Priest, John W.

Born: 1809-10-18 Windsor County, Vermont

Died: 1887-06-07 Springfield, Illinois

Flourished: Springfield, Illinois

In 1835, Priest married Olive Wakefield in New York and they moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where Priest entered into business selling stoves. They soon returned to New York, where Olive died in 1840. By 1845, Priest had relocated to Springfield, Illinois, where he married Lucinda Stafford, with whom he had four children. In Springfield, Priest engaged in brickmaking and farming, and established a furniture and stove store. He served as a Springfield alderman, and from 1856 to 1858 was the city's mayor.

Newton Bateman and Paul Selby, eds., Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Sangamon County (Chicago: Munsell, 1912), 2:1534-35; Report of Remarks to the Pioneer Fire Company of Springfield, Illinois; Gravestone, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL.