife of Cahill Monroe, of Oak- w-ood township; and Susan, the wife of Ed- ward Bair of Madison, Indiana. After ar- riving at years of maturity Robert Brandon wedtled Marv Gordon, a relative of the fa- mous General Gordon, and a native of the Hoosier state. Her father was James Gor- don, a representative of a family promi- nently and honorably identified with im- portant affairs throughout the history of America. Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were married in Indiana ami there the father of our subject engaged in farming. He pur- chased and operated a tract of land in Jef- ferson county and is now living a retired life in Madison, Indiana, having in the years of his former toil acquired a com- petence W'hich enables him to rest from fur- ther lalx^r. In his political affiliatians he is a Democrat, and has held a number of county and township offices. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has e\'er been in consistent harmony with its principles. In 1899 '^^ ^^'^^ called upon to mourn the loss of his wife. One of their sons, George Brandon, enlisted in the Thir- ty-sixth Indiana Infantry during the Civil war and served for three years and three months. He then entered the regular army, ser\ing for three years, and later he was killed in a railroad accident. John Bran- don, another brother of our subject, went to the Civil war as a substitute for his father and served until the close of hostilities. In the family were nine children : John, who wedded Mary Taylor, In' whom he has two children, resides in Madison, Indiana. George died at the age of twenty-eight years. Eli, who wedded Emma Smith and has one child, is living in Sidell township. Lee died .it the age of t\\eiU\-six years. Nancy is the w-ife of William Driggs, of Madison. Indiana, and has six children. D. C. is the next younger. Maria is the wife of Arch I'agg, of Madison, Indiana, and has one son and five daughters. Louvania is the wife of William Kestler of Madison, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 749 Indiana, and they have two children. Ida the wife of James McCance, of Madison. Indiana, has one child. D. C. Brandon pursued his education in the schools of Jefferson county, Indiana, working upon the home farm through the summer months while in the winter season he was a student. He left school, however, at the age of seventeen years and after that gave his entire attention to the task of cul- tivating his father's land. In 1872 he came to Illinois, locating in Westville, Vermilion county, where he first worked by the month as a farm hand. He then rented the Tur- ner Momen farm in Vance township and about this time he was married and estab- lished a home of his own. It was on the 20th of September, 1876, in Danville, that Mr. Brandon wedded Mary Jane Forein, who was born in Vermilion county, July 20, 1854, a daughter of Dennis Forein. whose birth occurred in county Cork, Ire- land. His father also bore the name of Dennis Forein, and was a native of the Emerald Isle. The father of Mrs. Brandon was united in marriage to Margaret Clif- ton, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Thomas Clifton, who was likewise born in the Buckeye state and whose family num- bered seven children. Mr. Forein was a farmer by occupation and in the year i86j came to Vermilion county, where for three years he rented land. He then purchased a farm in Catlin township, making it his home until his death, which occurred Aug- ust 2, 1895. He was a communicant of the Catholic church, and was buried in the Catholic cemetery at Danville. His widow is now living on the old homestead in Cat- lin township. In the family were five chil- dren : Mrs. Brandon; Elizabeth, the wife of William Mann of Blue Mound, Catlin township, by whom she has five children; Katie, the wife of Edward Boyle, of Catlin township, by whom she has nine children ; Dennis, who married Aliss ]\I. Soevers, by whom she has three .sons, and also lives in Catlin township; and Hannah, the wife of Elijah Sowers, of the same township, by whom she has one child. After his marriage Mr. Brandon located on the Turner Momen farm, where he lived for a year and then removed to the Pratt farm of forty acres, on which he lived for two years. His next home was on the Will- iam Davis farm, where he resided for ten years. In 1887 he purchased the Douglas farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on section 17 in V'ance township, and three years later he bought forty acres on section 19. This property he has improved and to-day it is a very valuable farm. In 1901 he built a splendid residence, in Oueen Anne style, at a cost of thirty-five hundred dol- lars, and he now has one of the best equipped farms in Vermilion county. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon has been blessed with nine children, all of whom are still under the parental roof, namel}- : Robert E., wiio was born June I, 1S77; Albert, born September 21, 1881 ; Edward, born October 25. 1882; Stella, born January 6, 1S86; Herman. Ijorn Jan- uary 17, 1888; Ralph, born February i, 1890; Mary, born February 5, 1893; Dav- id, born June 30, 1897; and Mildred, who was born April 8, 1901. In his political views ^Ir. Brandon is a Democrat and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He has served as road commissioner and school di- rector, and fraternally he is connected with the Court of Honor and the Modern Wood- men of i'Vmerica. He also belongs to the 750 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Methodist Episcopal church, in wliicli he is now serving as steward. Having long resided in tiiis county .Mr. lirandon lias be- come widely known and the qualities of an upriglit manhood have gained for him the unqualified confidence of those with whom he has been associated. His life has been one of unremitting diligence and his busi- ness capability ■ and executive force have brought to him creditable and gratifying success. His farm with its splcnditl im- pro\ements is the visible evidence of his life of enterprise and his attractive home stands as a monument to his earnest toil. SAMUEL .\. ML'Ml'HRKY. M. D. Dr. Samuel .\. Humphrey, deceased, was one of the prominent physicans and druggists of Danville who became a resi- dent of this city in 1844, when it was but a small town giving little promise of its future development ruid progress. The Doctor was a native of Nelson county, Ken- tucky, born May 3, 1823, his parents being Samuel and Margaret Humphrey, who al- ways lived in Xelson count}', where the fa- ther carried on farming. Both he antl his wife i)assed awa_\- there. Dr. Humphrey spent the years of his minority in the Blue Grass state and ac- quired his education in its public schools. When twen.ty-one years of age, however, he left his old home and came to Illinois, having an uncle living in Vermilion county. This caused him to make his way to Dan- ville and at once he purchased a farm on what is known as Blue Grass prairie. There he devoted his energies to agricultural ])ur- suits for a year, after which he took up his abode in Danville, for he had determined to abandon the plow in order to enter profes- sional life, believing that the practice of medicine would prove a congenial occupa- tion and at the same time yield him a good li\ing. He took up the study of medicine under the direction of Dr. Courtney, who directed his reading for some time. He af- terward entered the Medical School at Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and was there graduated on the 26th of February, 1848, receiving a certificate to practice, which is now in the possession of his widow. Dr. Humphrey then returned to Dan- ville and not onl_\- began the work of alleviating human suffering, but also estab- lished a drug store on Main street and con- tinued in the compounding of medicines and the sale of drugs in connection with the practice of his chosen profession. He also established a dry goods store in the city, devoting his time and energies to the successful conduct of his three fold business throughout his remaining days. The prac- tice of medicine, however, was his chief pursuit and he always kept thoroughly in- formed concerning the advanced thought made by the profession and utilized his in- creased knowledge for the benefit of his fel- low men. I Ic became the trusted and lo\ed physician in many a household and his work was attended with excellent results. The Doctor was married in X'ermilion county to Miss Mary Milton, also a native of Xelson county, Kentucky, born July 29, 1824, a daughter of William and Ellen Mil- ton. Her father dicil in Kentucky and her mother afterwards became the wife of James Partlow, who removed to \'ermilion county at a very early day, settling on a farm at Blue (irass, where he and his wife lived throughout the remainder of their lives. .Mr, I'artlow devoting his energies to the production of grain with excellent .success. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 753 The marriage of Dr. Humphrey and his wife was blessed witli one daughter, Mar- garet Ellen, who became the wife of John Banta, a resident of Danville, but Mrs. Banta died July i^, 1865. In his political views Dr. Humphrey was an earnest Republican and neither fear nor favor coukl swerve him from a cause which he believed to be right. He died Au- gust 12, 1864, in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, of wliich he had long been a consistent and zealous member. His life was exer upright, his strong characteristics being those which commended him to the confidence and respect of his fellowmen. In the practice of his profession he had oppor- tunity to do much good and he ditl it when- ever the opportunity came, for he was a man of broad humanitarian principles. Mrs. Humphrey, who still survives her husband. resides with her step-sister. Mrs. Partlow at No. 713 North Hazel street. She. too, has long lieen a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and her many excellent traits of heart and mind have gained for her the warm friendship of those with whom she has been brought in con- tact. < ■ » WILLIAM C. HAWKINS. William C. Hawkins is a well known farmer of Vermilion county, residing on section 20. in Jamaica township. He was born in Edgar county. Illinois, March 21. 1865, and is a son of Edmond L. and Ma- linda (James) Hawkins, both natives of Edgar county, where they were reared and married, Edmond L. Hawkins was the son of William, a native of Kentucky, and Charlotte (Drake) Hawkins, a nati\e of Ohio. William Hawkins, the father of 30 Edmund L., was a son of Crosby Hawkins, who came to America from Irelaufl. After the death of his first wife William Hawkins married Nancy Philips, a native of Indiana. He was the father of six children, four of whom are }et li\ing: Henry, of Nebraska; Sarah, the wife of John McCrowe, of Dan- ville, Illinois; Edmund L., the father of our subject; and Abraham, of Metcalf, Edgar county, Illinois. Edmond L. Haw- kins followed carpentering and worked at his trade near Bloomfield, Illinois. He built many residences of that place, which still stand as monuments to his handiwork and skill. He removed to Danville in 1866 and engaged in contracting and carpenter- ing. On the expiration of two years he re- moved to a farm north of Fithian, Illinois. There he lived for four years and then re- moved to Fairmount, Illinois. The mother died in June. 1901, and the father is now making bis home with his son William C. He is a memlier of the Christian church and is a stanch Democrat. His life has been actively and usefully spent and he has done much toward the material improvement and development of the communities in which he has lived, besides taking a deep interest in the moral and intellectual growth thereof. He and his wife were the parents of six cb.ildren, four girls and two boys. Minnie is the wife of Edward Boggers and resides in Des IMoines, Iowa. They have five children. The subject of this review is the second in order of birth. Edmond S.. born December 25, 1866, was a clerk and resided in Fairmount, Illinois. He was married to Arab Jakeway. of Sidney, Illinois, and died on the 21st of April, 1898. He commenced clerking for C. V. Tilton, of Fairmount, and remained with him for eight years. He then worked for J. M. Mc- Cabe, for one vear and next went to Cham- 754 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD paign, Jllinuis, entering the employ of Jos- eph Kulm & Son. Here he remained for four years, wlien on account of faihng health he was obliged to resign his posi- tion. He went to Colorado in .\pril, 1897. and retiu'ned to Sidney, Illinois, in Octo- ber. There his death occurred. He became a member of the Cliristian church in l"eb- ruary, 1894. He was a member of Cham- paign Lodge, Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. The funeral services were held in the Methodist Episcopal church, Friday, April 22, 1898, the services being conducted by the Rev. S. S. Jones. His remains were in- terred in Greenview cemetery at Fair- mount. Etta M. married Edward Pope. They have three children and reside near Guthrie, Oklahoma. Lilly married H. A. .Stearns, has two children and resides in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Gertrude, born July 6, 1873, was married at Fairmount, Illinois, to William Baughman. The ceremony took place June 2, 1895, ^""^ ^^''"^s performed by Rev. S. S. Jones, of Danville. They re- sided at 216 East Madison .street, in Dan- ville, Illinois, at the time of her death, which occurred at 5 130 Monday evening, March 8, 1897. Mrs. Baughman was a most efficient worker in the Christian church, was president of the Endeavor So- ciety, was Sunday-school teacher and leader of the choir. Her funeral services were lield from the Baptist church. Rev. S. S. Jones officiating. Her remains were In- terred in Greenview cemetery. When she died the conmumity lost an exemplary Christian woman, whose death was deeply mourned 1>y many friends as well as her immediate family. In the common .schools of Fairmount, Illinois, William C. Hawkins received his education, continuing therein until he was .seventeen years of age. He then began farming, renting forty acres of land and thus getting a start in life. He was mar- ried Se])tember 7. 1886, in \*ance township, to Miss Mabel Witherspoon, who was Ijorn in \'ance township. May 19, 1866. She was the daughter of \\'illiam P. Wither- spoon, whose family historv is gi\en else- where on the Jiages of this work. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins have been born two children, Nina Pearl, born January lo, 1892, and Emma W., born March 2^1. 1894. After his marriage Mr. Hawkins locat- ed in Edgar county, where he remained for six months. He then removed to Fair- mount, remaining there for two months, after which time he removed to the farm he now occupies. He is the owner of one hun- dred and twenty acres of very valuable farming land, the fields of which are well cultivated, it being one of the best farms in Jamaica township. He raises a high grade of stock, which he sells on the market at a good price. He is a very industrious man and has been acti\e in public affairs. He served as asses.sor of the township for two years and is now acting as supervisor. His religions faith is indicated by his member- ship in llie Methodist Episcopal church, where he is acting as trustee. Fraternally he is connected with the Court of Honor and in politics is a Democrat. A public- spirited man he is well known and highly respected througlniut this part of \*ermilion count V. ROBERT TERRELL. Robert Terrell is a pioneer settler of \'ermilion county, of 1858, and is a witness of the changes which have occurred here. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 755 He has seen the development which has made this portion of the state a rich agri- cultural district and the center of extensive and important industrial and commercial concerns. Through many years he actively carried on farm work, but is now living re- tired and the competence which enables him to enjoy this rest was acquired entirely from his own efiforts. Mr. Terrell was born in county Kings, Ireland, on the 7th of May, 1844, a son of John and Elizabeth (Shouldice) Terrell, who were likewise natives of the Emerald Isle. The father died about three months before the birth of our subject and the mother, long surviving him, passed away in 1894, in Grant township, Vermilion county. Our subject now has one living brother, James, who resides near Rochester, Indiana. Originally there were five boys in the family. Robert Terrell spent the first fourteen years of his life in the country of his na- tivity, and then bade adieu to friends in his native land. He sailed for the new world, landing at New York in 1858. From there he made his way to Connecticut, where he was engaged in farm work for six months. In the fall of 1858 he arrived in Vermilion county, finding here broad stretches of prairie over which the plow had never made its way. Wolves were killed in great num- bers during the winter and there were many deer, so that the tables of the early settlers were largely supplied with venison. Mr. Terrell settled in Ross township, a mile east of the town of Rossville, where he pur- chased one hundred and twenty acres of land, for which he paid twenty dollars per acre. His purchase, however, was not made until 1882, and prior to that time he had operated rented land. As early as 1867 he bought land in Grant township, for which he paid ten dollars per acre, after- ward selling it at an advance of six dollars per acre. He lived upon that place for two years and the money with which he paid for his property he earned by herding cattle at tifty dollars per month. In those days there were few fences over the prairie, and the women of the household oftentimes had to leave their indoor labor in order to drive the stock from the fields. Dogs were also efficient in this way and in a measure did away with the necessity of fences. W^hen I\Ir. Terrell purchased his Ross township property he found it partially improved, but since that time he has laid many rods of tiling and has developed a model farm by the erection of good buildings and by the planting of fruit trees, the digging of a well and the cultivation of the fields. His property is to-day one of the best improved farms of like size in Vermilion county. On the 1 8th of April, 1899, however, he left the farm and came to Hoopeston, where he erected his present home at a cost of sixteen hundred dollars, one of his sons now li\-ing upon the home place. On the 3d of July, 1866, in Williams- port, Warren county, Indiana, Mr. Terrell was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Ellen Ross, who was born in Brown county, Ohio, in 1849, ^ daughter of Josiah and Emily (Ferguson) Ross. Her father died in 1885, but her mother is still living in Hoopeston at the advanced age of eighty-five years, her birth having occurred in 181 7. Mr. Ross carried on merchandising until about 1862, when he took up his abode upon a farm in Miami county, Ohio, and subse- quently removed to Williamsport. Indiana, where he lived until his death. In his fam- ily were five children who are still living: 756 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Sliedrick, of Williamsport. Indiana; Ellis, of Clarion, that state; Mrs. Malinda Har- ris, whose home is south of Rossville; and Mrs. Anna (jocking, of Hoopeston. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Terrell has been blessed with se\en children, of whom five are yet living: James; Maude, the wife of I'eter Redmond, of Attica, Indiana: Jo- siah, who wedded Mary Miller and is liv- ing on the old home place: Robert, who married Addie Cory and resides in Hoope- ston; and Dessie, the wife of Lemuel Streets, of Hoopeston, who was a soldier in the Spanish-.\merican war, serving in Battery A, of l)an\ille. in I'orto Rico. Since his return he has wedded the young- est (laughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terrell. The members of the family who have passed away are: John, who died at the age of two years, and Herbert, wlici died at the age (^f fi\e years. Mr. Terrell has ever l)cen a loyal citi- zen of his adopted land and at the time of the Civil war he manifested his patriotic spirit by enlisting in 1863 as a member of Company E. Third Indiana C;i\alr\-. with which he served until the close of the war. He was under the command of Captain Thompson, Colonel Chapman ;nid (ieneral Custer, and was in the Cavalrx- C'orjjs nf the Eastern Department along the i'otomac. He was taken prisoner at Cedar Creek, Vir- ginia, October 15, 1864, and was in Libby prison at Richmond, until March. 1865. He participated in the battles of Winchester. Antietam. the Wilderness, Lookout Moun- tain. Rappahannock Courthouse, ^'ellow Tavern, Cedar Creek and a numl)er of skir- mishes. He was wounded in the engage- ment at Cedar Creek, where his horse was shot from under him ;nid brnke his arm by falling upon him, thus injuring his s])inal cert \\'., who is an enterpris- ing and progressive citizen of Danville, now serving as assistant cashier of the Second National Bank: Walter, who is city engi- neer of Danville: Fred S., who is employed by the Bradstreet Company of Chicago; and Herbert L., who was employed in the office of the Union Pacific Railroad Com- pany at Omaha. Nebraska, but now by the electric light company. In 1873 Mr. ^Martin removed from Shelbvville to Danville, where he continued his residence until his death. He at once took charge of The Commercial, of which he was the editor for several years, and un- der his administration this became a popu- lar and well patronized journal. He after- ward established a newspaper of his own. called the Saturday Opinion, which he con- ducted for a few years. Later he served as bookkeeper in several business houses of the city and was then made justice of the peace, serving in that position until his health failed, after which he lived retired until his death, which occurred Jnne 30. 1900. In political affairs he was prominent and for several years he repre.sented his ward as a member of the board of aldermen of Danville. He always voted with the Re- publican party and manifested the interest of a loyal citizen in questions pertaining to the gaieral good. He held membership in the First Presbyterian church, to which his wife Ijelongs, and in all life's relations he was known as a man of sterling honor and integrity, possessing commendable traits of character, which drew to him the regard and good will uf his fellow men. Mrs. Mar- tin, who is an estimable lady and has many friends in Danville, owns and occupies a beautiful home at No. 516 West Harri.son street. ■» « » MARTIN H. WATSON. When death claimed Martin H. Watson on the 13th of Sei)tember, 1888, the com- munity lost a valued citizen, the family a devoted husband and father, and his friends a companion whose loyalty was never ques- tioned. He was born in X'ermilion county in 1840 and always lived within Us borders. He had three brothers and a sister: John. George, Thomas and T^lrs. Minerva Henry. In his early life Mr. Watson resided east of Danville and after his marriage came to the farm in Pilot township, upon which his widow yet resides. He was married in the city of Danville in 1859 to Miss Mar- tha A. Cunningham, whose birth occurred in Fountain county, Indiana, in 1842. her parents removing to Illinois when she was but four years of age. Both her father and mother are now deceased. She had two brothers and two sisters : Mrs. Eliza Wor- ley, a resident of Nebraska; Mrs. Mari Brewer, whose home is near Fairmount : and James and Nicholas Cunningham, both of whom are residents of Danville. When Mr. Watson was married he owned one hundred and sixty acres of land but as time passed and his financial re- sources increased as the result of his dili- gence and enterprise he added to his prop- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 763 erty until he was the possessor of four hun- dred and twenty acres of valuable land. His life was one of earnest labor. The place was all wild when he took up his abode thereon and his first purchase was made four dollars and seventy-five caits per acre. With characteristic energy he began the de- velopment of his "farm and in course of time transformed the raw tract into a high- ly cultivated farm. He thoroughly under- stood farming in every department, and his work, directed by good judgment, brought to him a comfortable competence. In his religious faith Mr. Watson was a Baptist and in politics he was a Democrat. He served as a road commissioner of his dis- trict and also as a school director and took a deep and active interest in everything per- taining to public progress and advance- ment. He was trustworthy and reliable in his business afifairs and all who knew him entertained for him high regard because his life was in harmony with missionary prin- ciples. Unto ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Watson were born eleven children, of whom ten are now liv- ing: Mrs. Xannie Yeoman, Clement S., Mrs. Rosa Frederick, Owen G., Mrs. Cora McCoy, Frank, Mrs. Inez Jenkins, Mrs. Estella Brush, Willey and Martin who is living with his widowed mother upon the home farm and operates the land. When death claimed jNIr. W'atson he was laid to rest in Spring Hill cemetery at Danville, but though fourteen years have since come and gone his memory is still cherished by those whcT knew him. But three of the chil- dren of the family were married at the time of the father's death and Mrs. Watson care- fully and tenderly reared the others, pro- viding them with good educational privi- leges and caring for them until they went to homes of their own. She has displayed good business ability in the management of the home property, adding some to her original estate, and she now owns one hun- dred and fifty acres of rich land, which is very productive and returns to her a good income. Possessing many excellent traits of heart and mind she, like her husband, has a large circle of warm friends. GEORGE W. DARR. George W. Darr was torn in Parke county, Indiana, August 6, 1853, and is a son of John H. and Rebecca (Collings) Darr, the former a native of North Car- olina and the latter of Kentucky. John H. Darr was a son of David Darr, who also was born in North Carolina and removed to Indiana, where he spent the remaining years of his life. In his political views he was a Democrat. John H. Darr removed with his parents from North Carolina to Parke county, Indiana, and was there mar- ried to Rebecca Collings, who had come to Indiana from Kentucky with her parents when she was but three years of age. They made the journey on horseback and she rode behind her mother the entire distance. John H. Darr followed farming throughout the active years of his life and spent his remaining days in Parke county, Indiana, where his death occurred Ma)' 19, 1859. He was a member of the German Lutheran church and politically gave his support to the Democratic party, but always refused to hold ofifice. His wife is still living with the subject of this review, at the age of seventy years. Besides her son George W. she has one daughter, Sarah, the wife of 704 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD John R. Maler. a resident of Danviile, Illi- nois. They have one child. Grace. George W. Darr spent his boyhood days iijjon the home farm in Parke county. In- diana. In tlic winter mnnths he attended district school No. 4, and in the summer seasons he worked u[)on the farm. His mother removed with her children to Ver- milion county when he was thirteen years of age, going to the farm of his uncle, about one mile northeast of their present home, which they purchased in 1869. Here he also attended the Dougherty school, assist- ing his mother on the farm at the same time. He remained with his mother, as- sisting her on the farm until twenty-one years of age, when he jjurchased his mother's and sister's interest in the forty ncres of land, Deceml)er 10, 1874. On the 5th of I'ebruary, 1878, in what is now Jamaica township, Mr. Darr was united in marriage to Miss Susannah Hop- per, a daughter of Louis and Afargaret (Kin.sey) Hopper. She was born in Ver- milion county, Illinois, January 20, 1857. Her father was a native of \'irginia, born February 13, 1826, and her mother was born in Ohio, Sei)teml)er 19, 1829. They were marriey her first mar- riage she had two children. J. Douglas, a popular school teacher living southwest of Jamesburg; and Cynthia E., the wife of Otis Wilson, of this county. Mrs. Fair- child is a daughter of Ezekial and Eliza- beth (Outten) McNamer, the former a na- tive of Delaware and the latter of Ohio. L'nto Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild have been born four children : Wesley, who was mar- ried .\ugust 24, 1897, to Stella Bonnett, by whom he has one child. Clayton Nathan- iel ; Je.sse. at home; Nettie A,, who became the wife of Shelby M. Starr, November 10, 1 901; and Nathaniel R. When fifteen years of age Mr. Fairchild became a member of the Methodist church, with which he has since been identified, antl has ever been deeply interested in the cause of Christianity and its advancement. In politics he is a stalwart Republican. He to-day owns one hundred and sixty acres of well im])roved land and is a farmer whose perseverance and energy have brought to him a creditable position in agricultural cir- cles. His entire life has been passed in \'er- milion county and the fact that many who have known him from boyhood are num- bered among his stanchest friends, is an in- dication that his has been an honorable and upright career. OLIN A. McFARLAND. Olin A. Ald'arland. who for twenty- two years has practiced at the Danville bar, making a specialty of commercial, real es- tate and probate law. was bom in Farming- ton, Maine, November 11, 1836, and is a son of Dr. P. M. and Sarah E. (Mace) AIcFarland. The father was a native of Pennsyhania, the mother of Massachusetts, and thev were married in Kentucky. The THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 771 Doctor was a graduate of Allegheny Col- lege, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and of the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati, and was successfully engaged in practice from 1863 until 1892. Throughout the Civil war he served his country as surgeon of the Fifty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, re- maining at the front for four years, during which time he did much to allay the suffer- ing caused by war and its hardships. For many years he was a resident of Centralia, Illinois, where his death occurred in 1892. The mother of our subject had passed away in 1879 and the Doctor had afterward mar- ried Stella V. Casey, who is now living in Colorado Springs. Colorado. There were three children of the first marriage : Ed- ward P., Frank M. and Olin A. In the public schools of Centralia, Illi- nois, Mr. ]\IcFarland of this review pur- sued his elementary education, which was supplemented by a full course of study in the Asbury University, at Greencastle. In- diana. After spending four years in that institution he was graduated with the de- gree of Bachelor of Arts, and thus having acquired broad literary knowledge to serve as a foundation for professional training. he entered the Union Law College of Chicago — the law department of the Northwestern LTniversity — and was graduated in 1880 with the degree of L.L. B. In August of the same year he opened an office in Danville. From 1885 until 1888 he was associated in prac- tice with Albert Emerson, but with the ex- ception of that period has been alone during the twenty-two years of his connection with the Danville bar, where he has continually advanced until he has long since gained a place among the lawyers of distinction and ability in this part of the state. Although he has followed general practice he is now making a specialty of commercial, probate and real-estate law, and has informed him- self thoroughly concerning these branches, with the result that he handles with skill such cases as are entrusted to him and sel- dom fails to win a verdict favorable to his clients. Much important litigation has been conducted by him. He prepares his cases with great thoroughness and precision and his devotion to his clients' interests is pro- verbial. In 1 88 1, in Greencastle, Indiana, Mr. McFarland was married to Mary B. Fletch- er, who was born in Indianapolis, that state, in 1856, a daughter of Milo J. Fletcher, who was professor of literature in Asbury University at Greencastle. and state super- intendent of instruction in Indiana. He was a graduate of Brown University and of Harvard Law School, and throughout his life was connected with educational work. At the time of the Civil war he was ap- pointed one of the commissioners of Indi- ana to look after the wounded Indiana sol- diers injured in the battle of Shiloh. and shortly after he was killed in a railroad accident at Spencer, that state. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Jennie M. Hoar, and was a nati\'e of Providence, Rhode Island, died about 1890. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McFarland have been born three chil- dren : Elizabeth, who is a graduate of the Danville high school and now attends the Chicago University; Fletcher and Allen P.. both of whom are students in the high school here. In his political views Mr. McFarland is a Republican. For eight years he has been a member of the library board of the city and at the present time is serving as a member of the city board of education. So- 772 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD cially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. He has passed all the chairs in the former and has served as a representative to both the grand lodge and grand encampment. He attends the Metliodist Episcopal chnrch and is inter- ested in every measure of progress and im- provement for the general good of the city. In a profession where distinction and suc- cess depends upon individual merit, coiupre- hensive knowledge and a readiness in cor- rectly applying such knowledge, he has at- tained high rank. FRANK LINDLEY. l-"rank Linilley is a nieniher of what is now the oldest law lirni of Haiiville as re- gards vears of continued ct)nnection with the bar of this city. The profession of the law when clothed with its true digiiity. jmr- itv and strength must rank first among the callings of man. for law rules the universe. The work of the legal profession is to form- ulate. h> harmonize, to regulate, to adjust, to administer those rules and princi])les that underlie and permeate all government and societv and control the \aried relations of men. As thus reviewed there is attached to the legal profession nobleness that can not but be rellected in the life of the true lawyer, who. rising to the responsibilities of the pro- fession, and honest in the jjursuit of his pur- pose, embraces the richness of learning, the firmness of integrity and the purity of mor- als, together with the graces and modesty and the general amenities of life. Of such a tvpe I'rank l.indley is a representative. Mr. l.indley was born March lo, 1858. in \\ ;i\'ne countx'. Indiana, and is a son of Osmond and Archie W. (Wilson) Lindley. \\ho were orthodox Quakers and were na- tives of North Carolina. James Lindley and John \V. Wilson, the paternal and maternal grandfathers, respectively, of our subject, were slave owners in North Carolina, but manv vears prior to the Civil war they lib- erated all of their slaves and both were strong advocates of freedom. The parents of our subject are graduates of Earlham College, a school of Indiana, conducted un- der the auspices of the Society of Friends. The father was one of a family of five chil- dren, of whom the only survivor is Jona- than Lindley. The others were Hiram, Cal- vin and J(]hn. .and the family was of Scotch and English lineage. Osmond Lindley. af- ter completing his education, engaged in teaching to some e.xtent and in his later years followed farming, stock-raising and ])ork-packing. He successfully conducted his business affairs until his life's labors were ended in death in 1877. when he was forty-fi\e years of age. His widow still sur\i\es him and now resides at I'air- monnt. Indiana. In the public schools l-"rank Lindley be- gan his education, w hich w as afterward con- tinued in Hopewell .\cademy in Henry county, Indiana. He came to Shelbvville. Illinois, with his parents in 1872. and for a time engaged in teaching school, when de- siring to still further perfect his own educa- tion he became a student in the State Normal. Soon afterward be began reading law in the ol¥ice of the firm of Thornton, Wend- ling & Hamlin, at Shelbyville. Illinois, and when he had largely mastered the principles of jurisprudence he was admitted to the bar in May, 1881, and came to Danville. Here he entered int manded by Colonel Harmon, and he died near Nashville while in the service. In his family were eight children, six of whom are now living: Mary, the wife of John Bar- nett. who resides near Blount. Illinois; Ben- jamin, of Danville: Mrs. Cosat; Lewketty, the wife of Lafayette Saltz, of Danville; John v., and Charles, who are residents of tins citv. L'nto Mr. Cosat and his second wife have been l)orn thirteen children, of w honi eigh.t are living : Professor E. H. Cosat. who married Miss Tessie Martin and is principal of the Collett school of Dan- ville: Theodore W.. who is engaged in the real estate business in this city ; Everett, who is agent for the New York Nursery Compan\- in Danville and married Miss Ella drition. I)y whom he has one son. Olaf; Effie, the wife of Pearl Hastings, re- siding on Fairchild street of Danville, bv whom she has two children. Floyd and Alctiia: Charles L.. a carriage painter of Danville: Nellie. Marion and Lowell, all at- tending school. Elder Cosat was ordained a minister of the Christian church October 10. 1S71. and his first charge embraced I'niou and Prairie Char.els of X'crmilinn county. He has suc- cessive! v been pastor of church No. 10 near Armstrong. Illinois, the church at Bismarck, at Stateline, at \\'alnut Corners. Clunxh No. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD m 8 and also the church of his denomination at Fithia!!, Oakwood, Maple Grove and oth- er points. He was pastor of the church at Union, Illinois, where he has preached for the past twenty-one years and he is now pastor of tlie churches at Georgetown and at Janesburg", Illinois. Throughout the great- er part of his life his attention has to some extent been given to business interests and he has likewise been active in official serv- ice. For eleven years he was town clerk, was justice of the peace for nine years, was assessor for six years, supervisor for one year and overseer of the poor for one year, holding all of these offices in Blount town- ship. In 1892 he removed to Danville and later spent a short time in Kansas, but re- turned to this city in 1895 '^"'^ ^^'^^ here en- gaged in merchandising. He is now con- nected with his son in the real estate busi- ness. Prior to 1881 Mr. Cosat voted with the Republican party and since that time he has been a Prohibitionist. In matters of citizenship he is interested and also in every- thing pertaining to the general gootl and ac- tively co-operates in every measure for the promotion of progress, reform and improve- ment. He belongs to the United Order of the Golden Cross and was an active member of the Farmers Grange. At the time of the Civil war he was an earnest advocate of the Union cause and on the 14th of July. 1864, he enlisted in Company I, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Thomas Flint and Colonel E. A. Allen, joining the army at Broadliead, Wisconsin. He was then ordered to the front and under Sher- idan participated in the Shenandoah cam- paign and was present when Sheridan made his famous ride from Winchester to Cetlar Creek. In the fall of 1864 the regiment was transferred to the Armv of the Poto- mac and operated with that great military division until 1865. Mr. Cosat participated in the battle of Petersburg and in the san- guinary engagement at Sailors Run. Be- cause of meritorious conduct and marked bravery he was recommended by General Grant for a commission. With his com- mand he pursued General Lee to Appomat- tox, and was afterward at Burksville Junc- tion, guarding stores until the following June, after which the troops marched to Danville on the North Carolina line. In the meantime General Johnston had sur- rendered to General Sherman and Mr. Cosat with his regiment returned to Burksville and afterward to Richmond, later going to Washington, while on Hall's Hill, on Ridge Point, he was mustered out. He then pro- ceeded to Madison, Wisconsin, where in Julv he received an honorable discharge with the rank of corporal. He is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Flis militaiy service was in keeping with the family record for loyalty, patriotism and bravery. His influence has ever been found on the side of progress, the truth and the right, for he believes that Christian faith should find its exemplification in the daily walks of life. TOHN DEAL. John Deal was born in Reading. Penn- syl\-ania, on Christmas day of 1844. His father, Jonathan Deal, was a native of Ire- land, while the mother of our subject, wh.o l)ore the maiden name of Rebecca Fleming, was born in Scotland, their marriage being celebrated in Boston. The father was a car- penter by trade and spent his last years in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he died in 1 8=; I on the se\'enth l)irth(lav of his son 778 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD John. Tlie motlier survived alxiut two years and also passed away in Fayetteville. 'I'hey were the parents of three children, of wlinni John ]3eal is the youngest. .\t tlie time of his i)arents' deatli c)ur sul)icct went to live with his sister in Darke county, Ohio, making his home with his rel- atives. Vv. and .Mrs. Samuel Young, untd 1864. His educational pri\ileges were quite limited anil his youth v\as largely a period of toil. When twenty years of age he left the I'ert and Ann (Stephens) THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 783 Gregory. His maternal grandfather was General Robert Stephens who won his title by service in the Revolutionary war. In that long and sanguinary struggle he was connected with General Green, General Sul- livan and other distinguished military lead- ers and became a prominent man in the south. Robert Gregory, the father of our subject was bom in Martinsburg, Virginia, and made his home there throughout the greater part of his life. He rendered ef- fective service to his country as a soldier of the war of 1 8 1 2 and he was a devoted mem- ber and great worker in the Episcopalian church at Martinsburg. Both he and his wife died in Virginia. Alexander S. Gregory is the only one of their family now living. He acquired his early education in the common schools of his native state and began learning the carpenter's trade in Martinsburg, following that pursuit there until twenty-two years of age, when he left home and went to New Orleans, where he worked at carpentering for two years. On the expiration of that period he returned northward and for a short time was a resident of Lafayette, In- diana. Again he worked at his trade, being thus engaged in Lafayette until the time of his removal to Hutsonville, Illinois, where he was engaged in the undertaking business. While living there in 1864 Mr. Gregory was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wat- ers, a native of Clark county, Illinois, born January 23, 1839, her parents being James and Sarah (McClure) Waters. Her father was a merchant, grain buyer and commis- sion man of Darwin, Illinois, where he spent the greater part of his active business ca- reer, but his last days were passed in New Orleans, where he died in 1847. ^''S- Gregory obtained a good education and at the age of eight years entered St. Marys school in Terre Haute, her native town, be- ing the youngest pupil there. She after- ward entered the Nazareth Academy of Bardstown, Kentucky, in which she was graduated. By her marriage she has be- come the mother of two children : James W., who married Ida Mann, who died on the 17th of April, 1890. He now makes his home with his parents in Danville and occu- pies the position of car inspector for the Wabash Railroad Company. Mary, the only daughter, also resides with her parents. For several years following his mar- riage Mr. Gregory engaged in the under- taking and furniture business in Hutson- ville, Illinois. He was there living at the time of the Civil war and in February, 1865, he enlisted for service in Company C, One Hundred and Fifty-tifth Regiment of Illi- nois Volunteers, under Captain John W. Lowber and Colonel Smith. He was de- tailed as an undertaker at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he had charge of an un- dertaking shop for the government until the close of the war. There he was discharged in September, 1865. He then returned to Hutsonville, where he continued for a few years longer when he sold out his business and removed to Robinson, Illinois, where he was engaged in undertaking and contracting- for ten years. On the expiration of that period he sold out and came to Danville, where he has since lived a retired life. He has been a very successful business man and as his financial resources have increased he has wisely invested his capital in property in Illinois and Indiana. In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, having always su])ported the party. He belongs to the Grand Army Post of Danville and to the Masonic Lodge at Hutsonville, of which he became a charter member a half centurv ago. He is also con- 784 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD n€cted with the Knights of Honor of Hut- sonville. He and his family reside at No. 3 East Seminary- street in Danville and during the years of their residence here they have won many friends. The prosperous career of Mr. Gregory well serves as an illustration of the fact that business advancement may be won through honorable methods, close application and unfaltering perseverance. WILLIAM F. BAUM. William F. Baum was bom in Coving- ton, Indiana, February 5, 1848, a son of Abner and Louisa (Hull) Baum, both of whom are natives of Ohio. The father is still living at the age of eighty-fuur years, the mother at the age of seventy-four years, and their home is in Nebraska. Through- out his active business career he carried on agricultural pursuits. When he was but si.x years of age he removed with his parents from Fayette county, Ohio, to Covington, Indiana, and saw the latter place in the days of its infancy, his father purchasing a farm near that town. He witnessed the building of the canal there and saw many other im- provements made that led to the substantial development and progress of the city. His father, Jonas Baum, was a Revolutionary soldier, who \-aliantly aided in the struggle for American independence and died at the age of seventy-five years. As the name in dicates the Baum family is of German lin- eage and the first representative in America was John Baum, the grandfather of Will- iam F. Baum. Into Mr. and Mrs. Abner Baum were born six children, of whom William F. is the eldest. The members of the family still living are Rev. O. S. Baum, a Presbvterian minister located in Colo- rado; James A., who is engaged in the drug business in Lee, Nebraska; and Emma, the wife of Frank Scott, a druggist of Rising Cit)', Nebraska. After completing his literary education in his native county William F. Baum en- gaged in teaching school, but ambitious to make a start which would promise better results he began working at the drug busi- ness, receiving fifteen dollars per month for the first year. This was in 1870. The fol- lowing year he was given thirty dollars per month and the third year forty dollars. At the end of that time the firm in Covington by whom he was employed, established a branch store at Marshfield, that state, and made Mr. Baum its manager. He continued in charge there for a year and then pur- chased the store, while later he established a drug store in Gibson City, Illinois. On the 1st of November, 1874, he came to Dan- ville, where he opened a drug store, remov- ing his stock from Gibson City. His Marsh- field store he had previously soUl and on coming to \'ermilion county he first located near the Aetna House in Danville, where he continued for more than four years, when he removed to the Puljlic Square. There he remained until 1889, when he established his store at No. 41 North X'ermilion street. He owns that store building, which is a fine business structure of modern design. It has a tile floor with plate-glass front and e\ery convenience for carrying on the trade in an improved m;inner. Mr. Baum has thirty- two years' e.xperience in the drug business and during twenty-eight years of this time has been in Danville. Few merchants are more widely known in the city and the cir- cle of his friends is very extensive When he arrived in Danville in 1874 there was a population of about five thousand and in point of years of connection with the city's W. F. BAUM. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 787 mercantile interests Mr. Baum is to-day the oldest druggist of Danville. On the loth of September, 1874, oc- curred the marriage of William F. Baum and Miss Louisa A. Johnson, who was born in New Marshfield, Warren county, Indiana, in November, 1851. She supplemented her early school privileges by study in St. Mary's Seminary in Terre Haute, Indiana. She is a daughter of Henry and Amanda (Davis) Johnson, who were pioneer set- tlers of Warren county and by her mar- riage she has become the mother of one son, Clarence H. Baum, who was born Septem- ber 6, 1875, in Danville and is a graduate of the high school here. In 1894 he entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and completed a course in pharmacy and chemistry by graduation in the class of 1896, while in 1898 the degree of Bachelor of Science was confirmed upon him. In July, 1900, he started on a trip around the world, visiting every country of any import- ance and while sojourning in Europe he was entertained by the sultan of Turkey. He traveled throughout the Holy Land, seeing everything of note and interest in that his- toric district. He has seen all classes of people in their native attire and in their systems of worship and he returned to his home in Danville with a valuable collection of all kinds of currency used in Europe. He also has a diary of his travels which would contain many points of interest to the gen- eral reader. He is able to converse fluently in the German, French and Spanish lan- guages as well as in English, and in this regard as in others, his aid will be of much value to his father in conducting the drug business which he now controls. Many were his experiences of an unusual nature. While traveling abroad on the island of Ceylon he went on a hunt for elephants. The part}' captured one hundred of these immense beasts but sixty got away, and for a few moments it seemed that the life of Mr. Baum was in great danger. In his political views William F. Baum is an earnest Republican, being recognized as one of the standard bearers of his party in this locality. He was recently elected aklerman from the fifth ward in the face of strong opposition which fact indicates his iX)pularity. He and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal church and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He also belongs to Vermilion county and the Illinois Pharmaceutical Association and he served for one years as vice president and for one year as treasurer of the State As- sociation, and has been state delegate to the National Association of Retail Druggists a number of times. He owns one of the best business blocks in Danville, on Main and Jackson streets, having been built in 1882, and has other valuable property in the city, including a handsome home on North Ver- milion street. He has been identified with the growth and progress of the town through almost thirty years and Danville recognizes him as one of its foremost and progressive men. MANGUS YEAGER. A clear understanding of business possi- bilities, familiarity with his chosen pursuit in all of its departments and unfaltering energy and perseverance, these have been the concomitants in the successful career of Mr. "^'eager, one of the old contractors and builders of Danville, who is engaged in business as the senior member of the firm of Yeager & Son. Since 1864 he has made his home in this city, arriving here when a 788 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD young man of twenty-two years. He was born in Saxony, Germany, January 30, 1840. a son of Nicholas and Amelia Yeager, both of whom were natives of the same country, whence they removed to the Uni- ted States in 1850. Reaching New York city after a voyage of eight weeks, they pro- ceeded westward to l-"t. Wayne, Indiana, where the father died. Mangus Yeager obtained only a com- mon-school education in Ft)rt Wayne and there remained wiili his i)arents until the country became invoKed in war over the spirit of rebellion in the south. He was but nineteen years of age, yet with patriotic im- pulse he offered his services to the govern- ment, enlisting in October, 1861, as a mem- ber of Company K, Third Indiana Cavalry, under Captain Cline. He participated in fourteen important battles, including the en- gagements of Shiloh, Murfreesboro and the Atlanta campaign. At the battle of Frank- lin. Tennessee, he was she it in the knee and remained in the hospital there for several weeks. He was akso again injured in the shoulder, this being caused by a fall. In December, 1864, after three years' service Mr. Yeager was nnistered out and came direct to Danville, where he entered upon his business career as a grocer's clerk on South street. Later he conducted a liv- ery stable on his own account for two years and then spent sometime as a dealer in threshing machines. Before going into the army he learned the carpenter's trade and worked in that capacity for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, being employed at various points along their line, his connec- tion with the corporation continuing for thirteen years. On the expiration of that period he began contracting and building on his own account and his business career has been a prosperous one as is evidenced by the liberal patronage accorded him and the splendid character of the buildings which he has erected. He has taken and ex- ecuted the contracts for many of the tine structures of this city, including the Dan- ville Postoftice, the Plaza Hotel, many of the fine residences here and also several of the buildings in connection with the Sol- diers Home, ile also built the houses and shafts and did other carpeiucr work in con- nection with the Kelly mines. He is now- associated in business with his son and they employ from fifteen to twenty men. It is their endeavor to retain in their service only workmen of superior ability and thus in the execution oi their contracts they give the most satisfactory results. During the year 1902 Mr. Yejiger has spent a portion of his time in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he has also carried on business to some extent as a contraclor and buikler. In 1865 occurred the marriage of Mr. Yeager and Miss Plannah Campbell, a na- tive of A'ermilion county, born April 29, 1847, and a representative of one of the early families of tlie county, her parents be- ing Harper and Elizabeth (Butterfield) Campbell, who resided in Newell township, where the father followed farming for many years and there on the old homestead Ixjth he ;ui(l his wife died. Cnto ^Ir. and Mrs. ^'eager lia\e been Ixirn foiu" children: O. Phiilii), who married Grace Dillon and served as captain of Battery A. in the Span- ish-American war, now major, is now in partnership with his father : Lizzie is em- jiloyed as head trimmer in a large wholesale millinery honse in Indianapolis, Indiana; and .\nielia aiul Edna are at hoiue. I'or almost forty years l\Ir. Yeager has resided in Dan\ille and has been active in the iinpro\-ement of the citv not onlv in business lines but also through the earnest THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 789 co-operation he has given to many measures for the general good. He was the first member of tlie first fire department of Dan- ville. He has never been an ofifice seeker but served as go\"ernment inspector in the post- office here, his appointment coming through Congressman Joseph Cannon. A stanch Republican, he formerly took a very active interest in political work. Both he and his wife are members of the First Meth- odist Episcopal church and he belongs to the Grand Army Post of this city. He also established Battery A here and he now owns the controlling stock in the Armory of Dan- ville, together with business blocks on Main street and residence property on Hazel street in addition to his pieasant home at No. 439 Main street. He likewise has other realty in Danville and his wife is the owner of the old Campbell homestead in Newell town- ship. To his earnest purpose, laudable am- bition and well directed efforts may be at- tributed his success, which is the legitimate outcome of his own eft'orts. He is to-tlay one of the prosperous and prominent men of Danville and a leading representative of the building interests of Vermilion county. He has been on tlie Building Association appraising committee for the last ten years. His social qualities, too, have endeared him to many friends and his life of honor and integrity has commanded the respect and good will of all with whom he has been asso- ciated. ♦-•-♦ A. H. FLEMING. A. H. Fleming, whose farming interests are extensive and \alual)le and who is num- bered among the well known and respected residents of Hoopeston, was born near Hamilton in Hamilton county of L'pper Canada in 1834. His father w-as a native of New Jersey, born in Newark, of Irish lineage, and in early life he was a distiller, but within our subject's recollection he never followed other pursuits than that of farming. He wedded Daziah Hibler, also a native of New Jersey and of German line- age. When A. H. Fleming was about three years of age, at the time of the incipient re- bellion in Canada, the parents left that country and with their family went to Penn- SN'lvania, where they remained until 1839, when they became residents of Seneca coun- ty. New York. In 1845 they located in New Jersey, which was the place of their al)ode until 1851. That year witnessed their arrival in Peoria county, Illinois. In 1857 they went to Stark county, this state, where the father died in 1874. Mr. Fleming of this review accompanied his parents on their various removals until they arrived in Peoria county, Illinois. There he began farming on his own account in 1853. Two years later, in 1859, he was married in Brimfield, Peoria county, to Catherine Mcintosh, who died in 1890, leaving five children : James A., William i A., Enoch W., Allen T. and Charles W. There were also two daughters who died in infancy. The mother's death occurred while they were living upon a fami eight miles southeast of Hoopeston. On the 28th of September, 1892, in Elli- ott, Iowa, Mr. Fleming was again married his second union being with Mrs. Mary J. Young, wdio was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, in 1836. Fler parents came to Stark county, Illinois, in 1865, but both are now deceased, the father having passed away on the 30th of October, 1868, while the mother died on the 15th of November of the same year. Mr. Fleming has three brothers and one sister : Barney, of Wash- 790 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ington; William, who is living in Kansas; Joseph, a resident of Milford, Illinois; and Mrs. Elizabeth Vliet, of Woodland, Illinois. Mrs. Fleming was first married to Mr. Yonng. and they lived in Clark county until after the deiith of her husband. Later she gave lier hand in marriage to Mr. Fleming. She had one child by her first marriage, Clinton A. Young, who is now living in Murray, Clark county, Iowa. Of Mr. Fleming's sons, James A. is now living in Danville, being connected with the manu- facturing firm of Farrwright & Scott; Will- iam A. is a fanner of Milford, Illinois; Enoch W. is living in Hoopeston ; Allen T. is a mail clerk on the Rock Island & Peoria Railroad and lives in Peoria ; and Charles W. is also a railway mail clerk. In the year 1893 Mr. Fleming came to Hoopeston and erected a home at the corner of Main and Fifth street. In the fall of 1 89 1 he had purchased land in Vermilion county, Ijeconiing the owner of one hundred and forty acres, for which he i)aid thirty- three and one-third dollars per acre. When this had increased in value in 1884 to fifty dollars per acre, he sold it. He is now an equal partner with his brother in five hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Minnesota. For three }'ears he was engaged in the ice business in Ho<:)peston and to some extent has dealt in real estate here. He now owns a house which he rents on the north side, but for the past ten years he has largely lived retired, his labor in former days hav- ing brought to him a competence sufficient to provide him with all the comforts of life without recourse to further work. A prom- inent memljer of the Methodist Episcopal church, he is now ser\ing as one of its stew- ards, and in the work of the church takes an active interest. In politics he has al- ways been an earnest Republican. He keeps well informed on the issues of the day. thus being enabled to support his position by in- telligent argument. SAMUEL A. BRISTOW. Samuel A. Bristow, one of the most suc- cessful and prominent young lawyers of Danville, was born in Fithian. \"erniilion county, May 9, 1871. On the paternal side his ancestors were among the I'rcnch Hu- geunots, wlio came to America in search of religious freedom and settled in \'irginia, but the branch of the family to whom our subjects belongs subsequently removed to Kentucky. Among the most prominent and illustrious members of this famdy was his great-uncle. Benjamin Bristow, who servetl as secretary of the treasury in President Grant's cabinet. For years he was also at- torney general for the New York & Hudson River Railroad Company, and it was through his influence that Samuel A. Bris- tow took up the study of law, being offered a position in his office, but shortly before our subject's admission to the bar his uncle died. Pearson Bristow, his father's brother, is now second assistant postmaster general and was one of the number that unearthed the Xeely-Rathbone frauds in Cuba. Aha C. Bristow. the father of Samuel A., was born in Ohio, and was a son of ^\'illiam Bristow, one of the '49ers, who accumulated considerable wealth in California, but was killed and robbed on his way home. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Xbigail Smith, belonged to an old and prominent family of Kentucky. Being left an orphan when young. Alva C. Bris- tow spent his early life with relatives, and with an micle. George Smith, he came to S. A. BRISTOW. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 793 Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1858, another uncle. Dr. S. S. Smith, having previously located here. The latter was one of the pioneer physicians of the county. Here Mr. Bristow started a newspaper called the In- dependent, which he published until i860, when he returned to Kentucky and made his home with his grandmother until the country became involved in civil war. He then ran away and enlisted at Mazon, Illinois, in Company F, Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was with Sherman on his campaign and during the battle of Atlanta was shot in the arm. At the close of the war he joined the regular army as a ser- geant and was stationed at Cairo, Illinois, for some time, remaining in the service until 1869, when he returned to Vermilion coun- ty and located at Fithian. where he engaged in merchandising until 1872. During that year he became a resident of Danville and was connected with the Beethoven Organ Company until 1879, when he embarked in business on his own account as a dealer in wall paper, and paints, continuing in that line for twenty years. Later he was en- gaged in the insurance business in Danville until 1901. when he received the appoint- ment of usher at the Illinois state peniten- tiary at Joliet and is now holding that posi- tion. In 1866 he was married at ]\It. Ver- non, Illinois, to Miss America McLean, a native of Adams county, Kentucky. By this union were born three children, two sons and one daughter, but our subject is the only one now living. Religiously the father is a member of the Christian church, and fraternally is connected with the Bank- ers' Union and the Grand Army of the Re- public. The Republican party always finds in him a stanch supporter of its princi]iles and as a public-spirited and enterprising citizen he has never withheld his aid from any object which he believed would advance the moral, social or material welfare of the community in which he lives. Samuel A. Bristow of this review began his education in the ward schools of Dan- ville and for two years attended the high school of this city. Later he was a student at Garfield U^niversity of Wichita, Kansas, for the same length of time and also attend- ed the State University of Arkansas for two years. His law studies were prosecuted in the law department of the Northwestern L'niversity, where he was graduated in June, 1896. After leaving that institution he held a position in the circuit clerk's oftice at Dan- ville until the following December. In No- vember previous he was admitted to the bar and on the ist of December opened an office at No. 16 East Main street, where he re- mained two years. Subsequently he had an office in the courthouse and from there re- moved to his present location at No. 14 East Main street. Success has attended his ef- forts and he has been connected with some of the most important litigation tried in this count}', including the Watson case, which was carried through the appellate and su- preme courts, the decision of the lower court lieing affirmed in each. On the 15th of December, 1897, at La- fayette, Indiana, Mr. Bristow was united in marriage to Miss Emma Ruth Humbert, who was born near that city, at West Point, in August, 1873. Her parents, George and Laura (McNeill) Humbert, were natives of Ohio and Illinois, respectively, and were married in Lafayette, Indiana. Near that city the father was engaged in farming until his retirement from active life in 1900. since which time he has made his home in La- fayette, being one of the wealthy and highly respected citizens of that place. In politics he is a Democrat and has held a number of 794 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD townsliip and county offices. Socially he is a member of the Odd Fellows society, and is also a member of the Methodist Episco- pal church. He has two children : Emma R., wife of our subject; and Harry, a resi- dent of Lafayette. Since boyhood Mr. Bristow has been practically identified with political affairs and has taken a very inlluential and promi- nent part in local elections, his support be- ing given the men and measures of the Re- publican party. He is still actively connect- ed with political work in Vermilion county, and is now serving as city collector of Dan- ville. He is a prciminent member of the Danville Club and of Danville Lodge, Xo. 332. B. P. O. E., and is one of the most popular young men of the city, a recognized leader in both social and political circles. CHARLES E. JOXES. Charles E. Jones is the proprietor of Grovedale harm, situated on section 28, in A'ance township, \'ermilion county. This farm is one of the best in Vermilion county, and the owner is classed among the substan- tial and representative agriculturists of this part of Illinois. He was born November 9, 1853, near Dubuque, Iowa, and is a son of William H. R. and Peninnah (Coon) Jones, the former a native of Greene county, Ohio, and the latter also a native. of the Buckeye state, where they were married. In this connection it will be interesting to kudw something of the geneakigy of the Jones family. Elisha Jones, the great-grandfa- ther of our subject, was born April 15, 1770, and was married to Persia Taylor, who was born July 15. 1770. Eight chil- dren were l)orn of this union, their son, Elisha Jones, Jr., l>eing the second in order of birth. He was born January 28, 1796, and married Kalinda Watkins, who was born May 20, 1800. and died January 13, 1872. Twelve children were bom of this union, of whom William H. Raper Jones, the father of our subject, was the fifth in order of birth. He was born June 1 1. 1828, and married Peninnah Coon, October .\, 184S. Seven children were born unto them : James K., born September 20, 1849. mar- ried Carrie Harrison. They have one child and reside in Norwood, Kansas. ^Mary An- gelina, now deceased, became the wife of Sanuiel Rudolphus Copeland, a resident of Oakwood township. She was born August 9. 1 85 1, and his birth occurred May 16, 1850. Charles E. is the third child of this union. Lydia .\nn. born March 20, 1836, died July 15, 1857. George T. is the fifth in order of birth. Marguerite Louise, born July 5, 1862, is also represented on another ])age of this work. Willie, the seventh child, was born .\ugust 10, 1865. and died January 30, 1866. William H. R. Jones, the father of Charles E., was a blacksmith by trade and also followed farming to some extent. In the '40s he removed from Ohio to Dubuque, Iowa, where he engaged in coal mining, op ■ crating one of the mines there. He also worked at the blacksmith's trade there. In a few years he sold his farm there and re- turned to Ohio, where he ])nrcliascd another farm. later he sold this and removed tc Richland county. Illinois, settling near Ol- ney. Here he ])urchased a farm and re- mained thereon for two years. He then re- moved to a farm which he purchased six miles .south of Fairmount. Illinois. Later he sold this and bought the John Daugh- erty farm. He sold this and bought a farm of the heirs of Dr. Fellows. There he lived THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 795 vmtil liis death, which occurred March 17, 1901. He had hved for thirty years con- tinuousl}' upon this latter farm. His wife had died on the farm in 1880 and in the year 1881 he was married the second time, the lady of his choice being Henrietta Smith, a native of Ilhnois, and now a resident of Fithian, Ilhnois. Mr. Jones was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fra- ternally was connected with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he was a Republican. He was a very active and energetic man and did much toward the general upbuilding and development of the communities in which he resided. Charles E. Jones first attended school near Xenia, five miles east of the city, and later in Illinois, leaving school at the age of twenty. He then assisted his father on the farm and also engaged in teaching school. At the age of twenty-one he rented a farm. On the 24th of December, 1874, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Mary Ann Stearns, born in Oakwood township, Ver- milion county, September 26, 1855, and a daughter of Harrison and Hester Ann (Reiley ) Stearns. The father was a son of Melzar and Axie (Cransonj Stearns, both natives of New York, where Harrison Steams also was born. Hester Ann (Reiley) Stearns was a daughter of Rich- ard Reiley and her mother bore the maiden name of Sarah Macy. They were married in North Carolina and when their eldest child was eleven months old they removed to Ohio. — a distance of five hundred miles, — Mr. Reiley walking while his wife rode horseback, carrying the baby. Mrs. Jones' parents were married in Ohio, where Mr. Stearns engaged in farming until his re- moval to Illinois in 1836, locating near Muncie, Vermilion countv. He entered land and built a log house, later adding to his landed possessions and building a frame house. This modest structure was sup- planted later by a large and commodious residence of modern design and architec- ture. In this home he lived until his death, which occurred on the 12th of December, 1885. His remains were interred in Stearns cemetery near Muncie. Three years later the mother was called to her final rest. Mr. Stearns was a member of the Baptist church, in which he was a deacon. He was a stanch Democrat in his political views, yet he always refused to hold office, preferring to give his attention to his business affairs and live the quiet life of the private citizen. He was a man of prominence in his commu- nity, highly respected by all. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, four of whom are yet living. Sarah is the wife of William Reams and resides on the old homestead near Muncie, Illinois; Alel- zar R. resides in Danville, Illinois ; Martha L. is the wife of Walter Reams, of Cliicago, Illinois; and Mary Ann, now Mrs. Jones, is the fourth member of the family. After his marriage Mr. Jones settled on his father's farm, and there remained for two years. He then removed to his wife's father's farm and there remained for a period of three years, at the end of which time he purchased one hundred and ninety- five acres in Vance township, on section 28. There he established the beautiful fami called Grovedale. On this farm everything is done to make it the most attractive and producti\c of its kind. The rich fields of grain yield abundant har\-ests and the stock is of the best grade. The grounds too are laid out in an artistic manner and the farm as a whole is one of the finest in the state. Mr. Jones erected on his place a handsome 796 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD residence on the Queen Anne style of archi- tecture, and has a splenchd large barn and every necessary equipment. Tlie home of Mr. and Mrs. Jones lias been blessed with nine children. Nettie E.. born .August 31, 1875, is the wife of Coll McFherson, of Catlin, Illinois, a farmer by occupation. They have three children, Archie. Earl, and Leone. Herman P., born July 14, 1S77, resides with his parents. Peninnah, born July 19, 1879, married Dr. J. W. O'Haver; Carrie Pauline, bom May 6, 1882. Harrison, torn March 22, 1884, Turner, born June 9, 1888. and Lennic, born .\])ril 25. 1893. are all at home. An infant, born August 11, 1898, died the same day. Xellie Marguerite, born April 25, 1900, is the baby of the family. Mr. Jones is a member t>i the Baptist church, of which he is a deacon. A Republican in politics he has ne\er cared for and has always refused to accept office. He is a man of gen- uine worih. whose influence for good in his county is widely felt. His farm is one of the attractive [jlaces of the county and he enjoys a high reputation as a representative citizen and agriculturist. DAVID MEADE. David ^leade was born in Xewtown, Vermilion county. Illinois. October 4, 1845. His great-great-grandfather, Lewis IMeade. emigrated from Gloucester, Englantl, to the United States long prior to the Revolution- ary war. His children were Jerry, Luke, Levi and Louisa. Of this number Le\i Meade was the great-grantlfather of our subject, and his children were Simeon, Na- thaniel. Lewis. Sanford. Maria, Louisa and Amanda. Nathaniel Meade, the grand- father of our subject, also had seven chil- dren : Sarah : William : David, who has passed away: George W'., a resident of Fith- ian : James R., also of Fithian; Ann; and Mary Jane. William Meade, the father of our sul)- ject, was born near Hamilton, Ohio, ]\Iay 24, 1822, and was married to Margaret Tan- ner, about the fall of 1844, the wedding tak- ing place near Middlefork, \'ermilion coun- ty. She was born near Columbus, Ohio, June 2, 1824, a daughter of Peter Tanner, who was of (ierman birth, and Mary (Nich- ells) Tanner, a nati\e of New York. Her father was a colonel in the Revolutionary war and two of his sons were captains in the same regiment. Mr. and Mrs. William Meade became the parents of the following named: David. Marv Hannah. Samuel, Sarah Louisa. Melissa, Jacob, Allie and Ef- iie. and Nathaniel, who died when about three years of age. There were also three half brothers, Irvin. Delbert and Roljert I\Ieade. Levi Meade, who wedded Mary I'arris, became one (jf the pioneer settlers of \"er- milion county, settling in the edge of the timber between Fithian and Fairmount in 1835. Fle entered land from the govern- ment at one dollar and a quarter \kv acre and engaged in the raising of grain and stock. Both he and his wife spent the re- uKiinder of their lives upon this farm. Will- iam Meade, the father of our subject, ar- ri\ed in this county with is parents, Na- thaniel and Hannah (Crane) Meade, when he was thirteen years of age and he has been identitied with the upbuilding and develop- ment of this portion of the state almost from the beginning. He obtained his education in this county in the ])rimitive subscription schools, attending school in a log house in which was an immense lireplace. The jour- DAVID MEADE. WILLIAM MEADE. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD So I ney had been made in one of the old time covered wagons and while en route they crossed the black swamps of Indiana. After arriving at years of maturity the father of our subject engaged in farming in Oakwood township up to the time of his death. He had lived there from the age of thirteen years, and, in fact, from that time until called to his final rest he never resided more than five or six miles from where the early settlement of the family was made. He died February 5, 1903, at the age of eighty years, six months and eleven days, and the mother of our subject passed away on the 4th of October, 1866, at the age of forty- two years, four months and two days. After her death Mr. Meade was again married. In politics he was originally a Whig and subsequently became a stanch Republican. For many years he was officially connected with the schools of his district, yet he was never an office seeker nor did he desire polit- ical preferment. \\''hen he died he was the owner of two hundred acres of choice land all well improved and upon this place were seen many evidences of his life of industry, activity and capable business management. He made all of the improvements there and secured many modern accessories in order to facilitate his work. Mr. Meade, whose name introduces this review, was reared upon a farm in Oakwood township and early became familiar with the work in its various departments. At the usual age he began his education, and the first two schools which he ever attended were held in two primitive log buildings, where school was conducted on the sub- scription plan. The room was heated by an immense fireplace at one end and light was admitted through greased paper windows. The children sat upon slab benches and around the room was a writing desk con- sisting of a block supported upon pins driven into the logs. When twenty-one years of age Mr. Meade left the old home farm and began teaching, his desire and ambition be- ing to become a successful educator. He then taught for one term in Vermilion coun- ty, Indiana, and then returned to \'ermilion county, Illinois, where he was employed as a teacher in his home district. Subsequently he entered the State University in order to further his own education and by hard study during the succeeding three years he was enabled to master the branches of learning therein taught, so that he was qualified to take charge of the Fairmount graded school as its principal. He acted in that capacity for one year, and then became a student in the National Normal at Lebanon, Ohio, where he spent three terms at different times. Later he returned to his native coun- ty and taught a graded school in Oakwood, Illinois. On account of the smallpox epi- demic, however, he was forced to abandon that school, where he had remained only from September until the holidays. He then took charge of the school of Fithian,, where he remained for some time and after- ward went to Eugene, Indiana, where he taught for one term and then finished a term for a teacher in Newport, Indiana. Again he came to Vermilion county and taught another term in Oakwood. Once more he went to Eugene, Indiana, and was there united in marriage to one of his former pu- pils, Miss Lucy Hosford. He continued in charge of the Eugene schools with three teachers under his supervision, remaining at that place for nine years, during which time the school system was materially im- proved and excellent work done along edu- cational lines. Mr. Meade resigned his school in order to become an active factor in politics with 8o2 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD the expectation of securing the nomination for sheriff of \'erniihon connty, Indiana, but lie lost by a fractional part of one vote, although he had two hundred plurality over any one candidate on the Republican ticket. He resumed teaching at Perrysville, Indi- ana, and from there came to Danxille in the spring of i88r. The succeeding autumn he went to Indianola, where he taught for one winter term and again he returned to Danville and was elected principal of the East Danville school, in which were eleven teachers. For nine years he capably served in that capacity and then at his request was transferred to the Franklin school, where he remained for five years. During the suc- ceeding year he enjoyed a period of rest and the:i took charge of the township high school in Perrysville, huliana, the scholars there having had to pass the eighth grade before entering that school. Professor Meade continued as a teacher there for over two years. Wherever he has been employed his work as an educator has given excellent satisfaction for his methods of teaching are practical and progressive and he is contin- ually alert to anything that tends to advance the cause of education. In 1900 he was one of a number who .sought the office of county superintendent of \'ermilion county and came within two of l)eing elected. Socially he is identified with the Knights of Pythias fraternity, holding membership in White Oak Lodge, of Danville. He is also con- nected witli the Royal Circle and in politics he is a stalwart Republican. It was on the 24th of September, 1873, that Professor Meade was united in mar- riage to Miss Lucy Hosford, who was torn, reared and educated in Eugene, Indiana, and is a graduate of the Eugene school. Her parents, Milo and Maria (Holtz) Hosford, were also natives of Indiana. Unto Pro- fessor Meade and his wife ha\e been born four chiklren. Anna, who is now a teacher in the Douglass school, where her father was principal for nine years, is a graduate of the Danville high "school and the State Normal school of Michigan and is well qualified for the task which she is now performing. Ray JL, who is also well educated, is now in the employ of the Wabash Railroad Com- pany as chief clerk in the machinery depart- ment. Jessie and Margaret Meade are both students in the high school. Since abandoning his educational work Professor Meade has devoted his attention to farming interests northwest of Danville and he also owns a farm in Wayne county, Illinois, in addition to his town property. In i8q4 he located at No. 520 Meade avenue in a well appointed house on the street which is named in his honor. He is a gentleman of strong intellectuality, of marked strength of character and of sterling purpose and whatever he has undertaken he has accom- phslied through diligence, untiring energy and capability. Wherever he has labored in the interest of the schools it has been found that education has made marked ad- vancement and his intluence along this line has been far-rcachiu"' and beneticial. WILLI.VM A. CHURCH. To recount the events of Mr. Church's bovhiioeing or- dered to Franklin, where he was mustered out in 1865 by reason of the close of the war. Returning to Chicago, Dr. Moore was f(;r one year a student in the Dearborn Uni- versity of that city and next entered Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, in which he was graduated in 1867. Returning to Danville, he was for one year a clerk in Woodbury's Pharmacy, followed" by a year spent as a student in a college in Keokuk Iowa, after which he entered the Rush Med- ical (College of Chicago, in which he was graduated in 1870. In Carthage, Hancock county, Illinois, he entered upon the prac- tice of his profession, but later came to Dan\ille, where he has since remained and through almost a third of a century he has continued in practice here, winning an envi- ali'e reputation as a physician, whose skill am! ability commendetl him to the ci^nn- dcnce of the public and won for him a liii- eral patronage. On the joth of October. 1881, in Ross- \ilie. Illinois. Dr. Moore was married to Ella Doretta Langhans, who was born in W'ooster, Ohio. Mrs. Moore's parents were married in W'ooster, Ohio, and subsequently Mr. Langhans engaged in business in Ver- milion county, where he arrived alxiut 1879. He is now residing on Gilbert street in this city. Unto the Doctor and his wife have Iteen born two children, of whom one is living, Luciie D, The Doctor owns real estate in Danville ;uid farm interests in X'ermilion county, haxing made judicious in\estments of the capital that has come to him through his successful practice. He is a member of the \'ermilion County Medical Society and the American Medical Association and fratern- a!I\' he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he votes independent- ly, not being bound by party ties. MONROE PUGH. Monroe Pugh. who is engaged in gen- eral merchandising in Humrick, was born a mile and a half south of this village in Ehvood township on the 25th of ^lay, 1864. His parents were Granville and Lydia (Thompson) Pugh. The father was a native of Ohio and was reared to farm life. He had one brotlier and one sister, but both are now deceased. His death occurred up- on the home farm in Ehvood township THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 8ii when he was seventy-four years of age. His wife was born in Clark county, Indi- ana, and came of a family of Quaker farm- ers. Most of the children of the household are now deceased, but Mrs. Pugh is still living at the age of sixty-seven years, her home being in Ridgefarm. By her mar- riage she became the mother of nine chil- dren : John, who is a farmer of Ridgefarm and has eight children; Isaac, a widower living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas ; Ezra, a resident farmer of Champaign county, Illinois, who has four children; Paris J., an agriculturist of Love township, Vermil- ion county, who has three children; Mon- roe of this review; one that died in in- fancy; Howard, who is living upon the old homestead near Humrick, and has two children; Mrs. Jane Banta, of Edgar coun- ty, Illinois who has four children ; and Mrs. L. Dolly Kiger, who died leaving two chil- dren. Monroe Pugh was reared to farm life and continued to reside on the home place assisting in the work of the farm until 1891, when he abandoned the plow and turned his attention to commercial pursuits, open- ing a general store in Humrick which he has since conducted with good success. He car- ries a large and well selected stock of goods and his earnest desire to please his patrons has resulted in winning for him a good trade. On the 29th of September, 1892, Mr. Pugh was united in marriage to Minnie Tutt, who was born March 2, 1870, a daughter of Albert and Jemima (Eraser) Tutt, of Humrick, who were farming peo- ple. Mrs. Pugh has one brother, James M. Tutt, who is an agriculturist of Humrick. She was educated in the common schools and reared under the parental roof. Her father was a soldier of the Civil war, en- listing from Vermilion county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Pugh have a pleasant home in Humrick and their household is justly celebrated for its hospitality. Their mar- riage has been blessed with three children, Percy, Dolly L., and Patrick H., aged re- spectively nine, seven and five years. Mr. Pugh is a member of the Society of Eriends, or Quakers, and in politics he is an earnest Republican. He filled the office of justice of the peace for several terms, is now a no- tary public and is also serving as a school director. He is active in educational mat- ters, as well as in business, and the cause of the schools has found in him a warm friend. Socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica and the Court of Honor. Devoted to the welfare of his family, contributing in every way to their happiness, a good neigh- bor and a loyal citizen, Mr. Pugh ranks high among the residents of his village. CHARLES E. STEVENS. The farming interests of Vermilion county are well represented by Charles E. Stevens, who owns a valuable farm on sec- tion 18, Vance township. He is a native son of the county, his birth having occurred therein, on the loth of June, 1862. His parents, William J. and x\deline (Smith) Stevens, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Illinois, were married in Ver- milion county, near Georgetown. The fa- ther purchased land in Vance township and thereon resided until about 1887, when after a life spent in active labor, he and his wife removed to Homer, Illinois, where they are now living retired, enjoying the fruits of their former toil. They are members of the Christian church and Mr. Stevens is a 8l2 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD stanch Republican. Tliev were tlie parents of five children, all of whom are yet living. Flora is the wife of John Hardin, and re- sides in Allerton, Illinois ; Charles E. is the next in order of birth ; W'illiam married Dora Lynch and resides in Champaign county. Illinois: Bertrand married Delia Ogden and also resides in Champaign coun- ty : and Lulu resides with her parents. Charles E. Stevens spent his Ixjyhood and youth in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period, attending the district schools of the neighliorhood and in the sea- sons of vacation working upon his father's farm. Here he acquired habits of industry and economy which in later life formed tlie foundation of his successful business career. He attended school until nineteei: years of age. then worked for his father for a period., after which he rented land antl engaged in farming on his own account. He was mar- ried January 14, 1883, to Miss Estella Cus- ter, who was born in Wniiilion county /anuary 7. 1865. Her parents were George and Margurieta (McCauley) Custer, both natives of Ohio. The father, (ieorge Cus- ter, was a distant relati\c of the famed Gen- eral Custer, the great Indian fighter and scout. The parents were married in Ver- milion county, Illinois, and located on a farm here. They now reside in Homer, Illinois, where they are living retired from active life. Mr. and Mrs. Custer are both memljers of the Presbyterian church and he is a stanch Republican. They were the par- ents of .seven children, three girls and four boys. Of these, one son is now deceasefl. Otela. the wife of Da\id Winters, resides in \'ermilion county. Estella. now Mrs. Stexens. is the second in order of birth. Ophelia is the wife of Frank Hunt and re- sides in Emporia. Kansas. Vincent mar- ried Etta W'aldfirf and resides in I'eniwood. Chicago, where he is acting as an agent. Ouess married Ethel \'andergrifi'. and re- sides in Homer. Illinois. Howard married Minnie Maddern and resides in Roseland, Chicago. .\fter his marriage Mr. Stevens located on a farm in \'ance township where he has since lived continuously, with the exception of nine months spent in Kansas. Jn the latter i)lace he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. He then removed to liis present home in 1901. which was given to him by his father. This consists of one hun- dred acres of well cultivated land. He has a good home on it and substantial farm buildings of all kinds. He follows general farming and raises a high grade of horses, cattle and hogs for the market. His Chris- tian belief is indicated l)y his membership in the Presbyterian church and fraternally he is a member of the Ben Hur and Knights of the Globe organizations. A strong be- liever in the principles of the Republican ])arty. he gives his support to its candidate? but he has always refused to hold office. He is a public-spirited man who takes a deep interest in the welfare of his commu- nitv and is not forgetful of his duties as i citizen. He is well known in his communitv as a man of integrity and honor. JAMES A. DICKSON. A native son and prominent farmer of Vermilion county. Illinois, is James A. Dick- .son. who was born near Indianola, Decem- ber 5. 183.]. He is a son of John and Eliza- beth ( Dovle) Dickson, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, where they were reared and married. From Kentucky they removed to Indianola. \'ermilion countv. Illinois, and MRS. J. A. DICKSON. JAMES A. DICKSON THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD S17 here the father entered land and built a log house for his family. At this time the coun- try was wild prairie land and sloughs were numerous. The Indians, too, were encamped near, along the rivers. With characteristic energy Mr. Dickson, Sr., began to clear the land, and with tireless effort he labored un- til he had his farm well under cultivation. He lived here until his death, which oc- curred in 1837. He was an honored pioneer settler of Vermilion county and in politics was a Democrat. After the death of the father the mother continued to remain upon the farm and here reared her family. In 1853 she had built a commodious frame house upon the place. Her death occurred December 28, 1854. James A. Dickson was one of a family of six children, only one of whom besides himself, still survives, namely, Mrs. Phebe Swank, the wife of J. P. Swank, of Indian- ola, Illinois. ]\Ir. Dickson was born in the log house built by his father and he pursued his education in a log schoolhouse three- fourths of a mile west of Indianola, and later a log schoolhouse in the town of Indianola. These primitive schools had slab seats placed on wooden pegs, no \\indows except those made of greased paper, and were heated with an old-fashioned stick fireplace. He left school at the age of sixteen and remained after that one year on the home farm assisting in the work of field and meadow. He then worked with his brother, on some swamp land, and later purchased land in what was then Car- roll township, but is now called Jamaica township. This land he improved and cul- tivated, and upon it he built a frame house of two rooms. He remained there until 1857, when he was married. In taking up the life history of Mr. Dickson it cannot fail to be noted that his taste and ability along lines of agriculture are not only acquired, but are also inherited. As has been stated, his father, John Dickson, came to Vermilion county from Kentucky. The grandfather of our subject, who was Robert Dickson, came to Vermilion county from Kentucky in 1820, here entering land and building a log house, west of Indianola. This land he improved and cultivated and it remained in possession of the Dickson family, so that for the past eighty-five years continuously a Dickson has owned land in Vermilion county and the family is therefore one of the oldest if not the oldest settlers of the county. In 1857 James A. Dickson was mar- ried to Mary Frances Busby. Later, on the 1 8th of November, i860, he was married to Amanda J. Sheppard, who was born in Vance township, Vermilion county. Illinois, December 20, 1832, and died July 11. .1888. She was a daughter of John and Nancy Sheppard, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Indiana, she being his sec- ond wife. They were married in Vermilion county and Mr. Sheppard built and owned the farmers' Sheppard mills. In politics he was a Republican, and he was the father of a family of two girls and two boys, all now deceased. By his first union Mr. Dickson had one child, Geneva, now the wife of De- loss Campbell, of Winterset, Iowa, and who has one little daughter, Genex'a. Unto the second marriage of Mr. Dickson three chil- dren were liorn. John W., born September 13, 1861, married Miss Mary Sowers, and resided in \^ance township. He died April 13, i8q5, leaving one child, James R. Simon was born December 13, 1863," and married April 21, 1886, to Miss Cora Hil- ton, who was born July 12, 1865. They re- side with the subject of this review, and have four children, Grace P.. Ernest E.. Edna May, and Hazel Ester. Charles E., 8i8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD born in October, 1865, died February 3, 1899. In Deceinlier, 1890, he was married to Jessie Miller, who died February 2, 1898. Mr. Dickson lived on the farm of his first purchase for eleven years. He then sold it and bought the farm on which he now lives. This comprises five hundred and forty acres of land situated on sections 22 and 27 in Jamaica township and eighty acres in Georgetown township. In addition to his agricultural pursuits he was for many years extensively engaged in stock-raising, but he is now living retired upon his farm. Here he has a comfortable and attracti\e residence, which is large and roomy, as well as being of a pleasing style of architecture. His farm is ecpiipped with the latest im- proved farming implements and he has one of the largest and best barns in the county. Mr. Dickson is also largely interested in gold mining stock. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church of Jamaica in which he is acting as trustee. He is a stanch Dem- ocrat and is well versed on the questions of the day which are inqxirtant to the interests of the country. A genial and well informed old gentleman, his friends find his compan- ionship pleasureable and instructive. He is still (juite active and does not look to be over forty-five years of age. He is a man of prominence in his township and is highly re- garded by all. HENRY S. BAKER. The family history of all good Amer- ican citizens is of general interest, because it has been through the efiforts of these that our nation has thrived and prospered and has becomne one of the greatest of the world. Henry S. Baker comes of a family who have ably born their share in the work of improvement and development in the United States which has been carried for- ward to such wonderful accomplishment. He was Ixjrn in Washington county, Penn- sylvania, October 12, 1856, and is a son of luiix-h and Margaret (Speers) Baker, both natives of Washington county, Pennsyl- \ania, the fnrnier liurn at Belleville, near I'Vedericktown. that state. The mother was bum in a brick house which is now one hun- dred years okl, and was visited two years ago by the subject of this review. Enoch Baker was the son of David Baker, whose father was Xathan Baker, who settled in I'hiladelphia, Pennsyhania, and by his first wife became the father of the following chil- dren : Aaron, Nehemiah, David, Joseph, luioch, Xathan, Mrs. Mary Linten, Mrs. Lidia Townsand and William. The second wife of Nathan Baker was Mrs. Jordan, a widow. By this union were born the fol- lowing children : Israel, Mahlon and Han- nah. David Baker, the third son of the first marriage of Xathan Uaker, was Ijorn in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Decem- ber 15, 1781, and was married h'ebruary 14, 1805, to IMargaret Robbins, a daughter of Joseph Robbins, born in Washington coun- ty, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1780. David Baker dietl August 27, 1836, and his wife passed away March 30, 1852. They were the j)arents of se\en children. Elizabeth was born Xoxcmber 26, 1805. and died June 13, 1872. She was the wife of Thomas Horton and resided at Belleville, Pennsyl- \ania. Hiram, born October Jj. 1807, was married to ^liss McDuneyhugh and dieil May 13, 1891. He resided at Ridgefarm in Elwood township. N'erniiliiin county, Illi- nois. Joseph was born No\ember 20. 1810, and died February 5, 1813. Sarah, born November 9. J 81 3, married Daniel Dunn, SIMON A. DICKSON. MRS. JOHN DICKSON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 82^ resided in West Union, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and died June 19, 1902. Enoch, born December 25, 1815, died Jan- uary 7, iiS82, and was the father of Henry S. Baker, of this review. Jane, born ]May 10, 1818, died March 2, 1878. She was the wife of Benjamin White, and resided in Belleville, Pennsylvania, but died in Jay county. Indiana. Enieline, the seventh child, was born September 24, 1823, and died July 3, 1880. Enoch Baker, the fifth child of David Baker, was married in Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, about 1839, to Margaret Speers. who was born in the same county. September 29, 1822. She was a daughter of Appolis and Elizabeth (Cooper) Speers. Elizabeth Cooper was one of a family of nine children, as follows : Eliza- beth, bom ]\[arch 22. 1803; Harriette, born July 5, 1805; Jackman, born De- cember 10. 1807; George W., born Sep- tember 5, iSio: Xancy B., born Novem- ber 16. 181 2; Narcissa, bom May 20, 1815; Jehu. Iwrn August 10, 1818; Josiah, bom October 25. 182 1; and J. Freder- ick, born October 7, 1824. Unto Appolis and Elizabeth (Cooper) Speers were born ten children, as follows : Margaret, the wife of Enoch Baker, born September 29, 1822; Nancy, deceased, was bom July 6, 1825; Mary S.. who was born October i, 1827, is the wife of B. W. Johnson and resides in Nebraska ; Sarah B. Lucas, born February 25, 1830. is a widow and resides in Iowa; Captain Solomon C, born May 12, 1832, was twice married and resided in Pennsyl- vania: Noah, born August 27,, 1834. mar- ried Amanda Ward and lived on the old Speers homestead, where he died November 28. 1898. Henry \'., born February 2j, 1837, married and lived in Marshalltown, Iowa. Jacob B., also a resident of i\Iar- shalltown, was born July 8, 1839; Jasper, born January 17, 1842, died at the age of twenty-one; and Clara E., who was born October 2, 1844, married James Walker, a resident of Marshalltown Iowa. For some time after his marriage Enoch Baker, the father of our subject, engaged in farming in Washington county, Pennsylvania, living at his first place for a short period and then removing to Ten Mile, in the same county. From there he removed to Amwell town- ship, in Washington county, and there spent the remainder of his life. He died January 7, 1882. His widow is still living there. His remains were interred in Pleasant Hill cemetery, in Washington county. For years he was a member of the Presbyterian church and held office in his township. In politics he was a stanch Republican. Enoch Baker and his wife became the parents of eight children. Sarah Jane, bom December 19, 1839, married Albert Voor- hees. who came to Vermilion county in 1850. She died in 1893. Nancy Maria, Ix^rn January 24, 1843, died August' 24, I goo. She married J. N. Horn and re- sided in Washington county, Pennsylvania. David B., born December 18, 1845, married Sarah Strauss, and resides in Washington, Pennsylvania. Apollo S., born September 20, 1850. married Clara Clark, who died, and he afterward married Sarah F. Long. They reside one mile east of Jamaica, Illi- nois. Henry S., the fifth member of the family, is the subject of this review. Charles H.. a twin brother of Henry S., was born October 12. 1856, and died on the 31st of the same month. Clara B. was bom January 5, 1859, married William Hughes, and resides in Washington, Pennsylvania. Frank R., born July 12, 1862, married Kit- tie Hamilton and resides on the old home- stead farm. The subject of this review attended the 824 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD district scliools of Aniwell townsiiip, Wash- ingtim county, Pennsylvania, until he was twenty-one years of age. During vacation he assisted his father upiMi the farm. He came to \'ermilion county. Illinois, in 1879, where he entered the employ of Silas Clarke, continuing with him for three years. He then returned to Pennsylvania, hut was not satisfied and returned again to the west. On the 27th of l-ebruary. 1884. he was mar- ried near (_'atlin, llhunis. to .Miss Nettie E. Boggess, who was born in X'ermilion coun- ty, Illinois, June 10. i86_>. She was a daughter of E. P. and ]\Iary (Lightner) Boggess, hiith n;iti\es of X'ermilion county, the father bom July 17. 1837, and the mother in Danville, September 4. 1841. Mr. and Mrs. Boggess were married in Danville. Illinois, anl located on a farm in \'ermilion county, three miles northwest of Catlin, where Mr. Boggess remainetl until his retirement in 1895. when he re- nK>\ed to Catlin. I lis first wife died in August. 1867. and in 1868 he was again married, leading to the altar Mary E. Aus- tin. She was born near Dayton. Ohio, and was a very successful school teacher. Mr. Boggess was also a school teacher of note. His wife died December 15, 1880. and on the _'5th of December. 1882. he was again married, his third union being with Han- nah J. Elliott, who was born in Paxton, Ford county, Illinois, in December, 1846. She ;uid her husband are now li\ing in Cat- lin. She was a successful school teacher, having taught in the high .school in Cham- paign, Illinois. .\s has i)een saiil, Mr. l>og- gess was also a teacher in his early days. He was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church and took ;m acti\e inter- est in its work, ;it different times holding all the offices in the church for many years. He was formerlv a member of the Masonic fraternity and voted with the Republican party. Mrs. Baker is the second of three children born unto her father by his first marriage. Alice, the wife of Peter L. Shaver, resides at Latham. Illinois. Robert L. died at the age of six months. By Mr. Boggess' second marriage there were six children. Olive G. is the wife of William H. Ray. a successful farmer of Homer, Illi- nois. I'rank A. married Rose Bacon, of l)an\ille. Illinois, and now resides in Fow- ler. Colorado, where he is principal of a school. His wile was formerly a teacher in the Danville schools. Arthur C. was born in Catlin. Illinois. ^larch 2. 1874. is nt>w .attending the L'ni\crsity of Wisconsin and holils a state certificate in Illinois. He was gradu.'Ued from the Illinois State Normal in 1900 and from Illinois L'niversity in 1902. Maud L. died at the age of nine months. .\gnes M. resides at home. Ral])h \'. is principal of schools at Cheney- ville. Illinois, and is a teacher of marked ability. By the third marriage of Mr. Bog- gess were born two children. Charles, at home, and h'dith E.. a student of the Dan- N'ille higli school. In connection with the genealogical his- tor\' of the B;iker faniil}' it is necessary to mention the Robbins family, who were noted ,'ind honored earlv settlers of Penn- sylvania. Jane Robbins was the great- grandmother of Mr. Baker of this re\-iew on the paternal side and was the wife of Jo- seph Robbins in whose family were the fol- lowing children, twelve in number: Sarah, born December 7, 1768; Leah, born March 19. 1770; Mary. lK)rn January 30. 177-'; Josenb. born May 2j. 1774; Jane, born .May 31. 177^): .\braliani, born May 21, 177S: Margaret, the grandmother of our subject, born I-'ebrnary 10. 1784: Lyda, born Xo\ ember 2. 1781 ; .Mice. lx)rn Octo- WM. FITHIAN, M. D. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 825 ber 29, 1783; Bethany, l:)orn September 17, 1785; Abigail, born December 17. 1787; and Esther, born November 7, 1789. Mr. Baker's ancestors were a hardy family of people, with strong constitutions and sterl- ing traits of character. After their marriage Henry S. Baker and wife settled upon the farm which they now occupy. This farm comprises one hun- dred and twenty acres on section 24, in Vance township. Mr. Baker has cultivated his land improving it in every way and making it one of the model farms of the county. Here he successfully carries on farming and is extensively engaged in rais- ing a good grade of stock for the markets, including Poland China hogs, horses and cattle. He is authority in his community on this grade of hogs and is considered a sub- stantial and representative business man of Vermilion county. He has a comfortable residence and large barns on his place. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Baker has been blessed with six children: Enoch P., born April 15. 1885, died May 11, 1885; Ralph Leslie, born November 11, 1887, died October 26, 1896; Charles Virgil, born March. 22, 1890, Froman C, born August 5, 1892, and Earl B.. born September 8, 1894, are at home with their parents ; Henry Ray- mond, bom November 20, 1897, died Au- gust 19, 189S. Mr. Baker is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of which he is steward. He is a generous contributor to and an ac- tive worker in the church, being devoted to the cause of Christianity. He is a Repub- lican in his political views, but the honors and emoluments of office have no charm for him and he has refused to accept office. He and liis wife are valued residents of Vance townsliip and are well known through- out the countv. \\TLLIAM FITHIAN, M. D. One of the most prominent and distin- guished residents of eastern Illinois was Dr. William Fithian, and if man's place in the world is determined by his usefulness a:^- suredly the Doctor's position was a leading one. For many years ranking as one of tlie most capable physicians of this part of the state, his lalrars were not limited by his pro- fession. Along many other lines he con- tributed to the general progress and up- building, became a factor in banking and mercantile circles and was instrumental in securing the extension of many railroads into this county. To Dr. Filhian also belonged the dis- tinction of having been the first white child born in Cincinnati, Ohio, his natal day hav- ing- been .\pril 7, 1799. His father, George Fithian, was a native of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, where he was reared and mar- ried. He afterward removed to the North- west Territory, being one of the earliest set- tlers of Cincinnati, then a mere hamlet situ- ated on the \'ery borders of civilization. He was also among the first to engage in mer- chandising tliere. Later he removed to thf new town of Springfield, Ohio, and after a few years he remo\'ed to the present site of Urbana, Ohio, erecting the first house there. It was a large double log building, in which he conducted a tavern for a number of years. He and his wife afterward removed to Danville, Illinois, and made their home with Dr. Fithian until death. The Doctor was but thirteen years of ag-e at the time of the outbreak of the war of 1812, but although too young to join the army he became a member of a company of home guards which was organized for pro- tection against the Indians, who were prov- ing troublesome. As was the custom in 8-26 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD those days, at an early age he began learn- ing a trade — that of printing — and later he secured a contract to print a volume of leg- islatixe enactments of the state of Ohio. He worked many times late into the night, by the light of a tallow dip, in order to com- plete the task at the time specified. This was an act characteristic of his entire career. With the money thus earned in the printing business he began the study of medicine un- der the direction of Dr. Jtiseph Carter, an eminent physician of Ohio, then located at Urliana. After three years' study he re- ceived a di])li>ma and soon afterward began the jjractice of his i)rofession in Mechanics- burg, Ohio, where he remained for two years, returning then to Urbana, where he formed a jiartnership with his former pre- ceptor. Dr. Carter, this relationship being maintained until 1830. While still living in Ohio, according to an old law of that state. he \vas made one of the associate judges, sitting with the county judge and trying cases. Prior to 1830 Dr. h'ithiau had visited Danville and in the year mentioyed he came by wagon to this city, accompanieil by his wife. It was his intention to here embark in practice. The town at that time con- tained some two hundred inhabitants and was the site of an old Indian settlement and Indians still continued to make it their trad- ing point. l"or almost sixty years Dr. Filh- ian practiced here and was probably as widely known as any physician of the state during the years of his acti\e connection with the profession. He would sometimes ride for weeks at a stretch with but a few hours' sleep at night, lie m;ide his trips on horseback, keeping from six to eight head of horses. His practice extended as far west as Bloomington. McLean county; south to Paris. Edgar countv : north into Iroquois and Kankakee counties, and at times even to Chicago; and east far into the state of Indiana. As accomodations and supplies were limited and the coimtry sparse- ly settled the Doctor always carried some tea with him, which he would steep if oppor- tunity offered or ciiew the leaves if he found it impossible to make the drink. The Doctor served as a soldier in the Black Hawk war and during the Civil war was appointed by President Lincoln to the position of provost marshal of what was then the seventh congressional district of Illinois, which trying and responsible office he nutst creditably filled. The friendship l)etween Dr. l-'ithian, the young physician, and .\lira- ham Lincoln, the yt)ung lawyer, was formed in the early days of the former's residence in Illinois and continued up to the time of the President's death in 1865. What little liti- gation Dr. i'ithian had was always in charge of Lincoln and perhaps no one stood closer in the early days to the great emancipator than did our subject. For many years Dr. l'"itliian was the leader (.>t the W big party in this section of the two states of Illinois and Indiana and was an actixe factor in the cam- paign of i860, which resulted in the election of his friend Lincoln. He served for one term as state senator and two terms as repre- sentati\e. While in Springfield he profes- siouallv atlcndetl a number of the most dis- tinguished men of Illinois antl there formed friendships which continued a lifetime. Dr. Pithian l^ecame a wealthy man, own- ing a number of tluius.and acres of land. He also established a large mercantile enter- prise and a i)ri\ate banking business in Dan- xille and these were carried on by his sons for many years. He was largely instru- mental in securing the building of several railroads through Danville and gave the right of way through a large tract of land THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 827 to the Indiana, Bloomington & Western, now a part of the Big Four system, and the town of Fithian on this hne was named in his honor. The Doctor was four times married, his second wife, Oleatha T. Berry, of Urbana, becoming the mother of his four children, of whom George, the father of WilHam E. Fitliian, of Danville, is now deceased, and John has also passed away. Henry and Elisha C. B. are yet living. In his late years the Doctor retired from active practice and died on the 5th of April, 1890, lacking but two days of reaching his ninety-first birth- day. He was a man in the best sense of the term. Successful himself, he was ever ready to aid a deserving friend and while unosten- tatious in his giving many have cause to re- member his kindness in time of need. The Illinois State Medical Society, in its report of 1890, said of him. "The man matched the times in which he lived, and was a prod- uct of them; resolute, simple, severe and exact, something" cf the hardiness of his circumstances gave force to his character, but by the bedside he was low-voiced, ten- der, precise and faithful. Autocratic as be- came the physician in whose hands are the issues of life and death, he was regardful of the feelings of those in whose presence he stood. He was a good man with de- fects : a strong man with weaknesses ; and he made a large impression on his time and in the country of his choice. Those who watched and witnessed his passing, long, painful, solitary, will realize as never be- fore, how great a boon it is to die when the springs of life have ceased to sparkle and shadows cover the whole wide world and the only light is from the one open gate through which the loved ones have gone before. He has ushered in thousands and lightened the pains and softened the departure of three generations of men. He, the great and old physician, bowed before the King of Terrors, to him a Minister of Peace.'' DAVID HIMROD. David Himrod, secretary 4nd treasurer of the Himrod Coal Company and a resi- dent of Danville, was born in Sterling, Kan- sas, March to, 1876, a son of Patten Him- rod, whose sketch is given on another page of this work. He 1>egan his education in the schools of his native city, but left school in the year of graduation, removing to Chi- cago with his parents and in that city be- came a student in the Chicago ^Manual Training School. He afterward attended the State University of Kansas, at Law- rence, and then returned to Sterling, where he accepted the position of bookkeeper in a bank. While thus engaged he made ar- rangements to enter the service of the Him- rod Coal Company, in July, 1895, 'it which time he came to Danville, where he has since remained, and upon his father's death, in 1902, he a.-^sumed control of the business as its secretary and treasurer. He is large- ly engaged in the dex'elopment of the rich coal deposits of this portion of the state, being secretary of the company owning a mine situated six miles south of Danville and another eight miles southeast of the city. The product is shipped mostly to Chi- cago and other metropolitan centers and the volume of the business is constantly growing with the result that the enterprise has re- turned an excellent income to the stockhold- ers. The officers of the company are Ber- nard Himrod, president ; Charles Himrod, vice president ; David Ximrod. secretary and treasurer ; and W. Keefer, superin- tendent. 828 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD On the 28tli of January, 1898. in Dan- ville. Mr. Himrod of this review was united in marriage to Miss Cornelia Roberts, who was horn in Champaign county, Illinois, September i. 1876, a daughter of Thomas and Mary B. (West) Roberts. Mr. Him- rod votes with tiie Repuljlican party and in June, 1901, he was made a Mason, while of the Modern Woodmen of America he is also a representative. A young business man, possessed of the enterprising .spirit of the west, he occupies a creditable position in industrial circles, and arguing from the past it is not difticult to prophesy for him a successful future. \\'. R. .\LLDREDGE. During his residence in Danville W. R. Alldredge has won due recognition nf labor. being now one of the substantial residents of this city, althougli when he located here he had just ten dollars. He now has ex- tensive real estate interests, being the owner of much property in the city and the rental from his tenement houses brings to him an excellent income. ^Ir. Alldredge is a nati\e of the neigh- boring state of Indiana, his birtlr having oc- curred in Bartholomew count}', on the 6th of December, i860, his parents being Isaac anci Elizabeth (Galyean) Alldredge. The father was born in \'irginia of Welsh and Scotch ancestry and the uKjther was born in Indiana of Scotch and Irish parentage. They were married in ^luncie. Indiana, and in order to provide for his family the father carried on farming and also engaged in me- chanical pursuits. His death occurrc^l in Logansport, Indiana, in 1878. and his wid- ow li\ed with the subject of this review at the time of her death in 1890. They were the i)arents oi nine children, of whom live are yet living: Daniel L., John, Francis, Mrs. Martha A. Stanley and our subject. W. 1^. .\lldredge spent the greater part of his early life in Logansport, Indiana, and left that city at the age of twenty years to be- come a resident of ^luncie. Indiana, where he worked at the mason's trade and was evi- gaged in the construction of cement side- walks and similar work from 1880 until 1883. in the latter year he came to Dan- ville, where he followed his trade for about nine or ten years. His attention was then gi\en to the coal business and gradually he became extensively interested in real estate. He purchased eighty acres of land adjoin- ing \'ermiiion Heights on the southwest and has since sold forl\- acres of this. ( )n the re- maining forty acres he opened a coal mine about six years ago. He had pre\iously leased coal lands to other parties who had worked out the mines. Through eight or ten years in the winter seasons Mr. All- dredge has engaged in ojjcrating his coal mines to a limited extent, supplying the local markets. .\s his financial resources have increased, however, he has made judicious inxestments in real estate and he now owns twenty-two tenement houses located in dif- ferent sections of the city. He built some of these at very moilerate expense in order th;it they might be rented at a low rate, while others are \erv desirable residences. He de\c)tes the greater part of his time to the management of his ])roperty interests. During the year 1901 he did a Ijuilding business to the extent of eleven thousand dollars, erecting a flat building on Pine street to the value of seven thousand dol- lars. He has been ijuick to recognize op- portunities in real estate dealing and his ef- forts in this direction have brought to him excellent success. W. R. ALLDREDGE. THE lilOGkAPillCAL RLCORU 831 On tlif _'.5il of Sc))iciiil)CT, iX(>i, Mr. yMldrcdjcc was niarncil ni l)aiivillc to I'l'aiices 'late, who was born in this city ill 1.S73, and is a daughter of Huston aneen well guided and that his enler])ri»e has been exercised to a g(jod advantage. His suc- cess has been the result of honest, persistent effort in the line of lionor;ible and manly • lealing. His aims have always been to att;iin lo the best and he has carried forward to a successful completion whatever he has undertaken. His life has marked a steady growth, anil now he is in jjossession of an ample competence, and more than all has that contentment that corn in Rush county, Indiana, March 18, J821, and is a son of James and Susanna (Thomas) Stevens. The parents of the former were natives of Indiana, and the latter of f/cr- many, who came to y\mcrica in an early day and settled on land in Uush county, Indiana. They lived and died near C'rawfordsvillc, In- diana, James and Susanna nhomas) Stevens were the parents of eight children, but of this numl>er two dicfl in infancy. James lived and died in Vermilion cminty and left a widow and three children, II. I', left a widow who is also now deccasefl. Samuel ('/. was a resif Judge Thompson, who had resigned. As the Republican candidate he w ill undoubtedly be elected to the same office at the November election, that party having a good majority in this county. In his social relations Mr. Clark is a member of the Inde- l)endent (3rder of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias and the Elks, and he is quite prom- inent in social, jjolitical and professional circles. On the 6th of August, 1895, Judge Clark was united in marriage to Miss Myra Men- denhall, the wedding taking place in \'er- milion Grove, Illinois. The lady was born in Catlin. this state, on the 6th of January, 1 87 1, a daughter of Dr. M. C. and Cynthia ( Kennedy) Mendenhall, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Indiana. Her parents were married at Center Point, Indiana, and the father afterward engaged in the practice of medicine in Catlin, Illinois, being one of the pioneer physicans and suc- cessful representatives of the profession in this county. During the seven years of their residence in Dainille Mr. and Mrs. Clark have become widely known and have been received into tiie best circles of .society, because of their innate culture and refinement, their intelli- gence and genuine worth. In a profession where advancement can only be gained through merit, because it dei)ends upon in- tellecttiality as well as earnest and continu- ous labor Judge .S. Murray Clark has gained a position of distinction, and upon the bench he is proving by his fairness, impartiality and capability that the trust in him is well placed. LEMUEL P. ADAMS. Prominent among the progressive ag- riculturists cf Xewell township is numbered the gentleman whose name introduces this review and who is also classed among the honored pioneers. He lives on section 22, where he has a splendid farm of three hun- dred and forty-nine and one-half acres or rich and well improved land. He was born here May 2, 185.4.. His paternal grandfa- ther, William Adams, was an honored sol- dier of the Revolutionary war, serving as an officer in that struggle for independence. He lived to be ahout ninety years of age and was buried in the Martinfield cemetery, in Newell township, near where the t)ler lands at that time. F'oxes and wolves were plentiful and wild turkeys and prairie chickens furnished much food for the set- tlers. Indians, wild and fierce, still roamed over the prairie and timber lands and hunted the bison and deer and fished unmolested along the little streams. No roads were seen except the hunter's path. No bridges crossed the sluggish streams. No fences bound the traveler's way, but nature held complete control and seemed to battle hard against invasions made by human hands. Ague and fever proved dreadful foes and pestilence made havoc amongst the little band, but push and perseverance, which those early settlers possessed and which has been a predominan.t characteristic of their descendants, soon made the wild and barren lands "to blossom like the rose" and produce abundant crops. Ponds were drained, the land was cleared, roads were laid out and soon the country assumed the appearance of civilization. Following the first settlers or families came the Hendersons in 1824, and the Reeses in 1830. and Hesters and Mendenhalls about the same time. Others whose names. are not mentioned came early and helped to make up the neighborhood and subdue the wild country. The first "meeting house" was built in 1823 in the north end of what is now Vermilion cemetery. It was built of huge walnut logs measuring from two to three feet in diameter. The roof was clapboards and the seats were hewed logs. It was here in this rude house that Friends for miles around came together regularly, twice a week for twenty-nine years to worship God and study of Him out of His Word. At the end of this time, or in 1853, the first frame house was built near where the log one stood. This house had many more accommodations, but still the conveniences were very meager compared with a modern church. The first branch meeting was established at Elwood, at which place a log house was built about 1830. This cabin served as a church until 1 846. when a frame house with a stone foun- dation was Imilt. * The next meeting set up was at Hopewell and a house was built in 1848, and then Pilot Grove about the same year. Ridge- farm, Carol and Georgetown meetings were established later. Sabbath schools were early established in all the meetings and reading and spelling were the branches taught. Later the Bible became the text book, llie quarterly meeting was begun in 1863 in that memorable year of the Civil war. The Vermilion meeting house being too small for the accommodation of the crowds that gathered at these times, was en- larged the same year and stood as a land mark for all the country around, until its 852 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD place was taken Ijy tlie splendid new brick structure which was built in 1884. The (jnarterly meeting is now composed of eight monthly meetings with a total membership of one thousand eight hundred members. ,\11 of tliese meetings are not in \'eniiilii>n countv but all have sprung from this central point. Friends ha\e always l>elieved in educa- tion as a means of uplifting humanity and provisions were early made for schools. The first school was a subscription school taught by Reuben Black, who came from Ohio, in 1824-5. ^t was in a log house one mile west of V^ermilion Grove. There were fourteen children on roll and the branches taught were reading, writing and spelling. Among others whose names are mentioned as early teachers were Elijah Veager, Henry Fletcher aiul Elisha Hobbs. In 1849 the people got uj) a subscription to build a new house but could not raise the money, so David and Elvin Haworth and William Canaday with the help of some others built \vhat was called \'ermilion Seminary in 1850, a building thirty by fifty-two with two recitation rcjoms and supplied with proper desks and furniture. They employed J. M. Davis as principal rmd school opened with one hundred and ten students. This school continued for many years and prospered. The standard of education was held high and as a result the Academy was founded in 1874. This was really a continuation of the old seminary which disappeared with the advent of free schools. The present two- story brick building was erected at a cost of eight thousand dollars. A peoples' endow- ment of ten tlKHisand dollars was raised. William Rees, |ohn Henderson, Richard Mendenhall, John Elliott. Jonah M. Davis and Elvin Haworth were the first board of trustees. Edwin Harney was first principal. 'i'he school is under control of \'ermilion (piarterly meeting of Friends Church, but it is not sectarian. The location of the acad- emy is a very l)eautiful one, in a natural grove of three acres which was donated to the school by Thomas Hester, father of the late William Hester. Other lilieral dona- tions have been made to the institution, among which was the donation by Elvin Haworth of all his property, including a splendid farm of one hundred and twenty- five acres close by. A movement is on foot at the present to increase the endowment ten thousand iloUars more, which if accom- plished will put the school on a splendid financial basis. The quarterly meeting is proud of her school and liberally patronizes the institution. Such is the history of Friends from their beginning in Elwood township and \'ermil- ion township and \^ermilion county. Many points of interest are necessarily omitted, but we feel sure that the points mentioned will be of interest to manv. — Bertr.vm Reks. COLONEL ISAAC CLEMENTS. Colonel Isaac Clements, who is now serving as governor of the Danville branch of the National Home for disabled soldiers, is a native of Brcwkville, Indiana, born March ^i. 1837. His father, Isaac Clem- ents, was a native of Maryland, but removed to Indiana and died in Laurel of the latter state in 1873. Between the ages of six ami eighteen }ears Colonel Clements attended the com- mon schools of Indiana and was afterward engaged in teaching for a year or two in order that he might further continue his studies. When twenty years of age he en- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 853 tered the Asbury University at Greencastle and was there graduated on the completion of tlie regular course with the class of 1859. In the same year he came to Illinois, locating in Jackson county, where for six months he pursued his temporary vocation of teaching. Later, however, as soon as he had read suffi- ciently so as to be admitted to the bar, he began practice, having been admitted in 1861. His professional career, however, was soon interrupted for the great issue of civil war was before tlie country and in July Col- onel Clements offered his services as a de- fender of the Union. He was made second lieutenant of Company G, Ninth Illinois In- fantry, and was appointed provost marshal at Athens, Alabama, acting in that capacity from 1863 until the spring of 1864, when he resigned in order to join his company which was then advancing on Atlanta. During the term of his military service he participated in many notable engagements and sustained two severe wounds. He was in the battles of Shiloh, where he was twice wounded, Fort Donelson and Corinth and at the last named place was again wounded. He was also in the advance on Atlanta. He did valiant service for his country wherever duty called him and since the close of hostil- ities he has long been engaged in public ser- vice of a more quiet nature, although of a no less important character. His loyalty to his country is above question and with dis- tinguished honor he represented his district in the forty-third congress, being elected from Illinois to participate in the councils of the nation. In 1877 '^^ ^^''^^ appointed a penitentiary commissioner for the southern Illinois Prison at Chester and acted in that capacity for eleven consecutive years. Sub- sequently he did duty at Chicago as United States pension agent for three \'ears and for nearly a year he was superintendent of the Soldiers' Orphans" Home at Xormal, Illinois. In December, 1898, he was appointed to his responsible and honorable position as gov- ernor of the Soldiers" Home of Danville. On the 1 6th of November, 1864, the Colonel was married to Miss Josephine Nutt, a daughter of Cyrus Nutt. D. D., LL. D., of Bloomington, Indiana. They became the parents of four children, of whom three are living: Frank, Louis and Robert. For thirty years Colonel Clements has been a valued representative of the Masonic fra- ternity and he is also connected with the Grand Army of the Republic. Almost his entire life has been spent in the government service, either upon the held of battle or in civic office and his course has been such as to awaken the highest commendation and confidence. Like a soldier, he has ever felt that his first duty was to his country and its welfare and he has ever placed the general good before personal aggrandizement. WILLIAM HESSEY. For many years this gentleman resided in Vermilion county and his name is insep- arably connected Avith the early commercial interests of Danville, where he was engaged in merchandising for a long period. His birthplace was near Louisville. Kentucky, either in that state or southern Indiana, and he was a boy of twelve when he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, with his parents. His father took up government land here and engaged in farming. The early life of our subject was spent upon a farm in Middlefork township and bis education was obtained in the subscrip- tion schools so common in those days. Re- moving- to Danville in 1857 he entered into partnership with E. P. ■Martin and opened a 854 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD general store, becoming one of tlie early merchants of this place. He continued to engage in business here until 1876 and then lived retiretl until his death, which occurred on the 4th of December. 1888. his remains being interred in Spring Hill cemetery. Mr. Hcssey was twice married, his first wife being Miss Catherine Cannady of In- diana, by whom he had si.x children. Those still living are Mrs. English, a resident of Danville. Illinois: Belle, who makes her home with Mrs. English; and Cordelia, wife of Seth \\". Dennv of Evansville. Indiana. The mother of these children died in Xo\em- bcr. 185S. and Mr. Hessey subsequently married Elizabeth Hessey, and to them were bom two children, one of whom is deceased. The other is tlie wife of Daniel W. \'oorhees of Peoria. Illinois. By a former marriage Mrs. Hessey had two children, Ijoth now de- ceased. Mr. Hessey was a supporter of the Dem- ocratic party but totik no active part in poli- tics aside from \'oting. He was connected with the blue lodge of the Masonic fraternity at Danville and held membership in the Christian church. He was a man of the jiighest respectability, and he left behintl him an hiinoral)!e record well worthy of emula- tion. WILLIAM WILLIAMS. William Williams is a retired farmer now H\ing in 1 loopeslon. During the vears of his active business career his persistent la- I)or and carefully directed energy brought to him a conijietence which now enables him to put aside all business cares and rest in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He was born in McLean county, Illinois, in 1832, and was the only child of W^illiam Williams. The father was a native of Ten- nessee and after arriving at years of matur- ity he wedded Miss Kiela B. Hobson, a na- tive of North Carolina, their marriage being celebrated in McLean county. The father died during the early l)oyh(Kjd of our subject and the mother afterward became the wife of J. ("i. Reyburn. and her death occurred when William Williams of this review was but sixteen years of age. Mr. Williams iiad two half-sisters, Mrs. Ellen Bunn and Mrs. -Margaret Rowell, and a half-brother, James, now deceased. Mr. Wil]i;ims remained with his mother until after her death, living upon the old home farm, and in the district schtxils pur- sued his education. He continued on the old home place until twenty-one years of age and then started out in life, on his own ac- count, renting land for several years. He was married in 1854 to Miss Abigail Dean, will I was born in Knox county, Ohio, in 1833. a (laughter of Jonathan X. and Mary (Elwell) Dean, who removed from Mary- land to Ohio ;ind subsequently took U]) their abode in McLean county. Illinois. The fa- ther there died while the mother passed away at the home of her daughter ]\lrs. Williams. The latter has two sisters and one brother yet living: William S. Dean, Mrs. Joseph Wilson and Mrs. Margaret Williams. The year 1871 witnessed the arrival of our subject in \ ermilion county. He pur- chased eighty acres of land in (irant town- ship and afterward ;idded another eighty acre tract, so that he now owns altogether a ([uarter section on sections 18 and 19, Grant townshi]). All of the improvements upon this place he h;is ni;ide and the substantial buildings stand as monuments to his enter- prise and earnest labor. He continued the cultivation of his fields with marked success THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 855 until 1889, when he removed to Hoopeston, where he purcliased a lot on Soutli Second avenue and erected thereon a very comfort- able and attractive residence. He now leases his land and the rental from his property brings him a good income. For a number of years he was known as a wide-awake and progressive agriculturist of his community and his persistent purpose and honorable dealing were potent elements in his success. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Williams was blessed with six children, of whom four are yet living. Elnora R. is the wife of Samue! Umbanhowar, a farmer of Grant township, by whom she has six children, Nellie, George, Charles, William, May and Frank; George, who married Emma Van Clave and died leaving one son, Frank ; James J., who resides upon his father's farm and married i\nna Sellers, by whom he has two children, Grace and Reed ; Eva, the wife of George Hobbs, of Michigan; and Lee, who married Myrtle Hewett. by whom he has two children, Robert and Harry, and makes his home in Rockford, Illinois. ]\Ir. Williams and his wife are devoted members of the Church of Christ, although the lady was at one time a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is serving as a trustee and takes a deep interest in church work and the promotion of the cause of Christianity. Of the Masonic fraternity he is an exemplary member, emixidying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. In his political views he is an earnest Repub- lican and he served as highway commission- er, as trustee and school director in this cotmty, while in McLean county he once filled the position of constable. During the administration of Dr. W^ilson as mayor of Hoopeston he served as alderman from the first ward. In political thouglit and action he has always been independent, carrying out his honest views without fear or favor. In business he has achieved success through honorable effort, untiring intlustry and capa- ble management, and in pri\'ate life he has gained the warm personal regard which arises from true nobility of character, defer- ence for the opinions of others, kindliness and geniality. LINCOLN PAYNE. Lincoln Payne was born in Vigo county, Indiana, December 2, 1861, and is a son of Allen F. and Mary A. (Jewell) Payne, in whose family were six chilreen, he being the fifth in order of birth. In the common schools of Clay county, Indiana, he pursued his education, his parents having removed to that county when he was but five years of age. He remained as a student in school until seventeen years of age, when he began teaching in the district schools. He afterward attended the state normal school in Terre Haute, Indiana, and the county normal school at Brazil, Indiana. When twenty-one years of age Mr. Payne came to Danville and here learned the printer's trade with the Daily News, work- ing in the office as an employe for fi\'e years. He then entered the employ of the Illinois Printing Company with which he continued for four years, and during that time he was a member of the Ixjard of directors and the secretary of the company. In 1890, how- ever, he sold his interest and organized the Payne Printing CtMupany of which he is the chief stockholder. He was also the manager of the Danville Daily News, having as- sumed the office in February, 1891. Mr. Payne was married August 26, 1890, to Miss Mary Graydon, of Indianapo- lis. Indiana, and thev have three children, 856 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Lilla. Mary Graydon and Lincoln, Jr. Mr. Payne is a member of tlie Chamber of Com- merce, of tlie Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, tlie Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of the Maccabees. He has a public-spirited interest in the city and its progress and through the columns of his paper he has cliampioned many meas- ures for the general good, exerting strong influence over public opinion in this way. His career has been successful chiefly by reason of his natural ability and his thor- ough insight into the business in which as a young journalist he embarked. WILLIAM D. PORTER, M. D. Dr. William D. Porter for many years occupied a leading jiosition in professional circles not only because of his skill as a practitioner but also because of a life th;it would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and that ever commanded esteem and good will. He was prominent among the rei^resentative citizens of Vermilion county and was numbered among the pion- eers of Blount township. His liirth occurred in Kentucky March 25, iS_'6, and his death on the 20th of August, 1890. when he was sixtv-four years of age. Many friends mourned his loss. His parents were Seth and Cynthia (Davis) Porter, also natives of Kentucky. In their family were four sons and a daughter, three of the sons be- coming physicians. Dr. Porter of this review completed a literarv course by graduation and afterward entered the medical department of the Uni- versity of Kentucky, at Louisville, in which he likewi.se graduated. In 1863 he came to \'ermilion countv, settling in Higginsville, which at that time was a prosi)erous and growing \illage. He began his practice, however, in Brown county, Indiana, remain- ing for a number of years in that county, to which his parents had removed. After com- ing to \'ermilion county he opened his oftice and his practice extended over a wide terri- tory. The night was never too dark or the weather too inclement for him to respond to a call from the sick and suffering, and his jirofessional services were extended as readil\' to the poor as to the rich. e\-en though there was no hope of any pecuniary reward. He formed a very wide acquain- tance and the qualities of his manhood en- deared him to those with whom he came in contact. It was in X'erniilion county that Dr. Por- ter formed the acquaintance of Miss Phoebe Holknvay. and winning her hand in mar- riage they were joined in wedlock on the 28th of January, 1866. The lady was born in I'ranklin count}', Ohio, January 25, ^{833, a daugiiter of William and Eleanor ( Will- fawn ) Holhjway. Her father was a nati\e of Maryland, removing from the eastern slK)re of that state to Ohio, the mother be- ing born in the Buckeye state. She died when Mrs. Porter was only nine years of age and the daughter was left an orphan at fourteen. There were three daughters in the family, of whom Airs. Porter was the sec(Mid, and is now the only survivor. When she was a little maiden of fi\e summers her parents removed from Ohio, settling in Warren county, Indiana and there the mother died. 1 he father afterward caiue to Vermilion county, taking up his abode near Myers\ille, where he carried on farm- ing until his death. Mrs. Porter then went to live with the family of John Myers, a miller, for whom the town of Myersville was named. She remained there and attend- DR. WM. D. PORTER. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 859 ed school until she readied womanhood. Her older sister had become the wife of George Grossman, who died, leaving two children, and Mrs. Porter then went to live with Mrs. Grossman, with whom she remained until her own marriage. Her younger sister, Mary, became the wife of J. H. Fairchild, a son of Timothy Fairchild, and died Octo- ber 16, 1 901, leaving a family of three daughters and one son, all of whom had reached adult age. The marriage of the Doctor and his wife was blessed with three children. Cynthia became the wife of A. C. Firebaugh, September 24, 1884, and to them were born five children : Glenn, Mary, Nellie, Ruth and Mossie. Eleanor was mar- ried in 1886 to Patrick Jordan, of James- burg, Ilinois. Mossie B. was married June 25, 1893, to Daniel O'Brien, of Chicago. Dr. Porter was one of the influential cit- izens and progressive men of the county. He was identified with the Indiana State Medi- cal Society and was recognized as an able representative of his chosen profession. Fra- ternally he was connected with the Masonic Lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and at the time of his death he owned three hundred acres of very valuable farm land and thus provided his wife and children with a good living. He was a model husband, a kind and loving father, a charitable and benevolent man and a loyal friend. INIrs. Porter now lives in a com- fortable, pleasant home close to her chil- dren and grandchildren. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has served as Sunday-school superintendent and is now conducting a class of young ladies. She has always looked upon the bright side of life and has done her part toward elevat- ing mankind, assisting in the care of the sick and helping the needy. Like her hus- band she has ever enjoyed the warm regard of many friends and her many excellent qualities of heart and mind have endeared her to those among whom she has lived. IRA GRANT DAVIS. I. Grant Davis was Jxirn in Vermilion county, Illinois, June 10, 1863, and is a son of Henry V. and Catherine (Callahan) Davis. Henry V. Davis was the son of Henry Davis, whose name appears else- where in this work in connection with the sketch of James Davis. Henry V. Davis was born September 25, 1819, and was mar- ried in February, 1843, to Mary Ann Cope- land. By this union were born the following children : William E., who resides at Beat- rice, Nebraska, and has one child ; and Sarah E., who has only one child li\-ing. Mr. Henry V. Da\is was again married, his sec- ond wife being Catherine Callahan. She died September 13, 1893. By this union three children were lx)rn: Oscar H. resides in Homer. Illinois. He is in the grain busi- ness at Marshfield, Indiana, and has four children — Chester, Katie, Harry and Frank, all at home. I. Grant Davis is the second child by the second union. George W. mar- ried Highley Robertson and resides five miles southwest of Homer, Illinois. They have two chiUlren, Chester and Clara, Henry V. Davis has made a distribution of his land among his children and retired to Homer, Illinois, in 1892. On the 5th of July, 1894, in Danville, he was married to Mrs. E. R. Thompson. They went to Mis- sissippi, where they lived for three years, when they came back to Danville, where they are now living. Mr. Davis is a hale and hearty gentleman, well able to attend to his business affairs and he and his wife have a 86o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD comtortaljle Iiome titteil up witli every con- venience. I. Grant Da\is attended scliuol at Pleas- ant \ alley, and afterward took the h\gh school course at Champaign, Illinois. At an early age he drove a carriage in Cham- paign, during a period of two years. He then renio\ed to a farm tive miles southwest of Homer, owned by liis father. On this farm he remained for four years, when he removed to the old homestead farm where he now lives. On the 15th of February, 1888, he was married to Miss Mary E. Palmer, who was born in Homer, December 3, 1867. She is a daughter of Milbnrn and Elizabeth (Miller) Palmer. The father was born May 13, 1836, near Yellow Springs, Ohio, and the mother was born ]\larch 31, 1831, in Zurich, Switzer- land. They were married in Homer, Illi- nois, where Milljurn Palmer purchased land, following agricultural pursuits, and where he still lives. In politics he is a Democrat, and he is a man of prominence and influence in his community. Mrs. Davis, the wife of our subject, was one of a family of ten chil- dren, eight of whom are still living. Clar- ence married Mattie Stebbins and resides in Homer, Michigan. Alice is the wife of William Flaugher and resides in Anderson, Indiana. IMary E. is the wife of our sub- ject. Carl M. resides in Anderson, Indiana. Olive and Oliver (twins) are now decKised. Jacob resides in Homer, Illinois. Emma is a telephone operator of Homer, Illinois. Ellen G. is the wife of Walter Wood, of Homer. Ada also lives at Homer. Illinois. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been born three children : Mallie L., born De- cem1:)er 2^. 1888; Henry H., born April 13, 1891 ; and Palmer, Ixirn September 23, 1895. Mr. Davis has a large farm of two hundred and fifty-eight acres. This is one of the best in Vermilion county. He has rebuilt the old homestead and lias now a very attractive home. This is situated on sections 6 and 7 in \'ance township. He is a pleasant and genial gentleman and has many friends. He belongs to the Baptist church and his wife to the Presbyterian. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity and a member of Homer Lodge, Xo. 199. He belongs to the Court of Honor, of which his wife is also a member. In politics he is a Republican. Every movement and measure intended for the welfare of his township, state or county, is heartily endorsed by Mr. Davis and to-day he is regarded as one of \'ance township's leading agriculturists. IRA GROVER JOXES. Ira (i. Jones is a retired farmer and capi- talist lixing in Ridgefarm. Seventy-six years ha\e come and gone since he arrived in Vermilion county and the history of the pio- neer settlement of this portion of the state would he incomplete without the record of Mr. Jones, who from the earliest develop- ment of the town has watched its growth and has been a prominent factor in its sub- -stantial improvement. When Illinois was cut oft' from the advantages and comforts of the older east bv the unbroken prairies and rivers which were luibridged. he was brought to this county by parents who reared him amid hardshi])s and trials of pio- neer life. The l)irth of Mr. Jones occurred in east- ern Indiana, near Liljerty, on the iith of January, 1826, his parents being Aaron and Phoebe ( W'atkins) Jones. The father was a native of Xew Jersey and in his early boy- hood was taken by his parents to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where the family THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 86i liome was established. Tlie paternal grand- father of our subject was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and valiantly fought with the colonists in the struggle for inde- pendence. Aaron Jones was reared to man- hood in the Keystone state and after arriv- ing at years of maturity he wedded Phoebe Watkins, who was a native of Fayette coun- ty, Pennsylvania. They became the parents of eleven children, but only one is now liv- ing — Ira, of this review. In the year 1827 Aaron Jones brought his family from Indi- ana to Edgar county, Illinois, and became one of the earliest settlers of this locality, lo- cating at Quakers Point. There he rented land for two years, after which he entered a claim from the government at the land office at Crawfordsville. He paid for this the usual government price and at once be- gan the cultivation and development of the farm. He erected a double log cabin with ji clay chimney, a puncheon floor and a clap- board roof. The nearest trading places at that time were Newport and Eugene, Indi- ana. The now flourishing and attractive city of Danville and the smaller cities and towns of Vermilion county were then but mere hamlets or had not yet sprung into ex- istence. The work of improvement seemed scarcely begun and the most farsighted could not have dreamed of the rapid changes which were to occur and make this one of the garden spots of the great Mississippi val- ley. "Father Jones," as he was called, was a very hos])itable man and his home was al- ways opetT to the weary traveler, whom he entertained to the best of his ability, never accepting any pay for his trouble, his cour- tesy and his hospitality. It was amid pioneer surroundings that Ira G. Jones was reared. The only educa- tion v.-hich he received was that afforded in one of the primitive log schools of the day. Children set on slab benches, their feet rest- ing on a puncheon floor. There was an im- mense firejilace in one end of the room and the furnishings were of the most primitive character. The metods of instruction, too, were in keejiing with the building and the text books were limited, but while his edu- cational facilities were meager Mr. Jones had ample training at farm work and it was hard work at that, for he assisted in the ardu- ous task of clearing and developing new land. Well can he remember the spinning wheel at which his mother worked for all the clothing used by the family was spun and woven in the household. A wooden mold-board was used in plowing the fields and the other farm implements bore little re- semblance to the improved machinerv' which lessens and facilitates farm labor at the pres- ent day. Wild game of all kinds was to be had in abundance, such as turkeys, pigeons and prairie chickens, much larger game was also killed, for deer still roamed over the prairies and venison furnished many a meal for the early settler. Wolves frequently made the night hideous with their howling and all around were seen the evidences of frontier life. There was, however, a spirit of good will, friendliness and helpfulness among tiie pioneers that is somewhat lack- ing at tlie present day. They rejoiced in each others Jiappiness and sympathized in each others sorrows and the latchstring was always out, friends and neighbors being heartily welcomed at the dift'erent pioneeer homes. Mr. Jones continued to work upon his father's farm up to the time of his marriage, which important event in his life was cele- brated in July. 1855. He wedded Miss Ruth Connor and for fourteen years they traveled life's journey together, but on the 9th of August, 1869, she was called to her 562 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD final rest. She had become the mother of seven children, hut of this number only four are yet living: Enieline, George \\'., Rosa- lie and Seymonr. On the 24th of November, 1871. Mr. Jones was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Rhoda J. Rice, the widow of James M. Rice and a daughter of James ]~. W'eller, of Ehvood township, \'ermilion county, l.'nto this marriage have been born four children, all sons : Pearl wedded Allie Davis and they reside in Ridgefarm, where he is engaged in the planing mill I)usiness. They have three children. Frank married INIollie Dubre and has one child. His home is in Edgar county, Illinois, where he is en- gaged in farming. Bertie died at age of one year. Arthur married Nettie Cooke and they reside in l-llwood township, where he is devoting his energies to agricultural pur- suits. Throughout the years of his active busi- ness career Mr. Jones engaged in farming. He worked industriously and energetically and was a progressive farmer who kept in touch with the advancement made in agri- cultural implements and in the methods of tilling the soil. His untiring industry and capable management proved the evidence of his success and as the years passed he added to his landed possessions until he is now the owner of almost three thousand acres of the rich, productive and valuable land of Ver- milion county. All this has been acquired entirely through his own labors. hVoni early spring time until the crops were harvested in the late autumn he worked in the fields or superintended the operations of his farming interests as he advanceed in years and also made progress in a financial way. Certainly such a life record is commendable and should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others who have to begin life as he did. empty handed. On April 14, 1887. he retired from his home in Ehvood township, removing to Ridgefarm, where he has since resided. In politics Mr. Jones is a stalwart and earnest Republican who has given his sup- port to the party since its organization and has been active in its councils. He has served as highway commissioner, as road overseer and as school trustee and has also been a member of the city council of Ridgefarm. In matters pertaining to the general good he has ever borne his i)art anil in public office has discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity. Mr. Jones has now passed the seventy-seventh mile-stone on life's journey. His life has been one of honor as well as of industry and wherever he is known he is held in the highest esteem. He has a very wide accpiaintance gained through his long resi- dence in \'ermilion county. His memory goes back to tlie time when this section of the state was but sparsely settled, when Indi- ans still visited the district, for it was sev- eral years after the arrival of the family be- fore the Black Hawk war occurred. The land was yet unclaimed for the uses of the white man, only here and there was a set- tlement to show that the rq)resentatives of the white race had made their way into this district. Mr. Jones can relate many inter- esting incidents of those early days and takes pleasure in recalling events which occurred at that time and yet, he does not live in the ])ast. but still maintains an active interest in the jiresent and rejoices in what Vermilion county has accomplished. He certainly de- serves mention as one of its leading agricult- urists and his life record proves what splen- did advantages Illinois offers to the wide- awake and energetic farmer. r ^ \i^^Mly-a/l/' THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD S65 \\'ILLIA.M STEWART. Deeply engraven on Danville's roll of fame is the name of William Stewart. By the death of this honorable and upright cit- izen the community sustained an irreparable loss and was deprived of the presence of one whom it had come to look upon as a guar- dian, benefactor and friend. Death often re- moves from our midst those whom we can ill afford to spare, whose lives have been all that is exemplary of the true, and thereby really great, citizen. Such a man was Mr. Stewart, whose whole career, both business and social, served as a model to the young and an inspiration to the aged. During a long and successful commercial life, char- acterized by enterprise, he ever maintained an enviable reputation for the highest honor and principle, and no unworthy deed or word ever linked itself with his name. Through the conduct of important business afifairs he contributed largely to the general prosperity, and no citizen of Illinois ever made better or more unostentatious use of his accumulations. Danville in many ways profited by his prosperity and the welfare and upbuilding of the city were very dear to his heart. William Stewart was born in Bo 'Ness, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, January 26, 1840, a son of Thomas and Anna (Young) Stewart, who were also natives of the land of the heather and were there married. The father engaged in teaching in the schools of Scotland, but fortj'-five years ago he was called to his final rest and his wife died twelve years ago. In their family were six children. The subject of this review pursued his early education in the schools of his native town and afterward continued his studies in Glasgow until fifteen years of age, when 34 he put aside his textbooks to become a factor in the business world. No special ad^'antages surrounded him in his youth, save that which comes as an inheritance from honorable parentage. He saw the necessity of providing for his own support and began learning the trade of a machinist and engineer, working as an apprentice for seven years and afterward as a journeyman in Scotland for a short time. A young man of twenty-two years, he came to An:erica in the fall of 1861, to enjoy the broader business opportunities of the new world. Making his way westward to Fort Wayne, Indiana, he secured employment in the Wabash Railroad shops and becoming fore- man he remained there for eleven years. His success was undoubtedly largely due to his persistency of purpose and his thorough understanding of the work in which as a young tradesman he embarked, his effi- ciency rendering his labors of value to those by whom he was employed. While in Fort Wayne Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Mary Dickey, a native of Scotland and a daughter of Rob- ert and Ellen (Bell) Dickey, who were born, reared and married in Scotland and came to America in 1850. The father fol- lowed farming in early life and in Fort Wayne he was employed as a boiler-maker. For the past twenty years he has lived re- tired and he and his wife now make their home in T'^ort Wayne. In their family were eight children. Mr. Dickey is a member of the Masonic fraternity and his political support is given the Republican party. Mr. Stewart resided in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from the time of his marriage un- til January. 1873. when he came to Danville and was made foreman of the machine de- partment of what is now the Chicage & Eastern Illinois Railroad at this place. 866 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Tliree years later he resigned his position to enter upon an independent business career, purchasing an interest in the Rey- nolds foundry, which was then a small con- cern. Not long after he bought out Mr. Reynolds' interest. In 1878 a disastrous fire occurred and Mr. Stewart lost much that he had previously saved, but with stout heart and strong determination he set to work to retrieve his lost possessions. The name of the enterprise was changed to the Stewart Foundry & Machine Com- pany and in 1891 the business was incor- porated under the name of the Danville Foundry & Machine Company, the stock- holders being A\'illiam Stewart and L. A. Chesley. l/mlcr the capable management of Mr. Stewart the business i)rospered until it became the leading industrial concern of this city, furnishing employment to many workmen. The i)Iant was continually en- larged until it covered four acres and the annual outcome is now very extensive, the products being sold throughout the length and breath of the land. Many other enterprises of importance in the business development and prosperity of Danville received the co-operation, en- couragement and direct assistance of Mr. Stewart. He was interested in the Danville Street Car Company, the Danville Electric Light Company and was one of the stock- holders in the Danville Fair Association. He had \aluable real-estate holdings here and nuR-b farm land in Indiana. The ex- tent and im]>ortance of his investiuents indi- cate in a measure the degree of his success. His prosperity came as the reward of a life of industry, guided by sound judgment and absolute fidelity to the ethics of commercial transactions. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stewart was born one child, Helen B. S., the wife of L. .\. Chesley. They also had a niece and ailopted daughter. Elizabeth !■'. Mr. Stewart was a prominent Mason, being made a member of the order soon after his arrival in Dan- ville, while in Chicago he received the con- sistory degrees. He also belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he atihliated v.ilb the I'resl)yterian church. A Republican in his political faith, he stanchly endorsed the party and for three terms he served as a niemlier of the city council of Danville, although the aid which he ren- dered to the city was usually unofficial. Local progress was a cause most dear to him and he rejoiced heartily in the sub- stantial improvement of Danville and con- tributed in very large measure to its up- building, being for many years associated with almost e\cry inii)rovement here made. He was connectetl with the opera house, the city hall and other public buildings, and the public library found in him a warm friend. He was largely instrumental in securing the estalilislnncnt of the Soldiers' Home here ami his aid was never sought in vain when the object was the betterment of public con- ditions here. He was a man of deep and earnest nature, of steadfast purpose and un- faltering fi(lelit\- to what he knew to be right. He made no loutl professions of his religious faith, but he believed and trusted in the supremacy of God and frequently re- peated the first fifteen verses of the four- teenth cha])ter of Jt)l) in a Scotch paraphrase, te;icbing of man's niortalitv and sin, ruid that bis body would arise again and he wtjuld appear before God. Of him it might be said as it was of Goldsmith's "\illage preach- er" that "e'en his failings leaned to \-irtue's side, " for be was charitable almost to a fault and although his was a most active business life he always had time to listen patientlv and sxinpathelically to a tale of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 867 i-eal distress. In his giving. lio\ve\-er, he was unostentatious, nor did he heHeve in indiscriminate g'iving which often fosters vagrancy. His donations reheved genuine cHstress and many times were of marked vahie in enabhng a man to gain a start in the business world. He was ahvays glad of an opportunity to recognize and reward faithfulness on the part of his employes, by whom he was held in the greatest admira- tion and respect. Mr. Stewart passed away at eight o'clock on Wednesday morning. IMay 29, 1901, and on Friday afternoon he was laid to rest in Spring Hill cemetery of Danville. His life record covered sixty-one years. He had used well the talents which had been entrusted to him and had accomplished much in his earthly pilgrimage of three score years. Viewed from any standpoint his life might well be called successful. He amassed a splendid fortune, but he ne\'er allowed the accumulation of wealth to in any way warp his kindly and g'enial nature and the sterling rectitude of his character won him the honor and esteem of men. THOMAS B. CASTLEMAN. In the promotion and advancement of the world in all the normal lines of human progress and civilization there is no factor which has exercised a more potent influence than the press, which is both the director and the mirror of public opinion. Vermilion county has been signally favored in the char- acter of its newspapers which have been vi- tal, enthusiastic and progressive, ever aim- ing to advance the interests of this favored section of the country and aiding in laying fast and sure the foundations of an enlight- ened commonwealth, to further the ends of justice and to uphold the banner of Illinois. In all of these matters the Danville Press has been among the foremost papers of the county and Thomas B. Castleman, its mana- ger, is a well known factor in journalistic circles. Mr. Castleman was born in Clark coun- ty, Virginia, a son of William A. and Ann R. (Isler) Castleman, who were also natives of the Old Dominion. The father was a farmer and merchant of Clark county, Vir- ginia, and also served as judge. He died in 1884 at the age of seventy-four years, but the mother of our subject is still living. They became the parents of eleven children who reached manhood or womanhood and of this number seven are yet living, Thomas B. being the third in order of birth. In Berryville Academy, of Virginia, Thomas B. Castleman pursued his educa- tion, completing his school course in 1867. He afterward engaged in farming in his na- tive state until 1870 when he came to the west, establishing his home in Danville in that year. Here he entered the employ of William Hessey as bookkeeper and subse- quently accepted a similar position with the firm of ^Villiam Mann & Company with whom he continued for se\'en years. Later he engaged in dealing in men's furnishing goods for three years, after which he entered the postoffice as mail clerk, capably serving in that capacity for four years. The year 1888 was spent as city editor of the Dan- ville Press and he then became bookkeeper for the Kellyville Coal Company. In the year 1891 he acted as clerk in the state legis- lature and in 1894 he was assistant postmas- ter of Danville, acting in that capacity under John Beard until 1897, when he became sec- retary, solicitor and local manager for the Danville Press, a position which he 868 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD now holds. In June, 1901, he also became a member of the board of review of Vermilion county, and is now acting in that position. In his political affiliations he is an old school Democrat. He is not bitterl}' partisan, and in fact is liloeral on political matters believing it policy to maintain favorable conditions rather than to inaugurate changes. In the year 1889 he was elected city treasurer of Danville. ^Ar. Castleman holds membership in Olive Branch Lodge, No. 138, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master, and he also be- longs to the Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks. In 1875 he married Harriet Du Puy, of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, and untu them have been born three children, William D., Estelle -M. and Irene A. JOHX WILLIAMS. Jdlm Williams, now deceased, was a man respected for his sterling traits of character and at his death the community lost a valued citizen. He was born in Har- rison county, (Jhio, September 29, 1832, a son 1)1 Xathan and Sarah (^Hooi>es) Will- iams, who in the spring of 1854 came to Vermilion county. They belonged to the Society of Friends and the father was a preacher of that denomination. John Williams was a young man of twenty-two years when he arrived in Ver- milion county to face pioneer conditions and assist in the development of this region from a frontier district to an advanced state of civilizalidu. He engaged in breaking l)rairie and in fanning and during the tliinl year after his arrival he entered three hun- dred and twenty acres of land on section 12, Prairie Green township, Iroquois county. There he lived for seventeen years. For several years he was engaged in the grocery business and then removed to his farm south of Hoopeston, carrying on agricult- ural pursuits until, on account of ill health he retired from business life and purchased a home in Hoopeston, where he spent his remaining days. On the 13th of October, 1858, Mr. Will- iams was united in marriage to Elnora Shankland, who was born in 1841 and died February 23. 1864. They had three chil- dren, but all had passed away before Mr. -Williams was a second time married. On the 1 2th of August, 1867, Jennie M. Har- wood became his wife. She was born April 7, 1844. They had two children who died in infancy and there are two who now sur- vive; Xe'lie, the wife of J. E. Whitcomb, of Hoopeston, and Josephine, the wife of Mont ^Volverton. Mrs. Williams was bom in East Rupert, \'ermont, in 1844 and came alone to Illinois, l)eing married in Watseka in 1867. I'or man_\- years Mr. Williams was a member of the Christian church and thruugh a long period served as one of its elders. He took a very active interest in church and Sunday-schot)l work antl his widow now attends the Christian church, although she is a member of the Congregational church. For some years prior to his death Mr. Will- iams was an invalid and at length passcil away at his home in FIooi)eston on the 27th of January, 1902, his remains being inter- red in Moral Hill cemetery. His life was ever honorable antl ui)riglit and all wliu knew him respected him for his genuine worth. He served as assessor of Prairie Green towiishii) fur four or h\-e consecuti\'e years and in all life's relations he was found true to the trusts reposed in him and to prin- ciples of upright manhood. Mrs. Williams r/,^?^ /'::^M^^L<<^'^:>^^!>^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 871 now owns a farm in Indiana and her pleas- ant home in Hoopeston, so that she is com- fortably situated in life. An earnest Chris- tian woman her influence is always on the side of improvement, progress, truth and the right. She belongs to the Women's Christian Temperance Union and is well known in temperance and church circles. ISAAC M. REES. Isaac M. Rees, who is engaged in agri- cultural pursuits on section 26, Elwood township, near Ridgefarm, was born near Vermilion Grove in this county. November 28, 1840. his parents being John and Sus- annah (Dillon) Rees. In the year 1830 his parents arrived in Vermilion county and were married here. They came with twaity- two others who were members of the Society of Friends or Quakers and to that faith they always adhered. The father was a farmer by occupation and carried on agricultural pursuits near Ridgefarm, thus providing for his family, which numbered seven children. These are, Thomas C, now deceased ; Mrs. Bethany Hiatt, who resides in Terre Haute, Indiana; Mrs. Jane Wallace, of Carthage, Missouri; James S., of Newburg, Oregon; Mrs. Ella S. Weeks, of Sapulpa, Indian Ter- ritory; and Mrs. Mary Gulick. of Gushing, Oklahoma. The father died in the year 1854, and was survived by the mother for thirty-seven years. In taking up the personal history of Isaac M. Rees, we present to our readers one who has a wide acquaintance in Vermilion county. He pursued his education in the public schools and was reared in the usual manner of farmer boys, assisting materially in the development of his mother's lanil after his father's death. On the loth of Decem- ber, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Araminta Mills, a daughter of William and Hannah Mills. She was born about a mile and a half west of Vermilion Grove and is a representative of the prominent and well known Mills family that was established in Vermilion county at a very early day in its history, when the Indians were far more numerous than the white settlers in this por- tion of the state. Unto the parents of Mrs. Rees were born twelve children, nine of whom reached years of maturity and are still li\-ing', being useful and representative citi- zens of the community. Like her husband Mrs. Rees was educated in the public schools and by her marriage she has become the mother of fi\'e children. Emory J. was mar- ried December 28, 1898, to Deborah Gor- man, and they went as missionaries to Jo- hannasburg, Africa. William A., who is living at Vermilion Grove, married Adella A. Commons. Mrs. Olive Walthall is the wife of A. J. Walthall, a farmer of Quaker, Indiana, and they have two children. Milo E. is a student in Penn College at Oskaloosa, Iowa; and Anna vS., who completes the fam- ily, is still at home. Mr. and JNIrs. Rees began their domestic life in the vicinity of Ridgefarm. where they lived for five years or more, and then re- mo\'ed to Champaign county, where they re- mained for nineteen years. On the expira- tion of that period they came to their present home on section 26, Elwood township. Here they now live happily and comfortably, our subject devoting his energies to general ag- ricultural pursuits with the result that he is annually adding to his capital. He is a pro- gressive agricu.lturist, a quiet, unassuming man, and a citizen of value. He manifested- his loyalty to his country at the time of the Civil war by putting aside all business and personal considerations and offering his aid 872 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD to the Union. He enlisted on the 22(1 of July, 1862, as a member of Company A, Seventy-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and lie afterward served with Compan_\- 11, of the First United States Veteran Volun- teer Engineers, continuing with that com- mand until mu.stered out, about the close of the war on the 27th of June, 1865. When the war was o\'er and the country no longer required his services, he received an honor- able discharge and returned to his home to again take up the work of the farm which he has since followed. He has taken an active interest in education and for many years ser\ed as a school director. He belongs to the Society of h'riends, and in his political faith is a Prohibitionist, having long been an ardent advocate of the cause of temperance. In fact his life has e\er been one in harmony v.'ith upright princijiles and he has fa\ored every measure and movement calculated to uplift his fellow men and advance the cause of morality in the community where he makes his home and beliexes that in severing his connection with the Republican party in 1888 he cninpnimiscd none of the original principles of that \n\rt\ as a party of prog- ress and reform. JUDGE JACOB \V. WILKIX. The name of Judge Jacob \\'. Wilkin is inseparably associated with the history of jurisprutlence in Illinois and no man has been more respected in the state and none more highly deserved the honor that has been l>estowed upon him. He is now serv- ing as one of the supreme judges of the com- monwealth and his abilit}- makes him one of the most cai)abie jurists that ever graced the court of last resort. The Judge was born in Licking county. Ohio, in June, 1837, and is a son of Isaac and Sarah (Burner) Wilkin, natives of Virginia. Soon after their mar- riage they removed to Ohio, settling in Lick- ing county, and in 1845 they Ijecame resi- dents of Crawford county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming. Prior to his ar- ri\-al in this state, howe\er, he had followed contracting rmd building. His life record covered eighty-one years, while his wife passed away at the advanced age of eighty- five, both dying in Marshall, Clark county, where they were living retired. In their family were nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom four are yet living, but the Judge is the only one who resides in IJanxille. One brother and a sister are liv- ing in Robertson, Crawford county, and this brother, H. O. Wilkin, is filling the posi- tion of circuit clerk there. The sister. Mrs. ]\lary M. Coulter, is a widow. The other brother. Rev. M. T. Wilkin, is a minister of the Methodist church, now preaching in L'r- bana, Illinois. When a lad of eight years Judge Wilkin was brougiit to Illinois by his parents and at- tended school in Crawford county. He aft- erward became a student in McKendree College in St. Clair county, Illinois, and was thus pursuing his literary educatiim when the Civil war broke out. Deeply interested in the questions which involved the country in the struggle and most loyal to the Union cause, he offered his services to the govern- ment, enlisting in Marshall, Clark county, as a mcmiier of Company K, One Hundred and Thirtieth HHnois X'ohinteer lnl'antr\-. under Colonel Xathaniel I'. Miles, the regiment being assigned t(j the Thirteenth Army Corps. With his command the Judge par- ticijjated in tiie battles ])rcccding the siege of A'icksburg and in the campaign which was followed bv the surrender of that southern THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 873 strongliold. He was 011 detached service at General Grant's headquarters for sometime during the siege and he was also in the Red River campaign, during which he partici- pated in the battle of Sabine Cross Roads and other engagements. He also aided in the siege of Spanish B^ort, in the campaign against Fort Blakely and in other move- ments of the army in that district of the south. He had enlisted in the spring of 1862, was mustered in in August of the same year and in the fall of 1865 he received an honorable dischharge, having been in the army for more than three years. He joined his company as a private but was soon aft- erward commissioned its captain and when mustered out hekl the rank of major of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois Regi- ment, which was a consolidation of the old One Hundred and Thirtieth and the Sev- enty-seventh Regiments. With his com- mand he was mustered out at Mobile and re- ceived his chscharge at Spring-field, Illinois. Following his return to civil life Judge Wilkin took up the study of law under the direction of Judge Scholfield, a distin- guished member of the Illinois bar and a jurist of prominence. In 1866 he was ad- mitted to the bar and he began practice in Marshall, Clark county. As a partner of his former preceptor he practiced from 1867 un- til 1873, and in the latter year the dissolution of the business relationship was brought about by the election of Judge Scholfield to the supreme bench. Judge Wilkin w^as then alone in practice until 1879, when he was elected circuit judge of the fourth circuit, comprising the counties of Clark, Edgar, Coles, Vermilion. Douglas, Moultrie, Ma- con, Piatt and Ch.ampaigii. Fie continued to reside in ^.larshall. Illinois, until 1885, when he was re-elected circuit judge and was as- signed to the appellate court of the fourth district, at which time he removed to Dan- ville. In June, 1S88, he was elected to the supreme bench, succeeding Judge John M. Scott, of McFean county, and in 1897 was re-elected so that he is now a member of the court of last resort. \Vhen first elected he became an associate of his former preceptor, Judge Scholfield, who was also upon the bench and continued a member of the su- preme court until his death, which occurred in February, 1893. A man of unimpeacha- ble character, of imusual intellectual endow- ments, with a thorough understanding of the law, patience, urbanity and industry, Judge ^Vilkin took to the bench the very highest qualifications for this most respon- sible ofiice in the system of the state govern- ment; and his record as a judge has been in harmon)- with his record as a man and law- yer, distinguished by unswerving integrity and a masterful grasp of every problem that has presented itself for solution. The Judge has great respect for the dignity of judicial place and power, and no man ever presided in a court with more respect for his environ- ments than does Judge Wilkin. As a result of that personal characteristic the proceed- ings are always orderly upon the part of every one — audience, bar and the officers from the highest to the lowest. His opin- ions are fine specimens of judicial thought, always clear, logical, and as brief as the character of the case will permit. He never enlarges beyond tb.e necessities of the legal thought in order to indulge in the drapery of literature. His mind, during the entire per- iod of his course at the bar and on the bench, has been directed in the line of his profession and his duty. .Vsitle from the practice of law and the performance of his judicial du- ties. Judge Wilkin has to some extent been 874 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD interested in otlier Inisiness enterprises, hav- ing furmerl\- been the president of the Ori- ental I'louring Company of Danville. In September, 1865. was celebrated the marriage of Judge Wilkin and Miss .Alice E. Constable, a daughter of Judge Charles H. Constable, and unto them were born four children, of whom one died in infancy. The others are : Harry O., John Scholfield and Jessie B. The sons are both in Oregon. In the early spring of 1883 Mrs. Wilkin tlied, her remains interred in Marshall cemetery. In the fall of 1885 the Judge was again mar- ried, his second union being with Sarah E. Archer, a daughter of Judge William C. Whitlock, of Marshall, Illinois. By her iirst marriage she had one son, W^illiam Archer, who is now a practicing attorney of Chicago. The Judge is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Danville and is serving as one of its trustees. In politics lie is a Democrat. h"ormcri_\- he was a Re- publican and served as a (iraiil elector in J 872. To a man of broad mind who has made a close study of social and economic questions as well as of the political history of his country, the subject of education is always a matter of interest and for many years Judge Wilkin served as a trustee of the Southern Illinois Normal School. Fratern- ally he is a prominent Mason, belonging to the lodge, chapter and commandery of Dan- ville and (jf the consistory and shrine oi Chi- cago. He is also identiiied with the Grand Army of the Republic and with the Loyal Legion of Chicago. A gentleman of pleas- ing and coiu'teiius manner he is not less es- teemed for his social worth than his profes- sional al)ility and he is to-day numl)ered among the distinguished residents of the state because of his well rounded character, his evenly balanced mind and spleuflid in- tellectual attainments. JAMES SLOAX. James Sloan, who is now so efficiently serving as sheriff of \'ermilion county, is a native of Illinois, his birth having occur- red in Joliet, Will county, on the 31st of March, 185 1. His parents, Samuel and Mary (Campbell) Sloan, were both born in Canada and are now deceased. During his early life the father followed farming in the Dominion, but his last days were spent in Joliet, Illinois. Of his nine chil- dren si.K are still li\ing but our subject is the only member of the family residing in this county. Mr. Sloan is inbebted to the public schools of Joliet for his early school privi- eges, but at the age of fifteen years his edu- cation was completed as far as attending school was concerned, and he then started out in life for himself, at first working as a farm hand in Will county. On the 3d of May, 1868, he accepted a position with the Chicago & Alton Railroad as water boy, and remained in the railroad service for a cpiarter of a ccntiu'_\', being gradually pro- moted — first to laborer and later to section foreman, road master and general road mas- ter. He only remained with the Chicago & Alton a short time, however, being em- ployed on the construction of their ilouble tracks, and on the 24th of November, 1868, left their omi)l(iy and was connected with the constructitMi of the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville Railroad until June 23, 1869, He was ne.xt with the Indiana, Blooming- ton & Western roatl, now a part of the Big hour system, entering their employ June 23, i86q, on construction work, and re- maining with them until the completion of the road December 19, 1S70, when he took charge of a section as foreman and served as such until October 3, 1875. He was then JAMES SLOAN. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD S77 promoted to road master in charge of the Peoria division and filled that position until the 15th of November. 1878, when he was given charge of the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois Railroad as general road master, with office in Danville. He remained with that road until March 31, 1890, when he re- signed and took charge of the Clover Leaf Railroad with offices in East St. Louis, but remained with that company only until the 3rd of May, 1890, when he resigned and accepted a sinfilar position with the Lake Erie & Western Railroad between La- fayette, Indiana, and Peoria, Illinois, with head-quarters at Paxton. On the 17th of September, 1873, Mr. Sloan was united in marriage to Miss Lu- cinda Stone, a native of Pekin, Tazewell county Illinois, and to them have been born eight children, as folhnvs : Lucinda, the oldest child, who died in infancy ; Minnie, now the wife of O. D. Ehlicher, a druggist of Pekin, Illinois ; James, who married Frances Mc- Revno of Danville, and is now assisting his father in the duties of his office; Ellen: Henry, who married Esther Tobby, and is engaged in the confectionery business in Danville; Will, Lulu and Florence, all at home. The Republican partv has always found in Mr. Sloan a stanch supporter of its prin- ciples and he has taken a very prominent and influential part in public affairs. Dur- ing his early residence in Danville, in 1S84, he was elected and served as alderman from the second ward for two terms and in 1887 was elected mayor of the city, while serving his second term as alderman, and that office he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents for two years. In April, 1893, while living in Pax- ton, Illinois, he was again elected mayor of Danx'ille. and returned to this citv to enter upon the duties of the office, again serving one term. On December 5, 1894, he accept- ed the position of deputy sheriff and served in that capacity for four years, continuing after his term as mayor expired, and was elected sheriff' in the fall of 1898. He proved a most capable and trust- worthy officer, serving until Decem- ber I, 1902, and in all the relations of life has been found true and faithful to any trust reposed in him. Socially Mr. Sloan is a prominent Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter and commandery of Danville, and the consistory and Mystic Shrine of Chicago. He is also connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Roadmaster's Association of America, in which he served as vice-president for three or four terms. He is now a director of the Vermilion Building Association, and as a public-spirited citizen he takes a commend- al)le interest in all mo\"ements calculated to pro\'e of public benefit. JOHN SPROULS. John Sprouls. a pronfinent and enter- ])rising farn.ier, is the owner of two hundred and seventy-five acres of rich land in Georgetown township and the neat appear- ance of his place with its excellent improve- ments and modern equipments is an indica- tion of the careful supervision which he gives to his property and to his farm work in its various departments. His birth oc- curred upon this farm. February 26, 1845, and he belongs to one of the old and honored pioneer families of the county. His father, James Sprouls. was born in Pennsyl\-ania and in earlv life went from that state to 8/8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Oliio. where lie l)ecanie acquainted with Miss Mary Hathaway. He sought and won her hand in marriage and they began their domestic life in Ohio, which was her native state, there living until 1837, when they started westward, taking up their abode in Vermilion county, Illinois. Here ^Ir. Sprouls entered one hundred and sixty acres of land fr(_ini the government, becom- ing the owner of a quarter section, a part of the farm iq)on which his son John now resides. With characteristic energy he be- gan improving the land, turned the first fur- rows in the fields and carried on the task of plowing and planting until his fields were under a high slate of cultivation, in fact, he continued farm work there throughout his remaining days. On the nth of March, J 845, while riding a horse, he was thrown and killed. In her later years the mother lived among her children in this county and reached the very ad\anceil age of ninety- three. L'litii Mr. and .Mrs. Sprouls had been burn thirteen children, five of whom now sur\i\e, while most of the others died in early childhood. Andrew married America Pribble and is engaged in farming in \'er- milion county. Indiana. George wedded Hannah J. Davis and follows agricultural pursuits on a part of the old homestead. Elizabeth is the wife of William Rubv and resides in Newport, Indiana. Hannah is the widow of Sanslmry Holdaway and resides in Eugene. Indiana. John Sprouls. of this review, the young- est member of the family, was but an in- fant at the time of his father's death. His educational privileges were ulitained in the common schools. Throughout his youth he remained at home assisting his mother in the work of the home farm aiKl assuming its management as he attained an age that qual- ified him for such a task. He sought as a companion and helpmate for life's journey Miss Sarah Ann Hearst, their marriage be- ing celebrated here. The lady was born in X'ermilion county, Imliana, where her fa- ther carried on farming, but afterward he removed to Missouri and there died. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Sprouls has been blessed with nine children: Etta, the wife of John Brown, a resident farmer of George- town townshii); Amos B., who married Bes- sie Sollars and is a farmer of Cieorgetown townsbiij; .Mice, the wife of Hanson Nut- cher, who is living in \'ermilion county, Indiana: and Leonard, Clara, Laura, Grover and Gertie, all at home ; and Doha, who died in infancN'. After his marriage Mr. Sprouls and his brother George took charge of the home place, ecjtially dividing the property, our sub- ject becoming the owner of the south half and there he has since resided. He has, however, extended, the boundaries of his jjlace by additional purchases until he now owns two hundred and seventy-fi\-e acres of rich and arable land, on which he has made many nice improvements, where he carries on general farming. His attention is chiefly gi\'en to stock-raising and he makes a spe- cialty of fine cattle. He has found this a good source of income and has Ijecome well known as a stock-dealer throughout this part of the stale. .\s the years have passed by his success has increasctl and yet he owes his linancial ad\ancement not to any outside aid or influence l)ut to earnest work, sup- ])!emented by sound business judgment. He has always votetl with the Democracy and belie\-es firmly in the principles of the ])arty. r>otb he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Georgetown townshi]) and are earnest Christian people, whose lives are in harmony with their faith and professions. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 879 C. D. HEXTOX, M. D. Tlie fitting reward of a well spent life is an honorable retirement in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil and a period of rest from labor. This has been vouchsafed to Dr. Henton as the reward of his energy and 2)erseverance in former years. He was one of the first practicing physicians of Ver- milinn county, having located here in 1853. His death occurred in Hillsboro, Ohio, Au- gust 3, 1 83 1, his parents being Evan and Maria (Inskeep) Henton, both of whom were natives of Ohio and during the greater part of their li\-es they were residents of the vicinity of Hillsboro. The father was a farmer by occupation and always carrietl on that pursuit in order to provide for the sup- port of his family. The Doctor obtained his early education in his native state, supplementing his com- mon-school privileges by study in the acad- emy at Hillsboro, Ohio. He was the only member of the family that ever came to Vermilion county, the year 1853 witness- ing his arrival here and he took up his abode near Myersville, where he began prac- ticing. While living there he was married to Miss Susan Gundy, thus securing a faithful companion and helpmate for life's journey. She was born near ]\[yersville, June 6, 1833, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Davidson ) Gundy, both of Columbus, Ohio, whence they came to Vermilion county at a very early epoch in the history of this portion of the state. Her father purchased a tract of land near Myersville and was there engaged in general farming and stock-raising, suc- cessfully carrying on business until his death. The Doctor and his wife have one daughter. Hattie ]\Iay. In i860 Dr. Henton entered Rush Medi- cal College of Chicago, in which he was graduated with the class of 1861 and given a certificate to practice. He then returned to ilyersville, where he soon secured a liberal patronage and gained thorough ex- perience as a medical practitioner. He con- tinued at that placfe until 1872, when desir- ing a wider field of labor he came to Danville and opened an ofiice on Vermilion street. He was not long in winning the public con- fidence by reason of his skill and ability and he continued in active practice until 1897, when on account of failing health he laid aside his professional duties and has since li\-ed retired. He was very successful in his chosen field of labor and his career was one of progression for his was a nature that could not l)e content with mediocrity and he steadily advanced until he won a foremost i)!ace among the capable physicians of Ver- milion county. Wv. Henton has never held nor sought ofiice, yet he has ever been a stanch advocate of Republican principles and has kept well informed on the issues and cjuestions of the day. He is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity of Danville and both he and his wife are members of the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church of this city. He owns a beautiful home at Xo. 519 West Madison street, where he is now living with his wife and daughter. Hospitality reigns supreme there and unto the Doctor and his family is freely accorded in turn the hospi- tality of many of the best homes of the citv. JESSE LAXE. For sixty-seven years Jesse Lane has re- sided in Illinois. He is now living retired in Potomac, but was for many years one of the active business men of the town and a thrifty 83o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD farmer of the county. He was born near Lafayette, Indiana, Januarj- 27, 1831, and is a son of William Lane, whose birth occurred in North Carolina about 1796. About 1815 he removed with his parents to Ohio, the family becoming early settlers of that state. William Lane was three times married, his third union being with Nancy Lacy, who was a native of Georgia but was reared in Ohio. It was she who became the mother of the subject of this re\iew. Mr. Lane re- moved from Ohio to Indiana and lived in different counties of that state until 1835, when he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, settling in IVkjuui township. There he en- tered land and opened up a farm which con- tinued to be his place of residence until his death, which occurred in 1884, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-eight years. It was u])()n this farm that Jesse spent the (la\-s of bis boyhood and youth, work- ing in the fields and meadows through the summer while in the winter season he at- tended school to a limited extent, but his knowledge has been largely acquired in the sclu)ol of experience, and through observa- tion and reading he has grained much practi- cal knowledge. In early life he began farm work on his own account. His father gave him ninety-live acres of raw land in what is now .Middlefork township. L'])on this he turned the tirst furrows and also m:ule the rails to fence his tract. With the work of plowing, planting and harvesting he was actively engaged and in later years as his financial resources increased be addetl to his projjcrty from time to time until he had three hundred and se\'enty-hve acres, lie erected a good residence, substantial barns and out- buildings and ])lanted three orchards. He also adorned bis place by shade trees, tiled his land and made substantial improvements which transformed his farm into a valuable place. In the barnyard were found good grades of stock and he both raised and fed stock for the market. About 1875 he rented his farm and removed to Potomac, where he purchased residence property. He also bought a lumber yard and became connected with the commercial interests of the place. For ten vears he engaged in dealing in lum- ber and coal. He has also made imx'stments in more land and is to-day the owner of two valuable farms in the county, the rental from which returns to him an excellent income. He has purchased the old Lane iiomestead of two linndred and seventy-five acres on the Dan\-ille road, eight miles northwest of the city. Mr. Lane was married in this county March 3, 1853, to Delilah Smith, a native of Ohio, although reared in X'ermilion county where her father, John Smith, located at an earlv day. Mr. 1 .ane was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife about 1864. She left four children: Clara B. is the wife of John Davis, of Arizona; Effie is the wife of William Warren, of Tcrre Haute, Indiana, and lias two children, William and Daisy; Mary Elizabeth and Amanda, the third and fourth children, lived to be married and both are now deceased. In 1867 'Sh. Lane was married to Emaline I-'ouch, who was born and reared in Ohio. There she married .Simjison b'ouch ;ind later came to Illinois. Mrs. Lane has a son by her first marriage, \\'illiam O. Fouchs. of Oregon, who is mar- ried and has a family. Mr. Lane has another grandchild. Alta Holth, the wife of John Holth, and a son of .\manda Lane, \\ho married Francis Shain. Politically Mr. Lane is a Jeffersonian Democrat, having always supported the party since casting his first presidential ballot for James Buchanan in 1856. The only excep- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 88i tioii whicli he lias made was in 1872. He has served as one of the town board, aided in organizing the town and has frequently been a member of the school board. He has also served as a delegate to the county ' conventions of his party and has ever been deeply interested in its growth and success. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church of Potomac and he is one of its trustees. Through almost seven decades Mr. Lane has resided in Vermilion county and is therefore to-day one of its honored pioneers and has witnessed almost its entire growth and development as it has emerged from primiti\-e conditions to take its place among the best counties of this great state. The deer and wolves which li\-ed in the forest and roamed over the prairies have all dis- appeared and in their place are seen fine grades of stock. The primitive frontier homes have been replaced by substantial farm residences and attractive city homes. Roads liave been constructed, farms improved and industrial and commercial activity has transformed the cities. Everything indi- cates improvement and progress, in all of which Mr. Lane has taken a keen and active interest, bearing his part in the work of de- velopment as he has found opportunity. He is to-day an honored resident of the com- munity and it is with pleasure that we pre- sent the record of his life to our readers. EXOS COOK. No state in the Lnion can boast of a more heroic band of pioneers than Illinois in their intelligence, capability and genius. They ranked with the pioneers of the east, and their hardships, privations and earnest labors have resulted in establishinsr one of the fore- most commonwealths of America, the possi- bilities of which are greater than any of those possessed by her sister states. Among the early settlers of Vermilion county was Enos Cook, who for thirty-five years maintained his residence here, dying September 11, 1877. He was born in Union county, Indiana, No- vember 14, 1 81 7, and came of Quaker an- 'cestry. The ancestral line can be traced back to Peter Cook, a native of Chestershire, Eng- land, who started for America in 171 3 but died on the voyage. The next in direct line was Peter Cook, Jr., who was the father of Thomas Cook. The latter was born in Ches- tershire, England, in 1704, a son of Peter and Elinor (Norman) Cook, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1713, and in Chester county, that state, Thomas Cook wedded Alary Un- derwood. In 1742 they removed to War- rington, York county, Pennsylvania, where Thomas Cook died between 1749 and 1752. His son Isaac was the great-grandfather of oiu' subject. He was probably born in 1743, as the records show that he died at Caesar's Creek, Ohio, in 1820, at the age of seventy- seven years. His wife was Charity Cook, a gifted woman among the Quakers, who took a very acti\'e and prominent part in the work of the society. She was a daughter of John and Rachel (Wells) Wright. Her son, Thomas Cook, was born in South Carolina, January 3, 1770, and was married Septem- ber 5, 1792, to Keziah Henderson, a daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Rebecca Henderson Emigrating westward in 1824, Thomas Cook took up his abode in Vermilion county, Illinois, \\here he resided until his death. Throughout the greater part of bis life he was a leading member of the Society of Friends and was noted for his many social and Christian virtues. His son, Zimri Cook, the father of our subject, was also a native 882 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of South Carolina and in youth 1)ccame a resident of Oliio. settling near Dayton. He afterward removed to Union county. In- (hana. and fmni there came to VenniUon county. Illinois. \\'hile in Ohio he married Elizaljeth l"homton, by whom he had six children, five sons and one daughter. They all died in this county. They were Enos, Henderson, Evarts, Thomas, Joshua and Ellen, the wife of .Arthur Jackson, a noted Methodist minister, who resided here for many years. Enos Cook was reared in the place of his nati\'ity until about nineteen years of age. Erom 1836 until 183S he lived in the coun- ties of Eayette, Henr\' and Wayne, Indiana, and then went to Iowa, spending several months in tra\-eling over that state. Later he returned to Wayne county, Indiana, where he followed the saddler's trade and af- terward carried on a similar business in Henry county. The fall of 1841 witnessed his arri\al in Vermilion county. Illinois, where he resided continuously until his death. He turned his attention to farming, which he fdllowed in connection with work at his trade for several years. In 1858. how- ever, he took up his abode in Georgetowai and there engaged in the saddlery liusiness throughout the ])eriod of the Civil war. In 1868 he established a hotel in Georgetown, which he conducted until his death. It is the only hotel in the jjlace and was well patronized, because of the earnest efifort which he made to prt)vide for the comfort of his guests. Mr. Cook was married in Louisville, Henry county. Indiana, on the 3d of July, 1839. to Melinda, daughter of Robert Har- ris. Unto them were torn three children : Benjamin F.. whose sketcli follows this; Sylvester J., who is living retired in George- town : and Emma, who died at an early age. her death being deeply deplored by all who knew her, because of her beautiful character. Hoth sons served as soldiers in the Union army, enlisting at the same time in Com- jianx' A, Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, in which the younger served out his time, while the elder brother was in active field service until \v(iunded at the battle of Nashville, on the 1 ith of December, 1864, after which he was detached and appointed judge advocate of court martial at Nashville, filling that position until 1866. The fa- ther was a strong supi)orter of the Union cause and the go\-ernment policy throughotit the i)eriod of the Civil war and cheerfully gave his only sons to the Union cause. He led a hfe of industry and of honor and. al- though he did not acquire wealth, he gained a comf(jrt;il)le cimipetence and maintained a rejiutation for straightforward dealing and for upright manhood, which is above wealth. BENJAMIN F. COOK. For more than a quarter of a century Ben- jannn F. Cook has been a representative of the legal profession at the Damille bar and has lung m.'iintained a place in the foremost ranks of this calling. With a nature that ciiuld never content itself with mediocrity and with a realization of the fact that at the bar ad\'ancement is had only through in- dividual merit, he has worked his way up- ward, haxing long since passed the many to stand among the successful few. Mr. Cook was born on the 3d of Febru- ary, 184!, in Greensboro, Indiana, and in his first year was brought by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Enos Cook, to Vermilion county, the family settling in Georgetown. The father's sketch is piven alwve. At the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 883 usual age Mr. Cook began his education, attending the pubHc schools and in early life he also learned the harness maker's trade with his father, but after the country had become involved in Civil war, arising through the tlitiferences of opinion brought on by the slavery cfuestion and the attempt of the south at secession, he put aside his business cares and personal interests that he might perform his dtity as a loyal son of the Union. Enlisting, he became a mem- ber of Company A, Twenty-fifth Illinois In- fantry, in 1863 and he participated in a number of important engagements, includ- ing the battle of Pea Ridge, Perryville. Stone River and Corinth. He was also in the bat- tle of Naslnille, on the nth of September, 1864, at which time he was wovmded in the shoulder. In the meantime he had been ap- pointed by President Lincoln to the position of first lieutenant in the Twelfth L'nited States Colored troops and it was with that command that he went forth to take part in the engagement at Nashville. His injuries disabled him from further field service and he was thereupon detailed for court martial duty, being appointed the judge advocate, and until the close of the war he prosecuted claims and cases for the government before the several miJitarv' courts in the city of Nashville and that vicinity, being thus en- gaged until honorably discharged on the i6th of January, 1866. Mr. Cook remained in Nashville until the fall of 1869 and in the meantime he was there admitted to the bar, successfully passing an examination be- fore the judge of the circuit, the chancery and the criminal courts. In 1867 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Nashville and discharged his duties with such ability that he was re-elected, serving for two terms. He then determined to return to the north and in 1869 left Nashville. On the 17th of March, 1875, '^^ came to Danville and has since been an active representative of the legal profession in this place. The clientage accorded to him has been of an important and re])resentative character. He has made a specialty of acting as pension attorney and has presented many claims against the gov- ernment for his clients from Maine to Cali- fornia, being successful in a large number of these. Mr. Cook has also been connected with real estate dealing,. Ijuying and selling property, and has handled considerable valu- al)le realty here, wherein' he has materially increased his income. On the 2(1 of September, 1872, was per- formed the marriage ceremony of Benjamin F. Cook and Laura M. Lawrence, a daugh- ter of John and Eliza Lawrence, of George- town, Illinois. The hospitality of many of the best homes of this city is extended to them and they have a large circle of friends here. They belong to the Methodist Epis- copal church and Mr. Cook is identified with the Grand Army Post. In politics he is a Republican, but he has preferred to ab- stain from active part in political work in order to devote his entire attention to his professional duties. ' MRS. LINEA E. GOODNER. Mrs. Linea Elizabeth Goodner is well known in Ridgefarm, having for a consider- able period been a resident of this portion of \^ermilion comity. She was born Octo- ber I, 1866. in Jasper, Illinois, a daughter of George W. and Nancy (Gregson) Sand- ers, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, whence they removed to Jasper county, Illi- nois, soon after their marirage. There they remained for a number of vears and then 884 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD came to X'eniiilion county, settling on a farm near Georgetown. Here the father died in 1875 and the mother afterward took iip her alxxle in Ridgefarm, wiiere her deatli occurred in 1SS5. Mrs. Goodner had four sisters : X'anetta ]^IcCorkle, who died leav- ing two children; ]\Irs. Rebecca Foster, of Danville, who has two children ; Mrs. Mary Gtiodner. of Ridgefarm, who has two chil- dren; and Airs. Alaggie Carson, of Ridge- farm, who has four children. Mrs. Goodner, whose name introduces this record, spent her girlhood days under the ])arental roof and. obtained her education in the public schools. She lived with her parents until she gave her li.and in marriage to John (joodner on the 13th of December, 1887, when about twenty-one years of age. He was born near Georgetown in this county and his parents were natives of Germany, whence they came to America, settling in \'erniilion county at an early day. His familv became prominent in the community and Mr. Goodner was ever respected for his genuine worth. For a year after their marriage the young couple resided on the home farm and then removed to the \illage of Ridgefarm, where they lived happily until the 31st of May, 1891, when Mr. Goodner was called to his final rest, passing away from heart trouble. His remains were in- terred in J'ieasant Mound cemetery at Georgetown, and his death was the occasion of deep regret throughout the community. Mrs. Gootlner was thus left alone with the care of her two children, Charles Wesley and Cassius, aged respectively twelve and se\en years. . They are still with their mother, who is devoted to their welfare and happiness. }klr^. Goodner is an active and earnest member of the Christian church, takes a leading part in the Christian En- dea\-or Socictv and in Sunda\--school work. Her influence is ever on the side of moral progress and throughout the community where she has now resided for some vears she is held in the highest esteem. A. L. JOHNSON. A. L. Johnson is one of the progressive and wide-awake farmers and stock-raisers of Ross township, living on section 4, where he owns and operates two hundred and six- ty acres of valuable land, well improved with modern equipments. He was born in \'in- ton county, Ohio, January 21, 1844, and his father, Aliraham Johnson, was also a native of that locality, born in 1816. He came of German ancestry and wedded Matilda Pew- thers, a lady of Scotch descent, who was also a native of Ohio. To provide for his family he followed farming in Vinton county and there spent his entire life, his death result- ing from an accident in 1876. His wife had previotisly passed away, having been called to her final rest in 1873. In their family of five sons and two daughters A. L. John- son was the second in order of birth. The sons and one of the daughters are yet living in Ohio with the exception of him whose name iiitrciduces this review. A. L. Johnson was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period. In the summer months he worked in field and meadow and during the winter seasons pur- sued his education in the common schools. After he was grown he began buying and shipi)ing stock and followed that pursuit for fifteen years. Later he engaged in the culti- vation of the old home farm and ultimately he determined to establish his residence in Illinois, coming to Vermilion county in 1879. He then purchased the farm upon which he A. L. JOHNSON. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 887 now resides, took up his abode there and began to improve the place in 1883. He has since erected a large and substantial farm residence, good barns and other necessary outbuildings, has planted an orchard, has set out shade and ornamental trees, lias tiled and fenced his fields and has added all mod- ern machinery and equipments. He has a windmill and waterworks upon his place and the substantial improvements which are ever found upon a model farm. He has been engaged in raising and feeding stock \\hich he fattens for the market, shipping about three car-loads of cattle and two of hogs each year. On the 31st of May, 1866, in Vinton county, Ohio, Air. Johnson wedded Maiy Craig, a native of that county, and a daug'h- ter of William Craig. They had three chil- dren, but Addie C, the first born, died in her ninth year and Sophia died in 1894, at the age of twenty-two years. Clara M. is therefore the only surviving member of the family and lives with her parents on the home place in Ross township. The mother of these children died in 1893, and on the 14th of Alay, 1895, ^Ii"- Johnson married Phebe Craig. Mr. Johnson cast his first presidential vote for General Hancock in 1868 and has since supported each candidate of the De- mocrac}^ for the office of chief executive of the nation. At local elections he votes in- dependently, regarding only the capability of the nominees. He has never been an office seeker himself, but was elected com- missioner of highways, by his fellow towns- men, who recognized his worth and loyalty. Ever a warm friend of education, he be- lieves in securing good schools and com- petent teachers, and for twelve years he did effective service in this direction. While acting as a member of the school board he 35 served as its secretary. He has served as a delegate to the numerous county and state conventions of his party. He and his wife and daughter are members of the Christian church of Pleasantview. He served for five years on the Ohio Christian conference as president, and after coming to Illinois he was elected without his knowledge as presi- dent of the Central Illinois Christian confer- ence, ha\ing served for nine years in thnt capacity. His life has been upright, his art- ions manly, sincere and unaffected, and his salient characteristics have been such as to win for him the confidence and good will of those with whom he has been associated. O. C. BENSON. O. C. Benson is the owner of a mill and elevator in Fairmount and is now conduct- ing an extensive and profitable business. He is one of the citizens of foreign birth who, believing that the new world offered superior advantages, came to America and utilizing the opportunities which have come to them, now occupy creditable and honorable posi- tions as leading representatives of the com- munities with which they have become iden- tified. Mr. Benson was born in Sweden, October 23, 1848. His father, Benjamin Olson, was likewise a native of that country, as was the mother of our subject who bore the maiden name of Kama Nelson. . They were married in Sweden and the father was well known there because of his musical skill, being a good performer on many in- struments and a leader of one of the national bands. He died in 1851 and his wife, long- surviving him, passed away in 1901. In their family were five children, of whom four are yet li\-ing, but Eleanor died in Sweden. 888 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD The otiiers are: Johanna, tlie wife of Nelse Hanson, of Sweden ; Bengta, the wife of John Chrislianson, of Fairmount; O. C, of this review; and Mary, who is married and resides in Sweden. O. C. Benson attended school to a limited extent in his native country, but at the age of fourteen he put aside his text books and began earning his own living. He lost his father when only three years of age, and it was therefore necessary that he provide for his support in early youth. He first secured employment in a mill at Molmer, Sweden, where he remained until he was twenty-five years of age, in the meantime winning pro- juotion until he had become head miller and manager. In the year 1873 he crossed the Atlantic to America, landing in \ew York, Init he did not tarry long in the eastern metropolis, making his way at once to Dan- ville, Illinois, in company with a companion, Andrew Anderson, wdio had been visiting in Sweden and had induced our subject to seek a home in the United States. He be- gan working for I\I. M. Wright, and his close ajiplication and his capability caused him to be retained in Mr. Wright's service for five years. In 1883 he came to Fair- mount where he purchased the John Dough- ertv flour mill. This he conducted until 1896 when it was destroyed by fire, but with characteristic energy he erected his present mill. His elevator was not burned, and he has both the mill and elevator at this place, also a mill and elevator in Catlin, Illinois. Both are large plants and his business is fast reaching mammoth proportions. He han- dles a large amount of grain annually and also conducts an extensive milling business, his products finding a ready sale upon the market because of the excellence of the quality. In the citv of Danville Mr. Benson was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Ellison, who was born in Sweden, October 15, 1846. Her parents lived and died in that country and she has one sister who is yet living in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Benson have three children still living: Alvina, born June 22, 1879; Fnfily, February 5, 1882; and Lilly, September 24, 1885. Clarence, born August 10, 1887, died when four- teen months old. ^Ir. Benson owns a gartment with the class of 1896 and ranking high among his ninety- six classmates. In the previous year the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Nannie Richards, of Fredericksburg, Indiana, and after his graduation he removed to Collington, Illi- nois, where he began i)ractice, quickly gain- ing a fair patronage. He has the confidence of the public by reason of his thorough and accurate understanding of the principles of medical science and his correct application thereof to the needs of suffering humanitv. He reads broadly, thinks deeply, works earnestly, and thus is meeting with success. L'nto Dr. and J^Jrs. Finley has been Ijorn one son, j. Keith, three years of age. So- cially the Doctor is connected through mem- Ijersliip relations with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modem Wood- men of America and in tliese he has held many offices. He belongs to the Methodist church and in his political views is a strong Republican, but has ne\er sought or desired office, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his professional duties. He be- longs to the County and State Medical So- cieties and is also a member of the American Medical Association. PROSPER LESEURE. Few men were as widely known or as sin- cerely mourned as Prosper Leseure. who I)assed away November 23, 1897, while vis- iting his children in Danville. He was born on the 26th of May, 1820. in Xancy, iM-ance, a son of Pierre and .\nne Eeseure, also na- tives of the same place. When Prosper Le- seure had reached the age of ten years his father, accompanied by the family, emi- grated to America, locating in Phila(leli)hia, where he remained for a short time. Later he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and subse- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD S97 quently to an estate in soutliern Indiana, where he hved the life of a country gentle- man. It was on this estate that the children grew to manhood or womanhood and ac- quired their English education. \Mien yet a young man Prosper Leseure came to Dan- ville, soon to be joined by his brother, and together, under the firm name of V. & P. Leseure, they established a large general mercantile store, which they carried on for many years with niarkeil success, theirs be- coming one of the leading enterprises of the kind in the city. In 1867, howex'er, this partnership was dissolved, and for a time Prosper Leseure was not engaged in any business. Later, in connection with George Yeomans, he operated a large lumber busi- ness but eventually disposed of his interests to his son-in-law, J. G. Shedd. In 1883 Mr. Leseure, together with several others, organized the State Bank, of which he was vice president for a number of years, retir- ing from active business in 1889. In the spring of 1892 he removed to California, living retired in 'Los Angeles. Prosper Leseure was twice married. To the first union three chiklren were born, of whom two are yet living: Helen L., the widow of J. G. Shedd, who was the superin- tendent of schools in Danville for many years : and Oscar, who is a prominent sur- geon of Detroit, Michigan. His wife hav- ing died in 1858, Mr. Leseure w'as again married, in 1863, to Miss Harriet Crane, of Danville. One child was born to them, Ernest X. Leseure, the president of the Dan- ville National Bank. As a politician Prosper Leseure was little known, but in charitable and philanthropic work many have cause to remember him. He was unostentatious in his giving and it could be truthfully said of him that his right hand knew not what his left hand did. An earnest Christian worker, he was for a long period a moving spirit in the Presbyterian church. He died leaving to his children a precious legacy — the heritage of a good name. WALTER R. WTLSON, M. D. Dr. Walter R. Wilson, of Hoopeston, is a natix-e of Oneida county. New York, born on the 20th of February, 1852, and comes of an old New England family. His father, Otis E. Wilson, was a native of Massachu- setts, while the mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Matthews, was born in New ^'ork and in the Empire state they were married. The father was a farmer in early life ixn\ later devoted his attention to gen- eral merchandising in East Lynn, Illinois. There he died in 1894, but his wife still sur- \ives and is now a resident of Hoopeston. in th'^u- family were the following children: Mrs. Hattie Elliott, of Hoopeston; Mrs. Dr. Fallis, of Danville; Mrs. Frank Hall, of Hoopeston ; and the Doctor. When only two years of age Dr. Wil- son was taken by his parents to Kendall county, Illinois, and thence the family removed to Kankakee county about 1858. He was reared upon the home farm until nineteen years of age, making his home in Kankakee county until his re- moval whh his parents to Hoopeston, in 1877. His early education was acquired in the public schools and for six months he was a student in Kankakee Seminary. Later he went to Chicago, Illinois, and entered upon ;. course of study that could prepare him for the practice of medicine and after the com- pletion of the regular course he was gradu- ated in Flahnemann Medical College with the class of 1877. He had previously studied 898 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD with Dr. Campbell, of Wilming^ton, Illinois. AVel! equipped for his cliDsen work, he located in Hoopeston, in I'ebruary, 1877, on leaving Hahnemann College, and has since made his home here. He received an hon- orary degree from the Chicago Homeopathic College in 1878. As a general practitioner of medicine and surgery he has displayed marked ability, showing that he is well equipped to successfully cope with the in- tricate problems which continually face the physician. He has a thorough knowledge of analomy and keen insight into the ravages made by disease or cast upon people as a legacy by progenitors. In the administra- tion of remedial agencies he has been most successful and to-day he stands among the leading representatives of a profession which by many is given the highest rank among all the lines of activity to which man can de\()te his energies. The Doctor has recent- ly added an X-ray machine to his office. He has all of the modern appliances for the suc- cessful treatment of disease and for surgical work. His ])racticc extends over a wide territory and comes from many of the best families in this portion of the state, but al- though it makes heavy demands upon his time he is also C(jntrolling and superintend- ing his valuable farm of two hundred acres in Iroquois county. This farm is well stocked and is now the home of his son. In addition to his labor the Doctor hires farm bands to assist in the w'ork of the place. For about twelve years he was in the drug business which he carried on in connection with his practice. In this enterprise he was associated with S. A. Kennedy and W. H. Elliott, but about 1896 he disposed of his drug interests. In Floopeston, in October, 1877, was cel- ebrated the marriage of Dr. Wilson and Miss Anna C. Muirhead, a daughter of Rev. James ]\I. ^Fuiriiead, who was a minister of the Methodist i'^piscopal church, largely preaching in central Illinois. He died in the year 1892, but the influence of his noble life remain as a blessed benediction to those who knew him. His wife, who in her mai- denhood was Mary Blackstock. is now liv- ing in Champaign county, Illinois. L'nto the Doctor and his wife have been born two sons and a daughter, the latter being .Mice May, the wife of Ernest Bishop, of Hoopes- ton. Illinois. Robert E. is a graduate of the Chicago Homeopathic College, of the class of 190J, \\hile Clarence J. is an enterprising farmer. The elder .son was a member of Battery A, of Danville, during the Spanish- American war and served at Porto Rico. Clarence resides in Iroquois county, Illinois, operating his father's farm of two hundred acres. The Doctor is quite prominent in Masonry, belonging to the blue lodge and chapter, and in the latter he has served as a high priest for several years. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity, to the Modern Woodmen of .\merica and the Royal Circle, and in the last two he is the medical e.xaniiner. He was reared in the faith of the Methodist church and has long been one of its earnest members. Formerly he ser\'ed as its Sunday-school superintend- ent. He has taken quite an active interest in its work, contributing most lihcr.nlly to its support. In his political affiliations the Doctor is a Republican and for two years he served as mayor of Hooj)eston, while for si.x years he was one of the aldermen of the city. He owns a two-story brick building in this town, the lower fToor being occupied by Elliott's drug store, while the upper story is occupied as a residence by the Doctor and his family. He is a memljcr of the State Homeopathic Association and reading, study and iiu'estigation are continually THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 899 broadening his knowledge to an extent that makes liim one of the best informed mem- bers of the medical fraternity in this part of the state. His practice has assumed ex- tensive and profitable proportions and this success is merited because of his close appli- cation and his deep interest in the work. THEODORE B. REDMOND, M. D. On the roll of physicians in Vermilion county appears the name of Dr. Theodore B. Redmond, who has attained considerable distinction in his chosen field of labor. He resides in Vermilion Heights, a suburb of Danville, where he has a large practice, and moreover he is not only entitled to distinc- tion of mention in this volume as a repre- sentative of professional life but also as a representative of a prominent pioneer family of the county. He was born in Salem, Washington county, Indiana, November i, 1846, and is a son of William H. and Elizabeth (Boul- ton) Redmond. The father was born in Floyd county, Indiana, about 1820, and his wife was born near Louisville, Kentucky, about 3,824. She was there reared and edu- cated, havii/g good school privileges, and in Washington county, Indiana, she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Redmond. During the early part of his life the father resided near New Albany, Indiana, where he learned and followed the tailor's trade, carrying on business there until 1848, when he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, settling at Georgetown. At an early day he served as postmaster there and was a well known and influential citizen. He worked at the tailor's trade until his death, which occurred in 1877, and his wife passed away upon a farm in Danville township, in 1885. She was a lady of superior culture and of literary taste and ability. She read Iiroadly, became ex- tremely well informed and was justly re- garded as the most literary woman of Georgetown. Writing was. to her a pleasure and in an early day she was the correspond- ent from Georgetown to all the leading papers of this part of the state. She also possessed considerable poetical talent and contributed a number of poems as well as prose productions to periodicals, including both newspapers and magazines. She wrote for the papers under the non de plume of Lizzie and her productions were eagerly reatl. She had a very wide acquaintance not onl}- in this county but also in eastern Illi- nois and Indiana and the public passed favorable judgment upon her literary and poetical powers. She is survived by two sons, the Doctor and John G., who resides upon a farm near Catlin. In the public schools near his home Dr. Redmond obtained his preliminary educa- tion, which was supplemented by study in the Georgetown Seminary, at Georgetown, this county, after which he spent one term as a student in the State University at Nor- mal, Illinois. Returning to Vermilion coun- tv he then began teaching in the countiy schools near Georgetown. In 1868 he went to that place and took up the study of medi- cine in the office and under the direction of Dr. Kimbrough, with whom he studied for two years. He then began practice in Paler- mo, Illinois, where he continued for a year, going thence to Parke county, Indiana, where he practiced for three years. Feeling that his medical education was not complete, howe\'er, he next went to Indianapolis and matriculated in the Indiana Medical College in which he was graduated with the class of 1875. receiving his diploma. At the gradua- 900 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tion exercises he delivered an essay upon zymosis and was accorded the first prize. ] le rctiuMied tiien U) I'arke counly. wlicre he remained in practice until 1882. co\ering a period oi ten years altogether in that county. On the 26th of December, 1872, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen KichnKind. a native of Parke county, and a daughter of Return J. and Mary (Mil- ler) Richmdud, hut the latter is now de- ceased. Her father, however, is still living. He was an extensive farmer of Parke coun- ty, but has now retired from business cares and fur the past eighteen years has resided with his daughter and the Doctor. j\lrs. Redmond is one of a large family and has three brothers and one sister yet living. All have married and have families of their own. and are now residents of Indiana. Mrs. Redmond was educated in her native county and is a most estimable lady. She belongs to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Danville and her influence is ever given in behalf of measures intended for the uplifting of humanity. By her marriage she Liecame the mother of one child : Idelle, who is the wife of Harry Gilliland. a contractor and builder, who resides at Vermilion Heights and is actively connected with the improvement of that portion of Danville. They lia\-e two children, Rosalie and a baby boy. In' the year 1882 Dr. Redmond returned with his family from Indiana to Vermilion count)- and ])urchased a small farm in Dan- ville township, whereon he took up his resi- mplished, then effort ceases and energy gives way to inactivity. The mo- tive power of the world is ambition, and to this every community owes its upbuilding. Eugene H. W'bitham. who stands to-day as one of the leading men f)f his portion of \'er- milion county, has been actuated by a spirit of ambition for personal success, for public progress and for an advanced citizenship and to this end he has directed his labors with the result that he has become a pros- ])erous resident of Rankin and has contrib- uted in an a])precial)le manner to the upbuild- ing and substantial impro\ement of this (P.//ti^^7^rL^^. f ^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 931 locality. He has long been identified with the banking and grain interests of Rankin, and the latter branch of his business furnishes an excellent market for grain producers and the former provides a necessary medium of financial exchange, at the same time bring- ing to Mr. Whitham a very desirable return for his labor and investment. Mr. \Vhitham was born in Canal Fulton, Fulton county, Ohio, November 8, 1847, a son of John De Ment and Caroline (Far- well) Whitham. The father was bom in Ohio county. West Virginia, March 22, 181 5, and died in Olympia, Washington, January 14, 1897. His parents were Jos- eph Rider and Sarah (De Ment) Whitham, and he was of English, Irish, Holland and FVench extraction. His parents were mem- bers of the Presbyterian church and he unit- ed with tliat denomination before he was twenty years of age. Under the direction of his pastor, Rev. John McCloskey, he pre- pared for college and was graduated in Washington College, of Pennsylvania, with the class of 1835. For two years he en- gag'ed in teaching in the academy at West Nottingham, ]\Iarjdand, after which he en- tered Princeton College and was graduated in 1840. On the 25th of May, of that year, he was licensed to preach, and was ordained October 12, 1841. He had three pastorates in the Presbyterian church — Unity and Wolf Run, Pennsylvania, and at Keene and Canal Fulton, Ohio ; two pastorates in the Free Presbyterian church — Mount Jackson, Pennsylvania, and Low-ell, Ohio, together, and Paint Valley, Ohio ; and two pastorates in the United Presbyterian church — Sugar Branch, Illinois, and Fairfax and Florence, Iowa. He continued to preach occasionally until he liad passed the eightieth mile-stone on life's journev, and he accomplished much good for the cause of humanity and the church. He was a very ardent Abolitionist and assisted many a slave on his way to freedom, his home being one of the stations on the "underground railroad." Rev. Whitham was married twice. On the 2d of November, 1841, he w'edded Chris- tina B. Gray, who died August 2, 1843, leaving a daughter, who grew to maturity and married. On the 25th of September, 1844, Rev. Whitham wedded Caroline Far- well, a native of New Hampshire, and unto them were born four children : Eugene H. ; Robert Farwell, a government survey- or and civil engineer, residing in Seattle, W^ashington ; George Louis, an attorney of Seattle; and Charles Sumner, a real-estate agent of Randolph, Nebraska. The mother survived her husband about two years, pass- ing away March 18, 1899, wdien she was laid by his side in the cemetery of Rankin. Rev. WHiitham was a most liberal man, both with his time and money and ne\-er hesi- tated in the performance of any dut}'. He was practically the builder of the Olympia United Presbyterian church and he labored untiringly for the advancement of the cause of Christianity and for the uplifting of his fellow men. There were, moreo\'er. as dominant traits in his character, an abiding sympathy and charity wdiich won him the confidence and lo\'e of his fellow men. Eugene H. Whitham received his pri- mary education near Millersburg, in Holmes county, Ohio, and afterward attended the State Normal, at Normal, Illinois. He had come to Illinois at the age of eighteen years, settling in Rankin, of which he is one of the founders and promoters. He first worked upon his father's farm near the town but in 1872 entered the grain business in the em- ploy of Mr. Rankin, for whom the town was named. With him he remained until 1875, when the private bank of Rankin, Whit- 932 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ham & Company was formed, and Mr. W'hitliam became tlie owner of a half in- terest and has since l)een its cashier and manager. His partners are W. A. Rankin and 1j. 1\. Durliam, botli prominent and re- hablc !)usiness men, Ijiit tlie success of tlie institution is practically due to the enter- prise and business ability of Mr. W'hitham, who from the first has controlled its affairs and placed it upon a paying Ijasis. In addi- tion to their bank the company owns ten huntlred and forty acres in IrtKiUois county, just across the Vermilion county line; and four thousand acres of grain land in Chariton county, Missouri. ^Ir. Whitham has also been identified with the grain business since coming to Ran- kin, being a partner in the Rankin Grain Company, which is incorporated, and in addition to his business interests here, he has three hundred acres of valuable land ad- joining the town, and an interest in five hun- dred and forty acres of good farm land in Indiana. On the 1st of January, 1879, Mr. Whit- ham was married to Elizabeth George, a daughter of Rol)ert George, one of the early settlers of Ford county, Illinois, who is now deceased. Mrs. George, however, is living with Air. and Mrs. Whitham, at the age of ninety-three years. She was the mother of six children, four of whom are living. Unto Mr. and Airs. W'hitham have been born two children: Glenn Howard, born Octol)er 11, 1882, and now in the bank with his father; and Gladys Eugenia, born October 8. 1888. The parents are prominent members and act- ive workers in the Presbyterian church at Rankin and Mr. W'hitham is serving as one of its elders. He has always taken an active inter- est in politics as a supporter of the Re- publican pru"ty, has been a member of the county central committee, and yet has never consented to become a candidate for office. His best service to the public has been given as a ])rivate citizen and his work in behalf of his locality has been far-reaching and bcneticial. Ho is a leader in many move- ments for the benefit of the town, and his active co-operation is given to all measures tending toward pul)lic progress and im- provement. 1 here has been nothing sensa- tional in his business career, for his advance- ment has not been secured through specula- tion l)ut through earnest labor, careful in- vestment and sound practical judgment in the guidance of his affairs. His prosperity has followed his efforts as a logical seciuence and there has come with it the good name that is ever enjoyed by those who do not take advantage of the necessities of their fellow men in business transactions. GEORGE W. MILLER. Li\ing on section 16, Ross township, George W'. Miller owns and operates a farm of four hundred acres. Almost six decades ha\e passed since he came to this county ;m(l the changes which have occurred during this jieriod are well known to him for he lias been a witness of the growth and im- I)rovement of this section of the state. He claims Indiana as the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred in Vermilion coun- ty, there, November .26, 1841. He repre- sents an old family that has been prominent in the development of districts in Ohio and Mississippi river valleys through many years. His great-grandfather became an early settler of Ohio and was captured and killed by the Indians during the warfare with the red men. Cornelius Miller, the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 933 grandfather of our subject, was said to be the first male child born in Hamilton county, Ohio, where the city of Cincinnati now stands. He became one of the pioneer set- tlers of Kentucky and afterward removed to Indiana, casting in his lot with the early settlers of Vermilion county, that state. Andrew J. Miller was born in Kentucky in 1814 and by his parents was taken to Indi- ana, where he was reared. He wedded Catherine Moyer, a native of Ohio, and afterward engaged in agricultural pursuits in Indiana for a number of years. Three of iiis children were born there and about i8-)4 he came with his family to Illinois, settling in Ross township, Vermilion county, among the first settlers to reclaim the wild land for purposes of civilization. From the govern- ment he entered a tract of land and after- ward bought other property until he was the owner of sixteen hundred acres. He de- A'eloped the farm adjoining that on which, his son George W., now resides and became a prominent agriculturist of his locality, carrying on his work in such a manner that his progressive ideas and unfaltering dili- gence made him a progressive farmer. He died in 1873, at the age of fifty-eight years and his wife, still surviving him, now resides on the old home place with one of her sons. George W. Miller of this review be- longed to a family of five sons and seven daughters, and of this number four sons and four daughters reached years of maturity, while three sons and two daughters are yet living. No event of special importance oc- curred to vary the routine of farm life for our subject in his youth. He was only three years of age when brought to Vermilion county, Illinois. Here he attended the com- mon school during a few months each year, but from the time of early spring planting until the harvests were gathered in the au- tumn he worked in the fields. He is almost wholly a self-educated as well as a self-made man. He remained with his father until thirty years of age and in the meantime took charge of and carried on the home farm. During this time he had purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm and in 1872 he took up his abode there- on, since which time he has placed the land under a high state of cultivation. He has re- modeled the buildings, built others and now has a substantial residence and commodious barns and sheds for the shelter of grain and stock. An orchard which he planted now bears its fruit in season and forest trees throw their shade over the lawn and protect the home from the hot rays of the sunnner sun. A valuable and well improved farm is that now owned by George W. Miller, who from time to time has added to his property until his landed possessions now aggregate four hundred and fifteen acres, all of which is under a high state of cultivation. In ad- dition to the raising of grain he makes a business of feeding and shipping cattle and hogs for the market. The home life of ]\Ir. Miller has been very pleasant. He was happily married in Ross township, February 13, 1872, to Miss Vienna C. Hass, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Daniel Hass, who was born in the Keystone state and came to Ver- milion county in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were parents of nine children : Andrew D., who is married and follows farming in this county: Samuel I., who is married and also carries on agricultural pursuits in this county; George and Gar\er C, who assist in the cultivation of the home farm ; Louisa, the wife of Jesse Landown, a farmer of Ver- milion county ; iVIary Ellen, Elsie Maude and Pearl, all yet under the paternal roof. Thev also lost an infant son, lohn. 934 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Tlie political work of Mr. Miller has been directed in l)ehalt of Democracy when state and national issues are involved, but at local elections votes independently of party ties. He served for three consecutive years as commissioner of highways and for a number of years as a member of the school board, but has never been active in seeking public ofifice, as his attention has been largely claimed by his business affairs. His wife is a member of the Christian church. Throughout the greater part of his life George W. Miller has resided in X'ermilion county :ind those who lia\e known him from boyhood as well as his acquaintances of later years give to him their friendship, a fact which indicates that his has been an honor- able and u])right career. RE\'. W. H. WEBSTER. Among the men who are well known not i.mly in \'ermilion county but in central Illinois because of their various activities is Rev. William H. Webster, D. D., of Dan- ville. Dr. Webster was born in Schoharie county, Xew \\)rk, in 1835. Before he was ten years old both of his parents died. He came to Danville in 1848 with his sister, who was the wife of a Methodist minister. As the sister dieil a few months after com- ing here and her husband moved away in a short time, he was left when about fourteen years old to make his own way in the world as best he coulil. This he did by working at whatever came at hand. He sawed wood, worked in a li\ery barn, painted wagons, plows, buggies and houses, besides other work. For a time he made all of the putty sold in the stores in Danville. He relates that he took care of the fires for a lumber kiln where the lumber was dried for many of the houses then being built in Danville. This kiln >vas at the corner of Vermilion and North streets, where the Illinois Print- ing Company building now stands. Of the lumber there dried some was used for the new residence on Hazel and North streets erected by William Lamm, which was then the pride of the town, and some for the Methodist Seminary. Across the street south from the lumber kiln was the little frame Methodist church in which preaching was held on Sundays, and on week days a school, that developed into Danville Sem- inary, was kept by the Rev. O. S. Mun- sell and his wife. A't a recess some of the attendants of the school came to where Mr. Webster was at work and spoke of their studies in a way that e.xcited his interest. He determined that he, too, would know some- thing of those wonderful studies. So the ne.xt fall he was enrolled as a scholar. He worked nights and mornings and Saturdays to pay expenses. Some times he was out of school sc\'eral weeks while he earned money to pay his bills. In this way work- ing, going to school and teaching he at- tended the seminary in Danville, then As- bury L'niversity of Indiana, ami linally the Ohio W'esleyan University, where he grad- uated in the classical course in 1859. He began teaching school before he was eigh- teen years of age. His first school was at what was called the Rickart schoolhouse, about eight miles northwest of Danville. ]le afterward taught where Potomac is now located and at Kygers Mill, now Grape Creek, Mann's Chapel and other places and in Shelbyville Seminary. He joined the Methodist church at a camp meeting held near Danville. He was licensed as a local preacher while teaching at Shelbyville. Af- ter teaching during the week he often rode REV. W. H. WEBSTER. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 937 miles into the country to till his Sunday ap- pointments. In the winter of 1858-9 he was appointed as assistant preacher on the circuit that embraced the north half of Ver- milion county. He traveled over this cir- cuit on horseback, preaching an a\erage of once a day. He preached in private houses, schoolhouses, barns," groves and in the few churches, and wherever a small congrega- tion could be gathered. Besides preaching he furnished Bibles and religious books to the people and kept up his college studies. Some times in crossing the sloughs and streams his jaded horse would refuse to pro- ceed and he was compelled to alight and lead the horse and wade through the mud and water. Becoming a member of the Illinois con- ference at its session in Danville in 1859 his work since that time has been connected with that body. For his first year's work in the conference he was paid ninety dollars and he paid his board in part out of that sum. For a time he taught school to pay expenses while he served as pastor of a church. His salary, however, increased until it reached two thousand dollars per year. Mr. Web- ster has served as pastor of churches at Ur- bana, Champaign, Bloomington, Quincy, Jacksonville, Spring-field and Decatur, and as presiding elder of Jacksonville, Spring- field and Danville districts. He has been a member of four general conferences of his denomination and has taken an active part in shaping its polity. In the long struggle which ended in the admission of women to the law making body of the church he was from the first actively in favor of their ad- mission. He was in favor of laymen being represented with ministers in the councils of the church and has seen this measure also succeed. He was for years a trustee of Illi- nois Women's College at Jacksonville and 37 of Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloom- ington. He was a member of the committee to oversee the great publishing interest of his church when the new publishing house in New York, costing a million dollars, was built, and when the Epworth Herald, the paper having the largest circulation of any paper of the denomination, was published. At the close of his term as presiding elder of the Danville district Mr. Webster took the work of superintendent of the Do- mestic Missionary Society, which he had helped to organize. In its interests he trav- eled over a large part of central Illinois, raising funds, establishing missions and aid- ing w^eak churches. For this service, con- tinued during ten years, he refused to ac- cept compensation abo\'e his actual travel- ing e.xpenses. He is now acting as financial secretary for the superannuated relief fund, a fund intended to aid those veterans in the ministry who, having devoted their lives to the work, are now in need. For many years he has been the treasurer of the board of trustees of his conference. In* that capac- ity he has annually had charge of thousands of dollars of church funds, of which he gives a strict account at each session of the conference. Early in the ministry Mr. Webster formed the opinion that for a minister to at- tempt to make no financial provision for himself was wrong and often injurious to his usefulness. He believes that while a minister should not turn aside to make money yet that for him to give some thought to business and thus provide for himself in age will render him a better preacher as well as enable him to be useful where other- W'ise he could not be. So in early life he in- vested his small savings with the result that now he is in comfortable circumstances. He believes that churches ought not onlv to 938 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD give tlieir pastors a support but should en- courage and assist them in making provision for themselves in old age. Before his majority Mr. Webster be- came active in behalf of the then newly formed Republican party. He made politi- cal speeches in the exciting campaign be- tween I'^remont and Buchanan in 1856. He advocated the election of Lincoln in i860. During the war of the rebellion he assisted in raising a company but failed to get into the service. He let it be known that his church stood for the Union and that dis- loyal persons were not wanted as members. While he still counts himself a Republican, he claims the right and duty to vote for any men or measures that will promote the best interest of the people. While not allied with the Prohibition party he has often aided in securing anti-license laws in the cities wliere he has been pastor. Lor several years Mr. \\'ebster was president of the Danville school board and gave much time to ad- vancing the interests of the schools. Dur- ing his ministrv he has seen many hundreds converted and brought into the church. He has Ijeen successful in building churches, paying church debts, aiding missions and while loyal t(^ his own church he has stood for brotherhood among all Christians. The history of the changes in Danville and \'ermilion county since Air. Webster came here, if written, would read like a ro- mance. Then Danville was a frontier vil- lage of a few hundred people with many log houses and few conveniences. The wildest fancy could not then predict the splendid city it is to-day. Communication with the outside world then was had only by stage coach. The streets were often impassable with mud and were dark at night. The Methodist church which Mr. Webster at- tended was lighted like most of the dwell- ingr V, ith t;iIlo\\ dips or candles, from which the tallow often dropped down on the worshippers who sat nc;ir them. The church was seated with wooden benches and the wo- men sat on one side of the church and the men on the other. Men and women were not allowed to sit together. In the county the few settlers lived mostly either in the timber or along the edge of the prairie and usually in log cabins. The prairies were covered to a large e.vtent by sloughs and tall grasses and were inhabitetl by rattle' snakes, deer and wolves and cranes. The woods abounded with wild turkeys and game. Land that now is worth more than one hundred dollars per acre could then be bought at less than a dollar an acre, and was thought 1)\- manv to be worthless. When Air. Web- ster UH>ks back to his youth and notes the vast strides made since then to the present time he feels that he has lived in the most wonderful period of the world's history. From the Danville as he first saw it to the Danville of to-day with its splendid churches and ])ul)lic buildings, magniticent streets, its business houses, parks and public utilities, in any other age woukl represent the prog- ress of a thousand years. Mr. \\'ebster feels that he has been favored liy living and try- ing to do his part in such an age. Mr. Webster was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Augusta Rob- insi)!!. a tlaughter of William Robinson, and one of a family of five children. She was bom October 3, 1867. and by her marriage has become the mother of several children, of whom onlv one son, John Wesley Web- ster, is lixing. He is now an attorney of Danville. He was graduated at DePauw: I'niversity of Indiana, became a law stu- dent in the State Lhiiversity of Illinois, and then entered the Harvard University at Cambridge. Massachusetts, ^\■llile he was THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 939 at DePauw, the paper of that school, tlie DePauw Palladium, was running behind and Mr. Webster assumed its management, made it an enterprising school journal and placed it upon a paying basis. He married Miss Esther J. Baum, a daughter of John W. Baum, and they now have a daughter, Elizabeth. In a summary of the career of Rev. Webster it would be impossible to give the result of his life work for influence is im- measureable and the force of character can not be determined by any known standard. There is, however, much tangible proof that his labors have been of practical value. The churches of Vermilion county have felt the impetus of his zeal and energy, Methodist congregations in various parts of the state also ovvC their growth in no small degree to his teachings and his example, and in the history of the Christian development of the state the name of Rev. William H. Web- ster should be enrolled as one whose dili- gence and zeal have been important elements in Christian advancement. JAMES GILMORE. There is no rule for achieving success and yet there are certain elements which are indispensible in a prosperous career. These are strong determination, sound practical judgment and a recognition of possibilities. All of these have been manifest in the career of Mr. Gilmore who, though he started out at the early age of twelve years to fight life's battle unaided, has come ofif conqueror in the strife. To-day he is numbered among the capitalists of Danville holding important realty interests and at the same time controll- ing extensive mercantile affairs. The per- severance, energy, and strong determination wiiich have been concomitants in his success, furnish an example that is well worthy of enuilation. Mr. Gilmore is a native of Canada, his birth having occurred in Dundass, on the 17th of August, 1853. His parents, Ed- ward and Bridget (Stanton) Gilmore, were both natives of County INIayo, Ireland, and were married in Canada, both having located in that country in the j-ear 1846. The father engaged in farming, following agricultural pursuits in the Dominion until 1856, when he came to the United States, locating first at South Bend, Indiana. There he followed railroading until 1859, in which year he re- moved to Kokomo, where he continued in the railroad employ and there he li\ed until ]868. In the meantime — in the year 1866 — his wife had passed away. Coming to Danville, Illinois, he continued to make his home with the subject of this review until called to his final rest in 1899. tie was a Democrat in his political affiliations and in his religious faith was a Catholic. In the family were three children : James ; ?\Iary, the wife of C. F. Springer, of Kokomo, Indiana ; and John, who resides at Gates, Fountain county, Indiana. James Gilmore was only about three years of age when his parents came to the United States and in Howard county, Indi- ana, he acquired his education. His school life was completed when he was but twelve years of age and he then began work on the Wabash & Erie canal as a driver, being em- ployed in that capacity for two summers. He then made his way to Covington, Indi- ana, where he worked on the Big Four Rail- road for a year, after which he turned his attention to the retail liquor business with which he was connected in the Hoosier state until 1 87 1. In that year Mr. Gilmore came to Dan- 940 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ville and entered tlie emj)loy of Mattis Mil- ler, who owned a retail liquor house on South street and w Ik^ died the following year. Mr. Gilniore then embarked in business for himself in the same locality, conducting his new enterprise until 1874 when he left the city and went to Coal Creek, Fountain coun- ty, Indiana, where the coal veins were l)eing developed. For a few months he engaged in digging coal and in the same year he came once more to Danville. In October of the same year he was united in marriage to Miss Mary McLean, who was born in Danville in 1857, a daughter of Patrick and INlary (Sculen) McLean, both of whom were na- tives of the Emerald isle and came to Ameri- ca at an early day, locating in Lafayette, Indiana. In the early fifties they became re- sidents of Danville and the father carried on agricultural pursuits. His wife died in i860, but he long survived her, passing away in 1884. In his political views he was a Democrat and was a life communicant of the Catholic church. In his family were six children : Ellen, wife of Frank Cavanaugh, deceased; Anna, the wife of Charles Davis, of the state of Washington; Ruth, the wife of Michael O'Bern of Champaign, Illinois; Bridget, the wife of M. J. Wiseman, of Dan- ville, Illinois; George, who resides in Dan- ville; and Mrs. Gilmore. Unto the mar- riage of our subject and his wife have been born seven children: Ellen, nuw the wife of William McDonald, of this city; Edward, who is acting as his father's bookkeeper ; \V'illiam, who is pursuing a law course in Georgetown l'ni\crsity, of W'ashington D. C. ; Jcjhn. a pharmacist of Danville. Illinois; Grover, F.mmet and Cecil, all of whom are with their parents. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. (lilmore began their domestic life in Coal Creek, Indiana, where he was engaged in mining coal. In 1875. however, he once more took up his abode in this city and was engaged in the retail liquor business in con- nection w ith his brother-in-law, Frank Cav- anaugh. a relation that existed for nine months. In 1877 Mr. Gilmore established a retail li(pKir hciuse in ( jermantown but once more took up his abode in this citj' in 1879 and carried on business in the same line in the old St. James block. In 1885 he erected the first business block on Jackson street and removed his store to that building. In 1888 he sold out to Neil Olson and opened a wholesale and retail liquor house next door to the co'.u-thouse on East Main street. There he continued until 1892, when he again built on Jackson street ami engaged in the whole- sale iKjuor business until 1901, when he sold out to E. J. Epstein. On the ist of Septem- ber. 1901, he embarked in his present business under the firm name of the Merchandise Company, at Xo. 425 East Main street. Here he handles billiard tables, office and bar furniture, safes, cash registers and desks, and has already secured a good patronage, receiving the support of many who had pre- viously known him in business relations and who recognized his right to a liberal share of the i)ul)lic support. Mr. (jilmore also owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in I'ountain county, Indiana, and one hun- dred and sixty acres in I'arke county, Indi- ana. This is miderlaid by rich deposits of coal and is therefore very valuable. He also owns lead and zinc mining interests in Pitts- burg, Hickory county, Missouri, and his real estate holdings in Danville are valuable. .\ local paper said: "James Gilmore, who recentl}- jjurchased the ground at the comer of \':m Buren street and Washington avenue upon which at no distant date he intends erecting a hotel, has a marked preference for corner lots. In fact, all of the property htf THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 941 owns in the city is of that character. He owns sixt}'-six feet at the corner of Main and Jackson streets, eighty-six feet at the cor- ner of Van Buren and Washington a\'enue, cnie hunih'ed and twenty feet at the corner of Scott and College streets, eighty-eight feet at the corner of Main and McDonald, and residence property at the comer of Vem^il- ion and Davis streets. He has more corner lot property in the business section of this city than any other individual."' It will thus be seen that Mr. Gilmore has made very extensive and judicious investments in prop- erty and his realty holdings return to him an excellent income. A Democrat in his political afhliations, Mr. Gilmore believes firmly in the principles of the party but has ne\'er been an office seeker. He belongs to the St. Patrick's Catholic church and is a liberal contributor to its support. He has also co-operated in many measures for the general good and Danville has benefited by his efforts in her behalf. His business affairs have ever been capably conducted. Probably the real secret of his success is his untiring industry and his recognition of business openings. From the age of twelve years down to the present time he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources and steadily has he worked his way upward until he now occupies an en- viable and prominent position on the plane of affluence. He is a man of strong force of character, and is reliable and enterprising, and throughout Danville James Gilmore is widely known and highly respected. J. B. COURTNEY. Actively identified with commercial in- terests in Potomac for a quarter of a centuiy Mr. Courtney has for twenty years been re- garded as a popular, enterprising and suc- cessful druggist here. Since 1845 '''^ '^'^^ made his home in Illinois. He was born in Monongalia county, West Virginia, March 2, 1824, and comes of Irish lineage. His father, Robert B. Courtney, was a native of the Emerald isle and when a lad of ten sum- mers crossed the briny deep to the new world with his parents, who settled in Virginia. There he was reared and married, the lady of his choice being ]\Iiss Mary Courtney, who was a natixe of the Old Dominion and was also of Irish lineage. In the war of 1 81 2 Mr. Courtney served his country and held the commission of major. He fol- lowed farming in West Virginia for many years and afterward removed across the mountains to Ohio, settling near Youngs- town, in Trumbull county, where he again took up farm work about 1829. It was in that locality that he reared his family. His home was in the midst of the green forest and cutting down the trees there he cleared a tract of land which he de\'eluped into rich and productive fields, making his home upon that place until 1845, \vhich was the year of his removal to Vermilion county, Illinois. Here he again became associated with pioneer conditions and a factor in pioneer work. He entered land here with a land warrant, becoming the owner of a tract in Middlefork township, upon which he spent his last days, passing away in 1866, when about sixty-six years of age. His wife sur- \i\-ed him for about three years. In the famil}' of this worth}' couple were nine chil- dren who reached years of maturity, Init the only ones now living are: J. B., of this review: and Mrs. Sarah Briggs, a widow, who is li\-ing in Kansas. In taking up the personal history of J. B. Courtney we present to our readers tiie life record of one whu is widelv and favor- 942 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I'bly known in \'erniilion county, for during llie titty-seven years of his residence here he has gained a wide acquaintance and has ever been honored b\- reason of his genuine worth. His boyhood days were spent in Ohio, wliere his school pri\ileges were limit- ed liecause the system of public education had scarcely been installed at that time and had in no wise reached its present stage of perfection. During the short period of winter he would attend school but during the remainder of the year he was engaged in farm work, his training in that direction be- ing in no way meager. When a yi'ung man he came to Illinois, where he was employetl at farm work for ;.bnut twi) years and on the expiration of thai ])eriiid lie returned to Trumbull county, Ohio, to wed the lady of his choice. He was there married on the 26th of December, 1847. to Samantha Gruey, who was born in that ci'unty and was a daughter of Henry CJruey. ni German descent. Her i)eople were early settlers of Pennsyh-ania, estab- hshing their home near Pittsburg. Henry Gruey became one of the first residents of Trumbull county, Ohio, antl in pioner times bore an active part in the early de\elopment of that section of the state. After his mar- riage Mr. Courtney located in Trumlnill county, which remained his place of resi- dence for eight A'ears, when in 1855 he re- turned to \'ermilion county. Here he pur- chased his father's farm, locating thereon. He further improved the place, living there for twenty years. He then came to Poto- mac, being one of the first to establish a home in the village. Here he embarked in the drug Ijusiness and also conducted an im- plement business and since that time he has been one of the active merchants of the town. He now carries a good stock of drugs and medicine, paints, oils and varnishes, and has a very enxiable reputation because of his honorable dealing, his reasonable prices and his earnest desire to please his patrons. In 1890 Mr. Courtney purchased a lot and built his [irestnt residence, where he and his wife dispense cordial h(jspitality to their many friends. The}' are the parents of three children, of whom the eldest, J. B. Courtney, grew to mature years and was married. He was associated with his father in Ijusiness, but died on the 21st of Septem- ber, 1899. C. F. Courtney, the second son, died in 1879, at the age of twenty-five years. Effie A. became the wife of Lewis \Vill)er, a business man of Potomac, and died in April. 1899, leaving one son, Harold C. W'il- ber, who now makes his home with his grandparents. Originally Mr. Courtney was an old line Whig and cast his first presidential ballot for Zachary Taylor. He was identified with lli.'it party until i860, since which time he has been an earnest Republican. He was elected and served for two terms as justice of the peace, has also been assessor, collector, and fur eighteen vears commissioner of high- ways, proving most loyal to the trust reposed in him. Frequentlv he has been chosen as a delegate to county conventions. For eight years he has been police magistrate and over the record of his official career there falls no shadow nf wrong nor susi^icion of evil. He and his wife arc both members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he was one of the charter members of the Masonic Lodge of Potomac, in wliich he served as secretary for a number of vears. He has resideil almost continuously in this county for fifty-seven years and therefore deserves to be classed among its honored jiioneer res- idents, for it was in the day of its primitive development that he located within its borders. lie is well known in Danville, in THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 943 Potomac and in northern and eastern por- tions of the county, and is respected by all with whom he has been associated because his Hfe has been honorable; his course man- ly; his actions sincere and unaffected. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding on the 26th of December, 1897, and their children with their families were present. A year later many of their friends surprised them on the anniversary of their wedding by visiting their home and leaving behind them many substantial tokens of good will and esteem. They have now traveled life's journejr together for fifty-five years, shar- ing with each other in the joys and sorrows, the adversity and prosperity which has come to them, their mutual lo\e and confidence increasing as the years have passed by. Their lives have been so ordered and directed that they ha\e won the confidence and re- gard of all with whom they have been asso- ciated and there are no more honored or respected residents in Potomac than J. B. Courtnev and his wife. EVERETT C. SMITH Everett C. Smith, who is engaged in gen- eral farming on section 18, Elwood town- ship, was born September 28, 1879, in this county, and is a son of Francis P. and Sarah J. (Canaday) Smith. His paternal grand- father was a native of Tennessee, and at the age of eighteen years came to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1832, in company with his parents, a settlement being made on what is still known as the Smitli farm. Here he was reared amid the wild scenes of fron- tier life and on reaching his majority he mar- ried ]\Iiss Elizabeth Hester, who was his neighbor. Among their children was Fran- cis P. Smit-h, who was born in Elwood town- ship and is now forty-eight years of age. He wedded Miss Canaday and they began their domestic life on the old home farm where they continued to reside until 1897. In that year they removed to Ridgefarm, where they are now living. Mr. Smith was the eldest of six children, the others being Mrs. Mary J. Canaday, of Indianola ; Isaac E., now deceased; Mrs. Amanda Mills, of Vermilion Grove; P. H., who is cashier in the bank at Vermilion Grove; and Mrs. Delia Peck, of Yankee Point, Illinois. Mrs. Smith was the second of seven children, her brothers and sisters being John, who is liv- ing in Georgetown ; Charles, who resides at Ridgefarm ; Mrs. Annette Mills, deceased ; Mrs. Sophia Snapp, of Rochester, Indiana ; J. Rice, who is living in Georgetown; and W. O., who makes his home in Georgetown and is an attorney of Danville. Mr. and Mrs. Francis P. Smith became the parents of four children, the eldest of whom was the subject of this review. The others are, Mrs. Ethel Forbes, who is now twenty-one years of age and resides at Ridge- farm ; and Noble and Orrin, who are fifteen and thirteen years of age, respectively, and are attending school. In the common schools Everett C. Smith acquired his preliminary education which was supple- mented by study in Vermilion Grove Acad- emy. Pie remained at home until twenty- three years of age, assisting in the cultiva- tion and further development of the farm. He was then married to Miss Cora M. Can- aday, the wedding taking place on the i8th of June, 1902. The lady is a daughter of John I*", and Emily Canaday, of Vermilion (irove, her father following farming. She was born October 24, 1878, and has four sisters : Mrs. Grace L. Walthall, of Quaker, Indiana; Carrie J., Florence and Flora, who 944 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD are still with their parents. Mr. Canaday and his brother Henry were both soldiers of the Civil war. When he volunteered her father was but a bo_\- and was twice brought back home, but each time he ran away again to rejoin his company and at length was permitted to go to the front. Mr. Smith is identified with the Quaker church and is a Democrat in his political aftilialions. while fraternally he is con- nected with the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a young man possessing the enterprising spirit which dominates the west, and in his business affairs is meeting with creditable success. Both he and his wife are popular residents of the commun- ity and ha\'e many friends in the county where ihev ha\e always lived. HIRAM HAYNES BOLLES, Hiram Haynes Bolles was born in Cooperstown, New York, October 19, 1850, and is a son of Elisha A. and Clarissa (Pad- dock) Bolles, who were also natives of the Em])ire state. The father followed merchan- dising in his early life and during the last twenty years of his earthly career he devoted liis time and energies to the practice of medicine. He passed awav in July, 1900. at the age of 80 \e;u"s. while his wife died in iS(mj. in their familv were four children of whom lliram M. is the third in order of birth. One sister, Martha L., became the wife of William P. R(.)ss. a resident of Da\-enport. Iowa, and at her home in that city she passed away. The other members of the family are Mrs. Mary D. Saxton and W. P. Bolles. After the death of the mother of these children Dr. Bolles was again mar- ried and bv the second union there were three children. The Doctor spent his last days in Missouri, having removed to the west some time prior to his demise. Hiram Haynes Bolles obtained his early education in the common schools of his native state, but at the age of seven years acc(ini])anied his i)arents on their removal westward and completed his education in Illinois. He afterward engaged in merchan- dising in \-arious places, including Chi- cago. Bloomington and Rockford. He came from Bloomington to Danville in 1894 and here opened up his present business, that of merchant tailoring. In the years which ha\'e since come and gone he has secured a liberal and constantly growing patronage and to-day occupies a leading and cretlitable position in business circles. He has had a practical education in the line of his chosen calling and is now located at Xo. 50 Xorth \'ermilion street, where he carries a large and carefully selected line of gooils and em- ploys good workmen. On the 15th of March, 1S77, Mr. Bolles was united in marriage to Miss Clara .\. Saxton. a n.itive of .\lniont, Michigan. Their marriage was celebrated in (."liicago and has been blessed with two chiklren, Addie I., and Harry H. Mr. Bolles is a member of Bloomington Lodge Xo. 43, P. & A. M., is also connected with the Modern \\'oodmen of .\merica, the Improved Order of Red Men ami the Royal L'ircle, while in ])olitics he is a Democrat. He served for one term as a member of the city council in Bloomington. but has never been a poli- tician in the sense of office seeking. ])re- ferring lo devote his time and energies to his business affairs. He belongs to the Pirst Baptist church and is chairman of its board of trustees. Mr. Bolles has a finely balanced mind and well rounded character. He ]ws- sesses a gtiodly supply of that tlesirable H. H. BOLLES. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 947 commodity — common sense — and this he appHes not only to his business but to tlie various relations of life and as a citizen he is loyal and progressive, upholding every measure and movement which he believes will contribute to the general progress and material advancement. HIRAM H. CATLETT. The subject of this sketch is one of A^ir- ginia's native sons, — the state which has furnished so many honored presidents of the United States. He was born on the 21st of October, 1823, in Charlottesville, four miles from the residence of Thomas Jefferson. His grandfather owned the land on which the University of Virginia now stands. He is a son of Lawrence T. and Sally (Harmon) Catlett, both natives of V'irginia, the latter born in Stanton, in which city she was reared and married. After their marriage this couple located in Charlottes\-ille. remaining there until 1828. Mr. Catlett, Sr., was edu- cated for a lawyer, but not liking that pro- fession he learned the saddler's trade. In 1828 he went to Tuscumbia, Alabama, and remained there a short time, removing thence to \\'inchester, Tennessee. He remained there for two years and then returned to Charlottesville, Virginia. He remained there until 1835, when he went to Blooming- burg. Ohio. He there remained until Octo- ber I, 1846, when he came to Vermilion county, Illinois, arriving here on the i8th of Octol>er, T846. Here he engaged in farm- ing. His death occurred July 2, 1861. He was a Baptist in religious faith, a member of the Masonic fraternity and a stanch Dem- ocrat in political affiliations. He had been master of the lodge at Charlottesville, Vir- ginia. He was a man of noble characteris- tics, benevolent to a fault, almost. He con- sidered it his bounden duty to share a part of his earnings and wealth with his fellow men. No one ever came to him in distress that he did not receive immediate assistance. As a consequence of his extreme benevolence, the great wealth which he at one time pos- sessetl was de\oted to charit\', leaving him in only moderate circumstances in his de- clining years. In times when he was not so fortunate he would gather his family round him and ask for assistance from the Omnip- otent giver of all good things. He wottld quote from the passage of scripture "Once I was young but now I am old, Init 1 ha\-e never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread."' His prayers were cer- tainly answered, for he died in comfortal.)le circumstances. The nobility of his charact- er was made manifest in manv deeds of kind- ness and acts of benevolence toward his fel- low- men and he was ever an earnest Chris- tian man, and it may be said of him as of the just men of old, "He walked with God." His loving wife died January 10, 1871, ten years after the death of her husband. They were the parents of twelve children, six girls and six boys, but only two are now living : Virginia, the wife of Dr. Charles Lamon, of Fairmount, Illinois, and the subject of this review. Hiram H. Catlett attended school in Charlottesville, Virginia, in a log structure taught by William Smithson. He contin- ued his education in Ohio after his father had removed to that state. His studies were conducted during the winter UKinths, while in vacation he assisted his father until he was twenty-two years of age. He then told his father he had faith in the advice of Hor- ace Greeley, which was, "Go west, young man, and grow up with the country." He 948 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD proposed to follow this advice and his father v.nd brother Harold accompanied him. They located in \'ermilion county, near Fair- mount, Illinois. On his first arrival he spec- ulated in hogs and thereby lost al! he and his brother possessed, besides three hundreil dol- lars of borrowed money. However, they continued in the stockdealing business, buy- ing' and selling hogs and cattle. In the year 1857 Mr. Catletl had bad success in that line, but bis creditors refused to crowd him. Adversity only made him work the harder and the first year after this he made a pav- meiit of ten per cent, on his indebtedness and finally he succeeded in paying it all. In the meantime, he had with his brother ac- cumulated (n-er fifteen hundred acres of land and also a large am(_>unt of stock. He now owns eight hundred acres of valuable land. The management of this he controls, but it is divided among his children. Mr. Catlett has experienced both good and bad fortune, but in both he has retained his pres- ence of mind and his unfaltering energy has enaliled him to succeed. He is thoroughly a self-made man, but possesses pluck, .self- reliance and endurance to a great degree. Xot only is he distinguished by reason of his landed piissessions, but also by the good name he has won through fair and honorable dealing with his fellow men. He has pat- ronized nine difl:'erent colleges in giving his children college educations. Xot t)ne of his boys uses tobacco in any form or spirits or liquor of any kind. His family is one of which to be proud, and his home is a large and attracti\c residence situated on a high knoll of land. gi\'ing it a picturesque appear- ance, and from his home he can view his Avell tilled fields ;nid well filled barns and granaries. The brother of ]\lr. Catlett also became well-to-do and died Mav i, 1002. In 1865 alone he lost sexenteeen thousand dollars on hogs, and in 1875 '^^ 'o^t ten thousand dollars in corn and wheat. He was one of the most shrewd manipulators of farm land deals in Vermilion county. .\t one time be made a profit of over five tlKjUsand dollars by winning a case which was taken through five courts, in regard to some swamp lands that he had entered. On the 13th of October, 1858, near Fair- mount. Jllinois. Mr. Catlett was united in marriage to Lorinda Roudebush, who was born June 6. 1838, a tlaughter of Daniel and Ruth (Shotwell) Roudebush. Her father was a native of Germany and her mother was Ijorn in Clermont county, Ohio, in which county they were married and located, liv- ing there until bis death, which occurreil in 1843. The mother then married William Sailor. They came to \'ermilion county in 1856 and his wife jjurchased a farm upon which they made their home until their deaths. Mr. Sailor died in Oakwood, Illi- nois, and his wife passed away in 1864. She was the mother of eight children. Un- to Mr. and Mrs. Catlett have l>een born six children, four of whom are lixing. Nellie is the wife of D. C. Adams and thev reside in \'ance li>\\nshi George R. is a farmer of \'ance township. Percy L. is in the bank- ing business at Escanaba, Michigan: and Corrinne is at home with her father. .Mr. ("atlelt is a meml)er of the ISaptist church, of which his son George is trustee. In jjolitics he favors the F'rohibition party, but on ques- tions of national importance sup])orts the ]3emocratic party and is a great admirer of William Jennings Bryan. He is a man of good health and fine constitution, is a bril- liant conversationalist and is verv popular in his community, connn.'uiding the esteem and respect of all. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 949 will]a:\i g. dobbins. William G. Dobbins is the senior mem- ber of the firm of Dobbins & Lohr, tin, slate and gravel roofers, also sheet metal furnace workers, doing business at No. 22 West Main street, in Danville. They are both young and enterprising business men, whose efforts add to the industrial activity and con- sequent prosperity of the city. Mr. Dobbins was born in Knox county, Ohio, April 6, 1872, and was only about a year old when brought to Danville by his parents. His father was Samuel Dobbins a son of Samuel Dobbins, Sr., a native of New York city. The grandfather made his start in the busi- ness world by laying brick, later by speculat- ing in property. He accumulated a con- siderable sum of money and early in the nineteenth century he removed to Ohio, where he purchased land and upon that in- vestment he realized a good margin. He then came to Illinois and purchased what was at that time considered to be the only coal lands in the state. He became one of the first settlers of the northwestern part of Danville township, now known as Tincher- ton, but for many years the district was called Dobbins farm. He paid four dollars per acre for this land which has since sold for one Inmdred dollars per acre, while to-day it is valued at one thousand dollars per acre. At the time Mr. Dobbins engaged in mining- coal from his farm, customers came a dis- tance (jf from sixty to eighty miles to get this fuel, camping out along the way during the journey. Land adjoining his farm, before its value was recognized, sold for ten dollars per acre for the timber tracts and twelve dollars per acre when it included both timber and land. Samuel Doljbins, Sr., was a most enterprising, progressive business man, very fortunate in his investments because of his energy and keen foresight. He gained a handsome competence but never selfishly hoarded his means, being a liberal contrib- utor to churches and to missions. He be- queathed a fund of forty thousand dollars to the Presbyterian Mission Board. In the early development of Vermilion county he was a veiy important character, taking an active part in its substantial upbuilding and improvement and leaving the impress of his individuality upon the early policies of this portion of the state. Samuel Dobbins, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Ohio and was reared on the home farm. At the time of the Civil war he offered his services to the govern- ment and was sent out with the boys in blue of Company C, One Hundred and Twenty- fifth Illinois Infantry, with which he served lor four years. At the battle of Missionary Ridge he lost his left arm. Through ten )'ears he engaged in the coal trade in Dan- ville, doing a retail business as well as mak- ing extensive shipments. He was united in niarriage to Minta Jane Bond also a native of Ohio, and both are now esteemed and honored residents of Danville. \Villiain G. Dobbins, whose name intro-# duces this record, came with his parents to Danville in 1873 and at the usual age he became a student in the public schools, there- in acquiring a good knowledge in the English branches of learning that fitted him for life's practical duties. In his youth he served an apprenticeship to the tinner's trade and in 1889 he embarked in business on his own account in connection with William Lohr, as a member of the firm of Dobbins & Lohr. This firm has since enjoyed a continuous ex- istence in which a large trade has been gained. They take and execute extensive contracts for slate and gravel roofing and lor sheet luetal work as well as the placing 950 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of furnaces. Tlieir patronage is now large and protital)le for they have gained a leacUng position in this line of commercial activity in this city. In 1S94 Mr. Dobbins was unitetl in mar- riage to ^liss Lena Hastings, a daughter of John Hastings, and they iiaxe one child. Leonard. Mr. Dol)bins belongs to the Mod- ern Woodmen of America and he and his wife hold mem1)ership in the Kimber Metho- dist Episcopal church. Their circle of friends in the community is extensive and the hospitality of Danxille's Ijest homes is extended to them. \V1LLL\M RAY JEWELL. W. R. lewell was born in Tavlorville. Kentucky, .August 7, 1837; remo\cd with parents to Sullivan county, Indiana, in 1841 ; early education in log schoolhouses from Hoosier school masters. Learned the trade of printer in Terre Haute and also studied law, getting books and kind instruction from that grand old man. Colonel R. W. Thoiuijson. Taught school several terms; went to Xorthwestern Christian Lhiiversity, Indiana])olis. now lUitler College, Irvington. Indiana. When the war of the sixties came, he made siiecches for the I'nion cause and bel])ed to recruit scxeral regiments. En- listed in the Seventy-second Indiana Infantry as private, promoted to lieutenant ; w.'is in the famous Wilder lirigade of nioiinled in- fantrv. Lieutenant Jewell was one of sex'eral soldiers in the front who were sent home on recpiest of Ciovernor .Morton in the sum- mer of T863, to give two months in speak- ing and explaining to good but wavering citizens, that the emancipation proclamation and proposal to enlist negro troops were necessary for saving the Cnion and saving lives of Union troops. Governor Morton ga\e Lieutenant Jewell a Captain's commission, stationed at Indianapolis. He liked field duty better and went to the Seventh Inchana. Army of the Potomac. He was in many skirmishes and battles, including battles of Erankfort, Kentucky, Crab Orchard. Iliints\ille. Ten- nessee, Stone Ri\er and all the bloody bat- tles of the wilderness and siege of Rich- mond. He was one of six brothers who were in the Cnion Army, three of whom lost their lives and two others were dis- abled for life. His health also was much broken. Mr. Jewell finished his classic college course after the war and entered the min- istry of the Church of Christ, in wliich he was successful: on account of his liberal \-iews he resigned as preacher and took up news])aper work, established the Dan\ille News, weekly and Daily, and has edited it for almost thirty years. The paper is a recognized power in the Republican party. He also aided to organize the Illinois Print- ing Comjjanv, Dan\ille. and was an officer in the comjiany for years, l>eing secretary, president and manager. Mr. Jewell is an able s])eaker and has taken ])art in all Re- ])nl)lic,in campaigns since 1856. casting his hrst vote for .\braham Lincoln : was elector for Garfield, 1880. Harrison, 1888, and Mc- Kinley in 1 Si/). Has been chairman of the X'ermillion county Republican central com- mittee for about thirty years: been a long time a familiar figure at state and national con\'enlions. and is so skilled in drawing plat tonus that he is called ''Old Resoluter."' He has been the close personal friend and counselor of Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, the W. R. JEWELL. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 953 distinguished representati\'e of the Danville district, during his poHtical career. He is much in demand as an all round orator for political, fraternal. Chautauqua and other addresses; is also called upon to talk at funerals of liberal people and is res'arded by many as a pastor at large. All classes antl kinds of people come to him and pour into his sympathetic ear their tales of trouble and disappointment. He is yet active though suf- fering from diseases contracted in the army. He is a devoted home maker and considers their famil}' of seven children, all grown, five boys and two girls, the crown of wealth and glory of his noble wife and himself. Mr. Jewell has well and efficiently served the city of Danville as postmaster under Harrison, Cleveland. AIcKinley and Roose- velt. The first appointment made by Pres- ident McKinley was that of him as post- master of this city. In his conduct of the office he has known no man's politics. His object has been to give the people the best possible mail service and he has accomplished his purpose. Mr. fewell, next to Mr. Cannon, has been the controling force in shaping the pol- icy of the Republican party in this district since the '70s. In controversial politics he has been a gladiator that the party has constantly called to the forum. He has met many foemen worthy of his steel, and they have always felt it. His friends regard Mr. Jewell as one of the most fertile men of this state. The emergency has never arisen that he could not meet. Often the central committee has been disappointed in the coming of some famous speaker. Mr. Jewell promptly took his place, and the audience has usually been thankful for the disappoint- ment. On one occasion, it is said, he spoke five hours to hold the crowd until the speaker came, and the crowd stayed with him. Great gifts were showered upon Mr. Jewell as a speaker and he has always made splen- did use of them. He is forceful, clear and logical. He speaks from a mind well stored and a heart running over with the milk of human kindness, and never fails to convince the intellect or touch the heart and sympa- thy of his hearers. His fund of illustrative stories is as illimitable as Lincoln's and he is as ready in applying them. He has kept audiences in hearty laughter, sober thought or sympathetic tears on almost every ros- trum in this state. In politics, Mr. Jewell is a general as well as a leader. In his long service as chairman of the county central committee, he has so handled matters as to avoid conflict in the party. In the first McKinley campaign, he could have carried this county against in- struction for McKinley, but the unity of the party was of more consequence than victory on his part, so he permitted the instruction to carry. He has been able to see trouble a long distance ahead and thereby avoid it. In this community Mr. Jewell has been a great force for good, he is kind hearted, con- siderate and forgiving. He has constantly stood for good citizenship, pure politics, the school house and the church. Without doubt he could have been gover- nor of this state, and when the matter was seriously proposed to him, he said: "I can't raise my boys right and be governor. God ga\e me my boys and I -will stand by them". Without ambition for himself he has con- stantly lent a kind and attentive ear to the aspirations of others. By his personal ex- ample, his speeches and the Dan\ille News, William Raj- Jewell has left his permanent impress on Vermilion county and the state of Illinois. 954 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD WILLIAM F. KEENEY. William Eletcher Keeney, a resident farmer of Catlin township living on section 34, was born on tlie ist of October, 1843, in Vermilion county, a mile and a quarter northwest of his i)resent home, lie is a son of Thomas H. Keeney, who was ix^rn on the 1 2th of March, 1803, near the vil- lage of Lewisburg, in Greenbrier county. West Virginia, and after arriving at years of maturity was married in that state to Miss Elizabetii Caraway, born March 31, 1810, in Greenbrier county, West Virginia. In the year 1831 they came to Vermilion county. At that time the country was new and unbroken and full of game. The fa- ther of our subject first rented land and later purchased some school land, constituting the farm upon which the subject of this review was born and reared. Throughout his residence here Thomas H. Keeney car- ried on agricultural pursuits and also en- gaged in tlie raising of graded stock, both branches of his business returning tn him a good income. In his family were nine children, six sons and three daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity with the excepticjn of one that died in infancy. Our subject was the se\enth in order of birth and his sister, "Sirs. Amanda Carnes, resides on the adjoining farm to the west of his present home. Both parents are now de- ceased. Their children were: H. F., David, John .\., Lucretia V., James T., Jo- seph .S., William V.. Mary E., and Amanda, now Mrs. Carnes, all of whom are now de- ceased except W. F. and Mrs. Carnes. In a manner similar to that of most boys of the period William F. Keeney \vas reared, working on the farm through the summer months while in the winter seasons he attended school. Throughout his entire life he has engaged in agricultural pursuits and he began earning his own li\ing by managing his father's farm which he con- trolled until after the father's death. He continued to live on the home place and later purchased fori}- acres of his present hiinic just west of the town of Catlin. He now owns a valuable tract of three hundred and forty acres, well drained and tiled and supplied with all modern equipments, ac- cessories and conveniences. He raises large quantities of grain and he also has good pasture lands which furnish feed for his stock. He handles about forty head of cat- tle annually, and this materially increases his income. The first plow which he saw used had a wooded mold board and corn was cultivated with the single shovel. He never wore anything but home made cloth- ing tnitil he was a young man of about six- teen years, and the various experiences, liardships and trials of frontier life became familiar to him. However, in his business career he has prospered and as the years Iia\e passed his hard work and careful man- agement have brought to him a very desira- ble income and a handsome competence. On the 13th of October, 1880, Mr. Keeney was united in marriage to Miss I\lary A. Richards, who was born in Floyd county, Indiana, July 16, 1850, and is a daughter of James and I\Iary Richards, who removed from Indiana to Vermilion county, settling in Georgetown township. Mr. Keeney has witnessed almost the entire de- \olopment of this portion of the state. Flis father droxe to the county in a co\ered wagon drawn by horses, and it rec)uired several weeks to make the tv\\->. but at length he reached his destination and settled at the edge of the timlier in an old log cabin on the farm of Charles Caraway. Chicago was then the ni;irket. and Eugene and I'ercival THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 95S on the Wabash, for Danville was but a vil- lage. j\Ir. Keeney can remember when West Main street in Danville was over- grown with jack oaks and hazel brush. The incoming settlers, however, soon wrought a change in all this and in the work of de- A-elopment, impnn-ement antl progress \^er- milion county has kept abreast with other portions of the state. Mr. Keeney is a sup- porter of the Republican party in which he has firm faith since attaining his majority. He and his wife attend the Methodist church of Catlin and he served on its building com- mittee at the time of the erection of its house of worship. For a number of years he has been a member of the Fair Association, for three years he was its vice president and for ten years one of its directors, serving in the former position at the time the association was abandoned. In Catlin Lodge, M. W. A., in which he holds membership, he has held office, and both he and his wife are connected with the Royal Neighbors. They are people of genuine worth, widely known in this locality, and their friends are manv. W. A. BROWN, M. D. Numbered among the practitioners of Danville, the public has passed favorable judgment upon the ability and labors of Dr. Brown, who was born in Knoxville, Tennes- see, April 9, 1830, his parents being Francis G. and Mary (Bell) Brown, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Tennes- see. They were married in Knoxville and in 1838 came to Illinois, settling in Macoupin county, where the father engaged in farm- ing. Subsequently he removed to Chester- field, this state, where his death occurred in 1876. In politics he was a life-long Demo- crat and he was a member of the Baptist church. His wife died in 1SO4, and he af- terward married again. Of the nine chil- dren born of the first union, the followins is the record : Elizabeth, deceased wife of George S. Huskey; John H., a resident of Carlinville, Illinois, who married Martha Huskey, now deceased; Malinda, deceased wife of Joseph Rafferty, of Fort Worth, Te.xas; W. A., of this review; Kate, wife of Elisha Harbor, of Barton county, Missouri ; L. M., who served three years in the Civil war, being slightly wounded in the famous three days' fight at Sliiloh, and died in Los Angeles, California, where he was then making his home; Mary Jane, who was married and is now deceased ; Laura and Harriet, twins, the former the widow of Charles Saunders and a resident of Green- field, Illinois, and the latter the wife of John Leach, of Chesterfield, Illinois. Dr. Brown began his education in a sub- scription school held in an old log house in Knox county, Tennessee, and following the rejiioval of the family to ]\Licoupin county, Illinois, he pursued his studies in the com- mon schools until eighteen years of age, af- ter which, he engaged in farming with his father until he attained the age of twenty years. Subsequently he carried on farming on his own account for two years and next entered the Iowa L'niversity as a student in the Keokuk Medical School. This was fol- lowed by study in McDowell College of St. Louis. In the inter\al he had practiced medicine to some extent and he later located in Renick, Missouri, a station on the Wa- bash Railroad in Randolph county, where he remained in practice until 1862. He was then appointed assistant surgeon in the First Provisional ^Missouri Regiment and was in active service in Missouri, remaining in the armv for two and one-half vears. 956 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Dr. Brown arrived in Danville in 1864 and opening an office continued an active and successful representative of the profes- sion in tliis city until 1887. wlien he removed to Los Angeles. California, where he made his home until the fall of 1893, when he re- turned to Danville and has since continued in this city. On the 8th of January, 1850. in Ma- coupin county, Illinois, occurred the mar- riage of Doctor JJrown and Miss Martha Frazier, a daughter of William Frazier, a nati\e of North Carolina, while the mother, whose name was Malinda Gallagher, was a nati\e of Tennessee, in which state she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Frazier. He is a saddler hy trade but afterward engaged in farming. His political support was given the Whig party until its dissolution, when he became a Republican and his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Society of l'"riends. He died in Iowa in 1S89, at the age of eighty-four years and his wife passed away in 1879 at the age of sixty-four years. In their family were eight children, of whom four are yet living. ]\Irs. Brown is among the deceased, her death having occurred in California, July 2S, 1888, her remains being interred in Ever- green cemetery of Los Angeles. She had become the mother of three children, two of whom survive her : Monroe, who is en- eaeed in the liverv business in Danville: and Frank, who resides in California. He was married in California and has two daughters. The Doctor is a stalwart Republican and lias alwa>-s had firm faith in the principles of that party. He has twice served as a member of the city council. Formerly he was connected with various medical socie- ties and he still belongs to the Vermilion Countv Medical Society. His long practice of an im])ortant and varied character has made him a man of broad experience and capability and Dr. Brown well deserves nienti'in auMug the leading representatives of his calling. A. G. SMITH. A. G. Smith, who is living on section 5, Middlefork township, and is familiarly called "Al" by his numerous friends in Vermilion county, is at the present time de- voting his energies with success to the work of stock-raising and feeding. His landed possessions aggregate fourteen hundred acres and thus he is one of the extensive land owners of the community. His farms are situated near Potomac and from the property he derives an excellent income. \ native son of the county, Mr. Smith was born in Ross township, June 6, 1855. His father, John Smith, was one of the first settlers to come from England to this portion of the state, having crossed the Atlantic in company with Abraham ?klann. Both of these gentlemen are rqjresented on another page of this work. The father of our sub- ject was known as "English" John Smith, a title which distinguished him from others of the name in his i)art of Illinois. Pros- l)crous in business, he owned hundreds of acres of valuable farming land and was one of the prominent, intluential and repre- sentative farmers and stock-raisers of the county. L'lxni the old homestead A. G. Smith of this review s])ent the days of his boyhood and voulh. It is nut bard to imagine what kind of a boy he was. He pursued his education in the schools of Rossville and Danville and during the summer months he JOHN SMITH^ (ENG) THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 961 worked in tlie fields, lacing early trained to habits of industry and enterprise — for these facts are shown forth in his subse(|uent career. He remained with his father until he had attained his majority and assisted in caring for the home farm. In Danville, on the 7th of October, 1875, '^^ ^'"'^ '^s a com- pani(.)n and helpmeet for life's journey Miss Lizzie Wilkie, a daughter of James Bruce Wilkie, \\ho was a native of Scotland and on coming to the new world located first at Madison. Indiana, where he reared his family and spent the last days of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Smith began housekeeping upon a farm near Bluegrass. where he had six hundred and forty acres of land which he cultivated and further improved, making his home there for twenty-two years, and in 1899 he rem.o\-ed to the old family home- stead, taking charge of the place. Here he has built two residences and has remodeled the old house. He also erected barns and substantial outbuildings and in connection with general farming has made a lousiness of raising and feeding st(jck. fattening for the market from one to two hundred head of steers and a large drove of hogs annually. He is justly accounted one of the successful agriculturists and stock men of Vermilion county and his ])rosperity is well deserved. for be is energetic, possesses laudable ambition and strong determination in carry- ing out his plans. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two children. John Curtis, the elder, is married and fol- lows agricultural pursuits on (jue of his father's farms. Laura is the wife of Hugh M. Luckey. a prominent farmer of Middle- f(_irk township, where be is now serx'ing as supervisor. They ba\-e two children — .\lvin J. and Pauline. His fellow townsmen. recogn.izing his worth and ability, called Mr. Smith to 38 public office and for five years he has served as township trustee. He is now filling the position of commissioner of highways, and he has freriuentiy been a delegate to the con- ventions of the Republican party, of which he is a stanch advocate, having thus fol- lowed in the political footsteps of his father. His extensi\'e business interests have made heavy demands upon his time to the exclus- ion of a great amount (jf political work, yet he never falters in performing any task that he feels will promote the welfare and pros- perity of bis native county. He is leading a busy, useful, active and iKjnorable life and is one of the intelligent and highly respected residents of Middlefork tiiwnship, and well deserves mention in the history of Vermilion C(3initv. CAPTAIN S. S. IRWIN. Prominent and active in public affairs Captain S. S. Irwin is serving his third term as postmaster of Rankin and is well known as a business man of Vermilion county, where he has lived for ab(iut twenty-three years, while his residence in the state covers forty years. The Captain is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Brown cijunty, August 6, 1835. He comes of a family of Scotch-Irish ancestry, representa- tives of the name emigrating from Ayrshire. Scotland, to the new world in the year 1667. They settled in Honeybrook. Pennsylvania. and New Jersey. John Irwin, the great grandfather of our subject, was born in Honeybrook and emigrating westward be- came one of the pioneer settlers of Ohio. Robert, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Brown county. Ohio, and served his country as a soklier in the war of 181 2. He lived in the Buckeye .state when the In- 96: THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tlians were there in great numbers, the work of progress and improvement being scarcely Ijegun. Almost the entire region was a \ast wilderness and in the work of dc\elopment and impro\ement he bore his part, aiding in laving broad and deej) the foundation for the future i)rosperit_\' and inipro\-emcnt of his county. His sou, John Irwin, the father oi our subject, was lx)rn in Ilnnvn county in 1810 and after arriving at years of ma- turitv he nirn"ried Jane iiratton. whose hirtli occurretl in Highland county, Ohio, and who was the daughter of John Bratton. also an honored pioneer settler and of English ances- try John Irwin was a farmer 1)y occupation and reared liis family in Brown county, where he spent his entire life, passing away in 1882, at the age of sevent\--two years. His wife died in 1848. In their family were eight children, three sons and fi\e daughters, all of whom reached maturity. One son, Will- iam K.. was a soldier of the Eiglitv-third Ohio Infantry and died at Hempstead, Texas, in 1884. Amither brother of our su])ject, Joseph ( i. Irwin, nnw resides in \\'illiamsburg. Ohio. Upon the old family homestead in the state of his nativity Captain S. S. Irwin was reared. He had good school advantages. liis preliminary education being su])i)le- mented by a course of study in Lebanon Xornial scliool. Later lie engaged in teach- ing in Clermont county. Ohio, and then came to Illinois, taking up his aboile in Dt)uglas county, this state, on the 30th of August, 1857. He was eniplcved as a teacher in the schools of Camargo through the succeeding winter and later was elected school commissioner of Douglas county for fn them over. He was elected over his oj)- poncnt Jiid.ge William E. Xelson. of Deci- tur by a large majority. Mr. Cannon has been nominated every two years since 1872 and always by accla- mation, and been re-elected each time bv .good majorities except m 1890, the year of the great landslide, when McKinley and al- mfist the whole line of Rei)ul)lican congress- men went down. The ablest men in the np- position have been his ojiponents. including the elo(|uent, accomplished and brave Gen- eral John C. Black. That he has been nom- inated by acclamation since his first nomina- tion testifies to his great political common sense and management. The main elements of his strength are : 1st. His hard common sense. He is a gen- ius of this type of men. He sees things as they are and knows how to meet them. 2d, His steadfast integrity. He never falsifies, pre\'aricates or shufiles. He makes few l)romises: he keeps tlio.se he makes. He never makes promises during a campaign. 3(1. His knowledge of men. lie knows men as the most skilled merchant knows fabric; by the slightest touch. 4th, His .steadfast- ness to tried friends. He never uses a man to neglect him afterward. Xo man reine::i- bers services belter and reci|)rocates more fully. 5th, By his fairness and kindness to opponents. He has no feuds with any who desire to be friendly. One has to l)e a fussy man and fuss by himself who continues to fuss with Mr. Cannon. Pie prefers to have men with him this year who were against him last year. 6th. By his natural dono- cratic manners, which are ingrained. He is one of the peo])le in act ami speech. His con\ersation is full of homely illustrations from the fireside, the wayside, the shop. He enjoys a good joke and has a fund of an- ecdote rich and rare, which he tells as well as Joe Jefferson acts Rip \'an Winkle. 7th, His power as a speaker. While not elo- (|uent in word painting, yet he pours forth sound facts as a threshing machine ])ours forth clean golden grain w'here the yield has be?n an himdred fold. The substantial peo- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 973 l)Ie who do the tliinking- and mold sentiment he:ir him with rapt attention. His clear cut facts gleam like new golden coin in their minds. He will no more misquote statistics or facts than the pious preacher would mis- quote holy writ. Now^ and then in his speeches he will tell a funny anecdote, but the great body of what he has to say is solid, sound and goes to the soul of affairs. "What does Cannon say about it?" is in the mouths of his constituents when a new question of importance arises. Long since they have come to trust in his knowledge and integrity for they know he is no dema- gogue or trifler but a real statesman. 8th, His eminent ability as a legislator. It is useless to enlarge on this. He is honest, faithful, forceful in congress. His political opponents acknowledge this. Mr. Cannon does not speak often in Congress ; but when he speaks he has the closest attention on ac- count of the matter of what he says. He is one of the few members in the house wdio instruct the members, and in whose state- ments they have confidence. "He is the ablest man in either branch on business stat- istics," is wdiat Speaker Reed and other members have said. During the stormy days of the '80s and '90s Reed, McKinley and Cannon were the big three who, as com- mittee on rules and as leaders, foug'ht and won great parliamentary battles. His \ong and able service, his generous nature and his eminent ability as a parliamentarian, has made him speaker of the next house ( the fifty-eighth Congress) by the unanimous choice of the Republican members. Mr. Cannon is strictly domestic. His house is a large, substantial brick, 418 North Vermilion street, Danville, presided over by his stately daughter, Mrs. Ernest X. Le- Seure. Here, in his great library, he spends much of his leisure time and with his tw(_) beautiful grandchildren wdiom he loves and spoils, little \ irgini'a and Helen LeSeure, while from its golden frame, with love-lit smile of wife and grandmother, looks down the gracious face of the noble woman with whom he made life's morning march, when their bosoms were young, and whom he often sees in his visions and dreams. JAMES A. FLE^HXG. This is pre-eminently the age of business activity. In no era in the world's history has energy been so entirely directed in the channels of trade, of commerce, of produc- tion, purchase and sale. Each community presents as its representative citizens men prominent in business circles and in Danville among this number is James A. Fleming, who is to-day at the head of the Fairweight Standard Scale Company. He was born in Stark county, Illinois, July 28, i860. His grandfahter, John Fleming, was born in New York, but comes of a family that doubt- less originated in Flanders, France, where the people are known as Flemish and un- doubtedly because of this the name Fleming originated. The more immediate ancestors of our subject, however, were residents of Ireland and from the Emerald Isle came to America, founding the family in New York. The grandfather married a jNIiss Hibbler and for a time they resided in Canada. A. H. Fleming, the father of our subject, was born in Canada and lived for a time in New Jersey, but when twenty-one years of age he came to Illinois, settling in Stark county, in 1856. There he married Miss Catherine Mcintosh, a native of that locali- 974 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ty, and they lived upon a farm there until the fall of 1872, when they removetl to Iro- <|uois county, Illinois, residing' there contin- uously until 1880 with the exception of one year spent in Xeljraska and in Iowa. In 1883 Mr. Fleming took up his ahode in the vicinity oi Hoopeston, X'ermilion county, and in 1893 located in the town, where he engagetl in the real estate and insurance husi- ness. He is now li\ing there and is a re- spected and worthy citizen. A Repuhlican in politics he has never sought or desired olifice. but is always interested in the pro- gress and welfare of his county, state and nation. He belongs to the Methodist Epis- copal church, in which he is serving as a trus- tee. His wife died May 24, 1890, and two of their sexen children have passed away. The live now living are: James A.; Will- iam A., of Milford. Illinois: Enoch, of Hoopeston: Allen T.. of Peoria; and Charles \\'., who is a ni.-iil clerk and resides in Paducah, Kentucky. lames A. h^leming pursued his education in Stark county and in lro(|Uois county and as an attendant of the schools of Milford, Me then entered the Grand Prairie Scmin- arv, at (Jnargo, Illinois, after which he pur- sued a course in the commercial college there and was gratluated in 1882. For seven years thereafter he resided upon a farm, which he continued to culti\-atc and ini- ])rove anil later he was employed by the Til- gin National Watch Company a short time. He was also in the service of the Western Publishing l"i>mprm_\- of Chicago for a year and a half and later became local salesman for the firm of M. Hartman & Company, dealers in scales, of Grand Rapids, Michi- gan. He also sold windmills, his territory i^eing the state of Illinois, and he contimied in that business until 1896. In March, of that vear, Mr. I'leming established the l'"air- weight Scale Company, which was incorpor- ated June 14, 1900, for the manufacture of farm, elevator, stock and small platform scales. The business has grown to large ])ro])ortions and the product is now shipped to every state in the L'nion. Mr. Fleming is the president and treasurer of the com- pany, while 1'. .\. h'leiuing is its secretary. The factory is located at No. 22-23-24 I-'ranklin street, but in the spring of 1903 the C()m])any intend to build a .large modern factory to be thoroughly equipped with the latest machinery and accessories. They paid thirteen thousand fi\e hundred dollars for a tract of land, which has been subdi\ided and is now known as the Fairweight Standard Scale Company's Subdivision. The lots have been placed on the market and have al- leady secured a good sale. Mr. Fleming retains possession of two of these on which !k expects soon to erect a line residence. On the 25th of December, 1890, occurred the marriage of our subject and Florence Padgitt. who was born in Coshocton coun- ts Ohio, in i8r)o. a daughter of John L. and iClizabeth (Heaton) Padgitt. who were natives of Ohio and were married in that state. Her father engaged in the pottery business initil 1871, when he remo\ed to \'ermiIion county, Illinois, and here began farming. He was a Republican in ])olitics and was a loyal member of the .Methodist Episcopal church. In the family were three daughters of whom the living are: Mrs. I'leiriing and llelle, the wife of Robert Ih'ill- li;irt, who resides near Knoxville. in Marion county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. h'lcming now have three children: Charles Irving Eu- gene, born in Hoopeston, April i. 1892; Edith Leora. l.orn in Hoopeston. March 17, 1895; and I'lorence Louise, born in Dan- ville. July _'<). 1S99. Mr. ]"'leming gives his ])olitical -;up])ort to the Republican partv. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD l)Ut while he heheves firmly in its principles lie has always refused to become a candidate for office. He holds membership relations with the Modern Woodmen of America and in the Methodist Episcopal church and co- operates heartily in every mo\'ement which he believes will contribute to the general wel- fare. His own life history is one of pro- gression for he has continually advanced from the time when he completed his com- mercial course of study and entered upon his business career. He has watched every opportunity to take a forward step and has utilized them as they have been presented and through his unfaltering industry and persistency of purpose he has continually worked his way upward until he now occu- pies a leading position in industrial circles of his adopted city. GEORGE W. HOSKINS. George Washington Hoskins is nnni; bered among the native sons of Vermilion county and has reached the seventy-third mile-stone on life's journey. He was born three and one-half miles southwest of Georgetown near the little Vermilion river, Feburary 20, 1830. and at the prsent time he resides on section 7, Blount township. His father, Azariah Hoskins, was born in Virginia, August 17, 1799, and leaving that state emigrated to Illinois, starting fr^im what is called the horseshoe bend of the Ohio river. This was about 1825. His uncle Morg'an. building a boat in which to travel, they made their way down the Ohio river to Cairo. This was a flatboat and in consequence they had to float with the tide. On reaching Cairo they left the boat antl by covered wagon came to Vermilion county, after several weeks spent upon the road. The father of our subject settled on what A\as called Helt's prairie and later he re- moved to the vicinity of Georgetown, set- tling in the edge of the timber. He married Sarah Swisher and they lived in a district where the Indians were numerous and where the work of deN'elojiment and impro\-ement seemed scarcely begun. ]Mr. Hoskins of this review has often heard his mother relate how Indians visited their home at the time of the Black Hawk war. The country was all in a wild state when the father pur- chased a tract of land, in 183 1. and set- tled on the south side of what is known as Walnut Gro\'e, where the prosperous village of Rossville now stantls. When he took up his abode at that place there was only one family living in the entire grove and only one white family resided between that place au'.I Chicago. The city of the present day was l)ut little more than a fort which was garrisoned for protection against Indians. Azariah Hoskins hauled wheat to Chicago at that time, selling it for fifty cents per bushel, after which be wouKl return with a load of provisions and when night overtook him he would camp out by the roail, waiting* for the morning light in order to resume his joitrney. It was nothing then to have both horses stuck in the mud, for there were many sloughs and the district was very wet. The Kankakee and Irocjuois rivers iiad to be forded and from the Kankakee across the prairie for eighteen miles there was not a single house. Danville had only one store in it at that time. Mrs. Hoskins spun the flax and wool to make the clothing for the family for summer and winter use and the subject of this review never had a suit of anything but homemade clothing until he was twenty years of age, when he purchased some cloth, hired a tailor to cut it -and em- 976 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ployed a neighljnr woman to make it. In tliese pioneer days there were no matclies and tile settlers used to pick \nmk in tlie tim- l)er and use flint and tow in starting- a fire. If their own fires were extingnisiied tiiev would often £^"o to a neighbor tt) borrow fire. In these early days corn sold for ten cents per bushel and other crops brought |)rices fully as low. Houses were liglited with tal- low candles, which were made Ijy di])ping a wick into melted talluw. After this was al- lowed to cool it was again dipped into the hot tallow and the process continued until the candle bad reached the recjuiretl size. Later, candle moulds were made prior to the inne when kerosene come into use. Ofttimes candles were I'astened to the bushes in the forest and around these the early settlers gathered ior the purpose of worshipping God, for religious services were held in the groves before churches were erected. Eater a log building was used bntli fur church and schonl liurposes and about 1840 a frame house of worship was erected in this neighborhood. The girls would carr\- their shoes to church, putting them 1 m just before entering the buikling and removing them immediately after the service, thus practicing economy. The church was a united one, all denomina- tions worshipi)ing there, but to some extent the people were bothered by the Mormons, for Joseph Smith with is band of followers had not then left this state for L'tah. Aza- riah Hoskins was a prominent and influen- tial man in his community and took an active part in the pioneer development of the state. I Ic died in his seventy-fifth ^ear and his wife passed away in her ninety-first year. In the fannly were eight children, of wlmm si.v. sons reached manhoml and \]vc arc vet living between the ages of sixty-two and seventy- two years. .\11 ha\-e reared large families and there are thirty-six grandchildren and eighty-three great-grandchildren. George Washington Hoskins was edu- cated in a log schoohousc with slab benches and a huge firei)lacc. L'pon the home farm he was reared and assisted largely in the work of develojiing and cultivating the place. The first i)low which he used had a wooden mold board and when he was eighten vears of age he used a plow with a single shovel '.iiadc by the blacksmith nf the commnnit\'. When he became a factnr in the fields reap hooks were just being df the best imprnxed land of the county, all fenced and supplied with modern e(|uipments. He liroke one hundred .and twenty-three acres of prairie and made the •rails with which to fence bis place, going from eight to ten miles in order to secure the timber and then hauling the rails to his home. Mr. Hoskins was married April _>. 18^4, to ]\larv F,. Gritton. who was born in I'rke THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 977 county, Indiana. January 29. 1831, and came to tliis county when ten years of age. Her parents were Amos and Elizabeth (Hoh) Gritton, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of North Carolina. After his marriage Mr. Hoskins settled upon a farm in Ross township for which he paid six dol- lars per acre, there remaining until he pur- chased his father's old homestead. When he began housekeeping his uncle \-ouched for the payment of a set of chairs and a break- fast table to furnish the little log cal)in. The first cupboard was made by boring holes inti:) the wall with an auger and then upon wooden pins placing boards which would hold the dishes. Later he secured two boxes and. putting them on a Iilock. a curtain was hung in front and thus a cupboard was made. Unto Mv. and Mrs. Hoskins have been born nine children, one being still l)orn while another died at the age of seven months and a third died at the age of thirteen ye'\rs. They reared and educated six of their chil- dren, all of whom married and settled within six miles of the old homestead. These are; George R., who wedded Alice Eairchild; William C, who wedded Mary Hall: Theo- dore A., who married Carrie Huffman : J(jhn W., who married Mary E. Huffman; Sarah E., the deceased wife of Elijah Potter; and Harriet B., who became the wife of Henry Potter. Both of these men were sons of William H. Potter, an honored pioneer of Vermilion countv now in his eighty-seventh year. Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins ha\-e twenty- five grandchildren and there were five great- grandchildren, four of whom are yet living. Mr. Hoskins has served as tax collector and as school director and has been identi- fied with the building of the schools and churches of this localitv. Since 1876 he has been closely identifieil with the Church of Christ and has served as an elder for manv years, while formerly he was a trustee. In politics he has always been a Democrat, earnest in his advocacy of the party. Both he and his wife belong to the Old Settlers Association of Potomac and have attended many reunions. In e\ery sense of the word he has been one of the upbuilders of the county which he has seen developed from a wilderness to a district of highly cultivated farms and thriving towns and cities. Few of the native sons of the county have so long resided within its borders as ]\Ir. Hoskins and his life has e\'er lieen exemplary and may well serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others. JOH\ M.WHL'GH. John Mayhugh is li\-ing on section 10, Butler township, and is a representati\'e of the farming and stock-raising interests of this portion of \'ermilion county and he is well known. His farm here comprises one hundred and sixty acres of rich land near East Lynn. He was Ijorn in Alason county, Kentucky, near the Ohio river, December 23,# 1833. His father. Fielding ]\Iayhugh, was a native of \'irginia, where the family had Iieen established at an early day. When a young man Fielding JNIayhugh removed to Kentucky, where he was married to Jane Dixon, a nati\'e of Mason county. He then devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits and it was upon the home farm there that the subject of this review was reared to manhood, early liecoming familiar with the work of field and meadow, as he assisted his father in the cultivation of the home place. After his father's death he and his elder brothers carried im the farm for a number of vears and subsenuently John Mayhugh pur- 97» THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD chased a farm in I'leniing county, Kentucky, continuing' its (levclnpnient and im])rove- ment for some time. It was in tlie nionlii of October, 1S67, in Mason county, Kentucky, tliat Mr. M.iy- hugh was united in marriage to Mi.s> .Mice- Dye, who was horn and reared in that state. He carried on iiis farming interests in i'leni- ing county until 1877, in wliicli year lie re- moved to Vermilion couiuy, Illinois, pur- chasing" a farm upon which he now resides. This place was fairly well improved, hut he has since laid many rods of tiling and has further cultivated his land until it is now very rich ruid i)roducti\e, being a ])leasing feature in the agricultural landscape. Ik- has since bought one hundred and sixt\- acres on section 4, ;in improved farm which he owns in additiou to the home jjlace on section 10, Ilutler township. The home of Mr. and Mrs. M;\yluigli was blessed witli live children : Edwin, who is operating his father's land on section 4, Butler township; Isaac, who is a graduate of the Philadeli)hia Medical College and is now engaged in the practice of medicine in Indianapolis, Lidiana; Thomas (i.. who has recently completed a course of study in the Michi^gan University at .\nn .\rl)iir. having graduated in the class of k/J-' ; .Mary and Martha, who are at home and are graduates of the high school at lndianai)olis. In his political affiliations j\Ir. Mayhugh is independent. His first Note was cast for James Buchanan in J 836, his last for Will- iam McKinley in 1900, but he does not cdu- sider himself bound by party ties. He has been elected and served for one year as town- ship collector of Butler township. Inn the honors and emoluments of public office ha\e had no attraction for him. .\ friend <>f edu- cation he stands as an earnest adx'ocate of good schools and for years he capably served as a scIkvj! director. He lias for about thirty years been a devoted and loyal member of the Christian church and his aid and in- liuence are given in support of every measure which he belie\-es will contribute to the gene- ral good and to the uplifting of his fellow men. Mrs. Mayhugh. who was also a faith- ful member of that cliurch, died on the 1st (jf l'"ebruary. ujoji,, and was laid to rest in I'last Lynn cemetery. Mr. Mayhugh has led a life of industr_\' anil enterprise and since coming to X'ermilion county he has Ijeen con- nected with the work of development and im- pro\ement here, a work that has wrought a wonderful transformation e\i>l\ing the coun- ty from a district of swamps and slouglis into a splendid agricultural community. A. (i. I'HI-.Ll'S dod(;e. .\ cai)italist. now living a retired life in Danville, A. (i. Phelps Dodge is an hon- ored resident of the citv and one who has deep interest in her welfare and progress. Since attaining his majority his active co- operation has been a helpful factor along lines of advancement in every portion oi the countr_\- in which he has lived. His name figuretl \ery prominetuly also in business circles through a considerable jjcriod and his influence has been felt in ])olitical cir- cles, and yet Mr. Dodge has never sought to figure conspicuously Ijefore the public in any light, content to devote his time to the supervision of his in\-ested interests and to give his attention to a consideration of the momentous tiue.stions which are shaping the trend of .\merican history. He is, however. ;i m;in of bro;id humanitarian prin- ciples and of deep human sympathy and those who have had occasion to gain an in- ^. i^. ^^^^. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 981 sight into this side of his nature speak of him in terras of highest praise. Mr. Dodge was born in New York city, August 25, 1834. His ancestral history is one of close and long connection with the early annals of America and hack through several centuries in England can the records be fo\ind which tell of the connection of his ancestry with affairs of importance on the "merrie isle." A patent, bearing date of April 8, 1306, states that "Peter Dodge, gentleman of the town of Stopworth, coun- ty of Chester. England," did such loyal and valiant ser\-ice for his sovereign, Edward I, that he and his heirs forever were en- titled to "have, enjoy and use" a coat-of- arms. Cheshire was the original English home of the family. The first ancestor in America was William Dodge, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, July 10, 1629, and he was known by the title of "Mr." which was conferred only upon persons of prom- inence and moral worth. From William Dodge and his brother Richard have sprung families to be found in almost every state of the Union, and the representatives of the name have won honor in the various wars of the coimtry, have gained distinction in various walks of life and have recorded their opinion upon the legislative history of the states and the congressional records of the nation. It would be to intrench upon the pages of history to give a detailed ac- count of the public service of the distin- guished members of the family. One of the most eminent men of the nation, however, was the father of Anson G. Phelps Dodge, who was a well known philanthropist and merchant of New York city; also member of congress for a number of years from that state. A. G. Phelps Dodge came to Danville in 1886 and was married to Miss Rose 39 Voorhees, a daughter of Peter and ]\lary A'oorhees. He is now living a retired busi- ness man, but has contributed to the real estate interests of Danville and to the im- pro\'ement of the city. In former years he was largely interested in the lumber business, both in Canada and the United States. For nine years he was a resident of Canada and during that time served as a member of parliament in 1872 and 1873. He is a man of considerable wealth — large-hearted and generous. Of broad education and ex- tensive knowledge, of innate culture and breadth of view, his personality has gained him friends where\er he has gone. He oc- cupies an attractive home in Danville and from this point supervises his invested inter- ests, while enjoying with his wife the com- panionship of a large social acquaintance.' AMOS SMITH WILLIAMS. So prominently and acti\ely was Amos Smith Williams connected with the business activity and substantial development of Dan- ville that no history of the state would be complete without mention of his career. He was born here, August 22, 1831, a son of Amos Williams, who was of German ances- trv and who came to Vermilion county at an early date. The father was one of a family of five children. He came to Vermilion county at an early date in its upbuilding and development and, settling in the village of Danville, took an active and helpful part in the work of early improxement. He was also prominent as a leader in political affairs, held almost every office within the gift of the people of the county, was one of the early surveyors, also served as county clerk and was the first postmaster of Danville. 982 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD In his family were six children: Maria Louise, born at Butler Point, \'ermilion county, February 22, 1827; Benjamin Franklin, born in Danville, April iq, 1829; Amos S., who was the third in order of birth; Charlotte E., born in Danville, De- cember 30, 1833; Mary Julie, born in this city. January 12, 1836; and Enoch A.. Ixirn here July 15, 1838. Amos S. \\'illiams of this review accuiiretl early education in the schools of X'ermilion county and continuetl his studies in Paris. Illinois. At an early age he became inter- ested in business as a hardware merchant. He spent seven years in California and upon his return to Illinois opened a hardware store. He was afterward engaged in the queensware and coal business extensively lor a number of years, but his last years were spent in honorable retirement from labor. His carefully managed mercantile interests had brought to him a handsome competence. He was also associated with many other im- portant business affairs of the city — enter- prises, which not only promoted his individ- \ial success but also contributed In the gene- ral pro.sperity. He possessed keen discern- ment and \vas cjuick to recognize business opportunities and whatex'er he undertook he carried forward to successful completion. He was instrumental in establishing and con- ducting the Iroii \\'agon W'orks, one of the early factories of the city, also the Starcli \\'orks and a box factory, and he was the vice-president of the first street car company organized in Danville. All his efforts thus ied to the substantial upbuilding and im- provement of the city. He possessed in- domitable enterprise, marked sagacity and reliable business judgment and these cjuali- ties proved of great benefit in carrying on enteqirises of general worth. At the same time his carefully conducted affairs brought to him a splendid financial return and in the closing years of his life he was enabled to enjoy a well merited rest, surrounded by all of the comforts and many of the luxuries which go to make life worth the lix^ing. On the 15th of February, i860, ilr. Williams was married to Miss Sarah Jane, a daughter of George Greyson, and a native of Danville, born October 19, 1835. Her father came to \ermilion county as one of its early pioneer settlers and died when his daughter was only seven weeks old. He was of English birth and in early life crossed the Atlantic to America. A gentleman of sterling worth, of strong individuality and marked strength of character, he command- ed the regard and confidence of all with \\ hi )m he was associated. In his family were fi\e children, but only two are now living. Both yiv. and Mrs. Greyson were devoted members of the Methodist church. The home of Mr. and ]\Irs. Williams was lilcssed with five children, of whom one died in infancy. The others are: Lennie, born April 2^. 1862 ; Ernest, who was born Nov- ember 5, 1864, and died July 18, 1873; \'iclor. born IMay 20. 1868; and Carroll, born April 27, 1871. Mr. Williams was a meml>er of the Meth- odist church in early years and in later life became an active member of the Episcopalian church, contributing liberally to its support and doing all in his power to advance its growth and upbuilding. In politics he was a Democrat, never faltering in his allegiance to the party. He was one of the promoters of business interests, of educational and re- ligious work in Danville and thus contri- buted in a very large measure to the improve- ment and progress of the city. He wrought along lines of the greatest good to the great- est luimber and his life was so honorable and upright that it commanded for him the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 983 unqualified ci.nifidence and respect of all w ith whom he was brought in ci^nitact. He died one the 14th of February, 1S91, and Dan- \-ille mourned the loss of one of its ^■alued citizens. His career was a long, busy and useful one and although he was earnest and active in business he never allowed the pur- suit of wealth to warp his kindly nature, being to the end of his life a genial friend, one whom it was a pleasure to know and meet under any circumstance. By his use- fulness and general bene\'olence he created a memory whose perpetuation does not depend upon brick or stone but upon the spontane- ous and freewill offering of the grateful and enlightened people. EDWARD C. ABDILL. Edward C. Abdill was born ]\lay 14, 1840, a son of Irad and Rebecca Ann ( Watson) Abdill, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Kentucky. In their family were f(jur sons who reached maturity. The father was a hardware merchant, carry- ing on business along that line in Indiana for a number of \'ears. Edward C. Abdill was reared under the parental roof, pursuing' his education in the public schools. He was a young' man of only twenty-one years, when the Civil war broke out, but he had watched with interest the progress of events in the south, noted the dissatisfaction in the southern states on account of the growing opposition to the slavery system and he resolved that if an attempt was made to overthrow the Union he would strike a blow in its defense. The war cloud gathered over the land and on the 15th of August, 1861, Mr. Abdill carried out his determination to become a soldier, join- ing the bo\'s in blue of Company B, Eleventh Indiana \'olunteer Infantry, under the com- mand of Colonel Lew (afterward General) A\'allace. \\'ith his regiment he participat- ed in a number of important engagements, including the battles of Fort Heniy and Fort Donelson, two of the most hotly contested engagements in the earh- part of the war. He was detailed for special mail service, having- charge of the mails and dispatches at General Grant's headquarters. This service he rendered so et^ciently that in Decem1)er, 1863, he \\-as promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and adjutant of the One Hundred and Twentieth Indiana Infantry. After the fall of Vicksburg he was designated by Gen- eral Grant to bear to the north the official dis- patches announcing the great victory. Not long- after this ]\Ir. Abdill was assigned to d.ut}- as assistant adjutant general of the I-'irst Brigade, First Divison, Twenty-third Army Corps. He took part in the battle of \'icksburg and the Atlanta campaign and at length was discharged on account of disabil- it}', in August, 1864. His was a most cred- itable and honorable military record, in which lie won continuous promotion by meritori- ous conduct upon the field of battle. ^Ir. Abdill came to Illinois at the close of th.e war in 1865 and located in Fairmount, where he established a hardware business, ciinducting it for three years. In 1868 he removed ro Danville and entered into part- nership with his older brother under the firm name of Abdill Brothers, dealers in hard- ware. This enterprise was continued suc- cessfully up to the time of his death. His business career was a creditable one, because of his fidelity to correct business principles, his unquestioned honesty and his earnest de- sire to please his patrons. These qualities also contributed to his success, winning for liim a handsome competence. 9»4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD During the period of the war Mr. Alulill was married on the I3tli of August, 1863. to Anna, daughter of Josepli Peters, one of the lidUiired pioneers of I)an\illc, who came to this city in 1833. He made his way here an entire stranger. He liad no capital and was witliout influential friends or acquaintances at this place, antl from an ohscure position he arose to one of eminence, leaving the ranks of the many to stand among the suc- cessful few. Soon after his arrival he took up the study of law and in order to su])port himself while ])ursuing his law studies he engaged in (h'i\ing a team anil followed other occiii)ati(ins that would yield him an honest living. During this time he devotetl all of his leisure to the mastery of jurispru- dence and eventually was admitted tc the har. He then entered uimn the practice of his profession and soon gave proof of his marked ability as a lawyer. He was strong in argument, logical in his deductions and prosecuted his cases with great clearness. His devotion t(j his clients' interests was proverbial and he prepared his cases with great thoroughness. At an e;irly age. such was his marked ability in his profession that he was elected county judge of Vermilion county and served two terms. Other ])ublic honors were conferred u])on him, including election to the office of state senator, and he left the im])ress of his individuality upon the legislation enacted during his membershi]) in the upper house. While serving in the senate he contracted a cold which greatly undermined his health, lie went to Deiner, Colorado, hoping that he would be benefited by the change but it was of no avail and he died at the comparatively early age of forty- seven years. In his political affiliations he was a Republican. He studied closely the questions and i.ssues of the day and had a stateman's grasp of public aiYairs. Christi- anit\- was also one of the motive powers of his life and he was known as a consistent and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal clnircii. His wife, who bore the maiden name of tlenriefta IJlakely, was a native of Kentucky and died in Danville at the age of lifty-six years. In their family were four children, who reached adult age. The marriage of our subject and his wife was blessed with four children, all of whom are yet living: Charles P., who is now the senior member of the hardware firm, con- trolling the business which was established l)y his father; Mrs. Bertha English, who is a resident of Mcinphis, Tennessee; CatJi- erine: and Hemy B. Mr. Abdill was \ery prominent in public alTairs. being well fitted for leadership, be- cause of his strong indi\"idualit\', his m;irkcd ])atriotism and his desire for the good of the county rather than for self-aggrandizement. Ill politics he was a strong Republican. He was officially connected w ith the Spring Hill Cemetery Association as its secretary and treasurer. He was a meml>er of the Loyal Legion and was largely interested in locat- ing the Soldiers' monument at this place, contributing generously to the work, as well as becoming a champion of the cause. He was largely instrumental in building the X'ermilion County Hospital, served as one of its trustees, also as president of the board of directors, was likewise overseer of the buikling, and served on various committees connected with its successful conduct. He held membership in the Kimber Methodist h'piscopal church and to his efforts was largely due the erection of the present house of worship. A deep feeling of sadness spread throughout Danville when it was an- nounced that lulward C. Abdill had passed from this life, but while those who knew him remain his memorv will 1)e cherished, not THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 985 so much on account of the spleiuUtl success which he achieved in business, not Ijecause he contriliuted to tlie impro\-ement of the city and promoted the commercial acti\ity, al- though these would make him worthy to be long rememljered, liut because of his life of helpfulness and good cheer, of broad sym- pathy and his deep interest in and labors for the benefit of his fellow men. His nature was so kindly and genial that he won nut merely regard but that deeper feeling which, call it friendship or lo\-e, binds man in close relations to his fellow men in ties which naught can sever. Thus it was that Dan- ville has seldom so widely and sincerely mourned the loss of one of her residents. I'"or thirtv-six years he was closely associated with her history and many of his friends, in thought at least, have breathed the senti- ment. "He was a man, take him fur ;dl in all, I shall not look upon his like again." L. C. NORRIS. Since the year 1S72, L. C. Norris has been a resident of \'ermilion county and to- day is numbered among the leading and in- fluential men of Hoopeston. He was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of May, 1846, his parents being Eden and Eliza (Cress) Norris, both of whom are natives of the Keystone state, the father of English descent while the mother was of German lineage. Our subject comes of good old Revolutionary stock, his great- grandfather. Colonel Upton, having com- manded a regiment in the war-for independ- ence. The father of our subject was quite prominent in political affairs, exerted a strong influence in behalf of wlial he be- lie\ed to be for the welfare of his com- munity and for two terms he served as clerk of the court. In the family were ten chil- dren, seven sons and three daughters, those still living being Basil H., a resident of Can- ton, Ohio; IMary E., who is li\-ing in Phil- adelphia, Pennsylvania; and L. C. At the age of seventeen years L. C, Xorris began to earn liis own li\-elihood. He had pursued a common school education and it was his intention to gain a collegiate education, but events forced him to give up this plan. At the (jutljreak of the Ci\'il war two of his brothers, Thomas C. and Wesley, enlisted for serxice in the United States •Army and each remained at the front for three x-ears. L. C. Norris was the only son who remained at home and there he did ])atriotic service, acting as fifer for three different companies that were raised in Get- tysburg. It was this which rendered his collegiate course imi)ossil)le, but he put aside his own interests in behalf of his country and his martial music awakened the echoes among the mountains which were the wit- nesses of one of the most sanguinary con- llicts which as ever occurred in the history (if the world. At the age of nineteen Mr. Norris learned the carpenter's trade. Later lie followed farming for two years and then resumed carpentering which be has carried on continuously since, and today he is one of the leading contractors and builders of Hoopeston. In the year 1872 he moved from Gettysburg. I'ennsylvania, to this town, which has been his home continuously since. He has been constantly associated with building interests in Hoopeston and in the vicinity, and has erected as many as two hundred buildings in this place, including the homes of A. C. Sibbett, A. Honeywell, ]\Irs. Thomas Kite, George Clark. John Leod, Airs. A. C. Sibbett, and Jacob Decker. 986 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD In tlie cmmtry he also erected the residences of Henry Fritz, Mr. Ripley, and of Messrs. Thnrnian and Simon Graves, Miles Odle, Jack Holmes, Hanson Leod, and John Har- mon. He has also taken and executed the contracts for several schoolhouses and chiu'ches, including the Christian Science churcli, which he erected at a cost of seven thousand dollars. He has done considerable contract work outside of the county and he employs from two to fifteen men during the season. In Littlestown, Pennsylvania, in Octo- her, 1868, Mr. Xorris was united in mar- riage to Miss An)anda Lightner, who was born in Adams county. Pennsylvania, ]\Iarch 22. 1847. In her parents' family were five children : Ed, Calvin, Xewton, William, and Amanda. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Norris have been born the following children : Harry I,., who weckled Mary Fellows and is engaged in general merchandising in Burl- ington. Indiana: Maude B., the wife of A. C. Sibbett. an extensive land owner of lioopes- ton who has eleven hundred and forty-six acres of land in Illinois and Missouri ; Mabel C, the v.ife of William Ferguson, who is manager of the branch board of trade of Hoo])cston : Ernest E., who holds a good i)o- sition with the Southern Railroad at Wash- ington. 1). C. : Ethel L. and Zoe Juanita, at home. Mr. Xorris has provided all the chil- dren with good educational privileges and with the exception of the youngest two all are graduates of the high school. In his political affiliations our subject is a Repub- lican and scoially is connected with the Knights of Pythias. The family stands very high in Hoopeston and our subject and his wife hold membership in the Christian church, while Mrs. Xorris also belongs to the Ladies Aid Society. The true western spirit of progress and enterprise are mani- fest in the career of our subject whose pro- gress from a humble financial position to one of afiluence is marked. Viewed from any standpoint his life may be said to be a success — and it is the success not merely of the m.-in who prosecutes a prosperous in- dustrial life intent only upon w'inning wealth, but that of a man who advances pub- lic good in [)romoting indi\idual prosperity. The insight into the character of a repre- sentative American never fails to ofifer much of pleasing interest and valuable instruction, and the hfe of Mr. X'orris certainly fur- nishes food for deep and profitable thought. AXDREW SCHARIO. This gentleman was for several years a well known and highly respected citizen of Danville, holding the position of chief engineer in \\'right's F'louring Mill. He was a native of Xew York, his birtli having occurred in Dansville, Livingston countv, that state, on the 6th of May, 1S41. His father, Peter Schario, was born in Germany, where he followed the occupation of a stationary engineer until his emigration to America. After spending some time in Canada, he remoNcd to Buffalo, Xew York, and later to Dansville, that state, where he continued to make his home until called to his final rest. He did not follow his trade after coming to this country. While young Andrew Schario learned the business of a stationary engineer under his father's direction, and obtained a good practical education in the schools of Buf- falo, X'^ew York. Later he followed his chosen occupation in Waterloo. Canada, and St. Louis. ^lissouri. remaining at the latter place only a short time, however. He next THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 987 went to Perrysville, Indiana, where he worked at the same occupation, being em- ployed as engineer in a flouring mill there for nine years. In the meantime Mr. Schario was mar- ried at that place to Miss Catherine ]\Ianges, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1848, and is a daughter of Charles Manges, a native of Pennsylvania. At an early day her father removed to Eugene, Indiana where he worked at the carpenter's trade for some time and then came to Vermilion county, Illinois, settling near the village of Humrick, where he pu.rchased a small farm. In connection with the operation of his land he continued to work at his trade through- out the remainder of his life. Unto !Mr. and ]\Irs. Schario was born but one child, John F., who married Miss Annie Kunpt and re- sides in St. Louis, Missouri. While living in Danville he was employed as fireman on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad for several years, but is now round house fore- man for the ^Missouri Pacific Railroad Company at St. Louis. Airs. Schario also has a son, Leo Schario, who was born January 7, 1888, and is a son of her hus- band's deceased brother, John Schario. The subject of this review continued to reside in Eugene, Indiana, until 1873, when he came to Danville, Illinois, and entered the Wright's Plouring Mill as engineer. He was soon afterward promoted to chief engineer and Mr. Wright gave him full charge of his department. He put in a new Corliss engine and made many needed im- provements in the plant, continuing to hold that responsible position until his death, which occurred on the 28th of March, 1887. In his political views Mr. Schario was a stalwart Democrat. He was an active and prominent member of St. Patrick's Catholic church of Danville and of the Catholic Knights of America, being president of the society in Danville at the time of his death. He was always a hard working, energetic man, very devoted to his family, and true to every trust reposed in him. He left his widow in comfortable circumstances, she Ijeing the owner of a nice home at Xo. 701 Collett street and other property at the cor- ner of North and Hayes streets and at the corner of Commercial and Buchanan streets. In the care of the estate Mrs. Schario has displayed good business and executive ability, and she is a lady who makes many warm friends, being held in high regard by all who know her. WILLLAM T. HANSON. Prominent among the leading and well known residents of Vermilion county is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch, now living on a neat and well culti- vated farm of sixty acres one-half mile north of the old homestead on which his wife was reared. Mr. Hanson was born in Putnam county, W^est Virginia, October 9, 1852, and was reared and educated in that county. He is a son of James and Mary J. (Minos) Hanson, both natives of Virginia. In 1872 ]\Ir. Hanson, being then twenty vears of age, removed from Virginia to Indiana, working there by the month for four years. He then came to Vennilion county, Illinois, in 1876, and for the first two years worked by the month for Edward Rouse. On the 4th of July, 1878, Mr, Hanson was united in marriage to Mary Ann Rouse,- a daughter of Edward Rouse, a prominent poineer of Vermilion county, whose sketch appenrs elsewhere in this work. Her mother 988 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD bore the maiden name of Minerwi Martin. Mrs. Hanson was l)i)rn on the old liome- stead. A])ril 2t,. 1S57. Mr. llansnn rented his present place of residence for four years after his marriage and tlien purchased tlie ])lace. It comprised sixty acres and was all in timhcr land. This he has tiled, cleared and imi)roved until it is one of the model farms of the county. He has also added to his huided possessions as his capital has in- creased until lunv he owns one hundred and fifty acres of improved land, nearly all of section 36, Xewell township. He raises his own cattle and horses, which are of a jjood g'rade. He and his wife have been thrifty, ambitious and energetic and through their united efforts have acf|uired a very comfort- able competence, which enables them to cn- ioy many of the comforts and luxuries of life. When they first settled on the farm they li\ed in a two-room house, but Mr. Hanson has since built ;i substantial home, which is ])leasing to tlie eye and affords a ])lace of rest and enjoyment to the owners. The lios])ilalit_\' of the home is extended to many friends, and Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are ])opular and honored residents of Newell township. Their marriage has been blessed with five children : Virginia Agnes, born on the home farm, April 8, 1878, married W'illiaiu B. Canine, who was bom in Indiana, July 6, 1873, their marriage being celebrated October 11, i8<)9. He is a .son of IMont- gomery and Celia ( Russell) Canine, natives of Montgomery and Parke counties, In- diana, respectively. ^Ir. Canine came to Vermilion county in 1899 and he and his wife reside about one mile from the old homestead on which the latter was reared. They are the parents of one daughter, Celia Hanson Canine, the only great-grandchild of Edward Rouse. Mr. and Mrs. Canine are memliers of the Primitive Baptist churcli and he is a Democrat in political views. The second child in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hanson was Minerva Jane, who died .\pril 4, 1885, aged two years, three months and seven days. Otto .\. died I-'ebruary 24, 1889. at the age of two years, eleven months and twenty-seven days. Sylvia C. lives at home with her parents, as does also Ruth \^aleria. the youngest of the family, now a bright little maiden of fonr summers. In his political \-iews Mr. Hanson is a Democrat, ha\'ing firm faith in the ])rinci- ples of the jjarty. He has served as school director in his township for nine years ancl the cause of education has in him a warm friend. .\t present he is serving as school trustee. He has li\ed in his present home for twenty-four years. When he came to \'ermilion county it was not in the state of progress, impro\-ement and prosperity that it is to-day, and Mr. Hanson has taken. an active and helpful interest in its growth and upbuilding. Every movement and measinx' intended for the betterment of his community has received his able support and endorsement, and he is to-day numl)ered among the substantial citizens of \'enuilion county. PETRR \'OORHEES. In ])ioneer times the \'oorhees family was established in \'ermilion county and throtigh the manv \cars which elapsed from that period uj) to the time of his death Pe- ter ^'oorhees was an active and honored citizen. His business interests l)ecanie ex- tensive and yet he did not allow the accunui- lation of wealth to mar his kindly nature. Pie was known as one of the wealthy farmers of the countv — at one time the ^y^y^^^^ cy^~tnr^Ce^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 991 largest land owner in Xewell townshi]) — hut he was not interested in the accimiulatiun of weiilth beyond what would bring the com- forts of life. He was never known to take advantage of the necessities of his fell<:)w man in any Inisiness transaction. He was always ready to make a bargain as much for "the other fellow" as for himself. So- cial and genial, he loved mankind. He had a (jiiick and responsive sympathy for those in distress or trouble, and was often in his helpfulness more generous than wise. Pos- sessed of an ever ready sense of humor and lo\'e of pleasure, he was an attractive man to his friends, whom he found in all classes. He saw people as they were aside from their belongings and place. The prince and the beggar were the same to him ; the trappings of this world did not matter much to him ; he had a philosophical indifference to the benefits that can come from worldly advance- ment, and deliberately chose the line of life he lived, and never tired of its rural com- pensations. Reared in the same household and the same environment as the l)rother who served for forty years in the house and senate of the United States, he preferred his own choice, and regarded with affec- tionate commiseration that brother's ardu- ous responsibilities and small reward. I'ew lives in so large a degree exempli- fied the ("i(.ilden Rule as did that of Peter Voorhees. He never let pass an opportunity to aid a friend in need, regardless of his own interest in .so doing. His religion was the religion of lo\-e and mercy — belie\'ing that the Creator would eventually care for and sa\e all his creatures. He was charita- ble in his judgment of others. "Judge not. lest ye be judged" was his fa\'orite admoni- tion. He was for many years the people's chosen "Overseer of the Poor" (an office now abolished), a place he filled with pleas- ure to Imnsclf and at times perhaps unde- served benefit t(j the indigent. Peter X'oorhees was bom in Butler coun- ty, Ohio, June 28, 1S25. Since the begin- ning of the world the laws of heredity have been held in respect by mankind. Christ said to the young man who came seeking him, "Young man, whose son art thou?" and the same question is still being asked of any one in whom we are interested to-day. The A'oorhees family were among the early Dutch settlers of New York. Peter Voor- hees came ot a long line of creditable ances- tors. The name may be found in places of trust and responsibility since the days when New \'ork was called New Amsterdam. 'J'he first emigrants in America were Stevense and Peter \'an Voorhees, emi- grants from Holland, who crossed the At- lantic in the j-ear 1660. The "coat-of- arms," or armorial bearings of the old Hol- land family, indicate (according to the St. Tanres Heraldry office of London) consid- eral)le antiquity. The motto is "Virtus Cas- tellum Meum." I'hey brought with them land grants, patents or charters whereby they obtained real estate at Flatlands, Long Islar.d, and in New Jersey. Although the sjielling of the sir name has been changed liy some of their descendants the original form is also retained by some who trace their lineage back to the same common an- cestors. As the years passed and the tide of emigration began flowing from the At- lantic coast inland members of the \^oorhees family came to the west. The grandfather of Peter Voorhees settled in Harrodsburg, Kentuck}-, when that place was but an Li- llian fort. Stephen \'oorhees, the father of Peter, removed to Ohio and it was in the latter state that Peter N^oorhees was born. 992 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He was but two 3'ears of age when his par- ents again removed westward, this time lo- cating iu Fountain county. Indiana, where lie was reared amid tlie wild scenes of pio- neer hie. In 1848 he was married to Mary J. Button, who was born in Oldham coun- ty, Kentucky. November 25, 1828. She was also of Holland ancestry. Her parents emigrated from Kentucky to Indiana, part- ing with their slaves because of their disbe- lief in slavery. The same year of their mar- riage they came to Vermilion cotmty. Illi- nois, and settled at the Voorhees home- stead, which was purchased from a heritage from the grandfather, Peter Voorhees, of Kentucky. Mrs. Voorhees was as bright and beautifid as Kentucky's women are famed for being, and she was a woman of imusual character. Philosophic, patient and entluring, as one of the local papers said at the time of her death : "She was one of the most lovable of \yomen. being possessed of those womanly characteristics that at- tract and cement friendships in bonds that time cannot break ijr e\en lessen. That she was generous many can bear witness and that she was one of the most hospitable of the matrons of this city is known to every person who has l)een so fortunate as to pass, the threshhold of her door. She was of a most pleasing disposition and had that open- heartedness so characteristic of the early settlers of this county, of whom she was one. She was one of the most devoted of mothers and to her children she was the one wliom there was none who could give better advice. Her words were words of wisdom and many times they had |)roven to them that she knoweth best who doeth best. "Coming- to Illinois at an early day, her genial nature and well known hospitality soon made her acquaintdl with the early set- tlers of the county and the home of herself and husband was the mecca for all the pio- neers of that day. They were sure of a heart)' welcome whenever they \isited their home and her cheerfulness and sunny dis- position always glaildened and enriched those with whom she came in contact. It ever left its impress with them after they hail gone away and caused her name to be mentioned time and again in the homes of the other i)ioneers. She was generous to a fault and never missed an opportunity of extending help to those who in an early day had many trials and misfortunes. It was a pleasure to her to hel]3 lift the burdens of others and to make joy and gladness rest where sorrow had taken hold. She could feel for others and was not content unless by some manner she coidd show it in a sub- stantial degree. She did it without show and in a way that it was appreciated by the recipients. She did not leave the impres- sion that in her doing there was an indebted- ness to be paid, but that it was a ministering such as would have been recei\-ed from them hid the conditions been reversed and she the receiver instead of the giver. She was a ^\■oman ol sidendid attainments in all the \\alks of life and in her social nature she was the embodiment of the best, treating all, whether high or low, rich or poor, with the same kindness and consideration that so .^tu'ely marks the character of a good Chris- tian woman and :\ consistent ser\:int of the ^Master." l^nto Mr. and Mrs. Voorhees were born fi\-e children, four of win mi still siu-\-ive them. These are: Mrs. A. G. P. Dodge, of Dan\il!e; Daniel \'oorhees, of T'eoria ; Philip F>. X'oorhees, of Daiuille: and .\rtliur \'oor- hees, of Danville. One daughter, Mrs. Ben- jamin Crawford, died but a year prior to her THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 993 mother's demise. Peter \'oorhees passed away in 1901 and Mrs. \'oorhees died April 7. 1902. While memcjry lasts to those who knew them this worthy couple will be re- membered in Vermilion county and among their many friends. Their lives exemplified their Christian faith and they were worthy and consistent followers of the teachings of the Master. Peter Voorhees is most re- membered because of his many kind deeds and his helpful spirit. An old German say- ing has come clown to us : "That a man makes three kinds of friends in this world — gains he accumulates, the hearts whom he loves and his good works. The wealth is the iirst to leave him when death lays its hands upon the form ; the ]o\ed ones go to the tomb, turn from it and pass to their homes : but his good works follow him through all the years, praising his name and making hallow his memory." So let it be with Peter Voorhees. CORNELIUS POWERS JONES. Upon a farm on section 22, Elwood township, resides Cornelius Powers Jones, a native son of Vermilion county, who was born near his present home, Januaiy 23, 1869. His parents were John and Sarah (Powers) Jones, both of whom were na- tives of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in which state they were reared, educated and married. They lived upon a farm in Penn- sylvania until after the birth of two of their children and then, emigrating westward, took up their abode in Elwood township, Vermilion county, in 1867. Here they also settled upon a farm, the father devoting his energies to its care and cultivation. Their familv numbered altogether fciur sons and three d.^ughters, of whom three of the sons are yet living: Joseph, a resident of Ridge- farm, Cornelius P. and W. A., who is living at Ridgefarm. The father has also passed away, having departed this life in February, 1899, but the mother is still living and makes her home with her son Cornelius. In the ns»i.ial manner of farmer lads Mr. Jones spent his early youth, becoming fa- miliar with the task of developing- the fields and caring for stock. He obtained a com- mon-school education and as a companion and helpmate for life's journey he wedded Angle Buell, their marriage being celebrated on the 23d of April, 1S96. The lady is a daughter of Hiram and Elizabeth Buell, of Elwood township, and is one of a family of eight sons and six daughters, all of whom are living with the exception ©f three daugh- ters and one son. Mr. and Mrs. Jones now have an interesting child, John Orville, who is two years of age. After his marriage our subject located upon his present farm where he has lived continuously since, his aged mother making her home with him. He is a progressive ag- riculturist and his rich lands are under a high state of cultivation. L'pon his place # he has a substantial farm residence, good barn and other necessary outbuildings, and all of the latest improvements in farm ma- chinery. He votes with the Republican par- ty and socially he is identified with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and with the Roval Circle. C. V. McCLENATHAN. Throughout his business connection with Danville, C. V. McClenathan has been identified with banking interests and at the present time he is one of the directors 994 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and the cashier of the Danville National ]'>anl<. lie is honored and respected in the county of his nativity because of wiial he has accomplished and yet the high regard in which he is hekl is not the less the result nf the honorable methods he has followed than the ])rosperity. which he has achieved. He is one of the native sons of this locality, his birth ha\ing occurred upon a farm near Catlin, on the 3d of October, 1864, his par- ents being George S. and Sarah (Remley) McClenathan. both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, coming westward to Ver- milion county, Illinois, shortlv after their marriage. The McClenathan family is of Scotch lineage and of Quaker belief. The great-grandfather of our subject was a native of the land nf hills and heather and at an early period in the settlement of Pennsylvania he crossed the Atlantic in one of the old time sailing vessels, taking up his abode near Philadelphia. The Remley fam- ily is of English lineage and dates its origin in America to the time of William Penn. 'i'he grandmother of our suljject in the maternal line bore the maiden name of Mar- garet Penn and was a relative of the celebrated family to which the celebrated phi- lanthrdjjist and pioneer, William Penn, be- longed. On rcmo\ing to Illinois George McClenathan settled in Catlin township where he purchased land and engaged in fanning, being one of the successful agri- culturists of his community. He died in Octo- ber, T8g6. and his wife passed away on the 22(1 of Ajjril, iqoo, both being buried in Oak Ridge cemetery, near Catlin. In their family were twelxe children, eight of whom are now living. C. V. McClenathan, the elc\-cnth in nrder of birth, attended the common schools in his early youth and afterward ])ursued his studies in a college in the west. On attain- ing his majority lie went to tlie Sunflower state, locating in Wichita, where lie re- mained for eight years. There he entered the Kansas National Bank, in the mortgage and loan department, and afterward was ])laced in charge of tlie loan business of that institution. \\ hen he had spent eight years in the west he returned to l^anviile and here he became cashier of the State Bank of this city, acting in that capacity until the institu- tion was converted into the Danville Nation- al P>ank. on the ist of June. 1901. He has since been cashier of the new enterprise and one of the directors, and not a little of the success of the business is due to his thorough understanding of lianking and his capable control of the affairs of the institution. On the 30th of July, 1895, ^l''- ^Mc- Clenathan was united in marriage to Alice ]\lcIntosh, of Louisville, Kentucky, a daugh- ter of Thomas Mcintosh, who is now living in this city. Their home has Iieen blessed with one child, Margaret Penn. Mr. I\Ic- Clenathan is a member of the Presbyterian church. I'raternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. In po- litical circles he is an earnest sup])orter of the Democracy, and in 1900 he was the only crmdidate on the Democratic ticket who won election, he being chosen by ]iopular suffrage to represent his district in the state legisla- ture. He was re-elected in 1902 and was made chairman of the joint committee on penal and reformatory institutions and la- bor and industrial affairs, being the only Democratic chairman in the house. He also served on the committee on banks and bank- ing, was the father of the kidnap bill, and was a vcr\' active member of the house, lie has made a close study of all questions wiiich are to the statesman and man of af- fairs of vital interest to the state and nation, and he gixxs his conscientious support to the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1/95 principles fur which he laburs. He stands to-day one of the respected and highly es- teemed residents of the connty of his nativ- ity. His friends are legion, as his genial courtesy and kindly bearing are calculated to win confidence which his sterling integrity and unquestioned candor serve to maintain. SIMON CALLAHAN. In 1852 there came to Vermilion county Simeon Callahan and 'throughout his long- residence here, covering a period of almost half a centrury, he was numbered among the active business men of Danxille, as well as one of its honored and highly esteemed citizens. A native of Ohio, he was born near Dayton, that state, on the 1 1 th of Feb- ruary, 1827, his parents being William and Rachel (Voris) Callahan, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. For a few years the father made his home near Circleville, Ohio, and from there re- moved to Perrysville, Indiana, where he worked at the potter's trade for several years. He next came to Vermilion county, Illinois, and settled in Georgetow'n town- ship, where he continued to follow the same occupation for some years. He next ran a dray line in Danville and ct)ntinued that business until old age compelled his retire- ment. The last twenty-six years of his life were spent in the home of our subject and al- though well advanced in years he was still a hale and hearty man, never missing a meal during that entire time. He died in 1885 having passed the ninetieth milestone on life's journey. He was the father of four children, namely: Elizabeth, who married Rufus Havens, and both are now deceased ; Manuel, also deceased; Simeon, our subject; and Charlotte, wife of Alexander Havens, a resident of Bloomington, Illinois. During his boyhood and youth Simeon Callahan obtained but a limited education as his mother died when he was only twelve years old and he then began to assist his fa- ther in the support of the family. At first he worked in the woolen mills of Coles coun- ty, Indiana, for several years and then learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked in both Perrysville and Lebanon, Indiana. While at the latter place Mr. Callahan was unitetl in marriage to Miss Rachel Piles, of Lebanon, who died a year later, and the only child Ijorn of this union died in infancy unnamed. In 1852 he came to Danville, where he continued to work at the carpenter's trade for some years, and on the 9th of May, 1854, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Mitty A. Morgan, who was born in Georgetown township, this county, February 17, 1831. Her parents, John H. and Catherine (Mor- gan) Morgan, were both natives of Vir- ginia, but were married in Kentucky, and from that state came to Illinois in 1830, be- ing numbered among the pioneer settlers of Vermilion county, where they located whai the Indians were still numerous in this re- gion and most of the land was still in its primitive condition. Settling in George- town township, Mr. Morgan there worked at the blacksmith's trade for a few years, and then removed to Danville, being the first and onlv blacksmith in the city at that time. Thoroughly upright and reliable, he was known to everyone as "Honest John." He continued to work at his trade here until the death of his wife in 1864, and at the close of the Civil war he w-ent to Oregon with a son. remaining on the Pacific coast three years. He then spent a .short time in Dan- 996 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ville, after which he returned to Salem, Ore- gon, where lie died in 1874 at the age of sev- enty-five years, honored and respected by all who knew him. His son, William O. Mor- gan, served for five years in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion and is now living retired with .Mrs. Callahan in Dan- ville. Another son and two daughters make their home in Oregon. There are probably no families better known to the early set- tlers of V^ermilion county than the Calla- hans and Morgans, or are held in higher es- teem. Unto .Mr. and ]\lrs. Callahan were bom three children : John William, the oldest, re- sides at home with his mother and is a prom- inent citizen of Danville, where he is con- nected with the fire department; Thomas died at the age of one year and nine months : and Charlie dieil at the age of six months. .\fter working at the caipenter's trade for several years in partnership with a Mr. Jones, J\Ir. Callahan retired from that busi- ness and like his father embarked in the dray- ing business, buying the IXnnville dray line which he conductetl until life's labors were ended in death. On Christmas day of 1893 he contracted a severe cold which finally re- sulted in his death on the 30th of April. 1894. Throughuut life he supported the Re- publican party, but never cared for public office. During his younger years he was connected with the ^lasonic fraternity but afterward withdrew from that organization and joined the Independent Order of Odfl Fellows, being a member of the lodge at Danville when called to the world beyond. He was an earnest and consistent member of tlie First Methodist Episcopal Church, to which, his wife also belongs and he had the confidence and high regard i>f .nil with whom he came in contact, either in business or so- cial life. In business affairs he met with a well merited success and was able to leave his family in comfortable circumstances. Resides her pleasant home at Xo. 5 East Madison street, Mrs. Callahan owns a fine residence at the corner of Madison and North Hazel streets, which was erected by her husband in 1884. He also assisted in building ni;m_\- i)ther of the early residences of the city, and was long numbered among the rernxsentative business men of Danville. B. F. LEOX.VRD. B. F. Eeonard, who is now living a re- tired life in Potomac, was throughout his active business career connected with agri- cultural pursuits. Agriculture is the foun- dation of all prosperity and more than a century ago George \\'asliington said it was the most useful and honorable occupation to which man can de\ote his energies. Mr. Leonard, long connected with farming inter- ests, has l)ccn a resident of \'ermilion county since October 10, 1855. In fact, that was his natal day and he is a representative of one of the old families here. His father, William J. Leonard, was bom in Marion county. Kentucky, in 1823, and was a son of James Leonard. The family is of German origin and was founded in Kentucky at an early day. James Leonard removed with his family to Illinois and became one of the early ]iioncer settlers of ^"emlilion county. ] Icre ^^'illiam J. Leonard was reared and ed- ucated and was trained to methods of indus- try and economy upon the home farm. He was married in Fountain county. Indiana, to Sarah Cronkhite, who was born in Ohio, but was reared in the Floosier state. Mr. Leon- ard liad entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Midillefork township and this he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 997 broke and fenced, developing an excellent farm whose well tilled fields returned to him an excellent income. He afterward traded that for another farm in Ross township and spent his last days there, dying about 1866. His wife survi\'ed him for a few years and was called to her final rest in the autumn of 1872. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for B. F. Leonard in his youth. The common schools afforded him his educationl privileges and when sixteen years of age he started out in life, working in a wagon shop. He learned the trade in Rossville and followed that pur- suit for several years. An important event in his life occurred on the 14th of ^larch, tS/S, when, in Middlefork township, he was joined in wedlock to Emma J. Swisher, a native of that township and a daughter of Harrison Swisher, one of the early settlers of the county. They began their domestic routine upon a rented farm which Mr. Leon- ard cultivated for a few years and then bought eighty acres of land which he began to further improve. He built a house and barn there and later he extended the bountla- ries of his place by the additional pur- chase of eighty acres. On that tract he car- ried on general farming until 1900, when he rented his land and in the month of De- cember took up his abode in Potomac, where he purchased a lot and erected a residence. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have four chil- dren: Zetta Ann, the wife of Charles \'ill- ers, a farmer of Ross township; Rosella, Cora B. and Alva, who are still with their parents. The family is one of prominence in the community, enjoying the high regard of many friends here. In his political views Mr. Leonard was formerly a Democrat, but he now supports the men and measures of the P'rohibition party. He and his family are identified with the Lnited Brethren church and his wife is a member of the Christian church. No other home has he known than Vermilion county and the local- it}' may be glad to number him among its native sons because he has always been loyal to its interests, has been in touch with the work of progress and improvement and has been identified with de\'elopment and up- building". His friends esteem him for the possession of those qualities of upright man- hood \\ hich in e\'ery land and in e\-ery clime command respect and confidence. T. HOWARD SPANG. T. Howard Spang is proprietor of the \\'estfield Roller Mills and of the lumber- yard in this place. Here he has carried on business for two years and has already gained a creditable position in public reg^ard as a reliable and enterprising business man. He is a native of Butler county, Pennsyl- vania, born January 10, 1874, and is a son of J. R. and Alargaret Spang. The family history is mentioned in connection with the sketch of his brother, C. B. Spang, on an- other page of this work. After coming to this county the subject of this re\'iew began working in a flour- mill in Georgetown and in 1870 he went to North Towanda, New York, where he en- gag'ed in milling for six months. He then returned to Georgeto\vn and subsecjuently he went to Allerton, Illinois, where he con- ducted a grain elevator for. four years. On the expiration of that period he ag'ain went to Georg-etown, where he worked with his brother in a flourmill for a year. In July, iqoo, he came to Westville and erected the \\'est\-ille Roller Mills, which he has since 998 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD operated. He also buys and ships grain and both IjraiTches of his business are proving profitaI)Ic. His mill is equipped with the lat- est roller process machinery and the Hour which he manufactures is of a high grade, therefore finding a ready sale on the market. Mr. Si)ang also is a carpenter and cuntrac- tor and does some business in that line. In connection with his mother and brother, in Georgetown, he is also carrying on the lum- beryard at \\'est\i!le, having charge of the business. Mr. Spang was united in marrage to Miss Lula Kilgore, a native of \'enniliiin county and a daughter of Robert Kilgore. a retired farmer now living in Georgetown. One child graces this marriage to whom they have given the name of Kenneth. ]\Ir. Spang is a Republican in his political views but the honors and eniolunients of office have no attraction for him. Socially he is identified witli the Inde])en(lent Order of Odd bellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife hold membershii) in the Methodist Episco])al church of Georgetown. Mr. Spang is a }-oung man possessed of energ_\-, enterprise and laudable ambition and, brook- ing no obstacles which can be oxercome by determined purpose and honorable effort, he is steadily working his way upward to a very creditable and gratifying position in the business xvorld, having already attained success which man\- an older man miglit well envy. H. S. BABCOCK, :\1. D. Among the ])ractitioucrs of medicine in Danville worthy of public patronage li\' reasoh of thorough understanding of llic science of medicine and devotion to the iiro- fession, is Dr. H. S. Babcock, a native of Pennsylvania, born in Warren county, August 26. 1869. His father, Joseph F. Babcock, was also liorn in that county and after arriving at years of maturity was mar- ried there to Jennie (jibson, likewise born in that locality. He was a farmer and lum- l;er merchant, but for some time lived in the city of Warren antl at the present time is filling the office of chief of police. In his i^jolitical \'iews he is a stalwart Re- ])ublican, while socially he is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Grand .\rmy of the Republic. He is entitled to membership in the last named organization through service in the Civil war, for in i8(')4 he responded to the country's call for aid and enlisted in defense of the Union. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of which his wife is also a member and they are highly esteemed i)eople of the com- munity in which they make their home. In their family were but two children, the Doctor's sister being Dr. Margaret Maloy, the wife of Dr. Earl Maloy. of Lincoln, Illinois. She is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Chicago, and is engaged in i)ractice. In the district schools of Conewanago townshi]). ^^'arren county, Pennsylvania. Dr. Babcock ])ursue(l his preliminary edu- cation and later studied in tlie grade schools and in the academy of Warren. Pennsyl- vania. Subsequently he matriculated in the L^ni versify of Michigan, at .\nn Arbor, where he was graduated in the medical de- ])artmcnt with the class of i8gi. Since that time he has been a practitioner of \'er- milion county, locating first in Higginsville. When the railroad was built through the locality, the town of Jamesburg was estab- lished and Dr. Babcock opened his office at THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 999 that place, where he remained for ten and a half years. Then, seeking a wider field of labor, he came to Danville, where he has since remained, enjoying a growing practice which has demonstrated his skill in the suc- cessful handling of many important cases. On the 24th of December, 1891. in Chicago, Illinois, the Doctor was united in marriage to Mabel Buck, who was born in Cheboygan, Michigan, on Christmas day of 1873, a daughter of Moses and Borredell (Greenwood) Buck, both of whom were natives of Maine, the mother having been born in Abbott. They were married in the Pine Tree state and the father engaged in the lumber business there, subsequently re- moving to Michigan, where he continued in the same line of business activity. A Democrat in his politicel views, he was recognized as a prominent member of the party in his community, held a number of political offices and wrote many articles for the press setting forth his views upon po- litical questions. He had decided opinions and a forcible way of expressing them and his influence in behalf of the Democracy was far-reaching. His death occured in Cheboygan, in February, 1898, and his widow is still living there. In their family were eight children, all of whom survive, namely : Ainsley, who when last heard from was in South Africa ; Edward, who follows farming in Cheboygan, Michigan; Horace, who resides in St. Johnsville, New York : Lucy, the wife of Collins Cameron, of Lewiston, Michigan; Mabel, the wife of Dr. Babcock ; Charles, who is engaged in the publishing business in Chicago; Samuel, who is connected with a newspaper agency of Chicago ; and Mary, who formerly taught in the public schools at Allerton. Illinois, but is now in Cheboygan, Michigan. The home of the Doctor and his wife has been 40 blessed with two interesting children : Jennie May, who was born December 8, 1893 ; and Joseph Henry, born June 10, 1896. Dr. Babcock was made a member of the ]\Iasonic fraternity in Potomac, Illinois, about 1897, '^'''d is a valued representative of the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Court of Honor, the Royal Circle and the Fraternal Tribune. He has been examiner for a number of in- surance companies and he has been county physician and surgeon for Blount township for nine years. He belongs to the Vermilion County Medical Society, the State Medical Society and the American Medical Asso- ciation, and thus he keeps in touch with the advanced thought which marks the progress of the medical fraternity toward perfection. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and exercises the right of franchise in support of the Republican party. Having a wide acquaintance in Vermilion county the friendship of many has been freely accorded him in recognition of a genial manner and kindly disposition. LUDVIG ERIKSON. Ludvig Erikson, who is one of the ener- getic and thrifty farmers of Butler township, has a valuable property of one hundred and fifty acres on section 9. This is well im- proved and equipped with all modern ac- cessories and conveniences. From the spring of 1869 to the present time Mr. Erikson has been a resident of Vermilion county and the kingdom of Sweden has furnished no better citizen in the new world. He was born on the 8th of July, 1851, in Sweden, a son of Gustaf Erikson, who was bom in the same country and was a soldier there being con- lOOO THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD nected with the standing army for some time. In 1869. accompanied by liis family, he bade adieu to his friends and native land and sailed fur the new world, settling in Paxton, Illinois, where he died about 1889. His wife passed away in 1900. In their family were three sons and three daughters : Alfred, who is a resident of Sweden ; Lud- vig, of this review: Otto, a resident of Rankin ; iM-etlricka. who is also living in Sweden; Johanna, the wife of Fred Johnson, of that country : and Ida, who died at the age of eight years. The su1)ject of this review spent the tirst eighteen years of his life in the land of his nativity and acquired a fair common-school education in his native tongue, but his knowledge of the English language has been acquired without the aid of teachers since his arrival in Illinois. He crossed the briny deep in 1869 and came direct to this state. locating in Paxton. He was first employed in the town of Rankin, in ^'ermilion county, and for a time he worked for \\'. A. Rankin, now a prominent and influential citizen of Onarga, Illinois, continuing in his employ for four years. He then rented two hundretl acres of land, which he continued to cultivate for a inimber of years, and in 1882. having acquired sufficient capital through his earnest lalxsr and careful management, he purchased the farm upon which he is now residing. At th;it time InU few imjirovements had been made ui)on the place, but now after twentv years he has a very valuable property sup- plied with all modern equipments and ac- cessories. He has erected a nice frame resiflence, a large barn, granary and other outbuildings. He has a fine orchard, in- cluding a great variety of fruits and he has planted shade and omamefital trees around his home, giving it a most attractive and pleasing appearance. Tiling has added to the productiveness of his fields and the fences thereon and everything about the place are kept in good repair. He raises the cereals best adajjted t<> the soil and climate and in connection witii his work has been engaged in the raising and feeding of cattle, feeding aiiout a car-load of cattle each year and also selling a large number of hogs annually. In connection with nine others he fonned a company for the importation and breeding of thoroughbred Percheron and Shire horses and he now owns two valuable imported stallions, which he keeps for breeding l)urposes. ^Ir. F.rikson was married in V'ermilion county in February, 1879, to Matilda Gus- tafson. a native of Sweden, who came to the new world when a maiden of twelve sum- mers and ItKated in Vermilion county. Six children have blessed this union : Edward, -Mice, Oscar and Esther, all of whom are yet under the parental roof : Alma, who died at one year ; and Annie, at the age of eight years and three months. In his political views Mr. Erikson is a stanch and earnest Republican and in 1876 cast his first presidential ballot for Ruther- ford B. Hayes, while for each presidential nominee of the Republican party since that time he has deposited his ballot. He was elected and served for nine consecutive years as commissioner of highways and for si.x years previous to that time was overseer of the roads, proving a competent officer. Both he and his wife hold membership re- lations with the Swedish Lutheran church at Rankin. Illinois, and were reared in that faith. The hripe that led Mr. Erikson to seek a hnme in the new world has l>een more than realized. He found the business op- portunities he sought here and through the exercise of marked industry and enterprise he has steadily worked his way upward. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lOOI He has been a witness of much of the growth and improvement of the county, which he has seen transformed from a swampy dis- trict into a richly cultivated region. In early days he saw herds of, as man)- as twenty- five deer in this part of the state and many wolves were killed, while wild game of various kinds furnished the pioneer table with meat and frontier conditions were prevalent and made the task of developing a farm somewhat arduous, but with charac- teristic energies and determination Mr. Erikson continued his work and as the years have passed he has won a most creditable position among the successful farmers of Butler township. LYCURGUS BALDWIN. Lycurgus Baldwin, who follows farm- ing, was born in Dallas county, Iowa, on the 1st of May, 1859, and is a son of Thomas and Lucinda (Standfield) Baldwin. The father was a native of Brown county, Ohio, and was one of a large family of children all of whom are now deceased with the ex- ception of one brother and one sister. He was born May 10, 1830, and is still living, his home being in Ridgefarm. W'hen eight years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal from Ohio to Indiana, and a year or two later he came to Illinois. In 1848 he was united in marriage to Lucinda Standfield, a daughter of Samuel Standfield, of Elwood township, and in 1857 they re- moved to Dallas county, Iowa, wdiere Mr. Baldwin engaged in farming- until 1864. He then returned to Illinois, settling at Ridgefarm. where both he and his wife are still living. The Standfields also had a large family, and two of the sons, brothers of Mrs. Baldwin, were veterans of the Civil war. L^nto the parents of our subject were born six children; James R., a resident farmer of Georgetown, who has five children; Darius T., deceased; Lycurgus, of this re- view; George, an agriculturist of Ridge- farm, who has one child; ]\Iary, who is living with her parents; and Elmer, who lives at Ridgefarm and has seven children. Lycurgus Baldwin was early trained to the work of field and meadow in his youth assisting his father in the cultivation of the old homestead. He was educated in the common schools and on the 30th of August, 1882, he made preparation for having a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Florence M. Rardin, a daughter of Nelson and Elizabeth (Petit)- Rardin, of Edgar county, Illinois. The father was a farmer by occupation and had a large family, having four sons and five daughters, all of whom are living with the exception of one. Mrs. Baldwin was born in January, 1861, and was educated in the common schools. By her marriage she has become the mother of four children ; Mabel E., now nineteen years of age, was married August 10, 1902, to Alfonso Wright, a teacher of Ridgefarm. Frederick, eighteen years of age, Nelson, a youth of thirteen, and Russell, a little lad of three summers, are with their parents. Mr. Baldwin is a devoted member of the Presbyterian church and is also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is an earnest Republican, do- ing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. He has three times served as commissioner of his township and is now holding that office, the duties of whicli he discharges with prompt- ness and fidelity. He is a temperate, honor- able gentleman, a loyal citizen, and enjoys a high reputation in all the walks of life. I002 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD JAMES GEORGE SHEDD. James George Sliedd, now deceased, was born in Morrow county. Ohio, on the 23d of June. 1842, his parents being Henry and Letitia Shedd. who were Xew England peo- ple. In tlieir family were five children and like the other members of the household the subject of this review acquired his early education in the schools of his native county. He afterward continued his studies in the Western Reserve College where he was graduated and thus well equipped by thor- ough mental training for life's responsible duties he entered upon a work which made him a valuable factor in society. In early manhood Mr. Shedd was united in marriage to IVliss Helen Leseure. the wedding being celebrated on the 27th of June, 1872. The lady is a daughter of Prosper and Elizabeth Leseure. who were prominent and influential sitizens of Dan- ville. Her father was a native of Nancy. France, born on the 26th of May. 1820. and when a lad of ten years he came to America. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Shedd was born one son, George Carroll, whose l)irth occurred in Danville on the 9th of December. 1880. and who died on the loth of November. 1885. Shortly before his marriage Mr. Shedd became a resident of Danville, accepting a position as superintendent of the schools of this place. Under his direction education made marked advances here. Hitherto the schools liad not been graded, but he accom- plished this important work and made many marked improvements in the system of teach- ing, — improvements which formed a solid basis for further development and progress in this line. He also spent two years in Macomb, Illinois, as superintendent of the schools there. For nine years he was superintendent in Danville and then putting aside his work in connection with educa- tional interests he turned his attention to the lumber business, forming a partnership with George B. Yeomans, under the firm name of Yeomans & Shedd. With this enterprise he was connected up to the time of his death. The new firm prospered in their undertakings, the business growing until it reached extensive proportions and the sales annually returned a good profit to the owners. ]vlr. Shedd had purchased his father-in-law's interest in the lunil)er busi- ness and in the control of his new affairs he displayed marked energy, capable man- agement and keen discernment. In his political views Mr. Shedd was a stalwart Republican and took a deej) and active interest in the success and welfare of the party. He was a member of the Ameri- can Sons of the Revolution and was a man of marked literary tastes and scholarly at- tainments, whose broad reading and wide investigation gained him a knowledge sel- dom seen in men devoted to commercial in- terests. Many of his most pleasant hours were spent in the companionship of his books antl he regarded as among his dearest friends the master minds of present and past ages. He held membership in the Presby- terian church, to which his wife also belongs, taking an active part in its work. On the 5th of November. 1896, Mr. Shedd was called to his final rest and was hurietl in Spring Hill cemetery. For many years he was regarded as a prominent and influential resident of Danville. He left the impress of his individuality upon its intellectual de- velopment as well as upon its commercial histc;ry. His was an irreproachable life and one whose influence was ever for good and for progress. He drew to himself many friends whose regard was strengthened as their acquaintance increased and the years THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1003 passed by. His loss was therefore widel}' and deeply felt and his memory is still en- shrined in the hearts of many who knew him. GEORGE W. HENRY. George W. Henry, familarily known as "Uncle George." is among the honored and prominent settlers of Vermilion county. He was bom in Ohio, May 8, 1827, and is a son of Michael and Margaret (Pinker- son) Henry. His father went to Warren county, Indiana, when George was a year old, making the journey in a covered wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen. He died when George was seven years of age. When the family went to Indiana it was wild and unimproved and they were in the midst of the Indians, three hundred of them being encamped in front of the log cabin home. His father traded with the Indians for coats and other articles. At this time in the early frontier days there were more deer than sheep to be seen in the locality, and wild hogs and prairie and timber wolves were very plentiful. George W. Henry is one of a family of nine children. He was early left without a father and lived for a short time with his brother David. After that he went to reside with a Mr. Dawson. He began life without any capital, and worked with diligence. He worked by the month until his twenty-third year, receiving at an early day eight dollars per month. He has a mowing machine which he has operated for forty-two years and during this time has cut five thousand acres of grain. In Indiana he worked for Ebenezer Lucas. In Indiana Mr. Henry married Sarah Ann .Spickard. They had one child, Hes- ter, who died at the age of two weeks, and the wife and mother also passed away. Mr. Henry was again married, his second union being with Emmrilla Taylor, who was born in Warren county, Indiana, October 29, 1832. She is a daughter of George and Matilda (Leonard) Taylor, the latter a na- tive of Kentucky and the former of Vir- ginia. This marriage took place on the 2d of December, 1852, and the union was blessed with eight children : George M. married Eliza Watson and they had seven children, six of whom are yet living. Their home is in Lyon county, Iowa. E. L. mar- ried !M. A. Bird, and lives near ?ilarshfield, Indiana. They are the parents of thirteen children, eight of whom are yet living. Sarah is the wife of James Allison, of Dan- ville, and has eight children. Ira M., now- deceased, married Minerva Watson, and they had seven children, five of whom still survive- His home was near ]\Iarshfield, Indiana. Polly Amanda died at the age oi three years, lames William died at the age of thirteen months. Jennie Belle is the wife of Fred Starr and had six children, four of whom still survive. ]\Irs. Henry was reared on the Illi- nois side at Stateline, coming from Indiana with her parents when about a year old. She has seen the wolves so thick that she feared they \\ould come into her father's home, which was a log cabin with no glass in the windows and a stick chimney. She is the oldest of a family of eleven children. She has manv times been to her neighbors to borrow fire with which to start their fire. She remem- bers many incidents of pioneer days which would be of interest to our readers, would space permit. She would ride on horseback to the town, for at those times buggies were not in use. Her father would shear the sheep, then wash the wool, have it carded and mother and daughters would spin it and weave it, making their homespun clothing. I004 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mr. Henn' is the only surviving member of a family of nine children. He also has one half brother, Alex Henry, of Ambia, In- diana. The family record is as follows : Margaret, who was the wife of William Mc- Gahon ; Christian, whom Mr. Henry has not seen since he was six years of age ; David, who (lied in Dakota : Michael ; Mrs. Ann I.eniminy; Robert Henry ; (jeorge \\'. ; and William P. Mr. Henry began farming in Warren county. Indiana. The first plowing which he did was with the wooden mold board and strap plow. He next plowed with a single shoxcl and cut his grain witli a reap hook sickle and now owns a reap hook of pioneer days, or a sickle mowing scythe. He came Vermilion county. Illinois, in 1853, and settled on his present farm, which he purchased at seven dollars per acre. When his father's estate was settled he received four hundred and fifty dollars. With this and what he had accumulated he paid for his present farm, which was fenced and partly imder cultivation, a portion being plowed, but :dl around was wild prairie. On this land the Peacock plow was at first the only kind with which he scoured the prairies. Then he had a shovel plow, and also the Springfield plow. In this primitive period there was no kerosene and he has read by the light of the prairie fires. They burned hickory bark and dip candles for lighting, and used a crane over the fire place before stoves came into existence. When Mr. Henry and his wife settled on their present place wild game of all kinds was very plentiful. Deer, turk- eys, cranes, ducks, geese and prairie chickens were to be had in abundance, and the tables of the pioneers were loaded with delectable food, such as would delight the epicure of the present day. Many a time Mr. Henry assisted his mother to spin the wool, and all of the wool so spun was woven at home into clothing for the family. The nearest trad- ing point to their home was Danville. In the early days the produce from his farm Mr. Henry hauled to Covington, Indiana. He made one trip to Chicago when a boy, with his brother David, in a wagon drawn l)y oxen and loaded with eight barrels of pork. They had to i)ass over many sloughs and camped out at night on the prairies, sur- rounded by howling wolves. Mr. Henry's present farm comprises three hundred acres on section 28, Newell township. Here he has for years carried on general farming and stock-raising and through his industry has acquired a comfortable competence, his well tilled fields and substantial home and build- ings indicating the enterprises and thrift of the owner. Mr. and Mrs. Henry are members of the United Brethren church. Mrs. Henry is an earnest worker therein and Mr. Henry has been a member since he was fifteen years of age, joining the church in Newell township. He has been class leader, steward and Sun- tlay-school superintendent and at present is acting as trustee. He has been identified with the erection of nearly all the churches of Newell township, and the first one built at Myers\ille. Church service was held at his home l:)efore the church was built, and later at the schoolhouse, and they had to use the wood thrown into the firqilace as a light. Since his arrival in this community Mr. Henry has taken a efore Air. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1023 McFarland came to Illinois. Mrs. McFar- laiid has also many interesting reminiscen- ces to tell of former days — the days of the cotton gin, spinning wheels and primitive times when there were no matches. She says in those early days they could not buy a sifter to sift their meal. This difficulty was obviated by punching holes in a piece of calf-skin and spreading or stretching it on a hickory hoop. The pioneers of those days knew what it was to be deprived of necessities which are so common to our ad- vanced state of civilization of to-day that we scarcely notice them. Mr. ]\IcFarland is a hale and hearty old gentleman of eighty-four years, and his wife is also a genial and kindly lady who has had many interesting experiences of frontier life. Mr. McFarland has held all the offices of his township. He and his wife are devoted members of the Baptist church and in poli- tics he is a Republican. Honored and highly respected people of the communit}', they enjoy the regard of many friends and acquaintances. ALPHEUS CRUZAN. Alpheus Cruzan is a well known con- tractor in street paving, concrete construc- tion and cement walks at Danville. He de- serves mention as one of the leading rep- resaitatives of industrial interests here, and although yet a young man, his knowledge and enterprise have already brought him a comfortable competence. Mr. Cruzan was born in Manchester, Ohio, in 1866. His father, R. S. Cruzan, was a native of Indiana, and in early life followed farming, in the vicinity of Man- chester, Ohio, where he owned considerable land. In 1867 he left that place and re- moved to Cynthiana, Kentucky, where he continued to make his home until 1880, which was the year of his arrival in Lexing- ton, Kentucky. Throughout his business career he carried on agricultural pursuits. His wife bore the maiden name of Eliza Jane Conner, and was a native of the Blue Grass state. They became the parents of three children, but the two sisters of our subject are now deceased. Alpheus Cruzan, having acquired his early education in the common schools, later continued his studies in the Central Uni- versity, at Richmond, where he pursued a general course. He afterward engaged in bookkeeping for several years, in Cincin- nati, Ohio, and followed the same profes- sion subsequent to his removal to Danville, in 1889, being for three years connected with the Golden Rule store in that capacity. In 1892 he left Danville and went to Lex- ington, Kentucky, where he was engaged in the lumber business with his father under the firm style of the Cruzan Lumber Cam- pany, being a third owner in the enterprise. For three years he was associated with that business and then again came to Danville, where he aided in organizing and putting in operation the Danville Telephone Com- pany. It was a stock company, incorpo- rated, and Mr. Cruzan was chosen treasurer and director, serving in those capacites for about five years. At one time he owned a controling interest but disposed of his tele- phone business in 1900. He then took up contracting in street paving and cement construction, the business being now car- ried on under the name of Alpheus Cruzan. He is engaged in concrete construction in paving, grading, excavating and in con- structing sewers, and his annual business amounts to about seventy-five thousand dollars. He employs on an average of fifty 1024 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD people during the busy season, wurking live crews in his concrete constructiim. His patronage comes from a wide territory in- chKhng Chicago. Chnton. Lafayette. Indi- ana. Detroit and Adrian Michigan, and Dan\iilc. Tlie pa\ ing is done in brick, granitoid and concrete. The work is of an aiduring quahty and has therefore given general satisfaction. In this city, in iSyj. Mr. Cruzan wedded Georgiana Forl^es. of Danville, and unto them have been born four cliildren : Georgi- ana. Margaret JNIansfield. Elizabeth and Roberta Simpson. Mrs. Cruzan's parents are both deceased but her stepmother. Mrs. Catherine S. Forbes, makes her home with our subject and his wife. ]\Irs. Cruzan has a half-brother, C. W. Forbes, of Danville. In his social affiliations Alpheus Cruzan is coimectecl with the Benevolent and Pro- tectixe Order of Elks, with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Fyth- ias and the Court of Honor. In politics he is a Republican, but has never sought or desired office, serving only for one term as city alderman. His home is at Xo. lO" West North street. He has made good use of his opportunities, and has prospered from year to year, has conducted all business matters carefully and successfully and in all his acts dis])lays an aptitude for success- ful management. His manner is kindly and genial and to this perhaps, as well as to his business ability is due his creditable standing in the social and business world. SAMUEL WATERS ALLERTOX. One of the largest landowners in \'er- milinn countx' and feen gratified, and he is to-day one of the largest farmers in the country who culti- vates his own land, cultivating about forty thousand acres in the very best manner. He is said to have a hobby for purchasing poor- ly productive lands and by cultivation "makes them blossom as a rose." He has large interests in ranches and gold mines and has lands in Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and has always been interested in the livestock tratle and continues to ship lix'estock to New York and England. Mr. .\llerton received his early political education from Henry Clay and Horace Greeley, and has always been a strong be- lie\er in a protective tariff and free schools. He remembers that in the campaign of 1844, when Henry Clay was a candidate for the presidency, the issue was "Shall we put a tarift' on iron and inaugurate free schools?" The Democrats said that "a tariff would build up home monopolies and free schools would be a burden and a tax on the people." Clay replied "Give the people free schools so as to increase their intelligence, their en- ergy and industry, and home competition would reduce the price of iron." It was then one hundred dollars a ton. Remem- bering the words of Henry Clay and believ- ing the free school system has made this great nation, Mr. Allerton by giving the land, has had school houses built on each of his farms. Since the organization of the party he has been a stalwart Republican and has been mentioned and his election advo- cated bv some of the best newspapers and best citizens of the state for the high ofiice I030 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of L'nited States senator. Tliat he would honor the office and peoi)le of tlie state goes without ([uestion. He once ran for mayor of Lliicago in the interests of civil service with no pledges to any one. His desire was to gi\'e the city an honest, clean adminis- tration. The office would have heen no honor t(5 him hut he would have honored the office. It was his intention to eni])lo\- the best engineers in the country to settle the vexed question of engineering and in all departments of the city government to put the right man in tlie right place, irre- spective of politics. He carried the north division of the city and the other intelligent wards init was beaten by a sharp political trick of his oi)[)()nent. Mr. Allerton belie\-es that all men should trv to lead a successful life: this he owes to himself, his friends and his people. He be- lieves that young men to-day ha\e Iietter opportunities for ad\-ancement than when he was a boy. and that they have better teachers and better schools. Labor is higher and the necessities of life are cheaper, and therefore the opportunities are much great- er for success. His life is certainly an ob- ject lesson for the young men of to-day, and he certainly deserves all the honor which he receives. JOHN W. CLINGAN. Among the best, most energetic and enterprising farmers and stock-raisers of Cjenrgetown township, is John \\'. Clingan, whose landed possessions also extend into Catlin townshi]) and his property interests comprise several business houses in the vil- lage of Georgetown. He is widely recog- nized as one oi the leading citizens of the southern [jail of the cnunty. His birth oc- curred in Danville township, Xoveniljer i6, 1855. his parents being James S. and Elvira (Olehy) Clingan. the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Vermilion county, Illinois. William Clingan, the grandfather of our subject, was also born in the Buckeye state and in the year 1844 emigrated west- ward, to this ciiimty. settling in Danville township, where he cleared a tract of land, making it culti\'able. He there carried on the work of general farming for two years. when his life's labors were ended in death in 1S46. The father of our subject also en- gaged in farming in Danville township, l>e- ing thus interested in business affairs here until 186-. when he removed to Catlin township. There he secured a farm which he owned and operated for several years and on the expiration of that period he re- moved to the village of Westville, there li\ing retired until he too was called to his final home in .\ugust. 1898. His wife still sur\i\es him and yet resides in W'estville. Thev were the parents of four children, namely: John W. : Dennis R.. a farmer who resides on the old home place in Catlin townsliip: Mary E.. who died ;it the age of three years: and Luther A., wlm mar- ried Etta Graves and is a farmer of George- town township. At the usual age Mr. Clingan entered the common schools, where he gained a good knowledge of the branches of learning usuallv taught in such institutions. Subse- quentlv he entered a commercial school at Danville. Illinois, and was thus prepared for the duties of business life, lieing grad- uated in that institution with the class of 1876. He wedded Miss Mary E. Xesl)itt. al.so a native of this county and a daughter of William R. Xcsbitt. who was an early settler here ami is now deceased. The home THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1031 of Mr. and Mrs. Clingan has been blessed with two children : D. Albert and Edna E. When our subject had completed his education he began teaching school, being employed in the vicinity of Danville and of Westville for sixteen years. His educa- tional work was acceptable in the districts where his services were secured for he had marked ability in imparting to others the knowledge which he had acquired. He also maintained discipline and thus became widely known as a capable and successful teacher. When sixteen years had passed he settled upon his present farm which is known as the old Hiram Gibson place, lo- cated on section 24, Georgetown township. He likewise owns a good farm in Catlin township, having altogether two hundred and ten acres of well improved land. Here he carries on general farming and stock- raising and the fields annually return to him good harvests, while in his pasture or feed- lots are found some of the most fashionable P'oland China hogs. If one would examine into his life record to learn the secret of his success it wnll be found that he has prospered because he has worked unremittingly, pay- ing close attention to his farm duties and giving careful thought to the management of his fields. Thus he has prospered and as his financial resources have increased he has made judicious investments in town as well as farm property. He now owns three good business houses in Georgetown, which are now occupied by a grocery, a meat mar- ket and a drug store. Mr. Clingan has never been an office seeker nor has he held office. He has, however, always voted with the Democratic party. He and his wife and children are members of the Alethodist Episcopal church at Fairview and they have warm friends in the county. Reading, experience and investigation have made Mr. Clingan a well informed man and his men- tality and genuineness, combined with his social nature, render him a popular and companionable gentleman. So well has he prospered in his work that he expects soon to put aside his farming interests and live retired. ♦-•-♦ JOSEPH SMITH. Joseph Smith, deceased, was numbered among the honored pioneers of Vermilion county, having located here in 1831, and for many years he was prominently identified with the business interests of Danville. His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was born in W^orcestershire. England, August i, 18 19, his parents being also natives of that country. In 1831 the father brought the family to the United States and after spending a short time in Elmira, New York, they came west, stop- ping first at what is now Chicago, but there was no city there at that time. Later in the same year he proceeded to Vermilion county and purchased a small farm near Potomac, * where he engaged in agricultural pursuits for a few years, and then removed to Myers- ville, this county, and took charge of the Myersville flour mill, which was an old water mill. After running the same for several years Mr. Smith became a resident of Dan- ville and forming a partnership with a Mr. Tincher they purchased a flour and hominy mill, which they at once commenced to oper- ate, but Mr. Tincher soon sold his interest to Mr. Smith and a Mr. Giddings and the busi- ness was afterward conducted under the firm name of Smith K' Giddings for several years or until the death of Mr. Smith. Joseph Smith was alx)ut twelve years of age when he accompanied his parents on I032 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD their eniigratiDn to America, and lie liatl only the achantages of a common school ed- ucation. He was first married in Southport. New York, to Miss Julia Warniley, who died in Myersville, Ilinois, and of the three children horn of that union only one is living: l-"rank, a prominent llorist of Danville. In 18C2 Mr. Smith wedded Mrs. Susan J. (Kuykendall) Fox, a native of \'irginia, born February 14. 1833. Her father, Luke Kuykendall. removed from the Old Domin- ion to Illinois in 1854 and settled on a farm in X'ermilion county, wliere he followed farming throughout the remainder of his life. By his second marriage Mr. Smith had four children, as follows : Bertha J. is now the widow of Jesse L. Holloway of this county, who was a passenger conductor on the Missouri Pacific Railroad and later on the Monon route, running between Lafay- ette. Iiuliaua. and Chicago, and he was found dead beside the track August 21. 1901. j)robably the result of an accident. Mrs. Holloway is now li\ing with her mother in Danville. Katharine engaged in teaching in the public schools of Dan\ille for several years and is now the wife of C. L. Thomp- son of Lamar, Colorado. Clinton is a trav- eling salesman for the Rumford Baking Powder Company. Willie died at the age of thirteen years. Like his father Mr. Smith of this review learned the milling business in his vouth. and after coming to Danville he purchased a flour mill which he continued to operate through- out the remainder of his life. He also dealt Some in real estate and at the time of his death owned considerable property in Dan- ville, but his widow has lately disposed of the last of the estate with the exception of the beautiful home at No. 4:2 West North street, where she and her daughter now re- side. At one time Mr. Smith owned the l)roperty which has since l^een converted into the Danville Public Library. During his active business career he attended strictly to his own affairs and became a very success- ful man. After a useful and well spent life he passed away on the 8th of March, 1894, honored and respected by all who knew him. Politically he was a pronounced Republican, but was never an office seeker though he took a commendable interest in the success of his l)arty. He faithfully performed his duties of citizenship and his interest in the welfare and progress of the community ne\er abated. Becoming widely and favorably known, he made many friends and his death was a loss to the entire communitv. FRED L. DAVIS. The agricultural interests of \^ermilion couiUv are well represented by I'red L. Dav- is, a prominent young farmer of Vance township. He is a son of Henry Davis, whose name appear? elsewhere in this vol- ume. He was born May 24, 1876. in \'ance township, and from childhood Ijecame fami- liar with the work of the farm. He attend- ed the district schools of the township and later in Fairmount, Illinois. After putting- aside his text-books he assisted his father on the home farm where he has since remained. He is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land on sections 7 and 18, which is all well improved and valuable land. He has a good, comfortable home, and all the con\eniences of a model farm are his. On the 13th of February, 1899, in Fair- mount. Illinois, Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Essie Carrington. who was born near Jamaica. Illinois. September 6, 1879. She is a daughter of William and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1033 Mary L. (Busby) Carrington, the latter a daughter of I. N. Bitsby, who is now Hving in Faimiount. Wilham Carrington was a native of Indiana and was married in A'er- milion county, IlHnois. After his marriage lie located in Indianola, now Jamaica, town- ship. Here he purchased land and remained until 1890, when he retired from active life and removed to Fairmount, Illinois. In that town he purchased city property. During the summer of 1902, he visited in Colorado. He is a wealthy man having extensive landed interests. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his political views is a Republican, but has never sought or de- sired office. Mrs. Davis is one of a family of three children. Edward is engaged in the furniture business in Fairmount, Illi- nois. He married Stella Davis. Harvey is married and resides on a farm in \'ance township. He has one child, Grace. Essie is the wife of the subject of this review. Mr. Davis is one of the energetic and am- bitious agriculturists of Vance township. He gives careful attention to the manage- ment of his farm and his well tilled fields are the result of his labor. He is public spirited and interested in the welfare of his communi- ty. He and his wife are members of the Court of Honor and they attend the Metho- dist Episcopal church. In politics he sup- ports the Democratic party and he is well and favorablv known in Vermilion countv. R. A. SHORT. R. A. Short is engaged in the real-estate and loan business controlling' extensive oper- ations in this line. He was born in \'er- milion county, September 14, 1836, but dur- ing much of his life has made his home in the city of Danville. He is a son of Thomas and Nancy Ann (Lanham) Short, both of whom were natives of \'irginia. The father was born in Loudoun county and in 1830 came to Illinois settling in \'ermilion county. His wife came about the same time, travel- ing with a colony that established homes in the west. ^Ir. Short was a well educated man and engaged in teaching school near ]Maneeleys Mill, and in public office he ren- dered to his fellow citizens efficient and valued service. In his political affiliations he was first a Whig and after the dissolu- tion of that party he joined the new Repub- lican party, on which ticket he was elected the second county clerk of \'ermiIion county. For twelve years he continued to fill that position in a most creditable and acceptable manner and then turned his attention to farming which he followed for a few years, when he was struck by lightning and thus disabled for further business cares he retired to private life, spending his last days in Fairmount, where he died about 1877. The mother of our subject had passed away in 1849 and Mr. Short had married Virginia Lanham. who though of the same name was' not a relative of his first wife. She died in 1870. With the ^Methodist Episcopal church Mr. Short held membership and was actively identified with the organization. The sub- ject of this review was one of a family of six sons and three daughters. James, one of the sons, was killed at the battle of Kene- saw IMountain while serving with the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and the other brother who has passed away was Colmore, who was killed by the same lightning bolt that injured the father. The surviving members of the family are John C, who resides in New York ; R. A. : Alex- ander C, who makes his home in Los Gatos, California; Thomas, of Danville; and Clara, 1034 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD the wife of Elias Holiday, a resident of Los Gatos, California, at the present time al- though their marriage was celehrateil in Fairmount. Illinois. In the public schools of Vermilion county R. A. Short began his education which was completed by his graduation in the Damille Seminary with the class of 1858. From that tiine forward he has been a factor in business life in this city. He first engaged in the drug business with which he was connected for twelve years and then entered the dry- goods trade as the seinor member of the firm of R. A. Short & Company, their store be- ing conducted with profit until 1893. when Mr. Short retired. Indolence and idleness, however, are utterly foreign to his nature and he could not long content himself with- out business cares, so that he soon began op- erating in real estate and has since carried on business as a real-estate, insurance, invest- ment and loan agent. During this period he has controlled many important negotia- tions along thiise lines and has bought and sold much valual)le property — in fact his Inisiness is to-day very extensive and, being capably controlled, brings to him a very gratifying income. On the 30th of September, 1850, in this city. Mr. Short was married to Emily \V. Murdock, \\h(ise birth occurred near Lafa- yette, Indiana. January 25, 1838. her parents being John and Jane (Sterling) Murdock, l>oth of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and were there reared and married. The father, a farmer by occupation, took up hi^ abode in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, upon his remo\al to the west and there remained until his death. He voted with the Democ- racy and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Airs. Short was one of a family of two sons and eight daughters, but of this number only five are now living: Mary, the widow of Asa Partlow and a resi- dent of Dan\ille; Ann, who is the widow of Henry Olds and makes her home in Detroit, Michigan: Mrs. Lizzie Scott, who is also a widow and resides in Oxford, Indiana; Mrs. Short : and Ellen, the wife of Charles R. \'ance, of Los Angeles, California. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Short has been blessed with six children, four of whom survive: Lewis, who married Laura Grant, of Dan- ville, and is now a professor in the Illinois L^niversity at Champaign; Lillian, wdio is a teacher in the schools of Rogers Park, a sub- urb of Chicago; William M., a lawyer of Fort Worth. Texas ; and Walter, who is teller in the Citizens National Bank, at Evanstnn. Illinois. Studv and investigation concerning the issues and questions of the day have led Mr. Short to give his approval and support to the measures of the Republican party, but he has never been an office seeker. Holding mem- bership in the First Methodist Episcopal church he served for many years as one of its trustees and has always been deeply inter- ested in whatever has tended to l)enefit his community, co-operating in a large measure in movements for general good and for progression. B. F. McELHANEY, B. F. McElhaney, who is engaged in blacksmithing and in dealing in fine horses, is a well known resilient of Iloopeston, but he has a wide acquaintance especially among he owners of fine trotting and pacing stock throughout Vermilion county. He w-as born in this county on the 2d of December, 1861, at his father's home in Ross township, his parents being Elijah and Matilda (Smith) McElhancv. Ivith of whom were natives of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1035 Kentucky and were of Scotch-Irish descent. The father died in 1896 and the mother is still living, her home being now in Jordan township, Warren county, Indiana, where she has lived since 1874. In the family were three sons and three daughters, namely : B. F., Charles L., Elizabeth, Joseph, ]\Irs. Nancy Harris and Mrs. Mary Cole. Mr. McElhaney obtained his education in the old fashioned country schools and was reared upon his father's farm in Ross town- ship, Vermilion county, until the removal of the family to Indiana, He herded cattle upon the prairies here when there were but few settlements, and can remember when tiie old city of Stateline was a better town than Danville is to-day. With the exception of about ten years he has resided continuously in Vermilion county. In 1879, and for one year, he engaged in farming, after which he entered a blacksmith shop in Stateline, there learning his trade. After four years spent at that place he removed to Marshfield, In- diana, where he remained for seven years and in 1888 took up his abode in Potomac, Illi- nois. In 1892 he located in Ambia, Indiana, and the following year he came to Hoopes- ton. The first year he worked in the ma- chine shop of Thomas Woolverton. In Marshfield, Indiana, he owned and conduct- ed a shop and in 1S94 he built his present shop in Hoopeston where he has since been doing a general blacksmithing business, mak- ing a specialty of fancy horseshoeing. He does all the track shoeing for this part of the county and during the season of 1902 he shod about thirty track horses. He has an excellent reputation as a practical horse- shoer and he employs from one to three men in his shop. He oversees all of the work done therein and to some extent performs part of the labor. He has raised and bred fine horses for speed and is now preparing 42 for the track a grandson of Axtel, four years old. He also has three other speed horses and after training, them for a time he sells them to well known buyers. He always does his own training and has been a hard working business man who well merits the success which has come to him. On the loth of February, 1880, in Jord^ an township, Warren county, Indiana, Mr. ]\[cElhaney was married to Ella Evans. Hef parents were natives of Virginia and became early settlers of Warren county, her father, David Evans, taking up his abode on the wild prairie, where he owned about seven hnudred acres of land at the time of his death, which occurred in 1882. In 1886 Mr. McElhaney was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who died in June of that year in Marshfield, Indiana. They were the parents of three children, but two died in infancy. Arnott Owen died August 16, 1898, at the age of fifteen years. Mr. Mc- Elhaney was again married on the i6th of December, 1888, in Potomac, Illinois, liis second union being with Mrs. Dora Pretti- man, who was born in Middlefork township, Vermilion county, in 1861, and was the widow of Neil Prettiman. In his political views Mr. McElhaney is a stalwart Repub- lican, but has had neither time nor inclina- tion to seek public office, his attention being devoted untiringly to his business affairs, in which he is meeting with creditable and signal success. JOHN H. JOHNSON. Farming and real estate interests claim the time and attention of John H. Johnson, who resides in Rankin and who owns and operates one hundred and sixty-eight acres of well improved land adjoining the town. 1036 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He is a native of Denmark, born on the 8th of September, 1844. anil when a young man of eigliteen years he came to the new world to seek in its broader opportunities the ad- vancement which he tlesired to gain in busi- ness life. He had attended school in his native country, but here he found himself a stranger in a strange land unfamiliar with the language and customs of the people. He possessed, however, strong determina- tion and upon this quality he has builded his prosperity. It was in the year 1862 that he sailed for New York but he did not tarry long in the eastern metropolis, making his way at once to Wisconsin. There he worked on a farm for about two years, after which he went to Z^Iichigan and was employed in the pineries of the latter state. After three or four years spent in Michigan he came to Illinois in 1868, locating in Vermilion coun- ty, but soon afterward he began work on a farm in Champaign county. His father and brother-in-law also became residents of Illi- nois in the same year, purchasing land and locating near Rankin in Butler township. In 1870 John H. Johnson began to fann his father's property, which he continued to cultivate for a number of years, caring for his ])arents through their declining days. Both his father and mother died in Chicago; the former while visiting a daughter in that city in 1887, at the age of eighty years. His wife sur\ived him and di& in Chicago in .1895, at the age of eighty-two years. When they had passed away the estate was equally divided among the heirs. After the death of his parents John H. Johnson purchased a tract of land of eighty acres upon which he continues farming. Sul)sequently he txiught other land and he now has five hundred and thirty-five acres, divided into three farms. Subsequently he became the owner of one hundred and sixty-eight acres, where he now resides, adjoining the town of Rankin. For the past twelve or fourteen years he has rented most of his land, giving his attention to the home place and to the real estate busi- ness. For about eight years he has operated in land and is a well known real estate dealer of this section of the county, having negoti- ated some very important property transfers. In 1879 in this countv Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Anderson, a native of Denmark, who was reared and educated there and when a young lady came to America. Their union has been blessed with four children: Charles \\'., Peter Elmer. Martin H. and Emma Linda. Politically. Mr. Johnson is a stanch Re- publican, who believes in expansion, in sound money and the protection of Ameri- can industries. Xo native son of this land is more loyal to its interests and welfare than is this adopted citizen of the new world. He cast his first presidential vote for James A. Garfield and has since supported each can- didate of the party for the presidency. He has never desired nor would he hold oflice. He is deeply interested, however, in every- thing pretaining to the general good and co-operates in many measures for the benefit of the community. He was one of the pro- moters of the \ ermilion countv hospital, making a lilieral subscription to the institu- tion of which he is now serving as a director. He has e\erv reason to be proud of his con- nection with the work for the hospital is a most commendable enterprise of the county and one which reflects credit upon the hu- mane spirit of \'ermilion's citizens. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were reared in the Lutheran faith. They have worked together as the years have passed and their united efforts have resulted in bringing to them splendid and creditable success. Although he came to .\merica a poor young man with THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1037 no means Mr. Johnson is now the owner of two large and vahiable farms, aggregating six hundred and ninety-five acres and this is due to his marked industry and the assistance of his estimable wife. They have a large circle of friends in this locality and their pleasant home is noted for its hospitality. AUGUSTUS S. ZERSE. Augustus S. Zerse was well known to the citizens of Danville and to the county offi- cials, for, for seven years, he was a clerk of the courthouse. A man of genuine worth and of many qualities which endeared him to his friends, his death was deeply mourned and his memory is yet cherished by those with whom he came in contact. A native of Germany, he was born on the ist of August, 1841, his parents being Dr. William F. and Catherine Zerse, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a graduate of a medical college, completing his course in Heidelburg University and after coming to America he practiced in New York city for fourteen years with good success. He then went to Michigan, locating in Jackson, where he remained in practice for a short time and then removed to Lafayette, Indiana, where he also prosecuted his profession. Later he took up his abode in Centralia, Illi- nois, where he practiced with success and rdso engaged in farming at Johansburg, near Centralia. He practiced in the two towns and carried on his agricultural pursuits until his death. His widow now resides in Nash- A'ille, Illinois. Augustus S. Zerse was the only member of the family that came toA^ermilion county. In early life he was brought by his parents to America and was educated in the German and grammar' schools of New ' York citv. He also attended school in Jackson, Michi- gan, and thus acquired a good education. Later he went to Attica, Indiana, where he was employed as a salesman in a dry-goods store for se\eral years. While he was there located the war broke out and he offered his services to the go\'ernment, enlisting as a member of Company H, Seventy-second In- diana Infantry, under the command of Cap- tain Hanna and Colonel Miller. This com- pany participated in a number of important engagements, but Mr. Zerse was never in- jured during the war. However, he was taken ill and was in the hospital at Gallatin, Tennessee, for some time. He was made a steward of the hospital there and acting in that capacity until his discharge he rendered faithful duty to his country in that manner as well as upon the field of battle. His widow now owns a Bible which was pre- sented to her husband tor good work while in the hospital and it is a cherished memento of his army experience. After his discharge Mr. Zerse settled in Lafayette, Indiana, where he engaged in the jewelry and notion business for a short time, when his store was destroyed b}' fire on the 22d of February, 1864. He then went to Urbana, Illinois, where he entered into part- nership with his brother and again began dealing in jewelry and notions, conducting the business with success for several years. During that time he also owned a store in Champaign, Illinois. While in the latter city, in 1865, Mr. Zerse was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Wilson, a native of Warrenville. Illinois, born in 1846, and a daughter of James M. and Anna M. ( Lindsey) Wilson, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of New Jersev. During the greater part of their - lives, however, they were residents of Illi- nois. In earlv life Mr. Wilson was a farm-- I038 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD er, but later was an inventor and manufac- turer. He built a large shop at Urbana Illi- nois and carried on business under the tirni name of Wilson & Parks, manufacturers of all kinds of farm implements. He was also engaged in that line nf business at Wauke- gan, Illinois. Both he and his wife, how- ever, are now deceased. Unto ]\Ir. and Mrs. Zerse were torn eight children : Xorman, who married Georgia Shefflebotham. is now a bookkeeper in Elkhart. Indiana. Clarence A. is a physician and druggist carrying on business in Danville. Illinois. Mabel is at home and is the money order clerk at the postofifice. Maude is a teacher in the puljlic schools of this city. Pearl is occup_\ing the position of registry clerk in the postoffice of Danville. Dorothy is the wife of F. F. Moresby, a receiving clerk for Armour & Company, at Kansas City. Missouri. Fred- erick M. is foreman in the employ of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Com- pany at St. Elmo, Illinois. Florence Ger- trude is still with her mother. After his marriage Mr. Zerse removed from Champaign. Illinois, to Red Bud. this state, where for five years he occu])ied the position of agent for the Cairo & .St Louis ■ — the Narrow Gauge — Railroad Company. On the expiration of that period he went to Attica, Indiana, where he was employed as a clerk for a time and then removed to Hed- rick, Indiana, where he was engaged in gene- ral merchandising. He also botight and shipped grain at that place for several years. Subsequently he came to Danville and was almost continuously from that time forward connected with official service here. Im- mediately after his arrival he was made tax clerk at the courthouse, for a few years serv- ing in that capacity, during which time he purchased a grocery store on North Vermil- ion street, in Dan\-ille, hiring some one to take charge of it. For three years he held the position of truant officer, serving in that capacity at the time i>f his death. He was a ])rominent and successful business man of this city and a most loyal and capable olficial, so that over the record of his public life and his private career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. In his political affiliations he was a stalwart Republican and ever kept well informed on tlie (|uestions and issues of the day. He belonged to Kenesaw Post, G. A. R., of Danville and to the Ma- sonic Lodge. He held meml>ership in the Baptist church and in that faith died on the I 5th of April, 1891, leaving to his familv an untarnishd name. His life had been one of activity, characterized by a genial manner, a kindly disposition and earnest purpose. He was highly esteemed for his rectitude of char- acter, and his prol)ity was above cjuestion. There were in his life many characteristics worthy of emulation and he fully merited the confidence which was so uniformly given him 1)}' his fellow townsmen. Mrs. Zerse and her children are devoted members of the Baptist church, and with her two daughters she resides at her beautiful lK)me at No. 408 Oak street. W. VINTON LANE. It is the purpose and has been of this \\ork to record the history of the men who lia\e been prominent in the development and progress of Vermilion county along lines of material, intellectual and moral ui)building. \\'. \'inton Lane is a citizen whose influence has ever been for good along all of these lines. He is now living a retired life upoi! a farm of forty acres on section 29, Blount township, and well does he merit this rest for his has been an acti\e and noble career THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1039 and he has borne no unimportant part in the work of impro\'ement and advancement. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, November 12, 1829, and is a son of Lemuel and Orpha (Gibbs) Lane, the former a na- tive of Pennsyivania and the latter of Ver- mont. The father died in Ohio, while the mother spent her last day in Kansas. In the family were seventeen children, thirteen of whom reached years of maturit}-, the sub- ject of this review being the twelfth in order of birth. He acquired his education partly in a subscription school held in a log build- ing which was seated with slab benches and heated by an immense fireplace, the scholars furnishing the wood used for fuel. One of the logs from the side of the building had been torn out and the aperture covered with greased paper, through which the light was admitted into the room. Mr. Lane of this review was reared upon the home farm and lived in Ohio until eigh- teen years of age, when he came to Vermil- ion county, Illinois, and Ijegan work by the month for ten dollars per month. The fare in the pioneer home was largely corn bread and mush for breakfast and dinner, with plenty of milk. He worked in this way for about eight months and afterward was em- ployed by John Goodwin at eleven dollars per month. He then made a trip to Ohio, where he secured work for ten dollars per month. He made the journey on foot, tak- ing with him a drove of cattle, and in his native state he was in his father's employ for about a year. He then returned to this coun- ty. His first trip to the west had l^een made on horseback, riding his brother's horse. After his return he worked for James Good- win, of Warren county, Indiana, for thir- teen dollars per month, continuing in his employ for two years, after which he spent some time in a sawmill. On leaving that place he removed to Knox county. Illinois, remaining with his brother for a year and then returnetl. It was about this time that Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Sarah Jane Crawford, who was born in Athens county, Ohio, August 11, 1833, a daughter of Josiah and Hannah (Walters) Crawford, who were pioneer settlers of this county, com- ing here when Mrs. Lane was but five years of age. Our subject and his wife began their domestic life with one hundred and ninety acres of prairie and timber land. He con- tinued to engage in farming and with char- acteristic energy carried on the work of de- veloping and improving his property. His first home was a little house fourteen by six- teen feet, and was located a cjuarter of a mile north of his present home. The first land which he purchased comprised one hundred and sixty acres, which he acquired by having bought an old land warrant. He afterward sold eighty acres of that and later he bought a tract of ninety acres and another of forty acres, some of which was fenced. For his first land he paid about one dollar per acre and for the remainder about six dollars per acre. Danville, which was then his trad- ing point, was a mere village. He contin- ued his farming and stock-raising in the early pioneer times, experiencing all the ditii- culties incident to the establishment of a home on the frontier. Nearly all of the cloth- ing used in his father's family was home made, the cloth being spun from flax in the summer and wo\'en in the winter. The shoes, too, were home made. Fire was start- ed with flint and tow, or else a member of the family would go to a neighbor's home in order to get a little fire with which to light one in the family fireplace. The houses and churches were lighted by candles and Mrs. Lane was among the girls who, on attending 1040 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD meeting would carry their shoes upon their arms, putting them on just before service and removing them after cliurch was over, going liome barefooted. Mr. Lane well re- members the first buggy that was introduced into the neighborhood, and the first cook- stove which he ever saw. His farm imple- ments were crude compared with the highly improved ones of the present day. He used a single sho\-el plow, cut his grain with a sickel and afterward with a cradle. The home of Air. and Mrs. Lane was blessed with six children : Lemuel married a Miss Wilson and after her death wedded Anna Goodwin, by whom he has two chil- dren. Josiah is the second in order of birth. A. \\'. wedded Mary Lewis and has six chil- dren. Benjamin, of California, married Catherine Young and has five children. Cooper married Ida Radebaugh and has one child. One member of the familv died in infancy. Mr. Lane served as road commissioner fi>r two terms and as school director for many years. \Mien fifty-two years of age he joined the Free Methodist church, with which he has since been closely identified, tak- ing an active and helpful part in its work as classleader. He has served as trustee of the church located in Blount township and is filling that office at the present time. His wife is serving as steward and is greatlv in- terested in Sunday-school work, and a life of industry and enterprise has brought to our subject success in his business affairs. He added to his possessions as the years passed until he became the owner of eight hundred acres, which he has since divided among his children retaining only one hun- dred and fifty acres. This is all pasture land with the exception of twenty acres. He has visited Danville when there was but one or two stores in the village and he has seen all of the hardships of pioneer life. Mrs. Lane was one of a family of ten children, four of whom are yet living, of whom she is the eldest, while our subject and his broth- er R. H. Lane are now the onh- survivors of the large pioneer family of seventeen chil- dren. This worthy couple have long resided in \'ermilion county, witnessing its development from ])ioneer times when the jirairic was covered with wild grasses, arid when there were also many prairie wolves, while the less harmful prairie chickens, cranes, turkeys, ducks and geese were to be had in abundance. It was neces- sary at night. ho\ve\er, to fasten all of their stock up for protection, and the young corn had to be guarded from the crows. There were many difficulties and hardships to be borne, yet there were many pleasures to be enjoyed and from pioneer time down to the present both Mr. and Mrs. Lane ha\e lieen numbered among the valued citizens of this community. In politics he is a Prohibition- ist, believing firmly in the cause of temper- ance and in every measure calculated tn up- lift humanity aiifl advance morality among his fellow men. R. H. Lane, the surviving brother of our subject, was born in X'inlDU county, Ohio, March 19, 1832, and in the year 1865 he came to this county in company with his wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Bruner. Her parents were John and Xancy Bruner, natives of Ohio, and Mrs. Lane was born July 9, 1832. She was to her husband for many \ears a faithful companion and helpmate (m life's journey, but she died May 12. 1894. In the family were four children. Before lea\ing Ohio R. H. Lane joined the L'nion soldiers that started out to check the advance of Morgan into Ohio. For al- most forty years, however, he has been iden- ified with \'ermilion countv and has de- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 04 1 veloped a fine farm. He first lived in a log house, but as time has passed he has erected a substantial residence and many good build- ings upon his farm and to-day he is the owner of eighty acres of valuable land across which there are fine driveways and all mod- ern equipments. The place is nicely located and everything is neat and attractive in ap- pearance. In politics R. H. Lane is a Dem- ocrat and is regarded as a substantial and representative pioneer citizen of Vermilion county. B. S. RICE. Sound judgment combined with fine ability in mechanical lines has enabled the subject of this biography, a well known re- sident of Hoopeston, Illinois, to obtain a substantial success in life. He is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred near De- catur, that state. September 16, 1862, and he is a son of William and Melissa (Kennedy) Rice. His father was bom in Indiana and is descended from an old Pennsylvania Ger- man family, but the mother was bOrn in Ohio and on the maternal side is of Irish lineage. Since 1872 they have made their home in Goodland, Indiana, and are num- bered among the highly respected citizens of that place. After following the wagon- maker's trade for a third of a century the father is now living a retired life, enjoying a well earned rest. In his family are seven children : S. T., a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas: B. S. : David, of Golden, Colorado: James W., of Hoopeston. Illinois; W. A., of Goodland, Indiana : Lulu, wife of Ira Pink- er, principal of the schools of Paragon, In- diana : Alyrtle. wife of Walter Peckham ; and Ethel, wife of Leonard Tullis, of Ren- sslear, Indiana. During his boyhood B. S. Rice accom- panied his parents on their removal to Good- land. Indiana, and after completing his ed- ucation in the schools of that place he learned the blacksmith's tratle, serving a four years' apprenticeship. He continued to work at his trade in Goodland for eighteen months thereafter, or until 1890, when he went to Chicago and spent three years in that city at the same occupation. At the end of that period he removed to Danville, Illinois, where he was in the employ of William Ryan four years, and then came to Hoopes- ton, where he worked for Mr. McElhaney one year. In February, 1898, he purchased his present shop and has since engaged in business on his own account with marked success. He is an expert horse-shoer and up to the present year, 1903, he has always made a specialty of scientific horse-shoeing, having shod many fine race horses. He does much expert hand work in his line and has built up an excellent trade since becom- ing a factor in business circles of Hoopeston. At Kentland. Indiana, January 7, 1886, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Rice and Miss Josephine Ginan, who was born near Lockport, Illinois, in 1864. Her parents, James and Mary Ginan, were both natives of Ireland, but were married in Lockport, Illinois, having come to America when voung. The father died in the fall of 1900, but the mother is still living and now makes her home in Brook, Indiana. Their chil- dren were Maggie, Nellie, Josephine, Kate, Delia. Elizabeth, Florence, John and David, all of whom are still living. There was never a death in the family until the father passed away. Mr. and ]\Irs. Rice have three children, namely : Clarence, born in June, 1885: Esther, born March 21 1901 : and Harr\% born in Deceml>er, 1902. The fami- ly have a pleasant home on Washington I042 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD avenue, where ^Ir. Rice erected a nice eight- room house with l)asement. in 1901. at a cost of two thousand dollars, and also built a barn. His political support is given the Republican party, and in religious faith he is a Catholic. He is the present venerable con- sul of Hoopeston Camp. Xo. 257. M. \\ . A., and he is also an honored member of the Home Circle. WILLIAM J. CALHOUX. William J. Calhoun was born October 5, 1848, at Pittsburg. Pennsylvania. He spent the early years of his life in what is known as the Mahoning valley on the border line of Pennsyh.'uiia and Ohio. His father was Robert Calhoun, who was of Scotch- Irish descent. He belonged by descent to the Scotch clan of Colquhon, one branch of which emigrated t(_) Ireland, from which the Calhouns of America descended. Robert Calhoun married Sarah Knox, who was also of the same racial descent. Her father was James Knox. who. for many years, was an officer in the English army, but emigrated to the United States and located at Pitts- burg. His father, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was Captain John Knox, an officer in the English army, who participated in the I'rench and English wars, and was the author of what is known as "Knox's Diary." which is a history of and narration of the author's exi)erience in these wars, and is referretl to fre(|uently by Parkman and other students and writers upon that period. Robert Calhoun was a merchant in his early life, but breaking down in health re- tired to a farm, near Voungstown, Ohio, where he died in March. 1S06. His wife previously died in 1S58 at Mt. Jackson, Pennsylvania. \\ . J. Callmun in 1864. while the civil war was in prt)gress, ran away from home, and after two rejections on account of his youth, finally succeeded in enlisting in the army and became a member of the Xine- teenth Ohio ^'olunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel Manderson, lately United States senator from Xebraska. On returning home after his discharge by reason of the termination of the war he en- teretl the Union Seminary, at Poland, Mahoning county, Ohio, where he was a student for three years. This was the same institution at which President IMcKinley re- ceived most, if not all. of his education. It was there Mr. Calhoun liecame acquainted with the late prcsiilent and the members of his family. Mr. Calhoun came to Illinois in the spring of 1869. He first located in Areola, Douglas county, wh.ere resided his mother's sister, the wife of Dr. E. B. Henry. He taught schiMjl. worked on the farm, and finally eiuered ujjou the study oi law. He removed to Danville in ?^Iarch, 1874, and completed his studies under the tuition and direction of Hon. J. B. Mann. He was ad- mitted to the bar in January, i'875, and im- mediately entered into partnership with Mr. Mann, forming the firm of Mann & Calhoun, which firm afterwards became Mann. Cal- houn &■ Frazier. and, in its time was one of the l.)est known Law firms in Eastern Illi- nois. Mr. Calhoun married Alice D. Harmon December 28. 1875. To them two children were born. Marian Calhoun and Corrinne Calhoun. The latter was married, October 7, 1902, to W. H. Gray. Jr.. of Boston, and now resides in that citv. ca^.Qouu. tn^<« THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1045 Mr. Calhoun was elected in the fall of 1882 to the general assembly of Illinois, and in the autumn of 1884 he was elected state's attorney of Vermilion county. In the fall of 1889 he entered into partnership with Judge M. W. lliompsoon, now circuit judge of Vermilion county, under the firm name of Calhoun & Thompson. In 1892 he was appointed general attor- ney for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Rail- roal Company, and had charge of that com- pany's litigation along its entire line of road. His local oifice in Danville was maintained inconjunction with H. M. Steely, under the firm name of Calhoun & Steely. For over eight years he took no part in politics, rarel}' attended a primary or con- vention, made no speeches, but gave up his whole time to the practice of his profession. In 1896 came on the campaign for the nom- ination of a candidate for president as the nominee of the Republican party. William McKinley was one of the leading candi- dates. He was a favorite with the great mass of the people, but the politicians for the most part were against him. Mr. Calhoun's early acquaintance with Mr. McKinley aroused his interest in his be- half. With all his heart and soul he threw himself into that campaign. It was a ter- rific battle in Illinois, and the state conven- tion of 1896 was one of the memorable con- ventions in the history of the state. It ex- cited interest throughout the nation, for it was generally conceded that if Illinois went for iMcKinley, the latter's fight was won. Mr. Calhoun headed his delegation from Vermilion county, and was selected as the manager or leader of the McKinley forces on the floor of the convention. For three days the convention was in session, and re- sulted in a triumph for the McKinley forces. Soon after the inauguration of President McKinley, the aggravated condition in Cuba threatened the relations between the United States and Spain. Among other incidents of that troublesome period was the arrest and imprisonmen.t by the Spanish authorities of one Dr. Ruiz as an alleged revolutionist. He was imprisoned in one of the Guanabacoa near Havana. He was found one morning in a dyiiig condition, with his head badly bruised. General Fitzhugh Lee was consul general at Havana. He complained to the government of the United States that Dr. Ruiz was a naturalized American citizen, and that he had been foully dealt with. Com- munications concerning the circumstances attendingthe death of Ruiz were had between the United States and Spanish governments. It resulted in an agreement between the two governments that a commission should be appointed to investigate the circumstances attending Dr. Ruiz death. The Spanish government appointed as its commissioner Senor Congosta. and the L'nited States, General Fitzhugh Lee. The president ap- pointed Mr. Calhotm as special counsel to ♦ the American commission, and went to Ha- vana in the latter part of Alay, 1897, and was there for sevral weeks attending the com- mission and assisting in the investigation. The Spanish authorities claimed that Ruiz committed suicide by butting his head against the iron door which inclosed his cell, causing congestion of the brain, from which he died. The commission made its report to both go\'ernments. An award was allowed by the Spanish government in fa\or of the widow and children of the deceased because personally, whatever might have been the cause of his death, he had been com- mitted and held in prison contrary to the terms of the existing treatv between the 1046 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Spanish governnient and the United States. But before the awartl was paid, the Main was blown up. the war with Spain ensued, and the unfortunate family of Ruiz never recovered nnything. Mr. Calhoun upon his return from Cuba was tendered the position of comptroller of the treasury by the president, but he de- clined it, and returned to the practice of his profession. In May. 1898, he was appointed a member of the Interstate Commerce Com- mission to succeed Colonel William R. Mor- rison, whose term had expired. He re- mained on the comniisison until October, 1899, when he resigned to move to Chicago ;.nd enter the law firm of Pam, Calhoun & Glennon. He has resided in Chicago ever since. His wife died August 2-j, 1898. He is acti\-ely engaged in the practice of law, and he and the tirm with which he is con- nected, is associated with many of the large ci'mmerrial interests of the countrv. STACEY MILLER. Stacey Miller was a successful husniess man who started out in life for himself with- out capital, but who. through perseverance, determination and energy, accumulated a handsome competence and was numbered among the jinisperous residents of Dan\ille. Born in the fatherland, his birth occurred in Duenneger, on the 6th of January, 1837. His parents were Stacey and Susanna (Meyer) Miller, also natives of Germany, and l)idding adieu to that country and to their friends there they sailed for America, taking up their abode in Montezuma. Illinois. There the father hrst worked as a laborer and afterward he engaged in the meat busi- ness, being employed in the l)utcher's trade in Montezuma until he was called to his hnal rest. His widow afterward lived with her children an.d died at the home of her daughter in Terre Haute, Indiana. Five of the children are yet living. l)eing residents of Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois. To the public school system of his native land Stacey Miller was indebted for the educational pri\ileges which he enjoyed. A year after the emigration of his father to the new world he, too, bade adieu to friends in his native country and sailed for the United States, joining his i)arents in Montezuma, where he remainetl until he was eighteen years of age. He was then married in that place to Miss Louise Blakely. a native of Wittenburg. Germany, born on the 27th of September, 1838. She is a daughter of Jacob and Louise (Scheifely) Blakely, who were born in the fatherland and came to America during the early girlhood of Mrs. Miller. They first settled in Erie. Pennsyl- \ania, where the father was employed as a laborer for a \*t\\ years. He then removed with his family to Covington, Indiana, where he engaged in farming until his death. His wife also passed away in that place. The home of ]Mr. and Mrs. Miller was l)lessed with se\en children: Catherine, who died at the age of three years: Joseph, a bartender residing in Danville: Louise, the wife of Charles Hildebresh, who is proprietor of a saloon in Danville; Odelia, who died in in- fancy; Sophia, the wife of Gus Flick, who is foreman of the Danxille Brewery, of this city : Stacey, who is a bartender and also li\es in Danville: and Clarence, who is at home with his mother. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stacey Miller took up their abode in Coving- ton. Indiana, where he was engaged in team- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I047 ing until 1870. He then came to this city and purchased a saloon and restaurant on Main street, conducting the dual business for three years. At the end of that time he sold his restaurant and purchased another saloon on Main street, being thus engaged in the retail liquor business throughout the re- mainder of his life. He was accorded a liberal patronage and his annual sales re- turned to him an excellent income. He always attended strictly to business and his close application and energy brought to him a gratifying degree of success. He passed away May it, 1898, his death being widely mourned because he had won many friends in the city. In his political views he was a Democrat and fraternally he was connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of Foresters, both of Dan- ville. In his religious faith he was a Catholic, while his wife is a member of the German Lutheran church of this city. Mrs. Miller was left in very comfortable circum- stances by her husband, and she now owns a beautiful residence at 612 Wayne street, where she and her 3'oungest son now live. She also owns two nice store buildings on Main street, which are rented, and her pro- perty interests likewise include an addition to Danville of five acres on Perryville avenue, which is becoming valuable property and will doubtless bring to her a good financial re- turn when she desires to sell. ELLIS ada:\is. Ellis Adams was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, September 25, 181 7. His father was Joseph Adams, at one time county judge of Sussex county, and his mother was Margaret Post of the same county. He worked on a farm and helped in the mill during the summer, getting some schooling during the winter, until he was fourteen years of age. He tlien clerked in a country store for one year. At the age of fifteen he accepted a clerkship in Newburg on the Hudson river, sixty miles from New York city, remaining with the firm of William O. Mailler & Company for four years. At this time he began to feel the need of a better education, so resigning his clerk- ship, he began attending an acadany at Florida, Orange county. New York. After six months of academy work the principal told him if he was still sure he was going to be a merchant that the academy work was not suited to his needs. Acting on the advice, he reported to the firm for whom he formerly clerked at Newburg, New York. One of the firm took him to New York city and introduced and gave him a recommend- ation to the firm of C. W. & I. T. Moore & Company, wholesale dry goods. He was soon considered one of the best clerks and was getting on nicely with the work for which he seemed to have a natural aptitude, when he received word from home that his father had sold his farm, stock etc., with the avowed intention of moving to the Rock river country in Illinois, and wished him to go with them, to the then (so called) far west. His mother's entreaties, added to the rest of the families' wishes, finally led him to make the promise they wished, though to give up a fine position that was suited to him in every way, was a very hard thing to do. His employers were very kind to him and, although they were sure the change was a bad one for his future, they would not ad- vise him against what they knew would be against the wishes of his parents. He had made a \'erv short visit home and had re- 1048 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD turned tii fill liis po^^itiim until e\'erything was ready for the moving of the family, when he received a message from his father to meet him at once at the merchant's house in the citv. On going to the hotel his father met him and told him rdl of the plans were changed. He had Just returned from the soutii and while tliere had purchased a plan- tation near Spottsylvania Court House. He told his father he did not wish to go .south, had ne\cr made anv promise to go south and he felt fully assured the move was a very bad one for all of them. He also pleaded against the giving up of a lucrative position with every cliance for promotion, to go and live on that poor \"irginia land, with no show for more than a liare living. But his father's i)ersuasions and his mother finally saying .she would not go unless he did caused him to yield and he reluctantly consented. At the appointed time he took a steamer on the 1 luclson river for Xewburg, a distance of si.Kty miles, then a stage for forty miles southwest for home. Here he found all hurry and preparation for the move. Part went in wagons and part in public conxey- ance on account of there being no railroad to Washington city. At Washington, they took a steamer on the Potomac to Ac<|ua creek, a distance of forty miles. From there they took a stage for all of them who were not driving wagons, to I-'redericksburg. Vir- ginia. They were then fifteen luiles from the plantation which had Ijeen bought. Here they found a very ])leasant ami well located plantation. There was a number of good cabins, a nice house, with plenty of room, large stables and abundance of fruit. But in the fall the whole familv were taken down with l)ilious fever and had a very serious time, but all finally recovered e.\cei)ting Mr. Howell, his sister Ann's husband, who was buried under the shade of two persimmon trees, where afterward were buried our sub- ject's father, mother and sister. Twenty- six years afterward he was there and had a new fence built around the graves. ^fr. Adams' experience on a \'irginia farm was not a satisfactory one. The soil was too poor for anything but fruit and of this there was always an abundance. He found that it was impossible to keep up the fertility of the land and make it pay the e.x- ])ense. Knowing \irginia was no place for him, he planned to g-o away from home again but finally yielding to the wishes of his mother, he made her a final promise not to leave home until after her death. She diecf at the age of fifty-nine years. In speaking of this ])eriod of his life, he always said he had never fell sorry he had remained at home to please his mother and sisters, although from a financial view it was five years of wasted time. During the time he made his home in \'irginia. his sister Sarah married James W. Howard, who is well and favor- ably known to many of the people of Fair- mount. His sister Eleanor married Robert Chewning. She died three years later. His sister Ann. during the same period became engaged to Samuel King, his future wife's brother. Ellis Adams was married to Amanda K. King, of Philadelphia. Pennsyl- vania. December 5. 1844. His father's f;nnily moved to the north again in 1843. having lost about all they had. .After his marriage Mr. Adams went to work for a Mr. Reeves of Goshen. Orange county. Xew A'ork. with whoni he remained two years. Mr. Reeves did a general busi- ness in almost every line : dry goods, gro- ceries, iron, western Hour. Ixiught and sold grain and liquor. He told Mr. Reeves he would handle anything he had except liquor and he was never asked to touch that while he was there. Before his first vear's work THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1049 was over he was often sent to Xew York to buy goods for the firm. His son. Frank K. Adams, was born in Goshen, Orange county, New York, July 3, 1846. He re- mained witli 'Sir. Reeves for two years and then went in the general merchandise busi- ness for himself at Unionville, Orange county, New York, fifteen miles from Goshen, and was in business there for fifteen years. At the end of that time he sold ol¥ everything and prepared to go west. At this time his old employer, Mr. Reeves, went to Unionville and made him an ofTer of one-half his large business and place him in charge of it, but as he had made all his arrangements to go west he refused the offer in spite of its being a fine business opening. He had always done a big and lucrative business in Unionville and had become tired of so much confinement and concluded to go west and buy a farm. In the fall of 1856, he packed his valise and paid a short visit to his brother-in-law, P. R. Davis who lived in Fairmount, Illinois. He was much pleased with the country and bought a piece of land of Samuel Daugherty, and went home again by way of Chicago and Niagara Falls. He wrote his wife what he had done and when he was coming home, etc. He then went on home, made a short stay, went on to New York city attended to some business and was back home again before the letter reached his home. In 1857 he closed out everything and came west with his family. J. W. Howard and family coming with him. His family at this time consisted of his daughter, Anna M.. and son G. Clarence Adams. His oldest son, Frank K. was in Conneticut attending school and did not come west until the next year. Himself and family boarded for the summer at the home of P. R. Davis, and in the fall went back to their eastern home again to spend the winter. He found the goods at the home as they had left them, all in good order. But all the family were in bad condition physically from the effects of chills and fever. All had yellow skin and fever blisters all over their mouths. There were many of his friends who were anxious to hear what he thought of that part of the west but when they saw his condition not one of them cared to hear about it. At first none of the family wanted to go back west but as soon as the)- were well they all changed their minds and were anxious to return. He sold everything off he could not take with him and moved to Fairmount, Illinois. On reaching there he bought the house built by John Harvey, on the corner of Court and High streets. Two years af- terward he built the house in which he lived for so many years. The house was later cut in two parts by George Junkerman and moved on two lots he owned in the east part of town. Ed. Carrington now owns the lots and has built upon them and lives there. At about this time Dr. Cou, of Homer, brought a stock of dry goods to Fairmount and Mr. Adams bought a half interest in them in order to give his son Frank some- thing to do. Making this purchase it kept him in the trade for a number of years but he fecund he was not suited for a western merchant, and turned the business over to his son Frank, who had charge of the busi- ness for many years. He came west to get a farm and always kept that end in view. He kept buying land until he had four hun- dred and eighty acres in one body. Mr. Adams sent his daughter Anna to school at Portsmouth, Ohio, for a year and then for a year to a female boarding school at Indianapolis, Indiana, where she com- pleted her education. In 1870 he sent his I050 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD son Clarence to tlie State Uni\-ersity at Clianipaign, he being then fifteen years of age. He passed a very creditable exami- nation and was admitted to the freshman year. Me had attended for three years and a term when lie died. .\ pecnhar ciiain of circumstances prevented his son Clarence from completing his course. Soon after this Mr. Adams rented or sold his property in Fairmoiint and removed to Champaign. Illinois, where he remained for twelve years. His daughter Anna was married in Cham- paign to Stanley L. Conklin, of that place. This was in 1874. While in Champaign his wife, Amanda R., became helpless from the effects of rheuinatism and had to be mo\ed by the aid of a wheel chair. The rheumatism also settled in her eyes and de- fied the skill of the best oculists and on the return of the family to Fairmount in 1887 she becanie entirely blind. When she found she was certainly going- blind she wished to return to Fairmount and it was done. Mr. Adams lived in Fairmount from 1882 to 1886. Then himself and wife went to live with his daughter Anna, in Columbus, Kansas. His daughter's husband was in the banking business at that place. They lived there one year, Mr. Adams having spent four months of that time with his son Clarence at his home in Fairmount, Illinois. At the end of the vear his son-in-law sold out his banking business and made preparations to move to Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Adams then concluded he was as far west as he wanted to be and came back to Fairmount and moved into the house now occupied by George Junkerman. His son Clarence was now living" on the farm. His wife, .\manda R., died in Fairmount, Illinois, September 3, 1889. After her death he divided his time between his daughter and son, being with his (laughter during the Winters at Kansas City, Missouri, and his summers with his son Clarence at Fairmount. He died at Kansas City, on November 11, 1891. HENRY DAMS. Henry Da\is, a farmer of \'ance town- ship. \'ermilion county, was born in this county May 5, 1841, a son of Williaiu Davis, one of the pioneer settlers of Vermilion coun- ty. The latter was a native of Ohio and de- scended from Scotch-Irish ancestry. He be- came a large landowner of Vermilion coun- ty, having two thousand acres. He married Elizabeth Hayes, a native of Ohio and to them were born ten children, Henry being the fourth in order of birth. Henry Davis received his education in an old log schoolhouse and remained at home until twenty-two years of age. He was mar- ried on the J4th of December, 1863, to Miss Nancy Cox, who died Octoter 24, 1874. He was married a second time to Rebecca E. Baird, on the 7th of Septembr, 1875. Three children were born to them : Fred L., Grace Elizabeth and Sarah Mabel. Mrs. Rebecca E. (Baird) Davis died July 18, 1883. Mr. Davis was again married April 5, 1881, to Miss M. Belle Pemberton. Mr. Davis lias always engaged in farm- ing with exception of one year spent in the grocery trade at Fairmount and has always taken an active interest in stock-raising in connection with general farming. Politic- ally he is a Deiuocrat and has served as high- wav commissioner many years and as school director. For several years he was ])resi- dent of the \'ermilion County Agricultural and Mechanical Association. He also served as a member of the toard of directors of the Fair Association and as crop reporter THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1051 for the agricultural department at Spring- field. He was a member of the Democratic Central Committee for years and active in church work, both he and his wife being members of the Baptist church. MURRY J. BUTTERFIELD. Since 1S80 Mr. Butterfield has been identified with industrial interests of Dan- ville. Many important contracts have been awarded him and his skill and enterprise have gained for him a leading position among representative and successful business men of this place. Mr. Butterfield was born in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1850, a son of Clarke and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Butter- field. The father died in 1877 at the age of sixty-eight years and the mother died when our subject was only nine months old, leaving three children : Margaret, the wife of W. S. Ray, of Iowa ; Rebecca, the wife of Nesbett Gallagher, of Delphi, Indiana: and Murry J., of this review. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of life for Murry J. Butterfield through his early youth, which was spent in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. His time was passed in the usual manner of lads of that period. He enjoyed the pleasures of the play ground and performed the duties of the school room, pursuing his education in Greensburg. When yet a bo_\- he went to Oil City, Venango county, Pennsylvania, His parents objected to his leaving home at so early an age and therefore to provide for his own support he secured work at tamping ties on the railroad and thus he gained the money with which to make his present busi- ness venture. After leaving the parental roof in 1865 he began learning the carpen- ter's trade and went to ^It. Pleasant, Penn- sylvania, and thence to Pittsburg, remaining in the last place from the fall of 1869 to 1875, at which time he removed to Osceola, Penn- sylvania, and took charge of the planing mill for the firm of Walker Brothers, be- ing associated with that enterprise for two years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was employed in the railway shops until the spring of 1880, when he came to Danville, Illinois, and worked for Moore & Coy. At a later day he became a partner of David Lichliter, as a member of the firm of Butter- field & Lichliter, contractors and builders. This connection was maintained until 1886, when the firm dissolved partnership and Mr. Butterfield carried on the business for him- self in the same line. In that year, however, he went to Los Angeles, California, where he remained for a time, working at his trade, but he concluded to locate permanently in Danville and returned to this city in 1888. In the intervening period he has prospered in his business undertakings. He has se- cured and executed some large contracts for building coal mines, elevator machines, the Gregg elevator, the Delong grain elevator and also one at Perrysville, Indiana. He built the Catlin mines, the Hammond mines and has also erected many of the leading and fine buildings of Danville. He has a thorough knowledge of the builder's art in all its departments, his skill arising from practical experience and from a thorough understanding of the great mechanical prin- ciples which are closely connected with this industry. In 1877 occurred the marriage of Mr. Butterfield and Miss Lydia M. Hugus, who was born in Delmont, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1846, her parents being Henry and Sarah 1052 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD (Wagaman) Hugus, one of tlie represent- ative families of that place. Her mother died in 1891, at the age of seventy-one years, and she recently receiveil the sad news of her fatlier's death. lie having passed away at his home at Delmont. March 18. 1902. at the ripe old age of eighty-three years and ten months. Of his six children those who survive him are Mrs. Butterfield, who is the eldest of the family; Clara J., wife of Joseph Wolf, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania ; Ella, a prominent school teacher of Greensburg, Pennsylvania: and George, who lias been twice married. He is one of the prominent citizens of Westmoreland coiintv. Pennsvl- vania, where he served as county superin- tendent of schools for eight vears. havine five hundred schools under his supervision. He finished the common-school course when only twelve years of age. and began teach- ing when quite young, soon becoming a most proficient and successful educator. Mrs. Rntterlield completed her education in the public schools of Delmont, Pennsylvania, and to-day presides with gracious dignity over her pleasant home at 1121 Oak street, Danville. ^Ir. and Mrs. Butterfield have four children : Ella Myrtle. Henry Hugus. Sarah Elizabeth and Murry Clarke. Ella M. mar- ried O. R. Gray, a telegraph operator for the Big Eour Railroad, and they have one child, W'arren Murry Gray, named for his grandfather. Sarah E. is now the wife of \\'illiam Meyers and has one child, Charles IMeyers. Richard married Minnie Zimmer- man and has three children. In 1901 Mr. Butterfield erected in one of the best resi- dence districts of Danville — a recent ad- dition on Oak street — a very handsome and attractive home in which the family now reside. They have many friends in the city and are highly esteemed in the social circles in which they move. Merit and ability have gained for Mr. Butterfield a creditable po- sition and his influence is broadly felt in industrial circles. His life has l)een open to his fellow citizens and his business methods and career will bear the closest investigation. ELI S. SPERRY. The S])erry family was established in Xew England at an early day. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Wallace Sperry, who was born in Connecticut. He wedded Sarah Watkins. who came of an old family of Maryland. In an early day the grandparents of our subject removed to W'arren county, Ohio, and there Orrin Sperry, the father, was born September 4, 1828, being the sixth in order of birth in the family of nine children. He was but two years of age when his parents came to \'ermilion county, Illinois, arriving in 1830 the family settling near Higginsville. He obtained a practical education in the dis- trict schools and after reaching man's estate he purchased a Alexican land warrant for which he paid one hundred and fifty dollars. Through this means he acquired one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 20, and by thrift and good management he acquired five hundred and nine acres of valuable land which through his untiring industry became a most excellent farm well tiled and im- proved, with good substantial buildings, although the county was a veritable wilder- ness when he arrived here. The surface of the land was cut up with sloughs and ponds. He lived to see a wonderful transformation. The prairie wolves, wild turkeys, geese, cranes and prairie chickens as well as ileer were all driven westward, to be replaced by THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I0S3 the domestic animals of tlie farm. Orrin Sperry passed through all of the hardships and trials of pioneer life and always bore his part in the upbuilding and development of this section of the state. He was a re- spected and worthy citizen whose name is inscribed upon the roll of honored pioneers. He was twice married. On the 23d ot September. 1852, he wedded Mary Stewart, a native of Scotland and a daughter of William and Charlotte Stewart, who with their family emigrated to this county. Nine children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Sperry, of whom four reached maturity, namely : Eli : Emma, who became the wife of \\ esley Smith, a son of George G. Smith ; Asa, deceased ; and Eben. The last named married Libbie Sutton and after her death married Julia Slaughter. The others of the family who have passed away were quite young at the time of their death, being named: William A., Charles F., Clarissa J., George M. and Jessie G. On the the 30th of August, 18S3, the father wedded Ellen Cosat, a daughter of Henry and Nancy Wood, and the widow of Perry C. Cosat. Mr. Sperry was a man of excellent qualities and genuine worth, a good manager in business, thrifty and enter- prising, and ever honorable and straight- forward. He was a devoted member of the United Brethren church and in politics an earnest Republican. He passed from this life in August, 18Q3, leaving an untarnished name to his family. Eli S. .Sperry was born in Blount town- ship, August 14, 1853, and was here reared upon the home farm. His primary educa- tion. ac(juired in the district schools, was supplemented by se\ eral terms of study in Green Hill Seminary of Warren county. Indiana. In the meantime he engaged in teaching in the district schools for two terms 43 and has since taught for several terms, hold- ing high grade certificates. He was married December 2^. 1879, to Serelda L. Johnson, who was born in Iroquois county, Illinois, December 15. 1855, the fourth in order of birth of the children of Alfred C. and Mary A. ( Bodda ) Johnson. Her father was Ixirii in Columbus, Ohio, her mother in Pennsyl- vania. ]Mrs. Sperry was also educated in the district schools and in Green Hill Seminary and taught school for several terms in her native county. By her marriage she has become the mother of two daughters, Maude C. and Alary Ethel, who are young ladies of superior culture and intelligence. Hav- ing completed the common-school course they are now students in Westfield College of Clark county, Illinois, both pursuing phil- osophical and Biblical normal courses. They are able writers and both have acted as presi- dent of the literary society of the college and ha\-e had the honor of addressing the college at the time of its closing exercises, Maude having written and delivered a paper on "Devotion to purpose," and Ethel upon "The power of sympathy," both addresses , being eloquently rendered. Mrs. Sperry has also reared her nephew. Palmer A. Rush, whose mother died when he was but two weeks old, giving the baby to her sister. Al- though he has never been legally adopted he has been reared as a member of the family and is now sixteen years of age. He com- pleted the district school course and, leaving the high school of Westfield in his senior year, he is now in the freshman class in the Westfield College. Air. Sperry is acting as guardian for the Chapman heirs, grandchil- dren of John W. Goodwine. Throughout his business career Mr. Sper- ry has been engaged in general farming and stock-raising, and carries a good grade of registered shorthorns and other high grades IOS4 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of various kinds of stock. He sells quite -extensively to shippers, disposing of about two carloads per year, ^^l^en he located oi: Jiis present farm on section 29, Blount town- ship, it was little cultivated. He has tiled the place, comprising two hundred and forty acres, and lias made it a very rich and pro- ■ductive tract, being now regarded as one of the leading, progressive and practical agri- culturists of his community. Both he and his wife have assisted materially in the up- building of the community and also have taken active parts in promoting the cause of the United Brethren church. Mr. Sperry •erected a house of worship, but it was blown away in a tornado. His wife has been very zealous in Sunday-school work and both are known as earnest Christian people, com- .manding uniform confidence and respect. '.Mr. Sperry votes the Republican ticket, but lias never been an aspirant for office, preferr- ing to give his time and attention to his busi- ness affairs which have been honorably and creditably conducted and have been the means of gaining for him desirable pros- perity. DAVID BEARD. The name of David Beard is one which •«vas familiar to early pioneer settlers as well as to later day residents of Danville, because lie became a resident of this city in 1855. rn in i8ji. His parents, John and Ellen Beard, ■were likewise natives of the Emerald isle, ivhcre they spent their entire li\-es, the father devoting his energies to agricultural pur- suits. A common-school education was aft'orded to tiur suljject in the land of his birth, and under the parental roof he was reareil. In 1847 he was united in marriage, in Ireland, ti) Miss Mary Graham, a native of County I-'ermanagh. Ireland, born on the 26th of August, 1826. Her parents were John and Ann (McGee) Graham, both born in Ireland where they lived until called to the home beyond. Her father de\'oted his ener- gies to agricultural pursuits and to the mill- ing business, and had valuable business in- terests there, owning a very large farm and operating two gristmills. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Beard was blessed with two children : Magg'ie. who was born in Brook- lyn. Xew York, and is now the wife of Mr. Geeler. a resident of Danville: and John, who is also a native of Brooklyn and was married in this city to Miss Hattie Myers. They have a beautiful home at Xo. 415 South street in Danville and Mr. Beard is one of the leading contractors and builders of this city, and a very prominent and in- fluential man. He has been mayor of Dan- ville for two terms and has taken an active part in ]nil)lic aft'airs, wliich have had marked influence upon the development and progress of this city. Honored and respected by all, he well deserves public recognition which has come to him in an oflicial way. David Beard of this review was the only member of the father's familv that ever came to America. In 1848, accompanied by his young wife, he sailed for the new world, the vessel on which they took passage dropping anchor in the harbor of New York city after a N'oyage of fixe weeks. He sailed March 25, and landed May 2. There he was em- plovetl as a laborer for a time and he after- ward acted as a clerk in stores in Xew York and in Brooklyn, being thus engageil for six THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD loss years. On the expiration of that period he came direct to Danville and was among its first settlers. Here he secured work as a laborer in the stone quarry and soon after- ward he purchased a half interest in the busi- ness, and it was not long before he owned the whole plant. He furnished the stone and assisted in the erection of many of the principal stone business blocks and resi- dences here, building many of the fine homes which now belong to the bankers and other men of wealth of Danville. His business was prosecuted energetically and success- fully until 1864, when his health began to fail and with the handsome competence that he had acquired through his enterprising efiforts he retired from business life and during the last twenty years of his earthly existence he was not associated with any business under- taking save the supervision of his invest- ments. Mr. Beard was never an office seeker, but was a stanch Democrat in politics and al- ways cast his ballot for the men and measures of that party. He held membership in the Catholic church, to which is wife also be- longs, and was very generous in support of the cause. He gained a wide acquaintance in Danville, where he was highly esteemed because of his straightforwardness in busi- ness, his reliability in citizenship and his devotion to his family and friends. He de- parted this life July 7, 1883, respected by all who knew him. He had been connected with the city from pioneer times and as Danville grew and expanded he ever maintained his place in the ranks of the leading men who Avere de\-oted to the general good and who awaken uniform esteem and confidence by lives of uprightness and honesty. Like her husband Airs. Beard is a de\oted Catholic. She finds a pleasant home with her son at No. 415 South street and she is the owner of consideralile \-aluable property in Danville, including a general mercantile store, a butclier shop on South street, two residences on Jackson street, a residence on Green street and also other valuable realty which returns to her a good income and supplies her with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. ♦-•-♦ J. W. jNIILLER, J. W. JNIiller, who is serving as mayor of Sidell and is a business man of prominence, has through almost one-third of a century lived in this portion of Illinois. He is a na- tive of the neighboring state of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Montgomery coun- ty, on the 13th of April, 1848. His father. Abraham Miller, was born in 1799, in Ken- tucky, and was a son of Joseph ]\Iiller, an early settler of that state. Reared to man- hood there, Abraham IMiller was married in Kentucky and later removed to Indiana, settling in Montgomery county among its early settlers, who laid the foundation for its later development and progress. He cleared a tract of land and opened up a farm, making it a good property. There he lost his tirst wife and later he married Miss Mary Jane Briggs, a native of the Hoosier state. Subsequently he removed to Tippecanoe county. Indiana, and afterward to Warren county, that state, where he remained for some years. He next came to Illinois in company with his son, J. W. IMiller of this review, arri\-ing in the year 1872. Here he spent his remaining days, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, his death occurring in 1873. when he was sev- enty-four years of age. His son, J. W. Miller, cared fijr him throughout his decliii- in" years, thus repaying him for the parenta'l 1056 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD attention wliich lie liail received in his youtli. The mother of our subject (hed in Indiana, when the son was a child of two years, pass- ing away in 1850. J. W. Miller was reared to manhood in Warren county. Indiana, enjoying hut few privileges in his youth for his boyhood was a period of toil. His educational privileges were meager and when a mere lad of thirteen years he began labor as a farm liand by the month, gi\ing his earnings for the support of his father and the family. He was employed by tlie month for about fourteen years in Warren and Tippecanoe counties, remaining in the service of one man on the old Cherry farm in Ti])])ecanoe county .seven years. This fact certainly indicates how faithful he was to duty and that he enjoyed the confi- dence of liis em])loyer to an unusal degree. In 1870 Mr. Miller came to Illinois, lo- cating in \'ernuIion county and here through the succeeding fall and winter he worked upon a farm. He was married here on the 19th of December, 1871, to Miss Re- becca Marsh, who was l>orn and reared in this county, a daughter of Joseph Marsh, one of the first settlers here. Her father was a most loyal and ])atriotic citizen and served his country faithfully in the Mexican war and also in the war of the Rebellion. After his marriage Mr. Miller returned to Indiana, working a farm on shares in Warren county for one year, in February, 1872, however, he again came to Illinois and rented a farm near p-airmount. For five years he continued to operate this land and tlien made his first purchase. l)ecoming the owner of forty-three acres near (ieorgetown. No improvements had been made upon that place, but he built a small house and began to farm his ]>roperty. He also rented other land adjacent to his own liome and subse- quently he sold his first farm and bought a tract of eighty acres on which some improve- ments had been made. Taking up his abode there he continued its cultivation for seven years. This he sold and bought one hun- dred and si.xty acres in Sidell township, six miles from the town of Sidell. On this place were but very few improvements. He built a good house and fenced and tiled the farm. He also erected a substantial barn and out- buililings and for six years successfullv car- ried I )n farming at that place. He afterward purchased one hundred and fifty-eight acres adjoining Sidell on the south and there he erected an attractive residence and commodi- ous barns and made other substantial im- provements, which constitute this a valuable farm. The year after locating on this prop- erty he sold the old home place and contin- ued to cultivate and improve his place ad- joining Sidell until 1900. when he disposed of this, although he maintained possession for another year. He then Ijought a resi- dence in the village, where he has since made his home. Not only has he successfully car- ried on cultivatitm of crops but since 1875 he has made a business of buying, selling and ship])ing horses and mules, following that for twenty years. He afterward begun breeding and dealing in standard bred horses and he has shipped many fine honses and made extensive sales. Some years ago he established a grocery Inisiness in Sidell. car- rying on that enter|)rise with success for five years. In 1888 he l>egan dealing in farm im])lements and machines and in connection with this line he also handles buggies and wag'ons. He has built up a good trade and has gained an excellent reputation for fair dealing. His sales are now quite extensive and as an enterpising merchant Mr. Miller is well known. He was also one of the pro- moters of the Sidell Building and Loan As- sociation, serx'ed as its presirlent for nine THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1057 years and is now its vice president. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Miller was blessed with six children, four of whom are yet liv- ing: Eddie L.. Claude T., Clemnia and Ada May. Mr. Miller lost his first wife in Sep- tember, 1890, and she was laid to rest in In- dianola cemetery amid the deep regret of her many friends. In October, 1891, Mr. Mil- ler was joined in wetllock to Fannie M. Michener, who was born in this county and is a daughter of W. W. Michener, one of the early settlers here. There are three children by this union : Mildred, Russell and Genevieve. Politically I\Ir. Miller was formerly iden- tified with the Democratic party, but for some years has given his support to the Pro- hibition party and cast the first Prohibition vote in Sidell township. He is the first Pro- hibition mayor ever in the town and is prov- ing a most capable officer, although he has never been an office seeker, content to do his duty as a private citizen. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and one of its earnest and effective workers, while for some years he served as superintendent of the Sunday-school. Socially he is identi- fied with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Modern ^Voodmen of America and was chairman of the building committee under whose direction the Odd Fellows hall was erected. He built the second house in Sidell, and has labored effectively for the material upbuilding and improvement of this place and for the entire county. He aided in de\-eloping three farms here and his work has been effective and far-reaching. He is indeed a public spirited and progressive citi- zen and his name is now on the roll of those who have been foremost in promoting the public activity of this section of the state. He owns three brick houses in Sidell, has built two good business blocks there. A man of tried integrity and worth his word is as good as any bond and he is most faithful in meeting any obligation or fulfilling the terms of a contract. It is said that if J. W. Miller enters into an agreement he ne\'er fails in the fulfillment of his part of it, but always stands honorably by his position. He is a representative man of strong purpose, known and honored by all with whom he comes in contact. MASON M. WRIGHT. Mason ]M. Wright was born December 15, 1832. in Wilmington, Ohio, a son of Potter and Teressa Wright. His father, a native of Rhode Island, went to Ohio at an early day. By trade he was a millwright and followed that business througlmut his entire career. There the gerater part of his family remained, living in that locality for vears. as prominent and influential members of the community. There were five brothers and one sister in the family, including George Wright, of Chicago. Those deceased are: Horatio, Mason M., Horace, James. Henry and Cynthia. The family were of the Episcopalian faith. The father died be- fore the marriage of oui- subject, and his mother, survi\'ing her husband for a number of years, has also passed away, both depart- ing this life in Worthington, Ohio, where they were married. Mason M. \^'right remained upon the home farm until twenty-one or twenty-two vears of age and then went to Xobles\ille. Here he engaged in merchandising for a few vears and from Noblesville he went to IMarys- ville, Illinois, continuing there for some years. His next place of residence was Higginsville, where he remained for some time and then selling his property and the dry-goods busi- IC58 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ness wliicli lie liad there conducted he came to Danville in iS68. Here Mr. Wright be- came connected with a private banking busi- ness in partnership with John C. Short. A\'lien two or three years had passed he pur- chased a mill owned by Mr. Henderson and at this time gave the plant the name of the Danville Mills. Under his supervision this industry became an important factor of the city. He continually enlarged it, increasing his facilities from time to time in order to meet the growing demands of his trade. He als(.) built a hominy mill and to this business he devoted his energies until his death. He furnished employment to a number of work- men, so that the enterprise was of value to the community as well as to himself. The product of the mill was shipped as well as sold to the home market, and annually the enterprise returned to him a good income. ]\Ir. Wright was likewise interested in the real-estate business to some extent. On the 19th of September. 1869, was celebrated the marriage of our subject and IVIrs. Anna E. l-'orbes, a native of Newark, Ohio, and a daughter of William and Mar- garet (Davis) Robinson, both of whom were natives of Ohio. The father was a mer- chant, following that pursuit until called to his final rest, his death occurring during the early girlhood of Mrs. Wright. In the fam- ily were four daughters and one son : Mrs. John T. Short, ^Irs. W'.' H. Webster, Mrs. \'. L. Hawes and Mrs. ^^'right, all of whom are living, and Edward who has passed away. The year 1852 witnessed the arrival of the family in Danville, and the following year the father's death occurred. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Wright has been blessed with the following children : George M.. a resident of Danville, who is conduct- ing a milling business, Genevieve M. and Judson M., all of Dan\-ille. In his political views Mr. Wright was a Republican and while he kept well informed on the issues of the day, he never took an acti\-e part in political work or sought office. He was of a most retiring disposition and of a most earnest nature, strong, self-reliant and helpful. He was devoted to his family and his business, — these largely claiming his attention. He held friendship inxiulahle and home ties sacred, and thus he endeared him- self to all with whom he kad social relations. Coming to the west with little capital, he sought in the broad business opportunities of the developing state of Illinois room for his business affairs he won a high measure of success. His name, too, was synonymous with honorable dealing and his integrity stood as an imr|uestioned fact in his career. JACKSOX CROMWELL. For a half century Jackson Crduiwell has been a resident of \'ermilion county, and he is numbered among the honored pioneers who ha\e laid the foundation for the present progress and prosperity which it enjoys. He was born in Union county, In- diana, Decemljer 13, 1833. His parents were John and Rachel Cromwell, natives of Maryland and Kentucky. resi)ecti\ely. They were married in Union county, Indiana, where the father carried on farming until liis death, which occurred in 1835. The mother then l)ecame the wife of Solomon Harness, a native of Ohio and a farmer by occuiiation. They removed to Carroll count}', Indiana, where Mr. Harness died in 1852. In poli- tics he was a W'hig. The mother then re- mo\ed to Vermilion county, Illinois, where she resided for four years, after which she removed to Polk count\-, Missouri, and there THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 10S9 lier deatli occurred on her nineiietli birthday, December 7. igor. By her first marriage slie became the mother of two children, the subject of this sketch and a daughter, now deceased. By her second marriage five chil- dren were born, but only one, George, sur- vives. He is a resident of Polk county, Missouri. Jackson Cromwell attended school in Union county, Indiana, in a log schoolhouse with slab benches fastened on pegs, oiled paper windows, and with a fireplace made of sticks and mud, in which were burned logs about four feet in length. He was only able to attend three months during the winter, and in tlie summer he spent part of his time working in a mill. He was reared by his grandfather until he was thirteen years of age, when he began working on a farm. Later he followed clerking and also hauled logs antl worked on a plank road, in Carroll county, Indiana. On the 9th of September, 1852, he came to Vance township, A'ermilion county, Illinois. This township at that time also included Oakwood township. Land was then worth from one dollar and a quar- ter to eight dollars per acre. Mr. Cromwell traded a horse for forty acres which was sit- uated two miles south of where Fairmount now stands. The land is now worth one hundred and thirty-five dollars per acre. The nearest trading point was Danville, which was then a town of three or four stores. Hazel-brush grew where the Aetna House now stands and the jail was an old log structure. Homer was a village com- prising a mill and one store besides a hotel. Corn Mas worth si.x and one-cjuarter cents per bushel. Wheat was high and scarce, being worth about one dollar per bushel. There were no oats. The prairies were wild and uncultivated and sloughs abounded, re- quiring much draining of the land before it would yield returns to those who labored on it. The pioneers were industrious, deter- mined and energetic and through their ef- orts this land has now become among the most valuable in the state. In those early days hogs and cattle were raised and driven to Chicago and even over the mountains to Pennsylvania. The womenfolk of the com- munit}' were not idle while their husbands were working in the fields. They spun the flax and wool and made cloth for the house- hold. A calico dress was then in the hdght of fashion and a "linsey" dress was con- sidered the same as we now regard silk. On the 2 1 St of September, 1854, in ^'ance township. Mr. Cromwell was uniteci in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Mead, who was born in Vermilion county, August 5^ 1838. a daughter of Nathaniel and Anna> (Crane) ^Nleatl. both of whom were natives of Maryland, but were married in Ohio, ]Mr. Alead engaged in farming in Ohio, for a time and then removed to Vermilion coun- ty, Illinois, in 1834, locating in Vance town- ship where he carried on farming until his death which occurred September 20, i88g^ at the age of ninety years. His first wife' died in 1854. at the age of fifty-four years- Both were born in 1800. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics was a Whig. In 1856 Mr. Mead married ^Irs. >.Iary (Crane) Boggart, a na- ti\e of Indiana. The marriage took place at Covington, Indiana. By his first marriage there were seven children born, six of whom are now living, as follows : Sallie A., widow of Benjamin Coddington. residing in La- favette; William, a resident of OakwoocJ t(3wnship : David, deceased ; George, of Fithian, Illinois: Marie, wife of John Bales^ of Momence, Illinois ; James, of Washing- ton : and ]\Irs. Jackson Cromwell. After their marriage Mr. Cromwell and io6o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD liis wife located on a farm tliree miles north of Fitliian. in Oakwood township. Here lie purchased eighty acres of land, having sold his first forty acres. Later he sold the eigh- ty-acre farm and jjurchased one hnndrcd and fifty-four acres which comprises his present farm, on section 28, \'ance township. He lias improved his farm until it is now one of the model farms of the township. He has a substantial and comfortable residence and good barns and his fields yield to him a good return for the labor bestowed upon them. He began life for himself when l)ut a boy, and by persistent efYort and strong de- termination he has won success. Although he has almost reached three score and ten, he is yet a hale and hearty man, and his in- teresting reminiscences of former days make a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. The union of Mr. and JNIrs. Cromwell was blessed with four children who are now living. One died in infancy. John mar- ried Mary E. Long and resides three miles north of Fithian, Illinois. They have four living children and also lost three. ^larie became the wife of John Goings. After his ssessed the instincts of the ])ioueer — the m;m who can adapt himself to circumstances and shape op- portunities to his own end. Such was John k. Thompson when he arrived in the metropolis of the west, where to-day he is rated among the millionaires and /^ Crf7^ir7-1^i^.^d^^^l\^ THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1063 is recognized as a controlling force in business, political and social life. His birth occurred on his father's farm near Danville. Illinois, November 13, 1865, and he yet re- tains a deep interest in the county of his na- tivity and has many friends there who re- joice in iiis a(h-ancement. It is therefore meet that mention of one of her eminent sons should be made in this volume. At the usual age Air. Thompson entered the common country schools and until he was sixteen years of age he lived the life of the ordinary country boy, occupied with the duties of the fields through the stmimer months and continuing his studies in the winter seasons. During his last winter upon the farm, in connection with an older broth- er, he hauled logs with an ox-team. Not wishing to follow an agricultural life, how- ever, he went to Danville antl entered the Eastern Illinois College. His older brother was then in law school and as the father could not afford to send both of his sons to school John R. paid for his tuition by clerk- ing in the store of Charles H. Hacker on Saturdays antl caring for his emplover's horses during the week. For two years he remained a student in the Danville Normal school and after his graduation in the class of 1883, li^ obtained a teacher's certificate and for three years taught in the country schools. He also engaged in clerking for two years in Danville, but was gradually ad\'ancing and making for himself a record in the business world and his next step was to open a little general mercantile establish- ment of his own in the village of Fithian. He was likewi.se appointed postmaster at that place and continued to make his home there until the fall of 1891, when he came to Chicago. Since his arriA'al in this city his success in business has been uniform and rapid, and to-day there are few names more widely known in the business circles of Chicago than that of John R. Thompson. He first opened a small restaurant at No. 397 State street and from this nucleus has grown his present extensive business. The financial panic of 1893 followed, but he managed to so conduct his affairs that he weathered the storm and soon found favorable opportuni- ty for increasing his enterprise. In 1896- J-S he opened three new restaurants, and now in 1903 he has ten restaurants, advan- tageously situated in the down town dis- trict, where daily meals are furnished to thousands of people, and in return he re- ceives a splendid annual income. In addi- tion to his restaurants he has a wholesale house at No. 38 and 40 State street, occu- pying the entire four floors and Ijasement. This has a supply department from which he daily sends out supplies of every descrip- tion to his restaurants, including meats, gro- ceries, vegetables, sil\-er ware, linen and ta- l)le utensils. He also does a wholesale busi- ness in supplying other restaurants, hotels and dining cars. He likewise owns and op- erates his ice plant, and it will thus be seen* is managing a business of great magnitude. His employes now number five hundred. Such in brief is the history of his business career, but he who reads between the lines will ha\'e learned of the executive force, keen foresight, marked energy antl inde- fatigalile industry upon which his success is based. Before removing to Chicago Mr. Thompson was married, on the 5th of Au- gust, 1 89 1, to Miss Rose Holloway, of Georgetown, Illinois, a daughter of Captain G. W. Holloway. a pioneer resident of Ver- milion county, and they have two children — John R., Jr., and Ruth E. Theirs is a beau- tiful home at 4415 Grand Boulevard. Both 1064 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD the house aiul barn are built of blue Bedfonl rock. There is an extensive lawn around tlie house, which in its furnishings is sup- I)lied with all that wealth can secure and re- iined taste suggest, while liowlings alleys, billard rooms and shooting gallery afford many pleasureable hours to the guests of the household. Mr. Thompson finds one of his chief sources nf recreation and pleasu'T in driving and is the owner of some of the finest specimens of the noble steed to be found in the country. He has a real love for his horses and in driving them over the speeilways of the city for the pleasure of testing their powers, he always prefers to handle the reins himself rather than to trust his horses to the care of a paid driver. Racing for pleasure upon the snow courses of Chicago has won him many notable vic- tories. He has reason to be very proud of his pacer \'an Duzen and of his horse Saul, who have won in many heats and are well known to all frequenters of the boulevard and park speedways of Chicago. Mr. Thompson is secretary and treasurer of the (ientlemen's Drixing Club and is a member of most all of the leading social clubs of the city, including the L'nion League, the Wash- ington I'ark, the Colonial, and the Wood- lawn F'ark Club. He is also a thirty-second degree Alason. belonging to Hesperia Lodge, St. Bernard Commandery and Oriental Con- sistory. He is a member of the board of di- rectors of the Christendom, a magazine ed- ited by Dr. Harper of the Chicago Univer- sity, and is deeply interested in many meas- ures for the welfare of the city, being a co- operant factor along various lines for the jiublic good. He holds decided opinion, which he expresses fearlessly but never ag- gressively. In T90J. associated with other prominent men. he took a firm stand in con- tinning the pul)Iic schools through a ten mnnths" term, and his inlluence is ever on the side of progress and upbuilding. A leailing Repulilican. his opinions carry weight in the C(^)uncils of his party in Chi- cago and in 190; he was prominently spoken of as the candidate for mayor, receiving the endorsement of his own ward and of many political and personal friends throughout the city. He has hnwe\-er ne\'er been a pol- itician in the usual sense of the term, nor has he sought office. His friends, knowing that his political record was clear and that his business ability was of the highest ortler, l)elie\ed that he would show the same capa- liiiity in managing the aft'airs of the city, but his aspirations were not in that direc- tion and he became a supporter of John M. Harlan. There arose during the campaign a movement wliich originated in a joke, but which became a potent element in the can- vass. Some prominent men met in a down town office and in a spirit of fun organized with fifteen members what they called the Strap-Hangers League. This came about through a discussion of the overcrowded condition of the street cars, necessitating standing in the aisles, hanging on to straps. ■'A seat for ever\- straj) hanger — at least oc- casionally" was adopted as the platform of the league. To carry out the joke fifty thou- sand buttons were ordered, on which were the words : "Strap-Hangers League. More Seats. Harlan," and these were given to all who ajjplied. The original number was soon exhausted and fifty thousand more were ordered, and the "joke" became an influence in the politics of the campaign, the inHuence of which is incalculable, showing public feeling upon the question. 'Sir. Thompson is yet a young man. with much of his history yet to be written, but he has already made for himself a place in the political, social and [)usiness world that THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1065 entitles him to promience among the leading men of Chicago. \'ermilion county has rea- son to be proiul of this, her native son, and it is with pleasure we present his history to our readers. In manner he is genial and un- ostentatious and the accumulation of wealth has never affected his treatment of the less fortunate friends of his earlier years. Standing to-day at the head of one of the leading business enterprises of its kind in the country, exerting an influence in public affairs in Chicago of marked force, it is not difficult to prophesy that Mr. Thompson might attain to almost any position that he might desire, but his ambition seems to be in the line of business and he regards his other interests as side issues, without which no life can be well rounded, no charac- ter well balanced and yet they have never drawn his attention from the chief aim of his life. He has found that success is ambi- tion's answer. ♦-•-• G. B. JOXES, D. \'. S. Dr. G. B. Jones, of Sidell, is the assistant state veterinary and during the past seven years he has practiced his profession in Ver- milion county with marked success. He started out in life a poor man without cap- ital, and the rounds of the ladder on which he has climbed have been determination, indus- try, close application and ability. He is a native son of Illinois, his birth having oc- curred near Paris, in Edgar county, Octo- ber 28, 186^. His father, Lewis Jones, was born and reared in Green county, Kentucky, his natal day being in September, 1834. Judge George Jones, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Virginia, but be- came one of the early settlers of the Blue Grass state and served his countrv as a sol- dier in the Black Hawk war. Lewis Jones, the Doctor's father, was reared in Kentucky, and when a young man came to Illinois, settling on Big creek in Edgar county where he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Shields, a daughter of the Hon. William Shields, a prominent and influential resident of that ctiunty who served for a number of years in the state legislature and left the deep impress of his individuality upon many of the laws enacted during that period. He was also a minister of the Baptist church and a man of marked influence whose labors proved of benefit to his fellow men along many lines of progress and improvement as well as of moral development. After his marriage Mr. Jones turned his attention to farming in Edgar county and to-day he owns and operates a valuable farm of three hun- dred and twenty acres there, which is well improved, being equipped with all modern accessories and conveniences. In connection with the culti\-ation of the fields he is also successfully engaged in stock-raising, and both branches of his business return to him a good income. In the family were twelve children, ten of whom reached mature years while nine are yet living, including four sons. The eldest son is Dr. \V. S. Jones, a medical practitioner residing in Redmon, Illinois. George B. is the second son of the family. Ira L. grew to mature years, married, and at his death left a widow and child. The younger sons of the Jones family were James and Frank. All of the children were well educated and three daughters and two sons were teach.ers at one time. Dr. G. B. Jones, of this review, entered the common schools at the age of six years, and after completing his preliminary course there, became a student in the Northern In- diana Xormal School at Valparaiso, Indiana, from which he was graduated with the class io66 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of 1888. Later, lie engaged in teaching for several years, and for four terms was prin- cipal of the high school at Pleasant Hill. Illinois. In the practice of the profession lie met with success, imparting read.ily and clearly to others the knowledge he had ac- ((liired. pro\'ing a competent educator. Later he took up the study of veterinarv- surgery. l)eing a student in Toronto. Canada, where is locatec' the most complete and best equipped school of the kind on the continent. He completed his course there in the spring of 1894. after which he came to Sidell, per- manentl)' locating here. He took up his rd)iKle among strangers and it was necessary for him to win public confidence as well as to establish his rejjutation for capability in his chosen field of endeavor. He not only liegan life for himself emptv-handed. but he was several hundred dollars in debt when he entered upon the practice of his present profession. He has, however, worked up an excellent business, extending for miles in everv direction, and in the spring of igoi he was appointetl assistant state \'eterinary. which is a life appointment and is conferred onl\- in recognition of superior merit and ability. By reading and investigation the Doctor has continually broadened his knowl- edge concerning veterinary surgery, and his efforts lia\-e been attended with a marked eak good English and Dutch. These qualifications Mr. Johnson possesseil and he entered into an agreement with ^Iv. Cline which he continued for four years. He then decided that Westville offered good business opportunities where a wideawake. ambitious and enterprising business man could open an up-to-date establishment in the clothing line with good success. He re- signed his position with Mr. Cline and soon afterward established a business of his own in the Odd Fellows Building in Westville. fitting it up with a large and complete line of clothing and gent's furnishing goods. Here he conducted his business successfully for some time, but he is now located in more commodious quarters on North State street. He enjoys a liberal patronage, because his goods are neat, stylish and well and durabl}' made. He is a pojiular merchant, as he al\va}s desires to please his customers and treat them with, strict fairness and honesty. On January 12. 1S95. ^^^'- Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Xellie !■'. Shane, a daughter of George and .Mary ( Sheffer) Shane, the father born in Switzerland in 1836 and the mother born in Alsace Loraine. Germany, in 1S33. This couple came to America in irS^o and located first in Roches- ter. Xew \'ork, where he was engaged in the lumber business. On the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in the Ninth Heavy Artillery ;uid served throughout the war. Three of his brothers and two sons also enlisted at the same time and also served throughout the war. thus nobly defending the cause of the Union at the time when its preservation was threatened. Only nine men of Mr. Shane's company returned. After the war was ended Mr. Shane with his famil\- removed to Kalamazoo. Michi- gan, where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness and is now living a retired life, honored and respected bv all with whom he is associ- ated in the relations of life. He and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, si.\ of whom have gone to the home beyond, while seven survive as follows: George, Will John and Leo, all residents of Kalamazoo, Michigan: Lewis, a policeman of Chicago; Ed. of L}-ons. New York, where he is engaged in farming, stock-raising anti fruit growing-; and Mrs. Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are both acti\'e members of the Catholic church. Mrs. Johnson having charge of the Sunday- school with an attendance of about two hun- dred and si.Kty children. When she first came to Westville there was no Sunday- school and in a short time by making a canvass she secured an attendance at first of si.xtv, who met at her home, Imt the num- ber grew \-erv rapidK- and they were obligetl THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1073 to hold the Sunday-school in the basement of the church. Mrs. Johnson also has charge of attending- to the altar. She and her husband are earnest Christians and do all in their power to promote the cause of the church. In his political affiliations Mr. Johnson is a stanch Repulilican, but has ne\-er sought or desired office, preferring to devote his attention to his business affairs. Fraternally he is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of W'estville, to the Foresters, of Toronto, Canada, and to the Modern Woodmen of America, of W'est- ville. He and his wife are numbered among the leading and influential residents of West- ville. where they are valued for their excel- lent traits of character and their genuine worth. T. A. COX. J. A. Cox is a progressive and enter prising merchant of Fairmount, Illinois, and is one of Indiana's native sons, his birth having- occurred in Parke county, that state, December iS, 1851. He is a son of Alfred and Elizabeth (Hocket) Cox, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of North Carolina. His mother came to Indiana when two years of age and was there reared and married. The father engaged in farm- ing and \\as also a carpenter and contractor. After their marriage the}- located in Parke county, Indiana, and in 1875 remo\-ed froni there to X'ermilion county, Illinois, where they are now living. Mr. Cox being retired from acti\-e life. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics is a Republican. The Cox family are of English extraction, while the mater- nal ancestors were of Scotch lineage. All were Quakers, and Allen Cox, the grand- father of our subject, was an elder of the Quaker church. J. A. Cox was one of a family of five children, three girls and two boys, three of whi-)m are now li\-ing, the subject of this re\-iew being the eldest. Jennie re- sides with her parents and C. W. is engaged in business in B'airmount. Mr. Cox at- tended school at Annapolis, Indiana. The family then removed to Fountain county, that state, and there he continued, his studies. On the remo\-al of his parents to Vermilion county, Illinois, he accompanied them and later engaged in farming for two years, after which he began clerking for S. W. Cox, at Fairmount, in whose emplov he remained for two years. He then worked for Charles Tilton, on a salary, later having a one-third interest in the business, and in 189 1 he and his brother purchased the in- terest of Mr. Tilton. In August, 1900, Mr. Cox becanie sole owner of the business, buyii-ig out his brother's interest, and he is now conducting it alone. He has a doul.>le deiiartment store. He carries a large stock of well selected goods and re- ceives a liberal iiatronage on account of rtie grade of goods carried and the fair dealing of the owner. On the 27th of January, 1880. at Fair- moui-it. Illinois, Mr. Cox was united in mar- riage to Sarah Bradway, who was born in Georgetown, Illinois, December 8. 1856. She \\-as a daughter of James and Elizabeth Bradway, both natives of Xew Jersey. They were married in that state and came west, settling in Georgetown, Illinois. The father died in 1876 and the mother ii-i August, 1900. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics he was a Kepublican. ]\Ir. Cox's first wife was a men-iber of a family of five children, three of whom are now living: Dr. C. F., I074 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of Abingdon. Illimjis: James, of Poplar Bluff. Missouri: and Alice, the wife of Dr. O. F. Odbert, of indianola. Illinois. Mrs. Cox died at San .\ntonio. Texas, April 17, 1899. She was the mother of five children : Ethel E., Edna M.. Frank A.. Sarah Hazel and Gordon D.. who is now attending school at Fairmount. At Indianapolis, Indiana, February 14, 1900, Mr. Cox was again married, his second iinion being with Xettie B. Green, who was born in Rising Sun. Indiana. No\-eml)cr ri. 1859. She was a daughter of Benjamin and Jane ( Garrett) Green, who were married and resided in Indiana. The father died at Zionsville. that state, in 1892. The niiithcr and family then re- moved to Indianapi)lis. where the mother died in January, looi. Mr. Green was a member of the Christian churcli. was con- nected fraternally with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in politics was a Republican. In his family were five chil- dren, three i:if wIkhu are ni i\v living: Xettie B., now Mrs. Cox: .\nnie, of Indianapolis; and Charles, of Oxford, Indiana. Mr. Cox is a memlxr of the Methodist Episco])rd church, being- one (if the trustees. also recording steward, which positions he has filled for many years. He is a member of I'airmount Lodge, Xo. 590, A. F. & A. M. ; Damascus Lodge, Xo. 84. K. P. : the Knights of the Globe: the ^^lotlern Wood- men of America : and the Ben Hur Lodge. In ])nlitics he is a stanch Republican and has held all the township offices. He was supervisor for four years, township clerk for se\en years and for a number of years was an alderman in I'airniount. I'or over a (|uarter of a century he has Ix^en identified with the interests of Fairmount and he is to-da\- one of its most highly respected citizens. In the mercantile Imsiness he has met with success and has incidentallv con- tributed to the development and prosperity of the citv. JAMES JUVIXALL. James Juvinall is one of the native sons of \'ermilion county, who through many years has been a witness of progress and improvement here. He was born in Pilot township in 1835, a son of Andrew and Mary (James) Ju\inall. who were born, reared and married in Ohio. In 1827 they emigrated westward to Vermilion county, traveling in a prairie schooner, a big covered wagon in which the family and the house- hold goods were carried. .Vndrew Ju\-inall became well known in this portion of the state. He went with breaking teams for three successive years to \\^isconsin and after breaking prairie through the summer months would return home in the fall. He was thus identified with the growth and pioneer development of that state as well ■as of Illinois. Although he came to this county empty handed he was in comfortable circumstances at the time of his death. By his marriage to Alar)- James were born se\en children, the eldest being the subject of this review-. The others are: Austin, Mrs. D. M, W'ynian. and Andrew. Those who have passed away are: John. Amy and David, all of whom reached mature vears, were married and reared families of their own. James Ju\inall. whose name introduces this record, obtained his education in a sub- scription school which con\ened in a log building, supplied with slab I)encbes and an immense fire place. There was a long writ- ing desk made by laying a plank upon wood- en pins drixen into the wall. Liglit was ad- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1075 mitted into the room through greased paper \\'hich co\'ered an aperture made by remov- ing one of the logs from the side of the build- ing. Mr. Juvinall remembers how the In- dians held meetings at the foot of the hill upon which they lived. His father had en- tered land from the government at one dollar and twenty-live cents per acre. He felled the forest trees and broke the prairie. Our subject also assisted in breaking prairie until he reached his twenty-third year. There were many prairie wolves in the county in these early days and they would often come into the very door-yard of the pioneer homes and their howling would scare the dogs away. Mr. Juvinall frequently set traps to catch these wolves. Deer roamed over the prairies while turkeys and other -game were very plentiful, furnishing many a meal for the early settlers. Mr. Juvinall's father aided in hauling the first goods from the boat to the first plank store erected in Chicago. He forded rivers with his ox teams and oftei journeyed to Chicago, when that was the trading point for the early settlers. Danville at that time being but a village and furnish- ing little opportunities for trade. Upon the home farm James Ju\'ina,ll spent the days of his boyhood and youth and assistetd in its cultivation and development. He was mar- ried March 6. 1858, to Eliza J. Abbott, whose birth occurred in Ohio, November 22, 1839, a daughter of James and Nancy (Og- den) Abbott, who became pioneer settlers of Vermilion county. Ten children were born unto our subject and his w'lie of whom six are li\'ing : Henry, who married Esther Conley of this county: Mrs. J. H. Smalley, of Danville: Ed, who wedded Mattie Good- win, a daughter of John Goodwin of Vermil- ion county: D. M.. who married Helen Goodwin, a sister of his brother's wife: Mrs. Robert Rodgers. of Collison, Illinois ; and Mrs. Maude Smith of Jamesburg. The de- ceased are : ^Matthew. Andrew and ]\Iary Belle, all of v.hom died in childhood. Mr. Juvinall began farming with one hundred and thirty acres of land h\ Pilot township and later he purchased one hun- dred and twenty acres in Blount township. He has owned about three hundred acres at one time but has met some reverses in life. Renting his farm in Blount township he re- moved to Danville about 1892 and there formed partnership in the implement busi- ness which he conducted for a few years. Later he took up his abode in Denmark, where he resided for a year and then pur- chased his present home in Blount township, where he is now living retired. The history of pioneer life in \'ermilion county is fa- miliar til him. He can relate many interesting incidents concerning the early days anrl the customs of the settlers. It seems hardly possible to realize now that within his memory the old flint and tow were used in building fires and if these materials were not to be had they would go to a neighbors and borrow fire, for matches had not then been placed upon the market. Mr. Juvinall at one time knew nearly every one living upon the main road between Dan- ville and Chicago outside the villages. He has often plowed with a wooden mold board and cut grain with a sickle, planted corn by hand and bound his wheat by hand, but as the years have progressed he has kept abreast with modern progress and improvement. Driving an ox team in an early day he fre- cjuently visited Chicago with a load of ap- ples and returned with provisions, camping along the \\-ayside at night — such a trip often required ten days. He has sold corn at eight cents per bushel in the market of Danville. No man has taken a deeper in- terest in progress and improvement and his 1076 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD efforts have been beneficial in behalf of the general good along many lines. He has long l)een active in missionary work and for forty years he has served as a class leader in the Methodist church of which he is a de- voted and consistent member. lAMKS 1).\\"1S()X. James Da\ison is one of Hoopeston's liighly 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 comfortable com])etcnce which enables him to lav aside all lousiness cares and spend his dec^lining days in ease and retirement. .-\ nati\'e of renns}l\ania. .\ir. Davison was born in Pittslnu'g, Allegheny county, March 10. 1S15, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Cunningham) Davison, in whose family were foiu' children, our subject being the youngest of the family and only one now lix'ing. He was only six months old at the death of his father. He was a native of Ireland and the mother was born in .\lle- gheny county. Pennsylvania, of Irish parent- age. After the death of her first husband she married a Mr. Love and both are now deceased. When about six years of age Mr. Davi- son went to live with an uncle in the coun- try and remained \A'ith him until he was seventeen, his education being acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood. He then returned to Pittsburg, where he learned the carpenter's trade and attended night school, and on leaving there in 1841 lie went to Cincinnti, where he continued to work at his trade for about sixteen years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Ann Arlior. Michisfan. that his chiler of Wallace Chapel Methodist Episcopal church. ]\lr. Judy holds membership relations with the (irand Army of the Republic and was formerly identified with the Republican I)art_\- on nruional (luestions, but in recent years has given his su])port to the Prohibi- tion party. At local elections, however, he votes independently of party ties. He has been elected and served as a member of the board of comity su])er\'isors, representing Middlefork township in that way in 1887-8. He was a member of some important com- mittees and introduced a number of reso- lutions of value which ha\e l)een ad(ipte(l and have sa\ed to the county sums of money. He has, howexcr. nc\er been a ])olitician in THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1083 tlie sense of office seeking. For twenty- seven years he was school treasurer of his township and is filling the position at the present time. In nunierous conventions of his party his opinions have carried weight. He has ever been known and honored for his loyalty to his honest convictions and for his prominence and fidelity in executing any trust reposed in him. His life has been well spent and to-day he enjoys the regard and friendship of many of his acciuaintances. J. M. DOUGHERTY. J. ^I- Diiugherty has long and actively been connected with business affairs in Ver- milion county and is now engaged in dealing in lumber and in the manufacture and sale of native timber. He is well known as a re- hal)le business man and is also one of the honored early settlers of the county, dating his residence here since 1856. He now lives in the city of Danville and is familiarly called Joe by his numerous friends. Mr. Dougherty is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Ohio county, that state. September 16, 1843. His father, William Dougherty, was born in Dearborn, Indiana, August 11, 1825, while the grand- father, Joseph Dougherty, was a native of Virginia. The family comes of Irish line- age, the first representative of the name in America, ha\ing emigrated from the north- ern part of Ireland to Virginia at an early epoch in the history of this country. Joseph Dougherty served as a soldier of the ]\Iexi- can war. Emigrating westward he became one of the first settlers of Indiana and in the midst of the dense forest there he hewed out a farm. So wild was the country that he always kept his gun by his side even while working in order to protect himself from any attack from Indians. William Dough- erty was reared to manhood amid the wild scenes of pioneer life and in Indiana was united in marriage to J\Iiss Mary Myers, who was born in Ohio. For some years there- after he followed farming in Indiana and in 1856 he came to Illinois, settling in Vermil- ion county among the first settlers of Catlin township. There he opened up a farm and carried on agricultural pursuits for many years. He lost his wife in April, 1899, when she had attained the age of eighty-two years, and since that time Mr. Dougherty has resid- ed with his children. Joseph AI. Dougherty of this review was a lad of thirteen years when he came with his 2^arents to Vermilion county and upon the old home farm here he was reared to manhood, remaining under the parental roof until twenty years of age, when he began work for himself. His attention was given to agricultural pursuits and to the lumber business. He_ purchased one hundred and twenty acres of timber land near Danville, cleared this, built upon it a good residence and opened up an excellent farm, upon which he lived for sixteen years. On the expiration of that period he took up his abode in Danville, building a home there and has since continuously engaged in deal- ing in lumber. Other departments of busi- ness actix'ity have also claimed his attention. He has engaged in the manufacture and burning of brick and has further contrib- uted to the improvement of the city by erect- ing a number of business houses and resi- dences here, employing a large number of workmen. He has always continued his operations in timber and in the manufacture of native lumber, this proving to him a good source of income throughout all the years. He is a man of sound business judgment, of 1084 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD unflagging enterprise and stalwart i)ur])()se and Iiis efforts have brouglit to liim splendid success, placing him ani< mg the substantial residents of Danville. In August. 1867. in this county, Mr. Dougherty was united in marriage to Callie McCollister. who died three years and nine months later, lea\ing a daughter who died when about four years of age. In 1872 in I^anville. ^Nlr. Duuglierty was again married, his second union being with Emily McCol- lister, a cousin of his first wife. Unto them have been born three chldren : M. M., who is now in the hospital service in the Philip- ])ine Islands. ha\'ing been connected with the military interests of his coimtry since the oiubreak of the war with S])ain : Callie. at home: and Belle, who is a teacher in the schools of Danville. The mother of these children passed away November 12. 1895 I'nlitically ]\[r. Dougherty is a Jefferson- ian Democrat who takes an active and help- ful interest in the work of the party. He has served as a member of the county central committee for a number of years, was chair- man for two or three years and was elected and served for eight consecutive years as assessor and collector of Danville township. being elected in a district which usually gives a strong Re])ublican majority. This fact was a tribute to his personal worth and to his high standing among his fellow men. who recognized his ability and his loyalty to public duty. He has many times been chosen as a delegate to county and state conventions. Socially he is a Master Mason. I'or forty- eight years he has been a resident of X'ermil- ion countv and has witnessed much of its growth and development. He has seen the prairies broken and fenced, the timber and brush cleared away, roads constructed and towns and cities built. He farmed land up- on which a part of the city of Danville now stands. In all the work of improvement he has Ixirne an active part and has lived a life of integrity and activity, which has classed him among- the honored residents of his com- munity. He is a modest, unassuming man, caring not for notoriety, yet he deserves the praise that is usually given a self-made man and the high regard which is accorded him b\- his friends. ALBERT WOLCOTT. All>ert W'olcott was for many years a representative and prominent agriculturist of \'ermilion county and a man of sterling worth, whose many excellent (pialitics en- deared him to his friends so that when he was called to his final rest his death was deeply and widely regretted. He was born on the 4th of .April. 1S39. in Chenango coun- ty, Xew York. His father died when the subject of this re\iew was only seven years of age and his mother passed away several years later. Albert W'olcott was the young- est of nine children, eight brothers and a sister. He remained in the Empire state until about nineteen years of age, when he sought a home in the west, locating first in Logan county. Illinois. There he re- mained for eleven years and during that time he went tn the front as a defender of the L'nion cause in the Civil war, enlisting in 1862 as a memlier of Company C, One Hnnrlred and Sixth Illinois Infantry. He partici])atcd in a nunilier of imimrtant en- gagements and was always found at his post of duty, faithfully upholding the honor of the old tkig. When the war was over and the country no longer needed his services he was mustered out on the 12th of July. 1865, and immediately returned to his home. Mr. W'nlcott bad become activclv en- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1085 gaged in farming in Logan county, Illinois, and resuming his agricultural labor there he continued his farm work until February, 1876. when he remo\'ed to Vermilion county, settling in Grant township. Here he pur- chased a tract of raw prairie land and with characteristic energy began its cultivation and inipro\'ement. The work of de\-eloping his farm he carried on vigorously and untir- ingly until he had made his fields rich and productive. In Logan county, Illinois, on the 17th of December, 1867, Mr. \\'olcott was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary Parker, who was bom in Pennsylvania and was taken to Ohio in her infancy. She is a daughter of John and Ellen (Schufif) Clouse, also natives of the Keystone state. ^Irs. Wolcott was reared in Ohio until thirteen years of age, at ■which time she accompanied Iier parents on their removal to Jasper county, Indiana. iVt the age of seventeen she gave her hand in marriage to Ezra Parker, who died iri Logan county, Illinois, and su?)sei|uentlv she became the wife of i\Ir. Wolcott. Her tirst husband was a farmer by occupation, fol- lowing agricultural pursuits until his death. Her father, who was an inwdid for some years, followed saddle-making but later re- turned to the farm \\here the sons ot the famih- lived and where he spent his remain- ing days. In his family were eight children, four of whom are still living, namely : W'ill- ian: C, Andrew J., ]\Irs. Esther A. Lakins and I\Irs. Ann Wolcott. The marriage of our sul)ject and his wife was blessed with four children, of whom three are living: Mrs. Emma Ranson, a resident of Danville; Mrs. Viola McCoy, a resident of Hoopeston : and Ernest, who married Minnie Mahoney and is living on a farm. Mr. ^^\^lcott was a member of the Grand Army of the Repulilic and also of the Mod- ern \\'oodmen Camp. He attended the Baptist church and took a very deep and active interest in church work, although he \\as never a member, Ijut regularly attended the services and labored earnestly in the Sunday-school, while to the support of the cause of Christianity he was a liberal con- tributor. His wife holds memiiership in the Baptist church and is a zealous Christian woman. i\Ir. Wolcott continued his farm- ing operations until March, 1896, when he remo\'ed to Hoopeston but was not long per- mitted to enjoy his new home for there he died on the 30th of Octolier, 1897. Because of his progressive citizenship and active aid in measures for the general good, because of his trustworthiness in business and his fidel- ity' in private life Albert Wolcott was num- bered among' the leading and \alued resi- dents of his portion of the county and his loss was deepl}' mourned not only by his im- mediate family, but by a very large circle of friends. Mrs. \\'olcott had a farm of eighty acres in Logan county left her by her first husband. She sold this on remo\'ing to \'er- milion county and purchased eighty acres three and one-half miles from Hoopeston. propertv which she still (iwns and which is now \'erv x'aluable. At the [iresent time she resiiles on East Honey\\ell a\'enue, in the home purchased in 1896. \^'ith her lives her daughter. ]\Irs. Viola McCoy, and her husban.d, together with their four children, Charles A., Fay, Ernest and Edna. Mrs. Wolcott is wideh' known in Hoopeston and the siuTOunding pcirtions of X'erniilion coun- ty as a lady of man}- excellent qualities of heart and mind and the circles of her friends is almost co-extensive with the circle of her acc|uaintances. io86 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD BENJAMIN PETERSON. of tlie munl)er, our subject and two sisters, Benjamin Peterson, who is engaged in general farming on section 7, Butler town- ship, near the village of Potomac, has to-day valuable and extensi\e landed possessions, his home fami aggregating four hundred acres. During the sixty years he has lived in the state of Illinois wonderful indeed have been the changes that have occurred and the progress that has been made, for through these six decades this great commonwealth has emerged to take its place as the leader in many industrial and commercial lines in the nation. Mr. Peterson is a naitve of Ohio, his birth having occurred in \'iuton county, on the 1st of May, 1836. His father. Cornel- ius Peterson, was born in Maine, where his ]jeople located at a very early day and there he was reared. When a young man he went westward, locating first in Ohio, his home being in Vinton county. There he was married to Selinda Lane, whose birth occurred in that county. There Mr. Peter- son cleared and developed a tract of land, opening up a good farm, but in 1840 he sought a home in Illinois, settling in \'ermil- ion county, near Higginsville. Here he again broke a tract of land, building upon it a good house and l)arn and de\eloi)ing his farm until it was a rich and productive tract. Subsequeiuly, howe\-er, he sold that land and purchased a farm in Butler township. In 1859 again he turned the first furmws in his fields, carrying on the work of improve- ment and cultivation until his land was uKule to yield golden harvests for the labor he bestowed upon it. It was upon his farm that he spent his last days. In his family were three sons and seven daughters, all of whom reached mature years, but tmlv three Benjamin Peterson, whose name intro- duces this review, was reared to manhood upon the old family homestead in \'ermilion county. His school privileges were very limited because, owing to the nn.settled con- dition of this portion of the state, a public school system had not been established. He remained with his father throughout the period (jf his manhood anil after arriving at years of maturity he carried on the home farm. In i86q he purchased forty acres of land where he now resides. This was raw and unimproved but the breaking plow- had soon turned the surface and jn course of time the land was placed under a high state of cultivation. Subsequently he \n\v- chased eighty acres additional, upon which his buildings are now located. This was also destitute of improvements when it came into his ])ossession, being still in its primitive condition. He has erected a good residence, built substantial barns and other necessary outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock and has planted an orchard and shade trees. He has tiled and fenced his land and all modern e<|uipments are found on this valuable farm. To his property he has added again and again until now he has four hun- dred and nine acres in one body. It is very valualile and each year a splendid harvest adds materially to the capital which be has already acquired. In Blount township. \'ermilion county, Mr. Peterson was united in marriage, on the 29th of October, i860, to Lydia Pilking- ton, who was born in Indiana, but was reared in this county. She died in May, 1886, leav- ing six children : Clara, now the wife of W. J. Buchanan of Butler township; William E.. who is a farmer of North Dakota; Flora, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 10S7 the wife of Morton P. Ferr, of Hoopeston; John F., a resident of Kankakee; Myrtle, the wile of John McGinness of Iowa; Lillie, the wife of Oscar Anderson, a farmer of Butler township. On the ist of August, 1889, Mr. Peterson was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Henderson, a widow, who, by her former marriage, had three sons and three daughters. Politically Mr. Peterson is a stanch Re- publican and his first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in i860. He has never wavered in his allegiance to the party since that time, but has never desired office as the reward for his party fealty, content to do his duty as a private citizen. While serving as a member of the school board he has done effective service in behalf of education. He has also filled the position of overseer of highways. Both he and his wife are earnest and zealous members of the United Brethern church, in which he has long held offices, being one of the trustees at the present time. A self-made man, his life record speaks clearly of industry, perseverance, economy and honesty. He started out in the business world with no capital yet he has steadily worked his way upward and is to-day the owner of a \'ery valuable farm in the county of his adoption. Throughout almost his entire life Mr. Peterson has resided in this portion of the state. The people of the twentieth century can scarcely realize what privations and hardships were endured by the early settlers. It was not uncommon to see a herd of deer making their way over the prairies and wolves were frequently shot and many kinds of wild game were here in great numbers, but all have disappeared be- fore the approach of the white men, who have claimed the land for the purpose of cultivation and ha\'e made the district to bloom and blossom as the rose. Mr. Peter- 45 son has turned many acres of sod and has seen the farmer impro\e h.is lands while the townsman has built up enterprises and in- dustries in village and city until Vermilion county has become a rich agricultural and commercial center. He himself worked up- on three farms in order to make them cultivable and for his life of industry and enterprise he deser\es credit. His mind is stored with many interesting reminiscences of pioneer times, when the homes of the settlers w-ere widely scattered but when hospitality reigned supreme and many pleas- ures were enjoyed that are not known at the present day. He can tell the tale of Danville's development and he rejoices in what has been accomplished in that town and city. He has ever borne his part in the work of progress and as an honored pioneer he de- ser\'es prominent mention in this volume. JUDGE JACOB W. WILKIN. The name of Judge Jacob W. Wilkin is inseparably associated with the history of jurisprudence in Illinois and no man has been more respected in the state and none more highly deserve the honor that has been bestowed upon hini. He is now serving as one of the supreme judges of the common- wealth and his ability makes him one of the most capable jurists that has ever graced the court of last resort. The Judge was born in Licking county, Ohio, in June, 1837, and is a son of Isaac and Sarah (Burner) Wilkin, natives of Virginia. Soon after their marriage they removed to Ohio, set- tling in Licking county and in 1845 they became residents of Crawford county, Illi- nois, where the father engaged in farming. Prior to his arrival in this state, however, ioS8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD he had followed contracting and builchng. His Hfe record covered eighty-one years, while his wife passed away at the advanced age of eighty-five, both dying in Marshall. Clark county, where they were living re- tired. In their family were nine children. six sons and three daughters, of whom four are yet living, but the Judge is the only one who resides in Danville. One brother and a sister are living in Robinson. Crawford county, the brother. H. O. Wilkin, is filling the ])osition of circuit clerk there. The sis- ter. Airs. Alary AI. Coulter, is a widow. The otlier brother. Rev. AI. T. Wilkin, is a min- ister of the Alethodist church. n Dan- ville. In June. 1888, he was elected to the su- preme bench succeeding" Judge John AI. Scott, ui McLean county and in 1897 was re- elected so that he is now serving as a mem- ber of that body a second term. When first elected he became an associate of his former THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1089 preceptor, Judge Schofield, who was also upon the liench and cciiitiiiued a member of the supreme court until his death, which oc- curred in February, 1893. A man of un- impeachable character, of unusual intellect- nal endowments, with a thorough under- standing of the law, patience, urbanity and industry. Judge Wilkin took to the bench the very highest cpialifications for this most re- sponsible ofifice in the system of the state government : and his record as a judge has been in harmony with his record as a man and lawyer, distinguished by unswerving in- tegrity and a masterful grasp of every prob- lem that has presented itself for solution. The Judge has great respect for the dignitv of judicial place and power, and no man ever presided in a court with more respect for his environments than does Judge Wilkin. As a result of that personal characteristic the proceedings are always orderly upon the part of e\'ery one — audience, bar and the officers from the highest to the lowest. His opin- ions are line specimens of judicial thought, always clear, logical, and as brief as the char- acter of the case will permit. He ne\er en- larges beyond the necessities of the legal thought in order to indulge in the draperv of literature. His mind, during the entire period of his course at the bar and on the bench has been directed in the line of his pro- fession and his duty. In September, 1865, was celebrated the marriage of Judge Wilkin and Miss Alice E. Constable, a daughter of Judge Charles H. Constable and unto them were born four children, of whom one died in infancy. The others are: Harry O., John Schofield and Jessie B. The sons are both in Oregon. In the early spring of 1883 Mrs. Wilkin died, her remains being interred in Marshall ceme- tery. In the fall of 1885 the Judge was again married, his second union being with Sarah E. Archer, a daughter of Judge Will- iam C. Whitlock. of Marshall, Illinois. By her first marriage she had one son, William W. Archer, who is now a practicing attorney of Chicago. The Judge is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Danville and is serving as one of its trustees. In politics he is a Republican and served as a Grant elector in 1872. To a man of broad mind who has made a close study of social and economic questions as well as of the political history of his country, the subject of educa- tion is always a matter of interest and for many years Judge Wilkin served as a trustee of the Southern Illinois Normal School. Fraternally he is a prominent ]\Iason, be- longing to the lodge, chapter and command- ery of Danville and of the consistory of Chi- cago. He is also identified with the Grand Army of the Republic and with the Loyal Legion of Chicago. A gentleman of pleas- ing and courteous manner he is not less es- teemed for his social worth than his pro- fessional ability and he is to-day numbered among the distinguished residents of the state Ijecause of his well rounded character, his e\enl\- balanced mind and splendid in- tellectual attainments. GEORGE S. COLE. At the time of the Civil war George S. Cole wore the blue uniform of the nation and valiantly fought on southern battle-fields for the preservation of the L'nion. He was for man}' years one of the thrifty and active business men of Danville, but is now living a retired life, enjoying a well earned rest. He is one of the oldest living native sons of this city, his birth having occurred here logn THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Jamiarv 2~,. 1836. His father, Peleg Cole, was born in Xorth- Bennington, Vermont, January 9. 1804. and prior to his marriage came to the west settling in \'ermihon county in 1 83 1. Here he was married to Ehza Ghisha. wlio was also born in North Benning- ton, her natal day being September 11, 181 1. Peleg Cole w as one of the first business men of this city and his energy and activity con- tributed in no small degree to the busi- ness upbuilding of this place. He also entered scmie land from the govern- ment and engaged in farming for a few years. He died in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, November 6, 1855, when in the prime of life, having gone to that place vn a business trip. His wife sur- vived him until ^larch i, 1869, when she. too. was called away. There were but two children in the family who grew to mature years, the sister being Mary E., now the wife ijf J. D. Kilpatrick, of Danville. In this city George S. Cole was reared and educated and in September, 1862, he re- sponded to his country's call for aid to crush out the rebellion in the south, enlisting in Company .\, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry. He was in the army of the Cumberland and was first under fire at the battle of I'errxville. Kentucky, having been a soldier at that time -for over three weeks. Later he took part in the engage- ments at Stone Ri\cr. Chickamauga, Mis- sionary Ridge, Chattanooga and the .\tlanta cam])aign, in which he fought almost con- tinuously for sixty days. He also aided in the capture of Jonesboro and of Atlanta and was with Sherman on the celeljrated march to the sea. Later he took part in the battle of Bentonville and subsequently luarched through Richmond to Washington, where he participated in the grand review, which was the most noted military pageant ever known on the American continent, thousands of the soldiers marching by the grand stand upon which stood the president to review the N'ictorious army. Mr. Cole then returned to Chicago and was nuistered out and honorably discharged on the 9th of June, 1865. Immediately afterward our subject joined his family in Danville. He had been married here on the 26th of April, i860, to Elizabeth \\'aples. who was born in Ver- million county, a daughter of William Wa- ples. one of the first settlers of this locality, having come to Illinois from the vicinity of Zanesville. Muskingum county, Ohio. Mrs. Cole was reared and educated in this state and by her marriage she has become the mother of four children : Charles P. and W. \\'.. who are living in Omaha, Nebraska: Ralph, a liusiness man of Danville; and Xellie A., at home. Mr. Cole had become identified with business interests of Danville prior to the Ci\il war and has been connected with various lines. At different times he has been engag'ed in the li\ery Ijusiness and in dealing in saddlery, harness and hardware. For a quarter of a century he was an active repre- sentative of trade interests here, but for stime years he has lived retired, enjoying a well merited rest. He has bought lots and built three good residences in Danville and has thus helped to improxe the town. In ])olitics Mr. Cole is known as an earpest and stalwart Democrat, following the political footsteps of his father, while his sons have also followed the example of their father in this respect. He has voted for each presi- dential nominee of the Democratic party with the exception of the time when be was in the armv and gave his support to Abraham- Lincoln. When a young man he was elected and served as constable and was assistant THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 09 1 United States assessor of internal revenue during the administration of Andrew John- son. He never was. however, a poHtician in the sense of office seeking-, preferring to give his attention to his business interests. He and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian church of Danville. His entire life has been passed in this city which has since developed almost from a country cross- roads village until it has become one of the leading metropolitan centers of this great commonwealth. In its improvements and progress he has manifested a deep interest and has given hearty co-operation to many measures for the general good. PERRY FRAZIER, Throughout the greater part of his busi- ness career Perry F"razier has been identi- fied with the agricultural and commercial in- terests of A^ermilion count}-, but at the present time is practically living a retired life in the city of Georgetown, where he was born November 13, 1838. His parents were Abner and INIary (Millican) Frazier, of whom more extended mention is made in the sketch of John Frazier on another page of this volume. During his boyhood and youth our sub- ject became thoroughly familiar with agri- cultural pursuits, and at an early age took charge of his father's farm. During the first year it was under his manag-ement he raised fifty head of fine hogs, which was a very unusual number for that time, and he continued to operate the farm with good suc- cess until his marriage. At the ag-e of twenty-one he wedded Miss Eliza J. Patty, a daughter of Eli and Catherine (Hoover) Pattv. natives of Indiana. ]Mr. Frazier then rented the home place for se\-eral years, when on account of his wife's failing health he removed to Butler. Bates county, ]\Iissouri, where he conducted a meat market for two years. His wife gradually declined instead of recovering as they had hoped, and soon after selling his market she died and he broug-ht her remains back to Georgetown for interment. She left two sons : Xorman W., now a resident of Cayuga. Indiana: and Jay M., who is mentioned below. The wife of the former is now deceased and his children, Lucile, Lester and Rose, now make their home w-ith his parents and brother. On his retiu'n to \'erniilion county, Mr. Frazier again rented his father's farm, re- maining- there for fourteen years. In the meantime he was united in marriage to ]Miss Mary J. Moore, a daughter of John and Hannah Moore, who. lived near Georgetown. Airs, Frazier died on June 24. 1901, and our subject now makes his home in George- town, occupying a pleasant residence only a half mile north of the square on the Dan- \-ille & Georgetown electric line. L'pon the ]ilace is a large barn, office and considerable fruit of all kinds. Besides his home Air; Frazier owns considerable other property, including thirteen acres in the Heights of Georgetown, east of the trolley line, which is not yet platted. He has eighteen acres west of the line, which has been laid off in town lots, averaging sixty by one hundred and twenty feet, with a street in front forty feet ■\\-ide and an allev in the rear ten feet wide. He also has forty-one and a half acres on section 30, Georgetown township. Air. Frazier has always been a hard working man and in his undertakings has met with a fair degree of success, which how enables him to lay aside active labor and spend the remainder of his life in ease and quiet, enjoying the comforts which former I092 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD toil lias bruiiglit to liini. He holds member- ship in the Friends church at Georgetown^ and is held in the highest respect and esteem bv all who know them. F. C. V. FARES. F. C. \'. l-'ares is one of the popular and well known residents of Danville, where he has resided for twenty-two years. He is en- gaged in Inisiness as a traveling salesman, representing a Hour hcnise in this citv. He u-as born in Cincinnati. Ohio, on the 8th of November. 1850, and is a son of Frank V. ami Kate (Waggoner) Fares, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Ohio. On coming to the new world the father set- tled in Cincinnati and subsequentlv he re- moved with his family to Evansville, Indi- ana, where he conducted a bottling factory, bottling pop, soda water and other soft drinks. There he resided until his death. His wife also passed away in Evansville. Mr. Fares of this review pursued his education in the schools of Cincinnati and Evansxille, acquiring a good knowledge of the branches of English and German learn- ing, which fit one for the duties of business life. He afterward turned his attention to merchandising, being connected with the dry-goods trade in Cincinnati for several years. Subsequently he went to Evansville, Indiana, and there he conducted a dry-goods store until his removal to Dan\-ille. On lo- cating in this city he accepted a position as salesman in a well known dry-goods house^ remaining in that employ for six years, after which he accepted the position of manager of the firm of Abdilla & Brown, acting in that capacity for four years. He was ne.xt assistant secretary and physical director for the Young Men's Christian Association of Danville for a short period and in 1893 he went upon the road as a traveling s;desman for the Hour bouse. In this business he has since continued and is very popular among the many customers whnm he has secured because of his obliging manner, unfailing courtesy and reliable business methods. His business allows him to make a visit to his home once a month. Mr. Fares' family reside at No. 611 Douglas avenue. He was married in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1885. to Miss Mary Purdy, a native (if tliat city, born in 1856, and a daughter of Major George H. and Rachel B. (Soule) Purdy. the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Terre Haute. During the early ])art of their married life they resided near Roches- ter, Xew '^'ork, and then removed to Terre Haute, Indiana, where Major Purdy secured a position as manager in a packing house, being thus emjiloyed until after the inaug- uration of the Civil war. He then enlisted in the Lnicm armv with the r;mk of cajjtain, served for three years as a major and was mustered out with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After tlie war he returned to his home in Terre Haute, where he engaged in the commission business until bis retirement from business life. Both he and his wife still reside in that city, where he is widely kn(nvn as a pioneer settler and an honorable man, prominent in public affairs and exert- ing considerable infiuence in behalf of the city's welfare. 'J"he Soule family was also established in Terre Haute at an early day and is well known in that city. The home of Mr. and Mrs. I-'ares has been blessed with two children, Robert P., born Decemljer 2. 1886. and Helen, bom June 28. t888. Both Mr. and ?klrs. I'ares hold membership in the Baptist church of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1093 Dainille, taking an acti\e part in its work, contributing liberally to its support, and at tbe present time JMr. Fares is serving as one of its trustees. In politics he is a stanch Re- publican, never faltering in his allegiance to the party. Socially he is idetititred with the Knights of Pythias, the Royal Circle, of Danville, and with the Traveling Men's Pro- tective Association. His deference for the opinion of others, his kindliness, his geniality and his genuine personal worth have made him a favorite with a large circle of friends and his wife, too, enjoys the esteem of all who know her. TAY :\I. FRAZIER. Jay M. Frazier is one of the leading young business men of Georgetown, where he is now engaged in the real estate business, meeting with excellent success. He has recently purchased fifty-two acres of land, a ])art of which lies within the corporate limits of the town, paying for this one hun- dred and fifty dollars per acre. The tract is one of the finest adjoining the village and it has already doubled in value since it came into the possession of Mr. Frazier. He gave the right of way along this tract to the Dan- ville anil Paxton electric line, believing it would greatly aid in the upbuilding and advancement of the city. He expects to plat and build upon a part of his late purchase. He has erected many houses, which he subsequently sold on payments, and at the present writing, in 190J. has several in course of construction. He is also erecting a larg-e and well appointed greenhouse near his residence and will soon be ready to furnish all kinds of flowers and shrubs to order. He is a witle-awake. energetic busi- ness man, tlioronghlv progressive and up-to- date, and well deserves the success that is attending his efforts. . In 1892 Mr. Frazier married ^liss Grace Parker of Georgetown, and they reside on the home place with his father. She is a member of the Friends church. In politics Mr. Frazier is a Republican and is now serv- ing as a member of the \illage board with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. JAMES M. GARNER. James 'M. Garner, who for a third of a century was an active and enterprising farmer in Illinois but is now living retired in Sidell, was bom in Clinton county, Ohio, on the loth of August, 181S. The family is of Engiish ancestry, having been established in Xorth Carolina at an early day. Captain James Garner, the great-grandfather of our suliject. was born in England and determin- ing to become a resident of the new world crossed the Atlantic upon one of the old time sailing vessels and became a resident of Xorth Carolina when the work of improve- ment and progress in that state was in its infancy. He became the owner of an exten- sive plantation and a large number of slaves, and was a prominent man of his locality. The grandfather of our subject was John Fushe Garner, a native of North Carolina, and James Garner, the father of our subject, was also born in that state. There he was reared and as a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose ^lary ^loon, a native of Xorth Carolina and a daughter of Joseph Moon, who was likewise born in the same state, also of English lineage. James Gar- ner emigrated from X^orth Carolina to Ten- nessee, and about 181 1 became a resident of Ohio, settling in Clinton county, which was 1094 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD then a vast wilderness. The entire jounie_\" was made l)y waggon and lie took with him eig'lit head of Iiorses and eleven cattle, hut all of his cattle were stolen while in Kentucky. His horses died soon after reaching Ohio and he then traded his wagon for another horse. For some years he found it very diffi- cult to provide for his family in the new home, for pioneer conditions existed and many hardships and trials were to be borne. He had only one neighbor living within ten miles of him. After reaching Clinton coun- ty he purchased some land from which he cleared away the trees and thus in the midst of the forest he hewed out a farm. After gaining a start he returned to Tennessee, made some collections upon old debts and disposed of some property there. He thus secured about four hundred dollars in silver. With this amount he returned to Ohio and it was probably his great size and strength that prevented him being rol^bed or mur- dered for his money. He was more than six feet in height and \veighcell, who is a photographer by profession, now has charge of the Collett Home for or- phans, situated two miles east of Cayuga, Indiana. He is married and has one son and one dauglitcr. Lou Canipi)cll. the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I lOI youngest of the family, married ^^'. C. Cook, a farmer living near Quaker, Indiana, and they have two sons, one married and the other single. Mr. Cook is a very successful man, owning a large farm, and is engaged in raising standard bred stock. W. L. Campbell, of this re\-iew, was reared and educated in this county, and in early life learned the carpenter's trade, which he has followed more or less throughout his entire business career, having built fourteen houses in Georgetown. Among them is a twelve room house for Mr. Pritchard, and one each for Mr. Robb and Mr. Kilgore. On the 20th of November, 1866, Air. Campbell was united in marriage to Aliss Jennie Poole, whose parents were John T. and Mary (Newman) Poole, of Terre Haute, Indiana. Her father engaged in merchandis- ing and also the cooperage business and was one of the first temperance organizers of his time. After the country became involved in Civil war he entered the ser\ice in 1862 as <|uartermaster sergeant and remained at the front until hostilities ceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were born fi\e children, all of whom are now grown, namely : Oscar K. married ]\Iabel Drury and resides in Gib- bon, Nebraska, where he carries on business as a barber and dealer in grain. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at that place. C. A., the second son, is employed in a sugar factory in Loveland. Colorado. Minnie is the wife of E. L. Hiberly, a successful lawyer and real estate dealer of Taconia, Washington. Gertrude is now with her parents. William Albert, a graduate of the Vermilion Academy, was studying law when he succumbed to con- sumption which followed a hemorrhage some eighteen months previous, and he passed away March 3, 1898. In his social relations Mr. Campbell is a member of Ridgefarm Lodge, No. 632, F. & A. M., of which order three of his brothers also belonged. His daughter, Mrs. Hiberly, is a member of Ben Hur Lodge of Tacoma, \\'ashington, and is connected with the Friends church, as was also her brother Will- iam A., while another brother is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and the third of the Methodist church. Miss Gertrude is a member of the Christian church and the Royal Circle of Georgetown. In politics Mr. Campbell is a Prohibitionist and takes a deep interest in the temperance cause. At five different times he held the office of assessor of Eugene township, Vermilion county. Indiana, serving with credit to him- self and to the entire satisfaction of all con- cerned. Being a good penmen his books were always neatly kept. At the age of forty-two years Mr. Camp- bell was con\-erted and joined the Cumber- land Presbyterian church. Three years later he became a candidate for the ministry and being licensed to preach the same year he at once entered upon his ministrial labors, tak- ing a regular ecclesiastical course of study in the church of his denomination. At the age of tifty-three he was set apart and or- dained and has since engaged in preaching within the bounds of the Foster Presbytery, delivering- about two hundred sermons each year. He has also preached two hundred and forty funeral sermons, has married one hun- dred and eighty couples ; taken about two hundred and sixty members into the church ; ordained fourteen elders and twelve deac- ons. Between the 1st of April, 1901. and the 1st of April. 1902, he delivered forty- two funeral sermons and seven since that time. He now has charge of two congrega- tions, one at Cayuga. Indiana and the other at Liberty, Illinois, and is an untiring worker in the Master's vinevard. His life is exem- II02 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD plary in all respects and lie ever supports those interests wliicli are calculated to u]ilift and benefit humanity, while his own high moral worth is deserving of the highest commendation. He and his family are among the most esteemed and influential citi- zens of the eastern ]iart (if \'ermilion ciiuiity WILL H. YORK. Will M. ^'(lrk has for some years past been a resilient of Hoopeston. but recently was ap])ointed to the position of turnkey in the county jail and therefore expects to make Dan\-il]e his home, at least through the succeeding four years, which will cover his incumbency in that ]3ostion. Mr. York was born in Montgomery county. Indiana, on the 26th of May, 1865, a son of Abraham and Isabel (Washburn) York. The father was a native of Ohio and for twenty-five years engaged in the livery business in Wayne- town. Indiana, in which place our subject's birth occurred. He has a brother and two sisters : John. Mrs. Lizzie Knox, of Hoopes- ton, and Mrs. Lucy Brant, of Veedersburg, Indiana. In Waynetovvu. Indiana. Will H. York pursued his education and when about eighteen years of age he entered a drugstore in Waynetown as a clerk, being employed in that capacity for a number of years. Leav- ing his native city in 1891 he went to Chica- go where for four months he was employed in the Lakeside restaurant. In the fall of 1 891 he came to Hoopeston and for four years thereafter was employed in the Illinois Canning factory as a box-maker and at gen- eral work. In i8g6 he was appointed night watch for the city, acting in that capacity until i8()8 when he was put on the day force. In i()oo he was appointed deputy sheriff by James Sloan, for Grant township, and in .\ugust. igo[. he captured a man who had escaped from the Fort Madison, Iowa, peni- tentiary, and for whom a reward of fifty dollars was offered. In 1902 he was ap- pointed turnkey of the county jail under H. H. Whitlock, for a term of four years. Mr. York was married in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1895, to Miss Maggie Hoffman, the wedding being celebrated on the loth of June, of that year. She was born in New York city. May 6, 1870, and when nine years of age was adopted !jy R. T. Miskimens, of Hoopeston. She has one brother, Conrad Hofifman, of this city. By her marriage she has Isecome the mother of three children : Richard, born .^pril 25. 1896; Jean, who died at the age of twenty-two months ; and Dorothy, born May 24, 1900. In his polit- ical views I\[r. York has always been a stanch Republican, earnest and unfaltering in sup- port of the party, and he is equally faithful and loyal in the performance of his duties as a public official. He belongs to Hooi>eston Lodge, No. 709. A. F. (ft A. AI., the ^Modern Woodmen of .America and the Independent Order of Foresters, also of Hoopeston. T. S. CHRISTMAN. J. S. Christman, \ice-president of the Commercial Trust (S: Savings Bank of Dan- ville, Illinois, was born in Warren county, Indiana, and in 1876 moved from Indianap- olis. Indiana, to Illinois. He was employed by ^\'. J. Henderson & Company, general merchants of Ross\-ille. Illinois, for a period of three years; in 1879 began farming and stock-raising : later on began a banking busi- ness with W.T.Cunninoham under the name THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 103 of the Citizens Bank at Rossville and has continued farming operations to the present time. In 1890 the Citizens Bank was re- organized as the First National Bajik of Rossville, with Samuel CoUison, president : T. Collison, vice-president; and George E. Grays, cashier; and Mr. Christman is serv- ing on the board of directors. posit vault in the county. The establish- ment of the institution, including the remod- eling of the building, the installation of the safety vaults and the securing of the office fixtures, cost thirteen thousand six hundred and sixty-eight dollars, and is by far the best equipped bank in the county. Success has crowned the efforts of the concern since its opening, as its statement for the first five weeks was as follows : THE COMMERCIAL TRUST & SAV- INGS BANK. The Commercial Trust & Savings Bank of Danville was organized December 27, 1902, with the following officers : W. T. Cunningham, president; J. S. Christman, vice-president ; T. F. Christman, cashier ; John L. Hamilton, vice-president ; and S. G. Wilson, general counsel. The board of di- rectors is composed of James A. Cunning- ham. F. M. Gundy, S. G. Wilson, J. S. Christman, O. P. Clark, Richard Clipson, J. W. Plasten, Ora Green, W. T. Cunning- ham, G. Maier, T. F. Christman and Charles A. Feor. The bank was capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars. This institution was organized December 27, 1902. and took possession of its present quarters, January 22, 1903, in the building at No. 28 Vermilion street, which was re- modeled for this purpose. The institution was organized with an independent and orig- inal idea of banking, making a specialt)^ of of the savings and trust departments and paying three and a half per cent, interest on accounts. It is equipped with the latest im- proved burglar-proof Corless safe, unique in design and stvle: also equipped with a splendid burglar-proof safety deposit vault, containing four hundred private box- es. This is without doubt the only safety de- 46 RESOURCES. Loans and discounts $ 96,183.00 Overdrafts 1 15.00 Bonds and securities 15,000.00 Banking house furnishings. . ; . . 13,668.00 Due from banks 58,016.00 Cash and sight exchange 26,598.00 $209,580.00 LIABILITIES. Capital stock $100,000.00 Undivided profits 313.00 Time deposits 16,688.00 Demand deposits 92,579.00 $209,580.00 * This is a remarkable showing which ar- gues well for the future. The trust depart- ment of this institution has been established for the purpose of handling estates, etc. There is also a burglar proof insurance. CHARLES SNIDER. Charles Snider, whose horticultural in- terests are bringing to him a creditable and gratifying competence, is a representative of one of the old and honored pioneer families of Vermilion county. More than seventy years ago his father, John Snider, built a 1 104 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD log cabin upon the larm wliere our sulijcct now resides. It was in tliat pioneer liomc tliat Charles Snider was bom on the 13th of December, 1843, '^'^ parents being John and Mary (Blount) Snider, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Mus- kingum county, Ohio, her father being Charles Blount, for whom the township in Vermilion county was named. The father of our subject removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio with his parents and then emigrated to this state, making the trip on horseback accompanied by his wife and three small children. He arrived here in 1824 and es- tablished his home in the midst of the forest. He entered a quarter section of land and built the log house which is still standing. The country was then the haunt of the In- dians wlio held their meetings and also made sugar near the log cabin home of the Snider family. The entire district was scarcely fit for the habitation of white men, for the land was full of sloughs and ponds. There were large herds of deer and many kinds of smal- ler game which furnished the early settlers with meat. Mr. Snider lived to rear his family and see the country develop from the wild region of the frontier into a splendidly improved district. His life history, with all its pioneer experiences, if written in detail would lill a \(ilume, and c\en then the young- er generation could not fully realize what hardships and trials were endured by the pioneer settlers. To them they owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid, for they laid broad and deep the foundation for the present development and progress of the countv. Johp Snider assisted in felling the trees, in clearing the land and aided in or- ganizing the township. He was born in the year 1797 and passed away November 13, 18,49. I^is '^^'^^ survi\ed him for several years and died in the '70s. Our sui)ject was the seventh of their nine children, only four of whom are now living : Mrs. Isaac Nor- man, a widow who resides in Livingston county, Illinois; John B., of Blount town- ship: Charles, of this review; and Mrs. James H. Gilland, a resident of Kansas. The deceased are Asa, Ellen, Hannah, Samuel and Wesley. Samuel died during the war of the Rebellion. Charles Snider pursued his education in a subscription school held in a log building, supplied with the usual slab benches and with greased paper windows. He assisted in clearing the home farm. ]ierforming the arduous lal)ors of field and meadows through the summer months, while in the winter season he pursued his studies. He continued to work on the home farm until after the Civil war began. He was only about eigh- teen years of age when on the loth of Au- gust, 1862, he ofifered his services to the government, enlisting as a member of Com- pany D, Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry, under the command of Captain William Timmons and Colonel William P. Chandler. The regiment was sent to St. Louis and then to Kentucky, and he participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamaiiga, Mission Ridge and Peach Tree Creek. At the last named he was wounded, losing his left index finger. He also participated in a large num- ber of skirmishes and served for three years. The regiment then returned to Springfield, Illinois, where he was honorably discharged and mustered out on the 20th of June. 1865. In the meantime he had participated in the grand review at Washinglon. D. C... the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere. At the close of the war Mr. Snider re- sumed farm work and stockraising, and in order to have a home of his own he was mar- ried on the 23d of October, i8(')3, the lady THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 105 of his choice heing Miss Margaret Ahhands, who was born in Catlin township, June 27, 1845, ^"^ 's a daughter of Albert and Mar- tha. (Willheight) Allhands, who were na- tives of IHinois, but both are now deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Snider were Iwrn nine clihdren ; George W., who has departed this hfe; Nellie, who became the wife of Charles Bailey and died leaving three chil- dren; James, who is living on the li'6me farm and married Emma Hilleary. by whom he had three children, Goldie, Otis and Glenn; John, deceased ; Ollie, who became the wife of George Reeder and died leaving a daugh- ter, Daisy; William, Charlie, Julia and Dan- iel all of whom have passed away. The third child, James, is the only surviving one of tlie nine children, and he rents his father's farm. All. liowever. reached adult age with the exception of the two youngest. Mrs. Snider departed this life March 11, 1894. She was a devoted and loving wife and mother and a most estimable lady. Mr. Snider continued farming on the old homestead, but is now practically living re- tired. He helped to clear about one hun- dred acres of land here and has witnessed many changes in the county, in the modes of life and the methods of farming. His first plow was a single shovel, and a single line harness was used. He planted corn by hand was often assisted in this way, and he cut the grain with a cradle. The first trading ])oint of the family \vas Chicago, and later they traded at Perrysville, Indiana, our sub- ject hauling- his grain to that place. There were few luxuries enjoyed by the early set- tlers, and sometimes they were denied the comforts of life, but as the years passed and the country became more thickly settled such comforts were more easily obtained and the hardships of the frontier were done away with. Mr. Snider never had a tailor-made suit of clothes until after he was grown, the family doing all the spinning and weaving, after which the clothes were made by the mothers and daughters. The shoes were al- so made at home by a traveling shoemaker and each member of the family had but one pair a year. Johnnycake was one of the prin- cipal articles of diet, and was made by plac- ing it upon a smooth board which was then set before the fire to bake. Other articles of food were cooked in the pots and kettles which hung from the crane over the fire- l^lace. The first cookstove owned by the family was called a step-stove, the legs being eighteen inches high. Air. Snider has also helped to dip candles before the time when candle molds came into use. He can also remember how punk was picked from the timber and how flint and tow were used in striking a fire. As the years have passed all of these pioneer conditions have given way before the advancement of civilization, and Mr. Snider has kept abreast with the prog- ress of the times. He to-day owns forty- three and one-half acres of valuable land on w hich he is making a specialty of the raising of fruit, including peaches, apples and plums.* He is practically retired from farm life, but yet lives upon the old home place where he was born. He has served as road super- visor for two terms and as school director for about three terms, and he belongs to the Modern Woodmen Camp at Snider. He is justly regarded as one of the substantial citi- zens of his township and well deserves honor- able ancl prominent mention in the history of the Past and Present of \'ermilion County. ANDREW J. SIBREL. Andrew J. Sibrel, one of the practical and thrifty farmers of Vermilion county, own- ing three valuable tracts of land, all in Butler I io6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD township, now makes his Iionie on section 15, near the village of Rankin. In February. 1867, lie arrived in Illinois and has since been a resident of this county. He was born in Brown county, Ohio, August 4. 1840. His father, l-'rederick Sibrcl. was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1791 and was a son of Nicholas Sibrel, who became one of the early settlers of that county. The grand- father of our subject was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, \-aliantly aiding in the struggle for American independence. Fred- erick Sibrel was reared in his native county and was there maried to Miss Anna Pence a native of Adams county, Ohio. Through- out his active business life he carried on agricultural pursuits, save when he respond- ed to iiis country's call for aid. having been a soldier of the war of 1812 and again in the wars with the Creek Indians. Fie resided for many years in Brown and Adams counties. Ohio, but in later life he became a resident of Illinois, settling here in 1873. He spent liis last years among his children, dying in Vermilion county in 1881, at the ripe old age of nearly ninety years. His wife had ])assed away in Ohio in 1871. In their family were three children, all of whom are living, the subject of this review being the youngest. The father was twice married and by his first imion he had seven children, but only one of that family survive. In the state of his nativity A. J. Sibrel spent the davs of his boyhood and youth, assisting in the work of the home farm. To .some extent he attended the cotuiuon schools but his education has largely been accpiired through reading, observation and experience. He was married in .\(lams cimnty. ( )liio. October 31, 1861, to Miss FJizabcth Pence, a native of that county, reared and educUed there. Iler father, J-Jenjamin Pence, was also l)orn in Ohio, and his wife bore the maiden name of Drucilla Brad)'. -She was a relative of Captain lirady, the noted Indian fighter. In 1862 Mr. Sibrel left his young wife ;m(l went to the field of battle, joining the Se\'cntietli Ohio Inf;mtrv as a member of Comi)anv K. the regiment was attached tt) the army of the Tennessee and the first b.'ittle in which he participated was at Shiloh. lie was also in the engagement at Corinth and in the Vicksburg" campaign, including the siege and capture of the city. Later he was in the second battle of Jack.son. Mississippi, where he narrowly escaped death. A six poimd shot pierced his clothing and carried away the picture of his wife and child from the pocket of his blouse, but he was not wounded. Later he returned to \"icksl)urg and afterward went to Memphis and was in the battle of Chattanooga. From there the command was ordered to Knoxville to re- lieve Burnsides and later took part in the .\llanta cami)aign. including the battle of Resaca and other important engagements, ending with the capture of the city of Atlanta. With Sherman's celebrated army Mr. Sibrel marched to the sea and his di- vision under General Hazen charged upon and ca])tured Fort Mc.Mlister. After the capture of these jilaces .Mr. Sibrel's company presented him with a fine sword, which he still retains and prizes very highly. He aided in the capture of Savannah and sub- sequentlv marched through Richmond and on to Washington, where he participatcil in the grand re\ie\v at the close of the war. The regiment \v;is then ordered to Louis- ville, Kentucky, and from there to Little Rock. Arkansas, where after doing guard dutv for a \vhile .\lr. Sibrel was mustered out on the 4th of .\ugust, 1865. Returning home he was honor;ibly discharged at Camp nennisoii. .August 26. i86v He joined the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 107 army as a private, was pronioted to the rank of first sergeant and later to that of first lieutenant, ser\'ing in that capacity until tlie close of the war. He was a member of the army for three years and eight months and was ever found at his post of duty. He spent no time in the hospital and during his furlough he veteranized, for he had resolved to see the close of the war and the final tri- umph of the union arms. When this splendid result was accom- plished Mr. Sibrel returned to his Ohio home, where he engaged in farming for a year and early in the spring of 1867 he came to Illinois, settling in Vermilion county. For a time he leased a tract of land, which he broke and fenced, opening up a good farm. Later he purchased a part of that place and also added other lands, until he had a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he made excellent iinpro\-ements. Subse- quently he sold a part of that and made other purchases and to-day he owns one hundred and twenty acres of the old home place, a second farm of eighty acres and the farm of forty acres upon which he resides, and all of this land is under a high state of culti- \'ation and well improved with substantial buildings. He commenced life in Illinois a poor man, but he has worked earnestly and long' and his labors have been the means of bringing to him splendid success. His property interests are now valuable and re- turn to him a good income and he is ac- counted one of the substantial agriculturists of Butler township. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Sibrel has been blessed \vith six children : Minnie L., now the wife of Jacob Corbin of Oklahoma : Arthur F., who is married and follows farming on his father's land : .Andrew J., who is married and operates the old home place: Charles E., who is married and li\'es in Oklahoma; Etha 1., who is the wife of Granville Martin, of Oklahoma; and Oscar \V., who is married and resides with his parents. They also lost several children : Celia E., who dietl in Ohio at the age of four years ; Sherman, who died at the age of two years; one that died in infancy; Cora, who died at the age of nineteen years ; and Hallie Daisy, who died at the age of seventeen years. Mr. Sibrel cast his first presidential vote for General George B. McClellan, while in the army in 1864 and has always been a stalwart Jackson Democrat, voting for each presidential nominee of the party. At local elections, howe\-er, he is independent, cast- ing his ballot for the men and measures that he belie\-es will best promote the general good. He was elected and served for six years as commissioner of highways, for three years as township collector, and for four years he was postmaster of Rankin under President Cleveland's second administration. He has served altogether for nine years as a memljer of the county board of supervisors, acting in that ca])acity during the last period for six consccuti\'e years. He has frequently been a delegate to county, congressional and state conventions of his party and he has always been found a capable officer, prompt and loyal in the dispatch of his duties. Both he and his wife are members of the Free Methodist church at Sugar Grove. He is serving as one of its officers and has been a lav delegate to si.x or more of the annual conventions of the church and was sent to Chicage as a delegate during the convention from October 12 to 26, 1898. Mr. Sibrel has long witnessed the growth and progress of the county and at all times has been deqjly interested in what it has accomplished along lines of impro\'emcnt. The qualities which made him a good soldier Iia\'e also made him iio8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD a good citizen aud lie is justly accounted one of the representative men of Butler town- ship. ♦ » » JOHN J. CAMPBELL. John J. Campbell, a, prominent and well known farmer and stock-raiser of Vermilion county, was born March i, 1854. in Newell township and spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm.. He is a son of Corydon H. Campbell, who was born in Seneca coun- ty, New York, December 19, 1825. The paternal ^grandparents of our subject were John and Elmira (Hewett) Campbell. Corydon Campbell in early life largely lived in the west where he was engaged in driving stock, and in 1840 he went to Missouri where he remained for seven years. In the meantime he bought and drove hogs to the Cherokee Nation of the Indian Territory and returned with cattle to Milwaukee, Wis- consin, taking herds through from the Nation to Milwaukee. For many years he devoted his attention largely to the breeding of blooded stock and he was regarded as one of the best judges of stock in his portion of the country, while his reputation as a breeder extended over hun- dreds of miles. He was particularly well known to the farming and stock-raising class and his business interests became extensive. A man of literary tastes he always read ex- tensively and was well posted on general sul)- jects as well as upon matters relating to his particular line of business. He had a great liking for and was a breeder of fine grades of shorthorn cattle and owned excellent herds of this stock during his pioneer resi- dence in Vermilion county. While con- trolling and carrying on an extensive busi- ness he also found time and opportunity to devote to the general good and was identi- fied with the upbuilding of schools and churcljes here, in fact was ever ready to further any movement calculated to promote the general welfare. Corydon Campbell has been three times married. He first wedded Julia A. Howard, on the nth of November, 1849, ^"^' "" the 1st of August, 1850, he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife. On the 22d of Noven-tber, 1852. he wedded Mary A. Brittingham, who died March 13, 1869, and on the ist of January, 1870, he wedded Sarah E. Currant. In his declining years Corydon Campbell has lived a retired life. There is probadly no man in Vermilion county more widely known, for from pioneer times to the present he has taken an active and helpful interest in every- thing pertaining to its development and prog- ress. Many men have called upon him for counsel and his advice has been freely given. He has been a faithful and helpful neighbor and citizen and the qualities of his manhootl have been such as to commend him to the confidence and regard of all with whom he has been associated. His life history, if written in detail, would make a most read- able chapter not free from exciting incidents for during his residence in the southwest he had many experiences beyond the ordinary ones, John J. Campbell is the eldest of three sons, the others being Joseph B. and Ben- jamin. Having acquired a common school education, at the age of nineteen he entered college at Crawfords\ilIe, Indiana, where he spent one year. He then engaged "in farm- ing on his own account for sixteen years, after which he removed to Danville and be- came connected with the grocery trade, in which he was very successful. For four years he conducted this business, after which he returned to his farm in Xewcll townsliip, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 109 residing for some time in his attractive home there, a well appointed brick resilience in which he was surrounded with all the com- forts of life. His farm consisted of four hundred and ninet3'-three acres of the best improved land in Vermilion county and on it are substantial and commodious buildings. Like his father Mr. Campbell is an excellent judge of stock and is well read on the subject. His opinions regarding stock are seldom if ever at fault and he has been extensively interested in dealing in shorthorn cattle of the Bates and Pomoto breeds. He is also very fond of fine horses and has some excellent specimens of the Cleveland Bays. In partnership with his brothers he conducts a large meat business in Danville, the only packing house. They are carrying on an ex- tensive wholesale trade on West North street. Our subject is also interested in other enter- prises in Danville, owning a fourth interest in the Danville Democrat, which is one of the popular and largest circulated news- papers of the county. Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Catherine Gernand, who was born October 17, 1856, a daughter of John H. and Lena (Homan) Gernand, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, and became pioneer settlers of Vermilion county, at which time they took up their abode on a farm a mile north of Danville, where the father is still living. The mother passed away October 16, 1863. Mrs. Campbell was educated in Dan- ville and there reared to womanhood. She is the eldest in a family of three children and has become the mother of four children : Charles G., who married Miss Nellie Dale, a daughter of John W. Dale, of Danville; Stella E., the wife of J. E. Dick, of Craw- fordsville, Indiana ; and Nellie A. and Nettie at home. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Masonic fraternity and in his political views is a Democrat. He is pre-eminently a man of affairs and his life is typical of the pro- gressive and growing spirit of the west. I'^rom his boyhood down to the present he has been active in business affairs, making the most of his opportunities, utilizing every advantage and thus progressing on the road to wealth and afiluence. ADDISON E. CODDINGTON. The field of political and militarv life is limited. Its honors can be won by few, but the opportunities of business are limitless and the man of strong purpose and laudable ambition whose business methods are honor- able and principles are correct can steadily advance until he finds himself among the leading representatives of trade interests in the community in which he makes his home. Such has been the course of Addison E. Coddington. He was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, August 15, 1858, and comes of one of the 'early American families that was founded in the new world in colonial days. The ancestry can be traced back to William Coddington, who was governor of Rhode Island, and the descendants of his family are now very numerous. Robert Coddington, the father of our subject, was born in Bath, Steuben county, New York, August 14, 1824, and at an early day went to Cleveland, Ohio, with his par- ents, who died in that city. At the age of fifteen he began earning his own livelihood and although his educational privileges were somewhat meager and his financial advan- tages were naught, he possessed ambition and industry and upon that foundation he builded his success. For a few \-ears he was II lO THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ei)iploye(l in |)acking houses, lixing first in Cincinnati and afterward in St. Louis. In i860 he Ijccame a representative of the retail grocery business, in wliich he continued un- til 1868. when he l)ecame a wholesale {jrocer and in 1875 established the lirst wholesale grocery house in Danville. As the years advanced he built up an extensive busi- ness which not only proved of value to him- self, but greatly added In the ])r(igress and commercial prosperity of this city. The enterprise was conducted under the tirm name of R. Coddington & Company until 1889. when, on account of failing heaitli, Mr. Coddington went to the west, locating in Kearney, Nebraska, while his partners, i'eyton & Palmer, succeeded in the business. Mr. Coddington, however, continued in the wholesale grocery trade in Kearney until his death in A])ril, 1900. In early manhood Robert Coddington had married Miss Eliza Northan. a native of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and they became the parents of five children : Addison E. ; Mrs. E. A. Barnett, of Chicago, Illinois; Robert, who married Ida Cummings and lives with his mother; Mrs. Hollings- wfirth, who is also with her mother; and iMuma. who died al the age of seven years. Robert Coddington was a man of marked business ability and great personal worth. .\long the lines of consecutive endeavor he won prosperity and his name was ever a synonym for straightforward dealing in all business transactions. Addi.son E. Coddington obtained a com- mon school education in jeffersonville, Indi- ana, and completed the high-school course there. When he put aside his text books he entered his father's wholesale grocery house and has since been identified with this line f)f commercial activity. He was with his father in Kearney but on account of failing health retiu'ucd to l)an\ille and with his knowledge of the business he entered the present firm and now manages the extensive trade of the Danville Wholesale Grocery Company, of which he is the president. This firm is represented by four tra\eling sales- men u])on the road and two men who look after the city trade. The building occupieil by the company is located cjn the south side of the Wabash & Cairo division of the Big I'Our Railroad tracks and on the west is a side track from the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois Railroad so that excellent shi])ping facilities are afforded. There is also a frontage of one hundred and ninety-nine feet on North street. The favorable lo- cation ot the house saves the company a large amount of drayage and the contents of a dozen cars can be handled in a few hours. The btiilding is a modem stnicture, equipped throughout with every conven- ience for facilitating the work. The busi- ness has reached extensive and profitable proportions and the practical exi)erience of Mr. Coddington and his marked business enterprise have been the controlling factors in the success of the house. On the 17th of November, 1885, oc- curred llic marriage of Addison E. Codding- ton and Miss Fannie Brown, of Crawfords- ville, Indiana, a daughter of one of the prominent families of that i)lace. Her father, John S. Urown, engaged in pork {jacking at an early day and later devoted his energies to general merchandising, in which he continued until 1880, since which linic he has lived retired. He married Miss Anna Blair, also of Indiana and they be- came the parents of two children, but the son is deceased. Mrs. Coddington, who was the younger, was born Novem!)er 6, 1859, and obtained her education in the home schools of Crawfordsville, Indiana. She is now the mother of four children: Helen THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 1 1 Blair, wlio is now a student in tlie Danville liigh school ; Addison, Clara Brown and Mary Vance, all yet under the parental roof. A prominent Mason, Mr. Coddington has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite, belonging to Oriental Consis- tory and he is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. He votes the Republican ticket and with his family attends the services of the Episcopalian church. Success is an innate attribute in the individual and no matter in how much fantastic theorizing one may indulge regarding success, the fact staterl always stands unquestioned. It is true that Mr. Coddington entered u]J(mi a business in early life that was already established, but an understanding of business principles, a power of capable management and of keen discernment cannot be inlierited. These nnist be de\eloped through exi)erience and labor and the effort which he put forth mastered business principles and to control capably the interests which he had charge resulted in making him one of the foremost re])resentatives of trade circles now living in Danville. His wdrtli in commercial life is widely acknowledged and the means which he employed in securing success are such as may profitably be followed by all wlio desire advancement in commercial lines. DANIEL BROWN. Among the men whose labor long con- tinued and well applied has brought to them a competence sufficient to enable them to now rest from further toil is luimbered Daniel Browm, of Hoopeston. He was born in Westmorelancl county, Pennsylvania, in 1(837. His father, George Brown, was like- wise a native of that state and was of Irish descent. His birth occurred here in 1795 and he passed away in 1866. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rachel Karr, was born in Pennsylvania in 1790 and she, too. was of Irish lineage. In the family of this worthy couple were originally eleven chil- dren, of whom our subject is the youngest. He now has but one sur\'iving brother, George W. Brown, a resident of Indianap- olis, and the sisters have all passed away. Daniel Brown was quite young when he accompanied his parents on their remov- al from Pennsylvania to Clark county, Ohio. The father followed farming near Springfield and our subject provided for his own support during a part of his residence in that locality by chopping wood for twenty-five cents per cord. When he was nineteen years of age the family removed to McLean county, Illinois, arriving in April, 1856. Two years later Daniel Brown left home and made preparations for having a home of his own by his marriage to Sarah E. Tucker, whose ])eople were Virginians. Her grandfather, Stephen Tucker, was a slaveholder of the Old Dominion, but in the '40s he freed his slaves and removed to Ohio. Some of the freedmen, liowever, accompanied him and remained with him in the free state. The family was a very prominent one in Virginia. The father was a stage driver in Ohio at an early day and later he came to Illinois, but after a few years he returned to Ohio where he died. His first wife passed away when Mrs. Brown was but two years of age. She was born in Zanes\'ille, Ohio, in 1838. Her pa- rents had but two children and the sister of Mrs. Brown is now deceased. After the death of his first wife her father married Miss Sarah Evert. At the time nf liis marriage Mr. Brown I I 12 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD liad but six dollars in money, and yet through the forty years of his married hfe he lias never pmxhased a single article on credit. In the year 1870 he came to Ver- milion county, before a railroad was built, and later he assisted in grading the Muncie & Bloomington road, now the Lake Erie «& Western Railroad. In 1870 he purchased land near East Lynn for thirteen dollars per acre. It was covered with wild prairie grass and the unbroken jirairie extended from his place to Hoopeston. He became the owner of eighty acres which he im- proved, developing a good farm four miles west of Hoopeston, and there he now has one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land. Removing to East Lynn he was en- gaged in the grain and stock business for twelve years, meeting with excellent suc- cess in his undertakings. He then worked at the carpenter's trade and was engaged in the construction of bridges throughout this part of the county. In the fall of 1894 he removed to Hoopeston, purchasing prop- erty on East Main street at the comer of Third street. Here he has done some carpen- try work, but largely looks after his farm- ing interests, his farm being rented and re- turning to him a fair income. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brown was celebrated in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1858, and has been blessed with two daugh- ters, Martha J. and Maggie. Both were well educated and successfully engaged in teaching prior to their marriage. The former is now the wfe of Nicholas Dold, a tailor of Indianapolis, Indiana, and the latter is the wife of E. R. Cole, who is deputy clerk of the comls at Crown Point, Indiana. For about thirty-fi\e years Mr. Brown has been a member of the Baptist church and through a long ])criod served as deacon of the church at East Lynn. In politics he is a stalwart Prohibitionist, and he has served as assessor, collector and highway commissioner in Fountain Creek township. Iroquois county. His life has been an honorable and upright one and in his his- tory there are no chapters which he wishes to disguise. On account of his health he spent the winters of 1901-02 in Florida. He- is now living retired in Hoopeston, where he and his wife occupy a very pleasant home in the midst of a large circle of friends. \\TLLL\:\I M. McMILLlX. William 'M. AIcMillin is a farmer and is a respected citizen of Blount township, where he has lived from early pioneer times, watching with interest the progress and dex'elopment of the county as it has merged from fnmtier conditions to take its place among the leading counties of this great commonwealth. Mr. McMillin was born in Franklin county, Ohio. October 2j. 1822, his parents being William and Eliza- beth I\IcMillin. They came to the west when our subject was- twelve years of age. traveling overland in a covered wagon and arriving in 1831. 'Few roads had been made and the country was new and unbroken. The forests were still the haunt of deer and prairie wolves and there were many wild turkeys and prairie chickens. TIil- father entered land in Vermilion county, securing one hundred and sixty acres on section 30, Blount township. He then be- gan working and in course of time trans- formed the helds into productive tracts of land. Mr. McMillin of this re\iew when but a boy ran barefooted over the prairies both in summer and winter. He assisted THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1113 in tire arduous task of developing a new farm and shared witli the family in all the hardships of life on the frontier. There were six children but only two are now living, the younger brother of our subject being Z. L. McMillin, a retired farmer. The father made the first plow used here, it having a wooden mold board. His next one had a single shovel, and the grain was cut with a sickle until the cradle came into use. Such were the crude farming imple- ments with which the pioneers reclaimed the land and made it productive. Our sub- ject many times assisted his mother in dip- ping candles, and flax furnished the gar- ments for summer wear, while the sheep furnished the wool that was spun for the winte.'r clothing. William McM'illin in those early days hauled grain and apples to Chicago, camping out at night by the wayside. The present metropolitan city, now the second in size in the Union, was then but a village and Danville was a little hamlet, containing only a few buildings. The father furnished the timber that was used in constructing the first courthouse. He owned an old sawmill and gristmill in addition to his farm, operating these as well as ctdtivating the fields. William McMillin attended school in an old log building, furnished with slab benches, and an immense fire place occu- pied one entire end of the building. The first house in which he lived was a log cabin. The first frame house which his father built stands on the east side of the bridge on the road leading to our subject's home and the old original roof is still there. The father was among the prominent and influential residents of Vermilion county at an early day and our subject assisted in the work of cultivating and improving the fields, while in the winter months he at- tended school. In his twentieth year he started out in life for himself. He has been three times married, his present wife having borne the maiden name of Nancy Snyder. His first wife was Catherine Swimford and his second wife bore the maiden name of Nancy Martin. By that marriage there were three children : James ; Nora, now the wife of Johnson Knight; and Nancy, the wife of Orin Knight. Throughout the greater part of his busi- ness career Mr. McMillin has carried on general agricultural pursuits and stock- raising but he has now deeded his land to his wife and children and he is largely living retired. He served as school director for a number of years and in his early life he gave his political support to the Whig party, while at the present time he votes \vith the Republican party. The farm up- on which he is now living was purchased by his father for three dollars per acre. It is a valuable tract of land and is splendidly cultivated, being equipped with all modern accessories. Mr. McMillin had four hun- dred acres and his agricultural possessions were not only extensive but valuable. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church and are people of sterling worth, ever loyal to the truth and to the right. EDWARD McCUSKER. Prominent among the energetic, enter- prising and successful business men of Dan- ville is Edward McCusker, member of the well known firm of Iving & McCusker, wholesale dealers in fruit, produce and fancy groceries. Mr. McCusker was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on the 29th 1 1 14 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of January. 1855. His father and mother were lx)rn in Ireland and came to this country in cliildliood. "Tliis remote con- nection with Ireland," says Mr. McCusker, "dates about half way back to the time of the Mayflower, and almost deprives me of any rig^ht to claim to be 'Irish,' though the Irish aggressive character is a thing which any man may rightfully be proud of pos- sessing." When our subject was a small boy the family removed to Williamsport, Indiana, where his father engaged in dray- ing for some time, and "Ed," as he is familiarly called, was one of the draymen, or rather a drayboy. Edward AlcCusker acquired a good practical education in the schools of Will- iamsport, supplemented largely by night study and reading later on in life. Starting out in life for himself at the age of eighteen years, he came to Danville, Illinois, and entered the employ of Charles Moran as a clerk in the grocery store at Xo. 140 East Main street, remaining with him until the spring of 1881, when in partnership with M. E. King, he bought out his employer, each ])utting in one thousand dollars. Of this sum Mr. McCusker had t<) borrow the most part, but within a year the success of the firm enabled him to pay back the loan. The firm of King & McCusker changed the l)usiness from a grocery to a wholesale l)roduce and commission house within the first year. But during the first ten years of its existence the firm carried on a retail as well as a wholesale business, and for the past decade have given their attention wholly to the wholesale trade, and their business now is second to few houses of the kind in the state. In 18S6 Mr. Cu.sker was united in mar- riage to Miss Ellen Maher. of Toledo, Ohio, antl to them ha\'c been born five children as follows: Leo, Robert, Heiai, Paul and I lerbert. Politically Mr. McCusker is now a Democrat, though up to 1892 he supported the Republican party and for some years be ser\cd as secretary of the Republican county central committee, taking a very active and influential part in local jxilitics. He is popular in social as well as ]X)litical and business circles, being a prominent memliers of many fraternal societies. Re- ligiously he is a member of St. Patrick's ("atholic church of Danville. .Mr. Mc- Cusker belongs to that class of men whom the world terms self-made, for he came to this county empty-handed, and has con- quered all the obstacles in the path to suc- cess. He is to-day the owner of consider- able real estate besides his business property, having purchased residence properties which he improves and then sells (ir rents, thus aug'menting his income in no small degree. In business affairs he has steadily prospered and has not only secured for him- self a Ixandsome competence, but by his efforts has materially advanced the interests of the community with which lie is associ- ated. He, therefore, ranks among Dan- ville's most valued and pulilic spirited citizens. •» » » L. .\. CHESLEY. Manv there arc who claim that the suc- cessful man is he who is favored by fortune or by friends, and to those who thus voice harping criticism and lack of ap])reciation he it said that history has .again and again proven what the poet has« expressed, "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood leads on to fortune." Op- portunity comes to all and it is the man THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1115 who recognizes that the present and not the future holds his opportunity, that advances in the world of industrial or commercial activity. At the age of fourteen L. A.- Chesley started upon his business career empty-handed but with resolute purpose and strong determination. These qualities have been a foundation upon which he has builded his success, and Danville honors him as one of its native sons. He was born in this city, March 2, 1863, the son of a distinguished father, Robert V. Chesley, who was very promi- nent here at an early day and who is rqj- resented elsewhere in this volume. The son attended the public schools until he had entered the high school, when he was obliged to put aside his text books. His father had intended that he should become a lawyer, but death changed his plans, anil when left fatherless L, A. Chesley found it necessary to provide for his own support. He was then but fourteen years of age, at which time he entered upon an apprentice- ship to his uncle, William Reynolds, who was engaged in the jewelry business. He found after a year that his work was too confining and he then entered the employ of Villers Brothers, proprietors of a large general store, acting as their bookkeeper. Two years later he took charge of the office of Owens & Pixley, clothiers, with whom he remained for three years and at the end of that time he became manager of the white goods department, for the firm of Carson, Pirie, Scott & Company, of Chi- cago, Illinois. He remained with that house for a year and a half and then returning to Danville he entered the employ of the Stewart L'oundry & Machine Company, becoming bookkeeper. As time passed he acquired a thorough acquaintance with the business, and his ability being recognized by Mr. Stewart, he was more and more largely trusted with the control of the enterprise until he practically had the en- tire management of the extensive plant and its operations. Since then the success of the business has been due in no small degree to his efforts and to-day he is the secretary and treasurer of the company which in 1 891 was reorganized and incorporated. At that time Mr. Chesley became a part owner and has since been very active in control of the industry which in size and importance is second to none in Danville. During all the subsequent years the busi- ness has had a steady but marvelous growth, requiring annually the addition of shop- room, men and machinery. Its output has reached mammoth proportions and is sent to many parts of the world. Mr. Chesley has also made extensive real estate invest- ments and has a splendid home and other valuable property in his native city. On January 9, 1884, occurred the mar- riage of L. A. Chesley and Miss Helen Stewart, a daughter of William Stewart, the founder of the Stewart Foundry & Machine Company. To Mr. Chesley and wife three children have been born : Frederick Goulding, Will- iam Stewart and Helen D., all attending- the Danville high school. Politically Mr. Chesley is a Republican and fraternall}' he is connected with the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks and also with the Modern Woodmen of America. He attends the Presbyterian church and is deqjly interested in every- thing pertaining to general progress and improvement. A man of strong intellect- uality, he seems to have inherited much of the oratorical power and ability of his honored father, who was many times as- sociated in the conduct of some of the most II i6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD notable law cases for Vermilion county. Of Mr. Chesley it can trullifully ho said that he is the architect of his own fortunes. His life has ]:)een guided and his wealth actjuired by his indi\-idual efforts and' in- dustry. Upright and honorable, his faithful adherence to principle commands the respect of all. He is a man of broad views, is liberal and charitable, and accords to all the perfect right of freedom which lie reserves for himself. He has proved himself in all life's relations, earnest, up- right aiul honest, a good man and a citizen of whom any community might justly be proud. TIIOM.VS J. GEORGE. Thomas J. George, who resides on section 5. Catlin township, was born in Bath county, Kentucky, October 18, 1837, a son of Henry George, who was born in Virginia and is of English descent, while the mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Ann Sharp and was a native of Kentucky. About 1850 they removed from Kentucky to Indiana and the father became a very prominent and influential citizen there, holding a number of oftkial positions, including that of sheriff' of Tip- ton county. He was likewise assessor and collector for a number of years and had considerable influence in public affairs in his localitv. In the family were ten children, eight of whom reached years of maturity, wiiile seven are now living, namely : Moses, of Vermilion county; Thomas J.; Millard: .•\nn, now ^Irs. Kinneman of Indianapolis; Benjamin Franklin of Indianajxilis : Airs. Susan Jackson, of Tipton, Indiana; Joseph Marshall, also of Tipton; Persly, Mary Ann. Elizabeth Dale and Henry, all of whiim are deceased. In the year 1856, when nineteen years of age. Thomas J. George walked from Tipton county, Indiana, to Vermilion coun- ty, Illinois, a distance of one hundred miles, which he covered in three days. Arriving here he found plenty of deer, turkej-s and other wild game and there were also many prairie and timber wolves, which he would frequently chase down on horselxick. He began working by the month and for two years was employed at farming and in a sawmill. He was afterward engaged in making slats and posts for a few years. .\s a companion and helpmate for life's jonniey he chose Rebecca Durham, an orphan girl, their marriage occurring De- cember 22, 1858. They began their do- mestic life upon rented land and later Mr. George purchased forty acres of timber land which he cleared but never lived uiwn that property. He added, however, to his landed possession from time to time and he now owns three hundred and .seventy-two acres of well improved land all situated in Catlin township, his home being on section 5. In addition to this he has eight acres in Blount tovvnsliip. Mis first home was a ])lank house fifteen feet square, provided witli one window and one door and an out- side chimney made of mud and sticks. In that he lived for ten years and there he and his wife reared their family of four children. Later tlicir hnme was a log cabin situated on the site of their present residence. In 1874 Mr. George built his substantial and attractive home aiid he is now living in practical retirement from labor, the active work of the farm being performed by others. In 1 89 1 Mr. George was called upon to THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1117 muurn the loss of his first wife who died on the nth of May of that year, at the age of forty-nine years, nine months and nine days, her birth having occurred September 2, 1841. She had been to him a most faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey and had greatly assisted him in acquiring a competence. By that marriage there were the following children : Millard, the wife of John White of Vermilion coun- ty; Mrs. M. E. Amis: Charles, who mar- ried Elizabeth Hallat of Vermilion coun- ty: Thomas H., who married Rachel Sims and lives upon the home farm; Bertha, the wife of Oscar West of this- county; Henry, 01i\e and Dora, all deceased ; and one that died in infancy. For his second wife Mr. George chose Virginia Kestler, who was then a widow. They had four children of whom Grover and Cleveland, twins, and Helen are still li\ing. but Nellie is de- ceased. Mr. George served as school trustee for nine years and as school director for twenty- nine years. * He assisted in erecting the schools of this district and also aided in building nearly all of the churches in this part of the county. From pioneer times he has resided here and his memory goes back to the day when the single shovel plow was used in the fields and when corn was planted by hand, while grain was cut with a reap-hook and afterward with a cradle. Mr. George owned the first drop rake in this county and the first self-binder in the neighborhood and people would come five miles to see the latter machine operated. For his first forty acres of land he paid two and one-half dollars per acre, but farm land in this section of the state is now very valuable. He raised much stock, including horses and cattle, making a specialty of the shorthorn and Durham cattle. He now has forty head of horses and cattle and fifty head of hogs. " His farm is splendidly equipped with all modern improvements and is very rich and productive. All that he possesses has been acquired through his own labors and not only have great changes occurred in the county but also in his financial condition for he came to this lo- cality empty-handed and to-day he is num- bered among its prosperous citizens. SPENCER CLINE. Xo history of Vermilion county would be complete without the record of Spencer Cline, who for many years assisted materi- ally in the improvement and upbuilding of the county as a representative of its agri- cultural interests. He was born in Ken- tucky, August 13, 181 2, and was of Ger- man and Scotch extraction. His parents, John D. C. and Catherine (Shumate) Cline, came to this county in 1829, when the work of progress and improvement had scarcely been begun and often would atten hundred acres on section 7, Butler township, has a rich and valuable tract of land pleasantly located a mile and three-quarters from Rankin. He is numbered among the old settlers of the state, dating his residence in Illinois from 1 861, while his home has been in Vermilion county since 1875. Mr. France is a native of Ohio, his birth having oc- curred near Zanesville, Muskingum county, on the 25th of November, 1838. His father, Jacob France, was a son of John France, who was of German parentage and the family was established in Virginia at an early day in colonial history. Jacob France was born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and was there reared. When a young man he went to Ohio and was one of the first settlers of Logan county. Later he became a resident of Muskingum county, where he was married to Phebe Slack, who 47 was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and was reared in Philadelphia. Her father, John Slack, was one of the first settlers of Pennsylvania and owaied land which is now a part of the city of Philadelphia. After his marriage Jacob France carried on farm- ing in Muskingum county, Ohio, and there reared his family and spent his last days. In taking up the personal history of Henry S. France we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Vermilion county. He was reared in Muskingum county, Ohio, where he attended the common schools, re- maining with his father until he had at- tained his majority. In 1861 he started westward, thinking that he might have lietter Ijusiness opportunities in Illinois, where settlements were not so thick. Ac- cordingly he located in Marshall county, where he was employed as a farm hand by the month for al)out a year. He then rented a farm which he cultivated for a year, after which he went west to Cali- fornia and Nevada, spending some time in Virginia City, where he was engaged in searching for the precious metal. When about twelve months had passed, however, he returned to Ohio spending the winter of 1864-5 'it his old home in that state. In the spring of the latter year he again took up his abode in Marshall county, Illi- nois, where he rented a farm for three years. Mr. France also returned to Ohio for his bride and was married in Muskingum county on the 3d of January, 1867, to Miss Martha J. Dugan, a native of that state, reared and educated there. After their marriage the young couple returned to Illi- nois, beginning their domestic life upon a rented farm in Marshall county. After one year, however, they removed to La Salle county, where Mr. France again I I20 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD leased a tract of land. Later he jnircliased eighty acres of raw prairie land, not a furrow having been turned or an improve- ment liaving been made on the property. This he broke and fenced, developing a good farm, upon wliich he li\-ed for five years, wlien lie sold that land at a substantial ad- vance in price. He tlien came to \'ermiilion county and bought eighty acres wiiere he jiow resides. There had been some inipro\-e- ments made upon the place and locating thereon he took up the work of further de- veloping and improving his new property. The following year he purchased an ad- joining tract of one hundred and eleven acres and he now has a farm of nearly two liundred acres. He has since erected a good neat residence and has recently completed a fine new barn. He has other substantial outbuildings upon his place, a good orchard and fine shade trees. His splendid orchard contains many varieties of fruits and is a material source of income to him. He has tiled and fenced his place and to-day the France farm is one of the valual)le prop- erties of Butler township and the owner is numbered among the substantial residents of the community. All this is due to his enterprise and strong determination, for when he came to the west he was a poor man with no capital and all that he now en- joys is the result of his enterprise and earnest labor. The home of Mr. and Mrs. France has been blessed with four children : Marietta, the wife of George Sloan, a substantial farmer of Butler township, by whom she has two children, Gracie and Bessie; Eliza- beth, the wife of John Brenner, who owns a farm in White countx'. Indiana, but is now living in Iroquois county. Illinois, and by whom she has two sons, Ray and Floyd ; Cora, the wife of George Stormef, a resi- dent farmer of Butler township. \'ermilion county, by whom she has two children. Earl and Burgess; and Bertha, who is still with her parents. Politically a Democrat where national is- sues are involved, Mr. France cast his first ballot for Stephen A. Douglas in i860 antl has since \'oted for each presidential nomi- nee for the party. In local elections, how- ever, he is independent and he has never been an office seeker, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his farm and his business interests. He is a friend of education, believing in good schools, and. while serving on the school board he did eftective service in behalf of the advance- ment of the educational standard of this locality. He and his wife are devoted and consistent members of the Presbyterian church and he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Rankin. For forty-one years he has been a resident of Illinois and for twenty-six years of \^er- milion county and has been identified with the wonderful transformation which has occurred here, as the prairies have been broken and farms fenced, as towns have been built and as the work of improvement and development has been carried on. FRANK II. \'AX ETTEX. Prominent in pulitical circles Frank H. \'anF.tten has wielded a wide influence in Danville and his name is connected with the unwritten history which tells of the im- provement and development of the city through legislation cft'ccted by the board of aldermen. He was born in Fort Plain, Montgomery county. New York, August 24, 1857. His father. Peter H. \'anEtten, THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD I 121 was a native of Portlandville, New York, and wedded Mary Busli, who was also born in the Empire state. Tliey were married at Fort Plain and there took up their abode, the father engaging in general contracting at that place until i860, when he moved to Portlandville, and from there he re- moved to Schenevus, New York. He then became agent for the American Express Company and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1S80. His political sup- port was given to the Democracy. His first wife died in 1865, and in 1869 he wedded Catherine Seiver, also a native of the Empire state and now a resident of Troy, New York. By the first marriage there were four children, three of whom are now living, namely : George, who is agent for the Boston & Maine Railroad Compam' at Townsend, ^Massachusetts ; Frank H. ; and Charles, who is in business at Bucyrus, Ohio. By the second union there were three children: Minnie, who departed this life in March, 1903, in Troy, New York; Isaac, who is connected with the Wireless Tele- graph Company, at Sagahonac, Long Island ; and Nettie, who resides with her brother Isaac. In the schools of Portlandville and Schenevus, New York, Frank H. VanEtten pursued his education and in the year 1875 began work in the employ of the Delaware & Hudson River Railroad Company, in the capacity of operator at Cooperstowii Junc- tion. He remained in the service of the company for four years. He next became connected with the Montreal Telegraph Company at Plattsburg, New York, where he resided for three vears and then came to Decatur, Illinois, with the Wabash Rail- road Company in the capacity of chief clerk in the employ of the master mechanic. For one year he filled that position and then spent six months in the transportation de- partment at that point. In 1884 he went to Chicago, where he was mad? train dis- patcher for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company. In 1888 the train dis- patcher's ofiice was removed to Danville and from 1888 until 1892 he was chief dis- patcher and superintendent of telegraph at Danville. Through the six succeeding years he was dispatcher and in 1S99 was re-ap- pointed superintendent of telegraph, a po- sition which he has since retained. His capability and accuracy in business, system- atic methods and dispatch winning -for him the approval of those whom he represents. On the 17th of February 1886, in Chi- cago, Mr. VanEtten was united in mar- riage to Miss Adah Zillah Chilton, who was born in Nenia, Ohio, September 13th 1865, a daughter of Thomas and Jane Anne Turner Chilton, both of whom were natives of England. Mr. Chilton was born and raised in Durham county, England, his home was Lady Close. He wedded Jane Anne Turner, of Sunderland, who was the only child of Stafford Turner, apothecary, « and half-sister to Thomas Dixon, who had ]ierhaps the widest circle of literary acquaint- ances of any man in the north of England, among them being Charles Kingsley, F. D. Maurice, Thomas Carlyle, ]\Iax iMuUer, John Stuart IMill, Joseph ]\Iazini, Henry Lord Brougham, Bishop Colenso, Walt ^^'hitman, George Long, J. ]\Iuir, W. R. Scott, ^V. M. Rossetti, Professor Legros, Tom Taylor, Francis P. Cobbe, Affram Black, J.'g. Wilkinsen, W. A. Alcott and other highly distinguished individuals. Mr. Dixon was one of the most philanthropic, liberal minded, g'enial and liest known of his country, he took great interest in furthering local art and was conspicuous for the assist- ance he rendered free libraries and museums. I 122 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Among libraries assisted was the Chicago Free Library after the fire of 1871. After his death his liust was made and placed in the Atheneum in Sunderland. England. Mr. and Mrs. Chilton were married in Sunder- lanil. Durham county, in the Sunderland Street Episcopal Church in 1847 and came to the United States in JS51, locating in Cincinnati, Ohio. They later moved to Springfield and then to Xenia, Ohio. There they remained until 1871, when they went to Chicago, living there until Mr. Chilton's death, which occurred in 1898. Mrs. Chilton still resides in Chicago and in their family were eight children, six of whom are still living. Air. Chilton was a Republican in his political affiliations. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Van Etten has been blessed with two sons: Frank C, born in Chicago, November 12, 1887; and Theodore C, born in Danville, August 23, 1892. Mrs. Van Etten takes great interest in music and art and is dex'oted to her church work and home. A Republican with firm faith in the prin- ciples of the party, Mr. Van Etten is recog- nized as one of its leading members in Dan- ville. In 1893 he was elected a member of the city council and served for three terms. He was chairman of the building committee when the city building was erected, and chairman of the committee on streets ami alleys when the stone arch on East Main street was built. He favored every move- ment which he believed would promote the material advancement and substantial up- building of Danville. He has been a member of the Republican city central committee and his labors iiave been effective antl beneficial in aiding party work here. In 1881 he was made a Mason in Afton, New York, and has since taken the Royal Arch degrees. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen and Court of Honor fraternities, a member, trustee and one of the building committee of the Third Church of Christ now under construction. He owns realty in this city in addition to his own pleasant home at the corner of Seminan*- and Gil- bert streets and is widely known here as a man whose personal worth and business ability commend him to the confidence and respect of those with whom he has been as- sociated. FRED BUY. Fred Buy is an honored veteran of the Civil war, who. at the country's call for aid, offered his services to the Union and fought for its defense. He is now living on sec- tion 36, Blount township, where he owns rmd o):)erates a farm of two hundred and twenty-nine acres — a splendidly improved pro])erty ec[uipped with all modern acces- sories and conveniences. Air. Buy is one of th.e citizens that Germany has furnished to the new world, his birth having occurred in the fatherland October 2^,, 1844. When he was eleven years of age his parents emi- grated to the new world, crossing the .\t- lantic in 1857. They settled first in New York and the following year came to Ver- milion county. The father was a farmer by occupaticm and both he and his wife are now deceased, the former having passed away September 7, 1870, while the latter died in December, 1885. They were the parents of eight children, of whom two are li\ing. the sister of our subject being Mrs. Kroul, the wife of Herman Kroul, of Dan- ville. Lhider the parental roof our subject was reared to manhood and assisted in the devel- opment of his father's farm. He was thus engaged until 1863. when he offered his THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1 123 services to the g'overnment as a defender of the Union and joined the boys in bhte of Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Ilhnois Infantry, under the command of Captain Laferty. This regiment was as- signed to Missouri and after serving for one hundred da}-s lie was honorably dis- charged, but still the war continued and with patriotic spirit he once more enlisted, becoming a member of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Infantry in Danville. He thus served for another year or until the cessation of hostilities. During most of the time he was on garrison duty in guarding bridges and in 1865 he was honorably dis- charged. When the country no longer needed his services Mr. Buy returned to his home and was engaged in clerking in a grocery store for a time. In August, 1867, he wedded Marv Steulse, who like her husband was ed- ucaterl in public schools of this county. After his marriage Mr. Buy engaged in the grocery business on his own account, suc- cessfully conducting his mercantile interests until 1 88 1. The following year he pur- chased his present home on section 36, Blount township, and here he has engaged in farming and stock-raising. The land was all wild and unimproved at that time but he cleared the place, planted trees and has made it a yaluable tract of land. He has tiled and drained it, erected good buildings and has secured all modern equipments un- til to-day everything about his place is neat and tlu'ifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision and his farm is regarded as one of the best of the locality. Whatever success Mr. Buy has achieved is due en- tirely to his own efforts. He began life by working by the month in a woolen factory for eight dollars per month and afterward was employed as a clerk for one hundred dollars per year and his board. Through his energy and determination, however, he has acquired a competence and at the age of twenty-three )'ears he began business on his own account. By the exchange, purchase and sale of land he has added materially to his income and during the past six years he has lived practically retired from farm work, most of his land being now rented. Mrs. Buy has been to her husband a faithful companion and helpmate in life's journey. They were neighbors in the fa- therland and emigrated to America in the same ship. They have become the parents of eight children : Ed, a grocery merchant of Dan\-ille, who married Lou White; Mrs. Jennie Rock, of Danville; Carl, at home; ^^'illiam, who married Gertie Grims and is conducting a meat market in Dan\'ille; Harry, who married Myrtle \\''alters ; Lula, who married Carl Walker, of Danville; Mamie and Alice, both at home. The chil- dren have been provided with good educa- tional pri\-ileges, thereby fitting them for life's practical duties. In his political views $ Mr. Buy is a Republican and both he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church. Tliey are most highly esteemed people, well known in the community where they have long resided and Mr. Buy is as true and loyal to his duties of citizenship as he was when he followed the Nation's starry Ijanner upon the battlefields of the south. STEPHEN A. D. ROGERS. Stephen A. D. Rogers, a retired farmer and a member of one of the oldest families of Danville townshi]:), is now living in the II24 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD city of Danville, his birth having occurred in the township on the i6th of November, iS5enter by trade and his son William also followed the same pursuit. The latter was one of three children, the others being Mar- tha and Thomas, the latter a resident of Oak- wood township. Samuel Hart acquired a common-school education, pursuing his studies in a log schoolhouse such as was common during the period of his early boyhood. He remained in school for about six years, or until thir- teen years of age, although in the meantime he had begun to earn his own living. When only a youth of ten years he worked by the month upon a farm, receiving his board and also a colt or a cow in remuneration for his services. At the age of thirteen he began feeding cattle and followed that pursuit for seven years, at the end of which time he turned his attention to farming, renting a tract of land. When his labors had brought to him sufficient capital he purchased eighty acres on section 3, Oakwood township. Upon the death of his grandmother, Mrs. Nancy (Ireland) Hart, he inherited a small portion of her farm but with this exception all that he possesses has been made entirely through his own efforts. He has long been successfully identified with farming and stock-raising in Vermilion county. He now owns four hundred acres of valuable land, all well tilled and improved with modern equipments and substantial buildings. He handles cattle and hogs on an extensive scale, making large shipments, and he now has upon his place about five hundred head of stock. On the ibth of October, 1879, Mr. Hart married Miss Sydney Lowman, a daughter of George and Mary Lowman, and the youngest of a family of eleven children, her birth having occurred in Oakwood township in i860. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hart have been born seven children: George L., at home; Mertie, the wife of Lester Thompson, of Oakwood township, by whom she has one child; Herbert, Sydney, Minnie, Sylvia and Ruth, all at home. Mr. Hart gives his allegiance to the Re- publican party and is identified with several civic societies, including the Modern Wood- men of America, the Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Fraternal Army, of Fithian. His entire life has been passed in this county and from the time when he began to earn his own living as a farm hand at the age of ten years he has steadily worked his way upward and is to-day one of the most prosperous and successful agriculturists in this part of the state. D. M. JUVINALL. D. M. Juvinall is one of the enterpris- ing young business men of Danville, con- ducting a loan and real-estate agency in the Illinois Printing Company building. He is imbued with the spirit of western prog- ress and advancement and his marked en- ergy, perseverance and laudable ambition are bringing to him creditable success. He II52 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD is a son of James and Eliza J. (Abbott) Jnvinali, pioneers of Vermilion county. His paternal grandparents. Andrew and Mary (James) Jnvinali, were both natives of Ohio and cast in their lot among- the first white settlers of \'erniilion county, arriving here in 1827 when the red men were still very numerous, this being sometime before the Black Haw k war and before the original inhabitants of the land were dri\en westward by the encroaching civilization of the Caucasian race. D. M. Jnvinali was the fourth child in his father's family and was born in Vermil- ion county, October 31, 1873. Upon the home farm he was reared and in the district schools he pursued his prcliniinar\- educa- tion, which was supplemented by two years of study in the schools of Danville. At the age of eighteen he began general farming and stock-raising on his own account in Pilot township. He always kept a good grade of stock and in his agricultural pur- suits he was quite prosperous. In Aug^ist, 1902, however, he left the farm and turned his attention to his present business, deal- ing in cattle, placing loans, and buying antl selling real estate. He has secured an ex- tensive clientage and does considerable busi- ness outside of the state. He is a very wide- awake, energetic young business man and carries forward to a successful completion whatever he tegins. On the 30th of August, 1892, Mr Jnvin- ali was united in marriage to Miss Helen (joodwine, a native of this county, bom Au- gust 16, 1874, and educated in the district schools. She is a tlaughter of John Good- wine, of Potomac, who was a pioneer set- tler of the county. The home of our sub- ject and his wife has been blessed with three children, l)ut Dora L. died in infancy. The others are Reggie C. and Reuel G., agefl respecti\ely seven and si.x years. The parents are active members of the Metho- dist church, with which Mr. Juvinall has \^en identified for ten years. He has served for about three terms as trustee of the church in Pilot township. For a long per- iod he has been connected with missionary work and has done much for the uplifting of his fellow men and contributed liber- ally to the support of tlie gospef. He is in- terested in everything pertaining to the wel- fare and progress of the community in which he lives and is one of the standard l)earers of the Republican party, having firm faith in its principles. Living an honor- able, ujjright life, reliable in l)usiness and faithful in friendshi]), ]Mr. Juvinall is num- bered among the prominent, popular and highly respected citizens of Danville. GEORGE F. HILLEARY. George F. Hilleary, who is now living on section 33, Blount township, where he owns and controls a rich tract of land, was born in Fulton count}', Illinois, Sceptember 7, 1840, his parents being Henry and Sarah (Boylen) Hilleary. The father was born in Ohio in 1812 and the mother's birth oc- curred in the same state in 181 6. The form- er was one of a family of nine children born unto Osborne and Ellen iHollenback) Hil- leary, natives of Virginia. In the year 1830 the grandparents with their family emigrated westward from Ohio to Illinois and settled on section 30, Blount township. They made the journey overland in a covered wagon called a ''prairie schooner," and it required some weeks" travel before thev reached their THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD '133 destination. Here the father entered eighty acres of land from the government and he also purchased from a settler a tract of tim- berland, all of which he cleared with the aid ot his sons. His first home was a log cabin in which was a puncheon floor and at one end of the building was an immense fireplace from which the smoke made its egress through a clay and stick chimney. The family raised their own sheep which they sheared and then spun and wove the wool into cloth from which were made the gar- ments of the family. The subject of this review has seen his mother spin flax to make thread. The grandparents of our subject both died in Elount township. All of their nine children reached mature years. In his youth the father of our subject assisted in the de\'elopment of the home farm and after ar- riving at years of maturity he bought a tract of land on section 3. He afterward entered eighty acres of timberland and in the midst of the forest he built his home. Subsequent- ly, however, he sold that proeprty. He was a cooper by trade and for some years en- gaged in the manufacture of barrels in ad- dition to farm work. In Fulton county, Illi- nois, he wedded Sarah Boylen, and unto this union were born four children, of wliom only two reached years of maturity, Helen dying at the age of twenty-one years. Our subject is now the only survivor of the fam- ily. The father died iif 1854 and the mother passed away in April, 1864, while Helen Hillear)^ died in the same month. In taking up the personal history of George F. Hilleary we present to our read- ers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in this county. He attend- ed the subscription schools, the temple of learning being a log building furnished with slab seats, while a plank placed upon pins driven into the wall served as a writing desk. The huge fi.replace occupied one entire end of the room, and greased paper served in- stead of glass in the windows. Mr. Hilleary was a student in that school for nineteen days and after attaining his majority he at- tended the district schools. His educational privileges, however, were somewhat limited, but reading and observation have made him a well informed man. During the summer months he worked upon the farm, attending school through the winter. After he put aside his text books his entire time and at- tention was devoted to general farming and stock-raising. On the 4th of January, 1865, Mr. Hil- leary was married to Miss Sarah Hilleary, who was born m this county, July 30, 1845, a daughter of William and Catherine (King) Hilleary, who were nati\-es of Ohio and be- came pioneer settlers of this section of Illi- nois. In their family were eight children. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with five children, and the family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. Emma is the wife of J. T. Snider, of Blount township, and they ha\-e three children. Oscar F. married Miss \Varren, by whom he has three children, and their home is on section 28, Blount town- ship. \V. B., a resident farmer of the same township, married Miss Gutteridge. Bertha is the wife of John Disard, of Oakwood township, by whom she has two children. John O., the youngest of the family, is at home. After his marriage Mr. Hilleary settled on section 4, Blount township, where he be- gan farming on his own account, using a single shovel plow to cultivate his land. He cut his grain with a sickle, bound his wheat liy hand and also planted his corn in that "34 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD way. He went tu mill on horseback, taking with liini a sack of corn, which he would have ground and then return home with the meal, lie rememhers, too, when candles were made by dipping the wick into melted tallow and then allowing it to cool. This process was repeated again and again until the candle had become of sufficient size, and later candle molds brought into use. Mr. Hilleary also remembers seeing the hres made with Hint and tow, and when they had no supply of those materials they would have to go to a neighbor to borrow some fire. Everything was primiti\e, not only farm im- plements, but the methods of life. The co(jking was done over a fireplace, the pots and kettles hanging from an iron crane, the bread and pies baked in a skillet which was covered with coals. Mr. Hilleary well re- members the first cook stove used in the family. Trairie wolves were many times killed and there were large herds of deer roaming at will over the prairies, while prairie chickens, turkeys and other wild game were to be had in abundance. Chi- cago was the trading point at a very early day, but as the years passed the work of progress and improvement was carried on and at the present time Vermilion county not only ranks as one of the leading agri- cultural counties of this great common- wealth, but in its midst stands one of the metropolitan centers of the state, although Mr. Hilleary can remember when the hazel brush grew upon the site of Danville. When the town contained but few houses he has hauled corn to Danville, selling it for fifteen cents per bushel. Now he has a splendid farm improved with all modern equipments, including fine machinerv. There are good buildings upon his place and a splendid orchard furnishing him large supplies of apples and pears. He also raises blackber- ries on an extensive scale and his corn crop yields al)out forty bushels per acre. Mr. Hilleary has held a number of offices includ- ing that of asses.sor and in this capacity ser\ ed nine terms, or ten years. He was also supervisor four years and schocjl director about fifteen years, and at the present time is serving as supervisor. .\ citizen of worth, no public trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed in the slightest manner or degree. He is ever loyal to the good of the commun- ity, active in sujiport of its best interests and has been closely identified with the upbuild- ing of schools and churches. He holds membership in the Methodist church with which his family are also connected, and he is now serving as one of its trustees. O. B. GRAY AT. Vermilion county owes much to the ef- forts and labors of Oscar B. Cravat, and no history of this portion of the state would be complete without the record of his life. He was the first to introduce fruit-raising as an industry into this portion of Illinois, and t(j demonstrate the possibilities of this sec- tion as a horticultural district. In this way he has aided Ixitli directly and indirectly in promoting the material prosperity of his community. At the same tune he has had marked influence upon the moral develop- ment and has l)cen the friend of e\cry move- ment and measure calculated to promote the general good. He is numbered among the early settlers of Blount to\mship and resides on section 14 where he has a farm of eighty- five acres, all well improved. He was torn in this township, June 16, 1841, and is a THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1135 son of Abraham B. and Mary M. (Potter) Gravat, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of New York. The father made the journey westward overland in an old-time "prairie schooner," and arrived here when the land was wild and unbrokai. There was not a house or a fence for miles around and the country was full of prairie wolves, deer, wild turkeys and prairie chick- ens. He has shot wild turkeys upon his own place. The father of our subject en- tered three hundred and twenty acres of land, fourteen miles west of the home of our subject, paying twenty-five cents per acre for his property. He began improving this but his health failed and he sold out. This land is worth to-day one hundred dol- lars per acre. Later he purcliased a portion of the present farm of our subject, paying si.x dollars per acre. In the early days he went to Perrysville and to Covington, Indi- ana, to mill, and he hauled grain and apples to Chicago across a country which was broken up by many sloughs and ponds. It was necessary to ford the river for no bridges had been built, and to camp out at night. He sold his corn for only ten cents per bushel. In those early days the greater part of the land was still unclaimed, al- though a squatter had settled here and there. The first home of the Gravat family w^s a log cabin, and the barn was also made of logs and had a threshing floor. The cloth- ing was entirely homemade and many times our subject has assisted in preparing the flax in the summer and the wool in the win- ter and indeed has taken his turn at the spin- ning wheels. He has assisted in running off spindles with swifts, and from the swift to the reel. His father used flint and tow in making a fire in the early days and used grease lamps and candles for illuminating 48 purposes. O. B. Gravat frequently assisted in making candles and has oftentimes at- tended church when the little house of wor- ship was lighted by candles and when the preacher would go around with snuffers in order to brighten the light. The old crane hung over the fireplace and many a night Air. Gravat has studied by the light of the fire. The early settlers would also tell the time of day by a mark on the door, the hour being estimated by the shadow. He well remembers the first clock that was used by his father, the same being purchased from a peddler. The girls in those early days would go to church, carrying their shoes and when they neared the building would sit down upon a log and put them on, and after the service would again take them off, thus practicing economy. Mr. Gravat's father hauled the timber to build the first courthouse of Danville. He was an enter- prising man anfl was among those who as- sisted in making the county what it is to- day. He married in this county anil died about the close of the Civil war, while his wife, surviving him for some years, passed away June 4, 1879. I" their family were six children: R. P., of Oklahoma; Mrs. Helen English, a widow of Danville; O. B. ; Mrs. Gelina Straw, of Vermilion county; John, deceased; and Cynthia, who has also passed away. O. B. Gravat received but a common- school education, but has largely devoted his time to the reading of good books, being a man of literary tastes. At the age of twenty-three he was ordained as a minister of the Christian church, but has never be- come a regular minister, although he preached at one church for four years. For over thirtv-three years, however, he has given much time to Christian work, filling 1136 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD iiKinv ])ulpits in the absence of reg-ular past- ors. His attention has been largely given t(j farming and he has made a specialty of rais- ing stock and fruit. For a quarter of a centurv- he has devoted much attention to horticulture and has found it a very profit- able business. To-day he enjoys the credit of raising the best strawberries that enter the Chicago markets. He produced one berry that measured seven inches in circum- ference and they axeraged from four to seven inches. He also raises blackberries in large quantities, having as high as fifteen acres planted to that fruit. lie brought the first grape root from Missouri to this locality and his neighbors laughed at him for his pains, saying that fruit could not be raised in this country, Init he experimented with this, and finding that it could be raised and that excellent qualities could be pro- duced, he entered the business and has since carried it on with excellent success. He sold the first cfuart box of strawberries ever placed upon the Danville market. He now devotes his attention entirely to strawberries, raspberries, pears, peaches, and blackl>erries, and because of size, quality and ilavor his fruits find a very ready sale upon the market and bring to him an excellent financial re- turn. When he first began selling, all fruit was measured out in quart tins. Mr. Gravat certainlv deserves great credit as a pioneer in this industry in Vermilion county, his laliors proving of marked benefit to his fel- low men who have followed his example and devoted their energies to horticulture. He now has an established trade which is bringing to him an excellent income. When Mr. Gravat took up his present liome he began clearing his place and hauled the lumber for the erection of buildings. He first built a plank house, sixteen by twenty feet, and therein kept bachelor's hall for a jear. lie was then married to Miss Caroline Lankenship, who lived for only about a year thereafter. On the 26th day of August, 1873. he wedded Sarah Cheno- welb, who was born in Fairfield county. Ohio, a daughter of Josluui and Elizabeth (Ladly) Chenoweth, who were also natives of the Buckeye state and came to this county at an early day in a covered wagon drawn by ox-teams. It took them three weeks to make the trip from Missouri, and they set- tled at Myersville. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chenoweth now reside in Danville, at the age of seventy-six years. In their family were ei.srht children : Mrs. M. J. Thomas, of h'airchild county, Ohio; Mrs. Gravat; IMrs. Dora E. Swisher, of Danville; Sher- man G., of Blount township, and four who ha\e ])assed away. Mr. and Mrs. Gravat are parents of the follow in.g children : Char- lie, who married Gertrude, a tlaughter of I. O. bairchild, and has one daughter, Lu- cile; Ira, Harley, Ollie, Howard, Dessie, Ora, Mabel and Clyde, all at home: and one that died in infancy. Mr. Gravat is familiar with pioneer ex- ])erieiices and can relate many interesting incidents concerning early life in Vermilion county. He was often engaged in hunting coons, climbing the trees for them. He. as- sisted in felling the forests and breaking tlie prairie, working with a single shovel plow. He also cut grain with the sickle and after- ward with the cradle. In early days he was a great hunter and fre(|ucntly sold coon skins at one dollar and fifty cents apiece. His ministerial career has been of a pioneer kind. He would hold meetings and then return home and chop wood, after which he would again go to the ])lace of worship to preach. He has often walked five miles to keep a min- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1137 isterial aj^pointnient and in the early days his wife would frequently ride with him to church on horsehack, buggies being- then al- most unknown in this locality. Like her husband, IMrs. Gravat has long- been a de- voted and consistent member of the Chris- tian church. He has preached many funeral sermons in this county and he is widely known and respected for his fidelity to his be- lief and his exemplary life. He served as a school director for many years and has been trustee for nine years. In politics he is a stanch Prohibitionist, the cause of temper- ance finding in him a warm and earnest friend. Mr. Gravat has always been loyal to the support of what he believed would uplift his fellow men and promote moral advancement ; in business affairs has ever been found honest and reliable, as well as enterprising; and in all life's relatiims he has ever been true to the confidence reposed in him. His example is indeed well worthy of emulation and those who know him enter- tain for him high regard. SAMUEL MOORE, M. D. - Four years' connection with the medi- cal fraternity of Danville has been sufficient to demonstrate to the residents of this city that Dr. Samuel Moore is well equipped for the practice of his profession, that his knowl- edge of the principles of medicine is com- prehensive and accurate and that his love of scientific research is supplemented by a deep human sympathy, without which the medi- cal practitioner can never hope to gain the best results or the highest honors in his profession. Dr. Moore is yet a young man but few have undertaken the work to which he is de\oting his energies, better qualified for the arduous and difficult duties. The Doctor was bom at Coot Hill, in County CJax'an, Ireland, November 9, 1871, a son of Hugh and Margaret (Roundtree) Moore, who were natives of the same local- ity and ,were there married. The father de\'oted his attention to agricultural pursuits in Ireland until his death, which occurred in 1S87, while his wife passed away in 1898. Tiiey were members of the Protest- ant Episcopal church and in their family were se\-en sons and six daughters, while ele\-en of the family are yet living, namely : Alexander, who is a rector of the Episcopal- ian church and resides at Kilkenny, Ire- land; Sarah, the wife of James Mahood, of County Cavan, Ireland; Jane, who be- came the wife of William Wilson and after his death married Thomas McCulloch, of County Cavan; Mary, who spent some time in Germany, then li\ed for twelve years in I'rance and is now a high school teacher of London, England; James, who married Elizebeth Reynolds of County Ferman- agh, Ireland, and resides on the old home- , stead, near Coot Hill, Ireland; Harriet, the wi fe of James Moore, of Count_y Cavan ; ^\'illiam, who is a professor in Trinity Col- lege of Dublin ; Elizabeth, the wife of J. Stephenson, of Lancastershire, County Monagan, Ireland ; Samuel ; Hugh, who is chief of the Cape Colony police in South Africa and was in the English army in the Boer war; Robert, who is a veterinary sur- geon connected with Trinity College, of Dublin ; and two wdio passed away — John, who died at the age of sixteen months ; and .\nna. who was a twin sister of Jane and died at the age of six months. In the maternal line Dr. Moore can trace his ancestry back through several genera- II38 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD tions. His mother was a daugliter of Alex- ander Ronndtree, of Coniptown, County Ca- \an, Ireland, and a granddaughter of Jack Rouiidtree, of County Cavan, while her great-grandfather was Charles Roundtree, who was born in County Armagh, Ireland about 1710. In J 730 he removed to Kill- igriffe in County Mcath. His wife was Mollie Coleman, of the same place. The Doctor has relatives in various parts of the world and several of the family have been quite prominent in Cape Colony. Nature may endow one with mental capacity or possibilities, but specific knowl- edge must be ac(|nired through personal ef- fort and the man who gains prominence in any of the "learned professions" is he who labors for it. Through close application Dr. Moore has become a man of scholarly attainments. His education was begun at Tullvrin, an endowed schnol at Coot Hill, where he remained until thirteen years of age, when he entered school in County West Meath, Ireland, where he spent three years. For two years he was a student in tlie Santar school of Dublin — a school of the Incorporated Society of Ireland. In conjunction with this he spent one year in the Royal University of Ireland. He won numerous first-class certificates of the dif- ferent divisions of the science and art de- partment of South Kensington, London, England, rejiching the fifth stage in mathe- matics, with honor in the first three and the fifth; also received certificates for work done in the departments of sound, light and heat, physical geographv, mathematics, magnetism and electricity. He also took the three courses — junior, mid- dle and senior — of the intermediate educa- tion before the Board of Ireland, winning the honors in mathematics in all three di- visions, and also receiveer of years. He afterward li\cd at Fairmount and on the i6lh of December, 1899, be was appointed to his present position in connection with the h^anville branch of the National Sol- diers" Home. Rev. .Auer was united in marriage to Miss Alice Pugh on the 3d of September, 1872. The lady was Ijorn in Shelby ville, Illinois, November 10, 1852. a datighter of William and Mary Pugh. She acquired her education in the Shelbyville Seminary and in Delaware, ( )hio, and by her marriage she has become the mother of three children : Ivlgar C. who is in Honduras, Central ^America; Charles .M.. who is now in De- troit, Michigan: and William N., at home. Dora, a niece, has made her home with them, as a daughter, since infancx'. Rev. Auer votes with the Repul)lican partv and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Union \'eterans Legion, b'or thirty-two years he has been a member of the Illinois Conference and at ])resent be is serving as chaplain in chief of the V'nion \'eterans Legion. Almost his entire life has been devoted to the work of extending the cause of Christianity so that all men shall be Christ's followers. His in- fluence has been widely and effectively felt and wherever he has gone his earnest pur- pose, his strong and logical utterances and his dex'otion to his cause have m.ade their imjiression upon his hearers for the better- ment of mankind. Since coming to the Sol- diers' Home in Dansille he has organized a temperance club and for three years he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 1153 ser\-e(l as its president. He is a man of deep human sympathy, always ready to extend a he1i>ing liand to tliose in need of material or moral assistance and in his position he has won in marked degree the confidence, re- spect and lo\e of the old soldiers. G. !\[. HAXI.Y, D. D. S. The splendidly equipped dental office of Dr. Hanly is e\ idence of his success and liis prominence in his profession. His suite of rooms constitutes one of the finest dental offices in this part of the state and is sup- plied with e\'ery modern appliance known to the profession that is of \'alue in facilitating- \\-ork in his line. The Doctor deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as from an early day he has been dependent up(_)U his own resources anil he is not only a self-made man, but a self-educated man as well, and in a profession where advance- ment cle]>ends upon individual merit he has gained a position of prestige. The Doctor was born July zy, 1857, in South Carolina, and is a son of John Hanly, His father was born in Rhode Island and after arriving at years of maturity wedded Emeline Black, who was a native of Penn- syh-ania. 'i'hey became the parents of three sons, of whom J. B. died at the age of twenty-seven years, while N. E. is now liv- ing at Gibson City, Illinois. The father was in the employ of the Southern Railroad Company as a landscape and scenic painter, working in the shops at Marion, South Car- olina. .\t the time of the Ci\'il war he joined the Confederate army and was killed in the service. When but a chilcl Dr. Hanly went to Marietta, Ohio, with his mother. She is Still living at the advanced age of seventy years, making her home with her son. In 1901 the Doctor buried his grandmother, Mrs. Maria E. Black, who was then in the ninety-eighth year of her age. On leaving the south Mrs. Hanly went to Indianapolis, Indiana, antl subsequently to Madison, Wis- consin, where the Doctor was reared. When only about eight years old he was bound out to an old German farmer, who died eighteen months later. Our subject afterward fol- lowed various pursuits in order to provide for the support of himself and his mother. Am- bitious, industrious and energetic, he had managed to complete a course in a business C(_illege and in a private school at the time he was sixteen years of age, doing chores and abo cooking for his teacher in order to pay for his tuition. He afterward followed carpentry work for two years and then, de- termining to make the profession of den- tistry his life work, at the age of eighteen he began studying with a dentist of Mazo Manic, Wisconsin, with whom he remained for twenty-fi\e months. During that time Dr. Hanly gained a C(jmprehensi\e knowledge of the practice of dentistry and then entered into partner- ship relations with O. T. Taylor, of Wane- ka, Wisconsin, with wdiom he remained for about fourteen months at that place. To- gether the}- then removed to Wahpeton, North Dakota, where they practiced for two vears and then dissolved ])artnership. In i8i^2 Dr. Hanly began business alone and not onlv gained success as a member of the dental fraternity, but also prospered in manv speculations and in\-estments in that state. He purchased equities and trafficked in land until he had nearly two thousand acres. He also cnviied store buiklings and six residences Ijesides a stock of drugs in W'ahjjelon and in the last named enterprise 1 1 54 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD he was associated with liis hrutlier. He re- mained in North Dakota from the winter of 1879 until i8yo, when lie came to Hoopes- ton, arriving in this city on Christmas eve (if that year. He had partially disposetl of his interests I^efore leaving the north, retain- ing, however, his city property, which he has since sold. He brought with him to this place about four thousand dollars and has since realized iibout eight thousand dollars upon the property which he held in North Dakota. On locating in Hoopeston Dr. Hanly purchased a lot. on which he built a resi- dence at a cost of six thousand dollars. La- ter he bought two acres more and in 1899 he i)nrchased fifteen acres adjoining, on which he built four gcxjcl residences. On the "lb of December. 1901, he suffered con- siderable loss in the fire which destroyed the Mcb'erren block, his total loss amounting to twenty-four hundred dollars, on which he had but seven hundred dollars insurance. Ibis fire occurred while he was absent on a visit to Indianapolis, but within twenty- four hciurs after the fire he had re-opened his oltice in the Hamilton & Cunningham Bank 1)lock and thus with only a few hours' interruption he was contimiing his profes- sion, in which he has met with the most marked success. A\'hen the new McFerren block was completed, on the 15th of May, 1896, he removed to that building, ^vhere he has a suite of three rooms. He fitted up his (jftice at an expense of twenty-five hun- dred dollars and there are no Ijetter equipped dental apartments in the state outside the city of Chicago. He uses all the latest a])pliances and facilities for carrying on his practice which has reached very large ])ro- portions, his patronage coming to him from a wide territory. In addition to his other interests here the Doctor owns a lot and training barns adjoining the city park. Both he and his w ife ha\e always l)een lovers of fine horses, '['he Doctor has owned some \er}- \alual)le slock. He to-day owns a Ijrood mare which has foaled five colts, and Hazel 11., the two-year old, has made a half-mile in one minute and four seconds and a mile in two minutes and twenty-five seconds. Her full sister, Pansie, after ninteen days' driv- ing, made a record of 2 :30. Dr. Hanly also has two other colts that are very prominent. The mare is by Albert, and the two colts were sired by Jay \\'ooriel Cathcart. was likewise a native of County Tyrone as was his wife. Gabriel Cathcart was one of the landed proprietors of his community and lielonged to one of the old families of Ireland. He and his wife al- ways made their home in Ireland, although they visited their son several times. He li\ed to the ripe old age of eighty-seven years, while his wife passetl away at the age of sixty. John M. Cathcart was second in a fam- ily of seven children born to his parents and in the county of his nativity received a fair education. He early began a business ca- reer, however, being but si.xteen years of age, and for two years ran a family grocery store. On the ist day of March, i860, he sailed from Queenstown and landed in New- York after a voyage of thirteen days, which was a remarkably short time for that period. Coming directly west Mr. Cathcart located in Morgan county, Illinois, being employed the first summer on a farm near Alexander Station. He thus acquired a knowledge of how farming was conducted in America and the next year rented a farm of one hundred acres. He continued to rent in Morgan and Logan counties, Illinois, for several years and became quite extensively engaged in stock-raising. In 1866 Mr. Cathcart made his first purchase, locating on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Mason county, Illinois. This place he broke and improved and resided upon it for seventeen years. In 1883 he went to Nebraska and in company with his brother-in-law, William and Jo- seph Alexander, he operated an extensive cattle ranch in Webster and Nuckles coun- ties. He continued in the cattle, business for four years and returning to Illinois, he erected a grain elevator and engaged in the lumber and grain business at Broadlands, Illinois. In 1891 Mr. Cathcart moved to Sidell, Illinois, where he established a similar business, which he conducted in connection with the Broadlands business up to 1896, since which time has l:)een living retired. On the 15th of Xovember. 1867, John M. Cathcart was uniteil in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Alexander, a daughter of James tisS THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Alexander of County Tyrone, Ireland. He (lied when Mrs. Catlicart ^\•as a small child and fnr years she made her home with her iirothers, William and Joseph Alexander, who were prominent men of Illinois. Jo- seph Alexander is deceased and William makes his home when in illindis. with .Mr. ("athcart. He, as was his brother, is an ex- tensive owner of Iowa. Nebraska and Illi- nois farm land. Three children have been lK)rn to Mr. Cathcart and wife as follows: I'lorence, the wife of John H. Herron, died May 14. 1899, leaving one child, Alexander Cathcart Herron. a little lad of five years. William C. is the subject of this review. Jiihn is nmv serving as assistant cashier of the LSank of Lyons, Alexander & Com- pany. Mr. Cathcart and wife are members ot the Christian church of Sidell, in which he is serving as deacon. Fraternally he is a Mason and in political belief he is a Repub- lican. W^illiam G. Cathcart received his pri- mary education in the schools of Natrona, Illinois, which he supplemented by an attend- ance in a Jacksonville high school. As Mr. Cathcart expresses it "he had no youth" for at the age of fifteen he went west to Ne- liraska and assumed the management of Alexander and Cathcart's cattle ranch in Webster county. The exiK)sure to inclement weather resulted in his contracting rheuma- tism \'ery badly and f