CHAPTER II
MOLINE: BUSINESS SUCCESS – HEALTH FAILURE
James
Fergus moved to Moline with relative ease that spring of 1844, for he had few
material possessions—a chest of fine tools, his personal belongings, some
town lots in Sabula "and a good deal of general knowledge." [James
Fergus to brother in Scotland (Robert of Andrew), February 20, 1876, Box 11 F.
58, FP, UM.] Employed by Sears as a millwright that first year, Fergus soon
demonstrated his worth and became a partner in the foundry. By November 1847,
they invited Nathan B. Buford to join the company, and the three became equals
in the Moline Foundry. Fergus considered himself to be doing well and on the
way to prosperity. [Agreement between Sears, Buford and Fergus found in Box 13
F. 15, FP, UM. Porter Sargent to James Fergus, December 22, 1847, Box 9 F. 50,
FP, UM.]
Young
Fergus remained a confirmed bachelor during these years of training, travel and
hard labor. Much too busy working, studying and saving money, he had neither
time nor funds to court, and avoided social activities. For example, while
visiting Buffalo, some of his Scottish friends suggested he call on a family
which included three "very estimable young ladies with a view to
matrimony. To avoid this Mr. Fergus told his friends that would be impossible as he already had a squaw out
West!" [Fergus sketch, MHSL.]
This
attitude underwent a sudden and drastic change, however, when he met Pamelia
Dillin, "A very charming young woman of Scotch descent," at the
George Stephens home in Moline during the 1844 Christmas season. Pamelia, born
to William and Mahalah Dillin in Watertown, New York, June 22, 1824, had only
recently moved to adjoining Henry County, Illinois. "The gentle dignified
young girl charmed him at once and their friendship ripened into love."
They were married March 16, 1845, just three months after first meeting.
Typical of the ambitious Scot, "there was no honeymoon. The next morning
found James Fergus busy in his foundry," and the pair settled into the
routine of daily life in the small river town of about 350 people. [Ibid. Also, Sketch by Mrs. Hazel
(Fergus) Bubar of Pamelia Dillin's family, n.d., Box 21 F. 5, FP, UM. Johnathan Huntoon to James Fergus,
February 24, 1875, Box 6 F. 45, FP, UM.]
Within
five years the union produced two daughters and a son, three-fourths of their
four children. Mary Agnes, born April 11, 1846, and Francis Luella, arriving
November 23, 1848, and Andrew, July 3, 1850, brought increased pleasure and
responsibility to the young businessman. [See family tree in appendix. Supplied
by Mrs. Hazel (Fergus) Bubar and her son Andrew. Mrs. Bubar is the
daughter-in-law of James Fergus; Andrew is his grandson.]
Consequently,
these became busy years and James, doubling his normally strenuous efforts,
immersed himself in the foundry, staying in the plant "late and early
working on plans to improve his products. His wife complained that he was not
giving attention enough to his home and children." [Fergus Sketch, MHSL]
The Business prospered:
We soon had 40 workmen and strong
opposition. We made everything. I kept our own books double entry,
superintended everything over 16 [hours] a day and ate little. . . . This
business, working in iron was new to me. Pattern making, moulding, finishing,
black smithing had all to be learned. [James Fergus to brother in Scotland,
February 20, 1876, Box 11 F. 58, FP, UM.]
D.
B. Sears sold his interest to Buford of Rock Island, to which they transferred
the foundry. By this time Fergus' health had deteriorated due to excessive
work: ". . . too close attention to the foundry business had brought on
indigestion and nervous complaints that threatened me with softening of the
brain." In addition, he was becoming "quite bald and growing
gray." [James Fergus to Dr. E. A. Wood, December 25, 1896, Box 11 F. 59,
FP, UM. James Fergus to father, July 17, 1853, Box 11 F. 55, FP, UM. James
Fergus to N. Rice, August 15, 1889, Box 11 F. 60, FP, UM. The exact nature of
his illness is unknown. However, the symptoms suggest an ulcer and possibly
severe emotional tension, necessitating a change of employment.]
