Charles W. Dale. Among the citizens of Champaign County who are carrying exceptionally heavy burdens and responsibilities is Charles W. Dale, editor of the St. Joseph Record, the Ogden Courier and the Pythian Herald. Mr. Dale is a newspaper man of long experience and splendid ability and has the valued services and counsel of his capable wife in the management of these papers.
Mr. Dale was born at Mahomet, Illinois, a son of Thomas and Mary (Mead) Dale. His maternal grandfather Mead was the first superintendent of schools in Champaign County.
Mr. Dale was educated at Mahomet, and on August 8, 1900, he married Miss Myrta Morehouse. She was also born at Mahomet, a daughter of Heber Judson and Laura (Abbott) Morehouse, her father a native of Michigan and her mother of Illinois. Mrs. Dale was educated in the Mahomet High School and before her marriage was a popular teacher, being connected with the Mahomet schools four years and also with the high school at Rantoul.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dale located at St. Joseph, where he was associated with his brother as editor of the local paper. Later, in 1904, he bought his brother’s interest and has since conducted and managed the entire business with the assistance in recent years, of Mrs. Dale.
Three bright young children constitute their family circle: Ralph Emerson, Virginia and Kent Morehouse. These children are all now attending the local schools of St. Joseph. Mr. and Mrs. Dale are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Loyal Americans, the Pythian Sisters and the Eastern Star, while Mrs. Dale is active in both the Eastern Star and the Pythian Sisters, being past worthy matron and at present secretary of the Eastern Star.
Mr. Dale has filled several offices which are indicative of the esteem in which he is held in the community. For two terms he was township supervisor and for thirteen years held the office of town and village clerk. He is known as a man among men and has built up a very successful journalistic enterprise. The three papers published at the St. Joseph office cover a large territory and have a combined circulation of 2,000 copies. St. Joseph is fortunate in having these energetic people among its citizens.
Mrs. Dale is a highly cultured woman and of most attractive personality. She is president of the Woman’s Club at St. Joseph, an organization for both literary study and general social and public improvement. Mr. and Mrs. Dale are greatly interested in music. For a number of years he was instructor of bands at different places, while Mrs. Dale comes of a family of musicians. They have as a matter of course made music a feature of their home and in the training and education of their children, who take much interest in that study. Mr. Dale is also a composer of some popular airs. One especially worthy of note is a two-step march, dedicated to Company M, Fourth Illinois, which is pronounced by critics a fine piece of music. On the back of the copies is contained the names of members of Company M in Cuba.