Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-12
Geo. Hiles Died Sunday in Milwaukee
From a Stroke of Paralysis.
The Milwaukee Sentinel has the
fO1Iou;pr obout him.

out the Northwest, died at the age
of 70 years yesterday afternoon at
his home, SO Farwell avenue, from
paralysis. Mr.. TIiles had been
failing in health for the past two
years, and at times has been
seriously i'll, but he always rallied
and has been able most Of the
time to attend to his large business
affairs He was in his office as
late as last Tuesday. On Wednes
day he suffered a stroke of
paralysis which rendered him
speechless, but he was able to be
about in his room. DR.. R. c.
Fischer, who attended him, had
given instructions to members of
his family not to remain long in
his room, because he required
absolute quiet, and his efforts to
talk did not tend to improve his
condition Sunday morning he
seemed to be better and had partly
recovered his power of speech.
He was able to be dressed and
during the day seemed more
cheerful. A nurse was in constant
attendance day and night. During
the afternoon he was reclining on
a lounge and about 4:3o o'clock
he suddenly partly raised himself
on the lounge, where he was lying,
gave a gasp and fell back dead.
Mr.. Hiles is survived by a
widow, two grown sons, Frank
and James Hiles and one daughter
Mrs. Phoebe Brown. The details
Of the funeral have not been de-
cided, but the body will probably
be taken to Baskerville, Wis, his
former home, tonight and buried
there Tuesday, A special train
will probably be chartered for the
accommodation of the Milwaukee
people who will attend the funeral
|
There were few lumbermen in
the Northwest who were more
widely known than George Hiles.
During the past fifty years he has
been very successful in every thing
he undertook and it is estimated
that he leaves an estate valued at
S3,ooo,ooo. This property is
mostly real estate and timber
lands. He possessed about 100, 900
acres Of valuable pine lands in
Wood and Clarke counties in this
state. Last year he cultivated
about 1900 acres for farming
purposes and seeded about 500
acres Of this tract. In Baskerville
he owned the large numbering
plant and nearly all other real
estate of the town. He was also
heavily interested in mills and
land in Pittsville, near Dexterville,
while in this city he owned a
number of choice residence prop
critics, among them a row of flats
which he last year built at Cam
bridge and Forest Home avenues.
1t is estimated that his Chicago
holdings are worth about 100000,
representing about 24o acres Of
land in the Chicago heights, part
of which has been plated into
village lots, and large tract in
Chicago Lawn and Franklin park.
He also owns several houses in
the city Of Chicago. Besides this
real estate property Mr.. Hiles held
$4,000 of the stock in the Wis
consin Marine & Fire Insurance
Company back of which he was a
director at the time of his death.
Most of Mr.. Hiles' property, with
the exception Of the bank stock
and several houses in the city, is
owned by the George Hiles Land
and Lumber Company, a stock
company which he organized last
year, but of which he is the sole
owner. 1t is under this name that
MIR. Hiles conducts his mammoth
lumber business at Baskerville
and Pittsvllle and it is understood
that in his will Mr.. Hiles has
made provision that only part Of
the stock shall be distributed
among his relatives while the
remainder will be held in trust.
HIS EARLY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
Mr. Hiles was born in Farming
ton, Mich, on Oct 5, 1925, and
had few advantages during his
boyhood days. He received little
or no school education and what
education he possessed in later
years he acquired himself as he
grew into manhood. Early in
the 4o's during the territorial days,
he came to Wisconsin and secured
employment on a farm in Sank
county. Several years later he
opened saloon III a town near
there which has since then been
abandoned, but was then known
as the Newport In I047 he re-
moved to Baraboo where he
opened a general store and did
! good business TRADING with Indians