James Hutchinson Woodworth
| James H. Woodworth | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 2nd district |
|
|
In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 |
|
| Preceded by | John Wentworth |
| Succeeded by | John F. Farnsworth |
| 12th Mayor of Chicago | |
|
In office 1848–1850 |
|
| Preceded by | James Curtiss |
| Succeeded by | James Curtiss |
| Chicago City Council | |
|
In office 1845–1848 |
|
| Illinois House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1842–1847 |
|
| Illinois State Senate | |
|
In office 1839–1842 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 4, 1804 Greenwich, Washington County New York |
| Died | March 26, 1869 (aged 64) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Political party | Independent Democrat Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Almyra Booth |
| Children | Virginia W Van Wyck, Julia M, Lucius B |
| Residence | Chicago, Illinois |
James Hutchinson Woodworth (December 4, 1804 – March 26, 1869; buried in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago), was a former member of the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois State House of Representatives, served as a Chicago Alderman, was elected to consecutive terms as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1848–1850) as an Independent Democrat, and served one term in the US House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party. Woodworth completed his career in Chicago as one of the city's most noteworthy bankers. He is a member of the Woodworth political family.
He was born in Greenwich in Washington County, New York, the son of Connecticut natives Eleazer Woodworth and Catherine Rock Woodworth. His father died when Woodworth was young. He received limited schooling and completed his formal education by the time he was 14. Woodworth's various brothers figured prominently in his life. At various times, they provided employment, provided training or other support for career changes, and served as business partners. Woodworth's life illustrated a steady progression westward as the center of the United States was opened after the Louisiana Purchase. He eventually settled in Chicago and was instrumental in insuring its place as the nation's most prominent midwestern trading city.
In Chicago, Woodworth married Almyra Booth, the daughter of Walter Booth of Paris, Illinois. She was a member of the Booth family that settled in Indiana from their homes in Connecticut; their American ancestry stretched back to the founder of Connecticut, the Reverend Thomas Hooker. The Booth family was noted for its interest in public service, and this both influenced and supported Woodworth's own career in politics. Almyra Booth was related to both California Governor Newton Booth and the author Booth Tarkington. Woodworth and Almyra Booth had three children, two of whom died in infancy. Their daughter Virginia Almyra Woodworth was married to Tunis B. Van Wyck whose own ancestry could be traced back to the earliest inhabitants of the Dutch colonies in the New World, including the New Amsterdam and Long Island colonies which eventually became New York State. Through Virginia Van Wyck, the Woodworths had one surviving grandchild, Virginia Almyra Van Wyck who married George Pope of Glencoe, Illinois.
...
Wikipedia