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ELIJAH S. SMITH, physician and surgeon, was born near Bloomington, Ind., March 18, 1856. The family came to Illinois when the subject of this sketch was about fifteen years of age, and settled in Coles County, near Charleston, whence they later moved to Loxa, Ill.
Dr. Smith passed the early years of his life on a farm, attending the public schools when a boy. Subsequently, he became a student in Lee's Academy, at Loxa, and completed his academic studies at the University of Illinois. He began teaching school when he was eigh- teen years of age, and taught thereafter in the intervals when he was not pursuing courses of study, and also after complet- ing these courses. His collegiate education and professional training were wholly ob. tained in this way. In all, he was engaged in educational work seventeen years, hav- ing received a teacher's life-certificate from the State Board of Examiners in 1887. During this period, he was, successively, principal of the schools at Kansas Station, 'Newman and Chrisman, Ill., and Superinten- dent of schools at Virden, Farmer Citv and As- toria, Ill., gaining more than a local reputation as an efficient and popular educator.
During the last year of his school work, the subject of this sketch began reading medicine, and in 1893 matriculated in the Chicago Home- opathic Medical College, from which institution
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
he received his doctor's degree in 1896. Im- mediately afterward he came to Urbana, and began the practice of his profession as an as- sociate of Dr. J. E. Morrison. Their partner- ship continued until the fall of 1901, and Dr. Smith has since practiced alone, drawing about him a large clientele, which is appreciative alike of his skill as a physician and his devo- tion to the interests of his patients.
Dr. Smith is a member of the Central Illinois Homeopathic Society, and of the Urbana So- ciety of Physicians and Surgeons. Fraternally, he is identified with the Royal Arch Masons, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Royal Neighbors, Court of Honor, and Tribe of Ben Hur. Religiously, he is a mem- ber of the First Methodist Church of Urbana.
Dr. Smith was married, in 1884, to Miss Man- tie Henson, daughter of Stephen S. and Mary Henson, pioneer settlers near Villa Grove, Ill. · Their children are Mabel, Hazel and Harold H.
JOHN C. SMITH was born in Sangamon County, Ill., May 20, 1852, the son of Thomas and Lucy Maria (Smith) Smith. His youth was spent on his father's farm and he was ed- ucated in the public schools. The father was the owner of a fine stock farm, where he made a specialty of breeding thoroughbred horses and high grade cattle. He died January 10, 1904, his wife's death having taken place De- cember 16, 1900. John C. Smith resides on his farm on Section 16, Crittenden Township, com- prising 160 acres of land, formerly owned by his father. He is actively engaged in "mixed" farming.
On January 11, 1877, Mr. Smith was married to Mary E. Franklin, a daughter of Joel L. Franklin, and they have two daughters, name- ly: Maggie M. (Mrs. A. Schafer), of Villa Grove, who, before her marriage, was a school teacher; and Alice Edna, who is living at home with her parents. The house and the other improvements on the property have all been made by Mr. Smith.
Politically, Mr. Smith is a Democrat, has served as School Director for many years, and has been Road Commissioner eighteen years, He is connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially, belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a member of the Crittenden Telephone Company.
JAMES W. SOMERS, son of Dr. Winston and Mary (Haines) Somers, was born at Mt. Airy, N. C., January 18, 1833, His father was a phy- sician, and desiring to give his sons the benefit of residence in a free State, in the year 1843, when James was a little over ten years of age, removed with his family and worldly goods by wagon to Illinois, selecting Urbana as his future home, being one of the first physicians to permanently locate in the county. The sons of Dr. Somers were William H., for two terms
JAMES W. SOMERS.
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Champaign Coun- ty; John W., at one time Quarter-Master of the Seventy-sixth Illinois Regiment, now a druggist in Iowa; and James W., some years since deceased. These sons were given the benefits of the schools of the new country,- then quite indifferent, and as they grew towards manhood, James, and perhaps others of them, were sent to the Seminary at Danville, for bet- ter opportunities.
After arriving at the age of twenty-one years, James W. Somers commenced the study of the law in the office of his uncle, the well known William D. Somers, the first of that profession to locate in the county. After due time he was admitted to practice in the courts of the State
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
and at once entered into a business partnership with his tutor and uncle, and was not long in coming to the front as a practicing lawyer In this relation he came in contact with such noted members of the bar as Abraham Lincoln, Oliver L. Davis, Leonard Swett, Henry C. Whitney, Ward H. Lamon, William N. Coler and George W. Lawrence, under the eminent jurist, David Davis, on the old and somewhat noted Eighth Judicial Circuit of Illinois. Mr. Somers was a favorite of the bar and partic- ularly of Mr. Lincoln and Judge Davis, who regarded their young associate as one having great promise. In this manner Mr. Somers came to know intimately these men who after- wards came to the enjoyment of a world-wide fame, and he earned a reputation as a lawyer with which any one might well be satisfied.
Henry C. Whitney, who, in after years wrote "Life on the Circuit with Lincoln," in speaking of the associates of that eminent man in his practice as a lawyer, on page 266, thus speaks of Mr. Somers:
"The most promising orator on our circuit of the young men was James W. Somers, of Ur- bana. Of an engaging person, debonair, and suaviter in modo, and bold and trenchant in de- bate, he joined to accurate and exhaustive knowledge of current politics, an exuberant im- agination, which rendered him one of the most captivating political speakers in the ranks of Originally designed for the law, he would have taken rank with the fore- most jury advocates but for an impairment of hearing, which led him to accept a position under his friend Lincoln's administration; and he has continued in the public service since, a credit to himself and his highly influential family, his legal education peculiarly fitting him for his duties, which are of a high and quasi-judicial character."
· the young men.
he became an ardent advocate of the election of Fremont to the Presidency and Bissell to the governorship of Illinois. In that contest the sparse settlements of Champaign County were canvassed as never before in a political race, the young men of the day, several of whom afterwards attained high political and military positions, actually visiting from house to house and haranguing the people from school house to school house, upon the politi- cal issues of the day. In this work young Somers was nowhit behind any in ardor, ability and labor.
Four years later, under the actual leadership of his friend and associate Lincoln, the con- test was renewed by the young partisan with the same enthusiasm and faith as before, with campaign issues better settled and understood, and with four years' experience as a speaker and of practice at the bar in his favor. Out of this campaign Mr. Somers came with much reputation as a stump-speaker, but with a very unfortunate infirmity, a failure in his hear- ing, which threatened to destroy his fitness for the practice of his profession, which so in- creased in time as to realize the worst fears of his friends.
After the election of Mr. Lincoln and his inauguration, a position in the pension office was tendered by him to Mr. Somers, which, despairing of ever being able to succeed at the bar on account of his deafness, he accepted. Such was his ability in applying the letter and spirit of the law passed by Congress for the relief of our disabled soldiers, that he retained his place for more than a third of a century, from time to time being advanced toward the highest position in the department.
Mr. Somers was a great student of the liter- ature and history of this and former ages. He was a lover of books and of authors, and his memory was a vast storehouse of those lovely things in literature and history which we love to hear one talk about. Unfortunately he could converse with his friends only with great dif- ficulty; but when asked about facts of history or drawn out upon literary topics, he could dis- course for hours in a manner most entertain- ing to the enquirer upon any topic to which his attention might be called. He had collected
Imbued with a chivalric love of justice be- tween man and man, it was natural for Mr. Somers, at the age of twenty-one years, when, by the action of Judge Douglas, the matter of the territorial government of Kansas was just then developing, to ally himself with the party of freedom, as did most of his associates at the bar, under the leadership of Lincoln, then just entering upon a career which made his name historic. The moral element of the anti- - from the best writers and authors a very large slavery movement of the day appealed most private library, which was his solace, his coun- sellor and his best friend. strongly to his sense of justice and right, and
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Soon after the war Mr. Somers married Miss Jane Eddy, of Washington, a most estimable lady and celebrated as an educator, who sur- vives him.
Mr. Somers never forgot Champaign County, the home of his boyhood and the scene of the successes of his early manhood. He often vis- ited it during the life-time of his parents, and even after they were gone; and when none but more distant relatives remained here, he loved to come back to the friends and associates of his younger years who still remained.
By an unfortunate accident on the 6th day of June, 1904, at Hollywood, a suburb of Los Angeles, Cal., Mr. Somers was run down and in- stantly killed by an electric car as he was at- tempting to return to his home. He had been a resident of California for a few years preced- ing his death.
GEORGE H. SPENCER was born in Clark County, Ohio, December 23, 1854, the son of A. H. and Mary G. Spencer, both early settlers of the Buckeye State. The family moved to ' Champaign County, Ill., in 1865, and settled on Section 16, in Homer Township, where the father followed farming. He died February 10, 1874.
George H. Spencer was educated in the pub- lic schools of Ohio and Illinois, and at an early age began to work on his father's farm. After his father's death he continued to live on the old homestead, and at present has a fine farm of 120 acres, on which are located a commodi- ous residence and out-buildings, while up-to- date improvements, generally, have been added to the place.
Mr. Spencer was married November 14, 1883, to Miss Annie Shaw, a daughter of Dr. H. C. Shaw, and seven children have been born to them, namely: Rachel, the wife of Frank O. Hobson; Philip; Cora; Richard; Nora; John and Harold. In politics Mr. Spencer is an ac- tive Republican, and has served his township as School Director and Drainage Commissioner, both of which positions he still retains. He is a member of the Masonic order and of the Modern Woodmen of America. In religious be- lief he is a Presbyterian.
JOHN FREDERICK A. SPERLING, Dewey, Champaign County, Ill., was born September 1, 1836, at Stapelburg, Prussia, where he re-
ceived part of his education. His parents were Gottfried Ernest Frederick and Marie Christina (Baller) Sperling, the former born in Prussia, January 15, 1807, and died June 26, 1888; the mother born in Behrsel, Prussia, November 3, 1807, and died July 3, 1866. The paternal grandfather, Frederick Sperling, was also a native of Prussia, as was the maternal grand- parent, Andrew S. Baller.
John Frederick A. Sperling came to this coun- try with his parents in the fall of 1850, the family settling in Sheboygan, Wis., where for two years he attended school. The father there bought a farm and the son remained at home until 1859. In June, 1861, he enlisted in Com- pany A, Ninth Wisconsin Infantry, and served under General Hunter, Generals Schofield, Blunt and Steele, through Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Indian Territory, being honorably discharged December 2, 1864. After the war he returned to Wisconsin, and in the spring following moved to Bloomington, Ill., where he remained until December, 1865. He then went to Champaign County, rented land, and later purchased a farm of 120 acres, located in East Bend Township on Section 32, and when he retired from farming in 1902 moved to Dewey, where he now resides. In politics he supports the principles of the Republican party, and served as School Director for twelve years. In 1888 he was elected Supervisor and served continuously until the spring of 1904. In his religious views he is affiliated with the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church and socially is a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Grand Army of the Republic.
On May 17, 1860, Mr .. Sperling was married to Miss Anna Marie Mueller, who was born March 21, 1842, at Biebelheim, near the River Rhine, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. In 1848 she came with her parents, Christopher and Sabina Mueller, to this country, settling on Government land in Sheboygan County, Wis., where she received a common school educa- tion. To Mr. and Mrs. Sperling were born the following children, namely: Anna Marie Doro- thea, who was born January 28, 1861, and is now the wife of J. A. Marriner; John Christo- pher Rudolph, born September 25, 1865; Sa- bina Henrietta Laura (Mrs. James McGowan), born September 14, 1868; Clara Minerva Au- gusta, who was born August 5, 1873, died in
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1
1892; Edwin Stanton, born June 26, 1870; Anna Marie Christina Frederika, born October 1, 1879; Frederick William, born July 21, 1876; Olga, born January 22, 1882, died August 2, 1882.
THOMAS F. STADDEN was born in Licking County, Ohio, March 5, 1849, a son of Thomas and Amanda Stadden, both of whom were na- tives of Licking County. The paternal grand- father, Isaac Stadden, settled in Newark, Ohio, in 1800, being one of the'first pioneers to locate in that State. He and his wife, Catherine, were the parents of eleven children, and Thomas was the sixth in order of birth. Thomas Stad- den and his family moved to Rock Island County, Ill., in 1854, and he and his wife died the following year, leaving five children, namely: Thomas F., Kate A., Emeline A., Keziah M. and Mary F. Kate and Mary reside with their brother, Thomas F. The paternal uncle took charge of these children, moving with them back to Ohio.
Thomas S. Stadden was educated in the pub- lic schools of Ohio, and later engaged in farm- ing. In 1870 he went to Douglas County, Ill., where lie farmed for six years, and in 1876 bought eighty acres of his present farm on Section 20, Homer Township. He now owns 160 acres of. valuable land, upon which he has placed excellent improvements. Here he fol- lows general farming, and raises a high grade of cattle and horses.
In politics, Mr. Stadden is a Republican; he has been a school director for fifteen years, and is now serving as Drainage Commissioner. Socially he is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
CALVIN C. STALEY, lawyer and jurist, was born July 14, 1850, in Huntington, W. Va., the son of Joseph and Margaret Staley. When he was four years of age his parents moved to Illinois, and he grew up in Champaign County. His early education was obtained in the pub- lic schools and, later, by dint of his own efforts, he was able to pursue his studies at the Uni- versity of Illinois, finally completing his law course at the University of Michigan, where he was graduated with first honors, in 1877. Dur- ing the same year he was admitted to the bar in Michigan and Illinois, and immediately after-
ward began his professional career in Cham- paign, Ill., admirably equipped for his chosen vocation.
As junior member of the firm of Langley & Staley, Mr. Staley achieved his earliest suc- cesses at the bar, and established himself in profitable practice, giving special attention to probate law and kindred branches. This part- nership was dissolved by the election of the senior member of tlie firm to the county judge- ship of Champaign County, after which Mr. Staley continued his practice alone until 1890, when he was appointed by Governor Fifer,
CALVIN C. STALEY.
County Judge, to fill out an unexpired term. In November, 1890, he was elected to the same position, and has served continuously in that capacity up to the present time, having been re-elected in 1894, 1898 and 1902.
During this long period of service on the bench, Judge Staley has demonstrated his fit- ness for the exercise of judicial functions in many ways, and has attained unusual promi- nence among the Probate Judges of the State. He has been frequently called into counties adjoining Champaign, and has held court at times in Chicago. His decisions have been
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
notable for their clearness of thought and expression, their sound interpretation of the law and strict impartiality. Because of his recognized ability in the special field of prac- tice and administration of the law to which he has given his attention, Judge Staley has been frequently called upon to lecture on probate law and kindred subjects, before the students of the law department of the University of Illinois.
In 1903, Judge Staley was one of those most frequently suggested by the people of Cham- paign County for the circuit judgeship. Iden- tified with the Republican party, politically, he has taken an active part in various State and National campaigns, and is widely known to the general public, as well as to his profes- sional brethren, as a forceful and eloquent speaker.
Judge Staley is a stanch churchman of the Presbyterian faith. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Free Masons, Knights of Pythias and Elks. As a landowner he has been brought into touch with the agricultural interests of Illinois and Missouri, and is a practical farmer, as well as a lawyer. The capital with which he began life consisted of intellectual vigor, tenacity of purpose and a determination to succeed. He educated himself, fitted himself for the bar with money earned by himself, and is in all respects a typical representative of the class of self-made men who always command so large a measure of public esteem, and whose success is always an incentive to effort on the part of others.
Judge Staley was first married in 1882, wed- ding Miss Isabella S. Harwood, a daughter of Hon. Abel Harwood, of Champaign. Three daughters, Isabel, Elza and Annie, were born of this union. Their mother died in 1888, and in 1894, Judge Staley married Miss Emma Conn, a daughter of Dr. R. B. Conn, of Cham- paign.
WILLIAM STEARNS was born in Vermilion County, Ill., September 15, 1842, and obtained his education in the public schools. His par- ents were Nelson and Mary J. (Shepherd) Stearns, both of whom were born in Ohio, the latter in Pickaway County. In 1843 Nelson Stearns built a log cabin on the west edge of Sangamon timber, Champaign County, to which he took his wife and child. At that time it
was necessary to make trips to Chicago with wheat, traveling with horse and ox-teams at night, on account of the greenhead flies, the journey occupying a week's time. During these visits to Chicago, salt and other family supplies were obtained. Those were the days when lonely nights were spent in cabins, while out- side were heard the howl of prairie wolves, The nearest neighbors were miles away, and one cannot help contrasting the hardships of that period with the blessings that are enjoyed to-day.
On December 12, 1876, Mr. Stearns was uni- ted in marriage to Miss Emma Pittmas, who was born in Butler County, Ohio, and received her primary education in the common schools of that State.
In politics Mr. Stearns supports the Demo- cratic party, and in religion is a Methodist.
MRS. ELIZABETH A. STEWART, a resident of the town of Philo, Champaign County, Ill., and widow of George C. Stewart, was born in Bourbon County, Ky., three miles from the town of Paris, December 28, 1826, a daughter of John and Eliza (Ellis) Bridges. Mrs. Stewart is of worthy and courageous ancestry, closely identified with the martial history of the coun- try, her father having fought in the War of 1812, while her paternal grandfather attained a captaincy in the Revolutionary War. Septem- ber 30, 1847, occurred the marriage of Miss Bridges and George C. Stewart, the latter born in Woodford County, Ky., November 15, 1818, a son of Ralph Stewart, a farmer and land owner of Henry County, in that State.
Contracting the western fever, Mr. Stewart journeyed to Champaign County, Ill., in 1856, purchased eighty acres of land near where Philo since has sprung into existence, and the following year located with his family on his new possession. At the time he had five sons: Samuel Campbell, Leslie C. (deceased), John B., Ralph and George E. In Illinois two daugh- ters were born to him: Agnes E., wife of Clin- ton Brown, of Homer, Ill., and Lucy E., wife of C. M. Brown, of Urbana. Enterprising and resourceful, Mr. Stewart made the most of his opportunities, was able to increase his real estate from time to time, and at the date of his death, August 19, 1894, owned 280 acres of land. Each child in the family inherited forty acres of land, besides the greater heritage
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HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
of a good name and practical agricultural train- ing. Mr. Stewart was followed to the grave in Locust Grove Cemetery by a host of apprecia- tive friends, and in after years was sorely missed from his accustomed haunts. He was one of the pillars of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was one of the first members in this part of the country, and to which denomi- nation his Scotch-Irish ancestors owed cen- turies of allegiance. He was own cousin of Alexander Campbell, the noted pioneer and founder of the Christian (or Disciples) Church. Mrs. Stewart is now the sole survivor of the little band which formed the Presbyterian Church, of which her husband was also a mem- ber in the pioneer days of Champaign County.
MARTIN ORLANDO STOVER was born on a farm in Edgar County, Ill., in 1861, and when ten years old, moved to Missouri, where he received a common school education. He then taught school in that State four years, remov- ing, in 1883, to Newcomb Township, Champaign County, where, for a few years, he continued teaching. He then engaged in farming, and later, purchased a farm in Mahomet Township, where he has since lived, being interested in stock-raising as well as farming. In 1896, Mr. Stover was elected Town Clerk of Newcomb Township, and in 1904, served as Supervisor of Mahomet Township. P. Stover, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Ohio, where he followed farming until 1904, when he be- came interested in horticulture in California. His wife, Mary (Earhart) Stover, was also born in Ohio.
In 1885, Martin O. Stover was married to Laura B. Lyons, a daughter of Samuel Lyons, of Champaign County, and two children have been born to them-Nellie E. and Orville.
EDGAR ELVIN STRIBLING, grain and lum- ber merchant of Dillsburg, Harwood Township, Champaign County, was born August 20, 1867, near Madison, Jefferson County, Ind., a son of Levi and Eliza Jane (Rowlinson) Stribling, also natives of Jefferson County, Ind. His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Stribling, was born in Kentucky, and his maternal grandfather was Aaron Rowlinson. His mother died in August. 1893, at the age of fifty-two, and for his second wife his father married Mary Buckle, of Jeffer- son County, Ind. Of the first family there were
two sons and two daughters, of whom Dora is the wife of Joseph Hendricks, of Indiana; Charles D. is a farmer in Indiana; and one daughter died in infancy.
Leaving the home farm,Mr. Stribling began life for himself in the humble capacity of a farm hand, laying by his earnings each month until he was in a position to purchase the required horses, cows and farm implements to successfully carry on a rented place. About seven years ago he engaged in the grain busi- ness in Dillsburg with such success that, in the fall of 1904, he was obliged to build an addition to his elevator, thus increasing the capacity to fifteen thousand bushels. He also carries a small stock of lumber, and is one of the most successful grain and lumber merchants in this part of the county. In 1895 Mr. Stribling mar- ried Hannah, a daughter of Theophilus P. and Nancy (Cyphers) Barnes, of Compromise Town- ship, Champaign County. Mr. Stribling is a Prohibitionist in politics, and affiliates with the Baptist Church.
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