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, Ke ...

(then part of the

territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

) 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 ...

who was born July 29, 1828. After attending

Delaware College The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

Delaware, Ohio Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio ...

to learn about the law, Redick moved to Lansing, Michigan 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 The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

. 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 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 city ...

. 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 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. He was also chairman of the Nebraska delegation to the convention 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 The Redick Mansion, also known as the Mayne Mansion and Redick Hall, was located at 3612 North 24th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. It served as the first home of Omaha University, now known as the University of Nebraska at Omaha, from 1909 throu ...

was built in 1884 and its 20 acres were sold by the Redick family to the early

University of Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kno ...

. 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 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...

is named after him."Street Names"
.

Douglas County Historical Society The Douglas County Historical Society, or DCHS, is located at 5730 North 30th Street in the General Crook House at Fort Omaha in north Omaha, Nebraska. The mission of the DCHS is to collect, preserve and present to the public the history of Douglas ...

. Retrieved October 10, 2010.

Prominent buildings

Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska The following people were founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska. Their period of influence ranges from 1853 through 1900. The original founding event to establish the City of Omaha was recorded as a picnic on July 4, 1854. It took place on the hill ...

* Redick's Opera House *

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