Notes for George Washington VAN GUNDY

VanGundy Family Tree


	Researched and Compiled by: Jane Van Gundy Published to the Web by: B.J. Van Gundy Send email to B.J. VanGundy: bj@vangundy.net Created with GEDPage Version 2.20 VANGUNDY Project July 2, 2002
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Notes for George Washington VAN GUNDY

In a family history it states that George "has always taken aprominent part in modern enterprises in his community, incidentallyaccumulating a large tract of land. He has always possessed theConrod characteristic of taking it 'a foot' as the saying is, whenasked to ride, he replies, 'Oh, no, I'll walk, you see, I'm in ahurry."

George inherited his father's land and kept the tracts intact for thenext generations. These were rented out to tenant farmers and he alsoowned other businesses as well. He was a very wealthy man as a resultof his endeavors.

Residences & events:

1880 Scott Co, IL. At census time he apparently was a newly-wed,having no children listed. There was a Thomas Day, a 21 yr old farmerand probably his hired hand, living there and next door were hisin-laws. Two doors down the road were the Brockhouse family who wouldone day become his son's in-laws.

In an article for the Centennial of Bluffs, the buildings of downtownarea were described: "The site eventually became the VanGundy blockbuilding for Andre & Andre Furniture Store with an upstairs room forthe two telephone companies combined by George VanGundy, father of Ray(actually Roy), into one switchboard with 24 hour service. Prior tothat switchboard service ended at 10 p.m. The plugs were pulled andall gossip stopped, except on the party lines which had as many as 25patrons with different bell combinations. Example: two longs and ashort; 1 long, 2 shorts; and as many as four shorts plus and plus.Each customer had a cardboard with names in alphabetical sequence andopposite that the length of their ting-a-lings. The cardboard wasowner designed and would contain the special calls of friends andneighbors of the full line list if one wanted to listen in on alltingles. If too many receivers were raised when you called a partyyou might have to yell: 'Will half of you people please hang up! Mydry cell batteries are not strong enough to get Mary. She's probablyout on the porch.' "

1923 Pike Co, IL. George bought a telephone company, The HomeTelephone Co, against the advice of his banker friend, for $8900.Although he wrote the check for the full amount, he was actually shortof ready cash and borrowed $8000, using the old homestead ascollateral. The company soon caused other trouble for him in the formof lawsuits. At the time of purchase, he told the 3 acquiredtelephone operators their wages would start when the lines wereoperational but they sued for immediate wages. The outcome of thesuit is unknown.

10/28/1923 George was shot in the head by an unknown assailant whilesitting in his living room. He was home alone and thought the radiohe was listening to sparked and exploded, not knowing he had been shotuntil he felt blood on his head. When his efforts to stop thebleeding were unsuccessful he went to bed and called his son, who wasat his girlfriend's house.

There was an extensive investigation into the incident but no one wasever charged by the police. Son, Roy, suspected as the heir apparent,hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to complete a full investigationas well, but no there was no evidence linking him to the crime.Although several people were suspected, authorities finally surmisedthat it could have been anyone. Among the suspects were a tenantfarmer, a strong contender; he husband of one of the disgruntledtelephone operators who had the suit against him; and the jealoushusband of a lady in another town that George visited regularly,supposedly on business. George's sister, Margaret, said he told her,while still in the hospital, he knew it was the telephone operator'shusband.

1/1924 George sold the telephone company to Messrs. Domke and Tuckerof Jacksonville, IL.

Great grandson, Eric Van Gundy, the only living relative in the areain 1993, told of finding silver and other valuables in the brick wallsof the old family home when it was razed. They had apparently beenhidden as a safeguard against theft and forgotten.
The cause of death was pneumonia but some relatives thought he died
from complications resulting from an earlier gunshot wound to the
head.

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