Representative John Lourie Beveridge

John Lourie Beveridge (July 6, 1824 – May 3, 1910) was an American lawyer, Civil War officer, legislator, and the 16th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1873 to 1877. A member of the Republican Party representing Illinois, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States House of Representatives, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history. He succeeded the recently elected Richard J. Oglesby as governor after Oglesby resigned to accept a seat in the United States Senate.

Beveridge was born in Greenwich, Washington County, New York, on July 6, 1824, the son of Ann (Hoy) Beveridge and George Beveridge. In 1842, he moved with his family to DeKalb County, Illinois, which was then a developing region of the state. Seeking further education, he attended Granville Academy for one term and then pursued studies at Rock River Seminary, an important early educational institution in northern Illinois. After completing his schooling, Beveridge moved to Tennessee, where he supported himself as a schoolteacher, gaining early experience in public service and leadership.

In 1851, Beveridge returned to Illinois and began the study of law in Sycamore. Three years later, in 1854, he moved to Evanston and commenced the practice of law in nearby Chicago. There he formed a law partnership with John F. Farnsworth, who would also become a prominent Union cavalry officer and congressman. Beveridge continued in this legal practice until the outbreak of the American Civil War, when both he and Farnsworth entered military service.

Volunteering for service in the Civil War, Beveridge initially served as an officer with Farnsworth in the 8th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. With this unit he saw action in some of the major campaigns of the Eastern Theater, including the Battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and he commanded the regiment at Gettysburg. In November 1863, he received authorization to raise his own regiment, the 17th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, and was elevated to the rank of colonel in 1864. The 17th Illinois Cavalry saw service primarily in Missouri. For his wartime service, Beveridge was brevetted to brigadier general of volunteers in March 1865. He remained in the Army until he was mustered out on February 6, 1866.

Upon returning to civilian life in Illinois, Beveridge resumed his public career. He was elected sheriff of Cook County, one of the most important local offices in the rapidly growing Chicago area. In 1870, he was elected as a Republican to the Illinois Senate, where he participated in state legislative affairs during the Reconstruction era. The following year, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John A. Logan. His service in Congress was relatively brief—about one year—because he resigned his seat after being elected lieutenant governor of Illinois.

Beveridge assumed the office of lieutenant governor and, in 1873, became governor of Illinois when Governor Richard J. Oglesby resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate. As the 16th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1873 to 1877, Beveridge led the state during the early years of the Long Depression, an economic downturn that severely affected farmers, laborers, and businesses. Economic distress in rural areas fueled the farmers’ movement and prompted the formation of the Anti-Monopolist Party, later known as the Greenback Party, which opposed the policies of Beveridge’s Republicans. In the midterm elections of 1874, several Greenback candidates, with Democratic support, were elected to state offices, including Archibald Glenn as lieutenant governor, signaling a significant political challenge to the Republican establishment.

During his administration, Beveridge oversaw important institutional and constitutional developments in Illinois. His governorship witnessed the “Revision of 1874,” a rewording and adjustment of the recently adopted Constitution of Illinois, aimed at clarifying and refining the state’s fundamental law. He appointed leadership for the Illinois exhibits at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, ensuring that the state was prominently represented at the nation’s centennial celebration. Beveridge also approved the establishment and expansion of several key state institutions, including the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Blind, and the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane. His administration supported restorations and improvements at the Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane, the Illinois Central Hospital for the Insane, the Illinois Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home, and the Anna State Hospital, reflecting a broad commitment to public welfare and care for vulnerable populations.

After his term as governor expired in 1877, Beveridge continued in federal public service. President Chester A. Arthur appointed him Assistant United States Treasurer at Chicago, a position of substantial responsibility in the federal financial administration of the region. He held this office during a period when Chicago was emerging as a major national commercial and financial center, and his role contributed to the management of federal funds and fiscal operations in the Midwest.

In 1895, Beveridge moved to Hollywood, California, then a small but growing community, where he spent the remainder of his life in retirement. He died there on May 3, 1910. His body was returned to Illinois, and he was interred in Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, a burial place for many of the city’s and state’s notable figures. Beveridge’s family included descendants who achieved distinction in their own right; he was the grandfather of sculptor Kuhne Beveridge, who became known for her artistic work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.