Decatur Township (part 29 of 46)

Dr. Clark began the study of medicine under his father in 1866, later attending the Eclectic Medical College at Cincinnati and graduating from that institution in 1868. His studies have been conducted on broad principles, as he early recognized that all schools of medicine have at least some principles of truth, and he also applies allopathic remedies in cases to which they seem best adapted. The tendency toward unification in medical practice as in many other lines is becoming generally acknowledged and in many communities practitioners of all reputable schools meet in harmony. Dr. Clark practiced at Taylorville from 1868 until 1881, when he removed to Decatur, where he has since resided. At Taylorville he served as councilman for a number of years, but the duties of his chosen profession have mainly occupied his attention and he has never aspired to political honors. As a practitioner he has proven eminently successful and during an active experience of more than forty years in one of the most arduous of professions has accomplished a great deal of good throughout a wide region in alleviating the ills of his fellowmen. He is a member of the Macon County Medical Society, the Illinois State Medical Society and the Eclectic Medical Association. He also holds membership in the Knights of Pythias, Court of Honor, Modern Woodmen of America and Loyal Americans. For twenty years past he has filled the office of deacon of the First Baptist church and in all the relations of life he is known as one whose constant aim is to perform his duty.

On the 29th of October, 1868, by Rev. G. J. Barrett, Dr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Elnora Maxwell, of Christian county. One daughter has blessed this union : Juanita E., who is a graduate of the Decatur high school and who is the happy possessor of musical ability in an unusual degree. Her talent became manifest during her school days and after completing the highschool course she received musical instruction under some of the best masters in the Chicago conservatories. As organist of the First Baptist church, which possesses one of the best pipe organs in central Illinois, she has assisted materially in adding to the interest of the services. She is also teacher of a large class of pupils in various stages of advancement.

It has been said that every hour employed usefully is so much capital that ultimately draws prodigious interest. Certainly does the truth of this thought appear as a result of the long and honorable career of the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this review. Imbued with right principles in youth, he has adhered to the best traditions of a family which has produced many names worthy of any honor that may accrue to them and of the highest confidence of their associates and friends.

Joseph F. Trimmer

The Civil war attracted many of the promising young men of our country, who offered their lives to support the stars and stripes and were received into the army often before they arrived at years of maturity. These young men were made of good fighting material and on many a closely contested battlefield they demonstrated their worthiness. Among the number was Joseph F. Trimmer who is now engaged in the peaceful occupation of farming and is the fortunate owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land in Hickory Point township this county.

He first saw the light of day in Perry county, Pennsylvania, in 1845. His father, Joseph F. Trimmer, Sr., was also born in Pennsylvania in 1818 and came to Illinois in 1853, settling upon a farm in Macon county. The grandparents of our subject belonged to old Pennsylvania families whose ancestors came from Germany many years ago. The father was a landowner in the Keystone state, but on settling in Illinois he rented land and continued as a renter for eleven years, at the end of which time he bought the Mound farm which he had previously been renting and which constituted one hundred and sixty acres. Later he purchased a farm one mile east, which also included one hundred and sixty acres, and at the time of his death, in 1886, he was the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land. He was a republican in politics and was greatly respected by friends and neighbors in the community. The mother of our subject before her marriage was Catherine Fetrow, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1820 and lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven years, departing this life in 1907. There were nine children in the family: Andrew; William, who died in 1864; Abraham, of Ohio; Joseph, our subject; Mary, who married Isaiah Henry, and is now a widow ; Daniel, of Indiana ; Henry, deceased ; John, of Decatur; and George, deceased.

Joseph F. Trimmer came to Illinois with his parents as a boy in 1853 and one of his early recollections is the long trip in a wagon drawn by three horses, the journey requiring several weeks. He received his education in the public schools and on leaving school devoted his attention to the work upon the farm in which he assisted his father most assiduously. When he was seventeen years of age the great Civil war was in full progress and threatened to engulf the republic, and like thousands of valiant young men, he offered his services in behalf of the flag and was accepted as a member of the One Hundred and Fiftysecond Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving for one year from February, 1864. Upon being honorably discharged in September, 1865, he returned home, remaining on the farm for one year, at the end of which time he began renting land for himself. In this capacity he continued for six or seven years, acquiring a small capital with which he purchased eighty acres of land in Madison county, Iowa, and here he lived for seventeen years. In 1888 he returned to Macon county and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres where he has since resided and engaged in agriculture and stock-raising with a fine degree of success.

In 1868 Mr. Trimmer was united in marriage to Miss Dianatha T. Henry, a daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Walters) Henry, natives of Pennsylvania, who emigrated to Iowa and were there identified with farming interests. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry: Lucinda, who became Mrs. H. Davis, of Iowa, and is now deceased; Emanuel H., deceased; Mary J., who became the wife of G. Wheeler and is now deceased; Isaiah H, deceased; Wesley H, of Iowa; Cyrus, also of Iowa; Diantha T., herein mentioned; Jacob, deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Trimmer seven children have been born: Minnie, now Mrs. Peter Keister, of Macon county, who has two children, Mabel and Florence; Francis, deceased; Roe, of Macon county; Clara, now Mrs. Drake, of Iowa; who has two children, Helen and Clyde; and Ora, Florence and Pearl, all living at home.

Mr. Trimmer is socially identified with Decatur Post, No. 141, Grand Army of the Republic, at whose meetings the veterans of the Civil war renew the friendships of more than forty years standing and once more participate, in imaginations, in the trials and triumphs that resulted finally in the permanent establishment of this great republic. Mr. Trimmer is a stanch republican in his political views, but in local affairs often votes for the man rather than the party. He has not sought public office but he has acceptably served as a member of the school board and in discharging his various duties he applies the lessons which he learned in the school of experience, beginning in the dark days of the Rebellion and continuing through brighter days to the present time. He is a wideawake, enterprising and energetic citizen and is greatly esteemed by the many who know of his good qualities. He was fortunate in the selection of a helpmate and in his wife he has found an unfailing source of comfort and support, their home being the abode of happiness and the center of kindly greetings for friends and acquaintances of this region.

Roy O. Weaver

Roy O. Weaver, well known as a farmer of Macon county and living at the old homestead in Hickory Point township, was born August 23, 1882. Mr. Weaver represents the third generation of the family in this county, the older members having arrived in Illinois at an early day, when there were few settlers and when the country was largely open to preemption. Land which then was held by the government at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre has advanced until it commands one hundred and twenty-five to two hundred and fifty dollars per acre, and the entire appearance of the country has been transformed. This great change has been wrought by the active hand of man and, judging by the past, the march of improvement will continue indefinitely.

The father of our subject, Charles Weaver, was a native of Pennsylvania and came to Illinois with his parents, Samuel and Sarah Weaver, when he wa9 four years of age. The family settled in Macon county and Charles Weaver worked upon the farm and after the death of his father inherited the homestead, the other children of the family being: Catherine, now the widow of Jacob Lehman and living at Forsyth, this state; Nancy, now Mrs. Keister, of Decatur ; Susan, now Mrs. Crossman, of Harristown, Illinois ; and Alfred, of Decatur. The mother of our subject was before her marriage Sarah Shively, a native of Pennsylvania, and three children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Weaver; Arthur, who married Minnie Spera, now living in Kansas; Roy O., and Pearl, now Mrs. Hockaday.

Roy O. Weaver was born on the farm where he now lives and educated in the district schools. Upon laying aside his books, having determined to devote his life to farming pursuits, he worked on the farm with his father, continuing under the latter until the parents retired to Decatur in 1906, since which time the subject of this review has had entire charge of the farm, which consists of two hundred acres and is one of the highly productive and well managed farms of this region.

On September 15, 1903, Mr. Weaver was happily united in marriage to Miss Grace Hockaday, a daughter of James and Martha (Walker) Hockaday, natives of Ross county, Ohio. The parents came to Illinois in 1856 and settled in Decatur, where they are still living. There were nine children in their family, seven of whom are now living : Frank, Mrs. Ida Huddleston, Mrs. Anna Wicoff, James L., Mrs. Letitia Littleton, Guy, and Grace, herein mentioned. To Mr. and Mrs. Weaver five children have been born : Danville Eldon, born April 20, 1904; Dorothy Evelyn, born September 26, 1905; Ina Marie, born February 19, 1907; Martha Virginia, born June 21, 1908; and Alma, born September 9, 1909.

Mr. Weaver takes the interest of a patriotic citizen in local, state and national affairs and usually casts his ballot with the democratic party. He was fortunate in the selection of a wife and by her womanly qualities she has made his home a pleasing abode, the center not only of a happy family circle but a gathering place for friends and acquaintances of the family, where they may always be assured of an earnest and sincere greeting. In his business as a farmer Mr. Weaver has attained the success which is ever the reward of honest and well directed effort.

Alonzo Disbrow

Among the soldiers who associated nobly in putting down the rebellion and then resumed the occupations of the farm, in which they have attained deserved success, may be named Alonzo Disbrow, of Hickory Point township, Macon county. He was born in the state of New York, January 7, 1843, and is a son of Orin D. and Abigail (Smith) Disbrow, both of whom were natives of New York. The father was a mason by trade and desiring to improve his condition came to Illinois in 1853, settling in McHenry county, where he remained for a few years, when he removed to Moberly, Missouri, where in 1858 he died suddenly while at work. The mother of our subject was called from earthly scenes in 1885. There were seven children in the family: Lewis, deceased; Charles, a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri; Robert E., deceased; Thomas J., of Independence, Iowa; Alonzo, our subject; James E., deceased; and Delia, who died at twelve years of age.

Alonzo Disbrow passed the first ten years of his life in the state of his birth and then came with his parents to Illinois, receiving his education in the public schools of New York and Illinois. When the shadows of the Civil war gathered over the land he was eighteen years of age and in the fall of 1861, feeling that it was his duty to assist in the preservation of the Union, he enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Cavalry for a period of three years. The regiment was sent to the Army of the East and participated in some of the memorable campaigns of the war. Private Disbrow did valiant service in a number of the leading battles. He was present during the great Peninsular campaign and on the firing line at Antietam. At the time of Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania he was on detail duty at the city of Washington and his regiment was among the first to arrive on the memorable battlefield at Gettysburg. His experience in the war was a thrilling introduction to the great battle of life in which he has since been engaged and in which he has borne a valiant part. Nor was he the only member of his father's family who assisted in upbuilding the stars and stripes. It is a remarkable fact that six sons of this family wore the uniform of the blue and one, Lewis, gave up his life for his country.

After receiving an honorable discharge from military service our subject in September, 1864, returned to Macon county and took up his home on the land where his mother and oldest brother had settled in 1861. He assumed charge of the farm, which he paid for at fifteen dollars an acre, the land being purchased from the Illinois Central Railroad Company. Later he bought ninetyfive acres adjoining and is now the owner of a fine farm, which is provided with a goodly number of improvements and embraces one hundred and thirty-five acres. He also owns a farm of four hundred and eighty acres in the province of Manitoba, Canada, and a tract of eighty acres of farming land in Nebraska, and in his agricultural operations has shown good judgment which reflects high credit upon his early education.

In 1875 Mr. Disbrow was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Wentworth, a daughter of Benning and Catherine Wentworth, natives of Ross county, Ohio, who emigrated to this state and settled in Macon county. They were the parents of six children, all daughters: Mary, who has been three times married and is now a widow; Esther; Ellen; Laura, who became Mrs. Bear and is now deceased; Jane, now Mrs. Z. Baughn; and Bartlett, now Mrs. L. Bean, of Kansas. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Disbrow three children have been born: Lewis, at home; Catherine, now Mrs. S. A. Clatterbock, of Sioux City, Iowa, and Benning, at home.

Mr. Disbrow is a firm believer in holy writ and has for a number of years held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically he is identified with the republican party and is an earnest advocate of its principles. As a soldier he belongs to the Grand Army Post No. 41, of Decatur. Here he learned the great lesson of self-independence and in war he gained experience by contact with men which is often of much more value than great book learning. He is a man of good address, well informed and tried courage, and has arrived at an age where he can at ease enjoy the results of many years of labor. It is scarcely necessary to add that the subject of this review stands high in the opinion of his fellowmen.

Charles Hays

Charles Hays, a popular farmer of Hickory Point township and a worthy descendant of a well known family of Macon county, was born September 27, 1859. His father, John R. Hays, was born in Indiana, in 1830, and came with his parents to Illinois when he was four years of age, the family locating near Monticello and later removing to this county. He was a son of John and Rebecca (Hadley) Hays, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New York state. In this county the father of our subject grew up and was educated in the district schools, after leaving which he devoted his attention to farming. He received some land from his father and became quite a successful farmer. At the time of his death, in 1900, he was the owner of about six hundred acres of land. He was an industrious and intelligent man, who performed his part in advancing the welfare of this region and making it a desirable location for the best class of people. He had the confidence of his neighbors and served for one term as supervisor of his township. He married Rachel Montgomery, a native of Clark county, Ohio, who was born April 9, 1837, and was a daughter of William and Amelia (Suver) Montgomery. She came to Illinois with her parents and was here married. She survived her husband for ten years and was called away January 3, 1910, in the seventy-third year of her age. Mrs. Hays was a woman of fine character and one who contributed in an important degree toward the prosperity and happiness of her family. She was the mother of five children: Charles, our subject; William J. and Frank, both residents of Decatur; Cynthia, who died at nine years of age ; and one child who died in infancy.

Charles Hays was educated in the public schools of this county and grew up as a farmer boy, becoming well acquainted with the various duties of the farm and under his father evincing an interest and proficiency in his work which was a prophecy of a successful career as an agriculturist and stock raiser. About the time of the death of his father he assumed charge of his present farm, which was part of the old home place. Here he has since lived and is now the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of well improved land in this county, being one of its substantial and prosperous farmers.

In 1889 Mr. Hays was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Landis, a daughter of Henry and Amanda (Reeser) Landis, both natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Illinois about 1866. Here Mr. Landis carried on farming, becoming independent financially, and he and his wife are now living retired in Decatur. They have four children : Elizabeth, now Mrs. Hays ; James, of Decatur; William, of San Diego, California; and Etta L., now Mrs. Cooper, living near Harristown, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Hays four children have been born :

Mr. Hays affiliates with the democratic party and, although he has not been an office seeker, preferring rather to devote his principal interest to his own private affairs, he has served with commendation as assessor of his township. He has always taken a lively interest in the development of Macon county, as here he was born and all his life has been identified with its growth. He is widely acquainted with the people of this region and it is greatly to his credit that his best friends are found among those who have known him from his boyhood. No one begrudges him and his wife the comforts with which they are supplied, as these comforts are the result of well spent time and labor.

Matthew M. Harrison

Matthew M. Harrison is one of the prosperous farmers of Macon county, who takes great pride in his farm and, therefore, has attained deserved success. He was born in Ross county, Ohio, November 17, 1856, and is a son of Matthew Harrison, who was also a native of the Buckeye state, born in 181 5. He followed farming all his life and died in 1859, when our subject was three years of age. The mother before her marriage was Lydia A. Plummer, a native of Ohio, who was born in 1818 and after the death of her first husband married Mitchell Liedam, the family coming to Illinois in 1868 and settling in Macon county. The mother was a woman of many noble qualities. She departed this life in 1898. By her first marriage she became the mother of fourteen children, six of whom are now living: Mrs. Fanny Cassel, a resident of Macon county; Mrs. Sarah Wilt, also of this county; Mrs. Mary Lintner, of Joplin, Missouri; Joseph, of Indian Territory; Matthew M. ; and Eliza, now Mrs. Mount, of Decatur.

The subject of this review was educated in the public schools of his native state and grew up upon the farm, coming to Illinois at twelve years of age. He was early taught habits of industry and, being ambitious to advance in the world, he began working out while still a boy and after gaining a fair degree of experience in the various duties of the farm he rented land and engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account. As years progressed he became prosperous and four years ago he acquired a well located farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Hickory Point township, where he now lives.

In 1884 Mr. Harrison was united in marriage to Maggie L. Renshaw, a daughter of John and Lydia A. (Steel) Renshaw, who were natives of Columbus, Ohio, and came to Illinois, where they became identified with the agricultural interests. They were the parents of four children : Carrie, now Mrs. Green, of Bloomington, Illinois; Maggie L. ; Cora, now Mrs. Keller, of Los Angeles, California; and May, now Mrs. Reddick, of Decatur. Ten children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison : Guy R., born in 1885, now living at home; Gertrude A., born in 1887; Benjamin, in 1888; John, in 1890; Fanny B., who was born in 1892 and died in infancy; Carrie, born in 1894; Mattie, in 1896; Joseph, in 1899; Margaret in 1901 and Alice, in 1903.

Mr. And Mrs. M. M. Harrison

Mr. Harrison is a stanch supporter of the republican party and is socially identified with Lodge No. 312, A. F. & A. M.; Lodge No. 17, K. P.; and Lodge No. 144, M. W. A., all being located at Decatur. In the various relations of life Mr. Harrison has attempted to perform his duty and as a result he has made many friends, who were attracted by his manly qualities of perseverance, industry and square dealing Mrs. Harrison, who is an intelligent and estimable lady, has been a constant support to her husband and as the mother of a large family she has inculcated by her example those principles of unselfishness and willingness to aid others which are so important in the promotion of happiness and goodwill.

John H. Park

John H. Park, who is known as a useful and praiseworthy citizen of Macon county, is a native son of Illinois and was born in Morgan county, May 26, 1847. He is a son of John J. Park, who was born in Kentucky, November 18, 181 3, and came to Illinois with his parents, Thomas and Jane (Fox) Park. The family settled in Morgan county upon one hundred and five acres of land and there the older members passed to their reward. John J. Park, the father of our subject, sold out his interest in Morgan county and bought land in Sangamon county, beginning with one hundred and twenty acres, to which he added eighty acres and became the owner of a well improved farm of two hundred acres. In 1865 he moved to Decatur, this county, and sold his farm and acquired a farm of eighty acres in Macon county, upon which he lived for three years, at the end of which time he retired to Decatur. He was the owner of the Park Place addition to Decatur, having himself laid out this addition. He was a useful citizen, who contributed according to his ability and opportunity in upbuilding any enterprise with which he was connected. He affiliated with the republican party but never aspired to official preferment. He departed this life in 1894, at the age of eighty-one years. The mother of our subject before her marriage was Eliza Jane Caldwell, who was born in Kentucky, August 19, 1820, and came to this state with her parents, who settled in Morgan county. She was called away April 15, 1901. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Park: Nancy J., who was twice married ; John C, deceased ; Sarah, now Mrs. Judson ; David T. ; Robert, who died in infancy; John H., the subject of this review; Mary C, now Mrs. McGinnis; James M. ; Margaret; Samuel; and William M.

John H. Park was born in Morgan county and educated in the district schools. He was early inducted into all the operations of the farm, continuing with his father until 1871, when he began for himself by renting land in this county, south of the location which he chose in March, 1898, as his home. Here he bought a tract of eighty acres, which he has greatly improved. At one time he devoted considerable attention to raising draft horses, but during recent years has confined his operations to general farming with the favorable results that are usually attained by the application of well directed energy.

On March 14, 1880, Mr. Park was happily united in marriage to Miss Dora M. Rowe, who was born November 2, 1855, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth Rowe. The parents were natives of Ohio and the father died in that state, but Mrs. Rowe came to Illinois about 1877 with her children and located at Decatur, where she died in 1892. Four children of Mr. and Mrs. Rowe are now living, J. Wesley, Willard, Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Anna Snyder. The beloved wife of our subject was summoned from earthly scenes October 28, 1896. She was the mother of four children: Jesse, who was born January 12, 1881, and died January n, 1901 ; Nellie, who was born May 16, 1884, and died May 8, 1902; and Clara, born in 1886, and Anna, in 1888, both living at home.

Although Mr. Park has been called upon to suffer great affliction in the death of members of his family, he has bravely borne up and sturdily continued in his appointed tasks. Like his father, he is a supporter of the republican party. He has acted as road commissioner, discharging his duties in such a way as to receive the general commendation of the people of the community. He is an industrious and intelligent citizen and in his work as a farmer has attained deserved success.

Nathan E. Stickel

Nathan E. Stickel is the owner of a farm of two hundred acres in sections 3 and 10, south Wheatland township, Macon county, which is recognized as one of the most productive farms in the region. He is well known as an active and progressive citizen, whose aim it is to keep abreast of the times and to assist to the extent of his ability in the upbuilding of the community.

He is a native of Macon county and was born April 1, 1869, a son of David H. and Lydia (Spangler) Stickel. David H. Stickel was born in Lewisberry, York county, Pennsylvania, February 8, 1835. He was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1857, locating in Macon county with his brother Wesley Stickel. A few years later his parents came to this state where they made their permanent home. At the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Stickel enlisted in Company 1, Fifty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and participated with his regiment in some of the important battles of the war, including the battle of Huntsville, Alabama, Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, and also took part in numerous smaller engagements. On account of loss of health he was honorably discharged from service at the end of one year and returned to this state where he recovered his health and in 1868 went to Pennsylvania and was married. He later resumed general farming and live-stock raising in Illinois, departing this life in Macon county, July 23, 1909, after a long and useful career. In politics he was a strong republican. He was also an active member of the Methodist church, being trustee and steward at Elwin for a number of years and assisting very materially in building up the organization. Mrs. Stickel is a native of Mount Royal, York county, Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1842, and she is now making her home with the subject of this review. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Stickel: Nathan E., our subject; Mary B., now Mrs. N. M.

Jacobs, of Decatur, Macon county; and Charles, born December 17, 1881, who married Alma E. Huddelson, of Blue Mound, and died December 8, 1909, the wife departing this life October 25, 1909.

Nathan E. Stickel was educated in the public schools of Illinois and also attended high school for three months, at the end of which time he began devoting his attention to the farm. For three years before his marriage he rented a farm owned by his father, on which he new lives, and then purchased eighty acres in section 3 of the same township, making his present farm of two hundred acres. In 1896 the father built a beautiful residence, modern in all respects, which is now occupied by the family and is one of the most attractive homes in the township.

In 1897 Mr. Stickel was happily united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Hill, a daughter of Joseph and Rose Mary (Stallings) Hill, who has proven to her husband a truly loyal and helpful companion. Their home has been blessed by the arrival of two children : Lloyd E., and Nathan C, now deceased. Mr. Stickel is a member of South Macon Lodge, No. 467, A. F. & A. M., and of Coeur de Leon Lodge, No. 17, Knights of Pythias, of Decatur. Politically he is identified with the republican party and he has occupied several public offices, serving as supervisor of the township, as collector for two terms, and is now a member of the school board. These duties he has discharged with great fidelity, receiving the hearty approval of the entire neighborhood. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Elwin, in which Mr. Stickel has served as trustee for ten years and also as steward. Mrs. Stickel is a member of the Ladies Aid Society and is actively interested in Sunday school work, she and her husband being interested workers in all causes that aim to promote the interests of the region.

William T. Howell

William T. Howell, a representative and enterprising farmer of Oakley township, has a good home on section 31 and his time and energies are successfully devoted to the raising of grain and stock. He now owns and cultivates nearly four hundred acres of land, constituting one of the well improved and valuable farms of Macon county. Moreover he is one of the venerable citizens here, having passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey. His birth occurred in Sangamon county, Illinois, November 2, 1829.

His parents were James and Jane (Alsberry) Howell, both of whom were natives of Ohio. The father was born in Gallia county and about 1827 removed westward to Illinois, settling first in Sangamon county, while five years later he removed to Macon county, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of this part of the state. In fact the entire district was almost an unbroken wilderness and the year of his removal was that in which the Black Hawk war occurred. He entered land from the government, for the greater part of the broad prairies of Macon county were then under government control. Subsequently he bought land from time to time until he became the owner of over two hundred acres, which he transformed into a productive farm, upon which he reared his family and spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1871. He was laid to rest on the old home place and was survived by his wife for a number of years but at length she, too, passed to the home beyond.

W. T. Howell was reared to manhood in Macon county, spending his youthful days in Oakley township. He remained with his father until after he had passed the age of twenty-two years and assisted him in carrying on the farm. He was afterward employed as a farm hand by the month for three years and in this way got his start in life. He early learned the fact that diligence and industry constitute the basis of success and as the years passed on he won a very desirable measure of prosperity by reason of his close application and unfaltering perseverance.

As a companion and helpmate for life's journey Mr. Howell chose Miss Sarah Jane Trotter, whom he wedded on the 8th of March, 1853. Mrs Howell was born in Ohio and was brought to Illinois by her mother when a little maiden of six years. Previous to his marriage Mr. Howell had purchased eighty acres of land and had broken a part of this. He built a small house upon the place and after his marriage took up his abode there. With characteristic energy he began the further improvement and development of the property and from time to time has extended tthe boundaries of his farm until he now owns over two hundred acres of rich and valuable land, which responds readily to the care and labor that he bestows upon it. He erected a good two-story brick residence in modern style of architecture and it is one of the attractive homes of this part of the country. There is a large barn upon the place which he built, together with sheds and cribs and all of the accessories and improvements of a model farm of the twentieth century. He uses the best improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and everything about the place indicates his progressive spirit. What he has accomplished also indicates that he has made wise use of his time and opportunities, for he has been dependent upon his own resources from almost the time he attained his majority.

On Easter Sunday in 1910 sorrow came to the home of Mr. Howell, for on that day his wife passed away. She was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, December 27, 1833, and was therefore 'in the seventy-seventh year of her age at the time of her death. In her demise the family lost a loving and devoted wife and mother and her friends one who was ever faithful to their best interests. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Howell had been born a son and three danghters: John W., now a resident of California; Laura, the wife of James Hoots of Decatur, by whom she has one daughter, Anna, now a young lady ; Henrietta, who, is acting as her father's housekeeper; and Fannie, the wife of George T. Hackler, living near Superior, Nebraska.

