Thomas Barbour Bryan

Thomas Barbour Bryan (December 22, 1828 – January 26, 1906) was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician.

Born in Virginia, a member of the prestigious Barbour family on his mother's side, Bryan largely made a name for himself in Chicago, Illinois. He was involved in many ventures in the city, such as the creation of Graceland Cemetery, and was active in the city's politics, having twice been nominated for mayor (in 1861 and 1863). He was a strong unionist during the American Civil War. He played a key role in the development of the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois, where he resided much of his life, and is often referred to as "The Father of Elmhurst". He was also instrumental in Chicago being awarded the World's Columbian Exposition, and was involved in the 1893 exposition's organization and operation. In addition to his involvement in Chicago politics, Bryan spent a brief period as a commissioner of the District of Columbia.

Early life, education, and family Bryan was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 22, 1828. Bryan's father was a poet and a lawyer, abolitionist, and statesman who served from 1821 to 1853 as Alexandria's postmaster, and who, from 1818 through 1820 served in the Senate of Virginia.

A member of the esteemed Barbour family through his mother, Bryan's maternal uncles were James Barbour and Philip P. Barbour. His nephews through his sister Mariana Thomas Lathrop and her husband (Jedediah Hyde Lathrop) included Bryan Lathrop, Barbour Lathrop, and Florence Lathrop Field Page. Through his sister Mary Caroline and her husband Andrew Wylie Jr., one of his nephews was Horace Wylie. If he is Boone's great-nephew, his paternal grandfather would have been William Bryan (one of the founders of Bryan Station) and his maternal grandmother had been Mary Boone Bryan. Bryan graduated from Harvard Law School in 1848.

Adult life and career Early career After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan practiced law in Cincinnati until 1852. alt1 = image2 = Thomas Barbour Bryan with children 45151821.jpg caption2 = Bryan with son Charles and daughter Jennie, circa 1865 width2 = alt2 =

In 1850, in a wedding ceremony held in Newport, Kentucky, Bryan married Jennie "Jane" Byrd Page who became Mrs. Jennie Byrd Bryan. He was also involved in the construction of railroads. Over the next half-century, Bryan would be a booster in the growth of the city. Their adult son was Charles Page Bryan, born in 1855, who would have a career as a lawyer, politician, and diplomat. Their daughter, born in 1857, was also named Jennie Byrd Bryan. She would become an artist and philanthropist, and would, in 1913, marry John Barton Payne, adopting his surname.

Bryan's initial residence in Chicago was at 103 Michigan Avenue, near Madison Street. While he awaited the completion of this residence, he and his family lived in Cottage Hill's Hill Cottage Tavern, where he befriended the artist George Peter Alexander Healy. Healy would be a lifelong friend, In 1864, he would sell 26 acres of his land to his brother-in-law Jedediah Hyde Lathrop, who built his own estate named "Huntington" on the site.

Bryan would ultimately play an important role in the development of the town of Cottage Hill/Elmhurst. In 1860, Bryan converted the bowling alley in his Byrd's Nest residence's basement into a chapel space where he invited local residents to hold services. He did so in response to news that a former church building in the city of Chicago was being converted into bowling alley. The chapel was one of the community's first church spaces, and it proved popular enough that he was motivated five years later to erect a separate building on his estate housing a new chapel. The 1865 Byrd's Nest chapel stood where the intersection of Cottage Hill Avenue and St. Charles Road is today. It was demolished in 1914, but its former congregation is a precursor to the town's Church of Our Savior which continues to exist. That same year, Bryan and his wife Jennie sold 30 acres of their land in Elmhurst to the German Evangelical Synod of the Northwest for $10,000.

In 1860, Bryan established Chicago's Graceland Cemetery in partnership with William Butler Ogden, Sidney Sawyer, Edwin H. Sheldon, and George Peter Alexander Healy. Graceland Cemetery was formally dedicated that August. It would remain the city's primary venue until the opening of Crosby's Opera House. Bryan had been drafted for mayor by a number of acquaintances to run on what the being dubbed "The People's Ticket". He originally planned to contest the result over allegations of election fraud by the Democrats, but ultimately did not, not being concerned enough with the results, having been a reluctant candidate to begin with. Interestingly, his wife had incidentally been in the company of Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee, a relative of hers by marriage, just days before the breakout of the Civil War. He was president of the Union League Club of Chicago. Despite the burning of its building, the vaults and safes were intact, and their contents survived the fire. He purchased the metal from the Chicago Court House Bell which he used to fashion an alarm for his company, selling the rest to H.S. Everhart & Company which commissioned the U.S. Mint to strike commemorative medals from the metal.

District of Columbia and Colorado From December 3, 1877, through July 1, 1878, Bryan served as Commissioner of the District of Columbia. During this brief period, he and his wife briefly lived in Washington, D.C. In the later 1880s, Bryan located his personal officers in Chicago's Home Insurance Building. Bryan convinced the Chicago City Council to pass legislation that would help the city in its efforts secure the world's fair. Bryan's remarks were perhaps the most persuasive of the three speaking on behalf of the city. In his remarks Bryan, in part, retorted the hyperbolic and critical remarks about Chicago that had been issued by Chauncey Depew (who was representing New York City's interest in receiving the fair). Bryan worked successfully to convince the Chicago City Council, Illinois General Assembly and United States legislature to pass legislation providing assistance to the fair's organizers. Holmes had paid Bryan a $7,000 promissory note to acquire a 51% stake in the venture from Bryan. Holmes, however, never followed through with any cash compensation to Bryan. This was one of the largest amounts which Holmes was able to financially defraud any individual of in his long career of fraud.

Bryan spent his last decade splitting time between Byrd's Nest and living out east, in Virginia and Washington, D.C. He died January 26, 1906, in Washington, D.C.

Bryan is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where the Bryan family had a burying ground. as would his daughter Jennie after her death in 1919 and his son-in-law John Barton Payne after his death in 1935.

After his death, ownership of the Byrd's Nest estate passed to his son, Charles. However, Charles rarely lived there due to his service as a diplomat. In 1920, the estate was given to a charitable organization for the purposes of serving as an orphanage. After this proved unsuccessful, the estate was sold to a real estate developer in 1924 and was subsequently subdivided for residential development. No physical remnants remain of the estate that Bryan had built. The two had become friends around the time Bryan moved to Cottage Hill (Elmhurst). Healy created a number of paintings of the Bryan family. He also partnered with Bryan in the founding of Graceland Cemetery. On one occasion in 1860, Bryan purchased all the paintings Healy's entire inventory of Heale's painting gallery to and displayed the works in a hall that he owned on Dearborn Street. After her death in 1919,

Collector of historic memorabilia

In his life, Bryan acquired several noteworthy pieces of historic memorabilia.

After the Great Chicago Fire, Bryan purchased the broken remains of the bell from the city's lost courthouse at an auction. He kept parts of the bell, but sold most of the bell's remains to H.S. Everhart & Company, who made one-inch tall miniature bells as souvenirs. The courthouse bell was notable in relation to the fire, as it had been one of the bells in the city that was rung to warn citizens of the fire.

After notable people had been invited to send items to the Northwestern Sanitary Fair to auction, Abraham Lincoln sent the original handwritten draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. Bryan was successful in bidding for it, paying $3,000 for it, the item being the highest bid item on auction. Bryan had lithographic copies made and sold for the benefit of the Sanitary Commission.

Electoral history