MCDOWELL, GEORGE J. - It has been the privilege of George J. McDowell to realize many worthy ambitions during a long and useful career in Cass County, and, through consecutive and well directed effort, to gain a full measure of success from his labors. His entire business life has been passed within the borders of Cass County, where he was born, May 27, 1846, a son of James and Sarah (Gillis) McDowell. James McDowell was born in Pennsylvania, and in his youth was a deep sea sailor and a mechanic. Later he was in the distilling business, and followed teaming for some years at Beardstown, Ill. He married Sarah Gillis, a native of Ohio, in Cass County. Mr. McDowell died in the prime of life, in 1848, his widow subsequently marrying Thomas Cown. Mr. Cown died in 1865, and his widow passed away in 1874.

Reared in the country, George J. McDowell early adopted farming as his life work, and was engaged in the tilling of the soil until the Rebellion of 1861 threatened the stability of the country. With youthful patriotism he wished to immediately enlist but was too young, but enlisted, when not yet eighteen years of age, in April, 1864, in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for 100 days, and received his honorable discharge in October, 1864, after seeing service in Missouri and Arkansas. In March, 1865, he again enlisted, becoming a member of Company G, Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and until December, 1865, was a member of that organization, fighting in Tennessee and Arkansas. After his honorable military career, he resumed the occupations of peace, being engaged in farming near Beardstown, and subsequently bought land northeast of Bluff Springs.

On December 18, 1873, Mr. McDowell was married to Miss Sarah Thompson, who was born in Morgan County, Ill., daughter of Robert and Jane (Atchinson) Thompson, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have had the following children: Edwin, Charles, Albert, Elmer, Howard and Roy, all living at home; and Jennie, born April 1, 1892, who died July 17, 1908.

In 1880 Mr. McDowell disposed of his farm and moved to Beardstown, where he was engaged in teaming for three years, and at the end of that period came to the vicinity of Virginia, where he devoted his activities to farming and stock raising. In 1906 he retired somewhat from the strenuous work of the farm, and since that time has been engaged in gardening. His ventures have proved eminently successful, and his honest accumulations have made him one of the substantial men of his community. Mr. McDowell met with a serious accident, in September, 1911, when he was thrown from a load of hay, the accident causing the dislocation of his neck and early resulting in his death, but happily he recovered. He is a popular member of Downing Post No. 321, Grand Army of the Republic, is a Republican in politics, and attends the Christian church, of which his wife is a faithful member.