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From: History of Illinois and Her
People Whitson Wilford Daily
Whitson Wilford Daily, state's attorney of Hamilton County, served two terms as county superintendent of schools of that county and for the past ten years has enjoyed an extensive and successful practice as a lawyer. He was born on a farm in Stone County, Missouri, January 14, 1880, but represents some pioneer families of Hamilton County, Illinois. John Daily, a native of Kentucky and of Virginia ancestry, came to Hamilton County fully a century ago and helped develop the country from a wilderness condition. His son, Lewis J. Daily, was born in Hamilton county, but subsequently moved to Missouri, where he spent to rest of his life. His wife was Celia Maulding, a native of Hamilton County, and who finally returned to that county and died there at the age of ninety-two. Her father was William Maulding, and her grandfather, Ambrose Maulding, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and one of the early settlers of Hamilton county, Illinois, where he died. His descendants recently erected a monument at his grave at Ten Miles to commemorate his services as a Revolutionary patriot. Wilford C. Daily, son of Lewis J. and Celia (Maulding) Daily, was about fifteen years old when his parents moved to Missouri, and he was reared there and engaged in farming. He married Martha J. Kirk, and in 1892 he returned with his family to Hamilton County, Illinois, and he is now seventy-four, and his wife sixty-nine. Both are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. They reared a family of five sons: Robert Z., James H., Whitson W., William H., and Lewis A. Whitson W. Daily was twelve years old when brought to Illinois. He grew up on a farm, was educated in rural schools, and at the age of nineteen began teaching. He did a great deal of private study at home and he also attended Ewing College, from which he was graduated in 1902. For eleven years he attended and taught school alternately, during which time he was principal of schools at Broughton, and in 1910 was elected county superintendent of Hamilton County, and re-elected in 1914. On account of a change in the law regulating the term of office he served eight years and eight months as county superintendent. In the meantime Mr. Daily, in 1915, graduated from the American College of Law at Chicago and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1916. On retiring from his office as county superintendent he engaged in practice at McLeansboro, and in 1920 was elected on the democratic ticket state's attorney of Hamilton County. He was re-elected in 1924, and has set a high standard of efficiency in law enforcement in Hamilton County. Mr. Daily is a deacon in the Missionary Baptist Church. He is a member of the Masonic Order and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married, in 1902, Miss Nora E. Davis. She was born and reared at Broughton, Illinois, and was a teacher before her marriage. They have two sons, Joe Whit Daily and John Davis Daily. |
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