John Reynolds ( U . S . politician ) John Reynolds ( February 26 , 1788May 8 , 1865 ) was a United States politician from the state of Illinois . He was one of the original four justices of the Illinois Supreme Court , 1818 – 1825 , a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1826 – 1830 , 1846 – 1848 , and 1852 – 1854 ( when he was Speaker of the House ) , and the 4th Illinois Governor from 1830 – 1834 . He also represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives , 1834 – 1837 and 1839 – 1843 . Reynolds was born in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania . His father , Robert Reynolds and his mother , née Margaret Moore , were both natives of Ireland , from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785 , arriving first at Philadelphia . When Reynolds was about six months old , his parents emigrated with him to Tennessee , where many of their relatives had already located , at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain , about northeast of the present city of Knoxville . After experiencing harassment from Native Americans fighting encroachment by white settlers upon their territory , the Reynolds moved into the interior of the state . They were poor , and brought up their children to habits of manual industry . In 1800 the family moved to Kaskaskia , Illinois , where Reynolds spent most of his childhood . As part of his upbringing , he adopted the principle and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors . In 1807 the family made another move , this time to the Goshen Settlement , at the foot of the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River southwest of Edwardsville . At the age of twenty , Reynolds attended college for two years near Knoxville , Tennessee , where he had relatives , taking courses in classical studies . He then studied law in Knoxville , but health problems forced him to return home to Illinois . In the fall of 1812 he was admitted to the bar at Kaskaskia . About this time he also learned the French language , which he regarded as being superior to all others for social intercourse . With the ranks of private and orderly sergeant , Reynolds served as a scout in campaigns against the western Native Americans during the War of 1812 . For this service , Reynolds became known as the " Old Ranger . " In 1814 , Reynolds opened a law office in the old French village of Cahokia , then the county seat of St . Clair County . In the fall of 1818 he was elected an associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court by the Illinois General Assembly . In 1818 , he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate . In 1826 , he was elected a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the first time , serving until 1830 . Although aligning himself with the Jacksonian Democrats , his moderation earned him respect from both pro - Jackson and anti - Jackson factions . In August 1830 , Reynolds was elected governor of Illinois and took office on December 6 . The most significant event of his administration was the Black Hawk War in 1832 . He called out the militia , and was field commander , often appearing in person on the battle - grounds . He was recognized by U . S . President Andrew Jackson as Major - General , and was authorized to make treaties with the Indians . On November 17 , 1834 , Reynolds resigned as governor , having been elected to the United States House of Representatives for the Twenty - third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Slade . He was reelected to the Twenty - fourth Congress , serving from December 1 , 1834 to March 3 , 1837 . He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty - fifth Congress . He was subsequently elected to the Twenty - sixth and Twenty - seventh Congresses , serving from March 4 , 1839 to March 3 , 1843 . In 1837 , while out of Congress and in company with a few others , he built the first railroad in the Mississippi Valley , about six miles ( 10 km ) long , leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to the bank of the river opposite St . Louis . Not having the funds to purchase a locomotive , the railroad was operated by horse - power . The next spring , however , the company sold out at great loss . In 1839 Reynolds was appointed one of the Canal Commissioners and traveled to Philadelphia to raise funds for that purpose . During that year , he also made a tour of Europe with his wife and introduced the noted Mormon Prophet , Joseph Smith to President Martin Van Buren . Reynolds was elected in 1846 for one term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from St . Clair County . He was again elected in 1852 , serving as Speaker of the House . In 1860 , aged and infirm , he attended the Democratic National Convention in Charleston , South Carolina , as an anti - Douglas Delegate , instead supporting John C . Breckinridge in the U . S . presidential election . He was married twice , but had no children . He died in Belleville in May 1865 , just after the close of the Civil War , and is interred at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville .