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FRANK JOHN RADDLE.
The name of Raddle is a well known one throughout Jackson county. It is the name of one of the county's most prosperous villages, named in honor of Frank John Raddle, a man who in his long and useful career here has seen it grow into a busy commercial center and whose activities have been the medium through which it has attained its present prosperity. One of the leading business citizens of this section, he served for many years as postmaster at this point, and now, as a member of the grain and contracting firm of Raddle & McCann, he is carrying on an industry that is doing much to promote the best interests of his native community. Mr. Raddle was born at Raddle, November 29, 1862, and is a son of Thomas and Annie (Korando) Raddle, natives of Austria.

Thomas Raddle was born in Austria, December 29, 1819, and in 1854 brought his family to the United States, settling in Cape Girardeau county, Missouri, where for some years he was occupied at his trade of shoemaking. Subsequently he purchased a large tract of land in Jackson county, on the present site of the village of Raddle, and here the remainder of his life was spent in agricultural pursuits. He and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom three are now living: William, who makes his home in the state of Arkansas; and Mrs. Mary Lester and Frank John Raddle, who are twins. The mother of these children died in 1870, at the age of forty-four years, and her husband survived her until December 2, 1908.

Frank John Raddle was reared to agricultural pursuits, and followed farming as a vocation until he was twenty-two years of age, at which time he decided to enter the mercantile field. Establishing himself in business with a little stock of groceries and ammunition valued at $150, he so conducted his affairs that it rapidly grew to be a business worth $5,000, and supplied a large trade all over this section of the county. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster at Raddle, which had been named in his honor, and he continued to hold that office for twenty consecutive years, or until he sold the store, since which time he has been engaged in the grain and tie contracting business with his brother-in-law, Charles McCann, and is at present handling large contracts for the Illinois division of the Iron Mountain Railroad. He is the owner of most of the land, comprising several thousand acres, surrounding Raddle, and in addition owns considerable property at Herrin, including a number of

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store buildings. He has been road commissioner and is at present levee commissioner, offices to which he was elected on the Republican ticket, the party of his choice and that of his father, and to which he has always given his allegiance. He has proven as competent an official as he has been an able business man.

On January 4, 1897, Mr. Raddle was married to Miss Mollie McCann, the daughter of James McCann, of Grand Tower, Illinois, and three children were born to this union, all of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Raddle are members of the Catholic church, and he holds membership in the Knights of Columbus, and is also identified with the local lodge of Elks. As a citizen Mr. Raddle has ever taken a lively interest in every enterprise calculated to build up his native city and county, and few men have a wider circle of friends and acquaintances throughout this part of the state.