George H. Harlow (September 5, 1830 – May 16, 1900) was an American politician. Born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, he was originally a student of carpentry and architecture. He entered the mercantile business soon after he moved to Pekin, Illinois. In 1860, he was elected clerk of the circuit court, then co-founded a Union League of America chapter, later serving at the state level of the organization. Harlow was the personal secretary to Governor

Richard J. Oglesby Richard James Oglesby (July 25, 1824April 24, 1899) was an American soldier and Republican politician from Illinois, The town of Oglesby, Illinois, is named in his honor, as is an elementary school situated in the Auburn Gresham neighborhoo ...

and oversaw

Camp Butler Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler (or simply Butler Marine Base) is a United States Marine Corps base located in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. It was named after Marine Corps Major General and twice Medal of Honor recipient Smedley ...

starting in 1864. He was elected assistant

Illinois Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of the government of Illinois, and one of the 47 secretaries of states in the United States. The Illinois Secretary of State keeps the state records, laws, libr ...

for four years starting in 1868, then was the secretary from 1872 to 1880. After his terms expired, he traded commodities in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Biography

George H. Harlow was born in Sackett's Harbor, New York, on September 5, 1830. He was the eldest son born to Davis and Mercy Harlow. He attended public schools, then apprenticed as a builder. Harlow studied architecture under

Otis L. Wheelock Otis Leonard Wheelock (1816 - 1893) was an architect in upstate New York and Chicago. He and his wife had two adopted children, a son Harry B. Wheelock who was an architect and a daughter. George H. Harlow studied under him. He was a partner of ...

, who worked at the time in

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. In March 1854, Harlow moved to Pekin, Illinois, to establish a carpentry and architecture shop. However, after only a year, he decided instead to study at a mercantile business. He became a successful

grain merchant The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

and also became active in local politics, helping establish the Republican party in the town and turning his office into county headquarters for distribution of Republican party literature. In 1860, Harlow was elected clerk of the Tazewell County circuit court as a Republican. He also served a term as an alderman on the Pekin city council. With the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Harlow helped to raise volunteers for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. He co-organized the first county Union League and was named its secretary. He then was named secretary of the state-level organization. He was nominated for re-election as circuit court clerk in 1864, but was defeated. In January 1865, he was elected first assistant secretary of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

, but before he could take office, Governor

appointed Harlow his private secretary, and in August 1865 Oglesby appointed him assistant inspector general. Oglesby commissioned Harlow an Illinois colonel and tasked him with the oversight of

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

. While there, Harlow edited the '' Illinois State Journal''. Harlow ran for Illinois Secretary of State in 1868, but the Republican Party instead decided to put Edward Rummel on the ticket. However, Harlow was named Assistant Secretary of State. Four years later, Harlow received the party nomination and defeated his opponent. He served two consecutive four-year terms. He then moved to Chicago to engage in the commission business on the

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. He died on May 16, 1900, at his home in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harlow, George H. 1830 births 1900 deaths Businesspeople from Chicago Illinois Republicans Mayors of places in Illinois People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Highland Park, Illinois People from Sackets Harbor, New York People from Pekin, Illinois Secretaries of state of Illinois 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople