Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Humphrey, Horace ************************************************ 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 4, 2007, 9:37 pm Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County HORACE HUMPHREY, senior member of the firm of Humphrey & Sons, is proprietor of the oldest manufacturing establishment in Joliet and enjoys the distinction of being one of the pioneer foundry men in Illinois. In 1861 he began the foundry business on a small scale, building a foundry on land that he first rented but later purchased. Gradually the business grew to Targe proportions, a machine shop was erected with a capacity of forty tons, and other improvements were made from time to time. At this writing the business place has a frontage of three hundred and twenty feet on Ottawa street. Machinery and castings of all kinds are manufactured and the quality of the products is such as to insure a steady demand for them. Mr. Humphrey represents the fourth generation in descent from a native of Holland, who, on account of persecution, went to Germany; he married a lady in Holland who was related to the Van Zandts, Bogardners and Anneka Jans family. The grandfather, John Humphrey, Sr., a blacksmith by trade, devoted himself mainly to farming in Canada. Owing to his connection with political affairs in that country his farm was confiscated and he was forced to leave. He removed to Johnstown, N. Y., and later to Baldwinsville, the same state, where he died. His son, John, Jr., was born six miles from Montreal, and became a moulder and foundryman in Baldwinsville, N. Y., but removed to the west in later years and settled near Adrian, Mich., where he died. He married Phidelia Darrow, who was born, of English parentage, in what is now Oneida County, N. Y., and died in Michigan. Of their six children only three are living, our subject and two sisters. The oldest of the family, Horace, was born at Baldwinsville, N. Y., April 6, 1828. From early boyhood he was familiar with work in a foundry, and when very young was accustomed to make and sell castings for people in his neighborhood. He was made a partner in the business and remained there for some years. In 1850 his father went to California, via the Isthmus of Panama, where he waited three months for transportation. During his father's absence he conducted the business. On the former's return, in 1851, he went to Cleveland, working there until the spring of 1852, when he returned to New York. Two years later, having been offered a position in Joliet, he came to this city and entered the foundry of Jones & Cogwin as foreman. He continued with the firm until they sold out two years later, after which he was employed at carriage-making. In 1861 he embarked in the foundry business for himself and during the almost forty years that have since elapsed he has been connected with the manufacturing interests of Joliet. He has given his time very closely to business matters, with no desire to enter politics and no wish to hold public office, his participation in public affairs being confined to the casting of a Republican vote. While in Baldwinsville, N. Y., he married Miss Lucinda Howe, daughter of Cyrel Howe, a farmer of that town. They became the parents of six children, four of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Ida Payne, of Joliet; Cora, widow of W. J. Evans, deceased; H. Fred and Harry B., who are connected with their father in business. 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/humphrey982gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb