Lavely, William B.

Born: 1808-06-XX Baltimore, Maryland

Died: 1888-01-23 Springfield, Illinois

Flourished: 1830-1888 Springfield, Illinois

William B. Lavely migrated to Springfield, Illinois, in 1830, where he joined his sister, Susan, her husband Dr. Elias Merryman, and their family. In 1839, he married Lavinia Constant, with whom he had three children. They settled in Springfield, where Lavely held a number of government offices, including justice of the peace, sheriff, and mayor in 1852. His primary source of income was mercantile pursuits. In 1847, Stout entered into a mercantile partnership with Ebenezer Stout, which lasted until November 1849. In 1860, he worked as a grocer and owned $3,000 worth of real estate and $2,000 in personal property. Lavely was a Mason and a member of Springfield's Temperance Society.

John Carroll Power and S. A. Power, History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois (Springfield, IL: Edwin A. Wilson, 1876), 447; U.S. Census Office, Sixth Census of the United States (1840), Sangamon County, IL, 16; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Sangamon County, IL, 238; Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 31 December 1841, 2:7; Illinois Journal (Springfield), 7 October 1847, 2:6; 28 November 1849, 2:5; Gravestone, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL.