Bill Campbell

My Aunt Mesa'a Grandfather

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Chicago Mayor Hempstead Washburne

Hempstead Washburne (born: November 11, 1852; died: April 13, 1919; buried in Graceland Cemetery) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1891-1893) for the Republican Party.



Under the previous democratic administrations, Chicago had returned to its "City of Sin" image with gambling and prostitution flourishing. Although several scandals had split the Democratic party in the election of 1890, Washburne won by only 369 votes of 160,500 cast.



Hempstead Washburne gave the city one of the best administrations in its history. He reformed the police department and the fire department. And during his term, juries returned indictments against some of the most notorious gamblers in the city. Washburne also made certain that utilities paid their taxes and that they obeyed their franchise regulations. He decided, however, not to seek re-election because he felt a city operated best if a mayor served only one term. The constant turn-over of mayors would guard against the building of a political machine.















































edited from the Roosevelt University website and others