John Chisnall
SOURCE: The Biographical Record of Henry
County Illinois; S. J. Clarke, Chicago Illinois, 1901, pg 30
John Chisnall - Henry County, Illinois.
Since November, 1867, this gentleman has been an honored resident of Kewanee, and is today serving as special tax collector for the city. He was born in Lancastershire, England, January 27, 1833, and is a son of William and Alice Chisnall, who were lifelong rcsidents of that country.The father died when a young man, but the mother long survived him, passing away in 1876, at the age of sixty-four years. John Chisnall, the only child of this worthy couple, was educated in the common schools of England, and when a lad of eleven years was apprenticed to the wheelright's trade, which he learned thoroughly. Hecame to this country as a Mormon emigrant in 1831, prior to the insurrection of Brigham Young against the government and first located in Utah, where he remained until 1858, during the uprising. The following two years were spent in Omaha, Nebraska, which city at that time had no telegraph or railroad lines and gave little promise of its present thriving condition. During all this time Mr. Chisnall worked at his trade. In 1860 he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he made his home until coming to Kewanee in I867. During the winter of 1866-67 he spent four months in visiting his native land. Upon his return he located in Kewanee, where he worked at wagonmaking principally until 1888. Being economical and industrious he managed to save something from his wages, and this capital he invested in a lot in the heart of the city, upon which he erected a pressed brick double store building, which on account of its location is very valuable property. This he now rents to a good advantage. In I857 Mr. Chisnall was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Sandiford,who was also a native of Lancastershire, England, and came to the UnitedStates on the same vessel with our subject in June 1831. Both are active members of the Latter Day Saints' Church, and during his residencein Kewanee Mr. Chisnall has served as pastor of the church of that denominaton at this place. Thc congregation now numbers about one hundred families, and they have erected a good modern church edifice.Fraternally Mr. Chisnall is a member oI the Knights of Honor, No. 1173,of Kewanee, and the blue lodge of the Masonic order at this place and the chapter and commandery at Princeton. He afliliates with the Republican party but has never taken an aetive part in politics. From1892 with 1898 he was with the Kewanee Coal Company, and the following year was appointed by the mayor as collector of special taxes, water rents, etc., which position he is now most creditably filling. He has also served as health officer and justice of the peace since 1893. He has led an upright, honorable and useful life, and is highly respected and esteemed by all who know him.
