DANIEL VAN GORDER BOUGHTON BUNDY HELMS WELTON Daniel VAN GORDER, a well-known contractor, and one of the highly respected citizens of Elgin, living at #432 Fulton St., is a native of New York, born May 15, 1830, near Aurora, on Lake Cayuga, in the town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., and is the son of John and Sarah HELMS VAN GORDER, who were born in Pennsylvania, of Holland ancestry. Throughtout his business career the father engaged in contracting and hotel keeping, conducting a popular hostelry in Geneseo, New York, for more than 20 years. He was widely and favorably known, and well deserved the reputation he enjoyed of being one of the best landlords in his section of the state. He died Aug.20, 1852, aged 60 years, and his wife 7 days later, at the age of 59. She was a devout and earnest Christian woman, a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the poor and needy were never turned from her door empty handed. She was kind and obliging at all times, and her home was the favorite stopping place with the minister. Of her nine children, Daniel is the 8th in order of birth, but only 3 are now living, the others being Selah, a contractor and builder, residing in Elmira, NY, and Amy, widow of Henry BOUGHTON, and a resident of Galena, Kansas. The boyhood and youth of our subject were spent in his father's hotel in Geneseo, NY, which he visited a few years since, and in the public schools of that city he acquired his education. After leaving the school room he learned the painters trade and for some years engaged in house painting, after which he was employed as clerk in hotels in New York city, Newark, New Jersey, and Rochester, NY. he began contracting in 1855, in New York, where he was employed as foreman on the Erie Canal, but in 1857 came west, stopping first in Chicago. Subsequently he went to Dubuque, Iowa, and still later to Prairie du Chein, Wisc., where he spent some years as a railroad contractor. He has engaged in the same business in many states, including Colorado, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi. From Memphis, Tennessee, he came to Elgin in 1889, and here he has since made his home while continuing to engage in both railroad and general contracting. In 1849 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. VAN GORDER and Miss Laura WELTON, daughter of Amos WELTON of Canandaigua, NY., and to them was born a son, Charles, now a job printer and prominent citizen of Elgin, who married Hannah BUNDY and has 2 children. The first wife of our subject died in 1864, at the age of 23 years, and in 1866 he wedded Miss Susan BUNDY, by whome he has one daughter, Lucille, a proficient and popular music teacher, now connected with the Hecker's College of Music in Elgin. In religious belief the mother is an Episcopalian. In 1859 Mr. VAN GORDER was made a Mason at Prairie du Chien lodge, # 106, F.& A.M., and has since affiliated with that fraternity. Politically he is not identified with any party but votes independently, endeavoring to support the man best qualified for office regardless of party ties. As a citizen he ever stands redy to discharge every duty devolving upon him, and he has a large circle of friends and acquaintances in the various states where he has been located at different times throughout his active and useful career. The Biographical Record of Kane Co., Illinois S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. July, 1898 pg. 15 Transcribed by Cynthia Nelson who has no further information on the above parties. Use your "BACK" button on your browser to return to Kane County ILGenWeb pages.