Decatur Township (part 44 of 46)

The turning point which led to the broad battlefield of national commercialism was reached in 1893, when the Mueller Manufacturing Company was organized with a capital stock of sixty-eight thousand dollars. Two years later a two-story factory building was erected at the corner of College and Cerro Gordo streets. Oscar B. Mueller, the youngest of the sons, was admitted as a partner February 1, 1896, and from that time on Mr. Mueller and his sons concentrated their energies and abilities upon the development of the manufacturing business. In order to do this the gun store and sporting goods house and the plumbing business were sold, the former in 1896 and the latter in 1897. Gas and plumbing goods were added to the line, salesmen were placed on the road and the company at once began doing a lucrative business. Additions and new buildings followed rapidly and in a little more than five years the plant was completed almost as it stands today. In 1905 Oscar B. Mueller went to New York city as manager of the eastern division located at 254 Canal street. A Chicago branch was opened at 48 Dearborn street in 1908 and removed to 37 Dearborn street in 1909. The company's plant now covers more than two city blocks. The original two-story structure is now three stories and is equipped with the latest types of machinery for the rapid production of goods. There is a large brass foundry, a three story warehouse and shipping department and a power plant for the development of electric light and power, a galvanizing department, enameling department and numerous lesser buildings necessary for the conduct of the business. An addition is being made at the present time to the power plant. The number of persons in the employ of the company and drawing wages in Decatur is now eight hundred and twenty and the weekly payroll is approximately ten thousand dollars. The total of employes in Decatur, New York and Chicago is nine hundred. The growth and progress of the company is forcibly illustrated by the increase in the local payroll during the past ten years: 1901, $130,725.10; 1902, $199,202.14; 1903, $239,106.56; 1904, $256,441.65; 1905, $332,784.04; 1906, $342,784.94; 1907, $359.694-57; 1908, $411,000.00; 1909, $466,400.00; 1910, $520,000.00. Twenty-seven traveling salesmen are in the service of the company and regularly visit all the important cities and towns in the United States. A noteworthy feature of the policy of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company is its attitude toward its employes. Faithful, continuous service is rewarded in addition to a regular annual increase in wages. At a picnic held at Mechanicsburg, Illinois, September 7, 1907, in celebration of the company's golden anniversary, seven employes who had been with the company twenty years or more were each presented with five hundred dollars as 'an appreciation of their faithfulness. Six of these men are still found at their daily tasks. The company does an annual business approximating two million dollars at the present time. There are no territorial restrictions. - the world at large is its field. Traveling salesmen visit every important center in the United States and the export trade has reached very satisfactory proportions. Orders are received from nearly every country on the globe and the name Mueller is known wherever water, plumbing and gas goods are used.

The last fifteen years of the company's history, from 1895 to the present time, is the most fascinating because of the rapid development which has made it Decatur's largest industry. But the real story of success is found in the formative period from 1857 to 1895, the thirty-eight years in which Hieronymus Mueller slowly builded the foundation of a business, grappling and mastering every obstacle as it presented itself, meeting adversity with a stout heart and accepting each success as a just reward. He put more than mere material in his work. He put qualities there - qualities that made a firm foundation. Persistence, honesty in work and material and square dealing which was a tenet of his faith long before it became a popular political catch-phrase to arouse people from the lethargy of dishonest and tricky practices in daily life - these were qualities he infused in his business conduct. He won the confidence of his fellowmen and his workmen. This confidence was shown to a marked degree following the general business depression that engulfed the company upon the very heels of the erection of the new factory. It was the crucial period that threatened the demolition of a life's effort. Hampered for money which sought its hiding place during the panic, he called his workmen together and plainly told them the danger he faced. He asked them to draw temporarily as little wages as possible and to keep all departments employed would mean shorter hours of work. There was hearty acquiescence in the plan and the financial abyss was safely bridged.

The important position which the company has attained, both locally and in the ranks of American brass goods manufacturers has not, therefore, been a mere accident; neither has it been the outcome of luck. It has been the logical result of opening the door when opportunity knocked, of taking advantage of the fortuitous circumstances that arose, of unremitting industry and close attention to business. All these coupled with an understanding of the requirements of the trade and a policy closely adhered to, of making goods of unquestioned quality, have been the predominating potent factors which have guided the company into channels of success.

The most valuable asset of Hieronymus Mueller was his six loyal sons who, one by one, joined their father as they came of age and supported his efforts to reach a profitable eminence in the business world. First of these was Henry Mueller, who died August 13, 1910. As a boy he entered the shop and under the guidance of his father acquired the machinist's trade and became an expert in his line and an inventor whose devices have proved of inestimable value to the company in later years. Henry Mueller proved an exceptional man in the brass goods industry. He was a pioneer in changing from ungainly and unsightly shapes to forms possessing harmonious proportions. His instincts were artistic and found expression in patterns of goods having graceful and pleasing lines, and no man did more than he in revolutionizing this phase of the business. The genius of his inventive skill and artistic conception are found in many goods made by the company. Philip Mueller was the second son to join his father in business and gave his attention largely to plumbing, acquiring a practical knowledge of the trade by actual service and a fine theoretical knowledge by studious application to the principles of hydraulics and sanitation. The other sons as they finished their schooling came in on the business and office side, so that within the family there was an excellent and effective organization for the upbuilding of a permanent and large enterprise. All of the sons secured a more or less practical knowledge of the mechanical necessities of the business, a thorough familiarity with the goods and understanding of the needs of the trade. The present officers of the company are : President and treasurer, Adolph Mueller; secretary and assistant treasurer, Robert Mueller; vice president and assistant secretary, Fred B. Mueller; assistant treasurer and general manager of eastern division, O. B. Mueller; and superintendent, Philip Mueller. The Mueller Company is purely a Decatur institution in every fiber. Its members are Decatur born and bred. We do not believe the history of Decatur offers a parallel case of a company that has reached a similar importance whose entire membership is native born. In another particular the Muller Company enjoys a distinctly individual characteristic. It has never received a subsidy of any kind from Decatur or Decatur citizens. Its success therefore has been wholly due to the efforts of Hieronymus Mueller and his sons and is a splendid example of possible attainment in the industrial world through united effort directed to the accomplishment of a certain purpose.

Adolph Mueller

Adolph Mueller, president and treasurer of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company, was born in Decatur on the 8th of May, 1866, a son of Hieronymus and Anna Fredericka Mueller. He was a pupil in the Decatur high school and afterward attended the University of Illinois, where he studied mechanical engineering. Subsequently he pursued a thorough course in a business college and was thus well qualified to enter upon the tasks which have constituted his life work. He became connected with mechanical lines, especially gunsmithing and plumbing, of which he acquired comprehensive practical knowledge. Later he took up bookkeeping and clerical work in connection with his father's business and his advancement in the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company has at length brought him to the position of president and treasurer. In this enterprise he is associated with his brothers, the firm constituting one of the strongest business combinations of central Illinois. Moreover, he is a director of the Millikin National Bank of Decatur. His discrimination is keen, his judgment sound and his deductions practical as manifest in the results which follow plans of his making.

On the 14th of June, 1893, Mr. Mueller was married in Decatur to Miss Minnie Bachman and to them have been born three children: William Everett and Charlotte A., who are still living; and Charles Phillip, who died at the age of three years. The family attend the Christian Science church and Mr. Mueller is a Mason and a member of the Decatur and Country Clubs. He is serving as a member of the board of the James Millikin University and is a member of the University Club and is deeply interested in all measures and movements for the educational, material, social and moral progress of the community. His political indorsement is given to the republican party but the honors and emoluments of office have never had attraction for him. One of his strong personal characteristics is his fairness in dealing with men and his policy of a square deal in all manufacturing and business transactions. He never deviates from that which his judgment sanctions as right between man and his fellowmen and he has thereby gained an unsullied reputation for commercial integrity.

Henry Mueller

Henry Mueller, vice president of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company, occupied a prominent position in Decatur not alone by reason of his active connection with one of the most important industrial interests of the city but also by reason of the social nature that endeared him to many friends. He was born at Freeport, Illinois, March 31, 1858, and was but a child when his parents removed to Decatur, where he pursued his education in the public schools. His father established a gunsmith shop here and as the boy grew in years and experience his ability was forcibly felt in this industry and still later more strongly in the Decatur Plumbing & Heating Company, the first of the Mueller enterprises to be of interstate importance. At the time when the Mueller Manufacturing Company was organized Henry Mueller, partly because of the fact that he was the eldest child and also on account of his ability, acted as counsellor to his father and from that day was given charge of the designing of the various supplies made by the company. The masterly hand of the mechanical genius controlled by a seemingly untiring brain added to the merit of the firm's products which were thus kept at the front of the plumbing trade. Henry Mueller was the inventor of various new sundries for the plumbing trade and for the improvement of old patterns. One who knew him said: "Not only was he a great mechanic, he was an artist. He was perhaps the first man in this country to give beauty to design and pleasing effect to his particular line of manufactured articles. Anything out of harmony to the eye grated upon his sensitive nature. He was most at home when with pencil in hand he was giving beauty and harmony of effect to his design. The one ambition of his business life was to bring the products of his factory as nearly as possible to perfection. To this end he spared neither time nor labor. It was not a matter of making money with him ; indeed, he often sacrificed money for the accomplishment of character ; with him a careless, slip-shod piece of work, an ugly design, were impossible to his nature." In the plumbing world the word

"Mueller" means perfection and completeness and to the knowing the name of "Henry Mueller" appeared behind the success that attended the marketing of the Mueller products.

The Decatur Herald said of Henry Mueller; "With all his mechanical ability and his untiring efforts to produce new ideas he was a 'big' man - he had big ideas of life and of people. As he was a kind father and affectionate husband, so was he a staunch friend and companion. Notwithstanding the fact that he indirectly governed the mechancial efforts of seven hundred men of all nationalities and temperament, he controlled them with kindness and yet firmness. He had the happy faculty of administering a rebuke or criticism in a way in which the sting of error was removed and in its stead an element of interest in the recipent of such correction was constantly evidenced. For this reason more than any other those under him knew him and liked him and with him a trip through the immense factory was a pleasure. He liked to mingle with the men. From them he secured helpful hints in the design of goods and to them he always gave credit for their suggestions. Outside the factory he appeared in another light, and seemingly another man. Naturally a lover of life and nature, he spent all of his available time in the open, either touring the country in his automobile or camping with a small party of friends in the north. He fitted into such camping parties as the finest finished keystone to the arch. Because of his versatility his companionship was constantly sought by business men of the city who were wont to lose themselves in the northern summer resorts for recreation. His rare judgment gave him the position of counsellor to his associates in business and also to his most intimate business friends. He exhibited a keen interest in municipal affairs and was always found in the front ranks of public-spirited citizens seeking to better the welfare of Decatur's people and to expand the commercial importance of the city. Despite his many business connections he found ample time to read and he was considered one of the best read men in the city. His craving for literature was directed more to things mechanical and scientific than to history and fiction, although he accumulated much of both."

Mr. Mueller was married and left a wife and one daughter, and a little daughter two years of age passed away a short time before the death of the father. He was most devoted to his family and his thought always seemed to be for the care and comfort of those of his own household. He gave careful personal supervision to the beautifying of his dwelling place which was dear to him because it sheltered those he loved. The most fraternal relations also existed between himself and his brothers and he was largely an ideal employer, taking a personal interest in the men who served him and ready at all times to aid them with suggestions of worth or word of encouragement. Death came to him suddenly and one of his last acts was the expression of love for his wife. It was her birthday anniversary and, rising early, he went out to purchase a bouquet that the flowers might adorn the table when she arose. One who knew him long said of him : "Henry Mueller was one of the most quiet and unassuming prominent business men in Decatur. With the consciousness of a man of extraordinary skill and ability in mechanics, he went forward in his onward progress and prosperity. Mr. Mueller was exceedingly careful of the feelings and rights of others. On all matters of doubt he gave others the benefit of it. There was an example of industry and untiring devotion to every detail in his work. He did nothing slip-shod. The master hand of his skill impressed everything with painstaking perfection and finish. As a citizen he was a model. Always on the side of every good movement and work for the upbuilding of the city, he studied public utilities and the advancement of everything that made them better. His life was unblemished and his character pure and true. His soul looked for and saw the best in others. His intentions were honorable and his motives good. He was a friend indeed. Mr. Mueller was a loving and devoted man to his family. Everything in his power was afforded them for their comfort and happiness. He was the unalterable friend and well wisher of the men who worked in the factory. He never forgot the rights of those who labor. In all matters for the betterment of their condition he was their champion. In the death of Henry Mueller the city of Decatur has sustained a great loss. Few men have greater love for mankind than he had. In this hour of sorrow may He who alone can give true consolation comfort the widow, the mother, the brothers and sister is the prayer of an old friend."

Robert Mueller

Robert Mueller, secretary and assistant treasurer of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company, was born in Decatur, March 27, 1864, and in the acquirement of his education attended the ward and high schools. After his school days were over he entered his father's office and has since been identified with the business of the Mueller Manufacturing Company. Like his brothers, he received thorough practical training in that line so that his broad experience has well qualified him to become a factor in the management and control of a continuously growing and important enterprise. He is also interested in the Decatur Fountain Company and other business concerns.

On the 21st of October, 1896, was celebrated the marriage of Robert Mueller and Miss Addie Ebert and unto them has been born a son, Ebert Mueller. As a young man Robert Mueller was identified with Company H of the Fifth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard and was very enthusiastic in military matters. He is now active in the promotion of the interests of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce and has served as one of its directors since its inception. His political views are in accord with the principles of the republican party. The Masonic fraternity finds in him an exemplary representative, the Presbyterian church a faithful and loyal member, and he is a popular representative of the Decatur, the Country and the Decatur Fishing Clubs, associations which indicate much of the nature of his recreation. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Fred B. Mueller

FRED B. MUELLER. Fred B. Mueller, assistant secretary of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company and son of Hieronymus and Anna Fredericka Mueller, was born in Decatur, June 4, 1862. At the usual age he entered the public schools and passed through consecutive grades until he became a high school student.

Later he joined his father in business and assumed the management of the Mueller gun store and sporting goods house when it was established on Merchant street in 1885. He remained there as manager until the business was sold in 1897, when he returned to the company and has since acted as field manager of salesman. His official connection is that of assistant secretary. The department under his control is well organized and in its management he is constantly extending the scope of his activities.

In his political views Mr. Mueller is a republican but like his brothers has preferred to concentrate his energies upon business affairs rather than devote his time to political work and attempt to gain office. In matters of citizenship, however, he is loyal and his aid and influence are supporting elements in many progressive fields.

Oscar B. Mueller

Oscar B. Mueller, assistant treasurer and general manager of the eastern division of the H. Mueller Manufacturing Company, was born on the 25th of March, 1871, in Decatur, and after becoming a high-school student in this city continued his education in the University of Illinois. He was identified with the producing end of the Mueller Manufacturing Company and brought forth a number of inventions that have proven valuable to the company. Later he was admitted to the business and was in charge of the plumbing and waterworks goods display at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. He then went to New York to take charge of the eastern office and is now assistant treasurer of the company and manager of the eastern branch, his home being in New Rochelle, New York. He also has other important business interests, being president of the Rochelle Heights Association, which consists of two hundred and forty property owners, the property being located in a private park. He is likewise a director of the Leader Iron Works of Decatur.

On the 18th of June, 1895, in his native city, Oscar B. Mueller was married to Miss Beatrice A. Wetzel and they now have two children, Bernhardt Frederick and Beatrice Florence. Mr. Mueller is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Although not a resident of Decatur at the present time, he is well known in this city and has a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.

Philip Mueller

PHILIP MUELLER. Philip Mueller, whose connection with the Mueller, whose connection with the Mueller Manufacturing Company aside from being a stockholder is that of superintendent, was born in Decatur, October 16, i860, and at the usual age entered the public schools, pursuing his studies through consecutive grades of the ward schools. He made his initial step in the business world as an apprentice in gas fitting and installing engines and afterward learned plumbing and water and steam fitting. He was admitted to a partnership by his father in 1886 and has since been an active factor in the condnct of the business of the Mueller

Manufacturing Company, in which connection he has invented a number of articles now manufactured by the company. His thorough mechanical training well qualifies him for the position of superintendent, in which office he has entire charge of the manufacturing interests of the house.

On the 22d of May, 1883, Mr. Muller was married to Miss Mary E. Shorb, and their children are: Clara, the wife of Fred Kaiser; Robert; Leda; Phyllis, the wife of Delos Cozad; Lucien; Clarence; and Frank. Mr. Mueller was a member of Company H, Fifth Regiment Illinois National Guard, when the company was first organized. He has been identified with several fraternal, social and scientific societies, holding membership with the Odd Fellows, the Decatur Turnverein, the Elks, Decatur Club, Decatur Country Club, American Society of Inspectors of Plumbing and Sanitary Engineers and American Brass Founders Association.

John P. Holmes

John P. Holmes, the fortunate owner of two hundred and eighty acres of valuable farm land in Harristown township, Macon county, was born near Concord in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, August 6, 1853. He is a son of Archibald and Margaret (Cann) Holmes, the former born in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1829, and the latter in Virginia, May 30, 1829. Both removed to Indiana in childhood with the respective parents and were there married, coming to Macon county, Illinois, in the spring of 1864. Mr. Holmes had visited Macon county in 1863 and purchased a tract of eighty acres of land on section 9, Harristown township, where he established the family homestead, the farm containing a three room house, in which the family lived for a number of years. He was an industrious farmer and added forty acres to the farm, developing the land until it became highly productive. The father was called from earthly scenes in 1874, leaving a widow and six children, the latter being: Elizabeth, now Mrs. Wilson Bowers, of Mount Hope, Kansas, the mother now making her home with this daughter; John P., our subject; Joseph and Charles, both of Peoria; Serena, now Mrs. Baker, of Mount Hope, Kansas ; and Edward, of Peoria.

John P. Holmes grew to manhood upon the farm and received his early education in the district schools, entering Eureka College at eighteen years of age and there continuing his studies for two years. Returning home, he purchased an interest in a store at Harristown and was in business for several years under the title of Peck & Holmes. Although he succeeded well as a merchant, he felt strongly attracted to agricultural pursuits and, selling out his interest in the store, he turned his attention to farming, having already purchased the interests of the other heirs in the home place. In 1882 Mr. Holmes bought eighty acres of land in the same township at fifty dollars per acre, the highest price that had up to that time been paid in the township. Neighbors laughed at his supposed extravagance but time has demonstrated the wisdom of Mr. Holmes' judgment. In 1885 he offered fifty dollars for another tract of eighty acres in the same neighborhood and the following spring purchased it at forty-five dollars per acre. This land is now worth two hundred and fifty dollars per acre. In 1879 Mr. Holmes built a new residence, which he remodeled in 1907, putting in modern hot water heating appliances and making other improvements, so that his residence is now one of the handsomest and best appointed buildings in the neighborhood. His farm is provided with large barns and with a complete equipment of smaller buildings, being in many respects one of the model establishments of the county and a good index of the character of its owner. In connection with general farming, he has devoted considerable attention to the handling and breeding of live stock. In 1881 he purchased and brought to Macon county the first Hereford cattle and continued in the breeding of the same for a number of years with good results in a financial way. For the last twenty-five years he has bought and shipped over six hundred carloads of live stock to Chicago and eastern markets.

On April 23, 1884, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage in Chicago to Miss Clara Reynolds, who was born on a farm in Moultrie county, Illinois, about 1862, a daughter of C. F. and Eveline (Archer) Reynolds. Mrs. Holmes departed this life February 28, 1903, leaving two children : Gertrude, now Mrs. Richard Daly, of Harristown township; and Floyd, at home. On July 2, 1907, Mr. Holmes was again married, the lady of his choice being Miss Edith Eyman, a daughter of J. M. and Malissa (Fuller) Eyman, of Harristown township.

Mr. Holmes was reared a democrat and cast his first presidential ballot for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, but he has since become a stanch republican. He has never aspired to political honors, as his interest has been largely taken up with his own private affairs. He is a valued member of the Christian church and a firm believer in the authority of the Bible and has many friends in Macon county, who admire him not only for his success as a farmer but on account of his excellent personal qualities.

Andrew H. Mills

Andrew H. Mills, who has been a successful attorney of Decatur for three decades, is the senior member of the firm of Mills Brothers, one of the leading law concerns of the city. His birth occurred on a farm in Putnam county, Illinois, on the 6th of October, 185 1, his parents being Eli R. and Elizabeth (Kimber) Mills, who were natives of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and were married in Brownsville, that state. The father's natal year was 1809. During his active business career he acted as captain on a river steamboat which plied between Pittsburg and New Orleans and occasionally made the trip up the Illinois river to Peru. In his early manhood he arrived in Illinois and in Putnam county, this state, he acquired over one thousand acres of valuable land, his farm being situated near Magnolia. In connection with his duties as a steamboat captain he also supervised the operation of this property. Unto him and his wife were born the following children : Susan, the wife of R. N. West, of Rocky Ford, Colorado; Joseph and Thomas, who are deceased; Herman, who died in infancy; Sarah, the wife of Fred M. Cox, of Decatur; Henry C, county judge of Putnam county, Illinois; Andrew H., of this review; Isaac R., who has passed away ; and Eli R., who died in infancy.

Andrew H. Mills attended the district schools until 1870, when he entered Lincoln University at Lincoln, Illinois, completing the classical course in June, 1875. Subsequently he acted as a tutor in the university for two years, at the same time pursuing a post-graduate course. During the next three years he taught in the Waverly graded schools at Waverly, Illinois, reading law in the meantime. In July, 1880, he came to Decatur and read law in the office of Clokey & Mills. The following June the firm of Mills Brothers was organized, the partners being Isaac R. Mills and his brother, Andrew H. This relationship was maintained until the 3d of July, 1904, when the senior partner was killed in a wreck on the Wabash Railway.

His son, Walter H. Mills, took his father's place in the firm of Mills Brothers, which has been continuously and successfully engaged in the general practice of law to the present time, having offices in the Millikin Bank building. The partners enjoy an enviable reputation as leading attorneys of Decatur and are accorded an extensive and important clientage. Much of the success which has attended Andrew H. Mills in his professional career is undoubtedly due to the fact that in no instance will he permit himself to go into court with a case unless he has absolute confidence in the justice of his client's cause. Basing his efforts on this principle, from which there are far too many lapses in professional ranks, it naturally follows that he seldom loses a case in whose support he is enlisted. He owns some land in Putnam county, Illinois, and also some in Shelby county. His home is at No. 356 West Decatur street, where he owns a comfortable residence.

On the 2d of January, 1877, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth E. Bell, of Lincoln, Illinois, a daughter of Rev. William C. and Sarah A. (Doss) Bell, who were natives of Illinois and Kentucky respectively. The father is deceased but the mother still survives, making her home with our subject. Mrs. Mills was a classmate of her future husband in the university at Lincoln, the two young people pursuing the classical and master's courses together. Later she assisted him as teacher in the schools at Waverly. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mills have been born five children. Ralph G., a medical missionary in Kangkai City, Korea, is to be transferred to the Severance Hospital at Seoul, where he will have charge of the department of pathology. Judith B. is the wife of Keach Bone, of Petersburg, Illinois. Helen E. and Harold E., twins, are at home. Andrew Hubert is the youngest member of the family.

Mr. Mills is a republican in politics and since attaining his majority has taken an active part in every campaign as a local speaker and otherwise. Both he and his wife are valued members of the First Presbyterian church, in the work of which they are actively and helpfully interested. Mr. Mills was superintendent of the Sunday school for eighteen years and is now teacher of the Sisterhood bible class of one hundred and ten members. He is now and for the past eight years has been chairman of the executive committee of the Illinois Sunday School Association and for a similar period has acted as the Illi- nois member of the International Sunday School Association. As the result of his deep interest in Sunday school affairs he has become keenly alive to the fact that the liquor traffic is a menace to the future welfare of our youth and takes an aggressive stand on the side of temperance, doing everything in his power to promote those measures and movements which tend to uplift and benefit the race.

Isaac R. Mills

Isaac R. Mills, whose demise occurred on the 3d of July, 1904, was engaged in the practice of law at Decatur for a quarter of a century. His birth occurred on a farm in Putnam county, Illinois, his natal day being September 5, 1853. He supplemented his preliminary education by a course of study in the university at Lincoln, being graduated from that institution in 1875. Subsequently he made his way to Chicago, Illinois, there reading law in the office of Dent & Black. In the fall of 1879 he came to Decatur and formed a partnership with J. M. Clokey for the practice of law, remaining with that gentleman until June, 1881, when he organized the firm of Mills Brothers in association with his brother, Andrew H. Mills. He was elected city attorney in 1882 and served in that capacity for three terms, being twice reelected. On the 1st of June, 1888, he was appointed states attorney and in the fall of that year was elected to the office. Twice he was honored by reelection, holding the office altogether for twelve years and five months. In May, 1901, he was appointed collector of internal revenue for the eighth district of Illinois. His worth as a lawyer was acknowledged by a large clientage and in each of the public offices to which he was called he proved a most faithful and efficient incumbent. He passed away on the 3d of July, 1904, being killed in a wreck which occurred on the Wabash Railway near Litchfield.

Mr. Mills was married twice. In September, 1878, he wedded Miss Mattie A. Mahannah, her father being Stephen Mahannah, an agriculturist of Macon county. By this union there were four children, namely: Walter H., who succeeded his father in the firm of Mills Brothers ; Mary E., who is now the wife of Edward A. Purcell, of Taylorville, Illinois; Ida M., the wife of Don R. Lehman, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Gertrude A., of Decatur. The wife and mother was called to her final rest in February, 1889, and in March, 1891, Mr. Mills was again married, his second union being with Mary Hackenberg, of Christian county, Illinois. The two children of this marriage, Jennie H. and Elinor R., reside with their mother at No. 1024 Lincoln avenue. Mr. Mills was a Knight Templar Mason, while his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church, to which his widow also belongs.

Stouffer Brothers

STOUFFER BROTHERS. The firm of Stouffer Brothers, contractors of Decatur, needs no introduction to the readers of this volume. It consists of George A., Charles W. and David E. Stouffer, sons of Elias Stouffer, who was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, January 12, 1832, his parents being George and Elizabeth (Welty) Stouf- fer, who were married about 1824. Both the Stouffer and Welty families were among the early German settlers of this country. Elias Stouffer was fourteen years of age when brought by his parents to the middle west in 1846, the journey being made mostly by team. In the family were thirteen children and they located on a farm in Ogle county, Illinois, where they became quite successful. Later four sons and four daughters removed to Marshall county, Iowa, where one son and two daughters still reside. Both the father and the grandfather of David E. Stouffer were self-educated men and, although of German descent, the language was not spoken in their home but Elias Stouffer learned to read, write and speak German through his own efforts. Leaving the home farm in Ogle county at the age of twenty-one years, he learned the carpenter's trade and in 1864 came to Macon, where he became a successful contractor, erecting many of the buildings in the southern part of the county.

In October, 1865, was celebrated the marriage of Elias Stouffer and Miss Mary L. Nugent in Decatur, of which city she is now a resident. She was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, on the 20th of March, 1839, her parents, William and Sarah J. (Stone) Nugent, having removed to the Buckeye state from Pennsylvania at an early day. Her father was a Methodist minister and also engaged in farming to some extent. Her mother was the daughter of an Englishman, born in London. Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stouffer built a residence in Macon and there they reared their family, consisting of four sons and one daughter. William H., born December 31, 1867, is now superintendent of the Decatur Fountain Company. He married Miss Frances L. Kraiger, of Decatur, and they have five children, Ernest, Ralph, Helen, Grace and Lloyd. George A., born August 1, 1869, married Miss Harriet E. Ward, of Newburgh, New York, June 14, 1905, and they have two sons, George Esmond and Robert Lee. Charles W., born July 19, 1871, was married May 6, 1903, to Mabel G. Brant and their children are Mary Elizabeth and Dorothy Grace. David E. was born November 5, 1875. Minnie E., the only daughter, resides with her mother in Decatur. She began teaching school at the age of sixteen and successfully followed that profession for eight years.

In January, 1897, Elias Stouffer, accompanied by his wife, daughter and two youngest sons, removed to Nashville, Tennessee, where his death occurred on the 30th of April of that year. Shortly afterward the family returned to Decatur and the mother, daughter and youngest son, David E., now reside together, while the married sons have homes of their own. There is a strong family attachment between them and their business affairs are carried on with the utmost harmony.

All of the children were born and reared in Macon and were educated in the public schools. The brothers are all practical business men and shortly after their return from Nashville, Tennessee, George A., Charles W. and David E. formed a partnership as general contractors, the youngest brother looking after the architectural end of the work. The sister has also become interested in the business, having charge of the clerical and office work. David E. is now vice president of what has become known as the Decatur Fountain Company, while his eldest brother, William, is superintendent. This company was established in 1906 and the business has proved a profitable undertaking, their trade increasing continually. The contracting business is still carried on with success and the firm has been accorded much important work in the field of building operations in Decatur.

The father was a prohibitionist in politics, stanchly advocating the temperance cause. His sons, however, favor the democratic ticket but usually vote more for principle than party. All of the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their influence is ever found on the side of right, reform, progress and improvement.

Lowell A. Smith

Lowell A. Smith, extensively engaged in farming in Milam township, owning and occupying a tract of three hundred and ninety acres of land on sections 27, 33 and 34, is a worthy representative of one of the old and prominent farmers of this part of the state, his father being E. O. Smith, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, November 27, 1861, and following the removal of the family to California he pursued his education in the public and high schools of San Jose, and also attended a business college in that place. Subsequently he was actively associated with his father in the development and cultivation of a fruit ranch in California until 1882, when he returned to Illinois, his father giving him one hundred and sixty acres of the farm upon which he now resides. On the division of his father's estate he also inherited eighty acres more and to this he has added by purchase a tract of one hundred and fifty acres. His wife inherited eighty acres from her father's estate, so that their holdings comprise a total of four hundred and seventy acres in Macon county, but this does not represent the aggregate of Mr. Smith's property, for he is also owner of thirteen hundred acres in Texas. He has resided upon his farm in Macon county continuously since 1884 and is engaged in the cultivation of grain and the raising of stock, making a specialty of Morgan horses. Both branches of his business have proven profitable and he has a splendidly improved farm on which he erected his present modern and beautiful residence in 1898. In the rear stand good barns and outbuildings and everything about the place indicates his careful supervision and progressive methods.

In February, 1884, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Frances Watson, a daughter of the Rev. Dudley G. Watson, of Christian county, Illinois, and unto them were born two sons: Lloyd L., whose birth occurred February 17, 1885; and Forest E., who was born February 1, 1887. The brothers are now engaged in farming in Montana on about one thousand acres of land. The wife and mother passed away October 23, 1887, and on the 12th of March, 1890, Mr. Smith was married again, his second union being with Miss Martha C. Mayes, a daughter of Thomas E. and Isabella (Langton) Mayes, who came to Illinois about 1864, settling in Moultrie county. Mrs. Smith, the eldest of their seven children, was born February 16, 1862. Her father died February 24, 1910, at the age of seventy-two years, and her mother passed away on the 12th of February, 1905, at the age of seventy years. Three children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but Anna Belle, the eldest, who was born December 2, 1892, died July 21, 1904. Lowell E. was born March 12, 1904, and Genevieve on the 27th of June, 1900.

Mr. Smith is a democrat in his political views and his fellow townsmen, appreciating his worth and ability, have called him to the office of collector, commissioner and school director. He was one of the three commissioners for the Milam drainage district, No. I, in 1901, which was one of the first regularly organized drainage districts of Macon county. He cooperates in all progressive public measures and is deeply interested in the welfare and upbuilding of town and county. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church of Dalton and at all times their influence is cast on the side of right and progress. While Mr. Smith was fortunate in that he inherited property, in the conduct, development and improvement of his farm he has displayed good business ability, has enhanced its value and has extended its boundaries. He is today one of the extensive and prosperous agriculturists of Macon county.

Lewis Stookey

Lewis Stookey, a representative of the fourth generation of the family in Illinois, is prominently identified with the farming interests of Macon county and is known as one of its most capable and enterprising citizens. He is the owner of one of the most valuable farms of Harristown township, where he carries on general farming and is also greatly interested in the breeding of shorthorn cattle, his pure-bred herd having a reputation of containing some of the finest specimens of the kind in the state. Mr. Stookey is a practical man and his success has been due to the application of sound judgment in all departments of his business.

He was born in St. Clair county, October 20, 1848, and is a son of Daniel and Caroline (Goodner) Stookey. The father was also born in St. Clair county, the great-grandfather of our subject, Daniel Stookey, locating there in 1802, therefore being one of the very earliest settlers of Illinois. The family came from Virginia, although Daniel Stookey was a native of Maryland, in which state he was born before the Revolutionary war, in March, 1773. His wife, who before her marriage was Barbara Whetstone, was born in Virginia, April 20, 1774. They were married March 16, 1797, and their eldest son, Simon, was born in Virginia, January 6, 1798. This son was the grandfather of our subject and came with the family to St. Clair county. He and his father were pioneer farmers and they took up land from the government in that county, some of which is still in possession of the family. Daniel Stookey, the father, was born March 6, 1820, while his wife was born June 26, 1825, in St. Clair county, and there they were married December 4, 1845. He was a farmer and sawmill owner. In 1855, ten years after his marriage, he sold out and removed to Bloomington, Illinois, becoming interested in the manufacture of Pennock's wheat drills, but the call of the farm drew him back to the soil and after a few years he came to Harristown township, Macon county, where he had acquired forty acres of land and also owned one hundred and sixty acres in Illini township. Later he became the owner of three hundred and twenty acres where the family homestead is now located. This land at the time of his purchase was wild prairie, with no trees or fences, and upon it there stood a small cabin one and one-half stories high, which was propped up so that it could not be blown down by the wind. The prospect was not very alluring but Daniel Stookey builded wiser perhaps than he knew and became one of the wealthy landowners of the county and one of its most esteemed citizens. To him and his wife there were born seven children : Adaline, who died in childhood; Lewis, our subject ; Cornelius, deceased; Daniel W., who married Angie Dunnuck and lives at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he being a manufacturer of drain tile; Mary Caroline, now the wife of Rev. E. B. Randle, of Springfield; W. James, who died at nineteen years ; and Florence H., the wife of S. M. Lutz, of Decatur.

In 1872 Daniel Stookey built a good brick house from brick burned under his own supervision, one of the first houses of the kind in this region. The residence was remodeled in 1906 by Lewis Stookey, a hot water plant and acetylene gas apparatus being installed. In 1909 a commodious porch was added, the building now being one of the most pleasing landmarks in the township. Daniel Stookey was a member of the Baptist church of Decatur, and he was an active supporter of that denomination. He was reared in the democratic party but at the time of the war was a patriotic Union man and from that time forward voted the republican ticket. He served in several minor public offices in the township but he was essentially a man of business and not a seeker for political honors. He was a man of wide influence and worthily did he perform his part in assisting toward the growth and prosperity of the county with which he was long closely identified.

Lewis Stookey was fifteen years of age when his parents took up their residence in Harristown township. He received his early education in the country schools and later became a student at Shurtleff College, where he continued for three years. Returning to the farm, he devoted his attention to its interests, locating for a time on the farm in Illini township, of which he later became owner. In 1893 he removed to the old homestead and he is now the owner of four hundred and forty acres, most of it in the home farm. Mr. Stookey has shown good judgment in his farming operations and the results are to be seen in the orderly arrangement of the buildings, the modern farm appliances and the up-to-date condition of everything about the farm. It is hardly necessary to say that he has been greatly blessed in his operations.

On September 11, 1879, Mr. Stookey was married in Illini township to Miss Leona Childs, a native of Sangamon county, born February 26, 1856, and a daughter of John S. and Catharine (Brown) Childs. Her father was a native of New Jersey and grew to manhood there, coming to Illinois and living for a time at Galena and Springfield, where he followed the occupation of carpentering. His wife was born in Sangamon county, where her father was engaged in farming. He came to Macon county and acquired land in Illini township. He was of English Quaker ancestry. The American ancestors of the family have been traced to James Childs, born in 1697. John S. Childs acquired six hundred and forty acres of land in this county. He was called to his reward May 10, 1905, and his beloved wife departed this life October 23, 1909. He was identified with the dem- ocratic party for many years but in 1896 he changed his allegiance and voted for Mr. McKinley. He was a man greatly esteemed by his neighbors and held at various times all the important township offices, being for a number of years supervisor and displaying a cool judgment in public and private affairs that always reflected upon him and those with whom he was associated the highest credit.

Three children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stookey. Marshall C, who was graduated from the school of civil engineering of the University of Illinois in 1907, entered the engineering department of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company at Chicago and later assisted in overseeing construction work on the line. He is now at home assisting his father upon the farm. Helen S. is also a graduate of the University of Illinois, receiving the degree of A. B. in 1904. On June 15, 1907, she was married to Nathan Wilkinson, of Emporia, Kansas, who is an electric engineer and is connected with the Allis-Chalmers Company, now making his headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson: Helen Jean, born October 29, 1908; and Nathan III, February 13, 1910. The third child of Mr. and Mrs. Stookey was named Annis and departed this life at the age of two years, August 6, 1885.

Mr. Stookey cast his first presidential ballot in 1872 for U. S. Grant for president of the United States and has ever since continued a stanch republican. He has never aspired to political honors but has served with great acceptance as school trustee. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Harristown, of which Mr. Stookey is steward and has acted as Sunday school superintendent and in other capacities. He has found in his wife one who has been, indeed, to her husband a helpmeet and to the community a blessing, whose influence for good has increased with the passage of years. As a man of mark, Mr. Stookey's advice is often sought by his friends in business and other affairs and when it is followed the result is almost invariably satisfactory. He has gained recognition as a reliable breeder of live stock and his reputation is not confined to Macon county. He has always had an inclination to agricultural pursuits and to this has been added lifelong habits of application and industry and an integrity which has never been questioned. It is plain that no record of Macon county would be complete without proper mention of the subject of this sketch and his worthy ancestry.

Willam A. Shorb

William A. Shorb, president of the Leader Iron Works, was born in Cerro Gordo, Illinois, June 3, 1871. His parents, William H. and Elizabeth (Zorger) Shorb, were natives of Pennsylvania and, coming to Macon county at an early day, were identified for a time with farming interests. At length the father put aside the work of the fields and, coming to Decatur, was connected with the public life of the city for a number of years. He also engaged in business as a carpenter and contractor and later was superintendent of streets at Decatur for about a decade. He also filled the office of justice of the peace and his decisions were strictly fair and impartial. As a veteran of the Civil war he was entitled to wear the Grand Army button, for he had served as a first lieutenant in the Fifty-fifth Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers and while with that command was wounded by a shell in a skirmish near Charleston, South Carolina. He belonged to the Decatur Grand Army post and to the Knights of Pythias lodge. His death occurred in the United States hospital at Washington, D. C, and his wife passed away in 1877.

The removal of the family to Decatur during his early boyhood enabled William A. Shorb to pursue his education in the public schools of this city, after which he began learning the plumber's trade and followed it for a number of years. He engaged in the plumbing business in partnership with Oscar Zimmerman for five years, from 1893 until 1898, when he purchased his partner's interest and consolidated with W. C. Field, formerly of the firm of Field & Wilson. Mr. Field had also purchased his partner's interest and the new firm became Field & Shorb. This relationship was maintained for two years as a partnership and then the business was incorporated under the name of the Field & Shorb Company. A retail plumbing business was carried on until January, 1910, and is now continued as a wholesale establishment, selling only to the trade.

In 1903 Mr. Shorb, in company with W. C. Field, purchased the stock and equipment of the Leader Manufacturing Company, which was at that time a very small concern engaged in the manufacture of brickmaking machinery and was located just west of the present Millikin University. They reorganized the business under the name of the Leader Iron Works, placing some of the stock with others and adding largely to the plant equipment for making boilers, tanks, etc. They also continued the brick machine business and a general machine jobbing business. After operating for about two years at that location they removed to the new Chamber of Commerce addition, having been donated a site there, on which they erected suitable buildings, enlarging that portion of the business devoted to the tank industry and concentrating their efforts on pneumatic waterworks systems almost to the exclusion of the other lines in which they had formerly engaged. After about a year in the new location they sold all the patterns and machinery of the brickmaking interest and have since devoted their entire attention to the manufacture and sale of Leader water systems. Their business has grown to be the largest of the kind in the middle west.

Mr. Shorb is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen camp. He also belongs to the Decatur Fishing Club and to the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. On the 16th of June, 1896, he married Miss Lucille Pearl Myers, of Decatur, and they have a son and daughter, Dorothy Lucille and William Myers. The family are well known socially in the city and their own home is celebrated for its warm-hearted and generous hospitality.

In matters of citizenship Mr. Shorb is progressive and gives earnest support to the men and measures of the republican party, deeming that its principles are essential factors in good government. There has been no esoteric phase in his whole business career, which has been characterized by an orderly progres- sion that has led him from a humble place to a prominent position among the representatives of industrial and manufacturing interests in Decatur. He has carefully watched his opportunities and, his business powers increasing through the exercise of activity, he is today recognized as a strong and forceful factor in manufacturing circles.

Hon. Edward O. Smith

The name of Hon. Edward O. Smith is written large on the pages of Macon county's history. In him business ability, which brought him substantial success, was evenly balanced with the public spirit that prompted earnest and effective effort in behalf of the general welfare. His labors were an essential element in the upbuilding of this part of the state and, moreover, he aided at one time in shaping the legislation of Illinois, the weight of his influence being cast on the side of reform, improvement and progress.

Mr. Smith was born in Montgomery county, Maryland, on the 15th of April, 1817. His father, the Rev. James Smith, was a native of Virginia and became a distinguished minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, preaching in Baltimore, Philadelphia and other cities. He wedded Rachel Owen, who was born in Montgomery county, Maryland, and both have long since passed away, the former dying in 1825 and the latter a few years later.

Edward O. Smith was the fourth in a family of six children who, thus early left orphans, were reared by their maternal grandmother, Mrs. Rachel Owen, a woman of large heart and great nobility of character. No unusual events occurred to vary the routine of life for Edward O. Smith in his boyhood and youth. Work and play and the duties of the schoolroom occupied his attention, but his educational privileges were somewhat meager. He started out on his own account when a youth of fifteen, making his way to Washington, D. C, where for two years he occupied a clerkship in a store. His salary, however, was very small but the political atmosphere of the place left a deep impress on his mind and aroused his attention and interest in questions which were and have been of vital importance to the nation. General Andrew Jackson was serving for the first term as president and was opposing the United States Bank in a most strenuous way. At that time - 1832 - a panic was sweeping over the land, the credit system was crumbling to pieces, and the financiers and business men who understood the situation were strongly denouncing the man who occupied the white house. The threatened nullification of the tariff laws of South Carolina and President Jackson's vehement declaration and stamping out of incipient rebellion also made a vivid impress upon the mind of the young man. Calhoun, Clay, Webster and Benton were then at the height of their power and fame and Edwin O. Smith, then of most impressionable age, had his mind strongly turned to political and constitutional questions. The impress thus made was never forgotten and in future bore fruit in all of his subsequent political opinions.

