march 19th century railroad executive businessman philanthropist politician descended earliest british settlers new_england worked railroad industry life dropping school time death estate worth million million today served president chicago founding president served term mayor illinois active philanthropist james memorial library connecticut nearly identical library donated widow funded chicago dedicated branch system later mansion site early life born connecticut sixth child fourth son father james served connecticut senate representing sixth district james served connecticut militia family descended english arrived new_england seventeenth century european rhode_island english judge distant cousin health issues caused drop school began working surveying new_york worked year assistant engineer remained firm short time leaving vermont valley railroad invited supervise construction illinois accepted job moved illinois career life elected mayor served single term foray politics leaving office returned working railroads chief engineer chicago railroad eventually chicago president chicago railroad kept line divisions filing bankruptcy system reorganized named president board directors company serving served quarter century refused salary directors voted pay year turned addition employment activities railroads president company controlled refused salary railroad investor competing group investors headed wanted purchase disapproved sale months transferred stock company resigned president effective april action allowed led group assume control line married daughter successful businessman connecticut died pneumonia chicago illinois funeral held transported connecticut burial mansion built 19th century mansion michigan avenue chicago historic michigan boulevard district property later site following great chicago fire invited friend stay years donated continued donate funds maintenance building life merged university_of_chicago donated library books building city connecticut stipulation named honor father charter devised library control library self board trustees consisting residents librarian yale_university building designed chicago architect library constructed donated city chicago located intersection avenue lake park avenue ninth street library modeled connecticut running east block south starting south named funded story ground level gallery added east wall original building display architectural casts new_york_times published details died directed disposition assets amounted million million today total bequeathed relatives public institutions chicago orphan asylum home chicago remainder went widow close associate cousin
Timothy Blackstone