Forrest (November 26, 1820 – June 23, 1896) was an Irish American journalist and politician who served as City Clerk of Chicago from 1873 to 1875.
Forrest was born in Cork, Ireland, on November 26, 1820, and settled with his family in Chicago in 1840, when the city was still a small settlement.
He sold his stock in the Tribune shortly thereafter and accepted the position of assistant editor of the Chicago Democrat, with which he remained for fifteen years.
During the Civil War, Forrest was appointed to the staff of Governor Yates with the rank of Colonel.
[1] His first political post was that of Clerk of the Cook County Recorder's Office, to which he was elected during his tenure as assistant editor to the Chicago Democrat.