Born in Leydon Township (now Schiller Park), Cook County, Illinois, a son of Mathias Lane and Emelline (Pierce) Dunlap. At the time of his birth, Chicago was a village on the edge of a big lake. The family moved to Champaign County in 1857. He was enrolled at the Illinois Industrial College, later the University of Illinois, as its 115th student in 1868. He was not yet fifteen years old. After graduation in 1875, he was an assistant to his brother, Merton, then clerk of Ford County. After the death of his father in 1875, he began management of the family farm and nursery. By 1929, the Dunlap Nurseries consisted of 1500 acres in four counties. On July 5, 1877, he married Nora Burt of Ohio. She died in 1932. The couple had four children, all of whom died in childhood: Clarence died March 30, 1892, age 5; Mabel died April 3, 1892, age 9; Daisey died February 3, 1895, age 2 months; the fourth was an unnamed infant with no date listed. After his wife's death, Dunlap moved from the large home near Savoy (The Senator's Inn), to 510 W. Green. During the 1880's he served on the county board of supervisors, and in 1892, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate and was re-elected every term until 1912. As senator, he authored a law which organized the Illinois State Police and another which insured financing for the University of Illinois. An active Free Mason, he was a member of Western Star Lodge No. 240 A.F. and A.M.
Born in Leydon Township (now Schiller Park), Cook County, Illinois, a son of Mathias Lane and Emelline (Pierce) Dunlap. At the time of his birth, Chicago was a village on the edge of a big lake. The family moved to Champaign County in 1857. He was enrolled at the Illinois Industrial College, later the University of Illinois, as its 115th student in 1868. He was not yet fifteen years old. After graduation in 1875, he was an assistant to his brother, Merton, then clerk of Ford County. After the death of his father in 1875, he began management of the family farm and nursery. By 1929, the Dunlap Nurseries consisted of 1500 acres in four counties. On July 5, 1877, he married Nora Burt of Ohio. She died in 1932. The couple had four children, all of whom died in childhood: Clarence died March 30, 1892, age 5; Mabel died April 3, 1892, age 9; Daisey died February 3, 1895, age 2 months; the fourth was an unnamed infant with no date listed. After his wife's death, Dunlap moved from the large home near Savoy (The Senator's Inn), to 510 W. Green. During the 1880's he served on the county board of supervisors, and in 1892, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate and was re-elected every term until 1912. As senator, he authored a law which organized the Illinois State Police and another which insured financing for the University of Illinois. An active Free Mason, he was a member of Western Star Lodge No. 240 A.F. and A.M.
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