He served as a Republican member of the Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Born in Rome, New York, on October 12, 1817, to parents Mancel, Sr. and Betsy Talcott, he moved to Chicago in 1834.

[2] While fighting off the invader, Talcott swung a chair, which struck a gas fixture, causing an explosion that injured him severely and from which he never fully recovered.

[2] He died at his home in Chicago on June 5, 1878, from a heart ailment, though the lingering effects of the gas explosion was believed to have been a contributing factor.

[13] As president of the police board, Talcott pushed for stricter enforcement of the city's law prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sundays, but encountered opposition from those who felt that to do so would be politically damaging.