John Wentworth (Illinois)

Early life and education

John Wentworth was born in Sandwich, New Hampshire. He was educated at the New Hampton Literary Institute and at the academy of Dudley Leavitt. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1836.

Migration west and career

Later that year, Wentworth joined a migration west and moved to Chicago, arriving in the city on October 25, 1836. He became managing editor of Chicago's first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat, eventually becoming its owner and publisher.

He started a law practice and entered politics. He was a business partner of Illinois financier Jacob Bunn, and the two men were two of the incorporators of the Chicago Secure Depository Company.

Marriage and family

In 1844 he married Roxanna Marie Loomis.

In later years, his nephew Moses J. Wentworth handled his business affairs, and would eventually manage his estate as well.

Political career

After becoming active with the Democrats, Wentworth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for a total of six terms, five of them as a Democrat: (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851 and March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855).

He returned to Chicago and affiliated with the Republican Party. Wentworth was elected as mayor of Chicago for two terms, 1857–1858 and 1860–1861. Wentworth instituted the use of chain gangs of prisoners in the city as laborers.

In July 1857, while serving as mayor of Chicago, Wentworth was charged with assaulting an attorney named Charles Cameron, who was attempting to communicate with his incarcerated client. Cameron testified that Wentworth "seized him by the coat collar and shirt bosom" and forcibly removed him from the prison, alleging that he had resisted officers. Wentworth, after requested the case be delayed twice, refused to appear in court. The Judge found in favor of Cameron and charged Wentworth amounts of $25 "and costs" and $200.

In his effort to clean up the city's morals, he hired spies to determine who was frequenting Chicago's brothels. In 1857, Wentworth led a raid on "the Sands," Chicago's red-light district, which resulted in the burning of the area.

In 1864 Wentworth ran again for Congress, as a Republican, and was elected for his last term, serving March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867. While he was in the House, there was a controversial vote to settle a boundary issue between Wisconsin and Illinois, with Wisconsin claiming land as far as the tip of Lake Michigan. Wentworth was promised that if he voted to give the land including Chicago to Wisconsin, he would be appointed to the US Senate. Wentworth declined the offer.

According to city historians in Sandwich, Illinois, Wentworth was one of the key individuals who was responsible for the city getting a railroad stop. The town, which at the time, was called "Newark Station", was given the station, and in turn, the town gave Wentworth the honor of naming the town, which he subsequently named after his hometown, Sandwich, New Hampshire. It is also to note that the boundary line dispute with Wisconsin would have cut through present-day Sandwich, as it straddles the northern border with neighboring LaSalle County, which would have been the State Line had Wentworth not been successful in moving the line north.

After retiring from Congress, from 1868 Wentworth lived at his country estate at 5441 South Harlem Avenue in Chicago. He owned about 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land in what is today part of the Chicago neighborhood of Garfield Ridge and suburban Summit.

When an author left a manuscript of a history of Chicago with Wentworth for his suggestions, he reportedly removed what did not refer to him and returned the manuscript to its author with the note, "Here is your expurgated and correct history of Chicago."

Family historian

He researched and wrote The Wentworth Genealogy – English and American - twice, which he published privately. The first two-volume edition, also known as the "private edition", published in 1871, was followed by a second, corrected, edition in 1878, which was published in three volumes, for a total of 2241 pages. The total reported cost for both editions was $40,000. The first of the 1878 volumes chronicles the ancestry of Elder William Wentworth, the first of this family in New England, and his first five generations of New World descendants. The second and third volumes discuss the "Elder's" many descendants and others of the name. John was a fourth great grandson of William.

Death

Wentworth died at his estate in 1888, aged 73. He was buried in Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.