Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and Historyresidence there. He became president of the Commercial bank of Cincinnati in 18 53 andcontinued as an officer until the time of his death. He came from a distinguished familyin Philadelphia, the family that took over the famous Port Folio magazine established byJoseph Dennie. His father was United States Marshal for the District of Pennsylvania,his mother was a daughter of the provost of the University of Pennsylvania and a writerof distinction, one brother was manager of the Port Folio and editor of the PhiladelphiaSun; another brother was editor of the Port Folio, and a third brother was a magazinewriter, contributing verse, and articles on scientific subjects, to various periodicals. Jamesstudied law in the east but gave it up to enter the army as a- volunteer. He was commissioneda second lieutenant of Artillery and saw service on the frontier. He was recognizedafter the battle of Lundy's Lane and the defense of Fort Erie as having rendered"brave and meritorious service." In 1815 he saw active duty in the flareup with Algeria,a service which took him to the Mediterranean. He was stationed at Newport, RhodeIsland, on his return. In 1818 he resigned from the army and gave up a commissionas first lieutenant of ordnance. He turned again to the study of law for a time and tookup residence in Pittsburgh. He then set out for the west, in 1820, and located in Shawneetown,Illinois. In Illinois he practiced journalism and law and took a turn at public office.He was public prosecutor for a circuit of ten counties for four years, judge of the circuitcourt for three years, state treasurer for four years. His first newspaper experience waswith the Illinois Gazette of Shawneetown, as the second paper established in Illinois wasknown in 1820.John B. CalhounJohn B. Calhoun, publisher of Chicago's first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat, wasengaged in journalism and printing from the age of sixteen to twenty-eight. He foundedthe Democrat in 183 3 and retained control of it for three years. In 1836 it passed to"Long John" Wentworth, a significant figure in the early days of the city. UnderCalhoun the Democrat was a commendable enterprise though it had to suspend publicationseveral times when paper and supplies failed to arrive. Its typographical appearance wasabove the average at the time though it was operating with very limited resources and agood showing was next to impossible. The Chicago that Calhoun and the infant Democratknew was a strange one. It was a newly incorporated village consisting of but 78 buildingsand 300 persons and had hardly been heard of in the Illinois "cities" of the day,Kaskaskia, Vandalia, Shawneetown, and Edwardsville. But it was a village of amazingenergy and in the expenditure and direction of that energy the Democrat and its twentyfive-year-oldeditor had a significant part. Calhoun gave up work in journalism whenhe sold the Democrat, no doubt influenced by failing health and the difficulty of gettingpaper and equipment, and the necessity of letting months elapse without publishing anissue. He turned to public service and business pursuits and finally, in 1851, took a positionwith the Illinois Central Railroad as a branch treasurer. His superior officers in therailroad company and his associates elsewhere pronounced him a competent, faithful,reliable, scrupulously honest man. He died in IS 59. Calhoun came to Illinois fromNew York. He was born in 1808 at Watertown in that state. His parents were Americansof English extraction. He received little schooling and entered on an apprenticeshipat the age of sixteen in a Watertown printing office. In 1829 Calhoun went to Albany,tried newspaper work for a short time and then took employment with a typefounder'scompany.He left after a brief experience and went to Troy, New York, where he workedHe then spent a few weeks at Oswego, New York,The wanderlust at last subsiding, he brought his travels to an end andfor three months on a city directory.at a printing office.returned to Watertown. There he opened a printing office of his own, later mergingwith his former employer in that city. One result of the merger was publication of a664