William F. Aldrich

William Farrington Aldrich (March 11, 1853 – October 30, 1925) was an American businessman and politician who served three non-consecutive stints as a U.S. Representative from Alabama around the turn of the 20th century.

William F. Aldrich
Congressman William F. Aldrich (R-AL), 1896
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 4th district
In office March 13, 1896 – March 3, 1897
Preceded by	Gaston A. Robbins
Succeeded by	Thomas S. Plowman
In office February 9, 1898 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by	Thomas S. Plowman
Succeeded by	Gaston A. Robbins
In office March 8, 1900 – March 3, 1901
Preceded by	Gaston A. Robbins
Succeeded by	Sydney J. Bowie
Personal details
Born	William Farrington Aldrich March 11, 1853 (1853-03-11) Palmyra, New York, U.S.
Died	October 30, 1925 (1925-10-31) (aged 72) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Resting place	Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Josephine Cables Aldrich, Fannie Spire Aldrich
Alma mater	Warren's Military Academy
Profession	Politician, manufacturer, editor, publisher
Signature

He was brother of Truman Heminway Aldrich and great-great-grandfather of William J. Edwards.

He was the last Republican that Alabama sent to congress until 1965, part of the Jim Crow era dominance of the south by the Democratic Party.

Biography

One of four siblings, William Aldrich was born in Palmyra, New York on March 11, 1853, he was the son of William Farrington and Louisa Maria (Klapp) Aldrich.

He attended public schools, and moved with his father to New York City in 1865, where he attended several schools and graduated from Warren's Military Academy in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1873 after studying civil engineering. Aldrich moved to Alabama in 1874.

He leased the coal mines in Aldrich, Alabama from his brother Truman, who was prospecting for new coal seams in the area. The brothers became extremely successful and gained great wealth and prominence in the Alabama business community.

He was married on April 16, 1889, to writer and editor Josephine Cables, who died in 1917. He married Fannie Spire on July 15, 1920.

Congress

William Aldrich served as postmaster of the town that would bear his family name.

Former Residence of William F. Aldrich in Washington, D.C.

Later, he was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress, defeating Gaston A. Robbins in a hard-fought race that needed to be confirmed by the U.S. House of Representatives. He supported business issues and gained the political support of the Birmingham business community. Despite this connection, Aldrich campaigned in favor of the silver coinage standard, rather than the gold standard favored by Republicans. This helped Aldrich win the support of some Populist voters in the district, which may have made the difference in the close race. He reversed his position once elected, also voting in favor of key Republican issues such as private ownership of the nation's railways.

He was also elected to the Fifty-fifth Congress, defeating Thomas S. Plowman, and the Fifty-sixth Congress, again defeating Robbins. In all, Aldrich served from March 13, 1896, to March 3, 1901.

He served as a delegate to the 1900 Republican National Convention that renominated President William McKinley and his new vice presidential nominee, Theodore Roosevelt.

Later career and death

Declining to run for reelection in 1900, Aldrich was involved in mining and manufacturing and built up the town that bears his name. He was editor, owner and publisher of the Birmingham (Alabama) Times. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1904, although he was critical of President Roosevelt in writings and editorials, claiming the president was too liberal for a Republican.

He engaged in the development of mineral lands until his death in Birmingham on October 30, 1925.

He was cremated and his ashes are interred in the family vault located in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

Legacy

William F. Aldrich was the last Republican to represent Alabama in Congress until 1965. His great-grandson William J. (Jack) Edwards represented Alabama in Congress from 1965 to 1985 as a Republican.

References

Sources

• Gordon, Ann D. (2009). The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: Their Place Inside the Body-Politic, 1887 to 1895. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-081356440-1. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Aldrich, William Farrington". The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 73.
• Leonard, John William; Marquis, Albert Nelson, eds. (1908), Who's who in America, vol. 5, Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, Incorporated, p. 22.

• United States Congress. "William F. Aldrich". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 14, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "William F. Aldrich". Grotrack of the United States Congress. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
• "William F. Aldrich". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved May 17, 2013.

External links

• "Herringshaw's encyclopedia of American biography of the nineteenth century. Accurate and succinct biographies of famous men and women in all walks of life who are or have been the acknowledged leaders of life and thought of the United States since its formation". Chicago, Ill. American publishers' association. August 26, 1898. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
• "William Farrington Aldrich (1853–1925) – Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.