JOSEPH McDANIEL. - Joseph McDaniel, who is now living a retired life in Buffalo, was at one time actively identified with farming interests in Buffalo Hart township, where he yet owns a well improved farm of two hundred acres pleasantly located within two miles of the village. He arrived in Sangamon county on the 17th of October, 1835, and his memory, therefore, forms a connecting link between the pioneer days and the progressive present. He is a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred in Bracken county on the 12th of December, 1830. His father was Robert McDaniel, who was born in Clark county, Kentucky, February 14, 1799. The grandfather, Robert McDaniel, formerly was a native of Pennsylvania, and fought for American independence, both he and his brother George being soldiers of the Revolutionary war. They participated in a number of battles, and were present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown.
The grandfather afterward settled in Kentucky, where Robert McDaniel Jr., grew to manhood. He was married in Bracken county, that state March 25, 1825, to Jemima Correll, whose birth occurred in Montgomery county, Kentucky, June 10, 1799. Five of their children were born in Bracken county and in the fall of 1835 the father came to Illinois, settling in Sangamon county, and the following year the family made a permanent location in Buffalo Hart township. He was a very successful farmer, and reared his family upon the old homestead on which he spent his last years. He died there in 1877, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his wife passed away in 1883. Levi McDaniel was one of the prominent farmers of buffalo hart township where he resided for a number of years, but passing away in 1902. His wife survives him, and now resides in Buffalo.
The next of the family is Joseph, of this review. Mary H., born January 24, 1833, became the wife of Nathaniel F. Matthews. Harrison McDaniel, born June 2, 1835, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, February 6, 1868, to Clarissa M. Priest. He followed farming in Buffalo Hart township, and is now deceased. Oliver McDaniel was a prominent agriculturist of the same township, but is now living retired in Buffalo.
Joseph McDaniel was reared to manhood in Sangamon county and early became familiar with the arduous task of developing a new farm. He spent his boyhood days amid the wild scenes of frontier life, and has seen wild game of various kinds in this county, including deer. Much of the land was still in its primitive condition when the family home was established here, and the most far-sighted could not have dreamed of the rapid and marvelous change which was soon to occur and work a great transformation in the appearance of central Illinois. Mr. McDaniel continued to reside on the old homestead until thirty-four years of age, and assisted his brothers in operating the farm.
In Christian county on the 16th of February, 1864, occurred the marriage of Joseph McDaniel and Miss Mary Eliza Furrow, who was born in Ohio and died in Sangamon county, April 21, 1882, her remains being interred in the Mechanicsburg cemetery. On the 24th of October, 1884, Mr. McDaniel was married in Ohio, near Pickaway, to Charlotta A. Winans, a native of that state and a daughter of William Winans, who died in her girlhood days.
After his first marriage, mr. McDaniel located on the farm that he now owns. He began to break and improve the place and later he erected a commodious and neat residence, built a barn and added many important improvements, making a valuable farm of two hundred acres of rich and arable land. He has divided the place into fields of convenient size by well kept fences, including three miles of trimmed hedge, and he has four miles of tiling upon this property. In connection with the tilling of the soil he has engaged in the raising of good shorthorn cattle, horses, mules and hogs, making a business of feeding stock for the market. He continued his active farming operations until 1893, when he rented his land and purchased a residence property in buffalo, where he now has a neat and attractive home.
Politically mr. McDaniel is a stanch Democrat of the old Jeffersonian school, and has voted the straight ticket without a scratch. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as steward for fifty-two years, and he has never missed but two quarterly meetings throughout that entire time. He was formerly very active in Sunday-school work and served as superintendent. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the blue lodge and chapter at Dawson and of the latter he served as high priest for six years. He was also a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Buffalo. Almost his entire life has been passed in Sangamon county, and few are more familiar with the changes and events that have occurred to shape its history, mold its policy and promote its growth and improvement.