Ingersoll Brothers
J. W. INGERSOLL, of Ithaca, New York, came into the State of Illinois in the spring of 1837, in the employ of the State, which was at that time engaged in a stupendous scheme of Railroad building. Mr. Ingersoll was a civil engineer, and in that capacity was assigned to duty in the preliminary survey of the Illinois Central Railroad, from Lasalle south. After a few months’ service, he was transferred to the survey of the Peoria & Warsaw Railroad, with headquarters at Canton, Joel Wright being at that time one of the State Commissioners of Internal Improvements.
Mr. Ingersoll remained in the service of the state until the fall of 1839, when himself and his brother H. F. Ingersoll entered into co-partnership, under the name of H. F. & J, W, Ingersoll, and, purchasing the stock of goods then owned by D. W. Vittum, began business as general merchants. The storeroom was located on the southwest corner of the Public Square, in an old building–since removed –on the ground now occupied by the store of J. M. Fox. In the spring 1840 Mr. Vittum purchased a one-third interest in the business, and remained in the firm, under the style of Ingersoll & Vittum, until the fall of 1841, when
he purchased the interest of the Brothers Ingersoll.
Ingersoll Brothers immediately began business again on their own account, under their old firm name of H. F. & J. W. Ingersoll, occupying a storeroom on the northeast corner of the Public Square, on a lot now vacant, but long since known as ” Bass’s Old Stand,” and continued in business in that location until 1843,
when they removed to the lot now occupied by J. E. Bower, on the east side of the Public Square, where they remained until 1846, when they purchased a storeroom of Wm. Bell–better known to old settlers as “Bill Bell the Tailor.” This storeroom was on the lot now occupied by that portion of Ingersoll’s Block
in which J. R. McQuaid is doing business. In the summer of 1868 Messrs. Ingersoll built the fine business
block, now occupied in part by them, on the west side, at a cost of $15,000. This is the three-story portion of the Ingersoll Block. During the season of 1869 they built the two-story portion of the same block, at a cost of $7,000.
The Ingersoll Brothers have from their beginning in Canton commanded a fair portion of the best trade of the county. During the early years’ of their business they packed pork and shipped an immense amount of grain from Copperas Creek and Liverpool to St. Louis. They still remain in business.