Melody Family of Lake Forest, Illinois 1840

Our American Cousins
By Paul Melody

Of the nine children of Patrick and Sarah Melody, from Bonniconlon, William was the only one who strayed away permanently from the United States, which became the family's second home.

At a distance of 8,000 miles it may seem difficult to trace the history of our American cousins, but fortunately we have the benefit of several newspaper obituary notices sent to us by USA relatives, which paint fascinating pictures of the activities of some of William's siblings.

The first is about his brother, Martin Melody, in the form of a newspaper obituary which appeared in the Lake County Review on July 3, 1918, written by Professor John J Halsey, a family friend and prominent educator. Professor Halsey wrote:

Martin Melody died at his home in Lake Forest (Illinois) last week, Monday night. after a long and painful illness which he endured with much patience and resignation.

He was born in County Mayo, Ireland, March 19, 1827, the son of Patrick and Sarah Holmes Melody.

He came with his parents to Lake County in 1840, and spent his early years on a small farm on the Telegraph Road, immediately north of the present Arcady Farm and about opposite the long consecrated site of St Patrick's Church. In fact, his mother lodged and fed the masons who laid the bricks of the second edifice, built in 1853.

In 1881 he went to work for his uncle, S Coleman, on the farm that he later inherited and which he sold to J Ogden Armour in 1904. But. this original home was in Shields township, and all his business and church connections were in Shields and Lake Forest.

His first wife, who had been Miss Julia Kelly, died December 9, 1894, after a married life of nearly 24 years. In January 1896 he was married to Miss Anna Frances King - a woman of remarkable intelligence and beauty of character, who died July 23, 1915.

In his long and honourable career Martin Melody was a splendid illustration of the best type of pioneer families. Sturdy in body (until the last few years), vigorous in mind, keenly attentive to all going on in the world about him, honoured and respected by all who knew him, he has been an epitome for two-thirds of a century of our township and county history.

Without the help of his retentive and receptive mind it would have been almost impossible to write an adequate history of this section. During an acquaintance of many years, filled full of long conversations about the men and women of the past, the writer recalls no unkind or hurtful expression concerning anyone.

Mr Melody embodied in his life and his attitude to others the highest ideals of earnest and faithful manhood, Professor Halsey concluded.

This was the home built by meat Mr. J. Ogden Armour, heir to the Armour meat packing fortune, on the site of the Melody Farm in 1904-1908 at a cost of ten million dollars. I doubt if Martin Melody saw much of that amount. Since then, the property has been parceled off. The mansion d is used primarily for weddings and events. Part of the original property bears the name Melody Farm Nature Preserve, as is located at 350 N. Waukegan Road in Lake Forest, IL.

A Corduroy Road in the Wilderness

Another view of the early Melody pioneers in the USA came in a news article, headed 'My Ancestors', written by Almon Frost on June 20, 1935, at the time of the Deerfield centennial celebrations. He wrote:

My great-great-grandfather Melody (Patrick Melody - the original ancestor that left Ireland) and my great-grandfather Nolan and their families came to this country, which was then a wilderness, and settled in Deerfield township in 1840.

They settled next to the Corduroy - or as it is now called, the Skokie. It was all marsh land there, but the families cut the trees and laid them in the marsh on top of each other to make a bridge (a corduroy bridge, meaning the logs were laid in rows, in ribbed formation).

My great-great-grandfather Patrick and his oldest boy, John, used to walk to Chicago to work on the drainage canal. John, while working, was killed when the ground caved in on him.

His (Patrick's) youngest daughter, Ellen Melody Doyle, is now living in Lake Forest. She was born October 24, 1842 on a farm adjoining the corduroy bridge. Later she and Thomas Doyle, her husband, ran a tavern, store and post office across from the home.

When the families came here there were a few Indians, deer, rattlesnakes and wolves, said Almon Frost.

My great-grandfather Nolan's farm was bought by Swift and Company, and they still have it. It was known as Conway Farm.

Notable American Melody

The Melody family have a strong Catholic tradition. Monsignor William Webster Melody (died 1925) was a descendant of Martin Melody, William Melody's brother back in Illinois. Monsignor Melody was a Professor of Theology at Washington Roman Catholic University and was known as a powerful and charismatic speaker. It can be a comfort to us living Melodies that when we shuffle off upstairs at least we have someone in the family with good connections.