GEORGE A. SANDERS, A.B., occupies a position of prominence among the attorneys of Springfield. He is a member of the law firm of Sanders & Bowers, with office over the First National Bank. They have a good general practice and make a specialty of municipal bond litigation, corporation and railway cases.
Mr. Sanders comes of good old Massachusetts stock, and is himself a native of the Bay State, born in Williamstown, July 4, 1836. His parents, Anthony and Celinda B. (Brown) Sanders, were among the early settlers of that beautiful town, where his father was engaged as a farmer during his life. Our subject received fine educational advantages and was graduated with honor from Williams College in the class of '61, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa College Society.
After leaving college Mr. Sanders came to Illinois as he considered this State offered a broader field of action for young men of ambition, education and enterprise than the older States. He arrived at Centralia in the month of September, 1861, and during the ensuing two years had charge of the city schools there. He intended to enter the legal profession and devoted his leisure time to reading law and afterwards studied with Swett & Orm of Bloomington. He successfully passed examination and was admitted to the bar in 1863. He opened an office at Centralia, Ill., having for a partner Richard S. Nelson, under the firm name of Nelson & Sanders, and subsequently he was associated with Gen. E. M. Bates under the firm name of Bates & Sanders. They continued together till 1870, when Gen Bates was elected State Treasurer, and our subject was appointed his first assistant. He served four years with Gen. Bates and for two years was First Assistant Treasurer under Edward Rutz.
After Mr. Sanders left the Treasury Department he established himself in this city in his profession and had at different times several attorneys in partnership in the practice of law. He was with Mr. Williams under the firm name of Sanders & Williams, with Mr. Haynes as Sanders & Haynes, and finally entered into his present partnership with Mr. Bowers. They enjoy a good reputation as lawyers of learning and skill, have their full share of clients and have had a large practice in the United States Circuit and Supreme Courts.
To the lady who presides so gracefully over his home and assists him in making it attractive to their many friends, Mr. Sanders was united in marriage November 16, 1865. Mrs. Sanders' maiden name was Antoinette C. Lee. She was born in Fulton, Oswego County, N.Y., and is a daughter of the Hon. M. L. Lee. Her marriage with our subject has been blessed to them by the birth of five children, only one - Effie S. - now living.
Mr. Sanders is well known in political circles of this state, having taken a very active part in politics and being one of the noted speakers of his party. He is a great worker in every campaign, and has made many speeches in various parts of Illinois. He is prominent in the councils of the Republican party and was a Grant Elector in 1872. While a resident of Centralia he was for some years City Attorney. He and his amiable wife are among the leading members of the First Congregational Church, in which he has filled various offices, and they are always among the foremost in pushing forward every good work.
As a prominent representative, not only of the bar, but also of the citizenship of Springfield, we are pleased to present a lithographic portrait of Mr. Sanders on another page.