Among the well-known farmers of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, is
Robert Birtwell, a veteran of the civil war and a man highly esteemed by all
who knew him. He was born in Lancashire, England, February 11, 1839, the son
of John and Mary (Taylor) Birtwell. The parents came to America when their
son Robert was very small, and for some years lived at Hudson, New York. In
1849 they moved out to Illinois and settled on a farm in LaSalle county,
where John Birtwell is still living. His wife died April 14, 1865. She was a
member of the Church of England, to which he also belongs, and in that faith
they reared their children. The five children born to them were named as
follows: Ellen; Robert, the subject of this sketch; Sarah, widow of Evan
Brick; James, of Allen township, LaSalle county; and Permelia, the wife of
W. Porter Donnell, of Kearney, Nebraska.
Robert Birtwell was reared
on his father's farm, acquired his education in the public schools, and as
he was the eldest son he always found plenty of work at home to occupy his
time when he was not in school. During the civil war, in August, 1862, he
enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
under Captain J. J. McKennan, and took part in the battles of Hartville,
Missionary Ridge and Arlington Heights, and at the close of the war
participated in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C. At Camp Douglas he
received an honorable discharge and from there returned home, and since the
war has been actively engaged in the occupation in which he was reared. He
owns a valuable farm of three hundred and twenty acres on section 6, Otter
Creek township, which has a good residence and other buildings thereon and
which is highly cultivated.
Mr. Birtwell was married in 1878 to Miss
Mary Reddick, daughter of William Reddick, a prominent citizen of this
county. Mr. Reddick was born in New Jersey, reared and educated in
Washington, D. C, and has for a number of years been identified with LaSalle
county. Mr. and Mrs. Birtwell have an only child, Frank R., born March 19,
1880.
Like his father before him, the subject of our sketch is a
Republican, and although he has never aspired to office he takes an active
interest in the issues of that party. He is a wide-awake, practical and
enterprising farmer, who is meeting with good success as the result of his
capable management of his business affairs.
Extracted 13 Jun 2019 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 646-647.
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