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William C. Pearce, farmer, born in 1840 in Gallatin (now Saline) County, the fourth of nine children (five deceased) of Richard and Eliza Pearce, both born in North Carolina in 1811 and 1810 respectively, the former of Irish stock. They were reared and married in their native State, and soon went to Tennessee, thence to near Equality where they remained until our subject was nearly four years old, when they moved to Benton, and three years later to his farm near there. After considerable moving about he died in 1874 at his son's (James J.) in 1888,

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where the mother still lives. With a common education our subject left home at twenty-two and enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Tenth Illinois Infantry, afterward Company C, and was honorably discharged at Chicago in June, 1865. He was a teamster, and soon returned and became farm overseer for R. Richeson. In 1868 he married Emeline T., daughter of Elder E. T. and Nancy (Clark) Webb, born in 1844 in Franklin County. Their children are Drusilla, Lulu, John, Quincy, Elijah, Jarvis and Jesse, and two infant daughters deceased. He moved about several years until in 1874 he located on his present farm. In spite of adverse circumstances and early poverty, he now owns a good farm of 126 acres, 100 of which are cleared, well improved and cultivated. He is a Democrat, and first voted for Seymour. He and his wife are members of the Primitive Baptist Church.