MARCUS WHETSTONE was born in Adams county, Illinois, March 6, 1838, son of Abija and Lucinda (Brunton) Whetstone, the former born in 1804, in Ohio, near Cincinnati, following farming when a young man. His father ran a distillery near Cincinnati, where he died. Abija was married in 1832 and then moved to Indiana, where he worked on a farm for twenty-four years. In 1834 he sold out and came to Illinois and rented in Adams county and later bought wild land on which stood a log cabin, where they lived until three years later, when he built a frame house. He lived there until 1853 and then came to this county for three years, returning to Adams at the end of that time. He bought the farm where Marcus now lives, in 1850. He died in Missouri, at the home of a daughter, aged eighty-one years. His father, Nathan, was in the war of 1812. Subject's mother was born in Pennsylvania and came with her parents to Ohio at any early date, and later to Indiana. In 1834 she came to Illinois and settled in McDonough county, later, moved to near Quincy where her mother died, aged eighty years, her father dying at her home, aged ninety years. Mrs. Whetstone is still living with her oldest child in Augusta, Illinois. She and her husband had eleven children, seven yet living. All are farmers as far as known, although one of her brothers is a school teacher, having followed that profession all his life, and one of her daughters follows the same profession. Marcus' people came overland to this State with teams and four yoke of oxen. Mr. Whetstone, Sr., had but very little cash when he came to Illinois, but he was industrious and soon had his farm paid for. He and his wife were church going people and active in any good work, he being instrumental in building several churches and schoolhouses. He started with eighty acres of land, but kept buying more until at his death he had nearly 1,300 acres. He was a good, hard-working man.

Marcus remained at home until twenty years of age, working on the farm, driving oxen and attending the district school in the winter. When he was nine years old he broke prairie and has been one of the hardest working men in this county. When he had reached the age of twenty he rented the farm on which he now lives, from his father. There were no improvements but the house which was built in 1854. He originally had 160 acres which his father gave him, and he has added to this farm until he has 740 acres of as fine land as there is in central Illinois. He has made numerous improvements on this land.

He was married in 1863, to Clara Tare, who was born in Schuyler county, daughter of Jacob and Nancy (Buck) Tare, natives of Ohio, who came to Illinois in 1834, and died in this county. Mrs. Whetstone was one of eight children, seven yet living. Her family were generally farmers, except a few who were mechanics.

Mr. and Mrs. Whetstone have had eight children, four living; Mary E. married to W. E. Melvin and they have three children: Mattie F., Hattie E. and James G. at home. They are all well educated and graduated from the Augusta and Bushnell schools. Mr. Whetstone cast his first vote for S. A. Douglas and his next one for Abraham Lincoln. He is a Republican and his family were of the Democratic faith, being old line Andrew Jackson men. He has filled the office of Supervisor for nine years and has also held other offices, among which are Justice of the Peace and Assessor, the former for eight years and the latter for three. He also has been a School Director. Both Mr. and Mrs. Whetstone are attendants at the Methodist Church, of which she is a member. The family are among the most respected and honored in the county, and the entire family are upright in their dealings, commanding the respect of all who know them.