Boardman, Isaac S

[DanBlue]

Isaac S. Boardman, real estate dealer, Dixon, was born in Tioga county, New York, January 3, 1816, and is the son of Isaac S. and Abigail (Saltmarsh) Boardman. His father kept a public-house in Tioga county for over a quarter of a century, and was post-master of his town for more than twenty-seven years. Mr. Boardman left home at the age of sixteen, going to Bath, New York, where he clerked in a dry-goods store for six years. He then made arrangements to go into business in connection with his brother-in-law Mr. S.M. Bowman, and they resolved to locate at Dixon. Purchasing a stock of goods at New York and Philadelphia, which at that early day were shipped by way of Pittsburgh and the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, they arrived at Dixon in May 1837, and commenced business. At the organization of Lee county in 1838 Mr. Boardman was elected county clerk and served four years. Just before the expiration of his term of service he resigned and purchased a flouring-mill in OGle county, which he operated until 1849, when he sold out and returned to Dixon, and was soon after elected to the office of clerk of the circuit court, which position he held for seven years. During this time he had purchased the "Republican and Telegraph," published at Dixon, and conducted that paper for about ten years, under the name of the "Dixon Telegraph." About 1868 Mr. Boardman retired from the active management of his paper, and placed it in the hands of his sons John D. and William, who had jsut graduated from the University of Michigan, and since that time Mr. Boardman's only connection with active business has been in looking after his large real-estate interests. He was married in 1840 to Miss Mary L. Dixon, a daughter of Father Dixon. She died in 1850, leaving three children. The eldest, Mary E., married Charles C. Pinckney, Esq., and is now residing at Denver, Colorado. John D., the eldest son, was a graduate of the law department of the University of Michigan, and having become interested in mining in Arizona was killed there by a desperado in a dispute over a contested claim. William, the second son, after severing his connection with the "Dixon Telegraph," removed to Chicago to take charge of the business management of the "Rail Road Gazette." After the great fire the place of publication was transferred to New York city, and it is now very prosperous. Mr. Boardman was married a second time in 1854, to Miss Anna C. Campbell, of Mount Morris, Illinois. She died in 1863, leaving one daughter, now eighteen years of age. Mr. Boardman cast his first vote for Gen. Harrison, and for more than forty years has been an active whig and republican.

Source: History of Lee County