"Danville has no more prominent representative than George W. Salmans, who for over a third of a century has been a member of the bar of Vermilion county. He was born on the 9th of January, 1849, m Vinton county, Ohio, and is a representative of one of the pioneer families of that state. His paternal great grandfather was a native of Delaware, but at a very early day removed to Ohio and he and his family became actively identified with the development of that state. There the grandfather was born but his wife was of Irish extraction, her birth occurring in Furmanaugh, Ireland. Our subject's father, George Salmans, who was a farmer by occupation, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, May 13, 1818, and died on the 23rd of May, 1873. In early manhood he married Mary Rebecca Hudson, whose birth occurred in Baltimore, Maryland, December 25, 1820. She died in March, 1871. Her father was also a native of Maryland and was the son of a Revolutionary soldier, who took part in many of the notable engagements of the war for independence. Our subject's maternal great-grandmother bore the maiden name of Mary Ebaugh and lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and four years.

George W. Salmans began his education in the district school in the northern part of Vermilion county, and subsequently attended the Evans Union College at State Line City, Indiana, for three terms. Having decided to make the practice of law his life work, he next entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was graduated from the law department with the class of 1876. At the age of eighteen years he began teaching school in Vermilion county and was thus employed at various points for eight years, including several terms in Warren county, Indiana. Being admitted to the bar in 1876, Mr. Salmans opened an office in Danville and here he has since successfully engaged in general practice, handling many of the most noted cases tried in the courts here.

On the 12th of October, 1876, Mr. Salmans was united in marriage to Miss Rachel F. Allison, a daughter of Mark M. Allison, of Alvin, Illinois, and to them were born five children: George E., who is now thirty-two years of age and is engaged in the real-estate business in Danville; Mira, the wife of William Groves and a resident of Chicago; John E., who is assistant superintendent of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company at Alton, Illinois; Mark, a commercial traveler; and one who died in infancy. The mother of these children passed away, and, on the 20th of September, 1892, Mr. Salmans was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Addie C. Parks, a daughter of Nathan Brady, of Danville. Three children have been born to them, namely: Ruby, now seventeen years of age; Ruth, fifteen years of age; and Fred W., fourteen years of age. All are at home with their parents.

Mr. Salmans' ancestors were ardent abolitionists and on the organization of the republican party joined its ranks and have since affiliated with it. On attaining his majority he, too, voted the republican ticket but later, believing that the principles of the democratic party more closely coincided with his own views, he has since given it his support. In the fall of 1896 he was elected to the legislature and most capably filled that office for a term of two years. By studying the needs of his constituents he rendered the community valuable service and no public trust reposed in him has ever been misplaced. He has made a splendid record as a legislator and lawyer and his life has been such as to commend him to the confidence and high regard of those with whom he has been brought in contact. Fraternally he is a Master Mason and finds pleasure in his membership in the blue lodge." - History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume III, by Lottie E. Jones, 1911