E. Chamberlin was born in Windham county, Vermont, November 18, 1821. His father, Nathaniel Chamberlin, was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts. When he was eleven years old his parents moved to Bureau county, Illinois, where he was reared upon a farm and educated in the common schools. In 1852 he engaged in the grocery business, together with butchering and shipping stock. He was among the first settlers of Northern Illinois, and was in Chicago when there were but six houses in the town. In 1867 he came to Daviess county, and is now one of the leading farmers of this county.
Mr. Chamberlin was united in marriage, September 29, 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Boyd. She was born January 2, 1822, in Springfield, Illinois; her father, Charles S. Boyd, settled in that State in 1820. Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin have six children; namely, William O., born April 2, 1850; Oscar G., born July 13, 1852; Charles S., born May 13, 1855; John, born September 9, 1857; Edward, born September 21, 1860; and James, born December 9, 1862.