Henry Hollis Horton
Encyclopedia
Henry Hollis Horton was Governor of Tennessee from 1927 to 1933.
into the family of a Baptist
minister. He taught school for six years before being admitted to the bar
in 1894. He served several terms in the legislature
, and was elected speaker
of the Tennessee State Senate
. He also owned a water-powered mill and the associated dam
on the Duck River
near Chapel Hill
in Marshall County. He was Speaker of the Senate when Governor
Austin Peay died, and succeeded him according to the terms of the Tennessee State Constitution
on October 3, 1927, the only person, as of 2011, to become Governor of Tennessee under this circumstance (although other Speakers have become governor due to their predecessors' resignations).
Horton was elected governor in his own right in 1928; the election involved battles between the state's two opposing democratic machines—the Nashville machine led by Luke Lea
(who supported Horton) and the Memphis machine led by Boss E. H. Crump
(who supported Hill McAlister
). When Horton ran for reelection in 1930, Crump and Lea cut a deal and Crump swung his formidable political machine behind Horton. Horton defeated independent Democrat L. E. Gwinn
in the primaries and Republican C. Arthur Bruce in the general election.
Already a poor state, Tennessee was affected by the Great Depression
even more than some other states. Horton became linked to a serious bank
scandal
in Nashville
, and although never convicted of wrongdoing, decided to retire from the governorship, not running for another term in 1932. While governor, he worked to establish an aeronautics division of state government and addressed the ongoing issue of secondary roads. He died the year after his final term ended. The grounds of his mill along the Duck River and much adjacent land was subsequently acquired by the state Department of Conservation and operated as Henry Horton State Park
in his memory. A portion of U.S. Highway 31
, north of his hometown, was named in his honor.
Biography
Horton was born in AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
into the family of a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister. He taught school for six years before being admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1894. He served several terms in the legislature
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
, and was elected speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Tennessee State Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
. He also owned a water-powered mill and the associated dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Duck River
Duck River (Tennessee)
The Duck River, long, is the longest river located entirely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. Free flowing for most of its length, the Duck River is home to over 50 species of freshwater mussels and 151 species of fish, making it one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America.The...
near Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, Tennessee
Chapel Hill is a town in the northeastern part of Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. The town was named after Chapel Hill, North Carolina by settlers from that area...
in Marshall County. He was Speaker of the Senate when Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Austin Peay died, and succeeded him according to the terms of the Tennessee State Constitution
Tennessee State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules of the U.S. State of Tennessee....
on October 3, 1927, the only person, as of 2011, to become Governor of Tennessee under this circumstance (although other Speakers have become governor due to their predecessors' resignations).
Horton was elected governor in his own right in 1928; the election involved battles between the state's two opposing democratic machines—the Nashville machine led by Luke Lea
Luke Lea (1879–1945)
Luke Lea was a Democratic United States Senator from Tennessee from 1911 to 1917.-Biography:Lea was the great-grandson of an earlier Luke Lea who was a two-term Congressman from Tennessee in the 1830s...
(who supported Horton) and the Memphis machine led by Boss E. H. Crump
E. H. Crump
Edward Hull "Boss" Crump was an American politician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was mayor from 1910 through 1915, and again briefly in 1940; in the intervening years he effectively appointed the mayors.-Career:...
(who supported Hill McAlister
Hill McAlister
Harry Hill McAlister was Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937.-Biography:Hill McAlister was born in Nashville to a family kin to at least two former governors of Tennessee and the former governor of the predecessor Southwest Territory, William Blount...
). When Horton ran for reelection in 1930, Crump and Lea cut a deal and Crump swung his formidable political machine behind Horton. Horton defeated independent Democrat L. E. Gwinn
Lambert Estes Gwinn
Lambert Estes Gwinn was a Tennessee educator, politician, and attorney. He served as a state senator and ran for governor in the Democratic primaries in 1922 and 1930...
in the primaries and Republican C. Arthur Bruce in the general election.
Already a poor state, Tennessee was affected by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
even more than some other states. Horton became linked to a serious bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and although never convicted of wrongdoing, decided to retire from the governorship, not running for another term in 1932. While governor, he worked to establish an aeronautics division of state government and addressed the ongoing issue of secondary roads. He died the year after his final term ended. The grounds of his mill along the Duck River and much adjacent land was subsequently acquired by the state Department of Conservation and operated as Henry Horton State Park
Henry Horton State Park
Henry Horton State Park located near Chapel Hill, Tennessee, is a state park located in middle Tennessee. The park was constructed in the 1960s on the estate of the former governor of Tennessee, Henry Horton....
in his memory. A portion of U.S. Highway 31
U.S. Route 31
U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
, north of his hometown, was named in his honor.