Hempstead Washburne (November 11, 1851April 13, 1918) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

attorney and politician from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

who served as

Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and r ...

from 1891 to 1893. He was the son of

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Elihu B. Washburne Elihu Benjamin Washburne (September 23, 1816 – October 22, 1887) was an Americans, American politician and diplomat. A member of the Washburn family, which played a prominent role in the early formation of the Republican Party (United States), ...

Biography

Hempstead Washburne was born in

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The ci ...

on November 11, 1851, and attended

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Kents Hill School Kents Hill School (also known as Kents Hill or KHS) is a co-educational, independent college-preparatory school for boarding and day students. Kents Hill is located in Kents Hill, Maine, 12 miles west of the state capital of Augusta. It is the 30 ...

. He studied at the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and graduated from the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...

in 1874. In 1875, he completed supplemental legal education at Union College of Law (now

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is the law school of Northwestern University, a Private university, private research university. It is located on the university's Chicago campus. Northwestern Law has been ranked among the top 14, ...

). Washburne practiced law in Chicago. In 1880 he was appointed master in chancery for the

Superior Court of Cook County The Superior Court of Cook County was a court in Cook County, Illinois. It was preceded by earlier courts. 1845 saw the creation of the County Court of Cook County. In 1849, this was renamed The Cook County Court of Common Pleas. In 1859, this was ...

. In 1885 he was elected Chicago city attorney. He was reelected in 1887, but declined to run again in 1889. In 1891, Washubrne was elected as mayor of Chicago, defeating Democratic incumbent DeWitt Cregier in a four-way race which also included former mayor Carter Harrison Sr. (running as an

independent Democrat In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party (chooses to be an independent) or is denied the Democratic nomination i ...

) and Washburne's own cousin once-removed Elmer Washburn. Washburne was sworn in as mayor on April 27, 1891. As mayor, he presided over development of the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

. He did not seek reelection

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

, and was succeeded as mayor by Democrat Carter Harrison Sr. on April 17, 1893. After leaving the mayor's office, Washburne resumed practicing law, and became active in several business ventures. He also stayed active in government by serving on Chicago's civil service commission. He suffered a stroke and died in Chicago on April 13, 1918. He was buried at

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

Family

In 1883, Washburne married to Annie M. Clarke (1856-1939), a stage actress and the daughter of a prominent Chicago banker; they were the parents of four children. Annie M. Clarke
(New York Public Library, Billy Rose Collection) Retrieved June 22, 2017

References

External links

Hempstead Washburne Biography
at ''Chicago Public Library'' 1852 births 1919 deaths Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago) Mayors of Chicago Washburn family Illinois Republicans 19th-century American politicians Kents Hill School alumni University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni {{Illinois-mayor-stub