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In 1861 Mr. Cole was married to Francis Ann, daughter of Allison Haden, and of this union three children were born, two of whom survive, namely: Addie D., the wife of W. P. Jones, and Freedom Jane, who married Scott W. Fisher. Mrs. Cole died in 1872 and in 1879 Mr. Cole maried Laura S. Bloxsam, daughter of George Bloxsam, one of the early settlers. Of this marriage three children survive: J. W., Edna May, and William J. B.
ISAAC COLE, one of the early settlers and prominent farmers, of Champaign County, was born in Hampshire County, Mass., December 22, 1834, the son of Elijah and Freedom (Cowen) Cole, both of whom were natives of the Bay State. The father died in 1848, and the mother in 1873. The subject of this sketch left the old homestead in 1855, and, accom- panied by his sister, Mrs. Nathaniel Healy, started for the West. During the same year he came to Champaign County and rented land on Section 32, in Sidney Township, and two
years later purchased other land, to which he added from time to time until he now owns over 800 acres in Champaign County, besides 158 acres in Indiana and 120 acres in Calhoun County, Iowa. In addition to farming he has been extensively engaged in breeding and feed- ing thorough-bred stock, including Polled An- gus (black) cattle and Poland-China hogs. All the improvements on his fine estate have been accomplished under his own direction and it has thus been built up from what was at one time nothing but uncultivated prairie land. He has recently erected an elevator and necessary
ISAAC COLE.
offices at Block, within three-quarters of a mile of his residence, and is there doing a pros- perous business in grain and coal. The elevator has a capacity of 40,000 bushels.
Mr. Cole has served his Township as Com- missioner of Highways, School Director and School Trustee. He affiliates with the M. E. Church, of which he is one of the Trustees. He was married in January, 1864, to Loretta Johnson, and of this union six children have been born: Sherman L .; Curtis G .; Willard I .; Arthur G .; Lora T., wife of J. E. Lovinfoss, and Delia E., wife of Levi Moore.
ROYAL G. COLE was born on the farm
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
where he now resides, July 10, 1872, the son of Charles Franklin and Maria (Pease) Cole, who were natives o Massachusetts. The parents moved to Illinois in 1865 and secured 160 acres of land in Philo Township, to which later forty acres were added. The father fol- lowed farming successfully until his death, which occurred January 7, 1899. Charles Franklin Cole and wife were married in Massa- chusetts June 20, 1855, and they became the parents of eight children, five of whom are now living, namely: Isabel J., wife of Millard Porterfield, a banker of Fairmont, Ill .; Hattie E., wife of James N. Black, a banker of Ma- homet, Ill .; Angies R., wife of James T. Black, a farmer of Bunker Hill, Ind .; Morris F., who is farming in Philo Township; and Royal G. Mr. Cole followed farming successfully after coming to Illinois, dying January 7, 1899. Mrs. M. P. Cole, the widow, is living retired in the village of Philo.
The subject of this sketch was reared to the vocation of farming and has always resided on the old home place. Of the 200 acres com- posing the farm, 120 acres with the home will descend to Royal G. on the decease of his mother, and eighty acres to Morris F. This is one of the best improved farms in the town- ship, and on it Mr. Cole does general farming besides breeding hogs and cattle. He is de- veloping a herd of thoroughbred Shorthorns.
In politics Mr. Cole is a Republican and is now filling the office of Road Commissioner. His wife is a stanch Prohibitionist, and both are members of the Presbyterian Church. So- cially he is affiliated with the Modern Wood- men and Odd Fellows. Mr. Cole was educated in the district school of Philo Township. On June 20, 1899, he was married to Olive C. Churchill, daughter of Lafayette and Eliza (Pratt) Churchill, both of whom were natives of New York. Olive C. was born in Champaign County. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cole, two of whom (twins) are living, namely: Raymond Webster and Ina Merle. One child died in infancy, the death of the other, Nathan L., occurring at the age of nineteen months.
COL. WILLIAM NICHOLS COLER .- Among the names which oftenest appear among the court and real-estate records of Champaign County in relation to legal and business trans- actions before the year 1870, and often since,
is that of W. N. Coler. The future student of our history, when the living contemporaries of this gentleman capable of speaking of him from a personal knowledge shall have passed away, will ask questions concerning him which this work should answer. Frequent allusions to him have been made in the preceding chapters, which it is not designed shall be here repeated, but this notice should identify his personality as a pioneer resident here and as a business man. So, as an early political leader and as the commanding officer of a' regiment of Civil War volunteers made up largely of the young
1
W. N. COLER.
men of Champaign County, the name of Col. Coler stands among those most prominent dur- ing the period mostly treated of in the earlier pages of this work.
'Col. Coler is a native of Knox County, Ohio, where he was born March 12, 1827. His father's name was Isaac Coler and the maiden name of his mother was Amelia Nichols. The mother died in her early womanhood, leaving William, aged only nine years, and two brothers and two sisters younger than himself. A step-mother came into the family and two other brothers and a sister were added-the sons, John and Newton, with the father and the second family
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
afterwards becoming residents of Sadorus. His youth was spent upon the Ohio farm.
In 1846, when but nineteen years of age, the tocsin of war-the War with Mexico-was sounded throughout the country, and young Coler, born with a martial spirit, answered to the call and became a member of Company B. of the Second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, commanded by Col. G. W. Morgan, who was afterwards very conspicuous in the Civil War. In this service Col. Coler served his full time and came home in 1849 with his victorious comrades.
His contact with the outer world had fixed in his mind the determination to learn the pro- fession of the law as his future occupation, so he very naturally followed his Colonel into his Mount Vernon law office, where the preliminary study necessary to fit himself for the duties of that profession was accomplished. This done, he yielded to the beckonings of the Star of Empire and came to Illinois. For the pur- pose of fitting himself for the particular prac- tice in the Illinois courts, he passed sometime in the office of Amzi McWilliams, a Blooming- ton lawyer, and at that time one of the most prominent lawyers in the State. There, in 1851, he was admitted to the bar and early in the year 1852-attracted, doubtless, by the great possibilities of Champaign County, with its fertile plains, its prospect of an early rail- road, and, withal, its own single resident law- yer-he came to Urbana and became the second of that profession to open his office in the county.
It will be inferred that, with the prospects in sight, his success in professional life was at once assured. At that time the Presidential contest of 1852 was upon the country, and neither party had a political organ in the county, which until that year had been without a printing press. As elsewhere stated in this work, Col. Coler with another on September 23d, issued the first newspaper of the county, the "Urbana Union."
His short connection with this enterprise and his sale of the feeble plant need not be repeated. With it off his hands, he entered unimpeded into the law practice and, as the columns of the local press of that day show, he also at once entered very largely into real- estate transactions for himself and others, be- ing the first to take up this branch of business within Champaign County.
On August 9, 1853, he was married to Miss Cordelia Sim, a most estimable lady of Knox County, Ohio, at her home near Mt. Vernon, in that county. Mrs. Coler at once entered heartily into the life of the little pioneer vil- lage of Urbana, and made for her husband a happy and prosperous home. For twenty years, and until the removal of the family, no woman ever held a higher position in the society of the two towns than did Mrs. Coler. Mrs. Coler died some years since at their residence in Brook- lyn, N. Y., leaving surviving her of that mar- riage her daughter, Flora Alice, before then married to James W. Campbell, son of Thomas H. Campbell, long a well known lawyer of Springfield, Ill., and for many years previous to 1857 Auditor of Public Accounts. Mr. J. W. Campbell is now a banker at Huron, S. D. Mrs. Campbell was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Coler. The names of the surviving sons were William N., Jr., who resides in New York and is at the head of the house of W. N. Coler & Co., brokers and dealers in muni- cipal bonds, established in that city by his father upon removing there thirty years ago; Bird S. Coler, of New York City, of which he was a few years since chosen Comptroller, and subsequently candidate for Governor of the State on the Democratic ticket; and Frank, the youngest, who is in the West.
At the breaking out of the War of the Rebel- lion Colonel Coler at once, as the leader of the Democratic party, allied himself upon the side of the Government and his influence did much to unify the sentiments of men of all parties in the county in unflinching loyalty to the Union. In the summer of 1861, under a com- mission from President Lincoln, he recruited from Champaign and its adjoining counties, the Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry Volunteer Regi- ment, and so led to the support of the Union cause a larger number of Champaign County's young men than any other leader in that sec- tion of the State. A brief history of this body is given elsewhere in this History. Upon his retirement from the service, Colonel Coler es- tablished himself in the practice of the law in Champaign, where he added to his business the buying and selling of municipal bonds, which business led him to open an office in the City of New York, where for about thirty years, with his eldest son, he has conducted a most successful business.
