Biography - Thomas Washburn
Thomas D. WASHBURN, physician, Hillsboro, was born in Greenfield, Mass., upon the 25th of April, 1819; he is the eldest and only son of Dr. Seth and Asenath (DICKMAN) WASHBURN, both of whom were natives of the above State, she, born about 1800, died in 1840, a daughter of Thomas DICKMAN, a printer and book-seller at Springfield, Mass., and a man of considerable prominence in his business he, born at Leicester about 1790, died February, 1825. The only sister of our subject is Ruth W., widow of William G. BANCROFT, of the firm of Barnes, Bancroft & Co., one of the oldest, wealthiest and most prominent wholesale and retail dry goods houses in Buffalo, N. Y. Dr. Washburn, in his boyhood, pursued, in the different academies and colleges of New England, (Page 120) the languages, sciences, mathematics, and classics, obtaining a valuable and practical knowledge in the special course which he selected. At the age of twenty-one years, he began the study of medicine under Dr. Ralph SEVERANCE, at Saxon's River, Vt., then with Dr. James DEAN, and from his tutelage he entered the intermediate school of Bowditch, Cole & Shattuck, at Boston; after remaining for a time at this school, his health failing, he went to the State of Georgia, where he taught a private school for three years, and then enteredthe University of New York, from which he graduated in the spring of 1846, and then began the practice of his profession at Syracuse, N. Y., where he remained three years. He was married, at Oswego, N.Y., May 25, 1846, to Roxanna M. JOSLIN, born at Easton, N.Y., April 25, 1819, daughter of Peter and Hannah (ROUNDS) JOSLIN, he born in 1784, died in 1858, she born at Easton in 1787, died in 1862. From Syracuse he removed to Grayville, Ill., thence to Lawrenceville, and, in 1856, settled in Hillsboro, where he has since resided and enjoyed a large practice in his profession. In 1854, he held the office of President of the Esculapian, which is the oldest society in the State, and the same year delivered the valedictory address before that society; he has also held the office of President of the State Medical Society, and at the present time fills that position in the Montgomery County Medical Society, and Vice President of the Inter-State Medical Society. His contributions to medical literature have been numerous and of great value to the medical profession throughout the country. He served three years as Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the last eighteen months of the time being spent as Post Surgeon at Little Rock, Ark. By his marriage, there were born the following: Seth Emory and Daniel W., living; John and Edward, dead. The family are members of the Congregational Church, in which the Doctor has held for a number of years the offices of Deacon and Trustee.He is a Republican in his political tenets; a man of prominence, and highly esteemed by the citizens of the county; he is a nephew of Emory WASHBURN, ex-Governor of Massachusetts, and late Professor in the Harvard Law School.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 119-120.
