Peoria, Illinois from Wikipedia.Names and places mentioned in John Hamilton Morgan’s journal, so foreign to me a year ago, are becoming more familiar. Some even friends.
Upon the first two or three readings, I wondered, will I ever learn who these people are? One sentence from his March 15, 1882 entry seemed impossible.
Cousin H. B. Morgan, Peoria, called on me.
Yesterday, as I again read there, I realized I now know who H. B. Morgan is. He must surely be Henry Bruce Morgan of Peoria, Illinois. Listed as the fourth child of William F. and Anna Thielkeld Bruce Morgan posted in an earlier post here and seen below.
H. B. Morgan married into the family of Nelson L. and Mary A. Monroe Woodruff, of Peoria, Illinois. In 1855 Mr. Woodruff went into the ice business and continued until his death on October 24, 1879.
The Woodruffs had "six children, two sons and four daughters. Harriet, now Mrs. Emmerson, of Peoria, Lois, now Mrs. Luthy, Jennie, now Mrs. H. B. Morgan, Chauncy, Ida, and Edward, living with their mother at 1025 N. Jefferson street." The ice business is still carried on under the firm name of N. L. Woodruff & Co., under the management of Mr. H. B. Morgan.
John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah., Biographical Record of Champaign County., S.V. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1900. Champaign Historical Archives, Champaign County Library, Urbana, Ill. copied August 4, 1978, FHL #1,026,785. From The History of Peoria County, Illinois, 1880, pg 704. http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/bios/bios_w.html#woodruffedward
