SAMUEL WASHINGTON DUNAWAY, of Virginia parentage, and connected by blood
with the Washington family of the Old Dominion to which "The Father of His
Country" belonged, the late Samuel W. Dunaway, of Carbondale, had many
incentives in the history of his ancestors to indomitable energy, the full
use of all his resources, the neglect of no opportunity and unswerving
fidelity to duty in working toward the object of his pursuit. He had from
the same source inspiration to elevated manhood, devotion to the general
welfare, strong love of country and veneration for the loftiest ideals of
citizenship. And, although the years and energies of his life were devoted
to business, the universal esteem which the people of his community bestowed
upon him, the warm encomiums passed upon his character, manhood and public
usefulness while his life was in full flower, the general sorrow of all
classes at his death, and the high tributes paid to his worth after that sad
event, prove that he lived up to the influences emanating from the deeds and
examples of his forefathers.
Mr. Dunaway was born at Bainbridge,
Williamson county, Illinois, on August 2, 1841, and was a son of Samuel
Dunaway, Sr., the pioneer merchant of that county. In the earlier history of
the county the father conducted a business at Bainbridge which is said to
have been at the time the most extensive in Southern Illinois. After the son
grew to manhood he became associated with his father in the same business at
Marion, the firm name being Dunaway & Son. Some time afterward he became a
member of the firm of Goodall, Campbell & Dunaway, of the same city.
Mr. Dunaway was the junior member of the firm in each case, but he had
business capacity of a high order, and soon demonstrated the possession of a
master spirit for mercantile life and all the lines of trade and industry
connected with or kindred to it. He had been reared in an atmosphere of
business enterprise, and the elements of barter and traffic, bargain and
sale, the conversion of raw materials into useful commodities, the rise and
fall of markets and their controlling forces, financial agencies and their
workings, with methods and means of transportation, and all other factors in
the mighty enginery of trade, had been made his familiars and become parts
of his permanent and impelling knowledge. He was therefore at home in every
condition, and knew how to make the most of it. He was also prepared for
every emergency, and knew just how to deal with it.
About the year
1885 Mr. Dunaway located in Carbondale, and here he was actively engaged in
business until the death of his son Ed in February, 1896, when he retired,
and from then until his own death devoted his time and attention to the care
of his numerous properties in Carbondale and elsewhere. Throughout his
manhood he was frugal as well as industrious, prudent as well as
progressive, and in the many years of his connection with business these
habits, together with his superior ability, enabled him to accumulate
considerable property and become one of the wealthiest men in this part of
the state.
It is not to be supposed, however, that Mr. Dunaway gave
up the whole of his time and energy to his own affairs. On the contrary he
took an earnest and intelligent interest in matters of public import, and
although never an active political partisan, except in so far as the duties
of good citizenship required him to be, always manifested the liveliest and
most productive concern for the welfare of his city and county, and did his
full share of the work of promoting it. During the administration of
Governor Altgeld, from 1893 to 1897, he served as a resident trustee of the
Southern Illinois Normal University, averse as he always was to the cares
and responsibilities of public life.
In 1863 he was married to Miss
Virginia Thorne. They had two children: Their daughter Ada L., who is the
wife of Judge Andrew S. Caldwell of Carbondale; and their son Ed, who died
on February 12, 1896, at the age of twenty-six. The father's death occurred
on October 15, 1905, after several recurrences of a serious rheumatic
trouble, but an illness of only two weeks at the time, and suffused the
whole community with grief. His remains were laid to rest in Oakland
cemetery amid testimonials of respect from all classes of the people, the
services being conducted according to the ritual of the Methodist Episcopal
church, of which he had long been a devout and attentive member.
Extracted 16 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, volume 2, pages 1069-1070.