Thousands of Chicagoans live on Hoyne Avenue, yet few know much about the man it was named after. Thomas Hoyne was a schoolteacher, a lawyer, Chicago’s third City Clerk, the first president of the Chicago Public Library’s Board of Directors, a U.S. Marshall and holder of numerous other public offices.
He is perhaps most famous for what he wasn’t. On April 16, 1876, he was elected mayor of the City of Chicago. He took the oath of office May 9, and attempted to act as mayor. The City Council and some city department heads accepted him. Other departments claimed that election was invalid. Harvey Doolittle Colvin still claimed to be mayor since the election was not called by either the City Council or the mayor.
On June 5, Cook County Circuit Court ruled that the election was invalid. Thus Thomas Hoyne was never legally mayor. He did get paid though. The city’s lawyers decided to pay both men for the 28 days Hoyne thought he was the mayor.
Hoyne continued to be active in public affairs until his death in a rail crash July 24, 1883.
For more information, see our resource list: Thomas Hoyne, Chicago Mayor Elect, 1876.
Add a comment to: A Tale of Two Mayors: Thomas Hoyne and Harvey Doolittle Colvin, 1876