Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Bacon, E. R. 1840 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 25, 2006, 11:19 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) E. R. BACON, M. D. During the years which marked the period of Dr. Bacon's professional career he has met with gratifying success, and while a resident of Lake county he has won the good will and patronage of many of the best citizens of Lowell and the surrounding districts. He is a thorough student, and endeavors to keep abreast of the times in everything relating to the discoveries in medical science. Progressive in his ideas and favoring modern methods as a whole, he does not, however, dispense with the time-tried systems whose value has stood the test of years. He has a large practice, which is indicative of the trust reposed in his professional skill, and so widely and favorably is he known that no history of the county would be complete without a record of his life. Dr. Bacon was born in Orleans county, New York, February 22, 1840. His father, Benjamin Bacon, was a native of Washington county, New York, and was a farmer by occupation. He died in the Empire state in his seventy-fifth year. His wife died when the Doctor was only three years of age, and the boy was reared by B. G. Merrick. He pursued a common-school education and started out in life for himself at a very early age. When a young man of twenty-one years he responded to his country's call for troops, enlisting on the 24th of April, 1861, as a member of Company G, Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He was a private and with that command served for three months. In 1862 he re-enlisted in the One Hundredth Illinois Volunteer Regiment and served for three years. In 1864 he was transferred to the regular army as hospital steward, and thus continued his connection with the Union troops until the fall of 1865, when he was discharged on a general war order. His clothing was pierced by five bullets at the battle of Chickamauga, but he sustained no personal injury. During the years of his active service he was in many important battles, and never faltered in the performance of duty or in his allegiance to the old flag and the cause it represented. In May, 1866, Dr. Bacon came to Lowell, and here took up the study and practice of medicine. He had attended lectures at Nashville, Tennessee, during the war and had begun practice on his arrival in Lowell, at the same time continuing his reading in order to perfect his knowledge of the healing art. He is a graduate of the Chicago Medical College of the class of 1873, and has been in constant practice in Lowell for thirty-five years, during which time he has enjoyed a large patronage, and is now an extremely busy man. He is widely known as an industrious and ambitious student, and his professional career has been marked by continuous advancement. He also has other interests in Lake county, being one of the directors of the State National Bank, of Lowell. He likewise owns farm property and real estate in Chicago. On the 3d of June, 1868, Dr. Bacon was united in marriage to Miss Martha B. Sanger, a daughter of James H. and Martha (Cleveland) Sanger. Mrs. Bacon.was born in Lake county and by her marriage has become the mother of two children: Sylvia L., who is the wife of S. C. Dwyer, an attorney at law of Lowell; and Grace M., the wife of Dr. A. L. Spindler, a dentist of Chicago Heights. Dr, Bacon is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Masonic lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is now one of the trustees of the first named. He has been active and influential in community affairs, was a school director for eleven years and is now president of the pension board, of which he has been a member for thirteen years. His first presidential vote was proudly cast for Abraham Lincoln in i860, and since that time he has supported each presidential candidate of the Republican party. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, takes a very active and helpful part in its work and has served as one of the church trustees for thirteen years. Dr. Bacon has been the builder of his own character as well as his owr fortune. He started out in life for himself at an early age, and is a self-educated as well as self-made man. In his profession he has gained prominence and success and in private life he has won that warm personal regard which is the evidence of many sterling traits of character. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/bacon597gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 5.2 Kb