The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition

              BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY.
349
Wis., with his daughter, Mary H. Porter, who was for eighteen years a missionary in China. Uni¬ versally esteemed, he is held in high honor for his spotless character. Christian works and faith¬ ful stewardship. None deserve higher reward. In acknowledgement  of  his wisdom  and worth
he received the degree of D. D. from Williams College, Mass.
Of nine children, four survive—James W., of Chicago ; Edwards W., of Detroit, Mich.; Rev. Henry D., M. D. and D. D., N. China; and Miss Mary H. Porter, Beloit, Wis.
MARK   KIMBALL,
CHICAGO,  ILL.
THERE are perhaps few among those who were at one time prominent and respected citizens of Chicago whose memory is more re¬ spected, and whose genuine worth more widely recognized, than that of the late Mark Kimball. He was born at Pembroke (now Darien), Genesee county. New York, May 5, 1821, the son of John and Ruth (Buckman) Kimball. Reared on his father's homestead, his early life was occupied by attendance at the district schools and farm work.
When he was thirteen years old, in June, 1834, the family started for the West, overland, with two teams and covered wagons. At Buffalo they placed all on board a boat for Detroit, whence they proceeded again overland, camping at night on the prairie, and soon reached Door Prairie, Indiana, where they remained six weeks. Re¬ suming their journey, they crossed the deep river to Yankee Settlement and Joliet, and thence to Bristol, on the Fox River. Remaining there a week, they returned to Naperville—then in Cook county—and here Mr. Kimball's father bought the farm where the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad now crosses Du Page River. Here young Kimball attended school and worked on the farm. In 1836 he engaged in the grocery bus¬ iness with his. brother, John J. Kimball, and sub¬ sequently went into business at Naperville, and made several investments in real estate.
In 1839 l^c became a clerk at the Illinois Ex¬ change hotel, Chicago. A year later he entered the employ of Botsford & Beers, hardware mer¬ chants. In 1847 he established a general store at Naperville, placing his brother John J. in charge of it, but disposed of it two years later. In 1852 he became financially interested in the wholesale hardware business of Mr. Botsford, before referred to, the firm being known as J. K. Botsford & Co.
In 1863 Mr. Kimball was elected one of the directors of the Mutual Security Insurance Com¬ pany, and afterward became its secretary.
In 1865 he retired from the firm, then known as Botsford, Kimball & Co. In February of that year he became one of the incorporators of the Old Ladies' (now known as the Old People's) Home of Chicago. One of the original members of the Calumet Club, he remained a member up to the time of his death, although not a club man in any sense of the word.
In 1866 he organized and became president of the Citizens' Insurance Company, of Chicago, of which he was manager one year, but finding that it did not pay over ten per cent on the capital in¬ vested he closed out the company and repaid the stockholders the amount of their stock with a dividend of ten per cent thereon.
In 1867, Mr. Kimball with A. G. Burley and Samuel Brown were appointed trustees of Oriental Lodge No. 33, A. F. & A. M., which ofifice he re¬ tained until 1872.
After the fire of 1871 he was elected assignee in bankruptcy of the Mutual Security Insurance Company. Subsequently he settled the affairs of a number of mercantile and banking institutions. .In July, 1876, Mr. Kimball was a candidate for the mayoralty of Chicago, but was defeated by a small majority by the Honorable Monroe Heath. His modesty was such that he repeatedly refused to allow himself to become a candidate for any political ofifice, and it was wholly against his wishes that he w^as nominated for the mayoralty.
About that time he served two terms as col¬ lector of the town of South Chicago. His bond for the second term was for nearly $14,000,000, and was signed by all the then leading capital¬ ists   and   merchants of Chicago.     He, with   Mr..