Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Blakely, Ulysses S G 1868 - ************************************************ 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 May 8, 2007, 11:26 pm Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890 ULYSSES S. G. BLAKELY, editor and proprietor of the Plainfield Enterprise, though one of the youngest members of the editorial profession, has already won his way to a high position among the journalists of Will County, and his bright and newsy paper is classed among the ablest of its kind in this part of the State. Our subject comes of good New England stock, and is himself a native of that part of the country, the town of Elmore, Lamoille County, Vt., being the place of his birth, and May 9, 1868, the date thereof. His father, Caleb Blakely, was also born in the Green Mountain State. He was a natural mechanic, and early learned the trade of a coachmaker, and followed it in Vermont till 1875, when he took advantage of a fine opening in Neenah, Wis., and was engaged at his trade there the ensuing three years. He then turned his attention to farming, purchasing a fine farm in Harrisville, Marquette County. He lived there and managed his farming interests until 1882, when on account of ill health, he was obliged to retire from active life, and renting his farm, he moved to Chilton, and continued his residence in Wisconsin until his death in 1884. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine Deyo. She departed this life in Vermont. Eleven of the fourteen children born to them were reared to maturity, and ten of them are still living, as follows: William A., Hartland, Eliza, Mrs. Cram; Carrie, Mrs. Barrows; Mary, Mrs. Bedell; Ida, Mrs. Sharpe; Nellie, Mrs. Scott: Myrtle, Mrs. Hamlin; Eva E., Mrs. Marvin; Ulysses S. G. The latter, of whom we write, was but four years of age when he had the sad misfortune to lose his mother, and he subsequently accompanied his father to Wisconsin. He remained with him until he was nine years old, and at that early age the manly, active, self-reliant little lad began to make his own way in the world, finding employment on a farm in Marquette County near Packwaukee, where he remained two years. We next hear of him in Michigan, where he was engaged in a chair factory in Reading, Hillsdale County. Two years later he threw up his situation there, and returned to Chilton, Wis. At the expiration of a year he again went to Michigan, and worked in a machine shop in Reading for some time. In 1887, he entered upon his career as a journalist, as he then came to Plainfield and in company with his brother-in- law, Rial A. Marvin, established the Plainfield Enterprise, and opened a job printing office at the same time. After Mr. Marvin's death in August, 1888, our subject bought out his interest in the business and has ever since carried it on alone. Mr. Blakely is a bright, wide-awake young man, and while he has had no special training for his profession, he being mainly self-educated, his clear, well-balanced mind seems to be especially adapted to newspaper work, and he has achieved remarkable success in his calling. By his energetic management he has worked up the circulation of his paper to one thousand and fifty copies weekly, a remarkable list of subscribers for a country paper. His editorials are clear-cut, vigorous and right to the point, and always display an intelligent knowledge of the subject under discussion. His paper is not the organ of any political party, but is independent in all things. Mr. Blakely was married in September, 1887, to Miss Linnwood Bartholomew, a native of Reading, Hillsdale County. Her father, Amos Bartholomew, was born in Pompey, Onondaga County, N. Y., June 11, 1815, a son of Daniel Bartholomew, who was born November 18, 1777. He, in turn, was a son of Joseph Bartholomew, who was born in Wallingford, Conn., August 25, 1752. He was a pioneer of the town of Pompey, and there died in 1808. The maiden name of his wife was Esther Osborn. Daniel Bartholomew was married to Lucy Holliday, November 15, 1803, and died in Genesee County, N. Y., December 2, 1851. Mrs. Blakely's father was reared and married in his native State, and going to Michigan in 1836, became one of its sturdy, enterprising pioneers. He bought a tract of timber land near Reading, and cleared a good farm from the wilderness. He now lives in honorable retirement in the village of Reading. He was twice married. The maiden name of his second wife, Mrs. Blakely's mother, was Abbie Van Buren, and she was born in Charleton, Saratoga County, N. Y. Her father, Martin C. Van Buren, was a native of Broadalbion, Fulton County, N. Y., and married Nancy Vedder, who was born at the same place, and was of Holland descent. The father of Martin C. Van Buren was a brother of President Van Buren. John A. Van Buren, an uncle of Mrs. Blakely, was taken prisoner on June 1, 1864, and lived until January, 1865, when he died at Andersonville Prison. Mrs. Blakely was one of three children. Her sister Lizzie married Lester Rogers and resides in Coldwater, Mich.; Mira E., the youngest of the three, died in 1882, aged eleven years. Additional Comments: Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/blakely1425nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb