BELOVED EVANSTON HISTORIAN - Frank Reed Grover

Frank Reed Grover

Very few of us know when we are going to die.  If we did know, would we take that as an opportunity to write a Farewell Letter to our family and friends?  One person who did was Frank Reed Grover (1858-1919).  He was a charter member of the Evanston Historical Society and a well known attorney and historian.  Grover left instructions that his "Farewell  Letter" was to be read at his funeral.  It was not read at his funeral because it was not found until after the funeral was over, so the Evanston News-Index published it in its entirety in their January 7, 1920 issue:

The years of my life have gone by almost like so many months.  There has been sorrow and care and a lot of hard work, but it has been a beautiful world just the same, which I have enjoyed (I hope not too selfishly) as I went along.  I have found many true friends, and in every one, when I have taken the pains to ascertain (I have found) something worthwhile. If I could speak a little farewell it would be a prayer of thankfulness for what my true friends have meant to me.  To my family there are no farewells to say, for in the sacred temple of the home there has been that love and understanding that needs no parting words.  And now - in the evening whatever may be the sunrise in the great plan of human destiny - I meet it ready and unafraid.

Let's see what we can "dig up" about this beloved Evanstonian.

Frank Reed Grover was born September 17, 1858 in Lyons, Illinois to Aldin J. Grover (1822-1902) and Eliza Diana Reed (1829-1871).  Aldin and Eliza were married March 23, 1856 and were blessed with seven children:  Frank Reed (1858-1949), Etta Margaret/Mrs. Dr. Charles H. Thayer (1860-1906), Katherine Susan (1863-1916), Caroline Ella/Mrs. Warren Rufus Smith (1867-1948),  Aldin Chester (1869-1869), Chester Aldin (1871-1957) and Louise Mary (1870-1950).  Frank's father Aldin Grover started out as a farmer and mechanic by trade but branched out into construction and real estate.  

Frank makes his first appearance in the 1860 US Census.  The Grover family was living in the Town of Wales, Erie County, New York.  The family consisted of:  Alden (sic) Grover (35 years old), wife Eliza D. (30), Frank R. (2), and Etta (2 mos.).  Aldin reported his occupation as "Farmer and Mechanic" and said he owned personalty worth $100.00 ($3,800.00 in today's funds).  

Aldin Grover moved his young family to Evanston in 1866.  He thought his children would receive a better education there because of the proximity of Northwestern University. 

The 1870 US Census finds the Grover family in Evanston.  The family had grown significantly and now consisted of:  Aldin (47 years old), Eliza (40), Frank (12), Etti (10), Susan (8), Carrie (6),  and Louise (1).  Living with the Grover family was Salina Ragren (18) a "Domestic Servant".  Aldin reported his occupation as "Carpenter", and reported Real Estate worth $20,000 ($481,000 in today's funds) and personalty worth $1,000 ($24,000 in today's funds).

Frank's mother, Eliza Reed Grover died October 31, 1871 in Evanston.  She was 49 years old.  This was less than two weeks after the birth of her son Chester who was born October 18th.  A cause of death was not revealed but it was probably Complications from Childbirth which killed so many women in those days.  She was buried in the Grover Family Plot at Rosehill:

Aldin Grover remarried in 1875 to Mrs. Mary Eliza Whelden Skinner (1834-1917).  She was the widow of Deacon Oliver Buell Skinner (1832-1873).

On June 23, 1877 Frank Grover graduated from the Evanston High School.  Classes were taught by public school superintendent Otis Erastus Haven in an upper room of the Benson Avenue School (Benson Avenue and Davis Street).  Grover was a member of the second graduating class of the high school.  The first class, consisting of two students, graduated in 1876.  The graduation exercises were held in the Lecture Room of the Methodist Church.  At his graduation, Grover presented an Oration entitled "Patriotism."  The high school building at Dempster and Elmwood did not open until 1883.  

The 1880 US Census shows Frank Grover still living with his father and family in Evanston.  The family consisted of:  Aldin (57), wife Mary (45), Frank R. (21), Etta (19), Susan (17), Carrie (15), Louisa (11) and Chester (8).  Also living with them was Eliza's son Mortimer Buel "Morty" Skinner (15).  Frank Grover said his occupation was "Commercial Agent."

After a course of study at the Union College of Law, part of the University of Chicago, Frank Grover passed his bar examinations and was admitted to practice law on March 14, 1882.  Thirty-one students were presented for the examinations; twenty-two passed including Grover.  Shortly thereafter, Frank Grover opened a law office at 156 Washington Street in downtown Chicago.

The Evanston City Directory for 1882 shows the Grover family to be living at 444 Sherman Avenue in Evanston.

On March 20, 1884, Frank R. Grover married Miss Ella F. Smith (1859-1956) in Pleasant Grove, Olmstead County, Minnesota.  The bride was twenty-four; the groom was twenty-five.  

Ella Florence Smith was born October 4, 1859 in Lyle, Mower County, Minnesota.  Her parents were William D. Smith (1825-1905) and Lydia Elmina "Abbie" Barber (1830-1905).  William Smith was a farmer by trade.  William Smith was first married to Betsey Maria Barber (1830-1853).  They had two children:  William Everett Smith (1850-1918) and Emily M. Smith (1853-1853).  Betsey Smith died August 22, 1853 in Java Village, New York.  She was twenty-three years old.  

William Everett Smith then married  Lydia Elmina "Abbie" Barber (1830-1905) in 1854.  William and Lydia had eight children:  Olive Jerusha/Mrs. Edward Toy (1855-1905), Ella Florence/Mrs. Frank Grover (1859-1956), Victor O. (1860-1862), Minnehaha E. (1863-1866), Cora Annette/Mrs. Scott Stuckman (1866-1949), Vernon Elijah (1868-1922), Eldred Joseph (1871-1958), and Merton Royal (1876-1960). 

Upon their return to Chicagoland, Mr. & Mrs. Frank R. Grover lived at 511 Grove Street at East Railroad Avenue.  In his law practice, Grover specialized in being a Trustee for the benefit of creditors in Bankruptcy cases.  

Note:  all Evanston addresses mentioned here prior to 1893 are using the "old" numbering system.  Chicago standardized its numbering system in 1909.  Evanston was ahead of the game here - Evanston standardized its numbering system in 1893.   

In 1885 Frank Grover was elected Justice of the Peace in Evanston after having been nominated by the Republican Party.  In this regard, he opened an additional office, at 418 Davis Street.  

In 1886, Frank and Ella Grover moved to 608 Grove in Evanston and in 1890 got a telephone!  Their telephone number was "55".  The Grovers were blessed with a son on August 24, 1886: Mortimer Curry Grover (1886-1962).  He was their only child.

Frank Grover also moved his law office in 1886 - to 115 Dearborn, where he remained until 1894.

The 1890 US Census for this area is of course, lost.

In May of 1891, Frank R. Grover was chosen to become the Village Attorney for the Village of Evanston.  You might think this was not a controversial decision, but the opposite was true as reported by the Chicago Tribune on May 27, 1891:

Frank Grover retained his position as attorney when the Village of Evanston became the City of Evanston in 1892.

As mentioned above, Evanston standardized its numbering system late in 1893.  So when the Evanston Directory of 1893 reported that the Grovers were living at 428 Sherman Avenue in Evanston and the 1894 Directory reported that the Grovers were living at 1508 Sherman Avenue in Evanston, they were talking about the same property.  1508 Sherman Avenue is now occupied by a building with commercial tenants on the first floor with apartments upstairs.

In 1894 Grover moved his Chicago law office to the sixteen story Unity Building, located at 79 N. Dearborn Street where he remained in Suite 1331 until 1909.

Frank Grover took out a Personal ad in the Tribune of January 21, 1894 concerning a robbery at his home:

The Tribune printed a follow-up article the next day, January 22, 1894:

Further information was revealed a week later, January 29, 1894:

I couldn't find any further information about this, so I don't know if  Grover ever got his materials back or not.

There was a movement afoot in 1894 by Chicago to annex Evanston.  Frank Grover came out firmly against annexation as did Evanston mayor Dr. Oscar Mann.  At the same time there was a similar movement for Wilmette to become part of Evanston.  Both efforts ultimately failed. 

An alarming piece of news was in the Chicago Inter Ocean of September 26, 1895:

I am pleased to report that Mortimer Grover did recover and died in 1962 at the age of 75.

Frank Grover always had a great interest in history.  He wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Evanston Index Newspaper which was published on May 1, 1897:

In 1898 he joined the newly founded Evanston Historical Society as one of its founding directors.  Shortly after he was elected Vice President, a post he held until 1917. 

The 1900 US Census finds the Grover family still living at 1508 Sherman Avenue in Evanston.  The family consisted of:  Frank R. (41 years old); wife Ella (40), son Mortimer C. (13).  Also living there was servant Flora Munn (19) and Frank's sister Louise Grover (30).  Frank and Ella reported they had been married for sixteen years; Ella said she had given birth to one child who was still living in 1900; they said the lived in a house and that it had a mortgage.  Frank reported his occupation as "Attorney."

