Person:Walter Prall (1)

Residence: The 1894-1895 City Directory of Dixon, IL (online at searches.rootsweb.com), shows Alice, Josie, and Walter all at 342 College Ave, Dixon. Alice is listed as the homeowner and with no occupation. Josie which is Josephine, and Walter are both students and residents at the same address.

College: A picture postcard was found on the Whiteside Co., IL site at genealogytrails.com of Fulton St and Northern Illinois College in the background. (See the Album) The information with it is copied below.

"Unpaved street at Fulton Illinois An elevated switchman's tower and railroad crossing guards are visible in the foreground, followed by the office for the " Fulton Journal " and down the road a tall brick building with " Northern Illinois College " on the tower. But, the best signage of all is three posters on the fence for " Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show ". Postmarked 1913, small crease at lower left corner otherwise excellent condition. "

1900 CENSUS, PA, Lebanon, 5-WD Lebanon, seriesl T623, roll 1428, page 274, on June 4, 1900. Online at Heritage Quest. Prall, Walter, head, w,m, born July, 1846, age 25, married three years, born IL, father born OH, mother born IN, occupation is Professor,, can read, write and speak English, rents his home/ Prall, Alberta, age 25, married 3 years, one child born, none living, born in IL as were her parents, can speak, read and write English.

c 1904: A business card was found in an old wallet that reads: "Walter Prall, Sales Manager, Wenzelmann Chemical Works, West Fourth Street, Galesburg, ILL. " This employment was previously unknown. Their manufacturing plant was located SW of the city of Galesburg and buildings were erected in 1904.

Oct 2, 1906: The Quincy Daily Journal, page 3. Online at archive.quincylibrary.org. "LEAVES HIGH SCHOOL FOR JOB IN A BANK ----- "Galesburg, Ill., Oct. 2. - At a meeting of the directors of the Maquon State bank, Prof. Walter Prall of the commercial department of the Galesburg High school, was made cashier of the bank to succeed H. F. Townsend. He gets a better salary."

1910 CENSUS, IL, Knox, Maquon Twp, Maquon Village, taken on 18 Apr 1910, E.D. 175, sheet 3A: series T624, roll 299, page 10. Heritage Quest online. Prall, Walter, head, m,w, age 35, married 12 yrs, born in IL, no birthplace for his parents given, all speak English. He is a cashier at the State Bank, owns his home free of mortgage. Prall, Alberta W., wife, f, w, age 30, married 12 yrs., 2 children born, 1 living, born IL, parents born IL Prall, Amy W., daughter, f,w, age 7/12, born IL, parents born IL

Aug 29, 1910, Duluth News-Tribune, "New Instructor Coming", . . . His place at Winona has been filled by the appointment of Walter Prall for five years head of the commercial department of the Galesburg, Illinois high school." (online at genealogybank.com)

May 1, 1912, Grand Forks Herald. "New Concern Chartered - Several More Have Been Granted Incorporation Rights: "Security State Bank of Brantford, Eddy Co., North Dakota: capital stock $10,000. The incorporators are Walter Prall, Brandtford, N. Dak., Chas Kroeger, Winona, Minn., C. H. Reimers, Carrington." (online at genealogybank.com) Note: see photo

1915 ND State Census, Eddy Co., Pleasant Prairie Twp, roll ndsc__06860; line 54 family 33. Ancestry.com. Walter, Alberta, Amy and Phileman are all listed in expected categories. Another white male, E. S. Boyer lives with them. Below the Pralls are the J.O. Jensen family including Amy's friend Carrie who appears in several of the photos from ND.

1918: World War I Draft Registration Card: I had never thought to look for Walter's registration because of his age (44), but when I finally did, there was a card for him after all. On Ancestry.com I found a card dated September 12, 1918. It shows him in Brantford, Eddy, N. Dak., a banker, with Mrs. Walter Prall as his next of kin. He gives his birthdate as 11 Jul 1874, and is of the white race. He is of medium height and build with brown hair and eyes.

1920 CENSUS: Walter, Alberta, Amy and Phil are in Eddy Co., Pleasant Prairie Twp, ND. Walter lists his father as born in Ohio and his mother as born in IL. He is president of the bank. He is 45, wife, 44, daughter 10, and son 5. Roll T625_1333 page 3A ED: 88 Image: 0588

1925: From the Davenport Democrat and Leader, beginning Jul 22. Walter filed a lawsuit against a bank examiner. The article reads: "An echo of the Grand Mound, Ia., Savings bank failure of two years ago was heard in district court today when the case of Walter Prall vs J. A. Heng, the latter a state bank examiner, was called to trial before Judge W. W. Scott. Prall is suing the examiner for $225. which he claims is owing him for services rendered the latter in checking over the bank's books. Heng denies the claim and contends Prall should look to the bank for his compensation." Repeat articles appear on Jul 23 and then Aug 20 when the article says the judge awarded Prall "a judgement against the examiner for the full amount of his claim." On Oct 26, the defense's motion for a new trial was denied.

1925 Iowa State Census Ancestry.com, 1 Jan 1925, Grand Mound, Clinton Co., Iowa, roll IA1925_1674. Walter is age 50, Alberta, 48, Amy 15, and Phil W. is 10. They rent for $25. a month. Walter attended university for 5 years and Alberta for 2. Amy is in 10th grade and Phil in 6th. All information about parents and birthplaces is as expected. P. S. West is 73 and Viola is 70 years old.

1929: March 26. Davenport Democrat and Leader. Walter was a claimant in the bank settlement offer of the trustees of the Grand Mound Savings bank in the amount of $124.15.

An undated newspaper clipping, probably from the Galesburg paper reads: "MADE VICE PRESIDENT Professor Prall of Galesburg High School Honored at National Convention in Chicago. Professor Walter Prall, teacher of bookkeeping, commercial law and penmanship at the Galesburg High school, returned Friday evening from Chicago, where he was elected vice president of the National Teachers' Penman Association, which was represented at the annual convention of the National Commercial Teachers' Federation that has been in session at the Metropolitan Business College in Chicago for the past three days. Professor Prall also read an interesting paper on the subject "Penmanship in the High School." '

From his obituary: "The couple," after their marriage, "then went to Newark, N.J., where Mr. Prall taught in a business college for several years. He then returned to Galesburg and became teacher of commercial subjects in Galesburg High School for several years. Mr. Prall then entered the Maquon State Bank and after a few years there, the family moved to Brantford, N.D., where for nine years he operated his own bank. For the past 17 years, he has been a real estate broker in Clinton, Ia. "

Note: Much information on ancestors of Walter can be attributed to the book by Richard Dwight Prall, "The Prall Family", pub. 1990, ISBN #0-9625633-0-7.

1. ↑ 1894-95 City Directory of Dixon, IL, Lee Co. Gen. Society, P O Box 63, Dixon, IL 61021.
2. ↑ Diploma from Northern IL College, Fulton, IL. (Name: 3 Jun 1897;).
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Death cert. of Walter Prall.
4. ↑ Business card of Walter Prall.