Peoria Illinois

Swiger, Polly Mrs. – Obituary

Union, Union County, Oregon Mrs. Polly Swiger, aged 81 years and 26 days, died at the Swiger residence near Union, Oregon, Sunday, October 9, 1910, and was buried from the Presbyterian church Wednesday, October 12, at 11 a. m. Polly Wilkinson was born in Jackson county, Ohio, September 29, 1829, and her early life was passed in the vicinity of Peoria, Ill. She was married to N. Swiger in 1851, and in 1858 moved from Illinois to Nebraska. In May, 1864, Mr. and Mrs. Swiger moved to Oregon, arriving in the Grande Ronde Valley, October 9, of that year. From … Read more

Biography of Felix G. Campbell

Felix G. Campbell was a thoroughly practical and successful farmer before he took up the business of real estate, loans and insurance at Champaign, and in both lines his success has been noteworthy. He is still a farmer through ownership, though no longer a worker in the fields, and he now gives all his time to an extensive clientage in real estate and insurance. Mr. Campbell was born in Preble County, Ohio, November 11, 1848, and was four years of age when his parents, John W. and Margaret N. (Dooley) Campbell, moved to Peoria, Illinois. His father was a native … Read more

Wilkinson, John – Obituary

Forty-two years a resident of Union county, Oregon, was John Wilkinson, who was born July 30, 1839, in Peoria, Illinois, and died in Walla Walla, Washington, where he went three weeks before for treatment in a hospital in that city. At the age of two years, he, with his parents, went to Missouri, where they remained eight years, then to the old Illinois home till 1858, when he started westward, spending four years with headquarters in Nebraska, freighting on the plains as far as Denver. In 1864, he, together with his father, mother, five brothers and three sisters and a … Read more

Biography of Thomas Page

For upwards of half a century, Thomas Page has been one of the prominent commercial figures in Kansas. With possibly one exception, he is the oldest miller in the state, and for years has been a factor in the milling and grain interests and as much as any other individual has contributed to make Topeka a center for the manufacture of flour. A native of Scotland, he was born in the little manufacturing hamlet of Dunshalt in Fifeshire, September 3, 1843. With a practical schooling he began an apprenticeship in the milling business. For some time he was employed in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry E. Brown

Mr. Henry E. Brown was born and uneducated in Elmwood, Peoria County, Illinois, until his sixteenth year when he moved to Peoria and entered the high school, afterwards entering Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1899, with the degree of Bachelor of Physics. Since then he has been connected with the Rock Island Public Schools, starting as a teacher and five years ago becoming principal of the high school. Mr. Brown has always been greatly interested in all educational matters and has received much recognition for his interest by educational associations. He is at the present … Read more

Peoria Tribe

Peoria Indians (through French Peouarea, from Peoria Piwarea, ‘he comes carrying a pack on his back’: a personal name. Gerard). One of the principal tribes of the Illinois confederacy. Franquelin in his map of 1688 locates them and the Tapouaro on a river west of the Mississippi above the mouth of Wisconsin River, probably the upper Iowa River. Early references to the Illinois which place them on the Mississippi, although some of the tribes were on Rock and Illinois rivers, must relate to the Peoria and locate them near the mouth of the Wisconsin. When Marquette and Joliet descended the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward Conaghan

Edward Conaghan, merchant, Oakland; born in County Donegal, Ireland, Aug. 15, 1841, where he engaged in farming until 18 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New York in the fall of 1859; coming directly to Charleston, he engaged with his brother peddling, taking his stock of goods upon his back and selling from house to house; after following this for nine months for his brother, he commenced peddling on his own account, taking his first stock of goods, which invoiced at $20, in a pack upon his back, working in all kinds of weather, until 1863, … Read more

Biography of O. A. Kimball

In a history of the business development of Clarinda and Page county mention should be made of O. A. Kimball, who for some years figured prominently in connection with the lumber trade and later with the agricultural interests of the community. He was born in New Hampshire in 1835 and was a son of Edwin and Elizabeth (Prescott) Kimball, both of whom were natives of New England. The father followed the occupation of farming in New Hampshire, where both he and his wife died. The Kimball family was established on American soil in the early period in the colonization of … Read more

Biography of Frank A. Landee

It is a safe presumption that Frank A. Landed the widely known retail grocer of Moline, is an example of self made manhood that is worthy of the most persistent and conscientious emulation. Mr. Landee was born in Kalmar, Sweden, August 11, 1852, and from the moment of his arrival in this country, his career has been marked by unceasing toil and honorable occupation and transactions. From a lad, wholly unknown, his rise has incessantly been in the ascendancy. He is at the present time a member of the Board of Directors of Augustana College; and is a member of … Read more

O’Farrell, James R. – Obituary

James R. O’Farrell, 80, a native of Orting and a former Pierce County commissioner, died Friday night [September 25, 1953] at his home in Orting. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert O’Farrell, were pioneers in area, taking up a 120-acre homestead in the Puyallup Valley in 1870. Mr. O’Farrell was the last of four sons of the pioneers. He married Lena Bruce of Tacoma in 1898 and they set up housekeeping in Orting. For many years he was active in community and political affairs. He served at various times as mayor, councilman and school director in Orting and from 1916 … Read more

Kickapoo Indians

Kickapoo Indians. From Kiwegapaw`, “he stands about,” “he moves about, standing now here, now there.” Also called: A’-uyax, Tonkawa name, meaning “deer eaters.” Higabu, Omaha and Ponca name. I’-ka-dŭ’, Osage name. Shake-kah-quah, Wichita name. Shígapo, Shikapu, Apache name. Sik’-a-pu, Comanche name. Tékapu, Huron name. Yuatara’ye-ru’nu, a second Huron name, meaning “tribe living around the lakes.” Kickapoo Connections. The Kickapoo belonged to the Algonquian linguistic stock, and in a special group with the Foxes and Sauk. Kickapoo Villages. The villages were: Etnataek (shared with the Foxes), rather a fortification than a village, near the Kickapoo village on Sangamon River, Illinois. Kickspougowi, … Read more

Biography of Charles Wesley Foster

Charles Wesley Foster, deceased, who was one of the public-spirited citizens of Page county, honored and respected wherever known but most of all where best known, was born May 19, 1833, in Canton, Fulton county, Illinois, where he acquired his education in the public schools. At the age of fifteen years he went to Peoria to learn the tinner’s trade and there remained for four years. When nineteen years of age he went to Abingdon, Illinois, and conducted the first hardware and tin store in that place. Four years later he removed to Bushnell, Illinois, where he also became the … Read more

Street, Victoria Hewitt – Obituary

Mrs. Leslie Street passed away at her home in Sturgis Saturday evening [April 20, 1965]. Jesse [Victoria] Hewitt Street was born in Streeter, Ill., March 16, 1878, where she grew to womanhood and was married at Peoria, Ill., in 1899 to Leslie Street. They came to South Dakota in 1911, settling near Faith where they lived until 1945 when they moved to Sturgis. Mrs. Street passed away here in 1949. She is survived by one son, Harry of Rapid City; two daughters, Mrs. May Fuller of Rapid City and Mrs. Evelyn Marshall of Clayton, Idaho; one sister, Mrs. Alice Yeast … Read more

Biography of Joseph Holman

JOSEPH HOLMAN. – This pioneer of the North Pacific was born in Devonshire, England, in 1817, and came to the United States when nineteen years of age. Three years later he was at Peoria, Illinois, at which place he listened to a lecture on Oregon by Reverend Jason Lee, and was one of the party organized to cross the plains which left early in the spring of 1839, reaching the Willamette after fourteen months of travel, toil, hardships and privation. Many of the incidents of his trip are mentioned in the biographical sketch of Francis Fletcher in this book, he … Read more

Biography of David Prager

David Prager. It was the influence of his personality and character as much as his successful business activities that made David Prager so useful and valuable a citizen of Fort Scott, where he resided for over forty years. His carcer illustrates the fact that the successful man is not necessarily the selfish man. He did not keep the resources of his heart nor of his material means to himself, but dispensed them with free hand among his family, his friends and the entire community. He was one of Fort Scott’s most beloved and best known citizens. David Prager was born … Read more

Biography of Fred Eugene Pettit

Fred Eugene Pettit is a veteran business man and merchant of Marion County, and until he retired a few years ago conducted one of the largest stores at Peabody. Mr. Pettit was reared and educated and gained his first mercantile experience in the State of Illinois. He was born at Wyoming in Stark County, Illinois, January 8, 1861, a son of Peter and Mary Anne (Bailey) Pettit. Peter Pettit was born in New York State and located in Illinois in 1851, when the country was new and undeveloped. After a few years he lost his health and suffered invalidism throughout … Read more

Biography of F. C. Amsbary

F. C. Amsbary, superintendent and manager of the Champaign Waterworks, has been superintending waterworks plants in different parts of the country for upwards of thirty years. It has in fact been his regular profession, though some of his younger years were devoted to railroading. Mr. Amsbary has numerous connections that identify him with the substantial interests of his home city. A native of Illinois, he was born at Pekin, January 24, 1863, a son of William Wallace and Harriet E. (Harlow) Amsbary, both of whom are natives of New York State. William W. Amsbary moved to Champaign in 1907, and … Read more

Biography of James J. Rogers

The life of James J. Rogers has not been one of unvarying monotony, circumscribed by the habits, thoughts and customs of some narrow community, but contains many interesting incidents that come with travel and extensive intercourse with the world. Born on the Atlantic coast, he has visited foreign lands, has viewed many of the interesting scenes of our own country, and is now located in the beautiful city of Boise, which nestles in one of the loveliest valleys of the Pacific slope. There he is successfully engaged in the practice of law, and in the political affairs of the state … Read more

Biography of Francis Fletcher

FRANCIS FLETCHER. – Mr. Fletcher was among the very earliest of the settlers of Oregon, being here two years before the establishment of the Provisional government, and has consequently seen the great development of this state and coast form its earliest inception; and he has himself been one of the most active to induce the progress of the last fifty years. He was born in Yorkshire, England, March 1, 1814, and, at the age of fourteen years, crossed the water to Ontario, Canada, and afterwards to Peoria, Illinois. In 1839, in company with Amos Cook and others, he started for … Read more

Biography of John Gallup

John Gallup, assistant treasurer of the Missouri Portland Cement Company comes to the Mississippi valley from New England, where the family has been represented since early colonial days. He was born in Mystic, Connecticut, December 14, 1844, son of John Gallup and Roxanna Fish. He received his education in the public schools of Mystic, Connecticut, and also studied under private tutors. After leaving school he gave special attention to accounting and later was associated with his father in the lumber business. In Mystic, Connecticut, October 5, 1870, Mr. Gallup was married to Ellen E. Noyes, daughter of George W. and … Read more