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 494-495; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
George Hunt Switzer. The journalistic profession is one of
such a peculiar nature, so complicated in its literary and business
channels, that to call a man an editor has become equivalent to saying
that he is apt in speech, acute in perception and well versed in mind.
In this age of the world an uneducated man cannot conduct a paper even
in what might be called the "backwoods," and much less in the midst of
an enlightened community, who demand that their local papers shall be
spicy, newsy and readable. All these characteristics are true of the
London Times, a weekly paper edited by the subject of this biographical
notice.
Mr. Switzer is a grandson of William Switzer, who was born in
Clermont County, Ohio, and became a farmer there. He made an early
settlement in the Hoosier State, whence he came to Illinois in 1843,
locating in Chestnut Township, Knox County. He pursued his vocation of
agriculture until his death in that township. In politics he was a
Republican, and in religion a believer in the doctrines laid down in
the creed of the Methodist Episcopal Church. John W. Switzer, the
father of our subject, was born in Indiana, near Covington, but reared
in Knox County, this State, from the age of eight years. He adopted the
calling of his father and became the owner of a good farm, which he
sold in 1867 to remove to Macon County, Mo. There he purchased land on
which he lived a twelvemonth, when, the family being ill, he returned
to Knox County, Ill., finally buying the old homestead. On it he still
lives, now engaged in fruit growing and the nursery business, having
abandoned general farming in 1880.
Mr. Switzer is an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and gives his suffrage to the Republican party. His estimable
wife bore the maiden name of Phoebe Hunt, and is a native of the
Buckeye State. Their family included our subject; Elizabeth B., now
Mrs. B. F. Brown, of Orange Township, Knox County; William I., still at
home; Jane who died at the age of eighteen months; John E. and Peter
P., who are yet at home.
The maternal grandfather of our subject was George Hunt, a
native of Kentucky, who located on a farm in Ohio and later removed to
this State. He was a pioneer of Indian Point, Knox County, and at one
time owned a large amount of land. He was very liberal and gave a site
for a schoolhouse, himself also putting up the building. In the War of
1812 he was wounded by a ball passing through his side. His commander
was Gen. Hull, by whom he was given up as a prisoner of war, afterward
spending nine days without food.
In addition to his farm Mr. Hunt carried on a large sawmill on
cedar Creek. He was quite a hunter. When called hence he was over
seventy years of age.
George Hunt Switzer opened his eyes to the light of day in Cedar
Township, Knox County, May 22, 1862. He was given the advantages of the
common schools in the different localities in which he passed his
boyhood and youth, and when twenty years old entered Hedding College at
Abingdon. In that excellent institution he spent three years, pursuing
a literary course two years and then taking up the commercial course,
from which he was graduated in 1885. He secured a teacher's certificate
and in the fall began teaching in Maquon Township. There and in
Chestnut Township he carried on his pedagogical labors a year, after
which he became traveling manager for the firm of Law, King & Law,
of Chicago, for whom he established agencies in the northern half of
the State.
After spending a year in this manner Mr. Switzer engaged in the
insurance business in Knoxville under the style of Hill & Switzer,
handling fire, life and accident policies. Owing to unforseen
circumstances the partnership was dissolved by Mr. Switzer, who in
February, 1890, came to London Mills. Here he entered the employ of W.
W. Vose in the office of the Times, and after working two months leased
the plant and personally conducted the publication. It is a five-column
quarto whose increasing circulation indicates that the new editor has
ability for journalism. The paper is conducted as a neutral political
sheet, the editor believing that in this way he can exert a greater
influence and better meet the wants of the people than under a party
banner. Mr. Switzer, personally, is a Republican. He belongs to the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and is regarded as one of its most
efficient young members.
