Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Columbia Lancaster (1803-1893)


  Today's profile highlights Columbia Lancaster, a native of Connecticut who during his ninety years of life went on to serve in the territorial governments of three separate states! The portrait of him shown above was featured in the first volume of the 1889 work History of the Pacific Northwest: Oregon and Washington, and it's interesting to note that Lancaster was still living at age 86 at the time of this book's publishing.
  Columbia Lancaster was born in New Milford, Connecticut on August 26, 1803, the son of Benjamin and Hannah Knowles Lancaster. The Lancaster family removed to Ohio within a few years of Columbia's birth, and it was in this state that he received his education. In his teenage years, he began the study of law under former Congressman Elisha Whittlesey (1783-1863), and after some months of study moved to the Michigan Territory in 1824.  
   After arriving in the territory, Lancaster stayed with the then territorial governor (and later Presidential candidate) Lewis Cass, an acquaintance of Elisha Whittlesey. Lancaster continued the study of law here and in 1830 was admitted to the bar. In 1836 he managed a brief return to Ohio and here married a childhood acquaintance named Rosannah Jones, with whom he had three children, Sarah Lancaster Heitman (1843-1911), Hannah (born ca. 1847) and Wait (1853-1880). 
  Several years after opening a law practice in the village of Centerville, Michigan, Lancaster was appointed by Governor Cass as District Attorney for Michigan and in 1837 was elected to a term in the Michigan Territorial Legislature. Lancaster and his family left Centerville for the Oregon Territory in March 1841 and after a few month's journey reached their destination in September of that year. 
  Within a few years of settling in the territory, Lancaster was appointed by Provisional Governor George Abernethy (1807-1877) as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the provisional government of Oregon. His term on this court lasted two years, 1847-49, and in 1850 Lancaster was elected to a two-year term as a member of the Territorial Council of Oregon. 
  During the early 1850s, Lancaster continued in active political service, being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854 as the Washington Territory's first-ever congressional delegate (this occurring shortly after the split of Washington and Oregon into two separate territories.) His short term in Congress was noted by the History of the Pacific Northwest as being of lasting notoriety, "as he accomplished more for the territory than has ever been accomplished before or since by any other delegate for any other territory in so short a time." Lancaster served in Congress from April 1854 to March 1855 and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection.
  A few years after leaving Congress, Lancaster was named as a trustee for the University of Washington at Seattle in 1862, and during this time was also involved in the development and construction of the Puget Sound and Columbia River Railroad. Columbia Lancaster's wife Hannah and son Wait both died in 1880 and Lancaster himself died at age 90 on September 15, 1893, in Vancouver, Washington. He and his wife were both interred in the Old Vancouver City Cemetery, and the rare obituary for him posted below originally appeared in a September 1893 edition of the Bakersfield Daily Californian.


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Camoralza Hagler Spahr (1826-1896)

             This rare portrait of  Dr. Camoralza H. Spahr is located in the collection of the Greene 
               County Public Library-Greene County Room-Local History and Genealogy in Xenia, Ohio.

   Every now and then on the site I get a chance to profile an oddly named politician who has virtually no information available online in regards to their life history and public career. Since the founding of this site one year ago I've lucked into the good fortune of beginning correspondence with several historical societies throughout the United States, enlisting their help in researching the life of a particular politician I'm going to write about. Today's profile is one of those wonderful occurrences, as I received a great deal of help from some very special people during my research!
  The bearded fellow shown above is one Camoralza Hagler Spahr,  an outstandingly named resident and physician of Greene County, Ohio who served a short term as that county's representative in the Ohio legislature during the mid-1860s. As it stands now, very little exists online in regards to this intriguingly named man, and I'm pleased to relate that upon the completion of his profile here there will be at least one substantial biography of Dr. Spahr available online, courtesy of the help and insight of the Greene County Historical Society and the Greene County Public Library.
  With that introduction, I'd also like to mention the portrait of Spahr shown above (located in the archives collection of the Greene County Public Library in Xenia, Ohio.) This picture was e-mailed to me a few days ago and the kind folks involved in both of the above-mentioned places graciously granted permission for its use on the site here! This portrait is in all likelihood the only picture of Camoralza Spahr you'll ever see, which speaks volumes about the rarity and obscurity of both the man and the picture. I want to send a big thank you to Green County Public Library Head archivist Deanna Ulvestad, Greene County Historical Society Director Catherine Kidd Wilson, and Greene County Library Director Karl Colon for all of their help and generosity in regard to this wonderfully named Greene County resident.


   
                From the Hundred Year Book and Official Register of the State of Ohio: 1789-1891, Inclusive.
  
