1906 Necrologist Report
(Transcribed and copyrighted April 30, 2001, by Lawrence B. Peet, Joliet, Illinois. Permission granted to copy for non-commercial use only. All in Italics and upper case surnames are added to or modified from the original by the transcriber.)
(1906 Old Settlers’ Association of Will County report of deaths for the year 1905-06, as printed in The Joliet Weekly News, Joliet, Illinois, September 6, 1906, page 12, transcribed by Lawrence B. Peet.)
Will County Historical Events of Interest And Pioneers Who Have Passed Away in Past Year.
Members Who Have Died.
W. W. Stevens read the following list of the members who have died during the past year, with the age of each:
1905:
Oct. 20, 1905 – Chas. SNOAD of Edison Park, 72.
Oct. 27, 1905 – Mrs. Miranda (FLAGG), wife of Geo. FLAGG of Plainfield, 63.
Oct. 28, 1905 – Wm. NELSON of Florence, 89.
Nov. 11, 1905 – Royal E. BARBER of Joliet, 83.
Nov. 22, 1905 – Lewis E. DILLMAN of Joliet, 77.
Nov. 25, 1905 – Lucinda (HUMPHREY), widow of the late Horace HUMPHREY of Joliet, 80.
Dec. 7, 1905 – Miss Effie WARREN of Joliet, 47.
Dec. 8, 1905 – Philip FILER of Bernard, N. Y., 88.
Dec. 12, 1905 – James M. HAVEN of Oakland, Cal., 78.
1906:
Jan. 11, 1906 – Elis NOBLE of Joliet, 87.
Jan. 15, 1906 – Parthena F. (CLAYES), widow of the late Levi M. CLAYES of Joliet, 75.
Jan. 25, 1906 – Benjamin C. FOSS of Plainfield, 86.
Jan. 30, 1906 – Jacob SMITH of Locola, Mich., 88.
Jan. 31, 1906 – Julia F. (ASHLEY), widow of the late James R. ASHLEY, 81.
April 13, 1906 – H. C. CASSEDAY of Joliet, 74.
April 17, 1906 – Selah KNAPP of Joliet, 69.
June 21, 1906 – James B. AUSTIN of Homer, 83.
July 1, 1906 – Wm. GOUGAR of New Lenox, Cn.
July 2, 1906 – Emily (LAN- illegible), wife of W. H. LAN- (illegible), of Homer, 76.
(Illegible), 1906 – A. R. MARTIN of Plainfield, 74.
Aug. 1, 1906 – Henry C. KNOWLTON of Joliet, 66.
Aug. 23, 1906 – Daniel GOUGAR of Joliet, 90.
Historical Events.
The following events in the history of Willcounty were reported by W. W. Stevens:
The oldest person now living who was born in what now constitutes Will county, is Benjamin B. SCOTT, of Creswell, Oregon. He was born in what is known as Babylon, 2½ miles southeast of the city, August 4, 1831.
Will county was set off from Cook county by an act of the legislature Jan. 12, 1836. It was named for Conrad Will, a former resident. (Not so. It was named in honor of a State Senator who had just passed away. -L.B.Peet.)
Jan. 25, 1844 – John ROBINSON and Miss Sophia TAYLOR were married by Rev. Mr. COMSTOCK.
May 15, 1846 – The first circus came to the village.
May 25, 1846 – Arrangements were made to have weekly mail from Chicago. Previous to that the mail was brought whenever it was convenient to bring it.
March 26, 1848 – The first canal boat, the “General Fry” came down from Chicago.
April 7, 1848 – The first telegraph line from Detroit to Chicago was completed and March 13, 1851, the first message by telegraph was received here from Chicago.
May 6, 1850 – S. W. STONE opened a select school over House’s old wagon shop on Chicago street.
Sept. 8, 1852 – The first passenger train came from Chicago to Joliet over the Rock Island road.
Sept. 12, 1852 – Eugene DALY and Miss Bridget THOMPSON were married by Rev. Father G. A. HAMILTON.
July 19, 1853 – Plank road opened to Plainfield and south to Jackson’s Grove.
July 31, 1854 – The first passenger train went south over the Alton.
Jan. 10, 1855 – Allen P. CARPENTER and Miss Ellen SPENCER were married by Rev. L. H. LOSS.
April 17, 1855 – First burial in Oakwood cemetery.
March 18, 1856 – Moses G. DEMMOND and Miss Ann Eloza HIGINBOTHAM married by Rev. Henry WOLWORTH.
March 22, 1859 – George A. BUCK led a blushing bride to the altar in the person of Sarah H. BAKER and Rev. Henry R. WOLWORTH performed the marriage ceremony.
Nov. 19, 1859 – Curtis MORSE and Miss Olive M. LANFEAR married by Rev. J. B. DIBELL.
Sept. 7, 1860 – Steamer Lady Elgin lost on Lake Michigan; 300 people drowned.
February 12, 1861 – President LINCOLN passed through Joliet on his way to Washington and on May 2, 1865, the train passed through the city over the Alton bearing the body of the murdered president to Springfield.
Jan. 1, 1864 – The coldest day in the history of the county. It was 30 degrees below zero and a foot of snow with a high wind. Jan. 1, 1860, was nearly as cold – 25 degrees below.
August 9, 1865 – The great flood in Joliet, when the wall of the upper basin gave way and a large part of the city was overflowed.
Sept. 7, 1866 – President JOHNSON, Gen. GRANT, and Secretaries SEWARD and WELLES visited Joliet.
Dec. 27, 1871 – Col. M. W. SHURTS led to the altar Joliet’s most accomplished milliner, Miss E. M. SIMONDS, and the Rev. Ashur MOORE married them.
July 15, 1875, N. S. GRIMWOOD of Joliet, fell out of a balloon into Lake Michigan and was drowned.
Feb. 16, 1883 – The great disaster in the Diamond mine at Braidwood, when 75 miners lost their lives.