George D. Chafee [1839-1927]

George D. Chafee, dean of the Shelby County Bar association and one of the oldest practicing lawyers in Illinois died at his home at Kaskia Woods in Shelbyville at ten o’clock Sunday morning at the age of eighty-eight years. He had been suffering from a cold for sometime, but his condition was not regarded as critical. He seemed improved Saturday when his daughter and son-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Maurice LeBosquet arrived here for a visit with him.

Started on Lower Rung - For sixty-five years Mr. Chafee was a successful practicing lawyer in Shelbyville. Shortly after coming here he entered the law office of the late Samuel W. Moulton for a salary of $300 a year. He became a partner with Mr. Moulton, the firm known as Moulton and Chafee. Later Walter C. Headen was taken in and the firm name changed to Moulton, Chafee and Headen. Mr. Headen retired from the firm a number of years ago, and Mr. Moulton passed to his reward. The late William H. Chew was a later partner with Mr. Chafee and John J. Baker was also a member of the firm then known as Chafee, Chew and Baker. After the withdrawal of Mr. Chew and Mr. Baker, Mr. Chafee continued in his office alone until a short time ago when Judge Truman E. Ames joined with him.

Saw Lincoln Demonstration - Mr. Chafee was born in Pittsford, Vermont, July 2, 1839, a son of Daniel and Miranda Haven Chafee. When he was four years old his parents moved to Monroe county, Mich., where George D. Chafee grew to manhood. Here he did farm work and attended school. He also taught school for some time. He took up the study of law in 1859 and graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1861. The following year he came to Shelby county. On leaving school at Ann Arbor, Mr. Chafee went to Chicago and arrived there at the time of a Lincoln celebration. Mr. Chafee recently wrote about this incident: “The opulent East that wanted Seward, and felt sure of him, was astonished and nonpulsed when Dennis Hanks and the gallant Dick Oglesby followed by a thousand yelling partisans marched down the main aisle with old Abe’s rails on their shoulders. To the college bred men and city officers with silk hats and “biled” shirts, this was a new kind of argument for which they were totally unprepared.”


Almanac Helps Him Decide - In telling of his determination, to come to Shelbyville, Mr. Chafee said: “I found lodging at the Adams house, less than a block from the depot, and stayed there two or three days. With Greeley’s Almanac and a list of the lawyers furnished me by Myers Book Store, I decided on Shelby county, because it had a population of about 13,000 and only two lawyers, Anthony Thornton, late judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois, and Samuel W. Moulton, who served six years in congress.”

Mr. Chafee was a staunch republican and a strong supporter of Richard Yates, John A. Logan and Richard Oglesby. During the Civil war he was active for the cause of the Union forces. Unable to serve on the firing line because of having lost an arm while working with a threshing machine, he served in other lines of duty such as enrolling officer, etc. He served in the Illinois legislature and senate.

Mr. Chafee was a life long member of the Presbyterian Church and was affiliated with the Elk lodge. He was also dean of the Shelby County Bar Association, and has served in offices of the State Bar Association. At a reunion of the graduates of the Michigan University held some time ago, he had the distinction of being the oldest graduate then living.

Besides his activities in legal matters, Mr. Chafee was interested in other lines of business and was highly successful.

On May 14, 1868, Mr. Chafee was united in marriage to Miss Maria N. Smith. To this union four children were born. A son, Dr Dexter Chafee, died several months ago. The surviving children are Mrs. Lucia Vogel, wife of Frank Vogel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston; Mrs. Olivia LeBosquet, head of the American School of Home Economics, Chicago; and Dudley C. Chafee, an architect, who came to Shelbyville several months ago to be with his aged parents. The funeral was held from the Presbyterian church at 2:15 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Willis R. Booth, assisted by Rev. Buford W. Tyler of Terre Haute, Ind. Interment was made in Glenwood cemetery. Shelbyville Democrat - 10 Mar 1927

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Tributes to memory of Senator Chafee - Memorial services for the late Senator George D. Chafee were held in Shelbyville in the court house at two o’clock Sunday afternoon, under the auspices of the Shelby County Bar association. Judge Thomas M. Jett was the presiding judge, but the court sat en blanc, Judge William B. Wright of Effingham and Judge F. R. Dove of Shelbyville being on the bench.

