ra J. Chase was born in Clarkson, Monroe County, New York, December 7, 1834. His father, Benjamin Chase, moved into Orleans County, where most of Ira's years were spent up to the age of twenty. After leaving the public school of that day, he attended the Milan (Ohio) Seminary and Median Academy. At twenty he accompanied his father to Illinois, driving a team much of the time alone through Michigan and Indiana, landing in Chicago in the spring of 1855. Farming, merchandising and school teaching filled up the time until the war broke out. In 1857, he united with the Christian Church. March 24, 1859, he married Miss Rhoda J. Castle, of Cook County. In 1861, he was the first man to enlist in the town of Barrington, Illinois. He assisted in raising a company of men and was unanimously elected first lieutenant. The enlistments were so numerous that the government could not accept them all, and the organization disbanded, a part going into company C, Nineteenth Illinois, June 17, 1861, of which Chase was made sergeant. This regiment saw hard and continuous service from the start, being always on the move, serving in Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee the first year of the war. While in camp at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, he heard the news of the birth of his second child. He was appointed drill sergeant and placed on special duty, owing to poor health. In this capacity the Eighteenth O. V. I., officers invited him to aid in drilling their men, as they were fresh from the farms of their state. A petition, signed by Col. Stanley, Lieutenant Colonel Grim, for years chief justice of Iowa, and Major C. H. Governor, famous as a soldier and statesman, was presented to the field officers of the Nineteenth Illinois, asking for his transfer to a lieutenancy in the Eighteenth Ohio. This was endorsed by General J. B. Turchin, brigade commander, and by Major General O. M. Mitchell, division commander, but denied by Major General Buell, department commander. Our soldier was in the siege of Nashville, 1862; was discharged and returned home from Nashville in 1863, and entered into business, but sold out, owing to a long and very serious illness of his wife that left her blind and lame for years. He prepared himself for the ministry and became pastor of the Christian Church in Mishawaka in 1867, and has served at LaPorte, Wabash and Danville. For a period of time, he labored in Pittsburgh and Peoria. He has been prominent in G. A. R. circles, was twice department chaplain and once department commander. In 1886, while in California, he was nominated for congress by the fifth district. Upon his return, he accepted and made his first political campaign. Col. C. C. Matson had received his fourth nomination. His average majority for the three terms previous had been about 1,800. In 1886, it was 632. In 1888, Mr. Chase was spoken of for governor, and through there was no activity manifested received a handsome vote. General Hovey received the nomination for Governor while Mr. Chase was nominated for Lieutenant Governor by acclamation. He served two terms as presiding officer of the senate.

On the death of General Hovey, he served the state as governor from November 24, 1891, to January 8, 1893. At the state convention called by the Republicans to nominate state officers, Governor Chase was nominated by acclamation to succeed himself. He entered into the campaign with all the earnestness of his nature, and everywhere it has been said that no man ever fought a harder fight.