Henry M. Eggleston, His Story

Henry M. Eggleston and wife Joanna Fitzgerald Eggleston



I have met a new Eggleston Cousin who shares a lot of my Eggleston family history.  He is in the Lyman Fish Eggleston line, brother to my Great-grandfather Madison Joseph Eggleston.  The new cousin has a picture of Henry M. Eggleston and his wife, Joanna Fitzgerald (above).  I have never seen a picture of Henry M. Eggleston nor his wife.  Below is the information I have about Henry M. Eggleston from my Family Tree Maker program.

Henry M. Eggleston was the child of Joseph Eggleston of Hebron, Washington County, New York, his family originally from Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.  His mother was Lucy Bowen.  Little is know about her family history.  His father died in 1812, quite young, and left Lucy with 5 children, the eldest Henry M. Eggleston, b. 1805.  Within a few years Lucy remarried to William Felipe Haight in Wayne County, New York and had 7 more children from the 2nd marriage.  The entire family moved to Michigan, even the married children who already had families.  They settled in the Bronson area, Branch County, Michigan.

In HISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN

--BRONSON, MICHIGAN RECORDS

Name--EGGLESTON, HENRY M.

Birth Date--1805

Death Date--25 Jan 1873

Age-68Y

Site-SEC A

In the 1840 Bronson, Branch County, Michigan Census there are 2 Egglestons listed as head of household.

H.M. Eggleston--1 male under 5 years old; 1 male 5 and under 10 years old; 1 male 10 and under 15 years old; 1 male 30 and under 40 years old; 1 female under 5 years old; 1 female 5 and under 10 years old; 1 female 30 and under 40 years old.

Joseph Eggleston--1 male 5 and under 10 years old; 1 male 10 and under 15 years old; 1 male 20 and under 30 years old; 1 female 5 and under 10 years old; 1 female 30 and under 40 years old.  [I had originally thought this was Joseph H. VII Eggleston since he was in Bronson, Branch County, Michigan.  However, in the 1843 will no wife and children are listed as heirs].

In the 1850 Census, Branch County, Michigan,  Family #5 are:

Persons               Age    Sex    Occupation     Value of Real Estate Place of Birth

Eggleston, Henry           45        M      Farmer           400 New York

Eggleston, Joanna         43        F Massachusetts

Eggleston, Anna E.        17         F New York

Eggleston, Madison      15         M New York

Eggleston, Magdelona   13        F Michigan

Eggleston, William H.    10        M Michigan

Eggleston, Abagail           8        F Michigan

Eggleston, Leora E.         6         F Michigan

Eggleston, Lyman           3         M Michigan

Eggleston, Byron            1         M Michigan

[This is the only Census record that says Madison was born in New York. All of the rest say he was born in Michigan]

In the 1860 Census, Branch County, Michigan, Dwelling House 18, Family # 18 are:

Persons                          Age    Sex  Occupation      Value Place of birth

Eggleston, Henry           55         M    Farmer           1600 Real New York

 400 Personal

Eggleston, Joanna          53        F Boston, Massachusetts

Eggleston, Madison        24        M   Farm laborer Michigan

Eggleston, Cordelia         22        F New York

Eggleston, Mandelona     21        F Michigan

Eggleston, William H.      19        M Michigan

Eggleston, Abigail            18        F Michigan

Eggleston, Leora              15        F Michigan

Eggleston, Lyman            13        M Michigan

Eggleston, Byron             10         M Michigan

[Cordelia is Madison Eggleston's first wife.  Her maiden name was Cordelia Parsons, and she was the mother of Edwin Theodore Eggleston].]

In the 1870 Census, Branch County, Michigan, Dwelling House 137, Family # 138 are:

Persons                         Age        Sex    Occupation Value              Place of Birth

Eggleston, Henry M.      65                    Farmer 2500 Real       New York

 500 Personal

Eggleston, Joanna          63                   Keeping House Massachusetts

Eggleston, Lyman          22                    Works on farm Michigan

Eggleston, Leora            25                    Works in house Michigan

Fuller, Merrill                  22          M       Works on Eggleston farm            Michigan

[Haven't found Madison Joseph and wife Mary E. Dunn in 1870 Census yet.

Leora Eggleston married Merrill Fuller who worked on the Eggleston farm].

From Coldwater Republican, 2-1-1873

H.M. Eggleston died of dropsy on Monday, aged 68 years.  Mr. E. had long been a sufferer from dyspepsia.  He was one of the oldest settlers and universally esteemed.  He was buried with Masonic ceremonies yesterday afternoon.  Rev. E.A. Gay delivering the sermon.

[H.M. Eggleston's death record says he died of stomach cancer.]

According to notes from the Lyman Fish Eggleston family, Henry M. Eggleston is buried on the same cemetery lot in the Branson Cemetery as the Lyman Fish Eggleston family.  Henry M. Eggleston's tombstone has a pointed top.

Happy Birthday Great-grandfather Madison Joseph Eggleston

My father spoke of you frequently with love and awe.  In 2011 there are very few who knew you when you were alive--maybe a few who were children in 1921 when you passed on.  So--in your honor I am putting both of your obituaries in my blog so the Eggleston descendants can learn more about you. I know you would have been so proud that your grandson Donald became a doctor, grandson Raymond became a lawyer, and granddaughter Mary Elizabeth became a nurse. And all three were World War II veterans.

(See June 23, 2011 blog for photographs of Madison Joseph Eggleston)

Obituary from "The Leader-Courier" Kingman, Kingman County, Kansas, Friday, May 20, 1921

M.J. EGGLESTON PASSES AWAY

  M.J. Eggleston one of the aged residents of Kingman passed away at the city hospital yesterday morning May 19th, 1921, aged a little more than 85 years.  Funeral services will be held this afternoon at 4 p.m. at the home of his son Frank D. Eggleston, 663 [636] North Spruce street, conducted by Rev. W.R. Johnson.  The burial service to be in charge of and conducted by the Masonic fraternity of which order he had been a member for many years.
  Deceased was best known among his intimate friends in Kingman and elsewhere as "Dad" Eggleston, and his friends were many, wherever he was known, as he was a congenial companion and associate and a most interesting conversationalist.  His wide experience in the affairs of the world gave him a vast fund of universal knowledge to draw from.
  He was a native of Michigan, and from there entered the service of his country as a soldier in the Civil war, in a Michigan regiment serving with bravery and marked distinction, participating in many of the hardest battles of the war.
  After his services had ended as a soldier he returned to civil persuits and in 1878, came to Kansas and to the city of Larned where he engaged in business for a number of years, coming from there to Kingman about 22 years ago and has made his home here the greater part of the time since then.  His health commenced to fail rapidly some two or three years ago and for the past year he has been confined to his room practically all the time and the past several months has been an inmate of Kingman hospital.
  Mr. Eggleston bore the distinction of having been one of the special guards at the execution of the assassins of President Lincoln, at Washington in '65.  He was selected as one of the detail from his Michigan regiment and witnessed that tragic event in this Nation's history.  His experiences as a soldier in those stirring times would furnish material for an interesting bit of history, which he had long planned to have published but failing health prevented its consummation.
  In his days and long experience Mr. Eggleston had been a prominent figure wherever he made; his home and his passing will be regretted by many.  He leaves one son Frank D. of this city.

Obituary from "The Kingman Journal" Kingman, Kansas, May 20, 1921

M.J. EGGLESTON PASSED AWAY AT EIGHTY FIVE

  Another of the old timers ceased to be when Madison J. Eggleston passed away yesterday at 1 o'clock at the Kingman hospital.  Mr. Eggleston was aged 85 years, and would have passed still another milestone had he lived until the 2nd [5th] day of next July.  For 20 years "Dad" Eggleston has been a familiar figure about the streets of Kingman, always cheerful even when sick, hopeful to the last, and above all singularly independent, physically vigorous and abundantly self reliant for a man of his advanced years.

Failed Rapidly of Late
   For the past few months, he had been confined to the hospital, unable to get out, though being up and about much of the time.  However, he required much attention, and it was evident that he could not last long. On Wednesday afternoon, he was visited by Frank Eggleston, and again in the evening.  About 10 o'clock Frank returned to the hospital as the old gentleman was not feeling quite so well.  He remained with him until 12 o'clock, at which time the elder man seemed to be resting easily, and Frank went home and retired, only to be called out an hour later by the message that his father had passed away.
  His trouble was diagnosed as fundamentally Bright's disease somewhat complicated, together with heart trouble and the many infirmities incident to old age.

Funeral this Afternoon at 4:00
   The funeral will be held this afternoon at 4:00 o'clock from the home of Frank Eggleston on North Spruce street.  The sermon will be delivered by Rev. W.R. Johnson, and interment will take place at Walnut Hill.

Born in Michigan
   The deceased was born in Michigan when that state was yet a territory.  He first came to Kansas in 1878 and settled at Larned, where he worked at his trade of carpenter.  About 20 years ago he came to Kingman, making his home a part of the time with Frank, and a part of the time having rooms of his own, as the fancy struck him.  He was a veteran of the Civil War, having served his country honorably for about 2 years, largely in the Potomac campaigns.  He was a member of the 7th Michigan Infantry.  Mr Eggleston was a member of the Masonic order, which body will conduct the services at the grave, and the old soldiers will act as pall bearers.

Active at an Advanced Age
   One of the most striking characteristics of the deceased to those who knew him as they saw him in later years was his great activity and marked self sufficiency for a man past the eighty mark.  Only four years ago he made a trip to Arkansas alone, but unfortunately took sick, and had to have some help to get back.  A number of times he made the trip back to his old home in Michigan.
   Mr. Eggleston was fond of out door life.  And one of the first sights of early spring was "Dad" Eggleston and his fishing rod, headed for the best fishing nooks in the river.  And few men, young or old, knew better the hidden wiles that lured the finny victim from his resting place.
   Of his family only one son, Frank Eggleston of this city, survives him.  He has one sister, Mrs. J.M. Fuller of Wichita, and three brother, Liman [Lyman] Eggleston and William Eggleston, both of Michigan, and Byron Eggleston of Arkansas.
   In his passing, another of the old veterans has gone to answer to the last roll call, and a familiar landmark that radiated good cheer and fellowship has gone out of the lives of his fellow journeymen.  And the busy community, for a brief hour this afternoon, pauses with bowed head, in honor of him who has gone and in remembrance of the good deeds he scattered over a long span of almost 86 years.

Happy Birthday dear Daddy. Happy Birthday to you.

July 2, my father’s birthday. He was born 109 years ago. Happy Birthday!!!!! Having a cup of tea with my father was such a treat. He would say, "You know, tea tastes better in a china cup." So I would get out the china cups and sterling silver teaspoons--and enjoy his wonderful family stories. Tea and stories were a great adventure, no matter how old I became.  The photo taken on his 6^th birthday, July 2, 1908.

The Eggleston family had some interesting firsts, dealing with an automobile, a telephone, brick streets, and a sidewalk.

Some Eggleston Firsts

My great- grandfather, Madison Joseph Eggleston, owned one of the very first Ford automobiles in Kingman, Kansas.  All of his family enjoyed the car.  However, the most interesting thing to me about the automobile, and something that was quite common in those days, was that it was kept in downtown Kingman in a garage behind the Eggleston Pharmacy.  Homes in those days did not have garages like they do now.  Whenever great-grandfather or his son, my grandfather, Frank Dunn Eggleston, wanted to use the car, they walked downtown to get it.  Now by this time Great-grandfather Eggleston did have an apartment downtown, but some of the time he still lived at 636 N. Spruce with Grandfather and his family.  Aunt Susan and I found it very amusing that the Eggleston family would have to walk downtown to ride anywhere in the automobile.

Another Eggleston first was the telephone.  I remember one day when I was looking at the newspaper which contained my Grandmother Eggleston’s obituary (March 1922), that on the back page I saw an ad for the Eggleston Pharmacy.  The ad listed the telephone number, which was 1.  I remarked to my father that it was something to have the telephone number 1 because it would be very easy to remember.  “Well, do you know why our telephone number was 1?” my father asked.  “It was because we had the first telephone in Kingman.”  I do hope someone got the telephone number 2 right away so they could call the Eggleston Pharmacy.

Here is an Eggleston first which you can still see in Kingman today.  My grandfather was Kingman’s Commissioner of Finance and while he was in office he ardently supported paving the dirt streets in brick.  Those were the days before cement and concrete.  Can you imagine the dust or mud people had to walk and drive through before streets were paved?  My father was very proud of Kingman’s brick streets. (As of June 2011, at the Eggleston family reunion, we saw that the brick streets were still there).

And there is one more first.  Grandfather had the first sidewalk in Kingman.  It was cement and poured at their home which Daddy said was on East Avenue C where they lived before they moved to 636 N. Spruce.  The cement sidewalk went from the street to the front door of the house.  I remember Daddy taking Aunt Susan and me to the house so we could see his footprints in the cement.  My father said Grandfather was amazed that some of the Kingman community decided he thought he was better than the rest of them because he had to have a cement sidewalk.

Just so you’ll know—if you go in the garage at 410 N. Rutherford in Macon, Missouri, you will see Susan’s and my footprints in the cement floor of the garage  which Daddy hired built in 1947.  Daddy was insistent that our footprints be in the garage, and Susan and I had a great deal of fun adding to the Eggleston tradition.