John Corson Smith
John Corson Smith
- Born February 13, 1832, Philadelphia, PA; trained in carpentry and building; moved to Galena in 1854
- Erected numerous public and private buildings in Galena (including the Methodist Church) and Dubuque, IA
- Married Charlotte Gallagher of Galena in March of 1856; they had five children
- Enlisted as Private in Company I, 96th Illinois Infantry; elected Captain; commissioned Major, September 1862
- Promoted Lieutenant Colonel, for gallantry at Chickamauga, September 1863; wounded at Kenesaw Mountain
- Held various bureaucratic posts at Nashville, TN until end of war; brevetted Colonel and promoted to full rank, 1865
- Promoted brevet Brigadier General for war service, June 1865; assessor for Department of Internal Revenue until 1872
- Commission merchant in Chicago; chief grain inspector for city; elected Illinois State Treasurer in 1878 and 1882
- Served as IL Lieutenant Governor from 1885 to 1889. Died in Chicago, December 31, 1910; buried in Galena’s Greenwood Cemetery
