Piatt County, Illinois - Biographical sketches, 1903 (part 8 of 13)

Alonzo Pipher of this review was one of a family of ten children. He acquired his preliminary education in the common schools of Jefferson county, New York, and when he had mastered the branches of learning therein taught he became a student in Aurora Academy at Aurora, Cayuga county, New York, being then nineteen years of age. For two years he was enrolled among its pupils and then entered Blackriver Institute at Watertown, New York, where he prepared for admission to Hamilton College. In 1852 he matriculated in that college and completed the work of two years, but failing health obliged him to abandon his hope of graduating there and he had to put aside his text books. In September, 1854, Mr. Pipher arrived in the west, reaching Chicago on the 28th of that month. After spending a few weeks in visiting friends in Bloomington, Illinois, he went to Springfield, afterward to St. Louis, Missouri, and then to Kane county, Illinois. He had relatives living in this place and after renewing his acquaintance with them he entered upon his business career in this state, accepting a position as teacher at Ross Grove, DeKalb county, where during a six month's term he received a salary of twenty dollars per month as compensation for his services and "boarded around" among the pupils. In August, 1855, Mr. Pipher met with an accident that incapacitated him for any work for eighteen months and during that period he remained at his father's home in Blackberry. In the fall of 1856 Mr. Pipher began active preparation for the profession which was his life work, becoming a law student in the office and under the direction of John Stephens at Dixon, Lee county. He remained under that preceptor for a year and then accepted a position as a teacher in \Yinthrop, Kane county, thus replenishing his somewhat exhausted exchequer. On the expiration of that period lie located in Blooming-ton, where he engaged in teaching school, devoting all of his leisure hours, to the study of law. In 1857 he was admitted to the bar and on the 1 3th of April, 1858, he came to Monticello, where he has since practiced. He stands to-day as the nestor o'f the Piatt county bar and has easily maintained a leading position in the ranks of the legal fraternity. Nature bountifully endowed him with the peculiar qualifications that combine to make a successful lawyer. Patiently persevering, possessed of an analytical mind, and one that is readily receptive and retentive of the fundamental principles and intricacies of the law ; gifted with a spirit of devotion to wearisome details; quick to comprehend the most subtle problems and logical in his .conclusions ; fearless in the advocacy of any cause he may espouse, and the soul of honor and integrity, few men have been more richly gifted for the achievement of success in the arduous difficult profession of the law. Mr. Pipher was married July i, 1850, to Sophia Singer, a native of Hummelstown. Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Jacob Singer. They became the parents of the following children : Ella Lillian, who is now the wife of Elijah Hedrick; Albertina ; Florence, the wife of Frederick Bostwick ; May ; Alonzo S. : and Sophia. In 1872 Mr. Pipher was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who died on the 28th of April, of that year. He was again married May 5, 1880, his second union being with Mrs. Caroline H. Mentz, a daughter of John H. and Mary Mona. Mrs. Pipher was born in Ross county, Ohio, and first became the wife of William Mentz, who died in Monticello in 1869. By her first marriage she had three children: Sarah B., now the wife of Frederick Haines ; Nancy Maria and William.

Mr. Pipher has served as police magistrate for a number of years and was also for a long period master in chancery and in the discharge of his official duties he has ever been found prompt, faithful and reliable. His political support is given to the Republican party and he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. Faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in reputation, such has been his life record. His scholarly attainments, his excellent judgment and his charming powers of conversation would have enabled him to fill and grace any position however exalted, but he has desired rather to give attention to his professional labors. He is honored in public life and loved by his friends and close associates, and his prominent position at the bar well entitles him to representation among the leading citizens of his county.

Benjamin F. .Lodge

Only those lives are worthy of record that have been potential factors in the public progress in promoting the general welfare or advancing the educational or moral interests of the community. Mr. Lodge was a man of noble character, much of whose life was devoted to the betterment of his fellow men, and the world is certainly better for his having lived.

B. F. Lodge Mrs. F. E. Lodge

a son of Benjamin F. and Julia A. (Brooks) Lodge. His father was born in New Jersey, and at an early day came to Illinois, taking up his residence in Paris, where he and his wife both died. For many years he served as county surveyor of Edgar county, and took an active part in public affairs. In his family were seven children.

Mr. Lodge, of this review, was only about five years old when the family removed to this state, and his early education was acquired in the schools near Paris. In 1856 he united with the Methodist church in that city, and determining to enter the ministry he afterward took a theological course and joined the Illinois conference in 1858. Coming to Piatt county he entered upon his ministerial labors, and for a time was junior preacher on the Monticello circuit. Among his charges were Bement, Cerro Gordo, Monticello, Baker schoolhouse, Ridge school, Camp Creek and several other places in the counties of Sangamon, Shelby, Cole, Edgar, Douglas, Champaign, Piatt and Menard, but at the end of nine years he was obliged to giving up preaching on account of ill health, and in 1866 located on a farm near Paris, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits for some years. He then came to Piatt county and made his home on the farm now occupied by his widow until called to his final rest.

On the 2 ist of April, 1862, Mr. Lodge was married by Rev. Peter Cartwright to Mrs. Frances E. Lyon, a daughter F. Ewing and Eliza (Foster) Berry. Her maternal grandfather was Constantine Foster, who was born in Cape May county, New Jersey, October 18, 1792, and was married in Cumberland county, that state, to Miss Margaret . Sayre, who was born in the same county, February 25, 1800. They had five children born in Cape May county, New Jersey, who accompanied their parents on their removal to Dayton, Ohio, in 1832, and thence came to Sangamon county, Illinois, in the autumn of 1833. The family first settled in what is now Cartwright township, and two years later removed to what is now gardner township. One child was added to the family in Sangamon county. Eliza, L., the oldest, was born in New Jersey, May 13, 1820, and on the 22d of June, 1837, in Sangamon county, gave her hand in marriage to F. Ewing Berry, who died four months later. A daughter, Frances E. Berry, was born of this union in Sangamon county, June 4, 1838, and was married August 27, 1857, to Henry F. Lyon. His death occurred April 25, 1858, and their only child, Ida, born September 14, 1858, died in infancy. Mr. Lyon was engaged in the shipping of stock at Mechanicsburg, Illinois, and was only twenty-nine years of age at the time of his death. Constantine Foster died in Sangamon county, September 29, 1865, his wife April 9, 1867, and both were laid to rest in the Pleasant Plains cemetery. Their other children besides Mrs. Berry were Catherine, who married John C. ,Bone, and both are now deceased ; John S. ; Jacob ; Joseph R. ; and Mary J.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lodge were born nine children, of whom Benjamin F., Julia, William and Elmer are all now deceased. Those living are as follows : Charles Albert, now a contractor and builder of Lincoln, Nebraska, married Miss Emma Hyder, of Bement, Illinois, a daughter of Mrs. Martha Flynn, and to them were born five children : Clarence, who died in Oklahoma at the age of eleven years ; Ethel, who died near Monticello, Illinois, at the age of two; Harold V., now ten years of age; Hazel Marie, aged eight; and Charles Norman, aged six. Frank, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Lodge, is a rail- road man and resides- at home with his mother. Fannie May is the wife of H. .C. Body, of Bement, and has three children : Alta May, William Neville and Harriet L. Howard F. manages the farm for his mother, and Daisy K. is also at home. All were born in Piatt county with exception of Benjamin F., whose birth occurred at Windsor, Illinois ; and William, whose birth occurred in Edgar county. The family reside on the old home place on section i, Bement township, and are people of prominence in that community.

Mr. Lodge departed this life July 6, 1902, and in life's span of almost seventy years he accomplished much, leaving behind him an honorable record well worthy of perpetuation. He was devoted to the work of the church even after leaving the ministry, and always took a deep interest in religious affairs. Domestic in his tastes he displayed a great fondness for his home, and was a most exemplary husband and father. He was also much attached to children, and was especially the young man's friend, aiding him by his wise counsel and advance as well as by more material assistance. His death occa- £.it<ned the deepest regret throughout the community, and Piatt county thereby lost one of its most valued citizens and an earnest Christian gentleman. His remains were interred in the Monticello cemetery.

James P. Ray

James P. Ray, deceased, through the years of his identification with Piatt county, enjoyed the highest respect of his fellow citizens by reason of his strict integrity and sterling worth. Almost his entire life was passed in Illinois, for he was born in Marion county, this state, on the ist of May, 1848, and lived at the place of his birth until twenty-six years of age. His parents were Alfred and Mary (Morgan) Ray, the former of whom was born and reared in North Carolina and the latter in Tennessee. At an early day they came to Illinois and settled in the southern part of the state. By occupation the father was a merchant and farmer and in religious belief was a Methodist, while his wife held membership in the Christian church. Both died in Marion county at an advanced age.

