Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Mills, Thomas Oscar 1850 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 6, 2007, 2:46 pm

Author: Portrait & Bios Album, 1890

THOMAS OSCAR MILLS. In this gentle man Will County has a fine representative 
of its native-born citizens, one, who, by his enterprise, progressiveness and 
marked ability is materially forwarding its financial welfare in several ways. 
He is variously identified with its interests, as a skillful agriculturist, 
making a speciality of feeding cattle; as a tile manufacturer, owning the 
largest factory in the county; and as proprietor of a well-appointed store at 
Millsdale Station. He was born on the old homestead where he now lives, August 
27, 1850, and is the son of James Mills, a pioneer of this region. The maiden 
name of his mother was Eunice Glidden, she being a sister of Stephen Glidden, 
of this township. Both her family and her husband's were originally from New 
Hampshire, and removed to New York, where the parents of our subject were 
married in 1844. They lived a while in Ohio, and moved to Joliet about 1847. 
After a year's stay in that city they moved on to the place where our subject 
now lives, and where the father died in 1852. Until 1878, the mother lived 
with her brother Mr. Glidden, who was part owner of the farm. At the time of 
her son's marriage she became a member of his household, and remained a 
welcome inmate of his home until her death, November 27, 1887. Our subject was 
reared in the place of his birth and received excellent educational advantages 
obtaining the preliminaries of his education in the local district schools, 
afterward pursuing a fine course of study in Joliet, and finishing his 
schooling in Channahon, his own township. He early gained a practical 
knowledge of farming, and at the time of his marriage took charge of the 
homestead, which he still owns and occupies, and which is represented by a 
view elsewhere in this work. With characteristic enterprise he has carried on 
his business so as to make a financial success of it, and has greatly 
increased the value of his farm and added to its acreage. It now comprises 
three hundred and eighty-four acres, all lying on section 11, with the 
exception of eighty acres. Our subject has by no means confined his operations 
to stock-raising, but has been engaged in other industries. In 1884, he built 
near his place a tile factory, one of the largest in the county, costing about 
$10,000, and adapted to the making of a fine grade of tile, but at the present 
time the works are not in operation. The Santa Fe Railroad and the Chicago & 
Alton run side by side through his farm. Our subject has a life pass over the 
former road, which in 1887 opened a station on his land. Here he has built a 
store, which is well arranged and suitably stocked. October 9, 1878, Mr. Mills 
took unto himself a wife, in the person of Miss Anna E. Miller, daughter of 
James and Eliza (Fowler) Miller, natives respectively of Scotland and 
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Her father was reared in the city of London coming to this 
country in early manhood and was married in New York. From there he came to 
this county, and purchased the place in Troy Township which was known as the 
old Rock Run house previous to 1853, when he purchased it. There he lived 
until his death in 1866. His widow is still living there, and has now attained 
the venerable age of seventy-eight years. They were the parents of seven 
children. Mr. and Mrs. Mills have a very pleasant attractive home, and their 
happy household is completed by their four children: Arthur J., a lad of ten 
years; Erma A., Oscar Leroy; and Warren, the baby. Mr. Mills is a typical 
American, thoroughly wide awake and full of enterprise, possessing more than 
ordinary capacity, energy and decision of character, and in him his native 
county has a citizen who is doing much to promote its general prosperity. In 
politics he is identified with the Republican party, but being a man of 
independent views he takes the liberty to vote as he chooses in regard to 
local affairs.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

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