| Notes |
- If you have corrections and/or updated information on this person please contact Roz Edson at MrsEdson@gmail.com
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/sj-clarke-publishing-company/the-biographical-record-of-mclean-county-illinois-alc/page-25-the-biographical-record-of-mclean-county-illinois-alc.shtml
ELIJAH HORR.
It is an important public duty to honor and perpetuate, as far as possible, the memory of an eminent citizen ? one who by his blameless and honorable life and useful career reflected credit not only upon his city, but upon the county and state as well. Through
such memorials as this at hand the individual and the character of his services are kept
in remembrance, and the importance of those services thus stand as an object lesson to those who come after him, and though dead he still speaks. Long after all recollection of his personality shall have faded from the minds of men, the less perishable record may tell the story of his life and commend his example for imitation.
Mr.Horr, who was for years prominently identified with the interests of Bloomington
and McLean county, was born in Denmark, New York, September 16, 1826, a son of
Peirsoll and Drusilla Horr. The name was originally spelled Hoar, and the founder of
the family in this country was one of the early Puritan swho located in Massachusetts.
Senator Hoar comes of the same stock. The first nine years of his life our subject spent in his native place and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Old Town, McLean county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming until his death in 1840. The son then went to work for seven dollars per month and with the money thus earned finished paying for the farm.
Until about twenty-one years of age, Mr. Horr continued to engage in agricultural pursuits, and then worked at cabinet making in Bloomington and Clinton, Illinois,
for a time. Later he formed a partnership with A. C. Washburn [Amasa C. Washburn] and engaged in the grocery business on Main street, Bloomington, until their store was destroyed by fire.
Mr. Horr then bought out his partner, rebuilt the brick block now standing, and continued in successful business there for some years. Finally selling his store, he bought
the Hodge farm and again turned his attention to agriculture for a number of years,
returning to the city in March, 1886. He was a member of the Harber Brothers
Company, and while the other members of the firm gave their attention to the business,
he acted as overseer in the building of their fine new warehouse on South Main street
and the Lake Erie Railroad. He was a heavy stockholder in the new company at
the time of its incorporation, and was also a director of the Third National Bank for
many years. Upon the death of Mr. Dooley in November, 1893, he was made acting president of the bank and on the 5th of February, 1894, was elected to that position, which he most capably filled until he, too, was called to his final rest May 7, 1895.
On the 1st of May, 1855, Mr. Horr married Miss Martha Elizabeth Packard, of Bloomington, a daughter of Job and Martha (Clark) Packard. The father, who was an
expert gunsmith, died in Massachusetts, in 1836. The Packard family was originally
from England, and the first to come to this country located in Bridgewater, Massachu-
setts. Mrs. Horr was born in Milbury, that state; she went to school at Worcester, whither her mother removed on the death of her husband, and after attending the schools at that place and Berlin Academy, taught one term in Massachusetts before
coming west. In the fall of 1849, in company with her mother, brother Alvin, and
sister Perces, she came to Bloomington and taught on South Centre street the first
school that ever drew public money in the city. She not only conducted that school
successfully, but also taught others in dwellings for two or three years, and had charge
of the Mount Hope and Price schools and others in the county, being one of the popu-
lar teachers in this section of the state at that time. Although she has no children of
her own, Mrs. Horr has reared two, Mrs. Fannie P. Harber and J. Warren Young,
who were given all the advantages possible.
At one time Mr. Horr was a member of the county board of supervisors, and was one of the advisory committee that built the new court-house. He was chairman of the board, and during the erection of that handsome structure, he devoted all of his time during the day and many of his evenings to the business, of which he had almost complete charge. He bought all of the material, and it is mainly through his untiring labors that the county to-day has the finest court-house in this section of the state. Of the four hundred thousand dollars expended upon it, every cent was accounted for, and so ably and satisfactorily was everything done that there was not a single law-suit. Mr. Horr built the residence where Peleg Soule now lives, and there he made his home a short time, and then removed to his farm. He was one of the most successful and honored business men of the town; had the confidence and respect of his tenants and business associates, and was held in high regard by all who knew him. From the organization of the Republican party he was one of its stanch supporters. In his life span of over sixty-eight years he accomplished much, and left behind him an honorable record well worthy of perpetuation.
Those who were most intimately associated with him speak in unqualified terms of his
sterling integrity, his honor in business and his fidelity to all the duties of public and
private life. He attended the Baptist church. Although Mrs. Horr attended that church with her husband, she is a charter member of the Second Presbyterian church, and is one of the very few original members now living. She is a most estimable lady of many sterling qualities, and has a large circle of friends in the community.
https://books.google.com/books?id=vPFYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA394&lpg=PA394&dq=Stansbury+Stagen+%22Horr%22&source=bl&ots=gOeRvoOxI2&sig=9CISTSQP3CRqKB6ioXzxWEGLNJ8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CmbLVKeYAYKpgwT5voPYCg&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=horr&f=false
Elijah Horr Elijah Horr farmer merchant banker a descendant of the Puritan fathers He was born at Denmark NY November 16 1826 came to Bloomington in 1836 was in business for several years with his brother in law A C Wasburn [Amasa C. Washburn] afterwards engaged in farming near Bloomington then returned to Bloomington and again engaged in mercantile business was for many years a director of and at the time of his death the president of the Third National Bank of Bloomington During the erection of the present court honse he was the resident member of the building committee of the Board of Supervisors and gave much of his time to the active superinteudency of the work in which not a dollar of the people's money was squandered or wasted.
[[The following census information was compiled and contributed by Joyce S.
1870 Census: Bloomington, Mc Lean Co, Illinois
Elijah Horr, age 43, Farmer, bp NY
Martha E. Horr, age 43, bp MA
Fanny P. Horr, age 8, bp IL
James W. Horr, age 6, bp IL
Census Place: Bloomington, Mc Lean Co, Illinois 1880
Household:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
E. HORR Self M Male W 53 NY Farmer NY NY
Martha E. HORR Wife M Female W 54 MA Keeping House MA MA
Fanny HORR Dau S Female W 17 IL NY MA
J. W. HORR Son S Male W 16 IL NY MA
1900 Census: Ward 4, Bloomington, Mc Lean Co, Illinois
Martha E. Horr, head, Nov 1824, age 75, widow 2 births 2 living, bp MA, p's bp MA
Alice Mc Grath, servant, 1872, age 27, single, bp IL, p's bp IRE
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The H600 Project Genealogy DB
1827 - 1895 (67 years)