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MACON COUNTY, 

ILLINOIS, 



CONTAINING 



Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, 

* 

SovBHiors of the Itate, and of ne Iresidents 



OF= THE UNITED STMTES. 



CHICAGO: 

LAKE CITY PUBLISHING CO. 
1893 



<? 0/077358 





ME greatest of English historians, MACAULAY, and one of the most brilliant writers of 
the present century, has said : "The history of a country is best told in a record of the 
lives of its people." In conformity with this idea the PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAI 
RECORD O f t u jg coun ty has been prepared. Instead of going to musty records, and 
taking therefrom dry statistical matter that can be appreciated by but few, ouj 
corps of writers have gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their 
enterprise and industry, brought the county to rank second to none among those 
comprising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life 
struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelli- 
gent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the 
imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by 
industry and economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited 

J ! 3|j?|||k9 advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an 
JH JUv^.' influence extending throughout the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who 
have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have 
become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and 
records how that success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very 
many, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued "the even tenor of their way," conten^ 
to have it said of them as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy "they have done what 
they could." It tells how that many in the pride and strength of young manhood left the plow and the 
anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's 
call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace 
once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not 
be lost upon those who follow after. 

Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the fact 
that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would otherwise be 
inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work and every opportunity possible 
ijiven to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written, and the publishers flatter them 
selves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of consequence. In addition to the biograpb 
ical sketches, portraits of ;i number of representative citizens are given. 

The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. For this the 
publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some refused to give the 
information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. Occasionally some member of 
the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of the interested 
one would be withheld. In a few instances men could never be found, though repeated calls were made 
at their residence or place of business. 

September, 1893. LAKE CITY PUBLISHING Co. 







u 



OF THE 




OF ILLINOIS, 



AND OF THE 






OF THE 




- 





V 



UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
IffiBAAM 




" 




FJJtST PRESIDENT. 



I < ' 



M 





HE Father of our Country was 
born in Westmorland Co., Va., 
Feb. 22, 1732. His parents 
were Augustine and Mary 
(Ball) Washington. The family 
to which he belonged has not 
,been satisfactorily traced in 
England. His great-grand- 
father, John Washington, em- 
igrated to Virginia about 1657, 
and became a prosperous 
planter. He had two sons, 
Lawrence and John. The 
former married Mildred Warner 
and had three children, John, 
Augustine and Mildred. Augus- 
tine, the father of George, first 
married Jane Butler, who bore 
him four children, two of whom, 
Lawrence and Augustine, reached 
maturity. Of six children by his 
second marriage, George was the 
eldest, the others being Betty, 
Samuel, John Augustine, Charles 
and Mildred. 

Augustine Washington, the father of George, died 
in 1743, leaving a large landed property. To his 
eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an estate on 
the Patomac, afterwards known as Mount Vernon, 
and to George he left the parental residence. George 
received only such education as the neighborhood 
schools afforded, save for a short time after he left 
school, when he received private instruction in 
mathematics. His spelling was rather defective. 



Remarkable stories are told of his great physica= 
strength and development at an early age. He was 
an acknowledged leader among his companions, and 
was early noted for that nobleness of character, fair- 
ness and veracity which characterized his whole life. 

When George was 1 4 years old he had a desire to go to 
sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for him, 
but through the opposition of his mother the idea was 
abandoned. Two years later he was appointed 
surveyor to the immense estate of Lord Fairfax. In 
this business he spent three years in a rough frontier 
life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very 
essential to him. In 1751, though only 19 years of 
age, he was appointed adjutant with the rank of 
major in the Virginia militia, then being trained fot 
active service against the French and Indians. Soon 
after this he sailed to the West Indies with his brother 
Lawrence, who went there to restore his health. They 
soon returned, and in the summer of 1752 Lawrence 
died, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter 
who did not long survive him. On her demise the 
estate of Mount Vernon was given to George. 

Upon the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie, as Lieutcn- 
ant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia wae 
reorganized, and the province divided into four mili- 
tary districts, of which the northern was assigned to 
Washington as adjutant general. Shortly after this 
a very perilous mission was assigned him and ac- 
cepted, which others had refused. This was to pro- 
ceed to the French post near Lake Erie in North- 
western Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed 
was between 500 and 600 miles. Winter was at hand, 
and the journey was to be made without railitan 
escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. Th* 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



trip was a perilous one, and several limes he came near 
losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished 
a full and useful report of his expedition. A regiment 
of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in com- 
mand of Col. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was 
commissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was 
then begun against the French and Indians, in which 
Washington took a most important part. In the 
memorable event of July 9, 1755, known as Brad- 
dock's defeat, Washington was almost the only officer 
of distinction who escaped from the calamities of the 
day with life and honor. The other aids of Braddock 
were disabled early in the action, and Washington 
alone was left in that capacity on the field. In a letter 
to his brother he says : " I had four bullets through 
my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped 
unhurt, though death was leveling; my companions 
on every side." An Indian sharpshooter said he was 
not born to be killed by a bullet, for he had taken 
direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit 
him. 

After having been five years in the military service, 
and vainly sought promotion in the royal army, he 
look advantage of the fall of Fort Duquesne and the 
expulsion of the French from the valley of the Ohio, 
10 resign his commission. Soon after he entered the 
Legislature, where, although not a leader, he took an 
active and important part. January 17, 1759, he 
married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy 
widow of John Parke Custis. 

When the British Parliament had closed the port 
of Boston, the cry went up throughout the provinces 
that "The cause of Boston is the cause of us all." 
It was then, at the suggestion of Virginia, that a Con- 
gress of all the colonies was called to meet at Phila- 
delphia.Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties, 
peaceably if possible. To this Congress Col. Wash- 
ington was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the 
Congress re-assembled, when the hostile intentions of 
England were plainly apparent. The battles of Con- 
cord and Lexington had been fought. Among the 
first acts of this Congress was the election of a com- 
mander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and 
responsible office was conferred upon Washington, 
who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted 
it on June 19, but upon the express condition that he 
receive no salary. He would keep an exact account 
of expenses and expect Congress to pay them and 
nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch to 
trace the military acts of Washington, to whom the 
fortunes and liberties of the people of this country 
were so long confided. The war was conducted by 
him under ever)- possible disadvantage, and while his 
forces often met with reverses, yet he overcame every 
obstacle, and after seven years of heroic devotion 
and matchless skill he gained liberty for the greatest 
nation of earth. On Dec. 23, 1783, Washington, in 
a parting address of surpassing beauty, resigned his 



commission as commander-in-chief of the army to 
to the Continental Congress sitting at Annapolis. He 
retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed 
his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all 
connection with public life. 

In February, 1 7 89, Washington was unanimously 
elected President. In his presidential career he was 
subject to the peculiar trials incidental to a new 
government ; trials from lack of confidence on the part 
of other governments; trials from want of harmony 
between the different sections of our own country; 
trials from the impoverished condition of the country, 
owing to the war and want of credit; trials from the 
beginnings of party strife. He was no partisan. His 
clear judg.nent could discern the golden mean ; and 
while perhaps this alone kept our government from 
sinking at the very outset, it left him exposed to 
attacks from both sides, which were often bitter and 
very annoying. 

At the expiration of his first term he was unani- 
mously re-elected. At the end of this term many 
were anxious that he be re-elected, but he absolutely 
refused a third nomination. On the fourth of March, 
1797, at the expiraton of his second term as Presi- 
dent, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there 
his few remaining years free from the annoyances of 
public life. Later in the year, however, his repose 
seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France. 
At the prospect of such a war he was again urged to 
take command of the armies. He chose his sub- 
ordinate officers and left to them the charge of mat- 
ters in the field, which he superintended from his 
home. In accepting the command he made the 
reservation that he was not to be in the field until 
it was necessary. In the midst of these preparations 
his life was suddenly cut off. December 1 2, he took 
a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling 
in his throat, produced inflammation, and terminated 
fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eigh- 
teenth his body was borne wi'h military honors to its 
final resting place, and interred in the family vault at 
Mount Vernon. 

Of the character of Washington it is impossible to 
speak but in terms of the highest respect and ad- 
miration. The more we see of the operations of 
our government, and the more deeply we feel the 
difficulty of uniting all opinions in a common interest, 
the more highly we must estimate the force of his tal- 
ent and character, which have be"n able to challenge 
the reverence of all parties, and principles, and na- 
tions, and to win a fame as extended as the limits 
of the globe, and which we cannot but believe will 
be as lasting as the existence of man. 

The person of Washington was unusally tali, erect 
and well proportioned. His muscular strength was 
great. His features were of a beautiful symmetry. 
He commanded respect without any appearance of 
haughtiness, and ever serious without 






URBANA 



ILLIN 






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SECOND 





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OHN ADAMS, the second 
President and the first Vice- 
President of the United States, 
was born in Braintree ( now 
Quincy),Mass., and about ten 
miles from Boston, Oct. 19, 
1735. His great-grandfather, Henry 
Adams, emigrated from England 
about 1 640, with a family of eight 
, sons, and settled at Braiatree. The 
parents of John were John and 
Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His 
father was a farmer of limited 
means, to which he added the bus- 
iness of shoemaking. He gave his' 
eldest son, John, a classical educa- 
tion at Harvard College. John 
graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the 
school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a 
''school of affliction," from which he endeavored to 
gain relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the 
study of law. For this purpose he placed himself 
under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He 
had thought seriously of the clerical profession 
but seems to have been turned from this by what he 
termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun- 
jils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature/' 
of the operations of which he had been a witness in 
his native town. He was well fitted for the legal 
profession, possessing a clear, sonorous voice, being 
ready and fluent of speech, and having quick percep- 
tive powers. He gradually gained practice, and in 
1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, 
and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his 
marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxa- 
tion turned him from law to politics. He took initial 
steps toward holdir. B a. town meeting, and the resolu- 



tions he offered on the subject became very populai 
throughout the Province, and were adopted word for 
word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos 
ton in 1768, and became one of the most courageous 
and prominent advocates of the popular cause, and 
was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg- 
lislature) in 1770. 

Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates 
from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress, 
which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himselt 
by his capacity for business and for debate, and ad- 
vocated the movement for independence against th 
majority of the members. In May, 1776, he moved 
and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies 
should assume the duties of self-government. He 
was a prominent member of the committee of nvej 
appointed June n, to prepare a declaration of inde- 
pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but 
on Adams devolved the task of battling it through 
Congress in a three days debate. 

On the day after the Declaration of Independence 
was passed, while his soul was yet warm with th; 
glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wile 
which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated 
by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "the 
greatest question was decided that ever was debated 
in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or wil 
be decided among men. A resolution was passed 
without one dissenting colony, ' that these United 
States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde- 
pendent states.' The day is passed. The fourth of 
July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history 
of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated 
by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary, 
festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of' 
deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty 
God. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows- 



24 



JOHN ADAMS. 



games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations 
from one end of the continent to the other, from this 
lime forward for ever. You will think me transported 
with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of 
the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to 
maintain this declaration, and support and defend 
these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the 
rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is 
worth more than all the means; and that posterity 
will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I 
hope we shall not." 

In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a 
delegate to France and to co-operate with Bemjamin 
Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in 
the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money 
from the French Government. This was a severe trial 
to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, 
compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex- 
posed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis- 
ers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17, 
1779. In September of the same year he was again 
cuosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readi- 
ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce 
with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet 
might be found willing to listen to such pioposels. He 
sailed for France in November, from there he went to 
Holland, where he negotiated important loans and 
formed important commercial treaties. 

Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed 
Jan. 21, 1783. The re-action from the excitement, 
toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed 
threw him into a fever. After suffering from a con- 
tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he 
was advised to goto England to drink the waters of 
Bath. \Vhilein England, still drooping anddespond- 
ing, he received dispatches from his own government 
urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to 
negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was 
delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through 
storm, on sea, on horseback and foot.he made the trip. 

February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams 
envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face 
to face the King of England, who had so long re- 
garded him as a traitor. As England did not 
condescend to appoint a minister to the United 
States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was accom- 
plishing but little, he sought permission to return to 
nis own country, where he arrived in June, T788. 

When Washington was first chosen President, John 
Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at 
home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again 
at the second election of Washington as President, 
Adams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Wash- 
ington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams was 
elected President, though not without much opposition. 
Serving in this office four years,he was succeeded by 
Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics. 

TVhile Mr. Adams was Vice President the great 



French Revolution shook the continent of Europe, 
and it was upon this point which he was at issue wall 
the majority of his countrymen led by Mr. Jefferson. 
Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people 
in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their 
power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the 
class of atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it. 
On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly 
enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence or- 
iginated the alienation between these distinguished 
men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organ- 
ized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies 
were with England and Jefferson led the other in 
sympathy with France. 

The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more 
moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the 
old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling 
had died away, and he had begun to receive that just 
appreciation which, to most men, is not accorded till 
after death. No one could look upon his venerable 
form, and think of what he had done and suffered, 
and how he had given up all the prime and strength 
of his life to the public good, without the deepest 
emotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar 
good fortune to witness the complete success of the 
institution which he had been so active in creating and 
supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled 
to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest 
station in the gift of the people. 

The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half 
century since the signing of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, arrived, and there were but three of the 
signers of that immortal instrument left upon the 
earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is 
well known, on that day two of these finished their 
earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as 
to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr. 
Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning 
of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from 
his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the 
customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " IN- 
DEPENDENCE FOREVER." When the day was ushered 
in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons, 
he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew 
what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glor- 
ious fourth of July God bless it God bless you all." 
In the course of the day he- said, " It is a great and 
glorious day." The last words he uttered were, 
"Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, re- 
signed his spirit into the hands of his God. 

The personal appearance and manners of Mr. 
Adams were not particularly prepossessing. His face, 
as his portrait manifests.was intellectual ard expres- 
sive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and h>s 
manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteons. 
He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor 
the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked 
the manners and address of Jefferson, 



UBRNRY 

Of ILLINOIS 
URBAAW 



THIRD PRESIDENT. 





HOMAS JEFFERSON was 
born April 2, 1743, at Shad- 
well, Albermarle county, Va. 
His parents were Peter and 
Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson, 
the former a native of Wales, 
and the latter born in Lon- 
don. To them were born six 
daughters and two sons, of 
whom Thomas was the elder. 
When 14 years of age his 
father died. He received a 
most liberal education, hav- 
ing been kept diligently at school 
from the time he was five years of 
age. In 1760 he entered William 
rnd Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat 
of !he Colonial Court, and it was the obodeof fashion 
avid splendor. Young Jefferson, who was then 17 
years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine 
horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he 
was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproacha- 
able in his morals. It is strange, however, under 
such influences,that he was not ruined. In the sec- 
ond year of his college course, moved by some un- 
explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, 
society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had 
previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen 
hours a day to hard study, allowing himself for ex- 
ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out 
of the city and back again. He thus attained very 
high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso- 
phy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and 
Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished 
scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls; and 



there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a 
more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. 

Immediately upon leaving college he began the 
study of law. For the short time he continued in the 
practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin- 
guished himself by his energy and accuteness as a 
lawyer. But the times called for greater action. 
The policy of England had awakened the spirit of 
resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged 
views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led 
him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen 
a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 
1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti- 
ful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow 

Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, thare 
was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which 
commanded a prospect of wonderful extent and 
beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected lor his new 
home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet 
elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon 
became the most distinguished resort in our land. 

In 1775 ne was sent to tne Cclonial Congress, 
where, though a silent member, his abilities as a 
writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he 
was placed upon a number of important committees, 
and was chairman of the one appointed for the draw- 
ing up of a declaration of independence. This com- 
mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, 
Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. 
Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed 
to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested 
a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con- 
gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made 
in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July 
4, 1776, What must have been the feelings of that 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



man what the emotions that swelled his breast 
who was charged with the preparation of that Dec- 
laration, which, while it made known the wrongs of 
America, was also to publish her to the world, free, 
soverign and independent. It is one of the most re- 
markable papers ever written ; and did no other effort 
of the mind of its author exist, that alone would be 
sufficient to stamp his name with immortality. 

In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to 
Patrick Henry, as Governor of Virginia. At one time 
the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to 
Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five 
minutes elapsed after the hurried escape of Mr. Jef- 
ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses- 
sion of the British troops. His wife's health, never 
very good, was much injured by this excitement, and 
in the summer of 1782 she died. 

Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. 
Two years later he was appointed Minister. Plenipo- 
tentiary to France. Returning to the United States 
in September, 1789, he became Secretary of State 
in Washington's cabinet. This position he resigned 
Jan. i, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi- 
dent, and four years later was elected President over 
Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In 
1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, 
and George Clinton, Vice President. 

The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra- 
tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the 
tranquility and peace of the Union; this was the con- 
spiracy of Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election 
to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled 
ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a 
military expedition into the Spanish territories on our 
southwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there 
a new republic. This has been generally supposed 
was a mere pretext ; and although it has not been 
generally known what his real plans were, there is no 
doubt that they were of a far more dangerous 
character. 

In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for 
which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined 
to retire from political life. For a period of nearly 
forty years, he had been continually before the pub- 
lic, and all that time had been employed in offices of 
the greatest trust and responsibility. Having thus de- 
voted the best part of his life to the service of his 
country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his 
declining years required, and upon the organization of 
the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare- 
well forever to. public life, and retired to Monticello. 

Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole 
families came in their coaches with their horses, 
fathers and mothers, boys and girls, babies and 
nurses, and remained three and even six months. 
Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a 
fashionable watering-place. 

The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver- 



sary of the Declaration of American Independence, 
great preparations were made in every part of ths 
Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and 
the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity 
of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer. 
and one of the few surviving signers of the Declara- 
tion, to participate in their festivities. But an ill- 
ness, which had been of several weeks duration, and 
had been continually increasing, compelled him to 
decline the invitation. 

On the second of July, the disease under which 
he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced 
state that his medical attendants, entertained nc 
hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly 
sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next 
day, which was Monday, he asked of those around 
him, the day of the month, and on being told it was 
the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish tha" 
he might be permitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth 
anniversary. His prayer was heard that day, whose 
dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land, 
burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for- 
ever. And what a noble consummation of a noble 
life ! To die on that day, the birthday of a nation,- - 
the day which his own name and his own act had 
rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and 
festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him, 
as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings, 
was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life. 

Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin- 
dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear 
him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. 
Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of 
freedom ; hand in hand, during the dark and desper- 
ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and 
animated their desponding countrymen; for half a 
century they had labored together for the good of 
the country; and now hand in hand they depart. 
In their lives they had been united in the same great 
cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not 
divided. 

In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather 
above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes 
were light, his hair originally red, in after life became 
white and silvery ; his complexion was fair, his fore- 
head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and 
thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as 
well as personal courage ; and j.:s command of tem- 
per was such that his oldest and most intimate friends 
never recollected to have seen him in a passion. 
His manners, though dignified, were simple and un r 
affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that 
all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver- 
sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic; and 
his language was remarkably pure and correct. He 
was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is 
discernable the care with which he formed his style 
upon the best models of antiquity. 



LIBRARY 

WVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBAAW 



FOURTH PRESIDENT. 





AMES MADISON, "Father 
of the Constitution," and fourth 
President of the United States, 
was born March 16, 1757, and 
died at his home in Virginia, 
June 28, 1836. The name of 
James Madison is inseparably con- 
nected with most of the important 
events in that heroic period of our 
country during which the founda- 
tions of this great republic were 
laid. He was the last of the founders 
of the Constitution of the United 
States to be called to his eternal 
reward. 

The Madison family were among 
the early emigrants to the New World, 
landing upon the shores of the Chesa- 
peake but 15 years after the settle- 
ment of Jamestown. The father of 
James Madison was an opulent 
planter, residing upon a very fine es- 
tate called "Montpelier," Orange Co., 
Va. The mansion was situated in 
the midst of scenery highly pictur- 
esque and romantic, on the west side 
of South-west Mountain, at the foot of 
Blue Ridge. It was but 25 miles from the home of 
Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and 
jwlitical attachment existed between these illustrious 
men, from their early youth until death. 

The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted 
mostly at home under a private tutor. At the age of 
1 8 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. 
Here he applied himself to study with the most im- 



prudent zeal; allowing himself, for months, but three 
hours' sleep out of the 24. His health thus became so 
seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor 
of constitution. He graduated in 1771, with a feeble 
body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a 
mind highly disciplined and richly stored with learning 
which embellished and gave proficiency to his subsc 
quent career. 

Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of 
law and a course of extensive and systematic reading. 
This educational course, the spirit of the times in 
which he lived, and the society with which he asso- 
ciated, all combined to inspire him with a strong 
love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work ot 
a statesman. Being naturally of a, religious turn of 
mind, and his frail health leading him to think that 
his life was not to be long, he directed especial atten- 
tion to theological studies. Endowed with a mind 
singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with 
almost unequalled powers of reasoning, he weighed 
all the arguments for and against revealed religion, 
until his faith became so established as never to 
be shaken. 

In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he 
was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to 
frame the constitution of the State. The next year 
(1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly. 
He refused to treat the whisky-loving voters, and 
consequently lost his election ; but those who had 
witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the 
modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, 
and he was appointed to the Executive Council. 

Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were 
Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained 
member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his 



JAMES MADISON. 



, intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not 
a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year 
1780, he was elected a member of the Continental 
Congress. Here he met the most illustrious men in 
our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of 
the most conspicuous positions among them. 

For three years Mr. Madison continued in Con- 
gress, one of its most active and influential members. 
In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was 
elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. 

No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the 
utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na- 
tional government, with no power to form treaties 
which would be binding, or to enforce law. There 
was not any State more prominent than Virginia in 
the declaration, that an efficient national government 
must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison 
carried a resolution through the General Assembly of 
Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commis- 
sioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss 
this subject. Five States only were represented. The 
convention, however, issued another call, drawn up 
by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their 
delegates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to. .draft 
a Constitution for the United States, to take the place 
of that Confederate League. The delegates met at 
the time appointed. Every State but Rhode Island 
was represented. George Washington was chosen 
president of the convention ; and the present Consti- 
tution of the United States was then and there formed. 
There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more ac- 
tive in framing this immortal document than the mind 
and the pen of James Madison. 

The Constitution, adopted by a vote 81 to 79, was 
to be presented to the several States for acceptance. 
But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected 
we should be left but a conglomeration of independent 
States, with but little power at home and little respect 
abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the conven- 
tion to draw up an address to the people of the United 
States, expounding the principles of the Constitution, 
and urging its adoption. There was great opposition 
to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and 
went into effect in 1789. 

Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre- 
sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the 
avowed leader of the Republican party. While in 
New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. Todd, a 
young widow of remarkable power of fascination, 
whom he married. She was in person and character 
queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied 
so prominent a position in the very peculiar society 
which has constituted our republican court as Mrs. 
Madison. 

Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under 
Jefferson, and at the close of his administration 
was chosen President. At this time the encroach- 
ments of England had brought us to the verge of war. 



British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and 
our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison 
was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring 
in his disposition, war had no charms for him. But the 
meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood 
boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought 
to, upon the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser. 
A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the 
crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchal- 
ance he selects any number whom he may please to 
designate as British subjects ; orders them down the 
ship's side into his boat ; and places them on the gun- 
deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the 
battles of England. This right of search and im- 
pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce 
the British cabinet to relinquish. 

On the i8th of June, 1812, President Madison gave 
his approval to an act of Congress declaring war 
against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter 
hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country 
in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th 
of March, i8'3> was re-elected by a large majority, 
and entered upon his second term of office. This is 
not the place to describe the various adventuras of 
this war on the land and on the water. Our infant 
navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grap- 
pling with the most formidable power which ever 
swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest 
by the appearance of a British fleet, early in February, 
1813, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole 
coast of the United States under blockade. 

The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me 
dilator. America accepted ; England refused. A Brit- 
ish force of five thousand men landed on the banks 
of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesa- 
peake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladens- 
burg, upon Washington. 

The straggling little city of Washington was thrown 
into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict 
at Bladensburg echoed through the streets of the 
metropolis. The whole population fled from the city. 
The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White 
House, with her carriage drawn up at the doer to 
await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers 
in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed, 
and he could not go back without danger of being 
captured. But few hours elapsed ere the Presidentinf 
Mansion, the Capitol, and all the public buildings in 
Washington were in flames. 

The war closed after two years of fighting, and on 
Feb. 13, 1815, the treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. 

On the 4th of March, 1817, his second term of 
office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair 
to his friend, James Monroe. He retired to his beau- 
tiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the re- 
mainder of his days. On June 28, 1836, then at the 
age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madi- 
son died July 12, 1849. 



OF , LL/NO/S 



'FIFTH PRESIDENT. 





AMES MONROE, the fifth 
Presidentof The United States, 
was born in Westmoreland Co., 
Va., April 28, 1758. His early 
life was passed at the place of 
nativity. His ancestors had for 
many years resided in the prov- 
ince in which he was born. When, 
at 17 years of age, in the process 
of completing his education at 
William and Mary College, the Co- 
lonial Congress assembled at Phila- 
delphia to deliberate upon the un- 
just and manifold oppressions of 
Great Britian, declared the separa- 
tion of the Colonies, and promul- 
gated the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly 
probable that he would have been one of the signers 
of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left 
school and enlisted among the patriots. 

Ho joined the army when everything looked hope- 
less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased 
from day to day. The invading armies came pouring 
in ; and the lories not only favored the cause of the 
mother country, but disheartened the new recruits, 
who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of con- 
tending with an enemy whcm they had been taught 
to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James 
Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through 
difficulty and danger, the United States owe their 
political emancipation. The young cadet joined the 
ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country, 
with a firm determination to live o: lie with her strife 



for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the mel- 
ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White 
Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled 
before its foes through New Jersey. In four months 
after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots 
had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of 
Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg- 
ing upon the enemy he received a wound in the left 
shoulder. 

As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was pro-) 
moted a captain of infantry; and, having recovered, 
from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, 
receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an 
officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam- 
paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy 
wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued 
aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his 
position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a 
regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed 
owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Upon 
this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at 
that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable 
ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however, 
entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag; 
but on the invasions of the enemy, served as avolun 
teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. 

In 1782, he was elected from King George county, 
a member of the Legislature of Virginia, and by tha! 
body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive 
Council. He was thus honored with the confidence 
of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having 
at this early period displayed some of that ability 
and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards 
employed with unremitting energy for the public good, 



JAMES MONROE. 



he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of 
the Congress of the United States. 
Ueeplyas Mr. Monroefelt the imperfections of the old 
Confederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution, 
ihinking, with many others of the Republican party, 
lhat it gave too much power to the Central Government, 
and not enough to the individual States. Still he re- 
tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm 
supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition 
secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member 
of the United States Senate ; which office he held for 
four years. Every month the line of distinction be- 
tween the two great parties which divided the nation, 
the Federal and the Republican, was growing more 
distinct. The two prominent ideas which now sep- 
arated them were, that the Republican party was in 
sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a 
strict construction of the Constitution as to give the 
Central Government as little power, and the State 
Governments as much power, as the Constitution would 
warrant. The Federalists sympathized with England, 
and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- 
stitution, which would give as much power to the 
Central Government as that document could possibly 
authorize. 

The leading Federalists and Republicans were 
alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the 
good of the nation. Two more honest men or more 
pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and 
James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In 
building up this majestic nation, which is destined 
to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the com- 
bination of their antagonism was needed to create the 
tight equilibrium. And yet each in his day was de- 
nounced as almost a demon. 

Washington was then President. England had es- 
poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi- 
ples of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn 
into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. 
Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be- 
tween these contending powers. France had helped 
us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms 
of Europe were now combined to prevent the French 
from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse 
than that which we had endured Col. Monroe, more 
magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at 
whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in 
their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous 
and noble nature. He violently opposed the Pres- 
ident's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in 
magnanimity. 

Washington, who could appreciate such a character, 
developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness, 
by appointing that very James Monroe, who was de- 
nouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister 
of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr. 
Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention 
in France witft the most enthusiastic demonstiAtions. 



Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon- 
roe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the 
office for three yeais. He was again sent to France to 
co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining 
the vast territory then known as the Province of 
Louisiana, which France had but shortly before ob- 
tained from Spain. Their united efforts were suc- 
cessful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen 
millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and 
district of Louisiana were added to the United States. 
This was probably the largest transfer of real estate 
which was ever made in all the history of the world. 

From France Mr. Monroe went to England to ob- 
tain from that country some recognition of our 
rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those 
odious impressments of our seamen. but Eng- 
land was unrelenting. He again returned to Eng- 
land on the same mission, but could receive no 
redress. He returned to his home and was again 
chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned 
to accept the position of Secretary of State under 
Madison. While in this office war with England was 
declared, the. Secretary of War resigned, and during 
these trying times, the duties of the War Department 
were also put upon him. He was truly the armor- 
bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient 
business man in his cabinet. Upon the return ol 
peace he resigned the Department of War, but con- 
tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex- 
piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec- 
tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had 
been chosen President with but little opposition, and 
upon March 4, 1817, was inaugurated. Four years 
later he was elected for a second term. 

Among the important measures of his Presidency 
were the cession of Florida to the United States; the 
Missouri Compromise, and the " Monroe doctrine.' 

This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe 
doctrine," was enunciated by him in 1823. At that 
time the United States had recognized the independ- 
ence of the South American states, and did not wish 
to have European powers longer attempting to sub- 
due portions of the American Continent. The doctrine 
is as follows: "That we should consider any attempt 
on the part of European powers to extend their sys- 
tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous 
to our peace and safety," and "that we could not 
view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing 
or controlling American governments or provinces in 
any other light than as a manifestation by European 
powers of an unfriendly disposition toward the United 
States." This doctrine immediately affected the course 
of foreign governments, and has become the approved 
sentiment of the United States. 

At the end of his f econd term Mr. Monroe retired 
to his home in Virginia, where he lived uniil 1830 
when he went to New York to live with his son-in- 
law. In that city he died.on the 4th of July 1831 




j, 



SIXTH PRESIDENT. 




N^^ 





OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the 
sixth President of the United 
States, was bom in the rural 
home of his honored father, 
John Adams, in Quincy, Mass., 
on the nth cf July, 1767. His 
mother, a woman of exalted 
worth, watched over his childhood 
during the almost constant ab- 
sence of his father. When but 
eight years of age, he stood with 
his mother on an eminence, listen- 
ing to the booming of the great bat- 
tle on Bunker's Hill, and gazing on 
upon the smoke and flames billow- 
ing up from the conflagration of 
Charlestown. 

When but eleven years old he 
took a tearful adieu of his. mother, 
to sail with his fattier for Europe, 
through a fleet ot hostile British cruisers. The bright, 
animated boy spent a year and a half in Paris, where 
his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as 
minister plenipotentiary. His intelligence attracted 
the notice of these distinguished men, and he received 
from them flattering marks of attention. 

Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this 
country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad Again 
ior.n Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he 
applied himself with great diligence, for six months, 
to .-,*udy; then accompained his father to Holland, 
v/nere lie entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then 
the University at Leyden. About a year from this 
time, in i78r, when the manly boy was but fourteen 
yea-s of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min- 
ister to the Russian court, as his private secretary. 

In this school of incessant labor and of enobling 
culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned 
to Holland thiough Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and 
Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the 
winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed 
ms studies, under a pri"*te tutor, at Hague. Thence, 



in the spring of 1782, he accompanied his father u 
Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance 
with the most distinguished men on the Continent 
examining architectural remains, galleries of ] aintings 
and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again 
became associated with the most illustrious men of 
all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal 
themes which can engross the human mind. After 
a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and 
consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785, 
when he returned to America. To a brilliant young 
man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, 
and who was familiar with the etiquette of courts, a 
residence with his father in London, under such cir- 
cumstances, must have been extremely attractive 
but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre- 
ferred to return to America to complete his education 
in an American college. He wished then to study 
law, that with an honorable profession, he might be 
able to obtain an independent support. 

Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty 
he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be- 
ing then but twenty-seven years of age, he was ap- 
pointed by Washington, resident minister at the 
Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached 
London in October, where he was immediately admit- 
ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckncy ; 
assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with 
Gieat Britian. After thus spending a fortnight i. 
London, he proceeded to the Hague. 

In July, 1797, he left the Hague logo to Portugal as 
minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal 
upon arriving in Ixjndon, he met with despatches 
directing him to the court of Benin, but requesting 
him to-remain in London until he should receive his 
instructions. While waiting he was married to ar 
American lady to whom he had been previously en- 
gaged, Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughtei 
of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul In London 
a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom- 
plishment which eminently fitted her to move in tit 
elevated sphere for which she was 



JOHN 0_U1NCY ADAMS. 



He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797 ; 
where he remained until July, 1799, when, having ful- 
filled all the purposes of his mission, he solicited his 
recall. 

Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to 
the Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then 
was elected Senator of the United States for six years, 
from the 4th of March, 1804. His reputation, his 
ability and his experience, placed him immediately 
among the most prominent and influential members 
of that body. Especially did he sustain the Govern- 
ment in its measures of resistance to the encroach- 
ments of England, destroying our commerce and in- 
sulting our flag. There was no man in America more 
familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon 
these points, and no one more resolved to present 
a firm resistance. 

In 1809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Pres- 
idential chair, and he immediately nominated John 
Quincy Adams minister to St. Petersburg. Resign- 
ing his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked 
at Boston, in August, 1809. 

While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense stu- 
dent. He devoted his attention to the language and 
history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the 
European system of weights, measures, and coins ; to 
the climate and astronomical observations ; while he 
kept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and 
Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a 
more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found. 
All through life the Bible constituted an importart 
part of his studies. It was his rule to read five 
chapters every day. 

On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took the 
Presidential chair, and immediately appointed Mr. 
Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his num- 
erous friends in public and private life in Europe, he 
sailed in June, 1819, for the United States. On the 
i8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his 
home in Quincy. During the eight years of Mr. Mon- 
roe's administration, Mr. Adams continued Secretary 
of State. 

Some time before ';he close of Mr. Monroe's second 
term of office, new candidates began to be presented 
for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought 
forward his name. It was an exciting campaign. 
Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and 
sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson re- 
ceived ninety nine; John Quincy Adams, eighty-four; 
William H. Crawford, forty -one; Henry Clay, thirty- 
seren. As there was no choice by the people, the 
question went to the House of Representatives. Mr. 
Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and 
be was elected. 

The friends of all the disappointed candidates now 
:ombined in a venomous and persistent assault upon 
Mr. Adams. There is nothing more disgraceful in 
>> past history of our country than the abuse which 



was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this 
high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was 
an administration more pure in principles, more con- 
scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun- 
try, than that of John Quincy Adams ; and never, per- 
haps, was there an administration more unscrupu- 
lously and outrageously assailed. 

Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab- 
stemious and temperate in his habits; always rising 
early, and taking much exercise. When at his home in 
Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast, 
seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said 
that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his 
own fire and applying himself to work in his library 
often long before dawn. 

On the 4th of March, 1820, Mr. Adams retired 
from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew 
Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice Presi- 
dent. The slavery question now began to assume 
portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to 
Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un- 
abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re- 
main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was 
elected representative to Congress. For seventeen 
years, antil his death, he occupied the post as repre- 
sentative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to 
do brave battle' for freedom, and winning the title of 
"the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in 
the House, he announced that he should hold him- 
self bound to no party. Probably there never was a 
member more devoted to his duties. He was usually 
the first in his place in the morning, and the last to 
leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could 
be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. 'I he 
battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against 
i he prosl-ivery party in the Government, was sublime 
in its moral dating and heroism. For persisting in 
presenting petitions for ihe abolition of slavery, he 
was threatened with indictment by the grand jury, 
with expulsion from the House, with assassination 
but no threats could intimidate him, and his final 
triumph was complete. 

It has been said of President Adams, that when his 

body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of 

fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little 

child, he was accustomed to repeat every night, before 

I he slept, the praj er which his mother taught him in 

I his infant years. 

On the zist of February, 1848, he rose on the floor 
of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the 
speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by paraly- 
sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. 
For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to 
the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious- 
ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around ai.d 
said " This is the end of earth /"then after a moment's 
pause he add-jd, "/am content" These were the 
last words of the grand "Old Man Eloquent." 



SEVENTH PRESIDENT. 





NDREW JACKSON, the 
seventh President of the 
United States, was born in 
Waxhaw settlement, N. 0., 
March 15, 1767, a few days 
after his father's death. His 
parents were poor emigrants 
from Ireland, and took up 
their abode in Waxhaw set- 
tlement, where they lived in 
deepest poverty. 
Andrew, or Andy, as he was 
.universally called, grew up a very 
rough, rude, turbulent boy. His 
features were coarse, his form un- 
gainly; and there was but very 
little in his character, made visible, which was at- 
tractive. 

When only thirteen years old he joined the volun- 
teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In 
1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and 
imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer 
ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am 
a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of 
the dauntless boy. 

The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate 
Dlow at the head of the helpless young prisoner. 
Andrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear- 
ful gashes, one on the hand and the other upon the 
head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert 
with the same demand. He also refused, and re- 
ceived a blow from the keen-edged sabre, which quite 
disabled him, and which probably soon after caused 
his death. They suffered much other ill-treatment, and 
were finally stricken with the small-pox. Their 
mother was successM it obtaining their exchange, 



and took her sick boys home. After a long illn si 
Andrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon 
left him entirely friendless. 

Andrew supported himself in various ways,sachaa 
working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and 
clerking in a general store, until 1784, when he 
entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however, 
gave more attention to the wild amusements of the 
times than to his studies. In 1788, he was appointed 
solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of 
which Tennessee was then a part. This involved 
many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of 
every kind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear, 
and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmish 
witn the Sharp Knife. 

In 1791, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman who 
supposed herself divorced from her former husband. 
Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later, 
to find that the conditions of the divorce had just been 
definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage 
ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur- 
rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr. 
Jackson into disfavor. 

During these years he worked hard at his profes 
sion, and frequently had one or more duels on hand, 
one of which, when he killed Dickenson, was espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then 
containing nearly eighty thousand inhabitants, the 
people met in convention at Knoxville to frame a con- 
stitution. Five were sent from each of the elevei^ 
counties. Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates.) 
The new State was entitled to but one member is 
the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jack- 
son was chosen that member. Mounting his horse he 
rode to Philedelphia, where Congress then held its 



ANDREW JACKSON. 



sessions, a distance of about eight hundred miles. 

Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo- 
cratic party. Jefferson was his idol. He admired 
Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. As Mr. 
Jackson took his seat, Gen. Washington, whose 
second term of office was then expiring, delivered his 
last speech to Congress. A committee drew up a 
complimentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson 
did not approve of the address, and was one of the 
twelve who voted against it. He was not willing to 
say that Gen. Washington's adminstration had been 
" wise, firm and patriotic." 

Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States 
Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home. 
Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court 
of his State, which position he held for six years. 

When the war of 1812 with Great Britian com- 
menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chair. 
Aaron Burr sent word to the President that there was 
an unknown man in the West, Andrew Jackson, who 
would do credit to a commission if one were con- 
ferred upon him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson 
offered his services and those of twenty-five hundred 
volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops 
were assembled at Nashville. 

As the British were hourly expected to make an at- 
tack upon New Orleans, where Gen Wilkinson was 
in command, he was ordered to descend the river 
with fifteen hundred troops to aid Wilkinson. The 
Expedition reached Natchez; and after a delay of sev- 
eral weeks there, without accomplishing anything, 
!he men were ordered back to their homes. But the 
energy Gen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire 
devotion to the comrfort of his soldiers, won him 
golden opinions; and he became the most popular 
man in the State. It was in this expedition that his 
toughness gave him the nickname of "Old Hickory." 

Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip Col. 
Thomas H. Benton, for a remark that gentleman 
made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in 
which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged, 
he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was 
lingering upon a bed of suffering news came that the 
Indians, who had combined under Tecumseh from 
Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set- 
ders, were committing the most awful ravages. De- 
cisive action became necessary. Gen. Jackson, with 
his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in 
a sling, and unable to mount his horse without assis- 
tance, gave his amazing energies to the raising of an 
army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, Alabama. 

The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on 
one of the bends of the Tallapoosa River, near the cen- 
ter of Alabama, about fifty miles below Fort Strother. 
With an army of two thousand men, Gen. Jackson 
traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven 
days. He reached their fort, called Tohopeka or 
Horse-shoe, on the ?7th of March. 1814. The bend 



of the river enclosed nearly one hundred acres of 
tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow 
neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast- 
work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, 
with an ample suplyof arms were assembled. 

The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des- 
perate. Not an Indian would accept of quarter. When 
bleeding and dying, they would fight those who en- 
deavored to spare their lives. From ten in the morn- 
ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was 
awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the 
river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as 
they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war- 
rios were killed A few probably, in the night, swam 
the river and escaped. This ended the war. The 
power of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold 
plunge into the wilderness, with its terrifific slaughter, 
so appalled the savages, that the haggard remnants 
of the bands came to the camp, begging for peace. 

This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con- 
centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the 
allies of the Indians No man of less resolute will 
than Gen. Jackson could have conducted this Indian 
campaign to so successful an issue Immediately he 
was appointed major-general. 

Late in August, with an army of two thousand 
men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to 
Mobile. A British fleet came from Pensacola, landed 
a force upon the beach, anchored near the little fort, 
and from both ship and shore commenced a furious 
assault The battle was long and doubtful. At length 
one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired. 

Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his little 
army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, 
And the battle of New Orleans w hich soon ensued, 
was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won 
for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his 
troops, which numbered about four thousand men, 
won a signal victory over the British army of about 
nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the 
loss of the British was two thousand six hundred. 

The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be men- 
tioned in connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824, 
he was defeated by Mr. Adams. He was, however, 
successful in the election of 1828, and was re-elected 
for a second term in 1832. In 1829, just before he 
assumed the reins of the government, he met with 
the most terrible affliction of his life in the death of 
his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has 
perhaps never been surpassed. From the shock of 
her death he never recovered. 

His administration was one of the most rec-morabie 
in the annals of our country; applauded oyone party, 
condemned by the other. No man had more bitter 
enemies or warmer friends. At the expiration of his 
two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where 
he died June 8, 1845. The last years of Mr. Jack- 
son's life were that of a devoted Christian man. 



UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 







7 



EIGHTH PRESIDENT. 





ARTIN VAN BUREN, the 
eighth President of the 
United States, was born at 
Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5, 
1782. He died at the same 
place, July 24, 1862. His 
body rests in the cemetery 
at Kinderhook. Above it is 
a plain granite shaft fifteen feet 
high, bearing a simple inscription 
about half way up on one face. 
The lot is unfenced, unbordered 
or unbounded by shrub or flower. 

There - uut iktle in the life of Martin Van Buren 
of rumant 'c interest. He fought no battles, engaged 
in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in 
political and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many 
signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those 
incidents which give zest to biography. His an- 
cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin, 
and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland 
to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer, 
residing iu the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, 
also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- 
ligence and exemplary piety. 

AQ was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un- 
usual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At the 
age of fourteen, he had finished his academic studies 
in his native village, and commenced the study of 
law. As he had not a collegiate education, seven 
years of study in a law-office were required of him 
before he could be admitted to the bar. Inspired with 
<t lofty ambition, and conscious of his powers, he pur- 
sued his studies with indefatigable industry. After 
spending six years in an office in His native village, 



he went to the city of New York, and prosecuted his 
studies for the seventh year. 

In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years ol 
age, commenced the practice of law in his native vil- 
lage. The great conflict between the Federal and 
Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van 
Buren was from the beginning a politician. He had, 
perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the 
many discussions which had been carried on in his 
father's hotel. He was in cordial sympathy with, 
Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused tl.s 
cause of State Rights ; though at that time the Feu- 
eral party held the supremacy both in his tow.i 
and State. 

His success and increasing ruputation led him 
after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, th. 
county seat of his county. Here he spent seven years 
constantly gaining strength by contending in th* 
courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned 
the bar of his State. 

Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mi. 
Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for 
beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short 
years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump. 
tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep ovei 
her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren was 
an earnest, successful, assiduous lawyer. The record 
of those years is barren in items of public interest. 
In 1812, when thirty years of age, he was chosen to 
the State Senate, and gave his strenuous support to 
Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 1815, he was ap- 1 
pointed Attorney-General, and the next year moved 
to Albany, the capital of the State. 

While he was acknowledged as one of the most 
piominent leaders of th Democratic party, he had 



MARTIN VAN BUREN. 



the moral courage to avow that true democracy did 
not require that " universal suffrage" which admits 
the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of 
governing the State. In true consistency with his 
democratic principles, he contended that, while the 
path leading to the privilege of voting should be open 
to every man without distinction, no one should be 
invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were 
in some degree qualified for it by intelligence, virtue 
and some property interests in the welfare of the 
State. 

In 1821 he was elected r, member of the United 
States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat 
in the convention to revise the constitution of his 
native State. His course in this convention secured 
the approval of men of all parties. No one could 
doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the 
interests of all classes in the community. In the 
Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a 
conspicuous position as an active and useful legislator. 

In 1827, John Quincy Adams beirg then in the 
^residential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to 
.he Senate. He had been from the beginning a de- 
;ermined opposer of the Administration, adopting the 
'State Rights" view in opposition to what was 
'deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams. 

Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof 
the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his 
seat in the Senate. Probably no one in the United 
States contributed so much towards ejecting John Q. 
\dams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it 
Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether 
entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re- 
garded throughout the United States as one of the 
most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians 
It was supposed that no one knew so well as he how 
to touch the secret sptings of action; how to pull all 
the wires to put his machinery in motion ; and ho-v to 
organize a political army which would, secretly and 
s'te.-'Uhily accomplish the most gigantic results. By 
these powers it is said that he outwitted Mr. Adams, 
Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which 
few thought then could be accomplished. 

VVii.-i Andrew Jackson was elected President he 
appointed Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This 
position he resigned in 1831, and was immediately 
appointed Minister to England, where he went the 
same autumn. The Senate, however, when it met, 
refused to ratify the nomination, and he returned 



home, apparently untroubled ; was nominated Vice 
President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election 
of President Jackson ; and with smiles for all and 
fiowns for none, he took his place at the head of that 
Senate which had refused to confirm his nomination 
as ambassador. 

His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of 
President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor- 
ite ; and this, probably more than any other cause, 
secured his elevation to the chair of the Chief Execu 
live. On the 2oth of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re- 
ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen. 
Jackson as President of the United States. He was 
elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the 
retiring President. " Leaving New York out of the 
canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van 
Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen. 
Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred 
upon him the power to appoint a successor." 

His administration was filled with exciting events- 
The insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in- 
volve this country in war with England, the agitation 
of the slavery question, and finally the great commer- 
cial panic which spread over the country, all were 
trials to his wisdom. The financial distress was at- 
tributed to the management of the Democratic party, 
and brought the President into such disfavor that he 
failed of re-election. 

With the exception of being nominated for the 
Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats, in 1848, 
Mr. Van Buren lived quietly upon his estate until 
his death. 

He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits, 
and living within his income, had now fortunately a 
competence for his declining years. His unblemished 
character, his commanding abilities, his unquestioned 
patriotism, ard the distinguished positions which he 
had occupied in the government of our country, se- 
cured to him not only the homage of his party, but 
the respect ot the whole community. It was on the 
4th of March, 1841, that Mr. Van Buren retired from 
the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald. 
he still exerted a powerful influence upon the i>olitic$ 
of the country. From this time until his death, on 
the 24th of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he 
resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of 
culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old 
age, probably far more happiness than lie had before 
experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life. 



NTNTH PRESIDENT. 





ILLIAM HENRY HARRI- 
SON, the ninth President of 
the United States, was born 
at Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1773. 
His father, Benjamin Harri- 
son, was in comparatively op- 
ulent circumstances, and was 
one of the most distinguished 
men of his day. He was an 
intimate friend of George 
Washington, w as early elected 
a member of the Continental 
Congress, and was conspicuous 
among the patriots of Virginia in 
resisting the encroachments of the 
British crown. In the celebrated 
Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har- 
rison and John Hancock were 
both candidates for the office of 
speaker. 

Mr Harrison was subsequently 
chosen Governor of Virginia, and 
was twice re-elected. His son, 
William Henry, of course enjoyed 
in childhood all the advantages which wealth and 
intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- 
ing received a thorough common-school education, he 
entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated 
with honor soon after the death of his father. He 
then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under 
the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianship of 
Jobert Morris, both of whom were, with his father, 
signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

Upon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not- 
withstanding the 'emonstrances of his friends, he 
abandoned his medical studies and entered the army, 
.laving obtair"^' a commission of Ensign from Presi- 



dent Washington. He was then but 19 years old 
From that time he passed gradually upward in rank 
until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose 
death he resigned his commission. He was then ap- 
pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This 
Territory was then entitled to but one member in 
Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that 
position. 

In the spring of 1800 the North-western Territory 
was divided by Congress into two portions. The 
eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced 
in the State of Ohio, was called '' The Territory 
north-west of the Ohio." The western portion, which 
included what is now called Indiana, Illinois and 
Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil- 
liam Henry Harrison, then 27 years of age, was ap 
pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana 
Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of 
Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as 
extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the globe. He 
was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in- 
vested with powers nearly dictatorial over the now 
rapidly increasing white population. The ability and 
fidelity with which he discharged these responsible 
duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four 
times appointed to this office first by John Adams, 
twice by Thomas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi. 
dent Madison. 

When he began his adminstration there were but 
three white settlementsin that almost boundless region, 
now crowded with cities and resounding with all the 
tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements 
was on the Ohio, nearly opposite Louisville; one at 
Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French 
settlement. 

The vast wilderness over which Gov. Harrisou 
reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. Abon 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 



the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers, 
of the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. One of 
these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching 
Hmther;" the other, Ollivvacheca, or "The Prophet." 
Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man 
of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit- 
able perseverance in any enterprise in which he might 
engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm, 
and had long regarded with dread and with hatred 
the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting- 
grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was 
anorator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored 
1 ndian as the gale tossed the tree -tops beneath which 
they dwelt. 

But the Prophet was not merely an orator : he was, 
in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested 
with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a 
magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter 
the Hermit rousing Europe to the crusades, he went 
from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent 
by the Great Spirit. 

Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate 
the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe- 
canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter. 
October 28, 1812, his army began its inarch. When 
near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made 
their appearance and inquired why Gov. Harrison was 
approaching them in so hostile an attitude. After a 
short conference, arrangements were made for a meet- 
ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace. 

But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with 
the Indian character to be deceived by such protes- 
tations. Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en- 
campment, he took every precaution against surprise. 
His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept 
upon their arms. 

The troops threw themselves upon the ground for 
rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his 
loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The 
wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in 
the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa- 
tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It 
was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In 
the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi- 
ble, and just then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all 
the desperation which superstition and passion most 
highly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the 
little army. The savages had been amply provided 
with guns and ammunition by the English. Their 
war-whoop was accompained by a shower of bullets. 

The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the 
light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide- 
us yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a 
speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's 
troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them 
until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous 
charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be- 
fore them, and completely routing th*> foe. 



Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked 
to the utmost. The British descending from the Can - 
adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but 
with their savage allies, rushing like wolves from the 
forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn- 
ing, plundering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier 
was plunged into a state of consternation which even 
the most vivid imagination can but faintly conceive. 
The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the 
forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra- 
tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made 
the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit. 
Under these despairing circumstances, Gov. Harrison 
was appointed by President Madison coinmander-in- 
chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake 
Detroit, and to protect the frontiers. 

It would be difficult to place a man in a situation 
demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but 
General Harrison was found equal to the position, 
and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all the re 
sponsibilities. 

He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing 
with them their fatigue. His whole baggage, while 
pursuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a 
valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket 
lashed over his saddle. Thirty-five British officers, 
his prisoners of war, supped with him after the battle. 
The only fare he could give them was beef roasted 
before the fire, without bread or salt. 

In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member of 
the National House of Representatives, to represent 
the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an 
active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with 
force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested 
the attention of all the members. 

In 1819, Harrison was elected to the Senate of 
Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the presidential electors 
of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The 
same year he was chosen to the United States Senate. 

In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought him 
forward as a candidate for the Presidency against 
Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of 
Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nominated by his 
party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimously nominated 
by the Whigs, with John Tyler forthe Vice Presidency. 
The contest was very animated. Gen. Jackson gave 
all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but 
his triumph was signal. 

The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster 
at its head as Secretary of State, was one of the most 
brilliant with which any President had ever been 
surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin- 
istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country 
more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and 
joyous prospects, Gen. Harrison was seized by a 
pleurisv-fever and after a few days of violent sick- 
ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after 
his inauguration as President of the United, S,tate.s. 



LIBRARY 
DIVERSITY OF 



TENTH PRESIDENT. 



55 





OHN TYLER, the tenth 
Presidentof the United States. 
He was born in Charles-city 
Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He 
was the favored child of af- 
fluence and high social po- 
sition. At the early age of 
twelve, John entered William 
and Mary College and grad- 
uated with much honor when 
but seventeen years old. After 
graduating, he devoted him- 
self with great assiduity to the 
study of law, partly with his 
father and partly with Edmund 
Randolph, one of the most distin- 
guished lawyers of Virginia. 

At nineteen years of age, ne 
commenced the practice of law. 
His success was rapid and aston- 
ishing. It is said that three 
months had not elapsed ere there 
was scarcely a case on the dock- 
I et of the court in which he was 
i. 3t retained. When but twenty-one years of age, he 
was almost unanimously e^cted to a seat in the State 
Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo- 
cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of 
Jefferson and Madison. For five successive years he 
was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the 
unanimous vote or his county. 

When but twenty-six years of age, he was elected 
a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and 
ably wiih the Democratic party, opposing a national 
bank, internal improvements by the General ^vern- 



ment, a protective tariff, and advocating a strict con- 
struction of the Constitution, and the most careful 
vigilance over State rights. His labors in Congress 
were so arduous that before the close of his second 
term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his 
estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He. 
however, soon after consented to take his seat in the 
State Legislature, where his influence was powerful 
in promoting public works of great utility. With a 
reputation thus canstantly increasing, he was chosen 
by a very large majority of votes, Governor of his 
native State. His administration was signally a suc- 
cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election. 

John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed 
man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the 
United States. A portion of the Democratic party 
was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course, 
and brought forward John Tyler as his opponent, 
considering him the only man in Virginia of sufficient 
popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of 
Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor. 

In accordance with his professions, upon taking his 
seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the 6pposi- 
tion. He opposed the tariff; he spoke against and 
voted against the bank as unconstitutional ; he stren- 
uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist- 
ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen- 
eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr. 
Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared that Gen. 
Jackson, by his opposition to the nullifiers, had 
abandoned the principles of the Democratic party. 
Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress, a record 
in perfect accordance with the principles which he 
had always avowed. 

Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice of 
his profession. Ther? was a cplit in the Democratic 



JOHN TYLER. 



,,arty. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef- 
fersonian, gave him a dinner, and showered compli- 
ments upon him. He had now attained the age of 
forty-six. His career had been very brilliant. In con- 
sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri- 
vate affairs had fallen into some disorder; audit was 
not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice 
of law, and devoted himself to the culture of his plan- 
tation. Soon after this he removed to Williamsburg, 
for the better education of his children ; and he again 
took his seat in the Legislature of Viiginia. 

By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national 
convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in 
7839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har- 
rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disappointment of 
the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili- 
ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the 
convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres- 
ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa- 
thy with the Whig party in theNoith: but the Vice 
President has but very little power in the Govern- 
ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre- 
side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap- 
pened that a Whig President, and, in reality, a 
Democratic Vice President were chosen. 

In 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice .Presi- 
.ient of the United States. In one short month from 
that time, President Harrison died, and Mr. Tyler 
thus .;und himself, to his own surprise and that of 
the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential 
chair. This was a new test of the stability of our 
institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our 
country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler 
was at home in Williamsburg when he received the 
unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri- 
son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of 
April was inaugurated to the high and responsible 
office. He was placed in a position of exceeding 
delicacy and difficulty. All his long life he had been 
opposed to the main principles of the party which had 
brought him into power. He had ever been a con- 
sistent, honest man, with an unblemished record. 
Gen. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. Should 
he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun- 
sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own ? or, 
on the other hand, should he turn against the party 
which had elected him and select a cabinet in har- 
rr.ony with himself, and which would oppose all those 
views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub- 
lic welfare? Thjs was his fearful dilemma. He in- 
vited the cabinet which President Haarison had 
selected to retain their seats. He reccommended a 
day of fasting and prayer, that God would guide and 
bless us. 

The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the 
incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States. 
The President, after ten days' delay, returned it with 
his veto. He suggested, however, that he would 



approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he 
proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and 
privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval. 
It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back 
with his veto. Here commenced the open rupture. 
It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- 
ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. 
Bolts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who severely 
touched the pride of the President. 

The opposition now exultingly received the Presi- 
dent into their arms. The party which elected him 
denounced him bitterly. All the members of his 
cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs 
of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a 
meeting and issued an address to the people of the 
United States, proclaiming that all political alliance 
between the Whigs and President Tyler were at 
an end. 

Still the President attempted to conciliate. He 
appointed a new cabinet of distinguished Whigs and 
Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party 
men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign, 
forced out by the pressure. of his Whig friends. Thus 
the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra- 
tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The 
land was filled with murmurs and vituperation. Whigs 
and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more, 
however, he brought himself into sympathy with his 
old friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his term, 
he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr. 
Polk, the Democratic candidate for his successor. 

On the 4th of March, 1845, he retired from the 
harassments of office, to the regret of neither party, and 
probably to his own unspeakable relief. His first wife, 
Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1842; 
and in June, r844, President Tyler was again married, 
at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of 
many personal and intellectual accomplishments. 

The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly 
in retirement at his beautiful home, Sherwood For- 
est, Charles city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in 
his manners, richly furnished with information from 
books and experience in the world, and possessing 
brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was 
the scene of unusual attractions. With sufficient 
moans for the exercise of a generous hospitality, he 
might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few 
friends who gathered around him, were it not for the 
storms of civil war which his own principles and 
policy had helped to introduce. 

When the great Rebellion rose, which the State., 
rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Ca\- 
houn had inaugurated, President Tyler renounced his 
allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed- 
erates He was chosen a member of their Congress; 
and while engaged in active measures to destroy, b w 
force of arms, 'he Government over which he had 
once presided, he was taken sick and soon died. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



EZE VENTff 'PRESIDENT * 



59 





AMES K. POLK, the eleventh 
President of the United States, 
was born in Mecklenburg Co., 
N. C.,Nov. 2, 1795. His par- 
ents were Samuel and Jane 
(Knox) Polk, the former a son 

of Col. Thomas Polk, who located 

at the above place, as one of the 

first pioneers, in 1735. 

In the year 1806, with his wife 

and children, and soon after fol- 



lowed by most of the members of 
the Polk farnly, Samuel Polk emi- 
grated some two or three hundred 
miles farther west, to the rich valley 
of the Duck River. Here in the 
midst of the wilderness, in a region 
which was subsequently called Mau- 
ry Co., they reared their log huts, 
and established their homes. In the 
hard toil of a new farm in the wil- 
derness, James K. Polk spent the 
early years of his childhood and 
youth. His father, adding the pur- 
suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer, 
gradually increased in wealth until 
he became one of the leading men of the region. His 
mother was a superior woman, of strong common 
sense and earnest piety. 

Very early in life, James developed a taste for 
reading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain 
a liberal education. His mother's training had made 
him methodical in his habits, had taught him punct- 
uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty 
principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his 
father, fearing that he might not be able to endure a 



sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the 
counter, hoping to fit him for commercial pursuits. 

This was to James a bitter disappointment. He 
had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks 
were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this 
uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when at his 
earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made 
arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon 
after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. With 
ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed 
forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half 
years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore) 
class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel! 
Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of 
scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing 
himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious 
service. 

He graduated in 1818, with the highest honors, be- 
ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in 
mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty- 
three years of age. Mr. Folk's health was at this 
time much impaired by the assiduity with which he 
had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of 
relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered the 
office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk 
renewed his acquaintance with Andrew Jackson, who 
resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few 
miles from Nashville. They had probably been 
slightly acquainted before. 

Mr. Polk's father was a Jeffersonian Republican, 
and James K, Polk ever adhered to the same politi- 
cal faith. He was a popular public speaker, and was 
constantly called upon to address the meetings of his 
party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that 
he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump. 
He was a man of unblemished morals, genial and 



JAMES K. POLK. 



tourterus in his bearing, and with that sympathetic 
nature in the joys and griefs of others which ever gave 
him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected 
to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his 
strong influence towards the election of his friend, 
JMr. Jackson, to the Presidency of the United States. 

In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah 
Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was 
altogether worthy of him, a lady of beauty and cul- 
ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a 
member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave 
to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that 
for fourteen successive years, until 1839, he was con- 
tinued in that office. He then voluntarily withdrew, 
only that he might accept the Gubernatorial chair 
of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious 
member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was 
always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever 
he spoke it was always to the point, and without any 
ambitious rhetorical display. :-&& 

During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was 
Speaker of the House Strong passions were roused, 
and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr. Polk per- 
Jbrmed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac- 
tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was 
passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of 
March, 1839. 

In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a 
candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. He was 
elected by a large majority, and on the 1 4th of Octo- 
ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In 1841, 
his term of office expired, and he was again the can- 
didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated. 

On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was inaugur- 
ated President of the United States. The verdict of 
the country in favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted 
its influence upon Congress ; and the last act of the 
administration of President Tyler was to affix his sig- 
nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the 
jd of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to 
the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas 
as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister, 
Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and 
(feft the country, declaring the act of the annexation 
to be an act hostile to Mexico. 

In his first message, President Polk urged that 
Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re- 
ceived into the Union on the same footing with the 
other States. In the meantime, Gen. Taylor was sent 



with an army into Texas to hold the country. He was 
sent first to Nueces, which the Mexicans said was the 
western boundary of Texas. Then he was sent nearly 
two hundred miles further west, to the Rio Grande, 
where he erected batteries which commanded the 
Mexican city of Matamoras, which was situated on 
the western banks. 

The anticipated collision soon took place, and wai 
was declared against Mexico by President Polk. The 
war was pushed forward by Mr. Polk's administration 
with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, whose army was first 
called one of " observation," then of " occupation,' 
then of " invasion, "was sent forward to Monterey. The 
feeble Mexicans, in every encounter, were hopelessly 
and awfully slaughtered. The day of judgement 
alone can reveal the misery which this war caused. 
It was by the ingenuity of Mr. Polk's administration 
that the war was brought on. 

'To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico was 
prostrate before us. Her capital was in our hands. 
We now consented to peace upon the condition that 
Mexico should surrender to us, in addition to Texas, 
all of New Mexico, and all of Upper and Lower Cal- 
ifornia. This new demand embraced, exclusive of 
Texas, eight hundred thousand square miles. This 
was an extent of territory equal to nine States of the 
size of New York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen 
majestic States to be added to the Union. There were 
some Americans who thought it all right : there were 
others who thought it all wrong. In the prosecution 
of this war, we expended twenty thousand lives and 
more than a hundred million of dollars. Of this 
money fifteen millions were paid to Mexico. 

On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired from 
office, having served one term. The next day was 
Sunday. On the 5th, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated 
as his successor. Mr. Polk rode to the Capitol in the 
same carriage with Gen. Taylor; and the same even- 
ing, with Mrs. Polk, he commenced his return to 
Tennessee. He was then but fifty-four years of age. 
He had ever been strictly temperate in all his habits, 
and his health was good. With an ample fortune, 
a choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic ties 
of the dearest nature, it seemed as though long years 
of tranquility and happiness were before him. But the 
cholera that fearful scourge was then sweeping up 
the Valley of the Mississippi. This he contracted, 
and died on the 151)1 of June, 1849, in the fifty-fourth 
year of his age, greatly mourned by his countrymen. 



UBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBAN/I 



TWELFTH PRESIDENT. 





ACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth 
President of the United States, 
was born on the 241)1 of Nov., 
1784, in Orange Co., Va. His 
father, Colonel Taylor, was 
a Virginian of note, and a dis- 
tinguished patriot and soldier of 
the Revolution. When Zachary 
was an infant, his father with his 
wife and two children, emigrated 
to Kentucky, where he settled in 
the pathless wilderness, a few 
miles from Louisville. In this front- 
ier home, away from civilization and 
all its refinements, young Zachary 
could enjoy but few social and educational advan- 
tages. When six years of age he attended a common 
school, and was then regarded as a bright, active boy, 
rather remarkable for bluntness and decision of char- 
acter He was strong, fearless and self-reliant, and 
manifested a strong desire to enter the army to fight 
the Indians who were ravaging the frontiers. There 
is little to be recorded of the uneventful years of his 
childhood on his father's large but lonely plantation. 
In 1808, his father succeeded in obtaining for him 
the commission of lieutenant in the United States 
army ; and he joined the troops which were stationed 
at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. Soon after 
this he married Miss Margaret Smith, a young lady 
from one of the first families of Maryland. 

Immediately after the declaration of war with Eng- 
land, in 1812, Capt. Taylor (for he had then been 
promoted to that rank) was put in command of Fort 
Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles above 
Vincennes. This fort had been built in the wilder- 
ness by Gen. Harrison, on his march to Tippecanoe. 
It was one of the first points of attack by the Indians, 
icd by Tecumseh. Its garrison consisted of a broken 



company of infantry numbering fifty men, many of 
whom were sick. 

Early in the autumn of 1812, the Indians, stealthily, 
and in large numbers, moved upon the fort. Their 
approach was first indicated by the murder of two 
soldiers just outside of the stockade. Capt. Taylor 
made every possible preparation to meet the antici- 
pated assault. On the 4th of September, a band of 
forty painted and plumed savages came to the fort, 
waving a white flag, and informed Capt. Taylor that 
in the morning their chief would come to have a talk 
with him. It was evident that their object was merely 
to ascertain the state of things at the fort, and Capt. 
Taylor, well versed in the wiles of the savages, kept 
them at a distance. 

The sun went down ; the savages disappeared, the 
garrison slept upon their arms. One hour before 
midnight the war whoop burst from a thousand lips 
in the forest around, followed by the discharge of 
musketry, and the rush of the foe. Every man, sick 
and well, sprang to his post. Every man knew that 
defeat was not merely death, but in the case of cap- 
ture, death by the most agonizing and prolonged tor- 
ture. No pen can describe, no immagination can 
conceive the scenes which ensued. The savages suc- 
ceeded in setting fire to one of the block-houses- 
Until six o'clock in the morning, this awful conflict 
continued. The savages then, baffled at every point, 
and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. Capt. 
Taylor, for this gallant defence, was promoted to the 
rank of major by brevet. 

Until the close of the war, Major Taylor was placed 
in such situations that he saw but little more of active 
service. He was sent far away into the depths of the 
wilderness, to Fort Crawford, on Fox River, which 
empties into Green Bay. Here there was but little 
to be done but to wear away the tedious hours as one 
best could. There were no books, no society, no in- 



ZACHARY TAYLOR. 



tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful 
years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of 
colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in 
the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor 
took a subordinate but a brave and efficient part. 

For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged in 
the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in 
Employments so obscure, that his name was unknown 
ft>eyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance. 
(In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to compel 
the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re- 
tire beyond the Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty, 
hac 1 promised they should do. The services rendered 
tiese secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of 
the Government; and as a reward, he was elevated 
(c 'che rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon 
lifter, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief corn- 
wand of the United States troops in Florida. 

After two years of such wearisome employment 
umidst the everglades of the peninsula, Gen. Taylor 
obtained, at his own request, a change of command, 
jmd was stationed over the Department of the South- 
west. This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi, 
.Alabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters 
jt Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family 
to a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue. 
Here he remained for five years, buried, as it were, 
from the world, but faithfully discharging every duty 
jmposed upon him. 

In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land 
between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river 
being the boundary of Texas, which was then claimed 
by the United States. Soon the war with Mexico 
wa.5 brought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
PaJma, Gen. Taylor won brilliant victories over the 
Mexicans. The rank of major-general by brevet 
was then conferred upon Gen. Taylor, and his name 
was received with enthusiasm almost everywhere in 
the Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and 
E uena Vista in which he won signal victories over 
<c rces much larger than he commanded. 

His careless habits of dress and his unaffected 
si/nplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops, 
ti K sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready.' 

The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista 
s)read the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The 
n; ime of Gen. Taylor was on every one's lips. The 
H hig party decided to take advantage of this wonder- 
ful popularity in bringing forward the unpolished, un- 

' Ted, honest soldier as their candidate for the 
1'iesidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an- 
nouncement, and for a time would not listen toil; de- 
claring that he was notatal! qualified for such an 
oft ice. So little interest had he taken in politics that, 
foi forty years, he had not cast a vote. It was not 
without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen 
who had been long years in the public service found 
*!.irtr claims set aside in behalf of one whose name 



had never been heard of, save in connection with Palo 
Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena 
Vista. It is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- 
marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made." 

Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine 
writer His friends took possession of him, and pre- 
pared such few communications as it was needful 
should be presented to the public. The popularity of 
the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri- 
umphantly elected over .two opposing candidates, 
Gen. Cass and Ex-President Martin Van Buren. 
Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good 
old man found himself in a very uncongenial position, 
and was, at times, sorely perplexed and harassed. 
His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably 
tended to hasten his death. The pro-slavery party 
was pushing its claims with tireless energy , expedi- 
tions were fitting out to capture Cuba ; California was 
pleading for admission to the Union, while slave.ry 
stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found 
the political conflicts in Washington to be far more 
trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or 
Indians. 

In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, 
after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little 
over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of 
but little over five days, died on the pth of July, 1850. 
His last words were, " I am not afraid to die. I am 
ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died 
universally respected and beloved. An honest, un- 
pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the 
affections of the people ; and the Nation bitterly la- 
mented his death. 

Gen. Scott, who was thoroughly acquainted with 
Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful 
description of his character: " With a good store of 
common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en- 
larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse 
with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse- 
quence. The frontiers and small military posts had 
been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his 
rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim- 
plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju- 
dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the 
tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable, 
chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or his hat 
a little on one side of his head; or an officer to leave 
a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out- 
side pocket, in any such case, this critic held the 
offender to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse), 
whom he would not, to use his oft repeated phrase, 
'touch with a pair of tongs.' 

"Any allusion to literature beyond good old Dil- 
worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a 
sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of utter 
unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In shoit 
few men have ever had a more comfortable, >a>vw. 
saving contempt for learning of every kind." 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT. 








ILLARD FILLMORE, thir- 
teenth President of the United 
States, was born at Summer 
Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y ., on 
the yth of January, 1800. His 
father was a farmer, and ow- 
ing to misfortune, in humble cir- 
cumstances. Of his mother, the 
daughter of Dr. AbiatharMillard, 
of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been 
said that she possessed an intellect 
of very high order, united with much 
personal loveliness, sweetness of dis- 
position, graceful manners and ex- 
quisite sensibilities. She died in 
1 83 1 ; having lived to see her son a 
young man of distinguished prom- 
ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high 
dignity which he finally attained. 

In consequence of the secluded home and limited 
means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad- 
vantages for education in his early years. The com- 
mon schools, which he occasionally attended were 
very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce 
ind expensive. There was nothing then in his char- 
acter to indicate the brilliant career upon which he 
was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ; 
intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred 
influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible, 
and had laid the foundations of an upright character. 
When fourteen years of age, his father sent him 
some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of 
Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. 
Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some 



enterprising man had commenced the collection of a 
village library. This proved an inestimable blessing 
to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read- 
ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with 
books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate 
and the selections which he made were continually 
more elevating and instructive. He read history, 
biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was en- 
kindled in his heart a desire to be something more 
than a mere worker with his hands; and he was be- 
coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed, 
educated man. 

The young clothier had now attained the age of 
nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance 
and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so happened that 
there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample 
pecuniary means and of benevolence, Judge Walter 
Wood, who was struck with the prepossessing ap- 
pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint- 
ance, and was so much impressed with his ability and 
attainments that he advised him to abandon his 
trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The 
young man replied, that he had no means of his own. 
r.o friends to help him and that his previous educa- 
tion had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had 
so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to 
take him into his own office, and to loan him such 
money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous 
offer was accepted. 

There is in many minds a strange delusion about! 
a collegiate education. A young man is supposed to- 
be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col- 
lege. But many a boy loiters through university ha!' ; 
<*nd then enters a law office, who is by no meant as 



tit 



MILLARD FILLMORE. 



well prepared to prosecute his legal studies as was 
Millard Fillmore when he graduated at the clothing- 
mill at the end of four years of manual labor, during 
which every leisure moment had been devoted to in- 
tense mental culture. 

In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he was 
admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. He then 
went to the village of Aurora, and commenced the 
practice of law. In this secluded, peaceful region, 
his practice of course was limited, and there was no 
opportunity for a sudden rise in fortune or In fame. 
Here, in the year 1826, he married a lady of great 
moral worth, and one capable of adorning any station 
she might be called to fill, Miss Abigail Powers. 

His elevation of character, his untiring industry, 
his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advocate, 
gradually attracted attention ; and he was invited to 
enter into partnership under highly advantageous 
circumstances, with an elder member of the bar in 
Buffalo. Just before removing to Buffalo, in 1829, 
he took his seat in the House of Assembly; of the 
State of New York, as a representative from Erie 
County. Though he had never taken a very active 
part in politics, his vote and his sympathies were with 
the Whig party. The State was then Democratic, 
and he found himself in a helpless minority in the 
Legislature , still the testimony comes from all parties, 
that his courtesy, ability and integrity, won, to a very 
unusual degn e the respect of his associates. 

In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a seat in 
the United States Congress He entered that troubled 
arena in some of the most tumultuous hours of our 
national history. The great conflict respecting the 
national bank and the removal of the deposits, was 
then raging. 

His term of two years closed ; and he returned to 
his profession, which he pursued with increasing rep- 
utation and success. After a lapse of two years 
he again became a candidate for Congress ; was re- 
elected, and took his seat in 1837. His past expe- 
rience as a representative gave him stiength and 
confidence. The first term of service in Congress to 
any man can be but little more than an introduction. 
He was now prepared for active duty. All his ener- 
gies were brought to bear upon the public good. Every 
measure received his impress. 

Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, and 
his popularity filled the State, and in the year 1847, 
he was elected Comptroller of the State. 



Mr. Fillmore had attained the age of forty-seven 
years. His labors at the bar, in the Legislature, in 
Congress and as Comptroller, had given him very con- 
siderable fame. The Whigs were casting about to 
find suitable candidates for President and Vice-Presi- 
dent at the approaching election. Far away, on the 
waters of the Rio Grande, there was a rough old 
soldier, who had fought one or two successful battles 
with the Mexicans, which had caused his name to be 
proclaimed in trumpet-tones all over the land. But 
it was necessary to associate with him on the same 
ticket some man of reputation as a statesman. 

Under the influence of these considerations, the 
names of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore became 
the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their candidates for 
President and Vice-Peesident. The Whig ticket was 
signally triumphant. On the 4th of March, 1849, 
Gen. Taylor was inaugurated President, and Millard 
Fillmore Vice-President, of the United States. 

On the gth of July, 1850, President Taylor, but 
about one year and four months after his inaugura 
tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the Con- 
stitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus became Presi- 
dent. He appointed a very able cabinet, of which 
the illustrious Daniel Webster was Secretary of State. 

Mr. Fillniore had very serious difficulties to contend 
with, since the opposition had a majority in both 
Houses. He did everything in his power to conciliate 
the South ; but the pro-slavery party in the South felt 
the inadequacy of all measuresof transient conciliation. 
The population of the free States was so rapidly in- 
creasing over that of the slave States that it was in- 
evitable that the power of the Government should 
soon pass into the hands of the free States. The 
famous compromise measures were adopted under Mr. 
Fillmcre's adminstration, and the Japan Expedition 
was sent out. On the 4th of March, 1853, Mr. Fill- 
more, having served one term, retired. 

In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the Pres- 
idency by the " Know Nothing " party, but was beaten 
by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. Fillmore lived in 
retirement. During the terrible conflict of civil war, 
he was mostly silent. It was generally supposed that 
his sympathies were rather with those who were en- 
deavoring to overthrow our institutions. President 
Fillmore kept aloof from the conflict, without any 
cordial words of cheer to the one party or the other. 
He was thus forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe 
old age, and died in Buffalo. N. Y., March 8, 1874. 



LIBRARY 

WWBBfTY OF /LLINO/S 
URBANA 




- 



FOURTEENTH PRESIDENT. 





RANKLIN PIERCE, the 
fourteenth President of the 
United States, was born in 
Hillsborough, N. H., Nov. 
23, 1804. His father was a 
Revolutionary soldier, who, 
with his own strong arm, 
hewed out a home in the 
wilderness. He was a man 
of inflexible integrity; of 
strong, though uncultivated 
mind, and an uncompromis- 
ing Democrat. The mother of 
Franklin Pierce was all that a son 
could desire, an intelligent, pru- 
dent, affectionate, Christian wom- 
an. Franklin was the sixth of eight children. 

Franklin was a very bright and handsome boy, gen- 
erous, warm-hearted and brave. He won alike the 
love of old and young. The boys on the play ground 
loved him. His teachers loved him. The neighbors 
looked upon him with pride and affection. He was 
by instinct a gentleman; always speaking kind words, 
doing kind deeds, with a peculiar unstudied tact 
which taught him what was agreeable. Without de- 
veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural 
devotion to books, he was a good scholar; in body, 
in mind, in affections, a finely-developed boy. 

When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, he 
entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me He was 
one of the most popular young men in the college. 
The purity of his moral character, the unvarying 
courtesy of his demeanor, his rank as a scholar, and 



genial nature, rendered him a universal favorite. 
There was something very peculiarly winning in his 
address, and it was evidently not in the slightest de- 
gree studied : it was the simple outgushing of his 
own magnanimous and loving nature. 

Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin Pierce 
commenced the study of law in the office of Judge 
Woodbury, one of the most distinguished lawyers of 
the State, and a man of great private worth. The 
eminent social qualities of the young lawyer, his 
father's prominence as a public man, and the brilliant 
political career into which Judge Woodbury was en- 
tering, all tended to entice Mr. Pierce into the faci- 
nating yet perilous path of political life. With all 
the ardor of his nature he espoused the cause of Gen. 
Jackson for the Presidency. He commenced the 
practice of law in Hillsborough, and was soon elected 
to represent the town in the State Legislature. Here 
he served for four yeais. The last two years he was 
chosen speaker of the house by a very large vote. 

In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected 
a member of Congress. Without taking an active 
part in debates, he was faithful and laborious in duty 
and ever rising in the estimation of those with whom 
he was associatad. 

In 1837, being then but thirty-three years of age, 
he was elected to the Senate of the United States; 
taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren commenced 
his administration. He was the youngest member in 
the Senate. In the year 1834, he married Miss Jane 
Means Appleton, a lady of rare beauty and accom- 
plishments, and one admirably fitted to adorn every 
station with which her husband was honoied, Of the 



bRANKLIN PIERCE. 



three sons who were born to them, all now sleep with 
their parents in the grave. 

In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing fame 
and increasing business as a lawyer, took up his 
residence in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire. 
President Polk, upon his accession to office, appointed 
Mr. Pierce attorney-general of the United States; but 
the offer was declined, in consequence of numerous 
professional engagements at home, and the precariuos 
state of Mrs. Pierce 's health. He also, about the 
same time declined the nomination for governor by the 
Democratic party. The war with Mexico called Mr. 
Pierce in the army. Receiving the appointment of 
brigadier-general, he embarked, with a portion of his 
troops, at Newport, R. I., on the 271)1 of May, 1847. 
He took an important part in this war, proving him- 
self a brave and true soldier. 

When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his native 
State, he was received enthusiastically by the advo- 
cates of the Mexican war, and coldly by his oppo- 
nents. He resumed the practice of his proTession, 
very frequently taking an active part in political ques- 
tions, giving his cordial support to the pro-slavery 
wing of the Democratic party. The compromise 
measures met cordially with his approval; and he 
btrenuously advocated the enforcement of the infa- 
inous fugitive-slave law, which so shocked the religious 
sensibilities of the North. He thus became distin- 
guished as a " Northern man with Southern principles.'' 
The strong partisans of slavery in the South conse- 
quently regarded him as a man whom they could 
afely trust in office to carry out their plans. 

On the 1 2th of June, 1852, the Democratic conven- 
tion met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate for the 
Presidency. For four days they continued in session, 
and in thirty-five ballotings no one had obtained a 
two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus far had been thrown 
for Gen. Pierce. Then the Virginia delegation 
brought forward his name. There were fourteen 
more ballotings, during which Gen. Pierce constantly 
gained strength, until, at the forty-ninth ballot, he 
received two hundred and eighty-two votes, and all 
other candidates eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was 
the Whig candidate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with 
great unanimity. Only four States Vermont, Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky and Tennessee cast their 
electoral votes against him Gen. Franklin Pieice 
was therefore inaugurated President of the United 
States on the 4th of March, 1853. 



His administration proved one of the most stormy our 
country had ever experienced. The controversy be 
tween slavery and freedom was then approaching its 
culminating point. It became evident that there was 
an "irrepressible conflict " between them, and that 
this Nation could not long-exist " half slave and half 
free." President Pierce, during the whole of his ad- 
ministration, did every thing he could to conciliate 
the South ; but it was all in vain. The conflict every 
year grew more violent, and threats of the dissolution 
of the Union were borne to the North on every South- 
ern breeze. 

Such was the condition of affairs when President 
Pierce approached the close of his four-years' term 
of office. The North had become thoroughly alien- 
ated from him. The anti-slavery sentiment, goaded 
by great outrages, had been rapidly increasing; all 
the intellectual ability and social worth of President 
Pierce were forgotten in deep reprehension of his ad- 
ministrative acts. The slaveholders of the South, also, 
unmindful of the fidelity with which he had advo- 
cated those measures of Government which they ap- 
proved, and perhaps, also, feeling that he had 
rendered himself so unpopular as no longer to be 
able acceptably to serve them, ungratefully dropped 
him, and nominated James Buchanan to succeed him. 

On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re- 
tired to his home in Concord. Of three children, two 
had died, and his only surviving child had been 
killed before his eyes by a railroad accident , and his 
wife, one of the most estimable and accomplished of 
ladies, was rapidly sinking in consumption. The 
hour of dreadful gloom soon came, and he was left 
alone in the world, without wife or child. 

When the terrible Rebellion burst forth, which di- 
vided our country into two parties, and two only, Mr. 
Pierce remained steadfast in the principles which he 
had always cherished, and gave his sympathies to 
that pro-slavery party with which he had ever been 
allied. He declined to do anything, either by voice 
or pen, to strengthen the hand of the National Gov- 
ernment. He continued to reside in Concord until 
the time of his death, which occurred in October, 
1869. He was one of the most genial and social of 
men, an honored communicant of the Episcopal 
Church, and one of the kindest of neighbors. Gen 
erous to a fault, he contributed liberally for the al- 
leviation of suffering and want, and many of his towns 
people were often gladened by his material bounty. 



LIBRAE 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 




w 




FIFTEENTH PRESIDENT, 





Pii 





AMES BUCHANAN, the fif- 
teenth President of the United 
States, was bom in a small 
frontier town, at the foot of the" 
eastern ridge of the Allegha- 
nies, in Franklin Co., Penn., on 
the 2 3d of April, 1791. The place 
where the humble cabin of his 
father stood was called Stony 
Batter. It was a wild and ro- 
mantic spot in a gorge of the moun- 
tains, with towering summits rising 
grandly all around. His father 
was a native of the north of Ireland ; 
a poor man, who had emigrated in 
j 1783, with little property save his 
own strong arms. Five years afterwards he married 
Elizabeth Spear, the daughter of a respectable farmer, 
and, with his young bride, plunged into the wilder- 
ness, staked his claim, reared his log-hut, opened a 
clearing with his axe, and settled down there to per- 
form his obscure part in the drama of life. In this se- 
cluded home, where James was born, he remained 
for eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual 
advantages. When James was eight years of age, his 
father removed to the village of Mercersburg, where 
his son was placed at school, and commenced a 
course of study in English, Latin and Greek. His 
progress was rapid, and at the age of fourteen, he 
entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Here he de 
veloped remarkable talent, and took his stand among 
the first scholars in the institution. His application 
to study was intense, and yet his native powers en- 



abled him to master the most abstruse subjects wi '- 
facility. 

In the year 1809, he graduated with the highes 1 . 
honors of his clast.. He was then eighteen years of 
age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, fond of 
athletic sport, an unerring shot, and enlivened with 
an exuberant flow of animal spirits. He immediately 
commenced the study of law in the city of Lancaster, 
and was admitted to the bar in 1812, when he was 
but twenty-one years of age. Very rapidly he rose 
in his profession, and at once took undisputed stand 
with the ablest lawjers of the State. When but 
twenty-six years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc- 
cessfully defended before the State Senate ore of the 
judges of the State, who was tried upon articles oi 
impeachment. At the age of thirty it was generally 
admitted that he stood at the head of the bar; and 
there was no lawyer in the State who had a more lu- 
crative practice. - 

In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as j 
candidate for Congress. He was elected, and foi 
ten years he remained a member of the Lower House 
During the vacations of Congress, he occasionally 
tried some important case. In 1831, he retired 
altogether from the toils of his profession, having ac- 
quired an ample fortune. 

Gen. Jackson, upon his elevation to the Presidency, 
appointed Mr. Buchanan minister to Russia. The 
duties of his mission he performed with ability, which 
gave satisfaction to all parties. Upon his return, ir 
1833, he was elected to a seat in the United States 
Senate. He there met, as his associates, Webster. 
Clay, Wright and Calhoun. He advocated the meas- 
ures proposed by President JacKson, of rna]r<"g repn- 



76 



JAMES BUCHANAN. 



sals against France, to enforce the payment of our 
claims against that country; and defended the 
course of the President in his unprecedented and 
wholesale removal from office of those who were 
not the supporters of his administration. Upon 
this question he was brought into direct collision 
with Henry Clay. He also, with voice and vote, ad- 
vocated expunging from the journal of the Senate 
the vote of censure against Gen. Jackson for remov- 
ing the deposits. Earnestly he opposed the aboli- 
tion of slavery in the District of Columbia, and 
urged the prohibition of the circulation of anti- 
slavery documents by the United States mails. 

As to petitions on the subject of slavery, he ad- 
vocated that they should be respectfully received; 
and that the reply should be returned, that Con- 
gress had no power to legislate upon the subject. 
"Congress," said he, "might as well undertake to 
interfere with slavery under a foreign government 
as in any of the States where it now exists." 

Upon Mr. Folk's accession to the Presidency, Mr. 
Buchanan became Secretary of State, and as such, 
took his share of the responsibility in the conduct 
of the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed that cross- 
ing the Nueces by the American troops into the 
disputed territory was not wrong, but for the Mex- 
icans to cross the Rio Grande into that territory 
was a declaration of war. No candid man can read 
with pleasure the account of the course our Gov- 
ernment pursued in that movement. 

Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly with 
the party devoted to the perpetuation and extension 
of slavery, and brought all the energies of his mind 
to bear against the Wilmot Proviso. He gave his 
cordial approval to the compromise measures of 
1850, which included the fugitive slave law. Mr. 
Pierce, upon his election to the Presidency, hon- 
ored Mr. Buchanan with the mission to England. 

In the year 1856, a national Democratic conven- 
tion nominated Mr. Buchanan for the Presidency. 
The political conflict was one of the most severe 
in which our country has ever engaged. All the 
friends of slavery were on one side; all the advo- 
cates of its restriction and final abolition on the 
other. Mr. Fremont, the candidate of the enemies 
of slavery, received 114 electoral votes. Mr. Bu- 
chanan received 174, and was elected. The popular 
vote stood 1,340,618 for Fremont, 1,224,750 for 
Buchanan. On March 4, 1857, Mr. Buchanan was 
inaugurated. 

Mr. Buchanan was far advanced in life. Only 
four years were wanting to fill up his three-score 
years and ten. His own friends, those with whom 
he had been allied in political principles and action 
for years, were seeking the destruction of the Gov- 
ernment, that they might rear upon the ruins of our 
free institutions a nation whose corner-stone should 



be human slavery. In this emergency, Mr. Bu- 
chanan was hopelessly bewildered. He could not, 
with his long-avowed principles, consistently op- 
pose the State-rights party in their assumptions. As 
President of the United States, bound by his oath 
faithfully to administer the laws, he could not, 
without perjury of the grossest kind, unite with 
those endeavoring to overthrow the Republic. He 
therefore did nothing. 

The opponents of Mr. Buchanan's administration 
nominated Abraham Lincoln as their standard- 
bearer in the next Presidential canvass. The pro- 
slavery party declared that if he were elected and 
the control of the Government were thus taken from 
their hands they would secede from the Union, tak- 
ing with them as they retired the National Capi- 
tol at Washington and the lion 's share of the ter- 
ritory of the United States. 

As the storm increased in violence, the slave- 
holders, claiming the right to secede, and Mr. Bu- 
chanan avowing that Congress had no power to 
prevent it, one of the most pitiable exhibitions of 
governmental imbecility was exhibited the world 
has ever seen. He declared that Congress had no 
power to enforce its laws in any State which had 
withdrawn, or which was attempting to withdraw, 
from the Union. This was not the doctrine of An- 
drew Jackson, when, with his hand upon his sword- 
hilt, he exclaimed. "The Union must and shall be 
preserved!" 

South Carolina seceded in December, 1860, nearly 
three months before the inauguration of President 
Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in listless de- 
spair. The rebel flag was raised in Charleston; Ft. 
Sumter was besieged; our forts, navy-yards and 
arsenals were seized; our depots of military stores 
were plundered; and our custom-houses and post- 
offices were appropriated by the rebels. 

The energy of the rebels and the imbecility of 
our Executive were alike marvelous. The nation 
looked on in agony, waiting for the slow weeks to 
glide away and close the administration, so ter- 
rible in its weakness. At length the long-looked- 
for hour of deliverance came, when Abraham Lin- 
coln was to receive the scepter. 

The administration of President Buchanan was 
certainly the most calamitous our country has ex- 
perienced. His best friends cannot recall it with 
pleasure. And still more deplorable it is for his 
fame, that in that dreadful conflict which rolled its 
billows of flame and blood over our whole land, no 
word came from his lips to indicate his wish that 
our country's banner should triumph over the flag 
of the Rebellion. He died at his Wheatland re- 
treat, June 1, 1868. 



SIXTEENTH PRK^/DEN~T. 



79 





BRAHAM LINCOLN, the 
sixteenth President of the 
United States, was born in 
Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 
1809. About the year 1780, a 
man by the name of Abraham 
Lincoln left Virginia with his 
family and moved into the then 
wilds of Kentucky. Only two years 
after this emigration, still a young 
man, while working one day in a 
field, was stealthily approached by 
an Indian and shot dead. His widow 
was left in extreme poverty with five 
little children, three boys and two 
girls. Thomas, the youngest of the 
boys, was four years of age at his 
father's death. This Thomas was 
the father of Abraham Lincoln, the 
President of the United States 
whose name must henceforth forever be enrolled 
with the most prominent in the annals of our world. 
Of course no record has been kept of the life 
of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among 
the poorest of the poor. His home was a wretched 
log-cabin; his food the coarsest and the meanest. 
Education he had none; he could never either read 
or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for 
himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his 
starving mother, and push out into the world, a friend- 
.ess, wandering boy, seekirig work. He hired him- 
self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a 
laborer in the fields of others. 

When twenty-eight years of age he buill a log- 
cabin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the 
daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi- 
grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their 
second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of 
this sketch. The mother of Abraham was a noble 
woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created to adorn 
a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel. 
" All that I am, or hope to be," exclaims the grate- 
ful son " I owe to my angel-mother. 
When he was eight years of age, his father sold his 



cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana. Whcr- 
two years later his mother died. 

Abraham soon became the scribe of the uneducated 
community around him. He could not have had 3 
better scljool than this to teach him to put thoughts 
into words. He also became an eager reader. The 
books he could obtain were few ; but these he 'e;id 
and re-read until they were almost committe ^ tc 
memory. 

As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family 
was the usual lot of humanity. There were joys ard 
griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sistt \ 
Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached, was mai 
ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and 
soon died. The family was gradually scattered. M>- 
Thomas Lincoln sold out his squatter's claim ; n 1830 
and emigrated to Macon Co., 111. 

Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of dge., 
With vigorous hands he aided his father in rnring 
another log-cabin. Abraham worked diligently at this 
until he saw the family comfortably settled, and thei' 
small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when 
he announced to his father his intention to leave 
home, and to go out into the world and seek his for- 
tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril- 
liant that fortune was to be. He saw the value oi 
education and was intensely earnest to improve his 
mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin 
which ardent spirits were causing, and became 
strictly temperate; refusing to allow a drop of intoxi- 
cating liquor to pass his lips. And he had read in 
God's word, "Thou shall not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in -'.. Ui ;" and a profane expression he 
was never heard to utter. Religion he revered. His 
morals were pure, and he was uncontaminated by a 
single vice. 

Young Abraham worked for a time as a hired laboret 
among the farmers. Then he went to Springfield 
where he was employed in building a large flat-boat 
In this he took a herd of swine, floated them dow\ 
the Sangamon to the Illinois, and thence by the Mis 
sissippi to New Orleans. Whatever Abraham Lir 
coin undertook, he performed so faithfully as to giv< 
great satisfacticn to his employers, In this advert 



So 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



ture his employers were so well pleased, that upon 
his return tney placed a store and mill under his care. 

In 1832, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, he 
enlisted and was chosen captain of a company. He 
returned to Sangamon County, and although only 23 
years of age, was a candidate for the Legislature, but 
was defeated. He soon after received from Andrew 
Jackson the appointment of Postmaster of New Salem, 
His only post-office was his hat. All the letters he 
received he carried there ready to deliver to those 
he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and soon 
made this his business. In 1834 he again became a 
candidate for the Legislature, and was elected. Mr. 
Stuart, of Springfield, advised him to study law. He 
walked from New Salem to Springfield, borrowed of 
Mr. Stuart a load of books, carried them back and 
began his legal studies. When the Legislature as- 
sembled he trudged on foot with his pack gn his back 
one hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In 
1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here it 
was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 he re- 
moved to Springfield and began the practice of law. 
His success with the jury was so great that he was 
coon engaged in almost every noted case in the circuit. 

In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr. 
Lincoln and Mr. Douglas, on the slavery question. 
In the organization of the Republican party in Illinois, 
in 1856, he took an active part, and at once became 
one of the leaders in that party. Mr. Lincoln's 
speeches in opposition to Senator Douglas in the con- 
test in 1858 for a seat in the Senate, form a most 
notable part of his history. The issue was on the 
ilavcry question, and he took the broad ground of 
;he Declaration of Independence, that all men are 
created equal. Mr. Lincoln was defeated in this con- 
test, but won a far higher prize. 

The great Republican Convention met at Chicago 
on the i6th of June, 1860. The delegates and 
strangers who crowded the city amounted to twenty- 
five thousand. An immense building called " The 
Wigwam," was reared to accommodate the Conven- 
tion. There were eleven candidates for whom votes 
were thrown. William H. Seward, a man whose fame 
as a statesman had long filled the land, was the most 
urominent. It was generally supposed he would be 
the nominee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received 
the nomination on the third ballot. Little did he then 
dream of the weary years of toil and care, and the 
bloody death, to whijh that nomination doomed him: 
.ind as little did he dream that he was to render services 
to his country, which would fix upon him the eyes of 
the whole civilized world, and which would give him 
a place in the affections of his countrymen, second 
tnly, if second, to that of Washington. 

Election day came and Mr. Lincoln received 180 
electoral votes out of 203 cast, and was, therefore, 
constitutionally elected President of the United States. 
The tirade of abuse that vas poured upon this good 



and merciful man, especially by the slaveholders, was 
greater than upon any other man ever elected to this 
high position. In February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln started 
for Washington, stopping in all the large cities on his 
way making speeches. The whole journey was fraught 
with much danger. Many of the Southern States had 
already seceded, and several attempts at assassination 
were afterwards brought to light. A gang in Balti- 
more had arranged, upon his arrival to "get up a row," 
and in the confusion to make sure of his death with 
revolvers and hand-grenades. A detective unravelled 
the plot. A secret and special train was p-ovided to 
take him from HarrisL-urg, through Baltimc re, at an 
unexpected hour of the night. The train s'nrted at 
half-past ten ; and to prevent any possible communi- 
cation on the part ot the Secessionists with their Con- 
federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train hac 
started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. Lincoln 
reached Washington in safety and was inaugurated, 
although great anxiety was felt by all loyal people. 

In the selection of his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave 
to Mr. Seward the Department of State, and to other 
prominent opponents before the convention he gave 
important positions. 

During no other administration have the duties 
devolving upon the President been so manifold, and 
the responsibilities so great, as those which fell to 
the lot of President Lincoln. Knowing this, and 
feeling his own weakness and inability to meet, and in 
his own strength to cope with, the difficulties, he 
learned early to seek Divine wisdom and guidance in 
determining his plans, and Divine comfort in all his 
trials, bo'h personal and national. Contrary to his 
own estimate of himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the 
most courageous of men. He went directly into the 
rebel capital just as the retreating foe was leaving, 
with no guard but a few sailors. From the time he 
had left Springfield, in 1861, however, plans had been 
made for his assassination, and he at last fell a victim 
to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, with Gen. Grant, 
was urgently invited to attend Fords' Theater. It 
was announced that they would he present. Gen. 
Grant, however, left the city. President Lincoln, feel- 
ing, wuu his characteristic kindliness of heart, that 
it would be a disappointment if he should fail them, 
very reluctantly consented to go. While listening to 
the play an actor by the name of John Wilkes Booth 
entered the box where the President and family were 
seated, and fired a bullet into his brains. He died the 
next morning at seven o'clock. 

Never before, in the history of the world was a nation 
plunged into such deep grief by the death of its ruler. 
Strong men met in the streets and wept in speechless 
anguish. It is not too much to say that a nation was 
in tears. His was a life which will fitly become a 
model. His name as the savior of his country will 
live with that of Washington's, its father; hisc^ntry- 
mcn being unable to decide which <-s t'>e greater. 



SEVENTEENTH PRESIDENT. 





NDREW JOHNSON, seven- 
teenth President of the United 
States. The early life of 
Andrew Johnson contains but 
the record of poverty, destitu- 
tion and friendlessness. He 
was born December 29, 1808, 
in Raleigh, N. C. His parents, 
belonging to the class of the 
"poor whites " of the South, were 
in such circumstances, that they 
could not confer sveiv the slight- 
est advantages of education upon 
their child. When Andrew was five 
years of age, his father accidentally 
lost his life while herorically endeavoring to save a 
friend from drowning. 7/nvil ten years of age, Andrew 
was a ragged boy about the streets, supported by the 
labor of his mother, who obtained her living with 
her own hands. 

He then, having never attended a school one day, 
and being unable either to read or write, was ap- 
prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman 
was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion- 
ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often 
read from the speeches of distinguished British states- 
men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more 
than ordinary native ability, became much interested 
in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he 
was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read. 

He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and 
with the assistance of some of his fellow- workmen, 
learned his letters. He then called upon the gentle- 
man to borrow the book of speeches. The owner, 



pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the book, 
but assisted him in learning to combine the letters 
into words. Under such difficulties he pressed 01. 
ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours 
at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest 
and recreation to devote such time as he could to 
reading. 

He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at 
Greenville, where he married a young lady who pus 
sessed some education. Under her instructions he 
learned to write and cipher. He became prominent 
in the village debating society, and a favorite with 
the students of Greenville College. In 1828, he or- 
ganized a working man's party, which elected him 
alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which 
position he held three years. 

He now began to take a lively interest in political 
affairs ; identifying himself with the working-classes, 
to which he belonged. In 1835, he was elected a 
member of -the House of Representatives of Tennes- 
see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age. 
He became a very active member of the legislature, 
gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in 
1840 "stumped the State," advocating Martin Van 
Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to thosv 
of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much 
readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased 
his reputation. 

In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he 
was elected a member of Congress, and by successive 



elections, held that important post for ten years. In 
1853, he was elected Governor of Tennessee, and' 
was re-elected in 1855. In all these res]nsible posi- 
tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abi. 



ANDRE W JOHNSON. 



ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work- 
ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected 
United States Senator. 

Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated 
the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his 
reason, that he thought this annexation would prob- 
ably prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable 
sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom, 
(ind become merged in a population congenial to 
themselves." In 1850, he also supported the com- 
promise measures, the two essential features of which 
were, that the white people of the Territories should 
oe permitted to decide for themselves whether they 
would enslave the colored people or not, and that 
the 'ree States of the North should return to the 
South persons who attempted to escape from slavery. 

Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin: 
on the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that 
he owed his distinction to his own exertions. "Sir," 
said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do -net forget 
that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam 
was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav- 
ior was the son of a carpenter." 

In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of i8i*j, ne 
,ras the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the 
'Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South- 
ern Democracy became apparent, he took a decided 
<tand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery 
must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever 
cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly 
imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of 
Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the 
Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap- 
pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he 
established the most stringent military rule. His 
numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In 

1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United 
States, and upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15, 

1865, became President. In a speech two days later 
he said, " The American people must be taught, if 
they do not already feel, that treason is a crime and 
must be punished ; that the Government will not 
always beat with its enemies ; that it is strong not 
only to protect, but to punish. * * The people 
must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of 
crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole 
administration, the history of which is so well known, 
was in utter inconsistency with, and the most violent 



opposition to. the principles laid down in that speech. 

In his loose policy of reconstruction and general 
amnesty, he was opposed by Congress ; and he char- 
acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly 
defied it, in everything possible, to the utmost. In 
the beginning of 1868, on account of "high crimes 
and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the 
removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten- 
ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre- 
ferred against him, and the trial began March 23. 

It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three 
months. A test article of the impeachment was at 
length submitted to the court for its action. It was 
certain that as the court voted upon that article so 
would it vote upon all. Thirty-four voices pronounced 
the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces- 
sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against 
him: The change of one vote from the not guilty 
side would have sustained the impeachment. 

The President, for the remainder of his term, was 
but little regarded. He continued, though impotent!;-, 
his conflict with Congress. His own party did not 
think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi- 
dency. The Nation rallied, with enthusiasm unpar- 
alleled since the days of Washington, around the name 
of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten. 
The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the 
President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was 
there presented to a man a better opportunity to im- 
mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a 
nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home 
in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in 
politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an exciting 
struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten- 
nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con- 
gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special 
session convened by President Grant, on the sth of 
March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-President 
made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter 
Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was 
apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach- 
ing the residence of his child the following day, was 
stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious. 
He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at 
2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His fun- 
eral was attended at Geenville, on the ^d. of August, 
with every demonstration of respect, 



EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT. 





LYSSES S. GRANT, the 
eighteenth President of the 
United States, was born on 
the agth of April, 1822, of 
Christian parents, in a humble 
home, at Point Pleasant, on the 
banks of the Ohio. Shortly after 
his father moved to George- 
town, Brown Co., O. In this re- 
mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses 
received a common-school edu- 
cation. At the age of seven- 
teen, in the year 1839, he entered 
the Military Academy at West 
Point. Here he was regarded as a 
solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of 
sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank 
as a scholar. In June, 1843, he graduated, about the 
middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in- 
fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis- 
souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary 
solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating 
Indians. 

The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was 
sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first 
battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here 
for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at 
Resaca de la Palma, his second battle. At the battle 
of Monterey, his third engagement, it is said that 
fte performed a signal service of daring and skillful 
horsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am- 
munition. A messenger must be sent for more, along 
a route exposed to the bullets of the foe. Lieut. 
Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians, 
grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging upon one 
side of the aniroal, ran the gauntlet in entire safety. 



From Monterey he was sent, with the fourth infantry, 
to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In 
preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he 
was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the 
battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a 
first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha- 
pultepec. 

At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re- 
turned with his regiment to New York, and was again 
sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The 
discovery of gold in California causing an immense 
tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt. 
Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in 
Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im- 
migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt. 
Grant resigned his commission and returned to the 
States ; and having married, entered upon the cultiva- 
tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but 
little skill as a farmer. Finding his toil not re- 
munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into 
the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga- 
lena, 111. This was in the year 1860. As the tidings 
of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears 
of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said, 
"Uncle Sam has educated me for the army: though 
I have served him through one war, I do not fel that 
I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready to discharge 
my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my word 
and see Uncle Sam through this war too." 

He went into the streets, raised a csmpany of vol- 
unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield, 
the capital of the State, where their services were 
offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by 
the zeal and straightforward executive ability of Capt. : 
Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the; 
volunteer organization that was being formed in the 
State in behalf of the Government. On the IJ* K ol 



38 



ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



June, 1861, Capt. Grant received a commission as 
Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol- 
unteers. His merits as a West Point graduate, who 
had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such 
that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier- 
IGeneral and was placed in command at Cairo. The 
rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth 
of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap- 
peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The 
rebels fled. Their banner fell, and the star and 
stripes were unfurled in its stead. 

He entered the service with great determination 
and immediately began active duty. This was the be- 
ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond 
he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and 
effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur- 
prised and routed the rebels, then at Fort Henry 
won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight 
at Fort Donelson. The. nation was electrified by the 
victory, and the brave leader of the boys in blue was 
immediately made a Major-General, and the military 
Jistrict of Tennessee was assigned to him. 

-Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well how 
to secure the results of victory. He immediately 
jpushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the 
; terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and the 
siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an 
unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty 
thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can- 
non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most 
severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered, 
and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. 

Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with 
Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- 
ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown from 
his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he 
.was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid 
iflfGens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and 
by a wonderful series of strategic and technical meas- 
ures put the Union Army in fighting condition. Then 
followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout 
Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels 
were routed with great loss. This won for him un- 
bounded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru- 
ary, 1864, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant- 
general, and the rank was conferred on Gen. Grant. 
He repaired to Washington to receive his credentials 
and enter upon tb^ duties of his new office 



Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge of 
the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National 
troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal 
capital of the Rebellion, and endeavor there to de- 
stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as- 
sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole 
continent seemed to tremble under the tramp of these 
majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field. 
Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains 
were burdened with closely packed thousands. His 
plans were comprehensive and involved a series of 
campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en- 
ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur- 
render of Lee, April 9, 1865. 

The war was ended. The Union was saved. The 
almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen. 
Grant to be the most prominent instrument in its sal- 
vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered 
the country brought him conspicuously forward as the 
Republican candidate for the Presidential chair. 

At the Republican Convention held at Chicago. 
May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated for the 
Presidency, and at the autumn election received a 
majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294 
electoral votes. 

The National Convention of the Republican party 
which met at Philadelphia on the 5 th of June, 1872, 
placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second term 
by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati- 
cally indorsed by the people five months later, 292 
electoral votes being cast for him. 

Soon after the close of his second term, Gen. Grant 
started upon his famous trip around the world. He 
visited almost every country of the civilized world, 
and was everywhere received with such ovations 
and demonstrations of respect and honor, private 
as well as public and official, as were never before 
bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. 

He was the most prominent candidate before the 
Republican National Convention in 1880 for a re- 
nomination for President. He went to New York and 
embarked in the brokerage business under the firm 
name of Grant & Ward. The latter proved a villain, 
wrecked Grant's fortune, and for larceny was sent to 
the penitentiary. The General was attacked with 
cancer in the throat, but suffered in his stoic-like 
manner, never complaining. He was re-instated as 
General of the Army and retired by Congress. The 
cancer soon finished its deadly work, and July 23, 
1885, the nation went in mourning over the death of 
the illustrious General. 




$ 



-a 




NINETEENTH PRESIDENT. 



9 








UTHERFORD B. HAYES, 
the nineteenth President of 
the United States, was born in 
Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al- 
most three months after the 
death of his father, Rutherford 
Hayes. His ancestry on both 



the paternal and maternal sides, 
was of the most honorable char- 
acter. It can be traced, it is said, 
as far back as 1280, when Hayes and 
Rutherford were two Scottish chief- 
tains, fighting side by side with 
Baliol, William Wallace and Robert 
Bruce. Both families belonged to the 
nobility, owned extensive estates, 
and had a large following. Misfor- 
;ane ov<aking the family, George Hayes left Scot- 
land in i6cSo, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son 
George wat. born in Windsor, and remained there 
during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar- 
ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar- 
riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, 
son of Daniel, was born in 1724, and was a manufac- 
turer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes, 
son of Ezekiel ai/d grandfather of President Hayes, was 
born in New Haven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer, 
blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to 
Vermont at an uiiknown date, settling in Brattleboro, 
where he established a hotel. Here his son Ruth- 
erford Hayes the father of President Hayes, was 



born. He was married, in September, 1813, to Sophia 
Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi- 
grated thither from Connecticut, they having been 
among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. 
Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to 
1635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders 
of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers 
in the Revolutionary War. 

