Party. He was a strong critic of the Know Nothing Party. Scammon became an early member of the Republican Party. Scammon was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1964 and 1972. He helped create Oak Woods Cemetery in 1854 and was the cemetery's first president. Scammon was involved in the founding of the Chicago Historical Society, which was created in 1856 at a group of men meeting held in Scammon's law offices. Scammon was also involved in the founding of both the Chicago Academy of Sciences and the original University of Chicago. He was an officer of in the leadership of the Chicago Academy of Sciences for a number of years. He served as a trustee of the University of Illinois, and vice president the board of trustees for a time. He also endowed a professorship at the university. From 1857 through 1860, Scammon traveled throughout Europe with his family. Scammon was a friend of Abraham Lincoln, and, at one point, had a law office in the same building as Lincoln in Chicago on Lake Street. Scammon was a supporter of Lincoln's presidential candidacy. Abraham Lincoln's son Robert would study under Scammon in his law offices. In 1860, Scammond founded the Chicago Republican newspaper. Scammon became a member of the Illinois Senate in January 1861, serving through 1863. He was elected as a Republican in 1860 to one of the two seats of the senate's 56th district. Scammon was apparently active in the Underground Railroad, although he never publicly admitted as such. When he was accused of working to help slaves escape from law officers, he was asked what he would do if called upon to be part of a posse to capture fugitive slaves. Scammon replied, "I would certainly obey the summons, but I should probably stub my toe and fall down before I reached him." Scammon wrote pieces on his view about economics and religion, and was a frequent contributor to newspapers. In 1861, Scammon sued the Democratic-leaning newspaper Chicago Democrat for libel after publisher John Wentworth published a cartoon which depicted Scammon as a wildcat banker. Scammon dropped the quarter million dollar suit only after Wentworth closed his paper, giving the subscription list to the Chicago Tribune. Scammon was a founder of the Chicago Astronomical Society, and served as its first president from its founding until 1882. Scammon also funded the construction of the Dearborn