WILLIAM MAYHEW. - Since the year 1857 William Mayhew has been a resident of Springfield and throughout this period has been identified with its building interests, beginning work as a contractor here in 1863. Many of the finest residences and other structures of the city stand as monuments to his skill and enterprise and throughout the long period he has sustained an unassailable reputation for honorable dealing as well as excellent workmanship. William Mayhew was born in western Canada in April, 1838, a son of William and Ann (Aldis) Mayhew. His paternal grandparents both died in the ninety-fifth year of their age. They were the parents of a large family of children, none of whom passed away under the age of seventy years, and Mrs. Footvoy, an aunt of our subject, is now living in London, England, at more than eighty years of age. The maternal grandfather of our subject, however, passed away after attaining the age of sixty years, but his wife reached the eightieth milestone on life's journey. Of their children, several in number, only one daughter now survives.

William Mayhew, the father of our subject, was born in 1800 and died at the age of eighty years, passing away in 1881. For more than thirty years he conducted a hotel in Canada. His wife, like her husband, was born, reared and educated in England, her natal day being in 1810. When she had reached womanhood she gave her hand in marriage to William Mayhew and in 1834 they crossed the Atlantic to the new world. Mrs. Mayhew survived her husband for about fourteen years and was called to her final home in 1895. They were the parents of seven children, of whom two have passed away, John A. having died at the age of sixty-one years, while Mrs. Augusta Gordon died at the age of sixty-three. Her husband died during the summer of 1903 at the age of eighty years. Members of the Mayhew family who still survive are: William, of this review; Eugenia, who is the widow of Jesse Lawrence, a resident of Canada; Frederick J., who carries on general merchandising in western Canada; Anna, who is living in the same place; James, who operates a gristmill, store and farm in Canada; and John A., who became his father's successor in the hotel business and conducted a hostelry for twenty-five years, so that it was under the management of the Mayhews for more than half a century. All of the children were born in Caradock, Canada, and were educated in the country schools there and none ever came to the United States to locate, with the exception of Mr. Mayhew of this review.

The early educational advantages of our subject were supplemented by study in the Caradock Academy and in the fall of 1853 he left school and entered upon his business career as an apprentice to the machinist's trade in Toronto. He did not find that congenial, however, and returned home. He then apprenticed himself to a carpenter in Chatham, Canada, and served until 1856. Immediately afterward he came to Springfield and here found employment as a journeyman with Mr. Fitzhugh, with whom he worked until 1863, when he began contracting on his own account. Hundreds of the residences of this city are the evidences of his handiwork and for twenty-seven years his shop stood on the ground where the new arsenal now stands. He did all of the woodwork on the roof of the state house, with the exception of that of the dome. He made many additions to the various school buildings of Springfield, remodeled a number of them and was engaged in similar reconstruction work on many of the store buildings, but he always made a specialty of the erection of residences, and some of the most beautiful and palatial homes of Springfield were erected in the execution of contracts awarded him. Nearly every street in the city is adorned by some of his handiwork and he employed many young men, a number of whom have become prominent and successful contractors. In 1900 he formed a partnership with Dunlap & Beam, and they did an extensive business, but Mr. Mayhew retired in January, 1903.

In 1858, in Springfield, William Mayhew was united in marriage to Miss Mary Powell, who was born in England in 1840 and came to America in 1846 with her parents, the family settling in Peoria. Both the father and mother died in the year 1847 and Mrs. Mayhew then made her home with Joseph Powell, of this city. In 1874 Mr. Mayhew was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who was survived by four of their six children. One daughter, Ada, had died at the age of nine years, and William Frederick, who was a carpenter by trade, died in Boston at the age of thirty years, leaving a wife and four children. The others are Josephine, the wife of John Mills, a grocer of Springfield; Luella, the wife of Austin Cutwright, of Milwaukee; Laura, who was born in Canada and is the wife of D. A. Brown, of Chicago, and Rose, the wife of Charles Adsell of Canada. In 1868 Mr. Mayhew erected his home, which at that time was on the very outskirts of the city, being surrounded by farm property. He has since remodeled the place and has a fine modern residence. After the death of his first wife he was again married, his second union being with Celia Ingmire, and they had three children: Ernest L., who is employed as a bookkeeper by the firm of Baker & Baker; Nellie Celia, the wife of J. McBeam, physical director in Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois, and George A., who is a trumpeter in Company G, Twenty-ninth Regiment of United States troops, and is now serving in the Philippines. The mother of these children died in Springfield in 1884 and in 1886 Mr. Mayhew wedded Emma Beaubeuf, who was born on College street, of this city, and is a daughter of Peter Beaubeuf, who was a cabinet-maker by trade and died in Springfield at the age of fifty-nine years. Mrs. Mayhew was educated in the city of Cleveland and has spent her entire life here. By her marriage she has become the mother of one son, Harry A., who is now pursuing his education in Springfield.

For forty years Mr. Mayhew was an active member of the Baptist church and held various offices therein. He was long associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a charter member of the Knights of the Maccabees. In politics he has always been a Republican and though often solicited to accept office, he has continually refused to do so. With him success in life has been reached through sterling qualities of mind and through close application and earnest purpose. He has never deviated from what his judgment would indicate to be right between his fellow men and himself, and today he not only the pioneer contractor of Springfield, but is a man whose business integrity and honor are above question. As the architect of his own fortunes he has builded wisely and well, rearing upon the foundation of enterprise and diligence the superstructure of Prosperity.