The father of President Hayes was an industrious, 
frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me- 
chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stock- 
ing, or do almost anything else that he choose to 
undertake. He was a member of the Church, active 
in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and con- 
ducted his business on Christian principles. After 
the close of the war of 1812, for reasons inexplicable 
to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio. 

The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day 
when there were no 'canals, steamers, nor railways, 
was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was 
first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes deter 
mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived 
in 1817. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial 
fever, less than three months before the birth of the 
son, of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore be- 
reavement, found the support she so much needed in 
her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the 
household from the day of its departure from Ver- 
mont, and in an orphan girl whom she had adopted 
some time before as an act of charity. 

Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak, and the 



RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he 
was not expected to live beyond a month or two at 
most. As the months went by he grew weaker and 
weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of in- 
quiring from time to time " if Mrs. Haves' baby died 
last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on 
familiar terms with the family, after alluding to the 
'boy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of 
liim, said in a bantering way, " That's right ! Stick to 
him. You have got him along so far, and I shouldn't 
wonder if he would really come to something yet." 

" You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. " You 
\vait and see. You can't tell but I shall make him 
President of the United States yet." The boy lived, 
in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy 
death; and when, in 1825, his older brother was 
drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his 
mother. 

The boy was seven years old before he w^nt to 
school. His education, however, was not neglected. 
He probably learned as much from his mother and 
sister as he would have done at school. His sports 
were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being 
his sister and her associates. These circumstances 
tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of dispo- 
sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings 
of others, which are marked traits of his character. 

His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest 
y'n his education ; and as the boy's health had im- 
proved, and he was making good progress in his 
studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre- 
paration commenced with a tutor at home; but he 
was afterwards sent for one year to a professor in the 
Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en- 
tered Kenyon College in 1838,31 the age of sixteen, 
and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842. 

Immediately after his graduation he began the 
study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., 
in Columbus. Finding his opportunities for study in 
Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter 
the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he. re- 
mained two years. 

In 1 845, after graduating at the Law School, he was 
admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly 
afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law 
with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re- 
mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, 
and apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro- 
Cession. 

\n 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his ambi- 
tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how- 
ever, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at 
this period, had a powerful influence upon his subse- 
quent ";fe. One of these was his marrage with Miss 
Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of 
Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cin- 
cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its 
members such men as^hief Justice 



Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many 
others hardly less distinguished in after life. The 
marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as 
everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our 
Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced 
and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did 
more than she to reflect honor upon American woman, 
hood. The Literary Club brought Mr. Hayes into 
constant association with young men of high char- 
acter and noble aims, and lured him to display the 
qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and 
modesty. 

In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of 
the Court of Common Pleas; but he declined to ac. 
cept the nomination. Two years later, the office ol 
city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council 
elected him for the unexpired term. 

In 1 86 1, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at 
the zenith of his professional !i_. His rank at the 
bar was among the the first. But the news of the 
attack on Fort Sumpter found him eager to take uo 
arms for the defense of his country. 

His military record was bright and illustrious. In 
October, 1861, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and 
in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the 791!) Ohio 
regiment, but he refused to leavfe his old comrades 
and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, \\t 
was made Colonel of his old regiment At the battle 
of South Mountain he received a wound, and while 
faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude 
that won admiration from all. 

Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after 
his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed 
in command of the celebrated Kanawha division, 
and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles 
of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was 
promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted 
Major-General, "for gallant and distinguished services 
during the campaigns of 1864, in West Virginia." In 
the course of his arduous services, four horses were 
shot from under him, and he was wounded four times 

In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from 
the Second Ohio District, which had long been Dem- 
ocratic. He was not present during the campaign, 
and after his election was importuned to resign his 
commission in the army ; but he finally declared, "I 
shall never corne to Washington until I can come by 
the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1866. 

In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio, 
over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a populai Democrat. 
In 1869 was re-eieoted over George H. Pendleton. 
H was elected Governor for the third term in 1875. 

Tn 1876 he was the standard beater of the Repub- 
lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a 
hard long contest was chosen President, and was in 
augurated Monday, March 5, 1875. He served his 
full term, not, however, with satisfaction to his party, 
but his administration was an average or*? 



URBAN* 



TWENTIETH PRESIDENT. 





AMES A. GARFIELD, twen- 
tieth President of the United 
States, was born Nov. 19, 
1831, in the woods of Orange, 
Cuyahoga Co., O His par- 
ents were Abram and Eliza 
(Ballou) Garfield, both of New 
England ancestry and from fami- 
lies well known in the early his- 
, tory of that section of our coun- 
try, but had moved to the Western 
Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settle- 
ment. 

The house in which James A. was 
born was not unlike the houses of 
} poor Ohio farmers of that day. It 
^ds about 20x30 feet, built of logs, with t lie spaces be- 
.ween the logs filled with clay. His father was a 
riard working farmer, and he soon had his fields 
jleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built. 
The household comprised the father and mother and 
(heir four children Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and 
'ames. In May, 1823^ the father, from a cold con- 
tacted in helping to put out a forest fire, died. At 
chis time James was about eighteen months old, and 
Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can 
(ell how much James was indebted to his brother's 
roil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years suc- 
ceeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very 
much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two sis- 
itrs live in Solon, O., near their birthplace. 

The early educational advantages young Garfield 
enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the most of 
them. He labored at farm work for others, did car- 
penter work, chopped wood, or did anything that 
would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed 
mother in he' struggles to keep the little family to- 



gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his 
origin, and he never forgot the friends of his strug- 
gling childhood, youth and manhood, neither did they 
ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor, 
the humblest fiiend of his boyhood was as kindly 
greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the 
sympathy of one who had known all the bitterness 
of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the 
sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, plain, 
modest gentleman. 

The highest ambition of young Garfield until ha 
was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of 
a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious to go aboard 
a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. Shel 
finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the 
understanding, however, that he should try to obtain 
some other kind of employment. He walked all the 
way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city 
Afier making many applications for work, and trying 
to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with 
success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos 
Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. He re- 
mained at this work but a short time when he wen': 
home, and attended the seminary at Chester for 
about three years, when he entered Hiram and the 
Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in 
the meantime, and doing other work. This school 
was started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850, of 
which church he was then a member. He became 
janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way 
He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon 
" exhausted Hiram " and needed more ; hence, in the 
fall of 1854, he entered Williams College, from which 
he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest h<x.- 
ors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram 
College as its President. As above stated, he early 
united with the Christian or Diciples Church at 
Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous mem- 
ber, often preaching in its pulpit and places where 
he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of 
Yale College, says cf him in reference to his religion: 



JAMES A. GARFIELD. 



" President Garfield was more than a man of 
strong moral and religious convictions. His whole 
history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to 
man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and 
faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs 
of his being, and to a more than usual degree. In 
my judgment there is no more interesting feature of 
his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of 
Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent 
sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian 
communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty 
and noble who are called ' show a similar loyalty to 
the less stately and cultured Christian communions 
in which they have been reared. Too often it is true 
that as they step upward in social and political sig- 
nificance they step upward from one degree to 
another in some of the many types of fashionable 
Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the 
church of his mother, the church in which he was 
rained, and in which he served as a pillar and an 
evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsec- 
tarian charity for all 'who love our Lord in sincerity.'" 

Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss 
Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. 1 1, 1858, who proved herself 
worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and 
mourned. To them were born seven children, five of 
whom are still living, four boys and one girl. 

Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 1856, 
m Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three 
years later he began to speak at county mass-meet- 
ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he 
was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio 
Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, 
and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. The great 
Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year, 
and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had 
talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He re- 
ceived his commission as Lieut.-Colonel of the Forty- 
second Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 
14, 1861. He was immediately put into active ser- 
vice, and before he had ever seen a gun fired hvaction, 
was placed in command of four regiments of infantry 
and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the 
work of driving out of his native State the officer 
[Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of 
those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given 
to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speed- 
ily accomplished, although against great odds. Pres- 
ident Lincoln, on his success commissioned him 
Brigadier-General, Jan. 10, 1862; and as "he had 
been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years 
before, so now he was the youngest General in the 
army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, 
in its operations around Corinth and its march through 
Alabama. He was then detailed as a member of the 
General Court-Martial for the trial of Gen. Fitz-John 
Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose- 
crans, and was assigned to the "Chief of Staff." 

The military Wstory of Gen. Garfield closed with 



his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won 
the stars of the Major-General. 

Without an effort on his part Ge Garfield wa 
elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the 
Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio 
had been represented in Congress for sixty year* 
mainly by two men Elisha Whittlesey and Joshvu. 
R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he 
resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- 
tered Congress he was the youngest member in that 
body. There he remained by successive re- 
elections until he was elected President in 1880. 
Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Since 
the year 1864 you cannot think of a question which 
has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a 
tribunel of the American people, in regard to which 
you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argu- 
ment on one side stated, in almost every instance 
better than by anybody else, in some speech made in 
the House of Representatives or on the hustings by 
Mr. Garfield." 

Upon Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to 
the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the 
same year, was nominated as the candidate of his 
party for President at the great Chicago Convention. 
He was elected in the following November, and on 
March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad- 
ministration ever opened its existence under brighter 
auspices than that of President Garfield, and every 
day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first 
of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre- 
liminary work of his administration and was prepar- 
ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams 
College. While on his way and at the depot, in com- 
pany with Secretary Elaine, a man stepped behind 
him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. 
The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the 
assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the 
left coat sleeve of his victim, but inflicting no further 
injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was 
" the shot that was heard round the world " Never 
before in the history of the Nation had anything oc- 
curred which so nearly froze the blood of the peop' 
for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- 
ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and 
was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty 
days, all during the hot months of July and August, 
he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained 
master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent 
bearing was teaching the country and the world the 
noblest of human lessops how to live grandly in the 
very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass- 
ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 
19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J.,on the very bank of the 
ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The 
world wept at his death, as it never had done on the 
death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. 
The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and exe- 
cuted, in one year after he committed the fou? deed. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 



, 




TWENTY-FIRST PRESIDENT. 





HESTER A. ARTHUR, 
twenty-first President of the 
United States, was born in 
Franklin Courty, Vermont, on 
the fifth of Odober, 1830, and is 
the oldest of a family of two 
sons and five daughters. His 
father was the Rev. Dr. William 
Arthur, a Baptist cJ'.rgy man, who 
emigrated to tb'.s country fro r n 
the county Antrim, Ireland, in 
his 1 8th year, and died in 1875, in 
Newtonville, neai Albany, after a 
long and successful ministry. 

Young Arthur was educated at 
Union College, S< henectady, where 
he excelled in all his studies. Af- 
ter his graduation he taught school 
in Vermont for two years, and at 
the expiration of that time came to 
New York, with $500 in his pocket, 
and catered the office of ex- Judge 
E. D. Culver as student. After 
I being admitted to the bar he formed 
a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, 
Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing 
in the West, and for three months they roamed about 
in the Western States in search of an eligible site, 
out in the end returned to New York, where they 
hung out their shingle, and entered upon a success^ 
ful career almost from the start. General Arthur 
soon afterward nawr-'-d the daughter of Lieutenant 



Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at 
sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in 
recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- 
sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's 
nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two 
children. 

Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity 
in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, 
brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had 
been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior 
Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon-, 
athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with 
his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when 
they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided 
that they could not be held by the owner under the 
Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from 
the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the 
Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. 
Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed 
to represent the People, and they won their .case, 
which then went to the Supreme Court of the United 
States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause 
of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs 
Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward 
the emancipation of the black race. 

Another great service was rendered by General 
Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jennings, 
a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth 
Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare. 
General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a 
verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa- 
ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride 
on their cars, and the other car companies quickly 



CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave- 
nue Company ran a few special cars for colored per- 
sons smd the rjftjer Hires refused to let them ride at all. 



General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention 
at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. 
Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the 
Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov- 
ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineer- 
in-Chief of his staff. In 1861, he was made Inspec- 
tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas- 
ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered 
great service to the Government during the war. At 
the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the 
practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. 
Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney 
of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac- 
tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra- 
tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able 
lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if 
not indeed one of national extent. 

He always took a leading part in State and city 
politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of 
New York by President Grant, Nov. 21 1872, to suc- 
ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 
20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. 

Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential 
ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous 
National Republican Convention held at Chicago in 
June, 1880. This was perhaps the greatest political 
convention that ever assembled on the continent. It 
was composed of the 'sading politicians of the Re- 
publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and 
fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their 
respective candidates that were before the conven- 
tion for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield re- 
ceived the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur 
for Vice-President. The campaign which followed 
was one of the most animated known in the history of 
c/ur country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of 
the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his 
party made a valiant fight for his election. 

Finally the election came and the country's choice 
,vas Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated 
vvlarch 4, 1881, as President and Vice-President. 
/V few months only had passed ere the newly chosen 
President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then 
came terrible weeks of suffering, those moment* of 
anxious suspense, wher> the hearts of all civilized na- 



tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re- 
covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- 
able patience that he manifested during those hours 
and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- 
fering man has often been called upon to endure, was 
seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- 
like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr. 
Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to hisi 
credit that his every action displayed only an earnest 
desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to 
serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi- 
ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested 
in deed or look of this man, even though the most 
honored position in the world was at any moment 
likely to fall to him. 

At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- 
field from further suffering, and the world, as nevei 
before in its history over the death of any othei 
man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of 
the Vice President to assume the responsibilities o( 
the high office, and he took the oath in New York, 
Sept. 20, 1881. The position was an embarrassing 
one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all 
eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, 
what policy he would pursue, and who he would se- 
lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been 
greatly neglected during the President's long illness,' 
and many important measures were to be immediately 
decided by him ; and still farther to embarrass him he 
did not fail to realize under what circumstances he 
became President, and knew the feelings of many on 
this point. Under these trying circumstances President 
Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own 
hands ; and, as embarrassing as were the condition o( 

affair.-' he happily surprised the nation, acting so 
wiselv hat but few criticised us administration. 
He served the nation well and faithfully, until the 
close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was 
a popular candidate before his party for a second 
term. His name was ably presented before the con- 
vention at Chicago, and was received with great 
favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity 
of one of the opposing candidates, he would have 
been selected as the standard-bearer of his party 
for another campaign. He retired to private life car- 
rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- 
ple, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory 
to them and with credit to himself. 



TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT. 



103 





TEPHEN GROVER CLEVE- 
LAND, the twenty- second Pres- 
ident of the United States, was 
born in 1837, in the obscure 
town of Caldwell, Essex Co., 
N. J., and in a little two-and-a- 
half-story white house which is still 
standing, characteristically to mark 
the humble birth-place of one of 
America's great men in striking con- 
trast with the Old World, where all 
men high in office must be high in 
origin and born in the cradle of 
wealth. When the subject of this 
sketch was three years of age, his 
father, who was a Presbyterian min- 
ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, 
by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to 
Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a 
larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most 
straggling of country villages, about- five miles from 
Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born. 

At the last mentioned place young Grover com- 
menced going to school in the " good, old-fashioned 
way," and presumably distinguished himself after the 
manner of all village boys, in doing the things he 
ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of 
all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he 
arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the 
capacity of the village school and expressed a most 



emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To thi 
his father decidedly objected. Academies in those 
days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to 
become self-supporting by the quickest possible 
means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed 
to be a position in a country store, where his father 
and the large family on his hands had considerable 
influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services 
the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to 
receive $100 the second year. Here the lad com- 
menced his career as salesman, and in two years he 
had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness 
that his employers desired to retain him for an in- 
definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex- 
hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or 
eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy. 
But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette- 
ville, he went with the family in their removal to 
Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a 
high school. Here he industriously pursued his 
studies until the family removed with him to a point 
on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a 
village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica, 
N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching 
but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, 
and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a 
small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an 
asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two 
years, and although he obtained a good reputation in 
this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his 



1O4 



S. GROVES CLEVELAND. 



calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, 
he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going 
to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as 
there was some charm. in that name for him; but 
before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to 
sk the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted 
stock-breeder of that place. The latter did not 
speak enthusiastically. " What is it you want to do, 
my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study 
law," was the reply, "Good gracious!" remarked 
ih* old gentleman ; " do you, indeed ? What ever put 
that into your head? How much money have you 
got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got 
any." 

After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a 
place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $50 a 
year, while lie could "look around." One day soon 
afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers, 
Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told Ihem what he 
wanted. A number of young men were already en- 
gaged in the office, but Grover's persistency won, and 
he was finally permitted to come as an office boy and 
Have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum 
of $3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for 
his board and washing. The walk to and from his 
uncle's was a long and rugged one; and, although 
the first winter was a memorably severe one, his 
shoes were out of repair and his overcoat he had 
none yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular. 
On the first day of his service here, his senior em- 
ployer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him 
with a bang that made the dust fly, saying "That's 
where they all begin." A titter ran around the little 
circle of clerks and students, as they thought that 
was enough to scare young Grover out of his plans ; 
but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume. 
Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland 
exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for 
chasing principles through all their metaphysical 
possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do 
it," was practically his motto. 

The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was 
elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in 
which Buffalo is situated; and in such capacity it fell 
to his duty to inflict capital pi>".!shment upon two 
criminals. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of the 
City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with es- 
pecial reference to the bringing about certain reforms 



in the administration of the municipal affairs of that 
city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his 
performance of duty has generally been considered 
fair, with possibly a few exceptions which were fer- 
reted out and magnified during the last Presidential 
campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in 
a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniqui- 
tous street-cleaning contract : " This is a time foi 
plain speech, and my objection to your action shall 
be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of 
a mos bare-faced, impudent and shameless scheme 
to betray the interests of the people and to worse 
than squander the people's money." The New York 
Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleve- 
land's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and there- 
upon recommended him for Governor of the Empire 
State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882, 
and his administration of the affairs of State was 
generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if 
any, were made very public throughout the nation 
after he was nominated for President of the United 
States. For this high office he was nominated July 
ir, 1884, by the National Democratic Convention at 
Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F. 
Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, 
Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he 
was elected by the people, by a majority of about a 
thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Repub- 
lican statesman, James G. Blaine. President Cleve- 
land resigned his office as Governor of New York in 
January, 1885, in order to prepare for his duties as 
the Chief Executive of ihe United States, in which 
capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of 
March, 1885. 

The silver question precipitated a controversy 
between those who were in favor of the continu- 
ance of silver coinage and those who were opposed, 
Mr. Cleveland answering for the latter, even before 
his inauguration. 

On June 2, 1886, President Cleveland married 
Frances, daughter of his deceased friend and 
partner, Oscar Folsom, of the Buffalo Bar. Their 
union has been blessed by the birth of one daugh- 
ter, Ruth. In the campaign of 1888, President 
Cleveland was renominated by his party, but the 
Republican candidate, Gen. Benjamin Harrison, 
was victorious. In the nominations of 1892 these 
two candidates for the highest position in the gift 
of the people were again pitted against each other 
and President Cleveland was victorious by an 
overwhelming majority. 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

URBANA 



'TWENTY-THIRD PRESIDENT. 





ENJAMIN HARRISON, the 
twenty-third President, is 
the descendant of one of the 
historical families of this 
country. The head of the 
family was a Major General 
Harrison, one of Oliver 
Cromwell's trusted follow- 



ers and fighters. In the zenith of Crom- 
well's power it became the duty of this 
Harrison to participate in tne trial of 
Charles I, and afterward tc sign the 
death warrant of the king. He subse- 
quently paid for this with his life, being 
hung Oct. 13, 1660. His descendants 
came to America, and the next of the 
family that appears in history is Benja- 
rnin Harrison, of Virginia, great-grand- 
father of the subject of this sketch, and 
after whom he was named. Benjamin Harrison 
was a member of the Continental Congress during 
the years 1 774-5-6, and was one of the original 
signers of the Declaration of Independence. He 
va three times elected Governor of Virginia. 

William Henry Harrison, the son of the 



distinguished patriot of the Revolution, after a suo. 
cessful career as a soldier during the War of 1812, 
and with-a clean record as Governor of the North- 
western Territory, was elected President of the 
United States in 1840. His career was cut short 
by death within one month after ais inruguration. 
President Harrison was born at Nortli Bond. 
Hamilton Co., Ohio, Aug. 20, 18S3 His life up to 
the time of his graduation by the Miami University, 
at Oxford, Ohio, was the uneventful one of a coun- 
try lad of a family of small means. His father was 
able to give him a good education, and nothing 
more. He became engaged while at college to tho 
daughter of Dr. Scott, Principal of a female schoo 
at Oxford. After graduating he determined to en- 
ter upon the study of the law. He went to Cin 
cinnati and then read law for two years. At the 
expiration of that time young Harrison receivt.il tta 
only inheritance of his life ; his aunt dying left him 
a lot valued at $800. He regarded this legacy as a 
fortune, and decided to get married at once, take 
this money and go to some Eastern town an; be- 
gin the practice of law. He sold his lot, and with 
the money in hie pocket, be started out witu his 
young wife to fight for place in the world- He 



108 



BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



decided to go to Indianapolis, which was eren at 
that time a town of promise. He met with slight 
encouragement at first, making scarcely anything 
the first year. He worked diligently, applying him- 
self closely to his calling, built up an extensive 
practice and took a leading rank in the legal pro- 
i'ession. He is the father of two children. 

In 1860 Mr. Harrison was nominated for the 
position of Supreme Court Reporter, and then be- 
gan his experience as a stump speakei He can- 
vassed the State thoroughly, and was elected by a 
handsome majority. In 1862 he raised the 17th 
Indiana Infantry, and was chosen its Colonel. His 
regiment was composed of *he rawest of material, 
out Col. Harrison employed all his tiuie at first 
mastering military tactics and drilling his men, 
when he therefore came to move toward the East 
with Sherman his regiment was one of the best 
drilled and organized in the army. At Resaca he 
especially distinguished himself, and for his bravery 
at Peachtree Creek he was made a Brigadier Gen- 
eral, Gen. Hooker speaking of him in the most 
complimentary terms. 

During the absence of Gen. Harrison in the field 
ho S'jpreme Court declared the office of the Su- 
preme Court Reporter vacant, and another person 
was elected to the position. From the time of leav- 
ing Indiana with his regiment until the fall ot 1864 
he had taken no leave of absence, but having been 
nominated that year for the same office, he got a 
thirty-day leave of absence, and during that time 
made a brilliant canvass of the State, and was elected 
for another terra. He then started to rejoin Sher- 
man, but on the way was stricken down with scarlet 
jever, and after a most trying siege made his way 
to the front in time to participate in the closing 
incidents of the war. 

In 1868 Gen. Harrison declined re-election as 
reporter, and resumed the practice of law. In 1876 
fle was a candidate for Governor. Although de- 
eated, the brilliant campaign ho irade won i'or him 
,1 National reputation, and he was much sought, es- 
peciai.y in the East, to make speeches. In 1880, 
as usual, he took an active part in tae campaign, 
and wu elected to the Tailed States Senate. Here 
ue set-ved six years, and .-as known as one ox the 
ibJest men, best lawyer' <.ud stronger debaters in 



that body. With the expiration of his Senatorial 
term he returned to the practice of Ins profession, 
becoming the head of one of the strongest firms in 
the State. 

The political campaign of 1888 was one of the 
most memorable in the history of our country. The 
convention which assembled in Chicago in June an^ 
named Mr. Harrison as the chief standard bearer 
of the Republican party, was great in every partic- 
ular, and on this account, and the attitude it as. 
sumed upon the vital questions of the day, chief 
among which was the tariff, awoke a deep interest 
in the campaign throughout the Nation. Shortly 
after the nomination delegations began to visit Mr. 
Harrison at Indianapolis, his home. This move- 
ment became popular, and from all sections of the 
country societies, clubs and delegations journeyed 
thither to pay their respects to the distinguished 
statesman. The popularity of these was greatly 
increased on account of the remarkable speeches 
made by Mr. Harrison. He spoke daily all through 
the summer and autumn to these visiting delega- 
tions, and so varied, masterly and eloquent were 
his speeches that they at once placed him in the 
foremost rank of American orators and statesmen. 

On account of his eloquence as a speaker and hi" 
power as a debater, he was called upon at an un- 
commonly early age to take part in the discussion 
of the great questions that then began t j agitate 
the country. He was an uncompromising ant: 
slavery man, and was matched against some oi ! t-e 
most eminent Democratic speakers of his Stat^ 
No man who felt the touch of his blade d3' : red . 
be pitted with him again. With all his e'oq-ence 
as an orator he never spoke for oratorical. e'.V^t. 
but his words always went like bullets to the mark 
He is purely American in his ideas and k a spier 
did type of the American statesman. Gifted witt 
quick perception, a logical mind and a ready tongue, 
he is one of the most distinguished impromptu 
speakers in the Nation. Many of these speeches 
sparkled with the rarest of eloquence and contained 
arguments of greatest weight. Many of his terse 
statements have already become aphorisms. Orig! 
nal in thought precise ia. logic, terse in statement, 
yet withal faultless in eloquence, he is recognized as 
tu sound statesman and brill Ian orator o- ta^ 0*7 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



rn 





HADRACH BOND, the first 
Governor of Illinois after its 
organization as a State, serving 
from 1818 to 1822, was born in 
Frederick County, Maryland, 
in the year 1773, and was 
raised a farmer on his father's 
plantation, receiving only a plain 
English education. He emigrated 
to this State in 1794, when it was a 
part of the "Northwest Territory," 
continuing in the vocation in which 
he had been brought up in his native 
State, in the " New Design," near 
Eagle Creek, in what is now Monroe 
County. He served several terms as 
a member of the General Assembly 
of Indiana Territory, after it was organized as such, 
and in 1812-14 he was a Delegate to the Twelfth 
and Thirteenth Congresses, taking his seat Dec. 3, 
1812, and serving until Oct. 3, 1814. These were 
the times, the reader will recollect, when this Gov- 
ernment had its last struggle with Great Britain. 
The year 1812 is also noted in the history of this 
State as that in which the first Territorial Legislature 
was held. It convened at Kaskaskia, Nov. 25, and 
adjourned Dec. 26, following. 

While serving 'as Delegate to Congress, Mr. Bond 
was instrumental in procuring the right of pre-emp- 
tion on the public domain. On the expiration of his 
term at Washington he was appointed Receiver of 
Public Moneys at Kaskaskia, then the capital of tire 
Territory. In company with John G. Comyges, 



Thomas H. Harris, Charles Slade, Michael Jones, 
Warren Brown. Edward Humphries and Charles W 
Hunter, he became a proprietor of the site of the 
initial city of Cairo, which they hoped, from its favor- 
able location at the junction of the two greai 
rivers near the center of the Great West, would 
rapidly develop into a metropolis. To aid the enter- 
prise, they obtained a special charter from the Legis- 
lature, incorporating both the City and the Bank of 
Cairo. 

In 1818 Mr. Bond was elected the first Governot 
of the State of Illinois, being inaugurated Oct. 6 
that year, which was several weeks before Illinois 
was actually admitted. The facts are these: In 
January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature sent a peti- 
tion to Congress for the admission of Illinois as a 
State, Nathaniel Pope being then Delegate. The 
petition was granted, fixing the northern line of the 
State on the latitude of the southern extremity of 
Lake Michigan; but the bill was afterward so amend- 
ed as to extend this line to its present latitude. In 
July a convention was called at Kaskaskia to draft a 
constitution, which, however, was not submitted to 
the people. By its provisions, supreme judges, pros 
ecuting attorneys, county and circuit judges, record- 
ers and justices of the peace were all to be appointed 
by the Governor or elected by the Legislature. This 
constitution was accepted by Congress Dec. 30. At 
that time Illinois comprised but eleven counties, 
namely, Randolph, Madison, Gallatin, Johnson, 
Pope, Jackson, Crawford, Bond, Union, Washington 
and Franklin, the northern portion of the State be- 
ing mainly in Madison County. Thus it appears 
that Mr. Bond was honored by the naming of a 



SHADRACH BOND. 



county before he was elected Governor. The present 
county of Bond is of small limitations, about 60 to 80 
miles south of Springfield. For Lieutenant Governor 
the people chose Pierre Menard, a prominent and 
worthy Frenchman, after whom a county in this State 
is named. In this election there were no opposition 
candidates, as the popularity of these men had made 
their promotion to the chief offices of the SLate, even 
before the constitution was drafted, a foregone con- 
clusion. 

The principal points that excited the people in 
reference to political issues at this period were local 
or "internal improvements," as they were called, 
State banks, location of the capital, slavery and the 
personal characteristics of the proposed candidates. 
Mr. Bond represented the " Convention party," for 
introducing slavery into the State, supported by Elias 
Kent Kane, His Secretary of State, and John Mc- 
Lean, while Nathaniel Pope and John P. Cook led 
the anti-slavery element. The people, however, did 
not become very much excited over this issue until 
1820, when the famous Missouri Compromise was 
adopted by Congress, limiting slavery to the south 
of the parallel of 36 30' except in Missouri. While 
this measure settled the great slavery controversy, 
so far as the average public sentiment was tempor- 
arily concerned, until 1854, when it was repealed 
under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas, the issue 
as considered locally in this State was not decided 
until 1824, after a most furious campaign. (See 
sketch of Gov. Coles.) The ticket of 1818 was a 
compromise one, Bond representing (moderately) the 
pro-slavery sentiment and Menard the anti-slavery. 

An awkward element in the State government 
under Gov. Bond's administration, was the imperfec- 
tion of the State constitution. The Convention 
wished to have Elijah C. Berry for the first Auditor 
of Public Accounts, but, as it was believed that the 
new Governor would not appoint him to the office, 
the Convention declared in a schedule that " an 
auditor of public accounts, an attorney general and 
such other officers of the State as may be necessary, 
may be appointed by the General Assembly." The 
Constitution, as it stood, vested a very large appoint- 
ing power in the Governor ; but for the purpose of 
getting one man into office, a total change was made, 
and the power vested in the Legislature. Of this 
provision the Legislature took advantage, and de- 



clared that State's attorneys, canal commissioners, 
bank directors, etc., were all " officers of the State ' 
and must therefore be appointed by itself independ- 
ently of the Governor. 

During Gov. Bond's administration a general law 
was passed for the incorporation of academies and 
towns, and one authorizing lotteries. The session of 
1822 authorized the Governor to appoint commis- 
sioners, to act in conjunction with like commissioners 
appointed by the State of Indiana, to report on the 
practicability and expediency of improving the navi- 
gation of the Wabash River ; also inland navigation 
generally. Many improvements were recommended, 
some of which have been feebly worked at even till 
the present day, those along the Wabash being of no 
value. Also, during Gov. Bond's term of office, the 
capital of the State was removed from Kaskaskia to 
Vandalia. In 1820 a law was passed by Congress 
authorizing this State to open a canal through the 
public lands. The State appointed commissioners 
lo explore the route and prepare the necessary sur- 
veys and estimates, preparatory to its execution; 
but, being unable out of its own resources to defray 
the expenses of the undertaking, it was abandoned 
until some time after Congress made the grant of 
land for the purpose of its construction. 

On the whole, Gov. Bond's administration was 
fairly good, not being open to severe criticism from 
any party. In 1824, two years after the expiration 
of his term of office, he was brought out as a candi- 
date for Congress against the formidable John P. 
Cook, but received only 4,374 votes to 7,460 for the 
latter. Gov. Bond was no orator, but had made 
many fast friends by a judicious be^towment of his 
gubernatorial patronage, and these worked zealously 
for him in the campaign. 

In 1827 ex-Gov. Bond was appointed by the Leg- 
islature, with Wm. P. McKee and Dr. Gershom 
Jayne, as Commissioners to locate a site for a peni- 
tentiary on the Mississippi at or near Alton. 

Mr. Bond was of a benevolent and convivial dis- 
position, a man of shrewd observation and clear ap- 
preciation of events. His person was erect, stand- 
ing six feet in height, and after middle life became 
portly, weighing 200 pounds. His features were 
strongly masculine, complexion dark, hair jet and 
eyes hazel ; was a favorite with the ladies. He died 
April i r, 1830, in peace and contentment 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

URBAN* 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 




jt>war& Coles. 






DWARD COLES, second 
Governor of Illinois, 1823- 
6, was born Dec. 15, 1786, 
in Albemarle Co., Va., on 
the old family estate called 
"Enniscorthy," on the 
Green Mountain. His fath- 
er, John Coles, was a Colonel in the 
Revolutionary War. Having been fit- 
ted for college by private tutors, he 
was sent to Hampden Sidney, where 
he remained until the autumn of 1805, 
when he was removed to William and 
Mary College, at Williamsburg, Va. 
This college he left in the summer of 
1807, a short time before the final and graduating 
examination. Among his classmates were Lieut. 
Gen. Scott, President John Tyler, Wm. S. Archer, 
United States Senator from Virginia, and Justice 
Baldwin, of the United States Supreme Court. The 
President of the latter college, Bishop Madison, was 
a cousin of President James Madison, and that cir- 
cumstance was the occasion of Mr. Coles becoming 
personally acquainted with the President and re- 
ceiving a position as his private secretary, 1809-15. 
The family of Coles was a prominent one in Vir- 
ginia, and their mansion was the seat of the old- 
fashioned Virginian hospitality. It was visited by 
such notables as Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Madison, 
Monroe, the Randolphs, Tazewell, Wirt, etc. At the 
age of 23, young Coles found himself heir to a plant- 
ation and a considerable number of slaves. Ever 
since his earlier college days his attention had been 
drawn to the question of slavery. He read every- 



thing on the subject that came in his way, and 
listened to lectures on the rights of man. The more 
he reflected upon the subject, the more impossible 
was it for him to reconcile the immortal declaration 
"that all men are bom free and equal " with the 
practice of slave-holding. He resolved, therefore, to 
free his slaves the first opportunity, and even remove 
his residence to a free State. One reason which de- 
termined him to accept the appointment as private 
secretary to Mr. Madison was because he believed 
that through the acquaintances lie could make at 
Washington he could better determine in what part 
of the non-slaveholding portion of the Union he woulc 
prefer to settle. 

The relations between Mr. Coles and President 
Madison, as well as Jefferson and other distinguished 
men, were of a very friendly character, arising from 
the similarity of their views on the question of slavery 
and their sympathy for each other in holding doc- 
trines so much at variance with the prevailing senti- 
ment in their own State. 

In 1857, he resigned his secretaryship and spent a 
portion of the following autumn in exploring the 
Northwest Territory, for the purpose of finding a lo- 
cation and purchasing lands on which to settle his 
negroes. He traveled with a horse and buggy, with 
an extra man and horse for emergencies, through 
many parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, 
determining finally to settle in Illinois. At this time, 
however, a misunderstanding arose between our 
Government and Russia, and Mr. Coles was selected 
to repair to St. Petersburg on a special mission, bear- 
ing important papers concerning the matter at issue 
The result was a conviction of the Emperor (Alex- 



ri6 



ED WARD COLES. 



ander) of the error committed by his minister at 
Washington, and the consequent withdrawal of the 
the latter from the post. On his return, Mr. Coles 
visited other parts of Europe, especially Paris, where 
he was introduced to Gen. Lafayette. 

In the spring of 1819, he removed with all his 
negroes from Virginia to Edwardsville, 111., with the 
intention of giving them their liberty. He did not 
make known to them his intention until one beautiful 
morning in April, as they were descending the Ohio 
River. He lashed all the boats together and called 
all the negroes on deck and made them a short ad- 
dress, concluding his remarks by so expressing him- 
self that by a turn of a sentence he proclaimed in 
the shortest and fullest manner that they were no 
longer slaves, but free as he was and were at liberty 
to proceed with him or go ashore at their pleas- 
ure. A description of the effect upon the negroes is 
best desciibed in his own language : 

" The effect upon them was electrical. They stared 
at me and then at each other, as if doubting the ac- 
curacy or reality of what they heard. In breathless 
silence they stood before me, unable to utter a word, 
but with countenances beaming with expression which 
no words could convey, and which no language 
can describe. As they began to see the truth of 
what they had heard, and realize their situation, there 
came on a kind of hysterical, giggling laugh. After 
a pause of intense and unutterable emotion, bathed 
in tears, and with tremulous voices, they gave vent to 
their gratitude and implored the blessing of God 
on me." 

Before landing he gave them a general certificate 
of freedom, and afterward conformed more particu- 
larly with the law of this State requiring that each 
individual should have a certificate. This act of 
Mr. Coles, all the more noble and heroic considering 
the overwhelming pro-slavery influences surrounding 
him, has challenged the admiration of every philan- 
thropist of modern times. 

March 5, 1819, President Monroe appointed Mr. 
Coles Registrar of the Land Office at Edwardsvihe, 
at that time one of the principal land offices in the 
State. While acting in this capacity and gaining 
many friends by his politeness and general intelli- 
gence, the greatest struggle that ever occurred in 
Illinois on the slavery question culminated in the 
furious contest characterizing the campaigns and 
elections of 1822-4. I n tne summer of 1823, when a 
new Governor was to be elected to succeed Mr. 
Bond, the pro-slavery element divided into factions, 
putting forward for the executive office Joseph 
Phillips, Chief Justice of the State, Thomas C. 
Browne and Gen. James B. Moore, of the State Mil- 
itia. The anti-slavery element united upon Mr. 
Coles, and, after one of the most bitter campaigns, 
succeeded in electing him as Governor. His plural- 
ity over Judge Phillips was only 59 in a total vote of 



over 8,000. The Lieutenant Governor was elected 
by the slavery men. Mr. Coles' inauguration speech 
was marked by calmness, deliberation and such a 
wise expression of appropriate suggestions as to 
elicit the sanction of all judicious politicians. But 
he compromised not with evil. In his message to 
the Legislature, the seat of Government being then 
at Vandalia, he strongly urged the abrogation of the 
modified form of slavery which then existed in this 
State, contrary to the Ordinance of 1787. His posi- 
tion on this subject seems the more remarkable, when 
it is considered that he was a minority Governor, the 
population of Illinois being at that time almost ex- 
clusively from slave-holding States and by a large 
majority in favor of the perpetuation of that old relic 
of barbarism. The Legislature itself was, of course, 
a reflex of the popular sentiment, and a majority of 
them were led on by fiery men in denunciations of 
the conscientious Governor, and in curses loud and 
deep upon him and all his friends. Some of the 
public men, indeed, went so far as to head a sort of 
mob, or " shiveree " party, who visited the residence 
of the Governor and others at Vandalia and yelled 
and groaned and spat fire. 

The Constitution, not establishing or permitting 
slavery in this State, was thought therefore to be 
defective by the slavery politicians, and they desired 
a State Convention to be elected, to devise and sub- 
mit a new Constitution; and the dominant politics 
of the day was "Convention" and "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both parties issued addresses to the people, 
Gov. Coles himself being the author of the address 
published by the latter party. This address revaaled 
the schemes of the conspirators in a masterly .uan- 
ner. It is difficult for us at this distant day to esti- 
mate the critical and extremely delicate situation in 
which the Governor was placed at that time. 

Our hero maintained himself honorably and with 
supreme dignity throughout his administration, and 
in his honor a county in this State is named. He 
was truly a great man, and those who lived in 
this State during his sojourn here, like those who 
live at the base of the mountain, were too near to see 
and recognize the greatness that overshadowed them. 

Mr. Coles was married Nov. 28, 1833, by Bishop 
De Lancey, to Miss Sally Logan Roberts, a daughter 
of Hugh Roberts, a descendant of Welsh ancestry, 
who came to this country with Wm. Penn in 1682. 

After the expiration of his term of service, Gov. 
Coles continued his residence in Edwardsville, sup- 
erintending his farm in the vicinity. He was fond 
of agriculture, and was the founder of the first agri- 
cultural society in the State. On account of ill 
health, however, and having no family to tie him 
down, he spent much of his time in Eastern cities. 
About 1832 he changed his residence to Philadel- 
phia, where he died July 7, 1868, and is buried at 
Woodland, near that city. 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

UR3ANA 



GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



119 





_ INI AN EDWARDS, Governor 
from 1827 to 1830, was a son 
of Benjamin Edwards, and 
was born in Montgomery 
County, Maryland, in March, 
K 1775. His domestic train- 
ing was well fitted to give 
mind strength, firmness and 
bo. orable principles, and a good 
foundation was laid for the elevated 
character to which he afterwards 
attained. His parents were Bap- 
tists, and very strict in their moral 
principles. His education in early 
youth was in company with and 
partly under the tuition of Hon. Win. 
Wirt, whom his father patronized, 
and who was more than two years 
older. An intimacy was thus 
formed between them which was lasting for life. He 
was further educated at Dickinson College, at Car- 
lisle, Pa. He next commenced the study of law, but 
before completing his course he moved to Nelson 
County, Ky., to open a farm for his father and to 
purchase homes and locate lands for his brothers and 
sisters. Here he fell in the company of dissolute 
companions, and for several years led the life of a 
spendthrift. He was, however, elected to the Legis- 
lature of Kentucky as the Representative of Nelson 
County before he was 2 1 years of age, and was re- 
lected by an almost unanimous vote. 



In 1798 he was licensed to practice law, and the 
following year was admitted to the Courts pf Tennes- 
see. About this time he left Nelson County for 
Russellville, in Logan County, broke away from his 
dissolute companions, commenced a reformation and 
devoted himself to severe and laborious study. He 
then began to rise rapidly in his profession, and soon 
became an eminent lawyer, and inside of four years 
he filled in succession the offices of Presiding Judge 
of the General Court, Circuit Judge, fourth Judge of 
the Court of Appeals and Chief Justice of the State, 
all before he was 32 years of age! In addition, in 
1802, he received a commission as Major of a battal- 
ion of Kentucky militia, and in 1804 was chosen a 
Presidential Elector, on the Jefferson and Clinton 
ticket. In 1806 he was a candidate for Congress, 
but withdrew on being promoted to the Court of 
Appeals. 

Illinois was organized as a separate Territory in 
the spring of r8og, when Mr. Edwards, then Chief 
Justice of the Court of Appeals in Kentucky, received 
from President Madison the appointment as Gover- 
nor of the new Territory, his commission bearing date 
April 24, 1809. Edwards arrived at Kaskaskia in 
June, and on the i (th of that month took the oath of 
office. At the same time he was appointed Superin- 
tendent of the United States Saline, this Government 
interest then developing into considerable proportions 
in Southern Illinois. Although during the first three 
years of his administration he had the power to make 
new counties and appoint all the officers, yet he always 
allowed the people of each county, by an informal 



NINIAN EDWARDS. 



vote, to select their own officers, both civil and mili- 
tary. The noted John J. Crittenden, afterward 
United States Senator from Kentucky, was appointed 
by Gev. Edwards to the office of Attorney General of 
the Territory, which office was accepted for a short 
time only. 

The Indians in 1810 committing sundry depreda- 
tions in the Territory, crossing the Mississippi from 
the Territory of Louisiana, a long correspondence fol- 
lowed between the respective Governors concerning 
the remedies, which ended in a council with the sav- 
ages at Peoria in 1812, and a fresh interpretation of 
the treaties. Peoria was depopulated by these de- 
predations, and was not re-settled for many .years 
afterward. 

As Gov. Edwards' term of office expired by law in 
1812, he was re-appointed for another term of three 
years, and again in 1815 for a third term, serving 
until the organization of the State in the fall of 1818 
and the inauguration of Gov. Bond. At this time 
ex-Gov. Edwards was sent to the United States 
Senate, his colleague being Jesse B. Thomas. As 
Senator, Mr. Edwards took a conspicuous part, and 
acquitted himself honorably in all the measures that 
came up in that body, being well posted, an able de- 
bater and a conscientious statesman. He thought 
seriously of resigning this situation in 1821, but was 
persuaded by his old friend, Wm. Wirt, and others to 
continue in office, which he did to the end of the 
term. 

He was then appointed Minister to Mexico by 
President Monroe. About this time, it appears that 
Mr. Edwards saw suspicious signs in the conduct of 
Wm. H. Crawford, Secretary of the United States 
Treasury, and an ambitious candidate for the Presi- 
dency, and being implicated by the latter in some of 
his statements, he resigned his Mexican mission in 
order fully to investigate the charges. The result 
was the exculpation of Mr. Edwards. 

Pro- slavery regulations, often termed "Black Laws," 
disgraced the statute books of both the Territory and 
;he State of Illinois during the whole of his career in 
jhis commonwealth, and Mr. Edwards always main- 
tained the doctrines of freedom, and was an important 
actor in the great struggle which ended in a victory 
for his party in 1 824. 

In I826--7 the Winnebago and other Indians com- 
mitted some depredations in the northern part of the 



State, and the white settlers, who desired the lands 
and wished to exasperate the savages into an evacu- 
ation of the country, magnified the misdemeanors of 
the aborigines and thereby produced a hostility be- 
tween the races so great as to precipitate a little war, 
known in history as the "Winnebago War." A few 
chases and skirmishes were had, when Gen. Atkinson 
succeeded in capturing Red Bird, the Indian chief, 
and putting him to death, thus ending the contest, at 
least until the troubles commenced which ended in 
the " Black Hawk War " of 1832. In the interpre- 
tation of treaties and execution of their provisions 
Gov. Edwards had much vexatious work to do. The 
Indians kept themselves generally within the juris- 
diction of Michigan Territory, and its Governor, 
Lewis Cass, was at a point so remote that ready cor- 
respondence with him was difficult or impossible. 
Gov. Edwards' administration, however, in regard to 
the protection of the Illinois frontier, seems to have 
been very efficient and satisfactory. 

For a considerable portion of his time after his re- 
moval to Illinois, Gov. Edwards resided upon his 
farm near Kaskaskia, which he had well stocked with 
horses, cattle and sheep from Kentucky, also with 
fruit-trees, grape-vines and shrubbery. He estab- 
lished saw and grist-mills, and engaged extensively 
in mercantile business, having no less than eight or ten 
stores in this State and Missouri. Notwithstanding 
the arduous duties of his office, he nearly always pur- 
chased the goods himself with which to supply the 
stores. Although not a regular practitioner of medi- 
cine, he studied the healing art to a considerable ex- 
tent, and took great pleasure in prescribing for, and 
taking care of, the sick, generally without charge. 
He was also liberal to the poor, several widows and 
ministers of the gospel becoming indebted to him 
even for their homes. 

He married Miss Elvira Lane, of Maryland, in 
1803, and they became the affectionate parents of 
several children, one of whom, especially, is well' 
known to the people of the " Prairie State," namely v 
Ninian Wirt Edwards, once the Superintendent c< 
Public Instruction and still a resident of Springfield 
Gov. Edwards resided at and in the vicinity of Kas- 
kaskia from 1809 to 1818; in Edwardsville (named 
after him) from that time to 1824; and from the lat- 
ter date at Belleville, St. Clair County, until his 
death, July 20, 1833, of Asiatic cholera. Edwards 
County is also named in his honor. 



URBANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



123 





j : OHN REYNOLDS, Governor 1831- 
4, was born in Montgomery Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania, Feb. 26, 1788. 
His father, Robert Reynolds and 
his mother, nee Margaret Moore, 
were both natives of Ireland, from 
which country they emigrated to 
the United States in 1785, land- 
ing at Philadelphia. The senior 
Reynolds entertained an undying 
hostility to the British Govern- 
ment. When the subject of this 
sketch was about .six months old, 
his parents emigrated with him to 
Tennessee, where many of their 
relatives had already located, at the base of the 
Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles northeast of 
the present city of Knoxville. There they were ex- 
posed to Indian depredations, and were much molest- 
ed by them. In 1794 they moved into the interior 
of the State. They were poor, and brought up their 
children to habits of manual industry. 

In 1800 the family removed to Kaskaskia, 111., with 
eight horses and two wagons, encountering many 
Hardships on the way. Here young Reynolds passed 
the most of his childhood, while his character began 
to develop, the most prominent traits of which were 
ambition and energy. He also adopted the principle 
and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating 
liquors. In 1807 the family made another removal. 



this time to the " Goshen Settlement," at the foot of 
the Mississippi bluffs three or four miles southwest 
of Edwardsville. 

On arriving at his 2oth year, Mr. Reynolds, seeing 
that he must look about for his own livelihood and 
not yet having determined what calling to pursue, 
concluded first to attend college, and he accordingly 
went to such an institution of learning, near Knox- 
ville, Tenn., where he had relatives. Imagine his 
diffidence, when, after passing the first 20 years of 
his life without ever having seen a carpet, a papered 
wall or a Windsor chair, and never having lived in a 
shingle-roofed house, he suddenly ushered himself 
into the society of the wealthy in the vicinity of 
Knoxville! He attended college nearly two years, 
going through the principal Latin authors; but it 
seems that he, like the rest of the world in modern 
times, had but very little use for his Latin in after 
life. He always failed, indeed, to exhibit any good 
degree of literary discipline. He commenced the 
study of law in Knoxville, but a pulmonary trouble 
came on and compelled him to change his mode 
of life. Accordingly he returned home and re- 
cuperated, and in 1812 resumed his college and 
law studies at Knoxville. In the fall of 1812 he was 
admitted to the Bar at Kaskaskia. About this time 
he also learned the French language, which he 
practiced with pleasure in conversation with his 
family for many years. He regarded this language 
as being superior to all others for social intercourse. 



JOHN REYNOLDS. 



From his services in the West, in the war of 1812, 
he obtained the sobriquet of the " Old Ranger." He 
was Orderly Sergeant, then Judge Advocate. 

Mr. Reynolds opened his first law office in the 
winter and spring of 1814, in the French village of 
Cahokia, then the capital of St. Clair County. 

In the fall of 1818 he was elected an Associate 
Justice upon the Supreme Bench by the General 
Assembly. In 1825 he entered more earnestly than 
ever into the practice of law, and the very next year 
was elected a member of the Legislature, where he 
acted independently of all cliques and private inter- 
ests. In 1828 the Whigs and Democrats were for 
the first time distinctively organized as such in Illi- 
nois, and the usual party bitterness grew up and 
raged on all sides, while Sir. Reynolds preserved a 
iudicial calmness and moderation. The real animus 
of the campaign was " Jackson " and " an ti- Jackson," 
*he former party carrying the State. 

In August, 1830, Mr. Reynolds was elected Gov- 
ernor, amid great excitement. Installed in office, he 
did all within his power to advance the cause of edu- 
cation, internal improvements, the Illinois & Mich- 
igan Canal, the harbor at Chicago, settling the coun- 
try, etc.; also recommended the winding up of the 
State Bank, as its affairs had become dangerously 
complicated. In his national politics, he was a 
moderate supporter of General Jackson. But the 
most celebrated event of his gubernatorial admin- 
istration was the Black Hawk War, which occurred 
in 1832. He called out the militia and prosecuted 
the contest with commendable diligence, appearing 
in person on the battle-grounds during the most 
critical periods. He was recognized by the President 
as Major-General, and authorized by him to make 
treaties with the Indians. By the assistance of the 
general Government the war was terminated without 
much bloodshed, but after many serious fights. This 
war, as well as everything else, was materially re- 
tarded by the occurrence of Asiatic cholera in the 
West. This was its first appearance here, and was 
the next event in prominence during Gov. Reynolds' 
term. 

South Carolina nullification coming up at this time, 
t was heartily condemned by both President Jackson 
i.nd Gov. Reynolds, who took precisely the same 
grounds as the Unionists in the last war. 

On the termination of his gubernatorial term in 
.834, Gov. Reynolds was elected a Member of Con- 
gress, still considering .himself a backwoodsman, as 
r .e had scarcely been outside of the State since he 
became of age, and had spent nearly all his youthful 
lays in the wildest region of the frontier. His first 
move in Congress was to adopt a resolution that in 
all elections made by the House for officers the votes 
should be given viva voce, each member in his place 
naming aloud the person for whom he votes. This 
created considerable heated discussion, but was es- 



sentially adopted, and remained the controlling prin- 
ciple for many years. The ex-Governor was scarcely 
absent from his seat a single day, during ei^ht ses- 
sions of Congress, covering a period of seven years, 
and he never vacillated in a party vote; but he failed 
to get the Democratic party to foster his " National 
Road " scheme. He says, in " My Own Times " (a 
large autobiography he published), that it was only 
by rigid economy that he avoided insolvency while in 
Washington. During his sojourn in that city he was 
married, to a lady of the place. 

In 1837, while out of Congress, and in company 
with a few others, he built the first railroad in the 
Mississippi Valley, namely, one about six miles long, 
leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to 
the bank of the river opposite St. Louis. Having not 
the means to purchase a locomotive, they operated it 
by horse-power. The next spring, however, the com- 
pany sold out, at great sacrifice. 

In 1839 the ex-Governor was appointed one of the 
Canal Commissioners, and authorized to borrow 
money to prosecute the enterprise. Accord'ngly, he 
repaired to Philadelphia and succeeding in obtaining 
a million dollars, which, however, was only a fourth 
of what was wanted. The same year he and his 
wife made at our of Europe. This year, also, Mr. 
Reynolds had the rather awkward little responsibility 
of introducing to President Van Buren the noted 
Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, as a " Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In 1846 Gov. Reynolds was elected a member of 
the Legislature from St. Clair County, more particu 
larly for the purpose of obtaining a feasible charter 
for a macadamized road from Belleville to St. Louis, 
a distance of nearly 14 miles. This was immediately 
built, and was the first road of the kind in the State. 
He was again elected to the Legislature in 1852, when 
he was chosen Speaker of the House. In 1860, aged 
and infirm, he attended the National Democratic 
Convention at Charleston, S. C., as an anti-Douglas 
Delegate, where he received more attention from the 
Southern Delegates than any other member. He 
supported Breckenridge for the Presidency. After 
the October elections foreshadowed the success of 
Lincoln, he published an address urging the Demo- 
crats to rally to the support of Douglas. Immedi- 
ately preceding and during the late war, his corre- 
spondence evinced a clear sympathy for the Southern 
secession, and about the first of March, 1861, he 
urged upon the Buchanan officials the seizure of the 
treasure and arms in the custom-house and arsenal 
at St. Louis. Mr. Reynolds was a rather talkative 
man, and apt in all the Western phrases and catch- 
words that ever gained currency, besides many cun- 
ning and odd ones of his own manufacture. 

He was married twice, but had no children. He 
died in Belleville, in May, 1865, just after the close 
of the war. 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILUNOIS 



' 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS.* 



127 





ILLIAM LEE D. EWING, 
Governor of Illinois Nov. 3 
to 17, 1834, was a native 
of Kentucky, and probably 
of Scotch ancestry. He had 
a fine education, was a gentle- 
man of polished manners and 
refined sentiment. In 1830 John Rey- 
nolds was elected Governor of the State, 
and Zadok Casey Lieutenant Governor, 
and for the principal events that followed, 
and the characteristics of the times, see 
sketch of Gov. Reynolds. The first we 
see in history concerning Mr. Ewing, in- 
forms us that he was a Receiver of Public 
Moneys at Vandalia soon after the organization of 
Uiis State, and that the public moneys in his hands 
were deposited in various banks, as they are usually 
'.the present day. In 1823 the State Bank was 
obbed, by which disaster Mr. Ewing lost a thousand- 
dollar deposit. 

The subject of this sketch had a commission as 
Colonel in the Black Hawk War, and in emergencies 
h<? acted also as Major. In the summer of 1832, 
when :'t was rumored among the whites that Black 
Hawk and liis men had encamped somewhere on 
Rock River, Gen. Henry was sent on a tour of 
reconnoisance, and with orders to drive the Indians 
from the State. After some opposition from his 
subordinate officers, Henry resolved to proceed up 
Rock River in search of the enemy. On the igth of 
<uly, early in the morning, five baggage wagons, 



camp equipage and all heavy and cumbersome arti- 
cles were piled up and left, so that the army might 
make speedy and forced marches. For some miles 
the travel was exceedingly bad, crossing swamps 
and the worst thickets; but the large, fresh trail 
gave life and animation to the Americans. Gen. 
Dodge and Col. Ewing were both acting as Majors, 
and composed the " spy corps " or vanguard of the 
army. It is supposed the army marched nearly 50 
miles this day, and the Indian trail they followed 
became fresher, and was strewed with much property 
and trinkets of the red-skins that they had lost or 
thrown away to hasten their march. During the 
following night there was a terrific thunder-storm, and 
the soldiery, with all their appurtenances, were thor- 
oughly drenched. * 

On approaching nearer the Indians the next day. 
Gen. Dodge and Major Ewing, each commanding a 
battalion of men, were placed in front to bring on the 
battle, but the savages were not overtaken this day 
Forced marches were continued until they reached. 
Wisconsin River, where a veritable battle ensued, 
resulting in the death of about 68 of Black Hawk's 
men. The next day they continued the chase, and 
as soon as he discovered the trail of the Indians 
leading toward the Mississippi, Maj. Ewing formed 
his battalion in order of battle and awaited the order 
of Gen. Henry. The latter soon appeared on the 
ground and ordered a charge, which directly resulted 
in chasing the red warriors across the great river. 
Maj. Ewing and his command proved particularly 
efficient in war, as it seems they were the chief actors 
in driving the main body of the Sacs and Foxes, in- 



128 



WILLIAM L D. EWING. 



eluding Black Hawk himself, across the Mississippi, 
while Gen. Atkinson, commander-in-chief of the ex- 
pedition, with a body of the army, was hunting for 
them in another direction. 

In the above affair Maj. Ewmg is often referred to 
as a " General," which title he had derived from his 
connection with the militia. 

It was in the latter part of the same year (1832) 
that Lieutenant Governor Casey was elected to Con- 
gress and Gen. Ewing, who had been elected to the 
Senate, was chosen to preside over that body. At 
the August election of 1834, Gov. Reynolds was also 
elected to Congress, more than a year ahead of the 
time at which he could actually take his seat, as was 
then the law. His predecessor, Charles Slade, had 
just died of Asiatic cholera, soon after the elec- 
tion, and Gov. Reynolds was chosen to serve out his 
unexpired term. Accordingly he set out for Wash- 
ington in November of that year to take his seat in 
Congress, and Gen. Ewing, by virtue of his office as 
President of the Senate, became" Governor of the 
State of Illinois, his term covering only a period of 
15 days, namely, from the 3d to the i7th days, in- 
clusive, of November. On the 171)1 the Legislature 
met, and Gov. Ewing transmitted to that body his 
message, giving a statement of the condition of the 
affairs of the State at that time, and urging a contin- 
uance of the policy adopted by his predecessor ; and 
on the same day Governor elect Joseph Duncan 
was sworn into office, thus relieving Mr. Ewing from 



the responsible situation. This is the only time that 
such a juncture has happened in the history of Illi- 
nois. 

On the 29th of December, 1835, Gen. Ewing was 
elected a United States Senator to serve out the 
unexpired term of Elias Kent Kane, deceased. The 
latter gentleman was a very prominent figure in the 
early politics of Illinois, and a county in this State is 
named in his honor. The election of Gen. Ewing to 
the Senate was a protracted struggle. His competi- 
tors were James Semple, who afterwards held several 
important offices in this State, and Richard M. 
Young, afterward a United States Senator and a 
Supreme Judge and a man of vast influence. On 
the first ballot Mr. Semple had 25 votes, Young 19 
and Ewing 18. On the eighth ballot Young was 
dropped ; the ninth and tenth stood a tie ; but on 
the 1 2th Ewing received 40, to Semple 37, and was 
accordingly declared elected. In 1837 Mr. Ewing 
received some votes for a continuance of his term in 
Congress, when Mr. Young, just referred to, was 
elected. In 1842 Mr. Ewing was elected State 
Auditor on the ticket with Gov. Ford. 

Gen. Ewing was a gentleman of culture, a lawyer 
by profession, and was much in public life. In person 
he was above medium height and of heavy build, 
with auburn hair, blue eyes, large-sized head and 
short face. He was genial, social, friendly and 
affable, with fair talent, though of no high degree o f 
originality. He died March 25, 1846. 




LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

URGANA 



GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



131 





OSEPH DUNCAN, Governor 
1834-8, was born at Paris, 
Ky., Feb. 23, 1794. At the 
tender age of 19 years he en- 
listed in the war against Great 
Britain, and as a soldier he 
cquitted himself with credit. He 
was an Ensign under the daunt- 
less Croghan at Lower Sandusky, 
or Fort Stephenson. In Illinois 
he first appeared in a public capa- 
city as Major-General of the Militia, 
A position which his military fame 
had procured him. Subsequently 
he became a State Senator from 
| Jackson County, and is honorably 
mentioned for introducing the first bill providing for 
a free-school system. In 1826, when the redoubt- 
able John P^Cook, who had previously beaten such 
men as John McLean, Elias Kent Kane and ex- 
Gov. Bond, came up for the fourth time for Congress, 
Mr. Duncan was brought forward against him by his 
friends, greatly to the surprise of all the politicians. 
As yet he was but little known in the State. He was 
an original Jackson man at that time, being attached 
to his political fortune in admiration of the glory of 
his military achievements. His chances of success 
against Cook were generally regarded as hopeless, 
hut he entered upon the campaign undaunted. His 
speeches, though short and devoid of ornament, were 
full of good sense. He made a diligent canvass of 
the State, Mr. Cook being hindered by the condition of 
his health. The most that was expected of Mr. 
Duncan, under the circumstances, was that he would 



obtain a respectable vote, but without defeating Mr. 
Cook. The result of the campaign, however, was a 
source of surprise and amazement to both friends 
and foes, as Mr. Duncan came out 641 votes ahead! 
He received 6,321 votes, and Mr. Cook 5,680. Un- 
til this denouement, the violence of party feeling 
smoldering in the breasts of the people on account 
of the defeat of Jackson, was not duly appreciated. 
Aside from the great convention struggle of 1824, no 
other than mere local and personal considerations 
had ever before controlled an election in Illinois. 

From the above date Mr. Duncan retained his 
seat in Congress until his election as Governor in 
August, 1834. The first and bloodless year of the 
Black Hawk War he was appointed by Gov. Rey- 
nolds to the position of Brigadier-General of the 
volunteers, and he conducted his brigade to Rock 
Island. But he was absent from the State, in Wash- 
ington, during the gubernatorial campaign, and did 
not personally participate in it, but addressed circu- 
lars to his constituents. His election was, indeed, 
attributed to the circumstance of his absence, be- 
cause his estrangement from Jackson, formerly his 
political idol, and also from the Democracy, largely 
in ascendency in the State, was complete; but while 
his defection was well known to his Whig friends, 
and even to the leading Jackson men of this State, 
the latter were unable to carry conviction of that fact 
to the masses, as mail and newspaper facilities at 
that day were far inferior to those of the present 
time. Of course the Governor was much abused 
afterward by the fossilized Jackson men who re- 
garded party ties and affiliations as nbove all 
other issues that could arise; but he was douctless 



3* 



JOSEPH DUNCAN. 



sincere in his opposition to the old hero, as the latter 
4. ad vetoed several important western measures 
which were dear to Mr. Duncan. In his inaugural 
message he threw off the mask and took a bold stand 
ngainst the course of the President. The measures 
r .e recommended in his message, however, were so 
desirable that the Legislature, although by a large 
majority consisting of Jackson men, could not refrain 
from endorsing them. These measures related 
Taainly to banks and internal improvements. 

It was while Mr. Duncan was Governor that the 
people of Illinois went whirling on with bank and in- 
ternal improvement schemes that well nigh bank- 
upted the State. The hard times of 1837 came on, 
and the disasters that attended the inauguration of 
Ihese plans and the operation of the banks were mu- 
tually charged upon the two political parties. Had 
any one man autocratic power to introduce and 
carry on any one of these measures, he would proba- 
bly have succeeded to the satisfaction of the public ; 
but as many jealous men had hold of the same plow 
handle, no success followed and each blamed the other 
c or the failure. In this great vortex Gov. Duncan 
was carried along, suffering the like derogation of 
character with his fellow citizens. 

At the height of the excitement the Legislature 
" provided for " railroads from Galena to Cairo, Alton 
to Shawneetown, Alton to Mount Carmel, Alton to the 
eastern boundary of the State in the direction of 
Terre Haute, Quincy via Springfield to the Wabash, 
Bloomington to Pekin, and Peoria to Warsaw, in all 
about 1,300 miles of road. It also provided for the 
improvement of the navigation of the Kaskaskia, 
Illinois, Great and Little Wabash and Rock Rivers ; 
also as a placebo, $200,000 in money were to be dis- 
jibuted to the various counties wherein no improve- 
ments were ordered to be made as above. The 
estimate for the expenses for all these projects was 
placed at a little over $10,000,000, which was not 
more man half enough ! That would now be equal to 
saddling upon the State a debt of $225,000,000 ! It 
was sufficient to bankrupt the State several times 
over, even counting all the possible benefits. 

One of the most exciting events that ever occurred 
in this fair State was the murder of Elijah P. Love- 
ly in the fall of 1837, at Alton, during Mr. Duncan's 
lerm as Governor. Lovejoy was an " Abolitionist," 
editing the Observer at that place, and the pro- 
slavery slums there formed themselvei into a mob, 



and after destroying successively three presses be- 
longing to Mr. Lovejoy, surrounded the warehouse 
where the fourth press was stored away, endeavoring 
to destroy it, and where Lovejoy and his friends 
were entrenching themselves, and shot and killed the 
brave reformer! 

About this time, also, the question of removing the 
State capital again came up, as the 20 years' limit for 
its existence at Vandalia was drawing to a close. 
There was, of course, considerable excitement over 
the matter, the two main points competing for it be- 
ing Springfield and Peoria. The jealousy of the lat- 
ter place is not even yet, 45 years afterward, fully 
allayed. 

Gov. Duncan's term expired in 1838. In 1842 
he was again proposed as a candidate for the Execu- 
tive chair, this time by the Whig party, against Adant 
W. Snyder, of St. Clair County, the nominee of the 
Democrats. Charles W. Hunter was a third candi- 
date for the same position. Mr. Snyder, however, died 
before the campaign had advanced very far, and his 
party substituted Thomas Ford, who was elected 
receiving 46,901 votes, to 38,584 for Duncan, and 
909 for Hunter. The cause of Democratic success 
at this time is mainly attributed to the temporary 
support of the Mormons which they enjoyed, and the 
want of any knowledge, on the part of the masses, 
that Mr. Ford was opposed to any given policy en- 
tertained in the respective localities. 

Gov. Duncan was a man of rather limited educa- 
tion, but with naturally fine abilities he profited 
greatly by his various public services, and gathered 
a store of knowledge regarding public affairs which 
served him a ready purpose. He possessed a clear 
judgment, decision, confidence in himself and moral 
courage to carry out his convictions of right. In his 
deportment he was well adapted to gain the admira 
tion of the people. His intercourse with them was 
both affable and dignified. His portrait at the Gov- 
ernor's mansion, from which the accompanying was 
made, represents him as having a swarthy complex- 
ion, high cheek bones, broad forehead, piercing blaci; 
eyes and straight black hair. 

He was a liberal patron of the Illinois College at 
Jacksonville, a member of its Board of Trustees, and 
died, after a short illness, Jan. 15, 1844, a devoted 
member of the Presbyterian Church, leaving a wife 
but no children. Two children, born to them, had 
died in infancy. 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

URbANA 



GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



135 





IHOMAS CARLIN, tiie sixth 

Governor of the State of 
Illinois, serving from 1838 
to 1842, was also a Ken- 
tuckian, being born near 
Frankfort, that State, July 
18, 1789, of Irish paternity. 
The opportunities for an education 
being very meager in his native 
place, he, on approaching years of 
judgment and maturity, applied 
himself to those branches of learn- 
ing that seemed most important, 
and thus became a self-made man ; 
and his taste for reading and 
study remained with him through 
life. In 1803 his father removed 
to Missouri, then a part of " New Spain," where he 
died in 1810. 

In 1812 young Carlin came to Illinois and partici- 
pated in all the "ranging" service incident to the 
war of that period, proving himself a soldier of un- 
daunted bravery. In 1814 he married Rebecca 
Huitt, and lived for four years on the bank of the 
Mississippi River, opposite the mouth of the Mis- 
scari, where he followed farming, and then removed 
to Greene County. He located the town site of Car- 
no 'ton, in that county, and in 1825 made a liberal 
donation of land for county building purposes. He 
was the first Sheriff of that county after its separate 
organization, and afterward was twice elected, as a 
Jackson Democrat, to the Illinois Senate. In the 
Black Hawk War he commanded a spy battalion, a 
post of considerable danger. In 1834 he was ap- 
pointed by President Jackson to the position of 
Receiver of Public Moneys, and to fulfill the office 



more conveniently he removed to the city of Quincy 
While, in 1838, the unwieldy internal improvement 
system of the State was in full operation, with all its 
expensive machinery, amidst bank suspensions 
throughout the United States, a great stringency in 
the money market everywhere, and Illinois bonds 
forced to sale at a heavy discount, and the " hardest 
limes " existing that the people of the Prairie State 
ever saw, the general election of State officers was 
approaching. Discreet men who had cherished the 
hope of a speedy subsidence of the public infatua- 
tion, met with disappointment. A Governor and 
Legislature were to be elected, and these were now 
looked forward to for a repeal of the ruinous State 
policy. But the grand scheme had not yet lost its 
dazzling influence upon the minds of the people. 
Time and experience had not yet fully demonstrated 
its utter absurdity. Hence the question of arresting 
its career of profligate expenditures did not become 
a leading one with the dominant party during th; 
campaign, and most of the old members of the Leg 
islature were returned at this election. 

Under these circumstances the Democrats, in State 
Convention assembled, nominated Mr. Carlin for the 
office of Governor, and S. H. Anderson for Lieuten- 
ant Governor, while the Whigs nominated Cyrus Ed- 
wards, brother of Ninian Edwards, formerly Governor, 
and W. H. Davidson. Edwards came out strongly 
for a continuance of the State policy, while Carlir 
remained non-committal. This was the first time 
that the two main political parties in this State were 
unembarrassed by any third party in the field. The 
result of the election was : Carlin, 35,573; Ander- 
son, 30,335 ; Edwards, 29,629 ; and Davidson, 28,- 

Upon the meeting of the subsequent Legislature 
(1839), the retiring Governor (JDuncan) in his mes- 



THOMAS CARL1N. 



sage spoke in emphatic terms of the impolicy of the 
internal improvement system, presaging the evils 
threatened, and mged that body to do their utmost 
to correct the great error ; yet, on the contrary, the 
Legislature not only decided to continue the policy 
but also added to its burden by voting more appro- 
priations and ordering more improvements. Although 
the money market was still stringent, a further loan 
of $4,000,000 was ordered for the Illinois & Mich- 
igan Canal alone. Ch'cago at that time began to 
loom up and promise to be an important city, even 
the great emporium of the West, as it has since in- 
deed came to be. Ex-Gov. Reynolds, an incompe- 
tent financier, was commissioned to effect the loan, 
and accordingly hastened to the East on this respons- 
ible errand, and negotiated the loans, at considera- 
ble sacrifice to the State. Besides this embarrassment 
to Carlin's administration, the Legislature also de- 
clared that he had no authority to appoint a Secretary 
of State until a vacancy existed, and A. P. Field, a 
Whig, who had already held the post by appointment 
.hrough three administrations, was determined to 
keep the place a while longer, in spite of Gov. Car- 
lin's preferences. The course of the Legislature in 
ihis regard, however, was finally sustained by the 
Supreme Court, in a quo warranto case brought up 
before it by John A. McClernand, whom the Gov- 
ernor had nominated for the office. Thereupon that 
dignified body was denounced as a "Whig Court!" 
endeavoring to establish the principle of life-tenure 
of office. 

A new law was adopted re-organizing the Judici- 
ary, and under it five additional Supreme Judges 
were elected by the Legislature, namely, Thomas 
Ford (afterward Governor), Sidney Breese, Walter B. 
Scates, Samuel H. Treat and Stephen A. Douglas 
all Democrats. 

It was during Cov. Carlin's administration that the 
noisy campaign of " Tippecanoe and Tyler too " oc- 
curred, resulting in a Whig victory. This, however, 
did net affect Illinois politics very seriously. 

Another prominent event in the West during Gov. 
Carlin's term of office was the excitement caused by 
the Mormons and their removal from Independence, 
Mo., to Nauvoo, 111., in 1840. At the same time 
they began to figure somewhat in State politics. On 
account of their believing as they thought, accord- 
ing to the New Testament that they should have 



" all things common," and that consequently " all 
the earth " and all that is upon it were the" Lord's " 
and therefore the property of his " saints," they 
were suspected, and correctly, too, of committing 
many of the deeds of larceny, robbery, etc., that 
were so rife throughout this country in those days. 
Hence a feeling of violence grew up between the 
Mormons and "anti-Mormons." In the State of 
Missouri the Mormons always supported the Dem- 
ocracy until they were driven out by the Democratic 
government, when they turned their support to the 
Whigs. They were becoming numerous, and in the 
Legislature of 1840-1, therefore, it became a matter 
of great interest with both parties to conciliate these 
people. Through the agency of one John C. Ben- 
nett, a scamp, the Mormons succeeded in rushing 
through the Legislature (both parties not daring to 
oppose) a charter for the city of Nauvoo which vir- 
tually erected a hierarchy co-ordinate with the Fed- 
eral Government itself. In the fall of 1841 the 
Governor of Missouri made a demand upon Gov. 
Carlin for the body of Joe Smith, the Mormon leader, 
as a fugitive from justice. Gov. Carlin issued thi 
writ, but for some reason it was returned unserved. 
It was again issued in 1842, and Smith was arrested, 
but was either rescued by his followers or discharged 
by the municipal court on a writ of habeas corpus. 

In December, 1841, the Democratic Convention 
nominated Adam W. Snyder, of Belleville, for Gov- 
ernor. As he had been, as a member of the Legisla- 
ture, rather friendly to the Mormons, the latter 
naturally turned their support to the Democratic 
party. The next spring the Whigs nominated Ex- 
Gov. Duncan for the same office. In the meantime 
the Mormons began to grow more odious to the 
masses of the people, and the comparative prospects 
of the respective parties for success became very 
problematical. Mr. Snyder died in May, and 
Thomas Ford, a Supreme Judge, was substituted as 
a candidate, and was elected. 

At the close of his gubernatorial term, Mr. Carlin 
removed back to his old home at Carrollton, where 
he spent the remainder of his life, as before his ele- 
vation to office, in agricultural pursuits. In 1849 
he served out the unexpired term of J. D. Fry in the 
Illinois House of Representatives, and died Feb. 4, 
1852, at his residence at Carrollton, leaving a wife 
and seven children. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 







til 





GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



139 





JHOMAS FORD, Governor 
from 1842 to 1846, and au- 
thor of a very interesting 
history of Illinois, was bom 
at Uniontown, Pa., in the 
year 1 800. His mother, after 
the death of her first hus- 
band (Mr. Forquer), married Rob- 
ert Ford, who was killed in 1802, 
by the Indians in the mountains 
of Pennsylvania. She was conse- 
quently left in indigent circum- 
stances, with a large family, mostly 
girls. With a view to better her 
condition, she, in 1804, removed to 
Missouri, where it had been cus- 
tomary by the Spanish Govern- 
ment to give land to actual settlers; but upon her 
arrival at St. Louis she found the country ceded to 
the United States, and the liberal policy toward set- 
tlers changed by the new ownership. After some 
sickness to herself and family, she finally removed to 
Illinois, and settled some three miles south of Water- 
loo, but the following year moved nearer the Missis- 
ippi bluffs. Here young Ford received his first 1 



schooling, under the instructions of a Mr. Humphrey, 
for which he had to walk three miles. His mother, 
though lacking a thorough education, was a woman 
of superior mental endowments, joined to energy 
and determination of character. She inculcated in 
her children those high-toned principles which dis- 
tinguished her sons in public life. She exercised a 
rigid economy to provide her children an education ; 
but George Forquer, her oldest son (six years older 
than Thomas Ford), at an early age had to quit 
school to aid by his labor in the support of the family. 
He afterward became an eminent man in Illinois 
affairs, and but for his early death would probably 
have been elected to the United States Senate. 

Young Ford, with somewhat better opportunities, 
received a better education, though limited to the 
curriculum of the common school of those pioneer 
times. His mind gave early promise of superior en- 
dowments, with an inclination for mathematics. His 
proficiency attracted the attention of Hon. Daniel P. 
Cook, who became his efficient patron and friend. 
The latter gentleman was an eminent Illinois states- 
man who, as a Member of Congress, obtained a grant 
of 300,000 acres of land to aid in completing the 
Illinois & Michigan Canal, and after whom the 
county of Cook was named. Through the advice of 



THOMAS FORD. 



this gentleman, Mr. Ford turned his attention to the 
study of law; but Forquer, then merchandising, re- 
garding his education defective, sent him to Transyl- 
vania University, where, however, he remained but 
one term, owing to Forquer's failure in business. On 
his return he alternated his law reading with teach- 
tr.g school for support. 

In 1829 Gov. Edwards appointed him Prosecuting 
Attorney, and in 1831 he was re-appointed by Gov. 
Reynolds, and after that he was four times elected a 
Judge by the Legislature, without opposition, twice a 
Circuit Judge, once a Judge of Chicago, and as As- 
sociate Judge of the Supreme Court, when, in 1841, 
the latter tribunal was re-organized by the addition 
of five Judges, all Democrats. Ford was assigned to 
the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and while in this capacity 
he was holding Court in Ogle County he received a 
notice of his nomination by the Democratic Conven- 
tion for the office of Governor. He immediately re- 
signed his place and entered upon the canvass. In 
August, 1842, he was elected, and on the 8th of De- 
cember following he was inaugurated. 

All the offices which he had held were unsolicited 
by him. He received them upon the true Jefferson- 
Jan principle, Never to ask and never to refuse 
office. Both as a lawyer and as a Judge he stood 
deservedly high, but his cast of intellect fitted him 
rather for a writer upon law than a practicing advo- 
cate in the courts. In the latter capacity he was void 
of the moving power of eloquence, so necessary to 
success with juries. As a Judge his opinions were 
?ound, lucid and able expositions of the law. In 
practice, he was a stranger to the tact, skill and in- 
einuating address of the politician, but he saw through 
.he arts of demagogues as well as any man. He was 
plain in his demeanor, so much so, indeed, that at 
one time after the expiration of his term of office, 
during a session of the Legislature, he was taken by 
a stranger to be a seeker for the position of door- 
keeper, and was waited upon at his hotel near mid- 
night by a knot of small office-seekers with the view 
of effecting a " combination ! " 

Mr. Ford had not the " brass " of the ordinary 
politician, nor that impetuosity which characterizes a 
political leader. He cared little for money, and 
hardly enough for a decent support. In person he 
was of small stature, slender, of dark complexion, 
with black hair, sharp features, deep-set eyes, a 
pointed, aquiline nose having a decided twist to one 
side, and a small mouth. 

The three most important events in Gov. Ford's 
administration were the establishment of the high 
nnanci.il credit of the State, the " Mormon War "and 
.he Mexican War. 

In the first of these the Governor proved himself 
to be eminently wise. On coming into office he found 
the State badly paralyzed by the ruinous effects of 
the notorious " internal improvement " schemes of 



the preceding decade, with scarcely anything to 
show by way of "improvement." The enterprise 
that seemed to be getting ahead more than all the 
rest was the Illinois & Michigan Canal. As this 
promised to be the most important thoroughfare, 
feasible to the people, it was well under headway in 
its construction. Therefore the State policy was 
almost concentrated upon it, in order to rush it ontc 
completion. The bonded indebtedness of the State 
was growing so large as to frighten the people, and 
they were about ready to entertain a proposition for 
repudiation. But the Governor had the foresight to 
recommend such measures as would maintain the 
public credit, for which every citizen to-day feels 
thankful. 

But perhaps the Governor is remembered more for 
his connection with the Mormon troubles than for 
anything else; for it was during his term of office 
that the " Latter-Day Saints" became so strong at 
Nauvoo, built their temple there, increased their num- 
bers throughout the counf-y, committed misdemean- 
ors, taught dangerous doctrines, suffered the loss of 
theirleader, Jo Smith, by a violent death, were driven 
out of Nauvoo to the far West, etc. Having been a 
Judge for so many years previously, Mr. Ford of 
course was no'i-committal concerning Mormon affairs, 
and was therefore claimed by both parties and also 
accused by each of sympathizing too greatly with the 
other side. Mormonism claiming to be a system of 
religion, the Governor no doubt was " between two 
fires," and felt compelled to touch the matter rather 
" gingerly-" an d doubtless felt greatly relieved when 
th.it pestilential people left the State. Such compli- 
cated matters, especially when religion is mixed up 
with them, expose every person participating in 
them to criticism from all parties. 

The Mexican War was begun in the spring of 
1845, and was continued into the gubernatorial term 
of Mr. Ford's successor. The Governor's connection 
with this war, however, was not conspicuous, as it 
was only administrative, commissioning officers, etc. 

Ford's " History of Illinois " is a very readable and 
entertaining work, of 450 small octavo pages, and is 
destined to increase in value with the lapse of time. 
It exhibits a natural flow of compact and forcible 
thought, never failing to convey the nicest sense. In 
tracing with his trenchant pen the devious operations 
of the professional politician, in which he is inimit- 
able, his account is open, perhaps, to the objection 
that all his contemporaries are treated as mere place- 
seekers, while many of them have since been judged 
by the people to be worthy statesmen. His writings 
seem slightly open to the criticism that they exhibit 
a little splenetic partiality against those of his con- 
temporaries who were prominent during his term of 
office as Governor. 

The death of Gov. Ford took place at Peoria, 111., 
Nov. 2, 1850. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 




Augustus C. French. 








AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH, 
Governor of Illinois from 
1846 to 1852, was born in 
the town of Hill, in the 
State of New Hampshire, 
Aug. 2, 1808. He was a 
descendant in the fourth 
generation of Nathaniel 
French, who emigrated from England 
in 1687 and settled in Saybury, Mass. 
In early life young French lost his 
father, but continued to receive in- 
struction from an exemplary and 
Christian mother until he was 19 years 
old, when she also died, confiding to 
his care and trust four younger broth- 
ers and one sister. He discharged his trust with 
parental devotion. His education in early life was 
such mainly as a common school afforded. For a 
brief period he attended Dartmouth College, but 
from pecuniary causes and the care of his brothers 
and sister, he did not graduate. He subsequently 
read law, and was admitted to the Bar in 1831, and 
shortly afterward removed to Illinois, settling first at 
Albion, Edwards County, where he established him- 
self in the practice of law. The following year he 
removed to Paris, Edgar County. Here he attained 
eminence in his profession, and entered public life 
by representing that county in the Legislature. A 
strong attachment sprang up between him and Ste- 
phen A. Douglas. 

In 1839, Mr. French was appointed Receiver of 
the United States Land Office at Palestine, Craw- 
ford County, at which place he was a resident when 



elevated to the gubernatorial chair. In 1844 he was 
a Presidential Elector, and as such he voted for 
James K. Polk. 

The Democratic State Convention of 1846, meet- 
ing at Springfield Feb. 10, nominated Mr. French 
for Governor. Other Democratic candidates were 
Lyman Trumbull, John Calhoun (subsequently of 
Lecompton Constitution notoriety), Walter B. Scales, 
Richard M. Young and A. W. Cavarly, an array of 
very able and prominent names. Trumbull was per- 
haps defeated in the Convention by the rumor that 
he was opposed to the Illinois and Michigan Canal, 
as he had been a year previously. For Lieutenant 
Governor J. B. Wells was chosen, while other candi- 
dates were Lewis Ross, Wm. McMurtry, Newton 
Cloud, J. B. Hamilton and W. W. Thompson. The 
resolutions declared strongly against the resuscita- 
tion of the old State Banks. 

The Whigs, who were in a hopeless minority, held 
their convention June 8, at Peoria, and selected 
Thomas M. Kilpatrick, of Scott County, for Governor, 
and Gen. Nathaniel G. Wilcox, of Schuyler, for 
Lieutenant Governor. 

In the campaign the latter exposed Mr. French's 
record and connection with the passage of the in- 
ternal improvement system, urging it against his 
election ; but in the meantime the war with Mexico 
broke out, regarding which the Whig record was un- 
popular in this State. The war was the absorbing 
and dominating question of the period, sweeping 
every other political issue in its course. The elec- 
tion in August gave Mr. French 58,700. votes, and 
Kilpatrick only 36,775. Richard Eells, Abolitionist 
candidate for the same office, received 5,152 votas 



'-14 



AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH. 



By the new Constitution of 1848, a new election for 
State officers was ordered in November of that year, 
before Gov. French's terra was half out, and he was 
re-elected for the term of four years. He was there- 
fore the incumbent for six consecutive years, the 
only Governor of this State who has ever served in 
that capacity so long at one time. As there was no 
organized opposition to his election, he received 67,- 
453 votes, to 5,639 for Pierre Menard (son of the 
first Lieutenant Governor), 4,748 for Charles V. 
Dyer, 3,834 for W. L. D. Morrison, and 1,361 for 
James L. D. Morrison. But Wm. McMurtry, of 
Knox County, was elected Lieutenant Governor, in 
place of Joseph B. Wells, who was before elected 
and did not run again. 

Governor French was inaugurated into office dur- 
ing the progress of the Mexican War, which closed 
during the summer of 1847, although the treaty of 
Guadalupe Hidalgo was not made until Feb. 2, 
1848. The policy of Gov. French's party was com- 
mitted to that war, but in connection with that affair 
he was, of course, only an administrative officer. 
During his term of office, Feb. 19, 1847, the Legisla- 
ture, by special permission of Congress, declared that 
all Government lands sold to settlers should be im- 
mediately subject to State taxation ; before this they 
were exempt for five years after sale. By this ar- 
rangement the revenue was materially increased. 
About the same lime, the distribution of Government 
.and warrants among the Mexican soldiers as bounty 
threw upon the market a great quantity of good 
lands, and this enhanced the settlement of the State. 
The same Legislature authorized, with the recom- 
mendation of the Governor, the sale of the Northern 
Cross Railroad (from Springfield to Meredosia, the 
first in the State and now a section of the Wabash, 
St. Louis & Pacific). It sold for $100,000 in bonds, 
although it had cost the State not less than a million. 
The salt wells and canal lands in the Saline reserve 
in Gallatin County, granted by the general Govern- 
ment to the State, were also authorized by the 
Governor to be sold, to apply on the State debt. In 
1850, for the first time since 1839, the accruing State 
revenue, exclusive of specific appropriations, was 
sufficient to meet the current demands upon the 
treasury. The aggregate taxable property of the 
State at this time was over $100,000,000, and the 
population 851,470. 



In 1849 the Legiilature adopted the township or- 
ganization law, which, however, proved defective, 
and was properly amended in 1851. At its session 
in the latter year, the General Assembly also passed 
a law to exempt homesteads from sale on executions 
This beneficent measure had been repeatedly utged 
upon that body by Gov. French. 

In 1850 some business men in St. Louis com- 
menced to build a dike opposite the lower part of 
their city on the Illinois side, to keep the Mississippi 
in its channel near St. Louis, instead of breaking 
away from them as it sometimes threatened to do. 
This they undertook without permission from the 
Legislature or Executive authority of this State ; and 
as many of the inhabitants there complained that 
the scheme would inundate and ruin much valuable 
land, there was a slight conflict of jurisdictions, re- 
sulting in favor of the St. Louis project; and since 
then a good site has existed there for a city (East St. 
Louis), and now a score of railroads center there. 

It was in September, 1850, that Congress granted 
to this State nearly 3,000,000 acres of land in aid of 
the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad, 
which constituted the most important epoch in the 
railroad we might say internal improvement his- 
tory of the State. The road was rushed on to com- 
pletion, which accelerated the settlement of the in- 
terior of the State by a good class of industrious citi- 
zens, and by the charter a good income to the State 
'Treasury is paid in from the earnings of the road. 

In 185 i the Legislature passed a law authorizing 
free stock banks, which was the source of much leg- 
islative discussion for a number of years. 

But we have not space further to particularize 
concerning legislation. Gov. French's administra- 
tion was not marked by any feature to be criticised, 
while the country was settling up as never before. 

In stature, Gov. French was of medium height, 
squarely built, light complexioned, with ruddy face 
and pleasant countenance. In manners he was 
plain and agreeable. By nature he was somewhat 
diffident, but he was often very outspoken in his con- 
victions of duty. In .public speech he was not an 
orator, but was chaste, earnest and persuasive. In 
business he was accurate and methodical, and in his 
administration he kept up the credit of the State. 

He died in 1865, at his home in Lebanon, St. 
Clair Co., HI. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 





[:OEL A. MATTESON, Governor 
1853-6, was born Aug. 8, 1808, 
in Jefferson County, New York, 
to which place his father had re- 
moved from Vermont three years 
before. His father was a farmer 
in fair circumstances, but a com- 
mon English education was all 
that his only son received. Young 
Joel first tempted fortune as a 
small tradesman in Prescott, 
Canada, before he was of age. 
He returned from that place to 
his home, entered an academy, 
taught school, visited the prin- 
cipal Eastern cities, improved a farm his father had 
given him, made a tour in the South, worked there 
in building railroads, experienced a storm on the 
Gulf of Mexico, visited the gold diggings of Northern 
Georgia, and returned via Nashville to St. Louis and 
through Illinois to his father's home, when he mar- 
ried. In 1833, having sold his farm, he removed, 
with his wife and one child, to Illinois, and entered 
a claim on Government land near the head of Au 
Sable River, in what is now Kendall County. At 
that time there were not more than two neighbors 
within a range of ten miles of his place, and only 
xhree or four houses between him and Chicago. He 
opened a large farm. His family was boarded 12 



miles away while he erected a house on his claim, 
sleeping, during this time, under a rude pole shed. 
Here his life was once placed in imminent peril by 
a huge prairie rattlesnake sharing his bed. 

In 1835 he bought largely at the Government land 
sales. During the speculative real-estate mania which 
broke out in Chicago in 1 8 36 and spread over the State, 
he sold his lands under the inflation of that period 
and removed to Joliet. In 1838 he became a heavy 
contractor on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Upon 
the completion of his job in 1841, when hard times 
prevailed, business at a stand, contracts paid in State 
scrip; when all the public works except the canal 
were abandoned, the State offered for sale 700 tons 
of railroad iron, which was purchased by Mr. Mat- 
teson at a bargain. This he accepted, shipped and 
sold at Detroit, realizing a very handsome profit, 
enough to pay off all his canal debts and leave him a 
surplus of several thousand dollars. His enterprise 
next prompted him to start a woolen mill at Joliet, 
in which he prospered, and which, after successive 
enlargements, became an enormous establishment 

In 1842 he was first elected a State Senator, but, 
by a bungling apportionment, jc'^n Pearson, a Senator 
holding over, was found to be in the same district, 
and decided to be entitled to represent it. Mat- 
teson's seat was declared vacant. Pearson, however 
with a nobleness difficult to appreciate in this day of 



148 



JOEL A. MATTE SON. 



greed for office, unwilling to represent his district 
under the circumstances, immediately resigned his 
unexpired term of two years. A bill was passed in a 
few hours ordering a new election, and in ten days' 
time Mr. Matteson was returned re-elected and took 
his seat as Senator. From his well-known capacity 
as a business man, he was made Chairman of the 
Committee on Finance, a position he held during 
this half and two full succeeding Senatorial terms, 
discharging its important duties with ability and faith- 
fulness. Besides his extensive woolen-mill interest, 
when work was resumed on the canal under the new 
wan of $1,600,000 he again became a heavy con- 
tractor, and also subsequently operated largely in 
building railroads. Thus he showed himself a most 
energetic and thorough business man. 

He was nominated for Governor by the Demo- 
cratic State Convention which met at Springfield 
April 20, 1852. Other candidates before the Con- 
vention were D. L. Gregg and F. C. Sherman, of 
Cook ; John Dement, of Lee ; Thomas L. Harris, of 
Menard ; Lewis W. Ross, of Fulton ; and D. P. Bush, 
of Pike. Gustavus Koerner, of St. Clair, was nom- 
inated for Lieutenant Governor. For the same offices 
the Whigs nominated Edwin B. Webb and Dexter A. 
Knowlton. Mr. Matteson received 80,645 votes at 
the election, while Mr. Webb received 64,408. Mat- 
teson "s forte was not on the stump; he had not cul- 
tivated the art of oily flattery, or the faculty of being 
all things to all men. His intellectual qualities took 
rather the direction of efficient executive ability. His 
turn consisted not so much in the adroit manage- 
ment of party, or the powerful advocacy of great gov- 
ernmental principles, as in those more solid and 
enduring operations which cause the physical devel- 
opment and advancement of a State, of commerce 
and business enterprise, into which he labored with 
success to lead the people. As a politician he was 
just and liberal in his views, and both in official and 
private life he then stood untainted and free from 
blemish. As a man, in active benevolence, social 
rirtues and all the amiable qualities of neighbor or 
citizen, he had few superiors. His messages present 
a perspicuous array of facts as to the condition of the 
State, and are often couched in forcible and elegant 
diction. 

The greatest excitement during his term of office 
was the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, by Con- 



gress, under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas in 
1854, when the bill was passed organizing the Terri- 
tory of Kansas and Nebraska. A large portion of 
the Whig party of the North, through their bitter op- 
position to the Democratic party, naturally drifted 
into the doctrine of anti-slavery, and thus led to what 
was temporarily called the " And- Nebraska " party, 
while the followers of Douglas were known as " Ne- 
braska or Douglas Democrats." It was during this 
embryo stage of the Republican party that Abraham 
Lincoln was brought forward as the " Anti-Nebraska " 
candidate for the United States Senatorship, while 
Gen. James Shields, the incumbent, was re-nom- 
inated by the Democrats. But after a fewballotings 
in the Legislature (1855), these men were dropped, 
and Lyman Trumbull, an Anti-Nebraska Democrat, 
was brought up by the former, and Mr. Matteson, 
then Governor, by the latter. On the nth ballot 
Mr. Trumbull obtained one majority, and was ac- 
cordingly declared elected. Before Gov. Matteson "s 
term expired, the Republicans were fully organized 
as a national party, and in 1856 put into the field a 
full national and State ticket, carrying the State, but 
not the nation. 

The Legislature of 1855 passed two very import- 
ant measures, the present free-school system and a 
submission of the Maine liquor law to a vote of the 
people. The latter was defeated by a small majority 
of the popular vote. 

During the four years of Gov. Matteson s admin- 
istration the taxable wealth of the State was about 
trebled, from $137,818,079 to $349,951,272; the pub- 
lic debt was reduced from $17,398,985 to $12,843,- 
144; taxation was at the same time reduced, and the 
State resumed paying interest on its debt in New 
York as fast as it fell due ; railroads were increased 
in their mileage from something less than 400 to 
about 3.000 ; and the population of Chicago was 
nearly doubled, and its commerce more than quad- 
rupled. 

' Before closing this account, we regret that we have 
to say that Mr. Matteson, in all other respects an 
upright man and a good Governor, was implicated 
in a false re-issue of redeemed canal scrip, amount- 
ing to $224,182.66. By a suit in the Sangamon Cir- 
cuit Court the State recovered the principal and all 
the interest excepting $27,500. 

He died in the winter of 1872-3, at Chicago. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



'5* 





ILLIAM H. BISSELL, Gov- 
ernor 1857-60, was born 
April 25, 1811, in the 
State of New York, near 
Painted Post, Yates County. 
His parents were obscure, 
honest, God-fearing people, 
who reared their children under the daily 
example of industry and frugality, accord- 
ing to the custom of that class of Eastern 
society. Mr. Bissell received a respecta- 
le but not thorough academical education. 
By assiduous application he acquired a 
knowledge of medicine, and in his early 
manhood came West and located in Mon- 
roe County, this State, where he engaged in the 
practice of that profession. But he was not enam- 
ored of his calling: he was swayed by a broader 
ambition, to such an extent that the mysteries of the 
healing art and its arduous duties failed to yield him 
further any charms. In a few years he discovered 
his choice of a profession to be a mistake, and when 
he approached the age of 30 he sought to begin 
anew. Dr. Bissell, no doubt unexpectedly to him- 
self, discovered a singular facility and charm of 
speech, the exercise of which acquired for him a 
ready local notoriety. It soon came to be under- 



stood that he desired to abandon his profession and 
take up that of the law. During terms of Court he 
would spend his time at the county seat among the 
members of the Bar, who extended to him a ready 
welcome. 

It was not strange, therefore, that he should drift 
into public life. In 1840 he was elected as a Dem- 
ocrat to the Legislature from Monroe County, and 
was an efficient member of that body. On his re- 
turn home he qualified himself for admission to the 
Bar and speedily rose to the front rank as an advo- 
cate. His powers of oratory were captivating. With a 
pure diction, charming and inimitable gestures, 
clearness of statement, and a remarkable vein of sly 
humor, his efforts before a jury told with irresistible 
effect. He was chosen by the Legislature Prosecut- 
ing Attorney for the Circuit in which he lived, and 
in that position he fully discharged his duty to the 
State, gained the esteem of the Bar, and seldom 
failed to convict the offender of the law. 

In stature he was somewhat tall and slender, and 
with a straight, military bearing, he presented a dis- 
tinguished appearance. His complexion was dark, 
his head well poised, though not large, his address 
pleasant and manner winning. He was exemplary 
in his habits, a devoted husband and kind parent. 
He was twice married, the first time to Miss James, 



'S 2 



WILLIAM H. BISSELL, 



of Monroe County, by whom he had two children, 
both daughters. She died soon after the year 1840, 
and Mr. B. married for his second wife a daughter 
of Elias K. Kane, previously a United States Senator 
from this State. She survived him but a short time, 
and died without issue. 

When the war with Mexico was declared in 1 846, 
Mr. Bissell enlisted and was elected Colonel of his 
regiment, over Hon. Don Morrison, by an almost 
unanimous vote, 807 to 6. Considering the limited 
opportunities he had had, he evinced a high order of 
military talent. On the bloody field of Buena Vista 
he acquitted himself with intrepid and distinguished 
ability, contributing with his regiment, the Second 
Illinois, in no small degree toward saving the waver- 
ing fortunes of our arms during that long and fiercely 
contested battle. 

After his return home, at the close of the war, he 
was elected to Congress, his opponents being the 
Hons. P. B. Fouke and Joseph Gillespie. He served 
two terms in Congress. He was an ardent politician. 
During the great contest of 1850 he voted in favor 
of the adjustment measures; but in 1854 he opposed 
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise act and 
therefore the Kansas-Nebraska' bill of Douglas, and 
thus became identified with the nascent Republican 
party. 

During his first Congressional term, while the 
Southern members were following their old practice 
of intimidating the North by bullying language, 
and claiming most of the credit for victories in the 
Mexican War, and Jefferson Davis claiming for the 
Mississippi troops all the credit for success at Buena 
Vista, Mr. Bissell bravely defended the Northern 
troops ; whereupon Davis challenged Bissell to a due), 
which was accepted. This matter was brought up 
against Bissell when he was candidate for Governor 
and during his term of office, as the Constitution of 
this State forbade any duelist from holding a State 
office. 

In 1856, when the Republican party first put forth 
a candidate, John C. Fremont, for President of the 
United States, the same party nominated Mr. Bissell 
for Governor of Illinois, and John Wood, of Quincy, 
for Lieutenant Governor, while the Democrats nomi- 
nated Hon. W. A. Richardson, of Adams County, 
for Governor, and Col. R. J. Hamilton, of Cook 
County, for Lieutenant Governor. The result of the 



election was a plurality of 4,729 votes over Richard- 
son. The American, or Know-Nothing, party had a 
ticket in the field. The Legislature was nearly bal- 
anced, but was politically opposed to the Governor. 
His message to the Legislature was short and rather 
ordinary, and was criticised for expressing the sup- 
posed obligations of the people to the incorporators 
of the Illinois Central Railroad Company and for re- 
opening the slavery question by allusions to the 
Kansas troubles. Late in the session an apportion- 
ment bill, based upon the State census of 1855, was 
passed, amid much partisan strife. The Governor 
at first signed the bill and then vetoed it. A furious 
debate followed, and the question whether the Gov- 
ernor had the authority to recall a signature was 
referred to the Courts, that of last resort deciding in 
favor of the Governor. Two years afterward another 
outrageous attempt was made for a re-apportionment 
and to gerrymander the State, but the Legislature 
failed to pass the bill over the veto of the Governor. 

It was during Gov. Bissell's administration that 
the notorious canal scrip fraud was brought to light 
implicating ex-Gov. Matteson and other prominent 
State officials. The principal and interest, aggregat- 
ing $255,500, was all recovered by the State except- 
ing $27,500. (See sketch of Gov. Matteson.) 

In 1859 an attempt was discovered to fraudu- 
lently refund the Macalister and Stebbins bonds and 
thus rob the State Treasury of nearly a quarter of a 
million dollars. The State Government was impli- 
cated in this affair, and to this day remains unex- 
plained or unatoned for. For the above, and other 
matters previously mentioned, Gov. Bissell has been 
severely criticised, and he has also been most shame- 
fully libelled and slandered. 

On account of exposure in the army, the remote 
cause of a nervous form of disease gained entrance 
into his system and eventually developed paraplegia, 
affecting his lower extremities, which, while it left 
his body in comparative health, deprived him ofloco- 
motion except by the aid of crutches. While he was 
generally hopeful of ultimate recovery, this myste- 
rious disease pursued him, without once relaxing its 
stealthy hold, to the close of his life, March 18, 
1860, over nine months before the expiration of his 
gubernatorial term, at the early age of 48 years. He 
died in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, o) 
which he hart been a member since 1854. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URDANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



'55 





:OHN WOOD, Governor 1860-1, and 
the first settler of Quincy, 111., 
was born in the town of Sempro- 
nius (now Moravia), Cayuga Co., 
N. Y., Dec. 20, 1798. He was 
the second child and only son of 
Dr. Daniel Wood. His mother, 
nee Catherine Crause, was of 
German parentage, and died 
while he was an infant. Dr. 
Wood was a learned and skillful 
physician, of classical attain- 
ments and proficient in several 
modern languages, who, after 
serving throughout the Revolu- 
tionary' War as a Surgeon, settled on the land granted 
him by the Government, and resided there a re- 
speoted and leading influence in his section until his 
death, at the ripe age of 92 years. 

The subject of this sketch, impelled by the spirit 
of Western adventure then pervading everywhere, 
left his home, Nov. 2, 1818, and passed the succeed- 
ing winter in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following sum- 
mer he pushed on to Illinois, landing atShawneetown, 
and spent the fall and following winter in Calhoun 
County. In 1820, in company with Willard Keyes, 
he settled in Pike County, about 30 miles southeast 
of Quincy, where for the next two years he pursued 
farming. In 1821 he visited "the Bluffs" (as the 
present site of Quincy was called, then uninhabited) 
and, pleased with its prospects, soon after purchased 
a quarter-section of land near by, and in the follow- 
ing fall (1822) erected near the river a small cabin, 



1 8 x 20 feet, the first building in Quincy, of which 
he then became the first and for some months the 
only occupant. 

About this time he visited his old friends in Pike 
County, chief of whom was William Ross, the lead- 
ing man in building up the village of Atlas, of that 
county, which was thought then to be the possible 
commencement of a city. One day they and others 
were traveling together over the country between the 
two points named, making observations onthe com- 
parative merits of the respective localities. On ap- 
proaching the Mississippi near Mr. Wood's place, 
the latter told his companions to follow him and he 
would show them where he was going to build a city. 
They went about a mile off the main trail, to a high 
point, from which the view in every direction was 
most magnificent, as it had been for ages and as yet 
untouched by the hand of man. Before them swept 
by the majestic Father of Waters, yet unburdened by 
navigation. After Mr. Wood had expatiated at 
length on the advantages of the situation, Mr. Ross 
replied, " But it's too near Atlas ever to amount to 
anything!" 

Atlas is still a cultivated farm, and Quincy is a 
city of over 30,000 population. 

In 1824 Mr. Wood gave a newspaper notice, 
as the law then prescribed, of his intention to apply 
to the General Assembly for the formation of a new 
county. This was done the following winter, result- 
ing in the establishment of the present Adams 
County. During the next summer Quincy was se- 
lected as the county seat, it and the vicinity then 
containing but four adult male residents and half 



JOHN WOOD. 



that number of females. Sinoe that period Mr. 
Wood resided at the place of his early adoption un- 
til his death, and far more than any other man was 
he identified with every measure of its progress and 
history, and almost continuously kept in public posi- 
tions. 

He was one of the early town Trustees, and after 
the place became a city he was often a member of 
the City Council, many times elected Mayor, in the 
face of a constant large opposition political majority. 
In 1850 he was elected to the State Senate. In 1856, 
on the organization of the Republican party, he was 
chosen Lieutenant Governor of the State, on the 
ticket with Wm. H. Bissell for Governor, and on the 
death of the latter, March 18, 1860, he succeeded to 
the Chief Executive chair, which he occupied until 
Gov. Yates was inaugurated nearly ten months after- 
ward. 

Nothing very marked characterized the adminis- 
tration of Gov. Wood. The great anti-slavery cam- 
paign of 1860, resulting in the election of the honest 
Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the Presidency of the 
United States, occurred during the short period 
while Mr. Wood was Governor, and the excitement 
and issues of that struggle dominated over every 
other consideration, indeed, supplanted them in a 
great measure. The people of Illinois, during all 
that time, were passing the comparatively petty strifes 
under Bissell's administration to the overwhelming 
issue of preserving the whole nation from destruction. 

In 1861 ex-Gov. Wood was one of the five Dele- 
gates from Illinois to the " Peace Convention " at 
Washington, and in April of the same year, on the 
breaking out of the Rebellion, he was appointed 



Quartermaster-General of the State, which position 
he held throughout the war. In 1864 he took com- 
mand as Colonel of the i37th 111. Vol. Inf., with 
whom he served until the period of enlistment ex- 
pired. 

Politically, Gov. Wood was always actively identi- 
fied with the Whig and Republican parties. Few 
men have in personal experience comprehended so 
many surprising and advancing local changes as 
vested in the more than half century recollections of 
Gov. Wood. Sixty-four years ago a solitary settler 
on the "Bluffs," with no family, and no neighbor 
within a score of miles, the world of civilization away 
behind him, and the strolling red-man almost his 
only visitant, he lived to see growing around him, 
and under his auspices and aid, overspreading the 
wild hills and scraggy forest a teaming city, second 
only in size in the State, and surpassed nowhere in 
beauty, prosperity and promise; whose people recog- 
nize as with a single voice the proverbial honor and 
liberality that attach to the name and lengthened 
life of their pioneer settler, "the old Governor." 

Gov. Wood was twice married, first in January, 
1826, to Ann M. Streeter, daughter of Joshua Streeter, 
formerly of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y. They had 
eight children. Mrs. W. died Oct. 8, 1863, and in 
June, 1865, Gov. Wood married Mrs. Mary A., widow 
of Rev. Joseph T. Holmes. Gov. Wood died June 4, 
1880, at his residence in Quincy. Four of his eight 
children are now living, namely: Ann E., wife of 
Gen. John Tillson; Daniel C., who married Mary J. 
Abemethy ; John, Jr., who married Josephine Skinner, 
and Joshua S., who married Annie Bradley. The 
last mentioned now resides at Atchison, Kansas, and 
all the rest are still at Quincy. 




OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 





ICHARD YATES, the "War 
Governor," 1861-4, was born 
Jan. 1 8, 1818, on the banks of 
the Ohio River, at Warsaw, 
Gallatin Co., Ky. His lather 
moved in 1831 to Illinois, and ) 
after stopping for a time in 
Springfield, settled at Island 
Grove, Sangamon County. Here, 
after attending school, Richard joined 
the family. Subsequently he entered 
Illinois College at Jacksonville, 
where, in 1837, he graduated with 
first honors. He chose for his pro- 
fession the law, the Hon. J. J. Har- 
din being his instructor. After ad- 
mission to the Bar he soon rose to distinction as an 
advocate. 

Gifted with a fluent and ready oratory, he soon 
appeared in the political hustings, and, being a 
passionate admirer of the great Whig leader of the 
West. Henry Clay, he joined his political fortunes to 
he party of his idol. In 1840 he engaged with great 
^.rdor in the exciting " hard cider " campaign for 
Garrison. Two years later he was elected to the 
Legislature from Morgan County, a Democratic 
stronghold. He served three or four terms in the 
Legislature, and such was the fascination of his ora- 
tory that by 1850 his large Congressional District, 
extending from Morgan and Sangamon Counties 
i.orth to include LaSalle, unanimously tendered him 
fne Whig nomination for Congress. His Democratic 
opponent was Maj. Thomas L. Harris, a very pop- 
v-\ar man who had won distinction at the battle of 
Cerro Gordo, in the Mexican War, and who had 
ocaten Hon. Stephen T. Logan for the same position, 



two years before, by a large majority. Yates wa? 
elected. Two years later he was re-elected, over 
John Calhoun. 

It was during Yates second term in Congress that 
the great question of the repeal of the Missouri Com- 
promise was agitated, and the bars laid down for re- 
opening the dreaded anti-slavery question. He took 
strong grounds against the repeal, and thus became 
identified with the rising Republican party. Conse- 
quently he fell into the minority in his district, which 
was pro-slavery. Even then, in a third contest, he 
fell behind Major Harris only 200 votes, after the 
district had two years before given Pierce 2,000 
majority- for President. 

The Republican State Convention of 1860 met at 
Decatur May 9, and nominated for the office of Gov- 
ernor Mr. Yates, in preference to Hon. Norman B. 
Judd, of Chicago, and Leonard Swett, of Blooming- 
ton, two of the ablest men of the State, who were 
also candidates before the Convention. Francis A. 
Hoffman, of DuPage County, was nominated for 
Lieutenant Governor. This was the year when Mr. 
Lincoln was a candidate for President, a period re- 
membered as characterized by the great whirlpool 
which precipitated the bloody War of the Rebellion. 
The Douglas Democrats nominated J. C. Allen cf 
Crawford County, for Governor, and Lewis W. Ross, 
of Fulton County, for Lieutenant Governor. The 
Breckenridge Democrats and the Bell-Everett party 
had also full tickets in the field. After a most fear- 
ful campaign, the result of the election gave Mr. 
Yates 172,196 votes, and Mr, Allen 159,253. Mr. 
Yates received over a thousand more votes than did 
Mr. Lincoln himself. 

Gov. Yates occupied the chair of State during the 



i6o 



RICHARD YATES. 



most critical period of our country's history. In the 
fate of the nation was involved that of each State. 
The life struggle of the former derived its sustenance 
from the loyalty of the latter; and Gov. Yates 
seemed to realize the situation, and proved himself 
both loyal and wise in upholding the Government. 
He had a deep hold upon the affections of the 
people, won by his moving eloquence and genial 
manners. Erect and symmetrical in person, of pre- 
possessing appearance, with a winning address and a 
magnetic power, few men possessed more of the ele- 
ments of popularity. His oratory was scholarly and 
captivating, his hearers hardly knowing why they 
were transported. He was social and convivial. In 
the latter respect he was ultimately carried too far. 

The very creditable military efforts of this State 
during the War of the Rebellion, in putting into the 
field the enormous number of about 200,000 soldiers, 
were ever promptly and ably seconded by his excel- 
lency ; and the was ambitious to deserve the title of 
"the soldier's friend." Immediately after the battle of 
Shiloh he repaired to the field of carnage to look 
after the wounded, and his appeals for aid were 
promptly responded to by the people. His procla- 
mations calling for volunteers were impassionate 
appeals, urging upon the people the duties and re- 
quirements of patriotism ; and his special message 
in 1863 to the Democratic Legislature of this State 
pleading for material aid for the sick and wounded 
soldiers of Illinois regiments, breathes a deep fervor 
of noble sentiment and feeling rarely equaled in 
beauty or felicity of expression. Generally his mes- 
sages on political and civil affairs were able and com- 
prehensive. During his administration, however, 
there were no civil events of an engrossing character, 
although two years of his time were replete with 
partisan quarrels of great bitterness. Military ar- 
rests, Knights of the Golden Circle, riot iri Fulton 
County, attempted suppression of the Chicago Times 
and the usurping State Constitutional Convention of 
1862, were the chief local topics that were exciting 
during the Governor's term. This Convention assem- 
bled Jan. 7, and at once took the high position that 
he law calling it was no longer binding, and that it 
ad supreme power; that it represented a virtual 
assemblage of the whole people of the State, and was 
sovereign in the exercise of all power necessary to 
effect a peaceable revolution of the State Government 



and to the re-establishment of one for the " happiness, 
prosperity and freedom of the citizens," limited only 
by the Federal Constitution. Notwithstanding the 
law calling the Convention required its members to 
take an oath to support the Constitution of the State 
as well as that of th.e - general Government, they 
utterly refused to take such oath. They also as- 
sumed legislative powers and passed several import- 
ant "laws!" Interfering wkh the (then) present 
executive duties, Gov. Yates was provoked to tell 
them plainly that " he did not acknowledge the right 
of the Convention to instruct him in the performance 
of his duty." 

In 1863 the Governor astonished the Democrats 
by " proroguing " their Legislature. This body, after 
a recess, met June 2, that year, and soon began to 
waste time upon various partisan resolutions ; and, 
while the two houses were disagreeing upon the 
question of adjourning sine die, the Governor, having 
the authority in such cases, surprised them all by 
adjourning them " to the Saturday next preceding the 
first Monday in January, 1865 ! " This led to great 
excitement and confusion, and to a reference of the 
Governor's act to the Supreme Court, who decided in 
his favor. Then it was the Court's turn to receive 
abuse for weeks and months afterward. 

During the autumn of 1864 a conspiracy was de- 
tected at Chicago which had for its object the liber- 
ation of the prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, the 
burning of the city and the inauguration of rebellion 
in the North. Gen. Sweet, who had charge of the 
camp at the time, first had his suspicions of danger 
aroused by a number of enigmatically worded letters 
which passed through the Camp postoffice. A de- 
tective afterward discovered that the rebel Gen. 
Marmaduke was in the city, under an assumed 
name, and he, with other rebel officers Grenfell, 
Morgan, Cantrell, Buckner Morris, and Charles 
Walsh was arrested, most of whom were convicted 
by a court-martial at Cincinnati and sentenced to 
imprisonment, Grenfell to be hung. The sentence 
of the latter was afterward commuted to imprison- 
ment for life, and all the others, after nine months' 
imprisonment, were pardoned. 

In March, 1873, Gov. Yates was appointed a Gov 
eminent Director of the Union Pacific Railroad, in 
which office he continued until his decease, at St. 
Louis, Mo., on the 271)1 of November following. 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

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GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



163 





Richard J* Ogles 





ICHARD J. OGLESBY, Gov- 
ernor 1865-8, and re-elected 
in 1872 and 1884, was born 
July 25, 1824, in Oldham Co., 
Ky., the State which might 
be considered the " mother of 
Illinois Governors." Bereft of 
his parents at the tender age 
of eight years, his early education 
was neglected. When 12 years of 
age, and after he had worked a year 
and a half at the carpenter's trade, 
he removed with an uncle, Willis 
Oglesby, into whose care he had 
been committed, to Decatur, this 
State, where he continued his ap- 
prenticeship as a mechanic, working six months for 
Hon. E. O. Smith. 

In 1844 he commenced studying law at Spring- 
field, with Judge Silas Robbins, and read with him 
one year. He was admitted to the Bar in 1845, and 
commenced the practice of his chosen profession at 
Sullivan, the county seat of Moultrie County. 

The next year the war with Mexico was com- 
menced, and in June, 1846, Mr. Oglesby volunteered, 
was elected First Lieutenant of Co. C, Fourth Illinois 
Regiment of Volunteers, and participated in the bat- 
tles of Vera Criii and Cerro Gordo. 

On his return he sought to perfect his law studies 
by attending a course of lectures at Louisville, but 
on the breaking out of the California "gold fever " in 
1849, he crossed the plains and mountains to the 
new Eldorado, driving a six-mule team, with a com- 



pany of eight men, Henry Prather being the leader. 

In 1852 he returned home to Macon County, and 
was placed that year by the Whig party on the ticket 
of Presidential Electors. In 1856 he visited Europe, 
Asia and Africa, being absent 20 months. On his 
return home he resumed the practice of law, as a 
member of the firm of Gallagher, Wait & Oglesby. 
In 1858 he was the Republican nominee for the 
Lower House of Congress, but was defeated by the 
Hon. James C. Robinson, Democrat. In 1860 he 
was elected to the Illinois State Senate ; and on the 
evening the returns of this election were coming in, 
Mr. Oglesby had a fisticuff encounter with " Cerro 
Gordo Williams," in which he came out victorious, 
and which was regarded as " the first fight of the 
Rebellion." The following spring, when the war 
had commenced in earnest, his ardent nature 
quickly responded to the demands of patriotism and 
he enlisted. The extra session of the Legislature 
elected him Colonel of the Eighth Illinois Infantry, 
the second one in the State raised to suppress the 
great Rebellion. 

He was shortly entrusted with important com- 
mands. For a time he was stationed at Bird's Point 
and Cairo; in April he was promoted Brigadier Gen- 
eral ; at Fort Donelson his brigade was in the van, 
being stationed on the right of General Grant's army 
and the first brigade to be attacked. He lost 500 
men before re-inforcements arrived. Many of these 
men were from Macon County. He was engaged in 
the battle of Corinth, and, in a brave charge at this 
place, was shot in the left lung with an ounce ball, 
and was carried from the field in expectation of irn- 



t6 4 



RICHARD J. OGLESBY. 



mediate death. That rebel ball he carries to this 
day. On his partial recovery he was promoted as 
Major General, for gallantry, his commission to rank 
from November, 1862. In the spring of 1863 he 
was assigned to the command of the i6th Army 
Corps, but, owing to inability from the effects of his 
wound, he relinquished this command in July, that 
year. Gen. Grant, however, refused to accept his 
resignation, and he was detailed, in December follow- 
ing, to court-martial and try the Surgeon General of 
the Army at Washington, where he remained until 
May, 1864, when he returned home. 
The Republican, or Union, State Convention of 

1864 was held at Springfield, May 25, when Mr. 
Oglesby was nominated for the office of Governor, 
while other candidates before the Convention were 
Allen C. Fuller, of Boone, Jesse K. Dubois, of Sanga- 
mon, and John M. Palmer, of Macoupin. Wm. 
Bross, of Chicago, was nominated for Lieutenant 
Governor. On the Democratic State ticket were 
James C. Robinson, of Clark, for Governor, and S. 
Corning Judd, of Fulton, for Lieutenant Governor. 
The general election gave Gen. Oglesby a majority 
of about 31,000 votes. The Republicans had also a 
majority in both the Legislature and in the repre- 
sentation in Congress. 

Gov. Oglesby was duly inaugurated Jan. 17, 1865. 
The day before the first time set for his installation 
death visited his home at Decatur, and took from it 
his only son, an intelligent and sprightly lad of six 
years, a great favorite of the bereaved parents. This 
caused the inauguration to be postponed a week. 

The political events of the Legislative session of 

1865 were the election of ex-Gov. Yates to the 
United States Senate, and the ratification of the i3th 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, 
abolishing slavery. This session also signalized 
itself by repealing the n >tori3us " black laws," part 
of which, although a dead letter, had held their place 
upon the statute books since 1819. Also, laws re- 
quiring the registration of voters, and establishing a 
State Board of Equalization, were passed by this Leg- 
islature. But the same body evinced that it was cor- 
ruptly influenced by a mercenary lobby, as it adopted 
some bad legislatipn, over the Governor's veto, nota- 
bly an amendment to a charter for a Chicago horse 
railway, granted in 1859 for 25 years, and now 
sought to be extended 99 years. As this measure 
was promptly passed over his veto by both branches 
of the Legislature, he deemed it useless further to 
attempt to check their headlong career. At this 
session no law of a general useful character or public 
interest was perfected, unless we count such the 
turning over of the canal to Chicago to be deepened. 
The session of 1867 was still more productive of 
private and special acts. Many omnibus bills were 
proposed, and some passed. The contests over the 
.ocation of the Industrial College, the Capital, the 



Southern Penitentiary, and the canal enlargement 
and Illinois River improvement, dominated every- 
thing else. 

During the year r872, it became evident that if 
the Republicans could re-elect Mr. Oglesby to the 
office of Governor, they could also elect him to the 
United States Senate, which they desired to do. 
Accordingly they re-nominated him for the Execu- 
tive chair, and placed upon the ticket with him for 
Lieutenant Governor, John L. Beveridge, of Cook 
County. On the other side the Democrats put into 
the field Gustavus Koerner for Governor and John 
C. Black for Lieutenant Governor. The election 
gave the Republican ticket majorities ranging from 
3S>334 to 56,174, the Democratic defection being 
caused mainly by their having an old-time Whig and 
Abolitionist, Horace Greeley, on the national ticket 
for President. According to the general understand- 
ing had beforehand, as soon as the Legislature met 
it elected Gov. Oglesby to the United States Senate, 
whereupon Mr. Beveridge became Governor. Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's term expired March 4, 1879, having 
served his party faithfully and exhibited an order of 
statesmanship beyond criticism. 

During the campaign of 1884 Mr. Oglesby was 
nominated for a "third term" as Executive of the 
State of Illinois, against Carter H. Harrison, Mayor 
of Chicago, nominated by the Democrats. Both 
gentlemen " stumped " the State, and while the peo- 
ple elected a Legislature which was a tie on a join'; 
ballot, as between the two parties, they gave the 
jovial " Dick" Oglesby a majority of 15,018 for Gov- 
ernor, and he was inaugurated Jan. 30, 1885. The 
Legislature did not fully organize until this date, on 
account of its equal division between the two main 
parties and the consequent desperate tactics of each 
party to checkmate the latter in the organization of 
the House. 

Gov. Oglesby is a fine-appearing, affable man, with 
regular, well defined features and rotund face. In 
stature he is a little above medium height, of a large 
frame and somewhat fleshy. His physical appear- 
ance is striking and prepossessing, while his straight- 
out, not to say bluff, manner and speech are well 
calculated favorably to impress the average masses. 
Ardent in feeling and strongly committed to the pol- 
icies of his party, he intensifies Republicanism 
among Republicans, while at the same time hisjovia. 
and liberal manner prevents those of the opposite 
party from hating him. 

He is quite an effective stump orator. With vehe- 
ment, passionate and scornful tone and gestures, 
tremendous physical power, which in speaking he 
exercises to the utmost; with frequent descents to 
the grotesque; and with abundant homely compari 
sons or frontier figures, expressed in the broadest 
vernacular and enforced with stentorian emphasis, 
he delights a promiscuous audience beyond measure 



LIBRARY" 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
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GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



107 






', . '. . 'i ~.\ : ', . v i ^vv^ 



JOHN M. PALMER 





>! 



fcOHN Me AULEY PALMER, Gov- 
ernor 1869-72, v/ns born on 
Eagle Creek, Scott Co., Ky., 
Sept. 13, 1817. During his in- 
fancy, his father, who had been 
a soldier in the war of 1812, re- 
moved to Christian Co., Ky., 
where lands were cheap. Here 
the future Governor of the great 
Prairie State spent his childhood 
and received such meager school- 
ing as the new and sparsely set- 
tled country afforded. To this 
he added materially by diligent 
reading, for which he evinced an 
eaily aptitude. His father, an ardent Jackson man, 
was also noted for his anti-slavery sentiments, which 
he thoroughly impressed upon his children. In 1831 
he emigrated to Illinois, settling in Madison County. 
Here the labor of improving a farm was pursued for 
alxmt two years, when the death of Mr. Palmer's 
mother broke up the family. About this time Alton 
College was opened, on the "manual labor " system, 
and in the spring of 1834 young Palmer, with his 
elder brother, Elihu, entered this school and remained 
1 8 months. Next, for over three years, he tried 
variously coopering, peddling and school-teaching. 

During the summer of 1838 he formed the ac- 
quaintance of Stephen A. Douglas, then making his 



first canvass for Congress. Young, eloquent and in 
political accord with Mr. Palmer, he won his confi- 
dence, fired his ambition and fixed his purpose. The 
following winter, while teaching near Canton, he be- 
gan to devote his spare time to a desultory reading 
of law, and in the spring entered a law office at Car- 
linville, making his home with his elder brother, 
Elihu. (The latter was a learned clergy man, of con- 
siderable orginality of thought and doctrine.) On 
the next meeting of the Supreme Court he was ad- 
mitted to the Bar, Douglas being one of his examiners. 
He was not immediately successful in his profession, 
and would have located elsewhere than Carlinville 
had he the requisite means. Thus his early poverty 
was a blessing in disguise, for to it he now attributes 
the success of his life. 

From 1839 on, while he diligently pursued his 
profession, he participated more or less in local 
politics. In 1843 he became Probate Judge. In 
1 847 he was elected to the State Constitutional Ccn 
vention, where he took a leading part. In 1852 IK 
was elected to the State Senate, and at the special 
session of February, 1854, true to the anti-slaver) 
sentiments bred in him, he took a firm stand in op- 
position to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, 
and when the Nebraska question became a part; 
issue he refused to receive a re-nomination for th< 
Senatorship at the hands of the Democracy, issuini 
a circular to that effect. A few weeks afterward 



i68 



JOHN MC AULEY PALMER. 



however, hesitating to break with his party, he par- 
ticipated in a Congressional Convention which nomi- 
T. L. Harris against Richard Yates, and which 
unqualifiedly approved the principles of the Kansas- 
Nebraska act. But later in the campaign he made 
the plunge, ran for the Senate as an Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat, and was elected. The following winter 
ne put in nomination for the [United States Senate 
Mr. Trumbull, and was one of the five steadfast men 
who voted for him until all the Whigs came to their 
support and elected their man. 

In 1856 he was Chairman of the Republican State 
Convention at Bloomington. He ran for Congress in 
1859, but was defeated. In' 1860 he was Republican 
Presidential Elector for the State at large. In 1861 
ne was appointed one of the five Delegates (all Re- 
publicans) sent by Illinois to the peace congress at 
Washington. 

When the civil conflict broke out, he offered his 
services to his country, and was elected Colonel of the 
:4th 111. Vol. Inf., and participated in the engagements 
at Island No. 10; at Farmington, where he skillfully 
extricated his command from a dangerous position ; 
at Stone River, where his division for several hours, 
Dec. 31, 1862, held the advance and stood like a 
rock, and for his gallantry there he was made Major 
General; at Chickamauga, where his and Van Cleve's 
divisions for two hours maintained their position 
when they were cut off by overpowering numbers. 
Under Gen. Sherman, he was assigned to the i4th 
Army Corps and participated in the Atlanta campaign. 
At Peach-Tree Creek his prudence did much to avert 
disaster. In February, 1865, Gen. Palmer was as- 
signed to the military administration of Kentucky, 
which was a delicate post. That State was about 
half rebel and half Union, and those of the latter 
element were daily fretted by the loss of their slaves. 
He, who had been bred to the rules of common law, 
trembled at the contemplation of his extraordinary 
power over the persons and property of his fellow 
men, with which he was vested in his capacity as 
military Governor ; and he exhibited great caution in 
the execution of the duties of his post. 

Gen. Palmer was nominated for Governor of Illi- 
nois by the Republican State Convention which met 
at Peoria May 6, 1868, and his nomination would 
probably have been made by acclamation had he not 
oersistently declared that he could not accept a can- 



didature for the office. The result of the ensuing 
election gave Mr. Palmer a majority of 44,707 over 
John R. Eden, the Democratic nominee. 

On the meeting of the Legislature in January, 
1869, the first thing to arrest public attention was 
that portion of the Governor's message which took 
broad Slate's rights ground. This and some minor 
points, which were more in keeping with the Demo- 
cratic sentiment, constituted the entering wedge f >r 
the criticisms and reproofs he afterward received 
from the Republican party, and ultimately resulted 
in his entire aleniation from the latter element. The 
Legislature just referred to was noted for the intro- 
duction of numerous bills in the interest of private 
parties, which were embarrassing to the Governor. 
Among the public acts passed was that which limited 
railroad charges for passenger travel to a maximum 
of three cents per mile ; and it was passed over the 
Governor's veto. Also, they passed, over his veto, 
the "tax-grabbing law" to pay Milroed subscriptions, 
the Chicago Lake Front bill, etc. The new State 
Constitution of 1870, far superior to the old, was a 
peaceful " revolution" which took place during Gov. 
Palmer's term of office. The suffering caused by the 
great Chicago Fire of October, 1871, was greatly 
alleviated by the prompt responses of his excellency. 

Since the expiration of Gov. Palmers 's term, he has 
been somewhat prominent in Illinois politics, and 
has been talked of by many, especially in the Dem- 
ocratic party, as the best man in the State for a 
United States Senator. His business during life has 
been that of the law. Few excel him in an accurate 
appreciation of the depth and scope of its principles- 
The great number of his able veto messages abun- 
dantly testify not only this but also a rare capacity to 
point them out. He is a logical and cogent reasoner 
and an interesting, forcible and convincing speaker, 
though not fluent or ornate. Without brilliancy, his 
dealings are rather with facts and ideas than with 
appeals to passions and prejudices. He is a patriot 
and a statesman of very high order. Physically he is 
above the medium height, of robust frame, ruddy 
complexion and sanguine-nervous temperament. He 
has a large cranial development, is vivacious, social 
in disposition, easy of approach, unostentatious in his 
habits of life, democratic in his habits and manners 
and is a true American in his fundamental principles 
of statesmanship. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GV VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



171 





OHN LOWRiE BEVER- 
IDGE, Governor 1 87 3-6, was 
born in the town of Green- 
wich, Washington Co., N. Y., 
July 6, 1824. His parents 
were George and Ann Bever- 
idge. His father's parents, An- 
drew and Isabel Beveridge, be- 
fore their marriage emigrated 
from Scotland just before the 
Revolutionary War, settling in 
Washington County. His father 
was the eldest of eight brothers, the 
youngest of whom was 60 years of 
age when the first one of the num- 
ber died. His mother's parents, 
James and Agnes Hoy, emigrated 
from Scotland at the close of the 
Revolutionary War, settling also in 
Washington Co., N. Y., with their 
first-born, whose " native land "was 
the wild ocean. His parents and 
grandparents lived beyond the time 
allotted to man, their average age 
being over 80 years. They belonged to the " Asso- 
ciate Church," a seceding Presbyterian body of 



America from the old Scotch school ; and so rig'd 
was the training of young Beveridge that he never 
heard a sermon from any other minister except that 
of his own denomination until he was in his 191)1 
year. Later in life he became a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, which relation he still 
holds. 

Mr. Beveridge received a good common-school ed- 
ucation, but his parents, who could obtain a livelihood 
only by rigid economy and industry, could not send 
him away to college. He was raised upon a farm, 
and was in his i8th year when the family removed 
to De Kalb County, this State, when that section was 
very sparsely settled. Chicago had less than 7,000 
inhabitants. In this wild West he continued as a 
farm laborer, teaching school during the winter 
months to supply the means of an education. In the 
fall of 1842 he attended one term at the academy at 
Granville, Putnam Co., 111., and subsequently several 
terms at the Rock River Seminary at Mount Morris, 
Ogle Co., 111., completing the academic course. At 
this time, the fall of 1845, his parents and brothers 
were anxious to have him go to college, even though 
he had not money sufficient; but, n A willing to bur- 
den the family, he packed his trunk and with only 
$40 in money started South to seek his fortune 



JOHN L. Kb VERIDGE. 



Poor, alone, without friends and influence, he thus 
entered upon the battle of life. 

First, he taught school in Wilson, Overton and 
Jackson Cos., Tenn., in which experience he under- 
went considerable mental drill, both in book studies 
and in the ways of the world. He read law and was 
admitted to the Bar, in the South, but did not learn 
to love the institution of slavery, although he ad- 
mired many features of Southern character. In De- 
cember, 1847, he returned North, and Jan. 20, 1848, 
he married Miss Helen M. Judson, in the old Clark- 
Street M. E. church in Chicago, her father at that 
time being Pastor of the society there. In the spring 
of 1848 he returned with his wife to Tennessee, 
where his two children, Alia May and Philo Judson, 
were born. 

in the fall of 1849, through the mismanagement 
of an associate, he lost what little he had accumu- 
lated and was left in debt. He soon managed to 
earn means to pay his debts, returned to De Kalb 
Co., 111., and entered upon the practice of his pro- 
fession at Sycamore, the county seat. On arrival 
from the South he had but one-quarter of a dollar in 
money, and scanty clothing and bedding for himself 
and family. He borrowed a little money, practiced 
/aw, worked in public offices, kept books for some of 
the business men of the town, and some railroad en- 
gineering, till the 'spring of 1854, when he removed 
to Evanston, 1 2 miles north of Chicago, a place then 
but recently laid out, under the supervision of the 
Northwestern University, a Methodist institution. 
Of the latter his father-in-law was then financial 
agent and business manager. Here Mr. Beveridge 
prospered, and the next year (1855) opened a law 
office in Chicago, where he found the battle some- 
what hard; but he persevered with encouragement 
and increasing success. 

Aug. 12, 1861, his law partner, Gen. John F. 
Farnsworth, secured authority to raise a regiment of 
cavalry, and authorized Mr. Beveridge to raise a 
company for it. He succeeded in a few days in rais- 
ing the company, of course enlisting himself along 
with it. The regiment rendezvoused at St. Charles, 
111., w.is mustered in Sept. 18, and on its organiza- 
tion Mr. B. was elected Second Major. It was at- 
tached, Oct. ir, to the Eighth Cavalry and to the 
Army of the Potomac. He served with the regiment 
until November, 1863, participating in some 40 bat- 



tles and skirmishes : was at Fair Oaks, the seven days 
fight around Richmond, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- 
ville and Gettysburg. He commanded the regiment 
the greater part of the summer of 1 863, and it was while 
lying in camp this year that he originated the policy 
of encouraging recruits as well as the fighting capac- 
ity of the soldiery, by the wholesale furlough system 
It worked so well that many other officers adopted 
it. In the fall of this year he recruited another com- 
pany, against heavy odds, in January, 1864, was 
commissioned Colonel of the i7th 111. Cav., and 
skirmished around in Missouri, concluding with the 
reception of the surrender of Gen. Kirby Smith's 
army in Arkansas. In 1865 he commanded various 
sub-districts in the Southwest. He was mustered 
out Feb. 6, 1866, safe from the casualties of war and 
a stouter man than when he first enlisted. His men 
idolized him. 

He then returned to Chicago, to practice law, with 
no library and no clientage, and no political experi- 
ence except to help others into office. In the fall of 
1866 he was elected Sheriff of Cook County, serving 
one term; next, until November, 1870, he practiced 
law and closed up the unfinished business of his 
office. He was then elected State Senator; in No- 
vember, 1871, he was elected Congressman at large; 
in November, 1872, he was elected Lieutenant Gov- 
ernor on the ticket with Gov. Oglesby; the latter be- 
ing elected to the U. S. Senate, Mr. Beveridge became 
Governor, Jan. 21, 1873 Thus, inside of a few 
weeks, he was Congressman at large, Lieutenant 
Governor and Governor. The principal events oc- 
curring during Gov. Beveridge's administration were: 
The completion of the revision of the statutes, begun 
in 1869; the partial success of the "farmers' move- 
ment;" "Haines" Legislature " and Illinois' exhibit at 
the Centennial. 

Since the close of his gubernatorial term ex-Gov. 
Beveridge has been a member of the firm of Bever- 
idge & Dewey, bankers and dealers in commercial 
paper at 7 1 Dearborn Street (McCormick Block), 
Chicago, and since November, 1881., he has also been 
Assistant United States Treasurer- office in the 
Government Building. His residence is still at Ev- 
anston. 

He has a brother and two sisters yet residing in 
De Kalb County James H. Beveridge, Mrs. Jnnt 
Henry and Mrs. Isabel French. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



175 





HELBY M. CULLOM, Gover- 
nor 1877-83, is the sixth child 
of the late Richard N. Cullom, 
and was born Nov. 22, 1829,111 
Wayne Co., Ky., where his fa- 
ther then resided, and whence 
both the Illinois and Tennessee 
branches of the family originated. In 
the following year the family emi- 
grated to the vicinity of Washington, 
Tazewell Co., 111., when that section 
was very sparsely settled. They lo- 
cated on Deer Creek, in a grove at 
the time occupied by a party of In- 
dians, attracted there by the superior 
hunting and fishing afforded in that 
vicinity. The following winter was 
known as the " hard winter," the snow 'being very 
deep and lasting and the weather severely cold; and 
the family had to subsist mainly on boiled corn or 
hominy, and some wild game, for several weeks. In 
the course of time Mr. R. N. Cullom became a prom- 
inent citizen and was several times elected to the 
Legislature, both before and after the removal of the 
capital from Vandalia to Springfield. He died about 
'873- 

Until about 19 years of age young Cullom grew up 

to agricultural pursuits, attending school as he had 

'pportunity during the winter. Within this time, 

swever, he spent several months teachin<* school. 



and in the following summer he " broke prairie " with 
an ox team for the neighbors. With the money ob- 
tained by these various ventures, he undertook a 
course of study at the Rock River Seminary, a 
Methodist institution at Mt. Morris, Ogle County: 
but the sudden change to the in-door life of a stu- 
dent told severely upon his health, and he was taken 
home, being considered in a hopeless condition. While 
at Mt. Morris he heard Hon. E. B. Washburne make 
his first speech. 

On recovering health, Mr. Cullom concluded to 
study law, under the instruction of Abraham Lincoln, 
at Springfield, who had by this time attained some 
notoriety as an able lawyer ; but the latter, being ab- 
sent from 'his office most of the time, advised Mr. 
Cullom to enter the office of Stuart & Edwards. 
After about a year of study there, however, his health 
failed again, and .he was obliged to return once more 
to out-door life. Accordingly he bought hogs for 
packing, for A. G. Tyng, in Peoria, and while he re- 
gained his health he gained in purse, netting $400 in 
a few weeks. Having been admitted to the Bar, he 
went to Springfield, where he was soon elected City 
Attorney, on the Anti-Nebraska ticket. 

In 1856 he ran on the Fillmore ticket as a Presi- 
dential Elector, and, although failing to be elected as 
such, he was at the same time elected a Representa- 
tive in the Legislature from Sangamon County, by a 
local coalition of the American and Republican par- 
ties. On the organization of the House, he received 
the vote of the Fillmore men for Speaker. Practicing 



SHELB Y M. CULLOM. 



law until 1860, he was again elected to the Legisla- 
ture, as a Republican, while the county went Demo- 
cratic on the Presidential ticket. In January follow- 
ing he was elected Speaker, probably the youngest 
man who had ever presided over an Illinois Legis- 
lature. After the session of 1 86 1, he was a candidate 
for the State Constitutional Convention called for 
that year, but was defeated, and thus escaped the 
disgrace of being connected with that abortive party 
scheme to revolutionize the State Government. In 
1862 he was a candidate for the State Senate, but 
was defeated. The same year, however, he was ap- 
pointed by President Lincoln on a Government 
Commission, in company with Gov. Boutwell of 
Massachusetts and Cnarles A. Dana, since of the 
New York Sun, to investigate the affairs of the 
Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments at 
Cairo. He devoted several months to this duty. 

In 1864 he entered upon a larger political field, 
being nominated as the Republican candidate for 
Congress from the Eighth (Springfield) District, in 
opposition to the incumbent, John T. Stuart, who had 
been elected in 1862 by about 1,500 majority over 
Leonard Swett, then of Bloomington, now of Chicago. 
The result was the election of Mr. Cullom in Novem- 
ber following by a majority of 1,785. In 1866 he 
was re-elected to Congress, over Dr. E. S. Fowler, by 
the magnificent majority of 4,103! In 1868 he was 
again a candidate, defeating the Hon. B. S. Edwards, 
another of his old preceptors, by 2,884 votes. 

During his first term in Congress he served on the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and Expenditures in 
the Treasury Department; in his second term, on 
the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Territories ; 
arid in his third term he succeeded Mr. Ashley, of 
Ohio, to the Chairmanship of the latter. He intro- 
duced a bill in the House, to aid in the execution of 
law in Utah, which caused more consternation among 
the Mormons than any measure had previously, but 
which, though it passed the House, failed to pass the 
Senate. 

The Republican Convention which met May 25, 
1876, nominated Mr. Cullom for Governor, while the 
other contestant was Gov. Beveridge. For Lieuten- 
ant-Governor they nominated Andrew Shuman, editor 
of the Chicago Journal. For the same offices the 
Democrats, combining with the Anti-Monopolists, 
placed in nomination Lewis Steward, a wealthy 



farmer and manufacturer, and A. A. Glenn. The 
result of the election was rather close, Mr. Cullom 
obtaining only 6,800 majority. He was inaugurated 
Jan. 8, 1877. 

Great depression prevailed in financial circles at 
this time, as a consequence of the heavy failures of 
1873 and afterward, the effect of which had seemed 
to gather force from that time to the end of Gov. 
Cullom's first administration. This unspeculative 
period was not calculated to call forth any new 
issues, but the Governor's energies were at one time 
put to task to quell a spirit of insubordination that 
had been begun in Pittsburg, Pa., among the laboring 
classes, and transferred to Illinois at Chicago, East 
St. Louis and Braidwood, at which places laboring 
men for a short time refused to work or allow others 
to work. These disturbances were soon quelled and 
the wheels of industry again set in motion. 

In May, 1880, Gov. Cullom was re-nominated by 
the Republicans, against Lyman Trumbull, by the 
Democrats; and although the former party was some- 
what handicapped in the campaign by a zealous 
faction opposed to Grant for President and to Grant 
men for office generally, Mr. Cullom was re-elected 
by about 3^,565, to 277,532 for the Democratic State 
ticket. The Greenback vote at the same time was 
about 27,000. Both Houses of the Legislature again 
became Republican, and no representative of the 
Greenback or Socialist parties were elected. Gov. 
Cullom was inaugurated Jan. 10, iS8r. In his mes- 
sage he announced that the last dollar of the State 
debt had been provided for. 

March 4, 1883, the term of David Davis as United 
States Senator from Illinois expired, and Gov. Cul- 
lo n was chosen to succeed him. This promoted 
Lisutenant-Governor John M. Hamilton to the Gov- 
ernorship. Senator Cullom's term in the United 
St.-ites Senate will expire March 4, 1889. 

A.S a practitioner of law Mr. C. has been a member 
of the firm of Cullom, Scholes & Mather, at Spring- 
field ; and he has also been President of the State 
National Bank. 

He has been married twice, the first time Dec. 
ii!, 1855, to Miss Hannah Fisher, by whom he had 
trfo daughters; and the second time May 5, 1863, 
to Julia Fisher. Mrs. C is a member of the Method- 
isl Episcopal Church, with which religious body Mr. 
C. is also in sympathy. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



179 





OHN MARSHALL HAMIL- 
TON, Governor 1883-5, was 
born May 28, 1847, in a log 
house upon a farm about two 
miles from Richvvood, Union 
County, Ohio. His father was 
Samuel Hamilton, the eldest son 
of Rev. Wm. Hamilton, who, to- 
gether with his brother, the Rev. 
Samuel Hamilton, was among the 
early pioneer Methodist preachers in 
Ohio. The mother of the subject of 
this sketch was, before her marriage, 
Mrs. Nancy McMorris, who was 
born and raised in Fauquier or Lou- 
doun County, Va., and related to the 
two large families of Youngs and Marshalls, well 
known in that commonwealth ; and from the latter 
family name was derived the middle name of Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In March, 1854, Mr. Hamilton's father sold out 
his little pioneer forest home in Union County, O., 
and, loading his few household effects and family 
(of six children) into two emigrant covered wagons, 
moved to Roberts Township, Marshall Co., 111., being 
2 1 days on the route. Swamps, unbridged streams 
and innumerable hardships and privations met them 
on their way. Their new home had been previously 
selected by the father. Here, after many long years 
of toil, they succeeded in paying for the land and 
taking a comfortable home. John was, of course, 



brought up to hard manual labor, with no schooling 
except three or four months in the year at a common 
country school. However, he evinced a capacity 
and taste for a high order of self-education, by 
studying or reading what books he could borrow, as 
the family had but very few in the house. Much of 
his study he prosecuted by the light of a log fire in 
the old-fashioned chimney place. The financial 
panic of 1857 caused the family to come near losing 
their home, to pay debts ; but the father and two 
sons, William and John, "buckled to'' and perse- 
vered in hard labor and economy until they redeemed 
their place from the mortgage. 

When the tremendous excitement of the political 
campaign of 1860 reached the neighborhood of Rob- 
erts Township, young Hamilton, who had been 
brought up in the doctrine of anti-slavery, took a zeal- 
ous part in favor of Lincoln's election. Making special 
efforts to procure a little money to buy a uniform, he 
joined a company of Lincoln Wide-Awakes at Mag- 
nolia, a village not far away. Directly after the 
ensuing election it became evident that trouble 
would ensue with the South, and this Wide-Awake 
company, like many others throughout the country, 
kept up its organization and transformed itself into a 
military company. During the ensuing summer they 
met often for drill and became proficient ; but when 
they offered themselves for the v/ar, young Hamilton 
was rejected on account of his youth, he being then 
but 14 years of age. During the winter of 1863-4 he 
attended an academy at Henry, Marshall County, 



r8o 



JOHN MARSHALL HAMILTON. 



and in the following May he again enlisted, for the 
fourth time, when he was placed in the 141x1 111. 
Vol. Inf., a regiment then being raised at Elgin, 111., 
for the loo-day service. He took with him 1 3 other 
lads from his neighborhood, for enlistment in the 
service. This regiment operated in Southwestern 
Kentucky, for about five months, under Gen. Paine. 

The following winter, 1864-5, Mr. Hamilton taught 
school, and during the two college years 1865-7, he 
went through three years of the curriculum of the 
Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. The 
third year he graduated, the fourth in a class of 46, 
in the classical department. In due time he received 
the degree of M. A. For a few months he was the 
Principal of Marshall " College " at Henry, an acad- 
emy under the auspices of the M. E. Church. By 
this lime he had commenced the study of law, and 
after earning some money as a temporary Professor 
of Latin at the Illinois Wesleyan University at 
B'.oomington, he entered the law office of Weldon, 
Tipton & Benjamin, of that city. Each member of 
this firm has since been distinguished as a Judge. 
Admitted to the Bar in May, 1870, Mr. Hamilton 
was given an interest in the same firm, Tipton hav- 
ing been elected Judge. In October following he 
formed a partnership with J. H. Rowell, at that time 
Prosecuting Attorney. Their business was then 
small, but they increased it to very large proportions, 
practicing in all grades of courts, including even the 
U. S. Supreme Court, and this partnership continued 
unbroken until Feb. 6, 1883, when Mr. Hamilton 
was sworn in as Executive of Illinois. On the 4th 
of March following Mr. Rowell took his seat in Con- 
gress. 

In July, 1871, Mr. Hamilton married Miss Helen 
M. Williams, the daughter of Prof. Wm. G. Williams, 
Professor of Greek in the Ohio Wesleyan University. 
Mr. and Mrs. H. have two daughters and one son. 

In 1876 Mr. Hamilton was nominated by the Re- 
publicans for the State Senate, over other and older 
competitors. He took an active pait " on the stump " 
in the campaign, for the success of his party, and was 
elected by a majority of 1,640 over his Democratic- 
Greenback opponent. In the Senate he served on 
the Committees on Judiciary, Revenue, State Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations, Education, and on Miscel- 
lany ; and during the contest for the election of a 
U, S. Senator, the Republicans endeavoring to re- 



elect John A. Logan, he voted for the war chief on 
every ballot, even alone when all the other Republi- 
cans had gone over to the Hon. E. B. Lawrence and 
the Democrats and Independents elected Judge 
David Davis. At this session, also, was passed the 
first Board of Health and Medical Practice act, of 
which Mr. Hamilton was a champion, against ca 
much opposition that the bill was several times 
" laid on the table." Also, this session authorized 
the location and establishment of a southern peni- 
tentiary, which was fixed at Chester. In the session 
of 1879 Mr. Hamilton was elected President fro tern. 
of the Senate, and was a zealous supporter of John 
A. Logan for the U. S. Senate, who was this time 
elected without any trouble. 

In May, 1880, Mr. Hamilton was nominated on 
the Republican ticket for Lieutenant Governor, his 
principal competitors before the Convention being 
Hon. Wm. A. James, ex-Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Judge Robert Bell, of w abash 
County, Hon. T. T. Fountain, of Perry County, and 
Hon. M. M. Saddler, of Marion County. He engaged 
actively in the campaign, and his ticket was elected 
by a majority of 41,200. As Lieutenant Governor, 
he presided almost continuously over the Senate in 
the 32d General Assembly and during the early days 
of the 33d, until he succeeded to the Governorship. 
When the Legislature of 1883 elected Gov. Cullom 
to the United States Senate, Lieut. Gov. Hamilton 
succeeded him, under the Constitution, taking the 
oath of office Feb. 6, 1883. He bravely met all the 
annoyances and embarrassments incidental upon 
taking up another's administration. The principal 
events with which Gov. Hamilton was connected as 
the Chief Executive of the State were, the mine dis- 
aster at Braidwood, the riots in St. Clairand Madison 
Counties in May, 1883, the appropriations for the 
State militia, the adoption of the Harper high-license 
liquor law, the veto of a dangerous railroad bill, etc. 

The Governor was a Delegate at large to the 
National Republican Convention at Chicago in June, 

1884, where his first choice for President was John 
A. Logan, and second choice Chester A. Arthur; but 
he afterward zealously worked for the election of Mr. 
Elaine, true to his party. 

Mr. Hamilton's term as Governor expired Jan. 30, 

1885, when the great favorite "Dick" Oglesby was 
inaugurated. 



LIBRARY 

UNWERSnY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



_ 




' 




GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



183 





OSEPH WILSON FIFER. This 
distinguished gentleman was 
elected Governor of Illinois 
November 6, 1888. He was 
popularly known during the 
campaign as "Private Joe. ' ' He 
had served with great devotion 
to his country during the Re- 
bellion, in the Thirty-third 
Illinois Infantry. A native of 
Virginia, he was born in 1840. 
His parents, John and Mary 
(Daniels) Fifer, were American 
born, though of German de- 
scent. His father was a brick 
and stone mason, and an old 
Henry Clay Whig in politics. John and Mary 
Fifer had nine children, of whom Joseph was the 
sixth, and naturally, with so large a family, it was 
all the father could do to keep the wolf from the 
door, to say nothing of giving his children any- 
thing like good educational advantages. 

Joseph attended school for a while in Virgina, 
but it was not a good school, and when his father 
removed to the West, in 1857, Joseph had not ad- 
vanced much further than the "First Reader." 
Our subject was sixteen then and suffered a great 
misfortune in the loss of his mother. After the 



death of Mrs. Fifer, which occurred in Missouri, 
the family returned to Virgina, but remained only 
a short time, as during the same year Mr. Fifer 
came to Illinois. He settled in McLean County 
and started a brickyard. Here Joseph and his 
brothers were put to work. The elder Mr. Fifer soon 
bought a farm near Bloomington and began life 
as an agriculturist. Here Joe worked and attended 
the neighboring school. He alternated farm- work, 
and brick-laying, going to the district school for 
the succeeding few years. It was all work and no 
play for Joe, yet it by no means made a dull boy 
of him. All the time he was thinking of the great 
world outside, of which he had caught a glimpse 
when coming from Virginia, yet he did not know 
just how he was going to get out into it. He 
could not feel that the woods around the new farm 
and the log cabin, in which the family lived, were 
to hold him. 

The opportunity to get out into the world was 
soon offered to young Joe. He traveled a dozen 
miles barefoot, in company with his brother George, 
and enlisted in Company C, Thirty-third Illinois 
Infantry, he being then twenty years old. In a 
few days, the regiment was sent to Camp Butler, 
and then over into Missouri, and saw some vigor- 
ous service there. After a second time helping to 
chase Price out of Missouri, the Thirty-third Regi- 



184 



JOSEPH W. FIFER. 



ment went down to Milliken's Bend, and for several 
weeks "Private Joe" worked on Grant's famous 
ditch. The regiment then joined the forces oper- 
ating against Port Gibson and Vickshurg. Joe 
was on guard duty in the front ditches when the 
flag of surrender was run up on the 4th of July, 
and stuck the bayonet of his gun into the embank- 
ment and went into the city with the vanguard of 
Union soldiers. 

The next day, July 5, the Thirty-third joined 
the force after Johnston, who had been threatening 
Grant's rear; and finally an assault was made on him 
at Jackson, Miss. In this charge "Private Joe" fell, 
terribly wounded. He was loading his gun, when 
a minie-ball struck him and passed entirely 
through his body. He was regarded as mortally 
wounded. His brother, George, who had been 
made a Lieutenant, proved to be the means of sav- 
ing his life. The Surgeon told him that unless he 
had ice his brother could not live. It was fifty miles 
to the nearest point where ice could be obtained, 
and the roads were rough. A comrade^ a McLean 
County man, who had been wounded, offered to 
make the trip. An ambulance was secured and 
the brother soldier started on the journey. He re- 
turned with the ice, but the trip, owing to the 
roughness of the road, was very hard on him. Af- 
ter a few months' careful nursing, Mr. Fifer was able 
to come home. The Thirty-third came home on a 
furlough, and when the boys were ready to return 
to the tented field, young Fifer was ready to go 
with them, for he was determined to finish his 
term of three years. He was mustered out in Oct- 
ober, 1864, having been in the service three years 
and two months. 

"Private Joe" came out of the army a tall, tan- 
ned, and awkward young man of twenty-four. 
About all he possessed was ambition to be some- 
body and pluck. Though at an age when most 
men have finished their college course, the young 
soldier saw that if he was to be anybody he must 
have an education. Yet he had no means to ena- 
ble him to enter school as most young men do. 
lie was determined to have an education, however, 
and that to him meant success. For the following 
four years he struggled with his books. He en- 



tered Wesleyan University January 1, 1865. He 
was not a brilliant student, being neither at the 
head nor at the foot of his class. He was in great 
earnest, however, studied hard and came forth with 
a well-stored and disciplined mind. 

Immediately after being graduated, he entered 
an office at Bloomington as a law student. He 
had previously read law a little, and as he continued 
to work hard, with the spur of poverty and prompt- 
ings of ambition ever with him, he was ready to 
hang out his professional shingle in 1869. Being 
trustworthy, he soon gathered about him some in- 
fluential friends. In 1871 he was elected Corpora- 
tion Counsel of Bloomington. In 1872 he was 
elected State's Attorney of McLean County. This 
office he held eight years, when he took his seat in 
the State Senate. He served for four years. His 
ability to perform abundance of hard work made 
him a most valued member of the Legislature. 

Mr. Fifer was married in 1870 to Gertie, daugh- 
ter of William J. Lewis, of Bloomington. Mr. Fifer 
is six feet in height and is spare, weighing only one 
hundred and fifty pounds. He has a swarthy com- 
plexion, keen black eyes, quick movement, and pos- 
sesses a frank and sympathetic nature, and natur- 
lly makes friends wherever he goes. During the 
late gubernatorial campaign his visits throughout 
the State proved a great power in his behalf. His 
faculty of winning the confidence and good wishes 
of those with whom he comes in personal contact 
is a source of great popularity, especially during a 
political battle. As a speaker he is fluent, his lan- 
guage is good, voice clear and agreeable, and man- 
ner forcible. His manifest earnestness in what he 
says, as well as his tact as a public speaker, and his 
eloquent and forceful language, make him a most 
valuable campaign orator and a powerful pleader 
at the bar. At the Republican State Convention, 
held in May, 1888, Mr. Fifer was chosen as its 
candidate for Governor. lie proved a popular 
nominee, and the name of "Private Joe" became 
familiar to everyone throughout the State. He 
waged a vigorous campaign, was elected b3' a good 
majority, and in due time assumed the duties of 
the Chief Executive of Illinois. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
UR6ANA 



GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 



187 




fllfeeld. 





f5OHN P. ALTGELD, the present 
Governor of Illinois, is a native 
of Prussia, born in 1848. Shortly 
after his birth his parents emi- 
grated to 'America, locating on 
a farm near Mansfield, Ohio. 
When but a mere lad, young 
Altgeld had to walk from the 
farm to Mansfield with butter, 
eggs and garden produce, which 
he peddled from house to house. 
About 1856, his parents moved 
to the city of Mansfield, and for 
a time our subject was engaged 
morning and evening in driv- 
ing cattle to and from the pas- 
ture, a distance of eight miles. When fourteen 
years of age he hired out as a farm hand, and con- 
tinued in that avocation the greater* part of his 
time until he was sixteen years of age, when he 
enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Sixty- 
fourth Ohio Infantry, and served until the close of 
the war. On being mustered in, the regiment was 
sent to Washington and was actively engaged in 
the various campaigns in and around that city 
until the surrender of Lee. In the fall of 1864, 
young Altgeld was taken sick, while with his regi- 
ment in the front, and the surgeon desired to send 
him to a hospital in Washington ; but he asked to 



be allowed to remain with the regiment,.and soon 
recovering from his sickness was actively engaged 
until the close of the war. He was mustered out 
at Columbus, Ohio, in the spring of 1865. The 
succeeding summer he worked with his father on 
a farm, during which time he became connected 
with the Sunday-school and was given charge of 
the Bible class. Before entering the army he had 
but very limited educational advantages, having 
attended school but a part of two summers and 
one winter. He had at home, however, studied 
the German language and had become familiar 
with some German authors. Determining to fit 
himself for a useful life, he resolved to attend a 
select school at Lexington, Ohio, and in a little 
eight-by-ten room, meagrely furnished, he kept 
"bachelor's hall," and in time was so far advanced 
that he secured a certificate as teacher, and for 
two years was engaged in that profession. At the 
end of that time he left home and traveled exten- 
sively over the country, working at odd jobs, un- 
til he finally reached Savannah, Mo., where he en- 
tered a law office, and in 1870 was admitted to the 
Bar. In the fall of 1872, he ran as i^rosecuting 
Attorney for Andrews County, Mo., and was de- 
feated by four votes. He ran again in 1874 and 
was elected. But life in the small town of Savan- 
nah was a little too monotonous for him, and he 
determined to locate in Chicago. In October, 



188 



JOHN P. ALTGELD. 



1875, be resigned the office of Prosecuting Attor- 
ney, moved to Chicago, and at once commenced 
the practice of law. For some years after he had 
but little to do with politics, confining himself to 
his practice and dealing in real estate. One year 
after his arrival in Chicago he found himself with- 
out a dollar, and in debt some $400. By a streak of 
good luck, as it might be termed, he won a case in 
court, from which he received a fee of $900, and 
after paying his debt he had $500 left, which he 
invested in real estate. This venture proved a 
successful one, and from that time on the profits 
of one transaction were invested in others, and 
to-day he is numbered among the millionaire resi- 
dents of the great metropolis of the West. 

In 1884, Mr. Altgeld was nominated for Con- 
gress, but was defeated by three thousand votes. 
In 1886, he was nominated and elected Judge of 
the Superior Court of Cook County. His services 
as Judge were such as to commend him to the peo- 
ple. Early in the year 1892, by the solicitation of 



many friends, he announced himself as a candi- 
date for Governor. At the convention held 
April 27, he received the nomination and at once 
entered upon an active canvass. Alone, he traveled 
all over the en tire State, and visited and consulted 
with the leading politicians of every section. He 
made few public speeches, however, until near the 
close of the campaign, but it was very evident that 
he was master of the situation at all times. When 
the votes were counted at the close of election 
day, it was found that he had a majority of the 
votes, and so became the first Democratic Governor 
of Illinois since 1856. 

Born in poverty, alone, single-handed and un- 
aided, he faced the world, and with a determina- 
tion to succeed, he pressed forward, until to-day he 
has a National reputation, and is the envied of 
many. The lesson of his life is worthy of careful 
study by the young, and shows what can be done 
by one who has the desire in his heart to attain a 
front rank among the noted inen of the country. 










MACON COUNTY, 



ILLINOIS. 



4 -gf- r "7 - 

k> 





INTRODUCTORY. 






HE time has arrived when it 
becomes the duty of the 
people of this county to per- 
petuate the names of their 
pioneers, to furnish a record 
of their early settlement, 
and relate the story of their 
progress. The civilization of our 
day, the enlightenment of the age 
and the duty that men of the pres- 
ent time owe to their ancestors, to 
themselves and to their posterity, 
demand that a record of their lives 
and deeds should be made. In bio- 
graphical history is found a power 
to instruct man by precedent, to 
enliven the mental faculties, and 
to waft down the river of time a 
afe vessel in which the names and actions of the 
people who contributed to raise this country from its 
primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly 
the great and aged men, who in their prime entered 
the wilderness and claimed the virgin soil as their 
heritage, are passing to their graves. The number re- 
maining who can relate the incidents of the first days 
jf settlement is becoming small indeed, so that an 
actual necessity exists for the collection and preser- 
vation of events without delay, before all the early 
settlers are cut down by the scythe of Time. 

To be forgotten has been the great dread of mankind 
from remotest ages. All will be forgotten soon enough, 
in spite of their best works and the most earnest 
efforts of their friends to perserve the memory of 
their lives. The means employed to prevent oblivion 
and to perpetuate their memory has been in propor- 
tion to the amount of intelligence they possessed. 
Tin pyramids of Egypt were built to perpetuate the 
names and deeds of their great rulers. The exhu- 
mations made by the archeologists of Egypt from 
buried Memphis indicate a desire of those people 



to perpetuate the memory of their achievements 
The erection of the great obelisks were for the same 
purpose. Coming down to a later period, we find tht 
Greeks and Romans erecting mausoleums and monu- 
ments, and carving out statues to chronicle their 
great achievements and carry them down the ages. 
It is also evident that the Mound-builders, in piling 
up their great mounds of earth, had but this idea 
to leave something to show that they had lived. All 
these works, though many of them costly in the ex- 
treme, give but a faint idea of the lives and charac- 
ters of those whose memory they were intended to 
perpetuate, and scarcely anything of the masses of 
the people that then lived. < The great pyramids and 
some of the obelisks remain objects only of curiosity ; 
the mausoleums, monuments and statues are crum- 
bling into dust. 

It was left to modern ages to establish an intelli- 
gent, undecaying, immutable method of perpetuating 
a full history immutable in that it is almost un- 
limited in extent and perpetual in its action ; and 
this is through the art of printing. 

To the present generation, however, we are in- 
debted for the introduction of the admirable system 
of local biography. By this system every man, though 
he has not achieved what the world calls greatness, 
has the means to perpetuate his life, his history, 
through the coming ages. 

The scythe of Time cuts down all ; nothing of the 
physical man is left. The monument which his chil- 
dren or friends may erect to his memory in the ceme* 
tery will crumble into dust and pass away; but his 
life, his achievements, the work he has accomplished, 
which otherwise would be forgotten, is perpetuated 
by a record of this kind. 

To preserve the lineaments of our companions we 
engrave their portraits, for the same reason we col- 
lect the attainable facts of their history. Nor do we 
think it necessary, as we speak only truth of them, to 
wait until they are dead, or until those who know 
them are gone: to do this we are ashamed only to 
publish to the world the history of those whose live? 
are unworthy of public record. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 



<9J@ 




BIOGRAPHICAL. 





ON. EDWARD O. SMITH, deceased, was 
not only one of Decatnr's pioneer settlers, 
but was for many years its most prominent, 
progressive and public-spirited citizen. He 
witnessed its growth from a mere hamlet to a pros- 
perous cit3' of nearly twenty thousand inhabitants. 
In all the years of his long residence here he was 
ever foremost in promoting the best interests of 
the place, and did more than any other man to 
secure to the eity its numerous lines of railroad and 
its substantial prosperity. Whether acting in the 
capacity of an humble mechanic, sagacious busi- 
ness man or wise legislator, the welfare of Decatur 
was kept constantly in view. To such men the 
city is indebted for its present importance, and the 
BIOGRAPHICAL REUSED of Macon County would be 
incomplete without some extended mention of one 
whose history was so inseparably connected with 
the upbuilding of city and county. 

Mr. Smith was a native of Montgomery County, 
Md., his birth having occurred April 15, 1817, and 
he was the fourth child in a family of six chil- 
dren born unto Rev. James and Rachel (Owen) 
Smith. Rev. Mr. Smith was a native Virginian, 
and a distinguished minister of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, who had preached in Baltimore 
and Philadelphia. He died in 1825. His wife 
was a native of Montgomery- County, Md., and 
survived her husband but a few years. Their 
children were early left orphans and were taken 
charge of for some years by their maternal grand- 
mother, Mrs. Rachel Owen, a noble and capable 
woman. Under her judicious guidance Edward 



passed the years of his boyhood in work and play, 
and, having improved the few meagre school priv- 
ileges to be had at that time, he made his way, at 
the age of fifteen, to Washington, D. C., where for 
about two years he served as clerk in a store. The 
time spent in that city brought but a small return 
in the way of salary, but the surroundings were 
such as to make a deep impression on the mind of 
a thoughtful and observant lad. This was during 
the first term of Gen. Jackson's administration, 
when the President was fighting the United States 
Bank with tremendous energy. At this time. 
1832, a panic was spreading through the land, the 
credit system was crumbling to pieces, and curses 
loud and deep were rained upon the head of "Old 
Hickory.'' The threatened nullification of the 
tariff laws by South Carolina, and Jackson's vehe- 
ment declaration and stamping out of incipient 
rebellion, were another vivid lesson in politics. 
Calhoun, Clay, Webster and Benton, the political 
Titans of the time, were to be seen and heard at 
their best as they contended in the political arena. 
It is not strange that with such surroundings 
Edward O. Smith, being at the most impressiona- 
ble age, had his mind strongly tuned to political 
and constitutional questions, and that his whole 
subsequent life was colored by that early environ- 
ment. Mr. Smith's active life on his own responsi- 
bility began just as the great wave of emigration 
dashed over the Alleghanies. The wave brought 
him with it, and he afterwards went with the first 
breaker over the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra 
Nevadas. In the aulumn of 1834, at the age of 



196 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



seventeen, the self-reliant lad, with his worldly 
effects in a bundle across his shoulder, and his 
entire hard-earned cash capital of $19 in his trous- 
ers pocket, journeyed on foot, following the old 
National Road across the mountains to Ohio, then 
a frontier State. After a tramp of five hundred 
miles, he halted .at Springfield, Ohio, where he 
learned the carpenter's trade with Samuel Price. 
Some throat trouble coming on, he concluded to 
try the prairie, and took up his westward journey 
again. He worked for a time in Montezuma, Ind., 
and for a year in Terre Haute. In May, 1837, he 
found himself in Decatur, where he lost not a mo- 
ment of time in doing his part in the building up 
of the town. Though but twenty years of age, he 
entered at once upon the erection of a hotel, a 
mill and other buildings, the site of which was 
then in the midst of heavy timber. Although Mr. 
Smith's time was much occupied in building and 
other business pursuits, he devoted his spare mo- 
ments assiduously to reading, and thus acquired a 
liberal education, or rather possessed himself of a 
fund of varied and useful information. He kept 
himself posted on the public questions of the day. 
His ability and integrity were soon recognized by 
the people and he became an important factor in 
State as well as local affairs. He went quietly on 
with his building operations, with unshaken faith 
in the destiny of the State, and, steadily investing 
his profits in land and improving the same, con- 
tinued in active business in Decatur for sixteen 
years. In his different business enterprises he was 
successful, but while he loved to make money he 
did not let its power harden his heart or warp his 
judgment. Surrounded by a societj- that had a 
superstitious dread of such an innovation, he built 
a theatre and dedicated it to Free Speech, a dedi- 
cation that money could not induce him to dis- 
honor. 

In 1843, Mr. Smith married Miss Harriet Krone, 
a native of Lewisberry, York County, Pa., born 
September 11, 1826, and a daughter of David and 
Ruth (Worley) Krone, who were natives of the 
Keystone State. In 1839 they came to Decatur, 
where they kept a hotel, at which Mr. Smith 
boarded, and it was there that the acquaintance 
led to marriage. Though Miss Krone was but 



seventeen years of age when married, she proved a 
sensible, faithful and tender wife and mother. 
Hers was indeed a busy life. The rearing of a 
large family at that time meant much of which the 
present generation has but little conception. 
Among the pioneers many kinds of work, from 
butchering to coloring and weaving, were done at 
home. Workmen on the farm or in the shop 
usually boarded with their employers, and politi- 
cians, preachers, peddlers and friends were fre- 
quent callers, and usually made it a point to stop 
all night. All this meant a vast amount of work 
and worry for the mistress of the house, but pa- 
tiently and uncomplainingly she made the sacri- 
fices demanded of her, looking well to the ways of 
her household and promoting her husband's inter- 
ests in every possible way. During his absence in 
California on two different occasions of three years 
each, she not only had the care of the large family, 
but had to look after his property and business 
affairs, and this, combined with the added anxiety 
and suspense regarding his whereabouts and safety,- 
made her life no easy one. Faithful to every 
trust committed to her, and wise and judicious in 
her management of the home, credit is largely due 
to her for their success in accumulating a compe- 
tency. Her useful life was characterized by many 
acts of kindness and charity, and her home was 
the abode of genuine, open-handed hospitality. 

Mrs. Smith became the mother of four sons and 
six daughters, all of whom grew to manhood and 
womanhood, and with one exception all are living 
at this writing. Rachel R., widow of Judge A. J. 
Gallagher, resides in New York. James D. lives in 
Roseburg, Ore. Lydia A. married Aquilla Toland, 
and after his death married George B. McKee, of 
San Jose, Cal. M. Ella is the wife of Rev. S. S. 
Hebbard, of Viroqua, Wis. Harriet is the wife of 
Frank Moore, of Decatur. Laura S. is the wife of 
E. Lester Brown, of Elmwood, 111. Edward O. 
resides near Moweaqua, 111. Lowell A. is near 
Dalton City, III. Gertrude is the widow of George 
W. Waltz, of LaFayette, Cal.; and Thomas C. died 
in San Jose, Cal., at the age of twenty-four. The 
mother of this familj' died January 16, 1867. For 
his second wife, on the 15th of April, 1869, Mr. 
Smith married Mrs. Catherine Hillman, of Elm- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



197 



wood, 111., and the fruit of this marriage was one 
daughter, Kathryne, living with her mother in San 
lose, Cal. Mrs. Smith is a daughter of the late 
Hiram Brown, of Cummington, Mass., and is one 
of the Board of Lady Managers of the California 
World's Fair Commission. 

In 1847, Mr. Smith was elected a member of the 
Illinois Constitutional Convention, representing 
Piatt and Macon Counties. In 1848, he was the 
Whig candidate for State Senator for the central 
counties of the State, and was elected by a flatter- 
ing majority. One of his first efforts in the Senate 
was to secure, through resolutions of the State 
Legislature, a donation from the National Gov- 
ernment of lands for the construction of the Illi- 
nois Central and the Northern Cross (now the Wa- 
bash) Railroads. This was successful so far as the 
Illinois Central was concerned, and to Mr. Smith 
belongs the credit of taking the first steps in that 
great project. He was active in securing for Macon 
County several of her railroads, and was an in cor- 
porator and original director of one of them. While 
in the Constitutional Convention, he was one of 
the authors of the special provision, adopted by a 
separate vote, levying a two-mill tax to liquidate 
the State debt. This proved to be a wise measure, 
for the State bonds, which had fallen to thirty per 
cent., were soon taken by eastern capitalists at par. 

Mr. Smith made a number of overland trips to 
California for the benefit of his health, usually 
taking with him droves of cattle and horses. At 
that time such a journey was full of ad venture and 
often of suffering and danger. He first went in 
1853. Remaining on the Coast a few years, he 
realized liberal profits from his ventures and re- 
turned to Decatur and erected a number of busi- 
ness buildings. In 1858, business being in a 
depressed condition, he started on a second trip to 
California. On his return to Decatur in 1861, 
after an absence of three years, Mr. Smith was 
elected Mayor of the city, and, this being the first 
year of the Rebellion, the duties of the office were 
unusually important. Many regiments of soldiers 
were fed at the city's expense, and new questions 
were constantly arising which required prompt 
attention. During the war he did all in his power 
as un official to assist the Union cause, and also 



contributed liberally of his own means. He sup- 
ported Lincoln for re-election, but after the war 
acted with the Democratic party. He made one 
exception, however, and always voted for Gen. R. 
J. Oglesby at every opportunity, for between these 
two there existed from their first acquaintance in 
1837 a warm and intimate friendship that quite 
bridged the chasm of politics. He was well 
acquainted with prominent men of the State, 
including Lincoln, Douglas, Palmer, Trumbull, 
Logan and Yates, and was not unworthy to stand 
among them. 

In 1870, Mr. Smith removed to California and 
for the remaining years of his life made San Jose 
his home, where he was held in high esteem. As 
he had a hand in the formation of the constitu- 
tion of Illinois, so he now took a seat in the Con- 
stitutional Convention of California, and found 
work there well suited to his taste and capacity. 
Mr. Smith was a public-spirited man, a genjuine 
patriot. Never an office-seeker, he faithfully filled 
the responsible positions to which he was called 
by the popular voice. To him belongs the rare 
distinction of having been selected to assist in 
framing the constitution of two great States of 
the Union Illinois and California. His business 
sagacity was always freely devoted to the unsel- 
fish advancement of public interest. No man did 
more than he in planning and constructing the 
network of railways to which the thriving city of 
Decatur largely owes her prosperity. Without the 
advantages of a higher education in his youth, he 
was a man of rare intelligence, well informed, a 
reader of good books, thoughtful, with a wide and 
deep interest in all that concerned the welfare of 
humanity. He was broad and liberal in all his 
views, a man who did his own thinking and qui- 
etly shaped his own creed, counting Truth as of 
equal authority, come from where it would. He 
was not only successful in this world's affairs, but 
had an abiding confidence in our continued iden- 
tity in another world, which is closely bound to 
this, and that bonds of love and friendship formed 
here are not sundered by death. In his domestic 
relations, Mr. Smith was exceedingly fortunate and 
happy. Toward his wife and children he was a 
model of thoughtful affection and generosity. He 



198 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



EW1S F. SKELLEY, the popular and erti- 
c * ent C'ty Clerk of Decatur, who is now 
serving his second term in that ollice, has 
lived in the city for twenty -two years. He came 
here from Goshen, Ind., his birth having occurred 




gave to them with a liberal hand of the wealth 
that he had accumulated by his toil and enterprise. 
The strong points of his character were what might 
be termed the heroic type. He was fearlessly j 
loyal to his convictions of truth and to hjs sense 
of duty. In the presence of danger he was uncon- 
scious of fear, and bore the severest trials with 
unyielding fortitude. In journeys across thou- 
sands of miles of unbroken wilderness, infested by 
bands of hostile Indians, and beset by dangers un- 
dreamed of, and by privations under which the 
stoutest hearts were often overcome, his bravery 
and fortitude saved his own life and that of many 
others. He threw his strong arm of protection 
around whomsoever he chanced to meet in need of 
succor, and shared With them his last morsel of 
food. He made no profession. His life was his 
creed. His political career was clean, and he was 
known as a man who could not be corrupted. His 
influence could not be purchased. However much 
he might be mistaken he was honest. In the fall 
of 1889, with his wife and youngest daughter, he 
carried out the dream of his life, crossed the At- 
lantic and made an extended tour of Europe, vis- 
iting many of the chief points of interest, his trip 
including a visit to the Paris Exposition and the 
world-renowned Passion Play. On his many jour- 
neys he was chary of good-bye scenes, preferring 
to start on a trip across the continent as though 
he was going to a neighbor's, and it was in pathetic 
keeping that his departure on the mystic journey 
was instant and without a parting word. He 
passed away suddenly of heart disease March 8, 
1892, at his home in San Jose, and three days later 
his remains were interred in Oak Hill Cemetery. 



on a farm near that place February 22, 1853. His 
father, Walter Skelle3", was a native of Ireland, 
who, crossing the briny deep, took up his residence 
in the Hoosier State. He crossed the Atlantic in 
1826, landing in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Upon 
a farm near Goshen he resided until some sixteen 
years ago, when he died at the age of eighty. His 
wife had passed away five weeks previous, in her 
seventy-third year. They had been married fifty- 
one years. 

Our subject is the youngest of their twelve 
children, ten of whom grew to manhood and 
womanhood and are still living. William now 
makes his home in Napa City, Cal.; Francis, who 
formerly engaged in the grocery business in Deca- 
tur, is now a farmer of Decatur Township; Patrick 
is living with his brother Lawrence in De Witt, 
Iowa; Mary is the wife of Ed Perry, of Omaha, 
Neb.; Matthew is engaged in farming in Elkhart, 
Ind.; Lawrence carries on agricultural pursuits 
near De Witt, Iowa; John makes his home in De- 
catur; Isabel is the wife of George Ptirl, of Goshen, 
Ind.; Teresa is the wife of John Collins, of Goshen; 
and Lewis completes the family. 

Upon his father's farm in the Hoosier State our 
subject was reared to manhood, and in the com- 
mon schools of the neighborhood acquired a good 
education. His two brothers, Francis and John, 
had rem&ved to Decalur about the close of the 
war, and in 1871 they were joined by our subject, 
then a young man of eighteen years. Here he se- 
cured employment as a salesman with the firm of 
Milligan & Skelley, who were doing a grocery 
business, and continued in their store for two 
years. He was then employed in the book store 
of M. D. Coffeen and continued to devote his en- 
ergies to that business for several years. In the 
mean time Mr. Milligan sold out his interest in the 
grocery store to our subject, and in 1879 the firm 
name was changed to Skelley & Co., and he did 
business along that line until the spring of 1882. 

On the 20th of August, 1878, Mr. Skelley was 
joined in marriage with Miss Mary De Courcey, 
daughter of Patrick and Catherine De Courcey, of 
Decatur. They have become the parents of three 
sons, two of whom are living: Arthur, a lad of 
thirteen years; and Lewis, eight years of age. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



199 



.lames, the second son, died at the age of nine 
years. The Skelley family have a pleasant and 
comfortable home at No. 954 East William Street. 
Our subject entered upon his official career in 
December, 1882, when he went into the County 
Clerk's office, serving as Deputy under George P. 
Hardy, with whom he continued up* to the time of 
his election to the office of City Clerk, in 1891. 
In the spring of that year he was nominated on 
the Republican ticket, being opposed by F. C. 
Betzer, and although he had to overcome quite a 
strong Democratic majority he won the contest by 
a vote of one hundred and ninety-six. So faith- 
fully did he fill the office that in 1893 he was again 
nominated by his party and won the election over 
C. W. Montgomery by a majority of fifty. The 
promptness and fidelity which he manifested in 
the discharge of his duties have won him warm 
commendation. 



yMLLIAM C. OUTTEN, who is engaged in 
the practice of law as a member of the 
firm of Outten & Page, of Decatur, is a 
prominent member of the Macon County Bar, and 
the liberal patronage which he receives attests his 
skill and ability. His entire life has been passed 
in this State, his birth having occurred in Cass 
County July 23, 1843. His father, Purnel Stout 
Outten, was a native of Fayette County, Ky., and 
throughout the greater part of his life has followed 
farming and stock-raising. He married Rachel R. 
Berry, who was born in Virginia, and they became 
the parents of four children: Mary, wife of R. D. 
Wilson, of Decatur; Rachel, deceased; and Will- 
iam and Sarah, deceased. The mother died in 
1846, and in 1848 Mr. Outten married Mary J., 
daughter of George and Lydia Ross, of Cass 
County, 111. They had one child, George T., who 
was married, and died leaving two children, George 
C. and Cora B. The father of our subject came 
to Illinois in 1836, locating in Cass Count}', where 
he made his home until the spring of 1853, when 



he came to Macon County. He had entered four 
hundred acres of land here in 1836, and in 1853 
he built a house and began the development of his 
farm. Through his energy and good judgment he 
has been successful, and is one of the wealthiest 
men of Mt. Zion Township. His second wife hav- 
ing died April 27, 1893, he is now, in his eighty- 
fourth year, residing with his daughter, Mrs. R. D. 
Wilson, in Decatur, III. He has been a life-long 
member of the Methodist Church, and for many 
years was an office-holder in that organization. 

Thomas Outten, the grandfather of our subject, 
was a native of Virginia. He was a farmer and 
stock-trader, and died in middle life in Kentucky. 
William Berry, the maternal grandfather, was also 
a Virginian by birth, and became a pioneer of 
Cass County, 111., where he died when past the age 
of four-score years. 

William C. Outten lived in the county of his 
nativity until his tenth year, when with the fam- 
ily he came to this county. He was reared to 
manhood upon a farm, and in the common district 
schools acquired his primary education, which was 
supplemented by study in the Mt. Zion Academy. 
He afterward attended the Wesleyan University of 
Bloomington, 111. Returning to Macon County 
on the completion of his course, he embarked in 
farming during the summer season, while in the 
winter he taught school for five months. He then 
devoted his energies exclusively to agricultural 
pursuits until the spring of 1873, when he removed 
to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he remained for two 
years engaged in the study of law. On his return 
to Decatur he entered the law office of Nelson <fe 
Roby, and afterward became a partner in the firm. 
On Mr. Nelson's election to the position of Cir- 
cuit Judge, he continued with Mr. Roby, under 
the firm name of Roby & Outten, for a year, when 
E. P. Vail, the present Circuit Judge, was admitted 
to partnership. Business was then carried on un- 
der the style of Roby, Outten & Vail until the 
spring of 1881, when Mr. Roby retired. The two 
remaining partners carried on operations together 
until 1888, when Mr. Vail was elected to the 
Bench. Mr. Outten was then alone in practice 
until 1889, when the present firm of Outten & 
Page was established. Our subject has occupied 



200 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



one office room since 1875. It is located at No. 
207 South Park Street, and he enjoys a liberal 
patronage. 

The home of Mr. Outtcn is situated at No. 570 
West Prairie Street, and is presided over by an 
accomplished lady, to whom he gave his name 
September 28, 1865. In her maidenhood she was 
Miss Sarah Farrell, daughter of William E. and 
Anna D. (Ross) Farrell, of Macon County. Three 
children were born unto them, but all are now de- 
ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Outten hold an enviable 
position in social circles, and are members of the 
First Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he 
serves as Trustee. His temperance principles have 
led him to espouse the cause of the Prohibition 
party. In addition to his home he owns a farm 
of one hundred and twenty acres near Henry 
City, 111., and another tract of twenty acres in the 
same locality. Mr. Outten is a man of firm con- 
victions, inflexible in support of what he believes 
to be right, and his honorable, upright career has 
gained him universal regard. 



STEBBINS KING,M. D., of Decatur, is not 
only well known to the medical profession 
and in social circles of this community, but 
is a gentleman and scholar of high attain- 
ments, who of late years has devoted much time 
to the study of metaphysics and psychology. He 
is the author of the "Black Spectre," published 
in "Godey's Lady.'s Book" in January, 1892, and 
has been the contributor of several interesting 
articles to the "Arena,"among others a metaphysi- 
cal story entitled "George Wentworth," which 
will appear in the September or October number 
of that magazine. Its sequel, "Lucile Gastrell," 
will be published in the near future. These 
articles set forth great metaphysical truths, clothed 
in a romantic covering. 

The father of our subject is A. C. King, a re- 
tired merchant of Le RO3', McLean County, 111. He 
is still a hale and hearty man at this writing 



(1893), although he has reached the age of ninety 
years. He was born in Sufh'eld, Conn., May 20, 
1803, and in 1830 removed to Terre Haute, Ind., 
where he engaged in merchandising. The follow- 
ing year he returned to Hatfield, Mass.. and mar- 
ried Emeline F. Stebbins, a native of Springfield, 
that State, who was born January 30, 1811. Bring- 
ing his young wife to the West, he continued in 
business in Terre Haute until 1837. In 1848 he 
went into business in Toronto, Ind., and in 1851 
he opened a merchandise establishment in Le Roy, 
111., where he is still living. His wife died at 
Terre Haute, Ind., October 21, 1842. There were 
three children born of that union: James, of this 
sketch; William Rose, who was born September 
5, 1838, and died October 1, 1849; and Caroline 
Rose, born September 13, 1840. For his second 
wife, Mr. King wedded Mrs. Bonnell, and unto 
them were born two children: Ellen Amelia, who 
was born January 4, 1845, and died in 1875: and 
Edward William, who was born July 22, 1848, 
and is a merchant of Le Roy. In 1875, Mr. King 
married Mrs. Emeline Cochrane, with whom he is 
still living. 

We now take up the personal history of the 
Doctor, who was born in Terre Haute, Ind., May 
9, 1836. He there attended school, and during 
vacations clerked in his father's store. He after- 
ward engaged in teaching for about three years, 
and in 1856 began the study of medicine with Drs. 
Noble and Coleman, of Le Roy, 111. He attended 
lectures at Rush Medical College, of Chtbago, in 
1858 and 1859, and in the winter of 1859-60 at- 
tended the Medical College of Ohio, in Cincinnati, 
from which he was graduated the following spring. 
Immediately afterward, he was elected physician 
at the Hotel for Invalids in Cincinnati. Later, 
he began practice in Lemont, Cook County, and 
was there married, December 31, 1860, to Miss 
Mary E. Carter, who was born at St. Catharines, 
Ontario, then Upper Canada. Her father, John 
Carter, died when she was quite small, and she 
was reared by her uncle, John Telyea, of Lemont. 

In 1863, the Doctor left his home and practice 
and entered the army as a surgeon, serving until 
November, 1865, when he resigned his position. 
For the first six months he was surgeon in charge 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



201 



of the Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, after which he 
was on duty as post surgeon at Vicksburg, whence 
he was transferred to Natchez, Miss., where he was 
in charge of the Officers' General Hospital, as well 
as the United States General Hospital. He was also 
military health officer of the city, and while still 
wearing the blue opened an office in Natchez, 
where he remained ten years. He enjoyed a large 
practice and gained the friendship and respect of 
man}' Southern people while still in the army. 

It was while in Natchez that Dr. King was 
made a Mason. Becoming impressed with the 
beauties of Masonry while an army surgeon, he 
wished to unite with the order, and one day he 
happened to speak about joining to Samuel Stew- 
art, of the Andrew Jackson Lodge of Natchez, 
saying that he presumed he wcrald have to send 
his application North and be elected there before 
lie could have the degrees conferred at Natchez. 
Mr. Stewart assured Dr. King that that would not 
be necessary, and that he could be elected there, 
for, although the lodge was largely composed of 
Confederate soldiers. Masonry knew no North 
and no South. His fellow-citizens of Natchez 
also prevailed upon the Doctor to accept the posi- 
tion of editor of the Natchez Courier, a tri-weekly, 
which advocated the colonization of the negro, 
and in connection with his regular practice he 
served on the editorial department of that paper 
for two years. 

At the earnest solicitation of his wife's people, 
Dr. King returned to the North and resumed prac- 
tice in Decatur May 4, 1874. He and his wife 
have a pleasant home at No. 844 North Water 
Street. They have two children: Cora Belle, wife 
of Frank P. Roach, a dry-goods merchant of De- 
catur; and Le Roy Carleton, who is United States 
agent for the California Fig Syrup Company. 

The Doctor belongs to the Medical Society of 
Central Illinois, and is also a member of the Capi- 
tal City Medical Society, and of the Illinois Army 
and Navy Medical Association. He has been very 
successful in his practice and thereby has gained a 
handsome competency, so that hereafter he in- 
tends to devote much of his time to literary pur- 
suits, making a study of metaphysics. He is an 
associate member of the Society for Psychical Re- 




search, an international organization, composed 
of the leading scientific men of England, France 
and the United States. His wife is Secretary of 
the Chautauqua Circle and of the Woman's Club, 
and devotes much of her time to literature. The 
Doctor and his wife are members of Grace 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and our subject is a 
prominent Mason, having taken high degrees in 
that fraternity. In politics, he is a supporter of 
the Prohibition party. 



-., LFRED N. DIEIIL holds a responsible 
Jl position as foreman of the Hatfield Mill- 
ing Company, of Decatur. He is a man 
of good business ability, industrious and 
enterprising, who has been connected with this 
mill since 1876, and has long served as its foreman. 
His seventeen years' connection with the company 
indicates his faithfulness to duty and the confi- 
dence reposed in him by his employers. 

Mr. Dichl is a native of the Keystone State, his 
birth having occurred on the 24th of December, in 
York County. The family is of German descent 
and was founded in America at an early day. The 
grandfather of our subject, Jacob Diehl, was a na- 
tive of Pennsylvania, and was a farmer, miller and 
distiller. He died when past the age of four-score 
years. Charles Diehl, the father of our subject, 
was also born in the same State, and became a 
prominent farmer of York County. He enlisted 
in the Mexican War, but saw no active service. 
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Leah 
Luthman, was of English descent. They were 
both members of the German Lutheran Church. 
The father died in 1873, at the age of seventy -six 
years, and his wife, who survived him until 1876, 
passed away at the age of sixty-five. They had a 
family of seven sons and six daughters, and with 
the exception of two who died in infancy all 
reached adult age. Those still living are Lucinda, 
Anna, Susanna, Jacob, Amanda, Rachel, Charles, 
Alfred N. and Edgar. 



202 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



We find that the subject of our sketch was edu- 
cated in the public schools of his native count}' 
and remained in Pennsylvania until seventeen 
years of age. He then followed Horace Greeley's 
advice and came to the West. It was in the fall 
of 1861 that he arrived in Illinois, locating in De- 
catur. In June of the following year, prompted 
by patriotic impulses and a desire to aid in the 
preservation of the Union, he entered the service 
of his country as a member of Company I, Sixty- 
eighth Illinois Infantry, for three months, and 
when his term had expired was mustered out, in 
September, 1862. He then returned to Pennsyl- 
vania, where lie began learning the miller's trade, 
but about this time Gen. Lee invaded the State, 
and he resolved to again take up arms in defense 
of his country. His parents opposing this, he 
went to Indiana, and after working on a farm for 
a short time enlisted in Company A, Eleventh 
Indiana Cavalry, with which he served through 
all the campaigns until after the cessation of 
hostilities. He was frequently engaged in scout- 
ing duty, and participated in the battles of Nash- 
ville and Spring Hill. In June, 1865, the regi- 
ment was ordered to Kansas to guard the Indians, 
until a treaty had been made which insured peace. 
They then guarded railroads and overland trains, 
which were seldom safe from attack in those days. 

After the war Mr. Diehl returned to Decatur, 
and resumed the milling trade, being in the em- 
ploy of D. S. Shellabarger & Co. for nine years. 
He then spent one year in Pekin, 111., holding an 
interest in the mill, which was destroyed by fire in 
the spring of 1876. On his return to Decatur, he 
associated himself with George Priest & Co., own- 
ers of a burrmill. In 1881 and 1882, he superin- 
tended the erection of a new mill, which was sup- 
plied with a new roller process, eighteen double 
sets of rolls, with a capacity of four hundred 
barrels of flour per day. In 1883 it became the 
property of John Hatfield & Co., and in 1888 the 
style of the firm was changed to the Hatfield Mill- 
ing Company, under which name business is now 
conducted. 

On the 9th of April, 1872, Mr. Diehl was mar- 
ried to Miss Annie Garvcr, daughter of David and 
Anna (Melhorn) Carver, who came from Penn- 



sylvania to Macon County in an early day. Soci- 
ally, Mr. Diehl is a member of Dunham Post No. 
141, G. A. R. In politics, he is a stanch supporter 
of the Republican party, and served as Alderman 
of the Fourth Ward from 1882 until 1884. His 
hopes of benefiting his financial condition by emi- 
grating to the West have been realized, for he has 
met with fair success during his residence in Illi- 
nois. 




ASSIDY CHENOWETH, M. D., has engaged 
in the practice of medicine in Decatur since 
1869. He was graduated from Rush Medi- 
cal College on the 3d of February of that yenr, 
and immediately took up his life work in this city, 
where his father, Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, had al- 
ready gained an enviable reputation as one of the 
leading physicians of Macon County. Our subject 
was the elder child and only son of that veteran 
practitioner. His sister, Eliza, is the widow of 
Richard Piper, who was a photographer, and per- 
haps the most popular artist that has ever lived in 
Decatur. He was killed several years ago by be- 
ing thrown from a buggy while visiting in Ken- 
tucky. Mrs. Piper now makes her home with her 
father. 

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch 
was born on the 28th of March, 1848, at Poplar 
Plains, Fleming Count}', Ky., and was brought by 
his parents to Illinois when a lad of six years. 
He was reared to manhood in this city, and in the 
earlier days knew every man, woman and child 
living in this place. He attended the public 
schools, but his health was delicate and he left 
school for a time, going out on his father's 
farm, in the northwestern part of the county. As 
a child he learned a great deal about medicine in 
his father's office, and from his seventeenth year 
he has been a close student of mediciue and sur- 
gery. Choosing its practice as his life work, he 
entered Rush Medical College and was graduated, 
as before stated. In order to further perfect him- 
self, he went to Europe in 1873, and spent about 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



203 



six months in London, attending the hospitals of 
that city. He made a specialty of the study of 
throat and lung diseases, and has excellent success 
in practice along that line. In the following fall 
he returned to Decatur. He has earned his well- 
deserved popularity through his skill and ability, 
and is enjoying a large and lucrative practice. 
The Chenoweths are by popular consent the lead- 
ing physicians of the Hub City. 
* The lady who now bears the name of Mrs. Chen- 
oweth was, in her maiden hood, Miss Harriet M. 
Honn, daughter of Samuel Franklin Honn, of 
Chicago, and a sister of Mrs. Mary Belle Freeley, 
the author of "Fair to Look Upon." Their family 
numbers only two children: William James, a 
young man of twenty-one years; and Bruce H., 
who is studying law with Charles C. La Forge, of 
Decatur. 

Dr. Chenoweth is a member of the Illinois Med- 
ical Society, the Macon County Medical Society, 
and the District Medical Society of Central Illi- 
nois. He is also connected with the leading clubs 
of the city, and holds membership with Macon 
Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 
21, H. A. M.; and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 
9, K. T. In polities he is a stalwart Republican. 
He is recognized as one of the leading and influen- 
tial citizens of Decatur, for he always takes a 
prominent part in everything pertaining to the 
welfare of the community and the promotion of 
those enterprises which will advance the educa- 
tional, moral and social interests of the place. 



eHARLES M. FARNHAM, who devotes his 
time and attention to agricultural pursuits, 
is the owner of a good farm on section 5, 
Milan Township. He was born on the 17th of 
February, 1851, in Tunbridge, Vt., and was the 
youngest in a family of three children, two sons 
and a daughter. Hebbard, the eldest child, is now 
engaged in agricultural pursuits in the Green 
Mountain State, and the sister died in infancy. 



The father of our subject, Milo Farnham, was also 
born in Vermont and was of Welsh descent. His 
grandfather came from Wales to this country in 
Colonial days and served as a soldier in the Rev- 
olutionary War, valiant!}' aiding the Colonies in 
their struggle for independence. Milo Farnham 
was a mechanic by trade and spent his entire life 
in the State of his nativity, where lie died at the 
age of forty-five years. His wife, who was of 
English lineage, was also a native of Vermont, and 
was called to the home beyond when sixty-two 
years of age. 

We now take up the personal history of our 
subject, whose well and worthily spent life de- 
serves a place in this volume. He was only about 
a year old at the time of his father's death, and 
then went to live with his grandparents, with 
whom he remained until fourteen years of age. 
He then began earning his own livelihood by 
working as a farm hand by the month, and was 
thus employed for several years, when, in connec- 
tion with his brother, lie purchased a small farm, 
which together they cultivated until 1877. In 
that year Mr. Faruham sold his interest in the 
farm to his brother, and, coining to Illinois, sought 
a home in Macon County, where he has since 
resided. He hoped to better his financial condi- 
tion by this remove, and his hope has been realized. 

After his arrival in this State, Mr. Farnham 
again worked as a farm hand by the month for a 
period of two years, after which he rented land 
for five years. It was in Moultrie County that 
he first purchased a farm, and he carried on its 
cultivation and development for six years. When 
that period had passed by he sold his land and, 
coming to Macon County, his next purchase made 
him the possessor of the farm on which he now 
resides. It comprises eighty acres of arable land, 
and its well-tilled fields yield to the owner a 
golden tribute in return for the care and cultiva- 
tion he bestows upon them. 

In October, 1883, Mr. Farnham was married to 
Miss Ollie Bromley, of this county, a daughter of 
Brcwel and Laura Bromley. One child has been 
born of their union, Maude, a little maiden of two 
summers, who is the delight of the household and 
the joy of her parents. In his political faith, Mr, 



204 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Farnham is a Republican. His wife is a member 
of the Baptist Church, and to its support he con- 
tributes liberally, giving freely of his means, as he 
does to all other enterprises calculated to promote 
the general welfare or aid in the upbuilding of the 
county. 




ULLIVAN BURGESS, City Engineer of De- 
catur, is one of the honored pioneers -of 
this county and also one of the pioneers 
in railroad work in Illinois. Hehassuper- 
intended the construction of hundreds of miles of 
road in this State and surveyed as much more. 
When we see that it is only through the railway 
system that the great West has been opened, and 
that thereby Illinois has become one of the first 
States in the Union, we see how much is due to 
those pioneers of railroad construction. 

The life of our subject has been an eventful one. 
He was born in old Concord, Mass., June 6, 1828, 
in the old Wright Tavern, where Maj. Pitcairn, 
who commanded the British troops, made his head- 
quarters and stirred the historical glass of wine 
with his bleeding fingers, swearing that he would 
make the Yankees bleed worse than that. The 
youth of Mr. Burgess was passed in the cultured 
atmosphere which surrounded Concord, then the 
home of Thoreau, the Alcotts, Nathaniel Hawthorne 
and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was a great favor- 
ite of the last-named, who was a great lover of 
children. Mr. Burgess' father kept the livery stable 
and often drove Emerson to Boston. The parents 
of our subject, Silaj and Ann (Eaton) Burgess, were 
both descended from old Puritan families, and 
named their son in honor of Gen. Sullivan. He 
acquired a most excellent education in the fine 
schools of Concord, from which he was graduated. 
At the age of eighteen lie engaged with an engi- 
neering corps, employed in the survey of the Ver- 
mont Central Railroad, and in the winter of 1849 
he carried the chain across the river to Montreal 
for the Victoria Bridge, crossing on the ice, which 



was then full of holes, making the trip a very dan- 
gerous one. 

In the fall of 1852, having become assistant en- 
gineer in charge of construction, Mr. Burgess went 
to Springfield, 111., with the chief engineer, Col. 
Carter, to engage in the survey of the Wabash 
Railroad. The only road in the capital city at that 
time was one running from Meredosia to Spring- 
field, a distance of fifty miles. It was made of old 
strap iron rail. In December of that year they ran f 
line to Decatur, and with a party of surveyors Mr. 
Burgess came to this city on a preliminary survey, 
reaching his destination on Christmas Day. Here 
he made his headquarters and began to arrange 
for the permanent location of the line, having 
charge of the construction as resident engineer. 
He found Macon County at that time an almost 
unimproved prairie. There were few settlements 
and this city was a mere hamlet. In 1855, Mr. Bur- 
gess superintended the building of the road to Dan- 
ville. From 1856 until 1861 he engaged in real- 
estate business, including the selling of land for the 
Illinois Central Railroad Company as a general rail- 
road agent, probably selling some ten thousand 
acres of land to original settlers. 

During this time, Mr. Burgess was married. In 
1857, he wedded Miss Strobeck, of Potsdam, N. Y., 
a cousin of the late Col. Nathan Tupper. After a 
short married life of a year and a-half she was 
called to the home beyond. On the 30th of Oc- 
tober, 1860 in Abington, Mass., Mr. Burgess mar- 
ried Miss Sarah J. Brown, and unto them were born 
two children: Annie Evelyn, wife of J. R. Haworth, 
of DCS Moines, Iowa; and Silas Norton, who is em- 
ployed to add the finishing touches to fine furni- 
ture in a Chicago factory. 

In April, 1861, Mr. Burgess began the survey 
for the Decatur & Champaign Railroad Company, 
now the Illinois Central, but after Ft. Sumpter was 
fired upon all railroad construction ceased and at- 
tention was turned to the raising of troops. Dur- 
ing the war our subject and D. S. Stafford invented 
a riding cultivator for farm use, which proved 
quite successful. At the State Fair of 1863 held 
at Decatur, it took the first premium. This in- 
duced Barber & Hawley, of Pekin, 111., manufac- 
turers of the Haynes Harvester, to come to Decatur 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



205 



and build what is now the Chambers, Bering & 
Quinlan agricultural implement shops, investing 
about $50,000 in the same. They made a contract 
with Messrs. Stafford & Burgess to manufacture 
their cultivators, paying a royalty of $5 on each 
one. In 1863 they manufactured twenty-five hun- 
dred, in 1864 four thousand, and in 1865 five 
thousand. 

During this time, Mr. Burgess traveled on the 
road introducing the cultivator for the manufac- 
turers. In 1867 the Decatur & East St. Louis Rail- 
road was incorporated by local parties, and our 
subject and C. A. Tuttle were engaged to make the 
survey and make plans and specifications. The i 
property afterwards passed into the hands of the 
Wabash Company, by which Mr. Burgess was em- 
ployed as civil engineer in constructing the road to 
Litchfield, a distance of sixty miles. This com- 
pleted in the fall of 1870, he was employed by the 
Decatur it State Line Railroad Company in the 
same capacity on a road to Chicago, now a part of 
the Wabash system. In 1871, he went to Bloom- 
ington and was made Chief Engineer of the Bloom- 
ington tfe La Fayette Railroad, having charge of 
the construction from Bloomington to the State 
line. In 1874, he was elected City Engineer of 
Decatur holding the position for six years. From 
1880 until 1882, he was employed on the survey 
and construction of the branch road from Bates to 
Jersey Landing. This was intended to bridge the 
Mississippi, but when Gould secured possession of 
the east bridge at St. Louis the line was practically 
abandoned. During the succeeding three years, Mr. 
Burgess traveled in California and the West for his 
health, but indolence and idleness being utterly 
foreign to his nature, he could not lay aside all 
work, so aided in building street railways. In 
1886 and 1887, he was engaged in making surveys 
from Centralia southward for the Jacksonville &, 
Southeastern Railroad, and was then appointed 
City Engineer of Decat.ur, which office he has since 
filled. 

Although the greater part of his attention has j 
been given to railway construction, Mr. Burgess 
has devoted some time to other interests. Messrs. 
Tuttle & Burgess built a sawmill in Ramsey, 111., 
and cleared fifteen hundred acres of land, making .1 



the timber into railroad ties, lumber and wood for 
fuel purposes. Atone time they had five thousand 
cords on hand. Nearly all of the fourteen, miles 
of brick paving in the city has been done under 
our subject's supervision. He was for several years 
superintendent of the Water Works of Decatur, 
and in 1858 Tuttle & Burgess purchased an inter- 
est in the hardware store of Close & Morehouse, 
which Mr. Burgess managed for a year and a-half. 
In 1866, he established a manufactory in Spring- 
field, Ohio, for the building of cultivators. Few 
men have led a more busy or useful life than Mr. 
Burgess. On the large Transportation Building 
at the World's Fair in Chicago is a quotation from 
Macaulay, saying that to no one are we more in- 
debted than to him who has made rapid transit 
possible. AVe thus see then what a debt of grati- 
tude is due Mr. Burgess for his work in construct- 
ing the magnificent railroad system of Illinois, 
which surpasses that of any other State in the Un- 
ion. 



R. JOSEPH KING, who is now living a re- 
tired life at No. 719 North Main Street, Deca- 
tur, was born in Wythe County, W. Va., on 
the 31st of December, 1808. His parents, William 
and Catherine (Steffy) King, were natives of the 
same State and were of German descent. The 
former was a farmer of his native State and lived 
upon the old King homestead, which he had inher- 
ited from his father, John King. Having survived 
his wife several years, he died at the old home at 
the age of seventy. Their children were Joseph; 
Reuben and Elizabeth, both deceased; Valentine, a 
resident of Marshall, 111.; William, also deceased; 
and Christopher, who is farming on the old home- 
stead in Virginia. 

The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood 
in West Virginia and Ohio. His early education 
was acquired in the old-time subscription schools. 
Having determined to enter the medical profession, 
he became a student in the Sixth Street Ohio Med- 
ical College, of Cincinnati, and later began prae- 



206 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tice in Virginia. On leaving the Old Dominion, 
he removed to Lancaster, Ohio, where he continued 
in practice for a time, but later returned to Vir- 
ginia. Subsequently he once more made his home 
in Lancaster, and in 1837 came to Illinois, taking 
up his residence in Decatur, where he has since 
made his home, covering a period of fifty-five 
years. The county was then in its infancy; there 
were often large herds of deer to be seen, and 
wolves were very numerous and troublesome. The 
prairie grass grew higher than a man's head, and 
it seemed that the work of upbuilding and develop- 
ing the count}' had scarcely begun, but the Doctor 
at once energetically began practice and success- 
fully continued the prosecution of his profession 
until quite recently. 

On the 8th of December, 1842, Dr. King married 
Miss Maryette Packard, a native of Vermont and 
a daughter of Sylas and Lydia (Tracey) Packard, 
who emigrated to Illinois in 1830, coming the 
whole distance with a team in company with two 
other families. They left their homes in Vermont 
in April and arrived in Macon County in June. 
They had started for Springfield, but learning that 
the Government land was all sold in that locality 
they decided to locate'in this county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Packard became the parents of three sons and two 
daughters, but one son died in infancy, and 
Catherine Agnes, the eldest, also died when quite 
young. John -Eberle, a druggist of Decatur, mar- 
ried Sarah Emma Jackson, and unto them has been 
born a daughter, Lillian Clara. Clara L. is the 
wife of R. R. Montgomery, a real-estate agent of 
Decatur, and they have three children, Robert Du 
Fay, Richard J. and Cora May. Willie J. is mar- 
ried and lives in Chicago. 

The Doctor was the founder of Macon Lodge 
No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; also of Macon Chapter No. 21, 
R. A. M., in both of which he still holds mem- 
bership. He is also one of the charter members of i 
the Odd Fellows' lodge of Decatur, and his wife 
belongs to the Episcopal Church. In politics, he ', 
was formerly a Whig, but since the organization 
of the Republican party has been one of its stalwart 
supporters. His long residence in the county and 
his professional duties have brought him a wide 
acquaintance, and his well-spent life has gained him 



many warm friends. He has been a witness of al- 
most the entire growth and development of the 
county, and well deserve representation among its 
honored pioneers. 



eHARLES W. CLOUD, a prosperous farmer 
and pioneer settler of Macon County, resid- 
ing on section 12, Milan Township, was 
born October 17, 1852, in Moultrie County, just 
across the county line from where he now resides. 
He is the second in a family of six children, whose 
parents were Joel and Nancy (Rayborn) Cloud. 
The eldest, Martha, is now deceased; Henry is 
residing in this county; Mary makes her home with 
her mother; Frank is a real-estate dealer of De- 
catur; and John G. follows farming in this county. 
The father of this family was born in Orange 
County, N. C., and on corning West entered land 
in Moultrie County. In 1857 he came to this 
county and settled in Milan Township, where he 
purchased a tract of wild land from the Illinois 
Central Railroad Company. He was united in 
marriage with Mirium Freeland, of Moultrie 
County, but after two years her death occurred, 
and in 1849 he was married to Miss Nancy Ray- 
born. Mr. Cloud was the first settler of Milan 
Township. He devoted his energies to farm work 
until October 1861, when he enlisted in Company 
H, Fifth Illinois Cavalry, in which he served un- 
til the 14th of April, 1862, on which day he de- 
parted this life, his death resulting from an attack 
of the measles. His remains were interred at Pilot 
Knob, Mo. Mrs. Cloud is a native of Roane 
County. Tenn., and is of German lineage. In an 
early day she came to this State, and is still living 
on the old homestead farm in Milan Township. 

We now take up the personal history of our 
subject, who well deserves representation in this 
volume, for his entire life has been passed in this 
community and he has witnessed almost its entire 
growth and upbuilding. He has always remained 



UBRMW 

OF U-UNOIS 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



209 



at home with his mother and carried on the farm 
for her. He is an enterprising and successful 
agriculturist and is now the owner of two hundred 
and forty-nine acres of rich land. The farm is a 
valuable and desirable one. It is supplied with 
good buildings, a substantial residence, the latest 
improved machinery and all the accessories and 
conveniences of a model farm' of the nineteenth 
century; and its neat and tasty appearance indi- 
cates the careful supervision of the owner. 

Mr. Cloud is a man of industry and energy, and 
to his own efferts may be attributed his success in 
life, so that he may truly be called a self-made 
man. He is a member of the Cumberland Presby- 
terian Church, and his honorable, upright career 
lias won him high regard. During his long resi- 
dence in this community he has ever borne his 
part ill the upbuilding and development of the 
county and has aided in the advancement of its 
best interests. The family is numbered among 
the honored pioneers, and this record is well de- 
serving of a place in the history of the county. 



J~l AMES D. TAIT, who is now living a retired 
life at his pleasant home at No. 240 East 
i Jefferson Street, Decatur, is numbered 
among the honored pioneers of Maeon 

County, and well deserves representation in this 
volume. He truces his ancestors back to natives 
of the Emerald Isle, his grandparents having lived 
and died in that country. His father, Samuel 
Tait, was born in Ireland, and, having emigrated 
to America, became a farmer of Beaver County, 
Pa., where he died in 1831, at the age of sixty-six 
years. His wife, who was also born in Ireland, 
and who bore the maiden name of Martha Hogue, 
survived him for a number of years, and passed 
away in Beaver County, at the advanced age of 
ninety-two. They had a family of nine children, 
as follows: John, Jane, Robert, Samuel, Thomas, 
Martha, James D., Ross and Matthew. Only three 

9 



of the family beside our subject are now living: 
Thomas, a resident of Niles, Ohio; Ross, of New- 
ton, Iowa; and Matthew, who makes his home near 
Newcastle, Pa. 

Our subject, the other surviving member, was 
born in Beaver County, Pa., July 15, 1817, and 
remained at home until fourteen years of age. 
His father having died, he was then bound out to 
learn the saddler's trade. He traveled for a num- 
ber of years as a journeyman and in 1839 came to 
this county, establishing the first harness and sad- 
dlery shop in Decatur. He followed that business 
for six years, or until failing health compelled him 
to abandon it, when he turned his attention to 
farming, purchasing one hundred and twenty 
acres of land two miles north of Decatur. A por- 
tion of this he bought for $5 per acre. He now 
owns a fine farm of two hundred and fifty acres, 
and its present value, owing to its highly culti- 
vated state and the many improvements thereon, 
is not less than $100 per acre. He remained on 
his farm until 1876, when he removed to the city, 
where he has a good home property. *' 

On the 14th of June, 1842, Mr. Tait was united 
in marriage with Miss Susan, daughter of Joseph 
and Barbara (Benson) Spangler, natives of Penn- 
sylvania. Five children were born unto them, but 
James, Daniel and Robert are now deceased, Jo- 
seph and Felix being the only ones now living. 
The mother of this family died May 28, 1882. 
She was a member of the Universalist Church, in 
which Mr. Tait has served as Trustee for many- 
years. On the llth of January, 1884, he was 
again married, this union being with Mrs. Cath- 
erine Rea, widow of Samuel Rea, and a daughter 
of John and Magdeline (Gudtner) Dennis. 

In the early days, Mr. Tait served as County 
Commissioner, and was also Township Assessor, 
but he has never been an office-seeker. On coming 
to Decatur he made the journey by way of New 
Orleans and St. Louis, thence up the Illinois River 
to Naples, and on foot across the country to this 
city. He carried his tools on his back and waded 
through swamps waist deep. On his arrival the 
southern part of Decatur was covered with timber 
and brush, and the present site of Central Park 
was covered with a thick growth of hazel. He has 



210 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



witnessed the city's growth from a mere village to 
a city of twenty thousand inhabitants, with fine 
schools, churches, residences, large manufacturing 
establishments and industries, and all that goes to 
make up a thriving and progressive place. He has 
taken a commendable interest in the growth and 
development of the place and Macon County, and 
has ever born his part in the discharge of public 
duties. He is highly esteemed for his sterling 
worth and his many excellencies of character, and 
well deserves mention in the history of the county 
which numbers him among its pioneers. 




V. LOR1NG is the popular and 
efficient County Surveyor of Macon County, 
his home being in Decatur. He was first 
elected to that office in 1869, and has held the po- 
sition continuously since, covering a period of 
almost a quarter of a century. No higher testi- 
monial to his faithfulness and fidelity to duty 
could be given than the fact of his long-continued 
service. He had previously been Deputy Sur- 
veyor in McLean County for several j'ears, and 
thus entered the office with experience. 

Mr. Loring was born in Worcester County, Mass., 
May 8, 1837, a son of Lucius and Elizabeth 
(Moore) Loring. The former was of Scotch de- 
scent and was a boot and shoe manufacturer. He 
died whe,n our subject was only about eight years 
of age. The Moore family is of Irish origin, and 
the mother spent her entire life in Massachusetts. 
Their children wore as follows: Elizabeth A., who 
became the wife of James Babbit, of Oakham, 
Mass., and who died at the age of thirty, leaving 
several children; Thomas, a resident farmer of 
New Brain tree Township, Worcester County ,Mass.; 
Lauriet, who became the wife of Ethan Bothwell, 
and died in Worcester County at the age of thirty- 
five, leavinga family; Marietta, wife of B. Corn- 
well, a contractor and builder of Decatur; Theo- 
dore, who died at the age of three years; George, 



of this sketch; and Frank, who resides on the old 
Loring homestead with the younger brother, Ar- 
thur, who married Miss Lizzie Dean, and has five 
children. 

When a lad of nine summers, his father having 
died the previous year, our subject left home to 
earn a livelihood, and lias since made his own way 
in the world. He worked on a farm in Massa- 
chusetts, and at intervals attended school. He 
emigrated to McLean Count}-, 111., in 1857, being 
then a young man of twenty years, and went to 
work on his uncle's farm near Bloomington. The 
next year he purchased an interest in the farm, 
which was known as the Ocoya Stock Farm, and 
was located in Livingston County. Mr. Loring 
helped to lay out the village of Ocoya, 111., on the 
Chicago <fc Alton Railroad, and became its first 
Station Agent and Postmaster. 

In the fall of 1861, Mr. Loring sold his farm, 
and in the following spring entered the sei vice of 
his country, enlisting in Company E, of the Vales 
Sharp-shooters for three years. He served in 
Mississippi and participated in the battle of New 
Madrid. Later he was detailed to conduct prison- 
ers captured at Island No. 10 to Chicago. When 
he returned the Union troops had just won the 
battle of Shiloh, after which his company advanced 
to Corinth. He participated in the second battle 
of Corinth,, October 4, 1862, the battle of lukaand 
other engagements. After the war was over, he 
was honorably discharged in Chicago on account 
of physical disability. He had entered the service 
as a private, but was promoted to the rank of 
Sergeant. 

On returning to his home, Mr. Loring joined a 
corps of engineers who were surveying in McLean 
County, and has since been engaged in the business 
which he to-day follows. lie was married in 1868, 
the lad}' of his choice being Miss Elizabeth Rislcy, 
daughter of A. T. Risley, of Decatur. A family 
of six children has been born unto them, but Roy 
died at the age of twelve years, and Cora and Ira 
both died in infancy. The living members of the 
family are Frank, a youth of fourteen, who is pur- 
suing a regular college course in St. Louis; Ida 
May, twelve years of age; and Lucile, a little 
maiden of six summers. Mr, and Mrs, Loring have 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



211 



a pleasant home at No. 801 East Wood Street. The 
lady is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. 
Loring is a true and tried Republican, who warmly 
advocates the principles of the party which was 
the Union's defense in the hour of peril. Socially, 
he is a member of the Grand Army Post of Deca- 
tur. For his success in life he deserves great 
credit, as he had many disadvantages and difficul- 
ties to meet in early life. 




5>ILLIAM L. HAMMER, who has laid aside 
all business cares except the official duties 
connected with the office of Justice of the 
Peace, is numbered among the early and represen- 
tative citizens of Decatur. For forty years he has 
been identified with the public interests of this 
city, and well deserves representation in the history 
of Macon County. Born on the 2d of November, 
1817, in Winchester, Clark Qounty, Ky., he isa son 
of Frederick and Elizabeth (Webb) Hammer, both 
of whom were natives of that State. He comes of 
an old family of New Jersey, however, his grand- 
. father, John Hammer, having been born there. 
The latter was a farmer, and became one of the 
pioneers of Kentucky, living in Clark and Monroe 
Counties. Frederick Hammer was a blacksmith 
and farmer. After attaining to mature years he 
married Miss Webb, daughter of Aden Webb, her 
father being a native of England and her mother 
of Ireland. They were married in Virginia and 
reared a family of three sons and two daughters, 
all of whom are now deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
Hammer were born eight sons and two daughters, 
seven of whom are now living, as follows: William 
L., Lucian W., Addison W., Silas R.,Seth R., Mary 
(widow of Andrew D. Northcutt), and Sanford G. 
The father of this family was a blacksmith 
and farmer. He came to Illinois in 1827, locating 
in Sangamon County, sixteen miles southwest of 
Springfield, where he made his home for ten years. 
In 1837, he took up his lesidence near Mowcaqua, 
Christian County, where he entered a farm of 



three hundred and seventy-four acres. That he 
afterwards sold, and tuen bought land two miles 
east of Taylorville, removing to that farm in 1848. 
Abandoning his trade of blacksmithing, he turned 
all of his attention to the cultivation of his two 
hundred and thirty acres of land and to stock- 
raising. His death occurred at the old home in 
1867, in his seventy-third year. His wife survived 
him three years, and passed away in her seventy- 
sixth year. They were both for many years mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church, but shortly before his 
death Mr. Hammer left that denomination and be- 
came an adherent of the Christian Church. 

We now take up the personal history of our sub- 
ject, who with his parents came to Illinois when a 
lad of ten summers. He acquired his education in 
the schools of his native State and after coming 
West, and was reared in the usual manner of far- 
mer lads, remaining at home, giving his father the 
benefit of his services, until twenty-five years of age. 
He was living in Christian County at the time he 
attained his majority. In 1846, he was elected 
Sheriff of that county and served for a term of four 
years, after which he engaged in merchandising for 
two years. 

