Joseph K.C. Forrest

Joseph K.C. Forrest (November 26, 1820 – June 23, 1896) was an Irish American journalist and politician who served as City Clerk of Chicago from 1873 to 1875.

Joseph K.C. Forrest
City Clerk of Chicago
In office 1873–1875
Preceded by	Charles T. Hotchkiss
Succeeded by	Caspar Butz
Personal details
Born	November 26, 1820 Cork, Ireland
Died	June 23, 1896 (age 75) Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Republican

Biography

Forrest was born in Cork, Ireland, on November 26, 1820, and settled with his family in Chicago in 1840, when the city was still a small settlement. A journalist by trade, Forrest quickly became assistant editor of the Chicago Evening Journal and by 1844 was the managing editor of the Gem of the Prairie, which merged into the Chicago Tribune (the latter of which received its name at the suggestion of Forrest). He sold his stock in the Tribune shortly thereafter and accepted the position of assistant editor of the Chicago Democrat, with which he remained for fifteen years. Following his stint at the Chicago Democrat, Forrest went to work as a Washington correspondent for several Chicago and St. Louis-based newspapers before joining the staff of the Chicago Inter Ocean. During the Civil War, Forrest was appointed to the staff of Governor Yates with the rank of Colonel. He later accepted a position with the Chicago Daily News and wrote for the newspaper for the remainder of his career.^[1]

His first political post was that of Clerk of the Cook County Recorder's Office, to which he was elected during his tenure as assistant editor to the Chicago Democrat.^[2] In 1873, he was elected City Clerk of Chicago on the Republican ticket, and served in this capacity until 1875.^[3] Forrest died in Chicago on June 23, 1896.^[1]

References

1. Fitzgerald, Thomas W.H. (1910). Ireland and Her People; a Library of Irish Biography: Together with a Popular History of Ancient and Modern Erin, to which is Added an Appendix of Copious Notes and Useful Tables; Supplemented with a Dictionary of Proper Names in Irish Mythology, Geography, Genealogy, Etc. Fitzgerald Book Company. pp. 423–425.
2. Ahern, M.L. (1874). The Great Revolution: A History of the Rise and Progress of the People's Party in the City of Chicago and County of Cook. Lakeside Publishing and Printing Company. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780608433899.
3. "Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office". Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.