Euclid Beauclerc Rogers (1852-1931)

Portrait from the 1923-24 Illinois Blue Book. 

  2020 is upon us and the inaugural posting for the new year takes us to Illinois and Euclid Beauclerc Rogers, a longtime minister of the Central Baptist Church of Springfield. Sharing his first name with the famed Greek mathematician and "father of geometry" Euclid, Rogers first entered the political field at age 70 when he won election to the Illinois House of Representatives from Sangamon County. A native of New York, Euclid Beauclerc Rogers was born in Norwich, Chenango County on March 1, 1852, the son of Decalvus (1822-1898) and Diana (Aldrich) Rogers (1825-1854).  

  Rogers' early education was obtained at the Norwich Academy and from 1868-69 was a student at Colgate University. After leaving that institution he focused his attention on law studies, and in the early 1870s read law in Binghamton in the offices of Chapman and Martin. From 1872-74 Rogers briefly pursued a career in publishing, editing the Norwich Sentinel, before being admitted to the state bar in 1876. Euclid B. Rogers married in Norwich on Christmas Eve 1874 to Sarah Jane Bateman, who he later divorced in the early 1890s. Later newspaper reports denote Bateman as being just fourteen years old at the time of her marriage, a fact alluded to when charges of impropriety were leveled at Rogers in 1889.

   For five years (1877-82) Rogers operated a law practice in his native Norwich before being called to the ministry, and after a period of study was licensed to preach in March 1883. Following his ordination in October of that year, he briefly held a pastorate in Norwich before removing to Owasco, Cayuga County, New York, where he ministered from 1883-84. From 1884-85 Rogers studied at the Hamilton Theological Seminary, and after completing the curriculum accepted a pastorate in Weedsport, New York. After a two year residency there he again moved, this time to Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania, where he was affiliated with the local Baptist Church.

  Late in Rogers' two-year pastorate in Franklin (which extended from 1887-89), he was hit with divorce proceedings by his wife Sarah, who instigated them after reports surfaced of Rogers' inappropriate relationship with his private secretary, Jennie Ross. In a Rome New York Sentinel write-up concerning his alleged impropriety, Rogers' behavior towards Ross was described as "unbecoming" and behavior towards his wife, "not edifying". However, as weeks progressed, other newspapers picked up on the story, and after further reporting, it was found that after turning his attention to Ms. Ross and neglecting his wife, Rogers himself had been the one to first bring up a consent to divorce. With the aid of an attorney Rogers brought forward evidence that showed that for a period of two years his wife had carried on a romantic correspondence with a butcher that she had met while the couple had resided in Weedsport. This evidence consisted of thirty-two letters written by Sarah Rogers, which contained mention of future romantic trists and "endearing terms." These allegations by Rogers were later confirmed by Sarah Rogers herself, who "acknowledged her husband's charges" in a write-up in the Utica Free Press edition of September 24, 1889.

  In a September 1889 writeup in the New York Press (shown below), it was revealed that Sarah Rogers "so influenced the elders of the church that they threatened to discharge Mr. Rogers if he should bring a suit for divorce", and that Rogers left his pastorate in Franklin to relocate to the midwest. Actual divorce proceedings were later started by mutual agreement between both parties, and that Rogers himself consented to separation "only on his wife signing a paper acknowledging her unfaithfulness and his innocence."

From the New York Press, September 21, 1889.

  Following his resignation from his pastorate in Franklin Rogers removed to Burlington, Iowa, where he ministered at the First Baptist Church from 1890-92. His time here saw the previous allegations that dogged him resurface, which caused division among the parishioners in his congregation. These old allegations were addressed at a meeting by a number of church elders and members on December 13, 1890, and after a two-hour deliberation the congregation's vote saw Rogers "fully and entirely vindicated". With his later ministry in Springfield, his future prominence as an orator on the lecture circuit, and his election to the Illinois legislature in 1922, Rogers appears to have largely weathered the charges of wrongdoing laid against him by his ex-wife and others. 

