Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 105

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876

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TAXATION, in its legal sense, the mode of raising revenue. In its general sense its purposes are the support of the State and local govern- ments, the promotion of the public good by fostering education and works of public improve- ment, the protection of society by the preser- vation of order and the punishment of crime, and the support of the helpless and destitute. In practice, and as prescribed by the Constitution, the raising of revenue is required to be done "by levying a tax by valuation, so that every person and corporation shall pay a tax in proportion to the value of his, her or its property-such value to be ascertained by some person or persons, to be elected or appointed in such manner as the Gen- eral Assembly shall direct, and not otherwise." (State Constitution, 1870-Art. Revenue, Sec. 1.) The person selected under the law to make this valuation is the Assessor of the county or the township (in counties under township organiza- tion), and he is required to make a return to the County Board at its July meeting each year-the latter having authority to hear complaints of tax- payers and adjust inequalities when found to exist. It is made the duty of the Assessor to

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include in his return, as real-estate, all lands and the buildings or other improvements erected thereon; and, under the head of personal prop- erty, all tangible effects, besides moneys, credits, bonds or stocks, shares of stock of companies or corporations, investments, annuities, franchises, royalties, etc. Property used for school, church or cemetery purposes, as well as public buildings and other property belonging to the State and General Government, municipalities, public charities, public libraries, agricultural and scien- tific societies, are declared exempt. Nominally, all property subject to taxation is required to be assessed at its cash valuation ; but, in reality, the valuation, of late years, has been on a basis of twenty-five to thirty-three per cent of its esti- mated cash value. In the larger cities, however, the valuation is often much lower than this, while very large amounts escape assessment altogether. The Revenue Act, passed at the special session of the Fortieth General Assembly (1898), requires the Assessor to make a return of all property subject to taxation in his district, at its cash valuation, upon which a Board of Review fixes a tax on the basis of twenty per cent of such cash valuation. An abstract of the property assessment of each county goes before the State Board of Equalization, at its annual meeting in August, for the purpose of comparison and equal- izing valuations between counties, but the Board has no power to modify the assessments of indi- vidual tax-payers. (See State Board of Equali- zation.) This Board has exclusive power to fix the valuation for purposes of taxation of the capital stock or franchises of companies (except certain specified manufacturing corporations), in- corporated under the State laws, together with the "railroad track" and "rolling stock" of railroads, and the capital stock of railroads and telegraph lines, and to fix the distribution of the latter between counties in which they lie .- The Consti- tution of 1848 empowered the Legislature to impose a capitation tax, of not less than fifty cents nor more than one dollar, upon each free white male citizen entitled to the right of suf- frage, between the ages of 21 and 60 years, but the Constitution of 1870 grants no such power, though it authorizes the extension of the "objects and subjects of taxation" in accordance with the principle contained in the first section of the Revenue Article .- Special assessments in cities, for the construction of sewers, pavements, etc., being local and in the form of benefits, cannot he said to come under the head of general tax- ation. The same is to be said of revenue derived

from fines and penalties, which are forms of punishment for specific offenses, and go to the benefit of certain specified funds.

TAYLOR, Abner, ex-Congressman, is a native of Maine, and a resident of Chicago. He has been in active business all his life as contractor, builder and merchant, and, for some time, a member of the wholesale dry-goods firm of J. V. Farwell & Co., of Chicago. He was a member of the Thirty- fourth General Assembly, a delegate to the National Republican Convention of 1884, and represented the First Illinois District in the Fifty- first and Fifty-second Congresses, 1889 to 1893. Mr. Taylor was one of the contractors for the erection of the new State Capitol of Texas.

TAYLOR, Benjamin Franklin, journalist, poet and lecturer, was born at Lowville, N. Y., July 19, 1819; graduated at Madison University in 1839, the next year becoming literary and dra- matic critic of "The Chicago Evening Journal." Here, in a few years, he acquired a wide reputa- tion as a journalist and poet, and was much in demand as a lecturer on literary topics. His letters from the field during the Rebellion, as war correspondent of "The Evening Journal," won for him even a greater popularity, and were complimented by translation into more than one European language. After the war, he gave his attention more unreservedly to literature, his principal works appearing after that date. His publications in book form, including both prose and poetry, comprise the following: "Attractions of Language" (1845); "January and June" (1853); "Pictures in Camp and Field" (1871) ; "The World on Wheels" (1873) ; "Old Time Pic- tures and Sheaves of Rhyme" (1874); "Songs of Yesterday" (1877); "Summer Savory Gleaned from Rural Nooks" (1879); "Between the Gates" -pictures of California life-(1881) ; "Dulce Domum, the Burden of Song" (1884), and "Theo- philus Trent, or Old Times in the Oak Openings," a novel (1887). The last was in the hands of the publishers at his death, Feb. 27, 1887. Among his most popular poems are "The Isle of the Long Ago," "The Old Village Choir, " and "Rhymes of the River." "The London Times" complimented Mr. Taylor with the title of "The Oliver Gold- smith of America."

TAYLOR, Edmund Dick, early Indian-trader and legislator, was born at Fairfield C. H., Va., Oct. 18, 1802-the son of a commissary in tlie army of the Revolution, under General Greene. and a cousin of General (later, President) Zachary Taylor; left his native State in his youth and, at an early day, came to Springfield, Ill., where he

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opened an Indian-trading post and general store; was elected from Sangamon County to the lower branch of the Seventh General Assembly (1830) and re-elected in 1832-the latter year being a competitor of Abraham Lincoln, whom he defeated. In 1834 he was elected to the State Senate and, at the next session of the Legislature, was one of the celebrated "Long Nine" who secured the removal of the State Capital to Springfield. He resigned before the close of his term to accept, from President Jackson, the ap- pointment of Receiver of Public Moneys at Chi- cago. Here he became one of the promoters of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad (1837), serving as one of the Commissioners to secure subscriptions of stock, and was also active in advocating the construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The title of "Colonel," by which he was known during most of his life, was acquired by service, with that rank, on the staff of Gov. John Reynolds, during the Black Hawk War of 1832. After coming to Chicago, Colonel Taylor became one of the Trustees of the Chicago branch of the State Bank, and was later identified with various banking enterprises, as also a some- what extensive operator in real estate. An active Democrat in the early part of his career in Illi- nois, Colonel Taylor was one of the members of his party to take ground against the Kansas-Neb- raska bill in 1854, and advocated the election of General Bissell to the governorship in 1856. In 1860 he was again in line with his party in sup- port of Senator Douglas for the Presidency, and was an opponent of the war policy of the Govern- ment still later, as shown by his participation in the celebrated "Peace Convention" at Spring- field, of June 17, 1863. In the latter years of his life he became extensively interested in coal lands in La Salle and adjoining counties, and, for a considerable time, served as President of the Northern Illinois Coal & Mining Company, his home, during a part of this period, being at Mendota. Died, in Chicago, Dec. 4, 1891.

TAYLORVILLE, a city and county-seat of Christian County, on the South Fork of the Sanga- mon River and on the Wabash Railway at its point of intersection with the Springfield Division of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern. It is about 27 miles southeast of Springfield, and 28 miles southwest of Decatur. It has several banks, flour mills, paper mill, electric light and gas plants, water-works, two coal mines, carriage and wagon shops, a manufactory of farming implements, two daily and weekly papers, nine churches and five graded and township high

schools. Much coal is mined in this vicinity. Pop. (1890), 2,839; (1900), 4,248.

TAZEWELL COUNTY, a central county on the Illinois River; was first settled in 1823 and organized in 1827; has an area of 650 square miles -was named for Governor Tazewell of Virginia. It is drained by the Illinois and Mackinaw Rivers and traversed by several lines of railway. The surface is generally level, the soil alluvial and rich, but, requiring drainage, especially on the river bottoms. Gravel, coal and sandstone are found, but, generally speaking, Tazewell is an agricultural county. The cereals are extensively cultivated; wool is also clipped, and there are dairy interests of some importance. Distilling is extensively conducted at Pekin, the county-seat, which is also the seat of other mechanical indus- tries. (See also Pekin.) Population of the county (1880), 29,666 ; (1890), 29,556; (1900), 33,221.

TEMPLE, John Taylor, M.D., early Chicago physician, born in Virginia in 1804, graduated in medicine at Middlebury College, Vt., in 1830, and, in 1833, arrived in Chicago. At this time he had a contract for carrying the United States mail from Chicago to Fort Howard, near Green Bay, and the following year undertook a similar con- tract between Chicago and Ottawa. Having sold these out three years later, he devoted his atten- tion to the practice of his profession, though interested, for a time, in contracts for the con- struction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Dr. Temple was instrumental in erecting the first house (after Rev.' Jesse Walker's missionary station at Wolf Point), for public religious worship in Chicago, and, although himself a Baptist, it was used in common by Protestant denominations. He was a member of the first Board of Trustees of Rush Medical College, though he later became a convert to homeopathy, and finally, removing to St. Louis, assisted in founding the St. Louis School of Homeopathy, dying there, Feb. 24, 1877.

TENURE OF OFFICE. (See Elections.)

TERRE HAUTE, ALTON & ST. LOUIS RAILROAD. (See St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad.)

TERRE HAUTE & ALTON RAILROAD (See St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad.)

TERRE HAUTE & INDIANAPOLIS RAIL- ROAD, a corporation operating no line of its own within the State, but the lessee and operator of the following lines (which see): St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute, 158.3 miles; Terre Haute & Peoria, 145.12 miles; East St. Louis & Carondelet, 12.74 miles-total length of leased

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lines in Illinois, 316.16 miles. The Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad was incorporated in Indiana in 1847, as the Terre Haute & Rich- mond, completed a line between the points named in the title, in 1852, and took its present name in 1866. The Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany purchased a controlling interest in its stock in 1893.

TERRE HAUTE & PEORIA RAILROAD, (Vandalia Line), a line of road extending from Terre Haute, Ind., to Peoria, Ill., 145.12 miles, with 28.78 miles of trackage, making in all 173.9 miles in operation, all being in Illinois-operated by the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Com- pany. The gauge is standard, and the rails are steel. (HISTORY.) It was organized Feb. 7, 1887, successor to the Illinois Midland Railroad. The latter was made up by the consolidation (Nov. 4, 1874) of three lines: (1) The Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur Railroad, chartered in 1869 and opened in 1874; (2) the Paris & Decatur Railroad, chartered in 1861 and opened in December, 1872; and (3) the Paris & Terre Haute Railroad, chartered in 1873 and opened in 1874 - the consolidated lines assuming the name of the Illinois Midland Rail- road. In 1886 the Illinois Midland was sold under foreclosure and, in February, 1887, reorganized as the Terre Haute & Peoria Railroad. In 1892 it was leased for ninety-nine years to tlie Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company, and is operated as a part of the "Vandalia System." The capital stock (1898) was $3,764,200; funded debt, $2,230,000,-total capital invested, $6,227,- 481.

TEUTOPOLIS, a village of Effingham County, on the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad, 4 miles east of Effingham; was originally settled by a colony of Germans from Cincinnati. Popu- lation (1900), 498.

THOMAS, Horace H., lawyer and legislator, was born in Vermont, Dec. 18, 1831, graduated at Middlebury College, and, after admission to the bar, removed to Chicago, where he commenced practice. At the outbreak of the rebellion he enlisted and was commissioned Assistant Adju- tant-General of the Army of the Ohio. At the close of the war he took up his residence in Ten- nessee, serving as Quartermaster upon the staff of Governor Brownlow. In 1867 he returned to Chicago and resumed practice. He was elected a Representative in the Legislature in 1878 and re-elected in 1880, being chosen Speaker of the House during his latter term. In 1888 he was elected State Senator from the Sixth District, serving during the sessions of the Thirty-sixth

and Thirty-seventh General Assemblies. In 1897, General Thomas was appointed United States Appraiser in connection with the Custom House in Chicago.

THOMAS, Jesse Burgess, jurist and United States Senator, was born at Hagerstown, Md., claiming direct descent from Lord Baltimore. Taken west in childhood, he grew to manhood and settled at Lawrenceburg, Indiana Territory, in 1803; in 1805 was Speaker of the Territorial Legislature and, later, represented the Territory as Delegate in Congress. On the organization of Illinois Territory (which he had favored), he removed to Kaskaskia, was appointed one of the first Judges for the new Territory, and, in 1818, as Delegate from St. Clair County, presided over the first State Constitutional Convention, and, on the admission of the State, became one of the first United States Senators-Governor Edwards being his colleague. Though an avowed advo- cate of slavery, lie gained no little prominence as the author of the celebrated "Missouri Com- promise," adopted in 1820. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1823, serving until 1829. He sub- sequently removed to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he died by suicide, May 4, 1853 .- Jesse Burgess (Thomas), Jr., nephew of the United States Sena- tor of the same name, was born at Lebanon, Ohio, July 31, 1806, was educated at Transylvania University, and, being admitted to the bar, located at Edwardsville, Ill. He first appeared in connection with public affairs as Secretary of the State Senate in 1830, being re-elected in 1832; in 1834 was elected Representative in the General Assembly from Madison County, but, in Febru- ary following, was appointed Attorney-General, serving only one year. He afterwards held the position of Circuit Judge (1837-39), his home being then in Springfield; in 1843 he became Associ- ate Justice of the Supreme Court, by appointment of the Governor, as successor to Stephen A. Doug- las, and was afterwards elected to the same office by the Legislature, remaining until 1848. During a part of his professional career he was tlie partner of David Prickett and William L. May, at Springfield, and afterwards a member of the Galena bar, finally removing to Chicago, where he died, Feb. 21, 1850 .- Jesse B. (Thomas) third, clergyman and son of the last named; born at Edwardsville, Ill., July 29, 1832; educated at Kenyon College, Ohio, and Rochester (N. Y.) Theological Seminary; practiced law for a time in Chicago, but finally entered the Baptist minis- try, serving churches at Waukegan, Ill., Brook- lyn, N. Y., and San Francisco (1862-69). He

