Piatt County, Illinois - Biographical sketches, 1903 (part 10 of 13)

Mr. Gordon was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of January, 1838, his parents being Franklin and Gertrude (Hyde) Gordon. The father was born January 26, 1810, and the mother February 9, 1811, and they were married on the I7th of December, 1829. Their union was blessed with ten children, of whom Philip I. is the fourth in order of birth. The family record is as follows : Caroline, born December 18, 1830; Anna, October 6, 1832; Martha A., July 20, 1835; Philip I., January 4, 1838; Benjamin Thomas, January 24, 1841 ; Anna E., January 3, 1843 ; Nancy Jane, March ii, 1845; Mary Katherine, October 20 f - 1847; Sarah A., January 19, 1850; and Gitty Margaret, September 5, 1853. Only four of these children are now living, Philip, Sarah, Mary and Gitty. The father was a farmer by occupation and removed from the Keystone state to New Jersey, whence he afterward went to Preble county, Ohio, making the journey by wagon. He was upon the road for six weeks, and then reached his destination in safety. For seventeen years he continued to reside in Preble county, where he owned and operated a farm of fiftythree acres. In 1857 he came to Piatt county, Illinois, where he served for many years as justice of the peace of Blue Ridge township. He had also filled that position in Ohio, and the official papers for his tenth term came to him when he was on his deathbed. He was a man in whom his friends and fellow citizens placed unbounded confidence, for he was the soul of honor and integrity in all life's relations. When serving as jus- tice in Ohio and Illinois he settled many estates, especially in Ohio. He did practically all of this for miles around. He left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name, and to his friends the memory of a noble life. He passed away April 12, 1872, after having survived his wife for about five years. She died July 30, 1867, and her death was also deeply deplored by those who knew her, for she was a most estimable woman.

Philip I. Gordon, whose name introduces this review, spent the greater part of his early life in Ohio, being reared upon the home farm, where he early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. When a young man of nineteen years he came with his parents to Illinois, and throughout his business career he followed the occupation to which he had been reared. When he had acquired sufficient capital he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Blue Ridge township, which he still owns, and to this he afterward added a tract of forty acres. While upon the farm he raised considerable stock, feeding them all of the grain which he annually harvested. His farming methods were progressive and in keeping with the spirit of the times. Everything about his place was neat and thrifty in appearance and gave evidence of his careful supervision and practical methods. In 1890, however, he put aside the arduous duties of agricultural life and took up his abode in Mansfield, where he is now living retired.

On the 1 7th of February, 1860, Mr. Gordon was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Mathews, and unto them have been born three children : Thomas Edward, whose birth occurred December 20, 1860, and who died January 22, 1864; Benjamin Franklin, who was born August 15, 1862, and died April 17, 1866; and Charles, who was born on the 1 8th of February, 1864, and married Luella Caldwell. He is now living on the old home farm in Blue Ridge township, and - unto him and his wife have been born three children : Philip Burton, Bertha and James Willard.

In his political affiliations Mr. Gordon is a stalwart Republican and has firm faith in the principles of the party, but has never aspired to public office, preferring to give his time and attention to his business interests, which have been so capably conducted that he has gained a neat little fortune. He and his wife are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, regularly attend its services, contribute generously to its support and take a helpful interest in its work. They are well known in Mansfield, and their many friends speak of them in terms of praise.

From no professional man do we expect to exact so many of the cardinal virtues as from the physician. If the clergyman is austere, we imagine that his mind is absorbed with the contemplation of things beyond our ken; if our lawyer is brusque and crabbed, it is the mark of genius ; but in the physician we expect not only a superior quality of mentality and comprehensive knowledge, but sympathy as wide as the universe. Dr. Matson in large measure meets all these requirements and is regarded by many as an ideal physician. Certainly if patronage is any criterion of ability he ranks high among the leading physicians and surgeons of Piatt county. He has resided here since 1898, and during the intervening years has well demonstrated his broad learning and ready adaptability of his knowledge to the needs of suffering humanity.

A native of Ohio, Dr. Matson was born in Logan county, that state, on the gth of August, 1864. He comes of Scotch and Irish ancestry in the paternal line, and is of German lineage in the maternal line. His great-grandfather, Uriah J. Matson, was a native of Pennsylvania and a farmer by occupation, following the pursuit through his entire life. He wedded Eliza J. Beach, a native of Ohio. Dr. Albert F. Matson, the father of our subject, was a native of Richland county, Ohio, and after attaining his majority practiced medicine there for a number of years. During the Civil war he served as a surgeon and was stationed for a considerable time at Bermuda Hundred. After his return from the war he resumed practice in Logan county, Ohio, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1867. He married Miss Hannah J. Marquess, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, a daughter of Thomas T. and Rosina (Stiles) Marquess, natives of Virginia. In the family of Dr. Albert F. Matson and his wife were three children : Charles A., a mining engineer, is at Dawson, Alaska ; Ona D. died in 1895.

Dr. William F. Matson obtained his preliminary education in the district schools of Logan county, Ohio, and then took up the study of telegraphy and telegraph construction, entering the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company, with which he continued for some time. From 1888 until 1890 Dr. Matson was in the West Indies, in the employ of the West India Improvement Company, and later he was in the service of James Ray, the millionaire prince of the West Indies. On returning to the United States he took up the study of medicine, reading in the office and under the direction of Dr. Staples, a prominent physician of Dubuque, Iowa, and later he was graduated in the medical department of the State University of Iowa City, with the class of 1896. After his graduation the Doctor located in Gilmore, Humboldt county, Iowa, where he continued in practice for two years, and in 1898 he came to Monticello, where he has since made his home. Here he has secured a large and lucrative practice.

In 1886 Dr. Matson was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Calland, of Degraff. Ohio, a daughter of Gershan and Elizabeth (Dickey) Calland. They now have one daughter, Ona Marguerite. Both the Doctor and his wife have gained many friends during the five years of their residence in Monticello and their own home is the center of a cultured society circle. The Doctor is a wo'rthy representative of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Fraternal Lodge, No. 58, F. & A. M., and to Lincoln Park Chapter, No. 177, R. A. M., of Chicago. In the line of his profession he is connected with the Champaign County District Medical Society, the Illinois State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and through the interchange of thought and experience in these organizations he is continually broadening his scientific knowledge and rendering his labors more effective in his practice.

Daniel P. Swisher Mr. And Mrs. D. P. Swisher

of September, 1850, in the state of Pennsylvania, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Palm) Swisher, natives of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively, the former born April 25, 1803, and the latter January n, 1805. The Palms were of German descent, Mrs. Swisher's parents having come to this country from the fatherland. The birthplace of the father of our subject was Stanton, West Virginia, and there he continued to make his home until about 1840, when he removed to Pennsylvania. Previous to this event he had followed the blacksmith's trade, but he now turned his attention to farming, in which pursuit he engaged until called to his final rest on the nth of August, 1857. He had nine children, who in order of birth, were as follows : Sarah Anne Elizabeth, born October 3, 1824, died July 2, 1825. William, born December 3, 1827, was graduated at the Allegheny Medical College at Meadville, Pennsylvania, and was first engaged in the practice of his profession at Elmwood, Illinois, and later at Canton, this state, where he died in 1881, leaving a wife and one child. His son, Edwin S. Swisher, is now a practicing physician of New Mexico. Mary Eveline Amanda, the third child of Jacob and Catherine Swisher, was born December 5, 1831, and died August 17, 1850. Elmus Josiah E., born November 22, 1834, died in July, 1840. Julia is the wife of Daniel Billig, who is engaged in farming near Harper- in Harper county, Kansas. Emily L. is a resident of Fairview, and the widow of Jacob Wise, a carriagemaker and trimmer, who died about fifteen years ago. Jacob James K., who was born in 1843, ar>d died during his service in the Civil war March 2, 1863. Samuel is now engaged in the harness business at Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Daniel P. Swisher received a good practical education in the common schools of his native state, and made his home with his mother until reaching manhood, his father having died when he was only seven years old. In early life he learnd the harnessmaker's trade at Jamestown, Pennsylvania, and continued to follow that occupation until 1873, when he came west and located a mile west of DeLand, Illinois, in Piatt county. Here he rented eighty acres of land which he afterward purchased in 1883, and although he has since bought and sold a number of farms, on which he has made his home for a time, he finally returned to his first purchase. The farm is well tiled and improved and is divided into fields of convenient size by wellkept fences. A deep well has been made and a windpump set up, and the place is supplied with the latest improved machinery for facilitating farm work. The family residence has been remodeled and improved and the fields are highly cultivated. In connection with the operation of his own land, 'Mr. Swisher has charge of his father-in-law's farm of three hundred and twenty acres.

In 1876 he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ann Wilson, a daughter of Joseph and Lucinda (Judy) Wilson, and to them have been born three children : Gertrude E., at home; Edith Viola, wife of Charles Marvel, a farmer of Goose Creek township ; and Grace Anna, at home. The family are earnest and consistent members of the Christian church of DeLand, and Mr. Swisher also holds membership in DeLand Lodge, No. 740, I. O. O. F. In political views he is a Republican.

Joseph C. Smith

Smith, who is successfully carrying' on general agricultural pursuits. He was born in the year 1845, an<^ 's a son °^ Thomas and Jane Smith. . His paternal grandfather was a native of England and came from York, that country, to America in the year 1816, landing at Philadelphia. He crossed the mountains in wagons and came down the Ohio river in a flatboat, landing at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. In that locality he purchased land and engaged in farming for a number of years, being one of the early settlers of the locality. Thus he took an active part in advancing civilization there and aided in laying the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of the commit rt family were ten children, including Thomas Smith, the father of our subject, who was born in York, England, in 1805. He pursued his early education there and acquired good mental training for that day. With his parents he came to America and through long years was identified with agricultural interests in Dearborn county, Indiana. Prior to the Civil war he was a stanch Abolitionist and was very anxious to see slaves freed, but he never lived to hear the proclamation. When because of the cruelty of southern masters many slaves attempted to gain freedom in Canada, Mr. Smith conducted what was known as a station on the famous underground railroad. He and his wife frequently sheltered the negroes, who were then fleeing northward and assisted them on their way. Thomas Smith died in 1863, and his wife, who was born in 1807, long survived him, passing away in 1891. In the family of this worthy couple were eight children, and our subject now has one brother who lives in Piatt county.

Joseph C. Smith was reared and educated in Dearborn county, Indiana. He pursued his studies in an old log school-house and, though his privileges were somewhat limited he made the most of his opportunities arid has always followed that course through life. It has been this that has brought to him his success. He started out for himself when twenty-one years of age, and for two years worked by the month as a farm hand in Piatt county, receiving from twenty-five to forty dollars per month. He purchased eighty acres of land about 1890, and has since added to his original purchase a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. The land was not improved and Mr. Smith broke it, doing the first plowing upon the fields. He has added a great many substantial improvements, has planted all of the trees, has erected good buildings and has made a splendid farm. His attention has always been given to general farming, and to-day he has a. valuable property. In 1873 he erected a good residence, and the following year built a large barn. Annually he sells good crops, and as the years have passed he has gradually increased his capital until he is now numbered among the men of affluence in the community. In 1871 Mr. Smith was offered a wagon for one hundred dollars cash or one hundred and ten dollars on time. He went to a bank in Farmer City and borrowed one hundred dollars for three months, paying six dollars interest, but on the expiration of that time did not have the money and paid six dollars more interest. At the end of six months he was still unable to pay and was told that as money was a little more plentiful he could have it for another three months for five dollars. Again he could not raise the one hundred dollars, and this time paid another six dollars interest. He was able to settle at the end of the year, after having paid twenty-three dollars interest, which

In 1874 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Lida Robinson, a daughter of William Robinson, and they became the parents of six children; Omer, who died at the age of sixteen years; Nora, who is the wife of E. B. James, by whom she has two children ; Raymond, who married Maude Elmore; Alfred, who is living at home at the age of twenty years ; Burton, who is now fourteen years of age ; and Glenn, who died in 1902.

Mr. Smith is now serving as the efficient road commissioner of Blue Ridge township, and has held the office for four years. During the spring of 1903 he had five iron bridges built in Blue Ridge township. In politics he has always been a Republican, and is a progressive citizen, taking an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the comunity and its progress along substantial lines. When he came to Piatt county there were only one or two spring vehicles in the county, and everything was primitive because this district was but a frontier settlement. Great changes have since occurred and Mr. Smith has endorsed everything pertaining tq the general welfare and given his co-operation to many movements for the public good.

Anthony Clark

Anthony Clark, who is now residing on section 10, Bement township, where he owns and cultivates a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, was torn in Jefferson county, Indiana, on the 27th of March, 1837. The family is of English lineage and was established in the new world by the great-grandfather of our subject, who settled near Baltimore, Maryland, on crossing the Atlantic to America. The grandfather, John Clark, removed from the Atlantic coast to Kentucky, and there spent his remaining days.

Samuel Clark, the father of our subject, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but was reared in Kentucky and became a steamboat captain on the Mississippi river. He was the pilot on the third boat on that river, and . ran from Pittsburg to New Orleans. For many years he followed that life, but at length was killed in Arkansas by an explosion on his boat when thirty-two years of age. He had married Miss Maria Horseman, who was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and survived her husband for some years, passing away in 1861 at the age of fifty-four years. She was a member of the Baptist church, and a lady whose many excellent qualities greatly endeared her to her family and many friends. Mr. and Mrs. Clark were the parents of four children, a son and three daughters : Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Thomas D. George, who was. a Baptist minister, and died in Indiana, while her death occurred in California; Louisa, who resides at Columbus, Indiana, and is the wife of David J. Stilling, a railroad contractor ; Anthony, whose name introduces this record; and Catherine, who is the wife of John H. Jones, a retired farmer living in Martinsville, Indiana.

Anthony Clark was reared in the place of his nativity, remaining there until 1865. His education was obtained in the public schools of Jefferson county and he worked upon the home farm, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He remained upon the old homestead for a short period after attaining his majority, and then came to Illinois,.

locating in Pittsburg. For two years he resided there and then came to Piatt county in 1867, establishing his home on the place which he now owns and occupies in Bement township. He has made all of the improvements here and has to-day a valuable farm, supplied with all modern equipments. He uses the latest improved machinery in carrying on the work of the fields, and his place is characterized by neatness and thrift in every department.

On the 8th of November, 1872, in Petersburg, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Anne B. Parks, a native of Glascow, Scotland, who came to the United States in 1 86 1. Her parents were James and Rebecca (Purdon) Parks, both of whom were natives ' of Scotland, and they crossed the Atlantic to the United States two years after their daughter's arrival here, establishing their home in Petersburg. The father was a farmer by occupation, and thus provided for his family. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been born three children: Samuel J., who is a machinist residing in Bement, and who was born on the old home farm in Bement township; Thomas P., who resides on the old homestead; and Rebecca M., who is now under the parental roof. All of the children were born in Bement township and were educated in the public schools.

In his social relations Mr. Clark is an Odd Fellow, belonging to the lodge at Bement, and is one of the supporters of the Baptist church. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, and has held nearly all of the township offices, in which he has proven most loyal to his duties, discharging the obligations which have devolved upon him with promptness and fidelity. When he came to Piatt county most of the land was wild prairie, and he has seen this section of the county developed from its primitive con- 'dition into highly cultivated farms, which are unsurpassed in the state. He has done his full share in making the county a rich farming district, and is a progressive agriculturist whose worth in business circles is widely acknowledged.

Alvah James

Alvah James is numbered among the capitalists of Piatt county and makes his home in Mansfield. He is one of the typical citizens of the Mississippi valley - men of enterprise, of keen sagacity and strong force of character, who have developed this wonderful section of the country in a manner that has made its transformation almost phenomenal. He started out in life for himself as a school-teacher on a small salary, has also worked as a farm hand, and to-day he stands among the most prosperous residents of this portion of the state, having important landed and financial interest* while at the same time he is well known as a dealer in grain and beef cattle. The extent and volume of his business has made him widely known far beyond the confines of this locality, and his business operations have been so capably conducted that they have returned to him gratifying success.

Alvah James was born in Lucas county, Iowa, on the 2ist of November, 1855, a son of Ezra and Susanna (Murray) James. The parents were natives of Ohio, were married there, and in 1852 removed westward, becoming residents of Lucas county, Iowa. The father entered land from the government and became a well-to-do citizen of that locality. In 1867 he removed to Marion county, Iowa, where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1886, when he was sixty-two years of age. His wife died in 1891, at the age of sixty-six years. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this review is the sixth in order of birth. Nine are yet living, but he is the only one who resides in Piatt county.

In the common schools of Lucas and Marion counties, Iowa, Alvah James acquired his preliminary education and afterward attended the University of Indiana, at Valparaiso, where he pursued a literary course. After finishing his education he taught school for three terms, one in Porter county, Indiana, one in Marion county, Iowa, and the third in Champaign county, Illinois. In 1880 he came to Piatt county, Illinois, and worked by the month for an uncle, receiving three hundred dollars for the year's service. He then resolved to engage in farming on his own account, and rented three hundred acres of land. Through his untiring industry and careful management he was enabled to gain a start, and with the money acquired through his own labors he purchased two hundred and forty acres of land. His farming and stock-dealing interests have been carried on extensively. He is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres in Douglass county, Illinois, ninety acres in Ohio, five acres in Champaign county, twenty-five lots in Roseville, Ohio, and three hundred and twenty acres in Piatt county, Illinois. He resided upon his farm in Blue Ridge township, Piatt county, until 1894, when he removed to Mansfield, Illinois. There he remained for two years, during which time he was engaged in the hardware business. He then returned to the farm and came again to Mansfield in 1902. In the meantime he had engaged extensively in dealing in stock and had found this a profitable source of income. For several years he was engaged in handling sheep, and during the last few years he has been interested in beef cattle, shipping to Chicago. His purchases and sales are extensive, and the annual financial return from this department of his business materially increases his income. Mr. James also has other business interests, and is a man of resourceful ability, alert and energetic. He is a director and the vice-president of the State Bank of Mansfield ; is a stockholder in the old Citizens' National Bank of Zanesville, Ohio, and is a director of the Howard Grain Elevator and Mercantile Company of Howard, Illinois. Thus his interests are of a varied and important nature, and have been important factors in promoting the prosperity of the communities in which they are located by advancing commercial activity.

On the 2Oth of December, 1882, Mr. James was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Webb, a native of Piatt county, and a daughter of Preston Webb, a retired farmer living in Mansfield. Unto him and his wife have been born five children : Birdie, Clarence, Phebe, and Sybil and Herbert, twins, but Herbert died on the gth of August, 1902, at the age of five years. Mrs. James is a member of the Baptist church and Mr. James belongs to Mansfield Camp, M. W. A., In politics he is a Republican, and while he keeps well informed on the issues of the day, he has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his time and attention to his business affairs, in which he has met with signal success. Intricate business problems he readily masters, and his judgment is seldom, if ever, at fault in regard to business matters. There is, perhaps, no history in this volume which more clearly illustrates the force of industry and integrity in the affairs of life than does that of Mr. James. He is distinctively a self-made man, and has every reason to be proud of what he has accomplished, and yet he has never allowed the accumulation of wealth to in any way affect his actions to those less fortunate than himself. His is an honorable career of a successful man, and .one who well deserves mention in this volume as a leading and representative citizen of Piatt county.

John V. Van Syckel

John V. Van Syckel, who carries on general farming on section 21, Blue Ridge township, was born on the 3d of August, 1836, in New Jersey, a son of William and Charity (Smith) Van Syckel. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Major Smith, a soldier of the war of 1812, serving as majorgeneral during the war and afterward as drill master, as the American soldiers kept drilling in fear that the British would make another attempt to subdue the colonists. William Van Syckel resided in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, where he carried on the occupation of farming and also engaged in the operation of some mills. His last days were spent in Illinois, his death occurring in Fulton county, while his wife died in McLean county, this state. He had several brothers and sisters who lived in New York city, but are now deceased. A brother of our subject, Abraham S. Van Syckel, was a drill master in the Civil war. One night he relieved a friend who was to go on picket duty, and during that night while he was on the watch he was shot and killed.

of twenty-one years. At an early day he acted as head distiller in a distillery owned by his father and uncle in New Jersey, who carried on a more extensive business than any other firm in that line in the locality. Our subject has himself never taken a glass of whiskey, simply for the sake of enjoying the drink. For two years during his residence in the east he worked upon his father's farm and was then given a team of horses in compensation for his labors. He afterward rented land and engaged in farming for himself, continuing the operation of the leased tract for six years. Coming to the west he lived for thirteen years in Fulton county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming on his own account for three years, and then purchased eighty acres of land in Piatt county, for thirty dollars per acre. Later he bought one hundred acres more and afterward he sold this and purchased land on which he now resides. His farm comprises a half section, and the land is as rich and valuable as any in Piatt county. Mr. Van Syckel has made all of the improvements there, and now has a well equipped farm. He has paid considerable attention to stock-raising, making a specialty of-the raising of hogs, and he has always endeavored to keep a breed that he thought would make the most money for the farmer rather than a fancy breed. He sold thirty-three male hogs iri one year at fifteen dollars each. Mr. Van Syckel is eminently practical in all he does, and thus his methods in the conduct of his farm as well as in the discharge of his duties of citizenship have been of the greatest benefit.

At the time of the Civil war Mr. Van Syckel endeavored to join the army. He enlisted and went to Peoria for drill, but failed to pass examination there. In other ways, however, he gave his loyal support to the Union cause, and his efforts in behalf of the community have been far-reaching and helpful. He and his father each gave one hundred dollars toward bounty for the One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry, which was the means of keeping the draft for soldiers out of Fulton county.

In 1864 Mr. Van Syckel was united in marriage to Miss Emeline Hunt, a daughter of Richard Hunt, of Fulton county. This union has been blessed with one child, George Edmund, who married Lila DeGrofft and now resides upon his father's farm. They had three children. In his political views Mr. Van Syckel is a stalwart Republican, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his business affairs. He is energetic, wideawake and progressive, and has been the architect of his own fortunes, building wisely and well in this respect. He was school trustee for twelve years and refused to longer serve.

James Ponder

With the agricultural interests of Piatt county James Ponder has been identified from boyhood, and in his chosen field of labor he has met with remarkable success, so that he is to-day numbered among the most prosperous farmers in his locality, as well as one of the prominent citizens of Unity township. His home is on section 19. He was born in Washington county, Tennessee, June 5. 1852, and is a son of J. P. and Matilda (Radford) Ponder, both natives of North Carolina, from which state they removed -to Tennessee and later to Kentucky. In 1864 they came to Illinois and took up their residence in Piatt county, where the father purchased a tract of raw prairie land. Wild game was then abundant and furnished many a meal to the early settlers, and most of the land was uncultivated and full of sloughs. Mr. Ponder drained his forty-acre tract in Unity township and soon had it under cultivation. On his retirement from farm work he removed to Hammond, Illinois, where he died in 1882, at the age of seventy-four years, and his wife passed away near that place January 28, 1901, at the same age. They were the parents of seven children, six of whom are yet living, namely : Mrs. Sophrona Jane Franklin, a resident of Colorado; Valanchie K., the wife of J. T. Edmondson, of Pierson Station, Piatt county; James, of this review; J. R., a resident of Hammond ; Delitha, wife of J. R. Mitchell, whose home is near Hammond ; and Cena, wife of J. B. Fisher, of Pierson Station.

James Ponder was about twelve years of age when he came with his parents to this county, and although his literary education was limited, he gained an excellent knowledge of all the pursuits which fall to the lot of the agriculturist. At the age of twentytwo years he started out in life for himself, operating rented land in Unity township for three years, but since that time he has been engaged in the cultivation of his own property. So successful has he been in his farming operation that he is to-day the owner of some valuable property, comprising three hundred and twenty acres of land on section 1 8, Unity township; two hundred and forty acres on section 19; and one hundred and sixty acres on section 3 1 , making seven hundred and twenty acres in Unity township, besides a twenty-acre tract in Moultrie county, Illinois.

in this county in 1856, her parents, Samuel and Mary Bryson, having located here in 1850 among the pioneers. Five children bless this union : Ethel M., Walter S., Leslie J., Eva B. and John. Mr. Ponder had the misfortune to meet with an accident February 23, 1903, by his horse falling with him. As his foot was caught under the horse his leg was broken and his ankle sprained. Religiously, he is a member of the Baptist church at Pierson Station, while his wife belongs to the New Light church, and they receive and merit the high regard of the entire community. Mr. Ponder is a man of recognized ability and sterling worth,- and as a citizen ever stands ready to discharge any duty devolving upon him.

James M. Smith

One of the most progressive and energetic farmers of Willow Branch township is James M. Smith, who is now succesfully operating the old homestead on section 16, where the greater part of his life has been passed. He was born, however, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1855, a son of Colonel Jacob and Nancy L. (Shenk) Smith. The ancestral line of the Smith family in America can be traced back to a period antedating the Revolutionary war and the great-grandfathers of our subject on both sides took part in that struggle and were homesteaders in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. Jacob Smith, the paternal greatgrandfather, remained in the army for seven long years, fighting for the independence of the colonies. His son, Henry Smith, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and was of English and German descent.

Colonel Jacob Smith, the father, was also a native of Dauphin county, born April 4, 1817, and died on the nth of March, 1898. He was first married December 30, 1835, to Mary Nisley, who died April 25, 1847. Four children blessed that union, namely : Fannie; Martin N. ; Henry Augustus, who married Margaret Brightbill; and Catharine A., wife of John Diller, a resident of Nebraska. Colonel Smith was again married, his second union being with Maria Zimmerman, February 8, 1848, but she died June 22, 1849, and their only child, Fannie Maria, died in infancy. On the 22d of October, 1850, the Colonel was united in marriage to Nancy L. Shenk, who was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1820, and is still living, making her home in Monticello, Illinois. Her father,Michael Shenk, was also a native of the Keystone state, and of German descent. By his third marriage, Colonel Smith had four children : John George Washington, who was born July 31, 1851, and died May 20, 1887, after having engaged in teaching school for many years; James M., of this review; Mary Elizabeth, who was born December 15, 1856, and makes her home with her mother in Monticello; and William P., whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume.

In 1857 the father came with his family direct from Dauphin county, Pennsylvania to Piatt county, Illinois, having acquaintances here, and he became prominently identified with the early development and improvement of this section of the state. He purchased a farm in Willow Branch township, for which he paid fifteen dollars per acre, that being considered a high price at that time, as the land was still in its primitive condition and for twenty-five miles to the northwest all was wild prairie. He is believed to have owned the first sawmill ever erected in Piatt county, having shipped the machinery from Philadelphia, and he also purchased the first piano brought here, it being of the Phelps & Wiley manufacture, and the first sewing machine, which was of the G rover & Baker make. All of his farm machinery he bought in Chicago at that early day, and for his first clover seed he paid fifteen dollars per bushel. Colonel Smith was a very progressive and public-spirited man, and headed the list with his signature for the right-of-way for the Champaign & Decatur branch of the Illinois Central Railroad. He was also one among the few who fought the signing of the bonds Tor railroad tax, which saved the township many thousand of dollars. He was a most pronounced Republican in politics and kept well informed on the issues of the day, being able to support his position by intelligent argument. In early life he commanded a regiment of state militia and served as colonel on the staff of Governor Pollock, of Pennsylvania. His life was busy, useful and honorable, and he commanded respect wherever known. In 1882 he left the farm and removed to Monticello, where he spent his remaining days in retirement from active labor. His widow still makes her home in that city. She has a coverlet which she made herself in 1840, shearing the sheep, carding the wool, dyeing it and then sending it to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, to be woven. Besides this highly prized relic of early days the family have a clock which is about two hundred years old and is seven feet in height.

It was during his infancy that James M. Smith was brought by his parents to Piatt county, and he has witnessed almost the entire growth and development of this region. He well remembers when there were but few frame buildings throughout the county, the houses being built mainly of logs. During his boyhood he received a good commonschool education and became thoroughly familiar with all kinds of farm work. Leaving home in 1878, he went to Nebraska, where he spent one year and then returned to the old homestead, but in 1881 he removed to Iowa, where the following two years were passed as clerk in a general store. He was next engaged in the music business with his brother at Monticello for three years, and later was employed as clerk in the clothing . store of N. E. Rhoades & Son, and also Sackriter & Ormsby, at that place. In 1890 he took charge of the home farm, being overseer of the estate which is still undivided, and in 1895, he took up his residence thereon. He has since made many improvements on the place in the way of tiling, fencing, clearing and breaking the land, which is today under a high state of cultivation, owing to his untiring labors and excellent management. His principal crops are corn, oats, hay and rye, and he has made a specialty of the raising of potatoes, principally for seed. He has engaged in this business on quite an extensive scale, and thus solved the problem that has so long puzzled the people here - how to secure a good crop of potatoes.

In February, 1896, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Keene, a daughter of William and Louisa Keene, of Clay county, Illinois, and to them has been born one child, Wayne K., now three years' old. Mr. Smith is insured in the Fraternal Order of America, and is also a member of Selah Lodge, N'o. 403, I. O. O. F. Politically, he is a strong Republican, and takes quite an active interest in local politics, usually serving as delegate to all county conventions, and as a delegate to the state convention two

Joshua O. Bateman

Joshua O. Bateman, who is engaged in the raising of grain and stock on section 24, Blue Ridge township, was born on the »3th of June, 1851, in New London county, Canada, his parents being John S. and Elizabeth (Morgan) Bateman. The father was a native of County Cork, Ireland, and after emigrating to Canada carried on agricultural pursuits there. He rented a tract of land in that country upon his arrival there and through its cultivation provided for the needs and wants of his family. Joshua O. Bateman, of this review, is the youngest of the six children of the family, the others being Samuel, John Wesley, Benjamin, Jane and Matilda. After living in Canada for a number of years the father brought his family to Logan county, Illinois, arriving in the year 1866. He then again rented a tract of land, and in about four years removed to Piatt county.

Joshua O. Bateman accompanied his parents to the United States, and in 1872 he began farming on his own account. After his father's death he and his brothers took possession of the old home place, and together they conducted the farm for about four years. On the expiration of that time the place was sold and the money divided equally among the children.

After the partnership between the brothers was dissolved Joshua O. Bateman purchased a tract of land of eighty acres, about 1884. He then engaged in its cultivation and improvement, and also rented a tract of land which he operated, while his sister acted as his housekeeper. Later, however, he was married, Miss Minnie, a daughter of Marcus and Mary Walker, becoming his wife. Their marriage was celebrated on the 4th of February, 1885, and they have become the parents of five children : Lora, who was born September n, 1887; Roy, born March 23, 1889; Tessa, who was born April 22, 1891 : one, who was born June 20, 1894, and died in infancy; and. Elsie, born on the 23d of April, 1896.

Mr. Bateman sold his first eighty acres of land in Blue Ridge township and bought another farm in the same township, comprising one hundred and ninety acres, becoming owner of this tract on the ist of September, 1890. He paid fifty dollars per acre for it, and, with characteristic energy, began its development and cultivation. On the ist of January, 1903, he made another purchase, this time paying one hundred and twentyeight dollars per acre for a tract of one hundred and fifty-six acres, making altogether three hundred and forty-six acres in Blue Ridge township which he owns. Of this, three hundred and twenty acres are on section 24, and the remainder on section 19.

Mr. Bateman obtained his early education in Logan county, Illinois, and some in Piatt county, and as the years have passed his knowledge has been broadened by practical experience, as well as observation and reading, and to-day he is a well-informed man, who is prospering in his business affairs and directing his efforts by intelligent judgment, so that his labors are bringing to him creditable success. In his political views he is a stalwart Republican, and has been offered several offices, but he would not accept, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business affairs. He has engaged in the raising of stock and grain with excellent success. He belongs to Camp No. 9089, M..W. A., of Galesville, in which he carries three thousand dollars' insurance. He believes insurance is a splendid investment and that every man should thus provide for his family. Mr. Bateman's interest has always centered in his home, and he has put forth every effort to secure for his wife and children advantages which will make life pleasant for them and will promote their best interests. His business career has been active and honorable, and during the long years of his residence in Piatt county he has steadily worked his way upward until he now occupies a position on the plane of affluence.

R. B. Moody

In an analyzation of the life record of R. B. Moody "we find that he has well earned and justly deserves the proud American title of a self-made man. He is now engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile in DeLand, and is one of the substantial citizens of this locality who started out in life for himself in a very humble capacity, receiving only six and a quarter cents per day for his services. His history proves conclusively what may be accomplished through strong purpose, unabating diligence and unfaltering perseverance, and such a record should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others.

Mr. Moody came to Illinois from Ohio. A number of the substantial citizens of this portion of the state are natives of Ohio, and Mr. Moody's birth occurred in Mahoning county about five miles from the city of

Youngstown, on the 3Oth of June, 1837. His parents, John and Martha (Hahn) Moody, were also natives of Ohio, and in their family were eight children, of whom the subject of this review is the third in order of birth.

In the common schools R. B. Moody acquired his education, but his privileges were somewhat limited, as the family was in limited financial circumstances, and it was necessary that he should aid in his own support. When he was very young he tegan driving a yoke of oxen to a plow, receiving six and a quarter cents per day for his labor, or the munificent salary of a quarter for four days' work. When fifteen years o>f age he was given only four dollars and a half per month, his duties being to milk fifteen cows night and morning and work in the fields the balance of the time. Hjs youth was largely a period of toil, and his entire life has been one of unusual activity, which, however, has been crowned with a high degree of success.

He arrived in the west in 1855, locating in DeWitt county, Illinois, east of Wapello. There he began working as a farm hand, receiving seventeen dollars per month, and in this way he saved some money. When he had secured sufficient capital he began farming for himself, purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of land. In April, 1861, however, he put aside all business and personal consideration in order that he might aid his country in her struggle to preserve the Union. He had been an interested witness of the progress of events which led up to the Civil war, had noted the threatening attitude of the south, and resolved that if an attempt was made to overthrow the Union he would strike a blow in its defense. He, therefore, enlisted, April 20, 1861, as a member of Company E, Twentieth Illinois Infantry, un- der Colonel C. C. Marsh, and was attached to the Seventeenth Army Corps under General Grant. Going to the front, he participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and others. He was wounded at the last named battle, and during the remainder of his time in the army served on detached duty, continuing with the Union troops, however, until the war closed. From 1864 until 1865 he worked for the government on special duty, and among all the soldiers who wore the blue uniform of the nation, none were more faithful to the old flag and the cause it represented. After the close of hostilities and his aid was no longer needed, Mr. Moody returned tq DeWitt county, Illinois, where he began farming, there making his home until after his marriage.

On the 4th of March, 1868, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Rumina Hassinger, of Ohio. The young couple removed to Sangamon township, Piatt county, where Mr. Moody carried on general farming until 1869, at which time they took up their abode in Goose Creek township, there living until 1873. la that year, in company with John Vail, Mr. Moody erected a store building, which was the first built in DeLand. For two years he engaged in merchandising there, and for some time followed the carpenter's trade in that place. He then built an elevator and was engaged in the grain business for fifteen years, during which time he annually handled many thousands of bushels of grain, carrying on a business that was of benefit to the locality, as well as a source of income to himself, for it furnished a market to the producers. In 1889 Mr. Moody sold out to the firm of Tyler & Company, of Chicago. In the meantime he had become interested in other business enterprises of this locality, having in 1885 purchased a third interest in the tile factory. In 1887 he purchased another third interest, and in 1889, after closing out his grain business, he became sole proprietor, and his since engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile. He has a plant that is well equipped with the latest improved machinery, and the product of his factory is of such excellent quality that he finds for it a ready sale on the market, His identification with business interests also extends to the financial affairs of the county, for he is a stockholder in the First National Bank of DeLand.

Mr. and Mrs. Moody have had no children of their own, but have displayed great kindness of heart and sympathetic natures by rearing eight children. These are James W. Moody, now of DeLand ; D. B. Troxell, who is now postmaster of DeLand ; Rumina Troxell, who died when twenty-four years of age; Bruce demons, who resides near Fort Madison, Iowa; Pearl demons, the wife of L. C. Dick, a resident of Port Arthur, Texas ; Grace Jones, who died at the age of ten years; Eva Moody, whose name was Eda Carroll, and who lived in Chicago, but for a number of years has resided with her foster-parents and is now attending school in DeLand ; and Lawrence Dawson, who is also with our subject and his wife.

This worthy couple are consistent, loyal and active members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their Christianity is certainly shown in their kind and generous treatment of the little ones \vhom they have brought to their home and cared for, preparing them for life's practical and responsible duties. Mr. Moody has served as recording steward of his church for a number of years, is most generous in his contribution to its support and is active in the various depart- ments of the church work. Fraternally, he is connected with DeLand Lodge, No. 812, F. & A. M. ; Chapter No. 48, R. A. M. ; and Urbana Commandery, No. 16, K. T. He is past master of the lodge here and is recognized as one of the exemplary representatives of the craft. In politics he has always been a stalwart Republican, and his close study of the political issues has made his knowledge concerning politics broad, thorough and comprehensive. He has served continually since 1876, except four years, as justice of the peace, and has been school treasurer since 1875. His loyalty in citizenship, his honesty in business and his trustworthiness in private life stand as unquestioned facts in his career, making him one of the most honored and esteemed men connected with agricultural, industrial and financial interests, as well as public affairs in Piatt county.

George W. Baker, who is now deceased, was a resident farmer of Blue Ridge township and lived on section 13. He was born in 1852 in Darke county, Ohio, and died in Piatt county in 1897, leaving to his family the record of an upright life. He was a son of Jonathan and Sarah Baker, and acquired his early education in the schools of Darke county, Ohio. He was thrown upon his own resources when only fourteen years of age, and from that time forward earned his living and gained through his own labors all that he possessed. He first worked by the month as a farm hand in Ohio until he was twentytwo years of age. He then came to Piatt county, where he was employed for three or four hours as a farm hand, after which he resolved to engage in farming on his own account, and rented land for four or five years. Thus with the capital he had acquired through his own industry, economy and perseverance he purchased land in Piatt county, upon which he lived up to the time of his death. His farm comprised one hundred and sixty acres and the soil was rich and arable, returning to him good harvests. He built a barn and made other improvements from year to year, and successfully carried on his labors until he was the possessor of a comfortable competence that enabled him to leave his family in good financial circumstances. He first gave his attention to the raising of grain, but after a time he began raising stock and gradually increased in this because he found it a lucrative business. He made a specialty of the raising of beef cattle and of hogs, and his annual sales were large and profitable.

In the year 1880 Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Mary Leach, a daughter of William Leach, of Mansfield. She was born in 1857 in Grundy county, Illinois, and came to Mansfield with her parents, who lived upon a farm until the time of their daughter's marriage. It was in her home there that Mary H. gave her hand in wedlock to George W. Baker. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Baker was born but one child, Millie Jane, who is now the wife of Wallace Walk, by whom she has two children, Verna Belle and Clifford Clayton, the former born July 1901 ; and the latter February 19, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Walk reside upon Mrs. Baker's farm and keep house for her. -

Mr. Baker was a member of the Methodist church at Mansfield, with which his widow is still connected. In his political views he was a Prohibitionist and was serving as a school director at the time of his death. He took a deep interest in the cause of temperance and in all the movements for the welfare and betterment of humanity. He was a great church worker, indefatigable in his efforts to promote the cause of Christianity. He served as one of the trustees of the church, labored untiringly for the Sunday-school, and was frequently superintendent of the school or one of its teachers. His entire life was in harmony with his professions as a member of the church, and his name was a synonym for honor and integrity in all business transactions. He was long a citizen who enjoyed the highest respect and confidence of his fellow men, and he left to his family not only a good property, but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name.

George Deland

George DeLand, who is engaged in the cultivation of small fruits for the city markets and at present rural mail-carrier, and has his home in White Heath, has passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, but is still an active factor in business circles, and his career should put to shame many a man of much younger years who would relegate to others the burdens that he should bear.

Mr. DeLand is a native of Rutland, Rutland county, Vermont, his birth having there occurred on the igth of October, 1832. The same city was also the birthplace of his parents, Squire and Hannah (Butler) DeLand, the former born on the igih of December, 1788, and the latter on the 27th of August, 1794. The father of our subject pursued a common-school education in Rutland and then entered upon his business career there as a wagonmaker, following the trade continuously until he left Vermont in the fall of 1837. He removed to Union county, Ohio, and then turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which he successfully operated until his life's labors were ended in death on the 22d of April, 1858. It was on the I4th of December, 1809, that he had wedded Hannah Butler, and unto them were born nine children : Amy M., who was born August 22, 1810, became the wife of Philip S. Fay, and died May 4, 1864 ; Harriet A., born August 15, 1813, married Jonathan Reynolds and died about 1860. Lucy M., born November 6, 1815, became the wife of John Stocks, and departed this life March 10, 1888; Mariette, born February 9, 1818, is the wife of Michael Sager, and resides upon a farm in Union county, Ohio. James, born August 31, 1821, was married October 20, 1842, to Emily Abbott, and died May n, 1896. It was in his' honor that the town of DeLand was named, and he took the contract for the building of the Champaign & Havana branch of the Illinois Central Railroad which ran through that place. Charles, born September 3, 1823. was married April 7, 1846, to Elizabeth A. Eaton, of Madison county, Ohio. He is now a retired farmer of Wymore, Nebraska. Edward, born February n, 1827, married Elizabeth McCloud on the 5th of July, 1853, and is now assistant secretary of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company of Sioux City, Iowa. Hannah, born April 29, 1831, was married October 12, 1848, to Ross Mitchell. She is now a widow and she and her children reside with her brother, George, who completes 'the family. - with other primitive furnishings, George De- Land pursued his education through three months of the winter term. In the summer seasons his attention was given to the farm work, and he gave his father the benefit of his assistance until he had attained his majority. In the meantime, however, he taught school for three winter seasons. In early manhood he was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Ellen A. Converse, and the wedding took place November 3, 1853. She is a daughter of Darius and Lois M. ( Smith) Converse. On leaving her parents' home, she went to the home of her husband upon a rented farm near Plain City, Ohio, where he lived for about seven years, carrying on agricultural pursuits in a successful manner.

He then turned his attention to merchandising in Chuchery, Union county, Ohio, in 1860, and was thus engaged until the outbreak of the Civil war, when in response to his country's call he joined the army, enlisting on the 1 6th of August, 1862, as a member of Company I, One Hundred and Thirtyfirst Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battle of Champion Hill and Perryville on the 8th of October, 1862 ; the battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 1863 ; Lookout Mountain, November 20, 1863, and the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, on the 22d of June, 1864. In the engagement at Chickamauga he was wounded in the back and side, and for two months lay in the hospital. Ke then returned to the army just in time to participate in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, where he was again wounded. He was first struck in the leg and, while trying to slop the flow of blood from that wound, he was again struck by rebel lead, this time in the shoulder. The injuries there sustained were the cause of his discharge on the 24th of February, 1865. Being unable for further field duty he was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, and for two years after returning to his home he was unable to walk save with the aid of crutches. For a long period his health was so impaired that he could not work, but ultimately he obtained a position in a railroad office at Union City, Indiana, where he remained for two years.

On the expiration of that period Mr. De Land rented a tract of land near Union City, where he resided until 1881, when he came to White Heath, Piatt county, Illinois. Here he erected a store building and stocked it with a general line of goods, carrying on the business for two years. His store was then destroyed by fire, after which he purchased two blocks of ground in 1885, and began raising small fruits. He has since followed this pursuit, and the products of his place find a ready sale upon the market because he has so effectively labored to raise fruits of superior size and flavor. In addition to this work he carries the mail on the rural route from White Heath, and though now seventy-one years of age, is covering twenty-eight miles daily in this work, having performed this service for the past two years.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. DeLand have been born five children : Linda, born June 26, 1855, died October 17, 1859; Ernest, who was born February 2, 1857, was married February 4, 1877, to Mary E. Alexander, and died August 7, 1896, while his widow is now living in White Heath; Edward R., born March 5, 1862, was married August 10, 1883, to Etta Teats, and is now telegraph operator on the Illinois Central Railroad at Maroa, Illinois ; Lola M., born June 9, 1867, is the wife of B. R. White, one of the most successful farmers of Piatt county; Earl,

In his political views Mr. DeLand is a stalwart Republican, unfaltering in support of the principles of the party, and he is now serving as town clerk and also owns the township right on the White self-operating farm gate, handling the same throughout Sangamon township. George DeLand, the father, votes with the Republican party, and for some time has been notary public, while for twelve years he has filled the position of justice of the peace. About eighteen -years ago he built the house in which he now lives, it being one of the pleasant homes of White Heath. He and his family are all members of the Universalist church, and he belongs to Franklin Post, No. 256, G. A. R., of Monticello. In days of peace he is as loyal to the old flag as he was when he followed it upon the southern, battle-fields, and in matters of citizenship he is ever public-spirited and progressive, taking a deep and helpful interest in whatever pertains to the general progress and improvement.

Henry H. Gilmore

Henry H. Gilmore, a practical and enterprising farmer residing on section 32, Goose Creek township, owns and operates four hundred and eighty acres of land in this county, constituting one of the valuable and highly improved farms in this locality. His possessions have been acquired through his own efforts and as the result of his consecutive endeavor he has won a place among the substantial citizens of his adopted county. He claims Illinois as his native state, for he

His father, William Gilmore, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1782, and during boyhood, removed with his parents to Pickaway county, Ohio, where, after reaching man's estate, he was married to Miss Addie Vandolah. He followed farming there until 1836, when he came to Illinois and took up his residence in McLean county, where he engaged in the same occupation for two years. His next home was near Canton, where he purchased two hundred acres of land, and continued to operate that place up to within a few years of his death, which occurred on the loth of November, 1870. When this farm came into his possession it was all wild and unimproved, but he transformed it into a highly cultivated and very desirable place. He served in the war of 1812, under the command of General Harrison, and was ever a patriotic and loyal citizen, devoted to the best interests of his country. His first wife died about eight years after their marriage, leaving three children, namely : James, who died in 1877; Sarah Ann, who died in 1882; and Amanda, who died in 1880. About 1820 he wedded Jane Pinkerton, by whom he had one child, Ada Jane, now the widow of David Bennett and a resident of Oregon. This wife survived the birth of her daughter only a short time, and for his third wife Mr. Gilmore married Sophia P. White in 1835, and to them were born four children, as follows : Eliza, who died in infancy ; William Milton, now a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska; Henry H., of this sketch; and Elizabeth M., who died in 1887.

The primary education of our subject was obtained in subscription schools, but in 1850 he commenced attending a free school - the first in this part of the country, and in

1859 ne entered Lombard University at Galesburg, Illinois. After his graduation he entered upon the more practical duties'1 of business life as a farmer upon rented land, his property at that time consisting of only one team, but he met with success in this undertaking, and in a short time had put himself on a firm footing, being able to have all the teams necessary and everything required to carry on his farming operations. He lived economically, was careful and painstaking, and worked incessantly, almost day and night, never losing an opportunity to make an honest dollar. After six or seven years had passed, he was able in this way to purchase three hundred and twenty acres of land on section 32, Goose Creek township, Piatt count}', which he has farmed almost continuously since. From 1872 until 1879, however, he was obliged to part with the same during the panic at that time, but in 1880 he bought it back and has since added to it until he now has four hundred and eighty acres, besides a sixty-acre' tract in Fulton county, and considerable city property in Canton, Illinois. He is also a stockholder and director of both the First National Bank of Farmer City and the State Bank of DeLancl, and is numbered among the wealthiest farmers of Piatt county. When his present farm came into his possession it was in a wild state, not a furrow having been turned, or an improvement made thereon, but he soon broke the land, erected a good residence and several barns, and has since built another house. He has also expended several thousand dollars in tiling and draining the land, has divided the farm into fields of forty or eighty acres by well-kept fences, and has set out orchards, a new one being three acres in extent, and to-day he has one of the most valuable, well-cultivated and highly improved places in this part of the state.

Jane Chambers, a daughter of Rev. John R. Chambers, a Methodist Episcopal minister, who died in Hamilton county, Illinois, about thirteen years ago. Six children were born of this union, namely : Arthur B. and Francis, both of whom died in infancy; Charles, who married Othela Spratt and is engaged in farming in Goose Creek township ; Ora Raymond, who was drowned when about one year old ; Bertha, who was born July 2, 1893, and is with her parents; and Estella M., who died at the age of one year. While the son, Charles Gilmore, was taking part in a charivari at the home of Daniel Horsh, an accident occurred, the blame of which fell upon him. The matter was brought up in the courts in 1900, where jugment was rendered against him for fifteen hundred dollars, and this was afterward affirmed by the appclate court, but when carried into the supreme court by the state the decision was reversed and the son's name was cleared of disgrace, the other parties being beaten on the entire three points of the law. The suit cost our subject over three thousand dollars, but he has never regretted the money thus expended.

In his political views Mr. Gilmore is a pronounced Republican, and he has been called upon to serve his fellow citizens as school director twelve years, school trustee the same length of time, and also as road overseer. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are people of prominence in the community where they reside. Mr. Gilmore is a man of recognized ability, and his success in life is due entirely to his own well-directed efforts and capable management. He is widely and favorably known throughout this section of the state, and deserves prominent mention among

C. H. Ashmore, who is residing on section 36, Blue Ridge township, was born in New Jersey, on the 23d of January, 1848, and is a son of Jabez and Keziah (Reeder) Ashmore, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, having been born in Bucks county. After their marriage they removed to Trenton, New Jersey, and settled in Mercer county, where the subject of this review was born. Jabez Ashmore was a blacksmith by trade and followed that pursuit for a long period. When the son, C. H. Ashmore, was two or three years of age, he removed with his family to Lena, Miami county, Ohio, where he established a blacksmith shop and carried on business for a time. He afterward removed to Plattsville, Shelby county, Ohio, where he made his home for six years and then passed away at the age of thirtyfive. His widow still survives him at the age of seventy-eight years, and has always remained true to his memory. This worthy couple were the parents of six children, four of whom are yet living, but none reside in Piatt county save the subject of this review.

C: H. Ashmore attended the schools of Shelby county, Ohio, for a time, and after the death of his father the mother removed with her family to Fletcher, Miami county, Ohio, where the son completed his education, his knowledge, however, being more largely acquired through reading and observation in later years than through mental discipline in the schoolroom. The first school which he attended was an old log building seated with slab benches and with a puncheon floor. Around the wall was a writing desk nailed to the logs. The first teacher was a Mr. Heat, who is yet living at the advanced age of.about ninety years. After completing his education Mr. Ashmore began working, . starting out for himself when eleven years of age as a farm hand. The first six years he was bound out, receiving no compensation for his labors but his board and clothing, and the latter was of a very poor quality. The first wages he ever earned was twenty-five dollars a month, a high price for those days. He was industrious and energetic, however, and as the years passed he added to the sum of money which he was enabled to save in his early years. In November, 1865, he came to the west, going first to Secor, Woodford county, Illinois, where he remained until the winter of 1878-9. During this period he worked as a farm hand for twenty dollars per month, and later he operated a ditching machine for a number of years. In 1871 he began farming and rented land in Roanoke township, Woodford county, where he purchased forty acres, this being the first land that he ever owned. In the latter part of December, 1878, he came to Piatt county, establishing his home in Blue Ridge township, after the first three months, which were passed in Champaign county. He then bought eighty acres of land in Blue Ridge township, which was unimproved with the exception of a little shanty which had been built thereon. He then planted all of the shade trees, as well as the orchard, has built a good house and substantial barns and outbuildings. His attention has been given to the raising of grain and stock.

Woodford county, Illinois, and a daughter of Robert and Mary Bullington, who were early settlers of Woodford county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ashmore have been born three children : Ora, who married Miss Lydia E. Knupp, of Mansfield, Illinois, and has three children - Amy Fern, Leslie C., and Eulalia Ruth, the family home being in Blue Ridge township, where Ora is engaged in farming; Bertie Lewis, who died at the age of three years ; and Carrie A., wife of S. E. Smith, of Sterling, Colorado.

Mr. and Mrs. Ashmore are consistent members of the Brethren church, and his political support is given the Democracy. He is now serving his twenty-first year as a school director, and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend who is deeply interested in the advancement of the schools and has done much for their progress. His career has been creditable and his success is the just reward of his capable management and unremitting labor. Starting out in life at the early age of eleven years, and since depending upon his own resources, he has steadily worked his way upward, overcoming all difficulties that have barred his path to the goal of success.

D. F. YY'yman is one of the more recent additions to the business circles of Mansfield, but during his residence here has given proof of his diligence and energy in the conduct of the lumberyard of which he is now the proprietor. Mr. Wyman was born in Essex county, New York, tin the gth of April, 1849, and is a son of Daniel and Anna (Phelps)

Wyman, also natives of Essex county, the former born on the 6th of April, 1816, while the mother's birth occurred in Essex county, on the 6th of July, 1825. The father was- a millwright by trade, and followed that pursuit for some time, but during the last twenty-five years of his business career engaged in milling.

To the public school system of Crown Point, New York, D. F. Wyman is indebted for the educational privileges which he received. He continued to reside in the east until 1883, when he came to the Mississippi valley, establishing his home in Iowa. He afterward removed to Nebraska in 1887, and there engaged in the lumber business, continuing in the trade there for three years. On the expiration of that period he went south, locating at Eagle Mills, Arkansas, where he became connected with the Eagle Lumber Company. For six years he was associated with that firm, and then severing his business connections in the south he came to Mansfield, Piatt county, Illinois, in order that his children might take advantage of the excellent school system of this city. Here he purchased the lumber business of W. D. Root and has since conducted his yard which is now equipped with a large stock of lumber and building materials. He has demononstrated his right to a share of the public patronage through honorable business methods and an earnest desire to please his patrons, and to-day he numbers among his customers many of the best citizens of: Mansfield and the surrounding country.

On the 1 6th of October, 1872, Mr. Wyman was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Barnett, and unto them have been born four children, all of whom are yet living: Orin, who was born September 25, 1873, was graduated in the public schools of Davenport

Iowa, and is now assistant manager of the Eagle Lumber Company at Eagle Mills, Arkansas. Charles, who was born December 30, 1875, is a graduate of the schools of Crown Point, New York, and is now acceptably serving as bookkeeper for the Crossett Lumber Company of Crossett, Arkansas ; Florence, born June 24, 1883, is yet with her parents. Wallace, born June 13, 1890, is now a student in the schools of Mansfield. Mr. Wyman has just completed a beautiful home in Mansfield, one of the most attractive residences of the town. He holds membership in the Royal Circle and the American Home Circle, two fraternal insurance organizations, and his political support is given to the Republican p^rty, for he has firm belief in its principles and its platform. He is now serving as one of the township trustees, and in public office is always loyal and true to the trust reposed in him. He belongs to the Methodist church, with which he has long been associated, and his religious faith is manifested in his upright life, his loyalty in citizenship, his trustworthiness in business and his fidelity in friendship.

Presley B. Webster

Presley B. Webster, whose operations in farming have made him one of the successful men of Piatt county and the owner of a valuable tract of land of one hundred and fourteen acres near the postoffice of Lodge, was born on the 171!! of May, 1855, at Centerville, Piatt county. He is a son of James and Mary (Enbanks) Webster. At an early day in the history of this section of the state the father came from Ohio to Piatt county and settled near Centerville on the Sangamon river, where he purchased a tract of land which was all raw prairie, not a furrow having been turned or an improvement made upon the place. He soon began to clear the land, however, and continued the work of cultivation and development until he had become the owner of a very fine farm. Later he purchased other tracts of timber land, cleared it of the trees and built thereon a good residence. For many years he carried on agricultural pursuits, but is now living retired in the village of Seymour, having reached the age of about seventy-seven years. His wife, however, has passed away. They were the parents of ten children, and with the exception of one son, all are yet living.

Reared under the parental roof, Presley B. Webster acquired his early education in the country schools of Piatt county, attending what was known as the Sangamon school. The little "temple of learning" was a log structure, supplied with slab benches and other primitive furniture. It was in this school that Mr. Webster mastered the primary branches of learning and later he continued his studies in the schools of Monticello. He spent much of his youth, however, upon the home farm, his training at the labor of the fields not being meager. He early became familiar with farm work in its various departments, and from the time of earl}' spring planting until crops were harvested in the late autumn he assisted in the work of cultivation. With the excepion of one year spent in the postoffice at Monticello and two years at White Heath, he has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits. In the year 1884. with the money earned through his own labor, he purchased forty-two acres of land, for which he paid eleven hundred dollars. As time has passed and his financial resources have in- creased, he has added to this property until lie now owns one hundred and fourteen acres, valued at one hundred and thirty dollars per acre. His fine farm is the visible evidence of his life of industry and thrift, and he has today one of the valuable properties of Pia.tt county. Mr. Webster carries on general farming and stock-raising, and both branches of his business return to him a good income, because of his thorough understanding of his work and his keen sagacity. He makes a specialty of the breeding of Poland China hogs, and also of fancy poultry, raising Plymouth Rock chickens and turkeys. His energies, however, have not been confined entirely to the work of the farm in its various departments, for he is the owner of a store at Lodge and also of an elevator there. He is a man of excellent business capacity and executive force, readily comprehending intricate business situations and carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.

Mr. Webster has been twice married. When about twenty-four years of age he was joined in wedlock to Miss Ida F. Conklin, a native of Piatt county. Five children graced this marriage, namely : Amy, who died in infancy ; Elmer ; Maude ; Laura, now deceased; and Carrie. In November, 1891, Mr. Webster was again married, his second union being with Miss Mamie Wolf, a native of Champaign county, but who has resided during the greater part of her life in Piatt county. Mr. and Mrs. Webster are well known, and the hospitality of many of the best homes in this portion of the state is freely accorded them.

Mr. Webster gives his political support to the RepublHfcn party, and always keeps well informed on the issues and questions of the day, thus being able to support his position by intelligent argument. For five years he held the office of assessor, but has preferred to give his time and attention to his business interests, in which he has met with very creditable and honorable success. He is ever true to the relations of the home, citizenship and of business life, and his many sterling traits of character have gained for him the warm regard of all with whom he has been associated. He is well known as one of the leading representatives of agricultural interests, and as such deserves representation in this volume.

Fred Kersten

The farming interests of Piatt county are well represented by this gentleman who is now living on section 5, Blue Ridge township, where he owns and cultivates a good tract of land. The German element in our American citizenship has been an important one. It is of this class that Mr. Kersten is a representative and his life record has been so honorable and successful that it is creditable alike to the land of his birth and the land of his adoption.

Mr. Kersten was born in Germany on the 3d of November, 1840, and in that country his father carried on agricultural pursuits, spending his entire life there. Mr. Kersten of this review was reared and educated in the fatherland and remained there until twenty-eight years of age, when he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, landing at New York. He took passage on a westward bound sailing vessel, Shakespeare, and was twenty-eight days upon the water, encountering some severe storms, but eventually reached harbor in safety. He then went to Cleveland^ afterward to Chicago, and later to Bloomington, Illinois. He remained in the last named city for three years, following various pursuits during that period, including carpenter work and mason work. He is a man of marked industry, and idleness is utterly foreign to his nature. On his removal to Piatt county in 1872 he rented a tract of land belonging to General Mansfield and resided upon that farm for five years. He then rented the farm upon which he now lives for one year, and at the end of that time purchased the property. It contains ninety-eight acres of rich and productive land, for which he paid sixteen hundred and seventy-five dollars. It was not improved, however, when it came into his possession. He has set out all of the trees upon the place, and has made many excellent improvements of a substantial and beneficial character. He uses modern machinery to facilitate his farm work, and everything about his place is neat and thrifty in appearance.

