Brief Life History of James Farwell
When James Farwell Potter was born on 10 July 1852, in Utica, Oneida, New York, United States, his father, Dr. Henry Camp Potter, was 28 and his mother, Sarah A. Farwell, was 29. He died on 25 September 1879, in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, at the age of 27, and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, Oneida, New York, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (8)
- James Potter in household of Henry C Potter, "New York State Census, 1855"
- James F. Potter, "Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999"
- James Farwell Potter, "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925"
World Events (8)
1855 · Lager Beer Riot
The Lager Beer Riot came at a time in Chicago's history where large waves of Irish and German immigrants moved to the city. The Riot was started because the Mayor of the city renewed enforcement of an old liquor ordinance mandating that taverns be closed on Sundays and to raise the cost of a license to sell liquor from $50 to $300 each year. This didn't sit well with the German immigrants because they felt like it was directed towards them and their heritage. There was only one death throughout the time of the riot, though protesters claimed that it was more.
1856 · The Largest Map Company in the World
William Rand opened a small printing shop in Chicago. Doing most of the work himself for the first two years he decided to hire some help. Rand Hired Andrew McNally, an Irish Immigrant, to work in his shop. After doing business with the Chicago Tribune, Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. Years later, Rand and McNally established Rand McNally & Co after purchasing the Tribune's printing business. They focused mainly on printing tickets, complete railroad guides and timetables for the booming railroad industry around the city. What made the company successful was the detailed maps of roadways, along with directions to certain places. Rand McNally was the first major map publisher to embrace a system of numbered highways and erected many of the roadside highway signs that have been adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The company is still making and updating the world maps that are looked at every day.
1861 · Simple life to Soldiers
Illinois contributed 250,000 soldiers to the Union Army, ranking it fourth in terms of the total men fighting for a single state. Troops mainly fought in the Western side of the Appalachian Mountains, but a few regiments played important roles in the East side. Several thousand Illinoisians died during the war. No major battles were fought in the state, although several towns became sites for important supply depots and navy yards. Not everyone in the state supported the war and there were calls for secession in Southern Illinois several residents. However, the movement for secession soon died after the proposal was blocked.
Name Meaning
English and Dutch; North German (Pötter): occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from an agent derivative of Middle English, Middle Low German pot. In the Middle Ages the term covered workers in metal as well as earthenware and clay.
In some cases also an Americanized form (translation into English) of Croatian, Serbian, and Slovenian Lončar ‘potter’ (see Loncar ), and probably also of cognates from some other languages, e.g. Czech Hrnčíř (see Hrncir ).
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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