by an intimate acquaintance, the Doctor complimented his friend on his sermon; but remarked that he had a book at home which contained every word of it. The clergyman, who was naturally restive under this imputation, called upon the Doctor for an explanation, when the latter produced the dictionary. Dr. Clark's home life was ideal, and his religious nature was strong and independent. He ranked high in his profession, and discharged every duty of life as a citizen and friend with strict fidelity and reverent sympathy. His death occurred November 5, 1878. Dexter Clark, M. D., followed his brother Lucius to Rockford, where he resided until his death, except the time spent in California, where he went in 1850. Dr. Dexter Clark was for many years a prominent member of the Second Congregational church, and superintendent of its Sunday-school. Many of the older residents will remember his noble Christian qualities, his ardent enthusiasm and his generous sympathies. Another brother, Dr. E. N. Clark, settled at Beloit; and a fourth brother, Dr. Asabel Clark, resided at Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Lucius Clark had two sons who succeeded him in the practice of medicine: Dexter Selwyn, and Lucius Armor. Dr. D. Selwyn Clark died February 12, 1898. No citizen of Rockford had a higher sense of professional and personal honor, and his death was universally lamented. The death of Dr. L. A. Clark occurred July 23, 1899, in the house in which he was born fifty years before. He had a wide reputation as an expert surgeon. During his residence on the Pacific coast he was employed as a steamship surgeon for some years, and was a passenger on the first voyage of the Colema, which, after long service, foundered a few years ago. Dr. Clark was also surgeon for the Illinois Railroad Company, which position he held at the time of his death. His wife and one daughter survived him. For more than half a century the Clark family was represented in the medical profession of Rockford. In the death of Armor Clark there passed away the last of this historic family of practitioners.

C. A. Huntington came to Rockford in 1845. He had left his family in July at Racine, Wisconsin, until he could find a desirable place for settlement. November 5th of that year he began his first term of school in Rockford in a building owned by H. R. Maynard, which stood on the site of the Masonic Temple. In the following year L. B. Gregory retired from teaching, and Mr. Huntington succeeded him as teacher in the old court house building on North First street, where he remained until

the fall of 1848. Mr. Huntington then taught in the old Baptist church on North Main street. Among Mr. Huntington's first pupils in Rockford were Capt. E. E. Potter, Leander H. Potter, Carrol Spafford, B. Rush Catlin, E. P. Catlin, Samuel Montague, Hiram R. Enoch, Hiram H. Waldo, Sarah Preston, Adaline Potter, Selwyn Clark, and Clinton C. Helm. In the autumn of 1849 Mr. Huntington was elected school commissioner, and served eight years. In that same year he also opened the first book store in Rockford, on the site of the Third National Bank. He subsequently removed to the corner store in Laomi Peake's block, where the Manufacturers National Bank now stands. There he and Robert Barnes conducted a book store, and a book bindery on the second floor. November 27, 1857, this block was destroyed by fire. Huntington & Barnes carried a stock of eleven thousand dollars, on which there was an insurance of three thousand dollars. Mr. Huntington resided in Rockford until 1864, when he removed to California.

Hon. William Brown was born in Cumberland, in the North of England, June 1, 1819. His father's family removed to the United States in 1827, and the senior Brown purchased a farm in Oneida county, New York. William Brown began the study of law in Rome, New York, and was admitted to the bar. In 1846 he became a citizen of Rockford. During his first winter in the west he taught a district school. Judge Brown was honored with several public offices. He was chosen a justice of the peace in 1847. In 1852 he was elected state's attorney for the district comprising Stephenson, Winnebago and Jo Daviess counties, and served three years. At the expiration of that time he was elected mayor of Rockford. In 1857 Judge Brown formed a partnership with William Lathrop, which continued three years. He then became a partner with the late H. W. Taylor, with whom he was associated until 1870. In 1864 he was elected a member of the legislature as a Republican. Judge Brown was first elected judge to fill the vacancy caused by the promotion of Judge Sheldon to the supreme bench. He was subsequently elected for three full terms. His career on the bench covered twenty years. Judge Brown and Caroline H. Miller, a daughter of Hon. Horace Miller, were married September 19, 1850. Their elder son, Edward W. Brown, has been three times elected mayor of Rockford. At the conclusion of his present term he will have served six consecutive years, the longest mayoralty in our municipal history. Judge Brown's

other children are Frank R. Brown and Mrs. H. W. Buckbee. Judge Brown was an able lawyer, a conscientious judge, and a Christian gentleman. By prudent management he acquired a large estate. He was a liberal supporter of the Centennial Methodist church, and was generous in the use of his money in charity and public enterprises. The Brown Building is named in his honor, and a controlling interest is owned by his family. Judge Brown died January 15, 1891.

Hiram H. Waldo was born in Elba, Genesee county, New York, November 23, 1827. He came to Rockford in 1846, when he was nineteen years of age, and completed his early education in the district schools. He studied in summer, and taught in the winter, for several years, until 1851. Mr. Waldo taught in the Redington district, in the old First Baptist church,. Cherry Valley, Guilford, Harlem, in the basement of the First Methodist church as assistant to Seely Perry, and as assistant to C. A. Huntington, on First street. While at Cherry Valley he walked to Rockford, a distance of eight miles, to attend a lecture by John B. Gough. Mr. Waldo subsequently spent two years in Chicago, where he secured a clerkship in the postoffice, under Postmaster Dole, and was promoted to the superintendency of western distribution. Mr. Waldo remained a short time under Postmaster Isaac Cook. He returned to Rockford when Charles I. Horsman became postmaster the second time. Mr. Horsman did not give his personal attention to the office, and Mr. Waldo assumed this responsibility. He paid Mr. Horsman five hundred dollars a year from the earnings of the office, and retained the balance as his compensation. Mr. Horsman, however, gave him a guarantee that he would receive an equivalent to his salary in Chicago. Mr. Waldo opened a book store in 1855, in a frame building which rested on poles, where the Grand Union tea store now stands. He remained there four years, and then removed into his present stand, in 1859, where for forty-one years he has done business without interruption. He is the only merchant now in business of all those engaged in trade when he began. Mr. Waldo, however, was not the only early book dealer on the West side. John M. Perry, a brother of Seely Perry, had a book store on the site now occupied by L. Moulthrop's dry goods store. Mr. Perry sold this stock to J. W. Seccomb. Mr. Waldo served as school commissioner of Winnebago county from 1857 to 1859, and again from 1863 to 1865. He took an honest pride in the teachers' institutes, which were

attended by all classes of people, instead of teachers only, as at present. Mr. Waldo believes that his efforts in that direction have never been surpassed. In politics Mr. Waldo claims the unique distinction of always having voted with the minority. He was an Abolitionist when there were only seven in the county. His affiliations in later years have been generally with the Demcratic party. Upon the failure of the Second National Bank, Mr. Waldo was appointed receiver by Commissioner Eckles, and has paid eighty-five per cent. of the indebtedness. Since the organization of the Church of the Christian Union in 1870, Mr. Waldo has been an enthusiastic supporter of Dr. Kerr. It is said that in the nearly thirty years of its existence as an independent church, Mr. Waldo has never missed a service. Perhaps no man in town is as well known as H. H. Waldo. He has a ready wit, and the range of his information is broad. He is a shrewd observer of men and affairs; and has an inexhaustible fund of reminiscence at his instant command. His knowledge of the social life of Rockford covers more than half a century, and, with one or two exceptions, surpasses that of any other citizen.

L. F. Warner is a native of Connecticut. He read law with Hon. Reuben Booth, who had been governor of the state. A statute of the commonwealth then required a student to read law three years before admission to the bar. Mr. Warner came to Rockford in November, 1848. Chicago at that time gave no promise of so far outstripping Rockford. The Galena & Chicago Union had built a construction track a few miles from Chicago. In 1848 East Rockford was larger than the West side, and had more wealth. Mr. Warner has always been a Democrat. He was a delegate to the famous convention at Charleston, in 1860, which resulted in a breach in the party, and the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas for the presidency at a later convention. Mr. Warner has served Rockford as city attorney. He is now the senior member of the Rockford bar. In 1898 he completed a full half century of continuous practice in his profession.

Melancthon Starr is an honored name in Rockford history. Mr. Starr was born in Albany, New York, April 14, 1816. In 1840 he went to Tallahassee, as a commission merchant, where he represented several New York houses. His principal business was the purchase of cotton and its shipment in large quantities to the north. Mr. Starr, however, was a lover of freedom, and he became so disgusted with the scenes incident to slavery that he removed north. He became cashier of the banking house of

MELANCTHON STARR.

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Nevins, Townsend & Co., on Wall street, New York. His residence was at Jersey City. Mr. Starr removed to Rockford in 1850. He first conducted a dry goods business on the Second National Bank corner. He was assignee of Charles I. Horsman's bank when it failed. In 1855 Mr. Starr became interested in what was afterward called the Winnebago National Bank. This banking house was founded in 1848 by Thomas D. Robertson and John A. Holland. Later John S. Coleman

became a partner, and the firm was Robertson, Coleman & Co. On the death of Mr. Holland, Mr. Starr was admitted to the firm; and after Mr. Coleman's death the firm was Robertson & Starr, which continued until the organization of the Winnebago National Bank, in 1865. By reason of the respective characteristics of these gentlemen, the house of Robertson & Starr was sometimes called the firm of the Law and the Gospel. Mr. Robertson was president, ard Mr. Starr was vice-president until his death. In 1857 Mr. Starr sold his homestead on North Main street to Elias Cosper. It was his intention to return east; but the death of Mrs. Starr changed his plans, and he re-purchased his former home, where he spent his last years. Mr. Starr was the beloved patriarch of a large family circle. December 16, 1839, he was married to Lucretia M. Nevins, at Norwich, Connecticut. She possessed literary attainments and great force of character. Their six children are: Harry N., Mrs. John P. Manny, Mrs. C. W. Brown, Chandler, David N., and Miss Lucretia. The mother died in 1857. In 1861 Mr. Starr married Ellen M. Townsend, who still resides in Rockford. Mr. Starr was a man of the world in the best sense, and left quite a large estate. He was one of nature's noblemen. It has been said he never left a promise unfulfilled. He treated all men with respect. The poorest man was made to feel in the presence of Melancthon Starr that he was a gentleman, and he always received the same courteous treatment as though he were the possessor of unlimited wealth, and moved in the highest social circles. Mr. Starr was a rare type of that rapidlydeparting class, the old-school, Christian gentleman. There was not a grain of cynicism in his nature. The geniality of his disposition was as constant as the stability of his character. A beautiful trait was his sympathy for his old friend, the late Ephraim Wyman, who in his old age was reduced to very moderate circumstances. Nearly every Sunday Mr. Starr visited his friend, and cheered his last years with his sympathy and