On the 23d of February, 1874, Mr. Kersten was united in marriage to Miss Fredericka Spiehs, a native of Germany, who came to the United States in 1873 as a passenger on the Maine, which made the voyage in eleven days. Mr. and Mrs. Kersten are most worthy people and belong to the Evangelical Lutheran church. They take an active interest in the work, contribute generously to its support and do all in their power for its welfare.

In his political views Mr. Kersten is independent, voting for the man whom he thinks best qualified for office regardless of party affiliations. He is now practically living a retired life, having rented his farm to Carl Porter. While actively engaged in farming himself he raised grain, giving little attention to stock. When he came to

Piatt county he then found a tract of wild prairie, for little of the land had been improved at that time, but as the years have passed time and man have wrought many changes, and to-day the rich soil of Piatt county is utilized for farming purposes and this district of the state has become one of the garden spots of the entire country. Mr. and Mrs. Kersten were schoolmates in childhood, and have now traveled life's journey together as man and wife for almost thirty years. They are well known in the community where they make their home, and it is with pleasure we present to our readers the record of their lives.

Lewis J. Cope

It is not often one sees the professions abandoned for an agricultural life, and yet an investigation of the conditions obtaining at this time in the industrial world warrants the belief that sound business judgment is evidenced by such a change. The gentleman whom the biographer introduces to the reader here qualified in pharmacy, but was led to abandon it after three years for the pursuit of agriculture in the belief that in it was a larger future outcome - a fact which his course has already sufficiently attested.

Lewis J. Cope comes from Buckeye stock, having been born in Smithfield, .Ohio, in 1873, the son of William and Mary Cope, who now reside there. These parents, with their family, passed a considerable portion of the earlier part of their lives in Piatt county, and are remembered among the older settlers as pioneers in Blue Ridge 4ownship, where they opened the farm on which our subject now resides. Circumstances led them to re- turn to the state of their birth, while the son continues the work of improvement which they initiated. The family which they reared consisted of three children, a brother of our subject, Charles, by name, living near by, while a sister, Ida M., married John Henderson and lives near the parents in Ohio.

Lewis J. Cope is the product of a cultured home and the best schools in the Buckeye state. After laying the ground work of his education in the graded schools, he graduated in the Smithfield high school. His further scholastic training was acquired in the Ohio Normal University, after which he matriculated at Scio College, and from which excellent institution he was graduated in pharmacy in the class of 1893. The following three years Mr. Cope passed in Wheeling, West Virginia, in the employ of a drug house. A trip of three months throughout the great west taken at this time changed his mind concerning the future, and he settled on his father's farm of two hundred and forty acres in Blue Ridge township. Here he found much to engage his attention, the farm being in a run-down condition. He proceeded at once to improve it, building a fine modern farm house at a cost of three thousand dollars, together with a commodious barn. Other improvements are in course of construction, and still others are contemplated. Mr. Cope and his brother together own four hundred and eighty acres in this county, and as an investment have lately purchased a section of Minnesota farming land.

The marriage of Mr. Cope was an event of June 19, 1895, on which day he led to the altar Miss Martha Isabelle, the accomplished daughter of William B. Adams, of Cadiz, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Cope enter into the social life of their community with intelligent zest and enthusiasm, and ate leaders in every good cause. They are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Cope is a member of the Knights of Pythias, No. 634, of Mansfield, Illinois. The wideawake and intelligent interest which these young people manifest in the welfare of their community has resulted in endearing them to a circle of friends and neighbors whose name is legion.

Charles C. Cope

Charles Cope, brother of the above, is another of Piatt county's energetic young farmers. He cultivates a portion of the old homestead and is regarded as one of the county's best citizens. Charles was born in Smithfield, Ohio, in the year 1870. He also was given the advantage of scholastic training, after graduating from the high school taking a thorough course in the commercial _ department of Scio College. He then accepted a position with a firm of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and for five years was the trusted bookkeeper of that concern. In 1897 he concluded to begin an agricultural life and came to Piatt county, where he has since cultivated his father's farm. He has built a snug little cottage at a cost of a thousand dollars, and is demonstating the wisdom of his change of occupation. Mr. Cope takes an intelligent and active interest in affairs, votes the Republican ticket, and he and his wife are active members of the Presbyterian church. Prior to 1899 Mrs. Cope was Huldah Coomer. She is a Buckeye by birth, the daughter of William Coomer, of Mansfield, Ohio.

of the land. Young men have been tempted by the tinsel of city life to give up comfortable homes and a solid future, only to wake up late in life to the fact that "all is not gold that glitters." Were there more young men with the wisdom of Charles and Lewis Cope the cities would be unable to drain the country of its best blood. Their example is well worthy of emulation.

Joseph G. Kile

In the history of Piatt county it is necessary that mention shall be made of Joseph G. Kile, else the record would not be complete, for he is numbered among its earliest settlers, having located here in 1844, when but a boy of eight years. Around the beautiful home which the father established stretched the broad prairie, over which one could ride for miles without coming to a fence or other evidence of settlement to impede his progress. The land was covered with its native prairie grasses and along the streams stood the timber as planted by the hand of nature. There were deer, turkeys and other wild game to be had in abundance, and farms could be purchased for a very low price, as there was not as great demand for the property as there is to-day. As the years have progressed Joseph G. Kile has become an active factor in agricultural circles, and has done his full share in reclaiming the wild land for the purposes of civilization.

Mr. Kile is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, his birth having there occurred on the 20th of August, 1836. His father, Josiah Kile, was a native of the same state, and was a farmer by occupation. After arriving at years of maturity he wedded Miss Mary

Clarke, who was born in New Jersey. In the year 1838, he brought his family to Illinois, establishing his home in Shelby county, where he rented a tract of land and in connection with its cultivation, he engaged in teaming to St. Louis in an early day. In 1844 he made his way to Piatt county, settling two miles west of Monticello, where he again leased a tract of land. In 1846, however, he made purchase of a farm of eighty acres in Macon county. This was all raw prairie on which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made, and he at once began its cultivation. He broke the fields, planted the seed, and in due course of time harvested good crops. He also built a log house upon the place and resided there for four years, after which he sold that property and again came to Piatt county. Here he rented land east of Monticello for two years, at the end of which time he again bought a farm in Macon county, there living from 1849 until 1883, when he was called to his final rest, passing away at the age of sixty-nine years. He lived a life in consistent harmony with his profession as a member of the Methodist church and took a very active interest in founding the Wesley Chapel at the edge of his farm. His wife, who survived him for some time, passed away at the age of seventy-three years, dying upon the farm of her son, Joseph G., about one mile from the old home place. She was a woman of deep religious nature, of earnest convictions and of unfaltering loyalty to the principles in which she believed. She, too, held membership in the Methodist church, and the influence of her life was a potent factor for good among those who knew her. By her marriage she became the mother of ten children, namely: Elizabeth, who is the wife of O. L. Stewart, a farmer residing in Ma- con county : James, who died in 1855 ; Joseph G., of this review ; John W., who is living in Humboldt, Kansas; Isaac W., who makes his home in Argenta, Macon county ; Edward M. and Ezra M., who are located in Decatur; Mary, who is the wife of Irvin Dunbar, a farmer of Nebraska ; Martha, who died when a child of three years; and Reuben A., who is also a farmer and makes his home in Missouri.

IVlr. Kile's educational advantages were limited to two terms' attendance at a subscription school, but through experience, observation and reading in later life he has gained a good practical education that has enabled him to carefully conduct his business interests and to keep in touch with the thought and progress of the day. When only thirteen years of age he started out in life on his own account. He was a young boy to battle with the world, but it seemed necessary that he provide for his own support, and in his work he showed adaptability and perseverance. He began earning his own living by working as a farm hand at seven dollars per month, being employed in this way for three months. He then became connected with cattlemen, with whom he worked for four years, making many trips over the mountains to eastern markets. He made one trip to New York which required ninetyseven days. At the end of four years, however, he resumed farm work and was in the employ of friends up to the time of his marriage.

It was on the loth of February, 1859, in Macon county, that Mr. Kile gained a companion and helpmate for life's journey, wedding Miss Elizabeth Carver, daughter of George Carver, who was one of the early settlers of Macon county. Three children were born of this marriage, but one died in infancy. Mary Samantha, the eldest, is now the wife of Charles Stucky, a resident of Cisco. Eliza Ann, the youngest member of the family, is the wife of Oliver Jones, who is now living in Macon county, where he follows farming.