Thorne, Richard

Born: 1808-XX-XX New York

Died: 1873-07-02 Ottawa, Illinois

Richard Thorne was a hotelier, county sheriff, county commissioner, merchant and businessman, and a Republican. He moved from Yates County, New York to Ottawa, Illinois in 1845 and began working as a hotelier. He kept charge of the Ottawa Hotel for a year or two, then bought the Mansion House, which he ran for four or five years. He was successful at this work, accumulating $8,000 in real estate by 1850. In 1852, the voters of La Salle County elected him sheriff. He remained politically active for a time, becoming one of the organizers of the Republican Party in that county in 1854. He later worked in the clothing trade, warehousing, and the milling business. By 1860, his personal wealth had grown to $60,000 in real estate and another $2,000 in personal property. During the Civil War, he served as commissioner for La Salle County. He and his wife, Miami, had at least eight children together.

History of LaSalle County, Illinois (Chicago: Inter-State, 1886), 1:267, 279, 314; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Ottawa, La Salle County, IL, 181; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Ottawa, La Salle County, IL, 525; The Ottawa Free Trader (IL), 5 July 1873, 1:2.