Charles Carothers was born in Wayne county, New York, January 23, 1826, son of John Carothers, a native of New York, and a grandson of Robert Carothers. The grandfather was in Sodus Point, New York, at the time the British fired that town. The Carothers family came from Scotch and Irish ancestry. John Carothers married Anna Mason, a native of the Empire State. Her father, Isaac Mason, was also a native of New York, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
The subject of our sketch was a lad of twelve years when his parents moved to Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and settled near Meadville. In 1841 they moved to a place near Galesburg, Knox county, Illinois, becoming pioneers of the then far West. The parents passed the rest of their lives there and died, the mother at the age of forty-eight years and the father, seventy. They had a family of six sons and four daughters. The father was a farmer all his life. He had always voted the Democratic ticket until the presidential election of 1840, when he gave his support to General William Henry Harrison. Charles was fifteen when the family moved to Illinois. His education was received in the common schools of New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois and completed at Alleghany College, Meadville, Pennsylvania. For several years he was engaged in teaching in New York, Pennsylvania and Iowa.
In 1868 Mr. Carothers came to Adams county and settled on 120 acres of rich bottom land in section 21, Douglas township. Here he has continued to reside, engaged in general farming and stock-raising. The fine appearance of his well improved farm indicates that the hand of toil has been well directed and backed by good judgment.
Mr. Carothers was married, at the age of twenty-eight, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, to Miss Alfreda H. Ellis, a native of Maine. When nine years of age she removed with her parents to Pennsylvania, where she was reared and educated. Her parents, John and Susan (Ford) Ellis, are both deceased, the mother having died in Pennsylvania and the father in Maine while on a visit to that State. Following is the issue from this union: Helen, wife of Sam Billingsley, Marshall county, Kansas; John E., Council Bluffs, Iowa; Ford Mason, Cowlitz county, Washington; Anna, wife of P. D. Hawkins, Shenandoah, Iowa; C. Grant, of McPherson county, Kansas; Minnie G., Charles E., Bird L., Milo D. and Fred P., at home. Three of the children, C. Grant, Mrs. Billingsley and Mrs. Hawkins, have become efficient and popular teachers. Mr. Carothers voted for Fremont and has been a member of the Republican party ever since its organization. He has served as township trustee, township clerk and Justice of the Peace. Both he and his wife are members of the Evangelical Church.
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