John Evans (9 March, 1814 – 2 July, 1897) was a U.S.
politician, physician,
railroad promoter, Governor of the Territory of Colorado, and namesake of
Evanston,
Illinois
; Evans,
Colorado
; and
Mount
Evans
, Colorado
.
He is most
noted for being one of the founders of both Northwestern
University
and the University of Denver
.
Evans was
born in Waynesville,
Ohio
to David Evans and Rachel Burnett. He
graduated with a degree in
medicine from
Clermont Academy in 1838 and moved
to Attica, Indiana, where he practiced medicine and helped founding
the Indiana Central State Hospital in Indianapolis. He was
appointed its first superintendent. He married, first (1838),
Hannah Canby (1813-1850) and, second (1853), Margaret P. Gray
(1830-1906). Hannah Canby Evans and three of their sons are buried
in the old cemetery in Attica.
He later moved to Chicago
, where he
helped found Lakeside Hospital, later named Mercy Hospital, and was
responsible for bringing the Sisters of Mercy to staff the new
Mercy Hospital,
founded the Illinois Medical
Society, and taught at Rush
Medical College. His wealth garnered him a fair amount
of political power; he founded the Illinois Republican Party and
became a personal friend of
Abraham
Lincoln. He sold much of his Chicago holdings prior to a trip
to England. While away, the property he sold was lost in the Great
Chicago Fire.
In 1851 he founded the worldly known Northwestern
University.
U.S. President Abraham
Lincoln appointed John Evans the second
Governor of the
Territory of Colorado on
March 31,
1862.
Governor Evans and his
good friend the Reverend John
Chivington founded the Territory's first college, the Colorado
Seminary
, which would later become the University of
Denver. In 1864 Governor Evans appointed the
Reverend Chivington as Colonel of the Colorado Volunteers and sent
him with 800
cavalry troopers to "quiet" the
Indians. Chivington
and his men found an unarmed band of
Cheyenne and
Arapaho led by
Black Kettle camped along
Sand Creek in the east central part of the
Territory. On
November 28,
1864, Colonel Chivington ordered his men to attack the
encampment killing about 53 unarmed men and 110 women and children
and wounding many more. Governor Evans decorated Chivington and his
men for their "valor in subduing the savages" and fought off rumors
of an unprovoked massacre.
On July 18, 1865, new President
Andrew Johnson asked Governor Evans
to resign because of his attempt to cover up the Sand Creek
Massacre
. Evans resigned as Governor, but he remained
popular in the Colorado Territory for his perceived toughness in
dealing with the "enemies" of the Territory. Dr. Evans continued to
serve as the Chairman of the Denver Seminary Board of Trustees
until his death on
July 2,
1897.
John Evans was the father-in-law of
Samuel Hitt Elbert, the sixth
Governor of
Colorado Territory from 1873 to 1874.
Mount Evans is named in Evans honor, and Mount Elbert
is named in honor of his son-in-law.
See also
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