History of DeWitt County Illinois: with biographical sketches of prominent representative citizens of the county.  Chicago: Pioneer Publishing Co., 1910

Note: Not all of the biographies are posted, yet. They will be posted in the order requested.  If you see a biography you would like to see posted, please e-mail the Coordinator, Judy Simpson, to request it.

Biography Index

Allan, Andrew Foster, Ernest L. Kirk, James M. Rung, Daniel
Allan, David Fruit, Edmund W. Lafferty, Charles S. Safly, John M.
Allyn, Edward Galaway, John A. Lane, James W. Samuel, Isaiah J.
Arbogast, Daniel H. Gale, Charles A. Lane, Roy H. Schifferd, John E.
Arbogast, Sherman G. Gambrel, William Lane, Tillman Schoby, W. Edward
Argo, Emanuel G. Garrelts, John D. Leggett, James F. Shaver, J. W.
Argo, William Garver, Benjamin F. Leggett, Robert G. Shaw, John B.
Atchison, Isham J. Gillen, P. J. Lewis, Edwin J. Sincraugh, Fred
Bailor, Isaac N. Girard, Frederick S. Lewis, John Q. Smallwood, P. M.
Baker, Henry, Jr. Glenn, Charles Long, Arie Smith, James M.
Baker, James Goble, George G. Long, John H. Smith, John W.
Baker, Samuel Goodrich, James M. Luttrell, Nelson W. Spencer, William
Bates, Bert B. Grady, Vance R. McClimans, David Stivers, Daniel B.
Beatty, Henry G. Graham, J. D. McCullough, Samuel O. Stone, Alfred E.
Beckwith, James W. Gray, William F. McHenry, Alonzo D. Stone, Lawrence E.
Bennett, Tilman M. Green, Levi W. McHenry, Robert P. Stoutenborough, Garrett
Bentley, Emory B. Griffin, Charles R. McMillin, Thomas A. Summers, M. K.
Black, Robert Hall, Benjamin F. Marvel, George B. Sumner, A. R.
Blue, Edmund W. Hall, Jonathan R. Marvel, Luther M. Swan, James
Bogardus, Charles S. Harrold, Lawrence S. Maxwell, George C. Sweeney, Edward J.
Booth, William Heller, Charles T. May, Cyrus Swigart, Harry T.
Brittin, Harry O. Helmick, George W. Merrifield, Solomon F. Swigart, Otto H.
Brittin, John E. Herrick, Lyle G. Miller, Birch B. Taylor, Walter M.
Browne, Vernelle F. Herrick, Lott R. Miller, Jasper S. Taylor, William H.
Browning, John W. Hoff, Cornelius Milligan, Thomas Teal, Nancy
Cackley, Thomas W. Hoff, Grover C. Mills, John C. Thorp, George H.
Cain, David F. Holloway, Philip M. Mitchell, Edward B. Trego, Nathan J.
Campbell, Lewis Howard, Oscar W. Moberly, James J. Trago, Samuel
Cantrell, Elmer E. Howard, William Monahan, T. F. Trowbridge, Jacob
Cardiff, Charles W. Huddleston, Clyde E. Monson, William Tucker, Eli
Carle, William Ray Hughes, George W. Montgomery, Alfred H. Turner, Allen A.
Cayton, Edward J. Hull, Sherman G. Montgomery, Robert H. Turner, John W.
Conn, William H. Humphrey, W. A. Moody, Charles E. Turner, Samuel
Coppenbarger, William F. Hunt, Uriah E. Morris, Christopher C. Vance, John C.
Costley, J. F. Hurley, Marshall Munch, Frank N. Vance, J. Howard
Costley, John L. Hurley, Owen L. Murphey, Levi R. Vance, Joseph M.
Covey, Clark C. Hutchison, Zeanus N. Murphey, William W. Walters, Lawrence
Craft, Valentine A. Ingham, George K. Nixon, Clinton J. Wampler, Thomas C.
Cramer, William P. Jeffrey, Francis M. Nixon, Ira I. Warner, John
Cross, A. J. Jenkins, Marion B. O'Brien, John Warner, Vespasian
Curl, Jeremiah A. Jenkins, Robert F. Olson, James Warren, William T.
Davidson, Frank C. Johnson, Joseph E. Olson, Nels Watson, Joseph
Davis, Daniel R. Johnson, William Olson, Walter J. Weedman, Amos
Davis, John B. Johnston, William W. Parker, Nathan Welch, Mary S.
Dawson, William H. Jones, John B. Peltz, Benjamin F. Wene, Perry
Day, Orville A. Jones, J. M. Perkins, W. C. Wetzel, Jefferson
Doak, Clifford Jones, Parmelia Persinger, Harvey R. Wilcox, John M.
Doak, Robert Jones, Preston Phares, Abner R. Willson, Peter K.
Doak, Thomas Keating, Timothy F. Phares, Ulysses S. G. Wilson, Asa
Edmonson, George S. Keele, Oliver M. Rainey, William D. Wilson, Ira D.
Edmonson, Oscar B. Kemp, James M. Reynolds, James Wisegarver, Smith
Edmunds, Henry H. Kent, Fred R. Richey, Austin J. Wolfe, Philip
Edwards, Thomas J. Killough, John Rolofson, Charles S. Yeakel, Douglas A.
Edwards, William S. Kincaid, Andrew T. Rolofson, John J. Yeakel, Thomas H.
Farmer, Harry S. Kincaid, George M. Rose, Andrew T. Young, Walter S.
Flaherty, James T. Kincaid, Monte B. Roy, Robert J. Zorger, Charles K.
Foote, Alfred V. Kingston, Alva E. Rundle, William B.

ANDREW ALLAN.  (Volume II, Page 151)

Andrew Allan occupies a prominent position among the foremost citizens of Weldon, where he is now practically living retired.  His early life, however, was one of untiring activity and was crowned with a high degree of success, yet he is not less esteemed as a citizen than as a man and his kindly impulses and charming cordiality of manner have rendered him exceedingly popular among all classes.

Mr. Allan was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, December 27, 1830, his parents, Thomas and Grace ( Stirling ) Allan, being natives of the same country.  In 1857 they crossed the Atlantic to the new world and settled in Randolph county, Illinois .  In 1866 they removed to Nixon township, DeWitt county, and here spent the remainder of their lives.  In their family were ten children, nine sons and one daughter, of whom four are still living, Andrew being the eldest.  James is a resident of Randolph county.  David makes his home in Weldon.  William is also living in Randolph county.  The last named entered the Union army during the Civil war and now draws a pension in recognition of his services.  He is unmarried.  Thomas, the second child in the family, divided his time between Scotland and America , crossing the ocean twenty-two times.  While in this country he made his home in Weldon, but died on the old homestead in Scotland about nine years ago.  Alexander, who died three years ago, owned and operated a fine tract of five hundred acres in DeWitt county.  He left nine children.  Grace, the only daughter of the family, became the wife of Alexander Brown, of Randolph county, and died in August, 1907.  She left a fine family of eleven children, of whom our subject is very proud, as they cannot be surpassed physically or mentally.

Reared in the land of his birth, Andrew Allan attended school in Galston parish for seven years and thus acquired a good practical education.  At the age of seventeen he went to England , where he was employed as a clerk in a store at two dollars per week, remaining there four years and seven months.  He then established a store of his own in the same town and continued to engage in the dry-goods business there until 1882, which year witnessed his arrival in the United States .  He had previously visited this country several times but it was not until the year mentioned that he became a resident of this country, since which time he has made his home in DeWitt county.  Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land at thirty-five dollars per acre and as time passed he steadily prospered until he has become one of the most extensive landowners in DeWitt county, now having about eleven hundred acres all within four miles of his present home.  He continued to engage in general farming for eight years, but in 1892 bought a nice home in Weldon, where he is now enjoying all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, having practically laid aside all business cares, though he still keeps an active supervision over his landed estates.  After coming to Weldon, however, he was engaged in business as a dealer in coal, lumber and building material for a time and erected from four to five houses every summer.

In 1855 Mr. Allan was united in marriage to Mrs. Caroline (Denham) Murphy, a native of Somersetshire, England, who died March 18, 1895, leaving two grandchildren by her first husband, one of whom now lives in New York—James Sterling Stewart, who is principal manager for the Royal Typewriter Company.  The other, Caroline, became the wife of Frank O. Salisbury, of Bangert, Dent county, Missouri .

Mr. Allan was again married, May 12, 1896, his second union being with Miss Charita Flood, who was born in this county, April 10, 1858, a daughter of Robert and Eliza J. (Walker) Flood.  She attended school in Dixon Illinois, and prior to her marriage engaged in school-teaching in DeWitt county for fourteen years.  Her mother died in 1867, but her father, who is a native of Clark county, Ohio , is still living and now makes his home in Weldon.  By his first marriage he had four children: Oscar, who died in Montgomery county, Illinois , February 18, 1910; Sarah, the wife of Amos Berkley, of Weldon; Charita, the wife of our subject; and Mary, the widow of Leonard Hardesty and a resident of Weldon.  For his second wife Mr. Flood married Mrs. Armadilla Jones, by whom he had two children: Charles, who died about 1890; and Mattie, who makes her home with her parents.  During the Civil war Mr. Flood joined the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry and is today an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic.  He is also prominently identified with the Methodist Protestant church, with which the family has long been connected.  His father, Francis Flood, and uncle, Jonathan Flood, were present in Baltimore Maryland, in 1828, on the organization of the first Methodist Protestant church in this country, the former as a lay delegate and the latter as a minister.  Mr. Flood has filled all of the offices in the church with which he is connected and has been a local preacher.  He threw the first shovel full of dirt in making the excavation for the new church at Weldon and took a very active part in its building.  Although he is now eighty-three years of age he is still doing some business as an auctioneer.

Mrs. Allan is also an active worker and prominent member of the Methodist Protestant church, to which her husband was a generous contributor to the erection of the new house of worship.  She has served as steward of the church and her aid can always be counted upon to promote its advancement along any line.  Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Allan have spent their winters in the south, mostly at Ocean SpringsMississippi, but they still continue to reside in Weldon during the summer months.  Mr. Allan is a director of the State Bank at this place and is regarded as one of the best and most reliable business men of DeWitt county.  He is enterprising and progressive, is also exceedingly generous and charitable and, being very witty and an entertaining conversationalist, he is popular in both business and social circles.  He has never regretted his emigration to America , for here he has steadily prospered and today stands among the men of prominence and affluence in his community.

DAVID ALLAN.  (Volume II, Page 158)

David Allan, now living retired in Weldon, was for many years one of the representative farmers of this locality, who in his chosen field of labor met with most excellent success.  He was born in Scotland on the 31st of January, 1840, and is a son of Thomas and Grace ( Stirling ) Allan, of whom extended mention is made in the sketch of Andrew Allan on another page of this volume.  He was reared and educated in his native land and at the age of fourteen years began earning his own livelihood, being employed for two years and a half by a rich man who owned a sorn-castle in Ayrshire.  It was on the 4th of March, 1858, that he landed in New York and came direct to SpringfieldIllinois.  Locating in Randolph county, this state, he worked as a farm hand for about four years and then engaged in farming on his own account upon rented land for five years.  The spring of 1867 witnessed his arrival in DeWitt county and he purchased a tract of eighty acres in Nixon township.  To the improvement and cultivation of that property he then devoted his energies and so successful was he in his labors that he was able to add to it until he now owns three hundred and twenty acres, one-half of which is in Piatt county, while the remainder is in DeWitt county.  He continued to engage in general farming and stock-raising until the spring of 1900, when he left the farm and removed to Weldon, having purchased a pretty place in the west part of the village.  Here he is now living retired, while he rents his farm property.

On the 3d of May, 1871, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Allan and Miss Jane Stewart, a native of Ireland , in which country her parents, Charles and Maggie (McMillan) Stewart, spent their entire lives.  She had one brother, Charles Stewart, who came to America and is now living in New York .  Mrs. Allan passed away August 17, 1891, and was laid to rest in the Weldon cemetery.  The children born of that union were five in number.  Grace, born in DeWitt county, May 2, 1872, is now the wife of Clarence McConkey, of this county, and they had nine children: Vesper G., who was born January 19, 1891, and died November 28, 1899; Lynn, born June 4, 1893; Lyle, born March 27, 1895; Wayne, born November 24, 1896; Beulah, who was born October 18, 1898, and died March 12, 1910; Ivan; June; Glen; and Kenneth.  Charles S., born in this county, September 18, 1875, died in 1896 and was buried in Weldon.  Carrie, born August 27, 1880, married Nellie Glasgow and lives in this county.  They have one child, Miriam.  Ethel May, born May 1, 1883, died at the age of nine years.  David Roy, born February 20, 1885, married Lola Carr and lives in Piatt county

Mr. Allan was again married March 7, 1894, his second union being with Miss Margaret McElroy, a native of Randolph county, Illinois, born July 17, 1866, and a daughter of John and Margaret (McDowell) McElroy, who were born in Ireland and came to the new world about 1860.  Her father, who was born in 1830, died about 1880, and the mother, whose birth occurred in 1838, passed away in 1906.  Their children were: Margaret, now Mrs. Allan; Mary, a resident of Randolph county; Rachel, the wife of William Beatty, of SpartaIllinois; and Elizabeth and Agnes, who are graduate nurses and now live in Randolph county.  By his second marriage Mr. Allan has two children: Edith, born December 3, 1904; and Lee, born July 30, 1907.

The Republican party has always found in Mr. Allan a stanch supporter of its principles, but he has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office.  Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Methodist Protestant church, of which he is now a steward, and she is treasurer of the woman’s Christian Temperance Union.  They have a host of warm friends throughout this section of the state and are held in the highest regard by all who know them.  Mr. Allan has ever occupied an enviable position in business circles, for he is a man of known reliability and his honesty, integrity and industry have been the means of bringing to him a gratifying success that now enables him to lay aside all business cares and live retired in the enjoyment of the prosperity that has come to him.

EDWARD ALLYN.  (Volume II, Page 234)

Edward Allyn has passed the seventy-second milestone on life’s journey.  He was long identified with educational interests as a teacher but is now living retired.  His interest in intellectual progress, however, has never abated and his influence has ever been on the side of improvement and in support of those projects which work for the betterment of the community.  A native of Ohio , he was born in Hiram, December 17, 1837, his parents being Pelatiah and Angeline (Joslin) Allyn.  His paternal grandfather also bore the name of Pelatiah Allyn and was a native of Connecticut , where he devoted his life to farming.  He was a fifer in the war of 1812, and possessed considerable musical talent and ability.  He married Amelia Taylor and both lived to old age, rearing a family of seven sons and three daughters; Mary, Pelatiah, William, Walter, Amelia, Christina, Ozias, Watson, Orson and Orville.  The maternal grandfather of Edward Allyn was Reuben Joslin, who was likewise of New England birth and was a native of Vermont .  He followed carpentering throughout an active life that at length brought him to an honorable old age.  Unto him and his wife were born ten children: George, Welcome, Angeline, Loraine, Sarah, Eleanor, Benjamin, Harriet, Laura Udell and Nancy Hinckley.

Pelatiah Allyn, Jr., was likewise a native of Connecticut and in his youthful days learned the carpenter’s trade and eventually began contracting on his own account.  He was awarded the contract for building Hiram College in Ohio .  He died at Hiram in 1851, when forty-eight years of age, while his wife had passed away a month previous, at the age of forty-five years.  They were both earnest members of the Christian church and took an active and helpful part in its work.  Mr. Allyn was a man of liberal education and a fine musician and assisted in the composition of a song book.  He served as a trustee of Hiram College and did everything in his power to promote intellectual and moral progress in the community in which he lived.  Unto him and his wife were born eight children, six sons and two daughters, six of whom reached years of maturity: Edward, of this review; Edwin, twin brother of Edward; Emily, the widow of John G. Mason, of Hiram, Ohio; Mary, the widow of Sherman Leach, also of Hiram, Ohio; and Pelatiah and Corwin, deceased.

Edward Allyn spent the period of his youth in his native city, attended the public schools there and afterward pursued a course of study in Hiram College .  He removed to Illinois in 1859, taking up his abode in Clinton, after which he engaged to teach the Excelsior school, three and a half miles east of the city.  He devoted twenty-seven years to teaching in DeWitt county and for four years was a teacher at Bellflower in McLean county.  During all that period he never arrived at school after the hour of its convening.  He was a good disciplinarian and, moreover, had the ability which enables the teacher to hold the interest of his pupils as he imparts to them a knowledge of the branches which constitute the public-school curriculum.  He never felt that the methods which he employed at the outset of his professional career were adequate to the needs of later times but always progressed in keeping with the tendency of the age and thus did excellent work in the schoolroom.  For the past five years, however, he has lived retired, enjoying well earned rest in a pleasant home at No. 321 North Maple street in Clinton.

On the 18th of March, 1867, Mr. Allyn was united in marriage to Miss Adelia F. Hutcherson, a daughter of Thomas S. and Susan (Henry) Hutcherson.  Mrs. Allyn was born in Greene county, Kentucky , May 27, 1844.  Her father was also a native of that state but her mother was a Virginian.  He died in New Mexico , at the age of seventy years while his wife, surviving him for some time, passed away in DecaturIllinois, when in the seventies.  Their children were Adelia, Arminta, deceased, Sarah Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy I., deceased, Sophia, Stephen A., Fannie and Robert, deceased.  The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Allyn was Dr. Huttie B. Hutcherson, a native of Kentucky and a physician by profession.  He married a relative of General Robert E. Lee.  The maternal grandfather was Charles Henry, a native of Virginia and a farmer by occupation.  He was a descendant of Patrick Henry.

Mr. and Mrs. Allyn had but one child, Nellie, who died at the age of three and a half years.  Mrs. Allyn had been formerly married, her first husband being John E. Thomas, and there was one child of that union, John, who died at the age of two and a half years.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Allyn hold membership in the Christian church and he was baptized by President James A. Garfield, who at that time was active in the ministry of the church.  In his political views Mr. Allyn is a prohibitionist but was formerly a Republican.  He is a stanch advocate of the temperance cause and has always been opposed to anything which tends to lower the standards of life or proves detrimental to the individual in any way.  His opposition to slavery in the south and his loyalty to the Union cause led him in August, 1861, to become a member of Company A, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, known as the Normal Regiment.  He served for four years and three months and although he enlisted as a private he became division clerk under General Osterhouse when in camp.  He was in the battles of Vicksburg, Mobile, and a number of other important engagements.  Returning from the war on Friday, the following day he secured a position as teacher and took charge of the school on Monday.  The same spirit of energy has characterized his entire life.  He is a man of strong purpose and his position in regard to any vital question has never been an equivocal one.  Righteousness, truth and justice find in him an exponent and his cooperation has always been given to those lines of activity which he believes will benefit his fellowman, promote temperance, advance religious work and stimulate the cause of charity.

DANIEL H. ARBOGAST.  (Volume II, Page 11)

Daniel Huffman Arbogast, one of DeWitt county’s well known and prominent business men, occupies an attractive residence just outside the corporation limits of Farmer City , where he has a farm of forty-seven acres, which he purchased about 1874.  There he is conducting a brick and tile factory, and his enterprise and diligence, overcoming all difficulties and obstacles in his path, have enabled him to obtain a substantial measure of success.

He was born on a farm near Mechanicsburg, Clark county, Ohio , May 2, 1827, his parents being Henry and Mary (Huffman) Arbogast.  He was a lad of but twelve years when he arrived in DeWitt county in 1839, coming to Illinois with his parents.  His father was a farmer and bought land near Parnell.  It was upon that farm that Daniel H. Arbogast grew to manhood.  He acquired a fair common-school education, however, largely pursuing his studies at home for it was before the day of the public schools.

In his youth he worked out to some extent and such of his earnings as were not needed for his support went to his father until he was about eighteen years of age.  Subsequently he was allowed what he could earn and as there was little money in circulation he took his pay in a horse, cow, hogs or other live stock or farm products.  He thus had some stock of his own by the time he was twenty-one years of age.  He would haul grain to Chicago for his father in his youthful days and sold it at fifty-five or sixty cents per bushel.  It required twelve days for a team of horses to haul the grain to Chicago and return and sixteen days for a team of oxen to make the round trip.  There was not a bridge between DeWitt county and Chicago at that time, all streams having to be forded.  Some times the rivers would be so swollen that it was necessary to camp out by the side of the stream until the water subsided to some extent.  Chicago at that time had but four thousand inhabitants.  The streets were unpaved, business was developed to only a slight extent and there was little indication that the western prairie town would one day become the metropolis of the great Mississippi valley and the second city of the Union .  Mrs. Arbogast was at that time a resident of Kankakee and bore the maiden name of Minerva Payne.  She knew well the one who built the first brick house in Chicago—Guerdon Hubbard—and the contract was let to Thomas Durham, who manufactured the brick in Chicago and then erected the building.  Mr. Arbogast says at that time the largest scale would weigh but ten bushels.  How great is the contrast to the present method of handling grain in a city which is today one of the chief grain centers of the world.  Mr. Arbogast had to carry the sacks and empty them in a boat and other difficult labor was connected with the disposal of the farm products.

About the time he attained his majority Mr. Arbogast began farming on his own account and on the 25th of February, 1849, was united in marriage in Santa Anna township to Miss Minerva Payne, who was born in east Tennessee on the 28th of May, 1829.  Her parents were John Adam Grenade and Catharine (Johnson) Payne.  She was only six months old when her people removed to Vermilion county, Illinois , where her father established a tanyard, which he conducted for a number of years.  He then removed to Will county, now Kankakee county, Illinois , where he became the owner of a farm, which he brought under a high state of cultivation.  His daughter, Minerva, was about twenty years of age when she went on a visit to her paternal grandfather, Henry Payne, then living in DeWitt county, and it was during that visit that she first met Mr. Arbogast.  The friendship they formed ripened into love and they were married the following year.  They began their domestic life on land owned by Dr. Zerah Wakefield and the fall following their marriage John A. G. Payne, the father-in-law, came to this county and in connection with Mr. Arbogast purchased five hundred and thirty-five acres of the estate of Dr. Wakefield at five dollars per acre.  After a few years he sold out and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land.  The other place had been in the edge of the timber.  He paid seven dollars an acre for the tract, which is about a mile and a half northwest of Farmer City .  The place was then known as Mount Pleasant and contained about one hundred and fifty inhabitants.  It had been laid out in 1836.

Upon his second farm Mr. Arbogast began the manufacture of brick, but after a year, realizing that he was too far from town, sold out and came to the place where he now lives.  Here he made the brick of which the house is built.  His factory has produced most of the brick that has been used in the buildings of Farmer City .  It was after the railroad was built that the name of the town was changed.  This was brought about by McCord and Weedman.  In the late ’70s or in the early ’80s Mr. Arbogast began the manufacture of tile and has been instrumental in furnishing the tile that is used in draining much of the rich farm land in this vicinity.  His life has indeed been a busy and useful one, characterized by unfaltering diligence that has brought to him substantial and well merited success.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Arbogast have been born nine children.  Elizabeth is the wife of A. D. Webb and lives in DecaturIllinois.  They have three children, two of whom are married and have children.  Lydia N., the second member of the family, is the wife of John Swiney, of Iowa FallsIowa, and has three sons, two of whom are married and have children.  John, who married Susan Muir, lost his life through an accident in a brickyard at LambertonMississippi.  He had no children of his own but reared an adopted son, Fred Arbogast, who is now clerking in a clothing store in Farmer City .  George, the next of the family, died at the age of one year.  Amos, who is a contractor of Clinton, wedded Mary Griffith and has five children, of whom one is married.  Edward died when twenty-two years of age.  Sherman married Hattie Gardner and has three children, of whom two are married and one has a son, making ten great-grandchildren in the Arbogast family.  Walter J., who wedded Mary Fry, lives at NormalIllinois, where he is engaged in contracting.  Grenade died at the age of nine years.  In the fall before his death he was in the woods and, picking up an acorn, asked his mother to plant it in her flower bed.  She did so and the next spring it sprouted and today it is the finest shade tree in the yard, being about fifteen or sixteen feet in circumference.  There it stands a stately memorial to the lad who planted it.  At a very early age he had become identified with the Methodist Episcopal church and was a splendid boy, in whom the parents felt the most justifiable pride.  Three of the sons of the Arbogast family became contractors and all did well in the business.  They worked together for several years, during which time they erected the First Methodist Episcopal church at Decatur at a contract price of one hundred and ten thousand dollars.  The son, now living in Normal, has erected many churches, having made a specialty of ecclesiastical architecture.

In 1848 Mr. Arbogast cast his first presidential ballot for Zachary Taylor and when the Republican party was organized he voted for John C. Fremont and has since been an earnest Republican but has never sought nor desired office.  He was fifteen years of age when he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his wife joined the church when about eighteen years of age.  He has served as steward and both have taken an active interest in the church work, doing all in their power to promote its growth and extend its influence.

In 1895 Mr. Arbogast met with an accident which almost cost him his life.  At that time his hip was dislocated and rendered him a cripple, making it necessary for him to retire from the active management of his business.  He has passed the eighty-third milestone on life’s journey and his record has been one that exemplifies the best traits of honorable manhood and of loyal and progressive citizenship.  For more than the Psalmist’s allotted span of three score years and ten he has lived in this county and is today one of its oldest settlers.  Few men are better informed concerning the history of this part of the state.  He relates many interesting incidents of the early days and of the progress which has brought the county to its present advanced position.  He has a very wide acquaintance in Farmer City and throughout the surrounding districts and no one is ever heard to speak of Mr. Arbogast save in terms of kindly regard and high respect.

SHERMAN G. ARBOGAST.  (Volume II, Page 400)

It is not only because Sherman G. Arbogast is a representative of one of the oldest pioneer families of the county that he deserves mention in this volume but also because of the important and helpful part which he is taking in promoting the business activity and consequent prosperity of this section.  He is now actively engaged in the manufacture of brick, tile and cement work, including cement blocks and cement tile of all sizes up to five feet.  His plant is located at Farmer CityIllinois, and is one of the most important industries there.  In its management he displays keen business discernment, with a recognition of all those qualities which are essential to success.  Along well defined lines of labor he has conducted his business and the substantial success which has attended his efforts indicate his sound judgment, keen discernment and indefatigable energy.

His birthplace was a farm about a mile and a half northwest of Farmer City and his natal day was March 6, 1865.  He is a son of Daniel H. and Minerva (Payne) Arbogast, two of the best known and most honored pioneer citizens of DeWitt county.  His father established one of the first brick and tile manufacturing enterprises in this part of the state and as his assistant Sherman G. Arbogast early became familiar with the trade, which he has since followed.  He received his education in the schools of Farmer City and lacked but one year of graduation when, at the age of sixteen years, he became ill with scarlet fever and had to leave school.  He afterward served an apprenticeship at brick laying and when he was twenty-two years of age began contracting in connection with a younger brother, Walter J., to whom he taught the business.  Later their elder brother, Amos L. Arbogast, learned the trade under them and all three then worked together, Sherman G. Arbogast taking the contracts.  The important work which he has done ranks him with the leading contractors in this part of the state.  He had the contract for the building of the First Presbyterian church at Clinton; the Warner Hospital and the Douglas School , also of Clinton.  He likewise had the contract for the Christian church at Jacksonville, Illinois, which was built at a cost of sixty-five thousand dollars; the Christian and Methodist churches at Stanford, McLean county; the First Methodist Episcopal church at Decatur, which was erected at a cost of one hundred and forty thousand dollars; the high school at Duquoin, Illinois, at a cost of forty-five thousand dollars; the Chillicothe (Ohio) Methodist Episcopal church at eighty-five thousand dollars; the Christian church at Coshocton, Ohio, at sixty-five thousand dollars; the Methodist Episcopal church at Farmer City at nineteen thousand dollars; and the Catholic church at Farmer City at thirteen thousand five hundred dollars.  He has also erected many important business blocks in all parts of the country.  The extent and character of his contract work is indicative of the superior skill and ability which he displays and which has given him high standing among the representative contractors of central Illinois .

On the 22d of November, 1887, Sherman G. Arbogast was married to Miss Hattie Gardner, of DeWitt county, and unto them were born three children: Lydia, now the wife of Roy E. Dockum, living near Cherokee, Oklahoma, by whom she has one son, Sherman Maston; Leta, the wife of L. R. Ross, a farmer residing in DeWitt county; and Edward D., now a high-school student.

In his political views Mr. Arbogast is a stalwart Republican and has served as deputy game warden of DeWitt county for seven years, being appointed to the position under Governor Yates, since which time he has served continuously in the office.  He has also been a delegate to various conventions of the party.  He and his family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are most loyal to its teachings.  Mr. Arbogast belongs to Kenilworth Lodge, No. 60, K. P., in which he has filled all of the chairs.  He likewise belongs to Manitou Lodge, No. 75, I. O. R. M., in which he has filled all of the offices, while several times he has attended the great council and was deputy great sachem for two years.  For about sixteen or seventeen years he has been identified with the Modern Woodmen of America.  At all times he is loyal to the principles of these organizations and his record makes him an exemplary member.  He stands for that which is progressive in citizenship and as the years go by his worth is most clearly demonstrated.  He is honored and respected by all who know him and his warmest friends are those who have known him from his youthful days.

EMANUEL G. ARGO.  (Volume II, Page 120)

Emanuel G. Argo, who has lived retired in Clinton for the past decade, was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits in DeWitt county throughout his active career and also conducted an ice business in Clinton for a quarter of a century.  His birth occurred in Clermont county, Ohio , on the 17th of August, 1838, his parents being Alexander and Eliza Ann (Wallriven) Argo, who were likewise natives of the Buckeye state.  The paternal grandfather, Moses Argo, spent his entire life in Ohio , passing away in Hamilton county, that state.  His wife was Mrs. Sarah Argo.  The maternal grandparents of our subject lived and died in Clermont county, Ohio , both reaching an advanced age.  They were farming people and reared quite a large family of children.

Alexander Argo, the father of Emanuel G. Argo, was a wagon maker by trade and came to ClintonIllinois, in 1840.  He purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land from Daniel Newcomb and in 1844 took up his permanent abode thereon.  It was on that farm that he reared his family and successfully carried on agricultural pursuits for many years.  He built a large and substantial residence, which has now been standing for sixty years or more and is still in a good state of preservation.  The framework is of oak and the laths were spit by hand, the pine lumber being hauled from Pekin.  After shelling his corn Mr. Argo hauled it to Pekin, where he received twelve and a half cents per bushel for it, while his wheat brought thirty cents a bushel.  His farm was platted and divided among the heirs and has all been transformed into town lots, upon which many houses have been erected.  It was deeded to the family as “all south of the center line of Main street ,” and the present site of the Illinois Central depot was the northwest corner of the quarter section.  At his home in Clinton Mr. Argo often entertained Abraham Lincoln, Judge David Davis, Leonard Swett and other celebrities.  His death, which was occasioned by an accident, occurred on the 8th of August, 1883, when he had attained the age of seventy-five years, eight months and fifteen days.  His wife surviving him for number of years, was called to her final rest on the 17th of April, 1899, when eighty-three years of age.  Both were Methodists in religious faith and their lives were in harmony with their professions as members of that church.  As pioneer residents of this community they aided largely in the work of development and upbuilding and their names figure prominently on the pages of the early history of DeWitt county.  Unto them were born five sons and one daughter, as follows: Philena, the wife of Lewis Campbell, of Clinton, Illinois; Samuel Martin, who passed away on the 2d of July, 1903, when sixty-six years of age; Emanuel G., of this review; Thomas Jefferson, who was born July 12, 1841, and died on the 20th of April, 1907, when sixty-six years of age; William, whose birth occurred March 20, 1844, and who resides in Clinton; and Martin Luther, whose natal day was July 5, 1848, and who passed away January 20, 1849.

Emanuel G. Argo, who was a little lad of six years when his parents established their home in Clinton, was reared on his father’s farm.  He obtained his early education in a building that is still standing on East Main street , the teacher being a Mr. Haskins.  Subsequently he and his brother Samuel spent one year in McKendree College at Lebanon , St. Clair county, Illinois , Peter Acres being at that time president of the institution.  He remained under the parental roof until after his marriage and then took up his abode on a tract of land belonging to his father and situated on section 8, northwest of the town.  Later he purchased the farm from his father and it remained his home for several years.  He next bought a tract of one hundred and forty acres in association with his brother Samuel and divided the property, receiving seventy acres as his share.  The farm is situated a mile east of Clinton and in its cultivation and improvement he was actively engaged until 1900, when he put aside the active work of the fields, leased the place and came to Clinton, where he has since lived in honorable retirement.  He likewise owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in Harp township in association with his brother William, and he also had a tract of eighty acres which he sold for twelve thousand dollars.  While residing on the farm he also conducted an ice business in Clinton, carrying on an enterprise of this character from 1875 until 1900.  He is a director in the State Bank of Clinton and has long been numbered among the prosperous and prominent residents of the county.

On the 15th of November, 1860, Mr. Argo was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Sandusky Parker, who was born on Darby Plains in Ohio , her parents being Abraham and Ann (Gideon) Parker, natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively.  Her maternal grandparents were George and Catharine (Miller) Gideon and the former was a Revolutionary soldier.  The parents of Mrs. Argo were among the early settlers of Clinton and her mother still resides here at the age of ninety years.  The demise of her father occurred in Clinton a number of years ago.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Argo were born eight children, the record of whom is as follows: Florence, who is the wife of Perry Hughes, of Clinton, and has a daughter, Ruth; George G., assistant cashier in the State Bank of Clinton, who wedded Miss Leonora Rose, now deceased; Charles C., who was formerly a farmer and is now a carpenter of Clinton and who married Miss Lillian Dale Miller, by whom he has one son and two daughters—Leslie, Ina and Edna; John Jason, who is a resident of Peoria; Eliza Ann, who lives in Lexington, Cleveland county, Oklahoma, and is the wife of John L. Graham, by whom she has three children—William Argo, Arthur J. and Catharine; Catharine, who now keeps house for her father and is the widow of J. C. Gray, a civil engineer; Minnie Nixon, the wife of Horace J. Flack, who is employed in the stock yards at Chicago by Armour & Company; and one who died in infancy.  The wife and mother passed away on the 17th of July, 1909, at the age of sixty-five years, eleven months and fifteen days.

Mr. Argo is a democrat in his political views but not strictly partisan and always takes into consideration the fitness of a candidate rather than his party affiliation.  At one time he held the office of school trustee.  His fraternal relations are with the Knights of Pythias, of which order he has been a member for more than thirty years.  The period of his residence in this county covers two-thirds of a century and he is therefore largely familiar with its annals from pioneer times down to the present.  His well-spent life, characterized by all that is honorable in business and straightforward in his relations with his fellowmen, has brought him the uniform respect of all with whom he has come in contact.

WILLIAM ARGO.  (Volume II, Page 31)

Among DeWitt county’s pioneer citizens, mention should be made of William Argo, who for two-thirds of a century has lived in this portion of the state.  With agricultural, commercial and financial interests he has been identified, now giving his attention to the management of the State Bank of Clinton, of which he is the president.  He is a man of determination and ability, who carries forward to successful completion what he undertakes and at the same time belongs to that class of man who in promoting individual interests also advance the general welfare.  New RichmondOhio, was the place of Mr. Argo’s birth and his natal day was March 20, 1844.

His paternal grandfather, Moses Argo, reared his family in Hamilton county, Ohio .  He had three sons and several daughters, the former being Alexander, Ebenezer and William.  The first named was a wagon maker in early manhood and about 1840 came to ClintonIllinois.  Soon afterward he purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres and in 1844 removed his family to DeWitt county.  He then began the cultivation and improvement of his land and also worked at the wagon maker’s trade for a number of years.  Finally, however, he concentrated his energies entirely upon his farm which, under his careful cultivation, became a valuable and attractive property.  In 1859 he erected a large and substantial residence which he occupied until his death, which occurred in 1883, when he was seventy-six years of age.  His wife died in 1899 when eighty-three years of age and both were consistent Christian people, holding membership in the Methodist church.  Mrs. Argo bore the maiden name of Eliza Ann Walriven and like her husband was a native of Ohio .  Her parents were also natives of that state where her father followed the occupation of farming and lived to an advanced age.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Argo were born six children: Philena P., the wife of Lewis Campbell, of Clinton; Samuel M., deceased; Emanuel G., of this city; Thomas J., deceased; William, of this review; and Martin Luther, who passed away in infancy.

William Argo spent his youthful days on his father’s farm which has since been divided among the heirs and platted into city lots, constituting now a populous portion of the city of Clinton.  In his boyhood days he attended the old time select schools and later the public schools of Clinton.  He carried on farming until after the outbreak of the Civil war and in 1864, at the age of twenty years, enlisted at the call for men to serve for one hundred days.  His brother, Thomas J. Argo, was a member of the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving from 1862 until 1865, and with his regiment participated in many important battles of the war.  He was in the Atlanta and North Carolina campaigns and participated in the grand review at Washington .  Following his military experience William Argo returned to farming and was identified with that occupation until 1871, after which he engaged in railroad contracting and building for two years.  He then joined his brother Emanuel G. Argo in a partnership and for twenty-five years they were engaged in the ice business under the firm name of Argo Brothers.  During that period they won for themselves a prominent position in business circles in Clinton.  Not only did they enjoy an extensive trade in ice but also became owners of about two hundred and seventy-five acres of valuable farm land in this county.  In addition William Argo owns one hundred acres besides some town property including his own residence which, though standing for sixty years, is still in a good state of preservation.  For the past twelve years he has been president of the State Bank of Clinton, and thus is active in the management of one of the leading financial institutions of the county.

In his political views Mr. Argo has long been a republican, giving to the party his stanch support because he believes that its principles will best conserve good government.  He belongs to Frank Lowry Post, No. 157, G. A.R., and is widely and favorably known in this portion of the state.  The Argo family is one of the oldest in DeWitt county, the father, Alexander Argo, coming here more than seventy years ago at which time he purchased his farm.  William Argo has been a resident for sixty-six years and has therefore witnessed much of its growth and development.  At the same time he has participated in the promotion of various public projects for the betterment and advancement of the community and has carefully managed his business interests until his persistent and well-defined efforts have been crowned with a most gratifying measure of success.

ISHAM J. ATCHISON.  (Volume II, Page 389)

The farm of two hundred and fifty-seven acres, located in Waynesville township, and now owned by Isham J. Atchison, has been in possession of the family throughout a long period, for the Atchison family is one of the earliest of DeWitt county.  Mr. Atchison was born on a farm near Waynesville on the 2d of July, 1865, a son of Charles W. Atchison, whose birth occurred in the same house on the 17th of April, 1842, his parents being Isham and Mary (Crawford) Atchison, natives of Virginia and Kentucky , respectively, who became early settlers of Illinois .  The father was reared to the occupation of farming, which he followed throughout his active business career.  He inherited three hundred acres of land from his father’s estate, and to this he added one hundred and forty-five acres by purchase.  He not only farmed but raised stock on quite an extensive scale, making a specialty of raising Percheron horses.  He has always supported the republican party and is now making his home with his son Isham.  He was three times married.  His first union was with Miss Maria Hull, who ws born October 21, 1840, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Hull, their marriage being celebrated on the 1st of September, 1864.  Mrs. Atchison died on the 11th of July, 1865, when her son Isham was but nine days old.  By the second marriage of Mr. Atchison there was a daughter, Bertha, who was born on the 29th of December, 1870, and died when but two years old.  There were no children of the third marriage.

Isahm J. Atchison was reared on the home farm and acquired his education in the schools of Waynesville, graduating from the high school June 4, 1886.  Subsequently he assisted his father in the work on the homestead, which has been his home to the present time.  He has inherited from his father two hundred and fifty-seven acres, located in Waynesville township, and is here engaged in general farming and stock-raising, keeping Percheron horses, Poland China hogs, Jersey cattle and Shropshire sheep.  Both branches of his business are bringing him good returns and he is today numbered among the most substantial farmers of DeWitt county.

On the 1st of September, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Atchison and Miss Lavina Gambrel, a daughter of William and Mary (Marvel) Gambrel, who were natives of Indiana , and who became early settlers of Illinois , locating in Barnett township, where the daughter’s birth occurred April 9, 1869.  She is the ninth in order of birth in a family of six sons and ten daughters.  By her marriage she has become the mother of one daughter, who was married October 29, 1907, to John T. Hammitt, by whom she has a son.  They make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Atchison.

Mr. Atchison has followed in the political steps of his father by giving his support to the men and measures of the republican party and for one term served as township collector.  In 1880 he united with the Methodist church at Waynesville and from that time to the present has been an active worker in the church and Sunday school.  He is now a steward in the church, while for many years he has served either as teacher or superintendent of the Sunday school, at the present time acting in the latter capacity.  He is a Mason, belonging to Wayne Lodge, No. 172, of which he has served as master and has filled other chairs in that organization.  The work instituted by the grandfather and carried on by the father is still continued by Isham J. Atchison, who is a man of exemplary habits and whose daily life reflects his true Christian character.

ISAAC N. BAILOR.  (Volume II, Page 132)

One of the progressive business enterprises of Clinton is the hardware and agricultural implement store of Isaac N. Bailor, located on the west side of the public square.  The owner has always conformed his business activity to the rules which govern unfaltering enterprise and strict and unswerving integrity.  A native of Ohio , he was born in Fairfield county, April 26, 1850, and is a son of Louis R. and Charlotte (Martin) Bailor, both of whom were natives of Ohio , living for many years in Fairfield county.  The paternal grandfather, Jacob Bailor, was a native of Pennsylvania and of German descent.  He served as a soldier in the war of 1812 and afterward removed westward to Fairfield county, Ohio , where he cast in his lot with the early settlers and followed the occupation of farming.  Unto him and his wife, Mrs. Susan Bailor, there were born several children, Louis R., Samuel, Julia, Eliza and Mary.

Of this family Louis R. Bailor became the father of Isaac N. Bailor.  He was reared to the occupation of farming and throughout his entire life carried on general agricultural pursuits.  His death occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio , in 1864, when he was forty-seven years of age, while his wife survived until 1876 and was more then sixty years of age at the time of her demise.  They were formerly old school Baptists but afterward united with the German Reformed church, and their lives exemplified their Christian faith in their just and kindly treatment of their neighbors and friends.  Mr. Bailor held the office of county commissioner and was somewhat prominent locally.  Unto him and his wife were born eight children: Catherine, the wife of Samuel J. Thomas, of Farmer City, Illinois; Rebecca, the deceased wife of Reuben Barnett; Louisa, also deceased, who married William Moore; Isaac N., of this review; Ella, the wife of Joseph Lycinger, of Rippey, Iowa; Anna, the widow of Albert Abbott, of Mintone, Indiana; Jennie, the deceased wife of William C. Pearce; and John, who has also passed away.

Isaac N. Bailor entered the public schools at the usual age and therein mastered the branches of learning which are regarded as an indispensable element to success in later life.  His youth was passed on the old homestead farm and in fact he there remained until twenty-five years of age.  His father died when the son was a lad of fourteen years and he afterward conducted the farm for his mother.  In the spring of 1875, however, he came to Illinois and for one year was engaged in the grocery business at ShelbyvilleIllinois.  In 1876 he arrived in DeWitt county and took up the occupation of farming in Harp township.  There he rented land for several years or until 1883, when he came to Clinton and entered into partnership with A. D. McHenry, buying the interest of Phillip Wolf in the hardware business which had formerly been conducted by McHenry & Wolf.  The new firm maintained an existence until 1892, when Mr. McHenry sold out to W. W. Newman and the firm of Bailor & Newman was thus formed.  For eight years they conducted business and in 1900 Mr. Newman sold his interest to J. E. Bryant, who was Mr. Bailor’s partner for a year.  At the end of that time Mr. Bailor became sole proprietor by the purchase of Mr. Bryant’s interest and has since conducted the business alone.  He has a well equipped establishment, handling a large line of hardware, agricultural implements, buggies, seeds, etc.  His trade is extensive for he has made every effort to please his patrons and is found thoroughly reliable in his dealings.

On the 24th of October, 1877, Mr. Bailor was united in marriage to Miss Orilla Lemen, a native of DeWitt county, born near the town of DeWitt.  She is a daughter of Colonel George B. and Mary J. (Wood) Lemen, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana .  Removing westward they settled in DeWitt county, Illinois , at a period when the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun here.  For many years they continued residents of this part of the state, the death of Mr. Lemen occurring January 27, 1886, when he was seventy-seven years of age, while his wife passed away August 3, 1900, when almost eighty years of age, her birth having occurred December 20, 1820.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bailor was born an only daughter, Lena , who is now the wife of Dr. O. B. Edmonson, of Clinton.  The family residence is at No. 513 North Center street , Mr. Bailor having erected a fine modern home there in 1890.  He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he is serving as one of the church trustees.  He belongs to Plantagenet Lodge, No. 25, K. P., and to Metzger’s Company, No. 21, of the Uniformed Rank.  His political endorsement is unfalteringly given to the Republican party which he has always supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.

HENRY BAKER, JR.  (Volume II, Page 276)

Henry Baker, Jr., an enterprising farmer and stock-raiser living on section 36, DeWitt township, owns and operates a well improved and valuable farm of one hundred and twenty acres.  He was born on the 3d of May, 1871, in Yorkshire

, England

, of which country his parents, Samuel and Sarah (Hardesty) Baker, are also natives.  He was, however, only ten months old on the emigration of the family to the new world.  They made their way at once to Illinois and settled in DeWitt county, where the father, who was then in limited circumstances, rented land of Jacob Swigart and engaged in its operation for a few years.  Living economically and saving his earnings, he was at length able to purchase forty acres of land, which he soon afterward sold, and subsequently bought eighty acres in DeWitt township.  As time passed and he prospered in his farming operations he added to his possessions until he is now the owner of over five hundred acres of very rich and valuable land.  At the present time, however, he and his wife reside in Weldon.

Henry Baker, Jr., is indebted to the public schools of this county for his early educational advantages and under the able direction of his father he gained an excellent knowledge of agricultural pursuits during his boyhood and youth.  At the age of twenty-two he commenced renting his father’s farm and operated it quite successfully for five years.  In 1899 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land, where he now resides, paying for the same seventy-five dollars per acre.  He erected thereon a nice residence in 1906 and has given to that place the name of Cottonwood Grove Farm.  It is well improved and under a high state of cultivation, being supplied with all the conveniences and accessories found upon a model farm of the twentieth century.

Mr. Baker was married on the 22d of February, 1900, in Nixon township, to Miss Emma Howard, who was also born in Lincolnshire

, England

, and was about twenty years old when she came to America alone.  They now have one child, Lester, born August 15, 1908.  Their religious faith is manifest by their membership in the Methodist Protestant church at Weldon and in politics Mr. Baker is an ardent Republican but has never cared for the honors nor emoluments of public office.  He is one of the leading farmers of his community and is a man highly respected and esteemed by all who know him.

JAMES BAKER.  (Volume II, Page 124)

Among the prosperous and influential citizens of Creek township whose lives have mainly been devoted to agricultural pursuits is numbered James Baker, now residing on section 15.  His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic , for he was born in North Petherwin , Devonshire

, England

, on the 17th of February, 1850, his parents being John and Grace (Bone) Baker, also natives of England , the former born in 1809 and the latter in 1811.  Our subject was only six weeks old, however, when the family emigrated to America and settled in Walworth county, Wisconsin , where the father continued to reside until his death in 1898.  The mother passed away in 1897 and both were laid to rest in the village of Little Prairie , Wisconsin .  The family of this worthy couple consisted of nine children, all of whom are still living, namely: William and John, both residents of Wisconsin; Mary Jane, the wife of John Gilbert of that state; Julius and Francis, who are also living in Wisconsin; James, of this review; Richard, Edwin and Alfred, all of whom continue to reside in Wisconsin.  Seven of the brothers and one sister own about six miles of land following a little creek where the father once had seventeen hundred acres.  He was a man of excellent business ability and in his new home met with substantial success.  The three youngest sons were born in America and all of the children were given excellent educational advantages, the most of them being graduates of colleges and excellent schools.  Nearly all of the sons have at some time engaged in teaching school and several of our subject’s nephews have been principals of schools.  Not one of Mr. Baker’s brothers uses tobacco in any form or intoxicating liquors and all are devout members of their respective churches.  In fact, the family is an exemplary one and wherever known are held in the highest esteem.  The eldest son was a soldier of the Civil war and was wounded just as he was going to the front.

James Baker acquired his elementary education in the common schools of Troy Wisconsin, and later in Milton College in Rock county, at which college he was a student for five terms.  He next attended the Wesleyan University at Bloomington Illinois, and after leaving that institution engaged in teaching school for several terms in Creek township and for four terms in the village of Lane .  He held a first grade certificate and made a very popular and successful teacher.  In 1869, however, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 15, Creek township, and has since given the greater part of his time and attention to agricultural pursuits.  He subsequently bought fifty-two acres on section 8, thirty-three acres on section 5 and eighty acres on section 15, making a total of three hundred and thirty acres in Creek township.  Here he is now engaged in general farming and stock-raising, feeding a large number of cattle and hogs each season.  In 1898 he erected upon his farm an elegant barn, sixty-eight by one hundred feet, with a twenty-four foot basement, which is today the largest barn in the county.  The other buildings upon this place are modern and up-to-date in all their appointments, many of these being supplied with concrete floors.  He has also erected a fine nine-room residence with a cellar under the entire house.  It is finished in the most approved style, is built of excellent material and is lighted by acetylene gas and heated by a furnace.  Besides his own fine residence there are three other good houses upon his place, which are occupied by tenants, a fine orchard furnishes its fruit in season and the fields are under a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Baker was married October 20, 1887, to Miss Ella Edwards, a daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Baric) Edwards, of whom mention is made in the sketch of T. J. Edwards on another page of this volume.  Mrs. Baker was born in Creek township, April 22, 1867, and by her marriage has become the mother of three children, all natives of the same township: Julia Mary Jane is the wife of W. F. Gray of Clinton and has one son, James; Edwin Ernest is at home with his father; Katie, born October 30, 1893, died in 1895 and was buried in Rose Cemetery, Lane, Illinois.  Mrs. Gray is a graduate in music at Wesleyan University , and also pursued a course in other departments of that institution, while the son has attended both Wesleyan and Champaign Universities and will continue his studies in the latter in the fall of 1910.

Although Mr. Baker usually votes the democratic ticket, he is a stanch believer in prohibition and has ever been an active worker for the temperance cause.  He is a member of the Good Templars, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, and both he and his wife are earnest members and active workers in Central Chapel, United Brethren church, where he has served as class leader for several years and also as trustee.  Upright and honorable in all relations of life, he commands the respect and confidence of those with whom he is brought in contact, either in business or social relations, and he well merits the esteem in which he is universally held.

SAMUEL BAKER.  (Volume II, Page 176)

Through the long years of an active business career Samuel Baker was extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising and became well known as a representative of that business, but is now living retired in Weldon.  His birth occurred in Lincolnshire

, England

, December 26, 1842, and his parents were Jarvis and Elizabeth Baker, who spent their entire lives in that country.  The father died about ten years ago but the mother has been dead for almost thirty years.  In their family were eleven children, five of whom are still living, namely: Henry, John and Samuel, all residents of WeldonIllinois; James, who also makes his home in DeWitt county; and Keziah, the wife of James Brewer, of Lincolnshire

, England

.  Two sons were soldiers of the Civil war, Jarvis and William, who enlisted in the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry from Clinton.

Samuel Baker practically had no opportunity to attend school and the education he has acquired has been secured in later years through reading and observation.  At the early age of nine years he began earning his own livelihood and has since been dependent upon his own resources.  In November, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Hardesty, a native of Yorkshire

, England

, and soon after his marriage he quit farming and turned his attention to the brick-mason’s trade.  In the spring of 1872 he brought his wife and their only child to America and took up his residence in DeWitt county, Illinois , where he followed farming until 1894.  Although he came to this country with no capital he steadily prospered and is today the owner of five hundred and fifty-six and one half acres, two hundred and eighty and a half acres being in DeWitt county and two hundred and seventy six acres in Christian county, Illinois.  He remained upon the home farm with his sons until 1901, when he removed to Weldon, having retired from active labor, and erected there a pretty cottage in the north part of town, where he is now living retired.

Mrs. Baker is one of a family of eleven children, of whom only three came to the United States , the others being: Jessie, now a resident of Taylorville; and William, deceased.  To our subject and his wife have been born five children, the oldest being Henry, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume.  Kate, born in DeWitt county in 1874, is the wife of William Dawson of DeWitt county, and has five children, Elsie, Grace, Ethel, Ralph and Ray.  Jarvis, born in 1876, married Nellie O’Brien and lives in Montgomery Illinois.  Belle, born in 1877, is the wife of Fred Dressler, of DeWitt county, and has two children.  Garfield, born in 1880, married Miss Lola Christman and lives in this county.

In 1895 Mr. Baker returned to his native land, where he spent five months in visiting old friends and the scenes of his boyhood, and in 1898 made another trip to the old world, being gone this time two months.  His father, who was living at that time, passed away June 6, 1900.  Since becoming a naturalized citizen Mr. Baker has affiliated with the Republican party and has been called upon to serve as road commissioner for six years and as a member of the school board for the same length of time.  His wife is a devoted member of the Methodist Protestant church and both are held in highest esteem by all who know them.

BERT B. BATES.  (Volume II, Page 321)

Bert Blakemore Bates, a member of the firm of Williams & Bates, publishers of the Farmer City Journal, is well entitled to prominent mention in this volume not only from the fact that he is a leading representative of journalistic interests in DeWitt county but because he belongs to one of the pioneer families of this section of Illinois.  He was born in Clinton, DeWitt county, March 28, 1871, a son of George W. and Anna M. (Woodward) Bates, the former a native of Ohio , and the latter of Logan county, Illinois .  His paternal grandfather, Asa Bates, was a farmer and stock-raiser.  In early life, prior to the era of railroad building in this state, he made journeys to Chicago with stock, and on the last of these trips he disappeared and his fate was never definitely known.  His family included: Angeline, Temperance, Zenus, Elizabeth, Sarah, Isabel, Franklin and George W. Bates, who became the father of our subject.

The last named was a plasterer and paper hanger by trade and also engaged in farming, settling in Clinton prior to the Civil war.  In that city he worked at his trade but at the outbreak of hostilities enlisted for service with the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for a little more than a year being discharged on account of disability.  He wedded Miss Anna M. Woodward, whose parents, Dr. James W. and Mary (Blakemore) Woodward, were pioneer settlers of Illinois .  The father who was born in Lee county, Virginia, July 28, 1813, was a physician and also a local preacher in the Methodist church.  Their family included Mrs. Olive Bullock, Mrs. Anna M. Bates, Mrs. Elizabeth McDonald, Mrs. Ellen Holloway and William Blakemore Woodward.  The father of this family died at the home of a daughter in Bloomington Illinois, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-six years.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bates were born four sons and two daughters, as follows: James A., a resident of Clinton; Mary, the wife of O. S. Harrison, of Rosedale, Indiana; Charles W., living in Farmer City; Maude, the wife of Henry L. Williams, also of this city; Harry R., who makes his home is Seattle, Washington; and Bert B., whose name introduces this review.  The father died in Farmer City , August 12, 1892, while his wife surviving until October 1, 1905, passed away in the faith of the Methodist church, of which she was a consistent member.

Bert B. Bates, the youngest in his father’s family, began his education in the public schools of his home city, leaving the high school in the spring of 1887.  Soon thereafter he entered the Journal office as an apprentice to the printers’ trade, the paper at that time being published by W. C. Devore.  After various changes the Journal became the property of C. L. Wood, who leased a half-interest in the plant to Mr. Bates in 1894, he having in the intervening years been retained in the employ of the various owners of the paper.  Mr. Wood sold the paper in April, 1895, to F. S. Nutt and Mr. Bates, and in the fall of 1896 Mr. Nutt died.  In March 1897, Mr. Bates formed a partnership with E. A. Williams and from that time to the present they have edited and published the paper, which is a bright, newsy sheet, devoted to general news and as an advertising medium it has gained favor in DeWitt county, for on its list of subscribers may be found the names of residents in various sections of the county as well as those of Farmer City.  Mr. Bates’ long connection with newspaper interests has given him a thorough knowledge of the business in all its phases and he is now numbered among the enterprising citizens of DeWitt county.

On the 23d of June, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. Bates and Miss Jennie Wynn Brooks, who after graduating at the age of sixteen, engaged in teaching until the time of her marriage.  She is a daughter of Gilbert E. and Henrietta (Allen) Brooks, who resided in Pike county, Illinois , but soon after their marriage became residents of Clinton, where the daughter’s birth occurred.  Their family numbered five children: Maude, who became the wife of D. Kaufman, of Chicago, but is now deceased; E. May, who became the wife of L. W. Taylor, and is also deceased; Gilbert E., a resident of Pasadena California; Earl E., of Clinton; and Jennie, now Mrs. Bates.  Both the parents have departed this life, the mother dying in 1904, while the father was called to his final rest in 1907.  Gilbert E. Brooks was born at Tattersall , England , and came to America at thirteen years of age, the family first locating in Chicago, from which place Mr. Brooks went to Pike county, Illinois .

In politics Mr. Bates is a Republican, while in fraternal circles he is prominent, belonging to the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and to the Sons of Veterans in Farmer City .  Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Having spent his entire life in Farmer City, coming here from Clinton at six months of age, Mr. Bates is one of its well known citizens and his courteous, genial manner has won him many friends, and his estimable wife shares with him in the esteem and respect which is universally extended to him, having performed with signal success the exacting duties of a teacher in the public schools during the majority of the years since her marriage and location in Farmer City.

HENRY G. BEATTY.  (Volume II, Page 368)

Henry G. Beatty, who as chief executive of the firm of H. G. Beatty & Company, manufacturers of harness and dealers in buggies and general hardware, at the head of one of the important and successful enterprises of Clinton, has long been identified with the business interests of this city, to which he came as a lad of eight years.  A native of Ohio , his birth occurred in Findlay, on the 14th of April, 1845, his parents being Isaac B. and Eliza Ann (Crowl) Beatty, likewise natives of the Buckeye state.  The paternal grandfather, William Beatty, was born and reared in Pennsylvania and was a Scotch descent.  His entire life was spent in that state, where he followed farming and where he and his wife lived to old age and reared their family.  The maternal grandfather of Mr. Beatty lived to a ripe old age, while his wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Jane Crowl, passed away a few years prior to his demise.  They had several children.

Isaac B. Beatty, the father of our subject, was born in FindlayOhio, on the 10th of December, 1817, and was there reared and married.  His wife, who was born on the 15th of July, 1819, passed away August 13, 1849, and immediately after her death Mr. Beatty came west, locating in Clinton.  He was a manufacturer of harness and saddlery and upon his arrival in this city became engaged in that business, so continuing until his death in 1887.  He and his wife were consistent and loyal members of the Methodist church, and both were held in high esteem throughout the communities in which the resided.  In their family were six children, namely: John William, who was born August 28, 1840, and passed away December 10, 1867; Charles Wesley, who was born February 8, 1843, and died January 8, 1866; Henry G. and James C., twins, the former the subject of this review and the latter, who was born April 14, 1845, a resident of Decatur, Illinois; Isaac B., Jr., who was born on the 17th of January, 1847, and has also passed away, his death occurring April 3, 1886; and Julia Ann, whose birth occurred on the 7th of July 1849, and who became the wife of Calvin Adams, of Wauseka, Illinois.

Henry G. Beatty spent the first eight years of his life in the city of his nativity and then in 1852, accompanied his father on his removal to Clinton and here grew to manhood.  In the select schools of this city he acquired a good education, and in 1863, when but eighteen years of age, enlisted for service in the Civil war as a private in the Second Illinois Light Artillery.  With that command he served until the close of the war, participating in many of the important battles including the siege of Atlanta.  Later he was detailed to boat service on the Cumberland river , being located at Clarkville Tennessee.  When his country no longer needed his service he returned to Clinton and learned the saddlery business, becoming a partner of his father, with whom he continued in business until 1873.  In that year he went to Kenney and there followed his trade until 1889, when he met with a heavy loss through fire, after which he returned to Clinton.  He then purchased the business of William Metzger and has since organized the firm of H. G. Beatty & Company, associating two of his sons with him in partnership.  The firm manufactures harness, deals in buggies and general hardware, and enjoys a large and increasing trade.  Mr. Beatty has developed the business along systematic and progressive lines, and his wise and careful management and keen business sagacity have been potent forces in its substantial and healthy growth.  His store is located at No. 405 southwest corner of the Public Square , and he is accorded a large and gratifying patronage.

On the 27th of March, 1867, occurred the marriage of Mr. Beatty and Miss Solemly S. Stocking, a native of Trempealeau Wisconsin, and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Turner Stocking.  Both parents were born in Michigan , where the mother passed away, whiled the father’s death occurred in Texas .  In their family were four children, two of whom are yet living: Elizabeth, the wife of George L. Huntington, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin ; and Hobart, a resident of St. Paul Minnesota.  The home of Mr. and Mrs. Beatty was blessed with a family of five children, as follows: Nellie L. is the widow of Charley Armstrong, by whom she had one daughter, Sylvia Macy; Ernest H., who married Mary Stewart, by whom he has one daughter, Mary Ernestine, and in 1899 became a partner with his father in business; William T. married Cora Arnold and has one son, Henry A.; James Royal passed away at the age of twenty-three years; Hobert R., who married Leota Slick, in 1906 also was admitted to a partnership with his father in business.  On the 3d of November, 1889, the wife and mother was called to her rest, passing away at the age of forty-eight years.  She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is also her husband, and was a lady of most estimable character, who at her death left a wide circle of warm friends.

Mr. Beatty holds membership relations with Olive Lodge, No. 98, I. O. O. F., and also belongs to Frank Lowry Post, No. 157, G. A. R.  His political allegiance is given to the Republican party at the polls, and he served as president of the village board ere Clinton became a city.  His tendencies, however, are strongly temperance, and he does all in his power to further the cause in the community, realizing that the liquor traffic is one of the greatest evils against which the nation has to contend.  He makes his home at 516 West Adams street, where he has just completed a beautiful new home, equipped throughout with all modern conveniences and is elegantly appointed.  This structure is an outward expression of the success which Mr. Beatty has attained, while his honorable and manly character is indicated by the respect, confidence and good will in which he is held by all who know aught of him.

JAMES W. BECKWITH.  (Volume II, Page 296)

James W. Beckwith, who is now living retired in a beautiful home in Farmer City , derives a good financial income from his farming interests in DeWitt county and in Buena Vista county, Iowa .  Born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1848, he is a son of David and Emma (Ray) Beckwith, who were likewise natives of the Keystone state, in whose family were four sons and three daughters: Kate, who became the wife of Daniel Peck but is now deceased; Emma, the wife of George Rice; James W., of this review; David, who has departed this life; Joseph and John, twins, the former a resident of Arlington, Iowa, and the latter deceased; and Mrs. Louise Shippy, a resident of Peoria county, Illinois.  The father was a laborer and spent his entire life in Franklin county.  He served in the Civil war for three years and died in Franklin county when almost sixty years of age.  His wife, who had formerly married a Mr. Ray, had one daughter by that marriage, Margaret, the wife of Isaac Harper.  Mrs. Beckwith belonged to the Dunkard church and died in 1866 at the age of forty-five.

James W. Beckwith, the eldest son and third in order of birth in his father’s family, was reared in the county of his nativity and there pursued his education in the district schools.  In 1864, when a youth of sixteen years, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company I, Seventy-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.  He enlisted as a private and although he was in no hard fought battles, he took part in many skirmishes and served until the close of hostilities.

Following his discharge, Mr. Beckwith returned to Franklin county and there engaged in farming.  On the 25th of August, 1867, he established a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Laura Levy, a daughter of Mrs. Mary Levy.  In the spring following their marriage, 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith came to Illinois , locating in Fulton county, where they spent three years.  At the end of that time they made a removal to Piatt county, this state, and for twenty-eight years Mr. Beckwith was there engaged in farming, owning a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which he sold upon his removal to DeWitt county in 1900.  While living in Fulton and Piatt counties three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith: John Lawrence, who is single and lives with his father; Emma, the wife of Charles Dewey, of Piatt county, by whom she has two children, Clyde and Ethel; and Katie, the wife of Frank Keefer, of Fisher, Minnesota, by whom she has two children, Adrian and Avis.  After a happy married life covering almost a quarter of a century, Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith were separated by the death of the wife in 1891, when she was but forty years old.

On the 7th of January, 1894, Mr. Beckwith was married again, his second union being with Miss Emma Etta Shreve, a daughter of John and Angeline (McKibben) Shreve.  Mrs. Beckwith was born in Tazewell county, near Minier.  Her parents were both natives of Ohio and became early settlers of Tazewell county, Illinois , while later they took up their abode in Piatt county.  They had a family of two daughters and one son: Emma E., now Mrs. Beckwith; Belle, the wife of Joseph Caruthers, living near UrbanaIllinois; and Lewis, a resident of Piatt county.  Mr. Shreve had formerly been married to Elizabeth Koons and by that union there were two children, Mrs. Letitia Glotfelter and Mrs. Sarah Justice.  Mrs. Shreve had likewise been married before her union with John Shreve, her first husband being William Cooper, by whom she had six children, William, Evangeline, John

, Frances

, deceased, Joseph and Roberta.  Mr. Cooper was a teamster in the Civil war and died in a hospital while at the front.  The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Emma E. Beckwith was Isaiah Shreve, a native of Pennsylvania and a farmer by occupation.  Her maternal grandparents were Joseph and Thurza (Brown) McKibben, the former a native of Ohio and of Scotch descent.  He was a shoemaker by trade and passed away prior to the Civil war.  Mrs. McKibben was a native of Kentucky .  Both the parents of Mrs. Beckwith are now deceased, the father passing away in Urbana in 1897 at the extreme old age of eighty-six years, while the mother died in Piatt county in 1908 when seventy-five years of age.

Following his second marriage Mr. Beckwith continued his residence in Piatt county for a few years but in 1900 he came to DeWitt county, purchasing one hundred ninety-six and a half acres of land at seventy-two and a half dollars per acre.  This farm has greatly increased in value, Mr. Beckwith having refused an offer of two hundred dollars per acre.  In addition to this property he likewise owns a half section of land in Buena Vista county, Iowa , and his invested interests bring him a gratifying annual return.  He is now living retired in a nice modern home in Farmer City , which he occupies together with his wife and their daughter, Ruth.

Mr. Beckwith gives his political support to the Republican party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs.  He is a member of Mount Pleasant Lodge, No. 126, I. O. O. F., and he and his wife belong to the Rebekahs.  Mr. Beckwith likewise belongs to the Lemon Post, No. 211, G. A. R., and his wife is a member of the Woman’s Relief Corps.  His loyalty to his country when he enlisted in the Civil war at the age of sixteen years is a prominent chapter in his history.  There is no blot or stain of dishonor upon his name and he can now look back over a life well spent, feeling that he has made the best possible use of his opportunities.  He has met with marked success in his undertakings and deserves prominent mention among the retired citizenship of Farmer City .

TILMAN M. BENNETT.  (Volume II, Page 211)

With the agricultural interests of DeWitt county Tilman Morgan Bennett has long been identified and is today regarded as one of the representative farmers of Creek township, his home being on section 30.  His birth occurred in this county on the 5th of January, 1856, his parents being Henry and Elizabeth (Cross) Bennett.  His father was born in Ohio ,September 23, 1834, and died in this county on >the 2d of February 1902, but his mother, whose birth occurred in Virginia in 1836, is still living and continues to make her home in Creek township.  They were the parents of thirteen children and nine of the number are still living, namely: John, a resident of Creek township; Ella, the wife of Albert Hughes, now living in Colorado; Tilman Morgan, whose name introduces this sketch; Lavina, the widow of Jackson Perry Brake, a resident of Argenta, Illinois; Martha, the wife of Bently Conn, of North Dakota; Bertie, the wife of Herbert McCommon, of Creek township; Lydia, the wife of Lewis Grady, of Tazewell county, Illinois; Henry, of Missouri; and George, of Creek township.

During his boyhood and youth Tilman M. Bennett pursued his education in the Miller school and remained with his parents, assisting in the work of the home farm, until he reached the age of twenty-two years.  After his marriage he rented one hundred and forty acres of land of his mother on section 30, Creek township, and to its further cultivation and improvement he has since devoted his energies and has met with most excellent success in his labors.

On the 7th of July, 1887, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca J. Spainhour, who was born in Creek township, September 4, 1867, her parents being Allen and Emeline (Miller) Spainhour, also natives of DeWitt county.  The father was born October 15, 1846, and the mother January 11, 1856 [1850], and they now make their home in the village of Lane .  Mr. Spainhour and his brother Carl entered the Union army during the Civil war as members of an Illinois regiment and Mr. Bennett also had two uncles, Solomon and George Cross, who were in the service.  Mrs. Bennett is the oldest of the five surviving children in a family of seven, the others being: Mary, the wife of Isaac Hossinger, of Creek township; Thomas, a resident of the same township; Laura, the wife of Abel Gray, of Creek township; and Nellie, the wife of David Henry Turner, a farmer of Clintonia township.

There were five children born to our subject and his wife, all natives of DeWitt county, but only three of the number are now living.  Charles C., born August 13, 1889, lives at home with his father.  He married Miss Minnie Thoma and has one child, Velma Verneta.  Ida May, born July 10, 1892, is the wife of Clayton Roberts, of Creek township.  Jennie Emeline, born January 22, 1895, is attending the Miller school and is still at home with her parents.  Mr. and Mrs. Bennett hold membership in Center Chapel, United Brethren church, and he affiliates with the democratic party.  He keeps well posted on the questions and issues of the day and is a well informed man, who has efficiently served as school director in his district.

EMORY B. BENTLEY.  (Volume II, Page 196)

Emory B. Bentley, editor of the Clinton Daily and Weekly Public, one of the leading papers of Clinton, in which he embodies the ideas of progressive journalism, was born in West Middlesex , Pennsylvania , June 27, 1864.  His parents, W. Hutson and Margaret M. (Bailey) Bentley, were both natives of Ohio .  The former was a son of Joseph Bentley, who was born in Pennsylvania and made farming his life work.  He married Sarah Veach and died when about eighty-one years of age, while his widow reached the very advanced age of ninety-eight years.  Their family numbered six children, namely: W. Hutson; Mrs. Anna Randall; Emory, deceased; Mrs. Lucy Pothour; Martin; and Mrs. Viola Jacobs.  The maternal grandfather of Emory B. Bentley was David Bailey, a native of Connecticut .  He, too, engaged in general agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life.  His last days were spent in Ohio , where he died November 6, 1860.  His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Early and was a native of Ireland , died in Pennsylvania , August 27, 1872, at the age of seventy-one years.  They had nine children, Jane, Eppy, Thomas, Margaret, Ermina, Caleb, Lizzie, Lucian and James.

The marriage of W. Hutson Bentley and Margaret M. Bailey was blessed with a family of two sons and four daughters: Sarah, the wife of John A. Anderson, of Hubbard, Ohio; Mary, who wedded Rev. L. M. Lewis, of Arch Springs, Pennsylvania; Ella, the wife of Frank Shook, of Hubbard, Ohio; Emory B., of this review; Innez, who became the wife of Samuel Cover, of New Bedford, Pennsylvania; and Joseph T., of West Middlesex, Pennsylvania.  The father is a farmer of West Middlesex , Pennsylvania , having one hundred and thirty-nine acres of land in the home farm in addition to other property.  He is now seventy-seven years of age and his wife has reached the age of eighty-two years.  Their children are all living and all have children of their own, and there is no death recorded in the immediate family—a most remarkable record.

Emory B. Bentley spent his youth on his father’s farm at Middlesex Pennsylvania, and early became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.  He attended the district schools and later was a pupil in the high school at HubbardOhio, and afterward in Mount Union College at AllianceOhio, where he was graduated with the class of 1891.  He taught for a time at Makanda and afterward at Murphysboro, Dongola, Anna and Clinton.  He came to Clinton in 1898 and was superintendent of the city schools for six years, the cause of public instruction being greatly promoted through his effective, practical and earnest efforts.  He had become recognized as an able educator of Illinois , his work being attended by excellent results.  On retiring from the superintendency of the Clinton schools he became editor of the Daily and Weekly Public and is thus closely associated with journalism, instituting a progressive policy in connection with the publication of the paper and making it an attractive sheet to local readers as well as to many who have previously resided in this portion of the state.

On the 10th of June, 1894, Mr. Bentley was married to Miss Della L. Chase, and unto them have been born two children, Beulah and Howard.  The family residence is at No. 520 West Adams street and was erected by Mr. Bentley in 1900.  He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and are well known in the social circles of this city.  Mr. Bentley gives his political endorsement to the Republican party, and, while the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him, he has always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day, and believes it to be the duty as well as the privilege of every American citizen to exercise his right of franchise and thus support the principles which he deems most conducive to good government.

ROBERT BLACK.  (Volume II, Page 252)

Although now living retired, making his home at No. 717 West Clay street , Clinton , Robert Black was for many years closely, actively, honorably and successfully connected with agricultural interests in DeWitt county.  A native of Ohio , he was born about six miles west of Bellefontaine in Logan county, March 20, 1835, and in the paternal line comes of Irish ancestry, his grandfather, Alexander Black, having been a native of the Emerald isle.  Crossing the Atlantic to America , he died in Allegheny Pennsylvania, at the remarkable old age of one hundred and four years.  In his family were Robert, Morton, Thomas, James, Samuel and Margaret Black.  It was not until after the birth of James Black, the father of our subject, that the family emigrated to the United States .  He was, however, an infant when his parents crossed the Atlantic , establishing their home in Allegheny City Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood.  When a young man he drove a five-horse team at that place.  He was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Nancy Powers, a native of that state and of German descent.  Her father was John Powers, who for many years lived at Allegheny Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of ninety-one years.  His three children were John, William and Nancy Powers.  Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. James Black rode from Pennsylvania to Ohio on horseback and in that state established their home in the midst of the forest, Mr. Black purchasing a tract of timber land, from which he cleared the trees and then brought the fields under cultivation.  He continued to carry on the work of the farm there until his life’s labors were ended in death when he was about sixty years of age.  His wife survived him, reaching the age of seventy years ere called to her demise.  Both were members of the Associate Reformed or United Presbyterian church and their many good qualities were manifest in the careful training of their children.  They had nine sons and two daughters, namely: Johnson; John; William; Oliver S.; Henry; Robert; Lettie; Elizabeth, the widow of Reuben Short; Nancy E., the widow of Terry Huber; Joseph A., deceased; and one—the first born—who died in infancy.

The old home farm in Logan county, Ohio , was the playground of Robert Black in his boyhood days and also his training school for business life.  He mastered the common branches of English learning as a pupil in the district schools, but through the periods of vacation worked in the fields, early becoming familiar with the task of plowing, planting and harvesting.  Remaining on the farm until he had attained his majority, he then started out in life for himself by working as a farm hand by the month.  In 1856 he came to Illinois and was employed by C. L. Lanham on a farm at a salary of nineteen dollars per month.  He then married and settled upon a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres owned by his wife.  this he improved and to it added three eighty-acre tracts and a sixty-acre tract situated in Barnett and Tunbridge townships.  There he lived until 1902, carefully, systematically and successfully carrying on the work of the West Clay street, which he still occupies.  His prosperity when on the farm made it possible for him to put aside all the cares of business life and since taking up his abode in the city he has sold two hundred and forty acres of the home farm and other lands, but still has one hundred and sixty acres, which returns to him a substantial annual income.  While living on the farm he also engaged in buying stock for about ten years and likewise met success in that undertaking.

On the 10th of June, 1858, Mr. Black was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Humphrey, a daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Pearson) McClimans.  Mrs. Black was born in Madison county, Ohio , and her father was also a native of that state, but her mother was born in Pennsylvania .  Their children were: Nancy, now the wife of John Bartley; Mary, the wife of William Gardner; Sarah, the wife of Joshua Humphrey; David; and Margaret, the wife of Mr. Black.  The last named have five children: Curtis L., the eldest, is now a farmer of Texas township.  He married Dora Piatt and they have three children, Edna May, Floyd and Dennis N.  Mary M. is the wife of William C. Wallace, a resident of Midland CityIllinois.  Joseph, who married Edna Howser, is engaged in farming in Tunbridge township.  Rachel died when a year and eleven months old.  David, who wedded Cora Marvel, is a farmer of Tunbridge township.

Mr. and Mrs. Black hold membership in the First Christian church of Clinton , of which he is now a trustee, and for some years he was an elder in the church in Tunbridge township.  Politically he is a democrat, giving inflexible support to the principles of the party.  He served as road commissioner for several terms and was school director for over twenty years, the cause of education finding in him a stalwart champion.  He has ever been deeply interested in the welfare of the community, in which he has lived for more than a half century, witnessing much of its growth and development and taking active part in all that pertains to its progress.  Starting out in life for himself as a farm hand, his diligence and energy have enabled him to attain prosperity, and with a handsome competence he put aside business cares and is now living retired.

EDMUND W. BLUE.  (Volume II, Page 30)

Although one of the younger representatives of farming and stock-raising interests in DeWitt county, Edmund W. Blue is carrying on business on quite an extensive scale, managing a farm of six hundred acres in Texas township and owning fifty-seven acres.  He was born in DeWitt county, October 28, 1878, a son of Uriah and Jennie (Eckert) Blue.  The father was born August 2, 1850, in Virginia , and was but two years of age when brought by his parents, Uriah and Jemima Blue, likewise natives of Virginia , to DeWitt county.  The father was reared in this county, remaining with his parents until the time of his marriage, when he began farming for himself.  He became a very prosperous man, owning at the time of his death over four hundred acres of land.  He also raised stock, keeping large numbers of sheep.  He was a democrat in his political views and held a number of township offices.  His wife, who bore the maiden name of Jennie Eckert, was born April 7, 1852, a daughter of Henry and Sarah Eckert, who were natives of Ohio, whence they removed to DeWitt county in pioneer days.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Blue were born seven children but the three eldest, Frank, Charles and Lillie, died in infancy.  The other children are: Edmund W., of this review; Carl, who wedded Mabel Randell, by whom he has two children, their home being in Texas township; William O., who resides on the home place; and Alice, who is with her mother.  The father died December 23, 1891, when but forty-one years of age, but the mother still survives and now makes her home in Clinton.

Edmund W. Blue was educated in the district schools near his father’s home and during the periods of vacation assisted in the work of the farm.  He gave his father the benefit of his services until twenty-four years of age, when he began working out by the month.  He is now the owner of fifty-seven acres of land but in addition to cultivating this land operates a farm of six hundred acres on the shares.  He does some farming but the greater part of his time is devoted to raising stock, making large shipments each year to the city markets.

Mr. Blue was married September 20, 1903, to Miss Verna Kirby, a daughter of William and Mary Kirby, natives of Ohio and Illinois respectively.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kirby have been born five children: Irvin, who wedded Pearl Byerley, of Dewitt county, by whom he has five children: Emma, the wife of Walter Andrews, of this county, and the mother of five children; Arva; Eva, the wife of Joseph Todd, also of this county, by whom she has one child; and Verna, now Mrs. Blue.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Blue has been born a little daughter, Mary Jennie, whose birth occurred March 26, 1908.

A democrat in principle and practice, Mr. Blue is a public-spirited citizen and has been called by his fellow townsmen to fill some local offices, having served one term as assessor, while in 1909 he was elected supervisor of Texas township.  A lifelong resident of DeWitt county, he has at all times been an interested witness of its progress and is today accorded a place among the substantial farmers and stock-raisers of this section of the state.

CHARLES S. BOGARDUS.  (Volume II, Page 60)

Holding to high ideals in professional service and discharging all of his duties with a sense of conscientious obligations, Dr. Charles S. Bogardus, although one of the young members, has come to be regarded as one of the prominent representatives of the medical profession in Clinton.  He was born in SpringfieldIllinois, February 25, 1872.  The Bogardus family is of Holland Dutch origin, descendants of Everardus Bogardus, the first Dutch preacher in America , who came to the new world in 1633, and owned a farm where Trinity church, New York , now stands.  The paternal grandfather, Israel Bogardus, was a native of New York and in early life lived near Syracuse, but came to Illinois in 1847 when this state was largely an unimproved and unsettled district.  He took up his abode near Belvidere, in Boone county, where he engaged in farming.  He made his home there for many years, or until called to his final rest at an advanced age.  Unto him and his wife were born four sons and two daughters, Henry, Stephen, Seabury, Seymour, Marian and Sarah.

Of this family Stephen Bogardus, who was born in Cortland county, New York , became a school teacher.  He was a graduate of the Illinois State Normal and taught for a number of years in Springfield, in which city he conducted a business college for a quarter of a century.  He was also principal of one of the schools there for several years, but in June 1903, came to Clinton, where he passed away in September, 1904, at the age of sixty years.  He had in 1868 wedded Mary J. Smith, who still survives him.  Her father, William B. Smith, was a native of Kentucky , born in 1819.  He and his wife became early settlers of MechanicsburgIllinois, and afterward came to Clinton, DeWitt county, in 1853, where they lived for twelve years.  Subsequently they became residents of NormalIllinois and afterward went to WichitaKansas, where Mr. Smith is still living at the age of ninety-one years.  His wife was well advanced in years when she was called from this life.  The family numbered four daughters, Mary, Martha, Emma Rebecca and Eva, but the last named died in 1870 at NormalIllinois.  As stated, their eldest daughter became the wife of Professor Bogardus and is well known in Clinton.  By her marriage she had five sons: William I., who is now manager for the Southern Rock Island Plow Company, of DallasTexas; Charles S., of ClintonIllinois; Frank S., living in Terre Haute, where he is professor in the Indiana State Normal; Fred B., a physician of Eureka Montana ; and George W., of PittsburgPennsylvania.

Charles S. Bogardus was reared in the capital city and was graduated from the high school of Springfield with the class of 1889.  He then did office work for a few years and in 1894 began studying medicine, his course being completed by graduation from the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College in 1897.  In July of that year he located for practice in Clinton, where he has since remained.  He has shown himself competent to cope with many of the intricate problems of the medical science and that his ability is recognized by members of the profession is indicated in the fact that he has been honored with the presidency of the Central Illinois Homeopathic Medical Association.  He is also a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy and through his connection with those societies, as well as by private research and study, he keeps in touch with the advancement that is being made by the medical fraternity.

On the 16th of November, 1899, Dr. Bogardus was married to Miss Nellie Taylor, a daughter of William H. and Jennie (Rennick) Taylor.  In January, 1901, Dr. Bogardus was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 16th of January of that year.  In August, 1904, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Kate Weld, a daughter of Edwin and Emily (Hill) Weld.  There is one daughter by that marriage, Katherine.  Mrs. Bogardus was born in DeWitt county, where her parents settled in 1837, her father coming from Boston, her mother from Kentucky .  Mr. Weld died in the spring of 1908, but his widow still survives.  They had a family of five daughters and one son: Carrie, the wife of Clark Ellie; Minnie, the wife of Ed Hartsock; Frances; Edwin; Mrs. Bogardus; and Nettie.

Dr. Bogardus is a member of the Methodist church, while his wife belongs to the Presbyterian church.  He is also affiliated with the odd Fellows lodge, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen camp.  His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and its principles receive his strong and ready endorsement.  He built his present residence in the fall of 1907 and is pleasantly situated, his professional activity indicating his success in tangible terms of profit.  His investigations into the realms of science have kept him in touch with the progress made in his chosen field of labor and the results which follow his practice justify the confidence that is reposed in his professional ability.

WILLIAM BOOTH.  (Volume II, Page 314)

William Booth, prominently connected with the profession which has always been regarded as the conservator of human rights and liberties by maintaining justice and righteous administration of the law, is now accorded a liberal clientage which connects him with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of the district.  He has remained a representative of the Clinton bar since 1879.  He was born in CedarvilleOhio, April 24, 1849, and comes of English ancestry, although the family was founded in America in colonial days.  His grandfather, Caleb Booth, was a native of Virginia and served as an American soldier in the war of 1812.  He devoted his life to the occupation of farming and removed from Berkeley county, now West Virginia , to Greene county, Ohio , establishing his home in the midst of a forest.  There he cut down the trees, cleared away the stumps and in time developed a farm.  He died at an old age.  In his family were for sons and two daughters, including John Booth, who was born in Virginia .  After arriving at years maturity he wedded Rosa Piles, a native of Ohio and a daughter of William Piles, who for many years resided in the Buckeye state, where he followed farming.  He lived to be about eighty years of age.  Following his marriage John Booth established his home upon a farm in the Buckeye state, where he remained until 1881, when he came to Illinois , settling near Waynesville.  After a time, in order to educate his children, he took up his abode in the town, where he died in 1890 when about sixty-five years of age.  His wife long survived him, being called to her final rest in 1907 at the age of eighty-four years.  She was a member of the Society of Friends or Quakers.  In their family were six children, three of whom are now living: William, of this review; Nancy, the wife of C. W. Williamson, of Clinton; and Melda Booth, residing in Waynesville Illinois

From the age of two years William Booth has made his home in DeWitt county, Illinois , being brought here by his parents in 1851.  His youthful days were spent upon the old home farm near Waynesville and in that town, where the public schools afforded him his educational privileges, and later he engaged in teaching in order to defray the expenses of a college course.  Ambitious to enjoy the advantages of an advanced education, he entered the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, from which he was graduated in 1874.  He then returned to Waynesville, where he engaged in teaching for three years, and afterward spent one year as a teacher at Kenney.  He regarded this, however, merely as an initial step to other professional labor, and taking up the study of law was admitted to the bar in 1879.  In the winter of that year he opened an office in Clinton, where he has since remained.  The fact that he has never changed his place of residence is an indication of the success which he is here enjoying.  In 1880 he was elected state’s attorney and filled that office for twelve years, his reelection being proof of his ability.  As a lawyer he is resourceful, never being surprised by the unexpected attack of an adversary for his preparation of cases is thorough and exhaustive and qualifies him to meet any possible turn of a case that may arise.  He is familiar with precedent as well as with principle and in argument his deductions follow in logical sequence.

Mr. Booth is entitled to wear the Grand Army button from the fact that he was a drummer boy in the Civil war, enlisting in Company I, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1864 when but fifteen years of age.  He served in that capacity for five months and now holds membership in Frank Lowry Post, No. 157, G. A. R.  His political views are in harmony with the principles of the Republican party and he is now serving as master in chancery.  He was married on the 18th of June, 1890, to Miss Theresa Crang, a daughter of Richard R. and Theresa (Moon) Crang, but in 1905 was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife.  He is widely known in Clinton and DeWitt county, where he has lived for so many years, and the success which he has achieved is the reward of individual merit and intelligent direction of his abilities.

HARRY O. BRITTIN.  (Volume II, Page 300)

Harry Otis Brittin, one of Clinton’s younger citizens, who has spent the entire period of his business career in the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, has, in connection therewith, remained continuously in the office of the master mechanic, working his way up from the position of messenger boy to that of chief clerk.  One of Illinois ’ native sons, his birth occurred at Lane on the 27th of April, 1884, his parents being Joseph M. and Louisa (Willmore) Brittin, natives of Ohio and Virginia respectively.  Both grandparents of Mr. Brittin were farmers by occupation.  The paternal grandfather passed away at MechanicsburgOhio, when well advanced in years.  In his family were seven sons, James, John, William, Nathan, Joseph, Isaac and Harry.  The maternal grandfather was the owner of a number of slaves in RichmondVirginia, but disposed of them a short time before the outbreak of the Civil war and about 1855 came to DeWitt county, Illinois , settling in Harp township.  Here, in connection with his brother Benjamin he engaged in farming, and at the time of his death, which occurred when he had passed the eightieth milestone on life’s journey, was laid to rest in the Willmore cemetery.  His family consisted of three daughters and one son, Martha, Louisa, Charles and Clementine.

Reared upon a farm in Ohio , Joseph M. Brittin, the father of our subject, came to Illinois in 1857, taking up his abode in DeWitt county.  He became the owner of a farm of eighty acres in Harp township, about six miles east of Clinton, and thereon continued to make his home for a number of years.  Later he entered the grain business, conducting an elevator at Lane until it was destroyed by fire about twenty-eight years ago.  He then for a number of years bought grain for L. N. Tyler & Company, of Chicago, but in recent years has lived retired from active business life.  He has for the past six or eight years filled the office of town clerk and is deeply interested in all community affairs.  He and his wife are members of the Christian church and are highly respected by all who know them for their many excellent traits of heart and mind.  As the years passed they became the parents of five children, four daughters and one son, who are as follows: Hattie May, the deceased wife of James Thompson; Caddie, who married Riley H. Thompson, of Lane, Illinois; Lizzie, the wife of R. E. Gray, also of that city; Edna F., who wedded Hallie Thorpe and resides near Lane; and Harry O., of this review.

In the city of Lane Harry Otis Brittin spent the period of his boyhood and youth, passing through consecutive grades of the public schools in the acquirement of an education.  Upon the afternoon of his last day of school, January 18, 1903, he accepted the position of