Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 96

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388

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SHERMAN, Elijah B., lawyer, was born at Fairfield, Vt., June 18, 1832 --- his family heing distantly related to Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the late Gen. W. T. Sherman; gained his education in the

common schools and at Middlebury College, where he graduated in 1860; began teaching, but soon after enlisted as a private in the war for the Union; received a Lieutenant's commission, and served until captured on the eve of the battle at Antietam, when he was paroled and sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago, awaiting exchange. During this period he commenced reading law and, hav- ing resigned his commission, graduated from the law department of Chicago University in 1864 In 1876 he was elected Representative in the General Assembly from Cook County, and re- elected in 1878, and the following year appointed Master in Chancery of the United States District Court, a position which he still occupies He has repeatedly been called upon to deliver addresses on political, literary and patriotic occasions, one of these being before the alumni of his alma mater, in 1884, when he was complimented with the degree of LL.D.

SHIELDS, James, soldier and United States Senator, was born in Ireland in 1810, emigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen and began the practice of law at Kaskaskia in 1832. He was elected to the Legislature in 1836, and State Auditor in 1839. In 1843 he became a Judge of the Supreme Court of the State, and, in 1845, was made Commissioner of the General Land Office. In July, 1846, he was commissioned Brigadier-General in the Mexican War gaining the brevet of Major-General at Cerro-Gordo, where he was severely wounded. He was again wounded at Chapultepec, and mustered out in 1848. The same year he was appointed Governor of Oregon Territory. In 1849 the Democrats in the Illinois Legislature elected him Senator, and he resigned his office in Oregon. In 1856 he removed to Minnesota, and, in 1858, was chosen United States Senator from that State, his term expiring in 1859, when he established a residence in California. At the outbreak of the Civil War (1861) he was superintending a mine in Mexico, but at once hastened to Washington to tender his services to the Governmnet. He was commis- sioned Brigadier-General, and served with dis- tinction until March, 1863, when the effect of numerous wounds caused him to resign. He sub- sequently removed to Missouri, practicing law at Carrollton and serving in the Legislature of that State in 1874 and 1879. In the latter year he was elected United States Senator to fill out the unex- pired term of Senator Bogy, who had died in office-serving only six weeks, but being the only man in the history of the country who filled the office of United States Senator from three differ-

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ent States. Died, at Ottumwa, Iowa, June 1, 1879

SHIPMAN, a town of Macoupin County, on the Chicago & Alton Railway, 19 miles north-north- east of Alton and 14 miles southwest of Carlin- ville. Population (1890), 410.

SHIPMAN, George E., M.D., physician and philanthropist, born in New York City, March 4, 1820; graduated at the University of New York in 1839, and took a course in the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons; practiced for a time at Peoria, Ill., but, in 1846, located in Chicago, where he assisted in organizing the first Homeopathic Hospital in that city, and, in 1855, was one of the first Trustees of Hahnemann College. In 1871 he established, in Chicago, the Foundlings' Home at his own expense, giving to it the latter years of his life. Died, Jan. 20, 1893.

SHOREY, Daniel Lewis, lawyer and philan- thropist, was born at Jonesborough, Washington County, Maine, Jan. 31, 1824; educated at Phil- lips Academy, Andover, Mass., and at Dartmouth College, graduating from the latter in 1851; taught two years in Washington City, meanwhile reading law, afterwards taking a course at Dane Law School, Cambridge; was admitted to the bar in Boston in 1854, the next year locating at Davenport, Iowa, where he remained ten years. In 1865 he removed to Chicago, where he prose- cuted his profession until 1890, when he retired. Mr. Shorey was prominent in the establishment of the Chicago Public Library, and a member of the first Library Board; was also a prominent member of the Chicago Literary Club, and was a Director in the new University of Chicago and deeply interested in its prosperity. Died, in Chi- cago, March 4, 1899.

SHORT, (Rev.) William F., clergyman and educator, was born in Ohio in 1829, brought to Morgan County, Ill., in childhood, and lived upon a farm until 20 years of age, when he entered McKendree College, spending his senior year, however, at Wesleyan University, Bloomington, where he graduated in 1854. He had meanwhile accepted a call to the Missouri Conference Semi- nary at Jackson, Mo .; where he remained three years, when he returned to Illinois, serving churches at Jacksonville and elsewhere, for a part of the time being Presiding Elder of the Jacksonville District. In 1875 he was elected President of Illinois Female College at Jackson- ville, continuing in that position until 1893, when he was appointed Superintendent of the Illinois State Institution for the Blind at the same place, but resigned early in 1897. Dr. Short received

the degree of D.D., conferred upon him by Ohio Wesleyan University.

SHOUP, George L., United States Senator, was born at Kittanning, Pa., June 15, 1836; came to Illinois in 1852, his father locating on a stock- farm near Galesburg; in 1859 removed to Colo- rado, where he engaged in mining and mercantile business until 1861, when he enlisted in a com- pany of scouts, being advanced from the rank of First Lieutenant to the Colonelcy of the Third Colorado Cavalry, meanwhile serving as Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention of 1864. Retiring to private life, he again engaged in mer- cantile and mining business, first in Nevada and then in Idaho; served two terms in the Terri- torial Legislature of the latter, was appointed Territorial Governor in 1889 and, in 1890, was chosen the first Governor of the State, in October of the same year being elected to the United States Senate, and re-elected in 1895 for a second term, which ends in 1901. Senator Shoup is one of the few Western Senators who remained faith- ful to the regular Republican organization, during the political campaign of 1896.

SHOWALTER, John W., jurist, was born in Mason County, Ky., Feb. 8, 1844; resided some years in Scott County in that State, and was educated in the local schools, at Maysville and Ohio University, finally graduating at Yale Col- lege in 1867; came to Chicago in 1869, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1870. He returned to Kentucky after the fire of 1871, but, in 1872, again came to Chicago and entered the employment of the firm of Moore & Caulfield, with whom he had been before the fire. In 1879 he became a member of the firm of Abbott, Oliver & Showalter (later, Oliver & Showalter), where he remained until his appointment as United States Circuit Judge, in March, 1895. Died, in Chicago, Dec. 12, 1898.

SHUMAN, Andrew, journalist and Lieutenant- Governor, was born at Manor, Lancaster County, Pa., Nov. 8, 1830. His father dying in 1837, he was reared by an uncle. At the age of 15 he became an apprentice in the office of "The Lan- caster Union and Sentinel." A year later he ac- companied his employer to Auburn, N. Y., working for two years on "'The Daily Advertiser" of that city, then known as Governor Seward's "home organ." At the age of 18 he edited, published and distributed -during his leisure hours-a small weekly paper called "The Auburnian." At the conclusion of his apprenticeship he was em- ployed, for a year or two, in editing and publish- ing "The Cayuga Chief," a temperance journal.

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In 1851 he entered Hamilton College, but, before the completion of his junior year, consented, at the solicitation of friends of William H. Seward, to assume editorial control of "The Syracuse Daily Journal." In July, 1856, he came to Chi- cago, to accept an editorial position on "The Evening Journal" of that city, later becoming editor-in-chief and President of the Journal Com- pany. From 1865 to 1870 (first hy executive appointment and afterward by popular election) he was a Commissioner of the Illinois State Peni- teutiary at Joliet, resigning the office four years before the expiration of his term. In 1876 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor on the Repub- lican ticket. Owing to declining health, he abandoned active journalistic work in 1888, dying in Chicago, May 5, 1890. His home during the latter years of his life was at Evanston. Governor Shuman was author of a romance entitled "Loves of a Lawyer," besides numerous addresses before literary, commercial and scien- tific associations.

SHUMWAY, Dorice Dwight, merchant, was born at Williamsburg, Worcester County, Mass., Sept. 28, 1813, descended from French Huguenot ancestry ; came to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1837, and to Montgomery County, Ill., in 1841; married a daughter of Hiram Rountree, an early resident of Hillsboro, and, in 1843, located in Christian County ; was engaged for a time in merchandis- ing at Taylorville, but retired in 1858, thereafter giving his attention to a large landed estate. In 1846 he was chosen Representative in the General Assembly, served in the Constitutional Conven- tion of 1847, and four years as County Judge of Christian County. Died, May 9, 1870 .- Hiram P. (Shumway), eldest son of the preceding, was born in Montgomery County, Ill .. June, 1842; spent his boyhood on a farm in Christian County and in his father's store at Taylorville; took an academy course and, in 1864, engaged in mercan- tile business; was Representative in the Twenty- eighth General Assembly and Senator in the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh, afterwards removing to Springfield, where he engaged in the stone business.