The west, too, was attracting wide attention at that time and he was among those who, crossing the Alleghanies, followed the great highway of western travel to become a feature in the upbuilding of the Mississippi valley. In the autumn of 1834, when seventeen years of age, he struck out over the old National road and across the mountains to Ohio, which was then a frontier state. His worldly possessions were carried in a bundle swung across his shoulder, and his entire cash capital of nineteen dollars was in his pocket. He traveled on foot for five hundred miles until he reached Springfield, Ohio, where he began learning the carpenter's trade under Samuel Price. Suffering from throat trouble, he concluded to see how residence upon the open prairie would affect him, and accordingly again traveled westward, working at his trade for a time in Montezuma, Indiana, and for a year in Terre Haute.

The month of May, 1837, witnessed Mr. Smith's arrival in Decatur, a tiny village with but slight trade connections and of little industrial or commercial importance. He at once became a factor, however, in the upbuilding and improvement of the town. Though but twenty years of age, he at once began the erection of a hotel, a mill and other buildings in what was then a heavily timbered district. He was closely connected with building operations and other business pursuits from the first but he never allowed the search for wealth to dominate his life. He used every leisure moment for reading and study and thus greatly broadened his mind and added to his knowledge until he became recognized as one of the best informed men of the district. He kept in close touch with the questions of vital national interest and was ever able to discuss intelligently the problems that confronted the community. His ability and integrity were soon recognized by the people and he became an important factor in state as well as local affairs. He also went quietly on with his building operations, having unshaken faith in the destiny of the state. As his labors brought him prosperity he purchased and improved land, thus demonstrating his faith in the future of Illinois, and for sixteen years he remained actively in business in Decatur, connected with various enterprises which were proving not only sources of individual prosperity but also elements in the welfare and progress of the community. At a time when such a thing was regarded as a menace to public morals he built a theater and dedicated it to free speech - a dedication that money could not afterward induce him to dishonor. He believed that only through education and the understanding of important questions could the public determine upon the best methods to be followed.

In 1843 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Harriet Krone, a native of Lewisberry, York county, Pennsylvania, born September 11, 1826, and a daughter of David and Ruth (Werley) Krone, who were natives of the Keystone state. In 1839 they removed to Decatur and it was while boarding at the hotel which they conducted that Mr. Smith became acquainted with the lady whom he made his wife. At the time of their marriage Mrs. Smith was but seventeen years of age, yet she proved herself well qualified to take charge of the home and to wisely care for the children that came to them as the years passed. The duties of the household in those days were many. The pioneers depended upon their own labor for nearly everything used in the home. This involved many kinds of work from butchering to the coloring and weaving of cloth. Moreover, the workmen on the farm and in the shops usually boarded with their employers and the open hospitality of the homes made them frequently visited by political leaders, preachers, pedlars and friends. All this meant a vast amount of work for the wife, but Mrs. Smith patiently and uncomplainingly met the tasks that devolved upon her, looking well to the ways of her own household and doing everything possible to promote her husband's interests. During his absence in California on two different occasions of three years each, she not only had the care of the large family but also of the property and business interests as well. At the same time she was in constant anxiety and suspense regarding the whereabouts of her husband, for in those days communication was no easy matter. She certainly deserves much credit for the part which she played in rearing the family and aiding her husband in accumulating a competence. Moreover, her life was characterized by many acts of kindness and charity and her spirit of friendliness reached out to all.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of four sons and six daughters, all of whom reached adult age. Rachel R., the eldest, is the widow of Judge A. J. Gallagher and resides in Los Angeles, California. James D. is living in Napa, California. Lydia A. married Aquilla Tolland and after his death became the wife of George B. McKee, of San Jose, California. M. Ella is the wife of the Rev. S. S. Hebbard, of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Harriett is the wife of Frank Moore, living in San Jose, California. Laura S. is the wife of E. Lester Brown, of Elmwood, Illinois. Edward resides near Moweaqua, Illinois. Lowell A. follows farming near Dalton City. Gertrude first married George W. Waltz, and afterwards married Eliner Hurff of San Jose, California. Thomas C. died in San Jose, California, at the age of twenty-four years. The mother of these children died January 16, 1867. Mr. Smith was again married on the 15th of April, 1869, his second union being with Mrs. Catherine Hillman, of Elmwood, Illinois, and to them was born a daughter, Kathryne, now living with her mother in San Jose, California.

Mr. Smith's interests and activity in political affairs culminated in his election in 1847 to the Illinois constitutional conventon as the representative of Piatt and Macon counties. In 1848 he was the whig candidate for state senator and was elected by a flattering majority. One of his first efforts in the senate was to secure through resolutions of the state legislature a donation from the national government of lands for the construction of the Illinois Central and the Northern Cross (now the Wabash) Railroads. This was successful so far as the former was concerned, and to Mr. Smith belongs the credit of taking the first steps in that great project. Moreover, he was active in securing for Macon county several of her railroads and was an incorporator and original director of one of them. While serving in constitutional convention he was one of the authors of the special provision adopted by a special vote, levying a two mill tax to eliminate the state debt. This proved to be a wise measure for the state bonds, which had fallen to thirty per cent, were soon taken up by eastern capitalists at par.

For the benefit of his health Mr. Smith made a number of overland trips to California, usually taking with him droves of cattle and horses. Such a journey at that time was one of adventure not unmixed with hardships and danger. He first crossed the plains in 1853 and during the few years in which he remained on the coast he realized liberal profits from his ventures, which he invested in a number of business buildings upon his returin to Decatur. There was a general depression in business in 1858 following the panic of the previous year, and he then started on a second trip for California, returning in 1861. The same year he was elected mayor of Decatur and because of the outbreak of the Civil war the duties of the office were unusually important. Many regiments of soldiers were fed at the city's expense and new questions were constantly arising which required prompt attention. During the war he did all in his power as an official to assist the Union cause and likewise made liberal contributions from his own means. He supported Lincoln for reelection but after the war acted with the democratic party, making an exception of General R. J. Oglesby, however, supporting him at every opportunity, for between these two there existed from their first acquaintance in 1837 a warm and intimate friendship in which politics made no breach. Mr. Smith had a wide acquaintance among the distinguished men of the state, including Lincoln, Douglas, Palmer, Turnbull, Logan and Yates. In 1870 he removed to California and for the remaining years of his life resided in San Jose, enjoying the high esteem of many friends. He became a member of the constitutional convention of that state and as in Illinois bore an important part in shaping the organic laws of California. The many positions of public trust which he filled always found him a capable official, loyal to the best interests of the commonwealth, his patriotism and progressive spirit in public affairs being paramount to all else. He was ever a man of broad and liberal views whose opinions were ever based upon a thorough understanding of the subject. A contemporary biographer has written of him: "No man did more than he in planning and constructing the network of railways to which the thriving city of Decatur largely owes her prosperity. Without the advantages of a higher education in his youth he was a man of rare intelligence, well informed, a reader of good books, thoughtful, with a wide and deep interest in all that concerned the welfare of humanity. He was broad and liberal in all his views, a man who did his own thinking and quietly shaped his own creed, counting truth as of equal authority, come from where it would. He was not only successful in this world's affairs but had an abiding confidence in our continued identity in another world which is closely bound to this, and that bonds of love and friendship formed here are not sundered by death. In his domestic relations Mr. Smith was exceedingly fortunate and happy. Toward his wife and children he was a model of thoughtful affection and generosity. He gave to them with a liberal hand of the wealth that he had accumulated by his toil and enterprise. The strong points of his character were what might be termed 'the heroic type.' He was fearlessly loyal to his convictions of truth and to his sense of duty. In the presence of danger he was unconscious of fear and bore the severest trials with unyielding fortitude. In journeys across thousands of miles of unbroken wilderness, infested by bands of hostile Indians and beset by dangers undreamed of and by privations under which the stoutest hearts were often overcome, his bravery and fortitude saved his own life and that of many others. He threw his strong arm of protection around whomsoever he chanced to meet in need of succor and shared with them his last morsel of food. He made no profession. His life was his creed. His political career was clean and he was known as a man who could not be corrupted. His influence could not be purchased. However much he might be mistaken he was honest. In the fall of 1889, with his wife and youngest daughter, he carried out the dream of his life. He crossed the Atlantic and made an extended tour of Europe, visiting many of the chief points of interest. His trip included a visit to the Paris Exposition and the world-renowned Passion Play. On his many journeys he was charry of goodbye scenes, preferring to start on a trip across the continent as though he was going to his neighbor's, and it was in pathetic keeping that his departure on the mystic journey was instant and without a parting word. He passed away suddenly of heart disease March 8, 1892, at his home in San Jose, and three days later his remains were interred in Oak Hill cemetery."

Jacob Hanes

Jacob Hanes, at the age of seventy-two years, is living retired in Decatur, although for a long period he was closely and actively associated with farming interests. He was born July 2, 1838, in Clark county, Ohio, a son of Jacob and Margaret (Dix) Hanes, who were also farming people. The father was of English descent, while the mother came of an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. From his old home in Adams county, Pennsylvania, Jacob Hanes, Sr., removed to Clark county, Ohio, where he resided to the time of his death, which occurred when he was fifty-five years of age. His wife passed away at the age of eighty years, having long survived him. They were the parents of ten children who reached adult age and reared families of their own. Only four of the number are now living: Jacob; Job, now a resident of Clark county, Ohio, his home being in the vicinity of Springfield; Nancy Eliza; and Malvina, the wife of Walter Rue, who also lives near Springfield, Ohio.

Jacob Hanes pursued his education in the district schools of his native county and was reared to the occupation of farming, which he determined to make his life work. In 1864, therefore, he started out on his own account by becoming the owner of a tract of land in the Buckeye state. In 1866 he removed westward to Macon county, Illinois, settling in Hickory Point township. He made the entire journey by wagon, having four horses, and they were eight days upon the road, traveling by way of Paris, Edgar county, Illinois, to their destination. Mr. Hanes secured a quarter of section 8, township 17, range 2, east, in Hickory Point township, paying four thousand dollars for the property, or twentyfive dollars per acre. The farm was unimproved, but his previous experience and progressive ideas enabled him to rapidly bring about a change in the appearance of his place and to convert it into a valuable property. He was the first in the township to tile his land, using tile that was made by hand. His farm was located between Forsyth and Warrensburg, and after living upon the farm for some time he erected a fine two story brick residence - one of the most attractive country homes of Macon county. He also built a large barn sixty by forty feet and erected other good buildings. When he purchased the place there was upon it a one story frame house unplastered and there was no flue. There was also a rude barn covered with straw. As soon as possible he made changes in the appearance of his place by erecting modern buildings as well as by cultivating his fields. The barn which he built will hold forty loads of hay. The corn fields according to the last reports yield sixty bushels to the acre; oats, sixty-one bushels; and wheat, thirty-one and one-half bushels. While on the farm in the early days he often swung a cradle, but he lived to see the crude machinery replaced by most modern farm implements, greatly lessening the labor of the agriculturist.

Not only did Mr. Hanes put forth earnest and effective effort to improve and develop his own place but also sought the good and welfare of the community and cooperated in many movements for general benefit. In order to improve the roads he volunteered to build culverts without asking remuneration for his services. Moreover, Mr. Hanes was the first man to do the milking in his township, this task having been previously left to the women of the household, but he felt that they had enough to do in attending to the housework, and the news that he was doing the milking- spread soon throughout the community. Other men realized the justice of the attitude which he took on the question and his example was followed not only in Hickory Point township but in many other localities as well. That his step in this direction received the indorsement and commendation of the women upon the farms is a matter not to be doubted. Moreover, it was an indication of the helpful spirit which has always been one of the chief characteristics in the life of Jacob Hanes. As the years passed and he prospered in his undertakings he added to his farm from time to time until he owned over four hundred acres of valuable property but in later years has disposed of much of this to his son, his present holdings embracing one hundred and sixty acres, which is the land that he first purchased, worth then twenty-five dollars per acre, while today it is valued at two hundred dollars per acre.

On the 23d of December, 1863, Mr. Hanes was married to Miss Martha Arthur, a daughter of Joseph G. Arthur and a native of Clark county, Ohio, where the wedding was celebrated. Mrs. Hanes passed away in Decatur, February 9, 1898, amid the deep regret of many friends. Six children were born unto them : Effie, who was born in Ohio and is now the wife of Arthur Flood of Chicago; Arthur, who died in 1906, leaving a widow and four children; Nancy Lillian ; Harold, living on a farm in Hickory Point township ; Antoinette ; and Chester A., on the old home farm. On the 2d of April, 1900, Mr. Hanes was again married, his second union being with Mrs. William Price, a widow, who is a native of Ohio and was formerly a school teacher.

For many years Mr. Hanes was one of the well known, progressive, successful and honored agriculturists of Macon county but in 1891 left his farm to reside in Decatur, Illinois. He is enjoying the fruits of his labors and the congenial companionship of the cultured lady who presides over his home. His work has ever been an element in public progress and in many ways he has contributed to the upbuilding of the county. He aided in the establishment of the Methodist church at Forsyth, filled the office of supervisor for nine years, and while so doing served on the committee on roads and bridges. The cause of education has always found in him a stalwart champion, proven by his effective service as a member of the school board. Moreover, he is entitled to wear the Grand Army button, for he joined the One Hundred and Fifty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. His life has ever been a useful one, characterized by a spirit of helpfulness and unfaltering fidelity to duty and by reliability in business affairs. His capable management of his farm interests at length brought to him substantial success, enabling him now in the evening of life to live retired and yet have an abundance of this world's

Charles W. Freeland

Charles W. Freeland, owner of a beautiful farm in Macon county, which he acquired through his own efforts, was born in Coles county, this state, November 17, 1850, a son of David J. and Martha (Sawyer) Freeland. The father was a native of North Carolina, born April 19, 1819, and came to Illinois with his parents in 1836. The family settled in what is now Moultrie county but in 1858 located in Macon county and here David J. Freeland departed this life September 16, 1892. He was an industrious and successful farmer and a man who took a great deal of interest in the welfare of those with whom he was associated. He was a supporter of the republican party and served as justice of the peace, school trustee and collector, performing his duties in such a way as to meet the hearty approval of the community. Mrs. Freeland was a native of Coles county, Illinois, born June 15, 1831, and died August 25, 1900, and a descendant of a Kentucky family. The father of our subject was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Strain, a native of North Carolina, who died in early womanhood, leaving one child. By the second marriage there were ten children, the subject of this review being the second in order of birth.

Charles W. Freeland received his early education in the common schools and later attended Blackburn University of Carlinville, Illinois, where he continued for one year. He taught school for several terms and then became a student in the Illinois Conservatory of Music at Jacksonville and also of the Boston Normal Musical Institute during its session in Buffalo, New York, in 1881. He is the possessor of fine musical talent and for many years has devoted a great deal of attention to musical affairs. Since 1887 he has engaged in farming upon his own account and now owns six hundred "acres of land, although originally he started with eighty acres, which was a portion of his father's estate. He is known as one of the large grain raisers of the county.

In 1887 Mr. Freeland was united in marriage to Miss Susan Inman, of Decatur, a daughter of King and Susan Inman. She was born May 28, 1863, and is sixth of a family of seven children. Four children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Freeland: Anton D., born April 1, 1888; Adin J., August 4, 1889; Lubin A., April 30, 1894; and Merlin A., September 15, 1897, all of whom are living at home.

Mr. Freeland is an active supporter of the republican party and has filled a number of official positions, discharging his duties in such a way as to meet the warm approval of the taxpayers. He served as supervisor for five years, collector two years and as school trustee for about nine years. He has all his life been intimately connected with farming interests and by practical application of his knowledge has attained unusual success in one of the noblest of callings. The fortunate possessor of a fine address and a liberal education, he is known as a man who willingly gives of his means and talents to advance the best interests of his fellowmen. No citizen of Macon county is more highly respected, and he and his estimable wife have many friends, whose regard they have won not only by acts of kindness and hospitality but by the example they have set as public-spirited members of the community.

Charles Stewart Hankins

Charles Stewart Hankins, a real-estate and investment broker and a business man of enterprising spirit, whose record has been characterized by an orderly progression that has brought him to a prominent position in the business and financial circles of Decatur, was born on the night of December 24, 1856, in Clinton county, Ohio, upon the home farm near the town of Wellington and about three miles from Sabina and a half mile from Reesville. His parents were Enoch and Susan (McFadden) Hankins. The mother, who was descended from the McFadden and Stewart families, both of which were of Scotch-Irish origin, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and died at the home of her son Charles at No. 1523 North Water street, Decatur, in December, 1904. Enoch Hankins, the father, was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1817, and died on his farm in Macon county, Illinois, in 1866, at the age of forty-nine years. He and his brother, Harvey Hankins, were the original importers of shorthorn cattle, then better known as Durham cattle, from England, which was the native land of their father. In 1862 Enoch Hankins started across the prairies from Ohio to Illinois, driving his graded cattle ahead as he journeyed onward in one of the old prairie schooners. His family, however, traveled in carriages. In the fall of 1862 he arrived in Macon county and the following year took up his abode on what afterward became known as the Adams place in Friends Creek township. Arriving in this county, he bought a half section of partially improved land for twenty-five dollars per acre and also invested in other tracts, paying as low as three dollars per acre for a part of it. In 1864 he settled on the home place but did not live to enjoy this for any extended period, as he passed away in 1866. He was known as the original shorthorn cattle man of Macon county, having brought the breeding stock here.

Charles S. Hankins was the seventh in order of birth in a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters, and was only eight years of age when the family came to Illinois. He pursued his education in the country schools until he reached the age of fifteen, when he put aside his text-books and was afterward identified with farming interests until he reached the age of twenty-five years. His next venture made him a traveling salesman, representing a boot and shoe establishment. He afterward became traveling representative for drugs and stationery sundries, representing the house in central Illinois for four and a half years. He then returned to Decatur and turned his attention to the real-estate business, at first handling farm lands in southern Illinois but now concentrating his energies entirely upon city property as a real-estate and investment broker. In the meantime, however, he became one of the early owners of the Independent Telephone Company, of which he served as president for six years. In 1907 the business was reorganized and was sold to the Decatur Home Telephone Company. He developed an extensive business when operating in the telephone field and his enterprising spirit gave to the county a system of telephone service unsurpassed in the state. In his business activity Mr. Hankins has always contributed in large and substantial measure to public progress and improvement. He perhaps built more houses in Decatur than any other individual until 1902. He was the owner of the property through which Stewart street was opened in the northern part of the city. His labors have been most discerningly directed and have been not only an element of substantial success for himself but also a factor in the general progress and improvement.

In 1888, in Decatur, Mr. Hankins was united in marriage to Miss Mary B. Gerber, a daughter of Samuel Gerber, a pioneer of Argenta, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hankins have been born two sons. Orville Gerber, now eighteen years of age, was graduated from the Decatur high school with the class of 1909, and in the fall of that year entered the Illinois State University at Champaign, where he is studying agriculture. Charles Stewart, twelve years his brother's junior, is a bright, promising boy of six, who in September, 1910, began his education in the public schools.

Mr. Hankins is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, in which he is a past chancellor, and has also been representative to the Grand Lodge of the state. He is recognized as one of the prominent local leaders of the republican party and his opinions have carried weight in its councils. He never wavers in his allegiance to the party, stanchly advocating all its principles and doing all in his power to promote its success. He has been central committeeman at different times and has represented his party as secretary at the congressional conventions. He has also been a delegate to state and national conventions and is now a member of the republican executive committee of Illinois. In 1897 he was a candidate for mayor of Decatur against B. Z. Coughlin, and in 1905 and 1906 he served as a member of the city council. In the spring following the attainment of his majority, while living upon the farm, he was elected a school director.

A contemporary biographer said of him : "His prominence in business circles comes as a result of capability and his worth is uniformly acknowledged. His social, genial manner has gained for him many friends and he has the regard of young and old, rich and poor. In his business activity in connection with the telephone company and in his real-estate operations he has displayed an initiative spirit and sound judgment that has brought him good returns." He correctly judges his own capacities and powers and therefore makes no false moves. Starting out in life without any vaulting ambition to accomplish something especially great or famous, he has followed the lead of his opportunities, doing as best he could anything that came to hand and seizing legitimate ad- vantages as they arose. He has never hesitated to take a forward step when the way was open. Fortunate in possessing ability and character that inspire confidence in others, the simple weight of his character and ability has carried him into important relations with large and profitable business interests.

James Ross Hockaday

The enterprising little town of Oreana finds a worthy representative of its business interests in James Ross Hockaday, who is there carrying on general merchandising. He has always figured prominently in connection with business affairs and has made for himself a creditable position and enviable reputation as an enterprising and successful man. His identification with the commercial interests of Oreana covers a period of more than thirty years, and he has also figured prominently in public affairs, having occupied a position on the county board of supervisors for six years. He has made his home in Macon county since 1868.

His birth occurred in Martins Ferry, Ohio, October 19, 1851, and he was reared to manhood there, the public schools affording him his educational privileges. When a young man he came west and located in Forsyth, Macon county, Illinois, where he became connected with the firm of Day, Sprig & Company, who were engaged in the grain business, operating an elevator, and he continued with the firm for about eighteen years, coming to Oreana as a grain buyer about 1893. He bought out the business here, building an elevator and continuing actively in the grain trade until 1904. He is an excellent judge of grain and in all of his business affairs has met with substantial success, such as follows close application and unremitting energy. In 1904, however, he disposed of his grain business and located upon a farm adjoining Oreana, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for three years. In 1907 he bought a large business house in the town and put in a complete stock of general merchandise, since which time he has conducted the store. In the interim of three years he has built up a good trade and does a profitable business. He is one of the prosperous and well known merchants of Macon county, actuated in all that he does by a spirit of enterprise and determination that never recognizes the possibility of failure. He works on resolutely until he accomplishes what he undertakes, and his energy has made him a forceful factor in commercial circles in his part of the county.

Returning to Ohio, Mr. Hockaday was married at Martins Ferry on the 2d of November, 1882, to Miss Emma R. Sheer, who was born at Ironton, Ohio, and was reared and educated there and in Wheeling, West Virginia, where she attended a private school. Mr. and Mrs. Hockaday became parents of two sons, but both have passed away. Robert, the eldest, died in 1903 at the age of seventeen years, and Frederick Sheer died in 1904 when six years of age.

Mr. Hockaday has erected a fine residence which is heated with furnace and supplied with hot and cold water. It is one of the most attractive and best arranged homes in the village, and, moreover, a spirit of warm-hearted hospitality there prevails.

Politically Mr. Hockaday is a republican. He cast his first presidential vote for General Grant in 1872 and has since given stalwart support to the party, for he believes that its principles are most conducive to good government. His fellowtownsmen recognizing his worth and ability elected and reelected him to the office of supervisor until he had served for six consecutive years on the county board, acting as chairman for one year. He also served on various committees during his term of office and was made chairman of a number of them. He had previously served as justice of the peace and a number of important cases were tried before him. That his decisions were strictly fair and impartial is indicated in the fact that he never had a decision repealed. He has served as delegate to various county and state conventions, and his opinions have long carried weight in the local councils of his party. Mr. Hockaday is well known as a prominent Mason, holding membership in the local lodge, in Decatur Chapter, R. A. M., Decatur Commandery, K. T., and the consistory and the Shrine at Peoria. He became a charter member of Oreana Lodge, K. P., in which he served through the chairs, becoming a chancellor. He has also represented the local organization in the Grand Lodge of the state. In fraternal relations, in political circles, in business life and in social connections James Ross Hockaday is known as a man of high and honorable purpose, true and loyal to every trust reposed in him.

David S. Shellabarger

David S. Shellabarger, president of the National Bank of Decatur, needs no introduction to the readers of this volume. His life history is interwoven with the annals of the city and while he is widely known as an enterprising and successful business man, his interests have by no means been self -centered, but have reached out to those activities which have touched the general interests of society. In his life public spirit has ever constituted an even balance to business enterprise. He has honorably won prosperity and at the same time has made generous division of his means with his fellowmen.

A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Shellabarger was born on a farm in Cumberland county, July II, 1837. His parents, David and Catharine (Byerly) Shellabarger, were also natives of the Keystone state and the family was of Swiss descent, while the latter was of German lineage. The family was founded in America by the great-great-grandfather of our subject, who lived near the beautiful city of Lucerne in Switzerland. There is a mountain in that vicinity which was named for the Shellabarger family. The great-grandfather of David S. Shellabarger in the maternal line came from Germany and settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Both families were sturdy farming people. Isaac Shellabarger, the grandfather, was a miller of Pennsylvania and David Shellabarger's father followed the same occupation. An uncle of the name of Isaac Shellabarger came to Macon county in the early '50s. He, too, was a miller by trade but here engaged in the lumber business and afterward in connection with his brother, David Shellabarger, purchased the mill on the Wabash Railway tracks now owned by the American Hominy Company. He had several farms in

Macon county, two of which he entered from the government in 1837. These are still owned by his grandchildren, having remained continuously in the possession of the family. He died in Decatur after a long residence in Macon county, during which period he contributed in substantial measure to the growth and upbuilding of this part of the state.

David Shellabarger, the father of our subject, also arrived in Macon county at an early day and was engaged in the dry goods business in Decatur for a number of years. He also owned a farm in the northeastern part of the county and was a progressive business man who utilized the various opportunities that came to him. His death occurred in Decatur, while his wife passed away in Salina. Kansas. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four are yet living: David S. ; Mrs. G. F. Hargus, of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Kate Black, of Springfield, Illinois; and Mrs. E. A. Hinkle, of Salina, Kansas.