I have previously written about some of the men who served as mayor of Evanston, Illinois. I wrote about the first Mayor, Dr. Oscar Henry Mann who served from 1892-1895:
https://undereverytombstone.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-first-mayor-of-city-of-evanston-dr.html
and the second Mayor of the City of Evanston: William Andrew Dyche who served from 1895-1899:
https://undereverytombstone.blogspot.com/2013/08/it-will-always-be-dyche-stadium-to-me.html
the seventh Mayor, James R. Smart who served from 1913-1915:
https://undereverytombstone.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-most-popular-man-in-city-of.html
and the eighth Mayor, Harry Putnam Pearsons who served from 1915-1925:
https://undereverytombstone.blogspot.com/2017/05/evanston-mayor-has-wife-arrested-harry.html
So this month I thought I would tell you the story of the third Mayor of the City of Evanston: Thomas Bates who served from 1899-1901 and refused to run for reelection because the "contest had become too personal:"
Thomas Bates was born March 3, 1844 in Griggsville, Illinois to Thomas Bates (1807-1892) and his wife Ann Crafts Cleveland (1807-1847). Thomas Bates the elder (there was no indication of them ever using "Sr." or "Jr.") was a farmer by trade, having bought a farm near Griggsville from the US Government after his marriage in 1833. In addition Bates maintained a retail store in Griggsville and also bought and sold grain.
Thomas and Ann Bates had eight children all together: Mary Ann (1834-1851), Elvira Cleveland/Mrs. John Thomas Dickinson (1836-????), Lucia Story (1838-1841), Julia/Mrs. Charles H. Stone (1840-1901), Lucy/Mrs. Samuel T. Atkins (1842-1925), Thomas (1844-1923), Jane (1846-1846) and Laura/Mrs. Newton Phineas Howe (1847-1925).
Ann Cleveland Bates died May 31, 1847 in Griggsville, Illinois. She was only forty years old. Young Thomas was only three years old when his mother died. She was buried in the Maysville, Cemetery in Maysville, Illinois:
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| Photo courtesy Find a Grave Volunteer Lisa Ruble |
Her maiden name "Cleveland" is misspelled on the tombstone. The inscription reads: "The memory of the just is blessed."
Thomas Bates the elder married two more times after the death of his first wife. He married Susan Coit Hutchins (1808-1865) in 1849. After Susan Hutchins' death in 1865 Bates married Susan Elizabeth Blake (1830-1897) in 1871.
Six year old Thomas Bates makes his first appearance in the 1850 US Census. The Bates family was living in Pike County, Illinois, Township 4 S 4 W. The family consisted of Thomas Bates (41 years old), a "Farmer," his wife Susan (40), and children Mary Ann (15), Alvira (13), Thomas (6) and Laura (3). Living with them was twenty-two year old Edward Osgood, a "Laborer". Thomas Bates said he owned real estate valued at $3,500.00 ($146,000 in today's funds).
By the 1860 US Census, Thomas Bates was sixteen years old. The Bates family was still living in Griggsville Township in Pike County, but some things had changed. The family consisted of fifty two year old Thomas who now listed his occupation as "Merchant," his wife S.C. (52), daughter Elvira (23) a schoolteacher, Lucy (18), Thomas (16), and Laura (14) - all attending school, but sixteen year old Thomas also indicated that he was a "Clerk."
Young Thomas Bates was educated in the Griggsville public schools, and attended the Illinois College at Jacksonville for a year. For a time after leaving college, he worked in his father's store, and then went west in Sulley and Sibley's expedition against the Sioux Indians.
He returned to Illinois and on May 27, 1862 Thomas Bates enlisted in the US Army at Camp Butler in Illinois. His enlistment was for three months. He held the rank of Private in Company B of the 68th Illinois Infantry. He was sent to the Potomac region under the command of General McClelland. The Army said he was 5' 10" tall with light hair and blue eyes. He was mustered out on September 26, 1862. It appears he was not in the army long enough to see any action.
After his discharge, he taught school in Towanda and Gilman, Illinois for eight years. By the 1870 US Census, twenty six year old Thomas Bates was living in Chenoa, Illinois as a clerk in a hotel.
On December 27, 1870, twenty-six year old Thomas Bates married twenty-two year old Sarah Berry Ricker (1848-1930) in West Auburn, Maine. Miss Ricker's mother was a sister to noted attorney Leonard Swett who would play a prominent role in the future of Thomas Bates (and was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln).
Sarah Ricker was born May 26, 1848 in Sumner, Maine. Her parents were Albion Ricker (1815-1909) and Sarah B. Swett (1822-1900). Albion Ricker was a Farmer by trade. He and Sarah married April 28, 1842 in Turner, Maine. They were blessed with three children: Ellen Mariah Ricker (1843-1862), Sarah Berry Ricker/Mrs. Thomas Bates (1848-1930), and Albion Swett Ricker (1857-1914). In addition to their three natural children, Albion and Sarah Ricker raised seventeen additional children, providing a good home and faithful upbringing for orphaned children of relatives and friends.
Back in Chicagoland, Thomas and Sarah Bates were blessed with three children: Harry Bates (1872-1884), Rosalind C. Bates (1875-1960) and Alfred Ricker "Fred" Bates (1882-1947).
In 1876 Thomas Bates came to Chicago and became associated in the law office of Leonard Swett, under whom he had received his legal training. He was admitted to the bar late in 1876 and soon after a legal partnership was formed, known as Swett & Bates. After a time the firm finally became known as Bates, Harding & Atkins.
In the 1880 US Census, thirty-six year old Thomas Bates was living in the beautiful Village of Evanston, Illinois as reported by enumerator Philo Judson. In addition was Bates' wife Sarah (34), son Harry (7) and daughter Rosa (5). Also living with them was servant Ida Anderson (16). They told the Census Enumerator that son Harry has a "spinal disease." (Actually a spinal abcess that would ultimately cause his death in 1884.)
The 1880 Census did not give a street name, nor a number for the Bates home, but the 1882 Evanston City Directory gave the address as "330 Maple" of course using the old numbering system. Here is the 330 Maple house:
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| 330 Maple (old numbering system) Evanston |
Prior to Evanston's becoming a city in 1892, the Village of Evanston was run by a Board of Trustees. On April 14, 1883 the Evanston Index newspaper reported that "Mr. Thomas Bates, a Chicago attorney who lives on Maple Avenue (has) consented to be a candidate for Village Trustee."
The election results from the election of April 21, 1883 for Village Trustee were as follows:
Unfortunately Thomas Bates first foray into elected government was unsuccessful.
Bates tried again to be elected Village Trustee when he ran in the election of April 15, 1884. This time he was successful (although the ticket ran unopposed). Here's the story from the Evanston Index from April 19, 1884:
Thomas and Sarah Bates' young son Harry died on June 30, 1884. He was only twelve years old. Here is his obituary from the Evanston Index from July 5, 1884:
He was buried in Rosehill Cemetery:
Even though he served as an Evanston Village Trustee, Thomas Bates retained his law practice:
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| Chicago Tribune - 19 Aug 1884 |
In March of 1885, the Bates home was robbed, one of a series of robberies in that neighborhood. In addition to jewelry and clothing, the robbers apparently also made and consumed a lunch while they were in the home:
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| Chicago Tribune, 08 Mar 1885 |
In early 1891, the issue of liquor in Evanston was hotly debated. Even though Evanston had been founded as a liquor free community there were those who, from time to time, tried to break Evanston's Methodist temperance stronghold. A companion issue raised at the same time was the enforcement of the existing temperance laws which were not enforced as strongly as they had been in the past. There was a meeting at the First Methodist Church on January 11, 1891 in which Thomas Bates gave an impassioned speech against the evils of liquor:
As we all know, Evanston stayed a "dry" city until 1972 and to this day remains the world headquarters of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
On March 16, 1891, the Business Men's Building and Loan Association of Evanston was chartered. The first president was William Stacey, and the first Vice President was Thomas Bates. The Attorney for the Association was well-known Evanstonian Frank R. Grover, another past subject of this blog.
In April of 1891, Thomas Bates' name was put forward as an ideal candidate for President of the Evanston Board of Trustees. The Evanston Press from April 4, 1891 gave the reasons why Bates would be perfect for the job:
Bates got wind of the move to draft him as a candidate for President and flatly turned it down:
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| The Evanston Press - 04 Apr 1891 |
The burning issue of the election of 1891 was whether asphalt should be used to pave the streets or not. Even though Evanston elections were supposed to be non-partisan, the Democrats were in favor of asphalt and the Republicans were against it. Bates was considered an "asphalt-Democrat."
Early on in this article I noted that Thomas Bates in his youth went west in Sulley and Sibley's expedition against the Sioux Indians. On October 16, 1891 Bates gave an interesting talk to the Evanston Back Lot Society about the history of the expedition through the badlands and Indian country of Dakota. He fascinated the group with his vivid tales of everything from taming the mules for the use of the expedition, to the Sioux burial practices. He ended the talk with the observation that "the expedition returned after being fully satisfied that the badlands, in which they had spent a year and a half, would never be of any use to the government or the people."
In 1892 Thomas Bates was coerced into running for a spot on the Evanston Township Board of Education. The notification of his campaign noted his address as "330 Maple Avenue." Bates and Edward D. Coxe of Rogers Park were unopposed, so both were elected in the election held April 5, 1892.
When Evanston standardized the address numbering system in 1892, the Bates home which had been known as 330 Maple now became known as 1428 Maple.
Thomas Bates' father, also named Thomas Bates, died July 16, 1892 in Griggsville, Illinois. He was eighty-four years old. He was buried in the Griggsville Cemetery:
After Evanston became a city it was run by a Mayor and a City Council comprised of aldermen. In 1893 the Evanston Press newspaper was of the opinion that Thomas Bates "Will probably be a candidate for mayor." They also published a short biography of Bates:
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| The Evanston Press - 11 Mar 1893 |
Bates' detractors tried to say that he was under the control of the asphalt companies - something Bates vehemently denied.
Both the Evanston Index and the Evanston Press newspapers endorsed Thomas Bates for mayor. His opponents were the then current Evanston mayor, Dr. Oscar H. Mann, and James Hibben, a local banker.
Evanston elections always being unpredictable, Thomas Bates was defeated in the election of April 17, 1893 by the incumbent, Dr. Mann. The final tally was: Mann 1,104 Bates 753 and Hibben 608.
In 1894-1895 Bates retained his position as Vice President of the Business Men's Building and Loan Association of Evanston:
Prior to the Evanston civic elections of 1895 there was a move afoot to draft Thomas Bates to run against the stated candidate William A. Dyche. When he heard about this, Bates flatly refused to be drafted. He had already been defeated by a popular sitting mayor Dr. Mann, and he was not willing to go up against Dyche, who was very popular with Evanstonians. In fact, one of the reasons he was unwilling to run, Bates said, was that he also thought Dyche would do a fine job as mayor. Bates was willing to be nominated to run for the school board and was easily elected again. No major candidate was slated to run against Dyche, and he was overwhelmingly elected Evanston's second mayor.
In 1896 the burning issue of street paving came to the fore again. The choices were asphalt vs. macadam. Asphalt, also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black, and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid derived from petroleum, primarily used in road construction. It is commonly mixed with aggregates to create asphalt concrete, which serves as a durable surface for roads and other pavements. Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam c. 1820, in which crushed stone is placed in shallow, convex layers and compacted thoroughly. A binding layer of stone dust may form; it may also, after rolling, be covered with a cement or bituminous binder to keep dust and stones together.
As he had been in 1891, Thomas Bates was firmly in the asphalt camp. He outlined his position in the Evanston Index of April 25, 1896:
The Evanston mayoral election of 1899 promised to be a lively race. The Republicans had nominated well known Evanstonian Harvey B. Hurd, while the McKinley Democrats nominated Thomas Bates. Evanston elections of that era (and today) are supposed to be non-partisan but that was seldom the case in actuality. No one would ever accuse current (and short-timer) mayor Daniel Biss of being a Republican.
The election was scheduled for Tuesday April 18, 1899. On March 3, 1899 Harvey B. Hurd officially withdrew from the race, leaving Thomas Bates unopposed. Here is Hurd's letter from the Chicago Tribune of March 4, 1899 explaining his reasons for withdrawing :
Hurd went on to explain that he felt abandoned by the Republican machine because he refused to obey its demands.
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| Chicago Tribune - March 4, 1899 |
Bates was quick to point out that if elected, he had not promised anything to anybody:
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| Chicago Tribune - March 5, 1899 |
In what was called "the quietest election in the history of Evanston," Thomas Bates was elected the third mayor of Evanston, Illinois.
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| Bates at the time he was elected mayor. |
Shortly after being elected mayor, Bates received a letter stating that the City Clerk's Office could easily be run with two clerks as opposed to the three who were currently working in the office. After he researched the matter himself, he agreed and so on June 20, 1899 Bates suggested to the City Council that one position be eliminated and the measure passed, saving the City of Evanston $780.00 per year.
The following was printed in the Chicago Sunday Inter Ocean from April 23, 1899, causing much consternation to anyone who read it:
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Was "Honest Tom Bates" actually going to be a mayor by proxy? Was he willing to turn aside as former Mayor Dyche, Northwestern and the State Bank ran the city? Only time would tell.
