John Francis Carey(1869-1945)(CR2)

Born: April 7th, 1869 in Delphi, Indiana

Father: Michael Carey(1840-1900?)(CR4)

Mother: Bridget Thornton(1845-1923)(CR5)

Married: Rosa Amelia Whipple(1886-1960)(CR3) on February 25th, 1905 in Westville, Illinois

Children:

• Loretta Carey(1907-1995)

• Thomas M Carey(1909-1995)

• Marjorie A Carey(1911-1971)

• William Vincent Carey(1914-1996)

• John Francis Carey(1916-2000)(CR1)

• Mary Helen Carey(1919-2009)

• Winifred Carey(1921-2016)

• Joseph Edward Carey(1925-2009)

• Michel Carey(1927-1927)

Died: July 15thth, 1954 in Danville, Illinois

John Francis Carey was born on April 27th, 1869 in Delphi, Indiana to Michael Carey and Bridget Thornton. He was the 2nd of 4 children. In 1870, he was living in Delphi with his parents and older brother. By 1880, his father seems to have left the family and John Francis is living with his mother, brother and two sisters.

Sometime between 1880 and 1905 John Francis left home. I know from a later census that he only completed 3rd grade and this census shows him as being at home, instead of at school. I have found a John Carey in the 1900 Census living as a boarder in Lewis and Clark, Montana and working as a laborer and smelter. If this is him, I suspect it had something to do with the railroad. A couple of items point to it being him, namely the birth month/year (April 1969) and birth location (Indiana). On the other side, the parents are both listed as being from New York instead of Ireland.

He married Rosa Amelia Whipple on February 25th, 1905 in Westville, IL. Their first child, Loretta Carey(1907-1995) was born in 1907 and Thomas M. Carey(1909-1995) was born on May 23rd, 1909. By 1910, John Francis was living with his wife and 2 children on Clark Street in Georgetown, IL. He is working as a Street Car Conductor and owns his house with a mortgage. The census says he can read and write. Their second daughter, Marjorie A Carey(1911-1971) was born on September 26th, 1911 and their second son, William Vincent Carey(1914-1996) was born on March 15th, 1914. Margaret became Nun and changed her name to Rose Amelia. William became a Priest.

The family moved to Danville, IL, where John Francis Carey was born on February 8th, 1916. Mary Helen Carey was born on March 18th, 1919. The 1920 census has the family living at 615 Douglas Ave, Danville, IL. They own the house without a mortgage and John Francis Sr lived here until his death. He is a conductor on the traction line. Given information from the City Directories, this was for the Illinois Traction System. He worked as a conductor until some point in the 1930s when he stopped working.

The 1930 census shows him still owning the house which is now worth $1500. The entire family is listed as living there as well as someone named Gaston Charles. Gaston was 62, from France, and listed as possibly being John Francis's father. I highly doubt this, and suspect he was just a lodger. In 1940, the family is still at the Douglas Street address. It includes John Francis, his wife Rosa and their children, William, Mary Helen, Winifred and Joseph. Mary Helen seems to be the only one working in the household. She is listed as being a teacher in the public schools. John Francis Carey died on July 15th, 1954 in Danville. IL. He is buried in Resurrection Cemetery.

Danville, IL Commercial-News Sunday March 29th, 1936

ITS Conductor Has Served for 32 Years On Interurban Line Soon to Be Abandoned

John Carey on Duty on Danville-Westville Run Since it Started

Hopes to Get Job on Batestown Car When Present Assignment Ends

by Fay Fielding

Commercial-News Staff Writer

Thirty two years continuous service as a conductor and motorman on the same interurban line.

That is the remarkable record of John Carey, veteran employee of Illinois Terminal Railway System, one of the transportation lines of Illinois Power and Light Corporation.

Every day since 1904 when the line was opened, except for a few brief periods when he was off duty because of illness or on vacation, he has been on duty, for several years a conductor, and later when the "one-man" cars were placed in service, as both conductor and motorman on the Westville line.

On City Lines Year

This line will be abandoned in the near future - probably during the next two or three weeks. While abandonment of the line will end the long record by the veteran employee, it will not end his career as an interurban trainman. He has put in a "bid" for a run on the Batestown line and indications are he will get it. He was employed on the city lines one year before being assigned to the Danville-Westville line.

In 1884 Mr. Carey came to Danville from Delpi, Ind., where he was born. At the age of 11 got a job as water boy on a C.&E. I. work train. Four years later the train was pulled out of service and John was pulled off his job. He wanted to be a breakman. Attired in a suit with padded shoulders and oversized trousers, made for him by a Danville tailor named Bowen, and a tall derby hat, known in those days as a "stiff Katy," he wen to the train master's office in Chicago and applied for a job.

"You look pretty young; how old are you?" asked the trainmaster.

John, with most of his body concealed by the trainmaster's desk, raised himself upon his toes, puffed out his chest and replied, "21."

He was given a letter to Billy Stephens, general yardmaster here, who was instructed to give him a job. Several days later, a 1 o'clock in the morning, he was called out for his first run. He railroaded until the strike of 1894 when he went to Helena, Mont., and worked in a smelting plant, later going to Anaconda, Mont., where he landed his first street car job.

Early in 1903, when work was firsts tarted on electric railway lines out of Danville, he received from his sister, Miss Mamie Carey of Danville, a copy of The Commercial-News. On the front page was a story about the new interurban lines - both those in construction and under consideration. Accompanying the story was a picture of a wheel, with Danville as the hub and the spokes pointing to various cities that would be connected with the city if the proposed electric lines were built.

Carey decided to return to Danville and apply for a job on one of the interurban lines. He got one shortly after he arrived but it was on the city lines. A year later, however, he landed a job as conductor on an interurban car. He was assigned the Westville line and has been there ever since.

Romance on Trolley

Carey is the father of eight chilren and owns a nice home at 615 Douglas Avenue. All of his children except one who is recently married live at home. They are Joseph, Johnnie, Winifred, Mary Helen, Marjorie, Loretta, William and Thomas. Three of his sons, Tom, William and Johnny, have been carriers for the Commercial-News. Mrs. Carey was Miss Rosa Whipple, member of a pioneer family living east of Georgetown. The romance that culminated in their marriage began on the interurban car on which Mr. Carey began his career as conductor.

A few years ago John took his family for a ride on his car, and this is what Grace Gallaher, local correspondent for an IPL Magazine, wrote about it:

"When John Carey takes his family out for an airing he spurns an automobile and trailer, and loads them all into an interurban car. This carful of care-free Careys has made a careful Carey out of John. He has to watch his step with a brood like this, but they have kept him young, and after many years of railroading he is still able to 'Carey' on."

Branch

• Generation 2(Great Grandparents): John Francis Carey and Rosa Amelia Whipple

  • Generation 1(Grandparents): John Francis Carey and Georgeanna Orr

    • Generation 0: John Francis Carey III and Living Wife