In the city of Galesburg, where many years of his life were passed, Cyrus Minor Avery was widely known and his many attractive social qualities and admirable characteristics gained for him the friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he came into contact. He was one of Galesburg native sons, his birth having here occurred on the 19th of June, 1846, when the city was but a small town and outlying districts of the state were largely undeveloped and unimproved. His parents were George and Saraphena Princess Mary (Phelps) Avery, both natives of the state of New York. The father was born in New Lebanon and was a representative in the seventh generation of a family that traces its ancestry back to Christopher Avery, the line coming down through James, Thomas, Abraham, Nathan and William Thomas to George. As a young man the last named came to the west, arriving in Galesburg in 1837. Here he built the second house in what was then known as Log City. Later the place of his abode now on West Main Street came to be called the Avery farm. There he followed general agricultural pursuits at a time when the most foresighted could not have dreamed that his place would one day be near the very heart of the enterprising city. The lady whom he afterward made his wife came to the west with her brother and mother, settling in Knoxville, where they were married. For many years Mr. Avery continued to engage in general farming but at length retired and took up his abode within the limits of Galesburg, living on North Cherry street. There the fruits of his former toil supplied him with the necessities and comforts of life up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 1st of January, 1884. His wife also died at the Cherry Street home. They were members of the First Congregational Church, in the work of which they took active and helpful part, Mr. Avery serving as deacon for many years. His political endorsement was given to the republican party. In the family were six children: Robert H., who died September 13, 1892; Mary, the wife of W. R. Butcher, living at Roodhouse, Illinois; John T., who died August 11, 1905, at Galesburg; Cyrus M.; Phoebe T. , who is living in Biloxi, Mississippi; and George, also of Biloxi. Cyrus M. Avery was educated in the public schools of Galesburg and in Knox College, where he completed his course with the class of 1868. He worked with his father on the farm for a time and was early trained to habits of industry and diligence. He afterward engaged in the manufacturing business and made for himself a credible position in trade circles in his native city. Early in the '70s he joined his brother, Robert Hanneman Avery, in the establishment of a plant for the manufacture of agricultural implements in Galesburg. The brother had been a soldier in the Civil War, was captured and was held as a prisoner at Andersonville, where he spent many otherwise idle hours in drawing in the sand of the prison yard designs of agricultural implements which he began to make soon after his release, the first being a stalk cutter and a corn planter. When the plans of the brothers were perfected for the conduct of an agricultural implement manufactory, they began business under the style of R. H. & C. M. Avery, operating their plant at Galesburg until 1882, when they went to Peoria and made arrangements for removing their factory to the latter city. There the enterprise was developed into a very large corporation known as the Avery Company. In 1883, after the removal of the business to Peoria, the Avery Planter Company was organized with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. Ten years later the authorized capital was increased to three hundred thousand dollars, and in 1900 the name was changed to the Avery Manufacturing Company and, at which time the capital stock was increased to one million dollars. The business continued to grow and is now capitalized for two million, five hundred thousand dollars. The plant is one of the most extensive and prominent productive industries of Peoria, with business connections that reach out to all parts of the world. C. M. Avery continued active in the management and control of the interests at Peoria until 1902, when he returned to his native city and erected here a large, comfortable and attractive modern residence. The remainder of his life was divided between the two cities of Galesburg and Peoria, although he regarded the former as his home. It was here on the 4th of October, 1877, that Mr. Avery was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Evalena Bartholomew, who was born at Elmwood, Illinois, February 25, 1856, and is a daughter of Luzerne and Sarah Elvira (Payne) Bartholomew. They became the parents of five children: Elvira Princess, born September 25, 1878; George Luzerne, September 12, 1879; Grace Ophelia, October 8, 1883; Harriette, June 20, 1886; and Cyrus Minor, May 29, 1899. The first two were born in Galesburg, the last three in Peoria. George Luzerne Avery is still connected with the Avery Company as its secretary. The enterprise is now a business of mammoth proportions and includes the manufacture of agricultural implements, farm wagons, engines, threshers, engine gang plows, gas tractors and city and farm trucks. While the factory and main office are at Peoria, branch houses are maintained at Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Billings, Montana; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Aberdeen, South Dakota. The family circle was broken by death, when on the 15th of September, 1905, in Galesburg, Cyrus M. Avery passed away. His life record has been a credit and honor to the city which has ever honored and respected him. His business career was notable by reason of its successful achievement and the extent of the concern which was developed through the enterprise and under the able direction of himself and brother. He seemed to possess a faculty for devising and executing the right thing at the right time and this was joined to every day common sense. He seemed easily to discriminate between the essential and the non-essential, to see the possibility for the coordination of forces and to use each opportunity to the best advantage. Method and system were ever features of the business, together with the employment of skill and expert workmen. In matters of judgment Mr. Avery was seldom if ever at fault and what he accomplished represented the fit utilization of the innate powers and talents which were his. As prosperity came to him he continually reached out a helping hand to those less fortunate and his benevolence was manifest in generous support of many worthy public projects and charities. Something of his position in the city of his birth is indicated in the fact that at his demise the Year Book of Knox College for 1907 bore the following inscription:
"To the memory of Cyrus Minor Avery, Honored alumnus, valued trustee, successful business man, upright and influential citizen; whose singular nobility of character, loyal friendship and warm hearted, open-handed generosity,
his Alma Mater holds in grateful and loving esteem,
This book is dedicated. " This pictured forth the feeling entertained for him not only in Galesburg, and in Peoria, but wherever he was known and no higher testimonial of his character could be given than the fact that he was most honored where best known.
In the city of Galesburg, where many years of his life were passed, Cyrus Minor Avery was widely known and his many attractive social qualities and admirable characteristics gained for him the friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he came into contact. He was one of Galesburg native sons, his birth having here occurred on the 19th of June, 1846, when the city was but a small town and outlying districts of the state were largely undeveloped and unimproved. His parents were George and Saraphena Princess Mary (Phelps) Avery, both natives of the state of New York. The father was born in New Lebanon and was a representative in the seventh generation of a family that traces its ancestry back to Christopher Avery, the line coming down through James, Thomas, Abraham, Nathan and William Thomas to George. As a young man the last named came to the west, arriving in Galesburg in 1837. Here he built the second house in what was then known as Log City. Later the place of his abode now on West Main Street came to be called the Avery farm. There he followed general agricultural pursuits at a time when the most foresighted could not have dreamed that his place would one day be near the very heart of the enterprising city. The lady whom he afterward made his wife came to the west with her brother and mother, settling in Knoxville, where they were married. For many years Mr. Avery continued to engage in general farming but at length retired and took up his abode within the limits of Galesburg, living on North Cherry street. There the fruits of his former toil supplied him with the necessities and comforts of life up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 1st of January, 1884. His wife also died at the Cherry Street home. They were members of the First Congregational Church, in the work of which they took active and helpful part, Mr. Avery serving as deacon for many years. His political endorsement was given to the republican party. In the family were six children: Robert H., who died September 13, 1892; Mary, the wife of W. R. Butcher, living at Roodhouse, Illinois; John T., who died August 11, 1905, at Galesburg; Cyrus M.; Phoebe T. , who is living in Biloxi, Mississippi; and George, also of Biloxi. Cyrus M. Avery was educated in the public schools of Galesburg and in Knox College, where he completed his course with the class of 1868. He worked with his father on the farm for a time and was early trained to habits of industry and diligence. He afterward engaged in the manufacturing business and made for himself a credible position in trade circles in his native city. Early in the '70s he joined his brother, Robert Hanneman Avery, in the establishment of a plant for the manufacture of agricultural implements in Galesburg. The brother had been a soldier in the Civil War, was captured and was held as a prisoner at Andersonville, where he spent many otherwise idle hours in drawing in the sand of the prison yard designs of agricultural implements which he began to make soon after his release, the first being a stalk cutter and a corn planter. When the plans of the brothers were perfected for the conduct of an agricultural implement manufactory, they began business under the style of R. H. & C. M. Avery, operating their plant at Galesburg until 1882, when they went to Peoria and made arrangements for removing their factory to the latter city. There the enterprise was developed into a very large corporation known as the Avery Company. In 1883, after the removal of the business to Peoria, the Avery Planter Company was organized with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. Ten years later the authorized capital was increased to three hundred thousand dollars, and in 1900 the name was changed to the Avery Manufacturing Company and, at which time the capital stock was increased to one million dollars. The business continued to grow and is now capitalized for two million, five hundred thousand dollars. The plant is one of the most extensive and prominent productive industries of Peoria, with business connections that reach out to all parts of the world. C. M. Avery continued active in the management and control of the interests at Peoria until 1902, when he returned to his native city and erected here a large, comfortable and attractive modern residence. The remainder of his life was divided between the two cities of Galesburg and Peoria, although he regarded the former as his home. It was here on the 4th of October, 1877, that Mr. Avery was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Evalena Bartholomew, who was born at Elmwood, Illinois, February 25, 1856, and is a daughter of Luzerne and Sarah Elvira (Payne) Bartholomew. They became the parents of five children: Elvira Princess, born September 25, 1878; George Luzerne, September 12, 1879; Grace Ophelia, October 8, 1883; Harriette, June 20, 1886; and Cyrus Minor, May 29, 1899. The first two were born in Galesburg, the last three in Peoria. George Luzerne Avery is still connected with the Avery Company as its secretary. The enterprise is now a business of mammoth proportions and includes the manufacture of agricultural implements, farm wagons, engines, threshers, engine gang plows, gas tractors and city and farm trucks. While the factory and main office are at Peoria, branch houses are maintained at Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Billings, Montana; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Aberdeen, South Dakota. The family circle was broken by death, when on the 15th of September, 1905, in Galesburg, Cyrus M. Avery passed away. His life record has been a credit and honor to the city which has ever honored and respected him. His business career was notable by reason of its successful achievement and the extent of the concern which was developed through the enterprise and under the able direction of himself and brother. He seemed to possess a faculty for devising and executing the right thing at the right time and this was joined to every day common sense. He seemed easily to discriminate between the essential and the non-essential, to see the possibility for the coordination of forces and to use each opportunity to the best advantage. Method and system were ever features of the business, together with the employment of skill and expert workmen. In matters of judgment Mr. Avery was seldom if ever at fault and what he accomplished represented the fit utilization of the innate powers and talents which were his. As prosperity came to him he continually reached out a helping hand to those less fortunate and his benevolence was manifest in generous support of many worthy public projects and charities. Something of his position in the city of his birth is indicated in the fact that at his demise the Year Book of Knox College for 1907 bore the following inscription:
"To the memory of Cyrus Minor Avery, Honored alumnus, valued trustee, successful business man, upright and influential citizen; whose singular nobility of character, loyal friendship and warm hearted, open-handed generosity,
his Alma Mater holds in grateful and loving esteem,
This book is dedicated. " This pictured forth the feeling entertained for him not only in Galesburg, and in Peoria, but wherever he was known and no higher testimonial of his character could be given than the fact that he was most honored where best known.
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
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