Thomas Sturgis was born in New York City on April 6, 1846. He is the son of William Sturgis, merchant of New York, Boston and London, and Elizabeth Knight Hinckley Sturgis of Yarmouth, Massachusetts. His ancestry in the United States dates back to Edward Sturgis, born in England in 1613 and arriving in America in 1630. Mr. Sturgis was educated in the public schools of New York City.
During the Civil War, Sturgis served in the Army, attaining the rank of Assistant Adjutant General. After the war he engaged in numerous ventures ranging from banking to railroads to construction. He attended law school but never practiced. He and his brother William moved to Wyoming in 1873 where they started the Northwestern Cattle Company and later the Union Cattle Company. They became two of the most prominent ranchers in the territory. After suffering major losses as a result of the hard winter of 1886 – 1887, Thomas returned to New York and went into the construction business. (William's original Wyoming home is on the National Register of Historic Places.)
Another brother, Frank K. Sturgis, attained significant wealth and prominence as a financier and President of the New York Stock Exchange. He served as President of Madison Square Garden, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and was a founder and President of the Metropolitan Club of New York. He was a close friend of James Gordon Bennett, Jr..
On April 20, 1896 Mayor Strong appointed Thomas Sturgis to be a Civil Service Commissioner and just five months later, on September 26, put him on the Board of Fire Commissioners. At that time, the Board comprised three commissioners. Upon consolidation of the Greater City of New York in 1898 his position was eliminated by the appointment of the first single Commissioner, John Jay Scannel. Upon Scannel's resignation, he was appointed the second Fire Commissioner of the consolidated City of New York by Mayor Seth Low on January 1, 1902.
During his tenure as Commissioner he took the drastic and dramatic act of dismissing Edward Croker as Chief of Department. After a two-year court battle, Chief Croker was re-instated. Upon the defeat of Mayor Low by George McClellan, McClellan replaced Sturgis with Nicholas Hayes. As such, Commissioner Sturgis' term ended on December 31, 1903.
Commissioner Sturgis died after a two-year battle with cancer on February 25, 1914 while living with his wife Helen in Eastbourne, England. His remains were cremated and returned to New York where he was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Sturgis plot also holds the remains of his wife, three of their four children and nine other family members.
His son Reginald H. Sturgis was an Infantry Captain during WWI and was gassed in combat in France. He survived and returned to New York. He died here in January 1961 and is buried along with his parents and three siblings.
Son William Bayard Sturgis (d. Apr. 8, 1951) author of books on fly fishing; lived in Chicago.
Son Thomas (d. Nov. 28, 1939 at age 58) Retired stock broker, U.S. tennis official also buried at Woodlawn plot.
Daughter Helen Rutgers Stugis attended Bryn Mawr College, never married, and is buried along with her parents.
During the Civil War, Sturgis served in the Army, attaining the rank of Assistant Adjutant General. After the war he engaged in numerous ventures ranging from banking to railroads to construction. He attended law school but never practiced. He and his brother William moved to Wyoming in 1873 where they started the Northwestern Cattle Company and later the Union Cattle Company. They became two of the most prominent ranchers in the territory. After suffering major losses as a result of the hard winter of 1886 – 1887, Thomas returned to New York and went into the construction business. (William's original Wyoming home is on the National Register of Historic Places.)
Another brother, Frank K. Sturgis, attained significant wealth and prominence as a financier and President of the New York Stock Exchange. He served as President of Madison Square Garden, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and was a founder and President of the Metropolitan Club of New York. He was a close friend of James Gordon Bennett, Jr..
On April 20, 1896 Mayor Strong appointed Thomas Sturgis to be a Civil Service Commissioner and just five months later, on September 26, put him on the Board of Fire Commissioners. At that time, the Board comprised three commissioners. Upon consolidation of the Greater City of New York in 1898 his position was eliminated by the appointment of the first single Commissioner, John Jay Scannel. Upon Scannel's resignation, he was appointed the second Fire Commissioner of the consolidated City of New York by Mayor Seth Low on January 1, 1902.
During his tenure as Commissioner he took the drastic and dramatic act of dismissing Edward Croker as Chief of Department. After a two-year court battle, Chief Croker was re-instated. Upon the defeat of Mayor Low by George McClellan, McClellan replaced Sturgis with Nicholas Hayes. As such, Commissioner Sturgis' term ended on December 31, 1903.
Commissioner Sturgis died after a two-year battle with cancer on February 25, 1914 while living with his wife Helen in Eastbourne, England. His remains were cremated and returned to New York where he was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Sturgis plot also holds the remains of his wife, three of their four children and nine other family members.
His son Reginald H. Sturgis was an Infantry Captain during WWI and was gassed in combat in France. He survived and returned to New York. He died here in January 1961 and is buried along with his parents and three siblings.
Son William Bayard Sturgis (d. Apr. 8, 1951) author of books on fly fishing; lived in Chicago.
Son Thomas (d. Nov. 28, 1939 at age 58) Retired stock broker, U.S. tennis official also buried at Woodlawn plot.
Daughter Helen Rutgers Stugis attended Bryn Mawr College, never married, and is buried along with her parents.
