Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Gifford, Willard W 
************************************************
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 November 10, 2007, 12:08 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

WILLARD W. GIFFORD, county treasurer, a veteran of the Civil war, in which he 
served with a valor and fidelity that entitle him to the lasting gratitude of 
all who love their country. He was born near Mayville, Chautauqua County, N. 
Y., a son of Edson and Lydia (Whipple) Gifford, also natives of that state, 
and descendants of New England pioneers. His grandfather, William Gifford, who 
was of remote Welsh descent, brought his family from Massachusetts to New 
York, and cleared a farm from the woods of Chautauqua County, where he 
continued to make his home until he died, at the age of about eighty years. 
Some years after his marriage, Edson Gifford brought his wife and two children 
to Illinois, making the trip by the lakes and settling in Grundy County on the 
Kendall County line. There, out of the raw prairie, he improved a fine farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres. After a few years he settled in Lisbon, Kendall 
County, where he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1866 he settled in 
Morris, Grundy County, where he was proprietor of a store. The year 1872 found 
him settled in Elwood, Will County, where he engaged in merchandising. His 
death occurred in this village in 1894, when he was seventy-four years of age. 
His wife died during the early days of their residence in Grundy County. Of 
their three children, a son and daughter are living. He was a second time 
married, and by that union there are two sons now living, one being a business 
man in Elwood. The subject of this sketch was born March 4, 1844, and was a 
child of four years when his parents came to Illinois. His education was 
acquired principally in Lisbon, Kendall County, and Lisbon Academy. July 15, 
1861, he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, which was 
mustered in at Aurora and sent to Missouri. After the battle of Pea Ridge the 
company was ordered to Mississippi and took part in the siege of Corinth, 
later was sent in pursuit of General Bragg, and took an active part in the 
battles of Perryville and Stone River. During the latter engagement he was 
captured, but was soon paroled and sent to Columbus, Ohio, where he remained 
until his exchange in May, 1863. He joined his regiment at Murfreesboro, 
immediately before the campaign against Chattanooga, and took part in the 
battle Chickamauga, where he was shot in the leg. The Union army retreated to 
Chattanooga and he was left on the field, within the rebel lines for seven 
days, after which he was taken into a Confederate hospital and his leg was 
amputated by a Federal surgeon. Four days later he was taken in an ambulance 
to the Union lines at Chattanooga and was exchanged and taken to a Union 
hospital, where he remained for some time. In the latter part of October, 
1863, he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability, and 
returned to his home, but it was a year before he had recovered sufficiently 
to engage in any business. After a year in an academy Mr. Gifford was 
appointed postmaster under President Lincoln, which office he held until 1872, 
meantime also engaging in the mercantile business. On resigning his office he 
removed to Elwood and became a member of the firm of E. Gifford & Son, 
proprietors of a general mercantile store. Later the firm became Gifford & 
Co., a brother and son being admitted as partners. Under Presidents Garfield 
and Arthur he also served as postmaster at Elwood. During much of this time he 
was a member of and president of the board of the village trustees. Several 
time he has been a member of the county Republican central committee. In the 
fall of 1898 he was elected county treasurer by a majority of twenty-seven 
hundred, and in December of that year he took the oath of office for a term of 
four years. In the spring of 1899 he moved to Joliet, where he now resides. He 
is a member of Bartleson Post No. 6, G. A. R. In Cambridge, Ill., Mr. Gifford 
married Miss Lydia Bryan, who was born in Stark County, Ill., daughter of an 
old settler there. They are the parents of four children: Edson, who is deputy 
county treasurer; Estella, Mrs. R. J. Hemphill, of Aurora, Ill.; Katie and 
Grace, at home.

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/gifford1022gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/

File size: 4.9 Kb