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- DAVID JEFFRIS. Among the early settlers of Janesville none
have
- been more prominently identified with its growth and progress
than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He arrived in
this city on the 8th day of June, 1846, and for more than forty
three years he has made Janesville his home. He is a native of
Kentucky, having been born in Grayson County, Aug. 6, 1821. His
ancestors were residents of Virginia long before the War of the
Revolution, and his grandfather, Thomas JEFFRIS, served in the
army of Gen. Washington for five years of that struggle. In the
year 1797, he left Virginia, removing with his family to Tennessee
and from thence to Kentucky some years later.
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- The father of our subject, William JEFFRIS, was born in Virginia
in 1794, having been but three
- years old when with his parents he left his native State.
While in Kentucky, he wedded Miss Susan KELLER, who was born
in Maryland, but went to Kentucky during her childhood days.
As an interesting fact in their history it may be mentioned that
the family of William JEFFRIS and that of the parents of Abraham
Lincoln lived but a few miles apart in Kentucky, and on their
removal to Illinois both settled in the same neighborhood and
were well acquainted with each other. The martyred President
was about twelve years the senior of our subject who remembers
him well, first as a youth driving a team of six yoke of oxen
while breaking prairie, and later as a lawyer, long before he
had made a National or even gained a State reputation. But a
short time after the removal of the family to Illinois, Mrs.
JEFFRIS died, her death occurring Feb. 8, 1830. After the death
of his first wife, William JEFFRIS was united in marriage with
a Miss EWING, a cousin of the eminent statesman, Thomas EWING.
He had seven children by his first marriage, four sons and three
daughters, five of whom are living in 1889. One son, George,
died in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1881. Thomas is living in Coles
County, Ill.; David is the next in age; William is a resident
of Rock County; Sarah, (many years deceased), Mary B. and Susan
complete the family. There were three children born of his second
marriage, two of whom are living, Mary Jane and John, while Elizabeth
is now deceased. The father died in January, 1868.
- The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood in Illinois,
and in the spring of 1846, made
- arrangements to join an overland expedition to the Territory
of Oregon, but on reaching St. Louis, from which place the expedition
was to set out, found that the party had disbanded. His design
being thus frustrated, he then went to Macoupin County, Ill.,
and engaged with Col. Anderson to accompany him to the Territory
of Wisconsin with a drove of cattle, the intention of the Colonel
being to dispose of his stock at a good profit. They arrived
in Janesville on the 8th day of June, 1846, but by this time
Col. Anderson had become somewhat discouraged by the difficulties
attending the enterprise and proposed to sell the drove of over
three hundred head of cattle to Mr. JEFFRIS, demanding but a
comparatively small payment in cash, proposing to trust him for
the greater part of the amount. This proposition on the part
of Col. Anderson would seem to be a strange one, as he had known
Mr. JEFFRIS only a short time, and the latter, too, was then
but a youth. This certainly was a great compliment to our subject,
that a comparative stranger should place so much confidence in
his honesty and integrity. The sum involved was about $4,000,
but even the small amount required as a cash payment Mr. JEFFRIS
did not possess. However, he found a friend in the person of
the Rev. Hiram TREMBLE, a Methodist minister, who loaned him
the three hundred dollars required, and he was thus enabled to
consummate the trade. This proved a profitable speculation for
Mr. JEFFRIS as he realized a handsome profit from the sale of
the cattle. After paying the balance of his indebtedness to Col.
Anderson, he continued in the stock business for a number of
years, though he engaged at carpenter work as his chief occupation.
Many of the important buildings of Janesville as well as of the
adjacent towns were erected through his influence and enterprise.
For many years he worked on the principle of a loan and building
association, and thus assisted many a poor man to secure a home
of his own. He has been instrumental in the erection of nearly
four hundred buildings, including private residences, business
houses, churches, etc., and it can be truthfully said that no
man has done as much toward the building up of this city as Mr.
JEFFRIS. Perhaps the most important buildings which he has erected
in Janesville are the Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank and the
Grand Hotel. The latter was erected in 1879, opened to the public
on the first day of January, 1880, and is still owned by Mr.
JEFFRIS. It is one of the finest and most popular hotels in the
State. In 1868, he extended his business interests by purchasing
a lumber yard which he operated for many years, and he has also
dealt considerably in real estate.
- On the 14th day of November, 1850, Mr. JEFFRIS was united
in marriage with Miss Grace
- MOUAT, a daughter of Malcolm MOUAT, who came to Rock County
with his family in the fall of 1845, having the same year emigrated
from Scotland to the United States. He settled on a farm on Rock
Prairie, where he resided until his death, which occurred in
1869. His wife died on the 17th day of September, 1880. They
were the parents of seven children; four of whom are now living.
Mr. and Mrs. JEFFRIS have a family of six children - Susan Alice;
Thomas M., a capitalist of Huron, Dak.; William S., cashier of
the Merchants' and Mechanics' bank of Janesville; Malcolm G.,
an attorney of this city; David K., a lumber merchant of Janesville;
and Frederick James, at home.
- It can be truly said of Mr. JEFFRIS that he has ever been
one of the representative men of
- Janesville, and for forty-three years has been intimately
connected with its growth and progress. He has been connected
with several important business enterprises beside those already
mentioned, among the chief of which was the organization of the
Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank, in September, 1875. He as made
the first president of the bank, a position he occupied until
1879, and is still a director and one of the principal stock
holders of that institution. As a business man, he has been remarkably
successful and has acquired a competence. Mr. and Mrs. JEFFRIS
have long been faithful and consistent members of the Congregational
Church, the latter since 1848, and the former for at least a
quarter of a century. In politics Mr. JEFFRIS is a supporter
of the Republican party. (See portrait on another page.)
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-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 745-746; lithograph from
page unknown.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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