Biography - Charles E. Woodward
CHARLES E. WOODWARD, proprietor of the C. E. Woodward Roller Flour Mill,
is a well-known and honored citizen of Shelbyville, Shelby County, with
whose manufacturing interests he has been connected several years, and he
has also been prominent in its public and social life. He was born June 12,
1815, on a farm eight miles from Bordentown, Monmouth County, N. J. His
father, whose name was Nimrod Woodward, was a native of the same State, and
was a son of Benjamin Woodward, who is also supposed to have been born in
New Jersey, and to have been a descendant of one of the early English
families of that Commonwealth. He was a merchant and a miller at Imlaystown,
Monmouth County, and his last years were spent there.
The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation, and he had a choice
farm located on Cream Ridge, Monmouth County, and there he tranquilly passed
a long and useful life, dying in 1870, at the venerable age of eighty-two
years. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine Emley, and she was a native
of Burlington County. N. J. She died in the home of her son, Clarkson, at
Hightstown, N. J. She was the mother of nine children, — Ferdinand, Charles
E., Clarkson, Elizabeth, Mary A., Reading and Emily (twins), Benjamin and
Nimrod. The parents were pious and respected members of the Society of
Friends, and reared their children in the same faith.
He of whom we write laid the foundation of a solid education in the public
schools of his native county, and subsequently attended the Quaker Academy
in Philadelphia, where he pursued an excellent course of study, whereby he
was fitted for the profession of teaching, and at the age of twenty he
entered upon its duties in his native State, New Jersey. In 1837 he accepted
a position as teacher at College Hill, near Cincinnati. Ohio, which he
resigned a year later to become assistant teacher at Cary's Academy, and two
of President Harrison's cousins were among his pupils. He taught in that
school a year, and at Vincennes, Ind., a like length of time, and in the
winter of 1840-41 he came to Shelby County, making the journey with an
ox-team, bringing with him his wife and household goods, he located eight
miles from the village of Shelbyville on a tract of land which he had
purchased, a few acres of which were broken, taking up his abode in the log
cabin that stood on the place. In the spring he entered upon the pioneer
task of developing his farm, but he did not wholly abandon his profession,
as the two succeeding winters he taught in Shelbyville in a log building
that had been used as a residence, there being at that time no schoolhouse
in the village.
After his two terms' experience as a pioneer teacher in this county, Mr.
Woodward devoted his time exclusively to the improvement of his farm until
1848, when he came to Shelbyville, and succeeded John Tachett as proprietor
of the only hotel of which the village then boasted. The following year he
bought a building, converted it into a hotel, which he managed one year, he
then disposed of his farm and established himself in the dry-goods business
at which he was engaged until he sold out at a good profit in 1859.
In 1861 Mr. Woodward was appointed Postmaster by President Lincoln and had
charge of the postoffice at Shelbyville until August 1862, when Gov. Yates
appointed him Quartermaster of the Seventy-ninth Illinois Regiment. He
served in that capacity very efficiently until the close of the war and was
mustered out with his regiment June 12, 1865. Returning home he resumed his
duties as Postmaster which office he retained until relieved by President
Johnson. After that he was employed as bookkeeper in a dry-goods house until
1868 when he accepted a similar position in the flour mill of C. C. Scovil.
That gentleman dying a year later, our subject was appointed executor of his
estate, and with J. P. Davis and J. W. Ward bought the mill now known as the
C. E. Woodward Roller Mill of which he has been sole proprietor since 1862.
He carries on an extensive business, manufacturing an unexcelled brand of
flour. The mill occupies two commodious brick buildings, each three stories
in height, with a basement, and furnished entirely with first-class modern
machinery, the capacity of the mill being one hundred and twenty-five
barrels of flour a day and two hundred barrels of corn-meal.
That our subject has been successful in life is no doubt partly due to the
fact that he possesses one of man's choicest blessings, a good wife, whom he
secured in the person of Elizabeth Armstrong, a native of Knox County, Ind.,
to whom he was united in marriage in 1838. Thus for more than half a century
they have shared the joys and sorrows common to mortals, and children have
been born to them of whom they have six living, as follows, — Charles S.,
Belle, Nimrod, Emily, Letton and Clarence L.
During these many years that our subject has been a resident of Shelbyville
his citizenship has been invaluable to the community, as through his
position as one of its enterprising business men he has aided in promoting
its growth and prosperity, his public spirit and liberality have helped to
forward all schemes to the advancement of its best interests, and he has
rendered good service in the important civic positions that he has held. He
has been President of the City Council, and for twelve years he was
President of the Board of Education, and to his zeal and interest in
educational matters while occupying that office Shelbyville is greatly
indebted to-day for the efficiency of its schools. Mr. Woodward is prominent
in the social life of the city as a member of the following organizations:
Jackson Lodge, No. 53, A. F. & A. M.; Jackson Chapter. No. 55, R. A. M.; and
of Cyrus Hall Post, No. 138, G. A. R., of which he is Past Commander. As a
true citizen should, he has always taken an interest in politics, and in
early life was a Whig, but since the formation of the Republican party, he
has been one of its stanchest supporters both in times of war and in times
of peace.
Extracted 09 Apr 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 473-475.
