Month: November 2020

B. Frank Trumbo

Candace W Leave a comment

SORROW IN WAKE OF FRANK TRUMBO DEATH
COMMUNITY SHOCKED BY DEMISE OF PROMINENT MAN
END CAME TUESDAY NIGHT1

Ex-Sheriff, Leading Politician and One of County’s Best Known Farmers and Citizens’ Goes to Reward

            B. Frank Trumbo, one of La Salle county’s most prominent figures, passed away at 10 o’clock Tuesday night at his home, six miles north of Ottawa. Death was caused by valvular heart trouble, with which Mr. Trumbo had been ailing for a few weeks past.

            When his health began failing him the deceased entered the Presbyterian hospital in Chicago, where he underwent treatment until last Friday. He was removed to his home benefitted only slightly. Sunday and Monday he showed little improvement and Tuesday the change for the worse came. Late in the afternoon it was known that it was only a matter of hours and the relatives gathered at the bedside, where they remained to the end.

            Word of Mr. Trumbo’s death spread throughout the city leaving utterances of sorrow and regret no matter where the sad tidings traveled. Few men attained the success of the deceased ex-sheriff. He was a Democrat in his political views, but at no time did he permit politics or the glory of victory to interfere with friendship. Friends he had by the host and it was his loyalty to those he knew that made him such a popular favorite throughout the county.

            On the farm, in the city, campaigning, in office or wherever business called him he was just Frank Trumbo. For the past few years he had been aware of the condition that would ultimately terminate in death. He maintained the genial and jovial nature that made him such a popular favorite in this vicinity, even against these odds.

            In 1902 he was elected sheriff when large Republican majorities were the vogue. He conducted his office in the same manner he had his private business. Few officials left a record that could even be compared with his. Honesty and integrity were by-words with him and a close adherence to duty and his obligation toward the people, brought him into public favor from the start.

            He was born November 25, 1862, on the Trumbo homestead in Dayton township. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Moab P. Trumbo, of Jackson street, this city; old pioneer residents of the county. Mr. Trumbo’s ancestry traces back to the seventeenth century when great-grandfathers located in Virginia.

            Educated in the public schools and later taking a course in business college, Mr. Trumbo followed farming as his principal vocation. He placed the land under a high state of cultivation, adding all the modern improvements. In all of his work he had been practical and energetic, displaying perseverance and keen discrimination that won him results, establishing him in a position among the leading agriculturists of the county.

            Surviving he leaves his sorrowing wife and two daughters, Helena and Josephine. He also leaves his aged parents and one sister, Mrs. Ed. F. Bradford, of this city. The deceased was a member of Occidental lodge No. 40, A. F. & A. M., Shabbona Chapter R. A. M., Ottawa Commandery No. 10, Knights Templar and Ottawa Lodge No. 588, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

            The funeral was held from the home Friday morning at 10 o’clock. Interment was in the Ottawa Avenue cemetery, where Ottawa Commandery No, 10, Knights Templar, took charge of the services.

  1. Ottawa Free Trader, November 10, 1911, p7, col 1

A Bountiful Supply

Candace W Leave a comment

slice of cakeHymeneal

Married – At Dayton, in this county, on the 31st inst. (New Year’s Eve) by the Rev. David Newton, Mr. John Stadden to Miss Ann Maria Miller, both of Dayton.

Accompanying the above notice, was that which always gladdens the poor printer’s heart – a bountiful supply of Miller’s workmanship, in the shape of delicious wedding cake. The happy couple have our best wishes for their future happiness, hoping that the evening of their days will be as pleasant as the first dawn of 1841 met them agreeable and happy.1

They stayed in Illinois long enough to have two children, but about 1846 they moved to Texas, where they lived out their lives and had several more children.

  1. Free Trader, January 1, 1841, p. 3, col. 3

Rabbits, a Dance and Thanksgiving

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Dayton1

            The coal industry is still thriving in our burg.

G. G. Galloway, our enterprising manager of the electric plant, has just placed a telephone in his residence.

            It was expected that the shutting down of the brick mill so early in the season would cause a number of men and boys to lay idle until spring, but such is not the case. Our men, as well as boys, are all hustlers, and scarcely an idle man can be found on our streets.

            Mrs. E. McClary, who has had the measles for the past week, is now much better and able to be about again.

            A special school election has been called for Dec. 15th to elect a director to fill the place made vacant by J. W. Channel, now deceased.

            Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clodt have had troubles enough of their own for the past two weeks. Their oldest son, Henry, has been sick with scarlet fever for the past two weeks, and the four youngest are laid up with the measles. The house is still under quarantine.

            Mr. and Mrs. E. Hill and Miss Bartlett, of Rutland, attended the dance at Woodman hall on Thanksgiving night.

            A large gathering attended the dance at Woodman hall on Thanksgiving night, and everybody seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

            The crown in one of the kilns at the tile mill fell in one day last week, but fortunately no one was injured. The kiln was full of tile partly burned, and will necessitate the emptying of the kiln and burning the tile over again. It will be repaired at once.

            The river is at a height to harvest a good crop of ice should it freeze up in the near future.

            The old paper mill, at one time one of the greatest industries that Dayton ever had, is a thing of the past and a sight to behold. Hardly anything is left that could be carried away but the foundation, and the trust will be at no expense in clearing away the ruins.

            Joseph Barends has lost his valuable shepherd dog.

            E. Trumbo, of Rutland, is shipping cord wood from Dayton on the cars for the C., B. & Q. R. R.

            Mr. and Mrs. George A. Mills, of South Ottawa, spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Galloway.

            Mr. and Mrs. Ed Emmons, of Marseilles, have been visiting Mr. and Mrs. McBrearty the past few days.

            A number of rabbits have been killed here the past week.

            Wm. Hanna and family have removed to Morris and will make that city their future home. Mr. Hanna is employed in the tannery.

            Emery Waller is still on the sick list, but was out for a while this morning.

            Mrs. Susan Ellis, of Chicago, an aunt of Mr. Galloway died on Monday. Mr. Galloway left this morning to attend the funeral.

            Mrs. Grace McGrogin [McGrogan], who has been sick for some time past has recovered.

            The tile mill is still busy shipping fire clay.

            A Thanksgiving dinner given by Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Trumbo was largely attended. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. W. Van Etten and three children, Batavia, Mr. Eugene Appleton, Miss Ella Green, Aurora, Wm. Miller, wife and three children, Rutland, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Green, Miss Carrie Green and Lyle A. Green, Dayton.

            Gilbert Masters, with the P. R. R. at Chicago, returned home on Sunday, after spending a couple of days among his friends here.

            Mrs. Emma Boyd, of Seneca, is visiting Mrs. John Channel for a few days.

1. Ottawa Republican Times, December 6, 1900, p. 4, cols. 3-4

A Look at the Dayton Flour Mill in 1880

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David Green

The 1880 census had a special schedule listing businesses. Among those listed in La Salle county was the flour mill of D. Green and Son. David Green, the second son of the patriarch, John Green, had been associated with a number of the family businesses – the woolen mill, the store, but most particularly the grist mill, as seen in this advertisement.

Ottawa Free Trader, Nov. 22, 1873

Here is the flour mill, as described in the 1880 census of manufacturers:
Owner: D. Green & Son
Capital invested in the business: $10,000
Number of employees: 2, both males over 16
Greatest number employed at any one time: 2
Number of hours in ordinary work day: 10
Daily wage for skilled worker: $2.50
Daily wage for ordinary laborer: $1.00
Total wages paid for the year: $110
In operation 1/2 time only: 6 months
Idle: 6 months
Number of runs of stone: 4
Estimated maximum capacity per day in bushels: 550
Do you do custom work or make only for a market? If the former, what proportion of your product is custom grinding? 4/5
Is there an elevator connected with your establishment? No

If water power is used –
On what river or stream? Fox river, flows to Illinois
Height of fall in feet: 18

Wheels –
Number: 5
Breadth in feet: 4
Horsepower: 150

Materials –
Number of bushels of wheat: 400
Value: $480
Number of bushels of other grain: 1500
Value: $600
Value of mill supplies: $20
Total value of all materials: $1100

Products –
Number of barrels of wheat flour: 80
Number of barrels of rye flour: none
Number of barrels of buckwheat flour: 500
Number of pounds of barley meal: none
Number of pound of corn meal: 1000
Number of pounds of feed: 6000
Number of pounds of hominy: none
Total value of all products: $1500

This is a typical example of a local mill where farmers within a radius of five to ten miles brought their own grain, taking home ground meal or flour minus a percentage called the miller’s toll. This was known as custom grinding, and 80 percent of the Dayton mill’s work fell in that category. For the remaining 20 percent, where grain was purchased, the resulting flour was sold at retail prices in their store.