Biography - William J. Snyder
WlLLIAM J. SNYDER. The gentleman whose biography it is our pleasure to
here give, at least in outline, is noted for the interest that he takes in
the moral and religious good of the community; although he has been and is a
successful farmer, he is a deeply religious man and devotes more time to the
progress of mental, moral and spiritual life than to financial gain for
himself. He is now one of the county Sunday-school workers, having been
Superintendent for years, and once President of the County Board. He is at
present one of the executives, and is also a standing delegate to the State
conventions that meet in the interest of this work.
In the business of general farming. Mr. Snyder devotes himself mainly to
stock-raising, having one of the best stock farms in Flat Branch Township,
being located on section 8, where he owns four hundred and twenty acres. All
of this is under the plow. His buildings are all first class in
construction, and the place is well stocked. Every improvement is the work
of his own hands. He purchased the farm in 1866, locating on it the
following year. It was then a wild brush patch, but with undaunted energy he
set about clearing it, planted fine shade and fruit trees, tilled the fields
and divided the meadows into paddocks wherein are now found horses, cattle,
sheep and swine of high grade and breeding. Naturally Mr. Snyder is a
progressive farmer and is never satisfied with well enough.
Prior to the coming of our subject to this State he was a resident of
Christian County, where he was born in Prairie Township, May 28, 1842. There
he was reared and educated, going through the common schools and finishing
at the High School at Mt. Zion, in Macon County. At the breaking out of the
war, before he was quite twenty years of age, he enlisted in Company H, One
Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infantry, Col. N. W. Tucker (now deceased)
and Capt. J. L. Dobson, now at Salisbury, Mo., in command. They joined Gen.
Sherman's Army of the Teunessee, and were with them in the battle of Oxford,
Tenn. Our subject saw much service during his experience in the war and was
honorably discharged in 1862. He later, however, re-enlisted in the
Thirteenth New York Heavy Artillery, Company L, and did marine service on
the United States steamer "Parks," Col. Howard commanding. This steamer was
particularly and conspicuously engaged in capturing rebel torpedoes and in
preventing the rebels from destroying the Union provisions at Petersburg. It
also captured many local fleets and both commissioned and non-commissioned
officers. It also captured the James River pirate, Capt. Hines. While this
little marine hand saw comparatively little hard fighting, they did a great
deal of active and valuable service and won for themselves many laurels. Our
subject received his final discharge at Newbern, N. C. in 1865. He was never
wounded or taken prisoner, but suffered from experiences known to the kind
of army life he had served, being swamped in the surf at Port Fisher, with
many of his regiment.
After the war, Mr. Snyder returned to his home in this State and devoted his
time to his business as a farmer. He has been remarkably successful and of
his abundant store, he is generous and open handed. He is a son of Michael
Snyder, of whom a further sketch may be found in another part of this
volume. He was married in Brown County, Ohio, to Miss Eliza A. Grinner, who
was a native of that State and county. She was there reared and educated,
where her parents lived and died. Mrs. Snyder is an intelligent and capable
woman and makes a charming home for her husband and children, who show the
influence of refined and cultured home training. Our subject and his wife
are the parents of six children, they are: Lula M., who is engaged as a
teacher in the public schools of the township therein she lives. She was
educated at the Wesleyan College at Bloomington, this State; Ernest F., May
Bell C., William R., Lida Pearl and Grace G., who are all at home and make
the family life merry with their brightness and intelligent converse.
Our subject and his wife are popular young people. Mr. Snyder is a member of
the Evangelical Association, while his wife is a member of the Lutheran
Church. He is associated in all his work with the best men in the township
and county. Politically he casts his vote and influence with the Prohibition
party.
Extracted 16 Feb 2019 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 587-588.
