William Felton

William Felton, like many of his siblings, worked on the railroads. He had a long and eventful career as an engineer with the Chicago & Alton Railroad. I've found many railroad news articles in the Decatur and Bloomington, Illinois newspapers that mention him . My favorite was published Monday 16 May 1921 page 1: "Alton Train is Wrecked by Vandals." William Felton was engineer on a fast passenger train that ran into a freight train because someone had tampered with a switch. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt, though the train was wrecked. Subsequent articles reported the culprit was a deranged escapee from the Illinois State Hospital who had knowledge of railroad equipment.

William Felton

William Felton

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McLean County. Chicago: Munsell Pub. Co., 1908. Page 2

William Felton, a resident of Bloomington, Illinois since 1894, a railroad man of long experience, and one of the most successful and trustworthy locomotive engineers in the service of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, was born in Sheboygan, Wis. November 30, 1849, and is a son of Ebenezer and Sophia (Johnson) Felton. His father was a native of the State of New York, and his mother of the Dominion of Canada, and they settled in Sheboygan County, Wis. in the pioneer period of that region. From Wisconsin they moved to Clinton County, Ill in 1870, locating on a farm in the vicinity of Centralia. There Ebenezer Felton died November 9, 1904, aged 81 years. His widow is still living near Centralia at the age of 80 years. Fifteen children were the issue of their union, and of these six sons and six daughters survive. In his earlier life Ebenezer Felton was a Whig, in politics, and later became a Republican. He was an unusually intelligent man, and was notable as a habitual reader. Fraternally, he was affiliated with the I.O.O.F. He attended the Methodist Episcopal Church. The maternal grandfather of William Felton was Jacob Johnson, a native of Canada, who died in Michigan at the age of ninety years. His wife, Hannah (Plats) Felton, also a native of Canada, died in Sheboygan County, Wis. at an advanced age. William Felton was reared to farm life in his native county, and there received his education in the public schools. In early manhood, he spent one winter at work in the woods of Northern Michigan. When 25 years old he went to St. Louis, and applied himself to railroading. He was in the employ of the Wabash Railroad Company until 1894, at first working successively in the freight office, as night watchman, and as locomotive fireman on the "stockyards run;" and afterwards being promoted to be engineer. In 1894, he located in Bloomington, and on February 2, 1895, began work as a locomotive engineer on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, a position which he has since continued to hold.

On December 13, 1873, Mr. Felton was united in marriage with Anna E. Bowles, who was born in Kentucky, September 9, 1851, and is a daughter of Henry and Mary (Shepard) Bowles, natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively, the birthplace of the mother being Louisville. Henry Bowles died in Kentucky, in June, 1852, his widow surviving him until December 1873. The only child resulting from their union is Mrs. Felton. Mr. and Mrs. Felton have two daughters. Maude, the elder, who graduated from the Decatur (Ill.) High School, is the wife of Harvey Broughton, of Chicago. Jessie, the younger, who married L.H. B Britton of Leroy, Ill., is a graduate of the High School at Decatur, Ill. and also of the Illinois Normal University at Bloomington. The mother and both daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and are affiliated with the order of the Eastern Star, Mrs. Felton being connected with Bloomington Lodge No. 50.

In politics, Mr. Felton is allied with the Republican party. Fraternally, he joined the A.F.& A. M. in Decatur, Ill, and is now a member of Wade Barney Lodge No. 513, of Bloomington and Bloomington Chapter No. 21 R.A.M. He has numerous friends, who value his acquaintance.