USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Biographical Sketches of Some of the Early Settlers of the City Chicago Part 1 > Part 7
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When the Galena Railroad was started, Mr. R. was fully ready to enter into it, with all the means and influence he could command. As one of its first Board of Directors he pledged almost his entire capital, in connection with other Directors, for the purchase of the first iron to build its track, and in con- nection with John B. Turner, Esq., then acting Director, after- wards President, negotiated the sale of the first issue of bonds of the Road in eastern cities, which, at that day (1848). was not an easy matter, while Wall street was well supplied with Illinois State Bonds, interest unpaid. The first sales were only made to confidential friends, who relied upon their representa- tions, as capitalists generally had no confidence in any western enterprise.
In consequence of the success of that enterprise, and its bene- ficial effects upon the country and city. he entered upon active efforts to build the road known as the Fox River Valley Rail. road, now called Elgin and State Line Branch of the North- Western. The construction of this road was somewhat delayed, owing to the great number of such enterprises on foot at once. and the failure of some of the more unimportant ones, but it is now finished, and in operation from Elgin to Geneva Lake.
Mr. Raymond, though in comfortable circumstances, is not one of the wealthy men of the city ; for he has never worship- ped the "Golden Calf." His aim has never been to make the most money. Hence, he has commonly sold out any consider- able tracts of real estate in his hands, and used the money to advance objects of public use and benefit. He also gives largely and freely. Perhaps no man in our midst more fully realizes the pleasure of a deed of benevolence which costs something, than he. No man of his long residence and various experi- ences with all sorts of men in public and private life, has fewer
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enemies, or more fully commands the public confidence. The trust in his entire integrity of character is full and universal. He has only to believe a thing right to be induced to act ac- cordingly, without question or delay. He is a man of about five feet ten inches in height, with light hair and a blonde com- plexion. His words are few, in low tones, and his demeanor quiet ; the aspect is that of amiability and harmony of character.
He was a Director of the old Hydraulic company, (which first supplied water to the city,) from its beginning to its close; is now a Director in the Gas & Coke Co., and was for many years a Director of the pioneer railroad of the west, the Galena & Chi- cago Union Rail Road.
He, as President, obtained the Charter for the Old Ladies' Home, of Chicago, and has been connected with the Board of Trustees, as President or Treasurer, since its organization ; and Treasurer of the Old People's Home.
He was one of the originators of the City of Lake Forest ; obtained the Charter for the Lake Forest University, and was President of the Board of Trustees, for the first twelve years ; and still a member of the Board of Trustees; also, a member of the Board of Trustees of Beloit College; and Rockford Female Seminary. In 1864, he, as President, with the aid of a few friends, organized and obtained the Charter for the Elgin Na- tional Watch Company, and procured subscriptions to the Stock ; he is still connected with the Company as a Director: having resgned the Presidency in favor of a younger and more active man-T. M. Avery, Esq.
Elgin is most indebted to Mr. Raymond for its early and later prominence. He made large investments there; and furnished the material for many of the most important enterprises. His contributions for the establishment of their Academy were libe- ral ; he was one of the first, and for many years, their leading merchant, having placed there, in 1838, the largest stock of goods west of Chicago. He was a partner in the foundry of Adams & Co., the first manufacturers of corn-shellers in the West; he was chiefly instrumental in the establishment of the woolen factory built by S. N. Dexter, Esq., in 1842-the first woolen factory in the State of Illinois; he assisted in the erec- tion of a large tannery : and, lastly, and. of greater importance than all the rest, as President of the National Watch Company.
Mr. R.'s political views are Republican; but he regards strict moral character, integrity, and capability above party consider- ation.
Mr. R. is a consistent member of the second Presbyterian Church, and has held the office of Ruling Elder in it since its organization in 1842.
His health is pretty uniformly good, and the hope of his friends is to see him useful a long while yet.
HON. J. YOUNG SCAMMON.
[From the Chicago Magazine, March, 1857.]
