Woodford County

El Paso

A History in Pictures

Researched, written and donated by Steve Slaughter

1860's

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Old Baptist Church

Cherry and 2nd Street

1865

General George B. McClellan

General in Chief of the Union Army (Civil War) from November 1, 1861, to March 11, 1862. He was a frequent visitor to El Paso.

Civil War Survivors

Photo was taken on May 30, 1930, and is the last two resident survivors of the Civil War

From left: S.H. Worthington, A.B. Turner

The Campbell Hotel and Depot

1863

George H. Campbell was born in Monroe County, New York, on November 6, 1837. When he was 18 yrs old he left home and went to Chicago where he found employment with the new Illinois Central Railroad Company. He worked for them, in turn, at Chicago, Mendota, and Lena, Illinois and in 1858 they made him their agent in the new prairie crossroads town of EL PASO. The Peoria & Oquawka Railroad Company, having reached this town's junction in 1856, soon made him their agent as well. The depot was then on the township road which is currently Main Street, exactly 1 block south of where he later built his home.

In 1862, Campbell noted that hotels were being combined with depots along the new railroads and he decided that El Paso would be a logical place for one. Although only 24 yrs of age, he secured a railroad lease to the ground in the northwest quadrant where the railroads crossed and began construction of his building with only a 20 foot platform between it and the two railroads. He sent to Indiana for heavy timbers for sills and frame, and in 1863 he completed his 3 story hotel & depot.

Additions were added to the structure in 1895.

(This photo was taken in 1893)

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These Residents of El Paso Served in the Civil War
NAME	Regiment	KA = killed in action DD = died of disease DW = died from wounds	Death date	place
ARNETT, Elijah	4th IL Cav., Co. G	DD	Sept 8, 1864	Knoxville, TN
BETTS, Andrew	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Jan. 31, 1863	Young's Point, LA
BETTS, Simeon P.	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Feb. 4, 1863	Young's Point, LA
BOWMAN, John	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Oct. 12, 1864	Andersonville grave #10791
BROOKS, James P.	77th IL INF, Co. H	DD	Feb. 16, 1864	New Orleans, LA
BURGER, James K.	88th IL INF, Co. F	DW	March 22, 1863	Murfreesboro, TN
CABEL, Jacob R.	14th US CAV., Co. C	DD	Feb. 16, 1863	Peoria, IL
CHENOWETH, Caleb A.	86th IL INF, Co. A	KA	June 27, 1864	Kenesaw Mt., GA
COOPER, William H.	108th IL INF, Co D	DD	June 18, 1863	St Louis, MO
DIXON, Elisha H	4th IL CAV, Co. G	DD	March 25, 1862	Savannah, TN
DOUGHERTY, Thomas	86th IL INF, Co. A	KA	June 27, 1864	Kenesaw Mt., GA
DRAKE, James	77th IL INF, Co. C	DW	June 6, 1863	Vicksburg, MS
FULTZ, Henry	124th IL INF, Co. D	KA	May 16, 1863	Champion's Hill, MS
HANNA, Lewis	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	March 28, 1863	St. Louis, MO
HANNA, Lot T.	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Feb. 22, 1863	Young's Point, LA
HARVEY, David C.	4th IL CAV, Co. H	DD	Dec. 12, 1862	Oxford, MS
HOOVER, George	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	July 31, 1863	Memphis, TN
HORN, Frank	86th IL INF, Co. A	DD	Nov. 18, 1864	Andersonville grave #12090
HOTCHKIN, Eber	86th IL INF, Co. A	DD	Feb 20, 1865	Florence, S.C
HOWELL, William H.	86th IL INF, Co. A	KA	June 27, 1864	Kenesaw Mt., GA
KINGDON, Charles	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	April 8, 1863	Millikin's Bend, LA
LEABO, Isaac J.	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Jan. 17, 1863	Arkansas Post, AR
McCORD, Francis J.	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	March 4, 1863	Young's Point, LA
MAXWELL, John M.	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Feb 28, 1863	Young's Point, LA
MOSS, Thomas	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Jan. 24, 1863	Young's Point, LA
PAINTER, John	4th IL CAV, Co. G	DD	June 6, 1862	Monterey, TN
RAMSEY, Samuel V.	4th IL CAV, Co. G	DD	Jan. 29, 1863	LaGrange, TN
REED, James T.	17th IL INF, Co. G	DW	April 28, 1862	Shiloh, TN
SILLER, John	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	March 24, 1863	Milliken's Bend, LA
STRASBAUGH, George	108th IL INF, Co. D	DD	Sept. 11, 1863	LaGrange, TN
SUTTON, Fenton	86th IL INF, Co. A	KA	June 27, 1864	Kenesaw Mt., GA
TAYLOR, John W.	4th IL CAV., Co. G	DD	March 26, 1862	Mound City, IL
TROTTER, John	94th IL INF, Co. E	KA	April 9, 1864	Pleasant Hill, LA
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1870's

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James H. Wathen's Home

1870

George L. Gibson's Home

1874

James H. Wathen was born in Bardstown, Kentucky in 1816 and came to Illinois when he was but 19 yrs of age. He was usually addressed as "Major" and never married. He died in 1902, one of El Paso's wealthiest citizens and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery. George L. Gibson, co-founder of El Paso with James H. Wathen, became the 2nd Mayor of this Woodford County town. Wathen served as Mayor of the town from 1869-1870.

For four decades, these 2 gentlemen lived and worked in the town that was once only a figment of their imagination. Waving prairie grass was transformed into paved streets lined with shade trees and nice homes. As time marched forward, Wathen's home better became known as The Elms.

Information from: El Paso Journal's Souvenir Edition, 1896, by George R. Curtiss

Old West Side School

1875

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1880's

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The El Paso Municipal Band

1882

This photo shows the members of the El Paso Municipal Band in 1882. Band members are, from the left:

Howard Brown, John Hall, Dr. J.M.Fishburn, George R. Curtiss, Jacob Lallman, W.W.Dunmire, George Toussieng, J.S.Tucker, and Frank Dunmire

The German Lutheran Church

1882

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