HON. SIDNEY B. MILLER. A man who both as a public official and as a
prominent citizen has been an important factor in moulding Cairo's municipal
history is Sidney B. Miller, the popular and efficient postmaster of this
city, a position which he has held for the last ten years. Mr. Miller was
born in Rowan county, North Carolina, and is a son of Milford Green and Mary
A. (Walton) Miller.
Milford Green Miller was born in the same county
in North Carolina, of German descent, and had a brother, Daniel, and a
sister, Mrs. Barbara Mowery, who also came to Alexander county and reared
families. Milford G. Miller was twice married, his first wife being a Miss
Cauble, who at her death left him one son, George, now a resident of
Diswood, Illinois. Mr. Miller's second marriage was to Mary A. Walton, who
was born in North Carolina, of German and English descent, and in 1857 they
came to Illinois and settled in the rural community of Elco, Alexander
county. Mr. Miller engaged in agricultural pursuits, to which the remainder
of his life was devoted, his death occurring in 1892, when he was
seventy-two years of age, while his widow survived until 1909, and was
eighty-four years old at the time of her demise. They had the following
children: Margaret, the wife of Henry Whittaker, died in Alexander county;
Sidney B.; Clinton Eugene, who lives at Miller City, Illinois; Susie, who
married J. S. McRaven of Marion, Illinois; Jesse E., of Cairo, who is
serving his fourth term as county clerk of Alexander county; and Mary J.,
who married William Brown, a well-known citizen of Cairo.
Sidney B.
Miller was reared in the vicinity of Elco, was educated liberally in the
public schools, was reared to the work of an agriculturist, which he
followed in youth and part of young manhood, and for a few terms taught
district school. He then joined his brother in the erection of a flour mill
at Elco and operated it for a time, and was engaged in the grain and milling
business when he yielded to the local clamor for his candidacy for a public
office. He was elected county clerk in 1886 and again in 1890, and in 1894
was elected sheriff for four years. At the expiration of this term he
engaged in the timber business, operated a sawmill in Alexander county and
handled timber extensively. In 1900 Mr. Miller was elected a representative
to the Illinois General Assembly for the fiftieth district, and served one
term. His service in that body gave him an extensive acquaintance with
prominent Republicans in the state and the political friendships he made
were a factor in his further interest in political activity. He has been a
member of the Republican county and congressional committee, has helped
organize state conventions and contributed to the success of many Republican
candidates for state and congressional office. He was appointed postmaster
of Cairo by President Roosevelt in 1901 and was commissioned by him a second
time in 1905, President Taft reappointing him in 1909. Although a firm
Republican and steadfast in his loyalty to his party, Mr. Miller has never
been animated by any controversial spirit that would antagonize those of
opposite political belief. Consequently he has hosts of warm friends and
supporters among his political opponents, whose votes have often been given
him when he has been a candidate. Mr. Miller has never married.
Extracted 06 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 History of Southern Illinois, Volume 3, pages 1475-1476.
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