Summerfield Massilon Glenn Gary (1826-1886)

Portrait from the 1861 Florida Secession Convention composite.

   It has become customary the past four years to set aside the year's final posting to an especially strange-named figure, and this year's honoree is certainly worthy of the title of 'Strangest Name of the Year". Following in the stead of such odd name luminaries like Peru Italian Blackerby Ping and Uno Sylvanus Augustus Heggblom, Florida lawyer Summerfield Massilon Glenn Gary lucked into receiving a real whopper of a name, and his inclusion here on the site rests on service as Marion County's delegate to the Florida Secession Convention of 1861.

  A native of South Carolina, Summerfield M.G. Gary was born in Cokesbury, Greenwood County on October 10, 1826, being the son of Dr. Thomas Reeder and Mary (Porter) Gary. A distinguished figure in his own right, Thomas R. Gary (1802-1852) served several terms in the South Carolina legislature and for a time held the post of treasurer of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad. Recorded by most period sources under the initials S.M.G. Gary, Summerfield M.G. Gary's early education occurred in his hometown of Cokesbury, attending the Methodist Home Conference School. He would later enroll at the South Carolina at Columbia, and following his graduation in 1848 began the study of law under future U.S. Senator James Chesnut Jr. (1815-1885).

  Admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1851, Gary married a short while later to Frances "Fannie" Rosa Gary (ca. 1834-1914). The couple would have at least five children, Thomas R. (1853-1912), Maud Witherspoon (1859-1933), S.M.G. Jr. (1861-1873), Louella Victoria (1875-1954) and William Theodore (1876-1959). In 1855 Gary and his wife removed to Ocala, Florida, where they would reside for the remainder of their lives. Here Gary established a law practice that would see him advance to the front rank of Ocala public life, and in the succeeding years was acknowledged as a man of noble character, and that:

"Like a towering cliff he caught the rays of the sun of progress before its beams could reach the horizon of common minds."

   In 1860 Gary was selected as one of Marion County's delegates to the Florida Secession Convention, and in January 1861 traveled to Tallahassee to begin service. During the convention proceedings, he was named to the committees on Communications from South Carolina, the Judiciary, Militia and Internal Police, and Schools and Colleges. Following Florida's entrance into the Civil War Gary entered into the Confederate Army and for a year's duration was a captain in a local infantry unit. After being wounded Gary was transferred to a cavalry unit and served as an aide de camp to his younger brother, Brigadier General Martin Witherspoon Gary (1831-1881) until the war's conclusion. 
  At the time of his discharge from service S.M.G. Gary had attained the rank of Colonel and following his return to Ocala returned to practicing law. Sources of the time denote Gary as "Intendent" of Ocala in 1867 and is referred to as the mayor of that city prior to its incorporation the following year. Gary's later years saw him become an early advocate for the planting of citrus trees for profit in Florida, and 

"Through his persistent agitation on the subject many citizens were led to engage in this business, which he lived to see the principle industry of his state."

  Two years prior to his death S.M.G. Gary began construction on the three-story Gary building in Ocala, a building that later became home to both a hardware and five-and-dime store. This structure replaced an earlier wooden one that had been destroyed by fire and following Gary's death in 1886 passed into the hands of his son William and daughter Maud. After many years of prominence in Ocala, Summerfield Massilon Glenn Gary died in that city on December 20, 1886, at age 60.  Memorialized as "generous towards his friends,  forgiving to his enemies" and a "scholar, a lawyer, a citizen, and a man", Gary was survived by his wife Fanny and four of his children and was interred at the Evergreen Cemetery in Ocala.

Wiltz Gleason Kirklin (1912-1997)

Portrait courtesy of the Texas Legislative Reference Library.

   A two-term member of the Texas House of Representatives from Ector County, Wiltz Gleason "Cotton" Kirklin was a veteran of WWII and following his service in the legislature went on to further recognition, being a member of both the Texas Building Commission and the Texas Health Facilities Commission. The son of Aaron and Georgie Lou Kirklin, Wiltz G. Kirklin was born on February 4, 1912, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. He was a student at the high school in the city of his birth and following his graduation in 1929 attended both Texas Christian University and Baylor University. 

  In 1936 Kirklin received a bachelor's degree in business from Baylor University and around this same time married Opal Mae Layton (1913-1989). The couple were wed for over five decades and would have two sons, Layton (born ca. 1937) and Donald Frank (born 1948). Shortly after his graduation, Kirklin entered into the oil business in Odessa, Texas, and after a brief stint of employment by the Gulf Oil Co. worked as a private oil driller. In 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and during the Second World War served in Europe, eventually attaining the rank of Captain. 

  Following his return from service Kirklin returned to his oil drilling business and also engaged in irrigation farming and heavy equipment sales. In 1952 he was elected as Ector County's representative to the Texas state legislature and during his first term (1953-55) held seats on the committees on Common Carriers, Federal Relations, Military and Veteran's Affairs, Oil, Gas and Mining and Revenue and Taxation. He won a second term in the house during the 1954 election year and during this term sat on two new committees, those being Motor Vehicles and State Affairs.

  In his last year in the legislature, W.G. Kirklin was appointed by then-Governor Allan Shivers to the Board of Texas Hospitals and Special Schools. Following two years of service on the Texas State Building Commission (1963-65) Kirklin would be reappointed to that board by Governor Price Daniel and in 1965 was tapped to serve as assistant commissioner of the then recently established Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. He would serve in that capacity until his retirement in 1977, and six years later returned to public service when he was appointed by Governor Mark White to chair the Texas Health Facilities Commission. 

  Kirklin retired from the above-named post in 1986 and in 1989 suffered the loss of his wife of over fifty years, Opal Mae. He himself died on May 9, 1997, at age 85 and was later interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Arioch Wentworth Griffiths (1851-1934)

Portrait courtesy of the town of Durham, New Hampshire, 1902.

   For many years distinguished in the civic life of Durham, New Hampshire, Arioch Wentworth Griffith won election to several local political offices in that town and in 1910 was an unsuccessful candidate for the New Hampshire house of representatives. A lifelong resident of the Granite State, Griffiths was born on August 31, 1851, the son of John B. and Ruth (Wentworth) Griffiths. He received his unusual first and middle names in honor of his maternal uncle Arioch Wentworth (1813-1903), a Boston-based multi-millionaire soapstone and marble magnate with substantial real estate holdings. 

   Young Arioch began his education in the common schools and would go on to attend the Newmarket High School and the Franklin Academy at Dover. As the son of a prominent Durham farmer, Arioch (as well as his brother Edward) inherited their family's 200-acre farm and in addition to farm work operated a vinegar and cider mill, an operation that could produce "one hundred barrels per day." 

   Arioch Griffiths married in June 1876 to Sadie B. McDaniel (1856-1943). The couple's fifty-seven-year union would see the birth of one son, John H. Griffiths, in 1877. A prominent figure in the local chapters of the Knights of Pythias, Griffiths was a member of both the Newmarket chapter of that organization as well as a founding figure of the group's lodge in Durham. Griffiths was also a longstanding member of the Sons of the American Revolution and engaged in banking, being a past director of the Newmarket National Bank.

   The holder of several political offices in Durham, Arioch Griffiths served at various times as town meeting moderator, census enumerator, road agent, deputy sheriff, and for two terms town selectman. In 1910 he set his sights on a seat in the state legislature, and in that election year faced off against Democratic candidate Albert DeMerritt, a former member of the state board of agriculture and state constitutional convention delegate. On election day it was DeMerritt who emerged triumphant, garnering 117 votes to Griffiths' 70.

   Following his legislative loss, Griffiths served as a justice of the peace in Durham and was an assistant quartermaster general for the William A. Frye Co., No.5. of the Knights of Pythias. He died in Durham on April 1, 1934, at age 82 and was survived by his wife Sadie. Sadie McDaniel Griffiths survived her husband by nearly a decade, and following her death in 1943 was interred at the Griffiths Cemetery alongside her husband.

Portrait from "New Hampshire Agriculture: Personal and Farm Sketches", 1897.

Deaderick Chandler Dungan (1899-1983)

Portrait from the 1949 North Carolina State Manual.

    A one-term member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Deaderick Chandler Dungan had earlier served a term as mayor of the city of Salisbury. A native of Arkansas, Chandler was born in Little Rock on October 6, 1899, the son of John Morgan and Anne Mitchell Dungan. A student at the Little Rock High School, Dungan would attend the New Mexico Military Institute at Roswell from 1916-18 and also studied at Cornell University.

   Towards the conclusion of American involvement in the First World War Deaderick Dungan began training at the Officers Training Corps at Fort Monroe in Virginia. His state military career would continue with his service in the North Carolina State Guard from 1941-47, having attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dungan married in November 1924 to Vivian May Gregory (1900-1971), with whom he had two daughters, Anne and Jeanne.

