From the Portrait and Biographical Record of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
A two-term member of the Maryland State Senate, Woodland Page Finley is the first Maryland political figure to be profiled here since Truly Hatchett's write up in February of last year. Born in Queen Anne's County, Maryland on March 15, 1851, Woodland P. Finley was one of sixteen children born to Washington Finley and the former Sarah A. Harrison. A prominent figure in his own right, Washington Finley was a physician and three-term member of the Maryland House of Delegates, as well as a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention of 1867.
Bestowed the odd name "Woodland" upon his birth, Woodland P. Finley's early years were spent on the family farm in Queen Anne's County and he would attend school at the West Nottingham Academy. He took charge of the family homestead in 1875 and married in that same year to Catherine O. Coppedge, with whom he had four children. A farmer by occupation, Finley owned a "landed estate" that comprised 450 acres devoted to farming and stock raising. In addition to the above Finley dabbled in banking for a time, serving as a director for Queen Anne's National Bank of Centerville.
In 1893 Woodland Finley was thrust into the political life of his native state when he was elected to a vacancy in the Maryland State Senate. This vacancy came about due to the resignation of John Brewer Brown (1836-1898), who had been elected to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 1st Congressional district. Finley's ascension to the state senate was highlighted in the Baltimore Herald, which acknowledged him as "a modest, but able man."
Bestowed the odd name "Woodland" upon his birth, Woodland P. Finley's early years were spent on the family farm in Queen Anne's County and he would attend school at the West Nottingham Academy. He took charge of the family homestead in 1875 and married in that same year to Catherine O. Coppedge, with whom he had four children. A farmer by occupation, Finley owned a "landed estate" that comprised 450 acres devoted to farming and stock raising. In addition to the above Finley dabbled in banking for a time, serving as a director for Queen Anne's National Bank of Centerville.
In 1893 Woodland Finley was thrust into the political life of his native state when he was elected to a vacancy in the Maryland State Senate. This vacancy came about due to the resignation of John Brewer Brown (1836-1898), who had been elected to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 1st Congressional district. Finley's ascension to the state senate was highlighted in the Baltimore Herald, which acknowledged him as "a modest, but able man."
From the Baltimore Sunday Herald.
In 1894 Woodland Finley was elected to a term of his own in the state senate, beginning a four-year term that extended from 1895-99. During this term, he served as chairman of the committees on Agriculture and Labor and also held seats on the committees on Pensions, Public Institutions, Public Buildings at Annapolis, and Roads and Bridges.
Little is known of Finley's life following the conclusion of his senate term. He died at his home at "Locust Hill" on February 4, 1923, aged 71. He was survived by his wife Catherine and was interred at the Church Hill Cemetery in Church Hill, Maryland.
Portrait from the New Mexico State Blue Book, 1941-42.
In an update (September 24, 2019) to an already three-year-old article, Woodlan Prince Saunders shares a similar first name to Woodland Finley (minus the "d") and is equally notable in terms of political distinction, as he logged nearly two decades of service as New Mexico State Bank Examiner. Born in Dallas, Texas on March 31, 1890, Woodland Prince Saunders was the son of Harwood Perry and Effie (Woodlan) Saunders. Left motherless at age 8, Saunders moved with his father to Roswell, New Mexico in 1906, and attended the public schools of that area, as well as the Roswell Military Institute.
A veteran of WWI, Saunders attained the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster's Section, Officer's Reserve Corps. In 1925 he was appointed by New Mexico Governor John F. Hinkle as state bank examiner, a post he would briefly fill until 1926. In 1934 Saunders was reappointed to that office by Governor Andrew Hockenhull and served until 1939. Saunders married in 1935 to Virginia Brite (1906-1979), who survived him upon his death in 1956. The couple would have two children, Woodlan Prince Jr, and Mary Lee.
After resigning in 1939 Woodland Saunders was affiliated with a bank in Hobbs, New Mexico until 1941 when he was reappointed as state bank examiner in the wake of the resignation of Nolan P. Walter, who had assumed office in 1939. Saunders' third term in office extended until 1951 when he was dismissed by Governor Edwin Mechem, and in 1954 was reappointed by Governor John Simms.
Saunder's last term proved to be brief, as he resigned due to health concerns in 1955. He died the following year on December 7, 1956, at a hospital in Espanola, New Mexico. He was survived by his wife and children and was interred at the South Park Cemetery in Roswell.
From the Roswell Daily Record, December 9, 1956.
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