Case, Zophar

Born: 1804-01-05 Warren, Ohio

Died: 1884-XX-XX Cleveland, Ohio

Flourished: Carlyle, Illinois

Case lived in Ohio until 1830, when he left his native state and moved to Vandalia, Illinois. In June 1833, he moved to Carlyle, Illinois, where he lived until 1881. Shortly after arriving, he married Mary Ellen Halstead, with whom he had thirteen children. Case became a fixture in local politics, serving in numerous capacities. He was surveyor of the county and the village of Clement. From February to September 1834, Case served as clerk pro tempore of the Clinton County Board. Case was county school commissioner from 1835 to 1843. He served as county commissioner from 1836 to 1838. From 1839 to 1843, he was county treasurer/accessor. In 1848, Clinton County voters elected him clerk of the Clinton County Circuit Court, a position he held until 1856. In addition to the numerous offices he held, Case was one of the pioneering journalists in Clinton County. He operated, owned, managed, and edited The Calumet of Peace, Constitution and Union, and several other newspapers. During the Mexican War, he served in the quartermaster department under Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. After the war, he returned to Carlyle, and in 1852, earned admission to the bar. In 1860, Case was practicing law in Carlyle and owned real estate valued at $2,500 and had a personal estate of $400. Case was a Whig until 1856, when he supported James Buchanan for the presidency, after which he became a staunch Democrat. During the Civil War, he served two years in the Quartermaster Corps.

History of Marion and Clinton Counties, Illinois (Philadelphia: Brink, McDonough, 1881), 55, 83, 92, 110, 111, 114, 115, 178-79, 268; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Clinton County, IL, 187; Will Record, 1857-1928, County Court (Clinton County), Clinton, Illinois.