| "A REMARKABLE MAN" THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLES W. TERRY 1836 - AFTER 1930 |
| Charles W. Terry is the oldest child of William Terry and Charlotte Clark. He was born in England and came to the United States, with his family, aboard the ship American Eagle in 1849. You may read of the William Terry family on this page. When the family first settled in the U.S., in Milwaukee, WI, Charles lived with another family as a farm laborer, age 13. |
| During the time that Charles Terry lived in Macon County, Illinois, [see map on Terry page. ] he became a naturalized citizen, and enlisted in Company I of the 68th Infantry Regiment, Union Army. There is also a record of a Charles Terry in the 12 Illinois Cavalry, Company D., which was organized at Springfield 1862. [For those following the Elmer Ellsworth name, which is repeated in Terry descendants, this is the area and time that Elmer Ellsworth was such a noted military leader, first to die in Civil War. |
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| He is found in Racine County, Wisconsin, in 1850 Census. Wisconsin 1850 Census, Racine co. Raymond Twp., Pg. 116, Enumerated on Sept. 4, 1850 Charles Terry, age 13, listed as a farmer with a family named White. He was born in England. Morris P. White, age 33. b. NY Julia White, 33, b. NY Mary White, age 2 |
| "Charles Terry, one of Atchison's well known citizens, was yesterday awarded the title of the oldest traveling salesman in the United States by the National Traveling Salesman's foundation. Mr. Terry will go to New York, December 4, to be the guest of honor at a banquet to be given at Hotel Astor, at which time the National foundation will inaugurate a campaign for a $3,000,000 home for old traveling salesmen near Winston-Salem, N.C. There are few people in Atchison who do not know the history of Charles Terry, who, last August, celebrated his ninety-second birthday. Until recently he had traveled for 68 years, most of that time being spent in the service of a Kansas City implement and hardware journal. Mr. Terry is said to be the original youth to whom Horace Greeley said: "Go west, young man." When Lincoln and Douglass were traveling through Illinois debating, previous to the senatorial election of 1858 in that state, Charles Terry says he was present and heard several of their verbal encounters. He was also present when Abraham Lincoln defended Duff Armstrong in that famous murder trial. The word "remarkable" describes Mr. Terry. At 92, he is down town nearly every day. His eyesight and hearing is splendid. He walks erectly and with sprightly step and enjoys a joke as much as anybody. Charles Terry was born in England August 7, 1836. He came to America with his parents in 1844. They located in Milwaukee when there was not a mile of railroad track in the state of Wisconsin. Later they moved to Thompsonville, near Racine, where his father built the first house in that town and afterwards moved to Chicago, which then had a population of 15,000 people. Mr. Terry inherited his longevity from his mother's side of the family. His mother lived to be 93 years of age and died in Portland, OR. Her father died at the age of 99. Charles Terry voted for Abraham Lincoln three times while a resident of Illinois; the first time was in Beardstown, when Mr. Lincoln was a candidate for congressman at large. Mr. Terry enlisted for the civil war in 1862, with the 68th Illinois. His first traveling was late in the year of 1859, and after the war he continued to travel. His first work was buying hides. He traveled on horseback. A few years later he became affiliated with the Implement and Trade Journal of Kansas City. He is still on the payroll of this concern. Atchison became his home in October, 1870, and he has lived here ever since. Mrs. Terry of beloved memory died here last November. They had been married 62 years. Eight children were born to them. Three died in babyhood, another later. Mr. Terry justly deserves the honor which has been conferred upon him." Newspaper article provided by Jane Clark of Portland, OR, written about Charles Terry, of Atchison, KS, in about 1928. There are a few discrepancies in dates as compared with public records. |
