Dependent very largely upon his own resources from early youth, the
subject of this sketch has attained to no insignificant position, and though
he has encountered many obstacles, he has pressed steadily on and has won an
eminent degree of success, and is today one of the foremost business men in
Marion county, being the owner of a large marble and granite works in the
thriving city of Centralia.
Charles S. Huddleston was born near Mt.
Auburn, Kentucky, February 27, 1867, the son of George P. and Melinda
(Pribble) Huddleston. Grandfather Huddleston was born in Pennsylvania and
moved to Kentucky in an early day, where he spent the remainder of his life
and where he died. He was a Confederate soldier and died from disease
contracted while in the service. His wife died when about fifty-two years
old. Their family consisted of nine children. Grandfather Pribble was a
native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Illinois in 1882 and died the following
year at the age of sixty-five years. His wife died at the age of seventy-two
years. They were the parents of four chilren and were members of the
Christian church.
The father of our subject remained in Kentucky
until he was forty years old, when he moved to Illinois in 1881. He was a
soldier in the Eighteenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry in the Union army. He
was wounded and captured at the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, and was
discharged on account of the wound, and he carried his arm in a sling for
two years as a result of the same, the bone in the shoulder joint having
been shattered with a bullet. His wound still gives him much pain and he
draws a pension. He now makes his home with our subject. He holds to the
faith of the Christian church. The mother of the subject passed to her rest
when thirty-four years old, and was buried in the beautiful Mt. Auburn
cemetery. She was also a faithful member of the Christian church. George P.
Huddleston was a farmer and carpenter in his active life, having devoted
twenty years to his trade with marked success. He had a brother, Charles I.,
who was also a soldier in the Union ranks, having enlisted from Kentucky and
served through the war, having been with Sherman on his march to the sea. He
came out of the war on a mule which he captured while on a foraging
expedition and which he rode in the grand review at Washington. Another
brother, John, also enlisted from Kentucky in the Union army, and another
brother, Peter, was also in the Union service, having also been with Sherman
and served to the end of the war, receiving an honorable discharge. Lorenzo,
another brother, was in the Federal ranks. He died soon after the close of
the war.
The parents of the subject reared five children.
Charles S. Huddleston, our subject, first attended school in Kentucky, which
state he left when fifteen years old and came to Illinois, in which state he
went to the public schools for four or five winters. He had to walk nearly
three miles each way to school. During this time and until he was twenty
years old he worked on the farm, after which he served eleven years as a
letterer and carver on marble and granite. After four years he became
superintendent of the works, so efficient had his services been. He
continued as superintendent for a period of seven years. Then the owner died
and Mr. Huddleston was selected to close up the business, which he did in a
most satisfactory manner and finally bought the business without the payment
of one dollar, all being in time notes, which he paid when due and had the
business clear of indebtedness. This was in 1901, and he has since conducted
the works successfully. It is now the largest works of its character in this
locality and is well patronized, yielding the owner a handsome income.
Mr. Huddleston was united in marriage in 1891 to Jennie Baldridge, who
was born in Irvington, Illinois, the daughter of James and Lydia (Pitchford)
Baldridge, a native of Illinois.
Three interesting children have
been born to the subject and wife, namely: Neva, born in 1892, is in her
second year in high school in 1908; Ruby was born in 1895, is also in schoo;
Nina, born in 1898, is in school.
In his fraternal relations our
subject is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen, also a member of
the United Commercial Travelers. The subject, wife and two oldest children
are members of the Christian church. Mr. Huddleston is a charter member of
the Young Men's Christian Association and still retains his membership in
that society, which boasts of the second largest membership in the state. In
politics he is a loyal Republican and is now filling his second term as
Alderman from the Third ward of Centralia in a most able and praiseworthy
manner.
Extracted 27 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 583-584.