The Knowles Story

William and Isabella Knowles Chapters

Unexpected Deaths

by Dave Jordan

William Knowles made the uniforms and kilts that the Irish and Scotch wore in the parades and shows of the 1892 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Chicago was the place to be in those days and the town was expanding and the Exposition brought in huge amounts of business opportunities. William was involved in numerous city organizations. Business was good, the three kids were young and growing, William had been reunited with her brother. And Isabella's sister Lizzie had found a beau Richard Shannon, whom she married in May 1891. All was well with this close group of Knowles and Black family members and they were about to embark on a better life with their successful business and the growth of the city.

Then just as things were going so well three disasters struck. In late August 1893, Isabella Knowles, William's wife became ill with cholera, probably from bad water or food. The disease is characterized by severe diarrhea and death is generally caused by dehydration. In those days, most of the people who contacted cholera died and this was the case with Isabella. After four days of suffering, she died early in the morning of September 1, 1892. She was only 38 years old. They were a young family. William was 43 and the children Margaret, Muriel and Wilfred were 14, 6 and 5 years old respectively. It had to be a shock as a life expected to go on for years to raise the children and to enjoy their new prosperity was taken in a few days.

There are no notes of how the children were cared for during this period, but it would make sense that Lizzie Shannon, Isabella's sister probably helped out. She had been close to her sister, and she lived and worked with them until her marriage the previous year.

By 1893, William moved his business to 215 Herald Building, thought to be in the Chicago Loop and Robert was out of the tailoring business and he became a policeman.

In 1894, William moved his business back to State Street, but further south to 4654 S. State.

In 1895, William moved his business once again to 301 W. 63rd Street. He had been alone for a couple of years and he married Sarah White. In the 1895 Directory, she is listed as a tailor, suggesting that she was previously in the trade and he met her in the course of business. In fact it is conceivable that she was in business at the 301 W. 63rd Street location. No Chicago marriage record has been found for their marriage, even after repeated searches. It is not known why this is so, unless she was someone he knew from Montreal and they were married there or she wanted to be married outside of Chicago, such as in her home town. Robert appears to have moved to 853 34th Place, which is near where he lived in the late 1890s. Most likely this was the result of the new wife, Sarah moving into William's 5734 Wabash home.

By 1896, Sarah Knowles became William's business partner as they renamed their 301 63rd Street establishment W. W. & S. Knowles. Robert moved again to 7633 Jackson and became a painter.

Things again seemed to be going well for the Knowles. William had found a new mate, business partner, and mother for the young children. He had been Captain of the First Regiment Royal Scots of Chicago and had established himself as an important local citizen.

Then disaster struck again. Sometime in early 1896, William contacted tuberculosis, a contagious disease of the lungs. Tuberculosis was common in those days, contagious and essentially untreatable. People were told to breathe fresh air and get moderate exercise. Some people recovered but most died. His disease lingered for a year. Sarah probably ran the business and raised the children, in fact the children may have been sent to their Aunt Lizzie's given the contagious nature of the disease. It was during this period that William's 18-year old daughter Margaret married James Oscar Jordan. They were married on December 30, 1896 and they moved to 837 W. Garfield (55th Street) about a mile west of where her father lived at 5734 Wabash.

William went rapidly downhill in early 1897. He and Sara prepared an obituary/ eulogy of his accomplishments in January 1897. William died at home on March 27, 1897. As was the custom in those days, the wake was also held at his home. He was 48 years old.

Although he died young William had a varied and interesting and life. He lived in three countries, was a charter member of the Northwest Mounted Police, and rode across the middle of Canada during the summer of 1874. In 1874 and 1875, he helped establish or staff Fort MacLeod, Fort Walsh and Fort Calgary. Over the years he was a farmer, a policeman, a sergeant, a tailor and a businessman. He joined numerous organizations and had a role in the Chicago Exposition of 1892.

When he died in 1897, the children were once again orphaned. But they were a little older this time. Muriel was 11 and Wilfred was 10. Sarah, their stepmother continued to provide care for a short while and there was probably help from their Aunt Lizzie Shannon, their older sister, Margaret Jordan, and Uncle Robert Knowles. The 1989 letter from Charlotte Leonhardt indicates that the prime care went to Jesse, the children's aunt and probably married to one of Isabella's brothers, either Thomas (1857), George (1860) or John (1866). It was not known that any of them had moved to Chicago. Charlotte's letter also indicated that William had left $1000 a piece for the children's care, quite a bit of money for the times.

Then once again there was death in the Knowles family, the third in six years. On July 26, 1898, William's brother Robert died from injuries resulting from being struck by an engine of the Illinois Central Rail Road. It is thought that this happened at Grand Crossing, which is at 79th and Stony Island.

William, Isabella and Robert Knowles are all buried in a Knowles family plot at the Oakwoods Cemetery in Chicago at 67th and Cottage Grove. The plot is located in the Linden Hill section J1-314 and is marked by a 1'10" x 1'10" by 5' high concrete marker in the shape of a small Washington monument. There is only one inscription on the marker. Chiseled in are the words "In memory of Isabella C. beloved wife of William W. Knowles born November 30, 1854 died August 31, 1892."

Sarah Knowles was involved in the funeral arrangements in 1898 for Robert Knowles but after that there is no trace of her. She is not in the Chicago Directory after 1897 and was not found in a 1900 Census search for Illinois. It appears that she moved on. Probably Aunt Lizzie Black Shannon raised Muriel and Wilfred.

Notes
  1. Initial Web Publication Date: 4/1/2003
  2. Modified:
  3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Knowles