752
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
terests. He has laid out an addition to the city of Batavia which presents promising features. He was the first man to start the dairy husiness in Batavia, and for twenty-eight years supplied its people with milk, in all that time missing only seven days. He belongs to the I. O. O. F. In 1896 he married Miss Mary, daughter of James McMasters, who was postmaster of Batavia for many years. She died in 1899.
WILLIAM C. BRIDGE, M. D., physician and surgeon, Elgin, Ill., born in Cook County, Ill., Jan. 18, 1856; was educated in public schools and in Elgin Academy; read medicine at Elgin and Dundee; graduated from the Chicago Homoeopathic Medical College in 1886; for a year and a half was an interne in the Cook County Hospital, and subsequently took a course at the New York Post-Graduate College. In the fall of 1887 he began his private practice in Elgin, and has there followed his profession up to the present time (1903). For two years he was Lecturer on Surgical Pathology at the Chicago Homoeopathic College. Dr. Bridge was married in January, 1888, to Miss Clara Barrows, daughter of Martin T. Barrows, of Dundee, Ill.
CHARLES R. BRIGGS, Assistant Postmaster, Batavia, Ill., was born in Batavia, Sept. 6, 1860, son of J. H. and Maria (Hopkins) Briggs, received his aducation in the home schools, and as a boy he learned the iron-molder's trade. In 1889 he was appointed Assistant Postmaster of Batavia, and served four years under that appointment. In 1897 he was again appointed to the same position, which he is now filling. He is a member of the Masonic Order and is Master of Batavia Lodge, No. 404.
LEONARD R. BRIGHAM, M. D. (deceased), horn in Lake County, Ohio, was educated in Farmington Institute, Ohio, and began practice at Thompson, Ohio, in 1843. From 1847 to 1850 he practiced his profession at Painesville, Ohio, and in 1860 removed to Aurora, III., where he pursued his profession until his death, becoming widely known by his lectures on Anatomy, Physiology, Hygiene and kindred topics.
ALBERT M. BROWN (deceased), merchant, Aurora, born in Van Etten, Chemung County, N. Y., Sept. 22, 1837, son of Hiram and Polly (Meeker) Brown, both of New England lineage; received a public school education and a training for the mercantile trade in a genera! store at Freemansburg, N. Y.; in 1856 came west and established his home in Aurora, where he was connected with the hardware house of Titsworth & Son. Enlisting in the Union Army in April, 1861, he was mustered into Company C, Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for three months. Then, returning to Aurora, he was employed as clerk for a few months by his former employer, Mr. Titsworth. In 1862 he went into the creamery business, still later was again a clerk, but in 1874 engaged in farming, which he followed several years. In 1879 he became a partner in the shoe-store of J. H. Thompson, of Aurora, and in 1883 became sole owner of the establishment. He soon had a large boot and shoe trade, which he retained until his retirement. In a small way he had an interest in the grocery trade. For many years he was Secretary and Treasurer of the Edison Incandescent Electric Light Company of Aurora, and was associated with other enterprises of a semi-public character. He was a member of the Board of Aldermen and belonged to the G. A. R., the I. O. 0. F. and other fraternal organizations. Mr. Brown died May 28,
