Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Elwood, Hon James G 
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Author: Past and Present Will County IL; 1907

HON. JAMES G. ELWOOD. The business interests of James G. Elwood have been so 
varied and of such magnitude that his superior ability and foresight are at 
once indicated thereby and his labors have been of a character proving 
directly beneficial to the city in the promotion of its commercial and 
industrial activity. In official circles, too, he has rendered no 
inconsiderable aid to Joliet, filling various positions of public honor and 
trust, and in military and fraternal circles he has gained equal prominence. A 
resident of Joliet from the age of four years, or since 1843, he was born in 
Lockport, Will county, a son of Nelson D. and Juliet L. (Parks) Elwood. His 
father, the pioneer railroad builder of northern Illinois, left the impress of 
his individuality upon the history of Will county and his influence has not 
ceased to be felt in those departments of activity where he labored to goodly 
ends. Born in Otsego county, New York, in 1818, he was a son of Daniel Elwood 
and a nephew of Isaac L. Elwood, at one time secretary of and a promoter of 
the Western Union Telegraph Company. He represented the fourth generation in 
America, the family having been founded in this country by a native of Essex 
county, England, who settled on the Hudson river during the colonial epoch in 
the history of the United States. When eight years of age Nelson D. Elwood was 
left an orphan and at the age of fifteen he entered upon a clerkship in 
Lockport, New York. In 1837 he removed to Lockport, Illinois, securing 
employment as an engineer on the Illinois and Michigan canal, to which labor 
he devoted the summer months, while in the winter seasons he engaged in 
teaching school, being one of the pio¬neer educators of this part of the 
state. His ability and public spirit led to his election to the office of 
county clerk in 1843 and to his removal to Joliet, where he took up the study 
of law while discharging his official duties. Admitted to the bar on his 
retirement from the office of clerk, he entered into partnership with his 
brother-in-law, Judge Parks, under the firm style of Parks & Elwood, and 
afterward managed the real-estate business of the firm, while his partner had 
charge of the law practice. The effect of his labors in connection with 
railroad construction in northern Illinois can not be overestimated, for the 
world acknowledges that no other agency has so greatly promoted civilization 
as railroad building. He became secretary of the Chicago & Rock Island 
Railroad Company upon its organization and also acted as one of its directors 
until the completion of the line into Iowa. Governor Joel A. Matteson was the 
originator of the road, which was opened to Joliet in 1852. At a later date 
Governor Matteson and Mr. Elwood were associated in the construction of the 
division of the Chicago & Mississippi Railroad between Joliet and Alton, and 
this line, under its subsequent name of Chicago & Alton, has since become one 
of the most successful railroads of the state. In 1856 the Joliet & Northern 
Indiana Railroad, which connects with the Michigan Central Railroad at Lake 
Station, Indiana, was built by Governor Matteson and Mr. Elwood. Until 1859 
the Chicago & Alton ran to Chicago on the Rock Island tracks, but in that year 
its road bed was extended and the road was known as the Joliet & Chicago 
Railroad. Manifold duties connected with railroad building were under the 
direct supervision and control of Mr. Elwood and at the same time he supported 
and controlled important business and public interests in Joliet. He erected 
the first business house on Jefferson street, on the site of the building 
recently vacated as a postoffice, and in that same frame structure were for a 
time the offices of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, and 
there the building of that road was planned. He was for three terms alderman 
of Joliet and for two terms mayor, while for many years he served as a member 
of the board of school inspectors, the cause of public education finding in 
him a stalwart champion and helpful friend. Well fitted by nature for 
leadership and molding public thought and opinion by reason of his 
comprehensive understanding of public conditions and requirements, together 
with a devotion to the public good that was ever unquestioned, Mr. Elwood was 
called to public office and in 1848 was chosen secretary of the state senate. 
