Frank & Charles Duryea - Automobile Pioneers
Early automobile visionary and inventor Charles Duryea and his younger brother Frank lived in Stark County IL just outside of the town of Wyoming as young boys.
The family lived 4 miles east of Wyoming Illinois. Duryea Park in Wyoming IL is not far from there today. This portion of their lives is not typically noted in online records or in histories that tell of their time in and around the larger city of Peoria IL and even later as their fame grew in other areas but many local citizens are aware of this history.
The boys mother is buried here in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery. The boys attended the South Side Grade School where they studied under William Sandham a great local educator whom the boys felt inspired them in their endeavours.
According to Charles Duryea's biography, "Charles learned more at the Wyoming school than at all his other schools together", and he learned it from William Sandham.
In 1878 Charles did build his first bicycle here at Wyoming while looking at pictures in a catalog. I do not know of any Duryea's living here today but I hope that this information is either helpful or of interest to some in the Duryea family.
Progenitor - Joost Durie and wife Magdelein
Charles Durie and wife Cornelia
Charles Duryea and wife Antje
John Duryea and wife Margaret
Wesley Duryea and wife Elizabeth
George Washington Duryea and wife Louisa
Charles Edgar Duryea, and wife Rachel
Charles born December 15, 1861, died September 28, 1938
Main Page - Wyoming, Stark County Illinois History & Genealogy
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