Decatur Township (part 14 of 46)

As llie oldest physician of Maroa, Dr. AIcLean has maintained his position in the front ranks of the medical fraternity in this part of the county by reason of his comprehensive reading and study, whereby he has kept in touch with the progress of the times in connection with the science of medicine. A native of KiiUucy, he was born in Harrison county, that slate, in 1858, a son of C. A. and Lucy McLean, who in 1865 removed to Maroa. It was therefore in the schools of this city that the Doctor acquired his preliminary education. Later he became a student in the University of Illinois in the class of 1877. With broad literary knowledge to serve as the foundation upon which to roar the superstructure of professional learning, he took up the study of medicine in the Rush Medical College of Chicago and was graduated with the class of 1881. Thus well equipped for his chosen profession he returned to Maroa and remained with his father for a time. In July, 1882, he removed to Warren sburg, Illinois, but in May, 1883, returned to Maroa, where he has since remained, and as the 3'ears have come and gone he lias increased his skill and proficiency by compre- - hensive investigation into the methods of practice that have been followed and that are being introduced for the alleviation of human sitffering. While never hasty in discarding the old and tried methods he is ever alert to know of new ones which will benefit mankind and his reading and research have made his knowledge profound and accurate. He pursued a post-graduate course of study in both New York and Chicago, on the eye, ear, nose and throat.

At one time Dr. McLean owned a farm but afterward sold it. However, he is now interested in the farming of thirteen hundred acres of land, but does not own it. In Maroa he has a fine residence, which is indicative of the success that has crowned his efforts in his chosen life work. In his practice he was associated with Dr. Morgan as a partner from 1890 until 1897, and they fitted up a splendid office with all modern improvements, which Dr. McLean now owns and occupies.

On the 16th of June, 1885, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Margaret P. Crocker, a daughter of John H. Crocker, and unto them have been born four children: John C, Franklin C, Edwin P. and Anna Louise, all of whom are attending school. The Doctor and Mrs. McLean belong to the Presbyterian church, and fraternally he is connected with Maroa Lodge, No. 454, A. F. & A. M., and Maroa Lodge, No. 314, I. O. O. F. Politically he is a Democrat and has twice served as mayor of Maroa, giving to the city a practical business-like administration that appealed to the people and won their strong endorsement and high encomiums. The Doctor has spent almost his entire life in Maroa, and his life history is in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own country, for along lines of signal usefulness he has directed his labors among the people who have known him from boyhood and the community accords him respect and confidence.

William Pi. Stare

WILLIAM PI. STARE. William H. Stare, now deceased, was a contractor and patternmaker in Decatur during the greater part of his life. His business record was creditable and in social relations he maintained the strictest honor and integrity with his fellow men so that he was classed with the leading and highly respected citizens of his community. A native of York county, Pennsylvania, he was born on the 21st of January, 1854, and is a son of John and Mary Ann (P.ruaw) Stare, both of whom were natives of the

Past And Present Of Macon Col'Nty

Keystone state. The father was also a contractor by occupation and followed that pursuit in \'ork county, Pennsylvania, until 1858. lie then removed westward with his faniil}- and settled in Decatur, where he established a lunilieryard and engaged in business. He also worked at his trade here throughout his remaining days and his wife spent her last days in Decatur.

\\ illiam H. Stare acquired a good education, completing the high school course in Decatur. He was but four years of age when, with his father, he came to this city and here the days of his youth were passed in the usual manner of boys of that period, the duties of the schoolroom being alternated by the enjoyment of the playground. When he had put aside his text books he began to learn the contractor's trade and followed that pursuit with his father for many years. He also learned the patternmaker's trade and followed that calling in Decatur. Another enterprise to which he turned his attention was the manufacture of tile in Cerro Gordo, Illinois, where he conducted the business for two years. On the expiration of that period, however, he returned to Decatur, where he worked at contracting and pattern-making until the time of his demise. His capability in the line of his chosen vocation, his close application and his indefatigable industry were the elements in his success that brought to him a comfortable and desirable competence.

On January 14, 1879, William H. Stare was united in marriage to Miss Harriet E. Hoover, a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Catherine Hoover. Her father was a farmer in Ohio throughout his entire life and there his death occurred September 30, 1861. His widow afterward came to Decatur and made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Stare

In social circles in Decatur Mr. and Mrs. -Stare were widely and favorably known. They had many friends who esteemed them highly for their genuine wortli. In his political views Mr. Stare was an earnest Republican, but never sought or desired the rewards of office in recognition of his party fealty. He held membership in the Church of God in Decatur and took great interest in church work, doing everything in his power to extend its influence and promote the cause of Christianity. In early manhood he was made a deacon in the church and acted in that capacity up to the time of his death. He was also serving as superintendent of the Sunday-school when called to his final rest. Of the Young Men's Christian .Association of Decatur he was a charter member and a director at the time of his death, and was also a charter member of the Christian Endeavor Society here. His labors were effective and far-reaching in behalf of the cause of Christianity and his example is one well worthy of emulation. His wife is an earnest Christian woman, belonging to the First Baptist church of Decatur. It was on the 5th of August, 1890, that Mr. Stare was called to his final rest, and his remains were interred in Greenwood cemetery. He had so lived that all who knew him gave him confidence and regard and Decatur numbered him among its valued citizens. His life was indeed honorable, upright and useful and it is therefore with pleasure that we mention him among the representative men of the city in which he so long resided. INIrs. Stare yet makes her home in Decatur and has a fine new residence at No. 874 North Main street, where she is now living. In addition to this she owns residence property at Nos. 115 and 125 East King street in Decatur, from which she receives a good income.

About 1850 Andrew Dennis became a resident of Macon county and for long years resided here, watching the development and growth of this portion of the state and taking an active interest in the work of progress and improvement here. He was a native of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, born on the 14th of December, 1820. His parents were John and Magdeline Dennis, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Ohio in an early day. The father there turned his attention to farming and was engaged in agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death. His widow afterward came to Macon coimty and resided with a daughter in Decatur until her demise.

Andrew Dennis began his education in the public schools of Pennsylvania and continued his studies in the schools of Ohio, gaining a practical knowledge which proved of benefit to him in the control of his business interests in later years. When he left school he became his father's assistant on the home farm in Ohio, and prior to this lime he had rendered active service in the care and cultivation of the fields during the summer months. He had a brother who came to Macon county about 1849 and. sending back favorable reports concerning this section of the country, Mr. Dennis of this review was induced to come to Illinois in 1850. Joining his brother he worked at the plasterer's trade in Decatur for a number of years. He then purchased a tract of land in Decatur township and turned his attention to farming, placing his land under a high state of cultivation and raising good crops.

Mr. Dennis was united in marriage to Miss Matilda L. Baker, a native of Rutherford county, Tennessee, born August 28, 1824; and a daughter of William D. and Manila (Martin) Baker, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. y\t the age of fifteen years William D. Baker removed to Rutherford county,' Tennessee, where he engaged in carpentering until 1828, when in company with a Mr. Davis he came to Macon county, Illinois. They were among the first settlers of this county. Hardly a home had been established within its borders and the work of civilization and progress had been scarcely begun. Much of the land was still in possession of the government, roads had not been laid out and only here and there was a log cabin to show that civilization had penetrated into the interior of Illinois. Mr. Baker and Mr. Davis settled in Long Creek township, when it was all wild prairie land and their neighbors were between six and eighteen miles away. ^Ir. Baker made improvements upon his farm and there resided until his death, giving his time and attention to the further development of his property. He died in 1883 at the age of eighty-three years and twentyeight days, having for fifty-five years been a resident of IMacon county and a witness of its growth as it emerged from pioneer conditions to take its place among the leading counties of the state. Mrs. Baker survived her husband for about ten years and passed away in 1893, at the very advanced age of ninety-four years. The Baker family has long been a prominent and well known one of Macon county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dennis were born four children : Maggie, the wife of A. P. Cobb, now a Christian minister of "Decatur; Mary, who died at the age of twenty-one years ; Charlie, who is employed on the Chicago News in a confidential capacity to Mr. Lawson and married Rachel Wilson, while after her death he wedded her sister, Nellie Wilson; and Tra, who died in infancy. The children have had the benefit of splendid educational privileges.

there engaged in fanning until his life's labors were ended. As the result of his energy and capable management his farm became valuable, the fields yielding excellent crops, while good buildings and other improvements indicated the careful supervision and progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Dennis was never an office seeker but served as county commissioner for a short time, in early life he gave his political allegiance to the Democracy and later, on account of his strong temperance principles, he became a Prohibitionist. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Ppiscopal church but since her husband's death Mrs. Dennis has joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church of Decatur, in which denomination two of her brothers are ministers. In his business affairs Mr. Dennis was very successful and became well-to-do. He was systematic in all that he undertook and his capable management and energy resulted in bringing to him very gratifying financfal return for his labor. He died March 3, 1893, and though ten years have since passed his memory is yet enshrined in the hearts of many who knew him and who entertained for him warm regard by reason of the sterling traits of character which he possessed. In December, 1895, Mrs. Dennis left the farm and removed to Decatur, although she still owns the rich tract of land of one hundred and forty-one acres on which she and her husband long resided. In this city she purchased her present property at No. 820 North Union street, where she is now living, her home adjoining that of her sister.

John P. Lehn

JOHN P. LEHN. At the time of his death John P. Lehn was one of the most successful farmers and highly esteemed citizens of Illini township and his possessions had been acquired through his own industrious and well directed efforts. He had won by an honorable, upright life an untarnished name, and the record which he left behind is one well worthy of perpetuation.

Mr. Lehn was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1838, a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Waggoner) Lehn. His father died about 1850 and his mother three years later, so that he was left an orphan at an early age. In the family were seven children, five sons and two daughters, namely : Anna, wife of Frank Chugerts; John P.; Susannah, deceased; Sylvester, a resident of Tennessee ; Wilson, who makes his home in Colorado ; Josiah, who is a fruit grower of Shedds, Linn county, (Jregon ; and Samuel, a resident of Macon county, Illinois.

In the county of his nativity John P. Lehn was reared and educated and although his school privileges were limited he became a well informed man by reading and observation in later years. Leaving Pennsylvania in 1856 he came to Macon county, Illinois, and worked by the month as a farm hand for seven years. Having lived economically and saved his money, he was then able to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie land, to which he afterward added four hundred acres, making five hundred and sixty acres, which he converted into a highly cultivated and well improved farm. Since his death this has been divided among his sons, so that they now have eighty acres each.

Mr. Lehn was married February 20, 1873, to Miss Tabitha Jones, a daughter of Robert Jones, of Pennsylvania, and five children blessed this union, namely : George Waggoner, who married Lois L. Baum and resides in Illini township; Calvin, who wedded Lilly Sibthorpe and lives in Hickory Point township ; Frank, who married Ada Moore and lives in Illini township : and Ellis and Howard, still at home with their mother.

In his political affiliations Mr. Lehn was a Democrat and he lilled the offices of road commissioner and school director. He was very public spirited and progressive and always took a deep interest in any enterprise calculated to promote the general welfare. He was emphatically a self-made man his success in life being due entirely to his own industry and good management, and he is certainly deserving of honorable mention among the leading and representative citizens of his adopted county. After a useful and well spent life he passed away on the old home farm, where his widow still resides, January 14, 1S99.

H. Martyn Owen

One of the most notable features in the educational world is the growth and development of schools for the education of those wishing to enter the business life. The employer of to-day does not care to retain in his service an unskilled employe. His time is too valuable to instruct others in business methods and he secures the aid of only those who have already been fitted for responsibilities of the business world. Decatur has an institution of marked merit for the training of young people for business life and at the head of this school is H. .Martyn Owen, who for a number of years has labored here along the line of education.

Mr. Owen was born in Christian county, Illinois, December 30, 1866, and is a son of Oscar J. and Mary (Wickcns) Owen, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Thej^ were born in the vicinity of Marietta, Washington county, and removed from, the Buckeye state in 1865, established their home upon a farm in Christian county, Illinois, where the father engaged in general agricultural pursuits, including the cultivation of the soil and the raising of stock. Upon that farm the mother died in August, 1902, and the father, who still survives her, is now living retired in Stonington, having through his capable elTorts in former years won a competence that now enables him to rest from I'unher toil, lie owns and controls a large amount of valuable land in Christian county and is also a stockholder in the First National Bank of Stonington.

11. Martyn Owen, whose name introduces this record, spent his early life upon the home farm and in his leisure hours assisted in its cultivation, the sun shining down on many a field which he had plowed and planted. His educational privileges were such as were afforded by the district schools and he remained upon the home farm until about seventeen or eighteen years of age, when, wishing to have the benefit of more advanced educational privileges, he entered Shurtleff College at Upper Alton, Illinois, where he continued his studies for three years. In 1889 he attended school in Quincy, Illinois, and in 1890 he went to Davenport, Iowa, where he taught in a commercial school for a lime. Later he became one of the instructors in the Iowa Commercial College, where he remained for a year and since 1891 he has been associated with educational work in Decatur in connection with Brown's Decatur Business College, in 1894 he became a stockholder in the institution and was elected to the position of principal, lie has since acted in this capacity with credit to himself and satisfaction to the many students who have been in attendance here. His methods of instruction are practical and thorough - the demand of the times. In 1896 he was elected secretary of the Brown College corporation at Peoria, Illinois, the company having colleges in Peoria, Decatur, Bloomington, Ottawa. Centralia, Galesburg, Danville, Champaign, Jack.sonville, Rock Island, Streator, Moline and Rockford, Illinois; in Terre Haute, Indiana ; and in Davenport,

Iowa. The greater part of his attention, however, is devoted to the Decatnr College, which is well equipped with every appliance bearing upon the branches of learning therein studied.

In 1890 Mr. ()wcn was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Francis, of Movveaqua, Illinois, a daughter of Nathan and Mary Francis, and unto them have been born tv^'o childen, Helen Frances and Honora M. Owen. Mr. Owen has gained a very wide acquaintance in Decatur and throughout the surrounding country and is known as a gentleman of scholarly attainments and broad general learning. He has a large circle of friends and it is with pleasure that we present to our readers the record of his career.

John L. Matthew

Among the honored citizens of Macon county who were among the defenders of the Union cause during the dark days of the Rebellion must be numbered the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. Throughout the years of his manhood he has engaged in agricultural pursuits and to-day owns and operates a good farm on section 29, South Macon township.

Mr. .Matthew was born near Cleveland, Ohio, on the 16th of December, 1845. a son of John B. and Barbara (Stuck) Matthew. The father was a native of Germany and about 1795 came to the United States, taking up his abode in Ohio, among its earliest settlers. There he purchased land and engaged in farming about twelve years, and then removed to Jackson county, Indiana, becoming the possessor of one hundred and twenty acres of timber land near Brownstown, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home as he died about two years after locating thereon. His wife survived him many years, making her home with her sons until she, too, was called away, about twelve years ago. They were the parents of six children, of whom our subject is the third in order of birth, those still living being Helen, widow of William Hockey and a resident of Cleveland, Ohio; Kate, wife of George Hemer, a farmer of Shelby county, Illinois; John L., of this review; George, who is engaged in farming near Moweaqua in Shelby county ; and Elizabeth, wife of Peter Lee, a wagon manufacturer of Seymour, Indiana.

John L. Matthew was born in an old log house and was educated in a log school building near Valona, Indiana, conning his lessons upon a slab bench. He remained at home until seventeen j-ears of age and then entered the Union army, enlisting in the spring of 1863 as a member of Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was in the service at that time for four months and was then honorably discharged at Indianapolis, but the following year he again entered the army, this time enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Seventeenth Indiana Infantry, with which he served nine months. He was promoted corporal and received his final discharge at Indianapolis. He was in the engagement on Clinch mountains, where he came very nearly starving, his rations being only one ear of corn per day.

After his return from the army Mr. Matthew commenced work by the month on a farm in Jackson county, Indiana, and was thus employed for three years. He was next engaged in the sawmill business for one year and later engaged in farming on rented land in Jackson comity for four or five years. He then turned his attention to the tanning business in partnersliip with his brother-inlaw, John \'. Miller, and on disposing of his interest in that enterprise two years later, he bought a small farm near Seymour, Indiana, which he operated for two vears, and then sold. During the following three j-ears he cuUixaled a reiiled farm. In 1881 Mr. Matthew came to ^[acon county, lUinois, and rented a farm south of the village of Macon for three years, after which he liad cliargc of tlie John J. Bradley farm northeast of Macon for six years. He next rented the Orlando Powers farm for eight years, and at the end of that period purchased his present farm of one hundred and three acres on section 29, South Macon township. He has since tiled the land, built fences, erected a residence and barn, set out an orchard and luaile many other useful and valuable improvements which add greatly to the attractive appearance of the place. He feeds a few hogs for market but devotes his attention principally to general farming. During his life time he has witnessed great changes in the methods of agriculture, for during his youth grain was harvested with a cradle and threshed with a groinid-hog thresher.

On the 1st of January, 1870, IMr. Matthew married Miss Ella Miller, a daughter of Casper and Margaretta (Noah) Miller, and they have become the parents of six children, those now living being Ida, wife of Charles Young, a farmer living near Boody ; Mary, at home; Anna, wife of Fred Wagoner, a farmer of Milam townshi]): Katie and John, both at home. Mr. and Mrs. Matthew are members of the Catholic church of Macon and are higlih- respected and esteemed by all who know them. In politics he is a Democrat, but has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office.

Joseph Warburton

JOSEPH WARBURTON. Joseph Warburton, deceased, was for many j^ears an honored resident and successful farmer of Macon county. His earl}^ home was on the other side of the Atlantic. for he was born in Manchester, England, on the 25th of December, 1847, 'I'l'l ^"^''i^ ^ ^"'i of Thomas and .Mary (.Marlow) Warburton, also natives of the mcrrie isle. There our subject was reared and educated, and when about twenty years of age came to .\merica. landing in New York in 1862. For about two years he remained in the eastern states engaged in farming, and then came west to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he worked for a short time. After that he became a resident of Macon county and spent a short tiiue in Maroa. He then purchased a tract of land in Harristown township and at once turned his attention to its cultivation and improvement. As time passed he steadily prospered in his new home and succeeded in acquiring three hundred acres of rich and valuable land, which he left to his family.

In 1870 Mr. Warburton was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Ellis, who was burn in Concord, Illinois, August 27, 1852. Her parents were John and Sarah (Horton) I'lllis, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Illinois. The mother died when Mrs. Warburton was only six months old, but the father is still living and is now engaged in agriciiUnral ]nu-suits near Farmer City, Illinois. P>y his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and lie is an active and prominent member of llie .Methodist clinrch and the Masonic fraternity.

Mr. and .Mrs. Warburton became the i^arents of ten children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Harry. September 13, 1874; Dora, May 2, 1876; Nellie, February 10, 1878; John E.. October 6, 1879: Mary R., January 21. 1882; William. December 2, 1884; Edward C, September 17, 1886; Ida M., March 20, 1888; Ralph G., January 25. 1890; and Sarah E., June 20, 1892. All are living with exception of William, who died July 23, 1890, Dora is now the wife of Bert Cdasgow, a farmer of Harristown township, and they have one child, Carl.

After a useful and well spent life Mr. Warburton passed away November 9, 1895, and was laid to rest in Harristown cemetery. He affiliated with the Republican party and always took an active interest in public affairs. In his social relations he was a Mason, and religiously was a member of the Christian church. He received and merited the confidence of the entire community in which he lived and in his death the county realized that it had lost a valued citizen. In 1898 Mrs. Warburton and her children removed to the village of Harristown, where she has a beautiful home. She is a most estimable lady and is held in high regard bv all who know her.

John R. Hight

JOHN R. HIGHT. John R. Hight was one of the early settlers of Macon county, taking up his abode in Macon township in January, 1855, when there was but one house and a railroad station m the village of ]\Iacon. Here wolves and other wild animals were plentiful and venison furnished manj' a meal for the early settlers. Wild fowls, too, were often killed and served upon the tables of the pioneer residents of this locality. Much of the land was still uncultivated and it remained to such sturdy pioneer settlers as Mr. Hight and his associates to reclaim the region for the uses of the white man and make this one of the rich productive centers of Illinois.

Mr. Hight was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, April 11, 1832. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hight, were both natives of the Old Dominion and there the father spent his entire life, .\fter his demise his widow lived with her children in Illinois until she, too, was called to her final rest.

father in the operation of the home farm in N'irginia. Later he went to Tennessee where he lived for a few years, coming thence to Illinois. He first settled in Greene county, this state, and began working a.s a farm hand by the month, thus gaining a start in life and laying the foundation for his honorable career as an agriculturist.

thus employed John R. Hight was married on October 25, 1854, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary E. Smith, a native of Marion county, Alissouri, born January 4, 1837, and a daughter of Christopher Columbus Smith. Her father left ^Marion county in 1849 ^nd went to California in the hope of gaining a fortune in the gold fields of that state, but his death occurred six weeks after his arrival on the Pacific slope. There were three children born unto Mr. and ^Nlrs. Hight: Lucy Virginia and two who died in infancy unnamed. Lucy also passed away at the age of one year, eight months and ten days.

After his marriage Mr. Hight made his home in Greene county, Illinois, until January, 1855, when he came to Macon county and purchased a farm three miles south of the village of Alacon in South Macon township. There he began general farming, which he carried on for several years and he also lived in Milam township for one vear. Eventually he abandoned agricultural pursuits and took up his abode in the village of Macon, where he accepted a clerkship in a store, being thus employed for some time. He then began business on his own account in the same village, conducting a general mercantile establishment for several years or until November, 1894, when he sold out and came to Decatur. Here he established a meat market, which he conducted for a year. He then again sold his store and this time became engaged in the dairy business, which he carried on until his death on the 17th of February, 1903.

several positions, including that of constable and of school director. He was township collector in Milam township for one year and was assistant assessor in Decatur for a year. His political allegiance was given to the Democratic party and he always voted for its men and measures. Both he and his wife were members of the First -Methodist Episcopal church, loyal to its teachings and interests. Mr. Hight was indeed a self-made man. He started out upon his business career empty handed and it was by working as a farm hand that he gained his start in life. As the years passed he gradually advanced and the success which he achieved was due entirely to his well directed labor. The Hight family has long been a prominent one in Macon county and two of Mr. Hight's brothers are engaged in the banking business and are connected with other important business affairs of the village of Macon. Mrs. Hight, the widow of our subject, now owns and occupies a good home at No. 1254 North Edward street in Decatur and is well and favorably known here.

James H. Montgomery

James H. Montgomery is the junior member of the firm of Brown & iMontgomery, dealers in real estate in Decatur. Pie is a representative of an old southern family. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Montgomery, was born in Virginia, and in 1823 removed to Ohio, casting his lot among the pioneer settlers of that state. He wedded Catherine Hahn and in order to provide for his family he devoted his energies to operating on the Ohio river as steamboat captain. He died in 1832, of cholera. He had marked influence for good and displayed characteristics of a Scotch-Irish ancestry.

.Among his children was John Montgomer\', who was born in the Old Dominion in 1810, the family home being at that time in the Shenandoah valley. He became a general business man and at one time was largely interested in the milling and coal business. He married Miss Margaret Tidd, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of John and Mary (Plulter) Tidd, who were early settlers of the Buckeye state. Her father was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a very devoted Christian gentleman, lie reached the advanced age of ninety-two years, and passed away hon- , ored by all who knew him. In the year 1858 the family of James Montgomery came to Illinois, settling two and a half miles northeast of Decatur, where they remained until 1864. They then removed to Wheatland township, Macon county, where the father died on the 5th of January, 1885, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. The mother and children afterward established their home in Decatur, where she died on the 19th of August, 1892. She was the mother of eight children, seven of whom lived to years of maturity, namely : William H.. Mary J., Benjamin F. and John T., all of whom are now deceased ; Charles M., who is a resident farmer of Gilmore, Illinois ; Martha A., who died in infancy ; James H., of this review; and Amanda C, who is now the wife of Martin J. Rubican.

James H. Alontgomery was born in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, May 8, 1850, and in 1858 came with his parents to Decatur, Illinois. Here he pursued his education in the public schools, in which he continued until his sixteenth year. He then entered Mount Zion Academy, where he pursued his studies for one year, after which he returned to the farm. Soon, however, he began teaching and followed that profession for four years. He was next eml)Ioyed by the Haworth Manufacturing Company and afterward by B. F. Avery & Son. while subsequently he was with the

F. B. Tait .Manufacturing Compan)-. In 1898 he began dealing in real estate, handling both city and farm property. He handles lands in Illinois, .Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin, and in this work is associated with Hon. John A. Brown, under the firm name of Brown & Montgomery. Both partners are old residents of ?vIacon county and here bear an excellent reputation for fair dealing. The}^ ha^-e built up a largo business not only in Decatur, but in the states mentioned. They handle large amounts of realty annually and their yearly sales have reached a very gratifying figure.

In his political views Mr. Montgomery is a Republican, but never sought or desired office. He kecjis well informed on the issues of the day, however, and is thus able to support his position by intelligent argument. He labored earnestly for the success of the party principles during the ^IcKinley campaign in 1896. The greater part of his attention, however, has been devoted to his business affairs and in connection with the real estate operations of this section of Illinois he is widelv known.

C. H. Bean

C. H. BEAN. In a ])leasant home on one of the good farms of Macon county, located in Pleasant View township, resides C. H. Bean, who is one of Illinois' native sons, his birth having occurred in LaSalle county, August 15, 1857. His parents were Jacob H. and Hannah (Kolb) Bean, both of whom were natives of Chester county. Pennsylvania, the father having been born of English parentage, while the mother came of German descent. The father was a wagonmaker in the Keystone state and also sold farm machinery there. About 1850 he came to Illinois and here turned his attention to farming, purchasing a tract of land in LaSalle county. He bought this of the government and he also purchased a farm in Carroll county, near Mount Carroll, whereon he lived until 1865, when he sold that property and came to Macon county. Here he purchased six hundred and forty acres of land from the Illinois Central Railroad Company for ten dollars per acre, and developed a splendid farm, which is still in possession of his heirs. It is upon this farm that C. H. Bean resides. In the family were seven children, of whom four are yet living. The two eldest, however, died in infancy. .Amanda is the wife of D. N. Syford, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who is a farmer and stock-raiser, making a specialty of polled Angus cattle. C. H. is the next of the family. Martha F. is the widow of Edward L. Garwood and resides on the northeast quarter of section 10, Pleasant View township. W. H. married Miss Lizzie Ballard, of Bloomington, and after her death wedded Hattie Bethards. of Christian county. He is a clothing merchant of Blue Mound and lives in Pleasant View township. Emma, the youngest, died at the age of three years. The mother's death occurred April 28, 1888, when she was nearly sixty-six years of age, and the father's death occurred in 1898, when he was about se^-enty-f^ve years of age. To the district schools C. H. Bean is indebted for his preliminary educational training. He afterward attended the State Normal University, at- Normal, Illinois, and the Jacksonville Business College. Following his return home he worked upon his father's farm and was twenty-seven years of age when he began farming and raisin stock for himself. He has since continued lo engage in agricultural inirsuits and has made a specialty of the raising of polled Angus cattle and Poland China hogs, having considerable registered stock and placing upon the market only high grades. His farm comprises two hundred and fnrtv acres of land, which

Garrett S- Stoutenborough Mes. Margaret J. Stoutenborough

On the 1st of September, 1885, Mr. Bean was married to Miss Mary A. Gregory, a daughter of Jacob Gregory, of this county. By this marriage there are seven children : Harley, born June 17, 1887; ^lay, January 13, 1890; Inez, }klarch 19, 1892; Carl, November 7, 1894; Hazel, March 27, 1897; Fred, May 30, 1899; and Roy, November 20, 1902. Mr. Bean has been successful in his chosen field of labor and is now very comfortably fixed in life. He erected on his land an attractive home, which, with the other modern improvements and surroundings, constitutes this one of the best and most desirable farms in Pleasant View township.

Garrett S. Stout I-. X Borough

Garrett S. Stoutenborough, of Maroa, is the possessor of a handsome property which now enables him to spend his years in the pleasurable enjoyment of his accumulations. The record of his life, previous to 1891, is that of an active, energetic, enterprising and methodical business man, who bent his energies to the honorable acquirement of a comfortable competence for himself and family.

Mr. Slouleiiboniugh was born in Buller count)-, Ohio, in 1824, and is a son of John and Jane (Schenck) Stoutenborough, both natives of New Jersey, the former born in 1791, the latter in 1796. The father was a farmer and followed that occupation in Ohio throughout the years of his manhood. In the schools of his native state our subject acquired his education and during his minority aided in the work of the home farm, thereby gaining a good practical knowledge of agricultural pursuits. At the age of twenty-one he commenced farming on his own account, oi)crating rented land for nine years. Coming to Illinois in 1854 he first located near Kenney, DeW'iti count)-, where he purchased a small tract of land, to which he subsequently added from time to time as his financial resources permitted until he and his wife became the owners of seven hundred acres of land near that place and si.x hundred acres in Macon county. The wife also owns the residence they now occupy in Maroa, where they have made their home for the past twelve years. The price paid for his land has ranged all the way from twenty-five to seventy-seven dollars per acre. In his farming operations Mr. Stoutenborough was remarkably successful, being a man of good business and executive ability, as well as a thorough and painstaking farmer, and he generally carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He has made all of the improvements upon his farms, which are now operated by his children.

In 1845 Mr. Stoutenborough married Miss -Margaret J. Hankinson, who was born in 1825 and is a daughter of James and Sarah Hankinson. Her father was also an Ohio farmer. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stoutenborough were born the following children : Sarah Jane, born March 18, 1848, is now the wife of James Fruit, who lives on our subject's farm near Kenney, and by whom she has three children; Mary E., born October 7, 1850, is the wife of Edward Schoby, of I Witt county, and they have three children; James, born January 16, 1854, married Ella Baird and has one child living; John, born September 14, 1856, married Ella Miller and with his wife and five children lives in Maroa township, Macon county; William, born April 13, 1858, married Hattie Miller and has four children ; Frank, born November 20, 1861, wedded Emma Moore and has fot:r children. He makes his home near Kenney. Mr. Stoutenborough has three brntliers li\ing in Maroa.

ami lie votes with the Republican party. He has filled the office of school director but has never cared for political preferment, his time and attention being wholly occupied by his business affairs in early life. When he came to this state they were just building- the railroad through Maroa but the village had not yet sprung into existence and he has watched with interest the growth and tlevelopmcnt of this region, at the same time taking a very active part in its upbuilding. Now in his eightieth j'ear, his career has ever been such as to command the respect and confidence of meii and he is well worthy of representation in the history of his adopted county.

John R. Fitzgerald

JOHN R. FITZGERALD. John R. Fitzgerald is the junior member of the well known law firm of Decatur of Mills «& Fitzgerald. He was born upon a farm in Moultrie county, Illinois, November 29, 1873, his parents being \l. C. and Ellen { Delahunty) Fitzgerald, who in 1870 came to this state and established their home near Bethany, where the father engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He still resides upon that farm and thus for more than a third of a century has been identified >vith agricultural interests there. John R. Fitzgerald, Avho is one of a family of five children, began his education, as did the other members of the household, in the district school. Later, however, he had the opportunity of attending the Bethany high school, in which he was graduated and afterward he entered the Lincoln University. His mental training was still further obtained in the State University of Champaign, where he pursued his studies for three years. Thus he gained broad general and literary knowledge to serve as the foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of his professional learning. Upon the completion of his college course he took up the study of law in the office of Judge Cochran, at Sullivan, under whose direction he pursued his reading until he was ready for entrance into the law department of the Uni- \ersity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 1894. For a year thereafter he served as a clerk in the office of Mills iirothers. He was then admitted to the Ijar in 1895 before the supreme court at .Springfield and came to Decatur, where he opened a law office. Soon thereafter he entered into partnership relations with L. A. Mills, under the firm name of Alills & Fitzgerald, and they have since been engaged in general practice. The firm has won a wide reputation for ability and splendid success has attended them in the control of numerous interests in which they have been employed. As a lawyer Mr. Fitzgerald is distinguished in the trial of cases in court, where his quick perception, close reasoning and power of speech make him a dangerous antagonist.

It was on the 30th of October, 1899, that Mr. Fitzgerald was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Griffin, of Dalton, Illinois, a daughter of P. Griffin. They are surrounded in their home by many friends and are well known young people of this city. Mr. Fitzgerald is a young man of strong mentality, of keen intellect, logical in his answers and forceful in his reasoning and thus his qualities are such as insure success in the arduous and difficult profession of the law. Being a Republican in politics he stands high in the council of his party and is an alile exponent of its principles on the platform, but has never sought public office. He is a member of a great many fraternal and lienevolent ort;-anizations.

Butler Simpson

in St. Clair county on the 4tli of May. 1848. His father, W. G. Simpson, was born in the same county and was a son of W'ilHam G. Simpson. The grandfather was of English descent and his wife belonged to an old \"irginian family. At a \ cry early day they came to Illinois and settled in St. Clair county and there the father of our subject made his home until 1854, when he came to Macon county, the trip being made in a prairie schooner. He first located two and a half miles west of Decatur, where he lived in a log cabin until February, 1857, and then removed to the northwest corner of Macon county, settling on section 21, Xiantic township. On coming to this county he brought stock with him and throughout the remainder of his life was quite extensively engaged in the stock business. His first purchase of land in Xiantic township consisted of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, to which he subsequently added until he had two hundred and eighty acres. L'])on the old h<imestcad his daughters now reside. The family passed through the usual pioneer experiences and the father materially aided in the early development of this section of the state. After a useful and well spent life he died at Illiopolis, May 19, 190,^, when over eighty-one years of age, and his wife, who was also a native of St. Clair county, passed away in 1902, at the age of eighty years. Both were laid to rest in Long Point cemetery, Niantic township.

Eleven children were born to this worthy couple, eight of whom are still living, namely: P.utler, of this review; Kate, wife of Thomas Wright, of Niantic township: Mrs. A. E. Sullivan, a widow living in Illiopolis; William, a resident of Logan county, Illinois: Jacob and Edward, both of Macon countv : John, of Christian county; and Ida. of Illiopolis.

Butler Simpson was only six years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Macon countv and here he oblaini'd liis education in the conunon schools. The early home of the family was a log cabin, but during the boyhood of our subject a frame house, sixteen by thirty-two feet, was built. .\s the land which his father purchased was wild and unimproved he assisted in breaking many an acre of virgin soil with a plow that cut a furrow from eighteen to twenty inches wide, to which were attached four or five yoke of cattle. He began plowing when only ten years of age and continuetl to drive cattle until twenty-two. He not only became familiar with the work of the fields but with household duties as well. He would shear the sheep, spin the wool into yarn and knit his own socks and mittens. At that time all of the clothing of the family was home-made. Deer were often seen and other wild game was plentiful, the (lucks and geese rising from the ponds in great dark clouds. During his Ijoyhood Mr. Simpson thus had ample opportunity to indulge his love of hunting. The \oung farm animals had to be penned up every night to keep them from the wolves who often came prowling around the house, and rattlesnakes were also very numerous at that time. Mr. Simpson killed the last den of young wolves found in his neighborhood. He has often assisted his mother in molding candles to light their little home and has driven six miles for wood to be hurncil in the old fashioned fireplace. He used to go to market in a two-wheeled wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen over almost inii)assable roads between his home in Xiantic township to Decatur, a distance of seventeen miles. Farming was then carried on in a rather ])rimitive manner, the grain being cut with a cradle and thrashed out l)y horses. It will thus be seen that Mr. Simpson is thoroughly familiar with pioneer conditions, yet those vyere the good old tiijies when the latch-string was always out and liospitalit\- reigned sujireme in the little cabin home.

At Illiopolis, on the 5th of March, 1873, Mr. Simpson was united in marriage to Miss Martha Gourley, who was born in Carter county. Tennessee, September i, 1856, a daughter of Marcus L. and Julia A. (Edens) Gourley. The father was also born in that county, April 19, 1831, his parents being Charles and Nancy (Morgan) Gourley. Charles Gourley was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, becoming a civil engineer and government surveyor, and in the community where he resided was recognized as a verj- prominent citizen. In 1837 in Tennessee while fording a river on horseback he was drowned and his wife died the following year, thus leaving Marcus L. Gourley an orphan at the age of seven )''ears. There were six other children in the family. His brother, David, was killed at Chucks Crossroads, Tennessee, during the Civil war and was buried on the battlefield, and his brother William, who was serving as captain of Company C, Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry was killed at Marion, Virginia, and his remains were also interred at the scene of conflict which cost him his life. After the death of his parents, Marcus L. Gourley lived with an aunt until his sixteeenth year, w'hen he started out in life for himself with a limited education, working on a farm at six dollars per month. At the end of five j^ears he rented land in Tennessee and carried on farming there until 1856. when he removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, locating near Springfield, where he operated rented land until 1868. That year he purchased a farm on which he made his home until 1882 and then removed to mini township, Macon county, buying an eighty acre tract near Harristown. In 1883 he located on section 35, Hickory Point township, two and a half miles north of Decatur on the Bloomington road, where our subject and his wife now reside. When Mr. Gourley first landed in Illinois he had only fifty cents and a wife and two children depending on him for support. His wife died September i, 1887, and was buried in Boiling Springs cemetery, where a monument now marks her last resting place. Mr. Gourley was a Republican in politics and was a good reliable business man. He died in February 1900, and was buried by the side of his wife. He was married in 1852 and had three children but Lavina died in infancy and John E. died April 11, 1890, so that Mrs. Simpson is the only one now living.

Unto our subject and his wife have been born seven children : Annie E., now the wife of Charles Marshall, of Niantic township ; Bertha, wife of W. G. Gourley, of Perr\-, Iowa ; Lucy, wife of Frank Hays, who lives on the Bloomington road: Nellie E., Julia and Otto W., all three at home ; and one who died in infancy.

For one year after his marriage Mr. Simpson lived on his father's old homestead and then purchased eighty acres of partially improved land in Illini township, where he lived for a number of years. On selling that place he bought another eighty acre tract one mile south of the old home place and resided there until his removal to his wife's farm on section 35, Hickory Point township. Here he now lives retired, the farming being operated by hired help, while he enjoys a well merited rest.

Mr. Simpson's interests center in his family, especially in his descendants, and he has three very interesting pictures, one of four generations of males, the second of four generations of females, and the third a group of the whole family. These he prizes very highly. Politically he is a stanch Democrat and he has been called upon to fill the offices of commissioner of highways in Illini and Niantic township, and was also school director for many years. His father was identified with the building of churches and school houses in Niantic township, and the family has always taken

Thomas B. Doake

Thomas B. Doake, now deceased, was a well known liveryman of Decatur for many years and among the earlier representatives of the business interests of the city, coming here in 1854. Illinois claimed him among her native sons, for his birth occurred in Quincy, this state, on the 19th of September, 1846. 1 1 is parents were Madison and Mary Ann Doake. At an early epoch in the history of Sangamon county, Illinois, the father located within its borders and for a few years was engaged in farming there. He afterward removed to Quincy, Illinois, where he lived until 1854, when he came to Decatur. Here he was engaged in buying and shipping stock for a few years and in 1S56, while traveling in a stock train between Decatur and St. Louis, he was killed in a railroad accident, which occurred at Taylorville, Illinois. His wife passed away in Springfield some years later.

To the common school system of the state Thomas B. Doake was indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. After leaving school he was emploj'ed in various ways in Quincy until his father's removal to Decatur, when he came to this city and assisted in the stock business here for a few years. After his marriage he turned his attention to the livery business, establishing a barn in Decatur at Nos. 205 to 225 West Wood street. There he conducted a very fine livery and boarding stable and also did transfer business for many years. He had a large line of fine carriages and many good horses and from the public he received a liberal patronage because of his well known fairness in business transactions and earnest desire to please his customers. He was a lover of fine horses, careful in his treatment of them and gave them every consideration which is due from man to the animal world.

Mr. Doake was married April 16, 1871, in Mount Zion, Macon county, to Miss Margaret Ballinger, a native of West Virginia, born December 2, 1852, and a daughter of Robert and Catherine M. Ballinger, who removed to IMacon county in i860, settling on a farm in Wheatland township, where they resided until death, the father passing away in 1862, while the mother long survived and departed this life in 1895. Four children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Doake : Jessie, now the wife of George Mc- Crory, a resident of Peculiar, T^Iissouri ; Cora B., the wife of James Logan, who is a traveling salesman and makes his home in Decatur; Mary M., the wife of Everett K. Ehrhart, a groccryman doing business at No. 275 West Greene street, Decatur; and Robert C, who resides with his mother.

Mr. Doake voted with the Democracy and never faltered in his adherence to Democratic principles. The citizens of Decatur and Macon county wished him to accept the nomination for county sheriff on several different occasions, but he always refused, never being an office seeker, content to do !iis ]niblic duty as a private citizen. He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, holding membership in the lodge in Decatur, and both he and his wife were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church here. A very prominent citizen, he was well known through Macon county and in his business affairs he gained success. He had many friends here, his genial manner, unfailing courtesy and unostentatious life winning him the warm regard of those with whom he was associated. After her husband's death Mrs. Doake sold the livery business. She and her son reside at No. 1015 North Edward street and the residence property there she owns.

luilustry wisely and \igorousl\- applied never fails of success but carries a man upward and onward and in due lime he reaches the goal of his ambitions. The truth of this statement has been many times verified in the lives of the prosperous citizens of the I'nited States and again finds exemplification in tlie career of Nicholas LJommersbach. who is the leading florist of of Decatur, carrying on an extensive and profitable business.

Mr. Bomniersbach is a native of Metz. France, born on the Moselle, on the 25th of June, 1845. His parents were John and Susan (Laqua) I.ommersbach and the name is of Holland origin. The father was a farmer by occupation and died in France - his native country - in 1872. The subject of this review was early trained to the business in which he is now engaged. At the age of fifteen years he began to learn the florist's trade, for which privilege he had to pay three hundred and fifty dollars, in order to receive his special instruction of the leading florists of France. During the first two years he received no wages. He has a diploma which was signed by the mayor for each two years' service. This liad to be done before he could receive any compensation for his labors. He spent the years of his apprenticeship in the Leona florists gardens, where twenty-five men were employed, remaining there from 1862 until 1865. In the year 1870 he joined the Frencli army for service in the Franco- Prussian war and went to Belgium and from there to Paris. He participated in the battle of Weissenberg and in the battle of Sedan where Napoleon was captured. In Paris he was stationed in the Fort Setienne and took part in many actions of that siege during the summer of 1870. He was afterward at Versailles, where he did guard duty until the r)th of .April. 1871. The soldier endured many hardships and trials and frequently had lianlly enough to keep him ircm starving.

After being mustered out of the service .\lr. Ilommersbach returned to his home in Metz, but the idea of seeing his jirovince Alsace become a part of Germany was so distasteful to him that he determined to emigrate to America and in 1 871 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New York on the nth of June of that year.- He then made his w-ay from there to .Alban) . Indiana, but after a short time he went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he remained for two years, being in the employ of Mr. Clement, a florist. On the expiration of that period he went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he spent two and a half \cars in the service of Herr Recourt. From 1876 until 1881 he served as florist for the State Insane Asylum in Indianapolis, having entire charge of the improvement and beautifying of the grounds there, eighteen men working under his supervision. On the 17th of March, 1881, Mr. Bommersbach arrived in Decatur, where he established a business of his own on a small scale. Each year he has built additions to his greenhouses until they are now the most extensive and his plant is the largest of the kind in Decatur or this portion of the state. Success has attended his efforts since his arrival here and is the outcome of his industry, guided by intelligence and experience.

On the 28th of December, 187O, Mr. Bommersbach was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Cody, of Indianapolis, and unto them were born five children, but onh' two are now living, John and Albert. Those who have passed away are Estella. who died at the age of five years ; Arthur, who died at the age of nine years and six months; and Katie, who passed away at the age of four years.

S. A. F. & A. -M.: Macon Chapter. No. 21, K. A. M.: I'.caumanoir Commaiulcry. No. 9, K. T. : to the Mystic Shrine of Peoria, and to Decatur Chapter. Xo. 111, (>. E. S. He is also connected with the Knights of l\\thias I-raternity and the Modern Woodmen of America, lie is one of Decatur's solid men and has done considerable for his adopted city in the way of co-operatins; in general iniprovenients. He is a most genial man to meet and is a fine illustration of the self-ma<le man. He began his career under somewhat adverse circumstances, being comi)elled to make his own way and his success in life illustrates most forcibly tiic power of patience and persistent effort anil self-reliance. He has so conducted all affairs, whether of a private interest or of public trust, as to merit the esteem of all classes of citizens.

John 1.. Drake

JOHN 1.. DRAKE. John L. Drake, who is engaged in the hardware business and has done much to improve the city both through his business activity and capable official service, has spent almost his entire life in Macon county. He was born upon a farm near Argenta on the 25th of October, 1854. and is a son of John and Rebecca (Robinson) Drake. P>ut little is known concerning this branch of the Drake family yet it is reasonable to think that the ancestors of our subject were from Xew Jersey and at an earlier date from .\ew England. The Robinson family also lived in the east and the grandfather of our subject, removing westward, settled in I'riends Creek in Macon county when his daughter. Mrs. Drake, was only nine years of age. A few years afterward he removed to Arkansas where his last days were spent. John Drake was one of the ])ioneers of Macon county, coming to this state al)out 1843 from Xew Jersey. He l)urchased a large tract of land which he improved, but in the work of dexelopiuent he subjected himself to exposure and as the result of this and his untiring efforts his career was terminated in death at the early age of fort}- years, passing away in 1855. .\t the time of his demise he was the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in .Macon county. His widow sur- \i\-ed him until November, 1898, when she, too, died at the age of seventy-two years. They were the jiarents of five children, but two of the number died in infancy. The others are S. P.. a resident of Luddington, Illinois : John L. : and Isaac, who died at the age of twenty-one years.

John L. Drake, whose name introduces this record, has jiractically spent his entire life in Macon county and his early ])ri\ileges were those of the conmion schools and such as might be obtained upon the home farm. He began earning his own li\ing by working as a farm hand at twelve dollars per month and was thus employed for two and a half years. He then began farming on his own account in Friends Creek township when but eighteen years of age. Later he purchased land and improved it, carrying on agricultural pursuits with good results for fourteen years. On the expiration of that period Mr. Drake took up his abode in Argenta. where he engageil in the lumber business for two years and in the spring of 1889 he removed to Nebraska, while in the fall of 181/) he came to Decatur. Here he has engaged in the real estate business and has handled considerable valuable ])roperty, negotiating many important realty^ transfers. He bought and now owns three hundred and seven acres of valuable land in .Macon county and in 1893 he built the Columbia block and has other moneyed interests in Decatur.

pany, which is the oldest store of the kind in the county, it being first owned by J\Ir. Close, later by the firm of Close & Griswold, still later by C. L. Griswold and afterward by C. Al. Barnett. Mr. Drake is now carrying on this business and has the second largest stock of hardware in the county.

The home life of Mr. Drake has been very pleasant. He was happily married April 12, 1877, to Miss Aura Belle Dickey, a daughter of Harvey Dickey, a pioneer of Macon county. Six children have been born this marriage: Jeanette M., who has been educated for the duties of a librarian and was graduated at Champaign, Illinois, in the class of 1903 ; Clarence E., who is with the Decatur Plumbing & Heating Company and who married Miss Amy Bray, of this city; Mabel; Erma Fay; Leah, deceased; and Louise.

Mr. Drake is an ardent supporter of the Republican party, casting his first ballot for Rutherford B. Hayes and for each Republican presidential candidate since that time. He has been honored with a number of local positions, having been elected alderman of his ward in 1893 and afterward re-elected for a second term. While residing upon the farm he served as commissioner of highways and has always been most loyal in his performance of public duties. He is a member of Chevalier Bayard Lodge, No. 189, K. P.; of Celestial Lodge, No. 186, L O. O. F. ; and of Decatur Camp, No. 144, M. W. A. In his business career he has been active, energetic and successful. His close study of the issues and situations has made his knowledge broad, thorough and comprehensive. 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 that has ever represented the city in its council.

J. H. ARMSTRONG. J. 11. .\rmstrong is a young and enterprising farmer residing on section 27, Friends Creek township. He is one of Macon county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Maroa township on the 2d of December, 1871. His parents are William and Elizabeth Armstrong, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. Our subject was but five years old when the family removed from Maroa to Friends Creek township and here he grew to manhood amid rural scenes. W'hen not in school he assisted in the work of the home farm and early acquired an excellent knowledge of all the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist. On attaining his majority he began farming for himself upon a one hundred and sixty acre tract which then belonged to his father, but was purchased by our subject in the spring of 1903, and to the cultivation of this place he has since devoted his time and attention with results that are highly satisfactory to himself. He raises the grain best adapted to the soil and climate of his native county and is also interested in the raising of hogs for market. His father made all of the improvements upon the farm with the exception of the house, which is one of the oldest in the township and is now being repaired by our subject. He is very progressive in his farming methods and is meeting with well deserved success.

In. 1895 Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage to ^liss Lula Yates, a daughter of D. C. Yates, now living in Missouri, and they have one child. Opal, who was born January 23, 1896. Mrs. Armstrong is a most estimable lady and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Socially Mr. Armstrong is a ^Mason and is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. The Republican party finds in him a stanch supporter of its principles but he takes little part in politics aside from voting.

J. D. BOTTRELL. In taking up the personal history of J. D. Bottrell we present to our readers the life record of one who has a wide acquaintance in this part of Illinois and whose activity and integrity in business life as well as in social relations has brought him the warm regard and friendship of many with whom he has come in contact. He was born near Mount .\uburn in Christian county, November 28, 1859, a son of Daniel and Mary Ann (Dunn) Bottrell, both of whom were natives of England, whence they came to America in the fall of 1855, settling in Christian county. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, purchased one hundred and eighty-five acres of land two miles northeast of Mount Auburn that is now the property of Daniel Bottrell, Jr. The father was a veterinary surgeon at Red Root, England, and practiced his profession until coming to the United States, but here devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in the winter of 1871. His wife survived him until February, 1873, and was then laid by his side in Mount Auburn cemetery. They were the parents of ten children : Jane, born June 15, 1837, died March 9, 1839; Jane, the second of the name, was born August 18, 1839, and is now the wife of Henry Gough of Butler, Bates county, Missouri; Daniel, born July 26, 1841, is a retired farmer of Illiopolis, Illinois; Samson, born April 30, 1844, is a farmer living near Mount Auburn; Emma, born May 10, 1846, is the wife of Thomas Wilson, who is living near Dalton City, Macon county, and who was a surgeon in the Ninth Illinois Infantry and was wounded at Fort Donelson ; Mary, born January 31, 1847, is the wife of B. F. Sudduth ; .Annabelle, born October 30, 1861, died on the 7th of November of the same year; Thomas, born October 26, 1851, married .Mice Ilershev, and lives north of Osbornvillo, in Christian county; John and our subject complete the family.

In the common schools of Christian and of Macon counties J. D. Bottrell was educated. He left school at the age of nineteen and previous to this time he had become familiar with farm work, by assisting in the labors of field and meadow through the innnths of vacation. His school life ended, he began farming near Dalton, living with his sister, and when twenty years of age he bought a farm of eighty acres, whicli he owned and operated for a year and a half. He then sold that property and worked for others for a year, after which he bought (inc hundred and si.xty acres on section 4, .Milam township, which he conducted for a year.

During that time Mr. Bottrell wedded Miss Etnma Hershey of Mosquito township, Christian county, and after living upon one farm for two years they removed in 1856 to the old Hershey homestead in .Mosquito township, there remaining until October, 1895. They then came to Blue Mound and Mr. Bottrell now occupies a beautiful and substantial residence in the eastern part of the city. He still owns, however, one hundred and sixty acres of land in Mosquito township, which is now rented and brings to him a good income.

Mrs. Bottrell is a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Kbert) Hershey of Christian county, both of whom are natives of Pennsylvania, born of German ancestry. The father was fourteen years, of age, the mother two years old when with their respective parents they removed to Ohio, the families settling near Massillon. In April, 1865, Mr. and Mrs. Hershey came to Illinois and located upon a farm of about three hundred and sixty acres in Mosquito township, Christian county. The father, born August 23, 1818, died May 9, 1880, and the mother, whose birth occurred March 2, 1822, passed away November i, 1892. They were laid to rest in Slaftord cemetery in Mosquito township. ( )f their faniil)' of ten children Airs. Bottrell is the yt)ungest. The others are James \\'., born April 6, 1859 ; Xancy<> who was born September 19, 1847. ^"d is the wife of John Goodrich of Shelby county, Illinois; Margaret Ann, who was born December 9, 1848, and became the wife of Samuel Reazin, her death occurring December 30, 1876, while he died December 20, 1898; Isaac Edward, born June 10, 1861 ; James E., who was born September 6, 1 85 1, and died January 3. 1898: John F., who was born September 12, 1852, and is living near Hebron, Nebraska, with his wife, who bore the maiden name of Maria Morris: Sarah Alice, who was born July 14, 1857, and is the wife of Thomas Bottrell: Afaria E., who was born April I"- ii^SS- '"1*1 '^ t^'ic wife of Frank Overmeyer of Belvidere, Missouri ; and Emma Frances, born May 30, 1863. Mrs. Bottrell was educated in the district schools of Mosquito township and li\ed at home up to the time of her marriage. Unto our subject and his wife have been born three children: Bertha, who was born July i, 1886, and died six days later; Homer Benjamin, who was born June 14, 1889, and is attending school in Blue Mound ; and Mabel Peark who was born November 11, 1893. and is in school.

Mr. Bottrell exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party and in 1897 he served as mayor of Blue Mound, He has also been president of the school board here and everj'thing pertaining to the public good receives his endorsement and co-operation. He holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is one of the stewards and he belongs to Blue Afound Lodge, No. 682, F. & A, M., and to the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 607. In the former he has been senior deacon and for a number of vears has been the treasurer, while in the latter he was master of the exchequer for one year. He likewise has membership relations with the Modern Woodmen Camp, No. 310, and is e\er true and loyal to the teachings of these fraternities, exemplifying in his life their beneficent spirit. His success in life is the result of his own well directed efforts, for he started out with little capital and has gradually advanced until he now occupies an enviable position among the substantial citizens of the community, having a comfortable competence whicli enables him at the present time to li\'e retired.

MRS. AL-\RY E. SMITH. Mrs. Mary E. Smith is residing in Decatur and for long years has been a resident of Macon county, having formerly lived on a farm within its borders. She bore the maiden name of Alary E. Baker and was born in this county on the 24th of December, 1831, being a representative of one of its oldest and most prominent pioneer families, her father, ^^'illiam D, Baker, having located here in 1828, He was a native of North Carolina and when a youth of fifteen years became a resident of Rutherford countv, Tennessee, In Elkton, Kentucky, he learned and followed the carpenter's trade. He was married there to Miss Marilla Martin and in 1828 he left the south, making his way northward to Illinois, He established his home in Alacon county in what is now Long Creek township. The wild prairie lands stretched away for miles and one could ride long distances without coming to a fence or building to impede progress. Decatur at that time was merely talked of as a prospective town site. The work of improvement was still in an incipient condition and Air. Baker took an active and helpful part in developing the county and promoting its welfare and growth along the lines of substantial improvement. 1 lo was a member of the first grand jury and court was held in the open air in Decatur townshi]), a log being the judge's seat. He carried on farming with excellent success for many vears and after more than a lialf century's residence in Macon counly he passed away in 1S83 at the advanced age of eighty-three years. His wife was called to her final rest in 1893 at the ripe old age of ninety-four years. They were very jjrominent and infiuential jieople in pioneer times and in later years the IJaker family was verv widely and favorably known in Macon county. In her parents' home Mrs. Smith spent her girlhood days and was instructed in the duties of the household while in the subscription schools of the nciglil)orliood she acquired her education.

( )n March i. i860, in Long Creek township, she gave her hand in marriage to Rev. John R. Smith, who was born near Jacksonxille. .Morgan county, Illinois, on the 12th of -May, 1830. His jiarents were Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Smith, both natives of Tennessee. The father engaged in farming for a number of years in Morgan county, Illinois. Subsequent!}^ he removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, and there he again carried on agricultural pursuits for some time. Later he became a resident of Kansas, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days.

Rev. John R. Smith acquired a good education in the schools of Virginia, Illinois, and at Ijcthel College in McElnKirexille, Tennessee. Determining to prepare for the ministry he studied in order to fit himself for this holy calling and became a preacher of the gospel in connection with the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination. His entire life was devoted to this work and he accepted pastorates in various places, doing effective service in behalf of the cause of the ministry. He preached in various places in Macon county - his home - and was widely known throughout this section of the state. .\t the lime of the Civil war he served as a soldier, being loyal to the cause of the I'nion and doing everything in his ])ower to uphold the stars and stripes and the cause tliey represented. Mr. Smith (lied in .Macon cuunly, March 11, 1864, but the ii.llucnce of his life yet remains for good with nnuu wlm knew him during his active ministry.

Twentv-one years after the death of her tirst hnshanil Mrs. Smith became the wife of William C. Smith on the 17th of- March, 1885. The latter was born in Rutherford county, Tenne.s.sec. on the 2d of July, 1819, and was Init nine years of age when with his parents he came to Illinois. He was educated in Macon county and then settled on a I'arni at the edge of .South Wheatland and Kluc Mound townships, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits throughout his remaining days. In his farm work he was progressive, practical and energetic and placed his land under a high .state of cultivation, .so that the fields returned to him a good income and his crops found a ready sale on the market. He took a deep interest in church work and for many vears was an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Rev. John R. Smith was a member of the Masonic order of Decatiu" and in his jiolitical views was a stanch Re])u])lican, while William C. Smith was a Democrat in his ])olitical affiliations. He died January 23. 1899. .After his death Mrs. Smith resided upon the home farm for nine months and then removed to Decatur, ])urchasing a residence near her sister, Mrs. Dennis, her home being at No. 810 North Union street. She also receives an income from the farm of one hundred and eighty acres, a part of which lies in South ^^'1leatland township and the remainder in iJliu- Mound township.

Joseph G. Bixby

Among the young men of Decatur who have won prominence in the control of business enterprises and have gained success through a close following of the rules that govern industry, close application and strict integrity is Joseph G. Bixby. He was born in Assumption, Christian county, Illinois, on the 23d of March, 1868, and is a son of Lorenzo P. and Martha J. (Starr) Bixby. For many years the father was engaged in the commission business in Decatur and later was employed in the wholesale department of the harness establishment of J. G. Starr & Sons. He died at the age of sixty-seven years and is still survived by his widow and their three children : John S., Eva M. and Joseph G.

The last named, like the other members of the family, entered the public schools at the usual age of six years and therein continued his studies until he had largely completed the various branches of learning taught in Decatur. At the age of eighteen he entered upon his business career, becoming an employe in the office of the Decatur Coffin Compan}^ where he remained for two years. During the succeeding eight years he was traveling salesman for the company and during that time he became the originator and inventor of burial shoes, which he patented in 1895. He then began their manufacture in company with Frank S. Pitner under the firm name of Bixby, Pitner & Company and upon the death of Mr. Pitner his younger brother, Thomas W. Pitner, succeeded to the business and thus the same firm name has always been retained. The company manufactures burial shoes on an extensive scale. This product is sold to the jobbing trade in New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and in other cities throughout the United States and a large export trade is also enjoyed. The shoe is an extension-make, easily adjustable, and has found a readv sale on the market. The business was begun on a small scale but has constantly been increased in order to meet the growing demands of the trade and since the 1st of January, 1903, the firm has occupied extensive quarters, comprising three floors of a building at the corner of South Park and State streets. They employ more than thirty operatives in their establishments and the business is constantly growing, having more than doubled in the recent years. The success of the business is not only due to the fact that the article manufactured meets the public want in this direction but also because of the firm's capable manner of introducing their product to the trade and placing it upon the market.

On the 1st of September, 1891, Mr. Bixby was joined in wedlock to Miss Ida Eyman, a daughter of Isaac O. and Mattie Eyman, but she died after a short married life on the 4th of June, 1894, when only twenty-six years of age. leaving a little -daughter, Helen, who died at the age of eighteen months.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Bixby is connected with Chevalier Bayard Lodge, No. 189, K. P. ; belongs to the W. C. Roe Camp, No. 7201, M. W. A. ; Decatur Lodge, No. 401, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks; to the Manufacturers' & Jobbers" Club ; and to two prominent social organizations of this city - the Decatur and Country Clubs. .Spending almost his entire life in this city, Mr. Bixby has a wide acquaintance and a large circle of friends and is popular with those who know him because of sterling traits of character, a social, genial nature and thorough reliability in all life's relations.

