William M. Welge was born December 27, 1868 near Butler, Illinois in Montgomery County south of Springfield, Illinois to Henry Welge and Martha Simmons. This was where he was located in the 1870 federal census. Henry 29 and Martha 24 were a farming family and they had one child, William. By the 1880 census, the family was still in the same location and the only change was the addition of a daughter named Henrietta aged 8.
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The following biographical sketch was published in the book, “1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County. The article was likely constructed in 1904.
“The subject of this sketch is a native of Marion, where he was born June 11th, 1872. His father was engaged in the drug business here for some time, but is at present postmaster at Oluskee, Odlahoma. His mother was Amanda M. Spiller. After a common school education, Mr. Willeford entered the employ of John Cline in 1891 and took up the profession of druggist. He was two years with Cline and then spent two years in Washington, Indiana. After spending six years in Malden, Missouri he went to Muscogee, Indian Territory for one year. In July 1901, we find him once more in Marion and in partnership with his brother-in-law, Frank S. Morrison in the bottling business (Coal Belt Bottling Company). Mr. Morrison had been in the same business in Memphis and elsewhere and Mr. Willeford was an expert druggist, so that the combination was a success from the start. They engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of soft drinks and mineral waters, but make a specialty of “Iron Brew, the Ideal American Tonic,” a soft drink of exceptional value for its medicinal properties. The first year’s output was one hundred cases daily and its present capacity is three hundred cases. They are now building new works on the same street, which will greatly increase the output.
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Frank Shelley Morrison was born July 15, 1869, a native of Greencastle, Indiana, not far from Indianapolis to H.H. Morrison and Elizabeth Pearson. His youth was spent in acquiring an education in common schools. The 1880 federal census, found his divorced 40-year-old mother, Elizabeth, as head of household living at 467 E. 7th Street in Bloomington, Indiana. Frank was 12 years old and had a sister Lora who was 14. Also living with them were Elizabeth’s 73-year-old mother and a niece named Carrie Short aged 2.
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James Anderson Cannon was born in Morton, Indiana not far from Indianapolis to Basil Cannon and Lavina Lowe on August 15, 1860. By the 1880 federal census the family was living at 119 Vantress St. in Washington, Indiana. His father, Basil 43, was working as a laborer as well as his three oldest sons in the home. Children present in the home were Columbus 21, James A. 19, William A., 17, Ulysses 13 Schulyer C. 8, and Jacob aged 9 months.
Continue readingRoscoe Charles Launius was born near Stonefort, Illinois to John Logan Launius and Nancy Ann Absher on December 8, 1882. No obit was found for him but the 1880 federal census reflects the family living in what was then called Saline Township, later renamed Stonefort Township in the SE corner of the county. Roscoe’s parents, John 38 and Nancy 39 were farmers and at the time only had two sons in the home Roscoe 16 and William 9. The owned their land but it was mortgaged.
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