number of terms and constable for several years, while for some time he served as school director and for twenty-four years has filled the office of justice of the peace, although this service has not been consecutive. He was notary public for about forty years and in 1887 was appointed to fill a vacancy in the position of supervisor, after which he was elected and served for ten consecutive years, acting as chairman of the board one year. He was also a candidate for the legislature from this district and stood second highest in the convention. Undoubtedly he could have won the nomination had he announced his candidacy earlier. He served as deputy sheriff for two years under E. A. Worrell, beginning with 1870, and in all his public service his duties have been discharged with promptness and capability that have won him high commendation. He has been a correspondent of the Morrison Sentinel since 1880 and of the Sterling Standard for a number of years. Although his opportunities and advantages in youth were very limited he made steady progress throughout life, is a thinker and student and takes a very philosophic view of many of life's important problems. He is today a broad-minded, intelligent man, of high purposes and lofty principles. Respected and honored by all who know him, he well deserves mention in this volume, for his life work forms an important chapter in the history of the county where he has now lived for seventy-three years.

JOHN WELLS.

John Wells is now living retired, his home being in the village of Malvern, but he still owns bis farm of two hundred and ninety acres on sections 22, 23 and 26, Clyde township. He left the farm five years ago, after residing there continuously from 1862. In the interim his labors and energies wrought a marked transformation in the place, which was converted from a wild tract of land into one of rich fertility, annually producing large and abundant crops.

Mr. Wells is a native of Berkshire, England, his birth having occurred near the boundary line of Wilts-shire, December 12, 1834. His parents were Charles and Lucy (Nash) Wells. The father, who was born in England in 1800, came to America, May 15, 1851, and took up his abode in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where he followed farming for four years, when he was stricken with cholera and died in 1855. His wife died when their son John was about eight or nine years of age. The family numbered six children: Mrs. Mary A. Ferguson, now living in Polo, Illinois; Mrs. Eliza Carnett, whose home is in Dixon, Illinois; Thomas, William and Maria, all of whom are deceased.

The other member of the family is John Wells of this review, who was reared in England. His educational privileges were extremely limited, as he practically had no opportunity of attending school, either in his native country or in America. He was but sixteen years of age when the family crossed the Atlantic to the new world, and following his father's death he and his three sisters came to Illinois, settling in Carroll county in 1855. There he

resided for seven years and in 1862 came to Whiteside county, where he has since made his home. He took up his abode upon a farm in Clyde township and there continued to carry on general farming with excellent success until about five years ago, when he put aside the more active work of the fields and removed to Malvern, where he now resides, deriving a good income from his farm. He and his brother started out here with one hundred and sixty acres, which John Wells had purchased. He sold sixty acres, however, to his brother. He had gone in debt for the entire farm and paid seven per cent interest on the purchase price in advance. In the early days he endured many hardships while trying to meet his payments and suffered many privations, but he possessed a resolute and determined spirit and in course of time overcame all of the difficulties and obstacles in his path. As the years went by his unfaltering industry brought him success and he is now a prosperous agriculturist.

Mr. Wells was married in Ohio, returning to that state in 1859 to wed Miss Catherine Ruckel, who was born in Ireland and came to Ohio in 1848, when about eighteen or twenty years of age. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wells have been born nine children: Charles, who is now a merchant of Malvern; Glenwood, a farmer residing in this state; Frank, a successful farmer and sheepraiser of Fort Collins, Colorado; George, who follows farming in Rock Island county, Illinois; Fred, who carries on general agricultural pursuits in Clyde township; Ulysses, at home; Edward, who is operating the old home farm; Agnes, the wife of Samuel James, a farmer of Clyde township; and Irene, the wife of William Detra, who resides at Clarksdale, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Wells have reared a family of children of whom they have every reason to be proud. In connection with his sons he owns ten hundred and fifty-five acres of the rich farming land of Illinois, lying in Whiteside and Ogle counties. His success is well merited, for it has come as the reward of earnest, persistent labor, and his example in this respect may well serve as a source of encouragment and inspiration to others, showing what may be accomplished when one has energy and perseverance. In politics Mr. Wells has always been a republican and has filled some local offices. He served for three years as road commissioner and for twenty-seven years was school director, while his son succeeds him in that position. He has always stood for advancement and improvement in public affairs and his aid and cooperation have ever been counted upon in advancing community interests.

CHARLES C. WELLS.

Charles C. Wells, now actively identified with the business interests of Malvern, was born in Carroll county, Illinois, October 20, 1861, but was reared upon the old home farm in Whiteside county. He is a son of John Wells, of whom mention is made above. Early in life he aided to some extent in carrying on the home farm and later engaged in drilling wells and operating a threshing machine in Whiteside and Carroll counties. Withdrawing from

these lines of activity, he has for the past five years conducted a general store at Malvern, where he carries a good line of general merchandise and is meeting with success in its sale. His store is tastefully arranged and his reasonable prices and courtesy to his customers secure him a liberal patronage.

Charles C. Wells married Miss Nettie Zollers, of Genesee township, this county, and they have three children: Joshua, Irvin and Marjorie. Mr. Wells is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Morrison and of the Mystic Workers of Malvern. His political views accord with the principles of the republican party and he has served as town clerk of Clyde township for the past five years. He is now filling the position of school director and his official duties are discharged with a promptness and fidelity that make his services very acceptable to the general public. He represents one of the old and prominent families of this part of the county and his record is a credit to the untarnished family name.

YORK EDDY.

Among the names which are engraved deeply and ineffaceably upon the records of Whiteside county is the family name which is borne by the subject of this review. He has been a resident of Illinois since the pioneer epoch in its history. The Indians had hardly been driven from their old hunting grounds in this section of the state when the Eddy family was established in Dupage county. The prairies were uncultivated, the forests uncut, the streams unbridged, and in fact the work of civilization and development had been scarcely begun.

York Eddy was less than four years of age at the time of the arrival of his parents in the middle west. He was born September 5, 1831, in Oneida county, New York, a son of Augustus and Polly (McKinster) Eddy, both of whom were natives of Oneida county, New York. Leaving the east in 1835, they made their way westward and settled about nineteen miles west of Chicago in Dupage county. Chicago had not at that time been incorporated as a city and gave little evidence of the wonderful transformation which was to occur and make its growth one of the wonders of the world. The family shared in all of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life in the establishment of a home upon the wild prairie, but they bore uncomplainingly the hardships incident to frontier settlement and in the course of years their farm became productive and brought them a comfortable competence. In 1854 they removed from Dupage to Whiteside county and their remaining days were passed in Erie township, where Augustus Eddy secured land and carried on a farm. The wife died July 8, 1862, when about sixty-five years of age, while his death occurred in November, 1889, when about eighty-two years of age. Their family numbered six children, but only two are now living, the elder being Lorenzo Eddy, of Harkin, Colorado.

As stated, York Eddy was less than four years of age when brought to Illinois by his parents, and thus he was reared upon the frontier, where in