WESLEY COUNCIL, grain dealer, Williamsville, was born in Fancy Creek township, November 21, 1824; he is the son of Hardy and Jane (Hanna) Council, born in North Carolina, 1795, and Kentucky, 1797, respectively. They were married in White County, Illinois, in the spring of 1819, and settled in Fancy Creek township, Sangamon county, the same year; had seven children who lived to be adults; one lately died; the living are John H., Wesley, Wm. F., George W.; Robert died this fall. Mr. Hardy Council, father of Wesley Council, took quite an interest in fine stock, and kept some of the best in the county, and took the premium on Short Horn Durhams, at the Sangamon County Fair, 1837. Mr. Wesley Council's education was received in the old time schools in his early life, and the work at home prevented his attending school regularly, and his education was obtained outside the school by his own personal efforts; he took the control of his father's saw mill, the first portable saw mill in this region, which he managed for five years; this mill was established by his father in 1849, and did the sawing for a large area of the country. Mr. Council remained at home until his marriage, April 14, 1853, to Martha A. Wigginton, and by this union had thirteen children, of whom four are living, viz: John W., Willie H., Nellie and Bessie. January 1, 1857, Mr. Council moved to Williamsville, and soon after began the grain business, acting as agent for Samuel N. Fullinwider; before the close of the year 1857, he engaged in the same business for himself, in which he is still engaged. Mr. Council has one of the best elevators of its capacity on the Chicago and Alton Railroad; all of its machinery and apparatus for unloading and carriage of grain to their respective departments are of first class modern improvements, thus rendering it convenient for receiving and shipping grain. Its spouting capacity is fifteen thousand bushels; crib room for ear corn, four thousand bushels. He an dump, shell and ship five thousand bushel per day. In 1863, he bought out Carlin Buffum, who was dealing in grain and lumber in Williamsville, and has ever since carried on the lumber business also. He has two elevators in the building - one for corn on the ear and the other for wheat, oats, rye and shelled corn; Mr. Council handles two hundred thousand bushels of grain each year; has a mill in the elevator which will grind fifty bushels of meal or sixty bushels of feed per hour; the engine is of thirty five horse power; the original cost of the building is $10,000, erected by him in 1877; in connection with the grain business Mr. Council deals in lumber and agricultural implements. He was the first president of the board of town trustees of Williamsville, Illinois, and has held the office of police magistrate, and now holds the office; he is also president of the Williamsville Protection Association. Mrs. Council is of a family of eleven children, viz: William, Samuel, Andrew, James, John, Eliza, Dollie, Martha, Mary, Elizabeth A. and Nancy E., of whom only four are living. Mr. and Mrs. Council identified themselves with the Methodist church in the early years of their life, and are zealous believers and livers of their early religious faith.