The parents of Milton L., Joab and Jane (Lemmon) Comstock, were born in Ohio and Maryland, respectively; his paternal grandparents, Joab and Eunice (Willey) Comstock, were born in Connecticut; his maternal grandparents, William and Margaret (McCaine) Lemmon, were born near Armagh, Ireland; his paternal great-grandparents were James and Thankful (Crosby) Comstock, and Ephraim and Patience (Becket) Willey; on the maternal side, John and Jane (McCrea) Lemon (name so spelled originally), and Archibald and Elizabeth (Trimble) McCaine. His grandfather, Joab Comstock, came with his family from Hadlyme, Connecticut, to Ohio, in 1801, and settled in the northwestern part of Hamilton County, where he made a farm out of a dense forest; he died in Ohio in 1825, and his widow died near Burlington, Iowa, in 1858. Joab, the fifth of his children who attained maturity, was born February 9, 1804, removed to Iowa in 1839, and died in Burlington in 1882. He was a farmer and a local Methodist preacher for nearly fifty years, a kind and faithful man. William Lemmon, Mr. Comstock's maternal grandfather, came to America in 1801, and to Ohio in 1819; he was a weaver; he died in 1851. His daughter Jane, who became the wife of Joab Comstock, father of Milton L., was born in Maryland, February 15, 1807, and died near Burlington, Iowa, in 1875.
Milton L. Comstock was the eldest of eleven children. His schooling began when he was four years of age, in a log school house, which had split logs for seats, and a stick chimney. His winters were spent in school, and his summers on the farm. After his removal to Iowa, his time was mostly occupied in improving their farm in the new country. Besides the ordinary work upon a farm, his experience included breaking prairie, making rails, riving and shaving shingles, running a shingle machine and sawmill, quarrying stone with drill and powder, running a thrashing machine, raising and caring for flax, and the propagation and culture of fruit trees.
At the age of twenty Mr. Comstock began a life of study and teaching. His physical welfare was assured by early training and habits of temperance, and during forty-six years of teaching he lost only three days from sickness. In September, 1844, he entered Knox Academy, Galesburg, Illinois, with a fair common school education, but never having seen an Algebra or a Latin Grammar. He studied a year with all possible diligence, for his dominant wish had been to possess knowledge. In June, 1845, he returned home, taught school, studied and taught in Yellow Springs Academy, Des Moines County, Iowa, and after two years returned to Galesburg, entered Knox College, and at the end of four years of untiring study, had conferred upon him the degree A.B., June 26,1851.
July 30,1851, he married Cornelia Ann, second daughter of Norman and Anna (Eggleston) Churchill, of Galesburg, formerly of Herkimer County, New York. Mrs. Comstock was born at Winfield, New York, March 17, 1831, and was a granddaughter of Rev. Jesse Churchill of Wethersfield. Her family, on the maternal side, can be traced to an ancestor who settled at Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1635. She completed the Ladies' Course in Knox College, except one study; taught school several terms; taught in the Haynes Academy, Cherry Grove, Knox County, and sang in the choir of the "Old First" Church for thirty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Comstock have had six children, four of whom are living: Cornelia Belle, Clara Emily, Clarence Elmer, and Ada Heletia, all of whom are graduates of Knox College. Cornelia B. is the wife of Will W. Hammond, a lawyer of Peoria, Illinois, who graduated from Knox College in 1878; she is a member of the choir of Plymouth Congregational Church. Clara E. is a stenographer and Notary Public, at Peoria. Clarence E. is in charge of the Mathematical Department of Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria; he is leader of the choir, deacon, and trustee of Plymouth Congregational Church. Ada H. is a member of the choir of Central Congregational Church, Galesburg.
Mr. Comstock taught three years in Knox Academy. In 1854, the degree A.M. was conferred upon him by his Alma Mater. In the summer of the same year, he removed to Des Moines County, Iowa, and engaged his horticultural pursuits, and during the three years spent in that occupation he was, most of the time, Editor of the Iowa Farmer. In September, 1857, he became a Professor in Yellow Springs College, Iowa. In September, 1858, he came to Knox College as Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and in 1861, became Professor in that department. He discharged the duties of the position till June, 1898, when he became Professor Emeritus. In addition to the pure mathematics, he taught Astronomy, Physics, and Meteorology. He was secretary of the Faculty for twenty years. Devoting an average of two hours a day to outside studies, he spent at least two years upon each of the following branches: Trigonometry, analytic geometry, differential calculus, integral calculus, and astronomy; he also devoted considerable time to quaternion, determinants, trilinear co-ordinates, and differential equations, and in 1879, when Lombard University conferred upon him the degree Ph. D., he did not hesitate to accept the honor from fear of being criticized for not being properly qualified.
Mr. Comstock became a member of the M. E. Church in 1840, but withdrew from that church on account of the slavery agitation, and joined with others in forming a Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1844. He united with the "Old First" Church of Galesburg in 1851, and was elder and clerk in that church for twenty-seven years; he sang in the choir twenty-five years, and represented the church in various associations; he is now a deacon in the Central Church of Galesburg.
His writings are confined to a few articles in different mathematical journals and in newspapers, over his name and the signatures: "X. Y. Z," "C," "K" and Ecleme." He joined a temperance society in 1833. He has been a republican ever since that party was organized.
The parents of Milton L., Joab and Jane (Lemmon) Comstock, were born in Ohio and Maryland, respectively; his paternal grandparents, Joab and Eunice (Willey) Comstock, were born in Connecticut; his maternal grandparents, William and Margaret (McCaine) Lemmon, were born near Armagh, Ireland; his paternal great-grandparents were James and Thankful (Crosby) Comstock, and Ephraim and Patience (Becket) Willey; on the maternal side, John and Jane (McCrea) Lemon (name so spelled originally), and Archibald and Elizabeth (Trimble) McCaine. His grandfather, Joab Comstock, came with his family from Hadlyme, Connecticut, to Ohio, in 1801, and settled in the northwestern part of Hamilton County, where he made a farm out of a dense forest; he died in Ohio in 1825, and his widow died near Burlington, Iowa, in 1858. Joab, the fifth of his children who attained maturity, was born February 9, 1804, removed to Iowa in 1839, and died in Burlington in 1882. He was a farmer and a local Methodist preacher for nearly fifty years, a kind and faithful man. William Lemmon, Mr. Comstock's maternal grandfather, came to America in 1801, and to Ohio in 1819; he was a weaver; he died in 1851. His daughter Jane, who became the wife of Joab Comstock, father of Milton L., was born in Maryland, February 15, 1807, and died near Burlington, Iowa, in 1875.
Milton L. Comstock was the eldest of eleven children. His schooling began when he was four years of age, in a log school house, which had split logs for seats, and a stick chimney. His winters were spent in school, and his summers on the farm. After his removal to Iowa, his time was mostly occupied in improving their farm in the new country. Besides the ordinary work upon a farm, his experience included breaking prairie, making rails, riving and shaving shingles, running a shingle machine and sawmill, quarrying stone with drill and powder, running a thrashing machine, raising and caring for flax, and the propagation and culture of fruit trees.
At the age of twenty Mr. Comstock began a life of study and teaching. His physical welfare was assured by early training and habits of temperance, and during forty-six years of teaching he lost only three days from sickness. In September, 1844, he entered Knox Academy, Galesburg, Illinois, with a fair common school education, but never having seen an Algebra or a Latin Grammar. He studied a year with all possible diligence, for his dominant wish had been to possess knowledge. In June, 1845, he returned home, taught school, studied and taught in Yellow Springs Academy, Des Moines County, Iowa, and after two years returned to Galesburg, entered Knox College, and at the end of four years of untiring study, had conferred upon him the degree A.B., June 26,1851.
July 30,1851, he married Cornelia Ann, second daughter of Norman and Anna (Eggleston) Churchill, of Galesburg, formerly of Herkimer County, New York. Mrs. Comstock was born at Winfield, New York, March 17, 1831, and was a granddaughter of Rev. Jesse Churchill of Wethersfield. Her family, on the maternal side, can be traced to an ancestor who settled at Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1635. She completed the Ladies' Course in Knox College, except one study; taught school several terms; taught in the Haynes Academy, Cherry Grove, Knox County, and sang in the choir of the "Old First" Church for thirty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Comstock have had six children, four of whom are living: Cornelia Belle, Clara Emily, Clarence Elmer, and Ada Heletia, all of whom are graduates of Knox College. Cornelia B. is the wife of Will W. Hammond, a lawyer of Peoria, Illinois, who graduated from Knox College in 1878; she is a member of the choir of Plymouth Congregational Church. Clara E. is a stenographer and Notary Public, at Peoria. Clarence E. is in charge of the Mathematical Department of Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria; he is leader of the choir, deacon, and trustee of Plymouth Congregational Church. Ada H. is a member of the choir of Central Congregational Church, Galesburg.
Mr. Comstock taught three years in Knox Academy. In 1854, the degree A.M. was conferred upon him by his Alma Mater. In the summer of the same year, he removed to Des Moines County, Iowa, and engaged his horticultural pursuits, and during the three years spent in that occupation he was, most of the time, Editor of the Iowa Farmer. In September, 1857, he became a Professor in Yellow Springs College, Iowa. In September, 1858, he came to Knox College as Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and in 1861, became Professor in that department. He discharged the duties of the position till June, 1898, when he became Professor Emeritus. In addition to the pure mathematics, he taught Astronomy, Physics, and Meteorology. He was secretary of the Faculty for twenty years. Devoting an average of two hours a day to outside studies, he spent at least two years upon each of the following branches: Trigonometry, analytic geometry, differential calculus, integral calculus, and astronomy; he also devoted considerable time to quaternion, determinants, trilinear co-ordinates, and differential equations, and in 1879, when Lombard University conferred upon him the degree Ph. D., he did not hesitate to accept the honor from fear of being criticized for not being properly qualified.
Mr. Comstock became a member of the M. E. Church in 1840, but withdrew from that church on account of the slavery agitation, and joined with others in forming a Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1844. He united with the "Old First" Church of Galesburg in 1851, and was elder and clerk in that church for twenty-seven years; he sang in the choir twenty-five years, and represented the church in various associations; he is now a deacon in the Central Church of Galesburg.
His writings are confined to a few articles in different mathematical journals and in newspapers, over his name and the signatures: "X. Y. Z," "C," "K" and Ecleme." He joined a temperance society in 1833. He has been a republican ever since that party was organized.
Family Members
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Amy Eloisa Comstock
1826–1827
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Austin Willey Comstock
1827–1889
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William Emory Comstock
1832–1844
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Mary E. Comstock Rugar
1834–1895
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Martha Jane Comstock Woodward
1837–1921
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Angelica Mayhew Comstock
1840–1842
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Joab Crosby Comstock
1843–1910
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Jason Loring Comstock
1846–1848
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Orra Berthelda Cornelia Comstock Blodgett
1849–1922
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Loraida Eunice Comstock Calkins
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