Reared in the county of -his nativity, James P. Ray was indebted to its public schools for his early educational advantages. When a young man he assisted in the work of the home farm and on leaving the parental roof went to Kansas, where he engaged in farming for three years. On his return to Illinois, he took up his residence in Unity township, Piatt county, where he continued to follow the same pursuit for some years. He next removed to Bement township, where he continued to engage in farming and stock-raising until his death. He operated three hundred and twenty acres of well improved and valuable land here and also had a good farm of ninety acres in Marion county, Illinois. His life was one of thrift and industry and the success that came to him was due to his well directed efforts, keen discrimination and sound judgment.

On the igth of March, 1874, Mr. Ray was united in marriage to Miss Electa B. Wooters, also a native of Marion county and a daughter of E. J. and Elizabeth (Richardson) Wooters, both of whom are now deceased. Her father was born in North Carolina and her mother in Ten- nessee. Both were faithful members of the Methodist church and people of the highest respectability. During his active business life Mr. Wooters engaged in merchandising and for some time served as postmaster of Raccoon, Marion county. Mrs. Ray now makes her home upon a farm in Bement township and with her reside three children of her sister, the boys having charge of the farm.

In politics Mr. Ray was a Democrat and for a time he held the office of school director. He was a member of the Masonic Order and his life was in harmony with its teachings. He died in Bement township, March 31, 1896, honored and respected by all who knew him. Like her husband Mrs. Ray is also held in the highest esteem and has a host of warm friends in the community where she has long made her home.

James Fisher

One of the most energetic and successful agriculturists of Piatt county is James Fisher, who now resides on section 14, Bement township, where he is operating a half section of rich farming land. He was born upon that place September 9, 1860, and is a son of Elihu Fisher, who was also a native of Illinois, born in one of the pioneer homes in Greene county, at Roodhouse, November 29, 1825. Elihu Fisher was left fatherless at the age of ten years, but his mother lived to an advanced age and died in Macoupin county, this state. He grew to manhood on a farm in the county of his nativity, and on leaving there in 1857 he came to Piatt county, taking up his residence in Bement township, where for many years he was actively engaged in farming. In course of time he accumulated a valuable property and was enabled to retire, passing his declining years free from the care and labor that beset his early life. His farm, which was one of the finest in that part of the county, comprised five hundred and sixty acres of well improved land of surpassing fertility and its improvements were of the best. Besides this, he owned other valuable property in the village of Bement. His life record was an honorable one, alike to himself and to the community in which he so long resided, and where he was always held in high esteem of his fellow men. He always displayed a zealous interest in the welfare of adopted township, and aided in carrying on its public affairs in the several township offices that he at various times held. To his zeal while holding the office of highway commissioner his section of the county is greatly indebted for the improvements made in its roads and bywTays. He was also interested in advancing educational matters and made many improvements in that regard while holding various school offices. He was a man of force, and had decided opinions and a fine appreciation of what was right and what wrong, and was a strong advocate of any measure that he believed would tend to improve the district in which he lived. He served throughout the Mexican war and took part in the battle of Buena Vista and other important engagements. Shortly before his death he united with the Presbyterian church and died in that faith in Bement township at the age of seventy-one years. He was a member of the Masonic order for many years. At the time of his death he owned five hundred and twenty acres of land in Piatt county, be-

In Greene county, Illinois, Elihu Fisher married Miss Lydia J. Rawlins, who was a native of that county and survived him until a year ago, when she died on the home farm at the age of seventy years, She was also a member of the Presbyterian church and was a most estimable lady. In their family were ten children, namely : Sarah E., wife of Robert Lamb; Cordelia A., wife of Joseph Zorger; William Burgess; James; Effie, wife of Daniel Hall: Charles ; Kate ; Mary and Fred.

James Fisher received his early education in the district schools near his boyhood home, and for one year attended the university at Rloomington. After completing his education lie assisted his father upon the home farm and also operated a farm near the- village of Cerro Gordo, which he then owned. Throughout his active business life he has engaged in farming and stock-raising and to-day has one of the model farms of the county. In addition to his interest in his father's estate he has recently purchased thirteen hundred and sixty acres of bottom land in Missouri. He is quite extensively engaged in the raising of high grade road horses and in all his undertakings has met with -well-deserved success for he is energetic, enterprising and progressive and thoroughly understands the vocation which he follows.

In July, 1895, Mr. Fisher was united in marriage to Miss Sarah N. Creighton, a daughter of Matthew and Maria (Groves) Creighton. Her father was a native of Delaware, and from that state removed to Ohio in 1840, and in 1852 came to Illinois, locating in Cerro Gordo township, Piatt county, where he became the owner of a fine farm of five hundred and sixty acres on which he made all the improvements. His residence was built in 1860. In 1849 he married Maria Groves, and to them were born eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have six children : Grover F., Mamie Etta, Ollie May, Orville, Ralph and Lydia J., all born in Bement township with the exception of Grover, who was born in Cerro Gordo township.

Mr. Fisher is a member of the Presbyterian church and for many years has been connected with the Masonic fraternity. Politically, he is identified with the Democratic party and takes a deep interest in public affairs. He is widely and favorably known in the community where he resides, and those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends, a fact which plainly indicates an upright and honorable career.

John N. Darst

John N. Darst is a well-known contractor and builder residing in Mansfield. He stands to-day prominent in business circles, and his life record proves what can be accomplished through the force of energy, determination and honorable dealing. He was born in Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio, on the I4th of October, 1855, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth (Evans) Darst. The father was a shoemaker by trade and followed that pursuit for thirty years, but later in life, however, engaged in farming. In 1861 he removed from Ohic to Marshall, Clark county. Illinois, and after a few years residence in that locality came to Piatt county. He died June 4, 1896, and the mother of our subject passed away September 4, 1871.

Argo schoolhouse in Sangamon township, Piatt county, but in early youth he started out upon his business career. When about thirteen years of age he began to earn his own living, working as a farm hand at eight dollars per month. At the age of eighteen years he began farming -for himself and was thus engaged during the years of 1873-4-5. He then commenced to learn the builder's art, and in 1876 he took up his abode in Mansfield, where he has since resided. Becoming an expert workman in the line of building he turned his attention to contracting, and has erected the majority of the best buildings in Mansfield during the past twenty-five years, including the Sisson department store, First National Bank building, the State Bank building, Hotel Monroe, the high school building, a fine structure erected in 1895, and many others of a public and private character. In the first part of the year 1903 he erected eight buildings. He employs his own masons, painters and workmen of all kinds, and he takes contracts all over this part of the state, also doing work in Chicago. He thoroughly understands the builder's art in every particular, and his labors have brought to him very gratifying success as the years have gone by. Mr. Darst is also one of the directors and was one of the ororganizers of the First National Bank in Mansfield. He owns five houses and lots in this city, and his property interests are the visible evidence of his life of industry and thrift.

On the 2ist of February. 1881, occurred the marriage of Mr. Darst and Miss Jennie Bateman, a daughter of Thomas Bateman, of whom more extended mention is made elsewhere in this volume. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Darst has been blessed with three children : Mabel Elizabeth, who was born December 8, 1888; Nellie Bernice, born on the agth of May, 1890; and Mary Isabel, born February 6, 1900. They have an attractive home in Mansfield and Mr. and Mrs. Darst occupy an enviable position in social circles. In politics he is a Republican and while he gives a firm support to the principles of the party, he has never sought or desired office, desiring rather that his time and energies shall be devoted to his business affairs which have already brought him creditable success. A life of unswerving integrity and honor, of unfaltering diligence and of straightforward dealing has gained and retained for him the confidence and respect of his fellow men and he is distinctively one of the leading citizens of the thriving town of Mansfield, with whose interests he has been identified for a quarter of a century.

John R. Howell

Prominent among the energetic, farseeing and successful business men of Piatt county is the subject of this sketch, who is interested in a number of different enterprises and is also serving as postmaster of the village of Burrowsville. Energy, close application, perseverance and good management, these are the elements which have entered into his business career and crowned his efforts with prosperity.

Mr. Howell was born in Moultrie county, Illinois, October 28, 1865, his parents being John T. and Susan (Harris) Howell. both natives of Shelby county, Kentucky, and early settlers of Moultrie county, where they located in 1864. At that time there was only one house between his place and Bement and most of the land was wild and covered with sloughs and ponds. 'His farm had previously been improved though he subsequently broke many acres of prairie with oxen and materially assisted in the development and improvement of this section of the state. He continued to live in Lovington township, Moultrie county, for some years, his time being devoted to agricultural pursuits, but he is now living retired in Decatur, Illinois. Although seventy-two years of age he is still hale and hearty and his wife is in her sixtyeighth year. The children born to them are as follows : H. T., now a resident of Missouri; S. W., of Holly, Colorado; Jphn R., of this review ; Molly, wife of Rev. B. C. Dewey, a Methodist Episcopal minister now located at Pana, Illinois; James, who is living in Denver; and three deceased.

In the district schools of his native county John R. Howell obtained a good practical education and on laying aside his text books took up farming, to which occupation he still gives considerable attention in the supervision of his fine farm of two hundred and forty acres on sections 33 and 34, Cerro Gordo township. In the fall of 1890 he embarked in the grain business and in general merchandising at Burrowsville and on the ist of the following year was appointed postmaster at that place, which office he has since filled to the satisfaction of all concerned. His elevator has a capacity of thirty thousand bushels and he handles on an average one hundred and fifty thousand bushels annually and also deals quite extensively in stock. Although he buys and sells sheep and cattle, he makes a specialty of horses and is very much interested in the same. In addition to his other duties he also acts as station agent for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad at Burrowsville.

In 1894 Mr. Howell married Miss Grace Toney, of La Place, who was born in Indiana on the ist of January, 1877, but was reared and educated in Macon county, Illinois, whither she removed with her parents, J. W. and Marie (Nesbott) Toney, when about five years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Toney came originally from Bedford, Indiana, and are now residents of La Place, Illinois. Mrs. Howell is the youngest in a family of six children and is the mother of a little son, Roland J., now seven years old. She had two other children : Virgil, who died at the age of fourteen months ; and Marie, who died at the age of twenty-two months.

Politically Mr. Howell affiliates with the Democracy and has served as a delegate to the conventions of his party. Within his remembrance land in this section of the state has risen in value from twenty to one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre and he has seen much of the upbuilding and development of this region. He is one of the most energetic and progressive citizens of his locality and gives an earnest support to all enterprises which he believes will prove of public benefit. Fraternally he is a member of Ben Hur Lodge, and religiously both he and his wife are members of the Christian church. His genial, pleasant manner has made him quite popular in business and social circles and as a publicspirited, enterprising man he is recognized as a valued citizen of Piatt countv.

Dr. J. H. Wood

Dr. J. H. Wood, who is engaged in the drug business in De Land, was born in Fulton county, Illinois, on the I5th of April, 1843, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Dyckes) Wood, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Maryland. Both the Dyckes and Wood families were of English extraction. William Dyckes, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was woUnded in the battle of Fort McHenry. The parents of the Doctor were married in Cleveland, Ohio, where the father was engaged in blacksmithing. In the year 1837 he and his wife came to the west, crossing the lakes to Chicago, which was then a frontier village, giving little promise% of the marvelous development which was soon to make it the metropolitan city of the west. They proceeded by stage to LaSalle, Illinois, and thence by boat to' Havana. Mr. Wood took up his abode in Farmers township, Fulton county, where he erected a blacksmith shop upon a tract of land which he secured from the government. This he improved, carrying on agricultural pursuits in connection with the blacksmithing which he did for the early settlers. He was one of the pioneer residents of this part of the state and took an active and helpful part in the early development of the county and was widely known among the pioneer settlers who esteemed him highly for his genuine worth. He died at the age of sixty-nine years and his widow is now living in Denver, Colorado, at the age of eighty-five years with her son J. D. Wood. They became the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this review was the third in order of birth. Those still living are the daughter Alice, who is the widow of James Sperry, and resides with his brother ; and J. D., who is with his mother in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Wood obtained his early education in the public schools of Farmers township and for several years he engaged in teaching school. Desirous to become a member of the medical profession he began studying privately and when he had earned enough money to meet the expenses of a college course he matriculated in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Keokuk, Iowa, in which he was graduated with the class of 1878. Immediately upon his graduation he came to DeLand and here began practice. In his work he met with creditable and gratifying success and remained an active practitioner here until 1894, when he removed to Champaign. For six years he was a member of the medical fraternity at that place and in 1900 he removed to Hammond, Louisiana, where he was located for a year and a half. He then returned to De Land and purchased the drug store of William Downey, since which time he has been conducting the business, having now a liberal patronage which is accorded him in recognition of the good stock which he carries, his reasonable prices and his honorable and courteous treatment of his patrons.

In December, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Wood and Miss Sarah Peirsol, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Sampson Peirsol, of Lee township, Fulton county, Illinois. 'Her parents died during her early girlhood and she made her home with her uncle Dr. Peirsol. She is a member of the Presbyterian church and is a most estimable lady. Fraternally the Doctor is connected with De Land Lodge, No. 812, F. & A. M., with Monticello Chapter, No. 48, R. A. M., and with Champaign Commandery, K. T. In his political views he is a stalwart Democrat and for a number of terms served as supervisor of his township. He has also been town clerk and in public office he has been found most loyal and faithful to his duties. In 1864 he enlisted in Company I. Sixth Regular Cavalry under Captain, now General A. R. Chaffee and served three years, being mustered out as first sergeant. He was stationed on the Texas frontier after the close of hostility, Fort Belknap being their headquarters the greater part of the time. During a long residence in this section of the state Dr. Wood has become widely and favorably known and well deserves mention in this volume as one of the representative men of Piatt county.

John Henry Warren

John Henry Warren, who carries on general farming in Piatt county, his home being on section 17, Blue Ridge township, was born on the 7th of July, 1859, in the city of New York, and is a son of Edward and Elizabeth (Clary) Warren, both natives of Sussex county, England. The father was born January 2, 1824, and is still living, but the mother, whose birth occurred February 14, 1828, died on the 3Oth of May, 1897. It was in 1855 that they came to the United States, and during the first six years of their residence in this country lived near Albany, New York, where the father worked on a farm for one man all of that time. They then came to Piatt county, Illinois, and for eight years Mr. Warren operated a rented farm near his present place, and then purchased the latter. Since becoming a naturalized citizen he has always supported the Republican party. His children are William Howard, now a farmer of Iowa; Alfred, a carpenter of Champaign, Illinois; John Henry, of this review; and Arthur, also a resident of Blue Ridge township. The first two were born in England, the third in New York, and the youngest in Piatt county.

John H. Warren spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his parents' home, and in the public schools acquired his education. When twenty-one years of age he began working for himself, and for two years was employed by the month as a farm hand. He afterward took up his abode on his father's farm in Blue Ridge township, Piatt county, where he is now living. He pays his father six hundred and forty dollars per year as rent for the farm, and he also takes care of this aged parent. As an agriculturist Mr. Warren is practical and progressive and everything he undertakes he carries forward to successful completion. His place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision and annually his labors return to him a good income.

On the 3oth of May, 1879, Mr. Warren was united in marriage to Miss Flora Trusler, who was born in Indiana, October i, 1860, and is a daughter of James and Nancy Jane Trusler. Her parents were farming people and made their home in Blue Ridge township, this county, for about twenty years after coming from Indiana. The father died February 2, 1899. and the mother passed away August 13, 1901. Their other children were Daniel, a resident of Ford county. Illi- nois ; Mrs. Martha Bishop, of Ohio ; William, a farmer of Ford county ; Elijah, a painter of Indiana; Charles, a resident of Ford county, Illinois ; and Emma, of Blue Ridge township, Piatt county. Mr. and Mrs. Warren have eight children : Golda Belle, Frances Paulina, Grace Alma, Sarah Hazel, James Henry Edward, Susie May, Laddie Elizabeth and Rufus George Franklin, all of whom are still under the parental roof.

Mr. Warren exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and is deeply interested in its success, for he believes that the party platform contains the test elements of good government. He has been a school director for five terms and the cause of education has in him a warm friend. Socially, he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, and carries two thousand dollars' insur- * ance in that order.

Jacob H. Cline

In viewing the mass of mankind in the varied occupations of life the conclusion is forced upon the observer that in the vast majority of cases men have sought employment not in line of their peculiar fitness, but in those where caprice or circumstances have placed them, thus explaining the reason of the failure of ninety-five per cent of those who enter commercial and professional circles. In a few cases it seems that men with a peculiar fitness - genius it may be called, for a certain line have taken it up and marked success has followed. Such is the fact in the case of the subject of this biography, who is now engaged in general merchandising in White Heath.

and is a son of John and Letitia Cline. His parents were natives of Ohio, coming from Pickaway county, that state, to Illinois at an early day. They entered a claim from the government, thereby becoming the owner of a tract of land in Piatt county, and in the course of years the father improved about eight hundred acres. He certainly, in this way, aided largely in the development and progress of the county and this section of the state acknowledges its indebtedness to him for- the work which he performed in advancing civilization here. His death occurred on the 25th of March, 1860, when he was living upon his farm two miles northeast of White Heath. His wife, who was born in Pickaway county, April 7, 1817, died in White Heath on the 4th of March, 1891. They were people of the highest respectability, and during the long years of their residence here they gained many friends for their sterling traits of character awakened the respect and admiration of those with whom they were associated.

Jacob H. Cline when small became a student in a little schoolhouse where the White schoolhouse now stands about three and a half miles north of White Heath. Later he attended the Hazeldell school, but his education was somewhat limited for the schools of that day had not reached their present advanced standard. It was also necessary that he should assist his mother. The father died when the son was only nine years of age. leaving a large family of six children to the care of his widow. Jacob H. was the fifth in order of birth. He remained upon the old home with his mother until nineteen years of age, when he was married and started out in life for himself. It was on the I3th of February. 1870, that he wedded Miss Josephine Knott. His share of his father's estate was then under the control of the second guardian, S. R. Reed, of Monticello. Mr. Cline took his bride to his farm and continued its cultivation for two or three years. He then traded the property with his younger brother, Ezra Cline, and in the second or third transfer he came into possession of the home farm, which he cultivated for two years. He then traded that property with John A. Flanagan, and he became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land near White Heath. Removing to this place he there erected a new house, built a barn, planted an orchard and made other improvements, which added to the value and attractive appearance of his home. After remaining there about three years he made a deal with Charles Smith, of White Heath, whereby he came into possession of a store, house and lot, formerly owned by Mr. Smith in the village. Mr. Cline is now one of the oldest as well as one of the most reliable merchants of White Heath. He car-- ries a large stock of general merchandise and receives a gratifying share of the public patronage. His diligent attention to business has won him a constantly growing trade among the best families of White Heath and the surrounding district. He is always courteous to his customers, is progressive in his business methods and is always fair and just in his dealings. In addition to supervising his store he has also served as postmaster, being appointed during President Arthur's administration, and holding the office continually since, with the exception of the period of President Cleveland's second administration. A rural route was established from this office on the ist of March, 1902, and at that time the old star route from White Heath to-Centerville was discontinued.

Mr. Cline owns a fine home adjoining his store, and it stands in the midst of a beautiful and well-kept lawn, adorned with shade trees. He also has many other trees upon his place, including apples, ciiernes, peaches and plums. The home occupies an excellent location in the center of the business district in the pretty village of White Heath and there is no more attractive place than that of Mr. Cline. He likewise owns twenty acres of rich land, adjoining the village and another desirable residence situated on Washington street in Monticello, Illinois. His business affairs have been carefully conducted, resulting in the acquirement of a desirable capital, which he has judiciously invested in real estate.

In this connection it will be interesting to note something of the family history of Mrs. Cline who is a daughter of Dr. A. B. and Mary (Law) Knott. Mrs. Cline was born in Washington Court House, Ohio, January 22, 1853, and in the year 1856 was brought by her parents to Illinois, the family locating in Centerville, where the Doctor practiced his profession continuously for twenty-five years, being one of the leading and successful physicians of that part of the state. Mrs. Cline pursued her education in the schools of Centerville and of Ottawa, Illinois, and by her marriage she has become the mother of five children : Anna B., who is the wife of Edward Gale, and is a nurse, making her home with her parents : Minnie M., the wife of Jerry Purcell, of White Heath; Cora O., who is a doctor of osteopathy in Monticello; Ona L., who is deputy circuit clerk of Piatt county ; and Roy R., who attends school and assists his father is the store during the periods of vacation.

fluential in its councils. For several years he has served as chairman of the township central committee. He has held the office of supervisor for fifteen years and has also been commissioner of highways. Fraternally he is connected with Monticello Lodge, No. 58, F. & A'. M., and also with the Modern Woodmen of America. His wife is a member of the Royal Neighbors and with the Court of Honor and has long been a prominent and influential member and worker in the Universal ist church of White Heath. He is truly a representative American citizen and a worthy representative of that type of American character which promotes public good in advancing individual prosperity. Prosperity has come to him as a natural consequence of industry and application, and his splendid success bears testimony to his rare judgment in business affairs.

William H. Firke

Among the representative business men of Mansfield who have done much toward its upbuilding and development probably none are better known than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. As an extensive landowner and banker he has been prominently identified with the business interests of the county for many years and is a recognized leader in agricultural and financial circles.

Mr. Firke is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred in a log cabin in Wiesburg. on the I7th of January, 1852. His parents were Conrad and Anna (Aufencamp) Firke. The father was a carpenter by trade and followed that pursuit throughout his business career. He died in

Indiana on the 28th of January, 1852, and is still survived by his widow who is now living in Cass county, Nebraska, near Greenwood. Mr. Firke is one of three living children and two of the family are now deceased.

In the common schools of his native state the subject of this review obtained his. early education. He was left an orphan and started out to earn his own living at the age of seventeen years, first working as a farm hand in which capacity he w.as employed until 1874, when he came to Illinois, settling near Farmer City. There he worked for one year as a farm hand for D. W. and J. C. Smith, after which he rented a tract of land and carried on farming on his own account. During this time he made money and with the capital he had acquired he purchased one hundred and sixty acres .'I land in Piatt county, of which he became owner in 1876. This he plowed, planted and tiled, thus producing very rich and arable fields and he continued his farm work there until 1883, at which time he purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Champaign county. He has since owned much valuable property. In 1889 he bought what is known as the William Lindsey farm in Piatt county near Blue Ridge. This he tiled and upon the place he erected two good barns, unsurpassed by any in the county. He also built corn cribs and other necessary buildings, planted an orchard and made various improvements which added to the value and attractive appearance of the place. In iBgo he purchased forty acres of land in Champaign county, and in 1895 he bought in Vermilion county four hundred acres of land on Eight Mile Prairie. This he improved and tiled, erected a good residence,, substantial barns and new corn cribs, in fact,.

he made all the improvements upon the place. In 1902 he became the owner of four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land in Pike county, afterward purchased one hundred and seventy-three acres in Piatt county, this being the old Mansfield home, for which he paid one hundred and seventy and a half dollars per acre. He also owns a half interest in four hundred and thirty acres of land in Pike county, which he purchased in 1893, ar>d one hundred and sixty acres in Champaign county, and also an eightyacre tract there. Thus from time to time he has continued to make investments in real estate, until he now is one of the extensive landowners in central Illinois, his possessions aggregating altogether nineteen hundred and fifteen acres of well-improved and valuable land. All this is the visible evidence of his life of industry, of his keen foresight and business sagacity. He has also been associated with financial interests of the county, having in 1893 organized the State Bank of Mansfield, which is capitalized for forty thousand dollars. Mr. Firke is its president and holds stock in the institution to the amount of twelve thousand dollars. The other officers are Alvah James, vice president ; W. H. Burns, cashier ; and Robert Howe, assistant cashier. This was conducted as a private banking institution until 1899, when it became a state bank. He is interested in the Dighton & Dilatush Loan Company of Monticello.

On the 6th of March, 1878, Mr. Firke was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. Petry, a daughter of Jacob Petry, a native of Indiana. Her mother died during the infancy of the daughter and the father has also passed away. Six children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Firke : Alma Belle, the wife of J. R. Bateman, who resides four miles north of Mansfield upon a farm and by whom she has one son, Russell ; C. W., who was graduated in the law department of the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the class of 1902, and is now practicing his profession in Mansfield; Lutie Phebe, who died at the age of five years ; Ada Catherine, at home ; Ralph W. and Frank J., who are also under the parental roof.

Mr. Firke gives his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy and has served eighteen years as school trustee and two years as supervisor. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Firke is a broad-minded man, who looks at life from a practical and humanitarian standpoint. He is one of the well-known citizens of Piatt county, whose labors have closely touched the interests of the state and have contributed toward the general advancement. He is a man of firm convictions, and it is doubtful if he ever weighed a single act of his life in the scale of policy, his conduct being prompted by the spirit of usefulness and conscientious obligation. While he has won wealth it has been gained so honorably that the most envious cannot grudge him his success. His achievements represent the result of honest endeavor, along lines where mature judgment has pointed the way.

John C. Furnish

One of the leading and representative farmers of Sangamon township is John C. Furnish, who was born on his present farm on section 21, near White Heath, March 17, 1851, and has here spent his entire life, his time and attention being devoted to agricultural pursuits. His father, Samuel Furnish, was one of the oldest settlers of Piatt county. He was born in Kentucky in 1822 and was only two years old when he accompanied his parents on their removal to this locality, making his home here until his death, which occurred in 1869. He cleared and broke a large amount of land which wasoriginally covered with a heavy growth/ of timber, and became the owner of considerable property though prior to his death he disposed of much of it, though he still retained about one hundred and sixty acres. He was educated in an old log schoolhouse such as is generally found in a pioneer settlement, and in his younger days drove cattle from this county to New York city, where prices were enough better to pay him for so doing. Throughout life he successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married Miss Catherine Coon, a daughter of Henry and Ruth (Clemens) Coon, who were from Ohio. By this union were born six children, as follows : James, who is now operating the Foster farm northwest of White Heath ; John, of this review ; George and William, both farmers of Missouri; Charles, who is farming one half mile west of White Heath ; and Frank, deceased.

John C. Furnish received a commonschool education, beginning his studies in what was known as the Hughes schoolhouse, which was a log structure with a puncheon floor, slab seats and a desk made by placing boards on wooden pins driven into the walls. During the early residence of the family in this state deer were known to have eaten salt out of the troughs his father had fixed for the cattle and horses, and all kinds of wild game were then abundant. Like most boys our subject was only able to attend school for a short time during the winter months while through the summer season he aided his father in the cultivation of the farm, remaining with him until the latter's death, after which he worked out one season. He then returned home and had charge of the farm until the estate was settled, when he received his share of the same. In connection with its operation he also cultivates some rented land and raises corn, oats, wheat and melons, making a specialty of the last named product, which he finds quite' profitable, planting ten or twelve acres of that crop. He hauls his melons by team to the neighboring towns, where he finds a ready sale for them, owing to their excellence, and he makes more money on them than he could from any other crop raised on a similar amount of land.

On the 30th of April, 1874,- Mr. Furnish was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia Blacker, a daughter of Guston and Anna Blacker, of this county. They have become the parents of eleven children : George, now a resident of St. Louis, Missouri ; Frank, deceased ; Lewis, Oscar, Erria, Ollie, Stella, Lola, Pearl and Wilma, all at home; and one who died in infancy. The younger children are still in school.

By his ballot Mr. Furnish supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and for three years he acceptably filled the office of school director but refused to hold the office any longer. He is a worthy representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this county and can remember when this region was still largely wild and unimproved. He was born in an old log house which stood on the site of his mother's present residence, it having a puncheon floor, a stick chimney and many other pioneer appliances. Some of the land which his father bought cost him only the government price of one dollar and a quarter per acre, and with the development and improvement of the county the family has been actively identified.

William A. Wachs

One of the prominent German American citizens now residing in Monticello, is William A. Wachs, who was born on a farm bordering the Baltic sea, near Colberg, Germany, September 22, 1836. His father, Christopher Wachs, was a native of the same place, his entire life being passed upon a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Colberg. He married Sophia Kopka, and unto them were born three children : Frank, who is still engaged in farming on the old homestead in Germany; Annie, who married a Mr. Benson, a farmer of that country, and died in 1861 ; and William A.

Our subject was educated in the public schools of his native land, and on leaving home at the age of fourteen years he went upon the ocean, spending five years as a sailor before the mast. He then returned home on a visit, and while there was drafted into the German army, becoming a member of the Fourth Company, Ninth Regiment with Colbeck. After serving for three years he was discharged in the fall of 1858, and the following year he spent at home with his parents.

daughter of John Zybell. They soon became fast friends and journeyed together to Monticello, Illinois, where she had a brother living. It was not long before they were engaged to be married, and Mr. Wachs decided to purchase a farm with the three thousand dollars he had brought with him to this country, so that they might have a home of their own. They went to Iowa in search of a location, but not being pleased with the country, and Miss Zybell wishing to be nearer her brother, they returned to Piatt county and purchased forty acres of land in Goose Creek township near DeLand. They were married at Monticello in the spring of 1860 and at once took up their residence on the land which Mr. Wachs had purchased and lived in a cabin he erected thereon. It was all wild prairie and swamp land, and their nearest neighbor at that time was a mile and a half away, so sparsely was the country settled at that time. Tiling and ditching his land, Mr. Wachs soon made it cultivable and after it was broken good crops were raised, but she who had borne with him all of the hardships and trials of frontier life, died in November, 1863, leaving two children: Frank, who married Katie Lust and is now operating a farm adjoining the old home farm in Goose Creek towship: and Martha, who married Elza Davis, a farmer of Iowa, and died in 1888.

Mr. Wachs was again married, March 29, 1864, his second union being with Miss Dena Hammerschmit, a daughter of Enda and Elizabeth Hammerschmit, of Dena, Province of Hanover, Germany. Her father died in that country and her mother afterward came to the United States to live with Mrs. Wachs. Here she married again, becoming the wife of Thomas Angar, a farm-

-er of Washington. Missouri, where she died in 1890. The children by her first marriage were Louis, a furniture dealer of Monticello; Lizzie, wife of August Zybell. a retired shoe merchant of Monticello; Charles, a carpenter of that city ; August, who is still living' in Germany; and Augusta, wife of Henry Smith, who is engaged in farming near Poplar Bluff, Iowa ; and Dena, wife of our subject. By his second marriage Mr. Wachs has four children : Albert, who is engaged in farming on section 35, Sangamon township, and whose sketch appears below; Lillie, widow of Rempt Arends. now residing near Greenup, Illinois; Lizzie, wife of John Nelson, a carpenter of Normal, Illinois; and Rose, wife of Joe Clinton, a farmer of Monticello township. All of the children have been given good educational advantages and have attended high school.

After his second marriage Mr. Wachs sold his farm in Piatt county and went to Missouri with the expectation of locating there, but not liking it there he returned to Illinois and bought a farm of forty-three acres in Piatt county, where he spent one year. He was next engaged in the butchering business in Washington, Missouri, but as this was uncongenial he again came to Piatt county and purchased a farm of eighty acres in Goose Creek township near De- Land. In the operation of this place he met -with excellent success and at the end of five years bought an eighty-acre tract adjoining, and still later another eighty acres. Upon his property he built two good houses and a number of barns and other outbuildings, tiled the land and set out orchards, until he had a well-improved and valuable place. Mr. Wachs continued to actively engage in farming until 1893, when he retired and moved to Monticello, where he now owns a nice home. He is a man of sterling worth and many excellent traits of character, and is held in high regard by all who know him.

Albert Wachs

Throughout his active business life the subject of this sketch has been identified with the agricultural interests of Piatt county and is to-day successfully carrying on his chosen occupation on section 35, Sangamon township. He was born on a farm south of DeLand in Goose Creek township, January 8, 1866, and is a son of William and Dena (Hammerschmit) Wachs, whose sketch appears above. During his boyhood and youth he worked on the farm with his father in the summer and for about three months during the winter season attended the neighboring school. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage. It was on the 8th of October. 1889. that he wedded Miss Katie Baker, who had come from Germany in 1885, and to them has been born one child, Lillie, who is now with her grandparents in Monticello attending school.

After his marriage Mr. Wachs commenced farming upon eighty acres of land which he rented from his father, and when the latter retired and removed to Monticello our subject took charge of half of his land, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres, which he farmed quite successfully. At length in the fall of 1902 he was able to purchase one hundred and ten acres of land, known as the R. H. Benson farm and upon this place he has made his home since the gth of March, 1803. The place is im- proved with good modern buildings, and the land is under a high state of cultivation, the latest improved machinery being used in its operation. Mr. Wachs' crops are principally corn and oats, and he raises some cattle and hogs for market. He is a very progressive and energetic farmer and well deserves the success that has crowned his efforts thus far in life. In his political view's he is a Republican, active in the party, and influential in its councils.

Harmon Kuhn Gillespie

Harmon Kuhn Gillespie, who for many years was a representative farmer of Piatt county, but is now deceased, still lives in the memory of his friends because he had endeared himself to them by strong ties. His honorable manhood and his genuine worth won for him the respect and confidence of all and when he was called away his death was deeply deplored.

Mr. Gillespie was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, in September. 1825, a son of Christian and Dorothy Gillespie, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. In 1845 the parents removed to the west, settling in McLean county, Illinois, where they spent their remaining days. The subject of this review was the oldest of the family and in his early life he was employed in the iron works of the east. He acquired a good common-school education in Pennsylvania and when still quite a lad he learned the trade of wagon-making. Ere his removal to the west he was married on the 2Oth of September, 1845, to Miss Nancy Moore, a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, born on the I4th day of April, 1823, and a daughter of James and Anne (Weingardner) Moore. Her people were also from Pennsylvania. Her father followed farming, spending his entire life in the Keystone state,, as did his wife. The Moores were of Scotch- Irish descent, and all were of Quaker faith. The Gillespies were also of Scotch-Irish lineage and the grandfather of our subject came from Ireland to America in an early day. The family was represented in the Revolutionary war and also in the war of 1812. Unto our subject and his wife were born nine children, all of whom are yet living: Christian, who resides in Champaign county, Illinois, and is mentioned in connection with the sketch of Fred Gillespie; George Moore, who is living in Champaign county, and who wedded Ollie Crawford, by whom he has two children, Belle Irene and Luella Ida; Ann Dorothy, who is the wife of Philip Wiedman, a resident of DeWitt county, living near Farmer City, by whom she has two children - Frank L. and Lou Ola ; Samuel Joseph, a resident of Storm Lake, Iowa, whomarried Miss Eva Wisegarver and has two children - Nancy Pearl and Clyde C. ; John Wesley, who resides in Farmer City and married Miss Emma Cook; Henry Martin, who is living near Farmer City in DeWitt county and married Ida Knight, by whom he has one child, Hazel A. ; Lizzie Jane, who is the wife of Henry C. Eakin, a resident of Piatt county; Carl O., who is represented elsewhere in this volume ; and Frank Leslie, a resident of Montezuma, Indiana, and married Jennie Bunton and has one child, Cassius M. C.

Mr. Gillespie had been married for but a brief period when with his wife he came to the west, arriving in Illinois in 1847. He settled at Bloomington, and after a residence there of about five years he removed to Piatt county, where he entered government land, becoming the owner of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. All of this was wild and unimproved, and with characteristic energy he began its development. In course of time it yielded to him good harvests, and as his financial resources increased he added to this property until he owned some four hundred acres of land. There he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1891, when he removed to Farmer City, and in the latter place he died, June 25, 1901, his remains being interred in Maple Grove cemetery, south of Farmer City. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a valued member of the Masonic Lodge of Farmer City, also of the local chapter, R. A. M., and Urbana Commandery, K. T. He was always true and faithful to the teachings of the craft, and was buried with Masonic honors. In politics he was a Republican and for many years served as supervisor, while for a long period he also acted as justice of the peace. His faithfulness in public office was most marked, and in the discharge of his duties as justice he was impartial and was strictly fair to all. He was largely instrumental in securing the building of the Big Four Railroad from Urbana to Peoria, thus obtaining railroad facilities in Piatt county, and he was always a ' very active factor in the development and improvement of this section of the state. He served as superinendent of construction on the road when it was called the Illinois, Bloomington & Western Railroad. Along many lines his helpfulness was shown and he co-operated in many measures for the public good.

Heath, Illinois. He is a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred in Somerset, that state, on the I5th of December, 1871. His father, William M. Barker, was also born in Somerset, December i, 1836, and was a son of James Irby and Canzada (Simpson) Barker. The grandfather was born in Lee county, Virginia, in 1795, and on leaving his native state removed to Somerset, Kentucky. His parents were John and Lucy (Irby) Barker. John Barker was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, and by profession was a minister of the gospel. In his family were six children, namely : Asbury Edmond, who married Keziah Cover; Sarah, who became the wife of Thomas Floyd'; James Irby, the grandfather of our subject; Elizabeth, who died unmarried; Thomas, who served throughout the war of 1812 and was so nearly starved while, in the army that on his way home from New Orleans he purchased a side of meat and died from eating too much of it, the report of his death being made by his comrade, Frederick Tarter, on his return home; and John F., who married Katherine Weaver. The Doctor's grandmother, Mrs. Canzada Barker, was a daughter of James and Sarah (Carson) Simpson. The former died in 1832 and his wife in September, 1840. The latter was of Irish descent on both the paternal and maternal sides, and her parents were quite old at the time of their marriage. Unto James and Sarah Simpson were born twelve children, as follows : William L., who married Susan Buster; Canzada, 'wife of James Irby Barker ; Samuel ; Eliza, wife of John Cover ; Thomas, who married a Miss Stringer ; Greenup ; David, who married Nancy Cover ; Mary, wife of John Pierce; John R., who married Susan Yager; Sarah Jane, wife of Wesley Cover; Franklin, who married Emeline Richardson; and Quails. The children of James Irby and

Canzada (Simpson) Barker were John W., who married Polly Molen; James S., who married Dostia Ann Molen ; William Mason, the father of our subject ; and Sarah G., the wife of Michael Pennington.

William Mason Barker was educated in the common schools of Somerset, Kentucky, and after reaching manhood engaged in farming there throughout life. In 1856 he was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Sievers, who was born in Germany and came to this country when a child of thirteen years. She died in Somerset, in May, 1875, leaving eight children, namely : Walter O., the eldest, died, and his wife has since married James Roberts, a resident of Dunnville, Kentucky. John C. is now a physician of Hustonville, Kentucky, having graduated from the medical department of the University of Louisville in 1893, and also taken a course in medicine and surgery at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1896 and 1897. He was married in 1895 to Annetta Hamon, and they have two children, Anna L. and William Hamon. Sarah J. was married at Somerset, Kentucky, to Rufus Barker, and removed to Texas, where she died in 1901, leaving a husband and six children. James F. was married in Texas to Lula Jones, and is now engaged in farming in Texas. Rosa E. is the wife of Stanton Pierce, who was formerly a resident of Somerset, but is now carrying on farming near Greenville, Texas. Brent L., of this review, is the next in order of birth. Alonzo L. is a merchant of Somerset, Kentucky. Malinda is the wife of Sievers Barker, who follows farming near that place.

Dr. Barker acquired his elementary education in the public schools of Somerset, and later engaged in teaching school for two years. He was next a student at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, where he pursued a general course, and on leaving that institution he resumed teaching, again following that profession for three years. While thus employed at Somerset, he took up the study of medicine, and in 1893 entered the Louisville Medical School, where he was graduated on the 25th of March, 1897, with the degree of M. D. He was also presented with a gold medal by the same institution, which he won in a competitive examination, and was also honored in the same way by the Pulaski County Oratorical Association, being given the first gold medal ever presented by that society.

For one year after leaving medical college Dr. Barker was engaged in the practice of his profession in Kentucky, but in 1898 came to White Heath, Illinois, where he has since made his home. On the igth of July, 1902', he purchased property here, consisting of two lots on which is a nice house and barn in good repair. Here he has his office. He has many patients throughout the surrounding country, covering a radius of fifteen miles, and in his treatment of cases of all kinds he has been remarkably successful. Although still a young man he is regarded as one of the leading practitioners of his adopted county, and well does he deserve the confidence reposed in him.

Dr. Barker was married on the I7th June, 1903, to Miss Nellie Rankin, of White Heath, who was born near Cisco, September i, 1882, and is the third in order of birth in a family of six children. Her parents are now living on the road between White Heath and Monticello. Her father was born August i, 1849, and her mother's birth occurred on the 22d of November, 1854.

cared for the honors or emoluments of office, preferring to devote his entire time and attention to his business affairs. Fraternally, he is an honored member of White Heath Camp, No. 2119, M. W. A., in which he has served as clerk for over two years ; and also belongs to Mount Royal Lodge, No. 120, Court of Honor; Fern Leaf Camp, No. 145, Royal Neighbors; and White Heath Council, No. 319, Mutual Protective League, all of White Heath. He is quite popular in social as well as professional and business circles and is well liked by all who know him.

Marion Bosserman

Marion Bosserman. a well-to-do agriculturist living on section 28, Goose Creek township, is a typical self-made man, and in the following record of his career there is much to arouse respect and esteem. His success in life is largely due to his industry and perseverance, and by making the most of circumstances, however discouraging, he has acquired a comfortable competence.

A native of Ohio, he was born in Franklin county, September 25, 1847, and is a son of Daniel and Rachel (Young) Bosserman, natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, respectively. The father was reared and educated in the Keystone state, and in 1^60 came to Illinois, settling in DeWitt county, where he was engaged in farming until his death in 1889. He died very suddenly, being seemingly well -at noon, but passed away at one o'clock from the effects of an epileptic stroke. His widow is still living at the age of eighty years, but is now in very poor health. In their family were ten children, six of whom are still living, namely: William and Michael, who operate the home farm: Catherine, the wife of Robert Marsh, a farmer living three and a half miles southwest of Weldon, Illinois; Charles, a farm hand; Lucy, at home with her mother; and Marion, of this sketch. Those deceased are John, who died at the age of four years ; David, who died at the age of three; and Lincoln, who died in infancy.

From the time he attained a sufficient age until the removal of the family to Illinois, Marion Bosserman attended school in Ohio, and was later a student in the public schools of DeWitt county, where his parents settled. When about twenty years of age he began working as a farm hand in that county, and being careful and economical he was able to save nfost of his wages, in which way he gained a start in life. He began farming on his own account in De Witt county, two and a half miles north of Weldon, where he purchased eighty acres of low land in a very poor condition, but he improved the same, transforming it into a good farm, which he successfully cultivated for some years, adding greatly to its valuation during that time. In 1888 Mr. Bosserman sold that property and removed to Piatt county, purchasing the John Van Sycle farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Goose Creek township. In its operation he steadily prospered and was able to add to his property until he now owns two hundred and sixty acres of as good land as Piatt county affords. Upon the place is a pleasant residence, good outbuildings, an orchard and various kinds of small fruits, and its neat and thrifty appearance plainly indicates the supervision of a progressive and painstaking owner. He raises the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate and also feeds for the market cattle and hogs of a fine breed. He also keeps good horses for his own vise and raises some nice colts.