SHURTLEFF COLLEGE, an institution located at Upper Alton, and the third estab- lished in Illinois. It was originally incorporated as the "Alton College" in 1831, under a special charter which was not accepted, but re-incorpo- rated in 1835, in an "omnibus bill" with Illi- nois and McKendree Colleges. (See Early Col- leges.) Its primal origin was a school at Rock Spring in St. Clair County, founded about 1824,

by Rev. John M. Peck. This became the "Rock Spring Seminary" in 1827, and, about 1831, was united with an academy at Upper Alton. This was the nucleus of "Alton" (afterward "Shurt- leff") College. As far as its denominational control is concerned, it has always been domi- nated by Baptist influence. Dr. Peck's original idea was to found a school for teaching theology and Biblical literature, but this project was at first inhibited by the State. Hubbard Loomis and John Russell were among the first instruc- tors. Later, Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff donated the college $10,000, and the institution was named in his honor. College classes were not organized until 1840, and several years elapsed before a class graduated. Its endowment in 1898 was over $126,000, in addition to $125,000 worth of real and personal property. About 255 students were in attendance. Besides preparatory and collegiate departments, the college also maintains a theo- logical school. It has a faculty of twenty instructors and is co-educational.

SIBLEY, a village of Ford County, on the Chi- cago Division of the Wabash Railway, 105 miles south-southwest of Chicago; has banks and a weekly newspaper. The district is agricultural. Population (1890), 404.

SIBLEY, Joseph, lawyer and jurist, was born at Westfield, Mass., in 1818; learned the trade of a whip-maker and afterwards engaged in mer- chandising. In 1843 he began the study of law at Syracuse, N. Y., and, upon admission to the bar, came west, finally settling at Nauvoo, Han- cock County. He maintained a neutral attitude during the Mormon troubles, thus giving offense to a section of the community. In 1847 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Legislature, but was elected in 1850, and re-elected in 1852. In 1853 he removed to Warsaw, and, in 1855, was elected Judge of the Circuit Court, and re-elected in 1861, '67 and '73, being assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court of the Second District, in 1877. His residence, after 1865, was at Quincy, where he died, June 18, 1897.

SIDELL, a village of Vermilion County, at the Junction of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois and the Peoria & Evansville Railroads; has a bank and a newspaper. Population (1890), 525.

SIDNEY, a village of Champaign County, on the main line of the Wabash Railway, at the junc- tion of a branch to Champaign, 48 miles east-north- east of Decatur. It is in a farming district; has a bank and a newspaper. Population, 581.

SIM, (Dr.) William, pioneer physician, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1795, came to

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America in early manhood, and was the first pliy- sician to settle at Golconda, in Pope County, which he represented in the Fourth and Fifth General Assemblies (1824 and '28). He married a Miss Elizabeth Jack of Philadelphia, making the journey from Golconda to Philadelphia for that purpose on horseback. He had a family of five children, one son, Dr. Francis L. Sim, rising to distinction as a physician, and, for a time, being President of a Medical College at Memphis, Tenn. The elder Dr. Sim died at Golconda, in 1868.

SIMS, James, early legislator and Methodist preacher, was a native of South Carolina, hut removed to Kentucky in early manhood, thence to St. Clair County, Ill., and, in 1820, to Sanga- mon County, where he was elected, in 1822, as the first Representative from that county in the Third General Assembly. At the succeeding ses- sion of the Legislature, he was one of those who voted against the Convention resolution designed to prepare the way for making Illinois a slave State. Mr. Sims resided for a time in Menard County, but finally removed to Morgan.

SINGER, Horace M., capitalist, was born in Schnectady, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1823; came to Chicago in 1836 and found employment on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, serving as superintendent of repairs upon the Canal until 1853. While thus employed he became one of the proprietors of the stone-quarries at Lemont, managed by the firm of Singer & Talcott until about 1890, when they became the property of the Western Stone Company. Originally a Democrat, he became a Republican during the Civil War, and served as a member of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly (1867) for Cook County, was elected County Com- missioner in 1870, and was Chairman of the Republican County Central Committee in 1880. He was also associated with several financial institutions, being a director of the First National Bank and of the Auditorium Company of Chi- cago, and a member of the Union League and Calumet Clubs. Died, at Pasadena, Cal., Dec. 28, 1896.

