Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy (politician)
Honorable Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy | |
---|---|
Member of the West Virginia Senate from the 12th district | |
In office 1885–1890 Serving with George Edmund Price | |
Preceded by | Joseph Van Meter |
Succeeded by | Henry Bell Gilkeson |
Personal details | |
Born | Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy Alexander White Flournoy | November 25, 1846
Residence(s) | Romney, West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia |
Alma mater | Hampden–Sydney College (B.A.) |
Profession | lawyer, politician, businessperson |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
Years of service | 1863–1865 (CSA) |
Rank | private |
Unit | Company A, Otey Battery 13th Battalion Virginia Light Artillery |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy (November 25, 1846 – January 28, 1904) was an
Flournoy was born in 1846 in
Through his marriage to Frances "Fannie" Ann Armstrong White, Flournoy was a brother-in-law of
Early life and military career
Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy was born on November 25, 1846, in
In 1863, during the American Civil War, Flournoy enlisted as a private in the Confederate States Army at the age of 17.[1][2] He served the entirety of his enlistment in Company A, Otey Battery, 13th Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery in Richmond, throughout the course of the war until its end in 1865.[1][2][3]
Education and teaching career
Following the war, Flournoy entered
Law and political careers
Romney law practice
Following his admission to the bar, Flournoy immediately began
West Virginia Senate
Flournoy was elected to represent the 12th Senatorial District, consisting of
Charleston law practice
In Charleston, in 1891, Flournoy founded the law firm Couch, Flournoy and Price with former West Virginia Senate President, George Edmund Price.[22][23] The firm would later become Flournoy, Price, and Smith with the addition of Harrison Brooks Smith in 1894.[22][24] On March 7, 1892, Flournoy and his partner Price were admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.[25] Flournoy and Price continued to expand their law practice into Southern West Virginia when they were admitted to the bar of Summers County in 1894.[26]
In April 1897, while practicing law in Charleston, Flournoy became qualified to practice law at the bar of
Gubernatorial candidacy
In early April 1900, a movement among prominent West Virginia Democratic Party members in Charleston began to coalesce around Flournoy in support of his candidacy for West Virginia governor.[32][33] Flournoy was considered a William Jennings Bryan Democrat with conservative positions, and Charleston Democrats felt he would receive wide support and would not antagonize corporations.[32] Flournoy took the matter under advisement and on April 25, 1900, he announced his candidacy for West Virginia governor.[32][34][35] In his announcement, Flournoy stated that he was unwilling to engage in a heated contest for the nomination and that he would be content with the outcome of the Democratic Party state convention, no matter the decision.[34][36] He further stated that he trusted the state convention would craft a ticket that would command the support of the people of West Virginia.[34][36] Following his announcement, the Spirit of Jefferson newspaper in Charles Town stated of Flournoy on May 1, 1900: "Mr. Flournoy is a most estimable gentleman, well and favorably known here, would doubtless make an excellent governor, and as the nominee of the Democratic party would receive a hearty support in the Eastern panhandle."[36] Flournoy also received the support of the Democratic Party in Mineral County in May 1900.[37]
At the West Virginia Democratic Party State Convention held in
West Virginia Bar Association
Flournoy was present at the first meeting of the West Virginia Bar Association held on the date of its organization on July 8, 1886, in Grafton.[42][43] As a member, Flournoy was appointed to draft the association's constitution and by-laws and served on its executive committee.[43][44][45] In addition to serving as a vice president of the association, Flournoy also represented the 12th Judicial Circuit on the association's Committee on Judicial Administration and Legal Reform and later served on the Committee of Admissions.[46] On January 7, 1892, Flournoy was elected as the association's vice president for West Virginia's 3rd congressional district.[47]
Business pursuits
In addition to his law practice and political pursuits, Flournoy also engaged in several business ventures. On August 4, 1888, he purchased five shares priced at $100 each in order to invest in and provide capital stock for the incorporation of the Bank of Romney.[21] Along with Harrison B. Smith and fellow state senator George E. Price, Flournoy again served as an incorporator on April 25, 1901, when the Tug and Guyandotte Railroad Company was granted its charter with $100,000 in capital.[48] The Tug and Guyandotte Railroad was constructed between the Norfolk and Western Railway at Davy and Baileysville to facilitate the transportation of coal.[29] Flournoy, Price, and Flournoy's son Richard Parke Flournoy were incorporators of the Bradford Building Company which was chartered with capital of $20,000 on September 25, 1901, with the purpose of engaging in general building and construction projects.[49]
The following year, on December 20, 1902, Flournoy, Price, and their law partner Smith were also incorporators of the White Oak Mining Company and of the West Construction Company.[50][51] With an authorized capital stock of $100,000, the White Oak Mining Company, that was engaged in the mining, shipment, and sale of coal, the cutting and sawing of timber, and the operations and sales of railway, telephone, and telegraph lines and networks.[50] The West Construction Company, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a general contracting and construction firm also involved in the operation and maintenance of railway, telephone, and telegraph lines.[51]
Personal life
Marriage and children
On April 10, 1875, in Hampshire County, Flournoy married Frances "Fannie" Ann Armstrong White (April 10, 1844 – February 25, 1922), the daughter of Hampshire County Clerk of Court
- Richard Parke Flournoy (December 29, 1875 – May 5, 1959)[55][56]
- Harry Lightfoot Flournoy (March 4, 1878 – December 31, 1954)[57]
- Frances T. Flournoy Preston, married James M. Preston of Lewisburg, West Virginia[58][59]
- Robert Baker Flournoy (October 10, 1882 – July 25, 1883)[60][61]
- Alexander White Flournoy (March 15, 1887 – March 16, 1958), married Anne Cary Gravatt[65][66]
Religious activities
Flournoy was active in the Presbyterian Church in Hampshire County and served as a trustee for the Presbytery of Winchester, along with Henry Bell Gilkeson.[67] In 1881, Flournoy and his fellow trustees were instrumental in securing from Amos L. and Allie G. Pugh a house and a large partially wooded lot in Capon Bridge for use by the Presbytery as a centrally located manse in Hampshire County.[67] Flournoy was elected as a deacon in the Presbyterian Church in 1879 and remained a trustee of the Presbytery of Winchester until 1891 when he relocated to Charleston.[68] Following his move to Charleston, Flournoy became a member of the First Presbyterian Church and served as one of seven church elders there.[69]
Later life and death
Flounoy died as a result of throat and pulmonary illnesses on January 28, 1904, at 2:40 a.m. in Orlando, Florida, where he had traveled to restore his failing health.[24][70][71] His wife and his physician Dr. Henry were at his side at the time of his death.[24] Flournoy was survived by his wife, and five of his children.[24]
He served on the Board of Trustees of Hampden–Sydney College from 1892 until his death.[6][72] A tribute to Flournoy was rendered by college president Richard McIlwaine at a meeting of the Hampden–Sydney College trustees on June 13, 1904.[73]
Following his death, The Weekly Register newspaper in Point Pleasant remarked that Flournoy "was one of the prominent [Democratic] leaders of the state, and occupied a high place in the estimation [of] the party followers".[24] The Times-Dispatch of Richmond stated that Flournoy "was one of the best known members of the bar" of Charleston and described his service during the American Civil War as gallant.[70]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Atkinson & Gibbens 1890, p. 442.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Miller & Maxwell 1913, p. 84.
- ^ a b c d e Maxwell & Swisher 1897, p. 706.
- ^ a b c Virginia Historical Society 1912, p. 331.
- ^ Henneman 1899a, p. 294.
- ^ a b c Henneman 1899b, p. 363.
- ^ a b Brown 1917, p. 312.
- ^ Maxwell & Swisher 1897, p. 300.
- ^ Brown 1917, p. 159.
- ^ Maxwell & Swisher 1897, p. 496.
- ^ a b c Evans 1899, p. 195.
- ^ Maxwell & Swisher 1897, p. 436.
- ^ Maxwell & Swisher 1897, pp. 478–479.
- ^
- ^ a b Atkinson & Gibbens 1890, p. 140.
- ^ a b West Virginia Legislature 1922, p. 272.
- ^ Atkinson & Gibbens 1890, p. 72.
- ^ Munske & Kerns 2004, p. 180.
- ^ a b West Virginia Legislature 1889, pp. 579–581.
- ^ a b Atkinson 1919, p. 357.
- ^ a b c d e "Death of a Prominent Charleston Man". The Weekly Register. Point Pleasant, West Virginia. February 3, 1904. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "Admitted to Practice". The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. Wheeling, West Virginia. March 8, 1892. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ Miller 1908, p. 770.
- ^
- ^ a b c "West Virginia Democrats: A Movement to Nominate Flournoy for Governor". Richmond Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. April 17, 1900. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "Announcements". Spirit of Jefferson. Charles Town, West Virginia. April 17, 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^
- ^ a b Special Dispatch (June 5, 1900). "Clans Assembling: West Virginia Democrats Arriving at Parkersburg. Claims of the Candidates: Do Not Concede Anything to Any of Their Opponents". Baltimore Morning Herald. Baltimore. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ a b c "Announcements". Spirit of Jefferson. Charles Town, West Virginia. May 1, 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "Items of Interest". Spirit of Jefferson. Vol. XXXV, no. 19. Charles Town, West Virginia. May 8, 1900. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^
- ^
- ^ "Politics". The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. Wheeling, West Virginia. June 4, 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "J. H. Holt for Governor: Choice of the West Virginia State Democratic Convention". Evening Star. Washington, D.C. June 7, 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ West Virginia Bar Association 1886, p. 13.
- ^ on February 13, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ West Virginia Bar Association 1886, p. 14.
- ^ West Virginia Bar Association 1886, p. 18.
- ^ West Virginia Bar Association 1886, pp. 3–5.
- ^ "The Bar Association: Interesting Session – Officers Elected – Banquet Closes the Meeting". The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. Wheeling, West Virginia. June 4, 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ Office of the Governor of West Virginia 1903, p. 62.
- ^ a b Office of the Governor of West Virginia 1903, p. 320.
- ^ a b Office of the Governor of West Virginia 1903, p. 311.
- ^ a b Miller & Maxwell 1913, p. 85.
- ^ "Marriage Record Detail: Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Death Record Detail: Fannie A. Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Death Record Detail: R. Parke Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Birth Record Detail: Richard Parke Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Death Record Detail: Harry L. Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Marriage Record Detail: Frances T. Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Birth Record Detail: Robert Baker Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Indian Mound Cemetery: D-K Listing for All Sections". HistoricHampshire.org. HistoricHampshire.org, Charles C. Hall. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Death Record Detail: Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Marriage Record Detail: Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Death Record Detail: Alexander White Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Marriage Record Detail: Alexander White Flournoy". West Virginia Vital Research Records. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Woodworth 1947, p. 369.
- ^ Woodworth 1947, p. 385.
- ^ a b "Obituary: S. L. Flournoy". The Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. January 29, 1904. p. 5. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "Hampden–Sidney: Final Exercises and Conferring of Degrees and Medals". The Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. June 15, 1904. p. 3. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Chronicling America.
Bibliography
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- OCLC 3886825 – via Internet Archive.
- Brown, James T. (1917). Catalogue of Beta Theta Pi, Ninth Edition. New York City: James T. Brown. .
- .
- Henneman, J. B. (January 1899a). "Trustees of Hampden-Sidney College, Second Paper". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 6 (3). (subscription required)
- Henneman, J. B. (April 1899b). "Trustees of Hampden-Sidney College, Third Paper". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 6 (4). (subscription required)
- OL 23304577M.
- Miller, James Henry (1908). History of Summers County from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. .
- Miller, Thomas Condit; .
- Munske, Roberta R.; Kerns, Wilmer L., eds. (2004). Hampshire County, West Virginia, 1754–2004. OCLC 55983178.
- Office of the Governor of West Virginia (1903). West Virginia Governor's Message Submitted to Legislature of 1903, With the Accompanying Reports and Documents Covering the Two Fiscal Years October 1, 1900 to September 30, 1902, Volume 1. .
- (subscription required)
- West Virginia Bar Association (1886). Constitution and By-Laws of the West Virginia Bar Association, Organized July 8, 1886, Together with the Opening Address of Hon. John Sprigg and the Proceedings of the First Meeting. .
- .
- .
- Woodworth, Robert Bell (1947). A History of the Presbytery of Winchester (Synod of Virginia): Its Rise and Growth, Ecclesiastical Relations, Institutions and Agencies, Churches and Ministers, 1719–1945. .
External links
- Media related to Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy at Wikimedia Commons