Cola De Rienzi Meacham (1838-1907), Cola Byron Streetman (1907-1991)

From Vermont, A Souvenir of Its Government, 1902-04.

   The second Vermonter to be profiled here in as many days, Cola De Rienzi Meacham served in his state's House of Representatives from 1902-1904, representing the county of Caledonia. Interestingly, Meacham served in the same legislative session as yesterday's site honoree, Pearl Castle Abbey. In an even more intriguing coincidence, both of these politicians were Baptist clergymen.

  Looking more like a mad scientist than a pastor/public official, Cola De Rienzi Meacham was born to Vermont parents in Shefford, Province of Quebec, Canada on October 10, 1838. Meacham's parents eventually resettled in Newport, Vermont in 1844, six years after their son's birth. Meacham received his unusual name in honor of the famed Roman politician and tribune Cola Di Rienzo (also spelled as Rienzi) who was assassinated in 1354. 

  As a youth, Meacham studied at the Derby Academy and (in another similarity to Pearl C. Abbey) later attended the New Hampton Institute in Fairfax, Vermont. Meacham graduated in 1870 from the Newton Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister that same year in Barre, Massachusetts. He married on June 14, 1870 to Ms. Electa Dustin Grow (1834-1902). The couple later became the parents of three sons, Willis Grow (died aged one in 1872), Cola Winn (born 1872), and Alfred Bertrand (born 1874).

  Throughout the latter part of the 19th century, Meacham served as pastor in many churches, mainly in the New England area. During his pastorate at North Scituate, he undertook an "extensive tour of Europe and the Holy Land", though the dates he was overseas remain unknown. In 1886 he accepted the pastorate of the Baptist church in Ashland, Massachusetts, where the portrait below was taken.

                     This portrait of Cola DeR. Meacham appeared in the book "Ashland", authored by 

                            Edward A. McGuire and R. Marc Kantrowicz in 2001.

  Meacham left Ashland in 1889 and accepted a pastorate in Long Pine, Nebraska, and preached here until 1891. He returned to Vermont that same year, settling in the village of Townshend. Meacham became pastor here in 1892 and was later appointed as the Townshend Superintendent of Schools in 1897. 

  Several years after settling in Townshend, Meacham removed again, this time resettling in the town of Barnet. It was here that he was elected to his first political office, a seat in the Vermont State House of Representatives. He served in the legislature from 1902 to 1904, and during his term of service held a seat on the House Committee on Temperance. Sources also denote his "scientific ability", being a "specialist in archaeology, and a thorough student of nature." Meacham is also known to have been an artist and poet, "which he displayed during his leisure hours."

  After his legislative service, Meacham returned to his earlier duties as a pastor, preaching in the Baptist church at Townshend, Vermont from 1905-06. Meacham died at the home of his sister in Newport, Vermont on June 3, 1907, aged 68. 

From the St. Johnsbury Republican, June 12, 1907.

From the Brattleboro, Vermont Phoenix, June 7, 1907.

   Mr. Cola Byron Streetman served a brief term as Mayor of the city of Vero Beach and was for many years a potent force in the citrus industry in the Sunshine State. The son of George Sinclair (1872-1960) and Savannah Kilpatrick Streetman (1876-1943), Cola B. Streetman was born in Alabama in September 1907 and later married  Myrtle Hogan (1911-2000), with whom he would have two sons.

  Streetman removed to Vero Beach, Florida in 1929. Once settled, he joined his father-in-law in the local citrus industry and during the 1930s was successfully engaged in this business throughout the counties of Indian River and St. Lucie, serving as the general manager of the Hogan and Sons Citrus Co. As a founder of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Streetman was at the forefront of the Florida citrus industry becoming known worldwide, and his involvement with this organization wasn't limited to being a founder. He served on the FFVA Board of Directors for thirty-five years and was named as director emeritus two years before his death.

  In addition to his active involvement with the FFVA, Streetman was a leading light in Vero Beach civic affairs, elected as the Mayor of Vero Beach in December 1952. He served one term in this office, with his tenure concluding in December 1953. In his later years, Streetman continued to be an active force in the FFVA, serving as its President in 1969 and 1970. He died in January 1991 at age 83 and was interred at the Crestview Cemetery in Vero Beach. Streetman was survived by his wife Myrtle, who died nine years after her husband in February 2000 at age 89.

