Biography of Alvah Stiles

Last Updated 9/1/00

From "History of Bureau County, Illinois" (1885):

Alvah Stiles, Bureau, was born in Greene County, Ohio, February 21, 1831. He is the son of Abram and Sarah (Martin) Stiles, both natives of New York State, but who moved to Ohio in childhood, where they were married and lived until 1852, when they settled in this county. Abram Stiles was born January 1, 1806, and is still living in this county. His wife was born in 1808 and died in February, 1882. They were the parents of thirteen children, eight of whom reached maturity, viz.: Alvah; Urana Reynolds, of Washington Territory; Lucretia Pierce, of Bureau Township; Druzilla Clayton, of Walnut Township; Minerva Marsh, of Iowa; Elzina Phillips, of Walnut Township; Henry Stiles, of Iowa; Ellen Epperson, of Walnut Township. Alvah Stiles was reared in Logan County, Ohio, his parents having moved there when he was two years old. He was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools; many days of his young life were spent in the woods clearing and making rails. In the spring of 1854 he came to Bureau County, though he had been through the county prospecting in 1851 and 1852. He has since made this his home, with the exception of eighteen months in Kansaas in 1859 and 1860. He was married in Logan County, Ohio, October 31, 1853, to Elvira Darrin. She was born in New York August 9, 1835, youngest daughter of Abel and Millison (Vermilya) Darrin. The father was a native of Massachussetts and the mother of New York; both died in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Stiles have seven children, viz.: Minerva E., born February 9, 1855, wife of Dvaid Wallace of Bureau Township; Amanda A., born April 20, 1861, wife of Frank Wallace of Manlius Township; Sanford Marion, born April 27, 1864; Laura V., born May 4, 1867; Etta Florence, born December 11, 1869; George A., born March 29, 1873; Jesse F., born May 18, 1877. Mr. Stiles came to this county with little property, and has been successful, mostly through the growing of hogs for market. One year he sold 118 head of his own raising, which averaged 418 pounds. His farm in sections 13 and 14 contains 286 acres, and 200 acres in Manlius Township. In politics he is a Democrat.

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