On the llth of October, 1853, a wedding cere- 
mony was performed which united the destinies of 
Mr. Hammer and Isabel M., daughter of Thomas 
East, a native of Adams County, Ohio. By their 
union they became the parents of five sons and 
three daughters, as follows: Leslie E., now deceased; 
Park S.; Guy, who died in his second year; Ruth, 
wife of John E. Grove, a dry-goods salesman of 
Decatur; Cora, now the wife of Arthur E. Spencer, 
of Joplin, Mo.; Eve; William A.; and Harold C. 

About a year after his marriage, Mr. Hammer 
left Christian County and came to Decatur. From 
1854 until 1856 he engaged in the dry-goods busi- 
ness. Following this latter year he was elected 
Justice of the Peace to fill a vacancy, and in 1859 
was returned to that office. In 1860 he was elected 
Clerk of the Circuit Court and served eight years, 
after which he engaged in the banking business 
with T. O. and E. O. Smith and J. Q. Odor. This 
connection was continued for six years, when Mr. 
Hammer retired. He was also engaged in the 
grocery business during the same period. From 



212 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



that lime, he lived a retired life until 1889, when 
he was again elected Justice of the Peace, and hav- 
ing been re-elected in the spring of 1893, he now 
holds the office. He was also honored with the 
position of Mayor in 1869. 

In 1883, our subject was called upon to mourn 
the loss of his wife, who died on the llth of Au- 
gust, at the age of forty-nine years, in the faith of 
the Methodist Church. The "Squire" is a member 
of the Christian Church, and fraternally is con- 
nected with Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. <fe A. M.; Ma- 
con Chapter No, 21, R. A. M.; Decatur Council No. 
16, R. it S. M.; and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 
9, K. T. He is also a member of Celestial Lodge 
No. 186, I. O. O. F. In politics, he was originally 
a Whig and a disciple of Henry Clay. Since the 
organization of the Republican party he has been 
one of its stanch advocates. As we have seen, he 
has been honored with a number of local offices, 
and his official duties have ever been discharged 

o 

with a promptness and fidelity that have won him 
the commendation of all. He is a public-spirited 
and progressive citizen, one who manifests a warm 
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the community in which he has so long made his 
home. He resides at No. 371 West North Street, and 
is surrounded by a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 




lOBERT M. BLACK, who owns a farm of 
forty acres pleasantly located four miles 
northeast of Macon, on section 25, South 
.' Macon Township, is numbered among the 
honored pioneers of the county, for he was born 
in Mt. Zion Township, October 22, 1839. In a 
family of seven children born unto Abraham and 
Eleanor (Davidson) Black, he was the fourth in 
order of birth. Margaret, the eldest, is the wife of 
George Riber, a blacksmith of Blue Mound; Nancy 
A. became the wife of Abraham Nitzler, and died 
leaving three children; Sarali Ann is the wife of 
John Downey, a wagon-maker of Mt. Zion; Robert 



is the next younger; Catherine is the widow of 
James T. Scott, and she too resides in Mt. Zion; 
and Thomas B. died in the army. The father of 
this family was born in Virginia in 1800, and when 
a young man came to Illinois. In this State he 
married Miss Davidson, who was born in South 
Carolina in 1811, and with her parents- emigrated 
to Wayne County, 111., during her early girlhood. 
From that place the family came to Macon County. 
Mr. Black served in the Black Hawk War, and 
throughout his life followed the occupation of 
farming in pursuit of fortune. His death occurred 
in 1852, and his wife, who survived him for many 
years, passed away in 1882. 

Our subject was only fourteen years of age when 
his father died, and as he was the eldest son of 
the family the care of the farm and the support of 
his mother and her children devolved upon his 
young shoulders, but he faithfully performed the 
task and remained upon the home farm until 
twenty-two years of age. He then felt that his 
country needed his services, and, donning the 
blue, he enlisted on the 13th of August, 1862. as 
a member of Company C, One Hundred :ind Six- 
teenth Infantry, in which he served until the 3d 
of June, 1863, when he was discharged on account 
of disability, the effect of an attack of measles. 

On being mustered out of service, Mr. Black re- 
turned to Macon County, where he has since made 
his home, with the exception of five j'ears spent in 
Moultrie County, 111. On the 6th of June, 1867, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Susanna E. 
McMullen, who was born in Ohio November 15, 
1848. Five children, three sons and two daugh- 
ters, grace this union: Charles, now a resident 
farmer of Woodbury County, Iowa; Dora May, 
wife of George Traughber, a farmer of Macon 
County; David Thomas, Burton and Nancy Ellen, 
who are still under the parental roof. 

Mr. Black is a Republican in politics, having 
supported that party since attaining his majority. 
Socially, he is a member of Tom White Post No. 
529, G. A. R., of Mt. Zion, which was named in 
honor of Capt. Tom White, who commanded the 
company of which our subject was a member. Mr. 
Black is now serving as Commissioner of High- 
and as School Director of. his district, and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



213 



the community finds in him a faithful and capable 
officer. He is a man of strict integrity, whose 
word is as good as his bond. The same generous 
spirit that prompted his care of his mother, and 
the same loyalty which caused him to go to the 
front during the late war, have characterized his 
entire life and made him numbered among the 
best citizens of his native county. 




ENRY P. PAGE, an attorney-at-law of De- 
catur, and a member of the firm of Outten 
<fc Page, comes from an old family of the 
Bay State, which was probably established 
there in early Colonial days. His paternal grandfa- 
ther was born in that State, and became a well-to-do 
farmer of Hawley, Mass. His maternal grand- 
father, John Putnam, was also a native of Massa- 
chusetts, and was a sheep-raiser and farmer. Their 
children, Phineas L. Page and Julia Putnam, who 
became the parents of our subject, were born, 
reared and married in Massachusetts. The latter 
died in 1869, at the age of forty-two years. She 
was a member of the Congregational Church, to 
which Mr. Page also belongs. The latter left his 
old home in 1873, and removed to Ann Arbor, 
Mich., where he engaged in the practice of law 
for some time, hut is now living retired in Chi- 
cago, 111. He held a number of public offices dur- 
ing his residence in Massachusetts, and was at 
one time Judge of the City Courts of Pittsfield. 
He was again married, in 1871. his second union 
being with Miss Lora A., daughter of Elijah Eld- 
ridge, of Springfield. By his first union he had 
four sons: Henry, of this sketch; Dwight B., who 
died April 3, 1893, at the age of thirty-one years; 
Charles S. and William L. By the second union 
was born a son, Benjamin E. 

The subject of this sketch spent the first thir- 
teen years of his life in the State of his birth, and 
in its public schools obtained his early education. 
He accompanied his father on his removal to Mich- 
igan, and afterward became a student at Ann Ar- 



bor, in the University of Michigan, from which 
institution he was graduated in the Class of '83. 
When his school life was ended, he came to De- 
catur, and in this city engaged in teaching for 
four years. Determining to enter the legal pro- 
fession, while teaching he took up the study of 
law, and in 1887 was admitted to the Bar, since 
which time he has been engaged in active prac- 
tice. In 1889 he formed a partnership with Will- 
iam C. Outten, under the firm name of Outten & 
Page, which connection has continued up to the 
present. 

On the 22d of June, 1886, Mr. Page was united 
in marriage with Miss Anna A. Farrell, daughter 
of William E. and Anna D. (Ross) Farrell. Two 
daughters grace this union, Florence S. and Helen. 
Socially, our subject is connected with Decatur 
Council No. 92, R. L. In politics he is indepen- 
dent and is not an aspirant for political prefer- 
ment, desiring rather to devote his time and at- 
tention to his profession, in which he will no 
doubt win an enviable reputation, for he has al- 
ready secured a liberal patronage. 



<*_/" N. AiWl-'.'i'i- *ti 



Ky 



OHN R. MILLER, who resides at his beau- 
tiful home at No. 303 West Main Street 
is one of the well-known citizens of De- 
catur. He was born in Bourbon County, 
September 9, 1831. His father, John A. 
Miller, was a native of the same State, and came 
of a family of German origin, which was founded 
in Kentuck}' in 1800. He was a soldier in the 
War of 1812, and, as a member of Johnson's cav- 
alry, took part in the battle with the Indian chief, 
Tecumseh. His death occurred in 1842. His wife 
bore the maiden name of Jane Levesque, and was 
of French descent. She was called to her final 
home in 1847. 

The brother of our subject, Jacob H. Miller, was 
born in Bourbon County, Ky., and came to De- 
catur in 1861. He had formerly lived in Craw- 
fordsville, Ind., and was an intimate friend of Lew 



214 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Wallace. In his early years he was a prominent 
Mason. After coming to Decatur he was made 
Treasurer of the County Agricultural Board, 
.which position he held for many years, or until 
his death. He was also Treasurer of the old vol- 
unteer fire department, and after his death the 
department had his portrait pain ted in oil to hang 
in their hall. He was a fine-looking gentleman, 
very popular, and had the respect and esteem of 
a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He 
made his home with our subject, and there died 
December 14, 1881, at the age of forty-seven. 

John R. Miller remained with his mother until 
he began serving a four-years apprenticeship to 
the tailor's trade, and after his term was com- 
pleted he remained with his employer for several 
years longer. In Paris, Bourbon County, Ky., Sep- 
tember 1, 1856, he wedded Miss Mary E. Gallo- 
way, who was born in Fayette County, Ky., Feb- 
ruary 17, 1826. Her grandfather, David Galloway, 
lived in Botetourt County, Va., and Mrs. Miller 
has in her possession an old paper dated April 18, 
1779, which is his oath of allegiance to the State 
of Virginia. He was born in Edinburgh, Scot- 
land, December 9, 1736, and died March 2, 1812. 
He was married September 23, 1762, to Mary 
Johnson, who was born August 10, 1739, and died 
February 12, 1813. Their marriage certificate is 
in the possession of Mrs. Miller, as is the old fam- 
ily Bible, printed in Edinburgh in 1764. Mrs. 
Miller also has many other interesting relics of 
Colonial and Revolutionary days, including some 
handsome needlework done by her grandmother 
more than one hundred years ago. 

Joseph Galloway, father of Mrs. Miller, was 
born in Kentucky June 25, 1782, and was mar- 
ried February 17, 1821, to Elizabeth Crawford, 
daughter of the Rev. James Crawford, a Presby- 
terian minister, who built the Walnut Hill Church, 
seven miles from Lexington, Fayette County, 
and to its advancement devoted his life. His old 
autograph hymn-book, which was printed in Phil- 
adelphia in 1795, and in which he has placed the 
date 1797, is in the possession of his granddaugh- 
ter. It was used by him through fifty years of 
active service in the ministry. The centennial 
celebration of the erection of the old stone church 



built through his instrumentality was celebrated 
some ten years ago, and Mrs. Miller, his only sur- 
viving descendant, received a special invitation 
to be present on the occasion. Joseph Galloway 
died December 12, 1842, and his wife passed away 
March 2, 1845. 

Immediately after their marriage- Mr. and Mrs. 
Miller removed to Decatur, where they have since 
made their home. He purchased property, and 
soon afterward began selling lots to a real-estate 
men. This was his beginning in real-estate deal- 
ings, which he has since extensively followed. As 
a member of the firm of Miller & Packard, he laid 
out an addition in the northwestern part of De- 
catur. He formerly owned the entire block on 
which the postolfice now stands, there making his 
home for thirty-five years. He has erected sev- 
eral of the business houses of the city, including 
the postoffice, which was built in 1874. He also 
built the City Hall. His life has been one of un- 
tiring energy and enterprise, and his persever- 
ance and good management have won him the 
handsome property which is but the just reward 
of his labors. 

In politics Mr. Miller is a stanch supporter of 
the Democratic party and keeps well informed on 
the issues of the day, but he has never been a 
politician in the sense of office-seeking. He greatly 
enjoys travel, and takes much delight in fishing 
and other outdoor sports. He has a 'pleasant cot- 
tage at Mackinaw Falls., where each summer he 
and his estimable wife spend several weeks. 




'RANCIS E. DESPRES, who is engaged in 
general farming on section 21, Pleasant 
View Township, is a native of the Buckeye 
State. He was bom in Wayne County on the 2d 
of December, 1847. His father was born in France 
in 1823, and with his parents came to America 
when only six years 'of age. He was reared to 
manhood upon a farm, and in 1864 came to Ma- 
con County, where he has since made his home. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



215 



Here he has engaged in farming, having purchased 
land soon after his arrival. The mother of our 
subject, who bore the maiden name of Euphrozena 
Cotty, is also a native of France, who was born in 
1823 and is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Despres 
had a family of twelve children, but eight of that 
number are now deceased. Those who still survive 
are Mary, wife of James M. Day, a farmer residing 
in soutli western Kansas; Francis E., of this sketch; 
Jennie, wife of Millard Pope, who is engaged in 
agricultural pursuits in this community; and Del- 
phia, wife of Fred Ketchum, a machinist of Bluff 
Springs, Sangamon County, 111. 

In taking up the sketch of Francis Despres, we 
present to our readers a life record of one of Ma- 
con County's worthy citizens. The first sixteen 
years of his life were passed under the parental 
roof in the State of his nativity. He then came 
with his parents to Macon County, where he has 
since resided. Upon the home farm he remained, 
giving his father the benefit of his services, until 
twenty-four years of age, when he was married to 
Miss Pauline Young, who is the daughter of Bene- 
dict and Cecelia Young, a sketch of whom appears 
elsewhere in this volume. The young couple be- 
gan their domestic life upon a part of the old 
home farm, which Mr. Despres rented and which 
he operated until 1882. In that year he went with 
his family to southwestern Kansas, where he re- 
mained for ten years. His business ventures were 
not very successful, and in that decade he became 
entirely cured of any desire to make his home in 
the Sun Flower State. Since his return he has 
been engaged in the management of the home 
farm. 

By the union of our subject and his wife have 
been born seven children, three sons and four 
daughters, as follows: Anna E., wife of Joseph 
Flynn, who is engaged in school teaching in Ma- 
con County; Cecelia G., Eveline M., Francis Ben- 
edict, Thomas Edward, Joseph Eugene and Lillie 
May. The family circle yet remains unbroken by 
death, and with the exception of the eldest daugh- 
ter the children are all yet under the parental 
roof. 

Mr. Despres and his family and also his parents 
are members of the Catholic Church. In politics 



he was formerly a Democrat, but he has severed 
his allegiance to the old party, and now supports 
the People's party. Throughout the community 
in which he lives he is widely known and he has a 
large circle of warm friends, being a popular and 
pleasant gentleman, who possesses many excellen- 
cies of character. 




EV. FATHER LOUIS W. LAMMERT, pas- 
tor of St. James Roman Catholic Church 
of Decatur, was born in Iserlohn, West- 
phalia, Prussia, April 10, 1852, and at the 
age of twelve years began studying for his life 
work. When twenty-two years of age lie came to 
the United States. This was in 1874, and in 1876 
he finished the theological course in St. Francis 
Seminary, at Milwaukee, and was ordained in Al- 
ton, 111., on the 29th of June of that year, by Rt. 
Rev. Peter Baltes. His first work was at East St. 
Louis, where he served as a substitute in St. 
Henry's Church. He then went to Cairo, and had 
charge of St. Joseph's Church until coming to 
Decatur. 

St. James Church, of which he is now pastor, 
was incorporated in 1877. The previous year a 
congregation was formed and the church built, 
which was dedicated on the 1st of January, 1878. 
The building was erected by Father Joseph Spaeth, 
who was its pastor for nearly two years. He was 
succeeded by Father Lammert on the 1st of August, 
1879, who has since been in charge. The congre- 
gation now numbers about one hundred and fifty 
families. In 1883, Father Lammert built a par- 
sonage and has recently built an addition to the 
church and a good schoolhouse. The church 
property is worth about $12,000. 

The St. James parochial school first convened in 
a part of the church building, and had but a small 
attendance, but more than one hundred pupils are 
now enrolled. These are under the care of two 
efficient lady teachers. The school building was 
erected in 1890. 



216 



i-ORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Father Lammert holds the official position of 
Defensor Matrimonii for the diocese of Alton. He 
has given his entire time to the work of the church 
and the care of its people, and as the result of his 
untiring labors the church and its schools are in a 
flourishing condition. 



^^^EORGE DAMERY, who carries on general 
If j <-_ farm ing on section 28, Pleasant View Town- 
^^ii ship, Macon County, is one of Erin's noble 
sons. He was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 
1826, and is the fourth in order of birth in a fam- 
ily of eight children born unto James and Eliz- 
abeth (Gassnall) Damery. The only survivors of 
this once large family are our subject, and his 
brother Arsola, who is now a resident of Connecti- 
cut. The parents were also natives of the Emerald 
Isle, and in 1850 they bade good-bye to their old 
home and crossed the broad Atlantic to America. 
On reaching the New World, they settled in Con- 
necticut upon a farm, where they spent the remain- 
der of their lives. 

Upon the old homestead in his native land, 
George Damery spent the days of his boyhood and 
his youth, and the educational privileges afforded 
him were those of the public school. He remained 
in Ireland until twenty-five years of age, when, be- 
lieving that he could better his financial condition 
by emigrating to the United States, he made the voy- 
age and became a resident of Connecticut, where, in 
order to secure a livelihood, he worked by the day 
and month until 1860. That year witnessed his 
arrival in Illinois. He first settled in Morgan 
County, where he worked on a farm by the month 
for two years. He then determined that his ser- 
vices should prove more beneficial to himself, and 
began renting land. This he did for five or six j 
years, during which time his efforts were compar- 
atively successful and he acquired some capital. 
On the expiration of that period he came to Macon 
Count}' and purchased forty acres of wild prairie 
land, on which not a furrow had been turned or 



an improvement made. Here he has made his home 
continuously since. 

In 1857 Mr. Damery was united in marriage 
with Miss Johanna Carwin, of Morgan County, 111., 
who has proved a faithful companion and help- 
mate to him. When they removed to their pres- 
ent home, our subject at once turned his attention 
to its development, and in course of time placed 
it under a high state of cultivation. The farm 
now comprises one hundred and twelve acres of 
rich land, and is considered one of the most highly 
improved and best farms in the county. 

The cause of temperance has long found in Mr. 
Damery a firm friend and one untiring in his efforts 
to promote its interest. He votes with the Prohi- 
bition party, of which he is a stanch advocate. He 
was a delegate to the first State Convention of that, 
party held in Illinois. It convened in 1872 and 
there were only eight delegates, all told. With 
the Methodist Church he holds membership, and 
his life is in harmony with his professions. His 
honorable, upright career, and his many noble 
deeds have made him one of the most highly re- 
spected and esteemed citizens of this community. 




>HOMAS V. JONES, who is a leading busi- 
ness man of Macon County, holds the posi- 
tion of Vice-Presiden t of the Decatur 
Lumber and Manufacturing Company, which was 
incorporated in 1887, and which from the begin- 
ning has done a constantly increasing business, 
until it has now assumed extensive proportions. 
Our subject was born in Pottsville, Fa., on the 8th 
of July, 1855, and is the only child of Thomas V. 
and Catherine A. (Lafa) Jones. His mother had 
been married previous to her union with Mr. Jones, 
and by her first husband, Mr. Hiler, had several 
children. When Thomas, Jr., was a lad of eight 
summers his parents went to California, where his 
father died after three years. His mother then 
returned to the East with her son, who at that 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS 
URBAN/1 




PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 219 

time wa* a lad of eferea. They located ia De- 
eatar ia February. 18C6,aad here Mrs., 
the remainder of her life, being called to I 
rat oa the id of March, 1893. at the 
age of seTeaty-aiae years. 

At the age of thirteen oar sabfect began work for hi* i 
ia the sash, door aad blind factory of Bwood * Mr. 
COL, with wheat he was to i 
taiaed his Majority. After i 

" broke ap. ailhaafch he had his way 
Mr. Joaes had iJ His < 

taf 

, doors aad blinds. Fr 
ired CTeaty-are eeate per day,j 
^ OOB increased, so that fro* the age of eigh* aVptaaVatlj. He i 

years be sopported as axHher. The Crm aa active iaterest ia ' 
with which be was eaipioyed baring failed, he K. P_ of which he K Fart ' 
then engaged ia repairing cars for a year, and for 
oae year was a brakeana oa a local freight oa the 
Wabash Railroad Later he catered the factory 





of Wiffiaai Gibsoa, aow 



with whkh Mr. Joaes was 




for 

iagaadaU the fae grades of work 

Gibaoa. 

Oa the i4th of Deccariier. 1^79. Mr. 



BB I >EN*KEL BDI- M. Du 

A i 

: 




of Decator. They have a faauly of 

Harry, a lad of twdre years; Arthar. who has of the city. Be t* a soa of 

passed eight swawers; aad Clifford, a baby of a eriae (TTartrl) HeiL 

year. 

It was ia 18** that Mr. Joaes ea*i 

Heary Plmcott. whoai he had known froai boy- bat*. Pa_ aad ia 1**4 

hood. They secared aa iaterest ia the Niagara to IDaaaai, castia^ ia their ioc with t^ : 

l*^ai|i Coaipaay. investing aboat tKJHB ia the Maeoa Cwaaty. They located oa i 

with theai W. H. AeaaT aad JaaiK WfeweB- They 

afeo started a sawdl piaaiag-aulL After two years 

thb bosiaess was aanlaajBatai with that of Mr. ther dwd May . 18*5. The Hefl Cwauiy 

Oiidi who owaed a laaiber.Tard.aad the areaeat 



was iacoraotated. At the end of oae year Mr. HLc Heary, of this s 

Wtsweli retired, aad after two yean Mr. AcaaT MBS Clan Headrix. aad is a faiaai Irriaf ai Ar- 




220 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



genta; Julia, who graduated from the Mt. Carroll 
Female Seminary, and is a leading teacher in the 
public schools of Illinois; Mary, wife of Frank 
Boyer, a farmer of Elwin, 111.: George and Matilda, 
who are also living in Elwin. Matilda is a grad- 
uate of a business college at Dixon, 111. 

The Doctor was a boy of only twelve years 
when his father died, and the responsibilities of 
the household and the support of the family de- 
volved very largely upon him, as he was the eld- 
est son. He was thus early inured to hard labor 
and care, but thereby developed a self-reliance and 
independence of character that have proved of 
incalculable benefit to him in later years. At the 
age of nineteen he entered Westfield College, and 
after studying for two year's engaged in teaching, 
which profession he followed for four years. It 
was his desire, however, to enter the medical pro- 
fession, and in September, 1884, he became a stu- 
dent in Hush Medical College, of Chicago, where he 
pursued the regular three-years course, embracing 
six terms. He was graduated in the spring of 
1887, with the degree of M. D. (with which he re- 
ceived a certificate of honor), and also with the 
post-graduate degree. 

Upon our subject's graduation he was given a 
certificate, showing him to have been clinical as- 
sistant to Drs. J. P. Ross and John A. Robeson, 
A. M., M. D., for eighteen months previous to his 
graduation, in the department of chest and throat 
diseases. The Doctor was one of the best students 
of the class and took an honorary diploma as the 
result of his excellent standing and good work. 
He has also several other diplomas on throat and 
nose diseases, and on dental pathology and sur- 
gery. He took the second scholarship prize of his 
class, and we thus sec that he is ably fitted for the 
life work he has undertaken. 

The Doctor is certainly a man of fine ability. 
In his practice he has been very successful and is 
a rising young physician of sterling qualities. He 
served as County Physician of Macon County for 
about two and a-half years. In politics, the 
Doctor is a Republican, and, socially, he is a mem- 
ber of Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; and 
Chevalier Bayard Lodge, K. P. 




AMUEL C. ALLEN, a retired farmer re- 
siding at No. 1606 East William Street, 
Decatur, was born on the 3d of October, 
1810, in Loudoun County, Va., ten miles 
south of Leesburg. The family is of Irish origin. 
The great-grandfather of our subject, Robert Al- 
len, lived in County Antrim, and died at the ad- 
vanced age of ninety-four years. His wife, who 
bore the maiden name of Janet Hair, died in the 
city of Larne, Ireland, at the age of seventy-five 
years. Mr. Allen was a farmer and was a ruling 
Elder in the Presbyterian Church. The old home- 
stead is still in the possession of his descendants. 
The family numbered twenty-four children, eight- 
een of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. 
One of the sons became the grandfather of our 
subject. He was born on the Emerald Isle, and, 
coming to America at the age of sixteen, lived 
with a Quaker family in New Jersey. He, too, 
followed farming. His death occurred in 1 799, 
at the age of eighty-eight years. He had four 
sons in the Revolutionary War, and one was killed 
and two died in the service. 

James Allen, the father of our subject, was a 
native of Virginia, and became a farmer of that 
State. He married Elizabeth Lee, daughter of 
David Lee, who was of Scotch descent, and lived 
in New Jersey until 1775, when he removed to 
Virginia. He married a French lady and became 
well-to-do. His daughter Elizabeth was born in 
New Jersey. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. 
Allen located in Loudoun County, Va., and be- 
came the parents of fourteen children, namely: 
William, David L., Samuel (deceased), James, 
Samuel C., Robert, Lemuel, Margaret. Sarah, Mary, 
Teresa, Jane, Elizabeth, and one who died in in- 
fancy. Only four are now living: Samuel C.; 
Elizabeth, widow of Dr. Thomas H. Reed, who 
came to Decatur in 1831; Robert and Lemuel. 
The father of this family died on the old home- 
stead in Loudoun County, Va., in 1845. 

Upon the home farm, Samuel Allen attained to 
man's estate, and after arriving at mature years 
managed the place for some time. He had been 
early inured to hard labor, and was familiar with 
agriculture in all its details. On the 3d ol Octo- 
ber, 1831, he left the Old Dominion and traveled 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



221 



through Ohio and Tennessee on horseback. The 
following year he came to Macon County, 111., 
where his brother David had secured the first deed 
ever made in Macon County. He purchased two 
hundred and forty acres of land, much of which 
he still owns, although some of it has been platted 
and forms town lots in this city. For a few years 
after his arrival he operated the grist and sawmill 
belonging to his brother David, which was the 
second mill erected in the county, and the only 
one then in operation. In 1841 he was appointed 
Postmaster of Decatur, after filling which office he 
devoted his time to farming and clerking until 
1850, when he embarked in merchandising, which 
he followed for five years. Before that time he 
had served as Assessor, and later filled the office of 
County Treasurer for four years. 

In December, 1858, Mr. Allen went to Adams 
County, Ohio, and married Mrs. Jane E. Reid, 
widow of Minor Reid. She was born in Virginia, 
and was a daughter of Enos and Mary (Davis) 
Gore, who were both natives of the same State, 
but became residents of Ohio. With his young 
bride our subject returned to this county, and they 
began their domestic life upon the farm. Five 
children were born unto them, four now living: 
Edwin G., of Decatur, who married Miss Minnie 
Sine, by whom he has two sons, Jay and Rex; 
William L., who resides on a part of the old home- 
stead, now within the city limits, married Miss 
Mary Sanders, of Sangamon County, 111., and has 
two children, Guy and Roy; Orville R., who mar- 
ried Miss Mamie Stockbridge, and lives near the 
old homestead; and Frank D. Milton, the third 
son, died at the age of three years. 

After leaving the office of County Treasurer, 
Mr. Allen engaged in farming until the death of 
his wife, which occurred in June, 1880, at the 
age of fifty-three years. She was a member of the 
Methodist Church. He has since retired from ac- 
tive work and is now living with his son Edwin. 
For half a century he has been a member of the 
Baptist Church, with which he united in its earli- 
est days. In politics, he is a stalwart Republican. 
When our subject came to Macon County, Deca- 
tur contained not more than a dozen families. 
Wolves made the night hideous with their howls, 



and wild deer were plentiful, but the deep snow 
of 1830 and the very severe weather of that win- 
ter killed many. Only three persons who were 
children when Mr. Allen arrived here are now liv- 
ing, Silas Packard and his two sisters. The first 
white settlers in the count}' were two brothers by 
the name of Lorton from St. Joseph, Mich. They 
were Indian traders and did a thriving business 
until 1826, when the redmen ceased visiting this 
part of the country except in very small numbers. 
The first real pioneer was the hunter and trapper, 
William Downing, who came from Vandalia in the 
fall of 1820, and built a log cabin near the site of 

-Capt. D. L. "Allen's home. Jt was the first build- 
ing erected for a residence within the limits of the 
count}-. In 1824, he sold out to John Ward. The 
first permanent settler was Leonard Stevens, Si 1 ., 
who built a log house in 1821, three miles north 
of Decatur. A decade later our subject arrived, 
and with the history of Macon County he has since 
been prominently identified, aiding greatly in its 
upbuilding and advancement. To the pioneers the 

> county owes a debt of gratitude which can never 
be repaid, but we can cherish and perpetuate their 
memory by written record, and therefore we gladly 
give to Samuel Allen a place in this volume. 



ENRY H. STAFFORD, head engineer for 
the Hatfield Milling Company of Decatur, 
is a native of New York. He was born in 
Essex County, July 16, 1829, and is a son 
of Caleb and Rebecca (Eggleston) Stafford. In 
1836, when our subject was a lad of seven years, 
the parents emigrated Westward to Illinois, and 
locating in Sangamon County there spent the re- 
mainder of their lives, the mother dying at the 
age of fifty-five years, while the father's death oc- 
curred at the age of sixty-five. 

Mr. Stafford whose name heads this record 
spent his boyhood upon the home farm, but at 
the age of nineteen began learning the black- 
smith's trade. He did not follow it, however, but 



222 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



returned to the farm and carried on agricultural 
pursuits until 1856. In the fall of that year he 
came to Decatur and secured a position as fireman 
in the old Frank Priest Mill, which then stood on 
Decatur Street, and which was burned in 1864. 
After a year he was placed in charge of an engine 
and continued to serve in the capacity of an en- 
gineer until 1861. 

In that year, Mr. Stafford, on the first call for 
seventy-five thousand volunteers to aid in crush- 
ing out the rebellion, enlisted in Company A, 
Eighth Illinois Infantry, the company being 
raised in Decatur in April, 1861. He did duty at 
Cairo for three months. Being then taken sick 
with typhoid fever, he did not re-enlist, and after 
his recovery he returned to the mill. He had 
charge of an engine at Dn Quoin and one at Riv- 
erton for eighteen months. He then came to De- 
catur, and since 1857, with the exception of about 
a year, has served as a mill engineer. In 1870, he 
secured a position in the mill where he is now 
employed, it being then owned by Priest & Crissy. 
Here he has remained continuously since, although 
the ownership has constantly changed, the firm 
of Priest & Crissy being succeeded by George 
Priest, then Priest, Deal & Co. Later it became 
the property of the Hatfield Company, and subse- 
quently the Hatfield Milling Company was incor- 
porated. Under the supervision of Mr. Stafford 
new boilers and engines have been placed in the 
mill. He is an expert and careful engineer and 
has had no accident, except on one occasion, when 
the breaking of a pipe crushed his two middle 
fingers on the right hand. 

Mr. Stafford was married in 1851, the lady of 
his choice being Miss Lauretta Ross, of Saugamon 
County, whose death occurred in 1858. In 1863, 
in Rivertou, he married Lydia A. Wright. By 
the first union were born two children: Orlando 
C., who is now Superintendent of the Decatur 
Brick and Tile Company's works; and Lauretta, 
wife of Emory Morris, of Sangamon County. The 
children born of the second marriage are: Elean- 
ora, wife of Elmer Miller, of Chicago; Grace, wife 
of Charles Houghton, of Chicago; Leota, who is 
now a student in the Jacksonville Institute, of 
Jacksonville, 111.; and Charles Henry, who is also 



attending school. The family reside at No. 325 
South Water Street, in the home which was built 
by Mr. Stafford in 1857. 

Our subject is a member of the Odd Fellows' 
society of Decatur and has passed all of the chairs. 
He has attended the Grand Lodge and Encamp- 
ment, and is a member of the Patriarchs Militant, 
or Uniformed Degree. For thirty-seven years he 
has made his home in this city and has therefore 
witnessed much of its growth and development. 
His life has been well and worthily passed and his 
long-continued service in one mill indicates his 
faithful performance of duty. 




?ILLI AM M. BALDRIDGE, who is engaged 
in the real-estate, loan and insurance busi- 
ness in Decatur, is a native of Decatur 
County, Ind., his birth having occurred on the 
25th of July, 1833. He is one of a family of ten 
children born unto Ebenezer W. and Elizabeth 
(Wallace) Baldridge, the former a native of Ohio, 
and the latter of Kentucky. The paternal grand- 
father, William Baldridge, was born in Virginia, 
and spent the latter part of his life in Adams 
County, Ohio. He was a minister of the Associate 
Reformed Presbyterian Church, now called the 
United Presbyterian Church, and preached for 
about forty years, or until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1824. He was the father of twelve sons 
and three daughters. The maternal grandfather 
of our subject, Michael Wallace, was a native of 
Kentucky, and followed farming in Shelby County, 
that State, and in Decatur County, Ind. He served 
as a soldier in the War of 1812, and died at his 
home some years later. He and his family were 
members of the United Presbyterian Church, and 
his ancestors as far back as the year 1400 were ad- 
herents of the same faith. 

Of the eight sons and two daughters in the 
Baldridge family only three are now living: Will- 
iam, of this sketch; James, who resides in Charles- 
ton, W. Va., where he holds the position of tele- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



223 



graph operator and ticket agent; and Thomas H., 
of Catlettsburgh, Ky. The father of this family 
was a physician, who engaged in the practice of 
medicine for over forty years, and died June 1, 
1893, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife, 
who was a member of the United Presbyterian 
Church, died at the age of forty-four, and in 1862 
he was again married. 

We now take up the personal history of our sub- 
ject, who spent the greater part of his youth in 
Ohio and there acquired his early education. He 
completed his literary studies in the Miami Uni- 
versity of Oxford, Ohio, after which he started out 
in life for himself. He embarked in merchandis- 
ing in Hamilton, Ohio, and after a short period 
went to Keokuk, Iowa, where he followed the same 
business for some time. He also engaged in teach- 
ing there, and was distributing clerk in the post- 
otticc under the Buchanan administration. In 
1858 his connection with the railroad commenced. 
He btgan in the freight department, and was af- 
terward conductor on the Des Moines Valley Rail- 
road until 1862, when he went to La Fayette, Ind., 
and ran trains on the Wabasli Railroad for seven 
and a-lialf years. Subsequent to that time he was 
employed in the railroad offices of that road. La- 
ter he formed a connection with the Big Four 
Road. He has performed almost every duty in con- 
nection with that line of work, and in all the dif- 
ferent capacities has been a faithful and efficient 
employe. At length, on account of failing health, 
he left the road in 1873. 

On the 21st of September, 1854, Mr. Baldridge 
married Miss Pamelia J. Boycc, daughter of Rev. 
William M. and Nancy (Grimes) Boyce, the former 
a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Ken- 
tucky. Six children were born of their union, 
two sons and four daughters: Nannie E., Mary I., 
Willie M., Allie B., Alvn M. and Jennie, but Mary 
and Willie are now deceased. Allie has become 
the wife of John H. Mitchell, telegraph operator 
in South Bend, Ind. He was formerly Deputy 
County Clerk of Tippecanoe County, Ind., for 
eight years. They have one child, Joseph B. 

On leaving the railroad in 1873, Mr. Baldridge 
became insurance solicitor in La Fayette, Ind., and 
followed that business for fifteen years, iu connec- 



tion with real-estate dealing. In December, 1890, 
he came to Decatur, and has since made this city 
his home. Himself and wife are members of the 
Assembly Presbyterian Church. In his social re- 
lations, he is an Odd Fellow, and in politics is a 
supporter of the Republican principles. He is a 
genial and pleasant gentleman, and though his 
residence in Decatur has been of very short dura- 
tion, he has already become quite popular through- 
out the community. 




iilLLIAM J. HUFF, of the Huff Brothers' 
Lumber and Planing Mill Company, is 
one of the enterprising, wide-awake and 
representative business men of Decatur, and is 
prominent not only in business circles, but is also 
a leader in church work and a popular gentleman, 
highly esteemed for his many excellencies of 
character. As he is widely and favorably known, 
we feel assured that this record of his life will 
prove of interest to many of our readers. 

On the 27th of December, 1861, Mr. Huff was 
born in Coshocton County, Ohio, and at the age 
of eight years came to Illinois with his father, A. 
Huff, a native of Harper's Ferry, Va. The family 
located in Douglas County. At the age of twenty 
William entered the commercial school at Valpa- 
raiso, Ind., and also attended a normal school, ac- 
quiring a good business education. He then took 
up his residence in Cerro Gordo, 111., where he 
opened a lumber-yard in company with his bro- 
ther, S. E. Huff. He borrowed $3,000 of his father 
to embark in business, and the first year he 
cleared about $300 on the lumber, but lost $200 on 
the sawmill. Later he established a lumber-yard 
in Sidney, which he carried on for three years, 
when he sold out, realizing a good profit. With 
the exception of $600 each, which the brothers in- 
herited from their father's estate, they have made 
all that they now possess as the result of their own 
efforts. 

For three years after being joined by his bro- 



224 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ther the partnership continued, and then William 
sold out and went to Wichita, Kan., where he 
spent the year 1885. There he secured a position 
with the Citizens' Hank, after which he secured 
employment as a real-estate agent with the Lee 
Loan and Insurance Co., which was then doing a 
big business. When the land oih'ce was opened at 
Warden City, he went to that place, where he en- 
guged in locating claims for four months. Alto- 
gether his business venture in the West proved a 
very profitable one. 

While in Wichita, Mr. Huff was united in mar- 
riage, on the 6th of August, 1885, with Miss Cora 
A. Pitts, who was then living in that eity, but had 
formerly been a resident of Cerro Gordo. By 
their union was born a son, William Lindley. 
The mother died on the 1st of April, 1889, when 
her baby was only eight months old, since which 
time Mr?. Julia M. Pitts, mother of Mrs. Huff, has 
been superintending the household of our subject. 

On his return to Illinois, Mr. Huff located in 
Decatur and purchased the interest of C. P. 
Thatcher in the Thatcher Lumber Company. The 
firm then became Gaddis <fe Huff, William J. and 
S. E. Huff both being members of the firm. Busi- 
ness was carried on under that style for three 
years, after which the company was incorporated 
under the name of the Deoatur Lumbering and 
Manufacturing Company. For two years our 
subject was its Treasurer, after which he retired 
from the firm. The year 1890 was spent as a 
lumber-dealer in Englewood, 111. The present 
business was established and incorporated Decem- 
ber 23, 1891, with a paid-up capital of $50,000. 
The incorporators of the company are William J. 
Huff, who is now President; C. T. Wai-field, Vice- 
President; S. E. Huff, Secretary; and B. F. Huff, 
of Cerro Gordo, Treasurer. They hare a branch 
business at Cerro Gordo, of which B. F. Huff is 
local manager. This company deals in lumber, 
lath and shingles, and manufactures doors, sash, 
blinds, moldings, wire and picket fence, and makes 
a specialty of all kinds of stair and porch woik. 
They employ forty men, nearly all of whom are 
skilled workmen, and to them they pay an aggre- 
gate of $525 per week. Only the finest work is 
done by the Huff Brothers' Lumber and Planing 



Mill Company, and their enterprise is justly 
ranked among the leading industries of the city. 
Their business amounts to upwards of $140,000 
annually and is steadily increasing. In his social 
relations, William Huff is connected with the 
Odd Fellows' society, and in politics is a stalwart 
supporter of the Republican party. He holds 
membership with Grace Methodist Episcopal 
Church, of which he is Trustee, and he is a promi- 
nent member of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation, of which he is now serving as President. 
He takes an active interest in eveiything pertain- 
ing to the educational and moral upbuilding of 
the community, is a public-spirited and progress- 
ive man, and a valued citizen of the thriving 
county seat of Macon County. Hi business ca- 
reer has been an eminent!}' successful one, and the 
industry and enterprise which have characterized 
his life have gained him a comfortable compe- 
tence. 



ENJAM1N F. DILLEHUNT was born in 
& Hagerstown, Md., March 17, 1815, and 
was one of a family of five sons and two 
daughters. He was reared in the State of 
his nativity, and when a young man learned the 
carpenter's trade. At length he determined to 
make a home in the West, believing that better 
opportunities were afforded there than in the older 
and more thickly settled States of the East. In 
1837 he made his way to St. Louis, and after a few 
days continued his journey to Springfield, 111., 
whence he came to Decatur, making a perma- 
nent location here. He entered a large tract of 
land north of the cit}-, but afterward disposed 
of much of it, although at his death he still 
retained possession of one hundred and twenty 
acres. He engaged in the lumber business for a 
number of years with I. Shellabarger, and also did 
carpentering and contract work. He built the 
court house in Clinton, 111., and immediately after, 
his work there having been so satisfactory, he 
erected another in Urbana, 111. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



225 



On the 28th of January, 1841, Mr. Dillehunt 
married Miss Martha K. Nesbitt, daughter of Will- 
iam and Sarah (Nettlin) Nesbitt, natives of Phila- 
delphia, Pa. Ten children were born of their union, 
eight sons and two daughters. Of this number 
one died in infancy; and Thomas and James died 
in early childhood. Hiram married Sabina Holl- 
man, who is now deceased. They had five children, 
four yet living: Carl, Virgil, Leila and Sabina Eva. 
William married Cora Braden, and with his wife 
and four children, Laura, Maud, Welby and Clay, 
resides on the old homestead. Samuel, who follows 
farming near Blue Mound, wedded Helen Hughes, 
and they have seven children: Etfie, Benjamin, 
Anna B., Bert, Tott, Bunn and Helen. Martha 
Elizabeth is the wife of Joseph Tail, a resident of 
Macon, Macon County, by whom she has three 
children: Daniel, Benjamin and Susan. Benjamin 
W. married Augusta Buchard, and four children 
grace their union: Leslie K., Gertrude E., Richard 
B. and Martha Marie. Anna C. is the wife of 
Walter Hutchins and they have one child, Clar- 
ence. Edwin S. married Addie Haynes, and unto 
them have been born four children: Thomas, Clara 
Belle, Lena and Addie. 

In the spring of 1892, Edwin Dillehunt, who 
was a member of the Decatur Fire Department, 
was nearly burned to death. He was ordered to 
drive his team and cart into an alley which the 
spring rains had made very muddy. The horses 
were stalled and were burned to death. In his 
endeavor to save the team Edwin was so badly 
burned that lie nearly lost his life, and has not 
yet recovered from his terrible injuries, being still 
a great sufferer. 

When Mr. and Mrs. Dillehunt, came to Macon 
County they found it but sparsely settled, and the 
city in which they located was but a mere village. 
Our subject always bore his part in the work of 
upbuilding and development, and was recognized 
as a progressive and public-spirited man and val- 
ued citizen. His life was one which gained him 
the high regard of all with whom he came in con- 
tact and made his death deeply mourned. He 
passed away on the 23d of September, 1869. The 
old homestead is still owned by his widow, and 
she Owns a pleasant residence at No. 335 West 



William Street, Decatur, where she is now living. 
She is a member of the Methodist Church, and a 
most estimable lady, her friends throughout the 
community being many. 




AYTON DUNHAM, who is now living a 
retired life in Decatur, was born in Essex 
County, N.J., November 12, 1814. His fa- 
ther, Henry Dunham, was a tailor and re- 
moved from New Jersey to New York about 1816. 
His wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Ellison, and 
unto them were born eleven children, but our sub- 
ject is the only survivor of the family. On emi- 
grating to the West, Henry Dunham located in 
Richmond, Ind., and a few years later died in Ft. 
Wayne, that State, of cholera, at the age of sixty 
years. Some years later his wife was called to her 
final rest. They were both members of the Meth- 
odist Church. 

Our subject was quite young when his parents 
removed to the Empire State, and was still a mere 
boy when they emigrated to Indiana. When a 
young man he began learning the hatter's trade, 
which he followed for a few years. On the 9th 
of July, 1837, was celebrated an important event 
in his life his marriage with Miss Marilla Robin- 
son, daughter of Amos and Elizabeth (Hughes) 
Robinson, both natives of Vermont. Six sons and 
four daughters were born unto them. Henry D. 
married Emma Kramer, of Decatur, and they 
have two children: Eva Myrtle and Orville; Sarah 
E. is the widow of William Dailey, who died, 
leaving seven children: George, Hugh, Manila, 
Ada, Effie, Ida and Eliza; Amos was killed in the 
army during the battle of Ft. Donelson: Orvis 
and Orrin, twins, died when quite young; Caro- 
line E. is the wife of James Bullard, of Decatur, 
by whom she has had six children: Eddie, Bessie, 
James, Nathan, Esther (who died at the age of 
three years), and one who died in infancy; Hen- 
rietta is the widow of Robert L. Perry; and Charles 
E. married Miss Anna Phillips and resides near 



226 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Peterson, Iowa, with his wife and four children: 
Dayton, Charles, Hartwell and Cora. 

It was in 1836 that Dayton Dunham came to 
Macon County, 111., which was then quite new 
and sparsely populated. Many of the now thriv- 
ing towns were not then in existence, and Decatur 
was but a small hamlet. Here he followed his 
trade for a while, and also engaged in teaming. 
Later he gave his attention to farming, and now 
owns about twenty-eight acres of the old Robin- 
son homestead, which was formerly the property 
of his parents. When the war broke out he laid 
aside all business cares to enter the service of his 
country, joining Company B, Eighth Illinois In- 
fantry, the regiipent being commanded by Gov. 
Oglesby. He served until after the battle of Ft. 
Donelson, in which engagement he was so badty 
wounded that he was unfit for further duty. For 
about three years after the war he was compelled 
to walk on crutches. His health improving, he 
then began to work at gardening, which he fol- 
lowed for some years, and for eleven years his 
wife carried on a greenhouse. In May, 1886, he 
received a paralytic stroke, and has since been un- 
able to work. 

Our subject is a member of Dunham Post No. 
141, G. A. R., which was named in memory of his 
son, who was the first one killed from this neigh- 
borhood. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church and are highly 
respected people, who have the warm regard and 
esteem of all who know them. 




ETER PERL is the popular and efficient 
Sheriff of Macon County. He has filled 
that ottice for three years, and performs 
all of the duties of his important position 
with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of 
all concerned. Widely is he known throughout 
Macon County, and in all circles is recognized as 
a leading and influential citizen. 

Born in Big Spring Township, Seneca County, 



Ohio, June 24, 1842, our subject is a son of Nich- 
olas and Catherine (Vester) Perl, both of whom 
were born near Strasburg, Germany. They were 
also married in the Fatherland, and in 1833 sailed 
for America, locating in Seneca County, Ohio. 
The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, but in 
this country followed farming. His death oc- 
curred at the age of eighty-five years. His wife 
died in her seventy-third year, at the home of her 
daughter, Elizabeth, in Mankato, Minn. Their 
eleven children were all born in this country, but 
only four of the number grew to mature years. 
Elizabeth is the wife of Frederick Boegen, who is 
a machinist of Mankato, Minn.; Nicholas was a 
carpenter and died, leaving a wife and one child; 
Peter is the next younger; and Louis is a me- 
chanical engineer of St. Paul, Minn.; lie is mar- 
ried and has three children. 

The early days of our subject were spent upon 
his father's farm, and in his home he was taught 
to speak the German language, but he associated 
witlr his English neighbors and thus learned the 
language of his adopted country. He was edu- 
cated in both the parochial and public schools, and 
afterward secured a certificate and engaged in 
teaching school in Seneca, Fail-field and Stark 
Counties, Ohio, and in Urbana, Ohio. Later he 
was employed in the same capacity in Hunting- 
ton, Ind., and proved a successful teacher. He 
not only aided others in acquiring knowledge, 
but his extensive experience in that line proved 
of great value to him. Coming to Illinois in 
1876, he entered a drug store in Peoria, and later 
was for two years Principal of the public schools 
of Berlin, 111. 

Mr. Perl has been twice married, his first wife 
having been Mrs. Mary Meier, by whom he had 
two children, John and Agnes. In 1878 he was 
united in marriage with Miss Carrie Luken, 
daughter of Henry Luken, of Berlin. She has be- 
come the mother of two children, Frank and 
Henry. 

At the age of eighteen years, Mr. Perl enlisted 
in the service of his country as a member of Com- 
pany H, One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio In- 
fantry, under Capt. Zimmerman, and was mus- 
tered in at Monroeville, where the company 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



229 



drilled for about six months. He then went to 
the front and served in the Army of the Potomac 
in West Virginia, participating in the Shenandoah 
Valle}' campaign. He took part in the battles of 
Fisher's Hill, Opequon and Cedar Creek, and was 
honorably discharged in 1865, after Lee's sur- 
render, having followed the Old Flag for three 
years. 

In the year of his marriage Mr. Perl came to 
Decatur and bought out Charles & Nicholas 
Laux, undertakers. He then had only $850, 
which he had saved from his salary as a teacher. 
His business career in this city has been one of 
great success, and his possessions now aggregate 
$50,000, which he has made in his business and in 
fortunate speculations. In politics he is a stanch 
Democrat. In religious belief he is ;i Catholic, 
and his wife is a member of the Lutheran Church. 
His official career began in 1884, when he was 
elected Coroner by one hundred and thirty-four 
votes, overcoming a large Republican majority. 
In 1889 he was elected by fifty votes as Alderman 
from the Fourth Ward, and in 1890 was elected 
by the handsome majority of six hundred and 
eight to the office of Sheriff. No higher testi- 
monial of his popularity could be given than his 
election in this Republican county. It has been 
his unpleasant duty during the term to cause the 
hanging of W. H. Crawford, the murderer of Lina 
Mathias, but by those who were present and had 
witnessed other executions it was pronounced to 
be the most perfectly managed affair ever seen. 
Mr. Perl has faithfully discharged every duty de- 
volving upon him, and has proved one of the 
most efficient officers that has ever served as 
Sheriff of Macon County. 

Mr. Perl has traveled quite widely over this 
country, but no place furnishes the attractions of 
a home to him as does Decatur, where his numer- 
ous fiiends have learned to know him as a busi- 
ness man of strict integrity and steiling worth. 
Although he comes of German parentage, there is 
no truer American citizen in Macon County. He 
believes in the free institutions of this country, 
and takes a commendable pride in upholding and 
advancing them. Outside of business and pub- 
lic life he shows a different side to his character, 

10 



taking great enjoyment in the aesthetic side of 

life and in branches of higher education. Music 

has particular attractions for him, and he has 
considerable ability in that direction. 




- R. WILLIAM M. CATTO, a member of 
the firm of Catto & Jones, medical prac- 
titioners of Decatur, is a Canadian by 
birth. He was born near Hamilton, on 
the 28th of November, 1858, and is the second in 
a family of six children. The parents, John and 
Isabella (Angus) Catto, were both natives of Aber- 
deen, Scotland, and in early life emigrated to 
America. Of their five sons and one daughter, 
one died in early childhood. Alexander married 
Miss Hattie Althouse, and with his wife and two 
children, Fred and Hattie Belle, lives in Ontario, 
Canada. Walter was killed in a railroad accident 
at Tacoma, Wash., at the age of thirty years. He 
married Helen Lachlin and left three children. 
John and Bella complete the family. The father 
engaged in merchandising in Canada during his 
early years, but for some time past has been en- 
gaged in farming and stock-raising near Bucoda, 
Wash. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, 
as was his wife, who died in 1878, at the age of 
forty-five years. The paternal grandfather of our 
subject, Walter Catto, spent his entire life in Scot- 
land, and died at the age of seventy-eight. The 
maternal grandfather, William Angus, never left 
his native land. 

The Doctor was reared in Western Ontario, and 
there acquired his early education, which was sup- 
plemented by a course in the Literary College of 
St. Catharines, Canada. His taste and desire lead- 
ing him to enter the medical profession, he pursued 
a course along that line, and was graduated from 
the Detroit College of Medicine, in Detroit, Mich., 
in the spring of 1882. He was afterward House 
Surgeon in the hospital of that city for two years, 
and has now been engaged in active general prac- 
tice for eleven years, in which time he has supple- 



230 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



merited his theoretical knowledge by actual ex- 
perience, and has thus become a skilled physician. 

On the 19th of December, 1882, was celebrated 
the marriage of Dr. Catto and Miss Florence, 
daughter of Leonard and Lucinda (Harrington) 
Nightingale, the former a native of- England, and 
the latter of Canada. They have had four chil- 
dren: Florence, who died at the age of three years; 
Bruce and Keith; and one son who died in infancy. 

In politics, the Doctor is independent. He is 
connected with the C(eur de Lion Lodge, K. P., 
and is a member of Macon Lodge No.8, A. F. &. 
A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; Decatur 
Council No. 16, R. & S. M.; Beaumanoir Command- 
ery No. 9, K. T.; Peoria Consistory, S. P. R. S.; 
and Medina Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He holds 
membership with the Presbyterian Church, and 
his wife is a communicant of the Episcopal Church. 
Although their residence in Decatur is of compar- 
atively short duration, they have already made 
many warm friends. When Dr. Catto came to this 
city he bought out Dr. Harsha, and has had a 
large practice from the beginning, and it has now 
assumed extensive proportions. The firm of Catto 
& Jones occupies four large rooms in one of the 
best localities in the city, and our subject has one 
of the largest practices in central Illinois. He has 
also won a foremost place in the ranks of his pro- 
fessional brethren. He owns a good farm of 
eighty-five acres three miles east of the city, and 
has one of the finest residences of the city, located 
at the corner of William and Edward Streets. 




MANDUS H. HILL, who carries on general 
farming on section 3, Milan Township, is 
one of the self-made men of Macon County, 
for he started out in life a poor boy with 
only $4 in money. He has worked and labored to 
secure the prosperity which now crowns his efforts, 
and his path has not always been a flowery one. 
He has encountered hardships and difficulties, but 



these have been overcome by perseverance and a 
determined effort, and he therefore deserves all the 
more credit for his success. 

Mr. Hill was born in Wood County, Ohio, No- 
vember 30, 1851, and is of English and German 
descent. His parents, John and Hester (Crumm) 
Hill, had a family of ten children, five sons and 
five daughters, and our subject is the fifth in order 
of birth. Eight of the number are still living. 
The father was born in September, 1823, in Ohio, 
and there spent his entire life, his death occurring 
in August, 1888. He always folio wed ngricultuial 
pursuits as a means of livelihood. His wife, who 
was born in the Buckeye State January 28, 1822, 
is still living there, making her home with her 
children. She has reached the age of seventy -one 
years. Of the family, Wallace W., the eldest, is a 
physician of Weston, Wood County, Ohio; Jane 
is the wife of Dolphis Hinkley, a resident farmer 
of Wood County; George E. is a grain-buyer c>f 
Ohio; John Rufus carries on agricultural pursuits 
in Henry County, Ohio; Amandus is the next 
younger; Loretta is deceased; Elizabeth is the 
next younger; Martha is also deceased; Arsina is 
the wife of Charles Edwards, a farmer of Ohio; 
and Lester is a school teacher and minister. 

Mr. Hill of this sketch gave his father the bene- 
fit of his services and remained upon the home 
farm until nineteen years of age, when he decided 
to seek a home in the West. He came to Macon 
Count}-, 111., and, locating in Milau Township, was 
employed as a farm hand by the month for three 
years. He then rented land and continued its opera- 
tion for five years, when, with the money he had ob- 
tained as the result of his labors, he purchased the 
farm on which he now resides. 

As a companion and helpmate on life's journey 
Mr. Hill chose Miss Laura Bartlett, who was born 
in Madison County, 111., September 5, 1854, and 
is a daughter of David M. and Nancy (Stinson) 
Bartlett. Her father was born in Illinois October 
11, 1830, and in this State made his home until 
his death, which occurred in February, 1877. He 
served in the late war and was crippled in the 
struggle. His wife was also born in Illinois, and 
was called to the home beyond in 1862. Their 
family numbered six children, but the eldest, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



231 



Mary Ann, died in infancy; Jane is the wife of 
William Mays, a resident of Nemaha County, Neb.; 
Altha is the wife of Charles Green, who is engaged 
in the livery business in Polk County, Neb.; Will- 
iam is a resident farmer of the same State; and 
Ida Belle died in infancy. 

Four children grace the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Hill, but Ora, their first-born, died in infancy. 
Those still at home are Linder, Wilbur and Guy. 
The parents hold membership with the Christian 
Church, and their lives abound in good works and 
deeds. Mr. Hill is a stanch Republican in politics 
and warmly advocates the principles of that or- 
ganization. He has served his township as Clerk, 
and has been Justice of the Peace for six years, 
discharging his duties with a promptness and fi- 
delity that have led to his re-election and won for 
him the commendation of all. As the result of 
his good business management and fair and honest 
dealing he is now the owner of a valuable farm of 
two hundred and twenty acres, and devotes his 
time and attention to agricultural pursuits. 




ILTON A. SMITH, proprietor and editor 
of the State Sentinel, the Prohibition or- 
gan for central Illinois, published at De- 
catur, has long been prominent in tem- 
perance work, and though his residence in Macon 
County is of short duration, he is not unknown 
by reputation to the readers of this volume. He 
was born on a farm in Massac County, 111., and is 
a son of George H. and Lucretia (Hammond) 
Smith, both of whom were natives of Georgia. 
On the paternal side he is of English and Irish de- 
scent. His maternal grandmother, however, was a 
Cherokee Indian, and her husband also had Indian 
blood in his veins. In 1837 the parents of our 
subject came to Illinois. 

Milton received a common-school education, 
and when only (ifteen years of age joined the boys 
in blue of the Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, but 
was mustered in as a member of Company I, One 



Hundred and Twenty-eighth Illinois Infantry, 
after its consolidation with the Ninth Mounted 
Infantry. He was in Sherman's army until the 
close of the war, participating in ninety -six battles 
and skirmishes and going with Sherman on the cele- 
brated march to the sea. When the war was over 
he was honorably discharged and returned home. 
He then taught school for a number of years, and 
became Principal of the Vienna High School. For 
two years he was a law student, but abandoned 
that profession to enter the editorial field. For 
sixteen years he was editor and proprietor of the 
Johnson County Journal, but at length sold that 
paper, and in 1892 came to Decatur. purchasing 
the State Sentinel. This paper is devoted to the 
local interests of Macon County, but the principal 
motive of its publication is the furtherance of 
temperance principles and the Prohibition party. 

In 1874 Mr. Smith was united in marriage with 
Miss Emma Wright, of Vienna, Johnson County, 
111., and unto them have been born eight children, 
six yet living: George R., Bessie Lee, May, Effie, 
Nellie and Earl R. Eunice died at the age of three 
years; and Lloyd was thrown from a wagon and 
killed at the age of eight months. The parents 
and children are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and Mr. Smith was one of the lay 
delegates from the southern Illinois Conference 
at the general conference of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church held at Omaha, in May, 1892. 

Our subject cast his first Presidential vote while 
in the army for Abraham Lincoln, and supported 
the Republican party until his views on the tem- 
perance question led him to become a Prohibition- 
ist, as he saw that the old party would not act 
on that question. He has been prominent in tem- 
perance work for a number of years, and his ef- 
forts to rid the people of the liquor traffic and its 
consequences have been productive of much good. 
He has served as Chairman of the Twelfth Con- 
gressional District, and also of the county and 
State Central Committees of his party, and has 
been a delegate to two National conventions and 
several State conventions. One leading charac- 
teristic of his was shown in his renouncing the 
old party, with which he had long been connected, 
as his conscience led him to enter the Prohibition 



232 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



field, and he never wavers in carrying out any 
conviction which he believes to be right. He lias 
been a prominent worker in church and Sunday- 
school, and the cause of education finds in him a 
warm friend. lie advocates any worthy enter- 
prise calculated to upbuild the community and up- 
hold a higher moral standing. Although his resi- 
dence in Decatur has been of shoit duration, he has 
already won the confidence and good-will of its 
best citizens and gained the high regard of many. 




I - ON. WILLIAM E. NELSON, County Judge 
^'^ 

of Macon County, and who for many years 

has been a prominent member of the Deca- 
tur Bar, claims Tennessee as the State of 
his nativity, his birth having occurred in White 
County June 4, 1824. His parents, Richard and 
Eliza (McCampbell) Nelson, were both natives of 
Tennessee, and were of Irish and Scotch-Irish de- 
scent respectively. The paternal grandfather, 
John Nelson, was a native of Virginia, and was a 
millwright and millowner. He was a Revolu- 
tionary soldier and served throughout the struggle. 
His death occurred at the advanced age of eighty- 
five years, at his home in Overtoil County, Tenn. 
The maternal grandfather of our subject, Andrew 
McCampbell, was born in Scotland, and after his 
marriage to a lady of that country removed to 
Ireland, whence they emigrated to America, locat- 
ing in Virginia.. Later they became residents of 
Tennessee, where Mr. McCampbell followed farm- 
ing in Knox County. He too aided the colonies 
in their struggle for independence, and died at the 
age of seventy-five years. 

Richard Nelson was an attorney-at-law, and re- 
sided in Sparta from the time of his marriage until 
1846, when he removed to Carrollton, Miss., where 
he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1865, 
in his sixty-fifth year. He was a member of the 
Presbyterian Church, as is his wife, who is still 
living in Carrollton, at the age of ninety years. 
Mr. Nelson served as a member of the Constitu- 



tional Convention in Tennessee, and was Judge of 
the Probate Court for many years in Mississippi. 
The family numbered five sons and three daugh- 
ters, but only three are now living: William, of 
this sketch; Mary F., wife of Charles N. Scott, of 
Carrollton, Miss.; and Emily, wife of James M. 
Moore, of College City, Cal. 

In the county of his birth our subject was reared 
to manhood and remained until his removal to 
Decatur, in June, 1857. His education was ac- 
quired in the subscription schools, and at the age 
of sixteen he began the study of law with his 
father. In August, 1844, he was admitted to the 
Bar and engaged in legal practice in White County 
and the adjoining circuit. As a companion and 
helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Mary A. 
Snodgrass, daughter of Col. James and Mnrgarct 
(McKinne3') Snodgrass, of White County. Their 
union was celebrated February 26, 1846, and unto 
them were born five children, three sons and two 
daughters: Margaret Eliza, James Ridley. Theodore, 
Flora and Richard. All died in infancy, with the 
exception of Theodore, a resident of Chicago, who 
is at present Deputy Recorder of Deeds, and a 
prominent politician. He married Augusta A., 
daughter of John R. Blaine, of Decatur, and they 
have one child, Mary Lena. In November, 1876, 
the mother of this family ,who had been a member of 
the Church of Christ, died at the age of forty-seven 
years. 

As before stated, Mr. Nelson cast in his lot with 
the early settlers of Decatur in 1857, and, opening 
a law office, has since engaged in legal practice. 
He was appointed by the Governor as one of the 
committee for the revisal of the statutes, and was 
elected a member of the Twenty -seventh General 
Assembly of Illinois, which convened immediately 
after the adoption of the constitution in 1870, and 
he served throughout all the repeated sessions of 
that long assembly. He was subsequently elected 
Circuit Judge of the Fourteenth Circuit, filling the 
office one term, and has since been elected County 
Judge of Macon County, being the present incum- 
bent. 

In June, 1889, the Judge was again married, his 
second union being with Mrs. Lucy II. Montgom- 
ery, widow of John T. Montgomery, and daughter 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



233 



of Judge Jeptha G. Holiingsworth, of Elkton, Todd 
County, Ky. Our subject and his wife are among 
the most prominent and highly esteemed citizens 
of Decatur, having a large circle of friends and 
acquaintances. Judge Nelson is a member of the 
Christian Church, and belongs to Ionic Lodge No. 
312, A. F. <fe A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; 
and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 9, K. T. In poli- 
tics he is a stancli Democrat, and the principles of 
Democracy find in him a very warm advocate. 
Judge Nelson has been frequently honored with 
many of the leading positions within the gift of his 
fellow-townsmen, and in the various offices he has 
filled he has acceptably and faithfully served, doing 
all in his power to promote the best interests of the 
people at large. He is a broad and liberal-minded 
man, and in the court room presides with a dignity 
and ability that have won him the commendation 
and respect of all with whom he has been brought 
in contact. 




^ILLIAM SCHROLL, a prominent and in- 
fluential citizen of Decatur, who is now 
living a retired life at his pleasant home, 
situated at No. 322 South Union Street, claims 
Pennsylvania as the State of his nativity. He was 
horn in Cumberland County, about seven miles 
from Harrisburg, on the 10th of February, 1833, 
and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Bailey) 
Schroll. His parents were also natives of the Key- 
stone State. About 1843 they removed from 
Cumberland to York County, but their home was 
again about the same distance from the capital 
city of Pennsylvania. The year 1850 witnessed 
their emigration Westward. They came to Illinois 
and located in Wheatland Township, about six 
miles southeast of Decatur, where the father se- 
cured wild land and opened up a farm, upon 
which he made his home until his death. He 
cleared two hundred and forty acres of land and 
placed it under a high state of cultivation. His 
death occurred in September, 1861, at the age of 



fifty-eight years. His wife, who survived him 
about twelve years, died in 1873 in Decatur. 
This worthy couple had a family of six children, 
as follows: Jacob B., who is now living at Farber, 
Audrain County, Mo.; Ann B., wife of Peter Wei- 
ser, who is living in Holdredge, Neb.; William, 
whose name heads this record; George, who died 
in Arcola, Mo.; Samuel, who died in Paola, Miami 
County, Kan.; and Elizabeth, who became the wife 
of Silas Timmons and died in this county. The 
three children now deceased were all married and 
left families. 

The subject of this sketch was only ten years of 
age when his parents removed to York County, 
Pa., and was a young man of seventeen when 
they came to Illinois. He remained upon the home 
farm until twenty years of age and then began 
learning the carpenter's trade in Decatur with 
Ricketts & Simpson. When he had mastered the 
business he continued te follow it as a means of 
livelihood until 1856, when he turned his atten- 
tion to the occupation to which he had been 
reared. He removed to a farm ten miles north- 
west of Decatur, and was one of the first settlers 
on the prairie, where he located and where he 
made his home from 1856 until 1873. He had im- 
proved three hundred and sixty acres of land, 
placing the entire amount under a high state of 
cultivation. From 1873 until 1876 he made his 
home in this city, and then returned to the farm, 
where he lived until 1881. Since that time he has 
lived a retired life in Decatur. He was formerly- 
engaged quite extensively in buying and shipping 
stock. He still owns four hundred and eighty 
acres of valuable land, which he rents. This is 
divided into two farms, one of three hundred and 
twenty acres in Hickory Point Township, and the 

other of one hundred and sixty acres in Illini 
Township. 

The lady who is now Mrs. Schroll was in her 
maidenhood Miss Thomasine Eleanor Barrow. She 
was born in Westmoreland, in the north of Eng- 
land, and at the age of nineteen years came to the 
United States. When a young lady of twenty- 
two she became the wife of our subject. Their 
union was celebrated January 16, 1855, and unto 
them have been born the following children: John 



234 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Franklin, a grain dealer at Pierson, Piatt County, 
111.; Charles E., a member of the firm of Bucking- 
ham it Schroll, attorney s-at-law; Nellie D., who is 
a student in the State University of Michigan, at 
Ann Arbor, she having been graduated from the 
Uecatur High School in the Class of '90; and Wil- 
bur Fred, who is now attending the Decatur High 
School. Charles was a graduate of the High 
School, and then pursued a four-years course in 
Harvard University, spending three years in the 
law school. Five children of the family are now 
deceased: Willie B., who died at the age of four 
months; George, who died at the age of thirteen 
years; Lizzie, who died at the age of a year; Win- 
nefred, whose death occurred in her sixth year; 
and Lillie, who died in her fourth year. 

In political sentiment, Mr. Schroll is a Repub- 
lican and has served as Alderman of the Third 
Ward for two years. He is truly a self-made man, 
for when he began farming he had only $450. He 
has made judicious and careful investments, has 
exercised good judgment in his business affairs, 
and as the result of his enterprise and industry he 
has acquired a handsome property, which now en- 
ables him to live retired. 



~z=^ 



i 1^-1 




BLACK is one of the prominent 
farmers and extensive land-owners of Ma- 
con County. He resides on section 30, 
Pleasant View Township, where in an early day 
he purchased two hundred and eighty acres of 
land. To this he has added from time to time, 
as his financial resources have increased, until his 
possessions now aggregate six hundred and twenty 
acres of the choicest land in the community. It 
is needless to say that this farm is a model one. 
The highly cultivated fields, divided by well-kept 
fences, the substantial buildings, the improved 
machinery, all attest the enterprising and pro- 
gressive spirit of one of Macon County's leading 
agriculturists. 

Mr. Black was born in Sangamon County, 111., 



May 14, 1826, and is of English descent. His fa- 
ther was a native of Kentucky, and in that State 
passed his boyhood days. When a young man he 
came with his parents to Illinois, locating in San- 
gamon County, where he lived until called to the 
home beyond. During the early days, when mucli 
trouble was experienced with the Indians, he 
served in the Black Hawk War. His death oc- 
curred at the age of fifty years. His wife, who 
was also born in Kentucky, died at the home of 
our subject, in this county, at the ripe old age of 
eighty-four. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads, George 
Black was reared to manhood. Under the parental 
roof he remained until he had attained his major- 
ity, and to his father gave the benefit of his ser- 
vices. When he started out in life for himself 
he had no capital save a young man's bright hope 
of the future and a determination to win suc- 
cess if it could be obtained through enterprise 
and perseverance. As a companion and helpmate 
on life's journey he chose Miss Lavina Broom, of 
St. Clair County, 111., their union being celebrated 
in 1847. 

By the marriage of this worthy couple were 
born eight children, of whom two died when 
quite young. Those still living .ire Andrew C., 
the eldest, who manages the home farm; Erastus, 
a well-known agriculturist of Macon County; 
Bruzilla, wife of Charles Pope, a resident farmer 
of Christian County, 111.; David, who is engaged 
in agricultural pursuits in this county; William, 
who is also a farmer of Macon County; and Ches- 
ter L., who completes the family and still resides 
on the home farm. The children have all been pro- 
vided with good educational privileges and are 
occupying respected positions in the circles of so- 
ciety in which they move. The mother of this 
family was called to her final rest on the 12th of 
March, 1890. She had been a true and faithful 
helpmate to her husband, and the sorrow felt b3 r 
her family was shared by a. large circle of friends 
and acquaintances, to whom she was endeared by 
her many excellencies of character. 

After his marriage Mr. Black began farming, 
and his life has been one of industry. On coining 
to this county he purchased a part of his present 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



235 




)ERRY H. CASSELL, a retired merchant of 
Decatur, who is well known as the owner 
of Cassell Castle, his magnificent home 
which he erected in 1886, was born in Dau- 
phin County, Pa., May 22, 1823, and is a son of 
William and Elizabeth (Leidig) Cassell, who were 
also born in the Keystone State. In 1839, the.y 
emigrated Westward, locating in Putnam Count}-, 
111., where the mother died at the age of sixty-six 
years, and the father in the eighty-second year of 
his age. Our subject remained in Pennsylvania 
until 1838, when, in his sixteenth year, he came to 
Illinois, joining his brothers, Augustus, Joseph and 
Christian, in Putnam County. His brother Henry 
is now living two miles east of Decatur. Michael 
L. makes his home in the city; and John is living 
in Niantic. His sister, Mrs. Esther Albert, makes 
her home with our subject. 

Berr}' H. Cassell spent about a year in Putnam 
County, and in the summer of 1839 returned to 
Pennsylvania, but in the succeeding autumn he 
again came to Illinois, this time being accompa- 
nied by his parents and their family. They made 
the journey by water to Louisville, Ky., and thence 
in a one-horse wagon to their destination. So se- 
vere was the weather that our subject froze his 



farm, and as his financial resources have increased, 
he has extended its boundaries. His well-directed 
efforts have placed him in a position of wealth 
and affluence, and he is now numbered among 
the substantial citizens of this community. In 
politics he is an inflexible adherent of the Dem- 
ocracy, and for three years he served as School 
Director, which, however, is the only position 
that he would consent to accept. The cause of 
education finds in him a warm friend, and his 
support and co-operation are given to all those 
enterprises calculated to promote the general wel- 
fare. Mr. Black has made the most of his oppor- 
tunities and privileges through life and has thus 
won prosperity. 



feet. About the 20th of November they reached 
Decatur, then a place of about three hundred in- 
habitants, whence word was sent to the brother in 
Putnam County, who came and took the parents 
home with him. Berry was rather inclined to re- 
main, and did so. Capt. David L. Allen and Col. 
Leonard Ashton, the former a land-owner and the 
latter the stage driver, took a great interest in him 
and offered to secure him a position. Berry had 
learned the tinner's trade, and they induced him 
to set up a shop in Decatur. His mother had given 
him $1.25, so he opened a tin shop, securing a set 
of tools of an old man who had a tinker's outfit. 
His shop was in the basement under the store of 
Peddecord Bros. & Co., and having secured a small 
box of tin plate he began business about the mid- 
dle of January. By the 1st of July he had saved 
$75, and in 1842 he was enabled to purchase a 
complete outfit. He carried on business success- 
fully for ten years longer. In 1846, by the as- 
sistance of Peddecord & Prather, he secured a stock 
of stoves in Albany, N. Y., the first stock, and in- 
deed the first'stoves, ever brought to the county. 
These were soon sold out, and to purchase his sec- 
ond stock Mr. Cassell went to St. Louis. His goods 
were brought to Decatur by farmers who traded 
in that city. There was little money in circula- 
tion in this community at that day, so Mr. Cassell 
accepted produce for his goods, and this he traded 
for hardware in St. Louis. 

In 1852, our subject formed a partnership with 
Henry Prather, and did business under the firm 
name of Prather & Cassell, carrying an extensive 
stock of hardware, furniture, agricultural imple- 
inents,etc. This partnership was continued until 
1855, when Mr. Cassell sold his interest and pur- 
chased the Herald House, now the St. Nicholas 
Hotel. He changed its name to the Cassell House, 
and did an extensive business for two and a-half 
years. From 1857 until 1860, he engaged in the 
hardware business in Monticcllo, 111., but made his 
home in Decatur. During the latter year he opened 
a grocery store in this city, which he carried on 
until 1865, after which he again carried on the 
hardware business in Monticello for a year. Since 
that time he has been engaged extensively in the 
real-estate business. From time to time as his 



'23(5 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



financial resources increased, he made judicious in- 
vestments, and in 1852 bought two hundred and 
forty acres of land adjoining the city on the east, 
for which he paid 112.50 per acre. This was consid- 
ered very foolish by many, for no land previous 
to that time had sold for more than $10 per acre. 
He engaged in farming it for several years, and in 
1855 built his house upon it. Subsequently por- 
tions of it were platted and added to the city, and 
on various occasions he has made seven additions, 
and will yet make two more. The Decatur Coal 
Company's works are now situated on his land, as 
is also the Union Depot. Others have purchased 
portions of his property, platted it and added it to 
the city. We have before mentioned the elegant 
residence which Mr. Cassell erected in 1886. It is 
built on a beautiful knoll and is one of the finest 
homes in the city. He has also erected some store 
buildings and made other substantial improve- 
ments in Decatur. 

In early life Mr. Cassell was a Whig, and at- 
tended the first Republican convention which con- 
vened in Illinois for putting a State ticket in the 
field. This was held in Bloomington in 1856. He 
has been an active member of the party since that 
time, and is greatly interested in its growth and 
success. He has been honored with several posi- 
tions of public trust, was County Recorder in 
1846, has served as City Clerk, was Treasurer and 
Assessor for several years, and has also been Trus- 
tee. He was made a Mnson in Macon Lodge in 
1850, and has been a leading member of the blue 
lodge, chapter, commandery, council and consis- 
tory, and has been Representative to the Grand 
Lodge. 

Mr. Cassell's marriage was celebrated October 26, 
1843, Miss Louise M.Shultz, a native of Maryland, 
becoming his wife. The following children were 
born of their union: Mary Elizabeth, who died in 
infancy; Baron H., a farmer residing two and a-half 
miles east of Decatur; William L., who died in in- 
fancy; Clara Owen, who became the wife of John 
Carroll, but both are now deceased; and Thomas 
A., who assists his father in the care of his real- 
estate interests. The Cassell family is one widely 
known in this community. For almost fifty-five 
years our subject has been a resident of Macon 



County, and has therefore been an eye-witness of 
the greater part of its growth and development. 
He has always borne his part in the work of prog- 
ress and upbuilding, and is numbered both among 
the valued citizens and the honored pioneers of 
this community. 



J,' AMES BEARD, a farmer residing on section 
10, South Macon Township, was born in 
Washington County, Tenn., July 26, 1826, 
' and is a son of Thomas and Jane (Hall) 
Beard. The Beard family is of English lineage 
and was probably founded in America during 
Colonial days. The father of our subject was also 
a native of Tennessee, his birth having occurred 
in the eastern part of the State in 1804. He fol- 
lowed farming throughout his entire life, and in 
1849 emigrated to Macoupin County, 111., where 
he made his home until called to his final rest in 
1860. His wife was born in the same neighbor- 
hood as her son James, and her last days were 
spent in Macoupin Countj', she passing away at an 
advanced age. This worthy couple were the par- 
ents of nine children, four of whom are still liv- 
ing. Our subject is the eldest. John Cole is a 
resident farmer of Macoupin County. Valentine 
is now living in Carlinville, 111. John also makes 
his home in Macoupin County. 

No event of special importance occurred during 
the boyhood and youth of our subject, which were 
quietly passed under the parental roof until he 
had attained the age of eighteen. He then began 
to learn the harness-maker's trade, and in 1849 he 
accompanied his parents on their removal to the 
West. He had expected to return to Tennessee in 
a short time, but on reaching Illinois he was so 
pleased with the country and its prospects that he 
determined to make his future home in this State. 
He secured work as a farm hand by the month, 
and for a number of years- he was employed in 
that capacity. On coming to Macon County, he 
made his first purchase of land, consisting of one 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



239 



hundred and sixty acres, which he bought of the 
railroad. It was entirely unimproved, but he at 
once began its development and soon transformed 
it into a rich tract. Since that time, however, he 
has disposed of a portion of his property, naw 
owning a forty-acre farm. 

The lady who now bears the title of Mrs. Beard 
was in her maidenhood Miss Sallie Moser. Their 
marriage was celebrated in Macoupin County, in 
February, 1866, and for more than a quarter of a 
century they have now traveled life's journey to- 
gether. They are members of the Methodist 
Church, and are highly respected citizens, whose 
excellencies of character and upright lives have 
gained them many friends. In his political affilia- 
tions. Mr. Beard is a supporter of the Republican 
party. He has never been a politician in the sense 
of office-seeking, but has been elected and served 
as Road Commissioner and School Director. He 
has led a quiet and unassuming life, yet true to 
every public and private trust, and his freedom 
from ostentation has undoubtedly been one of the 
factors that have gained him the high regard in 
which he is universally held. 



f OSEPH P. SMALLWOOD, who for many 
years has been prominently connected with 
the business interests of Decatur, but is now 
living a retired life in his comfortable home 
at No. 159 West North Street, was born on a farm 
a mile and a-half from this city, July 10, 1829. 
His parents, Parmenus and Deborah (Brown) Small- 
wood, were both natives of Virginia, and after 
their marriage, which was celebrated in the Old 
Dominion, emigrated to Ohio, in 1823. The follow- 
ing year they came to Illinois, locating in Macon 
County, being among its first pioneers. The In- 
dians in this locality were then more numerous 
than the white settlers, deer and wolves were 
plentiful, and prairie grass grew higher than a 
man's head. The father was a farmer, and in the 
year of his arrival entered three hundred and 



twenty acres of land a mile and a-half north of 
Decatur, which he transformed into a good farm. 
He served as a soldier in the War of 1812. His 
death occurred in 1850, at the age of sixty years, 
and his wife, who survived him until 1877, passed 
away at the age of eighty. She was a member of 
the Christian Church. Unto them were born the 
following children: Thompson, Amanda, Betsy, 
Susan, Sallie, George, John, Samuel, Douglas, As- 
bury, Joseph, Gideon, and one who died in in- 
fanc3'. Only four are now living, our subject and 
his three sisters: Amanda, wife of William Ben- 
nett; Betsy, wife of Walter Roben; and Susan, 
widow of Emanuel Davis. 

In taking up the life record of our subject we 
present to our readers the sketch of a man widely 
known throughout Macon County. His early ed- 
ucation was acquired in the proverbial pioneer 
schoolhouse, built of logs and furnished with slab 
seats. He aided in the development of a farm un- 
til sixteen years of age, when he determined to 
follow some other pursuit, and began learning the 
blacksmith's trade, which he followed for five 
years. In 1850, during the gold excitement in 
California, he made his way to that State, where 
he followed mining for three years, but he did not 
meet with any great degree of success. In the 
spring of 1854 he returned to Illinois and resumed 
farming, to which occupation he devoted his en- 
ergies until 1859. In that year he traded his land 
for a steam-mill and engaged in the milling busi- 
ness for about a year. He then went to Montana, 
where he was engaged in freighting during the 
summer season for seven years. In 1870 we again 
find him in Decatur, where he embarked in the 
clothing and merchant-tailoring business, which 
he followed for thirteen years. On the expiration 
of that time he sold out and began improving his 
farms in Edgar and Shelby Counties. He now 
owns eight hundred acres of land in Hume and 
two hundred in Windsor. 

In October, 1857, was celebrated the marriage 
of Mr. Smallwood and Miss Mary, daughter of 
Samuel Frederick, of Decatur. They became the 
parents of two children, Effie and Sheridan. The 
latter died when quite young. The former be- 
came the wife of John B. Lauffer, and is also now 



240 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



deceased. The mother of this famity died in Oc- 
tober, 1859, in the faith of the Presbyterian 
Church, in which she held membership. 

In 1885 Mr. Smallwood erected a handsome 
block known as the Smallwood Flats, 88x40 feet 
in dimensions and three stories and a basement 
high. It is heated by hot water, and is supplied 
with hot and cold water and all modern conven- 
iences. He also owns considerable other city prop- 
erty. In addition, Mr. Smallwood has a stable 
and feed-yard at No. 355 East Prairie Street, where 
several hundred horses can be accommodated. He 
has raised a number of thoroughbred horses, in- 
cluding "Aloha, "a celebrated running horse, which 
he sold in 1892 for over $20,000. He now has 
some verv fine thoroughbreds in his stables. Mr. 
Smallwood is a man of enterprise and persever- 
ance, and his keen judgment and good manage- 
ment have been important factors in his success in 
life. He has made a handsome fortune by his 
well-directed efforts, and can now live retired, 
resting in the enjoyment of the fruits of his for- 
mer toil. 



) EUBEN BETZER, who is now living a re- 
ip**(- tired life in Decatur, is a native of Ohio. 
cii M| He was born in Ross County on the 5th of 
^H July, 1824. and is the seventh in order of 
birth in a family of eleven children, whose parents 
were William and Margaret (Harvey) Betzer, the 
former a native of New Jersey, and the latter of 
Pennsylvania. In 1810 the father had emigrated 
to the Buckeye State, and two years later he en- 
listed as a soldier in the War of 1812. Of the 
family only two are now living. One sister, Bar- 
bara, wife of Dr. F. May, was for some time a resi- 
dent of Decatur, but she and her husband are both 
now deceased. Michael came to Illinois in 1856, 
and died in McLean County, this State. Jonathan 
and Peter both located in Illinois in the same 
year. The latter died in January, 1876. Jona- 



than removed to Kansas in 1865, and now makes 
his home in Saline County. With the exception 
of our subject he is theonty survivor of the family. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads Reuben Bet- 
zer was reared to manhood, and at the age of 
twenty-five years he settled upon a farm adjoin- 
ing the old homestead, there living until the death 
of his father. The latter gave to each of Ins sons 
land to the value of 81,000, and to each of his 
daughters that amount of money.' 

On the 31st of December, 1848, our subject mar- 
ried Miss Sarah Evans, who was born in Ohio in 
1826, and spent her maidenhood near Circleville, 
in Pickaway County. The young couple began 
their domestic life upon the farm, where they re- 
sided until 1865. In that year they determined 
to seek a home in the West, and, coming to Deca- 
tur, located on a farm in Whitmore Township, 
about six miles 'northeast of the city. It com- 
prised two hundred and fifteen acres of improved 
land, and its boundaries have since been extended 
until it now comprises three hundred and twenty- 
five acres. To its further development and culti- 
vation Mr. Betzer devoted his energies until 1867, 
when he laid aside all business cares and came to 
the city. His farm is highly improved with good 
barns, fences, a substantial dwelling and all mod- 
ern necessaries and conveniences. He now rents it 
for $1,400 per year. 

Mr. and Mrs. Betzer have no children of their 
own, but have given homes to two. Their niece, 
Effie A. Betzer, came to them at the age of thir- 
teen, and remained with them until her marriage 
to Amos F. Imboden, a policeman of Decatur. 
Another niece, Maria L. Evans, lived with Mr. 
and Mrs. Betzer from her seventh to her twenty- 
first year. She is now the widow of Frank Spill- 
man, and makes her home in Decatur. 

In his political views, Mr. Betzer is a Democrat, 
but has never sought or desired public office. In 
early life he was a member of the German Re- 
formed Church, and his wife was a member of the 
Presbyterian Church. Later they both united 
with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and 
since coming to Decatur have held membership 
with the Old-School Presbyterian Church. Our 
subject served as Elder in Ohio, and was one of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



241 



five who built a church in his neighborhood. His 
labor and enterprise in former years now enable 
him to live retired in the enjoyment of life's pleas- 
ures. He frequently spends his winters in the 
South, and the summer of 1892 was spent in Cali- 
fornia. He has visited many places of interest, 
and his travels have proved of much pleasure and 
profit to him. 



J I AMES M. SHADDOCK belongs to that 
class of people to whom the" prosperity and 
stability of the county is largely due the 
farmers. He carries on agricultural pur- 
suits on section 10, South Macon Township, and 
is numbered among the leading farmers of Macon 
County. As he is widely and favorably known in 
the community, we feel assured that this record of 
his life will prove of interest to many of our read- 
ers. 

Mr. Shaddock is a native of Virginia. He was 
born in Caroline County, on the 17th of August, 
1848, and is a son of James A. L. Shaddock. His 
father was also born in the Old Dominion and still 
resides in that State. He is of English descent,' 
and throughout his entire life he has followed 
farming. Ater arriving at years of maturity he 
wedded Annie E. Rollins, who was also a native 
of Virginia, and was likewise of English lineage. 
Ten children were born of their union. 

Our subject, who was the third in order of birth, 
passed his boyhood days quietly under the par- 
ental roof, attending the select schools, according 
to the custom of the South. At the age of twenty- 
one he determined to seek a home in the West, 
and, having arrived, at that epoch in a voung 
man's life when he becomes his own master, he 
made the journey to Macon County, 111., and cast 
in his lot with its early settlers. As he had no 
capital, he had to secure employment in order to 
provide for his maintenance, and hired out as a 
farm hand by the month. He was thus employed 



for about four years, when he rented land and en- 
gaged in farming for himself. As his financial re- 
sources were increased and his labors brought him 
in some capital, he purchased land, and he now 
owns two hundred acres, comprising a fine farm 
that is pleasantly situated three miles south of 
Macon. It is supplied with good buildings and is 
well fenced, and the highly cultivated fields indi- 
cate the careful supervision of a practical and pro- 
gressive owner. 

In March, 1877, Mr. Shaddock was united in 
marriage with Miss Jemima Atteberry, of this 
county. By their union has been born a family 
of five children, of whom one died in infancy. A 
son and three daughters are still living, namely: 
Lula May, Maud E., James Franklin and Bertha 
Ann. They are still under the parental roof and 
are the joy of the household. 

Mr. Shaddock holds membership with the 
Presbyterian Church, and his wife belongs to the 
Methodist Church, but they are united in acts of 
kindness and in the interest which they take in all 
that is calculated to upbuild humanity. Socially, 
our subject is a member of Macon Lodge No. 434, 
K. P. He is now serving his district as School 
Director, and the cause of education finds in him 
a loyal friend. In local politics, he votes inde- 
pendently, but at national elections he supports 
the men and measures of the Democracy. 



&EV. HENRY W. LESSMAN, Pastor of St. 
Johannes' Lutheran Church of Decatur, 
\V, which is located at the corner of Clayton 
and Orchard Streets, has during his residence 
in this city, covering a period of three years, not 
only won the respect and esteem of his own con- 
gregation, but has made many friends outside of 
the denomination. He has labored untiringly in 
the field which he has chosen, and the best interests 
of Decatur have certainly been thereby promoted. 
Mr. Lessman was born in Hermansburg, Hanover, 



242 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Germany, on the 12th of March, 1852, and spent 
the greater part of his youth in his native land, 
but at the age of seventeen he bade good-bye to 
home and friends and crossed the Atlantic to the 
I'nited States. After his arrival here he became a 
student- in the Concordia Theological College, a 
German Lutheran school of St. Louis, Mo., from 
which lie was graduated, after having completed 
the course, in the Class of '73. Soon afterward he 
was ordained at Sherrill's Mound, Dubuque 
Count} 1 , Iowa, by the Rev. J. Osterhus, and took 
charge of the Lutheran Church in that place, con- 
tinuing as its pastor for five years. On the expi- 
ration of that period he went to Wisconsin and, 
locating in Berlin, preached for the church in 
Berlin and the one in Burnett, a neighboring town, 
for six j ears. It was in 1890 that he came to 
Decatur to accept the pastorate of St. Paul's 
Lutheran Church. 

On the 4tli of June, 1874, Mr. Lessman was 
united in marriage in Sherrill's Mound, Iowa, with 
Miss Lizzie Stirnweis, a native of that State. 
Their union has been blessed with a family of 
seven children, namely: Tillie, Lydia, Ernest, 
Emma, Clara, Lena and Walter. Mrs. Lessman 
has been a faithful helpmate to her husband, aid- 
ing him greatly in all his work. 

The church of which Rev. Mr. Lessman is now 
pastor was organized in 1891, being set off from 
St Paul's Church. It was established with one 
hundred and fifty of the two hundred and twenty- 
five members of St. Paul's Church, and its present 
membership is one hundred and eighty. The 
house of worship was erected in 1892, at a cost of 
$16.000, and dedicated on the 18th of December 
of that year by our subject, assisted by Prof. Her- 
zer and Rev. Mr. Hermann, of Nokomis, 111. A 
pipe organ was put in at a cost of $1,500 and two 
bells costing $420. The edifice is a brick structure, 
42x90 feet, possessing much architectural beauty 
and tastefully furnished and arranged in the in- 
terior. The parochial school carried on in connec- 
tion with this church was established in 1887, and 
lias now two hundred and twenty-five pupils, under 
the care of two competent teachers. 

Rev. Mr. Lessman is a member of the Missouri 
Synod. It was entirely through his efforts that 



funds were raised for the erection of St. Johannes' 
Church, and as a result of his untiring labors he 
has given to his congregation a very pleasant 
church home. 



JpS^OAH D. MYERS, M. D., is one of the later, 
111 yet one of the important, additions to the 

ikd-s) medical profession in Decatur. He was 
born on his father's farm in Jackson Township, 
Fountain County, Ind., in 1843, and is a son of 
John and Catherine (Fine) Myers. His grand- 
father, Jacob Myers, was a son of a Revolutionary 
hero, and was born and reared in North Carolina. 
He went to the Northwest on horseback, exploring 
portions of Indiana, and being pleased with the 
country resolved to make it his future home when 
the Indians and wild beasts should become suffici- 
ently subdued to make it possible for a white man 
to live there. In 1811 he took his family in a 
wagon to the Hoosier State, but finding that the 
country was still too wild for settlement, was 
obliged to leave, taking up his abode in Kentucky. 
He followed farming at Crab Orchard, where the 
father of our subject was born. In 1812 he re- 
turned with his family to his native State, and 
there lived until 1829, when he again started for 
Indiana, arriving in 1830. He was one of the 
early settlers of what is now Fountain County. 
His father enlisted in the Revolutionary War, but 
never returned. The Myers family is of German 
origin, and was founded in America in early 
Colonial days. 

On the maternal side the Doctor is of German 
descent. On leaving the Fatherland, his ancestors 
located in North Carolina, and his great-grand- 
father also entered the Colonial service. It is 
supposed that he was killed, as no news was ever 
received of him after his enlistment. The father 
of our subject became a well-to-do firmer and 
sawyer, and built the first steam sawmill in Foun- 
tain County. Removing to Jasper County, 111., 
he engaged in merchandising in Gila, where he is 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



243 



now living a retired life, al the age of eighty-one. 
He served as Postmaster of that place un'der Presi- 
dent Hayes. His wife died in 1891, at the age of 
seventy-nine. 

In the Myers family were eleven children: 
Maria, who died at the age of four years; Jacob, 
who was burned to death when eighteen months 
old; Peter, a resident farmer of Jasper County; 
Susan, wife of M. M. Sowers, a farmer of the same 
county; John C., a miller in Harvcysburg, Ind.; 
Levi F., who died in Wallace, Ind., at the age of 
twenty-two, leaving a wife and one child, Byron 
F.; Noah D., of this sketch; Mathias, who was 
drowned at the age of two years; Mary, who be- 
came the wife of George W. Myers, a farmer, and 
died leaving a child, whose death occurred soon 
after; Amanada C., twin sister of Mary, and wife 
of James A. Sanders, who resides on the old home- 
stead in Fountain County, Ind.; and Eli L., who 
is County Superintendent of Schools of Fountain 
County. 

We now take up the personal history of Dr. 
Myers, who was reared on the home farm in such 
a community as is described by Edward Eggleston 
in his "Hoosier School Master." During his early 
boyhood he had a desire to engage in the practice 
of medicine, and his dreams of the future soon 
won him the nickname of "Doc," by which he 
was known around his father's brick-kiln. At the 
age of twenty-two lie began teaching, and followed 
that profession for some time, after which he went 
to the State University in Bloomington, Ind., 
where he pursued a scientific course. The money 
which he had acquired was there exhausted and 
he had to resort to teaching once more to obtain 
the means to prosecute his medical studies. He 
began fitting himself for his chosen profession 
with Dr. A. T. Steele, of AVaveland, Ind., with 
whom he remained three years, when lie entered 
Hush Medical College of Chicago, attending his 
first course in the winter of 1870-71. That school 
was burned out in the memorable fire of October 
9, 1871, and he became a student in the Medical 
College of Ohio, at Cincinnati, from which he was 
graduated on the 2d of March, 1872. 

In 1873 Dr. Myers was married to Miss Mattie 
J. Ward, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Mais- 



grove) Ward, and unto them have been born four 
children: Bessie L., Minnie M., Lulu P. and Merl 
M. After his graduation the Doctor began prac- 
tice in Veedersburgh, Ind., where he remained for 
a year, and then removed to Brown's Valley, in 
Montgomery County, where he practiced for eigh- 
teen months. On the expiration of that period 
he went to Jasper County, and located on the 
present site of the village of Gila. He was the 
founder of the village, as he built the first house 
and was instrumental in establishing the postoffice 
at that place, as well as the mail route. The 
Doctor did a large practice at Gila for thirteen 
years, when he removed to Decatur. He thor- 
oughly understands his profession and has become 
a successful practitioner. He is examining physi- 
cian for Easterly Camp No. 1626, M. W. A., and 
is also a member and examining surgeon of the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen of Decatur, to- 
gether with Ionic Lodge No. 312, A. F. & A. M. 
In politics, he is a supporter of the Democratic 
party, and himself and wife, with their two eldest 
children, hold membership with the English Luth- 
eran Church. Dr. Myers may truly be called a 
self-made man. The advantages of his youth 
were extremely limited and his education, literary 
and professional, has all been acquired through his 
own efforts. The ambition and enterprise which 
led him to carry out the long cherished dream of 
his youth will always keep him in the front ranks 
among his professional brethren. 




HEODORE COLEMAN is cashier for Ha- 
worth & Sons, and is widely known in busi- 
ness circles in this city as a man of sterling 
worth, and as being upright and honorable in all 
his dealings. For the promotion of the be^t in- 
terests of the city he gives his support, and he is 
recognized as a leading resident of the community. 
He was born in Lowell, Mass., August 7, 1852, and 
is a son of John W. and Nancy W. (Ela) Colemnn, 
whose family numbered three sons and three daugh- 



244 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ters, namely: Theodore, Lucy B., Alfred W.. James 
H., Hattie P. (wife of Robert W. Hastie, of Tay- 
lorville), and Abby, who died in infancy. The 
father of this family was a native of Virginia, and 
the mother of Maine. The former was a clerk in 
a dry-goods house in early life and afterward 
served as salesman in the Methodist Book Con- 
curn, in Louisville. Ky. In the spring of 1855 he 
removed to Decatur, and began teaching school. 
He afterward served as a book-keeper for the Hen- 
kle <fe Priest Mill, and subsequently was with 
Moorehouse, Wells & Co., and previous to this 
time he had engaged in farming for four years. 
He served as Tax Collector in 1868. He was called 
to the home beyond in the spring of 1869, at the' 
age of fifty-two years. A member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, he was also a local preacher, 
and both by piecept and example taught the way 
of life. His widow is still living in this city, and 
is a member of the First Methodist Church. 

The Coleman family is of English origin. The 
grandfather of our subject, James H. Colemau, was 
a native of Virginia, and became a paving con- 
tractor in Louisville, Ky., where he carried on 
business for some years. His last days were spent 
near Shelburn, Jnd., where he died at the age of 
eighty-six years. His only daughter is now living 
near that place. He took quite an active part in 
politics, supported the Whig party, and ere liis 
death voted for Abraham Lincoln. The maternal 
grandfather, Theodore Ela, who was a shoemaker 
by trade, was a native of New Hampshire, but re- 
moved to the Pine Tree State in early life, settling 
in Lowell, where he died at the age of seventy-six. 

Theodore Coleman, our subject, was only two 
and a-half years old'when brought by his parents 
to Illinois. He was reared in this county, and 
the greater part of his education was acquired in 
Decatur. He was the Hrst boy graduated from the 
Eligh School of this city, the year of that event 
being 1868. While in school he served during 
vacations and leisure hours as ollice boy for the 
firm of Durfee, Warren & Co. for three years, af- 
ter which he accepted a position with David Mar- 
tin, remaining in his employ for four years. Since 
leaving school, he has continuously engaged in 
book-keeping. For four years he was also em- 



ployed by H. W. Hill & Co., and for a year and 
a-half served as book-keeper for Chambers & Quin- 
lan. In 1879 began his connection with the Ha- 
worth Check-Rower Company, with which he has 
continued ever since. 

On the 6th of January, 1881, Mr. Coleman was 
joined in wedlock with Miss Linnie Good, daugh- 
ter of Daniel and Barbara (Barnett) Good, who 
were natives of Pennsylvania, but resided near 
Oreana at the time of the marriage of their daugh- 
ter. Three children bless this union: Daniel Roy, 
Hattie May and Fannie Lucile. The family hold 
membership with Grace Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and Mr. Coleman is one of the Stewards 
and Trustees. He also belongs to Ionic Lodge 
No. 312, A. F. & A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 21, 
R. A. M.; and Decatur Lodge No. 364, I. O. G. T., 
of which he is a charter member. He is a stanch 
advocate of temperance principles and votes with 
the Prohibition party. Whatever tends to up- 
build the educational and moral interests of the 
community receives his hearty co-operation, and 
his aid is never withheld from a worthy enterprise. 
His service with well-known business firms of the 
city is a high testimonial to his ability and faith- 
fulness to duty. 




RANK WARD, who is engaged in farming 
and fruit-growing on section 34, Blue 
Mound Township, has the honor of being a 
native of this county. He first opened his eyes to 
the light of day January 20, 1835, in Wheatland 
Township, on what is known as the old Ward 
Farm, three and a-half miles southwest of Decatur. 
He is the third in order of birtli in a family which 
numbered four sons and one daughter. His father, 
William Ward, was born in Tennessee in 1802, 
and remained in that State until eighteen years of 
age, when he left home and went to Kentucky. In 
1822 he became a resident of Greene County, 111., 
and in 1825 removed to Macon County, locating 
on Government land in Wheatland Township, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



245 



where he made his home until his death, on the 
4th of January, 1854. The mother of our subject, 
who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Wheeler, 
was also a native of Tennessee. Her father, Will- 
iam Wheeler, was one of the pioneer settlers of 
this county, coming here in 1825. Her death oc- 
curred in .June, 1841, and her remains were in- 
terred in Walnut Grove Cemetery. The children 
born unto Mr. and Mrs. Ward were: Larkin, who 
died in 1864, at the age of thirty-two years; Mary, 
who died in 1867, at the age of thirty-three; 
Frank, of this sketch; Hiram, a progressive farmer 
and stock-raiser, who owns the old homestead; 
and Rial, a prosperous farmer of Moultrie County. 
After the death of his first wife Mr. Ward was 
again married. In November, 1841, he wedded 
Sarah Ann Abbott, and unto them were born six 
children, one of whom died in infancy. John A., 
the eldest, is a farmer of this county; Nancy J. is 
the wife of Oliver Logan, an agriculturist of 
Wheatland Township; Margaret E. is the widow 
of Robert Elder; William J. resides in Morgan, 
111.; and George W. is successfully engaged in 
farming in Colorado. 

Frank Ward, whose name heads this record, was 
reared to manhood arnid the wild scenes of frontier 
life, and became early inured to the hard labor of 
developing a new farm. He continued on the old 
homestead until nineteen years of age, when, on 
his father's death, he started out for himself to 
earn his own livelihood. He began work as a 
farm hand by the month, being thus employed for 
a year, after which he engaged with a Govern- 
ment surveyor, who was laying out township lines. 
Four months were spent in that way, and he then 
again engaged in farm labor for two years. On 
the expiration of that period he returned to the 
old homestead and began farming for himself on 
forty-five acres of land, which he inherited from 
his father's estate. To agricultural pursuits he 
has since devoted his energies, and as a farmer he 
has made of his life a success. He now owns sixty 
acres of valuable land, the greater part of which 
is planted in small fruits. 

In January, 1859, was celebrated the marriage 
of Mr. Ward and Miss Nancy I. Pasley, who was 
born in this county May 19, 1841, and is a daugh- 



ter of Robert Pasley, an honored pioneer. The 
children born to them were: Emma E.; Charles E., 
who is engaged in carpentering; Dora E., who be- 
came the wife of Ira G. Warnick and died leaving 
two children; Allie C. and Ralph, who are living 
with our subject; and William, who completes the 
family. One child died in infancy. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ward arc members of the Meth- 
odist Church, are highly respected people in this 
community. Their home is the abode of hospital- 
ity, its doors being ever open for the reception of 
their many friends. In his political views, Mr. 
Ward has always been liberal, supporting the man 
whom he thinks best qualified to fill the office, re- 
gardless of party affiliations. He has been a wit- 
ness of the growth of Macon County since the 
days of its early infancy, and well deserves to be 
numbered among those who laid the foundation 
for its present prosperity and advanced condition. 




felLLIAM C. SMITH, a pioneer residing on 
section 16, South Wheatland Township, 
was born July 2, 1819, in Rutherford 
County, Tenn., about twenty-five miles from Nash- 
ville. His grandfather, Robert Smith, was of 
Scotch lineage, his wife being of Irish descent. 
He was in the Revolutionary War, and was takeji 
prisoner during the struggle. His death occurred 
near Princeton. Ky. His son Robert, the father 
of our subject, was born in Guilford County, N. C., 
in 1782, and was fourteen years of age when his 
parents located on the banks of the Cumberland 
River, near Nashville. Tenn. They afterward took 
up their residence on Stone River, ten miles from 
Murfreesboro. The Indians were then quite nu- 
merous and the entire county was wild. Rob- 
ert Smith, Jr.. volunteered for service in the War 
of 1812 under Gen. Jackson, but was forced to 
return home on account of sickness. He was mar- 
ried in Wilson County, Tenn., to Miss Ellen Wil- 
son, who died when our subject was four years 
old, leaving three sons and four daughters. One 



246 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



child died in infancy; Margaret died in 1828, 
just after the removal of the family to this county; 
Nancy, wife of Henry Trauber, died in Mt. Zion 
Township; Robert, who served in the Black Hawk 
War, died in 1835; Elizabeth became the wife of 
A. M. Wilson, of Mt. /ion, and both are now de- 
ceased; Sarah Jane, deceased, was the wife of J. 
P. Law; and William completes the family. All 
were born in Tennessee. 

The father emigrated witli his family to Sanga- 
mon Count}-, 111., with a four-horse wagon and 
two-horse carriage, and was accompanied by John 
Wilson and his famil}'. They remained a year in 
Sangamon County and then came to Macon Coun- 
ty. Although the county was not then organ- 
ized and the land had not yet come into market, 
Mr. Smith entered over one thousand acres of 
land in different localities. His home was a log 
cabin, 20x40 feet in dimensions, and contained 
two rooms. It stood on the site of our subject's 
residence, and there he made his home until 1855, 
when his death occurred, and he was buried in 
Salem Cemetery. His first wife died in Tennes- 
see, and later he there married Mrs. Jane (Crisp) 
Allen, whose death occurred in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. 
Mr. Smith was a Jacksonian Democrat, and was 
acquainted with Andrew Jackson. He held mem- 
bership with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church 
of this neighborhood, of which he was one of the 
founders, and was much interested in church 
work. A prominent and influential citizen, he 
was widely and favorably known in the commu- 
nity, and is numbered among the honored pio- 
neers. His son, A. W., served as County Com- 
missioner in an early day. 

William Smith, whose name heads this record, 
had very limited school privileges, but his train- 
ing at farm work was not meagre. He early 
learned to swing the axe and use the mall and 
wedge and reap-hook. In the early da\'s he has 
killed deer and has borne all the experiences of 
frontier life, sharing in its pleasures and in its 
hardships. When he had attained a sufficient age 
he took charge of the old home farm and caied 
for his father until his death. 

In 1842 Mr. Smith was joined in marriage in 
Blue Mound Township with Miss Lucy J. Pope, 



who was born in North Carolina in 1819, and is 
a daughter of Dempsey Pope, who came to Ma- 
con County in 1827. For fortj-two years she 
proved a faithful helpmate and companion to her 
husband, but was called to her final rest in 1884, 
having had six children. John W., who was born 
in 1843, and educated in Mt. Zion Academy, 
afterward graduated from the law school of Al- 
bany, N. Y., and is now an attorney of Chicago. 
He is the author of '-Smith's History of Macon 
County." George Robinson died at the age of 
five months. William B., who was born in 1845, 
and married Miss Goff, of this county, is living 
upon a part of the old homestead, and is a promi- 
nent and representative farmer of the community 
in which he has spent his entire life. He has 
served as Assessor and Justice of the Peace of his 
township. Robert, who resides upon a part of the 
old homestead, carries on a sawmill and black- 
smith shop. He manied Belle Wilson, and they 
have two children. He and his brother William 
were both students in the academy at Mt. Zion, 
and he completed his education in Lincoln Uni- 
versity, of Logan County. Sarah is the wife of 
A. L. Myer, a farmer of South Wheatland Town- 
ship. James Willis, who was educated in Decatur, 
married Ada Grey and resides in Chicago. 

In 1885 our subject was again married, his second 
union being with Mrs. Mary E. Smith. Her par- 
ents were William D. and Marilla (Martin) Baker, 
who came to Illinois at a very early day. The 
father is now deceased, but the mother is still liv- 
ing at the age of ninety -four. Mrs. Smith was 
born in Macon County in 1831, and became the 
wife of John R. Smith, who enlisted for the war 
as a member of the One Hundred and Sixteenth 
Illinois Infantry, and died in the service. Her 
mother is still living on the farm where she lo- 
cated in the spring of 1829. Her father served 
on the first grand jury of the county. Her grand- 
father, Josiah Martin, served throughout the Rev- 
olutionary War, and participated in the battle of 
Cowpens. The members of the Martin family are 
Mrs. Smith; Rev. N. M., who is living on the old 
homestead; Mrs. M. L. Dennis, of this county; 
and Rev. W. P., a minister of the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro, 111. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



251 



The subject of this sketch cast his first Presi- 
dential vote for Van Buren, and has since been a 
supporter of the Democratic party. He now owns 
a good farm, but rents his land and is living a 
retired life. He has served his township as Road 
Commissioner. He and his wife are numbered 
among the most prominent citizens of the commu- 
nity, few having longer resided in Macon County 
than they. They have been identified with its 
entire growth and upbuilding, and well deserve 
mention among its honored pioneers. 




