John Dougherty (May 6, 1806 – September 7, 1879) was an American politician from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. After a stint mining and teaching, Dougherty became an understudy of Alexander Pope Field and was admitted to the bar. He served several terms in both the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

and 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 ...

over the next twenty years. In 1868, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.

Biography

John Dougherty was born in Duck Creek, Ohio, near

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in what is today Fearing Township, on May 6, 1806. He was the 4th child of Irish immigrant Charles Daugherty/Dougherty and Elizabeth Wolfe of

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

. When he was two, his family moved to

Cape Girardeau Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citie ...

Louisiana Territory The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. The territory was formed out of the ...

. His mother was soon widowed, and she took the family to Union County,

Illinois Territory The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. Its ca ...

, after the

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. Dougherty attended public schools there until reaching adulthood. He took a job in the lead mines of

Washington County, Missouri Washington County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 23,514. The county seat and largest city is Potosi. The county was officially organized on August ...

. After a year, he started to teach a school in

Fredericktown, Missouri Fredericktown is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Missouri, United States, in the northeastern foothills of the St. Francois Mountains. The population was 4,429 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded on three sides (east, west ...

, where he taught for two and a half years. Dougherty returned to Union County,

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 ...

, in 1829. After struggling to find a job, Alexander Pope Field offered Dougherty the opportunity to study law in his office. Dougherty was admitted to the bar in 1831. The next year, he was elected to the

for a two-year term. Dougherty was re-elected two years later, although he had to resign before the term was complete. However, he returned in 1836 for another term. Dougherty was elected again in 1840, then was elected to the

in 1842. He served in the upper house for six years. He advocated for free schools, financial reform, and canal funding. Dougherty returned to the house in 1856 for another two years. Although in an area largely sympathetic to the

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, Dougherty joined the Republican Party prior to the start of the

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. Dougherty helped to raise volunteers for the Union from Southern Illinois. In 1864, Dougherty was named a presidential elector after his efforts canvassing the state. He was nominated as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1868 on a ticket with John M. Palmer and was elected. He again served as presidential elector in 1872. He ran for circuit court judge and was elected in 1877, serving until his death. Dougherty married Katherine James on March 5, 1829. They had ten children, although three died in infancy. Eldest son William La Fayette served as a

United States Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...

. Alexander N. worked as a lawyer, George M. worked for the

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also co ...

, and John J. served in the

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. Dougherty died on September 7, 1879.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dougherty, John 1806 births 1879 deaths American people of Irish descent Illinois Democrats Illinois Republicans Illinois state senators Lieutenant Governors of Illinois Members of the Illinois House of Representatives Illinois state court judges People from Union County, Illinois People from Cape Girardeau, Missouri 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges

Biography

See also

References