George Cress

Most of the below information taken from his obituary in the 1944 Washington Reporter:

George Wasington Cress was born April 5, 1946 on a farm near Washington, the son of Andrew and Mary Kinding Cress, pruminent early settlers.  On reaching manhood he followed stock raising and farming until 1881 when, along with his brothers, he moved into town and erected large barns on north Main Street and began importing horses from England, France and Scotland under the same Cress Brothers.  This business was continued until 1901 when they dissolved partnership and G.W. Cress continued the business.  The Cress farm sat where the Heritage House Apartments are located today.

He was elected to nearly every important office in the township, having been an alderman several terms, member of the board of education and president of the board, tax collector, supervisor, mayor for several years, and postmaster for nine years.  Mr. Cress was elected county treasurer in 1898 and after serving four years in this capacity he returned to stock raising and the real estate business.

Besides being active in political circles Mr. Cress also took a prominent part in fraternal affairs.  He was a member of the local lodge of the Masons, Mohammed Shrine, Peoria Commendery No. 3, Knight Templar in which he held a 50-year emblem and the Pekin lodge of Knights of Pythias in which he also belonged 50 years.

During his residency here he was a member of the Christian Church later transferring his membership to Peoria.

Mr. Cress was married to Miss Celia Thompson February 20, 1868 and to this union three daughters and two sons were born.  Both George and Celia are buried in Glendale Cemetery.