On November 2, 1901 Frank Grover took his interest in history to the public for the first time.  He read a paper to the Evanston Historical Society entitled:  Our Indian Predecessors - The First Evanstonians.  With this offering Grover combined two of his major interests, Native Americans and Evanston history.  The paper was so well received Grover decided to publish it.  It was published by The Index Press of Evanston, the same printer and publisher of the Evanston Index newspaper.

On November 6, 1901 the Chicago Tribune reported that Frank Grover was moving his household to Greenleaf and Hinman along with moving his house:

His new address would be 1100 Hinman Avenue.  The house is still standing today:

1100 Hinman Avenue, Evanston

After the move, Grover listed his Sherman Avenue plot for sale:

Chicago Tribune - July 12, 1902

Frank Grover's father, Aldin Grover died April 6, 1902 in Evanston.  He was seventy-nine years old.  Here is his obituary from the Chicago Inter Ocean from April 7, 1902:

Aldin J. Grover 1822-1902

He was buried in the family plot at Rosehill Cemetery:

Frank Grover was a man of many interests.  In 1904 with Alexander Clark he conceived and launched the project for building an electric railroad along the lakeshore between Waukegan, Illinois and Kenosha, Wisconsin.  It was Mr. Grover, acting as attorney, who purchased the right-of-way the company owned between these two cities.  It was a 100 foot right-of-way and those who promoted the company held the property in hopes it would bring a big price sometime when it was wanted.  

Work on the electric railroad started on April 5, 1904.  There was even talk at some point to add on to the electric railroad from Kenosha to Lake Geneva.  I don't believe the leg to Lake Geneva was ever completed.  The leg to Kenosha however was completed in November of 1905.  Here is an ad for the Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railroad from 1908:

In 1905 Frank Grover published his second book:  Some Indian Land Marks of the North Shore - an address read before the Chicago Historical Society at a special meeting held February 21, 1905:

In 1906 the Evanston Index Newspaper ran a series of illustrations of Evanston notables that had appeared in the newspaper's "Hall of Fame" series.  At least 17 of these Hall of Fame cartoons appeared on the front page of the Index during 1905 and 1906.  Frank Grover was featured in the January 6, 1906 issue:

In 1907 Frank Grover published his third book:  Father Pierre François Pinet, S. J., and his Mission of the Guardian Angel of Chicago (L'Ange gardien) 1696-1699 - a paper read Before a Joint Meeting of the Chicago Historical Society and the Evanston Historical Society in the Chicago Historical Society Building November 27, 1906:

The Mission of the Guardian Angel was a 17th-century Jesuit mission in the vicinity of what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was established in 1696 by Father François Pinet, a French Jesuit priest. The mission was abandoned by 1700; its exact location was thought to be unknown.  It was Grover's contention that the Mission was located at what became the Village of Grosse Pointe at approximately the location of St. Joseph's Church at Lake Avenue and Ridge Road in today's Wilmette.

In addition to his research, Grover spent most of this time buying, selling and leasing commercial real estate. 

In 1908 Grover published his next book:  Antoine Ouilmette : a resident of Chicago A.D. 1790-1826. The first settler of Evanston and Wilmette (1826-1838) with a brief history of his family and the Ouilmette reservation.

Grover started his book with these comments:

In 1909 the movement to have Chicago annex Evanston was resurrected.  Frank Grover came out firmly against the annexation as he had in 1894.  Here is an article from the Chicago Inter Ocean from March 29, 1909:

Frank Grover also spent a lot of time in 1908 and 1909 traveling between Evanston and Lincoln, Nebraska.  He had been retained to represent the holder of the mortgage and the defaulted bonds of the Citizens' Gas Company of Lincoln.  Here is an article outlining the default from the Nebraska City News Press of January 28, 1908:

The property, franchise, and everything belonging to the Citizens' Gas Company was sold at auction in April of 1909.  After the sale, Frank Grover was involved as an owner and  member of the Board of Directors of the reorganized company which was called The Nebraska City Gas & Electric Light Company:

The Crete (NB) Democrat - September 29, 1909

The 1910 US census shows the Grover family living at 1100 Hinman Avenue in Evanston.  The family consisted of:  Frank (51 years old), Ella F.  (49), Mortimer C. (23), plus nephew Nathaniel Thayer (17), niece Marion A. Thayer (11), and servant Alvina Rasmussen (22).  Frank and Ella said they had only been married one time, and that they were both 26 when they were married.  Ella said she had given birth to one child, and that child was still living in 1910.  Frank listed his occupation as "Lawyer - General Practice."  They reported they owned their home free and clear of any mortgages.  

