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is attested in a license from the State Board of Health, and two diplomas from Schools of Embalming. Politically Mr. Renner is a Pro- hibitionist. Fraternally he is a member of Urbana Lodge, No. 157, A. F. & A. M., Triumph Lodge, K. of P. No. 73, Urbana, and belongs to the M. W. A. and Court of Honor. He has been, for several years, a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Urbana, and has been a member of the Board of Stewards for the past fourteen years.
On November 9, 1886, Mr. Renner was mar- ried in Urbana to Luella Phillips, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Young) Phillips. From this union seven children have been born, namely: Wendell P., Mary F., Sylvia P., Julia E., Enos H., Jr., Sylvester G. and Edna Lou- ella. The mother of this family was reared in the house which is now her home. She has two brothers: John, who lives in Urbana, and Edward, who is a resident of Philo, Ill. Her only sister, Mary, married Richard Joe, who died in Nebraska.
Sylvester W. Renner was born on the pater- nal farm in Condit Township, April 9, 1863, and attended the district school in his vicinity. Subsequently he pursued a course of study in the Champaign Commercial College. In 1886, he entered into partnership with his brother Enos, and their business relations have con. tinued intimate ever since.
Sylvester W. Renner was married October 18, 1887, to Maggie C. Yates, a daughter of John and Mary Yates, natives of England. Their three surviving children are: Roma E., Wiley E. and Ruth. Helen, the third born, died in infancy.
Mr. Renner and his wife belong to the First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, Ill. Politically he is a Democrat, and fraternally is affiliated with the Court of Honor and the Tribe of Ben Hur.
Both of the gentlemen composing this firm, whose lives are herein portrayed, are dis- tinguished for their unflagging energy, rigid integrity and diligent application to business.
ARTHUR RICE (deceased), a highly respect- ed resident of Champaign County for nearly fifty years, was born in Wood County, W. Va., February 9, 1839, the son of Shelton and Eliza- beth (Brown) Rice, who settled in Sadorus Township, Champaign County, in 1854, where
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
he bought land and followed farming during the remainder of his life. He died about 1862, his wife having died several years previously. They had six children: David, a farmer in Sa- dorus Township; John, who died in Champaign County in 1861, leaving one child; Henry, who died in Cherokee County, Kans .; Sarah, who became the wife of John Rawlings, and is a resident of Cherokee, Kans; and Martha, who married George Harrison, of Santa Monica, Cal.
Arthur Rice was fifteen years old when his father came to Illinois, journeying by river to Terre Haute, Ind., and thence to Champaign
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ARTHUR RICE.
County by team. Until he reached the age of twenty-one, he helped his father on the farm, attending school as opportunity offered. At that period, although possessing , but little means, he purchased eighty acres of land in Pesotum Township, to which, in course of time, he added more, and made valuable improve- ments. He devoted his attention largely, and very successfully, to raising live stock. In 1892, Mr. Rice, in order to secure better edu- cational advantages for his son, moved to Champaign, and in 1897 changed his abode to his farm two miles south of Champaign, where
he died May 30, 1903. He was sick about two years but was confined to his bed only two weeks. He was always a hard worker, and took great pains in his farming operations. As an authority on agricultural matters, he was one of the most intelligent and thoroughly in- formed in Champaign County, and left a farm whose condition is surpassed by few in this region.
On February 26, 1863, Mr. Rice was united in marriage to Mary A. Lee, a daughter of Squire and Elizabeth A. (James) Lee. Mrs. Rice was born November 23, 1843, in Pulaski County, Ky., of which State her parents were natives. They moved to what is now Douglas County, Ill., in the fall of 1850, and subse- quently settled in Pesotum Township, Cham- paign County, where the father acquired exten- sive and valuable landed possessions. In the public affairs of the township he was con- spicuous and influential, and he was a promi- nent member of the Baptist church. His wife, who died in August, 1896, survived her hus- band many years. Their eldest child, Martha J., married Parker Gregory, and they now live in Colorado. Three of the boys-George W., Henry and James H .- are successfully engaged in farming in Pesotum Township. Another, Noah, passed away on the homestead farm, leaving a wife and two children. A daughter, Sarah, who married Thomas Adair, is deceased. Her husband is now living in Crittenden Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Rice became the parents of four children, namely: Nora E., who married A. A. Armstrong, who owns the Broaddus stock farm, in Douglas County; Martha A., who mar- ried G. W. Temple, of the Champaign Business College; Fred L., who still remains under the parental roof; and Ollie, who died in infancy.
