july september american captain banker printer hotel owner vast land owner businessman began professional career working mississippi ohio rivers eventually captain based louisville kentucky pioneer river railroad transportation businesses responsible expansion cairo illinois following american civil war war predicted greatly impact river railroad transportation moved cairo illinois town critical position confluence ohio mississippi rivers soon relocating established businesses focused river transportation general merchandise war good friends general relationship increased personal fortune considerably favorable military contracts civil war brothers family members rapidly expanded business interests region purchased real estate businesses hotels mines railroads lumber yards furniture companies took advantage business opportunities business success led advancement region specifically contributed development cairo illinois illinois early years born ohio eldest seven children father immigrant scotland graduated age immigrated america receive travel difficult stranded small village convinced stay open school eventually samuel surveyed planned town grandfather samuel held position county ohio years received general education ohio employed printer job proprietor later worked cincinnati gazette surveyor working interior purpose surveying group determine northwestern boundary united_states worked surveying teams surveyed mountain arkansas indian territory indian territory texas areas short time switched careers clerk frequently working alongside later married sister gradually advanced business captain relocated family cairo initially worked commission merchant later merchant cotton banker miller coal operator owned vast tracts coal farm lands owned salt mines illinois pioneer lumber dealer cairo successful businessman end life owned hotels commercial shipping businesses investments civil war civil war lived kentucky owned grain business moved cairo illinois predicting war come cairo thanks strategic location set businesses benefit conflict february established moved illinois river cairo arrived journalists predicted company extensive organized celebration mark boat arrival partner signed contract union_army use war contract compensated month date commentators suggested contract result close personal friendship general grant instead sound military strategy short time general grant military headquarters hotel cairo illinois war grant close friends grant use soon boat signed work agent gained trust grant enlisted army accompanied general grant numerous battles expeditions addition military uses connect mobile cairo civil war ends close civil war established railroads close associates february granted charter legislature incorporate cairo authorized capital stock day illinois legislature approved railroad charter cairo february original authorized capital stock brothers established bought largest hotel cairo renaming family mansion built mansion cairo illinois street brick mansion rooms floors basement mansion completed spanned entire city block floor mansion entry sitting area family room kitchen dining room hallway powder room oval central curved cherry winds stories encompassing feet slate roof capped ornamental iron second floor guest guest bath sitting room master bedroom luxurious bath complete sunken floor sitting area office library theater complete stage movie seats original design distinctive river boat theme house sliding hatch serves entrance roof roof designed flat resemble deck view river early days working captain standing roof captain lived years business career following civil war brothers achieved substantial business success following civil war variety businesses investments commentator stated 1880s family powerful region significant figure family driving force firm cairo brothers brothers operated members brother character business personal life noted writings publications books book history city cairo illinois speaks brothers somewhat exceptional number permitted differed exhibited features character conduct given prominence business world doubt important respects excelled shown matters things gave chief attention speaking families represented said stood better things assumption openly firmly pushed business enterprises men better city doubt business empire following civil war comprised numerous businesses cairo cotton lands arkansas hotel memphis tennessee furniture companies memphis new_orleans coal mines southern illinois salt wells southern illinois indiana numerous large farms investments brothers dealt heavily flour following civil war order updated daily business activities brothers installed private telegraph lines residences business offices early 1870s held public office city city cairo illinois city large ward march granted permission illinois legislature incorporate capital stock company company headquarters cairo illinois company purpose manufacture iron metals stated purpose supplying railroads time served transportation committee civil war associated mobile railroad use war major investor railroad investments centered railroad expansion cairo late 1870s april shareholders mobile elected board directors business interests grew began investing businesses supported railroad businesses primarily coal mines purchased coal illinois supply coal depots success coal mines began purchase property area search oil unsuccessful locating oil deposits find productive salt mines region brother law ran oversaw coal salt mines originally invested cairo railway completed incorporated july years able attract influential important investors project banking served president director railroad spent weeks new_york_city investors trying investment cairo railway project trip able gain support investment united_states railroad construction company town town illinois located illinois renamed honor major investor owner located town company remained estate years death company sold consisted acres coal lands numerous buildings property farms town planned based friend ideas developed similar industrial mining town founded earlier wanted avoid labor capital disputes plagued era creating model town workers families height production employed men white black families lived worked towns southern illinois electricity acquainted business interests took chicago springfield washington owned palace car personal gift town originally named contrasted sharply southern illinois coal towns commonly referred mining camps aspects closely resembled leave doubt intention pattern community cook county town showing distinctive style architecture set midst trees gardens caused journalists designate town village employees commonly worked hour day mines adopted hour schedule shifts agreed pay union wage interest farming came naturally teaching father samuel farmed successfully scotland united_states owned prosperous cotton plantation arkansas addition thousand cultivated acres connected model town cultivated acres surrounding village provided important staples town forage food mining families came company farms order process meat company operated system store able sell fresh meat affordable prices industrial operations giving attention details labor forces tempered demands industry america expected work hard exchange life cooperation managers workers created higher standard living turn encouraged better working conditions good housing helped promote good work habits united_states inadequate housing neighborhoods pushed working men home drink discussion wealthy wishing strike balance demands labor desires capital looked example implemented policy tolerance towns identical peaceful atmosphere attributed absence alcohol relatively peaceful especially significant coal towns region prone crime residents southern illinois coal towns containing policy experienced murder fatal injuries resulting bar room violence took form wife beating southern illinois miners lost lives hands frustrated reasoned adequate housing counter drinking problems adhered idea believed good residential surrounding benefit workers beauty town breed good character residents hoped comfortable beautiful environment town encourage work force attractive housing adequate living space create good work habits towns like desire create model company town housing compared favorably model company towns period turn century comparable company houses appear southern illinois built town contrast peaceful environment coal miners lived attractive houses provided electricity rare southern illinois communities raised teachers believed value education original buildings followed overall architecture scheme village west end main street frame accommodated students typical period separated entrances boys girls appeared twin bell towers likely maintained book collection use residents company town home city served endowed cairo library high degree literacy existed towns supported original belief owners profit helping workers later life legacy end life president president brother listed bank time bank available funds based inflation money equivalent today moving cairo huge force development city region source describes contributions following manner life city friends labor interests undertake expense welfare promotion great assume numerous monuments far seeing exist day exist centuries come source described stating effective worker action half dozen men talking addition town named command mentioned papers boat destroyed fire monday morning february wharf leading men appointed set officers direct primary purpose organization collection preparation presentation united_states congress statistics information relating commerce navigation served vice presidents sitting governor west_virginia present following year reelected vice president second annual convention held pittsburgh pennsylvania year died merchants businessmen cairo sponsored boat race illinois cairo illinois race offered cash prize winner widely reported newspapers towns villages stood shot gun boat crossed finish line announce crowd people winning boat spent months life residing lexington hotel chicago illinois battling illness stay chicago died condition death reputed worth based inflation money equivalent today death estate left cairo public library expand collection rare fine edition books served president library board daughter mary presented city cairo honor father historic bronze nude exhibited fair considered best united_states wife separated legally binding separation agreement force time death wife terms instead took rights illinois law time amounted property estate soon wife granted rights wife children created trust funded estate estate held association tax deficiencies levied trust unpaid taxes owed course time trust existence expanded trust holdings purchase stock real estate businesses majority investments profitable funeral obituary death notices cairo citizen jan cairo illinois thursday cairo suffers loss death passed away chicago friday night funeral hotel tuesday afternoon buried beech grove cemetery sketch life great man cairo prominent citizen died lexington hotel chicago midnight friday night ill weeks went chicago receive treatment change air ward attack malaria feeling badly able days death friends family demise come soon appeared captain chicago prepared end days death condition grew bad family summoned thursday morning clock lost consciousness life kept artificial means hours slept away friday night midnight final dissolution came remains immediately prepared burial brought chicago train leaving saturday afternoon illinois central railroad furnished private cars use family friends arriving remains taken lay state tuesday lay handsome cloth covered metallic people passed rooms sunday monday gaze features illness left traces face looked thin floral pieces surrounded life size oil painting deceased hung head heavily mourning mourning seen gas office bore doors number buildings black flags hung half mast funeral late held hotel tuesday afternoon long clock crowds commenced gather services began halfway crowded people numbers upstairs waited office outside street rector conducted rites choir composed miss tunnel sang beautiful hymns funeral address delivered ill pastor phillips close friend deceased wish assist service phillips spoke captain kindness rendered assistance delicate way sensitive proud hurt spoke captain loyalty cairo aided city struggle great floods instructed bank cash paper issued city dark days fortune ready protecting life property barges placed readiness sunk opposite weak places told conversation captain panic days banks failing deceased said entire fortune ready preserve integrity bank protect businessmen loss told kind employer position life job employee work phillips said known men years ago service told watched careers young men ahead life helped opening way letting hand told man termed best friend cairo conclusion service remains conveyed thousand people went cairo long trains surrounding towns gathered acting heads departments institutions controlled follows honorary chosen follows judge judge service grave concluded mound literally covered sight beautiful floral offerings sent great friends deceased number men prominence came pay respects memory deceased came chicago memphis new_orleans smaller distant places number sam prominence associates wife chicago judge judge senator vienna family numerous lodge man interest far numerous allow devote time secret societies found time devote cairo interests member member organizations rendered efficient aid counsel sought met prepared memorial setting forth value deceased organization cairo adopted library board met judge addressed appropriate manner paying tribute worth assistance educational life city city council met passed appropriate resolutions attended funeral body cairo miss death great loss cairo people city long time appreciate friend resources great willingness help relied cairo won great reputation host entertainment distinguished guests planned magnificent scale purse drawn large bill way cairo won fame city able rivals cairo fall plane business way great help city owned improved employed large numbers men paid good wages movement advance city interests needed influence carry project missed people bounty legion gave quietly gave true let right hand know left hand frequently recipient bounty guess gift came aided distress thousands ways way finding people needed assistance certain times knew come aid hundreds public dream needed assistance blessed features time came substantial way critical time missed truly great man
William P. Halliday