Roady Kenehan (1856-1927)

From "The Pinnacled Glory of the West: Cathedral of the Immaculate Concepcion." 1912.

   With an unusual first name that conjures up images of a rodeo bronco buster or cowboy, Roady Kenehan rose from humble origins in Dublin, Ireland to become a blacksmith, later immigrating to the United States in the 1870s to seek his fortune. After decades of service as a blacksmith, labor leader, and publisher, Kenehan became a prominent figure on the Colorado political stage during the early 20th century, serving terms as State Auditor and State Treasurer. 

   Roady Kenehan's intriguing life story begins in Rathdowney, Ireland, where he was born on May 1, 1856, a son of Thomas and Bridget Bacon Kenehan. His early education took place near the town of his birth and whilst still a child began to learn the art of blacksmithing and horseshoeing from his father, continuing in this line of work until his removal to the United States in 1873. Settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kenehan recommenced with horseshoeing and is also recorded as "receiving military training as a member of the Fencibles of Pennsylvania", a military regiment primarily made up of men of Irish extraction. 

    Kenehan removed from Pennsylvania to North Dakota in 1879, settling here for a short time. In the following year, he relocated to Denver, Colorado where he would reside for the remainder of his life, continuing to ply his trade as a blacksmith. Within a few years of his resettlement, Kenehan began a lengthy connection with the Journeyman's International Horseshoer's Union of the United States and Canada, eventually serving as its secretary-treasurer for a number of years. He also held the position of editor and manager of the International Horseshoer's Monthly Magazine. Kenehan married in Denver in 1883 to Ms. Julia Casey (1865-1949), with whom he would have six children, who are listed as follows in order of their birth: Thomas Bernard (1884-1933), Ella E. (1886-1919), Katherine (1888-1973), Grace M. (1894-1990), Roady Jr. (1899-1935) and Martin J. (1902-1933). 

   Throughout the next two decades the hardworking Irish immigrant continued shoeing horses in Denver, at the shop of one John Murphy, and during this period was acknowledged by his fellow citizens as a prominent voice in labor circles in the city. An avowed Democrat, Kenehan had been active in the affairs of his party throughout the late 19th century, and his connections with Denver trade unions and labor groups later led him to be appointed as a member of the Colorado State Labor Board of Arbitration in 1897. Kenehan was later to serve as the President of the Denver County Board of Supervisors, this post being mentioned by the Silver Cliff Rustler as "being the most important office outside that of Mayor." 

  Kenehan was reappointed to the board of arbitration in 1899 and 1901, and in 1904 began his term on the Denver Board of Supervisors, subsequently serving until 1908. In that year he became the Democratic candidate for Colorado State Auditor, and newspapers throughout Colorado picked up on the nomination, many of which made note of Kenehan's unwavering honesty, work ethic, and character. Among these articles was a write-up in the October 23, 1908, Ouray Plain Dealer, which highlighted not only Kenehan's prior involvement in the Horseshoer's Union but also his political activities. The Plain Dealer noted that:

"Personally, Mr Kenehan is a man whose yea, yea, and nay, nay on a subject on which he is interested makes him well liked by all who know him. There is no hypocrisy, no double-dealing in his make up. He would not flatter himself on political lore, nor would he depend upon flattery for his daily sustenance. He leads in all matters and all subjects that are under discussion. What more could the voters of Colorado want? It would be hard to understand. Roady Kenehan is honest; no graft can get his O.K." 

Hard at work, Roady Kenehan pictured in the Montreal Tribune, Sept. 1, 1910.

    Kenehan's election as state auditor proved to be a story that could have been written by Horatio Alger, a story of a young boy from a lower-class background who, through hard work, fortitude, and personal honesty made good in his endeavors. The Montreal Tribune edition of September 1, 1910, relates further facts on Kenehan's ascension to the post of state auditor, noting that he had been hard at work shoeing horses an hour before his inauguration, and "took off his leather apron, washed his hands and went up to the state house." 

   Described as a "heavy set man close to sixty, with a genial merry eye" Kenehan proved to be a bulldog when it came to curbing the misuse of state funds, and within a few days of becoming auditor had taken steps to curb graft in the capital, finding that a "voucher for $165 from the state penitentiary for automobile tires" hadn't been properly used, and later found that no tires had been purchased at all. Upon further inspection, Kenehan later discovered that many state officials had undertaken "pleasant jaunts at the expense of the state" to various political conventions outside of Colorado, and, after locating an existing statute that would curtail these financial abuses, prevailed in his goal to end these "joy rides". The Montreal Tribune reported on Kenehan's watchful eye, and noted that many of these officials (including the state treasurer, game warden, and insurance commissioner) later "refunded the price to the state out of their own pocket." 

   Kenehan's term as auditor concluded early in 1911 and in November of that year was elected as Colorado State Treasurer, serving from 1911-12. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection as treasurer but was not out of the political spotlight for long, as he was later re-elected as state auditor in November 1912, defeating Republican candidate Charles Lackenby. 

                   From the Internation Horseshoer's Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, February 1902.

    During his second stint as state auditor Kenehan continued as the "watchdog" of Colorado's treasury department. In June of 1913, a report was published in the Telluride Daily Journal that Kenehan had exposed a "$40,000 illegal expenditure" by public officials in Huerfano County. These rebates discovered by Kenehan and his assistant (James Jirvan) had been given to various mining companies, as well as the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Co., the Denver and Rio Grande, and the Colorado and Southern Railroads. While still the incumbent auditor, Kenehan made another attempt at winning the post of state treasurer, but was unsuccessful, being defeated by Republican candidate Harry Mulnix in November 1914. 

   Roady Kenehan's second term as auditor concluded in early 1915 and two years later was sought out by then Secretary of War Newton Diehl Baker, who appointed him as a member of Colorado's district Draft Board #2, and also served as the board's president. In 1918 further honors were accorded to Kenehan when he was tapped to be the federal director of labor/employment for the state of Colorado, being named to this post by U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Wilson. Kenehan continued to be influential in Colorado politics until shortly before his death and was recorded in the Prescott Evening Courier as having been in a state of impaired health since June 1926. 

   Roady Kenehan died in Denver on January 5, 1927, at age 70, and was widely mourned throughout the state. Two weeks following his death, the Steamboat Springs Pilot offered up a picturesque obituary of the humble Irishman who had served Colorado so well as both auditor and treasurer, writing:

"Of all the men who have passed before the public gaze of political life the last 30 years in Colorado, Roady Kenehan, who died Wednesday, was the most unique. Illiterate, honest, big-hearted, stubborn, democratic, keen and bulldoggish, he combined them all and out of the combination God gave Colorado a MAN. No one who ever knew Roady ever forgot him. He was such an outstanding character that his image stayed put in the brains of those who had met him."

Roady Kenehan, from the International Horseshoer's Monthly, 1914.

Sankey Wright Robinson (1924-1986)

From the 1969 North Carolina Manual.

   A one-term member of the North Carolina State Senate, Sankey Wright Robinson was for over three decades a highly regarded figure in Columbus County, being at various times a practicing attorney, county solicitor, county recorder and college trustee for Pembroke State University. 

  Born in Columbus County on November 28, 1924, Sankey W. Robinson was the son of Jimsey Lewis and Mary Ann Britt Robinson. Bestowed the unusual first name "Sankey" upon his birth, Robinson was a 1941 graduate of the Evergreen High School and later enrolled at the Wake Forest University, graduating with his bachelor of science degree in the class of 1948. In August of 1947, Robinson married Elizabeth Hicks Wiseman (1925-2004), with whom he would have one daughter, Mary Elizabeth.

   Following his marriage Robinson would continue his education at the Wake Forest University Law School, earning his law degree in 1951. He would later establish a law practice in the town of Whiteville, North Carolina, operating here for over three decades. In 1954 Robinson began a four-year stint as a judge for the Columbus County Recorders Court, and from 1960-65 (and again from 1970-76), served as the county solicitor for Columbus County. He first resigned from this post in December 1965 and three years later was elected to a two-year term on the Columbus County Planning Board.

Sankey W. Robinson,  a class portrait from the 1945 Howler Yearbook. 

   In 1968 Sankey Robinson attained his highest degree of political prominence when he was elected to represent Columbus County in the North Carolina State Senate. Taking his seat in January 1969, Robinson served one term in the senate, being named to the senate committees on Agriculture, Appropriations, Conservation and Development, Constitution, Judiciary No. 2, Personnel and Employment Programs, and the Appropriations Sub-committee on Personnel and Long-Range Planning. 

   Robinson also experienced distinction in the field of education both before and after his senate term, being a trustee of Pembroke State University in North Carolina. He served twelve years as a chairman of that board and had earlier served as a member of the Whiteville city Board of Education. Active in both religious and fraternal affairs in Columbus County, Sankey Robinson was a past moderator of the Columbus Baptist Church Association, a trustee of the Whiteville First Baptist Church, a Shriner, a 32nd-degree Mason and was also a former president of the Whiteville Lions Club.

  After many of public service to Columbus County, Sankey Wright Robinson died at age 61 on May 24, 1986. Memorialized in a North Carolina senate resolution as "a family man and a true Christian", Robinson was interred at the Columbus Memorial Park and was survived by his daughter Beth and wife Elizabeth, who died in June 2004, later being interred at the same cemetery as her husband.

Isbell Searcy McQuitty (1876-1948)

From the "Yesteryears and Pioneers", 1972.

  The state of Montana is severely underrepresented here on the site, so underrepresented in fact that over the past two and a half years only two oddly named political figures (Decius Spear Wade and Vardaman Allen Cockerill) have received a biography here. I'm proud to announce that two has turned into three with the addition of one Isbell Searcy McQuitty, a native-born Missourian who went on to find success in both business and politics in both Meagher and Wheatland County, Montana. 

   Born in a log cabin in Columbia, Missouri on November 17, 1876, Isbell Searcy McQuitty was the eldest of two sons born to James and Annie Dysart McQuitty. His middle name is incorrectly given by some sources as "Searey", and the correct spelling of "Searcy" is listed on both his World War I draft registration card as well as in his biography in the 1972 History of Wheatland entitled "Yesteryears and Pioneers." While his first name "Isbell" is certainly peculiar, McQuitty himself looks to have preferred going by the initials "I.S. McQuitty" as far as his public life is concerned.

   "Mac" McQuitty and his brother Ewell Fielding "Dick" McQuitty both attended school in Columbia and after graduating from the local high school enrolled at the University of Missouri in the late 1890s. The brothers partnered together around 1900 to engage in railroad construction work, and this period of employment eventually took them to Montana in 1906, where they worked on a continuation of the Milwaukee Railroad. Two years after reaching Montana under the employ of the railroad, work was finished, and the McQuitty brothers began to plot their business future in the town of Harlowton. 

   In 1908 they began construction on a two-story concrete building that would eventually become known as the "McQuitty Block". In April 1909 construction was completed, and soon after the building became home to the Harlowton Grocery Company, a business that both brothers ran successfully for many years afterward. Early in his Montana residency, Isbell McQuitty married in July of 1905 to another native of Missouri, Ida Emma Kyger (1879-1954), and the couple is recorded as being childless through the duration of their marriage.

   While successful in their business pursuits, both brothers became involved in local politics, with Ewell McQuitty being elected as the Mayor of Harlowton. Isbell McQuitty took an active role in Democratic politics in Meagher County, being a delegate to the county Democratic Convention in September 1910. At this gathering, he received the nomination for representative to the Montana State House of Representatives, and in the November election proved successful, gaining "a handsome majority and running ahead of his ticket." The Harlowton News of November 11, 1910, reported on McQuitty's victory, and also ran an announcement from him, in which he remarked of the "splendid support accorded me in the recent campaign." That announcement is shown below.

   Taking his seat at the state capitol in Helena, McQuitty served on the house committees on Federal Relations and Military Affairs during his term. After leaving the legislature in 1913 he returned to his business activities in Harlowton and also was a longstanding member of both the local Odd Fellows Lodge and the Masons. During WWI he became active in the Liberty Bond drive in Harlowton and took part in similar fundraising efforts during WWII.

   Several years after his term in the state house "Mac" McQuitty became a leading figure in the establishment of Wheatland County, Montana, formed in 1917 from portions of both Meagher County and Sweet Grass County. McQuitty was the chairman of the new county's first board of commissioners in 1917 and 1918 and five years later was elected to the Montana State Senate from Wheatland. He served four terms of two years each and left the Senate in 1931. Two years later he was named as the postmaster of Harlowton, and after four years in this post resigned to take the position of State Purchasing Agent for Montana in the administration of Governor Roy E. Ayers. The Helena Daily Independent lauded McQuitty's appointment to the post in July 1937, noting that:

"Through 31 years of experience in Montana in business related to that handled by the state purchasing agent, Mr. McQuitty has gained a valuable background for this important position."

From the Helena Daily Independent, July 1, 1937 edition.

   McQuitty resigned as state purchasing agent in January 1941 and for the remainder of his life remained a prominent figure in Harlowton, even seeing his younger brother Ewell win election to the Montana state senate in 1939, where he would serve for sixteen years. Isbell Searcy McQuitty died shortly before his 72nd birthday on October 31, 1948. His brother "Dick" followed him in death in November of 1960 and both were subsequently buried at the Harlowton Cemetery in Harlowton, with "Mac" being interred under a headstone that states "A Missourian By Birth--a Montanan By Adoption--And A Democrat".

Clio Lowell Lloyd (1864-1921)

                                                                From the San Francisco Call, April 29, 1900.

    One of Santa Barbara, California's more distinguished figures during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Clio Lowell Lloyd occupied the office of Chief Clerk of the California State Assembly for nearly a decade and was later elected as the Mayor of Santa Barbara for a two-year term. Lloyd's time as mayor saw him survive two attempts to oust him from office, due to unfounded accusations of "failing to perform his official duties". 
   Born and raised in Mercer County, Illinois, Clio L. Lloyd's birth occurred in Keithsburg on April 24, 1864, a son of Marion and Jennie Patterson Lloyd. The origin's behind Lloyd's peculiar first name "Clio" can be traced back to Greek mythology, being the name of one of the nine muses, all of whom were daughters of the Greek god Zeus. Clio is remembered as the muse of history, and the name also translates from its original Greek to both "make famous" or "to celebrate". While his first name is quite unusual, the following question remains: Why exactly would two 19th century Illinois parents choose to name their son in honor of a Greek muse? 
   Clio Lloyd spent the first nine years of his life in Keithsburg, later removing with his family to Santa Barbara, California. He attended public schools in this city and "later took a course of higher study" a private school in Santa Barbara, eventually beginning an eight-year stint as a school teacher in the city. Lloyd eventually gave up teaching and moved into the field of journalism, taking on the position of manager of the Santa Barbara Daily Independent and Morning Press. While still active in newspaper work Lloyd also began dabbling in real estate, and in 1893 took on the prominent position of commissioner from Southern California to the World's Fair, being held that year in Chicago. 
   Campbell's Illustrated Weekly, Volume 3 of March 1893  devoted a large amount of coverage to the "World's Colombian Exposition" and with that coverage took special note of Clio Lloyd's stewardship of Santa Barbara County's exhibit at the fair. As commissioner, Lloyd's "pleasant and agreeable manners made him a favorite amongst the thousands of people that daily thronged through the building and desired information" , and he is also noted as being the designer of the exhibit's "Cleopatra Needle", a large obelisk made out of bottles of olive oil, the "chief product of the county."

From Campbell's Illustrated Weekly, Volume 3, 1893.

    In 1901 Clio Lloyd was elected as the Chief Clerk of the California State Assembly and served in this capacity for nine years, the longest tenure of any clerk up to that time. While still the incumbent clerk Lloyd was elected to a seat on the Santa Barbara Board of Education in 1905 and was later named as president of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara State Normal School. His time in the latter post gained him statewide repute as the "Father of the State Normal School at Santa Barbara" due to efforts in getting the bill (which advocated the creation of the school) passed by the state legislature.

   In the final year of his time as assembly clerk Clio Lloyd became a candidate for Mayor of Santa Barbara, and in December 1909 won the election, defeating Democratic candidate Dr. E.J. Boesekes by a vote of 1,121 to 853. Lloyd's tenure as mayor began with a rocky start, and two months after winning the election became the target of a recall movement calling for his removal from the mayor's office. This movement gained steam with the vocalization of disappointed office seeker Benjamin P. Ruiz, who stated in the February 19, 1910, Los Angeles Herald that Mayor Lloyd had promised him the appointment as Santa Barbara Chief of Police during the latter's mayoral campaign in 1909. However, Lloyd had reappointed the popular incumbent police chief James Ross to the post, subsequently drawing the ire of Ruiz. Eight petitions for Lloyd's recall were circulated during February and March of 1910, and the movement needed to sign 544 names to bring about a recall election.

   Lloyd vehemently denied offering the post to Ruiz, and explained that the "real weight of the movement is to get the Chief of Police Ross' head". The petition for Lloyd's recall was eventually withdrawn in early March 1910, with the San Francisco Call deeming the motive behind his potential ouster to be "entirely personal." Three months after this recall movement came to naught further charges were leveled at mayor Lloyd, this time alleging that he had "failed to perform his official duties" when he neglected to "enforce laws" against the "resorts of the red light district". In a San Francisco Call article related to the charges, Lloyd called the charges frivolous, noting:

"I am too busy looking after the interests of the city to bother with this little bunch of knockers and scandal mongers, but now that they are going into court I will be glad for the opportunity to present the facts as they are."

   The case was eventually brought to court in late June, and on July 1, 1910, a judge ruled in favor of the mayor, stating that the charges against him were "inoperative"  and "if there was such a duty neglect there-of did not call for such severe penalty as dismissal from office."

                                                   Clio L. Lloyd, from the 1907 California State Blue Book.

   Lloyd's term as Santa Barbara's mayor concluded in 1911 and is noted by the History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties, Vol. 2 as having given Santa Barbara "a most popular and progressive administration." Despite being popular among most of his constituents (as well as his surviving two attempts to boot him out of office), Lloyd couldn't please everyone, as the following San Francisco Call article illustrates! In July 1911 Lloyd and Mike Strupelli (a Santa Barbara paving contractor) began an argument over a "sewer question", and said argument ended when Strupelli socked Lloyd in the jaw, knocking him to the ground! The irate paving contractor was later arrested for assaulting the mayor but was later released, and the Call later related that "the mayor will file no charges against him."

From the San Francisco Call, July 22, 1911.

  In the year after leaving office, Lloyd was appointed as the assessor of the city of Santa Barbara, filling out an unexpired term. He was later elected to a term of his own as city assessor, serving until 1918. Clio L. Lloyd died three years later on February 6, 1921, in Santa Barbara, aged 56. A lifelong bachelor, he was later interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery in that city.

Havillah Carlos Judson (1853-1928), Havilah Burritt Hinman (1851-1908)

From the 1917 South Dakota Blue Book.

    South Dakota has had a number of oddly named political figures and judges pop up here on the site over the past two and half years, the most recent being Cando resident Fountain Land Thompson, who represented South Dakota in the U.S. Senate for a short time. With the following write-up on Havillah Carlos Judson, a state representative from Meade County, the amount of strangely named South Dakotans grows ever larger, and the name "Havilah" is known to have had biblical origins, being described as both a given name, as well as the name of an ancient region mentioned in the book of Genesis.

   Havillah C. Judson was born in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin on September 23, 1853, one of three children born to David Wells and Mary Catherine Reed Judson. His family later removed to Winnebago County in that state where he received his early schooling. The Judson family relocated to Minnesota in the mid-1860s, where young Havillah worked at farming and attended school. The early 1870s saw him move to Vermillion, South Dakota along with his brother Lucius, and during this period was employed at a sawmill, and later took on a position managing freight between the cities of Rapid City and Deadwood.

   The History of South Dakota, Volume III notes that Judson eventually accumulated enough income to form his own freighting business, and around 1886 purchased a ranch in the Elk Creek region. He would leave the freighting industry around this same time and over the succeeding years engaged in stock raising and farming. Judson married Lois Oliver on January 19, 1886, and later had three children: Mabel Catherine (1899-1978), Alcena Judson (1887-1950) and Shirley Oliver (born 1909).  

  Havilah Judson continued to farm on his Elk Creek property until 1901 when it was destroyed by fire. Following this fire Judson resided on another ranch near Elk Creek "which he managed for an Eastern company", and due to his success in the cattle industry earned the recognition as one "of the progressive and representative men of this section of the state." Judson is later recorded as residing in Viewfield in Meade County, and in 1916 was elected as one of that county's two representatives to the South Dakota State Legislature. 

  Judson's term in the state legislature extended from 1917-1919 and little else is known of his life following his service, with the exception being his death at age 75 in Rapid City on March 14, 1928. His wife Lois survived him by nearly 30 years, dying at age 91 in 1956. Judson was later interred at the New Underwood Cemetery in Pennington County, South Dakota.

From the Genealogical and Family History of New Hampshire, Volume 4, 1908.

   Another "Havillah" who made his name known in public life was Havilah Burritt Hinman of Coos County, New Hampshire. This obscure gentleman represented the aforementioned county in the New Hampshire State House of Representatives in 1879 and had earlier occupied numerous local offices in Stratford, including that of tax collector and town selectman.

   Born on February 19, 1851, in Essex County, Vermont, Havilah Hinman was the son of Harvey and Harriet Hugh Hinman. He moved with his family to Stratford, New Hampshire shortly after his birth and would go on to attend the public schools of that town. After completing his schooling he became employed as a clerk for the Grand Trunk Railroad Co., serving in this capacity for four years. Following the resignation from his clerkship, Hinman began branching out on his own, becoming a farmer and stable owner in Stratford, as well as operating a hotel. Havilah Hinman married in 1873 to Kate May Barrett (1855-1911) and later had several children, including John Holmes Hinman (1885-1981), one of the founders of the International Paper Co. 

   During his short life, Havilah B. Hinman served as Stratford, New Hampshire town auditor and tax collector, and was a town selectman for nearly two decades. Hinman was also the deputy sheriff of Coos County for nearly a decade. He is also noted as being a dealer in lumber and real estate in Coos County, and was active in several fraternal and civic organizations, being a past master of the Coos County Grange, a past chancellor of the Stratford Knights of Pythias Lodge, and was a member of the Island Pond Lodge #44 of Free and Accepted Masons in Island Pond, Vermont.

  Havilah Hinman won election to the New Hampshire State House of Representatives in November 1878 and during the 1879 term held a seat on the house committee on Fisheries and Game. In 1903 he was Stratford's delegate to the New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention being held in Concord. Hinman died five years later of a cerebral hemorrhage on January 10, 1908, shortly before his 57th birthday. His wife Kate survived him by three years and following her death was interred alongside her husband at the Fairview Cemetery in North Stratford, New Hampshire.

Fountain Land Thompson (1854-1942), Fountain Fox Beattie (1878-1956), Fountain Gardner Hollabaugh (1864-1930), Fountain Pitts Shrader (1871-1945)

From the Turtle Mountain Star, November 25, 1909.

   Having a name that conjures up images of a mystical land populated with fountains, Fountain Land Thompson gained the distinction of representing North Dakota in the United States Senate for a two-month period between 1909 and 1910, owing to the death of a previously sitting senator. Prominent in business circles in the city of Cando, North Dakota both before and after his brief senate term, Thompson was a native of Illinois, being born near the village of Scottville on November 18, 1854, a son of Leonard Joshua and Phoebe Salina Thompson. Fountain began his primary schooling in the nearby town of Girard and would later graduate from that town's high school. He married at age nineteen on June 18, 1874, in Girard to Fannie Walker (1853-1920), later becoming a father to three sons, Harry H., Lester J., and Roy Towner Thompson.

   The son of a merchant, Fountain L. Thompson followed the example of his father and established a general store in the Girard area, whilst also doing business in the neighboring settlement of Palmyra. He took an interest in local politics, serving as Girard's treasurer, and was later elected to the Macoupin County, Illinois Board of Supervisors. In 1887 he relocated to Cando, North Dakota with his family and once settled engaged in real estate, establishing the Thompson Realty Company. He served as the president of that realty company and occupied the same position at the Cando Elevator Co. Thompson also took an active interest in financial affairs of Towner County, being the vice president of the First National Bank of Cando and the president of Rock Lake, North Dakota's First National Bank.

  Fountain L. Thompson continued involvement in politics after relocating to North Dakota, serving on the Cando school board, was the judge of Towner County from 1890-1898, and in 1902 won election as Mayor of Cando. After leaving the mayor's office in 1906 Thompson returned to his business dealings, and in November 1909 was appointed to a vacancy in the United States Senate. This vacant senate seat had been occasioned by the sudden death of Martin Nelson Johnson on October 21, 1909, only seven months after being elected. 

A notice on Thompson's senate appointment, from the Jan. 3, 1910 Daytona, Florida World News.

  Thompson's senate appointment received wide press in newspapers of the time, some as far away as Daytona, Florida. The Wenatchee Daily World's January 17, 1910, edition published a short snippet on Thompson's public life, noting that:

"In a recent interview Senator Thompson said that, while he had always been a Democrat and had held local political offices, he had never sough political preferment. As to politics, he declared that the manner in which it had been conducted in recent years had cultivated in him a distaste for it."

   In the days after receiving his senate appointment, many pieces of period literature lauded Thompson, noting his extensive business dealings in Cando, as well as his previous stints as mayor and county judge. However, Thompson's senate career ended as quickly as it began, as he resigned from office on January 31, 1910, two months after taking his seat. The Ward County Independent reported on his resignation, noting that soon after traveling to Washington D.C. Thompson's health took a turn for the worse, suffering a "number of hemorrhages".  Out of concerns for his health Thompson resigned, and after leaving the senate journeyed South in the hopes that his health would be restored. 
   Thompson eventually recuperated and returned home to Cando, continuing to be involved in business dealings in that area until 1921, when he moved to Los Angeles, California. He resided here until his death at age 87 on February 4, 1942, having attained the distinction of being the oldest living ex-senator at the time of his decease. He was interred alongside his wife Fannie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Fountain L. Thompson, from the Wenatchee Daily World, January 17, 1910.

From "The History of South Carolina, Volume 3", 1920.

   Born into a distinguished Greenville, South Carolina family, Fountain Fox Beattie's birth occurred in Greenville on July 29, 1878, a son of John Edgeworth Beattie and Mary Mays, the former being the president of the First National Bank of Greenville. Fountain Beattie attended Furman University, the University of Michigan, and George Washington University in Washington, D.C., graduating from the last-named school in the class of 1902 with his degree in law. 

  Shortly after attaining his degree, Beattie returned to Greenville to begin a law practice, and in November 1905 was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives at the age of just 27. He served in the legislative term of 1906-1908 and later married Jane Cobb Arnold (1888-1983) and had three children: Fountain Fox Jr. (1913-2001), Dannite Mays (1917-1994), and Janell Arnold Beattie (birth-date unknown). 

  Following the death of his father in 1916 Fountain Fox Beattie succeeded to the Presidency of the First National Bank of Greenville, serving in this post for a number of years. He died aged 78 in Greenville on July 29, 1956 and was survived by his wife and three children. Both Beattie, his wife, and two sons were interred at the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Greenville.

From the Arkansas legislative composite portrait, 1909.

  Another Fountain that attained political prominence was Fountain Gardner Hollabaugh of Searcy County, Arkansas. A one-term member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for the 1909-1911 session, Hollabaugh succeeded his oddly named brother Shem Easley Hollabaugh in the legislature, the latter having represented Searcy County from 1907-1909. 

  The son of Emanuel Fountain (1840-1936) and Frances (Hatchett) Hollabaugh (1842-1916), Fountain Gardner Hollabaugh was born in Arkansas on April 22, 1864. Unlike his brother Shem, there is a dearth of information concerning Fountain Hollabaugh's life. Sources denote his being a teacher in the Valley Springs, Arkansas area, and he also taught summer school in the neighboring town of Leslie. Hollabaugh married Dora F. Pass (1877-1958) sometime in the 1890s and had at least two children, Lily Mae (1899-1928) and Ira Frances (1910-1956)

  A leading Mason in his region, Hollabaugh served an eighteen-year tenure as secretary for the Marshall, Arkansas Masonic Lodge. After serving one term in the legislature Hollabaugh was appointed by President Wilson as U.S. Postmaster at Marshall, Arkansas in 1915 and would be reappointed to that post in 1919. Little else is known of his life after this date, except notice of his death on December 5, 1930, at the home of his daughter in Capps, Boone County, Arkansas. He was survived by his wife and was interred at the East Lawn Cemetery in Marshall.

From the McKinney, Texas Examiner, July 20, 1939.

   Frisco, Texas resident Fountain Pitts Shrader's political claim to fame extends from his several terms as Mayor of Frisco between 1912 and 1930. Following his last term as mayor Shrader would be named as U.S. Postmaster at Frisco, serving until shortly before his death. A native of Arkansas, Fountain Pitts "Fount" Shrader was born in Carrollton on January 26, 1871, the son of George and Mary (Gibbs) Shrader. 

  Removing to Collin County, Texas with his family in childhood, the Shrader family later settled on a farm near Frisco.  By 1900 Fount Shrader was residing in McKinney, Texas, and married in that town to Sue Hume (1870-1940), with whom he had one daughter, Audrey (1903-1923). Following their marriage, Shrader and his wife relocated to Frisco, where they resided for the remainder of their lives. While information regarding Shrader remains scant, mention is given as to his being one of three men who established the first cotton gin in Frisco. Shrader was also affiliated with the grain elevator business, being the vice president of the Frisco Grain and Elevator Company.

