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French Lick Springs Hotel |
1905-1906 |
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8670 West Indiana Ave., Route 56 |
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French Lick, IN 47432 |
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| Thomas Taggart was one of Indiana's legendary political figures and most successful early entrepreneurs. Taggart came from a humble | ||||||||||
| Irish immigrant background to become one of the state's wealthiest men. Taggart, a former mayor of Indianapolis, was Chairman | ||||||||||
| of the Democratic National Committee from 1904 to 1908 (the time of the chips). The Republicans used Taggart's "Satan" poker | ||||||||||
| chips to discredit him as a person that had made French Lick Springs a notorious place. | ||||||||||
| Taggart was well loved in Indianapolis as demonstrated by this tribute bronze medal (3" across by .25" thick) | ||||||||||
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| The following several articles show the relationship between chips and politics in 1906. Also see NY Times article further down the | ||||||||||
| page. At the bottom of the page is a neat ad for the French Lick Springs Hotel showing Thomas Taggart as president. | ||||||||||
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The chips were taken in a July 3,
1906 raid. Following is from the New York Times, 4 July 1906.
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| Aside from chips, note that a NYC policeman used his nightstick "freely" on the acting mayor's son. | ||||||||||
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| Advertisement below is from 1905. Note the president, Thomas Taggart. | ||||||||||
| Taggart convinced the Monon Railroad to build a spur directly to the hotel | An old matchbook. Screw on bottle indicates | |||||||||
| grounds with daily passenger service to Chicago("On the Monon Route"). | matchbook dated much later than years of the chip. | |||||||||
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