The Kansas City Implement and Farm Journal, was founded in 1886. Incorporated in 1887 as the Implement Trade Journal Company, it was later known as Implement & Tractor Publications. The company took the Intertec Publishing name in 1967 to reflect the international growth of its technical magazines. The company was purchased in 1989 by K-III Communications, which later was renamed Primedia Business Magazines & Media. Charles Terry would have found this progress interesting and exciting, I'm sure. Read clippings below and you will see that Charles Terry knew how to best employ the print media! |
| For an interesting Civil War site, click the picture of Elmer Ellsworth. You may scroll down to the passage just after picture of Ft. Sumter to read about this cocky little fellow. It is quite possible that Charles Terry was acquainted with Elmer Ellsworth, and at least knew him by reputation in the area. |
| A history of the 68th Illinois Infantry, in which Charles Terry served, is found here. 68th Illinois Infantry, Regiment History Adjutant General's Report |
| After discharge from the Union Army, Charles Terry married Mary Jane Williamson in Randolph County, Illinois in 1865. TERRY, CHARLES and WILLIAMSON, MARY JUNE RANDOLPH COUNTY 06/20/1865 Book B/ # 166 The family lived in Chester Town in Randolph County IL, where three children, William, Charlotte, and Cora were born. By October 1870, they had moved to Atchison, Kansas. |
| 1870 Census, IL City of Chester town, 7R7W, Randolph County Enumerated: 25 July 1870 , Post office: Chester Series M593, Roll 272, Page 392 Terry, Charles, age 28, male, white, Traveling agent - $200, b. England, Foreign born parents Terry, M. Jane, age 24, female, white, keeps house, b. Illinois Terry, William, age 4, m, w , b. Illinois, Foreign born father Terry, Charlotte, age 2, f, w, b. Illinois, Foreign born father Terry, Cora age 6/12, f, w, b. Illinois, Foreign born father, born January Terry, Edward , age 24, m, w, laborer, b. Illinois [this may be brother of Charles, should be b. England] Also listed with Terry Family is Patterson, F. John, age 27, m, w, clerk - $100 , b. Tenn 1880 Census, KS, Atchison County, Atchison City Roll 372 Book 1, Pg. 246b, ED 1, Household 197 These pages are very blurry, and the family was not included in any index. Found by a name- by- name search of the records in Atchison City. Charles Terry, age 43, B. England, Parents born England, Occupation is hard to read... I believe it says "Selling Magazine Advertisements"? This is what he did with the Implement and Trade Journal. See box on right. ] Mary, wife, age 32, b. IL, Parents b. PA/OH William, son, age 15, b. IL, Parents b. Eng./IL Lotta, daughter, age 12, b. IL, Parents b. Eng./IL [Charlotte, also listed as Mary C.] Cora, daughter, age 10, b. IL, Parents b. Eng./IL Edith, daughter, age 1, b. KS, Parents b. Eng./IL |
| A news article about Charles Terry, written around 1928, gives us an idea of the times. I believe that Charles, since he was 92 at the interview, had a few dates mixed up, but the events he experienced made him an extraordinary man. : |
| US. RECORD TO CHARLES TERRY Atchison Man Oldest Traveling Salesman In the Country |
| SPIRIT LAKE, MN "By 1880 several small towns had grown up along the banks of the beautiful lakes. At that time, two competitive railroads, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul laid tracks into the area. Large luxurious hotels sprang up around the lakes and drew the rich and the famous to the area. For example, the B.C.R. and N. Railroad had built the Orleans Hotel on the isthmus between Big Spirit Lake and East Okoboji Lake in 1883. The hotel had 200 guest rooms of first class quality. The several towns and magnificent hotels all required a means of transportation to carry people from one area to another. To that end the railroads built steamships to provide that transportation service. The steam ships of each company ran on schedules that coincided with the arrival and departure of the passenger trains arriving in the area. The area grew so quickly that there was a need for many steamships to transport visitors from the railroad to the hotel and back in the road-poor area. Many steamships of various sizes were required. They, for the most part, had short lives of ten to twenty years before the hulls rotted out from age. Many of the smaller craft ran service from West Okoboji Lake to the Orleans Hotel on the north end of East Okoboji Lake. The lake in that area became shallow and the large ships could not navigate those waters as well. The larger ships, the Ben Lennox, Okoboji, and the Queen did most of their excursions exclusively on West Okoboji Lake." Stephen Kennedy, Curator Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum |
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MY GRANDFATHER'S CLOCK .... [Lyrics to this well loved song of the era, written by Henry Clay Work, 1876] 'My Grandfather's Clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor. It was taller by half than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a penny weight more. It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born, And was always his treasure and pride. But it stopped�.. short�.. never to go again, When the old man died. Ninety years without slumbering�. Tick, tock, tick tock! His life seconds numbering�. Tick, tock, tick, And it stopped�. Short�. Never to go again, When the old man died. ' [There are several more verses and a the melody which you can find if you click the clock.] |
| ELLSWORTH CONNECTION! |
| .. ELMER ELLSWORTH |
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| There are no U.S. Census Records for 1890, so this brings us to the turn of the century in Atchison, Kansas. |
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| These photos are of Charles Terry with 2 of his 8 siblings. Above: Lizzie Terry Griffin, William (Will) Terry, lft, and Charles Terry, rt. They were probably photographed in Oregon around the 1900's. Below: Charles Terry and Lizzie Terry Griffin, probably taken in the 1920's. |
| St. Joseph, MO August 24th, 1925 "My Dear Nephew Niece & Daughter Your card of Greetings for our 60 Wedding anniversary was received and we thank you for your remembrance of us. We often think of you and Sannie all of you and we are wondering how James is if his health is any better and if he is stronger. And if all are well for I know Sannie with her large family is very busy. Will say here give them all our love. I suppose Henry that you have been out to Mr. Reeders farm [Mary Anne Wilson's grandmother's family place on Sauvie's Island.] All of you. And did you do any fishing. How I would like to be there and visit them again. We did enjoy the day so much when there. You must not forget to give them our best regards and let me know if the PawPaws (?) did grow from the seed sent also Persimmons. And did they lose any stock during the high water. I am expecting to hear from some one of you 3 Boys. The 2 Floyds [Floyd James and Floyd Griffin] and yourself of the wonderful catch you boys made soon it makes me hungry to think of it for we are not getting any fish here any more I have not been fishing since I came home or had only one or two messes of fresh fish since we came from Oregon. We both were quite poorly in the Spring and had your Aunt Mollie in the Hospital for 2 weeks with private nurse. But she is around again and feeling fine. Same here. I see that Bro Wm & Sade are at the coast and having a good time catching crabs I wish that I had several messes of them for they are sure good. I am expecting to go to Grand Rapids Mich next Saturday for the GAR Reunion.* I will remain over in Chicago 3 or 4 days on my return home from there I expect to be gone a week. or more. Mollie's not going. I hope that you have been busy this summer and had all that you could do. I suppose that you are still living in your same home with the improvement you contemplated making when we were there. I hope that you will write us for we would like to hear from you With Lots of Love to all Uncle Charles" The address on the envelope is: Chas Terry 1900 Duncan St Joseph, MO [hometown of daughter Charlotte Terry Johnson and family, not far from Atchison, KS] |
| The following is a letter from Charles Terry to his nephew, Henry E. Davis, Amelia Terry's son, who lived in Oregon. He mentions a previous visit to Oregon, where three of the Terry siblings made their home. This may have been when one of the above pictures was made. |
| Mary J. Terry died around 1927-28. Charles Terry, Sr. died Nov. 15, 1930. |
| *There were annual meetings (encampments) of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal order of Union Veterans. The meeting that Charlie Terry wrote about would be the 59th Annual Encampment in Grand Rapids, MI. It was held in 1925. |
