Hamilton Jefferson Barrow was born in Virginia in 1839 and served the Confederate cause with the Virginia Militia during the Civil War. He was shot in the 1862 Battle of Bloomery Furnace in West Virginia, and left on the ground for dead afterward. A kindly woman and her daughter discovered that he was still alive, nursed him to health, and returned his to his father’s Virginia farm. While recovering, he was arrested by Northern troops and imprisoned until an exchange of troops took place between North and South. He re-enlisted, but did not see further service before General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865.

Barrow moved to Illinois with his family, having heard of the fertile soil here from relatives in Bloomington. Barrow farmed, either with his family or on his own farm until 1886, when he retired due to health reasons. He had married Susan Bradford at Clarksburg, Virginia, in 1872, and the couple had three children. An unmarried daughter, Carrie, cared for him in his Gibson City home.

The occasion of his 100th birthday was cause for recognition as the area’s only centenarian and its only Civil War survivor. He was recognized by residents, the business community, and school children. He would live to be 102, Gibson City and Ford County’s oldest resident, before his passing on the last day of 1941.

Actor: Dan Kearfott

Dan Kearfott is a local graphic designer and sign painter who owns Kearfott Graphix in Gibson City. Music and theatre also play big roles in his life, as he has been the drummer for several bands and is the owner/operator of a DJ and karaoke service known as “The Hitman.”

His theatre experience began in high school and has continued locally with the ACT Theatre Group in productions such as Rumors, White Christmas, and It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Show.

Active in the community, Dan has been a member of the Gibson City Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club for more than 25 years. For hobbies, he enjoys golf, flying, motorcycling, and spending time with his family.