Bolivar Steadman Hurley (1888-1947), Bolivar Starke Head (1826-1916), Bolivar Edwards Kemp (1871-1933), Bolivar Edwards Kemp Jr. (1904-1965), Bolivar Lovell (1826-1893)

From the 1935 North Carolina Senate composite photograph.

  The name Simon Bolivar stands as one of prominence in Latin American history, and during a short life (he died aged 47 in 1830), this Venezuelan military leader led the fight to free the modern-day states of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Venezuela from Spanish rule. From 1819-30 Bolivar would serve as the first president of Gran Columbia (comprising what would become Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela), the first union of independent nations in Latin American history. In the years following his death, numerous areas throughout the world were named in his honor, and it may come as some surprise that several American political figures were as well!

  The first of these men, Bolivar Steadman Hurley, was a Montgomery County, North Carolina attorney who represented that county in both houses of the North Carolina legislature. A lifelong North Carolinian, Bolivar S. Hurley was born in the town of Troy on May 16, 1888, the son of Wilburn and Elizabeth Delina (Hines) Hurley. His early education was obtained at the Trinity Park School from 1904-07 and in September 1907 enrolled at the Trinty College, where he remained for three years. 

   Deciding to pursue a law degree, Hurley studied at both the Trinity College Law School and took a summer course at the Wake Forest Law School. After obtaining his degree, Hurley commenced practice in his hometown, and in 1912 entered into his first political office, that of mayor of Troy. Just 23 years old at the time of his election, Hurley served until 1914, and in November 1916 was elected to his first term in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Taking his seat at the start of the 1917-18 session, Hurley was named to the committees on Appropriations, Insurance, Justices of the Peace, Mines and Mining, Printing, and Public Roads and Turnpikes. This term also saw Hurley serve as part of a special house delegation to "inspect roads in Western North Carolina under construction by prisoners."

  Bolivar Hurley's first house term proved to be short, as he resigned in 1917 to join in the ongoing war effort. Enlisting in the U.S. Army, Hurley would undergo training at Camp Jackson in South Carolina, Camp Oglethorpe in Georgia, and Camp Perry, Ohio. He would attain the rank of First Lieutenant of Infantry and served overseas, returning to the United States in the summer of 1919.

   After his return to North Carolina, Hurley recommenced practicing law and in 1924 won a second term in the legislature. The 1925-27 session saw him serve on the committees on Claims, Constitutional Amendments, Election Laws, Finance, Immigration, Judiciary No. 1, Military Affairs, Privileges and Elections, and Public Welfare. In 1934 Hurley advanced to a seat in the state senate, winning election to that body in November of that year. During the 1935-37 session, Hurley was one of two senators representing the 18th senatorial district and would serve on the following committees: Banks and Currency; the Caswell Training School; Consolidated Statutes; Corporations; Counties, Cities and Towns; Enrolled Bills; Judiciary No. 1; Penal Institutions; Pensions and the Soldiers Home; Propositions and Grievances; Public Roads; and Public Utilities.

  Hurley's life after the conclusion of his senate service largely remains obscure, excepting notice of his 1941 disbarment from practicing law. The details surrounding Hurley's disbarment remain murky, though it has been found that the Council of the North Carolina Bar Association ordered the suspension of Hurley's law license in January of that year. A lifelong bachelor, Hurley later died on March 28, 1947, in Troy, and was interred at the Southside Cemetery in that town.

Portrait courtesy of Findagrave.

   During a long life that extended ninety years, Missouri native Bolivar Starke Head attained distinction through education and law, first being a professor of mathematics and astronomy at the University of Missouri. Following his tenure in that post, he turned his attention to local political office, serving at various times as school commissioner, justice of the peace, and probate court clerk prior to his election as probate judge of Randolph County in 1890. A native of Virginia, Bolivar Starke Head was born in Hanover County on October 16, 1826, the son of John (1800-83) and Adaline Starke Head (1806-75).

  Removing to Missouri with his family in 1831, Head's early education was obtained in that state and during his youth resided on a farm. In the late 1840s, he enrolled at the University of Missouri and in 1849 graduated first in his class. After briefly pursuing law studies in Fayette, Missouri, Head decided against a career in law and instead accepted the appointment of professor of mathematics and astronomy at his alma mater in 1851. Head's tenure at the university extended until 1860, and this post also saw him serving in the additional role of university librarian from 1853-60. As librarian, Head would compile the first catalog of the university's library and was talked of as a potential candidate for president of the university in 1859.

