John W. Gill was a native of Ohio, born in the city of Mount Pleasant in 1809, and was a son of Joseph Gill, a native of Maryland. The Gill family is of English origin and was established in Maryland in early colonial days. On reaching manhood Joseph Gill married Nancy Hanna, who was born in Virginia. In early life he was a slaveholder in the south, but finally liberated his slaves and removed to Ohio, locating in Jefferson county, where he opened up a farm. In connection with his farming operations he also engaged in mercantile pursuits, conducting a store and mill in Mount Pleasant, and shipping flour quite extensively.
In his native state John W. Gill, Sr., grew to manhood and there married Miss Rhoda Smith, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Her father, David Smith, was a native of New Hampshire and a pioneer of Ohio. Mr. Smith's father and his wife's father were both soldiers of the Revolutionary War. In early manhood John W. Gill, Sr., was engaged in manufacturing and mercantile business in the east, but in 1864 he came to Illinois, bringing with him his family, and settled just west of Springfield, where the family still reside. Here he purchased a tract of about three hundred acres of land and turned his attention to farming, first clearing and breaking his land, which was mostly wild and unimproved when it came into his possession. In his farming operations he met with excellent success and became quite well-to-do. After a useful and well spent life he passed away in 1873, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow and six children are still living. David P, John W, Joseph, Charles W., Mary (wife of A. Caldwell, of Ennis, Texas, and Jane W. (widow of James L. Tolbert).
-PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS , Joseph Wallace, M. A., The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1904
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John W. Gill, father of Charles W., was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and educated, and for a number of years he was associated with his father in the banking business in what is now the state of West Virginia. He established the old Crescent Iron Works at Wheeling, West Virginia, developing the same into one of the largest industrial enterprises of its kind in the United States.
During the financial panic of 1858 the works were shut down and, like many another of the successful businessmen of the country, he suffered serious financial reverses. He was, however, a man of great energy, ambition and business sagacity, and he eventually recouped his losses to a large degree. From West Virginia he removed to Ohio, and at Mount Pleasant, that state, he engaged in the manufacturing of silk upon an extensive scale, according to the standards of the period.
While identified with this line of enterprise he had the distinction of manufacturing the first United States flag out of silk material, and he was thus the pioneer in this line of industry in the country, eventually manufacturing silk flags upon a somewhat extensive scale. In the manufacture of silk plush and brocade goods he won a number of medals given for such products in various expositions, both in this country and abroad.
After the close of the Civil war he removed to Springfield, Illinois, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred in 1872. His wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda A. Smith, was a native of Columbus, Ohio, her father being Judge David Smith, and she survived her husband many years, being summoned to eternal rest in the year 1908. Of their children, four sons and two daughters are now living.
Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders, Leaders and Representative Men, Vol 2, by Dermot Hardy and Maj. Ingham S. Robert, by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1910--
In his native state John W. Gill, Sr., grew to manhood and there married Miss Rhoda Smith, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Her father, David Smith, was a native of New Hampshire and a pioneer of Ohio. Mr. Smith's father and his wife's father were both soldiers of the Revolutionary War. In early manhood John W. Gill, Sr., was engaged in manufacturing and mercantile business in the east, but in 1864 he came to Illinois, bringing with him his family, and settled just west of Springfield, where the family still reside. Here he purchased a tract of about three hundred acres of land and turned his attention to farming, first clearing and breaking his land, which was mostly wild and unimproved when it came into his possession. In his farming operations he met with excellent success and became quite well-to-do. After a useful and well spent life he passed away in 1873, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow and six children are still living. David P, John W, Joseph, Charles W., Mary (wife of A. Caldwell, of Ennis, Texas, and Jane W. (widow of James L. Tolbert).
-PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS , Joseph Wallace, M. A., The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1904
-------------------------------
John W. Gill, father of Charles W., was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and educated, and for a number of years he was associated with his father in the banking business in what is now the state of West Virginia. He established the old Crescent Iron Works at Wheeling, West Virginia, developing the same into one of the largest industrial enterprises of its kind in the United States.
During the financial panic of 1858 the works were shut down and, like many another of the successful businessmen of the country, he suffered serious financial reverses. He was, however, a man of great energy, ambition and business sagacity, and he eventually recouped his losses to a large degree. From West Virginia he removed to Ohio, and at Mount Pleasant, that state, he engaged in the manufacturing of silk upon an extensive scale, according to the standards of the period.
While identified with this line of enterprise he had the distinction of manufacturing the first United States flag out of silk material, and he was thus the pioneer in this line of industry in the country, eventually manufacturing silk flags upon a somewhat extensive scale. In the manufacture of silk plush and brocade goods he won a number of medals given for such products in various expositions, both in this country and abroad.
After the close of the Civil war he removed to Springfield, Illinois, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred in 1872. His wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda A. Smith, was a native of Columbus, Ohio, her father being Judge David Smith, and she survived her husband many years, being summoned to eternal rest in the year 1908. Of their children, four sons and two daughters are now living.
Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders, Leaders and Representative Men, Vol 2, by Dermot Hardy and Maj. Ingham S. Robert, by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1910--
John W. Gill was a native of Ohio, born in the city of Mount Pleasant in 1809, and was a son of Joseph Gill, a native of Maryland. The Gill family is of English origin and was established in Maryland in early colonial days. On reaching manhood Joseph Gill married Nancy Hanna, who was born in Virginia. In early life he was a slaveholder in the south, but finally liberated his slaves and removed to Ohio, locating in Jefferson county, where he opened up a farm. In connection with his farming operations he also engaged in mercantile pursuits, conducting a store and mill in Mount Pleasant, and shipping flour quite extensively.
In his native state John W. Gill, Sr., grew to manhood and there married Miss Rhoda Smith, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Her father, David Smith, was a native of New Hampshire and a pioneer of Ohio. Mr. Smith's father and his wife's father were both soldiers of the Revolutionary War. In early manhood John W. Gill, Sr., was engaged in manufacturing and mercantile business in the east, but in 1864 he came to Illinois, bringing with him his family, and settled just west of Springfield, where the family still reside. Here he purchased a tract of about three hundred acres of land and turned his attention to farming, first clearing and breaking his land, which was mostly wild and unimproved when it came into his possession. In his farming operations he met with excellent success and became quite well-to-do. After a useful and well spent life he passed away in 1873, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow and six children are still living. David P, John W, Joseph, Charles W., Mary (wife of A. Caldwell, of Ennis, Texas, and Jane W. (widow of James L. Tolbert).
-PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS , Joseph Wallace, M. A., The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1904
-------------------------------
John W. Gill, father of Charles W., was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and educated, and for a number of years he was associated with his father in the banking business in what is now the state of West Virginia. He established the old Crescent Iron Works at Wheeling, West Virginia, developing the same into one of the largest industrial enterprises of its kind in the United States.
During the financial panic of 1858 the works were shut down and, like many another of the successful businessmen of the country, he suffered serious financial reverses. He was, however, a man of great energy, ambition and business sagacity, and he eventually recouped his losses to a large degree. From West Virginia he removed to Ohio, and at Mount Pleasant, that state, he engaged in the manufacturing of silk upon an extensive scale, according to the standards of the period.
While identified with this line of enterprise he had the distinction of manufacturing the first United States flag out of silk material, and he was thus the pioneer in this line of industry in the country, eventually manufacturing silk flags upon a somewhat extensive scale. In the manufacture of silk plush and brocade goods he won a number of medals given for such products in various expositions, both in this country and abroad.
After the close of the Civil war he removed to Springfield, Illinois, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred in 1872. His wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda A. Smith, was a native of Columbus, Ohio, her father being Judge David Smith, and she survived her husband many years, being summoned to eternal rest in the year 1908. Of their children, four sons and two daughters are now living.
Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders, Leaders and Representative Men, Vol 2, by Dermot Hardy and Maj. Ingham S. Robert, by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1910--
In his native state John W. Gill, Sr., grew to manhood and there married Miss Rhoda Smith, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Her father, David Smith, was a native of New Hampshire and a pioneer of Ohio. Mr. Smith's father and his wife's father were both soldiers of the Revolutionary War. In early manhood John W. Gill, Sr., was engaged in manufacturing and mercantile business in the east, but in 1864 he came to Illinois, bringing with him his family, and settled just west of Springfield, where the family still reside. Here he purchased a tract of about three hundred acres of land and turned his attention to farming, first clearing and breaking his land, which was mostly wild and unimproved when it came into his possession. In his farming operations he met with excellent success and became quite well-to-do. After a useful and well spent life he passed away in 1873, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow and six children are still living. David P, John W, Joseph, Charles W., Mary (wife of A. Caldwell, of Ennis, Texas, and Jane W. (widow of James L. Tolbert).
-PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS , Joseph Wallace, M. A., The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1904
-------------------------------
John W. Gill, father of Charles W., was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and educated, and for a number of years he was associated with his father in the banking business in what is now the state of West Virginia. He established the old Crescent Iron Works at Wheeling, West Virginia, developing the same into one of the largest industrial enterprises of its kind in the United States.
During the financial panic of 1858 the works were shut down and, like many another of the successful businessmen of the country, he suffered serious financial reverses. He was, however, a man of great energy, ambition and business sagacity, and he eventually recouped his losses to a large degree. From West Virginia he removed to Ohio, and at Mount Pleasant, that state, he engaged in the manufacturing of silk upon an extensive scale, according to the standards of the period.
While identified with this line of enterprise he had the distinction of manufacturing the first United States flag out of silk material, and he was thus the pioneer in this line of industry in the country, eventually manufacturing silk flags upon a somewhat extensive scale. In the manufacture of silk plush and brocade goods he won a number of medals given for such products in various expositions, both in this country and abroad.
After the close of the Civil war he removed to Springfield, Illinois, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred in 1872. His wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda A. Smith, was a native of Columbus, Ohio, her father being Judge David Smith, and she survived her husband many years, being summoned to eternal rest in the year 1908. Of their children, four sons and two daughters are now living.
Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders, Leaders and Representative Men, Vol 2, by Dermot Hardy and Maj. Ingham S. Robert, by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1910--
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