Champaign Illinois

Biography of F. C. Amsbary

F. C. Amsbary, superintendent and manager of the Champaign Waterworks, has been superintending waterworks plants in different parts of the country for upwards of thirty years. It has in fact been his regular profession, though some of his younger years were devoted to railroading. Mr. Amsbary has numerous connections that identify him with the substantial interests of his home city. A native of Illinois, he was born at Pekin, January 24, 1863, a son of William Wallace and Harriet E. (Harlow) Amsbary, both of whom are natives of New York State. William W. Amsbary moved to Champaign in 1907, and … Read more

Biography of Charles N. Converse

Charles N. Converse. Identified with banks and banking all through his business life, Charles N. Converse, president of the Citizens State Bank of Altoona, Kansas, is widely known in financial circles where his judgment is deemed sound and accurate, and his reputation had long been that of a forcible, able and efficient business man. Charles N. Converse was born at Clinton, Illinois, June 22, 1863. His parents were Henry E. and Clara (Weaver) Converse, and his grandfathers were John Converse and Solomon Weaver. Solomon Weaver emigrated from Germany in boyhood and grew up at Clinton, Illinois, in which neighborhood he … Read more

Biography of David H. Coffman

David H. Coffman is one of the older residents of Champaign County, went from this district to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War, and has turned his hand with credit and success to many undertakings, from farming to commercial lines. Mr. Coffman is now an honored retired resident of the city of Champaign, where in 1909 he built a substantial two-story home at 606 West Hill Street. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 1, 1840, a son of Noah B. and Elizabeth (Lamb) Coffman. His parents were also natives of Fairfield County and in 1859 … Read more

Biography of Frank Kern Robeson

Frank Kern Robeson. Of the many business establishments in Champaign County perhaps none has a wider connection with the families of this section of Illinois and a better reputation due to many years of successful business relations than the Robeson Department Store, founded and built up by the veteran merchant Frank Kern Robeson, who has the distinction of having developed the first real department store in the city of Champaign. While his success and position in the community are now so well established, it is noteworthy that Mr. Robeson did not always have an easy course and one free from … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Leo H. Bireline

Leo H. Bireline, one of the youngest business men of Champaign, is successfully engaged in the metal roofing business, an industry which he learned during his youth, his father being also connected with the same line of business. Mr. Bireline was born in Danville, Illinois, June 19, 1894, a son of Henry and Emma (Diehl) Bireline, both of whom were also natives of Danville. His parents are still living at Danville and his father conducts a roofing and sheet metal works in that city. There were five children in the family: Catherine Ellen, wife of W. A. Meek of Danville; … Read more

Biography of Harry C. Kariher, M. D.

Harry C. Kariher, M. D. Perhaps no call is so insistent in man as that of personal service to others. It is one of the beautiful elements of humanity; it lies at the root of religion and permeates every brotherhood organization. The appeal for help made by the physically sick and maimed has led many a noble-hearted young man to prepare for and devote himself to the arduous profession of medicine, occasionally thereby to a large extent turning aside from the pleasures of the leisurely life that ample means might have afforded him, finding compensation in the knowledge of the … Read more

Biography of Edwin P. Babb

Edwin P. Babb. The Babb family came to Champaign County in 1853. Five years later, at the home of his parents on a farm in North Ogden Township, Edwin P. Babb was born November 9, 1858. His life career has been one of commendable industry and accomplishment, has been liberally rewarded, and for a number of years he has lived retired in one of the comfortable city homes of Champaign. His parents were Milton and Elizabeth (Littler) Babb. Milton Babb was born in Grant County in what is now the state of West Virginia, grew up there, took up the … Read more

Biography of Charles F. Hamilton

Charles F. Hamilton. The business life of Champaign owes much to the enterprise and energy of Charles F. Hamilton. He first became identified with the city in the lumber trade, and while he has numerous interests elsewhere he has always remained loyal to this city and it is not only to him a home but a place where his many well considered investments have contributed much to local improvement and benefit. Mr. Hamilton is a native of Macoupin County, Illinois, where he was born November 26, 1864, a son of Julius and Virginia L. (VanDeventer) Hamilton. His parents were both … Read more

Biography of William E. Schowengerdt, M. D.

William E. Schowengerdt, M. D. As even the layman finds wonder and interest in scanning the progress made by medical science from time to time, it is not remarkable that trained medical men should continue enthusiastic students and thereby still further deserve the faith and confidence of those who seek their healing ministrations. No men of any profession are so continuously students as are physicians, and the more competent and skillful they are the more closely do they devote attention to investigating the cause, prevention and cure of disease. They usually are real founts of wisdom; in fact, they must … Read more

Biography of Oliver B. Dobbins

Oliver B. Dobbins. As a lawyer Oliver B. Dobbins has gained some of the better distinctions and successes of the profession. He has been in practice in the profession in Champaign County twenty-three years. His ability is sought in cases of more than ordinary importance. During his career Mr. Dobbins has appeared in more than a hundred cases in the Supreme and Appellate Courts of the state. Of such cases he has succeeded in winning at a ratio of three out of four, and at one time he secured favorable decisions in twelve successive appeals. An individual distinction of which … Read more

Biography of Roger E. Zombro

Roger E. Zombro is one of the live and enterprising business men of Champaign, and after a number of years of practical experience as an employee graduated into the ranks of independent merchants and now conducts one of the most popular men’s furnishing goods stores of the city, drawing his trade from the best classes of people. Mr. Zombro was born at Midland City, Illinois, October 16, 1880, a son of Jacob W. and Mary M. (Cheney) Zombro. His parents were both born at Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Jacob Zombro spent the last twenty years of his life in the insurance business, … Read more

Biography of Rollo Stewart Bassett

Rollo Stewart Bassett is a lumberman of wide and thorough experience in both the manufacturing and business ends of the industry, and for the past ten years has been district manager of the Alexander Lumber Company, with headquarters at Champaign. Mr. Bassett was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 9, 1872, a son of Charles F. and Bertha (Stewart) Bassett. His father was born in Cincinnati and his mother in Newport, Kentucky. His father is an old time lumberman, is an honored veteran of the Civil War, having served three years in the armies of Burnside, and is still living at … Read more

Biography of Thomas McQuaid

Thomas McQuaid. Three generations of the McQuaid family have devoted their industry and their active years to the business of farming and the affairs of their community in Champaign County. The founder of the family here was Thomas McQuaid, Sr., now deceased, while Thomas, Jr., is owner of the old homestead in Compromise Township, but its chief responsibilities are now in the hands of his son John McQuaid. Thomas McQuaid was born at Rantoul, a son of Thomas and Catherine (Moiland) McQuaid. He was one of two children, his sister being Ellen. Thomas McQuaid, Jr., was educated in the Rantoul … Read more

Biography of Boyd S. Blaine

Boyd S. Blaine. A position of public trust is necessarily indicative of the man who fills it. When the duties of an office demanding a keen intellect, a never failing integrity and a capacity for hard and continuous labor are, for years, discharged so satisfactorily that popular vote confers them successively upon the same person, it is to be assumed that the individual thus chosen is possessed of those qualities which make for the best arrangements in our official life. In this connection we may mention the career of Boyd S. Blaine, one of Champaign County’s best known officials. When … Read more

Biographical Sketch of L. Forney Wingard

L. Forney Wingard is a successful lawyer at Champaign, has been in active practice over fifteen years, and besides his accumulation of professional interests he has identified himself in a public spirited way with the work of the community. His family has lived in Champaign County for a great many years. Mr. Wingard was born at Champaign June 3, 1875, a son of Benjamin F. and Mary C. (Forney) Wingard. His father was born in Indiana, son of David Wingard, who came to Champaign County in 1859. Both the father and grandfather were in the jewelry business at Champaign. Mr. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Virgil W. Johnston

Virgil W. Johnston, banker, with offices at No. 10 Main Street in Champaign, has been a resident of this city for the past eighteen years. He was born in McLean County, Illinois, March 15, 1871. His father James Johnston, a native of Ohio, grew up in Indiana and in 1852 removed to McLean County, Illinois, bought land from the government, developed it as a farm, and lived there prosperous and an influential citizen until his death in 1905. He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. James Johnston married Eleanor Marrs, who was born … Read more

Biography of David H. Lloyde

David H. Lloyde is one of Champaign’s oldest and most widely known business men. In fact, his business is practically as old as the University of Illinois, which, as is generally known, is one of the greatest educational institutions of its kind in the entire world. The Lloyde business was originally established for and has always been distinctively supported by the student body of the state university. Mr. Lloyde is also president of the recently organized First University Bank, located at 606 East Green Street, in the very heart of the student district. The chief business with which his many … Read more

Biography of Otto Huber

Among the younger generation of Rock Island’s prominent business men whose names are deserving of special mention for what they have achieved in their chosen vocations in life, stands that of Otto Huber, who is the present secretary and treasurer of the Rock Island Brewing Company, a Rock Island industry whose formation, growth and present scope, has been related elsewhere in this book. Mr. Huber was born in Rock Island January 19, 1866, and attended schools in that city until he was ready to enter the Illinois State University at Champaign, where he spent three years. Afterward he studied two … Read more

Biography of Alonzo J. Tullock

Alonzo J. Tullock. The profession of civil engineering is one which offers great opportunities to those equipped by nature and study for this line of work. It demands, however, perhaps a more thorough technical knowledge of more subjects than almost any other vocation in which man may engage, but its rewards are commensurate with its difficulties and on the pages of history the names of civil engineers who have seemingly accomplished the impossible appear with those of other benefactors of the human race. The great western country, without these able, trained, accurate and daring men would today have been yet … Read more

Biography of Peter Peterson

Peter Peterson. For many years the late Peter Peterson was a resident of Champaign, was a quiet and industrious business man, acquired considerable property and made his name influential and honored in this community. A native of Sweden, Mr. Peterson was born in 1848. He was twenty-one years of age when he left his native land and came to America in 1869, soon afterward locating in the city of Champaign. He had received his education in Sweden and was well fitted for a life of activity. He engaged in the dray and transfer business at Champaign, and conducted that actively … Read more