1. Thomas Taggart was an Irish-American politician who was the political boss of the Democratic Party in Indiana for the first quarter of the twentieth century and remained an influential political figure in local, state, and national politics until his death.
Thomas Taggart served as a member of the Democratic National Committee and as its chairman.
Thomas Taggart was appointed to the US Senate in March 1916, but lost the seat in the November election.
Thomas Taggart, an Irish-born immigrant, came to the United States in 1861 at the age of five, grew up in Xenia, Ohio, and moved to Indiana as a teenager.
Thomas Taggart was involved in securing the nomination of Woodrow Wilson for US president and Marshall for vice president in 1912, as well as James M Cox's nomination in the 1920 presidential election.
The Taggarts settled in Xenia, Ohio, where Thomas senior worked at a local railroad depot.
Young Thomas Taggart left high school early to work full-time at the depot's hotel and restaurant.
In 1875, when young Thomas was 18, his employer, the N and G Ohmer Company, sent him to Garrett, Indiana, to work in the restaurant at DeKalb House, a depot hotel.
In 1878, a year after his move to Indianapolis, Thomas Taggart married Eva Dora Bryant, whom he met while living in Garrett.
Thomas Taggart became the owner of the restaurant at the Indianapolis Union Station, but sold his restaurant business and began other ventures that included acquisition of two hotels in Indianapolis and the French Lick Springs Hotel in Orange County, Indiana, among other investments.
In 1916 Thomas Taggart was appointed US Senator, but he was defeated later that year in a special election.
In 1901 Thomas Taggart began his most ambitious and famous project when he organized a small group of investors that acquired and developed the French Lick Springs Hotel in Orange County, Indiana.
Around 1905 Thomas Taggart bought his partners' interests in the mineral springs hotel to become its sole owner.
Thomas Taggart made improvements and additions to the hotel, its mineral springs, and the resort's grounds.
Thomas Taggart modernized the facilities, established trolley service to French Lick, and convinced the Monon Railroad to lay a spur track to the hotel's grounds and run daily passenger service to Chicago.
Several casinos were in operation within Orange County, but Thomas Taggart disassociated himself with any connection to these local gambling establishments and denied any involvement in illegal gambling operations.
Thomas Taggart, who was a Democrat, became active in local politics in Indianapolis in the 1880s.
Thomas Taggart was elected auditor of heavily Republican Marion County in 1886, reelected in 1890, and served in that capacity until 1894.
From 1895 to 1901, Thomas Taggart served three two-year terms as the mayor of Indianapolis.
Thomas Taggart defeated Republican Preston C Trusler in 1895, William M Harding in 1897 and Charles A Bookwalter in 1899.
Thomas Taggart remained active in national and state politics until his death in 1929.
Thomas Taggart served on the Democratic National Committee from 1900 to 1916 and as its chairman from 1904 to 1908.
Thomas Taggart advocated efficient use of federal funds and opposed wasteful spending, although his time in the Senate was brief.
In 1920 Taggart helped James M Cox win the Democratic nomination in the presidential election.
In 1924 Thomas Taggart had nearly secured Samuel Ralston's nomination as the Democratic candidate in the presidential election before Ralston withdrew from the race for health reasons.
In Indiana's gubernatorial campaign that year, Taggart endorsed Carleton B McCulloch, but McCulloch lost the election to Edward L Jackson, who enjoyed strong Ku Klux Klan support and carried all but two of Indiana's 92 counties.
Thomas Taggart's health declined in the 1920s, but he remained active in national and state politics and civil affairs until his death in Indianapolis in 1929.
Thomas Taggart served as chairman of the board of directors of American Fletcher National Bank ; as a director of the Indianapolis, Light, Heat, and Power Company; and treasurer of the Indiana Lincoln Union.
Thomas Taggart was a member of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Commission.
Thomas Taggart's gravesite is near those of his wife, Eva, and four of their children.