WILLIAM
BUCKWORTH, one of the leading druggists of Leroy, is a native
of Sussex County, Del.,
and was born Feb. 7, 1829. His father, Curtis Buckworth, was a native of Maryland, but was reared and married in Delaware.
He
removed, in 1832, to Ohio, and
located seven miles from Chillicothe, in Ross County, where he
purchased a tract of heavily timbered land, in the midst of which was a log
cabin. Here he established himself with his family, and lived to improve a farm
of over 400 acres, erecting good buildings and providing all the appliances of
a first-class farm estate.
After
witnessing the remarkable changes which occurred during an interval of thirty-seven
years, and keeping full pace with the progress of the age, he departed this
life on the homestead which he had established in 1869, when seventy-nine years
of age.
The
maiden name of the mother of our subject was Ellen Draper. She was born in Delaware, and was the
daughter of John Draper, a native of the same State. She became the mother of
four children, and died four years after locating with her husband in Ohio, her decease occurring in 1836.
The
sister of our subject, Susan by name, became the wife of John Thomas,
accompanied her husband to Missouri, and died there in 1863; Alexander D. lives
at North Platte, Neb.,
and has served as State Senator [ed., see A.D.
Buckworth]; he was formerly a physician, and later Register of the
land-office of North Platte, and at present is engaged in the banking and real
estate business.
William
Buckworth received his early education in the common school, and attended two
terms at Frankford Academy in Ohio.
When twenty-two years of age he commenced the study of medicine, under the
instruction of Dr. William Latta at Frankford, and in the winter of 1854-55
attended a course of lectures at Starling Medical
College at Columbus, Ohio. The following spring he commenced
practice at Clarksburg, Ohio,
and in the fall of the same year came to Illinois,
locating first at Mt.
Zion, Macon County.
In 1862
he attended lectures in the Ohio Medical College
at Cincinnati [ed., the former Medical College
of Ohio later became part of the University of
Cincinnati], from which he graduated in June, 1863. He then returned to Mt. Zion,
and after practicing eighteen months there removed to Champaign
County, where he spent six years in the practice of his profession,
and from there he came to Leroy.
In 1871
he purchased the drug-store of Guy & Sims in this place, which he has
successfully conducted since that time. He is a thorough-going business man,
genial, courteous and obliging, and a great favorite in the business circles of
his community.
Mr.
Buckworth was married in Greenfield,
Ohio, Nov. 15, 1855, to Miss Mary S. Parish, who was born in Ross
County, Ohio, in 1831. Of this union there
were born two children: Dana L., who is associated with his father in business;
Maggie Ellen died in infancy.
The
store is finely equipped and doing a good business. Our subject is Republican in politics, and in all respects is
fulfilling the obligations of a good citizen.
Portrait and biographical album of McLean
County, Ill. : containing full
page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative
citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies of all the
governors of Illinois, and of the presidents
of the United States. (Chicago:
Chapman Brothers, 1887), 297. Transcribed
and annotated by Judy Rosella Edwards.
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