No list of professional men of Jackson county would be complete without
extended mention being made of its educators whose untiring labors during
the past decade have brought the standard of education in this section to a
point where it is unexcelled by any community in Southern Illinois, and who,
not content with present conditions, are laboring faithfully to still
further advance their chosen work and by their example set a pace that will
be worthy of emulation by teachers all over the state. Professor Henry Cox,
principal of the public schools of Oraville, is one of those whose work as
an educator has had much to do with the present desirable condition of
affairs, and his entire professional career has been spent in the schools of
Jackson county. He was born on his father's farm in Levan township, June 16,
1870, and is a son of Benjamin F. and Mary B. (Crossin) Cox.
Benjamin F. Cox was born at Beaver Dam, Kentucky, in 1842, and as a youth
accompanied his parents to Indiana and from that state to Illinois. When
Benjamin was a lad of ten years his family located on a farm situated on the
road leading from Murphysboro to Carbondale, and as a youth he hunted
squirrels on the present site of the former city with his chums, John and
Thomas Logan. Reared to agricultural pursuits, he followed the vocation of
farmer throughout his life, and at the time of his death, which occurred
October 3, 1895, he was the owner of an excellent property situated two
miles southwest of Oraville. In political matters he was a Democrat, but
took only a good citizen's interest in public matters, and the only office
he held was that of deputy sheriff under his brother. Sheriff "William Cox,
familiarly known as "Biddle. " who held that office in Jackson county for
many years. His wife, who was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, was a native of Jackson county, and died on the home farm
January 2. 1911. Of their six children Henry was the fifth in order of birth
and he and his brother. Samuel Cox, who is engaged in the laundry business
at Colorado Springs. Colorado, are the only survivors.
As a youth
Henry Cox attended the public schools in the vicinity of his father's farm,
and this training was supplemented by attendance at the Southern Illinois
Normal School at Carbondale and the normal school at Cape Girardeau,
Missouri, graduating from the latter in 1891. Since that time he has been
engaged in teaching at various places in Jackson county, at the same time
conducting the farm with his father, since whose death Mr. Cox has owned the
homestead and superintended its operation. The Oraville school has an
enrollment of sixty pupils, includes eighth grade work, and some high school
training has also been done. A close student of educational methods and
conditions, Mr. Cox has proved an able and efficient tutor, and he has given
of the best of himself in training the youthful minds placed under his care.
He has, however, found time to serve his township in public office, has
served as assessor and collector, and was elected on the Democratic ticket
to the position of deputy sheriff of Ora township, in which capacity he is
at present acting. Fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows and the
Modern Woodmen of America, and he is popular with his fellow lodge members,
as he is also in his profession and with his pupils.
On June 19,
1892, Professor Cox was married to Miss Maggie Underhill, daughter of
William Underbill, a farmer of Jackson county, and five children have been
born to them, namely: Arthur, Arden, Floyd, Mabel and Jessie.
Extracted 11 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, volume 3, pages 1493-1494.