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

Note: These biographies were transcribed as written and may contain errors.  We welcome your corrections concerning factual data.  Just send an e-mail to the County Coordinator, and be sure to give us your name and return e-mail address.

Submitted by Judy Simpson unless otherwise noted.

Biographies S - T - U

JOHN M. SAFLY.  (Volume II, Page 328)

Rated as one of the heaviest owners of farming land in this portion of the state, John M. Safly has become known as one of the most progressive and influential men of the western portion of DeWitt county.  He is the owner of over a thousand acres of finest farming land in this and Logan counties, and he has other holdings of considerable value, all of which are the result of years of thrift and enterprise, coupled with shrewd judgment exhibited in the management of his several ventures.

Born July 1, 1850, in Sangamon county, near Springfield, Illinois, Mr. Safly is a son of Stephen F. and Nancy (Prunk) Safly, who were among the early settlers of that county.  His father was the son of Adam Safly, of Virginia, who came to Illinois from Ohio, to which state he had moved from the place of his birth shortly after attaining his majority.  At the time the Safly family came to Illinois, his son Stephen was but six years old.  Nancy Prunk was a descendant of the family of that name who removed from Pennsylvania to Champaign county, Ohio, and later to Sangamon county, Illinois.  They made the trip to this state in 1826, becoming pioneer settlers and taking out land patents for their farms, which they broke from the raw prairie.

John M. Safly is the second child in a family of six.  His brothers and sisters are: Mary Jane, now deceased, was the wife of E. H. Cannon, of Holdridge, Nebraska, and the mother of twelve children: Alvin, Charles, Adam, Kate, James, Frank, Nellie, Mamie, Minnie, Ray, Emma and Roscoe.  A. R., who lives in Nebraska, married Emma Wills, of DeWitt county, Illinois, and they are the parents of four children, Maud and Mabel, living, while Florence, eldest child and Lloyd, the youngest, are dead.  William W. makes his home with his brother John M. of this review.  Elizabeth died in infancy.  Charles E., who lives at Dawson, Illinois, married Anna Johnston, and they have three children: Roy, Ernest and one who died in infancy.

John M. Safly spent his early youth at his home in Logan county, working on the farm.  His early education was received at the Bowles school, which he attended at short and varying intervals, and the academy at Waynesville, Illinois, until he was twenty-one years old.  He was married December 19, 1872, to Miss Eliza J. Keys, a daughter of James and Mary (Evans) Keys, who came to Illinois from Ohio in the pioneer days.  Mrs. Safly was born February 29, 1851, in Pike county, Illinois, where her parents had settled when they first came to this state.  She is one of a family of five children, two of whom are dead.  The others were: Francis, who died at his home near Beason, Logan county, married Ann Armstrong and had five children; Margaret is the wife of Robert Parks, of Lincoln, Illinois, and they have nine children; Andrew, of Lincoln, Illinois, married Permelia Johnson and they have five children; and Samuel died in infancy.

Mr. and Mrs. Safly are the parents of the following children: James F., who married Letty Johnston and lives in Tunbridge township; John Orville, who married Nellie Laughery and lives near Chestnut, Logan county; Roscoe K., living at home; and R. Lincoln, who died when nineteen years of age, while attending college at Quincy, Illinois.  There are four grandchildren: John and Ferrel Safly are sons of James F., and they have an adopted sister, Inez, the daughter of the late Jesse Johnston, of Colorado.  Elsie and Shelby Safly are the children of John Orville Safly.

Mr. Safly left his father’s farm when twenty-two years old, buying a tract of one-hundred and twenty acres of land about two miles northeast of Chestnut in Logan county.  By careful and earnest work he increased his holdings to five hundred acres in that locality.  He remained there for twenty-three years, constantly improving his farm, after which he retired and removed into Lincoln, Illinois.  He lived there but four years, when the yearning for the farm life to which he was accustomed again drew him into the country.  Finally he bought the Robert Black farm in DeWitt county, a tract of three hundred and eighty acres.  This purchase was made in 1901 and since that time Mr. Safly has been a resident of this county.  He has never engaged either in politics, county nor state affairs, but has steadily pursued his way, attending to the work he has in hand and making a success of his farming operations.  He has served his township as road commissioner and as school director many terms and is public-spirited to a great degree.  In all that he does or says Mr. Safly is honest and exact, and his record as a business man and skilful farmer is second to none in the community in which he resides.

ISAIAH J. SAMUEL.  (Volume II, Page 123)

Isaiah Jackson Samuel, one of the leading farmers and highly esteemed citizens of Clintonia township, was born on the 23d of August, 1854, in that township and belongs to an old and honored family of DeWitt county.  His father, Joseph A. Samuel, was born in Kentucky, November 26, 1821, and was a son of Robert T. and Ellen (Anderson) Samuel, natives of Virginia and South Carolina, respectively, and early settlers of Kentucky, from which state they removed to Indiana and later became residents of Illinois.  Joseph A. Samuel accompanied his parents on their removal to the Hoosier state when a young man and there he was united in marriage to Miss America Jackson, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, October 25, 1828, her parents being Isaiah J. and America (Shay) Jackson, natives of Vermont, who died in Indiana.  After his marriage Mr. Samuel continued a resident of Indiana until 1852, when he removed to DeWitt county, Illinois, and purchased eighty acres of land.  Prosperity attended him in his new home and as time passed he was able to add to his property until at his death he owned two hundred and fifty acres of very valuable property.  He died on the 8th of June, 1871, and his wife, who long survived him, passed away on the 4th of December, 1904.  In their family were the following children: Clinton and Savannah, both of whom died in infancy; Charles W., who died January 24, 1909; Isaiah Jackson, of this review; Alice E., the wife of Ashley McKenny of Urbana, Illinois; George L., Newton J. and Viola, all residents of Clinton.

On the home farm in Clintonia township Isaiah J. Samuel passed his boyhood and youth in much the usual manner of farm boys, acquiring his education in the district schools.  At an early age he began assisting his father in the operation of the home farm and continued with him until his death.  He remained on the old homestead until his marriage, when he purchased sixty acres of land and later bought an additional ten-acre tract, besides sharing in an estate consisting of one hundred and fifteen acres.  He lived upon his farm for a time but seventeen years ago removed to Clinton, where he resided for eight years.  About 1901 he located upon his present place, just outside of Clinton, where he is now engaged in farming to a limited extent and also in the raising of hogs.

In 1876 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Samuel and Miss Harriet Mills, a daughter of William and Artemesia Mills, who were natives of Kentucky and came to Illinois at an early day, settling in DeWitt county in 1860.  Mrs. Samuel is one of a family of nine children, two being deceased, and by her marriage she has become the mother of two children: Carter, who was born in 1884 and died November 30, 1890; and Schell, born January 23, 1896.

In his political affiliations Mr. Samuel is a democrat, taking an active interest in political affairs, and in his social relations is a member of Olive Lodge, No. 98, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Clinton.  Religiously he is connected with the Christian church, and his upright and honorable life has won for him the esteem and confidence of all with whom he has been brought in contact either in business or social relations.

JOHN E. SCHIFFERD.  (Volume II, Page 284)

John E. Schifferd, now engaged in farming on section 35, Creek township, claims Indiana as his native state, his birth occurring in Tippecanoe county, July 29, 1862.  His parents were William H. and Susan N. (Vance) Schifferd, the former born in Pennsylvania, August 12, 1832, and the latter in Ohio, August 12, 1842.  The father died in Macon county, Illinois, but the mother is still living and now makes her home in Decatur, this state.  Of the four children born of this worthy couple, three are living, namely: Flora, the wife of Jacob Koons of Decatur; John E., the subject of this review; Desta, the wife of William Hissinger of Decatur; and Elmer, who died at the age of twenty-two years.

John E. Schifferd mainly acquired his education in the schools of Indiana and in the year 1875 was brought by his parents to Illinois, the family settling in DeWitt county.  He remained under the parental roof until he attained his majority and since his marriage has carried on farming in this county, with the exception of eight years spent in Macon county, Illinois.  In 1904 he removed to a farm of two hundred and sixty acres belonging to M. D. Brown of Maroa, where he has since resided and has successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising.

On the 15th of December, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Schifferd to Miss Alice Ball, who was born in this county on the 11th of June, 1864, a daughter of James William and Angeline (Bennett) Ball.  Her mother was born in Ohio, January 1, 1844, and died in January, 1870, being buried in Ridge cemetery, Macon county.  Since the death of his wife Mr. Ball has made his home with his sons and grandsons.  Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schifferd, but the eldest, who was born October 25, 1882, died at the age of two days; Anna, born February 2, 1885, died October 16, 1886; William, born in DeWitt county, November 1, 1887, married Miss Nellie Brinning and is a concrete contractor living in Decatur, being a graduate of Millikin University, Illinois; Marie, born July 1, 1895, is attending the Maroa high school.

Being a strong temperance man Mr. Schifferd usually votes the prohibition ticket and he takes an active interest in all measures which he believes calculated to promote the moral, intellectual or material welfare of the community in which he resides.  He is efficiently serving as a member of the school board and is regarded as one of the most public-spirited citizens of his community.  He and his wife belong to Central Chapel church and she is a member of the Royal Neighbors, while he affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of America.

W. EDWARD SCHOBY.  (Volume II, Page 366)

Of the several families that have played quite an important part in the development of Dewitt county none have been of more consequence than the Schobys.  Kenneth Schoby, head of the family in this portion of the country, came to DeWitt county in 1868, through he had lived for fourteen years prior to this in Mason county, Illinois .  He and his good wife, Maria Margaret (Boyer) Schoby, who survives him, reared a family of six children, two children having died in infancy.

The Schobys located in Texas township on coming to Dewitt county, establishing their home on a farm about a mile and three quarters west of what is now Ospur station.  Here they reared their family, all of whom have since married.  The descendants of Kenneth and Maria Schoby have married into some of the oldest families of the county and the family connection is now a large one.  Edward married Mary E. Stoutenborough, a daughter of Garrett Stoutenborough, one of the earlier settlers of the county and also one of its wealthiest citizens.  John D. wedded Jennie Todd, a daughter of James S. Todd, of Kenney.

Kenneth Schoby, the founder of the family in DeWitt county, was born in Miami county, Ohio , August 17, 1830, and was a son of William and Margaret Schoby, both of whom removed to Ohio from New Jersey , where their forefathers had settled several generations before on coming from Scotland .  His early youth was spent on his father’s farm.  He was the youngest of a family of nine children, al of whom are now deceased: Nancy, the wife of Thomas Jones; Mary Ann, the wife of Joseph Mott; Charles; Harriet; Lydia, the wife of William Vandervere; Sarah, the wife of Nathan Deaton; and Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph McAllister.  All save Elizabeth lived and died in Ohio , but she passed away in Champaign Illinois.  William, also of Ohio , was the next to the youngest of the family.

On February 5, 1851, Kenneth Schoby married Maria Margaret Boyer, a daughter of Alexander and Catherine (Fellers) Boyer, who were residents of FincastleVirginia, at the time of the birth of their children.  The father died after the birth of his second child, the elder being Ellen, who was the wife of Howard Helvey of Ohio .

Three years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Schoby came west, settling first in Mason county, Illinois , and later coming to DeWitt, as previously related.  Here Mr. Schoby set diligently to work improving his farm which reached a high state of cultivation under his care.  He reared his family of six children giving each a good education in the public schools of Texas township.  His death occurred November 14, 1901.

The children and grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Schoby form a family of considerable size.  Alvazera Bell, the eldest, is the wife of Mason Cadwalader.  They make their home on the old Schoby homestead, where the mother still lives.  They have no children.  Sarah Elizabeth and Edmund died in their infancy.

W. Edward Schoby married Miss Mary E. Stoutenborough, and they make their home on a splendid farm which lies near Rowell station, DeWitt county.  Their children are: Margaret, the wife of Harry Hall of Tunbridge township; and Charles W. and Aldora, both living at home with their parents.

Mary Catherine married Uriah James and they live in Clinton.  They have the following children: Edna, who is the wife of Lloyd Phares, living near Clinton, and has one daughter, Barbara; and Hazel.  James Franklin Schoby married Margaret Garbrant and they live in AlgonaIowa.  They are the parents of seven children: Walter K., Chester R., Nellie Gertrude, Howard, Fred, Hubert and Robert.

Andrew J. Schoby married Miss Phoebe Morris and lives in RochesterMinnesota.  They have a family of three children: Paul, Mildred Maria and Lula.

John D. Schoby, a twin brother of Andrew J., married Miss Jennie Todd, a daughter of James S. and Rachel (Cooper) Todd and granddaughter of James Todd, who fought throughout the war of 1812 as an ensign.  The children of John D. Schoby and wife are: Roy M. and Kenneth Spencer.  Both live with their parents in Kenney, where the father conducts the Pythian Hotel.

W. Edward Schoby, from whose records the data for this genealogy was secured, is one of the best farmers in the county.  His farm of over two hundred acres near Rowell station, together with another tract of one hundred acres southwest of his home, shows, in appearance and productiveness, his ability in that particular line.  He is a member of no organizations, contenting himself with his home life.

J. W. SHAVER.  (Volume II, Page 374)

J. W. Shaver, who devotes his time and energies to the pursuits of stock-raising and general farming upon his splendid place on section 11, Nixon township, is regarded as one of the most enterprising men of his community.  A native of Ohio, he was born May 27, 1842, a son of Philip and Mary Ann (Bailey) Shaver, who were married December 24, 1840, and were esteemed residents of Montgomery county, Ohio, where they practically spent their entire lives.  The birth of the father occurred September 5, 1814, and the mother was born February 3, 1821.  They continued to make their home in the Buckeye state until our subject was about twenty-five years of age and then removed to Indiana, taking their family with them.  Later they came to Illinois and settled in Logan county where Philip Shaver passed away in 1879, about five years after coming to this state.  His wife died in the same county in 1875.  In their family were nine children of whom five are still living, namely: J. W. of this review; Elizabeth, the wife of George Haney of Weldon; Edgar, a resident of Missouri; Mary, the wife of James Fulton of Whitehall, Illinois; and Wiltz, who lives in Lexington, Illinois.

J. W. Shaver was reared and educated in his native state and accompanied his family on their removal to Indiana and later to Illinois, settling in Logan county in 1867.  At the age of eighteen years he commenced learning the carpenter’s trade, serving an apprenticeship under the direction of one of his neighbors, and for eight years after locating in Logan county, Illinois, continued to follow that occupation.  On his removal to DeWitt county, however, in 1889, he located upon a farm in Nixon township which subsequently became the property of his wife.  This place consists of one hundred and fifty-five acres upon which Mr. Shaver has erected an excellent residence and barn, having one of the best improved farms in the locality.  His home is modern and up-to-date in every respect, being supplied with all conveniences and is roofed with special steel shingles.

In 1878 Mr. Shaver was united in marriage to Miss Belle M. Anderson and they have become the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, namely: W. E., born in 1880; Ethel, who was born in 1881 and is now the wife of Alva Kingston; Ray, born in 1883; and Opal, born in 1885.  The sons assist their father in the cultivation of the home farm.

During the Civil war Mr. Shaver enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service for four months.  His wife had an uncle who was shot while on picket duty the last day of his service.  In politics Mr. Shaver is a republican but has never taken an active part in public affairs, preferring to devote his time and attention to his business interests.  He has, however, filled the office of school director.  He and his wife occupy an enviable position in the esteem of their neighbors and friends and are widely known throughout DeWitt county.

JOHN B. SHAW.  (Volume II, Page 117)

John B. Shaw, a general farmer and stock-raiser of Texas township, devotes his attention to the operation of a tract of land comprising two hundred and forty acres.  His birth occurred in Macon county, Illinois, seven and one-half miles from here, his present home, on the 26th of February, 1861, his father being Achilles B. Shaw, who was born in the year 1835.  He obtained his education in the district schools of his native county and after completing his studies assisted his father in the operation of the home farm.  At the present time he cultivates a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land which he owns in Texas township, DeWitt county, and in connection with the tilling of the soil he also raises hogs and Jersey cows.  The neat and thrifty appearance of the place gives evidence of his careful supervision and his labors both as a farmer and stock-raiser have been attended with excellent results.

In 1888 Mr. Shaw was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Cody, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Dennis Cody, who was born in Ireland but came to the United States in early manhood.  Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are the parents of three children, as follows: Hester Marie, whose natal day was February 21, 1889; Georgie Helen, who was born June 13, 1891; and Genevieve, whose birth occurred February 22, 1893.  All are still at home.

Mr. Shaw is a democrat in politics and is now serving his fellow townsmen in the capacity of assessor.  He also acted as township clerk and has ever discharged his official duties in a most prompt and capable manner.  His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Christian church.  His life has been upright and honorable in all its relations and he well merits the regard and esteem which is uniformly accorded him.

FRED SINCRAUGH.  (Volume II, Page 390)

Fred Sincraugh is one of the enterprising farmers of DeWitt county who has through his own efforts succeeded in making a place for himself among the residents of the county who are known as self-made men.  Arriving at Kenney, Illinois, thirty-one years ago with nothing but his ability to work as an asset, he has steadily made his way until now he owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine land in Texas.  He is now successfully engaged in farming in Tunbridge township, where he operates some one hundred acres of land which his wife received from her father, J. W. Henderson, and also cultivates about three hundred acres which he rents.

Mr. Sincraugh was born in Clermont county, Ohio, May 22, 1857, and is a son of Fred and Anna Sincraugh, who emigrated to America from Wittenburg, Germany, early in their married life.  He is one of a family of seven children, all of whom lived in Ohio, the others being: Julius, William, Minnie and Caroline, still living; and Anna and Mary, deceased.

Fred Sincraugh was educated in the schools of his native county and came west in 1889, arriving at Kenney, September 1 of that year.  He was first employed on a farm near the Round Top school in DeWitt county.  After a few years of work on the farm, during which time he fitted himself for a general life of usefulness, he went to Nebraska, where he traveled for the McCormick Harvester Company, selling their various machines.  Eighteen years ago he came back to Kenney to make his home for the remainder of his life.

Mr. Sincraugh was married June 3, 1880, to Miss Rachel Henderson, a daughter of John W. and Larue (Beame) Henderson.  Her father was born December 25, 1824, in Kentucky and was a son of John B. and Melinda (Williams) Henderson, both of whom were Carolinians.  He came to Illinois and settled in DeWitt county in 1848, splitting rails for a living.  This work, the hardest that falls to the lot of a farm hand, he did at the rate of fifty and sixty cents a hundred.  His children, among whom is Mrs. Sincraugh, are: Elizabeth, the wife of Benjamin Brothers, of Nebraska; Molly, the wife of Lloyd Jones, of Nebraska; John Wesley, of California; Lee, of Nebraska; George W., of Kenney, Illinois; Fred, of Canyon City, Texas; Bertha, the widow of Leonard Wampler, of Tunbridge township; and Rachel, the wife of Mr. Sincraugh.

Mr. and Mrs. Sincraugh are the parents of three children: Elva is engaged in the millinery business in Kenney.  Harry, who lives four miles east of Kenney, was married January 31, 1905, to Effie Scott and they have two children, Louise and Mildred.  Hazel is at home with her parents.  Mr. Sincraugh is, while one of the younger residents of the county, also one of its most enterprising citizens.  He is a member of Henderson Lodge of Masons at Kenney, Illinois; is a prominent member of the Knights Templar at Clinton, Illinois; is an esteemed member, of the Shriners at Peoria, Illinois; and of the Modern Woodmen of America at Kenney.  By close application to his business Mr. Sincraugh has won success and has proved himself to be a man of worth to the community.

P. M. SMALLWOOD.  (Volume II, Page 173)

One of the men of DeWitt county who has made a name for himself, not only by application to his own private business affairs but also by reason of his excellent handling of matters affecting the entire state, is P. M. Smallwood living upon his farm on section 10, Nixon township.  He was one of the supervisors of the one hundred thousand dollar drainage system installed in this county, the largest system of its kind ever undertaken.  He is now a member of the central committee of which he has been a member for the past ten years.

P. M. Smallwood was born in Creek township, DeWitt county, October 5, 1857, a son of the late P. M. and Elizabeth (Martin) Smallwood, pioneer settlers of the county.  His father was born in Virginia in 1820 and passed away twenty years ago at his home here.  He had come to Illinois when twelve years of age with his parents, who settled in Decatur and were farming people.  He also followed that occupation, his first efforts being near Decatur.  It was in 1858 that he moved his family to DeWitt county.  His wife, who was born in Ohio in 1830, died five years before he passed away.  This couple were the parents of eight children, six of whom are at present alive.  P. M. Smallwood, of this review, is the third of the family.  His brothers and sisters are: Deborah, wife of H. C. Spainhour, of Lane, DeWitt county; Anna, the wife of John Simpson of Lane, DeWitt county; Margaret, wife of Ezra Smith of Cerro Gordo, Illinois; Eliza, wife of E. David Parkhurst of Oklahoma City; and Samuel of Kansas.

Mr. Smallwood received his education at the common schools and the high school of Valparaiso , Indiana , and attended the Normal University at NormalIllinois.  For a time after leaving the latter institution he taught school at Farmer City and in the Smallwood school in Creek township.  Then he decided to take up farming and rented a farm in this county.  For seven years he engaged in farming upon rented land and then bought a forty acre tract in Nixon township, which is at present his home place.  In addition to cultivating his own farm Mr. Smallwood also operates two hundred acres of land lying across the road from his own farm.  He has built a very comfortable cottage and otherwise improved his place and it forms one of the best farms of the township.

A democrat in politics, Mr. Smallwood has served his county and township in a number of capacities, always to the best of his ability and always to the entire satisfaction of his constituents who have shown their appreciation by maintaining him in offices of various kinds for many years.  He has served as supervisor, tax collector, school director and is at present a member of the town board of supervisors, a position he has held for the past ten years.  But it is in connection with the one hundred thousand dollar drainage system, the greatest of its kind ever installed, that he has shown his worth as a public official in DeWitt county.

On February 22, 1885, Mr. Smallwood was united in marriage to Miss Laura Summers, a daughter of Harrison and Rachel (Morrow) Summers.  Mrs. Smallwood was born in Bloomington Illinois, July 14, 1857.  Her parents were from Ohio but came to this state quite early in life.  To this union were born four children, all natives of this county.  R. D., born July 23, 1886, married Ada Goble and they live in this county.  Hank, born March 8, 1888, lives at home with his parents.  Ray, born June 20, 1890, is at present a student of the Decatur School of Music, where she studies vocal and instrumental music, being among those who will graduate next year.  She is exceptionally gifted along this line and already is engaged in the work of instructing a class of pupils.  Vernon, born December 15, 1895, is at home.

It is owing entirely to his ability as a practical man of affairs, coupled with a splendid education which he acquired through his own efforts, that Mr. Smallwood has achieved the success which has come to him.  To his wife, who is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he owes no little of his success in life, as she has ably assisted and counseled him in all his ventures.  Rated as one of the best-read men of the county, he is also regarded as one of the most honest, a record which he has won by steadfastly pursuing the course of work which he may have in hand.  Thoroughly conversant with the duties of a good citizen, he has so conducted his life as to win the approval of all with whom he has come in contact.

JAMES M. SMITH.  (Volume II, Page 223)

One of the most successful farmers of Barnett township and a man of sterling worth is James M. Smith, who is the owner of one of the finest farms to be found in the township.  He is numbered among the old settlers of the county and is also considered and rated as one of the foremost citizens.  Born September 23, 1851, in Gibson county, Indiana, he became a resident of DeWitt county just two years later, when his parents moved across the rolling prairies and settled in what is now Barnett township.  The farm they first owned is that now occupied by the Bowles family.

Mr. Smith is descended from a family which has contributed much to the making of DeWitt county as well as to other portions of the country.  He is a son of Charles R. and Mary (Marvel) Smith, both of whom were born and reared in Indiana, and a grandson of Daniel and Nancy B. (Spain) Smith, early residents of that state.  Daniel Smith was a native of North Carolina, while his wife was born and reared in South Carolina.  Mary Marvel Smith, the mother of James M., was a daughter of Wilye and Charity (Clark) Marvel who were natives of Georgia and Kentucky respectively.  Wilye Marvel was the son of Prettyman Marvel, the pioneer settler of the Kickapoo district, who died at his home near Waynesville, Illinois, at the age of ninety-three years.

On November 25, 1853, was the date that the Smith family first took up their residence in DeWitt county.  The father bought eighty acres of land lying about two miles northeast of Midland City, paying about fourteen dollars an acre for it.  Here he reared his family, consisting of ten children, of whom James was the eldest.  The other members of the family have married and reared families of their own.  F. M. Smith, second child, married Ellen Mills.  They live in Chicago, Illinois, and have the following children: Leldis, Charles, May, and Homer, all living; and Miles and Anna, deceased.  William, who died January 8, 1881, married Miss Ida C. Hunter and lived in DeWitt county until his death.  Besides his wife he left two children to mourn his loss: Charles Everett Smith, now states attorney of Logan county, Illinois; and Carl C., who lives with his mother.  John F. married Viola Silvers and they now reside on a farm near Hallsville, Illinois.  They are the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters: Sylva E., a teacher in the public schools; Teressa, of the State Normal School; Jay, Cecil and Carl, living at home.  D. Wilye married India Pollard and they make their home in Decatur, Illinois.  They have seven children, two of whom are married: Florence, now the wife of Amos Parks, of Decatur, Illinois; Grace, the wife of Alvin Schank, of Kansas; Welsey, of Davenport, Iowa; and Lorrine, Marie, Herbert and Huber.  George W. married Susan Keys and removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where they reared a family of five children: Mary, the wife of Clarence Jones, of Butte, Montana; Lottie, who married Fred Dix and who lives in Waynesville, Illinois; and Wilbur, Lucile and Helen, all living at home.  Susan (Keys) Smith died shortly after the birth of the youngest child, and George W. Smith married some time later Miss Kate Hammit.  There are no children by this marriage.  Ida A. is the wife of Frank Samuels, of Boswell, Indiana.  They have no children of their own but have adopted a daughter, Mary Perdue.  Emma died November 14, 1894, at her home near Waynesville, Illinois, leaving a husband, Charles Gambrel, and three children, Earl, Lorren and Ida.  Nellie is the wife of T. O. Brown, of Clinton, Illinois, and the mother of three children, all of whom are living: Wilfred, Russell and Lowell.  One member of the Smith family died in infancy.  Those who reached the age of maturity and who married, reared families which are a credit to the communities in which they reside.

James M. Smith, of this review, married Miss Louisa Summers, a daughter of Joseph and Keziah (Jordan) Summers, of Barnett township, March 29, 1874.  She is the youngest child in a family of eight, her brothers and sisters being: A. R. Summers, of Midland City, Illinois; John, who died in Clarion, Iowa; William J., of Oakland City, Indiana; Lavina, the widow of Benjamin Pollard, of Midland City, Illinois; J. R., of Albia, Iowa; Frank, now deceased, who lived at Oskaloosa, Iowa; and S. W., of Clarion, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Smith are the parents of six children, two boys and four girls: Arthur C., who died in 1902 at the age of twenty-one years; George R., who married Jessie Bennett and lives at Coffeyville, Kansas; and Rilla, Maud, and Anna and Edna, twins, all of whom make their home with their parents.

James M. Smith is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America but of no other fraternal organization.  He has served Barnett township as school director and commissioner of highways for several terms and is always to be found ready and willing to do his share of the work in forwarding any public movement for the betterment of the community in which he lives.  He is a versatile conversationalist and perhaps the best read man in his community.  Well informed regarding state and national affairs, Mr. Smith is equally as alert upon matters pertaining to local conditions and to his farm, which is one of the best in the township.

JOHN W. SMITH.  (Volume II, Page 130)

One of the worthy representatives of the agricultural interests of Nixon township is John W. Smith, who is pleasantly located on a fine farm on section 33.  He has been a resident of Illinois for fifty-three years, his parents being early settlers in Santa Anna township, where they located on coming from Indiana.

A son of Solomon and Sarah (Anderson) Smith, John W. Smith was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, where his parents lived for a time after leaving Virginia, of which state they both were natives.  Solomon Smith was born in Hardy county, Virginia, November 25, 1822, and died at his home in this county in 1900.  His wife, Sarah Anderson Smith, was born in the same county of Virginia, the date of her birth being February 17, 1823.  She passed away sixteen years ago and is buried, as is her husband, in Camp Ground cemetery at Farmer City.  They came to DeWitt county in February, 1853, with their family of small children, among whom was the subject of this review.  Of the nine children born to this couple six are now living.  They are: T. W., of Farmer City; D. H., of Woodburn, Oregon; John W.; Sarah, the wife of E. H. Jackson of Champaign, Illinois; Emma, the wife of C. M. French of La Grange, Illinois; and F. D., of Craik, Canada.

The first business venture that John W. Smith made was when he rented his father’s place in Santa Anna township, about the time he had reached the age of twenty-eight years.  His education had been received in Piatt and DeWitt counties, where he had attended the district schools, and he had worked with his father upon the home place.  He was an expert farmer and when he took charge of the old place in his own interest made a success of the venture.  He continued to operate this farm for six years, then bought the home farm, which he operated for about a year, after which he moved to McLean county.  There he farmed until 1894, when he moved back to DeWitt county and located in Nixon township, having been in McLean county five years.

On the 13th of February, 1890, Miss Mary Knight became the wife of John W. Smith.  She was born in McLean county in 1869 and is the daughter of L. D. and Mary (Page) Knight, early settlers of McLean county.  Her father was born in Holmes county, Ohio, May 3, 1834, while her mother was a native of Indiana, having been born March 5, 1841.  L. D. Knight passed away at his McLean county homestead in 1893 and is buried in the cemetery at Farmer City.  Mrs. Knight is yet living, making her home near Farmer City upon the home place.  There were born to them twelve children, eight of whom are yet living, Mrs. Smith being the fifth in order of birth.  The others are: Jennie, the wife of George Elkins, of Decatur, Illinois; Eleanora, the wife of George Lennox, of Iowa; Anna, the wife of Charles Snyder, of Missouri; Arrod, of Farmer City; Pline, of Farmer City; and Eva and Robert, both living at home with their mother.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith there were born ten children, three of whom are dead: Williard W., who was born November 25, 1890, in this county and lives at home; Claude, born February 18, 1892, in McLean county, who lives at home; Alva J., born in McLean county, March 24, 1895; Bert F., born in McLean county, February 14, 1897; Clara, born in McLean county, April 15, 1899; Eva Florence, who was born in DeWitt county, March 13, 1901, and died November 14, 1901, being buried in Chandler cemetery; Mary Ethel, born June 28,1903; Robert and Roger, born December 24, 1906, both of whom died, one on day of birth and the other five weeks; and Roy Fletcher, born in DeWitt county, February 5, 1909.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith come of families which have played a part in the history of the county.  David Anderson, a brother of Mr. Smith’s mother, was a veteran of the Civil war, while George Page, an uncle of Mrs. Smith, also served in the war, and died in 1898, being buried in the cemetery at Farmer City.  Pline Knight, another uncle of Mrs. Smith, was an officer in the Union army, and Arrod Knight, another uncle, served throughout the entire war, save for the first three months.  He is now living in Farmer City.

Giving his allegiance to the republican party in national affairs, Mr. Smith has never taken office of any kind, save to serve his township as school director, an office which he holds at the present time.  He and his entire family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Weldon, in which they take a deep interest.  Mr. Smith is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America but gives little attention to fraternal organizations, contenting himself with his home life.  He is an advocate of those measures which are for the betterment of his fellowmen and has won the trust and respect of all who know him.

WILLIAM SPENCER.  (Volume II, Page 232)

William Spencer, a well known and successful farmer and stock-raiser of Harp township, is the owner of one hundred and ninety-three and a half acres of rich and productive land.  His birth occurred in Kentucky on the 18th of February, 1855, his parents being Samuel and China (Owens) Spencer, who were natives of Kentucky and Tennessee respectively.  The father was born in 1819, while the mother first opened her eyes to the light of day on the 12th of October, 1828.  The paternal grandfather, James Spencer, was born in Pennsylvania on the 2d of June, 1785, and removed to Kentucky in early manhood.

Samuel Spencer, the father of our subject, followed farming in his native state until 1859, when he brought his family to Illinois, locating in Macon county, while two years later he took up his abode in DeWitt county.  On coming to this state he purchased a tract of forty acres in Macon county, but following his arrival in DeWitt county he cultivated rented land for a few years.  In 1866 he bought twenty acres of the farm which is now in possession of his son William, and as his financial resources increased he added to his landed holdings by additional purchase until at the time of his death he owned more than three hundred acres.  His demise occurred in March, 1883, and was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.  He held the office of road commissioner for a number of terms and also capably served as a school director.

Madison Owens, the maternal grandfather of Mr. Spencer of this review, was a farmer who removed to Tennessee at an early day.  He married a Miss Sowders. They took up their abode in Kentucky about 1838 and in that state their daughter China gave her hand in marriage to Samuel Spencer.  That union was blessed with six children, as follows: James M., who was born in 1846 and died in DeWitt county in 1878; Robin, born in 1848 and a resident of this county, who wedded Miss Charlotta Thrasher, by whom he had four children; Benjamin F., whose natal year was 1851 and who now resides in Clinton with his wife, Mrs. Hannah Belle (Matthews) Spencer, by whom he has three children: William, of this review; Mary Elizabeth, whose birth occurred in 1857 and who lives in Clinton with her husband, Charles Matthews, by whom she has two children; and Nancy Jane, born January 30, 1863, who makes her home in this county and is the wife of C. G. Walters, by whom she has one child.  The mother of the above named children was called to her final rest in September, 1904, having survived her husband for more than two decades.

William Spencer, who was but four years of age when he came to Illinois with his parents, obtained his education in the schools of this state and after putting aside his text-books worked on the home farm with his father until the latter’s death.  On attaining his majority he entered into partnership relations with his father and brother, Benjamin F., and he continuously conducted his farming interests in association with the latter until 1908, when his brothers divided their property.  His share embraces one hundred and ninety-three and a half acres in Harp township, and in connection with the tilling of the soil he also raises cattle and hogs to some extent.  Both branches of his business are proving remunerative and he now enjoys a substantial annual income.

In 1881 Mr. Spencer was joined in wedlock to Miss Sarah M. Doty, a daughter of James D. and Betsy Doty, who are natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively.  They came to Illinois about 1870 and took up their abode in DeWitt county, the father devoting his attention to general agricultural pursuits.  Both still survive and now make their home in Kansas.  Their children are five in number, namely: Minerva, who is the wife of William Lister and resides in Kansas; Abel, who wedded Miss Melinda Lister, a sister of William Lister, and lives in Brown county, Illinois; Daniel D., who married Miss Eliza Littleton and is a resident of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Spencer; and Charles E., who is married and practices dentistry in Kansas.

Mr. and Mrs. Spencer are the parents of nine children, as follows: Nora B., born in 1882, who resides in Clinton and is the wife of J. H. Mustard, by whom she had three children, two dying when small; Sylvia E., born in 1884, who likewise resides in Clinton and is the wife of James A. Young, by whom she has four children; Ona M., who was born in 1886 and makes her home in this county with her husband, Preston Miller, and one child; Retta, whose natal year was 1887; Bessie, whose birth occurred in 1892; Rosa, who first opened her eyes to the light of day in 1893; and Ruth, Harry E. and Ray F., who were born in the years 1896, 1901 and 1903 respectively.  In politics Mr. Spencer is a democrat and he has capably served in the positions of school trustee and director.  The period of his residence in DeWitt county covers almost a half century and he well deserves classification with its prosperous and representative citizens.

DANIEL B. STIVERS.  (Volume II, Page 180)

Daniel B. Stivers, who devotes his attention to the pursuits of farming and stock raising, cultivates three hundred and thirty-five acres of land in Texas township, ninety acres of which he owns.  His birth occurred in Kentucky , August 14, 1849, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Rasner) Stivers, who were likewise natives of that state.  The father, whose natal year was 1822, spent his entire life in Kentucky and was a farmer and carpenter by occupation.  During the period of the Civil war he was employed by the government as a wagon maker.  His demise occurred in the year 1895, while his wife, who was born about 1823, was called to her final rest in 1867.  They were the parents of three sons and a daughter, namely: Daniel B., of this review; Mary M., the wife of Thomas J. Petticord, of Clark county, Kentucky; William D., who wedded Miss Anna Fielder and resides in the state of Washington; and Joseph B., now living in the northwest, who served in the regular army for twenty-five years.

Daniel B. Stivers obtained his education in the schools of his native state and there remained until eighteen years of age, when he removed to Bloomington, McLean county, Illinois, where he was identified with general agricultural pursuits for five or six years.  In 1873 he came to Dewitt county and here first secured employment as a farm hand but later he at length accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a farm of his own and came into possession of a tract of ninety acres in Texas township.  He likewise rents two hundred and forty-five acres adjoining and thus operates a farm of three hundred and thirty-five acres.  In addition to the cultivation of general crops he has engaged extensively in the raising of stock, obtaining from both a gratifying income.

In 1883 Mr. Stivers was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Querfeldt, a daughter of Henry and Christina Querfeldt, both of whom were natives of Germany .  They crossed the Atlantic to the United States in an early day and took up their abode in Illinois .  Mr. and Mrs. Stivers have two sons: Charles H., who was born in 1884; and Walter D., whose birth occurred in 1892.

In politics Mr. Stivers is a Republican and at one time he capably served his fellow townsmen in the position of assessor.  He is a devoted member of the Christian church and is likewise a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to lodge No. 84 at Clinton.  The period of his residence in Dewitt county covers almost four decades and the sterling traits of his character are well known to his fellow townsmen, the great majority of whom number him as a friend.

ALFRED E. STONE.  (Volume II, Page 351)

A representative citizen of the county who has gained the esteem and goodwill of his fellowmen is Alfred E. Stone, who is at present operating several hundred acres of land on section 19, Nixon township.  A native son of Illinois, he was born in Menard county, August 31, 1864, and his entire life has been passed within the borders of the state.  His father, Isaac Stone, was also a native of Illinois, having been born in the same county as his son, the date of his birth being March 19, 1838.  His mother was born in Ohio, May 7, 1840, but has lived practically her entire life in Illinois as her parents moved to the state while she was quite young.  On the 15th of January, 1875, Isaac Stone came to DeWitt county and lived here until his death.  He died in Macon county, August 3, 1906, and was buried in Cumberland cemetery.  His widow is yet living making her home in Argenta, Illinois.  The couple were the parents of four children, of whom Alfred Edwin, of this review, was the oldest.  Mina Isabella, the second in order of birth, was born July 15, 1874, and makes her home in Macon county, being a music teacher by profession.  Elinor Effie, born in DeWitt county, February 28, 1887, is the wife of Robert Crabtree and lives at Clarion, Iowa.  Bertha Sophia, born June 1, 1880, became the wife of Cecil Adams and lives in Nixon township.

Alfred E. Stone was united in marriage to Miss Jessie B. Chrisman, a daughter of George and Matilda Francis (Boyd) Chrisman, old residents of this state.  He had received his early education in the schools of Nixon township and worked upon the home farm until he was twenty-three years old.  Then he commenced farming for himself and was already a successful man when he married.  Mrs. Stone was born in Knox county, Illinois, August 6, 1867.  Her father was born in Morgan county, December 15, 1839, and now lives in Nixon township.  Her mother was born in Knox county, August 11, 1847, and died in this county, October 5, 1868, her remains being interred in the cemetery at Knox county.  Mrs. Stone’s father was married again in 1869, his second wife being Sarah Elizabeth Raines.  By this union he became the father of eleven children, nine of whom are still living.  Mrs. Stone was the only child born to George Chrisman by his first wife.  Her half-brothers and half-sisters are: Flora A., born in DeWitt county, April 19, 1870, is the wife of George Marvel living near DeLand, Piatt county; Archibald, born March 20, 1872, in DeWitt county, continues to live in Illinois; Jack, born in DeWitt county in 1873, died at the age of four years; William, born in DeWitt county in March, 1875, lives upon the home place; John, born in Missouri, February, 1877, now lives in Chicago; Kate, born in Kansas in June, 1878, is the wife of Arthur Cook of Weldon; Lorena, the wife of Garfield Baker of Nixon township, was born in Kansas in May, 1880; George, living in Piatt county, was born in DeWitt county in August, 1882; Albert, who died in infancy, was born in DeWitt county in April, 1884; Frank, living near Cisco, was born in DeWitt county, May 30, 1887, while David was born in the same county May 10,1888, and lives near DeLand, Piatt county.

Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Stone, all sons. Lester I., the eldest, was born January 16, 1890.  Edwin Edgar, born February 17, 1892, has just passed the entrance examination into the Wantwood school.  Harvey was born September 5, 1893, and George Homer was born February 8, 1895.

Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stone settled in Nixon township, where Mr. Stone has lived practically since he was ten years old.  The couple resided on a farm near Shiloh church for about one year, then moved a short distance from there to another place south of the church, where they lived for twelve years, after which they lived for a few years on the old home place.  On February 10, 1910, the family removed to their present home on the C. H. Moore estate, where they operate over two hundred acres, engaging in general farming and stock-raising.  Mr. Stone was born during the conduct of the Civil war, and several members of his father’s family participated in that conflict.  One of them, Jesse Stone, died while in active service.  He had enlisted from Illinois and was serving in the One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  His brother, John Berry Stone, who served throughout the war in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, now lives in Kansas.

Mr. Stone, wife and sons all are members of the United Brethren church, of which he is a steward and trustee.  He is deeply interested in religious work of all kinds and has charge of one of the classes in the Sunday school.  He is not without his connections with fraternal organizations, being a member of the Masonic order and at present serving as junior warden of the lodge.  He also is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Woodmen.  In politics he voices his sentiments in national affairs through the medium of the republican party, but is decidedly of independent action in local affairs.  He has served his township in the capacity of assessor for a term of two years and for four years has been one of the school trustees, using his every endeavor to promote the cause of education.  A man of high intelligence and very enterprising, he lives the life of the true Christian worker, thinking ever of the welfare of his fellowmen.

LAWRENCE E. STONE.  (Volume II, Page 29)

Lawrence Elmer Stone, attorney at law of Clinton, was born in Creek township, DeWitt county, December 19, 1875, the youngest of the three sons of William and Minerva (Murphy) Stone.  His paternal grandfather was a native of Tennessee and in his family were a number of children including William Stone, who was born in Tennessee and devoted his life to the occupation of farming.  He came to Illinois about 1870 and settled first in Piatt county, whence he removed to DeWitt county about 1872, taking up his abode on a farm near Lane.  He was twice married, and by his first union had seven or eight children including: John A., of Bement, Illinois; Monroe, deceased; James, a farmer near Mount Vernon; Martha A., the deceased wife of James Plummer; Mary, the widow of J. A. Coppenbarger; and Lucinda, who married J. F. Ward, of Mansfield, Illinois.  After the death of his first wife, William Stone wedded Minerva Murphy, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Richard and Sarah Murphy.  Mr. and Mrs. William Stone became the parents of three sons: Charles, who is living in Paxton, Illinoi; Nathan L., who follows farming near DeLand; and Lawrence E.  The mother had also been previously married ere becoming the wife of Mr. Stone.  Her first husband was a Mr. Pennington, who was killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil war.  There were three children by that union but only one is now living, a daughter, Martha.  The death of Mr. Stone occurred in January, 1908, when he had reached the age of seventy-six years, and he is still survived by his wife who is a resident of Clinton.  She holds membership in the Christian church to which Mr. Stone also belonged and his upright life won him the high regard and respect of all with whom he was associated.

Lawrence E. Stone spent his youthful days upon the home farm in this county and attended the district schools until he had mastered the elementary branches of learning.  He afterward spent five years as a student in the Illinois College at Jacksonville, after which he returned to DeWitt county and was appointed deputy county clerk.  While acting in that capacity he took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in October, 1906.  He then began practice in Clinton, where he has since remained, and is gradually building up a good clientage, his law work increasing in volume and importance as the months pass by.  He is regarded as a young attorney of promise but of modest and quiet disposition.  He stands well in the community and is a valuable acquisition to the ranks of the legal fraternity.

On the 9th of October, 1907, Mr. Stone was married to Miss Adah H. Griggs, a daughter of George A. and Susan (Humphrey) Griggs.  Mrs. Stone was born in Auburn, Illinois, and her parents, who are also natives of this state, are now residing in Normal.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stone have been born two sons, William Griggs and Lawrence Elmer.  Mr. Stone is a member of the Christian church and also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  He is well known in the county where he has always resided, and where the record of his manhood is in harmony with the promise of his boyhood.

GARRETT STOUTENBOROUGH.  (Volume II, Page 288)

No history of DeWitt county would be complete if the name of Garrett Stoutenborough did not appear in it.  Not only because the family of which he was the head is an old and honored one, but because of the individuality of the man, an individuality that has led his neighbors to say that he was a man among men.  Of his many fine traits of character none shone brighter than that which manifested itself in his treatment of his family.  Accumulating over eleven-hundred acres of the finest farming land in DeWitt and Macon counties he brought it all to a high state of cultivation.  Then, having reached the age when his labors should cease and at a time when he could enjoy a well earned rest, he divided his property among his children, retaining merely a nominal rental of a few dollars an acre from each, to insure his comfort during his remaining days, an unnecessary arrangement in view of the fact that any of his children would have taken great delight in caring for him in his last years.

Mr. Stoutenborough came of an old and honored New Jersey family, his father, John Stoutenborough, being a son of John Stoutenborough, of Monmouth county, New Jersey.  His mother, Jane (Schenk) Stoutenborough, was the daughter of Garrett and Jane Schenk, who were also from New Jersey.  John and Jane Stoutenborough were married and reared their family in Butler county, Ohio.  They had nine children: Jane, the wife of William Vail, of Warren county, Ohio; Catherine, who became the wife of Nelson Long, both dying in Maroa, Illinois, where they removed shortly after their marriage; Garrett; Henry, who died in Franklin county, Ohio; John, who died in Maroa, Macon county, Illinois; Anthony, of Maroa, Illinois; Daniel, who died in Ohio; William H., who at present is living in Maroa, Illinois; and Schenk S., who lives in Franklin, Ohio.

Garrett Stoutenborough was born September 16, 1824, and spent his youth on his father’s farm, where he received his early training in the pursuit which later in life won for him such a valuable estate.  At the age of twenty-nine years he came to DeWitt county and bought the farm which is now the Stoutenborough homestead.  It consisted of one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie land, a little of which had been broken out.

Those were primitive times when Garrett Stoutenborough started west.  He used a two-horse spring wagon to carry himself and a friend with whom he prospected the country a year before settling there.  The nearest town was Clinton, then a struggling village of some dozen houses and a few stores.  In bringing his family across the rolling prairies he used a great prairie schooner then so commonly in use throughout the west.  He had married in Ohio and there were three young children to make the trip with he and his wife.  Arriving at their new home in DeWitt county the couple set about to make it as comfortable as the one they had left.  This they succeeded in doing and their frame house was one of the best in the entire country, while the farm was perhaps the finest plot to be seen for miles around.

Mr. Stoutenborough was married in February, 1844, to Margaret J. Hankinson, a daughter of James and Sallie (Cheesman) Hankinson, of Butler county, Ohio, the family originally having come from New Jersey.  She was the youngest of a family of five, her brothers and sisters being: Debby Anne, who married Peter Dearduff and died in Ohio; Lydia, who first married John Schenk and after his death married Robert Parker, living at the time of her death in Maroa, Illinois; Ellen, who was the wife of Henry Butt and died in Ohio; and Rachel, the wife of James Parker, of Maroa, now deceased.

Following the death of his wife, which occurred July 22, 1905, Mr. Stoutenborough took up his residence with his children, to whom, as before stated, he had deeded his property.  To each of the six children he gave a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres.  This division of his estate was made in 1904.  He retained about one hundred and sixty acres of land in Nebraska and had property in other counties of this state.

The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Stoutenborough are all residents of Illinois save one.  Sarah J., the wife of James A. Fruit, of Tunbridge township, is the mother of three children: Garrett; Harry, who married Mrs. Kemp and lives near Kenney; and Rose.

Mary E. is the wife of W. E. Schoby of Tunbridge township, who lives but a short distance from the homestead and they have three children: Margaret, the wife of Harry Hall, of Tunbridge township; Eldora and Charles.

James H., of Maroa, Illinois, married Miss Ella Baird of Maroa and has one living child: Frank B., who married Ethel Grady and they have a daughter, Mildred.

John L. married Miss Ella Miller of Hallsville and they live in Macon county, Illinois.  They had six children: Ralph, who died aged eight years; Garrett E. and William Earl, twins; Fanny, Helen and Robert.

William B. married Miss Hattie Miller of Hallsville and lives in Oklahoma City.  They have four children: Maud, the wife of a Mr. Allen, of Des Moines, Iowa, and the mother of three children.  Raymond and Margaret, both living with their parents in Maroa, Illinois; and Elva, of Decatur, Illinois.

Frank, the owner of a part of the old homestead, was married to Miss Emma Moore, a daughter of Franklin M. and Mary J. Moore, of DeWitt county, Illinois.  On her paternal side she is descended from Mason E. and Margaret (Adams) Moore, who were Virginians, and their son Franklin was also born in the Old Dominion.  Mrs. Frank Stoutenborough is the third child in a family of eleven children.  Her brothers and sisters are: Mason E., of Decatur, Illinois; Minnie C., the wife of Joseph Eble, of Sac City, Iowa; Olive M., who died at her parents’ home in Texas township; Charles H., of St. Paul, Minnesota; Lulu, the wife of W. B. Hutchinson, of Maroa, Illinois; Joseph M., of Maroa, Illinois; Nellie A., the wife of J. E. Parker, of Brookings, South Dakota; Townsend W., of Eldorado, Kansas; Fred, of Burlington, Iowa; and Frank, who died in infancy.  The children of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stoutenborough are: Roy M., who died in infancy; Hughey, who married Alvina Zelle and lives in Tunbridge township; Fred G.; Carl; and Lloyd.  Frank Stoutenborough is a member of Henderson Lodge, No. 820, A. F. & A. M., of Kenney, and his family are members of the Christian church of that place.  In the conduct of the farm which he now operates he has proven that he is a worthy successor to his father, who was regarded as one of the most capable farmers and able business men of his part of the county.  After a useful and well spent life, Garrett Stoutenborough passed away on the 9th of July, 1910, honored and respected by all who knew him.

Submitted by Mary Vanderheydt

M. K. SUMMERS.  (Volume II, Page 330)

M. K. Summers, who is the owner of one of the finest homes in Weldon, has spent his entire life in DeWitt county, his birth occurring here, November 9, 1873.  His parents are William H. and Rachel (Morrow) Summers, the former also a native of DeWitt county, born February 14, 1833, and the latter a native of Indiana , born August 23, 1834.  At an early day his paternal grandfather came to Illinois and settled in Sangamon county.  His father was a plasterer and brick-mason by trade, but devoted considerable attention to farming, which he continued to carry on until 1907, since which time he has now lived retired.  For twenty-two years he has made his home in Weldon and for about the same length f time was previously a resident of Bloomington Illinois.  In politics he is an ardent democrat.  His family consisted of seven children, of whom four are still living, namely: Laura, who was born June 14, 1857, and is not the wife of P. M. Smallwood of DeWitt county; Nellie, who was born March 27, 1865, and lives in Decatur; Elmer F., who was born June 22, 1869, and is also a resident of that city; and M. K., of this review.

M. K. Summers obtained the greater part of his education in the schools of Weldon and after putting aside his text-books learned the brick-mason’s trade with his father and has since engaged in brick-laying, plastering and concrete work, having for the past fourteen years been one of the leading contractors in that line in Weldon.  He has also done some carpenter work, his own fine residence being a worthy example of his art.  This elegant frame residence, erected in 1909-10, upon a portion of his father’s property in Maple street , in the eastern part of the town, is modern and up-to-date in all respects.  The downstairs is finished throughout in oak, while the rooms upstairs are in hard pine, and the place is worth about seven thousand dollars.  Mr. Summers himself did the greater part of the work upon the place, which is not only a beautiful residence but is surrounded by a lovely lawn and fine shade trees.

On the 6th of June, 1899, Mr. Summers was united in marriage to Miss Ella Gertrude Roberts, who was also born in DeWitt county, June 1, 1877, a daughter of Addison and flora Rachel (Day) Roberts.  She had four uncles who participated in the Civil war, two on her father’s side and two on her mother’s: Tenbrook Roberts, now deceased; William Roberts, a resident of Lane Illinois; Daniel Day, who died in Kansas in 1904; and Philip Day, a resident of Weldon.  Mr. Summers also had three uncles who fought for the Union cause: L. Summers, who was  a member of an Illinois regiment but now lives in California ; George Summers, who still makes his home in DeWitt county; and Miles Summers, who died shortly after the close of the war.  Addison Roberts, the father of Mrs. Summers, was born in DeWitt county, May 16, 1847. 

ALFRED R. SUMNER.  (Volume II, Page 317)

The development of the western portion of DeWitt county, particularly of Barnett township, is due in no small measure to the efforts of those early settlers, who located there in what now comprises one of the richest portions of the county.  Among these early settlers was Joseph and Keziah (Jordan) Sumner, who, traveling by wagon train from their home in Owensville, Indiana, reached the newly settled district now known as DeWitt county.  They brought with them a family of eight children.  At first they located on a farm which lies three miles southeast of Atlanta, Logan county, Illinois, where they remained for two years.  Then they removed to Atlanta, where the father worked at his trade of blacksmithing for five years.  They then bought a farm a half mile west of Atlanta.  The father was the son of Joseph Sumner, Sr.

Joseph Sumner, Jr., reared the following family: A. R., of Midland City; John who married Amelia Wason and was living in Clarion, Wright county, Iowa, at the time if his death; William J., who married Mary Deadmond and lives at Oakland City, Indiana; Lavina, the widow of Benjamin Pollard of Midland City, Illinois; J. R., who married Mary Nunn and lives at Albia, Iowa, where he has resided since returning from service in the Civil war, through which he fought in Company E, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; Frank, now deceased, who married Martha Middlecoff and lived in Oskaloosa, Iowa; and Louisa, the wife of J. M. Smith, living near Midland City, Illinois.  Of these children, A. R. Sumner and his sisters, Lavina Pollard and Louisa Smith, are the only ones who are now residents of DeWitt county.

A. R. Sumner, of this review, was born July 9, 1848, in Owensville, Indiana, and went to Logan county, Illinois, with his parents.  He attended the common schools and completed his education by availing himself of the opportunities offered for advanced study at the Waynesville select school, which was conducted by Professor Turner.  On completing his education he commenced farming, purchasing one hundred acres of land a half mile south of Midland City, Barnett township.  He continued to farm until about ten years ago, when he went into the grain-buying business in that city.  Eventually he sold his interests in that business to J. T. Gelstorp, of Beason, Illinois.  The Gelstorp interests declined to permit Mr. Sumner to retire from his field of activities, where he had, by courteous, fair and exemplary dealings, won for himself the best trade of the community, so he has remained with the firm in the capacity of local manager.

Mr. Sumner was married September 2, 1874, to Mary Alice Randolph, the eldest daughter of the late J. H. and Margaret (Wallace) Randolph, pioneer settlers of DeWitt county.  By this marriage there were united two of the oldest and most estimable families of the entire county.  It was J. H. Randolph, the father of Mrs. Sumner, who ordered the brutal settler on the Champaign river who refused aid to the freezing Harvey Hildreth, to leave the country in 1836.  Mr. Randolph was one of three brothers who located in DeWitt county in 1829.  His wife was a descendant of the famous Colonel Wallace family, who were on intimate terms with President Abraham Lincoln, who frequently made that home his headquarters while riding between Clinton and Springfield.  The old Wallace homestead which stands one and a half miles south of Midland in Tunbridge township, was frequently the rallying place for the old Methodist conferences, many of which were held under its hospitable roof.  A subscription school was also held there, and the neighbors for miles around sent their children there for instruction.

The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Sumner are: Andrew R., who died in infancy; C. C., of Decatur, Illinois; Laura, now deceased, who was the wife of F. K. Roberts, of Wellington, Kansas; M. W., of Decatur, Illinois; and Ivan, who died at the age of four years.

Mr. and Mrs. Sumner are the parents of two children.  Iverne is the wife of R. M. Parker, living on the Sumner homestead near Midland City, and they have a son, Mason.  Roscoe R. married Minnie Howser and they make their home on a portion of the estate near the old Randolph house.  They have two children, Harold, aged seven, and Kenneth, aged four years.

Mr. Sumner is a quiet, home-loving man, devoted to his family.  He gives his best of attention to the business which he conducts and is steadily building up a large trade among the grain growers of his district.  He is a member of DeWitt Lodge, No. 84, A. F. & A. M., at Clinton, Illinois, and his life is an exemplification of the teachings of that order.  Besides his work of managing the grain business at Midland City, Mr. Sumner is trustee for the heirs of the great Randolph estate, of which his wife is one of the five living heirs.  This estate, consisting of twelve hundred acres of the most valuable prairie and timber land in the county, is directly under the management of Mr. Sumner, who acts with the consent of and two other trustees, who, however, seldom visit it, contenting themselves with the reports submitted by him, in whom they repose the greatest confidence.

Note: His first name was found in the 1882 biography of J. H. Randolph.

JAMES SWAN.  (Volume II, Page 208)

James Swan, who follows farming in Waynesville township, is numbered among the substantial citizens of his section of DeWitt county.  He was born in Liverpool, England, August 29, 1870, and is a son of John and Mary Elizabeth (Bates) Swan, the former born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1831, and the latter in England in 1848.  The grandparents on the paternal side were Malcom and Annie (Graham) Swan, both natives of Scotland, in whose family were nine sons and one daughter, all of whom, with the exception of one son and one daughter, emigrated to America.

It was in Liverpool that John Swan wedded Miss Bates, their marriage being celebrated about 1867, and while residing in that city four children were added to the household.  They emigrated to the new world in 1875, at once locating in Waynesville, Illinois.  After coming here, two more children were born, the family record being as follows: Emma was born in February, 1869, in Liverpool, and became the wife of Conover Ryker, of Indiana, her death occurring in Missouri in 1898.  She left two sons and three daughters.  The second in order of birth is James, the subject of this review.  Annie Elizabeth, who was born in Liverpool in 1872, is the wife of Newton Bolin, who formerly resided in this state but is now a resident of Iowa.  They have one son and two daughters.  Mary Ellen, who was born in Liverpool in 1874, became the wife of John Murphy, of Lincoln, Illinois, and died in Chicago in the fall of 1908.  She had one son and one daughter.  Alexander G., who was born in Illinois in 1876, was married in 1904 to Miss Florence Adair, of Waynesville, and their home is now in Clinton, this county.  Their family numbers one son and two daughters.  Sarah, who was born in Illinois in 1878, married Riece Yates of Tennessee, and they now make their home in Wapella township, DeWitt county, their family numbering three sons.  The father of this family, John Swan, was not long permitted to enjoy his home in the new country, for his death occurred in 1881, but the mother sill survives.

James Swan, the eldest son and the second in order of birth, was a little lad of five years when the parents set sail for the new world, and the trip across the Atlantic was filled with interest and excitement for him.  At the usual age he began his education in the schools of Barnett township and was reared to the occupation of farming, which has continued to be his work to the present time.  He now rents a tract of one hundred and seventy-six acres in Waynesville township and is classed among the substantial and trustworthy citizens of his section of DeWitt county.

In 1894 Mr. Swan was married in Clinton, Illinois, to Miss Sarah Viola Adair, a daughter of James and Jane (Barr) Adair, natives of Pennsylvania and Illinois respectively, in whose family were four sons and ten daughters.  The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Swan has been blessed with three sons and two daughters, as follows: Arthur E., who was born December 14, 1895; Hugh G., whose birth occurred November 25, 1898; Esther E., who was born June 16, 1901; Lawrence, who was born July 3, 1903, and died in April 1904; and Blanche M., who was born on Christmas day of 1904.  All the children are still with their parents.

In politics Mr. Swan is a democrat, having supported its principles since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.  Through the cultivation of the soil he provides a good living for himself and family and is considered a man worthy [of] the respect and esteem which he receives.

EDWARD J. SWEENEY.  (Volume II, Page 269)

Edward J. Sweeney, a practitioner at the DeWitt county bar since June, 1888, his course characterized by that steady progress which results from close application, careful analysis, clear and cogent reasoning and a correct understanding of legal principles, was born in Louisburgh, County Mayo, Ireland, December 13, 1863.  His paternal grandfather, Arthur Sweeney, was a small farmer of that country, where he died at a very advanced age.  Unto him and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Sweeney, there were born six children: Edward, John, Patrick, Mary, Nancy and Bridget.  Of this number John Sweeney became the father of Edward J. Sweeney.  He, too, was born on the Emerald isle and in early manhood became a school teacher but afterward conducted a department store in Louisburgh, where he died in 1884, at the age of fifty-five years.  He was a controlling spirit in the political movements of Ireland in his district, his ability and intelligent discussion of the questions of the day enabling him to secure a strong following for the principles which he espoused.  In 1881 he made a trip to America in company with his son Edward J., who remained here, while the father returned to his native land to resume the management of his business affairs there.  John Sweeney married Catherine McEvilly, who was also born in Ireland and was a daughter of Patrick and Mary (Size) McEvilly, who spent their entire lives on the Emerald isle, where the grandfather engaged in the butchering business.  Their family numbered six children: Thomas, William, Patrick, John, Mary and Catherine.  The marriage of John and Catherine (McEvilly) Sweeney was blessed with ten children, of whom six are living, namely: John, a resident of New York City; Mary, who is engaged in teaching in Ireland; Edward J., of this review; Annie, the wife of Scott G. Hutchinson, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts; Arthur, who resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Thomas, a resident of Ireland.

Edward J. Sweeney attended the schools of his native town and was afterward employed by the government as a junior teacher for three years.  At the age of seventeen years he came to America with his father and decided to remain, establishing his home in Clinton, where he resumed his education as a high-school student in September, 1881.  Three years were devoted to study and in May, 1884, he was graduated.  He then engaged in teaching school in the county for four years, during which period he devoted his leisure hours to the study of law and was admitted to the bar in June, 1888.  He then began practice in Clinton, where he has since remained, his ability gaining him wide recognition among the more successful members of the DeWitt county bar.

In his political views Mr. Sweeney has been a stalwart democrat since becoming a naturalized American citizen.  He is a communicant of the Catholic church and is well known in several fraternal orders, including the Knights of Columbus, Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen.

HARRY T. SWIGART.  (Volume II, Page 135)

Harry T. Swigart, now serving as cashier of the State Bank at Weldon, occupies a prominent position in financial circles in DeWitt county, where his entire life has been passed.  He was born here on the 20th of August, 1877, and is a son of Carl and Arabella (McConkey) Swigart, who are natives of Ohio and Illinois respectively.  The mother died in 1887 but the father is still living and now makes his home in Clinton.  In early life he followed farming and continued to engage in that occupation for many years and he is now serving as president of the State Bank at Weldon.  In his family are two sons and three daughters, all of whom are living, namely: Clara and Marian, who reside with their father in Clinton; Grace M., the wife of Charles Dixson of Sullivan, Illinois; V. C., a resident of Pecos, Texas; and Harry T., of this review.

The last named attended the public schools of Weldon during his boyhood and youth and after leaving high school assisted his father for a short time in the grain business at that place.  On attaining his majority he entered the State Bank of Weldon as cashier, which responsible position he has since held to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.  On the 9th of June, 1906, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Hendricks, who was born in this county on the 12th of February, 1886, and is a daughter of Theodore and Nancy (McAvoy) Hendricks, both natives of Illinois.  The father is now living in Clinton, where he is engaged in the shoe business, but the mother passed away in 1906, being laid to rest in the cemetery there.  They had four children: John, Bert M., and Roy, all residents of Clinton; and Margaret, the wife of our subject.

In his political views Mr. Swigart is a stalwart republican and has served as president of the village board.  He takes an active interest in fraternal organizations, belonging to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and to the Masons.  He has attained to the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite and is a member of the Knights Templar Commandery and the Mystic Shrine.  Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is now treasurer.  They have a comfortable modern residence in the northern part of Weldon, which was erected by him in 1905.  He is a pleasant, genial gentleman, easy of approach, and is a fine business man well liked by all who know him.  Indeed, he is one of the leading citizens of the village, standing high in business and social circles.

OTTO H. SWIGART.  (Volume II, Page 250)

The farming and stock-raising interests of eastern Illinois find in Otto H. Swigart a worthy representative and he has become widely known as a breeder of registered Galloway cattle, his home being on section 14, DeWitt township, where he owns and operates eight hundred and sixty-six acres of land.  It was upon this place that he was born January 16, 1857, a son of Jacob and Rebecca (Davis) Swigart, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume.  Under the parental roof he grew to manhood, obtaining an excellent knowledge of every department of farm work, as his father was one of the most thorough and progressive agriculturists of this part of the state.  His early education, which was obtained in the local schools, was supplemented by a course in Lombard College, which he entered at the age of nineteen years and was graduated with highest honors four years later, in 1880.  On completing his collegiate course he returned home and took charge of his father’s farm near Farmer City.

On the 24th of June, 1884, on a farm near Delavan, Tazewell county, Illinois, Mr. Swigart was married to Miss Sarah Heaton, who was born on that place, her parents being Thomas T. and Hannah (Reid) Heaton.  They had become acquainted while attending Lombard College.  This union has been blessed by the birth of five children, but the eldest, Ima, died in infancy.  Lois E. completed the literary course at the University of Illinois and was graduated with the class of 1908, since which time she has taught in the Centralia township high school.  Earl L. attended the Agricultural College at Urbana, Illinois, one term and is now at home.  Fred O. is a student in the high school at Champaign, while Wayne is attending the high school at Farmer City.

After his marriage Mr. Swigart’s father gave him one-half of a farm one hundred and seventy-five acres and sold him the other half.  To its cultivation and improvement he devoted his energies until 1890, when he disposed of that property and bought the two hundred acres adjoining the Agricultural College farm and the city limits of Champaign.  He subsequently sold all of this with the exception of thirty acres, which he platted into one hundred and two lots, and has since disposed of most of these, though he still owns forty-eight of them.  He lived upon this property from 1890 to 1905, when he traded a quarter section of it for a half section of land near White Heath in Piatt county, Illinois.  In 1905 his home at Champaign was entirely destroyed by fire while the family was away, everything being lost with the exception of the clothing they wore.  He then located on his land near White Heath and made many improvements thereon, but in 1906 his father died and he sold that property and returned to the old homestead.  While a resident of Champaign he became interested in the breeding of registered Galloway cattle and in 1903 he went to Scotland, where he purchased the best cow to be found in that country.  This he exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, where he took second prize, while a heifer he had bred and sold to C. M. Moody took first prize and championship.  He has often won first prizes on his stock.  On his return from Champaign county to the old homestead, Mr. Swigart remodeled the residence, making it modern in every respect, heated with hot water and lighted by a gasoline system with a tank in his yard.  His home is supplied with every convenience to be had and his farm is one of the model places of the present day.  The buildings upon the place are all commodious and substantial and his corn cribs will hold over twenty thousand bushels but are not large enough to accommodate all that is produced on the place.

Fraternally Mr. Swigart is a Knight Templar Mason, holding membership with blue lodge, chapter and commandery at Champaign.  He is one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of his community and in 1908 in connection with V. Warner he constructed a dike along Salt Creek over two miles in length, thus redeeming about two hundred and forty acres of land which is now under cultivation.  He has always taken a very active and commendable interest in educational affairs and, believing the school grounds near his home too small, he persuaded the board to buy enough land to make them an acre in extent and surrounded the place with a good board fence.  In business affairs he has always been found prompt and thoroughly reliable and is today regarded as one of the most progressive and up-to-date agriculturists and stock-raisers of this part of the state.  His long residence here has made him widely known, while his sterling traits of character have gained for him the high regard which is universally given him.

WALTER M. TAYLOR.  (Volume II, Page 50)

The name of Taylor has long stood as a synonym for activity, enterprise and integrity in commercial circles in Clinton.  Walter M. Taylor is now engaged in the conduct of a business established by his grandfather and afterward carried on by his father and his record is in harmony with that which has always been associated with the family name.  The Taylors are of English descent, the line being traced back to Edward Taylor who came from London, England, in 1692 and settled in New Jersey at a place called Garret’s Hill which in later years became Pigeon Hill.  It is a prominent landmark seen from all parts of the lower harbor of New York.  More extended mention of the family and its connections is made on another page of this volume, in the history of William H. Taylor, the father of Walter M. Taylor.  The latter was born in Clinton, September 27, 1865.  He has spent his entire life in this city with the exception of a brief period of three years passed in Mexico.  At the usual age he entered the public schools wherein he pursued his studies.  He was graduated from the high school in the class of 1884.  He afterward spent three years in the gold and silver mines of Mexico and then returned to Clinton where he took up railroading.  In a wreck he sustained an injury to his spine that rendered him a cripple, and after he had partially recovered, he and his father purchased the business which had been established by his grandfather.  It was carried on by his uncle Fletcher Taylor.  Three or four years later Walter M. Taylor purchased his father’s interest and has since conducted the business alone, dealing extensively in general building materials and coal and also conducting a jobbing business in cigars and tobacco.

On the 2nd of September, 1897, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Cora Robinson, a daughter of Richard W. and Minnie (Rawlings) Robinson.  The children of that marriage are: Lucy Eileen, and Minnie Elwin.  Mrs. Taylor’s father was a native of New York and the mother of Illinois.  The latter is still living but the father passed away in 1893.  In 1819 the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Taylor came to Illinois from Kentucky where he had been a slaveholder and owner of a plantation.  Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are faithful members of the Methodist church and take a helpful interest in all of its activities.

Mr. Taylor is now serving as president of the board of trustees and belongs to DeWitt Lodge, No. 84, A. F. & A. M.; Goodbrake Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M.; Clinton Council, No. 74, R. & S. M.; Clinton Commandery, No. 66, K. T.; and Mohammed Temple, N. M. S., of Peoria.  Politically he is a republican, but while he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon business affairs, in the conduct of which he has displayed an aptitude for successful management.  He and his family reside at No. 319 North Monroe street in the house where Mrs. Taylor was born and in which the mother became a bride.  The family are prominent in the social circles of the city, the hospitality of the best homes in Clinton being cordially extended them.

WILLIAM H. TAYLOR.  (Volume II, Page 128)

William H. Taylor, for many years one of the prominent and honored residents of Clinton who in the face of difficulties won success and yet to whose name there was never attached the slightest taint of dishonor, passed from this life in 1905.  He was at that time sixty-nine years of age, his birth having occurred in Muskingum county, Ohio, June 4, 1836.  The Taylor family is of English origin and the ancestry is traced back to Edward Taylor who came from London to America in 1692 and settled in New Jersey at a place called Garret’s Hill but in later years known as Pigeon Hill.  This place is a prominent landmark and can be seen from all parts of the lower harbor of New York.  The Taylor family was related by marriage to Sir George Carteret, proprietor of East New Jersey, and through him the Taylors acquired large landed estates in Monmouth and Somerset counties, New Jersey.

Henry Taylor, the father of William H. Taylor, was a native of Delaware and a second cousin of Zachary Taylor who was elected president of the United States after having rendered a brilliant service to the country in the commanding of the American forces in Louisiana and Texas and in the Mexican war, after which he proceeded southward into Mexico and there defeated Santa Anna in the crowning battle of his campaign at Buena Vista.

Henry Taylor devoted much of his life to merchandising.  He removed from Delaware to Somerset county, Ohio, there living until 1853, when he came to Illinois, settling in Clinton, which was then a small town of little industrial or commercial importance.  He joined George Bell and Henry Litzembarger [Litzenberger] in purchasing the ground upon which the Magill House now stands and there erected a two-story frame building in which he opened a general store.  In 1857 the building and its contents were destroyed by fire but later he again became a factor in commercial circles in connection with his sons and they continued in business until the panic of 1873 when, like hundreds of others, they were overcome by financial reverses.  Thus for a second time Henry Taylor lost all he had.  Soon afterward he opened a coal business at the corner where his grandson, Walter M. Taylor, is now continuing in the same line of business.  His son, Fletcher Taylor, was associated with him for some time and afterward succeeded to the business which he conducted until he sold out to the firm of William H. Taylor & Son.  Henry Taylor continued a resident of Clinton from the time of his arrival here in 1853 until his death in 1891.  He was at that time seventy-seven years of age and his wife passed away in 1898 at the age of eighty years.

The youthful days of William H. Taylor were passed in the place of his nativity up to the age of seventeen years during which period he acquired his education in the public schools.  In 1853 he came to Illinois with his parents Henry and Mary (Miller) Taylor, who settled in Clinton.  As previously stated, his father established a store and William H. Taylor assisted him in its conduct until 1857.  He afterward opened a shoe store in the rear of his father’s store.  After the building was burned he became a partner of a Mr. Toury in the same business and so continued until 1861 when his patriotic spirit prompted him to put aside all business and personal considerations and he offered his services to the government, enlisting as a member of Company F, Forty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  The following year he made second lieutenant, six months later he became first lieutenant and was afterward promoted to the rank of adjutant.  His military experience covered three years and one month, during which time he participated in a number of hotly contested battles and met all of the hardships and rigors of war.  Following his return from the army he again became connected with merchandising in Clinton, carrying on the business until 1872 when he again lost all of his property but paid all of his obligations at the rate of one hundred cents on the dollar.  He then sought and obtained a position as traveling salesman for a wholesale grocery house and from that time until his death remained continuously upon the road, covering a period of about twenty-three years.  In the meantime he again prospered for as opportunity offered he made investments in property and became the owner of considerable valuable real estate which included the Magill House, worth about fifty thousand dollars, his residence on Main street, and also valuable holdings on East Washington street.  When he went upon the road he possessed an indebtedness of ten thousand dollars with a salary of but thirty dollars per month.  With a resolute spirit that was most commendable and with an unflinching honor that has ever been unassailable, he resolved that he would meet every obligation and each year saw a larger portion of his indebtedness wiped out until he stood clear of all encumbrance and ready again to take up the work of building up his own fortune.  This he did until at his death his estate was valued at about one hundred thousand dollars.

Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Merrell, a native of Ohio and a daughter of James Merrell, who was likewise born in the Buckeye state and after arriving at years of maturity wedded a Miss Baker.  At an early day they removed westward to Clinton where Mr. Merrell became the owner of considerable property but lived retired from the active management of his business affairs.  Soon afterward he and his wife removed to Champaign, Illinois, where they both passed away at an advanced age.  Their children were: Frank, Lucy, Lucinda and Kate.  Of these, Lucy became the wife of William H. Taylor and the mother of three children, but only one is now living, Walter M. Taylor, a well known business man of Clinton.  The others died in childhood.  Mrs. Lucy Taylor passed away in 1872 at the age of thirty-four years and in 1874 Mr. Taylor was again married, his second union being with Miss Jennie Rennick, who survives him.  They became the parents of three children: Nellie, who was the wife of Dr. C. S. Bogardus, died in 1901 at the age of twenty-five years; William, who was connected with the United States Army in the Philippines; and Edward M., an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, living at Clinton.

Mr. Taylor was one of the devoted and prominent members of the Methodist church, doing all in his power to promote its growth and extend its influence.  He gave liberally to its support and took great pleasure in its prosperity and progress.  He held membership in Frank Lowry Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and for half a century was an exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity.  He held the most important offices in the church and in the lodge with which he was connected, but he never sought or desired political preferment although he gave earnest support at the polls to the republican party.  Few men were as widely known in central Illinois and none were held in more favorable regard.  He was recognized as a strong man—strong in his honor and good name, strong in his ability to plan and perform.  He possessed a genial, social nature that made him popular and the strength of character and his high ideals were manifest in the honorable course which he pursued following his failure in meeting every obligation that devolved upon him.  No man suffered loss at his hands and his commercial integrity as well as his private honor remained unsullied throughout the years of an active and useful career.

MRS. NANCY TEAL.  (Volume II, Page 306)

Famed throughout the entire countryside, including Logan, Macon, Sangamon or any of the counties adjacent to DeWitt as the first white child born in this county, Mrs. Nancy (Marvel) Teal, called by all who know her—and her friends are legion—Aunt Nancy, is one of the few remaining persons who form the connecting links between the pioneer days and the present.  A daughter of the very earliest settlers of DeWitt county and mother of one of the most prominent families of the western portion of the county, Mrs. Teal occupies the position of one whose life has influenced the lives of many others for good.  Gifted with one of the most wonderful memories for names, dates and facts, not only regarding her own and allied families, but also those of her neighbors and acquaintances, together with the same wonderful faculty in regard to historical and geographical facts relative to the county in which she has ever lived, it is little wonder that her fame as a woman of exceptional attainments and wonderful personality should be known throughout several counties.  Eighty-three years has she passed within the confines of the county of her birth and in that period has witnessed and participated in the wonderful development of the marvelous resources which it possesses.  At no time in her life has she lived a greater distance than five miles from the homestead upon which she was born—the Marvel farm near Waynesville.

A daughter of the late Prettyman and Rebecca (Barr) Marvel and the widow of the late William Teal, she is, both by birth and by marriage connected with the best families of the county.  Prettyman Marvel, her father, was the first settler in the Kickapoo valley, coming with his wife and two small children to DeWitt county in 1826.  He was born May 8, 1801, in the state of Delaware, and died July 23, 1842, in DeWitt county, and his wife was born in April, 1806, in Tennessee and died September 30, 1893, in DeWitt county.  Prior to her death Mrs. Marvel became the wife of the late Colonel Thompson R. Gambrel of DeWitt county.

The father of Mrs. Teal was a son of Prettyman and Levina (Rogers) Marvel, who removed to Indiana from Delaware, and her mother was a daughter of John and Nancy Barr, the father having come from Ireland and landing in America when eighteen years old.  He brought his father, John Barr, with him, as his mother had died at their home near Dublin.  The great-grandfather set up his loom in this country and Mrs. Teal recalls seeing him work at it.

Prettyman and Levina Marvel, the grandparents of Mrs. Teal, had the following children, many of whom came to DeWitt county later in their lives.  They were: Patience, now deceased, who was the wife of, Robert Montgomery of Indiana, and had three children, William, John and Simon; Comfort, the wife of John Barr of Waynesville; Elizabeth, the wife of Edward McCrunnels of Iowa; Nancy, the wife of Mahlon Stone of Indiana; Prettyman, father of Mrs. Teal; Wilye, who married Charity Clark and died in DeWitt county, where he had lived from 1853; James, who lived and died in Indiana; and George, who married Sarah McCrummels and died in Benton, Illinois.

John and Nancy Barr, parents of Mrs. Teal’s mother, also were parents of a large family, many of whom settled in DeWitt county and now form one of the largest families of the county.  Mary was the wife of John Marvel of Indiana.  Rebecca was Mrs. Teal’s mother.  John married Comfort Marvel.  William lived in Logan county, Illinois.  James married Margaret Hutchins and lived in DeWitt and Logan counties, Illinois.  Thomas married Elsie Watt and lived on the Logan and DeWitt county line.  Cynthia became the wife of Arnet Allman and lived in Logan county, Illinois.  Jackson, a Logan county resident, married Nancy Knowles.  Louis married Rebecca Cox and later Martha Montgomery and lived in Logan county.

Prettyman and Rebecca (Barr) Marvel were the parents of a family of ten children.  These children with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren form a family of great proportions, so great that it is said to be the largest in the entire county of DeWitt.

John Schrader Marvel, the oldest of the family, married Jane Roberts and lived at the time of his death in DeWitt county.  His children are: Rebecca, the wife of Robert Swan of Waynesville, has four children; Annie, wife of Dr. Zorger, has three children, John, Grace and Sarah.  William Thomas married Ella Jones and is the father of four children: Everett, Ethel, Eva, and Opal.  Sarah became the wife of James Barnett and is the mother of one son, Dr. Barnett.

James Marvel, who died at his home near Waynesville, Illinois, married Maria Gambrel and had seven children.  Thompson married Margaret J. French and to them were born nine children, namely: James A., who married Lulu Cantrell and has two children—Owen Henry and Marie F.; George H.; Lillie J., deceased; Stella M., also deceased; Harry O.; June M., who married C. D. Chapman and had two children—Elbin B. and Vera C., deceased; Maggie E., who married Lemoyn Gallentine and has one child—Beulah D.; and Delia and Dellmar, twins, the latter deceased.  Nancy Jane married William Shipley, of Waynesville, and they have five children: Amy, James, George, William and Frank.  Prettyman, the third child of James Marvel, is married and lives in Hamilton county, Nebraska.  Elizabeth married Matthew Wagner and is also a resident of Hamilton county, Nebraska.  James Wilye married a Miss French and he, too, makes his home in Hamilton county, Nebraska.  Stephen Douglas is married and lives in Colorado.  John married Mary E. Bedell and their children are: Archie D.; Ira F.; Amy I., deceased; Orrie B.; John Benjamin; Claude E.; Lawrence and Laurene, twins; and Lelia Pauline.  This family also lives in Nebraska.

Mrs. Nancy Teal, subject of this review, is the third child of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel, and the mother of three sons, the youngest of whom, Wilye M., conducts the Teal homestead where she now resides.  John, the eldest, married Fanny Garrett.  They live at Webster City, Iowa, and are the parents of six children, namely: Daisy, the wife of Lawrence Morris, who has one child, Kenneth; Asa, who married Professor M. H. Smith and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Myra, the wife of Joseph Barr of Webster City, Iowa; William, living near Webster City, Iowa, who married Bell Hamnet and has one son, William Clarence; Grace, who is married and lives near Webster City, Iowa; and Bertha Teal, living with her parents.  Henry M., the second child born to William and Nancy Teal, married Ida Robb.  They live in California and are the parents of seven children, namely: Maud, now deceased, who was the wife of Clinton Borne of Waynesville, and the mother of two children, Ida and George; Lillian, who died while still a young woman; Chester M., who married Gertrude A. Sampson and lives in Waynesville, being the father of a son, Glenn; Joseph, who first married Etta Brown and after her death Lina Finfrock and lives at Tabor Station; Florence, who makes her home with her parents; and Nellie, formerly the wife of Leslie Price but who, following his death, married James Buck and lives east of Waynesville.  She has one child, Rupert.  Wilye M., youngest of Mrs. Teal’s children, married Clara Wilson and is the father of one child, Lester, who married Nellie Baker.  The young people live near the old homestead of the Teals, where they have reared two children, Francis and Leland.

Cynthia and Levina, twins, were daughters of Prettyman and Rebecca (Barr) Marvel.  Cynthia married Montgomery Warrick, who died without issue, and she then married Ira Armstrong of Clinton, Illinois.  Their children are: Mirandy, wife of George Francis; Nancy, who died in her early youth; Susan, the wife of Jacob Snooks; and Winnie, the wife of Johnson Kemp.

Levina married John Armstrong and at the time of her death lived in Vermilion county, Illinois.  She was the mother of the following children: Henry, who married a Miss Hornbeck; Miranda, the wife of Frank Crawford of Waynesville; William, who married May Loer; George, who died in early youth; Ella, wife of Douglas Yakel of Waynesville; and Kirby, who lives at Elm Grove, Illinois.

Prettyman, sixth of the children of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel, married Permelia Malone, who died several years ago.  He now makes his home with his sister, Mrs. Teal.  He is the father of eight children: James, who lives in Nebraska; Lyda, the wife of George Gillett, living in Almonte Province, Canada, and the mother of eight children: William, Martha, Ida, James, John, Ella, Juanita, and Lyda; Elizabeth, the wife of Gabriel Morse, of California and the mother of a daughter, Nellie; Jackson, who lives in South Dakota; Henry, who married Rhoda Johnson and has one son, Forrest; Stella, the wife of Lewis Lawson of Canada, and the mother of two sons, Leonard and Leland; Edward, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska; and Grace.

Rebecca, seventh child of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel, married Martin Lore, who recently died, and she makes her home in Peoria, Illinois.  Her children are: Thomas, who is married and lives in Texas, being father of six children; Mary, the wife of William Armstrong of Peoria, Illinois, and the mother of one son, John; William, who died while a young man; George, who is married and lives in Kansas City, Missouri; Bernice, the wife of Harry Ewing of Marshalltown, Iowa, and the mother of three children; Ernest, who is married and lives in Peoria, Illinois, being father of two children; Leota, the wife of William Jones, of Peoria, Illinois, and the mother of three children; and Jesse, who is married and lives in Peoria, Illinois.

Mary Ann, widow of William Gambrel of Tabor Station, Illinois, is the eighth child of the family.  She is the mother of sixteen children: Thompson, Rebecca, James, William, Nancy, George, Charles, Levina, Ada, Eva, Thomas, Laura, Walter, Calvin, Anna Bell and Minnie.

Wilye, ninth of the Marvel children, married Elizabeth Williams.  They live two miles south of Waynesville, Illinois, and have nine children: Ida, the wife of Dr. George Starkey of Waynesville, and the mother of two children, Johnson and Lydia; Ada, the wife of Nelson Swan of Clinton, Illinois, and the mother of a son, Harry; Otis, who married Elizabeth Reynolds and who lives near Waynesville, and has two children; George, an attorney of Clinton; Luther M., who married Minnie Trigg and lives in Weldon, Illinois, and they have one daughter; Cora, the wife of David Black, living near Kenney, Illinois; Dr. William Marvel, of Chicago; Charles, who lives at home; and Verne, the wife of a Mr. Stevens, of Chicago, Illinois, and the mother of two children.

George Marvel, youngest child of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel, married Lovisa Houchins.  They live at Phillips, Nebraska, and are the parents of three children.  Jane is the wife of Roland Travis and has four children: Mrs. Ida T. Hansen, who has one child, Herbert L.; George Lester; Hattie May; and Fern.  William is also married.  Hattie is married and is living in Nebraska.

The late William Teal was born in Indiana, August 18, 1818, and died in DeWitt county November 1, 1897.  He was a son of Adam and Hannah (Gudgel) Teal, both of whom came from Pennsylvania.  He left Indiana in 1843 and came direct to DeWitt county, Illinois, where he married Nancy Marvel, December 12, 1844.  They started housekeeping on New Year’s day in a portion of the Marvel house, living there two years.  Then they bought two hundred acres of land near Waynesville after living two years on a rented farm at Pilot Grove.  Mr. Teal traded his farm for a better one, now known as the Wilye Marvel farm, giving John Cuply, the former owner of the place, forty dollars in addition to his two hundred acres for a tract of one hundred and sixty acres.  The Teals lived here until 1851, when they bought eighty acres, now the Bowles farm.  Later they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land which is now a part of the Jones estate.  Finally, in 1854, they bought the farm of one hundred and sixty acres which is known as the Teal homestead.

Mrs. Nancy Teal was born November 4, 1827, on the old Marvel homestead in Waynesville township, her birth being an event in the lives of the pioneers, as she was the first white child to be born in the newly settled county.  Her birth occurred in a one-room cabin which her father had built when he first came to the county.  During her childhood there occurred the deep snow and the sudden change, both of which occurrences Mrs. Teal recalls distinctly.  At the time of the deep snow she was but three years old, yet she remembers seeing her mother build a stake corral for a mare which foaled that fall, and her mother later told her that the occurrence was the winter of the deep snow.  She also recalls seeing her father drag many deer to the house upon the crust of the great snow, hitching the dead animals to the tail of his horse.  During the deep snow many people came to the Marvel and Barr homesteads for corn, as their own supplies ran out or were spoiled by the snow.  Pilot Grove received its name from these hungry settlers, who located the Marvel homestead by means of the grove of tall trees which they said piloted them to food.  The sudden change which caused such distress and damage to settlers and stock came when Mrs. Teal was nine years old.  She saw stock frozen fast in the mud, as the change was from a pouring rain to a sudden freeze which froze the ground two inches deep within ten minutes’ time.  She recalls the incident of Harvey Hildreth who froze his hands and feet off and was refused aid by a settler near the Sangamon river.

The prairie was first used for the growing of crops as a result of an accidental discovery by one of the early settlers.  All of those who first came to the country settled in the timber.  They cleared the land of trees and undergrowth and then cultivated it.  Finding that the prairie sod could be skinned off the settlers began farming prairie land and then the development of the country was assured.  When the first settlers staked their claims to the land they located upon, Prettyman Marvel decided upon a tract on Kickapoo creek.  Two of his neighbors, Isham Atchinson and Zebulon Cantrell, wanted the same tract, so started to Danville to register.  Prettyman had entry money for a man named Gregory, who was ill, and for himself, carrying a total of two hundred silver dollars.  He raced his horse up the hills, cast away his clothing until nothing remained but buckskin trousers, landed in Danville and made entry, then ordered a quart of whiskey, with which he rubbed his horse.  He was sitting on the steps of a store there when the others rode up.  Of the early settlers who came shortly after the Marvels and Barrs, Mrs. Teal recalls the Hildreths, Frames, Turleys, Chapmans, Briggs, Coppenbargers, Hoblits and McClures.  The Hall, Judy, Davis, Latham, Johnston, Randolph, Ewing, Lawrence, Jones and Stephenson families came about 1834.

The first railroad Mrs. Teal saw was a horse-pulled car in Springfield, Illinois, while the first locomotive that came to her notice was on the Illinois Central, when she rode to Savannah, Illinois, on an excursion in 1853.  Prettyman Marvel, her brother, recalls having seen men running through fields and waving to the train to halt it, which was done, the train waiting until he traveled half a mile to get on board.

The genealogy of both the Marvel and Barr families as related in this review was furnished by Mrs. Teal from memory, in no instance causing her any difficulty to recollect either names or dates.  As clearly as though the events had happened but yesterday she related the details of the early life of the pioneers, giving the date of the births of all the principal members of the various families.  Probably nowhere in the state will there be found a more remarkably gifted woman than Mrs. Teal, who enjoys the possession of all her faculties without any impairment whatsoever.  Bright-eyed and cheerful, of kind and loving disposition, Aunt Nancy Teal has lived a life that is worthy of emulation.

GEORGE H. THORP.  (Volume II, Page 51)

George H. Thorp is closely identified with the financial interests of Wapella township as cashier of the Wapella Bank and in this capacity has gained a reputation throughout the community for keen business discernment and strict integrity.  He was born in Wilson township, DeWitt county, but was reared on a farm in Harp township, this county.  The period of his boyhood and youth was passed in much the usual manner of farm lads, his time being spent in the work of the fields during the spring and summer months, while the winter seasons were devoted to study in the district schools.  He was graduated from the Evergreen City Business College in 1884.  After reaching mature years, in 1884, he came to Wapella and for twenty years was engaged in mercantile pursuits, meeting with very gratifying success in this undertaking.

On the 1st of January, 1899, with George K. Ingraham and Richard Snell, Mr. Thorp organized the Wapella Bank, with a capital stock of five thousand dollars and surplus of five thousand dollars, the stockholders representing some of the best known and wealthiest citizens of the county.  From the time of its organization Mr. Thorp has acted as cashier and is proving himself a most capable official.  The business has increased in volume and importance, the deposits now amounting to one hundred and fifty-seven thousand dollars, while every accommodation and convenience consistent with safe and legitimate banking is offered to its customers.  The bank building is a neat brick structure.  In addition to owning a third interest in the bank, Mr. Thorp also owns a farm of four hundred and fifteen acres, located in Harp township, three miles from Wapella.  He resides on his farm and superintends the farm work, in which he is equally successful.

Mr. Thorp was married to Miss Anna M. Walker, a native of Harp township, and they have seven children, Dwight, Walker, Esther, Howard, Clyde, Loretta and Elizabeth.  The eldest son, Dwight, is assistant cashier in the bank.

A man of strong temperance principles, Mr. Thorp casts his ballot in support of the prohibition party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Protestant church.  A man of exemplary habits and strict integrity, his influence carries weight in the community, and the success which he has gained in the business world classes him with the representative citizens of DeWitt county, whose people are proud to call him their own.

NATHAN J. TREGO.  (Volume II, Page 379)

Nathan James Trego, the only son of Samuel Trego, now resides on section 19, DeWitt township, where he carries on the farm owned by his father.  He was born in Fayette county, Ohio, March 3, 1856, and came to Illinois with his parents in 1859.  In DeWitt county he was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farm boys and at the age of twenty-one years commenced farming upon land which he rented of his father.  Being the only son, he never left the parental roof and is still living on the old homestead.

On the 21st of December, 1876, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Williams, by whom he had three children, but two died in infancy.  The other, Permelia, received a good common-school education and on reaching womanhood married Frank Wilson, by whom she has one son, Lyle.  She is now keeping house for her grandfather, Samuel Trego.

For his second wife Nathan J. Trego married Miss Viola Richter, their wedding being celebrated November 8, 1881.  She was born in DeWitt county and is a daughter of Charles and Rachel (Wilson) Richter.  There is one daughter by this union, Edna, now the wife of Ray King, a grocer of LeRoy, by whom she has two children, Mildred and Claude.  Like his father, Mr. Trego supports the men and measures of the democratic party and has filled the office of township assessor for two terms and collector for one term.  The family is one of prominence in the community where they reside.

SAMUEL TREGO.  (Volume II, Page 377)

The life record of such a man as Samuel Trego should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to his fellowmen because it proves that success may be won through earnest and persistent effort and without the need of wealthy or influential friends at the outset of one's career.  He is now living retired, having during the years of his business activity won a handsome competence as a farmer, and he is still living on the home place on section 19, DeWitt township.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Trego was born in Pickaway county, on the 7th of December, 1827, a son of James and Rebecca (Ralston) Trego.  His ancestors came originally from France during colonial days and settled in Maryland, whence representatives of the family removed to Virginia and later to Ross county, Ohio.  His maternal grandfather, Benjamin Ralston, was one of the first settlers of that county and built the second house on the present site of Chillicothe, it being of logs as were all the buildings at that time.  Mr. Trego believes that it was for Mr. Ralston that Ross county was named.

Samuel Trego was the second in order of birth in a family of three children and was not yet three years of age when his father died.  The two other children went to live with his maternal grandmother but he remained with his mother, who married again.  His boyhood was spent in Fayette county, Ohio, to which place she had removed, and he was reared upon a farm, aiding in its operation as soon as old enough to be of any assistance.  When about fifteen years of age he began earning his own livelihood and was allowed to keep his wages.  For a few years he was employed at eight dollars a month and often chopped down the trees and split two hundred rails per day.  In this way he earned the money with which to buy a good horse, some clothes and a few other necessities needed by a married man.

It was on the 10th of January, 1850, that Mr. Trego was married in Fayette county, Ohio, to Miss Mary Parker, and they became the parents of two children, Nathan James and Margaret.  After his marriage he engaged in farming upon rented land, but was eventually able to purchase one hundred acres at twenty-five dollars per acre, and this tract he cultivated for two years.  At the end of that time, having a chance to sell it and make five hundred dollars, he did so and continued to carry on farming as a renter in Ohio for four years longer.  In the fall of 1853 his father-in-law, Mason Parker, had come to DeWitt county, Illinois, with his family and purchased about three hundred acres of land, but he died here in 1858 and Mr. Trego came west to settle the estate.  This led him to buy a part of the farm at thirty dollars per acre and in 1859 he and his family located thereon.  As time passed he purchased the interest of the other heirs as he could induce them to sell until he finally became the owner of the whole Parker estate.  Upon the place was a log house and a frame structure of three rooms, which now forms a part of the present residence of our subject.  The last part of the tract had been previously sold outside of the family but he was finally able to purchase it, paying as high as ninety-five dollars an acre.  To the Parker estate he has added as he has found opportunity and today owns about five hundred and fifty-five acres of well improved land, under a high state of cultivation.  He has been a hard-working, energetic man and the success that has come to him is due to his own industry, perseverance and good management.

On his removal from Fayette county, Ohio, to DeWitt county, Illinois, in 1859, Mr. Trego had a herd of pure bred shorthorn Durham cattle, consisting of one bull, four cows, four two year old heifers and a young calf, which he tried to dispose of before leaving the Buckeye state but, finding no purchaser, he concluded to drive them across the country to his destination, which he did.  This gave him a start in the stock business here.  Later he also became interested in the breeding of Poland China hogs, which he raised on quite an extensive scale, shipping two or three carloads at a time to the city markets.  At one time he made a specialty of raising heavy-weight hogs, which ran from three hundred to four hundred pounds and sold as high as two dollars and sixty cents per hundred.  He also handled heavy-weight cattle and one carload of two year olds averaged nineteen hundred and sixty pounds.  He gave some attention to the breeding of pure bred sheep and also dealt in running horses and Kentucky standard breeds for the race track, besides Clydesdale imported draft horses and also imported Shire, Norman and Belgium horses.  He has exhibited his stock at many county fairs and won first prizes on both draft and running horses.  On his arrival in DeWitt county Mr. Trego found wild game abundant, including deer turkeys and prairie chickens by the thousand.  At that time the prevailing opinion was that the prairie land would always be public grazing and there were no settlers except in the forests and at the edge of the timber.

Mr. Trego has been called upon to mourn the loss of his estimable wife, who passed away on the 14th of April, 1903, mourned by all who knew her.  His father was a supporter of the democratic party and on attaining his majority he cast his first presidential vote for Pierce in 1852, since which time he has always affiliated with that great political organization.  He is today an active member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church of DeWitt and was the first man to donate a dollar to the erection of the house of worship there, this being before he became a member of the church.  He has put more money into it than any other in the neighborhood and he never withholds his support from any enterprise which he believes calculated to promote the moral or material welfare of his community.  He is justly numbered among the leading and representative citizens of his adopted county and his life is well worthy of emulation.

JACOB TROWBRIDGE.  (Volume II, Page 142)

Jacob Trowbridge, one of the earlier settlers of Barnett township and of DeWitt county, has long been a resident of Midland City, where he at present makes his home.  He retired from active labor on his farms, of which he is the owner of several, a number of years since, and lives a quiet, retired life.  He was born July 15, 1826, in Warren county, Ohio, being a son of Abram Losey and Rachel (Wampole) Trowbridge, both esteemed residents of that place.

Abram Trowbridge, the father of Jacob, was born in New Jersey, and lived there until he was of age.  Then he and the family moved to Pennsylvania, where Abram was married to Miss Rachel Wampole, a descendant of a wealthy German family who had settled in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, long before the war for independence.

There were three children born to Abram and Rachel Trowbridge in Pennsylvania before they removed to Warren county, Ohio, where Jacob was born.  The children of the couple were: Josiah, who died at the age of twenty-one years; John, deceased; Alexander, who died in DeWitt county, Illinois, in 1880, having moved here from Kansas, where, however, his family now resides; Susan, who died at the age of eighty years and who was the wife of Joseph Mistletine, of Winterset, Madison county, Iowa; Rebecca, who died in Warren county, Ohio, aged twenty years; Jacob, of Midland City; Amos, who died in DeWitt county at the age of fifty-six years; A. B., who now lives in Custer City, Oklahoma; Clara, now deceased, who was the wife of James A. Kirby, of DeWitt county; and Mary Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of Levi Gaddis, of Aurora, Nebraska.

Jacob Trowbridge received his early education in Warren county, Ohio, and followed the calling of a farmer, in the year 1852, on April 4th, he was married to Miss Mary Gustin, who was one of a family of nine children, the others being: Jesse, Hannah, Jonathan, Isaac, Elizabeth, Morris, Levi and Lydia Ann.  All of her family are now deceased, she, too, dying after seven years of married life, on the 7th of April, 1859, in DeWitt county.

There were three children born to Mr. Trowbridge by this wife.  Alice Jane, the wife of Howard L. Rucker, of Midland City, Illinois, was born June 17, 1853, and their children are: Howard Clyde, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who married Lelah Pixley and who has two children, Dorothy Lou and Grace; Madeline A., the wife of A. J. Wallace, of Chicago; and Maud O., the wife of Edmund B. Parker, of Delmont, South Dakota.  James Alfred, the second child, was born May 12, 1855, and married Rachel Jane Grinder.  The couple live in Midland City, Illinois, and have the following children: Ada, the wife of George Phelps and the mother of Filmore, deceased, Lawrence, Harold and Orville; Inez, the wife of David McClimonds; and Charles and Homer, who live at home.  Madison Filmore, the third child, was born September 23, 1857, and died in infancy.

Following the death of his first wife, Mr. Trowbridge married Mrs. Lydia (Stout) Wallace, now deceased, who was the widow of Andrew J. Wallace.  She was one of a family of three children, her sisters being: Sarah, the wife of William Irwin, of Farmer City, Illinois, and Mrs. Eliza Bennett, of Glascow, Kansas.  To this second union there were born four children: Mary B., who died in infancy; Seymour, who married Carrie Parker and is the father of five children: Lillian, Mildred, Wilbur, Bernard and Donald; Ora, who died in infancy; and Margaret A., who became the wife of J. M. Duff, of Barnett township, and who is the mother of three children, Ruth, Carrol and Wayne.  Mrs. Trowbridge by her first husband had the following children: Ada, wife of Joseph Humphrey of DeWitt county, Illinois; William C, of Midland City, Illinois; Charles T., who died aged fourteen years; Laura C., the wife of James Parker; and Dora, who died in infancy.

Mr. Trowbridge, while in his eighty-fourth year, yet has a splendid memory of the early days when the country was in the making.  At the time he first saw DeWitt county there was but one railroad through, and that was the Illinois Central, which had a station at Clinton, having been in operation but a few years.  He is an upright, loyal and enterprising citizen and has made a name for himself as being one of the most scrupulously honest men of the community.  In all his dealings with his fellowmen he has ever adhered to the simple plan of rigid honesty and fair dealings with the result that there is no more esteemed resident of the community than he.  His success as a farmer is commensurate with his ability and his retirement from labor after a life filled with activity, energy and good works assures him happiness and peace for the remainder of his days.

ELI TUCKER.  (Volume II, Page 277)

Prominent among the business men of Farmer City is numbered Eli Tucker, who dates his residence here from 1872 and from that time to the present his interests have been allied with those of the city.  For the past six years he has conducted a grocery store and in that time has built up a good trade.  He was born in Hardy county, Virginia, February 21, 1842, and in the south his ancestry is traced through several generations.  His paternal grandparents were Joseph and Elizabeth Tucker, both natives of Virginia.  His grandfather served in the war of 1812 and followed farming as a life work.  They reared a family of several children, including David Tucker, who became the father of our subject.  The latter was a cabinet-maker by trade, conducting an establishment in his native state of Virginia during his early life.  Later he went to Ohio, where he carried on a similar enterprise, and following his removal to Farmer City in 1871 he continued in this line of activity.  While still residing in the south he acted as sheriff of Upshire county, West Virginia, and was also deputy sheriff and jailer for several years.  He wedded Miss Mary Ann Brown, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Brown, likewise natives of the Keystone state, who reared a large family of children.  Her father died of cholera when in middle life, but his wife died at the age of ninety-eight years.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. David Tucker were born two sons and three daughters, of whom Eli is the eldest and the only one now living.  The others were: Jennie, who became the wife of George W. Tasker and is deceased; Elizabeth, who became the wife of E. W. Pickering and has also departed this life; and Joseph W. and Elmira, who died when about ten years old.  The father reached the advanced age of eighty-three years, passing away in Farmer City in 1889.  His wife survived for many years and was called to her final rest in 1906, when seventy-nine years of age.  Originally they were identified with the Baptist church but upon their removal to Farmer City joined the Christian church.

Eli Tucker was reared in the state of his nativity to the age of fourteen years and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio, the family home being established in Coolville, Athens county.  It was in the common schools of that place that he completed his education, which had been begun in the schools of the south.  After putting aside his text-books he learned the cabinet-maker’s trade under the direction of his father but when twenty years old put aside all business cares and in July, 1862, enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company I, Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He enlisted as a private and aside from participating in many skirmishes, took part in the following memorable battles: Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Peach Tree Creek, Buzzard’s Roost and Kenesaw Mountain, was in the Atlanta campaign and was also with Sherman on his march to the sea, after which he took part in the grand review at Washington, D. C.

Mr. Tucker was mustered out in June, 1865, after which he returned to his home in Coolville, Ohio.  There he remained for three years, or until 1868, when he removed to Athens, that state, and followed the carpenter’s trade until 1872.  In that year he came to Farmer City, Illinois, and continued work at his trade for five years, or until October, 1877.  Believing that he might find commercial pursuits more congenial, at that period in his life he began clerking in a grocery store.  He learned every detail of the business and for the past six years has conducted a grocery store on his own account.  He has an ideal location in the business center, and, closely studying the demands of the public, carries a full line of groceries of the best grades which are neatly and tastefully arranged on the shelves, while his windows also attract the attention of the passer-by.  Honorable dealing has been one of the strong features in the conduct of his business and to this fact is due in a measure his success.

Mr. Tucker has been twice married.  His first union, in May, 1867, was with Miss Mary E. Shell, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Shell.  Seven children blessed this union.  Sherman, the eldest, is foreman of the gas plant at Streator, Illinois.  He wedded Miss Annie Coxon and they have seven children.  David is clerk in a hardware store in that city.  He wedded Miss Lida Johnson and they have a son, Gordon.  Minnie, the third member of the family, became the wife of William Gardner but is now deceased.  Ida is the wife of James M. Hoyt of Farmer City and they have seven children.  Charles, who is clerking in his father’s store, wedded Miss Effie Hougham and they have three children, Burrell, Edward and Marcella.  Nellie is deceased and one child died in infancy.  After a happy wedded life covering seventeen years Mr. and Mrs. Tucker were separated by the death of the wife, who passed away in 1884.  On the 9th of March, 1886, Mr. Tucker was again married, his second union being with Bessie Wolfe and there are two daughters and one son of this marriage, Hope, Daisy and Benjamin.  The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of this city.

Mr. Tucker is a stanch supporter of republican principles, casting his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln, when he was the second time elected to the presidency.  He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in Lemon Post, G. A. R.  His success in business has come through energy, labor and perseverance, directed by an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business principles.  In manner he is quiet and straightforward, saying exactly what he means.  His residence in the county covers a period of thirty-eight years and he has therefore an intimate knowledge of its history and of events which have left their impress upon its annals.

ALLEN A. TURNER.  (Volume II, Page 48)

Allen A. Turner, a well known and prosperous farmer, residing on section 33, Rutledge township, has spent his entire life in DeWitt county, his birth occurring on section 17 of the same township at what was for a time known as Bissell.  His natal day was March 18, 1853.  His father, Dennis Turner, was born in Vermont but was only two years of age when taken by his parents to Ohio, the family settling in Champaign county, that state, in 1833.  Our subject’s grandfather, Perry Turner, afterward came to Illinois in 1842 and located on rented land in McLean county, but two years later bought a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on section 17, Rutledge township, DeWitt county, where he made his home until his death in 1845.  This property later came into possession of the rather of our subject and upon that farm Allen A. Turner was born and reared.  The father was quite a successful farmer and became the owner of over five hundred acres of very valuable land.  He took quite an active and influential part in public affairs, serving as justice of the peace for the long period of thirty years, during which time he tried many cases, and he also held the offices of township collector and assessor.  He was a believer in the doctrine of the Universalist church and was a democrat in politics.  He was twice married, his first wife being Martha Rutledge, by whom he had six children, but the oldest died in infancy, and the mother passed away in 1867.  Two years later the father married Miss Mary Tingler, by whom he had one son, Samuel, who is now living on the old homestead.  The father died in 1905.

Allen A. Turner, who was one of the six children born of the first marriage, received a good common-school education and was reared to agricultural pursuits.  At the age of twenty-two years he made his first purchase of land, consisting of a tract of one hundred and forty acres where he now lives, paying for the same thirty-five dollars per acres.  At that time he refused a small tract across the road from his present place, which he might have purchased for twenty-five dollars per acre, because it appeared so wet, but it is now worth two hundred dollars per acre.  In 1875 he erected upon his place a one story house, sixteen by twenty-four feet, which now forms a part of his present residence, and to it he brought his bride when he was married on the 22d of February, 1876, in Rutledge township, to Miss Rebecca J. Lappin.  She was also born in this township, June 19, 1854, a daughter of William and Catharine (Johnson) Lappin, both natives of Madison county, Ohio, whence they came to Illinois, settling in DeWitt county.  Here her father became the owner of two hundred and fifty-four acres of land and upon this farm both he and his wife died, his death occurring in 1880 and hers in 1901.

Mr. and Mrs. Turner have become the parents of seven children.  Minnie, born on the home farm, March 22, 1879, received a good education and became a successful teacher.  She was married July 2, 1900, to Frank B. Stiver, now living on a farm near Rockwell, Iowa, and they have four children, Artie T., Edna Fay, Velma Ferne and Opal May.  Nellie R., born December 14, 1881, also attended the common schools and is now at home.  Estella M., born January 17, 1883, and Mary Elsie, born June 15, 1893, are also under the parental roof.  Charles W., Fred H. and another son all died in infancy.

Since his marriage Mr. Turner has continued to reside upon his farm and has erected thereon a good substantial residence, set out shade trees and an orchard and in 1895 built his present barn.  He today has a well improved and valuable farm and has devoted the greater part of his time to its cultivation but has also been interested in other enterprises.  In 1902 he purchased a half interest in an implement business at Parnell in connection with Ebenezer Heggard, but two years later their establishment was destroyed by fire and his partner died.  Mr. Turner then erected a new building and continued to carry on the business for some time but finally sold out, though he continues to own the building.  Since then he has been interested in the business at various times, leaving others to carry on the work of his farm, but in 1910 resumed agricultural pursuits, to which he now devotes his entire time and attention with most excellent results.

Since casting his first presidential ballot for S. J. Tilden in 1876, Mr. Turner has been an ardent democrat in politics.  He was elected and served as highway commissioner for twelve consecutive years, during which time a large number of bridges were built and the county line road laid out.  He has also served as school treasurer since 1880 and while holding that office has paid out on an average of twenty-five hundred dollars a year for school purposes.  In 1910 he was elected supervisor and is now acceptably filling that office, being a member of the committee on books and stationery and miscellany.  Fraternally he is a member of Amon Lodge, No. 261, A. F. & A. M., at DeWitt, which he joined in 1883, and he also belongs to the Uniform Rank of Knights of Pythias at Farmer City and the Modern Woodmen of America at the same place.  His wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church at Parnell and both are held in the highest esteem by all who know them.  An upright and honorable life has gained for Mr. Turner the respect and confidence of all with whom he has been brought in contact either in business or social relations and he is widely and favorably known throughout this—his native county.

JOHN W. TURNER.  (Volume II, Page 67)

John W. Turner has throughout the years of his active business life engaged in farming and still follows that pursuit although he now lives in Farmer City, where he owns and occupies a fine residence on John street.  A native of DeWitt county, he was born in Rutledge township on the 16th of October, 1863, his parents being Dennis and Martha K. (Rutledge) Turner, and it was for his maternal grandfather, William J. Rutledge, that the township was named.  His father was born in Vermont, but the birth of his mother occurred in Illinois, and in this state they continued to make their home until called to their final rest.  Our subject has two brothers and two sisters and also a half-brother still living, all of whom are residents of Illinois.

In his native township John W. Turner passed the days of his boyhood and youth, receiving a good practical education, and he remained with his father until he attained his majority, after which he purchased a farm in Rutledge township and still owns one hundred and twenty acres of very fine farming land.  He has always engaged in general farming and continued to reside upon his property until September 2, 1908, when he removed to Farmer City.

On the 4th of December, 1886, Mr. Turner was united in marriage to Miss Belle Dolly, who was also born in Rutledge township in 1867, a daughter of George W. and Deniza (Vance) Dolly.  Her parents were both natives of West Virginia and on coming to Illinois is 1855 settled in McLean county, where the father engaged in farming for many years, but is now living retired in LeRoy.  They are the parents of nine children, eight of whom are still living.  Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Turner, namely: Wilbur Charles, who was born November 20, 1887, and died May 6, 1891; Blanche, born February 15, 1890; Ruth, born July 10, 1892; May, born May 18, 1897; Vernelle, born September 2, 1899; and one born March 19, 1904, who died unnamed.

In his social relations Mr. Turner is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias.  His political support is given the men and measures of the republican party and he has been called upon to fill various township offices, including those of assessor, clerk and school director, the duties of which he has most capably and satisfactorily discharged.

SAMUEL TURNER.  (Volume II, Page 250)

Samuel Turner, who is now engaged in farming and stock raising on section 17, Rutledge township, has spent his entire life in DeWitt county and in fact has never been outside of the state.  He was born on the farm where he now resides, June 18, 1869, and is a son of Dennis and Mary (Tingler) Turner.  His boyhood was passed upon the home farm and as soon as old enough to be of any assistance began to aid in the work of the fields, and in this way early acquired an excellent knowledge of agricultural pursuits.  His literary education was obtained in the local schools.  Until he attained his majority he gave his father the benefit of his services and at the age of twenty-one years began working for wages, being employed in this way until twenty-five years old.  At that age he rented a portion of his father’s farm and has since engaged in its operation, now cultivating one hundred and sixty acres, a part of which belongs to his mother while he himself owns eighty acres of the tract.  He is a wide-awake, progressive farmer and is meeting with success in his undertakings.

On Thanksgiving day of 1899, Mr. Turner was married in Clinton to Miss Cora Armentrout, of Rutledge township, who was born in West Virgina, and they now have one child, Mabel, whose birth occurred October 30, 1900.  Mr. Turner affiliates with the democratic party and is a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Parnell, having filled all the chairs in that lodge.