Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Starr, Abijah R ************************************************ 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, 1:13 pm Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County ABIJAH R. STARR, former proprietor of the Stone City greenhouses at No. 110 Macomber avenue, made his home in Joliet from 1871 until his death in 1899. He was born in Ithaca, N. Y., March 25, 1832, a son of William Russell Starr. The common ancestor of all branches of the Starr family in America was Dr. Comfort Starr, a native of Ashford, Kent County, England, and a prominent surgeon and owner of large estates. This ancestor settled in Massachusetts in 1635 and afterward made his home there. He was a warden in St. Mary's Church at Ashford, Kent County, England. Both he and his descendants were prominently identified with many important movements for the development of New England, and the family name was a synonym of honesty and uprightness. His son, Thomas, came to America in 1637; his name is mentioned in the early history of Massachusetts, and he was one of the surgeons that went out with the army against the Pequod Indians. Capt. Josiah, son of Dr. Thomas Starr, was born at Chestertown, Mass., September 1, 1657, and became the founder of the branch of the family in Danbury, Conn. He was elected the first town clerk, captain of the first military company there, and also held the offices of justice of the peace and surveyor. In 1702 he was chosen deputy to the general court, a position of great distinction. This office he held, by re-election, during the remaining years of his life. He had a grandson who bore the same name as himself and who was born in 1717. He was a member of what was then known as the train-band. In 1754 he was chosen ensign of his company. In August, 1755, he was chosen second lieutenant of the Fifth Company to go against Crown Point. In 1756 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. His father also served as an ensign and captain and as deputy to the general court and was prominent in church affairs. Abijah, son of Colonel Starr, was born in Danbury, Conn., about 1744, and removed thence to Patterson, Putnam County, N. Y. His son, Abijah, a native of Patterson, settled in Ithaca about 1816, and afterward followed surveying. By his marriage to Hauna Watts he had three children, of whom the eldest, William Russell Starr, was born in Patterson August 4, 1807, and engaged in the mercantile business there. In 1834 he came to Illinois and took up some land near Crete, where he engaged in farming. He was a stanch Whig and Abolitionist. For some years he was postmaster at Crete. He took an active part in the organization of the Congregational Church of Crete. November 18, 1829, he married Harriet L. Royce, daughter of Asahel and Sally (Clark) Royce. He died February 10, 1857. The subject of this sketch was their only son. He was two years of age when they brought him to this county, coming via the lakes on one of the earliest steamers, "Uncle Sam," that made the voyage. When a boy he attended school held in a log building put up by the pioneers, and containing openings for windows and doors; afterward doors and windows were made of what was known as shake boards, split out of logs. In 1850 he went to California, driving across the plains with a large party. The journey was a perilous one, owing to the hostility of the Indians. At night and day guards were on the alert to protect the travelers against possible attacks, but they were not molested. As a miner he had fair success. After two years he returned to Illinois, on account of his father's illness, and resumed the management of the home farm. Four years later his father died and the farm was sold to our subject's uncle. Our subject then went to Wheaton, Dupage County, where for eight years he engaged in the mercantile business. In March, 1871, Mr. Starr sold out in Wheaton and came to Joliet, where he and his wife started a store at No. 69 Jefferson street, which they carried on for five years. The management of the store was almost wholly in his wife's hands, and she displayed excellent judgment in superintending it. Meantime he had started a greenhouse on Macomber avenue, which was the first one started in Joliet. In 1878 he and his wife disposed of their stock of goods and turned their attention wholly to the florist's business. They rebuilt their residence and erected another house on an adjoining lot. In the greenhouses there are five thousand feet of glass. The accommodations are ample for the care of a large variety of plants, two of the houses being 20x50, while two others are 20x70. Mr. Starr was a stockholder in the first building and loan association organized in Joliet. As a Republican, he was fairly active in politics and attended numerous conventions. In religion he was a Methodist. During his residence in Wheaton he was made a Mason, and after coming to Joliet he joined Matteson Lodge, A. F. & A. M., in which he held positions of trust. October 24, 1853, Mr. Starr married Sarah Ann, daughter of Jared and Lana (Young) Mogg, and a native of Clay, N. Y. Her grandfather, Jeremiah Young, was a Revolutionary soldier and traced his ancestry to Germany, his great- grandfather having come to this country from that land. Many of the name still reside in Schoharie and Onondaga Counties, N. Y., where the original emigrants settled. Her father was born in Connecticut in 1791, and was orphaned by the death of his parents when he was a small boy. He was bound out and in boyhood was compelled to work very hard, with no advantages or opportunities. While he was still very young, the treatment he received caused him to run away from his master. He secured work on a farm and was employed as a hand until he had saved enough to start out for himself. After his marriage he bought a farm in Onondaga County. After a time he bought another farm and also ran a sawmill in Oswego County. A strong Jackson Democrat, he took an active part in politics. He was a very upright, honorable and industrious man, one who had many friends in his community. In his family there were fourteen children, all but one of whom attained maturity, and ten are still living, the youngest of these being fifty-seven years old, it being the oldest and largest (taken altogether) of any family now living that was born in Onondaga County. Mr. and Mrs. Starr became the parents of three daughters, namely: Mary, wife of A. C. Johnston, of Joliet; Ellen, a physician and the wife of Dr. C. H. L. Souder, of Chicago; and Attie Cordelia, wife of George T. Relyea, a wholesale grocer, of Joliet. At his home, surrounded by his family, Mr. Starr departed this life December 18, 1899, aged sixty-seven years, nine months and eighteen days. Throughout life he was noted for his sterling honesty and positive convictions, and was respected by all his acquaintances for his love of truth and right and his bitter hatred of dishonesty and corruption, either in public or private affairs. He was always kind and generous in his family and with his neighbors. His genial and sympathetic nature led him to perform many acts of kindness and charity toward the poor or the distressed in his neighborhood. Of his character and life it may truthfully be said that they always stood for the right because it was right and not for policy's sake. He admired and championed the cause of truth and justice, and he boldly denounced wrong. In every good cause he was a supporter. He did much, by example and precept, to lead the community in paths of justice, loyalty and honor. 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/starr1161gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb