Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Lewis, J W 1844 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com February 26, 2006, 12:27 am

Author: History Grundy County 1882

J. W. Lewis, Superintendent coal mines, Gardner, was born October 24, 1844, in 
Pennsylvania, is a son of William and Catharine (Matthews) Lewis, natives of 
Wales. The parents emigrated to the United States about the year 1842. They 
had seven children, viz., Winifred, Margaret, James, J. W., Albert, Lewis and 
Thomas. The mother died in 1846, and the father was married to Catharine 
Harris. J. W. attended school in a log cabin in his boyhood days and labored 
on a farm. He began learning the machinist's trade in 1855, under Harry 
Waters, at Tamaqua, Penn., with whom he remained until August 15, 1861, when 
he enlisted in Company ___, Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and 
was afterward transferred to Company C, One Hundred and Forty-seventh 
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He re-enlisted at Wauhatchie, Tenn., in 1863, 
and was honorably discharged July 15, 1865. He then began working at his trade 
as a foreman of a shop at Patten's Valley, in Schuylkill County, Penn. 
November 9, 1867, he was married to Mary Brown, and, in 1868, they moved to 
another part of the county, and later to another part of the State. In 1870, 
he moved his family to Iowa, where he was employed as an engineer for Ira 
Stockwell, a saw-mill man. Here he remained for four months, and engaged in 
the Chicago & North-Western Railway shops at Clinton, Iowa. Later, he was 
employed at Cleveland, Ill. November, 1870, he commenced working in a coal 
mine for Taylor Williams, and continued until 1871, when he transferred to the 
employ of the Davenport Coal Company at Dayton, Henry Co., Ill., putting up 
machinery. October 31, 1871, he left there and engaged as foreman of the coal 
mines for Taylor Williams at Rapids City, Rock Island Co., Ill. In 1874, he 
took charge of the machinery until 1878, at which time, he with Joseph Ramsey 
took a contract to run the Port Byron coal mines of Sterling, Whitesides Co., 
Ill., owned by T. Williams, at a stated sum per ton, until 1879, when he was 
engaged by Mr. W. as Assistant Superintendent of the mines, which position he 
held until January 31, 1880, at which time he went to Utah Territory. In 
February, 1880, he returned to Illinois, and the following May he was employed 
by the Carbondale Coal and Coke Company as machinist, which position he held 
until 1881, when he moved to Gardner, where is superintending the coal 
interests of Taylor Williams. He has three children, viz., Ella, born 
September 7, 1869; Willie, November 23, 1872; John, March 28, 1874. Mr. Lewis 
has served the people as President of the Board of Trustees and School 
Director. He has good property at Murphysboro, Jackson Co., Ill. It is due to 
Mr. Lewis to say that as a mechanic he has but few equals, and as a 
Superintendent he is courteous and kind to his men, and is careful, seldom 
ever having any accidents.

Additional Comments:
Source: History of Grundy County, Illinois. (1882) Chicago: O.L. Baskin & Co. 
Historical Publishers.

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