James Cook Conkling (October 13, 1816 – March 1, 1899) was an American politician and attorney from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. A graduate of

Princeton College Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Conkling was admitted to the bar, then moved to

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

. There, he became a prominent Whig, serving first as mayor and later in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 representativ ...

. In 1856, he became one of the first

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in the state, attending the

Bloomington Convention The Bloomington Convention was a meeting held in Bloomington, Illinois, on May 29, 1856, establishing the Illinois Republican Party. It was an attempt to unite Anti-Nebraska members of the Opposition Party into a single party. The convention adopte ...

with

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. Twice a presidential elector, Conkling was a State Agent during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and returned to the Illinois House in 1866. Later in his life he was a postmaster and a trustee of the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

Biography

James Cook Conkling was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

on October 13, 1816. He attended

and graduated in 1835. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar of New Jersey. He moved to

in 1838, where he formed a law partnership with Cyrus Walker. He later partnered with future

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

James Shields. In 1844, Conkling was elected mayor of Springfield as a Whig. He was appointed to the

during the 1850–52 term to replace

Ninian Wirt Edwards Ninian Wirt Edwards (April 15, 1809 – September 2, 1899) was an American politician. Born in Sangamon County, Illinois, Edwards was the son of Ninian Edwards (who served as territorial and state governor of Illinois). He was married to ...

. Conkling was one of four delegates, including

, from

Sangamon County, Illinois Sangamon County is a county located near the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 196,343. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital. Sangamon County is inclu ...

, at the 1856

. This was the first official organization of the Republican Party in the state. He was named to its State Central Committee, responsible for overseeing the campaign in the state that year. He was a presidential

elector Elector may refer to: * Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors * Elector, a member of an electoral college ** Confederate elector, a member of t ...

for the Republicans in 1860 and 1864, casting votes for Lincoln. He delivered the dedication address at the opening of the

Oak Ridge Cemetery Oak Ridge Cemetery is an American cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. The Lincoln Tomb, where Abraham Lincoln, his wife and all but one of their children lie, is there, as are the graves of other prominent Illinois figures. Opened in 1860, it ...

in Springfield. During the

, Governor Richard Yates appointed Conkling a State Agent, responsible for settling claims of the state against the U.S. government for equipping volunteers. In 1863, he read what would become known as the "Conkling Letter", an address written by Lincoln, at a mass gathering in Springfield. Conkling was elected to the Illinois House for another two-year term in 1866. He authored the bill that would authorize the construction of a new

Illinois State Capitol The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, houses the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Illinois. Becoming the seat of the legislature in 1876, the current building is the sixth to serve ...

building. Soon after the

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play '' Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the head as he watched the play, L ...

, Conkling was named one of the first fourteen members of the Lincoln Monument Association, where he served for over thirty years. He was elected a trustee of the

for the years 1879 to 1880. In 1890, President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

named Conkling the Postmaster of Springfield. He served the office for four years. Conkling married Mercie A. Levering on September 21, 1841. They had five children: Clinton Levering, James, Charles, Annie V., and Alice. Eldest son Clinton would be a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1920–21. Conkling attended the Second Presbyterian Church of Springfield and was a longtime elder there. He died on March 1, 1899, in Springfield, and was buried in Oak Ridge.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conkling, James C. 1816 births 1899 deaths Illinois postmasters Illinois Republicans Illinois Whigs Leaders of the University of Illinois Mayors of Springfield, Illinois Members of the Illinois House of Representatives Politicians from New York City Princeton University alumni 19th-century mayors of places in Illinois 19th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly