The Evidence Trail
showing the census records, directories, court documents, and photographs that prove the story
The Question
How do we know that three men named Thomas Hamall—spanning three generations across 130 years—were all connected to a single cottage in Riverside, Illinois? Three generations of only children, each separated from their fathers by divorce, distance, or death. Each man fought to maintain connections across fractures. Thomas Henry fought the law. Thomas Eugene fought distance. Thomas Kenny fought forgetting by keeping one photo and marking one trip as "pivotal." And we are fighting to recover what was lost.
The answer lies in the documents. Census records. City directories. Court filings. Draft cards. Marriage certificates. Death records. Photographs. Each piece of evidence, carefully cross-referenced and verified, builds an unassailable documentary foundation.
This is that evidence trail—the complete record of primary sources that prove the story.
🎯 The Smoking Gun Document
Thomas Eugene Hamall's October 16, 1940 WWII Draft Registration lists his address as 291 Lionel Road, Riverside, Illinois—the exact same address his father had defended in a four-year battle to the Illinois Supreme Court (Hamall v. Petru, 1924-1928). This single document proves that Thomas Eugene inherited the cottage his father fought to protect, lived there in 1940, and brought his son Thomas Kenny there for the Saturday visits that would be remembered 70 years later.
The Complete Evidence Trail
Organized by generation, showing every primary source document
Generation I: Thomas Henry Hamall
1880 Birth
Thomas Henry was born to Owen and Kate in Chicago during a period of rapid industrialization and working-class struggle.
1904 Marriage to Emma Gilbert (Guilbault)
Thomas Henry's first marriage, which produced one child (Thomas Eugene) but ended in divorce by 1907 when Thomas Eugene was only 3 years old.
1907 Divorce
The rapid remarriage suggests the marriage was already over before the legal divorce. Thomas Henry lost daily access to his son.
1911 Property Purchased
Kate assisted her divorced son by enabling him to build a home. This cottage would become central to three generations.
1919 Kate Hamall Dies
Kate's death destabilized Thomas Henry's life. He boarded in Chicago at least temporarily before returning to Riverside.
1922 Wedding Photo - Thomas Henry
ONLY known photograph of Thomas Henry. Shows him at age 42, remarried, back at the cottage. This is the sole visual evidence of the man who fought to the Supreme Court. Thomas Eugene was present at his father's wedding!
1924-1928 Illinois Supreme Court Case
Thomas Henry fought to the highest state court to protect 291 Lionel Road. The legal record proves he considered this cottage worth defending at enormous cost.
1930 U.S. Federal Census
Two years after winning his Supreme Court case, Thomas Henry was still living at the cottage with Margaret, working as a Millwright in the bottleworks industry.
1938 Death
After Margaret died (circa 1936), Thomas Henry likely lived with his sister Mary for his final 2 years while battling the illness that would kill him.(Note: His wife ,Margaret, had died in 1936) The cottage at 291 Lionel Road likely passed to his son Thomas Eugene.
Thomas Henry's Documented Life Path
The Residential Timeline (Census & Directories)
Generation II: Thomas Eugene Hamall
1904 Birth
Thomas Eugene's family was fractured when he was only 3 years old. His childhood would be split between his mother's new household, his grandmother- Marie Louise Thebault and occasional contact with his father.
1910 Census - Not Found
Thomas Eugene was living with his mother and stepfather but not recorded—Alvin Hepp most likely reported "no children" to the census taker, so Thomas Eugene's name was never captured in the record.
1920 U.S. Federal Census
By age 7, Thomas Eugene was being raised by his maternal grandmother—a pattern of maternal family support that would repeat in the next generation.
1920s Young Man Portrait
This portrait shows Thomas Eugene as a confident young man before marriage and fatherhood—dressed well, ready for the world.
1930 Marriage to Margaret Kenny
Despite the Depression starting, this was an elegant wedding showing the Kenny family's standing and support for their daughter's marriage.
1930 U.S. Federal Census
The newlyweds established their first home together in Chicago. Photos show Thomas Eugene had green thumb—skills he would later use professionally in Miami.
1932 Four-Generation Photo
Four generations captured in one photo—showing the maternal line's strength. Emma and Marie Louise present and connected to Thomas Eugene and his son.
1940 WWII Draft Registration
THE SMOKING GUN: Thomas Eugene must have inherited the cottage his father fought to the Supreme Court to protect. He was living there in October 1940—the same address Thomas Henry had defended for four years.
