Judge George W. Young, was born February 8, 1845, in Williamson county, Illinois, left an orphan at the age of 2 years; was raised by a farmer of limited means, who died in 1859 leaving him at the age of fourteen without a preceptor or anyone to care for him.  He learned to read and write at a subscription school.  He left his native heath in 1860, and went to Cairo, Ills., where he remained for a few days and shipped on board a steam boat as deck sweeper and roustabout; afterward he became a cabin boy and Texas tender on a boat plying between St. Louis and New Orleans.  In January 1861, he went ashore at Columbus, Ky., and worked on a farm near Milburn, Ky., for a while, when soon the war sentiment became so strong and violent that he was compelled to seek other quarters on account of his loyalty to the Union cause.  He became attached to the Union army early in 1862 and was mustered in as a private in Company L, 8th Kentucky Cavalry, Colonel (afterward General) James M. Shackleford commanding.  Was promoted for meritorious conduct in December, 1863, to a first lieutenant Company E, 30th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Volunteers; afterward breveted captain commanding the company; served until the close of the war; was mustered out in June 1865.  Came back to Williamson county and attended the common schools two years, taught school and read law; was admitted to practice March 3, 1869, but did not open a law office of poverty until July 1870.  He was compelled to teach school, and acted in the capacity of deputy assessor in 1869 and 1870.

Prior to 1865, there was regular organization of the republican party in Williamson county, and it was in September, 1865, that Colonel Young with a dozen others of the stalwart republicans and ex-soldiers met in a back room in Marion and completed the first organization of the republican party that put forth a straight republican ticket to be voted for at the coming November election, and it is to the credit of the returned soldiers, who, under the inspiration of Colonel Young, took up the question of politics, and for the first time in all the history of Williamson county the whole republican ticket was elected by a handsome majority; and from that time until the present he has been identified with, and worked for, the success of the republican ticket in Williamson county and in southern Illinois.

The next year, 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic was organized and became a powerful factor in the politics of the nation.  Colonel Young assisted at the organization of three posts in that year, and has the two copies of the first ritual that was used in the organization of the G.A.R., and his interest in that organization has never abated.  He has always been recognized as a leading exponent of the rights of the surviving veterans of the late war.

He was elected justice of the peace in 1873; was elected county judge of Williamson county in 1877; was elected state's attorney of Williamson county in 1884; was elected circuit judge of the First judicial circuit to fill the vacancy caused by the promotion of Judge Baker to the supreme bench in November, 1888, and served until 1891.  He was a candidate for congress before the republican convention in 1882, competing with Captain John R. Thomas, George W. Smith, T.T. Fountain and C.N. Damron, Thomas receiving the nomination.  He was again a candidate for nomination before the republican convention in 1898 against the Hon. George W. Smith and ran a most creditable race and pulled a most surprising vote, but on account of the midwinter snap convention and the strong combination of the machine politicians of the district being against him he was defeated.  He was again a candidate for nomination before the republican convention in 1900, which came off June 2d of that year.  The history of that convention is too recent and fresh in the minds of the republicans to permit of much comment here; enough is known, however, to say that while the great rank and file the republicans throughout the district regarded Colonel Young as the most available candidate and whose nomination would be most satisfactory to all factions of the party upon the ground of merit and good politics, still by the liberal use of money thrown into the canvass by the two great machines of the party recognized as the state administration and the national administration government machine--the former advocating Judge Joseph P. Robarts and the latter George W. Smith--Colonel Young not having the money to compete with them in the hustings, the main interest in the canvass centered in the contest between Judge Robarts and Mr. Smith; Mr. Smith was successful.

He was made a member of the Grand Army of the Republic September, 1866.  He was made an Odd Fellow July, 17, 1869.  These are the only two secret organizations to which he ever belonged.  He is recognized as one of the foremost and best posted Odd Fellows in this end of the state; having a thorough knowledge of the lodge work, as well as of the laws of the order.  He has been a member of the grand lodge since 1874, and has held several important and responsible positions in that body, and is regarded as one of its most vigilant and active members.

He was married September 24th, 1871, to Miss Martha A. Spiller of Williamson county.  Four children have been born unto them; three girls and a boy (the boy died in infancy), Ora, Ida and Eva.  Ora married Mr. Richard Trevor, who is in the merchandise business in Marion; Ida married Mr. William B. Rochester, who is the hardware business in Marion, and Eva, the youngest daughter, who is not married, still lives with her parents.  He and his good wife have raised and educated three orphan children.

He represented the 20th Congressional district on the military staff of Governors Cullom and Hamilton from 1879 to 1884 with the rank of colonel.

Colonel Young is now 55 years old, and for 38 years he has been in active military and civil life; and has always been recognized as one of the leading exponents of republicanism, loyalty to law and good government in this end of the state, and from his personal appearance one would think that there are many years of usefulness yet before him.  He has many loyal friends and enthusiastic admirers in southern Illinois, who are ready and willing to stand by him in any of his laudable undertakings.

In the limited sphere of his operations we know of no man to whom the country and the republican party are so much indebted for real substantial achievements and lasting results as they are to Colonel George W. Young.

Frederick W. Samson, the father, was born in Prussia, Germany, Feb. 19, 1838, and emigrated to St. Louis; was a volunteer in Fifth Missouri Infantry, coming to Massac county, and settling in Washington precinct.  Miss Mary Rehen, the mother, was born in Prussia, Germany, came to St. Louis before the war, lost a brother at Pittsburg Landing, and was married to Mr. Samson at the close of the war and with him came to this county.

Walter, the oldest of two sons, was born in Washington precinct, Sept. 25, 1863,

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