Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Tait, Thomas 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com September 7, 2007, 11:50 pm

Author: Genealogical & Biographical Record

THOMAS TAIT, who was long identified with the farm interests of Jackson 
Township, though now passed from earth, yet lives in the hearts and memories 
of his friends and neighbors.  His character as a man is well known, but a 
brief recital of the incidents of his life may still more firmly establish the 
record of his honorable and useful career.  He was born on the Shetland 
Islands, September 23, 1830, a son of Michael and Margaret (Leisk) Tait, of 
whose five children only two are living. The older son, John, is a farmer in 
Lane County, Ore., and the younger, Magnus, is living retired in Santa Clara 
County, Cal.

During the time of the religious persecutions in Scotland, the Leisk and Tait 
families fled from that country and took refuge in the Shetland Islands, where 
Michael Tait was born October 21, 1805, and Margaret Leisk January 16, 1803. 
Four of their children were born on the same islands.  May 14, 1838, they 
started across the ocean to America, arriving at New York on the 28th of June, 
and on the 19th of July they reached Chicago.  Ten years were spent in that 
then insignificant village.  

March 28, 1848, they arrived at Joliet.  They settled on one hundred and 
twenty acres of land in Joliet Township, three miles south of town.  Mr. Tait 
was very fond of flowers and had so many plants on his place that it became 
known as Flower Hill. September 28, 1848, he took out a patent for the land.  
September 27, 1851, he made his final payment for the property, the purchase 
price for the one hundred and twenty acres being $477. By trade he was a stone 
mason, but his preference was for farm pursuits.  On first settling in Chicago 
he spent a short time with a brother there, and later became connected with a 
Mr. Barnett in stone contracting.  For some years afterward he engaged in the 
building of the locks on the canal at Wellington, Canada, and the locks on 
this canal.  After completing that work he settled down on the farm where he 
remained until his death, October 6, 1878. His wife spent the last eighteen 
months of her life with our subject and died in his home March 28, 1882.  She 
and her husband were members of the First Baptist Church of Joliet and were 
active Christian workers.

When a boy our subject had no extended opportunities for acquiring an 
education, but he lost no chance to gain the knowledge he felt would be 
necessary to him in life.  Farming duties early and late engrossed much of his 
time; hours of work were long and the labor often wearying, but books or 
newspapers that came in his way were eagerly read in order to gain the varied 
information and news from the outside world. Being a young man of frugal 
habits, he soon was in a position to buy a farm.  He purchased eighty-five 
acres in Jackson Township from a Miss Cook, who later became the wife of Elder 
Solomon Knapp.  Here he devoted himself to his chosen occupation, beginning in 
his new home the life that brought him happiness, honor and success.  The land 
upon which he settled was almost unbroken prairie, but his energetic 
management soon yielded him good crops; and the improvements upon it were a 
monument to his skillful labor.  Upon this place he made his home until his 
life work ended, May 3, 1896. During the last twenty years of his life he 
suffered from the effects of a sunstroke.  On account of his poor health he 
and his wife spent much time in travel, and in 1895 extended their travels as 
far as Alaska, visiting Sitka, Juneau and other points of interest.  For years 
he was a member of the school board of his district, and his efforts proved 
helpful in promoting the condition of the school.  At fourteen years of age he 
connected himself with the First Baptist Church of Joliet, with which he was 
afterward identified, and his wife has been a member of the same church for 
thirty years or more.  In politics he was a Republican.  He served as 
supervisor and collector of Jackson Township one term.

October 12, 1858, Mr. Tait married Miss Catherine Shutts, a native of Columbia 
County, N. Y., born September 19, 1840, and a daughter of John and Catherine 
(Cole) Shutts.  She was one of a family of six sons and three daughters, of 
whom the following besides herself now survive: Henry, an attorney of Oregon 
City, Mo.; Samuel, of Joliet; John, who lives in Chicago; Cassius, a grocer in 
St. Joe, Mo.; Peter, an attorney in Joliet; and Frank, a farmer in Rooks 
County, Kans.  Mr. Shutts came to Joliet September 13, 1855.  He purchased one 
hundred acres of land on the present site of the Swedish orphans' home, and 
there he resided up to a few months before his death. His last days were spent 
in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Tait, where he died September 6, 1899.  His 
wife had passed away December 21, 1878.  

Both were earnest members of the Central Presbyterian Church.  For a number of 
years he served as supervisor of Joliet Township.  He was a man of 
considerable local prominence and was recognized as one of Will County's 
representative citizens.

To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Tait six sons and three daughters were born, 
all but one of whom are still living. John and Magnus are engaged in the fruit 
business and in cattle ranching at Phoenix, Ariz.; Margaret is the wife of 
Oscar Laraway, a farmer of Joliet Township; Thomas is engaged in farming on 
Puget Sound, in Washington; Fred is a partner of Magnus in cattle raising; 
Cassius is on the home farm in Jackson Township; Sarah and Robert reside with 
their mother. Since November, 1898, the family home has been at No. 706 
Richards street, Joliet.


Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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