John Irvin Redick (July 29, 1828 – April 2, 1906) was a prominent pioneer professional, public, and business figure in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. He was appointed an associate judge of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

(then part of the territory of Arizona) by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Biography

Redick was the son of a farmer from

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...

who was born July 29, 1828. After attending Delaware College in Delaware, Ohio to learn about the law, Redick moved to

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

to enter the bar. After opening a law office, he also started a real estate practice there. Redick's first marriage was on November 5, 1855, to Mary E. Higby. She died October 30, 1864. Their children were Charles5 Robinson Redick and William Armstrong Redick. In 1856 Redick and his wife moved to Omaha. In 1859, Redick joined a man named Clinton Briggs in a partnership. Redick and Briggs were reputed to be "at the head of the bar and were engaged in nearly every important case." In 1864, Redick's wife died. Redick married Mary A.E. May on October 4, 1866. Their children were John Irwin Redick, Jr., Albert Clarkson Redick, Oak Chatham Redick, George May Redick, and Elmer Stephen Redick. Throughout his career, Redick served as an attorney for the Union Pacific. He was responsible for constructing more than forty buildings in Omaha, and was one of the men who organized and built the Omaha and Northwestern Railroad. He was also one of the organizers of the Grand Central Hotel company. In 1874 Redick organized and become president of the Omaha Merchant Club. In February, 1887, Redick moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. There he became the founding president of the Southern California National Bank. John's wife Mary died in August 1894. In July 1890, Redick married Barbara Lyon. John died 2 April 1906, and Barbara died on April 15, 1908.

Political career

Redick was chairman of the Nebraska Republican delegation to the

convention Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law * Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in a ...

which nominated

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

. He was also chairman of the Nebraska delegation to the

which nominated President Grant for the second term. In 1876, Grant appointed Redick as an associate judge of the 2nd District Court in

, from which he resigned after one year.

Legacy

The Redick Mansion was built in 1884 and its 20 acres were sold by the Redick family to the early University of Omaha. It was the first building of the university. Redick Avenue in

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska), Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River a ...

is named after him."Street Names"
. Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved October 10, 2010.

Prominent buildings

* Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska * Redick's Opera House * Redick Mansion

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redick, John 1828 births 1906 deaths People from Wooster, Ohio Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska American real estate businesspeople Lawyers from Omaha, Nebraska Businesspeople from Omaha, Nebraska Pioneer history of Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska Republicans New Mexico Republicans 19th-century American businesspeople

Biography

Political career

Legacy

Prominent buildings

See also

References