Orsemus Morrison (1807 – 1864) was an early settler and politician of

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

Early life

Morrison was born on June 24, 1807 to a family from Cambridge, New York.

Career

After working on the construction of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

, be moved from

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

to Chicago in early 1833. His early work in Chicago was as a carpenter and contractor. One project he worked on was dredging the mouth of the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for ...

. On August 15, 1835 he was elected the first High Constable and High Collector of Chicago. As High Constable, he was the city's first head of police from his election until May 2, 1837. He was elected the first

Cook County Coroner The Cook County Medical Examiner is the coroner of Cook County, Illinois. Occupants are credential medical examiners, appointed by president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, subject to confirmation by the Cook County Board of Commission ...

. He had been elected to the office in 1836, nominated by the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Morrison was elected and served as street commissioner. From 1840 to 1841, he served as an alderman from the 1st Ward of Chicago. In 1838, he purchased land on the corner of

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

and

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

in Chicago. This later became the location of the

Morrison Hotel ''Morrison Hotel'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Doors, released on February 9, 1970, by Elektra Records. After the use of brass and string arrangements recommended by producer Paul A. Rothchild on their previous album, ...

, the original building of which was built in 1860. AP
"Chicago's Morrison Hotel Being Razed; Was Mecca For Famous Entertainers"
''

The Gettysburg Times ''The Gettysburg Times'' is an American newspaper in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania owned by the Sample News Group. It published daily, except for Sundays, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The ''Times'' was founded in 1902 as ''The Progress'', but i ...

''. May 6, 1965. p. 4. He made a number of other real estate purchases in Chicago. A Whig, originally, Morrison became an early member of the Republican Party.

Personal life

He was married to the former Lucy Paul on April 7, 1836 in

Aurora, Erie County, New York Aurora is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 13,782 at the 2010 census. It is one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County and is also erroneously called "East Aurora", the name of its principal village. The town is cen ...

. Morrison died in Chicago on January 4, 1864, and was buried at

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

. When he died, he was survived by two daughters, Hannah Spofford and Lucy Mills, the latter of whom was married to congressman

Daniel W. Mills Daniel Webster Mills (February 25, 1838 – December 16, 1904) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Illinois. Born near Waynesville, Ohio, Mills attended the common schools of Rayesville and the Waynesville Hi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Orsemus Chicago City Council members 1807 births 1864 deaths People from Cambridge, New York Heads of the Chicago Police Department Cook County Coroners Illinois Whigs Illinois Democrats Illinois Republicans Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago)