Condell, William J.

Born: 1819-09-19 Ireland, United Kingdom

Died: 1893-12-01 Decatur, Illinois

Flourished: Sangamon County, Illinois

As a young child, Condell immigrated with his parents to America, and they settled in Philadelphia, where Condell's father owned a mercantile store. In 1834, Condell moved to Illinois, spending the first two years clerking in a store in Carrollton before moving to Springfield. In 1840, he moved to Decatur, where he established himself as a dry-goods merchant and a miller. In 1845, Condell married Elizabeth Packard, with whom he had three children. In 1860, he was a merchant in Decatur and owned $26,500 worth of real estate and $15,000 worth of personal property. Condell and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Decatur. Condell was also a Mason. Originally a Whig and then a Republican, he became a Democrat later in life.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Macon County, Illinois (Chicago: Lake City, 1893), 457-58; Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, Macon County, 4 September 1845, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Macon County, IL, 1; Gravestone, Greenwood Cemetery, Decatur, IL.