Rivers McNeill

Narrative:

     Rivers McNeill was born on 12 Nov 1858 near Lafayette, Christian Co., Kentucky.^8,9,10
     His mother died on 22 Nov 1859, when Rivers was 1 year old.^21,22,23 His father died on 29 Nov 1866, when Rivers was 8 years old.^24,25,26,27
     After the death of their father, Rivers and some of his younger siblings went to live with their grandfather, Malcom McNeill, in Christian Co., Kentucky. They went to school there during the winter months and worked on his farm in the summer.⁶
     Rivers appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Shelby Co., Tennessee, in the household of John P. Caruthers and Flora Rivers McNeill, his sister and her husband.²⁸ He also appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Hopkinsville, Christian Co., Kentucky, in the household of his grandfather, Malcom McNeill, and his fifth wife, Catherine Boddie.²⁹

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

     On 1 Oct 1873 Rivers was given two sections of land (about 640 acres each) in Coahoma Co., Mississippi by his grandfather, Malcom McNeill.³⁰
     Rivers 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.^31,32 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.³²
     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." Rivers thus received a 1/17th undivided interest in the plantation.³³
     Rivers graduated from Emory and Henry College, Emory, Virginia, in 1879 with an A. B. degree. His studies included law and medicine, but these courses were left unfinished due to lack of funds.^34,35 He then moved to Chicago.^36,37
     In the fall of 1879 he went to work for a Western News Co. in Chicago, at $7 per week. At the time Western News distributed all Chicago newspapers to subscribers. After three weeks he was promoted to head of a division. His next job was as shipping clerk with an oil house, Almer H. Wells & Co. When that firm failed he took a similar position with A. T. Mathew & Co., where he remained until 1885.^34,38

Settling Inheritances from Grandfather --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Rivers 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 10 Mar 1883, for $500.³⁹
     Rivers and his brother Benjamin sold each of their one-ninth interests in their grandfather's 4,100-acre property west of Clarksdale, Coahoma Co., Mississippi, to their brother Malcom on 2 Jan 1883, for $1,600.⁴⁰
     Benjamin and Rivers bought her one-seventeenth interest in their grandfather's 3,000-acre Lake Charles Plantation on the Mississippi River, in Bolivar and Coahoma Co., Mississippi, from their sister Ellen and her husband 8 Jun 1882, for $1,000.⁴¹ Benjamin and Rivers sold each of their one-seventeenth interests, and that of their sister, to their brother Malcom on 2 Jan 1883, for $3,000.⁴²
     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 1886.⁴³
     Rivers married first Stella Elizabeth Corby, daughter of Francis Marian Corby and Emily Chemill, on 25 Feb 1885 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^11,12
     Rivers and Stella settled in the 12th ward of Chicago after their marriage, at 118 S. Oakley Ave., living on what he said later he "then thought was a very comfortable compensation of $100 per month."^34,44
     The Chicago properties left to Rivers 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.^45,46

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

     In the fall of 1885 Rivers and his brother Thomas 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.^47,48,49,50 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.⁵¹
     His wife died on 19 Oct 1896 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^52,53,54
     Rivers married second Ella Rebecca de Hart, daughter of William de Hart and Mary Hillegass, on 14 Oct 1897 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin, with Rev. Edward E. Quin, Protestant Episcopal minister, officiating.^13,14,15
     Rivers and Ella moved to Evanston after their marriage. They appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Evanston, Cook Co., Illinois, at 1312 Maple Ave., enumerated 21 Jun 1900, reporting that the family rented its home. His children by his prior marriage, Malcolm, Cherrill and Dorothy, were listed as living with them, as were two female servants, Julia Christenson, age 25, and Nettie Hurd, age 20.⁵⁵
     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.^57,58
     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."⁵⁶
     Rivers and Thomas relocated their business to 246 Jackson Blvd. after they leased the ground under the building at 201-203 Clark St. to others.^59,60 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.^61,62,63

Writing a Will --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Rivers left a will dated 28 Mar 1910 stating he was of Evanston, Cook Co., Illinois. He left his son Malcolm his diamond ring. He left his silverware to be divided equally to his three children. He left his gold watch and chain to his grand-nephew John Boddie Crudup. He named his son Malcom as trustee of his share of the ground rent for the property formerly known as 201 and 203 South Clark St., Chicago. He was to disburse $3,000 of the rent collected annually to his widow, Ella for her life, and the balance to be divided equally to his three children. All the rest of his property, including his interest in the ground at 201 and 202 South Clark St., was given to his three children equally. He appointed his widow, his son, and daughter Cherrill, as joint executors, to serve without bond.⁶⁴
     Rivers and Ella appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Evanston, Cook Co., Illinois, at 1312 Maple Ave., enumerated 22 Apr 1910. His children Malcolm Rivers, Cherrill Elizabeth and Dorothy Meshew were listed as living with them, as was a 26-year old housekeeper, Auguste Busse.⁶⁵

A Long Involvement in Politics --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Rivers was engaged in politics at the age of 18, in Christian Co., Kentucky, when he was responsible for organizing a barbeque for the Democratic nominee for Congress, Jim McKinzie, a neighbor of his grandfather. He solicited donations of food and animals for the event, which attracted attendees from as far as 60 miles. The candidate was the first Democrat to win election in the district in sixteen years.⁶⁶
     Once settled in Chicago, he became active in Democratic politics in the 12th ward. He became involved with primaries, conventions, and committees, supporting issues of the party. He was offered the nomination for the U.S. Congress several times, but was unwilling to leave Chicago for the time required in Washington. After President Cleveland was elected he was offered the position of Collector of Internal Revenue but was unwilling to give up his business affairs to the extent be believed would be required by the office.⁶⁷
     Rivers served as a delegate to the Democratic Convention at Baltimore, which nominated Woodrow Wilson as President. He actively campaigned for the candidate in several states, and throughout Illinois. Wilson later appointed him Collector of Customs for the Chicago District.^68,69

Taking Public Office --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     He was sworn in to a four-year term as Collector of Customs at the Port Chicago on 22 Jul 1914, as his first act reappointing the deputy who had held that post for 30 years. He was listed as receiving compensation of $7,000. He declared that one of the happiest events of his official live was to donate the first money he earned as a public official to the college he had attended in Virginia.^70,71,72,73 His administration of the office was well regarded, according to press reports. A Mar 1917 article said he had saved office expenses of about $29,000 over the first two and a half years of his term, without reducing staff or the salary of any employee, by "introduction of up-to-date methods resulting in increased efficiency and economy." His office was also responsible for the operation of the Federal Building where his and others had offices, where he created a savings of about $6,000 per year.⁷⁴
     Rivers died on 12 Oct 1918 in Evansville, Cook Co., Illinois, at age 59.^16,17,18 He was buried on 15 Oct 1918 in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, in his own lot.^19,20
     His will was proved on 25 Nov 1918. His widow, Ella, was named sole executrix. Despite the terms of the will, she posted a bond of $92,000, an unusually high amount, before she was issued Letters Testamentary to execute the estate. The estate was valued at $446,000 according to press reports.^75,76