In politics, the father of this family was a Prohibitionist. He served as Highway Com- missioner and member of the School Board, creditably filled other local offices, and was held in high esteem throughout the community. Religiously, he was an active and useful mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is the estimable lady who shared his life's for- tunes, and is left to lament his demise.
JACOB WALKER RICHARDS was born in Ogden Township, Champaign County, III., Octo- ber 4, 1844, the son of Thomas J. and Eliza-
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
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beth (Patterson) Richards, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. Thomas J., the father, came to Illinois before the Black Hawk War, in which he took part, and with the money earned as a soldier in that war, pur- chased the land which he improved into a farm. Mr. Jacob Walker Richards was a mem- ber of a family of thirteen children, whose names are given in the sketch of his father elsewhere in this volume. The son was mar- ried in Champaign County, March 31, 1870, to Ann Eliza Parris, daughter of William and Zerviah (Knowlton) Parris, both natives of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Richards have been born twelve children, namely: Thomas P., Aug- ust 13, 1871, died August 27, 1871; Sarah E., February 13, 1873; Frank Leslie, January 18, 1875, died December 2, 1878; Thomas E., May 8, 1878; Cyrus A., March 23, 1882, died Decem- ber 7, 1890; William H., October 15, 1884; Walker E., April 3, 1887, died May 23, 1903; Louis O. and Louie L. (twins), January 2, 1890. Fraternally Mr. Richards is affiliated with
JACOB WALKER RICHARDS.
Ogden Lodge, No. 754, A. F. & A. M., and politically supports the principles of the Re-
ANN ELIZA RICHARDS.
publican party. He and his family are mem- bers of the Christian Church.
PATRICK RICHARDS (deceased) was born in Quebec, Canada, December 17, 1835, and his parents shortly afterwards moved to Utica, N. Y., where he attended the public schools. In his youth he was trained to the drug business, and, in early manhood, went to New York City, where he was employed in the drug trade for several years. In 1862 he came to Illinois, and established himself in the same line at Tolono, Champaign County. He remained at Tolono until 1882, when he removed to Urbana, in- tending to retire from active business. Soon after coming to Urbana, however, he became connected with the banking interests, and was chosen President of the First National Bank, of which he was the head until his death. He was an able financier, and as a banker pos- sessed the unbounded confidence of the entire community. He was identified with the agri- cultural interests of the county as a large land owner.
In politics, Mr. Richards was a Republican, but interested himself in political issues only as a good citizen. He was several times called upon to serve in official capacities, and was a
.
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
member of the County Board of Supervisors for several years, having much to do with the conduct of public affairs in Champaign County. He took an active part in advancing the inter- ests of his party, and in 1898, he was strongly urged for Congress, but declined to make the contest on account of the condition of his health.
Mr. Richards was married, in 1865, to Miss Amelia J. Morgan, a daughter of William F. and Anna (Bruce) Morgan, both of whom came of old Kentucky families. Mrs. Richards sur-
PATRICK RICHARDS.
vives her husband, and still resides in Urbana. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Richards are: Gertrude; Clarence M., of Carlsbad, N. M .; and Chester W., of Urbana. Mr. Richards died at his home in Urbana, January 15, 1899.
THOMAS JACOB RICHARDS (deceased) was born in Mason City, Ky., in 1813, the son of Jacob Richards, who was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, but a native of Maryland. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, had three brothers and two sisters. Of the former, John Richards, moved to Arkansas, where he engaged in the mercantile business and lived to be 112 years of age. William, another brother, moved to Tennessee and engaged in the slave trade.
The third brother (Darney) was killed at Mays- ville, Ky., at the age of twenty-four years. The sisters were named Mary and Polly Jane. The latter became the wife of a Mr. Fisher, and as her second husband married Mr. Lane. She died at St. Joseph, Champaign County, Ill., aged 106 years.
Thomas J. Richards came to Illinois in 1832, and in 1834 married Elizabeth Patterson, daughter of John K. Patterson, and by whom he had a family of thirteen children: Rebecca Jane, John T., William Merriman, James K., Cyrus S., Jacob Walker, Nancy Emeline, Alon. zo, Asa, Celine, Martha Elizabeth and Amanda. The mother was born in Madison County, Ohio, and came with her mother and step-father, Orange Strong, to Illinois about 1827. Thomas J. Richards was a member of the Christian Church, and in politics a Democrat. He died February 7, 1879, in the 65th year of his age. His wife died in February, 1899, at the age of over 80 years.
