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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
van, Ill., in 1832, and the next year located at Bloomington, being the first lawyer in that new town. Later he became agent for school lands and the State Bank, but failed financially in 1837, and returned to practice; resided several years at Payson, Adams County, but returning to Bloomington in 1855, was instrumental in securing the location of the Chicago & Alton Railroad through that town, and was one of the founders of the towns of Clinton, Pontiac, Lexington and El Paso. He was an intimate personal and political friend of Abraham Lincoln, and it was to him Mr. Lincoln addressed his celebrated personal biography; in the campaign of 1860 he served as Secretary of the Republican State Central Committee, and, in 1862, was appointed by Mr. Lincoln a Paymaster in the regular army, serving some two years. Mr. Fell was also a zealous friend of the cause of industrial education, and bore an important part in securing the location of the State Normal University at Normal, of which city he was the founder. Died, at Bloomington, Jan. 25, 1887.
FERGUS, Robert, early printer, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, August 4, 1815; learned the printer's trade in his native city, assisting in his youth in putting in type some of Walter Scott's productions and other works which now rank among English classics. In 1834 he came to America, finally locating in Chicago, where, with various partners, he pursued the business of a job printer continuously some fifty years- being the veteran printer of Chicago. He was killed by being run over by a railroad train at Evanston, July 23, 1897. The establishment of which he was so long the head is continued by his sons.
FERNWOOD, a suburban station on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, 12 south of terminal station; annexed to City of Chicago, 1891.
FERRY, Elisha Peyre, politician, born in Monroe, Mich., August 9, 1825; was educated in his native town and admitted to the bar at Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1845; removed to Waukegan, Ill., the following year, served as Postmaster and, in 1856, was candidate on the Republican ticket for Presidential Elector; was elected Mayor of Waukegan in 1859, a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1862, State Bank Commissioner in 1861-63, Assistant Adjutant-General on the staff of G
