Thomas Shannon Ridgway (August 30, 1826 – November 17, 1897) was an American banker and politician from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. He co-founded the First National Bank of Shawneetown and was president of the Springfield and Illinois South Eastern Railway. In 1875, Ridgway was elected

Illinois Treasurer The Treasurer of Illinois is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. Seventy-four individuals have occupied the office of Treasurer since statehood. The incumbent is Mike Frerichs, a Democ ...

, serving two years. He later served on the executive committee of the

American Bankers Association The American Bankers Association (ABA) is an American trade association for the U.S. banking industry, founded in 1875. They lobby for banks of all sizes and bank charters, including community banks, regional and money center banks, Federal s ...

Biography

Thomas Shannon Ridgway was born in

White County, Illinois White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 13,877. Its county seat is Carmi. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as " Little Egypt". Hist ...

, on August 30, 1826. When he was six, the family moved to

Shawneetown, Illinois Shawneetown is a city in Gold Hill Township, Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,054 at the 2020 United States census. It is the county seat of Gallatin County. Geography Shawneetown is located southeast of the cent ...

. When he reached adulthood, he trained for the mercantile business with E. H. Gatewood. He later became a junior partner in O. Pool & Co., later known as Peeples & Ridgway. He co-founded the First National Bank of Shawneetown with J. McKee Peeples in 1865 and was its first cashier. Ridgway was an early investor in the Springfield and Illinois South Eastern Railway and was its president for six years. In 1875, Ridgway was elected

as a Republican, serving for two years. Upon the death of Peeples in 1879, Ridgway was named president of the First National Bank, a role he held until his own death. Ridgway was a member of the board of trustees of the Southern Illinois Normal College, occasionally serving as the board president. He was the first president of the State Bankers' Association of Illinois and was a member of the executive council of the

. Ridgway was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

and oversaw the local

Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

for over thirty years. Ridgway married Jane Docker in 1849. They had five children: Harriette, William, Helen, Ida, and Grant. Ridgway died on November 17, 1897. He was buried in Westwood Cemetery in Shawneetown.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridgway, Thomas S. 1826 births 1897 deaths 19th-century Illinois politicians American Bankers Association Illinois Republicans People from Shawneetown, Illinois People from White County, Illinois State treasurers of Illinois Southern Illinois University Carbondale