History of Yates, Illinois

Yates Township, known officially as Town 3.5, Range 5, was, until 1862 a part of Chenoa; at that date it was separately organized, and by resolution of its citizens, took the then popular name of ” Union,” at their first town meeting in 1863. This is easily accounted for, for at that time fully two-thirds of her fighting population were ” at the front ” doing their full duty in carrying the tattered flag ” on to Vicksburg and the “sacred soil” generally; while fully three-fourths of those who remained at home were praying and paying to help on the … Read more

Biography of John A. Cates

JOHN A. CATES. – Among the responsible and enterprising agriculturists of Union county, there must not be failure to mention the esteemed gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph, and who has labored here since the sixties, forwarding the interests of this county, developing its resources, and conducting his business enterprises in a skillfull and efficient manner, while at the present time he is fulfilling the duties of a public official and is manifesting in this as in all of his ways a characteristic ability and integrity that stamp him as both capable and substantial. Our subject was born to Spencer … Read more

Biography of William J. Hill

William J. Hill has one of the responsible positions connected with the Santa Fe Railway at Arkansas City. He is master mechanic at that division headquarters and handles the large force of men employed in the immense yards and shops of the railroad at that point. Mr. Hill had been long in the railroad service in the mechanical department, beginning when a boy with the Chicago & Alton in Illinois. He was born at Bloomington, Illinois, August 20, 1863. His father was William Hill, a native of London, England, where he was born in 1834. He spent his early life … Read more

History of Downs, Illinois

Downs Township occupies, in the southern tier of townships, the fourth from the eastern border of the county, and is described as Town 22 north, Range 3, and the northern two tiers of sections of Town 21 north, Range 3 east of the Third Principal Meridian. Downs was principally a prairie town, having no timber except Diamond Grove, a small collection of timber on the Kickapoo, in Sections 5, 6 and 7, and skirting of ” Old Town Timber,” along the northern border of Sections 1, 2 and 3, and “Johnson’s Point,” a small grove in Section 25-covering in the … Read more

Biography of Joseph E. McGurty

Joseph E. McGurty is one of the successful business men of Champaign, where in the past seventeen years he has built up a large livery enterprise and also a well conducted automobile business. He comes from the country district and was a farmer prior to his business career. Mr. McGurty was born at Colfax, Illinois, December 11, 1869, a son of Hugh and Sarah (Reagan) McGurty. Both parents were natives of Ireland. His father when six years of age went with his parents to Canada, locating near Montreal, where he grew up, and about 1859 he came to Illinois and … Read more

Church History of Money Creek, Illinois

The first preaching on Money Creek was by Isaac Messer, a local preacher, belonging to the church of the United Brethren in Christ. The meetings were held at the residence of Mr. Valentine Spawr, who was noted as coming to Money Creek in 1827. Peter Spawr – a son of Valentine Spawr – had married one of Mr. Messer’s daughters, and in that way Mr. Messer became acquainted on Money Creek. For a long time, he made semi-monthly visits to these parts, and gathered the people together to hear the preaching of the Gospel. A society of about a half … Read more

Biography of Howard L. Snyder M. D.

Howard L. Snyder, M. D. Doctor Snyder is of old American family. His paternal ancestors came out of Holland in colonial times and located in Southern Pennsylvania. From that state the family by successive stages had come fully half way across the continent. Doctor Snyder was born in Woodford County, Illinois, October 10, 1878. His father, David Snyder, was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1820. He moved west to Woodford County, Illinois, in 1848, and became one of the leading farmers and stock raisers there. He died in Woodford County in April, 1895. David Snyder was a republican in … 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

History of White Oak, Illinois

The township of White Oak is one of the most interesting in McLean County; it is the smallest in area-containing a little over seventeen sections of land-being a trifle less than half a Congressional township. Its population, in 1870, was 532, 9 less than shown by the census of 1860. At the present time, its population is probably about the same as in 1870; but as most of the other towns in this county have gained largely, it is doubtless true that White Oak now contains fewer inhabitants than any other town in McLean County. It has remained about stationary … Read more

History of Weston, Illinois

Previous to the year 1366, there had been a switch and a water-tank about two miles east of where Weston now stands, which was on the west line of Livingston County, three miles from Fairbury. This watering place was, for this or for some other reason not known to the oldest inhabitant, called Weston. When, in the year above mentioned, the switch and town plat were laid out on Section 3 of Yates, westward the name of Wesson took its way, and became attached to this place. The plat and its surroundings embrace about 120 acres in the southeast quarter … Read more

Biography of S. C. Tucker

S. C. Tucker, the present mayor of Champaign, has long been identified with Champaign in business affairs and in politics, is also a former mayor of the city and a former city treasurer, and is that type of man whose energy means something in the constructive administration of a city’s affairs. Mr. Tucker was born in Saybrook, Illinois, January 9, 1871, a son of Sylvester and Sarah (McDaniel) Tucker. His father was a native of Ohio and his mother of Illinois. In 1882 the Tucker family removed to Champaign County, where Sylvester Tucker followed his trade as a carpenter until … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Frank Correll

Frank Ferris Correll was born at Chenoa, Illinois on February 27, 1859. They lived in North Dakota and taught school in Mandan, North Dakota. When they came to Iowa, they came by train to Alta, Iowa. They were met by a bobsled with a pig in the back to keep their feet warm. They were taken to a farm near the Hanover community. They moved to Galva, Iowa, Ida County. He ran a grocery store with the aid of his daughter, Myrtle. Frank Correll often play the fiddle for barn dances in the area. Frank was a 2nd cousin to … Read more

Biography of Rev. Patrick Joseph Kane

Rev. Patrick Joseph Kane, who for a third of a century has been pastor of the Church of Our Holy Redeemer at Webster Groves, is a native of Ireland but during his childhood days was brought by his parents to the United States and became a pupil in the public schools of Bloomington, Illinois, where the family home was established. He afterward attended a local business college and later became a student in the Christian Brothers College at St. Louis. Having determined to enter the priesthood he subsequently pursued his theological studies in St. Mary’s Seminary at Baltimore, Maryland, and … Read more

Early Mills of Downs, Illinois

There were several mills put up on the stream; none Of them lasted a great while, though. The difficulty was to get a dam which would stand the pressure of spring freshets and the rainy season. John Rice had a mill which, by constructing a long ” race,” had about seven feet fall. It was built about 1840, and had the old-fashioned “flutter” wheel and gate. Hon. John Cusey run this mill for some time. He says that he has sawed as high as four thousand feet in twenty-four hours, though this was far above the average capacity of the … Read more

Early Settlers of Money Creek, Illinois

“Old Louis Soward,” as he is universally known among the few who remember him, came to this country from Ohio. He was one of those jolly old frontiersmen who enjoy themselves best away from the haunts of civilization. One to whom the trials and vicissitudes of pioneer life were preferable to the restraints of more advanced society. He was a great hunter. In those days deer were plenty; they might be seen in droves at almost any time. Turkeys abounded in the woods of the Mackinaw and Money Creek. Wolves nightly indulged in their melancholy lamentations over the scarcity of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Lyman W. Childs

Childs, Lyman W.; physician; born, Lee, Ill., Oct. 1, 1867; son of Charles and Ann Eliza Smith Childs; graduate, Illinois State Normal University, 1890, at Western Reserve Medical College, 1894, studied in University of Vienna, 1899-1900; married, Waterloo, Ia., 1902, Colene C. Hogg; issue, Evelyn L., Frances B., Eleanor M., Lyman W., Jr.; member sanitation committee, Chamber of Commerce, for three years; instrumental in introduction of medical inspection in Cleveland public schools; introduced first fresh air school in Cleveland in 1911; house physician, City Hospital, 1894; medical examiner, Cleveland Public Schools, 1910-1913; member Cleveland Medical Society and American Medical Ass’n; … Read more

Early Settlers of White Oak, Illinois

It appears that settlements were not made along the Mackinaw at as early a day as they were made in the southern part of McLean County. We find Blooming, Randolph’s and Funk’s Groves had each several families as early as 1833, while it was five or six years before any are reported as being in White Oak. Doubtless this was owing to the fact that the settlement of this State was then proceeding from the south toward the north, and the early pioneers felt that the Mackinaw Timber was rather a frontier settlement. The pioneers of the other groves in … Read more

Biography of Frank Delaney

Frank Delaney. For forty years Champaign County has been the home of Frank Delaney, and his name, especially in Newcomb Township, is spoken with every degree of respect attaching to a man whose achievements have been commendable and whose influence has been in every degree salutary and beneficial in the community. Mr. Delaney is now serving as township supervisor. He was born in McLean County, Illinois, September 13, 1868, one of the ten children of James and Bridget (Trainer) Delaney. Of the six sons and four daughters eight are still living. James Delaney was a native of the Emerald Isle, … Read more

Early Churches of Downs, Illinois

Elder 1. D. Newell, a home missionary of the Baptist denomination, was in this field at work, holding meetings as early as 1836. He organized a church, and a building was erected at Lytleville about that time ; and soon after him, Elder Elijah Veatch preached there and in the surrounding country. There was a church organized, and preaching maintained by it for a time, at the Macedonia Schoolhouse, in this township; but it has disbanded. Rev. Joel Hulsey, of the same denomination, came from Kentucky and preached at Lytleville awhile, and, in 1835, came to this town and bought … Read more

Town Officers of Blue Mound, Illinois

Below is given in table the names of those who have served the town in an official capacity during its history: Date Supervisor Clerk Assessor Collecttor 1858 J.H. Doyle N.T. Linthicum A.J. Willhoite D. Wheeler 1859 J.H. Doyle J.T. Smith A.J. Willhoite D. Wheeler 1860 D. Wheeler J.T. Smith J. Snail William Elbert 1861 D. Wheeler J.T. Smith J.A. Barton W.T. Elbert 1862 J.T. Smith J.M. Carey M.S. Gill P.J. Foster 1863 William Elbert D. Wheeler J. Snail Isaac Smith 1864 William Elbert D. Wheeler J. Snail Isaac Smith 1865 William Elbert D. Wheeler A. McMullen Milton Barton 1866 J.H. … Read more