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| Newspaper Clippings from the 1870's and 80's in Atchison, Kansas... "The Globe," Atchison KS, December 27, 1877 (sold for 2 cents) "My Grandfather's Clock" Sold At Charles Terry's Boss Music Store "The model piano sold by Terry for $185 should be examined by every musician in the country. In tone and finish it is equal to a thousand dollar Chickering. " "The Globe," Atchison, KS Jan. 8, 1878 "Terry sold a thousand dollar piano to Dr. Johnson this morning. " "The Globe," Atchison, KS Feb. 5, 1878 "Speaking of the eclipse that occurs tonight, Charles Terry, of the Temple of Music, has a store that any city in the west might well feel proud of. " [I don't quite understand this statement, but thought the mention of the eclipse to be interesting. Maybe the writer meant to say that Terry's store 'eclipses' all others.] "The Globe," Atchison, KS May 22, 1878 "The following Atchison Gentlemen leave for Spirit Lake Minnesota next week: Louis Rochat, Charles Cook, H. C. Golden, Chas. Terry,Web Hetherington, W.W. Church, Newell Todd, Frank Goodson, Squire Moulton, and Tilden Babb. " [I have tried to find out more about Spirit Lake, MN. It is a resort area near Iowa and Minnesota border which was in its "hey-day" in the 1880s. Read the article at right concerning the introduction of the railroads and steamships.. From letters he wrote, Charles Terry liked to fish, but I'm thinking that this group of men must have been attending some sort of meeting. "] "Judge Webb, accompanied by Misses Nellie, Hattie, and Fannie returned yesterday from Colorado." "Joe Craney of Downs, the man who was lately defeated for mayor by Bill Harvey is in town in great humiliation and disgrace. " [The last two clippings have nothing to do with Charles Terry� just thought they were a hoot. Incidentally, Charles' grandson was named W. Harvey Johnson. Could it have been in honor of Mayor Bill (William?) Harvey?] "Atchison Globe" Newspaper, Oct. 1, 1888, pg. one Personal column "Mrs. Chas. Terry is in St. Louis visiting friends." [I'm so glad to see that she got to travel once in a while!] |
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| 1900 Census Kansas, Atchison County, 5th Ward Atchison Series: T623 Microfilm: 470 Book: 2 Page: 137 Charles Terry, Head, white, male, b. Aug. 1836, age 63, married 35 years, b. England, Par. B. England, Immigrated 1842, Yrs. In U.S.- 58, Naturalized, Occupation. - Cont'l Transfer (Carriages) Mary J., wife, b. Mar. 1846, age 53, bore 10 children , 5 living*, married 35 years, b. IL , Parents born OH/PA Cora N., daughter, b. Jan 1870, age 30, Single, b. IL, Par. B. Eng/ IL, Occ.- Stenographer, Edith, daughter, b. Feb. 1879, single, age 21, b. KS, Par. B. Eng/ IL Charles, Jr. son, b. June 1882, age 17, single, b KS, Par. B. Eng/ IL, Occ. - Apprentice Hdware *This does not match with the 1928 Newspaper article stating that "Eight children were born to them �Three children died in infancy, another later." The quoted statement would indicate that four children were living in 1928 when the article was written. Mary Jane may well have counted miscarriages when she states in the census of 1900, that she bore 10 children. Five children living in 1900 would probably be Edith, Cora, Charles, Charlotte and one other child, possibly William. We find Edith, Charlotte, and Charles in 1930 Census. Cora, who was listed in 1920, but not in 1930, could have died before 1928. Son, William, listed in 1870, has not been found in later records. 1910 Census Kansas, Atchison County, 2nd Ward Atchison Series: T624 Roll: 431 Part: 3 Page: 16B Charles Terry, head, m, w, age 74, Married 45 yrs. , b. England Par. B. England, Occ. - Traveler/ Specialties Mary J. Terry, age 64, Married 45 yrs., b. IL, Par. B. PA/OH Cora N. Terry, age 36, Single, b. IL, Par. B. Eng./IL, Occ. - Stenographer Edith Terry, age 31, b. KS, Single , Par. B. Eng./IL 1920 Census Atchison KS, Atchison County, Shannon Twp. Charles Terry head of household age 83, b. England, imm. 1844 [should be 1848] Mary J. Wife age 73, b. ILL, Par b. PA / OH Cora W. , daughter, age 48, single, B. IL, Stenography, Lawyer Office Edith, daughter, age 40 single, b. KS, Par. B. Eng., IL, Occ. Secretary YMCA 1930 Census Atchison KS Shannon Twp, Atchison City, ED # 3-5 Sheet 3b, Enumerated Apr. 5, 1930 Charles Terry head of household age 93, b. England, owns home, $ 7,000, Real Estate, widowed in 1928 (?), naturalized, immigrated 1848 Edith, daughter, age 51 single, b. KS, Par. B. Eng., IL, Occ. Secretary YMCA |
| Read about the descendants of Charles and Mary J. Terry Return to Grimes Family Home Page Contact a descendant of the Terry Family |
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