- THOMAS LAPPIN, deceased. This name will be readily recognized
by any one familiar with the
- history of the city of Janesville, Rock county, as that of
a gentleman long known as one of the ablest business men and
most upright citizens of that place. Thomas LAPPIN was born in
County Meath, Ireland, May 12, 1812, son of William and Ann (WALSH)
LAPPIN; his father was an only son, and his mother an only daughter.
They had a family of three sons and one daughter. Our subject's
father was a farmer, and emigrated to the United States many
years ago, settling first in New York, and afterward in Michigan,
near Detroit. He lived some years in that city, and died in Chicago,
when on his way to visit his son, Thomas, then living in Wisconsin,
when over eighty years of age.
- Thomas LAPPIN was but a small boy when his parents brought
him to this country. At Detroit he
- grew to manhood and learned the printer's trade, which he
followed some years in the metropolis of Michigan. He came West
to Janesville, Wis., some time in the early thirties, and engaged
in general merchandising, being the first merchant of Janesville.
He was in business for many years in that city. Retiring for
a time from the store, he spent a few years on the farm; his
health returning he came back to the city, and built what has
been known for some years as the Apollo block. Having sold his
farm, he put up the LAPPIN block, on the southwest corner of
Main and Milwaukee streets, which building is now owned by the
HAYES Brothers, and is regarded as one of the finest office buildings
of the city. For some years our subject derived a very handsome
rental from these buildings.
- When Mr. LAPPIN came to Janesville he boarded at the old
"STEVENS Hotel," now known as
- the "MYERS House," where he made the acquaintance
of a lady who afterward became his wife, Miss Mary Jane JACKMAN,
daughter of Timothy and Esther (COOPER) JACKMAN. They were married
Nov. 2, 1847. Mrs. LAPPIN's parents were among the very early
settlers of Janesville, and her father was one of the most prominent
men of the city. Four daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. LAPPIN,
Emma Amelia, Ella Josephine, Mary Esther and Harriet Maria. Emma
Amelia married Edwin F. CARPENTER, who is an attorney in Janesville;
they have two sons, Edwin Lappin and Henry. Ella Josephine married
Henry DOTY, a manufacturer in Janesville, and became the mother
of one child, that lived one year, she dying at his birth, in
1873; Mr. DOTY afterward married his sister-in-law, Mary Esther,
and to them were born two children, Lawrence Lappin and Harriet
Mildred. He died in 1894. Harriet Maria married E. M. HYZER,
a lawyer in Milwaukee.
- Thomas LAPPIN died March 29, 1891, aged seventy-nine years,
leaving behind him the record
- of a noble and useful life. In religious faith he was a Roman
Catholic; his widow is an Episcopalian. He would not take public
office, though he was a Republican, and took a strong interest
in the welfare of his city and State. His manners were quiet
and perhaps reserved, but he was cordial towards his friends,
and popular with all. At his death a friend wrote as follows
concerning him:
- "Among those foremost in contributing to the prosperity
of Janesville was the venerable gentleman
- whose death all Janesville mourns to-day. He was born of
Irish parents in County Meath, Ireland, May 12, 1812. Mr. LAPPIN
early emigrated to this country, and while yet a lad we find
him in the office of a newspaper in Detroit. After gaining a
fair knowledge of the 'art preservative,' his inclinations drew
him westward, and about the month of Dec., 1838, he landed in
Janesville, which at the period of time was an almost unbroken
wilderness. In June, 1839, he and Mr. Lindsley WARD, who died
in Milwaukee a number of years ago, opened a store in a frame
building fourteen feet square and a store and a half high, on
the present site of BENNETT's block, on Main street. The stock
was invoiced at three hundred and fifty dollars, and comprised
such articles as are to be found in the country store of the
present day. The partnership was dissolved after a few months'
duration, and in 1840 Mr. LAPPIN rented of Volney ATWOOD a small
frame building and opened a regular store. He was the pioneer
merchant of the town. It was said in print years ago that 'another
formidable enterprise for these early times was the erection
of a frame building by him on the corner where his large blocks
now stand - a munument of his industry and enterprise. By personal
labor and industry he so far completed a portion of his building
as to call it a store, and then we find him returning from Chicago
with a stock of dry goods, groceries and hardware, all paid for
and costing him one hundred and twenty-five dollars.'
- "Mr. LAPPIN bought some sugar and molasses in Galena,
Ill., at an expense of fifty dollars for
- transportation, and then walked to Chicago to buy his dry
goods. When he had made his purchases, and the goods were invoiced,
it was found that he had exceeded his money by fifteen dollars,
and the house refused to trust him for that amount.
- "These were the days when John P. DIXON, Henry F. JANES,
Judge William HOLMES, Charles
- STEVENS, Luke STOUGHTON, Dr. Guy STOUGHTON, John Langdon
KIMBALL and Gen. SHELDON were the principal citizens of this
burgh. the frame building occupied by WARD & LAPPIN, the
fram dwelling owned by John P. PLUMMER, and JANES' log tavern
were the only buidlings on the west side of Main street. On the
east side there were the stage house, a little frame house occupied
by JANES, a frame on the site of FREDENDALL's block, and another
frame on the courthouse square. The residence of Judge HOLMES
was the only frame building on the west side of the river. In
1841 D. A. RICHARDSON opened a store a few feet north of Mr.
LAPPIN's establishment, and early in 1842 Mr. LAPPIN built a
two-story frame store on the present site of LAPPIN's block,
and took in as partner Mr. W. H. H. BAILEY, and remained in business
several years. In July of that year Janesville contained two
stores, ten dwellings, two taverns, and between seventy and eighty
inhabitants. Later on Mr. LAPPIN erected a large and sightly
block, which is one of the most substantial and stately business
blocks in the city, and forms one of the four courners which
are the pride of our citizens and the admiration of the stranger
within our gates.
- "Mr. LAPPIN was a man honest as the day is long. He
always had a pleasant word and a kindly
- greeting for everybody. He would scorn to do an unkind act,
and was often spoken of by young and old, rich and por, as one
of God's noblemen."
- Mrs. Thomas LAPPIN still lives in the beautiful home at No.
252 Park Place, which she graces
- and beautifies by a sunny disposition, a cordial welcome
to a mighty host of friends, and an exemplary and cheery life
that knows not how to grow old; for although now in her seventy-second
year she seems many years younger, and her faculties are unimpaired.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c)1901, pp. 82-83.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|