Lyman Beecher Ray (August 17, 1831 – August 22, 1916) was an American politician from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. After learning the merchant trade, Ray moved west to

Kane County, Illinois Kane County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 516,522, making it the fifth-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Gen ...

, working in a shop for three years. He later opened a store in

Morris, Illinois Morris is a city in and the county seat of Grundy County, Illinois, Grundy County, Illinois, United States and part of the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 14,163 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A team of ...

, operating it for thirty-three years and become a prominent citizen there. He was elected to one term 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 ...

and the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

. In 1888, Ray was elected

Lieutenant Governor of Illinois The lieutenant governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. In Illinois, the lieutenant governor and governor run on a joint ticket and are directly elected by popular vote. Gubernatorial candidates select their ...

Biography

Lyman Beecher Ray was born in

Hinesburg, Vermont Hinesburg is a New England town, town in Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Abel Hine, town clerk. The population was 4,698 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The main settle ...

, on August 17, 1831. He was raised on the family farm and first attended public schools before receiving education at a private academy. He then taught school for several years, then worked for a year as a merchant's clerk. In 1852, he decided to move to

, and found work in a general store. Three years later, he moved to

, where he opened a store. Ray would run the Morris store for thirty-three years. Ray joined the Republican Party upon its formation in 1856 and campaigned on behalf of presidential candidate

John C. Frémont Major general (United States), Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician. He was a United States senator from California and was the first History of the Repub ...

and gubernatorial candidate William H. Bissell. He would again campaign on behalf of the party in 1860. He was often a delegate to the state Republican conventions. In 1872, he was nominated by the party for a seat on the

and was elected to a two-year term. He was elected to the

in 1882, serving a four-year term. In 1888, he was nominated as

on a ticket with Joseph W. Fifer and was elected, retiring from his store. Ray was re-nominated to the office in 1892, but the ticket lost to

John Peter Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (December 30, 1847 – March 12, 1902) was an American politician and the 20th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democrat to govern that state since the 1850s. A leading figure of the Prog ...

. In 1894, he was named president of the State League of Republican Clubs, and served as a member of the national organization. He became an advocate against free silver. Ray married Julia N. Reading, the daughter of state representative James M. Reading, on December 20, 1858. They had one daughter (Julia E.). Ray died in on August 22, 1916, and was buried in Elmhurst Cemetery in

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County, Illinois, Will County. It had a population of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Lyman Beecher 1831 births 1916 deaths Republican Party Illinois state senators Lieutenant governors of Illinois Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Morris, Illinois People from Hinesburg, Vermont People from Kane County, Illinois 19th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly