Charles Langford Sketch

Below is a sketch or profile of Charles Langford who was Oscar Langford's brother.

Whiteside County IL Archives Biographies.....Langford, Charles E
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 January 31, 2008, 2:26 am

Author: Portrait/Bio Album, Whiteside County IL 1885

Charles E. Langford, President of the Langford & Hall Lumber Company, of Fulton, Ill., and the pioneer lumberman of this city, established himself in this business at Fulton in 1859. He began by running lumber across the river from Lyons. He next leased a saw-mill just above town, which he operated till 1862, when he built a small mill on the site of his present one. He operated the first mill till 1876, when he moved it off, and built the present extensive concern. The mill was begun in 1876 and completed in 1877. The Langford & Hall Lumber Company was incorporated Jan. 26, 1878, with a capital stock of $75,000, all of which is paid up. The mill has a cutting capacity of 75,000 feet per day, and, when running a full force, 130 men are employed ten hours a day. The company carries an average stock of 7,000,000 feet of lumber. It was inventoried Jan. 1, 1885, at a net value of $97,181. Mr. Langford was elected President and Treasurer at the organization of the company, and held the office for several years. Mr. George S. Sardam is the present efficient Secretary. Mr. Langford holds half the company stock, while the balance is divided between the heirs of Warren P. Hall and others. Mr. Langford was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Dec. 14, 1816, and is the son of Charles and Fannie (Mansfield) Langford. His parents were natives of New York: his father was
born in Genesee, and his mother in Oneida County. When two years of age Charles removed with his parents to Upper Canada, to St. John's. Seven years later they went to Northern Ohio, where they resided till 1829, when they changed to Erie Co., Pa. At the age of 14 years Charles bought his time of his father, who was a carder and clothier, and began life for himself. He had learned the carding business, at which he worked till the fall of 1836, when he started out to seek his fortune. He traveled South as far as New Orleans, and the following June (1837) he came up the Mississippi River to Lyons, Iowa.
He made a claim on unsurveyed land between Lyons and Sabula before the Indians were removed. His experience while a squatter is well worth relating. He built a log shanty, and hired five acres broken, which he planted to sod corn. He soon after bought a pair of old oxen on time; then, having a chance to exchange one of his oxen for breaking, he did so, and added nine acres to his plowed land, and paid for the cattle with the proceeds of his sod corn. The following season he sowed a part of his land, with wheat and planted the balance with corn. He then rigged his odd ox with an old mule's harness, with ropes tied to his horns for lines, and with this novel outfit he cultivated his corn! His wheat yielded 30 bushels to the acre, which he hauled to Chicago, and sold for 90 cents a bushel.

He sold his claim for a small consideration the second year, and the following winter engaged in cutting cord-wood for the boats. He sold his wood the next spring, and with the proceeds purchased a carding-machine at St. Louis, which he set up the following July, on a little water power on Elk River, between Sabula and Lyons. He built a dam and a small mill and began business as a carder. As many of the old settlers kept a few sheep and used the old-fashioned spinning wheels, he found plenty to do. He continued that business about five or six years, when he sold out. He then purchased a tract of land in Clinton Co., Iowa, where he engaged in farming. In 1852 he leased a small water-power saw-mill, on Elk River, above Lyons, which he subsequently bought. He operated that mill only a short time, when he sold out and resumed farming. In 1856 he retired from the farm and located at Lyons. Soon after the financial storm of 1857 he leased what was known as the Stambaugh Saw-Mill at Lyons—since burned—which he operated till 1859, when he leased the mill on the Fulton side of the river, above town.

In 1862 he built the small steam mill on the site of his present mill, as before mentioned. He is still the owner of 500 acres of his old farm in Clinton Co., Iowa. Mr. Langford has, by the exercise of good judgment and untiring energy, developed an important and extensive business. He is a fair type of the self-made Western man, starting as he did at the age of 14 years, buying his time of his father, and going out into the battle of life with only his bare hands, shrewd judgment and indomitable will to back him. His marked success has been won after many a hard struggle against discouraging circumstances. Mr. Langford has been twice married: first in Pennsylvania, to Miss Hannah Shadduck, in 1836. His second wife was Miss Maria Sherman, to whom he was married in Fulton, Ill., June 18, 1874. He had seven children by his first marriage, three sons and four daughters; by his second marriage he has one daughter. Mr. Langford was a Whig in early life, and since the organization of the Republican party he has voted that ticket.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois, Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the County. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1885.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/whiteside/bios/langford2259nbs.txt