Biography of David Washington Odell II, Crawford County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Jim Admire Surname: Odell ------------------------- The entry below is from the 1909 History of Crawford County: ODELL, David W.  No one man has borne as prominent part in the development of Oblong, Crawford County, Ill., as has David W. Odell, who has been connected with almost every enterprise in the flourishing little town of Oblong, and who is now President of the First National Bank of that place, senior member of the firm of D. W. Odell & Son, President of the Oil Bent Traction Company, President of the Illinois Oil Company, Vice- President of the Clark Byers Machine and Supply Company, and Treasurer of the Oblong Manufacturing Company. Mr. Odell was born on a farm one and one-half miles south of Oblong, June 21, 1867, a son of S. H. and Margaret A. (Perkins) Odell. The father resides in Oblong Township, Crawford County, on the place which his father bought about 1854-55, where the former is now a prosperous farmer. The grandfather, David W. Odell, for whom David W. Odell is named, moved from Indiana to Illinois and started the first store in Oblong,, buying 160 acres on the present site of the village, fifty-seven years ago. With him came his son S. H. Odell, and the two became pioneers of the new country. Many acres of prairie land did both break up with the primitive method of an ox-team attached to a heavy plow. Game of all kinds supplied the table with fresh meat, and David w. Odell the younger learned to be skillful with his gun, but from earliest boyhood he was ambitious, and while other boys were playing he tramped about the country selling books, fruit trees and other commodities, trying to get a start in life. When only twenty-one years old he decided to abandon farm work and become a businessman, and he founded a mercantile house at Oblong, there continuing until January 1, 1897, when he went to Robinson, and for two years was in business there. In February 1899, he returned to Oblong and for a year was engaged in mercantile business, but on January 1, 1900 established the Oblong Bank, which, in April, 1907, was reorganized as the First National Bank of Oblong, of which he was made President, a position which he still holds. He also conducts a large store adjoining the bank building, under the firm style of D. W. Odell & Son, and carries a full line of shoes, controlling a large trade. In every line of business in which he has embarked, Mr. Odell has met with marked success, and is justly recognized as the leading business man of Crawford County. Mr. Odell has been married three times; on April, 5, 1890, to Miss Dora A. Allison, who died march 24, 1896; on April 3, 1897 to Miss Hattie Carroll, who died October 25, 1902, and on November 21, 1904 he married Miss Josie M. Larrabee, who was born at Oblong, Ill. He has the following children: S.F., born February 25, 1891; D. E., born November 12, 1894; I. W., born August 11, 1902; Ida M. , born February 17, 1894; Mildred A., born July 29,1899, and Berniece J., born April 15, 1907. Fraternally, Mr Odell is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen and Modern Americans. He has been a member of the Methodist Church since 1886. In  politics he is a Democrat, but never aspired to political honors. He is a man widely and favorably known and in the business world his word is as good as his bond. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Jim Admire