I descend from Thomas Evans and Margaret Jane Kilborn’s daughter Donna Lovilla Evans and am researching Donna’s siblings in the hope of learning more about my ancestors.
Today’s blog is about Thomas and Margaret Jane’s son Arthur Thomas Evans, my great granduncle who was born Mar 12, 1854 in Owego, New York. He lived with his parents in Owego until around 1870 when he was 16 and his family moved to the Chicago area. Shortly after that move, Arthur’s mother died.
We believe that Arthur T Evans was working for T. D. Bowen in Chicago in 1879 and was living with his mother’s sister, Bricea Kilborn Thomas on 220 Marshfield Street. In 1887 he attended his sister’s wedding, was living at 1432 Michigan Avenue when he registered to vote in Chicago in 1888.
Arthur was 35 when he married Mary Genevra Holley, the daughter of William Henry and Mary Esther (Platt) Holley on June 4, 1889. Their wedding announcement was published in The Chicago Daily Tribune on June 5th.
“Miss Mary Genevieve Holley was married last evening to Arthur T. Evans. The ceremony took place at the residence of Mr. E. B. Butler, Mo Michigan boulevard, whose wife is a sister of the bride. The Rev. F. W. Gunsaulus of Plymouth Church officiated. The house was elaborately decorated, and, a large company of guests was present when the bride and groom entered the library, proceeded by the clergyman and two little girls, Clara and Bessie Towne, nieces of the groom, dressed in white and carrying baskets of Marguerites. A mandolin orchestra furnished the music and a wedding supper was served. The bride’s costume was of white, surah, antique in style, and a white tulie veil caught up with a crescent of diamonds. Mr. and Mrs. Evans left at 9 o’clock for the East, where they will pass some three weeks. Upon their return they will reside at No. 3408 Michigan boulevard.”
Arthur worked in the jewelry business, first with a company he formed, A. T. Evans & Co., at the Masonic building and at 182 State St. At that time he was living at 3408 Michigan Ave.
In September 1891 he partnered with George Moore and created Moore & Evans. This new company existed until 1902 when it filed for bankruptcy and was then bought out by Jas. W. Clark. Arthur may have already left the firm as he had been working for the jewelry department of Butler Brothers since around 1897. The store he created is still famous in that trade catalogs from Moore & Evans are preserved at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington DC and at THE MET in New York City. The catalogues shows that they not only sold jewelry but photographic equipment, luggage, and ceramics and a bookstore on e-Bay is selling one of the old catalogs for $125. During this time – around November 11, 1893, Arthur survived being poisoned by cyanide of potassium, an event that was described in the Chicago Tribune:
A. T. Evans, the Wholesale Jeweler, Has a Narry Escape from Fatal Poisoning.
A.T. Evans, wholesale jeweler in the Masonic Temple, had a narrow escape from poisoning yesterday. He owes his life to the fact that he had just parkaken of a hearty dinner. The taking of th epoison was accidental. The spring water used for drinking purposes was in a crock, about which there was ice-water to keep it cool. A mixture of cyanide of potassium, rank poison, was being used by the jewelers for dipping silver. The janitor poured this mixture in the water-crock, believing it had ceased to be used as a drinking water holder. Mr. Evans soon after dinner drank a glass of the water, heavily laden with poison. He soon felt faint, then his hands and feet began feeling numb. He hurried across the street to the office of Dr. Frank T. Andrews. There he became unconscious. A powerful emetic was given and the stomach pump brought into service. After remaining unconscious for some hours he recovered and was sent to his home, No. 3408 Michigan avenue, in a carriage.
The next year, in April of 1894, Arthur and his father Thomas took a trip to their hometown of Owego and stopped in Syracuse on the way back to visit Arthur’s sister Donna.
In June 1900, the Evans were living at 823 D Michigan Avenue and in 1910 on 3612-4 Michigan Avenue.
We were hoping to find some activities that the families did together and learned that in 1894, Arthur and his father traveled to Owego to see friends and to visit Arthur’s sister, Donna.
In July 1912, Arthur and his family were staying at his sister-in-law’s cottage in Charlevoix. Arthur may have known he was ill as he finalized a will in February of that year. He died there of myocardiditis on August 16, 1912. Arthur was buried in the Lombard Cemetery. His obituary was published in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Examiner, and the Dry Goods Reporter.
OBITUARY.
EVANS, ARTHUR T. Funeral services for Arthur T. Eans, for many years associated with the jewelry trade in Chicago, and who died at Charlevoix, Mich., will be held this afternoon at the Evans residence, 3408 South Michigan avenue, at 2 o’clock. Burial will be at Lombard, Ill. Mr. Evans was born in Oswego, N. Y., in 1854. He came to Chicago at th eage of 16 years. When still a young man he founded the firm of Moore & Evans, jewelers. For the last fifteen years he has been manager of the jewelry department of Butler Bros. He leaves a widow and a son.
Arthur’s will left everything to his wife:
ARTHUR THOMAS EVANS
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN
I Arthur Thomas Evans of Chicago in the County of Cook and state of Illinois being of sound mind and memory, and considering the uncertainty of ths frail and transitory life do therefore make ordain publish and declair this to be my last Will and Testament:
FIRST: I order and direct that my executors hereinafter named pay all my just debts and funeral expenses as soon after my decease as confeniently may be.
SECOND; After the payment of such funeral expenses and debts, I give devise all my property consisting of Stocks or bonds and personal property to my wife Mary G H Evans.
Lastly I make, constitute and appoint Edward B Butler and Mary G H Evans (wife) without bonds to be executors of this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills by me made.
IN WITNESS WHERE I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the First day of Feb in the year of our Lord one thousand nine Hundred and Twelve
Arthur Thomas Evans (SEAL)
This instrument was on this day of the date thereof signed published and ceclared by the said testator Arthur T Evans to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request have subscribed our names thereto as witnesses in his prescnce and in the presence of each other.
George S Cole
John E Husselly
Arthur’s wife Mary remained in Chicago until her death November 8, 1954 at the age of 95. She was buried alongside her husband in the Lombard Cemetery, in Lombard, Illinois.
CHILDREN:
Floyd Butler Evans (1890-1966) – lived in Chicago and Pasadena, California. Married Eugena Wagner and Jenella E Tyler.
We have DNA matches with individuals who descend from Arthur at 104 cM, 54 cM, 17 cM, and 12 cM. If you are related to this family, it would be most helpful if you chose to take a DNA test to help us trace the Evans line back beyond Arthur’s father.
Note: There is a different Arthur T. Evans who died on Sept 10, 1909 in Chicago – he may have lived on Ada Street. Also one who worked for A Oakley & Co on 112 Randolph who had a home in Austin. As we gathered information, we believe we kept these two apart from the Arthur T Evans who we are researching.
All posts on this website are a work in progress. We’d love to hear of any corrections or additions to the information shared. Also we’d love it if you’d like the post as that helps share this post with others.
SOURCES:
1855 New York State Census, Tioga County, population schedule, Owego, page 56, Dwelling 457, Thos Evans; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2014).
1860 United States Federal Census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Oswego, page 190, dwelling 1671, Thomas Evans; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2014).
1865 New York State Census, Tioga County, population schedule, Owego, Page 23, dwelling 174, Thomas Evans; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 June 2017).
1880 United States Federal Census, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, Chicago, enumeration district (ED) 115, page 51, house 220, dwelling 233, family 436, A R Thomas; digital images, Anestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 September 2020).
1900 United States Federal Census, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, Chicago, Ward 4, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 92, Sheet No 12 B, dwelling 41, family 197, Arthur T Evans; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2014).
1910 United States Federal Census, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, Chicago City, Ward 3, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 237, Sheet No 6B, 3612-4 Michigan Avenue, Visited No 74, family 210, Arthur T Evans; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ).
“ARTHUR T. EVANS BURIAL HERE Man Well Known in Jewelry Trade in Chicago Dies in Charlevoix, Mich,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), about; digital images, Fulton History (http://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 May 2018).
Arthur T. Evans, death certificate Registered No 34 (16 August 1912), State of Michigan, Charleroix, , Charleroix (Digital image).
“Brilliant Social Event,” Oak Park Reporter, 21 October 1887; Newspaper Archive (http://access.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 29 January 2014).
“Chicago, Illinois, U.S., Voter Registration, 1888,” digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 12 December 2023), Arthur T Evans.
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“Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 April 2018), Mary Evans.
“Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920,” index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2014), Arthur T Shackford m Mary G Holley 4 Jun 1889.
“FAILURE OF MOORE & EVANS.; Chicago Jewelry Firm’s Affairs Placed in a Receiver’s Hands.,” New York (New York, New York) Times, 1 May 1902; online archives (query.nytimes.com : accessed 12 December 2023).
Find a Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 June 2017), Arthur T Evans, Find A Grave Memorial# 22381359.
Find a Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 6 June 2017), Mary G. H. Evans, Find A Grave Memorial# 22381345.
“Illinois, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999,” digital images, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 12 December 2023), ARTHUR THOMAS EVANS.
“The Jewelers’ League,” Jewelers’ Circular and Horological Review, Apri 1879; digital images, Archive.Org (archive.org : accessed 20 February 2023).
, The Jewelers’ Circular and Horological Review Feb 8, 1893 (New York: n.d.), page 38; digital images, Archive.org (Archive.org : accessed 12 December 2023.
, The Jewelers’ Circular and Horological Review Sept 16, 1891: Vol XXIIL, No 7 (New York: n.d.), page 28; digital images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 12 December 2023.
, The Jewelers’ Circular and Horological Review Western Department Aug 13, 1902 (New York: Chicago, 13 August 1902), page 1; digital image, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 12 December 2023.
“Married in Chicago,” The Owego Record (Owego, New York), 24 June 1889; digital images, Fulton History (http://fultonhistory.com : accessed 8 June 2017).
“Miss Mary Genevieve Holley was married,” The Chicago Daily Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 5 June 1889; digital images, Chicago Tribune Archives (http://archives.chicagotribune.com : accessed 8 June 2017).
“OBITUARY Arthur T Evans,” Dry Goods Reporter, 24 August 1912, Arthur T Evans; Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed ); page 103.
, Switchmen’s Journal, Vol. V May, 1890 No 1 (May 1890), page 191; digital images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 12 December 2023.
“U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (www/ancestry.com : accessed 12 December 2023), Arthur T Evans, salesman 142 Clark, h. Lawndale, Ill.
“U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (www/ancestry.com : accessed 14 December 2023), Arthur T. Evans, 1891 Chicago, Ill, 3408 Michigan Av.
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