I was going to write a blog about my great-great uncle Joseph F. Cody, but as I got researching, I decided that first I wanted to examine how the Cody family got involved in living in Peoria, Illinois. So this blog is about Joseph Cody Sr. and his two brothers, Thomas and Michael J Cody, who all came over from Ireland.
Joseph Cody was born in Ireland in about 1840. He married Mary Ann Lamb in March of 1863 in Peoria, Illinois. That year Joe was listed in the Peoria Directory as a boilermaker. Joe was also listed in the 1865 Census for Peoria, with a female and two sons. One would have been James, but the other son is not listed in the following years. In 1866, Joe purchased some property in Peoria. He paid $1075 for Lot #1 in Hasler and Cocles (?) Addition.
In the 1870 Census, Joe and Mary had two children, James, age 6, and Honnora, age 1. Joe's brother, Michael Cody, age 22, was also living with them and was listed as a Mechanic. Joe was a Boilermaker. The value of Joe's real estate was listed as $500 and the value of his personal items was listed as $1500. In the 1871 Directory Thomas (another brother of Joe's) and Joseph Cody were listed as Cody Bro. "proprietors of Union Boiler Works, manufacturers of steam boilers, tanks and all kinds of sheet-iron work". Joseph lived on Merriman St. as did Michael Cody, Boilermaker. In 1871, Joe purchased property for $500 in Johnson's Addition, along Merriman St in Johnson's Addition. The 1876 Directory shows Joseph Cody (Cody and Brown). Joe Cody and JP Brown were proprietors of Union Boiler Works. In 1878 Joe purchased property for $700 in Section 30 in Township 8. In 1879, he purchased more property in Peoria from Matthew Heneberry. Joe paid $1328.20 for Lot #10 in Dobbins Subdivision.
In the 1880 Peoria Census, it appeared as if both children, James and Honnora, had died. Joseph and Mary were listed with five children: Joseph 9, Edward 7, Mary 6, Rosa Ann 3, and William 1. Joseph was listed as a Boilermaker. In the City directory, Joe is listed as working for McAleenon and Cody. The 1887 directory shows Joe working for Cody and Lamb (Joseph Cody and Thomas Lamb-Joe's brother-in-law).
Joe purchased a lot of property in 1880: in January he and Michael McAleenion paid $600 for one package and $1462.50 for more in the same at Washington and Oak in Peoria. I am guessing that perhaps this is where they were building a new shop. In April of 1880, Joe paid $800 for 2 lots in the McReynolds Spurch Addition in Peoria.
Also in July of 1880, Joe's brother Thomas (who had moved to Kansas City, MO) and Joe had a Warranty Deed where he sold to Joe all of lots # 9 and 10 in Block #5 of Bradley's second addition. In the 1884 Peoria Directory Joseph Lamb, apprentice, lived at 815 First, as did his father Thomas Lamb (Cody and Lamb). This was Joe Cody's home.
The Peoria Census taken in 1888 shows Joseph and Mary with children: Joseph Jr 17, Edward 15, Mary 14, Roseanna 11, Margaret 7, and Francis 5. Their son William was not listed-he would have been eight years old, so is presumed to have died. The family was living at 815 First St. in Peoria. This home remained the family home for all of the family for many years. Edward and Joseph and their families all lived there through at least 1900. Various other family members were often listed there also. In 1884, Joseph Lamb was listed there working as an apprentice and Thomas Lamb (Mary Ann's brother) was living there (part owner of Cody and Lamb).
In 1890, the Peoria Directory shows that Joe was the Vice President of Industrial Boilermaker Works. His sons Joseph F. and Edward worked there. Joe also built Cody Apartments this year at 818 W Moss in Peoria. The apartments are still there and are gorgeous.
Joe Cody died on the 2nd of February in 1892 in Peoria at the age of fifty-two. He died from Rheumatism of the Heart. He is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Peoria. Buried with him are his wife Mary, and children Frank T. Cody, James, Mary Mollie Cody Mahoney, and Mary A Mahoney (granddaughter), and an infant who died in 1927 (grandchild?).
The year he died the Peoria directory shows that Cody and Sons (Joseph F and Edward M Cody, two of his sons.) had been formed. Joe Cody, Sr. appears to have been a quite ambitious man throughout his life.
Joe's wife, Mary Ann (Lamb) Cody remained in the family home. In the 1900 Peoria Census, it shows that she had 6 out of 13 children living there. I have only found eleven children born to them. Her children Edward, Mary, Rose, and Frank lived there with her. She was still living there in 1910 with daughters Mollie and Rose and son Frank. It states that Mary had her own income. Frank died in 1910. Daughter Margaret died in 1914. Joe Cody's wife Mary died in 1918. She is buried with Joe at St. Mary's Cemetery in Peoria.
The youngest of the three Cody brothers that I have found was Michael J Cody. He was born about 1848 in Ireland. He was listed as age 12 living with his brother Thomas Cody in 1860 in New Orleans. In 1870, Michael was listed in the Peoria Census as living with Joe Cody and his family. He was 22 and was working as a Mechanic. In 1873, Michael married Annie Whalen in Peoria. That same year Michael and Thomas R Daniels paid $1100 for a lot in Rigg's Addition. Then in 1875, Michael purchased the property from Thomas R Daniels for $700. He also purchased another lot in the same addition for $400. In 1879, Michael and Annie sold property in Rigg's Addition for $2000.
By 1880, Michael and Annie had two children, Thomas J. age 6, and Joseph T. age 2. Michael was working as a Saloon Keeper. Sadly, Michael died the following year in November of 1881 of Consumption. His address was at 815 Second Ave. in Peoria, the Cody family home. He was only thirty-three years old. In the 1888 Peoria Census Annie was listed with her children: Nora 11, Thomas 13, Joseph 9, and Teresa 6. Annie must have been pregnant with their fourth child when Michael died.
Annie died in 1913 and is buried with Michael.
The other brother that I have found was Thomas Cody who was born in about 1836 in Ireland. He married Alice Mullay in about 1858. In 1860, Thomas and Alice were listed as living in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thomas was a blacksmith. Michael Cody, age 12 born in Ireland, was listed as living with them. In 1865, Thomas was listed as a Boilermaker in Peoria, Illinois. Thomas paid $1150 for property owned by Tobias Bradley in 1867.
Thomas and his family were listed in Peoria, Illinois in the 1870 Census. At that time, Thomas and Alice had 3 children: Joseph William, age 9, Hannah, age 4, and Mary, age 6/12. Joseph William was born in Louisiana, and the younger two children were born in Illinois, which means that Thomas and his family were probably in Peoria by 1866. In 1871, Thomas was listed as an owner of Cody Bro. with Joseph Cody. In 1873, Thomas bought property from Lydia Bradley for $575 listed as Lot 9 and 10 in Block 5 in Bradley's Second Addition in Peoria. This is the property that he sold to Joe Cody in 1880.
By 1880, Thomas and his family had moved to Kansas City, Missouri. He and his son Joseph were listed as Boilermakers. Thomas's daughter was listed as "Hannora" in this census. Daughter Mary was not listed, presumed to have died.
Thomas died in 1899 in Independence, Missouri and Alice died in 1897 in Kansas City Missouri; Thomas was 63 when he died. His daughter Mary had died, his daughter Hannora had married S. Devine, and his son Joseph was living in Peoria, Illinois. His son Joseph worked as a boilermaker for all of his life.
Since I only know of three Cody children (Joseph "Joe", Thomas, and Michael) I realize that it is likely that there were other siblings that I have not found. At this time, it is not known who their parents were. I feel fairly confident that their mother's name was Hanora as each of the three brothers named their first daughters that Hanora.
Other Cody references I have found for Peoria:
-Anna Cody married George Potts in 1888 in Peoria. According to marriage records, Anna's parents were James and Bridget Baty Cody.
