Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL
Originally published 1885 Chapman Bros., Chicago, IL

Transcribed by: Becky Jones

Page 486

William H Allen, lawyer, of Erie, is a son of S.V.R. and Sarah (Richardson) Allen, born in Dublin, Cheshire Co., N.H. His father is a farmer, and a native of Stillwater, Saratoga Co., N. Y., and was born Aug. 23, 1812, and resides two miles west of Erie village, on his farm. His mother was a native of Newton, Mass., born Feb. 14, 1803, and died at Erie, June 9, 1862. They had three children: William H., Colonel Samuel R., a lawyer at Little Rock, Ark., and Sarah A., a teacher who resides with her father. The family removed from New Hampshire to Rushford, Allegany Co., N.Y., in 1846; thence to Erie, this county, in 1856. While at Rushford Mr. Allen attended Rushford Academy for a time.

After coming to Illinois he farmed, taught school, worked as engineer in mills, studied law in the city of Rock Island, and was admitted to the Bar at Ottawa, Ill., April 16, 1866.

Mr. Allen married Mary A. Orr, daughter of John and Catherine (Bleecker) Orr, and grand-daughter and grand-niece of Samuel and William Orr, and was born in the township of Sidney, Hastings Co., Province of Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have seven children: William C., Samuel R., Sarah R., Solomon V.R., Henry W., Catherine Bleecker and John O. Allen, all minors. Three children, Helen, Jennie and Richard, died in infancy.

Mr. Allen held the office of Justice of the Peace for a term, and that of Supervisor for eight years at different times, from 1862 to 1878; was Representative in the Illinois State Legislature for four years, being elected to the 31st and re-elected to the 32d General Assembly; was author of the drainage laws, and promoted the passage of the principal revenue laws passed by the last mentioned Assembly; was largely responsible for the legislation under the amendment of the Constitution changing the time of election of county officers, afterward sustained by the Supreme Court; was Chairman of the Committee on Revenue; advocated and defended the ad-va-lorem system of taxation; successfully resisted the attempts that were made to deprive municipalities, towns and counties of their portion of taxes derived from railroad property, and to abolish the State Board of Equalization; his argument thereon was printed and published by the State pursuant to a resolution of the House of Representatives. He is at present in the practice of his profession in the counties of Whiteside, Henry and Rock Island, devoting his attention to all departments of law and chancery, besides superintending his farms in Erie and Fenton Townships.

He is a Freemason, Knight Templar, and a Presbyterian in religious faith.

He resides on his homestead in the village of Erie.