Son of William Patrick & Mary (Barham) Blanchard, husband of Amy Reves, m. Mar 23, 1857.


Jan 1923
Princeville Telephone

F. B. BLANCHARD DIES; NEARLY 90 YEARS OLD

F. B. Blanchard, pioneer, who spent practically all of his long life of 87 years here died early last Friday evening at the home of his daughter L. S. Wear. He had been failing doe a number of weeks and for days it seemed probable the end was near.
Mr. Blanchard was an honored resident and the community is better for his living in it.
The funeral service was held last Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the home and attended by many.
Rev. C. E. Magnuson and Rev. John Acheson conducted the service. The singing was by Mrs. W.M. Hoag and Miss Parents. Interment was in the Princeville cemetery.
Frederick Boliver Blanchard, son of Wm. P. and Mary Barham Blanchard was of southern ancestry, his grandparents having been born in Virginia and his parents in North Carolina. His father was opposed to slavery so in 1819 he removed from Kentucky to Lawrence County, Illinois.
It was in this county on April 3, 1836 the Frederick Blanchard was born. The following year the father moved his family to Peoria Co. locating in the Princeville vicinity.
He grew to manhood on the father's farm and when twenty years of age he purchased a tract of 60 acres of land adjoining his father's farm which he worked in connection with the homestead until 1866 when he located in Princeville and with his brother engaged in mercantile business.
On March 12, 1857 he was united in marriage to Miss Amy Reeves of Stark County. This union was blessed with eight children, five of whom survive the father and are as follows: Mrs. Julietta Edwards of Peoria, Mrs. Hattie Wear of Princeville, William K. and Lucius B. of Peoria and Lois Ellen Butts of Essex, Ontario. The mother died about eight years ago.
Mr. Blanchard was as a staunch member of the Christian Church and adhered to the teachings of that body until the time of his death although since the dissolution of that church in Princeville there was no opportunity to worship in the church of his fathers and his adoption.

He was public spirited and aggressive fro everything that was for the uplift of the community; was at one time the mayor of Princeville and was a member of the first council elected in Princeville. When the C. R. I & P. Railroad was surveyed through here it was located on its present right of way by much effort by citizens here at the time Mr. Blanchard spent time and money in the location of the road. In politics he was a staunch republican, but he could deviate from the lines of his party and vote for a candidate on the other party if he was an outstanding temperance man as opposed to one of his own party whom he feared would not support temperance legislation.
In local affairs his position always was unreservredly against the saloon as it one time existed in this locality. He helped to organize the Red Ribbon Club, which was an organization to help the youth and others to secure amusements that were clean and to take away the lure of the saloon from the youth by giving them something better. He was a charter member of the Old Settlers Union. He built the first sidewalk in Princeville and the first telephone here.
During a large part of his life in Princeville he operated an elevator in connection with the grain business and shipped livestock.