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About Cyrus Edwards
Cyrus Edwards
Find A Grave Memorial ID # 108410069
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's Papers
Born: 1793-06-17 Montgomery County, Maryland
Died: 1877-08-31 Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois
Flourished: Alton, Illinois
Early in his childhood, Edwards moved with his family to Kentucky to join his older brother Ninian Edwards. He studied law and in 1815 gained admission to the bar at Kaskaskia, Illinois, where his brother was governor of Illinois Territory. He practiced law in Potosi, Missouri, and in Elkton, Kentucky, where he married Nancy Reed. After the birth of his first five children, the family settled permanently in Illinois, where three additional children were born. Edwards continued to practice law and served in the Black Hawk War as an ordnance officer and quartermaster general on the staff of Governor John Reynolds. Edwards represented Madison County as a Whig, winning elections to the Illinois House in 1832 and 1840 and to the Illinois Senate in 1834. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1838, losing to Democrat Thomas Carlin by only 926 votes. In 1847, he was a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention. After the death of his first wife, he married Sophia Loomis with whom he had four children. Edwards supported the development of public education and engaged in numerous philanthropic activities after his retirement from politics. In 1850, he was a farmer in Upper Alton, Illinois, with $25,000 in real property. During the Civil War, Edwards was a supporter of the Republican Party.
W. T. Norton, N. G. Flagg, and J. S. Hoerner, eds., Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois and Its People 1812 to 1912 (Chicago: Lewis, 1912), 1:78-79; Theodore C. Pease, ed., Illinois Election Returns, 1818-1848, vol. 18 of Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1923), 111, 264-65, 339, 454; Isaac H. Elliott, Record of the Services of Illinois Soldiers in the Black Hawk War, 1831-32, and in the Mexican War, 1846-8 (Springfield, IL: H. W. Rokker, 1882), xvi; Frank Everett Stevens, The Black Hawk War (Chicago: Frank E. Stevens, 1903), 122; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Madison County, IL, 406; Gravestone, Oakwood Cemetery, Upper Alton, Illinois.
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Source: Alton Telegraph, September 6, 1877
A vast audience gathered at the Baptist church in Upper Alton, Sunday afternoon, to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the Hon. Cyrus Edwards. The sad occurrence had drawn together the relatives and friends of the deceased, from far and near, while the citizens turned out almost en masse to testify by their presence their sense of loss and sympathy with the afflicted family. Many of the old pioneers of the county, who had been Mr. Edwards' associates in public and private enterprises, in days long past, or his warm adherents in stormy political times, were there also; yet none of these had, "by reason of strength," reached the fourscore years and more which their venerable friend had attained. The pulpit was occupied by Rev. Mr. Morrill, the pastor of the church; Dr. Kendrick, Prof. Leverett, Dr. Bulkley and Dr. Johnson, all of whom participated in the simple and unostentatious services. The addresses made on the occasion were by Mr. Morrill and Dr. Bulkley. The former took for his text the last verse of the 91st Psalm, which had previously been read by Prof. Leverett: "With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." He dwelt mainly upon the religious character of the deceased, and exhibited his life as a practical exemplification of the test. The speaker narrated his last interview with Mr. Edwards and read the letter, detailing his religious experience, which he wrote to the Baptist church, of Upper Alton, when applying for membership in that body four years previous. Mr. Morrill was followed by Dr. Bulkley, who had been acquainted with Mr. Edwards for thirty-five years. He spoke briefly of the distinguished public career of the departed, of his purity of life, of his incorruptibility, of his great public services, of his interest in the cause of education, and his benevolence to the college. He dwelt with special gratitude on the personal kindness he had received from Mr. Edwards, of his genial manners, conversational abilities and intellectual force. In closing, he reverted to Mr. Edwards' religious character and experience, as revealed in personal interviews. The exercises at the church, closed with the singing of the hymn, "I Would Not Live Alway," by the choir. The remains were then borne from the church by the pall bearers, Messrs. John L. Blair, Jos. Gillespie, L. J. Clawson, Levi Davis, H. L. Field, and O. L. Castle. The procession to the cemetery, was, doubtless, the longest ever seen in Upper Alton. At the grave the services were concluded with brief remarks and prayer by Dr. Kendrick. The Misses Quigley, granddaughters of the deceased, then decked the new-made mound with flowers, and placed thereon a beautiful floral anchor. The rites were ended just before the close of day, and the aged statesman's form was left to rest beneath the sod of the State he had served so long and loved so well. The tall forest trees cast lengthened shadows over the grass in that peaceful home of the dead. The splendor of a perfect day was fading in the depths of a cloudless sky. So had his life passed away. Not ended at dawn, or at noonday, or in clouds and storm; but rounded, symmetrical and complete, it drew to its close in the undimmed brightness of full consummation.
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Cyrus Edwards, lawyer, born in Montgomery County, Maryland on 17 January 1793: died in Upper Alton, Madison County, IIinois, in September 1877. In the early history of Illinois he was one of its most prominent and useful citizens. He: was frequently elected to the legislature, and was especially conspicuous as a friend of education. He was active in originating the State nor real school at Bloomington, and was for thirty-five years president of the board of trustees of Shurtleft College, to which institution he gave real estate valued at $10,000, besides other generous donations. He received the degree of LL.D.
Indian Land Treaty Tenure Foundation
Ninian Edwards signed 20 treaties as Governor of Illinois Territory, typically as a co-commissioner with Auguste Chouteau and William Clark. The town of Edwardsville, created as a place to register deeds for recently ceded Indigenous land, was named after him. His brother Cyrus also signed four treaties.
These 2 US signers account for 24 signatures on 20 treaties.
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Cyrus Edwards's Timeline
| 1793 |
June 17, 1793
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Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
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| 1822 |
August 1, 1822
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Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
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| 1829 |
1829
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| 1841 |
1841
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| 1877 |
August 31, 1877
Age 84
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Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois, United States
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