Biography - Aaron Boyer
AARON
BOYER was born in York County, Pennsylvania, February 17, 1833. In 1839, he
moved with his parents, Daniel and Rosana Boyer, to Indiana, where he
attended the district school until twelve years of age, obtaining only a
meager education. About this time, he met with an accident, with eventually
caused his total blindness. However, as soon as he was able to labor, his
parents being poor, he was obliged to assist his father in the distillery
business, in which he soon became proficient. At the age of fifteen, his
father sent him from home to superintend a distillery for an acquaintance.
His labor here was too great for his strength and education. Besides, the
making of whiskey was distasteful and repulsive. After remaining eight
months, he returned home, asking God's help to keep him from such an
unworthy occupation. This resolution was the cause of his leaving home and
starting out to make his own way in the world. After many unsuccessful
efforts to obtain work, he was finally employed for the season by the Miami
Canal Packet Company (J. A. Garfield being at the same time an employee of
this company), in driving a team on a canal packet. In the Fall of 1849, he
was so badly crippled with rheumatism that he had to seek other employment.
It was while thus disabled that he learned to make brooms.
In 1850, he was engaged with a surveying party on the Cincinnati, Hamilton
and Dayton Railroad, which was the second railroad running out of Cincinnati
OH. But the inclement weather so aggravated his rheumatism and affected his
eyes, which had never recovered their strength, that he was forced to give
up all kinds of labor. At the age of seventeen, he became totally blind. But
this boy's ambition could not be overcome, even by so great a calamity as
this. He began making brooms at East Germantown IN, where his parents then
lived. In a short time, he had become so proficient in this work that he was
appointed foreman of the broom shops at the School for the Blind at
Indianapolis, where he remained for one year.
In 1853, he married Elizabeth Buck. To them was born one son, who died in
infancy, the mother dying soon after. October 3, 1858, he married Sarah
Harper in Wayne County IN, where from 1855 to 1864, he was engaged in the
manufacture of brooms, his first purchase of broom corn aggregating but five
dollars, he obtaining credit for two dollars of this amount. He then moved
to Crawford County IL, where he carried on the same business, until he came
to Elmwood IL in 1866. In 1868, he went to Galesburg, locating in a small
frame dwelling house with a factory fifteen by thirty feet. From this small
beginning, has grown up a large and successful business, which he carried on
until 1897, when he leased his plant and is now retired. In 1893 he bought
about twelve thousand dollars worth of broom corn within thirty-six hours
time.
Mr. Boyer, by his indomitable perseverance, transformed his little broom
shop into a large manufactory, making from 15,000 to 18,000 dozen brooms
annually. He has also invented and patented some useful broom machinery.
Twice his factory has been destroyed by fire - once with no insurance. The
present factory was built in 1882, and is sixty by ninety feet, two stories
high. It is filled with the latest and most improved machinery. He has also
built a fine brick residence with all modern improvements.
Mr. Boyer's second wife died in 1875, leaving three sons and one daughter,
Charles H., Andrew J., William R., and Ola B.
July 10, 1877, he married Julie E., daughter of John and Bethan (Lee)
Mitchell, who were among the early settlers of Galesburg, coming from New
York, about 1840. By this marriage, Mr. Boyer has had four children - one
son and daughter dying in infancy. The two sons now living are Abel and
Orrin E.
Mr. Boyer is an active member of the Methodist Church and during his long
business career, has earned himself the friendship and respect of all with
whom he has come in contact, either in business or in a social way.
Extracted from the 1899 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County, Munsell Publishing Company. Picture contributed by Jim Ferris.