   A tractor and farm implement dealer in Salisbury for a number of years, Dungan entered city political life in 1937 when he was elected to the city council. He would win election as mayor of Salisbury in 1938 (serving from 1939-41) and following his term was returned to the city council, holding his seat until 1947. In 1948 Dungan was elected as Rowan County's representative to the North Carolina General Assembly, and during his one term (1949-51) held seats on several house committees, those being Conservation and Development; Counties, Cities, and Towns; Finance; Manufactures and Labor; Military Affairs; Public Utilities; Public Welfare; Roads and Wildlife Resources.

   A member of the Knights of Pythias, Elks Lodge, and the American Legion, Deaderick Dungan continued to reside in Salisbury following his term and was recorded as a fertilizer plant owner. Widowed in 1971, Dungan died in Salisbury on March 19, 1983, and was later interred at the Memorial Park Cemetery in that city.

Parkhurst Ward Cutler (1848-1930)

Portrait from the Biographical Review of Hancock County, Illinois, 1907.

   A longtime resident of Hancock County, Illinois, Parkhurst Ward Cutler pledged allegiance to the Democratic party for a good majority of his life, until joining the Prohibition party in the mid-1880s. A Prohibition candidate for the Illinois State Board of Equalization (as well as several local offices), Cutler would also receive that party's nomination for U.S. Representative from Illinois' 14th congressional district in 1912. The son of Nathan and Hannah (Ward) Cutler, Parkhurst Ward Cutler was born in Fulton County, Illinois on February 27, 1847. The Cutler family resettled in Hancock County when their son was but five years old, and young Parkhurst would attend the "common schools" in the area, as well as working the family farm and briefly studying at the Central College in Pella, Iowa. 

   After attaining maturity, Cutler purchased 120 acres of land near Carthage, Illinois, and established himself as a farmer and stock-raiser. He would subsequently purchase additional property to expand his fields and would be later acknowledged as "probably the most extensive stock feeder in Carthage township, usually shipping about two hundred fat cattle per year." Cutler's prominence in stock-raising saw him be the first farmer to introduce Hereford cattle to Carthage township and also exhibited his stock at several fairs during his life.

   Parkhurst Cutler married on his twenty-fourth birthday in 1871 to Fannie Gage Barker (1838-1933). The couple's marriage extended nearly sixty years and their union would see the births of two sons, Nathan Barker (1873-1953) and Ward Augustus (1875-1953). 

   An adherent of the Democratic party until the mid-1880s, Cutler switched political allegiance to the Prohibition party in 1884, becoming a "stalwart champion of the cause of temperance." A candidate of that party for several local political offices, Cutler made his first run for state office in 1900, becoming a candidate for the Illinois State Board of Equalization from the 15th district. On election day he received just 878 votes, well behind Republican candidate John Cruttenden's winning total of 24,510. In 1912 Cutler returned to politics, receiving the Prohibition nomination for U.S. Representative from his state's 14th congressional district. As one of four candidates that year, Cutler garnered a meager 680 votes that November, losing out to Democratic candidate Clyde Tavenner's winning vote of 17,024. 

   A former director of the Harmony Mutual Fire Insurance Company and a longtime Baptist church member, Parkhurst W. Cutler continued to reside in Carthage, Illinois until his death at age 82 on May 3, 1930. His widow Fannie followed him to the grave three years later at age 94, and both were interred at the Moss Ridge Cemetery in Carthage.

Other Vernon Woodrome (1896-1973)

Portrait courtesy of Ark-Ives.

   Marianna, Arkansas native Other Vernon Woodrome is another oddly named man who held political office in the "Natural State", serving one term in the state legislature from Lee County. The son of A.C. and Phenie (Waddell) Woodrome, Other Vernon "O.V. Woodrome was born in Greenbrier, Arkansas on January 28, 1896. Woodrome would attend schools local to Faulkner County, Arkansas and also was a student at the  University of Arkansas and Arkansas State Teachers College (receiving his A.B. degree at the latter.)

   O.V. Woodrome married in August 1917 to Willie Edna Lawrence (1898-1991), with whom he had one son, John Vernon (1919-2002). A veteran of WWI, Woodrome would serve in the U.S. Navy as a seaman from 1917-1919. A farmer and teacher in Marianna for the majority of his life, Woodrome was also a member of the local Mason and Elks lodges, as well as the Farm Bureau. In 1936 Woodrome won election to the Arkansas House of Representatives and during his one term (1937-1939) held seats on the following committees: Education, Levies and Drainage, Militia and the Penitentiary.

  Little else could be found on Woodrome's life following his time in state government, excepting notice of his death in Conway, Arkansas on November 21, 1973, at age 77. He was survived by his wife and son and was interred at the Crestlawn Cemetery in Conway. 

Arlander Denson Dulaney (1877-1952)

Portrait from the Annual Report of the Arkansas Insurance Department, 2009.

  Lifelong Arkansas resident Arlander Denson Dulaney rose to become a leading lawyer in Little River County, and in addition to practicing law was elected to four consecutive terms in his state's house of representatives. Following his terms, he was elected as prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' 9th Chancery Circuit and late in his life, was returned to government service, holding the post of state insurance commissioner for two years. The son of the Rev. Thomas Dulaney (a Baptist minister) and the former Amanda McCasey, Arlander D. Dulaney was born in Sevier County, Arkansas on August 26, 1877.

  A student in the Sevier County public schools, Dulaney later attended the University of Arkansas for two years before taking on a teaching position in Little River County, which he would follow for eight years. In the early 1900s, Dulaney enrolled in the law department of the University of Arkansas and, following his graduation in 1905, established his first law practice in the town of Ashdown. He married on October 6, 1909, to Elizabeth Nix Corbett (1890-1980), to whom he was wed until his death. The couple had at least one daughter, Elizabeth Nix Dulaney Galloway.

  Several years following his settlement in Ashdown Dulaney joined fellow attorneys James Steel and J.S. Lake in the firm of Steel, Lake, and Dulaney, a firm that enjoyed an "extensive and prosperous business." Dulaney's first entrance into the political life of his state came with his election to the Arkansas House of Representatives in September 1902. He would win a second term in September 1904 and his third term in 1906, and by the time of his fourth legislative victory in September 1908 was noted as having been the "only member of the house that had served his constituents four consecutive terms as representative." A member of a number of important committees during his eight years in the house, Dulaney would chair the committee on Appropriations during the 1907-10 sessions.

   Both prior to and after his legislative service Dulaney was engaged with several business concerns, both in Little River County and elsewhere. Amongst these were the Southern Realty and Trust Company (of which he would serve as vice-president), the Arkansas Trust and Banking Company (serving as its attorney), and was a member of the State Historical Commission for his home county of Little River.

From the 1907 Arkansas Legislature composite photograph.

   Dulaney was returned to political life in November 1916 when he entered into the post of prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Ninth Chancery Circuit, an office he'd hold until 1921.  In 1931 he was appointed as State Commissioner of Insurance, succeeding W.E. Floyd, who had served two terms in office. Dulaney's term (1931-33) saw him pull political double-duty, as it were, serving as the state fire marshal in addition to his post of commissioner. During his time in office, Dulaney also announced he'd be seeking a seat in Congress from Arkansas' 4th legislative district. Hoping to succeed Effiegene Wingo (who had declined renomination) Dulaney's candidacy didn't extend past the primary season, and William Ben Cravens would eventually be elected to the seat.

  Arlander Dulaney continued to serve Arkansas well into his twilight years, being an executive assistant commissioner in the state insurance department in 1942. Dulaney died in Ashdown on June 4, 1952, at age 74. He was later interred at the Ashdown Cemetery and was survived by his wife Elizabeth, who died in 1980 at age 90.

Meverell Knox Allen (1846-1919)

From the 1892 "History of Kentucky".

  A longtime physician based in Louisville, Kentucky, Meverell Knox Allen had a brief stay on his state's political stage in the late 19th century, being a delegate to the Kentucky Constitutional Convention of 1890-91. The son of James and Caroline (Muir) Allen, Meverell K. Allen was born on April 15, 1846, in Spencer County, Kentucky. His early education was obtained in schools local to Spencer County, and following a one-year stint as a school teacher decided upon a career in medicine. He would study medicine under Taylorsville physician Thomas Allen beginning in 1864 and later enrolled in the University of Louisville's department of medicine. Allen earned his medical degree in 1867 and shortly thereafter opened his practice in Taylorsville. 

  In the same year as his graduation, Allen married to Bloomfield, Kentucky native Sue Miles. The marriage proved to be brief, as Miles is recorded as dying shortly afterward. In 1869 Allen remarried, taking as his wife one Eliza Stone (1852-1886), with whom he would have one daughter, Maud Katie (1872-1905).

