George Arthur Mathews (June 4, 1852 – April 19, 1941) was an American lawyer of Brookings, South Dakota. He was active in the government of the Dakota Territory, and was a territorial delegate to the United States House of Representatives.
George A. Mathews | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Saint Paul Globe (Saint Paul Globe, MN), April 7, 1888 | |
| Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Dakota Territory | |
| In office March 4, 1889 – November 2, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Oscar S. Gifford |
| Succeeded by | None (statehood achieved) |
| President of the Dakota Territorial Council | |
| In office 1887–1888 | |
| Preceded by | J. H. Westover |
| Succeeded by | Smith Stimmel |
| Member of the Dakota Territorial Council from the 7th District | |
| In office 1883–1888 | |
| Preceded by | Elias McAuley |
| Succeeded by | Ireneus Atkinson |
| Mayor of Brookings, South Dakota | |
| In office 1897–1903 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred W. Hyde |
| Succeeded by | John C. Jenkins |
| In office 1887–1889 | |
| Preceded by | Herman H. Natwick |
| Succeeded by | William H. Roddle |
| In office 1883–1884 | |
| Preceded by | Asher A. Aiken |
| Succeeded by | Herman H. Natwick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 4, 1852 Potsdam, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 1941 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery, Brookings, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Cora M. Thomas (1881–1889) Bertha Harriet Van Dusen (m. 1892–1929) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Upper Iowa University (B.S., 1874) University of Iowa (LL.B., 1878) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Early life
editGeorge A. Mathews was born in Potsdam, New York on June 4, 1852, the son of Amos Mathews and Silence A. (Folsom) Mathews.[1][2][3] He was raised and educated in Potsdam until he was 13, when his family moved to Fayette, Iowa.[4] After completing his early education in Fayette, Mathews studied at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, from which he graduated in 1874.[5] He then studied law at the University of Iowa, from which he graduated in 1878.[5] He was admitted to the bar in 1878 and commenced practice in Corning, Iowa.[1]
Career
editMathews moved to Brookings, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota) in 1879.[1] In 1881, he was elected to Brookings' first city council.[6] He served as mayor of Brookings from 1883 to 1884.[7] In 1883, Mathews served on the commission that considered relocation of the territorial from Yankton.[8] He proposed Huron as the most suitable site, but the majority voted for Bismarck. In 1884 he became prosecuting attorney of the fifth judicial circuit for the Territory of Dakota.[1] In 1884, he was also elected to the Territorial council, and he was the council's president in 1887 and 1888.[1] He was mayor of Brookings again from 1887 to 1889.[7]
In 1888, Mathews was elected as a Republican to be the Territorial delegate to the U.S. House.[1] He served from March 4, 1889 until November 2, 1889, when North and South Dakota were admitted into the Union.[1] Because terms started in March, but congressional sessions began in November or December, Mathews did not travel to Washington, D.C.[9] According to Francis Case, who eulogized Mathews in the U.S. House, because a change in presidential administrations occurred while Mathews was Dakota's delegate, he was flooded with applications for the territory's numerous federal patronage positions, including U.S. Marshal.[9] Mathews and his law firm staff processed these applications and made hiring recommendations at Mathews' personal expense.[9]
Retirement and death
editIn 1890, Mathews' political supporters proposed him as a candidate for one of the new state's U.S. Senate seats, but he declined to run.[10] Mathews resumed practicing law, and served again as mayor of Brookings from 1897 to 1903.[1] In 1910 he retired and moved to Los Angeles, California.[1] He died in Los Angeles on April 19, 1941 and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Brookings.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Joint Committee On Printing, U.S. Congress (1928). Biographical Directory of the American Congress. 1774-1927. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1298 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Weekly Registerings: Hon. G. A. Mathews". The Brookings Register. Brookings, SD. September 16, 1892. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Van Deusen, Albert Harrison. Van Deursen Family. Vol. II. New York, NY: Frank Allaben Genealogical Company. p. 478 – via HathiTrust.
- ^ State Historical Society of South Dakota (1902). South Dakota Historical Collections. Vol. 1. Aberdeen, SD: News Printing Co. p. 162 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b State University of Iowa (October 15, 1910). The Iowa Alumnus. Vol. VIII. Iowa City, IA: The Old Capitol – via Google Books.
- ^ Poindexter, Colleen Zwieg (2010). Images of America: Brookings. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7385-7776-0 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Brookings City Clerk (2023). City of Brookings Directory: Elected Officials, Appointed Volunteer Boards, Committees, & Commissions. Brookings, SD: City of Brookings. p. 38.
- ^ "George A. Mathews, Esq". The Mitchell Capital and Weekly Republican. Mitchell, SD. October 29, 1886. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Case, Francis (April 28, 1941). "Remarks of Hon. Francis Case of South Dakota in the House of Representatives". Congressional Record, 77th Congress, First Session. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. A1971 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Mathews Declines the Honor". The Mitchell Capital. Mitchell, SD. December 26, 1890. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "George A. Mathews (id: M000235)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.