Guy Bradbury - Every town and county has its largest leading dry goods store, and in Mt. Carroll and Carroll county the Martin store is a leader. It was established in Mt. Carroll in 1890 by McAllister & Martin and for a number of years was managed by O. H. Martin, who finally established another store in Dixon, Ill., and moved there to manage it.
From then on he had various popular managers, but none ever has been more popular, efficient, and successful than Guy I. Bradbury, who came here in 1920 and has been constantly and consistently on the job, he five years ago having bought an interest in the store, and it has been going forward until today the Martin store at Mt. Carroll is a household word.
Mr. Bradbury is a thorough dry goods man, acquainted with the wants of his patrons and has what they want. His personality, pleasant ways, his geniality make it a pleasure to trade with him, and there is no more popular merchant in the city than he in 1930. He is one of the most enterprising citizens we have and in civic as well as business enterprises he is always in the front rank advocating everything that will make Mt. Carroll a better town. His advice and ideas are sought and followed in many matters.
The Bradbury family consists of himself, his amiable wife and his sons, Harry and James and is one of the most popular and highly respected in the city. Mrs. Bradbury is not only a good wife and mother, but is interested in Woman's Club work and takes much interest in civic activities, and is known as one of the leaders in affairs in the city.
The store is situated in the Kinney building on Main street, one of the most desirable and centrally located. It is large in every respect, stocked from floor to ceiling on the sides and tables and show cases wherever they can be placed to show the stock attractively. Besides Mr. Bradbury himself, the store force consists of Miss Ethel Petty, Miss Doris Petty, Mrs. Mabel Merritt, Mrs. Irene Ross and Harry Bradbury.
When strangers visit Mt. Carroll they always visit the Martin store, and from every part of Carroll county people are patrons of the store. Mt. Carroll in 1930 is proud of the store and of Guy I. Bradbury and his estimable family.
Mr. Bradbury is a big city business man in a small town. He believes in advertising and there is not a reader of the MirrorDemocrat from Maine to California who is not familiar with the name of the O. H. Martin Dry Goods Co., for ever since Mr. Bradbury has been at the head of the institution there has never been a week that the name hasn't been in the columns of the paper, and the enormous business done by the store is due to the business principles adopted by Mr. Bradbury. There is nothing ancient in this store from principles and methods to goods, all are modern. "What was good enough for father, is good enough for me," isn't the motto of Guy 1. Bradbury. The world moves, new ideas, new business methods come every day and he is a man who keeps up with the times in methods and goods. The Martin store is one of the outstanding things in Mt. Carroll, one of the things talked about and one of the places everybody wants to see when they visit Mt. Carroll, for they read about and want to see it, and they are never disappointed. Never has the store been in a more prosperous condition than since Mr. Bradbury took charge, introducing his methods and ideas. It is one of the substantial features of Mt. Carroll and of Carroll County, and without it the city would not be as prosperous as it is for this store brings many people to town who would go elsewhere were it not for the bargains and the reputation the store and Guy Bradbury have.
Glen Mershon was born at Mt. Morris, Ill., and came to Mt. Carroll with his parents when eleven years old. He obtained his preliminary education in the Mt. Carroll school and the Mt. Morris College. His medical education was obtained at the Barnes University of St. Louis, Mo., from which institution he took his M. D. degree in 1901. After practicing one year at Leaf River, Ill., he located in this city where he has remained ever since. He has taken Post Graduate courses at the Chicago Polyclinic in 1907 and 1915 and at the Cook County Hospital in 1927.
Valentin Boerner - Carroll County has had a good many Circuit Clerks and Recorders, but never a more popular and efficient one than the present "Val' Boerner, who has held the office longer than any other clerk ever has.
Ray H. Petty was born near Mt. Carroll, February 18, 1888. He attended the Preston Prairie school and was graduated from that rural school in 1904. He attended Mt. Carroll high school from which he graduated in 1907. Then he attended Knox College for two years, and graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1913.
One of the most popular business men in the city is N. C. Smith, of the Squires Hardware company.
Martha Ashby - That the women folks are not the weaker sex, physically or mentally, is being proven every day, and one of the best proofs of this fact is the successful operation of our school system under the able superintendency of Martha J. Ashby.
One of the successful men of Mt. Carroll is Conrad Hartman, proprietor of the Studebaker Garage, one of the largest garages in the county.
Henry Wise - Carroll County has had many sheriffs and peace officers, but has never had one who has out ranked our present Sheriff for efficiency.
Samuel Colehour, the subject of this sketch was born November 27, 1876, on a farm two miles west of Mt. Carroll. His early education was gleaned in the Colehour rural school and the Mt. Carroll high school.
Among the young business men of Mt. Carroll there is no more popular a one than Fred Noble, of the firm of John Noble & Sons.
The subject of this sketch, B.H. Rogers, a widely known Mt. Carroll citizen, was born at Martinsville, Illinois, November 17, 1877 He was married April 24, 1897, to Lucy Jane Mundy. To this union were born ten children, six boys and four girls.
Harold Noble - Here is another of the sons of John Noble of John Noble & Sons, Grocers. Harold Noble is one of the finest young men we know. He was born November 15, 1903. He came to Mt. Carroll with his parents and attended the Mt. Carroll schools, and like most presidents and big men, carried papers after school when a small boy, for the Daily Democrat. Harold graduated from the Mt. Carroll high school in 1923, and in 1924, started in the grocery business as partner with his father and brother.
The subject of this sketch, George Gifford, is one of the best known men in Mt. Carroll and probably as well known throughout the county as any other man.
Irvin Rush - In this day and age of automobiles, there are men who take to them naturally, and the subject of this sketch is one of them, a young man who knows autos as most people know their A. B. C's.
The subject of this sketch, Sherman Myers, was born in Woodland township and attended the rural school of that township, and as he says, not much of that. But he learned from experience what he did not learn in school. He was married to Lizetta Kromer in 1900. To this union two sons were born: Norval of Long Beach, California, and Cleo of Springfield, both of whom hold responsible positions.
Blaine Peck - One of the largest business enterprises of Mt. Carroll and Carroll county is that of the agency of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Milwaukee, Wis., of which Blaine L. Peck is the manager. This company is approximately seventy-five years old and has done business in Carroll county for all that time. Mt. Carroll has furnished men who have been and are great factors in the company. William H. Irvine, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., who was born and raised in Mt. Carroll and who became a millionaire lumberman of Wisconsin, was a trustee of the company. Elmer S. E1lmert, Robert G. Emmert, who, like Mr. Irvine, were born in Mt. Carroll; but moved to Oklahoma, and Ed F. Auman, who made Mt. Carroll his home for a number of years, now in Fargo, N. D., were three of its ninety-one general agents in the United States, Elmer Emmert and Mr. Auman still holding these positions. Robert Emmert died while such agent.
Congressman William R. Johnson is serving his third term as a Member of the National House of Representatives. His home is at Freeport. He was educated in the Freeport public schools and the Freeport College of Commerce; elected to the Sixty-ninth Congress, receiving 49,717 votes. Re-elected to the Seventieth Congress by a majority of over three to one, and to the Seventy-first Congress by the largest vote ever cast in the district. His district is perhaps one of the best known districts in Illinois, because it is the home of the great Commander, U. S. Grant. It is one of the greatest agricultural districts in the State; its people are thrifty and aggressive; its people take great interest in public affairs and public questions. Congressman Johnson has the confidence of these people. "Bill" Johnson, as he is best known throughout his district, and by his colleagues in the House of Representatives, deeply appreciates this loyalty and confidence. He has worked hard for his people. Every letter receives an answer and every possible request is granted. Minor matters receive as much consideration as important matters. Mr. Johnson has devoted a large part of his time to pension matters. He had more than fifty private pension bills signed by the President. Through his personal efforts Congress has passed appropriations of over half million dollars for public improvements in his district. One of his great achievements is the bill which went through Congress for the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi river at Savanna, which completes the great gateway between the East and the West, and which achievement is deeply appreciated, not only by the people of Illinois, but by all tourists traveling East and West over the great highway of Northern Illinois.