The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-07-25
WIDELY KNOWN AS PUBLISHER
Had Been Connected With Nearly AL
of the Pioneer Newspapers in Chica-
60 and Had Been Active in Political
Life of Middle West for Many Years.
(From Saturdays Daily.)

William Pigott, founder of the Chi
cago Evening Post and man widely
known among pioneer publishers and
printers throughout the entire middle
west, died at the home of his daughter,
Mrs. George Pirsch, ol Park Row, just
after nine o clock this morning. Mr.,
Pigott was nearly eighty-three years of
year and his death came as result of
the natural failing due to age. He had
been in feeble health for some time and
had been confined to his home for sew
eral weeks.
The death Of William Pigott marked
the passing Of man who had been
connected with great events in the
newspaper world. He had been active
ly connected with the printing and pub
fishing business for more than half a
century and he was one of the honored
members of the cold Time Printer s
Club one of the best known institu-
tions in Chicago. He was Familiarity
known as "Bnl" Pigott among the
men who had been famous in the bust
ness in Chicago and he had made it a
rule for years to attend the annual
reunions Of the organization and he
had been a leader in these functions.
William Pigott was born at Leroy,
New York, Aug. 4, 1929. He was a
son of Stephen and Anna (Gorman)
Pigott. He attended the common
schools at Buffalo and later moved with
his parents to Gait, Canada. In 184S
Mr.. Pigott went to Chicago and for
short time engaged in the real
estate business after which he began
his career as a printer by working as
compositor on the old Chicago Times.
He remained on the Times for about a
year and then entered the publishing
business. His first business venture
was the Chicago Saturday Evening Re
view and after publishing this for a
short time he made tour Of the south
but he returned to Chicago and in com
pany with Andre Mattheson and James
Washington Snehan, founded the Chi
cago Morning Post and he remained
with the paper until its sale to the Re
publican Company. He then inaugural
ed the Chicago Evening Post and under
his management the paper became one
Of the most powerful political organs
of the west. He then became largely
interested in the Mechanic IS Type Com
pany and was elected president of that
company. He held this position until
1876 when he recomed to LaGrange,
Mich, where for a number Of years he
was manager of a wooden mill.
Mr.. Pigott made a fortune in the
publishing business in Chicago, but in
the great fire of 1871 he lost nearly
all of his property. He was an earnest
worker and he started work anew and
before he retired from active life he had
recouped many of his losses. Ten
years ago Mr.. Pigott came to Kenosha
to make his home with his daughter.
Since coming to Kenosha he had re-
newed his relations with the Chicago
pioneers who had been associated with
him in business and he had been active
in the various gathering of the older
business men of Chicago.
In 1861 Mr.. Pigott was married to
Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of
Robert Stewart Of Chicago.
In his long career in the printing and
publishing business Mr.. Pigott was con
nected with nearly all of the great
newspapers in Chicago He was for a
time an aid Of Storey on the Chicago
Tribune. He was with Joseph Medill
on the same paper. George E. Scripps,
founder of the great press association
and John Wentworth and the elder
Carter Harrison, were also among the
men with whom he had been closely as
ISOLATED in his business life.
He held it an honor to have been the
first employer of John R. Walsh and
John NJ. Smyth, both of whom after
ward became prominent in the business
and financial world. Both Walsh and
Smythe in their boyhood worked as
newsboys for the Saturday Review and
they were personally employed by Mr..
Pigott, it's editor.
Mr.. Pigott was one of those rare
characters which mellows with age and
the people who knew him well in Keno
sha viii have the most pleasant mem
cries of their associations with him.
N0uTerp