   I'll begin Dr. Spahr's profile with a small bit of background on how this article came about. I first discovered the name of this oddly named Ohioan in an Ohio register that cataloged every member of the state senate and house of representatives up until 1891. Since his discovery three years ago little else could be found on him, with the exception being a small write-up in the 1881 work History of Greene County, Together With Historic Notes on the Northwest and the State of Ohio. After exhausting all of the available sources mentioning Spahr, I fired off an e-mail to the Greene County Historical Society and was soon rewarded with a message from that society's director, Catherine Kidd Wilson. In her e-mail, Catherine made mention of the above photograph and also was kind enough to send me two pictures of Dr. Spahr's gravesite in Jamestown, Ohio, as well as a newspaper transcription on his candidacy for the Ohio legislature in 1863. A short time later Greene County Library Director Karl Colon put me in contact with library archivist Deanna Ulvestad, who kindly provided me with access to Spahr's portrait! 
   Camoralza Hagler Spahr's story begins with his birth on January 30, 1826, in Greene County, Ohio, the third of nine children born to Gideon (1788-1856) and Phoebe Hagler Spahr (1798-1867), both Hardy County, Virginia natives who resettled in the Ohio area around 1816. It can safely be said that strange names ran in the Spahr family, with four of Camoralza's siblings being named Bingdella Eddy (1828-1861), Raper Apharaso (killed at the Battle of Stone River in 1863), Barzillai Nelson (later a Methodist clergyman), and Parthena (born 1833). No sources mentioning Camoralza Spahr give mention as to why he was endowed with his highly unusual first name, and it is also a mystery as to the exact origins of the name "Camoralza", although it sounds like it could be of biblical extraction.
   The Spahr family resettled on a farm near Jamestown, Ohio in 1832, and young Camoralza received his education in schools local to that area. He is recorded as engaging in farm work during his adolescence, and in 1846 began pursuing a career in medicine, becoming a student under two Ohio physicians, Dr. Ebenezer Owen and Dr. Adamson B. Newkirk. In the late 1840s Spahr enrolled in the Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio, and after completing his studies opened a medical practice in Jamestown in February 1854.
   Within a few years of beginning his medical practice, Spahr married Ironton, Ohio native Mary Ann Peters on March 11, 1858. This union eventually produced six children, who are listed as follows: Phoebe (1859-1913), Fannie (born 1864), George R. (1865-1938), and three other children (a genealogical website lists their names as John Peters, Mary Harriett, and Homer Mason) who are recorded by the earlier mentioned History of Greene County as dying in infancy.
  In 1863 Spahr threw his hat in the political ring, launching a campaign for a seat in the Ohio State House of Representatives. An excellent write-up on his candidacy was sent to me by Catherine Wilson and was originally featured in a September 2, 1863 edition of the Xenia Torchlight. The author of this newspaper article, Benjamin F. "Fogy" Shickley, makes special note of Spahr being an "eminent and successful physician" who had received "an excellent education. He is a pleasant and impressive speaker.  He is well posted in the politics of the country. He is a gentleman of excellent morals, and his voice, his labor, and his means have ever been employed for the preservation of the Union, and the suppression of the rebellion." "Fogy" goes on to state that during the Civil War, Spahr's "best professional services were promptly given, and without any charge to any and all of the family of volunteers that called upon him."
  Support for Spahr's campaign was marked by "Fogy" as one of "unanimity", with the author noting that "he is the right man!" and that "fellow citizens, my voice is for Spahr." Newspaper write-ups like this one proved to be a boon to Spahr, as he eventually won election to the Ohio House of Representatives in November 1863, "by the largest majority ever given prior to that time to any candidate for the same office in the county.
  Spahr officially took his seat in January 1864 and is listed in his 1896 obituary as having "ably represented Greene County" during his tenure, which concluded in 1866. While still serving in the legislature Spahr is recorded as serving as chairman of a "Union meeting" in 1864 which discussed ongoing events regarding that year's state and national elections. Spahr is also noted as having been selected to attend a state convention on May 25th of that year. An article on that meeting (which appeared in the Xenia Sentinel) has been posted below.


   Spahr returned to his medical practice after leaving the legislature and throughout his later years was involved in various civic affairs in his native Greene County. His obituary mentions him as being an active parishioner in the local Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as his service as a Sunday school superintendent, and the 1881 History of Greene County denotes that Spahr was a charter member and past treasurer of the Grace Encampment No. 171 of the International Order of Odd-Fellows in 1873.
  Camoralza Hagler Spahr died at age 70 in the early morning hours of August 3, 1896, at his home in Jamestown. He had been a practicing physician for over 40 years and had maintained his practice until "being laid aside by disease" some years previously.  Camoralza's wife Mary Ann survived her husband by several years, dying at age 72 in October 1910, and both were subsequently interred in the old Silvercreek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio. Research has also shown that many other members of the Spahr family rest here, including Camoralza's parents Gideon and Phoebe, his children George, Homer, Mary, and John, and his brother Raper, who lost his life during the Civil War.


 Spahr's obituary as appeared in the August 7, 1896 edition of the Xenia Daily Gazette.

   In addition to locating the rare obituary for Dr. Spahr shown above, I was also rewarded with two pictures of his gravesite in the Silvercreek Cemetery, sent to me by Green County Historical Society director Catherine Wilson in one of the earlier mentioned e-mails! These pictures have been posted below, and as one can see his stone denotes his full name and that he was a "beloved physician in his native county for 42 years."


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

An Auxencico Update.....Part III!


   If you've followed this site for any length of time you'll hopefully recognize the mustachioed man above......Auxencico Maria Pena Venezuela Hildreth Dickeson!!!! Dickeson (nicknamed Oxie and "Alphabetical Dick") was a 19th century New Jersey State Assemblyman who hailed from Salem County, and it is he who holds the honored title of "the strangest name" out of the great many politicians I've collected and profiled over the years. Mr. Dickeson's site profile is the most viewed article out of the 170 or so that I've done thus far, with over 180+ views to its credit. You might also remember reading the two updates I wrote for "Oxie" and his article centering on the help of two wonderful blog readers (Frank and Hildy) who volunteered their time to correspond with me and send me the portrait of Oxie above!  
  While many new pieces of information on Oxie came to light, many others remained a mystery, especially in regards to his burial site. Dickeson died at the young age of 36 in 1879 but no available source gave notice as to where his final resting place might be....that is until now!
   Earlier this week I developed some correspondence with Salem County Librarian Beverly Bradway, who related to me that Oxie is buried in the Society of Friends Burial Ground in Salem City, New Jersey. This cemetery (which contains graves that date back to the 1690s) is also home to the famed Salem Oak tree, shown in the picture below. I owe a great debt to Beverly for all of her help, and without her aid I might never have known where Dickeson was interred!



 In addition to the above information, I also received a death notice for Oxie, the closest thing to an obituary that could be found. Beverly found this rare article in a June 20, 1879 edition of the Salem Sunbeam, which states that Auxencico M.P.V.H. Dickeson died "at the residence of his father, Dr. Thos. P. Dickeson, in Hancock's Bridge on the 15th inst." This newspaper is located in the archives of the Salem County Historical Society and is in all likelihood the only "obituary" for Oxie that you'll ever see. While the mysteries of his burial site location and place of death have been solved, only one question remains......what illness claimed A.M.P.V.H. Dickeson's life at the young age of 36?

                                              From the Salem Sunbeam, June 20, 1879.

  The above mentioned question centering on Oxie's illness/death may never be sufficiently explained, but I can rest easy knowing that over the course of a year a plethora of research was done in regards to the life of this infinitely obscure man, and with the help of Frank, "Hildy" and now Beverly Bradway, more people can now learn of the life and exploits of  this wonderfully named (and sadly obscure) New Jersey resident! And in case you may want to read more, here is a link to the full article on Oxie, originally published (with various updates included) in July of last year. http://politicalstrangenames.blogspot.com/2011/07/auxencico-maria-pena-venezuela-hildreth.html

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Commodore Perry Vedder (1838-1910), Commodore Perry Meek (1851-1943), Commodore Perry Craig (1869-1933), Commodore Perry Stover (1851-1932), Commodore Perry Thornhill (1858-1948), Commodore Bruce Roberts (1875-1941), Commodore Decatur Dotson (1864-1948), Commodore Daniel Loveless (1866-1945)


  This oddly named New Yorker is one Commodore Perry Vedder, a prominent resident of the town of Ellicottville who was elected to multiple terms in both houses of the New York state legislature between 1877 and 1891. In his younger years, Vedder distinguished himself on the Civil War battlefield, being brevetted as a Lieutenant Colonel. In addition to his political and military service, Vedder also found fame in a variety of business and civic endeavors throughout his native state. I first located the name of Commodore P. Vedder in a 1985 edition of the New York State Red Book that had been discarded from my high school library way back in 2001. Since becoming aware of him over a decade ago, Mr. Vedder has been one of my personal favorite strange political name discoveries, not only for his having a naval title for a first name but also for his being a truly prominent local political figure.
   Commodore Perry Vedder was born in Ellicottville on February 23, 1838, the son of local farmer Jacob Vedder and his wife Margaret Gouverneur. Young Vedder received his first and middle names in honor of "Commodore Perry", which, as it so happens, is the title of two famed American naval commanders. The first, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), the "Hero of Lake Erie", gained lasting distinction during the War of 1812, while the other is Oliver's younger brother Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who helped instigate American diplomatic ties and trade with Japan. Despite both of the Perry brother's prominence, Commodore Oliver Perry looks to be the most likely candidate, as his status as a naval hero had been known for two decades before Vedder's birth in 1838.
   Commodore P. Vedder attended the common schools in Ellicottville and during his youth worked as a boatman on the Erie Canal and later went aboard the brig Alert on the Great LakesAfter accumulating enough savings from his various jobs, Vedder returned to Cattaraugus County, New York, and entered the Springville Academy in the late 1850s. During his time at this institution, Vedder taught school in the Cattaraugus area until 1862, when he signed on for service as a private in the 154th Regiment, New York Infantry. He is recorded as serving in this regiment until the close of the hostilities and participating in the battles of Wauhatchie, Lookout Valley, Bentonville, and Chancellorsville. Vedder was captured at the last-named battle and spent nearly two weeks as a prisoner of war in the Libby Prison in Richmond, VirginiaAfter being paroled in the fall of 1863, he went on to serve under General William T. Sherman on his famed march to the sea from Atlanta and concluded his military service as a Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers.
   After returning home, Vedder began pursuing the study of law at the Albany Law School and in 1866 was admitted to the state bar. In the following year, Vedder was named as a register in bankruptcy and held this post for eight years. In November 1871 he was elected to his first term in the New York State Assembly as a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee Charles Carey by a "majority of 401." Appointed to the judiciary committee during his second year in the assembly, Vedder was noted as a "man of fine personal appearance and unusually pleasing address, and evidently has a brilliant career yet before him." He continued to serve in the assembly until 1875, and it was in this year that he was elected to a two-year term in the state senate. 


          This portrait of C.P. Vedder appeared in Volume 1 of The Men of New York, published in 1898.

   Vedder's first term in the senate saw him serve as Chairman of both the Committee on Indian Affairs as well as Internal Affairs. He left the senate in 1877 and three years later was appointed by then-Governor Alonzo B. Cornell as New York State Assessor, serving from 1880-1883. Vedder's tenure in the assessor's office was mentioned in the second volume of Genealogical and Family History of New York as one of particular note as "it is asserted that no man ever did more to lighten the burdens of taxation upon those least able to bear them."  In his last year of service as state assessor, Vedder was once again elected to the New York State Senate. Taking office in January 1884, he held a seat on the committee of Taxation and Retrenchment and during his senate service (which extended from 1884-1891), was the author of "The New York state laws taxing gifts, legacies and collateral inheritances". It was also noted that as a result of Vedder's work in the senate "millions of dollars have been paid into the treasury, and a permanent source of revenue has been provided for the state."
   Within a year of leaving the senate, Commodore P. Vedder married Chicago native Genevieve Wheeler in July 1892. This was, in fact, his second marriage, as his first wife, Bettie Spires, had died in Ellicottville in 1884. Commodore and Bettie Vedder are also mentioned as having a son named John Vedder (born 1868) who predeceased them both in 1882 at age 14.

