Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Allan, William Robert Sr. 1848 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com April 29, 2006, 3:28 pm Author: History of Grundy County IL 1914 Allan, William Robert, Sr., one of the substantial men of Grundy County who is now residing at Morris, but still looking after his agricultural interests in various localities, was born in New Battle Parish, Edinburg, Scotland, June 16, 1848, a son of David and Elizabeth (Telford) Allan. These parents came to Morris, from Scotland, in 1880, and here both died. William Robert Allan received but a limited educational training for he began working in a brickyard at seven years of age, and in the coal mines of his native land when only eight years old. In 1870 he came to the United States, and to Morris, and worked in the coal mines until 1873, when he, with Noble Robinson, went into a liquor business in this same city, continuing in it until 1886, when he sold to his partner. In the meanwhile the partners built a fine brick block, in 1877, and became prosperous. In 1886 Mr. Allan began farming in Iroquois County, Ill., but sold his farm in 1888, and conducted a restaurant at Ottawa, Ill., for eighteen months. Once more he disposed of his interests at a good figure, and bought the Carson House, at Morris, from his father-in-law, who proposed retiring. Until 1903 Mr. Allan conducted this popular hostelry with credit to himself and his city, but then sold it to confine his attention to his farming interests in Saratoga Township and in Emmet County, Iowa, having these properties rented to tenants. On September 2, 1875, Mr. Allan was married to Janet Banks Patrick, born at Frostburg, Maryland, a daughter of Andrew and Jean (Sharp) Patrick, born in Scotland. Mr. Patrick died in 1862, and later his widow married Thomas Carson, a hotel man of Morris, and she died September 4, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Allan had the following children: Thomas Andrew Noble, of Joliet, Ill., married Minnie Emerson, and they have two sons, William E. and Kenneth T.; David Alexander, of Independence, Iowa, married Helen Hupper, and they have two children, Verne C. and Russell H.; William Raymond, a grocer of Morris, married Anna B. Hall, and they have two sons, Francis H. and Thomas C.; Lillian Jane, now Mrs. William DeLane Sapp, of Richmond, Va., has one son, William DeLane; and Roy Carson, of Morris, Ill., who married Clara M. Kertz. Mr. Allan attends the Presbyterian Church of Morris. He was elected supervisor from Morris Township in 1908 and has served continuously for four years. He belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter, and Commandery in the Masonic fraternity, is also a thirty-second degree Mason, and belongs to the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 75, of Morris. He has many personal friends in these organizations, all recognizing his sterling qualities. He is stockholder in the Grundy County bank. pages 752-753 Additional Comments: Source: History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. Publishers; 1914 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/allan663nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb