The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-01-29
Early Pioneer Settler Of the City Passed
Away Monday Morning at His
Home on Park Avenue.
DEMISE or LEWIS Balm SATURDAY.
Another of the Pioneer Business Men Elk
pired Saturday Evening After Short
Illness From Pneumonia.

Julius III. Kimball, one of the ear
liest pioneer settlers, member Of the
Southport Club of 1887 and man who
has long been connected with the
business interests Of the city, expired
at his home on Park avenue shortly
after six O'Clock Monday morning after
short illness. Mr.. Kimball was 81
years of age at the time of bis death,
but he passed the dark river with all
his faculties intact. He had been Sc
rious1y i'll for the past ten days, but
the members of the family who had
been watching at the bedside had
hoped for his recovery. Sunday his
malady took turn for the worse and
after brief struggle during the night
he passed peacefully asleep Monday
morning surrounded by the members
of his family.
He is survived by widow and eleven
children as follows: w. D. Kimba1l,
of Seattle, Washington; Henry Kim
bali, of Council Bluffs, la; DR.. George
Kimball, Stewart IKimball; Roger
Kimball, Miss Anna Kimball, ].
Richie Kimbal1, Mrs. N. A. Rowe,
Norman Kimball, of this city; Maulsby
Kimba1l, of Buffalo, and Mrs. w. S.
Forrest, of Chicago.
Few men in Kenosha have been SO
universally known as J. Fl. Kimbal
and he has been closely associated
with the development of the city in the
past sixty-six years. He has fulfilled
nearly every capacity of the business
man. The story 1of his interesting
career can not be given in a better
way than in his own words as recently
given out in an interview.
ST came to Kenosha,' said Mr.. kim
ball, sin June, 1887. I was born in
Montreal and soon after that event my
father moved to Sherbrooke TO practice
law. He took the Western fever and
left home Ia 1886 to buy land in the
West. This place. attracted him and
he determined to settle here. He
wrote home, and I came out, sailing
from Buffalo on the old lake steamer
Michigan. A thousand passengers
got on at Buffalo and all the berths
were filled, even sleeping places on the
tables being engaged. I took up my
position near the smoke stack and
slept there. We had on board two
companies of United States troops.
These we left at Fort Mackinac and
Green Bay. I landed at Milwaukee,
which was then affair sized settlement.
Juneau was conspicuous fgurein the
village and l remember him distinctly.
/ left Milwaukee on the stage plying
between therefand Chicago. The road
was mud pool for the greater part of
the way, running through thick woods
to prevent evaporation. Many times
the passengers had to get out and help
lift the stage out of deep ruts. / was
put off at Somers and came in on a
farm wagon. l was taken to the Resi-
que house on Washington Island and
spent the night there.
Next morning 4 started out to find
my father. He was living in the claim
house that stood"where the office of the
Telegraph. Courier now stands. The
building was story and a half Ca bin
AAAN0 WA@AA SAA~~|AAS5 ~ A%@R OAI lAC
cold. The first night l slept in it I
heard the most unearthly noises and
found out that they proceeded from a
colony of flying squirrels living in a
hollow tree overhanging our cabin.
"My first work in Southport, which
was the name given to the new settle
ment by my father, was the building
of sod fence for my father Since
then there are few things that / have
mot worked at, some successfully, 9th
ers unsuccessfully. I kept country
store for some time, then l went as
clerk to another store. Here l re-
manned until / demanded higher wages
and learned that my father was paying
my salary. My pride was hurt. Before
my mother came out we built house
for her where the opera house now
stands. / hauled all the lum Der for the
house from Tom Parsons sawmi1l on
Pike creek. 1t was all black walnut
and Ihauled it on sledge drawn by
two yoke of oxen.
Farming was my next pursuit As
farmer did not achieve a brilliant
success. The land was wet and
marshy. Everything / planted failed
TO grow. Then / started an exchange
in partnership with a young man.
There was not enough demand for
money, so Withdrew from the bust
ness. Before I left Sherhrooke had
learned the printing business. My
father had given me small press and
4 became an expert type setter for
those days. So / next turned my at
tention to prir ting ard vent in with
Col Frank to do the type-setting and
printing on the Southport telegraph.