Biography - William Bacon
William E. BACON, real estate agent, Litchfield, was born in March, 1821, in Onondaga County, N. Y., where he lived until he was thirteen years of age, when he spent two years in Michigan, at a branch school of Michigan University, of Monroe, going thence to New York State again, where he acted as clerk in Cazenovia for a time, and then went into mercantile business at Fabius, in his native county, as the partner of Elisha C. LITCHFIELD, a relative of his, who was a Director of the Michigan Southern Railroad, and through him obtained the position of Paymaster on the railroad, which he held five years, after which he became Chief Clerk in the Superintendent's office, under General Superintendent Samuel BROWN. In 1856, he resigned, in order to come here, where he learned the shops of the Terre Haute, Alton & St. Louis Railroad were to be located, his informant being Mr. LITCHFIELD, who was one of the originators and builders of the road, and the man for whom the city was named. Mr. BACON came to Litchfield in October, 1856, and established the first lumber-yard and planning-mills, conducting a prosperous business two years. Selling out, he became the real estate agent for Mr. LITCHFIELD, disposing of property at this point, at Gillespie and at Pana; he also prepared the first abstract of titles for this city. In 1872, he became Secretary of the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company, which position he retained until August, 1880, when he devoted his entire attention to real estate. Mr. BACON is a practical surveyor; he has taken an active interest in the affairs of the city since its organization, having been its first Mayor, and re-elected to that position, since which time he as served as Alderman. The father of our subject was a native of Vermont, and a distinguished physician and surgeon, who died in New York. William E. BACON is the youngest son.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, page 134.
