Thomas Allen

Thomas Allen (August 29, 1813 – April 8, 1882) He was the printer of the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1839, and printer to the United States Senate from 1839 to 1842.

In 1842 Allen married Ann Russell and moved to St. Louis, Missouri. His father-in-law, William Russell, gave him land in south St. Louis, which he developed as residential property attractive for working-class immigrants. It was the largest tract in St. Louis developed by a single person.

He was a slave owner; an advertisement for a reward for the return of escaped slaves by a "Thomas Allen, Esq." of St. Louis, Missouri, was published in newspapers in 1847.

He was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 1850, remaining a member of that body through 1854. Also in 1850, Allen was elected president of the Pacific Railroad with the support of Thomas Hart Benton. With his political connections, he arranged for loan guarantees and land grants that helped to start the company. He was buried in Pittsfield Cemetery, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Allenville, Missouri is named after him.