The People of “1871”

JOSEPH MEDILL was one of the most powerful newspapermen of his time. He was born in Canada in 1823, but he moved to Ohio as a child. His first newspaper was a small-town outfit, the Coshocton Republican. He then expanded his reach into Cleveland, and in 1854, he took over the then-fledgling Chicago Tribune. Medill was one of the first members of the Republican Party, but he only ran for office once. Immediately after the Chicago Fire, he was elected mayor of Chicago. Medill served for two years but found it exhausting. He ended up resigning before his term was complete, after which he went back to journalism. Medill died in 1899. Two of his grandsons, Robert McCormick and Joseph Medill Patterson, became crusading publishers in their own right. They also founded Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and they kept the Tribune in the family for generations.

LILLIAN ANDRIST was born into humble beginnings in Biddeford, Maine. Her mother was a seamstress, and her father was a foreman. Her mother died in 1860, but her father built his own textile company and became wealthy in his own right. Unfortunately, the family’s wealth disappeared overnight in the Chicago Fire. Lillian spent the next few years moving from place to place. She married a Boston merchant, Owen Pickens, but the marriage was not a happy one; they soon parted but never divorced. Lillian became active in the temperance movement, and she allied herself with labor leaders like Eugene Debs. She also developed a love for Shakespeare, and she worked to bring the arts to the poor. Her results were mixed, but she developed a reputation as a tireless crusader. She spent the last few years of her life in New York, where she died in 1913.

PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN was a prominent Union general, who spent his whole adult life in the Army. Some of his Civil War tactics were infamous, but his troops were instrumental in getting the South to surrender. After the war, Sheridan spent most of his time out West. He was quoted as saying that “the only good Indian is a dead Indian,” although he denied ever having said this. Regardless, he did wage war against any number of tribes. He developed a special love for Yellowstone National Park, and he personally lobbied Congress to keep it pristine. By the time he died in 1888, Sheridan was considered a national hero. His name ended up on countless streets, cities, and other place names across the United States.

MARY TODD LINCOLN came from a wealthy family in Lexington, Kentucky. Her father was a banker, many of her relatives were politicians, and slaves took care of her household. In 1839, she moved to Springfield, Illinois, where she met Abraham Lincoln. He was nearly her polar opposite, yet the two got engaged in 1840. They got cold feet just before the planned wedding; then, a year and a half later, they changed their minds and went through with the marriage. Mary was smart and high-spirited, but her life was often marked by tragedy. In 1875, while on a trip to Florida, Mary became convinced that her son Robert was dying. She rushed home to Chicago and was shocked to find Robert perfectly healthy. Robert ended up committing her to an asylum. Mary was released after three months, but she held a grudge against Robert for the rest of her life. She died in 1882.