Hiram G. Mather (1862 - 1933)
Hiram
G. Mather, North Alton pioneer and business man was born on November
12, 1862 in Sedalia, Missouri. The owner of Mather Book Store on
Piasa Street from 1909 until his death in 1933, he was a venerable
“Renaissance Man”. He was knowledgeable in a wide range of fields
and virtually self-taught. During his youth he was a skilled
carpenter by trade. He later developed a keen interest in community
service and local politics, and he played an important role in the
development of North Alton. He was a lover of nature and was
featured many times in the Alton Evening Telegraph for the beautiful
trees on his property and the protected bird population of Mather
Heights. He and his brother, Russell were also amateur photographers
and together, ran a small studio. In his later years, Hiram became
well-known as an avid collector of many types of antiquities and
Native American Indian relics. He displayed them cleverly in his
Mather Bookstore windows where passersby could enjoy his extensive
collection. Traveling would become his preferred hobby. When the
auto “machine” gained in popularity and affordability, he and his
family struck out on many Western road trips. Hiram’s life was full
and adventurous.
Hiram Mather was an infant when his family came to permanently
settled in Alton. His father, Richard Melcor Mather, followed hordes
of Kentuckians who were moving up the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
looking for land and prosperity. Alton was a bustling town and its
surrounding rural community and growing industry provided an ideal
location to settle down.
In the 1870 and 1880 census records the Mather family resided on the
south side of State Street at Bluff. Hiram was the second oldest of
eight siblings. He and his brothers were small local farmers and
involved in the carpentry trade at one time or another. During
Hiram’s young adulthood, he worked as a “wood turner” at the Turner,
Wheelock and Ginter Saw Mill.
In September 1886, Russell and Hiram, the two oldest Mather
brothers, bought lots #16 and #17 of Mounier’s Second Addition in
North Alton for $1000. This included the old homestead house which
was owned by the Estate of John P. Mounier, on what today would be
the intersection of Mather and Virden Street. Mounier had died in
the cholera epidemic of 1849 and left the property to his children
who sold it once they became of age. For twenty plus years the
property remained family owned until 1915 when they began to
subdivide, providing homes for the growing Mather extended family
and the new residents of the North Alton area. Many of the newly
constructed homes on the property were built by the Mather brother
carpenters, Hiram, Russell and Shelby.
Just shy of 23 years old, Hiram married Mary Ella “Nell” Virden on
October 14, 1885, in a small evening ceremony at the home of her
parents. She was a native of Missouri and had moved to Godfrey as a
child. She became his lifetime companion, taking care of all things
domestic while he established and grew a well-known business and
reputation in town. They were to have seven children of their own,
five living to adulthood.
In 1898, after 19 years in the carpentry business, Hiram began
working for R. F. Seely Booksellers. There he learned the business,
and in 1909 at age 47 years of age, he made a leap of faith and
opened his own Mather Bookstore at 207 Piasa Street. His store
provided school supplies for the Alton children, business supplies
for his fellow downtown proprietors, newspapers and magazines. It
was always bustling after school dismal when the place would fill
with congregating youngsters. His shop was also the best place to
purchase camera equipment and supplies and the upstairs rooms housed
modern photography developing and photograph enlarging.
The bookstore became quite successful and in doing so allowed the
family to build a fine new 8 room residence in Mather Heights. It
was built by their youngest son, Lynn Virden Mather, a carpenter
like his father. It was said that from the second story of the home
you could look down upon the rooftops of downtown Alton. It was
built on a piece of land touted as the highest elevation in Illinois
between Cairo and Chicago.
Sitting on such a fine elevated piece of property had one disastrous
drawback. It was vulnerable during storms, and its height created a
lightning rod-like target. In October 1913 it was struck by
lightning, which blew a hole in an upstairs bedroom wall and
traveled down and out the chimney and fireplace. No one was injured
and repairs were made. The home was the base for all Mather family
gatherings and celebrations for years to follow.
Unfortunately, as would happen with many business owners in 1929,
years of hard work, frugality and financial success were robbed by
the stock market crash. The Great Depression snuffed out the
prosperity that Hiram had previously enjoyed. He took a financial
beating when the Savings and Loan with a portion of his life savings
closed its doors as a result of this economic disaster. He was in
declining health at that time and the disaster surely hastened his
passing in 1933.
Hiram’s legacy, the Mather Book Store survived this financial and
personal tragedy and his son, Wylie Mather continued to run it until
his death in 1947.
Biography written by Ramona (Rowden) Rodriguez
Great-Great Granddaughter of Hiram G. Mather