In his political views Mr. Howell is a stalwart democrat yet not so strongly partisan that he will not cast an independent ballot at local elections if he thinks the best interests of the community will be conserved thereby. The only offices that he has ever held have been those of highway commissioner and school director, for he has always preferred to give his attention to his business affairs and to leave office holding to those more desirous of securing the honors and emoluments of political preferment. His entire life has been passed in Illinois and he has lived in Macon county since it was largely an undeveloped wilderness. His memory goes back to the time when there were no railroads through Decatur and in fact he has witnessed the growth of that city from little more than a crossroads village. He has seen the crude farm machinery of the early day replaced by the modern reaper, mower and harvester and can remember that time when it was no unusual thing to see candles used in lighting the homes of the early settlers. The fireplace, too, was a feature in every household, for in the days of his youth the modern cooking stove was unknown. The wives and daughters spun and wove cloth, while the father and sons worked in the fields. Many changes have occurred since those early days and progress has wrought a marvelous transformation. Mr. Howell has rejoiced in all that has been accomplished for the benefit of mankind and the upbuilding of the community and is today one of the honored and venerable citizens of Macon county, respected by all with whom he has been brought in contact.

C. F. Schenck, successfully engaged in the manufacture of cigars in Maroa, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, on the 8th of February, 1862. His parents were Aaron and Rebecca (Barkalow) Schenck, who spent their entire lives in Ohio save for the period of their later days, when they resided with a daughter in Maroa. Their family numbered ten children of whom eight reached years of maturity.

C. F. Schenck pursued his education in the common schools of his native state and was reared upon the home farm in Ohio, giving his time and energies to the work of tilling the fields until twenty years of age, when he came to Maroa. During the succeeding two years he worked at the painter's trade and then went to Decatur where he remained for a year and a half, clerking in the store of R. Liddle. Returning to Maroa in 1885 he was engaged in the cigar manufacturing business, starting on a small scale. From 1887 until 1891 he had a partner, W. F. McClung, and the business was conducted under the firm name of Schenck & McClung. Since that time Mr. Schenck has been alone and the business has enjoyed continuous, substantial and rapid growth which is indicated by the fact that he now employs twenty-six people in the manufacture of cigars. This is by far the largest cigar factory in Macon county, the output being about a million and a half cigars annually. After starting in this business he went upon the road as a traveling salesman, representing his own house, and so continued until his sales reached a million a year. He also acted as bookkeeper and managed the business, which under his careful guidance and by reason of his progressive methods has developed into one of the extensive and profitable enterprises of the county. In addition to his industrial interests he is the owner of valuable farm land in both Idaho and Texas. His plantation in the latter state is situated near Houston, where he is engaged in the raising of rice. His farm in Idaho is situated in the Twin Falls district and is devoted to the raising of small grain. Both of these properties he manages from his office

In 1886 Mr. Schenck was married to Miss Lilly A. Stoutenborough, a native of Macon county and a daughter of William H. Stoutenborough, of Maroa. Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Presbyterian church. He is now treasurer of the building committee of the new Presbyterian church, which is being erected at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars and a new parsonage. The entire property will be worth about forty thousand dollars when completed. Mr. Schenck belongs also to the Knights of Pythias lodge and the Modern Woodmen camp, and in both of these has served as an officer. He is a man of unfaltering purpose and of laudable ambition and in his business affairs has displayed marked aptitude for successful management, together with a prompt and ready recognition and utilization of opportunities.

Richard J. Roberts

Richard J. Roberts, whose death on the 16th of October, 1910, removed one of the old settlers of Decatur, his residence here covering a period of over fifty-three years, was born March 14, 1833, in Emmetsburg, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and Mary (Hughes) Roberts, the former also a native of the Keystone state and the latter of Wales. Spending his boyhood days in his father's home, Richard J. Roberts was trained to habits of industry and upon his mind were impressed lessons concerning the value of integrity, perseverance and upright character. He attended the district schools, the sessions of which were held in a log schoolhouse and when not busy with his text-books his time was largely occupied with the work of the home farm. In 1852, when nineteen years of age, he started westward, making his way to Cleveland, Ohio. He had previously learned the carpenter's trade, at which he was employed in Cleveland. In the fall of that year he came to Illinois, traveling over the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to Peru and thence made his way by boat to Peoria, where he also worked at the carpenter's trade. Subsequently he went to Chicago and on the 31st of January, 1856, in Springfield, Ohio, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Steele. They then located in that city, where they lived for a year and on the 1st of April, 1857, they came to Decatur, where Mr. Roberts sought employment at carpentering. He became a contracting carpenter and was engaged in that business until after the outbreak of the Civil war.

On the 9th of August, 1863, in this city, Mr. Roberts enlisted for active service in defense of the Union, joining the One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Infantry under command of Captain Hayes and Colonel John Moore. Early in the war he sustained injuries from which he never recovered and after six months' service he was honorably discharged. Following his return to Decatur he took up the business of house moving. He was the first to enter that field and for a long period was the only house mover of the city. He continued the business for forty years and became well known in that connection. In the spring of 1904 he was appointed overseer of the poor and continued in that position until his death, which however, followed a long illness. In this position he was both capable and kind and did much not only to aid those immediately under his supervision but also to relieve the suffering of the deserving poor in other parts of the county. He was ever a man of kindly and benevolent spirit and had great sympathy for the unfortunate.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Roberts there were born four children: Ida, who died in early life; Eddie, who was accidently killed; Annie who became the wife of F. Imboden, and died leaving a daughter, Erma Frances; and Mabel W., who is the only surviving member of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts traveled life's journey together for more than fifty-four years, celebrating their golden wedding in 1906. It was a notable occasion never to be forgotten by those who participated therein.

Mr. Roberts was a member of Macon Lodge, No. 8, A. F. & A. M. and Macon Chapter, No. 28, R. A. M., belonging to the fraternity for forty-seven years, during which period he exemplified in his life its beneficent principles. He also belonged to Dunham Post, No. 141, G. A. R. His political allegiance was given to the republican party but he never sought or desired office, save that which he was filling at the time of his death and which came to him by appointment of the board of supervisors. He long held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and his life was indeed an honorable and unright one, which, although quietly passed, was fruitful of much good by reason of his devotion to his family and his friends and the helpful spirit which he manifested toward all with whom he came in contact.

Frank L. Hays

Frank L. Hays, secretary of the Decatur Club, was born in Delaware, Ohio, on the 23d of August, 1836, a son of Thomas and Abby (Johns) Hays. In the acquirement of an education he attended the public schools to the age of sixteen years and afterward devoted two years to pursuing the classical course in the Ohio Wesleyan University. He entered business circles at Delaware, Ohio, in connection with the dry goods trade but in 1855 sought the opportunities of the new and growing city of Decatur, where he arrived in July of that year. Here he began clerking for the firm of Stamper & Elliott, remaining with that house until October, 1857, when he utilized the capital which he had saved from his earnings in the establishment of a business of his own under the firm name of F. L. Hays & Company. They began with a capital of three thousand dollars. The business was continued under the original partnership relation until 1872, when the firm became Hays & Bruce and so continued until 1876. In 1865 Mr. Hays erected a business block on Water street and the trade was therein conducted. In 1876 E. D. Bartholomew became the junior partner and the firm style was changed to Hays & Bartholomew, but the latter sold his interest in 1879 to Thomas Hays and the old firm style of F. L. Hays & Company was resumed. In this way the business was carried on continuously and successfully until 1888, when they sold out and F. L. Hays retired to private life.

His history contains an interesting military chapter, for in August, 1862, he was instrumental in raising a company for service in the Civil war which became Company F of the One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was commissioned its captain and in October, 1862, the troops marched against the Confederate general, Bragg, in Kentucky. In January, 1863, the regiment was sent to Tennessee and became a part of the reserve corps of the Army of the Cumberland. With his command Captain Hays participated in the battles of Chickamauga and Resaca, Georgia, and in June, 1864, was promoted to the rank of major and was made additional paymaster, so continuing until February, 1865, when shortly before the close of the war he resigned. While acting as paymaster he was stationed at Louisville, Kentucky, Springfield, Illinois, and Indianapolis, Indiana.

When the war was over Major Hays returned to his home and family. In September, 1861, he had married Miss Hattie White and unto them were born three sons and a daughter : Harry, now living in Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Robert, a resident of Los Angeles, California; Frank L., of Chicago; and Madge, the wife of Dr. George C. Stemen, of Denver, Colorado.

In his political views Major Hays is a republican, voting for the candidates of the party since casting his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in i860. He has served as city clerk of Decatur and was a member of the board of review in 1906. In 1892 he was elected commander of the Grand Army post of Decatur, of which he had previously served as quartermaster for fourteen years. He is now resident secretary of the Decatur Club, in which connection he has charge of the house books and dues and also has general supervision over the club. His residence in the city covers a period of fifty-five years, in which he has witnessed much of the substantial growth and progress of Decatur, bearing his full part in the work of general development and improvement.

Kilburn H. Roby

It is a pleasure to meet a man who by a long life of usefulness and integrity has gained the universal esteem of the community, and is enjoying the friendship and the honors which are the result of his own unselfish character. Such men are justly entitled to the respect in which they are held. Kilburn H. Roby, one of the oldest members of the Macon county bar, belongs to this class of men.

He was born at Mount Vernon, Hillsboro county, New Hampshire, September 2, 1837, and is a son of Clinton and Lois (Harwood) Roby. On both sides of the house our subject is descended from English ancestry, the early American representatives of the family arriving in Massachusetts during the colonial period. Soon after the Revolutionary war the great-grandfather, John Roby, moved from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to Hillsboro county, New Hampshire, into what was then a wild frontier country. Members of the family have lived in that part of New Hampshire ever since, and from that region they have gone forth to various states of the Union. John Roby, the grandfather of our subject, was born in New Hampshire and lived to the age of eighty years. He was a man of peculiar traits, one of his characteristics being a remarkable memory, as he could repeat a great portion of the Bible. The father of our subject was born in New Hampshire in 1808, and was married to Lois Harwood in 1834. She was a native of Hillsboro county, born in 181 1, whose ancestors removed from Massachusetts into New Hampshire at a very early day.

Kilburn H. Roby was the younger of two children, and the farm upon which he was born was his home until he reached the age of twenty years. He received his early education at Appleton Academy, Mount Vernon, New Hampshire, and at Northfield Seminary, now Tilton Seminary, an institution under charge of the Methodist church, which has for many years been in operation in New Hampshire. The schools named above were very thorough in those early days and gave their pupils a fine start in mental training, which to many of them has proved of untold value in after life.

In the spring of 1858, being then twenty-one years of age and desirous of making a place for himself in the world, Mr. Roby came to Illinois, spending the first summer at Quincy. In the fall he secured a position as teacher in the public schools of Marion county and there continued for two years. However, his mind was bent upon a professional career, and in 1859 he began the study of law under John P. Reynolds, for many years a member of the Cincinnati bar and now living in Chicago. Later he continued his study in the office of Bryan & Schaeffer, at Salem, Illinois, and in September, i860, came to Decatur and entered the office of Tupper & Nelson. While still a law student, he enlisted in Company A, Forty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was sent with his regiment to St. Louis, Cairo and Paducah, being discharged at the latter place after four months' service on account of illness. Returning to Decatur, he resumed the study of law and was admitted to the Illinois bar in the spring of 1862. Mr. Tupper, of the firm of Tupper & Nelson, entering the army, Mr. Roby became a partner of William E. Nelson and continued with him about fifteen years, when the association was terminated by the election of Mr. Nelson to the bench. Our subject continued the practice of law until 1881 as senior member of the firm of Roby, Outten & Vail, one of the best known and most successful law firms of Decatur. As a lawyer Mr. Roby early gave indication of ability of a high order, and within a few years after he began practice he gained recognition as one of the able men at the bar. He has been identified with many of the most important cases in central Illinois, and before court or jury no man has commanded a more respectful hearing.

He has also been connected with various lines of business. In 1881 he became cashier of the Decatur National Bank and continued in that office for ten years, with the exception of the period from 1884 to 1885, when he was identified with the Haworth Manufacturing Company. In 1891 he was elected president of the bank of which he had been serving as cashier and filled the office of president with marked ability until 1904, when he retired on account of ill health. Since that time he has not been actively engaged in business affairs, but he continues as director and stockholder in the bank.

On the 1st of December, 1863, Mr. Roby was united in marriage to Miss Annie Haworth, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, and a daughter of Mahlon

Haworth, whose biography appears on another page of this volume.. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Roby, six of whom are now living. Frank C, born on the 21st of May, 1865, was married in Chicago, September 1, 1893, to Miss Ida M. Gordon, and they have three children: Helen E., born in June, 1894; Kilburn in October, 1898; and Frank C. in November, 1900. Mary Lois, born July 29, 1867, was married to Frederick A. Brown, of Decatur, in January, 1890, and to this union the following children were born: Marcus, who was born in Tacoma, Washington, and died there in 1893; Kilburn R., born in 1894 ; and Mary Lois, born in 1897. Mr. Brown, the father of these children, is now practicing law in Chicago. Edna A., the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Roby, was born March 14, 1869, and died in July, 1870. Kilburn H., born in 1871, married Miss Clara G. Greene, of Decatur, in 1900, and three children have been born to them: Oliver G., who was born September, 1903, and died in 1906; Thomas G., born in 1906; and Richard, March, 1908. The family live in Decatur. Luther E., born February 10, 1874, was married in Chicago to Isabelle Scott, in November, 1908, and one child has blessed this union, William Scott. The father is manager and treasurer of the Peoria Drill & Seeder Company. Sarah J., born January 14, 1876, was married May 21, 1903, to Captain Charles E. Hay, Jr., of the United States army. One child, John Leonard, born June 9, 1905, has resulted from this union. Annie Haworth, born April 10, 1878, was married at Decatur October 1, 1904, to Donald Vincent, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and they have two daughters, Catherine, born December, 1907, and a baby, born October 30, 1910.

Mr. Roby has been identified with the republican party since i860, his first vote having been cast for Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States. He has never sought political honors, but served for two years in the early part of his career as clerk and city attorney of Decatur. Possessing a logical mind and also a clear judgment in business affairs, he has been highly successful, both as a lawyer and as a man of business. His life has been an extremely active one, and his prosperity is the legitimate result of wisely directed effort. He has never been unmindful of his duties to the community, and his kindly interest in others has made for him a host of warm friends, who will ever regard him as a model citizen.

Oran Armstrong Cook

Oran Armstrong Cook, who has been successfully engaged in business as a carpenter and contractor of Macon for more than three decades, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the 18th of September, 1851, his parents being James A. and Charlotte Ann (Hogentogler) Cook. The maternal grandparents, John and Mary Hogentogler, were natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively. The paternal great-grandfather was a native of Germany and in the year 1777 three of his sons, one of whom was the grandfather of our subject, came to the United States in order to avoid military service. They settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and the grandfather of our subject was one of eight men who built the fifth rolling mill in the United States.

James A. Cook, the father of Oran A. Cook, was the eldest child and only son in a family of six children and was but fourteen years of age when he became engineer in his father's rolling mill. Eventually he entered the service of the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, acting as passenger engineer for five years. In 1856 he came to Illinois and for several years ran an engine on the Wabash Railroad out of Decatur. Returning to Pennsylvania, he remained in that state for a year and then once more came to Illinois, locating at Macon in i860. Here he embarked in the carpentering and undertaking business, being the first undertaker in the town. He was continuously and successfully engaged in those lines of activity until called to his final rest in 1901 when in the seventyfifth year of his age. At the time of the Mexican war he formed and was made captain of a company of infantry in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but hostilities had ceased when the little band of soldiers reached Pittsburg. In 1846 he wedded Miss Charlotte Ann Hogentogler, a young lady of Scotch and German decent and the eldest in a family of twelve children. In association with seven others she formed and organized the first Methodist church in Macon and its first congregation assembled in the house in which our subject now resides. She passed away in 1875, when in the forty-ninth year of her age.

Oran A. Cook, who was the third in order of birth in a family of seven children, obtained his early education in the public schools of Illinois and subsequently entered the Northwestern University of Indiana at Indianapolis, from which institution he was graduated in 1875. That was the time of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and he went to the Quaker city in charge of the exhibit of the Chandler & Taylor Company of Indianapolis. During the remainder of the year he traveled for that concern, selling their machinery. Following his marriage in 1878 he took up carpentering and contracting and has since been engaged in contracting and building on an extensive and profitable scale, erecting elevators, etc.

In August, 1878, Mr. Cook was united in marriage to Miss Flora C. Aumock, whose birth occurred on the 31st of August, 1857, her parents being James and Caroline J. (Butt) Aumock, natives of Ohio. Mrs. Cook, who was the second in order of birth in a family of four children, has likewise become the mother of four children, namely: Fay, who was born April 30, 1881 and died on the 6th of August, 1883; Cecil Floyd, whose natal day was March 10, 1883, and who is still at home; Fleda Dee, born January 30, 1887, wno gave her hand in marriage to Harry Herbert, of Macon, and now resides in Decatur; and Harry Harold, who first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 8th of November, 1888, and is still under the parental roof.

