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John Peter Altgeld was the most controversial pub lic figure in the eastern half oE the natIon in the 1890s, but he's the forgotten man in his home c\lmmuni ty of Little Washington, Richland County, Ohio. Hardly anybody now liv ing in the little rural neigh borhood southeast of Mans field ever heard of Alt geld. And it's a good bel that most Mansfitlders nev er did either. Several books have been written about this coura geous and colorful man. He has fascinated writers since he oecame governor of Illi !lois in 1892. Today he *wou;d be the idol of millions of young liberals throughout the na tion, yet he was one of the most maligned'men ever to hold public office. Born in Germany in 1847, Altgeld was brought to Rich land County when he was only a few months old. His parents settled near New ville in Worthington Town ship. The elder Altgeld held the popular German view of that era, that children should go to work as soon
as they reached their teens. .'.. Schooling, it was felt, was ." -- a waste of time. John Peter Altgeld, who grew up in the Mansfield area a.nd became governor of Illinois, might have been a na There were many Ger tiOnal.hero had he been born in the 20th century. His re mans in RicWand County at form Ideas were unpopular during his lifetime and he was the time, including two of attacked unmercifully by the press and his political oppo· Mrs. Altgeld's brothers, Pe nents. ter and William Lehnhart, who had told their sister of schools in his home com troubled him the rest of his the riches of the new coun munity and I ear ned to life. try in Ohio. speak English. For a time he was enrolled in the Sun Young Altgeld wanted to But grubbing* a living day School at the New become a teacher. He at from the Richland County Was h i n g ton Methodist tended a private school in hills was no simple task Church. When he was 12 Lexington operated by a for the Altgelds. The family his father told him to quit Rev. Gailey. After a period of training there young Alt was increasing l' a p i d I y. school and go to work. There were nine children in geld taught at the Wood all. Twelve years after ar Young Pete's mother sid ville School near Mansfield, l' i v i n g here the family ed with him and with her walking the distance from moved to a 140 - acre farm help the youth was able to his room downtown to the near Little Washington. The get away to Mansfield to school and back every day. family had rented tbe New attend high school. He and two friends roomed over ville land. ow the elder He wasn't *satisfied, how- Altgeld purchased the l-and the Ritter Carpenter Shop and Tannery at Second and ever, since a lot of young and it was heavily mort people were heading west gaged. Diamond Sts. while they at tended high school classes. to find adventure. With Life was hard for all of His mother smuggled food only $10 to his name Pete the Altgelds, and most of to him from the farm. headed west, working as he them didn't do much com traveled. He had an idea he plaining, but young John The nation was in a Civil would like S1. Louis, a Peter didn't like the idea of War and young Altgeld boom town on the Missis working on a farm the rest wanted to go. As soon as he sippi. He got a job there, of his life. He had dreams was 16 he enlisted; and was but earned little and he and he was ambitious. sent to Virginia. He didn't was still unhappy. He head see much action, but he ed west again and got as The boy attended grade contracted a fever which far as Kansas where his fe- Sunday, September 5, 1971 Mansfield. 0 •• News Journal ' PAGE FIVE B I • •
• poets, Edgar Lee Masters The Mansfield That Was and Vachel Lindsay. Mas ters wrote him into his By VIRGIL A. STANFIELD "Spoon River Anthology." The former Ric h 1and vel' caused him more trou- . Superior Court in Cook Countian soon won the re ble. County and was elected. spect of Jane Addams, Some of his critics said he founder of Hull House in He was helped by farm was too much interested in Chicago and a well - known families and moved on to the underdog to make a social worker and women's the north, looking like a good judge, but his record rights advocate. youthful hobo. He finally in court was a good one. came to the small town of For a time Altgeld was a Savannah, Mo., and decid . In 1892 he won the Demo law partner of Clarence ed to quit wandering. He cratic nomination for gov Darrow the famed attorney got a teaching job, did ernor of Illinois and was who many years later was some work on a farm, and elected by a 22,000 - vote to square off against anoth started to read law. He was margin in a normally Re er of Altgeld's friends. Wil· admitted to the bar and at publican s tat e. Farmers liam Jennings Bryan, in the the age of 26 ran for prose and laboring men voted for evolution trial at Dayton, cuting attorney in Savan him. Tenn. , nah. He was elected to his first public office. The Haymarket riots in Altgeld was bothered by Chicago in 1886 had stirred poor health through much After a year in the job he the p e 0 pIe. Newspapers of his life and on March 12, moved on to Chica20 where said anarchists had caused 1902, after a speech at Jo he was to live the rest of the rioting. Four of the liet, 111., died of a stroke. his life. leaders were hanged. Oth • ers got long jail sentences. W. E. Ford, one of Alt· geld's good friends back in While Altgeld* had a cou- When A 1t gel d became Mansfield, visited him in ple of love affairs in the governor he was induced Chicago shortly before Alt west, he never forgot a geld's fatal illness. pretty girl, Emma Ford, by the great criminal law , back in Washington Town yer Clarence Darrow to in ship. He had wanted to vestigate the Haymarket The last time* Altgeld was marry her before he left case. A 1t gel d was con in Mansfield was in 1898 Ohio but her father object vinced the men who were when he came here for the ed. In 1872 Altgeld returned in jail had been convicted funeral of his sister, Mrs. to Mansfield and Little unfairly so he pardoned John M. Frederick of Bell Washington to see Emma. three of them. ville. Most of the members Her father had died and That b l' 0 ugh t charges of his family are buried in there were no longer objec- from newspapers and oth the German Church Ceme tions to their marriage. The ers that he was sympathiz tery south of here. He was wedding took place at her ing with the anarchists. buried i~ Chicago. country home. ' More criticism was heaped Possibly the best book Emma was an ideal wife on him a year later when about Altgeld and his ca· for him. She was attractive he protested to President reel' is "Eagle Forgotten" and polished and she was Grover Cleveland after the by Harry Barnard. The ti at home in society and at President had called out tle is from a verse by Poet troops in the P u 11m a n political gatherings. - strike in Chicago. Lindsay following Altgeld's • death. Altgel-d was always a * - champion of the underdog. Newspapers, and espe- The tribute said: "Sleep He fought powerful politi- cially the GOP press, from softly .. eagle forgotten cians and moneyed inter- the midwest to the east ... under the stone, Time ests all his life, yet he at coast denounced him. When has its way with you there, one time was almost a mil- he ran for a second term and the clay has its own. lionaire himself. He made as governor he was defeat Sleep on, 0 brave - hearted. his money in real estate in ed. At that time Free Sil- o wise man, that kindled Chicago, owning a large vel' was a major national the flame." downtown building. issue and William Jennings Making money in the law Bryan was the spokesman Altgeld made* strong and practice in Chicago was no for silver. Altgeld liked the lasting friends and power easy task in the 1870s. The idea and he campaigned ful e n e m i e s. Often it Panic of 1873 had made hard for Bryan who never seemed that his enemies , money hard to get. made it to the Presidency. outnumbered his friends. After he got his practice Altgeld was urged to run He was a man of vision. going fairly well Altgeld for mayor of Chicago but He never forgot his strug ran for Congress in Chicago declined. He was mentioned gl~s to get an education but was defeated. He was a for the Presidential nomi and was a tireless worker persistent young man and nation. However, the fact for s c h 0 0 1s. He pushed didn't quit there. He pushed that he was born in Ger many social reforms. continually for social re- many quickly put an end to forms and made valuable talk of that kind. He was, to many people, contacts. a 'great and good man, Altgeld became friends even if he is virtually for He ran for a post on the with two great I 11 i n 0 i s gotten in his home county.