            Commodore P. Vedder as he appeared in the Genealogical and Family History of New York.

    Even after leaving the senate, Vedder continued to be invested in Empire State political and business circles. In 1894 he was named as a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention and also held the presidency of fourteen corporations in and around the state, including the Bank of Ellicottville (president for 20 years), the State Bank of Norwood (president for 24 years), the Falls Electric Power and Land Company, the New York and New Jersey Ice Lines, and the Elko Milling, Mining and Manufacturing Company of Randolph, New York. In addition to his aforementioned business interests, Vedder is also mentioned as being a major figure on the New York social scene, holding a membership in the Holland Society for over two decades, was an active Mason, and was a member of both the Republican Club and Lawyer's Club of New York City.
   After many years of service in New York public life, Commodore P. Vedder died on December 24, 1910, in his room at the Hotel Majestic in New York City. The 72-year-old Vedder had been seriously ill for only a few hours and the cause of death (as listed in his obituary below) was heart disease. 


                      Vedder's obit as it appeared in the December 25, 1910 edition of the New York Herald.


   Earlier today I (as well as the Strangest Names In American Political History book) made a visit to Commodore P. Vedder's final resting place in Ellicottville. After some searching, his impressive monument was found below the sloping terraces of the Sunset Hill Cemetery. And now for some photos from today's visit!



  As one can see by the above photograph, Vedder's tombstone is one that certainly befits a state legislator, businessman, and military figure! It's also quite nice to see that someone still cares enough about Vedder's legacy to plant flowers in the large urns on either side of his stone. Although no notice is given as to his service in the senate or assembly, a GAR marker and American flag are prominently situated next to his small burial stone located nearby.


   Getting at Vedder's gravesite also proved to be an adventure in and of itself, as one has to descend down two sloping terraces to stand in front of it. As it had rained earlier today, the ground was nice and slippery, making it even more fun on the walk down!


  This is Vedder's actual gravestone, located about ten or so feet in front of the large burial marker shown in the above photographs. Next to Vedder's gravestone are those of his wife and son, as well as other later descendants of his. Also buried in the Sunset Hill Cemetery is William Grant Laidlaw (1840-1908) a native of Scotland who served as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1887 to 1891.

  In addition to the very active life of Mr. Vedder, there are also four other politicians with the unusual name Commodore Perry. Like the man profiled above, these men were all named in honor of Commodore Oliver Perry. Read on to find out more!


    Born in Maysville, Missouri on May 12, 1851, Commodore Perry Meek would find distinction in his adopted home state of Wyoming, serving terms in both houses of the state legislature. Meek attended schools in his native Maysville and spent the majority of his formative years helping out on the family farm.
   In 1871 the then twenty-year-old Meek removed to Cheyenne, Wyoming and for several years engaged in the transport of freight to various towns on the Wyoming frontier. In the late 1870s and 80s Meek also engaged in mining, ranching and the raising of cattle, eventually becoming the proprietor of a large ranch and owner of "sixteen hundred acres of deeded land and over one thousand head of cattle.
   Meek married in 1909 to Ms. Emma Brown, a native of Illinois. The two were married for over twenty years until she died in 1930 at age 63, and the couple is recorded as being childless. Commodore P. Meek made the jump into state politics in November 1912 when he won election to the Wyoming State House of Representatives from Weston County. Meek served one term in the legislature that concluded in 1915, and in 1919 was elected to the Wyoming State Senate. During his senate service, he held a seat on the committees on Prohibition and Railroads and Transportation and later chaired the committee on Stock Raising and Stock Laws.
   After leaving the senate in 1923, Meek returned to his earlier ranching and business interests in his native Weston County. He died at age 92 in 1943 and was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Upton, Wyoming.


  This obscure man is Mr. Commodore Perry Craig, a native of Pleasants County, West Virginia who served terms in both the state house of delegates as well as the senate. Craig was born in Tyler County, West Virginia on August 1, 1869, the son of James and Edith Craig. Craig received a common school education and as a youth was employed as a clerk in a general store in West Virginia. Craig eventually moved to Liverpool, Ohio during his twenties and found employment as a stone paving and contracting bookkeeper. 
  Shortly after returning to Pleasants County, Craig began pursuing the study of law. In 1894 married Cora Alice Wilson (1874-1944), with whom he had five children: Iva, Pearl, Vesta, Grace (1906-1967), and Commodore Perry Jr. Within a few years of his marriage, Craig was elected as the Prosecuting Attorney for Pleasants County, serving in this office until 1900.
  In 1904 Craig won election to the West Virginia State House of Delegates and continued to hold his seat until 1908 when he became a State Senator. In addition to serving in the senate, Craig also held the chairmanship of the Pleasants County Council from 1908-1910. Other than the preceding information, little else could be found regarding Craig's life. He died at age 65 on November 26, 1933, and was subsequently buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Saint Mary's, West Virginia. The rare portrait of him above was located in a West Virginia State Legislative manual, published during Craig's time in the state legislature.


 From the Raleigh Register, June 12, 1932.

   Following on the heels of Commodore Perry Craig, Commodore Perry Stover was another man with this odd name who was a member of the West Virginia State House of Delegates. A lifelong resident of West Virginia, Stover was a longtime educator in the county of Raleigh, where he served two terms as superintendent of schools.
  Born in Raleigh County on December 21, 1851, Commodore P. Stover was the son of Silas and Mary Jane Workman Stover. He married on July 28, 1873, to Martha A. Thompson (1855-1941) with whom he had 11 children, Commodore (born 1873), Abagail (1874-1950) Van Buren (born 1876), Virginia Lee (1877-1968), Everett (1880-1973), Morrison (born 1882), Silas (1884-1966), Robert Hugh (1886-1955), Philip (1888-1912) Alethia (born 1890) 
and Mary (born 1894).
  Commodore P. Stover embarked upon a career as a school teacher early in his life and is recorded as following this route for many years afterward. He served two terms as Raleigh County superintendent of schools from 1885-1889 and was also entrusted to hold a number of county offices, serving as county assessor,  justice of the peace, and deputy United States Marshal. In 1895 Stover won election to the West Virginia State House of Delegates and took his seat at the beginning of the new year's legislative term. 
  After leaving the legislature in 1898 Commodore Stover returned to Raleigh County, where he died on May 25, 1932, at age 81. He was later interred at the Workman's Creek Cemetery in Clear Creek, West Virginia.

                                                                       From the "Local and National Poets", 1892.

  Louisiana attorney Commodore Perry Thornhill is yet another man blessed with the unusual name "Commodore Perry". A practicing lawyer in the parish of Caldwell for many years, Thornhill served as District Attorney for Louisiana's Fifth District for four years and in 1913 was selected as a delegate to the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention.
   Born in Caldwell Parish on June 13, 1858, Commodore P. Thornhill was the sixth-born son of John and Matilda Blackburn Thornhill. Commodore's early education occurred in schools local to Caldwell Parish and in 1881 he entered into the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1884 and would establish a practice in the city of Columbia. In May of that year, he was appointed to the police jury of Caldwell Parish and sometime later became that body's president. Thornhill would also serve a short period as Mayor of Columbia (his dates in office being unknown), but later resigned due to "his duties as an attorney were too pressing to admit of his time being divided."
   Commodore Thornhill married in Caldwell in 1889 to Eva Bridger (1868-1952) and the couple would become parents to two children, John Bridger (1890-1978) and Marion (1892-1945). In 1907 Thornhill was elected as District Attorney for Louisiana's Fifth District (comprising the parishes of Caldwell, Winn, and Jackson) and served in this capacity from 1908-1912. In 1913 he served as a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention and sat on the committee on the Law during his time at the convention.
   While active as an attorney and public official Commodore Thornhill gained additional notoriety as a writer of prose, having a number of his poems published in periodicals of the time. Three of these poems (entitled "A Reflection", "Night" and "Extract") were published in their entirety in the 1893 edition of the "Local National Poets of America" and can be read here
   Following his time at the Constitutional Convention Thornhill continued to reside in Caldwell Parish, dying there on September 7, 1948, at age 90. He was survived by his wife and son and was interred at the Columbia Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Louisiana.
  

   This stern-looking individual is Commodore Bruce Roberts, an Indiana resident who found his political and business fortune in Montana. Like the men profiled above, Roberts was endowed with the unusual first name "Commodore" but unlike the four men before him was not named in honor of Commodore Perry.
  Born in Fulton County, Indiana on December 9, 1875, Commodore B. Roberts was the firstborn child of George and Lovina Roberts. "C.B." or "C. Bruce" (as most sources list him) attended school in the town of Knox, Indiana, and as a youngster found employment driving a wagon and working in a grocery store. As an adolescent, he worked as a traveling salesman for a grocery house based out of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and later returned to Knox to begin a venture in the restaurant business. Roberts eventually made his way to Chicago, Illinois in the 1890s, where he found work as the chief clerk for the Nickel Plate Railway Company.
  Roberts removed to Montana in 1902 and soon after his arrival became engaged in the loan and insurance business. He continued in this profession until 1909, whereafter he began an interest in the manufacturing of lumber. Over the succeeding years, Roberts built up a substantial sawmill and logging railroad for his business and logged many thousands of acres of timber throughout Montana. In 1903 he married an Englishwoman named Annis Elliott, and one son was born to the couple, Elliott John Roberts, in 1904. Commodore and his wife later adopted a second child, Gladys Lucile (1913-1995) in December 1913.
  While still actively involved in the lumber business, Commodore Roberts ventured into banking, founding and serving as the vice president of the Bank of Kalispell, Montana, and later purchasing the Cascade Bank located in Great Falls. During this time he was also elected to the Montana State Senate, where he served from 1915-1919, representing the county of Lincoln.
  Roberts continued to be actively involved in business and fraternal organizations during his later years, serving as chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias as well as being the treasurer of the Great Falls Lodge of Perfection. C. Bruce Roberts died in La Porte, Indiana on June 3, 1941, at age 66 and was buried in the Pine Lake Cemetery in that town. His wife Annis survived him by two decades, dying in Connecticut in January 1963 at age 82. The portrait of Roberts shown above was featured in the third volume of the 1921 work Montana, Its Story and Biography, edited and compiled by Tom Stout.

Portrait from the West Virginia Blue Book, 1933.

  Lifelong West Virginia resident Commodore Decatur Dotson was elected to one term in his state's senate towards the end of the 19th century and nearly four decades later was returned to government service when he was selected as Sargent-at-Arms of the West Virginia State Senate. The son of Richard and Elizabeth (Deem) Dotson, Commodore Decatur Dotson's birth occurred in Wood County, West Virginia on January 13, 1864. An alternate year of birth of 1867 is listed in his biography in the 1933 West Virginia Blue Book and is believed to be an error on the part of the compilers, as genealogical data (as well as his tombstone) record the year 1864.
  A student in the public schools of Wood County, Dotson married in 1900 to Mabel Tyler (1873-1942). The couple's four-decade union was childless and for a good majority of his life, Dotson was engaged in the steamboat and river contracting business in his state. His 1933 Blue Book biography also denotes his involvement as a sand, gravel, and real estate dealer. Elected to the state senate in 1896, Dotson would serve one four-year term (1897-1901) and would sit on the committees on Banks and Corporations; the Judiciary; Privileges and Elections; and Railroads.
    Following his term, Dotson served as chairman of the Wood County Democratic Executive Committee during the 1920s and in 1933 was named Sargent-at-Arms of the West Virginia Senate. He would briefly serve in this role, as he resigned that same year to accept the post of Chief Appraiser for the Home Owner's Loan Corporation. Widowed in 1942, Dotson survived his wife Mabel by six years, dying aged 84 on September 26, 1948, at his home in Parkersburg. Both he and his wife were interred at the Parkersburg Memorial Gardens after their deaths.

From the Beckley Raleigh Register, Sept. 28, 1948.

From the 1941-42 Tennessee State Senate composite photo.

    A leading public figure in Maury and Lewis County, Tennessee, Commodore Daniel "C.D." Loveless was a longtime banker and farmer who began his political career late in life, first winning election to the Tennessee state senate at age 66 in 1932. He would subsequently win reelection to four further terms in that body, and at the time of his retirement was remarked as having represented his district in the senate longer than any previous senator. Born in Hickman County, Tennessee on February 21, 1866, Commodore D. Loveless was the son of Peter Riley and Nancy Loveless.
  Loveless' early education was obtained in the county of his birth and by 1891 had removed to Wayne County, where he was engaged with the Aetna Furniture Company. In the mid-1890s Loveless married Mary Jane Smith (1870-1939), and the couple's five-decade marriage saw the births of at least four children, including Pearle Lee (1897-1968), Carlie Commodore (died in infancy in 1901), Josephine (1903-1971), Malcomb Frelon (1905-1941), and F. Ward Loveless.
  In 1898 Loveless resettled in Maury County and in the succeeding years gained prominence through various banking interests, including being a founder and director of the Hohenwald Bank and Trust Company. In addition to that bank, Loveless held directorships in the Commerce Union Bank and the Middle Tennessee Bank located in Columbia, Tennessee. Purchasing a farm at Spring Hill in Maury County in 1915, Loveless would reside there until his death and was also a member of the Spring Hill Masonic Lodge.
  Loveless began his political career in 1932 with his election to the Tennessee Senate, where he served for five consecutive terms (1933-43)During his final term, Loveless saw his many years of public and political service acknowledged when the state Department of Highways named a bridge (the Commodore D. Loveless Bridge in Maury County) in his honor. He retired from the senate in 1943 due to health concerns and died two years later at a Nashville hospital on January 29, 1945. He was later interred at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Tennessee. 

From the Nashville Tennessean, January 30, 1945.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Armour Boot (1903-1984)

                                                           From the Iowa State Red Book 1965-1966 edition.

   Possessing one of the more humorous names that will be posted here on the site, Armour Boot represented Marion County in the Iowa State House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. Sadly, like Brownrigg H. Dewey (profiled a few days ago) little exists online in regards to Boot's life and term in the legislature. The majority of the facts contained herein were found in the Iowa State Red Book edition of 1965-67, which contained the picture of Boot shown above.
  Armour  Boot was born in Jasper County, Iowa on July 9, 1903, the son of William B. (1869-1943) and Aaltje (Alice) Reitveld Boot (1872-1933). Boot received his education in the common schools of his native county and on December 24, 1929, married Pella, Iowa native Susie Zwank, with whom he had one daughter, Nola Boot, born in 1931. 
  From the few sources that mention him, the majority of Armour Boot's life was centered mainly in the private sector, and he is recorded as having been a farmer for a good majority of his life. Boot was later employed in the selling of farm implements for several years, and one particular source (a small write-up in a November 1962 edition of the Pella Chronicle) makes note of him being a stockholder in the Vander Zyl Bros. Implement Company. In addition to his farming and business pursuits, Boot was also active in Marion County civic affairs, serving as a member of the Pella City Council and the local school board. An Iowa legislative journal (published shortly after Boot died in 1984) also notes that he was a member of the First Reformed Church of Pella both before and after his service in state government.

Armour Boot during his first legislative candidacy, from the Nov. 2, 1961 Pella Chronicle.


This article on Armour Boot's campaign appeared in an April 1964 edition of the Pella Chronicle.

   Armour Boot first became active in politics during his tenure as Pella city councilman, but it wasn't until 1961 that he launched a campaign for the Iowa State House of Representatives. He was unsuccessful in his initial bid, losing that November to Republican incumbent Elmer Vermeer (1920-1989), who garnered 4,745 votes to Boot's 3,618. Vermeer retired from the Iowa legislature in 1964 after a decade of service and in November of that year, Boot won election to Vermeer's old seat. After taking his seat in January 1965, Boot was named to the following legislative Committees: Commerce, Conservation, and Ways and Means. Boot served but one term in the legislature, as he was defeated in the September 1966 Iowa Democratic primary by another Marion County native, Lerlia Galvin.
   Little else could be found on Armour Boot's life after his time in the legislature. He died at the Pella Community Hospital on February 15, 1984, aged 80, and was survived by his wife of nearly fifty-five years, Susie Zwank Boot. Susie Boot lived to become a centenarian, dying on April 5, 2006, four months after her 100th birthday. Mrs. Boot is listed in her obituary as having attended "many political functions" with her husband, both during his time as a councilman and later as a legislator.

Boot's obit from the February 22, 1984 Pella Chronicle.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Posey Green Lester (1850-1929), Posey Thornton Kime (1895-1958), Posey Wilson Cooper (1902-1951), Posie James Hundley (1888-1961)


    Today's profile is one of particular note, as it centers on Posey Green Lester, certainly one of the most obscure Congressmen on record. This funny-named man represented Virginia's fifth district in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms, serving from 1889-1893, and the following passages on his life are notable as it marks the first time that a picture of Mr. Lester is available online, and quite a bit of searching had to be done to locate one! An explanation as to where this rare picture originated from will be provided at this article's end, and we'll begin with the birth of Mr. Lester, which occurred in the town of Floyd, Virginia on March 25, 1850.
   Lester was one of nine children (five sons and four daughters) born to William Terry and Mary Amanda Simmons Lester. He is listed as attending schools in his native Virginia, and in his youth is mentioned as being engaged as a vocal coach and literary teacher. He was called to religious work early in his life and joined the Primitive Baptist Church in 1873 at age 23. It wasn't long before he began to preach in this church and in October 1876 was ordained as a minister. Lester's obituary gives note that he "traveled and preached in twenty-one of the states, and in Ontario, Canada, traveling as much of 13,000 miles in a single year", and in an earlier newspaper article on his life, it is mentioned that during his travels he made use of "nearly all manner of vehicle of conveyance from a dump cart to a steamboat to a railway car."
    Lester began branching out from his ministry into the realm of publishing in the early 1880s, becoming associate editor of Zion's Landmark, a religious periodical based out of Wilson, North Carolina. He became editor-in-chief of that newspaper in 1920 and continued in that post until his death.
   In 1888 Lester was nominated "without his solicitation, and in his absence" for the U.S. House of Representatives, and it is worthy to note that he had never held any interest in pursuing political office. Despite never having sought public office, Lester went on to defeat Republican nominee John D. Blackwell that November, 14, 417 votes to 13, 044, and took his seat at the start of the 1889-90 session. An article on Lester's election to Congress (published in the Pittsburgh Dispatch) relates that he was the only clergyman serving in the House and that he was also "the tallest man in the House, standing 6 feet 2 inches in his stockings, and weighs 205 pounds." This article goes on to state that Lester's "voice conquers space with terrific volume and force, while it really is very musical." 

An article on Lester's renomination, from the August 29, 1890 Richmond Times.

   Lester was reelected to the House in November 1890, defeating Republican candidate S.C. Adams by a substantial margin, 10, 569 votes to 1, 360. During his two terms in Congress Lester served on the Committees on Railroads and Canals, the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, and the Committee on Alcohol and Liquor Traffic. He refused to be a candidate for a third term in 1892, preferring to return to his ministerial work in Virginia.
   After retiring from Congress, Lester served as the moderator and clerk of the New River Primitive Baptist Association and later held the post of President of the People's Bank of Floyd County for over two decades. In June 1898 he married Emmette Harris, the daughter of one of his fellow church elders. The Lester's are recorded as having three children, Posey Green Jr. (1899-1981), Masten Harris (1900-1970), and Annie Mae (1903-1983). Posey and Emmette were married for three decades and continued in active church work until his death at age 78 on February 9, 1929, in Virginia. Emmette Lester survived her husband by several years, dying in 1937 at age 72, and both were buried in the Evergreen Burial Park in Roanoke, Virginia.
   The rare portraits of Mr. Lester shown above are worth mentioning, as it marks the first time that I've actually seen a portrait of him. The first portrait appeared in a December 1889 edition of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, and this newspaper also gives an excellent write-up on Lester's life, as well as his church work. For many years Lester remained one of the "faceless" politicians I'd happened across, and it seemed as if I'd never locate a picture of him. The Library of Congress website Chronicling America (which is entirely devoted to archived newspapers from across the United States) came to my rescue in that regard, and I am extremely happy to have discovered it!

        This obituary for Posey G. Lester appeared in the Danville, Virginia Bee on February 12, 1929.

Posey T. Kime, from the Muncie Post Democrat, November 16, 1934.

   A longtime attorney based in Evansville, Indiana, Posey Thornton Kime would go on to a distinguished career as a jurist in the Hoosier State, serving several years on the Indiana State Appellate Court. Born on August 6, 1895, in Petersburg, Indiana, Posey T. Kime was the son of John and Effa Posey Kime. Bestowed his mother's surname "Posey" as his first name, Kime would be a student in the Petersburg public school system and was a veteran of the First World War, serving in France.
  Kime went on to attend Purdue University and in 1922 graduated with his law degree from the Indiana State University Law School at Bloomington. In his small biography in the 1922 Arbutus Yearbook, Kime is recorded as being a member of the yearbook staff and the track team. He also was President of the Senior Law Class and the Gamma Eta Gamma fraternity. Posey Kime married on June 21, 1920, to Marguerite Anne Bollenbacher (1893-1990), with whom he would have one daughter, Helen. After obtaining his law degree he established a law practice in Evansville, and for several years afterward was a member of the law firm of Kime and Meyer.
   In 1930 Kime made his first foray into Indiana political life, announcing his candidacy for the Indiana State Appellate Court's First Division. He would win election to that court that November and would serve on the bench until stepping down in October 1938. Kime's resignation from the court came about due to his accepting the appointment of chief attorney for the Federal Power Commission in Washington. Kime's tenure with that agency extended until 1941 when he became affiliated with the U.S. Justice Department's Anti-Trust division. His time in that department saw Kime "prosecute some of the top ant-trust cases" in the country, and in 1946 journeyed to Japan to aid American forces in drafting "a set of anti-trust and trade regulatory laws for the newly 'democratic country.'"
   An active Mason of many years standing, Kime achieved the 33rd degree in September 1952 and died in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 1958, at age 62. He was later interred at the Walnut Hill Cemetery in Petersburg, Indiana. He was survived by his daughter Helen and wife Marguerite, who died aged 97 in 1990.

