Anthony HARPSTRITE was born at Ettenheim, in Baden, November 10, 1820, and was the oldest of six children of John B. HARPSTRITE and Mary RAMER. In 1833, the family came to America. They lived some time near Reading, Pennsylvania; two years at Dayton, Ohio; and in 1837, moved to Delphi, Indiana, and after living from 1838 to 1844 at Terre Haute, Indiana, the latter year came to Clinton county. His father bought for $400 two hundred and forty acres of land on Wolf Ridge in the present Looking Glass township. This land was afterward sold in 1866 for $13,000. The only opportunity Judge HARPSTRITE had for going to school was in Germany, before leaving that country. He was twenty-four years of age when he came to Clinton county. In 1850, he married Catherine UPMEYER, a native of Prussia. From 1853 to 1864, he was farming on section 8, of township 2, range 5; he then moved to section 3 of township 1, range 5, and in 1874, to his present farm in sections 32 and 33 of township 2, range 5. He has succeeded in life by means of untiring energy and industry. He owns eleven hundred acres of land in Sugar Creek and Looking Glass townships. His home farm consists of two hundred acres. He has eight children, Catharine, wife of William POOS of Looking Glass township; Mary, who married Philip GEORGE of St. Louis; Julia, Sophie, Anton, Charles, Edward and Martha. His oldest son, John HARPSTRITE, died in 1873, at the age of nearly twenty-one. Mr. HARPSTRITE began life as a democrat and voted for James K. POLK in 1844. On the agitation of the slavery question, and on the formation of the Republican party, he became a Republican. He was one of the early members of the Republican party in Clinton county, voted for FREMONT in 1856, and has been a Republican ever since. He was elected county commissioner in 1873, and filled that office until it was abolished by the adoption of township organization.

Source: History of Marion and Clinton Counties, Illinois, 1881, Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia

Submitted by: J. Eric Taylor

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