Thomas Teakle was born on April 14, 1878, in Scotland, Iowa. He was educated in Iowa schools and received a degree from the Iowa State Teachers Normal School in 1904, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1910, majoring in history and political science. In 1911 Teakle moved to Idaho to be principal of Pocatello High School. He returned to Des Moines, Iowa the following year and taught high school there until 1919. He also wrote a book, The Spirit Lake Massacre, which was published in 1918. In 1919, Teakle returned to the west, this time to teach history at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Washington. He retired from this position in 1946 at the age of 68.

Following his retirement, Teakle began collecting historical data from newspapers in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, typing articles dealing with pioneer life, mines, range life, Indian life, railroad development, etc. These typescripts were arranged by subject and bound. The volumes were donated to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, by the terms of Teakle's will. Teakle also collected published books concerning cowboy and range life, the collection numbering more than 1000 volumes. This book collection was donated to the Montana Historical Society in Helena following Teakle's death.

Teakle was also very active in organizing the Spokane Posse of The Westerners organization and served the group in a variety of capacities. In 1967 Teakle was awarded the title of "Historian Emeritus" by the Eastern Washington Historical Society. Teakle died in Spokane on June 24, 1969.