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- FRANK D. KIMBALL. This gentleman is well and favorably known
- throughout southern Wisconsin as a business man of character
and standing in the city of Janesville, Rock county. He began
life with little to help him beyond a sound constitution, a fairly
good education and an unusual endowment of force and character,
but by industry and thrift has won for himself a position of
affluence while still in middle life.
- Mr. KIMBALL was born in East Greenwich, R.I., Dec. 12, 1848,
- only child of Fermer and Adeline (ALLEN) KIMBALL. His father
was a native of the same State, while his mother was born in
Massachusetts. Fermer KIMBALL was a carpenter and cabinet maker,
and later in life learned the trade of painting, and at different
times worked at all these trades. He removed to Wisconsin in
1855, locating on a 200-acre farm in La Prairie township; he
devoted himself to the improvement of this
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- handsome tract and converted it into a valuable estate. In
1865 he became a resident of Janesville, and for two years followed
the trade of painting. He did well, and went into the furniture
and manufacturing business, and presently acquired interest in
the Thoroughgood box factory. He also owned a hardware store,
and besides maintaining his interest in the factory, conducted
the store for a number of years. During the last few years of
his life he gave his entire attention to the box factory, and
developed a large trade in cigar boxes and cigar-box lumber.
He was one of the organizers of the Bower City Bank, and was
once its president. He died March 6, 1899, at the age of seventy-six
years and six months. His widow still survives, and occupies
the old home at the corner of Bluff and South Second streets.
She and her husband were regular attendants of All Souls' Church.
Mr. KIMBALL was a Republican, and served as supervisor from the
Third ward in Janesville for eight years. He was chairman of
the building committee, under whose direction the Insane Asylum
was erected, and for two terms served as chairman of the board.
He was a member of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1878, and again
in 1894 and 1895.
- Dean KIMBALL, father of Fermer KIMBALL, was a native of Rhode
Island, and was of
- English descent. The family in America begins its history
with the story of three brothers, who came to New England about
1638, finding locations in Rhode Island, Vermont and Pennsylvania.
Dean KIMBALL was a farmer, and died in Rhode Island when over
eighty-one, the father of eight children. The maternal grandfather
of Frank D. KIMBALL was Abram ALLEN, a native of Massachusetts,
and of English descent, who followed the business of a butcher,
and died in Fall River, Mass., when sixty-seven years old. He
was a man of good character and business integrity, and was the
father of a numerous family.
- Frank D. KIMBALL lived on his father's farm until he reached
the age of sixteen, attending the
- district school, and later the public schools of Janesville.
For four years he worked at the trade of painting, and then became
a brakeman on the railroad. A year later he was made a fireman
on a locomotive and served the company in that capacity for seventeen
months. He was then given an engine, and was an engineer for
twelve years; during the last six years of that time he had charge
of a passenger engine. Leaving the road, he went into business
as a dealer in furniture, and, qualifying as an undertaker, soon
commanded a large and profitable trade. He had as a partner in
the inception of his business career W. B. BRITTAN, the name
of the firm being BRITTAN & KIMBALL. Mr. BRITTAN retired
in 1888, and was succeeded by James J. HALL, the new firm being
KIMBALL & HALL. A year and a half later Mr. KIMBALL purchased
the entire business, and under his exclusive management it has
assumed very large proportions. It occupies three floors, each
having a dimension of 44x100 feet, while at the rear is a store
house 24x36 feet, two stories in height and of brick construction.
He also owns a store house on Wall street; it has two floors,
is 44x100 feet, and is built of stone. He carries all kinds of
furniture, and has built up a very extensive trade throughout
the county.
- Mr. KIMBALL was married July 9, 1867, to Miss Euretta BURDICK,
who was a daughter
- of Rollin S. and Anabel (GREENMAN) BURDICK, and who died
April 30, 1876, at the untimely age of twenty-five years. She
was a woman of high character, and a devout member of the Baptist
Church. Of the two children born of this union, George married
Miss Elizabeth PRITCHARD, and is a partner in the box factory,
and Belle died in early childhood. Mr. KIMBALL entered into matrimonial
relations a second time, Miss Sarah HATCH becoming his bride
on Nov. 29, 1877. She is a daughter of William and Julia HATCH,
and is the mother of two children, Frank W. and Euretta May.
The family occupy a beautiful and attractive home at 151 South
Main street, which is known throughout the city as the center
of a generous and gracious hospitality. Mr. KIMBALL is a member
of the Masonic fraternity, being associated with Western Star
Lodge, No. 14, F. & A. M. He is a Republican, and though
not a working politician exerts considerable influence on his
party. He has lived in Rock county forty-five years, and in that
time has witnessed the conversion of southern Wisconsin from
wild prairie and unbroken forest into the garden spot and pride
of the Northwest.
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-
- [Transcriber's note: Bower City is a nickname for Janesville.]
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c)1901, pp. 776-777; lithograph from same book.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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