Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Montgomery County Alexander T. Strange Editor Munsell Publishing Co, Chicago 1918 Bliss, Charles W. Among the representative men of Montgomery County no one has a wider acquaintance nor more solid reputation than Charles W. bliss, who is editor and publisher of the Montgomery News, one of the leading journals of the state. Mr. bliss was born in Fillmore township, Montgomery county, January 8, 1846. His parents were Rev. Alfred and Direxia (Haines) (Knowles) Bliss. The father was born at Bradford, Vt., and the mother at Piermont, N.H.. To them were born eight children, as follows: Eliza A., deceased, who was the wife of James S. Moody, also deceased; Celecta J., who is the wife of E. C. De vore, a lawyer at Carthage, Mo., where they died; George Alfred, who died at Nokomis, Ill., Alice D., deceased, who was the wife of Lyman C. Allen, a banker living in Fillmore Township; Charles W.; Ellen J., who is the widow of John C. White, formerly of Effingham; and two who died in infancy. Rev Alfred Bliss was reared in Vermont. He was married in New Hampshire and a few years afterward came to Illinois, in 1838, and engaged in farming in Fillmore Township, Montgomery county, until forty-five years old. He had purchased several hundred acres of land and for three years afterward managed to break forty and fenced it with rails, his helper being a boy whom he and his wife had taken to raise. He lived at that place until 1860, when he entered the itinerant ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At first he had to travel over long circuits, but later had charge of many churches of importance. When his time for superannuation came on he bought a piece of property at Effingham, Ill., and there he died in 1899, when aged eighty-eight years. At one time he was one of the three county commissioners of Montgomery county. His wife, born in 1809, died in 1894, aged eighty-five years. The paternal grandfather of Charles W. Bliss was Deacon Solomon Bliss, a leading member of the old Covenanter Church. both he and his wife were natives of Vermont and they both died in New England. Remembered members of their family were: Jerusha, Helen, Celecta, and Alfred. the maternal grandfather of Charles W. Bliss was Joseph Knowles, a native of New Hampshire who came to Illinois in 1838 and became a farmer in Fillmore Township, Montgomery county. The children of Joseph Knowles and his wife were Direxia, who was the wife of Alfred Bliss; Hannah J., deceased, who was the wife of Martin Bost; Harriet, who is deceased, was the wife of Gideon Richmond; John H., who died on his farm in Fillmore township; George, who is deceased, and Joseph, who was a resident of Chicago. In their day and communities all these people were useful and upright. Charles W. Bliss was reared on his father's farm and attended the county schools until prepared for college, when he entered McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill., and in 1869 was graduated from the classics department there with the degree of A.B. and subsequently the degree of A.M. was conferred on him. for two years Mr. Bliss taught school and then went to Edwardsville and engaged in the study of law until prepared for his examinations, and he was admitted to the bar. In 1871 he came to Hillsboro and practiced law in this city until 1892, in which year he bought the Montgomery News. Mr. Bliss was acknowledged to be an able lawyer, but journalism would have lost one particularly well suited for the editorial chair and for public life, had he continued in the law. For a number of years he has been a very important factor in state Democratic politics. In 1896 he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that nominated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency. He was sent also as a delegate to the Baltimore Democratic Convention that first nominated Woodrow Wilson, and once more was selected as a delegate and in the St. Louis Democratic National Convention in 1916, assisted in renominating Mr. Wilson. Mr. Bliss was married October 15, 1872, to Miss Elizabeth W. Phillips, a daughter of Burrell and Julia (Cole) Phillips, and they have three children: Noi Celecta, Clinton Phillips, and Marguerite. The eldest daughter is the wife of Dr. Homer A. Seymour, and they have two children: Bliss and Bernays. Clinton Phillips Bliss, the only son, is associated in the publishing business with his father. He was married to Miss Lucia M. Evans and they have three sons: Charles E., Thomas, and Robert. The younger daughter is the wife of Ben O. McLean, and they have three children: Sam, Bettie, and Jean. The Phillips family is an old one in Montgomery County and the father of Mrs. Bliss spent his entire life here. The mother of Mrs. Bliss was born in New jersey and still survives. To Mr. and Mrs. Phillips seven children were born, namesly, Noi, who is the wife of Dr. E. douglas, of Hillsboro; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Charles W. Bliss; George M.; Sidney B.; Kittie who is the wife of George Damam, of Hillsboro; Lucy, who is the wife of James McLean of Birmingham, Ala.; Harry, who is engaged in he practice of law in Chicago; and Thomas.Of the above family, Mrs. Bliss is the second oldest and was born in Butler Grove Township, Montgomery County, Ill., October 7, 1854. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Bliss were Capt. Thomas and Jane (Roberts) Phillips. Capt. Phillips was a soldier in the Black Hawk War and an early settler in Montgomery county. His children were: Jesse, Burrell, Henry, Sidney, Harriet, Parnesia and Unity. Sidney Phillips was killed in the battle of Pittsburg Landing during the Civil War. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Bliss were John S. and Mary (Pollock) Cole, who were married in New Jersey and came to Montgomery county in the early days. They had four children: Clarence, Julia A., Lucinda, and Almeda. Mrs. and Mrs. Bliss are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a trustee of the same. Fraternally he is identified with Mount Moriah Lodge F. & A. M.; Hillsboro Chapter R. A. M. and St. Omer Commandery, Knights Templar, Litchfield. In addition to the political honors previously mentioned, Mr. Bliss served Hillsboro as city attorney, was master in chancery for three terms, and probably has declined more offices than he has filled. He is prominent in other directions and for four years was president of the board of trustees of the southern Illinois Normal school located at Carbondale. He also has large agricultural interests and operates two farms in Fillmore Township aggregating 800 acres. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 12:25 PM Subject: [ILMONTGO] Illinois Historical Encyclopedia help needed > I am interested to see if any of the following names are listed. if so, I > would like to get a copy. Thank you! > > Rev. Alfred Bliss, Charles Wesley Bliss >