  Bolivar S. Head married to Amanda Margaret Snell (1837-1901) on July 13, 1858. The couple's 43-year marriage produced ten children, Ashby Snell (born 1859), George Lasley (born 1863), James Landon (1865-1940), Ovid Calhoun (born 1871), Emma Adaline (1875-1890); and five other children that died in infancy. 

   Turning to local politics in the 1870s, Head served as school commissioner for Randolph County from 1875-77, and from 1880-84 was a justice of the peace. Beginning in 1887 Head held the post of Randolph County probate court clerk, and in 1890 won election as County Judge of Probate. He was reelected in 1894 and served another four-year term. Following his leaving office Head resided in Moberly, Missouri, where he was that city's first engineer. Sources also denote Head's prior residence in the town of Rolla, where he practiced law for an indeterminate period.

  Widowed in 1901, Head survived his wife Amanda by fifteen years and celebrated his 90th birthday in October 1916. He died twelve days later on October 28, 1916, and at his death was acknowledged as the oldest member of the Randolph County bar. Both Head and his wife were interred at the Oakland Cemetery in Moberly.

From the 1876 Randolph County Atlas.

Portrait courtesy of the Library of Congress.

  Arguably the most notable of the men featured in this article, Bolivar Edwards Kemp was a lifelong Louisianan who represented his state's 6th congressional district in the U.S House of Representatives for eight years, dying in office in 1933. The son of William Breed Kemp and the former Elizabeth Nesom, Bolivar Edwards Kemp was born in Amite, Louisiana on December 28, 1871. He received his name in honor of Bolivar Edwards, long a prominent figure in Tangipahoa Parish. Edwards (1837-1903), was a leading lawyer in his region, being a two-time district attorney and in 1872 was elected to one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

  Kemp's early education saw him attend schools local to Amite and also had private tutoring. He would enroll at Tulane University in the 1890s where he read law, and following graduation was admitted to the state bar in 1897. He would partner with his father and brother Duncan Stuart Kemp, and after the death of his father in 1900 was a member of the firms of Kemp and Spiller, and Kemp and Buck. In 1903 he married Esther Edwards "Lallie" Conner (died 1943), to who he was wed until his death. The couple would have two children, Bolivar Edwards Jr. (1904-1965) and Eleanor Ogden Kemp Ellis (1910-2003).

  In addition to his law practice, Kemp was a booster for "agricultural and trucking industries" in his area, and in 1910 was appointed as a member of the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors, where he served into the mid-1920s. In 1924 Kemp announced his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives, and in November of that year won the election, polling 10,216 votes.

  Kemp's first term saw him sit on the committees on Coinage, Weights, and Measures; Expenditures in the Interior Department; and Roads. He would be reelected to seven more terms in Congress, the last of which occurred in November 1932. Kemp died in office of a heart attack on June 19, 1933, aged 61. Following his death, a special election was to be held to fill his vacant seat, with Governor Oscar K. Allen designating Kemp's widow Lallie to be the Democratic nominee. This action did not sit well with the constituents of the 6th congressional district, who wanted to nominate their own congressman. Lallie Kemp would win this special election but on December 27, 1933, the citizenry held their own election, voting in former state representative Jared Young Sanders Jr. (1892-1960). 

  With an electoral quagmire now in full effect, the U.S. House of Representatives threw out the results of both elections and called for a new election to be held in April 1934. Lallie Kemp declined to be a candidate in that election, with victory going to Jared Y. Sanders. Following their respective deaths, Bolivar Kemp and his wife were interred at the Amite Cemetery in Tangipahoa County.

From the Abbeville Meridional, January 3, 1948.

   Political service continued in the Kemp family with Bolivar Edwards Kemp Jr., who served as Louisiana State Attorney General from 1948-52. Born in Amite on September 23, 1904,  Kemp attended Tulane University and earned his law degree from George Washington University in the 1920s. Kemp continued post-graduate work at the Lousiana State University, and in 1932 married Menette Wilson (1905-1981). 

  After graduating law school Kemp took office as assistant district attorney for Louisiana at New Orleans. Following his father's death in 1933 Kemp went on to serve the 24th judicial district as its District Attorney for eleven years. (1937-48.) He entered into the race for state attorney general in 1948 and after garnering the Republican nomination went on to defeat incumbent attorney general Frederick S. LeBlanc in November of that year. He served until 1952, being defeated by Fred LeBlanc, and later died in Louisiana on  October 27, 1965. He was survived by his wife and was later interred in the Kemp family plot in Amite.

Bolivar Lovell, 1826-1893.

  Cheshire County, New Hampshire native Bolivar Lovell held several political offices of note in that county, and reached his highest degree of political prominence with his service on the Governor's Council of New Hampshire, serving under Person Colby Cheney. The son of former county solicitor Aldis Lovell and the former Martha Willard, Bolivar Lovell was born in New Hampshire on August 30, 1826.

  A student in schools local to the Walpole, New Hampshire area, Lovell left that state at age sixteen to take employment at a general store in Providence, Rhode Island. After a three year residency, he removed back to New Hampshire to study law under the tutelage of his father, but his studies were put on hold when he received the appointment of deputy sheriff of Cheshire County at the youthful age of 21. He would serve in that capacity until 1855 when he was appointed county sheriff, a post he'd continue in for the next decade.

  Seven years after his appointment as sheriff, Lovell was named U.S. Assessor of Internal Revenue for New Hampshire's 3rd district. He left that post in 1870, and in the preceding year had been admitted to the state bar. He established his practice in the town of Alstead and returned to politics in 1873 when he was elected to the New Hampshire Executive Council. Also known as the Governor's Council, this body still exists today and comprises five councilors that function as an advisory board to the governor. In addition to that role, the council has veto power over gubernatorial pardons, serves as a watchdog of the treasury, and also contributes to judicial nominations and cabinet offices in the state.

  Lovell would serve on the council from 1873-74 under Governor Person Colby Cheney, who was profiled here in July 2011.  Following that office, Lovell was a member of the state Board of Equalization and Taxes from 1879-80, and in the last-named year resettled in Drewsville, where he built a large home. He resided there until his death on June 10, 1893. Lovell was survived by his wife Sarah (1829-1904), who he had married in 1848. Both were interred at the Drewsville Cemetery.

Chisholm Clark Cranford (1875-1955)

Portrait from the 1940 "Ash-Hi-Life".

   The city of Asheboro, North Carolina can take pride in the fact they have elected not one, but two curiously named mayors since its first mayor took office over a century ago, and the man profiled today, four-term mayor Chisholm Clark Cranford, left a lasting legacy in the city with his roles as a prominent Randolph County industrialist and leader in civic improvements. In addition to his mayoralty, Cranford further aided his city and state by serving in the state senate, where he represented Randolph County for one term. Born in Concord township, North Carolina on February 2, 1875, Chisholm Clark "C.C." Cranford was one of eight children born to Zimri and Rozina Maria (Lassiter) Cranford. Little is known of Cranford's formative years or education, excepting that he attended the public schools of Randolph County. 

  At age twenty Cranford left the family homestead, and within a short period had taken work with the Asheboro Roller Mill as a flour delivery driver. He married in November 1896 to Mary Annie Davis (1877-1959), and the couple's near six-decade marriage saw the births of four children, Edward (1900-1957), Vivian (1903-1994), Clarence Charles (1907-1939), and Samuel Davis Cranford (1910-1971).

  After several years of work and investment in the Asheboro Roller Mill's stock, Cranford rose to become manager of that enterprise. He later sold off his interest in the mill and with this capital elected to go into business for himself. In short order, he established the Crown Milling Company in the early 1900s, which he would continue to operate until selling it in 1913 to the Southern Milling Company. At the time of that mill's sale, Cranford had already developed a financial interest in several other area business enterprises, including the Randolph Chair Company and the Acme Hosiery Company. While he would soon sell off his interest in the latter business, Cranford purchased the Randolph Chair Company, a business that he would later transform into the Cranford Chair Company, a manufacturer of caned chairs. This business would continue on until Cranford decided to convert it into a hosiery mill.

