Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Connor, William ************************************************ 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 October 3, 2007, 3:02 am Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County WILLIAM CONNOR. In the subject of this article Braidwood has one of its most prosperous and successful men. The fact that he commenced life with little money speaks well for his subsequent course of perseverance, industry and good management. It is always a pleasure to record the success of a man who, beginning with but small means, has received a substantial position as the owner of a good business, from which he derives an assured income. Mr. Connor is an excellent manager, as all who know him can testify. In addition to being the owner of a large meat market in Braidwood, he has accumulated more than one thousand acres of land in Will and Kankakee Counties and in Iowa. Mr. Connor was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, April 11, 1838, a son of Thomas and Bridget (Waldron) Connor, natives of the same county as himself. Of the family of seven children, two are living, Thomas and William, both of this county. The father, who was born about 1785, was twice married and by his first wife had one child, now deceased. Afterward he married Miss Waldron, who was born in 1805. Some three years after his death his widow, in 1845, became the wife of Patrick Carroll, a farmer. In 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Carroll brought their family to America, settling in Grafton County, N. H. A short time later they removed to Norwich, Vt., but soon came west to Illinois, arriving in Joliet October 1, 1848. Mr. Carroll had a sister, four brothers and their father who accompanied him to the United States and to Joliet. They remained in the city only one month, and then went to Wilmington Township, settling eleven and one-half miles south of Wilmington and buying government land. Besides improving their land, they engaged to work on the dam across the Kankakee River. In May, 1849, they removed to Kankakee, and there Mr. Carroll died in 1851. The mother removed with the family in 1853 to Reed Township and bought a tract of land on section 4, where she remained until her death in 1885. In their various removals our subject accompanied his mother and stepfather. He received a common school education and grew up familiar with farm work.In 1869 he married Miss Mary Callahan, who was born in Joliet, her parents, Bernhard and Ann Callahan, having come here from Ireland in early days. Her father engaged in farming in Joliet Township for some years, but finally removed to Kankakee Township. After his marriage our subject remained for three years on the home farm, after which he removed to Braidwood and gave his attention to the meat business established by himself and brother the year previous. He has since made his home in Braidwood, with the exception of eighteen months spent on a farm at Reddick, Kankakee County, in the arly '80s. On his return to Braidwood he again engaged in the meat business, which he continues to the present. He has been very successful in his ventures, and is rated among the most prosperous men of the city. He has been closely associated with the upbuilding of Braidwood and has been a factor in its progress. In political belief Mr. Connor is a Democrat. In 1870, 1871 and 1874 he held the office of supervisor of Reed Township. He has always been interested in educational matters and taught school for four winters prior to his marriage. Later, for many years, he served as school director in his district, also as trustee and treasurer. In religious belief he is a Roman Catholic. He and his wife are the parents of four children, and the three sons, Thomas, William and Bernard, assist their father in the meat business. The daughter, Mary, is a graduate of St. Mary's Academy in Joliet. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/connor1785nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb