Grundy-Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Gifford, Willard W March 4, 1844 - 
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Author: WW Stevens, 1907, Gen/Bio Rec Will Co IL 1900

Willard W. Gifford, county treasurer, is a veteran of the Civil war, in which 
he served with a valor and fidelity that entitle him to the lasting gratitude 
of all who love their country. He was born near Mayville, Chautauqua County, 
N. Y., a son of Edson and Lydia (Whipple) Gifford, also natives of that state, 
and descendants of New England pioneers. His grandfather, William Gifford, who 
was of remote Welsh descent, brought his family from Massachusetts to New 
York, aiid cleared a farm from the woods of Chautauqua County, where he 
continued to make his home until be died, at the age of about eighty years. 
Some years after his marriage, Edson Gifford brought his wife and two children 
to Illinois, making the trip by the lakes and settling in Grundy County on the 
Kendall County line. There, out of the raw prairie, he improved a fine farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres. After a few years he settled in Lisbon, Kendall 
County, where he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1866 he settled in 
Morris, Grundy County, where he was proprietor of a store. The year 1872 found 
him settled in Elwood, Will County, where he engaged in merchandising. His 
death occurred in this village in 1894, when he was seventy-four years of age. 
His wife died during the early days of their residence in Grundy County. Of 
their three children, a son and daughter are living. He was a second time 
married, and by that union there are two sons now living, one being a business 
man in Elwood.

The subject of this sketch was born March 4, 1844, and was a child of four 
years when his parents came to Illinois. His education was acquired 
principally in Lisbon, Kendall County, and Lisbon Academy. July 15, 1861, he 
enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, which was mustered in 
at Aurora and sent to Missouri. After the battle of Pea Ridge the company was 
ordered to Mississippi and took part in the siege of Corinth, later was sent 
in pursuit of General Bragg, and took an active part in the battles of 
Perryville and Stone River. During the latter engagement he was captured, but 
was soon paroled and sent to Columbus, Ohio, where he remained until his 
exchange in May, 1863. He joined his regiment at Murfreesboro, immediately 
before the campaign against Chattanooga, and took part in the battle 
Chickamauga, where he was shot in the leg. The Union army retreated to 
Chattanooga and he was left on the field, within the rebel lines for seven 
days, after which he was taken into a Confederate hospital and his leg was 
amputated by a Federal surgeon. Four days later he was taken in an ambulance 
to the Union lines at Chattanooga and was exchanged and taken to a Union 
hospital, where he remained for some time. In the latter part of October, 
1863, he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability, and 
returned to his home, but it was a year before he had recovered sufficiently 
to engage in any business.

After a year in an academy Mr. Gifford was appointed postmaster. under 
President Lincoln, which office he held until 1872, meantime also engaging in 
the mercantile business. On resigning his office he removed to Elwood and 
became a member of the firm of E. Gifford & Son, proprietors of a general 
mercantile store. Later the firm became Gifford & Co., a brother and son being 
admitted as partners. Under Presidents Garfield and Arthur he also served as 
postmaster at Elwood. During much of this time he was a member of and 
president of the board of the village trustees. Several time he has been a 
member of the county Republican central committee. In the fall of 1898 he was 
elected county treasurer by a majority of twenty-seven hundred, and in 
December of that year he took the oath of office for a term of four years. In 
the spring of 1899 he moved to Joliet, where he now resides. He is a member of 
Bartleson Post No. 6, G.A.R.

In Cambridge, Ill., Mr. Gifford married Miss Lydia Bryan, who was born in 
Stark County, Ill., daughter of an old settler there. They are the parents of 
four children: Edson, who is deputy county treasurer; Estella, Mrs. R. J. 
Hemphill, of Aurora, Ill.; Katie and Grace, at home.

Source: "Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County, Illinois", 1900, 
Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, Pages 392-393

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W.W. Gifford, filling the position of deputy county treasurer in Will county, 
serving for the third term in that capacity, was born in Chautauqua county, 
New York, in 1844, and in 1848 was brought to Illinois by his parents, Edson 
and Lydia (Whipple) Gifford, both of whom are now deceased. The father engaged 
for years in business in Kendall and Grundy counties, and in 1872 removed to 
Elwood, Will county, where he carried on merchandising until his life’s labors 
were ended in death in 1894.

W.W. Gifford was reared and educated in Kendall and Grundy counties, 
supplementing his public school training by an academic course. He was 
afterward associated with his father in merchandising and succeeded him in 
business at Elwood. At the time of the Civil war, however, he put aside all 
personal considerations and business interests and, although only seventeen 
years of age, enlisted in 1861 from Kendall county as a member of Company D, 
Thirty-sixth Illinois infantry, with which he served until wounded at 
Chickamauga, losing a leg in that engagement. He was then discharged by reason 
of physical disability, but has been remembered, and properly so, by Uncle Sam 
with a comfortable pension. He served in the office of deputy county treasurer 
from 1894 until 1898, was treasurer from 1898 until 1902, was again deputy 
from 1902 until 1906, and reappointed in the latter year, being the present 
incumbent.

Mr. Gifford was married in Henry county, Illinois, to Miss Lydia Bryan, and 
they have four children: B.B., who is a merchant at Elwood, this county; M. 
Stella, the wife of B.J. Hemphill, of Aurora, Illinois; Kate V., the wife of 
W.C. Miller, of Morris, Illinois; and Grace, at home.

In politics Mr. Gifford has always been a stalwart republican, stanchly 
advocating the principles of his party, and for over twelve years has been a 
trustworthy and competent office holder. He belongs to the Grand Army post at 
Joliet, and thus maintains pleasant relations with the comrades who wore the 
blue uniform and fought in defense of the old flag upon southern battlefields.

Source: "Past and Present of Will County, Illinois" by W.W. Stevens, 1907, The 
S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Page 263-264


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