child in his father's family, and is the oldest of those yet living. He has been a resident of this county since 1830, and during his long residence in Highland township he has, by his fair and honorable dealings and cordial manners, gained many friends and won the respect of all who know him. His wife was formerly Miss Susannah Ricketts, a daughter of John and Mary Ricketts, who settled in Highland Township as early as 1830, where both died many years ago, on the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. Mitchell. Mr. and Mrs. Ricketts are buried on this farm, where they settled so many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have had born to them ten children, of whom seven are yet living -- Thomas J., Jr., John W., Mary Ann, Zachariah G., Elias G., Isabelle and Margaret Belle (twins). Three of their children are deceased -- Hiram, who died at the age of forty-one years; Jacob, died in his eighteenth year, and a son who died in infancy.
HARVEY HUNT, of Highland Township, was born in Clay County, Indiana, September 28, 1818, the eldest in a family of six chldren of Tunis and Elizabeth (Luddington) Hunt, the father being a native of New Jersey. In 1816 the parents started for Indiana, and in 1825 came to Vermillion County, and settled in Highland Township, where the father lived until his death, about 1830, his widow surviving him many years. Harvey Hunt has lived in Highland Township since seven years of age, and has witnessed the material changes that have taken place in his neighborhood during the past sixty years. He began life poor, but by persevering industry and economy he acquired a fine property. He was married in 1841 to Laura Goff, a daughter of Almon Goff, one of the early pioneers of the county, and of the four children born to them three are living -- Angeline, wife of Henry Volkill; Almon, married Carrie Spry, and Mary, wife of Howard Rodgers. A son, William, died March 17, 1887, leaving a wife and one child. After a married life of thirty-eight years Mrs. Hunt died December 2, 1879. She was a kind and loving wife and mother, and was beloved by all who knew her.
GEORGE B. TILLOTSON, one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Vermillion County, was born in Helt Township, this county, July 30, 1850, a son of the late Daniel G. Tillotson. His early youth was passed on a farm, and his education was obtained in the common schools of Vermillion County. He engaged in the mercantile business in Toronto in 1870, having for two years previous clerked in the store of F. N. Austin. He carried a good and well selected stock of general merchandise and established a large trade, continuing his business at Toronto until 1883. In that year he came to his present farm on section 14, Helt Township, where he has seventy-seven acres of valuable land, and has since devoted his attention to his agricultural pursuits. He makes a specialty of raising Mambrino trotting horses, and has one large Mambrino, named Sir Isaac, which he has shown at seventeen fairs, and which has carried off the first ribbons sixteen times. He has also three other stallions, two of which he has exhibited at fairs, receiving premiums on each. Mr. Tillotson was married January 30, 1879, to Miss Clementina Wishard, daughter of John R. Wishard, who is now deceased. Two children have been born to this union named Mary Grace and Arminta Fay. Mr.
Tillotson is a member of the Odd Fellows order. In his religious faith he is a Baptist, and a member of that denomination. Mrs. Tillotson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
JABEZ B. OSMON, a farmer, residing at Newport, is a representative of one of the old and respected pioneer families of Vermillion County. He is a native of Vermillion County, born in the township in which he now resides, May 5, 1836, his parents, Philip W. and Matilda (Williams) Osmon, coming to the county about 1827, when they settled in Vermillion Township. His father was a native of Kentucky, born in 1803. He followed farming during his life, in which he was very successful, owning at the time of his death 400 or 500 acres of choice land. He died in 1880 in Newport, at the present home of our subject. He was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and an exemplary citizen. Eleven of his twelve children grew to maturity, and of these only three are living at the present time -- Archibald W., a farmer, residing ten miles southwest of Newport; Matilda C., wife of John Ingram, of Edgar County, Illinois, and Jabez B., the subject of this sketch. Jabez B. Osmon was reared in his native county to the vocation of a farmer, and is now the owner of 440 acres of well cultivated land lying some nine or ten miles west of Newport, located partly in this State, and partly in Edgar County, Illinois, besides which he has a tract of 160 acres of rich bottom land east of Newport. He has spent fifteen years of his life, from 1857 until 1872, on that portion of his farm which lies in Edgar County, and while there served three years as county commissioner. He spent one year in the service of his country as a member of the Fifty-ninth Illinois Infantry, joining his regiment at Athens, Georgia, on its return from the Atlanta campaign. The regiment then joined General Thomas, who was engaged in chasing Hood's forces out of the country, Mr. Osmon being a participant in all the battles and skirmishes of that exciting campaign. Besides farming Mr. Osmon has followed other lines of business to some extent, as that of flat-boating at an early day, and also followed the lumber trade in this county. In the latter line he met with two disastrous losses by fire, at one time losing $1,000 in lumber at a mill near his present residence, and in 1880 he met with a loss equally as great, in the burning of a saw mill on the Little Vermillion, in which he had a half interest. At another time he lost another thousand by the burning of his barn, and about $4,000 by the burning of his residence and contents in 1874, this house being erected but two years previous, on his return from Illinois. He rebuilt his residence which is located on a tract of three acres on the bluff in the eastern part of Newport, the house being about half way between the base and the summit of the bluff, and overlooking river, bluff and valley scenery as beautiful as any in the West. Mr. Osmon is a bachelor. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is classed among the most respected men in Newport.
ANDREW SPROULS, a representative of one of the old and respected pioneer families of Vermillion County, is a native of Ohio, born in Belmont County, December 31, 1826. His father, James Sprouls, settled in Vermillion County, near