Although a strong democrat, he was in 1861 reappointed by Governor Yates as 
one of the penitentiary commissioners chosen to locate the state penitentiary, 
and filled that position until his death, which occurred February 24, 1861, 
when he was but forty-two years of age. Although it seemed that he was taken 
off in the midst of a most useful career when in the very prime of life, a 
review of his history shows that he had accomplished within the twenty-one 
years of his manhood much more than many men accomplish in an entire lifetime 
covering the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten. Extensive 
business interests and political honors did not shut him out from active 
participation in those things which relate to the higher and holier duties of 
life and concern man in his relations with his fellowmen. On the contrary he 
was for years a member of the vestry of Christ's Episcopal church and was also 
connected with the Odd Fellows and the Masons, being very prominent in the 
latter fraternity. He was grand high priest of the grand chapter of Illinois 
and at the time of his death deputy grand commander of the grand commandery of 
Illinois, an officer in the grand lodge and a thirty-third degree Mason. 
Nelson D. Elwood married Miss Juliet L. Parks, of Lockport, New York, who 
survived him for almost forty years, passing away in Chicago, May 6, 1900. Her 
father, Joel M. Parks, was postmaster and a merchant of Lockport, New York, 
and in 1837 removed to Lockport, Illinois, where he also engaged in 
merchandising and filled the position of postmaster. His last days were spent 
in Joliet. His daughter, Mrs. Elwood, was born in Bristol, Ontario county, New 
York, September 16, 1819, and on the 30th of February, 1837, gave her hand in 
marriage to Nelson D. Elwood. Her strong and salient characteristics were no 
less admirable than those of her husband and the number of her friends was 
only limited by the number of her acquaintances. In early boyhood a student in 
the public and private schools in Joliet, James G. Elwood afterward attended 
the collegiate and commercial military school in New Haven, Connecticut, from 
which he was graduated with the class of 1857. While there he served as first 
sergeant for three months and later held the rank of captain. He decided to go 
abroad for further educational discipline when a choice of that or a Yale 
course was given him, and for a year he studied under a tutor at Geneva, 
Switzerland. He had completed the first year's studies in Frederick William 
University at Berlin when the death of his only brother left him the sole 
survivor of six sons, and at the request of his parents he returned home. A 
year was spent in his father's office, after which he further qualified for 
the duties and responsibilities of business life by a course in Bryant & 
Stratton Commercial College. He then re-entered the law and real-estate office 
of Parks & Elwood, where he remained until he won his mother's consent to his 
enlistment in the volunteer army in July, 1862. Captain Elwood's service was 
one of distinction. He had been a deep and discriminating student of the signs 
of the times and the progress of events in the south and the patriotism of his 
nature was aroused by the unconstitutional attempt of the Confederacy to 
overthrow the Union. Organizing Company B of the One Hundredth Illinois 
Infantry, he was commissioned its captain by Governor Yates and went at once 
to the front. One of the first important military movements in which he 
participated was the engagement of Perryville, subsequent to which time he 
participated in the five days' fight at Murfreesboro. Promotion came to him 
there, when he was made acting assistant adjutant general of the First 
Brigade, First Division, Twenty-first Corps, through appointment on the field 
by General George T. Buell. His brigade, which was in Wood's division, 
received an order to move by the left flank in the battle of Chiekamauga. The 
order was unhesitatingly obeyed by fourteen hundred and fifty men, but the 
division lost six hundred and forty-eight men in its heroic effort to hold its 
position. In response to his mothers appeal to General Rosecranz that her son 
might return home, the General granted the request and Captain Elwood 
accordingly resigned in November, 1863, and again made his way to Joliet. His 
business and political service have since closely connected him with the 
history of the city, although for a brief period he operated elsewhere along 
business lines, becoming a broker on the Chicago board of trade in 1866, while 
soon afterward he established a milling business at Matteson, Illinois. In 
1870, however, he returned to Joliet and has since conducted a real-estate 
business, which in volume and importance has placed him foremost among the 
representatives of property interests here. His resourceful ability has also 
enabled him to extend his labors into various other fields of activity which 
have had a direct bearing upon the material development and permanent 
improvement of the city. In 1880 he built the telephone exchange, the first 
telephone in Joliet, in connection with ex-Mayor Paige, and three years later 
they sold out to the Chicago Telephone Company, although Mr. Elwood was 
retained as manager through the four succeeding years. He was instrumental in 
establishing the water works as treasurer, general manager and one of the 
directors of the company organized for this purpose and continued in those 
offices until the purchase of the plant by the city after four years. He 
became connected with the Joliet Gas Company in 1861, was its secretary for 
twenty years, and from 1888 until 1896 was its manager. In 1877, in 
partnership with Judge Parks, he erected the First National Bank building of 
Joliet. He is a director in the Will County National Bank and as promoter or 
financial supporter has contributed to the growth and prosperity of many local 
enterprises which have been of the utmost value to the city. In 1862 he was 
chosen a director of Oakwood cemetery and has been its superintendent since 
1871. Captain Elwood ranks with the distinguished representatives of Masonry 
in Illinois, affiliating with Matteson lodge, A. F. & A. M.; Joliet chapter, 
R. A. M.; Joliet Council, R. & S. M.; and Joliet Commander, No. 4, K. T. In 
all he has held office and in 1884 he was elected grand commander of the grand 
commandery of Illinois, while for twelve years he was the representative of 
the grand commandery of New York in the commandery of this state. He belongs 
to Illinois commandery of the Loyal Legion and to Bartleson post. No. 6, G. A. 
R., of Joliet, and has been honored with election to the office of senior vice 
commander of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of Illinois, and twice as 
chief of staff, department of Illinois, G. A. R. He is present commander of 
Bartleson post. His position upon political questions is never an equivocal 
one and yet Mr. Elwood is never aggressively partisan, his support of any 
measure arising from investigation thereof and a firm conviction concerning 
the value of its adoption. Reared in the democratic faith, he was a supporter 
of Douglas in the campaign of 1860, but during his military service announced 
his allegiance to the republican party, of which he has since been a stalwart 
and unfaltering advocate. His first political office came to him in 1872, when 
he was elected alderman from his ward, to be followed by re-election two years 
later. In 1877 he was a successful candidate for mayor of Joliet and was the 
first to hold the office under the present city charter. As chairman of the 
board of county supervisors for two years, he proved an efficient worker for 
the benefit of the people, not only devoting his salary to the benefit of the 
public work, but making personal contributions beside. From 1892 until 1894, 
embracing the period when the financial panic of 1893 caused many to be thrown 
out of employment, he acted as superintendent of the poor, during which period 
he had charge of feeding and helping forty-four hundred and fifty persons. He 
gave much of his time to the work, prompted not only by a sense of official 
duty, but also by a broad humanitarian spirit. His four years' service as 
postmaster, beginning on the 4th of July, 1898, was also equally creditable to 
the city by the efficiency of the work done in the office under his direction. 
Pleasantly situated in his home life, Mr. Elwood was married in 1868 to Miss 
Margaret Pearce, who was born in Seneca county, New York, a daughter of 
William L. Pearce, who in 1852 removed to Chicago and opened the Matteson 
House at the corner of Randolph and Dearborn streets. Mr. and Mrs. Elwood are 
the parents of two sons and two daughters. Ward Pearce, educated in Faribault, 
Minnesota, and in Chicago Manual Training School, is conducting a plumbing 
business in Joliet, while William Nelson Elwood is manager of the Western 
Broom Company. Louise Maynette Elwood was educated in Lasell Seminary at 
Auburndale, Massachusetts, and Elsie Parks, the younger daughter, was 
graduated with honors from the Joliet high and training schools. The family 
spend the winters in Joliet and during the summer months occupy their country 
home, Elwood Terrace, on the St. Clair river in Michigan. They are 
communicants of Christ's Episcopal church, of which Mr. Elwood served as 
vestryman and warden for a long period. He took an active part in financing 
the interests of the church and aided actively in the erection of the house of 
worship. While he has gained a goodly competence he has not amassed a princely 
fortune, for his energies have not been concentrated solely upon that purpose. 
On the contrary, he has divided his time between his business affairs and 
those interests which effect local progress and improvement, which strive to 
ameliorate the hard conditions of life for the unfortunate and which affect 
man in his fraternal and social relations. Withal he has manifested a spirit 
of cordiality and genuine appreciation of character worth in others until it 
is said that no other man in the county is more widely known or has more 
friends than Captain James G. Elwood. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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