E. S. Clark

EPHRAIM S. CLARK, the owner of 480 acres of land located on sections 32 and 33. Reading Township, after a busy and successful life as a farmer, has retired from active work. He was born in Meigs County, Ohio, on the 27th of February, 1819, and is the sou of Samuel and Fhfcbe (Sayre) Clark. The father was the son of Samuel Clark, a native of New Jersey, and the mother was the daughter of Ephraim and Lydia (Fosett) Sayre, who were of English descent.

Samuel Clark, the father of our subject, was a volunteer soldier in the War of 1812, and also in the Black Hawk War. He was born on the 8th of March, 1792, and died on the 2d of June, 1840. Phtebe, the mother of our subject, was born Feb. 4, 1797, and died Aug. 5, 1845. To Samuel and Pho'be Clark were born fourteen children, named as follows: Mary, Lydia, Ephraim S., Hannah, Sarah, Caroline, Amos, Esther, Robert, Rosetta, Charles Wesley, Malvina, John Nelson and Eliza Ann. Mary, born Aug. 27, 1815, died Aug. 30, 1823; Lydia, born Oct. 4, 1817, married Philip Shull, and died leaving five children; Hannah, born Oct. 0, 1820, married Abram Hoffman, a farmer,

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On the loth of April, 1845, Mr. Claik was married to Mildred Ann Jones, a native of Kentucky, who was born on the Gtli of November, 1822. She is the daughter of Lewis and Catiierine Jones, to whom, besides the (vife of our subject, were born the following-named children; Edward, Sarali Ann, Winnie Ann, Silas, Lucetta and Nancy Eleanor. Edward married Mary Goodrich, and died, leaving a large family; Sarah Ann married James McManus, and they both died, leaving one child; Winnie Ann married Jacob Doll, a tailor by trade; they have three children, and reside in Terre Haute, Ind. Silas died when a young man in Ancona; Lucetta married J.anies Mclntyre, a farmer and stock-raiser, who died at Ransom, Ill., leaving two children;

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To Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been born the following-named children: William Talbot, Tarsina, Aniiice, Frank, Lycurgus, John Ephraim and AVinfleld Scott. William T., born March 4, 1848, married Ainy Coe, who has borne him six children, five of whom are living; he is a farmer and stock-raiser by occupation, and resides in Livingston County. Tarsina, born Oct. 12, 1851, married Albert Coe, a farmer; they have five children, and live in Woodson County, Kan. Aniiice, born March 1854, married William Boatman, a farmer by occupation, has two children, and resides in Woodson County, Kan.; Frank, born Jan. 8, 1856, married Kate AVilloughby, who is now deceased; he resides in Livingston County, and is a prominent teacher and farmer. Lycurgus, born Dec. 22, 1857, died Jan. 19. 1859; John E., born Oct. 28, 1859, died Sept. 18, 1871; he. met his death by being kicked by a horse. Winfield S., born Oct. 17, 1862, was educated in the common schools and at the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind., and now resides at home.

Mr. Clark purchased land in Livingston County in the fall of 1852, paying for it with a laud warrant procured from a neighljor, which was issued

► for services rendered as a range during the Black Hawk War. Tie first settled in Reading Township, on section-27. where the village of Ancoiia now stands, and from which place ho hauled his grain and pork to Ottawa, and his milling to Dayton. four miles northeast of Ottawa. Mr. Clark now owns 480 acres of excellent land, which has been well improved, and contains, besides the homestead, two tenant houses. A double-page view of his estate may be found in the pictorial department of this Volume.

Mr. Clark was formerly a member of the Democratic party, with which he remained up to 1856. In I.SOU. however, he voted for Stephen A. Douglas, and since that time has acted independently. Ke is a strong advocate of the principles of temperance, and never neglects an opportunity to advance that cause. He has served twenty-six years as.School Director, and six as Town Trustee, and has also served as Assessor and Justice of the Peace. He i? one of Reading Township's foremost citizens, and has always espoused everything that tended toward the general welfare of the people. He is widciv known for his benevolence and kindness as a neighbor, and indulgence as a husband and father, and enjoys the confidence of all the jjeople of that section of Kvingston County. None of those represented in the portrait department of this Album are more worthy of a place there than Mr. Clark. As a fitting accompaniment ik{ his portrait we give that of his estimable wife

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John Henry Diffenbaugh was the first of the name of whom wc have:iny record, and he was brought to thicountry when a small boy )iy his father, who was the original pioneer, and brought with him three sons. In those early days it was a long distance to mill,;is they were located along the creek and were far apart. One of the brothers started to mill to be absent two or three dtiys, but never returned. It is supposed he was taken and carried into captivity liy some w.wandering band of Indians. Mr. Diffenbaugh settled on a farm near AVestminster, Md., and was drafted as a soldier in the War of 1812, but being in ill-health he was permitted to secure a substitute. The maiden name of his wife was Bnmg.arduer, and they were the parents of four daughters and one son — Elizabeth, Catherine, Lydia, Susan and John H. They are all now living except Lydia, who'was thrown from a buggy and killed. Elizabeth is eighty'-eight years of age, Catherine eighty-four, John H. eighty'-one, and Susan seventy-seven, the combined ages of the four being three hundred and third\' years. The father of this family died in 1813.

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The subject of this sketch received a couimonschool education during his boyhood daj'sand early learned the trade of a shoemaker. Leaving home in 18;i2, at the age of twenty-two, he went to Mill Creek, Va., where he engaged as a clerk in a store for eight years. He afterward opened a store of his own, and operated a sawmill, engaging in a general lumber business. In ISfiO Mr. Diffenbaugh was married to Miss Sarah Goodman, daughter of John Goodman, a farmer of Mill Creek. They have had two children, Harry J. and Nora E., of whom the latter died when about eleven years of age. In 18G8 Mr. Diffenbaugh sold out his business and moved to Dwight, Ill., where he began farming on land which he had previously bought about two miles south of Dwight. In 1870 he engaged in the grain business, which lie has prosecuted with success up to the present time.

In political matters Mr. Diffenbaugh acts with the Democratic party, and has been Assessor of the t(.>wnship for three years, and a member of the School Board. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and takes an active interest in lodge matters. A life of perseverance and industry has earned for Mr. Diffenljaugh an excellent reputation as a business man, and he stands deservedly high in commercial circles. In his social relations with the people he has popularized himself with all classes, by whom he is held in the highest esteem.

As printed in Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and (1888). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.