J. Frank Aldrich
Encyclopedia
James Franklin Aldrich was a United States Representative from Illinois
. He was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin
. He moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois in April 1861 where he attended the public schools. Later, he attended Chicago University
and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
, Troy, New York
in 1877. He engaged in the manufacture of linseed oil
and later engaged in the gas
business.
Aldrich was a member of the Cook County
Board of Commissioners from 1886 to 1888, serving as president in 1887. He was also a member of the county board of education in 1887 and commissioner of public works of Chicago from May 1, 1891 to January 1, 1893. Aldrich was elected as a Republican
to the Fifty-third
and Fifty-fourth
Congresses (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1897) and served as chairman, Committee on Accounts
(Fifty-fourth Congress
). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896.
After leaving Congress, Aldrich was appointed Consul General at Havana
, Cuba
in 1897, but did not reach his post to serve owing to the sinking of the battleship Maine
and to the war with Spain
which followed. He was the receiver of national banks, and railroad appraiser, from 1898 until 1923. He died in Chicago at age 79 and was buried in Rosehill Cemetery
.
He was married to singer Mariska Aldrich
.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Two Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,712 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of the ice cream sundae...
. He moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois in April 1861 where he attended the public schools. Later, he attended Chicago University
Old University of Chicago
The University of Chicago, now known as the Old University of Chicago , was a school founded by Baptists in Chicago in 1857...
and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
, Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
in 1877. He engaged in the manufacture of linseed oil
Linseed oil
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...
and later engaged in the gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
business.
Aldrich was a member of the Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
Board of Commissioners from 1886 to 1888, serving as president in 1887. He was also a member of the county board of education in 1887 and commissioner of public works of Chicago from May 1, 1891 to January 1, 1893. Aldrich was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Fifty-third
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
and Fifty-fourth
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
Congresses (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1897) and served as chairman, Committee on Accounts
United States House Committee on Accounts
The United States House Committee on Accounts is a former committee of the United States House of Representatives from 1803 to 1927.-History:The committee was created on December 27, 1803, and was made a standing committee in 1805....
(Fifty-fourth Congress
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896.
After leaving Congress, Aldrich was appointed Consul General at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1897, but did not reach his post to serve owing to the sinking of the battleship Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
and to the war with Spain
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
which followed. He was the receiver of national banks, and railroad appraiser, from 1898 until 1923. He died in Chicago at age 79 and was buried in Rosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago
Rosehill Cemetery is a Victorian era cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. The name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the area was previously called "Roe's Hill", named for nearby farmer Hiram Roe...
.
He was married to singer Mariska Aldrich
Mariska Aldrich
Mariska Aldrich was an American dramatic soprano singer and actress. She was born Mariska Horvath in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a pupil of Alfred Giraudet and Georg Henschel. She debuted at the Manhattan Opera House in 1908, as the Page in Les Huguenots. She sang with the Manhattan Opera...
.