   Cranford continued to expand his textile business acumen in 1917 when he established the Asheboro Hosiery Mills, which would manufacture both men and women's legwear. This mill comprised then state-of-the-art textile equipment, including "thirty seamless hosiery machines" as well as "steam engines powering electric generators and electric lights." The Asheboro Hosiery Mill proved to be only a small part of Cranford's overall business legacy, as he would have a hand in organizing multiple Asheboro manufacturing concerns, including the Bentwood Chair Company, the Cranford Furniture Company, the Asheboro Veneer Company, the Standard Tytape Company, the National Chair Company, and the Piedmont Chair Company. Two of these companies, Asheboro Veneer, and Piedmont Chair, would be managed by Cranford's brothers, Elsie Herman (E.H.) and Charles L. (C.L.). This textile and furniture manufacturing complex comprised three substantial brick buildings and an office, and would later become known as Cranford Industries. This vast manufacturing complex, now vacant, still stands today and in December 2011 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

  While viewed as one of the leading industrialists in his city, Chisholm Cranford also achieved success in business outside of textiles and furniture, being the director of the First National Bank of Asheboro and president of the Asheboro Drug Company. His prominence was also not limited to Asheboro, with his serving as a director for the Southern Chair Company of High Point, North Carolina.

  

From the "History of North Carolina: Noth Carolina Biography", 1919.

   With his name firmly established in the Asheboro business community, Chisholm C. Cranford entered the political life of his region with his service on the Asheboro town board. In 1913 he was elected to his first term as mayor of Asheboro, and this term would see the construction of the first of Asheboro's city lakes "to augment the town's well-fed water system." Cranford won a second term in May 1915 but would serve only briefly, as he resigned that June due to the illness of his wife Mary. Following his resignation, Cranford was succeeded as mayor by another unusually named man, Doctor Bulla McCrary, who, like Cranford, achieved lasting prominence as an Asheboro industrialist and civic leader.

   Through the late 1910s and into the 1920s Cranford continued to expand Cranford Industries, erecting a two-story building in connection with the Asheboro Hosiery Mills, which increased not only the knitting mill's size but also its knitting machine number to over 500. The Cranford Chair Company also saw pronounced improvements, with its original structure being demolished and replaced by "a long, rectangular, one-story brick woodworking and chair manufacturing facility", as well as a two-story frame structure that was used to house varnishing and painting equipment. 

   In 1921 Cranford was selected by then Governor Cameron Morrison to serve as a member of the board of directors for the State Hospital at Morganton, North Carolina. Cranford served until his resignation in 1925, and in 1922 reentered local politics by serving as a member of the board of Randolph County Commissioners. In 1927 Cranford was returned to the Asheboro mayoral chair, serving a third term which extended until 1928, when he resigned due to his election to the state senate from the 12th senatorial district. During the 1929-31 session, he sat on the following committees: Commerce, Corporations, the Corporation Commission, Finance, Fish and Fisheries, Immigration, Insane Asylums, Insurance, the Journal, Manufacturing, Propositions and Grievances, and Public Health. 

From the 1929 North Carolina Senate composite portrait.

  One year into his senate term Cranford was called to political "double duty", as he was elected to a fourth term as mayor of Asheboro in 1929.  This term extended until 1931 and would see Cranford figure prominently in the construction of the Randolph Hospital in the city. Completed in 1932, Cranford served on the hospital's first board of directors and in 1930 was honored as the namesake of the C.C. Cranford Citizenship Cup, which would become an annual award given out to the "most outstanding citizen" picked from the Asheboro High School's senior class.

   After leaving politics in the early 1930s Cranford's business pursuits again took center stage, and in 1941 saw that the Asheboro Hosiery Company underwent an extensive renovation, with interior and exterior remodeling and the installation of over two hundred new full-fashioned and seamless hosiery machines. During the Second World War, Cranford aided in the war effort when he and business manager W. Clyde Lucas used the Cranford Furniture plant to manufacture goods that would aid in the Allied effort overseas, including "fabricated stretchers forms, medicine cabinets, convalescent rockers, mess tables, specialty chairs, and hospital beds."

   In 1946 the then seventy-year-old Chisholm Cranford undertook another ambitious project, overseeing the construction of a nearly sixty-thousand square foot, two-story factory on the outskirts of Asheboro that would later be sold to the National Carbon Company of Cleveland, Ohio, which used the facility to manufacture batteries. The latter part of that decade saw Cranford and his son Samuel lead in the construction of three commercial properties in downtown Asheboro, and in 1949 Cranford himself suffered a stroke from which he eventually recovered. He continued to reside in Asheboro until his death at home from a heart attack on May 16, 1955, aged 80. Cranford was survived by his wife Mary, who, following her death in 1959, was interred alongside her husband at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Asheboro.

Chisholm Cranford in old age; from "Farmer, Yesterday and Today", 1981.

From the Gastonia Gazette, May 17, 1955.

Clingman Webster Mitchell (1860-1921)

From the Kinston Free Press, May 10, 1916.

   A multi-term member of both houses of the North Carolina legislature, Clingman Webster Mitchell was a standout figure in the political life of Bertie County in the late 19th and early 20th century. Acknowledged by the Raleigh News Observer as one of the leading Democratic orators of his day, Mitchell again sought elective office in 1916, launching a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Hoping to wrest the congressional seat from Claude Kitchin (a near twenty-year incumbent), Mitchell would lose that primary race in a very lopsided contest. The son of William J. and Mary Elizabeth Winnifred Mitchell, Clingman Webster "C.W." Mitchell was born in Bertie County, North Carolina on August 16, 1860. Mitchell looks to have been given his first name in honor of Joseph Lanier Clingman (1812-1897), one of the preeminent political figures in Antebellum North Carolina and at the time of Mitchell's birth, a sitting U.S. Senator from that state. 

   In his youth, Clingman W. Mitchell studied at the Elm Grove Academy in Chowan County and from 1877-81 attended Wake Forest College. He would marry in February 1883 to Pauline Holliman, to who he was wed until his death. The couple would have five children, Herbert Hawthorne (1884-1912), Clingman Webster Jr. (1894-1979), Carrie, and two other children that died in infancy. 

  By the late 1880s, Clingman Mitchell had established himself in business at Aulander, North, Carolina, where he was the proprietor of a corn mill. The succeeding years saw him gain further prominence in that area's business sector, owning his own general merchandise store, as well as being the founder and president of the Bertie Cotton Oil Company, an extensive business that housed not only an oil mill but also a fertilizer plant and a cotton gin. Mitchell later added further business successes to his resume with his time as president of both the Aulander Live Stock and Supply Co. and the Bank of Aulander. He is further noted as having engaged in farming for a good majority of his life, as well as having lumber interests in his region. Mitchell also etched his name into local area history when he erected the first hotel in Aulander, the Choanoke, which was completed in the late 1890s and was damaged by fire decades later.

  As a leading Baptist in North Carolina, Clingman Mitchell held the post of moderator of the West Chowan Baptist Association for many years and was a delegate and former president of the Baptist State Convention. For an indeterminate length of time Mitchell served on the board of trustees of the Thomasville Baptist Orphanage, and in his hometown of Aulander was a longtime Sunday School and Bible class teacher. In addition to church work, Mitchell was heavily invested in educational matters in his state, being a trustee of both his alma mater, Wake Forest College, as well as the Chowan College in Murfreesboro. Further notice is given to Mitchell's importance to the school system in Aulander, with his 1921 obituary noting:

"His interest in education is best evidenced by the magnificent school building and equipment in his home town, due very largely to his efforts and organization."

  Clingman Mitchell's business achievements and popularity in Bertie County eventually led to calls for him to run for public office, and in 1892 he did just that, gaining the Democratic nomination for state senator from Bertie and Northampton County. He was elected that November and during the 1893-95 session was named to the senate committees on Agriculture; Banks and Currency; Enrolled Bills; Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Asylums; and Propositions and Grievances. Mitchell's first senate term proved to have a profound effect on his constituents in Northampton County, who in the 1894 election year gained the turn to elect a senator. The residents of that county were so satisfied with Mitchell's service they "insisted upon nominating Mr. Mitchell on account of his popularity and strength in the district" and was one of just five Democrats elected to the senate for the 1895-97 session. Mitchell's second term saw him sit on twelve new committees, those being Claims; Counties, Cities, and Towns; Federal Relations; Finance; Fisheries; Insurance; Military Affairs; Penal Institutions; Pensions and the Soldier's Home; Public Health; Public Roads; and Railroads and the Railroad Commission. 

Clingman W. Mitchell as he appeared in the Raleigh News and Observer, March 19, 1905.

   By 1898 Clingman Mitchell could look back on two successful senate terms, and had gained additional repute as an orator of "great power and in demand for all sorts of occasions." Following a third senate win in 1902 (serving in the 1903-05 session), Mitchell was elected to the state house of representatives from Bertie County in 1904. The 1905-07 term not only saw him chair the committee on House Expenditures but also serve on the committees on the Democratic Caucus, Finance, Fish and Fisheries, and Liquor Traffic. The Raleigh News and Observer would also take special note of Mitchell's oratorical prowess during this session, remarking:

"He was said, by many, to be the most eloquent speaker in the House. Certainly there was no speaker more effective or eloquent. He spoke only on matters of great importance, such as his powerful speech on the divorce question, on the Ward bill, for reform in criminal trials, for legislation promoting the welfare of the state. He stood for everything that would benefit the State, would make its citizens better, make it more prosperous, and he led in some of the most important fights of the session."

  Following the conclusion of his house term in 1907, Mitchell returned to the state senate for a fourth term, having won reelection in November 1906. This term saw him chair the Agriculture committee and was named to the committees on Education, Finance, and Railroads. This term would also see Mitchell pull political "double duty", as it were, as he was named to the North Carolina State Board of Agriculture in 1907, where he served until the year of his death. 

From the 1903-05 North Carolina Senate composite.

   In 1916 Clingman Mitchell "received the urgent request of many Democrats" to seek the Congressional seat held by popular Democratic representative and House Majority leader Claude Kitchin (1869-1923), who had served uninterrupted terms in Congress since 1901. This primary contest extended from Kitchin coming out against President Woodrow Wilson's "programme for national defense", which, in turn, soured many constituents in Kitchin's district. With news of this contest making the papers as far away as New York, Mitchell hit the stump and made note that he believed that:

"The country needs not so much fluent speakers as men who will think for and labor for a constructive legislative program conducive to the industrial progress of the South and Nation."

 On primary election day in June 1916, it was Claude Kitchin who proved successful at the polls,  besting Mitchell by a several thousand votes and even carried Mitchell's home county of Bertie. Following this defeat, Mitchell continued service on the state board of agriculture, and in 1917 took part with the other members of that board in planning for that year's state fair. Clingman Webster Mitchell died at his home in Aulander on June 20, 1921, aged 60. After his passing, Mitchell was memorialized by his friend Francis Winston, a former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor, as an outstanding figure in state politics, religious work and civic affairs, remarking:

"To some it would seem that he died young. In good done and work accomplished he lived long. Any life here, if it leads to a worse life hereafter, is too long. Any life here, if it leads to a better life hereafter, is long enough. Clingman Webster Mitchell therefore lived long enough."

  Clingman W. Mitchell was survived by his wife Pauline and two of his children, with burial occurring in Aulander in a private cemetery on the farm of his grandfather, James Mitchell.

From the Raleigh News Observer, June 22, 1921.

Crayon Cornelius Efird (1904-1977)

Portrait from the E.S.C. Quarterly, Summer-Fall 1953.

   Another in a long line of unusually named figures who served in the North Carolina legislature during the first half of the twentieth century, Crayon Cornelius Efird is also the first political figure I've found that shares a first name with that multi-hued writing utensil we're all familiar with. Long a prominent Democrat in Stanly County, Efird would serve one term in the North Carolina state senate, and three years after the completion of that term was elected to the state house of representatives, where he also served one term. Born in Stanly County on October 28, 1904, Crayon Cornelius Efird was the son of Henry Polycarp and Sallie (Braswell) Efird. Efird's early schooling took place in Albemarle, North Carolina, and would graduate from the Albemarle High School. 

  In the early 1920s, Crayon Efird was the owner (along with partner C.H. McSwain) of the Albemarle city newsstand, which, in addition to newspapers and magazines, also dealt in "Cigars, Cigarettes, Candies, and Fruits." Efird continued his education at the University of North Carolina for a two year period and from 1926-27 served as a member of the state national guard. He later joined with his father in the latter's farm implement dealership, the H. P. Efird Co. Inc, a local dealer in International Harvester equipment. Crayon Efird served as its treasurer for a number of years and following his service in the legislature achieved further prominence in local business, being the president of the Albemarle Oil Co. and the Power City Bus Line. Efird would also deal in real estate and held the presidency of the Lake View Inc. real estate holding company.

  Crayon Efird made his first foray into North Carolina politics at age twenty-eight, winning election to the North Carolina Senate from the 19th senatorial district. His service during the 1933-35 session saw him as a member of the committees on the Corporation Commission; Counties, Cities, and Towns; Distribution of the Governor's Message; Education; Enrolled Bills; Institutions for the Blind; Labor and Commerce; Manufacturing; Military Affairs; Senate Expenditures; and Trustee's of the University.