Mr. Bosserman was married in 1873, the lady of his choice being Miss Anna Eliza Marsh, a daughter of John and Anna Eliza (Forceman) Marsh, who were well-known and highly respected farming people of De ' Witt county, Illinois. The children born to this union were Iva, who died in early childhood'; Laura, the wife of Frank Marvin, a farmer of Piatt county ; John, Robert and Charles, who assist their father in carrying on the home farm ; and Frederick, who died at the age of three years. The sons are honest, industrious and reliable young men. who are of great assistance to their father, and who have the respect and esteem of all who know them. Mr. Bosserman owes not a little of his success in life to his estimable wife, who by her help and encouragement has aided him in every possible way. She is a kind mother and loving wife, who takes pride in making her home a cheerful one and in doing everything for the comfort and welfare of her family. By his ballot Mr. Bosserman supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and he is now capably filling the office of school trustee for a second term. He also served as school director while living in DeWitt county, and is a public-spirited and enterprising citizen.

William M. De Grofft

William M. DeGrofft is now living a retired life. Nature was bountiful in her gifts to the agriculturist who was wise enough to locate in Piatt county as a place of residence.

The rich land of this portion of the state yields abundant harvests and furnishes excellent pasturage for stock, and he who devotes his energies to farming and stock-raising, carefully directing his labors by sound judgment, finds that within a number of years he has acquired capital sufficient to supply him with the necessities and many of the comforts of life without further labor. Such has Ijeen the case with Mr. Groffts, who resides on section 34, Blue Ridge township, and who was long actively engaged in farming in Piatt county.

A native of Fayette county; Indiana, he was born in 1842 and is a son of Aaron and Elizabeth DeGrofft, both of whom were natives of Indiana. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, is now deceased, but the mother is still living. It was in the year 1857 that this worthy couple came to Illinois, locating in Champaign county. The subject of this review was at that time fifteen years of age. The three came overland, making the journey with a team and wagon, and were thirteen days in completing the trip. The father secured a tract of land and the son assisted him in its cultivation and improvement. When twenty-one years of age William M. DeGrofft, however, left home and entered upon an independent business career. He rented three hundred and twenty acres of land in Sangamon township, Piatt county, not far from Galesville, and he made his first purchase of land in 1882, becoming the owner of one hundred and seventy-two and a half acres, which constitutes the farm that he now owns and occupies. He has added all of the .improvements upon the place and has made it a valuable tract of land substantially equipped with good buildings and modern accessories. He gave his attention to general farming.

carrying on both grain and stock-raising tintil about five years ago, when he rented his land to his son, Lyman, and is now living retired. His wife owns fifty acres of land near Mansfield, and Mr. DeGrofft has property in the town of Mansfield. He is also one of the directors of the First National Bank, which was founded in 1902. Year after year through a long period he labored in the fields, plowing, planting and harvesting, and as the result of his careful attention and capability he acquired a handsome competence, becoming one of the substantial residents of the community.

On the 1 6th of March, 1866, Mr. De Grofft was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Macke, a daughter of John Macke, of Warren, New Jersey, who had emigrated to Ohio in early life, and unto them have been torn nine children : Aimer, who is living in Whiteside county, Illinois; Rachel A., who is the wife of Edmund Ouayle, a resident of Champaign county; John W., who makes his home in McLean county. Illinois ; Lyman, who resides in Piatt county ; Franklin, who died at the age of one year and five months ; Delilah, who is the wife of Edmund Van Sycle, a resident of Piatt count}': Alice, who is the wife of William Patterson, of South Bend, Indiana; a son that died in infancy : and Ida, who is living at home.

Mr. DeGrofft is both self-educated and a self-made man. In his early life he pursued his studies in an old-fashioned log schoolhouse in Indiana, seated with slab benches, while in one end of the room was an immense fireplace. His attendance there, however, was quite limited, and yet through reading and observation he has gained broad practical knowledge. He possesses an observing eye and retentive memory, and is now well informed concerning the leading questions of the day. His business career has been creditable and by close attention to his work he has advanced steadily on the road to success. Both he and his wife be- , long to the Methodist church' and in politics he is a Republican. For six years he served as road commissioner, but with this exception he has never consented to hold office, preferring to give his time and energies to his agricultural interest, whereby he has won signal success. When he first came to Illinois this county was very wild, being still a frontier region. Wolves were numerous and deer were also to be seen in great numbers. Much of the land was under water and some unfit for cultivation, but tiling has made it very productive and the rich soil annually returns splendid harvests. Mr. DeGrofft has seen the growth of the county, has witnessed its development and has aided in its progress, especially along agricultural lines. As one of the pioneer settlers, therefore, as well as a successful citizen, he deserves mention in this volume.

Henry Gessford

Among the leading and representative citizens of DeLand probably none have done more for the upbuilding and advancement of the place than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. For over thirty years he has been prominently identified with its material development and prosperity, and has done all within his power to advance its interests.

December, 1842. His father, Elihu Gessford, was born in North Carolina, in 1802, but as a small boy went to West Virginia, and in his early manhood followed farming there. In 1834 he came to Illinois and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land near DeWitt, in DeWitt county, which he broke and improved, his first home here being a log cabin in which our subject was born. He experienced all the hardships and trials of pioneer life and in those early days he hauled his grain to Chicago by team - a distance of one hundred and forty miles. After selling his wheat at from twelve to fifteen cents per bushel he would return home with a load of salt for the cattle. In 1824 he was united in marriage to Miss Frances Webb, a daughter of Henry and Catherine Webb, of Wythe county, Virginia. Mrs. Gessford was born in that county in 1810 and died at Farmer City, Illinois, in 1871, while her husband passed away on the old homestead farm in 1847. To them were born eleven children, namely : Sarah and Catherine, twins, both now deceased ; Malinda and Rebecca, also deceased ; Stephen, a farmer residing near Creston, Iowa ; Frances, wife of George Walters of Kansas City, Missouri ; Columbus, deceased; Henry, of this review; William, who was a member of Company I, Thirtyninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war, and died after his return home from wounds received in service; James, who was a member of Company I, One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was killed in the siege of Atlanta; and Annie, also deceased.

Henry Gessford was educated in the common schools of DeWitt county near Farmer City, but at the early age of twelve years he started out in life for himself by working as a farm hand at ten dollars per month, being thus employed until the country became involved in civil war. Like his brothers he offered his services to the government to help put down the Rebellion, enlisting in 1 86 1 in Company F, Forty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Seventeenth Army Corps. He participated in a number of hard-fought battles, including the engagements at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, the siege of Corinth and Vicksburg. He was also in the battle of Hatchie's Run and Jackson, Mississippi. He was wounded at both Fort Donelson and Vicksburg, and after over three years of faithful service he was mustered out and honorably discharged at Springfield, Illinois, August 20, 1864.

On his return from the army Mr. Gessford commenced farming on his own" account, operating land near Farmer City until 1873, when he removed to DeLand and embarked in merchandizing under the name of the Henry Gessford Mercantile Company, conducting the store successfully for five years. He then sold out and turned his. attention to painting and paper hanging. He has since given more or less attention to the real estate business, buying and selling town property, and he now owns five houses and lots besides his own home and some vacant lots. These houses he keeps in good repair and rents. Soon after coming to De- Land he purchased two lots and in 1884 erected thereon the small house which he now occupies, but in the summer of 1903 it is his intention to erect a fine large residence with eleven rooms and all modern conveniences and improvements. His property is well located and is surrounded by beautiful shade trees which add greatly to the attractive appearance of the place. On his return from the army Mr. Gessford found DeLand unplatted, in fact a large cornfield, and it is largely due to his efforts that the village to-day enjoys its present prosperity. He has bought and sold a number of lots and erected several buildings, including private residences and stores.

Mr. Gessford was married December 22, 1864, to Miss Mary Jackson, of Farmer City, Illinois, who was born in Stockport, England, in 1846, and came to this country in 1850 with her parents, Joseph and Hannah (Higginbotham) Jackson, also natives of that country. On their arrival in America they first settled in Rochester, New York, but six years later removed to Le Roy, Illinois, and in 1863 took up their residence in Farmer City. Mrs. Jackson is still living at the age of eighty-three years, but has suffered a third stroke of paralysis and is now totally blind. She makes her home with our subject and his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Gessford have four children : James W., a harnessmaker and dealer in harness and saddlery at DeLand ; Charles G., who lives with his father and owns and operates a thresher and cornsheller; Maude DeLand, who was the first white child born in the village for which she is named, and now the wife of Edward Johnson, of Monticello; and Bertram E., who is with his brother James in the harness business.

Mr. and Mrs. Gessford are earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is also connected with Lemon Post, G. A. R., of Farmer City. For thirty-three years he was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but was obliged to withdraw from that society on account of failing health. In politics he is a stanch Republican and he is as true to his duties of citizenship to-day as he was when following the old flag to victory on the battlefields of the south during the dark days of the Rebellion. Upright and honorable in all the relations of life, he merits and receives the confidence and esteem of "those with whom he is brought in contact, and his friends are many in the community where he has so long made his home.

