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THE BRAINARD FAMILY

By Harry F. Brainard

Harry F. Brainard and Ella K. Brainard were married in Lanark, Illinois in 1887.  They came to LaGrange from Los Angeles, California, in 1895 and returned to Los Angeles in 1905.

Mr. Brainard was engaged in the real estate business and building business in LaGrange and was an active member of the First Baptist Church there.  Rev. George M. Daniels, then pastor, now of Los Angeles, California.

They have three children:  Ceylon H. Brainard, married to Anna S. Schilling, who have two sons, Ceylon H. Jr., in college, David S., eleven years old; one daughter, Evangeline A., college graduate, and one granddaughter,Diana Marie.  All live in South Pasadena, except the daughter, now Mrs. Richard Burgress, mother of Diana, who lives in Chicago, Mr. Burgess being a chemist for Armout & Company.

Our son, Ceylon H. Brainard, is general manager of the $2,000,000 Auditorium Building, 5^th and Olive Street, Los Angeles, California.

Our next eldest, a daughter, Viva B., is married to Louis H. Adsit.  They have two sons, Theadore B. Adsit, in college, John W Adsit, in junior college - all living in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock).  Mr. Adsit is with the National Shirt Shop, Los Angeles.

Our youngest daughter, Virginia Scofield Brainard, college graduate and musician was to be married to Dr. Ion Cherry, physician and surgeon of Pasadena and Los Angeles, in September 1934, but Virginia died in June of the same year, age 23.

According to the Brainard geneology, our ancestors came to this country from England and settled in Hartford, Conn., in 1649.  Ceylon P. Brainard, father of Harry F. Brainard, was born in Courtland, New York - moved to Illinois while a young man.  He married Miss Tina M. Scofield in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  They lived for a time in Chicago, where their son, Harry F., was born in 1862.  They soon moved to Rockford, Illinois, where they lived for several years and Harry F. was educated.

Further reference to the Brainards (also spelled Brainerd) can be had from Johnson's Universal Encyclopedia and Brainard Geneology.

Mrs. Harry F. Brainard's father, Nicholas Fagan, born in Washington, D.C. in 1827, was in the navy on the sailing vessel, Constitution (Old Ironsides) and sailed around the world three times - stopped on the California coast in 1845 during the Mexican War.  He was also in the Civil War - died in Lanark, Illinois, age 79 years.

The undersigned was in the real estate, property management, insurance and building business in LaGrange from 1895 to 1905, with the exception of two or three years while in Virginia on his plantation.  Some of the characteristics of LaGrange, then a small suburb of Chicago, were a changing population, plank sidewalks, old style wood and coal stoves and furnaces and other items far from modern.  In those days, I had from thirty to thirty-five tenants and partial payment buyers.  The above items kept one quite busy.  At times there was a great demand for suburban homes - lots to build on and houses already built.

I have sold as high as three houses in a day.  Many homes were sold on a monthy payment plan with from 10% to 20% down, and in many cases to be resold when occupants changed their minds about suburban life.

The undersigned owned the first automobile brought to LaGrange, as reported in an old number of the "Suburban News" (1902).  The auto created quite a sensation when driven on the streets.  All drivers with horses, almost beyond control at the sight of an auto, would turn off and give the auto the right-of-way.  In fact, people would run to their windows to see the auto go by.  When parked, it would soon be surrounded, as many of the inhabitants had never seen a "horseless carriage".

Of all the Brainards prominent in Early American History, I am especially proud of David Brainerd, born in Hadden, Conn., in 1718, who was a renowned Brainard descendent and one of the first missionaries to the Indians.

Entered Yale college in 1739, died in 1747 in Johnathan Edwards home, to whose daughter Brainard was engaged to be married at the time of his death.

This article was written by Harry F. Brainard and is in the files of the LaGrange Historical Society, LaGrange, Illinois

Last Modified:  01/17/2004