Mr. Jno. Gordon (deceased) was a farmer in Unity township, and owned 120 acres of land.  He married Anna Sloam?  Both were natives of Ireland, came to America in 1863, and to Piatt county in 1866.  They had eight children, six of whom are living, Felix G., Rosealla, Maggie, Mary, Ida May and Catharine S.  On the 17th of month their house burned down; on the 29th of the month an infant was born; and about a year from this time Mr. Gordon died.

John R. Grove.  If by success in life we mean securing a comfortable home and the means for a good support, then is our subject one of the successful men of Piatt County.  He owns and occupies a farm, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres on section 14, Willow Branch Township, which has been developed and placed in its present condition of improvement by himself, and attests to his industry and thrift.  Many of the best and most successful farmers in this part of Illinois are natives of the Buckeye State and such is the case with Mr. Grove.  He was born in Pickaway County, January 26, 1849, and is one of fourteen children comprising the family of John and Hannah (Lackey) Grove.  His living brothers and sisters are Thomas, whose home is in this township; Maria, wife of Mathew Creighton, living in Cerro Gordo, this State; Susan, widow of Richard Brown, her home also being in Illinois; Jane, wife of William Baker, living in Bement; Sarah, wife of Nelson Hurt, living in Bloomington; William H., in Piatt County; Sanford, in Ross County, Ohio; and Missouri, wife of A. J. Clarkson, in Macon County.
     Mr. Grove grew to man's estate in his native county, and even in boyhood became acquainted with the details of farm life which he adopted as his vocation.  His education was obtained in the public schools, which, while not equal to those of the present day, were quite good and afforded the opportunity to all studious lads to acquire practical knowledge.  As is the case with all men of intelligence.  Mr. Grove has added to the fund of knowledge obtained in the schoolroom by reading, observation and experience.  In 1872 with his wife and family he came to this State and at once established himself in Willow Branch Township, Piatt County, where he has continued to reside.  His pleasant home is presided over by a lady who bore the maiden name of Melissa Cook and became his wife July 2, 1869.  She is an excellent housekeeper, an affectionate mother, and with a social and kindly nature which is appreciated by her neighbors.  The family of Mr. and Mrs. Grove comprises four children - Hannah E., Thoams W., Cora C. and Herbert.  The oldest daughter is the wife of Owen H. Judgen, Deputy Circuit Clerk of Piatt County.
     Mr. Grove has held the office of School Director a number of years and is now a Township School Trustee.  In politics he is a Republican, and in religion a Methodist, both himself and wife being identified with the church organization in Cerro Gordo and he is now serving as Steward.  He belongs to the Masonic Lodge in Cerro Gordo and occupies the chair of Senior Warden.  In local political circles he cuts quite a prominent figure, being one who believes in working for the principles in which he has faith.  He is recognized as one of the intelligent as well as successful citizens of the county, enjoys the confidence of the business community and commands the esteem of his neighbors.

