Hamblett Clark Grigg (1872-1964)

Portrait from the Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1911-12.

  I can always count on the Missouri state legislature to field a strange new name discovery, and after a lapse of several months, we return to the Show Me State to highlight the life of one-term state representative Hamblett Clark "Ham" Grigg. Aside from his interesting name, Grigg's life outside of the legislature is worth noting, as he was the younger brother of Charles Leiper Grigg (1860-1940), the creator of the famed 7 Up soda, amongst other soft drinks.

  Hamblett Clark Grigg was born in Price's Branch, Missouri on February 9, 1872, being the son of Charles and Mary Elizabeth Leiper Grigg. He attended public schools as well as the Mexico High School in Mexico, Missouri. Sources also note that Grigg was employed as a clerk in a general store during his youth. Ham Grigg married in Price's Branch in June 1898 to Maude Mason (1876-1962), to whom he was wed for over sixty years. The couple would remain childless and later resided in Bellflower, Missouri. Grigg engaged in mercantile pursuits following his marriage, being the business manager of the Grigg Mercantile Co. in Bellflower.

   In 1910 Ham Grigg became the Democratic nominee for the Missouri State House of Representatives from Montgomery County. On election day he defeated Republican candidate W.C. Goshorn by only 45 votes, and during the 1911-12 session sat on the committees on Accounts, Banks and Banking, Municipal Corporations, and Roads and Highways.

   Following his term in the state house, Ham Grigg saw his elder brother Charles gain prominence in the St. Louis business community, being a salesman for an advertising company in that city. During this time Charles Grigg created and marketed his first carbonated beverage, "Whistle", and after moving on to another advertising company developed an orange-flavored soft drink called "Howdy". Grigg subsequently founded the Howdy Co. with a partner, and in the succeeding years, the company grew to such an extent bottling sites were added to the business. Little information could be found as to Ham Grigg's connection to his brother's business, except mention of his being a partner in the Howdy Company in 1921, and a 1930 census mention of his status as an office clerk in a soda water manufacturing concern. In 1929 Charles Grigg invented 7 Up, and following his death in 1940, the stewardship of his company passed to Hamblett Charles Grigg (1905-1977), the nephew of our subject and the son of Charles Leiper.

   Despite living to the age of 91, little else could be found on the life of Hamblett Clark Grigg. Widowed in 1962 after sixty-four years of marriage, Grigg survived his wife Maude by over a year, dying on February 9, 1964, a month short of his 92nd birthday. Both he and his wife were interred at the New Providence Methodist Church Cemetery in Bellflower, Missouri.

Cortez Perry Hooker (1814-1886), Cortez Ewing (1862-1901)

Portrait from the Past and Present of Macomb County, Michigan, 1905.

  After a lengthy stay in the Washington D.C.-Virginia area, we journey to Michigan to highlight the life of Cortez Perry Hooker, a transplant to that state from New York. A member of both houses of the Michigan legislature and a prominent farmer in Macomb County, Hooker's unusual first name "Cortez" was most likely given to him in honor of Hernan Cortes (Cortez), the famed Spanish conquistador and Governor of New Spain who overthrew the Aztec Empire in the early 1520s. 
   Born in Hampton, New York on October 14, 1814, Cortez Perry Hooker was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Martin) Hooker. Little information could be found on Hooker's early life in New York, and by 1837 he had resettled in Macomb County, Michigan, where he would reside for the remainder of his life. Hooker first established himself in Clinton Township and resided there for three years. In the early 1840s he purchased a farm in Washington township, and during his decade-long residency there married in 1842 to Margaret Axford (1819-1861). The couple would remain childless and following Margaret's death, he remarried in October 1864 to Sarah Ann Smith (1834-1916), with whom he had two children, John C. (1865-1938) and Mary.
  Hooker first entered Macomb County politics in the mid-1840s when he became a Justice of the Peace. He would hold several other local offices (including county superintendent of the poor and village alderman) and in 1849 became one of six candidates from Macomb County vying for a seat in the state house of representatives. Hooker would emerge victorious on election day, garnering 1,172 votes, and was one of three Macomb County representatives elected that year. 
   Serving during the 1850-51 session, Hooker sat on the committee on Enrolled Bills. He continued his political ascent in 1854 by winning election to the state senate, defeating Republican candidate William Canfield by only thirteen votes. During the 1855-56 term, Hooker sat on the committees on Manufactures and following his service resided in New Baltimore, Michigan. Here he engaged in merchandising and farming, being acknowledged by the 1882 History of Macomb County as "one of the most extensive, if not the most extensive, farmers in the county.
   Hooker continued involvement in Macomb County politics into the 1860s and 70s, once again serving as a justice of the peace and in 1870 and 1872 was a candidate for county coroner. Cortez Perry Hooker died in New Baltimore on November 7, 1886, at age 72 and was survived by his wife Sarah. Both were interred at the Oakwood Cemetery in that town.

From the Biographical Sketches and Review of the Bench and Bar of Indiana, 1895.

   The political star of Indiana state senator Cortez Ewing shone briefly and brightly in the late 19th century, being terminated by his death from an epileptic attack in 1901. Remarked as one of the most "adroit young lawyers" ever to practice in Decatur County, Ewing was admitted to the state bar at just 20 years of age and at age 27 was elected as a state senator. Ewing was a lifelong native of Decatur County, being born there on September 14, 1862, the son of Abel and Nancy (Patton) Ewing. Bestowed his unusual name in honor of his uncle, attorney Cortez Ewing (1837-1887), the younger Ewing worked the family farm during his youth and would attend school in Greensburg.

   In 1879 the seventeen-year-old Ewing began reading law under his uncle. He continued his studies for nearly four years, and in February 1883 was admitted to the Indiana bar ex gracia, as he was underage. In September of that year, Ewing began a law practice with his uncle, Judge James K. Ewing, a firm that would continue until 1893. Cortez Ewing began involvement in local politics in his early twenties, being a member of the Decatur County Central Committee from 1884 to 1894. In 1889 he was elected to the Indiana state senate from the counties of Decatur and Shelby and served one four-year term. Ewing married during his term on June 18, 1890, to Mary Fletcher Matthews, a daughter of future Indiana Governor Claude Matthews (1845-1898).  The couple would have two children, Claude Whitcomb (1891-1966) and Helen Nan.

   While still an incumbent senator Ewing was selected by then Governor Alvin Hovey to serve on the Board of Managers for the World's Fair for Indiana. Ewing filled that role until the conclusion of the fair in 1893 and continued with his law practice in Greensburg, partnering with lawyer Davisson Wilson in 1895. Ewing would also be retained as counsel for the Big Four Railway Company. 

  Despite being in the prime of his life Ewing grappled with the effects of epilepsy, a malady that eventually claimed his life at age 39 on November 1, 1901. Newspaper reports on his death relate that he had spent a good portion of that day in court and while waiting for a passenger train that evening "dropped dead" at the passenger depot, due to an epileptic seizure. Ewing was survived by his wife and children and was later interred at the South Park Cemetery in Greensburg. 

From the Indianapolis Journal, November 2, 1901.

Green Berry Raum (1829-1909), Green Berry Swango (1846-1926), Green Berry Samuels (1806-1859), Green Berry Board (1815-1887), Green Berry Dillon (1865-1954), Green Berry Patterson (1862-1940)

From the Phrenological Journal and Science of Health, September 1890.

   One of many hundreds of notable Civil War figures interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Brigadier General Green Berry Raum also left a substantial mark in American politics, being a one-term U.S. Representative from Illinois, a Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and a U.S. Commissioner of Pensions. In addition to military service and politics, Raum added the title of author to his resume, writing several works relating to the history of the Republican Party, the Civil War, and his home state of Illinois.

   Born on December 3, 1829, in Golconda, Illinois, Green Berry Raum was the son of John and Juliet Field Raum. A prominent figure in Pope County, Illinois, John Raum had been a member of the Illinois state senate and served as county clerk for 34 years. Receiving his unusual first and middle names in honor of his maternal grandfather Green Berry Field, Green Berry Raum attended schools local to Pope County and also underwent private tutoring. During his youth, he worked as a clerk in his father's law office as well as a general store. Deciding to follow in his father's stead, Raum began reading law in the early 1850s, studying under local Judge Wesley Sloan. After a period of study, Raum was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1853 and for a time resided in Kansas, a stay that proved to be short-lived.  

  Green B. Raum had married in Illinois in October 1851 to Maria Field (1831-1915). The couple's near sixty-year union would see the births of eight children, including Effie (1854-1938), Maud (1859-1928), Green Berry (1863-1914), Maria (1867-1951), and Frances (1871-1962).

  Following his return to Illinois Green B. Raum established his law practice at Harrisburg, and over the next few years saw his practice expand "into several counties". A Democrat before the Civil War, Raum was a booster for Gen. John A. Logan in the latter's first run for Congress and also chaired the nominating convention that year. Raum would accept the post of reading clerk for the Illinois House of Representatives, serving during the 1859 session. In the year following Raum was a delegate to the Illinois Democratic State Convention and in that year's presidential election was an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore that nominated Stephen Douglas for the presidency.

    At the dawn of the Civil War Raum had a change of political faith and took to the stump, speaking to a crowd in Metropolis, Illinois, where he urged steadfast support of the Union and newly elected President Lincoln. After several speaking appearances booming the Union war effort Raum aided in organizing the 46th Reg. Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in which he was commissioned as Major. Following his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, Raum participated in the siege and Battle of Corinth and also served under the command of Ulysses Grant during the capture of Vicksburg in July 1863. Raum continued service under General William Tecumseh Sherman in the Fifteenth Army Corps and at the Battle of Missionary Ridge in November 1863 was wounded in the left thigh.

   Following medical attention at a field hospital, Raum spent the next few months recuperating at his home in Illinois. By February 1864 his health had improved sufficiently to return to the battlefield, and Raum soon joined General Sherman on the latter's March to the Sea. Raum would be brevetted Brigadier General in 1864 and was present at the capture of Savannah. Late in his war service, Raum was stationed in the Shenandoah Valley, commanding an infantry division under Gen. Winfield S. Hancock. 

Green Berry Raum and his staff.

   Green Berry Raum resigned from service in May 1865 and returned to practicing law after his return home. Having switched political allegiance to the Republican Party, Raum launched a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1866 and in November of that year defeated Democratic nominee William J. Allen by a vote of 13, 459 to 12, 890. 

