James W. Stonestreet
SOURCE: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois," Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887
SURNAMES: FLESHER, KEENE, SKIDMORE, STONESTREET, WESTFALL, WILLIAMS
JAMES W. STONESTREET, one of the most prominent and respected citizens of Kerr Township, as is evident from the number of years he has held the office of Assessor, was born in Hardy County, W. Va., Oct. 19, 1828. He is the son of Elisha and Hannah (SKIDMORE) STONESTREET, natives of Virginia. His paternal grandparents were Butler and Mary (WILLIAMS) STONESTREET, and his maternal grandparents, Elijah and Eleanor (WESTFALL) SKIDMORE. In 1818 Elisha Stonestreet went to Illinois, and first located at Blue Grass, Vermilion County, where he staid [sic] three years. After his death his widow returned to the South in order to settle up some business affairs there which required her personal attention.
James W. Stonestreet was the fifth in order of birth in a family of nine children. During the absence of his mother at the South he bought 120 acres of land, upon which he moved a little house, and assuming the position of head of the family brought all of his brothers and sisters to live with him. All around his primitive home stretched the bare, unimproved prairie covered with rough, tall grass and wild flowers. The only post-office in the vicinity was located at Champaign. Many times during the night the little band of pioneers was startled by the howling of the wolves, which sometimes made friends with the dogs, partaking of their food and robbing the family of all the fowls which they attempted to raise. In this desolate wilderness Mr. Stonestreet first engaged in farming, and struggled with the crude elements of nature until his efforts were finally crowned with success, and he succeeded in bringing his land to a high state of cultivation.
In the meantime one of his sisters, who had kept house for him, died in the year 1867, and he married, Jan. 16, 1868, Miss Ellen KEENE, of Westfield, Clark Co., Ill., the orphan daughter of Samuel and Irene (FLESHER) KEENE, who were among the old settlers of Indiana. After his marriage he settled on his farm on section 29, Kerr Township, which place has since continued to be his residence.
Mr. Stonestreet and his wife have had a family of eleven sons, two of whom died in infancy unnamed; the names of the others are as follows: James Edward, Freddie H., Walter C., Ashford Osborne, Samuel, David T., Otis, and Bertie and Bruce (twins). Of these James Edward and Samuel are dead; the rest live at home with their parents.
Mr. Stonestreet has inherited much of his strong character and executive ability of his father, who was a highly educated man, possessing great mental power. Our subject was present at the organization of the township, of which he was elected the second Assessor, and which position he has ever since retained, with the exception of three years, when he was unable to perform his duties on account of severe illness resulting from a white swelling, which had troubled him when a boy thirteen years of age. He has, on different occasions, held all the local offices, and now votes with the Democrats, though formerly he was a Republican. Himself and his wife belong to the United Brethren Church.