Decatur Daily Review 1/17/1923
William L.Ferguson, veteran hardware dealer and pioneer electric street railway manager died suddenly at 9:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the family residence, 336 E.Eldorado street. He was sixty nine years old last July. His death was caused by neuralgia of the heart. Mr. Ferguson had apparently been in good health. He went to his hardward store, 658 E.Eldorado street at the usual time Wednesday morning. The clerks were invoicing the stock and he went back and talked with them two or three times. Finally he said he was not feeling very well and he laid down on a lounge in the store.
His son,Fred Ferguson suggested that he had better go home and lie down as he might take cold there. Mr.Ferguson said he believed he would do that and he went home. He laid down on a couch saying he had a severe pain in his chest. Mrs. Ferguson placed a hot water bottle on his chest and he said he felt much better. A few moments later she went to him and he was dying.She had call a physician but Mr.Ferguson was dead when the doctor arrived.
William L. Ferguson was born in Xenia, Ohio,July 20, 1853. The family moved to Fairfield,Iowa when he was only three years old. He made his home there until 1873 when he came to Decatur.
He and Miss Katharine Imboden,daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Adam Imboden, were married here Oct.28,1874 and this has been their home ever since.
Mr. Ferguson and Ben Dillehunt were conducting a hardware store in the 100 block on North Water street when with Arthur E.Kinney and D.S. Shellabarger he bought out the Frank Priest street car line, which ran from Lincoln square to the depot. The cars were drawn by mules. The new owners adopted electricity as a motive power and extended the lines giving Decatur the first electric street railway in Illinois. Arthur E. Kinney managed the line until his death. Then M.Ferguson sold his interest in the hardware store to his partner,Mr.Dillehunt and took the active management of the street railway which he continued until 1898, fourteen years. In Oct. 1898 Mr. Ferguson re-entered the hardware business a 658 E. Eldorado where he remained up to the time of his death. He was one of the best know men in Macon county and had a great many friends. He was a member of the First Methodist church and of the Decatur club.
Mr.Ferguson is survived by his wife and two children, Mrs. I.C.Nicholson and Fred Ferguson, both of Decatur. He also leaves two grandchildren,Misses Helen and Catherine Ferguson, both of Hollywood, Cal. and a half brother Brooks Ferguson in Denver.
The funeral will be held at the family residence Friday afternoon but the hour has not been decided on.
Obituary furnished by Janet Donner
Illinois Death Certificate
Name: William L. Ferguson
Birth Date: abt 1854
Death Date: 17 Jan 1923
Death Place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois
Death Age: 69
Gender: Male
Father Name: Aurora B. Ferguson
Mother Name: Mary E. Holiday
Spouse Name: Catherine Ferguson
FHL Film Number: 1557038
William L.Ferguson, veteran hardware dealer and pioneer electric street railway manager died suddenly at 9:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the family residence, 336 E.Eldorado street. He was sixty nine years old last July. His death was caused by neuralgia of the heart. Mr. Ferguson had apparently been in good health. He went to his hardward store, 658 E.Eldorado street at the usual time Wednesday morning. The clerks were invoicing the stock and he went back and talked with them two or three times. Finally he said he was not feeling very well and he laid down on a lounge in the store.
His son,Fred Ferguson suggested that he had better go home and lie down as he might take cold there. Mr.Ferguson said he believed he would do that and he went home. He laid down on a couch saying he had a severe pain in his chest. Mrs. Ferguson placed a hot water bottle on his chest and he said he felt much better. A few moments later she went to him and he was dying.She had call a physician but Mr.Ferguson was dead when the doctor arrived.
William L. Ferguson was born in Xenia, Ohio,July 20, 1853. The family moved to Fairfield,Iowa when he was only three years old. He made his home there until 1873 when he came to Decatur.
He and Miss Katharine Imboden,daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Adam Imboden, were married here Oct.28,1874 and this has been their home ever since.
Mr. Ferguson and Ben Dillehunt were conducting a hardware store in the 100 block on North Water street when with Arthur E.Kinney and D.S. Shellabarger he bought out the Frank Priest street car line, which ran from Lincoln square to the depot. The cars were drawn by mules. The new owners adopted electricity as a motive power and extended the lines giving Decatur the first electric street railway in Illinois. Arthur E. Kinney managed the line until his death. Then M.Ferguson sold his interest in the hardware store to his partner,Mr.Dillehunt and took the active management of the street railway which he continued until 1898, fourteen years. In Oct. 1898 Mr. Ferguson re-entered the hardware business a 658 E. Eldorado where he remained up to the time of his death. He was one of the best know men in Macon county and had a great many friends. He was a member of the First Methodist church and of the Decatur club.
Mr.Ferguson is survived by his wife and two children, Mrs. I.C.Nicholson and Fred Ferguson, both of Decatur. He also leaves two grandchildren,Misses Helen and Catherine Ferguson, both of Hollywood, Cal. and a half brother Brooks Ferguson in Denver.
The funeral will be held at the family residence Friday afternoon but the hour has not been decided on.
Obituary furnished by Janet Donner
Illinois Death Certificate
Name: William L. Ferguson
Birth Date: abt 1854
Death Date: 17 Jan 1923
Death Place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois
Death Age: 69
Gender: Male
Father Name: Aurora B. Ferguson
Mother Name: Mary E. Holiday
Spouse Name: Catherine Ferguson
FHL Film Number: 1557038
Decatur Daily Review 1/17/1923
William L.Ferguson, veteran hardware dealer and pioneer electric street railway manager died suddenly at 9:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the family residence, 336 E.Eldorado street. He was sixty nine years old last July. His death was caused by neuralgia of the heart. Mr. Ferguson had apparently been in good health. He went to his hardward store, 658 E.Eldorado street at the usual time Wednesday morning. The clerks were invoicing the stock and he went back and talked with them two or three times. Finally he said he was not feeling very well and he laid down on a lounge in the store.
His son,Fred Ferguson suggested that he had better go home and lie down as he might take cold there. Mr.Ferguson said he believed he would do that and he went home. He laid down on a couch saying he had a severe pain in his chest. Mrs. Ferguson placed a hot water bottle on his chest and he said he felt much better. A few moments later she went to him and he was dying.She had call a physician but Mr.Ferguson was dead when the doctor arrived.
William L. Ferguson was born in Xenia, Ohio,July 20, 1853. The family moved to Fairfield,Iowa when he was only three years old. He made his home there until 1873 when he came to Decatur.
He and Miss Katharine Imboden,daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Adam Imboden, were married here Oct.28,1874 and this has been their home ever since.
Mr. Ferguson and Ben Dillehunt were conducting a hardware store in the 100 block on North Water street when with Arthur E.Kinney and D.S. Shellabarger he bought out the Frank Priest street car line, which ran from Lincoln square to the depot. The cars were drawn by mules. The new owners adopted electricity as a motive power and extended the lines giving Decatur the first electric street railway in Illinois. Arthur E. Kinney managed the line until his death. Then M.Ferguson sold his interest in the hardware store to his partner,Mr.Dillehunt and took the active management of the street railway which he continued until 1898, fourteen years. In Oct. 1898 Mr. Ferguson re-entered the hardware business a 658 E. Eldorado where he remained up to the time of his death. He was one of the best know men in Macon county and had a great many friends. He was a member of the First Methodist church and of the Decatur club.
Mr.Ferguson is survived by his wife and two children, Mrs. I.C.Nicholson and Fred Ferguson, both of Decatur. He also leaves two grandchildren,Misses Helen and Catherine Ferguson, both of Hollywood, Cal. and a half brother Brooks Ferguson in Denver.
The funeral will be held at the family residence Friday afternoon but the hour has not been decided on.
Obituary furnished by Janet Donner
Illinois Death Certificate
Name: William L. Ferguson
Birth Date: abt 1854
Death Date: 17 Jan 1923
Death Place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois
Death Age: 69
Gender: Male
Father Name: Aurora B. Ferguson
Mother Name: Mary E. Holiday
Spouse Name: Catherine Ferguson
FHL Film Number: 1557038
William L.Ferguson, veteran hardware dealer and pioneer electric street railway manager died suddenly at 9:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the family residence, 336 E.Eldorado street. He was sixty nine years old last July. His death was caused by neuralgia of the heart. Mr. Ferguson had apparently been in good health. He went to his hardward store, 658 E.Eldorado street at the usual time Wednesday morning. The clerks were invoicing the stock and he went back and talked with them two or three times. Finally he said he was not feeling very well and he laid down on a lounge in the store.
His son,Fred Ferguson suggested that he had better go home and lie down as he might take cold there. Mr.Ferguson said he believed he would do that and he went home. He laid down on a couch saying he had a severe pain in his chest. Mrs. Ferguson placed a hot water bottle on his chest and he said he felt much better. A few moments later she went to him and he was dying.She had call a physician but Mr.Ferguson was dead when the doctor arrived.
William L. Ferguson was born in Xenia, Ohio,July 20, 1853. The family moved to Fairfield,Iowa when he was only three years old. He made his home there until 1873 when he came to Decatur.
He and Miss Katharine Imboden,daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Adam Imboden, were married here Oct.28,1874 and this has been their home ever since.
Mr. Ferguson and Ben Dillehunt were conducting a hardware store in the 100 block on North Water street when with Arthur E.Kinney and D.S. Shellabarger he bought out the Frank Priest street car line, which ran from Lincoln square to the depot. The cars were drawn by mules. The new owners adopted electricity as a motive power and extended the lines giving Decatur the first electric street railway in Illinois. Arthur E. Kinney managed the line until his death. Then M.Ferguson sold his interest in the hardware store to his partner,Mr.Dillehunt and took the active management of the street railway which he continued until 1898, fourteen years. In Oct. 1898 Mr. Ferguson re-entered the hardware business a 658 E. Eldorado where he remained up to the time of his death. He was one of the best know men in Macon county and had a great many friends. He was a member of the First Methodist church and of the Decatur club.
Mr.Ferguson is survived by his wife and two children, Mrs. I.C.Nicholson and Fred Ferguson, both of Decatur. He also leaves two grandchildren,Misses Helen and Catherine Ferguson, both of Hollywood, Cal. and a half brother Brooks Ferguson in Denver.
The funeral will be held at the family residence Friday afternoon but the hour has not been decided on.
Obituary furnished by Janet Donner
Illinois Death Certificate
Name: William L. Ferguson
Birth Date: abt 1854
Death Date: 17 Jan 1923
Death Place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois
Death Age: 69
Gender: Male
Father Name: Aurora B. Ferguson
Mother Name: Mary E. Holiday
Spouse Name: Catherine Ferguson
FHL Film Number: 1557038
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