author
Carter H. (Carter Henry) Harrison
1825–1893
A larger-than-life Chicago mayor, he led the city through years of fast growth, labor unrest, and the run-up to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. His career ended dramatically when he was assassinated just months into a fifth term.
1 Audiobook
A Summer's Outing, and The Old Man's Story
by Carter H. (Carter Henry) Harrison
About the author
Born in Kentucky in 1825, this American politician was educated at Yale and later studied law before settling in Chicago. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and on the Cook County Board of Commissioners before becoming one of the city’s best-known mayors.
He was elected mayor of Chicago in 1879 and went on to serve multiple terms, building a reputation for his direct, personal style of politics and his connection with working-class and immigrant voters. He was in office during the Haymarket era and during the period when Chicago was preparing to host the World’s Columbian Exposition.
In 1893, after winning a fifth term, he was assassinated at his home in Chicago. His death shocked the city and fixed his place in its history as one of its most memorable 19th-century political figures.