H. A. Danford is a representative of the journalistic interest of Christian County. Since 1896 he has been the owner and editor of the Stonington Star, a weekly paper which has quite a large circulation. Mr. Danford was born in Denver, Missouri, in 1874., a son of Peter and Nancy Danford, both of whom are natives of Ohio. Removing to Grant city, Missouri, Peter Danford was there engaged in teaching school for nine years and in 1878 he came with his family to Owaneco, Christian County, where he again engaged in teaching for several years. In 1888, however, he abandoned educational work and entered the journalistic field, purchasing the Farmers' Journal of Taylorville. He published it for a year and then sold out, turning his attention to the grocery business in Owaneco., Where he remained until 1896. He then bought a paper published in that town and removed the plant to Stonington. He also established another paper at Mount Auburn, Illinois, but sold it after one year - in 1901. In 1898 he disposed of his paper in Stonington and was again engaged in the grocery business for a time. He is now serving as police magistrate and notary public of Stonington and is well known in public affairs there, being a progressive and enterprising citizen. At the time of the Civil war he proved his loyalty to the government by enlisting in the Union Army, in July, 1861, as a member of Company F Eighteenth Ohio Infantry. He continued in the service until the fall of 1864 and participated in a number of important battles which contributed to the splendid success which ultimately crowned the Union arms.

To the public schools system of Christian county H. A. Danford is indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. He continued his studies until fifteen years of age and then started to earn his own living by working as a farm hand, which pursuit he followed until he attained his majority. In that year he removed to Stonington and joined his father in the newspaper enterprise as the publisher of the Stonington Star. In 1896 he purchased his father's interest and has since been owner and publisher of this journal. In his printing office he employs four men and is doing a paying business. The Star has a circulation of eight hundred. This paper is published weekly and Mr. Danford is to--day doing a prosperous business, having a larger patronage than is usually obtained in a town of the size of Stonington.

On the 25th of September, 1898, Mr. Danford was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Horton, a daughter of Samuel Horton, a native of Flora, Illinois. Two children grace this union: Mildred, who is four years of age: and Alden, three months old. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and they are widely and favorably known in the county, having a large circle of warm friends. Mr. Danford is a progressive citizen and through the columns of his paper as well as in other ways he advocates all measures for the general good and champions every movement to advance general improvement.