Horatio Churchill, Buda, was born in Somerset County, Me., April 1, 1843. He is the son of Asa and Mary (Holden) Churchill, both natives of the same State as their son. The father died in Maine, but the mother in Michigan.
They were the parents of thirteen children, all of whom, except three, are now living.
Our subject was reared on a farm, but had also worked in saw-mills previous to coming to this State.
He came to Bureau County, Ill., in 1867. He was married September 8, 1881, to Miss Mary A. Hodgetts.
She was born in Dudley, England, August 13, 1861, and is the daughter of Edward and Mary (Shelton) Hodgetts, who came to America in 1865, and who are now residents of Kewanee, Henry Co., Ill.
They are the parents of six sons and two daughters now living. Mrs. Churchill is the mother of one daughter-Nellie May Churchill-born September 12, 1883. And by a previous marriage Mr. Churchill has two sons, viz.; Daniel Lewis, born February 3, 1876 and Oscar Warren, born May 20, 1877.
He is a member of the Buda Lodge, A. F. & A. M. In politics he is Republican.
When Mr. Churchill came to Buda in 1867 he began the manufacture of brick in partnership with C. P. Mason.
After one season he bought Mr. Mason’s interest, and has continued in the business since with different partners at different times, but is now alone. In 1878 he began manufacturing tile also, and now has the capacity for manufacturing 1.000.000 brick and 500,000 tile per season. And in 1883 he manufactured to one half the capacity of the machinery. As the quality of tile and brick manufactured is excellent, the demand steadily increases.
Source: History of Bureau County, Illinois, H. C. Bradsby, Editor. World Publishing Company Chicago 1885