Portrait from the Evansville Courier, January 3, 1952.

From the 1943-44 Indiana legislative composite.

  Although he lacked length of years (he died aged 49 in 1951), Posey Wilson Cooper carved a notable career for himself in his native Indiana, being at various times a druggist, one-term state representative, and candidate for the state senate. Although little information could be located on his life online, his obituary (published in the August 15, 1951, Jeffersonville Evening News) helped significantly when it came to compiling this article!
  The son of William Jonathan and Mattie B. (Gray) Cooper, Posey Wilson Cooper was born in Winslow, Indiana on March 13, 1902. Little is known of his early life, except for his becoming a druggist during young adulthood and operating a pharmacy in Austin, Indiana for several years. In January 1929 he married in Scott, Indiana to Helen J. Wells, with whom he had two sons, Wilson J.  and Lennox Joseph (1931-2003). 
  Following his removal to Floyd County, Indiana, Cooper operated drug stores in New Albany and Sellersburg and in November 1942 was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives from Clark County. His victory that November saw him defeat Democrat Frank W. Carr by one vote, "the closest legislative race in Clark County's history." During the 1943-45 session, he sat on the house committees on Fees and Salaries, Legislative Apportionment, Public Morals, Roads, and State Medicine and Public Health, and in November 1944 was defeated by Democrat Elmer Hoehn.
   Cooper would attempt one further run for public office in 1950 when he announced his candidacy for the Indiana state senate, and in November was defeated by Democrat Warren M. Martin, who polled 9,549 votes to Cooper's 7, 116. 
  Less than a year after his Senate defeat, Posey Cooper died unexpectedly, having succumbed to a "series of internal hemorrhages resulting from a stomach ulcer" at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Several days prior to his death, Cooper and several friends had undertaken a fishing trip to Maine, and sometime later had been afflicted by the first hemorrhage, necessitating an emergency light to a Boston hospital. Cooper's family would later make it to his bedside shortly before his death on August 15, 1947, aged just 47. Following his body being flown back to Indiana, Posey W. Cooper was interred at the Fairview Cemetery in New Albany

From the Jeffersonville Evening News, August 15, 1951.


From the August 8, 1923 edition of the Danville Bee.

   Another Virginian blessed with this rather "flowery" first name is Mr. Posie James Hundley of Pittsylvania County. A prominent attorney and one-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Hundley was born in Sandy River, Virginia on September 28, 1888, a son of John Thomas (1852-1932) and Christian Ada Gravely Hundley (1860-1937). His education was gained at the Leaksville-Spray Institute and went on to study law at Richmond College, graduating in 1912. Hundley would also attend Washington and Lee University, graduating around 1913.
   Following his graduation from Washington and Lee, Hundley opened a law practice in the city of Danville in 1913 and two years later became a candidate for commonwealth attorney for Pittsylvania County. Hundley was unsuccessful in his attempt, losing to the Republican nominee Hughes Dillard. Following his loss, Hundley won a seat in the Virginia State House of Delegates from Danville and served during the legislative session of 1918-1919. During his brief time in the legislature, he held a seat on the committees on the Courts of Justice, Federal Relations and Resolutions, Officers and Offices at the Capitol, and Public Property.
  After leaving the House of Delegates in 1919 Hundley became connected with the Cooperative Marketing Association, serving as its local counsel for a time. In 1923 he ran once again for Commonwealth's attorney for Pittsylvania County and was successful, defeating opponent D.T. Williams with a lead of 732 votes. In December 1930 he married Ruth Etta Cashion (1897-1978) and later had two sons, Posie James Jr. (born September 9, 1932) and John Thomas (born December 23, 1934).

From the Danville Bee, March 4, 1945.

   Posie Hundley served a total of eight years as the commonwealth's attorney and in 1944 was a Rationing Board member. In the following year, he re-entered political life when he became a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates. Running on a platform of "Experience, Character, and Ability",  Hundley's candidacy was highlighted in the March 3, 1945 edition of the Danville Bee, which also notes that he spoke twice on radio station WRTM Danville in regards to his campaign.
   Hundley's March 1945 candidacy for the House of Delegates ended in a defeat at the polls. In addition to public service, Posey Hundley maintained memberships in several Pittsylvania-based fraternal organizations, including the Junior Order of American Mechanics, the Improved Order of Red Men, and both the Masonic and Elks Lodges. He passed away in Danville on November 27, 1961, at age 74 and was survived by his sons and his wife Ruth, who died in 1978 aged 81. Both were interred at the Chatham Burial Park in Chatham, Virginia. Hundley's first name is also spelled as "Posey", but as his gravestone gives the spelling listed in the introduction to his article here, I've presumed that to be the correct one.