Pearl Castle Abbey (1842-1918), Pearl Tenney Haskell (1868-1919)

   This Vermont resident with the feminine-sounding name is Mr. Pearl Castle Abbey, a clergyman and farmer who served one term in his state's House of Representatives in the early 20th century. Information on Abbey's life is sorely lacking, but enough resources have been located to aid in writing a small biography for him.
  Abbey was born in the town of Essex, Chittenden County, Vermont on February 6, 1842, the son of Ira and Emily Cilley Abbey. As a youth, Pearl Abbey attended the Essex Classical Institute and later graduated from the Hampton Institute in Fairfax, Vermont. In March 1863 Abbey married in Jericho, Vermont to Ms. Martha E. Weed (1842-1916), and they were married for fifty-four years, her death occurring in 1916. Two children were born to the couple, Bert Wood Abbey (1869-1962) and daughter Pearl May Abbey (born 1871.)
  The majority of the available sources on Abbey's life mention him as a clergyman, with one explicitly stating his position as Deacon of the Baptist Church at Essex. Religion continued to play an important role throughout Abbey's public life, and in 1892 he was appointed as chaplain of the Vermont State House of Representatives. Research also indicates that Abbey was regarded as a fairly prominent figure in Essex, and besides his service to the church, he was also entrusted to hold a variety of other posts, including town selectman, justice of the peace, and Essex County Superintendent of Schools. Later in his life, Abbey was named as a member of the board of trustees of the Essex Classical Institute, serving in this post for fifteen years.
  In November 1901, Pearl C. Abbey won election to the Vermont State House of Representatives, representing Chittenden County for the 1902-04 legislative session. His term in the legislature concluded in 1904 and he died in Essex on February 7, 1918, one day after his 76th birthday. He was subsequently buried alongside his wife Mary in the Mountain View Cemetery in Essex Center, Vermont. Abbey's son Bert is also interred in the family plot.
  The portrait of Pearl Castle Abbey shown above (very likely the only picture of him available online) was discovered in the book Vermont, A Souvenir of its Government, 1902-03, which was published during his tenure in the legislature.

                      Abbey's name as it appeared on a 1902 roster of Vermont state representatives.     

  Another state legislator with this odd feminine name is Mr. Pearl Tenney Haskell of Sanbornville, New Hampshire. Born on March 10, 1868, in Deering, Maine, Haskell was one of six children born to the Rev. William Haskell and his wife Ellen Cary. He was bestowed his unusual name in honor of a family friend, a Captain John Pearl Tenney. The Haskell family relocated from Deering to the city of Falmouth when Pearl was an infant and he is recorded as attending the Newtonville, Massachusetts Grammar School as a youth. He later went on to study at the Phillips Andover Academy as well as the Sheffield Scientific School. 

  Once in his early twenties, Haskell decided to embark upon a career in medicine, enrolling at Bowdoin College and graduated from this institution in the class of 1893. His years at the college also saw him excel at sports in addition to his medical studies, and he is listed as being "devoted to football and other sports" by the Journal of the Maine Medical Association. Haskell married on October 28, 1896 to Ms. Marietta Blake (born 1875) a native of Wakefield, New Hampshire. The couple is recorded as being childless throughout the duration of their marriage. 

  Haskell and his wife removed to Union, New Hampshire during the mid-1890s and shortly after his arrival opened a medical practice. His stay in Union lasted from 1894-96, whereafter he relocated his practice to Sanbornville, New Hampshire, operating here from 1898 to 1905. Haskell relocated once again in 1905 to Concord, where he became a visiting physician at the Margaret Pillsbury General Hospital from 1908-1911.

  While residing in Concord Pearl T. Haskell was elected as a Republican to the New Hampshire State House of Representatives. He served one term in this body from 1911-1913 as a Republican, and he is remarked by the Journal of the Maine Medical Association as "suggesting useful medical improvements" during his service. Haskell also chaired the House Committee on Public Health during this legislative term. 

                 Haskell as he looked during his New Hampshire legislative service, circa 1911.

  In 1914 Pearl Haskell relocated to Bangor, Maine to accept the position of assistant physician at the Eastern Maine State Hospital, and after three years service was promoted to Superintendent of that hospital. The Journal of the Maine Medical Association notes that Haskell utilized new techniques in medicine during his time at this hospital, and is recorded as organizing a "minstrel entertainment and a band" to amuse the patients, and also "for concert purposes as well as for noting the effect of music on the insane."

  Haskell suffered from health problems during his later years, being mentioned as "disease of the sacro-iliac joint" as well as typhoid. He continued to practice medicine until his death at age 50 on April 13, 1919, when he was found dead near his car, due to a probable case of myocarditis. He was survived by his wife Marietta, and a burial location for both Haskell and his wife is unknown at this time.

Matere Eakins Beman (1859-1929)

Portrait from Ohio Legislative History 1909-1912, Vol. I

   The political figure profiled today is Matere Eakins Beman, a little-known native of Gallia County, Ohio who served one term in the Ohio state senate from 1913-1919. A small biography of Mr. Beman is located in the Ohio Legislative History Manual of 1913, where the majority of this article's information was culled from.

   Matere Eakins Beman was born on June 27, 1859, in Thurman, Ohio. He attended schools local to the Gallia County, Ohio area, and married in 1894 to Maggie Thurman. Most of the available sources on Beman mention him as a farmer and stock raiser, with emphasis on his raising of "purebred cattle". He was also involved in banking in his native county for a number of years preceding his legislative service, serving as the president of the First National Bank of Thurman. The Ohio Legislative Manual also gives a note on Beman's public stature in his native town, citing his service as mayor, town councilman, and later as a member of the school board.

