John Dresbach

 

SOURCE: "History of Champaign County, Illinois with Illustrations," 1878

SURNAMES: DRESBACK, HOY, TREECE

 

JOHN DRESBACK - Mr. Dresback, now carrying on the mercantile business at St. Joseph, was born twelve miles west of Bellefontaine, in Logan county, Ohio, February 15th, 1843. His father, Jacob DRESBACK, had moved to Ohio from Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1832. His mother, whose maiden name was Catherine HOY, was also born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. In 1853 his father moved with the family to this county, and settled in section 17, of St. Joseph township. The subject of this sketch attended the common schools, and for several years was a student at a seminary in Urbana. In the summer of 1865 he attended Bryant and Stratton's Commercial College at Buffalo, New York. Previously he had taught school in St. Joseph township. The winter of 1865-6 he taught two terms of school in Hancock county, Ohio. December 17th, 1865, he married Martha J. TREECE, daughter of Cornelius TREECE, of Van Lue, Hancock county, Ohio. He lived in Hancock county till 1867, when he returned to St. Joseph township, where he taught school till 1868, when he started a small store at the old town of St. Joseph.

He started with a stock of goods worth three hundred dollars, in a store twelve by fourteen feet in dimensions. In the summer of 1872 he built the store he now occupies in St. Joseph, completing the first business house ever erected in the present business part of the town, although other stores were opened about the same time. He has since been carrying on the mercantile business in a successful and popular manner. He carries a general line of goods, consisting of groceries, dry goods and notions. He has had three children, Oran B., born in 1866; Alfred L., born 1871, deceased 1872 ; and Pearl Gertrude, born 1877. Mr. Dresback met with a misfortune in 1859. He was laid up with a crippled limb, about which several physicians were consulted, and all was done that medical knowledge could devise, though no relief has ever been obtained. He has always been a Republican. Since 1874 he has filled the office of township treasurer, and has also served three years as town clerk and commissioner of highways.