FRANCIS LOW, banker, Havana; was born in Lancaster, Worcester Co., Mass., Sept. 28, 1813, and is the son of Nathaniel and Mary (Kendall) Low, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. He received his education at the Lancaster and Berlin Academics, and when about 18 years of age, removed with his brothers, Thomas arid Eliphaz, to Louisville, Ky., where, for a period of two years, they engaged in mercantile pursuits. From Louisville, the subject of this sketch went to Cincinnati, where he followed the same business, and also to St. Louis; thence, he came to Havana, where his brothers named above, had preceded him a short time. They built a steam saw mill here, which they afterward sold to Pulaski Scoville. Mr. Low served as Deputy Sheriff of Tazewell Co. when this part of Mason was included in Tazewell; was also elected the first Sheriff of Mason after its formation as a county, an office he held for two terms. He was connected, at an early day, with the Illinois River Railroad (now the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville), and was one of its Directors. He is President of the Havana & San Jose Narrow-Gauge Railroad Company, a company formed for the purpose of building a narrow-gauge road from Havana to San Jose, to connect with the Rantoul, Havana & Western Narrow-Gauge. He took an active part in the organization of the Havana National Bank, of which he has been President during its entire existence. Mr. Low has been married twice. By the first marriage, there were three children, of whom two are living:  William and Thomas; Frank, the youngest, is dead. He has no children by his last marriage. Mr. Low is a man of education, and of fine literary tastes and attainments, and his ample means enable him to gratify his inclinations in this direction to his entire satisfaction. A personal friend of Lincoln and Trumbull, and the leading men of the times, he has entertained them at his elegant home whenever they visited the city of Havana, as business sometimes led them to do.



Maintained by Mason County Coordinator Donna Mayer