The Amazing Life of Chicagoan, Thomas Cusack, Billboard Baron and Illinois' 4th district U.S. Congressman.

Thomas Cusack
Illinois Political Directory, 1899.

Thomas Cusack of Chicago was born in Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland, on October 5, 1858, and died in Oak Park, Illinois on November 19, 1926. He was a pioneer and entrepreneur in the outdoor advertising industry and a politician, serving as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Illinois' 4th District from 1899 to 1901. In 1905, he resided at 393 Ashland Boulevard (810 S. Ashland Avenue, today) in Chicago.

As a young boy, Cusack immigrated to New York City from Ireland with his family in 1861. Shortly after the move, his parents died, leaving Thomas and his younger brother orphaned. 

Thomas was raised by relatives in Chicago, where he received his education and learned how to paint, a skill that would ultimately make him a very wealthy man.

In 1875, at 17, Cusack established his own sign painting business, the Thomas Cusack Company, in Chicago, with only a paint pot and brush and his remarkable personality as assets.

The business consisted of painting advertising signs on the sides of buildings in a small way. Gradually, he took to building billboards of his own and leasing suitable walls and other locations for outdoor advertisements, making him a pioneer in advertising.

Thomas Cusack and Company

The business soon became very profitable, leasing over 100,000 billboards and advertising spaces and turning Cusack into a prosperous and influential Chicagoan.

Wilson Distilling Company's advertisement was for a Madison and Wabash
building in 1895. Produced by the Thomas Cusack Co.

Billboards on Park Row (11th Street ) on the east side of Michigan Avenue , Chicago, 1910.

In addition to business savvy, Cusack had a strong sense of civic duty. In 1890, Mayor of Chicago, Hempstead Washburne, appointed the "billboard baron" to a seat on the city's school board. Cusack's fervent support of public education drew the attention of Progressive Party Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, who invited Cusack to serve on his general staff.

In 1898, Cusack was elected to his first and only term in the United States Congress from the 4th District of Illinois (1899-1901). After his term, Cusack returned his attention primarily to his outdoor advertising business, which had grown considerably to over one hundred offices and produced an annual revenue of over $20 million ($717,249,000 in 2024). 

Thomas Cusack and Company, 15th and Throop Streets, Chicago.

Cusack was well-known for his fair labor practices and amicable relationships with his employees and was most proud of the fact that, in a city known for labor strikes, his workers never walked off the job.

Thomas Cusack and Company Offices in New York, NY.

In his day as a sign painter, Cusack remembered getting $8 a week in wages. When he sold his business to a New York banking syndicate in 1924, he paid his workers $10 to $15 daily.

A Ghost sign - Marigold Margarine on Lincoln and Lawrence Avenues, Chicago. Thomas Cusack Co. Chicago. Thomas Cusack Co.

A Ghost Sign - Location Unknown - Thomas Cusack Co.

At the pinnacle of his business success, Thomas Cusack bought the entire unincorporated town of Cascade, Colorado, which is 5 miles as the birds fly to the east and about 15 miles of trail travel to get to the Ute Pass in the Rocky Mountains. In the 1920s, he hired architects and contractors to build a plush mansion nestled in the Ute Pass, which he named "Marigreen Pines" in memory of his wife, Mary Greene Cusack. 

Marigreen Pines, at the Ute Pass in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Having lived through the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and experienced so many early losses in his life, Cusack built Marigreen Pines out of brick, marble, and concrete to safeguard his family from harm. Marigreen Pines became a much-loved mountain home for Cusack and his family, where he routinely and graciously hosted many friends and relatives, engaging them in lively conversation and debate.

Thomas Cusack died on November 19, 1926, at 68. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois. 

In 1979, Cusack's last surviving daughter, Anne Cusack, donated Marigreen Pines in Ute Pass, Colorado, to the Congregation of Holy Cross to serve as their novitiate (a place housing religious novices).

Thomas Cusack Co. Example, Year and Location Unknown.

Thomas Cusack Co. Example, Year and Location Unknown.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Local Chicago Area Baseball Leagues and Parks in 1905.

