Philo Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Philo Carpenter was Chicago
, Illinois
' first pharmacist
, and an outspoken abolitionist.
Born in Savoy
, Massachusetts
, February 27, 1805, young Philo learned medicine and the pharmaceutical trade in Troy, New York
in the drugstore of Amatus Robins, eventually gaining a half interest in the business. There he married Sarah Bridges in May of 1830, but she died that November.
Joining the Presbyterian Church, in Troy, he gained an interest in missionary work. Business and religion would shape much of the rest of his life.
Hearing from his cousin of the opportunities for both business and proselytizing in the then frontier, in 1832, he sold his share of the drugstore. Shipping ahead a supply of drugs and medical equipment, he moved to Chicago, then an unincorporated village clustered around Fort Dearborn
. Arriving during a cholera
outbreak, he helped treat the victims.
He opened the settlement's first drug store in a log cabin on what is now Lake Street. He made enough money in two years to afford to return to the East and get remarried to Ann Thompson. They had seven children together.
Philo and Ann Carpenter's arrival in Chicago was a small turning point in the area's history, because they came into town in a fancy carriage. This was the first pleasure vehicle to arrive in Chicago, and the Carpenters' trip in such a carriage demonstrated that the area was safe from Indian attacks.
Carpenter invested heavily in real estate in the area surrounding what is now LaSalle Street
and Wacker Drive
, but the Panic of 1837
wiped him out, and his creditors took all of the land he had purchased. The area would be worth over $200 million today.
His pharmaceutical business soon allowed him to become financially solvent again. A religious man, he organized the Home Sunday School of the First Presbyterian Church. He was an elder in this church until the Civil War
, when members of the congregation split over whether to support the North or the South.
He then organized a new church, the First Congregational, and became deacon. Carpenter also was a member of the Chicago Theological Seminary
, and was managing director of the Chicago Bible Society.
In 1838, Carpenter helped to form and lead the Chicago chapter of the American Anti-Slavery Society, along with Dr. Charles V. Dyer
, Robert Freeman, and Calvin De Wolf.
He ran for Mayor of Chicago
twice on the Liberty Party ticket, losing to John Putnam Chapin
in 1846, and to James Curtiss
in 1847..
The aftermath of the fire of 1871 saw Carpenter in another leadership role as he organized the Relief and Aid Society. He also was a member of the school board and of the board of health, and was a crusader for temperance reform.
Carpenter Street at 1032 West in Chicago is named for Philo Carpenter, as well as the public elementary school located on Erie Street at Racine Avenue. The first school to bear his name was built in 1868 on the same site, to the east of the present school which opened in 1957.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
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,...
' first pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
, and an outspoken abolitionist.
Born in Savoy
Savoy, Massachusetts
Savoy is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 705 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, February 27, 1805, young Philo learned medicine and the pharmaceutical trade in 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 the drugstore of Amatus Robins, eventually gaining a half interest in the business. There he married Sarah Bridges in May of 1830, but she died that November.
Joining the Presbyterian Church, in Troy, he gained an interest in missionary work. Business and religion would shape much of the rest of his life.
Hearing from his cousin of the opportunities for both business and proselytizing in the then frontier, in 1832, he sold his share of the drugstore. Shipping ahead a supply of drugs and medical equipment, he moved to Chicago, then an unincorporated village clustered around Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
. Arriving during a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak, he helped treat the victims.
He opened the settlement's first drug store in a log cabin on what is now Lake Street. He made enough money in two years to afford to return to the East and get remarried to Ann Thompson. They had seven children together.
Philo and Ann Carpenter's arrival in Chicago was a small turning point in the area's history, because they came into town in a fancy carriage. This was the first pleasure vehicle to arrive in Chicago, and the Carpenters' trip in such a carriage demonstrated that the area was safe from Indian attacks.
Carpenter invested heavily in real estate in the area surrounding what is now LaSalle Street
LaSalle Street
LaSalle Street is a major north-south street in Chicago named for Sieur de La Salle, an early explorer of Illinois. The portion that runs through the Loop is considered to be Chicago's financial district...
and Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive is a major street in Chicago, Illinois, United States, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River...
, but the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
wiped him out, and his creditors took all of the land he had purchased. The area would be worth over $200 million today.
His pharmaceutical business soon allowed him to become financially solvent again. A religious man, he organized the Home Sunday School of the First Presbyterian Church. He was an elder in this church until the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when members of the congregation split over whether to support the North or the South.
He then organized a new church, the First Congregational, and became deacon. Carpenter also was a member of the Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary
The Chicago Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ. It prepares women and men for leadership in the church and society through Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Religious Studies , Master of Sacred Theology , Doctor of Ministry , and Doctor of Philosophy programs...
, and was managing director of the Chicago Bible Society.
In 1838, Carpenter helped to form and lead the Chicago chapter of the American Anti-Slavery Society, along with Dr. Charles V. Dyer
Charles V. Dyer
Charles Volney Dyer was a prominent Chicago Abolitionist and Stationmaster on the Underground Railroad.-Early life:...
, Robert Freeman, and Calvin De Wolf.
He ran for Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
twice on the Liberty Party ticket, losing to John Putnam Chapin
John Putnam Chapin
John Putnam Chapin served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Whig Party....
in 1846, and to James Curtiss
James Curtiss
James Curtiss was an American politician who twice served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Democratic Party.-Early Life:...
in 1847..
The aftermath of the fire of 1871 saw Carpenter in another leadership role as he organized the Relief and Aid Society. He also was a member of the school board and of the board of health, and was a crusader for temperance reform.
Carpenter Street at 1032 West in Chicago is named for Philo Carpenter, as well as the public elementary school located on Erie Street at Racine Avenue. The first school to bear his name was built in 1868 on the same site, to the east of the present school which opened in 1957.