JUDGE JOSEPH A. PHELPS
Page 22

Who has been intimately connected with events in the early history of Mason county, was born in Logan county, Kentucky, in February, 1807, near Russelville. His father was a native of Lincoln county, North Carolina, his mother was from Richmond, Virginia, and both were pioneers in Kentucky. The family consisted of ten children-the subject of this sketch was the fourth, and only five others are now living. He was raised as a farmer and learned also the bricklayers trade, but did not work much at it. At the age of twenty-five he was married to Miss Mary Finch, and the young couple immediately left Kentucky to carve out their fortunes in the Prairie State, with little in their favor excepting stout hands and courageous hearts. His first stopping place was at Princeton, then in Morgan county. He worked here for Jacob Bergen and Jno. Epler, in ordinary farm labor, and also taught one term of school, but the latter occupation did not suit his active and enterprising disposition, and he refused subsequent offers to engage again as teacher. Like Mr. Lincoln, he was an adept at rail-splitting and excelled in all the hardy toil of frontier life. In the fall of 1840 he crossed the Sangamon river into Menard county, and when Mason county was set off, April 5, 1841, young Phelps, who had by that time become acquainted and a favorite with the settlers, presented himself as candidate for county clerk and was elected. He was afterwards appointed circuit clerk by Judge Treat. He was elected county clerk twice after this, but was once beaten, owing to a question of county seat, in which he was interested for the town of Bath against Havana. He was next elected associate justice and afterwards county judge. Then he moved on a farm that he owned in Salt Creek township, and was justice of the peace and supervisor. His next and last move was to Mason city in 1869, where we find him now at his desk, always engrossed in business, for he is a justice of the peace and notary public, and has a large amount of collecting and conveyancing to do. He is still living with the wife of his youth and they have three children, viz: Martin Tallmadge, late deputy sheriff, now in the coal trade; Oscar, residing on the Salt Creek farm; and Sallie Ann, married to Dallas Rasher, of Salt Creek township. One who has known the judge intimately for thirty years informs us that his integrity as an officer was never questioned, and though a life-long Democrat and partisan, he was never guilty of dishonorable actions in politics. He is a member of the Baptist church, in independent circumstances pecuniarily, a hale and vigorous man, with the prospect of a green old age before him.

1874 Atlas Index

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