  Shrader made his first move into local politics with his election as Mayor of Frisco in April 1912. He served consecutive terms until April 1916 and would be returned to that office in April 1917, serving until 1920. By 1922 Shrader was again in the mayor's chair, and after another four-year stint was succeeded by F.H. Anderson. Anderson's brief tenure extended from 1926-27, and in April of the last-named year, Shrader was again elected, this time serving until 1930.

   In October 1937 Shrader was named U.S. Postmaster at Frisco, succeeding his younger brother Daniel Booker (1874-1937), who had died October 1. After serving in an interim capacity for several months Fount Shrader was confirmed as postmaster and served until his resignation in January 1945. Following the death of his wife Sue in 1941, Shrader remarried to Artie Ragan Vardy (1877-1962), a widow. The couple was wed until Shrader's death at his Frisco home on February 14, 1945.  He was later interred alongside his wife at the Ridgeview West Memorial Park in Frisco. 

From the McKinney Examiner, February 22, 1945.

Ai Noah Boynton (1845-1911), Ai Baker Thompson (1833-1890), Ai Gray Miller (1885-1950), Ai Stephen Russell (1857-1929)

From Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties.

   This multi-part posting highlights the lives of three men who were bestowed the peculiar first name "Ai", which can certainly be considered as a candidate for the shortest first name in history. While the reasons behind each of these men being given this odd name have been lost to the pages of time, the name "Ai" is worth mentioning, as it is of biblical origin. In ancient times "Ai" (pronounced Eh'-aye) was one of the royal cities in the ancient region of Canaan and was later invaded and captured by the Israelites, who later burned the city to the ground.

  First up is Mr. Ai Noah Boynton, active in the affairs of business and politics in Lamoille County, Vermont. The eldest of 11 children born to Noah and Abagail Boynton, Boynton's birth occurred in Amherst, New Hampshire on November 3, 1845. His early years were marked by the Successful Vermonters as being of limited education and moved with his family to Vermont at age 9. Four years after his removal Boynton was "bound out" to a farmer in the town of Walden, where he worked at farming and attended school, later returning to his parent's farm after three years away. As Noah Boynton had enlisted for service during the Civil War, it was young Ai who would take over the reins of the family's 50-acre farm.

   Boynton continued farming throughout the 1860s and in November 1867 married Parmelia Campbell, with whom he would have one daughter, Effie (died 1887.) In the year following his marriage, he purchased a sawmill in the village of North Wolcott, Vermont and began what would become a three-decade-long career as a dealer in lumber. His mill at North Wolcott was said to churn out "a capacity of 2,500 feet of lumber per day." Active in local politics as well as business, Boynton served as a justice of the peace and town selectman, and in November 1897 was selected as one of Lamoille County's representatives to the Vermont General Assembly, subsequently holding a seat on the grand list committee.

   Ai N. Boynton served one term (1898-1900) in the house of representatives and in 1902 sold his lumber business and removed from North Wolcott to Morrisville, Vermont. In the same year as his removal, he was elected as an assistant judge for Lamoille County and in 1905 became a member of the Morrisville Board of Trustees. He later served as street commissioner of the town and later overseer of the poor, occupying the latter post until his death on November 25, 1911. The Burlington Weekly Free Press obituary for Ai Boynton notes he had recently contracted "bilious grip" around his birthday (November 3) and died of complications of the illness. This same obituary later notes that Boynton was returned to Wolcott for burial at the Fairmount Cemetery.

From the November 30, 1911 Burlington Weekly Free Press.

From the "History of the Second Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry", 1896.

  Another "Ai" who made his name known in state politics was Ai Baker Thompson, a lifelong resident of New Hampshire who logged thirteen years of service as the Secretary of the State of New Hampshire. Born and raised in Holderness, Ai B. Thompson was born on August 25, 1833, the son of John and Charlotte Baker Thompson. Thompson graduated from Dartmouth College in the class of 1858 and three years later was admitted to practice law by the New Hampshire bar.

  In the early days of the Civil War Thompson enlisted as a private, and in August 1861 received an appointment from President Lincoln as a captain in the Eighth U.S. Infantry. He participated in the Battle of Bull Run and on New Year's Eve 1862 was promoted to brevet major, "for gallant and meritorious conduct at the Battle of Stone's River." Thompson received grievous wounds at this particular engagement, including a fractured humerus. which "rendered the arm practically useless". Following some recuperation Thompson returned to duty as an inspector in the provost marshal's department in Ohio, later serving as an assistant provost marshal for New Hampshire until the conclusion of the war. Decades after his service Thompson served as the Department Commander for New Hampshire G.A.R. in 1888.

   Thompson had married during wartime on May 13, 1863, to Matilda R. Smith (1835-1912) and this couple became the parents to four children, of whom two survived into adulthood: James B. (died aged one in October 1865), Joseph Smith (died aged seven months in 1867), Laurien (born 1869) and Marion (born 1871). 

   After being placed on the military's retired list, Thompson continued to be involved in post-war reconstruction, being appointed (under the authority of the military) as the Sheriff of Richmond, Virginia in June of 1869. After returning home to New Hampshire he established a law office in the city of Concord and in the mid-1870s took on the position of Deputy Secretary of State for New Hampshire. In 1876 he was a delegate from Concord to the New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention, and in the following year was elected as New Hampshire Secretary of State.

  Thompson's tenure as secretary extended from 1877 until his death at age 57 on September 12, 1890. He was later interred at the Franklin Cemetery in Franklin, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, and was survived by his wife Matilda, who died aged 75 in 1912.

 From the 1946 Iowa State Blue Book.

   From New Hampshire, we journey to Iowa and one Ai Gray Miller, a two-term member of the Iowa State Senate. Born on February 4, 1885, and raised in Audubon County, Iowa, Miller attended "rural schools" in that county and was later a student at Drake University in Des Moines. Miller married on February 7, 1907, to Stella Fancher (1885-1991), with whom he would have four children: Frank (birth-date unknown), Lt. Col. Marion Ai Miller (1914-2003), Jessie Yvonne Miller Himelright (birthdate unknown) and Dora Adelaide (birth-date unknown).

   Active for many years in the civil affairs of Audubon County, Ai G. Miller served as the director of the Audubon County Soil Conservation and Improvement Association, was a member of the Audubon County Board of Supervisors, and was a former president of the Audubon County Board of Education. Miller also found prominence in various local businesses in his home county, being affiliated with the Farmer's Mutual Telephone Company for over two decades.

    Ai G. Miller was first elected to the Iowa State Senate in November 1940 and was continually reelected to that body, the last of which occurred in November 1944. Miller was a sponsor of a Senate bill during his first term that pressed for rural electrification to aid Iowa's farmers and retired from the Senate at the end of his second term in January 1949. He died a year later on February 26, 1950, at age 65, due to a heart attack, expiring at a hospital in Carroll, Iowa. He was later buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon and was survived by his wife Stella, who lived to become one of Iowa's oldest residents, dying at the grand age of 105 on January 7, 1991.

  Another "Ai" that ventured into politics was Rumney, New Hampshire resident Ai Stephen Russell, who served one term in his state's house of representatives beginning in 1903. A longtime physician in Rumney, Russell was born in Lincoln, New Hampshire on June 29, 1857, a son of Stephen and Eunice (Hanson) Russell. Ai would study medicine at the Eclectic Medical College in Lewiston, Maine, and following his graduation in 1883 settled into a medical practice in Rumney.

  Russell married in Rumney to Celestia Elliott in May 1885 and in November 1902 won election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a Democrat, beating Republican nominee Charles Swain by a vote of 131 to 123. Russell served in the session of 1903-05 and was a member of the committee on Insurance during that term. In 1914 he was appointed by the Governor to the New Hampshire Board of Medical Examiners, serving in that capacity for an indeterminate length of time. Russell died in Rumney on December 22, 1929, at age 72, and was survived by his wife Celestia. Both were interred at the Highland Cemetery in Rumney.

Paulinus Mayhew Foster (1811-1861)

Portrait courtesy of the Maine State Archives and www.mainememory.net.

    A resident of the town of Anson in Somerset County, Maine, Paulinus Mayhew Foster was a practicing attorney in that area for nearly three decades and was a past president of the Maine State Senate, serving in this capacity during the session of 1850-51. Born on New Year's Day 1811 in the village of Readfield, Paulinus M. Foster was the son of Benjamin (1784-1860) and Lavinia Hillman Foster. He decided upon a career in law at a young age, and at age twenty-one began to study under David Bronson (1800-1863), a future U.S. Representative from Maine as well as a State Senator. Foster completed his studies under another Maine lawyer, Samuel Wells, who was later to be elected to the Maine Supreme Court and the Maine Governorship. Foster entered into practice in Anson, Maine with David Bronson in the early 1830s and maintained a partnership here for several years. 

   On June 7, 1840 Paulinus Foster married to Lydia Ring Hutchins (1819-1891) and later became the father of ten children, who are listed as follows in order of birth: Flora (born 1841), Ada (born 1842), Carroll (1844-1891), Olive (born 1846), Carlos (born 1848) and Charles (born 1850), Benjamin (1852-1926), William (born 1854), Fanny (born 1857) and Arthur (1860-1924).

   Paulinus Foster was elected to the Maine Senate in 1849 and during the 1850-51 term served as its President. At the conclusion of his term, Foster returned to Anson and in 1860 removed with his family to Richmond in the county of Sagadahoc. Foster died at his home there on September 6, 1861, having recently contracted rheumatic fever. The two-volume Foster Genealogy (published in 1899) notes that both Foster and his wife were buried in Richmond following their deaths, but were later re-interred at a cemetery somewhere in the village of Anson, an exact cemetery location being unknown at this time.