History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 123
until 1855, when he removed to Franklin Grove, which in that
year had been founded. Ele opened the first store in the new
town and conducted a general mercantile enterprise until .1870,
when he sold out. Once more, however, he opened i;p a general
store in 1873 and conducted it until 1886.
Prosperity attended his efforts in that direction. He always
had a well appointed establishment, carrying a large and care-
fully selected line of goods for a town of that size. This drew to
him a liberal patronage and his financial resources increased as
the years went by. After retiring from merchandisiug he estab-
lished a private bank, which later led to the organization of the
Franklin Grrove Bank, which was capitalized in 1889 for twenty-
five thousand dollars. He was its priiicijial stockholder and his
opinions carried weight in its management, making it one of the
safe and reliable financial institutions of the coiuity. Mr. Durkes
also handled many estates as executor and it is well known that
he never lost a cent of money for those whose interests were en-
trusted to his care. The steps in his orderly progression are easily
discernible. He early realized that essential features in success
are industry, perseverance and reliability and those qualities he
so cultivated and utilized that he rose from a humble position in
the business world to one of gi'atifying affluence and not only
gained wealth, but also the high respect and honor of those with
whom he came in contact.
In 1854 Mr. Diu'kes was united in marriage to Miss Eliza J.
Fleming, who died in 1855. In 1858 he wedded Mary E. Jones, a
daughter of Augustus and Mary Jones. Devotion to his family
was one of his strong characteristics and he coimted his greatest
happiness, not the attainment of wealth, but the opportunity
which it gave him of providing liberally foi- his family. He was
also a very public-spirited man and his loyalty to the best inter-
ests of the community was well known. At an early day he served
as president of the village board of Franklin Grove and filled other
local offices, carefully guiding the destinies of the town during
its formative period. He drafted the first laws of the village and
made a chart for a drainage systein, securing its adoption when
he was a member of the city council. He was always a leader in
any enterprise for the betterment of the commniiity in which he
lived and Franklin Gro^-e owes its progress and upbuilding in
large measure to him. He was also one of the drainage commissioners
of the inlet drainage district, and closely studied every
phase of the question so that his work in that connection was prac-