William B. Trabue, owner and operator of the
justly noted Cloverdale Stock Farm, which includes 352 acres, situated in
sections 19 and 20, Gillespie township, Macoupin County, belongs to one of
the oldest pioneer families of this portion of the State. He was born
October 29, 1854, in Brushy Mound township, Macoupin County, and he is a son
of Joseph H. and Martha A. (Parks) Trabue.
The Trabue family is of
French extraction, and its American founders came across the Atlantic in
colonial days. Haskin Trabue, the grandfather of our subject, was born in
Virginia and took part in the War of 1812. He came to Macoupin County at an
early day and died in Brushy Mound township, at the age of 60 years. His
nine children were: Fenland, Stephen, Joseph H., Benjamin, Edward, John,
Hodgens, Mrs. Eliza J. Boggess, and Mrs. Mary Baily.
Joseph H.
Trabue, our subject's father, was born in Kentucky and in childhood
accompanied his parents to Macoupin County, when they settled in Brushy
Mound township, near the present Trabue graveyard. He followed farming all
his life, finally removing to Crawford County, Kansas, where he died at the
age of 62 years. He was an active member of the Baptist Church and a man of
high moral character. In politics he was a Republican. He married Martha A.
Parks, who was born in Kentucky, and was a daughter of James and Mary
(Harlan) Parks, who came to Macoupin County in pioneer days and hauled the
lumber with which to erect their dwelling all the way from Alton. The
children of Joseph and Martha Trabue were: Mrs. Elizabeth Evans, of Crawford
County, Kansas; Walter, who died aged 18 years; William B., of this sketch;
James, of Crawford County, Kansas; Annie, of Girard, Macoupin County;
Edward, of Greene County, Illinois; Josephine, who is preparing to practice
osteopathy, in Crawford County, Kansas; and Agnes, algo a resident of
Crawford County, Kansas.
William B. Trabue passed four years of his
life in Greene County, and two years in Kansas; with these exceptions his
home has always been in Macoupin County. One year he conducted a hardware
business at Raymond, but his interests have mainly centered in farming and
stock raising. In 1876 he came to his present farm and in 1897 he purchased
180 acres of it and in 1903 an adjoining 172 acres, all of which he devotes
to raising cattle, sheep and hogs.
On June 15, 1898, Mr. Trabue was
married to Estella Tunnell, who was born January 28, 1869, near Plainview,
Macoupin County, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Brown) Tunnell.
Three children have been born to them: Tunnell Benjamin, James Edward and
Lucius Boyle.
Mr. Trabue is not very actively interested in
politics, but votes with the Republican party. He declines to accept any
office but takes an active part in public matters affecting the welfare of
the township. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Extracted 2018 May 06 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 129-130.
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