  Meverell K. Allen's residency in Taylorsville extended until 1870 when he moved to Louisville. Following his resettlement, he returned to practicing medicine and in 1874 was elected as that city's health officer, a position he would hold until 1877. In 1880 he was named as the physician for the Louisville city workhouse, and in addition to medicine was also heavily involved in Louisville educational affairs, being a school trustee and president of the city school board (holding the latter office from 1888-90.)

  Active in several business concerns in Louisville, Allen was a former president of the Daisy Realty Company and a director of the Snider Land and Stock Company. He also attained distinction in banking, serving as director of the Westview Savings Bank and Building Company, and was vice president of the Standard National Savings and Loan Association. 

  Allen's most prominent foray into state politics came in 1890 when he was elected as a delegate from Louisville's 2nd district to the Kentucky Constitutional Convention. During the convention proceedings, Allen sat on the committees on Elections, Education, Railroads & Commerce, and also offered a resolution wanting to amend the then-existing state constitution to:

"Establish three Magisterial Districts for the city of Louisville in lieu of the City Court of said city, which shall be abolished, together with all officers connected therewith; said Magisterial Districts so established to have criminal jurisdiction, and civil jurisdiction to the extent of three hundred dollars."

Portrait courtesy of the Kentucky State Historical Society.

  Following his constitutional convention service, Allen again served as health officer for the city of Louisville and for a number of years was retained as medical director for the Inter-Southern Life Insurance Company. On March 13, 1919, Allen died of heart disease at his Louisville home and was later interred alongside his wife and daughter at the famed Cave Hill Cemetery in that city.

Amyot Willard Cherrington (1888-1970)

Portrait from the Springville Herald, March 13, 1969.

   A lifelong resident of Springville, Utah, Amyot Willard Cherrington became one of that city's most honored sons during his life, being active in farming, business, and religious work. Elected as the Mayor of Springville in November 1953, Cherrington had previously served as head of the Utah Poultry Association in the early 1940s. 

  Born in Springville on March 9, 1888, Amyot Willard Cherrington was the son of Joseph and Prudence (Straw) Herrington. The origins behind his outstandingly different first name remain unknown but could have a connection to French scholar Jacques Amyot (1513-1593), a writer active during the Renaissance. Amyot would serve as Bishop in Auxerre, France beginning in the 1570s and is remembered today for having translated a number of classical works, including those by Greek writers Plutarch, Longus, and Diodorus.  

   A student in schools local to Springville, Cherrington would go on to attend Brigham Young University and in June 1909 married at the Salt Lake Temple to Hilda E. Wheeler (1889-1974). The couple was wed for over sixty years and their union saw the births of five children: Captola (1910-1999), Jack (1914-2008), Amyot Bert (1919-1995), Carol (1923-2014), and Jane (birth-date unknown).

  In the years prior to his marriage, Cherrington had entered into the contracting business, which he would follow for a decade. Following the sale of his contracting business Cherrington began a lengthy career as a fruit grower and farmer, being the owner of a farm in Mapleton as well as the Roe E. Deal property near Springville. Specializing in cherries, the Springville Herald notes that Cherrington employed hundreds of young workers to work his properties, and in addition to ownership of the aforementioned farms was a member of the state board of fruit and vegetables and a founding member of the Springville-Mapleton Fruit Growers Association. 

From the Springville Herald, February 24, 1944.

   As a prominent agriculturalist in Utah County, Cherrington also loomed large in the poultry industry, serving on the state board of poultry producers and in February 1944 was elected president of the Utah Poultry Cooperative Association. He also maintained an interest in several other business entities in the Utah County area, being a member of the Board of Directors of the Springville Irrigation Co. and the Springville Chamber of Commerce. A longstanding member of the Mormon church, Cherrington was a bishop for Springville's first ward from 1930-35 and was twice a High Councilman. A former ward president of the Springville Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, Cherrington was described in his Springville Herald obituary as an active participant in church functions and at the time of his death in 1970 was serving as a High Priest for Springville's sixth ward.

   Following their retirement from fruit growing in 1953 Cherrington and his wife sold their farm and resettled in Springville. He was soon after elected as that city's mayor and during his two terms in office (1954-1958) is remarked as having been "instrumental in procuring added culinary water and facilities to the city's system." Amyot Willard Cherrington died at his Springville home on December 31, 1970, at age 82. He was survived by his wife Hilda, who, following her passing in 1974, was interred alongside her husband at the Evergreen Cemetery in Springville. 

From the Springville Herald, January 27, 1955.

Cunard Jackson Broome (1923-1999)

From the 1957-58 Georgia Official and Statistical Register.

    A newspaper publisher and one-term representative in the Georgia state assembly, Cunard Jackson "C.J." Broome hailed from Alma, Georgia, a city that also produced two other oddly named political figures featured here, Braswell Drue Deen Sr. and his son, Judge Braswell D. Deen Jr. A lifelong Georgia resident, "C.J." Broome was born in Jeffersonville, Georgia on December 5, 1923, being the son of Carl Jackson (a newspaper owner and former mayor of Nahunta, Georgia) and Exie Lurline (Cunard) Broome. A student in schools local to Brantley County, Georgia, Broome graduated from the local high school in 1940 and in 1949 received his BCS degree from the University of Georgia. 

  While still in his teens Broome followed in his father's stead and entered into newspaper publishing, joining the staff of the Alma Times. By 1942 he had succeeded to the post of editor and at age 21 was serving as that paper's publisher. Cunard Broome married in Coweta County Georgia in December 1947 to Myrtle Inez Tanner (1912-2004). The couple was wed for over five decades and their union would see the births of two children, Lynda Sue (born 1949) and Lou Jena (born 1951).

    A well-known civic leader in Alma, C.J. Broome was a prominent figure in a number of civic groups prior to his election to the state assembly, serving as director of the Alma Board of Trade and president of the Georgia Press Association. Broome also held the presidency of the Alma Lions Club, the presidency of the Georgia Junior Chamber of Commerce's 8th district, and was a former director of the Housing Authority of the city of Alma. 

  Elected to the state assembly in November 1956, Cunard Broome succeeded Braswell Drue Deen Jr. as Bacon County's representative in the legislature. Shortly before the expiration of his term Broome entered the Democratic primary race for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, and in September 1958 placed third in a field of five candidates, garnering 49, 686 votes. Following his term, Broome retired from the newspaper business and operated the Great Earth Properties real estate agency, as well as serving as chairman of a "multi-county Transportation task force working to improve road rail and port infrastructure in southeast Georgia." 

   Cunard Jackson Broome died at age 76 on October 20, 1999. He was survived by his wife Myrtle, who, following her passing in 2004 was interred alongside him at the Oakland Cemetery in Waycross, Georgia.

Boswell DeGraffenreid Waddell (1865-1937), Boswell Sommerfield Elliott (1855-1933)

Portrait from the "History of Alabama and Her People", Vol. III.

   Alabama has fielded a number of oddly named folks featured here in the past, and Boswell DeGraffenreid Waddell (a multi-term state representative and senator), is certainly one of the most uniquely named men to serve in some political capacity in the "Heart of Dixie."  I first located Waddell's name via a 1912 Alabama statistical register way back in 2009 and since that time he continually stymied me out of a photograph; that was until the discovery of the above portrait, featured in Volume III of Albert Burton Moore's History of Alabama and Her People, published in 1927.

   A native of Columbus, Georgia, Boswell DeGraffenreid Waddell was born in that city on August 25, 1865, being the eldest son of James Fleming Waddell and the former Adelaide Victoria DeGraffenreid. A distinguished figure in his own right, James F. Waddell (1828-1892) was a veteran of both the Mexican-American and Civil War and was later named U.S. Consul in Matamoras, Mexico. Waddell would also serve as a judge of probate for Russell County, Alabama (having settled there in 1857) and held that post from 1865-68. 

   Boswell DeG. Waddell attended the public schools of Russell County and also studied at a private school in Columbus, Georgia. After leaving school Waddell briefly worked as a civil engineer before deciding upon a career in law, beginning study in the law office of his father. He was admitted to the Alabama bar in 1887 and shortly thereafter began a practice in Seale that would extend over forty years. In the same year as his admission, Waddell took on the post of deputy solicitor for Russell County, an office he'd continue to hold well into the late 1920s.

  In 1889 Waddell was elected to the first of two terms as mayor of Seale, and in 1901 served as Russell County's delegate to the Alabama Constitutional Convention, being a member of the committees on local legislation and the militia during the convention proceedings. Waddell continued to advance politically in November 1902, when he won election to the Alabama House of Representatives. Serving during the 1903-07 session, Waddell was named to the committees on the Judiciary, Privileges and Elections, Local Legislation and Commerce, and Common Carriers. On May 12, 1909, Waddell married to Carrie B. Jennings, a music teacher. The couple were wed until Boswell's death and would remain childless.

