J. Young Scammon
Encyclopedia
J. Young Scammon was an early settler in Chicago
, Illinois
, arriving in the city in 1835. He went on to become politically important as a lawyer
, banker, and newspaper publisher.
Scammon was born in Whitefield
, Maine
. He came to Chicago when he was twenty-three. An attorney and a Whig
, upon arriving in the city, he entered a legal partnership with Buckner Stith Morris
, who was himself recently arrived from Kentucky
. Their partnership lasted less than a year before Morris left the practice. In 1843, he served as the court reporter
for the Illinois Supreme Court.
In 1844, Scammon founded the city's first newspaper, the Chicago Journal, a Whig-leaning newspaper that eventually became a Republican
newspaper. Several years later, in 1861, Scammon sued the Democratic Chicago Democrat
for libel after publisher John Wentworth
published a cartoon which depicted Scammon as a wildcat banker. Scammon dropped the quarter million dollar suit only after Wentworth closed his paper, giving the subscription list to the Chicago Tribune
.
Along with William Butler Ogden
, he built the first railroad from Chicago in 1848, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
, which ran from Chicago to a point ten miles west of town. When Eastern financiers refused to support the railroad, Ogden and Scammon raised the money by riding on horseback along the proposed route and taking donations from the farmers he passed.
Branching out, in 1851, Scammon founded the Marine Bank. He served as President of the Chicago Board of Education. He helped create Oak Woods Cemetery
in 1854 and was the cemetery's fiurst president. In 1856, a group of men meeting in Scammon's law offices created the Chicago Historical Society.
Scammon was apparently active in the Underground Railroad
, although he never publicly admitted as such. When he was accused of working to help slaves escape from law officers, he was asked what he would do if called upon to be part of a posse to capture fugitive slaves. Scammon replied, "I would certainly obey the summons, but I should probably stub my toe and fall down before I reached him."http://genealogytrails.com/ill/undergroundroad.html
In 1863, when the Chicago Astronomical Society determined to build an observatory affiliated with the University of Chicago
, Scammon offered to pay for the construction of the observatory tower and dome as long as the observatory was named after his wife, Mary Ann Haven Dearborn. The group took him up on it and named the building the Dearborn Observatory
. Scammon also paid the director's salary until he hit financial difficulties following the Great Chicago Fire
in 1871.
In 1870, he donated the land and buildings for the Scammon Hospital, which was renamed following the Fire to the Hahnemann Hospital.
Scammon died in Chicago in 1890.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
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,...
, arriving in the city in 1835. He went on to become politically important as a 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...
, banker, and newspaper publisher.
Scammon was born in Whitefield
Whitefield, Maine
Whitefield is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,273 at the 2000 census. Whitefield is named for the celebrated British evangelist George Whitefield, who inspired the colonists before the town was settled in 1770, mainly by Irish Catholics...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. He came to Chicago when he was twenty-three. An attorney and a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, upon arriving in the city, he entered a legal partnership with Buckner Stith Morris
Buckner Stith Morris
Buckner Stith Morris served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Whig Party.Morris traveled north from Georgia in 1832, marrying Evelina Barker in Kentucky. The couple arrived in Chicago in 1834 where Morris established a law practice with J. Young Scammon and created the Chicago Lyceum, the...
, who was himself recently arrived from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Their partnership lasted less than a year before Morris left the practice. In 1843, he served as the court reporter
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
for the Illinois Supreme Court.
In 1844, Scammon founded the city's first newspaper, the Chicago Journal, a Whig-leaning newspaper that eventually became a Republican
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...
newspaper. Several years later, in 1861, Scammon sued the Democratic Chicago Democrat
Chicago Democrat
The Chicago Democrat was the first newspaper in Chicago, Illinois. It was published from 1833 to 1861.-History:Publisher was a Jacksonian Democrat, lured west at the end of 1833 from Watertown, New York to start the Democrat inspired by traveler's stories about Chicago after a series of newspaper...
for libel after publisher John Wentworth
John Wentworth (mayor)
"Long" John Wentworth was the editor of the Chicago Democrat, a two-term mayor of Chicago, and a six-term member of the United States House of Representatives....
published a cartoon which depicted Scammon as a wildcat banker. Scammon dropped the quarter million dollar suit only after Wentworth closed his paper, giving the subscription list to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
Along with William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden was the first Mayor of Chicago.Ogden was born in Walton, New York. When still a teenager, his father died and Ogden took over the family real estate business...
, he built the first railroad from Chicago in 1848, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was a railroad running west from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois, never reaching Galena, Illinois...
, which ran from Chicago to a point ten miles west of town. When Eastern financiers refused to support the railroad, Ogden and Scammon raised the money by riding on horseback along the proposed route and taking donations from the farmers he passed.
Branching out, in 1851, Scammon founded the Marine Bank. He served as President of the Chicago Board of Education. He helped create Oak Woods Cemetery
Oak Woods Cemetery
Oak Woods Cemetery was established in 1854; it covers an area of and is located at 1035 E. 67th Street in Chicago. The first burials took place in 1860. Soon after the American Civil War, between four and six thousand Confederate soldiers, prisoners who died at Camp Douglas, were buried here...
in 1854 and was the cemetery's fiurst president. In 1856, a group of men meeting in Scammon's law offices created the Chicago Historical Society.
Scammon was apparently active in the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, although he never publicly admitted as such. When he was accused of working to help slaves escape from law officers, he was asked what he would do if called upon to be part of a posse to capture fugitive slaves. Scammon replied, "I would certainly obey the summons, but I should probably stub my toe and fall down before I reached him."http://genealogytrails.com/ill/undergroundroad.html
In 1863, when the Chicago Astronomical Society determined to build an observatory affiliated with the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Scammon offered to pay for the construction of the observatory tower and dome as long as the observatory was named after his wife, Mary Ann Haven Dearborn. The group took him up on it and named the building the Dearborn Observatory
Dearborn Observatory
The Dearborn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888...
. Scammon also paid the director's salary until he hit financial difficulties following the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
in 1871.
In 1870, he donated the land and buildings for the Scammon Hospital, which was renamed following the Fire to the Hahnemann Hospital.
Scammon died in Chicago in 1890.