Rollin Samuel Williamson (May 23, 1839 – August 11, 1889) was an American politician, jurist, and telegraph operator from Vermont. After learning the telegraph trade in Boston, Massachusetts, Williamson moved to Illinois in 1857. He was appointed operator and station agent in

Palatine, Illinois Palatine () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 67,908. As of the 2010 Census, it was the seventh-largest community in Cook Coun ...

, and studied law in his free time. He served 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 ...

then a term in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

. He then began to work up the ranks of the Illinois jurist system before his death.

Biography

Williamson was born in Cornwall, Vermont, on May 23, 1839. He lived in the town until he was fourteen, attending public schools. Williamson moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work as a telegraph messenger boy. Two years later, he was promoted to operator and was assigned to offices through New England and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. In 1857, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to work in telegraph office there. The manager sent him to

, as a station agent and operator. During his down time on the job, he read law text books. Williamson occasionally helped locals with law issues. He was admitted to the bar in 1870. Williamson's political connections urged him to run for public office. He was elected to the

as a Republican in 1870, serving one two-year term. He then served a term in the

, serving two years. In 1880, he was elected judge of the Superior Court of Cook County, where he served a six-year term. In June 1887, he was elected to a four-year term to the Circuit Court of Cook County. He died before the term was complete. Williamson was a Methodist Episcopal and was the superintendent of the

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

at his church. He was active in Freemasonry and was Master of the Palatine lodge. He married Emma V. Squires on September 4, 1859. They had one daughter. In June 1889, Williamson had a

mental breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

; he had been subject to mood disorders for several years prior. Four weeks later, he had to be confined to his bed. Williamson died at his house in Palatine on August 11, 1889, and was buried there in Hillside Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Rollin S. 1839 births 1889 deaths People from Cornwall, Vermont Republican Party Illinois state senators Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Palatine, Illinois 19th-century American legislators Judges of the Superior Court of Cook County Judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County (pre-1964 reorganization) 19th-century Illinois politicians