Rice, George F. bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 692; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
George F. Rice is one of the most public-spirited and enterprising citizens of Orion Township, and takes a leading part in its agricultural interests, and besides successfully growing grain and raising stock, sells agricultural implements, buys and ships a large quantity of grain, and also ships a great many hogs and cattle; and is, indeed, a potent factor in sustaining the financial prosperity of the county.
Mr. Rice was born October 25, 1851, in Perry County, Pa. The early years of his life were passed in his native State, where he gleaned a substantial education, and acquired an excellent knowledge of agriculture. He was attracted to the great State of Illinois by its exceptional agricultural facilities, as he shrewdly believed that on its fertile acres success awaited his efforts and in 1872 he took up his residence in Orion Township, a very favorable locality for farming and stock-raising, and since that time he has been closely identified with those interests, and no one has worked harder to advance them. He has a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 10, that has many valuable improvements in the way of neat and well arranged buildings, the best of farming machinery, and the soil is under admirable tillage. Mr. Rice devotes much of his time to the raising of stock, and is also engaged in selling agricultural implements, as before mentioned. He buys a large amount of grain and stock every year, and ships them at Breed’s Station, sending as many as sixty car-loads of hogs to the markets in 1889, over one hundred cars of grain, and about a thousand bushes of clover seed. His business is directed by sound discretion and far-seeing judgment that have placed him among the moneyed men of the township.
In the establishment of his pleasant home Mr. Rice has received the able assistance of a most excellent wife, to whom he was united in marriage October 12, 1872. Mrs. Rice’s maiden name was Alice Kelly and she is a daughter of J. B. and Rachael Kelly, one of the oldest pioneer families of Orion Township, (fur further particulars see sketch of Stephen A. Kelly which is found elsewhere in this work). The home circle of our subject and his wife is completed by their two children, Earl Edmond, a lad of thirteen years and William Elmer who is twelve years of age.
It is to the men of push and energy like our subject, that Orion Township owes its progress and its present good financial standing among its sister townships in the county. Our subject is a resolute, wide-awake man, whose forcible character has placed him in the front ranks of the prosperous and well-to-do citizens of the township. He is a man of intelligent, independent views, especially in regard to politics, his opinions in regard to the proper conduct of public affairs coinciding with the principles promulgated by the Republican party. He has taken an important part in the management of the Orion grange and is treasurer of that organization. He is also identified with the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Glasford Lodge.