Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 518 - 522 

ARCHIBALD A. GLENN, ex-Lieutenant Governor, who needs no introduction to the people of Kansas, is the offspring of an old Kentucky family of Scotch-Irish, ancestry, but which originated in Northumberland, the most northern county of England, and called by the Latins Northumbria, about the twelfth century. From here they migrated to the Lowlands of Scotland, where they carried on farming for many generations. They were strict Presbyterians, and at the time of the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell the Glenns were among the Protestant families who settled there.

            The Glenns were also with William, Prince of Orange, at the battle of the Boyne and the siege of Londonderry, in 1690. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Archibald Glenn, Sr., was born in Ireland, and emigrated to America in 1770, landing in the city of Philadelphia when a young man twenty years of age. He was accompanied by his three brothers—John, James and Andrew. These four representatives of the Glenn family offered their services to the cause of the struggling Colonies, and served all through the Revolutionary War. As late as 1840 the name of Andrew Glenn, the youngest of the brothers, was on the pension rolls of the United States. Archibald married Miss Sarah Ferguson, who was also of Scotch-Irish descent, and to them were born seven children, namely: Henry, Moses F., Archibald, Sarah, Susan, Betsy and Nancy.

            The grandfather of our subject, after laying down his musket took up farming in Huntingdon County, Pa., but about 1790 emigrated to Kentucky, and was one of the earliest pioneers of Fleming County. There he carried on agriculture, and spent the remainder of his days, living to the advanced age of seventy-six years. He was a man upright and conscientious in his life, of more than ordinary intelligence, and in religious matters loyally adhered to the faith of his forefathers. Among his sons was Henry, the father of our subject, who was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., Feb. 3, 1787, and removed with his parents to Fleming County, Ky., when a small boy. He also took kindly to agricultural pursuits during his younger years, but later became interested in the river trade between New Orleans and other points on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and operated largely in this line by flatboats. By this means he transported both his farm produce and other merchandise down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans and intervening points, and reaped therefrom large profits.

            The business which the father of our subject thus followed in those days was extensively conducted, and was about the only avenue of trade until the era of steamboats and railroads. Henry Glenn, for his wife took Miss Ruth, daughter of Jacob Rhoades, of Germany, who was born in Mason County, Ky., Jan. 8, 1790. Their children, nine in number, were named respectively: Robert A., Fielding T., Archibald A., of our sketch, William H., Samuel R., Matilda, Amanda M., Elizabeth and Sarah. In 1821 Mr. Glenn moved to Indiana, and settled with his family on a farm in Decatur County. Two years later he changed his residence to Johnson County, and in 1828 removed first to Vermilion County, Ill., and then to Schuyler County, in the latter of which his death took place in 1832.

            The father of our subject was an old-line Whig politically, and maintained his opinions with all the force of his character. He was of commanding presence and of powerful physique, very energetic and decided in his movements, and could carry 280-pound weights in each hand at once. Like most of the early pioneers, he handled the ax with great skill and dexterity, and could cut eight cords of wood in one day. He was remarkably industrious, and possessed the natural honesty and frankness of the race of people from which he sprang. The mother of our subject departed this life at her home in Schuyler (now Brown) County, Ill., Dec. 22, 1852.

            Archibald A. Glenn, the subject of this history, was born in Nicholas County, Ky., at the parental homestead on the Licking River, Jan. 30, 1819. He was but three years of age when the family removed to Indiana, where he was reared as a farmer's boy and received a limited education. He was but thirteen years old when his father died. He continued with his mother, being her chief dependence, until a youth of eighteen years. He still clearly remembers the log cabin, the old-fashioned fireplace, with its huge sticks of blazing wood, the iron crane upon which swung the pots and kettles, and the other primitive cooking utensils.

            The log cabin has been the early home of many famous Americans, including Washington, Clay and Lincoln, and a host of others, and all look back to the simple days of their boyhood with the keenest pleasure, recalling those early scenes with the affection which can only belong to a happy time unmixed with care, and which is past and gone. When eighteen years of age young Glenn began learning the printer's trade at Rushville, Ill., and continued in this business till 1844. For some time he was the editor and publisher of a paper called the Rushville Whig, and lost his entire fortune in the effort to assist in the election of Henry Clay for President. He never forgave the Abolitionists for causing his defeat.

            Mr. Glenn was Justice of the Peace in Ripley, Ill., for some years, and also Postmaster. He was elected Clerk of the Court and Recorder of Deeds in Brown County, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention at Springfield in 1862. In his long and varied career as a public man, Judge Glenn has been connected in intimate relations with many eminent men, among them John Dement, formerly State Treasurer of Illinois; William M. Springer, Member of Congress; W. J. Allen, recently appointed Judge of the Southern Department of Illinois; George W. Wall, of the Appellate Court; Augustus C. French, ex-Governor of Illinois; Anthana Thornton, afterward Judge of the Superior Court; O. B. Ficklin, Member of Congress; Gen. Singleton, ex-Member of Congress; Thomas W. McNeeley; Judge Manning, and Judge Purple; Alexander Campbell, Member of Congress, and John Wentworth, of Chicago.

            Judge Glenn was Superintendent of Schools in Brown County, Ill., four years, and Member of the State Board of Equalization of Taxes, also State Treasurer for the same length of time. He presided over the State Senate for four years. Here we quote from Davidson and Stuve's History of Illinois: " During the latter part of the administration of Gov. Beveridge, Archibald A. Glenn, a Senator from the 36th District, was President of the Senate, and as such, became acting Lieutenant-Governor, and acted as Governor when Gov. Beveridge was absent from the State. Mr. Glenn had been long a resident of Brown County, where he enjoyed to a very large degree the confidence and respect of his friends and neighbors. He was almost continually in official position, and had a character well fixed for honesty and frugality."

            In October, 1878, Judge Glenn came to this State, locating in Wichita, where he was at once recognized as a valued accession to the number of its capable and talented men. In 1881 he was elected Police Judge, which office he has held for six years. At the age of sixty-nine, he is still as active as most men a score of years younger, and bids fair to round up the full number of days allotted to man. He comes from a race of hardy pioneers and soldiers, from whom he inherited a vigorous constitution, an active mind and an energetic disposition. In political opinions he is a stanch Democrat, and has stood steadfastly by his party during its hours of defeat as well as in its sunshine of victory. In those sturdy times previous to the war he was personally acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Richard Yates, and all the other leading public men of Illinois. Deeply rooted in religious principles, he was prominent among those who established the Christian Church in Wichita, and in this congregation he has officiated as Elder from the beginning. Of Garfield University, one of the outgrowths of this church, he was one of the incorporators, and until recently a member of the Board of Trustees.

            February 13, 1851, occurred the first marriage of Judge Glenn; he was then united in marriage with Miss Lavinia, (laughter of William Cooper, of Pike County, Ill. Of this union there were born six children—Henry, Ella, Florence, Edward, William C. and an infant, two of whom survive, Ella and William C., who are now in Wichita. The wife and mother departed this life at her home in Wichita, on the 28th of May, 1881. Judge Glenn was subsequently married, June 9, 1885, to Miss Catherine Strickland, of Dayton, Ohio. Mrs. Glenn is the daughter of Henry and Julia Strickland, natives of Pennsylvania, and now living at Dayton, Ohio.

            A man of intellect and cultured tastes, Judge Glenn early in life evinced more than ordinary poetical talent, and has given to the world many literary productions of a high order. His tribute, a poem, to the memory of Garfield, which was published in 1881, attracted universal attention, and was highly commended.

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