During Mayor Bates' term, Evanston was relatively peaceful with no major issues grabbing headlines. One promise the new mayor made was that he would ensure the strict enforcement of any and all laws prohibiting intoxicating beverages:
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| Chicago Tribune - April 26, 1899 |
A "blind pig" is a slang term for an illegal drinking establishment
The 1900 US Census finds Thomas Bates and family living at 1432 Maple in Evanston. Bates had built a double house with the addresses of 1432 Maple Avenue and 1002 Lake Street. Here is the house Bates built at 1432 Maple:
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| 1432 Maple Avenue, Evanston |
Charles P. McConnell, the census enumerator visited the Bates home on June 27, 1900. The family consisted of: Thomas Bates (54 years old), wife Sarah R. (50), daughter Rosalind C. (24), son Fred R. (18) and servant Hannah Pearson (38). Thomas and Sarah said they had been married for twenty-eight years. Sarah said she had given birth to three children, two of whom were still alive in 1900. Thomas indicated his occupation as "Lawyer," Fred was "at High School." They told the enumerator that they owned their home free and clear.
Here is a photograph of the two Bates' homes on Maple. The original house he lived in at 1428 Maple, and the house he built and moved into at 1432 Maple:
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| 1428 Maple Avenue and 1432 Maple Avenue - Photo from the Evanston History Center Archives |
As mentioned above, both houses are long gone and the lot is occupied by what used to be the St. Mary's elementary school.
As 1901 rolled around it would soon be election time again. Since its incorporation as a city, Evanston mayors were elected for two year terms. The term for Evanston mayors did not change from a two year term to a four year term until the 1907 election.
Mayor Thomas Bates was a popular mayor, so he was handily nominated for reelection on March 2, 1901:
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| Chicago Tribune - March 3, 1901 |
As it got closer to election day, trouble began to brew among the Evanston Republicans. While Mayor Bates was willing to stand for reelection, he was not willing to agree to reappoint Joseph Paden as corporation counsel. This lead to Alderman James A. Patten to announce that he would run for mayor as an Independent.
What was the problem Bates had with Paden? The refusal of Mayor Thomas Bates to reappoint Joseph Paden as corporation counsel in 1901 was primarily driven by a breakdown in their professional and political relationship regarding the expansion of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. Bates, a litigious traditionalist who favored strict municipal control and high franchise fees, felt that Paden’s pragmatic and accommodating negotiation style with Chicago corporations undermined the city's autonomy. This philosophical rift, coupled with Paden’s rising political profile and his "Booster-style" vision for Evanston's modernization, led Bates to view him as an insufficiently loyal ally.
On Friday, March 15, 1901, Bates decided that he had had enough and withdrew from the race:
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| Chicago Tribune - March 16, 1901 |
It is not surprising that Bates withdrew from the contest when many of the party regulars turned against him. Thomas Bates was an extremely successful attorney with a nationwide reputation. In addition, he was a member of the faculty of the John Marshall Law School and he served on several local boards of directors. He frankly decided that the prize of being reelected was not worth the effort it would take to prevail. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Mayor Thomas Bates withdrew from the 1901 election he said "because the contest had become too personal."
James A. Patten was elected Evanston's fourth mayor on April 16, 1901. The Republican-backed "Wheat King," won the mayoralty that day, defeating his opponent, John W. Thompson, by a significant margin.
Following the results, Patten was officially sworn in on April 23, 1901, at which point he began the process of reorganizing the city's legal department—including the surprising decision not to reappoint Joseph Paden as corporation counsel. (As an aside, Paden himself was elected mayor in 1907 and served one two year term and one four year term).
Thomas Bates decided it was time for a change in other ways as well. In 1901 the Bates family moved from their long-time homes on Maple Avenue to 2112 Orrington Avenue in Evanston:
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| 2112 Orrington Avenue, Evanston |
Even though he was no longer mayor of Evanston, Thomas Bates kept busy with his thriving legal practice and teaching at the John Marshall Law School. He also retained his position as a member of the Board of Directors of both the City National Bank of Evanston and the Business Men's Building and Loan Association of Evanston. After 1901, Bates name usually appeared in the newspapers in connection with litigation concerning the insurance industry. In addition, the Evanston newspapers faithfully reported every time the Bates family left Evanston for their summer home in Turner, Maine, and then again when they returned from their summer home in Maine to Evanston.
In 1904 it was decided to honor the current mayor and four former mayors of Evanston in what was termed the "Gallery of the Immortals", by having their photographs hang in the City Council chambers. Thomas Bates was of course, one of the former mayors so honored. Here is Mayor Bates' portrait in its Flemish oak frame:
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| Mayor Thomas Bates |
During this period, Thomas Bates and his wife were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston.
In early 1909 the issue of Evanston being annexed to Chicago rose to prominence again after having been tabled for quite some time. Former mayor Bates was a vocal opponent to annexation. Here is an excerpt from a speech he gave March 28, 1909 at the Avenue House:
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| The Evanston Index - April 3, 1909 |
The 1910 US Census finds the Bates family still living in their home at 2112 Orrington Avenue. The family consisted of: Thomas (65 years old), wife Sarah (61), daughter Rose C. (34), son Alfred (28), and maid Ida Johnson (21). Thomas and Sarah said they had been married 38 years. Sarah said she had given birth to three children, two of whom were still living in 1910. Thomas reported his occupation as Lawyer - Insurance Law. Alfred also reported his occupation as Lawyer - Insurance.
In late 1911 during an address to young Presbyterian men, Bates gave his advice on how they could stay out of trouble:
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| Chicago Tribune - December 25, 1911 |
In September of 1912 it was announced that Thomas and Sarah Bates' son Alfred was married to Miss Eleanor Agnes Fulcher of Evanston in the First Congregational Church of Evanston.
During the period from 1910-1920 Thomas Bates' name only appeared in newspapers in conjunction with his representation of insurance companies with a few notable exceptions. It was also during this period that some newspapers began to refer to him as "Judge Thomas Bates." This is incorrect. Thomas Bates never considered a role on the bench - it would have resulted in too large a pay cut from what he was making as a litigator.
Although he had firmly opposed Evanston being annexed to Chicago, in May of 1914 former mayor Bates mailed a letter to every Evanston resident saying that the Evanston City Council "was honor bound" to allow a portion of the southern section of Evanston to be annexed. This refers to the eighty acres in the southeast corner of Evanston known as "Germania" or more colloquially as "The Jungle." I covered this matter in detail in this blog article from 2024:
The separation of Germania was finally approved first by the City of Evanston and on Monday, February 8, 1915, by Chicago’s City Council. Germania was now officially part of Chicago.
In 1918 there was a move by some real estate developers to build apartment buildings in Evanston. This was firmly opposed by many including Thomas Bates who joined with (among others) former mayor Patten and the then current mayor Pearsons. The opponents felt that Evanston should remain "The City of Homes," and not be despoiled by so called "flats."
Speaking in favor of flats at a town meeting at city hall in June of 1918 were Leo P. Perrin, Harry W. Rubloff and John H. Lally who were denounced as "Chicagoans," the vilest epithet Evanstonians could call them. Mayor Pearsons denounced flats as "the advance agents of vice."
The 1920 US Census finds the Bates family still living at 2112 Orrington Avenue in Evanston. The family now consisted of: Thomas (75 years old), wife Sarah R. (73), daughter Rose C. (39), "companion" Alice C. Mohr (57), and servant Lillie M. Lindquist (34). The Bates family reported that they owned their home, and it did not have a mortgage. Thomas Bates reported his occupation as "Lawyer - Law Firm."
Thomas Bates died July 29, 1923 in Evanston. He was seventy-nine years old. Here is his Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune:
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| Chicago Tribune - July 30, 1923 |
and his obituary from the Evanston News-Index:
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| Evanston News-Index - July 30, 1923 |
As mentioned, he was buried in the family plot at Rosehill (Section 104, Lot 56):
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| Mayor Thomas Bates |
Thomas Bates - the third Mayor of Evanston, Illinois - may he rest in peace.
Bates' widow, Sarah Ricker Bates died November 22, 1930 in Evanston. She was eighty-two years old. She stayed in the house on Orrington she and her husband bought in 1901. Here is her Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune of November 24, 1930:
and her Obituary from The Evanston Review of November 27, 1930:
She is of course, buried in the Bates family plot at Rosehill Cemetery:
Their son, Alfred Ricker Bates, died August 09, 1947. He was sixty-five years old. Here is his Obituary from the Evanston Review:
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| Evanston Review - August 14, 1947 |
He is also buried in the family plot at Rosehill:
Their daughter, Rosamond Bates died September 11, 1960. She was eighty-four years old.
Here is her Obituary from the Evanston Review:
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| The Evanston Review - September 15, 1960 |
She, too is in the family plot at Rosehill:
