Illinois:  History of Cass County, Illinois, ed. William Henry
Perrin. O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, Chicago, 1882. 
Cass County.

OSWELL SKILES, one of the substantial citizens of Cass County and
most enterprising business men of Virginia; was born Oct. 18,
1828.  He is son of Harmon and Polly (Thompson) Skiles, who was
twice married.  Polly was his first wife, and was mother of
Ignatius, and died leaving Oswell an infant.  They were natives
of the State of Pennsylvania, Ross Co., where there children were
both born; Mr. Skiles was a farmer, in humble circumstances.  Our
subject, incident to the death of his mother, was adopted by one
George Smith, a farmer of Ross County, and he soon removed to
Washington County.  Here Oswell grew up, and was the youngest in
a family of ten children.  He worked three years in a harness
shop, learned the trade, and in the fall of 1851 came to Cass
County and worked for an uncle, Oswell Thompson, near Arenzville,
about one year.  In 1853, he made an overland trip to California.
There he worked for a farmer one year in the Sacramento Valley,
and up to 1861 followed mining.  He saved about one thousand
dollars, returned home, and entered stock dealing with his
brother Ignatius, doing a shipping business.  This he followed
with marked success until the year 1870, and since that time he
has been engaged in farming and banking.  Mr. Skiles married Miss
Anna Conover, daughter of Levi Conover (deceased).  She died
March 31, 1877, leaving one son, Lee Harmon.  In 1879 he was
married to Miss Eliza Epler, daughter of George Epler, of
Sangamon County.  Mr. Skiles is a member of the well known
banking house of Petefish, Skiles and Co., Virginia; Skiles,
Rearick & Co., of Ashland, and also of Petefish, Skiles, Mertz &
Co., of Chandlerville; is a member of the Building Association of
Virginia, the A.O.U.W., I.O.O.F, and he and Mrs. Skiles are
members of the Presbyterian Church.

Skiles Thompson Smith Conover Epler
=
Ross-PA Washington-PA CA Sangamon-IL