The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-04-09
ODD DISTINCTION FOR YATES
First Native-Born Illinoisan to Occu-
py Governors Chair

Although Illinois has been state for
| eighty-five years, Governor Yates is the
| first native-born citizen of the common
wealth to occupy the gubernatorial
chair.
| The first governor, Shadroch Bond,
was a native of Maryland, and came
to Illinois territory in 1894 The second
| Edward Coles, Virginian by birth,
came in 1919, while the third, Ninian
Edwards was also a native of Mary
land and came to Illinois as govern
of the territory in 1909 He was ap-
pointed from Kentucky, however, to
which state he had removed from
Maryland when young man.
| John Reynolds, the fourth governor,
was born in Pennsylvania of Irish par
entage and came to Illinois in 1900.
| Joseph Duncan, the fifth governor,
| was born in Kentucky Of Virginia stock
and came to Illinois in 1918, and TEos.
Carlin, the sixth governor, was Ken
| tuckian by birth, but of Irish parent
age, and General William L. ID. Ewing,
who was governor for fifteen days, was
also Kentuckian.
| Thomas Ford, the eighth governor,
was born in Pennsylvania, and came
| to Illinois in 1905, and his successor,
Augustus G.. French, was native of
New Hampshire, the first Yankee gov
ernor of Illinois.
Governor Matteson, elected in 1852,
was born in New York state and came
to Illinois about 1880, and his success
or, Governor Bissell, was a native Of
the same state, having located in Illi-
nois about the same time as his pred
ecessor, Governor John Wood, who, as
Lieutenant Governor, succeeded Bissell
was another New Yorker, who came to
Illinois in 1919.
Richard Yates, the elder, was born
in Kentucky of Virginia stock, and
came to Illinois in 1881, and his sue
cessor, Richard Oglesby, who came to
Illinois five years later, was also
Kentuckian.
John M. Palmer was another Ken
tuckian who came to Illinois in the
same year that Yates did.
John L. Beveridge, lieutenant gov
ernor, who succeeded Oglesby as gov
ernor in 1873, when the latter was
another New Yorker of Scotch descent.
He came to Illinois in 1912.
Shelby M. Cullom is a Kentuckian by
his parents when child. His success
or, John M Hamilton, was born in Ohio
and came to Illinois when a child.
Joseph w. Fifer, was born in Viz
ginia, is of German descent. and came
to Illinois in 1910.
John P Altgeld, the only foreign
born governor, was German, but was
brought to America by his parents
when an infant. He was reared in
Ohio, but had lived in Illinois about
twenty years when elected governor.
John r. Tanner was born in Indiana
but lived in Illinois from his boyhood.
Richard Yates, second of the name to
occupy the executive chair, was born in
Jacksonville, where he resided all his
life
1t will be noted that Of 81 per-
sons who have filled the governors
chair seven were born in Kentucky.
two in Virginia, two in Maryland four
in New York, two in Pennsylvania,
and one each in Ohio, Indiana, New
Hampshire, Illinois, and Germany. The
greater number were of prerevolution-
airy stock, and of English or Scotch
descent. Reynolds and Carlin were,
however, born of Irish parents, and
Fifer is of German descent.
1t was natural that the early gov
ernors should have been of Southern
birth, for the immigration in the settle
ment of the state was largely from the
southern states, but it is rather re-
markable that four of the late gov
ernors, the elder Yates, Oglesby, Pal
mer, and Cullom we're born in Ken
ky.-Inter-Ocean.