   In 1912 Beman was nominated by the citizens of Gallia County for a seat in the Ohio State Senate. He ran as a Republican and was elected to the legislature "by a majority of 1600". After taking his seat in 1913, Beman is noted as giving "most of his attention to bills affecting the farming interests" of his district and state. He served on three committees during his Senate service, including the Committee on Banks and Savings Societies, Fees and Salaries, and Prisons and Prison Reform.

  Beman's Senate tenure lasted but one term, and after leaving the legislature returned to his earlier banking and farming interests. He died in Thurman on November 1, 1929, at age 70 and was buried in the Gallia County Cemetery. A small obituary on Beman memorializes him as "one of the county's wealthiest citizens, and was said to be the largest individual taxpayers in the county." 

From the Lima Morning State and Republican Gazette, November 2, 1929.

Didymus Thomas (1812-1887)

                           From the History of Oneida County, New York and Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers.

   A one-term member of the New York state assembly, Didymus Thomas was born in Steuben, New York on May 24, 1812, to Thomas Thomas (not a typo!) and his wife Mary Hughes Thomas, who were both natives of Wales. The couple immigrated to the United States in 1800 and eventually settled in the village of Steuben in 1804. Didymus (whose name means "twin" in Greek) attended schools local to the Steuben area and also worked at farming. As a young man, he worked as a schoolteacher and later settled into a career as a general merchandiser and store owner. He married in 1835 to Ms. Lydia Pierce, with whom he had one daughter, Lydia Marion (1835-1905). Thomas's marriage was short-lived, as Lydia Pierce Thomas died at age 25 in August 1840. Didymus remarried sometime in the 1840s to Ms. Eliza Griffin, who died in 1882.
   The History of Oneida County also makes note of Thomas's later career as a cheese manufacturer. In his later years, Thomas built a large structure on his property (shown below) devoted to the manufacture of that dairy product, and it's mentioned that it was "one of the best-patronized factories in the vicinity."

       This sketch of Didymus Thomas's home appeared in the 1878 book "History of Oneida County".

   Thomas's cheese factory closed within a few short years of opening, due to the "onerous duties imposed", as well as the "unreasonable exaction of patrons". After this endeavor, he engaged in real estate transactions for several years, in addition to his earlier mercantile pursuits.
   Didymus Thomas was also politically active in his native county, serving at various times as magistrate, postmaster, justice of the peace, and township supervisor for the village of Remsen. Sources of the time mention him as a "Free Soil Democrat, but never failing by his vote or influence, to promote the cause of temperance." In 1859, the citizens of Oneida County elected Thomas to the New York State Assembly, where he served a one-year term. His term in the legislature may have been short, but the History of Oneida County gives note that he represented his district "in a manner highly creditable to himself and most satisfactory to his constituents". Thomas's sterling character and integrity are also attested to in the "History of Oneida County", which notes that he was "an exceptionally rigid temperance advocate, having never made use during his life of alcoholic stimulants or tobacco in any form."
   Thomas died in Steuben on March 7, 1887, at age 74. One source lists his cause of death as a "shock of paralysis" which he sustained on the day preceding his death. Both Didymus and his wife Lydia were interred in the Capel Ucha Cemetery in the town of Steuben. On an aside note, the town of Remsen, NY named a library in honor of Didymus Thomas some years after his death, proving that he isn't a totally forgotten historical figure!

An article on Thomas' Assembly nomination, published in the Rome, NY Citizen.

Meneely Hitchcock Hanks (1842-1882)

Portrait courtesy of Find-a-Grave.

   When it comes to compiling profiles for some of these obscure politicians, some are easier to research than others. On more than one occasion I've been surprised by the amount of information that comes to light when "digging up the dirt" on some of these long-dead individuals! On the flip side of that coin, however, a great many of these elected officials have just one or two snippets to work off of; and worse yet, some have only one source mentioning their name and whatever office they may have held.
   Our subject today falls into the latter category. Meneely Hitchcock Hanks was a 19th-century resident of Tolland County, Connecticut, and his political service was that of a representative in the Connecticut State Legislature for one term in 1869. I discovered Hanks's name in an 1881 work entitled The Roll of State Officers and Members of the General Assembly, 1776-1881. This particular work has proven to be quite the blessing when it comes to new names to post here, of which Meneely H. Hanks is the most recent addition.
  Other than the mention of his service in his state's legislature, little else can be found on Hank's life. The Find A Grave website (where the above picture of Hanks was found) indicates that he was born on May 12, 1842, in the town of Mansfield, Connecticut, the son of Edmund and Achsah Loomis Turner Hanks. Meneely Hanks later married Martha Royce on May 2, 1865, and they later had one son, Edward M. Hanks, who died at age 24 in 1896.
   Meneely H. Hanks was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives in 1869, where he served but one term. Research indicates that he was the owner of a gristmill at some point during the 1870s and he sold this property to "a man from Ellington" in April 1881. Meneely H. Hanks died shortly before his 40th birthday on April 8, 1882, in his native town of Mansfield. It is known that he was survived by both his wife and mother, who died in 1909 and 1887, respectively.

