USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume 2 > Part 8
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THORNTON, Anthony, jurist, was born in Bourbon County, Ky., Nov. 9, 1814-being descended from a Virginia family. After the usual primary instruction in the common schools, he spent two years in a high school at Gallatin, Tenn., when he entered Centre College at Dan- ville, Ky., afterwards continuing his studies at Miami University, Ohio, where he graduated in 1834. Having studied law with an uncle at Paris, Ky., he was licensed to practice in 1836, when he left his native State with a view to set- tling in Missouri, but, visiting his uncle, Gen. William F. Thornton, at Shelbyville, Ill., was induced to establish himself in practice there. He served as a member of the State Constitutional Conventions of 1847 and 1862, and as Represent- ative in the Seventeenth General Assembly (1850-52) for Shelby County. In 1864 he was elected to the Thirty-ninth Congress, and, in 1870, to the Illinois Supreme Court, but served only until 1873, when he resigned. In 1879 Judge Thornton removed to Decatur, Ill., but subsequently returned to Shelbyville, where (1898) he now resides.
THORNTON, William Fitzhugh, Commissioner of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, was born in Hanover County, Va., Oct. 4, 1780; in 1806, went to Alexandria, Va., where he conducted a drug business for a time, also acting as associate
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editor of "The Alexandria Gazette." Subse- quently removing to Washington City, he con- ducted a paper there in the interest of John Quincy Adams for the Presidency. During the War of 1812-14 he served as a Captain of cavalry, and, for a time, as staff-officer of General Winder. On occasion of the visit of Marquis La Fayette to America (1824-25) he accompanied the distin- guished Frenchman from Baltimore to Rich- mond. In 1829 he removed to Kentucky, and, in 1833, to Shelbyville, Ill., where he soon after engaged in mercantile business, to which he added a banking and brokerage business in 1859, with which he was actively associated until his death. In 1836, he was appointed, by Governor Duncan, one of the Commissioners of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, serving as President of the Board until 1842. In 1840. he made a visit to London, as financial agent of the State, in the interest of the Canal, and succeeded in making a sale of bonds to the amount of $1,000,000 on what were then considered favorable terms. General Thornton was an ardent Whig until the organi- zation of the Republican party. when he became a Democrat. Died, at Shelbyville, Oct. 21, 1873.
TILLSON, John, pioneer, was born at Halifax, Mass., March 13, 1796; came to Illinois in 1819, locating at Hillsboro, Montgomery County, where he became a prominent and enterprising operator in real estate, doing a large business for eastern parties; was one of the founders of Hillsboro Academy and an influential and liberal friend of Illinois College, being a Trustee of the latter froin its establishment until his death; was sup- ported in the Legislature of 1827 for State Treas- urer, but defeated by James Hall. Died, at Peoria, May 11. 1853 .-- Christiana Holmes (Till- son), wife of the preceding, was born at Kingston, Mass., Oct. 10, 1798; married to John Tillson in 1822, and immediately came to Illinois to reside ; was a woman of rare culture and refinement, and deeply interested in benevolent enterprises. Died, in New York City, May 29. 1872 .- Charles Holmes (Tillson), son of John and Christiana Holmes Tillson, was born at Hillsboro, III .. Sept. 15, 1823; educated at Hillsboro Academy and Illinois College, graduating from the latter in 1844; studied law in St. Louis and . at Transyl- vania University, was admitted to the bar in St. Lonis and practiced there some years-also served several terms in the City Council, and was a member of the National Guard of Missouri in the War of the Rebellion. Died, Nov. 25, 1865 .-- John (Tillson), Jr., another son, was born at
Hillsboro, III., Oct. 12, 1825; educated at Hills- boro Academy and Illinois College, but did not graduate from the latter; graduated from Tran- sylvania Law School, Ky., in 1847, and was admitted to the bar at Quincy, Ill., the same year: practiced two years at Galena, when he returned to Quincy. In 1861 he enlisted in the Tenth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, became its Lieutenant-Colonel, on the promotion of Col. J. D. Morgan to Brigadier-General, was advanced to the coloneley, and, in July, 1865, was mustered out with the rank of brevet Brigadier-General; for two years later hield a commission as Captain in the regular army. During a portion of 1869-70 he was editor of "The Quincy Whig"; in 1873 was elected Representative in the Twenty-eighth General Assembly to succeed Nehemiah Bushnell, who had died in office, and, during the same year, was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for the Quincy District, serving until 1881. Died, August 6, 1892.
TILLSON, Robert, pioneer, was born in IIali- fax County, Mass., August 12, 1800; came to Illi- nois in 1822, and was employed, for several years, as a clerk in the land agency of his brother, John Tillson, at Hillsboro. In 1826 he engaged in the mercantile business with Charles Holmes, Jr., in St. Louis, but, in 1828, removed to Quincy, Ill .. where he opened the first general store in that city; also served as Postmaster for some ten years. During this period he built the first two- story frame building erected in Quincy, up to that date. Retiring from the mercantile business in 1840 he engaged in real estate, ultimately becoming the proprietor of considerable property of this character; was also a contractor for fur- nishing cavalry accouterments to the Government during the war. Soon after the war he erected one of the handsomest business blocks existing in the city at that time. Died, in Quincy, Dec. 27. 1992.
TINCHER, John L., banker, was born in Ken- tucky in 1821: brought by his parents to Vermil- ion County, Ind., in 1829. and left an orphan at 17; attended school in Coles County, Ill, and was employed as clerk in a store at Danville, 1843-53. He then became a member of the firm of Tincher & English, merchants, later establish- ing a bank, which became the First National Bank of Danville. In 1564 Mr. Tincher was elected Representative in the Twenty-fourth General Assembly and, two years later, to the Senate, being re-elected in 1870. He was also a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1869-70. Died, in Springfield, Dec. 17, 1871,
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while in attendance on the adjourned session of that year.
TIPTON, Thomas F., lawyer and jurist, was born in Franklin County, Ohio, August 29, 1833; has been a resident of McLean County, III., from the age of 10 years, his present home being at Bloomington. Ile was admitted to the bar in 1857, and, from January, 1867, to December, 1868, was State's Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit. In 1870 he was elected Judge of the same circuit, and under the new Constitution, was chosen Judge of the new Fourteenth Circuit. From 1877 to 1879 he represented the (then) Thirteenth Illinois District in Congress, but. in 1878, was defeated by Adlai E. Stevenson, the Democratic nominee. In 1891 he was re-elected to a seat on the Circuit bench for the Bloomington Circuit, but resumed practice at the expiration of his term in 1897.
TISKILWA, a village of Bureau County, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, 7 miles southwest of Princeton; has creameries and cheese factories, churches, school, library, water- works, bank and a newspaper. . Pop. (1900), 965.
TODD, (Col.) John, soldier, was born in Mont- gomery County, Pa., in 1750; took part in the battle of Point Pleasant, Va., in 1774, as Adju- tant-General of General Lewis; settled as a lawyer at Fincastle, Va., and, in 1775, removed to Fayette County, Ky., the next year locating near Lexington. He was one of the first two Delegates from Kentucky County to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and, in 1778, accompanied Col. George Rogers Clark on his expedition against Kaskaskia and Vincennes. In Decem- ber, 1778, he was appointed by Gov. Patrick Henry, Lieutenant .Commandant of Illinois County, embracing the region northwest of the Ohio River, serving two years; in 1780, was again a member of the Virginia Legislature, where he procured grants of land for public schools and introduced a bill for negro-emancipation. He was killed by Indians, at the battle of Blue Licks, Ky., August 19, 1782.
TODD, (Dr.) John, physician, born near Lex- ington, Ky., April 27, 1787, was one of the earli- est graduates of Transylvania University, also graduating at the Medical University of Phila- delphia; was appointed Surgeon-General of Ken- tueky troops in the War of 1812, and captured at the battle of River Raisin. Returning to Lex- . ington after his release, he practiced there and at Bardstown, removed to Edwardsville, Ill., in 1817, and, in 1827, to Springfield, where he had been appointed Register of the Land Office by
President John Quincy Adams, but was removed by Jackson in 1829. Dr. Todd continued to reside at Springfield until his death, which occurred, Jan. 9, 1565. Ile was a grandson of John Todd, who was appointed Commandant of Illinois County by Gov. Patrick Henry in 1778, and an uncle of Mrs. Abraham Lincoln .- John Blair Smith (Todd), son of the preceding, was born at Lexington, Ky., April 4, 1814; came with his father to Illinois in 1817; graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1837, serving after- wards in the Florida and Mexican wars and on the frontier; resigned, and was an Indian-trader in Dakota, 1856-61; the latter year, took his seat as a Delegate in Congress from Dakota, then served as Brigadier-General of Volun- teers, 1861-62; was again Delegate in Congress in 1863-65, Speaker of the Dakota Legislature in 1867, and Governor of the Territory, 1869 71. Died, at Yankton City, Jan. 5, 1872.
