Albert S SALISBURY
Biography

ALBERT SALISBURY

Albert Salisbury is well known in Peoria as a pioneer railroad man and an honored verteran of the Civil War. He has a record of thirty-nine years' identification with railroading, first as a track foreman, later as a freight conductor and then as a passenger conductor and his service was continuous, with the exception of two years which he spent as a member of Sturgis' Independent Rifle Company. He is now retired from active life and is living at No. 1109 North Madison street. He was born in Scipio, Cayuga county, New York, January 27, 1829, and is the son of Cumins and Harriette (Smith) Salisbury, the former a native of Rhode Island and the latter of New York. The father was a prosperous farmer and secured htis first tract of land from the government in 1835.

Mr. Salisbury was educated in the public schools of Hudson, Michigan, and began his active career as a railroad man in 1852, when he obtained a position as track foreman with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad He was later promoted to the position of freigth conductor for the Chicago & Alton line, which had headquarters in Bloomington and ran trains between that city, Alton, Joliet and Chicago, which reached Chicago over the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, with the Rock Island employes as pilots. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Mr. Salisbury resigned his position and enlisted in Sturgis' Independent Rifle Company, which was armed and equipped by Solomon Sturgis, of Chicago. He served nineteen months, spending most of that time in West Virginia. He was present at the engagement at Rich Mountain on July 11, 1861, and was transferred to Washington after the first battle of Bull Run. Here he acted as provost guard in General McClellan's bodyguard. He was given his honorable discharge in November, 1862, and returned to Peoria, resuming his duties as passenger conductor, with which line of occupation he was actively identified for thirty-nine years, when he retired with a comfortable competence.

In Peoria Mr. Salisbury was united in marriage to Mrs. Jane (Keits) Slater, a daughter of Edward and Catherine Keits, of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Salisbury have one daughter, Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer, who is residing at No. 1108 North Madison street.

Mr. Salisbury give his political allegiance to the Socialist party. He belongs to Bryner Post, No. 67, G.A.R., and is also a member of the Order of Railway Conductors of Peoria. During the years of his active service he worked steadily, judiciously and with untiring energy, faithfully performing his duties and obtaining recognition as a reliable, competent and trustworthy man. He well deserves his period of rest for it was earned by diligence and industry.

Peoria City and County, Illinois: A Record of Settlement, ... by James Montgomery, 1912

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