Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Flagg, George W 1837 - 
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Author: Portraits & Bio Sketches, 1890

GEORGE W. FLAGG. 

The family name of this gentleman will ever be held in reverence in Will 
County as that of one of its early pioneers, who was for many years 
prominently connected with its interests, and of great assistance in 
developing its resources and laying the solid foundation of the prosperity 
that it enjoys today. And it is with pleasure that we place before the readers 
of this volume a review of his life and of that of his honored representative 
of the present. The latter, a native of the county, is now one of its leading 
agriculturists, owning and successfully managing a large and valuable farm in 
Lockport and DuPage Townships, where he has a fine residence and enjoys all 
the comforts and luxuries of life. He was an officer in the late war and did 
gallant service with his regiment until ill health compelled him to resign his 
commission and retire to private life, taking with him the respect of his 
fellow officers and the men who served under him. Mr. Flagg was born in 
Plainfield Township, July 25, 1837. Reuben Flagg, his father, was a native of 
New Hampshire, Groton, in Grafton County, being the place of his birth. He was 
there bred to the life of a farmer, and thence went to Vermont when a young 
man and there was engaged in the cooper's trade. Two years later he made his 
way to Baltimore, Md., where he acquired the trade of a stone-mason. After two 
years stay in that city he returned to Vermont and at one time worked as a 
stone-mason in Boston. In 1830, he came to Illinois, traveling by Lake 
Champlain, Champlain & Erie Canal to Buffalo, and from thence by the lakes to 
Chicago. That city was then composed of two log houses and Indian huts, and 
there was a trading post there. The captain of the boat wanted him to build a 
warehouse, thinking it might come in use, though no one else seemed to agree 
with him. Our subject's father did not like that section of the country, as he 
thought it too swampy for farming purposes, and he hired a team to take him to 
Walker's Grove, a little below the present site of Plainfield. At that time 
there were but three families living in the vicinity, and where Plainfield and 
Joliet now are there was not a house, and Will County then formed a part of 
Cook County. All the land was open for settlement and he had his choice in 
millions of acres, and as he was told he could not live on the prairie he 
claimed a tract of timber in the northeastern quarter of section 20, of what 
is now Plainfield Township. At that time deer and all kinds of wild game were 
plenty, which was fortunate for the early settlers as bread stuffs were 
scarce, the nearest flour-mill being in Indiana. Mr. Flagg's settlement was 
made there before the Black Hawk War and there were frequent Indian scares, 
therefore, the handful of settlers built a stockade of logs and all gathered 
in it, and at one time lived there three months, the men taking their guns to 
the field to be ready for the enemy at a minute's warning. Once it was thought 
the Indians were going to make a raid and all the settlers here went to Ft. 
Dearborn and stayed there a few days until it was thought safe to return to 
their homes. Mr. Flagg built a log cabin on his farm and commenced its 
clearance. Soon after coming here he took a contract to build the race for 
Walker's mills in which was sawed the lumber to build the first frame house 
ever erected in Chicago, and Mr. Flagg drew it there with an ox team. After 
residing on that claim a short time he sold it and took up a tract of prairie 
land on section 10, and at once began the work of improvement. He first built 
a log cabin for the accommodation of his family and afterward erected a more 
substantial residence, and at the time of his death had improved a valuable 
farm. November 9, 1869, this worthy and highly respected pioneer, departed 
this life. The maiden name of the wife who shared his labors and enabled him 
to attain success in life was Betsey Kendall. She was born in Hebron, Grafton 
County, N. H., April 6, 1805. Her father, John W. Kendall, was formerly a 
resident of Hollis, N. H. and removed thence to Hebron, where he bought a 
farm, and besides carrying on agriculture he worked at his trade of a cooper 
in that place until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Betsey Flanders 
and she was also of New Hampshire origin, and there spent her entire life, 
dying on the home farm in Hebron. Mrs. Flagg's death occurred February 25, 
1872. She was the mother of eleven children, as follows: John W. K., Sarah E., 
Samantha, Prudence, Frank, George W., Lorain, Henry, William H., Mary and 
Lucy. Samantha was the first white child born in this county, and she died 
here February 25, 1872, aged forty-one years and five months. In his early 
life Mr. Flagg was a follower of the Whig party, but later identified himself 
with the Republican at the time of its organization and remained true to the 
party until his death. He was distinguished as being the first Justice of the 
Peace ever elected here, Judge Caton being his opponent. Following is an item 
published in the Chicago Times after Mr. Flagg's death, which is of interest 
and importance. "In the winter of 1831, the Methodist circuit riders of the 
great west held a conference in the settlement of Chicago, and among the other 
supplies contributed to their comfort during their session was a dressed hog 
from the old town of Plainfield, in Will County, thirty-six miles south-west 
of the place of meeting. This animal was the property of Reuben Flagg, a good 
farmer residing near Plainfield, who has recently passed away. He started with 
the dressed hog on a sled and succeeded in getting lost, somewhere just 
outside the present city limits. Not arriving in time a delegation of 
ministers was sent out from the conference to find him. This they were 
fortunate enough to do all being much rejoiced, it is said, at the sight of 
the wandering farmer and especially of the fat porker on the sled. Now the 
question is whether this dressed hog shipped from Plainfield to Chicago in 
1831, is not the first shipment of the article to this market on record, the 
initiatory arrival of a product which in 1874, aggregated two million, five 
hundred and twenty- eight thousand, one hundred eight head. George W. Flagg, 
of whom these lines are written was reared on a farm and educated in the 
district schools, of this his native county. He early displayed the patriotism 
that made him a good soldier and before the war became a member of the 
Plainfield Light Artillery, and at the time of the first call for troops, in 
April, 1861, he was Second Lieutenant of his company, which offered its 
services to the government and was sent to Cairo, and was there organized as 
Company K, Tenth Illinois Infantry, and mustered in for three months. Our 
subject served until the expiration of his term of enlistment, and in 
September, 1861, again volunteered for the defence of his country, enlisting 
in Company K, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and was mustered in as Second 
Lieutenant. He was with his regiment until 1862, when he resigned on account 
of ill health and returned home to resume farming on section 31, of Du Page 
Township and lived there until 1872. In that year, as his health was not good, 
he went to Greeley, Col., and there engaged in livestock business for five 
years. At the expiration of that time he returned to Will County and has since 
been engaged in agricultural pursuits here. He owns five hundred acres of as 
fine farming land as is to be found in the county, located in Du Page and 
Lockport Townships. He has a handsome and substantial residence which he 
occupies in Plainfield, and is managing his large agricultural interests with 
more than ordinary success. In 1861, Mr. Flagg and Marava Colegrove united 
their lives and fortunes. She is a native of Wheatland Township, Will County, 
and a daughter of Lester G. and Lucretia (Ingersoll) Colegrove, of whom see 
sketch. Two children have resulted from this marriage, George K. and Jerome F. 
Chester Ingersoll, the grandfather of Mrs. Flagg, kept the first hotel that 
was opened in the city of Chicago. Mr. Flagg's loyal course when our county 
was threatened with ruin, and his straightforward, manly conduct in all the 
affairs of life, both before and since that time, mark him as a man who is an 
honor to the citizenship of his native county.

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 
 


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