USA > Illinois > The makers of Illinois; a memorial history of the state's honored dead > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23
M. E.
Gc 977.3 C93m v.2
1781186
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 00864 7940
1
THE MAKERS C OF ILLINOIS
A MEMORIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE'S HONORED DEAD
-
By J. SEYMOUR CURREY
President Evanston Historical Society ; Honorary Vice-President Illinois State Historical Society ; Corresponding Member of the Chicago Historical Society ; Author of "Chicago : Its History and Its Builders;" and of "The Story of Old Fort Dearborn."
VOLUME II
CHICAGO : THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1913
-
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017
https://archive.org/details/makersofillinois02curr
1781186
Alem le ruller.
General Allen C. Fuller
T O LIVE in the remembrance of a grateful people is not to die. The memory of what General Allen C. Fuller accomplished for Illinois is cherished in the hearts of all who have deep interest in the annals of the state and especially in the excellent record which she made during the darkest hour in the history of the nation. In that emergency period which tried men's souls it was found that he was actuated by a spirit of patriotism that transcended all other interests. He might see visions and dream dreams of what the future had in store for the country but he made these visions and dreams realities through his practical efforts, submerging all other interests into one purpose of holding aloft the banner of the Union. When the crisis had passed General Fuller returned to private life, resuming law practice in which he had long been engaged and at the same time becoming an active factor in financial circles. In these connections, too, his labors were important and far-reaching and again not only Belvidere but also the entire state felt the stimulus of his interest and ambition.
General Fuller was born at Farmingham, Connecticut, Septem- ber 24, 1822, and died on December 6, 1901. He was descended in both the paternal and maternal lines from New England ancestry. His parents were Lucius and Candace (Newell) Fuller who, coming to Illinois in pioneer times, cast in their lot with the early settlers of Boone county. Their last days were passed in the city of Belvidere, where they enjoyed the highest respect and good-will of all with whom they came in contact.
The educational advantages accorded General Allen C. Fuller were those offered by public and private schools in Towanda, Pennsyl- vania. Following his graduation from the Towanda Academy he continued his studies under the direction of a most capable private teacher with whom he completed the full course of collegiate work. In the meantime he had determined upon the practice of law as a profession which he desired to follow, and in 1841 began reading,
5
6
General Allen C. Fuller
leading eventually to his admission to the bar at Warsaw, New York, in 1846. In November of the same year he reached Belvidere, where he remained for more than a half century, regarded in his last days as the revered and honored patriarch of his locality. He had been a resident here for a very brief period when several important law cases were entrusted to his care. There was a population of only about eight hundred and the two attorneys in active practice were General S. A. Hurlbut and W. T. Burgess. Soon after Mr. Fuller's arrival the firms of Fuller & Burgess and of Loop & Hurlbut were formed. They largely controlled the law business of their district, practicing not only in their county but also in various neighboring counties and before the supreme court. General Fuller concentrated his energies upon his profession with the result that he was not long in acquiring a good clientage that, as the years went by, connected him with litigation of a more and more important character. He ever analyzed his cases most carefully and seemed to realize almost intui- tively the relative value of any evidence introduced, giving always to the salient point its due prominence. In the earlier years of his prac- tice he refused to enter into any connection with political affairs but later in life held the office of master in chancery, appraiser of damages on the Illinois and Michigan canal, state bank commissioner, county judge, circuit judge, adjutant general of the state, representative and speaker of the house, senator and president pro tem of the senate. He thus left the impress of his individuality upon the history of Illinois, aiding in shaping its legislation and in formulating its records during its most momentous epoch. When he retired from public life and returned to Belvidere the publishers of one of the local papers wrote: "For more than eighteen years the name of Allen C. Fuller has been intimately and most favorably known to the people of this portion of the state. In 1846 he came to this place a young, briefless and penniless lawyer. His scholarly attainments, his legal acquire- ments and his industry and inflexible resolution to succeed soon brought to him an extensive and lucrative practice, and during the succeeding twelve or fifteen years while he was in active practice we presume that no man ever doubted that he ably, zealously and faithfully discharged his duties to his clients. Though always public- spirited and liberal, he has, by personal economy and business talent, acquired a handsome property and has contributed much to the growth and prosperity of our town. When the war broke out in 1861 Gen- eral Fuller was then presiding judge of this circuit and we believe it was universally admitted that he discharged its honorable and respon-
