Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-12-22
Called Home!
IA Worthy Pioneer Citizen
taken to his Eternal
Home.
lei. Ii. PhilleO SuccOmb>
to heart disease.

amot;ons that we chronicle the death OF
one Of our nearest and best friends.
Mr. Hart 8. Philleo, Of this city, at
his residence Friday noon the 10th, a
most honored and respected citizen,
Christian father, and brother associate
in Christian labor, and an altogether
lovely man. We who knew him best
him most. An association
Of many years in this Office with him.
has learned us to love him as father
and counselor. His name, when
spoken in this Office will always
bring back sweet and pleasant reeol-
lections of days gone by, and his name
will always be dear to the present
publishers of the REPORTER.
Hart Benton Philleo, son of Buona-
parte and Eliza (Benchley) Philleo,
was born at Cedarville, Herkimer
county, New York, May 16, 1884.
His father physician by profession,
became identified with the anti-slavery
party at an early day, when to belong
to that organization was to be "despised
and rejected of men," He was CO.
worker with Gerrit Smith, Samuel j..
May, Arthur Tappan and other prom
inent men of that period, and was
once a candidate for congress on the
abolition ticket. The mother of Hart
was women Of marked character,
described By one who knew her as
"whollv excellent andsupremely good. "
His grandfather, Enoch Philleo, a
descendant of the Huguenots, was in
the continental army at Valley Forge
and participated in several engage
] ments He was true patriot and a
man of strong intellect. Calvin Phil
leo. an uncle of Hart's, and Baptist
clergyman, married for his second wife
Miss Prudence Crandall, the originator
| of free negro schools in Rhode Island,
and who was prosecuted before Chief
Justice Doggett for teaching colored
persons to read.
The subject of this sketch received
common school education, mainly at
Newport, Herkimer county, where his
father practiced his profession for some
time. After leaving school he remov-
| ed with the family to Utica. where
his father added the drug business to
his professional practice, and where
the son remained until October, 1896,
when he settled in Grand Rapids.
Here he was engaged in the mercantile
and lumber trade until the financial
crash of 1857, when, with thousands
sof other business men, he was COM
PEELED to close his business.
In boyhood Mr.. Phillco had great
fondness for study, but poor health
prevented his taking regular college
course. His fondness for study, how
] ever. never left him. He often felt a
desire to engage in editorial life, and
| in the spring Of 1858 became locaI
editor of the "Wood County REPoR-
TER" continuing the drug trade at
! the same time in partnership with j.
/ T.. Ingraham. One year later their
store and stock of goods were burned,
Involving them in heavy losses. For
the last twelve years Mr.. Philleo has
! been tbepoIitical editor of the "REPoR,
TER" and for six years had been
acting as deputy collector of interna
revenue in the sixth district.
He was appointed postmasterby Mr..
4 Lincoln in 1861. and held that office
for nearly eight years. During the
latter part of that time he was clerk
aof the court for Wood county. Hi;
abest work, however, has been done in
in connection with journalism. He
i has rendered hearty and powerful sup
Eport to every enterprise tending to
Epromote the welfare of both the city
Hand county. He has been president
Sof the school board for several years
Eand was one of the visitors to the
Estate University in 1875.
d Mr.. Philleo became a member OF
sthe Congregational church in 1871,
Sand took deep interest in the gener-
Eal welfare of religion, as we'll as tc
Rthat of the body with which he was
connected.
In politics, he was formally an abol
sitionist, but upon the organization O.
1.-THE republican party became identified
with that body, to which he still
sadhered, believing that it embodie'
kthe only political ethics which cat
4 result in the highest good of the
Enation.
B On the LIST of September, 1858, he
was married to Miss Isabella Ingraham,
"a niece of the autbor oF H.