Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Vance, George Livermore 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 3:58 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

GEORGE LIVERMORE VANCE. As early as 1700 the Vance family was established in 
Connecticut from the north of Ireland. John Vance removed from Connecticut to 
Caledonia County, Vt., of which he was a pioneer farmer. His son, David, was 
born in Connecticut in 1778, and for many years served as a captain of Vermont 
militia, also for fourteen successive years represented his district in the 
state legislature. He died in Caledonia County at seventy-five years of age. 
Next in line of descent was Aaron, a native of Groton, Caledonia County, Vt., 
born in 1812, and by occupation a farmer. It was he who founded the family in 
the west. In 1866 he settled at Money Creek, Houston County, Minn., where for 
years he cultivated a farm, but is now living retired in Houston. His marriage 
united him with Lucinda Tucker (a second cousin to Whitelaw Reid), who was 
born in Newbury, Vt., and is now eighty-one years of age. She was a daughter 
of Jonas Tucker, who was a farmer, justice of the peace and prominent business 
man of his community, and who married Miss Ann Johnston, a daughter of Gen. 
Joseph Johnston, of Revolutionary fame. The Johnstons originated in England. 
In the family of Aaron and Lucinda Vance there are two daughters and six sons. 
David E., an attorney of Winona, Minn., served in the Ninth Vermont Infantry 
during the Civil war, was captured at Harper's Ferry, and afterward paroled; 
William A. is a farmer at Houston, Minn.; Albert N. carries on a store at 
Decorah, Iowa; Mrs. Nancy J. Dyer lives in Houston, Minn.; Nicholas W. is a 
partner of Albert N. at Decorah; Abbie J., Mrs. Vance, lives at Money Creek, 
Minn.; and Aaron E. is in Joliet. The oldest of the family forms the subject 
of this sketch. He was born at Groton, Vt., March 13, 1840. When twelve years 
of age he began to work for wages, after which he worked in summers and 
attended school during the winter months. From eighteen to twenty-two years of 
age he taught school, after which he studied in Newbury Academy. Going to 
Rutland, Vt., in 1862, Mr. Vance engaged in the boot and shoe business for two 
years. In the spring of 1864 he went to Washington, D. C., where he was given 
a clerkship in the war department. He was in that city at the time Early made 
his raid. In 1867 he was made corresponding clerk in the law department of 
internal revenue. While filling this position he devoted his leisure hours to 
the study of law in Columbia College law school, from which he graduated and 
was admitted to the bar. In 1870 he resigned from the department and came 
west, with a view to practicing law. However, his plans were changed and he 
engaged in business with an uncle at Money Creek, Minn. Two years later he 
came to Joliet and opened a furniture store, as a member of the firm of Woods 
& Vance. The panic coming on before he had been fairly started in business and 
before his credit had been established, he lost all. Undismayed by this 
catastrophe, he took up the work with renewed energy and afterward met with 
constant success. Selling out the business after years of successful effort, 
in 1895 he started on a tour of the continent, and visited points of interest 
in Europe, Asia and Africa, going up the Nile and all through the Holy Land. 
The vacation of four months, with all of its novel incidents and its freedom 
from business cares, he recalls as the happiest time of his life, and its 
memory is cherished in his heart. On his return to Joliet he was obliged to 
take the business back and has since conducted it, occupying the Vance block, 
a three-story and basement building, 60x66, which he built in 1889. For many 
years he was vice-president and a director of the Will County National Bank 
and is still one of its stock-holders. Politically Mr. Vance is a free-silver 
Republican. In 1896 he was the Democratic and Populist candidate for congress, 
and, while failing of election, he ran ahead of his ticket. For a long time he 
was a school inspector and for three years served as vice-president of the 
board. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights Templar and Medinah 
Temple, N. M. S., of Chicago. Since 1865 he has been identified with the 
Baptist Church as clerk, deacon and trustee, and for years he held the 
position of Sunday-school superintendent. He is a member of the Baptist Social 
Union of Chicago and the Board of Managers of the Baptist Young People's Union 
of America. Formerly president of the Will County Sunday-school Association, 
he now holds the office of vice-president. His activity in Sunday-school work 
is great. He is an ardent believer in the good accomplished by these 
organizations and has not only given them his financial support, but liberally 
of his time as well. At this writing he teaches each Sunday in the Sunday-
schools at his church, the mission and the state penitentiary, and he is said 
to be one of the most successful teachers in the city. The first wife of Mr. 
Vance, who was Elizabeth K. Fowler, of Washington, D. C., died in Joliet in 
1873, leaving two children: George A., who is teller in the Will County 
National Bank; and Grace F., a graduate of the Winona (Minn.) Normal School. 
July 19, 1877, in Joliet, Mr. Vance married Jennie, daughter of William Lewis, 
and a native of England. They are the parents of a daughter, Beulah, who 
graduated from the Joliet high school in 1899, and who read the valedictory on 
the occasion of the commencement exercises. 

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

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