USA > Illinois > The makers of Illinois; a memorial history of the state's honored dead > Part 22
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Mr. Tree beeame one of the incorporators of the American Red Cross. He took a warm interest in the work of the international eon- ferenee held at Brussels in 1889 for the purpose of framing a treaty for the suppression of the African slave trade, and he had mueh in- fluence in reseuing from defeat a treaty which the conference framed. Numerous contributions from his pen explained the provisions of the treaty and it was ratificd finally by the United States senate. In
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Chicago the labors of Mr. Tree were equally varied and efficacious. He was from 1893 until 1897 president of the Illinois State Histori- cal Library and was at one time vice president of the Chicago His- torical Society, being keenly interested in perpetuating in enduring form the record of those events which have shaped the city's history. He was also a life trustee of the Newberry Library. In more mate- rial lines he was a director of the Merchants Loan & Trust Company, of the Chicago Safe Deposit Company and the Chicago Edison Com- pany. In 1889 he presented to the city a beautiful bronze statue of La Salle and in 1894 a bronze statue of a Sioux warrior, entitled "A Signal of Peace." Both of these adorn Lincoln Park. Just prior to the World's Columbian Exposition his democratic friends urged him to become a candidate for the mayoralty, but this he declined to do. "Lambert Tree was a democrat of the old school," said Roger C. Sullivan at the time of his death, "and one of the finest gentlemen of his time. Chicago loses one of its greatest citizens and the whole democratic party and the entire nation loses one whose services for good cannot be overestimated." After his retirement from diplo- matic service he gave his attention to the supervision of his personal and invested interests. He had in the early years of his residence in Chicago become largely interested in real estate and he left a valuable fortune, much of which was in property.
Mr. Tree was married in 1859 to Miss Anna J. Magie, a daughter of H. H. Magie, a Chicago pioneer, and to them was born a son, Arthur Magie Tree, who married Ethel, a daughter of Marshall Field, by whom he had three children, of whom but one, Ronald Lam- bert Tree, born September 26, 1897, is now living.
Mr. Tree was a member of the Chicago and Iroquois Clubs of this city, of the Union Club of New York and the Metropolitan Club of Washington. Almost seven years to the day before his demise, Mr. Tree lost his wife, who died suddenly on shipboard while returning from Europe. His own death occurred in New York following his return from abroad after making his one hundred and twenty-second voyage across the Atlantic. He was unpretentious in manner but the work that he accomplished nevertheless entitled him to praise and regard. Successful accomplishment ever crowned his efforts, whether in the field of law, wherein his ability was attested by the extent and importance of his clientage; in statesmanship, where in ministerial ap- pointments he proved an able representative of the government; or in municipal affairs, where he looked toward the upbuilding of a greater city.
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Lambert Cree
The Chicago Tribune said editorially: "Lambert Trec had been prominently identified with the material and social life of Chicago for more than half a century. His death scems like the destruction of a landmark, like the eutting of a link which united the Chicago of the days before the war and the great fire with the Chieago of today. Hc had attained enviable prominenee at the bar, on the beneh and in the political arena. It was with regret that the community saw him leave the courts. He had the legal knowledge and the sober, dispassionate judgment which go to the making of a good judge. He was one of the wise and trusted counselors of his party in this state as long as it held to its old faiths. When it abandoned them in 1896 it lost him. When loyalty to the party organization meant disloyalty to the interests of the country there was but one eourse open to him. He did all he eould, and it was mueh, for the cause of sound money. Mr. Tree was proud of Chicago. He played well his part in promoting its material and artistic development. As in publie life he had the respcet of all, so in private life he won the warm regard of all who came in contact with him. He made no enemies, but he left a host of friends to deplore their personal loss and that eivic loss involved in the death of a good citizen."
Captain Daniel Smith Harris
HEN the news of the death of Daniel Smith Harris W passed over Galena the eity recognized the faet that its oldest pioneer had gone-one who for a longer period than any other had been identified with the up- building and development of Jo Daviess county. He was eighty-four years of age. Mueh of his life had been spent in northwestern Illinois and his labors have constituted a valuable contribution to the upbuilding and progress of the section.
Captain Harris was born at Courtwright, Delaware county, New . York, July 24, 1808, and was deseended from an old Massachusetts family, the ancestral line being traeed baek to the time of the landing of the Pilgrims from the Mayflower on Plymouth Roek. James Har- ris, the father and a native of Massachusetts, removed to Conneetieut and subsequently to New York. After a number of years he went to Cineinnati, Ohio, and there remained until the work of developing the lead mines attraeted him to Galena. In the spring of 1823 he started for that eity as one of the thirty-nine passengers-thirty-five men and four women-on board the steamer Colonel Bumford.
This number also ineluded Daniel Smith Harris, then a youth in his fifteenth year. One ean seareely realize the changes which have oeeurred sinee that day, now nearly ninety years ago. At the time of their arrival Galena was a little hamlet, the population of which ineluded about one hundred white people and as many Indians. Rude huts afforded shelter to inhabitants, for not a building of permanent eharaeter had been ereeted here. As the steamer proceeded down the Ohio and up the Mississippi rivers it passed other little hamlets which have now grown into thriving eities. It was a strange, new sight to Captain Harris, who, then a boy, never forgot the ineidents of the trip to Illinois. Through the year following their arrival James Harris, the father, worked for Moses Meeker but the next year began to break sod and eultivate the first farm developed in Jo Daviess county. His son, Captain Harris, at first engaged in prospeeting in the mining region and met with indifferent sueeess. Later, however, he struek an old deserted shaft in West Galena, worked it and there discovered one of the richest leads ever found in this region. He pur- sued his operations in the same distriet, now known as West Dig-
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gings, until he was recognized as the most successful miner in Galena, and from that time until his death he never ceased his mining opera- tions, most of which were confined to West Diggings, although at the discovery of the California range in Rice he did some prospecting there.
Captain Harris, however, did not confine his efforts alone to one line and his labors were at all times of great benefit to the city. In the early days there was no railroad traffic and all goods had to be hauled overland or brought up the river by boat. As the city grew the steamboat interests of Galena came to be of more and more im- portance and in 1833-4 Captain Harris and his brother, R. Scribe Harris, built the first steamboat ever launched at Galena. It was very crude in construction as compared to the later "floating palaces" which have been seen upon the Mississippi. The flywheel was made of lead, for that material was most easily obtained in Galena. The boat was christened the Jo Daviess and in 1834 Captain Harris took her to St. Louis with a cargo of lead, there selling both cargo and vessel. In 1835 the brothers built the Frontier at Cincinnati and sailed her on various western rivers. This was followed by the build- ing of the Smelter, which made regular trips between Cincinnati and Galena in 1836 and 1837, the round trip occupying twenty-one days. This boat was afterward purchased by the government and Captain Harris later built the Relief at Cincinnati in 1838, the old War Eagle in 1839, the Pizarro in 1848, the Preemption and Otter in 1842 and the new St. Paul in 1843. In the twenty-eight years of his river ex- perience Captain Harris built or was interested in one hundred steam- ers. His last trip was made as commander of the Gray Eagle, which struck the pier of the Rock Island bridge in 1861 and went down. Four of the passengers were drowned and all might have been lost but for the heroic conduct of the master of the vessel.
Captain Harris then retired to private life, spending his last days in the enjoyment of well earned rest in a beautiful home on Prospect street in Galena. He was married May 22, 1833, to Miss Sarah M. Langworthy, a daughter of Dr. Stephen Langworthy, who later lived in Dubuque, Iowa. Mrs. Harris died on the island of Cuba in January, 1850, having gone to that tropical region for the benefit of her health. In August, 1851, Captain Harris wedded Miss Sarah Coates, who died February 23, 1886, and was deeply mourned by all who knew her. Ten of Captain Harris' children survived him: Mrs. L. M. Dodge and Mrs. C. T. Trego of Chicago; Mrs. Amelia C. O'Ferral, of Chatfield, Minnesota; Mrs. T. G. Maupine, of Port- land, Oregon; and D. Smith Harris, of Madrone, Washington, all
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born of the first marriage. The children of the second marriage are: Mrs. J. V. Hellman, of Galena; Mrs. C. F. Taylor, of Warren; Mrs. Irene Gillette; Anna H. Freedman, of Crowell, Texas; and Paul Cherrington Harris, of San Francisco. Captain Harris passed away in March, 1893, and at his death one of the local papers wrote: "Captain Harris was always publie-spirited and to the end of his life he maintained a keen interest in all affairs of publie interest, whether of national or local importance. In 1850, when the Minnesota Packet Company began business between St. Paul and Galena and had a monopoly of rates, he built a rival steamer and made things interesting on the river that summer. Rates were eut so low that passengers were carried to St. Paul for fifty eents and the freight on flour was ten cents per barrel. Subsequently he identified his interests with the Minnesota line and beeame one of the directors. He was also one of the promoters of the Galena & Southern Wisconsin Railroad and be- eame a heavy stockholder and a director. There are any number of people living who pose as survivors of the Black Hawk war, that in- teresting confliet of sixty-one years ago, but Captain Harris was one of the few still surviving who was actually engaged in that confliet. He was a lieutenant in Colonel Stephenson's regiment and had com- mand of his company at the decisive battle of Wisconsin Heights. Two weeks ago he received notice that he had been allowed a pension under act of July, 1892, which gave tardy recognition to the services of the pioneers against whom Black Hawk waged his last desperate struggle for supremaey. The character of Captain Harris was a composite of the strongest and best traits of man. Deprived of a liberal edu- cation, his mental foree and excellent use of his faculties made up the defieieney and his store of information covered a vast range of subjeets. He had a remarkable memory and was first authority on all matters pertaining to the early history of Galena. In all his deal- ings he was strictly honorable and he leaves a reputation unblemished by a single reproachable deed. Although affiliating with no religious seet, his ideas of man's duty to his fellowman were elear, firm and rigidly adhered to. In polities he was a stanch republican. He took a natural pride in his experience as one of Galena's pioneers and has been for many years president of the Old Settlers' Association. His energies were well directed, his life well spent. He died full of honors as of years and carries to his tomb the respeet and esteem of the com- munity which reaps the advantages of the trials and self-sacrifices in which, as one of its pioneers, he shared."
Captain Harris was widely known for the honesty of his purpose in business transactions, for his liberal charity, his benefactions being
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known to many who were the recipients of his kindness, and for his great tenderness and sympathy. His character and his worth im- pressed all with whom he came in contact and all who knew him during the seventy years of his residence in Galena felt that he was a citizen whose work was of marked value in the upbuilding of the material interests of the city and who at the same time exerted a strong influence in support of all those things which are just and right. His memory formed a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present, between pioneer conditions and hardships and later day prosperity and comfort. He indeed helped to mould the policy and shape the destiny of Galena and his name is written high on the list of its honored citizens.
B. y. Felt
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Felt
MEMORIAL to Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin A Felt is found in the publie library and the Young Men's Christian Association of Galena; their mem- ory, too, is enshrined in the hearts of many who knew them, and as the years pass on, placing each indi- vidual and each event in its proper relation to the history of the state, the names of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Felt grow brighter with a reeognition on the part of their fellow townsmen of their good deeds and their noble and inspiring influenee.
