History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

448 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
He held that position until appointed United States district judge
for the northern district of Illinois by President lioosevelt on the
18th of March, 19U5. He wore his honors with becoming modesty,
and he carefully lifted the judicial ermine above the mire of par-
tisonship. Strictly fair and impartial in his rulings, his decisions
were based upon comprehensive knowledge of the law as applicable
to the facts in litigation. He resided in Dixon throughout his
entire life and following his judicial appointment continued upon
the bench until his death, which occurred August 3, 1909.
IRA R. TITUS.
Ira R. Titus, cashier of the First National Bank, of Steward,
Illinois, was born in Richland county, Illinois, December 29, 1862,
the third son of Abraham B. Titus and Elizabeth (Chancey) Titus.
When one year old he was brought by his parents to Champaign
coimty Illinois, where he grew up on a farm about ten miles north
of Urbana. Remaining with his father until twenty-two years of
age, he in the meantime received liis education in the district
schools and a business college at Champaign and then engaged in
the mercantile business at Rantoul and continued in that business
for six years.
Then having formed a partnership with his brother, Edgar L.
Titus, in November, 1894, they purchased the elevator and agri-
culture implement business of Merritt Miller at Steward, Illinois,
Lee county, which they carried on imder the firm name of Titus
Bros, later acquiring ownership of the Steward & Henning Ele-
vator, purchased from the L. E. Birdsell Company, and for the
next eighteen months carried on an extensive grain, coal and lumber
business. In the fall of 1902 they sold out the Steward & Henning
Elevator and their lumber business, but still retained the
o^vnership of the elevator first purchased. On January 1,
3903, in connection with a number of the leading business men of
Steward, the Titus brothers organized the First National Bank
of Steward, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars,
of which Ira R. Titus is at present (1914) the cashier, and his
brother, Edgar L. Titus, the president—the Titus brothers being
owners of the controlling interest.
On May 21, 1889, Mr. Titus was married at Rantoul. Illinois, to