Thomas B. Catron | |
|---|---|
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| United States Senator from New Mexico | |
| In office March 27, 1912 – March 3, 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Andrieus A. Jones |
| 13th Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico[1] | |
| In office 1906–1908 | |
| Preceded by | A. R. Gibson |
| Succeeded by | José D. Sena |
| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico Territory’s at-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio Joseph |
| Succeeded by | Harvey Butler Fergusson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 6, 1840 near Lexington, Missouri |
| Died | May 15, 1921 (aged 80) Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Julia Anna Walz Catron (1857–1909) |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States |
| Branch/service |  Confederate Army |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Commands | 3rd Missouri Battery |
Thomas Benton Catron (October 6, 1840 – May 15, 1921) was an American politician and lawyer who was influential in the establishment of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and served as one of its first United States Senators. Catron has defenders but enemies have described him as a "greedy land grabber and ruthless politico."[2]
Catron was a native of Missouri and a graduate of the University of Missouri. He was a Confederate States Army veteran of the American Civil War. After the war, he moved to New Mexico Territory, where he learned Spanish, studied law, and attained admission to the bar. A Republican even though most Southerners were Democrats, Catron soon made his mark in both law and politics, including serving as a district attorney, territorial attorney general (1869–1872), and United States Attorney for New Mexico (1872–1878). He later served on the New Mexico Territorial Council (1884, 1888, 1889), as the Territorial Delegate to Congress (1895–1897), President of the New Mexico Bar Association (1895), and Mayor of Santa Fe (1906–1908).
In addition to practicing law Catron was a member of the Santa Fe Ring of prominent attorneys, politicians and land speculators. He used his knowledge of New Mexico's Spanish and Mexican land grants to acquire land from Hispanic settlers unfamiliar with Anglo law and the English language and often not even aware that their ownership of the land where they lived was being challenged. He accumulated title to more than 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km2), possibly making him the largest landholder in the United States.[3] When New Mexico achieved statehood, the legislature elected Catron one of the state's first U.S. Senators. He served from 1912 to 1916, and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1916. He died in Santa Fe, and was buried in Santa Fe's Fairview Cemetery.
- ^ City of Santa Fe, Former Mayors of Santa Fe, 2014
- ^ Westphal, Victor (1988). "Thomas Benton Catron: A Historical Defense". New Mexico Historical Defense. 63 (1): 43.
- ^ Gonzales, Phillip B. (2003). "Struggle for Survival: The Hispanic Land Grants of New Mexico, 1848-1901". Agricultural History. 77 (2): 302. doi:10.1215/00021482-77.2.293. JSTOR 3744837.