James Van Gorder

Section 19, Blue Ridge township, is the home of this "horny handed son of toil." Here he was born and bred, and in this community none stand higher in the public esteem. James is the son of Benjamin and Charlotte Van Gorder, who were early settlers in the county, and highly regarded for their honesty and integrity. He is a native of the county, born in 1866 in Blue Ridge township, where he still cultivates the homestead farm. One brother, William Judson, and a sister, Mrs. Mary Martin, who also reside in the county, are the remaining members of the family.

Mr. Van Gorder passed the period of boyhood and youth in the invigorating outdoor life of the farm, securing a good primary education at Langley, the district school of the community. For a year after attaining his majority he remained beneath the parental roof, working for his -father, then took up the duties of life on his own account, cultivating a portion of the home farm. In 1895 he purchased forty and five years later purchased forty acres more of the three hundred and twenty acres he now cultivates, the remaining portion still belonging to his father. The farm is one of the most productive in the county, the combined efforts of the father and son having brought it to a high state of cultivation. They devote its products largely to the fattening of cattle and hogs for the market, using grain as a crop in rotation.

Mr. Van Gorder waited until he was well prepared to care for a wife before taking the important step of matrimony, the I3th day of October, 1892, marking that event. Mrs. Van Gorder was a Piatt county girl, the daughter of Hiram and Susan Steele, wellto-do farmers living near Galesville. where her father and sisters still reside, the mother having passed away. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Van Gorder have been born Adelia, Howard, Paul, Vernie, who died in infancy, and baby Bertha, who constitute a most interesting family.

The weight which attaches to a life well spent entirely within one community is hardly to be estimated. A floating population is the bane of our civilization. Using the other end of the familiar old saw, "A rolling stone gathers no moss," one finds in the Van Gorder family a fine old moss-covered stone - covered with the attractive moss of sterling attributes of character. Their church affiliations lie with the United Brethren, while fraternally Mr. Van Gorder is a worthy member of the Modern Woodmen and the Masons, with membership at Mansfield. He is a Democrat in politics, and though not courting office, has been called on to serve his community in a minor way. He is at present school director of the district and as such is an earnest advocate of the growing idea in educational fields - that consolidation of schools in the country will greatly improve the service - which is an idea that is yearly gathering strength as each new experiment demonstrates its feasibility.

Willow Branch township has many good citizens but none better known and more favorably held in the esteem of the public than the gentleman whose name prefaces this sketch. He resides on a splendid farm of three hundred and sixty acres on section 9. the fine twelve- room modern farm house, which he erected in 1883, having few equals in the county.

Mr. McClure's place of nativity was in Jefferson county, Kentucky, where he was born in 1829. His father, William McClure, was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and near there he married Nancy Wheeler about 1823. William McClure was of a stirring, restless character, with an abundance of animal spirits and not a lazy bone in his body. Had he possessed business ability in a larger degree he would have risen to affluence. In early life he engaged in wagon-making. Later he turned his ingenuity to good account in the manufacture of stocks for cradles and scythes. His later days were passed in agricultural pursuits in Macon county. Illinois, to which state he had removed in 1848. After the death of his wife, on November 6, 1877, he became an inmate of our subject's home, where he was. tenderly cared for until his race was run, the date of his death being 1878. The family born to these parents were as follows: John C. W., who entered the army during the Mexican war, and died in Mexico ; Samuel : Emaza J., deceased wife of George R. Farrow; Eranie E., who married William Farrow and is now deceased : Nancy, who died at the age of twelve years, and William, who died at fifteen.

P1Att County, Illinois

well as many of the night, in hardest toil. After he became a man he, Lincoln-like, secured enough education to transact ordinary business, and an observant mind has done the rest toward making him what might safely be called a man of good education. His first efforts were directed toward getting a home for his wife, whom he married May 15, 1851, her maiden name having been Eliza Jane Farrow. She was the daughter of Thornton and Catherine Farrow, of Macon county. By renting land and breaking prairie for outside parties he was finally enabled in 1856 to buy his first piece of land, an eighty-acre tract in Macon county, all wild. Several different times he bought and sold, steadily advancing in prosperity. Finally, in 1857, he purchased a part of his present farm, it being at that time virgin prairie, and now, as he looks out over his three hundred and sixty acres of broad domain, Mr. McClure does so with the satisfaction that his is the unaided hand which has wrested from nature one of the finest farms in the whole state. He laid the first tile used in the township, and the farm is covered with objects of his care and forethought, fine orchards yielding abundant fruit in every variety, wells and good fencing, and spacious and substantial barns and outbuildings. For many years Mr. McClure was one of the most active farmers in the county, raising large crops of all kinds of grain. Of late years, however, he has taken matters more quietly, pleasing his fancy in the raising of thoroughbred stock - Norman horses, Aberdeen and Jersey cattle and Poland China hogs - with which varieties he has had great success.

Eight children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. McClure: Daniel K., a farmer of Willow Branch township; John C. and Francis, both of Bement; Theodosia, wife of

Life is a 1>attle. To win one must have a superabundance of reserve force. This may consist of inherited wealth or natural ability, reinforced by strong will power. Samuel McClure found himself handicapped as to the former, but endowed with an abundance of the latter he has vanquished adversity. All honor to such a man. As road overseer and school director he serves his community most acceptably, and he and his family deserve the large measure of esteem which comes to them from friends and neighbors.

Jacob Fisher

Jacob Fisher is a retired farmer living in White Heath. Fie was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, December 2, 1837, his parents being John and Margaret (Cline) Fisher. The father was a native of Frederick county, Virginia, born on the pth of August, 1808, and obtained a common-school education in the Old Dominion. In 1836 he was united in marriage to Miss Cline, and in 1839 they removed to Piatt county, Illinois, this being then a frontier region in which the work of progress and improvement had been scarcely begun. For miles stretched the wild prairie unclaimed and unimproved. Mr. Fisher took up his abode upon a tract of this land and developed a farm which continued to be his home for fourteen years. In the early days he and his family endured many hardships and trials incident to pioneer life. He broke the prairie with one of the old-time plows, driv- ing an ox team. He raised wheat and corn for market, and by the sale of these products was enabled to gain some of the other necessities of life. He would haul his wheat to Chicago for there was only one other flour mill, and that was in Springfield, but on account of the low prices at which groceries sold in Chicago at that day Mr. Fisher preferred to take his wheat to that city in order to secure his other supplies. He first made the trip with ox teams and afterward with horse teams. His wheat sold for thirtyseven and a half cents per bushel, while pork brought one dollar and fifty cents per hundred weight. He harvested his wheat and corn with the sickle, and shocked it all by hand. All farm work was done with primitive machinery, and the farmers felt that thev were greatly benefited by the invention of the cradle which enabled them to do much more work with less labor. There is certainly a great contrast between farm machinery used at that early day and the improved agricultural implements of the present. The home was a log cabin, and while many of the conveniences in use at the present time were then unknown, still pioneer life was not devoid of its pleasures for hospitality then reigned supreme, and many were the merry gatherings held in the different pioneer homes. After some years residence in this county, Mn Fisher purchased a farm of three hundred and forty acres upon which he resided until his death. In addition to general farm products he was also extensively engaged in raising stock for the market, making a specialty of hogs. Year by year the work of improvement was carried on by him until at the time of his demise he was considered one of the most successful and prosperous agriculturists of Piatt county. He died on April n, 1863, respected by all who knew him. His wife was of German lineage and was a most estimable lady, carefully rearing her family. She died on May 1 1, 1849, at tne ac'~ vanced age of eighty-three years. Their children were Jacob; George W., deceased; Mary Ann, who died in early childhood; John, who died in infancy ; Martha, the wife of James Collins, now deceased; Sarah Malissa, who died when but three years old ; Hiram, who died at Memphis, Tennessee, while serving in the Union army; David, deceased ; James, a farmer living three miles north of Monticello; Serelda C, who is the wife of James Phalen, and is living on the Allerton farm, four miles southwest of Monticello; Margaret, the wife of I. N. Holloway, who is living retired at White Heath ; and Ezra, who died Jn infancy.

Jacob Fisher is indebted to the public school system of Piatt county for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He gained his lessons sitting upon a slab bench in a log schoolhouse and wrote his exercises upon a plank desk. There were puncheon floors and old fashioned fireplaces. It was just about that time that sawmills were coming into universal use and lumber was therein prepared for flooring and other purposes. Mr. Fisher worked upon his father's farm and attended school when he could be spared from the labors of the fields, but he was the eldest of twelve children and his services were often needed at home. His educational privileges were therefore limited, but in later years reading, experience and observation have added largely to his knowledge, making him a practical business man. He wedded Mary Ann Morse, a daughter of Henry Morse, of Mahomet. Champaign county, Illinois. Her father was a Canadian while her mother was from Ohio, and Mr. Morse followed the blacksmith's trade in Mahomet, carrying on the business also at his farm about half a mile from the town.