Philip Brotherson, the father of our subject, was born in Demarara, South America, and was brought by his parents to New York when twelve years old. Settlement was made on the North River where Philip was reared to mercantile pursuits. There he became an associate of Washington Irving, who was wont to frequently pass an evening with him in order to receive his criticism on the latest productions of a fertile brain. Mr. Brotherson was a hearty admirer of the genial author, from whom he did not withhold the caller-for criticism. In New York Mr. Brotherson wooed and won Miss Catherine Kissam, a native of the metropolis and daughter of an old Knickerbocker family. They made their home in Saratoga County, where, July 14, 1811, the subject of this sketch was born. He was the third of five children and is now the sole survivor. A second marriage of his father resulted in the birth of four daughters.

The gentleman of whom we write was reared to a like pursuit with his father, serving an apprenticeship in New York City, where he clerked for a dry-goods house on Broadway and for a time was in the employ of Matthews & Ostrander. He afterward removed to Elmira, N. Y., where he engaged in the hardware business with Richard F. Seabury. In 1833 he was united in marriage with Miss Frances B. McReynolds, a native of Elmira, and after his marriage entered into business relations with his father-in-law in a general store. In 1836 the firm removed to Cadiz, Ohio, where they spent fourteen years in general merchandising, after which, in the spring of 1850, they established themselves in Peoria as wholesale grocers.

Six years later Mr. Brotherson sold out and engaged in the grain and pork business with Alexander G. Tyng, the firm of Tyng & Brotherson continuing to operate until 1877, when, having met with heavy losses, our subject retired from the business. In addition to the service which he rendered Peoria as Mayor, he has served several terms as Alderman. The construction of the water works was accomplished during his incumbency of the Mayor’s chair, he having been very active in promoting the good of the people in that regard.

Mr. Brotherson was at one time President of the Adams Street Horse Railway, of which he was also a Director. He has laid out two additions to Peoria, embracing forty acres and bearing his name. He and his wife were active in sanitary work during the war. There is probably no citizen in Peoria better informed than Mr. Brotherson regarding the news of the day and those topics which bear upon the national and social welfare, while few indeed can claim a better reputation than he.

Mrs. Frances B. M. Brotherson, who died December 7, 1879, was a remarkable woman. She was possessed of rare mental endowments and a most estimable character, the golden rule of her life being to do good. Her soul was thrilled by strains of poesy and her brilliant mind and vivid imagination found expression in verses which thrilled others in return. A volume of her poems has been published by her daughters so that, although dead, she still lives to uplift and cheer lonely hearts with the beautiful and refined sentiments in which her works abound. Many of her poems, especially that written for Decoration Day, 1878, have attracted much attention. She was the mother of three children: Mrs. L. B. Tyng, wife of S. G. Tyng; Mrs. M. B. Reynolds, wife of William Reynolds; and Philip, who died in January, 1866, at the age of twenty-three years.

In Connection with the personal sketch of Mr. Brotherson, we present his lithographic portrait on another page.

Pages 349-350