Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1890 — JONATHAN Y. SCAMMON. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JONATHAN Y. SCAMMON.

A CHICAGO PIONEER GONE TO HIS REST. Incidents in an Eventful Career—His Connection with Western Banks Journalistic Experiences—As a Politician —A Busfr Lite Ended. Chicago dispatch: J. Young Scammon, lawyer, banker, railroad man, publisher, politician, philanthropist, and well-xnown citizen who had been identified with Chicago history, both early and present, is dead. Mr. Scaminon first came to Chicago in September. 1835, when the city had hardly reached the dignity of a village, having scarcely 2,000 population. Mr.

Scammon was quite a young man, being but 23 years old, although he had practiced law in Maine, his native State, some years before. Here he associated himself with D. S. Mason, and the members of the firm continued their professional relations for a year, when Mr. Scammon formed a partnership with Norman B. Judd, and they were together for ten years. Mr. Scaminon was of a too progressive nature to confine his energies strictly to the law and he assumed a prominent part in developing the citv. With W. B. Ogdon he was successful in completing the Chicago & Galena Union railroad, and these gentlemen made themselves pioneers of the present railway system of the Northwest. During this period Mr. Scammon also took an active part in the political arena, and was one of the founders of the Republican party. He then engaged In the banking business, forming the Marine bank, which was the first in Chicago under the general banking law, was a director of the State Bank of Illinois, and a promoter of the Mechanics' National bank. He founded the Chicago Fire and Marine Insurance company. He helped to establish the Tribune and Evening Journal, and founded the I liter Ocean. He was the founder of the Swedonborglan church In Chicago and donated the ground on Congress street where the present imposing edifice of that denomination now stands. He was one of 4he~ftrst stockholders in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway. He founded, built, and presented to the city the Hahnemann nospltal. He built the Dearborn street observatory, and for a long time paid the salary of the superintendent. In 1857 Mr. Scammon retired from active business, having acquired large property possessions outside of his regular commercial interests. He then visited Europe and remained there three years, and while abroad his wife died. He returned to Chicago in 1860 and found his Insurance company threatened with financial disaster and Its affairs in very bad shape. He opened a private bank and closed up the affairs of the old institutions. The fire in 1871 destroyed all the building property he had, and his loss at that time was estimated at $500,000. By 1873 he was in fair condition to repair his financial standing, but the panic of that year involved film still further. Mr. Scammon was born at Whitfield, Maine, July 27, 1812. His first wife was Miss Mary Ann Haven Dearborn of Bath, Maine, and of their four children but two daughters survive. Neither reside in this city. His eldest son, Charles, who died In 1876, was formerly a law partner of Robert T. Lincoln.

J. YOUNG SCAMMON.