Joel Aldrich Matteson | |
|---|---|
 Matteson's Portrait in the Illinois State Capitol's Hall of Governors | |
| 10th Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 10, 1853 – January 12, 1857 | |
| Lieutenant | Gustav Koerner |
| Preceded by | Augustus C. French |
| Succeeded by | William Henry Bissell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 8, 1808 Watertown, New York, US |
| Died | January 31, 1873 (aged 64) Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Fish |
| Relatives | Roswell Eaton Goodell (son-in-law)[1] Jennie Goodell Blow (granddaughter)[1] Mary Goodell Grant (granddaughter)[1] |
| Profession | Politician |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Joel Aldrich Matteson (August 8, 1808 – January 31, 1873) was the tenth Governor of Illinois, serving from 1853 to 1857.[2]
In 1855, he became the first governor to reside in the Illinois Executive Mansion. In January 1855, during the joint legislative session of the Illinois House and Senate convened to choose a US senator, he became a surprise candidate. On the 9th ballot, he received 47 votes, 3 short of the 50 needed to win. Abraham Lincoln, who was also a contestant, then asked his supporters to vote for Lyman Trumbull, who won on the 10th ballot.[3][4]
After his term as governor ended he was for many years the president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad.[5]
The last years of his life were marred by charges of corruption in the Canal Scrip Fraud case. The village of Matteson, Illinois is named in his honor.[6] Matteson was buried in Joliet, Illinois.
- ^ a b c Cannon, Helen (Winter 1964). "First Ladies of Colorado Mary Goodell Grant" (PDF). Colorado Magazine. 4 (1). Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ Mardos Rietsch, Pam (2006). "Chapter Twenty-Two of the History of Southern Illinois" [P. 246 Governor Joel A. Matteson]. Mardos Memorial Library. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the Nineteenth Assembly of the State of Illinois. Springfield: Lamphier & Walker. 1855.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of the Nineteenth Assembly of the State of Illinois. Springfield: Lamphier & Walker. 1855.
- ^ "Illinois governors in trouble, A history of corruption at the top" by Erika Holst, Illinois Times, Thursday, February 26, 2015.
- ^ Illinois Central Magazine. Illinois Central Railroad Company. 1922. p. 45.