HARRY WILMOT RILEY, Tolono, Ill., was born in Johnson County, Mo., April 17, 1869, the son of T. H. and Martha (Payne) Riley, natives, respectively, of Moorefield and Paris, Ky. His maternal grandfather, James Payne, was also born in Kentucky. Mr. Riley received his education in the public schools of Cham- paign County, Ill., and at the University of Illinois, which institution he attended until he reached his twentieth year, after which he taught for five years in the schools of Missouri and Illinois. In January, 1893, he launched into the grain and coal business at Tolono, Ill., in which he still is interested.
In politics Mr. Riley is a Democrat, has served as Town Clerk one term (in 1894), and has been Tax Collector of his township since 1896. He is a Director of the Citizen's Bank, at Tolono. Socially he is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity, Knights of Pythias, and Modern Woodmen of America. In religion he is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. On December 25, 1895, Mr. Riley was united in marriage at Tolono, Ill., to Hattie F. Brad- ford, who was born at Bloomingburg, Ohio, where she was educated in the public and high schools.
GEORGE F. RISING was born in 1845, in the State of Ohio, where his early mental training
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
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was obtained in the public schools. This was supplemented by a course at St. Mary's Uni- versity, of Chicago. The parents of Mr. Rising were John and Sarah C. (Sponcellar) Rising, the former born in Bavaria, Germany, while the latter's birth occurred in Frederick City, Md. In 1859 the subject of this sketch came with his parents to Champaign County, where they bought a farm located in Champaign Township, and there George F. lived until he was twenty-two years old. He then married Lu- cinda H. Pippin, a native of Hensley Township, Champaign County. She died in 1881, leaving five children: Lillie M. Murphy, Andrew F., Sarah C., Charles F. and Ella R. At the time of his marriage he bought a farm of sixty-eight acres, situated in the rear of his present home at Rising Station. Ten years later he added eighty acres to his farm, and subsequently continued to buy land, until he now owns 345 acres in Hensley Township. He also raises considerable stock, shipping, on an average, four car-loads of stock a year.
Mr. Rising held the office of Justice of the Peace in Hensley Township for twelve years. He was a director of the Champaign Agricul- tural Society for over twenty years, and has been connected with that organization for thirty years, being the oldest active member continuously in office.
In 1883 Mr. Rising was united in marriage to Alice B. Brown, who was born in Indiana, and obtained her education in Illinois. Two children have been born to them-Helen A., and George F., Jr. Socially, Mr. Rising is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.
HUGH JACKSON ROBINSON, agriculturist and legislator, was born near Belfast, Ireland, March 28, 1833, and came to this country in 1837 with his parents, who first settled in Dutchess County, N. Y. His mother was a cousin of Gen. Andrew Jackson. Mr. Robin- son passed his youth in New York State, ob- taining his preliminary education in the pub- lic schools, which was supplemented by a course in a select school in Stanford. In 1848 the family moved to Fond du Lac County, Wis., where the elder Robinson died in 1852.
In October, 1852, Hugh J. Robinson came to Illinois, and, walking from Chicago, estab- lished his home in Urbana. During his first
winter here he was an employe of J. S. Gere, who was engaged in supplying ties for the Illinois Central Railroad, then in process of construction. Later he was a partner with Mr. Gere in filling a tie contract for the Wabash Railroad, and in supplying 6,500 cords of wood for the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1858 Mr. Robinson purchased, and began improving, a portion of the farm known as "Pioneer Grove," now his homestead, where, since 1860, he has resided continuously. He added to his land holdings from time to time, and was one of the large stock-raisers of Illinois until about 1896, when he retired from active farming
HUGH JACKSON ROBINSON.
operations. Since 1902 he has been a Director, and Vice President, of the First National Bank of Ivesdale, Ill.
From the date of his settlement in Sadorus, Mr. Robinson has been closely identified with the development of this part of Champaign County, in both public and private capacities. In 1866 he was first elected a member of the Board of Supervisors, serving eleven consecu- tive years. Later, he was again elected a member of that body. He was chairman of the board in 1890, and during a period of thirty years was a member of the board the greater
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
portion of the time. In 1898 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives (Forty-first General Assembly) and was re- elected, two years later, serving, in all, four years. While a member of the Legislature, he was instrumental in securing a liberal appro- priation for the State University at Urbana, and was influential in furthering the policy of a generous treatment of this institution by the State.
In politics, Mr. Robinson is a Democrat of the Old School, and during his long residence in Champaign County, has always been prom- inent in the councils of his party. His serv- ices as a school officer have covered a period of more than forty years. In connection with other early settlers of Champaign County, he was one of the organizers of the Old Settlers' Association, which has done much to preserve the early history of the county; he has served several times as President of the association.
In 1856 Mr. Robinson was married to Miss Jane Thrasher, of Geauga County, Ohio. Their surviving children are: Robert T., of Urbana; William C., of Sadorus Township; and Mrs. Martha J. Miller, of Pesotum Township-all in Champaign County .; The first Mrs. Robinson died in 1874 and in 1875, Mr. Robinson mar- ried Miss Susan J. Hutchinson, of Calhoun County, Mich. One child was born of this union, but died when four years of age.
Fraternally, Mr. Robinson is a member of I. R. Gorin Lodge, No. 537, A. F. & A. M., Sa- dorus, Ill .; Bement Chapter, No. 65, Piatt Coun- ty, Ill .; and Urbana Commandery, K. T., No. .
16, Champaign County, Ill.
ISAAC WILLIAM ROE was born in Urbana Township, Champaign County, Ill., July 15, 1838. His early mental training was obtained in the common schools of the township, which at that period were so few and far between that he was obliged to walk three miles in order to attend them. His father married Miss Lilise Busey, and came to Urbana Township about the time of the Black Hawk War. There he entered over 900 acres of land. To him and his wife were born six children, namely: Ma- linda, Jane, Sarah Elizabeth, William P., Isaac W. and John.
At one time Mr. Roe decided to go into the stock-raising business, and sold the old farm. He did not, however, follow that vocation, but
returning to Urbana Township, there pur- chased 293 acres of land. At present he has a very beautiful home, located on Sections 11 and 12, two miles east of Urbana.
Mr. Roe was united in marriage to Miss Martha McDonald, daughter of John and Maria McDonald, and six children were born to them, as follows: James, Philip, John, Etta, Musa and Lillie. Lillie, James and Philip are deceased.
WILLIAM ELMER ROGERS (deceased) was born in McLean County, Ill., November 15, 1865, the son of Samuel and Melinda (Osborn) Rogers, both of whom were natives of Penn- sylvania. He acquired his education, in the county schools, and after following farming for a number of years, learned the carpenter's trade, in which branch of industry he con- tinued until his death, June 18, 1901. Socially he was a member of the Home Circle Lodge, and in politics voted the Republican ticket. In his religious belief he was a Cumberland Presbyterian.
On March 2, 1890, Mr. Rogers was married in McLean County, to Miss Rosa Glenn, a daughter of George and Mary (Thurlba) Glenn. In 1892 they moved to Champaign. Five chil- dred were born to them, of whom Della, Min- nie and Josephine survive; the other two- Irvin and Stella-being deceased.
Mrs. Rogers was born in England and came to America with her parents from Lincolnshire, when two years old. They settled at Minier, Tazewell County, Ill., and later moved to Mc- Lean County. They are now living in Bloom- ington, Ill.
JOHN ROGERSON, Police Magistrate, Cham- paign, Ill., was born at Perth, Ontario, Can- ada, December 18, 1832 and comes of Scotch ancestry. His father William Rogerson, was born at Dumfries, Scotland, in November, 1806, became a lumber merchant, and in 1848 came to Chicago, where he assisted in building eight miles of the second railroad en- tering the city. Later he was engaged in the lumber business at Jacksonville, Ill., but in 1855 located in Champaign, where, in addition to the lumber trade, he established a general store, which he conducted until the time of his death, August 4, 1856. His wife, who was Miss Sarah Sinclair Adamson before her marriage, was born in Quebec in 1814.
1015
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
The subject of this sketch was employed as a clerk by his father until the latter's death, when he engaged in the mercantile business and grain trade at Sadorus, Champaign County, continuing in this line of business until 1872, when he removed to a 200-acre farm in Colfax Township, where he resided until 1889, in the meantime serving his fellow citizens as Town Clerk, Assessor, Justice of the Peace and Su- pervisor, being an incumbent of the latter office eight years. He was Postmaster at Sadorus from 1857 to 1861; Town Clerk, 1860 to 1865; Justice of the Peace, 1862 to 1872, and agent for the Wabash Railroad fifteen years. For several years he was sent to Springfield, Ill., to plead the cause of the tax-payers of Champaign County before the State Board of Equalization, and in 1881 went to Washington, D. C., to procure from the General Land Office a complete record of the swamp lands of Champaign County, the document now being on file among the records of the county. Re- turning to Sadorus in 1889, he again engaged in the grain business, and was appointed Post- master under President Cleveland, serving from 1894 to 1898. In the latter year he re- moved to Champaign, where he has since re- sided. In September, 1904, he was elected Police Magistrate by special election to fill the vacancy made by the death of Jacob Buch.
On September 4, 1856, Mr. Rogerson was married at Chicago to Miss Jaqueline Cantine, born in Bradford County, Pa., November 25, 1835, daughter of John James C. and Ruth (Bull) Cantine, natives of Tompkins County, N. Y., and born in 1806 and 1807, respectively. Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rogerson, viz .: Ruth Caroline, Sarah Sin- clair, William, John James (deceased), An- drew Buchanan, John James (2nd), Marguerite (deceased), Mary Julia, George R. (deceased), Fannie McArthur, David Bradley, Robert Burns and Mark Lewis. Mr. Rogerson has always been faithful to every public trust, and no truer test of the confidence in which he is held by the public can be given than his elec- tion to the office of Police Magistrate in a strong Republican city.
LEMUEL D. ROLES was born in Bradford County, Pa,. September 17, 1842, and obtained his mental training in the public schools. He
is a son of Samuel and Ellen (Davidson) Roles, natives of Pennsylvania. .
At the age of eleven years, Lemuel D. Roles came with his parents to Tazewell County, Ill., where he resided until the spring of 1862, at which time he enlisted in the Sixty-eighth Illi- nois Volunteer-Infantry. One month later, he was transferred to Company B, Seventieth Illi- nois Infantry, in which he served three months. In the spring of 1863 he re-enlisted for two years, and was in service nearly all that time in Missouri. At the expiration of his term he was discharged and returned to Illinois. He had previously learned the blacksmith trade and, after his return, opened a shop at Arm- ington, Ill., which he conducted for twenty-one years. He then moved to Nebraska, where he remained for six years. Then, in 1892, he came to Fisher, Ill., where he started a black- smith shop, in which he still continues. He has held the offices of Town Collector, Clerk, and Commissioner of Highways, in Tazewell County and was Supervisor of Champaign County for six years. In the spring of 1904, he was elected Police Magistrate of Fisher. Socially he is a member of the K. of P. and the I. O. R. M., and is Commander of the G. A. R., at Fisher.
On December 11, 1865, Mr. Roles was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia Ann Marley, who is a native of Ohio. Four children have been born of this union, namely: Reed M., Newt, Fannie Edith, and Hattie Ellen.
MARO O. ROLFE, editor and proprietor of
- "The Courier," Ogden, Champaign County, Ill., was born at Monterey, N. Y., January 28, 1852, a son of Furman and A. Amelia (Reed) Rolfe, and was reared in Northern Pennsylvania. His father, a lumberman, is living. His mother, who died in 1895, was a writer of ability and experience, and his eldest son is managing editor of an evening newspaper in Southern New York. Mr. Rolfe has written histories of several States and of many cities and coun- ties in the East, West and South; as editor and special writer he has been a voluminous contributor to newspapers; he has produced fifty or more novels of 40,000 to 75,000 words each, that have been published serially or in covers; was also a member of the editorial staff of Webster's Imperial Dictionary. For several years he was advertising manager for
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
one of the largest proprietary medicine con- cerns in the United States. He bought "The Ogden Courier" in 1904, and has enlarged and improved it, adding to its local interest and influence and increasing its prestige among foreign advertisers. Mrs. Rolfe was Miss Min- nie E. Dailey, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
THOMAS J. ROTH, attorney-at-law, Rantoul, Champaign County, Ill., was born near Circle- ville, Pickaway County, Ohio, December 3, 1846, the son of Thomas B. and Esther (Ghrist) Roth, natives of Lancaster County, Pa. His grandfather Roth, was a native of Ger- many, while the line of ancestry on bis mother's side can be traced for several genera- tions in America, the maternal great-grand- father, Charles R. Morris, having been born in Maryland, as were also the maternal grand- parents, Jonathan and Mary (Morris) Ghrist. The maternal great-grandmother was a native of New Jersey.
In 1856, the subject of this sketch came with his parents, seven brothers and four sisters, from Circleville, Ohio, to Illinois, and located near Oakland, Coles County. The journey was made overland in a "prairie schooner" bearing the household furniture and other goods, while the father and mother, with their youngest daughter, followed with a horse and buggy. Thomas J. remained on the paternal homestead until he was twenty-two years of age, mean- while obtaining his preparatory education in the public schools of Edgar County. He after- wards attended the Paris high school, and later taught in the common schools of Edgar County for four years. In 1872, he began read- ing law in the office of the late Hon. James A. Eads, of Paris, Ill., and continued thus two years. During the last six months of this period, he was a fellow student of the Hon. John G. Woolly.
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