Francis E. Bryant
Few settlers moved to southern Piatt County, in east-central Illinois, until the 1850s and the coming of the steam railroad. The ground was flat and open, with few trees to provide firewood for winter. Francis E. Bryant arrived in the young town of Bement in 1856 with a small capital, which he quickly reinvested in general business development as a banker and storekeeper. He bought grain from pioneer farmers, and sold them lumber and coal in return.
Bryant was a member of the U.S. Democratic Party and a personal friend of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who was running for re-election in 1858.
Read more about this topic: Bryant Cottage State Historic Site
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