TOLEDO, a village and the county-seat of Cumberland County, on the Illinois Central Rail- road; founded in 1854; has five churches, a graded school, two banks, creamery, flour mill, elevator, and two weekly newspapers. There are no manu- factories. the leading industry in the surrounding country being agriculture. Pop. (1800), 676; (1900), 818.
TOLEDO, CINCINNATI & ST. LOUIS RAIL- ROAD. (See Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad.)
TOLEDO, PEORIA & WARSAW RAILROAD. (See Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway )
TOLEDO, PEORIA & WESTERN RAILROAD. (See Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway.)
TOLEDO, PEORIA & WESTERN RAILWAY, a line of railroad wholly within the State of Illi- nois, extending from Effner, at the Indiana State line, west to the Mississippi River at Warsaw. The length of the whole line is 230.7 miles, owned entirely by the company. It is made up of a division from Effner to Peoria (110 9 miles) -- which is practically an air-line throughout nearly its entire length-and the Peoria and Warsaw Division (108.8 miles) with branches from La Harpe to Iowa Junction (10.4 miles) and 0.6 of a mile connecting with the Keokuk bridge at Hamilton .- (HISTORY.) The original charter for this line was granted. in 1863. under the name of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad; the main line was completed in 1868, and the La Harpe & Iowa Junction branch in 1873. Default was made in 1873 the road sold under foreclosure. in 1880, and reorganized as the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad, and the liue leased for 4914
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years to the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company. The latter defaulted in July, 1884, and, a year later, the Toledo, Peoria & Western was transferred to trustees for the first mortgage bond-holders, was sold under foreclosure in October, 1886, and, in March, ISST, the present company, under the name of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway Company, was organized for the purpose of taking over the property. In 1893 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company obtained a controlling interest in the stock, and, in 1894, an agreement, for joint ownership and management, was entered into between that corporation and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Com- pany. The total capitalization, in 1895, was $0,712,-133, of which $4,076,900 was in stoek and $4,895,000 in bonds.
TOLEDO, ST. LOUIS & KANSAS CITY RAIL- ROAD. This line crosses the State in a northeast direction from East St. Louis to Humrick, near the Indiana State line, with Toledo as its eastera terminus. The length of the entire line is 450.72 miles, of which 17912 miles are operated in Illi- nois .- (HISTORY.) The Illinois portion of the line grew out of the union of charters granted to the Tuscola, Charleston & Vincennes and the Charleston, Neoga & St. Louis Railroad Com- panies, which were consolidated in 1881 with certain Indiana lines under the name of the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad. During 1SS2 a narrow-gange road was constructed from Ridge Farm, in Vermilion County, to East St. Louis (172 miles). In 1895 this was sold under foreclosure and, in June, 1886, consolidated with the main line under the name of the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad. The whole line was changed to standard gauge in 1887-89, and otherwise materially improved, but, in 1893, went into the hands of receivers. Plans of re- organization have been under consideration, but the receivers were still in control in 1898.
TOLEDO, WABASH & WESTERN RAIL- ROAD. (See Wabash Railroad.)
TOLONO, a city in Champaign County, situ- ated at the intersection of the Wabash and the Illinois Central Railroads, 9 miles south of Cham- paign and 37 miles east-northeast of Decatur. It is the business center of a prosperous agricultural region. The town has five churches, a graded school, a bank, a button factory, and a weekly newspaper. Population (1850), 905; (1890), 902; (1900). 845.
TONICA, a village of La Salle County, on the Illinois Central Railway, 9 miles south of La Salle; the district is agricultural, but the place has some
manufactures and a newspaper. Population (1890), 473: (1900), 497.
TOMTY. Chevalier Henry de, explorer and sol- dier, born at Gaeta, Italy, about 1650 What is now known as the Tontine system of insurance undoubtedly originated with his father. The younger Tonty was adventurous, and, even as a youth, took part in numerous land and naval encounters. In the course of his experience he lost a hand, which was replaced by an iron or copper substitute. He embarked with La Salle in 1678, and aided in the construction of a fort at Niagara. Ile advanced into the country of the Illinois and established friendly relations with them. only to witness the defeat of his putative savage allies by the Iroquois. After various encounters (ehietly under the direction of La Salle with the Indians in Illinois, he returned to Green Bay in 1GS1. The same year-under La Salle's orders-he began the erection of Fort St. Louis, on what is now called "Starved Rock" in La Salle County. In 1682 he descended the Mis- sissippi to its mouth, with La Salle, but was ordered back to Mackinaw for assistance. In 1684 he returned to Illinois and successfully repulsed the Iroquois from Fort St. Louis. In 1686 he again descended the Mississippi in search of La Salle. Disheartened by the death of his commander and the loss of his early comrades, he took up his residence with the Illinois Indians. Among them he was found by Iberville in 1700, as a hunter and fur-trader. He died, in Mobile, in September, 1704. Ile was La Salle's most effi- cient coadjutor, and next to his ill-fated leader, did more than any other of the early Freneli explorers to make Illinois known to the civilized world.