  Waddell would win his second term in the house in 1910 and his sophomore term in the legislature (1911-15) saw him named to two new committees, those being Claims and Fees, and Game, Fish and Forestry Preservation (of which he was chairman). November 1918 saw Waddell win his third term in the state house and was a member of the committee on Enrolled Bills during the 1919-23 term.

   In November 1922 Waddell attained his highest degree of political prominence when he was elected to the first of two terms in the Alabama state senate. During those sessions (1923-27 and 1927-31) he was a member of the committees on Fish, Game, and Forestry; the Judiciary; Public Health; and Rules. In addition to public service Waddell was active in the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Alabama Bar Association, and also owned a three hundred acre farm near Seale. He continued political prominence well into his twilight years, and in 1935 was serving as county solicitor for Russell County. 

  Boswell DeGraffenreid Waddell died at age 72 on November 22, 1937. His wife Carrie survived her husband by six years, and following her death in 1943 was interred alongside him in the Waddell family plot at the Seale United Methodist Church and Cemetery.

Portrait from the Mississippi Official and Statistical Register, 1920-24.

   Lifelong Mississippian Boswell Sommerfield Elliott represented his native county of Grenada in the Mississippi state legislature at the same time Boswell DeG. Waddell was serving his third term in the Alabama House of Representatives. The son of Alexander and Mary (Shumake) Elliott, Boswell S. Elliott was born in Carroll County, Mississippi on September 21, 1855. He attended the common schools of Mississippi and married in February 1877 to Rebecca Frances Woods (1854-1953), with whom he had five children, James, Nora (1891-1942), Willard Lee,  Johnnie (1894-1978), and Mary Lois. 

   For the good majority of his life, Boswell Elliott followed farming in Granada County. From 1900-03 he held the office of county treasurer, was a justice of the peace, and beginning in 1914 served as a statistician for the federal government, compiling cotton statistics for Granada County. Elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1919, Elliott served in the 1920-24 session and was a member of the committees on Agriculture; the Penitentiary; Pensions; and Roads, Ferries, and Bridges. 

   Little is known of Elliott's life after leaving the legislature. He had been a longstanding member of the local Methodist church and held memberships in the Masonic order and the Modern Woodmen of the World. Elliott died on March 23, 1933, aged 77, and was later buried at the Sparta Cemetery in Holcomb, Mississippi.

Indemon Benjamin Moore (1869-1956)

Portrait from the Tennessee General Assembly composite of 1913.

  After a few weeks of highlighting several oddly named members of the Tennessee state assembly, we conclude our stay in the Volunteer State with a peek at the life of Indemon Benjamin Moore of White County. The first "Indemon" I've happened across, Moore is equally as obscure as the men who've preceded him here, and other than mention of his election to the Tennessee legislature, little information could be located on him.

  Born on October 14, 1869, Indemon Benjamin "Dim" Moore was one of several children born to Hugh Losson Carrick (1831-1926) and Nancy (Cantrell) Moore (1844-1923). No information could be located on Moore's early life or education, except his becoming a school teacher in the White County area in the 1890s, a vocation that he would subsequently follow for over forty years. Moore married sometime in the early 1900s to Cynthia Elizabeth Moore, with whom he had one son, Elton Lee (1906-1948).

   Following his marriage, Indemon B. Moore served as both chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of White County and president of the White County Educational Association. In 1912 Moore was elected as White County's representative to the Tennessee General Assembly and during his term (1913-15)  sat on the committee on Commerce and chaired the committee on Education. 

  Widowed in 1947, Moore also suffered the loss of his son Elton in the year following his wife's death. Indemon Moore died on February 3, 1956, at age 86 and was later interred at the Moore Cove Cemetery in White County. One should also note that Moore's first name has two variations in spelling in addition to the one given here, also being spelled as Indimon and Indenmon.

Felty Devault Massengill (1815-1894)

Portrait from "The Massengills Massengales and Variants, 1472-1931".

   The Strangest Names in American Political History continues its trek through Tennessee to highlight the life of another obscure Volunteer State representative, Felty Devault Massengill of Sullivan County. Like Whitthorne Bell and Skipwith T. Foote before him, minimal information could be located on Massengill, except a brief mention of his being a state representative, farmer, and mill owner. The son of Henry and Elizabeth (Emmert) Massengill, Felty Devault Massengill was born in Tennessee on April 30, 1815.

