Moncure Woodson Camper (1846-1923)

 Moncure W. Camper.

    A newspaper publisher based in both Virginia and Alabama, Moncure Woodson Camper was affiliated with journalism and publishing for a good majority of his seventy-six years, and that long lifespan also saw him become politically active, serving as Mayor of Fincastle, Virginia as well as a term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Following his time in the legislature, Camper moved to Alabama to continue in journalism and would serve as President of the Alabama Press Association several years after his resettlement.

   The son of Henry and Elizabeth Camper, Moncure Woodson Camper was born in Fincastle, Virginia on August 8, 1846, He attended schools native to Fincastle and shortly after graduating from the Fincastle Academy enlisted in the Confederate Army in May 1864. Joining a contingent of "home guards", Camper would later be transferred to Company D. of the Eleventh Virginia Infantry, serving in the brigade of General (and future Virginia Governor) James Lawson Kemper, who was himself a brigade commander under George Pickett. Camper's tenure in "Pickett's Division" saw him in "all its movements around Richmond and Petersburg" and he served with that unit until being discharged at Lynchburg, Virginia at the war's conclusion.

   After re-entering civilian life Camper saw a bright future for himself in newspaper publishing, and with a partner established the Fincastle Herald in 1866. He would hold the posts of editor and publisher and later bought out his partner's interest, continuing to run the paper alone until its sale in 1889. Camper married in February 1879 to Amelia "Minnie" Browne (1855-1930), a native of New Orleans. The couple were wed for nearly fifty years and had two children, Julia Hartwell (1879-1963) and Ambrose Brown (1881-1956)

   Camper entered politics in December 1875 when he was elected as Mayor of Fincastle, an office that he'd continue to hold until January 1881. In November 1883 Camper was elected as one of Botetourt County's representatives to the Virginia State House of Delegates by "a clean majority of over 900." Serving in the 1884-86 session, Camper sat on the committees on Elections, the Military, and Public Printing. 

   In 1889 Moncure Camper sold off his interest in the Fincastle Herald and moved to Florence, Alabama. After a period of gathering funds, Camper purchased the Florence Wave, of which he would serve as editor. Some months later he would sell off his interest in that paper and founded the Florence Times, which issued its first pages in 1890.

Portrait from the Notable Men of Alabama, Vol. II, 1904.

   Camper's prominent reputation and stewardship of the Florence Times led to his being named as President of the Alabama Press Association in 1895. His time in that post concluded in 1897 and in the following year was selected as one of two Lauderdale County delegates to the upcoming state constitutional convention, but due to the repeal "of the law providing for the revision of the constitution", the convention of 1898 never came to fruition. 

   Active in several civic groups in Florence, Camper served seven years as president of the Florence Business Men's League, was a director of the Florence Merchant's Bank, and was a past worshipful master in the local Masonic lodge. In the latter portion of his life Camper served as postmaster of Florence and after eight years in that role died in office on January 14, 1923, at age 76. Camper was subsequently memorialized by his contemporaries as a:

"Unusually attractive man who drew about him a large circle of friends. He gave himself modestly, but untiringly, to the betterment of his community and State, and he will be missed by all those who knew him."

   Camper's widow Minnie survived her husband by seven years, dying on July 7, 1930. Both Camper and his wife were interred at the Florence Cemetery, as are their two children. 

Lanphear Herbert Scott (1856-1923)

   A resident of distinction in Harrison County, Ohio, Lanphear Herbert Scott is one of those interestingly named politicians who was given a surname as a first name! Scott served as Mayor of Cadiz, Ohio during the early 1900s and was later elected to three terms in the Ohio State House of Representatives after serving as mayor.

  Lanphear H. Scott was born in Harrison County, Ohio on February 12, 1856, one of nine children born to John Walter and Jane Pettis Scott. John and Jane were respective residents of Yorkshire, England, and the Isle of Wight and had immigrated to the United States some years previously. Lanphear Scott attended schools local to the Harrison County area and later enrolled at the University of New York and Columbia University, graduating with an LL.B. degree.

