John L. Beveridge, Illinois' seventeenth governor, was born in Greenwich, New York, on July 6, 1824. After attending the Rock River Seminary in Mount Morris, Illinois, Beveridge moved south to Tennessee, where he taught school. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and established a legal career in Evanston, and Chicago, Illinois. During the Civil War, he served as a second major of the 8th Illinois Calvary, was commissioned colonel of the 17th Illinois Cavalry, and rose to the rank of brigadier general by the time he was honorably discharged. After his military service, Beveridge entered politics, serving as Cook County sheriff in1866. He also served as a member of the Illinois State Senate in 1871, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from November 7, 1871 to January 4, 1873, and was elected Illinois lieutenant governor in 1872. On January 23, 1873, Governor Richard Oglesby resigned from office, and Beveridge, who was lieutenant governor at the time, assumed the duties of the governorship. During his tenure, the state militia was advanced, government agencies were moved to the new capitol in Springfield, financial support was authorized for twelve charitable and reformatory institutions, and disbursement of the state deficit was initiated. After leaving office on January 8, 1877, Beveridge secured an appointment as U.S. assistant treasurer for Chicago, serving from 1881 to 1884. Governor John L. Beveridge died in Hollywood, California, on May 3, 1910, and was buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

John L Beveridge