"To the roaring frontier city in 1855 there comes a certain Kentuckian with a black slouch hat on his massive head and a ten-year-old Yale diploma behind him in some Lexington attic a gusty youth of thirty, familiar with Paris and Berlin, leaving St. Louis now to have a look at this place called Chicago. The girl whom he has just married is with him, yet even on his honeymoon he falls in love with the city so much in love that all the rest of his life he will call Chicago his 'bride.'
"He walks around the streets, then says, "I think Chicago is destined to be the greatest city on this continent. I have decided to cast my lot with it." And, like a Doge of Venice marrying the Adriatic Sea, Carter H. Harrison the First weds himself to the city whose young figure he can see ripening under its blowsy homespun dress."
(From Chicago: The History of its Reputation by Lloyd Lewis and Henry Justin Smith)
Carter Henry Harrison , five times elected mayor of Chicago, is one of the most beloved figures in Chicago's history, and his dedication and service to the city and Illinois goes without question. Harrison's Congressional biography lists some of his educational and political accomplishments:
HARRISON, Carter Henry, a Representative from Illinois; born near Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., February 15, 1825; educated by private tutors; was graduated from Yale College in 1845; traveled and studied in Europe 1851-1853; was graduated from the law department of Transylvania College, Lexington, Ky., in 1855; was admitted to the bar in 1855 and commenced practice in Chicago, Ill.; also engaged in the real estate business; unsuccessful candidate in 1872 for election to the Forty-third Congress; member of the board of commissioners of Cook County 1874-1876; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1879); was not a candidate for renomination in 1878; mayor of Chicago 1879-1887 and declined a renomination; unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Illinois in 1884; delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1880 and 1884; owner and editor of the Chicago Times 1891-1893; again elected mayor of Chicago in 1893."
Harrison was known as the "people's mayor" for good reason. His live and let live attitude toward gambling and vice and his multi-lingual abilities that allowed him to converse with the immigrant communities made him popular with just about everyone. Harrison is best known as the Mayor serving during the Haymarket Riot and the Columbian Exposition and served until his death in Chicago by assassination October 28, 1893. He is interred in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Ill. and Harrison Park is named for him.
A new set of links has been added for this beloved Chicago Mayor. Also of interest is the 1892 "guide book," Chicago by Day and Night: The Pleasure Seekers Guide to the Paris of America which provides a glimpse of Chicago at the time and Chicago By Night: What to See and How to Find It.
8 comments:
Sharon,
You made two statements:
1. "Harrison... is one of the most beloved figures in Chicago's history."
2. "Harrison is best known as the Mayor serving during the Haymarket Riot..."
But when you add those up, I get two results: he was the most beloved and perhaps the most reviled mayor. It was Harrison's police chief that oversaw the shootings prior to the "Haymarket Riot," and the police intimidation on the day of the happenings.
- TL
Thanks for stopping by, Tim! Am I wrong? I was always under the impression that the police defied Harrison's orders (kind of like the Kent State shootings). And regarding being beloved, well, he had at at least one enemy, but I think that Harrison was, as a whole, very popular with most Chicagoans.
Sharon,
I didn't mean to sound argumentative. I have never heard about the police defying his orders. But, I thought that Haymarket was the beginning of the end, or just the end, of his popularity? Interesting stuff. I think it's noteworthy that Chicago put up with a Kentuckyian as mayor for so long!
- TL
You are not argumentative, Tim! You are being helpful! I'm an amateur and I appreciate it when real scholars, such as yourself, take the time to correct me or ask for clarification of a statement. I want to learn and have checked my ego at the door.
Re Haymarket: There is a police inspector named Michael Schaack that I need to look up. You could be right about beginning of the end, but Harrison did come back as mayor in 1893.
Harrison seemed to let Chicago do what it wanted. I read somewhere that he believed Chicagoans wanted to do two things - make money and spend it. (his son would later put an end to that!)Can't remember where I saw it.
Virginia? Ya, kind of odd, and born in a log cabin to boot! But, back then - who wasn't!
Always a pleasure, Tim. Keep challanging me!
Who killed Carter Harrison?
Thanks for stopping by! Carter Harrison was killed on October 28, 1893, three days before the Columbian Exposition was to end. He was shot at his home by Patrick Eugene Prendergast. Prendergast was hanged on July 13, 1894.
I just had to read a history book which went into quite a bit of detail about the whole Haymarket affair. Apparently, Harrison himself stood at the demonstrations so as the people knew that their mayor was there. In case someone calls me on my plagiarism, its from the book "City of the Century." The police were not supposed to shoot and they ended up slaughtering people and wounding more and all the newspapers (owned by Harrison's opponents) cared about was that a couple of policemen died.
So in conclusion, most of Chicago loved Harrison. The conservatives wanted to be rid of him because he didn't clear out the "vice." Haymarket was the usual result of trigger happy CPD.
Welcome, Anna! You're quite right about Haymarket. It is often compared to the Kent State University Ohio National Guard shootings in 1970. Regarding Carter Harrison: He was also elected mayor of Chicago five times and, ironically, so was his son.
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