USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement, and progress for nearly a century, Volume II > Part 27
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MR. AND MRS. GEORGE W. NEGLEY
VI. ; ١٠٠٢٠
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is the wife of A. J. McClain, a merchant of Indianapolis. George W. of this review, is seventh in order of birth.
Reared in what was then a frontier settlement, George W. Negley's edu- cational advantages were somewhat meager, and he was only able to attend school about three months in the year and then had to walk a distance of two or three miles. His boyhood and youth were passed upon the farm, but not desiring to engage in agricultural pursuits he turned his attention to the lumber business after leaving school and in 1892 he came to Danville, where he has since operated a sawmill and engaged in the lumber business under the name of the Star Lumber Company. A man of good ability and enterprise and of unquestioned business integrity, he enjoys in an unusual degree the confidence and good will of his fellow citizens.
It was in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1882, that Mr. Negley was united in mar- riage to Miss Harriet Lee, a native of Ohio. Her parents were William and Mary A. (Teegardner) Lee, the former of English descent and the latter of Scotch ancestry. From Virginia they' removed to Indiana, locating on the state line between Indiana and Ohio, thirty-five miles from Cincinnati. Both died in the Hoosier state. Of their family of eight children only one son and two daughters are still living. The father was a highly educated man, respected by all who knew him.
Mr. and Mrs. Negley are constant and faithful members of the First Pres- byterian church and he is also identified with the Masonic order, belonging to lodge No. 56 at Frankfort, Indiana. Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, he has been a stanch supporter of the republican party and an active worker in its ranks, although he has never been an aspirant for office. He is a believer in pure and clean politics and never withholds his sup- port from any enterprise which he believes will advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare of his city and county.
CHARLES A. TARPENING.
Charles A. Tarpening has for sixteen years been identified with the business interests of Danville, where he is now representing the Terre Haute Brewing Company. He was born in Union county, Ohio, on the 17th of March, 1870, his parents being Aaron A. and Emma (Webster) Tarpening, both of whom were of Scotch-Irish descent. The father's ancestors on coming to America settled in northern New York and the mother's ancestors also became residents of the Empire state. Both parents are still living and now make their home in Whitley county, Indiana. For some years the father, however, was engaged in the manufacture of tile in Wabash county, that state.
During his boyhood Charles A. Tarpening attended the public schools of North Manchester, Indiana, and also pursued a course in the business college at that place. On the completion of his education he entered the employ of the Jung Brewing Company of Cincinnati in a clerical ca- pacity, keeping their books for a period of eighteen months. In 1894, he was
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appointed agent at Alexandria, Indiana, for the Terre Haute Brewing Com- pany. This position he filled until 1900 and was then transferred to Danville, where he has since had charge of their business which, under his able manage- ment, has increased fourfold. He is a very energetic and progressive busi- ness man and to all these qualities and his untiring industry may be attributed his success.
Mr. Tarpening was married in Alexandria on the 24th of November, 1895, to Miss Rettie Lee, whose family settled in Virginia on coming to America. However, her father, William Lee, was a native of Portland, Indiana, and in that state her parents both reside. Mr. and Mrs. Tarpening have one child, Bessie, who was born in Portland on the 2d of May, 1900. Mr. Tarpening affiliates with the Eagles and the Commercial Association of Danville and usu- ally gives his allegiance to the republican party, though at local elections he votes independent of party lines. For ten years he has now been a resident of Danville and during that time has taken an active and commendable inter- est in the welfare of his adopted city.
EVAN J. JONES.
Evan J. Jones is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and twenty acres situated on section 22, Catlin township, and his time and energies are now given in an undivided manner to the further development and improvement of this property. A native of Wales, he was born October 16, 1856, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Clark) Jones, who were also natives of the same little rock-ribbed country. They remained residents of Wales until 1868, when the favorable reports which reached them concerning America and her oppor- tunities led them to cross the Atlantic to the new world. They first located in Ohio, where they resided for about three years, and in 1871 came to Vermilion county, Illinois, taking up their abode in Catlin township. After a year they removed to Danville, where they lived for one year, and in 1874 they took up their abode upon the farm which is now occupied by their son Evan, the father purchasing forty acres. He continued to cultivate his fields there until his life's labors were ended in death in 1875. He left a widow and seven children, Mrs. Jones surviving him until 1907, when she passed away at' the venerable age of eighty-two years.
In the county schools of his native country Evan J. Jones pursued his educa- tion. He was a youth of twelve years when he came with his parents to the United States and here for a time he again attended school. He has lived con- tinuously in Vermilion county for thirty-nine years and has a wide and favorable acquaintance. At the time of the father's death, which occurred when the son was but nineteen years of age, he took charge of the home farm and has oc- cupied it continuously since. During his early life, however, he followed coal mining. After managing the farm for some time he purchased the property with the capital which he had wisely and economically saved from his earnings and has further extended the boundaries of the place until it now comprises
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one hundred and twenty acres on section 22, Catlin township. His fields are highly cultivated and, in addition to raising the cereals best adapted to the soil and climatic conditions here, he also makes a specialty of raising and breeding full blooded Poland China hogs.
Mr. Jones has filled the office of school director and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion. His labors are effective and far-reaching. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is truly a self- made man and one whose labors are effective forces in business. Without any outside aid or influence he has worked diligently and persistently and has become recognized as one of the men of affluence in Catlin township.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN SOMERS.
Abraham Lincoln Somers, cashier of the First National Bank of West- ville, which position he has occupied since the organization of the bank, was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1872, a son of Moses and Phoebe Somers. The father died in 1891 and the mother is now a resident of Westville, Illinois. The education of A. L. Somers was acquired in the public schools of his native city and the desire of becoming independent and providing for his own sup- port led him at the age of eighteen years to secure work in the coal mines. He remained in his native county until 1897, when he came to Vermilion county with his mother and sisters. Here again he was employed in the mines for about five years or until 1902, when he was elected to the position of tax col- lector, serving for a term of three years, his reelection being proof of his capability, loyalty and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen.
While still acting in that capacity Mr. Somers was called to the cashier- ship of the First National Bank of Westville upon its organization in 1904. He has been .the only incumbent in this office and the success of the bank is attributable in no small measure to his efforts and ability. He is an obliging official, courteous in his treatment of the patrons of the bank and at the same time watchful of the interests of the institution which he serves. The bank was capitalized for twenty-five thousand dollars and its capital and surplus now amounts to twenty-nine thousand eight hundred dollars. Its officers are O. P. Clark, president; J. F. Haworth, vice president ; and A. L. Somers, cashier. These gentlemen, together with L. J. Blary and T. H. Spang, constitute the board of directors. The record of the bank, as shown by the report of the comptroller of currency, is most satisfactory. The business has been developed upon the platform of "safety first, liberality next," both of which are essential to successful banking.
In 1902 Mr. Somers was united in marriage to Miss Isabel Courtney, of Indiana, and they have four children : Elizabeth, John, Paul and Dorothy. Mr. Somers is prominent in several fraternal organizations, holding membership with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Red Men. He is a man of engaging social qualities, which win him friends, and he ranks prominently in
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business circles. His position is attributable entirely to his own labors and he deserves much credit for what he accomplished, for he started out upon a humble financial plane. He has since closely studied the business situations with which he has been connected, has improved his opportunities and upon the sure found- ation of industry and close application has builded his advancement.
JAMES T. CARPENTER.
James T. Carpenter, one of the active and successful business men of Oak- wood, is a native of England born in Devonshire, January 12, 1864. He comes of sturdy stock and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Shepard) Carpenter, also natives of Devonshire, the former of whom departed this life at the old home in October, 1872, when our subject was eight years of age. In 1883 James T. Carpenter came with his mother to America and first settled at Elliott, Ford county, Illinois, where his mother is now living at the advanced age of eighty- two years. She had ten children, five of whom are living: William J., of Mich- igan ; George, who resides with his mother in Ford county; James T .; Albert E., a resident of North Dakota; and Mary A., the wife of C. Payne living in Iowa.
The subject of this review was educated in the schools of England and grew up under the care of his mother. He was nineteen years of age when he came to America and he found employment on a farm in Ford county, Illinois. After working for wages for five years he was enabled to rent land and engage in farming for himself to good advantage and continued for several years in Ford county, during which he accumulated a modest capital that enabled him to start upon a farm of his own near Oakwood. This farm he has since operated and greatly improved, but he has not devoted his entire time to agriculture. By application and study he became a steam engineer and for the past six years has devoted a part of his time to that line. He is interested in coal min- ing in this county, owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in North Dakota, and has also laid out Carpenter's First Addition to the village of Oakwood, consisting of four and one-half acres, from which he has already sold a goodly portion. His various business ventures have proven successful and he is now living in a handsome residence of which he is the owner.
On December 19, 1889, Mr. Carpenter was united in marriage to Miss Emma J. Green, a daughter of David W. and Augusta (Haynes) Green, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Green seven are now living: Herbert, a farmer of Gibson City, Illinois; John, in the service of the United States government in Cuba; Melvina, the widow of Jacob Carr, of Carthage, Missouri; Victoria, the wife of C. T. Baxter, of Winfield, Kansas; Emma, the wife of J. T. Carpenter, of Vermilion county ; Wilbert G., a farmer of this county ; and Emmett H., of Danville, Illinois. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter: Elmer C., born September 20, 1890, is a graduate of the Oakwood high school and also of a business college
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at Danville; Lester Harold who was born February 18, 1892, died at the age of fourteen months; and the third child died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Oakwood and earnest workers in its various causes. He has been for many years affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and be- longs to Lodge No. 564 of Oakwood; Oakwood Encampment, No. 194, and Canton Danville, No. 11, Patriarchs Militant. He has devoted a great deal of time to the study of the principles of Odd Fellowship and has passed through all of the chairs of both named lodges and is at present captain of the drill corps of Canton Danville Lodge. He is considered by his brethren as being one of the best informed members upon all matters pertaining to the order that can be found in Vermilion county.
Mr. Carpenter is essentially a self-made man. Starting as a poor boy, he has climbed financially from the bottom of the ladder and has attained a posi- tion of independence, which should be a controlling desire in the mind of every young man. Having gained a place of responsibility by his own efforts, he is always ready and willing to extend a helping hand to every worthy aspirant and it is safe to say that no man in his part of the county has a greater number of true friends than the subject of this review. A man of pleasing address, wide-awake to the advancing spirit of the times and fully alive to the importance of making the best use of each day as it comes, Mr. Carpenter is a true repre- sentative of the opening decade of the twentieth century and a man whose use- fulness apparently will be limited only by the opportunities by which he is sur- rounded.
R. L. HATFIELD, M. D.
Among the younger members of the medical fraternity in Danville is num- bered Dr. R. L. Hatfield, whose laudable ambition and well developed skill have brought him to a prominent place in the ranks of the medical fraternity here. One of Ohio's native sons, he was born in Piqua on the 20th of June, 1879. His father, T. P. Hatfield, was a native of Miami county, Ohio, where he still resides, following the occupation of farming. He married Catherine LeFevre, also a native of Ohio.
In the public schools of his native city Dr. Hatfield pursued his early educa- tion and when he completed his literary course devoted one year to the study of medicine in a physician's office in that city. Later he entered the Chicago Medical College, in which he pursued a four years' course, being graduated with the class of 1903. For a year and a half he was house physician and surgeon at the Cook County Hospital of Chicago and added to his theoretical training the broad practical experience of hospital practice. In 1905 he came. to Danville where he has since specialized in the treatment of diseases of women and in surgical practice. He has been accorded a liberal patronage and his skill and ability are evidenced in the excellent results which have followed his labors. Anything that tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery
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which we call life receives his earnest attention and consideration. He readily takes up any new idea which he believes will prove of practical value in the profession, yet is not quick to discard the old and time-tried remedial agencies the value of which has long been proven.
On the 26th of November, 1906, Dr. Hatfield was united in marriage to Miss Helen Webster, and has one daughter, Catherine. His fraternal relations are with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Masons, and these organizations find him an exemplary representative, loyal to their teachings and interests. Both Dr. and Mrs. Hatfield occupy a prominent position socially and have many friends in Danville, their many good qualities commending them to the confidence, good will and friendship of all with whom they come in contact. In strictly professional lines Dr. Hatfield is connected with the Vermilion County Medical Society, the Illinois State Medical Society, the American Medical Association and the Physicians Club, and in the interchange of thought and interests in those organizations and in the dis- cussion of vital questions relative to health, he gains much valuable knowledge and thus promotes his efficiency in his chosen field.
ROSS PHILLIPS.
Ross Phillips, whose identification with the business interests of Danville dates back from the time when he entered upon his business career, is today a member of the well known firm of Phillips Brothers, prominent grocery men of this city, now located at No. 902 North Vermilion street. His entire life has been passed in Vermilion county, for he was born in Bismarck, October 7, 1875, and is a son of Obadiah and Martha (Kidwell) Phillips, both of whom are still living. The father, who is also a native of Vermilion county, has for the past two years acceptably served as overseer of the poor. The mother is a native of Virginia and belongs to an old Virginia family.
During his boyhood Ross Phillips pursued his studies in the public schools of Danville and, having acquired a good practical education, he began clerking, being employed for about six years in several of the leading retail grocery stores of the city. In 1900 he embarked in business on his own account as a member of the firm of Phillips Brothers, opening a retail grocery establishment at No. 721 North Vermilion street. They have since moved to their present location and have built up an excellent trade, doing an annual business of about forty thousand dollars. Theirs is one of the leading establishments of the kind in the city and the stock which they carry insures the continuance of the patrons who have already come to them.
Ross Phillips was married in Cassopolis, Michigan, on the 8th of August, 1906, to Miss Nellie Jones, a native of that place and a daughter of William J. and Clara D. Jones, who are old residents of Michigan. This union has been blessed by two children: Donald and Virginia Margaret.
By his ballot Mr. Phillips supports the men and measures of the republican party but has never cared to enter into political life, preferring to devote his
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entire time and attention to his home and business interests. He is a worthy member of the Immanuel Presbyterian church and also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the National Protective Legion. He is senior vice commander of the Spanish War Veterans, having taken part in the war with Spain as a member of Battery A, Illinois National Guard and was stationed at Porto Rico for five months. He is one of Danville's popular and representative citizens and in business circles has made for himself an enviable position.
WALTER CHARLES LINDLEY.
1
Walter Charles Lindley, who although still a young man has already at- tained an enviable position at the bar of Vermilion county and is now success- fully engaged in practice in Danville, is one of Illinois' native sons, his birth occurring in Big Spring township, Shelby county, July 12, 1880. His father, Alfred W. Lindley, was born in 1856 and was a son of Osmond Lindley and grandson of James Lindley, who came to this state from Guilford Court House, North Carolina, about 1827, and the family has since been prominently identified with the development and progress of Illinois. The father has become promi- nent in financial circles and is today the president of the Neoga National Bank and a director and formerly president of the First National Bank of Chrisman, Illinois. He married Miss Irena Carey, who was born in 1858 and belongs to a good old Quaker family, which originally settled in Rhode Island and from there removed southward to New Jersey and later to North Carolina, where they resided for many years at Washington Court House. About 1820 her grand- father and her father, Elias Carey, came north and settled in Highland county, Ohio, but later removed to Cincinnati and from there to Marion, Indiana. Sub- sequently the family became residents of Shelby county, Illinois.
Walter C. Lindley acquired his early education in the public schools and in 1897 was graduated from the high school of Neoga, Cumberland county, after which he entered the University of Illinois, attending the College of Literature and Arts, from which he received the degree of A. B. in 1901. He next at- tended the College of Law of the same institution and in 1904 was granted the LL. B. degree, standing at the head of his class in the College of Law and second highest in a class of two hundred and fifty in the entire university. While an undergraduate he was assistant editor and when in his senior year managing editor of The Illini, the daily newspaper published at the university. From 1901 to 1904 Mr. Lindley taught English in the academy of the same institution, at the same time studying law, being graduated on the 12th of June of the latter year. He passed the state bar examination on the 30th of the same month and on the Ist of July, 1904, began practice in Danville. He was in the employ of the firm of Penwell & Lindley until January 1, 1906, when he became a member of the firm of Lindley, Penwell & Lindley, which is still in existence. Since his admission to the bar he has given his undivided attention to his professional duties and has practiced in both the state and federal courts.
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A young man of unusual ability and perseverance, he has met with marked success in his chosen calling and today ranks among the leading lawyers of Danville. He is also a member of the advisory committee of the College of Law to the board of trustees of the University of Illinois. He has never allowed anything to interfere with his professional duties and has been constantly en- gaged in the trial of cases.
By birthright Mr. Lindley was a member of the Friends church but on his removal from the community of that denomination he joined the Presbyterian church, with which he is now connected. At college he was a member of the honorary literary fraternity of Phi Beta Kappa; the honorary law fraternity of Theta Kappa Nu; the professional fraternity of Phi Delta Phi; and the college fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, besides other societies of a literary and legal character. He is now a member of the Industrial Club of Danville and also the Danville Golf Club, and belongs to the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Modern Wood- men of America. By his ballot Mr. Lindley supports the men and measures of the republican party, taking that interest in politics which he deems to be the duty of every good citizen, and he was actively identified with the cam- paigns of 1904, 1906 and 1908 as a speaker in behalf of the republican candi- dates, including Roosevelt, Taft, Cannon and Deneen. In 1908 he was treasurer of the republican county central committee for Vermilion county. In connection with his profession he has become a prominent member of the State Bar Asso- ciation, the Vermilion County Bar Association and the Commercial Law League of America, having served on special committees of the national organization, preparing and presenting to the national conventions of 1908 and 1909 special articles on subjects connected with the purpose of the league. He is much in demand as a public speaker and has a forceful and convincing manner of ad- dress. He is a young man of attractive social qualities, which render him popu- lar while his laudable ambition augurs well for a successful future.
BERTHA E. TAYLOR.
On the roster of Westville officials appears the name of Bertha E. Taylor who, although but twenty-one years of age, is the efficient postmistress of the town in which her birth occurred on the 23d of January, 1889. Her parents were Dr. B. and Viola I. (Padgitt) Taylor, and in their home she spent the years of her girlhood, attending the public schools in the acquirement of her early education. Later she became a pupil in the Danville high school, after leaving the Washington school.
Upon putting aside her text-books Miss Taylor accepted a position as as- sistant in the Westville post office, continuing in that capacity for two years, and that her service in that connection was both faithful and acceptable is in- dicated by the fact that on the Ist of June, 1910, she was appointed to the office of postmistress. She possesses a bright, quick mind which has enabled her to readily comprehend and master the duties which devolve upon her in her offi-
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