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Mr. Peters was married March 12, 1882, to Miss Mary F. McCollum, the daughter of Cyrus and Tabitha (Slayton) McCollum, of St. Joseph Township, the former of whom was killed dur- ing the Civil War in 1864. The mother was born in Kentucky, April 5, 1828, and died in November, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. McCollum had five children, all of whom are deceased except Mrs. Peters.
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Peters are the parents of five children, namely: Chloe D., born Janu- ary 20, 1885; Mae F., born July 29, 1886; Maud
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY. 1
L., born August 29, 1888; Everett Robert, born January 21, 1894; and Marie, born June 5, 1896. Mae F. is now Assistant Cashier in the St. Joseph Bank. Mr. Peters is the owner of a fine farm just south of the corporate limits of St. Joseph, upon which he lives and where he is raising fine horses, cattle and hogs, be- sides farming extensively.
HENRY PFEFFER was born in Indiana, in 1867, the son of William and Mary (Yokum) Pfeffer, both natives of Indiana, The family came to Illinois in 1870, and settled in Colfax Township, Champaign County. The subject of this sketch received a good public school education in Champaign County, and remained with his parents until he was twenty-eight years of age. He then moved onto a farm in Scott Township and resided there until Janu- ary, 1904. In that year, he purchased a farm of 160 acres, situated in Pesotum Township, on which he still lives.
In 1896, the subject of this sketch married Lena Wilhelm, who was born and schooled in Champaign County. To them have been born the following five children: Rose, Willie, Al- bert, Mary, and Joseph. In religious belief, Mr. Pfeffer is a Catholic.
CHARLES ALFRED PHARES, farmer, Ogden Township (postoffice, St. Joseph), Cham- paign County, Ill., was born in Hamilton, Ohio, August 29, 1854, the son of William Sargent and Laura (Meachum) Phares. William Sargent Phares was born October 31, 1815, the son of John S. and Eliza (Sanders) Phares, and mar- ried Laura Meachum, who was born August 16, 1824, and died January 4, 1892. They were the parents of seven children, viz .: Josephine E., Mary M., Emma O., John W., Charles A., Harvy C., and Laura. William S. Phares was an accountant by profession, and for many years was employed at the Ohio State Capital (Columbus) as chief accountant in the State Treasurer's Department; also occupied a high rank in masonry. He died March 21, 1890. Charles A. Phares located in Ogden Township, Champaign County, in 1877, which has since been his residence and has followed general farming and stock-raising.
On February 9, 1886, Mr. Phares was married to Miss Margaretha Loeffler, born in Detten- hausen, Wurtemburg, Germany, November 25,
1865, the daughter of Jacob and Mary A. (Schweizer) Loeffler, who were also natives of the Fatherland, the former born October 30, 1831, and died February 25, 1895, while the latter was born July 4, 1838, and still sur- vives. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Loeffler: Maria Katharin, Johan George, Dorothea, Margaretha, Jacob F., Anna Marie, Caroline, Sophie and Lonhardt B. Mr. and Mrs. Phares are the parents of four children born on the following dates: Mary Josephine, November 3, 1886; Bertha, July 9, 1888; George
CHARLES ALFRED PHARES.
Alfred, March 30, 1891; and Paul Loeffler, Sep- tember 8, 1897.
In 1900 Mr. Phares was elected President of the Farmer's Mutual Telephone Company, of Ogden, which was organized in that year and now (1904) has a membership of about 200. In politics Mr. Phares is a Republican, and fraternally belongs to the Ogden Lodge, No. 754, A. F. & A. M. He and his wife are mem- bers of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Boston, Mass., also members of the branch church, First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Champaign County, Ill.
SOLON PHILBRICK was born in Adeline, Ogle County, Ill., June 20, 1860, the son of
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
M. H. Philbrick, a pioneer settler in Ogle County, and a soldier in the Mexican War. He was educated in the public schools and at the University of Illinois, from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1884. He read law in Champaign County under the pre- ceptorship of George W. Gere and H. M. Beardsley, and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Illinois in the spring of 1887. He began practice in Champaign as junior member of the firm of Gere & Philbrick, which was one of the leading law firms of Central Illinois, remaining in that connection until
SOLON PHILBRICK.
January, 1903, when the dissolution of the partnership was brought about by Judge Phil- brick's appointment to the Circuit Judgeship of the Sixth Judicial Circuit. While engaged in the practice of his profession, Judge Phil- brick was identified with a large share of the litigation occupying the attention of the courts of this circuit, and gained a conspicuous posi- tion among the recognized leaders of the bar.
When Judge Francis Wright had served near- ly twelve years on the circuit bench of Cham- paign County, he was appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Claims, and removed to Washington, D. C. Judge Philbrick was then appointed by Governor Yates to fill the unex-
pired portion of Judge Wright's term. In the following June, he was elected Circuit Judge for a full term of six years. Numbered with the younger members of the State Judiciary, he has taken rank among its able members, gaining especial distinction for practical meth- ods in dealing with matters of litigation, and for the facility with which he disposed of the business of the courts. In his earlier profes- sional career, he served as City Attorney of Champaign, Master in Chancery of Champaign County and member of the State Board of Equalization.
Affiliating with the Republican party, he was influential in its councils, and active in advan- cing its interests, up to the time he became a member of the judiciary. He was elected a member of the Republican State Central Com- mittee at the State Convention in 1904.
Judge Philbrick was married, in 1891, to Miss Carrie J. Thomas, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
J. W. PINKSTON was born in Kentucky in 1860, and received his early education in the common schools of his native State. Early in life he engaged in farming in Newcomb Township, Champaign County, Ill., where he has continued to follow that line of industry. He now has an excellent farm comprising 240 acres, on which he breeds heavy-draft and road-horses.
Mr. Pinkston was married in 1884 to Miss Julia Maxwell, and they have five children, namely; Jesse E. Willie L., Susie M., Erwin and Julian O.
J. C. W. PITTMAN was born in Butler Coun- ty, Ohio, in 1848, the son of George H. and Eliza B. Pittman, the former a native of New Jersey, and the latter of Ohio. In 1856 he came with his father to Urbana, Ill., where he ob- tained his early education in the public schools. In 1857 the family moved to Mahomet Town- ship, where they located on a farm, and there our subject remained until he attained the age of twenty-one. He then began farming on his own account, and in 1879 purchased his present estate of 360 acres in Sections 8 and 17, Ma- homet Township, where he continues to follow general farming and stock-raising. He is a Republican in politics and has always been prominent in the support of his party. He has held the office of Road Commissioner for
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
nine years, was Supervisor for six years and Superintendent 'of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School for ten years, and was ap- pointed by the State Commission to assist in taking charge of the Agricultural and Horti- cultural departments at the Louisiana Pur- chase Exposition, held in St. Louis in 1904. In 1876 he was married in Mahomet Township to Mary E. Boyer, a native of Illinois, and four children have been born to them, namely: Claude E., Elmer D., Cecil and Mabel G., the last of whom is the wife of Archie Harriott.
L. C. PORTERFIELD was born in Arm- strong County, Pa., December 17, 1839, the son of Robert G. and Hannah (Campbell) Porter- field. He came to Champaign County in 1867
L. C. PORTERFIELD.
and has continued to follow the vocation of farming ever since. He bought 160 acres of land soon after arriving in the county, and to this he has added from time to time until now he owns 480 acres, located on Sections 29, 30, 21 and 17, Sidney Township. He has greatly improved the land and follows "mixed" farm- ing, giving part of his time and attention to the breeding of thoroughbred Short-horn cat. tle. In politics he is a Republican and has
served as School Director. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held nearly every office with the exception of that of minister.
Mr. Porterfield was married Oct. 31, 1872, to Mary Ann, daughter of Peter Toy, who was born in Armstrong County, Pa. Of this union seven children have been born: Anna Bell Lavanhagan; Katie May, wife of Eli Groves; Laura Alice, wife of Elijah Andrews; Nora Edith, wife of Carl Odebrecht; Lulu Myrtle, is married to William Crum; Cora Ellen; and Bert L. The latter manages the farm, is un- married and lives at home.
SAMUEL A .PORTERFIELD, retired farmer, was born in Armstrong County, Pa., November
SAMUEL A. PORTERFIELD.
7, 1843, the son of Robert G. and Hannah (Campbell) Porterfield, was reared on a farm and attended the public school in his native county. In 1867 his parents moved with their family to Sidney Township,, Champaign Coun- ty, where the father bought a quarter-section of land and continued farming until his death, which occurred in October, 1872. His wife died seven years later. The subject of this sketch has retired from active work and now
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
resides on his farm situated on Section 29, which consists of 288 acres of well improved land. The farm is managed by his only son, Robert Z.
Mr. Porterfield is a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted in 1864 in Company C, Seventy- eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served until the close of hostilities. He has held the office of School Director, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and be- longs to the Grand Army of the Republic. He was married February 16, 1871, to Elizabeth Williams, a native of Ohio, and of the four children born to them only one, Robert Z., survives. The latter is a graduate of Dixon College. In 1897 he was united in marriage to Anna Bantz and they have one child, Irene F. Mrs. Elizabeth Porterfield, wife of the sub- ject of this sketch, died July 14, 1880, and Miss Mary Porterfield, his sister, keeps house for him.
ELMER F. POWERS, editor of the "Cham- paign Times," was born in Newark, Licking County, Ohio, March 24, 1848, and was edu- cated in the public schools of Dresden, Mus- kingum County, Ohio. His parents were Oliver P. and Rebecca (Kliver) Powers.
Mr. Powers began at the bottom round of the ladder, as printer's assistant in the office of the Dresden "Monitor," in 1869, and became foreman six months later. In 1870 he entered the office of the Cairo, Ill., "Bulletin," owned by John H. Oberly, becoming foreman of the press room in 1871. In the spring of 1872 he was employed on the "Star," of Sardis, Miss., and in the fall of that year became foreman of the Kansas "Democrat," owned by the former proprietors of the Dresden Monitor.
In 1874 Mr. Powers went to Sullivan, Ill., and in 1879, joined Isaac Fielding, and the proprie- tors of the "Progress," W. H. Smyser and W. J. Mize, in the purchase of the "Champaign Times." Later, he succeeded Messrs. Smyser and Mize, and the paper has since been con- ducted under the same management for twen- ty-six years as a reliable and leading exponent of Democratic principles.
Mr. Powers is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the American Home Circle, and the Court of Honor. In 1886, the subject of this sketch married Florence H. Nel- son, a daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Houck)
Nelson. Mark Elmer, the only son of this union, is a student at the University of Illinois.
FRANK PRESTIN was born in Urbana, Ill., in 1875, the son of Louis and Frederica (Leh- man) Prestin, the former a native of Germany and a carpenter by trade. The subject of this sketch received his mental training in the pub- lic and high schools of Urbana. He then follow- ed the trade of cigar-maker, and was foreman in Nat Cohen's shop for thirteen years. In 1901 he engaged in the retail liquor business at No. 106 East Main Street, Urbana. In politics Mr. Prestin is a Democrat, and socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F. In 1897 he married Della Anderson, a native of Indianapolis, and they have one child, Dorothy Viola.
DAVID C. PRICE was born in Carroll County, Ohio, February 16, 1851, the son of J. P. and Agnes W. (Wyres) Price. His parents moved to Edgar County, Ill., settling on a farm there in 1860. Nine years later they went to Champaign County, and bought eighty acres of land on Section 31, in Crittenden Township. There the father followed farming until his death. His wife survived him four years.
The subject of this sketch was the sixth child in a family of eight. He attended the public schools, and remained at home until the death of his mother. He now owns 207 1-2 acres of land, located near the home farm, where he follows "mixed" farming. He has a nice herd of thoroughbred Polled-Angus cattle, and a flock of Shropshire-Down sheep. He also maintains a dairy supplied with a separator, and sells fifty pounds of butter weekly. In addition to his landed interests in Illinois, he has 440 acres in the Red River Valley, N. D.
In politics Mr. Price is a Prohibitionist, and holds the office of School Director. Socially he is affiliated with the Yeomen of America, of which his wife is also a member. In religion he is an adherent of the Quaker Church. He is a director in the Tuscola Telephone Com- pany and the Home Telephone Company.
On April 24, 1875, Mr. Price was married to Ida Belle Bornig, a native of Ohio, and of this union nine children have been born, namely: Leota and Naoma, both of whom are teachers; Mabel; Edgar; Garland; Lucille; Harry; Mary A., and Willow Dean.
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1
REV. JOHN FRANCIS PURCELL .- The his- tory of the Catholic, and only church organ- ization having a resident pastor in Penfield, centers around the efforts of Rev. John Fran- cis Purcell. Born in the County Tipperary, Ireland, he came to the United States in 1870. Rev. Father Purcell is a graduate of Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., where, in his early youth (1890), he received the de- gree of A. B., from the hands of the late Governor William E. Russell. To further equip him for his labors in the ministry, Father Purcell has taken courses in many of the leading institutions of the country. Locating in Penfield about six years ago, he has taken an active part in the general affairs of the town, and the church has entirely out- grown the original capacity of the edifice erected by the pastor in 1880. To meet the demand of a growing congregation and in- creased interest in the various departments of church work, Rev. Fr. Purcell erected a brick structure, which excels anything of the kind in northern Champaign County. Father Pur- cell is a young man whose labors seem out of all proportion to the extent of his years. En- dowed with strong physical, as well as intel- lectual powers, he is destined to become an in- creasingly potent factor in the moral and general advancement of the community. He is a member of the Ancient Order of Hiber- nians and of the Knights of Columbus.
J. H. RANKIN was born in Ohio in 1848, and obtained his education in the public schools of Illinois. Leaving Ohio in 1851, he came to Illinois and made his home in Decatur and in Piatt counties, for a number of years. He followed farming in Piatt County for twelve years, and then became connected with Suf- fren, Hunt & Co., grain dealers and millers, of Decatur, for whom he worked as night fore- man in the mill for several years. In July, 1904, the firm began building an elevator at Sadorus, Champaign County, 30 by 109 feet in dimensions, erected on a solid concrete founda- tion, and having a capacity of 60,000 bushels. On the completion of this elevator Mr. Rankin took charge of it and does all the grain buying at Sadorus. His home is at No. 503 South Lynn Street, into which he moved in 1903.
JOHN L. RAY was born in Woodford County, Ill., July 30, 1845, was reared on a farm and received his education in the Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, III. He read law un- der the preceptorship of C. H. Chitty, at Meta- mora, Ill., and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court at Ottawa, in July, 1870. After practicing two years in Metamora he removed to Champaign, and became a member of the bar of this county in 1872. He has been in active practice in Champaign County and ad- joining counties about thirty-three years. Dur- ing this period he has been identified with a large proportion of the important litigation of the courts of Champaign County, and has late- ly been one of the recognized leaders of the bar.
Mr. Ray is a very industrious man; he gives his entire attention to his profession, and is particularly strong as a trial lawyer. He has devoted his time and attention principally to civil suits, but has also been connected with some very noted criminal cases. He is identi- fied with the best interests of Champaign, as counsel for the Iillinois Title & Trust Company Bank. Since 1902 he has been senior partner of the law firm of Ray & Dobbins.
Fraternally Mr. Ray is a Knight Templar in Masonry. He was married, in 1875, to Miss Elgin Hays, of Woodford County, Ill.
ISAAC STUART RAYMOND, President of the First National Bank of Philo, Champaign Coun- ty, was born in Union County, Ohio, January 29, 1849, the son of Nathaniel and Melissa (Stuart) Raymond, both of whom were of Scotch de- scent. The former was a native of New Hamp- shire, while the latter was born in New York State. The family moved to Champaign in 1864 and settled in what is now Raymond Town- ship, which was named for Nathaniel Ray- mond, father of the subject of this sketch, who was the first Supervisor, an office which lie held for six or seven years. He was an able and progressive man and greatly esteemed by all who knew him. He died, after a success- ful career, in May, 1890. The death of his wife occurred in 1865.
The subject of this sketch obtained his early education in the public schools, supplemented by a course in the State University at Cham- paign. He then engaged in farming and at present has a highly cultivated estate of 600
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
acres located on Sections 4 and 5, Raymond Township. He is also extensively engaged in feeding and shipping stock. He has one of the finest houses in the county, and all the im- provements on his land were placed there by himself and his father. In 1902 he helped or- ganize the First National Bank of Philo, which does a general banking business, and of which he has been President since its organization. He has been School Trustee of the Township for thirty years; Supervisor at different times for eleven years, being re-elected to that office for two years in 1904; was Trustee of the State University from 1892 to 1899, and President of the County Farmers' Institute for the past six years.
Mr. Raymond was married October 27, 1875, to Edith Eaton, a native of New Jersey, and of this union two children have been born, namely: John E., who assists in operating the home farm; and Ruth, the wife of Warren E. Hazeltine, of Aurora, Ill.
FRANCIS CHARLES RENFREW, physician and surgeon, Sadorus, Champaign County, was born at Arcola, Ill., in 1875, the son of Charles H. and Frances M. (Dickson) Renfrew, the former a native of Vermont, and the latter born in Illinois. The subject of this sketch attended the Miami Medical College, his edu- cation being supplemented by a course in Aus- tin College, where he took the degree of B. S. in 1900, and being graduated in medicine in 1903. Previous to this he had located in Sa- dorus, where, for four years, he taught school, holding the position of Principal of the Sadorus schools for three years. Since 1903 he has suc- cessfully practiced his profession in Sadorus. Fraternally Dr. Renfrew stands high in Ma- sonry, is also a member of the Knights of Pyth- ias, of which he is a Past Chancellor Com- mander, and of the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, besides six or seven other fraternal orders. In 1898 he married Gertrude Sadorus, daughter of Henry W. Sadorus, and they have two chil- dren: Donald and Helen. Dr. Renfrew is an active member of the County and State Medi- cal Societies, of the American Medical Asso- ciation, and of the Aesculapian Medical Society of the Wabash Valley.
ENOS H. and SYLVESTER W. RENNER, who constitute the well-known firm of E. H.
Renner & Brother, engaged in the manage- ment of a successful livery business in Urbana, Champaign County, Ill., are descended from a long line of notable ancestors, among whom were some refugees of the Huguenot persecu- tion. Their great-grandfather, Isaac Renner, was a Virginian, whose father and grandfather spent their lives in Pennsylvania. Henry Ren- ner, Isaac Renner's son, was a native of Fred- erick County, Va., where he was born in 1796. His wife was Mary M. Willey, to whom he was married in 1826. She was a daughter of Rev. Mr. Willey, who was a native of Switzerland one of the most noted of the early ministers of the German Reformed Church. She was born June 29, 1800. She and her husband came to Ohio in 1852, whence they moved to Rantoul, Illinois, in 1868. There she died in 1870, while he passed away in 1882.
The only son of this worthy couple, Henry W. Renner, is a native of Shenandoah County, Va., born March 5, 1830. He received his early mental training in the public schools of Wood- stock, Va., and his new home in Ohio, to which State he accompanied his parents in his boy- hood. In youth he learned the trade of a blacksmith, in which he assisted his father in the shop of the latter. On April 2, 1857, when about the age of twenty-seven years, in Licking County, Ohio, he married Phoebe A. Williams, the daughter of Hon. E. O. and Lucinda (Whitehead) Williams.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Renner journeyed in a wagon from Ohio to Champaign County, Ill., where they arrived May 25, 1857, and settled on a farm of eighty acres in Section 4, Condit Township, to which they subsequently added forty acres more. After the War of the Rebel- lion, Mr. Renner purchased 160 acres in Sec- tion 4, Rantoul Township, where he lived until the spring of 1894, when he moved to Urbana. He was the owner of two excellent farms in Rantoul Township, and 240 acres in Vermilion County, all of which he sold, purchasing 400 acres in Jackson County. He was very success- ful in breeding draught horses, and was the owner of several high-bred Percherons, which he had imported.
In early days Henry W. Renner taught school during the winter seasons, and served for sometime as School Trustee. At a later period he was prominent in organizing the Rantoul Cheese Factory, of which he was a director.
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1
Politically he was a Democrat until 1873, when he became a Granger and Greenbacker, and finally identified himself with the Prohibition party. He has held the office of Township Collector, Assessor and Supervisor, and has served as Highway Commissioner and Justice of the Peace.
Religiously Henry W. Renner has been con- nected with different denominations, but has always been an earnest church and Sunday school worker. He helped to organize the Jersey Presbyterian Church in Condit Town- ship, in which he was secretary, trustee and ruling elder. Afterwards he held the offices of secretary, trustee and deacon in the First Congregational Church of Rantoul. In 1882, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Urbana, with which he has since been identi- fied, officiating as class leader and steward. His wife, who was also a devout and active Christian, died November 26, 1873, leaving five children, namely: Enos H .; Anna L., wife of William H. Rusk; Sylvester W .; Mary C. and Libbie S. twins. Mr. Renner was again mar- ried September 28, 1876, wedding Julia Smith, a daughter of James D. and Emeline Smith, who came from Pennsylvania. This union re- sulted in one son, who died in infancy. Mrs. Renner graduated from the Western Female Seminary at (Oxford, Ohio, and for a time was a most successful teacher. She is in hearty accord with her husband in church work and in all benevolent and charitable movements.
Enos H. Renner was born on the paternal farm in Condit Township, Champaign County, January 16, 1858, where he attended the district school, and afterwards the Rantoul high school, completing his studies in the University of Illi- nois. Beginning when about nineteen years old, he taught school for six years, mainly within Champaign County. In 1885, he engaged in the coal business in Champaign, and in the following year, formed a partnership with his brother, Sylvester W., under the firm name of E. H. Renner & Brother. They added a stock of agricultural implements, and in course of time became interested in hauling merchan- dise. Of this they made a specialty, at the same time carrying on a livery and sale stable in Urbana, where they kept about 25 good horses. Mr. Renner is also engaged in the undertaking business in connection with S. C. Fox, in all branches of which his competency
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