Politically Mr. Cook is a stanch advocate and supporter of the prohibition party, believing that the liquor traffic is the worst evil with which our country has to contend. He has been a member of the Modern Woodmen of America for the past twenty-four years and has occupied all of the chairs except one. At the present time he is acting as clerk of Macon Camp, No. 362. He is also identified with the Royal Neighbors, belonging to Fernleaf Camp at Macon, of which he has been a manager since its installation six years ago. He is likewise a member of the Royal Templars of New York, the Good Templars and the degree lodge of Good Templars. His wife belongs to the Royal Neighbors and the Order of the Eastern Star. She is a devoted and consistent member of the Methodist church and Mr. Cook likewise attends its services. In his business career he has always faithfully executed the terms of a contract and met the obligations devolving upon him. He has thus established a reputation for undoubted integrity and his name is an honored one wherever he is known.

William F. Hurtt

Among the citizens of Macon county who are actively identified with farming interests is William F. Hurtt, of Hickory Point township, a general farmer who by his industry and progressive spirit has gained the respect of his neighbors and the confidence of many of the responsible men in the community. He is a native of Ohio, born in Ross county in 1856, and is the son of John W. and Elizabeth (Ross) Hurtt, both natives of Ohio, the former born in 1825 and the latter in 1827. The mother was member of one of the early pioneer families of Ohio and died in 1862. The father continued upon the old home farm during the remainder of his life and was called away in April, 1895. Six children were born to them : Nelson, Roderick and John W., deceased ; Evans, of Piqua, Ohio ; William F., our subject; Margaret, now Mrs. Milton Junk, of Greeley, Colorado. William F. Hurtt was educated in the public schools of Ross county and assisted his father upon the farm until 1872 when, at sixteen years of age, he came with his eldest brother to Piatt county, this state. He began farming upon his own account by renting eighty acres of land and later two hundred and forty acres, engaging in general farming in Piatt county until 1908, when he took up his residence in Macon county, where he rented a farm upon which he has since lived. By the application of sound principles he has been successful in his work and is the owner of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of good land in Alberta, Canada. He also retains an interest in the old home place of one hundred and fifty-six acres in Ohio.

In 1878 Mr. Hurtt was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Robinson, of this state, a daughter of John L. and Louise (Huff) Robinson, who came from Coshocton county, Ohio, to Illinois in 1864 and settled in Piatt county. The father departed this life August 24, 1909, and the mother was called away in 1885. They were the parents of four children: William and Elmer, residing in Decatur; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Hurtt; and Beulah, deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Hurtt the following children have been born: Florence M., born in 1881, who married Charles Ball and died in July, 1905; Jennetta, who was born in 1884 and died in 1889; William Linley, born in 1896, who is living at home; and John Erwin, born in 1899, also at home.

Mr. Hurtt is politically in sympathy with the republican party, whose principles he accepts as those best adapted for the perpetuation of this government. Socially he is identfied with Lodge No. 344, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Lodge No. 2252, Modern Woodmen of America, and Lodge No. 652,

Court of Honor, all of Bement, Illinois. He is a consistent member of the Methodist church and takes an active part in its work, and by his wide sympathies and willing cooperation in all laudable undertakings for the benefit of others less fortunate than himself he has made many friends in the region with which he is closely identified. The country is in need of men like Mr. Hurtt and the happiness and permanent welfare of society depend in a large measure upon new accessions to their ranks and the cultivation of those principles of brotherhood that form the basis of all good government.

Andrew J. Trimmer

Andrew J. Trimmer, a native of the Keystone state, who has for more than half a century made his home in Macon county, was born on the 27th of September, 1839. He is a son of Joseph F. and Catherine (Fetrow) Trimmer, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former being born in 1814 and the latter in 1820. They were married in their native state and emigrated to Illinois in 1853, settling in Macon county. The father was a farmer and was the owner in Pennsylvania of two hundred acres of land, but after arriving in this state he rented land for eleven years, at the end of which time he bought the Mound farm, where he had been living, which consisted of one hundred and sixty acres. Later he acquired a farm lying one mile eastward of one hundred and sixty acres. He was one of the successful agriculturists of the county and a man who was highly respected for many good qualities. Politically he was an adherent of the republican party, believing that its principles were those most essential for the prosperity and perpetuity of our government. He departed this life in 1886 and twenty years later his faithful companion was called away. They were the parents of nine children: Andrew J., our subject; William, who died in 1864; Abram, now living in Ohio; Joseph, of Macon county; Mary, who married Isaiah Henry, her husband being deceased ; Daniel, of Indiana ; Henry, deceased ; John, of Decatur, and George, deceased.

The subject of our review was fourteen years of age when he came to this state. He received his education in the district schools and after laying his books aside assisted his father for six years upon the farm. At twenty-one years of age he began renting land for himself and so continued in this county for twenty-four years, at the end of which time his wife inherited the farm of one hundred and twenty acres, six acres of which are occupied by the railroad, and here the family has since made its home and the farm has been brought to a high degree of cultivation under the experienced management of our subject.

In 1862 Mr. Trimmer was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Rife, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Garver) Rife, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Illinois in 1840 and settled in this county. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rife : Jacob and Joseph, both deceased ; and Elizabeth, herein mentioned. Ten children have blessed the household of Mr. and Mrs. Trimmer : Mary, now Mrs. Daniel Flickinger; Grant, who lives upon the homestead with his father; Libby, now Mrs. J. Weldy, of Decatur; William, of Decatur; Ida, now Mrs.

Workman; Louisa, who became the wife of Domer Westhaver, of Sinton, Texas ; Grace ; Stella, now Mrs. Danzusen of Decatur ; Irvin, and Charles, of Bearsdale, Macon county.

Mr. Trimmer demonstrated his loyalty to the government under which he was born by enlisting in the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, in 1864. He served faithfully for six months and no man rejoices more heartily over the result of the great conflict than he. He is identified with Dunham Post, No. 141, G. A. R., of Decatur, and since casting his first ballot has been an earnest adherent of the principles of the republican party. He is a stanch friend of education and for forty years past has shown his interest in the training of the young for the important duties of life, acting as member of the board of directors of his school district. Mr. and Mrs. Trimmer have always assisted in any worthy enterprise of their neighborhood and as intelligent and progressive members of the community have made many friends.

Mr. Trimmer was a good soldier and he has in private life maintained the reputation of a worthy citizen, who as the head of a large and interesting family has had many responsibilities, which he has discharged with courage and fidelity. He is known as a worthy representative of the agricultural interests of Macon county.

Jacob Luther Walden

Jacob Luther Walden, attorney at law of Decatur, was born in Shelby county, Illinois, on the 5th of June, 1879, being one of the four children of Jacob and Sarah (Harsh) Walden, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Indiana. His youthful days were spent upon the home farm with the usual experiences that fall to the lot of the farm boy. He attended the district schools and afterward pursued a course in the Austin Normal at Effingham, Illinois. He then turned his attention to teaching, which profession he followed in the district schools and afterward spent a year as a principal of the schools of Findlay, Shelby county. Later he was for three years principal of the schools of Dalton City in Moultrie county but, while he proved a capable and successful educator, his ambition tended in another direction and he began preparation for the bar. While teaching Shelby county he read law under Judge Thornton of the firm of Thornton & Ragen and following the death of the judge he continued his reading under W. H. Ragen. His mastery of the principles of jurisprudence secured his admission to the bar in Illinois on the 16th of October, 1905, in which year he began practice in Shelby county, where he continued until September, 1908, when he sought a still broader and more favorable field in Decatur and has since been a member of the bar of this city. In the intervening period of a little more than two years he has given ample proof of his ability, so that a liberal clientage is now accorded him and his name figures in connection with the trial of many important litigated interests. In 1910 he was admitted to practice in the federal courts.

In 1905 Mr. Walden was married in Newton, Illinois, to Miss Fannie Kellogg, of Ohio, and unto them have been born two children : Ruth Evangeline, four and a half years of age ; and George Luther, who is a year old. Mr. Walden holds membeship with the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Windsor, Illinois, and belongs to the First Methodist Episcopal church - associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and the principles that govern his conduct.

Edward W. Null

Edward W. Null, postmaster of Niantic, is a striking instance of the effect of self reliance and fortitude when adopted as principles of action early in life. At nine years of age he was deprived by death of his beloved mother and two years later his father was called away, leaving the son alone to fight the battle with the world. How he succeeded is told in the story of his life. He is a native of Missouri and was born at Middletown, Mongomery county, September 17, 1870, a son of Isaiah and Sarah (Lindsay) Null. The father was born near Taneytown, Maryland, and the mother in Ohio. They met at Middletown and there they were married. Mr. Null was a soldier for the Union at the time of the Civil war and served as sergeant in Company C, of Fagg's Fifth Regiment, Missouri State Militia.

As an orphan boy of eleven years the subject of this review went to Taneytown, Maryland, where he took up his home with a cousin, Samuel Null, a farmer of Maryland, and there continued for seven years, during which time he assisted upon the farm and gained a common-school education. After arriving at eighteen years of age he began to work for himself as a carpenter, showing an aptitude for the trade which indicated him to be a natural mechanic. Later he went to Philadelphia and worked at the tinner's trade and also had some experience in a sawmill in Carroll county, Maryland. Having a desire to see more of the world and also to take advantage of larger opportunities, he came to Macon county about 1891 and for one season worked on a farm near Niantic. After this he engaged in carpenter work for two years and was then employed as a clerk by J. A. Cussins in Niantic. Going to St. Louis, he spent one winter in that city, but returned to Macon county and soon entered the employ of Pritchett Brothers, hardware dealers of Niantic, doing the tin work of the firm and also clerking in the store. On January 24, 1907, he was appointed postmaster of Niantic and has since conducted the office to the entire satisfaction of the government officials at Washington and of the people of Niantic and vicinity.

In 1900 Mr. Null was happily united in marriage to Miss Katy Corbett, of Niantic, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Ryan) Corbett. Mr. Null cast his first presidential ballot for William Henry Harrison in 1892 and has ever since been a stanch adherent to the republican party. He and his wife are both identified with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is an official mem- ber, serving as trustee. He holds membership in Niantic Camp, No 329, Modern Woodmen of American, and served as venerable consul of the camp for one year. He is also connected with Lodge No. 104, Yeomen of America, and has acted as secretary and treasurer of the local lodge since the time of its organization. Mr. Null is conscientious and capable in the performance of his duties and thus merits the esteem in which he is held by the community. Inheriting worthy traits from sturdy parentage, he has always attempted to do his work well, so that now he enjoys a comfortable income and is on the highroad to a permanent prosperity.

Charles W. Battles

Charles W. Battles, of Decatur, for many years a carpenter, railroad man and builder and now devoting his attention to his investments, was born at Mount Vernon, Hillsboro county, New Hampshire, August 18, 1843. He is a son of Thomas W. and Lucy M. (Stevens) Battles and comes of a long-lived family. The grandfather, Samuel Battles, who was born at Plymouth, Massachusetts, became a sea captain and owned the vessel in which he sailed for seventeen years. After acquiring a fortune he purchased three farms in New Hampshire, upon which he settled his sons. Captain Battles was one of the active and progressive men of his time and had he lived in the twentieth century would have been known as a captain of industry. He died at the advanced age of ninety-three years and nine months. The father of our subject spent the greater part of his life in New Hampshire but came to Decatur in 1889 and died in this city at the age of ninety-three years and three months.

The boyhood days of Charles W. Battles were spent on a farm and he received a common-school education, later attending Appleton Academy. At nineteen years of age he began to serve an apprenticeship as carpenter and received two dollars a day from the time of starting, as he showed great aptitude for the trade, having inherited this talent from his father. For about ten years he continued as a carpenter in New Hampshire and then, seeking for a new field, he came west, reaching Decatur, January 5, 1869. Here he entered the employ of the Wabash Railway as a carpenter but was advanced to the position of road master and maintained headquarters at Litchfield and later at Decatur. He continued with the railway for fifteen years and then began business for himself, buying tracts of land adjoining the city and platting the same. He also built many residences and in his operations was very successful. C. W. Battles' subdivision on Union and Church streets, Decatur, is named after our subject and is one of the handsome residence portions of the city. For ten or twelve years past he has devoted his attention mainly to looking after his investments.

On August 18, 1869, Mr. Battles was united in marriage to Miss Emma L. Spring, the ceremony being performed at the Sherman House, Chicago, by the Rev. W. H. Rider. Mrs. Battles was born at Wilton, New Hampshire, May 31, 1845, and is a daughter of John Clark and Lorena J. (Jaquith) Spring.

Her father died when she was about eight years of age and her mother soon afterward removed to Salmon Falls, Strafford county, New Hampshire, where the daughter attended school for several years, and then the mother located in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, giving her daughter opportunity for training in the normal school as a teacher. She began teaching as a supply in Allegheny and later in the country at Dorseyville, coming to Chicago with her brother, John L. Spring, an attorney of Lebanon, New Hampshire, who also served as a member of the New Hampshire legislature. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Battles: Flora, now the wife of C. W. Lewman, postal clerk of Decatur, and the mother of three children, Ruth, Doris and Elsie Battles; and Ella, who is the wife of Frank L. Suffern, of Decatur, and the mother of five children, Howard L., Charles W., Frank L., Edna Battles and Paul R.

Mr. Battles cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States in 1864 and has ever since closely adhered to the republican party. He has never aspired to public office but devoted his attention principally to his own affairs and now in the evening of life he is able to enjoy a rest and relaxation as the direct result of many years of well directed labor. He has no reason to regret that he selected Illinois as his adopted state, as here many of his dreams have been realized. Here, where he has spent nearly forty years, he has by honorable methods built up a fortune. It is hardly necessary to add that he and his estimable wife have many friends in this community.

I. Newton Bricker

I. Newton Bricker is now practically living retired although he engages to some extent in loaning money and thus encourages industry and enterprise in the county. For a long period he was closely identified with farming interests, owning and operating a tract of land of eighty acres in Friends Creek township. During more than half a century he has lived in Illinois, residing for a brief period in Piatt county, ere his removal to Macon county in 1865. He was then a young man of about eighteen years. His birth occurred in Coshocton county Ohio, June 19, 1847, and there he resided to the age of ten years, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Piatt county, Illinois. His father, Aaron Bricker, was a native of Pennsylvania and in that state spent the first seventeen years of his life, after which he went to Ohio where he met and married Miss Louisa Darling. He followed farming and stock-raising in the Buckeye state, continuing his residence there until 1858, when he removed westward to Illinois, taking up his abode upon a farm in Piatt county. There he resided for seven years and in 1865 came to Macon county.

During the period of his youth I. Newton Bricker pursued his education in the common schools and worked with his father upon the home farm, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. There is no event of special importance to vary the routine of farm life for him in his boyhood and youth and in fact his entire life has been in a measure quietly passed, yet his record is that of a man who is classed with the substantial citizens of the community. It is the business man, men who are capable, energetic and faithful in their own affairs, who constitute the real strength of a community. In the year 1872 Mr. Bricker was married in Macon county to Miss Clara Young, who was born and reared in this county. They began their domestic life upon his farm which he cultivated and developed, adding to it many substantial and modern improvements. Early spring found him busy in the fields preparing his land for the crops and in the autumn he gathered good harvests. In his barn and feed lots were found good grades of stock, which he raised and fed for the market and this brought him a substantial financial return. He continued to reside upon the farm until 1904, when he sold that property and removed to Argenta, where he erected a good residence which he now occupies. Here he is practically living retired but engages to some extent in loaning money.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bricker was born a daughter, Grace, now the wife of Jacob Noble, of Sangamon county. In the fall of 1890 Mr. Bricker was again married, his second union being with Miss Lillie Anderson, a native of Ohio, who was reared and educated in that state and in Decatur, having become a resident of the city in her girlhood days. She is a member of the Presbyterian church of Argenta and is most widely and favorably known in the town. Politically Mr. Bricker is a republican and while he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day never seeks nor desires office. Both he and his wife are much esteemed in the community in which they live. He has long been regarded as a careful, conservative and conscientious business man, of strict integrity and of personal worth, who is thoroughly identified with the prosperity and progress of Argenta and Macon county.

Ottomer Schmachtenberger

Ottomer Schmachtenberger is now living retired in Decatur, having closed the record of an active business life of more than twenty years' connection with railway interests in this part of the country. He has made his home in Decatur since 1906. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, April 28, 1858, and is a son of Samuel and Ann Eliza (Schaefer) Schmachtenberger. The father was born on a farm that now constitutes a part of the site of the city of Canton, Ohio, his natal year being 1823. He was a son of Rudoph Schmachtenberger, who was born in Germany and in his youth became a resident of Ohio, probably in the latter part of the eighteenth century. On the journey across the Atlantic both of his parents died while on shipboard when making the voyage in one of the oldtime sailing vessels. They had a son and daughter who, on arriving in New York, became separated, the sister of Rudolph Schmachtenberger being taken south and adopted by a southern family. Rudolph Schmachtenberger first settled in Pennsylvania and afterward removed to Ohio, where he died at the age of about seventy years. His son, Samuel Schmachtenberger, became a lumber merchant and manufacturer of sash, doors and building supplies. In 1865 he removed westward to Clark county, Illinois, where he conducted a similar busi- ness and later made his home in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he continued in the same line up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1899, when he was seventy-six years of age. His wife, who was born in 1824, survived until 1902.

Ottomer Schmachtenberger was a pupil in the public schools to the age of sixteen years, when he entered his father's employ, continuing in active connection with the business until 1886. He then entered the employ of the Wabash Railroad Company as fireman and later was made engineer, running between Decatur and St. Louis. He likewise was engineer on the Alton Railroad between Bloomington and St. Louis, being in charge of both freight and passenger trains. He retired in 1906 and removed to Decatur. During his twenty years' service on the road he never had a wreck, always attending strictly to business and requiring his firemen to do the same. All men who worked under him were required to be most careful and in this way all accidents and trouble were avoided.

On the 25th of November, 1879, Mr. Schmachtenberger was married to Miss Alice Beauchamp, of Clark county, Illinois, a daughter of William and Margaret (Hill) Beauchamp, who were natives of this state and successful farming people but are now deceased. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Schmachtenberger are : Gertrude, who is now the wife of J. H. Shuman, of Roodhouse, Illinois, and has one child, Floyd H., born January 20, 1910; Mabel, a teacher in the public schools of Decatur; Floyd, who was born March 13, 1890, and now holds a clerical position in the office of the Wabash Railroad at Decatur ; Gladys, a high-school student; and Leonard, who died in 1889 at the age of six years.

Mr. Schmachtenberger is a member of the Modern Woodmen camp and also of the Modern Americans. His political allegiance is given to the democracy and his family attend the Methodist church. He is now the owner of improved city real estate and residence property and is also interested in Texas and Arkansas farm lands. He deals some in real estate and owns a modern home at No. 1329 West Macon street. He started out in life empty handed and as the years have passed has won success, gaining his prosperity by economical living, conservative business methods and judicious investment. His holdings, with the income derived therefrom, are now sufficient to enable him to live retired and rest from the arduous labors to which he formerly gave such close attention.

Henry W. Fathauer

Henry W. Fathauer, who is actively engaged in the pursuits of farming and stock-raising, makes his home on section 17, Mount Zion township, and is the owner of four hundred acres of well improved land in Macon and Moultrie counties. His birth occurred in Baden, Germany, on the 12th of June, 1859, ms Par~ ents being Christian and Louise (Reimer) Fathauer. The father, who was a farmer by trade, passed away in 1880, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1878. Christian Fathauer had emigrated to the United States in company with his son Henry in the year 1873 but after a short time returned to the fatherland, leaving our subject here to care for himself.

Henry W. Fathauer received his early education in the schools of his native land and after coming to America continued his studies in Macon county, being at that time a youth of fourteen years. Since that early age he has been dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood, being first employed as a farm hand. In 1880 he started out as an agriculturist on his own account by renting a tract of eighty acres and the success which has crowned his labors is indicated by the fact that he is now the owner of four hundred acres of finely improved land in Macon and Moultrie counties. The land is all tilled and under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Fathauer resides on section 17, Mount Zion township, in a modern and attractive dwelling. In connection with the tilling of the soil he makes a specialty of stock-raising, breeding Duroc Jersey hogs. He well merits the pround American title of a self-made man, for the prosperity which he now enjoys is attributable entirely to his intelligently directed labors and good management. He is now able to indulge in all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life and recently purchased an automobile.

On the 28th of February, 1884, Mr. Fathauer was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Reeter, of Macon county, her parents being Fred and Caroline (Busher) Reeter, natives of Hanover, Germany. They took up their abode in this county in 1882 and here the father successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits until the time of his demise in 1888. Mrs. Fathauer has two brothers and one sister living. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children, as follows: Ida M.; Caroline Louise; Walter W., whose natal day was November 26, 1892; Viola L. ; and Ora G.

Mr. Fathauer is a republican in politics but does not consider himself bound by party ties and at local elections frequently casts an indepedent ballot, supporting the candidate whom he believes best qualified. For nine years he held the position of school trustee and for eight years has acted as a school director. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the United Brethren church. As the architect of his own fortunes he has builded wisely and well, and his life record is an excellent exemplification of the fact that opportunity is open to all and that the road of usefulness and unfaltering activity eventually leads to the goal of prosperity.

Tom W. Pitner

Tom W. Pitner is a representative of the manufacturing interests of Decatur, where he is engaged in the manufacture of burial shoes, conducting one of the two enterprises of this character in the country. He was born December 21, 1875, in the city which is still his home, his parents being W. C. and S. R. (Starr) Pitner. The father's birth occurred near Nashville, Tennessee, August 19, 1828, and the mother was born in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, March 27, 1839. The family is of German lineage, although the grandfather was born in Tennessee. In the maternal line Mr. Pitner comes of Scotch and Welsh ancestry. In the year 1866 his father became a resident of Decatur and is a prominent and well known photographer, having practiced his art for fifty-five years and having now the oldest established studio in the city. A man of liberal education, he was at one time a student in McKendree College, at Salem, Illinois. He had driven overland from Tennessee to North Prairie in 1837 and settled upon a farm, while later he turned his attention to educational interests and afterward to photography. His father was a soldier in the American army in the war of 1812 and when the country became engaged in civil warfare W. C. Pitner enlisted in the One Hundred and Nineteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for two years and nine months. He was mustered out at St. Louis and afterward came to Decatur, where he established his photographic studio, which he still owns, although he is now practically living retired. He has one brother, ninety-seven years of age, who still engages to some extent in the practice of medicine in Clay city, Illinois, and another brother, eighty-nine years of age, who is a retired minister. W. C. Pitner has reached the age of eightytwo years and is one of the most highly respected and honored residents of Decatur.

Tom W. Pitner attended the ward and high schools of Decatur until graduated with the class of 1894. Later he devoted two years to study in the Jacksonville college and on the completion of his education was employed by Bixby, Pitner & Company, manufacturers of burial shoes. In that connection he gained his practical experience in the line of business in which he is now engaged. After the death of his brother he purchased his share in the business and later became sole owner of the enterprise. He is engaged successfully in the manufacture of burial shoes, a patented article, the patents being owned by him. Mr. Pitner has been successful from the outset and his trade shows substantial increase annually.

On the 4th of August, 1903, Mr. Pitner was united in marriage to Miss Emma M. Muthersbaugh, of Decatur, a daughter of J. H. and Alice R. (Alexander) Muthersbaugh, the father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Bement, Illinois. They became well known residents of Decatur, where the father died May 13, 1909. Mrs. Muthersbaugh still survives and yet makes her home in this city. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pitner has been born a little son, Tom W., whose birth occurred September 14, 1906. In his political views Mr. Pitner is a republican and in religious faith a Methodist. Mr. Pitner has become well established as a leading and representative business man of the city and well merits the success which has come to him.

Albert A. Bauer

Among the successful business men of Macon county the name of Albert A. Bauer occupies an honored place. A native of the Buckeye state, he was born at Loyal Oak, Summit county, December 22, 1865, and is a son of John J. and Catherine (Eberhart) Bauer. The father was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1825, and the mother in Medina county, Ohio, September 5, 1828. John J. Bauer, who was a farmer and a man of many worthy traits of character, departed this life on the 18th of January, 1908, his faithful wife having been called away three weeks previously, on December 29, 1907. Seven children were born to them, five of whom are now living: M. M., a practicing physician of Lake, Ohio; B. B., a resident of Medina county, Ohio; J. M., of Cleveland, Ohio; Cora, the wife of W. H. Stacker, of Akron, Ohio; and Albert A.

The subject of this review was educated in the common schools and high school of his native township and began his active career as a school teacher in Summit county. After leaving home he was employed for two years on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad but later went to Cleveland and for eight years served as foreman in the Cleveland Rolling Mills. Being attracted westward, he came to Blue Mound, Illinois, in 1889 and for five years served as clerk in the store of which he is now one of the proprietors. Returning to Cleveland, he was for six years foreman of a wire mill, but in 1901 he took up his permanent residence in Blue Mound, purchasing a half interest in the firm of Bradley & House, the junior member having died. The title of the firm was changed to Bradley & Bauer, and the firm deals exclusively in furniture, undertaking supplies, hardware, agricultural implements, buggies, queensware, wall paper and also does a heating and plumbing business. In 1902 Mr. Bauer took a course of instruction in the National Embalming School at St. Louis, and the undertaking department of the firm receives his special attention. He is also in charge of the plumbing and heating department and, being a thorough mechanic, he is enabled to give expert attention to this work. The firm owns three store rooms, having a frontage of one hundred and twenty feet and extending back one hundred feet, and carries a large and well selected line of goods, which meet the demands of a constantly growing patronage.

On the 8th of December, 1889, Mr. Bauer was united in marriage to Miss Dora House, who was born in Medina county, Ohio, a daughter of Elazier and Flora (Martin) House. The father was a native of Jefferson county, Ohio, and came to Illinois at an early date, settling at Blue Mound. He died in 1889, at the age of sixty-eight years. There were three children in the family : Samuel, who died in 1890; James E., who died in 1900; and Dora, now Mrs. Bauer. One child, Ruth House, born August 23, 1892, brightened the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bauer. She received a good education in the public schools and later studied music under Mrs. Beal of Decatur. She is now a successful music teacher and is living at home. The family occupy a handsome residence in the northwest part of Blue Mound, which has been twice rebuilt under the direction of Mr. Bauer.