HENRY WELGE. Henry Welge is one of the most prosperous and successful farmers of Friends Creek township, his home being on section i, where he owns and operates a well improved and valuable farm. lie was born in 1S44 in Germany, where his parents, Henry and Louisa Welge, spent their entire lives. His father was also a farmer. In his native land our subject grew to manhood and attendctl school imlil fourteen years of age, acquiring a good practical education. He then aided his father in the work of the home farm until he entered the German army, in which he served from 1861 to 1871. He took part in the Franco-Prussian war and was in a number of important battles.

In September, 1871, Mr. Welge bade good-bye to home and friends and sailed for America. .Vftcr a voyage of eleven days he landed in New York city and proceeded at once to Macon county, Illinois, where he arrived on the 27th of September. Here he commenced work for an uncle, who a few years later gave him forty acres of land, which he operated for a time. He then bought eighty acres more, paying for the same thirty dollars per acre, and has since added to his property from time to time until he now has two hundred acres in the home place and one hundred and sixty acres a little to the west of there. He has made all of the improvements upon his farm, has set out trees, built a comfortable residence and good barn, and now has one of the most desirable farms of its size in the county. The fields are well tilled and everything about the place indicates the owner to be a man of progressive ideas, very industrious and of good business abiJity. His attention is principally given to the raising of grain.

Mr. Welge was married in 1872 to Miss Sophia Cook, also a native of Germany, and to them have been born five children : Christian ; Henry, who married Ada Watts and lives in Macon county ; Charlie, who is also married ; Fred ; and Certha. ATr. and Mrs. Welge are members of the Lutheran church and arc people of the highest respeclabiiii\ . lie votes with the Democratic party and has filled the office of school director in a \ery creditable and satisfactory manner.

Albion Daggett

.Mbion Daggett is successfully engaged as the district agent in the insurance business at Macon and is also serving as justice of the peace, a position which he has filled for a number of years with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He is thoroughly impartial in meting out justice, his opinions being unbiased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity to every trust reposed in him is above question.

A native of Maine, Mr. Daggett was born in Piscataquis county, on the 4th of September, 1833, and is a representative of a good old Puritan family that was established in America at the landing of the passengers from the Mayflower. His parents were Elisha and Martha (Bolster) Daggett. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, died in 1872 at the age of seventyeight years, antl the mother died in 1902, at age of ninety-one years. Our subject is the oldest of the four children of the family that are still living, the others being Henry and Thomas, both residents of Maine ; and Mrs. Ruth A. Briggs, of Urbana, Illinois, who has two daughters.

In the public schools of his native state Albion Daggett acquired his primary education, which was supplemented by a course at P^oxcroft Academy, Maine, which is still in existence, and there he spent two winters. At the age of twenty years he began teaching. On leaving the Pine Tree state he came to Illinois in 1856, and during the first winter spent here he was employed as a teacher in Lee county. He then rented a farm, which he operated during the summer months, while through the winter he continued his work in the school room during ihe four years i)f his residence in Lee county. He then removed to Champaign county. where he carried on farming for the same length of time, when on account of an accident he was forced to abandon that occupation and turned liis attention to painting. After his marriage in 1866 he came to Macon, where he has since made his home and where he worked at that trade for about .seven years. Since then he has engaged in tlie insurance business and been very successful.

In October, 1866, Mr. Daggett led to the marriage altar Miss Emma L. Innis, of Champaign county, Illinois, who was born in New Jersey, April 15, 1842, of New England ancestry. Her father, David Innis, is now deceased, but her mother is still living and continues to reside in Champaign county. Of the seven children born to our subject and his wife two died in infancy. Ernest L., born in Macon county, January 28, 1869, married Minnie Merris, by whom he has three children, and he is now engaged in farming in ]\lount Zion township. Jesse A., born August 16, 1871, was graduated at Brown's Business College of Decatur in 1892 and is now state agent for the Security & American Insurance Company, having received his business training along that line under his father. He married Belle Whittaker. Daisy \'.. born in Alacon, March 2y. 1876, is a popular -and successful school teacher, who was employed in the primary department in Macon for some time and has recently accepted a similar position at Lovington. Illinois. Ora E., born May 24, 1880. owns a half interest in the Macon Telephone Company. He is also a graduate of Brown's Business College. Carl R., born June 22, 1883, is a graduate of Brown's Business College and is his father's assistant in the insurance business.

ills fellow citizens recognizing his worth and abilit}- have called upon him to fill the offices of constable, city marshal, alderman and justice of the peace. He was first elected to the last named office in 1885 and is still filling that position in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. About 1863 he was made a Mason in Champaign county and is now a member of South Macon Lodge, No. 467. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in its work. He has taught in the Sunday school for many years, has served as manager of church afifairs and at present holds the office of trustee. He is also president of the cemetery association which has well kept and beautiful grounds, everything being in first class order. As a public-spirited and progressive man, Mr. Daggett has done much to promote the interests of his town and county and is recognized as a most valued and useful citizen, never withholding his support from any enterprise which he believes will prove of public benefit.

A. H. DAVIDSON. A. H. Davidson, whose fine farm of one hundred and si.xty acres, pleasantly located aliout a mile south and a half mile east of I'lluo .Mound, is one of the valuable agricultural properties of Macon county, is a native of Mosquito township. Christian county, where his birth occurred February 28, i860. His parents were Hezekiah and Xancy J. ( Proffitt-Galowa) Davidson. The father was born in Kentucky, September 5. 1826, and his father was an old citizen of that state, whence he came to Illinois in 1829, settling in Greene count}'. He first li\ed in a tent until a log cabin could be built and there amidst the w'ild scenes of frontier life he made his home and reared his famih'. All of the clothing and shoes

-were niatlc at home i)y iiKMubcrs of the family ami many of the hardships and trials of pionoer life were borne. The home farm is now occupied by the town of Wrightsviile. There the grandfather entered from the government about a half section of land, which he improved and cultivated, making his liome thereon until his removal to Christian county. Illinois. The father of our subject went to Christian county in 1859 and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land constituting the farm upon which he now resides at the advanced age of seventyseven years, lie has been twice married, his first union being with .Amanda Solomon. by whom he had one child. .\. B. Davidson, a carpenter who is married and resides in Blue Mound. After the death of his first wife llezekiah Davidson wedded Nancy J. Galowa. a native of Tennessee, who was born near Chattanooga, whence she removed to Illinois, the family settling near Carlinville. Macoupin county, where her father purchased land and improved a farm. He carried on the tilling of the soil and also engaged in raising stock. Mr. Davidson has followed the same pursuits and has been a very active and successful agriculturist of his community. His political support has long been given the Democracy and for nearly sixty years he has been a member of the Baptist church. Into the parents of our subject were liorn nine children, A. H. being the eldest. The others are as follows : Sarah C. became the w'ife of W. A. Henderson, a farmer living in the northern part of Christian county. She died January 22. 1903. and was buried in Hunter cemetery. Libbie M. is the wife of W'illiam L. Carpenter, a farmer and stock-raiser of X'ermont, living near Ciranby. Marj' Lamattie is the wife of J. L. .Marshall, a farmer of Mosquito township. Christian county. Rosa B., who was a successful school teacher, is" now at home with her father. Leonard A. is employed in I'luliDn's general store in .Mouni Aul)urH. Illinois. Hettie E. is at home. James R. died July 26, 1891, at the age of thirteen years and was buried in Hall cemetery. Virgil H. is farming for his father.

In the district schools of Mosquito township A.. 11. Davidson was educated, leaving school when twenty years of age, after which he worked on his father's farm for a lime, as he had also done during the period of vacations. He left home at the age of twenty-four and began farming for himself on rented land, being thus engaged until he had saved enough from his earnings to enable him to purchase a farm of his own. in 1889 he started out with a cash capital of eight hundred dollars. Now he owns one iumdrecl and sixty acres of valuable land one mile south of Blue Mound and a half mile east. This is sjilendidly improved and is worth at least one hundred and fifty dollars per acre.

On the 25th of October. 1883, Mr. T:)avidson was married to Martha L. Short, a daughter of James .'\. and Charity (Chaney) Short. Her father was the second in a iamilv of sixteen children and was born in Tennessee in 1827. In 1830 he was brought to Illinois by his father, Thomas J. Short, who settled on a. farm of twelve hundred acres near the present site of Wrightville. This farm he owned at the time of his death, which occurred in 1874, when he was eighty ^-ears of age. In 1847 J. .V. Short was married to Charity Chaney. He bought a farm in Crcene county. Illinois, and lived there until 1S67, when he removed to a farm of two hundred acres in Christian county. Three years later he removed to Greenfield, Illinois, where his death occurred in 1882. Cnto Mr, and Mrs. Davidson have been Imrn two sons and two daughters: Rolland e'., born May 15, 1885, attended the district schools, spent the year 1902 as a student in the high school of Blue .Mound and is now upiin llie home farm. Demry 1!., born De-