It’s so easy to miss the faces and stories of people when you get carried away with views of unique 19th or early 20th century photographs of Beloit’s vistas, streets, businesses and industry. But what of the people? What follows are quick, random sketches of some of the folks who have peopled Beloit history over the past one hundred and fifty years.
Lillian Ford left Beloit in 1911 for the Twin Cities on her bicycle in search of better employment. She lived and worked as a domestic servant at 538 Broad Street. Big Ed Merrill, the great Beloit College athlete (1898-1902), made a real name for himself here, but off he went to found a landmark psychiatric practice and sanitarium in Los Angeles. William Perrigo came in 1877 and made a good name for himself with the beneficial things he did for the city, including bringing the United States Linen Company to Beloit in 1912, employing seventy people. A. P. Waterman certainly was a man of distinction in town. He arrived in 1850 as did his contemporary Samuel J. Todd. Anson P. was the second mayor of Beloit, a long time treasurer of Beloit College and, with John Hackett, founder of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee. Anson P. and Samuel J. died on the same day within hours of each other in 1902. There was William Chester Roberts who, like so many others, never founded anything. William, always with a weak constitution, died at age eight in one of Beloit’s worst heat waves in 1905. He and his family lived at 1046 Bluff Street. On a happier note there were Mr. and Mrs. Henry Divan of 564 South Race Street (now Colby) who celebrated their fifty-second wedding anniversary in Beloit in 1913. Four generations of Divans lived in the area at the time and helped them celebrate. It was recalled at this occasion that the only time Henry was separated from his wife was when he went off to fight in the Civil War. And let us not forget to mention that prominent salesman of paint and glass, Samuel E. Hill. He founded, along with a Janesvillian, the Gideons. Two years after the founding of this organization (1902) there were six hundred members. This Christian Business and Professional Men’s Association began to “Bible” hotels in 1908. Following that year they began to place Bibles in motels, ships, prisons, hospitals, the armed services and schools. Today the Gideons have an international membership in the tens of thousands.
These are quick glimpses into the lives of a few Beloiters. A good number of these sketches come from scrapbooks and the files of individuals the Society has compiled over the years. But there are other resources. And in some of these we can learn about the grades of Elmer and Carl Bredesen of the 1897 7th grade class of Parker School; or that Mr. M. Reitler made a recommendation to the School Board of 1894 to enlarge the High School at a cost of $12,000; or that John Donnelly, letter carrier for the Beloit Post Office, successfully completed his probationary period on January 1, 1891. And so it goes with these stories of Beloiters who come to life with a good read by those interested.
And about Lillian Brown. She didn’t make it to the Twin Cities on her bicycle, but made it to Camp Douglas where, with her last bit of change, she paid for a train ride. She arrived in the Twin Cities with her bike, alone and destitute. The constable there took pity on her, and fed and housed her while she sought employment. The same determination with which she set off on her journey she applied to finding employment. And according to reports it wasn’t long before she did.
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