Fall 25 OP Newsletter

HERITAGE SITES

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. Local Leadership Humphrey was equally active in Orland’s local affairs. He served as Orland Township Supervisor from 1868 until his death in 1914. One of his major accomplishments in this role was the creation of a straight road through Sections 5 and 8 of Orland Township at the request of local farmers in 1875. He also became Township Treasurer in 1876, managing township and school finances for nearly four decades. His careful stewardship kept finances sound and supported the construction of Yunker School in 1910. He also is responsible for the creation of School District No. 9 (now School District 135), so his son, John, could go to school in town and supported building Orland School at 9771 West 143rd Street, even amid controversy with neighboring districts. In 1892, he became the first Village President of the newly incorporated Village of Orland Park and served in that role until his death, walking from his house on the hill to board meetings to the old Village Hall on Beacon Avenue and rarely missing a session. Family and Later Years In his private life, Humphrey married Amelia Patrick Humphrey, a member of another prominent Cook County family from Bremen Township, in 1863. Soon after their marriage, the couple had a child, Libby May Humphrey, in 1864, who passed 11 months later. The Humphreys had six more children, three of whom died very young. Like Libby, Mabel and Thomas died in infancy, and Lillian died when she was fourteen. Their three children who survived into adulthood were Wirt Humphrey (1868 1940), Clara Humphrey Myers (1876-1952), and Maude Humphrey Cannon (1880-1932). Amelia died of pneumonia in March 1898. Nine months later, John married his law office stenographer, Ida Stuart (1861 1953), on December 14 of the same year. Ida had been working for John since 1891. They had a son together, John Stuart Humphrey, on July 13, 1900. Humphrey died of kidney failure on October 3, 1914, shortly after returning from a family trip to England. His funeral occurred in his home in Orland on October 5. All business in Orland and the vicinity was suspended. Public schools were closed, and school children, led by their teachers, attended the funeral, so residents could pay their final respects to their first Village President. The Humphrey House After 1914 After John’s death, Ida and their son, John, retained the home with help from Wirt. After Ida died in 1953, John, Jr., an actor who spent much of his life in New York and Chicago, returned to live there permanently with his partner, Paul Porter, after retiring in 1963. When he died in 1987, he willed the house to the Orland Historical Society.

The Orland Historical Society sold the property to the Village of Orland Park in 2021. Today, the Village preserves the Humphrey family’s artifacts and operates the home as a museum. During late 2025 and early 2026, the house is undergoing renovations to improve safety, accessibility, and historical integrity. Work includes stabilizing the foundation, adding ADA upgrades, and modernizing HVAC and electrical systems. Tours are temporarily unavailable and expected to resume when the house reopens in late spring or summer 2026. This article was written by Heritage Sites Supervisor Libby Paulson. For more information on Orland Park Heritage Sites, visit orlandpark.org/ heritagesites or email heritagesites@orlandpark.org

Humphrey House, c. 1900-1920

orlandpark.org | Fall 2025 |

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