  Euclid B. Rogers left Burlington in 1892 to accept a pastorate at the Central Baptist Church of Springfield, Illinois. His ministry in Springfield extended seventeen years, and through the late 19th and early 20th century gained further distinction on the lecture circuit, where he received high praise as an "orator in the truest sense." Rogers proved to be a substantial voice in that era's Lyceum and Chautauqua social movements, visiting areas not only in Illinois but also in Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota, and Vermont. Speaking on topics covering religion, the educational system, politics, current events, and social welfare, Rogers gained press as a captivating speaker, and following a lecture to the Iowa State Conference of Charities and Corrections, was favorably reviewed by Des Moines newspaper publisher John Hamilton, who stated:

"Dr. Rogers is a born orator, with a personality strongly resembling that of the noted lecturers of the greatest days of the rostrum. His deep moral earnestness; his genuine sympathy with the masses; his love of truth and his hatred of shams, all combined with a keen wit and hearty humor, make him a power on the platform rarely equaled. He ranks with Hillis, Gunsaulus,  and the real princes of the present day forum."

From the Audubon County Journal, July 30, 1914.

  While still an active pastor in Springfield, Rogers made headway into city civic and fraternal life, holding memberships in the local rotary club, Odd Fellows Lodge, the Masonic order, Knights Templar, and the Ansar Temple of Shriners. From 1909-11 he held a pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Champaign, Illinois, and by 1911 was again residing and ministering in Springfield. 

  In the twilight of his life, Rogers entered the political forum for the first time, winning the Republican primary for state representative from Sangamon County in April 1922. Seventy years old at the time of his victory, Rogers went on to win the general election that November, garnering 34,386 votes on election day. He would serve in the session of 1923-25 and was named to the committees on Appropriations, Charities and Corrections, Education, Roads and Bridges, and the committee to Visit Educational Institutions. 

   Following his one term in state government, Rogers continued residence in Springfield and in December 1925 took part in the Illinois Conference on International Good Will, being the chairman of the Springfield World Court Committee. He died at his home in Springfield on July 30, 1931, aged 79 and was later interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery, the same resting place as that other famous Springfield native, Abraham Lincoln.

Rogers' death notice from the Weedsport Cayuga Chief, August 1931. 

Harmannes Behrend Ihnen (1895-1975)

Portrait from "100 Golden Years: A Brief History of Golden, Illinois, 1863-1963".

  Lifelong Adams County, Illinois resident Harmannes Behrend "H.B." Ihnen rose to become one of that county's most honored sons, being elected to nine terms as its representative to the Illinois General Assembly between 1946 and 1966. A former township supervisor and member of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, Ihnen gained additional prominence in agricultural circles, being a longtime member of the Adams County Farm Bureau and was vice-chairman of the State Board of Agricultural Advisors. 

  Born of German extraction in Camp Point, Illinois on July 19, 1895, Harmannes Behrend Ihnen was the son of Behrend Gerdes and Bertha (Kollman) Ihnen. Referred to by most sources by the initials "H.B.", Ihnen resided on a farm during his youth and would attend schools local to Camp Point and at La Prairie, Illinois. A graduate of the Camp Point High School, Ihnen married in 1917 to Ethel Keppner (1899-1995). The couple's near six-decade union saw the birth of one son, Ernel Dean Ihnen (1926-1992). 

   A farmer in Adams County for the majority of his life, H.B. Ihnen was for over two decades a member of the Adams County Farm Bureau, as well as an insurance agent. By the late 1940s, he had firmly established his name in the civic affairs of his native county, being a charter member of the Golden, Illinois Lions Club; a member of the executive committee of the Adams County Chest and Welfare Association; board chairman of the Golden, Illinois Fire Protection District; a member of the Quincy, Illinois City Planning Commission; and was vice-chair of the Golden Locker Co-op board of directors.