Mr. Felt's demise oceurred on the 31st of July, 1899. He was born at Plattsburg, New York, January 3, 1821, his parents being Samuel Webster and Polly (Bingham) Felt, the former of Temple, New Hampshire, and the latter of Westport, New York. The father was born September 22, 1777, and, following his removal to the Empire state, there followed farming until paralysis praetieally terminated his life's labors. In the same year the mother of Benjamin F. Felt died and upon the son devolved the responsibility of earing for the home farm and providing for the family. Up to that time he had attended the public schools but the exigeneies of the situation cut short his educational opportunities. In the school of experience, however, he learned many valuable lessons and as the years went on also added largely to his knowledge through reading and observation. He continued to operate the old homestead in New York until he attained his majority, when, in 1842, he made his way westward to Illinois with Galena as his destination. There he entered the employ of his brother, Lucius S. Felt, who had removed to the west in 1837. During the ensuing four years, spent as a clerk, his earnings amounted to one thousand and fifty dollars, of which sum through economy and careful expenditure he saved seven hundred dollars. It was always his belief that any individual should save a portion of his earnings and this beeame a guiding rule of his life, bringing him at length to a position of prosperity. In 1846 his savings werc such that he felt justified in engaging in business on his own account and opened a groeery store which he eondueted for forty-five years with unvarying sueeess, remaining thus aetive in commercial eireles of Galena until 1891. For thirty-five years his store was maintained continuously at
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Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Felt
the same location. He enjoyed an excellent trade that grew with the growth of the city and throughout his entire identification with mer- cantile interests in Galena he sustained an unassailable reputation for business integrity and reliability as well as enterprise. As he pros- pered in the conduct of his store he also extended his efforts to other fields and for a long period was a stockholder in the Merchants Na- tional Bank, one of the leading financial institutions of Galena, suc- ceeding to a place on the board of directors on the death of his brother in 1876. At one time he was interested in the banking business in Iowa and he became the owner of large realty holdings, much of which, however, he sold ere his death.
Mr. Felt was married on the 11th of September, 1854, to Miss Ann Elizabeth Platt, a native of Plattsburg, New York. She was a daughter of Zephaniah C. Platt and her grandfather was Zephaniah C. Platt, a member of the Continental Congress and who founded Plattsburg, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Felt became the parents of four children: Zephaniah Charles, who is a resident of Denver, Colorado, and the father of two daughters, Katherine and Margaret; Benjamin Franklin, of Spencer, Iowa; Anna E .; and Mary B., deceased. Mrs. Felt became widely known in western Illinois and was prominently identified with the church and charity work of Galena, where her intelligence and refinement had always won for her loyal and devoted friends. In fact the family has long been one of promi- nence in Galena, leaders in all that relates to the material, intellectual and moral progress of the city. It was on the 4th of April, 1909, that Mrs. Felt passed away and her death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for her general culture, her kindliness and the many beautiful phases of her character had endeared her to all. She was the founder of the Young Men's Christian Association, laboring untiringly for that cause. At a banquet held in Galena due recog- nition of her work in this connection was paid in a set of resolutions which were unanimously adopted and applauded and which read as follows:
"Whereas through the benevolence of the late B. F. Felt and his family, the city of Galena has received a well equipped and thoroughly efficient Young Men's Christian Association, and
"Whereas, from the same generous benefactors, the city has also received an exceptionally fine library building, containing many most valuable books and works of art, therefore be it
"Resolved, by the business and professional men of the city of Galena, assembled in banquet this 21st day of January, 1913, that we clearly recognize and greatly appreciate the beneficent Chris-
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Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Felt
tian spirit of the donors in this meeting for the unprovided yet essen- tial needs in this community-And be it further Resolved, that the business and professional men of the eity of Galena shall annually hold, in the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, on the 3d day of January, that day being 'Library Founders Birthday,' or on Tuesday next thereunto, a banquet, in memory of Mr. Felt and the gracious gifts of his family-And be it further Resolved that the chairman of this meeting be requested to have these resolutions engrossed and presented to the family, and a copy of the resolutions printed in the local papers."
The daughter, Miss Anna E. Felt, has been very prominent in eol- lege eireles and as an active factor in promoting intellectual progress here. Of her a contemporary biographer has written: "She was born in Galena, October 27, 1859, and after graduating from the publie sehools of Galena, attended Wells College of Aurora, New York, and graduated in 1880. She organized and was president of the Wells College Students' Association at the same time that Mrs. Grover Cleveland was the head of the eastern association. Miss Felt held the position six years and then resigned to go abroad. She traveled in Europe for some time, and on returning home was elected western vice president of the Wells College Alumni Association. She was an officer of the Illinois Christian Endeavor Union for seven years. She is a woman of broad eulture and has done considerable literary work. Her love of books has not only made her labor for the library a pleasant task but has made her serviees of great value. She knew what she was about when she began the work of seleeting the one thousand volumes her father donated, and her judgment has been approved by some of the most noted librarians of the country."
The story of Galena's public library is one of intense interest to all of the citizens. Believing that Galena should have a free publie library and strongly eneouraged in this projeet by his daughter Anna, Mr. Felt attempted to interest others in the undertaking, offering to be one of ten who would contribute the necessary funds, but he found no one his equal in liberality and generosity and he had to abandon his original plan. He never deviated from his determination that Galena should have a publie library , however, and he at length resolved to found and equip it. Accordingly in the fall of 1894 he addressed a letter to the city eouneil, as follows:
"To the Honorable City Council of the City of Galena :- When a petition was presented by the leading taxpayers of the eity of Galena to the eity eouneil in May, 1892, asking that a publie library and reading-room be established, in aeeordanee with the Illinois
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Ar. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Felt
statutes, the ground upon which the city council placed its refusal to establish such library was that the fund which could legally be raised by taxation in any one year would be wholly inadequate to establish a library suitable to the needs of the city. Believing that the fund which can be annually raised by taxation will be sufficient to maintain suitably a library if once established, as evidencing my desire that a library be established and maintained, I make the following offer to you :
"Upon your establishing a public library and reading-room, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes of the state, I will donate to the board of directors for such public library and reading- room one thousand volumes; I will furnish the room or rooms where such library and reading-room is established with all the modern equipments ; pay for the leading periodicals and newspapers for the reading-room for a term of two years; rent a suitable room on Main street and pay all the expenses of maintaining the same as a library and reading-room for the period of two years, upon the following terms and conditions :
"The city of Galena shall annually levy a tax of two mills on the dollar on all the taxable property in said city, in accordance with the first section of an act authorizing cities to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading-rooms, the first levy of such tax to be made at the time of the annual tax levy next following the accept- ance of this proposition. Among the by-laws, rules and regulations adopted by the board of directors of such library for the government of the library and reading-room there shall be the following:
"The name shall be the Galena Public Library and Reading- Room.
"No anarchistic, atheistic or immoral book shall be tolerated in the library.
"Of the nine directors required by the Illinois law, four shall be women.
"Very respectfully, "B. F. FELT."
The proposition was accepted by the council, who promised to maintain the library after two years and appointed the necessary nine trustees. Today her public library is an institution of which every citizen of Galena is justly proud. The library building was erected by the Felt family at a cost of forty-five thousand dollars, of which Andrew Carnegie donated twelve thousand five hundred. The cor- ner stone of the library was laid on the 27th of April, 1907, and the building dedicated July 4, 1908, on which date Miss Anna Felt estab-
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Air. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Felt
lished the B. F. Felt endowment fund of $15,000. The first library was opened to the public in the government building, January 3, 1895. It grew rapidly, so that the entire second floor of the building was soon necessary for its aeeommodation. Miss Felt, who devotes her time to the welfare of the library, at its founding took a course in library sci- ence and became a trained librarian. She now holds membership with both the Illinois Library Association and the American Library Asso- ciation. During her travels in Europe in 1910 and 1911 she selected and presented to the library many beautiful pieces of statuary and bronzes as well as many rare curios and manuscripts, and in this work is carrying out the wishes and purposes of her honored father. The library, however, was not the only publie enterprise which Mr. Felt promoted. His cooperation could always be counted upon to fur- ther any movement for the general good and had he so desired he might have had almost any political office within the gift of his fellow townsmen, but he had no aspiration in that direction. He was not neglectful of his political duties and responsibilities, however, and voted, as his judgment dictated, in support of the republican party. Hc preferred always to eoneentrate his energies upon his business affairs and that his public service should be done as a private citizen. Integrity and eommereial honor as well as industry and perseverance were features in his success and brought him to the prominent position which he occupied. He was a man of fine per- sonal appearance whose broad forehead indieated his intellectual foree and whose face showed forth his strength of eharaeter. Moreover, his was a benign and kindly spirit and in him justiee was tempered with merey and his judgments were softened by sympathetie under- standing and charity. None who met Benjamin Felt failed to pay their tribute of respeet to him, for his entire life was indicative of his belief that upright character and self-respeet are to be chosen in preference to great riehes.
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