SINGLETON, James W., Congressman, born at Paxton, Va., Nov. 23, 1811; was educated at the Winchester (Va.) Academy, and removed to Illinois in 1833, settling first at Mount Sterling, Brown County, and, some twenty years later, near Quincy. By profession he was a lawyer, and was prominent in political and commercial affairs. In his later years he devoted consider- able attention to stock-raising. He was elected Brigadier-General of the Illinois militia in 1844,

being identified to some extent with the "Mor- mon War"; was a member of the Constitutional Conventions of 1847 and 1862, served six terms iu the Legislature, and was elected, on the Demo- cratic ticket, to Congress in 1878, and again in 1880. In 1883 he ran as an independent Demo- crat, but was defeated by the regular nominee of his party, James M. Riggs. During the War of the Rebellion he was one of the most conspicuous leaders of the "peace party." He constructed the Quincy & Toledo (now part of the Wabash) and the Quincy, Alton & St. Louis (now part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy) Railways, being President of both companies. His death occurred at Baltimore, Md., April 4, 1892.

SINNET, John S., pioneer, was born at Lex- ington, Ky., March 10, 1796; at three years of age, taken by his parents to Missouri; enlisted in the War of 1812, but, soon after the war, came to Illinois, and, about 1818, settled in what is now Christian County, locating on land constituting a part of the present city of Taylorville. In 1840 he removed to Tazewell County, dying there, Jan. 13, 1872.

SKINNER, Mark, jurist, was born at Manches- ter, Vt., Sept. 13, 1813; graduated from Middle- bury College in 1833, studied law, and, in 1836, came to Chicago; was admitted to the bar in 1839, became City Attorney in 1840, later Master in Chancery for Cook County, and finally United States District Attorney under President Tyler. As member of the House Finance Committee in the Fifteenth General Assembly (1846-48), he aided influentially in securing the adoption of measures for refunding and paying the State debt. In 1851 he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (now Superior Court) of Cook County, but declined a re-election in 1853. Origi- nally a Democrat, Judge Skinner was an ardent opponent of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and a liberal supporter of the Government policy dur- ing the rebellion. He liberally aided the United States Sanitary Commission and was identified with all the leading charities of the city. Among the great business enterprises with which he was officially associated were the Galena & Chi- cago Union and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railways (in each of which he was a Director), the Chicago Marine & Fire Insurance Company, the Gas-Light and Coke Company and others. Died, Sept. 16, 1887. Judge Skinner's only sur- viving son was killed in the trenches before Petersburg, the last year of the Civil War.

SKINNER, Otis Ainsworth, clergyman and author, was born at Royalton, Vt., July 3, 1807;

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taught for some time, hecame a Universalist minister, serving churches in Baltimore, Boston and New York between 1831 and 1857; then came to Elgin, Ill., was elected President of Lom- bard University at Galesburg, but the following year took charge of a church at Joliet. Died, at Naperville, Sept. 18, 1861. He wrote several vol- umes on religious topics, and, at different times, edited religious periodicals at Baltimore, Haver- hill, Mass., and Boston.

SKINNER, Ozias C., lawyer and jurist, was born at Floyd, Oneida County, N. Y., in 1817; in 1836, removed to Illinois, settling in Peoria County, where he engaged in farming. In 1838 he began the study of law at Greenville, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar of that State in 1840. Eighteen months later he returned to Illinois, and began practice at Carthage, Hancock County, removing to Quincy in 1844. During the "Mor- inon War" he served as Aid-de-camp to Governor Ford. In 1848 he was elected to the lower house of the Sixteenth General Assembly, and, for a short time, served as Prosecuting Attorney for the district including Adams and Brown Coun- ties. In 1851 he was elected Judge of the (then) Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, and, in 1855, suc- ceeded Judge S. H. Treat on the Supreme bench, resigning this position in April, 1858, two months before the expiration of his term. He was a large land owner and had extensive agricultural interests. He built, and was the first President of the Carthage & Quincy Railroad, now a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system. He was a prominent member of the Constitutional Convention of 1869, serving as Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary. Died in 1877.

SLADE, Charles, early Congressman; his early history, including date and place of birth, are unknown. In 1820 he was elected Representative from Washington County in the Second General Assembly, and, in 1826, was re-elected to the same body for Clinton and Washington. In 1832 he was elected one of the three Congressmen from Illinois, representing the First District. After attending the first session of the Twenty- third Congress, while on his way home, he was attacked with cholera, dying near Vincennes, Ind., July 11, 1834.

