The Briggs Family

Stephen Harry Briggs in The Biographical record of Clinton County, Iowa

The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.

STEPHEN BRIGGS.

Few men are more prominent or more widely known among the enterprising citi- zens of Lyons than Stephen Briggs, who has been an important factor in her business circles. He is public spirited and thorough- ly interested in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the city where he has made his home since the spring of 1861..

Mr. Briggs was born in Nottingham, England, April 2, 1829, a son of William and Sarah ( Warren) Briggs. In early life he served an apprenticeship with a large wholesale lace manufacturer of that place, and later was successfully engaged in the business until coming to America in 1861. On landing' in this country he came imme- diately to Lyons, Iowa, and has since been identified with her busness and political in- terests.

For a short period Mr. Briggs was as-

485,

sociatel in the mercantile business with H. J. Wright, and later was a member of the firm of Allen & Briggs for several years. Subsequently he and Mr. J. P. Gag-e, banker, purchased the ferry boat plying' between Lyons and Fulton, Illinois, and built a new steamboat at a cost of fourteen thousand dollars. At that time as many as five hun- dred people and from fifty to one hundred teams crossed the river in one day, this be- ing on the direct route for emigrants going- west. After running the ferry for several years the bridge was built across the river, and the firm discontinued business. Mr. Brig-gs was next interested in the Iowa Packing Company, which was a large con- cern previously run by Messrs. Styles, Goody & McMahon. He was also con- nected with the Clinton Boiler Works with Edward Owen, whose interest he later pur- chased and then rented same. At one time the g-entleman whose name heads this review was extensively interested in large tracts of timber land at Grovten, Texas, where the company established mills and were exten- sively engaged in the manufacture of lum- ber for some years. He has bought and sold a large amount of real estate, and to- day owns four thousand acres of valuable land in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, which he rents, and also has considerable real es- tate in Lyons and Clinton. He is a director of the First National Bank of Lyons and the Lyons Savings Bank, and the city has no more active, energetic or successful busi- ness man than he.

On October 23, 1855, Mr. Briggs was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Holmes, a sister of William Holmes, who is repre- sented elsewhere in this work. She died in California March 5, 1894, at the age of sixty-two years, leaving five children, name- ly : John William, president of the

Bank at

and interested in the

Archer Bank at Archer, Iowa ; Albert mar- ried Lottie Scarborough, and is engaged in farming in Illinois; Stephen Harry, a farm- er in Illinois, married Hattie Finch, and they have three children. — Florence, Gertrude and Leslie S. ; Sarah Helen is at home with her father; and Arthur H. is a young in- surance and real-estate dealer of Lyons. He was born in that city October 15, 1871, and after studying law with R. T. Spence and the firm of Walsh & Sutton he for a time was a law student of the Iowa State Uni- versity. He is a member of Lyons Lodge, F. & A. M., and is a very popular and suc- cessful young man.

Mr. Briggs has taken a very active in- terest in public affairs, and has served as a member of the city council of Lyons for two years and of the school board three years. He is now trustee of the same Con- gregational church of which his parents for over fifty vears were earnest and consistent members. He never withholds his support from any enterprise which he believes will advance the city's welfare. He has made for himself an honorable record in business, and has not only acquired a handsome compe- tence, but has also gained the good will and respect of his fellow citizens to a marked dee-ree.

Source: The Biographical record of Clinton County, Iowa. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.