Theodore Smith Rogers, who often went by T. S. Rogers, came to Downers Grove with his father and two brothers in 1944. He lived the rest of his life in Downers Grove, except for when he served as the sheriff of DuPage County which required he live in Naperville.
In 1862, he heeded Abraham Lincoln’s call to service and volunteered for Unions Army. On September 2, Rogers received a commission as Captain of Company B of the 150th Regiment of Illinois Infantry. He was tasked with recruiting 100 men for his company. He soon had over 138 men enlisted. Within a month enough men enlisted to complete four full companies. He resigned his commission on September 30, 1864 and returned to Downers Grove.
After the war, Rogers stayed active in local politics and business affairs. In 1873, Downers Grove held a hotly contested election to decide on village incorporation. The vote passed by a slim margin of 49 to 38. On April 26th at the first meeting of the trustees, T S Rogers was selected by the recently elected village trustees as the first village president. He served as village president for 14 years.
Rogers stayed active in later life with the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). He passed away on 15 Apr 1917. He was buried in West Side Cemetery, now called Oak Hill Cemetery. His parents, wife, two young children, and some siblings are also buried at Oak Hill.
Sources
- Blanchard, Rufus. History of Du Page County, Illinois. History of Du Page County, Illinois. O.L. Baskin & Company, 1882. https://books.google.com/books?id=xHwUAAAAYAAJ.
- Dunham, Montrew, and Pauline Wandschneider. Downers Grove, 1832-1982. Downers Grove, Ill: Heritage Festival Task Force, 1982.
- Find Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16284843/theodore_smith-rogers: accessed November 4, 2024), memorial page for Capt. Theodore Smith Rogers (30 Aug 1831–15 Apr 1917), Memorial ID 16284843, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by icedobe (contributor 46868126)
- “Theodore S Rogers”. Portrait and Biographical Record of Cook and Dupage Counties, Illinois, Chicago: Lake City, 1894. https://books.google.com/books?id=QN0pAAAAYAAJ&vq=Henry%20Carpenter&pg=PA284
