William T. Gilliam c1838-1917

GILLIAM, DUNN, SILZER, PLATT, MINK, PAYNE, BRISBANE, DANIEL

Posted By: J. Nicks (email)
Date: 3/7/2006 at 13:25:52

Telegraph Herald and Times Journal, Thursday, Dec 27,1917 Dubuque, Iowa

PIONEER IS DEAD
William T. Gilliam, Long-Time Resident of City, Passes Away.
LIVED HERE 74 YEARS
Was One of the Oldest Members of the Traveling Men’s Association

William Theophilus Gilliam passed away Wednesday evening at the home of his son, C. A. Gilliam, 210 Alta Vista street.
He was born 8 (sic) years ago at Jacksonville, Ill., and moved to Dubuque with his parents when but four years old. The family drove overland to St. Louis and came to Dubuque by boat, landing at the present site of Beach’s soap factory. There were less than 266 white settlers here when the family arrived and Dubuque was really nothing more than an Indian trading post. Mr. Gilliam’s father, Charles Gilliam, opened and operated for a number of years a general store on the site where the Hotel Julien now stands, and William t. Gilliam’s reminiscences of those early days were of intense interest to his listeners of later generations. His father, a very prominent man in his day, was known as “Blackhawk” Gilliam, which name he received at the hands of an old Indian chief who frequented his trading store. The Indians were very numerous in those days and a fight took place among some of the young bucks, one of whom was a young warrior of an ugly, sp…ous (unreadable) disposition. Tiring of the rumpus, Mr. Gilliam’s father said to the old chief, “If you cannot subdue that bad Indian, I will.” Whereupon he turned into the store, took down a big black snake bull whip and waded into the crowd of Indians and, singling out the bad Indian, gave him the thrashing of his life. This won the admiration of the old chief, who patted Mr. Gilliam’s father on the back and grunted, “Huh, Heap Big White Chief Blackhawk,”
Those were the days during which the mining interests developed and flourished and young William was an active participant in those stirring times. His father disposed of his general store and engaged in mining operations in West Dubuque in partnership with a man named Waters. The stories that Mr. Gilliam had told of his explorations of clefts and crevices under the Dubuque hills would make fascinating reading in themselves.
At one time his father owned 40 acres of land in what is now the heart of the city. Mr. Gilliam had driven a plow over the ground on which the Y. M. C. A. building now stands.
One of the interesting stories which his grandchildren never tired of listening to was of his steamboat race on the Mississippi between the old City of amburg (sic), owned and operated by Mr. Gilliam’s father, and that famous old river packet, the War Eagle, both boats being tied up at the docks at St. Paul. When the challenge came from the captain of the War Eagle for a race to the southern terminal, which was Galena, the challenge was promptly accepted and the wagers laid and the race was on. On the down trip the stacks were kept red hot and the boilers crowded to their last pound of steam capacity. There was not time to stop and load up more fuel enroute, so the cargo was utilized, and ham, bacon, hand railings and benches and everything else that was combustible served to speed the boats toothier goal. The City of amburg tied to the dock at Galena just forty minutes of her defeated rival.
William t. Gilliam was the foreman of the old hose company, No. 2, of the first volunteer fire department. Joseph Reinfried, the present fire chief, having been a member of his company. He was an active member and maintained a keen interest in the veteran association of volunteer firemen, of whom there are but a few members left.
He was active in the political affairs of his time and was one of the late D. B. Henderson’s staunchest supporters and workers. He was broad in his political visions and preferred to vote for the man and what he knew the name stood for, rather than for a party ticket, although in national issues he was a staunch rock-ribbed old time republican. He would often refer in a humorous vain (sic) to the fact that the only democratic presidential vote he ever cast was his first vote and that he promptly saw his mistake and had “voted right” ever since. The fact was, however, that at that particular time both presidential candidates were old neighbors, one from Morgan county, Ill., and the other from Sangamon county, Ill., so that a courtesy vote was vaid (sic) to each, the father voting for Lincoln, while young William T. cast his ballot for Stephen A. Douglas.
Mr. Gilliam was one of the oldest members of the Dubuque Business and Traveling Men’s Association, having joined it more than thirty years ago, when traveling for Carr, Ryder & Wheeler, with which firm he had been connected for over twenty five years, commencing with the inception of the firm itself when ot (sic) began business on lower main street under the name of Carr & Austin.
He was married on October 24, 1861, to Miss Louisa Dunn, and he enjoyed rare privileges of celebrating with her their golden wedding anniversary seven years ago. Mrs. Gilliam preceded him into the great beyond just a few months ago, having died on May 25.
They were blessed with eight children, seven of whom are still living and three of whom were gathered at his bedside when he died. His children are: Charles A. , of this city; Arthur W., of Tulsa, Okla.; William O., of Minneapolis, Minn.; Frank M., Edna, La.; Mrs. J. (C. uncertain) Platt, Epworth, Ia.; Mrs. Elmer E. Mink, Eugene, Ore.; Mrs. Geo. C. Silzer, Des Moines, besides which he is survived by seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
He was the oldest son of a sturdy pioneer family of fifteen children, consisting of thirteen boys and two girls, of whom there still survive him Charles Alonzo Gilliam, Dubuque; Edward, of Marengo, IA.; E. Pachal, of Ira, IA.; James and Joseph, of Omaha, and his two sisters, Mrs. J. C. Payne, of Dubuque, and Mrs. Wiltze Brisbane, of La Cole, Quebec.
His was a sterling character of fearless integrity which made him a host of friends of the life-time, loyal kind. He was modest and unassuming and simple in his own personal desires, his greatest pride and pleasure having been in the success of his friends and his own boys and girls.
Those who knew him, loved him and with his passing there will be laid to rest on Friday afternoon at Linwood cemetery one of the last of first early settlers of Dubuque.