Orrington Lunt (1815–1897) was one of the founders of

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

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 ...

, United States, and was known as the "father of Evanston" or the "discoverer of Evanston". He was also actively involved with the

Garrett Biblical Institute Garrett may refer to: Places ;United States * Garrett, Illinois * Garrett, Indiana * Garrett, Kentucky (multiple places) ** Garrett, Floyd County, Kentucky, an unincorporated community ** Garrett, Meade County, Kentucky, an unincorporated commun ...

and the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

Early life and education

Orrington Lunt was born in

Bowdoinham, Maine Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,047 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west s ...

on December 24, 1815, the son of a merchant, William Lunt. He descends from an Englishman Henry Lunt who settled in

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

in 1635. He began working at his father's store as a clerk.

Career

Grain merchant

When he reached the age of majority, Lunt became a partner with his father. After his father died a few years later, Lunt and his brother were partners in the business. When the business was not sustainable, he decided to sell the business and moved to Chicago in November 1842. He began his career in Chicago as a commission merchant, dealing in produce and grain. In 1845, he established a warehouse near the waterfront for storing grain. He became a member of the Board of Trade. When the railroads came to Chicago in 1853, it dramatically altered the way in which he would do business. He took a break until 1859 and worked as a

grain merchant The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

until 1862.

Investments

He invested in real estate, railroad, and municipal efforts.

Community and civic efforts

He was a founder, a trustee, and president of

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

. He was also treasurer and secretary of

. After he retired in 1862, he spent most of his time on charitable, education, and religious efforts. 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 ...

, he had a leadership role in organizing and supplying regiments and was a leader of the Committee of Safety and War Finance. The Northwestern University and Garrett Biblical Institute campuses were not damaged as the result of the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

of October 1871. But, he marshalled efforts to assess and address the needs following the fire.

Marriage and children

Lunt was married to Cornelia A. Gray (1819-1909), the daughter of Samuel Gray of Bowdoinham, in 1842. They moved to Chicago in 1842. Cornelia and Orrington had three children. Cornelia Gray Lunt was born on March 19, 1843, in Chicago and attended boarding school in

and then the Dearborn Seminary and Chicago Central High School in Chicago. She completed her education at a finishing school, Van Norman Institute, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Horace was born in 1847 and George was born in 1850. Horace became a judge by 1897. The Lunts' home was destroyed during the

of October 1871. The family moved to

, in 1872. Cornelia called their new house Anchorfast.

Later years and death

Grave of Orrington Lunt at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago

His health began failing in late 1894 and he died after 10 days of illness due to heart disease on April 5, 1897. He was buried at

Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is an American garden cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. According to legend, the name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the ar ...

in Chicago. At the time of his death, Cornelia and Horace were his only surviving children. His son, George, died in 1895 when taking care of his father.

Legacy

The Orrington Lunt Library on the Northwestern University campus is named for him, as is Orrington Avenue in Evanston, and Lunt Street in Chicago.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunt, Orrington 1815 births 1897 deaths People from Bowdoinham, Maine People of Illinois in the American Civil War Businesspeople from Evanston, Illinois Northwestern University faculty American merchants Methodists from Illinois Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Philanthropists from Illinois