From the Turtle Mountain Star, November 25, 1909.
Having a name that conjures up images of a mystical land populated with fountains, Fountain Land Thompson gained the distinction of representing North Dakota in the United States Senate for a two-month period between 1909 and 1910, owing to the death of a previously sitting senator. Prominent in business circles in the city of Cando, North Dakota both before and after his brief senate term, Thompson was a native of Illinois, being born near the village of Scottville on November 18, 1854, a son of Leonard Joshua and Phoebe Salina Thompson. Fountain began his primary schooling in the nearby town of Girard and would later graduate from that town's high school. He married at age nineteen on June 18, 1874, in Girard to Fannie Walker (1853-1920), later becoming a father to three sons, Harry H., Lester J., and Roy Towner Thompson.
The son of a merchant, Fountain L. Thompson followed the example of his father and established a general store in the Girard area, whilst also doing business in the neighboring settlement of Palmyra. He took an interest in local politics, serving as Girard's treasurer, and was later elected to the Macoupin County, Illinois Board of Supervisors. In 1887 he relocated to Cando, North Dakota with his family and once settled engaged in real estate, establishing the Thompson Realty Company. He served as the president of that realty company and occupied the same position at the Cando Elevator Co. Thompson also took an active interest in financial affairs of Towner County, being the vice president of the First National Bank of Cando and the president of Rock Lake, North Dakota's First National Bank.
Fountain L. Thompson continued involvement in politics after relocating to North Dakota, serving on the Cando school board, was the judge of Towner County from 1890-1898, and in 1902 won election as Mayor of Cando. After leaving the mayor's office in 1906 Thompson returned to his business dealings, and in November 1909 was appointed to a vacancy in the United States Senate. This vacant senate seat had been occasioned by the sudden death of Martin Nelson Johnson on October 21, 1909, only seven months after being elected.
A notice on Thompson's senate appointment, from the Jan. 3, 1910 Daytona, Florida World News.
Thompson's senate appointment received wide press in newspapers of the time, some as far away as Daytona, Florida. The Wenatchee Daily World's January 17, 1910, edition published a short snippet on Thompson's public life, noting that:
"In a recent interview Senator Thompson said that, while he had always been a Democrat and had held local political offices, he had never sough political preferment. As to politics, he declared that the manner in which it had been conducted in recent years had cultivated in him a distaste for it."In the days after receiving his senate appointment, many pieces of period literature lauded Thompson, noting his extensive business dealings in Cando, as well as his previous stints as mayor and county judge. However, Thompson's senate career ended as quickly as it began, as he resigned from office on January 31, 1910, two months after taking his seat. The Ward County Independent reported on his resignation, noting that soon after traveling to Washington D.C. Thompson's health took a turn for the worse, suffering a "number of hemorrhages". Out of concerns for his health Thompson resigned, and after leaving the senate journeyed South in the hopes that his health would be restored.
Thompson eventually recuperated and returned home to Cando, continuing to be involved in business dealings in that area until 1921, when he moved to Los Angeles, California. He resided here until his death at age 87 on February 4, 1942, having attained the distinction of being the oldest living ex-senator at the time of his decease. He was interred alongside his wife Fannie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Fountain L. Thompson, from the Wenatchee Daily World, January 17, 1910.
From "The History of South Carolina, Volume 3", 1920.
Born into a distinguished Greenville, South Carolina family, Fountain Fox Beattie's birth occurred in Greenville on July 29, 1878, a son of John Edgeworth Beattie and Mary Mays, the former being the president of the First National Bank of Greenville. Fountain Beattie attended Furman University, the University of Michigan, and George Washington University in Washington, D.C., graduating from the last-named school in the class of 1902 with his degree in law.
Shortly after attaining his degree, Beattie returned to Greenville to begin a law practice, and in November 1905 was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives at the age of just 27. He served in the legislative term of 1906-1908 and later married Jane Cobb Arnold (1888-1983) and had three children: Fountain Fox Jr. (1913-2001), Dannite Mays (1917-1994), and Janell Arnold Beattie (birth-date unknown).
Following the death of his father in 1916 Fountain Fox Beattie succeeded to the Presidency of the First National Bank of Greenville, serving in this post for a number of years. He died aged 78 in Greenville on July 29, 1956 and was survived by his wife and three children. Both Beattie, his wife, and two sons were interred at the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Greenville.
