1902 Biographies
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FLANAGAN, JOHN C., was the eldest son of John and Jane (Platt) Flanagan,
both of whom were residents of Philadelphia, quite wealthy and owners of
valuable real estate in that city. He was born July 17, 1806. His education was
commenced at Montrose and finished in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. He read
law with Colonel James Paige, of Philadelphia, where he remained four years, was
admitted to the bar and entered upon the practice of his profession. About this
time a sad bereavement befell the family in the death of his father under
peculiarly distressing circumstances. Having gone with a party of gentlemen
friends on a pleasure excursion by a sail-vessel to the city of New Orleans,
they were attacked on the way with ship fever, two of them dying at sea and Mr.
Flanagan a few hours after the ship arrived in port. The son John was left at
the head of a family consisting of his mother, two sisters and a younger
brother. In 1830 he went to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and entered upon the
practice of the law, also dealing extensively in the coal business with his
brother-in-law, David Maxwell. After remaining there three years they returned
to Philadelphia.
In the spring of 1834 Mr. Flanagan came to Peoria and
entered some land. In the fall of that year his family joined him in company
with Mr. Maxwell and his wife, who was Mr. Flanagan's sister—the family
consisting of their mother, their brother, James A. Flanagan, a sister Louise
and a lady friend. They first settled on a claim in Limestone Township. In the
year 1836 Mr. Flanagan joined Mr. Maxwell in St. Louis, where they dealt some in
lands. But, not being satisfied there, he returned to Peoria after one year.
Being possessed of considerable means he bought lands adjoining the then rapidly
growing town, which he laid out into additions, there being now three additions
and subdivisions bearing his name. His brother-in-law, David Maxwell, was long a
resident of Peoria, and occupied the office of Justice of the Peace for many
years. He had a brother, Thomas Maxwell, a prominent business man who had three
daughters: the eldest married William H. Cruger, contractor and superintendent
of the Eastern Division of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad; the second, Charles
S. Matteson, son of Governor Joel A. Matteson. and the third, Edward, son of the
Hon. Jacob Gale.
Mr. Flanagan served as Alderman of Peoria for some
time, but, having very little taste for public office, he never aspired to
public honors. During his term as Alderman he interested himself largelv in the
drainage of that portion of the city lying in front of the bluff, and, through
his influence, a deep canal was dug on Morgan Street for the purpose of draining
that portion of the city. In politics he was a steadfast Democrat, and. during
the exciting times antedating the Civil War, he arrayed himself on the side of
Senator Douglas, of whom he was a great admirer.
Mr. Flanagan never married, feeling it to be his
lifelong duty to devote himself to the care of his invalid sister Louise. In
manners and deportment he was a gentleman of the old school, happy in
disposition and companionable in all his intercourse with his fellow men.
Although coming to Peoria in the pioneer days, he never forsook his habits
acquired in early life. He was scrupulously neat in his dress, always wearing a
broadcloth Prince Albert and a silk hat. He wore side-whiskers, and his hair,
which was a dark auburn and very silky in texture, fell in ringlets about his
coat collar. He was tall and erect and commanded the attention of strangers
wherever he went. He spent his time in looking after his own business interests
and property, was well read in all topics of the day and was a great lover of
home comforts.
Not long after his arrival in Peoria he erected on the
bluff overlooking the city and commanding an extensive view of the river
scenery, a substantial brick residence, which still remains. There being no
other communication at that time between Peoria and Chicago, all the lumber,
lime and glass used in the construction of the building were hauled from Chicago
in wagons. It was at that time probably the largest dwelling house in the city.
It is now occupied by his only niece, Mrs. Louise Williamson, widow of the late
Judge Marion Williamson and daughter of David Maxwell. Mr. Flanagan died June 4,
1891, leaving surviving him his two sisters, Letitia J. Maxwell and Louise A.
Flanagan. His brother James, who had been engaged in business in Peoria for many
years, died June 13, 1876.
(Historical Encyclopedia
of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, pages 450-451, submitted by Janine Crandell)
GOVERNOR THOMAS FORD. The following biography of the late Governor Ford was found among his papers, having been prepared by him for a work about to be published giving succinct biographies of the Governors of the several States. We publish it as an interesting record of a portion of the history of our State, and had intended to have added a short history of the period of his life between the conclusion of the autobiography and the death of the Governor, but have been unable to do so at this time. As however, this memoir embraces nearly his whole public life, it may be quite as well to leave it as it was found:—(Peoria Democratic Press, December 18, 1850.)
"Thomas Ford was born in the County of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania on the
5th day of December, 1800. His father, Robert Ford, belonged to a large family
connection of that name in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and
his mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Hugh Logue and Isabella Delany, who
were both natives of Ireland. His father died in 1803, and in 1804, his mother,
who was a woman of extraordinary courage and enterprise, with a married daughter
and seven other childen, most of them small, removed from Pennsylvania to St.
Louis in Missouri. St. Louis at that time was a village of only a few hundred
French and Spanish inhabitants. On Christmas Day, 1804. the family removed into
Illinois and settled at a place called New Design, then in Randolph, but now in
Monroe County. At that time the American inhabitants of Illinois did not exceed
three or four thousand.
"Gov. Ford's father left his family very poor, and as
its fortunes were now committed to a widow with some small children, settled far
out in the wilderness, it may readily be imagined that their condition was not
much improved. His widowed mother, however, managed to keep her children
together and to give all of them the elements of an English education at such
common schools as were then to be found in the country. At these schools
Governor Ford learned to read and write, and cypher to the Rule of Three, and
some of the English Grammar. But. as the family were very poor and all the
children necessarily engaged at hard work on the farm (which was rented), there
was but little opportunity for further progress at school. However, the subject
of this memoir, by devoting a portion of his time at home to study, but without
an instructor, succeeded in mastering the arithmetic and gained quite a
knowledge of grammar and geography. At about ten years of age he became much
addicted to reading poetry, and such other miscellaneous prose work as fell in
his way.
"Before this time his half-brother, George Forquer, had
gone to St. Louis and apprenticed himself to the carpenter's trade. After having
this trade, he was successful in making money both as a journeyman and
master-builder, so that by 1818 he had means enough to set up as a merchant and
speculator, and was now actually the proprietor of two towns. About this time
also. Hon. D. P. Cook, Member of Congress, had his notice attracted to young
Thomas Ford, who was by him persuaded to commence the study of the law. He began
first with Judge Cook, of Missouri, and afterward with D. P. Cook, of Kaskaskia,
but finding his preparatory education insufficient, his brother George, who was
a man of noble, generous and magnanimous nature, determined to send him to
Transylvania University. Thither he repaired in April, 1819. In 1820 his
generous brother failed in business, so that Thomas was obliged to leave the
University after being there not quite a year. He made his way back to
Illinois—400 miles on foot— but, in the State of Indiana, he ran out of money
for his traveling expenses and was forced to stop on the road-side and take up a
school for three months. The neighborhood was a new settlement; there never had
been a school in it before; a school-house had to be built, and this young man,
and a stranger as he was, induced the people to build, and he assisted with his
own labor. He has been heard to say that he is more proud of this achievement
than anything he ever did in after life.
"He returned home at intervals and, between labor on
the farm and school-keeping, he pursued the study of the law, history and such
books of general literature as fell in his way until the autumn of 1824, when he
was invited by the celebrated Duff Green to assist him in conducting a newspaper
in St. Louis, then engaged in the support of Gen. Jackson for the Presidency.
Here he continued about six months. In the meantime his brother George had also
studied law, was elected a member of the Legislature in 1824, and in the
succeeding winter was appointed Secretary of State. The two brothers then agreed
to enter into the practice of the law in partnership. For this purpose Thomas
repaired to Edwardsville, then the most considerable town in the State, and
resided there in practice from 1825 to 1829. In 1828 he married Miss Frances
Hambaugh, and with her removed to Galena in 1829. He remained here a year,
engaged in the practice of the law, and then, for the purpose of being nearer
his wife's parents, removed to Quincy.
"In 1829 he was appointed State's Attorney by Gov.
Edwards. In 1831 he was re-appointed by Gov. Reynolds and remained in that
office until he was elected Judge of the Circuit Court in 1835. He was four
times elected a Judge of the Circuit and Supreme Courts by the Legislature
without opposition, and was one of the Judges of the Supreme Court when he was
elected Governor of the State."
Of
Governor Ford's ancestry little is known further than that which appears in the
foregoing sketch. His mother was twice married, once to a man by the name of
Forquer—probably Farquahar—a Revolutionary soldier, by whom she had several
children, among whom was George Forquer, who as above stated, became
distinguished in the politics of this State. While she was the wife of Forquer,
Governor Ford's mother seems to have lived at Uniontown, Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, where George was born.
George Forquer was a member of the Legislature in 1824.
In January, 1825, he was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Coles. In 1828
he ran for Congress, but was defeated by Joseph Duncan, afterwards Governor. In
January, 1829, he was elected Attorney-General by the Legislature, which office
he held until 1833, when he resigned to accept the office of State Senator.
Before the expiration of his term as Senator he was, in 1835, appointed Register
of the land office at Springfield. He died at Chicago in 1837.
Although it is stated in the foregoing sketch that
Governor Ford was four times elected a Judge of the Circuit and Supreme Courts
by the Legislature, he had only two commissions as Circuit Judge and one as
Supreme Judge. The records show that he was commissioned as Judge of the Sixth
Circuit January 19, 1835, resigned March 4, 1837; that he was commissioned as
Judge of the Ninth Circuit February 25, 1839, and as Justice of the Supreme
Court February 15, 1841. He resigned the latter office August 4, 1842, to accept
the office of Governor. The journals of the Legislature, however, show that on
March 4, 1837, the day he resigned the office of Circuit Judge, the two Houses
met in joint session for the election of a Judge of the Municipal Court of the
City of Chicago, a Court then recently established, and having concurrent
jurisdiction with the Circuit Court within that city. O. H. Brownine of the
Senate and Abraham Lincoln of the House were appointed tellers. Upon the count
of the ballots Thomas Ford was found to have received 86 votes to 3 scattering,
and was, by the Speaker of the House, declared duly elected. On the same day a
message was received from Governor Duncan that Hon. Thomas Ford, having resigned
the office of Judge of the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, a
vacancy had been created to be filled by that General Assembly. So it appears
that, although he did not technically hold the office of Circuit Judge from 1837
to 1839, yet, in effect, he did so; for he held an office of equal dignity and
exercising the same jurisdiction as the Circuit Judges. His commission as Judge
of the Municipal Court of the City of Chicago bore date March 16, 1837.
The Democrats in December, 1841, met and nominated Adam
W. Snyder, of St. Clair County, for Governor, but he having died in the spring
of 1842, by common consent Thomas Ford was taken up by the Democrats and elected
over ex-Governor Duncan, the Whig candidate, by over eight thousand majority.
After his nomination and before the election, he
announced his principles to the public in a letter to a friend. As there were no
conventions held in those days, this letter must be regarded as his platform.
Briefly stated, his principles ran as follows: He was in favor of a
sub-treasury, opposed to all banks, State and National, and in favor of the
constitutional currency of gold and silver coin; in favor of a tariff for
revenue only; opposed to the distribution of the sales of public lands: opposed
to contracting debts by either State or Nation; in favor of adopting all proper
means on all proper occasions to reduce the State debt; and in favor of
conventions to nominate candidates for office. In the great contest between
Field and McClernand for the office of Secretary of State he believed that
Governor Carlin had the right to appoint his own Secretary, and he (Ford) should
claim the same right for himself. Believing that Van Buren had been unfairly
beaten in 1840, he was in favor of his nomination for the Presidency in 1844;
and, to use his own language, "To succeed him, I am in favor of Thomas H.
Benton, the Great Statesman of the West."
