EDWARD BERTHOLF has been so closely identified with the early political history of Schuyler county that this volume would not be complete without an extended review of his career, which began here May 1, 1836. He is a native of Orange county, New York, born April 9, 1816, a son of John and Elizabeth (Perry) Bertholf, natives of New York and New Jersey respectively. The family is descended from the Hollanders, who emigrated in colonial days to New York. The father was a farmer by occupation, and resides all his life in the Empire State. They had a family of thirteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity; ten married and reared families. Edward grew to manhood amid the scenes of farm life, and attended the common schools; at the age of sixteen he began to teach school; and followed this profession until he was twenty. At that age he removed to Illinois and located at Rushville, Schuyler county, his older brother, Henry B., having settled here previously; here he taught a school and assisted his brother, who was Judge of the probate court, deputy Clerk and county Recorder; he was thus introduced into courthouse work, and has since passed one-half of his time in various offices. In 1848 he was appointed Treasurer of the school fund, and held the office until 1869; he continued teaching, served as deputy for other offices, clerked and kept books for the merchants of Rushville. In 1848 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and retained the office for more than twenty years; he finally resigned both this and the office of school trustee. In 1847-�48 he was deputy Sheriff and Collector of Taxes; he was elected deputy Clerk in 1855, and six months later, on the death of the Clerk, Nathan Moon, he was appointed to the office of county clerk. In 1860 he was elected Sheriff and served one term; two years later Thomas J. Kinney, went into the war, and he took charge of the office of Circuit clerk, which Mr. Kinney had previously filled, and continued to transact the business during the remainder of the term; he was then deputy County Clerk, and is still in the office of Circuit Clerk during court.

Mr. Bertholf was married in November, 1838, to Mary E. Jackson, a daughter of Levi and Lydia (Wilcoxen) Jackson; nine children have been born to them; one died in infancy and the eldest, William H., died at the age of twenty-one years; Horace is a resident of Cherokee county, Kansas; Frank E. is a citizen of Rushville; Fred L. is a farmer of this county; John Jesse is also a farmer; Emily Ann married Thomas W. Moon; Harriet E.; Mary E. is the wife of E. W. Bickford of Plymouth, Illinois.

In his political convictions Mr. Bertholf adhered to the principles of the Whig party until 1856, and since that time has been a Democrat. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been a liberal supporter of the society. In 1862 he purchased the farm on which his father settled, and owned this land until March, 1891. He has never been connected with any civic society except the Sons of Temperance. Levi Jackson, father of Mrs. Bertholf, was a native of Connecticut, and was there reared and married; he removed from that State to Ohio, and thence in 1836, to Schuyler county, Illinois; he died in July, 1868; his wife died in 1839; they reared a family of four daughters and three sons. Mr. Jackson was a shoemaker by trade, but followed farming from the time he settled in Ohio until his death. He was married a second time, but had no children by this union. Politically he affiliated with the Republican party.