Alfred Orendorff
Encyclopedia
Alfred Orendorff was an Illinois
lawyer
and politician
.
on July 20, 1845, the son of Joseph Orendorff and Elizabeth (Stevens) Orendorff. Joseph Orendorff was a farmer
and a miller
(his father, Alfred Orendorff's grandfather, Christopher Orendorff, built the first water-powered gristmill
in the county). Joseph Orendorff died in 1853; with his mother, Alfred then moved to Lincoln, Illinois
, where he attended normal schools. Alfred Orendorff was educated at Illinois Wesleyan University
. During the American Civil War
, he organized a company of the 123rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
and was commissioned as the company's captain. After the war, he attended Albany Law School
, graduating in 1866.
In autumn 1867, Orendorff moved to Springfield, Illinois
and began practicing law alongside William Herndon
and Charles S. Zane
at their law firm
, Herndon & Zane. On June 22, 1870, Orendorff married Julia Jay Williams, daughter of Col.
John Stuart Williams
. Together they would have three children: John, Alice, and Lydia.
Orendorff also began a political career in 1870, when the Republicans
selected him as their nominee for the Illinois Senate
; Orendorff lost the general election to Democrat
Alexander Starne. Orendorff then threw in his lot with the Democrats and was a delegate to the 1872 Democratic National Convention, at which he supported the presidential candidacy of Sen.
Lyman Trumbull
. In 1873, the Liberal Republican Party
nominated Orendorff for the Illinois House of Representatives
and Orendorff was subsequently endorsed by the Democrats. During this session, he was a member of the Judiciary Committed and helped draft a number of statutes necessitated by the 1870 Illinois Constitution
.
Orendorff joined the Oddfellows
in 1873 and would go on to hold a number of positions in that organization.
In 1875, Charles S. Zane was elected as a judge and left Herndon & Zane. Orendorff now took over as a partner in the firm, which was renamed Herndon & Orendorff. In 1879, with James A. Creighton, Orendorff founded a new firm, Orendorff & Creighton. When Creighton himself was elected as a judge in 1885, Orendorff formed a partnership, Orendorff & Patton, with Robert H. Patton.
Orendorff remained active in the Illinois Democratic Party, serving several terms as chairman of the Democratic state central committee and attending several Democratic National Conventions. He was the Democratic candidate for Illinois Treasurer in 1882 and 1884, but lost on both occasions.
In addition to law and politics, Orendorff was active in business, serving as president of the Sterling Life Insurance Company of Springfield and of the International Bank & Trust Company of Vinita
.
In 1893, Governor of Illinois
John Peter Altgeld
named Orendorff adjutant general
of the Illinois National Guard
and Orendorff held this position from January 20, 1893 until January 3, 1896.
Orendorff served as president of the Sangamon County Bar Association, and then, in 1897-98, as president of the Illinois State Bar Association
. He was also a director of the Illinois State Historical Society and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
, the Sangamon Club, and the Iroquois Club of Chicago.
Orendorff died on October 22, 1909 and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery
.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Biography
Alfred Orendorff was born in Logan County, IllinoisLogan County, Illinois
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000...
on July 20, 1845, the son of Joseph Orendorff and Elizabeth (Stevens) Orendorff. Joseph Orendorff was a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and a miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
(his father, Alfred Orendorff's grandfather, Christopher Orendorff, built the first water-powered gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in the county). Joseph Orendorff died in 1853; with his mother, Alfred then moved to Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It is the only town in the United States that was named for Abraham Lincoln before he became president; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three colleges and two prisons. The three...
, where he attended normal schools. Alfred Orendorff was educated at Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he organized a company of the 123rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
123rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 123rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1863 and 1864 it was temporarily known as the Mounted Infantry, 123rd Regiment.-Background:...
and was commissioned as the company's captain. After the war, he attended Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
, graduating in 1866.
In autumn 1867, Orendorff moved to Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
and began practicing law alongside William Herndon
William Herndon (lawyer)
William Henry Herndon was the law partner and biographer of Abraham Lincoln.-Biography:Born in Greensburg, Kentucky, Herndon and his family moved to Illinois in 1820, and they settled in Springfield when he was five. Herndon attended Illinois College from 1836-1837. In 1840 he married Mary J....
and Charles S. Zane
Charles S. Zane
Charles S. Zane was a legal associate of Abraham Lincoln, an anti-polygamy judge in the Territorial Supreme Court in Utah, and the first Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court after statehood.- Early life and education :...
at their law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
, Herndon & Zane. On June 22, 1870, Orendorff married Julia Jay Williams, daughter of Col.
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
John Stuart Williams
John Stuart Williams
John Stuart Williams was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.-Early life and career:...
. Together they would have three children: John, Alice, and Lydia.
Orendorff also began a political career in 1870, when the Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
selected him as their nominee for the Illinois Senate
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
; Orendorff lost the general election to Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Alexander Starne. Orendorff then threw in his lot with the Democrats and was a delegate to the 1872 Democratic National Convention, at which he supported the presidential candidacy of Sen.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Lyman Trumbull
Lyman Trumbull
Lyman Trumbull was a United States Senator from Illinois during the American Civil War, and co-author of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.-Education and early career:...
. In 1873, the Liberal Republican Party
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
nominated Orendorff for the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
and Orendorff was subsequently endorsed by the Democrats. During this session, he was a member of the Judiciary Committed and helped draft a number of statutes necessitated by the 1870 Illinois Constitution
Illinois Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Illinois is the governing document of the state of Illinois. There have been four Illinois Constitutions; the fourth and current version was adopted in 1970.-History:...
.
Orendorff joined the Oddfellows
Oddfellows
The name Oddfellows refers to a number of friendly societies and fraternal organisations operating in the United Kingdom. It also refers to a number of Lodges with histories dating back to the 18th century. These various organisations were set up to protect and care for their members and...
in 1873 and would go on to hold a number of positions in that organization.
In 1875, Charles S. Zane was elected as a judge and left Herndon & Zane. Orendorff now took over as a partner in the firm, which was renamed Herndon & Orendorff. In 1879, with James A. Creighton, Orendorff founded a new firm, Orendorff & Creighton. When Creighton himself was elected as a judge in 1885, Orendorff formed a partnership, Orendorff & Patton, with Robert H. Patton.
Orendorff remained active in the Illinois Democratic Party, serving several terms as chairman of the Democratic state central committee and attending several Democratic National Conventions. He was the Democratic candidate for Illinois Treasurer in 1882 and 1884, but lost on both occasions.
In addition to law and politics, Orendorff was active in business, serving as president of the Sterling Life Insurance Company of Springfield and of the International Bank & Trust Company of Vinita
Vinita, Oklahoma
Vinita is a city in south-central Craig County, Oklahoma. As of 2009, the population estimate was 6,057. It is the county seat of Craig County.-Geography:...
.
In 1893, Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
John Peter Altgeld
John Peter Altgeld
John Peter Altgeld was the 20th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democratic governor of that state since the 1850s...
named Orendorff adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the Illinois National Guard
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components. The National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and...
and Orendorff held this position from January 20, 1893 until January 3, 1896.
Orendorff served as president of the Sangamon County Bar Association, and then, in 1897-98, as president of the Illinois State Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. Approximately 30,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA membership is not required of lawyers licensed to practice in...
. He was also a director of the Illinois State Historical Society and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
, the Sangamon Club, and the Iroquois Club of Chicago.
Orendorff died on October 22, 1909 and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Oak Ridge Cemetery is a cemetery located in Springfield, Illinois in the United States.Lincoln's Tomb, which serves as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife and all but one of his children, is located at Oak Ridge...
.