TOPOGRAPHY. Illinois is, generally speak- ing, an elevated table-land. If low water at Cairo be adopted as the maximum depression, and the summits of the two ridges hereinafter men- tioned as the highest points of elevation, the alti- tude of this table land above the sea-level varies from 300 to 850 feet, the mean elevation being about 600 feet. The State has no mountain chains, and its few hills are probably the result of unequal denudation during the drift epoch. In some localities, particularly in the valley of the upper Mississippi, the streams have cut channels from 200 to 300 feet deep through the nearly horizontal strata, and here are found pre- eipitous scarps, but, for the most part. the fundamental rocks are covered by a thick layer of detrital material. In the northwest there is a broken tract of uneven ground; the central por-
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tion of the State is almost wholly flat prairie, and, in the alluvial lands in the State, there are many deep valleys, eroded by the action of streams. The surface generally slopes toward the south and southwest, but the uniformity is broken by two ridges, which cross the State, one in either extremity. The northern ridge crosses the Rock River at Grand Detour and the Illinois at Split Rock, with an extreme altitude of 800 to 850 feet above sea level, though the altitude of Mount Morris, in Ogle County, exceeds 900 feet. That in the south consists of a range of hills in the latitude of Jonesboro, and extending from Shawneetown to Grand Tower. These hills are also about 800 feet above the level of the ocean. The highest point in the State is in Jo Daviess County, just south of the Wisconsin State line (near Seale's Mound) reaching an elevation of 1,257 feet above sea-level, while the highest in the south is in the northeast corner of Pope County -- 1,046 feet -- a spur of the Ozark moun- tains. The following statistics regarding eleva- tions are taken from a report of Prof. C. W. Rolfe, of the University of Illinois, based on observations inade under the auspices of the Illi- nois Board of World's Fair Commissioners: The lowest gauge of the Ohio river, at its mouth (above sea-level), is 268.58 feet, and the mean level of Lake Michigan at Chicago 581.28 feet. The altitudes of a few prominent points are as follows: Ilighest point in Jackson County, 695 feet; "Bald Knob" in Union County, 995; high- est point in Cook County (Barrington), 818; in La Salle County (Mendota), 747; in Livingston (Strawn), 770; in Will (Monee), 804; in Pike (Arden), 790; in Lake (Lake Zurich), 880; in Bureau, 910: in Boone, 1,010; in Lee (Carnahan), 1,017; in Stephenson (Waddam's Grove), 1,018; in Kane (Briar Hill). 974; in Winnebago, 955. The elevations of important towns are: Peoria, 465; Jacksonville, 602; Springfield, 596; Gales- burg, 755; Joliet, 537; Rockford, 728: Blooming- ton, 821. Outside of the immediate valleys of the streams, and a few isolated groves or eopses, little timber is found in the northern and central portions of the State, and such growth as there is, lacks the thriftiness characteristic of the for- ests in the Ohio valley. These forests cover a belt extending some sixty miles north of Cairo, and, while they generally inelude few coniferous trees, they abound in various species of oak, black and white walnut, white and yellow pop- lar, ash, elm. sugar-maple, linden, honey locust, cottonwood. mulberry, syeamore, peean, persim- mon, and (in the immediate valley of the Ohio)
the eypress. From a commercial point of view. Illinois loses nothing through the lack of timber over three-fourths of the State's area. Chicago is an accessible market for the product of the forests of the upper lakes, so that the supply of lumber is ample, while extensive eoal-fields sup- ply abundant fuel. The rich soil of the prairies, with its abundance of organic matter (see Geo- logical Formations), more than compensates for the want of pine forests, whose soil is ill adapted to agriculture. About two-thirds of the entire boundary of the State consists of navigable waters. These, with their tributary streanis, ensure sufficient drainage.
TORRENS LAND TITLE SYSTEM. A system for the registration of titles to, and incumbrances upon, land, as well as transfers thereof, intended to remove all unnecessary obstructions to the cheap, simple and safe sale. acquisition and transfer of realty. The system has been in suc- cessful operation in Canada. Australia, New Zea- land and British Columbia for many years, and it is also in force in some States in the American Union. An act providing for its introduction into Illinois was first passed by the Twenty- ninth General Assembly, and approved, June 13, 1895. The tinal legislation in reference thereto was enacted by the succeeding Legislature, and was approved, May 1, 1897. It is far more elabo- rate in its consideration of details, and is believed to be, in many respects, much better adapted to accomplish the ends in view, than was the origi- nal act of 1895. The law is applicable only to counties of the first and second elass, and can be adopted in no county except by a vote of a majority of the qualified voters of the same-the vote "for" or "against" to be taken at either the November or April elections, or at an election for the choice of Judges. Thus far the only county to adopt the system has been Cook, and there it encountered strong opposition on the part of certain parties of influence and wealth. After its adoption, a test case was brought, rais- ing the question of the constitutionality of the act. The issue was taken to the Supreme Court, which tribunal finally upheld the law. - The Torrens system substitutes a certificate of regis- tration and of transfer for the more elaborate deeds and mortgages in use for centuries. Under it there can be no actual transfer of a title until the same is entered upon the public land regis- ter, kept in the office of the Registrar, in which case the deed or mortgage becomes a mere power of attorney to authorize the transfer to be made. upon the principle of an ordinary stoek transfer,
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or of the registration of a United States bond, the actual transfer and public notice thereof being simultaneous. A brief synopsis of the pro- visions of the Illinois statute is given below: Recorders of deeds are made Registrars, and required to give bonds of either $50,000 or $200,- 000, according to the population of the county. Any person or corporation, having an interest in land, may make application to any court having chancery jurisdiction. to have his title thereto registered. ' Such application must be in writ- ing, signed and verified by oath, and must con- form, in matters of specification and detail, with the requirements of the act. The court may refer the application to one of the standing examiners appointed by the Registrar, who are required to be competent attorneys and to give bond to ex- amine into the title, as well as the truth of the applicant's statements. Immediately upon the filing of the application, notice thereof is given by the clerk, through publication and the issuance of a summons to be served, as in other proceed- ings in chancery, against all persons mentioned in the petition as having or claiming any inter- est in the property described. Any person inter- estedl, whether named as a defendant or not, may enter an appearance within the time allowed. A failure to enter an appearance is regarded as a confession by default. The court, in passing upon the application, is in no case bound by the examiner's report, but may require other and further proof ; and, in its final adjudication, passes upon all questions of title and incumbrance, directing the Registrar to register the title in the party in whom it is to be vested, and making provision as to the manner and order in which incumbrances thereon shall appear upon the certificate to be issued. An appeal may be allowed to the Supreme Court, if prayed at the time of entering the decree, upon like terms as in other cases in chancery; and a writ of error may be sued out from that tribunal within two years after the entry of the order or decree. The period last mentioned may be said to be the statutory period of limitation, after which the decree of the court must be regarded as final, although safeguards are provided for those who may have been defrauded, and for a few other classes of persons. Upon the filing of the order or deeree of the court, it becomes the duty of the Registrar to issue a certificate of title. the form oi which is prescribed by the act, making such notations at the end as shall show and preserve the priorities of all estates. mortgages, incum- brances and changes to which the owner's title is
subject. For the purpose of preserving evidence of the owner's handwriting, a receipt for the certificate, duly witnessed or acknowledged, is required of him, which is preserved in the Regis- trar's office. In case any registered owner should desire to transfer the whole or any part of his estate, or any interest therein, he is required to execute a conveyance to the transteree, which, together with the certificate of title last issued, must be surrendered to the Registrar. That official thereupon issues a new certificate, stamp- ing the word "cancelled" across the surrendered certificate. as well as upon the corresponding entry in his books of record. When land is first brought within the operation of the act. the receiver of the certificate of title is required to pay to the Registrar one-tenth of one per cent of the value of the hind, the aggregate so received to be deposited with and invested by the County Treasurer, and reserved as an indemnity fund for the reimbursement of persons sustaining any loss through any omission, mistake or malfea- sance of the Registrar or his subordinates. The advantage claimed for the Torrens system is. chiefly, that titles registered thereunder ean be dealt with more safely, quickly and inexpensively than under the old system; it being possible to close the entire transaction within an hour or two, without the need of an abstract of title, while (as the law is administered in Cook County) the cost of transfer is only $3. It is asserted that a title, once registered. can be dealt with almost as quickly and cheaply, and quite as safely, as shares of stock or registered bonds.
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