Javan Fox Clark (1852-1938)

                                       Portrait courtesy of the Lucy Bensley Center/Concord Historical Society.

  Possessing a unique first name, Javan Fox Clark was for many years at the forefront of political and business doings in his native village of Springville in Erie County, New York. A local sawmill operator, Clark was a church deacon and board of trustees member and entered politics with his service as superintendent of highways and village assessor. He earns placement here on the site for his time as village president of Springville, which he held for one term. Credit goes out to the Lucy Bensley Center and the Concord Historical Society for their aid in yielding further information on Clark, as well as the photos of both he and his wife shown in this write-up.

  A native of Ashford, Erie County, New York, Javan Fox Clark was born on August 31, 1852, the second of eight children of Frederick (1826-1906) and Corinna (Fox) Clark (1830-1913). He removed to Springville with his family at age 17, and in the early 1870s enrolled at the Griffith Institute in that village, where he excelled in arithmetic. Following graduation, he married on June 3, 1874, to Ann Elizabeth "Libbie" Churchill (1853-1925), and the couple's fifty-one-year union produced two daughters, Jessie (1877-1893) and Jennie Mabel (Clark) Glass (1879-1954). In that same year, Clark was named an overseer of highways for the town of Concord; his first public office.

  In the late 1870s Clark operated a sawmill at Morton's Corners, and in 1882 sold his property to Nicholas Bolender. Prior to its sale, Clark suffered a health scare in 1881 when he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his nose. After the sale of his mill, Clark assisted his father Frederick on the latter's farm, and in the mid-1880s is noted as dealing in "runners for log boats" on Main Street in Springville. In 1901 he was a candidate for highway commissioner for Concord and won the election that November. He served in that capacity until at least 1903 when he garnered the Republican nomination for village assessor. Described as a man "well qualified to estimate the value of property", Clark was one of three assessors elected that November, and in the year following Clark and his wife were gifted a new couch on the occasion of their thirtieth wedding anniversary. A gift from friends, the couch was followed by an ice cream and cake social.

  Javan Fox Clark was reelected as village assessor in November 1905 and continued in that post into 1909. In that year he was elected as superintendent of highways, where he served until 1911. In March 1915 he was elected as village president of Springville, and soon afterward saw a proposition voted on that saw $2000 appropriated for the "purpose of purchasing and installing a new pump in the pump station of the village waterworks."

From the Buffalo Evening News, March 17, 1915.

Libbie Clark (1853-1925), wife of Javan F. Clark. Courtesy of the Lucy Bensley Center.

  Following his term, Javan Clark is mentioned as an employee at the sawmill of L.J. Shuttleworth, and in 1917 watched as his employer's building was destroyed by fire. Also destroyed was the company's planing mill "and all the tools and machinery." No lives were lost in the fire, and through the actions of the Borden Fire Company, adjacent buildings and lumber were saved.

  In June 1924 Clark and his wife Libbie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, a gathering that was attended by over sixty relatives and friends. The couple was gifted $100 in gold and were serenaded by piano and vocal accompaniment. Libbie Clark died one year later on August 27, 1924, and Javan never remarried following her death. The latter portion of Clark's life was spent devoted to working with the local Free Baptist Church, serving as chairman of its board of trustees. He was a church deacon for over thirty years and had first joined that church during his youth.

  Javan Fox Clark died in Springville on June 18, 1938, at age 86. He was survived by his daughter Jennie and was interred alongside his wife and daughter Jessie at the Maplewood Cemetery in Springville.

From the Springville Journal, June 30, 1938.

Shapleigh Chandler Drisko (1877-1938)

From the Maine legislature composite portrait of 1931.

   A three-term Maine state representative who was first elected in 1930, Shapleigh Chandler Drisko was a farmer and lumberman in Washington County who held a variety of local offices during his life, including school board member, selectman, and tax assessor. The son of Joseph Whitney Drisko and the former Isabel Frances Farnsworth, Shapleigh Drisko was born in Jonesboro, Maine on February 15, 1877. Little information could be found on Drisko's early life or education, and in May 1903 married Myra Luella Noyes (1876-1952), to who he was wed until his death. The couple would be childless.

   While there is a dearth of resources mentioning Drisko, his 1938 obituary gives note as to his employment with the Eastern Pulpwood Co. of Calais, Maine as a purchasing agent. He is also mentioned as a farmer. In 1903 he was elected as Jonesboro town tax assessor and five years later was serving as first selectman, an office he'd be returned to on several further occasions. In 1911 he was serving Jonesboro as one of two town constables and in 1916 made his first run for the Maine legislature but was defeated.

  In 1930 Drisko was again a candidate for the legislature and was this time elected. During the 1931-33 term he was a member of the committee on Federal Relations, and after winning a second term in 1932 was named to the additional committee on Cities and Towns. Drisko's final term (1935-37) saw him serve on the committee on Education.

  Little else is known of Drisko's life, except notice of his death in Machias, Maine on March 19, 1938. His wife Myra survived him by fourteen years, and after her death in 1952 was interred alongside him at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Jonesboro.

  

From the Bangor Daily News, March 21, 1938.

Rulif VanCleve Lawrence (1871-1938)

From the Long Branch Daily Record, March 17, 1938.

  We continue our stay in New Jersey and visit Monmouth County to profile Rulif VanCleve Lawrence, a curiously named lawyer who served that county as prosecuting attorney and court of common pleas judge. After several years on the bench, Lawrence advanced to the New Jersey state circuit court, where he served until his death. Born on April 29, 1871, in Freehold, New Jersey, Rulif VanCleve Lawrence was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Woolley) Lawrence.

  Lawrence's early education was obtained in schools local to Freehold, including the high school and Freehold Institute. Wanting to pursue a career in law, Lawrence enrolled at the New York Law School and also studied in the office of Frank B. McDermott. He was commissioned as counselor-at-law in 1896 and began his career in public service in 1893 with his appointment to the Freehold board of elections. Lawrence married in 1899 to Adeline Swift Yard (1868-1942), to who he was wed for nearly forty years. The couple had three children, Elizabeth (1900-1974), James Sterling Yard (1903-1971), and Sylvia (1906-1963).

  Establishing himself in practice in Freehold, Lawrence also operated a law office in Asbury Park beginning in 1900. In 1912 he was appointed to the Monmouth County Tax Board by Governor Woodrow Wilson and continued service on the county board of elections. Before his appointment county prosecutor Lawrence "served as counsel to several municipal bodies" and was town counsel and attorney for Freehold and Neptune, respectively. Additionally, Lawrence served an indeterminate period as secretary of the Monmouth County Democratic Committee and was a member of the Freehold Board of Education and the Freehold Public Library board of trustees. Rulif Lawrence was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity for many years, being past master of the Mount Olive Lodge No. 16, and a past regent of the Royal Arcanum Lodge No. 1501 of Freehold.

  In January 1914 Governor James Fielder appointed Lawrence to succeed John Applegate as Monmouth County prosecutor, with the appointment going into effect February 1st. Lawrence's time in the prosecutor's office proved to be short, however, and in April 1915 Fielder appointed him as judge of the Monmouth County Court of Common Pleas, succeeding  John Slocum, who had been named to the state public utilities commission. Sworn in for a five-year term, Lawrence was reappointed to the bench in 1920 by Governor Edward I. Edwards.

From the Asbury Park Press, January 17, 1914.

   In January 1925 Rulif Lawrence was renamed common pleas judge by Governor George Silzer and was confirmed by the state senate. One year after his reappointment, Lawrence's name was bolstered to succeed circuit court judge Nelson Y. Dungan, who had resigned. In 1926, the New Jersey legislature voted to increase the number of circuit judges in the state from ten to twelve, and in April Lawrence and fellow judge Newton Porter were successfully nominated and confirmed to fill the new seats. 

  Lawrence was reappointed to the circuit court in 1933, for what would have been a seven-year term, but died in office. His death occurred shortly after he excused himself from a trial on September 17, 1938, having fallen ill. Returning to his chambers, Lawrence "dropped dead" shortly thereafter, and was discovered by physician H.H. Freedman, who had been summoned by court aides. In the days following his death, Lawrence was memorialized throughout Monmouth County newspapers, including a lengthy tribute in the Monmouth Democrat (via the Long Branch Daily Record), which eulogized him as "witty, considerate, and gracious." The Democrat further remarked that:

"In the death of Circuit Court Judge Rulif V. Lawrence, New Jersey has lost one of its most respected and outstanding citizens, and highly competent jurists. He was known throughout the length and breadth of the state, as an able, experienced, dignified and broadminded judge. He upheld the American ideals of equal rights and penalties for all, regardless of social or financial status, and never let politics play any part in his official acts as judge...The secret of Judge Lawrence's judicial contribution to the Judiciary of New Jersey and to its general welfare lies in the wisdom of Victor Hugo--"Law is a thing human; Justice is a thing devine." From a self made man he arose by serious application to the attainment of his objective--a skillfull and just judge."

 Lawrence was survived by his wife Adeline and their three children and was interred at the Maplewood Cemetery in Freehold. Sadly, Adeline Yard Lawrence survived her husband by only four years, committing suicide by asphyxiation in the kitchen of her home in July 1942. Distinguished in her own right, Adeline Lawrence attained prominence in political service in Monmouth County, being a Democratic candidate for the state senate in 1924 and was a member of the Democratic State Committee. She was also a member of the New Jersey Board of Institutions and Agencies and was interred at the same cemetery as her husband.

Rulif VanCleve and Adeline Yard Lawrence.

Medor Ewing Louisell (1869-1938), Meader Bly Pinkham (1837-1914)

Portrait from the Manual of the Constitutional Convention of Michigan, 1907.

  Benzie County, Michigan attorney Medor Ewing Louisell had fleeting involvement in Bay State politics with his service as a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1907-08. Born of French descent, Louisell possesses a rare first name, the first such instance of which I've found. Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on May 5, 1869, Medor Ewing Louisell was the son of Joseph and Julia (Balthazar) Louisell. During childhood, Louisell removed with his family to the Dakota territory, and, after several years of residence in that area resettled in Manistee County, Michigan.

  Louisell would obtain his early education in the common schools during the winter months and during the summer months took employment in a local shingle mill. Resolving to better himself, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame for a three year period and, while working for tuition and board, finished out his studies in 1891 when he graduated from the Manistee High School. Deciding to pursue a career in law, Louisell attended the University of Michigan from 1891-95 and during this period dabbled in journalism for a time, even serving as city editor for the newspaper that evolved into the Manistee Daily News.

  Following his graduation from the university's law and literary departments in 1896, Louisell was offered a teaching position (as a French language tutor) at his alma mater but declined, wanting to focus on law. By 1903 Louisell had established a practice in Calumet, Michigan, and married that year to Calumet native Mary J. Tallon (1875-1957) and later had seven children: Catherine Medora (1904-1991), Paul Jerome (1907-1986), John Henry (1909-1953), James Michael (1909-1975), Wilfred Francis (died in infancy in 1913), David William (1913-1977), and Charles Tallon (1917-1994). 

  During his residency in Calumet, Louisell was named an assistant prosecuting attorney for Houghton County, and after removing to Benzie County, won election as its prosecuting attorney, holding that post from at least 1905-06. In 1906 he was elected as the 27th district's delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention that was to be held in Lansing in 1907-08, and during the proceedings was named to the following committees: Arrangement and Phraseology, Education, and Liquor Traffic.

  Shortly after his service at the constitutional convention Medor Louisell removed with his family to Duluth, Minnesota, where he continued to practice law. In 1915 he returned to politics when he announced his candidacy for judge of the municipal court of Duluth, but was defeated. In the next year, Louisell was elected vice president of the French Naturalization Club of Duluth and continued residence in that city until his death at age 69 on August 5, 1938. He was survived by his wife and children and was interred at Duluth's Calvary Cemetery.

From the Duluth Labor World, April 3, 1915.

From the 1893 Maine legislative composite portrait.

  A one-term member of the Maine House of Representatives from Lincoln, Meader Bly Pinkham held the additional post of selectman for that city, and also operated a general store. Born in Lincoln on October 9, 1837, Meader Bly Pinkham was the son of James and Mollie (Bly) Pinkham. A student in schools local to the area of his birth, he entered into the mercantile trade at age 21, operating a general store in Lincoln for many years.

  In June 1857 Pinkham married in Lincoln to Lucy A. Brock (1838-1873), to who he was wed until her death. The couple's brief union produced two daughters, Cora (1859-1948) and Etta Eliza (1867-1963). Pinkham entered local politics with election to the Lincoln board of selectmen and was later appointed as U.S. Postmaster at Lincoln, where he served for nine years. In 1892 he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, and during the 1893-95 session was a member of the committee on State Lands and State Roads.

  Prior to removing to Bangor from Lincoln, Pinkham served as a trustee for the Mattanawcook Acadamy in Lincoln, serving as board secretary. In his final years, he resided with his daughter in Bangor, where he died on May 3, 1914, aged 77. He was survived by his daughters and was interred alongside his wife at the West Broadway Cemetery in Lincoln.

From the Bangor Daily News, May 4, 1914.

Active Irving Snow (1849-1938)

Portrait from the Maine legislative composite of 1911.

   Certainly one of the more humorous names you'll find amongst the vast annals of the Maine legislature, Active Irving Snow was a Brunswick-based grocer and merchant who served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives. Born in Harpswell, Maine on November 16, 1849, Active I. Snow was the son of Active and Mary Ann Toothaker Snow. Sadly, I have no interesting tidbits as to how (or why) both Snow and his father were given the name "Active", and, if you were like me, the name Active Snow immediately conjured up images of a severe blizzard!

   Educated at schools in both Harpswell and Portland, "A.I." Snow (as most sources list him) moved to Brunswick, Maine in 1880. He would spend the rest of his life in that city, except for a three-year stay in California (his dates of residence being unknown at this time.) Snow married in Brunswick on June 28, 1892, to Emma Florence Brigham (1868-1921) and later had four children, May (died in infancy in 1893), Austin Irving (died in infancy in 1895), George Active (born 1896), and Raymond (1902-1974.)

