Died: 1930 in Savanna, Illinois
Full name: William Samuel Harper Griffiths, named after his grandfather.
Parents: William H. Griffiths, and Caroline Harper
Work:Early on helped his uncle with his farm until age 16.
Blacksmith, employed at Carriage factory of Wales and Smith in St. Catharines,Canada.
Sailor for 2 years on the Great Lakes.
Went to Chicago to work in shipyards, and practice and study engineering. In Chicago during the Great Fire, lost his office.
Started rendering business in Morrison Illinois,then moved to Savanna in 1881 to engage in the same business.
City Alderman for the town of Savanna in 1885, then elected Mayor that same year.
1887 and '89 re-elected Mayor.
Education: School in Buffalo,NY and St. Catharines.
Siblings: 4, 3 brothers and 1 sister.
Marriage: In 1868, to Mary Ann Clair.
Children: See Mary
Died: 1923 in Savanna, Illinois
Parents: ? Do not know their names.
The 1900 census tells me father is from Ireland and the mother is from Fr Canada. Does this mean French? Hmm.
However, 1910 census says Fr Irish for father,which would be "free irish" and Can,or Fr, Irish for mother(hard to read).Maybe the 1st census taker asked them where you were born, and the other what nationality,or vice versa.
Schooling and Work: No information on this,assuming schooled in Chicago.
Marriage: 1868 to William H. Griffith II
Children: 7
Jeannette(died at 22)
Alan (died at 19)
William H.(died at 34)
George John
Caroline C.
Walter(died in infancy)
May Josephine(died in infancy)
George (my Great Grandfather) and Caroline were the only children to survive to an older age.
