 1830 - 1896 (65 years)
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| Name |
William Douglas |
| Birth |
15 Sep 1830 |
Canada  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
15 Jul 1896 |
Elmwood, Ill |
| Burial |
Hope Cemetery |
| Person ID |
I31984 |
Cecilie Family |
| Last Modified |
16 May 2004 |
| Family |
Sarah Maria Jones, b. 18 Apr 1831, Near Jamestown, N.Y. d. 10 Dec 1910, Galesburg, Ill (Age 79 years) |
| Marriage |
5 Oct 1852 |
Victoria District, Ontario |
| Children |
| | 1. William Henry Douglas, b. 26 Aug 1853, Canada d. 22 Nov 1923, Peoria, Ill. (Age 70 years) |
| | 2. Albert Potter Douglass, b. Jun 1857, Sidney Twp, Hastings, Ontario, Canada d. 22 Sep 1859, Sidney Twp, Hastings, Ontario, Canada (Age 2 years) |
| | 3. Edwin Franklin Douglass, b. 7 Mar 1860, Sidney, B.C. Canada d. 9 Dec 1918, Elmwood, Illinois (Age 58 years) |
| | 4. Alfred Douglass, b. 1867 d. 1870, Elmwood, Ill (Age 3 years) |
| | 5. Orville Albert Douglass, b. 14 May 1870, Illinois d. 28 Jan 1890, Elmwood, Ill (Age 19 years) |
| | 6. Asa William Douglass, b. 1872 d. 1872, Elmwood, Ill (Age 0 years) |
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| Family ID |
F9305 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
22 Feb 2009 |
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| Notes |
Emigrated from Belleville, Canada to Elmwood, Ill in 1862. His father was born in Ireland and his mother in Mass. (based on 1880 census) He went into the carriage and wagon business on the site where the Elmwood foundry and machine shops later stood and continued in this business until the Fall of 1866.
| Directory of Advertisers in Elmwood Observer - June 1, 1866 |
Wm. Douglas & Co. Carriage & Wagon Makers, Near the Depot, - Elmwood, Ill. Would respectively announce to the Farming community, and all others interested, that they are now fully prepared to manufacture all kinds of Carriages & Lumber Wagons. In a style which they warrant to give satisfaction, in respect to both Workmanship and Materials, the work being done under their immediate inspection, and, good iron and well-seasoned lumber only, being used. Open and Caleche Top Buggies made in the most fashonable style. Lumber Wagons with iron or Wooden Axles or Thimble Skeins, and fitted with Seats and Patent Brakes. One Horse Wagons, etc., got up promptly to order. Re-fitting, Reparing done to order. |
| W. E. Phelps & Co. - Peoria Illinois |
in 1866 W. J. Phelps, A. L. Tracy, J. A. Vandervoort, L. F. Jones, J. J. Rose, H. P. Tracy and W. E. Phelps organized a stock company for the purpose of working in wood and iron. A machine shop, foundry, wood shop and blacksmith shop were built and fitted with necessary machinery. The company also became proprietors of Rose's tin upsetter, punch and shears, then just patented.
The works were superintended consecutively by J. J. Rose, L. F. Jones, William Douglas and Samuel West. Various manufacturing ventures were tried, but the concern lost money, and finally stopped business altogether. In 1874 W. E. Phelps purchased the interests ... and formed the present concern.
(History of Peoria County, Johnson & Co, 1880) |
We had assumed he was born in Canada - or perhaps we got this from an earlier Census. In the 1920 census, his son said that he and Sarah had been born in New York)
Then he was in the mercantile business with his brother in law, Harvey Vansickle at the firm of Douglas and Vansickle, In 1871, he sold his interest in the business and formed Douglas and Venn, with his brother in law James Venn, again entering the carriage and wagon making business. In 1878, he bought out Mr. Venn and the firm became Douglas and Son. They made a specialty of fine work, employed 8 men and did a business of $12,000 year.
William was a blacksmith by trade and the oldest established carriage maker in the town. His son Wm. H. Douglass took charge of the farming implement trade when they embarked upon it in 1878.
Mr. Douglas was one of the solid reliable business men of Elmwood, Ill.
| Census: 1870 Elmwood, Peoria Co., Illinois | | name | age | occupation | born in | | Wm Douglas | 38 | Merchant | Canada | | Sarah Douglas | 38 | wife | NY | | H. William Douglas | 16 | At Home | Canada | | Edwin L. Douglas | | 18 | Canada | | Orville Douglas | 3/12 | | Ill |
| 1880 Census Elmwood, Peoria Co., Illinois | | name | relation | age | born in | occupation | father born | mother born | | | William Douglas | self | 49 | CAN | Wagon Maker | IRE | MA | | | Sarah Douglas | wife | 49 | NY | Keeping House | MA | CAN | | | William H. Douglas | son | 28 | CAN | Agricultural Implement Dealer | | | | | Frank Douglas | son | 20 | CAN | At Home | CAN | NY | | | Orville Douglas | son | 10 | IL | | CAN | NY | |
(Frank Douglas is Edwin Franklin Douglas)
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| For more information see the Our Folk - Hart family Web Site |
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