p. 893

BURTON L. CASTEEL. One of the safe and reliable banking houses of Franklin county, which has more than doubled its business during the past five years, is the State Bank of Thompsonville, the cashier of which, Burton L. Casteel, is well-known in financial circles of this section. Mr. Casteel was born January 7, 1882, in the town of Hettick, Illinois, and is a son of James P. and Arramanda (Bacon) Casteel.

James P. Casteel, Sr., the grandfather of Burton L., was born in Tennessee, and brought his family to Illinois about 1853, settling on a farm near Hettick, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1884. While still in Tennessee he had engaged in business as a millwright contractor, and had built a business that was the largest in that state, but on coming to Illinois devoted his entire attention to agricultural pursuits. His son, also named James P., was born near Knoxville, Tennessee, and was only six months old when he accompanied his parents to Macoupin county, Illinois. The family first settled near Carlinville, but during the next year moved to the property near Hettick on which Mr. Casteel was reared. He has always been engaged in farming, and is now the owner of a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of farming land, worth one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. In addition he is known all over the state as a Missionary Baptist minister, has been prominent in Sunday-school work, and attends the Sunday-school conventions all over the country. In political matters he is a Democrat, but he has never sought public preferment. He married Arramanda Bacon, whose father was a native of Tennessee and came to Macoupin county in 1853, settling on a farm on which he spent the remainder of his life.

Burton L. Casteel was educated in the schools of Oak Grove, and graduated from the Hettick high school in 1902. He then entered the National Business College, at Quincy, Illinois, and as soon as he had graduated therefrom, in 1904, came to Thompsonville and purchased stock in the State Bank, of which he has since been cashier with the exception of one year when he acted as assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Benton, Illinois. When Mr. Casteel first took up his duties with the State Bank of Thompsonville it was capitalized at only

p. 894

$10,000, but on May 4, 1910, it was reorganized as a state institution, and was capitalized at $25,000. It now has a surplus of $2,500, and undivided profits of $1,600, while the average annual deposits are $80,000. Mr. Casteel's position as cashier of this institution has enabled him in many ways to assist in bringing forward matters that will prove of benefit to his community, and he has interested himself in Republican political affairs, although never as a candidate for public office. One of the most popular members of the Lodge and Chapter of Masonry, as well as the Elks and Odd Fellows, he also has a wide circle of friends in his business and private life. He has invested to some extent in real estate, and is now the owner of an excellent farm in Missouri.

On April 28, 1910, Mr. Casteel was married to Miss Jennie L. Antrim, daughter of Alexander Antrim, of Decatur, Illinois, who died in 1908, a wealthy merchant and stockman and highly esteemed citizen. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Casteel, Leanor. Mr. Casteel is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, Thompsonville, while his wife holds membership in the Christian church, and belongs to the congregation at Decatur.