Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Snapp, Hon Henry ************************************************ 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 ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 11:42 am Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County HON. HENRY SNAPP. Through his honorable record as state senator and member of congress, Mr. Snapp's name and life are worthy of perpetuation in the annals of this county. He was born in Livingston County, N. Y., June 30, 1822, a son of Abram Snapp, who was a native of Pennsylvania (born in 1795) and descended from a Strassburg (Germany) family that settled in America about 1740. From Pennsylvania Abram Snapp removed to New York, where he worked as a farmer and cabinet-maker. In 1825 he settled in the western part of New York, and was deputy sheriff in Rochester. In 1833, accompanied by his wife and four children, he started west, traveling via lake to Detroit, thence by team to Illinois, and establishing his home in what was known as "Yankee Settlement" (now Homer Township, Will County). It was then in Cook County, Will County not being organized until 1836. He entered a large tract of land and engaged extensively in farming, continuing until 1863, when he retired to Joliet. An accident that resulted in blood poisoning caused his death in 1865. He had served as an officer in the Baptist Church, in the work of which he was long a leader. His wife was Sarah Weed, member of an old eastern family and a cousin of Thurlow Weed. Of their three daughters and two sons, only two daughters are living, Mrs. Johnson, of Kankakee, and Mrs. Mather, of Joliet. From the age of eleven years the life of Henry Snapp was identified with the growth of Will County. From his father he inherited a strong will and uncompromising integrity, together with intellectual traits of no common order. Upon attaining his majority he came to Joliet and read law with E. C. Fellows and S. W. Randall, and in 1843 he was admitted to the bar. For the legal profession his ready command of language, his quick wit and keenness of discrimination admirably fitted him. His mind was logical in its processes. He reasoned from cause to result, and the intricacies of complicated cases yielded to his acute reasoning faculties. In spite of his many duties and interests he never ceased to be a student of the law, and thus he kept himself in touch with every advance made in its various departments. The qualities possessed by Mr. Snapp were such as fitted him for the public service. This was recognized by his fellow-citizens, who tendered him offices of responsibility and honor, In 1868 he was elected to the state senate. Four years later he resigned the office in order to accept the nomination to represent the sixth (now the seventh) congressional district in congress, to fill the unexpired term of Hon. B. C. Cook, resigned. On the expiration of the term he declined renomination, but returned to Joliet and resumed his law practice, in which his subsequent years were passed. During the long period of his practice he had various partners. At first he was with Mr. Fellows, later was a member of the firm of Snapp & Breckenridge, afterwards was successively with Goodspeed & Snapp, and Goodspeed, Snapp & Knox, finally being with his son as Snapp & Snapp, practicing throughout the northern part of the state. During the war he and his father were stanch Abolitionists and supporters of the Union. He assisted in organizing the Republican party in this county and his services as speaker were frequently in demand at that time. In religion he was of the Baptist faith. He died in this city November 26, 1895, when seventy- three years of age. The wife of Mr. Snapp was Mary Adeline Broadie, who was born in Delaware. One of her paternal ancestors took the side of the second pretender in Scotland and for that reason sought a new home in America. Her father came from Ohio to Kankakee, Ill., in 1833, and the next year settled in what is now New Lenox Township, Will County, where he died. He married a Miss White, of English ancestry. Mrs. Mary Adeline Snapp died in 1884, leaving five children, namely: Sarah M., who is the wife of Judge Dorrance Dibell, of Joliet; Elizabeth, who married George M. Campbell, of this city; Henry Douglas and Howard M., both of Joliet; and Charles, who is a business man in Memphis, Tenn. Additional Comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/snapp1136gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 6.6 Kb