Peoria County, Illinois
Genealogy Trails
Early Blacksmiths of Princeville
by Odillion B. Slane, 1928
(Transcribed from Old Settlers Reunion Book of 1929 by Jo Chance Cohrs)
First: Ebenezer Russell Shop stood on Lot 7, Block 11, east of hotel where garage is now. Date 1841.
Neighbors turned out - cut down trees, hewed logs, all helped to put up this log building, which was first blacksmith shop in Princeville.
Second: Wm Owens worked with Ebenezer Russell a while, then started shop for himself on Lot 7, Block 10, east of Town Hall in 1845. Owens worked here for 15 or 16 years, then went into the hotel business.
After leaving hotel he worked in a shop west of Hitchcock's Hall; where he worked the rest of his life.
Third: Thos. Van Camp about 1847, located in shop where Dr. Charles used to live, now the Citron store is there.
Fourth: Issac Edwards built shop where Wm Ownes worked so long. He worked here till Nathaniel Mitchell bought him out and moved shop to where Mrs. Sam Morrow's house now stands. Mitchell came to Princeville in 1850, the same year the Henry family came to Princeville (See Henry Family, Vol. II)
Fifth: Nathaniel Mitchell was an expert workman; he could make anything out of iron from a fine needle to an anvil. He was a native of Ohio,came from the same locality as the James McDowell and Vaughn Williams family and the same time - 1850. Nathaniel Mitchell moved to Iowa in 1870.
Sixth: Levi Lapham and Thos. Russell, nephew of Ebenezer Russell, kept a shop only a few years
Seventh: The Pratt Brothers, Spence, Abe and Jonah, all of them blacksmiths, came to Prinveville soon after the Civil war, the first two being veterans of that war. They bought the Nathaniel Mitchell shop (according to Howard Henry's recollection of this date.) All three of them, as also their brother, Newt, were members of the band. Jonah moved to Iowa or somewhere in the west perhaps about 1890 while Abe and Spence lived in Princeville until their death in years 1905 and 1909 respectively.
Eighth: Evan Hibbs worked for a time with William Owens and he located later on in Dunlap. Thomas Johnson, a son-in-law of George I. McGinnis, operated a shop where the Champlin Oil station now is, corner of Canton and Clark streeets; and John White and Frederick Kerns about time of Civil war operated a shop next east of Town Hall.
Ninth: Milo Gillin, born in Wilkes Barre, Pa, 1835 came to Kickapoo, Ill when 19 years of age. Married to Susanna Craig who was a sister of Samuel Craig, detective department, sheriff and police force in Peoria. Mr. Gillin was a prominent Odd Fellow and active member of Diligence Lodge No. 129 in Prinveville, Ill, followed trade of blacksmith for 27 years. He was a first class workman; worked in German-Friedman shop, Milo Gillin died February 2, 1902.
Tenth: Tommy McDowell, learned blacksmith trade u nder William Owens. Afterward worked for himself a great many years. He was an expert horse-shoer, as was Owens before him. Tommy McDowell was a lover of horses, was kind to all animals, was a great lover of hounds and delighted in wolf and coon hunts.
Wm Gilmore, Thomas Sarsfield and others of longer or shorter stay, bring the list down to modern times, when the old style of blacksmithing and horeshoeing has almost been replaced by the garage and heavy work machine shop.
Peoria County, IL Genealogy Trails
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