    In the years following his removal to Brunswick A.I. Snow established himself as a grocer, and in the succeeding years, his store would become a hub of activity in that town. Snow's store received prominent mention in Marjorie Standish's 1996 work Keep Cooking--the Maine Way, which notes that his business employed several clerks. This same work also relates that Snow was an inveterate checker player, and could often be found deeply engrossed in a game, a habit that sometimes necessitated a wait for customers in the event Snow's clerks were busy!

   As a man "deeply loved and respected" within the Brunswick community, Snow was eventually induced by his fellow townspeople to venture into politics. In 1898 he made his first attempt at public office, being nominated by Brunswick Democrats for a seat in the Maine legislature. Attesting to his being an "honest, upright citizen", the Bath Journal noted that Snow was

" In every respect worth of the position. He is a temperance man and no doubt will poll a large vote for the political party he represents."

From the Bath Independent Journal, July 20, 1898.

   Although unsuccessful in his 1898 legislative run, Snow made another run for the Maine statehouse in 1910 and was this time successful. Taking his seat at the start of the 1911-12 session, Snow would serve on the committees on Mercantile Affairs, Insurance, and Inland Fisheries and Game. Curiously, Snow's fellow Cumberland County representative during this session was Alvah Snow (1851-1921), who, coincidentally, also hailed from Brunswick. The men aren't believed to have been related, as Alvah Snow had been born in Penobscot County.

   At the conclusion of his term Snow returned to his grocery business in Brunswick, and in 1924 won a second term in the legislature, serving in the session of 1925-26. Snow was elected to his third term in the house in 1926, and by the conclusion of that term in 1928 was nearing 80 years of age. Widowed in 1921, Snow continued to reside and work in Brunswick until his death at age 88 on July 20, 1938. He was later interred along with his wife Emma at the Cranberry Horn Cemetery in East Harpswell, Maine.

From the Kennebec Daily Journal, January 3, 1911.

Remember Lyman Hanks Lord (1864-1938)

This rare photo of Remember L.H. Lord is located on the Minnesota State Historical Society website.

   Undoubtedly one of the oddest named members of the Minnesota State legislature, Remember L. H. Lord is also one of the most obscure, hence why his profile here will be on the short side. Lord served two terms in the state house of Representatives from 1925-1929 and other than his service in state government, little else could be found on him!

   Remember Lyman Hanks Lord was born in Minnesota on April 7, 1864, the third born child in a family of six born to Cornelius Rollin and Malissa Hanks Lord. It is unknown why exactly Lord was endowed the first and middle names "Remember Lyman Hanks", but it could be in honor of his maternal grandfather, Lyman Hanks (1806-1847), who died in Almond, Allegheny County, New York at the young age of 41.  It seems that when Cornelius and Malissa married they chose to bestow the name "Remember Lyman Hanks" upon their firstborn son (out of their six children), obviously in remembrance of Malissa Hanks Lord's father.

  As far as Lord's early life and education goes, reference is given to him attending the Wells Rural School and he eventually graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota in the class of 1890. He later went on to study at the University of Minnesota's Law School.

   In 1895 R.L.H. Lord married Blanche Kemmerer (born 1877) with whom he had two children, Dorothy Pauline (1898-1990) and Gordon Rollins (1902-1968). Lord and his wife are recorded as divorcing by a genealogical website mentioning his lineage, but no exact date is given as to when they separated. The few sources that mention Lord list him as being involved in education in Faribault County, Minnesota. He was a teacher in the Wells, Minnesota school system and was also a member of its Board of Education for several years. Lord was later appointed as Superintendent of High Schools for the LeRoy, Aitkin, Chatfield, and Fairmont, Minnesota areas. 

  In addition to his many years of being an educator and superintendent, RLH Lord is also listed by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library's website as being a fruit grower and nurseryman. He held a membership in the Faribault County Horticultural Society and later went on to serve as the Vice President of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society for a short time.

   In 1924 RLH Lord was elected to the Minnesota State House of Representatives, where he ably represented Faribault County for two terms. During his service, he held a seat on the committees on Crime Prevention, Elections, Labor, Appropriations, Corporations, Horticultural and Agriculture, and served as chairman of the committee on Education.

   Little could be found on Lord's life after he left the legislature in 1929. He died at the Ancker Hospital in Saint Paul on March 31, 1938, a few days before his 74th birthday. The cause of his death is recorded as being "bilateral pulmonary infarction" he was subsequently interred at the Rosehill Cemetery in Wells, Minnesota.