Thomas Henry McNeill

Narrative:

     Thomas Henry McNeill was born on 4 Mar 1849 in Coahoma Co., Mississippi.^7,8,9
     The family has not been found in the 1850 or 1860 census, when they are believed to have been living there.¹⁵
     His mother died on 22 Nov 1859, when Thomas was 10 years old.^16,17,18
     His father died on 29 Nov 1866, when Thomas was 17 years old.^19,20,21,22
     When the Great Chicago fire started 8 Oct 1871 Thomas and his older brother Henry, who was working in the city, were boarding together. They slept until the fire was nearby, then left so hurriedly that they lost some of their clothes.²³

His Grandfather's Will --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Thomas was named an heir in the will of Malcom McNeill, his grandfather, dated 8 Nov 1873 in Christian Co., Kentucky, to receive, shared with his eight siblings, the northern part of his plantation in Christian Co., an 11½ acre lot in Memphis two miles outside that city, to be sold rented or divided as the executors thought proper, and the rents on five lots in Chicago. One of them had a four story house, one was vacant, and three which had houses before the great 1871 fire which were to be rebuilt by him or his executor, and the other half of the lot left to his aunt Martha. Title to these lots was to be given to the then living siblings when the youngest of them reached the age of 21, but not to any who had sold their interest before then.^24,25 In addition, he was to receive with his eight siblings, 6½ square miles (about 4,160 acres) of land in Coahoma Co., Mississippi. The executors were to sell, rent, or do what they thought best with it in the interests of the children, with any proceeds to be divided equally between them. He was also to receive his grandfather's gold sleeve button (the other having been lost.)²⁵
     His grandfather had sold his 3,000-acre Lake Charles Plantation, in Coahoma Co., Mississippi, some years prior, but the buyer defaulted on the mortgage, and he re-purchased it at auction a few days before his death 21 Feb 1875. Since he had not owned it when he wrote his will the will contained no provision for it, so it passed to his 17 grandchildren under the clause dealing with estate not "willed away." Thomas thus received a 1/17th undivided interest in the plantation.²⁶
     Thomas sold his one-ninth interest in the northern half of his grandfather's plantation in Christian Co., Kentucky, which he had left to him and his siblings, to his brother Malcom on 13 Mar 1881, for $350.²⁸
     Thomas sold his one-ninth interest in his 4,100-acre property west of Clarksdale, Coahoma Co., Mississippi, to his brother Malcom on 2 Jan 1883, for $800.²⁹
     Thomas sold his one-seventeenth interest in his grandfather's 3,000-acre Lake Charles Plantation on the Mississippi River, in Bolivar and Coahoma Co., Mississippi, to his brother Malcom on 14 Oct 1882, for $1,000.²⁹

Marriage and Family Matters --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Thomas married Hannah E. Hammond, daughter of Luther Hammond and Margaret D. Tuton, on 29 Nov 1882 in Rockford, Winnebago Co., Illinois, with Rev. T. R. Strobridge officiating.^10,11
     Reported he was a merchant when he was married.³⁰
     He joined with a number of her siblings, their spouses, and the children of her deceased sister, in filing a contest to the will of Sarah Elizabeth Tuck, his mother's sister, on 20 Oct 1883. When the case was tried before a jury in Shelby County Circuit Court in early 1885 they lost. They appealed the decision to Tennessee Supreme Court where they lost again when the case was heard in the Apr 1886.³¹

Joining the Real Estate Industry --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     The Chicago properties left to Thomas and his siblings by their grandfather were held in trust for them under the terms of the will until the youngest of them, Alexander, reached age 21 in Aug 1885. The eight surviving siblings (Henry having died in the meantime) then took title as a group. They shortly agreed on a plan to divide the properties into two groups. Rivers, Thomas and Ellen were given title to some properties, including 201- 203 South Clark St., by deed on 16 Nov 1885. In exchange, all the other Chicago properties, and $96,115.36 in cash, were received by Flora, Malcom, Benjamin, William and Alexander.
     The three owners of 201-203 South Clark St. collected the rents and paid taxes on the property until Apr 1905, when they leased the lot for 198 years to The Commercial National Safe Deposit Company for $12,000 annually. Using the metrics of the day, this implied the property was worth $300,000, or $83.33 per square foot, a record for the city until then, but exceeded by another parcel involved in the transaction. The lessee agreed to erect a 19-story building on this and adjoining lots, to cost $4,000,000.^32,33
     In the fall of 1885 Thomas and his brother Rivers entered the real estate business in Chicago to manage and improve vacant land owned by them and their sister Ellen. Their older brothers were already established in that industry there. Thomas and Rivers operated under the firm name of McNeill Brothers, which by 1887 was located at 201 Clark St.^34,35,36,37 Their brother Benjamin joined them about 1891, but for how long is unclear as the city directories after that are not available until 1900, when he was listed as operating independently.³⁸
     Thomas and Nannie appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, at 925 West Jackson Blvd., enumerated 7 Jun 1900, reporting that the family owned its home, free of mortgage. Their children Thomas and Henry were listed as living with them.³⁹
     Thomas, Rivers, and Ellen replaced the buildings on their lot at 323-325 W. Jackson Blvd., at Market St. (now South Wacker Dr.), just off the south branch of the Chicago River. They completed a new building on part of the lot in 1903, with the intention of adding an addition later. The building, known as the McNeill Building, was then in the heart of the wholesale district, and was occupied largely by suit and cloak merchants. The addition was constructed in 1911, after the owners obtained a loan of $250,000 from the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, in addition to a previous loan of $130,000.^41,42
     The addition, matching the original building, was ten stories and basement, designed to be increased to twelve stories later. It was described as "a high grade building, of skeleton fireproof construction," to cost about $250,000. The street fronts were "to be faced with Continental paving brick and terra cotta, the windows glazed with plate glass." The store fronts were to be built "with ornamental castiron frames and large plate glass windows."⁴⁰
     Thomas and Rivers relocated their business to 246 Jackson Blvd. after they leased the ground under the building at 201-203 Clark St. to others.^43,44 They relocated to 323 West Jackson about 1912, and continued to operate there until Rivers' death in 1918. Thomas continued under that firm name until his death in 1925.^45,46,47
     ThomasThe family has not been found in the 1910 census, though all evidence suggests they were living in Chicago.
     Thomas and Nannie appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, at 2250 Jackson Blvd, enumerated 9 Jan 1920, reporting that the family owned its home, free of mortgage. Their children Thomas and Henry were listed as living with them.⁴⁸
     Thomas died on 11 Jun 1925 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, at age 76.^12,13 He was buried on 13 Jun 1925 in Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois.¹⁴
     His estate was probated on 8 Aug 1925. Under his will, his widow was to receive his entire estate for her lifetime. At her death it was to pass equally to their two sons. The estate was reported to be worth $400,000.⁴⁹