People who have had a significant impact on Ford County or were/are of national note.
Leslie Cornelius Arends, U.S. congressman
Scott M. Bennett, member of the Illinois Senate
Thomas M. Bennett, member of both the Illinois House of Representative and Illinois Senate
Charles Bogardus, Illinois state legislator, businessman, and farmer
Horatio N. Boshell, physician and Illinois state representative
Leander Britt, businessman and co-founder of co-founder of Paxton (Prospect City)
Glenn A. Burklund, inventor and politician
Curtiss LaQ Day, aviation pioneer
Antoinette Downing, historical preservationist
Dwight “Dike” Eddleman, three-sport athlete at the University of Illinois, professional basketball player
Earl Hamilton, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies
T.N. Hasselquist, Swedish-American clergyman, journalist, and educator
Gustaf Johnson, member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Russell Johnson, cartoonist
Elmer Koestner, pitcher for the Cleveland Naps, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds
Pete Larson, running back for the Washington Redskins
Lena Morrow Lewis, political activist, orator, and journalist
Jonathan B. Lott, Civil War veteran and founder of Gibson City
John Arthur Love, 36th Governor of Colorado and the Director of the Office of Energy Policy in the Nixon administration
Mush March, player for the Chicago Blackhawks
Frances McDormand, award winning actress
Tom Meents, champion monster truck driver
Sid Mercer, syndicated sportswriter who covered boxing and baseball
Gina Miles, singer and winner of The Voice
George E. Morrow, agronomist
Ransom R. Murdock, businessman and co-founder of Paxton (Prospect City)
Jane Cade Patton, pioneer, writer, preservationist.
William H. Pells, businessman and co-founder of Paxton (Prospect City)
Josephine Perry, Illinois state representative
Lorinda Perry, economist, professor, lawyer
William H. Plackett, Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy
Larry Pratt, catcher for the Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Tip-Tops and Newark Pepper
Hiram Sibley, industrialist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist
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