Almon G. Danforth

(Taken from the June 23, 1927 edition of the Tazewell Reporter)

ALMON G. DANFORTH CLOSES THIS LIFE'S FULL CHAPTER

Pioneer Banker, Breeder and Lover of Horses, Great Student and Scholar--Friend of the Common People, and a Jeffersonian Democrat.

  Almon G. Danforth, one of the oldest, and best-known bankers in central Illinois, and a life-long resident of Washington, died at his home in this city on Monday afternoon, June 20, at 2 o'clock, aged 86 years, 6 months and 12 days.  Mr. Danforth had been in good health up until two weeks ago last Friday.  On that night he was taken with a sick spell and although he displayed a great deal of vitality, the machinery of life had run its course and he gradually passed to the final end.  Up to the very last he retained his full mental faculties, and the morning of his passing conversed with members of his family.  He was ready to go having fully realized that his life work was ended.  He peacefully slept away.

     Mr. Danforth was the oldest son of Asa H. and Catherine (Rupert) Danforth.  The elder Danforth came to Illinois in 1834 or '35 from Norton, Mass., with a brother George.  They first landed in Peoria, then Fort Clark.  They drove east from Fort Clark.  The country then was all heavy timber to a mile or a mile and half east of Washington, what was beautiful prairie land.  The Danforths were so impressed with the prairie country that they decided to locate in Washington.  Asa H. Danforth took a very prominent part in the early history of Washington and central Illinois.  In 1845 he built the brick flouring mill which stands today.  The brick used in the structure was made by Danforth, near the site of the mill.  This mill was run successfully and people fifty miles around brought their grist to the mill.  The elder Danforth established our first bank, the Prairie State Bank, in 1848.  It was a bank of issue, circulating their own printed money.  A. G. Danforth was cashier of the bank in 1857, which position he held until 1862 when he went into the mercantile business as a member of the firm of A. H. Danforth & Co.  In 1872 the banking firm of Danforth, Snow & Company was organized.  Three years later Mr. Snow withdrew and A. G. Danforth continued the business under the firm of A. G. Danforth & Company.  Included in his activities Mr. Danforth lived in Danforth, Ill.; for a short time in 1861 and helped look after the banking and land interests of his father and uncle.  He also assisted in founding the Danforth bank at Minonk, which was afterwards taken over by C. R. Danforth, a distant relative.

Lenient Bankers

     In the early history of central Illinois, during the hard times, when Mr. Danforth was interested with his father in the bank, many loans they had on lands became due.  Through the remitting of interest in many cases and the carrying of the loans many people were permitted to retain their lands.  The Danforth farm loan business was one of the best known in the whole country in recent years and their reputation for fair dealing in this line of business has been outstanding.

A Lover of Horses

     Mr. Danforth was also a breeder and lover of horses and for many years maintained a 100-acre stock farm, a few miles southwest of Washington.  Years ago Fairy Gift was a household word and later on, St. Vincent and Little Louise 2:10 1/4, were identified with the farm.  He was always interested in agriculture and was a large owner of Illinois lands.

     Up until the two weeks before his final sickness Mr. Danforth had been able to come up to the bank, most of the time walking.  Although he had relinquished the management of the bank into younger and able hands, he still liked to meet his old friends and keep in touch with business affairs.

     Mr. Danforth attended the public schools of Washington and afterwards attended Eureka college and Lombard college at Knoxville, and took a course in Bell's Commercial College in Chicago.  All his life he was a student and reader of philosophical, scientific, social and historical literature.  Up until the very close of life he took great int[e]rest in his library and the better periodicals of the day.  Just recently he had been studying the relations of the peasants to the land owners in the old country.  He was every democratic in his beliefs, a Thomas Jefferson democrat.  He was for the great mass of the common people against all interests which seek to control our country.

A Kindly Disposition

     Above all Mr. Danforth was of a retiring and lovable disposition.  He never sought public office and public plaudits.  He was outstanding in his criticism of all wrongs and injustices.  He probably did make enemies by frankness with his criticisms and some may have thought he was austere and self-centered, but those who knew him best were pleased with his every courteous bearing and consideration and his fairness in giving everyone a right to think for himself.

      Above all he was a family man and lived a beautiful life of devotion and sacrifice to his loved ones.

     He was generous and public-spirited in all his dealings.  He was a very, warm friend of Dr. I. A. Cornelison, one of Washington's best known and outstanding ministers of the Presbyterian church.  He always very generously contributed to the support of this church and was a trustee for many years.  When Dr. Cornelison had at one time given up the pastorate of the church to accept a call to Philadelphia, Mr. Danforth in associate with Dr. Wilson, presented Dr. Cornelison with the old Cornelison home on South Main Street as an inducement for him to return to the pastorate at Washington.  Mr. Danforth was a boyhood friends [sic] of Dr. B. J. Radford of Eureka and a warm friendship continued to the end.  Just recently when Dr. Radford delivered an address before the Kiwanis club of Washington, Mr. Danforth attended the meeting and they had a fine visit reviewing old times. 

      Mr. Danforth was liberal in his religious views.  He was opposed to doctrinal forms.  He never contended that there was no future state.  In his own life he lived the ways of a moral and upright man.

Oldest Member Masonic Lodge

     Mr. Danforth was the oldest member of Taylor Lodge of Masons of Washington and retained his membership to the end.  He became a member June 1, 1866.  The next oldest member is William Jones, who became a member Nov. 27, 1871.  Taylor Lodge celebrated its 75th anniversary Oct. 17, 1926.  He was president of the board of school trustees when our present public school building was erected.

     Mr. Danforth's mother was Catherine Rupert, who came to this state in an early day from Virginia with her uncle, Gideon Rupert, who settled in Pekin.

     Mr. Danforth was born Dec. 8, 1840, at Washington, Ill., in a house which was located near where the primary school now stands on Peoria street.  In 1873 he erected the present home on South Main street on the site of the first house erected in Washington by William Holland.

     On Oct. 17, 1861, Mr. Danforth and Susan Burton, a daughter of Dr. R. W. Burton, who came to Washington in 1838, were united in marriage and lived ever happily until she was called on Aug. 23, 1919.  From this union six children were born, George C., who died on June 29, 1912; Mrs. Jessie McCoy of Chicago; Mrs. Cassie Franks of Peoria; Asa H. and Mrs. Mary Stimson of Washington, and Mrs. Helen Baker of Portland, Ore.  There are ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.  He also leaves two sisters, Mrs. Harriet Snow of Kankakee and Mrs. Z. E. Patrick of Chicago.  For a short time after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Danforth lived at Danforth, Ill., but all the rest of their lives were passed in the little city of their birth.

Golden Wedding Anniversary

     On October 17, 1914., Mr. and Mrs. Danforth celebrated [their] golden wedding anniversary.  An elaborate account of the big social event was printed in the Peoria Journal.  The following, taken from that article, gives a little genology [sic] of the Danforth family:

Traces Lineage Far Back

     Almon G. Danforth, present head of the banking house of A. G. Danforth & Son, traces his lineage back to the time of William the Conqueror.  Originally of Danish extraction, the ancestors of Mr. Danforth came to Yorkshire and settled on the river Dee in 1066.  From the number of Danes in the settlement the place became known as Dane's Firth.  The present name Danforth is a modification of the name of the village which his ancestors founded nearly nine centuries ago.

     It was, in 1687, when Samuel Danforth, a preacher, settled in Plymouth, that the family became identified with America.  Despite his calling the first American Danforth was a landsman.  His only gift to his children upon his death was land.  In the eight generations intervening since then the Danforths have always been landsmen and colonizers.  Mrs. Danforth's ancestors were Virginians, and she traces her descent directly from the famous pioneer, Daniel Boone.

Mr. Busse Pays Tribute

     Paul W. Busse, cashier of the Danforth Banking Company, has been associated with the bank for thirty-four years, and he pays a remarkable tribute to the memory of the man who he states had been "a father to him".  Mr. Danforth often talked over with him the problems of life.  Only recently he gave Mr. Busse copies of two poems which seemed to express his views....

A Proclamation

     Whereas, it has pleased the Almighty God to call from our midst one of our beloved pioneer business men, Mr. Almon G. Danforth, who passed from among us on June 20, 1927, this Mayor issues the following proclamation:

     In respect in Almon G. Danforth, a pioneer citizen of Washington and one of our business men who has during the past sixty years been an admirable advisor and an honored citizen, I hereby proclaim the hour of 10 a. m. to 11 a. m., June 22 as a silent hour in the activities of the business of Washington and respectfully suggest that all business houses close their doors during this hour,

                  Geo. Rinkenberger, Mayor

The Funeral

     The funeral was held on Wednesday morning at 10:30 o'clock, from the home.  Dr. H. G. Carpenter of Peoria officiated and paid an especially fine tribute to the life and character of Mr. Danforth.  The floral offerings were especially beautiful.  The pallbearers were J. P. Wrenn, Paul W. Busse, Dr. E. A. Morrow, Theo. Roehm, Harold R. Heiple and Paul R. Goddard.  Burial was in the impressive Danforth grounds in Glendale Cemetery.

Those Attending Funeral From Out of Town

     Besides the immediate family the following were among those who attended the funeral from out of town:

     Peoria--Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Clubbuck (?), Mr. and Mrs. P. B. Miles, Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Off, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Horton, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Miles, Dr. and Mrs. C. D. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Quinn, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Cornelison, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Miles, Dr. and Mrs. Morrill, Congressman W. E. Hull, Judson Starr (?), William Hazzard, Robert P. Jack, G. W. Cress, F. C. Heiple, W. T. Irwin, F. J. Keating, George Sturch, A. C. Caldwell and son Frank, Mrs. H. M. Pindell, Mrs. William Hal-?-ance, Mrs. Helen Martland, Mrs. C. V. Miles and son Warren, Mrs. James N. Kelly, Mrs. J. J. Jobst and daughter Margaret,

     Chicago--Dr. Z. E. Patrick and daughter Mrs. Cordella Goodhue.

     Bloomington--Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Cole,

     Pekin--William Reardon, T. E. Soldermann, C. J. Conder, Mrs. William Hughes,

     Gridley--Robert Heiple,

     Galesbury--Mr. and Mrs. Byron Danforth and son Almon,

     Roanoke--Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Wrenn

     Kansas City--Mrs. Frances Wolf