DR. SIDNEY W. SCANLAND was born in Carroll county, Kentucky, October 13, 1834. He was the son of Thomas B. and Agnes W. (Searcy) Scanland, who were also born in Kentucky. Thomas followed the trade of cooper when a young man, and was married at the age of twenty-six, in Kentucky. In 1840 he came to Illinois. He settled first in Elkhorn township, and lived there two years on his first farm. He built a frame house, but in 1842 he bought in section 16, 120 acres, and still later bought more land, until he acquired nearly 400 acres. He improved his farm, built several houses and barns, and died October 14, 1885, aged seventy-seven years, respected by all who knew him. He was the son of William Scanland, a native of Kentucky. William had come to Illinois in 1846, and settled in Pike county, where he and his wife lived and died very old people. They spent their last days in Pittsfield, Illinois. Our subject's mother was born in Carroll county, Kentucky, May 3, 1812, and died in Versailles, January 20, 1888, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Susan McCoy. Her parents died when very old people in Kentucky.
Sidney was one of six children: four are yet living. One brother, George, was taken prisoner in the late war, and died five months later at Macon, Georgia. Our subject is the only professional man in the family now living, but some of his father's brothers were prominent physicians. He remained at home until eighteen years of age, attending school, and after that taught school for some time, and during this time was obliged to board around among the neighbors, as they did in those times. During the years of his teaching he was educating himself, and when about twenty-six years of age, began to study medicine. After marriage, in 1860, he settled on the old farm where he had always lived, and in December, 1863, he enlisted in Company K, Tenth Illinois Cavalry, and remained in the service until January, 1866.
Before this time he had attended lectures at Rush Medical College. After the war he settled in Chambersburg, Pike county, and practiced for seven years. He then came to this county, taught school one winter, then bought a little farm in 1875, and has practiced medicine ever since. He has 100 acres of the old homestead and takes life very easy. He has taken an active part in everything that has taken place in the county, and has contributed time and money to advance the interests of the People's party. He is a prominent member of the G. A. R. in Isaac McNeil Post, also a lecturer in the Farmers' Alliance, and President of an Anti-horse-thief Association.
He was married to Louisa L. Jaques of this county (see sketch of Hiram and Nancy Jaques). They have four children: Sidney H., George A. and Birdie C. are in California; and Florence Z. is the wife of Oscar McCoy still living at home.
Dr. Sidney W. Scanland has always been a representative man of Elkhorn township; has twice been elected Justice of the Peace, and is at present acting as Notary Public.