Born: Ohio, 1819. Died: Illinois, 1905.
Born: Ohio, 1819.
Died: Illinois, 1905.
James Howe, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Virginia and a Baptist preacher. He was a member of the Mahoning Association and came with its members into the Restoration movement. So spiritually D. R. Howe was both free-born and of the blood royal. In his youth he attended private schools in Ohio. In 1830 he came with his parents to Burean [sic - Bureau] County, Ill. There at Leepertown he went to school six weeks to George W. Minier. A little knowledge of Latin and Greek he got by the help of his brother-in-law, Amos Hays. At twenty-one he taught the first school ever held in Green County, Wis.
He became a Christian in his eighteenth year and thereafter preached some for seven years. Then he became a settled minister of the church at Princeton at a salary of $250 a year. He served there through a period of ten years, during the last half of which he received $1,000 per year. He served the churches at Washington two terms, Peoria, Springfield, Minonk, Quincy, Putnam, Henry, Lanark two terms, Monroe, Wisconsin two terms, two terms at Princeton, and Ulysses, Neb. Besides, Mr. Howe was a very successful evangelist and a noted builder of church houses. He was one of the finest men of his time. In him there were combined in an unusual degree the elements of a great gospel preacher. He enlightened the mind by a knowledge of the Scriptures and then appealed to the heart and conscience with great earnestness. Withal, he had fine business ability. During the fifty years of his active ministry he missed the public worship on the Lord's Day only eight times.
In 1860 he was elected to the House of the State Legislature, where he gave the great war Governor of Illinois faithful support.