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The Dodson/Stevenson House in Franklin Square (1870). It was the home of Adlai E. Stevenson I. Stevenson moved to Bloomington with his family when he was 16 after a frost killed their family's crop in 1852. Stevenson attended Illinois Wesleyan University and Centre College. He took over his father's sawmill after his death. Stevenson was admitted to the bar in 1858 and started a practice in Metamora. He campaigned for Stephen A. Douglas in his 1858 Senate race against Lincoln. He was elected district attorney in 1858. In 1874, he was elected as a Democrat to the 44th Congress, serving for one term during the first Democrat majority since the Civil War. He was narrowly defeated for re-election in 1876. However, he was able to regain his seat two years later, running on both the Democrat and Greenback tickets. He again was unable to secure re-election. Stevenson ran unsuccessfully one last time in 1882. In 1885, he was appointed assistant postmaster general under Groveland Cleveland. During Cleveland's re-election bid, Stevenson won the nomination for Vice President. It was thought that Stevenson would balance the ticket by supporting free silver and greenbacks to inflate the currency. Cleveland, on the other hand, was a gold-standard supporter. Together, they won the 1892 election over Benjamin Harrison. Stevenson expressed interest in the Democratic nomination for President in 1896, but gained little support from party leaders, who turned their attention to William Jennings Bryan after his famous Cross of Gold speech. Stevenson was loyal to Bryan, and his loyalty paid off when Bryan supported him as a Vice Presidential candidate in 1900. Stevenson was perceived to add an element of experience to Bryan's ticket, as Bryan was only 40. However, the Republican ticket of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt won in a solid victory. Stevenson returned to private practice after the election, running unsuccessfully for Governor of Illinois in 1908. He died in 1914 and is interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington. Steven's son Lewis became Illinois Secretary of State. His grandson Adlai became Illinois Governor and was a Presidential candidate. His great-grandson Adlai was a U.S. Senator.