Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Trowbridge, William C 1856 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 4, 2007, 5:34 pm

Author: Portrait & Biographical Album, 1890

WILLIAM C. TROWBRIDGE, junior member of the firm of Tillotson & Trowbridge, is 
familiarly known as one of the editors and publishers of the Crete Journal and 
its auxiliaries, which includes the local interests of Bloom, Monee, Beecher, 
Matteson and Goodenow. The combination of papers was established by Mr. W. H. 
Gardner, in March, 1888, and in May following he was succeeded by the present 
firm. They have a bona fide issue of five hundred copies weekly, and publish a 
paper which is heartily welcomed by the people of this region, being full of 
local news, and treating concisely all the important topics of the day. Mr. 
Trowbridge is a practical printer, with an experience of eight years as 
foreman of the Breeders Journal, a stock paper formerly published at Beecher, 
Ill. He served a full apprenticeship at the "art preservative" in Lewistown, 
Pa., and Grand Rapids, Mich., and subsequently was employed five years in the 
State Printing Office at Lansing. His native place was Altoona, Pa., and the 
date of his birth April 14, 1856. His father, William S. Trowbridge, was born 
in Granville, Washington County, N. Y., August 24, 1825, and died October 5, 
1889, at Grand Rapids, Mich. The latter was of stanch New England stock, and 
on account of the death of his father when he was but a boy, was thrown upon 
his own resources at an early age. He learned the trade of an iron moulder at 
Poultney, Vt., and later emigrated to Harrisburg, Pa., where he followed his 
trade and was married to Miss Henrietta Kulm. Mrs. Trowbridge was born and 
reared in Harrisburg, and was the daughter of Jacob and Susan Kuhn, who died 
there. After their marriage the elder Trowbridge and his wife remained for 
some years residents of Harrisburg and then removed to Altoona, Pa., where the 
father operated some time as a foundryman. He then removed to Juniata County, 
and later to Lewistown, where he became the employe of a firm engaged in the 
manufacture of agricultural implements. He was thus occupied until the fall of 
1863, and then, the Civil War being in progress, enlisted in the Two Hundred 
and First Pennsylvania Infantry, in which he served until the close of the 
war, when he received his honorable discharge. Returning now to his home and 
family in Lewistown, Pa., the father of our subject not long afterward took 
charge of the smelting department of the Freedom Steel Works, one of the 
largest manufacturing enterprises of the kind in Pennsylvania, and he there 
remained until 1870. We next find him making his way to Grand Rapids, Mich., 
where he was joined by his family in 1871, and where he spent the remainder of 
his life. In Grand Rapids he was manager of Chubb's Agricultural Implement 
Works. He was a skilled workman, and was of that genial and companionable 
disposition which drew around him hosts of friends. His religious views 
coincided with the doctrines of the Episcopal Church. The mother of our 
subject died at her home in Grand Rapids, Mich., in March, 1875, aged about 
sixty years. She, like her husband, was a member of the Episcopal Church. 
There were born to them ten children, seven of whom, five daughters and two 
sons, are yet living. These with one exception are all married. William C. is 
next to the eldest, and like them obtained his education principally in his 
native county. He accompanied the family in the removal to Grand Rapids, 
Mich., and was there married, March 10, 1876, to Miss Lelia M. Wilkins. This 
lady was born in Grand Rapids, August 31, 1856, and was carefully reared and 
educated. She grew up an accomplished and intelligent woman, and by her union 
with our subject has become the mother of three children, viz.: F. Winona, 
William Roy and Myron. Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge are members of the 
Congregational Church at Crete, and Mr. Trowbridge, politically, is a sound 
Republican. 

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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