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Note: Born 1847 in Dayton Township, 4.5 miles north of Ottawa, IL. His Mother died of cholera in 1850. His Father remarried in the year 1851 Amanda Harriet (Springstead) Strider, and so, a step-mother for James Ivor, and brother William Harper. Amanda had had a daughter, Mary, with her first husband, John Strider, who had died in 1851 (see Strider notes, re: Goldrush). The Federal Census of 1850 shows Amanda living with her parents with a 2 year old daughter, Mary, wehile her husband was in California for the Gold Rush of 1849. At the age of 4, James Ivor had a brother and step-sister to grow up with, followed by other step-sisters and step-brothers between the years 1850 and 1863, when he left home to teach school. All of those siblings are recorded to have been born in Illinois between 1854 and 1870. Witnessed the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, with his father, John Nelson Montgomery, sitting on the shoulders of his Grandfather John Harper Montgomery, at Ottawa, IL, at age 11, August 21, 1858. Lived at home until 16 years old (1863), at which time he became a school teacher, teaching for about 9 years. He taught his second term of school in the winter of 1864-65 at the Henry Parr School in Serena Township, LaSalle County, IL (see his manuscripts). During the 1869-1870 school year he taught at South-Somonauk School, Somonauk, IL. He taught school until 25 years old (1872). One of his "County Superintendent's Certificate" to teach (1870) specified he was successfully examined in the subjects of "Orthography, Reading in English, Penmanship, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Modern Geography, and the History of the United States", and later (1875) the requirement of "Elements of Natural Science" and "Physiology and Laws of Health", which qualified him to teach First Grade for two years. In his "manuscripts", he writes of being caught in two terrible blizzards, one while teaching country school (1864-65) at the Henry K. Parr School (Serena Township), and one while surveying for the CNW Railroad, in the Dakota Territory and Minnesota in 1888. He describes both in the re-telling, "The Worst Blizzard I Have Known In 75 Years", written in 1921. During that period of teaching, he filled the position of Deputy Superintendent of Schools of LaSalle County for 4 years, while also reading Law. One of his duties was performing the work of Examining School Teachers in the northern LaSalle County area, being paid $5.00 for each full day's work at each respective school. From February 5, 1870 to April 29, 1871, he examined Teachers on 15 occasions, to include; Earlville (5 times), Leland (4 times), Northville (4 times), and Meriden (2 times). He was paid $75 for the Examinations and $15 for publishing notices of meetings, postage, envelopes, and paper. His Law tutoring was done by E. S. (Ezra Stones) Abbott, Attorney, of Leland, IL (see bio). He was admitted to the Bar, on examination, in Ottawa, IL, in October 1869. On the 1870 US Census he was living in the "Frederick and Amelia Smith" household, in Northville Township, LaSalle County, IL. His profession is shown to be Attorney at Law. Practiced Law at Leland, IL, LaSalle County, October 1869 until 1875. His Law Office was in the basement of the Somonauk Hotel in Leland, IL, then owned and operated by Mr. John M. Goodell. Moved his Law Practice to Sandwich, IL, in 1875. Officiated as City Attorney of Sandwich, IL, and four years as a Justice of the Peace. Later practiced Law for many years in Aurora and Chicago, IL. Practiced Law in State and Federal Courts. Remained a Lawyer until his death. With the aid of the internet, some of J. Ivor's Appellate Court Case involvements can be seen. He also operated a Collection Agency business out of his Leland Law Offices. 21 May 1871 - He married Mary A. Lett. 1871 - Assessor for Northville Township, LaSalle County, IL. (Taken from The History of LaSalle County, Illinois, Volume II, Chicago, Inter-State Publishing Co., 1886) 7 Nov 1871 - General Election, LaSalle County: J. Ivor ran for Circuit Clerk of LaSalle County, IL, in this Election against Charles H. Hook. Fell short of being elected by 2,375 votes. (Taken from "The History of LaSalle County, Illinois, Volume I", Chicago, Inter-State Publishing Co., 1886) At one time, he owned 33.22 acres of land on the SE corner of Leland, as shown on an 1876 Plat of Leland. The 1880 US Census finds James Ivor, Mary, Jessie, Florian, Ward, and a Gertrude Case, living on the Lett Farm, Sandwich, LaSalle County, IL. 1882 - Nominated for State Senator at the 1882 Illinois Senatorial District Convention (DeKalb County / LaSalle County District?). His personal acquaintance Herbert Wells Fay, a DeKalb County Publisher and long-time Custodian of the Lincoln Monument in Springfield, IL, was present at the convention (1942, "Lincoln Tomb Notes" by H.W. Fay, newspaper clipping). 7 Nov 1882 - General Election, LaSalle County: J. Ivor was on the Ballot for Senator in this Election, running against three other candidates; James Duncan, Joseph Hart, J. W. Barnhart. He garnered the least amount of votes, 466. James Duncan was elected with 6,778 votes. (Taken from "The History of LaSalle County, Illinois, Volume I", Chicago, Inter-State Publishing Co., 1886) Nov 1883 - Moved his family from the Village of Sandwich onto the Lett Farm Homestead south of Sandwich. 1883 and later - Surveyor of lands in upper LaSalle and lower DeKalb County, IL, areas. 1885 - Member of the Masonic Fraternity and the Order of Odd Fellows. 1888 - 1889 - Surveyor for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in the Territory of Dakota, prior to the Dakota Statehoods. Also Surveyed lands in Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin, not to mention survey work in LaSalle County and DeKalb County, IL, with many lands surveyed in the Dakotas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin being recorded in his "Land Owner Pocket Tract Book, 1876, Chicago, J. M Wing & Co." 1895 - Wife Mary and MIL Merilla purchased a house in Aurora approximately 27 March 1895 (for $2,300??). The Warranty Deed of that 1895 date, for a house at 115 North View Street (pre-1929 address, now 319 North View Street), lists the grantor as "Mary A. Montgomery et al (Agreement to purchase included Merilla J. Lett, with John M. Raymond)". (N56 feet in width of Lot 16 in Block 11 in Hoyt's addition to Aurora, Kane County, IL.) 1897 - Had a Law Office at "Room 220, Coulter Block", in Aurora. 1897 - Had a Law Office in Chicago at: "704 Atwood Building, Corner Clark & Madison Streets". 1897, Private Journal - 12 June: "Returning from business trip to Philadelphia and New York, visited relatives in Penn Line, PA, about 15 miles from Andover, OH. "Saw Maria, Eli, Bert, and Ivor Platt, siblings of his Grandmother Malinda Platt Montgomery." His visit to the area was also mentioned in The Conneautville Courier, Thursday Morning, September 23, 1897 (microfiche copy). From an 1885 "Township History Sketch" of Conneaut Township, Crawford County, PA, "Penn Line Post Office is a hamlet in the western part of Conneaut, consisting of about fifteen dwellings scattered along the road, from the State line eastward, for a distance of half a mile - a store, hotel, cheese factory, two blacksmith shops, shoe shop and schoolhouse." 1897, Private Journal - June 14 to June 23: While on the trip he was sick with lung congestion and lung disease. While on the trip he was taking / selling many deposits for stock in some entity or proposition. J. Ivor was continually sending money back to "Colwell" that he had collected from purchasers of the shares at $25 each. This is what he was selling shares in, from the published, "ACTS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF WEST VIRGINIA AT ITS 24TH REGULAR SESSION, Commencing January 11, 1899 "ABSTRACTS OF CERTIFICATES OF INCORPORATION ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, And not before Reported "ABSTRACTS OF CORPORATIONS: (page 98/99) "INTERNATIONAL POWER CO. "The selling and dealing in rotary and other engines; principal office, Chicago, Ill; charter issued August 15, 1898; charter expires August 1, 1948; amount subscribed, $1,000; amount paid in, $100; authorized capital, $5,000,000: par value shares, $25; incorporators, T. M. Colwell, H. L. Gilbert, J. Ivor Montgomery, Edward S. Colwell, Chicago, Ill.; A. M. Merrifield, Brooklyn, N. Y." 1900 Census - living with Mary at the Lett Farm, Northville Township, LaSalle County, IL - Mary was "head of household" on Census. (Had they sold the house on View Street in Aurora?) 1901 - Had "Corporation Law" Office in Chicago at: "804-805 New York Life Building". 1901 - Wrote (typed) Obituary for his Mother-in-Law, Merilla Jerusha Pease Lett, on his Chicago Law Office letterhead. 1910 Census - Living with Mary, daughter Edith, his son Ward and his wife May and daughter Marilla, at the Lett Farm, Northville Township, LaSalle County, IL. 1913, Jan - Feb - Living in Aurora, as noted in a diary of his daughter-in-law, May Belle Fitzgerald Montgomery. 1919, March - Living at 469 Spruce Street, Aurora, IL. 1920 Census - Living with wife Mary and daughter Edith at 374 Oak Avenue, Aurora, IL. 1923-1925 - Living with wife Mary, daughter Jessie, Jessie's son Stanley and daughter Mary, daughter Edith, and granddaughter Marilla (daughter of son Ward) who was finishing high school at West High School, at 236 (110) Plum Street. 1924 - Listed a Lawyer with the law firm "Alshuler, Putnam, Flannigen & Johnson" (City Directory, 1924) Died 29 January 1928. His brother, Allen Lee Montgomery, died 27 Feb 1928, in San Antonio, TX.
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