Henry W. TIDMARSH owns and occupies a beautiful home that stands in the midst of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 30, Roberts township, Marshall county, in addition to which he has one hundred and sixty acres in Richland township, so that his landed possessions aggregate four hundred acres, all in this county. He was born in 1863 in a log cabin which stood on the Jesse BANE farm in Roberts township and has spent his entire life in this locality.
He is a son of Abel TIDMARSH, who was born in Wiltshire, England, December 27, 1821, and who died October 25, 1898. The father was one of seven children of Richard and Sarah (WOODHAM) TIDMARSH, who spent their entire lives in England. In the land of his nativity Abel TIDMARSH was reared and from an early age his life was one of toil. When but seven years of age he began working to help his mother and subsequently followed teaming for many years and also worked at other occupations that would yield him an honest living. He was married January 12, 1845, to Miss Elizabeth WITTS, a native of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, born January 31, 1822. Her parents, Seth and Barbara (HOWELL) WITTS, also spent their entire lives in England. Unto Mr. and Mrs. TIDMARSH were born four children: Sarah Ellen, the wife of Sampson ROWE, of Whitefield township, Marshall county; Emma W., the wife of John WETZEL, of Roberts township; Clara, the wife of John B. MARTIN of the same township; and Henry, of this review.
The year 1855 witnessed the emigration of Abel TIDMARSH and his family to America, at which time he became a resident of Whitefield township, Marshall county, Illinois. After being employed for one season in a brickyard he purchased the plant, which he operated for four years, and in 1860 he rented a farm from Jesse BANE in Roberts township. Six years later he purchased a farm in the same township and in 1879 he replaced his log house by a commodious frame residence. He also made excellent improvements upon his land and added to the property until he became owner of four hundred and four acres, constituting a valuable farm. When he arrived in this country he had a cash capital of only seventy-five cents and at the time of his death he was numbered among the men of affluence in Marshall county. He voted with the democracy and filled the office of school director. He survived his wife for about two years, her death occurring June 13, 1896. She was a member of the Church of England.
Henry W. TIDMARSH, reared under the parental roof, early became familiar with the work of field and meadow and his boyhood days were largely devoted to earnest and unremitting work. He continued to engage in farming upon his fathers place until 1897. In the meantime he attended school at Shaw's Point and at Varna, and thus acquired his education. As the years passed he has prospered in his undertakings and his landed holdings now embrace four hundred acres in Marshall county, of which two hundred and forty acres is comprised in the home farm on section 30, Roberts township. He also has one hundred and sixty acres in Richland township. His home place is splendidly improved and in its midst stands a beautiful and commodious modern residence, together with large and substantial barns an outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock.
In 1887 Mr. TIDMARSH was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth MILLER, who was born in Lacon in 1868 and is a daughter of Robert and Anna MILLER, who are now deceased. She was educated in the schools of Lacon, of Roanoke and of Washburn, Illinois, and by her marriage has become the mother of five children: Robert, born September 20, 1889; Edwin M., March 10, 1892; Ellen Marie, July 18, 1894; Irlene May, August 21, 1899; and Virgil Ray, March 19, 1904. All are still under the parental roof. Mr. TIDMARSH is well known in the county where his entire life has been passed and where he has so directed his labors as to win a place among the farmers of affluence, also gaining recognition among those whose lives of business integrity command the highest respect.
Extracted June 2011 by Norma Hass from
Past and Present of Marshall and Putnam Counties
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
 |
La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
