Peter Auten was born of Holland Dutch descent at Chili, near Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1811; attended select schools in Rochester and Geneva,
and began life as a clerk in a general store at Penfield, N. P. (New Jersey?).  He also taught school. On Oct. 13, 1836, he was married to
Lydia Chapman of Westport, Conn., who was then teaching school at Chili.
Sent by the "American Board" of the Congregational Church as missionary teachers to the Choctaw Indians, they started soon after they were
married, by sailing vessel from New York City to Cuba, and thence to New Orleans, and then up the Mississippi River by boat to the mouth of the
Arkansas. From Arkansas City they traveled as far as they could by coach and after that on horseback to the Choctaw Indian Mission.
The trip, overland was made with great difficulty and danger. They were often stuck in the mud and had to leave their baggage and send back for it.
The settlers implored them not to go farther, fearing the dangers of the wilderness and of the Indians, and it was only at fabulous prices that
horses and men could be obtained for the journey.

Finally reaching the Choctaw Mission, Mr. Auten taught among the Indians for two years.
There were three divisions of the Choctaw nation, one of  which had never consented to allow Government schools in its territory. 
Mr. Auten was employed by the United States Government to negotiate a treaty with the chief of this division, looking to the establishment of
schools. In this others had failed, but Mr. Auten was successful partly, perhaps wholly, on account of the high personal regard in which he was
held by the chief. The chief was very grateful for medical aid given his wife. He took up with the idea of the schools, honored Mr. Auten at the
Indian "Pole Pullings" and other public occasions, often protected him, and the Indians made a pet of baby Lemuel. They would borrow the baby,
take him away and bring him back dressed in Indian baby clothes, and decorated with beads. The government sent Mr. Auten $500 in special
appreciation of his services.

Unable to endure the climate after a serious illness, Mr. Auten left, with his wife, and came to Radnor Township, Peoria County, in 1838 or
early in 1839. He moved to Princeville, teaching school the winter of  1840-41. He lived in a log cabin just southwest of the corner of the
original village plat (West of the Misses Edwards' present residence, the cabin later moved directly East of the Misses Edwards'); the school
house was the old log one so famous in early Princeville history. Moving back to Radnor Township he farmed there until 1849, when he again took
up his residence in Princeville, to continue until his death Feb. 7, 1904. He bought the Samuel Alexander house, one of the oldest frame
dwellings in the village (northeast comer of Block 13, facing west side of the public square), which he occupied until 1887, then moving across
the street, to his last residence on the southwest corner of Block 8, fronting the north side of the square.

In Radnor he was school treasurer 1842-50, he having made the first set of treasurer's books. In Princeville Township he was Commissioner of
Highways 1851-53, Moderator Town meetings 1852, 53 and 56, Justice of  the Peace 1854-58, Overseer of Road District 1857-58 and 1859-61,
Town Clerk 1859-63. He was of a committee of five appointed at town meeting 1867 to circulate a petition to raise money to refund to soldiers their
taxes paid toward the bounty fund.

For a number of years after moving to Princeville Mr. Auten was actively engaged in farming on land one or two miles out from town. He always did
a great deal of writing for other people, especially during and after war times.

In 1872, at an age when many men consider themselves old, he started in the banking business to remain in it actively for twenty-five years, and
still able to walk to and from the bank after a period of thirty years had elapsed. His first partner, George W. Alter, was fast failing in
health before the close of the year 1872, and the firm name of Auten & Alter was changed to be Auten & Auten. Mr. Auten's son Edward was the
new partner, in place of Mr. Alter, and the partnership and firm name remained the same until the senior partner's death in 1904. The business
has grown, and a branch bank was established at Monica in 1893, the firm now (1915) consisting of three of Mr. Peter Auten's grandsons.

Beginning with his first school in New York state, continuing through his years with the Indians, and all through his later life, Mr. Auten
was of a decided missionary and philanthropic character. When teaching his first school he got nearly the entire district to sign the
temperance pledge, something difficult in those days, and was instrumental in having seventy of his pupils and young people join the
church. It was as a missionary teacher that he went to the Indians, and until his eightieth year he enjoyed singing hymns in the Choctaw
language. He had always been active in temperance and in church and Sunday School work, both in the village and going out into the country.
Mrs. Auten was always his equal helper, and they both assisted their neighbors in spiritual, intellectual and material ways. Mrs. Auten at
times taught school in her own home, and she is remembered by many even yet for her kind deeds.
Her life span extended from March 4, 1807, to April 11, 1891.

Mr. Auten was in many ways the mainstay of his family, that is of all his uncles and cousins who came west, and his mother and sister. He was
liberal to them, as also he was to his own children and grandchildren. He not only favored the right and the just, but stood positively for right
and justice at all times. He was a part of the building up of Princeville and many strong men of the community often spoke of him as one to
whom they owed their success; he was a helper and adviser of many people. He died Feb. 7, 1904, at the age of 92 years.

Of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Auten's seven children only three grew to maturity, Lemuel, Edward and Andrew. Hanford, born Dec. 2, 1842,
crippled by an accident, died Sept. 30, 1845. Emily Ann, born Nov. 12, 1844, lived to about the same age. Two later children, a boy and a girl,
died in infancy without being named. These four all rest in a cemetery used by all the neighbors, but still remaining in Mr. Auten's private
ownership at the time of his death, near the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 19, Radnor Township.

Andrew, born March 9, 1841, attended the public schools and Princeville Academy, and also the State Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, Center
County, Penn. When southern invasion was threatened at the breaking out of the war, he was a member of the Home Guards of Pennsylvania.
Returning to Princeville he engaged in the nursery business, furnishing many of the evergreens and other fine shade trees that now adorn the
village and surrounding country. He was married in 1863 to Alice Smith; died of typhoid fever, Oct. 4, 1864, leaving a daughter about one month
old, Tula Rose. She is now Mrs. Russell E. Chaplin, and resides at Pomona, California.

Lemuel, born on the border line, between Texas and Indian Territory, near Fort Towson, Dec. 5,1837, was educated in the public schools,
private schools at Elmwood, Henry and Farmington, Illinois, and at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. He was married April 8, 1863 to Esther R.
Cutter, a native of New Hampshire, and to them seven children were born: Edith Corney, Maria Fry, Julia Campbell, Anna and Esther of Princeville,
Andrew of Oberlin, Ohio, and Laura Tambling of Zion City, Illinois. Mr. Lemuel Auten for years helped to support the second Princeville Academy,
and invested still more money in the education of his children in college. He lived on a farm in Akron Township until 1893, then in Monica
where he had charge of Auten & Auten's branch bank for some years, and is now retired in Princeville. He held the office of Justice of the
Peace in Akron Township for one term, and frequently declined that and other offices. He held office of ruling elder in Princeville
Presbyterian Church for more than 20 years, beginning in 1870; and has held other offices in that church, as well as in the Methodist Church
which he joined soon after moving to Monica in 1893. His wife has been active with him in Church and temperance work and has also been an
active member and state officer of the W. C. T. U.

Edward was born May 27, 1839; in Radnor Township on Section 30; the cabin was close to the spring near the Northwest corner of that section.
He attended public schools, the Pendleton Seminary at Henry, Illinois, the Academy at Farmington, Ill., the old Princeville Academy, Union
College at Schenectady, N. Y., where he received degrees of A. B. in 1862 and A. M. in 1865; also Harvard Law School at Cambridge, Mass.,
where he received the degree of LL. B. in 1865. He was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts in 1865, and continued study at Harvard Law School
two years longer; was librarian of the Law School during his last three years there.

Returning to Princeville, he began the practice of law, and was married in Akron Township, May 6, 1869, to Maria Louisa Cutter.
Miss Cutter was a sister of his brother Lemuel's wife, both of the ladies having come West as "Yankee School Ma'ams,"
and being nieces of Dr. Cutter and of  Mrs. Hannah Breese. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Auten's children have been nine in number,
Benjamin C., of Carthage, Mo.; Lydia C., wife of J.E. Armstrong, Claremont, Ill.; Nellie, Peter, Sarah R., Edward Jr. and Charles H., all of Princeville, Ill.,
Hanford Louis of Kennett, Mo., and Lemuel, twin of Charles H., who died in infancy.

Entering the banking partnership with his father in 1872, Mr. Auten gave up the regular practice of law, but has always continued to be an
adviser and a holder of many trusts. He also engaged in cattle raising quite extensively at one time. He was the first Village Clerk, and has
been at different times Trustee and President of the Village of Princeville. The township office of school treasurer he held
continuously from 1880 until resigning in 1915 in favor of one of his sons.