Montana Wanda Smith (1914-1981)

From the 1945 Year Book of the State of Colorado.

  Our theme of politicians named in honor of states continues with a peek at the life of Montana Wanda Smith, who, while named after the nation's 41st state, achieved political distinction in Colorado. A two-term member of the state house of representatives, the former Montana Wanda French was born, appropriately enough, in Butte, Montana on October 25, 1914, the daughter of F.S. and Thea Plambeck French. Little is known of her early life, except notice of her marriage to Norton Alonza Smith in 1937. The couple had two children, Burton Earle and Byrne C. Smith, and later divorced in 1948.

  Following her removal to Lake City, Colorado, Smith was employed by the Colorado Department of Wildlife. She entered politics in 1946 when she announced her candidacy for the state house of representatives and hoped to represent the counties of Gunnison, Saguache, and Hinsdale. In November she defeated Republican incumbent Robert Tarbell by 242 votes and took her seat in January 1947. 

  During the 1947-49 term Smith was named to the committees on Counties and County Lines, Elections and Appointments, Mines and Mining, and Revision and Engrossment, and won a second term in the legislature in November 1948. She chaired the committee on Fish and Game during this session and held seats on the committees on Constitutional Amendments, Elections and Appointments, Public Buildings, and Roads and Bridges.

From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, November 25, 1946.

  Following her terms in the legislature, Smith was employed by the Denver Water Board as an engineer and for an indeterminate period worked for Boeing Aircraft Co. of Seattle. Active in several clubs in Colorado, Smith was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, a former worthy priestess in the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and "a conductress of the Columbine Court No. 15 Amaranth of Aurora." Montana Wanda Smith died at a Colorado hospital on May 30, 1981, aged 66. She was survived by her two sons and was interred at the IOOF Cemetery in Lake City, Colorado.

Ledyard Romulus Tucker (1845-1920), Ledyard Park Hale (1854-1926)

 
From the Colorado Assembly composite photo, 1891.

   The first of two political figures named Ledyard, Ledyard Romulus Tucker was an obscure resident of Colorado who served one term in that state's house of representatives in the early 1890s. While little is known of his life, a small obituary published in the January 1920 edition of the Glenwood Post, helped significantly in terms of information. Born in Indiana on November 9, 1845, Ledyard Romulus Tucker relocated to Leadville, Colorado in 1874, hoping to gain his fortune in mining. He soon removed to Pitkin County, "being present at the big rush which brought Aspen to the notice of the mining world."

  In the years following his resettlement, he engaged in mining and farming and operated a mercantile store. At the time of his election to the Colorado legislature he is recorded as a cattleman residing in Elbert County, and in 1889 was serving as Elbert County commissioner. In 1890 he was elected to the state legislature and during the 1891-93 session was chairman of the committee on Stock, and was a member of the Fees and Salaries, Finance, and Ways and Means committees. 

  Later in his life, Tucker was a resident of Basalt and married in January 1898 to Alice B. Lessley (1860-1938). He died in Basalt of heart trouble on January 15, 1920, aged 74, and was survived by his wife. Both were interred at the Rosebud Cemetery in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

From the Glenwood Post, January 17, 1920.

From the manual of the New York Constitutional Convention, 1915.

  One of the standout figures in the Northern New York bar in the late 19th and early 20th century, Ledyard Park Hale served St. Lawrence County as both its district attorney and county judge; resigning the latter post to serve on the state board of charities. In one of his last acts of political service, Hale won election to the state constitutional convention of 1915, representing the 34th senate district. Hale is also one of the "old guard" strange-name political figures, his name first being located in a New York Red Book in the summer of 2000. For seventeen years Hale remained without a face to place with his name, with no photographs of him being discovered. That remained the norm until a chance discovery in 2017 of the above portrait in a 1915 manual of the state constitutional convention. Since that time two more rare portraits of him have been found, all of which will accompany his profile here.

  A lifelong New Yorker, Ledyard Park Hale was born in Canton, St. Lawrence County on May 17, 1854, the son of Horace Winthrop and Betsey (Lewis) Hale. A student at the Canton Academy, Hale earned his bachelor of science degree from St. Lawrence University in 1876. Fitting himself for a career in law, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin's Law School and earned his degree in 1878. Removing to Madison following graduation, Hale practiced there before moving back to Canton, where in 1881 he married Georgette "Georgettie" Bacheller (1856-1938), to who he was wed for over forty years. The couple had two children, Irma Hale Pfund (birthdate unknown) and Horace Charles Hale (1888-1942).

  Ledyard Hale entered the public life of his county with his appointment as assistant district attorney in 1881, an office that he served for twelve years. He pulled political double duty beginning in 1890 with his election as Canton town supervisor, an office that he would hold until 1894. In August 1893 he received the Republican nomination for St. Lawrence County district attorney, and that November was elected. He served from 1894-1900, during which time he:

"Became Canton's loyal and brilliant supervisor, District Attorney of the County, figuring in some of the most prominent cases in its entire history, and acquiring distinction for his exceptional ability."

From the Buffalo Evening News, April 25, 1908.

  Hale's two terms saw him secure convictions in the trial of Ogdensburgh's Frank Conroy who murdered his wife, and in the murder trial of Howard W. Burt. He retired as district attorney in 1899 and soon returned to private practice in Canton.  He was called to public life once again in 1902 when the office of St. Lawrence County judge became vacant, and in that year Governor Benjamin Odell appointed him to fill the seat. He was reelected to a full term of his own in 1903, and during his final two years of service (1907-08) served in the additional capacity of commissioner of the State Board of Charities. He held both posts until his appointment as counsel for the state Public Service Commission in Albany in April 1908. Selected by Governor Charles Evans Hughes, Hale's appointment was looked upon favorably by the New York Press, with the Buffalo Evening News remarking:

"The selection of Judge Hale for counsel to the Public Service Commission is cordially approved by the bar of the state as that of a lawyer both ample in attainment of learning and flawless in qualities of judgment, tact and solid sense that make him capable of rendering the kind of service desired in the official work of the commission. His salary is $10,000 a year and expenses."

 Hale was still in the position of the commission's counsel when he was elected as a delegate to the 1915 New York Constitutional Convention, during which time he served on the committees on Contingent Expenses, the Governor and Other State Officers, Public Utilities, and Rules. During the proceedings, Hale took part in the vigorous debate over possible minimum wage laws and old age pensions, and as chairman of the public utilities committee, recommended that public service commissioners be made constitutional officers who would be "protected from removal for political reasons."

From the Buffalo Evening News, May 3, 1908.

  After the completion of the constitutional convention, Ledyard Hale returned to Canton, where he continued to practice law. His final years were spent affiliated with his alma mater, St. Lawrence University, having first been appointed to its board of trustees in 1884. From 1919 to 1922 he was board president. In 1923 he retired as Public Service Commission counsel, and in the last year of his life was troubled by heart issues. On June 5, 1926, he suffered an attack of paralysis at his home and died shortly thereafter at age 72. He was later interred at the Evergreen Cemetery in Canton. He was subsequently memorialized by the Potsdam Commercial Advertiser as one of the first citizens of Canton, stating:

"Judge Hale was one of those rare men who touched the world, touched men, and touched life at many sides. Rarely do public men, in long service, possess that strength and moral force to keep unsullied by the passing mob. Here was the cleanly man with character and accomplishment, whose entire life bears close inspection. There is no mar--the soul of honor, and in his dealing fair and just."

Alpha Omega Hill (1894-1952)

From the Adams County News, August 5, 1952.

  Aurora, Colorado has lucked into electing two oddly named mayors in its century-plus history, and following the write up on Allington Horatio Kramer (mayor from 1908-10), the life of Alpha Omega Hill is examined. A World War I veteran and mayor of that city, Hill and his space-age sounding name would gain further political prominence when he was elected to the first of three terms in the Colorado legislature in 1944. A native son of Effingham, Florence County, South Carolina, Alpha Omega "A.O." Hill was born in that town on October 25, 1894, the son of David S. and Minnie Hill.

  A student in the public schools of Florence County, Hill later went on to attend the University of Georgia at Athens. He signed on for service during WWI and after enlisting in the Army served overseas with the 116th Engineer Corps. Hill was part of the Allied forces that finally broke the Hindenburg Line in France in September 1918, and during this action was grievously wounded, injuries that proved so severe that he would be hospitalized for several years afterward.

  After being returned stateside for recuperation, Hill contracted tuberculosis, necessitating hospitalization at Fort Bayard, New Mexico. While recuperating in that state he made the acquaintance of former navy Yeomanette Kathryn J. Fox (1896-1980), who he would marry in neighboring Silver City in June 1921. The couple were wed until Hill's death in 1952 and would remain childless. In 1923 the couple removed to Colorado, where Alpha Hill underwent further recuperation at the Fitzsimons General Hospital near Denver, and in 1926 was finally discharged.

  In the weeks following his release from the hospital Alpha O. Hill decided to pursue a career in public service, and after removing to the city of Aurora, ran for and was elected as a justice of the peace. In the 1930s Hill entered into the post of police magistrate for Aurora, serving on the bench for an indeterminate period. Hill's residence in Aurora also saw him active in the Masonic order and local veteran's groups, being a past master of the Aurora Masonic Lodge No. 156 and a member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

From the Colorado Yearbook, 1945.

  Hill continued his political ascent in the early 1940s with his election to the Aurora city council, and from 1942-43 was chairman of the Arapahoe County Draft Board. In January 1943 Aurora mayor J.E. McWhorter resigned due to health concerns and Alpha O. Hill was selected to fill out the remainder of McWhorter's term by members of the city council. He would be elected to a term of his own as mayor that April, and despite serving just one term in office (1943-45), pushed through a bevy of civic improvements for his city. His term saw Aurora's first zoning and building ordinance established, a new sewer district developed, and an improved water main system built. Hill's foresight in regards to city planning and zoning was later lauded by the Aurora Democrat in 1950, which noted his developing a planning commission comprising city council members and builders, and after numerous meetings devised a plan to do away with the area's tax-delinquent land. After the completion of a parkway and a channel to carry away flood water, this former "worthless" land became home to "a large theatre, one large grocery and other stores, large apartment houses and perhaps 150 homes."

   A candidate for reelection in early 1945, the mayoral contest proved to be a heated one between Hill and his opponent, B.T. Howard. Though he was defeated in April 1945, Hill continued a steady workload right up until his last day in office, and one week after turning over the mayoral chair to Howard received praise in the Adams County News, who noted:

"The fact remains that Mr. Hill made one of the best mayors Aurora ever had--and considering the whole picture, Aurora made wonderful progress under his administration. Fortunately for our city we still have his advice and best efforts towards making Aurora a better place to live and prosper."

 While he may have lost in his reelection bid for mayor, Hill was not through politically, as he had won election to the Colorado House of Representatives from Arapahoe County in November 1944. Hill's first term saw him chair the committee on Municipal Affairs and also sat on the committees on Enrollment; House Expenses; Indian and Military Affairs; Mercantile and Manufacturing Interests; and Public Buildings. 
  In November 1946 Hill won a second term in the legislature, and during the 1947-49 session again chaired the committee on Municipal Affairs. He was elected to a third term in November 1948, and in his final term was a member of the committees on Constitutional Amendments; House Expenses; Municipal Affairs; and State Institutions. In his last year in office Hill took part in a gathering of former Aurora mayors who were guests of honor at a city official swearing-in ceremony. He was photographed at this gathering with former mayor Allington Horatio Kramer, profiled here on January 22.

Former mayors Alpha Omega Hill and Allington H. Kramer, January 1950.

  For the final three years of his life A.O. Hill battled cancer, and during that period underwent six operations in the hope of being cured of that illness. Hill died of cancer at the Veteran's Hospital in Denver on July 28, 1952, aged 58. Memorialized as a "valiant warrior" and "gallant soul", Hill was survived by his wife Kathryn, who. following her death at age 84 in 1980 was interred alongside him at the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.

Allington Horatio Kramer (1864-1950)

From the Aurora Democrat, January 13, 1950.

   We continue our stroll through the annals of Colorado politics with a visit to the city of Aurora and Allington Horatio Kramer, a two-term mayor of that city as well as a one-term state representative from Adams County. Despite scant information available on his life, enough has been found to compile a substantial review of his life and political career, and this author was amazed to have located the above portrait of Kramer (part of an even larger picture of past Aurora mayors), which was taken just months before his death in September 1950. The son of John W. and Catherine Kramer, Allington Horatio Kramer was born in Pennsylvania on September 17, 1864.

  Little is known of Kramer's formative years in Pennsylvania, and by 1880 had removed with his family to Vieregg, Merrick County, Nebraska. He would attend school in that county and in March 1888 he married in Hamilton, Nebraska to Margaret Ellen "Maggie" Werfield (1865-1955). The couple was wed for over sixty years and this union produced two children, Lulu (born ca. 1890) and Wilbur Roy (1891-1964).

  After residing in Alliance, Nebraska for an indeterminate period, the Kramer family removed to Colorado in 1891, and afterward "engaged in farming and ranching in the San Luis Valley." By 1905 they were residents of Montevista in Rio Grande County, and Kramer's residency in this area saw him be awarded two patents, one for a "new and improved machine for topping beets" in 1905 and a "grinding device" in early 1907.  In 1907 Kramer and his family relocated to Aurora, Colorado and by the following year had built an eleven room home, where they continued to reside for the remainder of their lives.

  Following removal to the still-young city, Kramer followed a career as a business agent for the Colorado Grange and also became well known locally as an inventor, musician, and composer. Kramer's 1950 Aurora Advocate obituary denotes his "making violins from a maple tree which he grew near his home" and was even offered a band position by famed bandleader John Phillip Sousa. Despite a potentially lucrative opportunity for career advancement, Kramer declined the honor owing to his own busy work schedule.

  Just one year following his removal to Aurora, Allington H. Kramer was elected as mayor of that city in April 1908. He would serve two terms in office and turned down the possibility of a third term despite being endorsed by both parties. Kramer would be called to politics again in September 1914 when he entered into the Progressive Party primary for U.S. Representative from Colorado. He did not fare well in the vote count, polling just 3 votes, with victory going to Charles E. Fisher, who polled a meager 29 votes!

From the Wray Rattler, September 1914.

  Kramer would rebound politically in 1916 when he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the  Colorado House of Representatives from Adams County. He proved successful at the polls that November, besting Democrat H.G. Emery by a vote of 1,528 to 1,425. Taking his seat in January 1917, Kramer's one term saw him named to the following committees: Agriculture and Irrigation; County Lines; Enrollment; House Expenditures; Roads and Bridges; State Affairs and Reapportionment; Temperance; and Towns and Cities. 

  In September 1918 Kramer lost his reelection bid in that year's primary, victory going to Abraham D. Radinsky.  Following his loss, Kramer continued residency in Aurora and in 1932 was elected as its delegate to the Republican state convention that was to be held later that year. In March 1946 he and his wife celebrated their fifty-eighth wedding anniversary, being accorded a congratulatory write-up in the Adams County News. In January 1950, the 85-year-old former mayor took part in a gathering of past Aurora mayors to celebrate the inauguration of Chester E. Tupps, who'd been elected mayor the previous November. Also attending this gathering was another oddly named former Aurora mayor, Alpha Omega "A.O." Hill, then serving in the state legislature.

  Several months following that gathering Allington Horatio Kramer died at his Aurora home, two weeks shy of his 86th birthday. Memorialized as a man of "inventive mind" and an "honest, loyal citizen", he was survived by his wife and children and was interred at the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

From the Aurora Democrat, September 8, 1950.

Leco Perch Strain (1887-1976)

From the 1962 Colorado State Yearbook.

  Multiterm Colorado state senator Leco Perch Strain received brief mention in the previous article on his elder brother Cora Ransom Strain, who served three terms in his state's house of representatives. Like his brother, Leco Strain achieved prominence in business and civic affairs, albeit in a different area of Colorado. Unfortunately, information on this younger Strain brother remains difficult to come by, unusual when one considers his lengthy career in state politics! The son of George Ransom and Luzena Strain, Leco Perch "Lee" Strain was born in Bloomington, Indiana on May 28, 1887.

  Lee Strain's early education was obtained in the state of his birth and in 1907 removed to Colorado, where two of his brothers (Cora and Charles Raymond) had resettled some years previously. After settling in the town of Lamar, Strain joined with his brothers in their ice and coal business until electing to go into business for himself. In 1910 he relocated to La Junta in Otero County and established the La Junta Ice and Storage Company, which also sold feed, grain, and coal. His long affiliation with that business led it to become one of La Junta's "substantial and lucrative enterprises", and in May 1912 married in Colorado to Coy Beavers (1890-1982).  The couple's sixty-three-year union saw the births of three children, George L. (1916-2010), Dean (1920-1945), and Anna Mae (1925-2019). 

   Strain's decades of prominence in the ice and refrigeration industry saw him serve as a member of the nominating committee for the Mountain States Ice Manufacturer Association in 1922 and was a longstanding member of the Rotary Club in his region. Strain first entered the political forum in 1940 when he was elected as a delegate to that year's Republican National Convention, and in June of that year, he and other members of the Colorado delegation journeyed to Philadelphia where Wendell Wilkie was nominated for the presidency. 

From the Rotarian, September 1942.

  Through the 1940s Lee Strain continued with his ice, refrigeration, and storage interests and in 1950 was elected to fill a vacancy in the Colorado state senate, this vacancy occurring due to the death of senator James Barnes Ryan (1872-1949) in July of the previous year. In that contest, Strain bested Democratic candidate Henry Klein, 4,707 votes to 4,213. Taking his seat at the start of the 1951-53 session, this term saw Strain chair the committee on Mining, and also held seats on the committees on Industrial Affairs; the Judiciary; Local Government; State Institutions and Public Buildings; Transporation; and Water and Water Resources.

  Lee Strain would win a second senate term in November 1952, defeating curiously named Democrat Nasby Webster "N.W." Bolling by over 2,000 votes. From 1953-55 he chaired the Local Government Committee and served on the committees on Finance, Interstate Cooperation, State Affairs, and Transportation. Strain would prove successful in his three further senate reelection bids in 1954, 1958, and 1960, and in his final term (1961-65) chaired the committee on State and Public Buildings and sat on the Agriculture, Business Affairs and Finance committees.

  After the conclusion of his time in the senate, Lee Strain retired to private life in La Junta. Little could be found on his life after 1964, except notice of his "long service in community and church organizations". He died in La Junta on May 13, 1976, two weeks shy of his 89th birthday. Strain was survived by his wife and two children and was interred at the Fairview Cemetery in La Junta. Public service would continue in the Strain family with Lee Strain's eldest son George (1917-2010), who, following time as a special agent for the FBI began his own career in government, serving as District Attorney for the counties of Bent, Crowley, and Otero. In 1976 he was named as County Judge for Otero County, serving on the bench until his retirement in 1988.

From the 1953 Colorado Yearbook

Cora Ransom Strain (1871-1960)

From the Colorado State Yearbook, 1945.

  Three-term Colorado state representative Cora Ransom Strain received passing mention in the previous article on Hackett D. Smartt, a fellow Lamar, Colorado native who defeated him for reelection to the state house of representatives in November 1948. As one can see, Strain is a male political figure who was unfortunately saddled with a female first name, a fact that left even the compilers of the Colorado legislative database confused--some even thinking that he was of the opposite gender! All humor aside, Cora Ransom Strain was long a power player in Lamar, Colorado, having a hand in several business concerns in that city. A former member of the city council and president of the Lamar Chamber of Commerce, Strain served three consecutive terms in the Colorado House of Representatives beginning in 1943.

  The son of George Ransom and Euzena Strain, Cora Ransom Strain's birth occurred in Paynetown, Indiana on August 15, 1871. In addition to the man profiled today, the Strain family could also boast of another unusually named figure who attained political and business prominence, Leco Perch "Lee" Strain (1887-1976). The younger brother of Cora Ransom, " Lee" Strain served over a decade in the Colorado state senate and was an important business leader in the town of La Junta.

  A student in the public schools of Indiana, Cora R. Strain was employed in a quarry and in railroad construction prior to his resettlement in Colorado in 1895. Prior to his removal, Strain married in Indiana to May Phoebe Parnell in the early 1890s and later had one son, Francis Elwin "Frank" Strain (1893-1948). Strain later remarried in Kansas in 1899 to Vella M. Carnahan (1879-1961), to who he was wed until his death. The couple's lengthy union saw the births of nine children, those being: Marion Evans (1900-1984), McKinley (1901-), Mildred (1905-1990), Clair Ransom, Pat, Earl Edwin (1918-1945), Carl Warren (born 1920), and two other children that died in infancy. Of these children, Marion Evans Strain followed his father into politics, preceding him as a state representative from Prowers County, an office that he held from 1935-41.

  After establishing roots in the town of Lamar, Cora R. Strain joined with his uncle Morton in the latter's seed, grain, and coal business. Their operation, known as Strain and Strain, underwent a name change in 1901 when another brother, Charles Raymond, joined the firm. Cora and Charles later branched out into the ice and storage business, taking ownership of the Union Ice and Cold Storage Co. in 1908, and in the following year, both helped to open the first public swimming pool in Lamar.

Cora R. Strain as he looked prior to his legislative service.

  Cora Strain would further add to his business resume through the 1900s and 1910s, operating a farm and being a founding organizer and director of the Lamar Gas and Electric Company in 1908; a director of the Lamar Savings and Loan Association beginning in 1913; a member of the Lamar Alf Milling Company, and in 1920 took office as vice president and director of the newly chartered Valley State Bank. Strain and his brother Charles also made headway into the soft drink industry in 1930, when they established a Coca-Cola bottling facility in Lamar, which they continued to operate well into the 1940s. 

  A former president of the Lamar Chamber of Commerce from 1931-32, Strain was also a school board member for nearly two decades and began his political career at the local level with his service on the Lamar city council. He would serve six years on the council, and in 1942 announced his candidacy for the Colorado House of Representatives from Prowers County. After winning the Republican nomination, Strain faced off against Democratic nominee Edward O. Russell. That November Strain eked out a narrow win over Russell, 1,672 to 1,666, and took his seat in the legislature in January 1943.

  The 1943-45 term saw Strain chair the committee on Mercantile and Manufacturing Interests, and also sat as a member of the committees on Banking, Corporations, Indian and Military Affairs, Insurance, and Labor. He would win reelection in 1944 and 1946, and during his final term (1947-49) was named to four new committees, those being Finance, Ways and Means; Printing; Railroads; and Rules. He would be defeated in his bid for a fourth term in November 1948, losing out to Hackett Davidson Smartt. 

  Following his final term in state government, Cora Strain continued residence in Lamar and in 1951 saw his younger brother Leco begin a thirteen-year stint as a state senator from Crowley and Otero County. A Mason and longstanding member of the B.P.O. Elks Lodge, Cora Ransom Strain died in Lamar on April 8, 1960, aged 88. His wife Vella survived him by one year, and following her death in September 1961 was interred alongside him at the Fairmount Cemetery in Lamar. 

Hackett Davidson Smartt (1892-1991)

From the Colorado State Yearbook, 1951.

   Another oddly named Colorado state representative discovered recently, Hackett Davidson Smartt served three consecutive terms in his state's house of representatives and lived to age 98, but despite prominence in state government and a near century-long lifespan, his life largely remains obscure. A native of Tennessee, Hackett Davidson Smartt was born in the settlement of Smartt Station (located in Warren County) on August 18, 1892, the son of Frank George and Anna Belle Smartt. 

  No information could be located in regards to Smartt's early life in Tennessee or the extent of his education, and by 1915 is recorded as a resident of Prowers County, Colorado. He married in that county in April of the following year to Lela Mae Richmond (1889-1978), and the couple's sixty-two-year marriage saw the births of four children, Edward Richmond (1917-1980), Frank Hackett (1918-2008), Jack William (1922-2005) and Bettie Ann (born 1928).

  Following his resettlement in Prowers County, Hackett Smartt became a leader in agricultural circles in his region, operating a farm near the town of Lamar. The first local agent for the Farm Automobile Insurance Company in Lamar, Smartt would serve a decade long tenure as president of the Prowers County Farm Bureau and was elected as vice president of the Colorado State Farm Bureau in 1935. He would be reelected as vice president in 1937, and later was named secretary of the Arkansas River Compact administration, comprising Colorado and Kansas, in the 1950s.

  In 1948 Hackett Smartt won the Democratic primary for state representative from Prowers County and that November won the general election, polling 3,105 votes and defeating another oddly named man, Cora Ransom Strain (1871-1960), who had first been elected to the legislature in 1942. Smartt's first term in the house (1949-51) saw him named to the following committees: Appropriations and Expenditures; Corporations; Counties and County Lines; Irrigation and Water Resources; Livestock; and Public Lands and Forest Reserves. 

  Smartt would win reelection to two further terms in the legislature in 1950 and 1952, and in his last term sat as a member of the committees on Appropriations and Highways. Smartt's life after the conclusion of his legislative largely remains a mystery--unusual when one considers that he lived to be nearly 100 years old! Widowed in 1978, Smartt continued residence in Prowers County and in 1982 celebrated his 90th birthday. He died in Colorado on April 2, 1991, five months short of his 99th birthday. He was survived by three of his children and was interred alongside his wife Lela at the Fairmount Cemetery in Lamar.

Hallett Colwell Gallup (1882-1939)

From the Pueblo Indicator, November 2, 1912.

  The recent discovery of dozens of archived editions of the Colorado State Yearbook has fielded several new odd name discoveries from the "Centennial State", one of whom is profiled today. Hallett Colwell Gallup, a son of one of Pueblo's pioneer business figures, was himself a standout figure in that area's business and political life, being the publisher and owner of the Rio Grande Employe's Publishing Company, as well as a one-term state representative. Born in Colorado on July 26, 1882, Hallett Colwell Gallup was the son of Samuel and Judith (Browne) Gallup. A prominent business figure in the early days of Pueblo County, Samuel C. Gallup earned the title "The man who put Pueblo on the manufacturing map", as he was the founder and owner of the S.C. Gallup Saddlery Company. His stewardship of that business extended until his death in 1904, after which operations passed to his wife and sons Hallett and Boone.

   A student at the Centennial High School in Pueblo, Hallett Gallup furthered his studies at the University of Colorado's law school. Upon his father's death in 1904 he took on a larger role in his family's saddlery company, with which he remained affiliated until his mother sold it to area businessman James Wimmer. Although the company passed into different hands, Hallett and Boone Gallup continued in the saddlery business for a time, operating the Gallup Brothers Saddlery from 1912-17. 

  In addition to his saddlery interests, Hallett C. Gallup gained further distinction through publishing, being the founder, president, and general manager of the Rio Grande Employe's Publishing Company. This business would first publish the Rio Grande Employe's Magazine in 1910, a monthly periodical devoted to the interests of Denver and Rio Grande Southern railroad employees. Gallup himself would serve as the magazine's editor, a position through which he espoused "support and work for labor measures".  

  Gallup's pro-labor stances and "work on behalf of railroad bills" eventually led to calls for him to run for public office, and in 1912 he entered into the Democratic primary race for state representative from Pueblo County. With his business successes touted in the Pueblo Indicator shortly after announcing his candidacy, Gallup was further highlighted as one of the city's rising young Democrats, with the Indicator noting:

"Mr. Gallup is a Pueblo young man full of energy and go, and is rapidly making a business name for himself. He is a good pusher for the town, always ready to help it along, and can be relied upon at all times to be on the side of enterprise and advancement. All classes of people know him and he has the confidence of all because of his well known honesty and openhearted helpfulness."

From the Pueblo Indicator, September 7, 1912.

   Following his Democratic primary win, Gallup hit the campaign trail, and through the remainder of the year notched up several endorsements, including the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the Order of Railway Conductors, and the Order of Railway Employees. In November 1912 Gallup won the general election, polling 8,176 votes. One of four Pueblo County representatives elected, Gallup's one term in the legislature extended from 1913-15, during which time he sat on the following committees: Elections and Appointments, House Expenses, Printing, State Institutions, and Stock. He would also chair the Committee on Railroads.

  In September 1914 Gallup won the Democratic primary for reelection but lost out in the November general election, victory going to Perry C. Dunlap (Democrat), Alfred S. Andrew (Republican), F.E Wallace (Republican) and F.M Stokes (Republican). Following his defeat for reelection Gallup resided in Washington, D.C. for a time, and by the early 1920s had returned to Colorado, where he would be affiliated with a Pueblo casket company.

  By 1925 Hallett Gallup had again left Colorado, this time settling in California. After his relocation, he married in Orange County on September 10, 1925, to Jessie Emma Bernett. The couple were wed until Hallett's death in 1939 and had one son, George Boone (1926-1973). The 1930 census records Gallup and his family as residents of Oakland, California, and on August 28, 1939, while staying at a Dodge City, Kansas hotel room, Hallett Gallup died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He was later returned to Pueblo, Colorado for burial in the Gallup family plot at the Roselawn Cemetery. 

Chantrey Alfred Fritts (1904-1971)

Chantrey A. Fritts as he appeared in Denver Post, 1951.

  The Colorado legislature yields another new name in the person of Chantrey Alfred Fritts, who is notable for being the first state legislator profiled here who was a chiropodist (or, to be more precise, a foot and hand doctor.) While his name may be unusual and his profession unique, it is Fritts' terms in the Colorado legislature that earns him a place here, as well as his brief service in the state senate. A native of Belle, Missouri, Chantrey Alfred Fritts was born in 1904, one of two sons born to Charles Oscar (1869-1966) and Emma (Travis) Fritts (1870-1955).

  Little is known of Fritts' early life and education in Missouri, and after deciding on a career in the medical profession enrolled at the University of Colorado. Following graduation, he undertook further study at the University of Denver's Podiatry School. Sources also relate Fritts briefly being a school teacher in the Oak Creek school from 1926-27. In February 1926 he married in Denver to Edna Violet Smith (1906-1985), to who he was wed for over four decades. The couple would have two children, Chantrey Alfred Jr. (1931-2016, later a professor at Abilene Christian University) and an adopted daughter, Nancy Fritts Vourexes (1941-1995). 

  After the completion of his schooling, Chantrey Fritts operated a "private podiatry practice" and was connected to the Ft. Logan Hospital and the Denver General Hospital. From 1938-39 he held the presidency of the Colorado Association of Chiropodists and was a longstanding member of the Colorado Podiatry Association.

   Fritts entered the political life of his state in 1942 when he was elected as one of Denver County's representatives to the Colorado legislature, polling over 50,000 votes on election day. Fritts' first term (1943-45) saw him chair the committees on Medical Affairs and Public Health, as well as the committee on Penal and Reformatory Institutions. He would win a second term in 1944 and during the 1945-46 session sat on the committees on Appropriations and Expenditures, Denver City Affairs, Education, Elections and Appointments, and State Institutions.

  The 1946 election year saw Fritts be appointed to the Colorado State Senate, due to a vacancy brought about by the resignation of Eudochia Bell Smith, who had served since 1941. Fritts' brief time in the Senate (which extended from December 1946 to December 1948) saw him chair the committee on Reapportionment, as well as serving on the committees on Medical Affairs, Military Affairs, Printing, Privileges and Elections, and Supplies and Expenditures.

  After leaving the Senate in 1948 Fritts returned to his medical practice, and in 1956 was again elected to fill a vacancy, this time in the house of representatives. With representative Paul Hodges Jr. resigning his seat that year, Fritts was tapped to fill the vacancy and during his brief time in office was a member of the House Services, Judiciary, and State Affairs Committees.

  Little information exists on Fritts' life after leaving the legislature, excepting notice of his being a speaker at the 58th annual meeting of the American Podiatrist Association in 1970, where he spoke on "reactions to foot disorders that can contribute to mental depression." Chantrey Alfred Fritts died on June 21, 1971, in Colorado and was survived by his wife and children. Both he and his wife were interred at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, June 23, 1971.

Starr Wenzel Gruner (1878-1951), Starr Holmes Beatty (1872-1946), Star Berton Caywood (1915-1968)

From the Coldwater Pictorial City Directory, 1927.

   A two-term Mayor of Coldwater, Michigan, Starr Wenzel Gruner is also one of the first veterans of the Spanish-American War to warrant a profile here on the site, as he saw action in Cuba in July of 1898. After relocating to California in the mid-1920s Gruner continued to be active in various aspects of public life, being the operator of a clothing store as well as a member of the Santa Barbara City Council.
    The son of German immigrants, Starr Wenzel Gruner was born in Coldwater on August 30, 1878, being one of seven children born to Wenzel and Emily Randall Gruner. Young Starr is noted as having grown up on a farm in Coldwater and attended the local high school between 1891 and 1896 and earned his high school diploma. Following his graduation he took an extended visit to Germany, remaining here for about a year. With the dawn of the Spanish-American War in 1898 Gruner did his patriotic duty and signed on for service in the Thirty-Third Michigan Infantry. He was deployed to Cuba and participated in the Battle of Acquadores and the Battle of Santiago.
   After being mustered out of service at Owosso, Michigan, Gruner returned to his home in Coldwater and on June 1, 1899, married there to Lena Teachout, with the couple remaining childless through the entirety of their marriage. For a good majority of his life, Starr Gruner worked at farming in Coldwater, being the proprietor of an eighty-acre farm on land that had been "cleared by his father."Gruner was also a partner in the Coldwater-based haberdashery of Sloman and Gruner beginning in 1912. In addition to business and farming, he was a Captain General in Jacob's Commandery, No. 10 of the Knights Templar.
   In April 1918 Starr W. Gruner won election as the Mayor of Coldwater, defeating Democratic nominee Rev. S.W.L. Scott. He would be returned to the Mayor's office in the election of 1920 and served until the expiration of his term in 1921. A few years later he left the clothier business and moved to Santa Barbara, California in 1925, the basis for his removal being the result of a "messy divorce".
   Once settled, Gruner began to establish his name in the Santa Barbara business community. He would start up another clothing business in this city and also took an active role in the local American Legion chapter, serving as its treasurer. He would also make a return to politics in 1927, being elected as a member of the Santa Barbara City Council. Gruner was also noted as a keen genealogist, even going as far as to trace his family lineage back over four hundred years. 
  Starr Gruner died of a stroke at the Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital on August 17, 1951, two weeks short of his 73rd birthday. He had been preceded in death by his second wife Miriam in April 1935 and both were interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. In an interesting twist, this cemetery also happens to be the resting place of former Santa Barbara mayor Clio Lowell Lloyd, who was profiled here back on March 4th of this year.

From the Henry Republican, July 30, 1908.

  One of those "gray-area" political figures, Starr Holmes Beatty was a minor political office holder in his state, serving as U.S. Postmaster at Delavan before his election to two consecutive terms on the Illinois State Board of Equalization. Beatty would gain additional prominence in the field of newspaper work, being the editor and publisher of the Delavan Times Press. Born in Delavan, Tazewell County, Illinois on April 11, 1872, Starr Holmes Beatty was the son of Rowland John and Eleanor Frances (Holmes) Beatty.

  A graduate of the Delavan High School, class of 1890, Beatty married to Mary Ella Jennings (1873-1947) in the 1890s and would have the following children: Eileen, Eleanor, Mary Charlotte (1899-1985), and Rowland J. (1903-1971).  Early in his life, Beatty entered the publishing field, joining his older brother Guy in purchasing the Tazewell County Press. This paper was later combined with the Delavan Times to form the Delavan Times-Press, and in 1893 Starr Beatty became its sole owner, changing the name to the Tri-County Times.

  Beatty's stewardship of the Times saw it become the "outstanding Republican organ of the county" and he continued with its publishing well into the 20th century, eventually seeing it consolidated with the Delavan Advertiser in 1918.  In January 1898 Beatty gained his first taste of public office when he was appointed by President McKinley as U.S. Postmaster at Delavan, and in 1904 was elected as a member of the State Board of Equalization from the 16th district.

  A body that existed from 1867-1919, the Illinois Board of Equalization oversaw, reviewed, and "adjusted county assessed property values to correspond with assessed values in other Illinois counties". These properties included railroad and telegraph companies, among other incorporated businesses and companies in the state. Beatty's first term on the board extended from 1904-08, and in the last-named year was successful in his bid for reelection, having promised to "carefully and intelligently look after the interests of the taxpayers of this district."

From the Illinois Blue Book of 1906.

  Beatty's second four-year term on the board saw him named to its committees on the Equalization of Lands and General Equalization, and he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1912. After leaving office Beatty continued with his earlier newspaper interests and in 1915 attended the meeting of the Peoria District Publisher's Association in Peoria. He would continue prominence in his native Delavan, being a trustee of the Ayer Public Library and during the 1937 Delavan city centennial proceedings was chairman of the publicity committee. Starr Holmes Beatty died in Delavan on April 10, 1946, one day shy of his 74th birthday. His wife Mary Ella survived him by one year, and following her death in 1947 was interred alongside him at the Prairie Rest Cemetery in Delavan. 

Caywood during his legislative service.

  In a December 28, 2019 update to this article, another political "Star" has been discovered, Star Berton Caywood of Colorado. A three-term member of the Colorado House of Representatives from Huerfano County, Caywood died in office in 1968 due to a drowning accident, five months before the completion of his term. While no source mentioning Caywood gives note as to why he was bestowed "Star" as a first name, it is worth noting that his name was located via the 1967-68 edition of Who's Who In American Politics, a work that has fielded several oddly named figures profiled here. 

  The son of John H. and Edna Isabelle (Noble) Caywood, Star Berton Caywood was born in Salida, Colorado on October 6, 1915. He would attend local schools and for one year studied at Denver University. Caywood married in November 1940 to Virla Ruth (Jones) Smallwood (1906-1976). The couple were wed until Caywood's death and had one son (from Smallwood's previous marriage), Darwin Harold (1929-1998).

  A veteran of WWII, Caywood entered the Army as a private and from 1944-45 served with the 185th Replacement Company, being stationed in the South Pacific and Philippines. He would attain the rank of Staff Sargent by the time of his discharge in 1945, and following his return stateside entered into the abstract, insurance, and realty business. Beginning his political career at the local level, Caywood would serve as deputy county treasurer for Huerfano County from 1941-43 and later was elected to the Walsenburg, Colorado city council in 1950. In 1958 he was named to the board of directors for the Colorado Department of Veterans Affairs, where he continued to serve until at least 1965.

Caywood during his legislative service.

  In November 1962 Caywood was elected as Huerfano County's representative in the Colorado legislature and during his first term (1963-65) held seats on the committees on Appropriations, Health and Welfare, and Local Government. Following his successful bid for reelection in 1964, he would chair the appropriations committee during the 1965-67 session and was also named to the committees on Game, Fish and Parks; Natural Resources; and State Affairs. 

  Elected to a third term in November 1966, Caywood continued service on the above-mentioned committees and in July 1968 undertook an outing with his wife and friends that ended in tragedy. While fishing on Martin Lake in Huerfano County on July 19th their boat was upturned by a strong gust of wind, after which Caywood proceeded to swim to shore for help. After swimming several yards, Caywood began swimming back towards the craft but drowned before reaching it. The loss of the popular legislator was statewide news throughout Colorado and in a curious twist, Caywood was one of three legislators from the 1965 house session to meet an unexpected death.

  Virla Caywood was later appointed to fill her husband's vacant seat in the legislature. She would serve out the final months of her husband's term and wasn't a candidate for reelection in 1968. Following her death in 1976, she was interred alongside her husband at the Masonic Cemetery in Walsenburg.