Aledo Weekly Record, 3/15/1864 "Fresh Fish at L. H. GARARD'S FISHERY NEW BOSTON BAY With a well regulated fishery and many year's experience I will try to supply the street with a good quality of fresh fish. Eastern rags positively not taken. Wholesale prices - rough fish $1.25 cwt, cat fish $3.00 cwt, fine fish $5.00 cwt. New Boston 3/29/1864." |
Alternate Spellings - Garard, Girard - almost all the records are found as Garard. Links - Drury Contacts and Sources - Marna Wilson sent us a biography of William Girard from Past and Present of Mercer County, 1914, and in verifying the information we found much interesting history of the family and of the fishing industry in New Boston. |
History of Captain William GarardHere is the text from the Past and Present of Mercer County, 1914:"Captain William Girard is entitled to mention as one of the 'boys in blue' who in time of civil strife came gladly to the defense of the Union. His birth occured on March 12, 1833 at Miamitown, Hamilton county, Ohio. His parents were Matthew and Sarah (Campbell ) Giriard, the latter of whom passed away when the subject of this review was quite young. In 1841 the father went overland to Burlington and was for many years a river man. He was a cooper by trade and also devoted some time to this occupation, owning a shop in Burlington and later one in Oquawka, Illinois. He passed away at the age of 75. Our subject was one of two children born to the marriage of his parents and was only about 8 years of age when he came west with his father. As a young man he began work on the Mississippi river, continuing that occupation until the beginning of the Civil War. He then enlisted in the Union Army and served for three years and several months. He was a gallant soldier and at the close of the war returned with a military record of which any man might be proud. He came to New Boston after the cessation of hostilities and has since made his home at this place. For many years he was engaged as an engineer on steamers plying up and down the river and won a reputation of being throughly competent. He was prudent and careful and never had a a serious accident. About 10 years ago he retired on account of advancing years and has since lived in the enjoyment of the comforts of life which his former toil has made possible. Captain Girard married Miss Anna H. Little, born in July 1843, a native of Kentucky and daughter of James and Anna (Hardy) Little. Captain and Mrs. Girard became the parents of three children: Mrs. Fannie F. Drury of New Boston , Harriet who passed away in childhood; and Anna, the wife of Willard Smull of New Boston. Captain and Mrs. Girard are passing down the westward slope of life together and are among the esteemed and honored residents of New Boston." More on the family below. Mathew Garard Family of Ohio and IllinoisMathew Garard did indeed live in Oquawka, Henderson County, Illinois, where he is found in 1870: #121 Mathew Garard, 64, fisherman, born Ohio; Julia, 36, Ohio; Gus, 21, fisherman, Iowa; Lewis, 18, Iowa; John, 11, Iowa; Allison (male), 9, Il; Caroline, 7, Il; Anne, 3, Il; Hattie 3/12, Illinois. Mathew did die at about age 75, as Julia is a widow in 1880 in Oquawka: #201, Julia Girard, 45, born Germany, parents born Germany; Adison, 19, son, works on farm, Il, father Oh, mother Germay; Mary, 18, Il; Anna, 12, Il; Eddie, 6, Il; Emma, 6, Il; Lewis, 30, step son, born Iowa, father born Ohio, mother born Ohio.Son Augustus Garard is found in Keithsberg, Mercer County, in 1880: Augustus Garard, 30, fisherman, born Iowa, parents born Ohio; Ella, 23, born Il, parents born Virginia; William, 5, born Il, father Ia, mother Il. Augustus Garard had married Ellen Endicott 5/22/1873 in Henderson County. From the census records above, it appears that Gus and Lewis were sons born before Mathew married Julia. Both give their mother as born Ohio, but possibly Mathew married again in Ohio. Or perhaps the 1914 history erred in mentioning only two children of the union of Mathew and Sarah Campbell Garard. Further history connected to the River is reflected in the 1900 census record of Augustus on Jackson Street in Keithsburg: Augustus Garard, born Feb 1850, Iowa, parents born Ohio; button cutter; Ellen, April 1857, Ia, 43, married 27 years, 1 child born, 1 child living; William C. Garard, June 1874, superintendent, button factory; Fred W. Ross, stepson, May 1870, age 10, Il, father Oh, mother Il; Thomas Rippy, December 1837, lodger, 61, born NJ, parents born NJ, constable. The "buttons" were of course made from Mississippi River shells. We have looked for some time for the actual "button factory" as people were button cutters on both sides of the River here in this time period. Now we wonder if they were "home industries." Augustus Girard is buried in Greenmound Cemetery and his tombstone reads 1850-1912. More on the William Garard Family
We find William Garard in the 1870 census for New Boston: William H. Garard, 36, engineer on boat, born Ohio, wife Anna, 29, born Kentucky, Annie, 8, born Indiana, Fanny F., 13, born Illinois.
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