In another connection the political life or
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Col. Coler has been referred to as a part of the county history, and need not be enlarged upon further than to say that, in his personal- ity, he was a born leader of men, and not for the last fifty years has his party in the county had so able and accomplished a leader. Had his inclinations led him to remain here and seek political preferment, he would have won great success. His failure to succeed in the cam- paigns of the ante-bellum period, has been fully explained as due wholly to the overshad- owing personality of the two great leaders, Lin- coln and Douglas, and to the policy for which each of them stood. It may truthfully be said that Lincoln carried the county in despite Coler's personal popularity, which was a much greater obstacle to overcome than Douglas' personality.
In social life Colonel Coler was a prince of good fellows, kindly and helpful to all; and many now in advanced life well remember his helpful and disinterested assistance to them when help in life's beginnings was the chief thing with them.
It has been shown elsewhere in this work that Colonel Coler, before the war, was the pioneer banker of this county, and how the Grand Prairie Bank, the first of the long line of financial institutions of the county, through the defective and primitive legislation under which it was organized, failed at the secession era of our National history. This, of course, tended greatly to discourage the young and am- bitious financier, but it in no manner lessened his faith in the possibilities of the business when conducted under more favorable condi- tions. This faith has led him to success, for the highest success has attended the new enter- prise established at the financial center of the continent. This success has not been taken advantage of for the purpose of extending and building up his business, for the leisure thus earned has been made use of by Colonel Coler and his wife-for he has married a second time -in an elegant leisure life and in travel abroad. One complete circuit of the globe has been made by them, visiting and tarrying at all points of interest in its course, besides various trips to Europe.
Now over seventy-eight years of age, with a vigorous constitution, well sustained by a tem- perate and prudent life, Colonel Coler, a splen- did specimen of the "Gentleman of the Old School," bids fair yet to see many years, and
will always be pointed to with pride by his old friends and associates of Champaign County.
WILLIAM COLLEY was born in the eastern part of Yorkshire, England, October 10, 1846, the son of Robert and Ann (Wardell) Colley. His mother died when he was two years old, and his father emigrated to America, leaving him to be reared by his grandparents, Thomas and Ann Wardell. Mr. Colley came to America in 1870, and remained a short time in Morgan County, Ill. He then moved to Ayers Town- ship, Champaign County, where he bought eighty acres of land. He has since added to his real estate from time to time, and at present has a fine farm of 240 acres, containing all modern improvements, including a good resi- dence, outbuildings, orchard, etc., all of which were made by him.
Politically, Mr. Colley supports the Prohibi- tion party, and has served as School Director. He is a member of the Methodist Church.
On November 5, 1872, Mr. Colley was united in marriage to Miss Martha Ellen Swain, of Morgan County, Ill., and four children were born to them, of whom two survive, namely: Thomas William, who married Miss Sarah E. Lacy, and resides in a pleasant home near his father's farm; and Edward Swain.
FRED COLLISON, President of the First Na- tional Bank of Rantoul, Champaign County, was born in Vermilion County, March 29, 1869, the son of F. A. and Nancy J. (Howard) Col- lison, both of whom were also natives of Ver- milion County. The father successfully fol- lowed farming, owning an estate of 1,200 acres in Vermilion County, which he acquired by his own industry. He is now living retired in Ran- toul. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, receiving his early education in the district schools, supplemented by a course il1 the Gem City Business College at Quincy, Ill., from which he was later graduated. In the meantime he taught in the public schools for two years. During his early banking career he filled the positions of assistant cashier and book-keeper in the Bank of Marysville, Poto- mac, Ill., and in the spring of 1892 he moved to Rantoul where, in association with his father and uncle Samuel, he purchased the Ex- change Bank of Rantoul, which business was continued under the title of Collison Bros. & Co., bankers, until August 9, 1901, when a dis-
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
astrous fire swept the city. A few days after the fire they purchased the First National Bank, of Rantoul, and consolidated the two banks, re- taining the name (and charter) of the First National Bank of Rantoul, with the following officers: President, Fred Collison; Vice-Presi-
FRED COLLISON.
dent, Herbert West; Cashier, Harry Collison. The bank is capitalized at $50,000. Mr. Collison is also President of the Bank of Thomasboro, Champaign County, and holds the same position in the First National Bank of Leroy, McLean County. He was married in Paxton, III., Oc- tober 17, 1893, to Emma B., daughter of Joseph Martain, a prominent farmer of Champaign County, and they have one child, Louis Glen. . Mr. Collison is a member of the Christian Church, is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic Order, and is a Republican in politics.
CURTIS F. COLUMBIA (deceased) was born in Madison, Ky., in 1823, in early boy- hood went to Hendricks County, Ind., and was educated in the old-time schools of that region. About 1841 he traded an Indiana farm for a tract of land in what is now Condit Township, Champaign County, Ill., and removed to the latter State. Becoming the owner of a half-
section of land, his first improvement on this was the erection of a cabin 16x18 feet, which was built in a day by the pioneer and his neighbors, and was the best residence in the vicinity at that time, having the distinction of possessing a brick chimney. In 1853 he sold this farm and purchased a tract of eighty acres, all of which is now within the city lini- its of Champaign. When the Illinois Central Railroad was built Mr. Columbia subdivided a portion of this farm into city lots and later laid out eight additions, all of which bear his name. For some years after 1860 he was en- gaged in merchandising in Champaign, but
later gave his attention to improving city property and to his local interests. For more than a dozen years he filled the offices of Col- lector and Assessor of Champaign and a school officer, taking an active interest in educational affairs for many years. He was one of the founders of the Masonic Orders in Champaign and, at different times, presided over the
CURTIS F. COLUMBIA.
local lodge and chapter. He died, esteemed by all who knew him, June 6, 1901.
Mr. Columbia was married in 1844 to Miss Nancy Cox, daughter of David Cox, a noted Illinois pioneer, mentioned elsewhere in these volumes. For nearly fifty years, Mr. and Mrs.
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Columbia lived in Champaign and Mrs. Colum- bia still resides in this city. Of a family of eight children four are now (1904) living. These are Dr. Thomas B., of New York City; Mrs. Mary F. Pearman, widow of Dr. J. G. Pearman, of Champaign; Mrs. Emma Mann, wife of the Hon. J. R. Mann, member of Con- gress from Chicago, and Miss Hattie G., who resides with her mother.
JOHN COMBS (pioneer, deceased) was born in Virginia, in the year 1798, and, after his mar- riage to Miss Mary Hiatt, moved to Peoria County, Ill., where he lived for over fifty years. There his wife died and he subsequently moved to Champaign in 1873, and still later, married Miss Elizabeth Platter, of Peoria County. His first marriage resulted in one child, Eliza Jane, now Mrs. John Noyes, who resides in Marshall County, Ill. His second wife also bore him one child, who is now Mrs. James Edwards. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards were mar- ried September 12, 1882.
Mr. Combs was for many years an old time Whig, later joining the ranks of the Republican party, but during the latter part of his life he was a Democrat. He at one time held the office of Supervisor, and had been nominated to other political positions but declined to serve. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he served as a trustee. His death occurred December 21, 1874. Mrs. Combs died October 31, 1899.
The grandfather of the subject of this sketch, also named John Combs, was a native of Ger- many, but came to America during the Revolu- tionary War. He enlisted and served through the conflict, later settling in Virginia.
THOMAS E. CONDON, grain merchant, was born in Carroll County, Md., in 1835, son of Thomas and Elvira (Barnes) Condon, both na- tives of Maryland, who died when the subject of this sketch was but six years old. The latter was reared on the home farm, where he re- mained until the death of his parents. He ac- quired his early education in the public schools of Maryland, and in 1853 removed to Indiana and entered the Asbury University at Green- castle, in that State, where he studied for six months. Later he taught school in winter and worked on a farm during the summer months. In 1862 he enlisted in the Fourth Indiana Cav- alry and served until the close of the war.
Coming to Illinois in 1865, he located at Sid- ney, Champaign County, where he was engaged in farming for two years, later buying a farm of eighty acres in Crittenden Township. Here he resided until 1886 and then moved to Cham- paign, remaining tnere two years, when, in 1888, he removed to Pesotum, and there en- gaged in the lumber and implement business, which he carried on for five years. He then sold out and in 1894 entered into the grain business under the firm name of Condon & Black. His partner, Mr. Black, having sold his interest to Mr. Kleiss in 1900, the firm became Condon & Kleiss. In 1905 Kleiss sold his 1I- terest to E. T. Malaney, and since March 1st the firm has been Condon & Malaney. They conduct a general grain and coal business.
In politics Mr. Condon is a Republican and held the office of Township Collector in 1902, and that of Town Clerk for one year. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and in his religious views is affiliated with the United Brethren Church. In 1857 Mr. Condon was united in marriage to Sarah M. Dicker- son, a native of Vigo County, Ind., who died in 1887, leaving two daughters. In 1889, Mr. Con- don was married to Berdellah Coffrin, who was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, where she was edu- cated. Of the first marriage four children were born, two of whom are deceased-those sur- viving being: Agnes Monerieff and Edna Bird- sell. There has been no issue of the second marriage.
DR. WILLIAM A. CONKEY .- This name brings to mind many facts hitherto recited in connection with the early history of Champaign County, of which Dr. Conkey became a resident in the year 1843, as a practicing physician. Dr. Conkey was the son of Alexander Conkey, . who was descended from a long line of Scotch immigrants in Massachusetts, being born at Charlemont, in that State, December 6, 1820. When about ten years of age the father of Dr. Conkey determined to seek a home in the then far west. Coming by recognized means of travel to the mouth of the Maumee River, Ohio, where is now situated the City of Toledo, the family with their holdings and goods, and domestic animals, made their way by boats and by travel along the margin of the river, up that stream to the portage between the head- waters of the Maumee, and the headwaters of the Wabash river. Across this portage they
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
passed and floating down the Wabash in boats, their animals being driven along the river bank, they landed late in the year 1830 at Clinton in Indiana. From there they sought a home in what is now the County of Edgar, on one of the rich prairies then lying wild and open in that county. The famliy was there reared, from which came the subject of this sketch, beside his brother, Otis M. Conkey, formerly a mer- chant at Homer, Ill., and other influential citi- zens of Eastern Illinois.
Dr. Conkey's primary education was obtained in the public schools of his native and of his adopted State. and when yet a young man he took the medical course in the professional school at Louisville, Ky., graduating therefrom about 1843. His first field of professional work was at the then very small village of Homer, known to us now as "Old Homer," where he followed his profession for some years, at length abandoning it for that of a farmer, which occupation he followed during the re- mainder of his active life.
A few years since the farm was turned over to a son, and Dr. Conkey with his wife (nee Sarah V. Sadler), to whom he was married in 1849, removed to the village of Homer, where, in an elegant home, they resided together until the death of his companion, which occurred within the last year. Five sons-Aubert, Bruce, Carl, Frank, and Frederick-and two daughters -Lucy and Emma-have been reared to active and useful lives by Dr. Conkey and his wife.
Dr. Conkey has always been a man of strong and distinctive personality, prominent in po- litical affairs of the County, having been a Re- publican from the organization of that party in 1854, and having represented his township for many terms upon the Board of Supervisors. He is now near the age of 85 years, but in pos- session of all of his mental faculties, the only lapse from the vigor of early manhood being in the slower walk, and less active life. As far back as 1853 Dr. Conkey became a member of the Masonic organization, and for many years was Master of his lodge at Homer.
Coming here, as he did, at the beginning of the growth of Champaign County, and follow- ing here the profession of a physician with a large practice, he early became very familiar with all parts of the county as it was when it came from the hands of Nature. His alert memory is stored with many facts connected with the early settlement of the county, and
there are few of the pioneers who have been named in this History who were not well known by Dr. Conkey. The sons are influen- tial as their father in the affairs of he county.
- MADISON COOPER was born in March, 1828, at Blue Sulphur Springs, W. Va., where he spent his youth and obtained his educa- tion. His parents were Francis and Elizabeth (Miller) Cooper, both natives of Pennsyl- vania. They moved to West Virginia before the birth of the subject of this sketch, and died there at an advanced age, the father aged more than one hundred years and the mother ninety-six years. Madison Cooper remained at home until he was sixteen years old, when he removed to Ohio, remaining there until he was forty-three years of age. He then came to Pesotum Township, Champaign County, where he purchased 280 acres of land, later adding eighty acres more, all of which is under good cultivation.
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