SYLVESTER MELVIN, a substantial farmer and breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle, Suffolk sheep and Poland-China hogs, living on section 25, Rubicon township, owns a valuable farm of four hundred acres equipped with modern improvements and accessories. It was in this township that his birth occurred on the 29th of November, 1851. His father, T. E. Melvin, was one of the early and honored pioneer settlers of Greene county and is now living a retired life in the city of Greenfield. Besides our subject there are three other children in the family: George W., Stephen Edgar and Mrs. J. A. Metcalf, who are also residents of Rubicon township.

Sylvester Melvin was reared in Greene county upon the old homestead farm and acquired his preliminary education in the common schools, while later he completed a course in the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, being graduated with the class of 1878. Prior to this he had engaged in teaching school for a number of years and after completing his college course he again turned his attention to the profession of teaching, which he followed for several years at this time, giving excellent satisfaction by his capable service, for he was able to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired.

In 1880 occurred the marriage of Mr. Melvin and Miss Addie I. Strickland, the wedding taking place in Greene county. The young couple began their domestic life in Rubicon township, near the farm on which they now reside. Here Mr. Melvin had a tract of one hundred acres and to its cultivation and improvement he directed his energies, aspiring to win thereby a comfortable living for himself and family, but at the end of two years he sold that place and purchased his present farm of J. N. Strickland, his father-in-law. To our subject and his wife have been born four children namely: Leon R., Maurice L., Mildred H. and Marguerite.

As the years passed Mr. Melvin continued his farming operations and his efforts were crowned with success. He worked on perseveringly year after year and as his financial resources increased he bought more land from time to time until he is now the owner of four hundred acres in one body. He has a neat frame residence, good barns and substantial outbuildings and in fact all modern improvements. Everything about his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision. Besides his home farm he also owns another in the adjoining county of Macoupin.

Mr. Melvin has been engaged in the raisin of fine stock for a number of years, becoming well known in this particular because of the high grade of cattle, sheep and hogs that have been raised upon his farm. In 1889 he began the breeding of Aberdeen Angus cattle, having at first one pure blooded cow and a valuable male. He now has a herd of seventy-five head, containing some very superior animals. For a number of years he had McHenry Blackbird, VI, at the head of his herd. He has made numerous exhibits of his cattle at the county and state fairs and in the year 9014 he was one of the exhibitors at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, where he won second premium on a steer in the class between eighteen and twenty-four months, and also took second place with his flock of sheep. In 1903 he won fourth premium at the International Exhibition in Chicago on a steer and was given third place on the same steer at that exhibition in 1904. In addition to other fine stock he raises pure blooded Suffolk sheep and Poland-China hogs. He is a prosperous breeder and dealer in pure blooded stock and is well known throughout Illinois because of the fine animals sent from his farm.

Politically Mr. Melvin is a Republican, having always endorsed the measures of the party since casting his first presidential vote. He was elected a member of the county board and is now serving as supervisor of Rubicon township, acting on the judiciary committee. He was for a number of years a member of the school board and has always been a champion in the cause of education, believing in the employment of good teachers and in the practical education of the young. He takes a great interest in the Rockbridge Township Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of which he was one of the principal organizers, and has served as secretary of the company since its incorporation in 1900. He is also one of the directors of the Pana District Mutual Cyclone Insurance Company. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin are members of the Court of Honor and also the Loyal Americans - fraternal insurance orders. While his life has been quietly passed it has always been embarked by devotion to public duty, by reliability in business affairs and by loyalty in citizenship and in his business career he has won the success which is the only direct result of honorable endeavor.