William Henry Blish (1812 - 1895)

Born 25 May 1812 in East Glastonbury, CT

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Hollister) Blish — married 25 Jan 1836 in Glastonbury, CT

Descendants

Died 15 Jul 1895 at age 83 in Kewanee, IL

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Whitney Rapp [send private message]

Biography

baptized Nov 12, 1812

William H. Blish learned the carpenter's trade in Connecticut and followed it some after coming to Wethersfield, Illinois, in 1837. For several years he lived on a farm west of the village. He then moved to the village and engaged in merchandising, at the corner of Tenney and Church streets, opposite the present site of Wiley's carriage shop. About 1847, he, with his father, Sylvester Blish, built a hotel, just east of the store, which they ran for over ten years, it being the only hotel in this section, until after the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad came through Kewanee. It was the stopping place for the stage lines and the engineers of the railroad made it their headquarters for some time. About 1855, in company with Zerah Chapin, he built a grist mill and did a large and successful business until the failure of the wheat crop in 1860 and 1861. The farmers in this section of the country gave up raising wheat and it was unprofitable to ship wheat from other sections of the country. He then, in company with Nathaniel Mayhew, moved the mill to Neponset, Ills., locating it upon the railroad tracks. The business at this point proved unprofitable and they sold it out at a great sacrifice.

He was repeatedly honored with public offices by his fellow citizens. During the last forty years of his life he always held some official position in his town. He was County Treasurer, Justice of the Peace, until he refused to be elected, Supervisor for several terms, Town Collector, year after year, School Treasurer for twenty-five years, and Town Clerk nearly as long. His office in the corner of his old hotel which he occupied as long as he lived, was the headquarters for all Town business, and the people seemed to think they could not do business elsewhere. Here he was always to be found, genial, affable, sensible and level headed; ready to make a deed or mortgage, draw a will, or have a friendly smoke and talk on any subject. Very few suits begun in his court ever came to a trial; he usually made the litigants see their rights or mistakes and come to an amicable settlement. He was a life- long member of the Congregational church, and for a number of years was chorister. As a neighbor he was kind and generous, ever ready to lend a helping hand, or to give words of cheer and sympathy. He died at his old home where he had lived for 58 years, 15 July, 1895, in the 84th year of his age, leaving a spotless record.

Sources

• No. 667, pg 146 and 203-205 - Genealogy of the Blish Family in America, 1637-1905 - https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=mj82AAAAMAAJ&rdid=book-mj82AAAAMAAJ&rdot=1