Thomas Sturgis was born in New York City on April 6, 1846. He is the son of William Sturgis, merchant of New York, Boston and London, and Elizabeth Knight Hinckley Sturgis of Yarmouth, Massachusetts. His ancestry in the United States dates back to Edward Sturgis, born in England in 1613 and arriving in America in 1630. Mr. Sturgis was educated in the public schools of New York City.
During the Civil War, Sturgis served in the Army, attaining the rank of Assistant Adjutant General. After the war he engaged in numerous ventures ranging from banking to railroads to construction. He attended law school but never practiced. He and his brother William moved to Wyoming in 1873 where they started the Northwestern Cattle Company and later the Union Cattle Company. They became two of the most prominent ranchers in the territory. After suffering major losses as a result of the hard winter of 1886 – 1887, Thomas returned to New York and went into the construction business. (William's original Wyoming home is on the National Register of Historic Places.)
Another brother, Frank K. Sturgis, attained significant wealth and prominence as a financier and President of the New York Stock Exchange. He served as President of Madison Square Garden, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and was a founder and President of the Metropolitan Club of New York. He was a close friend of James Gordon Bennett, Jr..
On April 20, 1896 Mayor Strong appointed Thomas Sturgis to be a Civil Service Commissioner and just five months later, on September 26, put him on the Board of Fire Commissioners. At that time, the Board comprised three commissioners. Upon consolidation of the Greater City of New York in 1898 his position was eliminated by the appointment of the first single Commissioner, John Jay Scannel. Upon Scannel's resignation, he was appointed the second Fire Commissioner of the consolidated City of New York by Mayor Seth Low on January 1, 1902.
During his tenure as Commissioner he took the drastic and dramatic act of dismissing Edward Croker as Chief of Department. After a two-year court battle, Chief Croker was re-instated. Upon the defeat of Mayor Low by George McClellan, McClellan replaced Sturgis with Nicholas Hayes. As such, Commissioner Sturgis' term ended on December 31, 1903.
Commissioner Sturgis died after a two-year battle with cancer on February 25, 1914 while living with his wife Helen in Eastbourne, England. His remains were cremated and returned to New York where he was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Sturgis plot also holds the remains of his wife, three of their four children and nine other family members.
His son Reginald H. Sturgis was an Infantry Captain during WWI and was gassed in combat in France. He survived and returned to New York. He died here in January 1961 and is buried along with his parents and three siblings.
Son William Bayard Sturgis (d. Apr. 8, 1951) author of books on fly fishing; lived in Chicago.
Son Thomas (d. Nov. 28, 1939 at age 58) Retired stock broker, U.S. tennis official also buried at Woodlawn plot.
Daughter Helen Rutgers Stugis attended Bryn Mawr College, never married, and is buried along with her parents.
During the Civil War, Sturgis served in the Army, attaining the rank of Assistant Adjutant General. After the war he engaged in numerous ventures ranging from banking to railroads to construction. He attended law school but never practiced. He and his brother William moved to Wyoming in 1873 where they started the Northwestern Cattle Company and later the Union Cattle Company. They became two of the most prominent ranchers in the territory. After suffering major losses as a result of the hard winter of 1886 – 1887, Thomas returned to New York and went into the construction business. (William's original Wyoming home is on the National Register of Historic Places.)
Another brother, Frank K. Sturgis, attained significant wealth and prominence as a financier and President of the New York Stock Exchange. He served as President of Madison Square Garden, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and was a founder and President of the Metropolitan Club of New York. He was a close friend of James Gordon Bennett, Jr..
On April 20, 1896 Mayor Strong appointed Thomas Sturgis to be a Civil Service Commissioner and just five months later, on September 26, put him on the Board of Fire Commissioners. At that time, the Board comprised three commissioners. Upon consolidation of the Greater City of New York in 1898 his position was eliminated by the appointment of the first single Commissioner, John Jay Scannel. Upon Scannel's resignation, he was appointed the second Fire Commissioner of the consolidated City of New York by Mayor Seth Low on January 1, 1902.
During his tenure as Commissioner he took the drastic and dramatic act of dismissing Edward Croker as Chief of Department. After a two-year court battle, Chief Croker was re-instated. Upon the defeat of Mayor Low by George McClellan, McClellan replaced Sturgis with Nicholas Hayes. As such, Commissioner Sturgis' term ended on December 31, 1903.
Commissioner Sturgis died after a two-year battle with cancer on February 25, 1914 while living with his wife Helen in Eastbourne, England. His remains were cremated and returned to New York where he was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Sturgis plot also holds the remains of his wife, three of their four children and nine other family members.
His son Reginald H. Sturgis was an Infantry Captain during WWI and was gassed in combat in France. He survived and returned to New York. He died here in January 1961 and is buried along with his parents and three siblings.
Son William Bayard Sturgis (d. Apr. 8, 1951) author of books on fly fishing; lived in Chicago.
Son Thomas (d. Nov. 28, 1939 at age 58) Retired stock broker, U.S. tennis official also buried at Woodlawn plot.
Daughter Helen Rutgers Stugis attended Bryn Mawr College, never married, and is buried along with her parents.
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