Obituary - Galena Daily Gazette, Nov. 11, 1898

HIS LIFE'S JOURNEY IS O'ER
Hon. A. M. Haines Expires Thursday Evening at His Home on High Street
In the Death of Mr. Haines, Galena Loses One of the Oldest and Most Highly Respected Citizens


Galena is again called upon to mourn the loss of one of its oldest and best known pioneer citizens, in the person of Hon. A. M. Haines, whose death occurred at 7 o'clock Thursday evening, as the final results of a severe attack of paralysis suffered several days previous. The end came peacefully and quitly as a sweet sleep, which, alas, will know no waking this side of the grave.

Andrew Mack Haines was a remarkable man in many respects. He was known and respected by every one in this community for his honesty and loyalty to his friends. He was a man of fine principals and first rate business capacity, upright and straight forward in his dealings. He was an ideal citizen, a conscientious Christian, a devoted husband and father, and leaves many true friends to mourn his death. In the demise of this grand old pioneer settler, Galena has suffered a great loss and the entire community mourns for the departed one. Mr. Haines was always a great reader and student, until about four years ago when his eyesight failed him and he became totally blind, which to a man of his literary habits was a very great affliction. Of a family of seven children but three are left to mourn the death of a dearly beloved father. They are Samuel A., of New York City, A. M., of San Francisco, Cal, and Mrs. L. T. LeBron, of this city. The eldest daughter, Flora, wife of G. E. Woodbury, died at San Francisco, several years ago. The other children passed away during their infancy.

The funeral will be held at the family residence on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Mr. Haines was a lineal descendent of one of the oldest and best known families in New England of which he kept a complete geneological record. In accordance with a custom of the family he a few years ago wrote a bio-graphical sketch of his own life a part of which is herewith given:
I am a member of the "New Hampshire family of Haines," whose founder was Deacon Samuel Haines who came from Westbury, Wiltshire, embarking on the ship Angel Gabriel at Bristol, which sailed from Kings Roads June 4, 1635. I am the sixth in lineal descendent from Deacon Samuel Haines and the seventh generation in America of the family. About the year 1813 my parents moved to Loudon where they continued to reside until upon the decease of my father which occurred on Nov. 29, 1828, with the exception of a few years residence at Canterbury. During their residence in the latter place I was born on the first day of January, 1820.

From about the age of six years I had been kept always at school when there was one in session, my parents fully appreciating the value of a good education. The only school then known except the academy was the district school which was in session about six months in the year. A portion of this time I had for a teacher the celebrated Gardner T. Barker until recently a resident of Gilmanton, New Hampshire.

In the spring of 1832 my mother who had visited Salem, Mass, the year before, concluded to return to that city where she had an only brother, John Dwinell, and a sister, Mrs. Hanah Mellville, residing. So I left the old academy and my preceptor with very much regret, as I was very strongly attached to him, and went with my mother to Salem. In August, 1832, at the age of 12 years I went into the employ of Charles Chase, a merchant and ship owner and engaged with Capt. O. B. Sheppard in the "Martineque trade," West Indies, in whose employ I remained until 1833 when I was admitted as a member of the seventh class in the English high school then under the administration of Wm. H. Brooks. I remained at the high school about one year when my mother moved to Lynn, Mass., and I wnet with her and there acted as a clerk in the store of my brother Joseph until the year 1839 when I left Lynn for the Great West to seek my fortune. I arrived at Galena, Illinios on the 13th day of August, 1839, where my brother, Sylvester Henry, had been a resident for about two years. Galena at this time was a good business point with less than 2,000 population. In those days a journey from the Atlantic to the Mississippi was far different from the present time (1879). Now the journey can be made by railroad in 46 hours while at that time it required two weeks at least for the journey. Then the railroad facilities for traveling ceased in Massachusets at Worcester then a small country village 44 miles from Boston. Upon our arrival at Worcester a four horse stage coach was drawn up before the little two story tavern, the largest in the village, which stage took us to Hartford, Conn., where we embarked on the steamer "Bunker Hill" for New York City at which city we took the steamer "Rochester" for Albany thence by railroad to Syracuse which the ? of the railroad, west now. At Syracuse we took the Canal ? "Rochester" for Rochester. Thence by railroad to Basavia, thence by stage coach to Buffalo, where we embarked on the steamer "James Madison" for Chicago where we arrived after a voyage of six days. Thence by stage coach to Galena which occupied three days.

In the winter of 1839-40 I built a store on lot 35 corner of Main and Washington streets, Galena and on the 11th day of May 1840, at the age of 20 years I commenced business as a merchant, my stock of merchandise having arrived here from Boston via New Orleans.

On the 17th day of August 1841 I married at Lynn, Mass., Miss Angeline Elizabeth Woodbury, daughter of John and Sarah (Allen) Woodbury, of Lynn, Mass, who was born at Ludlow, Vermont, the 15th day of May, 1822. In the winter and spring of 1842-3, I builty my dwelling house on the hill, on lot 04, in block 3, between Prospect and Hill streets, Galena, and which is the only house we occupied or kept house in since our marriage, now over 36 years. In October, 1849 at the urgent sollicitations of my brothers-in-law, Joseph P. and James A. Woodbury, of Boston, Mass., I decided to remove to Massachusetts and to that end sold my business and merchandise to a young man who had been in my employ for seven years. My business for the past ten years had proved successful. We left Galena for Massachusetts Oct. 27, 1849, and went by steamer to Brownsville, Penn., via St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and thence by stage coach to Cumberland, Md., and thence by railroad to Lynn, Mass, via Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, arriving at Lynn on the 17th day of November, 1849. At this time we had only one child, Andrew Woodbury, then about two years of age who died at Lynn on the 29th day of December following our arrival, of scarlet fever, leaving us childless.

In August 1850 I went into the lumber business at East Boston, Mass., in company with my brothers-in-law Joseph P. and James A. Woodbury and Geo. G. Emerson under the style firm of Woodbury, Haines & Co.

We occupied a wharf and steam planing mill on Bowden street, the property of my brother-in-law, and although this busines was a success, I was not contented, I constantly yearned for the "Great West," where I had grown to manhood, and at my suggestion the business at East Boston was closed up in 1852, when I made my arrangements to go into a wholesale business at Galena in the departments of dry goods, clothing, hats, boots, shoes, etc. In May 1852, I visited Galena and made an arrangement to have a store built by John Reed on lot 40, (161 Main street), and on the 28th of September, same year, this business was commenced in the said store, and was continued until the 23rd August 1860. This was a very extensive business for the Northwest at that time, aggregating some $100,000 some years and extended into Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, mostly continued to the towns on and contiguous to the Mississippi river and its tributaries north of Galena. At this time Galena controlled the entire business of the Northwest, and it was no unusual sight to see twenty steamers in port at one time loading and unloading for St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, St. Paul and the munerous ports on the "Father of Waters". This wholesale business of eight years was very prosperous and successful up to the year 1857, or until the panic caused by the failure of the "Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Co.," in New York City, which broke up the country like a thunder bolt from a clear sky with crushing effect. I weathered the storm for three years continuing my usual purchases and sales, endeavoring to protect and sustain my numerous customers who were largely indebted to me. I, however, after three years experience became tired of doing business under such disadvantages and closed my business as before stated on the 23rd August 1860. From this time until Feb. 1, 1864, I was engaged in closing up my old business, at which time I was employed by the executors of the estate of Samual Hughlett, deceased to close up that estate as directed by the will which required the smelting business to be continued for seven years, and at the expiration of which time I continued in the employ of Hughlett & Co., the successors of the said Samuel Hughlett in the lead smelting business, where I now am A.D. 1879. (I left Hughlett & Co., July 1, 1886 and went into John E. Corwith's employ.)

I was treasurer of the city of Galena three years from 25th of March 1846 to 23rd March 1849.

I was elected on the 7th of Feb. 1866, a corresponding member of the "New England Historic Geneological Society" at Boston, Mass, and on the 20th of April 1869, a corresponding member of the "State Historical Society of Wisconsin" at Madison.

I have enjoyed under Providence remarkable good health my whole life, and during the past forty years, or, during my residence in Galena, with the exception of an attack of rheumtism in 1871, which obliged my keeping the house six days, I have not been kept from business three days.

My wife and I were admitted upon profession of our faith to a membership of the First Presbyterian church of Galena in 1844, then under the pastorate of the Rev. Aratus Kent. About 1848 I was elected and ordained one of the deacons of this church then under the pastorate of Rev. S. G. Spees, which office I held until my removal from Galena in 1849.


Submitted by Mike Birkett