  Ihnen first entered state politics at the local level, serving as township supervisor of North East Township for over a decade, and for three years served as chairman of the Adams County Board of Supervisors. In 1946 he launched his candidacy for the Illinois House of Representatives from the 36th district (comprising Adams, Calhoun, Pike, and Scott County) and that November won out at the polls, garnering 8,053 votes. Ihnen's first term (1947-49) saw him named to the committees on Industry and Labor Relations; Municipalities; Personnel and Pensions; Public Aid, Health, Welfare, and Safety; and Revenue.

From the 1947-48 Illinois Blue Book.

   In November 1948 Ihnen was defeated in his bid for reelection. Two years later he again became a candidate for the house of representatives and was successful, besting his two opponents by a substantial margin. The 1951-53 session saw Ihnen sit on the committees on Insurance; Municipalities; Public Utilities, Railroads and Aviation; Revenue; and Roads and Bridges. From 1952 to 1962 Ihnen was continually re-elected to the legislature and this uninterrupted ten-year span was later lauded in the Jacksonville Courier, which denoted his "100% attendance and past record". These five terms saw Ihnen named to several new house committees, including Agriculture; Education; Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation; and Waterways, Conservation, and Fish and Game.

From the Jacksonville Courier, November 6, 1960.

   H.B. Ihnen wasn't a candidate for reelection in November 1964 but returned to politics two years later when he was elected to his ninth legislative term in November 1966. The 1967-69 session saw Ihnen as a member of the Appropriations and Highway & Traffic Safety committees, as well as being chairman of the state Motor Vehicle Laws Commission. Ihnen retired from the legislature at the conclusion of his ninth term but continued to be active in government service, being appointed to the State Board of Agricultural Advisors in 1969. From 1971-74 Ihnen served on the Agricultural Export and Advisory Committee for the state agriculture department and in July 1975 celebrated his 80th birthday.

  After over four decades of service to his native county and state, Harmannes Behrend Ihnen died at Quincy, Illinois hospital on August 12, 1975. He was survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Ethel, and son Ernel. Following her death at age 96 in 1995, Ethel Ihnen was interred alongside her husband and son at the Friedhof (Trinity) Cemetery in Golden, Illinois.

From the Alton Evening Telegraph, June 10, 1966.

Stroder McNeal Long (1840-1898)

From the Historical and Biographical History of Douglas County, Illinois, 1900.

   A farmer, banker and political figure from Douglas County, Illinois, Stroder McNeal Long represented that county for one term in the Illinois General Assembly, and in the year prior to his death was again the Republican candidate for the state assembly from Illinois' 40th district. A native of the Buckeye State, Stroder McNeal Long was born in Fayette County, Ohio on October 6, 1840, being the son of Andrew and Margaret (Mark) Long. The Long family relocated to Illinois in 1848 and, like many other young men of the time, Long would balance both farm and school work, working the family farm in the summer and attending school in the winter months. In 1860 he began an "academic course" in Paris, Illinois and in the following year enlisted for service in Co. E. of the 12th Illinois Infantry.

   Long's Civil War service proved to be brief, as he became severely ill and was honorably discharged after only three months service. Following his return home, he farmed and taught school until removing to Douglas County in 1867. He would purchase eighty acres of farmland near the town of Newman, and married on February 4, 1872 to Mary Elizabeth Pound (1846-1941), with whom he had five children: Mabel Maude (born 1873), Potter Palmer (1874-1934), Garnet Alice (born 1879), Cecile Roxina (born 1882) and Fay Ellen (born 1888).

   In addition to farming and stock raising in Douglas County, Stroder Long also entered into local politics in the late 1870s, serving on the county board of supervisors from 1878-1879.  In 1884 he won election as Douglas County's representative to the Illinois General Assembly, and his one term of service (1885-87) saw him sit on the committees on Canals and Rivers, Education, Farm Drainage, House Contingent Expenses and State/Municipal Indebtedness.

   A year after leaving the legislature Stroder Long added the title of bank president to his resume, assuming the presidency of the Newman Bank. He would hold that post until his death in 1898 and during this time also attained prominence with the Newman Building and Loan Association, serving as one of its directors. In 1897 Long was again nominated for the state assembly but lost out that election year, placing fourth in a field of five candidates. He died on August 20th of the following year at age 58 and was survived by his wife Mary. Mary Pound Long survived her husband by over forty years, and following her death at age 94 was interred alongside him at the Newman Cemetery in Douglas County.

DuFay Alonzo Fuller (1852-1924), DuFay Darius Fuller (1888-1971)

From the Illinois Legislative Directory of 1897-98.

    An insurance man based in Belvidere, Boone County, Illinois, DuFay Alonzo Fuller represented Boone County in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly between 1897-1905. A lifelong Belvidere resident, DuFay A. Fuller was born in that town on February 21, 1852, being one of five children born to Seymour and Elizabeth (Mordoff) Fuller. Besides producing a two-term representative and one-term state senator in the man highlighted here, the Fuller family would also boast Charles Eugene Fuller (1849-1926), a circuit court judge and eleven-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 12th district.

  A student in the public schools of Belvidere, DuFay Fuller married Cherry Valley, Illinois native Jennie Robinson (1857-1895) on March 24, 1875. The couple were wed until Jennie's death in November 1895 and had one son, George, who died in infancy in 1887. Fuller remarried in 1901 to Blanche Merrill (1875-1966), with whom he had three daughters, Louise (1903-1994), Marian, and May. 

    DuFay A. Fuller made his first foray into public service in the mid-1870s when he was named as a justice of the peace, and until the early 1890s resided on a farm. In 1892 he decided upon a career in insurance and became affiliated with the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company, serving as a district manager beginning in 1895. In 1896 he became a Republican candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives from the 8th district and in November bested Republican nominee George Lyons.

   Fuller's first term in the state house (1897-98) saw him named to several house committees, those being Agriculture, the Executive Department, Fees and Salaries, Horticulture, Insurance, and Senatorial Apportionment. He would win a second term in 1898, garnering 11, 296 votes on election day. Serving during the 1899-1901 session, Fuller set his sights on an Illinois State Senate seat in 1900 and was successful in his attempt, polling an eight-thousand vote majority over Democratic nominee Henry M. Coburn.

   Taking his seat at the start of the 1901-05 term, Fuller would serve alongside another oddly named senator, Lennington "Len" Small of Kankakee County. The pair would develop a firm friendship that would continue for many years afterward, and following his election as Governor of Illinois in 1920, Small appointed Fuller (who had been a staunch supporter during that year's gubernatorial campaign) as a state parole officer.

DuFay A. Fuller, from the 1901 Illinois Legislative Directory.

   Following the conclusion of his senate term, Fuller continued work in insurance and real estate, and also held memberships in the Masonic order, the Belvidere Y.M.C.A board, and the Odd Fellows lodge. Upon the election of Len Small as Governor in 1920 Fuller was appointed as a parole officer for the district comprising Belvidere and continued to serve in that role until his death on March 3, 1924, just a few days after his 72nd birthday. The Freeport Journal Standard relates that Fuller was fatally stricken by a heart attack while walking home from his insurance office and died shortly thereafter. He was survived by his wife Blanche and daughters and was later interred at the Belvidere Cemetery.

From the Freeport Daily Standard, March 4, 1924.

Portrait from the 1943-44 Iowa State Register.

  The nephew of the preceding gentleman, DuFay Darius Fuller also went on to success in politics, albeit in a different state. A two-term state senator from Jackson County, Iowa, Fuller was also a bank vice president and lawyer based in the city of Maquoketa. The son of George H. and Ella Fuller, DuFay Darius Fuller was born in Rockwell, Iowa on September 27, 1888. A former president of the Rockwell Savings Bank, George H. Fuller (1845-1925) was the brother of DuFay Alonzo Fuller (mentioned above) and Congressman Charles Eugene Fuller. A student in the public schools of Rockwell, DuFay D. Fuller graduated from the Rockwell High School and later went on to attend the Central College in Pella, Iowa, graduating in 1906. Deciding upon a career in law, Fuller undertook further study at Drake University School of Law, where he earned his bachelor of laws degree in 1909.

  In June 1915 Fuller married to Mildred Widdows (birth date unknown), to whom he was wed until her death. The couple would have two children, DuFay Darius Jr. (born 1917) and Dorothy (born 1921). Prior to his marriage Fuller began his political career at the local level, serving as deputy county auditor for Cerro Gordo County from 1910-12 and as deputy county treasurer from 1913-1925. During the First World War Fuller enlisted in the U.S. Army but wouldn't see combat, as he was stationed in Iowa City.

  Following his brief military service Fuller practiced law in Mason City, Iowa, and from 1918-1928 served as a referee in bankruptcy. In 1925 he made his first foray into banking, becoming cashier for the Primghar Savings Bank in Primghar, Iowa. Fuller stepped down from that post in 1926 and spent the next decade in California before returning to Iowa in 1937, and in that year took on the post of vice-president of the Jackson State Savings Bank at Maquoketa.

  In early 1940 Fuller entered into the Republican primary race for state senator from Iowa's 23rd district and in June of that year won out at the polls, garnering 629 votes. That November he would win election as senator, besting Democratic candidate Frank Ellis by a vote of 4,620 to 4,213. Fuller's service in the 1941-43 session saw him chair the Boundary Bridges committee and was also named to the committees on Banks and Banking, Claims, Dairying, Educational Institutions, Highways, Public Health, and Ways and Means.

Portrait from the 1943-45 Iowa State Register.

  In the 1942 election year, DuFay D. Fuller won a second term in the senate and during the 1943-45 session was named to several new committees, those being Cities and Towns, Compensation of Public Officers, Enrolled Bills, Livestock and Marketing, and Public Health. He would also chair the State Accounting System committee. Fuller left office in 1945 and details on the remainder of his life remain hard to come by. Following his term, he resided in California and Arizona before relocating to Arkansas in January 1971. On July 30, 1971, Fuller died at a hospital in Bentonville, aged either 83 or 84. Although an exact cemetery name remains unknown at this time, Fuller's death notice in the Joplin Globe denotes his burial occurring at a cemetery somewhere in the Hampton, Iowa area.

Siets DeVries Kamp (1902-1971)

Portrait from the Illinois Blue Book, 1949-50.

    Two-term Illinois state representative Siets DeVries Kamp is certainly one of the more obscure men to serve in the Illinois state house, and his name is also one of the most unique. Born of Dutch extraction in Watseka, Illinois on February 18, 1902, Siets D. Kamp was one of eleven children born to Peter (1857-1940)  and Jennie Dorenbos Kamp (1860-1930). 

  A student in the public schools of Watseka, Kamp is believed to have been a lifelong bachelor. While information regarding Mr. Kamp is sorely lacking online, the Illinois Blue Book notes that for twelve years he operated an insurance agency and was later employed as a personnel officer at the Kankakee and Manteno State Hospitals in Kankakee County.

  An active Republican in Iroquois County, Siets Kamp served as Secretary of the Iroquois County Republican Central Committee and in November 1946 was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives from the 20th district. Taking his seat at the start of the 1947-48 session. Kamp held seats on the following committees: Enrolling, Transcribing and Typing of Bills, Industry and Labor Relations, Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulations, Public Utilities, Railroads and Aviation, and Personnel and Pensions.

   Siets D. Kamp won his second term in the Illinois statehouse in November 1948 and during the 1949-50 session continued service on the committee on Public Utilities, Railroads and Aviation and was named to two new committees, those being Roads and Bridges and Waterways, Conservation and Fish and Game. 

  Following his service in state government, Kamp returned to Watseka, where in the early 1960s he was listed as being the owner of a photographic studio. Siets D. Kamp died on January 28, 1971, at age 68. He was later interred at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Watseka, the same resting place as that of his parents.

Elof Waldemere Mureen (1893-1952)

 Portrait form the Illinois State Blue Book, 1931-32.

    A former Mayor of Galesburg, Illinois, and a two-term member of the Illinois General Assembly, Elof Waldemere Mureen was for many years prominent in the civic and political life of Knox County. A lifelong resident of the "Land of Lincoln", Elof W. Mureen was born in Peoria County on March 22, 1893, the son of Fred and Minnie Albertina Mureen. His family resettled in Spring Valley, Illinois when he was a child, and in 1906 removed to Galesburg, where Elof completed his schooling. Mureen married on June 28, 1916, to Ruth Adams, with whom he would have four children: Robert Wayne (1917-2015), Virginia Ruth (died 1989), Howard Frederick (born ca. 1924), and Lilian Joan (born ca. 1930). 

   After his marriage, Elof Mureen began work as a salesman and for several years afterward was employed as a "local improvement representative" for a "leading Illinois clay products manufacturer." In 1919 Mureen entered into local political life when he won election to the Galesburg city council and two years later was returned to that body. In 1923 he was elected as Galesburg's mayor as the candidate of the People's Party, defeating Socialist candidate E.P. Nelson. 

    The youngest mayor elected in Galesburg up to that time, Mureen was re-elected as mayor in 1925 and during his second term helped to open a municipal golf course at the Soantegetaha Country Club in Galesburg. After leaving the mayor's office Mureen was appointed to the vacant directorship of the Galesburg Board of Education, succeeding his father Fred, who had died a few days previously. In May 1930 he reached his highest degree of political prominence when he was elected as one of two representatives to the Illinois General Assembly from that state's 43rd legislative district.

   Taking his seat at the start of the 1931-33 session, Mureen served on the committees on Conservation, Fish and Game, Education, and Industrial Affairs. In November 1932 he won a second term in the house, garnering 29, 542 votes on election day. During the 1933-34 session, Mureen sat on the committees on Banks, Banking and Building and Loan Associations; Education; Municipalities; Public Utilities and Transportation; and Uniform Laws. Mureen's two terms in the house were also notable for his having introduced legislation to:

"Authorize school boards to equip playgrounds from moneys in the building fund and to provide supervision for these playgrounds from the educational fund." 

   Mureen's bill would be passed by both houses of the legislature and in June 1931 was approved by then-Governor Louis Emmerson. Following his time in state government, Elof W. Mureen continued service on the Galesburg Board of Education and also authored a book, entitled "History of the Fulton County Narrow Gauge Railway--Spoon River Peavine". In the mid-1940s, he joined with his brother Ernest in forming the Mureen Hardware Co., a business that would later be managed by Elof's son Howard. Elof W. Mureen died in April of 1952, shortly after his 59th birthday. A burial location for him remains unknown at the time of this writing.

                            Portrait from the "History of Public Grounds and Playgrounds in Galesburg", 1932.

Quida John Chott (1863-1932)

Portrait from the "Public Officials of Chicago, 1895-1896".

   We continue our stay in Illinois for the following biography of Quida John Chott, a lawyer and two-term state representative from Cook County. The origins behind Chott's exotic-sounding first name are unknown at the time of this writing, and other than a brief obituary published in the Chicago Tribune in 1932, few details could be located on him. 

   A son of John F. and Rosalie Dirschmidt Chott, Quida J. Chott was born (depending on the source) in either New York City or Chicago on February 1, 1863. His family resided in Chicago when he was a child, and he attended the public and high schools in that city. Referred to in most period sources by his initials "Q.J.", Chott married in Cook County on December 29, 1888, to Alberta "Bertha" Baumayer, with whom he would have one daughter, Winifred Chott Pretzie (died 1961).

   In the same year as his marriage, the 25-year-old Chott was elected as one of Cook County's representatives to the Illinois General Assembly. Taking his seat at the start of the 1889-90 term, Chott was reelected to that body for the 1891-92 term and during that session was named to the committees on the Judiciary; Corporations; Building, Loan and Homesteading Associations; Printing; and the World's Columbian Exposition.

   Following his terms in the legislature, Chott continued his rise through the ranks of Illinois politics, serving in the administration of Chicago Mayor Hempstead Washburne as the Chief Clerk of the Law Department. Admitted to the state bar in 1889, Chott was named as a Justice of the Peace in June 1895 and in that same year was selected by then-Mayor George Swift as a Police Magistrate for the city of Chicago. Chott served as a police judge for twelve years and was lauded as "an official of acknowledged efficiency" during his time on the bench.

   After leaving the position of police magistrate in the late 1900s Chott practiced law in Chicago and also remained active in Republican Party doings within Chicago, serving as the Secretary of the Republican City Central Committee. Chott was also affiliated with a number of fraternal groups within the city, including memberships in the Veteran Union League, the Bohemian Turners, and for a time held the Presidency of the Bohemian Republican League.

   In 1917 Q.J. Chott was appointed as assistant state's attorney for Cook County, an office that he would fill for fifteen years. His tenure in that office saw him become acknowledged as "the habeas corpus expert in the state's attorney force", and was still serving in that post when he died at age 69 on May 10, 1932, at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Chott was survived by his wife Alberta and daughter Winifred, with his burial taking place at the Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago.

Chott's obituary from the May 11, 1932 edition of the Chicago Tribune.

Sheadrick Bond Turner (1869-1927)

Portrait from the Illinois Blue Book, 1921-22 edition.

    A six-term member of the Illinois State House of Representatives, Sheadrick Bond Turner was a native of Louisiana prior to his removal to the "Land of Lincoln" in the mid-1880s. Born and raised in the parish of West Feliciana, Turner's birth occurred on July 12, 1869, being the son of Hector and Souvenis Turner. While the origins of his name remain undetermined, it can be surmised that he was named in honor of Shadrach Bond (1773-1832), a former Congressman and the first Governor of the state of Illinois.

   Little could be found on Sheadrick Turner's early life in Louisiana, and by 1885 he is recorded as being a resident of Springfield, Illinois. A resident of that city from 1885-99, Turner entered into the world of publishing during his residency there, becoming the proprietor of two newspapers,  The State Capital and Illinois Idea. A graduate of the Illinois College of Law, Turner would later move to Chicago, where he would continue to publish his newspapers as well as practice law. 

    Through the succeeding years, Turner's newspapers gained a reputation as being the "leading weekly publication in Illinois and the Northwest for the moral, economic and industrial benefits for the negro race." Turner's stewardship of these papers is mentioned as being a launching pad for his political career and in November 1914 he won election as a Republican to the Illinois State House of Representatives, defeating Progressive candidate John H. Taylor by a vote of 6, 659 to 2,726.

   Following his freshman term in the legislature (1915-17) Turner wasn't a candidate for reelection. In 1918  he re-entered political life and won a second term in the house, besting Socialist Party nominee C.W. Howorth by a vote of  5, 978 to 305. Turner would be returned to the legislature on four more occasions and during his first two terms was a member of the judiciary committee and is mentioned as having "introduced legislation to discourage the organization of the Ku Klux Klan", as well as having sponsored "an appropriation bill to provide $35,00 for the investigation of bomb-throwing." 

  In addition to the above-mentioned pieces of legislation, Turner gained wide press in 1919 as a leading foe of a "Race Commission Bill", then up for a vote in the 51st session of the assembly.  In its August 30, 1919 edition, the Salt Lake City Broad Ax reported that Turner "strenuously opposed" the bill and was "instrumental in conducting a successful campaign" that saw the bill go down to defeat. As Turner himself stated in the Broad Ax,

"There are no commissions for the Poles. Serbians, Croatians, or any of the other nationalities that dwells underneath the Stars and Stripes and why therefore should there be one for the Negro, when even handed justice and fair play is the one and only solution for the racial troubles of out country."

                                                    Sheadrick B. Turner, from the 1927-29 Illinois Blue Book.

  On November 2, 1926, Sheadrick Turner was elected to his sixth term in the assembly, garnering 11, 411 votes. He would not live to complete this term, as he died in office on September 30, 1927, at age 58.  Shortly after his passing the Illinois legislature honored Turner by adopting a "resolution of tribute" in his memory and adjourned the day's session. Turner was survived by his wife of over twenty years, Maria Cooper. A burial location for both Turner and his wife is unknown at this time.

A Turner memorial notice from the California Eagle, February 3, 1928.

Genoa Sebastian Washington (1897-1972)

Portrait from the Illinois Blue Book, 1967-68.

   Noted as being a "champion of civil rights laws and women's legislation", Genoa Sebastian Washington was a leading legal figure in Chicago, Illinois, serving as a vice president of the Cook County Bar Association. Active in politics as well as law, Washington twice served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and was a three-term member of the Illinois State House of Representatives from 1966-1972, dying in office in the last-named year.

   The son of the Rev. Virgil William Washington and the former Lucy Virginia Bonner, Genoa S. Washington was born in Washington D.C. on September 26, 1897. Virgil Washington was a minister and General Secretary in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and due to his father's church work "attended the primary and secondary schools wherever the work of his father carried him". A veteran of World War I, Genoa Washington had enlisted as a private and would be honorably discharged as a "captain of infantry" at the war's conclusion.

   Following his military service, Washington attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating from that school in the 1920s with his B.S. degree. He would continue study at Northwestern Law School and in 1929 was admitted to the Illinois Bar. He would practice law in Cook County for many years afterward and also served as a past vice president of the Cook County Bar Association. In addition to practicing law, Washington attained high office in the Chicago branch of the NAACP, of which he served as president. A longstanding Mason, Washington served as a past master of the Richard E. Moore Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons and is also remarked as having served on "the Imperial Council of the Mystic Shrine." In 1952 he served as an alternate delegate from Illinois to the Republican National Convention that nominated Dwight Eisenhower for the Presidency.

    In 1954 Washington made his first attempt at elective office when he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 1st district. After winning the Republican primary in April Washington became the Republican candidate for the seat, squaring off against Democratic incumbent William L. Dawson. On election day 1954, it was Dawson who won out, besting Washington by a wide margin, 71, 472 votes to 23, 470.

   Genoa Washington achieved national prominence in September 1957 when he was selected by President Eisenhower to serve as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations 12th General Assembly. Washington represented the United States on a special political committee of the UN General Assembly and early in his tenure at the UN conferred with both Israel and the "delegations of Arab countries" regarding the latter's advocation of a strong resolution against Israel and its stance on Palestinian refugees. Washington would also host a banquet for UN delegates at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in December 1957, where he stated:

"These friends from a far have had too little opportunity to know colored Americans due to the lack of suitable contact. I believe that the American cause would be enhanced if these opportunities are increased."

Genoa Washington (center), from Jet Magazine, January 1958.

  In 1960 Genoa Washington was again a candidate for Congress from Illinois's 1st district. In a nearly identical repeat of the 1954 race, Washington won the Republican primary held in April of that year and in November again faced incumbent representative William Dawson. On November 8th it was Dawson who cruised to an easy victory, beating Washington by a 54,000 vote margin! 

   Four years following his defeat Washington journeyed to San Francisco as part of the Illinois delegation to the 1964 Republican National Convention that nominated Barry Goldwater for President. Washington's political fortunes changed in 1966 when he launched a candidacy for a seat in the Illinois State Assembly. Hoping to represent Cook County's 23rd district, he would win election to the state house in November of that year. His freshman term in the legislature saw him sit on the committees on Revenue, Industry and Labor Relations, and Registration and Regulation.

   Elected to his second term in the state house in 1968, Washington served on the House Committee on Education and the Judiciary during the 1968-70 term. He would win a third term in the legislature in November 1970 and in the March 1972 Republican primary defeated three other Republican candidates to once again become that party's assembly nominee from Cook County's 23rd district. Washington's death at age 75 on October 14, 1972 (just a few weeks prior to the election) curtailed his being elected to a fourth term in the assembly. A lifelong bachelor, Washington's burial location is unknown at this time, but it's presumed to be in Chicago, where he had resided and worked for nearly all his life.

Genoa Washington in 1963 during his time as imperial potentate of the Prince Hall Shriners.