, 1881-12-21
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Presentation Of Portrait by the
Late William 8. Ogden.
a Memoir Of the Life Of, the Deceased
by the Hon. i. N. Arnold.

IuG EFQnInt mCofnly HlectlER OK Inc Nn1CHR0
Historical succty was held Inst oyonnR III tho
lion. fsaac N. Ar,al, President af tho so.icty,
uccupylug tho chnr. It wos understnosl that
tho meeting would DO Of unlisitnl intcrcst, Il lies
Ing 1natlc tho occnslon OF tho presentation IN tho
society by Mrs. William II. Ogden 0f II fno por-
trlil OF her Into hntband, whose nam0 ID 30
cloaoly Identified with tho development md
commercial greatness nf Chicago. Suatul upon
and In tho autiprce, which completely tsllett the
room. werc px.Mnyors ftaytnond, MlIlIkcn,
1lnlncs, ,sumsoy, Bond, aI1 Acting fnror fiuyne.
Alcssrs. y. NJ. Casc. a. ~. Munger. md .iudgo
Lambert Tree were elected annun 1netnbcrs. and
tho Hon. Thomus Drunnond aud tho Hon.
Henry " lHet, honorssy members m
VIII, nl,w rosldcs 1t liHh lsr'ige, n. ", offering
ent @ Oh OIL Tie t aceaslqM MT III. snc'ioa stals int
there wero fOrnItrlf three dtl .nnTtrNlis OF slr.
Ogden lp existence. ~ cxccntcd ~ NJ. GEORGE
now located ~ New York. md that those ptct-
urcs, pu!ntcd from lite. had alI been Inst III tho
painted FROM II phuttgtnpn aud, ne MI could
plainly sec whu remembered tho subject as
l1E At'rEANEn IN LIFE,
It was a faithful reproduction OF his kindly md
Tho portrait, iralnud in henvy oltl.go,d.cnl.-
orca tiult!tnR IT antique design, wits inptlutcf
OH n tr,peti srand cuvered Oycr ,pr0fusely with
and represents Mr. Ogden IN tho old su1ool gun,
tIencl's hhes Ireek coat: Standing collar. md
Mtnul WIS taxen ia New York 1t a c0mpnrHtlvc.
~ rrcont tfnte aid tho portrait shows rho strong
ind uhnractcristit fRce uT Mr. Ogden surrounded
also. aosncwhat wtitcncd by. Agn. Tho .fucc Ia
tinely drawn. ami tho for!d eomplrxlnf, tu-
tn,sny Of Tic % olr stize,s Of Cnlcaxo, ar" filth.
fully reproduced,
III: shalion to sifs vy,lri,. the tlonor. ID iii
address npnn tue. subject nj tho portrait, MIR.
Arnold sald thai the
MOST PROMINENT FIGURE
n Tho history e. Chsa9" fr tho ,!sat forty
Ugslrn. fIo orlxlnnled tntst Ut tho great pnb,'a
tn,nreyeEaentA ar tho city, N!.d wts TUG e,t.l'nE
ltailrout syAte'l. wh,et na!l built uu Chieu9i'
ltorn u Walton, n y lSo3 llu spent s youth
iess ths. d % ySsrs of + aSo M beclno snSmter of
thu New YORK Ucucrnt Assembly. IN lHl5 he re-
moved TO Chicago and elEaEcd aosIyely ~ real.
eteeted Moygr Of The ntn!,t CITY nr Eh!caso-Its
first Chiet Executive. lie VAS tho pioneer Of
railrond building IN tho Norlhws5t, and IL f9r
caao & Northwestern. ltaiiroAd. In carly lIfe ho
was y Deln9erat. and wns elected y tho Now
that tiuko,.. His nis,leccssfi.l eompet!tor %
tho latter oiIsce WIS, Joh'a Il. kinxiu, who WAS
supported ny the Hl1lHa. Mf+ URutD WhS not II
pArtlsan, and whgn the question " Htnfery be-.
yasns prp1n!nent through tho annexation of
TuxAs, ht beGntne M enr1iegt Iltsta-aIA-
very iuan., ilo ,loadol tho ,Freo.Soll
Electoral ticket In IttIn0is In lHi3
and from thnt time until 1H0 WAs MI aGttya
t,Di,SeF Of tho Free-Guil afid Republican, pMV-
ties. In 1880 he supported Abr,hhtn Lincoln fur
tho Presidency. and that ycar wss elected to TITO
htats Legislature Oh the Nepub,ieun ticket.
Dut bstwceti lsyl md isus be bcoumv Allonntea
from alr. 1LnGo1na p0llry Afd frum many III hfs
old political friends. Aftcr lVtsK aud success.
fMt business career In ChteAgo he removed TO
Nuw fnrk Htatc. whDrn hp WINS living when tho
news oF tho great tlru rencncl HIN. Two dnys
later 10 reAched this city, onty 10 lind thAt
uverythuR-pnbIlc and prlvltp buildings,
churches banks, hotels, md rrsstbnccs-hAa nii
gone up iii tEAmc.
HIS LOSSES IN THE CHICAGO
and Michigan i1res 1RErtEhttd full three millions
Of uullnrs, but he wis not l1isheurtencd, und
went to work Ut 0nce to rebuild tho iniits ulld
shops at lcshtlEo. Ills faith n Chicugp aud lt4
future never wgvured ald mover weakened, and
whether III good Hr Uvll rDpUrI tho KrtEwth Di tho
city WINS to n,M Gn assured fact. Practically tho
founder Of Chlti1gp, he VIII be remembered na
Its tirat sluyur thiRlaut tho centuries to eutnU,
aud no nanlv viii l9 ulare prominont IN the hts.
tory of this groat ultt iii future yenrs than that
Ut william b. Ogden.