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EDWARD DAY , the subject of this sketch, is living on a fine farm of two hundred and seventy-seven acres on sections 26 and 27, Gardner Township, and was born on his father's farm in this neighborhood April 2, 1863. He is descended from one of the early New England families. His grandfather, Robert Day, was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, and engaged as a traveling salesman for a well-known clock company, his route being between Massachusetts and Louisiana. He married Clarissa Dash in Louisiana and settled in that State. After his death his widow removed with her family to Springfield, Ill. The father of our subject, William Day, was then a lad of fourteen years. He was born in Franklin Parish, La., and in the days of his early manhood worked as a farm hand. During the war he bought horses for the Government and in 1864 he drove across the plains to California, where among the mountains he engaged in trading. Quite an adventure befell him on the way and almost miraculously he escaped with his life. The Indians attacked the party and seven balls were buried in his flesh. His horse was also wounded in the leg and came limping into camp. The men of the party carried Mr. Day to shelter but his wounds were of such a serious nature that it seemed impossible that he could recover. In fact, he was once given up for dead, but reviving, he at length came slowly back to health. He spent seven years on the Pacific Slope and then returned to his home in Springfield, where he engaged in teaming. Later he followed farming in Springfield Township, and in 1877 removed to Macon, where he resumed that occupation.

William Day was united in marriage with Elizabeth Gregory who was born in Gardner Township. The Gregory family is of English extraction. Her father, George Gregory, was born in Ripley, Derbyshire, England, January 7, 1808, and his father, Benjamin, spent his entire life in that country. By occupation, George Gregory was an engineer. In March, 1832, emigrating to America, he located in Philadelphia, Pa., and ran the first train between that city and Lancaster. Fourteen months later he returned to England but found that in the meantime his family had come to America and he then again crossed the Atlantic to Philadelphia. He aided in unloading from English vessels, of the first five locomotives brought to America. Previous to this time the passenger trains were drawn by mules. The knowledge of engineering acquired in his native land proved of much value to him on the introduction of railroading into this country. He worked three years at that vocation and then started for the West in 1836, traveling by boat and stage to Springfield, Ill., where he purchased a shop and embarked in the blacksmith trade, which he followed for four years. Selling out, he was then employed as engineer on what is now the Toledo & Wabash Railroad for three years, with T.M. Everett as fireman. He ran the first locomotive between Jacksonville and Springfield, which entered the Capital City on the 15th of February, 1842.

Mr. Gregory was married in England, June 6, 1830, to Miss Sarah Knowles, who was born in Breckenfield, September 15, 1810, and was a daughter of John Knowles, an English farmer who died in his native land. Accompanied by a brother and two sisters, in June, 1833, Mr. Gregory boarded the sailing vessel, "Susquehanna," bound for the New World, whither she was going to join her husband. She reached Philadelphia after seven weeks and continued her travels to Illinois. In 1842, Mr. Gregory purchased the farm on which our subject now resides, then an unimproved tract of three hundred acres. After the family was comfortably settled in a log cabin he began the development of his land and in connection with its cultivation engaged quite extensively in shipping cattle. In 1871, he returned to England and visited the scenes of his childhood and the friends of his boyhood days. His death occurred on September 17, 1888. He was a Democrat in politics and died in the faith of the Methodist church. So successful was he in his business career that he became one of the largest landowners of the county, owning at one time about three thousand acres. He left to his widow, who still survives him, two hundred and seventy-seven acres in Sangamon County, and seven hundred and ten acres of excellent farming land in Macon County were deeded to his children. He was a warm personal friend of President Lincoln whom he visited in Washington during the time Mr. Lincoln was Chief Executive of the Nation. In the Gregory family were thirteen children, eight of whom grew to mature years, namely: Elizabeth, mother of our subject; Mrs. Eliza Bradley who died in Macon County, in 1884; Samuel who was killed in Macon County by being thrown violently against a stump by a runaway horse; Jacob, a farmer of Macon County; Emma, wife of George Matthews of Collinsville, Ill.; Mary, wife of B. F. Wallace of Taylorville; George who is living in Gardner Township, and Isaac, a farmer of Macon County.

Mrs. Day, mother of our subject, was reared in this county and educated by a governess. Her death occurred in Macon County, March 4, 1882. She was the mother of seven children: Edward, whose name heads this sketch; Orland S. who is living with out subject; Susan, who makes her home with her grandmother; Robert at home; George who is living with an aunt in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Arthur M. and B. Frank, deceased.

The first fourteen years of his life Edward Day spent in his native county and began his school life in the district schools of the neighborhood. His education was completed in Macon County, and he remained under the parental roof until nineteen years of age, when, on the 4th of September, 1882, he returned to Gardner Township to make his home with his grandfather Gregory, for whom he worked for two years. He then rented a portion of the farm until the death of Mr. Gregory. He is now engaged in agricultural pursuits in connection with his Uncle George, they operating one hundred and fifty acres of land on section 26, Gardner Township. Stock raising is an important branch of their business and they keep on hand excellent grades of all kinds of farm animals. Their annual shipments include from one hundred and fifty to two hundred head of hogs, and from forty to sixty head of cattle. They also own some forty-three head of horses, including a Clyde, Lord Cecil Jr., which is now five years old and weighs sixteen hundred pounds. Our subject owns forty acres of good farming land in Macon County, Ill. Mr. Day is an enterprising and progressive farmer who is making a success of his business by close application, industry, thrift and the exercise of correct business principles. Socially, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of Hope Lodge, No. 3055, F.M.B.A.; in political sentiment he is a supporter of Democratic principles.