Cook County IL Archives Biographies.....Bradwell, James B 1828 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000719 August 9, 2008, 9:48 am

Author: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary

BRADWELL, James B., was born at Loughborough, Eng., April 16, 1828. His 
parents immigrated to America in 1829, locating at Utica, N.Y., and in May, 
1834, removed to Cook county, Ill. His education was obtained in an academy at 
Chicago, and at Knox college, Galesburg, Ill. His limited means did not enable 
him to pursue a full course, and for a number of years he worked as a mechanic 
in Chicago. He invented a process for half-tone engraving, and made the first 
half-tone cut ever produced in Chicago, that of Chief Justice Fuller of the 
supreme court. While supporting himself as a mechanic, he studied law, and was 
admitted to the Illinois bar. In 1861 he was elected judge of Cook county for 
the term of four years, and was re-elected in 1865. In 1873 he was elected to 
the legislature of Illinois and was returned in 1875. He held numerous offices 
of charitable and other institutions, and presided over the convention that 
organized the American woman suffrage association at Cleveland. He also served 
as president of the Chicago press club; of the Chicago bar association; of the 
Illinois state bar association; of the Chicago photographic society; of the 
Chicago soldiers home, and chairman of the arms and trophy department of the 
N. W. sanitary commission and soldiers home fair of 1865. He was one of the 
founders of the Union league club of Chicago, and president of its board of 
directors. He was the first judge to hold that the civil rights of slaves, 
being suspended during slavery, revived upon emancipation. His wife, Myra 
(Colby), was founder and editor of the Chicago Legal News; his son, Thomas 
Bradwell, his daughter, Bessie Bradwell Helmer, his son-in-law, Frank A. 
Helmer, and his nephew, James A. Peterson, all being members of the Illinois 
bar. After the death of his wife, which occurred in 1894, Judge Bradwell and 
his daughter, Mrs. Frank A. Helmer, assumed the editorship of the Chicago 
Legal News.

Additional Comments:
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans.
Vol. I-X. Rossiter Johnson, editor. Boston MA: The Biographical Society. 1904.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/cook/bios/bradwell1451gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/

File size: 2.7 Kb