History of Clark County Illinois United States of America

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James Harlan, statesman, was born in Clark county, Ill., Aug. 26, 1820; son of Silas and Mary (Conley) Harlan. The Conleys came from Maryland and the Harlans from Pennsylvania, both emigrating to Warren county, Ohio, and there Silas and Mary were married, removed to Clark county, Ill., and settled on a farm. In 1824 they removed to the forests of Indiana, where they cleared a farm and made a new home. In May, 1841, James received his freedom and a gift of $100 from his father. He entered Indiana Asbury university, Greencastle, Ind., and was graduated with the highest honors in 1845, receiving his A.M. degree in 1848. He paid his way through college by farm work and teaching a district school. He was married in 1845 to Ann Eliza Peck, and in 1846 they went to Iowa City, where he had received the appointment as principal of the Iowa City college. In 1847 he was elected on the Whig ticket as state superintendent of public schools, and in 1848 was admitted to the bar. He stumped the state for Gen. Zachary Taylor in 1848; and declined the nomination of his party for state senator in 1849, and for governor of the state in 1850. He was the first president of Iowa Wesleyan university and also filled the chair of mental and moral sciences, 1853-55. He was U.S. senator, 1855-65, and resigned his seat during the special session of the senate, May 13, 1865, to take his seat in the cabinet of President Johnson as secretary of the interior, having been nominated by President Lincoln in March, 1865. He was again elected to the senate in 1866 and resigned from the cabinet, March 4, 1867, to take his seat for a third senatorial term. He was a candidate for a fourth term, but was defeated by W. B. Allison. At the close of his term, March 3, 1873, he retired to his home at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He was presiding judge of the court of commissioners of Alabama claims, 1882-85. His fame as an orator and debater was second only to Webster and Sumner, and in the reply to the latter in the Santo Domingo question his speech attracted wide attention as an example of convincing oratory. He was for a time editor of the Washington Chronicle. He received the degree of LL.D. from Indiana Asbury (Depauw) university in 1858. Senator Harlan's mother died in 1896 in Park county, Ind., aged one hundred years and five months. He died in Mr. Pleasant, Iowa, Oct. 5, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Clark County Illinois

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