EWIS B. CASNER is connected with many 
of the leading industries of Decatur, is a 
v\ stockholder in several of its banks, and is 
prominent in many other business interests of this 
thriving city of Illinois. The enterprise, ambi- 
tion and industry of such men as our subject have 
made Decatur what it is to-day. His name is 
therefore inseparably connected with its upbuild- 
ing, and with pleasure we present this record of 
his life to our readers. Mr. Casner was born in 
Pickaway County, Ohio, August 30, 1830, and isa 
son of Peter and Annie (Holderman) Casner. The 
father was a native of Pennsylvania, but when a 
iad of fifteen became a resident of Ohio. In 1841 
he located in Mercer County, 111., accompanied by 
his family, and four years later came to Macon 
County, settling in Long Creek Township, nine 
miles southeast of Decatur. There the mother 
died. . Mr. Casner improved a large farm and died 
in his fiftieth year. In the family were five chil- 
dren. George, who died about 1879, was a farmer 
of Long Creek Township; Christopher, a farmer of 
the same township, died in 1881; Jemima is the 
widow of Jacob Bear, of Pickaway Count}', Ohio, 
and now lives in New Boston, 111.; Hanson was 
married, and died in 1852, leaving a daughter, 
Ella, now the wife of M. L. Dick, of Decatur. 

The subject of this sketch was sixteen years of 
age when he came to this county, and he remained 
with his mother until a young man of twenty-two. 

11 



At that age he embarked in farming for himself on 
a part of the old homestead, where he remained 
until 1891. His father had entered the land from 
the Government and our subject still owns a part 
of it. At one time Mr. Casner had two thousand 
acres all in one body, and for years he was exten- 
sively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He 
bred fine stock, and was one of the first to intro- 
duce Shorthorn cattle into this county. At the 
age of twenty-two he had only one hundred and 
twenty acres of land, so his entire possessions have 
been acquired since that time, and through his 
own efforts. 

Mr. Casner was married September 22, 1853, to 
Miss Mary Eleanor Flaningan, who was born in 
Montgomery County, Ind. They became the par- 
ents of four children: Oliver, who died in 1890, 
at the age of twenty-two; Cordelia, wife of James 
Wykoff, a farmer of this county; Idola, wife of 
Dr. John A. Dawson, who is living in Decatur; 
and Ermina, wife of A. B. Chapman, of Casner. 
Mrs. Casner's mother bore the maiden name of 
Eleanor Abernerthy, and was born in Virginia. 
She spent the last winter with Mrs. Casner, but 
makes her home with her daughter in Crawfords- 
ville, 111. She has now reached the advanced age 
of ninety-one years. 

As before stated, probably no man in the county 
has done more for its upbuilding and the promo- 
tion of its business interests than our subject. He 
was influential in securing the Indianapolis, Deca- 
tur & Western Railroad, which crosses his farm, and 
he hud out the town of Casner as a shipping point. 
There he erected a store, which he carried on for 
seven years, or until his removal to the city. In 
1891 he came to Decatur. Some six years pre- 
vious, as a member of the firm of Gorin, Dawson 
& Co., he had established a bank, which in 1891 
was incorporated under the name of the Citizens' 
National Bank. He was one of the incorporators, 
became Director and Vice-President, and in Jan- 
uary, 1892, was elected President. He is also a 
stockholder in the Decatur Brick and Tile Company, 
of which he was one of the incorporators, and was 
its first and is its present President. J. G. Shea, 
of Danville, is its manager, and O. C. Stafford is in 
direct charge of the business. The capital stock of 



252 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



the company is $30,000. Mr. Casner was also one 
of the incorporators and first President of the 
Danville Brick and Tile Company, which has a 
capital stock of $75,000 and a capacity of one 
hundred thousand brick per day. He is also its 
President at this writing. The Decatur Company 
has a capacity of fifty thousand brick per day. 
Of the Leader Manufacturing Company of Decatur 
he is also a Director. Their plant manufactures 
brick-making machinery. Mr. Casner is also Pres- 
ident of the Farmers' Bank of Decatur, a private 
bank that opened its doors for business July 22, 
1893, and he was one of its leading promoters. A 
man of keen judgment, deliberate and careful, 
yet progressive, possessing enterprise and energy, 
Mr. Casner has proved one of the leading and in- 
fluential business men of this city, and his industry 
and fertile resources have not only benefited him- 
self, but have proved of incalculable benefit to the 
city as well. His straightforward and honorable 
dealings have made his word as good as his bond, 
and his honorable career has won him high regard. 
In politics, in early life he was a Whig, but in 
185C joined the Republican party, which he long 
supported. He now, however, votes with the 
Prohibition party. 




M. CALDWELL is proprietor of a livery, 
feed and sale stable of Decatur. He began 
business in this city in 1870, and for fifteen 
years lias occupied his present location. His sta- 
ble covers 100x80 feet, and the barn and its con- 
tents are valued at about $25,000. He keeps on 
hand twenty-five horses and a fine line of buggies 
and carriages; in fact, everything found in a first- 
class livery stable. From the public he receives a 
literal patronage, which is justly merited. 

The life record of Mr. Caldwell is as follows: 
He was born in Sandusky, Ohio, on the 10th of 
September, 1840, and during five years of his 
boyhood resided in Alma, Ohio. From a very 
early age he has made his own way in the world. 



When a lad of ten lie began driving a stage from 
Flint to Saginaw, Mich. His father had located 
in the latter place when the Indians were paid at 
that point. Throughout nearly his entire life our 
subject has been engaged in dealing in horses. 
For thirty -six years he has been engaged in the 
livery business, embarking in that enterprise in 
Saginaw, Mich., soon after the town was started. 
He afterward followed the same pursuit in Fen- 
ten ville, Mich., and in 1864 located in Griggsville, 
III. At that place he engaged in breaking horses, 
which he sold to proprietors of circuses. There 
he remained until 1870, when he came to Decatur, 
as before stated. His brother, F. B. Caldwell, was 
in partnership with him during his residence in 
Griggsville, and the connection was continued in 
Decatur until 1883. He is now engaged as a dealer 
in carriages in Chicago. 

In Griggsville, 111., on the 2d of September, 
1868, Mr. Caldwell was married, the lady of his 
choice being Miss L. Nettie White. She is a na- 
tive of Massachusetts, but in her maidenhood went 
to Griggsville, where she remained until after her 
marriage. Their union has been blessed by the 
birth of a daughter, Eva Eliza. 

In connection with his other business interests, 
Mr. Caldwell was also engaged in breeding thor- 
oughbred "Wilkes" horses. He owns a farm of 
one hundred and twenty-four acres, five miles 
southwest of Decatur, where he hasafine"Wilkes" 
stallion and a number of standard-bred mares. 
He is an excellent judge of horses and a lover of 
the noble steed. He has not only sold many 
horses in the home market, but has shipped to 
various points. He was one of the incorporators 
of the Trotting Association, and continued his 
membership with the same until 1892. 

In his social relations Mr. Caldwell is con- 
nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, and in politics is a stanch Republican. He 
takes an active interest in political affairs and 
always keeps well informed on the issues of the 
day. He is now serving as Township Commis- 
sioner, a position he has filled for fifteen years 
with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of 
his constituents. He and two other members of 
the Board have entire charge of all the roads and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



253 



expend about $15,000 each year on improvements 
in this lino. In connection with D. A. Maffett 
and C. Amman, lie laid out and platted Maffett's 
Addition to Decatur. He lias also handled con- 
siderable other real estate. Mr. Caldwell is a 
public-spirited and progressive man and takes a 
deep interest in everything pertaining to the wel- 
fare of the city and its upbuilding. 



.- 



J" / M. ' BRO WNBACK, who is engaged in the 
banking business in Blue Mound, and is 
J one of the substantial and representative 
1 citizens of that place, is a native of Illinois. 
He was born on the 16th of October, 1853, in 
Shelbyville, Shelby County, and is the youngest 
in a family of seven children whose parents were 
Henry and Rebecca (Zepp) Brown back. The father 
was a native of Pennsylvania, and in his youth 
learned the trade of a cabinet-maker. He was 
married in the Buckeye State, and with his wife 
and family emigrated to Shelby County, 111., in 
1850, there making his home until his death, his 
wife also dying in that county. The Brownback 
family is of German extraction, the grandparents 
of our subject having come from Germany to 
America. 

J. M. Brownback, whose name heads this record, 
passed his early boyhood days upon his father's 
farm midst play and work. He attended the com- 
mon schools, and his primary education was sup- 
plemented by a three-years course of study in the 
Normal State University, of Normal, 111., which 
he entered at the age of sixteen years. When his 
school course was ended he carried on a dry-goods 
store in Normal, owned by his brother, for three 
years. He then secured work in a bank in Le Roy, 
111., being there employed for about six months, af- 
ter which he traveled fora publishing house. The 
next business in which he engaged was that of 
book-keeping, he having a position in a hotel in 
Pana, 111. In 1873 he embarked in business for 
himself as a dealer in drugs and grains, and car- 



ried on a successful business in that line for twelve 
years. On the expiration of that period he sold 
out and removed to Blue Mound, where he opened 
a bank, which he still owns. 

On the llth of April, 1882, Mr. Brownback 
was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Vande- 
veer, whose home was in Taylorville, 111. By 
their union have been born two children, who are 
still with their parents: Alcieum and Elloiese. 

In his political views, Mr. Brownback is a Repub- 
lican, and while he feels an interest in political 
affairs, as every true American citizen should do, 
he has never sought or desired public office. In 
his social relations, he is a Knight-Templar Mason, 
belonging to Blue Mound Lodge No. 682, A. F. & 
A. M.;and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 9, K. T., 
of Decatur. He takes an active and commendable 
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare 
of the community in which he makes his home, 
and gives his support to all worthy enterprises 
calculated to promote the general welfare. He is 
an enterprising man, and his well-directed efforts 
through life have brought him success. The bank 
of which he is now at the head is one of the lead- 
ing financial institutions of the county, and he is 
one of the representative business men. 




ff%ETER M. SEIBERLING, who is success- 
fully engaged in the grocery business in 
Blue Mound, is a native of the Keystone 
State. He was born near Allentown, Pa., 
on the 17th of May, 1847, and is the fourth in 
order of birth in a family of fourteen children, 
whose parents are James and Sarah (Moser) Seiber- 
ling. The father of our subject is also a native 
of Pennsylvania, and was there reared to manhood 
upon a farm. After attaining his majority, he 
engaged in keeping tavern for several years. At 
length he determined to move Westward, and in 
1852 emigrated to Ohio, where he purchased a 
farm, upon which he resided for twelve 3' ears. 



254 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



It was in 1864 that he came to Macon County and 
purchased land upon which the town of Blue 
Mound is now located. lie is still living on the 
old homestead, where he has now resided for thirty 
years. His wife, who is also a native of Penn- 
sylvania, is also residing at the old home. The 
Seiberling family is of German extraction. 

The subject of this sketch spent the first four 
years of his life in the county of his nativity, and 
then accompanied his parents on their removal to 
Ohio, where he remained until sixteen years of age, 
his boyhood being passed upon the home farm. 
After coming to Illinois, he remained under the 
parental roof until he had attained his majority, 
when he started out in life for himself, having 
received such educational privileges as the public 
schools afforded. After leaving home he began 
railroading, being employed on a construction 
train and as a brakeman. He also served as a con- 
ductor on a freight train for a time, but at length 
he abandoned that pursuit and returned home to 
engage in partnership with his brother in the 
grocery business. This connection was continued 
for about nine years, when he sold his interest in 
that store. 

After selling out, Mr. Seiberling purchased the 
store which he still owns and occupies, which con- 
tains a good brick storeroom, 75x20 feet in dimen- 
sions, and which is well filled with a complete stock 
of groceries, provisions, queensware and every tiling 
found in that line. His dealings are always char- 
acterized by the strictest honesty and integrity, 
and he has therefore won the confidence and good- 
will of his patrons, who are many. 

An important event in the life of Mr. Seiberling 
occurred on the 24th of December, 1874, when was 
celebrated his marriage with Miss Clara E. Good- 
man, a native of Decatur, 111. Their union has 
been blessed by a family of six children, of whom 
five are still living, namely: Edith R., Terrance P., 
Vera H., Max and Louis. Edwin G., the fourth 
child, died in infancy. The children are all at- 
tending school. 

Politically, Mr. Seiberling is a supporter of the 
Democratic party, with which he has affiliated 
since attaining his majority. He has been called 
upon to serve in a number of public positions of 



honor and trust, having filled the offices of Town- 
ship Clerk, Township Collector and Trustee on the 
Village Board. He was also a member of the 
School Hoard for several terms, and in the various 
positions which he has held his prompt and faith- 
ful performance of duty has won him high com- 
mendation. Socially, he is a member of the Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America. 



/ *==*s= 



PRANK SHLAUDEM AN, an educated gen tle- 
! man and prominent business man of De- 
catur, is Vice-President of the Decatur 
Brewing Company, and also Vice-President of the 
Decatur Ice and Cold Storage Company. His en- 
tire life has been passed in this city, where his 
birth occurred on the 17th of June, 1862. Under 
the parental roof the days of his boyhood were 
passed, and his primary education was acquired in 
the public schools of the city. He afterward at- 
tended the University t>f Illinois, at Champaign, 
taking a five-years course as a mechanical engineer 
in the mechanical department. He was then grad- 
uated from that institution in the Class of '82, 
with the degrees of B. 8. and M. E. After his 
graduation he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and en- 
tered the employ of the Brush Electric Light Com- 
pany. He worked in all the departments of that 
company and became familiar with every detail of 
the business. Later he spent six months in Chi- 
cago. He had expected to devote his attention to 
electrical work, but events caused him to abandon 
this plan. However, he has built two electric ma- 
chines, one for lighting the ice factory and one for 
motor purposes in the bottling works, of three- 
horse power. He put up the first electrical ma- 
chine in Decatur, a Brush machine of ten-horse 
power for exhibition purposes. 

In October, 1886, was celebrated the marriage 
of Mr. Shlaudeman and Miss Josephine Baum, 
whose home was in Springfield, 111. They have a 
pleasant residence on Webster Street, and are well 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



255 



known in this community, having many friends. 
From his boyhood our subject has been familiar 
with the brewing business, and in 1886 entered 
the brewery. Since that time lie has given his en- 
tire attention to the business, and has practically 
been its manager. He has entire charge of the 
manufacturing department, and his brother Harry 
superintends the office and sales. The property 
covers a tract of several acres. The Decatur Brew- 
ing Company was incorporated on the 27th of 
March, 1888, with a capital stock of $50,000. Its 
officers are H. Shlaudcman, President; Frank 
Shlaudeman, Vice-President; and Harry Shlaude- 
inan, Secretary and Treasurer. It has a capacity 
of twenty thousand barrels annually, .with an an- 
nual business of fourteen thousand barrels, and 
they purchase about fifteen thousand bushels of 
barley, mainly grown in Iowa, Wisconsin and 
Minnesota. Employment is furnished to twenty- 
three men. The bottling works are separate from 
the brewery. Mr. Shlaudeman is an intelligent 
and cultured gentleman, pleasant and popular, 
and a man of good business ability. 




r ' RCH1BALD DICKSON, one of the rep- 
resentative farmers of Milan Township, 
' who is living on section 14, is of Scotch 
birth. He was born on the 20th of De- 
cember, 1837, near Edinburgh, Scotland, and was 
the fifth in order of birth in a family of eightchil- 
dren, whose parents were Archibald and Inez (Al- 
lison) Dickson. William, the eldest child, is now 
deceased; Georgiana and Peter have also departed 
this life; James is an extensive cattle dealer of 
Australia; Adam is a prosperous farmer of Milan 
Township; Archibald is the next younger; George 
carries on agricultural pursuits in Clay County, 
Neb.; and Christiana, wife of Archie McNeil, is still 
living in Scotland. 

The father of this family was born near Edin- 
burgh, Scotland, in 1806, and was there reared to 



manhood and married. Crossing the broad At- 
lantic to America, his death here occurred in 1851. 
His wife, who survived him for a number of years, 
was called to her final rest in 1874. 

We now take up the personal history of our sub- 
ject, who spent his early boyhood days in the usual 
manner of farmer lads, remaining under the pa- 
rental roof until fourteen years of age, when he 
began learning the stone-cutter's trade, to which 
he served a five-years apprenticeship, becoming 
quite familiar with it. He was a young man of 
twenty years when, in 1857, he bade adieu to 
friends and native laud and crossed the briny deep 
to Canada, where he worked at his trade for about 
ten months. He then went to Janesville, Wis., 
where he was employed as a farm hand by the 
month until 1859. That year witnessed his arrival 
in Macon County, 111., where he was again em- 
ployed as a farm hand until after the breaking out 
of the late war. 

On the 3d of September, 1861, Mr. Dickson, 
prompted by patriotic impulses, responded to the 
country's call for troops, and enlisted as a member 
of Company I, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, in which 
he served until the close of the war. He saw much 
hard service, participating in many important 
engagements. He was always found at his post 
and proved himself a valiant defender of the Stars 
and Stripes, which now float so proudly over the 
united Nation. Returning home at the close of 
the war, Mr. Dickson engaged in the operation of 
a rented farm until 1869, when he purchased 
eighty acres of railroad land, on which he now 
resides. It was quite swampy, and not a furrow 
had been turned oran improvement made thereon. 
There were very few houses in the township at the 
time, and the greater part of the land was still in 
its primitive condition. 

On the 19th of November, 1868, Mr. Dickson 
wedded MissEva M.AlIinson, of this county. She 
died August 2, 1872, leaving a son, James J., who 
is now a farmer of Shelby County, 111. Mr. Dick- 
son was again married, February 4, 1874, his second 
union being with Miss Jennie H. Hall, who was 
born August 12, 1853, and is a daughter qf George 
and Emma (Galtry) Hall, of New Jersey. Their 
union lias been blessed with seven children, six 



256 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



yet living: Ella M., Harry A., Mabel, Ollie, and 
Frank and Grace, twins. Nellie, the eldest, died in 
infancy. 

The family have a beautiful home in Milan 
Township, Mr. Dickson there owning one hundred 
and sixty acres of rich land, which is under a high 
state of cultivation and well improved. In politics 
he is a stalwart supporter of Republican principles, 
and has been honored with several official positions 
of honor and trust. He is now serving his second 
term as Township Supervisor, and was Assessor 
for two years, Road Commissioner for four years, 
Town Clerk and School Director. In all the offices 
that he has been called upon to fill he has dis- 
charged his duties in a prompt and able manner 
that has won the satisfaction of all concerned. He 
is alike true to every public and private trust, and 
his straightforward dealing and bis honorable, up- 
right life have placed him among Macon County's 
best citizens. 




&HOMAS M. TAYLOR, a farmer and stock- 
raiser, residing on section 33, Blue Mound 

. 

Township, has the honor of being a native 
of Macon County. He first opened his eyes to 
the light of day August 24, 1850, on the old home 
farm of the Taylor family. His father, John G. 
Taylor, was a native of Virginia, and with his par- 
ents came to Illinois in 1839, locating near Spring- 
field. He was the second in a family of eleven 
children born unto David and Sarah (Young) 
Taylor, but only three of the number are now liv- 
ing: James, who is a resident of this county; 
Amanda J., wife of Luther Devons, a farmer and 
stock-raiser of Polk County, Iowa; and Louisa, 
widow of James Pope, also a resident of Macon 
County. 

John Taylor was reared to manhood amid the 
scenes of frontier life, and in 1836 came to Macon 
County, where he entered land from the Govern- 
ment, developing the farm on which his son now 
Thomas now resides. He was one of the earliest 



settlers of the community and was one of the 
prominent agriculturists. While going to Buf- 
falo, N. Y., with stock, he was killed on the rail- 
road at Toledo, Ohio, in August, 1873. Mr. Tay- 
lor had been twice married. He first wedded 
Elizabeth Warnick, of Macon County, and unto 
them were born two children: James M., a farmer 
of Kansas; and Anna, widow of Lyman King. 
After the death of his first wife Mr. Taylor married 
Martha M. Dilly, a native of Maryland. Her 
girlhood days were spent in that State, and with 
her parents she came to Illinois. She died Jan- 
uary 2, 186!), and was buried by the side of her 
husband in Greenwood Cemetery, of Decatur, 
where a large and beautiful monument marks their 
last resting-place. She had also been previously 
married. On the 13th of October, 1842, she be- 
came the wife of William B. Bosworth, who died 
three years later leaving a son, Joseph B. The 
parents of our subject had three children besides 
our subject: Benjamin Z., a resident of Decatur, 
who, as a partner of Thomas, is engaged in the 
stock business; William, an insurance agent resid- 
ing in Chicago; and Jennie, wife of James Durfee, 
who is engaged in the real-estate business in De- 
catur. 

Thomas Taylor whose name heads this sketch 
passed his boyhood days quietly upon his father's 
farm, amid the scenes of frontier life in Macon 
County. On attaining his majority, he began 
life for himself and soon was employed by the 
Japanese Government to take a trainload of stock 
from the United States to that country. At that 
time he was only a young man, but he was rec- 
ommended by R. J. Oglesby, who was then Gover- 
nor of Illinois. Our subject remained in Japan 
for one year, after which he returned to the Un- 
ited States, and again coming to the old home 
farm he purchased his father's herd of thorough- 
bred Shorthorn cattle. He rented the old farm and 
also engaged in raising Berkshire hogs. He has 
since engaged extensively in farming and stock- 
raising. In 1888 he sold his Shorthorn cattle and 
began breeding fine thorough-bred horses. 

On the 8th of September, 1874, Mr. Taylor mar- 
ried Miss Theola Farnsworth, who was born Jan- 
uary 26, 1853, in Washington County, Ohio. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



257 



Their union has been blessed with seven children: 
Anna L., born February 27, 1876; Chloe C., born 
July 1, 1878; Cora L., born May 28, 1881; Ida A., 
born February 11, 1883; John Garvey, born Sep- 
tember 24, 1884; Jennie D., born August 2, 1888; 
and Thomas 15., born July 3, 1891. The parents 
of Mrs. Taylor are Abel R. and Cynthia Ann 
(Sprague) Farnsworth, the former of German, and 
the latter of Scotch-Irish, descent. They are still 
living in Blue Mound at a ripe old age. Their 
family numbered nine children, of whom Mrs. 
Taylor was sixth in order of birth. 

In politics, Mr. Taylor is a stanch Republican, 
and is one of the leading citizens of the commu- 
nity. He now lives on the old homestead, which 
his father entered from the Government in 1836. 
He is recognized as one of the leading farmers and 
horse-breeders of the county. He has a wide ac- 
quaintance throughout central Illinois, and by all 
who know him is held in high regard for his gen- 
tlemanly qualities, his many excellencies of char- 
acter and his sterling worth. He well deserves 
representation among the pioneers of his native 
county. 



RDMfl 



1 OIIN WARD, who carries on general farm- 
ing on section 28, South Wheatland Town- 
ship, was born in this neighborhood Sep- 
tember 14, 1842, and is a representative of 
one of the oldest families of the county. His 
father, William Ward, was born in North Carolina 
in 1802, and emigrated to Tennessee, and thence 
to Illinois. After a year spent in Vandalia, he 
came to this county, in 1823, accompanied by his 
mother, brothers and sisters. Here he married Miss 
Wheeler, a sister of Sheriff Wheeler. He served as 
a ranger against the Indians under Mr. Wheeler 
and got a land warrant for his services. Unto 
Mr. and Mrs. Ward ' were born five children: 
Larkinand Mary, deceased; Franklin; Hiram; and 
Rial, of Moultric County. For his second wife, 
Mr. Ward married Mrs. Abbott, daughter of Thomas 



Morris, and a native of Ohio. The children of 
that union are John; Nancy J., wife of Oliver Lo- 
gan, of South Wheatland Township; Mrs. Marga- 
ret Elder, of Elwin ; William J., who is living near 
Taylor ville, 111.; and George, of Longmont, Colo. 
The mother of this family resides in Elwin, but 
the father died in January, 1854. He was one of 
the first settlers of this community, living in Ma- 
con County when it contained only eight families. 
The Indians, however, were very numerous, wild 
game of all kinds was plentiful, and the Ward 
family experienced all the hardships and priva- 
tions of pioneer life. 

The first recollections of our subject are of the 
log cabin home, a mile and a-half south of his pres- 
ent residence. His father later built a frame house, 
weather-boarded with walnut lumber. He attended 
a private school in a log building, and afterward 
went to the High School in Mt. Gilead and the 
Academy in Mt. Zion. When he was twelve years 
of age his father died, and the management of the 
farm largely devolved upon his young shoulders. 
In June, 1861, he completed his education, and 
after aiding in harvesting the crops he enlisted in 
July as a member of Company E, Forty-first Illi- 
nois Infantry. The regiment was organized at 
Camp Macon and went to St. Louis to guard 
an arsenal, thence to Bird's Point (Mo.), Pa- 
ducah (Ivy.), and on the Belmont expedition. He 
participated in the battles of Ft. Henry and Ft. 
Donelson, and when Pillow made his charge he 
tried to escape across an open field, but was shot 
through the right thigh and left in the enemy's 
hands. Nothing was done to 'relieve him, and af- 
ter a day and night he was recaptured, placed in 
an ambulance wagon and taken to a steamer, on 
which lie was conveyed to Mound City Hospital. 
After lying there for some time, he went home on 
a furlough, but as soon as possible he rejoined his 
regiment, reaching his command at the time of the 
evacuation of Corinth. For ten months after he 
returned he was unfit for field duty, and so drove 
the ambulance most of the time. Going down the 
river to Vicksburg, he was made Sergeant and par- 
ticipated in the siege of that city. After the sur- 
render he started for Jackson, and at the battle at 
that place was wounded in the head by a canis- 



258 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ter-shot and left for dead on the field. However, 
he was picked up with -the rest of the prisoners 
and sent in box cars to Richmond, Va. He had to 
dress his own wound during the eight days' jour- 
ney. He was confined in Libby and at Belle Isle 
until September. There he suffered manj r hard- 
ships. The prisoners were given very little to eat, 
and even the comforts of life were denied them. 
During his seventy-seven days in prison, his 
weight was reduced from one hundred and forty- 
five to ninety-three pounds. In September, 1862, 
he was paroled, sent to Annapolis, Md., and then 
to St. Louis. After being exchanged he received 
a furlough and returned home. In May, 1864, he 
again reported for duty at Springfield. His regi- 
ment had been divided in the mean time and the 
veterans were sent to Georgia. Mr. Ward joined 
them at Huntsville, Ala., and took part in the At- 
lanta campaign. His time having then expired, 
he was mustered out August 20, 1864, being then 
only twenty-two years of age. 

On his return to the North, Mr. Ward engaged 
in farming for himself and also began dealing in 
wood, having saved $500 during his service in the 
army. Later he embarked in stock-raising and for 
many years followed that pursuit. He has lived 
upon his present farm for a quarter of a century. 
It comprises one hundred and forty-one acres of 
rich land, and is conveniently located near Deca- 
tur. He is now furnishing gravel and sand for 
streets. Every improvement upon his place has 
been made by his own hands and stands as a mon- 
ument to his thrift and enterprise. 

In 1867, in Mt. Zion Township, Mr. Ward mar- 
ried Mattie Lemaster, who was born in Springfield, 
111., and is a daughter of William Lemaster. Five 
children grace their union: Rosa M.; Minnie B., 
wife of Adam Phillips, of Blue Mound Township; 
Maud, Claude and Mattie. The mother is a mem- 
ber of the Christian Church of Decatur, and is a 
most estimable lady. Mr. Ward is a member of 
the Grand Army Post of Decatur and the Macon 
County Veteran Association, and has served as As- 
sessor of his township. He cast his first Presiden- 
tial vote for Abraham Lincoln and has since been 
a stalwart supporter of the Republican party, aid- 
ing in all possible ways in its growth and upbuild- 



ing. He has been Chairman of the Central Com- 
mittee and is a valiant supporter of the party of 
reform, which in years past through its supporters 
saved the country in her houf of peril. Mr. Ward 
is a man highly esteemed throughout the commu- 
nity for his sterling worth and strict integrity, is 
numbered among the early settlers of the county, 
and is a prominent citizen. 



jOBERT W. HIGHT, one of the representa- 
tive farmers of Macon Township, residing 
on section 14, claims Virginia as the State 
of his birth, which occurred in Rockbridge 
County on the 21st of June, 1830. He is the 
eldest in a family of six children, numbering five 
sons and one daughter, who were born of the un- 
ion of Samuel and Margaret (Rapp) Hight. (A 
sketch of his parents will be found elsewhere in 
this volume.) 

Our subject spent the days of his boyhood and 
youth in the usual manner of farmer lads, remain- 
ing on the old homestead in Virginia until seven- 
teen years of age. He then left his native State 
and emigrated to Tennessee with the family, spend- 
ing two years in that State. It was in 1849 that 
he became a resident of Illinois. In that year his 
parents removed to Greene Count}-, where Robert 
remained for five years, when,' in 1855. he came to 
Macon County. Here he purchased wild prairie 
land and began the improvement of the farm. 
Upon the tract of which he became the possessor 
not a furrow had been turned or an improvement 
made, but his labors have transformed the place 
into rich and fertile fields, and the farm of to-day 
bears little resemblance to that of thirty years ago. 
July 23, 1863, in Macon County, was celebrated 
the marriage of Mr. Hight and Miss Martha J. Un- 
roe, a native of Virginia. By their union has 
been born a family of eight children, five sons 
and three daughters. Ervel, the eldest, is now en- 
gaged in the banking business in Assumption, 111.; 
Maggie is now the wife of Frank Webb, a mer- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



259 



clmnt of Decatur; Florence is the wife of John 
Culver, owner of the marble works of Decatur; 
Norway, Frank, Robert, Clyde and Ray are the 
younger members of the family and are still at 
home. Good educational privileges have been 
provided the children, thus fitting them for the 
practical and responsible duties of life. The fam- 
ily is one widely and favorably known in this 
community and its members rank high in social 
circles. 

In politics, Mr. Hight was formerly a Democrat, 
but as he entertains and advocates strong temper- 
ance principles, his views on that subject led him 
to identify himself with the Prohibition party, of 
which he is now a stanch advocate. He has never 
sought or desired the honors or emoluments of 
public office, preferring to devote his time and at- 
tention to his business interests. Himself and 
family are members of the Methodist Church. 
They reside upon a fine farm of four hundred and 
sixty acres of land, constituting one of the best 
farms of the neighborhood, with its richly culti- 
vated fields and many improvements. His entire 
possessions, Mr. Hight has acquired through his 
own efforts and he may therefore truly be called a 
self-made man. 




IHOMAS DAVIS, a self-made man, who 
started out in life for himself empty-handed, 
but is now the possessor of a comfortable 
competence, resides on section 27, South Macon 
Township, where he owns a good farm. A native 
of Pennsylvania, he was born in Washington 
County September 12, 1819, and is a son of 
George and Hester (Whiteman) Davis. The fa- 
ther was a Pennsylvanian farmer, of Welsh and 
Irish lineage, and spent his entire life in his native 
State, dying at the age of thirty-five years. His 
wife, who was also born in the Keystone State, 
there remained until called to the home beyond. 
Their famity numbered the following sons and 
daughters: Isaac, who came to Macon County in 



1856, and here resided until his death in 1889; 
Sarah and Mary Jane, both deceased; Ellen, wife 
of Charles Guttry, of Belleville, Pa.; Thomas, who 
is the next younger; Eliza, wife of William Hat- 
field, of Pennsylvania; Martha, who makes her 
home in the Keystone State; and Goldsmith, a 
farmer of Pennsylvania. 

Our subject was a lad of only nine summers 
when he left home and went to live with a farmer 
and cooper, with whom he remained for nine 
years, and under his instruction he learned the 
cooper's trade. He then removed to Licking 
County, Ohio, where he worked for five 3 - ears as 
a farm hand at $140 per year. On the expiration 
of that period he invested his money in sheep. 
In 1846 he went to Muskingum County, Ohio, 
where he operated a rented farm for a year, and 
in December, 1848, we find him in Macon County. 
In connection with a partner named Buckingham, 
who furnished the capital, Mr. Davis rented a 
fourteen hundred acre farm for twelve years. 
During that time he also entered land from the 
Government. In 1866 our subject purchased Mr. 
Buckingham's interest in the land and stock, giv- 
ing him a note for $48,000. At that time he 
owned about five thousand acres of land in this 
and adjoining counties, together with three thou- 
sand sheep and a great many head of cattle and 
hogs. He became one of the leading stock-dealers 
in central Illinois, doing an extensive business. 

In 1854 was celebrated the marriage of our 
subject and Miss Elizabeth Rogers, of Washington 
County, Pa., but after fourteen months the lady 
was called to the home beyond. In 1857 he was 
again married, his second union being with Miss 
Margaret Rogers, a sister of the first wife. Three 
children were born to them, but all are now de- 
ceased. 

Mr. Davis is a Populist in his political views. 
His beautiful home farm comprises one hundred 
and sixty acres of valuable land, and is pleasantly 
and conveniently located a mile east of Macon. 
It has all the equipments and appointments of a 
model farm of the nineteenth centur}-, and in ad- 
dition to this he also owns five hundred and 
twenty acres of land elsewhere in this county. 
His business has been one of prosperit}', owing to 



260 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his sagacity, far-sightedness and judicious invest- 
ments. His fair and honest dealing and his per- 
severance and enterprise gained for him a hand- 
some property, which numbers him among the sub- 
stantial farmers of Macon Count} 7 . His example 
may well serve to encourage others, who, like 
himself, have to begin life empty-handed and 
work their way upward, or else be content with 
always occupying a lowly position. 




LBERT A. RENFRO, who owns and oper- 
ates a farm of eighty acres on section 8, 
Milan Township, is one of the wide- 
awake and enterprising young farmers of 
the county, and is a public-spirited and progress- 
ive citizen, who always does his part in public af- 
fairs and does what he can to promote the gen- 
eral welfare. He is both widely and favorably 
known in this community. He claims Illinois as 
the State of his nativity, his birth having occur- 
red in Greene County on the 30th of September, 
1857, He is a son of Moses Renfro, who was also 
born in Illinois, his father having come to this 
State from Kentucky in an early day. The fam- 
ily located in Wayne County, where Moses Renfro 
passed the days of his boyhood and youth. He 
became a farmer and followed that pursuit as a 
means of livelihood in this State until 1885, when 
he removed to Missouri, where he now makes his 
home. lie has reached the age of sixty-two years. 
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Catherine 
Close, was also a native of Illinois, and her death 
occurred in this State when our subject was about 
six years of age. The family numbered four chil- 
dren, two sons and two daughters, the eldest of 
whom is Albert. Mary Elizabeth is now deceased; 
John is a resident farmer of Milan Township; and 
Isafonia is the wife of William George, an agri- 
culturist of Kansas. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads our subject 
passed the days of his boyhood and youth. He 
remained with his parents until nineteen years of 



age and then, in 1877, started out in life for him- 
self, since which time he has been dependent en- 
tirety upon his own resources. He at once came 
to Macon County, where he secured employment 
as a farm hand, working by the month. Five 
years were spent in that way, after which lie 
rented a farm and engaged in its operation for 
eight years. His frugal and industrious life and 
his good management gained for him some capital 
in that time and he determined to purchase land, 
so he bought the farm on which he now resides. 

In 1880, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Renfro and Miss Luthera M. Hill, of Missouri. 
Seven children were born of the union of our sub- 
ject and his wife, but one died in infancy. The 
four sons and two daughters yet living arc: James 
A., Isa B., Howard, Clarence, Mamie and Lena. 
All are still with their parents. 

The Renfro household is the abode of hospital- 
ity and its members rank high in the social circles 
in which they move. Our subject and his wife 
hold membership with the Methodist Church, are 
faithful workers in the Master's vineyard, and 
take an active interest in all that tends to promote 
the cause of Christianity. In politics he is a sup- 
porter of Democratic principles, but has never 
been an office-seeker. His honorable, upright life, 
marked by the strictest integrity, has won for him 
universal confidence and esteem. 




ICHAEL C. LIVINGSTON is a farmer and 
mechanic now residing on section 34, Blue 
Mound Township. He is one of the worthy 
citizens that Pennsylvania has furnished 
to Macon County. A native of the Keystone 
State, he was born in Cumberland County on the 
8th of May, 1841, and is the sixth in a family of 
seven children. The parenls, Michael and Anna 
(Stofer) Livingston, were also natives of Cumber- 
land County, Pa., and in that State they spent 
their entire lives. They died within three weeks 
of each other, when our subject was about eleven 



PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



261 



years of age. The father was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and in connection with agricultural pur- 
suits he also carried on the carpenter's trade. 

Being thus early left an orphan, Michael Liv- 
ingston hired out to a farmer in Pennsylvania for 
two years, and on the expiration of that period 
he made his way Westward to Macon County, 111. 
Here for some time he worked as a farm hand by 
the month. During his boyhood he also picked 
up the carpenter's trade, which he followed 
until July, 1861. The Civil War having then 
broken out, he determined to enter the service and 
aid his country in her struggle to preserve the 
Union. He enlisted as a member of Company A, 
Eighth Illinois Infantry, in which he faithfully 
served for three years. On the 20th of December, 
1862, he was captured at the battle of Holly 
Springs, Miss., and was a paroled prisoner for six 
months. On the 6th of April of the same year he 
was wounded by a gunshot in the right leg, just 
below the knee, and for a time was in the field 
hospital. He participated in a number of impor- 
tant engagements and was always found at his 
post, faithfully performing any task allotted to , 
him. When his term of service had expired he 
was honorably discharged. 

Having been mustered out, Mr. Livingston re- 
turned to his home in Macon County, and worked 
at the carpenter's trade for about three years. He 
then purchased a general store in Harristown, 
which he carried on during the four succeeding 
years. On the expiration of that period he sold 
his store and resumed work at the carpenter's 
trade, which he followed successfully until 1881. 
He then purchased land, and in connection with 
carpentering followed farming for ten years. In 
1891 he entirely abandoned carpenter work and 
now devotes himself exclusively to the manage- 
ment of the farm. Mr. Livingston has probably 
built more large barns in Macon County than any 
other man. He was a conscientious and expert 
workman, and from the public received a liberal 
patronage, which he well deserves. 

In 1867 was celebrated the marriage of Michael 
C. Livingston and Miss Sidney M. Brown, of Ma- 
con County, a daughter of F. A. Brown, one of 
the honored pioneers of this county. From her 



father's estate she inherited two hundred acres of 
land, on which they now reside. It is a beautiful 
home, pleasantly located and supplied with all the 
comforts and many of the luxuries of life. By 
the union of this worthy couple have been born 
five children, but four of the number are now de- 
ceased. Mamie E., the youngest, is still with her 
parents. 

In his social relations Mr. Livingston is con- 
nected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to 
Summit Lodge No. 431, A. F. <fe A. M.; and Macon 
Chapter No. 21, R. A. M. He is also a member of 
the Grand Army Post. In politics he is a stanch 
Republican, having continuously voted with that 
party since attaining his majority. His wife and 
daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and to its support he contributes liberally. 
He was one of the faithful and valiant boys in 
blue, and in times of peace Mr. Livingston is alike 
true to his duties of citizenship. He is a pro- 
gressive and public-spirited man, and his sterling 
worth has won for him many friends. 




OWELL A. SMITH, one of the enterprising 
and thrifty farmers of Milan Township, 
resides on section 34, where he has a fine 
farm of one hundred and sixty acres of rich land. 
This valuable tract is under a high state of culti- 
vation, and in consequence j-ields to the owner a 
golden tribute in return for the care and labor he 
bestows upon it. There are good buildings upon 
the place, and such accessories as are found upon 
a model farm of the nineteenth century are not 
lacking there. 

Mr. Smith has spent his entire life in this county, 
his birth having occurred in the city of Decatur 
on the 27th of November, 1861. In a family of 
ten children he is the eighth in order of birth. 
His parents, Edward O. and Harriet (Krone) Smith, 
are represented elsewhere in this volume. Lowell 
remained in his native city until nine years of 
age, when his parents removed to California, he 



262 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



accompanying them. The next eleven years of 
his life were passed on the Pacific Slope, where he 
pursued his studies and acquired a good High 
School education. At the age of twent}' years he 
returned to Macon County, and, taking up his res- 
idence on the farm which has since been his home, 
has devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits 
from that time to the present. 

Mr. Smith has been twice married. On the 20th 
of February, 1884, he was united to Miss Frances 
Watson, of Christian County, 111., but after three 
years she was called to the home beyond. At her 
death she left two children, who still survive, 
Lloyd and Forest E. Mr. Smith was again married, 
on the 12th of March, 1890, when Miss Martha C. 
Mays, of Moultrie County, 111., became his wife. 
Their union has been blessed with one child. 

In his political views, Mr. Smith is a stanch 
supporter of the Democracy, with which he has af- 
filiated since attaining to man's estate. He has 
served as Justice of the Peace of his township for 
two terms with credit to himself and to the satis- 
faction of his constituents. His wife is a member 
of the Presbyterian Church and a most estimable 
lady. The young couple are widely known through- 
out this community and their many excellencies 
of character have gained them many friends. Mr. 
Smith is a wide-awake and enterprising young 
farmer, and his energy and perseverance will no 
doubt make his business career a successful one. 



P ^ERNANDO D. BROMLEY, a practical and 
progressive farmer of Milan Township, re- 
siding on section 32, is a native of the 
Empire State. He was born on the 21st of October, 
1831, near Rochester, N. Y., and is the fifth in or- 
der of birth in a family of nine children, three of 
whom are now deceased. The parents were Sam- 
uel and Sarah (Potter) Bromley. The father was 
born in Canada, but when quite young removed 
with his parents to New York, where he spent his 



early life upon a farm. There he was married, 
and in 1846 he emigrated Westward with his 
family, locating in Morgan County, 111., where he 
spent his remaining days, his death occurring at 
the advanced age of seventy-seven. The Bromley 
family is of English and Irish extraction. The 
mother of our subject was of Scotch and Engli.sh 
descent. She was born in the Empire State, and 
her death occurred in this county at the age of 
seventy-six. 

Our subject was only about a year old when his 
parents left the East and became residents of 
Michigan, and was a lad of ten summers when the 
family came to Illinois, where he has since made 
his home. He remained upon his father's farm 
until he had attained his majority, and was then 
united in marriage with Miss Christina Augustine, 
of Morgan County, who died a year later, leaving 
one child, Charles, who is now deceased. In Au- 
gust, 1864, Mr. Bromley was again married, his 
second union being with Miss Christie Ann Clif- 
ton, of Scott County, 111. Ten children were born 
of their union, but three died in infancy. Those 
still living are Floyd, who carries on the home 
farm; Charles A., Roy, Maude, Jessie, Bessie and 
Kittie. 

After his first marriage, Mr. Bromley began 
farming for himself in Morgan County, 111., and 
there remained until 1872, which year witnessed 
his arrival in Macon County. Here he purchased 
two hundred and forty acres of land, and upon 
that farm has since made his home. It now com- 
prises two hundred acres, he having disposed of 
the remaining forty. His land is under a high 
state of cultivation and the place is well improved 
with good buildings and everything that goes to 
make up a model farm of the nineteenth century. 
Mr. Bromley's possessions have all been acquired 
through his own efforts, as he started out in life a 
poor boy with no capital, and has made all that he 
has through his own industry and good manage- 
ment. 

In his political views, our subject has followed 
in the footsteps of his father and has always been 
a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. He 
served his township as Supervisor, proving a ca- 
pable and efficient officer. Socially he is a member 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



263 



of South Macon Lodge No. 642, A. F. & A. M., of 
Macon, and himself and wife are members of the 
Baptist Church. They are highly respected citi- 
zens and hold an enviable position in social circles. 
Mr. Bromley is not only numbered among the 
best citizens, but also ranks as a leading agricul- 
turist, and it is with pleasure that we present this 
record of his life to our readers. 



[ OIIN N. FULLER, who is living a retired 
life in Decatur, claims New York as the 
State of his nativity. He was born in the 
town of Mt. Hope, Orange County, Feb- 
ruary 24, 1814, and comes of an old New England 
family. His grandfather, Jeptba Fuller, was a na- 
tive of Connecticut, and served as a soldier in the 
Revolutionary War. His son, James D. Fuller, was 
born in the Empire State, and was a carpenter 
and millwright by trade. He married Nancy 
Wheat, daughter of Simeon Wheat and a native 
of New York. His death occurred in that State, 
at the age of thirty-three years, and his wife, who 
long survived him, passed away in Massachusetts, 
at the age of eighty. She was a member of the 
Methodist Church, but Mr. Fuller believed in the 
faith of the Society of Friends. 

Our subject is the only one now living of the 
family of six children. He remained in the Em- 
pire State until twenty years of age, and at fifteen 
began learning the tanner's and currier's trade. 
He commenced serving a regular apprenticeship, 
but bought the last six months of the time from 
his employer and began railroad work. He was 
first employed as foreman, and afterward did con- 
tracting for a number of years, being thus em- 
ployed in nearly all the Eastern States. He worked 
on the old Boston & Providence Railroad whon it 
was thought to be a great feat to haul six cars of 
ten tons' capacity at the rate of six miles an hour. 
At the age of twenty-three Mr. Fuller was mar- 
ried, the lady of his choice being Miss Harriet 



Horton, of Canton, Mass., and a daughter of Sam- 
uel Hen.shaw Horton. They had one child, Rin- 
aldo H., now deceased. The mother died about 
1840. Mr. Fuller then wedded Miss Elizabeth P. 
Cluff, and they became the parents of a daughter, 
Harriet, but she also passed away. For his third 
wife Mr. Fuller chose Miss Elizabeth Bishop, a na- 
tive of England, and three children grace their 
union. Harriet became the wife of Preston Mur- 
phy, by whom she had one son, Lester F., and 
after his death married William L. Krigbaum, by 
whom she has four children: Howard, Daniel, 
Helen and William L. Jennie became the wife of 
Joseph Jones, who died leaving two sons, John 
and Edmund. By her second husband, George 
Hathaway, she has two children, Alice and George. 
Bessie became the wife of Harry Hitter, and died 
leaving a son, Buitram. Mrs. Fuller died about 
1872, after which our subject married Mrs. Hannah 
Parker, widow of Branch Parker, of Jackson, Mich., 
and a daughter of William Daily. She removed 
from New York to Michigan in an early day, and 
was a member of the Presbyterian Church, dying 
in that faith in 1885. 

Mr. Fuller came to Illinois in 1852 and followed 
railroading, keeprng pace with the progress of the 
times. He made the journey by rail to Clinton, 
and then drove in a buggy to Decatur, where he 
took a contract for building about fifteen miles of 
what is now the Indiana, Decatur & Western Rail- 
road from Decatur east. Moving his family to this 
city, he has here since made his home. In his 
railroad experience he was associated with some of 
the best-known railroad men in the country, and 
his counsel and advice were frequently sought by 
those high in railroad circles. He is now liv- 
ing a retired life, enjoying a well-earned rest. His 
business enterprise has brought him a comfortable 
competence and he now owns a valuable farm of 
three hundred and thirty acres near Casner, also a 
tract of thirty acres just east of Decatur, together 
with his city propert}-, including his home at No. 
432 South Main Street. 

Socially, Mr. Fuller is a member of Macon 
Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 
21, R. A. M.; and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 
9, K. T. In religious belief he is a Methodist. lu 



264 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



politics he was a Whig in an early day, but has 
been a supporter of the Republican party since its 
organization. For twelve years he held the office 
of Justice of the Peace, proving a capable and 
trustworthy official. He has led a busy and use- 
ful life, and although he is now well along in years, 
having possessed a strong and vigorous constitu- 
tion, he is still well preserved. He can read small 
print without the aid of glasses, has an excellent 
memory and writes a good, smooth, business hand 
that shows a steady nerve. He is popular with 
both old and young, for his genial and pleasant 
manner has won him many warm freinds. 




ELIX B. TAIT is proprietor of F. B. Tait & 
Co.'s check-rower and corn-planter estab- 
lishment. This is located at No. 328 East 
Cerro Gordo Street, and is one of the leading in- 
dustries of Decatur. Our subject was born in 
Macon County, about three miles north of the city, 
November 29, 1850, and comes of an old family 
of Irish origin, which was founded in America by 
his paternal grandfather, a native of the Emerald 
Isle. The maternal grandfather, Joseph Spangler, 
was born in Germany and was a mere child when he 
crossed the briny deep. He located in Sangamon 
County, 111., in 1835, and there followed the occu- 
pation of farming for many years. He also built 
the Spangler Mill, a few miles east of Decatur. 
His death occurred in this city at the age of sixty 
years. 

The parents of our subject, James D. and Su- 
sanna (Spangler) Tait, were botli natives of Penn- 
sylvania. The former, having lost his father, left 
"home at the age of fourteen years and learned the 
saddler's trade. Wishing to try his fortune on the 
broad prairies of the West, and hoping thereby to 
benefit his financial condition, he came to Decatur 
in 1839 and opened the first harness and saddlery 
shop in this place. For about four years he carried on 
that business, after which he spent the succeeding 



two .years of his life in operating the Spangler 
Mill. He then removed to the farm north of De- 
catur which he still owns. He made it his home 
until 1876," when he went to California, and after 
a year spent on the Pacific Slope took up his resi- 
dence in this city, where he is now living a retired 
life at the age of seventy-eight. His wife, who 
was a member of the Universalist Church, died 
May 28, 1882. In 1884 Mr. Tait wedded Mrs. 
Catherine Rea, widow of Samuel Rea and a daugh- 
ter of William Dennis, of Lancaster, Ohio. Mr. 
Tait is also a member of the Universalist Church, 
and is a man possessing many excellencies of char- 
acter. 

The subject of this sketch has spent his entire 
life in the county of his nativity. His early edu- 
cation, acquired in the district schools of the 
neighborhood, was supplemented by a course in 
the State Normal School, of Normal, 111., from 
which he was graduated in the Class of '73. He 
then engaged in teaching in Woodstock Sem- 
inary for a year, after which he returned to De- 
catur. Having determined to take up a profession, 
he began reading law in the office of Smith & Clo- 
key, and was admitted to the Bar at Mt. Vernon, 
111., in 1876. Later he formed a partnership with 
Hon. John A. Brown, and during the four succeed- 
ing years he engaged in the practice of law in this 
city, but in 1880, owing to failing health, he was 
forced to abandon his chosen career. 

In that year Mr. Tait turned his attention to 
the manufacture of check-rowers, and since that 
he has added the manufacture of corn-planters to 
his business. He began in a small way near the 
Union Iron Works and continued there until 1882, 
when, on account of his rapidly increasing trade, 
which necessitated the providing of larger quarters, 
the business was moved to the present factory on 
Cerro Gordo Street. The main building is 50x160 
feet, and to this has been added a foundry 45x75 
feet, a blacksmith shop 35x70 feet, and a warehouse 
50x220 feet. In the factory are employed from 
eighty-five to one hundred hands, and the sales of 
the establishment reach $250,000 per year. The 
sales in 1893 have increased a-third over those of 
the previous year. 

On the 13th of October, 1892, Mr. Tait was 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



265 



united in marriage with Mrs. Mary E. Boyer, 
daughter of David Essick, a native of Pennsylva- 
nia. Our subject and his wife hold a high posi- 
tion in social circles and have many warm friends 
throughout the community. He is a member of 
the Universalist Church, and she holds member- 
ship ivith the Methodist Church. In politics, he is 
a supporter of Democratic principles. His success 
in a commercial way has been well deserved, as he 
brought to his business enterprise and industry, 
and as a result of his well-directed efforts and his 
fair and straightforward dealings he has built up 
an excellent trade and is now at the head of one 
of Decatur's leading industries. 




ENRY M. WHITMER has been a resident 
of Decatur since I860, and is widely known 
throughout his adopted county. He is 
prominently identified with the business 
interests of the city, being a carpenter and con- 
tractor and a leading brick manufacturer. Evidence 
of his busy and well-spent life is shown in ninny 
substantial buildings which he has erected, some of 
which were made from the brick from his yard. 
Mr. Whitmer is a native of Pennsj'lvania, having 
been born in Northumberland County, January 
11, 1833, and is one of eight children whose par- 
ents were Benjamin and Lydia (Mitchell) Whit- 
mer. 

The paternal grandfather, Henry Whitmer, came 
from an old family of Swiss origin, that was 
founded in the Keystone State about two hundred 
years ago. He was born in Lancaster County, Pa., 
and removed to Northumberland County, where 
he died in 1876, at the age of ninety years. He 
was a stone mason and farmer, and was a soldier 
in the War of 1812. His family numbered two 
sons and a daughter. The Mitchell family is of 
Pennsylvania ancestry, and the grandfather was a 
Pennsylvnnia cabinet-maker. The parents of our 
subject were both born in that State, and lived 
upon a farm in Northumberland County. The 



father died about 1878, at the age of sixty-four 
years, but his widow is still living in Mifflintown, 
Pa., at the advanced age of eighty-six. She is a 
member of the Lutheran Church, to which her 
husband also belonged. Of their family, consist- 
ing of seven sons and a daughter, three died in 
infancy. The others were: Reuben W., Henry M., 
Isaac, Samuel H. and Mary. All are now deceased 
with the exception of our subject and his brother 
Samuel, a physician of Newport, Pa. 

When our subject was quite small, he removed 
with his parents from Northumberland County to 
Juniata County, Pa., where he acquired his early 
education in a log schoolhouse. In 1850, he com- 
menced serving an apprenticeship to the carpen- 
ter's trade, which he has followed more or less 
continuously since. On coming to Illinois in 
1860, he located in Decatur, and began business as 
a carpenter and contractor. This he has carried 
on continuously since in connection with the 
manufacture of brick. He does an extensive busi- 
ness in the latter line, turning out twenty thou- 
sand brick daily. In the home and foreign mar- 
kets he finds a ready sale for his product, as is 
shown by the large production needed to meet 
the demand. 

December 17, 1857, Mr. Whitmer married Miss 
Anna A. App, daughter of John and Catherine 
(Gross) App, who were natives of Pennsylvania. 
Seven children were born of their union, but 
Ida, the eldest child, died in infancy, as did also 
one son. Edward, who has a large plant and is 
engaged in the manufacture of brick in Jackson- 
ville, 111., as a member of the firm of Whitmer & 
Son, married Miss Ida Mitchell, of that city, and 
they have two children. Howard, of Decalur, 
married Miss Josephine Kerney, of Jacksonville, 
by whom he has one son, Harry Myrle, who is a 
partner of H. M. Whitmer & Son and superinten- 
dent of the yards. Alberta, who is a teacher of the 
piano, a student of Prof. Liebling, of Chicago, and 
a member of the Woman's Club, is at home. Cora 
is- the wife of Arthur McNab, of Decatur, and 
unto them have been born two children, Anna and 
Margaret. Frank is the next younger. 

The members of the family all belong to the 
Presbyterian Church. Socially, Mr. Whitmer is 



266 



yORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



connected with tlie Masonic fraternity, being a 
member of the Chapter, and in politics is a Repub- 
lican. He owns a good farm of one hundred and 
forty acres in Decatur Township, besides some 
small tracts of land and some real estate in the 
city, including his home at No. 700 South Webster 
Street, which he built in 1866, when it was at the 
extreme outskirts of the town. He platted Whit- 
mer Addition, and three additions have been made 
from the original ten acres. From the time he 
entered upon his life work his career has been a 
busy one. He has devoted himself assiduously to 
its interests, and his diligence and enterprise have 
won for him prosperity. He is now at the head 
of an important industry and is ranked among the 
successful and substantial business men of De- 
catur. 



MILLER has been connected with 
the mercantile interests of Blue Mound for 
twenty-one years, having established a gro- 
cery store in that place in 1872. In 1877 
he opened his present store, being now engaged as 
a dealer in clothing, boots and shoes. His store is 
well stocked, and his moderate prices, his fair and 
honest dealing, and his earnest desire to please his 
customers have secured him a good trade. The 
commercial interests of Blue Mound are well rep- 
resented by our subject, who is recognized as one 
of the substantial and representative citizens of 
the community. 

On the 1st of April, 1848, near Chillicothe, Ross 
County, Ohio, our subject was born. The Miller 
family is of Welsh extraction. The father of our 
subject, Abraham Miller, was a native of Virginia, 
and in the Old Dominion was reared to manhood 
upon a farm. When a j'oung man he emigrated 
to Ohio, where he resided until his death, which 
occurred in 1855. The mother of our subject bore 
the maiden name of Lydia Herbert. She, too, was 
of Welsh descent and was a native of the Buckeye 
State. She was called to her final home at the age 
of sixty-five years, and was laid to rest by the side 



of her husband, where a substantial monument has 
been erected to their memory. 

This worthy couple had a family of ten children, 
eight sons and two daughters, the eldest of whom, 
George., died at the age of twenty years; Isaac 
died in infancy; Hezekiah is a farmer and stock- 
raiser living in Ross County, Ohio; William L. is 
a prosperous agriculturist and a very extensive 
stock-dealer, residing on the old homestead in Ross 
County; Mary E. is the widow of Daniel Goodman 
and makes her home in the same county; Anna 
is the wife of Daniel A. Dorsey and is residing in 
Kearney, Neb.; Jesse was a soldier in the late war 
and died in the service; James follows farming 
near Humboldt, Kan.; Joseph is the next in order 
of birth; and Amos B., who completes the familv, 
is a commission merchant of Dayton, Ohio. 

No event of special importance occurred during 
the earl}' ooyhood of our subject, which was passed 
in attendance at the district schools and in work 
on the home farm. When only sixteen years of 
age he enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and 
Fifty-fifth Ohio Infantry, in which he served until 
the close of the war. There were four sons of the 
Miller family who entered the service, and one of 
the number laid down his life on the altar of his 
country. When the war was over, Joseph returned 
to his home in Ross County, Ohio, and resumed 
work on the home farm, where he remained until 
he had attained to man's estate. lie then pur- 
chased a sawmill in Pickaway County, Ohio, which 
he operated for two years. On selling out he came 
to Illinois, locating in Christian County, just across 
the line from Macon County. To the improve- 
ment of the farm which he there purchased he de- 
voted his time and attention until 1872, when he 
rented his land and came to Blue Mound. 

On the 10th of August, 1871, Mr. Miller was 
joined in marriage with Cordelia Overley, of Kin- 
nikinnick, Ross County, Ohio, and they became 
the parents of four children: Mabel, a highly edu- 
cated young lady; Trenna J.; Joseph, who died in 
infancy; and Margaret. 

On locating in Blue Mound Mr. Miller embarked 
in the grocery business as a member of the firm of 
Miller <fe Seelig, which partnership was continued 
until 1877, when he purchased Mr. Seelig's inter- 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTRATT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



269 



est. He then disposed of his stock of groceries 
and opened his present store. He now owns one 
of the leading clothing and boot and shoe stores 
in Blue Mound. He occupies a brick building one 
hundred and twenty-eight feet long, and this is 
well stocked with everything in this line. Al- 
though his attention is largely taken up with his 
business interests, he has yet found time to devote 
to public affairs, and has served as President of 
the Town Board and in the position of School 
Director. In his political views he is a Republican 
and warmly advocates the principles of that party. 
He holds membership with Blue Mound Lodge No. 
682, A. F. & A. M.; and with Blue Mound Post 
No. 347, G. A. R. His wife holds membership with 
the Presbyterian Church, and he contributes liber- 
ally to its support. He also gives freely to every 
enterprise calculated to prove of public benefit, 
and the community recognizes in him a valued 
citizen. 




ON. JOHN A. BROWN, a well-known res- 
ident of Decatur, was born July 23, 1843, 
I* in Abington, Mass., and is of the seventh 
generation from Rev. Samuel Brown, a 
Pilgrim preacher, who with his flock of followers 
in the year 1632 became the first settlers of Ab- 
ington. The great grandfathers of our subject, 
on both the paternal and maternal sides, were he- 
roes of the Revolution, and served from the begin- 
ning to the end of that struggle, and both of his 
grandfathers were prominent and influential citi- 
zens of Abington, and for years represented their 
district in the Legislature of the State. 

Lysander Brown, the father of our subject, was 
one of the pioneer boot and shoe manufacturers 
of his native city. He employed a very large 
number of men and aided greatly in the growth 
and prosperity of the community in which he lived. 
One of the workmen who daily toiled at his shoe 
bench was Henry Wilson, whose name and fame 
have since become world-wide. At an early age 
John A. Brown removed with his parents to Ver- 

12 



mont, and on leaving the Green Mountain State 
went to Ohio, where he remained until 1857. That 
year witnessed his emigration Westward and saw 
him located in Hannibal, Mo., where he completed 
his education in the public schools. At the age of 
sixteen he commenced the battles of life, and has 
since made his own way in the world. He secured 
a position as ticket agent for the Hannibal & St. 
Joseph Railroad at Chillicothe, Mo., and was em- 
ployed in that capacity at the breaking out of the 
war. 

Mr. Brown at once espoused the Union cause, 
and during the four years' struggle which ensued 
he rendered efficient aid to the Government in 
many ways. In 1861 he resigned his position and 
went to Jacksonville, 111., being engaged in school 
teaching for four years in Morgan County. Dur- 
ing all this time he was an active member of the 
Union League, and was frequently called upon to 
make war speeches. In the spring of 1865, with a 
span of horses, his entire earthly possessions, he 
drove to Decatur with a view to making it his fu- 
ture home, and he has since here resided. For a 
number of years he was connected with the news- 
papers of Decatur as editor, and was also special 
correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 

In the meantime Mr. Brown studied law, and in 
1875 was admitted to the Bar. He at once en- 
tered into partnership with F. B. Tait in the prac- 
tice of his chosen profession. The new firm was 
very successful and immediately entered upon a 
lucrative practice. This connection continued for 
four years, and on its dissolution Mr. Tait em- 
barked in the manufacturing business, and Mr. 
Brown still carries on the practice of law. In 1875 
Mr. Brown was appointed Master in Chancerj' of 
Macon County by Judge C. B. Smith, and was af- 
terwards re-appointed by the same gentleman and 
by Judges Nelson, Wilkin and Hughes, holding the 
office for fi f teen years. He was also School Treas- 
urer of Decatur Township during all this period. 
Vast amounts of money in this time passed through 
his hands, and as the result of his faithfulness to 
the trust reposed in him he has established a repu- 
tation for integrity second to none. His honora- 
ble, upright career has made his word as good as 
his bond. 



270 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In 1868 Mr. Brown married Miss Annie L. Fow- 
ler, and they have two daughters, May and Jessie. 
For the past twenty years his aged mother has 
lived with her son, and although she is now eighty- 
six years of age she is still hale and hearty. Mr. 
Brown is President of the Decatur Implement 
Company, also of the Brown Novelty Company, 
and at this time, in the prime of life, is regarded 
as one of the most energetic and prosperous citi- 
zens of Macon County. He has always had great 
faith in Decatur and its future, and has been quick 
to act where its interests were involved. He has 
always been a Republican in politics, and while not 
an office-seeker, in every campaign his voice is heard 
in advocacy of Republican principles. 



EFFERSON G. WILLARD was for a num- 
i ber of years connected with the agricultural 
interests of Macon County, but is now living 
_ a retired life in Decatur, enjoying a well- 
earned rest, surrounded by the comforts and lux- 
uries which have been supplied through the fruits 
of his former toil. In January, 1892, he came to 
the city and built a fine residence at a cost of 
$5,000, at No. 752 West Macon Street, where he 
now makes his home. 

Mr. Willard was born in Overton County, 
Tenn., February 21, 1827, and is a son of William 
and Martha (Goodpasture) Willard, the former a 
native of Tennessee, and the latter of Virginia. On 
the paternal side the family is of English and 
Scotch origin. The paternal grandfather of our 
subject, William Willard, was a native of Virginia 
and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, 
after which he was granted a pension by the Gov- 
ernment. He reached the advanced age of one 
hundred and five years. Up to the last he retained 
his mental and physical vigor and when a centen- 
arian rode fifty miles on horseback in one day. 
In the spring of 1830,William Willard, Jr., removed 
with his family to Morgan County, 111., and entered 
from the Government three hundred and twenty 



acres of land, nine miles west of Jacksonville. Upon 
that farm he made his home until 1847, when, at 
the age of forty-seven years, he was called to the 
home beyond, dying of congestive fever. He had 
been an enthusiastic Methodist. His wife long 
survived him and died at the ripe old age of eighty 
years, in Macon County, November 8, 1861. They 
were consistent members of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and Mr. Willard served as one of the 
officers of the local congregation. Their family 
numbered ten children, six sons and four daugh- 
ters, but onl}' three are now living: Jane, widow 
of Wilson Smith, a resident of Morgan County, 
111.; Jefferson G., of this sketch; and Abram Jas- 
per, who is living in Coles County, 111., seven miles 
south of Mattoon. 

Our subject spent his early life in Morgan 
Count}', 111., and when he had attained a sufficient 
age began his education. The schools of that com- 
munity were very primitive in character, and in a 
log schoolhouse he conned his lessons, sitting upon 
a rude slab bench. In one end of the building was 
a huge fireplace, and the light was admitted 
through greased-paper windows. He there, how- 
ever, laid the foundation for a useful and practical 
knowledge, which has been acquired through ex- 
perience and observation. On the 28th of March, 
1849, Mr. Willard was married, Miss AliffC. A veritt 
becoming his wife. The lady is a daughter of 
Nathan G. and Mary (Cooper) Averitt, the former 
a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Tennessee. 
They became pioneer settlers of Morgan County, 
111., where they located in 1830. Two children 
were born of the union of our subject and his wife, 
but one died in infancy. James Monroe is still 
living with his father in Decatur and is connected 
with the Municipal Electric Light Company as 
General Manager. He married Miss Florence Dyke, 
a native of Tennessee, who died April 17, 1892. 
They had two children, Clara Averitt and Chester 
Dyke, twins, but the latter died in infancy. 

Upon their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Willard began 
their domestic life in Morgan County upon a farm 
and there remained until 1855, when Mr. Willard 
sold his property in that county and came with his 
family to Macon County, where he hassince made 
his home. He purchased ft farm of three hundred 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



271 



and twenty acres in Hanistown Township, on sec- 
tion 9, and from time to time as his financial re- 
sources were increased he has bought more land, 
until his possessions now aggregate seven hundred 
and forty acres, a portion of which adjoins the 
corporation limits of Harristown. While living 
upon his farm he gave particular attention to rais- 
ing cattle and hogs and fed most of his grain to 
his stock. His farm contains the finest and best 
stocked fishpond in the county, covering several 
acres, and which is a source of great pleasure to 
many friends. 

Mr. and Mrs. Willard hold membership with the 
Christian Church, and for a quarter of a century 
he was an Elder in the church in Harristown. In 
politics he is a Prohibitionist. Formerly he was a 
Democrat for many years, easting his first Prohi- 
bition vote for Fisk and Brooks in 1888. He served 
efficiently as Road Commissioner for twelve j-ears 
and was President of the Macon County Agricul- 
tural Society for three years and was also one of 
its incorporators. He is a warm friend to the cause 
of temperance and morality and does all in his 
power to advance the best interests of the com- 
munity, and has never had a lawsuit and never 
served on a petit jury. He has lived so that he 
has won the confidence and high regard of all with 
whom he has come in contact, and his life is well 
worthy of emulation. 




ENRY L. HIGHLY, a prominent and influ- 

i' ential farmer residing on section 12, South 



Macon Township, was born on the 12th of j 
Sjjj) June, 1835, in Muskingum County, Ohio, 
and is the eleventh child of the family of thir- 
teen children born unto Thomas and Susan (Gist) 
Highly. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, 
was reared on a farm in the Keystone State, and 
after his marriage emigrated to Muskingum County, 
Ohio, where, in the midst of the forest, he hewed 
out a farm. There he remained for a number of 
years and reared his family, but at length sold out 



and removed to Hocking County, where he pur- 
chased a farm, upon which he passed the remainder 
of his life. He died at the advanced age of eighty- 
two years. The Highly family is of German origin. 
The mother of our subject was of Irish lineage, 
and she too was a native of Pennsylvania. Her 
death occurred at the age of seventy-eight years. 
Only four of the family are now living: Thomas 
A., who carries on farming in Cherokee County, 
Iowa; Henry, of this sketch; Samuel, a resident 
farmer of Hocking County, Ohio; and Elizabeth, 
wife of John Coon, also an agriculturist of Hock- 
ing County. 

We now take up the personal history of Henry 
Highly, who is widely and favorably known in this 
community. He remained at home until fifteen 
years of age and then left the parental roof to be- 
gin work as a farm hand by the month. He was 
thus employed for three years, after which he 
engaged in farming on shares, operating the 
property of one man for ten years. It was in 
1861 that he came Macon County, and for a year 
after his arrival he again worked as a farm hand. 
He then rented land for a year, after which he pur- 
chased eighty acres of railroad land, upon which 
he. has since made his home. 

In the Buckeye State, on the 6th of March, 1862, 
Mr. Highly was united in marriage with Miss Jane 
Gibson, of Hocking County, Ohio, a daughter of 
Patrick and Margaret (Flannigan) Gibson, who 
are mentioned elsewhere in this work in connec- 
tion with the sketch of J. A. Gibson. The wedding 
journey of the young couple consisted of a trip to 
Illinois in a covered wagon, they reaching their 
destination after fourteen days. Their union has 
been blessed with two sons: Olney, who now car- 
ries on farming in South Macon Township; and 
James H., who aids in the operation of the home 
farm. 

Mr. Highly is a warm advocate of temperance 
principles and embodies his views on this subject 
in his ballot, which he deposits in favor of the Pro- 
hibition party. He has serred as School Director 
in his township for twenty years, and his faithful- 
ness and fidelity are indicated by his long continued 
service. He would never accept other office, how- 
ever, preferring to devote his attention to his busi- 



272 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 




ness interests. Socially, he has been connected 
with the Masonic fraternity for thirty years. Him- 
self and family are members of the Presbyterian 
Church, in which he has for some time served as 
Elder. Generous and benevolent, he contributes 
liberally to its support and gives freely of his 
means to all worthy charities. His life has been 
an honorable and upright one, well spent in the 
service of the Master. In his business career Mr. 
Highly has prospered and now possesses a hand- 
some property, including a fine farm of three hun- 
dred and sixty acres, which is under a high state of 
cultivation and well improved. 






ENRY C. MOWRY is one of the enterpris- 
ing and progressive business men of Macon 
County. He is extensively engaged in 
grain dealing in Forsyth for the firm of 
Day, Sons & Co., of Providence, R. I., and con- 
trols a good trade. He was born in Smithfield, 
Providence County, R. I., March 1, 1835, in the 
same house where occurred the birth of his father, 
Asa Mo wry, and that of three generations before 
him. The family is of French and English descent, 
and is one of the old families of Colonial days. 
The mother of our subject bore the maiden name 
of Louisa Johnson, and was also born in Rhode 
Island. Her father, George W. Johnson, was a 
Revolutionary soldier, and died at the advanced 
age of ninety-four years. 

Asa Mowry was a cooper by trade, but, having 
studied law, engaged in the practice of the legal 
profession in the latter part of his life. In reli- 
gious belief he was a Quaker. He died in May, 
1841, but his wife survived him for many years, 
and passed away July 24, 1883. Of their family 
of five children one died in infancy. Abbie is 
still living in the East. Henry is the third in or- 
der of birth. Enos died in October, 1863. Ed- 
ward L., a stone-cutter by tiade, is now living a 
retired life in Rhode Island. 

Our subject was about seven years of age when 



his father died. He then began work in the cot- 
ton mills of his native State, receiving only sev- 
enty-five cents per week for his services. He was 
a faithful little employe, however, who learned the 
business well, and when only sixteen years of age 
was appointed to the position of overseer of the 
Smithfield Mills, having from thirty to sixty hands 
under his management. He continued work in the 
mills until 1855, when he began clerking in a 
clothing store. He was afterward employed in a 
lumber-yard until the breaking out of the late 
war, when, laying aside all business cares, he en- 
tered the service of his country. The echoes of 
Ft. Sumter's guns had hardly ceased reverberat- 
ing when he offered his services to the Govern- 
ment. He enlisted August 17, 1861, and was made 
Sergeant of Company K, First Rhode Island In- 
fantry. This was the first regiment of which Gen. 
Burnside had charge, and it was the third that 
entered Washington City. Mr. Mo wry participated 
in the hard-fought battle of Bull Run and the en- 
gagements at Roanoke, Newbury and Fredericks- 
burgh. He was slightly wounded in the left leg 
by a spent ball, and in 1862 received his final dis- 
charge, acting a/ Lieutenant at the time, though 
he never received a commission to that ollice. 

After this Mr. Mowry returned to his old home 
and accepted the position of mail agent on the 
Providence & Worcester Railroad, to which office 
he had been appointed before entering the service. 
He was thus employed until 1867, when he came 
to Macon County, 111., locating in Forsyth, where 
he erected an elevator, cribs and grain office. 
There he engaged in grain-dealing until 1869, 
when he went to Mattoon and carried on the same 
business for the firm of Day, Sprague <fe Co., of 
Providence, R. I., having entire charge of their 
Western department. In 1878 he removed his 
headquarters to Decatur, but in the latter part of 
that year returned to Forsyth, where he has since 
remained. 

On the 2d of August, 1872, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Mowry and Miss Henrietta Flood. 
By their union were born two children: Albert E., 
who is now station agent and operator at Forsyth; 
and Alfred II., who died in his sixth year. 

The ambition and energy which caused Mr. 



POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



273 



Mowry to educate himself in the East Greenwich 
Academy have characterized his entire life and made 
his business career one of success. In politics he 
takes quite an active part and votes with the 
Democratic party. He has served as Commissioner 
of Hickory Point Township for several terms, and 
when only twenty-three years of age, while in 
Rhode Island, he was elected to the State Legisla- 
ture. Since 1865 he has been a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, and also belongs to the Odd 
Fellows' lodge, the Knights of Pythias order and 
the Grand Army of the Republic. lie is a valued 
citizen, who takes an active interest in everything 
pertaining to the welfare of the community and 
its upbuilding. His public and private life are 
alike above reproach, and his long continuance 
with the firm with which he is now connected is a 
high testimonial to his fidelity. 




.. LEXANDER S. FREELAND, who is con- 
((j8/D| nected with the agricultural interests of 
Milan Township and makes his home on 
section 1, has spent almost his entire life 
in this locality and is well deserving of representa- 
tion in this volume. He was born on the 20th of 
March, 1842, in what was then a part of Macon 
County, but is now in Moultrie County, and is the 
only child of David and Sarah (Strain) Freeland, 
a sketch of whom may be found on another page 
of this volume. 

Alexander was only about a year old at the 
time of his mother's death. lie remained upon the 
home farm and received instruction from his father 
for six months and for about nine months was in 
the country schools, and so acquired only a limited 
education. The war having broken out, his pa- 
triotism was aroused, and he determined to strike 
a blow in defense of the Union. He was only 
nineteen years of age when, on the 9th of May, 
1861, he enlisted in Company E, Twenty-first Illi- 
nois Infantry, with which he served until Decem- 
ber 16, 1865, when, peace having been declared, 



he was honorably discharged. He participated in 
the battles of Perryville, Stone River and Chick- 
amauga, the Atlanta campaign, and, in fact, all the 
engagements in which his regiment took part. At 
the battle of Nashville a color-bearer had fallen, 
and from that time on Mr. Freeland carried the 
Stars and Stripes, which many times led the troops 
on to victory. In the battle of Stone River he 
was wounded in the left thigh by a grape shot, 
and still has the ball in his possession. He was 
taken to the field hospital for a short time, was 
thence sent to Nashville for two weeks, and after- 
ward spent four months in Cincinnati. He was 
also taken prisoner, but made his escape four days 
after his capture. 

When the war was over, Mr. Freeland returned 
to this county and purchased a team of oxen with 
money which he had obtained in the service. He 
then began breaking prairie and has since carried 
on agricultural pursuits. He now owns one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of valuable land, which rep- 
resents his own labor and energy, and which 
constitutes one of the best farms in the locality. 

On the 9th of January, 1868, Mr. Freeland mar- 
ried Miss Eliza M. Hood, who was born in Shelby 
County, 111., September 27, 1851, and is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas A. and Cynthia (Mclntosh) Hood, 
who were pioneers of this State. A son and ten 
daughters have been born of their union, and the 
family circle yet remains unbroken. Luella, the 
eldest, is now the wife of John Canady, a merchant 
of Mattoon, 111.; George C. is a well-educated 
young man and an accomplished musician; Rosie 
M., Mary, Eunice, Edna, Alice, Eva, Vida, Frances 
and Name are still at home. 

Mr. Freeland is a stanch Republican, who warmly 
advocates the principles of his party. He is now 
serving as Road Commissioner of his township, 
but has never been an aspirant for public office. 
Socially, he belongs to I. C. Pugh Post No. 481, 
G. A. R., of Dalton City, and himself and wife are 
members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 
Mr. Freeland is numbered among the honored pio- 
neers of this community, where for more than half 
a century he has made his home. He has a very 
large and interesting collection of old Indian 
relics, which he gathered in this locality at an 



274 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



early day. lie has borne all the experiences of 
pioneer life and has witnessed the development of 
the county, having seen its wild lands transformed 
into beautiful homes and farms, and its hamlets 
grow into thriving towns and villages. 




BENEDICT YOUNG owns and operates a 
fine farm of three hundred and sixty acres 
on section 21, Blue Mound Township. We 
glance at this place and at once notice its 
neat appearance, a fact which attests the careful 
supervision of the thrifty owner. We also see a 
substantial home, good barns and other outbuild- 
ings, the latest improved machinery and well- 
tilled fields. This place is regarded as one of the 
best farms in the community, and its owner is rec- 
ognized as a practical and progressive agricultur- 
ist. 

Of German birth, Mr. Young is the second in a 
family of seven children, five sons and two daugh- 
ters, whose parents were Vincennes and Catherine 
(Gasser) Young. The father engaged in rafting 
in his native land, and there spent his entire life. 
After his death the mother came to America with 
six of her children, and in Macon County spent 
her remaining days. She passed away in Decatur 
at the age of sixty-two years. 

Our subject was born in Baden, Germany, on 
the 2d of March, 1828, and grew to manhood in 
the Fatherland, where he lived until his thirty- 
second year. As a means of livelihood he fol- 
lowed rafting, but with a hope of bettering his fi- 
nancial condition he determined to cross the 
broad Atlantic and seek a home in the New World. 
Carrying out this resolution, he sailed from Ger- 
many in 1859, and after a voyage of thirty days 
the vessel in which he had taken passage dropped 
anchor in the harbor of New York. Making his 
way Westward, he chose Macon County, 111., as 
the scene of his future labors, and rented a farm, 
which he operated some years. He then purchased 



the land on which he now resides and which he 
has since made his home. His labors, however, 
have wrought a great transformation in the place, 
for it was then but slightly improved. 

In 1852, ere his emigration to the New World, 
Mr. Young was united in marriage with Miss Ce- 
celia Kilmer, of Baden, Germany, and unto them 
has been born a family of nine children. In order 
of birth they are as follows: Laudeline, who car- 
ries on farming in Christian Count}', 111.; Launes, 
who follows the same pursuit in Christian County; 
Pauline, the wife of Frank Dayhuns, a resident 
farmer of Macon County; Frank, who is engaged 
in farming in this county; Caroline, wife of 
Charles Gross, a hotel-keeper of Decalur; Sophia 
and Anna, who are still at home; John, wbo is 
serving as clerk in a hotel in Decatur; and Charles, 
who completes the family, and aids in the opera- 
tion of the old home farm. 

Mr. Young, his wife and children are members 
of the German Catholic Church, and are people 
widely and favorably known in this community. 
Our subject exercises his right of franchise in sup- 
port of the Democratic party, but has never sought 
or desired the honors or emoluments of public of- 
fice. He came to this county when the locality in 
which he now resides was very sparsely settled, 
and has aided in its development and upbuilding 
and has ever done all in his power for the promo- 
tion of the best interests of the community. His 
well-earned success comes to him as the just re- 
ward of his own efforts. 



HINEAS B. PROVOST, who for the past 
ten years has served as Justice of the Peace 
of Decatur, is one of the self-made men of 
Macon County, and one of its popular and 
influential citizens. As he has a wide circle of 
friends and acquaintances, we feel assured that this 
record of his life will prove of interest to many of 
our readers. He is the eldest child of James and 




PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



275 



Louisa (Baker) Provost. His paternal grandfather 
was a native of France; and his grandmother came 
to this country from Holland. The father of our 
subject was born in New Brunswick, N. J., and 
was a blacksmith by trade. The year after the ar- 
rival of his son Phineas in Decatur, he came to 
the West and made his home with our subject un- 
til his death, which occurred at the advanced age 
of eighty-four years, it being caused by an injury 
sustained in tearing down a building. His wife 
also died at the home of our subject, in her sev- 
enty-sixth 3*ear. Of their family, Phineas is the 
eldest; Lawrence R. is a farmer residing in Deca- 
tur Township; Abraham P. is a dealer in sewing- 
machines ill St. Louis; Isaac S. is a carriage-maker 
of Sturgis, Mich.; Catherine I. is the wife of Fred- 
erick Boyer, of Marion, Ind.; Phcebe became the 
wife of Harry Zettlemeyer, and died leaving four 
children; Mary A. became the wife of Jefferson 
Main, and at her death left two children; and 
James died at the age of a year and a-half. 

Phineas Provost was born October 21, 1833, in 
New Brunswick, N. J., and at the age of sixteen 
was bound out to a carriage-maker, serving an ap- 
prenticeship of five years. The only educational 
privileges in those days were afforded b}' the sub- 
scription schools. On attaining his majority, his 
apprenticeship was ended, and the following year 
Mr. Provost was united in marriage with Miss 
Julia L., daughter of Stephen Van Valkenburg, 
who came from one of the early 1 Dutch families of 
New York. In the spring of 1859, he went South 
and established a carriage-making shop in Suffolk, 
Va., where for a time he did a successful business, 
but on account of the Abolition principles which 
he held he had to return to New Jersey. Having 
seen the condition of affairs among the Secession- 
ists, he resolved to strike n blow in defense of the 
Union, and immediately after the breaking out of 
the late war enlisted in Company A, First New 
Jersey Regiment. 

Mr. Provost took. part in the first battle of Bull 
Hun, and served in the Army of the Potomac. He 
was three times wounded, first at the second bat- 
tle of Bull Run, where he received a flesh wound 
in the leg, but he did not leave the ranks. Before 
Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock, he was 



wounded in the neck; and the third wound was 
received at Crampton's Pass, Aid., where he was 
severely injured. In addition to the two engage- 
ments at Bull Run, he participated in the seven 
days' battle before Richmond, and the battles of 
Cold Harbor, Fredericksburg and Antietam, to- 
gether with many skirmishes. His third wound 
was received before the last-named battle, but 
nevertheless he entered the fight. However, his 
injuries proved so serious that he was compelled 
to resign, and was honorably discharged in 1863. 
He had enlisted as a private, but was promoted to 
the rank of Orderly-Sergeant of his company, and 
was made Sergeant-Major of the regiment, later 
becoming Second Lieutenant. 

On his return from the war, Mr. Provost re- 
sumed work at his trade in New York, and after 
six months went with his family to Tazewell 
County, in the fall of 1864. Here he began farm- 
ing, but that life did not agree with his wife, and 
in consequence he made his home in the city of 
Decatur, embarking in the furniture business in 
1867. To that enterprise he devoted his energies 
until 1882, when he sold out, and soon afterwards 
was elected Justice of the Peace. The home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Provost was blessed with five chil- 
dren. Frank I)., the eldest, is now in the United 
States Mail Service, running from St. Louis to 
Chicago, and resides in Toledo, Ohio. He married 
Frances Stetcher, and they have a son, Guy. Ste- 
phen F., who married Rya Freeman, is manager of 
the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, in Anderson, 
Ind. Mary A., Frederick and William Edward, 
the younger members of the family, died in child- 
hood. 

Mr. Provost is a member of Ionic Lodge No. 
312, A. F. & A. M., of Decatur, and of Dunham 
Post No. 141, G. A. R. He was also a member of 
the first Grand Army post ever organized, and has 
been a member of two military organizations in 
Decatur, and was First Lieutenant of the Decatur 
Light Guards. He holds membership with the 
First Presbyterian Church of this city, to the build- 
ing of which he contributed liberally. Our sub- 
ject has done excellent work in Decatur in the 
active part which he took in establishing the fire 
department. He had served in fire departments 



276 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in New York City and Rahway, N. J., and he 
raised money for the equipment of the first fire 
company of Decatur, of which lie became chief on 
its organization. In politics he was a Whig in 
early life, but since the organization of the Repub- 
lican party has fought under its banner. Mr. 
Provost is well known to the citizens of Macon 
County, where he has made his home for almost 
thirty years. He has proved a most efficient and 
capable officer, and during the ten years of his 
service as Justice of the Peace he has never, with 
one exception, had his judgments reversed, for his 
rulings have been fair and unprejudiced. He is a 
generous, whole-souled man, genial and pleasant 
in manner, and it would be hard to find in Deca- 
tur a person who has more friends than the 
"Squire." 



ET. WILLOUGHBY is the owner of a very 
valuable farm in South Macon Township, 
comprising one hundred and seventy-two 
acres of rich land on section 31, and one hundred 
and sixty acres on section 16. This is divided in- 
to fields of convenient size, which in the summer 
months are clothed in green, but in the fall season 
become fields of golden grain and reward the care 
and cultivation of the owner. Upon the place are 
good buildings, the latest improved machine!^, 
good grades of slock, and all the accessories of a 
model farm. The place is lacking in no particular, 
and a glance tells the passer-by that the owner is a 
progressive agriculturist. 

Mr. Willoughby was born in Collinsville, Madi- 
son County, 111., August 18, 1840, and is the sec- 
ond in order of birth in a family of four children 
whose parents were Thomas Oliver and Sallie Ann 
(Willoughby) Willoughby. Both were natives of 
Delaware, and the family is of English origin. In 
that State they were married, and on leaving the 
East in 1835 they emigrated to Madison County, 
111. After a short time, however, they returned 



to Delaware, but two years later again went to 
Madison County, where the father remained until 
his death. The mother spent her last days in St. 
Clair County. Of their children, Hester is now 
the widow of John Davis, of Collinsville, Madison 
County; John Henry B. is a harness-maker and sad- 
dler of Collinsville; and one child died in infancy. 

Our subject was only about six years of age 
when his father died, and at the age of ten was 
left an orphan by the death of his mother. He 
then went to live with a Mr. Anderson in Madi- 
son County, with whom he remained until sixteen 
3 r ears of age, when he became dissatisfied and ran 
away, going to work for an uncle, with whom he 
remained until he had become a young man of 
twenty-two. His education was acquired by at- 
tendance at the district schools during the winter 
season. On the 16th of August, 1862, he became 
a soldier of the Union army, enlisting in Com- 
pany C, One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois 
Infantry. He served for two years, and was never 
wounded or taken prisoner. He entered the ser- 
vice as a private, but was mustered out as Ser- 
geant. 

At the close of the war, Mr. Willoughby re- 
turned to his old home in St. Clair County and 
afterward purchased eight3 r -six acres of raw prai- 
rie land in Macon County, upon which not a fur- 
row had been turned or an improvement made, 
and here he still resides. Having erected a small 
house, he began the development of the place, and 
by his marriage on the 28th of February, 1867, se- 
cured as the mistress of his home the lady who in 
her maidenhood bore the name of Mary M. Og- 
lesby. She is a native of St. Clair Count3 r , and 
her father was a cousin of Gov. Oglesby. Ten 
children were born of the union of our subject 
and his wife, but three died in infanc3 r . Edwin 
Oliver is a farmer of Macon Count3"; William A. 
also follows farming in this count3 - ; Sallie Ann is 
an accomplished musician; Henry Wilson, Emily 
Edith, Ida Olive and Chester Earl complete the 
family. 

Socially, Mr. Willoughby is connected with the 
Grand Arim- post of Macon, and in his political 
views he is a stanch Republican, but would never 
accept any office save that of School Director of 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



27!) 



his district. His wife is a member of the Method- 
ist Church, and to its support he contributes lib- 
erally. His aid is never withheld from any enter- 
prise calculated to prove of public benefit, and 
during his long residence in Macon County he 
has been prominently identified with its growth 
and enterprise. 




IIARLES W. DEVORE, who is Chief of 
the Fire Department of Decatur and a 
if! well-known and popular citizen of this 
community, has the honor of being a native of 
Macon County, his birth having occurred within 
its borders on the llth of January, 1859. His 
father, Joseph Devore, was also a native of Illi- 
nois, and became one of the early settlers of Ma- 
con County, where he followed farming. He en- 
listed as a soldier of the late war and was assigned 
to Company C, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illi- 
nois Infantry, in which he served for two years. 
His term having expired, he returned home on a 
certain Tuesday in 1864, and the next Tuesday 
died of paralysis. His wife, who bore the maiden 
name of Louisa Bright, survived him twenty-five 
years, or until the 14th of August, 1890, when she 
met a violent death, being struck by a passenger 
train on the Wabash Railway at Decatur. She was 
sixty-seven years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Devore 
were members of the Methodist Church, but in 
her later years she joined the United Brethren 
Church. This worthy couple had a family of 
twelve children, four sons and eight daughters. 
Six daughters are now living: Hattie, unmarried; 
Margaret, widow of Charles McCollum; Lizzie, wife 
of Logan Rice; Nicie, widow of Emmett Richards; 
Rebecca, unmarried; and Susan, wife of Samuel 
Kellum. 

Charles W. Devore, the only surviving son of 
the family, was reared in the city which is still 
his home, and in its public schools acquired his 
education. To some extent he worked on a farm, 
and was also employed as a machine hand in the 



Decatur Furnitusp Factory. Having attained to 
man's estate, November 25, 1880, he chose as a 
companion and helpmate Miss Alice Payne, daugh- 
ter of Clinton and Isabel (Lowe) Payne, natives 
of Ohio. Three children have been born of their 
union, two sons and a daughter, Linnie, aged 
seven; Freddie, who died in infancy; and Earl, 
aged thirteen months. The family has a pleasant 
home at No. 1019 North Clinton Street. Mrs. 
Devore is a member of the United Brethren 
Church. Our subject holds membership with Ma- 
con Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M., and in politics is 
a supporter of Republican principles. 

After his marriage Mr. Devore continued with 
the furniture factory until 1884, when he went on 
the City Fire Department as a pipeman with the 
chemical engine. He has since remained with 
the department and is now its Chief, having 
been appointed to that position in 1890 by 
Mayor Kanan. The department has one steam 
engine, one chemical engine, two hose wagons, 
a hook and ladder truck, one chief's buggy 
and twelve head of horses. Fifteen men com- 
prise the force. Mr. Devore served on the Vol- 
unteer Fire Department force from 1878 until 
1884, nnd was the leader of Running Crew No. 
1, known as the "Rescue." When the fire depart- 
ment was placed on a paid basis he continued his 
connection with it, and for three years has now 
ably and acceptably filled the position of Chief. 
Under his management the department is in ex- 
cellent working order and is one of the depart- 
ments of which the city may justly feel proud. 



y WILLIAM BARNES, M. D., is one of the 
younger physicians of Decatur, yet is one 
,, _ of the most prominent, and his reputation 
as an able and skillful physician and surgeon ex- 
tends far beyond the confines of Macon County. 
Of more than average ability, the endowments of 
nature have been supplemented by all that earnest 
application and study could bring about, and the 



280 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



high rank to which he has attained in his profes- 
sion is but the crown given to faithful endeavor. 

The Doctor is a native of Decatur, born on the 
3d of September, 1860. His father, Dr. W. A. 
Barnes, was also a well-known medical practitioner, 
who settled in Macon County at an early day and 
became widely known. Our subject graduated 
from the Decatur High School, after which he took 
a regular scientific course in Harvard University, 
graduating from that far-famed institution in the 
Class of '83. Desiring to follow in the profes- 
sional footsteps of his father, he then entered 
upon the study of medicine in the Harvard Medi- 
cal School of Boston, pursuing the regular tliree- 
years course and graduating in 1886 with the first 
honors of his class. Having completed that course, 
Dr. Barnes entered the Boston City Hospital as 
house surgeon, and there remained for two years. 
He studied under Prof. Alexander Aggasiz, at 
Newport, and under his direction prepared a thesis 
from original investigation on the subject of the 
development of the spinal cord. 

Having performed satisfactorily the duties of 
house surgeon for the time above mentioned, the 
Doctor returned to Decatur, and in October, 1889, 
opened his present office. Not content, however, 
with the research he had already made, he resolved 
to delve deeper into the profession which he is 
making his life work, and went to Europe, travel- 
ing over that continent for some time. He was in 
a hospital in Vienna for one year, and in Munich, 
Germany, pursued a four-months course of study, 
taking a special diploma in gynaecology. He was 
also at Hei del burg for about five months as assist- 
ant to the celebrated surgeon, Czerny. Since his 
return to his native land he has engaged in prac- 
tice in Decatur, but his professional duties often 
call him from the city. He has a reputation 
throughout the East, where he studied and prac- 
ticed, and in Chicago as well. Whatever his 
ambitious nature and determined labor can accom- 
plish in the line of his work, he has done. He 
will never cease to be a student of his profession, 
and a brilliant career seems opening before this 
young physician, who has already gained a patron- 
age which might well be envied by many an older 
practitioner. 



In 1891 Dr. Barnes was united in marriage with 
Miss Charlotte Gillette, daughter of John D. Gil- 
lette, the well-known cattle dealer, sometimes 
called "The Cattle King of Illinois." She is also 
a sister of Mrs. Gov. Oglesby. The Doctor and 
his wife reside at No. 332 West William Street, 
where they have a very beautiful and elegant 
home. Mrs. Barnes presides with a womanly grace 
and dignity and extends to their numerous friends 
the warm hospitality which makes the Barnes' 
home one of the most popular in the city. 

The Doctor spends a part of each summer in the 
Rockies, engaged in hunting and other outdoor 
sports, of which he is especially fond. In social 
circles he is as favorably known as in professional 
life, and wherever he goes he wins a host of 
friends, who have for him the warmest regard. 




W. EHRHART is the senior mem- 
ber of the firm of George W. Ehrhart & 
Co., wholesale dealers in fruits and fancy 
groceries, and manufacturers of confectionery. He 
is recognized as a leading business man in this 
community, and is a representative citizen, al- 
though not yet thirty years of age. He was born 
in Decatur on the 8th of July, 1866, and comes of 
an old family of Pennsylvania. His grandfather, 
William Ehrhart, was a native of the Keystone 
State, and was a farmer and wagon-maker. His 
death occurred when he was about eighty years of 
age. The maternal grandfather was a Virginian 
farmer, and in an early day emigrated Westward 
to Illinois, locating on a farm near Mechanics- 
burg, where he spent the remainder of his days. 
The parents of our subject were Joseph B. and 
Hester Ann (Jacobs) Ehrhart, the former a native 
of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Illinois. The 
father came to this State in 1858, locating in Ma- 
con County, and is still living in Decatur, a well- 
known citizen of the community. His wife died 
on the 14th of May, 1892, at the age of fifty years. 
She was a member of the Methodist Church, to 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



281 



which Mr. Ehrhsrt also belongs. Their family 
numbered three sons, John T., George W. and 
Elmer, but the last-named died at the age of eight 
years. 

George W. Ehrhart whose name heads this rec- 
ord was educated in the public schools of the city 
and remained at home with his parents until 
almost grown. During his youth he learned the 
painter's trade, but subsequently embarked in the 
coal business and carried on operations in that 
line for about two years. He then established his 
present business in company with Charles A. 
Ewing, under the firm name of George W. Ehrhart 
& Co. They began on a small scale, but their 
trade has steadily increased from the beginning, 
and they are now doing a large and constantly 
growing business. 

On the 7th of July, 1892, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Ehrhart and Miss Mary Mascher, 
of Effingham. 111., a daughter of George D. and 
Lucy Mascher. The lady is a member of the Luth- 
eran Church. They have a pleasant home at No. 
901 West Macou Street, and are leading young 
people of the community, who have many warm 
friends and who hold an enviable position in the 
circles of society in which they move. In politics 
Mr. Ehrhart is a supporter of Democratic princi- 
ples. His entire life has been passed in this city, 
and he has grown up to be one of its leading busi- 
ness men. Wide-awake, enterprising and diligent, 
he will no doubt win success in his undertakings. 




' DAM DICKSON, who follows farming on 
section 2, Milan Township, is numbered 
among the early settlers of the county, 
having long been identified with its prog- 
ress and upbuilding. He was born July 19, 1835, 
in Aberlady, Scotland. His parents, Archibald and 
Inez (Allison) Dickson,are mentioned elsewhere 
in this work in connection with their son Archi- 
bald. The family numbered eight children, of 
whom Adam is fourth in order of birth. The days 



of his boyhood and youth were quietly passed upon 
the old home farm, and to his home he gave the 
benefit of his services until eighteen years of age. 
He worked in the fields in the summer months, 
and after ten years of age he attended only two 
terms of night school, and thus acquired but a 
limited education. In May, 1853, he carried out 
a resolution which brought him to America. He 
determined to try his fortune in the New World, 
of whose advantages and privileges he had heard 
much, and bidding good-bye to home and friends 
he sailed from Glasgow to New York City, where 
he arrived on the 18th of July, 1853. 

Mr. Dickson then went to Canada, and worked 
on the construction of the Great Western Railroad 
for about three months, after which tie went to 
Rock County, Wis., where he worked by the month 
on a farm for three years. On the expiration of 
that period we find him in Minnesota, but after a 
short time spent in that State he went to Arkansas, 
in the fall of 1858. Passing the winter in the 
South, he came to Illinois in the spring of 1859, 
locating in Macon County, where he again earned 
his livelihood by working at farm labor by the 
month for two years. He then rented land for 
four years, after which he purchased one hundred 
and sixty acres of raw land from the railroad, 
then in Mt. /ion Township, but now in Milan 
Township, for the latter had not then been set off 
from the former. The land was in its primitive 
condition, but he at once began its development, 
and soon waving fields of grain had taken the 
place of the once barren prairie. As his financial 
resources were increased, he extended the bounda- 
ries of his farm until it now comprises three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of rich land, all under cul- 
tivation. Upon the place is a substantial residence 
and good outbuildings, which, combined with the 
well-tilled fields, speak of the thrift and enterprise 
of the owner in no uncertain terms. 

On the 31st of December, 1868, Mr. Dickson 
married Miss Hattie Gleason, of this county. By 
their union have been born nine children: Nina 
R., Allie N., Lulu (who died at the age of five 
years), Archie, Louis, George, Bertie, Eddie and 
Nellie. The children arc still with their parents, 
and this family is numbered among the best in 



282 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the county. The mother and two eldest daughters 
are members of the Presbyterian Church, and al- 
though not a member Mr. Dickson contributes lib- 
erally to its support with the same generosity that 
prompts him to give his aid to all worthy enter- 
prises. In his political views he is a Republican, 
and in his earlier years held some offices. For 
three terms he was Assessor of the township, and 
then served one term as Commissioner, after which 
he resigned and has since steadily refused to ac- 
cept other political preferment. He has the high 
regard of the entire community in which he has 
so long resided, for his life has been well and wor- 
thily passed. 




DWIN PARK, a member of the law firm of 
Bunn & Park, of Decatur, was born in 
Columbia County, N. Y., on the 4th of 
December, 1835, and is a son of Asahel T. and 
Julia Ann (Snyder) Park. The father was a native 
of Connecticut, and the mother of the Empire 
State. They had two children, Edwin, and MariHa 
E., who died at the age of twelve years. Mr. 
Park followed farming in New York, and died in 
1852, at the age of fifty-two years. His wife, who 
survived him some years, died in 1863, in the faith 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Both were 
descended from old families of New England and 
were highly respected people in the community in 
which they made their home. 

Our subject was reared in the Empire State and 
remained under the parental roof until he had at- 
tained his majority. His education was acquired 
in the common schools of Columbia and Albany 
Counties, and he afterward attended a seminary 
in Charlotteville, Schoharie County, and an acad- 
emy in Hamilton, N. Y. When he had attained to 
man's estate he determined to seek his home and 
fortune in the West, and in 1856, bidding good- 
bye to friends and family, he came to Illinois. He 
began teaching in St. Clair County, making his 
home in Belleville, and there also commenced the 



study of law. In 1859 he was admitted to the 
Bar, and in 1860 he came to Macon County, where 
he engaged in teaching until 1863. He was then 
made County Superintendent of Schools, and filled 
that office acceptably until 1869, after which he 
took up legal practice and to that work has since 
devoted his energies. 

In the month of August, 1862, Mr. Park was 
married to Miss Mary E., daughter of James and 
Hester A. (Coleman) Affleck. Three children were 
born of their union, but Albert E., the second 
child, is the only one now living. Ida died in 
infancy, and James died at the age of nine years. 

On taking up the practice of law, Mr. Park 
practiced alone a few years and then formed a 
partnership with Thomas Lee, which connection 
was continued only a short time, and in the spring 
of 1876 he formed a business connection with 
David L. Bunn, which partnership still continues 
under the firm name of Bunn & Park. Our subject 
is a successful practitioner, well versed in all law 
points, an able reasoner and a logical thinker. He 
brings to his profession an industry and enterprise 
which in return have brought him success. He now 
owns forty acres of land a mile west of Decatur, 
and there makes his home. He also has a tract of 
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Wayne 
County. Mo., and owns an interest in St. Louis 
property. In religious belief he is a Baptist, and 
serves as one of the Trustees of the Decatur Church. 
His wife is a member of the Methodist Church. 
In politics he supports the Republican party. 






r~ 



ENOCH SALISBURY, a leading and enter- 
prising farmer of Pleasant View Township, 
resides on section 8, where he owns and 
operates one hundred and twenty acres of good 
land. His home is pleasantly situated within one 
mile of Blue Mound. The owner of this desirable 
place claims Ohio as the State of his birth, which 
occurred in Jefferson Count}' on the 18th of May, 
1840. His parents, Michael and Mary Ann (War- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



283 



ner) Salisbury, had a family of eight children, of 
whom he is the second in order of birth. On the 
paternal side he is of English descent, and on the 
maternal side is of German extraction. The fa- 
ther of our subject was born in Washington 
County, Ohio, and was reared upon a farm. 
Throughout his life he followed agricultural pur- 
suits as a means of supporting himself and family. 
He died in Parke County, Ind., at the age of 
sixty-three years. His wife, who was a native of 
Pennsylvania, passed away in Christian County, 
111., when fifty-seven years of age. They were 
both highly respected people. Of their eight chil- 
dren three are now deceased. Those still living 
are, Enoch, of this sketch; Isaac, who makes his 
home in Wichita, Kan.; Cyrus, who is also a resi- 
dent of Kansas; Warner, who is engaged in farm- 
ing near Lincoln, Neb.; and Mary E., wife of 
James Defonbaugh, a resident agriculturist of 
Missouri. 

The history of the boyhood days of any farmer 
lad is similar to that of our subject, who, during 
his youth attended the public schools of the neigh- 
borhood in which he lived through the winter 
season, while in the summer months he worked in 
the fields. He remained with his parents on the 
old home farm in Jefferson County, Ohio, until 
twenty-one years of age, when he began working 
at the carpenter's trade. This he followed for 
about two years in connection with work upon 
the home farm. On the expiration of that period 
he came to Illinois, locating in Christian County, 
where for a year he rented a farm. He then pur- 
chased an eighty-acre tract of land and began its 
further development, making a number of im- 
provements upon the place. 

On the llth of September, 1870, Mr. Salisbury- 
was united in marriage with Miss Lydia Logan, a 
native of Parke County, Ind. By their union 
have been born six children, three sons and three 
daughters, namel}': Russell II., Maggie May, Elmer 
W., Cora E., Chester L. and Uellie B. The family 
circle yet remains unbroken and the children are 
still in the parental home. 

In 1876, Mr. Salisbury sold his farm in Chris- 
tian County, and, coming to Macon County, made 
a purchase of eighty acres of land on section 8 



Pleasant View Township. To this he has since 
added until now one hundred and twenty acres of 
good land pay tribute to his care and cultivation. 
His farm is one of the best in the county. Upon 
it are two good residences, substantial barns and 
outbuildings and other improvements, which, to- 
gether with its desirable location, make it one of 
the valuable farms of the community. The owner 
is a Republican in politics and is an active mem- 
ber of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Blue 
Mound Lodge No. 682, A. F. & A. M., with which 
he has been connected for twenty-two years. The 
cause of education finds in him a trustworthy 
friend, and in its interest he has done effective 
service while filling the position of School Direc- 
tor, which office he has held for a number of 
years. 




K. HAMSHER, who is one of the 

publishers and proprietors of the Decatur 
Republican, doing business in the journal- 
istic field as a member of the firm of Ham- 
sher & Calhoun, is a native of the Keystone State, 
his birth having occurred in Franklin County, on 
the loth of September, 1838, His father, Peter 
Hamsher, died when our subject was only a year 
old; and his mother, whose maiden name was Eliz- 
abeth Kline, passed away leaving her boy an or- 
phan at the age of six and a-half years. His 
school privileges were those afforded by the town 
in which he lived, but in the school of experience 
he has gained a wide and varied knowledge, prob- 
ably more practical, if not as classical, as he could 
have acquired in college. 

Mr. Hamsher took up his life work at the age of 
fourteen, being employed in the printing-office of 
the Newburg Public Servant. He came to Illinois 
in 1856, at the age of eighteen, locating in Deca- 
tur. He engaged as a printer on several of the 
early papers of Decatur, and worked several years 
on the Decatur Chronicle, edited by W. J. I'srey, 
one of the pioneers of journalism in this city. In 
1862, in company with J. R. Mosser, he leased the 



284 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Chronicle, its proprietor being then in the army. 
These gentlemen continued its publication fora 
year, and after that time until 1867 Mr. Ilamsher 
was engaged in other business. In the latter year he 
became associated with J. R. Mosser in the publi- 
cation of the Republican, which was founded in 
August, 1867, by Mr. Mosser and W. M. Stanley. 
Mr. Ilamsher purchased Mr. Stanley's interest 
about a month after the establishment of the 
paper, and continued with Mr. Mosser until Oc- 
tober, 1890, when, on account of ill health, the 
latter sold his interest to W. F. Calhoun, the pres- 
ent partner. 

In 1869, Mr. Ilamsher was married to Miss Ce- 
celia A. Elwood, daughter of Daniel II. Elwood, 
an earl}- settler of this city. Five children have 
been born unto our subject and his wife, as fol- 
lows: Harry E., who is assistant city editor of 
the Republican, and who married Miss Birdie Wag- 
goner, of Decatur, daughter of W. H. Waggoner, 
who for several years was County Clerk of Macou 
County; Frank K., who graduated at the age of 
seventeen from the Decatur High School, then 
worked in the newspaper office for about a year, 
and is now pursuing a literary course in the Uni- 
versity of Ann Arbor, Mich., from which he will 
graduate in the Class of '95; Grace, Dessie and 
Lucile, who are at home. The parents hold mem- 
bership with the First Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The family have a pleasant and beautiful home, 
situated at No. 738 West William Street, which 
was built by Mr. Ilamsher, and is presided over 
with womanly dignity and grace by his excellent 
wife. This worthy couple and their children rank 
high in the social circles in which they move, and 
their home is the abode of hospitality. It is 
supplied with all the comforts of life and tokens 
of education and culture. It is perhaps in his 
home that the true life of Mr. Ilamsher is shown. 
His own youth was a homeless one, and, appreciat- 
ing the value and blessing of a comfortable home, 
he does all in his power to provide one for his 
family, and spares no^ labor or expense that will 
enhance the happiness and promote the welfare of 
his wife and children. 

As his connection witli the paper indicates, Mr. 
Harasher is a supporter of the Republican party, 



and manifests a warm interest in political affairs. 
The journal with which he is connected was es- 
tablished in 1867, and the daily, which is the old- 
est in the county, in 1872. The Republican is a 
bright, newsy sheet and ably advocates the prin- 
ciples of the party for which it was named. Our 
subject is its business manager. The general ed- 
itor is Mr. Calhoun, and the city editor John J. H. 
Young. A noticeable fact about this paper, and 
one that reflects great credit on the management, 
is that no less than ten of the employes have 
been with the paper from fifteen to twenty years. 
The paper is now prospering, and it well deserves 
the liberal patronage received. 



B. MATTHEW, M. D., who is en- 
gaged in the practice of medicine in Blue 
Mound, 111., was born on the 2d of March, 



1850, near Palmer, Christian County, 111. 
His parents, Oscar F. and Margaret (Britton) Mat- 
thew, are numbered among the early settlers of 
this State. The father was a native of Virginia, 
and came to Sangamon Count} 1 , 111., with his par- 
ents when a child of twelve years, in 1834. His 
youth was spent upon a farm in that county, and 
after attaining to man's estate he there married 
Miss Britton, the wedding being celebrated on the 
26th of October, 1846. After his marriage, he re- 
moved with his wife to Christian County, where 
he purchased his first farm. It was an unimproved 
tract of land, but he at once began placing it un- 
der cultivation, and there made his home until 
1857, when lie sold out and returned to Sangamon 
County, locating near Springfield, upon a farm 
which he purchased and which he made his home 
until his death. In connection with the cultiva- 
tion of his land, he was engaged extensively in 
breeding fine cattle and horses. He was one of 
the honored pioneers of Sangamon County, and 
had a very large acquaintance through central 
Illinois. In his political views he was a Republi- 



POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



285 



can and took an active interest in the growth and 
success of that party. He was called to his final 
rest in 1881. His widow, who still survives him, 
was born in Washington County, Ohio, in 1821, 
and when a child of three years was taken by her 
parents to Sangamon County, 111., where she is 
still living on the old homestead. Although she 
has reached the age of seventy-three, her years 
rest lightly upon her and she is still well pre- 
served. 

The Matthew family numbered nine children, 
five sons and four daughters, of whom three are 
now deceased. Winfield S. Matthew, D. D., the 
eldest, is Vice-President and Dean of the Univer- 
sity of Los Angeles, Cal.; Rebecca J. is the widow 
of Daniel Poffenbarger, of Edinburg, 111.; Thomas 
L. is a farmer and stock-raiser of Rochester, 111.; 
La Fayette L. is engaged in farming and stock- 
raising near Cotton Hill, 111.; and Matilda M. is 
the wife of Stephen T. Vigal, an agriculturist of 
Cotton Hill, 111. 

The subject of this sketch, who is the third in 
the family, was reared to manhood on his father's 
farm in Sangamon County, attending school 
through the winter season and working on the 
farm during the summer months until twenty 
years of age. At that time he left home and went 
to Taylorville, where he began the study of med- 
icine under Drs. J. II. it L. H. Clark. For three 
years he continued his reading under their direc- 
tion, and then took a two-years course in the 
American Medical College, of St. Louis, Mo., from 
which he was graduated, receiving his diploma on 
the 22d of May, 1875. Five days later he opened 
an office in Mt. Auburn, Christian County, 111., 
and began the practice of his profession. It was 
on the 9th of November, 1892, that he came to 
Blue Mound, where he now makes his home. 
While in Mt. Auburn, he also carried on a drug 
store and was Postmaster a portion of the time. 

On the 16th of March, 1868, the Doctor mar- 
ried Miss Amanda E. Lawley, of Cotton Hill. 111., 
who was born in that place July 9, 1849. Her 
father, William B. Lawley, was a native of Tenne- 
ssee, and of German extraction. When a young 
man he came to Illinois and purchased a farm, 
upon which he spent, the remainder of his life. He 



married Sarah M. Duncan, a native of Sangamon 
County, and from that community she never re- 
moved. Unto the Doctor and his wife were born 
three sons and two daughters, but three of the 
number died in infancy: Charles E. is a well-ed- 
ucated young man and now resides in Lincoln, 
III.; William Oscar, a lad of twelve years, is at- 
tending the home school. 

The Doctor follows in the political footsteps of 
his father, and therefore is a stanch supporter of 
the Republican party. He served as Postmaster of 
Mt. Auburn for a time, but resigned in order to 
give the office to an old soldier, who held it for 
twelve years. Socially, he is a member of the 
Blue Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic fraternity 
in Blue Mound, and belongs to the Sir Knights of 
the Maccabees, Capitol Tent No. 1, in Springfield, 
111. His wife holds membership with the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, and to its support the Doc- 
tor contributes liberally, although he holds no 
church relationship. His residence in Blue Mound 
has been of short duration, but he already has a 
good practice, which is constantly increasing. He 
has been a close student in his profession and has 
therefore gained in skill and ability, and he is now 
among the foremost physicians of the county. His 
circle of friends is large, and he has the respect 
and esteem of all who know him. 




jURTON BENJAMIN TUTTLE, a retired 
lumber dealer, and one of the prominent 
and influential citizens of Decatur, is a na- 
tive of the Nutmeg State. He was born in 
Naugatuck, New Haven County, Conn., on the 
16th of August, 1838, and is a son of Zopher and 
Nancy (Sherman) Tuttle, who were also natives 
of Connecticut, and came of old New England 
families. 

The subject of this sketch was reared to man- 
hood upon the home farm, remaining under the 
parental roof until eighteen years of age, and in 



286 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the common schools acquiring a good English edu- 
cation. At the age of eighteen, he determined to 
seek his home and fortune in the West, and, bid- 
ding good-bye to friends and family, in Septem- 
ber, 1856, he came to Decatur. In this city bis 
brother, Charles A. Tuttle, was engaged in busi- 
ness as a civil engineer, serving as assistant engi- 
nf>er on the Illinois Central Railroad. He was one 
of the leading citizens of Macon County, and a 
record of his life is given elsewhere in this vol- 
ume. 

After his arrival in Decatur, Burton Tuttle 
worked for his brother, who owned a sawmill in 
Ramsey, 111. He continued as its manager for 
eight years, and at the same time carried on a 
store at that place. On the expiration of that 
period, he returned to Decatur, in 1864, and 
entered the employ of Tuttle & Carter, who owned 
a mill at this place. He was employed by them 
for a year, after which, in company with Joseph 
Harris, he bought out Mr. Carter's interest in the 
mill. A 3'ear later they bought out Charles Tut- 
tle's interest and ran the mill in partnership for a 
period of ten years. At that time our subject be- 
came sole owner of the sawmill, which he carried 
on until retiring from active business life. He 
did a big business, his trade constantly increas- 
ing from the beginning. He bought timber and 
sawed his own lumber, and also handled a large 
number of railroad ties and timbers for bridges. 
In September, 1892, he sold out, and his mind has 
since been free from business cares. 

On the 5th of March, 1862, Mr. Tuttle was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary L. Abbott, 
their union being celebrated in Painesville, Ohio. 
The lady was a native of Massachusetts, and her 
death occurred at her home in Decatur on the 22d 
of August, 1872. The children born of their un- 
ion are: Anna Elizabeth, who graduated from the 
High School, and is now the wife of Howard D. 
Phelps, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, of 
South Hadley, Mass., and a manufacturer of clocks 
in Ansonia, Conn.; Alice.!., wife of Frank Curtis, a 
member of the well-known firm of Curtis Brothers, 
jewelers of Decatur; Carrie, who died in infancy; 
and Mary L., who graduated from the High School 
of this city. The family is one of intelligence 



and culture, and in social circles its members hold 
an enviable position. 

Mr. Tuttle is a supporter of the Republican 
party, and is a man of good business ability, cor- 
rect judgment and enterprise. With these quali- 
ties to aid him in the struggle of life, although he 
had no capital he worked his way upward from an 
humble position to one of honor and high stand- 
ing among his many friends, and his prosperity has 
been the crown of his own efforts. 




R. CLYDE P. KENNEDY, of Decatur, 
who is engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine, claims Ohio as the State of his na- 
tivity, his birth having occurred in Green- 
ville, Darke County, on the 5th of June, 1856. 
He comes of an old family of Maryland, but his 
parents Rev. Oliver and Elizabeth (Cherry) Ken- 
nedy, were both natives of Ohio. The father was 
a Methodist minister and served as Presiding 
Elder for some years. He was licensed to preach 
in 1852, and through his ministerial labors became 
widely known. His many acquaintances had for 
him the highest regard, and his death was deeply 
mourned. He died in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 
March. 1889, at the age of fifty -six years, three 
months and seven days. His wife still survives 
him and is now living in Bellefontaine. In their 
family were four children, three sons and a daugh- 
ter, namely: Frances M., now the wife of George 
W. Richey, of Van Wirt, Ohio; John, who died at 
the age of five years; Clyde, of this sketch; and 
Oliver C. 

We now give the personal history of the Doctor, 
who spent the days of his boyhood and youth in 
the State of his nativity and there remained until 
1888. His childhood was passed uneventfully, 
and he acquired his education in various schools, 
owing to the removal of his parents from place to 
place, but he was graduated from the High School 
in Van Wirt. Having decided to enter the medi- 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

UKliANA 




JAMES GEODES . 




MARY. U. GEDDES 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



291 



cal profession, he began fitting himself for that 
work in the Ohio Medical College, in Cincinnati, 
from which institution he was graduated in the 
Class of '80. He at once began practice in Belle- 
fontaine, whore he remained for five years, after 
which he went to Arcanum, Ohio. Having re- 
mained there until 1888, he came to Decatur, 
where lie has since engaged in practice. He is a 
young man of enterprise and energy, well versed 
in the work he has undertaken, and he has already 
won a liberal patronage. 

An important event in the life of Dr. Kennedy 
occurred on the 2d of October, 1878, when was 
celebrated his marriage with Miss Laura A. Wy- 
koff, daughter of Peter and Mary J. (Pittiuger) 
Wykoff, of Sidney, Ohio. One child was born unto 
them, a daughter, Fay Irene. Our subject and 
his wife hold membership with Grace Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and are well known in this 
community, holding a high position in the circles 
of society in which they move. They have a 
pleasant home at No. 852 North Union Street, 
which is the abode of hospitality and which is al- 
ways open for the reception of their friends. In 
his social relations, the Doctor is connected with 
the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen 
of America. In his political views, he is a Repub- 
lican. 



]' I AMES GEDDES, who is numbered among 
the pioneers of Macon County, resides on 
section 12, Decatur Township. He is one 
of the worthy citizens that Penns3'lvania 
has furnished to this county, his birth having oc- 
curred in Lebanon County of the Keystone State, 
on the 12th of December, 1810. The Geddes 
family to which James belongs was founded in 
America by Paul Geddes, a native of Scotland, 
who was born about 1660 and died about 1720. 

Robert Geddes, the father of our subject, lived 
and died in Pennsylvania, and throughout his life 
followed the occupation of farming. His mother 

13 



bore the maiden name of Martha Bell and spent 
her entire life in Pennsylvania. She was a mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian Church, and had been 
twice married. After the death of her first hus- 
band, Mr. McClure, she became the wife of Robert 
Geddes, who had also been twice married. His 
first union was with Miss Jane Sawyer, and unto 
them were born six children. By the second mar- 
riage were born three sons and a daughter, the 
subject of this sketch being the eldest of the sec- 
ond family. The others were Thomas, Agrippa 
and Ann, who are all now deceased. 

Our subject is the only survivor of his father's 
family. In the usual manner of farmer lads the 
days of his boyhood and youth were passed, and 
the greater part of his education was acquired in 
the subscription schools, as there were no free 
schools in the neighborhood. He remained upon 
the home farm until twenty five years of age, 
when, in 1835, he emigrated Westward, making the 
journey in company with John Sawyer. They 
traveled on horseback and at length reached their 
destination, Decatur, 111. There were not more 
than twenty houses or cabins in the city at that 
time, and the entire county seemed yet in the days 
of its early infancy, progress and civilization hav- 
ing scarcely begun iu this locality. Mr. Geddes 
settled upon the farm where he now resides, enter- 
ing the land from the Government. He now owns 
one hundred and seventy acres just outside the 
city limits of Decatur, and the tract is a valuable 
one, comprising one of the best farms of the local- 
ity. When he became its possessor, not a furrow 
had been turned or an improvement made, but all 
was soon placed under the plow and abundant 
harvest rewarded his arduous labors. 

In 1848, Mr. Geddes was united in marriage 
with Miss Mary J., daughter of Spottswood and 
Mildred (Pasley) Burnett. The lady is a native 
of Kentucky, and when three years old was 
brought to Illinois by her parents, the family lo- 
cating southwest of Decatur, on the Springfield 
road. By the union of our subject and his wife 
were born the following children: Robert, who 
died in early life; George, who married Elizabeth 
Phillips, and is a carpenter of Decatur; James W., 
who wedded Lizzie Snyder, and is engaged in 



292 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



farming near Macon; John M., who wedded Ellie 
Laughlin, and is a farmer of Macon; Jane, wife of 
Jacob Cox, who carries on agricultural pursuits 
near Decatur; Frederick Edwin, of Kankakee; 
Hattie, wife of William Bills, of Decatur; Leerier, 
who carries on the home farm; and Horatio Nel- 
son, also at home. The children were all born 
and reared on the old homestead, and have re- 
ceived good school privileges. 

Mr. Geddes has been a voter since 1832. In 
that year he supported the Whig candidate, and 
continued to affiliate with that party until its dis- 
solution. In 1861, he voted for Lincoln, whom 
he knew personally, and he has since been a stal- 
wart Republican. Himself and wife both hold 
membership with Grace Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and are highly respected citizens of the 
community. Mr. Geddes has been a resident of 
this locality since 1835, and has ever borne his 
part in public work and improvement. The 
greater part of his busy life has been passed in 
this neighborhood, and he has won high esteem by 
an honorable career. 



[OSEPH MILLS, President of the Mills Lum- 
ber Company, of Decatur, claims New Jer- 
sey as the State of his nativity, his birth 
having occurred in Essex, now Union 
County, on the 2d of March, 1826. The Mills 
family is of English origin and was founded in 
America during Colonial days. The grandfather, 
Samuel Mills, who was also a native of New Jer- 
sey, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, 
and during that struggle was wounded by a bayo- 
net, while in camp during a surprise attack. By 
occupation he was a farmer and followed that bus- 
iness through much of his life. He died at the 
age of three-score years and ten. 

Stewart Mills, one of the five children of Samuel 
Mills, was born in New Jersey and became a farmer 
of that State. He married Nancy Sutton, daugh- 
ter of Benjamin Sutton, who was also an agricul- 



turist of New Jersey, and whose father served in 
the War for Independence. Mr. and Mrs. Mills 
became the parents of five children, namely: Mary, 
deceased; Hannah, widow of William Williams; 
Joseph; Phcebe, wife of Jesse Kowler; and Elccta, 
wife of Charles Lyons. The father of this family 
died in 1868, at the age of seventy-eight 3'ears. 
His widow is still living on the old homestead, at 
the advanced age of one hundred and three. Her 
eyesight seems to have been renewed, and she can 
now read without glasses. She has always been a 
hard worker and lias a strong constitution. She is 
a member of the Presbyterian Church. 

Until seventeen years of age Joseph Mills re- 
mained upon his father's farm and then began 
learning the carpenter's trade, serving a four-years 
apprenticeship and following the trade for many 
years. On the 22d of May, 1848, he wedded Miss 
Eliza Lansing, whose parents were Benjamin and 
Anna (Hill) Lansing, the former a native of New 
York, and the latter of New Jersey. They became 
the parents of five children, but only Anna is now 
living. She is the eldest, and is the wife of John 
B. Shellabarger, of Salina, Kan., by whom she has 
three children, Edgar, Irene and Edith. Emma 
became the wife of Sigmand Schulof and died leav- 
ing a daughter, Pearl. The other members of the 
family were Josephine, Stella and Corinda. 

The mother of this family, who was a member 
of the Baptist Church, died March 2, 1886, at the 
age of fifty-nine years. On the 1st of January, 
1888, Mr. Mills was united in marriage with Mrs. 
Sini Taylor, widow of Frank Taylor, and a daugh- 
ter of Lars Larson, a native of Denmark. 

In 1853, Mr. Mills emigrated Westward from 
New Jersey, and took up his residence in Decatur, 
where he has since made his home. He bought 
property on the corner where the Syndicate Block 
now stands and embarked in contratingand build- 
ing. He soon secured a liberal trade and did a 
good business in that line until 1878, when he 
abandoned that work and engaged in the lumber 
business in partnership with W. B. Harry. This 
connection continued until 1886, when, Mr. Harry 
having died, Mr. Mills bought his interest from 
the estate. On the 1st of January, 1891, a stock 
company was organized, known as the Mills Luin- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



her Company, with Joseph Mills as President, Ja- 
cob Willis Secretary and Treasurer, and Albert 
Goodman Manager. The business has steadily in- 
creased from the beginning, and in 1892 the sales 
amounted to $100,000. 

Socially, Mr. Mills is a member of Decatur Lodge 
No. 65, 1. O. O. F. In politics he was a Republi- 
can from 1856 until 1872, when he supported Hor- 
ace Greeley, and since that time has been a Demo- 
crat. He served as Alderman of the First Ward 
for six years, and was Assistant Supervisor. In 
addition to his residence he owns other city prop- 
erty, having been very successful in his business 
career. He is a man of keen judgment, sagacious 
and far-sighted, and his good business ability, com- 
bined with well-directed efforts, has achieved for 
him a handsome competence. 




ONRAD AMMANN, who is engaged in the 
manufacture of brick in Decatur, embarked 
if) in this line of business in 1863, and has 
since carried on operations in this line, building 
up an extensive trade and thus establishing one 
of the leading industries of the city. He began 
on a small scale, but has steadily increased his 
facilities and has enlarged his works to meet the 
constantly growing demand. The capacity of the 
yard is now about twenty-five thousand brick per 
day, and employment is furnished to some thirty 
men. 

Mr. Ammann is of German birth. A native of 
Wittenberg, he was born October 10, 1831, and is 
a son of Michael and Anna Maria (Couzelmann) 
Ammann, who were also natives of the same conn- 
try. On both sides he came from old German 
families, his grandfathers, Michael Ammann and 
Johannes Couzelmann, being farmers of that coun- 
try. The father of our subject also carried on ag- 
ricultural pursuits in the land of his birth. His 
wife died in 1842, at the age of forty-four years, 
and he afterward wedded Mrs. Anna Couzelmann. 
His death occurred in June, 1887, at the age of 



ninety years. The parents of our subject were 
both members of the Lutheran Church. They had 
a family of three sons and six daughters. Anna 
Maria is the wife of John Hauck, of Tubingen, 
Germany; Elizabeth is the widow of Frederick 
Prince, of Ebingen, Germany; Johann Jacob re- 
sides in the same place; Conrad lives in Decatur; 
John lives in Deland, 111.; Margaret is the wife of 
Ed Goegeel, of Monticello; and Anna is the wife 
of August Glatz, of Decatur. 

In 1854 the subject of this sketch came to Amer- 
ica. The days of his boyhood and youth had 
been passed in his native land, but when a young 
man of twenty-three he determined to seek a home 
in the New World, believing that better privileges 
and opportunities were here afforded. Crossing 
the briny deep, he landed in New York, whence 
he went to Canada, where he spent about six 
weeks. He then spent one summer on Lake Supe- 
rior, after which he went to Missouri and worked 
in the copper mines near St. Louis. He next 
followed steamboating on the Mississippi River 
for a while, and on the 9th of June, 1856, he 
came to Decatur with about 150 cash in his pocket. 
Here he was employed in a brickyard by the 
month until 1863, and in 1864 he embarked in 
the business which he has continued up to the 
present time. 

On the 27th of January, 1859, Mr. Ammann 
wedded Miss Elizabeth, daughter of John and 
Regula (Vogler) Peyer, natives of Switzerland. 
By their union were born four sons and two 
daughters: John C.; Amelia, who died in infancy; 
Henry, Wilhelm G., Albert and Anna. The eldest 
son married Barbara Prince, and with his wife and 
three children, Irene, Pearl and Roy, resides in 
Decatur. Henry, of this city, married Lou Pres- 
cott, and they have three daughters, Lillie, Hattie 
and Anna. Albert married Katie Kosseck, by 
whom he has two children, Arthur and Albert. 

In 1892, Mr. Ammann associated with him in 
the brick business his sons, John C., Henry, Willie 
and Albert, and his daughter Anna, all of whom 
are now stockholders in the company. The 
mother of this family died February 22, 1893, at 
the age of sixty-six years, and her loss was deeply 
mourned throughout the community. She was a 



294 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



faithful member of the German Methodist Church, 
and took an active part in all church work. Mr. 
Ammann belongs to the same church and is one of 
its Trustees. In politics he is a Republican. He 
has served as Township Supervisor for many years 
and still holds that office. 

Our subject need never regret his emigration to 
America, as he has made in this country a pleasant 
home and gained a handsome competence. Be- 
sides his business he owns a good farm five miles 
north of Decatur, containing one hundred acres of 
land, together with forty acres in the river bottom. 
He also has some good city property, including 
the family residence at No. 851 East Cantrell 
Street, and is also interested in two additions to 
the city. 




W. SCHROLL, a retired farmer 
now residing in Forsyth, followed agricul- 
tural pursuits throughout his active busi- 
ness career, and as the result of his well-directed 
efforts and enterprise he acquired a competency 
that in his declining days enables him to live re- 
tired and surrounds him with all the comforts and 
many of the luxuries of life. He was born Au- 
gust 30, 1827, in Cumberland County, Pa., and is 
one of five children, whose parents, Jacob and 
Ellen (Young) Schroll, were also natives of the 
Keystone State. His father was a cooper by trade 
and was of German descent. In 1842 he left his 
old home and emigrated to Illinois with a three- 
horse team. Locating in Hickory Point Town- 
ship, he purchased two hundred acres of land on 
section 27, whereon had been built a small log 
cabin. Of this tract only about twenty acres had 
been broken and about eighty acres were covered 
with timber. Throughout the remainder of his 
life, Mr. Schroll engaged in farming. He died on 
the old homestead in 1873, and his remains were 
interred in the Boiling Springs Cemetery. He was 
a member of the Church of God, and in politics 
was a supporter of Republican principles. He 
served as School Treasurer, was also School Trustee, 



and helped to organize the schools in this com- 
munity, lie also aided in laying out the roads, 
and was prominently connected with the develop- 
ment of the county at an early day. His wife, 
who held the same religious belief as her husband, 
died in 1835. All of their children grew to man- 
hood and womanhood, namely: Mary A., of De- 
catur, widow of George Goodman; George W.; 
Jacob, a ranchman of Oregon; Elizabeth, wife of 
E. Hayes, of Iowa; and Henry, a farmer of Hickory 
Point Township. 

Our subject has passed almost his entire life 
amid agricultural scenes. lie came with his father 
to this county when in his fifteenth year, and here 
attended the subscription school, which was held 
in a log schoolhouse, to which he had to walk a 
distance of two miles. He was reared amid the 
wild scenes of frontier life and experienced all the 
hardships and privations which fall to the lot of 
pioneer families. To his father he gave the benefit 
of his services until twenty-one years of age, and 
then began working as a farm hand at $9 per 
month. After being employed in that capacity 
for five years, he purchased eighty acres of wild 
land on sections 15 and 16, Hickory Point Town- 
ship, and ten acres in Decatur Township, and in a 
log cabin made his home for a number of years. 
His labors transformed the raw prairie into rich 
and fertile fields, and he erected a substantial resi- 
dence and other good buildings, which add greatly 
to the value and attractive appearance of his place. 
His farm comprises two hundred and eighty acres 
of land and now yields to him a good income. 

Mr. Schroll has been twice married. In 1851 he 
married Miss Emily Lorash, and unto them were 
born two children, but both died in infancy. The 
mother passed away in March, 1854, and on the 
15th of December, 1856 our subject was married 
to Miss Letha A. Hornback. Eight children 
graced this union. Amanda E., the eldest, is now 
deceased; Bernard G. operates the old home farm; 
Ida G. has been called to the home beyond; Will- 
iam is a farmer of this township; Samuel is now 
deceased; James II. is an agriculturist of this com- 
munity; Isabel is the wife of William Fornwalt, a 
resident farmer of Macon County; and Emma A. 
completes the family. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



295 



In polities, Mr. Scliroll is a warm advocate of 
Republican principles and does all in his power to 
insure the success of his party. He has served his 
township as School Trustee and is the present 
Road Overseer. He and his family are all mem- 
bers of the Church of God. In 1892 he laid aside 
business cares and has since resided in Forsyth. 
More than half a century has passed since he came 
to the county, which on his arrival was in the 
days of its infancj', and he well deserves to be 
numbered among its honored pioneers. 




f)IRGIL H. PARKE is the senior member of 
the firm of V. H Parke & Son, dealers in 
feed, coal, lime, hair, cement and everything 
found in a first-class establishment of that kind, 
and he is located at No. 621 North Main Street, De- 
catur. He established business in 1886 and is now 
enjoying a good trade, his patronage having con- 
stantly increased from the beginning. 

Mr. Parke is a Canadian by birth. He was born 
in Cobourg, Upper Canada, August 19, 1832, and 
is a son of Elisha and Abiah (Hickox) Parke. The 
parents were both natives of New York and were 
of Scotch descent. The grandfather, Daniel Parke, 
was born in Scotland, and having crossed the 
ocean located in Connecticut. Soon afterward, 
with a Mr. Tattle, he located in what is now Cam- 
den, Oneida County, N. Y., of which place they 
were the first settlers. Mr. Parke was a farmer by 
occupation, and died at the age of ninety years, 
near Camden, N. Y. The maternal grandfather of 
our subject, David Heicox (for such was the orig- 
inal spelling of the name) was also born in Scot- 
land, and on coining to America located in the 
Nutmeg State. He was a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary War and also in the War of 1812. Remov- 
ing to Jefferson County, N. Y., he there made his 
home until his death, which occurred in Springfield, 
111., while he was on a visit to his sons. 

Elisha 1'arke, father of our subject, was engaged 
in harbor building on Lake Ontario for many 



years, in the employ of the British Government. 
On Christmas Day of 1832, he came to Illinois, 
locating on a farm twenty-seven miles north of 
Springfield, in what is now Logan County. He 
built the first frame house and the first frame barn 
ever erected in Logan County, and was one of the 
honored pioneers of that locality. He was a soldier 
in the War of 1812, having enlisted in the service 
three times and being twice drafted. His death 
occurred in 1853, at the age of sixty-two years, 
and his wife died in 1888, at the age of eighty- 
eight years. They were members of the Univer- 
salist Church. 

Our subject is one of a family of twelve children, 
nine of whom grew to mature years. It was dur- 
ing his infancy that his parents came to Illinois, 
and upon his father's farm in Logan County he 
was reared to manhood. His education was ac- 
quired in a log schoolhouse, with greased-paper 
windows and slab seats. As soon as old enough, 
he began work on the farm and did considerable 
duty in that direction in 1850, when his father 
went on a prospecting tour to California, and also 
while his father was engaged in the supervision of 
the construction of the locks of the Illinois & Mich- 
igan Canal. For that service, Mr. Parke, Sr., re- 
ceived $5 per day, then considered an enormous 
sum. He was also a great bridge-builder, and built 
a bridge across the River Trent in Canada, which 
created as much wonder as the Brooklyn Bridge of 
to-day. During his father's absence from home, 
Virgil Parke did much of the farm work. After 
attaining to man's estate, he entered the Illinois 
Liberal Institute, of Galesburg, now known as the 
Lombard University, and pursued a three-years 
course of study. On its completion he entered 
the employ of Haggard & Neeley, collection agents 
of Chicago, taking charge of their business for 
central Illinois, and was located at Decatur about 
1853. After a short time, however, he gave up 
this work and embarked in the livery business, 
which lie followed for seven years. Afterward he 
formed a partnership with A. A. Murray, under 
the firm name of Parke & Murray. They dealt in 
agricultural implements for a number of years, 
when his partner left the city, and he continued 
alone in business until 1886. He then sold out, 



296 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and, purchasing the property where he is now lo- 
cated, began business as a dealer in feed, coal, lime, 
cement, etc., handling twelve hundred to fourteen 
hundred carloads annually. 

Oh the 25th of January, 1858, was celebrated 
the marriage of Mr. Parke and Ellen E. James, 
daughter of Dr. Lorenzo and Catherine (Blythe) 
James, of Atlanta, 111. Their union was blessed 
with five children: Cora, Clare V., Jessie, Guy J. 
and Grace, but only Guy is living. He is now 
associated in business with his father, having been 
admitted to partnership in 1887. 

During the late war, in company with Theodore 
Smith, then a dealer in jewelry, Mr. Parke raised 
a company in Decatur, but as the quota was al- 
ready filled his troops were not accepted. How- 
ever, he was later with the Army of the Tennessee 
for nine months, acting in the capacity of nurse. 
Socially, he is a member of the Odd Fellows' fra- 
ternity, and of Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M. 
His wife is a member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. 
Parke was one of the original promoters of the 
Decator electric street railway, and is still a stock- 
holder in the present company. He has twice 
served as Alderman of Decatur from the Second 
Ward, the prompt and efficient manner in which 
he discharged his duties leading to his re-election. 
In politics, he was formerly a Republican, but is 
now a Prohibitionist. He is a man of firm con- 
victions and unwavering in support of what he 
believes to be right. He resides at No. 307 West 
William Street, where he has lived for twenty- 
seven years. 




ENRY F. MAY is one of the leading and 
influential citizens of Decatur, is one of its 
most prominent business men, and is the 
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of 
Macon County. He is the senior partner in the 
firm of H. F. May & Brother, well-known grocers 
of this city, doing business at No. 134 South Main 
Street, and is also one of the owners of the May 
Brothers & Travers Addition to Decatur. Although 



one of the youngest business men in this city, he 
is one of its moving factors, and is also prominent 
in political circles. Since 1851 he has lived in 
the county, and since 1872 has been connected 
with the commercial interests of the county seat. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel 
May, was a shoemaker by trade, and was one of 
the early settlers of York County, Pa., where 
Henry and Mary (Fisher) May, parents of our sub- 
ject, were born, reared and married. The former, 
who was a carpenter and builder, came with his 
family to Illinois in 1851, locating on a farm three 
miles south of Decatur, where he followed carpen- 
tering, while his sons operated the land. He died 
December 15, 1892, at the age of seventy-four 
years; and the death of his wife occurred August 
4, 1890, at the age of seventy-nine. They had 
nine children: Rebecca, wife of George McCoy, 
of Lougmont, Bowlder County, Colo.; Matilda, 
wife of Henry Kayler, a farmer of this county; 
Marion, who enlisted for the war as a member of 
Company I, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, and was dis- 
abled by his prison experience in Andersonville; 
Sarah, who became the wife of John Cornthwait, 
of Decatur, and died leaving two children: Frank, 
a farmer of Macon County, and Isaac, a real-estate 
dealer of Spokane Falls, Wash.; Henry F., of this 
sketch; Mary Ellen, wife of Isaac Cornthwait, a 
well-to-do farmer of Macon County; Elizabeth, 
who died at the age of six years; Abigail, wife of 
John A. Bohrer, a ranchman of Sherman, Tex.; 
and Samuel D., who is engaged in the grocery busi- 
ness with our subject. 

Henry F. May was born in York County, Pa., 
May 5, 1845, and was in his seventh year when he 
came with his parents to Illinois. He walked 
nearly all the way, for the two wagons were very 
heavily loaded. He attended the public schools 
and began working on a farm, driving cattle and 
breaking prairie, when twelve yeais old. He en- 
listed for the late war in Decatur, August 13, 
1862, at the age of seventeen, and was assigned to 
Company C, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois 
Infantry, under Capt. White. After three years' 
service lie was mustered out at St. Louis, from the 
hospital at that place. He served in the siege of 
Vicksburg and the battle of Arkansas Post, and, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



297 



being seriously injured and disabled for field duty, 
was placed in the hospital and became steward on 
the river steamers. 

After the war, Mr. May returned to the farm, 
which he operated until 1872, when he went into 
partnership with his father in the grocery business 
on East Main Street. They sold out in 1874, and 
the following year he formed his present partner- 
ship. The firm of H. F. Ma}- <fe Brother is one of 
the oldest and best known in the city. In 1876, 
Mr. May and C. A. Conklin, with a number of 
other young men, formed a company to go to the 
Black Hills. They journeyed by rail to Chey- 
enne, and thence overland. After about six 
months our subject returned and resumed thegro- 
cery business. In 1879, he went to Ford County, 
Kan., and in partnership with J. M. Raney, of 
Decatur, built the first flouring-mill at Dodge City. 
After operating it successfully for four years, he 
sold out and once more came to Decatur. 

Mr. May was married in Ft. Dodge, Kan., to 
Miss Elizabeth demons, of Batavia, N. Y., daugh- 
ter of George Clemons, and they have two chil- 
dren, Charles I. and Walter H. They have a 
pleasant residence at No. 465 West Macon Street, 
which was erected by our subject. Socially, he is 
connected with Ionic Lodge No. 112, A. F. & A. 
M.; Macon Chapter No. 11,R. A. M.; and Beau- 
manoir Commandery No. 9, K. T. He is a charter 
member of the first Grand Army post organized 
in America, now known as Dunham Post No. 141, 
G. A. II. In politics, he is a Republican and twice 
served as Alderman of the Third Ward. He was 
three times elected as Assistant Supervisor, in 
1887, 1888 and 1889, and was elected Supervisor 
for one year in 1890, then for a two-years term in 
1891, and again for a two-years term in 1893, so 
that he is now filling the office. He was made 
Chairman of the Board in April, 1892, serving as 
such one year, and made an able presiding officer. 
He has been very prominent in securing the new 
court house for Macon County, and was made 
chairman of the building committee. Through 
his efforts and those of the other 'members of the 
committee who have so faithfully and efficiently 
served Macon County, it has now one of the finest 
court houses in the country. 



In his business career Mr. May has been success- 
ful, and in the grocery trade the firm of which he 
is the senior member is enjoying a liberal patron- 
age. Though yet a young man, Mr. May has had 
a varied history. He has served as a soldier, has 
shared the experiences of frontier life in the West, 
has aided in the arduous labors of developing a 
new farm, has carried on successful business ven- 
tures, and is now at the head of one of the leading 
firms of Decatur, and is also honored with one of 
the foremost offices within the gift of the people 
of Macon County. 



EDWARD HARPSTRITE is now living a re- 
tired life in Decatur, enjoying a rest well 
earned by his labors in former years. He 
makes his home at No. 545 West Main Street, where 
he has a beautiful and comfortable residence. He 
was born in Ettenheim, in the Grand Duchy of 
Baden, Germany, February 18, 1827, and in 1833 
came to the United States with his parents, John 
B. and Siphia M. (Ramer) Harpstrite. They 
landed in New York and later made a location in 
Trenton, N. J. The father was a plain man, but 
was well educated. He removed to Reading, Pa., 
where he secured a position as teacher in a Ger- 
man school. Two years later he went to Dayton, 
Ohio, and from there to Delphi, Ind., where he 
engaged in farming for one year. During the 
succeeding six years of his life he engaged in 
farming near Terre Haute, Ind., and in 1844 re- 
moved to Clinton County, 111., where he devel- 
oped a new farm. He and his wife both died in 
that county. They had a family of eight chil- 
dren, of whom four brothers are now living, and 
three of that number, Augustus, Charles and Ed- 
ward, reside in Decatur. Antony is still living in 
Clinton County. 

The subject of this sketch was a lad of only six 
summers when with his parents he crossed the 
briny deep. He was reared under the parental 
roof, and in the spring of 1853 came with his two 



298 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



brothers to Macon County. For five years he en- 
gaged in farming at Wlieatland, six miles east of 
Decatur. In 1860, he purchased the Decatur 
Brewery, which then had a capacity of about six 
barrels daily, and for which he paid about $3,600. 
Two years later he formed a partnership with 
Henry Shlaudeman, under the firm name of Harp- 
strite & Shlaudeman, and for- twenty-five years 
that connection was continued. As the business 
increased the facilities were enlarged, until it be- 
came one of the important industries of the city. 
In 1884, our subject retired from the business, 
which is now carried on under the name of the 
Decatur Brewing Company. 

In an early day Mr. Harpstrite purchased two 
hundred and thirty acres of land, the greater part 
of which is comprised within the corporate limits 
of Decatur, in the southeastern part of the city. 
He has erected three business houses and has other- 
wise aided in the upbuilding and growth of Macon 
County. A public-spirited and progressive man, 
he has ever manifested an active interest in those 
enterprises calculated to prove of benefit to the 
community. In politics, he is a Democrat, and 
formerly took quite an active part in political 
affairs. He served for one term as a member of 
the City Council. 

On the 9th of December, 1852, Mr. Harpstrite 
married Miss Dorothy Rubsamen, of Clinton 
County. She was born in Gimmeldingen, Bavaria, 
August 15, 1835, and died October 19, 1876. The 
children born of that union were as follows: 
Catherine, now the wife of Peter Ullrich, of Cedar 
Rapids, Iowa; Mary and Sophia, both at home; 
Charles, a farmer of Sedgwick County, Kan.; Ed- 
ward, a jeweler of Decatur; John, who follows 
farming in Sedgwick County, Kan.; Bertha, a 
graduate of the Decatur Business College; and 
Emma, who was educated in the Normal School, 
and is now a teacher in the Marietta School of this 
city. 

IH 1851, Mr. Harpstrite returned to his native 
land to see again the friends and companions of 
his youth and his old home, and while abroad he 
visited the Crystal Palace of London, the first 
World's Fair ever held. In 1876, he visited the 
Centennial in Philadelphia, and has recently at- 



tended the World's Fair in Chicago, in company 
with his elder brother. Since selling out his bus- 
iness in 1884, he has lived a retired life, having 
acquired a comfortable competency, which in his 
declining years surrounds him with all the com- 
forts and many of the luxuries of life. 




EORGE S. LYON is the senior member of 
the firm of Lyon <fe Armstrong, owners of 
tne planing-raill and lumber-yard at the 
corner of Cerro Gordo and Broadway Streets, De- 
catur. He claims New Jersej' as the State of his 
nativity, the place of his birth being in Orange, 
and the date the 7th of May, 1832. He is one of 
a family of eleven children, five sons and six 
daughters, born untoHinman and Ann (Campbell) 
Lyon. His parents were also natives of New 
Jersey, as were his grandparents. The paternal 
grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812, and 
followed farming at Rockaway Neck, where his 
old home is still standing. Hinman Lyon fol- 
lowed the trade of a stone mason. He died in the 
State of his nativity in 1877, at the age of seven- 
ty-two years. His wife had passed away only a 
few hours before and it is thought his grief and 
despondency caused his death. Both were mem- 
,bers of the Presbyterian Church. Of their chil- 
dren the following are living: George S.; Cath- 
erine, who became the wife of Nathaniel Syron, 
and after his death married a Mr. Ball, who is now 
deceased; Miranda, who has been twice married, 
being now Mrs. Steinbach; Harriet, wife of Stephen 
A. Davis; Emma, wife of A. F. Horst, and Lewis. 
In the common schools of his native town, 
George Lyon acquired his education, and under 
the parental roof he remained until sixteen years 
of age, when he left home to make his own liveli- 
hood. At the age of eighteen lie began learning 
the carpenter's trade, which he followed for four 
years. At the age of twenty-two he came to the 
West, and traveled quite extensively during the 



LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

URDANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



301 



two succeeding years. In 1856 be came to De- 
catur, and the site upon which he located at that 
day has since been his place of residence. 

On the 4th of July, 1857, Mr. Lyon was united 
in marriage with Miss Susan Scott, daughter of 
William and Elizabeth Scott, of the Empire State. 
Their union was blessed with a family of eight 
children, five sons and three daughters, but one 
child died in infancy; Libbie and Harry are both 
now deceased; Fred C. married Miss Jenks, by 
whom he has three children, and resides in Topeka, 
Kan.; Clyde is married and resides in Chicago; 
Myrtle, Florence and Bert complete the family and 
are still under the parental roof. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lyon have a pleasant home at No. 
748 West Edwards Street. They are both mem- 
bers of the Universalist Church and he is one of 
the church Trustees. In politics he is a supporter 
of Republican principles, and socially is a member 
of Celestial Lodge No. 186, I. O. O. F. After 
coming to Decatur, Mr. Lyon worked at the car- 
penter's trade for about four years and then did 
contract work. From that he drifted into the 
planing-mill business, which he still continues. In 
the mill are now employed thirty hands, and the 
firm is doing a good business. They have a high 
standing in business circles and are ranked among 
the prominent and influential men of the city. 
Since a youth of sixteen summers our subject has 
made his own way in the world, and therefore for 
his success in life deserves great credit. 




ON. DAVID C. MOFFITT, the present Mayor 
of Decatur, occupies the highest position 
within the gift of his fellow-townsmen, 
and the efficient manner in which he dis- 
charges his duties has won for him the com- 
mendation of all the best citizens. The promi- 
nent part which he has taken in political, business, 
public and social interests of the city has insepa- 
rably connected him with its history and made 
him well worthy a place in this volume. He was 



born in Brownsville, Pa., on the 20th of April, 
1831, and is a son of James W. and Mary Jane 
(Patterson) Moffltt. The latter's father, Col. Rob- 
ert Patterson, was also a native of the Keystone 
State, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. He par- 
ticipated in the War of 1812, and took part in the 
battle of Tippecanoe under Gen. William Henry 
Harrison. The father of our subject was a shoe- 
maker by trade, and in 1842 emigrated with his 
family to Ohio, locating in Coshocton. His death 
occurred in Circleville in 1850, at the age of fifty 
3'ears. His widow still survives him and has now 
attained the age of eighty-seven years. 

The subject of this sketch was a lad of eleven 
summers when he accompanied his parents to the 
Buckeye State. In his youtli he learned the brick- 
layer's trade, and began to do contract work be- 
fore he had attained his majority, a fact which in- 
dicates his excellent workmanship and his prompt 
execution of duty. It was in the year 1855 that 
he first located in Illinois, taking up his residence 
in Piatt County, where he made his home until 
the 4th of March, 1856, when he located in Deca- 
tur. Here he has since been engaged in the man- 
ufacture of brick, and in brick-building contract 
work. He hae erected several of the public school- 
houses of this city, and also built many business 
houses and private residences. He began in a 
small way, but his patronage has constantly in- 
creased and he now enjoys a liberal trade. His 
contracts are so numerous that he furnishes em- 
ployment to from forty to sixty men. 

On the 26th of June, 1862, in Circleville, Ohio 
Mr. Moffitt wedded Miss Catherine Wilson, a na- 
tive of the Buckeye State. Four children were 
born of this union: Charles, who is now engaged 
in business with his father; Annie, at home; Clara, 
wife of Andrew Dempsey; and Ida, a successful 
teacher, who became the wife of II. F. May, and 
died a short time after her marriage. 

For thirty-five years Mr. Moffltt has been a mem- 
ber of the Odd Fellows' society, and has served as 
Past Noble Grand and Deputy in the Grand Lodge. 
About 1881 he was elected to the office of Alder- 
man from the Third -Ward, and served as a mem- 
ber of the Council for three years under Mayor 
King and Maj'or Wagner. At the recent election 



302 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he was the popular candidate of the Democratic 
party and won the race over Capt. Kauan with 
eighty-seven majority, although the city is con- 
sidered to have a Republican majority of three 
hundred. This fact indicates his personal popu- 
larity and the trust reposed in him by his fellow- 
townsmen. He is proving an excellent presiding 
officer and one well fitted for his position. He 
has been prominent in business circles and in the 
work of public advancement he has ever borne his 
part. The citizens of Macon County all know D. 
C. Moffltt, and know him to respect him. 




ICHAEL EICHENGER, a highly respected 
citizen of Decatur, who is now living a 
retired life at his beautiful home on West 
Marietta Street, well deserves representa- 
tion in the history of his adopted county. His 
birth occurred in York County, Pa., on the 30th 
of October, 1823, and he is descended from an old 
German family which was founded in America by 
two brothers of German birth in early Colonial 
days. The father of our subject, John Eichenger, 
was born in York County in 1779, and there 
spent his entire life. He was a cooper by trade, 
which business he followed through the winter 
season, while in the summer he carried on a farm. 
In 1831 he also operated a distillery. He was 
married April 12, 1807, to Susanna Welch, who 
was born in York County February 7, 1788. The 
father of our subject died May 5, 1845, in the 
Keystone State, and the mother died while living 
in Decatur, in August 1861, having made her 
home here since 1854. Their family numbered four 
sons and six daughters. . 

The subject of this sketch is the eighth in order 
of birth. His educational privileges were quite 
limited, for as soon as old enough to work he had 
to aid in supporting the family. After his father's 
death, he operated the old farm for one year, and 
then was employed as a farm hand in Pennsylvania, 
after which he conducted a farm of his own from 



1847 till 1854. In 1854, accompanied by his 
mother, he came to the West, reaching Decatur on 
the 8th of April. The succeeding four years of 
his life were spent as a carpenter, and for three 
months he carried on a butcher shop, but that ven- 
ture proved unsuccessful. On his arrival he had 
purchased city property, which in June, 1858, he 
traded for eighty acres of land on section 20, 
Long Creek Township, which was partially im- 
proved. In connection with farming he exten- 
sively engaged in stock-raising, and had upon his 
farm some of the finest horses and cattle to be 
found in the county. The boundaries of his farm 
he extended from time to time, until his landed 
possessions now aggregate six hundred and eiglity- 
five acres, divided into three farms of three hun- 
dred and twenty, two hundred, and one hundred 
and sixty-five acres, respectively. 

On the 29th of Jirly, 1866, Mr. Eichenger was 
united in marriage with Miss Lucy Ellen Huff, who 
was born May 28, 1842, in Coshocton County, 
Ohio, and came to Oakley Township, Macon Coun- 
ty, in 1864 with her parents, Eleven and Eliza 
Huff. Her father was born in Virginia, November 
10, 1807, and her mother's birth occurred in the 
Old Dominion, December 12, 1812. Both died in 
the spring of 1875. In 1876, our subject was 
called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who was 
called to her final rest on the 4th of October. 
Unto them were born four children: Ira, who died 
August 10, 1871, in his fourth year; John, born 
February 14, 1870, who graduated from Harvard 
College in the Class of '93, after having graduated 
from Eureka College; Martha Belle, who died Jan- 
uary 27, 1874, at the age of two years; and Will- 
iam Robert, born June 25, 1875. 

Mr. Eichenger was married a second time, July 
12, 1881, this time to Mary Elizabeth Logan, who 
was born February 5, 1848, in Garrard County, Ky., 
and is a daughter of David Logan, who settled in 
Wheatland Township in 1853, and who died in 
Long Creek, where her mother still resides. One 
child blesses the union, Olive Pansy, born Febru- 
ary 24, 1883. 

In polities, Mr. Eichenger has been a stanch Re- 
publican since the organization of that party. 
Previous to that he was an old-line Whig, and his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



303 



first vote was cast for William Henry Harrison. 
He holds membership with the Christian Church, 
to which his wife also belongs. During the war 
he was a member of the Union League, and the 
Soldiers' Aid Society, organized for the enforce- 
ment of Union principles and the vigorous prose- 
cution of the war. He was also instrumental in 
organizing the Decatur Mutual County Fire Insur- 
ance Company in June, 1880. He has long been 
an active worker in the temperance cause and has 
three times served as a delegate to the State Chris- 
tian Temperance Union. On starting out in life 
for himself, he lost nearly everything he had 
through the treachery of a friend, so that all that 
he now possesses has been gained through his own 
efforts, his perseverance, enterprise and good man- 
agement gaining him a handsome competence. 
His life has been one of the strictest honor and he 
has therefore won universal confidence. The home 
in which he now resides is one of the most beauti- 
ful residences in the city. Mr. Eichenger is a 
pleasant, genial gentleman and his friends are 
many. 




RS. SARAH R. SWARTZ is the owner of 
a fine farm on section 8, Decatur Town- 
ship, where her entire life has been passed. 
She was born on this place, not more than 
twenty-five feet from her present home. Her father, 
Fielding House, came to this county in October, 
1835. Her great-grandfather, John House, spent 
his entire life upon a farm in Massachusetts, but 
his son William emigrated to Kentucky in an early 
day, and settled on Licking River, in Bath County. 
He became an extensive farmer, miller and store- 
keeper and was a prominent citizen of that locality. 
The father of Mrs. Swartz was born on the farm 
in Bath County, May 26, 1807, and in his youth 
acquired a good education. On the 27th of De- 
cember, 1827, he was united in marriage with Miss 
Jane Todd, who was boru in Kentucky in 1811. 
He was a millwright by trade and managed his 
father's mill until 1835, when, accompanied by his 



family, he emigrated to Illinois. There were no 
railroads in those days and he made the journey 
by team, locating on section 8, Decatur Township, 
Macon County. Here he entered a squatter's 
claim of forty acres, and entered and purchased 
more land until lie owned eight hundred acres in 
this neighborhood. His land was at first raw prai- 
rie, not even fenced, but he at once began its de- 
velopment and transformed it into a rich and fertile 
tract, which yielded to him a fine income. He was 
extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising, 
and at intervals worked as a millwright and car- 
penter, becoming quite wealthy. His wife died 
December 19, 1836, leaving three children: Mrs. 
Margaret A. Kincaid, of Decatur; William T., whose 
home is in Douglas County, 111.; and Mrs. Nancy 
J. Bills, of Decatur. In 1838, in Moultrie County, 
Mr. House was again married, his second union 
being with Miss Jane Scott, a native of Bourbon 
County, Ky. Her father, Arthur Scott, was born 
in 1777, and was a pioneer and extensive farmer 
of Bourbon County. Mis. House died January 16, 
1849, on the old home, and was buried in the family 
cemetery. She became the mother of the following 
children: Arthur, who died in childhood; Mrs. 
Mary E. Smclsley, who resides upon a part of the 
estate; Mrs. Sarah Swartz; and Susan C., deceased. 

Mr. and Mrs. House were members of the Cum- 
berland Presbyterian Church and were among its 
faithful workers and liberal supporters. He was a 
member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows 'Societies 
and also of the Sons of Temperance. For several 
years he served as County Surveyor and also held 
other local ottices. In politics, he was a Whig and 
a leader in political circles in this locality. He 
began life for himself in limited circumstances, but 
his good management and industrious career won 
him signal success. He passed away August 30, 
1864, mourned by many friends. He had been 
three times married, his third union being with 
Miss Nancy Todd. She died November 21, 1866, 
leaving two children: James M., a. farmer of Deca- 
tur Township; and Mrs. Lydia J. Riding, wife of 
Dr. Riding, of Buford, Ohio. 

Mrs. Swartz has spent her entire life upon the 
farm which is still her home, her girlhood days be- 
ing quietly passed under the parental roof. She 



304 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



attended subscription schools and in her later girl- 
hood was a student in the Grammar and High 
Schools of Decatur. Having become well informed, 
she began teaching, and was thus employed for 
seven years in Macon and Piatt Counties. 

On the 16th of January, 1873, our subject be- 
came the wife of John Swartz, who was born in 
Luxemburg, Germany, March 7, 1841, and when 
sixteen years of age came with his family to Amer- 
ica, locating in this county. He worked on a farm 
until his marriage, and since that time Mr. and 
Mrs. Swartz have resided upon a part of the old 
House estate. They have a nice home, well fur- 
nished and tastefully kept, which shows the care 
and supervision of Mrs. Swartz by its neat appear- 
ance. The farm comprises one hundred and eighty- 
seven and a-half acres of rich land, which is now 
under a high state of cultivation and well im- 
proved, being supplied with all modern improve- 
ments and equipments. This property came to 
Mrs. Swartz from her father's estate, and in its 
management she shows both business and executive 
ability. In politics, Mr. Swartz is a supporter of 
the Republican party. 




DWARD WADE, who resides on a farm on 
section 3, Decatur Township, claims Eng- 
land as the land of his birth, which occurred 
on a farm in Somersetshire on the 16th of August, 
1831, his ancestors having for generations lived 
upon the same farm. His father, Abraham Wade, 
was an agriculturist in comfortable circumstances, 
and was also a minister of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. He heard John Wesley preach, and 
in the early history of the church became one 
of its members. He was active in establishing 
churches and did ail in his power to promote the 
cause of Christianity in his neighborhood. He also 
held a number of local offices in his native land. 
In 1867, he came to America with his son and 
thenceforth lived a retired life. He died in De 
Witt County, at the age of eighty-three, and his 



wife passed away in the same county January 1, 
1869. She bore the maiden name of Martha Har- 
ding, and was born and reared in the parish ad- 
joining that in which her husband lived. 

In the Wade family were twelve children, nine 
of whom grew to mature years, while three sons 
and two daughters came to America. Abram died 
in England; Samuel is living near Clinton, DeWitt 
County; Josiah was accidentally killed in the Old 
Country; Mrs. Martha Havcrfleld is living in De 
Witt; Edward is the next younger; Francis is a 
farmer of De Witt County; and Thomas II., now 
deceased, followed farming in Austin Township, 
and was the youngest son of the family. 

The subject of this sketch remained upon the 
home farm until twenty-three years of age, and in 
the public schools acquired a good education. At 
an early age he learned to use the plow and spade, 
and in his youth was trained as a nurseryman, be- 
ing employed by one of the largest nursery com- 
panies in the countiy. Reading the pamphletsent 
out by the Illinois Central Railroad Company con- 
cerning the almost fabulous productions of Illi- 
nois, and hearing of other opportunities afforded 
young men in the New World, he determined to 
test the truth of these reports by trying his for- 
tune in the United States, and in 1854 sailed from 
Liverpool to New Orleans. After a voyage of six 
weeks they reached the mouth of the Mississippi. 
Mr. Wade went up the river to St. Louis, andtht-n 
made a short visit in Greenville, Bond County, 
111., where he lived for two years. The succeed- 
ing two years were passed in Michigan, and in 1857 
he reached Decatur, since which time he has made 
his home in Macon County. In 1862. lie made his 
first purchase of land, comprising sixty-five acres, 
and during the greater part of the time since has 
been engaged in the nursery business. 

In 1859 Mr. Wade was married to Miss Susanna 
Dement, who was born in DeWitt County, and 
died February 3, 1869, leaving three children: 
Martha F., now deceased; Eva Laura, wife of 
-Frank Hamlin, of DeWitt County; and Francis 
Ellsworth, manager of the telephone exchange of 
Danville, III. For his second wife, Mr. Wade 
chose Miss Anna M. Granger, who had formerly 
been a teacher in the public schools of Decatur. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



305 



She died at the birth of her twin boys. In 1875, 
in Union County, Ohio, our subject married Miss 
Louisa Gill, a native of Union County, and a 
daughter of Mason and Harriet (Granger) Gill. 
Her father died in 1864. but her mother is still liv- 
ing, the only other member of her family now liv- 
ing being Hon. John S. Gill, Judge of the Com- 
mon Pleas Court at Delaware, Ohio. Four chil- 
dren have been born unto our subject and his 
wife: Jesse M., Albert Edward, Harry Gill and 
John Ralph. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wade hold membership with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and have been prom- 
inent in churca work in thisxiominunity. Ail 
that he possesses, Mr. Wade has made since coining 
to America, and his success is the result of his own 
enterprise, good management and industry. 



\fp^l DMISTON McCLELLAN, of Decatur, one 
IN ^ ^ !ieon County's most efficient officers, 
/i*^ having served as Circuit Clerk since 1868, 
came to the county in 1835, and has here resided 
continuously since. As one of the honored pio- 
neers and a citizen widely and favorably known, we 
present him to our readers. His parents were An- 
drew and Jane (Thompson) McClellan, both na- 
tives of Scotland, who, having crossed the Atlan- 
tic, were married in Franklin County, Pa. The 
father was a cooper by trade, but followed farm- 
ing through part of his life. His death occurred 
at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Mrs. 
McClellan had been married previous to her un- 
ion with the father of our subject. By her first 
husband, Arthur Shields, she had four children: 
Alexander, John, Mary and Eliza. By her second 
marriage she became the mother of five children: 
Andrew, Euphemia, Malvina, Edmiston and Jane. 
Kdmiston McClellan, whose name heads this rec- 
ord, was born in the Keystone State in October, 
1818. He accompanied his parents in their var- 
ious removals, and at length came with them to 
Illinois, in 1835, locating in the town of Decatur, 



Macon County, which at that time also comprised 
portions of Piatt, De Witt and Moultrie Counties. 

Our subject was then a young man of twenty- 
two years, and was strong and robust, being six 
feet in height and weighing two hundred pounds. 
He engaged in breaking prairie and bore all the 
I experiences of pioneer life. He especially enjoyed 
hunting, and had ample opportunity to indulge, 
his taste for that sport, for squirrels, quail, turkeys 
and prairie chickens were plentiful. His pleasure 
in that sport has never left him, and each fall he 
goes with a company of friends to Missouri or 
elsewhere to hunt and enjoy the pleasures of camp 
life. 

In 1839, Mr. McClellan purchased town lots in 
Decatur, which he still owns, and also bought 
sixty-two and two-thirds acres in the outskirts of 
the city. Of this he has sold eighteen acres as an 
addition, called Oaklawn Addition, but still owns 
forty-two and two-thirds acres, where he now lives. 
He has a fine suburban residence, which is sur- 
rounded by elegant lawns, and has good barns and 
all modern conveniences and improvements. He was 
married in 1842 to Miss Judith, daughter of Henry 
Snyder, who came with his family to Macon Coun- 
ty in 1833, locating near where Lovington now 
stands, in Moultrie County. After the death of 
his wife he removed to Decatur. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. McClellan were born ten 
children: Richard, who died in infancy; Henry, 
who is Deputy Circuit Clerk, is married, and has 
a son, Harry; Jane, at home; Ella, wife of Orvillc 
B. Gorin, who is connected with the firm of Milli- 
ken >fe Co., bankers; Charles, who died in infancy; 
William, who is in a wholesale carpet house nnd 
resides in Kansas City, Mo., with his wife and 
four children: Mabel, Edmiston. Joseph and Flor- 
ence; Edmiston, Jr., the next younger, who is at 
home; Joseph, who is serving as Deputy United 
States Revenue Collector; Isabella, the wife of Al- 
bert Merriweather, of Decatur, by whom she has 
one daughter, Jessie; and Annie, wife of- Lee B. 
Elkin, of Springfield, 111. 

For more than a quarter of a century, Mr. Mc- 
Clellan has been officially connected with Macon 
County. In 1868 he was made Circuit Clerk and 
Recorder on the Republican ticket, and has filled 



306 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



that position continuously since, being re-elected 
six times. He has served as Constable and Coun- 
ty Surveyor, was for two years Sheriff, and served 
as Deputy United States Marshal from the time of 
the war until his election as Circuit Clerk. He 
was also City Marshal during the war. He was 
personally acquainted witli Abraham Lincoln, a 
warm friendship existing between them, and he 
heard the martyred President while debating with 
Stephen A. Douglas. 

Mr. McClellan lived in Macon Count}' at a time 
when the population was so limited that he knew 
every man within its borders. Decatur then con- 
tained seventy-five inhabitants. On reaching this 
city he had only fifty cents, and that he paid for 
his lodging and breakfast, so empty handed he 
started out. His enterprise, however, has always 
provided him with the necessities and many of 
the luxuries of life and he is well-to-do. In the 
early days he was an old-line Whig, and since the 
organization of that party has been a stanch Re- 
publican, believing in protection for home indus- 
tries and that America is for Americans. No man 
in Macon County has more friends than this hon- 
ored pioneer, of whom every one speaks in the 
highest terms. 




BRAM KRAMER is recognized as one of 
the leading men of Decatur. being the 
proprietor of an extensive manufactory 
located at Nos. 258 and 260 East Main 
Street, where are manufactured carriages, buggies, 
phaetons, road carts, spring and lumber wagons, 
platform trucks, etc. Mr. Kramer now has a large 
trade, extending over a wide range of territory. 
He has one of the largest factories in Decatur, and 
a fine business, which is the result of his own un- 
tiring efforts and good management. 

A native of Ohio, our subject was born near 
Canal Winchester, in Franklin County, January 8, 
1833. His parents were George and Catherine 
(Harmon) Kramer, the former a native of Pennsyl- 



vania, and the latter of Ohio. The grandfather, 
Lewis Kramer, was born in the Keystone State, 
and was a German preacher of the United Breth- 
ren Church. lie followed the ministry in connec- 
tion with farming, and he also operated a saw and 
grist mill. He served as a soldier in the War of 
1812, and died in Franklin County, Ohio, at the 
age of sixty-two. Frederick Harmon, the maternal 
grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, a hero 
of the Revolutionary War, and a farmer and dis- 
tiller. He held membership with the United Breth- 
ren Church, and died at the advanced age of 
ninety-two. 

When only three years old, George Kramer was 
taken by his parents to Ohio, where he was reared 
on a farm. He belonged to the muster-roll in the 
regular militia, and held several local offices of 
honor and trust. He was a member of the United 
Brethren Church, and was a leader in all church 
work, and for many years was Sunday-school Su- 
perintendent. He possessed a fine voice, and his 
services as a musician were constantly in demand 
throughout the neighborhood. He died in 1867, 
at the age of sixty-three years. His widow is still 
living, and makes her home with her son Abram, 
at the age of eighty-five years. She is also a mem- 
ber of the United Brethren Church. In the family 
were ten children), but Susan, Mary, Jacob, Elias, 
Amanda, Elizabeth and Sarah are all now de- 
ceased. Isaac is living in Decatur, and George 
makes his home in Champaign, 111. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads our subject 
spent his boyhood, but, determining to follow some 
other pursuit than that of agriculture, at the age 
of eighteen he began to learn the carriage and 
wagon making and blacksmith's trade, serving a 
three-years apprenticeship. During that time, he 
received no wages, and had to board and clothe 
himself, and often had to work from five o'clock 
in the morning until nine o'clock at night, but he 
thoroughly learned the business. For about ten 
years Mr. Kramer then worked as a journeyman, 
after which he bought an interest in the shop of 
S. B. McClelland, of Decatur, the firm becoming 
McClelland & Kramer. In the early days the} r 
would manufacture one hundred and twenty lum- 
ber wagons per year by hand, besides spring wag- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



307 



ons and buggies, in addition to doing an extensive 
repairing business. Mr. Kramer used only the 
best material, and his workmanship was of the 
finest. Since the retirement of his partner some 
twelve years ago, he has been alone in busi- 
ness and has turned his attention to the finer work 
of carriage-building. He shipped one job lot to 
Japan to the old Tycoon. A proof of his excel- 
lent workmanship is given in the fact that some of 
his wagons have been used for over twenty-five 
years, and one for over thirty-two years. He has 
shipped many wagons and buggies to Massachu- 
setts, California, Texas, Florida, and nearly every 
State in the Union. From the beginning, his trade 
has constantly increased, and his fine workmanship 
has brought him an enviable reputation. 

On the 16th of November, 1855, Mr. Kramer 
wedded Miss Louisa, daughter of Ludwig and Lou- 
isa Borchers, of Lockville, Fairfield County, Ohio. 
They had four children: George H., who died at 
the age of two years; Anna A., wife of George W. 
Handy, of West Bay City, Mich., by whom she has 
four children: George F., Fred W., Florence G. 
and Gilbert; Benjamin F., of Decatur, who mar- 
ried Miss Sarah Briser, by whom he has one daugh- 
ter, Edna May; and William. The mother died 
January 13, 1880. She was a member of the 
United Brethren Church, and a great worker in 
the Sunday-school. At one time the roll of schol- 
ars whom she had instructed numbered nine hun- 
dred. Her life redounded with deeds of kindness 
and generosity, and the poor and needy found in 
her a special friend. At one time, she took a des- 
titute little girl from a drunken father, clothed 
her, and saw her adopted into a good family, where 
she was well reared, and has since become the wife 
of a wealthy man. 

On the 9th of May, 1881, Mr. Kramer was again 
married, his second union being with Miss Martha 
J. Lockett, daughter of James W. and Nancy 
(Walston) Lockett. Our subject and his wife hold 
membership with the United Brethren Church, in 
which lie has held office for twenty-five years. He 
has long been Trustee, and he served as a lay dele- 
gate in the annual conference for ten years. In 
politics, he was formerly a Democrat, but for many 
years he has been a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. 



Kramer have a pleasant home at No. 612 North 
Main Street, which is the abode of hospitality, its 
doors always being open for the reception of their 
many friends. 




BRADLEY, who owns and oper- 
ates two hundred acres of land on section 
22, South Macon Township, is one of the 
honored pioneers of the county, and has witnessed 
its growth from the days of its early infancy. He 
is of English birth, his parents, John and Ellen 
(Ogen) Bradle}', being also natives of England. 
The father followed farming in that country, and 
there spent his life up to the age of fifty-one. His 
wife passed away when forty-three years of age. 
In their family were nine children, but six of the 
number are now deceased. John, twin brother of 
our subject, is now a retired farmer living in Au- 
burn, Neb.; and Mary is the wife of Joseph San- 
doin, a carpenter residing in Macon. 

William Bradley was born in Lancashire, De- 
cember 8, 1822, and in order of birth was the third 
of the family. The first fourteen years of his life 
he spentrupon a farm. His father died when he 
was eight years of age, and he then went to live 
with a farmer in the neighborhood, with whom he 
remained for some time. When a youth of four- 
teen, he began serving a seven-years apprentice- 
ship at the wheelwright's trade, which he followed 
for four years after his term had expired, at the 
docks in Liverpool. Determining to seek a home 
and fortune in the New World, Mr. Bradley made 
preparations to leave England, and in 1848 bade 
adieu to the land of his birth. 

In 1843, our subject had been united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary Sachary, of Cheshire, Eng- 
land, who with her child accompanied her husband 
across the Atlantic. Making their way Westward, 
they located in Monroe County, 111., where our 
subject worked at his trade and engaged in farm- 
ing until 1859. That year witnessed his arrival 



308 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Macon County. Here he purchased forty acres 
of wild land from the railroad, a wet and unim- 
proved tract, seemingly hardly fit for cultivation, 
hut hy draining and improving he has made this 
one of the fine farms of the township, and now 
two hundred acres of rich land yield to him a 
golden tribute. The famih' circle has here been 
increased by the birth of two children. John, the 
eldest, is a prosperous farmer of this county; 
William operates the home farm; and Ellen is the 
wife of Thomas W. Tomlinson, a farmer of Sher- 
man County, Kan. 

Mr. Bradley and his family are faithful members 
of the Catholic Church. He exercises his right of 
franchise in support of the Democratic party and 
is a stanch advocate of its principles, but has never 
been an aspirant for office. He has probably re- 
sided in South Macon Township longer than any 
of its citizens, and has been proinmentty identified 
with its advancement and upbuilding. His love 
of progress has made him deeply interested in 
its welfare, and in all possible ways he has aided 
in the promotion of its best interests. 



ATHAN A. CARR, one of the representa- 
tive farmers and stock-dealers of Pleasant 
/a View Township, residing on section 36, 
was born in St. Clair County, 111., on the 29th of 
March, 1838, and is a son of George W. and 
Terssie C. (Garner) Carr. The father, who was of 
German extraction, was also a native of St. Clair 
County, born in 1814, and was a representative of 
one of its pioneer families, his father having come 
from Virginia to Illinois with an ox-team in 1793. 
George Carr was reared upon a farm in the county 
of his nativity and there resided until 1865, when 
he came to Macon County and purchased the farm 
on which our subject now resides. His death oc- 
curred three years later, in 1868, and he lies bur- 
ied in Macon Cemetery. His wife, who was of Ir- 
ish descent, was born in Arkansas, and aied in St. 
Clair County, 111., in 1884. The subject of this 



sketch was the second in order of birth in a family 
of nine children, numbering five sons and four 
daughters, but only four sons are now living. 
Matthew is a practicing physician residing in East 
St. Louis. 111.; James G. is engaged in merchan- 
dising in East St. Louis; Henry A. is a surveyor 
and real-estate dealer in Washington, and has 
served as Government Surveyor for a number of 
years. 

Until the age of twenty years Nathan Carr re- 
mained upon the home farm with his parents, giv- 
ing his father the benefit of his services. He then 
left the parental roof to make his own way in the 
world, and, starting out in life for himself, he be- 
gan work as a farm hand by the month. He came 
to Macon County when twenty-seven years of age, 
and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of 
railroad land, and as he had little capital he made 
tho purchase on time. He then began farming for 
himself and has since followed that occupation. 

On the 15th of March, 1860, Mr. Carr wedded 
Miss Melissa J. Rittinhouse, of St. Clair County, 
and by their union were born ten children, seven 
sons and three daughters, as follows: Alfred N., 
the eldest, a practicing physician in Jiraulco, Mex- 
ico, who is assistant surgeon for the Mexican Cen- 
tral Railroad Company; William G., who follows 
farming in this county; Charles Eugene, also an 
agriculturist of this county; Clara M., at home; 
Isaac J., who is engaged in teaching school in 
Texas; Seth A.; Dollie M.; Walter A.; Luella L., 
the baby; and Matthew S., the third son of the 
family, who died in infancy. The children were 
all provided with good educational privileges, 
fitting them for the practical duties of life. 

In his political views Mr. Carr is a Democrat 
and a stanch advocate of the principles of that 
party, but has never been an office-seeker, pre- 
ferring to devote his entire time and attention to 
his business interests. Socially, lie is a member of 
the Masonic lodge of Macon, to which he has be- 
longed for twenty years. Mr. Carr now owns 
seven hundred and twenty acres of the finest land 
in Macon County. Of this four hundred are com- 
prised within the home farm, which is one of the 
best-improved places in central Illinois. It is 
well tiled; upon it is a pleasant residence, substan- 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
UR6ANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



311 



tial barns and cattle sheds, a good orchard and all 
the accessories of a model farm. Mr. Carr is now 
one of the wealthy farmers of Macon County, a 
position to which he has attained by his own en- 
ergy and labor, as he started out in life empty- 
handed. 



JOHN R. DOUGHERTY, who is now suc- 
cessfully engaged in general merehandis- 
, ing at No. 1160 East Eldorado Street, De- 
_ catur, is a self-made man, whose success 
has been acquired entirely through his own ef- 
forts, and whose life record should serve to en- 
courage those who have to start out for them- 
selves empty-hauded. He was born in Drykmyer, 
Ayrshire, Scotland, March 7. 1855. His father 
was killed in the mines the day before the birth 
of our subject, and his mother died when John 
was a lad of five years. Being thus left an orphan 
and thrown upon his resources, he early began 
working in a coal mine. Later he worked in iron 
mines from six hundred to two thousand feet 
below the surface of the earth, at first receiving 
only from twenty-four to thirtj- cents per day. He 
was thus emplyed between the ages of eight and 
twenty-nine years. 

At length Mr. Dougherty determined to seek a 
home in the United States, and, crossing the At- 
lantic, became a resident of Tioga County, Pa., 
in 1879. He had previously been married, as on 
the 25th of January, 1876, at Sorn, in Ayrshire, 
Scotland, Miss Isabella Callander, a native of 
that place, and daughter of John and Mary (Mc- 
Kenzie) Callander, had become his wife. They have 
now two sons and one daughter, viz.: Mary, John 
and James, all at home with their parents. After 
two months' stay in Pennsylvania, he went to 
Brazil, Ind., but after six months returned to the 
coal regions of Pennsylvania. He lived altogether 
in about fifteen different counties of the Keystone 
State, as he wished to become thoroughly familiar 
with the manners and customs of the American 
peopK In July, 1881, he came to central Illi- 

14 



nois, but, in order to further study the people, he 
removed to St. Louis, and, securing a pack, started 
out on the road as a peddler, traveling from Mis- 
souri to New York. During this trip he made 
considerable money. On the 3d of July, 1882, 
he came to Decatur, where he soon engaged in 
coal-mining. In November, of the same year, he 
returned to Scotland, expecting to bring his fam- 
ily to this city, but on reaching America he made 
a location in Pennsylvania, and it was not until 
November, 1884, that he once more arrived in 
Decalur. His brother James was here engaged in 
the grocery business, and John soon invested his 
capital, $600, but after six months found that he 
had lost it all. 

The coal mines would not be in operation for 
some months to come, and Mr. Dougherty had to 
find some kind of work to support his family. 
An old friend, whom he had known in his native 
home, took him to a well-known man of means, 
A. T. Risley, who listened to our subject's story 
and asked him to call again. This he did, and 
when affairs had been more fully explained, Mr. 
Risley said: "Young man, I feel an interest in 
you, and believe you have the right stuff in you. 
If you will agree to pay me $10 per month, I will 
buy a lot, erect a suitable building, and you and 
your wife can see what you can do to build up a 
trade." The proposition was accepted. Mr. Ris- 
ley purchased the lot and built a one-story house, 
18x30 feet in dimensions, in the east end of De- 
catur. Mrs. Dougherty had saved $25, and with 
this small capital they secured a stock of confec- 
tionery and cigars. Mr. Dougherty, his wife and 
two boys lived in the back part of the building, 
and many a day they ate nothing but bread and 
water in order to meet the payment of $10 per 
month. When work in the coal mines re-opened, 
Mr. Dougherty secured a position, and his wife 
remained in charge of the store. He was thus 
employed for two winters, during which time 
the}' paid off almost their entire indebtedness to 
Mr. Risley, and also largely increased their stock. 

Hardships and difficulties untold were at first 
encountered, but our subject and his wife pressed 
on, laboring early and late. As their trade in- 
creased, they enlarged their facilities. During 



312 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



all this time Mr. Risley has stood by them, and in 
1892 he erected a fine double-front four-story 
brick block, containing thirty-four rooms, at a 
cost of $20,000. Mr. Dougherty now occupies the 
fine double storeroom on the ground floor in that 
building and carries an excellent line of gen- 
eral merchandise in one room, while the other is 
used as a sample-room. By constant attention to 
business and a careful oversight of all its details, 
he has won success, and his trade amounts to 
more than $25,000 annually. He found in Mr. 
Risley a friend in need, and feels that he owes 
to him a deep debt of gratitude which can never 
be repaid for his timely assistance in the days of 
his adversity, but more than all he is indebted to 
his noble wife, who has indeed proved a faithful 
companion and helpmate. 



E MANUEL GOOD, who follows farming on 
section 19, Decatur Township, is one of the 
:B -t) honored veterans of the late war. As a 
faithful soldier he wore the blue, and aided in the 
defense and preservation of the Union, and his 
name deserves to be enrolled among the deliverers 
of his country. He'was born in York County, Pa., 
and is of German and Scotch-Irish descent. His 
paternal great-grandfather was a native of Ger- 
many and the founder of the family in America. 
Christian Good, the father of our subject, was 
born in York County, Pa., in 1808, and spent his 
entire life in the Keystone State, where, as the re- 
sult of his good business abilit_y, he became a well- 
to-do man. He was a member of the Dunkard 
Church, and took a very active part in church 
work. lie wedded Miss Mary Zorger, a native of 
the same locality, who died in 1847, at the age of 
thirty-seven years, in the faith of the United 
Brethren Church, with which she held membership. 
The father passed away in 1858. He was again 
married, his second union being with Miss Polly 
Home. By his first marriage he had six children, 
who grew to manhood and womanhood. George 



became a pioneer of California, and was the first 
Sheriff in Oregon. He was Captain of the first 
regiment of California volunteers organized for 
protection against the red men, and was killed by 
the Blackfeet Indians in the year 1851. Mrs. Eliza 
Copenhafer is living in Michigan. Emanuel is the 
next younger. Mrs. Mary Leader makes her home 
in Pennsylvania. Ephraim is a dealer in lime in 
Lancaster Count3', Pa. Christian, who enlisted 
in the Fifty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, was 
killed at Antietam in the first charge of the first 
and only battle in which lie served. John, who 
served throughout the war as a member of the 
Fifty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, is now living 
in Wisconsin. 

Phnanuel Good was mostly educated in the sub- 
scription schools, for during his early boyhood 
there was much opposition to free schools, and 
people would take possession of them by the aid 
of muskets. Mr. Good, however, has read consid- 
erably, and by observation and experience has 
also gained a good deal of information. His train- 
ing in farm labor was not limited, being early in- 
ured to the arduous labor of developing land, and 
he soon learned to swing the axe and cradle and 
became an expert in that line. In 1858, at the 
age of twenty-two J'ears. he came to Decatur, and 
in Macon County began work as a farm hand. He 
had only received $6 per month in Pennsylvania, 
and his wages of $12 and $15 in this county seemed 
very good indeed. Here he married Miss Anna 
Mary Good, a daughter of John Good, who has 
been to him a true companion and helpmate. She 
was born in Macon County, and their marriage 
was celebrated February 7, 1860. 

On the 6th of August, 1861, Mr. Good bade 
adieu to his wife, and in Decatur enlisted for the 
late war as a member of Company B, Forty-first 
Illinois Infantry, under Capt. A. B. Lee and Col. 
I. C. Pugh. After being drilled at Camp Macon, 
the troops were ordered to St. Louis to protect the 
arsenal. Mr. Good served under Fremont at Marine 
Hospital, later was at Bird's Point, and partici- 
pated in the battles of Ft. Henry and Ft. Donelson, 
in which the regiment lost heavilj 1 . Our subject 
lay on the freezing ground for four nights, and 
eighty men died from exposure. The regiment 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



313 



lost heavily in the two days' battle of Pittsburgh 
Landing and again suffered greatly from exposure. 
The hardships of army life undermined the health 
of our subject, and in 1862 he was discharged. He 
weighed one hundred and sixty-five pounds when 
he entered the service and ninety-five on leaving 
it, and for almost a year afterward he was unable 
to do any work. He then bought one hundred 
acres of land, which with the aid of his sons he 
has made into a valuable farm. He also has a 
town lot in Decatur. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Good have been born the 
following children: Charlie, who died in child- 
hood; Sarah, wife of Robert Welch, a wealthy 
citizen of Decatur; Maggie, wife of Thomas Mor- 
ris, of this county; Laura, wife of Amos Westha- 
fer, an extensive farmer living in Decatur Town- 
ship; James, who operates the home farm; Rose, 
of Streator, 111.; John, of Iowa; Lillie, at home; 
Ida, who died at the age of seven years; and Earl, 
who completes the family. The parents are mem- 
bers of the Salem Baptist Church, and Mr. Good is 
connected with the Macon County Veteran Asso- 
ciation. He voted for Douglas in 1860, but 
since that time has been a stalwart Republican. 
However, he has never sought or desired public 
office, preferring to devote his time and attention 
to his business interests. 




HILTON CASSELL is a wide-awake and 
prominent young farmer of Macon County, 
resi(lin S on section li Decatur Township. 
He comes of one of the worthy pioneer 
families of the community, and his entire life has 
been passed in this locality. He is a popular citi- 
zen, having many friends, and by his well-spent 
life he has gained the high regard of all. He was 
born in the county seat on the 20th of March, 
1846, and is a son of Berry H. Cassell, a sketch of 
whom appears elsewhere in this work. The days 
of his boyhood and youth were passed in the city 
Of his birth, and his early education, acquired in 



the public schools, was supplemented by a course 
of study in the Normal School, of Bloomington, 
111., from which he was graduated at the age of 
twenty-two. 

An important event in the life of Mr. Cassell 
occurred on the 18th of March, 1872, when was 
celebrated his marriage with Miss Fannie W. Har- 
rison, the wedding ceremony being performed in 
Clinton. The lady is a native of Ross County, 
Ohio, and is a distant relative of President Har- 
rison's family. Her parents were Matthew and 
Lydia A. Harrison. The father died some thirty 
years ago, but the mother is still living and makes 
her home in Decatur. Her maiden name was 
Lydia A. Plummer, and she too was born in Ross 
County, Ohio. In the Harrison family the fol- 
lowing children grew to manhood and woman- 
hood, namely: Mrs. Lize E. Baugher, of Decatur; 
Mrs. Sarah Wilt, of Warrensburg, 111.; Matthew M., 
who resides in Hickory Point Township; Joseph 
II., a resident farmer of Missouri; Mary J., wife of 
William K. Lintner, of Missouri; James and Will- 
iam, both of whom enlisted for the late war as 
members of an Ohio regiment and died in Libby 
Prison; and Fannie W., the wife of our subject. 

Mr. and Mrs. Cassell began their domestic life 
upon the farm where they still reside, and their 
home has been blessed by the presence of three 
children: Lewis B., born February 24, 1873; Fred 
R., born September 29, 1876; and Otto D., born 
July 27, 1881. They also have an adopted daugh- 
ter, Pearl Ada, who has now been with them for 
three years, and on March 20, 1893, celebrated her 
fifth birthday. 

Mr. Cassell owns and operates two hundred 
acres of valuable land, including some of the fin- 
est farming land in the county. He has a well- 
developed and improved place, and the fertile 
fields yield to him an excellent income. His land 
is valued at from $200 to $250 per acre, and this, 
together with his valuable stock and houses and 
lots in Decatur, places him among the leading fi- 
nancial men in this county. Though comparatively 
a young man, he has made the most of his advan- 
tages, and his wealth is rated at about $50,000. He 
is giving his children excellent educational ad- 
vantages, and having himself entered into the 



314 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



joys of literary lore be desires his children to 
have those delights in a tar greater degree, if pos- 
sible. In politics, he has been a stalwart Republi- 
can since casting his first Presidential vote for 
Abraham Lincoln. Socially, he was a member of 
the Masonic fraternity. . His wife belongs to the 
Order of the Eastern Star, and is also a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Cassell 
manifested his loyalty to the Government during 
the late war by enlisting for the one hundred 
days' service, but on account of his youth his 
father would not let him serve. He has ever been 
a faithful citizen, is true to every public and 
private trust, and is a man of sterling worth and 
strict integrit}'. 




ATTHIAS ECKERT, who resides on his 
farm on section 9, Decatur Township, is 
numbered among the early settlers of Ma- 
con County, having for many years been 
identified with the growth and development of 
the community. He has witnessed the upbuilding 
of Decatur from a hamlet with a few cabins to a 
thriving city that ranks among the foremost in 
the State. He has seen the wild lands transformed 
into beautiful homes and farms, churches and 
schools built, and the work of progress and de- 
velopment carried forward, until the county of to- 
day bears little resemblance to the Macon County 
in which he first located. 

Mr. Eckert was born in Baden, Germany, March 
21, 1822. His father, Michael Eckert, spent his 
entire life in that country and followed the oc- 
cupation of farming. He married Barbara Kumerer, 
who also died in German y. They were members 
of the Evangelical Protestant Church, and were 
the parents of five sons and five daughters. John, 
who served three years in the Twenty-first Illinois 
Infantry, died in this country, and Jacob died in 
Mattoon, 111. 

Our subject is the only son now living. He 
grew up in the village of Hach, and was educated 



in subscription schools, which he attended between 
the ages of six and fourteen years. He became 
foreman of the estate of the Governor of Baden, 
and at the age of twenty he entered the army, be- 
coming one of the body-guard of the Governor, 
and remaining in the service for nine years. He 
served as a soldier in the Revolution of 1848. 
After his discharge he stayed on the King's estate 
for four years, and in 1854 came to America, sail- 
ing from Havre to New York. They were fifty-six 
days on the water, the passage being a very stormy 
one, and lightning once striking the ship. During 
the voyage our subject had an attack of small-pox. 
He and his wife and his brother secured service in 
the homes of Mr. Hahn and Mr. Ingersoll, rich 
business men of New York, who lived near that 
city. On coming West, our subject spent two 
years in a foundry at Springfield, and later went 
to Peoria, 111., where he spent one year. In the 
former place he was united in marriage with Miss 
Mary Barbara Rieflen, of New York City, a cul- 
tured lady, who was educated in German and 
Latin and had educated herself in the English 
tongue. The ceremony took place May 26, 1855. 

After leaving Peoria, our subject came to De- 
catur, at which time he had only $80 in money. 
Steadily he increased his possessions until his farm 
property is now worth $20,000. His first home 
was a log cabin, situated on a poorly-improved 
tract of land, but he at once began its develop- 
ment and placed under cultivation over one hun- 
dred and fifty acres. Part of this he has since 
sold, but he still owns sixty acres. In connection 
with general farming, he has engaged in raising 
fruit and vegetables. In all his labors he has 
found a faithful companion and helpmate in his 
worthy wife, who has even shared in the labors of 
the field, doing all she could to promote her hus- 
band's prosperity. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Eckert were born five chil- 
dren: William, who was born October 26, 1858; 
Mary, wife of John Hiser, by whom she has two 
children, Anna B. and Francis Henry; Francis 
Henry, a conductor on the Wabash Railroad; 
Charlie, who died at the age of five years, and one 
who died in infancy. The parents are both peo- 
ple of sterling worth, and are highly respected 



POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



315 



throughout the community in which they have 
made their home for so many years. The lady is 
a member of the German Methodist Church. Mr. 
Kckert cast his first Presidential vote in 1856, sup- 
porting the Republican party, with which he affili- 
ated for some time. He is now, however, inde- 
pendent in politics. He has been honored with 
several local oflices, the duties of which he has 
discharged with promptness and fidelity. Since 
coming to this country, he has won success in his 
business undertakings and has so ably managed 
his affairs that he is now in possession of a com- 
fortable competence, which is richly merited. 




I DWARD A. JONES, who for many years has 
been numbered among the leading agricul- 
turists of Macon County, now resides on 
section 3, Decatur Township. He claims Ohio as 
the State of his nativity, his birth having occurred 
in Madison County, February 20, 1818. He comes 
of an old family of Maryland, his parents, Thomas 
and Mary Dale (Truitt) Jones, both being natives 
of that State. In 1816 they emigrated to Ohio, 
where the father opened up a farm. Mr. Jones 
served as Judge of the Circuit Court for a number 
of years and was a prominent and influential cit- 
izen. The family numbered eight children, of 
whom three are now living in Illinois. Dr. Toland 
Jones has for many years engaged in the practice 
of the medical profession in London. Ohio. Ad- 
dison is a farmer of that place. Mrs. Eliza Smith 
is living in San Jose, Cal. James, who came to 
Illinois at an early day and was associated with 
our subject in raising cattle, went to California in 
1876, and died at his home in San Jose in July, 
1890, leaving two sons, who now reside in that 
State. John E. came to Illinois in 1855 and, enter- 
ing land from the Government, developed a farm. 
He served throughout the war as Quartermaster of 
the Twenty-first Illinois Int'antiy, and his death 
has since occurred in Macon County. Dr. Jones, 



of Ohio, was also a soldier and served as Colonel 
of the One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Infantry. 

During the boyhood of our subject, he acquired 
his education in a log schoolhouse, or rather re- 
ceived some instruction in the common branches, 
for his real education has been mainly acquired 
through experience and observation. Possessing 
an observing eye and retentive memory, he has 
become well informed. At the age of thirteen he 
entered a store as a clerk, and has since made his 
own way in the world. He spent about seven 
years as a salesman, and then began driving cattle 
to market in the East. He first visited Illinois in 
1887, and usually came each year from that time 
on until 1854, when he made a permanent settle- 
ment in Macon County. He secured land from 
the Government and by his arduous labors placed 
it under the plow, and it has since been made 
to yield him abundant harvests. He made many 
improvements upon his farm, but has disposed 
of much of his land and is now living retired. 
His home, a commodious and pleasant residence, is 
one of the many excellent improvements he has 
made upon his place. 

In July, 1852, in Springfield, 111., Mr. Jones was 
united in marriage with Miss Margery F. Elkin, a 
native of the capital city and a daughter of Col. 
William F. Elkin, who won his title in the Black 
Hawk War. Her father removed from Kentucky 
to Illinois in 1825, and became one of the earliest 
settlers of Sangamon County. He was born in 
Clark County, Ky.. in 1792, and died in 1881, at 
the age of eighty-nine years. He had served as 
Sheriff of the county, and as a member of the Illi- 
nois Legislature, during which time he was one of 
the famous ''Long Nine." In the Black Hawk 
War he was in the same regiment with Abraham 
Lincoln. His wife, who bore the maiden name of 
Elizabeth Constant, was also a native of Kentucky. 
Two of their sons, Thomas and Garrett, are retired 
business men of Springfield. Mrs. Jones was born 
on the homestead farm on Fancy Creek, eight 
miles north of Springfield. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been born three 
daughters: Luella, wife of Charles Reynolds, of 
Denver, Colo.; Ida T., at home; and Hathaway, 
wife of Theron A. Powers, of Decatur. They were 



316 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



educated in the High School of that city, and in 
Lake Forest and Highland Park, 111. The family 
is one of culture and refinement and in social cir- 
cles its members hold high rank. Mr. Jones cast 
his first Presidential vote for Gen. Harrison, or 
rather attempted to while driving cattle through 
Indiana. In early life he was a Whig and since 
the organization of the Republican party has been 
one of its stanch supporters. He may truly be 
called a self-made man, for since his thirteenth 
year he has fought the battle of life unaided, and 
whatever success he has achieved is due entirely 
to his own efforts. His career has been a busy 
and useful one, and step by step he has worked his 
way upward, overcoming the difficulties and ob- 
stacles in his path, until he has reached a position 
of wealth and affluence and is now living a retired 
life. 



ENRY SHLAUDEMAN is numbered among 
' the early settlers of Decatur, having long 
made his home in this community, and is 
recognized as one of its leading business 
men, having been a promoter of many of the 
most important industries of Macon County. He 
is now President of the Decatur Brewing Company 
and a stockholder in many enterprises. He was 
born in Oldenburg, Germany, January 13, 1834, 
and when a youth of twelve summers came to the 
United States, in 1846. He was brought by his 
parents, John and Elizabeth Shlaudeman, who on 
reaching the New World took up their residence 
in Cincinnati. Thece Henry learned the trade of 
a tinner and coppersmith, serving an apprentice- 
ship of three years, after which he worked at the 
business for five years in Cincinnati, Hamilton 
and Logansport, Ind. He then engaged in the 
tobacco business in the last-named place, after 
which he worked at his trade for one year in 
Terre Haute. It was in 1858 that he came to De- 
catur an'd became a member of the firm of Joseph 
Michel & Co. He here engaged in the cigar and 



tobacco trade from 1858 until 1862. On coming 
to Decatur he had but a very limited capital, but 
had done well in the tobacco business, and in 1862 
was enabled to purchase a half-interest in the 
brewery business owned by Edward Harpstrite. 
The firm of Harpstrite & Shlaudeman was formed 
and the connection was continued until the re- 
tirement of Mr. Harpstrite on the 1st of October, 
1884. Our subject then continued alone in the 
business until 1888, when the company was incor- 
porated as the Decatur Brewing Companj', and he 
became its President. The business has been 
greatly increased, and, owing to the good manage- 
ment of our subject, has yielded an excellent 
income. 

Other business enterprises have engrossed the 
attention of Mr. Shlaudeman, who, as before stated, 
has been prominent in business circles. In 1888, 
he established an ice factory. He is a large stock- 
holder in the Decatur Coal Company and one of 
its Directors, is a Director of the Niantic Coal 
Company, also of the Hatfield Milling Company, 
and of the Decatur Gas Light and Coal Company. 
In the National Bank he holds some stock and is 
also one of its Directors. He has extensive real- 
estate interests in the city, and in 1892 erected a 
business block, a three-story brick on North Water 
Street. 

The lady who bears the title of Mrs. Shlaudeman 
was in her maidenhood Miss Caroline Weisman. 
She was born in Germany but was reared to woman- 
hood in the United States. Their marriage was 
celebrated in Logansport, Ind., January 25, 1855, 
and her death occurred March 31, 1883. Unto 
them were born four children: Frank, who is 
Vice-President and manager of the Decatur Brew- 
ing Company; Harry, who is Secretary and 
Treasurer; Lillie, wife of Alex McGorry, Superin- 
tendent of the ice works; and Maud, at home. Mr. 
Shlaudeman was married a second time, November 
11, 1890, this union being with Mrs. Catherine 
Snyder, widow of Frederick Snyder, a well-known 
man of Decatur. Her maiden name was Goby and 
she was born in Lothringen, Germany. 

Socially, Mr. Shlaudeman is connected with the 
Masonic fraternity and he has held all the offices 
in the Blue Lodge. He has been an active member 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



317 



of the Turnverein. In politics, he was formerly a 
Republican and voted for John C. Fremont, the 
first Presidential candidate of that party, but 
since 1872 he has alh'liated with no political organ- 
ization. He has never been an office-seeker, pre- 
ferring to devote his entire attention to his 
business interests, in which he lias met with excel- 
lent success. 







F. HOPKINS, a well-known business man 
of Maeon County, is now engaged in gen- 
eral merchandising in Elwin, and is a 
dealer in groceries, glass and queensware, 
notions, stationery, school supplies, candy, cigars, 
tobacco, patent medicines, hardware, grain and 
coal. He always keeps on hand a good stock, and 
is now doing a thriving business, enjoying a lib- 
eral patronage, which he well deserves. He has 
been engaged in this line since 1866, and has met 
success as the result of his well-directed efforts, his 
industry and enterprise. 

The life record of Mr. Hopkins is as follows: 
He was born near Circleville, Ohio, January 8, 
1841, and comes of an old family of New Jersey, 
where his grandfather was born. The latter, 
David Hopkins, was reared on a farm in Ohio, 
and married Catherine Raub, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania. In 1851, they came to Illinois, locating 
four miles soutli of Decatur, on the Martin Farm. 
They spent the remainder of their lives in this 
Community, where the father was a successful 
agriculturist and stock-raiser. He died in 1870, 
at the age of sixty-four, and his wife died at the 
same age in 1874. Mr. Hopkins held some local 
olHces and was a prominent and influential citizen. 
In politics he was a Whig and afterwards a Re- 
publican. The cause of temperance found in him 
a warm friend, and he was an untiring worker in 
the interests of the Sunday-school. He was a 
charter member and faithful worker in the Pres- 
byterian Church of Decatur, and was President of 
the Bible Society of his township. One of na- 



ture's noblemen, his death was widely mourned. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins were the parents of the fol- 
lowing children: Lydia, wife of H. H. McKee, of 
Joplin, Mo.; A. F., of this sketch; Mrs. Kate Bea- 
dles, of Lake City, 111., President of the Third Dis- 
trict Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and a 
prominent worker in that organization; and Sam- 
uel, who resides on the old homestead, and is a 
prominent worker in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church and Sunday-school. They also adopted a 
daughter, Nancy Eager, who became the wife of 
C. E. Conrad, and is now deceased. 

The subject of this sketch was a lad of eleven 
years when he came to Illinois, traveling by boat, 
rail and team. He attended the primitive schools 
of the neighborhood, but completed his education 
in Mt. Zion Academy, when twenty years of age. 
At the age of eighteen he began teaching, which 
profession he followed for some time. On the 9th 
of August, 1862, he enlisted at Mt. Zion in Com- 
pany C, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois In- 
fantry. The regiment was assembled at Camp 
Macon, and on the 25th of October went to Cairo 
and from there to Memphis, Tenn. He partici- 
pated in the first attack on Vicksburg, and then 
went to Helena, Ark., and participated in the bat- 
tle of Arkansas Post, where seven thousand pris- 
oners were captured. Returning to Vicksburg, he 
helped to build the Grant Canal across Young's 
Point. For forty days he aided in besieging 
Vicksburg, and saw the surrender of twenty-seven 
thousand prisoners. He participated in the battle 
of Jackson, where he was serving as Quarter- 
master-Sergeant. He was under fire at Chatta- 
nooga, Mission Ridge and in the battles of the At- 
lanta campaign and Resaca, and took part in the 
engagements at Atlanta, Big Shanty and Kenesaw 
Mountain. After the fall of Atlanta he came 
home on a furlough, but later rejoined Sherman at 
Goldsboro, N. C. When the war was over he par- 
ticipated in the Grand Review at Washington, and 
was discharged in the Capitol City in June, 1865, 
after three years of faithful and honorable serv- 
ice. 

Mr. Hopkins at once returned to his home, and 
on the 1st of November, 1865, wedded Miss Mol- 
lie E. Price, who came to Illinois from Butler 



318 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



County, Ohio, in 1858. Their wedding tour con- 
sisted in visiting their old homes in the Buckeye 
State, and after their return they located in El- 
win, where, in 1866, Mr. Hopkins built a store 
and opened a stock of general merchandise. Their 
home was blessed with four children, two of 
whom are living: Lula J., who was educated in 
Westfield College, and is the wife of B. L. Rose- 
braugh, of Decatur; and Orion D., who assists his 
father in his business. He was also a student in 
Westflcld College for a year. 

Mr. Hopkins' business career has been one of 
prosperity and he is truly a self-made man. Him- 
self and family are members of the United Brethren 
Church, and are highly respected people, widely 
and favorably known. He is now serving as Vice- 
President of the Macon County Sunday-school 
Association, was its President two years, and has 
been Trustee of Westfield College for about twelve 
years. After serving as Justice of the Peace for 
eight years, he resigned the office. In 1864, he 
cast his first Presidential vote for Lincoln, and for 
a number of years was a Republican, but is now a 
stanch Prohibitionist and a most ardent supporter 
of the cause of temperance. His wife and daugh- 
ter are both workers in the Woman's Christian 
Temperance Union. Mr. Hopkins is a pleasant, 
genial gentleman and a man of sterling worth and 
strict integrity. He is alike true to every public 
and private trust, and discharges his duties of 
citizenship with the same fidelity that led him to 
serve for three years with the boys of blue, aiding 
in the defense of his country and faithfully fol- 
lowing the Old Flag which now floats so proudly 
over the united nation. 



PRANK H. GOLEM AN, who now owns and 
operates two hundred and eight acres of 
valuable land on section 35, Blue Mound 
Township, was born on the 9th of January, 1830, 
in Cumberland County, Ky., and is descended 
from one of the Revolutionary heroes, his Grand- 



father Cliff having served as a soldier in the War 
for Independence. His wife's grandfather, Mr. Park, 
was also a valiant defender of his country, having 
served as a Captain in the War of 1812. The par- 
ents of our subject were James M. and Mary (Cliff) 
Coleman. The family is of English extraction and 
was founded in America by James Coleman, the 
paternal grandfather, who was a native of England. 
The father of our subject was born in Culpeper 
County, Va., in March, 1782, and throughout his 
life followed the occupation of farming. When a 
young man he went to Kentucky, and there spent 
his, remaining days, dying in September, 1858. 
His wife, who was born in Maryland, January 16, 
1790, long survived him and was called to her final 
rest in 1880. Their family numbered fifteen chil- 
dren, but only three are now living: L. B., a farmer 
of Kenton County, Ky.; Rebecca, wife of Samuel 
Banister, an agriculturist of Kentucky; and Frank, 
of this sketch. 

Our subject was the youngest of the famity. He 
remained upon the home farm until thirty-three 
years of age, but in the mean time acquired a good 
education and engaged in teaching school for two 
terms. On leaving the State of his nativity, he 
came to Illinois, locating in Randolph Count3 r , 
where he taught school for six months. He then 
sought a home in Macon County, where he has 
since been engaged in farming. As a companion 
and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Cath- 
erine Park, their union being celebrated October 
11, 1863. The lady was born in Virginia, on the 
8th of December, 1836, and is a daughter of John 
and Mary Park, both of whom were natives of 
Virginia, the former being of English descent and 
the latter of German extraction. The year 1846 
witnessed their arrival in Macon County, where 
Mr. Park purchased three hundred and sixty acres 
of land, which he transformed into a good farm. 
His death occurred in 1872, at the age of seventy- 
six years, and his wife passed away in 1852, when 
sixty years of age. 

Five children have been born of the union of 
our subjectand his wife, three sons and two daugh- 
ters, but two died in infancy. The eldest, Robert 
H., is an electrician living in Chicago. Edgar Park 
is a highly educated young man, a graduate of 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



321 



Stanford University. Mabel is still attending the 
public schools. Mr. Coleman received but limited 
educational advantages, as he lived in a new com- 
munity, where the schools were not well organized, 
and he determined that his children should receive 
good privileges in that direction, and thus become 
fitted for the practical duties of life. 

In his political views, Mr. Coleman is a stanch 
Democrat, and has been called upon to fill a num- 
ber of public offices. He served as Clerk of his 
township for a number of years, was Supervisor 
for three terms, and has been School Director for 
twenty-six years. Fidelity and promptness in the 
discharge of duty have characterized his official life 
and he has therefore won the commendation of all 
concerned. Socially, he is connected with Ionic 
Lodge No. 364, A. F. & A. M., of Decatur. Mr. 
Coleman is regarded as a man of strict integrity, 
upright and honorable in all things, and is classed 
among the enterprising and progressive agricul- 
turists of this community. 



J"~| AMES DONNELL WHEELER, M. D., who 
I has been engaged in the practice of the 
I medical profession in Decatur for the past 
_^ thirteen years, during which time he has 
built up a good business, was born in Bellefon- 
taine, Ohio, June 1, 1836. His parents were John 
and Margaret (Donnell) Wheeler. The paternal 
grandfather died in England, his native land, at a 
very old age. The maternal grandfather, William 
Donnell, reached the advanced age of ninety-nine 
years and became quite well-to-do. He was a pop- 
ular and prominent citizen and for many years 
served as Postmaster of a town in Hardin County, 
Ohio. 

The father of our subject was born in England, 
and when a young man crossed the briny deep. 
At the time of his emigration there was an em- 
bargo in his native land against coming to this 
country, but he made his way to Havre. France, 
whence with a party of sixty he set sail. In mid- 



ocean they met a vessel to which all of their ef- 
fects were transferred and carried to the United 
States. Thus they evaded the officers. For a time 
Mr. Wheeler engaged in merchandising in the 
East, and then removed to Ohio, where he contin- 
ued the same business. In the Buckeye State he 
married Margaret Donnell, who was there born 
and reared. They became the parents of seven 
children, four sons and three daughters. The 
three eldest sons, William D., James D. and Mat- 
thew S., all became physicians; Margaret J. is the 
wife of M. D. Jones; Emma is the wife of Samuel 
Lewis; Anna is the wife of Benjamin Drennan; 
and Samuel died at the age of twenty years. The 
parents of this family were both faithful members 
of the Methodist Church, and the father was in- 
timately acquainted with John Wesley, who often 
held services at his father's, whose home was the 
scene of the famous story, "The Dairyman's 
Daughter." His death occurred at Greenville, 
111., about 1848, and his wife, having survived 
him twenty-five years, died in Ohio in 1872. 

Dr. Wheeler whose name heads this record re- 
mained in the State of his nativity until eighteen 
years of age, and then accompanied his parents to 
Illinois, locating in Greenville, Bond County. His 
literary education was acquired in Ohio, and he be- 
gan studying medicine in Green ville, entering upon 
the practice of his chosen profession in December, 
1858, and choosing as the scene of his labors Ray- 
mond, 111., where he continued in practice until 
1880. In the mean time he took a course of study 
and was graduated from the Eclectic Medical In- 
stitute, of Cincinnati, in 1870. He built up an 
extensive practice in Raymond and won a high rep- 
utation as a successful physician. In 1880, he 
came to Decatur, where he has since made his 
home. 

In 1860, the Doctor was united in marriage 
with Miss Martha J. Harris, and unto them were 
bom two children, a son and daughter: Ida and 
John. The latter died in infancy. The former is 
the wife of Darius Vigus, manager of the Colum- 
bia Manufacturing Company, of Decatur. Mrs. 
Wheeler died in 1872, and in September, 1874, 
Dr. Wheeler was again married, his second union 
being with Miss Georgia Vigus, of Litchfield, 111., 



322 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



daughter of James and Eliza (Barrett) Vigus, and 
sister of Dr. Wheeler's son-in-law. 

Our subject is connected with the Masonic fra- 
ternity, belonging to Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & 
A. M. He is also a member of the Illinois Eclectic 
State Medical Association, and was honored by 
twice being elected President of that body. In 
politics, he is a supporter of Democratic principles. 
His liberal patronage is well merited and he holds 
an enviable position among his professional breth- 
ren. In the community where he now makes his 
home he is widely known and is held in high re- 
gard. 



1 OSEPH LESLIE, M. D., who for twenty-five 
years has made his home in Elwin, where he 
has successfully engaged in the practice of 
his profession, is a native of the Hoosier 
State, born in Tippecanoe County in September, 
1838. His father, John Leslie, emigrated to Cerro 
Gordo, Piatt County, and died there about five 
years ago, at the age of eighty-nine years. He 
was a native of the Keystone State, and removed 
to Ohio in an early day. The journey between 
the two places was made on foot, and all of his 
worldly possessions he carried in a handkerchief. 
In 1864, he came to Illinois, where he lived a re- 
tired life until called to the home beyond. In In- 
diana he had married Catherine Mikesell, a lady 
of German descent, who died in the winter of 1866. 
Both were members of the Dunkard Church, and 
took an active part in its work. In politics, Mr. 
Leslie was a lifelong Democrat. He always loved 
and kept good horses on hand, and was a success- 
ful business man, who acquired a considerable for- 
tune. The members of the family, including seven 
sons and six daughters, were Mrs. Swenk, ot Cerro 
Gordo, 111.; Andrew, a retired farmer living in 
Cerro Gordo; William, who died in Indiana; John 
and Levi, who died in childhood; Mrs. Susanna 
Peck, of Cerro Gordo; Isaac, a farmer of that place; 



Philip, who follows farming near Frankfort. Car- 
rol County, Ind.; the Doctor; Barbara, deceased; 
Catherine, of Hot Springs, Ark.; and Lavina and 
Sarah, both deceased. 

The home in which our subject was reared was 
a primitive log cabin, with a huge fireplace, and a 
chimney built on the outside. His educational 
privileges were quite limited and were acquired in 
a log schoolhouse. with slab seats and plank writ- 
ing-desks arranged around the walls on pegs. His 
training at farm labor, however, was not limited, 
for at a very early day he began to swing the axe 
and cradle, and during his youth he made thou- 
sands of rails. At the age of twenty he began life 
for himself, his only capital being a horse, saddle 
and bridle, which were given him by his father. 
He never wore a pair of boots until he began earn- 
ing his own money, and then bought a pair for 
himself. Not wishing to follow the life of an ag- 
riculturist, he determined to enter the medical pro- 
fession, and in 1862 began reading in the office of 
Dr. M. Brandom, of Transitville, Ind., with whom 
he remained for three years. He also took a course 
of lectures in the Cincinnati Medical College, and 
since that time has engaged in practice, with the 
exception of the time he spent in the army. 

The Doctor enlisted in 1864 in the Twelfth In- 
diana Artillery, and was on detached service at 
Nashville. He participated in the battle at that 
place, and during part of his service he engaged 
in medical practice. He was honorably discharged 
at Indianapolis in July, 1865, and then went to 
Cerro Gordo, where he engaged in practice for a 
year. On the 12th of September, 1866, he located 
in Elwin, where he has since remained. During 
all this time he has enjoyed a good practice, which 
has steadily increased from the beginning. His 
skill and ability have won him a prominent place 
in the medical profession of Macon County. 

The Doctor has a handsome residence and eighty 
acres of land. He was married in Indiana to Miss 
'Lydia Edmonds, a native of Butler County, Ohio, 
their union being celebrated in 1858. She died in 
December, 1882, leaving six children: Ida Ann, 
wife of C. A. Sine, of Wheatland Township; Ed- 
ward, at home; Jessie, wife of L. M. Sear, of Wheat- 
land Township; Vade Mecum, wife of Charles 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



323 



Lord, of Decatur; Phidella May, wife of F. Brurn- 
ley, of Macon Township; and Flossie, at home. 
The Doctor was again married, this union being 
with Miss Mary C. Rowland, and they have three 
children, Merna Flo, Alma Fay and Trenna. 

The Doctor is a member of Decatur Post No. 
141, G. A. R., and his wife belongs to the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. He cast his first Presi- 
dential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has since 
been a stalwart Republican. He is a great lover 
of fine horses, and has owned and trained some 
very fine animals. Upon his farm he has a track, 
and he hires a professional trainer. The Doctor is 
widely known in this community, and in both pro- 
fessional and social circles ranks high. 




WILLIAM F. BROOKSHIER, one of the 

representative farmers and an honored pi- 
oneer of Macon County, resides on section 
12, Pleasant View Township. He has here made 
his home for more than thirty-five years, and has 
therefore been an eye-witness of much of the 
growth and development of the county. He has 
also aided in its upbuilding, and has ever borne 
his part in the work of progress. As a prominent 
citizen of the community he well deserves repre- 
sentation in this volume. 

Mr. Brookshier was born on the 23d of January, 
1833, near Winchester, Clark County, Ky., and 
was the second child born unto Martin and 
Amanda (Cummings) Brookshier. Of their chil- 
dren those now living are: William, of this sketch; 
Martin, a prosperous farmer of Kentucky; Elias H., 
a Baptist minister, now living in Glasgow, Ky.; 
Overton H., owner of a feed stable in Springfield, 
111.; Wy ley, a resident farmer of Kentucky; John 
N., who is engaged 'in farming and stock-raising 
in Kentucky; Achilles, an agriculturist of the same 
State; James and Washington S., both of whom 
follow the same pursuit in Kentucky; Lucy E. ; 
and Amanda, wife of William Everman, a farmer 



and blacksmith of Kentucky. Martin Brookshier, 
Sr., the father, was born in Kentucky and there 
spent his entire life. By occupation he was a 
farmer, and for many years followed that pursuit. 
His death occurred at the age of sixty-two. His 
wife, who was born and lived in the same State 
and was of English extraction, was called to her 
final rest when seventy-four years of age. 

We now take up the personal history of our sub- 
ject, who at the age of fifteen years left home to 
earn his own livelihood. Hiring out as a farm 
hand for two years, he received $70 per year as a 
compensation for his services. He then worked 
for three years in a blacksmith shop, and only re- 
ceived $100 for his first two years' work. Leav- 
ing Ohio, he removed to Indiana, where he worked 
by the month on a farm until 1857. That year 
witnessed his arrival in Decatur, Macon County. 
After paying his board he had only fifty-seven 
cents remaining, so in order to provide for his 
support he worked as a farm hand by the month. 

On the 10th of August, 1857, our subject was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Hurst, of 
Christian County, 111., and upon a rented farm 
they began their domestic life. Mr. Brookshier 
continued to operate rented land until 1861, when 
he purchased forty acres of prairie land in Pleas- 
ant View Township. This tract was located on a 
high strip of land called Pleasant View, and when 
the township was set off our subject gave to it the 
name that it now bears. He has since engaged in 
farming here, and his well-directed efforts have 
brought him success. In 1868, he was called 
upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died, 
leaving four children. The eldest, Lola May, is 
now the wife of James Chapman, a farmer of Ma- 
con County; Benedict M. is engaged in the real- 
estate business in Decatur; Barbara is the wife of 
William Gordon, of Christian County; and Ellen 
died in infancy. After the death of his first wife, 
Mr. Brookshier was again married, his second 
union, celebrated in 1869, being with Mrs. Mary 
J. (Logan) Boyd, of Parke County, Ind. They 
also have four children: John W., who is now at- 
tending the business college of Decatur; Joseph 
E., Edwin S. and Mabel, who are still under the 
parental roof. 



824 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In politics, Mr. Brookshier is a supporter of the 
People's party. The cause of education finds in 
him a warm friend, and for twelve years lie has 
ably served as School Director. He was also 
School Trustee for several years, and in his offi- 
cial capacity he has done much in advancing edu- 
cational interests in this community. For thirty- 
one 3 r ears he has been a member of the Christian 
Church, and his life has been an honorable, up- 
right one, well worthy of emulation. From a fi- 
nancial point of view he is a self-made man. He 
had only fifty-seven cents on his arrival in De- 
catur, but by his industry and enterprise he has 
become the owner of a valuable farm of two hun- 
dred and fifty acres, well improved and highly 
cultivated, which is the just reward of his efforts. 



J/ ACOB WILLIS, Secretary and Treasurer of 
the Mills Lumber Company, of Decatur, 
has been connected with this business since 
October, 1884. He first served as book- 
keeper for the firm of Mills & Harry, and on the 
organization of the company he was elected to 
serve as Secretary and Treasurer. His life record 
is as follows: He was born in Hebron, Oxford 
County, Me., March 12, 1831, and can trace his 
ancestry back to the earliest days of the history 
of Massachusetts. Deacon John Willis and his 
wife are recorded as having been in Duxbury in 
1637. The former was one of the original pro- 
prietors, first settlers, and the first Deacon of 
Bridgewater, Mass. He held many town offices in 
both places and represented Bridgewater in the 
Old Colony Court for twenty-five years. He mar- 
ried Elizabeth, widow of William Palmer. His 
will was made in 1692. His son fe'omfort was a 
town trooper. Joshua, son of Comfort, married 
Experience Barber in 1707, and was a town officer 
in 1739. Joab, the next in direct descent, was 
born in 1715, and married Martha Bolton in 1745. 
Their son Jacob, born in 1768, was the grandfather 



of our subject. He married Parnel Morse, and 
they became the parents of the following children: 
Sallie M., Fearing and Lucia F. The father was a 
farmer, and in 1810 removed to Maine, where he 
died at the age of fifty-two. 

Fearing Willis, father of our subject, married 
Joanna, daughter of James Horlow, a native of 
Massachusetts. Her. father served as Major in the 
War of 1812, and was a man of prominence. He 
became a farmer of Maine, and died at the age 
of eighty-six years. Mr. Willis was a farmer and 
stock-raiser of Maine, and served as Assessor and 
Overseer of the Poor for many years. From the 
Pine Tree State he came to Macon Count}' in 
1859. and farmed near Decatur for two years. He 
then bought one hundred and sixty acres of land 
near Arcola, Douglas County, but after a few years 
sold out and removed to the city. He died in 
1889, at about the age of eighty-five, and his wife 
died in 1876. They were members of the Univer- 
salist Church. Their family numbered ten chil- 
dren: Henry, who is living in Auburn, Me.; Jacob, 
of this sketch; Susan H., wife of Dr. S. A. Bennett, 
of New Portland, Me.; Merritt, of Altoona, Fla.; 
Harriet II., wife of C. C. Jacobs, of Arcola, 111.; 
Asa F., deceased; Ellery, of San Francisco, Cal.; 
Byron, who lives in Chicago; Ellen, deceased; 
and Frank D., of St. Paul, Minn. 

We now take up the personal history of our sub- 
ject, who was educated in the public schools of 
Maine and in the Hebron Academy. When his 
education was completed he worked at various em- 
ployments and then learned the machinist's trade, 
which he followed for some years. In 1851 he 
was united in marriage with Carelin P. Jacobs, 
daughter of James Jacobs, and unto them were born 
six children: Fred, of Decatur, who married Eu- 
genie Risley, by whom he has two children, Nellie 
and Charles W.; Elmer P., who died at the age of 
two years and seven months; Harriet M., wife of 
Robert W. Stevens, of Chicago; Herbert S., of De- 
catur, who married Miss Ann Schoeule, by whom 
he has two sons, Edgar and Arthur; Jacob E.; and 
Maud, wife of James Langdale, of Decatur, by 
whom she has one son, AVillis. 

In 1857 Mr. Willis determined to try his for- 
tune in the West, and emigrated from Maine to 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



325 



Illinois, landing in Chicago on the 6th of March. 
He lived in Belvidere and Cherry Valley for two 
years, farming for a year and keeping books for 
the remainder of the time. He then returned to 
the East, and after disposing of his property came 
to Decatur. This was in 1860. Two years later 
he removed to Douglas County, 111., where he car- 
ried on agricultural pursuits until 1864, when we 
again find him in this cit3 r . He secured a position 
as freight agent on the Wabash Railroad and 
served thus for three years. He then again went 
to Douglas County, where he engaged in the gro- 
cery business for six years. During that period 
he also aided in building the Paris & Decatur 
Railroad. After his return to Decatur, in June, 
1873, he was for a number of years with Dr. Wals- 
ton in his surgical institute. Later he was assist- 
ant book-keeper for two years in the wholesale 
grocery house of John Urich & Co., and in Octo- 
ber, 1884, began keeping books for the lumber 
firm of Mills & Harry. 

In his political faith Mr. Willis is a Democrat. 
Besides his business he owns a neat and substantial 
residence at the corner of Green and Pine Streets. 
He is a public-spirited and progressive citizen and 
a man of good business ability, who by his own 
unaided efforts has worked his way upward until 
he is now ranked among the substantial citizens of 
Decatur. 




-;ILLIAM AND DAVID McKINNEY are 
numbered among the most prominent 
farmers of Pleasant View Township. They 
own a valuable and highly improved tract of land 
on section 31, comprising one hundred and sixty 
acres of land, and just across the line in Christian 
County they have three hundred and twenty-five 
acres of land. William McKinney was born on 
the 6th of June, 1832, and David on the 25th of 
April, 1834. Their parents are John and Eliza 
(Knox) McKinney. The father, a native Of Ire- 
land, was born February 17, 1808. His youth was 



spent on the Emerald Isle, and in 1827, at the age 
of nineteen years, he crossed the Atlantic to 
Americ'i. He did not remain long in this country, 
however, but returned to his native land and there 
followed farming until 1847. In the mean time 
he had married, and with his family he again 
crossed the briny deep, taking up his residence in 
Philadelphia, Pa., where he remained for two years. 
He then went to Pittsburgh, Pa., where the suc- 
ceeding eight years of his life were passed, and on 
the expiration of that period, accompanied by his 
family, he made the journey westward to Illinois, 
location being made in Madison County in 1855. 
There he purchased a farm and devoted his ener- 
gies to its cultivation for a period of twelve years, 
when, in 1867, he removed to Christian County, 
where he again purchased land. He is now mak- 
ing his home with his sons, having reached the 
advanced age of eighty-five years. His wife, who 
was born on the Emerald Isle in 1810, is also still 
living with her sons, and is now in the eighty- 
third year of her age. John McKinney, a brother 
of William and David, enlisted in the Union serv- 
ice during the late war, and laid down his life on 
the altar of his country, being killed at the battle 
of Ft. Donelson. 

The early years of the gentlemen whose names 
head this record were spent in the land of their 
birth, and when fifteen and thirteen years old 
respectively they accompanied their parents on 
the voyage to the New World. They then lived 
for some time in the Keystone State, and at length 
came to Illinois, in 1855. The public schools 
afforded them their educational privileges, and 
both are well-informed men on the general sub- 
jects of the day. 

The McKinney brothers devote their entire time 
and attention to their extensive farming opera- 
tions. They together own four hundred and 
eighty-five acres of land, which, as before stated, 
is divided into two farms, the Christian County 
farm of three hundred and twent3'-five acres, and 
the home farm in Macon County of one hundred 
and sixty acres. Their land is under a high state 
of cultivation and is well improved with good 
buildings and all the accessories of a model farm. 
Everything about the place is kept in good repair, 



326 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and the neat appearance of the farm indicates that 
the owners are men of enterprise and progress. 
Both are supporters of the Republican party and 
neither of them has ever been an office-seeker, 
preferring to devote their attention to business 
interests, in which they have met with excellent 
success. They hold membership with the Presby- 
terian Church. 



"&.- 



PRANK L. HAYS, who has been connected 
with the mercantile interests of Decatur, 
but is now living a retired life, came to 
this city from Ohio, his native State. He was 
born in Delaware on the 23d of February, 1836, 
and is a son of Thomas and Abbie (Johns) Hays, 
who were also natives of the Buckeye State. He 
is now the only one living, his sisters, Nannie and 
Mildred, having passed away. The parents make 
their home near their son in Decatur. The father 
followed farming and stock-dealing in Ohio, but 
after coming to the West, in 1857, carried on a 
dry-goods store in this city for some time. 

Frank L. Hays was icared and educated in his 
native city in the public schools and in the Ohio 
Wesleyan University. Receiving thorough in- 
struction in practical studies, he was well fitted 
for life and its duties. At the age of seventeen 
he began clerking in a hardware store and after- 
wards was employed in the same capacity in a dry- 
goods store. He was a young man of nineteen 
years when he came to Decatur, where he has since 
made his home. For two years he was employed 
as a salesman in a dry-goods house, and in 1857, 
in connection with his father, he embarked in busi- 
ness for himself. The firm of Hays <fc Son carried 
on operations successfully for many years. Their 
store was always well filled with the goods de- 
manded by the public, and they received a liberal 
share of the public patronage. After thirty-four 
years, during which the firm had established a rep- 
utation for carryingon one of the leading houses of 
the city, they sold out, retiring from business. 



In 1862, Mr. Hays raised a company and went to 
the South as Captain of Company F, One Hundred 
and Fifteenth Illinois I nf an try, and served as such 
until 1864, when he was made Paymaster, resign- 
ing in February, 1865. He participated at the 
head of his company in some of the important en- 
gagements of the war, including the battles of 
Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Resaca and Franklin. 
He has always been faithful to every duty devolv- 
ing upon him, and the country found in him a 
valued defender of the Old Flag. 

On the 18th of September, 1861, Mr. Hays was 
joined in marriage with Miss Harriet L. White, a 
daughter of Joseph and Mary (Platter) White, the 
former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Ohio. 
Four sons and two daughters were born of their 
union, but two died in infancy. Those still liv- 
ing are Harry T., Robert R., Frank L. and Madge. 
Their home is a beautiful residence at No. 532 
East Eldorado Street, and is the abode of hospi- 
tality. 

Mr. Hays also owns other city property and 
about eighteen hundred acres of excellent farm- 
ing land in Kansas. He was a member of the first 
Grand Army post ever organized and now holds 
membership with Dunham Post No. 141, G. A. R. 
In politics, he is a supporter of the Republican 
party, but has never sought the honors of emolu- 
ments of public office. He is quiet and assuming in 
manner, but his worth and ability are recognized 
and he is numbered among Decatur's prominent 
and highly respected citizens. 



AVID MARTIN, deceased, lately one of De- 
catur's pioneer business men, came to Macon 
County more than half a century ago, and 
in the long years of his residence in this locality 
bore a prominent and active part in the upbuild- 
ing of the community. This work would be in- 
complete without a record of his life; for his name 
was inseparably connected with both the business 
and social interests of the county scat, A native 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



327 



of Kentucky, he was born in Bourbon Count}' 
April 1, 1820, and was descended from one of the 
Revolutionary heroes, his grandfather, Aaron Mar- 
tin, having served in the War for Independence. 
His father, James Martin, was born in Virginia, 
near the James River, and was a descendant of 
the Martin family which came originally from 
England and figured so conspicuously in the early 
history of the Old Dominion. In Bourbon County, 
Ky., he married Catherine Layton, a native of 
Delaware, who was also of P^nglish lineage. Her 
death occurred at the age of forty-five years, after 
which her husband was again married. His death 
occurred at the age of seventy-five. Of the seven 
children born of the first union, only one is now 
living, Dr. Martin, of Atchison, Kan., who has now 
reached the age of three-score years and ten. 
There was one child born of the second union. 

The boyhood days of our subject were spent in 
Kentucky. His eyesight was poor from an early 
age, so he could not secure a collegiate .or even a 
common-school education; but through many years 
of business experience, in which he met with some 
of the master minds of the country, including 
Lincoln, Trumbull and Douglas, he became a very 
well-informed man. When he was a lad of nine 
years his parents left Kentucky because they were 
opposed to slavery, and settled in Clark County, 
Ind. In 1835, they came to Illinois, locating in 
Sangamon County. Our subject drove five yoke 
of oxen to a breaking-plow and performed the 
arduous task of developing a new farm. 

One day, while a young man in his twentieth 
year, a little incident occurred to our subject which 
affected his whole life. He had walked across the 
country and had come to a place where there was 
a fine orchard with ripe apples. Knocking at the 
door of the house, he asked the lady if he might 
have some of the fruit. She only laughed, so 
after helping himself he offered to pay for the 
apples, but she would not take his money. This 
was Mrs. J. Peddecord, whose husband was a lime- 
burner. Some time afterwards, Mr. Peddecord 
told his wife that he needed n boy to assist him in 
his business, whereupon the lady said "Get Daye 
Martin. You'll want an honest boy, and I know 
Pave to be honest," She then related the story of 



the apples in proof of her statement, and as the 
result of his simple act of honesty when a young 
man Mr. Martin secured the position and learned 
the business which furnished him a life work. He 
was in the employ of others for about a year and 
a-ha'lf, and in 1842 went into business for himself 
on the line of Christian and Sangamon Counties. 
He made his own kiln and began operations in the 
old-fashioned way, with a very limited capital. It 
was in that year that he first came to Decatur, then 
a village of only four hundred population. He 
did business successfully as a lime-burner for a 
time in Sangamon County, and when the railroads 
were built to Alton went there and put up the first 
patent kiln constructed in the State. He there 
began extensive operations, and became the lead- 
ing lime manufacturer in central Illinois. In 
1865, he sold his kilns, and from that time until 
his death dealt in lime in Decatur. 

On the 1st of April, 1858, Mr. Martin was joined 
in marriage with Miss Sophronia, daughter of 
Samuel Granger, of Massachusetts. She was born 
in the Bay State, and was educated in the female 
college in Granville, Ohio. She became the mother 
of four children: Louisa, widow of Ernest Stra- 
der, who has a little daughter, Edna, and makes 
..her home in Decatur; Edward, who is engaged in 
business in this city; Lucy, who died at the age of 
four years; and Anna, who is at home. The 
mother of this family died May 17, 1891, mourned 
by many friends, and June 12, 1893, the family 
again suffered a heavy loss in the death of Mr. 
Martin, who passed away respected by all who 
knew him, his death proving a loss which will long 
be felt throughout the entire community. 

Mr. Martin was a member of Grace Methodist 
Episcopal Church. In early life he was an old- 
line Whig, and from the days of Fremont was a 
Republican. In his business career, although lie 
met with difficulties and disadvantages, he gained 
success and became a well-to-do citizen. He was 
highly respected for his straightforwardness, in- 
tegrity and business sagacity, no less than for his 
thorough information in regard to American poli- 
tics, particularly in regard to slavery and seces- 
sion. His memory was very retentive, and the 
history of Illinois, which was familiar to him for 



328 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



more than half a century, was almost as fresh in 
his mind at the day of his death as when the dif- 
ferent events occurred. It is with pleasure that 
we present to our readers this record of a man 
who was so prominently connected with Macon 
County's interests. 




ARTIN MILLER, who owns and operates 
the Blue Mound Nursery, of Blue Mound, 
111., claims Ohio as the State of his na- 
tivity, his birth having occurred in Logan 
County on the 30th of March, 1849. His parents 
were Henry C. and Elizabeth (Botkin) Miller. 
The father is also a native of the Buckeye State, 
and is of Scotch-Irish descent. He married Miss 
Botkin, who was born in Ohio, and was of Scotch 
extraction. Mr. Miller was a machinist by trade, 
and followed that business during his residence in 
his native State. In 1851, he came witli his family 
to Illinois, locating in Mt. Auburn, where he re- 
mained for several years. After the breaking out 
Of the late war, he responded to the country's 
call for troops, enlisting in the Union service as a 
member of Company I, Forty-first Illinois In- 
fantry, faithfully defending the Old Flag for three 
years. At the close of the war he was honorably 
discharged, having been very fortunate, in that he 
was never wounded. He is still living and now 
makes his home in Leavenworth, Kan. His wife 
died at the home of our subject in 1884. 

In the Miller family were nine children, five 
sons and four daughters, the eldest of whom is 
Martin of this sketch. He came with his parents 
to Illinois when only two years of age, and 
remained under the parental roof until he had 
attained his majority. His education was acquired 
in the common schools, and when a young man 
he learned the carpenter's trade, which business 
lie followed with good success until 1874. In 
that year, having acquired some capital as the 
result of his industry and perseverance, lie pur- 
chased the farm which he still owns and upon 



which he is engaged in the nursery business. To 
that enterprise he has devoted his energies for 
almost twenty years, during which time he lias 
enjoyed a good trade. 

On the 21st of October, 1875, Mr. Miller was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Holtz, a 
native of Guernsey County, Ohio, born January 1, 
1854. Her parents, David and Elizabeth (Hoover) 
Holtz, were both natives of Pennsylvania, who, 
having removed to Ohio, came from there to Illi- 
nois in 1865, locating upon a farm in Vermilion 
County, 111., where both Mr. and Mrs. Holtz spent 
their remaining days. They were of German ex- 
traction, and died some years ago. In the family 
of our subject and his wife are three sons, Carl D., 
Earl M. and Arthur G., all of whom are still at 
home. 

In his political views, Mr. Miller is a Repub- 
lican, but has never been an office-seeker, steadily 
refusing political positions. He and his wife hold 
membership with the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and are people of sterling worth, widely and 
favorably known in this community. In his busi- 
ness career, Mr. Miller has met with good success 
and now owns a beautiful home and a nursery of 
thirty acres adjoining the corporation limits of 
Blue Mound. 



OBERT TOBEY, the senior member of the 
medical firm of Tobey & Harvey, of De- 
^\ catur, is County Physician of Macon 
I County, and a prominent citizen, who for 
a quarter of a century has lived within its borders. 
The firm with which he is connected is doing a 
good business and occupies an office at No. 136 
South Water Street. The Doctor was born in 
Maryland February 20, 1828, and when a lad of 
eleven years accompanied his parents on their re- 
moval to Ohio, the family locating near Dayton, 
Montgomery County. He attended the common 
schools, and pursued some of the higher branches 
of learning under the instruction of a private 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 




t^txC^ &t 

^5 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



333 



tutor. He was reared to manhood in the Buck- 
eye State, and aided in the arduous task of clear- 
ing and developing a farm, but his tastes lay in 
another direction, and he abandoned agricultural 
pursuits to take up the study of medicine under 
Dr. Krause. lie attended lectures in the Western 
Reserve College, was later graduated from the 
Medical College of Cincinnati, and about ten years 
later took a further degree in Rush Medical Col- 
lege. He began practice in West Baltimore, and 
for eleven years there followed his profession. 
On the expiration of that period he removed to 
La Gro, Ind., where he engaged in practice for 
five years. It was in March, 1869, that he came 
to Macon County, where he has made his home 
continuously since. He first opened an office and 
engaged in the prosecution of his profession in 
Blue Mound, and while there formed the present 
partnership with Dr. J. G. Harvey. After the 
connection was established he came to Decatur on 
the 1st of October, 1892. 

In 1850, Dr. Tobey was united in marriage with 
B. A. Potter, and unto them were born five chil- 
dren, as follows: C. F., a minister of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church of Barry, 111.; W. W. and R. 
E., who, under the name of Tobey Brothers, are 
engaged in dentistry in Danville, 111.; Belle F. 
and Jane M., both of whom are married. The 
mother of this family was called to her final rest, 
and tke Doctor was again married, his second 
union being with Miss Kate Curnutt, of Indiana. 
They have one child, a daughter, Letta. 

The Doctor owns a good farm of one hundred 
and seventy-four acres in Shelby County, 111., and 
has just completed a comfortable residence in this 
city. H/e and his wife are members of the Grace 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Socially, he is a 
Master Mason, and in politics is a Republican. He 
was Chairman of the Central Republican Commit- 
tee of Pleasant View Township, and was appointed 
County Physician of Macon County in 1892, by 
the Board of Supervisors, receiving fifteen of the 
twenty votes cast. While living in West Balti- 
more, Ohio, he was appointed Postmaster of that 
place by Abraham Lincoln. The Doctor is a char- 
ter member and was the first president of the De- 
catur Medical Society. Throughout his profes- 

15 



sional career he has enjoyed a good practice and 
is recognized as a competent and successful physi- 
cian. He is widely known throughout Macon 
County, and in his new home is making many 
friends. 




?ILLIAM BOWERS, who for many years 
was actively connected with extensive 
milling interests in Decatur and elsewhere, 
but is now practically living retired, comes from 
Cumberland County, Pa., where his birth occurred 
on the 20th of October, 1827. The family is of 
German origin. Sebastian Bowers, his grandfather, 
was born in Germany, and during his infancy his 
parents started for the New World, but during the 
ocean voyage they died and were buried in the 
Atlantic. He and his brother, also an infant, were 
sold on reaching this country, and no news has 
ever been received concerning the latter. Sebastian 
Bowers was married and had two sons, David and 
Samuel. The former, who was born in the same 
house as our subject, wedded Mary Shellabarger, 
sister of Isaac Shellabarger, of Decatur, and leaving 
Pennsylvania removed to Richland County, Ohio, 
where they spent their remaining days. 

At the age of seventeen the subject of this 
sketch began learning the milling trade near New- 
ville, Cumberland County, Pa., with his uncle, 
Isaac Shellabarger, but after a year went with his 
parents to Ohio, where he finished his apprentice- 
ship. The first year he received only $3 a mouth 
and his board. After learning his trade he was 
asked to take charge of a mill which the miller had 
left. He knew nothing of its arrangement, but 
studied it out, and in a few days the owner pro- 
posed that he run the mill on shares, which he did 
for six months. His father then purchased the 
mill, which Mr. Bowers operated for fourteen 
years on shares, but as the water power was ex- 
hausted that venture did not prove financially 
successful. 

At the age of 'twenty-two Mr. Bowers had mar- 
ried, the lady of his choice being Miss Emily A, 



334 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Van Dovn, a native of Rich land County, Ohio. 
Unto them were born three children: Mary Ann 
Amelia, who was married and died at the age of 
twenty-eight, leaving a son, Willie McBride, 
who is now seventeen years of age, and has lived 
with his grandparents since a baby of two years; 
Janet, wife of Harry Crea, an attorney-at-law of 
Monticello, 111.; and Hadessa, wife of George 
Bowers, a shoe-dealer of Dccatur. 

In August, 1862, Mr. Bowers enlisted for the 
late war as a member of the One Hundred and Sec- 
ond Ohio Infantry, under Capt. Lobach, but as his 
milling business had kept him closely confined 
within doors he could not stand the outdoor life, 
and being taken sick was honorably discharged. 
In January, 1863, he came to Decatur, and pur- 
chasing a lot has since made his home on the same 
site. He entered the employ of Isaac and D. S. 
Shellabarger, and for two years was Superintendent 
of their mill, which he managed very successfully. 
The mill had been run down, but it was soon 
placed on a firm financial basis, and after two 
years he became a partner. The capacity of the 
old mill was about one hundred and fifty barrels 
daily, which was increased to eight hundred barrels. 
Taking out all of the old machinery, he put in the 
roller process, his being one of the first mills to 
use this system in the United States, and mill men 
from all parts of the country visited Decatur 
to see the system in operation. Mr. Bowers con- 
tinued to superintend the mechanical part of the 
mill until selling out his interest in 1889, after 
twenty-six years' connection with it. He had in- 
vested about $8,000, and sold for 140,000. The firm 
of Shellabarger <fe Bowers also built a mill in Dan- 
ville for his brother, but it was burned, causing a 
great loss. They rebuilt at a cost of $28,000, but its 
management was bad, and altogether through 
that venture they lost $51,000. In company with 
D. S. Shellabarger, Mr. Bowers built a mill in 
Wichita, Kan., which they afterward sold to Isaac 
Shellabarger. Together they built four mills, and 
in addition our subject built one alone. He is now 
a stockholder in the fine large mill at Salina, Kan. 
After selling his interest in the Shellabarger Mill, 
he was sought by the Directors of the Hatfield 
Milling Company, who gave him $3,000 lo take 



charge of their mill, in which he spent eleven 
months, during which time he increased its capacity 
fifty barrels per day. Under his supervision it 
was supplied with new machinery and so arranged 
that there has since been no waste in bran or shorts. 
Before this, great quantities of flour had been re- 
turned to the mill not accepted, but all this has 
been remedied and not a barrel of flour is now re- 
turned. He still retains his stock in this mill, and 
is a Director in the Decatur National Bank, with 
which he has been connected since its organization. 
Mr. Bowers, after severing his active connections 
with the mill on account of rheumatism, went to 
Hot Springs, Ark., for his health. Himself and 
wife are both members of the Grace Methodist 
Episcopal Church, in which he has been a Trustee 
for twenty-six years. Socially, he is a member of 
the Knights of Honor and of the Order of Mutual 
Aid. His name is inseparably connected with the 
history of Decatur and with its upbuilding and 
advancement. He started out for himself empty- 
handed and therefore deserves great credit for his 
success, whicli has come to him through his own 
well-directed efforts. He has met with reverses, 
but the obstacles in his path he overcame by de- 
termined industry, and thus gaining strength for 
future difficulties he worked his way upward to a 
position of wealth and affluence. His honorable, 
upright career has made his life well worthy of 
emulation. 




HARLES P. THATCHER, who is now liv- 
ing a retired life in Decatur, is a native of 
the Keystone State, the place of his birth 
being in Chester County, and the date January 
16, 1841. His father, William P. Thatcher, was 
also born in Pennsylvania, and became a merchant 
in St. Clair. In 1840 he married Sarah Mattson, 
who was born in Delaware Count}', in the same 
State. In tlie spring of 1861 the parents emi- 
grated Westward with their family and took up 
their residence in Deeatiir, The father purchased 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



335 



a large tract of land, comprising six hundred acres, 
six miles north of the city, and though he made 
his home in Dccatur he devoted his time and at- 
tention to stock-raising. He purchased twenty- 
five hundred sheep, which was the beginning of 
wool-growing in this county, and continued that 
business for eight years with good success. He 
also engaged in breeding Merino sheep for a period 
of five years. Later he abandoned stock-raising 
and devoted his energies exclusively to the im- 
provement and development of his land until his 
death, which occurred in May, 1867, at the age of 
fifty years. His wife survived him for about four- 
teen years. Mr. Thatcher was a self-made man, 
who began life in a moderate way and steadily 
worked upward to a position of affluence. In the 
family were three children, only two of whom 
lived to grow up. The daughter, Mary, is now 
the wife of Dr. J. N. Randall, a practicing physi- 
cian of Decatur. 

The subject of this sketch remained in the county 
of his nativity until twelve years of age, when he 
removed with the family to Schuylkill County, 
Pa., where he grew to manhood. His educa- 
tion was acquired in the public schools and 
in Aaron's Academy, at Norristown, Pa., where 
he spent two years. He then served as salesman 
in his father's store for three years in St. Clair, 
Pa., and with the family came to this county 
at the age of twenty years. He worked with his 
father and continued to engage in farming for 
some time, residing upon the home farm from 
1867 until 1871, when he abandoned agricultural 
pursuits and came to Decatur. In 1872 he em- 
barked in the lumber trade, which business he car- 
ried on for fifteen years. He began with only a 
small capital but soon built up a good trade, and 
in the course of time had a liberal patronage. He 
was alone in business for a while and then formed 
a partnership with F. M. Gaddis, their connection 
continuing for six years. In 1886, Mr. Thatcher 
disposed of his interest in the lumber trade and 
has since practically lived a retired life. 

On the 18th of January, 1865, our subject mar- 
ried Miss J. N. Robinson, a Lady whom he had 
known in Ins youth and who was a native of 
Pennsylvania. Four children have been born 



unto them, of whom two are now living: Irene R., 
wife of William L. Shellabarger; and Alice Neta, 
a girl of fourteen summers. Mrs. Thatcher is a 
member of the Episcopal Church, and is a member 
of the Woman's Club, being connected with the 
erection of the fine Woman's Club building at 
Decatur. 

Other business interests besides those previously 
mentioned have engrossed the attention of Mr. 
Thatcher, who is one of the stockholders and also 
one of the directors of the Decatur National Bank. 
He owns considerable city property and has erected 
a number of business houses and residences in this 
place. His own home in Decatur is a beautiful 
and comfortable residence. In politics, Mr. Thatcher 
is a supporter of the Republican party and its prin- 
ciples. He has lived a quiet, unassuming life, yet 
through the legitimate channels of business a fine 
property has come to him, which now enables him 
to live retired. 




AVID L. BUNN, one of Decatur's most 
prominent attorneys, is the senior mem- 
ber of the well-known law firm of Bunn 
& Park. He is a native of Illinois, his 
birth having occurred in McLean County on the 
27th of September, 1837. His father, the Rev. 
David P. Bunn, was a native of Ohio and a min- 
ister of the Universalist Church. He wedded 
Mary K. Moser, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
and they became the parents of five children. The 
eldest, Sallie Ann, married Joel S. Post, an attor- 
ney of Decatur. Both are now deceased. They 
left two children: Helen M., now the wife of Don 
Carlos Shaw, of Decatur; and Bunn J. Amelia D. 
became the wife of William B. Harry, who was a 
member of the firm of Mills & Harry, contractors 
and lumber dealers, but both are now deceased. 
At her death she left four children: Nellie, wife 
of James A. Phillips, a commercial traveler living 
in Decatur; George B., of ^uincy; William and 



336 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Jessie S., both of this city. Margaret E., deceased, 
the third member of the Bunn family, was the 
wife of Alfred Maxwell, proprietor of the Maxwell 
House, of Decatur. David L. is the only son. 
Mary E. is the widow of Alonzo S. Rockwell, who 
was a jeweler of Taylorville, 111., where she is still 
living with her two children, Nora and Dean W. 
The latter was married in April, 1883, to Miss 
Fannie, daughter of ex-Senator Shumway, of Tay- 
lorville, 111. 

The father of our subject was reared in Ross 
County, Ohio, upon a farm, and received a good 
common-school education. About 1835, he came 
to Illinois, locating near Bloomington, McLean 
County, where he followed farming for several 
years. There his two youngest children were born. 
About 1842 he took up his residence upon a farm 
in Macon County, where for a number of years he 
carried on agricultural pursuits. While there re- 
siding he happened to secure a book setting forth 
the faith of the Universalist Church. He became 
a believer in its doctrines, and about 1842 com- 
menced preaching its faith. He continued to labor 
in the ministry until his death. His first pastorate, 
extending over several years, was in Mt. Pulaski, 
Logan County, and in 1848 he went to Iowa City, 
Iowa, then the capital of the State, becoming the 
pastor of the Universalist Church. He afterward re- 
turned to Mt. Pulaski,where he remained until 1854, 
when he accepted a call from the Decatur church, 
and was its pastor until the beginning of the war, 
when he became chaplain in the Fifty-sixth Regi- 
ment, Illinois Infantry. About a year later, how- 
ever, he was forced to resign on account of sick- 
ness. He was a pioneer of both McLean and Macon 
Counties, and in this part of Illinois was widely 
and favorably known. He died in his seventy-sixth 
year, and his wife, who was also a member of the 
same church, passed away several years previous. 
The paternal grandfather of our subject, David 
Bunn, was of German descent, and lived and died 
in Ross County, Ohio, where he passed away at an 
advanced age. He served as a soldier in the War 
of 1812. His wife came of an old Pennsylvania- 
Dutch family. 

The subject of this sketch came with his par- 
ents to Macon County in 1841, when a child of four 



years, and after about a year went to Mt. Pulaski. 
In 1851, on the first day of its existence, he en- 
tered Lombard University in Galesburg, 111., and 
pursued a three-years course, after which he came 
at once to Decatur and secured a position as 
clerk in the postoffice under Col. John P. Post. 
In 1856 he became an assistant teacher in what is 
now the Church Street School, and followed that 
profession for three years, after which he began 
the study of law with Capt. J. S. Post, his brother- 
in-law. His admission to the Bar occurred in the 
fall of 1862, and on his first day in the Macon 
County Circuit Court he was appointed State's 
Attorney pro tern. During the term, on petition 
of the Macon County Bar, he was appointed reg- 
ularly to that office by Gov. Richard Yates to fill 
the unexpired term of two years of Col. James P. 
Boyd, who had resigned to enter the army. In 
the fall of 1864, he was elected to the same office 
and served for a term of four years. The circuit 
at that time embraced the counties of Macon, 
Piatt, Moultrie, Shelby, Fayette and Ford. 

On the 17th of July, 1864, our subject was 
united in marriage with Miss Amanda M., daugh- 
ter of David Suits. Three children were born 
unto them: Hattie M., who died in her eighth 
year; Frank Elwood, who married Miss Elizabeth 
Knieper, and is living in Chicago, 111.; and Edna 
M. Mr. Bunn, his wife and children, are members 
of the First Universalist Church of Decatur. He 
takes a prominent part in church work, is now 
serving as Trustee, has been leader of the choir 
over thirty years, and is Superintendent of the 
Sunday-school. In politics, Mr. Bunn was a Re- 
publican from the organization of that party until 
1876, but for a number of years he has been a 
prominent advocate of the Prohibition party and 
is a stanch supporter of its principles. He was 
elected Alderman on that ticket and has been nom- 
inated for various other offices. Socially, he is 
connected with Decatur Lodge No. 364,1. 0. G.T., 
with which he has been connected since 1859. 

Mr. Bunn is the owner of three hundred and 
twenty acres of land in Jasper County, and has a 
good home and other city property in Decatur. 
His possessions have been acquired as the result of 
his well-directed efforts. In the practice of law he 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



337 



was first associated with John H. Pugh, son of 
Col. Isaac C. Pugh, of the Forty-first Illinois Reg- 
iment. He was afterwards for some years associ- 
ated with A. B. Bunn, and in 1876 the present 
partnership was formed. Our subject is a man of 
genial disposition and affable manner, and is held 
in high esteem in Decatur and throughout Macon 
County. In fact, wherever he is known he is re- 
spected for his integrity and moral worth, and is 
recognized as one who stands in the front rank of 
the Macon County Bar. Possessing foresight, a 
logical mind, keen perceptive powers and good 
analytical ability, he has won well-merited praise 
as one of the foremost legal practitioners in this 
part of the State. Not less noticeable than his 
excellent business ability are his kindly spirit and 
generosity and the active part he takes in promot- 
ing the best interests of his adopted city. 



v ETER MONFORT WI KOFF, a retired farmer 
living in Decatur, was born in Warren 
County, Ohio, May 26, 1826. His parents, 
Peter and Gertrude (Monfort) AVikoff, were 
both natives of New Jersey. They had three 
children, but our subject is the only one now liv- 
ing. His mother died when he was five years of 
age, and his father afterwards married Miss Louisa 
Clemens, by whom he had eight children, four sons 
and four daughters. Sarah is the wife of Lemuel 
Wikoff, of Maroa. Mary Ann, deceased, was the 
wife of John Graham. William, Jacob and James 
are the three next younger. Rebecca is the wife 
of Hiram Estbinger, of Elmwood, 111. Helen is 
the wife of John Berkett, of Elmwood. Oscar 
completes the family. The father was a carpenter 
by trade, having learned the business in Cincinnati, 
whither he had removed with his parents at an 
early age. He was married in Ohio, and in 1847 
removed to Illinois, locating in Trivoli, sixteen 
miles from Peoria, where his death occurred in 
1861, at the age of sixty-eight years. His second 



wife died in 1887, at the age of seventy-two years. 
He was a member of the Universalist Church, and 
the mother of our subject was a Presbyterian. 

The paternal grandfather, Peter Wikoff, was a 
native of New Jersey, and died in the Buckeye 
State at the age of seventy-eight years. He was a 
tailor by trade, and served as a soldier in the War 
of 1812. The maternal grandfather, Peter Mon- 
fort, was also born in New Jersey, and was a hero 
of the Revolution. Throughout his life he fol- 
lowed the occupation of farming. Removing to 
Ohio, he there spent the remainder of his days, 
passing away at the advanced age of eighty-one. 

Peter Wikoff in his curly youth worked on a 
farm and at various occupations whereby he could 
obtain a livelihood. When he was about nineteen 
years of age he began learning the butcher's trade. 
He began working for $8 per month, but his 
wages were steadily increased until he received 
$100 per month. He then, in 1851, at Peoria, fol- 
lowed that business on his own account, carrying 
on operations in that line for twenty-eight years 
in Cincinnati, St. Louis and Peoria. In 1853, he 
came to Decatur and opened a meat-market, 
which he carried on for twenty years. Abandon- 
ing that pursuit, he then embarked in farming, 
which he followed for seven years, after which he 
again engaged in the butchering business until 
1878. The succeeding eight years of his life were 
spent upon a farm three and a-half miles southwest 
of Decatur. He at first had only twenty acres of 
land, but his possessions were steadily increased 
until he now owns five hundred and forty acres, 
which yield to him a golden tribute. In addition 
to his elegant home in the city, situated at No. 
413 West Decatur Street, he owns several other 
good residences. 

Mr. Wikoff has been twice married. On the 
28th of December, 1851, he wedded Sarah W. Grant, 
a second cousin of Gen. U. S. Grant and a daugh- 
ter of William and Betsy (Withgoct) Grant, who 
were natives of Ohio. The wife died leaving an 
infant son of about three weeks old, which died 
soon afterward. On the 6th of September, 1853, 
Mr. Wikoff wedded Elizabeth Fletcher, daughter 
of Paris and Priscilla (McWilliams) Fletcher. Her 
parents were natives of Maryland, and emigrated 



338 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



to Indiana in an early day. Three children have 
been born of the second union, but Lewis, the sec- 
ond child, died in infancy. Laura Belle is now 
engaged in the millinery business at No. 250 North 
Park Street. She was the originator of the 
Woman's Club Stock Company, and superintended 
the erection of the club house, an elegant four- 
story structure with basement. Ida is the wife of 
Joseph Baker, one of the Directors and book- 
keeper of the Citizens' National Bank of Decatur. 
They had two children, Monfort W., who died in 
infancy, and Alice Alma now aged ten. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wikoff are members of the 
Methodist Church, in which he served as Trustee 
for some years. For twenty years he was a sup- 
porter of the Republican party, but for the past 
eight years has voted the Democratic ticket. Our 
subject has been prominently identified with the 
growth and development of the city in which he 
has so long made his home, and has erected, 
besides the residences above mentioned, the Wayne 
Sulkyette Factory, the Decatur Box Factory and 
th,e Woman's Exchange Building. He is a public- 
spirited, progressive and valued citizen and one 
that Decatur could ill afford to lose. 



DixATHAN L. KRONE, who is a pharmacist 
// of Decatur, is a native of the Keystone 
g State. He was born in Lewisboro Town- 
ship, York County, Pa., March 14, 1833, and is one 
of eleven children whose parents, David and Ruth 
(Worley) Krone, were also natives of Pennsyl- 
vania. The paternal grandfather, Michael Krone, 
was a cabinet-maker of Pennsylvania, and died in 
that State, at the age of sevent3 7 -one. The ma- 
ternal grandfather, Nathan Worley, served as a 
soldier in the War of 1812. He was a .farmer 
of the Keystone State, and there died in his eighty- 
fourth year. 

The father of our subject was also a cabinet- 
maker. Resolving to seek a home in the West, 



he came to Macon County, 111., on the 19th of May, 
1839, and here spent the remainder of his days, 
his death occurring in February, 1867, at the age of 
sixty-nine years. He was a member of the Village 
Board of Trustees of Decatur in 1846 and 1847, 
and was a prominent and influential citizen in an 
early day. His wife survived him until 1886, and 
passed away in her eighty-fifth year. Both were 
members of the Methodist Church. Of their three 
sons and eight daughters only seven are living. 
Harriet, deceased, was the wife of E. O. Smith; 
Lydia is the wife of Henry Shepherd; Charles died 
in infancy; Charlotte is unmarried; Mary S. is the 
wife of A. L. Stewart; Nathan L. lives in Decatur; 
Sophia is the wife of A. McClurg; Margaret F. is 
the wife of George W. Bright; Francis H. and 
Rosaline died in infancy; and Anna E. is the wife 
of D. S. Shellabarger. 

Mr. Krone whose name heads this record was 
only six years old when with his parents he came 
to Macon County. In the public schools he ac- 
quired his literary education, and in 1852 he began 
studying pharmacy, since which time he has been 
engaged in the drug business. On the 8th of 
November, 1854, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Eliza J., daughter of Samuel and Rachel 
(Robinson) Frederick, of Decatur. By their union 
were born two children. Charles O. married Mis. 
Ellen (Kern) Dew, and they reside in Zanesville, 
Ohio, where he owns a photograph gallerj-. Nellie, 
the daughter, died in her twenty-second year 
The mother is a member of the Methodist Church. 
Mr. and Mrs. Krone have a pleasant home at No. 
341 West Wood Street. Socially, Mr. Krone is a 
member of Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; 
Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; Council No. 16, 
R. & M. S.; and Beaumanoir Commandery No. 9, 
K. T. In politics, he is a Republican, and on that 
ticket was elected City Treasurer in 1862, which 
position he held until 1870, discharging his duties 
with credit to himself and satisfaction to his con- 
stituents. 

Mr. Krone is numbered among the honored 
pioneers of the county, where he has made his 
home for more than half a century. He has 
witnessed its growth and development, and as a 
faithful citizen has ever aided in its upbuilding 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



339 



and progress. He has seen Decatur change from 
a mere village to a city of over twenty thousand 
inhabitants and has watched the transformation 
which lias placed Macon County in the front rank 
in Illinois. 




G. BOWEN, freight agent at Decatur on 
the Vandalia Line, has occupied his pres- 
ent position since March, 1890. He is a 
native of Indiana, born in Muncie Octo- 
ber 16, 1854. There he was reared to manhood, 
and in the public schools began his education, 
which was supplemented by a business course of 
stud3 T in Indianapolis in 1869. After finishing 
school Mr. Bowen began to earn his own liveli- 
hood by filling the position of a clerk in Indian- 
apolis, in which capacity he served until he took 
up railroad work. This he did in 1876, being 
employed in Ft. Wayne, Ind. He had previously 
learned telegraphy in his native city. For six 
months he was employed as a relief agent, with 
headquarters at Ft. Wa3'ne. Later he became 
Chief Clerk at Hartford City, Ind., in the employ 
of the Ft. Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad. 
In 1879 he became agent at Albany, Ind., and held 
that position for three years, when, in 1882, he se- 
cured a position with the Indianapolis, Blooming- 
ton & Western, being employed as agent in Carey, 
Ohio, in 1884. While thus employed he was 
taken ill with typhoid fever and was confined to 
the house for eighteen months, his wages, how- 
ever, being paid just the same. The Doctor said 
his 01113- hope of recovery was through a change 
of climate, and he went to California in 1884, 
where he spent two 3 r ears. 

On the 19th of December, 1877, Mr. Bowen was 
united in marriage with Miss Millie E. Shidler, of 
Shidler, Ind. Her father, W. S. Shidler, was an 
extensive business man of that place, and the town 
was named in his honor. Unto our subject and 
his wife has been born a son, Herbert C., now a 
lad of twelve years. 



Having recovered his health in the West, Mr. 
Bowen returned to Illinois in 1886, and was made 
freight agent at Farmer City, where he remained 
until 1889. He then resigned his position and en- 
gaged in business in Muncie, Ind., as a dealer in 
hardware for eighteen months. On the expira- 
tion of that period he sold out and entered the 
employ of the Terre Haute & Peoria Railroad 
Company, now the Vandalia Line, and was sta- 
tioned in Decatur. The business of the road has 
steadily increased since that time. Mr. Bowen, 
with the assistance of E. L. Foulke, did all the work 
in that year, but he now furnishes employment 
to five men, the yard work requiring four men 
where one was sufficient at the time he entered 
upon his position. In 1890 one or two way cars 
were all that were needed, and now eight or ten 
are employed each day. Mr. Bowen has worked 
up for the railroad company a fine business, and 
is a trusted and esteemed employe, his faithful- 
ness to duty having won him high regard. So- 
cially, Mr. Bowen is a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, belonging to Chevalier Bayard Lodge, of 
Decatur. He also takes quite an active interest in 
the society of Modern Woodmen. In politics he 
is a Republican, and is a public-spirited and pro- 
gressive citizen. 




AMUEL POWERS, deceased, one of the 
pioneer settlers of Macon County, and for 
years a prominent resident of Decatur, was 
born in Saratoga County, N. Y., on the 
18th of May, 1816, and comes of an old New Eng- 
land family. His grandfather spent the greater 
part of his life in Connecticut, where the- father of 
our subject, William Powers, was born. The lat- 
ter was reared in Bridgeport, in the home of Col. 
St. John, who became the husband of Mrs. Powers 
after the death of her first husband. Her maiden 
name was Abigail Hendricks, and she was born in 
Connecticut, being of Scotch and English descent. 
After his marriage, William Powers engaged for 



340 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a time in the boot and shoe business in New York 
City, and then embarked in farming. He made 
his home in Saratoga County, N. Y., making the 
journey up the Hudson River in a sloop, for it 
was before the days of steamboats. He died at 
the age of forty-two, when our subject was in his 
ninth year. 

Samuel Powers spent the days of his boyhood and 
youth in the usual manner of farmer lads, attend- 
ing the district schools during the winter season and 
aiding in the labors of the fields during the summer 
months. At the early age of fourteen the man- 
agement of the old homestead devolved upon his 
young shoulders and he had charge of the same 
until he had attained his majority. On reaching 
his twenty-first year the farm was sold and he con- 
cluded to go to Alabama, where an elder brother 
was successfully engaged in business. He spent 
one winter in the city of Mobile, where one of his 
brothers was carrying on a large commission and 
exchange business, and we next find him in Tus- 
caloosa, where his brother Orlando was conducting 
a mercantile business. Our subject, however, did 
not favor indoor life, and enjoyed farming, so de- 
termined to seek a home in Illinois, and with his 
brother George he made the journej' on horseback 
from Alabama through Tennessee and Kentucky, 
crossing the Ohio River at Shawneetown. In 
July, 1839, he reached Decatur, which at that 
time was a mere village, but gave promise of be- 
coming a thriving commercial and business cen- 
ter. 

Mr. Powers had a capital of only a few hundred 
dollars, but in connection with his brother he 
bought a tract of land adjoining the town on the 
East and began farming. He also carried the 
mail between Decatur and Homer. By his indus- 
try and economy he thus accumulated a small cap- 
ital, and embarked in stock-dealing. He always 
had a taste for that business, and for seven years 
he successfully carried on operations in that line. 
He was an excellent judge of stock, a thorough 
man of business, prompt and reliable, and he j 
therefore won the confidence and credit of all with ! 
whom he had dealings. So honorable was he in 
all his business transactions that he could obtain 
credit at any place, and in no case did he fail to 



meet his obligations. He lived on the farm first 
purchased until 1865, when he removed to a home 
in Decatur. 

On the 3d of March, 1846, Mr. Powers was 
united in marriage near Decatur with Miss Caro- 
line M. Giles, a native of Massachusetts, and daugh- 
ter of Dr. John and Almira (Avery) Giles. Mrs. 
Powers is a sister of Mrs. Alraira A. Powers, of 
Decatur, and resided with her until her own mar- 
riage. Her mother, Almira (Avery) Giles, passed 
her last years with her daughter and died here in 
1883, in her ninety-first year. Her husband was a 
physician of Massachusetts and died in Ohio aged 
fifty-six. Rev. Dr. Chauncey Giles, of the New 
Jerusalem Church of Philadelphia, is Mrs. Powers' 
brother and stands high in the councils of his 
church as one of its most popular ministers and 
advanced thinkers. Unto our subject and his wife 
were born eight children: William, who died in 
his twenty-fifth year, in 1871; Myra, also deceased, 
aged twenty-nine; George, who is in business in 
Decatur, 111.; Carrie, Theron, Frank, Edward and 
Chauncey, all of this city. 

On attaining his majority, Mr. Powers identi- 
fied himself with the Whig part}-, supporting the 
same until its dissolution, after which he was a 
Republican. He was never an office-seeker, pre- 
ferring to devote his time and attention to his 
business interests, yet he was elected a member of 
the Board of Supervisors from Decatur Township. 
He was always a public-spirited and progressive 
citizen, and manifested a commendable interest in 
everything pertaining to the welfare of the com- 
munity in which he lived. He was held in high 
esteem for his sterling worth and strict integrity, 
and had the warm regard of all with whom busi- 
ness or social relations brought him in contact. 

In his business dealings he was very successful, 
and became the owner of thirty-three hundred 
acres of land. He was always closely identified 
with the fine stock interests of the county, being 
especially devoted to breeding the higher class 
of race horses. He was the owner of "Billet," the 
famous sire of "Miss Woodford." He was also the 
breeder of "Volturno," winner of the Louisville 
cup and Breckenridge stakes at Baltimore, and 
also the breeder of "Aztec," a famous winner. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



343 



In personal appearance he was a man above 
medium height, inclined to stoutness, and was of 
a kind and genial nature, with his heart on his 
sleeve, and his purse always open to assist the poor 
and needy. He was spoken of by an eminent 
minister as "the poor man's friend." After only 
one week's illness from pneumonia his death oc- 
curred, February 7, 1885, when past the age of 
three-score years and ten, and was mourned by 
many friends. His widow, a most estimable lady, 
is still living and makes her home in this city. 

Theron A. Powers, son of our subject, was mar- 
ried to Miss Hathaway Jones, a daughter of Ed- 
ward A. Jones, of Decatur Township. She was 
educated at Lake Forest Seminary, and is a lady 
of culture and refinement. Their union has been 
blessed with two children: Edward S. and Myra 
G. The Powers family is one of prominence in 
this community, ranking high in social circles. 
In politics, Theron Powers is a stanch Republi- 
can. 




ENJAMIN F. 8IBLEY, M. D., who for the 
past thirty years has engaged in the prac- 
tice of medicine in Decatur, is the senior 
member of the firm of Sibley & Wood, 
homeopathic physicians, and is a member of the 
Board of Health. He is a native of Connecticut, 
his birth having occurred in the town of Ashford, 
Windham County, on the 8th of April, 1827. His 
father, Samuel Sibley, was born in Massachusetts, 
and his mother, who bore the maiden name of 
Hannah Harwood, was a native of Connecticut. 
Both families were of Scotch origin. The father 
followed farming, and spent the greater part of his 
manhood years in the Nutmeg State. The mother 
died in her native State at the age of thirty-eight 
years, leaving a family of eight children, six of 
whom grew to maturity. 

Upon his father's farm Dr. Sibley spent the days 
of his boyhood and youth, and in the district 
schools of the neighborhood began his education. 
At the age of sixteen years he entered the Wilbri- 



ham Academy, where he remained as a student for 
two years, graduating from that institution at the 
age of eighteen. Having determined to enter the 
ranks of the medical profession, he began fitting 
himself for that work by study in the office of his 
brother, Dr. Louis Sibley, who was then engaged 
in practice on Long Island, N. Y. For three 
years he pursued his studies under his brother's 
direction, and then entered the Berkshire Medical 
College, from which he was graduated at the age 
of twenty- three. 

Dr. Sibley began practice in Ithaca, N. Y., where 
he remained for five years, and then removed to 
Erie, Pa., where he spent the succeeding three 
years of his life, and in 1856 he arrived in Deca- 
tur. He became converted to the homeopathic 
school while practicing in New York, and is one 
of the earliest followers of Hahnemann in this 
State. In order to further perfect himself in his 
profession, in the winter of 1858-59 he attended a 
course of lectures in the Homeopathic Medical 
College, in St. Louis, Mo. During the war he en- 
listed in the service as Surgeon of the Twenty- 
first Illinois Infantry, which was Gen. Grant's 
first regiment. 

In 1850 Dr. Sibley was united in marriage with 
Miss Fannie Cole, daughter of Asa Cole, of Gene- 
see, N. Y. Unto them were born five children: 
Mary E., Mrs. Parker, who died at the age of 
thirty-six years, leaving four children; William G., 
who is foreman of the Haworth Check-Rower 
Company; Jennie, who died when a babe of a year; 
Frank, at home; and Fannie, wife of William S. 
Slater, an engineer on the Wabash Railroad. 

Dr. Sibley was a charter member of the first 
Grand Army post ever organized, now known as 
Dunham Post No. 141. He also holds member- 
ship with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
In politics he was first an Abolitionist, and then 
joined the Republican party during Fremont's 
candidacy, voting twice for Lincoln, and for 
Grant in 1868. In 1872 he supported Horace 
Greeley, and since that time has been an advocate 
of American Democracy. For the past six years 
Dr. Sibley has been a member of the Board of 
Health of Decatur, and was County Physician for 
two years. In 1889 he associated with him Dr. 



344 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Wood, and under the firm name of Sibley & Wood 
they have since engaged in practice. The Doctor 
has been very successful in his life work and has 
acquired a good competency. He stands at the 
head of all progressive and educational move- 
ments, never withholding his aid from any enter- 
prise calculated to prove of public benefit. 



JOHN J. GRAVES, who devotes his time 
and attention to agricultural pursuits, is 
I the owner of two hundred and forty acres 
' of valuable land, his home being situated 

on section 3, Niantic Township. Illinois claims 
him as one of her native sons, as he was born in 
Cass County, of this State, August 27, 1850. He 
is a son of Nelson Graves, who was born in 
Woodford County, Ky., June 26, 1823, and came 
to Illinois with his father, Richard Graves, one of 
the honored pioneers of Cass County, about 1828. 
The grandfather served in the War of 1812, and 
died in Cass County at the advanced age of sev- 
enty-four. 

Nelson Graves grew to manhood in that county, 
and, having arrived at years of maturity, wedded 
Eliza, daughter of Thomas Edgar, one of the pio- 
neer settlers of Ohio, who died in the Bucke3 r e 
State during the early girlhood of his daughter. 
When a maiden of thirteen summers Mrs. Graves 
came with an aunt to Illinois and was reared in 
Cass County. After his marriage the father of 
our subject there followed farming until after the 
death of his wife, which occurred in 1864. He 
now makes his home with his son John, and is a 
hale and hearty old gentleman of seventy years. 

Mr. Graves whose name heads this record re- 
mained at home until after his mother's death, 
when he began working as a farm hand by the 
month. He is the only son in a family of three 
children. His sister, Nancy, widow of George Hill, 
of Morgan County, resides in Niantic; and Frances 
is the wife of George Kapp, of Niantic. Our sub- 
ject came to this county when a young man of 



nineteen years, and was employed for two years 
as a farm hand by Mr. Edgar. He then deter- 
mined that his services should benefit himself, 
and in consequence rented land, which he oper- 
ated in his own interest until he could purchase. 
He first bought a forty-acre tract on section 34, 
Niantic Township, and afterward bought a one 
hundred and sixty-four acre farm, upon which he 
now resides. 

On the 24th of January, 1875, in this county, 
Mr. Graves married Sarah A., daughter of Joab 
and Lydia Wilkinson, pioneer settlers of this 
county. The father is now deceased. Mrs. Graves 
was born in Morgan County, but spent her girl- 
hood in Macon County. Two children, have been 
born of their union: Winfield and Walter, aged 
fifteen and thirteen 3 - ears, respectively. They also 
lost an infant daughter, Edith, their first-born. 

The productiveness of the farm which is owned 
by our subject bears out his reputation for indus- 
try and enterprise, and places him in the front 
rank among the leading agriculturists of the 
county. His first Presidential vote was cast for 
Gen. John B. Hancock, and he has since supported 
the Democracy, although he has never been an 
office-seeker, preferring to devote his time and at- 
tention to his business interests, in which he has 
met with signal success. 




VERETT J. BROWN, M. D., whose office 
is located in Rooms 1 and 2, of the Ha- 
worth Block, is one of Decatur's native 
sons of whom she may well be proud. A man of 
marked ability, keen intellect and unquestioned 
skill in his profession, he has gained a reputation 
extending far beyond the limits of this commu- 
nity. His father, Josiah Brown, was also a phy- 
sician, well known in this community. He was 
born in Whitby, in the Province of Ontario, Can- 
ada, and when a young man removed to the 
South. He was graduated from the Medical Col- 
lege of Augusta, Ga., and then came to Macon 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



345 



County, 111., accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Sarah 
E. Brown, and their two children. For two years 
he engaged in practice in Maroa, and in 1860 
came with his family to Decatur, where he was 
successfully engaged in the practice of his pro- 
fession until his death, May 7, 1889, at the age of 
sixty-two years. His widow is still living in this 
city. She had a family of seven children, four 
of whom are living: Dr. Warren F., of Tacoma, 
Wash.; Lillie A., wife of Charles R. Murphy, of 
Decatur; Everett, of this sketch; and Frederick 
A., who is engaged in the practice of law in Ta- 
coma, Wash. Dr. Josiah Brown was one of the 
pioneer physicians of Decatur, one of its most 
highly respected citizens, and built up a large 
practice. 

The birth of our subject occurred on the 20th 
of January, 1865, in this city, where he has al- 
ways made his home. His literary education was 
completed by his graduation from the High 
School. He began clerking in a drug store at the 
age of sixteen, and on attaining his majority he 
entered the Chicago Medical College, where he 
pursued the regular three-years course, graduat- 
ing from that institution in the Class of '88, with 
the degree of M. D. A few days later he took 
an examination, winning the second rank in a 
class of twenty-five, and was admitted to hospital 
practice in the Cook County Hospital, where he 
remained for about a year, when he was called 
home to take care of his father's practice. His 
plan was to have remained in the hospital for the 
full term of a year and a-half, and then, return- 
ing home, to enter into partnership with his fa- 
ther, but, his father's death occurring at this time, 
this intention was frustrated. 

On October 1, 1891, was celebrated the mar- 
riage of the Doctor and Miss Rebecca C. Brown, 
of Jacksonville, 111., daughter of Dr. Lloyd W. 
Brown, President of the Central Illinois Savings 
Bank, of Jacksonville. The union of the young 
couple has been blessed with a little daughter, Re- 
becca Alice, who is the joy of the parents' home. 
They reside at No. 332 West North Street, and 
have a large circle of friends and acquaintances. 

Fraternally, the Doctor is a member of Cheva- 
lier Bayard Lodge No. 189, K. P.; is Treasurer 



of the Capital District Medical Society, and a 
member of the Macon County Medical Society. 
He is Medical Nominator and Examiner for the 
Equitable Life Assurance Society for the counties 
of Macon, Sangamon, Logan, Shelby, Meuard, 
Christian, Piatt and Moultrie, and is also Exam- 
iner for ten other companies and three fraternal 
insurance orders, including the Mutual Life of 
New York; the JEtna, of Connecticut; and the 
Mutual Benefit, of New Jersey; and is Assistant 
Secretary of the Illinois State Medical Society. The 
Doctor has made considerable original medical and 
scientific research, and has contributed largely to 
current medical literature. 

Dr. Brown is recognized as one of the rising 
young physicians of Decatur, his thorough prep- 
aration, combined with his natural skill and abil- 
ity, having won him an enviable reputation among 
his professional brethren, as well as with the pub- 
lic, which accords him a liberal patronage. In 
his political views the Doctor is a Republican, 
having supported that party since attaining his 
majority. He and his wife hold membership with 
the Presbyterian Church. 




A. BONE is the efficient manager of the 
business of the Hatfield Milling Company, 
which is one of the leading industries of 
Decatur. Our subject is a native of Illinois, his 
birth having occurred in Christian County on the 
19th of June, 1851. No event of special impor- 
tance occurred during his boyhood, which was 
quietly passed in Montgomery County. The pub- 
licschools afforded him his educational privileges. 
On embarking in business for himself he entered 
the stock trade, and in 1874 he went to Kansas, 
locating in Ottawa, where he engaged in the stock 
business for nine years. That period having 
elapsed, he returned to Illinois and took up his 
residence in Macon County. Here he engaged in 
stock-dealing, and carried on farming some ten 
miles north of Decatur for about five years. Sub- 



346 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sequently he spent two years with the Decatur 
Coal Company. 

On the 4th of February, 1874, before going to 
the West, Mr. Bone was united in marriage with j 
Miss Catherine A. Hill, a daughter of H. W. Hill, 
and a native of Cape Girardeau County, Mo. At 
the time of their marriage, however, she was a res- 
ident of Illinois. After about nineteen years of 
married life she died on the 10th of January, 1893, 
leaving a family of three children, namely: Hugh, 
Gussie and Emma. She had many warm friends 
in the community, and her death was widely 
mourned. 

The mills of which Mr. Bone is manager are 
among the oldest in Macon County. In 1837 
Demming's horse mill was built about two miles 
from the city, and from time to time since then 
until 1850 there were a few unimportant ones 
erected. About 1850 a mill was built by Henkle 
& Condell. Later George Priest became connected 
with it and continued his connection with it until 
1884. In that year the mill passed into the hands 
of John Hatfield & Co. In 1882 it was rebuilt by 
Mr. Hattteld as the plant now stands. The mill is 
five stories in height and each building is 50x50 
feet. The Hatfield Milling Company was incor- 
porated on the 7th of December. 1889, with a 
paid-up capital of $100,000, its principal stock- 
holders being H. W. Hill, W. C. Armstrong and 
James Milligan. The first-named was made Pres- 
ident but was subsequently succeeded by Henry 
Shlaudeman. Its present officers are: James 
Milligan, President; T. A. Bone, Vice-President 
and manager; and J. W. Carter, Secretary. The 
mill is fitted up with the latest improved ma- 
chinery and has a capacity of four hundred bar- 
rels of flour daily. Employment is furnished to 
twenty men. They use about two hundred thou- 
sand bushels of grain annually, over three-fourths 
of which has to be secured outside of Maeon 
County. The chief brands of flour made are "White 
Foam" and "White Bread," and a constant demand 
for the products of this mill is made by the home 
market. 

In his social relations Mr. Bone is a Mason, be- 
longing to Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M.; 
Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; and Beaumanoir 



Commandery No. 9,K. T. He also holds member- 
ship with the Knights of Pythias. He exercises 
his right of franchise in support of the Republican 
party, but has never been a politician in the sense 
of office-seeking. He prefers rather to devote his 
time and attention to his business, in which he has 
met with excellent success. Under the efficient 
management of Mr. Bone the Hattield Mills are in 
a flourishing condition and the company is enjoy- 
ing a good trade. Our subject is a man of excel- 
lent business ability, and his straightforward deal- 
ings and honorable career have won him universal 
confidence and esteem. He is prominent in busi- 
ness circles and well deserves representation in 
this volume. 



S? EON H. SULLIVAN, City Electrician of 
I Decatur, residing at No. 812 North Water 
jjj ^ Street, is a native of Illinois. He was born 
in Carlinville, February 22, 1861, and comes of an 
old Virginian family. His grandfather, William 
Sullivan, was a native of the Old Dominion and 
spent his entire life in that State, reaching an ad- 
vanced age. He was twice married, and reared a 
large family. Joshua H. Sullivan, the father of 
our subject, was born in Ohio, and in that State 
learned the shoemaker's trade. In the early '50s 
he removed to Illinois, locating in Maysville. 
Subsequently he went to Carlinville, where he car- 
ried on shoemaking. On the breaking out of the 
late war, prompted by patriotic impulses, he en- 
tered the service of his country and was killed at 
the battle of Ft. Donelson. He was then only 
thirty-eight years of age. His wife, who bore the 
maiden name of Nancy Emerich, still survives her 
husband. She is a native of Pennsylvania and a 
member of the Christian Church. Her father, Pe- 
ter Emerich, was born on the ocean while his par- 
ents were crossing the Atlantic from Germany. 
The family located in Virginia, and he afterwards 
removed to Pennsylvania, where he followed farm- 
ing. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



347 



Leon Sullivan, whose name heads this sketch, is 
the only child of his parents. He was reared in 
the State of his nativity and acquired the greater 
part of his education in the schools of Pontiac, 
111. At the age of eighteen he began learning the 
tinner's trade, and after he had mastered the busi- 
ness he carried on operations in that line for about 
three years. Abandoning that pursuit, he then 
learned the trade of an electrician, which lie has 
continued to follow up to the present time. He 
is an expert in his line and is doing a good busi- 
ness. About 1879, he came to Decatur and has 
since made this city his home. 

On the 18th of February, 1892, Mr. Sullivan 
was united in marriage with Miss Katie F. Mont- 
gomery, daughter of Marion and Elizabeth (Tom- 
linson) Montgomery, of Decatur. One child has 
been born unto them, a daughter. The young 
couple have many friends throughout this commu- 
nity and a wide acquaintance. Mr. Sullivan exer- 
cises his right of franchise in support of the Re- 
publican party. Socially, he is a member of the 
Modern Woodmen, and also belongs to the Chris- 
tian Church. He is a wide-awake and enterpris- 
ing young business man, who applies himself un- 
tiringly to its interests, and is a public-spirited 
and representative citizen. 




HARLES ALONZO TUTTLE was born in 

Prospect, Conn., November 20, 1829, and 
and died March 2, 1889, at his home in 
Decatur, respected by all who knew him. He was 
widely known throughout the State in connection 
with its railroad interests, and few men in Decalur 
had more friends than our subject. On account 
of the part he took in the upbuilding of the cily, 
this work would be incomplete without his life 
record. His father followed fanning, and during 
his boyhood he worked in the fields and attended 
the common schools. At the age of eighteen he 
became a cadet at West Point, where he pursued 



his studies for three years. He did not graduate, 
however, as he wished to begin earning a liveli- 
hood. Having studied engineering, he began work 
on the railroads at the age of twenty-one, in Con- 
necticut. Later he was employed in Ohio, and 
subsequently secured a position with the Illinois 
Central Railroad, under Col. Mason, having charge 
of the division from Bloomington to Vandalia in 
1851, and the survey between those two points. 

Mr. Tuttle made his headquarters in Decatur, 
and remained as Division Engineer of the road 
until its completion, in the fall of 1854. On the 
4th of April of that year, he married Miss Henri- 
etta Florey, a daughter of Henry and Maria (Gray) 
Florey, natives of Virginia. Her parents located 
near Decatur in 1826, where the father died ten 
years later. The mother, however, survived him 
many years, passing away in 1878. She spent the 
last twenty years of her life in the home of Mr. 
Tuttle. Mrs. Tuttle was the youngest child and 
her birth occurred on the old homestead May 24, 
1834. Unto our subject and his wife were born 
eight children, namely: Frank H., engaged in rail- 
way construction work at Omaha, Neb.; Louie 
Alma, wife of Edward Carter, a jeweler of this 
city; Sheridan A., who is a contractor of Decatur; 
Charles Warren, a railroad employe of Missouri; 
Fred, a traveling salesman; George, who is engaged 
in contracting in partnership with his brother; 
Alonzo, who is pursuing the first year's course of 
study in the University of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and 
Homer, who is a student in the High School of 
this city. 

After 1854, Mr. Tuttle began contracting for 
railroad work, making grades and building bridges. 
Later, forminga partnership with Sullivan Burgess, 
he engaged in the real-estate business, and also 
erected a sawmill in Ramsey, 111. He became 
largely interested in Illinois lands, but continued 
his railroad construction. He was also engaged as 
a bridge contractor and in making contracts for 
street paving, employing a number of men for 
that work each season. His last railroad contract 
was on the Logansporl road, in 1884, and when 
his work there was completed he turned his atten- 
tion to business interests in Decatur. He was 
largely interested in city property, and platted the 



348 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Plant & Tuttle Addition, in the northern part of 
the city. In the winter of 1856 he platted Green- 
wood Cemeter}'. He was also one of the number 
that platted the Smith & Co. Addition. He was 
very successful in his business interests and accu- 
mulated a handsome property, but having invested 
in the Effingham Branch Railroad, he lost $27,000 
by taking county bonds, which the Legislature 
later declared invalid. In politics he was a Re- 
publican, but never sought public office. He was 
generous to a fault, and often assisted others to 
his own detriment. His liberality and kindness, 
however, won him the love and esteem of all with 
whom he came in contact. His upright and hon- 
orable career in the various relations of life is well 
worthy of emulation, and although he did not 
leave to his family a princely fortune, he left them 
the priceless heritage of a good name, which the 
proverb says is rather to be chosen than great 
riches. Through his death the community has 
lost one of its best citizens, as well as one of its 
honored pioneers. 






EBENEZER McNABB, an architect and con- 
tractor of Decatur, now living a retired 
life, was born in Centre County, Pa., Sep- 
tember 17, 1823, and in his eleventh year went 
to Ashland County, Ohio, with his parents, John 
and Mary (Young) McNabb, both of whom were 
natives of the Keystone State, and spent their 
last days in Ohio. The father was a stonemason 
and farmer. When a young man of seventeen 
Ebenezer began to learn the trades of cabinet- 
making and architecture with O. S. Kinney, of 
Ashland, Ohio, with whom he went to Cleveland 
in 1853. Having remained with that gentleman 
for five vears, in 1854 he made his way West- 
ward to Illinois. While traveling through the 
State in search of a location, he visited Decatur, 
and concluded that it would be a favorable open- 
ing. After spending one year in Sangamon Coun- 



ty engaged in building a church, he purchased 
property in this city, and in the spring of 1855 
came to Decatur to make his home. Here he be- 
gan contracting, being first employed on the old 
Crissey House, on Prairie Avenue. It was not 
long before his fellow-townsmen recognized his 
ability in the line of his trade and gave him a 
liberal patronage. He has built many of the most 
important residences in the city, including the 
homes of H. W. Hill, J. W. Race, Dr. Catto, W. 
II. Busher, R. Montgomery, and many others. He 
erected a business block on Merchant Street, one 
storeroom of which he still owns, and put up 
nearly all the business houses on the south side 
of Lincoln Square. The Grand Opera House of 
Decatur and the Trenton Block were both erected 
by him and his son since the partnership between 
the two was formed. He was also superintendent 
during the construction of the Syndicate Block. 
In April, 1845, Mr. McNabb in Jeromeville, 
Ohio, wedded Miss Margaret V. Heller, who died 
April 10, 1881. In the family were six children. 
The second child, Willie O., is an architect, con- 
tractor and builder. He was born in Decatur 
July 28, 1856, was educated in the High School, 
and at the age of seventeen began studying archi- 
tecture with J. B. Legg, of St. Louis, Mo. He 
was also in the architecture department of the 
State University at Champaign for one term, after 
which he formed a partnership with his father, 
taking charge of the architectural department. 
The business connection was continued until 1890, 
when our subject retired from the firm, leaving 
his son to carry on the business alone. He is a 
fine architect, and has made a thorough study of 
the profession, to which he expects to devote his 
life. He was united in marriage in Chicago, on 
the 20th of November, 1879, with Amanda E. 
Chatham, of that city, and unto them has been 
born a son, Eben Chatham. The parents are 
active and faithful members of the Christian 
Church. Mary I., the eldest member of the Mc- 
Nabb family, is the wife of T. W. Kann, of De- 
catur; Emma F. is the wife of T. J. Landis, of 
Decatur, and for the past two years has resided 
with her father. Mr. and Mrs. Landis have two 
children: Margaret H., born April 8, 1881; and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



349 



Edgar M., November 25, 1884. Arthur L., who 
completes the children now living, is Cashier for 
the Tank Line Company. Two children died in 
infancy. 

In 1860 Mr. McNabb was elected a member of 
the City Council, and for eight years has held 
that office. He also served as Township Super- 
visor for one term. In early life he was a Dem- 
ocrat, but owing to the slavery trouble became an 
Abolitionist, and on the organization of the Re- 
publican party joined its ranks. He now votes 
with the Prohibition party. Socially, he is a mem- 
ber of Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M. For 
forty-three years he held membership with the 
Christian Church, and for- twenty-eight years has 
been one of its Elders. In 1855 he organized the 
first Sunday-school of this church, and has since 
been an active worker in its interests, having 
served as Superintendent for many years.. He has 
been an active laborer in the Master's vineyard, 
and in his declining years he can look back over 
a well-spent life, and forward to the future in the 
hope of a home beyond. 



AMES CANNON is a member of the firm of 
O. II. Cannon & Co., proprietors of the ele- 
vator, and dealers in grain in Niantic. We 
wish to add to the old settlers' record the 
history of this man, who dates his residence in the 
county from 1840, and is therefore numbered 
among her pioneers. He was born in Pickaway 
County, Ohio, March 25, 1835, and is a son of 
Louden and Sarah (Blue) Cannon. The father 
was born in the same county as his son, but the 
mother was a native of Virginia. Mr. Cannon fol- 
lowed farming in Ohio until 1840, when he deter- 
mined to seek a home further West, and so took 
up his residence in Macon County, where two years 
later his death occurred. His wife survived him 
for a number of years, being called to the home 
beyond in 1861, when she was laid to rest by the 



side of her husband in Long Point Cemetery. Af- 
ter the death of their father she had tenderly reared 
and cared for her children, providing for them as 
best she could. The family numbered five sons 
and two daughters, but though all reached mature 
years, none are now living with the exception of 
our subject. 

James Cannon was the fifth in order of birth. 
The privileges of his youth, owing to the strait- 
ened circumstances of his mother, were quite lim- 
ited, and his education has been acquired almost 
entirely through his own efforts. After he had 
arrived at man's estate he engaged in breaking 
prairie for about six years. Later, having pur- 
chased an eightj'-acre tract of raw prairie land in 
Harristown Township, he located thereon and be- 
gan its development. Acre after acre he placed 
under the plow, and in course of time the once 
barren tract was transformed into fields of waving 
grain. He afterwards bought more land, and has 
now opened up and improved a farm of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres, making it one of the best 
places of the neighborhood. His home is a fine 
large dwelling, and good barns and outbuildings, 
the latest improved machinery, a well-kept orchard 
and all the accessories of a model farm are found 
upon the place. He also owns a half-interest in 
the Niantio Elevator, and this branch of his busi- 
ness is a paying investment. 

In all his efforts Mr. Cannon has been ably as- 
sisted and seconded by his estimable wife, who has 
indeed proved to him a true helpmate. Their 
union was celebrated in this county December 30, 
1863, the lady being in her maidenhood Nancy 
W. Blankinship. She is a native of Macon County, 
and a daughter of John Blankinship, one of the 
honored early settlers. By their union have been 
born three children: Orin H., who is now engaged 
in the grain business in Niantic; James T., who is 
connected with his brother in grain dealing; and 
Barton K., at home. 

In the spring of 1893, Mr. Cannon rented his 
farm and came to Niantic to assist his sons in the 
elevator business. He is a man of good executive 
and business ability, sagacious and fnr-sighted.and 
has won by his well-directed efforts a handsome 
competency, that places him among the substantial 



350 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



citizens of the count}'. His example may well 
serve to encourage others who like himself have to 
begin life empty-handed. His upright and straight- 
forward dealings have won him universal confi- 
dence. In politics he is a Democrat, having sup- 
ported that party since he cast his first Presidential 
vole for James Buchanan, in 1856. During the 
fifty-three years of his residence in this county, he 
has aided in its development and upbuilding and 
has always borne his part in the promotion of its 
best interests, and he deserves mention among the 
prominent business men and honored pioneers of 
the county. 



Jl OHN WACKER, who is now living a retired 
I life in Niantic, and who holds the position 
I of Township Assessor, is one of the worthy 
citizens that Germany has furnished to 

Macon County. He was born in Schleitdorf 
Tiibeng, Wurtemberg, December 27, 1828, and 
was there reared to manhood. In his native land 
he learned the weaver's trade, which he followed 
in connection with farming until 1853. In that 
3'ear he crossed the Atlantic, landing in New York 
in June. He first located in Zoar, Ohio, and 
during the summer was employed on railroad 
grading. In the fall he went to Louisville, and 
the next summer secured employment on a farm 
near Jefferson vi lie, Ind., at $10 per month. After 
three months he engaged as deck hand on a steam- 
boat plying on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, at 
$40 per month, after which he worked as a farm 
hand in Kentucky for a year. 

At length Mr. Wacker determined to come to 
Decatur, and on the 27th of March, 1857, reached 
this city with only twenty-five cents in his pocket 
He sold an extra pair of pants to pay his board, 
and after three days secured a position as a farm 
Imnd at $18 per month. He was thus employed 
for six mouths and savod nearly all the money he 
earned, with the exception of $10 which he sent 
to Louisville, Ky., in payment of a debt. His 



next employment was as a porter in the Barnum 
Hotel at $18 per month. From that time forward 
his financial condition seemed to improve. He 
was economical and frugal, and little by little he 
acquired a capital. At length he bought a saloon, 
but his partner used up nearly all the profits. 
After a year Mr. Wacker took his billiard tables 
and went to Monticello, but after three weeks he 
traded these for a team of horses and wagon, which 
in turn lie traded for forty acres of land on the 
lake, a mile and a-half south of Niantic. In the 
fall of 1859 he built a log cabin, and during the 
next spring started a little brickyard in company 
with Thomas McGurry. It rained all that summer, 
and the brick did not burn well, so the investment 
was not profitable. In 1861, his partner went to 
the war but Mr. Wacker kept on making improve- 
ments, and in 1863 built anothei kiln. About 
this time an army officer from New York, who 
owned large tracts of land in this locality, came 
to Niantic. Mr. Wacker did a number of favors 
for him, and the gentleman told him to select a 
tract of land, for which he might pay as he found 
it convenient. He secured forty acres and after- 
wards added to it a tract of similar size. In 1864 
he removed to this farm, a half-mile south of 
Niantic, and began its development. He placed 
it under a high state of cultivation, made many 
improvements thereon, and there resided until 
1882. Its boundaries he had also extended by an 
additional purchase of fifty-four acres. 

June 13, 1858, our subject married Miss Cath- 
erine Schneider, also a native of Germany, and 
their children were reared upon the farm. Bena 
is the wife of H. Illenfeldt, a farmer of Stanberry, 
Mo.; Henry owns a farm of two hundred and 
eighty acres in the same locality; Emma makes her 
home with her grandmother, Mrs. Henry Myer, 
mother of Mrs. Wacker, in Decatur; George owns 
a half-interest in the elevator in Edinburg, 
Christian County, 111.; Augusta is engaged in 
teaching music; and Nellie and Theresa are at 
home. They lost three sons in infancy, and a 
daughter, Louisa, died at the age of seven years. 

In 1882, Mr. Wacker purchased a half-interest 
in the Niantic Mill and the following year became 
sole proprietor, carrying on the business for ten 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 




f 





PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



353 




years. In 1891, he tore down the mill and built 
an elevator, which lie sold the following year. 
He has since retired from business life. In politics 
he is a stanch Democrat, and has been honored 
with a number of public olfices of trust. He is 
now serving as Township Assessor and was Com- 
missioner of Highways for fifteen years; he was 
also Supervisor for two years, and President of the 
Board of Village Trustees for several years. Him- 
self and wife are members of the Lutheran Church 
of Uecatur. He is one of Niantic's prominent 
citizens, and with pleasure we present this record 
of his life to our readers. 






AMU EL DILLER is accounted one of De- 
catur's most prominent and substantial citi- 
zens and business men. He is identified with 
many of the leading enterprises and indus- 
tries of the city, is connected with the Leader Man- 
ufacturing Company, and is President of the Deca- 
tur Brick and Tile Company. He also owns $10,000 
worth of stock in the Salina Flouring Mills, of Sa- 
lina, Kan., and is largely interested in lands and 
cattle of Texas. 

The Diller family was founded in America by 
Abraham, Francis and Peter Diller, brothers, who 
were natives of Berne, Switzerland, and emigrated 
to this country in 1754-, locating in Lancaster 
County, Pa. Peter, a son of Abraham and the 
grandfather of Samuel of this notice, became a 
resident of Cumberland County, Pa., in 1788 and 
purchased laud from a man by the name of Me 
Farland, who had previously bought it from Will- 
iam Penn. Upon this land was an old fort, form- 
erly used by the whites as a place of safety from 
the hostile Indians, and this was afterward made 
use of as a dwelling. Here Peter Diller engaged 
in farming during his life. After his death his 
son John, the father of our subject, succeeded to 
the estate and occupied the same farm until his 
death, in 1871, the homestead remaining in the 
Diller family until 1882. John Diller married 

16 



Elizabeth Conaway, a native of Pennsylvania but 
of Scotch-Irish descent. They had a family of 
three children who grew to maturity, viz.: Martha, 
who is deceased; John, a resident of Cumberland 
County, Pa.; and Samuel of this sketch. 

In the Keystone State, on the 3d of April, 1827, 
occurred the birth of our subject. He was reared 
to manhood upon a farm and acquired an educa- 
tion in the public schools of Pennsylvania. After 
attaining to mature years the subject of this sketch 
was married, in 1854, to Miss Ann Amelia Shella- 
barger, a sister of D. S. Shellabarger, whose sketch 
appears elsewhere in this work. Her married life 
was short, as she died in October, 1857, leaving 
two children, John and Samuel S. The former 
resides in Decatur and is Superintendent of a tile 
and brick factory. He married Miss Maggie Oren, 
and a daughter, Ida, graces their union. Samuel 
S. is a ranchman and makes his home in Shackel- 
ford County, Tex. Our subject was a second time 
married. In 1860 he wedded Miss Rebecca Jane 
Shellabarger, and they have a family of three chil- 
dren, the eldest of whom, Anna L., is the wife of 
Joseph M. Stewart, who is engaged as shipping 
clerk in the Shellabarger Mill, of Decatur. They 
have two daughters, Edna and Grace. David is 
engaged in partnership with his elder brother, 
Samuel, in cattle dealing in Texas, and is doing a 
good business. He wedded Miss Mattie Miller, 
a daughter of Supervisor John H. Miller, of 
Wheatland Township, Macon County. Howard, 
the youngest of the family, is at home. 

Mr. Diller remained in the State of his nativity 
and carried on agricultural pursuits until fifty- 
four years of age, when he determined to seek a 
home in Illinois. Accordingly, he came to Deca- 
tur and purchased a fourth interest in the Shella- 
barger Mill, with which he was connected for four 
years, when he sold out to Shellabarger & Bowers. 
He then invested considerable in a cattle company 
in Texas and also bought a third interest in the 
Decatur Brick and Tile Works, which he still owns. 
About once each year he goes to Texas to visit his 
sons and look after his large landed and cattle inter- 
ests. He owns eight hundred head of cattle, and his 
sons own as many more. In 1885 Mr. Diller also pur- 
chased a large interest in a (louring-mill of Salina, 



354 



PORTKAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



Kan., and has found this a good paying invest- 
ment. He has been President of the Decatur 
Brick and Tile Company for the last seven years, 
and under his careful management the business 
has prospered well, now amounting to upwards of 
$30,000 annually. He is a Director and stock- 
holder in the Leader Manufacturing Company. 
They make brick and tile machinery, the works of 
the concern being located in the western part of 
the city. 

Mr. Diller is a man of keen judgment and good 
foresight; conservative, in that he is not venture- 
some, and progressive in taking up any new im- 
provement or venture which his judgment ap- 
proves. In politics he is a stanch Republican, hav- 
ing atliliated with that party since 1856, when its 
first nominee ran for the Presidency. His wife is 
a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. 
They have a beautiful home at No. 631 West Prai- 
rie Street, which Mr. Diller erected at a cost of 
$8,000. There he expects to spend his remaining 
days, surrounded by all the comforts and luxuries 
of life that are furnished him by his handsome 
competence, the fruit of his former toil. 






L. WALSTON, M. D. The possessor of 
the name which heads this record is a 
genial, pleasant gentleman, popular in all 

wherewith he has long been connected, having 
practiced in this city for twenty-three years. He 
is a son of Levin Walston, who came to Illinois in 
1829. and followed farming in Indianola Town- 
ship, Vermilion County. He was born in Mary- 
land f and when a boy went to Kentucky, whence 
he came to this State. He served as a Captain in 
the Black Hawk War, was one of the pioneers of 
Vermilion County, and there improved a farm, 
becoming a well-to-do citizen. He married Susan, 
daughter of Gideon Howard, a prominent settler 
of Vermilion County, and her death occurred dur- 
ing the infancy of our subject. She was born in 



Scotland, and during her girlhood accompanied 
her grandparents to Paris, Ky., and afterward emi- 
grated to Indianola Township, Vermilion County. 
The father of our subject reached the advanced 
age of eighty-six years. 

The Walstons are of English descent, and the 
Howard family is of Scotch origin. The paternal 
grandfather of the Doctor, Charles Walston, was a 
native of England and was a soldier under Gen. 
Braddock, fighting against the American Colonies. 
When the British fleet set sail for England after 
the war was over, he slipped out and went to 
Maryland, where he spent the remainder of his 
life. His views changed when he saw the condi 
tion of the Colonists, and he became a Whig. 

Dr. Walston was born in Vermilion Count}- No- 
vember 29, 1837, Thanksgiving Day, and is the 
only one of a family of seven children now liv- 
ing. He was reared upon a farm within two 
miles of Indianola, and in the public schools of 
that place and in the district schools he acquired 
his primary education, which was supplemented 
by a three-years course in the Georgetown Semin- 
ary, a school of the Methodist Church. On the 
expiration of that period he embarked in teaching, 
his first school being in Indianola Township, after 
which he had charge of the Ridge Farm schools, 
being Principal of the same for two years. 

Nearly all his leisure time during this interval 
Dr. Walston devoted to the stud}' of medicine, and 
in the fall of 1859 entered the Ohio Medical Col- 
lege, from which he was graduated in the spring 
of 1861. He began practice in Ridge Farm, III., as 
a partner of Dr. Boswell Ward, now professor of 
Materia Medica in the Medical College of Indian- 
apolis. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted as assist- 
antsurgeon for the Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, 
but after ten weeks' service was taken with hem- 
orrhage of the lungs at Covington Heights. He 
was then sent home, and resumed his partnership 
with Dr. Ward, remaining with him until the 
spring of 1864, when he was mustered into service 
with the One Hundred and Forty-third Illinois 
Infantry, and served as the regular surgeon of the 
regiment until the close of the war. The greater 
part of his time was spent in the Gayoso Hospital, 
at Memphis, where hfc did arduous service, He was 



POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



355 



under Prof. Daniel Brainard, of Chicago, the 
founder of Rush Medical College, and one of the 
early and best professors of surgery. On account 
of his great admiration for Prof. Brainard, lie took 
a post-graduate course at Rush Medical College 
soon after the war, doing special work in the line 
of surgery. After taking his degree in 1866, he 
went to Paris, 111., where he engaged in general 
practice. He was one of the pioneer surgeons of 
Edgar County, having performed the first opera- 
tions for hare lip, cleft palate and ovarian tumor 
in the county. 

Dr. Walston has been twice married. In Octo- 
ber, 1863, he wedded Sara T. Smith, of Danville, 
111., and unto them was born a daughter, Dora, 
wife of William Lee Johnson, a business man of 
Chicago, by whom she has one child, Louise. 
January 3, 1866, the Doctor married Mrs. Cynthia 
M. Summers, of Paris, 111., widow of Charles Sum- 
mers, and they became the parents of three chil- 
dren. Louise is the wife of Percival Chubb, 
Professor of Languages and Belles-Letires in the 
Polytechnic School of Brooklyn, N. Y. Edward 
Brainard took a special course of study in the 
Northwestern University, of Evanston, 111., pur- 
sued the regular four- years course in Rush Medical 
College, graduating in the Class of '93, and is now 
assistant surgeon in the sanatorium of Decatur. 
He married Miss Lola Carver, of Paris, 111. Anna 
is now a student in Lasell Seminary, in Auburn- 
dale, Mass. Mrs. Walston also had a son by her 
former marriage, Albert T. Summers, a lawyer of 
Decatur. 

Dr. Walston continued his residence in Paris 
until 1871, when he came to Decatur, where he 
has practiced continuously since. He has met 
with marked success in surgery, thus gaining a 
wide reputation. In 1893 he built the sanatorium 
for the accommodation of patients who need sur- 
gical treatment. This institution fills a long-felt 
want in Decatur. It is a handsome four-story 
building, fully supplied with all modern conve- 
niences for the care of the sick, and has accommo- 
dations for fifty patients, who are afforded every 
advantage of u first-class establishment. For the 
past fifteen years the Doctor has engaged in the 
practice of surgery exclusively, and his skill 



and ability have won him a liberal patronage in 
this line. He exercised his right of franchise in 
support of the Republican party until the last 
election, when, on account of his views on the 
tariff question, he voted for Grover Cleveland. 
He is a man of commanding presence, and his 
pleasant manners and cheeriness are of almost as 
much benefit in the sick room as his professional 
service. 




HERIDAN A. TUTTLE, of the Tuttle 
Brick Company, of Decatur, has long been 
connected with railroad constructing in 
Illinois, as was also his father, whom he 
joined in the business in 1879, when he was eigh- 
teen years of age. He was employed on the con- 
struction of the Omaha extension of the Wabash 
Railroad from Brunswick, Mo., building fifteen 
miles of road, with Stasburg, Mo., as the central 
point, and putting in the side tracks at that place 
when the town contained but one house. The 
next year he rebuilt the old Northern Missouri 
Road from Brunswick, Mo., to Pattonsburg, a dis- 
tance of ninety miles, putting in new bridges and 
new iron. The next year he built the Jacksonville 
<fe Southeastern from Virden to Litchfield, a dis- 
tance of twenty-four miles. His labors during the 
succeeding year were given to the construction of 
the Q. M. <fc P. R. R. into Trenton, Mo., from the 
north. 

Subsequent to this time, Mr. Tuttle built ten 
miles of road on the narrow gauge of the "Clover 
Leaf" at Donnellson, 111., after which occurred a 
change in his business, as during the following 
two years he was employed in contracting on the 
street work in Decatur. When that period had 
expired, he spent two years with his uncle, B. B. 
Tuttle, in the lumber business. His father then 
engaged with the Wabash Line east of the Miss- 
issippi, and Sheridan began business for himself, 
contracting for grading. He also erected the 
Staunton Reservoir. His last railroad work was 



356 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



the construction of seven miles of road east of 
St. Louis, on the Jacksonville & Southeastern 
Railroad. Since that time, he has contracted for 
sewer work in Decatur, and is still engaged in that 
line of trade. He employs from twenty to one 
hundred men, and his contracts for 1893 have 
already amounted to not less than $20,000. His 
business is a large one and adds materially to the 
prosperity of the city, inasmuch as it gives 
work to so many hands. 

Mr. Tuttle has recently established the Tuttle 
Brick Company, which was incorporated with a 
capital of $20,000. The plant is situated a mile 
and a-half northwest of Decatur, on the main line 
of the Wabash,and they manufacture building and 
vitrified brick. This promises to become one of 
the leading enterprises of the community. Mr. 
Tuttle is a man of excellent business abilit} 7 , saga- 
cious and farsighted, and kis enterprise and good 
management have already placed him in the front 
rank among Macon County's business men. 






! LIAS FORD, a retired farmer residing in 
Niantic 1 . is numbered among the settlers of 
the county who came here in 1853. As he 
has a wide acquaintance throughout this commu- 
nity, we feel assured that a record of his life will 
prove of interest to many of our readers, and there- 
fore gladly insert this sketch. Mr. Ford is a native 
of Kentucky, his birth have occurred in what is 
now Marshall County, September. 22, 1829. His 
father, Boze Ford, was a native of Kentucky, but 
the grandfather was born in North Carolina, 
whence he emigrated to Galloway County, Ky., 
where Boze was reared to manhood. In that 
county the latter married Miss Susan Averitte, a 
native of Kentucky, and a daughter of Aaron 
Averitte, who was born in South Carolina. For 
some years, Mr. Ford followed farming in his na- 
tive State, but in 1851 removed to Sangamon 
County, III., where he opened up a farm. He spent 
his last years in Illiopolis, and was called to the 



home beyond in 1872, in the seventy-eighth year 
of his age. His wife passed away in August, 1852, 
and both were laid to rest in Long Point Cemetery, 
where a monument has been erected to their 
memory. 

Our subject is the second in order of birth in a 
family of seven sons and two daughters. The first 
twenty years of his life were spent in the county 
of his nativity, when, feeling himself ready to en- 
ter the world and fight his own battles, he left his 
old home and came to Illinois in 1849. Locating 
in Morgan County, he worked by the month as a 
farm hand for three years, and in 1853 lie came to 
Macon County, where he was similarly employed 
for a year. With the capital he had acquired 
by industry and economy, he then purchased forty 
acres of prairie land. and. locating thereon, began 
its development. His plow soon turned the sod, 
and the seed scattered on the ground, nurtured by 
the sun and dew, soon brought forth abundant 
harvests. Mr. Ford afterward increased his pos- 
sessions as his financial resources would permit, 
until he became the owner of two hundred and 
forty acres of timber and prairie land. After two 
years he sold that farm and bought the two hun- 
dred and eighty acre farm on section 34, Niautic 
Township, which he still owns. A nice dwelling, 
substantial barns and outbuildings, a good orchard 
and other improvements which may there be seen 
stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. 

The lady who bears the title of Mrs. Ford was in 
her maidenhood Sarah McDanneld. Her parents, 
James and Sarah (West) McDanneld, were natives 
of Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively. She was 
born and reared in Wayne County, Ohio,and when 
a young lady came to Macon County and taught 
school one summer. On the 2d of November, 
1854, was celebrated the marriage of our subject 
and his wife, and their union was blessed with five 
children. Minerva is the widow of Dr. A. C. Brad- 
way, of O'Glenn; Ella, deceased, was the wife of 
A. C. Edgar, of Rushville, Schuyler County, 111.; 
C. C. is engaged in the dairy business in Chicago; 
Hattie is the wife of George Jacobson, a business 
man of Niantic; and James operates the old home- 
stead farm. 

Mr. Ford is identified with the Prohibition party 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



357 



and supports its men and measures. He was 
formerly a Democrat and cast his first vote for 
Franklin Pierce in 1852. He served for one year 
as Supervisor, and has been a member of the School 
Board for a number of years, but has never been 
a politician in thesenseof office-seeking. Himself 
and wife are faithful and active members of the 
Niantic Christian Church, and do all in their power 
for its upbuilding. In summing up the life of our 
subject, we see that his career has been a prosperous 
one, owing to his indefatigable labors and perse- 
verance, also that it has been an upright and hon- 
orable one, and thereby he is numbered among 
Macon County's best citizens. 



UILLIAM S. MrCONNELL, M. D., one of 
the honored physicians of Macon County, 
^"^ residing on section 5, Pleasant View 
Township, is a native of the Buckeye State. He 
was born on the 21st of November, 1844, in 
Wayne County, Ohio, and is the eldest in a fam- 
ily of five children, four sons and a daughter, 
born unto Francis M. and Jane (Armstrong) Mc- 
Connell. Two of the number are now deceased. 
Those still living are the Doctor; Edwin A., a 
prominent railroad contractor residing in Wayne 
County, Ohio; and Harry A., who is successfully 
engaged in farming near Cleveland, Ohio. The 
father of this family was born in Pennsylva- 
nia, and when quite small accompanied his par- 
ents on their removal to Wayne County, Ohio. 
When about fifteen years of age he left home and 
learned the tanner's trade, at which he worked 
for several years. lie next engaged in a mercan- 
tile business in Kenton, Ohio, conducting it suc- 
cessfully until 1859. He started with only a lim- 
ited capital, but on selling out he owned one of 
the leading wholesale and retail stores in that 
town. He was a man of excellent business ability, 
and his well-directed efforts brought him a hand- 
some competency. His death occurred in Medina, 
Ohio, at the age of seventy-four years. The fam- 



ily is of Scotch and Irish extraction. The mother 
of our subject, who was born in Ohio, and was of 
Scotch lineage, departed this life in Wayne Coun- 
ty in 1881. 

Dr. McConnell, whose name heads this record, 
spent his early life under the parental roof in the 
town of Kenton, Ohio, and attended school until 
eighteen years of age, acquiring a good English 
education. The war having broken out, he de- 
termined to aid his country in her struggle to pre- 
serve the Union, and enlisted as a member of 
Company E, Eighty-second Ohio Infantry, in 
which he served for twenty-nine months, when 
he was honorably discharged on account of phys- 
ical disability, caused by a very bad wound in the 
left thigh that has crippled him for life. The 
wound was received at the never-to-be-forgotten 
battle of Gettysburg. Mr. McConnell was taken 
to the hospital, where he was confined for about 
three months, and was then taken to the State of 
his nativity. 

Our subject now determined to enter the med- 
ical profession, and to this end took a course in 
the Medical Department- of the University of 
Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and later was gradu- 
ated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and 
Surgery, in 1872. He then went to Sterling, Ohio, 
and, entering upon the practice of medicine, there 
remained for about three years. His next place 
of residence was in Blue Mound, III., where he 
continued to engage in practice until 1889. Ow- 
ing to his marked skill and ability he gained a 
liberal patronage and continued in active busi- 
ness until the year above mentioned, when, on ac- 
count of poor health, he laid aside professional 
cares and purchased a very valuable farm of one 
hundred and twenty acres adjoining the corpora- 
tion limits of Blue Mound. He now superintends 
the management and care of his farm, and to a 
limited extent still engages in practice among his 
old friends and patients. 

In January, 1873, Dr. McConnell was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary J. Goth'nett, who was 
born July 26, 1844, in Wayne County, Ohio. 
Four children blessed this union, three of whom 
are yet living, viz.: Ella E.. a highly educated 
young lady; Florence L. and Eunice G. The 



358 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



daughters are still under the parental roof. The 
McConnell household is noted for its hospitality, 
and the members of the family rank high in the 
circles of society in which they move. 

The Doctor is a stanch Republican in politics, 
having supported that party since he cast his first 
Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln before he 
was of age, while on a gunboat at Cairo, during 
his service in the late war. He is a member of 
Blue Mound Lodge No. 682, A. F. <fe A. M., and 
also belongs to Post No. 347, G. A. R., of Blue 
Mound. He has served as Chairman of his town- 
ship in the Republican Central Committee for 
twelve years, and has done all in his power to aid 
in the growth and insure the success of the Re- 
publican party, but would never consent to hold 
office. 

The Doctor is now Examining Surgeon on the 
Pension Board of Macon County. During his 
long business career here he not only gained a 
large and lucrative practice, but won for himself 
a place among the most prominent of his pro- 
fessional brethren, his skill gaining him an envi- 
able reputation. As a citizen he is public spirited 
and progressive, and manifests a commendable in- 
terest in everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the community in which he makes his home. The 
Doctor is widely known throughout Macon and 
adjoining counties, and has the respect and esteem 
of all with whom business or social relations have 
brought him in contact. 



J~| AMES WOODLAIN HA WORTH was born 
I in Clinton County, Ohio, on the 2d of April, 
1836, and died on the morning of February 
5, 1892, at his home in Decatur, respected by 
all who knew him. He was widely and favorably 
known in the community, and it is but just that a 
record of his life should be given in the history 
of his adopted county, where he so long resided. 
His parents were Mahlon and Sarah (Woolman) 
Haworth, both of whom were natives of Ohio. 



Their ancestors came from New Jersey, and were 
Quakers in religious belief. The family, however, 
is probably of English origin, and undoubtedly 
was founded in America in early Colonial days. 
The father of our subject was born in Clinton 
County, Ohio, August 20, 1809, and became a 
farmer, following that occupation for a number of 
years in the Buckeye State, where he also engaged 
in operating a sawmill. At length he determined 
to seek a home in the West, and in 1853 came to 
Illinois, making his home in Springfield until 
1857, when he made a permanent location in De- 
catur. Here he engaged in the grain business, as- 
sociating with him his sons, James W., George D., 
L. L. and John W. In 1870 the Haworth & Sons 
Check-Rower factory was built, and they began 
the manufacture of check-rowers, which were the 
invention of George D. Haworth. The family 
has been prominent in business circles since com- 
ing to the city, and established one of its leading 
industries. The father died on Monday, April 
25, 1893. 

Hon. James W. Haworth, whose name heads this 
record, spent the days of his boyhood and early 
youth in Ohio, and in its public schools acquired 
his education. He was a young man of seventeen 
years when he came to Illinois with his parents, 
and about the time of attaining his majority he 
took up his residence in Decatur, hence the entire 
years of his manhood were spent in this city. His 
business interests were always associated with those 
of the firm of Haworth & Sons. He was a man of 
good business ability, straightforward and honora- 
ble in all his dealings, and the community re- 
spected him for his sterling worth and strict in- 
tegrity. As a member of the firm of Haworth & 
Sons he engaged in the grain business on the 
present site of the check-rower factory, but in 
1870 the firm began the manufacture of check- 
rowers. Our subject was the business manager 
of the enterprise, which soon grew to large propor- 
tions, and the well-managed business became re- 
markably prosperous and profitable. In 1883 he 
organized The Decatur Iron Felloe Wagon Com- 
pany, and continued business along that line fora 
few years, but finally disposed of the enterprise. 
From 1888 he devoted his energies entirely to the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



359 



management of the business connected with the 
check-rowers until a few months prior to his death, 
when, on account of failing health, he practically 
retired. 

On the llth of September, I860, Mr. Haworth 
was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Louise 
Henkle, daughter of Benson and Margaret (Fer- 
rell) Henkle, the former a native of Virginia, and 
the latter of Kentucky. Her father was an archi- 
tect and fine machinist. One child graced the 
union of our subject and his wife, a son, William 
Edwin, who is now living in Detroit, Mich. He 
is a graduate of the law department of the Blooni- 
ington Normal, and, passing the required examin- 
ation, was regularly admitted to the Bar, but has 
not thus far devoted himself to the practice of the 
law. Miss Lean Henkle, now Mrs. J. Walter, of 
Sioux City, made her home with her sister, Mrs. 
Haworth, and was educated in the Decatur schools. 
She is remembered as a young lady of ability and 
of a warm, congenial nature. 

From 1857 until his death Mr. Haworth was 
prominently identified with Decatur's interests 
and contributed largely to the development of the 
city as a business center. The enterprises with 
which he was connected have given employment 
to hundreds of men and have caused the erection 
of many beautiful homes in this community. Mr. 
Haworth erected the present Ha worth Block, at 
the time of his death was a stockholder in and 
member of the Board of Directors of the Decatur 
National Bank, and in various undertakings his 
means and efforts were used to extend the growth 
of the city. He was a member of the Decatur 
Club, a Knight-Templar Mason and a member of 
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, to the sup- 
port of which he contributed liberally. Polit- 
ically, he was identified with the Republican party, 
and his opinions were frequently sought in its 
councils, but he was never an aspirant for the 
honors or emoluments of public ofHcc. In 1880 
he was a delegate from the old Fourteenth Con- 
gressional District to the National Republican 
Convention in Chicago, and was one of the solid 
three hundred and six delegates who remained 
true to Gen. Grant to the end. He was subse- 
quently given a "Three hundred and six" medal, 



which he prized very highly. He was a public- 
spirited and progressive citizen and always mani- 
fested a commendable interest in everything per- 
taining to the welfare of the community in which 
he made his home. He gave his support to all 
worthy enterprises and throughout Macon County 
was known as a valued citizen. His death there- 
fore was a loss to the entire neighborhood, and 
many friends, as well as his immediate family, 
mourned the loss of one whom they held in the 
highest regard. The beautiful home of Mr. Ha- 
worth was built under his personal attention and 
according to plans drawn by himself, and was 
erected at the cost of about $20,000. 



V. 




THOMAS M. PRICE, who resides on section 1, 
South Wheatland Township, where he owns 
and operates one hundred and sixty-eight 
acres of good land, is numbered among the early 
settlers of the county, having resided upon his 
present farm since 1854, or for a period of almost 
forty consecutive years. He claims Ohio as the 
State of his nativity, having been born in Butler 
County February 28, 1831. He is a son of Henry 
and Mary (Mallow) Price. The grandfather, 
Adam Price, was a farmer of the Shenandoah Val- 
ley, and died in Virginia. Henry Price was also 
born in that locality, but lived for about twenty 
years in Ohio, twenty years in Cass County, 111., 
and the same length of time in Macon County. 
In the spring of 1834, he came with his wife and 
seven children to Illinois, and settled in Morgan 
County, on a three-mile strip which is now a part 
of Cass County. Purchasing one hundred and 
eighty acres of land on a mill site, he built a mill, 
and in connection with its operation spent about 
twenty years in improving his farm. In the fall 
of 1854, he came to Macon County, locating in 
Mt. Zion Township, where he purchased five hun- 
dred acres of prairie land and a hundred and sixty 
acres of timber-land, and to agricultural pursuits 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



devoted his energies throughout the remainder of 
his life. His wife died in October, 1865, and was 
buried in Mt. Gilead Cemetery. Mr. Price passed 
away March 20, 1875, at the age of eighty-two. 
He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and took an active part in church work 
up to the time of the war, after which he discon- 
tinued his connection with it. In politics, he was 
a Jackson Democrat. He was a man who had 
many friends and few enemies, for his upright 
and honorable life gained him the respect and es- 
teem of all with whom he came in contact. 

The members of the Price family are: Albert, 
who died in childhood; Catherine, who became 
the wife of William Pitner, and died in Cass 
County, leaving one child, Dr. T. J. Pitner, of 
Jacksonville, 111.; Elizabeth, widow of William 
Wilson, of Casner, 111.; Delilah, who was the wife 
of Aaron Henderson, and died leaving two chil- 
dren; Sarah, who became the wife of John Naple, 
who died in Cass County; Moses, now a farmer of 
Kansas; Thomas, who is the next younger; Adam, 
who died at the age of five years; George, who is 
living in Kansas; and Mrs. Mary Skillman, who 
died in Mt. Zion Township. 

The subject of this sketch was only three years 
of age when he came to Illinois. During his boy- 
hood he attended the subscription schools of Cass 
County, held in a log building with puncheon 
floor and slab seats. A row of glass was inserted 
where a log had been removed, and in that way 
the building was lighted. Although his school 
privileges were limited, Mr. Price received ample 
training in farm labor. He remained upon the 
home farm until twenty-eight years of age, when 
he was married to MissTriphenia Cox, a daughter 
of William Cox, a native of this county. Their 
union was celebrated in 1859, and on the 24th of 
February, 1862, the wife died, leaving a daughter, 
Ida A., who married S. H. Phillips, of Decatur. 

On the death of his wife, Mr. Price returned to 
his parents' home. He was again married, Febru- 
ary 21, 1867, his second union being with Mrs. 
Mary C. Muir, widow of George G. Muir, and a 
native of Wisconsin. At the age of fourteen she 
went with her parents to Lewis County, Mo., and 
from there came to Illinois. By her first marriage 



she had two children: Lutecia, wife of Charles 
Dunning, a farmer of Mt. Zion Township; and G. 
G., a farmer of Wheatland Township. The father 
was a railroad conductor and was killed by acci- 
dent. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Price have been born 
three children, Henry Lee, Hattie and John W., 
at home. 

Mr. Price cast his first Presidential vote for 
Pierce in 1852, and has since been a Democrat in 
national politics, but at local elections supports 
the man whom he thinks best qualified for the of- 
fice. Himself and wife are members of the Shady 
Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which 
for many years Mr. Price has served as Deacon. 
He is a public-spirited and progressive citizen, who 
does all in his power for the best interests of the 
community and the promotion of the public wel- 
fare. His years have been well and worthily 
spent and by an upright life he has gained the es- 
teem of all with whom he has been brought in 
contact. 




?YATT F. CHERRY, who is numbered 
among the early settlers of Pleasant View 
\j/ Township, now resides on section 30, 
where for many years he has carried on farming. 
He claims the honor of being a native of Illinois, 
his birth having occurred near Rochester, in San- 
gamon County, November 9, 1821. He is the only 
survivor of a family of five children, with the ex- 
ception of one sister, Elmira, wife of James 
Huckleberry, a resident farmer of Sangamon 
County. His parents were Benjamin and Eliza- 
beth (Strickland) Cherry. The father was a na- 
tive of Georgia, born in 1790, and upon a farm in 
that State was reared to manhood. Determining 
to seek a home and fortune in the West, he emi- 
grated to Illinois in 1819, and cast in his lot with 
the early settlers of Sangamon County, becoming 
one of its pioneers. There he developed a farm, 
on which he made his home until his death, which 



POETRAIT AND BIOGKAPHICAL RECORD. 



361 



occurred at the very advanced age of eighty-seven 
years. His wife, who was a native of Tennessee, 
died at the home of our subject in Macon County, 
when seventy-eight years of age. 

In the home of his parents, W. F. Cherry spent the 
days of his boyhood and youth, and his early years 
were marked by no event of special importance. 
After arriving at man's estate he left the farm and 
purchased a tract of wild laud, to the improvement 
of which he devoted all his energies. After plac- 
ing some improvements upon it, however, he came 
to Macon County and bought the farm upon 
which he is now living, which was also a tract of 
wild land, upon which not a furrow had been 
turned or an improvement made. His labors have 
transformed it into rich and fertile fields, that 
yield a golden tribute in return for the care and 
cultivation of the owner. The farm comprises one 
hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, and is 
considered one of the best in the township. 

On the 20th of September, 1848, Mr. Cherry was 
united in marriage with Miss Susan Hall, a native 
of Tennessee, born March 13, 1824. Her parents 
were Garland and Penelope (Strickland) Hall. 
The mother died in Tennessee, after which the 
father left the old home and in 1830 took up his 
residence in Macon County, 111., where his death 
occurred sixteen years later. He was called to his 
final rest in 1846, when sixty-two years of age. By 
the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Cherry have been 
born eight children, seven sons and one daughter. 
Amos, the eldest of the family, follows farming in 
Sangamon County; Alfred is a well-known agri- 
culturist .of this county; John is engaged in min- 
ing in Dakota; Thomas A. is a farmer and carpen- 
ter of Nebraska; David is a painter and carpenter 
and resides in this county; Maggie, the only daugh- 
ter, is still at home; and George and James are 
both resident farmers of Macon County. 

Mr. Cherry has led a busy and useful life, de- 
voting his attention during the greater part of the 
time to his business interests. In politics he is a 
stalwart supporter of Republican principles. He 
cast his first Presidential vote for William Henry 
Harrison, and affiliated with the Whig party until 
its dissolution, when he joined the ranks of the 
Republican party. He has never sought or de- 



sired public office, yet has served as School Direc- 
tor in his township for a number of years. He 
belongs to the Christian Church. Mr. Cherry is 
one of the oldest settlers of Pleasant View Town- 
ship, having long made his home in this eommu- 
nity,and it is with pleasure that we present to our 
readers this record of his life. 



[,' OHN N. DONAHKY for the past two years 
has filled the position of County Superin- 
tendent of Schools in Macon County, and 
has proved a capable and efficient officer. 
His well-directed efforts have raised the standard 
of schools in the community, a standard which 
will never be lowered as long as our subject is at 
the head of the educational department. 

Mr. Donahey is a descendant of Revolutionary 
stock. His great-grandfather, John Donahey, the 
founder of the family in America, was a native of 
Ireland, who emigrated to this country in early 
Colonial days, and settled in one of the Eastern 
colonies. During the Revolutionary War he served 
as a soldier, and at the close of that struggle sold 
his effects and moved witli his family further West, 
settling in Washington County, Pa., where he 
started almost at the foot of the ladder of fortune, 
as the continental currency of which he had a 
good supply had depreciated in value to such an 
extent as to be entirely worthless, and he burned 
the entire amount, consisting of what he received 
for his P>astern property and for his services in 
the army. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject, whose 
Christian name was John, married Mary Hill, who 
was of Scotch-Irish descent. He emigrated to Ohio 
in 1809, settling first at Front Royal, later on a prop- 
erty known as the old Welsh Farm, and finally on 
what is now a part of the family homestead, in 
Knox County, being one of the pioneers of that 
county. 

The name of the father of the gentleman whose 



362 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



name heads this notice was also John Donahey. 
He married Mrs. Martha Craft, who by her first 
marriage had been the mother of three children, 
only one of whom was living at the time of her 
second marriage. Her maiden name was Martha 
Ross, and she was a daughter of Price and Martha 
(Davis) Ross. Mr. Ross was of English descent, 
and served as a soldier in the War of 1812, while 
his wife came of an old Pennsylvania-Dutch family. 

Mr. and Mrs. Donahey were both natives of 
Pennsylvania. When a youth the former went to 
Ohio with his father's family, and there he grew 
to manhood, married, and spent the remainder of 
his life engaged in farming. He died at the age 
of seventy-three years. His wife, who was a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, passed 
away at the age of seventy-two. Of their nine 
children, five sons grew to manhood. James, a 
commercial traveler, died in 1890, leaving a wife 
and four children; Aaron is married, and with his 
six children is living on the old homestead in 
Knox County, Ohio; P. N., who is married and 
has two children, carries on a general store in 
Bladensburg, Ohio; John is the next younger; 
and Josephus W. is a broker of Decatur, 111. 

The early life of our subject was spent on his 
father's farm in Ohio, and his earl} 7 education, ac- 
quired in the common schools, was supplemented 
by a course in the Normal School of Delaware, 
Ohio. He also attended the Mt. Vernon Normal, 
and for a short time before coming to Illinois en- 
gaged in teaching. The year 1875 witnessed his 
arrival in Macon County, and during the eight 
succeeding years he was employed as teacher of 
the Pleasant Hill School in Wheatland Township. 
In 1883, he accepted the position of teacher of the 
Boody school, and while there the citizens of the 
place built a new schoolhouse of two departments 
and made him principal. In 1887 he was chosen 
principal of the Blue Mound schools and contin- 
ued in charge of the same for two years. On the 
expiration of that period he finished the spring 
term at Niantic, filling the vacancy left by Prof. 
Powner. During the winter of 1889-90, in part- 
nership with E. E. Gibson, he engaged in the ab- 
stract and land-title business, but in the fall of 
the latter year again resumed teaching, and once 



more took charge of the schools in Boody, where 
he was employed as principal until his election to 
the office of County Superintendent, in the fall of 
1890. 

Prof. Donahey is now at the head of the Macon 
County Abstract Company, which occupies an of- 
fice over the Peddecord & Burrows Bank, at the 
corner of Walter and South Park Streets. He 
bought out Albert Webber in 1889, in September 
following sold out, and then in December re-pur- 
chased the entire business, becoming sole proprie- 
tor. Socially, he is a member of Macon Lodge 
No. 8, A. F. & A. M., and of the Royal Arch Chap- 
ter. He also belongs to the Calumet Club, a liter- 
ary organization, and in political faith is a Demo- 
crat. Our subject is an entertaining, intelligent 
and popular citizen, a good business man and a 
competent and faithful public officer. 



lOHN H. CULVER is known to many of 
Decatur's citizens through his extensive 
trade connections. He is a man of excel- 
lent business and executive ability and is 
at the head of two of the leading industries of the 
city, being President of the Culver Monument 
Company and also of the Municipal Electric Com- 
pany. Almost his entire life has been passed in 
Macon County, whither he came when a hid of 
five years from Christian County, 111., his birth 
having there occurred December 26, 1858. His 
parents were Edward and Elizabeth (Scott) Cul- 
ver, the former of whom was a farmer and stock- 
raiser and land-owner in Nebraska. He made his 
home in Macon County until 1891, when he died 
in Blue Mound at the age of sixty-two years. His 
wife passed away in 1884. 

The subject of this sketch at the age of sixteen 
entered the Normal School of Taylorville. and 
pursued a thorough business course of study, after 
which he accepted a position in the office of his 
brother, J. S. Culver, of Taylorville, and soon be- 
came superintendent of that branch of his brother's 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



363 



extensive monument establishment. On attaining 
his majority he returned to Macon County, and 
for the succeeding five years engaged in teaching. 
He then rejoined his brother, whose headquarters 
were at Springfield, 111., and devoted his entire at- 
tention to the mastery of all the details of monu- 
mental work, excepting only the strictly mechani- 
cal. His brother had establishments at seven dif- 
ferent points in Illinois and did an extensive busi- 
ness. J. H. finally became a partner in the busi- 
ness and soon closed out all the branch yards, but 
increased the capacity of the central house. This 
partnership continued for four years, when our 
subject sold out, and in 1889 came to Decatur, 
opening the present business, which he continued 
one year before the incorporation of the Culver 
Monument Company in 1890. It has a capital 
stock of $15,000, and its officers are, J. H. Culver, 
President; J. S. Culver, of Springfield, Vice-Presi- 
dent; J. M. Willard, Treasurer; and J. H. Rainey, 
Secretary. About $25,000 are invested in the busi- 
ness, and its annual sales, extending over a large 
area in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa, 
amount to upwards of $50,000. The company 
does monument work exclusively, using only the 
finest granite from the best quarries of Vermont 
and Georgia, and turning out only the highest 
grades of work. Mr. Culver attends personally to 
the purchase of the granites and gives his per- 
sonal supervision to the business. 

Other interests also claim the attention of our 
subject, who, as before stated, is President of the 
Municipal Electrical Company of Decatur, which 
was incorporated in 1893 with a capital of $25,000. 
The plant has just been completed at a cost of 
$27,000. The Wood arc lights and Slattery in- 
candescent lights are used. They have sixty of 
the former and about one thousand of the latter 
now in use. The incorporators of the company 
are, J. II. Culver, President; J. M. Willard, Vice- 
President; and E. E. Gibson, Secretary and Treas- 
urer. This promises to be a paying enterprise and 
will prove one of the city's leading industries. 

On the llth of March, 1886, in Macon, 111., Mr. 
Culver wedded Miss Florence, daughter of R. W. 
flight, of Macon Township. Their union has been 
blessed with a little daughter, Bessie, now two 



years old. The parents hold membership with 
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, 
Mr. Culver is a supporter of Republican princi- 
ples, and in his social relations holds membership 
with Ionic Lodge No. 312, A. F. & A. M., Macon 
Chapter No. 21, R. A. M., Decatur Council, and 
Beaumanoir Commandery No. 9, K. T. He takes 
quite an active interest in Masonry and also be- 
longs to Chevalier Bayard Lodge, K. P., and the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The Culver 
Monument Company has met with a marvelous 
degree of success^ a fact which is due to the able 
management of its president. Through his thor- 
ough understanding of the business and personal 
supervision, he knows just what is going on and 
can suggest improvements and lay plans for further 
perfection. He has thus won a liberal and ever- 
increasing patronage as the reward of his own 
labor. 






RLANDO C. STAFFORD is the well-known 
and efficient manager of the Decatur Brick 
and Tile Company, which is located west of 
the Wabash depot, just outside the city limits, and 
occupies twenty-three acres of ground adjoining 
the Wabash tracks. This company was incorpora- 
ted in 1891, with a capital stock of $30,000, and 
its officers are L. B. Casner, President; J. G. Shea, 
of Danville, 111., Secretary and Treasurer; and O. 
C. Stafford, Manager. The plant was erected in 
1891, at a cost of $25,000, and has a capacity of 
four million brick annually. They make a specialty 
of the manufacture of street-paving brick, known 
as vitrified, and take large contracts for paving. 
The machinery used is that of the Decatur Leader 
Manufacturing Company. Employment is furn- 
ished to twenty-one men, and the work turned out 
amounts to from $25,000 to $27,000 annually. 
This company also has a kiln in Danville, with a 
capacity of seven million brick annually. 

The manager of this company is one of Macon 
County's leading business men. He was born in 
Decatur, on the 8th of January, 1857, and is the 



364 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



eldest son of Henry Stafford, tlie engineer. He 
learned the business of engineering with his father 
and was engineer in the oil mill for seven years, 
at the expiration of which time he left that position 
to accept a similar position with the Decatur Brick 
and Tile Company. Here he learned the business of 
brick and tile making in all of its details, and 
became assistant superintendent of the Steam Tile 
Company. In 1891, he became one of the incor- 
porators of the Decatur Brick and Tile Company, 
and has since been its manager. 

On the 3d of March, 1881, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Stafford and Miss Fannie Evans, 
daughter of Henry S. Evans, a contractor and 
builder, now deceased. The lady is a native of 
Indiana, her birth having occurred in South Bend. 
Two children grace this union, a daughter and 
son, Bessie and Chester. The family have a pleas- 
lint and comfortable home at No. 1063 West Main 
Street, which is the abode of hospitality, and where 
their many friends are always welcome. 

In his political views, Mr. Stafford is a Republi- 
can, but has never been a politician in the sense of 
office-seeking. Socially, he is connected with the 
Modern Woodmen of America. He is also inter- 
ested in the brick and tile company of Danville, 
and the business of the Decatur Brick and Tile 
Company under his efficient management has been 
made a profitable one. He is sagacious and far- 
sighted, possesses excellent business and executive 
ability, and by his fair dealing and the excellent 
products which the factory turns out he has suc- 
ceeded in building up a good trade. 



nATHAN S. BATCHELDER, deceased, was 
born in Rockingham County, N. H., Octo- 
._, her 19, 1830, and was a son of Edward and 
Nancy (Smith) Batchelder. The days of his boy- 
hood and youth were spent upon the old home 
farm. In his early life he attended the district 
schools of the neighborhood, and later completed 
his education in Pembroke Academy, of New 



Hampshire. At the age of nine years he left his 
parents and went to live with a Mrs. Whitehouse, 
with whom he remained until attaining his ma- 
jority. 

After arriving at years of maturity, Mr. Batch- 
elder started out in life for himself. He remained 
in the old Granite State until 1855, when he 
determined to seek his home in the West, and came 
to Illinois. He first cast in his lot with the set- 
tlers of Coles County, where he secured work as a 
farm hand and remained for a year. The next 
year he came to Macon County, where he worked 
in a brickyard in Deeatur for a few months, when, 
having acquired some capital, he purchased the 
farm upon which his widow now resides. He first 
bought eighty acres of wild prairie land on sec- 
tion 8, Hickory Point Township, on which not a 
furrow had been turned. He was an industrious 
and energetic man, and at once began its develop- 
ment. Plowing and planting the land, he trans- 
formed it into rich and fertile fields, which soon 
yielded to him abundant harvests. His financial 
resources were increased, as the result of his un- 
tiring efforts, and from time to time he invested 
additional capital, until at his death he owned a 
valuable farm of three hundred and twenty acres, 
one of the best-improved places in Macon County. 

Mr. Batchelder was twice married. In 1864, he 
was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Richey, 
who died March 20, 1872. The children born of 
that union were Nancy J., Addie, Edwin and 
Charles S. On the 27th of November, 1872, Mr. 
Batchelder was again married, his second union 
being with Mrs. Margaretta Richards, widow of 
Hiram Richards, and a daughter of Philip and 
Nancy Cormau. She was married to Mr. Richards 
in 1858, and by him had a daughter, Clara E. 
Her husband died in 1859, and his remains were 
interred in the Emerson Cemetery. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Batchelder were born five children: Mary 
L., Oliver, Nellie P., Fannie S. and Martha C. 

In politics, Mr. Batchelder was a Republican, 
and served as School Director and Township Asses- 
sor for a number of years. He began life a poor 
boy, but by well-directed efforts and a determina- 
tion to win success he secured a handsome prop- 
erty. He died on the 15th of March, 1885, and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



365 



was laid to rest in Illini Cemetery. His life had 
been an upright and honorable one, he had proved 
himself a worthy citizen of the community, and 
his death was widely mourned. Mrs. Batchelder 
is a member of the Congregational Church, and a 
lady whose many excellencies of character have 
gained her a wide circle of friends. She is now 
living on the old home farm with her children. 



' i >.. p i 




BENEDICT McGOERAY is engaged in the 
real-estate and insurance business in Deca- 
tur, and is also a Director and Secretary 
and Treasurer of the Loan and Homestead 
Association. The country found in him one of th% 
valiant boys in blue during the late war, and De- 
catur now numbers him among his worthy citi- 
zens. He is a son of the Emerald Isle, his birth 
having occurred in County Deny March 21, 1832. 
His parents, Roger and Catherine (McVey) McGor- 
ray, came with their family to America in 1844, 
and located in Rochester, N. Y. 

Our subject was then a lad of twelve years. He 
remained at home until 1852, when, at the age of 
twenty years, he determined to come to the West 
and try his fortune on its broad prairies. He had 
been promised a position on the St. Louis & San 
Francisco Railroad, and brought a squad of twenty 
men with him from Rochester, N. Y., but on ac- 
count of labor troubles with the road above men- 
tioned, they began work for the Ohio & Mississippi, 
near Lebanon, 111. Mr. McGorray served as over- 
seer on the Ohio &. Mississippi for about a year, 
and afterwards worked for the Illinois Central 
Railroad Company. Me was engaged on the stone 
work in the construction of bridges, and assisted 
in building that road into Decatur, where he ar- 
rived in 1854. 

On the 23d of May, 1853, in Belleville, 111., Mr. 
McGorray was joined in marriage with Miss Cath- 
erine O'Brien, a native of County Galloway, Ire- 
land. The family born of this union included the 
following: Mary A., wife of John 8. Dempsey, a 



marble-cutter of Decatur; Sarah E., wife of Edward 
Grubel, a painter; Benedict A., superintendent of 
the Decatur Ice and Cold Storage Company; Dan- 
iel E., of Colorado; John Thomas, who died at the 
age of nineteen; Margaret J., who for four 3'ears 
was a successful teacher in the public schools of 
Decatur, and is now attending the Chicago Uni- 
versity; Catherine E., who graduated from the 
High School and State Normal and is now a teacher 
in the High School of Rushville, 111.; and Cora, who 
for two years has been employed as a teacher in the 
public schools of this city. 

In 1855, our subject began work in a brickyard, 
and later started a brickyard of his own with the 
small capital of $500. This he carried on until 
October 1, 1861, when he enlisted for the late war 
in the First Regiment of Missouri Engineers as 
artificer. He was first stationed at Rolla and Se- 
dalia, Mo., and was engaged mainly in construct- 
ing roads and bridges. This regiment, commanded 
by Col. Bissell, of St. Louis, was the only one of 
the kind in the Western army. In the spring of 
1862, the troops went to Island No. 10, and from 
thereto Pittsburgh Landing. They assisted in the 
capture of Corinth, and thence went by steamer 
from Memphis to Vicksburg. During that siege 
they were employed in cutting a canal across the 
point of land opposite this city, and in repairing 
roads and building bridges and culverts. After 
the fall of Vicksburg, Mr. McGorray was made 
Second Lieutenant, in March, 1864. The regi- 
ment went with Sherman to the sea, but our sub- 
ject remained at the garrison at Vicksburg, and 
was assigned to Company M, Fifth United States 
Heavy Artillery, under Col. H. Leib, of Decatur. 
There he remained until the close of the war, when 
he was mustered out of the service. 

While serving in garrison, Mr. McGorray was 
joined by his family, and when the war was over 
he began to make brick in Vieksburg, but re- 
mained there only a year, for the bitter feeling 
against the Northern men caused his return to De- 
catur in 1866. He had not prospered ill the South 
and was now without capital, so he began to work 
by the day in a brickyard. He continued' in the 
employ of others until 1881, when he was elected 
Justice of the Peace for a term of four years. In 



366 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1885 be was re-elected, but the following year he 
resigned his position. He then embarked in the 
real-estate and insurance business, which he has 
since continued with success. He has made a num- 
ber of improvements in the city, including the 
erection of twelve residences, which he sells on 
monthly payments. He assisted in organizing the 
Loan and Homestead Association, which has now 
been in operation for several years. These asso- 
ciations are among the most worthy institutions 
of the city, for they aid poor men in securing 
homes through the system of monthly payments, 
where, if the purchase price had all to be paid at 
once, they could not hope to secure their resi- 
dences. 

Mr. McGorray is a self-made man, having made 
his own way in the world unaided. Knowing the 
difficulties and obstacles thatonehas to encounter, 
he is always ready to assist any worthy person. In 
politics, he is a stalwart Republican, who believes 
in the protection of home industries. Although 
reared in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, 
he is now no longer connected with that organiza- 
tion, believing in the freedom of religious thought 
and conviction for each individual. Our subject 
is one of the most prominent sons of Ireland in 
this city, and the community recognizes in him a 
progressive and public-spirited man, who has borne 
an important part in the upbuilding of Decatur. 







S. SIMPSON is a traveling sales- 
man for the firm of Haworth <fe Sons, man- 
ufacturers of, and dealers in, check-rowers 
and corn -planters. His connection with this firm 
dates from 1876, and has been continuous with the 
exception of about three years. His long service 
indicates that he is a good salesman and is also a 
high testimonial to his fidelity to the interests of 
Ms employers. 

Mr. Simpson was born in Indiana County, Pa., 
May 13, 1843, and of the Keystone State his par- 
ents, Nathaniel and Margaret (Sprankle) Simpson, 



were also natives. The Simpson family is of Ir- 
ish origin and was founded in America by the 
grandfather of our subject, David Simpson, a 
farmer and miller, who was born in the North of 
Ireland. When a young man he crossed the At- 
lantic and located in Indiana County, Pa., where 
he reared a family of three sons and one daugh- 
ter. The maternal grandfather of our subject, 
Frederick Sprankle, was of German birth. He too 
was a young man when he left the Fatherland and 
cast in his lot with a people strange to him, in Jef- 
ferson County, Pa. Like Mr. Simpson, he fol- 
lowed the occupations of farming and milling. 

The father of our subject carried on agricult- 
ural pursuits in the Keystone State until 1855, 
when he emigrated to Keokuk, Iowa, where he 
made his home for a year. He then removed to 
Assumption, 111., but a short time before the war 
Vent to Denver, Colo. He formerly had served as 
a scout with Buffalo Bill. After the breaking out 
of the Rebellion, he enlisted as a private in the 
Seventh Colorado Cavalry, but his meritorious 
conduct won him promotion to the rank of Major, 
a title he did not long enjoy, however, as he 
never returned from the struggle. He was a mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian Church, and served as 
Deacon of his congregation while in Pennsyl- 
vania. His wife belongs to the same church. She 
is now living with her son George and is seventy- 
eight years of age. Their four children are Agnes, 
wife of R. C. Cochrane, of Assumption, 111.; Eliza- 
beth, wife of Robert C. Laforgee, of Decatur; Em- 
ma C., wife of Elmer R. Culver, of this city; and 
George S. 

Our subject was only thirteen years old when 
with his parents he came to Illinois. His educa- 
tional privileges were very meagre, but he poss- 
esses an observing eye and retentive memory, and 
by his experience he has gained a practical and 
useful knowledge. Various pursuits engrossed his 
time and attention until 1876, when, as before 
stated, he formed a connection with Haworth & 
Sons, since whicli time he has been selling their 
check-rowers and corn-planters, traveling through 
Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. 

On the 26th of April, 1866, Mr. Simpson was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary P. Haworth, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



367 



daughter of Mahlon and Sarah (Woolman) Ha- 
worth, of Decatur. She is the youngest child liv- 
ing of her father's family and was born in Point 
William, Clinton County, Ohio. She came to De- 
catur in 1854, and was educated in the public 
schools. Two children have been born unto Mr. 
and Mrs. Simpson, George H. and Fred, the latter 
of whom is at home. The former married Miss 
Grace Blume, daughter of George P. Blume, of 
Decatur, and they have a son, George B., who is in 
the real-estate and insurance business. Mrs. Simp- 
son is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. 
Simpson is a Republican in politics, having sup- 
ported that party since he cast his first Presiden- 
tial vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has 
served six years in the city council and has taken 
a decided stand in favor of public improvements, 
having been an untiring worker for the advance- 
ment of the city's interests. Our subject and his 
wife have a comfortable home at No. 367 West 
Main Street, which is the abode of hospitality, and 
he also owns other city property. He is widely 
and favorably known in business circles and is a 
popular and genial gentleman. 



Vf'OHN M. MOFFETT, who is successfully en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits on section 
34, Blue Mound Township, is numbered 
among the early settlers of the county, hav- 
ing come here in 1842. He was born December 14, 
1836, in Schuyler County, 111., and is a son of John 
B. and Polly Ann Moffett. The father was born 
in Bath County, Ky., in 1800, and on attaining 
his majority, emigrated toSangamon County, 111., 
locating upon a farm near Springfield. He was a 
wheelwright by trade and a natural mechanic, and 
worked along that lino in connection with agricul- 
tural pursuits. In 1831 lie built the first steam- 
mill west of the Illinois River. After ten years, 
during which time lie engaged in the milling busi- 
ness in Rushville, he- came to this county, in 1842, 
and settled upon a farm in Blue Mound Township, 



which he made his home until his death. He was 
three times married, our subject being a child of 
the second union. Mr. Moffett was a typical pio- 
neer, and a very prominent and influential citizen 
of central Illinois. 

John Moffett, whose name heads this record, 
was a lad of only six summers when he came with 
his father to this county. Amid the wild scenes 
of frontier life he was reared to manhood, and 
with his parents he shared in all the hardships 
and privations of pioneer life. He has never 
known any other home than "Macon County. He 
remained on the old homestead \mtil after he had 
attained his majority, when he began life for him- 
self, following the occupation to which he was 
reared. 

On the 26th of June, 1860, Mr. Moffett was un- 
ited in marriage with Miss Elizabeth McDonald. 
The lady is a native of the Ke3'Stone State, and 
came with her parents to Illinois in an early day. 
Nine children were born of the union of our subject 
and his wife, five sons and four daughters. The 
eldest, Homer, is still on the farm; William P. is 
the next younger; Ida May died in infancy; Sam- 
uel R. aids in the farm work; Carrie is the wife of 
William Wygand, an agriculturist of this county; 
Walter, Maggie, Elizabeth and John are still under 
the parental roof. 

Mr. Moffett now owns one of the best improved 
farms in this county, and in addition to its culti- 
vation he is an extensive stock-dealer. He raises 
a great many hogs, but devotes the greater part of 
his time to the breeding of fine horses, and has 
some of the best roadsters to be found in this sec- 
tion of the State. He also owns other property, 
including forty acres of land in Niantic Township 
and a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Kan- 
sas. His business career has been one of prosper- 
ity, but his success is due entirely to his good 
management, enterprise, and his determined efforts, 
which have overcome all the obstacles in his path. 

Mr. Moffett cast his first Presidential vote for 
Abraham Lincoln, since which time he has been a 
stanch supporter of the Republican party, doing 
all in his power to promote its growth and in- 
sure its success. He has never been an office- 
seeker, however, having steadly refused to accept 



368 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



all public positions, save that of School Director, 
which he has held for a number of years. Himself 
and family are faithful and consistent members 
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which 
hu has served as Trustee and Elder for some time. 
The members of the Moffett household form a fam- 
ily that is widely aud favorably known, and in so- 
cial circles they hold an enviable position. 



Jj OHN V. BIRKS, one of the extensive land 
owners of Macon County, who is now liv- 
| ing a retired life at No. 1145 North Ed- 
wards Street, Decatur, is numbered among 
the early settlers of this community, and has been 
identified with the development of the country 
since an early day. He is therefore well worthy 
of a representation in this volume, and it is with 
pleasure that we present to our readers this record 
of his life. He has the honor of being a native of 
Illinois, his birth having occurred in Grayson 
County, April 10, 1841. His parents, Roland and 
Mary A. (Van Devenler) Birks, were both natives 
of Tennessee and came to Illinois in an early day. 
When our subject was only six months old they 
removed to Logan County, where they made their 
home for some years. The father is now living in 
Illiopolis, Sangamon County, at the age of seventy- 
seven years, but in 1876 the mother went to Kan- 
sas for her health and there her death occurred. 
They had a family of five children, viz.: Melinda 
A., who married Abner Copeland and died several 
years ago; Rebecca, who is the wife of T. J. Scrog- 
gin, and resides in Harristown Township, Macon 
County; David aud James, twins, the former of 
whom is deceased, and the latter a resident of 
South Dakota; and John V., who is the youngest 
of the family. 

Mr. Birks whose name heads this record was 
reared to manhood in Logan County, where he ac- 
quired his education in the public schools. He 
aided in the arduous labors of developing several 
new farms, for his father moved from place to 



place and opened up several. When he was nine- 
teen years of age the father gave to his three sons, 
David, James and John, the old homestead, and 
shortly after our subject was married in Bald 
Knob, Logan County, on the 6th of December, 
1860, and began life for himself. He wedded 
Margaret E. Copeland, a native of that county, 
and a daughter of Abraham and Lydia (Myers) 
Copeland. Mrs. Birks' parents were both natives 
of Ohio, but her lather was descended from an old 
Virginia family, while her mother's people were 
probably of German descent, as the name would 
imply. They both came to Illinois when quite 
young, and were married in Logan County. They 
were the parents of seven children, who all grew to 
manhood and womanhood with the exception of 
one who died in infancy, but at this writing four 
only are living: Mrs. Mary A. Gilbert, a widow, re- 
siding in Harrison County, Iowa; Mrs. Sarah Jane 
Mooney, of Bald Knob, Logan County, 111.; Mar- 
garet, wife of our subject; and James E., a resident 
of Hamilton, Mo. After the death of the mother 
of the family, which occurred about 1849, Mr. 
Copeland married Miss Sarah A. Dickson, by whom 
he had eight children, and after her death he mar- 
ried Mrs. Rebecca Fink, by whom he has two chil- 
dren. Mr. Copeland is still living in Logan 
County, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. 

The three Bilks brothers remained together un- 
til all were married, but at length our subject sold 
his interest in the old farm, after which he rented 
land for two years. Subsequently he bought and im- 
proved one hundred and sixty acres of land in San- 
gamon County. In 1864, he took up his residence 
upon a farm, which he made his home until 1873, 
when he traded it for land in Macon County, 
comprising two hundred and forty acres in Harris- 
town Township. Locating thereon, he began its 
further development and made of it a fine farm, 
which continued to be his home until January, 
1892. Its boundaries he had extended by addi- 
tional purchases from time to time, until he now 
owns six hundred and forty-one acres of valuable 
land, all in Harristown Township. In connection 
with its cultivation he has engaged extensively in 
feeding and selling stock. Upon his land he has 
excellent improvements, including good bums, 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



373 



houses and other necessary buildings and all the 
accessories of a model farm. 

In 1892, Mr. Birks came to Decatur and has 
since made his home in this city. By the union 
of our subject and his wife have been born the 
following children: Barbara A., who became the 
wife of W. F. Lawrence, of Macon County, and 
died in 1883, leaving a daughter, Elnora Dell, who 
since her mother's death has made her home with 
her grandfather, and is now eleven years of age; 
Abraham C., who married Myrtle Ash, and oper- 
ates a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in this 
county; Elmer V., who is working for the H. H. 
Hill Company, of Decatur; and Carrie A., a maiden 
of fourteen j-ears, who is attending school. 

In politics, Mr. Birks is a Democrat, having al- 
ways supported that party. He has never been an 
office-seeker, however, yet has held the position of 
Township Assessor for two terms. He has been a 
member of the Christian Church for twenty years. 
Mr. Birks has been the architect of his own fortune, 
and in building it lias erected a solid and substan- 
tial structure, which indicates his thoroughness, 
perseverance, good management and enterprise. 
He has a handsome competency, which enables him 
to live retired, surrounded by all the comforts and 
many of the luxuries of life. 




EORGE W. HISER is a retired farmer of 
f Decatur, whose life has been a busy one, but 
as the result of his industry and enterprise, 
his perseverance and good management, he is now 
enabled to lay aside business cares and rest in the 
enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He 
was born in Cumberland County, Pa., December 
15, 1828, and is a son of George and Mary (Wolf) 
Hiser, who were also born in the Keystone State 
and were of German descent. Of their family of 
ten children, six were sons and four were daugh- 
ters: Sarah, of Decatur; John, of Oakley, 111.; 
Catherine $nd Solomon, deceased; George W.; 
William, of Oakley Township; Eliza, wife of Sam- 

17 



uel Miller, of Decatur; Levi, of Forsyth; Mary, 
wife of David Garver, of Whitmore Township; and 
Abraham, of Oakley Township. 

The father of the subject of this sketch was a 
shoemaker by trade and followed that business in 
early life, but after his emigration Westward he 
carried on farming. In 1850 he came to Macon 
County and purchased a small farm, to which he 
afterward added forty acres. His death occurred 
in 1867, at the age of seventy-six years, and his 
wife passed away when about eighty years of age. 
They were members of the United Brethren Church. 
The paternal grandfather was a native of Pennsyl- 
vania and spent his entire life in Perry County. 
He served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and 
lived to an advanced age. 

The days of his boyhood and youth our subject 
quietly passed upon the old farm in Pennsylvania, 
where he remained until he had attained his ma- 
jority. At the age of eighteen years he began 
learning the wagon-maker's trade, which he fol- 
lowed until 1853. In 1850 he came with his par- 
ents to Illinois, and three years afterward storied 
across the plains for California. The journey was 
made by wagon along the northern route. He 
spent six years in that State, prospecting for gold, 
and then returned home by the southern route 
with E. O. Smith. He took with him a lot of 
horses to Texas, where he left them in charge of 
two young men, who there engaged in raising 
horses for him. Quite a number of these were 
taken by rebel soldiers and used in the Confeder- 
ate service. 

Mr. Hiser reached his old home in 1860, and in 
Macon County purchased one hundred and twenty 
acres of land three miles north of Harristown. 
This was an unbroken tract, but he soon plowed it 
and sowed it in wheat, and after continuing its 
cultivation for some time he rented it for several 
years. He also bought one hundred and twenty 
acres of laud in Decatur Township, three miles 
northwest of 'the city, which he still owns. Later 
he purchased fifty acres adjoining this, together 
with twenty acres in Decatur Township, of which 
he still owns fifteen acres. lie also has a well- 
improved section in Piatt County, and his landed 
possessions yield to him a good income. 



374 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



On the 1st of March. 1866, Mr. Hiser was mar- 
ried to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher 
and Margaret (Getford) Garver. Their union was 
blessed with two daughters: Mary Alice, now 
the wife of Elias H. Shinier, of Waco, Tex.; and 
Matilda, who died in 1884, at the age of fifteen 
years. Mr. and Mrs. Hiser began their domestic 
life upon a farm on Stevens' Creek, and in con- 
nection with the cultivation of his land our sub- 
ject engaged quite extensively in stock-raising, 
making a specialty of hogs. He there lived for 
eleven years, but in 1877 he came with his wife to 
Decatur and has since made his home at No. 843 
College Street. His present residence at No. 855 
was erected in 1889. The home is a hospitable 
one, and Mr. and Mrs. Hiser rank high in social 
circles. They hold membership with the First 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is serving as 
one of its Trustees. In politics he is a Republican, 
but has never been an office-seeker, preferring to 
devote his energies to his business interests, in 
which he has met with excellent success. 




&HOMAS A. PRITCHETT, who is now en- 
gaged in the real-estate business in Decatur, 
has for many years been connected with 
the business interests of Macon County, in Niantic 
and in this city. He was born in Bourbon County, 
Ky., on the 23d of May, 1830, and comes of an old 
family of that State. His parents, William and 
Lydia (Wilson) Pritchett, were both natives of 
Kentucky and made their home in the midst of 
the celebrated Blue Grass region, about seven miles 
from Paris. The Wilson family lived originally 
in Maryland and became pioneer settlers of Ken- 
tucky. When our subject was about fourteen 
years of age his father died. He had been a well- 
to-do farmer and owned some three hundred acres 
of valuable land. In the family were nine chil- 
dren, of whom eight grew to manhood and wo- 
manhood. 



The subject of this sketch was the seventh in 
order of birth. He acquired his education in the 
public schools, and remained at home until he had 
attained his majority. On the 21st of June, 1851, 
he was joined in marriage with Mary E., daughter 
of William Ingles, and a native of Bourbon 
Couutj'. Having learned the trade of a harness 
and saddle maker, Mr. Pritchett followed that busi- 
ness in Paris, Ky., from 1853 until 1856, when he 
determined to seek a home in Illinois, and in May 
of the latter 3'ear became a resident of Springfield, 
where he remained for about a year. In the 
spring of 1857, he purchased a tract of land from 
the Illinois Central Railroad Company in Niantic 
Township, this county, and began transforming 
the wild prairie into rich :tnd fertile fields, hut in 
1864 he abandoned agricultural pursuits to enter 
mercantile life. He first engaged in the dry-goods 
trade, but afterward for a number of years carried 
on a hardware and agricultural store in Niantic, 
doing a large business, which brought him in a 
good income. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett were born nine 
children, five of whom are still living, as follows: 
Clara B., wife of James H. Chamberlain; James H., 
Mamie C., Nettie C. and Ada S. The other four 
children died in infancy. The family is one of 
prominence in this community, having many 
friends among the best class of people. 

Our subject's fellow-townsmen, recognizing his 
worth and ability, have several times called upon 
him to serve in a number of public positions of 
trust. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1860, 
and for twenty years held that office, discharging 
his duties witli a promptness and fidelity that as- 
sured his re-election and won him the commenda- 
tion of all concerned. For eight years he served 
as Notary Public, and was elected the second mem- 
ber of the Board of Supervisors from Nianlic 
Township. In politics he was first a Whig, and on 
the dissolution of that party he voted for Douglas, 
in 1860, since which time he has been a Democrat, 
although in local elections his vole is not con- 
trolled by party ties. 

In 1882 Mr. Pritchett came to Decatur, and has 
since been engaged in the real-estate ^business. In 
1888 the firm of Pritchett, Walmsley fa Co. was 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



375 



organized, W. H. Cave being the silent partner. 
They do a general agency business and handle for 
themselves a great deal of city property, being in- 
terested in almost all the additions to the city. 
The company are also agents for several leading 
fire insurance companies. Mr. Pritchett is one of 
the owners of the Syndicate Block. He has been 
connected with the Christian Church for a number 
of years, and served as Elder for some time in 
Niantic. He is a charter member of Niantic Lodge, 
I. O. O. F., and formerly took an active part in its 
work. He also belongs to the Masonic lodge. For 
thirty -six years he has resided in Macon County, 
and has therefore witnessed much of its growth 
and progress. He has always been a public-spir- 
ited and progressive citizen, and both in public 
and private life his reputation is above reproach. 




PRANK M. GADDIS is the President of the 
Decatur Lumber and Manufacturing Com- 
pany. He was born near Wilmington, 
Clinton County, Ohio, on the 3 1st of October, 1851, 
and there spent the first twelve years of his life, 
when with his parents he came to Macon County, 
111., the family locating three miles east of Maroa. 
The public schools afforded him his educational 
privileges, and at the age of fifteen years he began 
to earn his own livelihood by entering the employ 
of Samuel K. Swigley, who was engaged in the 
lumber business. Our subject has since continued 
his connection with that business, and has risen 
step by step until he has become President of the 
Decatur Lumber and Manufacturing Company. 

In 1858, this business was established by Mr. 
Swigley, who was its proprietor until 1870, when 
his death occurred. The business then passed into 
the hands of C. P. Thatcher, who was at its head 
for five years. On the expiration of that time, Mr. 
Gaddis became a partner. He had succeeded in 
accumulating some $500, which he invested in the 
business. It was then carried on under the name 



of the Thatcher Lumber Company for s6me time. 
Our subject invested more and more, until he had 
$25,000 in the business. After four years, during 
which time operations had been carried on under 
the title of the Thatcher Lumber Company, Mr. 
Thatcher retired, and the firm of Gaddis & Huff 
was formed. Under this name trade was carried 
on until the incorporation of the company on the 
1st of January, 1887,with a capital stock of $50,000. 
This was increased in January, 1892, to $100,000 
and is all paid up. Previous to its incorporation 
it was only a lumber company, but since then a 
factory has been established for the manufacture 
of sash, doors, blinds, moldings, etc. Employment 
was at first furnished to twenty men. On the 19th 
of November, 1890, this building was destroyed by 
fire, with a loss of about $24,000, as it was only in- 
sured for about $8,000. Within ninety days, how- 
ever, the factory was re-opened on an increased scale 
and now employs about sixty men. It is fitted up 
with all the latest improved machinery, and about 
three carloads are shipped per week. The officers of 
the company are F. M. Gaddis, President; Thomas 
V. Jones, Vice-President; A. S. Knouff, Secretary; 
and Samuel Alsup, Treasurer. H. M. Prescott is 
also a Director, and he and the above-named gen- 
tlemen comprise the stockholders. 

On his twenty-fifth birthday Mr. Gaddis was 
united in marriage to Miss Nancy J. Sn3'der, of 
Centralia, 111., and their union has been blessed with 
a family of four children, as follows: Nettie Ruth, 
Jesse Grant, Irene Edna and Laura May. The 
family circle yet remains unbroken and all are still 
at home. The parents are both members of Grace 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and for fifteen years 
Mr. Gaddis has held a membership with the Masonic 
fraternity, belonging to Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. 
& A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; and 
Beaumanoir Commandery No. 9, K. T. 

In connection with his other interests, Mr. Gad- 
dis is sole manager of the Niagara Anti-Freezing 
Force Pump, and is interested in the Combination 
Wire and Picket Fence Company. With the busi- 
ness of which he is now at the head he is perfectly 
acquainted, for he has worked in all its depart- 
ments, and he is now superintendent of the me- 
chanical department. The success of this enter- 



376 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



prise is no doubt largely due to our subject, who 
adds to his thorough understanding of the busi- 
ness an enterprise and industry which would win 
him success in almost any undertaking. The 
prosperity of his career is due entirely to his own 
efforts and is therefore well deserved. He is a man 
whose many excellencies of character and sterling 
worth have gained him universal confidence, and 
it is with pleasure that we present to our readers 
this record of his life. 




AMUEL M. DILLEHUNT, who is engaged 
in farming on section 22, Blue Mound 
Township, has spent his entire life in this 
county. He was born on the 31st of July, 
1849, in the city of Decatur, and comes of an old 
pioneer family that has long been identilied with 
the history of this community. His parents are 
Benjamin and Martha E. (Nesbit) Dillehunt, a 
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. 
They had a family of nine children, of whom our 
subject is the fifth in order of birth. 

Samuel Dillehunt passed the days of his boy- 
hood and youth in his parents' home and acquired 
his education in the public schools of Decatur. 
On attaining to man's estate, he left the city and 
removed to the farm where he now resides. From 
his father's estate he received fifty acres, and upon 
this tract he began his farming operations. As a 
companion and helpmate on life's journey he 
chose Miss Helen B. Hughes, the marriage cere- 
mony being performed on the 3d of November, 
1870. The lady is a native of the Buckeye State. 
She was born June 17, 1852, and is a daughter of 
David L. and Zenetta (Carson) Hughes. Her fa- 
ther is now living a retired life in Decatur. He 
was born in Boston, Mass., and at the early age of 
seven years was left an orphan and was then 
adopted by a Mrs. Graves, with whom he remained 
until he had attained to man's estate. Having ar- 
rived at years of maturity, he determined to seek 
a home in the West, and removed to Ohio, where 



he worked at his trade of brick-layer for a time. 
In 1858 he went to Ohio, where he has since lived. 
He is of Irish extraction. His wife is a native of 
Ross County, Ohio, and is of Irish and German 
descent. They became the parents of nine chil- 
dren, but three are now deceased. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Dillehunt were born eight children, namely: 
Elfie Helen, Martha Zenetta, Benjamin David. 
Anna Beatrice. Samuel B., Tottie, Bunn and Helen 
Marguerite. Martha Zenetta, the second child, 
died in infancy. The other children are still with 
their parents. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dillehunt began their domestic 
life upon the farm where they now reside, which 
has been their home continuously since. He is an 
/enterprising and progressive farmer, and the neat 
appearance of his place indicates his careful super- 
vision. His fields are well tilled and everything 
about his place is in a thrifty condition. The 
farm comprises two hundred and eighty acres of 
land, which pays a golden tribute to the owner, 
and his beautiful home is pleasantly situated about 
four miles northwest of Blue Mound. Our subject 
began life with only the fifty acres of lain! left 
him by his fattier, and with this as a nucleus he 
has gathered together his present possess! < ns. In 
politics he is a Republican and has filled the otficcs 
of Commissioner of Highways and School Director. 



OHN T. BARNETT, chief engineer of the 
water works and City Electrician of Decatur, 
lias occupied his present position since the 
5th of June, 1879, and his long service well 
indicates his efficiency and fidelity to duty. On 
the 5th of September, 1833, he was born in Greene 
County, III. His father, Rev. William Barnett, 
was a well-known preacher of the Greenfield cir- 
cuit of -the Methodist Episcopal Church in early 
days. 

John T. was reared upon a farm until sixteen 
years of age, when he began to learn the machin- 
ist's trade in the Chicago & Alton Railroad shops 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



377 



in Bloomington, 111. He remained with that com- 
pany for eight years and became familiar with the 
business in all its details. After the outbreak of 
the war, he was made a recruiting officer in San- 
gamon County, 111., where he recruited many half- 
companies, and finally recruited a full com pan}', 
of which he was elected Captain, but Gov. Yates 
asked him to remain as recruiting officer and gave 
him a captain's commission. 

After a year and a-half, Mr. Barnett resigned 
and came to Decatur. He worked for the Illinois 
Central Rolling Mills in Centralia and Amboy, 
but made his home in this city, and was thus em- 
ployed for eleven years. His capability and effi- 
cient service won him promotion and he became 
superintendent of the rolling mills, having charge 
of one hundred and fifty men. He afterward 
formed a connection with the Haworth Check- 
Rower Company, working in the shops and on the 
road. In 1879 he was made superintendent of the 
water works. The system used is the Holly system, 
where pressure is given direct to the mains by the 
engines, without stand-pipes. The plant has two 
Allis engines, with a capacity of one and a-half 
millions daily, and a Clapp & Jones pump, with a 
capacity of one and a-half millions. The engines 
are two hundred horse power each, the power 
being supplied by three batteries. The plant 
is situated on the bank of the Sangamon River, a 
mile south of Lincoln Park, and was originally 
started in 1871, with a capacity of only two hun- 
dred and fifty thousand gallons daily, but the new 
plant pumps two million gallons and has a reserve 
of twenty thousand gallons. It has thirty miles 
of main. Since Mr. Barnett has lilled the position 
of chief engineer, and since the new machinery 
has been secured and placed in operation, no 
fault has l>een found with the system of water 
works, which is indeed very complete and would 
be an honor to a place much larger than Decatur. 

The electric-light plant of which our subject has 
charge is owned by the city. The Wood system 
is used, witli a Hamilton-Corliss engine of one hun- 
dred and seventy-five horse power, which was se- 
cured in 1885, at a cost of 120,000. There were 
at first only fifty-nine arc lights, but these have 
been increased to one hundred and three. Under 



the Wood system the cost of carrying on the elec- 
trical works has been reduced one-half, and it is 
needless to say that with Mr. Barnett at the head 
everything is done in a first-class manner. To 
some extent our subject has engaged in dealing 
in real estate, having erected and sold a number 
of houses. He has made all his investments in 
Decatur property, and still owns six residences in 
this city. 

' On the 28th of October, 1855, in Jacksonville, 
111., Mr. Barnett was joined in marriage to Miss 
Ann Kinney, a native of that city. They have 
three children: Nettie, wife of Clay De Pew, of 
Decatur, who is traveling for the firm of Race & 
Co.; George, who is in charge of a number of men 
in the Wabash yards; and Charles, who is chief 
clerk in Griswold's hard ward store of Decatur. 

Socially, Mr. Barnett is a Knight-Templar Ma- 
ton. He belongs to Ionic Lodge No. 312, A. F. & 
A. M.; Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; and Bcau- 
manoir Commandery No. 9, K. T., of which he 
was Captain-General for two years. In 1.877, he 
was elected on the Labor ticket as Alderman from 
what is now the Seventh Ward, and held the posi- 
tion for two years, during which time he served 
as Chairman of the Committee on Streets and Al- 
leys. When his term expired he was made Deputy 
Marshal, but he resigned that position after three 
months to enter upon his present work. Mr. Bar- 
nett is well known in Decatur as one of its lead- 
ing citizens and as a popular gentleman, whose 
geninl manner and sterling worth have gained him 
many friends. 



JACOBS, who is engaged in farming 
ill on section 30, South Wheatland Township, 
3 is an honored early settler of Macon Coun- 
ty, who has experienced all the hardships and 
difficulties of frontier life, while aiding in the de- 
velopment and advancement of the community. 
He well deserves representation in this volume, 
and it is with pleasure that we present this sketch 



378 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



to our readers. Mr. Jacobs was born near Harper's 
Ferry, Loudoun County, Va., February 20, 1831, 
and is descended from good old Revolutionary 
stock, bis grandfather, Christian Jacobs, having 
aided the Colonies in their struggle for indepen- 
dence. 

The father of our subject, Adam Jacobs, was 
born in Loudoun County, and besides farm work, 
with which he became familiar, he learned to make 
plows and cradles. He also became a cooper and 
shoemaker. In the Old Dominion he married Ra- 
chel Edwards, whose father was also a Revolu- 
tionary soldier. In 1836 he came with his family 
to the West, making the journey with a wagon 
and a three-horse team. After a tedious journey 
they settled fifteen miles east of Springfield, 111., 
the father purchasing one hundred and sixty acres 
of land. Upon the farm which he there improved 
he and his wife spent their remaining days. He 
was a genuine pioneer and a sturdy and valued 
citizen of the community. In politics he was a 
lifelong Democrat, and in religious belief was a 
Lutheran. In the family were seven children who 
grew to mature years, and three are now living, 
the brothers of our subject being George, who 
served in the Forty-first Illinois Infantry during 
the late war; and Jesse, who makes his home in 
Kansas. 

Noah Jacobs was five years old when he came 
to this State. His boyhood was passed in the log 
cabin in Sangamon County, and the life he lived 
was a typical frontier one. He had to go eighty 
miles to mill, and used to drive hogs to S.t Louis, 
it requiring twelve days to make the trip. lie 
went to school very little. Through reading, 
traveling, and through experience and observa- 
tion, however, he made himself a well-informed 
man. He remained at home until his mother's 
death, when, at the age of sixteen years, he began 
working as a farm hand at $6 per month, being 
thus employed until his marriage. 

On the 14th of September, 1854, in Sangamon 
Count}', Mr. Jacobs married Sarah A. Ay res, who 
was born in Kentucky December 1, 1834, and is a 
daughter of Robert Ayres. In 1855 Mr. Jacobs 
came with his wife and child to Macon County, 
and lived for a year in Decatur. He then bought 



thirty acres of land near his present home, on 
which was an old log house with a clapboard roof, 
across which poles were laid to hold the boards 
in place. At length he sold that place and bought 
his present farm, comprising one hundred acres 
of rich and fertile land. The place is well watered, 
has good buildings upon it, good grades of stock 
are there raised, and in all its appointments it 
shows the careful supervision of a thrifty and 
enterprising owner. He also has land in Blue 
Mound Township, and has just sold a small farm 
for $5,000. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have been born seven 
children. William, who was born in Sangamon 
County, married Miss Garver, by whom he has 
four children, and is now proprietor of a meat- 
market and grocery store in Decatur. Logan, 
who married Miss Edwards, operates his father's 
farm in Blue Mound Township. Thomas, who 
is a good scholar and for ten years successfully 
engaged in teaching, is now an agriculturist of 
Wheatland Township; he married Miss Glascoe. 
Charles, who married Miss Oren, of Decatur, 
owns a farm in Harristown Township. Noah M. 
-was educated in the Normal SchooJ in Normal, 
111., was formerly a teacher, and is now employed 
on the Herald, in Decatur. Hattie is at home; and 
Carrie is the wife of William D. Miller, of Wheat- 
land Township. 

Mr. Jacobs has served as School Director for 
eighteen years, and filled the office of Assessor for 
three years, discharging his duties with prompt- 
ness and fidelity. He cast his first vote for Millard 
Fillmore in 1856, supported Lincoln in 1860, and 
is now a leader in Republican circles in this com- 
munity. Himself and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church in Elwin, have con- 
tributed liberally to its support, and are faithful 
workers in the Master's vineyard. For many 
3'ears Mr. Jacobs was Superintendent of the Sun- 
day-school, and has been active in training youth- 
ful minds so that in later years their lives will 
be upright and honorable. His own life has been 
one well wortli3 f of emulation, and his deeds of 
generosity, kindness and benevolence have won 
for him the love of many and the respect of all. 
As a means of recreation, our subject indulges 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



379 



his taste for hunting. A Nimrod of expert marks- 
manship, he lias brought down man}' fine animals, 
and several deer heads are on his walls, while a 
large bearskin adorns the floor. He has hunted 
in Michigan, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi, 
and each year engages in a hunting expedition. 




LONZO HALL, M. D., the leading physi- 
cian of Niantic, who has engaged in prac- 
tice in this place since 1885 with marked 
success, is a native of Kentucky, his birth 
having occurred near Lexington on the 19th of 
December, 1858. He is a son of James Harvey 
and Sallie Ann (Pritchett) Hall, both of whom 
were also natives of Kentucky. On the breaking 
out of the late war, the father enlisted in the 
Union service, and while at the front the mother 
removed with her family of eight children to 
Illinois, locating on a farm five miles west of 
Niantic. When the war was over, Mr. Hall joined 
his family, and upon the old homestead he and 
his wife spent their remaining days. 

The Doctor was quite a young child when the 
family came to Macon County. He spent the days 
of his boyhood and youth upon the farm, and 
acquired his education in the public schools. 
When lie began earning his own livelihood he 
embarked in the livery business in Niantic, but 
after a short time formed a partnership with his 
brother, James P., and engaged in the manufacture 
of brick and tile in Tuscola. At length they sold 
out their business, and at the age of twenty-four 
years Mr. Hall began reading medicine, prepar- 
atory to entering the profession, with Dr. A. C. 
Foster, then a practicing physician of Niantic, now 
living at Blue Mound. The first course of lec- 
tures which he attended was in the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons of St. Louis in 1883. 
The following year he entered the College of Phy- 
sicians and Surgeons of Chicago, and was grad- 
uated from that institution in the Class of '85. 
Returning to Niantic, Dr. Hall entered the office 



of his old preceptor, Dr. Foster, but after a year 
the connection was discontinued and he has since 
been alone. He has been having an excellent 
practice, which might well be envied by many an 
older practitioner. 

On the 25th of February, 1883, the Doctor was 
united in marriage in Chatham, 111., with Miss 
Lizzie Ingels, of Farmingdale, Sangamon County. 
The lady was a native of that county, and for 
three years previous to her marriage successfully 
engaged in teaching. Four children were born of 
their union: Erma, who died at the age of three 
years; Anna Laura, six years old; Sallie Belle, 
aged four; and James Harvey, two years of age. 
The parents are both consistent members of the 
Christian Church and take an active part in its 
work, the Doctor filling the office of Deacon. In 
politics he was formerly a Democrat, but is now a 
stanch supporter of the Prohibition party. Since 
he began practice six physicians who were then 
located in Niantic or who came afterward have 
left the city because they could not secure sufficient 
patronage, as Dr. Hall received the greatest part of 
the business. He has both skill and ability, and 
his close attention to the profession has made him 
prominent among the physicians of Macon County. 




illOMAS LORD, a well-known and popular 
citizen of Decatur, was born near Chilli- 
cothe, Ross County, Ohio, February 18, 
1823, and is a son of Garrison and Sophia (Abbott) 
Lord, both of whom were natives of Delaware. 
With their respective families they went to Ross 
County, Ohio, in an early day and were there mar- 
ried. About 1840 they became residents of Wheat- 
land Township, Macon County, where they spent 
their remaining days. They had a family of seven 
children, five of whom are yet living. One 
brother, Andy, is a member of the police force of 
Decatur; Henry makes his home in Texas; James 
is in Oregon; and Sarah, wife of John Brewer, is 
living in Texas. 



S80 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The subject of this sketch was a young man of 
seventeen years when with his parents he came to 
Illinois. At the age of twenty-four he left home 
to enter the Mexican War as a member of Com- 
pany C, Fourth Illinois Infantry, under Capt. 
Pugh. The regiment joined Scott's army and par- 
ticipated in the battles of Cerro Gordo and Vera 
Cruz. The}- then went as far as Jalapa, but after- 
wards returned to Vera Cruz, and were then sent 
back to New Orleans, where Mr. Lord was honora- 
bly discharged after one year's service. While 
foraging for pumpkins, he received a blow from a 
club on his arm, which fractured the bone, but 
otherwise he escaped uninjured. For about five 
years he received a pension of $8 per month, and 
in connection with his brother Henry, who was in 
the same company, was given a land warrant for 
one hundred and sixty acres of land. This he 
located six miles from Decatur, and, taking up his 
residence thereon, he began its cultivation, devot- 
ing his energies to its improvement for eighteen 
years. He made of it an excellent farm, but 
afterwards removed to another farma-half mile to 
the north, where he made his home until 1888. 
The old homestead comprised two hundred acres 
of valuable land, and in addition he owns another 
farm of two hundred and forty acres, and he also 
owns two hundred and forty acres in Macon Town- 
ship. To the cultivation of his land he gave his 
personal attention until ten years ago, and he 
also extensively engaged in raising cattle, sheep 
and hogs. 

On the 1st of March, 1849, Mr. Lord was united 
in marriage, with Miss Sallie McDaniel, who was 
born in Christian County, 111., and died in Deca- 
tur, May 12, 1880. Seven children were born 
unto them, but five died in early life, and Minerva 
died at the age of seventeen. The only surviving 
child is Mary Ellen, wife of James S. Cussins, 
a druggist and physician of Owaneco, Christian 
County, 111. He studied medicine in Rush Med- 
ical College, of Chicago, from which he was grad- 
uated in 1877, and with the exception of one year 
spent in Decatur has since engaged in practice at 
his present place of residence. He also owns a 
general store there, and is a prominent citizen as 
well as a leading -physician. He married Miss 



Lord on the 1st of January, 1878, and they now 
have three children: Minerva May, Lelah Lord 
and Bessie Marie. 

In 1 888, Mr. Lord came to Decatur, where he 
has since lived a retired life. He began for him- 
self with only eighty acres of land, which he 
received for his services in the Mexican war. 
With this small beginning as a nucleus, he has 
become possessed of a fine property, and his indus- 
try and energy have made him a wealthy man. 
His prosperity is well deserved, being the just 
reward of his own efforts. From his boyhood Mr. 
Lord has been a great hunter, and many a deer 
and wolf has he killed. Each year he joins a 
party that goes to the wilds of Arkansas in Octo- 
ber or November to spend several weeks in deer- 
hunting. He is a fine marksman, and many a tro- 
phy of the chase adorns his rooms. He is a pleas- 
ant, genial gentleman, delighting in humor, and 
his conversation is enriched by many a story of 
some thrilling hunting experience. 




R. MORRISON BRANDOM, a well-known 
oculist of Decatur, whose skill and ability 
have gained him'a wide and well-deserved 
reputation, is a native of Indiana, his 
birth having occurred near Columbus, in Barthol- 
omew County, on the 22d of October, 1832. He 
is one of a family of twelve children born unto 
John and Margaret (Walker) Hrandom, both of 
whom were natives of Virginia. On the paternal 
side the family is of Welsh descent, and on the 
maternal side is of German origin. Both the 
Brandom and Walker families were noted for lon- 
gevit}'. Her mother, Mary Stewart, died at the 
age of ninety-six. Her brother, Absalom Stewart, 
was for five years a captive among the Indians, 
and ran the gauntlet at Shawneetown. 

The father of our subject was a Virginian farmer 
and emigrated to Indiana during its Territorial 
days, locating at what is now known as Rising 
Sun. After a short time he removed to Haw Patch, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



381 



in Bartholomew County, where he purchased one 
hundred and twenty acres of land, upon which he 
made his home until 1834. He died in that year, 
in the faitli of the Baptist Church, aged thirty-five. 
His wife died July 4, 1893, in her ninety-fourth 
year, her birth having occurred September 17, 
1799. After her first husband's death she was 
again married, becoming the wife of Jesse Hughes, ; 
who died in 1844. By this husband she had one 
child. She afterward became the wife of George 
Rupe and survived him for thirty years. Horri- 
son Brandom, M. D., of Springfield, 111., is a twin 
brother of our subject, and the resemblance is so 
striking that their most intimate friends are de- 
ceived, and they themselves can scarcely select 
their own photographs. 

The Doctor spent the days of his boyhood and 
youth upon the home farm and remained in Indi- 
ana until thirty-five years of age. His earl}' edu- 
cation was acquired in the old-fashioned subscrip- 
tion schools. He remained with his mother until 
fourteen years of age, and from that time until 
1858 worked by the month as a farm hand at 
very small pay. At length he determined to enter 
upon a professional career, and in 1858 began the 
study of medicine at Whitestown, Ind. In the 
winter of 1864-65 he attended the Ohio Medical 
College, of Cincinnati, but previous to this time 
had already engaged in practice at Americus and 
Buck Creek, Ind. From the latter place he re- 
moved in 1865 to Cerro Gordo, Piatt County, 111., 
where he engaged in the practice of his profession 
for several years. In 1870 he came to Decatur, 
and with the exception of six years spent in 
Springfield, 111., and Wichita, Kan., has since made 
this city his home and the scene of his labors. 

On the 25th of August, 1861, was celebrated the 
marriage of Dr. Brandom and Miss Mary C. Starr, 
daughter of Henry and Lydia (Webb) Starr, of Tip- 
pecanoe County, Ind. Their union has been blessed 
with six children, but Harry died aged twelve 
years, and one died in infancy. Charlie, the eldest, 
an optician of Decatur, married Miss Nellie Wine- 
brenner, and unto them have been born three chil- 
dren, Harry, Joseph and Irene. Lillie is the wife 
of George Gray, of Hot Springs, Ark. Blanche is 
the wife of Charlie Wagonseller, of Decatur, and 



one child graces their union, Paul. Morrison 
completes the family. 

In politics the Doctor is independent. Socially, 
he is a member of the Odd Fellows' society and of 
Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M. His wife holds 
membership with the Methodist Church. She is the 
owner of a good farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres in Pawnee County, Kan. The Doctor owns 
a pleasant home in Decatur at No. 1263 North 
Water Street. He has built up a good practice in 
this city, making a specialty of the treatment of 
eye, ear and cancer cases. He has been a close 
student of his profession, and by his untiring labors 
has won a foremost place in the ranks of his pro- 
fessional brethren. 






OHN H. HARTWIG is one of the self-made 
men of Macon County. He resides on sec- 
,^1 tion 27, Pleasant View Township, where he 
*SHf) owns and operates a good farm of two hun- 
dred acres of arable land. Almost the entire 
amount is under a high state of cultivation, and 
the place is improved with good buildings and 
fences, and the other accessories of a model farm. 
Its well-tilled fields and the neat appearance of 
the place well indicate the thrift and enterprise 
of the owner. 

The subject of this sketch is a native of Ger- 
man}', his birth having occurred in the Father- 
land on the 10th of April, 1824. He is a son of 
John and Eliza (Opka) Ilartwig, both of whom 
were natives of that country, where they were 
reared to manhood and womanhood and spent 
their entire lives as farming people. 

John Ilartwig, whose name heads this record, 
attained his majority under the paternal roof, the 
days of his boyhood being passed in his native 
land in the usual manner of farmer lads. He 
there carried on agricultural pursuits until thirty- 
four years of age, when he determined to emigrate 
to America, believing that he would thereby ben- 
efit his financial condition. Bidding adieu to home 



382 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and friends, he sailed for the New World, and 
after a voyage of seven weeks on the broad Atlan- 
tic, which he crossed in a sailing-vessel, he reached 
the shores of the New World. He has never yet 
had occasion to regret the step then taken, for he 
he has here found a pleasant home for his family 
and met with a degree of prosperity which would 
probably not have crowned his efforts had he re- 
mained in the land of his birth. 

Ere leaving Germany, Mr. Hartwig was married, 
the lady of his choice being Miss Margaret Nust, 
a native of that country. She died on the home 
farm in Maeon County in 1875, leaving two chil- 
dren, a son and daughter: Lizzie, now the wife of 
Louis Miller, a prosperous and progressive farmer 
living in Clark County, 111.; and William, a suc- 
cesssul agriculturist of this county. 

When Mr. Hartwig reached Illinois he had no 
capital save energy and industry and a deter- 
mination to win success. This determination he 
has carried out. For a time he worked as a 
farm hand and later he rented land for a few 
years, but as soon as possible with the capital 
he had acquired through' his enterprise he pur- 
chased a small farm, and has since added to it 
from time to time, until it now comprises three 
hundred acres. All this represents his own earn- 
ings and is the just reward of his efforts. In his 
political views Mr. Hartwig is a Republican. He 
and his family are faithful members of the German 
Methodist Church, and are highly respected citi- 
zens of this community. 



I/ OHN SAWYER, a retired farmer residing in 
Decatur, claims Pennsylvania as the State 
of his nativity. He was born on the llth 
of October, 1811, in Lebanon County, and 
is a son of John and Mar}' (Bell) Sawyer, also 
natives of the same county. The family was 
founded in the Keystone State in an early day. 
The father of our subject served in the War of 



1812, and represented his district in the Legisla- 
ture. He was a fanner, and spent his entire life 
in the county where his birth occurred. In the 
Sawyer family were five sons and five daughters, 
but only three are now living: John, Thomas Jef- 
ferson and Mrs. Sallie Young, of Philadelphia. 

Our subject remained under the parental roof 
until after he attained his majority and became 
familiar with farming in all its details. In 1834, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza, daugh- 
ter of Adam Katring, of Lebanon County, Pa. 
Six children were born unto them. Mary, born 
March 4, 1837, became the wife of Silas Packard, 
of Decatur; John, the next, was born January 3, 
1839; William, born April 19, 1841, married Miss 
Gulick; Orlando was born September 10, 1843; 
Emma L., born November 20, 1845, is Mrs. Butler, 
of Kentucky; Thomas E., born August 19, 1848, 
died when about a year old. The mother passed 
away within a few days of the death of the young- 
est child, and Mr. Sawyer was again married, on 
the 27th of May, 1854, this union being with Mrs. 
Harriet (Mylor) Gulick, widow of Levi Gulick, 
who was born in Loudoun County, Va., on the 
18tli of November, 1809, and died of cholera at 
Madison, Ind., September 14, 1852. His wife was 
born in Ross County, Ohio, March 27, 1821, and 
they were married January 3, 1838. Unto Mr. 
and Mrs. Gulick were born five children: Julia A., 
born September 27, 1840; William F., who was 
born March 27, 1843, and died March 30, 1847; 
Mary Ellen, who was born April 2, 1846, and died 
July 9, 1872; LaFayette, who was born August 2, 
1849; and one who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. 
Sawyer had three children. AnnaB., born Febru- 
ary 28, 1855, is the wife of Jacob Harnsberger, of 
Champaign, by whom she has two children; Ed- 
win, born September 18, 1859, is at home; Alice, 
born December 28, 1861, died February 26, 1885, 
at the age of twenty-three ye&r3. The second Mrs. 
Sawyer passed away May 5, 1892, at the age of 
seventy-one, and her death was deeply mourned 
by many friends. 

Mr. Sawyer whose name heads this record is 
one of the honored pioneers of Macon County. 
In the spring of 1834, immediately after his first 
marriage, he came to Illinois, and settled east of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



383 



the present site of Decatur. The country was new 
and wild and he lived in true pioneer style. On 
coming West he was accompanied by his cousin. 
James Geddes. Leaving his wife with friends in 
Indiana, they proceeded on horseback to select a 
home in the then almost unbroken wilderness. It 
was necessary to ford almost innumerable streams, 
and at times it seemed as if it would be necessary 
to retrace their steps. On reaching White River, 
at Muncie, Ind., the stream was so swollen that 
less determined men would have abandoned the 
journey, but they urged their horses into the flood, 
swam them across and went on their way. They 
had no fixed destination in view, and on reaching 
Decatur were so pleased with the place and its 
future prospects that the} 1 determined to cast in 
their lot with its pioneers. Mr. Sawyer made a 
purchase of one hundred and twenty acres of land 
just east of town, on which were a few improve- 
ments, investing $600. Having secured a home 
he returned to Indiana, and in a few months he 
and his young wife were established in their new 
residence. They bore all the experiences of pio- 
neer life, and twice in one season Mr. Sawyer 
drove an ox-team to Chicago to market, a distance 
of one hundred and eighty miles. 

After the death of his first wife, in August, 1848, 
Mr. Sawyer went to California, in 1850, making 
the journey with mule-teams, and there he engaged 
in prospecting for gold. He made some money 
during that trip, and in 1854 returned to Macon 
County, where he has made his home continuously 
since. Soon after his return he purchased two 
hundred and five acres of land on the river, east 
of Deoatur, which he afterward sold for $ 10,000. 
He then went to Forsyth, six miles north of Deca- 
tur, and bought three one hundred and sixty acre 
tracts of land and another of twenty acres. Of this, 
he gave one son eighty acres and another one hun- 
dred and sixty but still retains possession of the 
remainder. In connection with this, lie also owns a 
small tract of fourteen acres in the suburbs of the 
city, besides his residence property at No. 405 
College Street and some on Water Street. 

Mr. Sawyer has prospered in his business affairs, 
as is indicated by the possessions he has acquired. 
He has been a careful business man, devoting his 



entire energies and attention to conducting his 
farm and incidental enterprises, and by careful 
oversight and honest dealing he has attained success 
in life; and now as he draws near its close he lives 
in the consciousness of an honorable career, and can 
take comfort in the fact that as the dark shadows 
creep apace, loved ones who have gone before will 
soon be met and welcomed. He has fought a 
good fight and his memory will be honored. Mr. 
Sawyer was made Mason in Macon Lodge No. 8, 
A. F. & A. M., of Decatur, in 1849, following in 
the footsteps of his father, who was an active Ma- 
son before and during the great anti-Masonic pe- 
riod following the disappearance of the famous 
Morgan. With Macon Lodge he has now held 
membership for forty-four years and is highly es- 
teemed by all his associates. He also belongs to 
the Chapter and Beaumanoir Commandery. In 
politics, he has been a lifelong supporter of the 
Democratic party. He ranks among the honored 
pioneers of the county, having here made his home 
for over sixty years. He came liere when the 
county was in its early infancy and has therefore 
witnessed almost its entire growth and develop- 
ment. The early settlers were its founders, and as 
one of them, Mr. Sawyer well deserves representa- 
tion in this volume. 




ROF. M. E. LOCKHART, editor and pro- 
prietor of the Niantic Times, and the effi- 
cient Principal of the public schools, has 
grown to manhood in Niantic, and has 
won distinction among the friends of his youth, 
who recognize in him one of the leading and influ- 
ential citizens of the community. He was born in 
this village December 26, 1859, and is a son of 
Jesse and Mary (Averitt) Lockhart, who were mar- 
ried in 1854. The father was born in Warrick 
County, Ind., June 8, 1826, and when a lad of 
about eleven years was forced to make his own 
way in the world. He began sailing on flatboats 
on the Mississippi, learned all the windings of the 



384 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



river, and became pilot. On aucount of a severe 
attack of cholera he was forced to abandon that 
business, and in 1849 came to Macon Count3 f , 111., 
where he secured a position with Mr. Acorn, mak- 
ing rails. In that way he got a start, and later 
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, 
on part of which Niantic now stands. It was all 
wild prairie, entirely destitute of improvements, 
but he transformed it into a valuable tract and 
later added to it. For fifteen years he was a drover 
in Niantic. He possesses considerable mechanical 
geiiius and has invented a number of railroad de- 
vices. He formerly took quite an active part in 
politics, being one of six in this township that 
voted the Democratic ticket in war times, and he 
was a delegate to the Democratic convention held 
in Louisville. He cast his first vote for Zachary 
Taylor, whom he knew personally, and was also 
acquainted with Jefferson Davis. For forty years 
he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity in 
Christian County. He married the daughter of 
N. G. Averitt, who was a native of North Carolina. 
The parents of our subject are still living in Nian- 
tic and are numbered among the highly respected 
citizens. 

The Lockhart family numbers six children. 
Alice is the wife of Thomas H. Claypool, of this 
county; Adelaine is the wife of Jacob Erisman; 
Lina is the wife of Gus Houffe, of Bloomington, 
111.; M. E. is the next younger; and Lewis and 
Henry are at home and are employed in the Times 
office. The children were all born and reared in this 
locality and were educated in the public schools, 
becoming respected men and women and valued 
members of society. The Loekhart family is of 
mixed Scotch, Irish and German descent. 

Prof. Lockhart whose name heads this record 
spent his early years upon the farm, his days be- 
ing passed midst play and work in the usual man- 
ner of farmer lads. His early education, acquired 
in the common schools, was supplemented by study 
in a school at Owensburg, Ky. He also attended 
Banglois Seminary and the Central Normal Col- 
lege, of Danville, Tnd., and in the Northwestern 
College of Elocution and Oratory he was also a 
student for a time. At the age of twenty he began 
teaching, and has followed the profession more or 



less since. He is perfectly familiar with the work 
of the schoolroom, is an able instructor, and com- 
mands the respect and confidence of his pupils. 
For three years he has been Principal of the 
schools of Niantic. 

In 1881 Prof. Lockhart married Miss Julia Far- 
nam, a native of Iowa. Their family circle num- 
bers five children: Charles, Jesse, Bertha, Mary and 
Celia. The parents are members of the Christian 
Church, and in politics Prof. Lockhart is a Demo- 
crat. He has never been an oflice-seeker, but has 
served as Justice of the Peace with credit to him- 
self and satisfaction to his constituents. For three 
months he has been in charge of the Niantic Times, 
and has made it a bright and interesting paper. 
His school work alone would fit him to make it a 
journal of high literary merit, and his desire to 
publish a paper pleasing to the community has 
found recognition in an increasing patronage. 




NDREW H. MILLS, a prominent attorney- 
at-law of Decatur, has since the 1st of 
May, 1891, engaged in practice as a mem- 
ber of the firm of Mills Brothers. He has 
been a thorough student of the profession, and his 
abilities, natural and acquired, have placed him in 
the front ranks among his brethren of the law. 
Our subject was born in Putnam County, III., Oc- 
tober 6, 1851, and is a son of Eli R. and Elizabeth 
H. (Kimber) Mills, natives of Pennsylvania, his 
father being a playmate of the late Hon. James 
G. Elaine. In an early day they located in this 
State. The father was a boatman, and sailed from 
Pittsburgh to New Orleans, later running on the 
Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. After settling in 
this State, he and his brother-in-law, Capt. Price, 
became owners of some boats, which they operated 
until Mr. Mills' death, in 1855. Mi's. Mills sur- 
vived her husband only two weeks, and died leav- 
ing an infant only a month old. Altogether there 
were nine children in the family. Miss Mary 
Johnson, who had lived with Mr. and Mrs. Mills 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



385 



from the time when she was eight years of age, 
reared the children, keeping the family together 
until one by one, as they attained sufficient age, 
they started out in life for themselves. This noble 
lady who so kindly cared for the friendless or- 
phans now h'ndsa pleasant home with our subject. 
We now take up the personal history of Andrew 
II. Mills, who remained with his benefactress un- 
til able to earn his own livelihood. After attend- 
ing the public schools, he attended Lincoln Uni- 
versity, a college of the Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church, from which he was graduated in 1875, 
after pursuing a five-years classical course, with 
the degree of A. B. Two yeard later, on complet- 
ing the post-graduate course, the degree of A. M. 
was conferred upon him. Mr. Mills now turned 
his attention to teaching. He became a tutor in 
the university, where he remained for two years, 
and then went to Waverly, Morgan County, 111., 
where for three years he- was Superintendent of 
the public schools. During this time he also read 
law, and in May, 1881, was admitted to the Bar. 
On the 1st of June, 1881, he formed a partnership 
with his brother, Isaac R. Mills, and they now 
have a large and constantly increasing practice. 
Our subject is now, and has been since June 1st, 
1888, Assistant State's Attorney, and has assisted 
in the prosecution of all the cases on the criminal 
docket, his special work being to get each case 
ready for trial. Occasionally he takes an active 
part in criminal trials, as in the Crawford and 
Westbrook murder cases and the Hunter election 
case. 

On the 2d of January, 1877, in Lincoln, 111., 
Mr. Mills wedded Miss Elizabeth E. Bell, daughter 
of the Rev. W. C. Bell, a pastor of the Cumber- 
land Presbyterian Church. She graduated in the 
same clas-s as her husband, and also took a post- 
graduate course with him, and for three years after 
their marriage acted as his assistant teacher in 
Waverly. They have a family of five children: 
Ralph G., Judith B., Helen E., Harold E. and An- 
drew 11., Jr. 

The parents are both members of the Presbyte- 
rian Church, and Mr. Mills takes a very prominent 
part in church work. Four years ago he was 
elected Deacon, and quite recently he has been 



elected Elder. For eight years he has served as 
teacher of the Bible Class, and for three years he 
has been Superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
Under his able leadership the attendance of the 
school has increased from two hundred and sixty 
to three hundred and sixty. He has attended 
many Sunday-school conventions of the county 
and is recognized as a leader in Sunday-school 
work. For seven years he has been an - ac- 
tive member in the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation, and during all this time has served on its 
board and as President of its finance committee. 
It was through his efforts that David F. Hamsher 
made the association his residuary legatee and 
thus secured to it $18,000. In politics, Mr. Mills 
is a stalwart Republican and for some years was 
Chairman of the Sixth Precinct. He has taken an 
active part in campaign work throughout the 
county and congressional district, and in 1886 he 
was the candidate for County Judge. Mr. Mills is 
well fitted by his keen judgment and fertile re- 
sources for leadership and has thus become promi- 
nent in the various lines of work in which he is 
interested. The community recognizes in him 
one of its best citizens, a man whose upright, hon- 
orable life is worthy of emulation, and whose word 
is as good as his bond. 



AMES A. BLAIR, proprietor and owner of 
the leading hotel of Blue Mound, is a na- 
tive of Ripley County, Ind. He was born on 
the 2d of March, 1845, and is a son of James 
A. and Mary (Gourley) Blair. The father was 
born in Scotland and was a son of Brice Blair, an 
officer in the British army, and who was also a 
large farmer and stock-raiser. James Blair, Sr., 
spent his early life on the farm in Scotland, but a 
few years after his marriage he crossed the briny- 
deep to America, locating in New York, where he 
remained for a short time. Coming Westward, he 
located in Ripley County, Ind., and, purchasing 
land, spent the remainder of his life in that local- 



386 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ity, engaged in farming and stock-raising. He 
was one of the honored pioneers of the commu- 
nity, and his death was deeply mourned. His wife, 
who is also a native of Scotland, is still living and 
makes her home with her children in Ripley 
Count}-, Ind. The family numbered four sons 
and one daughter, but the latter, Isabel, who was 
the eldest, is now deceased, as is also James A. 
Charles B., who served for three years during the 
late war, now follows farming in the Hoosier State. 
Thomas A. is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser 
of Ripley County, Ind.; and James A. is our sub- 
ject. 

We now take up the history of the latter, who 
was reared to manhood on the old homestead in 
the county of his nativit}'. He began his educa- 
tion in the district schools of the neighborhood, 
and afterward attended the academy at Versailles, 
Ind., for three winters. At the age of sixteen he 
attended school in Shelby County for a short time. 
In August, 1862, when only seventeen years of 
age, he joined the boys in blue of Company K, 
Eighty-third Ohio Infantry, in which he served 
for about eighteen months. In December, 1863, 
there was a call on the battlefield at Champion 
Hills for thirty-two volunteers to assist the Seven- 
teenth Ohio Battery, but only seven responded, of 
whom our subject was one. He was afterward j 
detached to this battery, and later re-enlisted in 
the First Regiment of Mounted Veteran Artillery, 
in which he served almost sixteen months, or until 
a general order of the War Department commanded 
all detached men to return to their regiments. 
In consequence he returned to the Eight3'-third 
Ohio, with which he served until the close of the 
war. He participated in a number of important 
engagements, including the battles of Chickasaw ! 
Bayou, Ft. Gibson, Champion Hills, Black River ; 
Bridge, the siege of Vicksburg, Jackson (Miss.), 
Cameron Bridge and the siege at Ft. Blakely, Ala. 
With the exception of about twenty days, when 
he was confined to the field hospital by illness, our 
subject was always found at the front, faithfully 
figl.ting for the preservation of the Union. 

At the close of the war Mr. Blair returned to 
his home in Indiana, but after a month came to 
Decatur, HI., in the fall of 1865, and began work 



as a farm hand. In the spring of 1866, he rented 
a farm in Christian County and began farming in 
his own interests, and later purchased one hundred 
and sixty acres of raw prairie land in Pleasant 
View Township, and began its development. 
There he carried on agricultural pursuits and 
stock-raising with good success until 1887, when 
he rented his land and removed to Russell, Kan., 
where he remained for about eight months. On 
the expiration of that period he returned to the 
city which is still his home and here purchased a 
residence, having determined to make his home in 
Blue Mound in order to better educate his children. 
For a year, however, he continued to operate his 
farm, but in December, 1891, he purchased what 
was then known as the Ward Hotel, but is now the 
Palace Hotel. This he has since conducted. The 
establishment is complete in all -its appointments 
and supplied with all modern conveniences. The 
attractiveness of the house and the genial and 
pleasant manners of the host have won for the 
Palace Hotel a liberal patronage. 

On the 1st of July, 1875, Mr. Blair was united 
in marriage with Miss Dianah Workman, who was 
born in Christian County. 111., and is a daughter 
of Stephen B. and Dianah (Bilyeu) Workman. 
For a number of years her father carried on mer- 
chandising in Loaini, Sangamon County, 111., but 
afterward became a farmer of Christian County, 
where his death occurred in 1864. His wife sur- 
vived him for many 3'ears and died on the old 
homestead in Christian County in 1881. Five 
children, a son and four daughters, have been 
bom of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Blair, namely: 
Mary D., Eth'e A., James William Sheridan (who 
died at the age of sixteen months and eleven 
days), Nellie M. and Lulu Flossie May. 

Mr. Blair is a stanch Republican, having been a 
warm supporter of that party since casting his first 
Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He was 
then in the service and had not attained his ma- 
jority. Socially, he is a member of Blue Mound 
Lodge No. 682, A. F. & A. M.; and Blue Mound- 
Post No. 347, G. A. R. He and his wife and their 
two eldest daughters are members of the Chris- 
tian Church. Mr. Blair has led a busy and useful 
life, and his industry and enterprise have brought 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



387 



him a handsome reward in the shape of considera- 
able property. Besides the Palace Hotel, which he 
owns, he still has his valuable farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres, together with some town lots in 
Russell, Kan. All he has has been acquired through 
his own efforts, and he may truly be called a self- 
made man. He is one of the leading and highty 
respected citizens of Blue Mound, and well de- 
serves representation in the history of his adopted 
county. 




>)HOMAS W. WADDELL, who devotes his 
energies to agricultural pursuits, and makes 
his home on section 15, Niantic Township, 
is a native of this State. He was born in Madison, 
111., December 18, 1837, and is a son of A. W. Wad- 
dell, a native of North Carolina, who emigrated 
with his mother and her family to the West in 
1820, and became one of the honored early settlers 
of Madison. After arriving at years of maturity, 
he married Miss Judith, daughter of Gen. Samuel 
Whiteside, who was then living in Madison County* 
but spent his last days in Christian County. In 
the former county, Mr. Waddell cleared and de- 
veloped a farm of about two hundred acres, and 
thereon followed agricultural pursuits throughout 
the remainder of his life. He died in 1878, and 
his wife passed away soon afterward. They both 
lie buried in Troy Cemetery, Madison County. 

Our subject is the third in order of birth in a 
family of three sons and two daughters, who grew 
to mature years and became heads of families. 
The eldest, John L., removed from Madison to Lo- 
gan County, where his death occurred in 1890. 
Ann in ta J. is the widow of Andy Simpson, of Lo- 
gan County; Thomas \V. is the next younger; 
William B. is an agriculturist of Logan County; 
and Laurine is the wife of Port Simpson, of Iowa. 

In the county of his nativity, Thomas Waddell 
spent his boyhood days, and in the public schools 
of the neighborhood acquired a knowledge of the 
< ommon English branches of learning. Upon the 
home farm he remained until he had attained his 



majority, and then chose as a companion and help- 
mate Miss Mary Elizabeth Norris, who was born in 
Bond County, 111., but spent the days of her maiden- 
hood in Madison County. At an early age she was 
left an orphan and was reared by her uncle, Thomas 
Bowen. Their union was celebrated in Madison 
County in September, 1857, after which they re- 
moved to Logan County, where Mr. Waddell pur- 
chased a small farm, which he operated until 1863. 
It was in that year that he came to Macon County 
and bought eighty acres of raw land, the same on 
which he now resides. It was entirely uncultiva- 
ted, not a furrow having been turned or an im- 
provement made thereon, but he at once began 
breaking and fencing it, and as the land was new 
and rich, it soon brought forth abundant harvests 
for the labor bestowed upon it. The boundaries 
of the farm have been extended by additional pur- 
chase, until it now comprises one hundred and 
sixty acres. In addition to the neat and substan- 
tial residence, there are good barns and outbuild- 
ings, an orchard and all the modern improvements. 

Since casting his first Presidential vote for 
Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, Mr. Waddell has sup- 
ported each Presidential candidate of the Demo- 
cratic party, and has been elected to several offi- 
cial positions of honor and trust. He has served 
two terms as Assessor, has been Commissioner of 
Highways and School Trustee, and for a number 
of years served his district as School Director. 
He has been a delegate to numerous county con- 
ventions. His influence has ever been given in 
behalf of good schools, and his hearty support and 
co-operation aid every enterprise that he believes 
calculated to prove of public benefit. He is a 
member and Past Grand of the Odd Fellows' 
lodge of Niantic, and his wife is a member of the 
Christian Church of that place. 

This worthy couple have a family of seven chil- 
dren yet living, the eldest of whom is W. A., a 
farmer of this county; George W. is married, and 
makes his home in Niantie; Adeline is the wife of 
Louis Claypool, of Decatur; Thomas L. is married, 
and carries on business in the county seat; Ella, 
widow of Warren Lindsay, resides at home; and 
Roy and Emma complete the family. They also 
lost three children in infancy, 



388 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Mr. and Mrs. Waddell arc widely and favorably 
known in the county, where for thirty years they 
have made their home. The former's record is 
that of a self-made man, who began life empty- 
handed, his possessions consisting of nothing but 
a bright hope of the future and a determination 
to succeed. His untiring labors and unflagging 
perseverance, together with the assistance of his 
estimable wife, have brought him a well-merited 
prosperity. 




EORGE C. KINSMAN, of Decatur, is 
superintendent of the Wabash Railroad 
Telegraph System, which position he has 
held since March, 1884. His appointment to this 
important and responsible position indicates the 
confidence reposed in his ability, and his long con- 
tinuance in the service shows that the trust has not 
been misplaced. He was born in Ellington, N. Y., 
August 22, 1850, and is a son of Abner B. and 
Asenath M. (Chandler) Kinsman, the former a na- 
tive of Vermont, and the latter of the Empire State. 
The Kinsman family is of English origin, the 
ancestors having emigrated from Old Albion to 
America in 1634. The Chandler family is of 
Dutch descent, being founded by emigrants from 
Amsterdam, Holland. 

The- father of our subject emigrated from his 
native State to New York in 1834, and there fol- 
lowed farming throughout the greater part of his 
life. He belonged to the old early militia, formed 
to protect the settlers from the Indians. His 
death occurred in Ellington in 1892, in the eighty- 
seventh year of his age. He was a member of the 
Congregational Church, to which all of his family 
belong. His widow still survives him and is now 
eighty-five years of age. Of their family Emily 
M. is the wife of R. P. Boody, of Morenci, Mich ; 
Jolin A. is living in Sugar Grove, Pa.; James M. 
is deceased; .Jennie E. resides in Ellington, N. Y.; 
Frances M. is the wife of Corlland Bates, of Elling- 
ton, N. Y.; Ella M. is the wife of Chauncy Crumb, 



of Grant, N. Y.; George C. is the next younger; 
and Willis C.. of Decatur, completes the family. 

Mr. Kinsman of this sketch remained at home 
until fifteen years of age and was trained to farm 
work.. He then came to the West and worked for 
one year in Morenci, Mich., after which he attended 
school in Oberlin, Ohio. His connection with tel- 
egraphy began with his appointment to the position 
of night operator for the Wabash Railroad at 
Napoleon, Ohio, August 8, 1868. He was after- 
wards station agent and operator at Rockfield and 
Delphi, Ind., where he remained until about 1870, 
when he became operator and clerk in the Super- 
intendent's office at La Fayette, Ind. He after- 
wards worked as freight and passenger conductor 
for the same company, and as tram dispatcher 
went to Springfield, 111., where he remained until 
March 1, 1878, when lie resigned to take a position 
as special agent in the Postoffice department. He 
was then offered the position of chief train dis- 
patcher at Springfield, and returned in 1879 to 
that city, where he remained until August, 1881. 
At that time he was appointed assistant superin- 
tendent of telegraph of the entire Wabash System, 
I with headquarters at St. Louis. It was in the 
I summer of 1883 that the headquarters were trans- 
ferred to Decatur, and in March, 1884, he was 
appointed to his present position. 

On the 5th of March, 1873, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Kinsman and Miss Lora S. Christ- 
iancy. Her father, Hon. I. P. Christiancy, of 
Michigan, was Chief Justice of the State Supreme 
Court for some years, and was afterwards United 
States Senator. Mrs. Kinsman was a member of 
the Baptist Church, and a lady whose many excel- 
lencies of character endeared her to all. She died 
in Ida, Mich., August 1, 1877, leaving a sou, 
Charles C., who was born December 14, 1873, in 
Springfield, 111. On the 27th of February, 1884, 
Mr. Kinsman married Miss Jennie W. Sanford, 
daughter of Gen. W. W. Sanford,of St. Louis, Mo. 
Her father was a soldier in the Confederate army, 
was taken prisoner, afterwards paroled, and later 
enlisted in the Union army as a private, but 
became a Brigadier-General. He died from wounds 
j received in the service. Two children have been 
born to our subject and his wife, Lora and Wilson. 



LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



391 



In connection with bis other business, Mr. 
Kinsman acts as superintendent for the Western 
I'nion Telegraph Company for all its offices along 
the lines of the Wabash System, and the Toledo, 
Peoria & Western, and the Omaha & St. Louis 
Railroads. He is a man of sterling worth, true to 
every trust reposed in him, and has the confidence 
and high regard of all with whom business or 
social relations have brought him in contact. In 
politics he is a supporter of Republican principles. 
Socially, he is a member of Macon Lodge No. 8, 
A. F. & A. M., and his wife is a member of the 
Baptist Church. They have a pleasant home at 
No. 641 Prairie Avenue, and besides this property- 
Mr. Kinsman owns a partly improved section of 
land in Buffalo County, Neb. 




V AVIDJ. FREEL AND, deceased, was born 
April 19, 1819, in Orange County, N. C., 
where he remained until seventeen years 
of age, when he came with his parents to 
Illinois, in 1836. The family located in what was 
then Macon, but is now Moultrie County, at the 
head of Marrowbone Creek, which in the early days 
was called Freeland's Point. There our subject 
remained until he had attained his majority, aid- 
ing in the labors of the farm and teaching school in 
Moultrie and adjoining counties. In the spring of 
1857, he purchased a half-section of railroad land 
in Milan Township and began its improvement. 
He was the second settler of the township, and 
became one of its influential and leading citizens. 
Mr. Freeland married Miss Sarah Strain, of Moul- 
trie County, who died in 1843, leaving a son, Alex- 
ander S., who is now a prosperous agriculturist of 
this community, and whose sketch appears else- 
where in this work. The mother is a daughter 
of David Strain, one of the honored pioneers of 
1830. In June, 1848, Mr. Freeland was again mar- 
ried, his second union being with Miss Martha 
Sawyer, who was born June 15, 1831, in Coles 
County, 111., and is a daughter of John and Hannah 

18 



(Radcliff) Sawyer. Her father was a native of 
England, and when a small child was brought by 
his parents to America. He followed farming 
throughout his entire life, his death occurring in 
Coles County, 111., at the age of seventy-seven. His 
wife was a native of Kentucky, and died in Coles 
County when fifty-five years of age. By the 
second union of our subject ten childien were 
born, three of whom are deceased. Jaqueline be- 
came the wife of John Blackwood, a stock-dealer 
of Decatur, and at her death left a daughter, Dessie 
Grace, who is making her home with her grand- 
mother; Kate Ida died at the age of eleven; and 
Sarah at the age of thirty-one. The last-mentioned 
daughter was finely educated, having graduated 
from the Northern Indiana Normal School, and 
was a successful teacher. The living are Mary E., 
wife of David Sanner, a leading farmer of this 
county; Charles W., who is successfully engaged 
in farming in Milan Township; Eunice, wife of 
Eli Scott, a resident farmer of Moultrie County; 
James J., who follows the same pursuit, and who 
married Miss Ella Mayes, of Dalton City, to whom 
were born two children: a daughter, Oaksie, de- 
ceased, and a son, David Ewing, about two and 
a-half years old. Martha R., wife of John Botwell; 
Josie F., wife of Sherman Keller, a traveling sales- 
man, residing in Decatur; and Hannah Jane, wife 
of Samuel Ekiss, who attended the Illinois State 
Normal at Normal, and for many years was one of 
the most successful teachers in Macon County. 

As Charles W. is the eldest son, he remained at 
home a part of the time, and aided in the labors 
of the farm until thirty-two years of age. He at- 
tended the Blackburn University of Carlinville, 
and afterwards engaged in teaching school and in 
teaching music in this and adjoining counties un- 
til 1886, when he began farming, and now is the 
owner of two hundred acres of land in Milan 
Township, comprising the fine farm on which he 
now resides. He has served as Supervisor of his 
township for five years, has been, School Trustee 
for eight years, and was also Tax Collector. In 
April, 1887, he married Miss Susan, daughter of 
William K. and Susan (Alexander) Inman, of De- 
catur. Two sons have been born unto them, An- 
ton and Adin. 



392 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Mr. Freeland whose name heads this sketch left 
a large astate, valued at some $40,000, which had 
all been acquired through his own efforts, and as 
the result of his own industry and good manage- 
ment. He possessed good business ability, was 
fair and honorable in all his dealings, and his 
word was as good as his bond. The utmost confi- 
dence was reposed in hitn,which was never betrayed, 
and he was one of the prominent and influen- 
tial citizens of the count}", having a large circle of 
warm friends. He held membership with the Cum- 
berland Presbyterian Church, was a kind-hearted, 
generous man, and his life abounded in good 
works. Upon the old home farm he passed away 
September 16, 1892. and in his death the county 
lost one of its best citizens. His widow still sur- 
vives him and resides on the old farm. She is a 
most estimable lady, and has the high regard of 
all who know her. 




AVIS BROWN is President of the De- 
catur Leader Manufacturing Company. 
This thriving city is noted for its many 
and varied industries, among the most 
important of which is the one just mentioned. The 
gentleman at the head of this enterprise is a man 
of fine business ability and inventive genius, and 
it is with pleasure that we here give this record 
of his life. 

On the 18th of August, 1860, Mr. Brown was 
born in Portland, Ind. His early boyhood days 
were passed in play and work in his native town, 
and at the age of fifteen he entered a repair shop. 
Subsequently he located in Bucyrus, Ohio, where 
he secured employment with a company engaged 
in the manufacture of machinery for making brick. 
He remained with the firm of Fry, Sheckler & 
Hoover for eight years, during which time he 
worked as a machinist, designer and salesman. 
He became familiar with the business in all its de- 
tails, and, believing that he could improve upon 



some of the machinery, he began making models 
and secured patents on brick machinery. These 
patents, however, which included a clay-crusher, 
cutting table and brick machine, he sold to the 
company by which he was employed. 

On the 2d of August, 1880, Mr. Brown was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary F. Denney, 
who resided in Portland, Ind. By their union 
has been born a son, Elmer Lewis. Socially, Mr. 
Brown is a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and his wife belongs to the Christian 
Church. In politics, he is a supporter of the Re- 
publican party, but has found no time to devote to 
office-seeking, his attention being fully occupied 
by his business interests. 

In 1888, Mr. Brown left Bucyrus, and established 
the Brown-Frazier Manufacturing Company, of' 
Portland. Mr. Frazier was formerly foreman of 
the Chattanooga Times, but became interested in 
the manufacture of brick-making machinery, and. 
forming a partnership with Mr. Brown, has since 
carried on the business in Portland, Ind. The 
Decatur Leader Manufacturing Company was in- 
corporated on the 20th of April, 1891, with a cap- 
ital stock of $35,000. Mr. Brown was elected Pres- 
ident. Elmer R. Frazier Secretary, and John A. 
Dawson Treasurer. The positions are now filled 
by the same gentlemen. The Board of Directors 
is composed of J. G. Shea, of Danville; Samuel 
Diller, L. B. Casner, J. A. Dawson and Davis 
Brown. Immediately after the incorporation of the 
company, a plant was erected at a cost of $23,000. 
The Decatur Leader Manufacturing Company is 
the successor of the Brown-Frazier Manufacturing 
Company, of Portland, Ind., at which place they 
had a plant worth $10,000. Several of the citi- 
zens taking stock in the concern, the business was 
increased, and now amounts to $42,000 annual!}-. 
They employ about twenty-seven men, nearly all 
of whom are skilled workmen, and they have two 
traveling salesmen upon the road. The company 
furnishes complete outfits for the manufacture of 
brick, and the machinery which they use is of the 
best. They also furnish all kinds of machinery for 
the manufacture of tile, including everything req- 
uisite to the business. Mr. Brown now has a num- 
ber of patents pending, including the automatic cu> 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



393 



ter, which in its perfection surpasses all others; 
the mechanical sander, the roller-brick machine, the 
"Gladiator," and a vertical tile-making machine 
for the manufacture of large-sized tiles. The excel- 
lent inventive genius of Mr. Brown has placed 
upon the market some of the finest machinery in 
his line. His ability in the management of busi- 
ness affairs is equal to that of his powers of in- 
vention, and the Decatur Leader Manufacturing 
Company is therefore enjoying a marked degree 
of success. In social circles, Mr. Brown is well 
liked, and by all with whom he has come in 
contact he is held in high regard. 



GEORGE DEMPSEY. a carpenter and paving 
, contractor of Decatur, is well known in this 
city, where for almost forty years he has 
made his home. He is numbered among the early 
settlers of the county, where he located in 1854, 
and as he has witnessed nearly its entire growth 
and upbuilding and has aided largely in its devel- 
opment and progress, he is well deserving of repre- 
sentation in this volume. A native of Ohio, he 
was born in Chillicothe February 10, 1825. Both 
his paternal and maternal grandfathers were natives 
of Ireland, and having come to America about 
1760. served as soldiers in the Revolutionary War. 
They married Pennsylvania ladies, and the parents 
of our subject, Andrew G. and Margaret (Elmore) 
Dempsey, were both born in the Keystone State. 
The father emigrated Westward to Ohio just be- 
fore its admission into the Union, and there made 
his home until 1865, when he started to Missouri 
to buy land, but he died on the way. His death 
occurred at the age of sixty-five years, and his 
wife, who survived him some time, passed away at 
the age of eighty-three. She spent her lust days 
at the home of her sou in Memphis, Mo. Both 
were members of the Methodist Church. Of their 
family of six sons and five daughters, seven are 
now living: John, a resident of Memphis. Mo.; 
James, of Spokane Falls, Wash.; William, of Green 



River Junction; Mrs. Jane Snodgrass, of Memphis, 
Mo.; Catherine, wife of John Huffman, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio; and Mary, wife of William Miller, of 
Chillicothe, Mo. 

George Dempsey spent his boyhood and youth 
upon a farm, and in Chillicothe, Ohio, where his 
education was acquired. He left home when fif- 
teen years of age and was bound out to Robert 
Lowery to learn the carpenter's trade, serving a 
five-years apprenticeship. He then followed that 
business until after the breaking out of the late 
war, when he enlisted in Company E, Seven- 
tieth Illinois Infantry, for ninetj' days' service. 
That term having expired, he re-enlisted in Com- 
pany B, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infan- 
try, and served until September, 1865, participat- 
ing in the siege of Vicksbuig and a number of 
other engagements. He entered the service as a 
private and was mustered out with the rank of 
Second Lieutenant. 

On the 3d of September, 1846, Mr. Dempsey 
wedded Miss Mary J. Lowery, daughter of Robert 
and Ellen (Phillips) Lowery, natives of Maryland. 
Seven children were born unto them, but two died 
in infancy. Those still living are Ellen; Charles 
C., who resides in Chicago and for twelve years 
has been an employe of the Pacific Express Com- 
pany; Andrew G., a railroad engineer living in 
Decatur, who married Miss Carrie Moffett, by whom 
he has two children. Lewis and Frank; Henry C., 
who married Miss Jennie Hawks, by whom he has 
a daughter, Alice; and Maria, who is the wife of 
John Peniwell, a grocer of Decatur. Henry C. is 
foreman of the Decatur Furniture Factory, with 
which he has been connected for eighteen years. 

In 1854, Mr. Dempsey came to Illinois, his first 
intention being to locate in Springfield, but on 
the 14th of April of that year he landed in Deca- 
tur, and has here since made his home. In 1857, 
he erected a dwelling which has since been his 
place of residence. Throughout his entire life he 
has followed his trade of carpentering, and his ex- 
cellent workmanship has brought him a liberal 
patronage. The county was new when he came 
here, and he has therefore witnessed almost its 
entire growth. He has taken an active part in 
everything pertaining to its upbuilding and ad- 



394 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



vancement, and has long been recognized as a 
public-spirited and progressive citizen. Socially, 
he is a member of Macon Lodge No. 8, A. F. & 
A. M.; and Macon Chapter No. 21, R. A. M. His 
wife holds membership with the Episcopal Church. 
His first Presidential vote was cast for Zachary 
Taylor, find he supported the Whig party until its 
dissolution, when he joined the ranks of the new 
Republican party and under its banner has since 
marched. He served as Superintendent of Streets 
in Decatur from 1873 until 1879, and was one of 
the first Aldermen on the city's organization. Dur- 
ing his long residence in this community' Mr. 
Dempsey has become widely known, and his honor- 
able, upright life has gained him the warm regard 
and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in 
contact. As one of the honored pioneers of Ma- 
con County we gladly present him to our readers. 






WILLIAM H. DAVIS is the efficient and ca- 
pable manager of the Western Union Tel- 
egraph office in Decatur, of which he lias 
had charge for six years, having been appointed 
to the position in April, 1887. He is a man widely 
and favorably known in this community, and we 
therefore feel assured that this record of his life 
will prove of interest to our readers. Mr. Davis 
is a native of the Hoosier State and was born on 
the 8th of October, 1856, in Union City, Randolph 
County, Ind., and in that locality was reared to 
manhood. He spent a considerable portion of his 
youth in working on a farm by the month, and 
from quite an early age has earned his own liveli- 
hood. He may truly be numbered among the self- 
made men of Decatur, for whatever success he has 
achieved is due entirely to his own efforts. 

On attaining his majority Mr. Davis left home 
and, going to Chicago, entered the general office 
of the Western Union Telegraph Company in 
order to learn the business. After he had mas- 
tered it he was accepted as an employe of the 
company, in 1881, and given work in the Chicago 




office. Later he was sent to Bloomington 111., 
where for four years he served in the capacity of 
telegraph operator. On the expiration of that 
period he was placed in charge of the telegraph 
office in Janesville, Wis., where he remained for a 
year. He then returned to the general office in 
Chicago, and a year later was sent to Decatur, as 
before stated. He has now been the manager of 
the Decatur office for six consecutive years, and 
has nine employes under him. 

On the 20th of June, 1889, Mr. Davis was mar- 
ried to Miss Myra R. Smith, of Bloomington, III. 
She is a most estimable lady and a consistent 
member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church. 
They reside at No. 667 West Main Street, where 
they have a pleasant home. Mr. Davis takes con- 
siderable interest in civic societies, and is a mem- 
ber of the Masonic fraternity and of the Modern 
Woodmen lodge of Decatur. He also belongs to the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is Past 
Noble Grand of Celestia Lodge No. 186,1. O. O. F. 
He has also attended the Grand Lodge. In poli- 
tics he votes with the Democratic party, but has 
never been an office-seeker, political preferment 
having no attraction for him. His faithfulness :ind 
fidelity to the company by which he is employed 
are attested by the responsible position to which 
he was appointed. He has now been an employe 
of the company twelve years altogether, in which 
time he has faithfully labored for its interests. 
He is an enterprising and energetic young man, 
and the community finds in him a valued citizen. 



OHN K. WARREN has since 1855 been 
recognized as one of the prominent and in- 
fluential citizens of Macon County, and for 
many years has been one of the most en- 
terprising business men of Decatur, a leader in all 
enterprises calculated to promote the growth and 
prosperity of his adopted city, and he well de- 
serves representation iu this volume. He was 
born and reared in the city of Philadelphia, yet 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



395 



on coming to Illinois was not altogether unfamiliar 
with agriculture, having spent one season on an 
uncle's farm in New Jersey, together with several 
years upon his mother's farm in Pennsylvania, 
where, being of an inquiring mind, he learned 
a great many things about advanced farming. 
When a young man he determined to see the 
West and in some of its thriving towns seek 
a remunerative occupation that might give his 
energies full scope. His first resolve was to en- 
ter into the grain business in Chicago, but the 
keen lake breezes of that city did not agree with 
him and made his asthma, from which he has suf- 
fered from childhood, much worse. While con- 
versing with a friend one day about the advisa- 
bility of a change, his companion suggested that 
he go out on the prairies in the center of the 
State. 

In consequence, Mr. Warren started out with a 
view to testing the prairie atmosphere and if con- 
genial make a home in the West. He went first to 
Toulon, from there to Winona, upon the invita- 
tion and in the carriage of Mark Bangs, and 
thence proceeded south, stopping at Decatur. 
After a night spent at the Cassell House, where 
the St. Nicholas now stands, he awoke the next 
morning to find himself free from asthmatic 
troubles. Mr. Warren shouted "Eureka," and 
determined to locate here, so in 1856 his mother, 
Mrs. Ann Warren, left her friends and lifetime as- 
sociates in Philadelphia and joined her son. They 
made their home on a farm in the northeast corner 
of Decatur Township until the fall of 1858, when 
Mr. Warren embarked in the manufacture of wheat 
drills as a partner of Stephen H. Boyakin, having 
purchased the interest of Tilghman H. Alexander 
in the manufacture of Pennock's Wheat Drill. In 
1859, he sold out his manufacturing interest to 
Mr. Boyakin and entered upon his own account 
into the insurance and real-estate business. His 
first experience as a solicitor was for William L. 
Hammer, who had the leading fire insurance agencv 
in Decatur at that time. In 1861, Mr. Warren 
entered into a partnership with the late Henry B. 
Durfee in the real-estate, insurance and title ab- 
stract business, under the name of Warren & 
Durfee. In 1863, Bradford K. Durfee, who had 



charge of the compiling of an abstract of the rec- 
ords of Macon County, became a member of the 
firm, which was known as Durfee, Warren & Co. 
The first system of title abstracting that was ever 
copyrighted was known as " H. B. Durfee's Con- 
tinuous and Self-Connective System, with Dur- 
fee, Warren & Co.'s Improvements," and was 
largely introduced throughout the West from 
1864-until 1869. 

In May, 1867, Mr. Warren married Miss Emma, 
daughter of George W. and Almira A. (Giles) 
Powers, and a niece of Orlando and Samuel Pow- 
ers. They took up their abode in Decatur and 
here lived until 1873. They then spent three 
years in California, and a year and a-half in the 
South, principal!}' in Texas, on account of Mr. 
Warren's health, returning to their home in this 
place in 1878. While in California Mr. Warren 
had the misfortune to lose his beloved mother, 
from whom he had not been separated except for a 
few weeks for more than forty years. With deep 
feeling, he says that had he made the greatest suc- 
cess possible in this life he would have owed it all 
to her example and self-sacrificing devotion. Mr. 
and Mrs. Warren reside at No. 510 West Decatur 
Street. They have one son, Giles R., a rising 
young comedian, now in the East. 

Since the organization of the party, Mr. War- 
icn has been a stanch Republican. In 1867, he 
was the first Republican candidate for Mayor, and 
was elected by a good majority over Franklin 
Priest, the Democratic candidate, who was a pop- 
ular and prominent man. He has also been a 
member of the Board of Education for nine years 
and has done effective service in the interest of 
schools. 

From 1867 until 1872, our subject was promi- 
nent in securing the establishment of railroad lines 
through Decatur. By the action of the people 
along the line of the road he came into charge of 
the Indiana & Illinois Central Railroad, now the 
I. S. & W. R. R., and was identified with project- 
ing and building the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur 
Railroad from Decatur to Pekin, since merged in- 
to the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville R. R. By 
virtue of his position he was personally instru- 
mental in the building of the Illinois Midland 



396 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Railroad, which subsequently became known as 
the Terre Haute <fe Peoria Railroad. He devoted 
his time to attendance upon both the Indiana and 
Illinois Legislatures in 1869, and was very active 
in securing tavorable legislation for the building 
of railroads. He had particular satisfaction in the 
result of the management that procured the special 
charter for the Decatur & State Line Railroad 
from the Illinois Legislature, in opposition to an 
adverse railroad interest of a neighboring city. 
The present Wabash Line to Chicago was the re- 
sult of procuring the said charter. In all this Mr. 
Warren performed for Decatur a work that was of 
the utmost importance to its subsequent growth 
and prosperity. 

In 1868, our subject became one of the principals 
in establishing the present gas plant of the city, was 
its first Secretary and Treasurer, and for years has 
been the President of the company. He holds the 
same position with the Decatur Electric Company, 
the works for which were first started by Silas T. 
Trowbridge, who sold out to Joseph M. Clokey. 
The latter later disposed of the plant to the firm of 
Warren & Durfee, through whom it was made an 
adjunct to the Decatur Gas Light and Coke Com- 
pany's works. Mr. Warren was the pioneer pro- 
mote