William Patterson Pressly, son of David and Jane [Patterson] Pressly, was born March 17th 1811 in the Cedar Springs section of Abbeville County, South Carolina.
William attended Miami College in Oxford, Ohio. There he met and married Mary Ann Gilmore, daughter of Robert and Sina [Irwin] Gilmore in October 1833. No children were born to this couple. After Mary Ann died in 1836, William continued to correspond with Mary Ann's cousin, Martha Miller, daughter of William and Elizabeth [Lackey] Miller. On June 1st 1837, William married Martha and they returned to his home in Fairhaven, Ohio; where William was a prosperous merchant. Here they had three children: Henry, Mary Jane and Sarah Elizabeth.
Years later in 1856, William, Martha and the children moved to Monmouth, Illinois; where William became a significant benefactor of Monmouth College and the Warren County public library. The Warren County Library opened as a reading room in 1868. In 1870, William P. Pressly donated funds for a building - the first public library in Illinois. That building now houses the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Mr. Pressly erected a second building for the library in 1907. This remains part of the current library building.
William Patterson Pressly departed his long life at the age of 94 on the 29th day of April 1905. He was laid to rest beside his wife, Martha and their three children in the in the old part of Monmouth Cemetery.
Note:
Trustee of the Monmouth Reading Room and Library, William Pressly provided the funds for books and erected a two-story building on the southwest corner of the Public Square for a permanent library. A marble plaque on that building reads: "This was the first building in the State of Illinois given for a People's Library."
William attended Miami College in Oxford, Ohio. There he met and married Mary Ann Gilmore, daughter of Robert and Sina [Irwin] Gilmore in October 1833. No children were born to this couple. After Mary Ann died in 1836, William continued to correspond with Mary Ann's cousin, Martha Miller, daughter of William and Elizabeth [Lackey] Miller. On June 1st 1837, William married Martha and they returned to his home in Fairhaven, Ohio; where William was a prosperous merchant. Here they had three children: Henry, Mary Jane and Sarah Elizabeth.
Years later in 1856, William, Martha and the children moved to Monmouth, Illinois; where William became a significant benefactor of Monmouth College and the Warren County public library. The Warren County Library opened as a reading room in 1868. In 1870, William P. Pressly donated funds for a building - the first public library in Illinois. That building now houses the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Mr. Pressly erected a second building for the library in 1907. This remains part of the current library building.
William Patterson Pressly departed his long life at the age of 94 on the 29th day of April 1905. He was laid to rest beside his wife, Martha and their three children in the in the old part of Monmouth Cemetery.
Note:
Trustee of the Monmouth Reading Room and Library, William Pressly provided the funds for books and erected a two-story building on the southwest corner of the Public Square for a permanent library. A marble plaque on that building reads: "This was the first building in the State of Illinois given for a People's Library."
William Patterson Pressly, son of David and Jane [Patterson] Pressly, was born March 17th 1811 in the Cedar Springs section of Abbeville County, South Carolina.
William attended Miami College in Oxford, Ohio. There he met and married Mary Ann Gilmore, daughter of Robert and Sina [Irwin] Gilmore in October 1833. No children were born to this couple. After Mary Ann died in 1836, William continued to correspond with Mary Ann's cousin, Martha Miller, daughter of William and Elizabeth [Lackey] Miller. On June 1st 1837, William married Martha and they returned to his home in Fairhaven, Ohio; where William was a prosperous merchant. Here they had three children: Henry, Mary Jane and Sarah Elizabeth.
Years later in 1856, William, Martha and the children moved to Monmouth, Illinois; where William became a significant benefactor of Monmouth College and the Warren County public library. The Warren County Library opened as a reading room in 1868. In 1870, William P. Pressly donated funds for a building - the first public library in Illinois. That building now houses the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Mr. Pressly erected a second building for the library in 1907. This remains part of the current library building.
William Patterson Pressly departed his long life at the age of 94 on the 29th day of April 1905. He was laid to rest beside his wife, Martha and their three children in the in the old part of Monmouth Cemetery.
Note:
Trustee of the Monmouth Reading Room and Library, William Pressly provided the funds for books and erected a two-story building on the southwest corner of the Public Square for a permanent library. A marble plaque on that building reads: "This was the first building in the State of Illinois given for a People's Library."
William attended Miami College in Oxford, Ohio. There he met and married Mary Ann Gilmore, daughter of Robert and Sina [Irwin] Gilmore in October 1833. No children were born to this couple. After Mary Ann died in 1836, William continued to correspond with Mary Ann's cousin, Martha Miller, daughter of William and Elizabeth [Lackey] Miller. On June 1st 1837, William married Martha and they returned to his home in Fairhaven, Ohio; where William was a prosperous merchant. Here they had three children: Henry, Mary Jane and Sarah Elizabeth.
Years later in 1856, William, Martha and the children moved to Monmouth, Illinois; where William became a significant benefactor of Monmouth College and the Warren County public library. The Warren County Library opened as a reading room in 1868. In 1870, William P. Pressly donated funds for a building - the first public library in Illinois. That building now houses the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Mr. Pressly erected a second building for the library in 1907. This remains part of the current library building.
William Patterson Pressly departed his long life at the age of 94 on the 29th day of April 1905. He was laid to rest beside his wife, Martha and their three children in the in the old part of Monmouth Cemetery.
Note:
Trustee of the Monmouth Reading Room and Library, William Pressly provided the funds for books and erected a two-story building on the southwest corner of the Public Square for a permanent library. A marble plaque on that building reads: "This was the first building in the State of Illinois given for a People's Library."
Inscription
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William P.
PRESSLY
1811 ── 1905
"Founder of the Warren County Library..."
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