He then returned to New York to attend Cherry Valley Seminary . Before graduating , he moved to Glenville , New York to operate a mill . Ellwood became interested in the cultivation of broom corn and ran a successful broom business , employing 130 men . He married Eleanor Vedder in 1849 ; they had six children . He was a member of the New York State Assembly ( Schenectady Co. ) in 1851 as a Whig . Ellwood was named a delegate to the 1856 Republican National Convention , the party that he would identify with for the rest of his life . He returned to Sycamore in 1857 , engaging in the hardware trade , particularly farm machinery . He invested in local farm implement manufacturers and became one of the wealthiest men in the county . Ellwood continued his political aspirations as U.S. Assessor for the 4th Congressional District of Illinois the first mayor of Sycamore
1856 Republican National Convention
1856 Republican National Convention
Reuben Ellwood