   Acknowledged as having "received the usual country advantages" in regards to schooling, Felty Massengill married in May 1836 to Deborah Webb (1811-1874), to whom he was wed until her death. This marriage would produce eight children, and a year following his wife's passing remarried to Martha Latture Mauk/Mauck (1844-1890), a union that would produce a further three children, Mary Porter (born 1877), Martha Ema (born 1880) and Walter Clark (born 1882). 

   A farmer for a good majority of his life, Massengill also "boated down the Tennessee and Holston rivers" and owned a mill on the Weaver Branch of the Holston River, operating it until his death. In 1854 he was elected as Sullivan County's representative to the Tennessee General Assembly and during the 1855-57 session served on the committee on New Counties and County Lines. 

  Little else could be found on Massengill's life following his term, except notice of his death in Sullivan County on March 30, 1894, at age 78. He was later interred alongside his wives at the Massengill Cemetery in Piney Flats, Tennessee. One should also note that Massengill's last name has a few variations in spelling, being given as both Masengill and Massengale.

Skipwith Taylor Foote (1869-1938)

Portrait from the 1933 Tennessee General Assembly composite.

   Tennessee state representative Skipwith Taylor Foote received a brief mention in the October 21 write-up on Whitthorne Levi Bell and is one of several oddly named assemblymen to have served in the legislative session of 1933-35. Equally as obscure as the man who preceded him here, Skipwith T. Foote was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee on December 29, 1869, one of several children born to John Luther and Sarah Anne (Thomas) Foote. Like Whitthorne Bell, the dearth of resources in regard to Mr. Foote has left most of his life a mystery, including his early life and education.

   Foote married in August 1903 to Margaret Luther (1870-1962), to whom he was wed until his death. The couple would have at least six children, Sarah Emerson (1904-2001), Virginia (1906-1994), Luther (1908-1979), Mildred (born 1910), Margaret (1913-2001), and John Thomas (born 1918). 

  Sources denote Foote as a farmer in Hardeman County and in 1932 he was elected as a Democrat to the Tennessee General Assembly. During the 1933-35 session, Foote introduced house bills #484 and 485 to "regulate work on roads" and "regulate division of road funds" for Hardeman County. Little else could be found on Foote's life after his term concluded in 1935, except notice of his death in Bolivar, Tennessee on July 23, 1938, at age 68. He was survived by his wife Margaret and both were interred at the Perrans Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Bolivar.

Whitthorne Levi Bell (1880-1961)

Portrait from the 1933 Tennessee Assembly composite.

   A recent cull through the archives of the Tennessee General Assembly has yielded a host of new names, and the 1933 session of the assembly has proven to be a veritable goldmine. Serving in that session were Ditzler Billoat Brown, Watterson Grady Sidwell, Thepher Jerard White, Skipwith Taylor Foote, and today's"honoree" Whitthorne Levi Bell. Unfortunately, details on Bell's life remain difficult to come by, hence why his article here will be on the short side.

  The son of William Levi and Martha Caroline (Whitaker) Bell, Whitthorne Levi "Whit" Bell was born in Waynesboro, Tennessee on August 16, 1880. Nothing could be found in regards to Bell's schooling or early life, except notice of his marriage in the early 1900s to Izora (Downing) Bell (1880-1963). The couple's lengthy union produced seven children, James Paul (1903-1943), Whitney Louise (1905-1938), Hazel K. (1908-1979), Aaron Burwell (1911-1981), William Howard (1913-1973), Delphia Elizabeth (1915-1988) and an infant daughter who died in 1907. 

   A former vice president of the First National Bank of Hohenwald, Tennessee, Whit Bell also served as Wayne County commissioner of highways and accounts in 1931. In the following year, Bell was elected as a Democrat to the Tennessee General Assembly. Representing the 17th district (comprising the counties of Wayne, Lewis, Maury, and Giles), Bell served during the 1933-35 session and during that term introduced House Bill #780 to "protect deer and turkeys, certain county", which would later be signed into law by the Governor. 

  Following his term Bell was a campaign manager in Wayne County for Prentice Cooper's successful 1940 run for Governor. A Mason and member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Whit Bell died on November 10, 1961 at age 81. His wife Izora survived him by two years and following her death in September 1963 was interred alongside him at the Bell Cemetery in Wayne County.