George W. FLAGG

GEORGE W. FLAGG
JULY 25, 1836
DEC. 5, 1909
MARADA A. HIS WIFE
MAY 27, 1842
OCT. 27, 1905
Base of the monument:
FLAGG
North side of the monument:
E. Wunderlich [the monument maker]

The monument echoes some features of his parents, Reuben and Betsey Kendall Flagg's,log cabin-shapped monument. The stone is carved to simulate stacked logs. There is an open book at the top of the stone with the inscription, "GONE TO MEET THE COMRADES. UNITED AT LAST", and a Grand Army of the Republic insignia.

From "Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County"; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890:
"GEORGE W. FLAGG.

The family name of this gentleman will ever be held in reverence in Will
County as that of one of its early pioneers, who was for many years
prominently connected with its interests, and of great assistance in
developing its resources and laying the solid foundation of the prosperity
that it enjoys today. And it is with pleasure that we place before the readers
of this volume a review of his life and of that of his honored representative
of the present. The latter, a native of the county, is now one of its leading
agriculturists, owning and successfully managing a large and valuable farm in
Lockport and DuPage Townships, where he has a fine residence and enjoys all
the comforts and luxuries of life. He was an officer in the late war and did
gallant service with his regiment until ill health compelled him to resign his
commission and retire to private life, taking with him the respect of his
fellow officers and the men who served under him. Mr. Flagg was born in
Plainfield Township, July 25, 1837. Reuben Flagg, his father, was a native of
New Hampshire, Groton, in Grafton County, being the place of his birth. He was
there bred to the life of a farmer, and thence went to Vermont when a young
man and there was engaged in the cooper's trade. Two years later he made his
way to Baltimore, Md., where he acquired the trade of a stone-mason. After two
years stay in that city he returned to Vermont and at one time worked as a
stone-mason in Boston. In 1830, he came to Illinois, traveling by Lake
Champlain, Champlain & Erie Canal to Buffalo, and from thence by the lakes to
Chicago. That city was then composed of two log houses and Indian huts, and
there was a trading post there. The captain of the boat wanted him to build a
warehouse, thinking it might come in use, though no one else seemed to agree
with him. Our subject's father did not like that section of the country, as he
thought it too swampy for farming purposes, and he hired a team to take him to
Walker's Grove, a little below the present site of Plainfield. At that time
there were but three families living in the vicinity, and where Plainfield and
Joliet now are there was not a house, and Will County then formed a part of
Cook County. All the land was open for settlement and he had his choice in
millions of acres, and as he was told he could not live on the prairie he
claimed a tract of timber in the northeastern quarter of section 20, of what
is now Plainfield Township. At that time deer and all kinds of wild game were
plenty, which was fortunate for the early settlers as bread stuffs were
scarce, the nearest flour-mill being in Indiana. Mr. Flagg's settlement was
made there before the Black Hawk War and there were frequent Indian scares,
therefore, the handful of settlers built a stockade of logs and all gathered
in it, and at one time lived there three months, the men taking their guns to
the field to be ready for the enemy at a minute's warning. Once it was thought
the Indians were going to make a raid and all the settlers here went to Ft.
Dearborn and stayed there a few days until it was thought safe to return to
their homes. Mr. Flagg built a log cabin on his farm and commenced its
clearance. Soon after coming here he took a contract to build the race for
Walker's mills in which was sawed the lumber to build the first frame house
ever erected in Chicago, and Mr. Flagg drew it there with an ox team. After
residing on that claim a short time he sold it and took up a tract of prairie
land on section 10, and at once began the work of improvement. He first built
a log cabin for the accommodation of his family and afterward erected a more
substantial residence, and at the time of his death had improved a valuable
farm. November 9, 1869, this worthy and highly respected pioneer, departed
this life. The maiden name of the wife who shared his labors and enabled him
to attain success in life was Betsey Kendall. She was born in Hebron, Grafton
County, N. H., April 6, 1805. Her father, John W. Kendall, was formerly a
resident of Hollis, N. H. and removed thence to Hebron, where he bought a
farm, and besides carrying on agriculture he worked at his trade of a cooper
in that place until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Betsey Flanders
and she was also of New Hampshire origin, and there spent her entire life,
dying on the home farm in Hebron. Mrs. Flagg's death occurred February 25,
1872. She was the mother of eleven children, as follows: John W. K., Sarah E.,
Samantha, Prudence, Frank, George W., Lorain, Henry, William H., Mary and
Lucy. Samantha was the first white child born in this county, and she died
here February 25, 1872, aged forty-one years and five months. In his early
life Mr. Flagg was a follower of the Whig party, but later identified himself
with the Republican at the time of its organization and remained true to the
party until his death. He was distinguished as being the first Justice of the
Peace ever elected here, Judge Caton being his opponent. Following is an item
published in the Chicago Times after Mr. Flagg's death, which is of interest
and importance. "In the winter of 1831, the Methodist circuit riders of the
great west held a conference in the settlement of Chicago, and among the other
supplies contributed to their comfort during their session was a dressed hog
from the old town of Plainfield, in Will County, thirty-six miles south-west
of the place of meeting. This animal was the property of Reuben Flagg, a good
farmer residing near Plainfield, who has recently passed away. He started with
the dressed hog on a sled and succeeded in getting lost, somewhere just
outside the present city limits. Not arriving in time a delegation of
ministers was sent out from the conference to find him. This they were
fortunate enough to do all being much rejoiced, it is said, at the sight of
the wandering farmer and especially of the fat porker on the sled. Now the
question is whether this dressed hog shipped from Plainfield to Chicago in
1831, is not the first shipment of the article to this market on record, the
initiatory arrival of a product which in 1874, aggregated two million, five
hundred and twenty- eight thousand, one hundred eight head. George W. Flagg,
of whom these lines are written was reared on a farm and educated in the
district schools, of this his native county. He early displayed the patriotism
that made him a good soldier and before the war became a member of the
Plainfield Light Artillery, and at the time of the first call for troops, in
April, 1861, he was Second Lieutenant of his company, which offered its
services to the government and was sent to Cairo, and was there organized as
Company K, Tenth Illinois Infantry, and mustered in for three months. Our
subject served until the expiration of his term of enlistment, and in
September, 1861, again volunteered for the defence of his country, enlisting
in Company K, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and was mustered in as Second
Lieutenant. He was with his regiment until 1862, when he resigned on account
of ill health and returned home to resume farming on section 31, of Du Page
Township and lived there until 1872. In that year, as his health was not good,
he went to Greeley, Col., and there engaged in livestock business for five
years. At the expiration of that time he returned to Will County and has since
been engaged in agricultural pursuits here. He owns five hundred acres of as
fine farming land as is to be found in the county, located in Du Page and
Lockport Townships. He has a handsome and substantial residence which he
occupies in Plainfield, and is managing his large agricultural interests with
more than ordinary success. In 1861, Mr. Flagg and Marava Colegrove united
their lives and fortunes. She is a native of Wheatland Township, Will County,
and a daughter of Lester G. and Lucretia (Ingersoll) Colegrove, of whom see
sketch. Two children have resulted from this marriage, George K. and Jerome F.
Chester Ingersoll, the grandfather of Mrs. Flagg, kept the first hotel that
was opened in the city of Chicago. Mr. Flagg's loyal course when our county
was threatened with ruin, and his straightforward, manly conduct in all the
affairs of life, both before and since that time, mark him as a man who is an
honor to the citizenship of his native county".

Section B

Contributed on 5/10/13 by pasteffen99
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