This also captures Thomas and Margaret's separation in real time as it was occurring
1940 U.S. Federal Census
This is the only record we have of Thomas Eugene, Margaret, and Thomas Kenny together as an intact family. Within a year, divorce would separate them permanently. This census captures the last moment of family unity.
Late 1930s Riverside Photos
These photos show Thomas Eugene at the cottage HE OWNED after inheriting it from his father. Although, we do not see Thomas Kenny in these photos we know this must be where he brought his son for Saturday visits—the memories Thomas Kenny would carry for 70 years.
1941 Divorce
The divorce ended Thomas Eugene's ability to connect with his son. Margaret moved to Miami with her son and her parents. The Kenny family relocated together to support Margaret after the divorce. Thomas Eugene would eventually follow to Miami, leaving the cottage behind.
Leaving the cottage behind was a choice he made to be closer to his son.
1950s Miami Life
Thomas Eugene rebuilt his life in Miami, using the gardening skills evident in the McVicker Avenue photos. He maintained contact with his son but likely never returned to Riverside.
1967 Death
Thomas Eugene died at age 62 in Miami, far from the Riverside cottage he briefly inherited. He had the property for only a short time but the memories it created were "priceless". The cottage was the one continuous thread of connection for the three generations of Thomas Hamalls
Generation III: Thomas Kenny Hamall
1932 Birth
Thomas Kenny was born into a family with strong maternal support—four generations of family present in his early life.
1938-1941 Childhood Memories at Riverside
These childhood memories—Saturday visits to the "House at Riverside"—formed between ages 6-9 and would last for 70 years, driving a return visit at age 65.
1941 Move to Miami
Thomas Kenny didn't just move with his mother—the entire Kenny family (Margaret and her parents) relocated to Miami to provide stability and support after the divorce. This was the end of his Riverside childhood.
1940s Seminary Years
Thomas Eugene made the effort to join his son on father-son trip despite 1,200 miles distance .
1950 U.S. Federal Census
The Kenny grandparents provided the stable home that raised Thomas Kenny after the divorce. This census shows the family structure that supported him through his teenage years.
Adult Life
Despite 56 years away from Riverside, Thomas Kenny never forgot the cottage where he spent Saturdays with his father as a child.
1998 Return to Riverside
After more than half a century, Thomas Kenny returned. He never knew about the Supreme Court case. He never knew what his grandfather fought for. But he never forgot the house or the memories.
2010 Death
Thomas Kenny's memories of Riverside—and his decision to preserve them by returning—led to the research that uncovered this entire story. His wife, Barbara, was integral in relaying these memories after his death in 2010.
🔍 The Discovery Sequence: How We Pieced It Together
Starting Point: Thomas Kenny's Memories
The research began with Thomas Kenny's memories of "the house at Riverside" from his childhood (late 1930s). He remembered Saturday visits with his father, a dog, lawn chairs, library trips. But he didn't know the address.
Finding Thomas Henry
Census records and city directories revealed Thomas Henry Hamall (Thomas Eugene's father) living in Riverside in the 1920s-1930s. One single wedding photo from 1922 near the Olmsted pillars provided visual confirmation—and showed Thomas Eugene (age 17) present at his father's wedding.
Discovering the Supreme Court Case
Illinois Supreme Court records revealed Hamall v. Petru (1928)—a four-year legal battle (1924-1928) where Thomas Henry successfully defended 291 Lionel Road as his homestead against Emma's lawsuit to seize it for child support.
THE BREAKTHROUGH: Thomas Eugene's 1940 Draft Card
October 16, 1940 WWII Draft Registration listed Thomas Eugene Hamall at 291 Lionel Road, Riverside—THE SAME ADDRESS his father had fought to protect! This single document proved Thomas Eugene inherited the cottage after Thomas Henry's death (1938), was living there in 1940, and this was "the house at Riverside" Thomas Kenny visited as a child.
The Crucial 1940 Census
The 1940 census revealed the ONLY record of the intact family unit: Thomas Eugene, Margaret, and 7-year-old Thomas Kenny all together. Within a year, divorce would split them apart permanently. This census captures the last moment before everything changed.
Connecting the Photos to the Property
Photo of Thomas Eugene with a dog at Riverside in the late 1930s now had context—he was at the cottage HE OWNED, bringing his son Thomas Kenny for Saturday visits. The childhood memories matched the documentary evidence. We also verified the McVicker Avenue house through 1930 census and phone directories—where multiple yard and arbor photos show Thomas Eugene's gardening skills.
