Chilo Webb Burnham (1879-1960)

From the University of Minnesota Gopher yearbook, 1905.

  The North Dakota State Blue Book of 1929 recently yielded the name C.W. Burnham, and hiding behind those initials is the interestingly named Chilo Webb Burnham. A distinguished attorney residing in Foster County for over seventy years, Burnham served over two decades as state's attorney for Foster County and had earlier served six years as county auditor. A native of Vermont, Chilo Webb Burnham was born "near Johnstown" on August 19, 1879,  one of three children born to Franklin H. (1851-1930) and Emma (Rohrbaugh) Burnham (1852-1929).

  In 1883 the Burnham family removed to the Dakota territory and established a farm near what would become Carrington, North Dakota. His early education was obtained in schools local to that area and attended high school in Minneapolis. He continued study at the Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1905. He married in January 1907 to Jemima Buchanan (1882-1971), a native of Scotland. The couple were wed for over fifty years and had three children, Jeanette (1918-2011), Chilo Webb Jr. (1920-1992), and Lucille Margaret (1925-1991).

  Following his marriage, Burnham and his wife resided in Carrington, and in 1908 he made his first move into politics, being a successful candidate for auditor of Foster County. He served six years (1909-15) in that capacity and in 1913 was admitted to practice law by the North Dakota bar. He continued his political rise in 1914 with his election as State's Attorney for Foster County, serving three consecutive terms (1915-21).

  Burnham returned to private practice after leaving office and was aided by his wife, who served as his secretary. He was again elected state's attorney in 1925 and this time served a decade in that post. He left office in 1936, and during his years away from that office was active in the local Kiwanis Club chapter. A charter member of the Carrington Kiwanis Club, Burnham served a term as president of the Minnesota-Dakota district from 1939-40. 

  In 1940 Burnham won another term as state's attorney and served consecutive terms from 1941-48. He returned to private practice after leaving office and was joined by his son Chilo Jr. for a short period. A member of the Federated Church of Carrington and a member of the Carrington school board, Burnham was also a longtime member of the North Dakota State Barr Association, and from 1935-36 served on that organization's legislative committee.

  Chilo Webb Burnham died at a Jamestown, North Dakota hospital on August 13, 1960, a few days shy of his 81st birthday. Jemima Buchanan Burnham survived her husband by over a decade, and following her death in 1971 was interred alongside him at the Carrington Cemetery.

From the Bottineau Courant and County Herald, August 24, 1960.