Herb Hallas, former President of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society, has completed his book, William Almon Wheeler: Political Star of the North Country, which is scheduled to be released December, 2013, by SUNY Press This book is the first and only complete biography of Wheeler, a man referred to as "the New York Lincoln," who helped to found the Republican Party and build it into a formidable political force during the Gilded Age. Wheeler's life is an American success story about how a poor boy from Malone, NY, achieved fame and fortune as a lawyer, banker, railroad president, state legislator, five-time congressman, and vice president of the United States.
The book is available for sale in our Country Store. Price $25.00 plus tax.
Showing posts with label Wheeler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wheeler. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Political Cartoons from the Past
Locally, we have Marquil to put the events of the day into satirical images. In the 19th century, Thomas Nast skewered politicians with whom he disagreed. Check out this fabulous resource of Nast cartoons in Harper's Weekly!
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Thomas Nast cartoon "Compromise-Indeed!" Harper's Weekly January 27, 1877
Depicting disputed Presidential election of 1876 and Nast's perception of the Democrats' attitude.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
William A. Wheeler Event
(click to enlarge)
Free and open to the public. Call the museum at: 518-483-2750 for details.
View Larger Map
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wide Awake Clubs of Franklin County
The political campaigns and elections of 1860 between the Democratic and the newly-formed Republican Parties were fraught with many thorny issues, among them slavery in the United States. Into this hot political contest came the formation of local groups called "Wide Awake Clubs" made up of Republican-affiliated young men. These groups held rallies and host speakers and police the polling stations, but their most remarkable feature was the torch-lit parades at night in which they engaged, many wearing capes and other military-like uniforms.
These clubs, which encouraged support of local, regional and national Republican-Party candidates and platforms, while springing up throughout the Northern half of the country, were organized on the local level. Wide-Awake rallies in large cities such as Boston, New York City and Chicago consisted of hundreds of thousands of particiants. While not nearly as huge as in more populous areas, Franklin County had several Wide Awake Clubs.
This article from the June 7, 1860 Malone Palladium noted the spread of the Wide Awake campaign to Chateaugay and urged the formation of a Malone group:
By August, it appears that such a club had, indeed, been formed:
The Palladium was effusive in its description of huge Wide Awake rallies in Malone in July 1860:
... and in Brush's Mills (Brushton) in August 1860. (The whole article can be found here, but it is difficult to read parts of it.)
After the election of 1860, the term "wide-awake" continued to be used to describe those that were politically active and usually progressive in outlook.
___________________________________
Additional Resources:
- "Young Men for War": The Wide Awakes and Lincoln's 1860 Presidential Campaign by Jon Grinspan (Journal of American History. 96. Sept. 2009. 357-78)
- Wikipedia entry "Wide Awakes"
These clubs, which encouraged support of local, regional and national Republican-Party candidates and platforms, while springing up throughout the Northern half of the country, were organized on the local level. Wide-Awake rallies in large cities such as Boston, New York City and Chicago consisted of hundreds of thousands of particiants. While not nearly as huge as in more populous areas, Franklin County had several Wide Awake Clubs.
This article from the June 7, 1860 Malone Palladium noted the spread of the Wide Awake campaign to Chateaugay and urged the formation of a Malone group:
By August, it appears that such a club had, indeed, been formed:
From August 16, 1860 Malone Palladium
The Palladium was effusive in its description of huge Wide Awake rallies in Malone in July 1860:
... and in Brush's Mills (Brushton) in August 1860. (The whole article can be found here, but it is difficult to read parts of it.)
After the election of 1860, the term "wide-awake" continued to be used to describe those that were politically active and usually progressive in outlook.
___________________________________
Additional Resources:
- "Young Men for War": The Wide Awakes and Lincoln's 1860 Presidential Campaign by Jon Grinspan (Journal of American History. 96. Sept. 2009. 357-78)
- Wikipedia entry "Wide Awakes"
Monday, December 14, 2009
Telegram to Abraham Lincoln
Telegram from William A. Wheeler and Albert Hobbs to Abraham Lincoln, November 1, 1864. The telegram was concerning the case of Nathan Wilcox, a military deserter.
REPOSITORY: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress (Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833-1916.)
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/377/3779800/malpage.db&recNum=0
Abraham Lincoln
President US
Mr Nathan Wilcox who is under sentence of death for desertion from the army is my relative + for the sake of his grandparents this large circle of loyal relatives I humbly pray your Excellency to commute his sentence so that his life may be spared He was a member of the twenty second 22d Massachusetts Volunteers
A Hobbs
- Continued –
Hon A Hobbs who signs the above despatch is the Union Senator from the 17th NYork Dist + a good + loyal man to whose representation all good faith + credit may be given
WA Wheeler
Late MC
+++++++
President Lincoln must have agreed to order a stay of execution, as the Library of Congress has futher telegraphs on the matter. On November 2, General Grant telegraphs to President Lincoln General Meade's reply to him, indicating that there's no "Private Nathan Niloan" scheduled for execution, but there is a "Nathaniel M. Wilcox" and he'll stay the execution order accordingly.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/378/3785500/malpage.db&recNum=0&tempFile=./temp/~ammem_yjHO&filecode=mal&next_filecode=mal&prev_filecode=mal&itemnum=4&ndocs=96
General Meade sends his own telegraph to the President, indicating that he will suspend the execution and await further orders:
(http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/P?mal:2:./temp/~ammem_yjHO:: )
REPOSITORY: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress (Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833-1916.)
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/377/3779800/malpage.db&recNum=0
(click image to enlarge)
Transcript:
Office U.S. Military Telegraph
War Department
The following Telegram received at Washington, 1023 a M, Nov 1 1864.
5 From Malone NY Nov 1 1864
5 From Malone NY Nov 1 1864
Abraham Lincoln
President US
Mr Nathan Wilcox who is under sentence of death for desertion from the army is my relative + for the sake of his grandparents this large circle of loyal relatives I humbly pray your Excellency to commute his sentence so that his life may be spared He was a member of the twenty second 22d Massachusetts Volunteers
A Hobbs
- Continued –
Hon A Hobbs who signs the above despatch is the Union Senator from the 17th NYork Dist + a good + loyal man to whose representation all good faith + credit may be given
WA Wheeler
Late MC
+++++++
President Lincoln must have agreed to order a stay of execution, as the Library of Congress has futher telegraphs on the matter. On November 2, General Grant telegraphs to President Lincoln General Meade's reply to him, indicating that there's no "Private Nathan Niloan" scheduled for execution, but there is a "Nathaniel M. Wilcox" and he'll stay the execution order accordingly.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/378/3785500/malpage.db&recNum=0&tempFile=./temp/~ammem_yjHO&filecode=mal&next_filecode=mal&prev_filecode=mal&itemnum=4&ndocs=96
(http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/P?mal:2:./temp/~ammem_yjHO:: )
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Hayes-Wheeler Campaign Sheet Music
Sheet music for "The boys in blue will see it through; Campaign song and Chorus."
PUBLISHED: S.T. Gordon & Son, New York, NY, 1876
REPOSITORY: Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/a/a90/a9087/
PUBLISHED: S.T. Gordon & Son, New York, NY, 1876
REPOSITORY: Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/a/a90/a9087/
(click image to enlarge)
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