Washburne, Hempstead · Legal Context

Hempstead Washburne was born on November 11, 1852 in Galena, IL . He was the son of Congressman Elihu B.

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2026-07-23

Hempstead Washburne was born on November 11, 1852 in Galena, IL . He was the son of Congressman Elihu B. Washburn, Congressman, Secretary of State under Grant and United States Minister to France. Washburne, a member of the Republican Party, served as Chicago’s 27th mayor from 1891-1893. At his inauguration on April 27, 1891, Washburne spoke of Chicago’s role in the upcoming World’s Fair: “We are called upon to serve the city at a time most vital to its interests, and I trust that we shall each and all be able to bury and forget any personal, party or other quarrels, and remember only that we are given this trust to prepare our city to receive the world in 1893.” He died April 13, 1918 and is interred in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery.

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