Mark T. Skinner (September 13, 1813 – September 16, 1887) was an American politician, attorney, and philanthropist from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. The son of a Vermont politician and judge, Skinner decided to follow his father into the legal profession. He moved west to

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

, and was named City Attorney for Chicago and

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the Illinois District. In 1846, Skinner was elected to a term in 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 ...

. During 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 ...

, during which he lost his only son, Skinner served on the

United States Sanitary Commission The United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army (Federal / Northern / Union Army) during the American Civil W ...

and oversaw a similar organization in Chicago. After retiring from law and politics, he managed real estate and focused on charitable endeavors.

Biography

Mark T. Skinner was born in

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within ...

, on September 13, 1813. His father was Richard Skinner, at the time a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and the future

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. Skinner attended the Pittsfield Academy, studying under

Chester Dewey Chester Dewey (October 25, 1784 – December 15, 1867) was an American botanist, antislavery activist, clergyman and educator.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 Early li ...

. He was accepted to the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

in 1830 and graduated three years later. Skinner followed his father's profession and studied law in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

, under Esek Cowen and Nicholas Hill. He also attended the New Haven Law School for a year, studying under

David Daggett David Daggett (December 31, 1764 – April 12, 1851) was a U.S. senator, mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, Judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, and a founder of the Yale Law School. He helped block plans for the first college for Afri ...

and Samuel J. Hitchcock. Although he considered joining Hill as a partner, Skinner instead headed west to

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

. He was immediately admitted to the bar and started a practice, partnering with George A. O. Beaumont. In 1839, Skinner was elected City Attorney for Chicago. In 1844 President

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...

nominated Skinner to be

for the District of Illinois. Tyler reappointed Skinner in February 1845. When

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

succeeded Tyler in March,

Isaac N. Arnold Isaac Newton Arnold (November 30, 1815 – April 24, 1884) was an American attorney, politician, and biographer who made his career in Chicago. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives (1860–1864) and in 1864 introduce ...

challenged Skinner for the appointment. After extended debate, Arnold and Skinner agreed to defer to a third candidate, David L. Gregg. In 1846, Skinner was elected to the

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, serving one two-year term. Skinner formed a law partnership with

Thomas Hoyne His Honor, the Mayor, Thomas Hoyne, Esquire (February 11, 1817July 27, 1883) was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1876, but his election was later declared null and void by a Circuit Court. Prior to 1876, Hoyne had led a political career in which h ...

in 1847 that operated until 1851, when Skinner was elected Judge of the Cook County Court of Common Pleas. After his term expired, Skinner spent the rest of his life managing real estate. Upon its founding, Skinner was named President of the Northwestern Sanitary Commission, which provided relief for sick and wounded soldiers of the

. He held the position until 1864. In 1862, Skinner was also named to the

and served until it was disbanded in 1866. Skinner married Elizabeth Magill Williams on May 21, 1841. Their son Richard was killed during the Civil War at the

Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, also known as the First Battle of the Weldon Railroad, was a battle of the American Civil War fought June 21–23, 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia, Petersburg, Virginia in the American Civil War, Virginia. It ...

. They also had four daughters. Skinner served on the Chicago Board of School Inspectors, and Chicago's Skinner West and Skinner North schools were named in his honor. Skinner also helped to organize the Young Men's Association of Chicago, which later became the Chicago Library Association. He was a co-founder and first President of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Reform School. He also donated to Manchester, Vermont the Mark Skinner Library, which operated until 2013, when a larger, more modern community library was opened and the Skinner library building was sold to a private developer. There are also two Chicago Public Schools which use his name (Skinner North and Skinner West.) He served at times on the board of directors of the

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...

and

Galena and Chicago Union Railroad The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was a railroad running west from Chicago to Freeport, Illinois, never reaching Galena, Illinois. A later route went to Clinton, Iowa. Incorporated in 1836, the G&CU became the first railroad built out ...

s. He was one of the original trustees of the

Cook County Hospital The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (formerly Cook County Hospital) is a public hospital in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Cook County Health and Hospital System, along with Provident Hospital of Cook County and ...

and was a trustee of the Illinois Charitable Eye & Ear Infirmary. Skinner was a charter member of the Second Presbyterian Church and served on its board of trustees. Skinner died on September 16, 1887, while visiting Manchester, Vermont and was buried at Manchester's Dellwood Cemetery.

References

External links

* *
Proceedings at the Opening of the Mark Skinner Library
'. 1897. R. R. Donnelley and Sons (Chicago), publisher. {{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Mark 1813 births 1887 deaths People from Manchester, Vermont University of Vermont alumni Yale Law School alumni Lawyers from Chicago Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Illinois state court judges 19th-century American businesspeople Philanthropists from Illinois Burials in Vermont 19th-century American philanthropists 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers