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Author: MarcusPartlow
Surnames: English, Hicks, Partlow, Cassaday, Forbes, Hessey
Classification: biography
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Lottie E. Jones, History of Vermilion County, Illinois; a Tale of It's Evolution,
Settlement and Progress for Nearly a Century, Chicago: Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911.
Names: English, Hicks, Partlow, Cassaday, Forbes, Hessey.
Page 186
"Joseph G. English, who for years was one of the leading citizens of Danville, came
to Vermilion County in 1853. He came into the Wabash Valley with his father's family
when he was but nine years old and made their home in Perrysville, Indiana. He began
earning his living when he was fourteen years old, going into the service of the firm of
Taylor and Linton of La Fayette, Indiana. He remained here for three years. He was
employed to sweep out the
store and do odd work about and on market days he had to get up by three or four
o'clock in the morning to get ready for the Dunkards who took advantage of the early
hours to do their marketing. His wage for such service was his board and clothing. But the
discipline was good for him and besides the knowledge he gained of mercantile matters, he
learned to control himself and acquired habits which stood him in good place in after
years. After he had been with this firm for five years it failed and he went back to
Perrysville, and secured a place in a general store, where he received a salary of forty
dollars per month. Inside
of three years he had saved four hundred dollars and he determined to settle down and
marry. He married the daughter of Mr. Hicks, a pioneer of Perrysville, who had a fine
property. In 1844 Mr. English went into partnership with his father-in-law, under the firm
name of Hicks and English. Their stock consisted of everything possibly needed and they
were always the market for any produce
there was to sell. This produce was shipped down the Wabash river to the Ohio and then
either to Cincinnati or on down the Ohio to the Mississippi to New Orleans. Since this
produce was carried on flat boats many times Mr. English, as a young man, became one of
the oarsmen. In 1853 Mr. English came to Danville, having sold out his store in
Perrysville. He at once began a partnership with John L. Tincher, which was ended only by
death. Mr. Tincher had married a sister of Mr. English's wife, so they were bound by
other ties than those of business.
This general store was a profitable venture but the firm was made the assignees of the
Stock Security Bank, a wild-cat institution, which was forced into bankruptcy in the panic
of 1856-7. It was then that the general store of
Tincher & English was disposed of and the entire attention of the firm was given to
the bank. They gradually began transacting a brokerage and exchange business which grew
into a private bank.
In 1863 the National Bank bill passed congress and these gentlemen sought a charter and
organized a national bank. Mr. English was made president of this bank and continued in
that position until 1899. During these years Mr. English has been very active in the
commercial and industrial life of Danville. He invested largely in land throughout the
county and had much profit from his real
estate deals. Mrs. (Hicks) English died in 1864, having been the mother of seven children.
In 1865 Mr. English married Mrs. Partlow, a widow with two children. By this wife Mr.
English became the father of two children, only one of whom lived to grow to manhood. This
second wife died in 1886 and in 1899 Mr. English again married, this time it was to Mary
E. Forbes, the widow of Thomas Forbes, and daughter of William Hessey, a pioneer of
Vermilion County.
Mr. English was very prominent in the affairs of the Methodist Episcopal church and
almost by his own effort organized the second church in Danville, better known as Kimber
Methodist church. He lived retired the last years of his life, having met reverses in
money matters and suffered failing health. Mr. English died in the spring of 1909."
END
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