   Serving during the 1867-69 congressional term, Raum sat on the House committees on Military Affairs and Mileage. In November 1868 he narrowly lost his reelection bid, being defeated by Republican John M. Crebs by only 500 votes. Raum would attempt two further runs for a congressional seat in 1872 and 1874 but was unsuccessful. Despite these losses, Raum continued to be a standout figure in Illinois Republican circles, serving as the President of the Illinois Republican Conventions of 1866 and 1880, and in 1876 was the convention's temporary chairman. He would also serve as part of the Illinois delegation to the Republican National Conventions of 1876 and 1880 and at the latter convention was one of 306 delegates who lobbied hard for a third term for ex-President Grant.

Portrait courtesy of the Library of Congress.

   In addition to prominence in Illinois politics, Raum's name gained further distinction in 1876 when President Grant (remembering Raum's service to him in the Civil War) put forth his name for U.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Raum accepted the position, and during his seven years in office "collected $850,000,000 and disbursed $30,000,000 without loss." Raum's stewardship of the IRS also saw him utilize new methods of curbing fraud and securing fair tax collection,  and

"Brought into play his army experience, by inaugurating a system of inspection and reports by competent revenue agents as to the entire revenue force of the country. In regard to all officers having financial responsibility, he established a system of periodic evaluation and versification of their accounts. All possibility or partiality or collusion in these reports was avoided by the continuous rotation of the inspecting officers."

  Raum retired from the post of commissioner in 1883 and returned to practicing law. During his time away from politics he authored the "Existing Conflict Between the Republican Government and the Southern Oligarchy" in 1884 and was called to public service once again in 1889, accepting the appointment of the U.S. Commissioner of Pensions under President Benjamin Harrison. Raum's term in office continued through the duration of that administration, and he was remarked as being:

"Desirous of taking up and adjudicating at once pending claims found complete in order to place old claimants on the rolls, who, once there, will have something to keep the wolf from the door, and increases and new claims must take a back seat, and cannot outrank those in waiting for years."

   After leaving that post in 1893 Green B. Raum returned to Illinois and would reside in Chicago. His twilight years saw him author several articles featured in periodicals of the time, including a history of the Atlanta campaign featured in the Washington National Tribune. Raum would author one further book, the "History of Illinois Republicanism" published in 1900. His final months were marred by ill-health and on December 18, 1909, he died at his home in Chicago. Raum was survived by his wife of 56 years and his remains were later brought to Washington for interment at Arlington National Cemetery. Maria Field Raum was also interred here following her death in 1915.
   On May 9, 2017, I was able to photograph Green Berry Raum's gravesite at Arlington (along with several others), and those photos are featured below.

Portrait from the History of Illinois Republicanism, 1900.

From the History of Kentucky: From Its Earliest Discovery and Settlement, 1892.

   Kentucky's Green Berry Swango is another man endowed with the name "Green Berry". A former doorkeeper of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Swango was elected as County Judge of Wolfe County, Kentucky, and served two terms in office. He later was elected as a delegate to the Kentucky State Constitutional Convention of 1890 and in the year following began service as Register of the Land Office of Kentucky.

   Born on February 8, 1846, near Hazel Green, Kentucky, Green Berry Swango was the son of Stephen and Caroline (Trimble) Swango. His education occurred in schools local to the area of his birth and at age fifteen enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving amongst the ranks of the Fifth Kentucky Infantry. The year 1862 saw Swango serving with Co. E of the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry and saw action under Gen. John Hunt Morgan. In 1864 Swango was captured while escorting his captain's body home for burial but later made a daring escape on horseback, snatching a flag from a Union color bearer and dodging a hail of bullets from Federal troops.

   Soon after his escape Swango received a head wound at Cynthiana, Kentucky, but survived his injuries. He would rejoin his fellow soldiers in Virginia and served until the conclusion of the hostilities. Swango married in August 1869 to Eliza Jane Young (1846-1925). The couple's fifty-six-year union saw the births of three children, James Hugh (1870-1937), Charles Stephen (1871-1901), and John Morton.

    After the return from military service Swango followed farming and mercantile pursuits and in 1870 was elected to his first political office, that of school commissioner for Wolfe County. From 1877-78 he was the doorkeeper of the Kentucky House of Representatives and in 1882 won election to his first term as Judge of Wolfe County. Swango was returned to the bench for another four-year term in 1886 and in 1890 was one of Wolfe County's delegates to the Kentucky State Constitutional Convention. 

   In 1891 Green B. Swango became the Democratic candidate for state register of the Kentucky Land Office. He would win that election and in the mid-1890s won a second term. Swango died in Montgomery County, Kentucky on March 15, 1926, one month after his 80th birthday. His wife Eliza had predeceased him the year before his death and both were interred at the Machpelah Cemetery in Mount Sterling, Kentucky.

Portrait from the History of Shenandoah County, Virginia.

   Shenandoah County, Virginia resident Green Berry Samuels is another "Green Berry" to have served in Congress, representing Virginia's 16th district in the House of Representatives for one term. Born in Shenandoah County on February 1, 1806, Green Berry Samuels was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Pennybacker) Samuels. His "classical education" took place in schools local to his area and after deciding to pursue a career in law was admitted to practice in 1827. 

   Samuels later resided in Woodstock, Virginia where he established his practice. In April 1831 he married Maria Coffman, to whom he was wed until her death in 1844. The couple would have five children: Isaac (1833-1853), Anna Maria (1837-1923), Samuel Coffman (1841-1864), Margaret and Green Berry Jr. In 1838 Green Berry Samuels was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Whig candidate David Steele by a vote of 1,826 to 1,201. During the 1839-41 session, he served on the committee on the Judiciary and wasn't a candidate for renomination. 

   Following his term, Samuels returned to his law practice and in 1850-51 was a member of the Virginia state constitutional convention. In 1850 he was elected to the Virginia circuit court and two years later advanced to the state court of appeals, where he would serve until his death in Richmond on January 5, 1859, a few weeks short of his 53rd birthday. Both Samuels and his wife were interred at the Old Lutheran graveyard in Woodstock, Virginia.

Green Berry Board.

  Three years following the publication of the above article another "Green Berry" has been discovered (Sept. 4, 2020) that entered politics, Green Berry Board of Roanoke, Virginia. Board was a former Roanoke County Judge and Sheriff who was elected to one term in the Virginia State House of Delegates. The son of Francis Harwood "Frank" and Annie (Greer/Grier) Board, Green Berry Board's birth occurred in Bedford County, Virginia on September 27, 1815.

  Little is known of Board's formative years, except that he resided in Bedford County until his removal to Roanoke County in 1854. Before his move, he had married Mary Duckwiler (1829-1858), who died aged 29 and was buried in Wabun, Virginia. Following her death Board remarried to Martha Garwood (1831-1893), who survived him. Both of these marriages would be childless.

  Following his removal to Roanoke Count Board farmed, worked in a mercantile store, and held the post of cashier in the Farmer's National Bank of Salem, of which he later served as president. Additionally, Board made headway into other areas of Roanoke County public life, serving as president of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees from 1885 until his death.

  Green Berry Board entered the political life of his county in 1860 when he was elected as sheriff of Roanoke County. He served in that capacity from 1861-65, and from 1873-77 he sat as Roanoke County Judge, succeeding another oddly named jurist, Flavius Josephus "F.J." Ribble (1829-1873). In 1881 he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates as a representative from Roanoke and Craig County, and during the 1881-83 session was a member of the committees on Banks, Currency, and Commerce; Finance; and House Expenses.

  Excepting notice of Board's presidency of the Roanoke County Board of Trustees from 1885-87, little is known of the remainder of his life. He died shortly before his 72nd birthday on September 15, 1887, and was survived by his wife Martha. A burial location for both is unknown at this time.

From the Nashville Banner, January 19, 1921.

   Another "Green Berry" discovered recently (November 4, 2020), Green Berry Dillon was long a distinguished resident of Benton County, Tennessee, where he was a farmer and county tax assessor. Described as a "shoutin' Methodist and a regular married man" who excelled at bailing hay with a pitchfork, Dillon served one term in the Tennessee state senate, being elected in 1920. The son of John and Nancy (Williams) Dillon, Green Berry Dillon was born in Benton County on September 22, 1865.

  Dillon's early life and education remain uncertain, and during his youth eyed the practice of medicine. After briefly studying medicine he elected to follow a career in farming, deciding "that soil was the life." He married in October 1883 to Cora Pafford (1866-1893), who predeceased him. The couple had at least one daughter, Mary Lou (1889-1917). In 1897 he remarried to Jennie Esther Rayburn, who died in 1946. Following his marriages, Dillon was a resident of Eva, Tennessee, where he owned over sixty acres of "tillable land." 

  Green B. Dillon was called to local politics in January 1912 when he was appointed as Benton County tax assessor. He was subsequently elected to a term of his own at the next election, serving a total of five years.  In 1920 he served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, where Warren Harding was nominated for the presidency. 1920 proved to be a busy year for Dillon, and in addition to his service as a delegate announced his candidacy for the Tennessee state senate that year. Tragedy struck just one month before the general election when Dillon was injured while working on his farm. That October, he fell from a haystack and landed on a pitchfork, puncturing "his groin almost three inches deep". Despite doctors expressing "much apprehension" about his injuries, Dillon recovered, and in November won the election.

   Dillon's term extended from 1921-23, and in October of the last-named year was appointed as acting U.S. Postmaster at Eva. Dillon's later life saw him continue residence in Eva, where he was a member of the Methodist church. He died in that town on September 15, 1954, aged 89, and was interred at the Flatwoods Cemetery in Camden, Tennessee.

Portrait from Representative New Mexicans, Vol. I, 1912.

  A pre-1960s long-hair, Green Berry Patterson found his political fortunes in the New Mexico Territory, where he settled in 1907. A native of Texas, Patterson had been a stock raiser in that state before his resettlement and had also served as a justice of the peace. After a four-year residence in Oklahoma, he moved to Chaves County, New Mexico where he continued as an agricultural lecturer with the Farmer's Union. In 1910 he was elected to the New Mexico State Constitutional Convention from Chaves County and took part in deliberating the first constitution of the new state. He would later be an unsuccessful aspirant for Governor on the Progressive Party ticket.

  The son of William and Martha J. Patterson, Green Berry Patterson was born in Springtown, Texas on April 27, 1862. His education was obtained in the commons schools of that area and spent his formative years on a farm and ranch. This began a lifelong devotion to agriculture, and by 1879 had joined the Farmer Alliance organization. He farmed and raised livestock in Springtown until 1896, and from 1894-96 served as a justice of the peace. He married ca. 1880 to Florence Lee Rhinehart (1867-1948). The couple's lengthy union produced at least four children, James W. (1883-1962), Joseph Preston (1885-1972), Ida Hester (1888-1941), and Clyde Alonzo (1892-1973). 

  Patterson removed to Baylor County, Texas in 1896 where he continued farming and ranching, and from 1899-1900 was a tax collector and justice of the peace in that area. He later farmed at Cryer Creek, Texas before his relocation to Oklahoma in 1903. Taking up residence near Hobart, Patterson gained prominence as the Indiahoma Farmers Union's first business agent and took to the lecture circuit to explain the organization's purposes and goals. In November 1905 he returned from Arkansas, having negotiated a contract for "the entire output of a large coal mine and a large lumber mill." In an address following his return, Patterson remarked on the rapid expansion of the Union, noting:

"I find that the business agents office is going to be able to save the farmer's thousands of dollars annually.That is, it will save them money if they want to use the office to the best advantage. And now, since we have introduced nearly 125,000 farmers in Indiahoma to part with their dollar and with their few cents to carry on this well begun work, let us go further and reap the benefits that lie in education, organization and cooperation."

  By 1906 Green Berry Patterson had assumed the role of State Lecturer for the Indiahoma Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Organization of America, and had gained the title of the "Plowboy Orator" due to his oratorical prowess. In 1907 he relocated to Chaves County, New Mexico, where he resumed his activities with the Farmer's Union. In the following year, he was named to the County elections board for the 10th precinct, and in 1910 entered into the race for delegate to the New Mexican Constitutional Convention.

  As the "farmer's candidate", Patterson won the Democratic primary in August and that November was elected as one of four Chaves County delegates to the convention. All told, Patterson attended only a few sessions of the convention due to ill health, and when it came time to affix his signature to the first state constitution, signed, but then crossed out his name. 

  In the year following his service, Patterson was appointed as U.S. Postmaster at Ingleville, New Mexico, and in 1924 returned to politics when he was selected by the Progressive Party as their candidate for Governor of New Mexico. As one of three candidates that year, Patterson was defeated that November, polling just 2,926 votes to winning Democrat Arthur Hannet's total of 56,183. Following that loss, Patterson launched an unsuccessful bid for state commissioner of public lands in 1932 as a candidate of the Liberty Party. Little is known of the remainder of his life, excepting notice of his death in New Mexico on March 23, 1940, aged 77. He was survived by his wife Flora and his four children and was interred at the Fort Sumner Cemetery in De Baca County, New Mexico.

Courtland Hawkins Smith (1850-1892), Courtland Cushing Matson (1841-1915), Courtland Craig Gillen (1880-1954), Courtland Simmons Winn (1863-1940), Courtland Atwater Dewey (1831-1911), Courtland Frank Hearl Freese (1872-1931), Courtland Matson Feuquay (1890-1949)

Smith's obituary from the Alexandria Gazette, July 25, 1892.

   Alexandria, Virginia mayor Courtland Hawkins Smith received a brief mention in May 9th's write-up on Kosciusko Kemper, a three-term mayor of Alexandria. Smith was the man who defeated Kemper in the race for mayor in 1878 and, of the several political figures I've profiled on my visit through Virginia-Washington, D.C., Smith is arguably the most obscure. No portrait of Smith could be found to post here, and the above death notice for him has proved an adequate substitute in place of a portrait. 

    A lifelong native of Virginia, Courtland Hawkins Smith was born on August 29, 1850, one of several children born to Francis Lee and Sarah Gosnelle Vowell Smith. Little is known of Smith's early life, except notice of his service in the Confederate Army and his being a lawyer. Smith married on December 15, 1875, to Charlotte Rossiter, a native of New York state. The couple were wed until her death in 1880 and would have two children, Francis Lee (died in infancy in 1877) and Courtland Hawkins (born 1878). 

    Courtland H. Smith served as a member of the Alexandria city council before his election as mayor of Alexandria, that election occurring in 1878. He defeated three-term mayor Kosciusko Kemper that year and served one two-year term (1879-1881) and declined renomination. Smith's tenure as mayor saw him preside over Alexandria's centennial anniversary in 1880.

   Following his term as mayor Smith served as assistant adjutant general of Virginia, and was on the staff of Governor Fitzhugh Lee at the dedication of the Yorktown Monument and the inauguration of President Cleveland. Smith continued to reside in Alexandria for the remainder of his life and on the day of his death accompanied his sister into Washington on a shopping excursion. While visiting the city, Smith suffered a "sudden pain", which he tried to ease with a large dose of morphine. Described as being "accustomed to the use of the drug", the dosage Smith took appears to have led to his death, as he was brought to his home in an unconscious state, and died on the evening of July 22, 1892, never having regained consciousness.

   Remarked by the Alexandria Gazette as having been "genial, whole-souled and generous to a fault", Courtland Hawkins Smith was preceded in death by his wife Charlotte and both were interred at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Alexandria. On the same day as my visit to the grave of Kosciusko Kemper, I was able to seek out the Smith family plot, located a few hundred yards away from Kemper's burial location. Surrounded by a wrought iron gate, the plot is quite cramped, as several members of the family are interred in close confines to one another. And now some photos of the trip!

Portrait from the Men of Progress of Indiana, 1899.

  While Courtland Hawkins Smith's notoriety was centered mainly around Alexandria, Virginia, there were several other political figures named "Courtland" who made substantial inroads into state and national politics, one of these men being four-term Indiana congressman Courtland Cushing Matson. Regarded as one of Greencastle, Indiana's favorite sons, Matson had previously served terms as county prosecuting attorney and in 1888 was the Democratic nominee for Governor of his state.

   In can safely be said that politics ran in Matson's blood. The son of state representative John C. Matson (who was also a Whig candidate for Indiana Governor and U.S. Representative) and the former Margaretta M. Woelpper, Courtland Cushing Matson was born in Brookville, Indiana on April 25, 1841. He moved with his family to Greencastle at age ten and shortly thereafter began attending school in that city. Deciding upon a legal career, Matson enrolled at what is now DePauw University, with his studies being interrupted by the Civil War. Enlisting as a private in Co. K. of the  16th Reg. Indiana Volunteers, Matson later saw action with the 6th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Calvary and would be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1863. Weik's History of Putnam County denotes that Matson 

"made a gallant soldier and a most creditable record, having participated in all the important battles in the West up to Atlanta, in 1864, also took part in numerous skirmishes in Sherman's campaign."

   Matson was honorably discharged in October 1865 and returned to Indiana to resume his law studies. He would join his father and Solomon Claypool in a Greencastle based law firm that would extend until John C. Matson's death in 1870, whereafter the younger Matson and Claypool continued the practice. Courtland C. Matson married in Greencastle in March 1871 to Mary Farrow (1851-1893). The couple would later have four children, Smith Corbin (1872-1936), Rees Farrow (1874-1937), Nellie (1877-1941), and Mary Lydia (1877-1906). Upon Solomon Claypool's removal to Indianapolis in 1873 Matson continued to practice alone (briefly taking a partner mid-decade) until 1880, and made his first move into state politics in 1868 when he won election as District Attorney for the Putnam County Common Pleas Court.

   Matson's time in the above post extended until 1872, and two years following was elected as Prosecuting Attorney for Putnam County (serving until 1874). In 1878 he was named as chairman of the Indiana State Democratic committee. Setting his sights on higher office in 1880, Matson announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 5th congressional district. In November of that year, he defeated Republican nominee W.B. Treat by a vote of  17, 411 to 16, 496. 

   Taking his seat at the start of the 1881-83 session, Matson's first term saw him sit on the committee on Invalid Pensions. He would win a second term in 1882 (defeating Samuel Wallingford) and during the 1883-85 session was again a member of the Invalid Pensions committee. In November 1884 Matson gained a third term (besting George W. Grubbs) and in this session chaired the Invalid Pensions committee, as well as serving on the committee on Revision of the Laws.

Matson during his congressional service.

   Matson's fourth congressional win in 1886 saw him narrowly defeat Republican Ira Chase by a vote of 16,694 to 16,162. Now regarded as one of the most prominent Democrats in Hoosier politics, Matson was tendered the Democratic nomination for Governor of Indiana in April 1888. During a speech accepting the nomination at the state Democratic convention, Matson thanked his fellow party members and predicted Democratic victories not only in the state but nationally, noting that he:

"Felt an abiding and unshaken confidence that the democratic party could win in Indiana and I have believed not only in Indiana, but throughout the whole country, under the leadership of the greatest political chieftain that has been produced during this generation, that the people will set their seal of approval upon the rule of the democratic party under the administration of Grover Cleveland."

Matson for Governor, from the Indiana State Sentinel.

    Running against Matson for Governor that year was Republican nominee Alvin C. Hovey (1821-1891), a former U.S. Minister to Peru and a fellow Indiana congressman. On election day 1888, it was the Republicans who triumphed, with Hovey besting Matson by just over 2,000 votes. Following his gubernatorial loss, Matson returned to the practice of law and shortly thereafter was retained as counsel for the Louisville, New Albany, and Chicago Railway Co. In the late 1890s, Matson's son Smith Corbin joined him in practice.
   The last few months of Courtland Matson's life saw him residing with his daughter Nellie in Chicago. In the months prior to his death, he spent a great deal of time hospitalized, ill health eventually necessitating the amputation of one of his arms below the elbow. Matson's health continued to ebb and on September 4, 1915, he died at the home of his son Rees in Chicago. Matson was later returned to Greencastle for burial alongside his wife at the Forest Hill Cemetery. 

Portrait from the Greencastle Herald, October 31, 1930.

   Another Hoosier "Courtland" who made his name known politically is Courtland Craig Gillen, who, coincidentally enough, also hailed from the same city as Courtland Cushing Matson. A prominent attorney in Greencastle, Gillen served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives and in 1934 was elected as a state circuit court judge. A lifelong Indiana native, Gillen was born in Putnam County on July 3, 1880, being the son of Columbus and Rachel (Edwards) Gillen. He attended rural schools in the county of his birth and would graduate from the Fincastle High School. Gillen married his first wife Nellie Gough (1879-1919) in the early 1900s and later had one son, Wayne Gough (1903-1990).

   For several years following his graduation, Gillen taught school and in 1901 enrolled at the DePauw University, where he studied law. He continued his studies at the University of Indianapolis and graduated from that school's law department in the class of 1905. After his admittance to the state bar, Gillen practice law in Greencastle and in 1908 was elected to his first public office, that of Putnam County attorney. After five years of service as county attorney (1909-14), Gillen won election as prosecuting attorney for Indiana's 64th judicial circuit, serving from 1917-1919. 

  Following his wife Nellie's death in 1919 he remarried to Nelle Florence Williams (1893-1979) in 1922. In 1928 Gillen began contemplating a congressional run and two years later officially announced that he'd be seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative from Indiana's 5th district. After achieving the nomination the Greencastle Herald published several campaign notices booming his candidacy, noting:

"His record of sincerity and accomplishments in his chosen line stamps him as a man well equipped to represent the people of his district. If elected to office Mr. Gillen will give his best efforts to promote legislation beneficial to the farming and laboring interests of his district."

From the Greencastle Herald, November 5, 1930.

   On November 4, 1930, Gillen defeated three-term Republican incumbent Noble J. Johnson by a vote of 43, 355 to 40,919. Serving during the 1931-33 term, Gillen wasn't a candidate for renomination in 1933 and in the following year was elected as judge for Indiana's 64th judicial circuit court. He would serve on the bench from 1935 until his retirement in 1939, whereafter he returned to practicing law in Greencastle. Courtland C. Gillen's health began to fail in the last two years of his life and on September 1, 1954, he died at age 74 at the Putnam County Hospital. He was survived by his wife and son and was interred at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Greencastle.

From the Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, Volume 35.

   As a major American city, Atlanta, Georgia has lucked into electing four oddly named mayors in its history (Cicero Cyril Hammock, Nedom L. Angier, and Walthall Robertson Joyner) and the fourth on that list, Courtland Simmons Winn, had previously served on the city council and as mayor of the neighboring city of Lawrenceville. Born in Lawrenceville on October 12, 1863, Courtland Simmons Winn was the son of Confederate Colonel and judge Samuel J. Winn and the former Sarah Simmons.

  A student in the Gwinnett County public school system, Winn would enroll at Emory College in Oxford, Georgia in 1880 and continued study until health concerns compelled him to withdraw from school. After leaving Emory Winn began reading law in the office of his father and in 1884 was admitted to practice. He would begin his political career at the youthful age of 21 when he was elected to the first of two terms as mayor of Lawrenceville, Georgia in 1884. 

  Following his terms as mayor Winn was elected to the Lawrenceville city council and on New Year's Eve 1885 married to Fannie Thomas (1863-1943). The couple would later have five children, Clara Mae (1886-1986), Samuel (1888-1956), Courtland Simmons Jr. (1893-1994), Dorothy (died in infancy in 1900), and Frances (1902-1993). One should note that Winn's daughter Clara lived to age 99 and his son Courtland attained his 100th birthday!

  In 1888 Winn and his family moved from Lawrenceville to Atlanta and here established a law practice that would extend over five decades. Winn first entered Atlanta political life in 1902 when he was elected to the city council from Ward 2, and during his years of service on that body garnered a reputation as a "member of the progressive side that favored municipal improvement." Winn also held a seat on the Atlanta Board of Education beginning in 1904 and would continue to serve during his mayoral tenure.

Portrait from the Atlanta Georgian and News, October 29, 1910.

   Courtland Winn's entrance into the race for Mayor of Atlanta in 1910 came about not of his own doing, as he had been supporting another candidate, A.F. Quillian. Despite his backing of Quillian, Winn's stature in Atlanta saw "some of the most influential men in the city" come out in favor of his entering the mayoral race, and after Quillian himself tossed his support to him and opted out of the race, Winn officially became a candidate and in October 1910 defeated Democratic nominee James G. Woodward (1845-1923).

   Entering into the mayor's office in January 1911, Winn's one term in office saw a number of city improvements, including an increase in teacher's salaries, the modernizing of the city fire department, and the construction of a city garbage incinerator. He left office in 1913 (being succeeded by the man whom he'd defeated in 1910, James Woodward) and subsequently returned to practicing law. In 1925 Winn was appointed as assistant city attorney for Atlanta and continued in that post until his death at age 76 on March 8, 1940. He was survived by his wife Fannie and was later interred in the Winn family plot at the Shadowlawn Cemetery in Lawrenceville.

Portrait from the "Life of George Dewey and Dewey Family History", 1898.

   Kenosha, Wisconsin resident Courtland Atwater Dewey had fleeting involvement in state politics in 1902 when he was the Social Democratic candidate for the Wisconsin State Assembly. A native of Vermont, Dewey was born on January 25, 1831, in Milton. He would attend public school and after study at the Burlington Academy worked as a janitor and clerked in a local store.

   Dewey removed with his family to Wisconsin in 1849 and for several years following his settlement worked as a traveling medicine salesman for the J.M. Frost and Co. of Waukegan. In 1860 he established a home in Paris, Wisconsin and in June of that year married Delina Pease Hale (born 1833). The couple would later have one son, Courtland Ernest. Resettling in Kenosha in 1868, Dewey established a hardware store (the Dewey Hardware Company) which he would conduct for a number of years afterward, becoming known as "one of the leading business enterprises of the city." In addition to this enterprise, Dewey also held the posts of president and treasurer of the Kenosha County Fair Association.

   Referred to as a "stanch Republican" before his run for the state legislature, Dewey held several local offices, serving as school board clerk in Paris and was later an alderman for Kenosha's first ward. Sometime prior to 1902 he underwent a change of political faith and in the 1902 election year entered into the assembly race as the candidate of the Social Democratic party. One of three candidates running that year, Dewey polled dead last in that contest, garnering only 473 votes, compared to winning Republican candidate S. Dwight Slade's total of 1,994.

  Following his assembly defeat, Dewey continued to reside in Kenosha and died on May 11, 1911, at age 80. A burial location for both he and his wife remains unknown at this time.

From the New Hampshire state manual and register, 1931.

  In a November 8, 2018 update to an already lengthy article, another politically active "Courtland" has been found, this time amongst the annals of the New Hampshire state legislature. Courtland Frank Hearl Freese was for over three decades a leading name in the town of Pittsfield, becoming the owner of the Globe Manufacturing Company in 1901. Freese would later serve as president of the Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce and in 1929 was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. A term in the state Senate followed but was brought to a sudden conclusion as he died shortly after being elected.

   The son of George and Mary (Young) Freese, Courtland Frank Hearl Freese was born on January 9, 1872, in Pittsfield. He attended schools local to that town and early in life began to learn the trade of harness-maker, studying under B.M. Tilton.  He would eventually purchase that business and in 1901 bought the Globe Manufacturing Company, then a small business devoted to the manufacture of fire department coats. Based in Lynn, Massachusetts, Freese and his brother-in-law, J.D. Cleaver, moved the business to Pittsfield, and located above Freese's harness shop. The company would be the first to introduce firefighting suits (fireman's waterproof quick hitch suits) and is still in existence today, more than a century after its founding.

  Courtland F.H. Freese married in Pittsfield on his 21st birthday to Dora Smith (1873-1937), with whom he had one son, George Edward (1893-1953). In the years following his purchase of Globe Manufacturing Freese's name grew to be prominent in Pittsfield business circles, as he served as a trustee of the city's savings bank and was a past president of the Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce. Freese would also hold the directorship of the Pittsfield Weaving Company, which had been founded in 1926.

From the Fire and Engineering Magazine, Vol. 46, 1909.

  Freese first entered the political life of his state in November 1928 when he was elected as a Republican to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. His service in the 1929-30 session was followed by his election to the state senate in November 1930, defeating Democratic candidate Charles M. Steele by a vote of 2, 975 to 2, 697. Taking his seat at the start of the 1931-33 session, he would be named to the Senate committees on Liquor Laws and Revision of Laws. Freese's service proved to be short, as he died shortly after taking his seat, dying in his sleep at his Pittsfield home on March 22, 1931. He was survived by his wife Dora, who, following her death in 1937 was interred in the Freese family plot at the Floral Park Cemetery in Pittsfield.

From the Portsmouth Herald, March 24, 1931.

From Harlow's Weekly, August 28, 1937.

   A standout figure in the political life of Lincoln County, Oklahoma, Courtland Matson Feuquay served as assistant county attorney for that county and at age 32 was elected to the Oklahoma state senate, being one of the youngest members to serve in that session. The son of John Wesley and Jence Cornelia (Holland) Feuquay, Courtland Matson Feuquay was born in Hackney, Kansas on April 15, 1890. Following his family's brief residencies in Krebs and Alderson, Kansas, Feuquay settled with them in the town of Chandler, Oklahoma and here attended the common schools. During his youth Feuquay gained press as an orator, being speaker of the day at "American Boy Day" during the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 and three years later was a featured speaker at the Jamestown Exposition, being then just seventeen years old.

  Feuquay graduated from Chandler High School in 1906 and continued his studies at Epworth University in Oklahoma City, graduating in 1908. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in 1910, where he studied law, and pursued further law studies at the University of Virginia, earning his bachelor of laws degree in 1911. From there Feuquay enrolled at Yale University, and in 1912 he graduated second in his law class. 

  After being admitted to both the Connecticut and Oklahoma bar, Feuquay established his practice in Chandler in 1912 and married on April 21, 1917, to Ruth Esther Foster (1893-1945). The couple were wed until Ruth's passing in 1945 and had one daughter, Ruth Ann (1925-2012). Feuquay would enter local politics for the first time in 1914 when he was elected as Chandler city attorney, serving from 1915-16. During the First World War Feuquay enlisted in the Army and served with the 14th Field Artillery, E Battalion, and at the time of his discharge had attained the rank of First Lieutenant.

 

From Makers of Government in Oklahoma, 1930.

  After his return from service, Feuquay continued in his law practice and also organized the Arthur J. Matheny Post of the American Legion in Chandler. In 1922 he was elected as a Republican to the Oklahoma state senate and served one four-year term, 1923-27, during which time he was acknowledged as a "watchdog of the treasury" specializing in taxation and constitutional law. He would chair the committee on Indian Affairs and also held seats on the committees on Drugs and Pure Food, Federal Relations, Municipal Corporations, Public Health, and Senate and Legislative Affairs. 

  Feuquay wasn't a candidate for renomination in 1926 and soon returned to his law practice. In 1937 he was called back to political life when he was talked of as a potential nominee for district court judge for Oklahoma's 10th district. Ultimately, Feuquay's candidacy didn't extend past May 1938, and he continued to reside in Chandler until his death at age 58 on February 18, 1949. He had been preceded in death by his wife Ruth four years previously, and both were interred at the Oak Park Cemetery in Chandler.

From Harlow's Weekly, Jan. 20, 1923.