The subject of this sketch was born in Whitfield. Lincoln Co., Maine, in the year 1812. His father was the Hon. Eliakim Scammon, of East Pittston, Kennebec Co., Maine, a man widely known and universally esteemed, and who, for many successive years, represented his town and county in both branches of the . Legislature of that State.
Mr. Scammon's mother was the daughter of David Young, one of the first settlers, and most wealthy men in East Pittston. Mr. Young was a prominent man in the community in which he lived. As a Jeffersonian Republican, he often represented his town in the General Court of Massachussetts, Maine having formed a part of Massachussetts until the year 1820, when it was admitted into the Union as a separate State.
Mr. Scammon, from childhood, has had a fondness for agri- cultural and horticultural pursuits. He would have been a farmer, were it not that an accident deprived him, at the age of 10 years, of the full use of his left hand. Though this probably changed his occupation in life, it did not diminish his natural love for the cultivation of the soil, or destroy bis taste for the beautiful and perfect, in all that relates to this truly noble occupation. When he resided at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Randolph Street, he had the finest garden to be seen in the city, at that time ; and he now preserves his beautiful garden.
Mr. Seammon received his literary education at the Maine Wesleyan Seminary, Lincoln Academy, and Waterville College. He rend law in Hallowell, in his native State; he was admitted to the bar in Kennebec Co., and immediately after started upon a tour of the States. He arrived at Chicago, in September, 1835, upon a cold and stormy day. He made the then somewhat more than unpleasant and hazardous passage of the lakes, in the old steamboat, Pennsylvania, which at that early period made a trip from Buffalo, by the way of Green Bay, to Chicago. On the passage of the steamboat from Green Bay to this city, n furious storm arose, compelling her to put into Washington Harbor, near Death's Door, at the north end of Lake Michigan. Here she lay until the storm abated ; provisions running out, and the passengers being put on a short allowance, in the meantime. Taking a fresh start from Washington Harbor, the storm again
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raged fearfully, and there was great apprehension of shipwreck among the passengers and crew.
Arrived at Chicago, the steamer was compelled to anchor out- side the bar, there being no entrance to the harbor, except for vessels of a very small size. The passengers were landed in a boat, and made their way from the beach up to the old Sauga- nash Hotel, in a driving rain, through the tall prairie grass and deep mud. They found the hotel crowded, and a very large number of the inmates sick with the bilious fever. In fact, al- together, a more dismal and dreary aspect the town could not have presented. Coming from the beautiful hills of New Eng- land, and their bracing and healthy air, the town appeared to the new comer to be almost a dismal swamp; and his first im- pression was anything but favorable to a location in it.
Mr. Scammon had letters to Mr. Henry Moore, who was then an attorney in the town, and deputy of Col. Richard J. Hamil- ton, Clerk of the Courts of the County of Cook. In a few days, the weather cleared off, and almost as soon the mud disappeared and there succeeded one of those beautiful Indian summers with which the West is so highly favored. Just as Mr. S. was about to leave town, to continue his journey southward, Mr. Moore called upon him, and stated that the Circuit Court had just commenced its session; that his own business prevented his giving further assistance to Col. Hamilton, and that the gentle- man that Col. Hamilton had employed in his place had been attacked with fever. Ile asked Mr. S. if he would not assist Col. H. during the term of Court. This was regarded by Mr. S. as a fine opportunity to become acquainted with the mode of practice and the forms of legal proceedings in Illinois, and was at once accepted. He accordingly assisted Col. II. through the term; who finding that he was ready and at home in the performance of the duties of Clerk, proposed to make him his deputy, and, at the same time, allow him to "hang out his shine" in the Clerk's office.
In those days, rooms for offices were not plenty in Chicago, and the lawyers, being mostly bachelors, lodged in their offices. Mr. S. had endeavored in vain to find an eligible office, so he accepted Col. H.'s proposal, and established his office in the "North-east Corner" of the Clerk's office, from which it was separated, not as often in early times in the West, were the places of the Bar, the Court, and Jury, by chalk or coal lines, but by an imaginary one.
Col. H. then held about every office in Cook County which he could legally hold. He was Judge of Probate, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court, School Commissioner, Recorder of Deeds, Notary Public, and Bank Commissioner. All these were held in a small Grecian build- ing, erected on the north-east corner of the Court House Square,
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which was subsequently lengthened. and transformed into a Court House.
Mr. S.'s days were spent in this room, in the study of his pro- fession and attending to the duties of clerk for Col. H. At night, he lodged like other young men, in the same office. As he made acquaintances his business increased, and in 1836, he entered into a copartnership with Buckner S. Morris. They continued together for eighteen months, and did a large and successful business. They then dissolved, and Mr. Scamion practiced alone for a year or more, when he formed a connection with Norman B. Judd, the partnership lasting until 1847, when Mr. Scammon becoming greatly interested in the building of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, and wishing to give much of his time to railroad matters, he and Mr. Judd dissolved their connection, though they continued to occupy the same office.
When Mr. Scammon came to Chicago, it was a time of almost universal speculation. Nearly every one was rich; at least in prospect. He was solicited to speculate, but declined, on the ground that he liked his profession, and should be happier in practicing it than in attempting to make a fortune by speculat- ing. He thus was enabled to devote his time faithfully and unremittingly to the practice of his profession. His industry and promptness in paying over to his client- all monies collected -somewhat of a virtue in the early days of Western life-won him the favor of the community, both at home and abroad, and his practice soon became large and commanding. This favor, obtained by faithfulness and probity in the discharge of his business transactions, in the outset of his professional career, has been of great benefit to him in after life, and, no doubt, to it, to a very great extent, he owes the credit which he now en- joys in Chicago, as well as the Eastern cities.
Indeed, Mr. Scammon has made it a leading principle, in all his business transactions, to promise nothing that he could not perform, and to work with the greatest possible zeal and ardor to secure the completion of that which he promised. His credit as a banker he regards as above every other consideration, both of profit and present standing ; and he would sacrifice all he possesses to preserve that untarnished. The business public are aware of this, and hence put great confidence in any monied in- stitution with which he is connected.
Mr. Scammon has made great efforts to obtain n safe and relia- ble banking Inw in this State, which would be the means of preventing a recourse to the system of what is called " Wild Cat Banking," by which a number of irresponsible institutions are got up in neighboring States and Territories, for the purpose of circulating their irresponsible and irredeemable paper here. The law, as it heretofore stood, restrained and restricted the home banker, while it gave free license to the foreign institu
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tions, which are responsible to no one, and which, at best, de- pend wholly upon the ability, or rather inclination, of the owners to redeem their promises. Mr. S. has endeavored to make our banking system of that character which would invite the capital of the best business men of this and other States for investment, at the same time that it would possess such guards and restrictions as would secure the public in the most perfect manner. Mr. S. has worked long and faithfully to this end, and hopes finally to be able to accomplish an object which has been one of the leading purposes of his life. The feeling against banking of all kinds which exists in some portions of the State, and which has been taken advantage of by the advocates of irre- sponsible banking in the northern part, has hitherto been the great obstacle with which Mr. S. has had to contend ; but he hopes, in time, and by the aid of the growing intelligence and good sense of the people, to succeed in perfecting such a system of banking as will be a credit to the State, and of the utmost advantage to its inhabitants.
In 1837, without solicitation on his part, Mr. Scammon was selected as the Attorney of the State Bank of Illinois; and in 1839, he was appointed Reporter of the Supreme Court of the State, which office he continued to hold till 1845, when he resigned, on account of the press of his business at home. He was the first Reporter in this State that ever published a vol- ume, and his books introduced an entirely new era in Western Reports. They were brought out in a style inferior to none, and superior to most of the reports in the Eastern States.
The writer might here probably state, that Mr. Scammon has ever taken a lively interest in public affairs. While being indefatigably occupied with the management of his private business, he has not allowed himself to be wholly engrossed in the labors necessarily incident to men of large and accumu- lative means, but has been, in one way or another, connected with most of the great leading undertakings associated with the progress of our state and city. He has, in fact, been among the foremost in contributing to the development of the re- sources of Illinois, and the advancement of the interests of Chicago and the surrounding country. A New Churchman or Swedenborgian in religion, which includes all great measures of useful and beneficient progress he is himself progressive in sentiment, and conservative in practice. His motto is, and always has been, at least as long as the writer of this has known him, "Conservative Progress." Still into whatever un- dertaking he enters, he throws himself with his whole soul, and with all his might; and whenever he undertakes a project, he is indefatigable and preserving, until it is accomplished.
To the Hon. William B. Ogden and Mr. Scammon are the public specially indebted for the commencement of the Galena & Chicago Railroad. After the railroad enterprises which had
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their inception in 1837, had failed, and were abandoned, and all confidence in Illinois was lost by capitalists, when hope was nearly dead in the minds of our people; Messrs. Ogden and Scammon counselled together upon the subject of railroads, and the Galena Railroad in particular. To induce the Michigan Central Railroad, which then hardly reached New Buffalo, to come to Chicago, and thus aid in extending railroad lines farther West, Messrs. O. and S. went to Indiana, and spent much time in getting hold of and reviving the charter of the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad, which possessed the sole power of building a road from Michigan City to Illinois State Line, in the direction of Chicago. They had previously, on the opening of books for the road, traveled over the entire distance between Chicago and Galena, holding meetings, mak- ing speeches, and procuring subscriptions to the stock of the Galena Road. They were themselves among the largest stock- holders in the Company, and by their exertions and personal pledges of fidelity to the interests of the stockholders, they obtained stock enough to commence operations in the road; and it is not claiming too much to say, that but for them this great pioneer road in the West would not have been commenced till many years later.
In the commencement of the building of this road, Mr. Scam- mon devoted a large portion of his time, gratuitously, to the project. He familiarized himself with the details of the trans- actions of the Company, and kept a strict watch upon its opera- tions. Besides, to sustain the credit of the Company, he bor- rowed money more than once upon his individual name, and loaned it to the Treasurer, when the road had not sufficient credit to obtain an additional accommodation from its banker; nor even the confidence of a majority of its Directors, in their ability to go on with their enterprise. But the faith of the subject of our sketch was full and unwavering. Indeed, so great were the difficulties, and so numerous the disappointments in the outset of the operations of this Company, to which Chi- cago is indebted for so much of its material prosperity, that at one time, during the absence of Mr. Ogden, all the Directors, with the exception of Mr. Scammon, the late James H. Collins, Esq., and Charles Walker, Esq., appeared discouraged at the prospect of affairs.
The labors and difficulties attending the carly days of the history of this enterprise can hardly be realized at the present time. The country was poor; there was no surplus money in it; subscriptions to the stock of the Company could only be obtained in very small quantities; of eighteen hundred share- holders, the larger number held single, or not more than two or three shares each ; while all the shares which were taken were subscribed for, not with a view to profit on the stock, but solely to aid in the enterprise. Mr. S. was one of the largest stock-
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holders from the commencement of the undertaking, and when great efforts were requisite to keep up the credit of the Com- pany, and to prevent its stock from greatly depreciating, he pur- chased freely of it, and was, by this means, at one time its largest stockholder. With a view, also, of procuring Eastern aid, he proceeded in company with Mr. Ogden, to Boston, and had an interview with Eastern capitalists. There was at that period so little confidence in the West or Western enterprises, that they were very cooly told by one of the largest railroad pro- prietors in New England, that "Statistics amount to very little in influencing us. You must go home, raise what money you can, and when you can get no farther, come to us, and give us- what you have done, and we will take hold of your road and complete it. You can afford to do this, the road will be of such immense advantage to your country." Mr. S. determined, upon the instant, that these prophetic wishes should not be fulfilled. He returned home, and by his exertions and caution contribued not a little to that careful management of the road, which ulti- mated in the success of the enterprise, and in establishing, in the minds of capitalist everywhere, the ability of Illinois men to build and manage railroads.
The success of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad is the parent of all subsequent railroad movements in this State. Had that enterprise failed, Chicago would not now count half its present population.
In the very momentous matter, to the present and succeeding generations, of establishing the free school system of Illinois, Mr. Scammon bore a very prominent and important part. There was no provision for absolutely free schools in Illinois when Mr. Scammon removed to the State, and for years thereafter. It required a great struggle to get through the Legislature a special law for Chicago, authorizing the establishment of schools by the Town; aud the law was only passed on con- dition that it would be submitted to a vote of the people, be- fore it became operative. When the vote was taken in 1836, the law was voted down. Its defeat at that time was probably caused by the large number of unmarried men, the greater part of whom were speculators in real estate, who were unwilling to have their property taxed for, as they alleged, the benefit of other people's children.
Mr. Scammon took an active part in getting up the first char- ter of the City of Chicago. It was partly through his efforts that provision for our present free school system was made in. it. The schools first established under it were not, however, sustained by public opinion. There were few children in the town. most of its population being young people, and little interest was felt in the subject. The schools had thus but a sickly existence, and were of very little value.
Mr. Scammon was appointed one of the Board of School
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Inspectors in 1839. The free schools were then so nearly ex- tinct, that it was determined to suspend them, until they could be re-commenced under more favorable auspices, and upon a more stable foundation. Mr. S. took hold of the subject in earnest. He drafted new Ordinances and Laws for the regula- tion and government of the school system, which were passed ; and through him and his co-laborers in the Board of School Inspectors, the system of Common Schools, which has been so successful, and of such incalculable benefit to our City, was established on a broad and permanent basis. He remained in the Board of School Inspectors till 1845, when he was elected an Alderman for the First Ward. His election to this office was opposed by some citizens, who feared he was in favor of too extensive a system in public schools. The first school-house -the brick edifice Nos. 81-7 Madison street, east of Dearborn street - had been built under the direction of the Board of School Inspectors, in 1844. Much complaint had been made by residents of the North and West Divisions of the City, at the large expenditure ; very many persons residing in the South Division, also denounced the cost of the construction of such a building as extravagant. Mr. S. determined to secure as large a vote as possible, in order to satisfy the public that "big school-houses " were not unpopular. The consequence was, he received more votes, and was elected by a larger majority, than any Alderman, up to that time, had ever received in the City.
When the new Council was inaugurated, the Mayor recom- mended that the " big school-house " should be sold, or con- verted into an "Insane Asylum," and one more suitable to the size and wants of the City be built. It was supposed by the Mayor, that so large a school-house would not be required by the City for a dozen years. Mr. S. was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Schools, in the new Council, and immedi- ately brought forward an ordinance for building a large brick school-house on the North side of the river, stating, at the same time, that it was the policy of the Board of School Inspectors to build another, on the West Side, the next year, and to build a new school house at least every year. The order was adopted by the Council, and the school-house was built. The construc- tion of this house was followed by that of the fine school build- ing on Madison street, on the West Side. Thus a policy was adopted, which has since been continued and improved upon by the successive Boards of School Inspectors, until our Com- mon Schools have reached their present proud position and high state of usefulness.
In any mention of the Common Schools, however, the name of William Jones, Esq., should not be omitted. For years, in their days of trial, he was one of their most devoted and efli- cient friends. He seconded Mr. Scammon's efforts and labors with great energy and zenl.
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Mr. Scammon has always taken a warm and decided interest in politics. He was a Whig during the existence of that party, and for many years chairman of its Congressional, County, and City Committees; and though often solicited, and more than once nominated for office, he was never a candidate before the people, except on two occasions-once when elected Alderman, and in 1848, when he was the Whig candidate for Congress in this District, which at that time was composed of seventeen counties, and overwhelmingly Democratic. Mr. S. received a very flattering vote, carrying the City of Chicago by a consider- able majority, although his party in the city must have been in a minority of more than a thousand votes.
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