Biography - Emmet F. Throgmorton
EMMET FRANKLIN THROGMORTON. The most admirable feature of life in the
United States is the possibility offered to all of its native born citizens
without regard to wealth or inherited rank, to attain to any position, no
matter how lofty. The most influential of our statesmen, the most successful
of our manufacturers, merchants and bankers, in fact, our brilliant,
conservative and intelligent men in the various professions and occupations,
are largely self-made, and are justly proud of the fact that what they
possess, in material wealth or public honor, has been earned through their
own efforts. One of Johnson county's most progressive and enterprising young
citizens, Emmet Franklin Throgmorton, at the time of whose election in 1906,
at the age of twenty-four years, was the youngest county clerk in Illinois,
is already widely known in the educational and political fields, and has
placed himself in his present high position by the exercise of those
inherent qualities which go to make for success.
Emmet Franklin Throgmorton was born near the old town of New Burnside,
Johnson county, Illinois, December 17, 1882, and is a son of Josiah and
Elizabeth (Reeves) Throgmorton. The Throgmorton family originated in
Throgmorton street, London, England, and two members thereof came to the
United States, founding the Throgmorton family and that of Morton. One
settled in Pennsylvania, of whom the late Levi P. Morton, vice-president of
the United States descended, while the other located in North Carolina and
was the progenitor of the Johnson county Throgmortons. Josiah Throgmorton,
the grandfather of Emmet P., was born in North Carolina, from whence he
migrated to Tennessee and thence to the southeastern part of Johnson county
during the Civil war, in which two of his sons, Pinckney and John, served
valiantly. John was among the missing after the battle of Shiloh, and was
probably killed in that engagement. Josiah Throgmorton was a Christian
minister and established the Old Bethlehem Christian church, preaching in
the various pioneer churches of Johnson county from the time of his arrival,
and carrying on extensive farming operations. He married Martha Pierce, of
North Carolina, who later moved to Tennessee and thence to Johnson county,
Illinois, and she died in Williamson county, in 1910, when ninety years of
age, he having passed away in 1888.
Josiah Throgmorton, son of Josiah and father of Emmet Franklin, was born in
Johnson county, Illinois, and was here married to Miss Elizabeth Reeves. She
was born in 1854, in Marshall county, Kentucky, daughter of Abner Reeves, a
native of Virginia, who migrated to Kentucky over the old Daniel Boone
trail, fought during the Civil war in the Confederate army, and died from
the effect of wounds directly after the war had closed. Mrs. Throgmorton
came to Johnson county with her sister, Nancy Reeves, riding all the way
from Marshall county on horseback. Josiah Throgmorton died in 1899, at the
age of forty-four years, one of the best-known men of his community, and at
the time of his death was serving in the office of county commissioner, a
position which he had held for some years. He and his wife had eleven
children, of whom nine are now living, as follows: Martha; Arthur, who is
married and has two children; Emmet Franklin; Almus, who married Miss Hettie
Snyder and has one child; and Walter, Nellie, Norris, May and Robert at
home. Walter, Nellie, Norris and May are graduates of the Southern Illinois
Normal School, and are now engaged in teaching school.
Emmet Franklin Throgmorton remained on the home farm, and received his
primary education in the public schools, completing his course in 1900. In
the next year he entered the Southern Illinois Normal University at
Carbondale, Illinois, pursuing a teacher's course, and for three years
attended college in winters and taught school in summers, thus working his
way through. He taught school during the winter of 1905-1906 -and in the
fall of the latter year was elected to the office of county clerk, received
the re-election in the fall of 1910, and still holds that position. Mr.
Throgmorton 's rise has been remarkable for such a young man, but he is
eminently fitted to discharge the duties of his office, and has the full
confidence of the people of the county. He takes a deep interest in the
cause of education, and all that tends towards the advancement of the moral,
physical or material welfare of his community. Fraternally he is connected
with Ozark Lodge of Odd Fellows, Romeo Tent No. 53, Knights of Pythias,
Vienna Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter of Masons, and the Modern Woodmen of
America, at Vienna.
In 1906 Emmet Franklin Throgmorton was united in marriage with Miss Leah
Bass, who was born and reared in Johnson county, Illinois, a former teacher
and daughter of A. H. and Jane (Albright) Bass, natives of North Carolina,
who migrated to Tennessee and thence to Johnson county. Mr. and Mrs.
Throgmorton have one son: Joseph. Mr. Throgmorton is one of the best-liked
young county officials that this section has known, being popular with all
classes, and he has already shown himself capable of advancing far in the
field politic.
Arthur Throgmorton, brother of the county clerk, and now serving as deputy
clerk, was born August 18, 1880, on his father's farm in Johnson county, and
worked on his father's farm until twenty -one years of age, in the meantime
securing a district school education. For five years thereafter he taught
public schools in Johnson county, and spent five terms in the Southern
Illinois Normal University. In April, 1906, -he was appointed deputy county
clerk, and again in 1910, and he still holds that office. He is a member of
the Modern Woodmen of America, and is a consistent attendant of the
Christian church of Vienna. He was married, May 16, 1907, to Miss May
Murrie, daughter of William and Margaret (McFatridge) Murrie, members of one
of Johnson county's oldest and most highly respected families, and two
children have been born to this union: Robert, who is three years of age,
and Marguerite, who is two. Like his brother, Mr. Throgmorton has numerous
friends in Vienna, and he is known as a capable, hardworking and painstaking
official.
Extracted 14 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, volume 2, pages 764-765.