The 1941 Divorce and Miami Move
City directories and census records showed Thomas Eugene left Riverside and made the move to Miami by 1950 (possibly as early as 1948) after divorcing Margaret Kenny. She had moved to Miami with 9-year-old Thomas Kenny in May 1941—accompanied by her parents Thomas P. Kenny and Ellen O'Connor Kenny who were relocating following his retirement as Batallion Chief for the Chicago Fire Dept. The entire Kenny family provided stability for young Thomas Kenny. Thomas Eugene eventually followed to Miami (final address: 3291 NW 103rd St). The cottage was left behind.
The Seminary Years & Kenny Grandparents
Photos show Thomas Kenny at St. Charles Seminary in Maryland, and a "pivotal" 1947 trip to Washington, DC. The 1950 census confirmed he was living with his Kenny grandparents (Thomas P. Kenny and Ellen Kenny) and mother Margaret in Miami—the stable family unit that raised him after the divorce. Thomas Kenny completed high school in Miami.
The 1997 Return: Full Circle
At age 65, Thomas Kenny returned to Riverside to show his wife "the house at Riverside"—57 years after leaving at age 9. He never knew about the Supreme Court case, never knew what his grandfather had fought for. But he never forgot the house or "Riverside".
🔗 What the Evidence Proves: Three Generations, One Address
Thomas Henry (1911-1938): Built It, Fought For It, Lived There
Evidence: 1911 property records (Kate's $400 loan), 1922 wedding photo at Olmsted pillars (with Thomas Eugene present), 1924-1928 Supreme Court case defending 291 Lionel Road as homestead, death certificate 1938 showing he may have spent his final 2 years with sister Mary Hamall Holland at 2639 S Ridgeway after Margaret died, place of death St. Anthony's Hospital.
What it proves: Thomas Henry lived at the cottage for nearly 30 years (with breaks), fought a four-year legal battle to the Illinois Supreme Court to protect it, won that battle, and died knowing it was secure.
Thomas Eugene (1938-1941): Inherited It, Lived There, Left It
Evidence: 1940 WWII draft card showing 291 Lionel Road address, 1940 census showing intact family (ONLY such record), photos at Riverside with dog in late 1930s, verified McVicker Avenue address from 1930 census and directories (multiple yard/arbor photos), 1950 census showing Miami address (cottage gone), death residence 3291 NW 103rd St, Miami.
What it proves: Thomas Eugene likely inherited the cottage his father fought for, lived there and spent time with his family in 1940 (captured in the crucial WWII Draft Registration), but decided to leave it sometime after the 1941 divorce. He followed his family to Miami, leaving the cottage behind forever.
Thomas Kenny (1938-1941): Visited It, Remembered It, Returned to It
Evidence: Photos of the House at Riverside as young child (ages 6-9, late 1930s) preserved, family accounts of "house at Riverside" memories, move to Miami at age 9 with mother and Kenny grandparents (Thomas P. Kenny & Ellen Kenny), 1950 census living with grandparents and mother, photos at St. Charles Seminary Maryland (including 1947 DC trip), 1998 return visit with wife at age 66.
What it proves: Validates Thomas Kenny's memories of Riverside on Saturdays during his early childhood (ages 6-9), never forgot it despite 57 years away and being raised by his mother and Kenny grandparents after the divorce, and returned as an elderly man to honor those memories—without ever knowing the Supreme Court battle his grandfather waged to protect that very house.
📷 The Photographic Evidence
Thomas Henry - 1922 Wedding
Thomas Eugene - 1920s Young Man
Thomas Eugene - 1930 Wedding
Four Generations - 1932
McVicker House & Garden - 1930s
Thomas Eugene at Riverside - Late 1930s
Thomas Kenny - Preserves photos of Riverside
Thomas Kenny - Age 10 in Miami
Thomas Kenny at St. Charles Seminary
Evidence Type Legend
Why This Evidence Matters
Without documentation, family stories become myths. Details blur. Connections fade. Within two generations, people forget where they came from.
This evidence trail preserves what would otherwise be lost: the precise addresses, the exact dates, the legal battles, the photographs—the documentary proof that three Thomas Hamalls were connected across 130 years by a single cottage at 291 Lionel Road, Riverside, Illinois.
Thomas Henry fought for it in court and won.
Thomas Eugene inherited it but chose to leave it.
Thomas Kenny never forgot it and returned 57 years later.
Every claim in this document is backed by primary source evidence—census records, court documents, vital records, city directories, and photographs. This isn't family legend. This is what the records prove.