History of Southern Illinois ~ Biography of Milo R. Clanahan

Biography of
Milo R. Clanahan

p. 1262

MILO R. CLANAHAN. As manager of the Southern Illinois agency for the National Life Insurance Company of Montpelier, Vermont, Mr. Clanahan is recognized as one of the representative figures in the field of life insurance in this section of the state, and he maintains his official headquarters in suite 506-7 Metropolitan building, East St. Louis. He is one of the popular and representative business men of this thriving city and has made an admirable record in his chosen field of endeavor.

Milo R. Clanahan finds a due amount of satisfaction in reverting to Illinois as the place of his nativity, and he is a scion of a family whose name has been identified with the history of this favored commonwealth for fully three quarters of a century. He was born on a farm in Pope county, Illinois, on the 4th of March, 1864, and is a son of Augustus Hamilton Clanahan and Ann Eliza (Modglin) Clanahan, who established their home in Pope county many years ago, the father becoming one of the prosperous farmers of that section, where both he and his wife continued to reside until their death. He whose name initiates this review was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and in the meanwhile the district school found him enrolled as a duly ambitious pupil. He amplified his educational discipline by attendance in summer schools and finally by an effective course in the Northern Illinois Normal University, at Normal, McLean county. In this institution he admirably qualified himself for the work of the pedagogic profession, and for six years he was a successful and popular teacher in the public schools of his native state. Thereafter he served five years as chief deputy in the office of the United States collector of internal revenue at Cairo, Illinois, a position from which he retired in 1894.

In P. 1263 1896 he became district manager for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, this position having been given him after a specially excellent record as a local underwriter for the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company. His service as district manager for the Mutual Life continued until the 1st of January, 1904, and he maintained his executive headquarters in the city of Cairo until 1901, when the same were transferred to East St. Louis. On the 1st of January, 1904, Mr. Clanahan assumed his present position, that of manager of the Southern Illinois agency for the National Life Insurance Company of Montpelier, Vermont, and he has added materially to his prestige in his chosen profession since forming such connection with this admirable New England company, for which he has built up a large and substantial business in his jurisdiction. He has shown marked initiative and executive ability, is progressive and alert and has a broad and exact knowledge of all details of the life-insurance business, in which he has gained a high reputation and unqualified success. In 1908 Mr. Clanahan purchased a fine stock farm near Vienna, the judicial center of Johnson county, Illinois, and he has found great pleasure and satisfaction in the development and improvement of this property and in exploiting the stock industry through progressive and effective methods. His farm is now one of the best devoted to the raising of pure bred live stock to be found in Southern Illinois, and he gives to the same his personal supervision.

In politics Mr. Clanahan gives a stanch allegiance to the Republican party and as a citizen he is essentially loyal and public-spirited. He is a member of the East St. Louis Commercial Club, is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and is identified with other civic organizations. The church relations of Mr. and Mrs. Clanahan are with the Presbyterians.

On the 26th of June, 1889, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Clanahan to Miss Lollie Mittler, and they have three children,—Elsie Mittler, who is a student in Washington College, at Washington, D. C.; Julius Harrington, who is a member of the office force of the Pittsburg Aluminum Works, which is one of the largest industries of East St. Louis, Illinois; and Walter Hamilton, who is a student in the East St. Louis high school.

Apropos of Mr. Clanahan‘s deep interest in stock-growing it may be said that he is specially enthusiastic as a lover and breeder of fine horses, in which connection he has prepared and published an attractive little brochure, dedicated to the American saddle horse in general, but more particularly to Forest Dudley, No. 2850, and his noted sire, Forest King, No. 1462, the former animal being owned by Mr. Clanahan. Concerning the pamphlet to which reference has just been made pertinent information is given in the preface of the same, and the context thereof is consistently reproduced in this sketch of the career of the author:

“Upon my first conception of the idea that I would prepare a pamphlet and dedicate it to ‘The American Saddle Horse’ in general, but more particularly to the one in which I felt most deeply interested, I little realized the enormity of what first appeared so small a task, but which in reality proved a large one for me, coming, as it does, not from a horseman, familiar with ‘hoss’ talk, but simply from a life-insurance man who in early boyhood and while on the farm formed a love and admiration for horses, which is my hobby. . . . It has been said that every man must have his business and his hobby. Imagine yourself, if you please, trying to write something of your hobby and to make it of interest to anybody else, especially when you are not a member of or applicant for membership in the Ananias Club, and you will agree with me that it would P. 1264 be far easier to talk or write intelligently and, as in this case I have tried to do, truthfully upon the line of business in which you are in every-day life engaged. But as I was never accused of being a ‘quitter,’

I have stayed at this self-imposed task until it is now ‘up to the printer’ and ‘me for the bill,’ and if this pamphlet contains any information of interest to you, either with reference to Forest Dudley, No. 2850, or any of his distinguished ancestry or to the American saddle horse in general, let me assure you that I have taken no little pains but have spent much time and labor and some money in the preparation of the booklet, and in an honest effort to substantiate every statement made herein, and which I now ask you to accept as authentic, with the compliments of the author.” Copies of the pamphlet may be had upon application to Mr. Clanahan, and at a purely nominal price. Further statements made by Mr. Clanahan in this connection are as follows: “By a careful study of this publication you will find that it contains much valuable and general information, in fact the boiled-down essence of the various published volumes of the American Saddle Horse Register, as to the organization of the association, the foundation sires and later noted sires, outlining from official sources the distinctive upper blood lines of the American saddle-horse family, with show records and achievements of its most noted sires; also the sources, breeds and crosses from which the American saddle-horse family has sprung; therefore we trust that everyone into whose hands this booklet may fall may find it both interesting and worthy of preserving for future reference.”

In conclusion of this sketch of Milo R. Clanahan, will say that he has always applied his energies faithfully and loyally to whatever task he undertook, always remembering, and usually applying that good old rule —‘ ‘ Business first and pleasure afterwards.”

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