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Show I Eighty YeaTAgoChicago's Wigwam 1 Was the Scene of an Historic Event: Ijjncoln's Nomination for Presidency! i By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Keleased by Western Newspaper Union.) "A fR- CHAIRMAN, I j wish to announce 1 V 1 that the Ohio delegation dele-gation transfers four votes from Mr. Chase to Abraham Lincoln." Eighty years ago these few words touched off a thunderous thunder-ous round of applause and sent word speeding across the nation that Abraham Lincoln Lin-coln was the Republican choice to run for President of the United States. The scene was the Republican Republi-can Wigwam in Chicago, where delegates had gathered gath-ered from 24 states to choose their candidates for President Presi-dent and vice president. Now, 80 years later, on May 18, Republicans of Chicago are holding a commemorative ceremony in the building which stands on the site of the Wigwam, to mark this momentous occasion four decades ago. The Chicago of 80 years ago was a metropolis of 109,260 persons, per-sons, according to the census taken tak-en in June of 1860. The city was outranked by seven others in size New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans and Cincinnati. It was very much of a frontier town and its reputation was such that one of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination, William Henry Seward of New York, came to the city with a "bodyguard "body-guard of plug-uglies," to defend himself from the uncouth natives. Seward and his delegation arrived ar-rived with extreme confidence. "They could hardly believe that a man from Illinois would stand much chance of being nominated for the presidency, despite the record of honesty, integrity and sincerity which Abraham Lincoln had built. But he was a "backwoodsman" "back-woodsman" and uncouth, so the Seward crowd was not much worried. wor-ried. Following two days of convention conven-tion routine, the delegates got down to the job of selecting candidates. can-didates. The Seward men were out parading and whooping it up on the streets for their candidate. When they reached the Wigwam they found the place jammed with friends of Lincoln and barely managed to get in. Seward's Men Confident. There was little abatement of the Seward confidence when the roll was called for the first ballot. bal-lot. The vote showed that out of the 466 votes cast, Seward had 173, Lincoln 102, and the rest were scattered among a dozen favorite sons. It took 234 votes to nominate, and the Seward supporters sup-porters were confident that after the routine of voting for favorite sons was out of the way, the swing would be to their man. The second ballot was taken and the count showed a shift to Lincoln rather than to the Easterner. East-erner. Seward had 184y2 and Lincoln Lin-coln 181. The Lincoln delegates worked strenuously before the third ballot, and the Chicago Press and Tribune of that date reports that intense excitement prevailed. I The tally started and when the twenty-fourth state had voted, the count showed Seward 180, Lincoln Lin-coln 23V2. Ohio had been dividing divid-ing its vote between Chase, McLean Mc-Lean and Abraham Lincoln. A few minutes after the vote on the third ballot was announced, the leader of the Ohio delegation, a . Mr. Carter, arose to announce the switch of four votes from Chase to Lincoln. Ohio had cast 29 votes for Lincoln, 15 for Chase and 2 for McLean on the third ballot. This gave Lincoln the required majority and touched off a tremendous tre-mendous salvo of applause. State after state fell in line and finally the leader of the New York delegation, dele-gation, which had been solidly behind be-hind Seward, moved to make the vote unanimous. Lincoln followers had placed a cannon on top of the Wigwam and let go a blast which shook the structure and notified all of Chicago Chi-cago that Illinois was furnishing the Republican nominee. The newspaper accounts of the day report a celebration running far into the night. Hannibal Hamlin of Paris, Maine, was Lincoln's running mate, as the vice presidential candidate. Lincoln had been building his national following for some time. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates de-bates of 1859 had of course attracted at-tracted widespread attention, and in early 1860 he had been speaking speak-ing in many states on the question ques-tion of slavery. The Chicago Press and Tribune on February 16, 1860, declared that Abraham Lincoln was the r - m y ' ! fy If? r i Hi 3 nr I- ' t'lllf!! ! REPmiCAN WICYAM peer of anyone, named in connection connec-tion with the nominations. A week later the paper-suggested organization of Lincoln clubs to build his candidacy. Editorially in the period from early February until April comment com-ment was made from time to time that Seward admittedly was the leading candidate, but the Press and Tribune urged that Lincoln was the better vote-getter. vote-getter. When the Illinois Republican convention was held on May 9 in Decatur, Lincoln was chosen as this body's choice for President. The Democrats Split. Great attention centered on the Democratic convention, held in Charleston, S. C, beginning April 30. Douglas was the most prominently promi-nently named candidate as the Democratic nominee, but bitter opposition to his selection was heard on all sides. The Democratic Demo-cratic convention battled through three days and finally split into two sections. No candidate could be named. The rump section adjourned ad-journed to meet in New York on June 18. The Press and Tribune repeatedly repeat-edly cited election trends in many states and cities in the spring of 1860 as a trend toward Republicanism. Republi-canism. In Chicago, the city elec- ;- -is.-,; v, ,cC..Av "f. ! ? U- TI&V I V - If I li Tablet on Goodrich building in Chicago which stands on the site of the wigwam. tions had given the Republican candidate a clear victory over his Democratic opponent. The meeting of 1860 was the first of 16 political conventions held in Chicago to date. The Republicans Re-publicans have come to Chicago 11 times and the Democrats five times, to select their candidates for President and vice president and to approve platforms. The Democrats return again this year, meeting' in July at the Chicago Stadium. Located 15 blocks west and 3 blocks south of the Wigwam site, the Stadium is a sharp contrast to the structure set up 80 years ago to hold the Republican meeting. Largest Convention Hall. In its day, however, the Wigwam Wig-wam was a cause for national comment. It was the largest convention con-vention hall in America at that time and was a testimony to Chicago's Chi-cago's energy and ambition to show the nation that the city was something more than just another anoth-er frontier town located out the other side of nowhere. When it was decided that the Republicans would come to Chicago Chi-cago to hold their convention, citizens cit-izens immediately started work raising funds with which to build the convention hall. On March 13, during the fund-raising campaign, cam-paign, the Chicago Press and Tribune suggested that Republicans Republi-cans who won money in the recent re-cent city elections contribute their winnings to the building fund, "thus using pro-slave dollars dol-lars for the purpose." The site chosen already had a historic background. Located at the fork of the Chicago river which in those days flowed into Lake Michigan instead of out of it, in earlier times the place was known as Wolf Point. Here had stood the Sauganash inn, the first hotel in Chicago and T one of the first two frame build- ings ever erected in the city f There is a dispute in the records 1 on this latter point. Some claim the Sauganash inn was the first f frame building, but others insist it was the second. In any event, the Sauganash t inn was famous far and wide. It had been built by Mark Beau- bien when he came from Detroit I in 1826. Beaubien is a name which occurs repeatedly in early t Chicago history and still is fre- quently seen in the news columns I of Chicago papers. t Chicago's First Election. J Here on August 10, 1833, came the entire list of qualified voters " (all "24 of them) to select the i town trustees for the City of Chi- chi cago, the first election held in the Mc city's history. Here likewise was Mr the first drama in the West pro- e duced, in late October of 1837. I Beaubien sold the building in ),a 1834. It burned to the ground on & March 3, 1851. It had been aban- fe doned as a hostelry in the late w" forties, apparently, and was oc- 1 cupied by only one man at the Thl time of the fire. The property in Cit. 1851 was owned by the Garrett Mil estate, which later founded the Wli Garrett Bible institute and pro- Mil vided the foundation for estab- lishment in later years of North- (Tl western university. Anj The townspeople who were Mr: working on the Republican con- 1 vention obtained the site from the Garrett estate and started con- sne struction of the great Wigwam in April, 1860. The structure was Gra 100 by 180 feet, with its main en- 5lr trance on the street known now J as Wacker drive. ai A gallery was built on three " ! sides, a stage constructed across ' one end. The stage would seat p between 600 and 700 persons and lor the hall itself was constructed to seat between 10,000 and 11,000 persons. The Wigwam was lighted by ' 1 gas. Its interior was left in a a rough, unfinished state, to be dec- en orated "by the light, graceful and m entirely successful handiwork of : Republican ladies," to quote the 11 1 Press-Tribune of the day. The ladies la-dies banked the walls with fresh- U ly cut evergreens. Seals of the states were hung around the IV walls, and busts of prominent N men of early American history were placed on the supporting pil- .,t lars. Over the stage was sus- pended a huge gilt eagle. The structure cost between J $6,000 and $7,000. There was a deficit to clear, so on the night of the dedication, Saturday, May j 12, an admission charge of 2 , cents was assessed. Between j 7,000 and 8,000 persons came to j the dedication, which seems to j have taken care of the deficit j since no further comment is j found on the subject. The Wigwam building was used j for various meetings during the ( next few years, and was de- j stroyed in the great fire of 18a. t Interesting Coincidence. ( An interesting, coincidence is H. noted in connection with the , ( building now standing on the i cor- ( ner where the Wigwam was buili. ( The building today is occupied by district headquarters of three divisions di-visions of the B. F. Goodncn , company, which this year j marking its seventieth anniversa-ry. anniversa-ry. In the celebration on the Wig- warn site, both the Republican , and Goodrich representatives are j re-enacting history-making evenu in which both played signifies"1 i roles. Heading the delegation , from Minnesota to the Repuu , can convention of I860 was Jufl Aaron Goodrich, described as in i first territorial officer ever to se ( foot on the soil of Minnesota. ( The national committeeman from Massachusetts at the san , convention was John Z. Goodncn- Aaron Goodrich, John Z. w rich and Dr. B. F. Goodrich e distant cousins, all descendants of Williao Goodrich who came ' i America about 1648. Ano',e. , cousin, Grant Goodrich, an aK , ney, was prominent in t-nc.i. early history, active in munic ( pal affairs and it is said ne , one time offered Abraham U , coin a partnership in his Chicak I law firm. |
