Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County IL, 1878

O. R. WESTMANN, photograph artist, Joliet; was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, 
Feb. 18, 1833 ; his father, O. R. Westmann, Sr., was the Russian Envoy to the 
Court of Hesse-Darmstadt, and died when Orloff R. was but two years of age; the 
family remained in Darmstadt; he was educated in the Gymnasium of Darmstadt, 
graduating when about 15 years of age; he then entered the German army as a cadet, 
and, after the revolution of 1849,. was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the 
1st Infantry; he served until 1853, when he came to this country ; he first 
engaged in clerking in Chicago; in 1855, he purchased a farm in Du Page Co., and 
engaged in farming for two years; in 1857, he went West, and spent fifteen years 
in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico, engaged in merchandising and mining, 
and, during the last few years, in photographing, making views for the Smithsonian 
Institution at Washington; returning in 1872, he spent two years in Ottawa, and, 
in 1874, came to Joliet, and purchased the gallery of Mr. John Edgworth, the 
oldest gallery in the city, where he does as fine work as can be found in this 
country or Europe; he makes all kinds of pictures, large and small, and 
guarantees satisfaction to his customers.


Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.