Rainey- Past and Present
 On August 20, 1860 Henry Thomas
Rainey was born, son of John and Kate Thomas Rainey. Rainey was
the oldest of two siblings. He graduated from Carrollton High
School and then went to Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1883,
and then to Union College of Law in Chicago. After he had graduated
he took the Illinois law exam and began to practice law in Carrollton.
Rainey was elected to Congress from the 20th District and
served from 1903-1934. At this time the district included ten
counties: Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Jersey, Mason, Menard,
Morgan, Pike, and Scott. He served in the House for thirty years
except for a two-year period. Rainey was also one of the original
legislatures in favor of deepening the Illinois River waterway.
Even to this day the deepening allows continued use of the river
for barge traffic, especially grains.
Henry Thomas Rainey was also a well-known friend to many.
Rainey was a great leader and he knew how to get the results
he wanted when others may have failed. He served as Speaker of
the House under Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933-1934 and was
Rainey was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from
Illinois (in 1916, 1920, 1924, and 1932). After Rainey died in
office on August 19, 1934, President Roosevelt attended his funeral
in Carrollton. |
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"Tribute was paid to the late Henry T. Rainey, speaker
of the national House of Representatives, today when a bronze
statue of him was unveiled in Rainey Memorial Park here this
afternoon. At the unveiling of the ten-foot tall statue of the
former Carrollton lawyer, Governor. Henry Horner compared Rainey
with such figures in Illinois history as Lincoln, Douglas, Palmer,
Grant, and Logan."
"Present at the ceremonies was Mrs. Rainey, the speaker's
widow, Lieutenant. Governor. John Stelle, State Treasurer John
Martin, and Charles P. Casey, assistant director of the state
department of public works and buildings."
"Former Speaker of House Honored
50 years ago", Jacksonville Journal Courier Thursday,
August 13, 1987 |