Clifton R. Breckinridge
Encyclopedia
Clifton Rodes Breckinridge (November 22, 1846 – December 3, 1932) was a Democratic
alderman, congressman, diplomat, businessman and veteran of the Confederate Army
and Navy
. He was a member of the prominent Breckinridge family
, the son of Vice President of the United States
and Confederate
General John C. Breckinridge
and the great-grandson of U.S. Senator
and Attorney General of the United States
John Breckinridge
.
, the son of John Cabell
and Mary Cyrene Burch
Breckinridge, Breckinridge attended rural schools in his hometown as a child. At the outbreak of the Civil War
, he entered the Confederate Army
with his father and was later a midshipman
in the Confederate Navy
. After the war, he attended Washington College
in Lexington, Virginia
for three years where the school's president, the justly famous Confederate
General Robert E. Lee
, encouraged his desire for a career of public service. Afterwards, he joined his older brother in a cotton
plantation
near Pine Bluff, Arkansas
and engaged in cotton planting and in the commission business for thirteen years. In 1876, Breckinridge married Katherine Carson, the daughter of a well-to-do Mississippi
family, with whom he would have four children.
to the United States House of Representatives
in 1882, taking seat in 1883. John G. Carlisle
, the new Speaker of the House
and friend of the Breckinridges, saw to it that the new congressman got a place on the Committee on Ways and Means
and he was reelected in 1884 and 1886.
Democrats were found guilty of voting fraud in the election for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
after it was discovered that in Conway County, Arkansas, four masked and armed white
men stormed into a predominately black
voting precinct and, at gunpoint, stole the ballot box that contained a large majority of votes for his Republican
opponent, John M. Clayton
, the brother of former Arkansas Governor and Senator Powell Clayton
. Under these circumstances, Clayton contested the election and went to Plumerville, Arkansas
to start an investigation on the matter. However, on the evening of January 29, 1889, an unknown assailant shot through the window to the room he was staying in at a local boardinghouse and killed him instantly. After a congressional investigation, the then late Clayton was declared the winner, thus unseating Breckinridge, however, owing to Clayton's death, the seat was declared vacant. Breckinridge was not found guilty in any wrong doing in the rigged election or in Clayton's assassination and was elected to fill the vacant seat in 1890.
and adopted the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act
. He regained trust after the so called "Clayton Affair" and was greatly respected as a congressman. A featured article in Harper's Weekly
described him as "one of the very first men in the House of Representatives." During the Panic of 1893-1894
, Breckinridge staunchly supported President
Grover Cleveland
's defense of the gold standard
. Arkansas
farmers, most of whom supported free silver
, refused to support the incumbent for reelection and Breckinridge lost the Democratic
primary to John S. Little
who went on to win the election.
Breckinridge resigned from the House of Representatives in 1894 before his final term ran out to accept President Cleveland's nomination of Minister to Russia which he served as until 1897. As Minister, he proved capable of sending reports on Russian
aims back to Washington, D.C.
. His warnings about the end friendly relations due to Russia
's expansion into China
did not effect any change in the United States
' foreign policy
due to the fact it's dominant theme remained to be isolationism. Because of this, Breckinridge largely dealt with routine problems of trade and immigration. He was less successful in handling the ceremonial and social aspects of diplomacy in Saint Petersburg
for the expense of entertaining properly amidst the splendor of aristocratic Europe
had been beyond his means. This was particularly true during the rich festivities that marked the coronation of Tsar
Nicholas II
and Empress
Alexandra Fyodorovna in 1896. To his chagrin
, at the coronation, Breckinridge had to wear ceremonial knee breeches
required by protocol. By this, he feared his former constituents in Arkansas
would never understand.
, a former colleague of his from the House Ways and Means Committee, took office as President
in 1897, he replaced Breckinridge with Republican
Ethan Allen Hitchcock
and he returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas
. However, in 1900, McKinley appointed him to a position on the Dawes Commission
to the Five Civilized Tribes
in Indian Territory
. Given the responsibility of distributing individual allotment of tribal land to the Cherokee
, Breckinridge and other commissioners were charged with fraudulently acquiring Indian
lands in 1903. An investigation handled by the Department of Justice
cleared Breckinridge of illegal actions and he left the commission in 1905.
which he served as president of until 1914. He was a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention
from 1917 to 1918 where he convinced fellow delegates to approve a unicameral legislature, however the provision later rescinded. He was widowed in 1921 and lived in Fort Smith until 1925 when he moved to Wendover, Kentucky
to live with his daughter, Mary Breckinridge
, founder of the Frontier Nursing Service
. He died in Wendover on December 3, 1932 at age eighty-six. He was interred at Lexington Cemetery among several members of his family including his wife and parents.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
alderman, congressman, diplomat, businessman and veteran of the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
. He was a member of the prominent Breckinridge family
Breckinridge family
The Breckinridge family is a family of politicians and public figures from the United States. The family has included six members of the United States House of Representatives, two United States Senators, a cabinet member, two Ambassadors, a Vice President of United States and an unsuccessful...
, the son of Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
and Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
and the great-grandson of U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Attorney General of the United States
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
John Breckinridge
John Breckinridge (1760-1806)
John Breckinridge was a United States Senator and Attorney General. He was the progenitor of the Breckinridge political family.-Early Life in Virginia:...
.
Early life
Born near Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, the son of John Cabell
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
and Mary Cyrene Burch
Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge
Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge , the daughter of Clifton Rhodes and Alethia Viley Burch, was born in Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky, on August 16, 1826. She married John Cabell Breckinridge on December 12, 1843, after a brief courtship, and with him eventually had five children...
Breckinridge, Breckinridge attended rural schools in his hometown as a child. At the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he entered the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
with his father and was later a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the Confederate Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
. After the war, he attended Washington College
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
for three years where the school's president, the justly famous Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, encouraged his desire for a career of public service. Afterwards, he joined his older brother in a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
near Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
and engaged in cotton planting and in the commission business for thirteen years. In 1876, Breckinridge married Katherine Carson, the daughter of a well-to-do Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
family, with whom he would have four children.
Politics
Breckinridge started his political career when he was elected an alderman in the Pine Bluff City Council. He was later elected a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1882, taking seat in 1883. John G. Carlisle
John Griffin Carlisle
John Griffin Carlisle was a prominent American politician in the Democratic Party during the last quarter of the 19th century. He served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1889 and as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1893 to 1897 during the Panic...
, the new Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
and friend of the Breckinridges, saw to it that the new congressman got a place on the Committee on Ways and Means
United States House Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
and he was reelected in 1884 and 1886.
Clayton Affair
Breckinridge's political career came into great danger after the election of 1888. ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Democrats were found guilty of voting fraud in the election for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district located in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas and includes the state capital of Little Rock as well as its suburbs and surrounding areas....
after it was discovered that in Conway County, Arkansas, four masked and armed white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
men stormed into a predominately black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
voting precinct and, at gunpoint, stole the ballot box that contained a large majority of votes for his Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent, John M. Clayton
John M. Clayton (Arkansas)
This article is about the assassinated Arkansas Republican. For the U.S. Secretary of State and Senator from Delaware with the same name, see John M. Clayton....
, the brother of former Arkansas Governor and Senator Powell Clayton
Powell Clayton
Powell Clayton was an engineer, a Union Army general in the American Civil War, the first Reconstruction Governor of the State of Arkansas, and Ambassador to Mexico during the administrations of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.-Early life:Clayton was born in Bethel, Pennsylvania, to John...
. Under these circumstances, Clayton contested the election and went to Plumerville, Arkansas
Plumerville, Arkansas
Plumerville is a city in Conway County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 854 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plumerville is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
to start an investigation on the matter. However, on the evening of January 29, 1889, an unknown assailant shot through the window to the room he was staying in at a local boardinghouse and killed him instantly. After a congressional investigation, the then late Clayton was declared the winner, thus unseating Breckinridge, however, owing to Clayton's death, the seat was declared vacant. Breckinridge was not found guilty in any wrong doing in the rigged election or in Clayton's assassination and was elected to fill the vacant seat in 1890.
Work in Congress
Breckinridge was reelected to the House of Representatives again in 1890 and 1892. He was one of the authors of legislation to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase ActSherman Silver Purchase Act
The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was enacted on July 14, 1890 as a United States federal law. It was named after its author, Senator John Sherman, an Ohio Republican, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee...
and adopted the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act
Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act
The Revenue Act or Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894 slightly reduced the United States tariff rates from the numbers set in the 1890 McKinley tariff and imposed a 2% income tax. It is named for William L. Wilson, Representative from West Virginia, chair of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, and...
. He regained trust after the so called "Clayton Affair" and was greatly respected as a congressman. A featured article in Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
described him as "one of the very first men in the House of Representatives." During the Panic of 1893-1894
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, Breckinridge staunchly supported President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
's defense of the gold standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
. Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
farmers, most of whom supported free silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
, refused to support the incumbent for reelection and Breckinridge lost the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary to John S. Little
John Sebastian Little
John Sebastian Little was a member of the United States House of Representatives and the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas....
who went on to win the election.
Minister to Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
aims back to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. His warnings about the end friendly relations due to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's expansion into China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
did not effect any change in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
due to the fact it's dominant theme remained to be isolationism. Because of this, Breckinridge largely dealt with routine problems of trade and immigration. He was less successful in handling the ceremonial and social aspects of diplomacy in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
for the expense of entertaining properly amidst the splendor of aristocratic Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
had been beyond his means. This was particularly true during the rich festivities that marked the coronation of Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and Empress
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Alexandra Fyodorovna in 1896. To his chagrin
Chagrin
Chagrin may refer to:*The Chagrin River*Chagrin Falls, Ohio*Chagrin Falls Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio*Chagrin Falls High School...
, at the coronation, Breckinridge had to wear ceremonial knee breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
required by protocol. By this, he feared his former constituents in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
would never understand.
Dawes Commission
After William McKinleyWilliam McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, a former colleague of his from the House Ways and Means Committee, took office as President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1897, he replaced Breckinridge with Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Ethan Allen Hitchcock
Ethan A. Hitchcock (Interior)
Ethan Allen Hitchcock served under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.-Early life:...
and he returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
. However, in 1900, McKinley appointed him to a position on the Dawes Commission
Dawes Commission
The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893...
to the Five Civilized Tribes
Five Civilized Tribes
The Five Civilized Tribes were the five Native American nations—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole—that were considered civilized by Anglo-European settlers during the colonial and early federal period because they adopted many of the colonists' customs and had generally good...
in Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. Given the responsibility of distributing individual allotment of tribal land to the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, Breckinridge and other commissioners were charged with fraudulently acquiring Indian
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
lands in 1903. An investigation handled by the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
cleared Breckinridge of illegal actions and he left the commission in 1905.
Later life and death
After resigning from the Dawes Commission, Breckinridge founded the Arkansas Valley Trust Company in Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
which he served as president of until 1914. He was a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
from 1917 to 1918 where he convinced fellow delegates to approve a unicameral legislature, however the provision later rescinded. He was widowed in 1921 and lived in Fort Smith until 1925 when he moved to Wendover, Kentucky
Wendover (Kentucky)
Wendover, also known as Frontier Nursing Service or Big House, has been named a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The first American attempt to professionalize midwifery, was led by Mary Breckinridge. The Frontier Nursing Service continues today....
to live with his daughter, Mary Breckinridge
Mary Breckinridge
Mary Breckinridge was an American nurse-midwife and the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service. She also was known as Mary Carson Breckinridge.She started family care centers in the Appalachian mountains...
, founder of the Frontier Nursing Service
Frontier Nursing Service
The Frontier Nursing Service provides healthcare services to rural, underserved populations and educates nurse-midwives.The Service maintains six rural healthcare clinics in eastern Kentucky, the Mary Breckinridge Hospital, the Mary Breckinridge Home Health Agency, the Frontier School of Midwifery...
. He died in Wendover on December 3, 1932 at age eighty-six. He was interred at Lexington Cemetery among several members of his family including his wife and parents.