www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com
25 Jul 2005
Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL
Originally published 1885 Chapman Bros., Chicago, IL
John W. Glassburn, senior member of the firm of Glassburn & Son, at Tampico, was born June 26, 1835, in Gallia County, Ohio. John Glassburn, his father, was a native of Virginia, and was descended from German ancestors. His parents removed their family to Ohio when he was a small boy, and he grew to the estate of manhood in the Buckeye State. He was married in Vinton County, to Jane Fee. She was the daughter of an Ohio farmer, whose family were early settlers in the State of New York. The elder Glassburn resided in Gallia County till 1867, when he removed to the township of Hahnaman and settled on a farm. The father died there, in the fall of 1870, aged 64 years. The mother is yet living, and is a member of the family of her son in Hahnaman Township. She is about 74 years of age. Mr. Glassburn attained to manhood under the authority of his parents, and acquired a fair education, though school facilities were limited, indeed. June 14, 1834, he was married in his native county to Olive Johnston, the daughter of Andre and Olive (Weed) Johnston. She was born in January, 1838, in Gallia County, Ohio, wither her parents removed from the State of New York, in the pioneer period of Ohio. They were residents there until their deaths. Two of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Glassburn are deceased. Thomas, the oldest son, is a partner with his father in the banking business and the grain trade, at Tampico. Jennie married William G. Reeve, and they reside at Peru, Ill. Mr. Reeve is Vice-President of the First Natiional Bank at that place. May is the wife of Silas C. Hovey, of Independence, Iowa. Silas H. is a real-estate agent. Fred lives with his parents. John E. and Ina are deceased. Mr. Glassburn located in Tampico about two years after his marriage. He located on a claim of 80 acres of wild land, which was the condition of most of the surrounding country. Later he bought 120 acres lying in Bureau County, adjoining Tampico Township. In 1861 he sold his estate and purchased 80 acres on each of sections 14 and 15, where he was the first permanent settler. In March, 1872, the Clinton Branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was completed and the line of the survey led through his land. Mr. Glassburn succeeded in inducing the corporation to lay the depot grounds in the center of his farm, for which he paid $2,000, and he laid out the village, which he named after the township. When the road was open for transit, he established the business in which he has since been interested, and in May 1882, he built and organized, with W.W. Craddock, the Tampico Bank, of Glassburn & Craddock, and was elected President of the bank. He first formed a partnership with Marcus Bryant, and later with his son, Thomas, on the latter becoming of age. Their lines of business include traffic in grain, stock, flour, coal, salt, real estate, and their establishment in supplied with all fixtures and conveniences for the transaction of their business, which covers several hundred thougsand dollars in value in the course of a year. J.W. owns about 1,400 acres of land. The elevator connected with their business has a capacity of about 30,000 bushels of corn. Mr. Glassburn had all of his farm platted in the village of Tampico. He is the founder of Tampico, and has ever been alive to its permanent well-being and it is today the "apple of his eye." His efforts have made it a convenient shipping point for the produce of the vicinity. Mr. Glassburn is a Democrat. He has held various local township offices. His wife and children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Accompanying the foregoing sketch, there is given very appropriately a lithographic portrait of Mr. Glassburn.
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