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WILLIAM POWEL THAYER - The effort to obtain and arrange the genealogy of the Thayer family has been attended with great labor and research. The work was assigned to General B. Thayer, of Mexico, New York, and his labors have resulted in almost complete success. While we can only treat directly with the family in question, we will give a hasty sketch of the brothers Thayer, who first landed on our American shores, and to whom all bearing the name, as far as is known, owe their origin. There were two brothers _ Richard and Thomas, who settled in Massachusetts. The exact time of their arrival is now known, but supposed to be about 1630. Thomas was found to have lands in 1636, and Richard in 1640. William Powell Thayer, Sr., to whom we propose directly to confine our attention, was born in Petersburg, Virginia, March 15, 1815. His father, Martin Thayer, was a native of Amherst, Massachusetts, and when a young man, located in Petersburg, Virginia, when, August 4, 1814, he married Mrs. Mary C. Mason, whose maiden name was Russell. Mrs. Thayer died January 17, 1821. Mr. Thayer closed his business and returned to Amhurst, where William, when of suitable age, was placed in a classical school, where he remained until 1830. He was then placed as clerk in a dry goods store, in New York.

In the year 1831, he engaged, with his father, in a dry goods business, in Philadelphia. In 1835, he went to Newville, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and began his first business for himself. He was then married, January 4, 1837, to Miss Mary Houston, she then being twenty years of age. Mr. Thayer closed out his business then, and on January 31, 1838, with his wife, an infant son, a few months old, and a servant girl, he set out for Illinois. He had fitted up a two horse wagon, with close top, with windows on sides, and a stove. Thus they were enabled to keep warm, and to see the country as they passed. The season selected for the journey was, perhaps, the most inclement of the year. After six weeks' tedious travel, with many narrow escapes, from icy roads, and rapid streams, they reached Springfield, March 13, 1838. The roads were so bad that they came near sticking fast, near th southeast corner of Court House Square, the wheels of their wagon sinking to the axles in the mud. He immediately settled on his farm of three hundred and twenty acres, near the present village of Chatham. A few years of privations sufficed to place them in fine circumstances. He soon entered upon sheep raising, often having three thousand at a time. This business he followed, most successfully, for nearly twenty_five years. During this time, he gave his children a good business of life. In 1863, he retired from his farm to his pleasant home in the village of Chatham, where he has since engaged in no active business, only looking after his large interests, many of which are very efficiently managed by his sons.

Mrs. M. H. Thayer, after some years of ill health, died June 10, 1872. On December 31, 1873, Mr. Thayer married Elizabeth Dresser, daughter of Rev. Charles Dresser, D.D., of Springfield.

Of children, James H., was born September 19, 1837, in Pennsylvania, and died July 25, 1861, in Springfield, Illinois; Sarah F., born September 2, 1839, married October 14, 1857, Thomas P. Boone, of Kentucky, a relative of Daniel Boone, of early Kentucky history, lives in Springfield; Martin R., born February 27, 1842, married Hattie Melvin, a lady from Pennsylvania, September 19, 1867. Martin R. is now managing proprietor of Chatham Flouring Mills, of which his father and himself are proprietors.

William P., Jr., born January 10, 1846, married Mollie E. Patton, of Paris, Illinois, June 26, 1873. He is proprietor of a flouring mill at Springfield.

Archie T., born October 17, 1849, married Maggie Ricks, May 1, 1878; drug business at Lovington, Moultrie county, Illinois.

Edward R. born September 21, 1850, is in very successful drug business at Chatham. Ed. Is at present member of the Board of Supervisors, on his second term.

Dollie, born March 23, 1853, married Joseph Hudson, Agent of C. & A. Railroad at Lincoln, September, 1873.