Col. Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston

"Cap" Huston with his signature derby hat

Till was born in Cincinnati, the son of a civil engineer and railroad builder. He himself received his first engineering experience under his father in the construction of sections of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.

During the Spanish-American War, Till was a captain in the Second Regiment U.S. Volunteer Engineers in Cuba. After the war he remained in Cuba, dredging harbors, modernizing sewerage systems in Havana and other cities, and doing other construction work that proved extremely profitable.

While building and designing things were his passions, with the fortune he made in Cuba, Till was able to indulge in his one of his other passions: baseball. In January 1915, Till partnered with beer baron Jacob Ruppert to purchase a second-rate baseball team called the Yankees for $460,000. The team was without a home of its own, without players of outstanding ability, and without any prestige. Till and Jacob turned the Yankees into the pride of New Yorkers and built Yankee Stadium. Till supervised much of its construction.

In May 1917, Till enlisted for the World War in the 16th Regiment of Engineers, and in France built roads and railways under heavy shell fire, first behind the British lines in the German drive of March, 1918, and later with the American First Army near Varennes and Montfaucon. He was twice promoted and became lieutenant colonel of the regiment.

When Till returned from the war, his views on how the Yankees should be managed became increasing diverged from that of his partner, Jacob Ruppert. Ruppert bought out Till's share for $1,500,00 in May 1923, a month after Yankee Stadium opened.

In 1926, Till buys Butler Island Plantation in Georgia and creates a dairy and truck farming business.

Much more information about Till will be added in time. This website is a work-in-progress.