Governor Ford came to the executive office in times of
great excitement in Illinois. The failure of the great scheme of internal
improvements, together with the financial crisis of the times, had left the
State almost hopelessly in debt, and repudiation was openly advocated. But
Governor Ford steadfastly set his face against disgracing the State in that way;
and through the aid of his wise counsels, the financial affairs of the State
were much improved, and a feeling of confidence restored, which continued to
prevail until 1848, when, by the adoption of the new Constitution, an annual tax
was levied, applicable especially to the payment of the State debt. By this
means the debt was finally liquidated; so that, for the past thirty years, the
State has been entirely free from bonded debt. Another exciting topic of the
times was how to deal with the Mormons. During Governor Ford's administration
the Mormon War took place, so-called, in which their celebrated prophet, Joseph
Smith, lost his life. It was during his (Ford's) administration that the Mexican
War broke out, and, largely through his influence, the State of Illinois took a
prominent position in that great contest. The volunteers from this State flocked
to the support of the administration in numbers too great to be received.
After retiring from the office of Governor, Thomas Ford
took up his residence in Peoria, where he resumed the practice of the law, and
where he prepared an excellent History of Illinois from 1818 to 1847, which,
after his death, was edited by General James Shields, and published for the
benefit of his family. His practice at the bar in Peoria did not prove
lucrative. Instances appear upon the records where his fees were exceedingly
small. One of this kind is found in the fact that he rendered his services to
the County of Peoria for the sum of seventy-five dollars a year, payable in
quarterly payments. These services, of course, were supplemental to those
rendered by the State's Attorney of the district, whose business it was to
conduct all criminal matters, and to render services in civil as well as
criminal business.
Governor Ford died at Peoria November 3, 1850, in very
indigent circumstances, which were not fully known to the citizens until a short
time before his death. His wife, Frances, worn out with watching over her
husband's failing health (he died of consumption), and the care of the family of
children, died October 12, 1850, aged thirty-eight years. The impoverished
condition of the family having then been fully revealed, Governor Ford was taken
to the house of Andrew Gray on Monroe Street (which house still stands), where
he died as before stated. He left a family of five small children—two sons named
Thomas and George Sewell. and three daughters, Anna. Mary F. and Julia E.—one of
whom (Julia E.) died December 30, 1862. aged twenty-one years. The children
were all taken by kind friends and reared to manhood and womanhood. After paying
all his debts there remained for distribution among his children the sum of
$148.06. The proceeds of the sale of his History of Illinois, amounted to
$750—or $150 to each of the children, for whose benefit it was published. This
money was invested by their guardian in Peoria & Bureau Valley Railroad stock,
at the rate of $70 to $80 per share, and paid dividends at the rate of eight per
cent, per annum upon its face value. The remains of Governor Ford were first
interred in the city cemetery, where a modest little monument costing five
hundred dollars was erected by the State. Here they remained for some years, and
were finally removed to Springdale cemetery, where they were interred in a
beautiful lot near its entrance, and in 1895 the State erected a monument to his
memory costing $1,200.
A few weeks before his death Governor Ford became a
professed Christian, and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. The
estimate in which he was held by his neighbors and friends, is well attested by
the action taken by the Grand Jury of Peoria County on November 23, 1850. This
body was composed of leading citizens from all parts of the country, with Andrew
Gray as Foreman and John Elting, Secretary. They resolved that, by the death of
Governor Ford the State of Illinois had lost one of her purest and ablest
statesmen, whose unerring judgment and practical wisdom had saved the State from
the blighting effects of repudiation in the hour of great trial and emergency,
and whose firmness and decision had contributed mainly to the lessening of our
heavy State debt, and to the enactment of that series of measures which had
produced so much prosperity and confidence among our people, restored the credit
of our State and laid the sure foundation for beneficial results, such as no
imagination could conceive or prophecy foretell. As State's Attorney he had
discharged his duties faithfully and successfully; as a Judge he had been
impartial, laborious and just, and, as a man and citizen, he had been one of
"the noblest works of God." He had won his way from a fatherless boy to
eminence, and had left a bright example to those behind him, that virtue,
industry and fidelity insure sucess and will be crowned with triumph.
(Historical
Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria
County, 1902, pages 451-453, submitted by Janine Crandell)
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Updated June 11, 2006