Clint Clay Tilton was born in 1870. He lived in the newspaper world as printer, reporter, and later, as owner and publisher. As a young man, he lived the life of a roving reporter and printer, but in 1903 he became manager of The Danville Press in Danville, Illinois. In 1907, he bought the Press and consolidated it with the Democrat, and in 1912, he bought out the firm and continued the publication as The Danville Press Democrat until his retirement in 1920.
During his retirement year, Tilton served as president of the Illinois State Historical Society from 1939-1940 and presided at the annual meeting of the society which was held in Carbondale, May 1940. Tilton had a life-long interest in Abraham Lincoln, and spent over forty years collecting books and other items relating to Lincoln and American history in general. Mr. Tilton died July 13, 1946.
From the description of Clint Clay Tilton collection of Lincolniana and Americana, 1783-1954. (Southern Illinois University). WorldCat record id: 214080977