Mr. Daniel Harshbarger, a retired farmer, was born in Champaign county, Ohio, and is of German descent.  His father moved from Ohio to Montgomery county, Indiana, and in 1823 made the second settlement in that county.  He died in Illinois in 1857.  His wife died in Indiana in 1853.  Mr. Daniel Harshbarger was married in 1834, to Miss Huldah Quick, of Montgomery county.  They moved to Piatt county in 1837, and for the first summer lived with Daniel's father in a cabin built the same year.  In the fall Daniel went into his own round-log cabin covered with clapboards and containing a hickory pole bedstead.  When he came to the county he had $200 in money, five sheep, one horse, one cow, one hog, and some spinning wheels upon which Mrs. Harshbarger did all the spinning for the family.  Mr. Harshbarger now has a walnut chest which is a hundred years old and a pair of steelyards, which came from Germany, that are one hundred and fifty years old.  This family remained in their round-log cabin until 1848, when they built the second brick house in the county.  The brick was burned by Jim Bennet on Mr. Harshbarger's place.  Mr. and Mrs. Harshbarger still occupy this with their son John and his family.  When about fifty-five years of age Mr. Harshbarger stopped his long-continued hard labor and deeded his ten or eleven hundred acres of land to his children, with the proviso that they were to keep himself and wife.  After stating this fact to us he very contentedly remarked, "the children all appear to be reconciled to the way I divided it."  Mr. Michael Harshbarger is Mr. Daniel Harshbarger's oldest living son (see his name).  His daughter, Sarah, married Mr. Joseph Baker (see his name).  Mr. John Harshbarger was married in 1868 to Anna Gaw, from Indiana.  Their children are Carrie, William D. and Frank Merritt.  John is a farmer and stock dealer and lives on the old homestead place where he has lived all his life.  Miss Emma Gaw, Mrs. John Harshbager's sister, is making her home with them at present.  Miss Emma seems to possess natural talent for drawing.  We suggest that she should embrace all possible chances of cultivating such talent.  Barbara Harshbarger married William Carroll and is living in Douglas county.  Their children's names are Ivory Bell, Ivol, Icel Lee and Florence Mabel.  Mr. Daniel Harshbarger was the first justice of the peace in his section of the county.  He served as such for twelve years, until they began lawing, when he refused to serve longer.  A gentleman who has known "Uncle Dan" a long while says that he is "as honest as the day is long," and that his extreme sense of justice led him to be considered one of the best peacemakers in the county.  His law was, "Do right whatever the consequences," and he has been known to prevent suits many times by going out of his way to see the men and who united in the bonds of matrimony in Unity township, and for six or eight years performed the marriage ceremony for all who were married in Lake Fork timber.  We must tell a little joke on "Uncle Dan" which was related to us by a neighbor of his.  What we have already told of his peace-making abilities would lead one to think that it would grieve him very much to have a neighbor think ill of him.  One morning when out he met a neighbor, Mr. Thomas Goodson, who, instead of giving his usual "good morning!" said in a very sober tone of voice "I thought I would tell you there is a coolness between us."  -- Uncle Dan, "with a surprised and anxious look, and in that deep and earnest tone of voice of his said,  "Why, Tommy, Tommy, what is it!  I never had a hard feeling toward you in the world."  Mr. Goodson, after carrying his joke to the desired extent, remarked that "it was the sharp breeze which caused the coolness between them."  Mr. Harshbarger held the office of supervisor for one year.  He was the first person to make a profession of religion on Lake Fork and was baptized June 28, 1842, by Mr. John Collins, and in the same fall Mrs. Harshbarger, Mrs. Joseph Moore and Mrs. James Utterback were baptized.  Mr. Harshbarger relates that in early days in their neighborhood the people used often to get quite lonesome.  At Mr. Monroe's they used to go on top of the house to watch across the prairie, hoping to see some one coming.  In case they should, word would soon be sent around and all the neighborhood would collect at one house.  Since writing the above we have received the following items from Mr. John Harshbarger.  He took the measure of twelve of the apple trees which his father set out in 1839 and found that they averaged in circumference five feet and one inch - the largest measuring seven feet and three inches.  The tallest tree was forty feet and seven inches in height, and in the twelve the following varieties are represented, Early Harvest, Golden Pippin, Vandaver Pippin and Spitzenburg.  These trees are in the thriving condition and in 1881 some of them bore as high as twenty-five bushels of apples apiece.  Mr. Harshbarger has in his possession a Seth Thomas clock which has kept good time for fifty years.

Mr. J. A. Hawks, a miller and tile maker, of Mackville, is of English and German descent, and is a native of New York.  He came west in 1869.  He taught school at Mackville for four terms after he first came to the county.  He was in the general merchandise business for a time with Mr. Gross and then began milling.  In 1876 he bought a mill which Griggs & Marshall had built.  He was married in 1877, to Mary Mitchell, a native of Ohio.  They reside in Mackville and have no children.  Mr. Hawks went to the war from New York, in Battery G, 3d N. Y. Lt. Art.  Roanoke Island, Plymouth and Kingston were the principal battles in which he engaged.  He was never wounded, but was taken prisoner and was one month ___ ibby prison.  Mr. Hawks has been superintendent of a Sunday school and township treasurer and supervisor.

Mr. Richard Helton, merchant, was born in 1822, in North Carolina.  His parents were natives of the same state, from which they moved to Wayne county, Indiana, sixteen miles from Newport.  They, with eight children, landed at this place between Christmas and New Year’s, and the snow was knee-deep.  They lived here beside a big log and a camp-fire until spring, hauling all provisions on a one-horse sled from Newport.  Mr. Helton moved to Douglas county in 1857 or 1858.  He was married in 1838, to Ann Willis.  They have lived for ten or twelve years in Piatt county.  He was the first person who built a house in Atwood.  His store was the first in the town and he opened the first grain office in the place.  Henry Helton and wife nee’ Josephine Willingham, have one child, and live in Douglas county.  Joel married Francis Smithson and is a grain trader in Atwood.  Alexander married Mary Faulhaber, lives in Atwood, and is also a grain dealer.  He has three children, Birdie and Gertie, twins, and Alfred.  George and Rebecca, the youngest daughter, lives at home.  Janie married Thomas Barnes, a carpenter, and lives in Atwood.  Mr. Helton is a member of the Masonic order and of a life insurance society.