From the 1933 North Carolina House of Representatives composite.

  Three years after leaving the Senate Efird announced his candidacy for the North Carolina House of Representatives, a contest he would win that November. His single term in the house extended from 1939-41 and would sit on the committees on Appropriations, Insane Asylums, Public Utilities, Roads, Salaries and Fees, and Unemployment Compensation. Efird married during his term in 1940 to Annabel Vester (1915-1999), and later had two children, Crayon Cornelius Jr. (born 1942) and Sally (born ca. 1947).

   After leaving the legislature in 1941 Efird continued in government service in the administration of Governor J. Melville Broughton, holding the post of assistant director of the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract from 1941-46. In 1953 Efird was named to North Carolina Employment Securities Commission for a four-year term and one year into his service on that commission was dealt tragedy with the death of his parents Henry and Sallie, who lost their lives in a car accident on September 4, 1954. The particulars of this accident were revealed in a write-up in Stanly News and Press and the Raleigh Observer (posted below) which related that Crayon Efird was driving the vehicle, with his parents in the back seat when a child ran into the road. An oncoming oil truck swerved to avoid hitting the child, and in turn, veered into the opposite lane and collided with the Efird's car. Henry and Sallie Efird were killed instantly in the crash and Crayon Efird himself survived with serious injuries, including a broken leg, an injured arm, and substantial loss of blood. The driver of the truck, Horace McLawhorn, was also severely injured and was later charged with manslaughter.

From the Raleigh News and Observer, 1954. Courtesy of Mr. Lewis Bramlett.

  Despite his grievous injuries, Efird recovered and in 1957 was reappointed to the E.S.C. for another four-year term that would conclude in 1961. After leaving that commission Efird continued residence in Stanly County, North Carolina, and was active in church work and fraternal groups, being a member of the Masonic lodge, the Oasis Temple of the Shrine, and the Stanly Shrine Club. Crayon Cornelius Efird died at age 72 on January 12, 1977, at the Stanly County Hospital. He was survived by his wife Annabel, and both were interred at the Fairview Memorial Park following their deaths.

Crayon C. Efird's 1939 campaign advertisement. Courtesy of Mr. Lewis Bramlett.

Offie Almon Barbour (1882-1955)

Portrait from the Smithfield Herald, September 23, 1910

  Our month-long journey through the Old Dominion State continues with the political exploits of a man named Offie--an unusual first name for sure! Despite being a well-known lawyer and former Mayor of Benson, North Carolina (not to mention serving two consecutive terms in the state senate), there is an extreme dearth of resources regarding Offie Almon Barbour. Even his 1911 North Carolina Manual legislative biography amounts to just two skimpy lines! Despite this lack of resources, the editors of the 1913 legislative manual rectified their earlier mistake and allotted Barbour several more lines of biography, which helped significantly when it came to compiling this profile!

  The son of Robert C. and Louenza Lassiter Barbour, Offie Almon Barbour was born in Johnston County, North Carolina on April 1, 1882. Raised on a farm in Johnston County, Barbour attended the local high school from 1898-99 and from 1900-02 was a student at the Turlington Institute in Smithfield. He went on to attend the University of North Carolina from 1903-04 and in the last-named year earned his law degree. 

  Soon after receiving his law degree, Barbour established his practice in Benson and within a few years time had been elected to his first political office, that of Mayor of Benson. He served from 1909-11 and in 1910 was nominated for the North Carolina Senate from the 15th senatorial district. In a September 1910 write-up profiling his candidacy, the Smithfield Herald took note of his being a lifelong Democrat, his being mayor of Benson, and his "sturdy character", while also remarking:

"Ever ready to go where his services are required, or where his party's interests called him, his nomination by the Democrats for the State Senate is but a fitting recognition for his devotion to duty. No stronger man could have been nominated to represent Johnston, Sampson, and Harnett Counties in the State Senate. Strong and clean ''in public life and private thinking,'' he will conduct a campaign worthy of one of Johnston County's most scholarly sons."

  In November 1910 Barbour won his Senate seat and at the opening of the 1911-13 session was named to the Committees on Appropriations; Corporations; Distribution of the Governor's Message; Education; Institution for the Blind; Internal Improvements; Legislative Apportionment; Mining; Public Roads; Revisals; and Shellfish. He would also chair the committee on Senate Expenditures during this term.

   In 1912 Offie Barbour won his second term in the state senate,  and from 1913-15 held seats on the following committees: Banking and Currency; Constitutional Amendments; Counties, Cities, and Towns; Education; Fish and Fisheries; Game Law; Immigration; Insane Asylums; Judiciary, No. 1; Salaries and Fees (chairman); and Trustees of the University. Barbour married during his term in October 1914 to Emily Canaday (1888-1979), who survived him upon his death in 1955. The couple later had two sons, Offie Almon Jr. (1916-1986) and William Woodall (1920-2011). 

   Nothing is known of Barbour's life following his second Senate term, excepting notice of his death in a Smithfield, North Carolina hospital on November 28/29, 1955, at age 73. Both he and his wife Emily were interred at the Benson City Cemetery following their deaths. 

From the Carolina Alumni.

Permillas Arten Lee (1880-1955)

Portrait from the August 1923 North Carolina Journal of Pharmacology.

   Following North Carolina legislator Gladstone D. Gatling's profile on July 31st, we continue our stay in the Tar Heel State to take a peek at the life of one term state senator Permillas Arten Lee, a prominent resident of the city of Dunn. A druggist for many years prior to his service in state government, Lee had gained additional distinction as the President of the North Carolina Pharmaceutical Association, being elected to that post in 1923. 

   A resident of North Carolina for the entirety of his life, Permillas Arten Lee was born in Johnson County, North Carolina on June 15, 1880, being the son of Jesse and Henrietta Blackman Lee. Sadly, I have no intriguing backstory as to how or why Lee was bestowed the unique name "Permillas." The name is of unknown origin and has two variations in spelling, "Permillias" and "Parmillas." 

   "P.A." Lee (as some sources list him) was a graduate of the Poplar Grove High School and later went on to attend the Turlington Institute at Smithfield from 1900 to 1901. Deciding upon a career as a pharmacist, Lee enrolled at the University of North Carolina's School of Pharmacy and in June 1903 passed the board of pharmacy examination. During the latter portion of that year Lee was employed by the Benson Drug Co., and in the following year was affiliated with two druggist firms located in Raleigh and Dunn. He earned his pharmacy license in 1905 and in that same year permanently relocated to Dunn, where he joined the druggist firm of C.I. Wilson.

   In 1909 Permillas Lee married Hautence Thornton (1888-1957), to whom he was wed for over forty years. The couple would later have three children: Edna Earle (1913-1979), David (birth date unknown), and Permillas Arten Jr. (1921-1982). Of these children, Permillas Jr. would go on to prominence in his own right, being an associate professor of physical education at the University of Florida, as well as an author.

   After several years under C.I. Wilson's employ, P.A. Lee purchased a partnership in the business, the firm undergoing a name change to Wilson and Lee in 1912. Having joined the North Carolina Pharmaceutical Association several years previously, Lee became a member of its executive committee in 1915 and a life member three years later. He would later advance to the vice presidency of that organization in the early 1920s and in 1923 was elected as its president.

From the 1935 North Carolina Senate composite.

    Lee served a one-year term as president of the NCPA and in 1924 made his first significant move into politics when he was elected as the Mayor of Dunn, North Carolina. Serving in that capacity from 1924-27, he had previously served three years as a town commissioner from 1921-24. In November 1934 Lee was elected to represent the 12th senatorial district in the North Carolina State Senate and took his seat at the start of the 1935-37 session. During his term, Lee served on the following Senate committees: Congressional Districts; Corporations; Counties Cities and Towns; Distribution of the Governor's Message; Engrossed Bills; Immigration; Justices of the Peace; Public Health; Public Roads; Trustees of the University and Water Commerce. Lee would also serve as chairman of the committee on the Institutions for the Blind.

   Following the conclusion of his term in the senate, Permillas Lee continued to have a prominent role in Dunn. In 1944 he and a partner, C.A. Butler, became the managers of a new bus terminal constructed in town and from 1950-51 served as a member of the NCPA President's Advisory Committee. Lee is recorded as having suffered from impaired health the last several months of his life and died at his home in Dunn on March 21, 1955, at age 74. His wife Hautence survived him by two years and both were interred at the Greenwood Cemetery in Dunn.

From the Carolina Journal of Pharmacy, 1955.