My Genealogy Hound

RALSTON, JOSEPH N., deceased; was the son of a Tanner of Bourbon County, Ky., where he was born, Jan. 25, 1801. Here his early life was passed, chiefly in agricultural pursuits, and here he married a Miss Grant, who died after bearing him three children. Of these, one son only, Virgil Y. Ralston, lived to manhood. He inherited much of his father’s ability, and on the eve of the breaking out of the rebellion, as editor of the Quincy Whig, had achieved a reputation as a vigorous and brilliant writer. Inheriting also the patriotism of his sire, on the outbreak of the war he entered the army as a Captain in the 16th Regt. Ill. Inf., but failing health compelled him to resign. Having partially recovered, he re-entered the service in an Iowa regiment, and died in the prime of life, at Jefferson Barracks, of disease contracted in the field.

On the death of Virgil’s mother, his father turned his attention to scientific pursuits, attended medical lectures at Lexington, Ky., and in 1832 removed to Quincy and entered upon the practice of medicine.

In 1837 he married Miss Margaretta Mitchell, who survives him. Of the seven children of this union two died in infancy. Five daughters are still living.

Dr. Ralston continued the practice of medicine until the last year of his life, dying in June, 1876. Of his eminence in the profession it is sufficient to say that for more than forty years he held a leading position among the physicians of Quincy and Adams county. He was one of the founders and the first president of the Adams County Medical Society, and was at several subsequent periods re-elected to that position. From its organization, in 1850, until the year of his death, he generally held some office of honor or trust in the society.

Weighted down through his long life with the cares and anxieties of the most exacting of professions, he never forgot the duties of a citizen, maintaining to the last his interest in public affairs. He served in the City Council in the earlier history of the city, when he could do so without neglecting his practice, and only once, later, gave himself a brief respite from professional duties when appointed by the President, in 1868, one of the visitors to the Military Academy at West Point.

He was keenly alive to the educational interests of his adopted home, and had a leading part in inducing Catherine Beecher to establish a school in Quincy, now many years ago. Later he took part in establishing Quincy College, under the control of the Methodist Church, with which he was always actively identified, and was one of the trustees of that institution.

For many years he was an active Mason; was one of the founders of Bodley Lodge No. 1, of Quincy, and participated in the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, in which body he attained to the rank of Junior Grand Warden. He was devoted to the fraternity to the last, and was buried with its rites.

Identified with every movement promising to promote the public welfare, enjoying a leading social position, and maintaining always a large practice, probably no man in Quincy has ever had so extensive an acquaintance among all classes of its people as he.

He was rather tall and spare in figure, dignified in carriage, courteous almost to punctiliousness in manner, clean and precise in speech. Self-poised, keen in his perceptions, steadfast in his convictions, sagacious in counsel, the sturdy virtues which commanded for him universal respect, were rooted in a kind and strongly sympathetic nature, which won the enduring love of kindred and the affectionate regard of those to whom he ministered.

Two brothers of Dr. Ralston formerly lived in Quincy, Judge James H. Ralston, who removed to, and died in California, and William H. Ralston, now a prominent citizen of Leavenworth, Kansas.