Rollin S. Williamson
Rollin Samuel Williamson | |
---|---|
Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County | |
In office 1887 – August 11, 1889 | |
Judge of the Superior Court of Cook County | |
In office 1880–1886 | |
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 7th district | |
In office 1872 –1874 | |
Succeeded by | Michael Waller Robinson |
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 97th district | |
In office 1870 –1872 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Cornwall, Vermont | May 23, 1839
Died | August 11, 1889 Palatine, Illinois | (aged 50)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Emma V. Squires (m. 1859) |
Residence | Palatine, Illinois |
Profession | Attorney |
Signature | |
Rollin Samuel Williamson (May 23, 1839 – August 11, 1889) was an American politician, jurist, and telegraph operator from Vermont. After learning the telegraph trade in Boston, Massachusetts, Williamson moved to Illinois in 1857. He was appointed operator and station agent in Palatine, Illinois, and studied law in his free time. He served a term in the Illinois House of Representatives then a term in the Illinois Senate. He then began to work up the ranks of the Illinois jurist system before his death.
Biography
[edit]Williamson was born in Cornwall, Vermont, on May 23, 1839. He lived in the town until he was fourteen, attending public schools. Williamson moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work as a telegraph messenger boy. Two years later, he was promoted to operator and was assigned to offices through New England and New York. In 1857, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to work in telegraph office there. The manager sent him to Palatine, Illinois, as a station agent and operator. During his down time on the job, he read law text books. Williamson occasionally helped locals with law issues. He was admitted to the bar in 1870.[1]
Williamson's political connections urged him to run for public office. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a Republican in 1870, serving one two-year term. He then served a term in the Illinois Senate, serving two years. In 1880, he was elected judge of the Superior Court of Cook County, where he served a six-year term. In June 1887, he was elected to a four-year term to the Circuit Court of Cook County. He died before the term was complete.[1]
Williamson was a Methodist Episcopal and was the superintendent of the Sunday school at his church. He was active in Freemasonry and was Master of the Palatine lodge. He married Emma V. Squires on September 4, 1859. They had one daughter.[2] In June 1889, Williamson had a mental breakdown; he had been subject to mood disorders for several years prior. Four weeks later, he had to be confined to his bed. Williamson died at his house in Palatine on August 11, 1889, and was buried there in Hillside Cemetery.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Moses, John; Kirkland, Joseph (1895). History of Chicago, Illinois. Vol. II. Chicago, IL: Munsell & Co. pp. 706–708. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Mrs. Emma Wood Dies: Prominent Palatine Woman Succumbs to Last Illness in Her 81st Year". Cook County Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. April 15, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1839 births
- 1889 deaths
- People from Cornwall, Vermont
- Republican Party Illinois state senators
- Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
- People from Palatine, Illinois
- 19th-century American legislators
- Judges of the Superior Court of Cook County
- Judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County (pre-1964 reorganization)
- 19th-century Illinois politicians