JAMES F. EARL, dealer in dry goods, carpets, boots and shoes, etc., etc., Mason City. The subject of this sketch was born in 1839 and was raised in the State of New York until 1851; he then came to Illinois and located at Metamora, the county seat of Woodford Co., where he attended the common schools until 1856, when he entered the Abingdon and pursued his studies nearly three years; in 1859, he entered the Bethany College, at Brooks Co., Va., and, in 1861, he opened the first exclusively grocery store at Metamora; sold out in 1864 and engaged in the dry goods, clothing and boot and shoe trade. In 1869, he engaged in general banking and opened the first bank at Metamora, under his own name, receiving the funds of the county among his deposits; it was afterward changed in name to the Metamora Bank. In 1872, he added hardware to his extensive business, which at that time occupied three entire buildings. In 1875, he sold out his bank, hardware and grocery stores and removed his stock of dry goods to Forest, Livingston Co., and, after a short time, to Fairbury, closing them out in 1876. In 1877, he came to Mason City and purchased a stock of about 810,000 worth of goods of G. M. La Forge and has since carried a full and complete stock of dry goods, carpets, boots and shoes, etc., second to none in the town, and has a heavy and rapidly increasing trade, his sales of 1878 exceeding the sales of the previous year by 100 per cent. In 1861, he was united in marriage with Rosalie P. Charles; she was born in Knoxville, Ill.; they have two children, Flora M. and Freddie.



Maintained by Mason County Coordinator Donna Mayer