Mayor of Chicago, 1879-1887, 1893
- Democratic Party
- Elected 24th mayor of Chicago April 1, 1879; defeated Ernst Schmidt (Socialist Labor) and Abner M. Wright (Republican)
- Elected to second term April 5, 1881; defeated John M. Clark (Republican), Timothy O’Meara (Independent) and George Schilling (Socialist Labor)
- Elected to third term April 3, 1883; defeated Eugene Cary (Republican)
- Elected to fourth term April 7, 1885; defeated William Bush (Prohibition) and Sidney Smith (Republican)
- Elected 33rd mayor (fifth term) April 4, 1893; defeated Samuel W. Allerton (Republican), Dewitt Clinton Cregier (Union Citizens) and Henry Ehrenpreis (Socialist Labor)
- Inauguration to first term: April 28, 1879
- Inauguration to second term: May 9, 1881
- Inauguration to third term: May 14, 1883; inaugural address not available
- Inauguration to fourth term: June 8, 1885; inaugural address not available
- Inauguration to fifth term: April 17, 1893
Biographical
- Born February 15, 1825 near Lexington, Ky.
- Related to Presidents William Henry Harrison and Thomas Jefferson
- Graduated from Yale University in 1845
- Married Miss Sophy Preston in 1855. She died in Europe in 1876.
- Elected to the first board of County Commissioners in 1874
- Served two terms in U.S. House of Representatives as Congressman for 2nd District of Illinois, from 1875 to 1879
- Married Miss Marguerite E. Stearns in 1882; she died shortly thereafter.
- Had 10 children and survived six of them
- At the time of his death, he was engaged to marry 25-year-old Miss Howard, a New Orleans heiress worth $3 million.
- Assassinated by Patrick Eugene Prendergast in 1893, the night before the close of the World’s Columbian Exhibition
- Died October 28, 1893 in Chicago
- Buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago
Sources
- Andreas, A.T. History of Chicago: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. A.T. Andreas, 1884–86.
- Dodge, Andrew R. and Betty K. Koed, editors. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, Inclusive. U.S. G.P.O., 2005.
- Grossman, James R., Ann Durkin Keating and Janice L. Reiff, editors. Encyclopedia of Chicago. University of Chicago Press, 2004.
- "Harrison is Killed." Chicago Daily Tribune, October 29, 1893, p. 1.
- "Story of His Life." Chicago Daily Tribune, October 29, 1893, p. 3.
