John FooteIIbio

From: "Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois 1892", by Biographical Review Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois; page 618-619; a reprinted by Stevens Publishing Co., Astoria, Ill., 1971, is sold by the Schuyler County Historical Society, Rushville, Illinois.
John Foote, the senior member of the firm of John Foote & Son, proprietors of the Rushville Hosiery Factory, was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, January 17, 1827. His father, John Foote, was a native of England, and a weaver by trade; he operated a hand loom for many years, and spent his last days in Leeds. He married Margaret Hines, who spent her entire life in England. Three of their children came to America, Frank, Mary and John. the last named, the subject of this biography, began when quite young to learn the trade of cloth dresser, and followed this vocation in Leeds until 1844. In July of that year he sailed from Liverpool on board the Greenock, and landed in New York city after a voyage of six weeks. He went directly to Boston, and thence to Millbury, Massachusetts, where he followed his trade for two years; he was afterward in Cherry Valley and Foxboro; and later went to Oxford, Massachussetts, where he was employed in a satinette factory for a few months. Next he went to Winchester, where he was in a flannel factory, and after that to a place now called Bridgewater, Massachussetts, where he worked at the boot and shoe trade until the beginning of the Civil war. At this time he went to Newport, New Hampshire, and secured employment in a flannel factory. After the close of the war he removed to Charleston but in 1866 went to Michigan; he resided in that State for two years, and then removed to Rock Island, Illinois, where he was foreman in the carding and spinning department of the Rock Island Woolen Mills, a position he filled until 1874. In that year he came to Rushville, and two years later established the Rushville Hosiery Factory, which has been in successful operation since that time; both cotton and woolen hose are manfactured, and are sold directly to the trade in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska.
Mr. Foote was united in marriage in Foxboro, Massachusetts, in May, 1846, to Martha A. Childs, a native of Maine and a daughter of Amos Childs; there are five surviving children born of this union: Charles F., Alfred A., Ada, John W. and George H. the last names is in partnership with his father. Mr. and Mrs. Foot {Foote} are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are active in all movements tending to elevate humanity. Politically, Mr. Foote affiliates with the Republican party.