   During the mid-1870s Scott is listed as residing in Newark, New Jersey, and here operated a law practice for some time. He relocated back to Cadiz in 1888 and here was "engaged with his brothers as a jeweler and inventor." In July 1901 Scott married in Cadiz to Julia Williams, and the couple is recorded as being childless during the duration of their marriage. 

  In 1903 Lanphear Scott was elected as Mayor of Cadiz and served one term in this office. Nearly five years later the Republican party officers of Harrison County put Scott's name up for nomination to the Ohio State House of Representatives and proved to be successful, defeating "the incumbent in office and another man for the nomination." 

              An article on Scott's nomination that appeared in the Jeweler's Circular in May 1908.

   Scott took his seat in January 1909 and served a total of three terms in the legislature, the last of which concluded in 1915. The Ohio Manual of Legislative Practice (where the above picture of Mr. Scott was found) denotes that his three terms in the House were a first for any representative from Harrison County, stating that "he was the first and only person to be honored this way by his constituency".  During his service, Scott was named to several House Committees, those being Finance and Appropriations, Constitutional Amendments and Initiative and Referendum, Manufactures, Commerce, and Villages. 

   Lanphear Scott is listed by the Ohio Manual as being a member of the Republican House majority during his terms and was lauded as being "one of the ablest orators in the house", and his career as an attorney "made him a conservative and critical member as to legislative measures." During research on Scott's life, information was located that mentions his being severely injured in a train derailment that occurred near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 1912. Scott was still serving in the legislature at the time and was a passenger on board a train traveling from Cincinnati when it went off the rail and plunged over an embankment! Scott himself is listed as suffering a fractured leg during the crash and four other passengers are recorded as losing their lives. 

               This article on the accident appeared in a 1912 edition of the Van Wert Daily Bulletin.

  After leaving the legislature in the mid-1910s, Lanphear Scott returned to his earlier interests as a Harrison County merchant and jeweler. The 1913-14 Ohio Manual makes note of Scott having oil drilling interests, and he is listed as owning a "small ranch on the Texas Gulf coast which mainly occupies his attention as a hunting preserve."  In addition to this, Scott also was an active member of the local Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows lodges, as well as the Masons.

  Lanphear Herbert Scott died at age 67 on April 5, 1923, in Ohio. A burial location for him is unknown at the time of this writing, but sources mentioning the Scott family make light of a family vault at a cemetery in Cadiz so it may not be a foregone conclusion that Lanphear himself may be buried here.

Trevanion William Hugo (1848-1923), Trevanyon Levonia Mathews (1849-1944)

   A standout figure in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, Trevanion William Hugo was a two-term mayor of that city who was also a distinguished figure in American Masonry. I first discovered T.W. Hugo on a historical roster of past Duluth mayors and during research on his life, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that several articles and pictures of him existed in some form or another. I wish this could be the story behind some of the other profiles on the site here, and considering the overall obscurity of Mr. Hugo, the wealth of articles mentioning him is a lasting testament to his reputation and public stature.
  Hugo was originally born in Boddinoc, Cornwall, England on July 29, 1848, the son of Nicholas Trevanion Kemp Hugo (1823-1906) and his wife Mary Rendle Marks. While Trevanion was still a child the Hugo family resettled in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he attended the common schools. After leaving school, Hugo worked as a machinist for several years and later served as a marine engineer aboard numerous steamships on the Great Lakes. In September 1872 he married in Kingston to Ms. Jean Lanigan (1851-1902), with whom he had two sons, Victor Rendle Marks (1873-1913) and Rene Trevanion (1881-1924).
  Hugo resettled in Duluth, Minnesota with his family in 1881 and during the mid-1880s was employed as the chief engineer of the Consolidated Elevator Company. Hugo also used his engineering expertise in connection with the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, where he was a consulting engineer. Hugo is noted as being one of the first members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the second member ever from Canada.
  Sources of the time stress Trevanion Hugo's activity with the Masonic Fraternity, both in Canada and Minnesota. During his life, he was accorded numerous honors from this organization, including a stint as Grand Chancellor of the Supreme Council Scottish Rite of Free Masonry and later as the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Minnesota. He was also active in publishing Masonic literature and authored an index on the Morals and Dogma of Masonry. 
  In addition to his prolific Masonic activities, Trevanion Hugo was also a widely known public official in Duluth, serving as a member of the Duluth Public Library Board and was the President of the Duluth School Board. While these activities garnered Hugo a high public profile, he didn't actively pursue political office until 1890, when he won a seat on the Duluth City Council. He later was named the President of this Council and in 1900 was elected as the Mayor of Duluth, serving a term of four years. A newspaper photo mentioning Hugo's tenure as mayor (as well as his service as a Republican National Convention delegate) is posted below.

              This picture of  Hugo appeared in the March 17, 1904 edition of the Minneapolis Journal.

    After his mayoral term, Hugo helped compile and edit the first volume of the History of Duluth and St. Louis County, which was published in 1910. The portrait of Hugo at the beginning of this profile was featured in that book. He returned to the political stage in 1920 when he was named as the acting Mayor of Duluth, upon the resignation of Clarence R. Magney (1883-1962). Hugo served out the rest of Magney's unexpired term into early 1921 when a successor, Samuel Snively, was elected.
  Trevanion William Hugo continued prominence in the Masonic fraternity late into his life and died at age 75 on February 27, 1923, as a result of "a relapse from a slight attack of influenza". The Duluth News Tribune memorialized Hugo as a "cultured gentleman in the best American meaning of the word" and that "few men better deserved the title of useful citizen."

                     This portrait of Trevanion Hugo appeared in the 1902 edition of "Men of Minnesota".

  In an interesting update to this article..... on March 4, 2012, a previously unknown politician was discovered who also has the given name "Trevanion", albeit with a slight variation in spelling. Read on to find out more!

From 1854-1904 Nebraskans.

  Shown above is Trevanyon Levonia Mathews, a resident of Cass County, Illinois who served one term in his state's House of Representatives in the early 1880s. Mathews (some sources spell his name with two "t's") later relocated to Nebraska, where he was an unsuccessful aspirant for state auditor and later was named U.S. Marshal, serving in the latter post for eight years.
  Trevanyon Mathews was originally born in the town of Florence, Pennsylvania on March 1, 1849. He migrated to Cass County, Illinois in the mid-1860s and eventually moved to the town of Virginia in 1876. It was here that he became apprenticed to a carriage manufacturing outfit and engaged in this vocation for several years. Also during this time, he began learning the printing trade and in the late 1870s became the editor of the Virginia Gazette newspaper.
  During his career as a publisher and printer, Mathews became active in local political circles and eventually mounted an unsuccessful campaign for county circuit clerk.  He would serve as deputy sheriff and collector of taxes for the county in 1878 and in 1882 was elected by the citizens of Cass County as a Republican to the Illinois State House of Representatives. During his two-year term, Mathews held a seat on the House Committees of Revenue, Canal and River Development, and Fish and Game. A roster from the 1883 legislative session (in which Matthews served) is posted below.

  Trevanyon L. Mathews resettled in Nebraska in the early 1890s and in 1892 organized the Nebraska State Building and Loan Association in Fremont, to which he was connected for many years. He also continued political involvement following his resettlement, and in 1894 and 1896 he was a speaker at the state Republican State Central Committee. In 1898 Mathews was the Republican candidate for state auditor but was defeated by a slim majority. Mathews would also be engaged as a campaign manager for Monroe Leland Hayward in his successful campaign for U.S. Senator from Nebraska in 1899. Despite his win, Hayward died before taking the oath of office in December of that year.

 In 1899 Mathews was tapped by President McKinley to serve as U.S. Marshal for Nebraska and was reappointed to another four-year term in 1903 by President Roosevelt. In 1908 he was named as cashier for the Fremont Trust and Savings Bank, and five years later founded the Fremont Savings Bank, of which he served as cashier and president. Active in several civic and church endeavors in his adopted home state, Mathews served three years as president of the state Sunday School Association, was a member of the Masonic Order, Knights Templar, and the Order of the Eastern Star, and held the directorship of the Fremont Hotel Company.

  After decades of public service in both Illinois and Nebraska, Trevanyon Levonia Mathews died in Fremont on June 2, 1944, at age 95, having been ill for a week before his death. He was survived by his son Reece and was interred at the Ridge Cemetery in Fremont.

From the Fremont Tribune, June 2, 1944.