7
General Allen C. Fuller
sible duties satisfactorily and with ability. In the summer of that year he was urged by our state offieers to eonneet himself with the military affairs of our state. The bar of the circuit unanimously objected to his resignation but urged him temporarily to aceept the appointment tendered to him of adjutant general. In the fall of 1861 he entered upon the discharge of the duties of that laborious and exacting and responsible office and in July, 1862, resigned the office of cireuit judge. The history and result of his labors during the past three years and a half as adjutant general of the state are too well known to the country to need to be mentioned here. In the opinion of the press, without distinction of party, we believe, if the testimony of Governor Yates, with whom he has been so long asso- eiated, if the publie opinion, so far as we have heard it expressed, are to be relied upon, then, indeed, he has rendered the state and country capable, faithful and acceptable service. The published reports of the operations of the adjutant general's department in the organizing and sending to the field over two hundred thousand men are before us and we would wish no better record than to have been so honorably identified with the glorious history of Illinois during this war. Gov- ernor Yates in his last message repeats what he has stated in other messages and says: 'General Fuller has been a most able, faithful and energetic officer, and is entitled to the gratitude of the state.' The house of representatives at its last session unanimously adopted a report of its committee appointed to inspect the adjutant general's office and from which report we extraet the following: "That we have thoroughly examined the office of the adjutant general and find it a model of completeness, one that preserves in all its glory the proud record of all our soldiery and reflects infinite eredit upon the great state whose sons they are. * * That in the judgment of this committee the thanks of every patriotie eitizen of the state are due to General Fuller for the able and efficient manner in which he has discharged the duties of the office and for his indefatigable efforts in collecting and preserving this glorious record of a glorious state.' On the first day of January last General Fuller resigned his office as adjutant general and, having been previously eleeted a member of the general assembly, he was nominated by acclamation by our party, and on the 2d of January was elected speaker of the house of representatives. The manner in which he acquitted himself in this new position may be seen by the following resolution which was unan- imously adopted by that body just before the adjournment on the 16th ult. :
8
General Allen C. Fuller
" 'RESOLVED, That we tender our heartfelt thanks to the Hon. Allen C. Fuller, our presiding officer, for the kind, courteous, able and impartial manner in which he has presided over us, and as such recognized in his general bearing and demeanor the perfect model of a gentleman.'
"As a speaker of the house of representatives and while presiding officer of the senate General Fuller was, of course, prevented from actively participating in the debates, but we notice from the official proceedings that one the subject of private legislation and the indus- trial university bill he joins the discussions and we think our readers will agree with us that in the following extracts from his speeches, which we publish today, his views were sound and were ably presented. In conclusion we regret to say that General Fuller returns home with his health seriously impaired but it may be some consolation to him to know that for his long and faithful service he has acquired a high character as a public officer and enjoys the universal confidence of his old neighbors and friends among whom he has resided so many years."
Mr. Fuller's service as adjutant general of the state during the Civil war would alone entitle him to the grateful remembrance of the people of Illinois for years to come and yet his labors were by no means limited to that one public service. While a member of the state legislature in both house and senate he took an active and help- ful part in framing the laws enacted during the period and through his efforts and influence various important measures found their way to the statute books of the state. To him may be attributed the law establishing railroad commissions and a board of public charities, both of which laws are now in force. He was also the author of a bill upon the subject of eminent domain. He introduced and supported the revenue law substantially now in force, and the impress of his genius and ability is found on many a page of the Revised Statutes of the State. All of Illinois' many histories pay tribute to the work and worth of General Fuller and it was with regret that his fellow citizens saw him retire from public life in 1872. He was one of the early founders and promoters of the republican party in Illinois and in the never-to-be-forgotten political campaign of 1860 he and Governor Yates canvassed almost the entire state in behalf of the republican party. Theirs was a successful and brilliant campaign, largely pro- moting the support given to the political organization which they advocated.
