DR. CHARLES H. BLACK - This gentleman, who has been practicing medicine at Dorchester since November, 1873, is a native of Greenville, Bond county, Illinois, born October 20th, 1849. His father, John H. Black, was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, November 26th, 1805, and lived there till he was grown. On coming to Illinois he first lived for a short time in Bond county, and lived at Greenville during the remainder of his life. He was married in Bond county, about the year 1835, to Cynthia P. White, who was born in Lincoln county, North Carolina, July 5th, 1814. Her father, John White, in 1817, the year before the admission of Illinois as a state, settled at Bethel, Bond county, and was among the pioneer settlers of that community. Dr. Black's mother was three years old when she came to this state, and when about ten her father died. She has been accustomed to relate that in her girlhood the wolves were so bad that calves and sheep left out in the fields were unsafe from their attacks. Even in the daylight they would approach close to the house, and pursue a man without hesitation. One day, when her brother Edward, who was then quite a lad, was coming from mill after night with a sack of flour, on horseback, the wolves made a ferocious attack on him, snapping their teeth and endeavoring to jump on the horse and at one time succeeded so nearly that he was almost dragged to the ground and made their prey. The only mill they had was a horse mill, and each man ground his grist with his own horse. Sometimes it was necessary to wait two or three days for a turn, and the family were often obliged to boil wheat for food, till the grinding could be done.

The subject of this sketch was the youngest of nine children. He was raised in Bond county, and obtained his education in the public schools of Greenville. Two of his older brothers had adopted professions. One, Henry D. Black, attended Rush college in 1862-3; enlisted in the 135th Illinois regiment, under the hundred days' call for troops during the war, and contracted disease during his service, from which he afterward died at home. Another brother, Samuel E. Black, went out to Kansas, and engaged in the practice of law, and is now probate judge at Eldorado, in Butler county. In 1879, Dr. Black began reading medicine in the office of Dr. William A. Allen, of Greenville, and in the fall of 1871 entered the Chicago Medical College, from which institution, after attending two full courses of lectures, he graduated in the spring of 1873. Soon after his graduation he began practicing his profession at Woodburn, in this county, and November 26th of the same year, established himself as a physician at Dorchester. He has a good professional record, and has remained at Dorchester, though several competitors have meantime located there and gone away.