It was thought by many of those close to the heart of baseball that at the close of the 1904 season, the game had reached a point from which improvement would be almost impossible and the growth, if any, but small.

During the winter, however, various things happened both to baseball and other sports, the former showing that plans were being laid for more extensive campaigns by the managers, while in the latter, notably horse racing, a decided retrograde movement was seen and the first meeting of the Inter-City Association proved that baseball this year was to prove even better this year than last. Already last season's records for the number of games played on a single Sunday have been passed, although Spring has hardly arrived, while a gain has been made both in the number and the personnel of the players engaged in Saturday baseball in the ranks of the amateur leagues. 

Two distinct movements, out of the ordinary, are noticeable this year, the first being the number of new parks which are being fenced in at the desirable locations all over Chicago, nearly all of which are proving money makers right from the start, while the second movement is the rapid rise of many of the smaller baseball clubs into the semi-professional ranks. 

The first of these movements, that of the building of baseball parks, is directly traceable to the enormous success scored by West End Park, the grounds at Forty-eighth Avenue and West Madison Street, where the crowds went in droves almost on the opening day and have continued ever since. When Gunther Park was opened almost at the end of last year, at the corners of Ashland, Leland Avenues and North Clark Street, it capped the success of the West End Athletic Association, and the rival managers of the grounds have been in friendly argument ever since as to which is drawing the most people.

Other managers viewed with surprise the wonderful success of these two parks and it was not very long before reports began to flow in of other grounds being fenced in and grandstands going up. With careful management, there should be no reason why every one of these new parks should not pay handsomely on the investment and incidentally, the game benefited by their existence. 

As for the second state of things, the increase in the number of semi-professional teams, the term semi-professional being applied to those teams which play games for either a percentage of the receipts received from paid admissions or a stated guarantee for the appearance of the team, the growth was fully expected. The building of so many new parks, over a dozen first-class ones coming under this head, has taken that number of teams off the traveling circuit and increased the number of grounds by just that number. This created a condition where a traveling team had more chance of getting a good game than the home team had and the better of the amateur teams have moved up a notch in consequence and are now traveling the circuit. Two years ago there were less than a dozen teams of the class of Manager Ollinger's Aurora team, Manager Niesen's Gunthers, Manager Lynam's West Ends, or the traveling teams, such as the Spaldings, Athletics, Marquettes, South Chicagos, All Chicagos, and half a dozen others. This year fully twenty teams are capable of putting up a stiff argument with any of the teams named.

Chicago Area Baseball Parks:

• Ashland Park at 35th Street and Ashland Avenue.
• Auburn Park at 79th Street and Wentworth Avenue.
• Gainer & Koehler Park at Southport Avenue and Marianna Street (Schubert Ave. today).
• Grosse Clothiers' Park at Elston and Western Avenues.
• Gunther Park at Clark Street, Leland and Ashland Avenues.
• Hot Corn Park at 42nd Street and Milwaukee Avenue? 
• Logan Square Ball Park (Cal's Ball Park) at Milwaukee and Diversey Avenues.
• Metropolitan Park at 69th Street and Ashland Avenue.
• Normal Athletic Association at 60th and Green Streets (Loomis Blvd., today).
• Northwest Ball Park at Ogden and Central Avenues.
• Washington Park at 69th and Halstead Streets.
• West End Baseball Park at Madison and 48th Avenue, Hillside.
• White Rock Park at Ogden Avenue and 14th Street (now a Union Pacific RR Yard).

Logan Square Ball Park (Cal's Ball Park) at Milwaukee and Diversey Avenues. (Owner: Jimmy "Nixey" Callahan)

Logan Square Ball Park (Cal's Ball Park) at Milwaukee and Diversey Avenues.

Local Chicagoland Amateur and Semi-Professional Leagues:
There were four categories of Leagues; A General League, Business League, Secret Societies League, and a Church League. 

• American Association
• Chicago Bankers' League
• Bible Class League
• Central League
• City League
• Commercial League
• Episocal Athletic League
• Grocers' League
• Gunthers Beat Kankakee
• Knights of Columbus League
• Mercantile League
• Northwest League
• Packers' League
• South Side League
• Three I League
• Western League

This is a complete list of the 300+ freelance Chicago area teams, not counting any of the clubs in the regular leagues which then makes over 600 in the Inter-City Association on June 1, 1905. This was the first time that any baseball organization in the country had ever published such a list:

All-Chicago
American Steel & Wire
Anderson & Lind
Anglo-American
Anheuser Busch
Apollo Athletic Club
Anson's Colts
Argos Club
Arlington Heights
Armitage Victors
Armour & Co.
Arrow Athletic Club
Athletics 

Athletics Baseball Team
1) Ball; 2) F.McGurn; 3) Geo. McGurn; 4) Koukalik; 5) Ryan; 6) Ginger; 7) Andrews; 8) Hughes; 9) Scanlan; 10) Parker; 11) Black

August Dombrows

Aurora
Austin Athletic Club
Austin B. B.
Austin Colts
Baer Bros. & Prodie
Beldens
Belmont Rockets
Belmonts
Benson & Rixon
Benson & Rixon's Greens
Berry Athletics
Berry Candy
Big Fours
Blaine Athletic Club
Bloomer Girls
Blue Island
Boehn Professionals
Boyce, The Athletic Club
Bryers
Buckeye Consolidated A. A.
Buena Parks
Buffalo Athletic Club
Bush Temple B. B.
C. N. W. & J.
Calumbia Giants
Calumet Athletic Club
Canton, Illinois
Careys
Central Athletic Club
Central Park P. A.
Chandlers
Chicago & Alton
Chicago & Northwestern
Chicago Americans
Chicago Brights
Chicago Dents
Chicago Edgars
Chicago Firemen, № 45
Chicago Grays
Chicago Heights
Chicago Letter Carriers
Chicago Maroons
Chicago Pastimes
Chicago Reserves
Chicago Telephone
Chicago Union Giants
Choctaws
Ciaremont Athletic Club
Ciceros
Clarets
Clarions
Clinton, lA.
Clybournes
Columbus Brew B. B.
Conkey, H. B.
Conways
Corpus Christi
Crown Brew. B. B.
Crystals
Cusons
Darnen Council
Dassler's
Delaware
Delmar P. Club.
DesPlaines Stars
Dexters
Dixons
Doda Reds
Douglass Parks
Earle Park
Eclipse
El Cathelos
Eleventh Presly
Elgin, Ill.
Elmhurst Reds
Elmore Athletic Club
Emer's Pets
Emmetts
Englewood Blues
Englewood Men's Club
Englewoods
Eureka Athletic Club
Farwells
Felix Colts
Felix. J. R.
Fortune Topaz
Fowler, Ind.
Frankels
Frankfort, Ill.
Franklins
Friend Athletic Club
Fuller & Fuller
Gainer & Koehler
Galesburg, Ill.
Gano Unions
Garfield Athletic Club
Gems
Glen Ellyn
Golden Rods
Gordon Athletic Club
Grand Crossing Tack Co.
Grosse Clothiers
Gulds, J. P.
Gunthers

Gunther Baseball Team
1) Keely; 2) Riley; 3) Ransome; 4) McGiblin; 5) Pedroes; 6) Lyons; 7) Zangerle; 8) Bergman; 9) Stellman; 10) LeJeune

Hamilton Athletic Club
Hamiltons
Hamler Boiler & Tank
Hammonds
Harrison Athletic Club
Hartfords
Havlins
Henn & Gabler
Highland Park Browns
Highland Park Crescents
Holy Cross Athletic Club
Home Clothing Co.
Hot Corns
Hot Shots
Humniell's Pride
Hyde Park Athletic Club
Illinois Glass
Illinois Steel Co.
Independents
Invincibles
Jefferson Grays
Joliet Standards
Jordons
Kalamazoo White Sox
Kankakee Browns
Kankakee, Jrs.
Kaspers, J. V.
Keeley Malts
Kenneys
Kenosha
Kenosha Central Parks
Kewanee, Illinois.
Kid Hermans
Kiper, L., & Sons
La Salle Tigers
La Salle, Illinois
Lafayette Council
Lake View B. B.
Leland Giants
Leo XIII. Council
Libertys
Locusts
Log Cabins
Logan & Bryant
Logan Squares
Logos
Loudins
Lowell, Ind.
Lynchs
Lyon & Healey
Malt Marrows
Mandels
Maples
Maplewood B. B.
Marquettes

Marquettes Baseball Team
1) Holmes; 2) Katoll; 3) Knolls; 4) Conrad; 5) Wells; 6) Keary, Mgr; 7) Hughes; 8) Hayes; 9) Lange; 10) Ebert; 11) "Dot" Ebert, Mascot

Marquettes "Lights"

McGurys
McHale's B. B.
Medora
Metropolitans
Midley Colts
Mobiles
Mohawks
Monitors
Monroe
Monroe Athletic Club
Mont Clare's
Morgan & Wright
Morgan Athletic Club
Morrill Park
Morris B. B.
Morton Grove
National Life B. B.
Neutrals
Newmans
Normals
North Ends of Blue Island
North Stars
Novelties
Oak Athletic Club
Oak Leas
Olivets
Olympics
Orientals
Our Flags
Owls, The
Park Manors
Park Ridge Reserves
Pauley's Colts
People's Gas Lights
Peter Hands
Ping Pongs
Pinzons
Portland B. B.
Postals
Princeton Athletic Club
Pullman Lakesides
Pullmans, The
Pyness Athletic Club
Ravens, The
Reagans
Red Sox
Reliance Athletic Club
Renns Athletic Club
Reynolds
Rheingolds
Rhodes Athletic Club
River Forest
Rogers Parks
Rookerys
Roseland Eclipse
Royal Athletic Club
Royal Arcanums
Royal Social Athletic Club
S & S
San Topels
Sanbergs, N. J.
Schloers
Schnindlers
Schoenhofens
Seneca Athletic Club
Settlement Athletic Club
Shamrock Athletic Club
Simmons Mfg. Co.
Sioux Valley Athletic Club
Skillers
So. Chicago O'Donnells
South Chicago
South End Imp. Athletic Club
Spalding's

Spaulding Baseball Team
1) Graber; 2) Fish; 3) Meier; 4) "Skel" Roach, Coach; 5) McKee; 7) Burton; 8) Welch, Mgr; 9) Vance; 10) Hill; 11) Cass, Mascot; 12) Cassiboine

Span Athletic Club

St. Clement B. B.
Standard Maroons
Stellars
Stem Clothiers
Stiles Club
Stoddard's
Stoney Islands
Streator Reds, Streator, Illinois
Stuckarts
Suburbans
Sullivans
Summerdale's
Superior B. B.
Swenson's Kids
Thistle Athletic Club
Tioga
Tiowanda Club
Tornadoes
Tracey's
Tremont's
Troy A. C.
Union Leader Athletic Club
Unitys
Van Burens
Vordas, Pilsen's
Wabash
Wabash Athletic Club
Wanens
Washington Athletic Club
Waukegan, Illinois
Weber & Reinberg
Webers, B. F.
Webster Colts
Webster Playground
Wentworth Grays
West Chicago, Illinois
West Ends

West End Baseball Team
1) Kernan; 2) Armbruster; 3) Munch; 4) Fenton; 5) Gertenrich; 6) O'Grady; 7) Lynam, Mgr; 8) Hassett; 9) Hertel; 10) Martin, Mascot; 11) Murphy; 12) Hawkins

Wheaton, Ill.

White City Athletic Club
White Eagles
White Giants
White Rocks
White Sox
White Stars
Whites
Whitey Citys
Wieboldt's
Winchester Athletic Club
Winslows
Winston Athletic Club
Woodlawn Presley Team
Woodlawns
Woodstock, Illinois

ADDITIONAL READING: Spalding's Chicago Amateur Baseball Annual and Inter-City Baseball Association Year Book, 1905. (PDF)

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.