Addresses were made by Judge W. G. Cochran of Sullivan, Judge Amon Miller of Hillsboro and J. J. Baker of Shelbyville. Judge Jett made the response in behalf of the court.

The courtroom was filled with people from Shelby and adjoining counties. The services were impressive.
Judge A. J. Steidley presented special resolutions that had been prepared by Walter C. Headen, president of the Bar association, as follows:

“Exactly seven weeks ago, when the bell in the tower of the church of his choice was ringing out its appeal to him to answer its summons to worship, God took him to himself, and gently, sweetly, uncomplainingly, with his family about him, he went to rest in answer to that call.

“Now all that we who are left behind have, is a memory of his long, serviceable, and interesting life, to his family, to his country, and to us.

“Certainly not more than one of us can even remember the day when away back in 1861 - now near three score and ten years ago - young, inexperienced, poor, heavily handicapped through the loss of one arm, by an accident in boyhood, he came to the city of Shelbyville, to engage in the practice of his profession as a lawyer. From that day, he never knew any other home. He rapidly forged to the front rank, and as those of us who still remain, one by one, came to this Bar, we found him a strong, virile, lawyer, actively engaged in causes of greatest importance.

“Through intimate acquaintance with the man and his wonderful character, we feel that we knew him more thoroughly than others who never crossed swords with him in the legal arena.

“Like the rest of us, he had his own peculiar methods in the preparation and trial of cases. He was a master of invective, and more than once has won victories for his client through its use. When once enlisted in a cause, and thoroughly aroused, he never recognized nor admitted defeat, but stood, with flashing eye and burning eloquence, bidding defiance to all opponents who would dare to cross his path.

“His career as a citizen presents a different picture. In religious, political and civic circles, he stood at all times in the front ranks. He was active and progressive. He was tireless in his efforts to lead his County and City to higher ground, and freely and generously contributed his time, his remarkable energy, and his means, to any enterprise that gave fair promise of adding to the beauty and material advancement of this City, or of this county. He toiled unceasingly for the uplift of this, his home County. He expended large sums in converting hundreds of acres of heavily timbered lands and waste places into splendid farming lands. He threw his support to every movement for the adornment and uplift of this city.

“Upon all questions and issues, he was open-minded until thorough investigation had pointed to him his plain path of duty. He was ambitiously active in his efforts to add to the comfort, progress and happiness of his fellow citizens. He never lagged or shirked responsibility when duty sounded its call to him.


“He was a man of commanding influence throughout this State. His fellow citizens frequently placed him in positions of high honor, and he never betrayed that trust. For years, immediately prior to his death, he was dean of this Bar and President of this Association.

“But it was in his home life that his great heart fully blossomed out as a beautiful flower. He loved his home, to which he retired for rest and refreshment from the strain and struggle of each day’s labors. He was a most devoted, tender and loyal husband every step of the way, as he and his life companion, his good wife, walked together in uninterrupted harmony through sixty years of their lives. He toiled, struggled and sacrificed unceasingly that his children might be fully equipped to have a fair chance in the battles of life. Every visitor to that home, regardless of place or position, whether high or lowly, was greeted with never failing cordiality, and all in all, the Chafee home was a most delightful one.

“Now that he has gone from us - We shall meet, but we shall miss him - there will be one vacant chair - We shall linger to recall him - As we breathe our daily prayer.

“Be it resolved by this Association that, with the permission of the Court, these memorial words, touching the life of our deceased brother, George D. Chafee, be spread at large upon the records of this Court, and that the Clerk be directed to deliver a certified copy thereof to his surviving widow, that she and her family may rest upon our full assurance that he shall not be forgotten by us.” Shelbyville Democrat - 28 Apr 1927

The above was transcribed from the Shelbyville Democrat by Eileen Bridges.