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 200-201; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Martin M. Waughtel. Among the young farmers of this county
are many who are pursuing their course I life with great energy and
much skill, and thereby attaining satisfactory results. One of
this number is the gentlemen above named, who is located on section 26,
Cass Township, occupying the farm on which his birth took place August
23, 1859. His estate consists of one hundred acres, nearly all of
which is improved, and he carried on general agricultural work, raising
both grain and stock. Cattle and hogs are the domestic animals
which he raises in the greatest numbers, but he has some fine specimens
of horseflesh, among them a team of three-year old Normans, weighing
three thousand and thirty-five pounds.
Henry Waughtel, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio in
1812, but former generations of the family had lived in Virginia.
He married Margaret Markley, a native of the same Stage as himself,
their marriage taking place in this State, to which both had come in
childhood. Mr. Waughtel belonged to a family which was one of the
first to make a settlement in this part of the Mississippi
Valley. He was the first Supervisor of Cass Township, taking the
office in 1850. He fought during the Black Hawk War. He
breathed his last in 1885, but his widow still lives and nine of their
twelve children survive.
Our subject received a good common-school education and from
early boyhood was accustomed to take part in farm work, to which he has
continued to give his attention. He began life for himself when
twenty years old, marrying Philena Orwig, a daughter of John and Amanda
(Hancock) Orwig, who were old settlers in this county. The young
couple took possession of forty acres of land owned by the husband,
which he operated successfully. His wife, who was born in 1863,
died in August, 1884, leaving two sons - John and Milton. Mr.
Waughtel was again married in September, 1885, his bride being Sarah M.
Hinderliter, a daughter of Julius Hinderliter, who was one of the old
settlers of Cass Township. This lady was born in 1862, received a
good education in the common schools, and the home training which
fitter her for the duties of a home-keeper. She has borne her
husband two children, one of whom is now living, a son, William.
Mr. Waughtel has from his early manhood been more or less
closely connected with the public affairs of the section in which he
lives. He became School Director in District No. 6 as soon as he
was old enough to hold the office and is still its incumbent. At
the age of twenty-three years he was elected Township Collector and
served in that capacity until elected Supervisor, in which he is now
serving his fourth term. He has always taken an active interest
in politics and is one of the principal workers in the township; he has
been a delegate to county conventions and is now a committeeman.
