Hon. Edward C. Knotts, one of the prominent lawyers of
Macoupin county and a citizen of Carlinville, was born on a farm in Sangamon
county, Illinois, in 1863, and comes of old Virginia and Kentucky ancestry.
At the age of 17 years, he entered Blackburn University and later
graduated from Knox College, at Galesburg, Illinois. After leaving college,
he was employed for about two years as a newspaper writer, and then returned
to Macoupin county and taught school for a period of three years, during
which period he also studied law. In 1889 he was admitted to the bar of
Illinois and opened an office at Girard, where he remained until 1903, when
he removed to Carlinville. In 1892 he was elected to the office of State's
Attorney of Macoupin county and during his term of office distinguished
himself as a fearless and forceful prosecutor. From 1893 to 1895 he held the
office of mayor of Girard, and won an enviable reputation by his strict
adherence to official duty. At the September term of the circuit court,
1903, he was appointed to the office of Master in Chancery of Macoupin
county, by Judge Robert B. Shirley, for a term of two years, and his conduct
in such office is characteristic of the man, — honest, industrious, careful
and fearless.
Mr. Knotts is a very active and effective worker in
the ranks of the Democratic party in the county, and is generally regarded
by his party associates as one of the best campaign speakers in the State.
Though active in politics, he has never been an office seeker, and such
offices as he has held have come to him in recognition of his party service
and eminent fitness.
He is the senior member of the law firm of
Knotts & Terry, and is especially strong in trials before juries. It may be
truly said of Mr. Knotts that he is a self-made man, for he earned the means
by farm labor with which to educate himself, and then taught school to
sustain himself while reading law.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 288-289.
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