Fall 25 OP Newsletter

Each newsletter, we explore a different piece of Orland history. This season, we highlight the Humphrey family and their home at 9830 West 144th Place. The Senator John Humphrey House, built in 1881, is one of two buildings in Orland Park listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story, frame, National-style home is a vernacular four-over-four design, a common farmhouse style in the post-railroad era. The man behind the house, Senator John Humphrey (1838-1914), was one of Orland Park’s most influential leaders. Early Life John Humphrey was born in Norfolk, England, on June 20, 1838. After his father died, he emigrated to America at age 10 with his mother, Mary, and siblings. The family settled in Orland in 1848, later moving to the farm of James Wortley (located on the southeast quarter of Section 16) after Mary married him in 1849. Humphrey attended school at the farmhouse of James Buck during his first year in Orland from 1848-1849, then went to the newly constructed Centre School, also known as the English Settlement School, in the fall of 1849. Then, according to local legend, he joined a wagon train to California during the Gold Rush in 1859. He reportedly fell ill in Salt Lake City and was left behind until he recovered. He spent about two years in California before returning home after the outbreak of the Civil War and the enlistment of his brother, Thomas. His brothers, Thomas Humphrey and Matthew Wells, served in the 39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Regiment G. On May 16, 1864, Matthew suffered a grievous wound and subsequent imprisonment at Andersonville after the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff; four days later, on May 20, Thomas was killed at the Battle of Ware Bottom Church in 1864. John did not enlist and may have been exempt from the draft because he was not yet a naturalized citizen. State Political Career After the war, Humphrey pursued a political career as a Republican during the Reconstruction era. In 1867, he was elected to the Cook County Board of Supervisors and then to the Illinois Legislature as the representative of the 95th District in 1870. In 1878, after finishing his law studies, he was admitted to the bar and began his practice in Chicago. He once again ran for the Illinois Legislature in 1884, and, for two years, represented the 7th District. In 1886, he was elected to the Illinois Senate for the 7th District and remained in that position until 1910. In some modern articles written about Humphrey after his death, he is portrayed as a hero to local farmers and the average person because he advocated on their behalf in Chicago politics. This is true -- he opposed many bills that tended to deprive country towns some of their rights and privileges. For example, when the Board of Assessors of Cook County was established in 1898, Humphrey was instrumental in creating a law that made sure one out of the five members of the board was from a country town, and that person should be elected by the people of the town. His advocacy for smaller towns in big politics earned him the nickname “Farmer John.” At the same time, he worked with major business interests. During the Chicago Traction Wars (mid-1890s-early 1910s), a political conflict concerning the franchise and ownership of streetcar lines in Chicago, Humphrey partnered with railway magnate and entrepreneur Charles T. Yerkes, who was a big businessman in the city, on a series of bills. These bills, later known as the notorious Humphrey Bills, regulated and extended streetcar railway franchises in Chicago. These controversial bills drew strong opposition from city leaders and were ultimately defeated in the Illinois Senate in 1897. In 1910, he lost his Senate seat to William H. Maclean of Wilmette as his district sought new representation HISTORY OF JOHN HUMPRHEY

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