Biographical Sketch of William A. Wetzell

WILLIAM A. WETZELL. – The gentleman of whom we write was born in Washington, Virginia, on October 3, 1852. His parents are Jefferson and Catherine Wetzell, of good old Virginia stock. He lived with his parents in Virginia until 1861, when they moved to Farmer City, where William A. attended the public schools. At the early age of seventeen years he began teaching in the same. In 1876 he was admitted to the Illinois Wesleyan University, where he took an eclectic course, and was regarded as one of the brightest and most promising students of that institution. After finishing the … Read more

1860 Census West of Arkansas – Creek Nation

1860 Free Inhabitants Creek Nation Page 1

Free Inhabitants in “The Creek Nation” in the County “West of the” State of “Akansas” enumerated on the “16th” day of “August” 1860. While the census lists “free inhabitants” it is obvious that the list contains names of Native Americans, both of the Creek and Seminole tribes, and probably others. The “free inhabitants” is likely indicative that the family had given up their rights as Indians in treaties previous to 1860, drifted away from the tribe, or were never fully integrated. The black (B) and mulatto (M) status may indicate only the fact of the color of their skin, or whether one had a white ancestors, they may still be Native American.

Biography of Herbert W. Wetzell

Herbert W. Wetzell, publisher and owner of the McIntosh County Democrat, was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on the 6th of February, 1884, a son of George and Julia (Pratt) Wetzell, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. The paternal great-grandfather, Lewis Wetzell,. was a noted Indian fighter of West Virginia and mention of him is made in most histories of the United States. George Wetzell spent forty years of his life in the newspaper business and achieved substantial success in that connection. He published papers at Greenview, Bloomington and Farmer City, Illinois, and in 1907, came … Read more