Decimus et Ultimus Barziza (1838-1882)

Portrait from the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, April 1963.

   This wonderfully named political figure is Decimus et Ultimus Barziza, a 19th-century Texas resident who gained distinction as a soldier, author, lawyer, and member of the Texas State House of Representatives. When I first stumbled across this intriguingly named man several years ago, there were very few resources online that mentioned him at any great length. I'm pleased to report that the above fact has now changed, and one of these newly discovered resources (an archived April 1963 edition of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly) gives an excellent overview on Barziza's short life and how he received his odd name.
   The story behind Barziza's unique name begins in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he was born on September 4, 1838. He was the son of an Italian immigrant and Viscount named Filippo Ignacio Barziza and his Canadian wife, Cecilia Amanda Bellett. Decimus's father settled in Williamsburg, Virginia around 1820 and thereafter had a family that consisted of 9 children. In 1838 a tenth child was born, and after doing some celebrating with friends, Filippo realized that he had no idea what to name his newborn son. A friend who was with him humorously suggested the name of "Decimus et Ultimus" (which literally translates to "tenth and last" in Latin) and the elder Barziza decided to bestow that very name upon his son!
   Young Decimus studied at the College of William and Mary in Virginia and graduated from here in 1857. He removed to Texas with three of his brothers shortly after leaving college and once settled, began the study of law at Baylor University. He earned his law degree in 1859 and shortly thereafter moved to Owensville in the hopes of opening a law practice.
  Barziza's career as a lawyer was put on hold at the outbreak of the Civil War. Soon after the hostilities broke out, he joined up with the Confederate Army and served with the Fourth Texas Infantry. He later became a first lieutenant and served under the command of Gen. John Bell Hood. Barziza eventually became a Captain under Hood and saw action at the Battles of Manassas and Gettysburg. On July 2, 1863, he was wounded at the latter battle and was captured by the Union Army, spending the next few months as a prisoner of war in a camp hospital in Ohio. In 1864, Barziza and a number of other Confederate prisoners were being transferred by train to Point Lookout, Maryland, when he made good his escape by leaping through one of the train's windows.
  In the weeks following his escape, Barziza gradually made his way to Canada and would eventually manage to sneak back into the United States. After resettling in Texas in 1865, he published a memoir of his wartime experiences, entitled The Adventures of a Prisoner of War, and Life and Scenes in Federal Prisons: Johnson's Island, Fort Delaware and Point Lookout. One should also note that Barziza didn't publish these memoirs under his own name, but rather under the pseudonym "An Escaped Prisoner of Hood's Texas Brigade".

            This 1870s portrait of Barziza appears on the Legislative Reference Library of Texas website.

   In the years following the war, Barziza established his law practice and within a few years became known as one of the leading attorneys in his area. He made his first jump into politics in 1873, winning election to the Texas State House of Representatives from Harris County. Barziza proved to be busy as a first-term legislator, being named to the committees on Asylums, Commerce and Manufactures, Congressional Districts,  Constitutional Amendments, Education, Internal Improvements, Judicial Districts, State Affairs, and the Texas Central Railroad. He would also chair the committee on Public Lands and Land Office. Barziza was reelected to the legislature in 1876 and served until August 2nd of that year when he resigned his seat due to a clash with the House's majority party over a piece of legislation. 
  Barziza continued with his law practice in the years following his stint in the legislature and was also one of the founders (and later chairman) of the Houston Land and Trust Company. In 1878 he name was boosted by the Houston Age as a potential candidate for Lieutenant Governor, but nothing came of it. He died of an undisclosed illness in Houston, Texas on January 30, 1882, at age 44, and was subsequently buried in the Glendale Cemetery in Houston.
  

    This Ripley's Believe It Or Not write up on Barziza was published in 1965 in the Albuquerque Journal.

Nephi United States Centennial Jensen (1876-1955)

Nephi U. S. C. Jensen

   The following profile centers on one of the single greatest strange name discoveries this author has discovered in quite some time. The plentifully named individual above, Nephi United States Centennial Jensen, was a Utah attorney, judge, and Mormon leader during the first half of the 20th century, and I first located Jensen's name (as well as the above picture) in the History of the Bench and Bar of Utah, published in 1913. Throughout this book were featured numerous Utah lawyers, attorneys, and judges, many of whom had political offices to their credit. Among these men was the gentleman shown above, listed under the curious name of Nephi U.S.C. Jensen. I soon found that his unusual first name was given to him in honor of Nephi, the sixth-born son of Lehi, a high-ranking prophet in the Book of Mormon. After some lengthy searching, I discovered a death certificate for a Nephi United States Centennial Jensen, born in Salt Lake City on February 16, 1876. I compared the date to the one found in the aforementioned Bench and Bar book and found them to be a spot-on match! 
   Nephi U.S.C. Jensen was born of Danish parentage on February 16, 1876, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His parents, Soren and Christine Rasmussen Jensen had settled in Utah after emigrating from Denmark in 1861. No source mentions why his parents gave him the middle names "United States Centennial", but seeing that the country turned 100 years old in the year of his birth, they must have been seized with truly patriotic fervor to do so!! 
   Young Nephi joined the Mormon Church at age eight and is recorded as attending the "public schools of Sugar House" as well as the Union High School in Montezuma County, Colorado. Jensen continued his education at the Latter Day Saints College in Salt Lake City and later earned his LL.B degree from the University of Chattanooga in 1906. After leaving school in Utah, Jensen went into missionary service, preaching the word of Mormonism throughout the Southern area of the United States. Jensen returned from his religious mission in 1900 and settled in Arizona for a time. It was here that he married Ms. Margaret Fife Smith (1882-1969) on April 9, 1902, and moved back to Utah a short while later. Genealogical websites mention that Nephi and Margaret had at least one son born to them, Paul, who was recorded as being born sometime in 1903.
   Jensen was admitted to the Utah bar in February 1906 and in November of that year was elected to his first political office, winning election to the Utah State House of Representatives as a Republican. He took his seat in early January 1907, representing the county of Salt Lake. The Bench and Bar of Utah also mention his service, stating that he received "the highest vote of any candidate on the ticket." He served in the state house for one term (1907-1909) and a roster of house members from that legislative session has been provided below. Nephi's name is located at the very bottom of the roster.

   Jensen took his seat in the legislature in January 1907 and, in an interesting anecdote, his arrival in the state house soon caused a problem for the compilers of the legislative journal! As the Salt Lake Tribune snippet posted below relates, the legislature passed a motion stating that the lengthy name of Mr. Jensen occupied "too much space in the journal" and " that in the future he be designated as Nephius Jensen". No paper of the time denotes how Jensen reacted to the measure, but I like to think that he and many of his fellow legislators had a good laugh about it! 

   After leaving the legislature, Jensen continued practicing law, and in 1911 was named as the Assistant Attorney for Salt Lake County. He served in this position until August of 1913 when he resigned and started a joint law practice with another Utah attorney, C.E. Marks, who had previously served as a district court judge in Idaho. A portrait/article on Jensen's resignation from that office appeared on page fourteen of the July 16. 1913 edition of the Salt Lake Tribune and is shown below. For such an obscure individual, Mr. Jensen has had quite a few pictures of himself located in periodicals of the time, much to my great surprise!

   The firm of Marks and Jensen became regarded as one of the most successful law firms in Salt Lake, and this partnership lasted until 1919. That year, Jensen felt called to religious work once again and journeyed to Canada to accept the leadership of the Canadian Mission, a project of the Mormon church. His appointment to this position was viewed by the May 1919 edition of the Improvement Era periodical as an excellent choice, remarking that Jensen's "many friends feel that he will make good in the honor  that has come to him to found a new mission of the Church." During his leadership, Jensen established the mission's base in Toronto and after returning to the United States in the mid-1920s became a well-known public speaker on the Church of Latter Day Saints, tracts, and religious ideals. During research on Mr. Jensen, several archived newspaper articles were discovered that attest to his popularity as a public speaker. The Improvement Era further illustrates that Jensen was a popular draw during that period, stating that "his ability as a speaker, and his diligence to service of the Church is recognized by all who have heard or known him."

Nephi U. S. C. Jensen as he appeared in the 1919 edition of the Improvement Era.

   In 1928 Jensen returned to politics when he was appointed as judge of the municipal court of Salt Lake City, this appointment being occasioned by the death of Judge O.C. Dalby. That September Jensen announced that he'd be seeking his own term as judge. That November he won the election and would serve an indeterminate tenure as judge, though sources relate that he was still on the bench until at least 1933. Jensen's time as judge was profiled in the Salt Lake Tribune in April 1932, which described him as a thorn in the side of unsafe motorists, with the Tribune noting that he was "carrying out a vigorous punishment campaign" for those that violated city traffic laws. Remarking that "the lives of 140,000 persons must be safeguarded", Jensen went on to remark:

"The court's attitude has done much in our campaign to reduce traffic accidents, and if all courts were as consistant and cooperative, I am sure a that a great portion of our motor problem will have been solved."

From the Salt Lake Tribune, April 17, 1932.

  Throughout that decade and into the 1940s and 50s Jensen published scholarly articles and pamphlets discussing his views and maintained a public speaking career. He had earlier authored Utah and the Civil War in 1929 with two co-authors, Margaret Fisher and Christian N. Lund. After many years of prominence in Salt Lake City, Nephi U.S.C. Jensen died at age 79 on September 2, 1955, and was buried in the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City. Jensen's wife Margaret survived her husband by nearly fourteen years, dying in Utah on March 28, 1969, at age 86, and she too was interred at the Wasatch Memorial Park.
  On an aside note, I have decided to post a part of Nephi United States Centennial Jensen's death certificate, as I have an inkling that no reader will believe that one man could be given so strange a name! Here it is, courtesy of the Utah State Archives website.

                     The full death certificate lists Jensen's cause of death as "coronary occlusion."

A death notice for Jensen that appeared in the Ogden Standard-Examiner.

"His Official Record....."

An Auxencico Update.....The Sequel!!!!

   With nearly 100 page views to its credit, the blog article on Auxencico Maria Pena Venezuela Hildreth Dickeson (1842-1879) has proven to be the most popular page on the blog. "Oxie" Dickeson's name is truly one of a kind and he currently occupies the coveted #1 slot in the SNIAPH book, usurping the great Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar. 
   For those of you who haven't read his blog article yet, the condensed version is as follows: Oxie Dickeson served as a New Jersey State Assemblyman from 1865 to 1866 and was also a highly active mason in his native state. He suffered from ill health throughout the majority of his life, and an undisclosed illness claimed him at age 36 in June 1879.
   Throughout November and December 2011, new information on Oxie came to light, courtesy of a very helpful reader named Frank, who e-mailed me some facts that filled in a lot of the blanks in Oxie's life. He was also kind enough to photograph and send me the picture of Oxie that adorns the top of his article. After adding this information, I felt that I could rest easy knowing that Oxie Dickeson now had a face to place with his name and some much needed life facts to tie his article together. Interestingly enough however, a very great surprise was in store for me!!!
    On February 1, 2012 I returned from a walk and set about writing an article on Fort Elmo Land, who served as the Georgia State Superintendent of Education from 1925-27. Before doing so I checked my e-mail and noticed a message from a user named "Hildy", concerning Auxencico M.P.V.H. Dickeson.....needless to say, I was immediately intrigued! As it turns out, "Hildy" wanted to inform me that their great-great grandfather was none other than Auxencico Dickeson!!!! Evidently, Oxie was known by his later descendents as "Alphabetical Dick" (because of his "outstandingly different" name) and that there was a family explanation behind how he received his wonderful name.....
    Hildy went on to tell me that Oxie's father, Thomas Dickeson, was the close friend of a young medical student named Auxencico Maria Pena, who was studying at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Pena hailed from Venezuela, and was the first student from that country to graduate from the school in its history (this occurring in 1836.) Thomas Dickeson was evidently so taken with his friendship with Pena that  "he vowed to name his son in honor of him, and so he did!" With the addition of the country of Venezuela to the name, as well as the maiden name of Thomas's wife (Hildreth), the end result is certainly one of the most interesting names in the history of humankind!!!
    Hildy also clued me in on two previously unknown websites that gave much needed info on the aforementioned Venezuelan medical student, as well as one that went more in depth on the Dickeson family. Oxie's wife, Mary Jane Springer, was born in 1844 and survived her husband by nearly forty years, dying on February 2, 1918. The two were married in Salem, New Jersey on February 22, 1870. Further information was also gathered on Oxie Dickeson's five children, who are listed as follows: Wilbur F.S. Dickeson (1871-1871, who lived only four months), J. Hildreth Dickeson (1872-1918), Wilbur S. Dickeson (1875-1921), Anne Dickeson (1877-ca. 1884) and lastly, Cornelia Dickeson (1878-1884). One can notice that ill health plagued the Dickeson family, as three of the children died before reaching their 10th birthday, and the remaining two sons died in their forties! Oxie himself died at age 36, so it is quite tragic that his wife lost so many of her family within such a short span of time.
   With those facts in hand, I want to give a hearty shout out and thank you to "Hildy", who kindly provided me with all of the facts presented here. I would also be remiss in mentioning that Hildy thanked me for my article on Oxie, and believe me, those words mean a lot! It was truly a pleasure to "rescue" Oxie from the shroud of obscurity that has clouded his life since his death over 130 years ago.
 Thank you again "Hildy" for your words of encouragement and your help!!!!


For those of you who haven't read the article on "Oxie" yet, the July 22, 2011 article is located here: http://politicalstrangenames.blogspot.com/2011/07/auxencico-maria-pena-venezuela-hildreth.html.



                                                              
                                         

Pius Louis Schwert (1892-1941)

From the Buffalo News, October 6, 1938.

    Two-term U.S. Representative Pius Louis Schwert is profiled today, and it is worth noting that previous to political service he was a professional baseball player, playing for the New York Highlanders, later to be known as the New York Yankees. A popular figure in his home state, as well as the U.S. Capitol, Schwert's promising political career was curtailed by his death while in office in March 1941.
  Pius Louis Schwert was born in the village of Angola, New York on November 22, 1892, the son of Julius and Louise Ahlers Schwert. Distinguished in his own right, Julius Schwert was at various times a business owner, town treasurer, town clerk, and eventually deputy sheriff of Erie County, New York. Pius Schwert attended schools local to the Angola area and eventually graduated from the Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New York. He later enrolled at the famed Wharton School of Commerce in Philadelphia, graduating from there in 1914. 
   While attending college in Pennsylvania, Schwert gained prominence as a stand-out ball player on the varsity team. He eventually made the All-American college team, and after leaving college went on to the Major Leagues. In 1914 he joined up with the New York Highlanders (later known as the Yankees) and played with the team for two seasons. Sources also denote Schwert as playing for professional teams in Jersey City and Newark, but dates aren't known for his time with those clubs. Schwert left the major leagues in 1916 and became an ensign in the Navy, being stationed at the Bremerton Navy Yard in Washington state during WWI. During his service he "had charge of submarine and ammunition depot payrolls", and continued with his baseball career during his Navy service, playing on a Naval District team.  In the succeeding years, Schwert looked back with fondness on his time in baseball, and reflected on its "power of fellowship" after entering politics, remarking:

"It was to the advantage of a young man in college to discover that when men unite for a common cause, whenever they feel the sense of fellowship and comradeship drawing them together, whenever they fight with their backs to the wall, a power comes into play that is greater than the strength of the individuals."

              Pius Schwert (1892-1941), as he looked during his tenure on the NY Highlanders, ca. 1915.

   At the conclusion of his naval service, Schwert returned to Angola and operated a general store for a short period. In 1921 he was named as the President of the Bank of Angola, serving in this position until 1931. In his first year as bank president Schwert had a brief return to the baseball diamond, playing twenty games as catcher for the Buffalo Bisons. Pius Schwert married in New York in February 1923 to Hattie Elizabeth Schwert. The couple were wed for eighteen years and would be childless.  

  After leaving the Bank of Angola in 1931 Schwert resided in Buffalo and was named manager of the Masonic Service Bureau, "in which he assisted many unemployed to find jobs." He first entered politics in 1933 with his candidacy as Erie County clerk and was elected to that post in November 1933 "by 7,000 votes." He was reelected in 1935 and served until 1938 when he announced his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Hoping to succeed his old friend James M. Mead (who had recently been elected to the U.S. Senate), campaign notices for Schwert appeared in newspapers throughout Western New York, and in an October 1938 announcement Schwert's time as county clerk and his character were praised by the Springville Journal, which notes:

"As County Clerk, Mr. Schwert has proven that he is not a "Yes" man. He stands up for his rights. He has fought for his employees. He believes in serving the people of the community and would continue to serve and "fight for" the people of the 42nd district, if elected to represent that district. He will cater to no one group or individual but will work for all regardless of race, creed, or color. For proof of his loyalty any of his employees will testify in his behalf."

  In that year's congressional election, Schwert was opposed by John Cornelius Butler (1887-1953). When the votes were tallied, Schwert managed a nearly 3,000-vote win over Butler, 39,287 votes to 36, 326.

                                            From "Evans and Angola", by Cheryl Delano, 2009.

  Taking his seat at the start of the 1939-40 session, Schwert was named to the committees on War Claims and World War Veterans Legislation. He was reelected to Congress in November 1940 and on this occasion defeated his Republican opponent Edward F. Moss by a wide margin, 64, 250 votes to 44, 866. 

  An active club man in addition to politics, Schwert's memberships in civic groups and fraternal clubs are also noteworthy. A former vice president of the New York State County Clerk's Association in 1938, Schwert held the presidency of the Southwestern Association of Volunteer Firemen, was a past district commander of the Second Erie Masonic District, and was commander of the Newcomb-Long Post No. 928 American Legion.

  Schwert was only a few months into his second congressional term when tragedy struck on March 11, 1941. On that particular day, Schwert had just concluded giving a speech at a dinner party at the Hotel Annapolis in Washington, D.C.  Noting that he planned to run for Mayor of Buffalo, Schwert had just returned to his seat when he suffered a fatal heart attack at age 48 and died in the arms of U.S. Senator James Michael Meade of New York. Schwert's unexpected death "came as a distinct shock" to his friends and fellow congressmen, and shortly afterward his body was returned to Angola and interred in the Forest Avenue Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Hattie, who died in 1967 and was interred alongside her husband. In the days following his passing Schwert's brief career in politics was praised by his friend, James Michael Mead, who in a moving memorial remarked:

"Possessed of a pleasing personality and an edifying humilty, he made friends from every walk of life, and their number as well as loyalty increased and multiplied with the passing years. He was my neighbor, my colleague, and above all my sincere friend. My deepest sympathy goes forth to his wife  and to the members of his family." 

From the Tampa Bay Times, March 13, 1941.

                                      Schwert's death notice from the Troy, NY Times Record.

   Earlier today (February 5, 2012) I managed to make a visit to Pius L. Schwert's gravesite in Angola and after some searching discovered the quiet, well-kept Forest Avenue Cemetery on the outskirts of the town. Schwert's gravestone is located between that of his father and mother (as well as his wife, Hattie) and it indeed mentions his service in Congress from 1939 to 1941. An American Legion marker and flag indicate his service during the First World War. Some photos from that visit have been posted below.

