Representative Thomas Jefferson Selby

Thomas Jefferson Selby (December 4, 1840 – March 10, 1917) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party who served one term in the United States Congress from 1901 to 1903. Born in Delaware County, Ohio, he attended the common schools, receiving a basic formal education typical of mid-19th-century rural communities. Little is recorded about his family background or early youth, but his subsequent public career reflects an early interest in law, local governance, and Democratic Party politics.

Selby moved to Illinois as a young man and became closely associated with public affairs in Jersey and Calhoun Counties. He studied law and pursued legal training while becoming involved in local administration and law enforcement. Before his formal admission to the bar, he entered public service and gained practical experience in county government and the legal system, which would shape his later career as an attorney and officeholder.

From 1864 to 1866, Selby served as sheriff of Jersey County, Illinois, a role that placed him at the center of local law enforcement during the closing years of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. In addition to his duties as sheriff, he became active in the local press, publishing the Jersey County Democrat from 1866 to 1870. Through this newspaper, he helped articulate and promote Democratic viewpoints in a period of intense political realignment. Concurrently, he served as county clerk of Jersey County from 1869 to 1877, managing official records and administrative functions, which further deepened his experience in public administration.

Selby was admitted to the bar in 1869, formalizing his status as an attorney, and he commenced the active practice of law in 1875. Alongside his legal work, he continued to hold local offices and to build his reputation as a civic leader. He served two terms as mayor of Jerseyville, Illinois, though the exact dates of his mayoral service are not specified in the surviving record. As mayor, he would have overseen municipal affairs during a period of growth and modernization in small Midwestern towns, balancing local economic development with the provision of public services.

In 1888, Selby’s legal and political career advanced further when he became state’s attorney for Calhoun County, Illinois. He held that office from 1888 to 1900, prosecuting cases on behalf of the state and representing the public interest in the county’s courts. His twelve-year tenure as state’s attorney underscored both his professional standing at the bar and his continued prominence within the Democratic Party at the county and regional levels.

Selby was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-seventh Congress and served as a Representative from Illinois from March 4, 1901, to March 3, 1903. His single term in the U.S. House of Representatives occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the nation’s emergence as an imperial power following the Spanish–American War and by ongoing debates over economic policy, regulation, and the role of the federal government. As a member of the House of Representatives, Thomas Jefferson Selby participated in the legislative process, represented the interests of his Illinois constituents, and contributed to the work of the Democratic minority in Congress. Although specific committee assignments and sponsored legislation are not detailed in the available record, his service reflected the concerns of a largely rural and small-town constituency in the early twentieth century.

After leaving Congress at the conclusion of his term in 1903, Selby did not seek or did not secure further federal office and returned to Illinois to resume the practice of law. He continued his professional activities in the legal field, drawing on decades of experience in local and county government, law enforcement, and prosecution. Selby spent his later years in Hardin, the county seat of Calhoun County, where he remained a respected figure in the community.

Thomas Jefferson Selby died in Hardin, Illinois, on March 10, 1917. He was interred in Hardin Cemetery, bringing to a close a long career in public service that spanned roles as sheriff, newspaper publisher, county clerk, mayor, state’s attorney, and United States Representative. His life and work reflected the trajectory of many nineteenth-century Midwestern Democrats who rose from local office to national service while remaining closely tied to the communities they represented.