Champaign County IL

Biography of Joseph White

Joseph White. Among the numerous families of Champaign County, Illinois, whose industry and activities of life have aided in its upbuilding is that of White. Joseph White is one of the prosperous and successful farmers located east of Rantoul, some three miles. In the early years of his young manhood he came to Champaign County, and there with his good wife, whose maiden name was Jane Osborn, they began to found a permanent home for themselves. The young couple experienced many trying hardships incident to pioneer life, but possessing strongly those qualifications which go to make up a splendid citizenship, … Read more

Biography of Leland S. Fowler

Leland S. Fowler, of the Penfield community of Champaign County, is one of the young and progressive agriculturists of this section. He has the management of his father’s fine farm and he took hold of the business with such vigor as to bring results that are surprising even to himself. Mr. Fowler was born in Vermilion County, Illinois, and is a son of U. G. and Etta (Wolf) Fowler. His parents were also born in Illinois. There were two sons of the parents, Wylie M. and Leland S. Both of them were educated in the high school at Urbana and … Read more

Biography of J. S. Mason, M. D.

J. S. Mason, M. D., who was graduated in medicine over twenty years ago, has found his time and abilities more and more taxed as a. competent physician and surgeon, and in that field he ranks among the foremost in his section of the state. Doctor Mason is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, an honor conferred only upon surgeons of distinctive rank and attainment. He was born at Newark, Ohio, May 22, 1868, a son of Jacob W. and Elizabeth (Smith) Mason, both natives of Ohio. His father came to Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1881 and followed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Bert E. Lynch

Bert E. Lynch has made his career one of fruitful endeavor amid the scenes and associations of his early childhood and youth. He is leading a very active and enterprising life as a farmer in Sidney Township, and has a well ordered farm and good country home on Rural Route No. 57. Mr. Lynch was born in section 14 of Sidney Township, March 17, 1870, a son of William F. and Cynthia E. (Lunger) Lynch, both of whom were natives of Indiana. His father came to Champaign County in the fall of 1862 and located his cabin home on section … Read more

Biography of John Wesley Stipes

John Wesley Stipes. In the spring of 1917, after the declaration of war was made and preparations were hurried to convert and organize this nation for war, the United States Government made known its purpose for the selection of a location for an aviation field in Illinois and preferably convenient to the State University. A committee of half a dozen men were called together by President James of the University, and of this committee J. W. Stipes, of Champaign, was elected chairman. This committee gave careful study to the problems involved and after looking over many locations selected four possible … Read more

Biography of Lewis Prather

Lewis Prather has been a resident of Champaign County for many years. He has been one of the live and energetic business men and farmers of the community, though he was well educated for the law. Successful in business, he has not neglected the public welfare and is a man who can be depended upon for helpful support wherever the best interests of his home community are concerned. Mr. Prather was born in Cumberland County, Illinois, April 20, 1862. His parents were James and Delilah (White) Prather, his father a native of Indiana and his mother of Illinois. The mother … Read more

Biography of Frank Stout

Frank Stout. Practically every successful career is actuated by an earnest purpose and an energy of action sufficient to carry out definite plans of accomplishment. Purpose and energy have been the keynotes of the career of Frank Stout, a fine old-time citizen of Champaign County and one of the best known residents in the northwestern part of the county. Mr. Stout is now enjoying the fruits of a well-spent career at his comfortable home in Mahomet Township near the village of Mahomet. Since an early age he has been self-reliant and independent, and owes his prosperity chiefly to the plans … Read more

Biography of Frank Miller

Frank Miller was until his recent death one of the enterprising farm managers of Champaign County and had under his adequate direction and control one of the largest individual farms of the entire county. It is the extensive Matis farm of 510 acres, situated in section 10 of Champaign Township. The home is on Rural Route No. 1 out of Champaign. During the six years he had charge of this estate he demonstrated his capacity for handling a big farming proposition on progressive lines and in a manner profitable to himself and to the owners of the land. Besides general … Read more

Biography of Elias Freeman

Elias Freeman. For sixty years a resident of Champaign County, Elias Freeman is one of the citizens whose name and a brief record of whose career should be permanently recorded. He represents a family which had its start in the early development of the county, and his own life of substantial industry brought a generous reward in material circumstances and civic honor, and he is now properly enjoying the fruits of well directed toil in a comfortable home at the village of Ogden. Mr. Freeman was born in what is now Ogden Township of Champaign County, June 22, 1857, a … Read more

Biography of Thomas R. Hopkins

Thomas R. Hopkins. Modern business requires practical and thorough training in the same degree as the professions and sciences. In Champaign County there is no institution which affords a better curriculum and practical business education than the commercial college formerly known as Brown’s Business College and now owned and administered by Mr. Thomas R. Hopkins, himself a thorough educator of long experience and a man who has trained hundreds of young men and women and given them a thorough preparation for entrance into business affairs. Mr. Hopkins was born in Peoria County, Illinois, January 24, 1877, a son of Griffith … Read more

Biography of Edward C. Baker

Edward C. Baker. Born on a farm in Champaign County, Edward C. Baker has never deviated to any extent from the vocations to which he was reared, and increasingly fruitful results have flowed from his efforts. He now has the handling and management of one of the finest stock and grain farms of Champaign Township, located on Rural Route No. 5 out of the City of Champaign. Mr. Baker was born in Rantoul Township February 26, 1872, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Gehmrote) Baker. His parents were both born in Germany. Henry Baker came to America in … Read more

Biography of Martin Orlando Stover

Martin Orlando Stover. Farmers are the uncrowned kings of America today, and if they do not hold the political destiny of the country in their hands they are at least the custodians of the resources which are the most vital and necessary to the welfare and existence of the millions who live in the great cities and industrial centers. Champaign County has a wealth of men who are doing their part in the development of American agriculture, and it is no disparagement of what others are doing and have done to name Martin Orlando Stover as a recognized leader among … Read more

Biography of F. M. Fagaly

F. M. Fagaly, a retired resident of St. Joseph, has many interesting distinctions, not least among which is the fact that he served more than three years in the Union Army during the Civil War. Mr. Fagaly and his family are widely known in Champaign County, where through all the years their names have been associated with that industry and good citizenship which are the bulwark of American institutions. Mr. Fagaly was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, not far from the city of Cincinnati, a son of John and Mary (Stewart) Fagaly. His parents were also natives of Ohio. The … Read more

Biography of Frank Morton Conkey

Frank Morton Conkey has for more than a quarter of a century been identified with the town of Homer in his profession as a dentist. He is one of the most progressive men in his calling in the county, and began his work with splendid equipment and has always kept up with every advance and improvement in the profession. Doctor Conkey was born at Homer, Illinois, May 3, 1868. He is a son of William Alexander and Sarah Virginia (Sadler) Conkey, his father a native of Pelham, Massachusetts, and his mother of Wheeling, West Virginia. The Sadler family were early … Read more

Biography of David Wilson

David Wilson of section 24, St. Joseph Township, first became acquainted with Champaign County when he was fifteen years of age, and for nearly thirty years he has lived in this county continuously, having acquired and developed one of the splendid farms in his vicinity. Mr. Wilson is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was born March 17, 1851, a son of Samuel and Rebecca (Laird) Wilson. His parents were born in Ireland, came to America about 1836, were married in Cincinnati, and spent their industrious and honored lives in that city, where both of them died. They had … Read more

Biography of Henry C.Bear

Henry C. Bear is one of the oldest residents of Champaign County. He went from Macon County as a brave and gallant soldier into the Union Army during the Civil War, returned after the war with his wounds and gave his energy to agriculture until his health would permit following that no longer, and now for many years he has been engaged in the grain business at Penfield. His is a record that deserves more than passing mention. He was born at Mount Rock in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, a son of David and Maria (Yoter) Bear. His father was a … Read more

Biography of L. H. Blue

L. H. Blue. Hardly a more attractive rural home can be found in the entire scope of Champaign County than that of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Blue, situated on Rural Route No. 21 out of Rantoul and section 8, some seven miles from that city. This home has been the product of Mr. and Mrs. Blue’s united endeavors and industry since they married, and it is with a pardonable degree of pride that they enjoy its comforts and satisfactions. Mr. Blue was born near Rantoul and is a son of John H. and Lena (Satthoff) Blue, energetic and worthy … Read more

Biography of Herman Schwanderman

Herman Schwanderman has his farm home in section 17 of Harwood Township, with postoffice at the village of Ludlow. He has contributed to the development and farm improvement of that locality for a number of years and he represents that sterling and industrious stock of people that came out of Germany. Mr. Schwanderman was born at Dewey, Illinois, a son of Leopold and Rebecca Margaret (Behrens) Schwanderman. The parents were both born in Germany, came to America in early life and married in this country. They had only two sons, twins, Herman and Henry, the latter died at the age … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Fred S. Bailey

Fred S. Bailey, member of the well known Bailey family of Champaign, now vice president of the Champaign National Bank, was born at Champaign April 19, 1871, and is a son of Captain Edward Bailey, one of the founders of the bank who is elsewhere mentioned in these pages. Mr. Bailey attended the common and high schools of Champaign, graduating from the latter in 1889, and continued his studies at the University of Illinois until failing health obliged him to leave. For a year he worked in Colorado for an uncle and having recovered his health returned to Champaign and … Read more

Biography of William W. Earnest

William W. Earnest. Firmly entrenched in the American heart is the public school system, which, while not perfect perhaps, is continually being improved, largely as the result of the efforts of conscientious, intellectual leaders. The city of Champaign in its superintendent of schools has a well qualified, constructive man, a graduate of the University of Illinois and a thorough teacher as well as executive. He is William W. Earnest, who has occupied this responsible office for the past nine years. William W. Earnest was born in Mississippi, October 1, 1863, one of a family of three children born to his … Read more