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then became pastor of the Michigan Avenue Bap- tist Church, in Chicago, remaining until 1874, when he returned to Brooklyn. In 1887 lie became Professor of Biblical History in the Theological Seminary at Newton, Mass., where he has since resided. He is the author of several volumes, and, in 1866, received the degree of D.D. from the old University of Chicago.

THOMAS, John, pioneer and soldier of the Black Hawk War, was born in Wythe County, Va., Jan. 11, 1800. At the age of 18 he accom- panied his parents to St. Clair County, Ill., where the family located in what was then called the Alexander settlement, near the present site of Shiloh. When he was 22 he rented a farm (although he had not enough money to buy a horse) and married. Six years later he bought and stocked a farm, and, from that time forward, rapidly accumulated real property, until he became one of the most extensive owners of farm- ing land in St. Clair County. In early life he was fond of military exercise, holding various offices in local organizations and serving as a Colonel in the Black Hawk War. In 1824 he was one of the leaders of the party opposed to the amendment of the State Constitution to sanction slavery, was a zealous opponent of the Kansas- Nebraska bill in 1854, and a firm supporter of the Republican party from the date of its formation. He was elected to the lower house of the General Assembly in 1838, '62, '64, '72 and '74; and to the State Senate in 1878, serving four years in the latter body. Died, at Belleville, Dec. 16, 1894, in the 95th year of his age.

THOMAS, John R., ex-Congressman, was born at Mount Vernon, Ill., Oct. 11, 1846. He served in the Union Army during the War of the Rebel- lion, rising from the ranks to a captaincy. After his return liome he studied law, and was admit- ted to the bar in 1869. From 1872 to 1876 he was State's Attorney, and, from 1879 to 1889, repre- sented his District in Congress. In 1897, Mr. Thomas was appointed by President Mckinley an additional United States District Judge for Indian Territory. His home is now at Vanita, in that Territory.

THOMAS, William, pioneer lawyer and legis- lator, was born in what is now Allen County, Ky., Nov. 22, 1802; received a rudimentary edu- cation, and served as deputy of his father (who was Sheriff), and afterwards of the County Clerk ; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1823; in 1826 removed to Jacksonville, Ill., where he tauglit school, served as a private in the Winne- bago War (1827), and at the session of 1828-29,

reported the proceedings of the General Assem- bly for "The Vandalia Intelligencer"; was State's Attorney and School Commissioner of Morgan County ; served as Quartermaster and Commis- sary in the Black Hawk War (1831-32), first under Gen. Joseph Duncan and, a year later, under General Whiteside; in 1839 was appointed Circuit Judge, but legislated out of office two years later. It was as a member of the Legislature, however, that he gained the greatest prominence, first as State Senator in 1834-40, and Representative in 1846-48 and 1850-52, when he was especially influ- ential in the legislation which resulted in estab- lishing the institutions for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind, and the Hospital for the Insane (the first in the State) at Jacksonville-serving, for a time, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the latter. He was also prominent in connec- tion with many enterprises of a local cliaracter, including the establishment of the Illinois Female College, to which, although without children of his own, he was a liberal contributor. During the first year of the war lie was a member of the Board of Army Auditors by appointment of Gov- ernor Yates. Died, at Jacksonville, August 22, 1889.

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 witli 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, 1789; 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 Jolin 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 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 from 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, Ill., 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. Louis 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, Ill., 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 colonelcy, and, in July, 1865, was mustered out with the rank of brevet Brigadier-General; for two years later held 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.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 105

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Number of Pages: 876

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876