SLADE, James P., ex-State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was born at Westerlo, Albany County, N. Y., Feb. 9, 1837, and spent his boy- hood with his parents on a farm, except while absent at school; in 1856 removed to Belleville, Ill., where he soon became connected with the public schools, serving for a number of years as

Principal of the Belleville High School. While connected with the Belleville schools, he was elected County Superintendent, remaining in office some ten years; later had charge of Almira College at Greenville, Bond County, served six years as Superintendent of Schools at East St. Louis and, in 1878, was elected State Superintend- ent of Public Instruction as the nominee of the Republican party. On retirement from the office of State Superintendent, he resumed his place at the head of Almira College, but, for the past few years, has been Superintendent of Schools at East St. Louis.

SLAVERY AGITATION OF 1823-24. (See Slavery and Slave Laws.)

SLAVERY AND SLAVE LAWS. African slaves were first brought into the Illinois country by a Frenchman named Pierre F. Renault, about 1722. At that time the present State formed a part of Louisiana, and the traffic in slaves was regulated by French royal edicts. When Great Britain acquired the territory, at the close of the French and Indian War, the former subjects of France were guaranteed security for their per- sons "and effects," and no interference with slavery was attempted. Upon the conquest of Illinois by Virginia (see Clark, George Rogers), the French very generally professed allegiance to that commonwealth, and, in her deed of cession to the United States, Virginia expressly stipulated for the protection of the "rights and liberties" of the French citizens. This was construed as recognizing the right of property in negro slaves. Even the Ordinance of 1787, while pro- hibiting slavery in the Northwest Territory, pre- served to the settlers (reference being especially made to the French and Canadians) "of the Kas- kaskias, St. Vincents and neighboring villages, their laws and customs, now (then) in force, relative to the descent and conveyance of prop- erty." A conservative construction of this clause was, that while it prohibited the extension of slavery and the importation of slaves, the status of those who were at that time in involuntary servitude, and of their descendants, was left un- changed. There were those, however, who denied the constitutionality of the Ordinance in toto, on the ground that Congress had exceeded its powers in its passage. There was also a party which claimed that all children of slaves, born after 1787, were free from birth. In 1794 a con- vention was held at Vincennes, pursuant to a call from Governor Harrison, and a memorial to Con- gress was adopted, praying for the repeal-or, at least a modification-of the sixth clause of the

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Ordinance of 1787. The first Congressional Com- mittee, to which this petition was referred, reported adversely upon it; but a second commit- tee recommended the suspension of the operation of the clause in question for ten years. But no action was taken by the National Legislature, and, in 1807, a counter petition, extensively signed, was forwarded to that body, and Congress left the matter in statu quo. It is worthy of note that some of the most earnest opponents of the measure were Representatives from Southern Slave States, John Randolph, of Virginia, being one of them. The pro-slavery party in the State then prepared what is popularly known as the "Indenture Law," which was one of the first acts adopted by Governor Edwards and his Council, and was re-enacted by the first Territorial Legis- lature in 1812. It was entitled, "An Act relating to the Introduction of Negroes and Mulattoes into this Territory," and gave permission to bring slaves above 15 years of age into the State, when they might be registered and kept in servitude within certain limitations. Slaves under that age might also be brought in, registered, and held in bondage until they reached the age of 35, if males, and 30, if females. The issue of registered slaves were to serve their mother's master until the age of 30 or 28, according to sex. The effect of this legislation was rapidly to increase the number of slaves. The Constitution of 1818 pro- hibited the introduction of slavery thereafter- that is to say, after its adoption. In 1822 the slave-holding party, with their supporters, began to agitate the question of so amending the organic law as to make Illinois a slave State. To effect such a change the calling of a convention was necessary, and, for eighteen months, the struggle between "conventionists" and their opponents was bitter and fierce. The question was submitted to a popular vote on August 2, 1824, the result of the count showing 4,972 votes for such convention and 6,640 against. This decisive result settled the question of slave-hold- ing in Illinois for all future time, though the existence of slavery in the State continued to be recognized by the National Census until 1840. The number, according to the census of 1810, was 168; in 1820 they had increased to 917. Then the number began to diminish, being reduced in 1830 to 747, and, in 1840 (the last census which shows any portion of the population held in bondage), it was 331.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 96

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1388

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388