Blackstone, Timothy

Timothy Blackstone Soundex Code B423

Wikipedia page about Timothy Blackstone

Born: Saturday, March 28, 1829, Branford, Connecticut

Died: Saturday, May 26, 1900, Chicago (aged 71), pneumonia

Father: James Blackstone

Spouse: Isabella Farnsworth Blackstone, nee: Isabella Farnsworth Norton

Children: none

Residence: 252 S. Michigan Avenue now: 636 S. Michigan Avenue

Religion: Presbyterian

Timothy Beach Blackstone was a 19th Century railroad executive, businessman, philanthropist, and politician. He is descended from one of the earliest British settlers of New England, William Blaxton.

Blackstone worked in the railroad industry for most of his life after dropping out of school. At the time of his death, his estate was worth US$6 million ($170.1 million today).

Blackstone served as president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad from 1864 through 1899, was a founding president of the Union Stock Yards, and served one term as mayor of La Salle, Illinois. An active philanthropist, Blackstone was the benefactor of the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Connecticut. A nearly identical library, Blackstone Library, was donated to the Chicago Public Library by Isabella Farnsworth Blackstone, Timothy Blackstone's widow in 1902. The Blackstones also funded Blackstone Hall for the Art Institute of Chicago Building. Chicago's Blackstone Library is the first dedicated branch of the Chicago Public Library system, and later his mansion, 252 Michigan Avenue, became the site of the Blackstone Hotel and the Blackstone Theatre.