FISHER William Henry

1865 - 1952  (86 years)

• Name	FISHER William Henry
  Birth	Jul 1865	Illinois   [1]
  CENSUS	28 Jun 1870	Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL   [2]
  		Census: 1870 U.S. - Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL Roll: M593_256; Page: 459A; Image: 247; Family History Library Film: 545755
  CENSUS	02 Jun 1880	Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL   [3]
  	Occupation: Helps on Farm.
  		1880 U.S. Census: E.D. No. 160, Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL, p 3
  CENSUS	29 Jun 1900	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [4]
  	Living with step-mom Flora E. Fisher Occupation: carpenter Months not employed: 4 Can read, write, speak English
  		1900 US Census: E.D. No. 50, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 16A
  EVENT	29 Jan 1902	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [5, 6]
  	This fire, that destroyed about half of downtown Blandinsville, destroyed the Charles A. Fisher family home (Charles, wife and kids lived above the store) and their paint, paper and notions business. Financially, it must have been devastating for the young family - Charles and Clara were married only four years, daughter Reva was two and a half, and Clara was pregnant with daughter Mary Edith - having only $200 to $500 insurance (reports vary) on an estimated $2500 loss. Charles never rebuilt the business. Prior to 1902, it's easy to find newspaper ads for paper and notions from Fisher's store. After 1902 there are none. The 1910 census lists his occupation as house painter. Apparently, he did this and hung wallpaper for the rest of his life per his obit. William Fisher's house, next in line along the street, caught fire several times but was saved. Only a week after the fire there was a "project on foot to form stock company and build a brick block, containing business rooms and an opera house, on the ground swept by the tire."
  		Blandinsvile downtown fire 1902 About 11 e'clock last night a fire was discovered at Blandinsville which destroyed some $15.000 worth of property before it finally burned itself out. Four business houses were destroyed and only part of the contents saved. The fire was first discovered by Alva Bayless, who at once gave the alarm. When first seen the fire was about balf way between the floor and roof of the Beacon and Campbell buildings. It spread rapidly and was soon beyond control. The citizens then turned their attention to saving the contents of the buildings, but so rapidly did the flames spread that only part of the contents of some of the rooms could be saved. How the fire started no one knows, and no cause, save incendiary, can be as signed for it....The Fisher building was occupied by the Fisher novelty and wall paper store down stairs, and he lived in the upper story. Some of the stock was saved but only a small portion. All of his household goods were destroyed. The loss on the building is estimated at $1,200, and on the stock about $2.500 There was only $200 insurance on the stock and none on the building."
  		Fire at Blandinsville 1902 This article gives a bit more details and notes that Blandinsville had no fire equipment. "C. A. Fisher lost a building, all of his household goods, and most of his stock of notions. The total loss was from $2.000 ta $2,500 with but $500 insurance....There ls no firefighting appliance in Blandinsville and water ie scarce there. The citizens who hastily assembled could do little, although they worked heroically removing goods from the buildings and carrying water from the few paces obtainable....Only 20 feet west is a dwelling house, owned and occupied by William Fisher. This caught on fire several times but was saved. With the scant means of fighting fire people are marveling that the building still stands."
  EVENT	18 Feb 1909	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [7]
  		William Fisher runs for tax collector 1909 "We are requested to announce the name of Willam Fisher as candidate for the office of Collector for Blandinsville township subject to the decision of the Democratic caucus of said township."
  CENSUS	20 Apr 1910	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [8]
  	Occupation: Electrician, telephone Can read and write Own Home, free of mortgage
  		1910 US Census: E.D. No. 42, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 7A
  CENSUS	5 Feb 1920	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [9]
  	Owns home, free of mortgage Can read and write Occupation: Carpenter, repair shop, own business
  		1920 US Census: E.D. No. 44, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 9A
  CENSUS	19 Apr 1930	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [10]
  	Owns home, value $2500, has radio Occupation: Mechanic, repair shop Not a veteran
  		1930 US Census: E.D. No. 55-2, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 2A
  CENSUS	4 Apr 1940	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [11]
  	Own home, value $1500 Highest grade education: 8 Residence 1 Apr 1935: same house Occupation: retired Other income: yes
  		1940 US Census: E.D. No. 55-2, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 3B
  CENSUS	4 Apr 1950	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL   [12]
  	Unemployed (reitred)
  		1950 US Census: E.D. No. 55-2, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL, sht 71
  Death	31 May 1952	Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL
  Burial	Glade City Cemetery, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL
  		Headstone: William and Amy (Corban) Fisher Plot: Lot 108 section 2
  Person ID	I118	Main
  Last Modified	19 Mar 2023

  
  

  Father	FISHER John Kells,   b. 5 Mar 1833, Pennsylvania d. 19 Dec 1891, Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL (Age 58 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	FOSTER Diantha Jane,   b. 30 Apr 1841, Michigan d. 20 Sep 1881 (Age 40 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	8 Dec 1859	McDonough Co., IL   [13]
  		Marriage License: Fisher, John K. and Diantha J. Foster - 1859
  Notes	From History of McDonough Co., IL 1885: John Fisher, the present supervisor of Hire township, is considered one of the best farmers in the county. He lives near Blandinsville, on section 10, and owns, in all, 369 acres of land, not one acre of which is untillable. His buildings are good and present a neat appearance. The house is two-stories, and the main part is 24x28 feet, with an addition 16x20 feet. His main barn is 38x48 feet. The main features of his farming consist of raising stock and feeding cattle for the eastern markets. He has some fine Norman and Clydesdale brood mares from which he raises some fine draft horses. John Fisher made his home with his parents until 20 years of age, when he went to Morgan county, Illinois, where he remained one year. He is the son of Thomas and Polly (Kells) Fisher, and was the ninth child of a family of 10 children, all of whom are now living, except William, tile eldest child. Thomas Fisher was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 1 March 11, 1791, and died at his home in Blandinsville, in 1868. He settled in McDonough county in 1844, coming from Hancock county, Illinois, where he had settled in 1840. His first wife died, and he was again married to Elizabeth Brown, by whom there were four children. Being a mechanic by trade, or rather a mill-wright, on coming to Blandinsville he built a saw and grist mill there, besides other mills in the county, working at the trade for nearly 20 years. John Fisher was married in 1857 to Diantha Foster, a native of Michigan. She died September 20, 1881, leaving six children-William, Frank, James, Charles, Mary and Martha. George, the oldest child, is deceased. [14]
  Family ID	F71	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	CORBAN, Amy Bell,   b. 13 Jan 1878, Ligonier, Noble Co., IN d. 2 Apr 1978, Macomb, McDonough Co., IL (Age 100 years)
  Marriage	12 Mar 1901  [15]
  Children	1. FISHER, John,   b. Abt 1902, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL  [Birth]
  Family ID	F358	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	6 Dec 2022

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - Jul 1865 - Illinois CENSUS - 28 Jun 1870 - Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 02 Jun 1880 - Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 29 Jun 1900 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL EVENT - 29 Jan 1902 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL EVENT - 18 Feb 1909 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 20 Apr 1910 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 5 Feb 1920 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 19 Apr 1930 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 4 Apr 1940 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL CENSUS - 4 Apr 1950 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL Death - 31 May 1952 - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL Burial - - Glade City Cemetery, Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos		William and Amy (Corban) Fisher
  		William and Amy Fisher home, Blandinsville, IL 1918 On back: Liz (Elizabeth) Hoskinson - Amy Fisher - Wm. Fisher & John Fisher about 1918, taken by Stuart Hoskinson. If indeed taken in 1918, would have been only months before Elizabeth died (Sep 1918) and a year before Stuart passed away (Oct 1919).

  
  

  Documents		Blandinsville airship 1897 An unusual story about an "airship" built by Orville, William Fisher and William Bushnell, the latter presumably the son of John Bushnell and Mary Grigsby. The Orville and Will Bushnell would have been the same age, about 21. The William Fisher her is presumably the son of John Kells and Diantha Foster Fisher. He would have been about 10 years older or 31.
  		Report on clean-up of South Cemetery 1938 "Blandinsville's South Cemetery which last week at this time was a wilderness of weeds and brambles, is this week clean and trim. The transformation was brought about last Suturday when 40 men answered the call of Trustees Evan Williams, B. B. Martin and Blake Jones, Equipped with scythes, grubbing hoes, pitch forks and sickles, all 40 of them lit in on the mass of tangled overgrowth and laid it low. It was a big job. The cemetery was grown high not only with weeds but with tall grass that a scythe would scarcely cut. It required a lot of patient hacking, as well as a lot of hard labor. But it was all cut down, and trucks were kept busy all the afternoon in hauling away the the trash and hay. The amount of it was almost unbelievable."

  
  

• Sources

  [S81] Census: 1900 U.S. - Blandinsville, McDonough Co., IL , (Ancestry,com), 23 Jun 1900, Series: T623 Roll: 320 Page: 28 (Reliability: 3). [S84] Census: 1870 U.S. - Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL, (Ancestry,com), 28 Jun 1870, Roll: M593_256; Page: 459A; Image: 247; Family History Library Film: 545755 (Reliability: 3). [S86] Census: 1880 U.S. - Hire Township, McDonough Co., IL , (Ancestry.com), 02 Jun 1880, Roll: 227; Family History Film: 1254227; Page: 393C; Enumeration District: 160; Image: 0789 (Reliability: 3). [S580] 1900 US Census, Illinois , (Ancestry.com), 29 Jun 1900, sht 16A (Reliability: 3). [S644] News articles: Bushnell Record, Bushnell IL , (Bushnell Record, Bushnell IL ), 7 Feb 2077, p 1 (Reliability: 2). [S643] News articles: Colchester Independent, Colchester IL , (Colchester Independent, Colchester IL ), 6 Feb 1902, p 1 (Reliability: 2). [S623] News articles: Blandinsville Star-Gazette, Blandinsville IL, (Blandinsville Star-Gazette, Blandinsville IL), 18 Feb 1909, p 4 (Reliability: 2). [S579] 1910 US Census, Illinois , (Ancestry.com), 20 Apr 1910, p 7A (Reliability: 3). [S532] 1920 US Census, Illinois, (Ancestry.com), 5 Feb 1920, sht 9A (Reliability: 2). [S533] 1930 US Census, Illinois, (Ancestry.com), 19 Apr 1930, p 2A (Reliability: 2). [S560] 1940 US Census, Illinois, (Ancestry.com), 4 Apr 1940, sht 3B (Reliability: 2). [S508] 1950 US Census, Illinois, (National Archives), 4 Apr 1950, sht 71 (Reliability: 2). [SR45] Marriage License: Fisher, John K. and Diantha J. Foster, (Illinois State Board of Health), 8 Dec 1859, License No. 1341. (Reliability: 3). [S67] History of McDonough County, Illinois - 1885, (Continental Historical Co., Springfield IL, 1885), 1885, 644, 977.342 H2. (Reliability: 2). [S586] News Articles: Journal Star, Peoria IL, (Journal Star, Peoria IL), 3 Apr 1978, p B7 (Reliability: 2).