Having been successful with the acquisition of the Nebraska utility, Frank Grover decided to do it again - this time in December of 1910 with the Madison Lighting Company of Madison, Indiana, and the Seymour Public Service Company of Seymour, Indiana in January of 1911.   

Frank Grover published his next book in 1911:  A Brief History of Les Cheneaux Islands, Some New Chapters of Mackinac History:

A Brief History of Les Cheneaux Islands: Some New Chapters of Mackinac History provides a comprehensive account of the history of the Les Cheneaux Islands. The book covers the period from the early 1600s to the early 1900s and explores the various events, people, and places that have shaped the islands' history. The Les Cheneaux Islands are located in the northern part of Lake Huron, near the Straits of Mackinac. The islands have a rich history, with Native American tribes, French explorers, and British and American settlers all playing a significant role in shaping the islands' development. The book is divided into several chapters, each of which covers a different aspect of the islands' history. 

Between the years 1911-1915 Grover spent most of his time helping bondholders reorganize the electric and gas utilities they purchased out of foreclosure.

On Friday May 14, 1915 Frank Grover presented a paper:  Indian Treaties Affecting Lands in the Present State of Illinois: a paper read before the Illinois State Historical Society on Friday May 14, 1915.  The paper was published in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society in their October, 1915 issue.  

In 1917 Frank Grover was elected president of the Evanston Historical Society, succeeding his friend J. Seymour Currey (1844-1928) who had been president of the Society since 1906.

Frank Reed Grover died December 10, 1919 at his home in Evanston.  While the actual Cause of Death was listed as "Pneumonia," he had been complaining of stomach troubles for several years.  He was sixty-one years old.  Since he had been so active in so many endeavors for such a long time, the obituaries were many and comprehensive.  This is from the Chicago Tribune of December 11, 1919:

This is from the Kenosha (WI) News from December 11, 1919:

This is from the Waukegan (IL) News-Sun also from December 11, 1919:

 

Frank Grover's funeral took place on December 13, 1919 in his home at 1100 Hinman Avenue.  The officiant was the Rev. David Hugh Jones, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church.  The pallbearers were Carl Pendleton, Benjamin March, Arthur Curry, Mortimer B. Skinner, Albert Childs and Carl Latham.  Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois - Section B - Lot 12:

On the Tuesday following Grover's funeral, one hundred of his friends and colleagues  gathered at the Evanston Historical Society to remember him. as reported in the Evanston News-Index of  January 6, 1920:   

Frank Reid Grover - the original historical society man of Evanston - may he rest in peace.

The Rest of the Story:

Frank's widow, Ella Smith Grover married Robert H. Forster (1858-1932) in Minnesota sometime prior to 1930.  Forster died in 1932 and Ella died January 2, 1956 in Chatfield, Minnesota.  She is buried next to Frank Grover in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Frank's son, Mortimer Currey Grover originally followed his father into the practice of law.  But over the years he changed careers several times.  The 1930 census shows him as a Salesman for Fidelity Investments; the 1940 Census shows him as a Hearing Officer for the Illinois Department of Revenue.  In 1953 he retired to Ashville, North Carolina where he died March 10, 1962.  His obituary says he was cremated but no mention was made of the final disposition of his cremains.  His wife Lela Ulrich Grover (1888-1961) was a Christian Science Practitioner and both she and Mortimer were members of the Mother Church of Christian Science in Boston.

All of Frank Grover's books are available to be read in their entirety on the internet at no cost:

Our Indian Predecessors:  

https://archive.org/details/ourindianpredec00illgoog

Some Indian Land Marks of the North Shore:  

https://archive.org/details/someindianlandm00grovgoog/page/n42/mode/2up

Father Pierre François Pinet, S. J., and his Mission of the Guardian Angel of Chicago (L'Ange gardien) 1696-1699:

https://archive.org/details/fatherpierrefra00grovgoog/page/n4/mode/2up

Antoine Ouilmette : a resident of Chicago A.D. 1790-1826. The first settler of Evanston and Wilmette (1826-1838) with a brief history of his family and the Ouilmette reservation.

https://archive.org/details/antoineouilmette00grov/mode/2up

A Brief History of Les Cheneaux Islands, Some New Chapters of Mackinac History.

https://archive.org/details/ABriefHistoryOfLesCheneauxIslands

Indian treaties affecting lands in the present State of Illinois

https://archive.org/details/jstor-40193804/page/n23/mode/2up