Gracie Wells
Gracie Wells was the daughter of Arvilla Bond and John Manning Wells. Gracie passed away in 1883 at the tender young age of age of 5. In her memory, her […]
Gracie Wells was the daughter of Arvilla Bond and John Manning Wells. Gracie passed away in 1883 at the tender young age of age of 5. In her memory, her […]
Amy June Wells was the daughter of John Manning Wells and Arvilla Bond Wells. Her father was from England coming to America in 1856 when he was just a young
Arvilla Bond was born in Ohio in 1846. Her father, William Bond, who was a veteran of the War of 1812, married Engelica Woodruff in New York. The family moved
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Sara Wells was the mother of John Manning Wells. In 1883 she passed away at the age of 72. She died just a few days after her granddaughter Gracie who
Martin Root was born in Massachusetts in 1784. He moved to Benson, Vermont where he met Abigail Stearns. They married in 1814. By 1821 they had six children, Emily, Maria,
Abigail Stearns Root was a pioneer wife and mother. She and her husband, Martin Root, made Downers Grove their home in the 1840s. Her father, Asa Stearns, served as a
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John Manning Wells was chosen as the 2022 Founder of the Year. As part of the Downers Grove Founders Day activities, his selection was celebrated at a ceremony at the Downers Grove
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Charles Curtiss served in the Illinois General Assembly and founded the Farmers and Merchant Bank. Charles was born in Royalton, Vermont on 3 November 1828. He came to Downers Grove
Samuel Curtiss donated the land for Main Street Cemetery, improved Maple Avenue, was active in the Underground Railroad, and was the first to subdivide his land. Samuel was born 1789,
Sergeant Israel L. Blackburn was born into slavery. After serving in the 124th U.S. Colored Infantry in the Civil War, he moved to Downers Grove. In Downers Grove, he owned
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