Gill, John R.

GILL, DAVIS, STEPHENS, MOORE, LITTLE, GRIFFIN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/12/2009 at 16:55:09

John R. Gill

Among the sons of Pennsylvania who have brought with them to this western land the sturdy habits of independence, integrity and industry, which have ever marked the natives of the Keystone State, it is a pleasure to name John R. Gill, who is a grain merchant of Prairie City. The success, which has attended his efforts, is by no means a matter of chance, nor was he in any sense a special favorite of fortune. In his case fortune smiled upon him because of his untiring efforts, his close and intelligent application to the ordinary affairs of life, and his thrift and enterprise, which are of a character to merit success under any circumstances and in any field of labor.

John R. Gill was born in Chester County, Pa., July 13, 1830, and his parents, John B. and Hannah (Davis) Gill, were natives of that county also, the father born in 1792, and the mother in 1798. The father was a soldier in the War of 1812. On the breaking out of the Rebellion he received an appointment in the arsenal at Philadelphia. This position he held for many years, or as long as he cared to do anything. The last few years of his life were spent in retirement, and his death occurred in Chester County, Pa., July 31, 1875.

His wife was of Welsh descent, her father having been a native of Wales. The latter was a blacksmith by trade. Mrs. Gill had but one brother, Evan, who was a newspaperman, and whose son, Lewis, is editor of the Pottstown Ledger. Lewis was also a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and was sergeant-at-arms of the House. The latter's son is one of the editors of the Public Ledger of Philadelphia. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gill. The eldest child, Davis Gill, was a railroad man, and during the Civil War was Assistant Superintendent of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad, taking an active part in transporting troops to Washington. Although he wished to enter the army, the Government was convinced that he could do more good on the road, and as a consequence he remained there. He served as Sheriff of Chester County, in which he was a very prominent man, and is now a wealthy resident of Duffryn Mawr, Pa. Dr. Henry C. is next (see sketch); Isaac N., the third son born to Mr. and Mrs. Gill, was for many years an engineer, but later became a merchant, and is now residing in Philadelphia; Elizabeth married a man by the name of Stephens, and now resides in Bucks County, Pa. J. R. is our subject; George B., the most noted of the family, is the last living man of John Brown's party. He was with John Brown all through the Kansas trouble, was his most trusted and faithful supporter, and started with him for Harper's Ferry, but was taken sick and did not get there. He is now living in Sumner County, Kan. Sally M., who is now a widow, is the matron of the Philadelphia Normal School, which position she has held for many years.

Henry Gill, grandfather of our subject, was a native of Scotland, but when quite young, his father, whose name was also Henry, settled in Belfast, Ireland, becoming an extensive manufacturer. The grandfather married contrary to the laws of that land, and was obliged to leave the country. He came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, where for some time he was engaged extensively in the iron business. There his death occurred. He had two sons besides our subject's father, David and Henry. The former became a mill owner in Pennsylvania, and later in Ohio. The latter went to Mississippi, and became the owner of about five hundred slaves at the breaking out of the Rebellion. One of his sons was a general in the Confederate Army, and was killed during the war (for particulars see sketch of Dr. Henry C. Gill). Our subject was the sixth in order of birth of eight children born to his parents, and grew to manhood in his native state, receiving but a limited education in the common schools. When twenty years of age he came to the Hawkeye State and settled in Cedar County, where he engaged in farming, meeting with fair success in that occupation. Later he engaged in merchandising at West Liberty, and followed the same occupation in other towns until 1871, when he came to Prairie City.

After reaching this city he followed the same business for twelve years, but was burned out and lost quite heavily. For the past few years he has been engaged in the grain business in connection with his son, George, who is at the head of one of the largest livestock commission houses in Chicago, and who has made a fortune in this and other branches of business. Our subject has mad a fortune surpassed by few in Jasper County. He owns a fine farm of nearly four hundred acres near Prairie City, and another at Storm Lake. Aside from this he also owns several houses in Prairie City and a number of business buildings. In 1857, Mr. Gill was married to Miss Martha M. Moore, a native of Morgan County, Ohio, an their union was blessed by the birth of six children. George A. has been connected with his father in business for many years, and is also on of the largest livestock commission merchants in Chicago. Florence E. married J. H. Little, a hard ware merchant of Prairie City; Eva H. is the wife of T. A. Griffin, of Prairie City; Rowland H. is a student in college at Indianola, and the other children died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Gill have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for a quarter of a century, and Mrs. Gill is quit a worker in the Sunday-school. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 495.