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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
Chicago; has one newspaper. Population (1880), 646; (1890), 680; (1900), 776.
ASPINWALL, Homer F., farmer and legislator, was born in Stephenson County, Ill., Nov. 15, 1846, educated in the Freeport high school, and, in early life, spent two years in a wholesale notion store, later resuming the occupation of a farmer. After holding various local offices, including that of member of the Board of Supervisors of Stephenson County, in 1892 Mr. Aspinwall was elected to the State Senate and reelected in 1896. Soon after the beginning of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he was appointed by President McKinley Captain and Assistant Quartermaster in the Volunteer Army, but before being assigned to duty accepted the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Twelfth Illinois Provisional Regiment. When it became evident that the regiment would not be called into the service, he was assigned to the command of the "Manitoba," a large transport steamer, which carried some 12,000 soldiers to Cuba and Porto Rico without a single accident. In view of the approaching session of the Forty-first General Assembly, it being apparent that the war was over, Mr. Aspinwall applied for a discharge, which was refused, a 20days' leave of absence being granted instead. A discharge was finally granted about the middle of February, when he resumed his seat in the Senate. Mr. Aspinwall owns and operates a large farm near Freeport.
ASSUMPTION, a town in Christian County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 23 miles south by west from Decatur and 9 miles north of Pana. It is situated in a rich agricultural and coal mining district, and has two banks, five churches, a public school, two weekly papers and coal mines. Population (1880), 706; (1890), 1,076; (1900), 1,702.
ASTORIA, town in Fulton County, on Rock Island & St. Louis Division C., B. & Q. R. K.; has city waterworks, electric light plant, telephone exchange, three large grain elevators, pressed brick works; six churches, two banks, two weekly papers, city hall and park, and good schools; is in a coal region; business portion is built of brick. Pop. (1890), 1,357; (1900), 1,684.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE KAILWAY COMPANY. This Company operates three subsidiary lines in Illinois-the Chicago, Santa Fe & California, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe in Chicago, and the
