History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

164 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
the direction of his brother B. H. Trusdell. Ou the 7th of Feb-
ruary, 181)7, he arrived in Dixon and, having quaiihed for practice,
opened a law office. Along with those qualities indispensable to
the lawyer—a keen, rapid, logical mind, plus the business sense and
a ready capacity for hard work—he brought to the starting point
of his career certain rare gifts—eloquence of language and a strong
personality. The zeal with which he has devoted his energies to
the profession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his
clients and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details
of his cases have brought him a large business and made him very
successful in its conduct. Moreover, Mr. Trusdell has become
identified with various corporations, having been one of the or-
ganizers of the Dixon Water Company, of which he is now the
president, and he is also president of the Nachusa House Company.
He is likewise a director of the Dixon National Bank and
in all business matters his judgment is sound, his sagacity keen
and his enterprise unfaltering.
Mr. Trusdell was married, on the 5th of December, 1871, to
Miss Emma Ruth Orvis, of Dixon, a daughter of Abraham Or^ds,
formerly a practicing physician of Rochester, New York. Mr.
Trusdell is a member of the Episcopal church and his fraternal
relations are with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
Throughout the county he is spoken of in terms of admiration and
respect. His life has been so varied in its activity, so honorable in
its purposes, so far-reaching and beneficial in its effects that it has
become an integral part of the history of the city.
WILLIAM C. McWETHY. D. D. S.
Dr. William C. McWethy, who since March, 1909, has engaged
in the practice of dentistry in Dixon, his nati^'e city, was born
in 187] , his parents being J. H. and Hattie E. (Sheldon) McWethy,
who had been residents of this state for a decade at the time of
the birth of their son William. The father was a farmer bv occu-
pation and dependent i;pon that pursuit in order to provide for
his family. In his later life ho retired, for in tilling the soil he
had won a substantial competence that enaliled him to spend the
evening of his life in rest fi'om labor and yet enjoy all of the com-
forts and some of the luxuric^s which go to make life worth the
living. His political support was given to the republican party