Biography - Daniel Atto
Daniel
Atto, an honest and hard-working farmer of Newman township, was born near
Bedford, Lawrence county, Indiana, July 14, 1844. He came to Newman township
in 1861 and was for three years a tenant farmer before he purchased his farm
of forty-seven acres, which he yet owns. While our subject was yet small,
his parents removed from Lawrence to Greene county, Indiana, where he
remained until he was eighteen years of age, when he migrated to Illinois
with his mother and her family. His father, Joseph Atto, a native of
Natchez, Mississippi, was left an orphan at an early age. At the age of five
year by some means he was sent north stopping at Evansville, Indiana, and
was taken by Isaac Mitchell, who raised and educated him. In 1841 he wedded
Fannie, a daughter of Isaac Mitchell, who was a native of Virginia, and who
lived and died near Bloomfield, Indiana. Daniel Atto has been a busy man all
his life, had few school advantages, but knew well the advantages of an
education and has seen that his children have amply received what he lacked.
For many years he has taken an active interest in school matters and for
eighteen years past has served as president of the school board.
In 1866 he was united in marriage to Miss Phebe Ogdon, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of Alexander and Adaline Ogdon, who were born in Virginia. Five children have blessed their union: Ira; Ora, who is in his twenty-third year and is one of the bright young school teachers of the county; Barney, Alma and Lucy. Mr. Atto is a stanch Republican in his political opinion, and occupies a high place in the respect and esteem of the people among whom he has dwelt for so many years.
Extracted 12 Apr 2017 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 135-136.
