James-Madison-Broadwell-70752

Obituary

Yesterday morning at ten o’clock at St. Francis Hospital Mr. James M. Broadwell, an old and esteemed resident of Burlington, passed to his eternal rest. For a month or more Mr. Boadwell had been at the hospital, being treated for a dropsical affection. The funeral services over the body of the deceased will be held at the Congregational church at three o’clock tomorrow.
The death of Mr. Broadwell removes another of the old pioneers. He was born in Calhoun County Illinois, near the mouth of the Illinois River, June 27, 1821. His parents had recently moved from the east; his mother was of the Lindsley family, or Norristown, New Jersey, and preserved the legend of General Washington’s taking the communion in the Presbyterian church of that place during his encampment there in the severe winter of 1779- So, on the pastor’s answer in reply to Washington’s inquiry, that the table was the “Lord’s table” and not a presbyterian table. Mr. Broadwell was one of triplets, who were named for three presidents of the United States; the two others bearing the names respectively of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; George died at the age of twenty-nine years, Thomas at the age of forty-seven, James at the age of seventy years and eight months. The family early removed to Morgan County, Illinois, and while a lad James found employment in the printing office of Illinois Patriot, a newspaper which Mr. James G Edwards had established in Jacksonville in 1831, and became a member of Mr. Edwards’ family. He accompanied Mr. Edwards on his removal to Ft. Madison, then in Wisconsin territory, in 1837, and to Burlington in 1838. Subsequently, he pursued a course of study at Illinois College, where he was a member of the same class with the late Dr. G.R. Henry. From July 1845 to June 1851, he was one of the proprietors of The Hawk-Eye. Those were the years of the Mexican War, of the acquisition of California, of the organization of the state government of Iowa, of the compromise of 1850, and of the introduction of the telegraph to Burlington. The Hawk-Eye was the first newspaper in the United States to propose Zachary Taylor for president. Mr. Broadwell married the widow of Mr. Edwards November 16, 1853. Since the death of that benevolent laddy, now nearly six years ago, his life had been a lonely one, impaired with the infirmities of advancing age. A brother survives him, the Hon. Forman H Broadwell, of Springfield, Illinois, and two sisters, on in Wisconsin. Mrs. James Love of Berkley, California is a niece of the late Mrs. Broadwell.
James M. Broadwell will be buried on Friday afternoon. The funeral will be from the Harris home.