                         With the SNIAPH Book at the gravesite of Congressman Pius Louis Schwert.

Oregon Demarcus Magintry Gaddis (1859-1940), Oregon Sanders (1850-1903)

Portrait from Dan Messersmith's "Kingman", published 2010.

   This dapper-looking gent is Oregon Demarcus Magintry Gaddis, a Georgia native who sought his political and business fortunes in the Arizona Territory. He was born in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia on April 28, 1859, (the year that the Oregon Territory was admitted to the Union), and one can reasonably assume that Gaddis received his unusual first name because of this fact. Gaddis has proven to be a very elusive figure when it comes to information on the web, and most sources mention him not by his full name, but by the initials "O.D.M."
   Gaddis attended the North Georgia Agricultural College and after graduating began a career as a teacher. Within a few years, he had found new employment with the Internal Revenue Service as a gauger (collector) for Georgia's Northern District. It is mentioned in the 1901 work Portrait and Biographical Record of Arizona that while on the job, Gaddis fought it out with moonshiners in the mountainous hills of Georgia, and that "he experienced many close calls in armed skirmishes with them." This book also states that he "has had more than one dead to his credit while acting in this capacity."
   After leaving the Revenue Service in the mid-1880s, Gaddis experienced a case of wanderlust, relocating to Kentucky and then Florida before finally settling in Fresno County, California in 1886. During his California residency, he took on the position of bookkeeper at a Fresno law firm, holding this job for two years. After leaving California Gaddis resided in the New Mexico Territory for a time until moving to Kingman, Arizona in 1891. Two years later he married Eleanor Baker (1872-1938) in the town of Cerbat. The couple would later have one son, Homer B. Gaddis (1894-1972).
  It was in the Arizona Territory where Gaddis's fortunes truly came to fruition. Within a few short years of establishing his Arizona roots, Gaddis became a leading mercantile business owner in Kingman, while also having a hand in many mining interests in the vicinity. In 1893 he organized the Gaddis and Perry Co. and is recorded as engaging in the sale of various pieces of general merchandise for twenty-one years.

         This portrait of Gaddis appeared in the December 1, 1894 edition of the Mohave Daily Miner.

  In 1891 Gaddis began his political career when he was named by district court judge E.W. Wells as district court clerk.  In 1894 the citizens of Mohave County elected O.D.M. Gaddis to a seat in the Arizona Territorial Assembly, officially taking his seat at the start of the new year's session in January 1895. His election to the legislature was remarked by the Mohave Daily Miner newspaper as a boon for the county, noting that 

"His excellent business qualifications singled him out as the choice of the people, and we are sure to be right when stating that Mr. Gaddis will work as hard in the legislature for the welfare of the people as he has done thus far in his more limited field of action." 

  Gaddis served a two-year term in the legislature and would sit on the committees on Ways and Means, Mines and Mining, and the Territorial Library.

              Oregon D.M. Gaddis's name is located on the bottom of this 1895 Arizona Legislative roster.

    Following his legislative service, Gaddis received the appointment of U.S. Postmaster at Kingman in 1897. He continued with his mercantile and mining interests well into the 20th century, and is mentioned as being "known by everyone in the county (Mohave) and very popular among the masses." In 1900 he was named as a delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention and in 1911 was elected to a seat on the Republican County Central Committee from Mohave. Gaddis continued to serve as Kingman's postmaster until his retirement in 1936 at age 77. In addition to his serving as postmaster Gaddis was active in the fraternal life of Kingman,  being a charter member of the Kingman Elks Lodge.
   Oregon D.M. Gaddis died on January 29, 1940, at the local Kingman hospital at age 80. He is recorded by his Arizona Republic obituary as having "suffered from an illness for over a month" and was later interred alongside his wife at the Mountain View Cemetery in Kingman.

Gaddis' obit from the Arizona Republic, published on January 31, 1940.

   In a December 23, 2012 update to this posting, another politician has been discovered that has the unusual first name of "Oregon". Read on to find out more!

  Hailing from California, the mysterious Oregon Sanders earns a place here on the site due to his odd first name and for his service as a delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention. Not much is known of Mr. Sanders, who is listed by the Find-a-Grave website as being born sometime in 1850. Other sources list him as being a prominent attorney in the Tulare County, California area and he served as District Attorney for that county from 1882-1884.

   In 1884 Sanders served as a delegate to that year's Republican National Convention in Chicago that nominated James G. Blaine for President. In the early 1890s, Sanders held the post of  Deputy Attorney General for California and later died in San Francisco on June 19, 1903, at age 53. He was interred at the Modesto Citizens Cemetery in Stanislaus County, California. The rare newspaper print of Sanders shown above appeared in the August 23, 1896 edition of the San Francisco Call, which highlighted Sanders' service as defense attorney for Jo Gregory, then on trial for the murder of one Jack Littlefield in Round Valley, California.