USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 78
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Walter Z. Brown was born in Coventry, Tolland county, Conn., October 26, 1855, and is a son of Walter C. and Sarah A. (Clark) Brown, both of whom were natives of Connecticut, the former of English and the latter Dutch descent. The father was a successful farmer, held several of the town offices, was a member of the legis- lature, and was prominent in public affairs.
Walter Z. received his education in the common and high schools in the vicinity of his home and was obliged to begin work on his own account at a comparatively early age. Upon reaching manhood he took up the fire insurance business, and a little later became cashier and bookkeeper for B. F. Spinney & Co., shoe manufacturers of Lynn, Mass. From 1880 to 1890 he was associated with Bowden & Jenkins, bankers of 48 Wall street, New York city, and from 1885 to 1892 was treasurer to the receiver of the Lackawanna & Pittsburg railroad and treasurer of the Lackawanna & South-Western railroad. He removed to Chicago in 1892 and in 1894 became associated with the Illinois Life Insurance Co. For four years he was treasurer of the company and has been auditor for the same for eleven years. His acquaintance with John H. Washburn, president of the Home Insur- ance Company of New York, determined his occupation through life. For the last sixteen years insurance has been his principal business. He is not actively interested in politics, but is a friend of improve- ment and progress. He is a trustee of the Church of the Covenant and was president of the board of Deacons for six years. He is a member of the Hamilton club, the Y. M. C. A., Odd Fellows and New England Society. He is a Republican and a Presbyterian.
On June 24, 1880, he married Mabel G. Phelps, of Paris, Maine, by whom he had five children, one of whom is deceased. His wife died April 24, 1908, and on June 28, 1909, he was again married to Marie A. Luce, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Lawrence Joseph Reed, a well-known contractor of Chicago, is a native of this city, where he was reared, educated and where he has passed practically his entire life. He was born on October 7, 1866, a son of William and Annie (Conway) Reed. He received his schooling at St. Patrick's Academy, and in March, 1879, started out in life for himself as a cash boy in the retail dry goods store of Field, Leiter & Company. In September of the year following he began clerking in the office of the Chicago & Eastern Indiana Railroad
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company, but since 1889 he has been engaged in the paving contract- ing business almost exclusively. Mr. Reed is treasurer and director of the R. F. Conway Company, contractors for asphalt paving, and also occupies a similar position for the International Asphalt com- pany, dealers in asphalt, and is a director of the Warner-Quinlan Asphalt company, importers and refiners, with a refinery at Tremley Point, N. J. He is a member of the Chicago Athletic, South Shore Country and Chicago Yacht clubs, and has his office in the Chamber of Commerce building. To his marriage with Miss Helena J. Quirk, solemnized at Chicago, June 28, 1893, five children have been born, named Richard J., Lawrence C., Mildred, Constance and Muriel. The family home is at 3146 Washington boulevard.
Dr. Joseph Damiani, son of Pietro and Grace ( Borrello) Damiani, was born January 25, 1873, in the city of Termini, Sicily, where his father was engaged in the restaurant and hotel business and as con- tractor. The elder Damiani was a man of note in Termini, having had charge of the street lightning system there. His wife died in 1875 after having borne her husband three children: Rosina, Ig- nazia and Joseph. In 1893 Mr. Damiani retired from active life and coming to America to visit the World's Fair, has since made Chicago his home and is now seventy-one years old.
The immediate subject of this sketch, Dr. Joseph Damiani, was educated in the public grammar schools and the technical schools of his native country. When seventeen years old (1890) he came to America, and securing temporary employment, also attended private night schools in order to better equip himself for American citizen- ship. Having decided to become a physician, he began the study of that profession, supporting himself by working at various employ- ments which he could secure, and in this way attended college, gradu- ating in 1900. He began practicing his profession at 174 North Halsted street, later locating at Milwaukee avenue and Green street, and finally at his present location, 904 Grand avenue. Dr. Damiani has accepted every opportunity of improving himself in his profes- sion, and he has succeeded in building up a successful and increasing practice. In 1903 he completed a special course in electro-thera- peutics, and in 1904 one of diseases of the eye, car, nose and throat. Dr. Damiani is a member of the Chicago Medical Society, the Ameri- can Medical Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Unione Sicilani, the largest Italian society in Chicago, and in 1909 was president of the White Hand Society. June 30, 1903, he mar- ried Josephine Samuelson, of Chicago, and with his wife and two daughters, Grace Esther and Eleanor Santilia, resides at 627 Arling- ton Place.
Albert Mussey Johnson, one of the well-known men of Chicago, identified with life insurance, was born May 31, 1872, at Oberlin, Ohio, receiving his earlier education in the public schools and the re- nowned college of that place. He subsequently entered Cornell Uni-
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versity, from which he was graduated in 1895. He began his busi- ness career as station agent for the Arkansas Midland Railroad com- pany in 1888. After completing his education he was secretary and manager of the Mussey Stone Company, of Elyria, Ohio. He was next interested in the lead and zinc mines of Joplin, Mo., for one year, succeeding which he served as vice-president of the Arkansas Midland Railroad company, and president of the Oberlin Gas & Electric company, one year each. In 1902 he became largely inter- ested in the National Life Insurance Company of the United States of America. After serving for a few years as vice-president and treasurer, he was elected president in 1906, and has held that office since. He is also president of the North American Cold Storage company, and the National Life Building company, and is a director of the Broadway Savings & Trust company, of Cleveland, Ohio, and a director of the Columbus Safe Deposit company, of Chicago. In religion Mr. Johnson is a Congregationalist ; in politics a Republi- can. November 19, 1896, at Oakland, Cal., he married Miss Bessie Morris Penniman and their home is at 2835 Sheridan Road.
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George Mortimer Davis, for many years a resident of Chicago and one of the first to settle in Austin, was a man who accomplished things and who was a credit to the community in which he lived. He was born August 25, 1844, at Eaton, N. Y., his parents being Rich- ard M. and Rowena (Wells) Davis. Nathaniel and Sophronia (Johnson) Davis were his grandparents. His boyhood days were passed in his native city and when fifteen years old he began learning the machinist's trade. Two years later he secured employment in a gun factory at Binghamton, N. Y., which concern had large con- tracts for furnishing firearms for the government. Succeeding this he worked in gun factories at Watertown and Illion, N. Y., then, af- ter six months spent at Oil City, Penn., came to Chicago in 1866. He here began the manufacture of steam gauges and was ever after- wards identified with this work. His prosperity was substantial, of steady growth and in no small measure was attributable to many in- genious and important inventions devised by him. He was the origi- nator of the automatic air valve on steam radiators for the use of steam-heated buildings, an automatic steam regulator for reducing steam pressure for heating purposes and many other inventions and appliances for the public good. In 1870 he established his factory at Chicago. In 1894 he also became the owner of the Cicero Light, Heat & Power Co. plant. He became connected with other commer- cial enterprises and founded the Davis Regulator company. Decem- ber 31, 1867, he married Miss Henrietta Dales, daughter of Dr. Ira and Frances (Coit) Dales and granddaughter of John and Sarah (Cal- vin) Dales, Sarah Dales being a cousin of Alexander Hamilton. To this marriage two sons have been born : Walter Edgar and George Coit. Mr. Davis was active in public matters and for twelve years was a member of the board of education prior to the annexation of
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Austin to Chicago. His life was a clean, wholesome one, devoid of ostentation, but filled with many acts of kindness and charity. He was a Republican, an Odd Fellow, served as president of the Oaks club of Austin and was an attendant of the Presbyterian church. While on a trip south in 1908 he was stricken down with paralysis at Morrell, Texas, and on November 18, died. Such, in brief, was the career of a man who did much for the good of the public. His career is well worthy the emulations of the younger generations.
The following poem by Mrs. Frances Page was written in mem- ory of George M. Davis :
Sleep, veteran, sleep, Who sows for others to reap, Has earned at day's soft close, This most sublime repose :- Sleep, veteran, sleep.
Sleep, veteran, sleep, Humanity will keep The memory of thy noble deeds, Thy ministry to human needs ;
Sleep; veteran, sleep.
Sleep, veteran, sleep, Ah, who would idly weep, Or o'er the heavenly fiat grieve, When souls like these get their reprieve; Sleep, veteran, sleep.
Sleep, veteran, sleep, This rest of thine how deep, But may thy kindly mantle fall, Like a rich blessing o'er us all; Sleep, veteran, sleep.
Leander Devine Condee, attorney at law, was born in Athens county, Ohio, September 26, 1847, and is a son of Henry M. and Jane (Rickey) Condee. The father, a farmer by occupation, saw active service in the Union army during the Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted in the Third Illinois Cavalry regiment as lieutenant of Com- pany M. He is still alive at the age of eighty-five years.
In 1854 the family moved from Ohio to Coles county, Ill., and there Leander D. received his primary education. Later he attend- ed Saint Paul's academy at Kankakee, Ill., and still later the Uni- versity of Michigan, from the law department of which he was gradu- ated in 1868 with degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was admitted to the bar and began practice in Butler, Bates county, Mo., and thus continued for six years. In 1873 he came to Chicago and the fol- lowing year became a member of the law firm of Richmond & Con- dee which continued in active practice until 1876 when it was dis- solved and the new firm of Condee & Bliss was formed. A little later the firm of Condee & Rose was formed and finally that of Condee & Condee, of which he is senior partner. They are now engaged in
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general practice. He was elected attorney for the village of Hyde Park in 1879, in which capacity he served for four years. Since at- taining his majority he had taken great interest in political and other public affairs and continued the same after coming to Chicago. He was elected to the state senate in 1880. As a member of that body he was active in shaping legislation. He was nominated for judge of the superior court in 1892, but suffered defeat with the rest of his party. Again in 1904 he received the nomination for judge of the circuit court, but again suffered defeat with his ticket. He is a mem- ber of the Union League and Kenwood clubs and is a Knight Templar Mason. He is married and resides with his family at 4552 Woodlawn avenue. His offices are at 107 Dearborn street.
Clarence Myron Converse, now president of the Chicago Heater & Supply company, at 56-58 Dearborn street, was born at Rindge, N. H., November 19, 1854, and is a son of Ebenezer H. and Sarah (Darling) Converse. He was educated in the common schools, the grammar schools and in due time entered Appleton Academy, New Ipswich, N. H., from which he was graduated with credit. Upon leaving school he became an apprentice to the plumbing and heating trade, and upon its completion engaged in that business on his own account at Fitchburg and Gardner, Mass. In 1884 he sold his inter- ests and came to Chicago where he joined the firm of Spear & Con- verse, with store at 86 Lake street. After five years of successful operation he embarked in the manufacture of radiators and heaters and established a plant known as the Model Radiator company, at Elwood, Ind., and another, the Columbia Radiator company, at Ben- ton Harbor, Mich. In August, 1901, he organized the Chicago Heater Supply company, of which organization he became presi- dent and thus officiates at the present time. He is also president of the Chicago Teaming company. He is a director of the Chicago Missionary Society and was one of the superintendents of Armour Mission for several years. He has been actively identified with church and mission work for the past twenty years. He is a Knight Templar and a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of Plymouth church, also of the Hamilton, Congregational and Illinois Athletic clubs. In February, 1907, he married Irene Grace Anthony and their home is at 3108 Grand boulevard. Ebenezer H. Converse, his father, was a lumberman, and was captain of Company K Sixth New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. He had two brothers, Captain O. I., who served with credit in the state leg- islature of New Hampshire, afterwards serving in the Civil war, and the remainder of his life in the United States army, and Morton E., who served in both branches of the state legislature of Massa- chusetts, and is the owner of the largest wooden toy factory in the world, located at Winchendon, Mass. One of his sisters, Mrs. Sarah Antoinette (Converse) Spear, was prominent as a member of the Chicago Woman's club and in philanthropic work.
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Samuel M. Hastings, manufacturer, is a native of Reimersburg, Penn., his birth occurring August 14, 1860, a son of Eli and Rachel (Kerr) Hastings. His parents came to Illinois when he was yet a child and his early years were passed at Gardner, subsequently going to Braidwood, Ill., where he began his business career as clerk in a dry goods store. In 1879 he embarked in the retail dry goods busi- ness in Braidwood, but in 1884 moved to Streator, Ill., where he con- tinued the same occupation. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, but returning to America located in Chicago, and for a time was engaged in the contracting business. In 1893, under the firm name of Mills & Hastings, he embarked in the manufacture of scales, continuing thus until 1899 when the business was incorporated under the name of the Moneyweight Scale company of which he is secre- tary and treasurer. Aside from this Mr. Hastings has been active in other lines of business, particularly as identified with scale manu- facturing. He is president of the Computing Company, of Dayton, Ohio; vice-president of the Computing Scale company, limited, of Canada; treasurer of the Computing Scale Company of America; president of the Moneyweight Scale Company, of Europe, and is a director of the W. F. Stimpson company, of Detroit, Mich .; the Stimpson Computing Scale company, of Elkhart, Ind., and the Acorn Brass Manufacturing company, of Chicago. In politics Mr. Hastings is a Republican. He is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Chicago Athletic, Owentsia clubs and the Exmoor club, of Highland Park. At Braidwood, Ill., he married Miss Jeanette Rankin, and their home is at Highland Park.
Harry J. Farnham, of the real estate firm of Farnham, Willoughby & Company, was born May 14, 1875, at Milwaukee, Wis., a son of E. W. and Emma J. (Dykins) Farnham. The removal of his par- ents to Chicago when he was a boy led to his acquiring his early edu- cation in the grammar and high schools of this city which he later supplemented with a business course. At the age of sixteen years he entered the wholesale house of Marshall Field & Company where he remained one year. In November, 1892, he joined the firm of Aldis, Aldis & Northcote, continuing with this firm until January, 1899. For about a year following this he was manager of the rent- ing department of Henry A. Knott & Company, and since December 1, 1899, has been a member of the firm of Farnham, Willoughby & Company which he founded. The business of the firm is chiefly de- voted to real estate transactions in the business district and the man- agement of business property. Mr. Farnham is a member of the Chicago Real Estate Board and the Building Managers' Associa- tion.
September 3, 1907, at Chicago, Mr. Farnham married Miss Alice S. Dickinson and they have one daughter, named Ursula Mae. In politics Mr. Farnham is a Republican. He is a thirty-second degree and Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine.
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He is also a member of the National Union, the Chicago Athletic Association and the Union League, Hamilton, Edgewater Country and Edgewater Golf clubs.
Dr. Benjamin A. McBurney, well-known surgeon of Chicago, is a native of the state of Pennsylvania, and was born July 6, 1872, a son of William and Rachael (Ride) McBurney. The parents were reared and educated in Mercer, Penn., but later removed to Sandy Lake, same state, where the father engaged in the jewelry business and is thus occupied at the present time. To him and wife three children were born, as follows: Harry (deceased in 1889), Dr. Benjamin A. and Florence, aged twelve years.
Dr. Benjamin A. McBurney received his earlier education in the public schools of Sandy Lake, Penn., subsequently taking a course in and graduating from the Grove City college in 1893 with the de- gree of Bachelor of Science. He then came to Chicago and entered the Homeopathic college from which he was graduated in 1896. He served an interneship at the Chicago Homeopathic college and the Garfield sanitarium, also a year and a half in the Cook County hospital. Since 1899 he has been engaged in the general practice of his profession at Austin and his clientele has grown large and lucrative. Since 1899 he has served as attending surgeon on the staff of the Cook County hospital, also in the same capacity at the Chicago Homeopathic and Hahnemann hospitals. Since 1905 he has been lecturer and surgical demonstrator at Hahnemann hospital. For several years Dr. McBurney has been specializing in surgery and has written several articles on medical surgery for medical mag- azines. He was at one time honored by being offered the chair of surgery of the Iowa State university but declined by reason of broader fields in Chicago. He is a member of the Chicago and State Homeopathic Medical societies and the American Institute of Homeopathy, and was one of the organizers and the first president of the western branch of the Chicago Homeopathic Society. He is also identified with the Masonic order, the Oaks' Club of Austin, the Westward Ho Golf club and the Austin Methodist Episcopal church. In his political views he is independent. September 5, 1899, he mar- ried Miss Kittie Howe, of Chicago, and they with their three chil- dren, George Howe, Catherine and Benjamin, Jr., reside at 247 N. Park avenue, Austin Station, Chicago.
Charles La Tour Furey was born in New York on August 19, 1860, a son of Edward F. and Mary E. (La Tour) Furey. Of excellent parentage and ancestry, the subject of this review came upon the stage of earthly action at an eventful and auspicious time. Edward F. Furey was an officer in the regular army and served with credit in the Mexican and Civil wars, and his father, the grandfather of Charles, served in the War of 1812 under Commo- dore Perry. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was an early settler of South Carolina where he assisted the colonies
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during the Revolution. For a time he was stationed in New York where he was wounded and out of service for a short time. He then joined with Col. Henry Jackson in the organization of the Sixteenth Colonial Massachusetts Volunteers. He served with dis- tinction and after the war married and settled in New York City at the corner of Wall and Broad streets the present site of the banking house of J. Pierpont Morgan & Co. There he became one of the prominent land owners and business men of the metropolis. At his house the Marquis de Lafayette was entertained upon his visit to this country about the year 1825. Lafayette's second daugh- ter married his nephew.
Charles La Tour Furey, the subject of this review, was educated in the city of New York, finishing at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Early in life he went to Colorado and for a time worked as a teamster and day laborer on the Denver & Rio Grande rail- road; later he prospected for valuable minerals and mined in Sum- mit and Lake counties, Colorado, continuing thus for about three years. He afterward engaged in wholesale merchandising in Den- ver. His business career was very active and led him into banking as well as other pursuits. In recent years he served as receiver of several Chicago banks and filled other important positions with fidelity and credit. He was president of the Marquette club. Such a position required wide information on public affairs, a thorough knowledge of modern business relations and conditions and the acquaintance of leaders of thought and action. Mr. Furey was a member of the Union League, Midlothian Country, South Shore Country, Chicago Automobile clubs and the Lawyers' club of New York City. He was president of the Women's and Children's Con- valescent Home, of Chicago.
Judging Mr. Furey by his accomplishments against great odds and obstacles he was gifted with qualities that would have carried him to the mountain top of any pursuit in life. He was stockholder in several of the Chicago banks and director in one of the city's largest manufacturing plants and vice-president of the American Guaranty company. In politics Mr. Furey was a Republican. In 1889, while in Denver, he married Caroline Rebecca Smith and they have one daughter, Caroline La Tour Furey, born in 1890. The family resides at 135 Lincoln Park boulevard. His death was a public loss at a time when the future was golden with hope and promise. He passed away on November 29, 1908, and now sleeps his last sleep in Rosehill cemetery.
Patrick J. Boland was born on Easter Sunday, 1868, and is a son of John and Anna (Conley) Boland, both of County Monihan, North Ireland, where the father was engaged in. farming. The mother died in 1889 and the father in 1894. To them were born , fourteen children, of whom the following located in the United States : Mary, Rose, Charles, Patrick J., Hugh and John.
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Patrick J. was educated in the national schools of Ireland and in 1882 came to Chicago and for ten years was in the employ of the street car companies. In 1893 he established a livery barn at 4021- 23 West Madison street and a little later engaged in undertaking. He now owns another livery and sale stable at 4204-06 West Madi- son street which he established in 1904. He now has the largest and best equipped undertaking establishment of the West Side. He is a member of the following organizations: Knights of Columbus, Foresters, Hibernians, Royal Arcanum, North American Union, Maccabees and Knight and Ladies of Securities. In 1892 he mar- ried Elizabeth McArdle, of County Monihan, Ireland, and they have the following children: Frank, Mary, Bessie, Margaret, Ellen and John. The family resides at 4047 Washington boulevard.
Herman J. Troch was born in Chicago, May 5, 1875, and is a son of William and Ida (Knuth) Troch, natives of Germany. The father when but two years old came to the United States with his father, Carl, 'and was educated in the public schools. Here, early in life, he learned the harness maker's trade and in 1873 engaged in that profession on Milwaukee avenue, near Western avenue. Wil- liam Troch died May 19, 1894.
Herman J. was educated in the public schools and at the age of fourteen years began business as an errand boy, later becoming a messenger boy for the Chicago Telephone company. For five years he was connected with Charles P. Riehl in the real estate business, having charge of the renting department. He was then for about one year associated with W. M. Merrigold & Company at 152 La Salle street and still later with the Smith-Premier Typewriter company, beginning with the latter as shipping clerk in 1897 and continued until 1902, doing their drayage and teaming. In 1903 he established the coal, grain, hay, feed and general teaming business at 2088 Milwaukee avenue and also located an office at 2947-49 Milwaukee avenue. Since 1905 he has had the contract for sprink- ling the streets north of North avenue and west of the river. He is a strong Republican and a member of the Ward organization of that party. He is a member of the North American Union, Looper's Business Men's club, and resides at 2088 Milwaukee avenue. On May 28, 1902, he married Adelaide Verden, of Chicago, and they have one child, Robert, aged four years.
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