William F. Aldrich

William Farrington Aldrich (March 11, 1853 – October 30, 1925) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Alabama. He was brother of Truman Heminway Aldrich and great-great-grandfather of William J. Edwards.

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 Palmyra, New York
Died	October 30, 1925 (aged 72) Birmingham, Alabama
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Josephine Cables Aldrich, Fannie Spire Aldrich
Alma mater	Warren's Military Academy
Profession	politician, manufacturer, editor, publisher

Biography

Aldrich was born in Palmyra, New York on March 11, 1853, he was the son of William Farrington and Louisa Maria (Klapp) Aldrich.[1][2] 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.[1] Aldrich moved to Alabama in 1874.[3] He leased the coal mines in Aldrich from his brother Truman, who was prospecting for new coal seams in the area.[1] He was married on April 16, 1889, to writer and editor Josephine Cables, who died in 1917.[4] He married Fannie Spire on July 15, 1920.

Career

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

Aldrich was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress, defeating Gaston A. Robbins; to attend the Fifty-fifth Congress, defeating Thomas S. Plowman; to attend the Fifty-sixth Congress, again defeating Robbins. He served from March 13, 1896, to March 3, 1901.[5]

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. He engaged in the development of mineral lands until his death.[3]

Death

Aldrich died in Birmingham, Alabama, October 30, 1925 (age 72 years, 233 days). He was cremated and his ashes are interred in the family vault located in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.[6]

William F. Aldrich was the last Republican to represent Alabama in Congress until 1965.

References

Citations

1. Johnson 1906, p. 73
2. Leonard & Marquis 1908, p. 22
3. Biography, US Congress harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBiography,_US_Congress (help)
4. Gordon 2009, p. 224–225
5. Grotrack, US Congress
6. The Political Graveyard

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.
• Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Aldrich, William Farrington". The Biographical Dictionary of America. 1. Boston, Mass.: American Biographical Society. p. 73. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via en.wikisource.org. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Leonard, John William; Marquis, Albert Nelson, eds. (1908), Who's who in America, 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". Archive.org. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
• "William Farrington Aldrich (1853 - 1925) - Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.