While General Fuller made practice of law his real life work he had other important outside interests. He figured prominently in
9
General Allen C. Fuller
financial circles and assisted in the establishment of six or more national banks in which he held prominent offices. He also made judicious investments in real estate until his property holdings became extensive and netted him a most gratifying income. In his law prac- tice his devotion to his clients' interests was proverbial, yet he never forgot that he owed a higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. He recognized the fact that there are certain things due to the court, to his own self-respect and above all to justice and a righteous admin- istration of the law which neither the zeal of an advocate nor the pleasure of success would permit him to disregard. His spotless and exalted reputation will be long remembered by the profession and the community and his memory be held precious by his friends, while that which he accomplished will live long after his name is dimmed in the mists of years.
His greatest sorrow came to him in the death of his children and in honor of his deccased daughter Ida he gave five thousand dollars for the founding of a public library which has since become one of the finest in the state outside of the large cities. Many acts of public benevolence are rightly accredited to him and his charity and public- spirited interest in Belvidere are proverbial. He was a man of noble character, of high ideals and exalted purpose, and as a citizen and friend his example was such that it might well be followed by all. When the occasion demanded he could be austere and commanding, yet it was in his nature to be gentle and kindly, and it was known that he ever held friendship inviolable. Of him it was written by one who knew him well: "A learned historian of this state has said that 'the history of Illinois could not be written with the name of Allen C. Fuller left out.' Truer words were never spoken nor a morc deserved tribute ever paid to a public servant. In the county of Boone, where he is best known, and where the greater portion of his life has been spent, the name of General Fuller is a household word and is a synonym for honor, integrity and fair dealing as well as for worth and ability. Whether at home or abroad, in private or public life, no man ever questioned his honor and integrity; no man ever doubted his public spirit, his broadmindedness or his absolute justice in all his dealings with his fellowmen. As a young man, in the prac- tice of law he was industrious and faithful, and those qualities, coupled with strict honesty and fair ability, could not fail to bring success. He has held the offices of master in chancery, county judge, circuit judge, representative in the general assembly and speaker of the house, state senator from his district and president of the senate and adjutant general of the state of Illinois during the days that 'tried
10
General Allen C. Fuller
men's souls,' when more than two hundred thousand men went out from Illinois to do battle for the Union. In all these positions of trust and honor he acquitted himself with signal ability and with manly honor. No man will deny and none can gainsay that he has been a just and upright judge, a faithful public servant and an honest man in all the relations of life. And such is and will be the final judgment as to his abilities, worth and character."
General Fuller came to Belvidere when it was a little village, when its people were poor and its future outlook anything but bright. He lived to see it become a flourishing manufacturing center and through all the years he met every demand of citizenship, of comradeship and of manhood. He ever had the courage of his convictions and he usually occupied a position of leadership. Such was the recognition of his judgment that others followed in his footsteps and he became an influential force in the community. There was naught of little pettiness about him; his nature was never cramped or dwarfed by selfishness nor egotism; on the contrary, his vision was broad and his judgment of life was accurate. That he performed a great mission in the world and fulfilled the purpose for which he was intended none doubt. Such a spirit can never be lost to the world and must have stepped into a greater, more beautiful life when the door closed behind him and shut him from mortal vision, but such a friend, so pure, so loyal, so great-hearted, can never be replaced to those who came within the close circle of intimate acquaintanceship.
Otte frommy
Otto Doung
CENTRAL figure passed from the stage of carthly A activity in the death of Otto Young. Hc had played well the role of life assigned him and his advance- ment had been continuous from the time that he started upon a mercantile career in the new world at a salary of three dollars per week, until he stood as one of the foremost business men of Chicago. Success to him meant not only the attainment of wealth but the opportunity for helpful- ness toward his fellowmen. As he prospered he gave generously to various philanthropies yet he spoke as little of his benevolences as he did of his business affairs to those who were not directly interested and connected with him in such undertakings.
Mr. Young was born in Elberfeld, Germany, December 20, 1844, a son of Johann C. and Marie (Von Wingender) Young. The father, who was an architect, died when his son Otto was but nine years of age. The fact that he had relatives living in New York and that favorable reports reached him concerning the opportunities of- fered in America, influenced him to come to the United States. When he arrived here his relatives decided that he needed a little more edu- cation than the country schools of his native land had offered him, so that for a year and a half he studied hard at the military academy at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. He then accepted a clerkship in a cigar store in the Gilsey House in New York at a salary of three dollars per week. Such a condition made frugality and cconomy a neces- sity and developed in him habits which constituted the foundation of his business success in later years. He returned to Germany in 1861 but the following year again came to the United States. On his return he engaged in business on his own account as a dealer in fancy goods and jewelry. Success attended him in this venture as it did in almost every undertaking of his life. His judgment was seldom if ever at fault regarding the worth of a business transaction and the value of an opportunity. In 1867 he went upon the road as a traveling sales- man for Hecht Brothers, owners of a New York house in the same line of business. All through his life he cagerly availed himself of every opportunity that offered for advancement and for investment.
13
14
Otto Doung
His work brought him into the west and it so happened that busi- ness interests had called him to Chicago just before the great fire of 1871. After the conflagration, recognizing the spirit of the city, he realized the fact that there would be splendid chances here for the merchant and business man and in 1872 he purchased an interest in the wholesale jewelry house of W. B. Clapp & Company at Nos. 149 and 151 State street. From that time forward until his death he was continuously connected with the wholesale trade of the city. In 1879 he purchased Mr. Clapp's interest in the business, which was reorgan- ized under the name of Otto Young & Company. In 1886 he made his initial step in the dry-goods business when he became a stock- holder and managing director of The Fair. It was in connection with that establishment that he won much of his fortune. The business had been organized by E. J. Lehmann as a small department store in 1875 on its present site on State, Adams and Dearborn streets. The trade increased year by year, necessitating the enlargement of its quarters from time to time until a new building was erected, covering a half block between State and Dearborn along Adams. The busi- ness was incorporated in 1886, Mr. Young taking over a half interest. From the beginning he assumed the management of the business and such was the increase in trade that in 1890 the capital stock was in- creased to one million dollars. His original investment later brought to him a return of millions. There are four thousand employes in the store and the house stands among the foremost mercantile establish- ments of the Mississippi valley. Mr. Young directed the interests of that great emporium for years but in 1905 sold out to the heirs of the Lehmann estate, saying that his fortune was as large as he cared to have it and he was willing that others should have the opportunity of winning success through the conduct and control of The Fair. However, he retained an interest in the real estate occupied by the business house. All through the years he had made investments in property and at the time of his death was the third largest owner of realty in the central district of Chicago. He had various holdings, prominent among which is the fee occupied by the Reliance Building at State and Washington streets. He had equally prominent lease- hold interests, including the southeast corner of State and Madison streets, where the Carson, Pirie, Scott & Company's store now stands, and the Heyworth Building. Very few people knew the details of Mr. Young's business transactions. He was quick to see the possi- bilities of every proposition and he had unswerving faith in the com- mercial greatness of Chicago, but he did not discuss his plans nor his
15
Otto Doung
business activities with those whose interest was merely that of curi- osity. To those who had a right to know his words were always clear and decisive, expressing exactly the situation, and no one left him in doubt as to his position or the corrcetness thereof.
In 1868, in New Orleans, Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Ann Elizabeth Murphy, a native of Virginia. They were the parents of a son and four daughters, but the son, William, died sev- eral years prior to the death of the father. The daughters are Mrs. Walter L. Wiekes, Mrs. Joseph De Korwin and Mrs. Samuel K. Martin, of Chicago, and Mrs. L. G. Kaufman, of Marquette, Miehi- gan. Mr. Young had a eity home on Calumet avenue and ereeted at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, one of the finest country homes in all the United States. It is surrounded by beautiful grounds, attractive principally on account of its native beauty. Mr. Young was very fond of nature and the supervision of his large farm was a great pleasure to him and constituted one of the sourees of recreation and interest in his later years.
Mr. Young always manifested a publie-spirited devotion to Chi- eago and her welfare. Perhaps the event of his life that pleased him more than anything else was the raising of the five-million-dollar guarantee fund that won the World's Fair for the city against the rival bidding of New York. He was credited with securing the ex- position for Chicago and it was ever a matter of personal satisfaction that he accomplished this. He was secretary-treasurer of the World's Fair Association and to the elose of the exposition he took a deep per- sonal interest in the enterprise. He was also a liberal patron of char- ity, being actively interested in several philanthropies. Those ae- tivities which became known to the world were the ereetion of a wing to the Chicago Home for Incurables, at Fifty-sixth street and Ellis avenue, a building for the Chicago Orphan Asylum and the donation of an immensely valuable south side property for a home for the aged. The wing for the Home for Incurables was erected in memory of his son William and was planned largely for tubercular patients. He bore the expense of that branch of the institution, costing him annually a large sum, and every Christmas he gave to each one of the patients a five-dollar gold piece. His private charities, too, were cx- tensive and yet he never discussed these. He was entirely free from ostentation or display in such matters and he almost literally fol- lowed the injunetion "not to let the left hand know what the right hand was doing." He belonged to the Union League, the Calumet and the South Shore Country Clubs. He was unassuming in manner,
16
Otto Doung
cared little for society and was noted for his dislike of shams. He greatly valued life's experiences, its contacts and its opportunities, for his own career had taught him how to judge of each. He was in the sixty-second year of his age at the time of his death, on the 30th of November, 1906. The unexpected ending of his career shocked the business and financial world of Chicago. Tributes to his memory and business ability were paid him by many leading citizens. All who knew him entertained the highest respect for him because of his genuine worth. He was like a young sturdy tree of the forest that reaches ever upward to the light, expanding and growing as it towers and grows above its fellows. Strong personality, individuality and laudable ambition were his possessions. His start in the new world was that of a humble youth, but the recognition and utilization of each opportunity that came to him brought him to a commanding position where success and honors were multiplied unto him and he stood with those whom the world instinctively respects because of their attainments and the manner of their accomplishment. At death he left large sums to Chicago charitable organizations, the largest being four hundred thousand dollars to the Chicago Home for Incurables, an institution in which Mr. Young took great interest.
The Way
Don. John Day
O NE of the counselors and advisers of Abraham Lincoln during his presidential administration and forty years later secretary of state under President Roosevelt and all through the intervening period aetive and prominent in affairs of government, there are few men who have exerted as strong an influence in shaping the destiny of the nation without oeeupying the executive ehair as did the Hon. John Hay. He was in the early twenties when Lineoln called him to Washington to serve as confidential messenger and he stood very elose to the president in his knowledge of the momentous questions deeided during the Civil war. He was never afterward allowed to retire altogether to private life, as his opinions were constantly sought by the nation's leaders and both in publie office and in the field of journalism he exerted a most strongly felt influ- enee in meeting the problems which sueeessive years brought forth. John Hay has made the name of Warsaw, Illinois, one familiar to American people throughout the length and breadth of the land, for in that town the period of his boyhood and youth were passed. He was born in Salem, Indiana, October 8, 1838, but was only three years of age when the family removed to Warsaw, where he pursued his early education in a little briek sehoolhouse, there eonning his les- sons until he reached the age of thirteen. His father instrueted him in Greek and Latin and when, at the age of thirteen, he went to Pitts- field, Illinois, to attend a private school for a year and a half and later entered Brown University at the age of fifteen, he passed his entrance examinations so ereditably in both Greek and Latin that the examiner made special inquiry as to where he had received his preparation. He answered with great pride-from his father. At various times his eollege eourse was interrupted but as opportunity offered he continued his studies and throughout life remained a stu- dent in the school of experience and the post-graduate sehool of affairs. Early finaneial losses which his father sustained made it necessary for John Hay to provide for his own support at a tender age and he became newspaper carrier with the Warsaw Signal, in which appeared his first literary production, the editor encouraging
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.