William W. Reeves, of Tuscola, one of the youngest members in active practice at the Douglas County liar, was horn on a farm near Villa Grove, Camargo Township, December 25, 187o, and is a son of George R. Reeves. The latter, who was a native of Delaware County, Indiana, was born in 1836, and his death occurred in 1881. He removed to Douglas County in 1865, and was engaged in farming up to the time of his decease. W. W. Reeves’ mother was before her marriage Miss Nancy E. Wilson. She was born near Urbana, Ohio, and was a daughter of John O. Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, who emigrated in 1861 to Illinois, first locating near Paris, and later came to this County, where he died at the age of seventy-nine years. Elijah Reeves (grand-father) was born near Culpeper Court House, Virginia, and subsequently emigrated to Kentucky. At one time he was the owner of quite a number of slaves, but later became convinced that slavery was wrong and freed them all in the year 1836 and moved to Indiana, a free state.
William W. Reeves remained on the farm until he had arrived at the age of seventeen years, when he entered Wesleyan College. He continued his studies in this institution until he had finished the sophomore year. In 1896 he commenced reading law in the office of John H. Chadwick, and was graduated from the Bloomington (Illinois) Law School in the class of ’98. He was immediately admitted to the bar and opened an office in Tuscola. He is a member of the Masonic order and is a Knight of Pythias. In politics he is a Democrat and takes an active interest in the success of his party.