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- From Portrait and Biographical Album of Woodford County, Illinois (1889):
Edward C. Engel. The young farmers of Woodford County have in this wide-awake, practical gentleman, a representative who, by sheer force of character and wise management of his interests, has already placed himself among the solid, substantial members of the agricultural community of Partridge Township. He is managing with signal success one of the choicest farms in this section of the county, beautifully located on section 33, where he and his amiable wife have a very attractive and happy home, represented elsewhere in this work, with its fair surroundings, by a fine lithographic engraving.
Our subject was born in Montgomery Township, this county, Nov. 11, 1858, to Christian and Susanna (Miller) Engel, both natives of Germany, the father born near Frankfort-on-the-Rhine. He was reared in his native land, and there learned the trade of a weaver. When a young man he left home and friends in the Fatherland and sought his fortunes on the wild prairies of the Great West in the United States of America. After his arrival here, having but little means, he worked out by the day or month in Woodford County until he could obtain the wherewithal to become independent. That was in the year 1856, and he afterward invested his earnings in a tract of partly improved land in McLean County. He now owns two farms containing between them 160 acres, both being under admirable tillage, amply supplied with neat, substantial buildings, good machinery and everything needful for conducting agriculture profitably. He is an honest, upright man, a hard worker, and is considered a useful citizen in his community, where he is justly held in respect. His wife, the mother of our subject, departed this life in Woodford County in 1861, and her death was a sad blow to her family, to whom she was devoted. There were four children born of that marriage, of whom the following three are living -- Edward C., John H. and Jacob.
The subject of this sketch was very young when his father settled in Dry Grove Township, McLean County, where he was reared to man's estate, and in the public schools gleaned an excellent education that has been of service to him in after life. He lived with his father until he was twenty-two years old, giving him valuable service in the management of his farming interests. He then started out into the world on his own account, and was employed by the day or month until his marriage, when he rented his father's farm for a term of three years. At the expiration of that time he came to Woodford County and settled on the farm where he now resides. There are a good set of conveniently arranged frame buildings on it, including a neat and comfortable dwelling, and everything about the place is kept in the most orderly manner. Mr Engel is a skillful, intelligent farmer, and brings a clear mind and sound common sense to bear upon his work. His land is under fine cultivation and yields him large harvests in repayment for his care and toil, and his stock is of the finest grades.
In the month of February, 1881, Mr Engel's marriage with Miss Katie Belsly took place. She was born on the farm where she now makes her home, and is a daughter of the well-known Christian and Mary Belsly. She is descended from good pioneer stock. Her father was born in Partridge Township, of which his father was one of the original settlers. The latter was born in Hof Hellecourt, France, May 8, 1802. He came to America in 1828 and spent the ensuing two years in Ohio. He was then a poor man, and though the land in Ohio was cheap at that time, its price was beyond his means, and in order to secure a home he came to Illinois to avail himself of the low prices at which the Government was selling land to the frontiersmen. He located in what is now Woodford County, this section of the country then being on the Western frontier, and the few white settlements were confined to the growths of forests along the streams. Deer and other kinds of wild beasts roamed here freely, and there were scarcely any evidences of the coming civilization that should transform these broad, lonely prairies into smiling harvest fields, where food was to be raised for the millions on either side of the globe. Land was for sale by the Government at $1.25 an acre, and Mr Belsly made a claim to a tract lying on the bank of Partridge Creek. After residing there for a time he bought a place on the uplands of Worth Township and made his home there until his death, which occurred Dec. 24, 1872, when he rounded out a life that was honorable to himself and had been of great service to Woodford County, and its memory is cherished with reverence by his descendants. He was an intelligent witness of the entire development of the county almost from the early days of its occupancy by the whites, and not only that, but he contributed in no small degree to its present prosperous condition. He accumulated a handsome property, and at the time of his death was quite wealthy. His education was limited, but he was a very intelligent man, possessing good judgment and untiring energy as a farmer, and stock-raiser, and had few equals in those respects in the county; he was well posted on the best methods of farming, and was the first man to raise clover in this part of the country. He is now sleeping the sleep of the just in the family cemetery near his old home. Mrs Engel's father was reared and educated in his native county, and after marriage resided on Crow Creek in Marshall County, two years. He subsequently purchased a farm in Deer Creek Township, Tazewell County, and removing to that part of the State is still residing there. The maiden name of Mrs Engel's mother was Mary Schertz. She was born in Ohio, and was a daughter of Valentine Schertz, a native of Germany.
The attractive home of our subject and his wife is the center of true hospitality, where every guest is made to feel at ease by the pleasing, frank and charming welcome of the hostess and by the genial, friendly, courteous manner of the host. Their happy wedded life has been blessed to them by the birth of three children -- Eva Lou, Frank Delbert and Ameda Emma.
Mr Engel is regarded with much favor by the people who have watched his course since he became a resident of Partridge Township, and he is considered a valuable acquisition to the citizenship of this community, making its interests his own and promoting its material, moral and social welfare as much as is possible. A young man of influence for good among his associates.
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1858 - 1912 (53 years)
