John Comiskey (politician) explained

John Comiskey
Signature:Signature of John Comiskey (1826–1900).png
Office:Clerk of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
Term Start:1875
Term End:1878
Office1:Chicago Alderman[1]
Term Start1:1869
Term End1:1870
Constituency1:9th Ward
Term Start2:1867
Term End2:1869
Constituency2:8th Ward
Term Start3:1863
Term End3:1865
Constituency3:7th Ward
Term Start4:1859
Term End4:1863
Constituency4:10th Ward
Residence:Chicago, Illinois
Birth Place:Crosserlough, Ireland
Death Place:Chicago, Illinois
Resting Place:Calvary Cemetery

John Comiskey (1826 – January 8, 1900) was an Irish-American Democratic Party politician in Chicago, Illinois. He was the father of Charles Comiskey.

Life

John Comiskey was born in Crosserlough, County Cavan, Ireland, in 1826, and in 1848 he came to New Haven, Connecticut, United States.[2] There he interested himself in the lumber business. In 1853 he came to Chicago, Illinois, and took charge of the incoming freight on the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad until 1863 when he engaged his services to Shufeldt & Croskey, the prominent distillers. He then became connected with the Fort Wayne, Indiana, cattle yards as superintendent of shipments. His first political experience, may be said was in the Internal Revenue Service under Gen Wallace, acting under the administration of Andrew Johnson. On the election of Ulysses Grant, Comiskey being a Democrat was removed. In 1870, he was employed as a bookkeeper by Henry Greenebaum, the successful banker of that period. In 1875, he was appointed Clerk of the Board of Cook County Commissioners. In 1878, on the expiration of his term of office, he entered the book trade. He then entered the service of the city and was a bookkeeper in the city treasurer's office. Comiskey served eleven years in the Chicago City Council. He was first elected in the spring of 1859 to represent the tenth ward. At that time, there were only ten wards in the city. A subdivision of the wards complicated aldermanic politics forthwith. In 1861, he was elected to represent the seventh ward, also in 1863 and 64 in 66 to represent the eighth ward, and in 68 to represent the ninth ward. In the last year of his term in the council, he was elected as president the first time the office was created. For a quarter of a century, Comiskey figured prominently before the public. His voice was always being heard on the side of reform. His independence of character was well known. Among the most notable of his recent achievements was his introduction of the John F. Finerty to the people of the second district which, although overwhelmingly Democratic, elected Finerty to congress independently.[2]

He died at his home in Chicago on January 8, 1900, and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston.[3]

References

Attribution

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. . December 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm . September 4, 2018 . dead .
  2. Book: Ahern, M. L. . Political History of Chicago (covering the Period from 1837 to 1887) . 1886 . Donohue & Henneberry . 145 . 2021-11-18 . Google Books.
  3. News: John Comiskey Passes Away . . 4 . 1900-01-09 . 2021-11-18 . Newspapers.com.