Portrait of President H. N. Higinbotham
From Photo-cliche by M. Steffins
Photogravure
Edition of the Empire
Art and Architecture
1893
Chicago Tribune, April 19, 1919
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
Harlow Niles Higinbotham was born on Oct. 10, 1838, on a farm near Joliet. He was the son of Henry D. and Rebecca Wheeler Higinbotham, who came to Illinois from Oneida county, New Tork, in 1834. The elder Higinbotham bought a large farm and lived and worked there until his death in 1865. He erected a mill on Hickory creek, where he ground his grain. The son worked on the farm and attended Joliet schools and later was a student at Lombard college, Galesburg.
In 1856 the farmer boy came to Chicago to study the fundamentals of commercial life in a business school. He returned to Jollet and worked as a bank clerk until 1861, but he had found in this city the inspiration which brought him back here to spend his life.
Won Way to Leadership.
In twenty-five years of hard work he won his way to leadership in commerce of the middle west. When he was a wealthy and successful man, head of one of the greatest mercantile firms in the west, he went back to his country home, added more acres, and built it into one of the most beautiful natural estates in the west.
The old red mill and the house where he was born still stand.
In Chicago Mr. Higinbotham first obtained work as assistant bookkeeper with the dry goods firm of Cooley, Farwell & Co.
In the summer of 1862 he enlisted as a private in the Mercantile battery. He remained in the service until the end of the war. His health was not good when he entered the army, but those years of life in the open rebullt his strength and he always referred to this as one of the best periods in his life. In fact, he said the army work saved his life.
With the Field Company.
When he returned to Chicago he entered the house of Field, Palmer & Leiter as bookkeeper. His rise was rapid. He was married in 1866 to Miss Rachael Davison, a neighbor on a farm hear his boyhood home. In 1868 he was made a partner in the firm of Fleld, Leiter & Co.
During the fire of 1871 he proved of seat service to the firm, getting out to the store and saving $600,000 worth of silks and other goods. Ten years later he was made president of the firm of Marshall Field & Co., a position which he held until voluntary retirement in 1901.
Mr. Higinbotham served as president of the World’s Columbaan exposition during Chicago’s great year, 1892-93. He was one of the leaders in the entire project and it was due largely to his eforts that it was such a success.
Gives Service to Charities.
Whtle Mr. Higinbotham was a leader in commercial and social lIfe, he devoted a great deal of time and money to charitable institutions. One of the institutions to which he gave his especial care was the Chicago Home for Incurables, Ellis avenue and Fifty. fifth street. In his later years he was president of this institution, maintained offices, and gave, without recom pence, several hours of each day to the interests of this institution and to other charities.
He was president of the Free Kindergarten association and was greatly interested in the public schools. He was a leader in developing the municipal tuberculosis sanitarium and Hahne. mann hospital.
From 1897 to 1909 he served as head of the Field Museum of Natural History. He was also vice president of the board of trustees of Northwestern university.
In his outside business connections he was a director of the Northern Trust company, and was at one time head of the National Portland Cement company and of the National Grocery company. He was the author of “The Making of a Merchant,” and wrote many articles.
Mr. Higinbotham’s wife died several years ago. He is survived by four children, Mrs. R. T. Crane Jr., Mrs. J. M. Patterson, and Harry and Harlow B. Higinbotham.
Tribute by Hutchinson.
Charles L. Hutchinson, vice presi dent of the Corn Exchange bank, paid this tribute last night to Mr. Higinbotham;
- Harlow Higinbotham was one of the best citizens Chicago ever had. The city owes a great deal to him for his splendid work, especially during the World’s exposition period. He always had the good of the community at heart and was very generous. Of late years he has given almost all his time while he was home to the work of the Chicago Home for Incurables. He was a big, generous man, and I was very close to him for many years. Recently he has been spending his summers on the Massachusetts shore and part of the winters in the south, at Jekyll Island. His life has been an inspiration and many will mourn him.
Residence of H. N. Higinbotham
2934 S. Michigan Avenue
1912
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