Failing
health added to increasing friction with Buford over business policy led
Fergus, late in 1852, to sell his interest. Buford purchased the share and
James emerged from the foundry business with approximately $9000 after eight
years of overpowering effort. [N. B. Buford to James Fergus, December 14, 1852,
Box 1 F. 62, FP, UM. James Fergus to N. B. Buford, December 29, 1852, Box 1 F.
62, FP, UM. D. B. Sears to James Fergus, February 9, 1853, Box 9 F. 56, FP,
UM.]
After
selling the foundry, Fergus cast about for new business potential. By early
March 1853 he bought half interest in the paper mill of L. W. Wheelock for
$6250. In addition, Fergus assumed half of Wheelock's $4000 debt to N. B.
Buford and C. N. Smedly. [Agreement between L. W. Wheelock and James Fergus,
March 4, 1853, Box 13 F. 15, FP, UM.]
Fergus
soon discovered, however, that he could not remain in this occupation, for
"the doctors told me . . . to keep away from business if I did not want to
die or go insane. So wealth is not always happiness." Therefore, armed
with three letters of recommendation, he left in mid-July 1853 for a tour of
eastern mills and foundries. [James Fergus to Wilbur F. Sanders, about 1892,
Box 11 F. 59, FP, UM. Fergus carried recommendations from: N. B. Buford, Box 1
F. 62; R. Graham, Box 5 F. 13; and William A. Nourse, Box 8 F. 50, all FP, UM.]
James observed businesses in Chicago, New York, Boston, Springfield, New Haven,
Conn., Patterson, N.J., and Lawrence; he toured the Smithsonian Institute in
Washington. [James to Pamelia Fergus, letters of July 12, 1853, Chicago; July
22, New York; July 26, Boston; August 31, New York; August 16, Springfield,
Mass. All in Box 17 F. 15, FP, UM.] During the six-week trip he wrote often and
urged Pamelia to do the same. His greatest anxiety was about the children,
though he informed her where his legal papers had been stored in case of an
emergency. Unable to find a business or location that attracted him, Fergus
returned to Moline early in August and sold his interest in the paper mill for
approximately $9000. [James Fergus to Pamelia Fergus, July 1853, Box 21 F. 3,
FP, UM. James Fergus to person unknown, January 30, 1854, Box 14 F. 1, FP, UM.
Fergus indicated to this person he would take $8888.50 for his interest.] By
January 1854 he had moved his family to St. Anthony Falls, Minnesota Territory,
a Mississippi River village about 300 miles above Moline. [James Fergus to
father, January 6, 1854, Box 11, F. 55, FP, UM.]
Before
casting his lot with the Minnesota frontier, Fergus refused several offers of
business partnership and declined suggestions as to where he might locate.
[Before choosing Minnesota, Fergus refused several business offers, including:
W. C. Bradford, Memphis, Tenn., who urged Fergus to join his foundry (Bradford
to Fergus, February 2, 1854, Box 1 F. 48, FP, UM); Robert T. Millis offered
James his Muscatine foundry for $6,500 (Millis to Fergus, September 21, 1854,
Box 6 F. 45, FP, UM); Edward Hoch urged him to settle in Iowa (Hoch to Fergus,
January 15, 1854, Box 6 F. 45, FP, UM); and Porter Sargent wanted him to return
to Savanna, Illinois (Sargent to Fergus, January 21 and 14, 1853, and June 24,
1861, Box 9 F. 32, FP, UM).] Distant frontiers beckoned. In fact, he and friend
George Stephens thought of moving to California but did not go; instead James
transferred his family to the head of navigation on the Mississippi River.
[Thomas Roseborough to James Fergus, February 24, 1854, Box 9 F. 50, FP, UM.]
Fergus'
move up the Mississippi marked the end of a very successful period of his life.
It had been a time of training, experience and gaining self confidence, all
spiced with travel. His citizenship papers tucked safely in a trunk, he spoke
with more authority. And he did speak, for during his Moline days he developed
more liberal beliefs, mainly because of the break from strict Presbyterian
dogma, a process begun in Scotland, nurtured in Quaker settlements, and
broadened by French Canadian Catholics, whom his father viewed as the
personification of evil.
Reading,
Bible study and questioning his elders convinced Fergus that he could not
accept the tenets of Christianity or any other religion as practiced. He came
to feel that man needed no belief save that of "trying to do good to
others." Like Thomas Paine, he considered this to be man's highest duty
and he found it "impossible for me [any] longer to adhere to the beliefs
of my fathers." Instead, he became a confirmed agnostic, turning to
science, nature and rational thinking. [James Fergus to William Fergus, August
28, 1891, Box 3 F. 32, FP, UM.]
During
the Moline years Fergus nurtured his liberal attitude by subscribing to and
reading "Free Thought magazines and papers and joining a debating society
that held meetings once a week in the town hall." [Fergus Sketch, MHSL.]
He maintained this pattern on through the years, strengthening, refining and
publicly broadcasting it, especially when unable to do physical work later in
life.
Of
course, Fergus' 1844 move to Moline produced more than just business prosperity
and altered religious beliefs. James met and married Pamelia Dillin, who
remained his life-long companion and confidant. The union endured for over
forty years and begat four children, three of whom—Agnes, Luella and
Andrew—were born in Moline. Lillie did not arrive until December 28,
1857, after they had settled in Little Falls. Thus, the Fergus family moved up
river to sparsely-settled Minnesota Territory. Surrounded by a family and equipped
with new beliefs and adequate finances, James set his face to the north, ready
to confront the future. He soon, however, found himself caught in the
inextricable grip of a nation-wide financial depression. Fergus shared the fate
of countless frontier businessmen.
Family Group Sheet
Name: James
FERGUS, GGG
Grandfather
———————————————————————————————————————————
Birth: 8
OCT 1813 Shawton
Farm, Glassford, Lanark, Scotland
Death: 25
JUN 1902 Armells,
Fergus, MT Age: 88
Occupation: Rancher,
Foundries, Freethinker
Anst File#: 154P-J2T
Father: Andrew
FERGUS (1780-1862)
Mother: Agnes
BULLOCH (1780-1830)
Marriage: 16
MAR 1845 Moline,
Rock Island, IL
———————————————————————————————————————————
Spouse: Pamelia
DILLIN, GGG
Grandmother
———————————————————————————————————————————
Birth: 22
JUN 1824 Pamelia
Township, Jefferson, NY
Death: 6
OCT 1887 Helena,
Lewis & Clark, MT Age: 63
Anst File#: 154P-5F7
Father: William
Thomas DILLIN (1798-1845)
Mother: Mahala
Jane BELLOWS Mahalah (1804-1870)
———————————————————————————————————————————
Children
———————————————————————————————————————————
1 F: Mary
Agnes FERGUS, GGG
Aunt
Birth: 11
APR 1846 Moline,
Rock Island, IL
Death: 29
JAN 1920 Hilger,
Fergus, MT Age: 73
Anst File#: 154P-570
Spouse: Robert
Stavely HAMILTON
Marriage: 23
MAR 1864 Rock
Island, IL
———————————————————————————————————————————
2 F: Frances
Luella FERGUS Luella,
GG Grandmother
Birth: 23
NOV 1848 Moline,
Rock Island, IL
Death: 26
FEB 1931 Helena,
Lewis & Clark, MT Age: 82
Anst File#: 154P-JL5
Spouse: Stephen
Collins GILPATRICK, GG Grandfather
Marriage: 1
JAN 1867 Prickly
Pear Valley, Helena, Lewis & Clark, MT
———————————————————————————————————————————
3 M: Andrew
FERGUS, GGG Uncle
Birth: 2
JUL 1850 Moline,
Rock Island, IL
Death: 18
JUL 1928 Lewistown,
Fergus, MT Age: 78
Anst File#: 154P-JR6
Spouse: Hazel
AKELEY
Marriage: 1
AUG 1909 Steilacoom,
Pierce, WA
———————————————————————————————————————————
4 F: Lillie
B. FERGUS, GGG Aunt
Birth: 28
DEC 1857 Little
Falls, Morrison, MN
Death: 6
FEB 1930 Forest
Grove, Washington, OR Age: 72
Anst File#: 154P-JQ0
Spouse: Frank
H. MAURY
Marriage: 2
SEP 1876 Helena,
Lewis & Clark, MT
Spouse: Scott
SPARKS
Marriage: 1919 Forest
Grove, Dilly, OR
Family Group Sheet added
in 2005 by James R. Dangel.