Biography - William H. Aughinbaugh
WILLIAM H. AUGHINBAUGH, prominent in business, political and church circles, as a public-spirited and enterprising man, who does his full share in forwarding every movement to enhance the best interest of his town and county, we may well count the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this paragraph. He is now a dealer in drugs, wall paper, toilet articles. etc., in Oconee, Shelby County, and was born March 3, 1842, in Baltimore. Md.
John and Catherine (Fisher) Aughinbaugh, the parents of our subject, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Baltimore, and reared a fine family of three sons and four daughters: Amelia was the wife of John Caldwell, and died in Litchfield, Ill.; Annie is the widow of William McEwen, and also resides in Litchfield; our subject is the third in age, and his next brother, Levi, resides at Bushnell, Ill., where he is engaged in business as a commercial traveler; Catherine, who is the wife of John Cress, went to the far distant West, and is making her home at Portland, Ore.; John, who is married, resides at St. Louis, Mo., where he is engaged as a compositor in the office of the Republican; Susan, wife of William Davis, makes her home at Litchfield.
He of whom we write was educated at Hillsboro, Ill., having come to that city with his parents in the year 1855, from Huntsville, Ala., to which they had previously removed from Baltimore. After the family had been living in this State for about eight years, the mother died in 1863 in Macoupin County, but the father who survived and married again, is living with our subject at Oconee.
Our subject served for two years during the Civil War in the Quartermaster's Department, being assigned to duty with the armies of the Tennessee and the Cumberland respectively, being in the Post Department in both these connections. After the close of the war he returned to Hillsboro. and engaged in mercantile business, continued in that line successfully until 1867, when he sold out and removed to Oconee, this county. Here he again took up the mercantile business and continued in it for about six years.
William H. Aughinbaugh and Miss Sallie R. Wilmot were united in the sacred bonds of matrimony, in September, 1870. This lady was born in Christian County, Ill., and her wedded life began with a prospect of great happiness, but it was cut short by her decline in health, and she died of consumption in 1873, leaving two little children to mourn a mother's love and care. In January, 1877, our subject was married to his second wife, Miss Mollie I. Wilmot, a sister of the first Mrs. Aughinbaugh, and a native of the same place, where she was born in January, 1860. Two children were born of the second marriage. The little ones who were left by Mrs. Sallie Aughinbaugh, Maud and Guy have both died. The children of the second wife are Arthur J., born June 1, 1879, and Bertha J., November 29, 1883.
Our subject disposed of his mercantile interests some years ago, and about that time was elected Mayor of Oconee, to the duties of which office he turned his attention, adding to it a business in collections, insurance and real estate, also loaning money and buying paper. After nine years in this line of work, he turned his attention to the drug business in which he has continued for eleven years. His first official position was in the capacity of Clerk of Oconee, he was then elected Mayor, serving in that office for eight years. In 1884 he was elected to the office of Supervisor of this township, a position of trust and responsibility, in which he has served in all some three years.
Our subject belongs to the Masonic order, having been made a Mason in Mt. Moriah Lodge, No. 5, at Hillsboro, Ill., from which being demitted, he joined the Oconee Lodge, No. 392, where he served for twelve years as Master, and represented the same in the Grand Lodge of this State for eight consecutive years. Afterward he served in this same capacity for two years, and is the present Representative for 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Aughinbaugh are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, where they are active in every good work. This public-spirited and enterprising man is wide awake to the merits of the political situation, and affiliates with the Democratic party.
Extracted 29 May 2017 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 268-269.
