Honorable Sam Frazer Dead  

The Well Known Citizen of Galena Expires at 9 O'clock This Morning.

Mr. Frazer Was at One Time Mayor and Was Also the Inventor of the World Famed Axle Grease.

Hon. Samuel Frazer died this morning at 9 a.m., at his home on Mars Alley in this city. He was born at Fatfield in the County of Durham, England, on the 27th of February 1824, and consequently was a little over 75 years of age. In early life he received such education as the times afforded and became a well informed man. In early youth he engaged in the grocery business, but experienced with various materials with the hope of putting on the market a grease that would be a standard.

Becoming dissatisfied with his surroundings, in 1854 he came to America, settling at Buncombe, in Hazel Green township, and for a time was engaged in mining with his brother Robert. Coming to Galena in 1856 he was married in this city, in that year, to Sarah Hunter. Still cherishing his idea to place a superior article of grease upon the market, he was employed by Messrs. William and J.M. Ryan in their pork packing business, obtaining from them large quantities of material. In 1865 having patented a formula for the manufacture of grease from resin he formed the company of Robert Frazer & Co., and commenced the manufacture of grease, under the formula so patented, near Hughlett's furnace in this city, the ruins of which building are still in existence. The business proving profitable, Mr. Frazer moved to Chicago and in company with the late John A. Packard and the late F.B. Ray in 1868 formed the Frazer Lubricating Co. which placed the grease manufactured under his formula in all the markets in the world. The company so formed is still in existence and doing a large business.

In the year 1870 he returned to Galena, and for a time was in partnership with the late Charles R. Perkins. Afterwards he was engaged in mining near Elizabeth in this county. He obtained a new patent for a formula for making axle grease and together with Judge Fawcett, Thomas M. Roberts, George S. Avery and Thomas L. McDermott formed the Galena Axle Grease Company, of which he was an active member for several years and which company is still in existence. Through his patents and the manufacture of grease thereunder, Mr. Frazer's name is known in every channel of commerce in the world.

In April 1887 Mr. Frazer was elected Mayor of the city of Galena, serving in that capacity for two years with great acceptability. He was a charter member of the Miners Lodge No. 273 A.F. & A.M. and also of the Royal Arch Masons of this city. Religiously he was a Methodist. He was a man of strong personality, always willing to advocate what he believed to be right and never for policy's sake doing that which he believed to be wrong. In politics he was a Democrat, but always a liberal one, and was intensely loyal to the land of his adoption, so much so that no one denounced more bitterly than he anything that tended toward its dismemberment. In the late war with Spain, without a moment's hesitation he advocated the cause of the United States and freely gave the youngest of his children to die, if need be, for its sake.

He leaves behind to mourn his departure his wife, Sarah Frazer, and six children all of whom reside in Galena. Mary E. Dodge, Robert E. Frazer, Sarah J. Raw, Benjamin G. Frazer, Lydia R. Wilmarth, and Thomas L. Frazer late a member of Company M.

His funeral will take place from the family residence on Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, the Rev. J.T. LeGear officiating, or in case of his absence the Rev. A. F. Ernst officiating.

-The Galena Daily Gazette, 1 May, 1899


Submitted by Vicki Pierce