Table of Content
It’s true that it’s important to hire professional movers for small local moves, but it’s even more important if you’re moving long distance. If you’re packing up and hitting the road, make sure you hire an experiencedout of state moving company. Gridley hired then-lawyer Abraham Lincoln to defend him in the case.
While running the bank, Gridley's business interests expanded. He took control of the gas manufacturing plant and expanded its production and customer base. Gridley had an unfailing ability to make money from new technologies, coupled with a deep understanding of finance.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
In the meantime, he practiced law with John M. Scott in the Miller–Davis Law Buildings. He frequently appeared opposed to or in association with Abraham Lincoln. Often times, Lincoln was compelled to defend Gridley, whether it was on a proposal brought forth by Gridley or Gridley’s own public foul mouth brought on by his drinking, which often got him into trouble. According to one story, it was said that Gridley occupied street corners yelling profanities at “every prominent man in town.” He was also very quick to defend himself should anyone lash out against him.
Lincoln, who represented the Illinois Central Railroad in many matters and was also engaged with Gridley in other legal work, often visited here. Worried about time away from your clients while trying to complete a business relocation on your own? Let our office movers help transport your warehouse space, retail shop, or another company location to its new spot. Asahel Gridley (April 21, 1810 – January 25, 1881) was an American politician, lawyer, merchant, and banker. Born in New York, Gridley moved to Bloomington, Illinois, when he was twenty-one.
Asahel Gridley
When the equipment arrived it was hauled by wagon to Bloomington. Gridley’s interest in the newspaper seemed to end after his procuring the press and equipment in Philadelphia. Gridley was responsible for laying out several towns throughout McLean County. In November, 1835 Gridley, with the help Merritt Covel, laid out the town of LeRoy.
When he returned from the Black Hawk War, Gridley jumped right back into his mercantile business. While he purchased many of his supplies from St. Louis, he also traveled back east to Philadelphia and New York City twice a year to buy his goods. In Gridley’s efforts to promote the new city of Bloomington, he sold $20,000 to $30,000 worth of lots of Bloomington land to Philadelphians. In January of 1832, the McLean County Commissioner’s Court adopted a plan for building a courthouse in the newly established county of McLean, the county seat of which was in Bloomington.
Related to this story
McLean County “furnished three companies of mounted volunteers for the campaign of 1832.” The first two belonged to the Fifth Regiment of Mounted Volunteers. Gridley enrolled in the first company on April 23, 1832 and was immediately made First Lieutenant. His company was under the command of Captain Merritt L. Covel.
Gridley was a key element in the development of Central Illinois. As a lawyer, as a plaintiff, and as a defendant, he crossed legal paths with Lincoln over one hundred times. Gridley was an advocate for fair dealing with black Illinoisans.
Asahel (pronounced Ash-el) Gridley was born on April 21, 1810 near Cazenovia, New York. He was the youngest of six children born to Asahel and Elizabeth Gridley. He was four years old when his father died and ten years later, in 1824, his mother passed away.
Gridley donated $338 to establish the first courthouse in McLean County. With the outbreak of the Black Hawk War, Gridley enlisted in the cavalry, assisting General Merritt L. Covel with raising a cavalry company. Gridley was named Covel's first lieutenant and was soon brevetted to brigadier general. A short time later, after a few of the investors decided to withdraw from the company, Price and Shaffer purchased all of the stock and together were the sole owners. Shaffer then became interested in other business ventures so Price bought out his stock in the Gas Company. Finally, after Price had made some bad business ventures and the state banks began to fail, he sold all of his bonds and stock in the company to Asahel Gridley.
In 1853, while in the state legislature, he opposed laws to oppress African-Americans as a backdoor attempt to bring slavery into Illinois. With these principles, he was elected to the State Central Committee of the newly organized Illinois Republican Party. He used his influence to ensure that both the Illinois Central Railroad and the Chicago and Mississippi Railroad would pass through Bloomington.
Spencer moved to Bloomington from Canton, Illinois in April 1844. He then actively engaged in preaching against slavery, later founding an antislavery society in Pleasant Hill . Additionally, Gridley was also involved with the founding and organization of the Lafayette, Bloomington, and Mississippi Railway Company. It was chartered in February, 1867 and was built between 1869 and 1872.
In an interview for the Daily Bulletin later in her life, she stated that “Lincoln was soaked to the skin by the heavy rain. A few years later, he developed Bloomington Gas Works, the company that manufactured gas to illuminate homes and streets within the city. Mr. Kent insisted on naming the town in honor of his employer, Asahel Gridley. General Gridley—a general in the Black Hawk war—was a wealthy businessman in Bloomington and friend of Abraham Lincoln. General Gridley donated land for the Gridley cemetery the four local churches, and the Third Street City Park.
He was elected and served in the 12th General Assembly (1840–1842). Gridley successfully lobbied the assembly to have the Illinois Central Railroad build a train station within two miles of Bloomington. Gridley owned much of the land around the station and became very wealthy by selling it to the company.
The McLean County Bank was granted a charter until 1880 with an authorized capital of $150,000. According to an 1870 advertisement in the Bloomington City Directory, the “bank pays interest on deposits as expressed in certificates therefor; deals in Exchange, Government Stocks, and Coin.” Gridley was appointed the president and financial manager, positions which he held the rest of his life. Within two years of the bank’s opening, Gridley bought up the stock of his business partners and became the sole proprietor. The establishment of the bank aided industrial growth throughout McLean County.
No comments:
Post a Comment