History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 189
To Mr. and Mrs. George three children were born : Warren
P.,
April 16, 1892; Myrtle M., born Tebruary 2, 1894, the wife of
Harry Edgingtou; and Ada I, born March 16, 1898. Mr. (Jeorge
passed away October 13, 1907, leaving a widow and three children
to mourn his death. He found his last resting place in the Ashton
cemetery. He was well liked in his connnunity and stood high in
the confidence of his friends and neighbors. His wife still owns
the farm, which she actively operates. Mr. George was a mem-
ber of the Church of the Bi'ethren, to which his widow also belongs.
She is a lady of good education and before her marriage
taught school for some time. Mr. George was one of those men
who always interested himself in anything that made for progress
and advancement and by his life labors contributed toward raising
moral, material and intellectual standards iu the section which he
called his home.
JAMES W. WATTS.
James W. Watts, one of the distinguished members of the
Lee county bar, has been engaged in general practice at Dixon
since 1886. A large and representative clientage has always been
accorded him and in addition to his work as advocate and counselor
he has become widely knovpn as an educator, having been
dean of the law department of Dixon College since June 10, 1889,
while in May, 1913, he in connection with a number of students,
organized the James W. Watts College of Law.
Born in 1850 in Terre Haute. Indiana, Mr. Watts was but
two years of age when his parents removed from that state to
Illinois. Settlement was made in Lafayette township, Ogle county,
in 1853. and there James W. Watts remained until he reached
early manhood, his education being acquired in the public schools.
He was reared to farm life and eai-ly became familiar with all of
the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. In
1869 he began teaching, following this occupation for three years
in the country schools of Lee county, and iu 1872 he went to Ash-
ton, where he remained as a student until the fall of 1 874. He de-
sired to leave the schoolroom for professional activity, however,
and at that time entered the law department of the University of
Michigan, from which he was graduated on the 30th of March,
1876. He applied himself assiduously to the mastery of the prin-