History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

192 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
has been an active and well sj^ent life and lie has already made a
record in mercantile circles that many an older business man
might well envy. He has always lived in this section and his
friends are many, all who know him esteeming him for his ster-
ling worth.
WILLIAM P. LONG.
The consensus of public opinion places William P. Long among
the leading and representative citizens of Amboy, where he is engaged
in the live-stock business with stock yards near the Chicago,
Burlingion & Quincy Railroad. He has here been located since
1906, and is a well known factor in the business circles of this part
of the county. For almost sixty years Mr. Long has resided in Lee
county, having been bronght to the west duiing his infancy. He
was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1852, and
comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry, his parents being James L. and
Margaret J. (Blair) Long. The father brought his family to Lee
county ill 1854, settling on a farm in Sublette township, wdien the
land could be purchased at a dollar and a quartei- per acre. The
price indicates its condition, not a furiow having been turned or
an impio^eiiieut made upon the tracts which could be bought at
that price. Mr. Long, however, soon converted his farm into rich
and productive fields and became known as one of the prominent
men of his county. He took an active interest in all measures relating
to the pulilic good and his labors were far-reaching and
beneficial. At the time of the Civil war he aided in soliciting for
bounty. He died in 1871 at the ago of forty-five years and was
buried in the Peterson graveyard in Sublette township. The
mother now resides with her son. William, at the advanced age of
eighty-three years. It was Avliile assisting a friend to drive hogs
into a car on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad that Mr.
Long fell between the cars and Avas killed. In his death the community
lost one of its worthy and representative citizens, who is
yet remembered by the older settlers.
Tln-ongh much of the period of his boyhood and youth William
P. Ijong spent the winter seasons attending the district schools and
throughout the remainder of the year he assisted in the farm work.
Beinc: the onlv son of the fnmilv. he took chartje of the farm fol-