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MILTON E. SPAULDING - Milton E. Spaulding, whose home is on section 7, Springfield township, has long been identified with the agricultural and horticultural interests of Sangamon county, having located here in 1858. He is now the owner of two farms aggregating one hundred and forty-four acres of land, his home place being a tract of eighty acres on the Sangamon river.

A native of New York, Mr. Spaulding was born in Allegany county on the 26th of October, 1851, and is a son of James B. Spaulding, whose birth occurred in Connecticut in 1825. The father was reared in his native state, and when a young man went to Allegany county, New York, where he engaged in the manufacture of lumber for a number of years. There he married Miss Mary C. Smith, a native of the Empire state and a daughter of Thomas P. Smith. In 1858 they removed with their family to Illinois and took up their residence in Springfield, the father establishing the first nursery in that city. He soon built up a fine business, which he continued to carry on up to the time of his death, though he removed his nursery to Riverton and made that his home for some years. In his family were two sons, I. H. being now a resident of Springfield.

Milton E. Spaulding, the other son, grew to manhood in this county and was educated in the city schools. Reared under the parental roof he early became familiar with horticulture and was for four years proprietor of a greenhouse and nursery in Springfield, which his father had given him. At the end of that time he removed to Hancock county, Illinois, where he engaged in selling nursery stock for three years. He then returned to Sangamon county and purchased eighty acres of land in Springfield township, where he now resides. To its improvement and development he has since devoted his energies, first clearing away the trees and brush and erecting thereon a small house and barn, besides setting out an orchard of five acres. As time has passed he has planted more trees and today has a fine orchard of fifteen acres, and also a great variety of small fruit. In addition to fruit culture Mr. Spaulding is also engaged in the dairy business, making a specialty of butter, which he sells to private customers, and is interested to some extent in the raising of poultry for the market. Besides his home place he now owns another tract of sixty-four acres, which is devoted to ordinary farming. He has improved and enlarged his residence, so that he now has a good, substantial home, and everything about the place is in perfect harmony therewith.

In Springfield, November 17, 1874, Mr. Spaulding was united in marriage to Miss Zeruah Grace Hamer, who was born in Pennsylvania, but was reared in this county, where she died on the 24th of January, 1892, leaving three children, namely: James, George and Grace. Our subject was again married March 9, 1893, his second union being with Mary E. Meschnark, by whom he had one son, Rollie E. On the 14th of December, 1899, in this county, Mr. Spaulding married Miss Lula Gabert, who was born here, and is a daughter of Jasper M. Gabert, of Sangamon county.

Though reared a Republican, Mr. Spaulding generally supports the Democratic party, but at local elections votes independent of party lines, supporting the men whom he believes best qualified for office. He has never cared for political preferment, but devotes his entire time and attention to his business interests, in which he has been eminently successful. During the long years of his residence in this county he has become widely and favorably known, and well merits the high regard in which he is uniformly held.