Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Sackett, William L 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 7:58 pm

Author: History of Grundy County, 1914

Sackett, William L., of Morris, was born at Holyoke, Mass., in 1866.  When 
three years old, his parents took up their residence at Springfield, Mass. He 
lived there until eight years old. As the result of death and sickness, the 
family was scattered. Mr. Sackett came west to live with an elder brother who 
was a resident of Amboy, Ill.  Through the winter months Mr. Sackett, in 
common with all boys of the farm, attended school, doing in summer farm work 
or anything that would bring a livelihood. Later he went to Hartford, Conn., 
living with a sister, and had the advantage of grade schools and two terms in 
the High school of that city. Family circumstances prevented his taking the 
full course of the school and graduating. He secured a place in a small 
printing office where he earned enough to provide board and clothes. In 1881 
he had a long and nearly fatal illness. Following partial recovery he went to 
Dakota, spending a year or more on a ranch and recovered his health.

In 1883 Mr. Sackett did his first newspaper work as a reporter upon the 
Illinois State Journal at Springfield. He advanced through the various 
departments to the desk of night editor of that paper, and continued until a 
reorganization and sale brought changes. While devoting time to newspaper work 
Mr. Sackett became one of the most proficient stenographic writers in the 
State. He became confidential secretary for John R. Tanner, who was then state 
treasurer, but later became governor. Mr. Sackett later became the private 
secretary of Chief Justice Simeon P. Shope, of the Illinois State Supreme 
Court, and served in like capacity for seven years for Attorney-General George 
Hunt. While thus engaged he was honored by Governor Richard J. Oglesby who 
selected Mr. Sackett as his confidential assistant in the disposition of the 
trying appeals for clemency made in behalf of the condemned Chicago anarchists 
in 1887, and was highly complimented by Governor Oglesby in an autograph 
letter upon his success in outwitting the hundreds of newspaper correspondents 
and getting news of the denial of the plea for pardon to the officials in 
Chicago ten hours before it became known in Springfield, that proper 
protection might be made to frustrate any plans for assailing the county jail 
and rescuing the anarchists.  Mr. Sackett later aided Attorney-General Hunt in 
the preparation and hearing of this case on its appeal to the United States 
supreme court at Washington.

In 1891 Mr. Sackett came to Morris and purchased the newspaper plant of The 
Morris Herald. He has applied the methods of his metropolitan newspaper 
training to the paper; its growth has been steady and it is admitted on every 
hand to be a newspaper that reflects great credit upon the city of its 
publication. Taking an active interest in political affairs. Mr. Sackett has 
always been identified with the Republican party in Illinois. In 1896, in the 
McKinley campaign he was named by acclamation as the presidential elector for 
the Eighth Illinois Congressional District, which always had a Republican 
majority of 20,000. He cast the vote of the Twelfth District for Roosevelt 
when elected after McKinley's death. He has been the secretary and treasurer 
of the Grundy County Republican Central Committee for years, and for the last 
ten years its chairman, resigning the position in September, 1914.  In 1897 he 
was appointed as secretary of the Canal Commissioners of the State, by 
Governor John R. Tanner. Later Governor Richard Yates appointed him a member 
of the commission. He served continuously in this work until September, 1913, 
when Governor Dunne named a Democrat to succeed him. Mr. Sackett is considered 
one of the authorities of the State on the waterway development problem now 
being discussed in behalf of commercial waterway transportation.

In 1887, while in Springfield, Mr. Sackett was married to Miss Ida Irene 
Brown.  As a result of this marriage two children have been born, namely: 
Loren B., now engaged in the publication of The Herald with his father, and 
Edwin, a student in the high school. Mr. Sackett is distinctively American, 
and so are his ancestors for generations. His father, Loren Sackett, is a 
direct descendant of the Sackvilles, the English branch of the family, which 
has been prominent in the history of that nation. His mother, Sarah (Downey) 
Sackett is a lineal descendant of a prominent Irish family. Representatives of 
both the paternal and maternal ancestry played a prominent part in the early 
history of America. They were members of the Pilgrim band and lovers of 
religious liberty and independence. The ancestors are found among the few that 
embarked on the Mayflower when it made its famous voyage to the New World to 
carry the little band of settlers who were to lay the foundation for the 
development of New England. Mr. Sackett is a great-grandson of Lieutenant 
Adnah Sackett, who was a volunteer soldier in the Revolutionary War. The name 
of Sackett figures prominently in the records of the Revolutionary War. 
Several of the family were engaged with Washington in his campaigns, two being 
upon the immediate staff of the Father of His Country. In the Civil War, one 
brother of Mr. Sackett, Captain William H. Sackett, of the Eleventh 
Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, met his death; while another brother, Joseph 
T. Sackett, had especial mention for heroic conduct on the field of battle at 
Ringgold Gap with Company C of the Thirteenth Illinois Infantry.

pages 895-896

Additional Comments:
Source:  History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. 
Publishers; 1914

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