Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Bailey, Bernard 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 2:00 pm

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

BERNARD BAILEY, superintendent of the Phoenix Horse Shoe Company of Joliet, 
was born in Rosendale, Ulster County, N. Y., October 19, 1854, a son of 
Francis Henry and Grace (Straub) Bailey. In 1848 his father started to cross 
the ocean on an old sailing vessel that was wrecked off the coast of Ireland, 
after which the passengers were transferred to another ship, and finally 
reached the new world. He settled in Ulster County and embarked in the hotel 
business, continuing to carry on a hotel until his death in 1885. As a 
Republican he was active in local politics. During the time of the Civil war 
he served as collector of taxes. He was a man of influence and prominence in 
his community, and was a potent factor in the up-building of the German 
Catholic Church. After coming to this country he married Miss Grace Straub, by 
whom he had four sons and four daughters, six now living. All remain in the 
east excepting Bernard, the eldest. He was educated in the Ulster County 
schools. He served an apprenticeship as machinist with McEntee & Dillon at 
Rondout, N. Y., at the expiration of which he was employed in a shop in New 
York City, where he remained for three years. Returning to Rondout he was 
employed by the West Shore Railroad Company as a machinist for three and one-
half years. His next position was in the employ of the Union Cement Company, 
of East Kingston, N. Y. In October, 1889, Mr. Bailey made an engagement with 
the Phoenix Horse Shoe Company at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., as a machinist. By this 
company in 1893 he was sent to Joliet as foreman of the machine department, 
which position he held for two years, and was then promoted to be 
superintendent of the roller mills. These are the only mills of the kind in 
Illinois and are the largest west of the Alleghenies, having a capacity of one 
hundred tons. The number of employes varies with the amount of work on hand, 
but usually reaches about three hundred. There is such a good demand for the 
products of the mills that at this writing they are running overtime. 
Fraternally Mr. Bailey is a member of the lodge, chapter and council of the 
Masonic Order, Court No. 177, Order of Foresters, in Joliet; Stevenson Camp 
No. 2892, Modern Woodmen; and Adler Lodge No. 388, I. O. O. F., at 
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He has been fairly active in politics and has served as a 
delegate to Republican conventions and in other ways aided his party in its 
work. At the time of President McKinley's visit to Joliet in 1899, Mr. Bailey 
was a member of the reception committee that went to Morris to meet the 
president. President McKinley inquired of Mr. Bailey if he carried a "good 
luck" shoe with him. He replied that, while he did not, he would have one made 
for the president. Later he made a fine shoe, which was nickel-plated, 
engraved and forwarded to Mr. McKinley. December 23, 1879, Mr. Bailey married 
Charlotte Schriver, of New York City. They are the parents of nine children: 
Bernard J., who is in the works at Joliet; Frederick Raymond, who is with the 
Bates Machine Company; George, Hortense, Grace, Samuel, Lincoln, William and 
Elisha H.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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