From the Arkansas legislative composite portrait, 1909.
Another Fountain that attained political prominence was Fountain Gardner Hollabaugh of Searcy County, Arkansas. A one-term member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for the 1909-1911 session, Hollabaugh succeeded his oddly named brother Shem Easley Hollabaugh in the legislature, the latter having represented Searcy County from 1907-1909.
The son of Emanuel Fountain (1840-1936) and Frances (Hatchett) Hollabaugh (1842-1916), Fountain Gardner Hollabaugh was born in Arkansas on April 22, 1864. Unlike his brother Shem, there is a dearth of information concerning Fountain Hollabaugh's life. Sources denote his being a teacher in the Valley Springs, Arkansas area, and he also taught summer school in the neighboring town of Leslie. Hollabaugh married Dora F. Pass (1877-1958) sometime in the 1890s and had at least two children, Lily Mae (1899-1928) and Ira Frances (1910-1956)
A leading Mason in his region, Hollabaugh served an eighteen-year tenure as secretary for the Marshall, Arkansas Masonic Lodge. After serving one term in the legislature Hollabaugh was appointed by President Wilson as U.S. Postmaster at Marshall, Arkansas in 1915 and would be reappointed to that post in 1919. Little else is known of his life after this date, except notice of his death on December 5, 1930, at the home of his daughter in Capps, Boone County, Arkansas. He was survived by his wife and was interred at the East Lawn Cemetery in Marshall.
From the McKinney, Texas Examiner, July 20, 1939.
Frisco, Texas resident Fountain Pitts Shrader's political claim to fame extends from his several terms as Mayor of Frisco between 1912 and 1930. Following his last term as mayor Shrader would be named as U.S. Postmaster at Frisco, serving until shortly before his death. A native of Arkansas, Fountain Pitts "Fount" Shrader was born in Carrollton on January 26, 1871, the son of George and Mary (Gibbs) Shrader.
Removing to Collin County, Texas with his family in childhood, the Shrader family later settled on a farm near Frisco. By 1900 Fount Shrader was residing in McKinney, Texas, and married in that town to Sue Hume (1870-1940), with whom he had one daughter, Audrey (1903-1923). Following their marriage, Shrader and his wife relocated to Frisco, where they resided for the remainder of their lives. While information regarding Shrader remains scant, mention is given as to his being one of three men who established the first cotton gin in Frisco. Shrader was also affiliated with the grain elevator business, being the vice president of the Frisco Grain and Elevator Company.
Shrader made his first move into local politics with his election as Mayor of Frisco in April 1912. He served consecutive terms until April 1916 and would be returned to that office in April 1917, serving until 1920. By 1922 Shrader was again in the mayor's chair, and after another four-year stint was succeeded by F.H. Anderson. Anderson's brief tenure extended from 1926-27, and in April of the last-named year, Shrader was again elected, this time serving until 1930.
In October 1937 Shrader was named U.S. Postmaster at Frisco, succeeding his younger brother Daniel Booker (1874-1937), who had died October 1. After serving in an interim capacity for several months Fount Shrader was confirmed as postmaster and served until his resignation in January 1945. Following the death of his wife Sue in 1941, Shrader remarried to Artie Ragan Vardy (1877-1962), a widow. The couple was wed until Shrader's death at his Frisco home on February 14, 1945. He was later interred alongside his wife at the Ridgeview West Memorial Park in Frisco.
From the McKinney Examiner, February 22, 1945.
ReplyDeleteFountain Fox Beattie is my Great Grandfather, my Grandfather is Fountain Fox Beattie Jr. He was the most amazing Grandfather and my hero.
He was a full bird colonel in the U.S. Military and served in WW2, Korea and Vietnam.
He passed away on 14Oct2001 at Tripler Army Medical hospital. I sat by his side for 3 days until he passed.
He had a military burial with all the honor he deserved.
His wife my Grandmother Eva M Beattie who he had placed in their resting place after her death on Sept 24th, 1997. (DOB Sept 24th, 1921).
Both Fountain Fox Beattie Jr. & Mrs Eva Beattie are resting at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Hawaii.
My mother Ellen Beattie sent a portion of his ashes to her sister Ann so he could have a headstone with the rest of his family in the Greenville family plot.
That is my grandfather's brother! My grandfather was Dannitte Mays Beattie! I would love to know more about him!
ReplyDelete