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REAVLEY, THOMAS SR., retired miner and well known citizen, of Riverton, Sangamon County, is a son of William and Mary (Berlison) Reavley, natives of England, and was born November 12, 1835, in Schuykill County, Pa., where his father was a coal miner. His parents had come from their native land to America in 1834. The father became superintendent of several mines in turn and remained in Pennsylvania some years, then moved to Shullsburg, Wis., where he was successful as a prospector for lead. After twelve years' residence in Wisconsin, he moved to LaSalle County, Ill., to accept the superintendency of a mine. Several years later he went to similar employment at Springfield. From Springfield he finally retired to LaSalle, Ill., where he died, aged ninety-seven years. He and his good wife lie side by side in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield. They and five sons and four daughters.

Thomas Reavley Sr. was educated in the district school at Silver Creek, Pa., and early learned mining, at which he was long employed in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Illinois, until his retirement from active life a few years ago. He is of the stuff of which soldiers are made, and April 1, 1861, when war had become an assured fact but had not progressed beyond its beginning, he enlisted at LaSalle, Ill., in Company K, Eleventh Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in which he saw continuous service until the end of hostilities, when he was discharged at Bird's Point, Mo., with the honor due a good and faithful soldier. His brother Joseph also did soldier's duty in the Civil War. In 1869 Mr. Reavley located at Springfield, whence, after some years, he removed to Riverton, where he has since lived. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Methodist Episcopal church. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Republican.

At LaSalle, Ill., in 1859, Mr. Reavley married Miss Jane Hughes, born in Wales, September 20, 1838, the daughter of a miner who came to America and became well known in mining circles in LaSalle, Ill., later removing to Riverton, where he and his wife both passed from the scenes of this life. Mrs. Reavley bore her husband ten children, of whom the following survive: Mrs. Phema Bell, of Riverton; William Reavley, miner, of Riverton; Robert, County Mine Inspector and Examiner, Riverton; George, of Riverton; Margaret, wife of William Wanless, manager of the Klondike mines, Riverton.