Biographical Sketch of J. D. Cassell
J. D. Cassell, born in 1827 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, initially worked on a farm before moving westward in 1854. He spent brief periods as a student and in merchant tailoring before teaching in New Carlisle and Rolling Prairie, where he also served as Postmaster for eight years. In 1874, Cassell settled in Mattoon and opened Cassells Restaurant. He experienced personal loss twice through marriage, first to Elizabeth France and later to Nancy J. Bolster, and had four children: Annie, Lydia, Mary, and Benjamin.