John Arnot Jr. (March 11, 1831 – November 20, 1886) was an American
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
veteran, politician and a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
New York
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* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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from 1883 until his death in 1886.
Early life
John Arnot Jr. was born in
Elmira, New York
Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...
on March 11, 1831, a son of John Arnot and Harriet (Tuttle) Arnot.
He was raised and educated at private schools in Elmira, and attended
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
, but left before graduating to begin a banking career in New York City.
In 1852, he returned to Elmira to succeed his father as cashier of the Chemung Canal Bank following his father's promotion to bank president.
Career
Arnot was affiliated with the Chemung National Bank for the rest of his life.
In addition, his other ventures included ownership of the T. Briggs and Company brewery, a major investor in the Elmira Gas Company, and treasurer of the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Company.
Arnot was also a successful real estate investor, and had holdings throughout Elmira.
Active in politics as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, he served on the Elmira board of education, and was president of the village of Elmira from 1859 to 1864.
In 1858, he married Ann Elizabeth Hulett, with whom he was the father of three children.
When Elmira was chartered as a city in 1864, Arnot was elected its first mayor, and he was elected again in 1870 and 1874.
In 1882, he initially declined the Democratic nomination for a seat in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, but he subsequently agreed to run.
Arnot was elected to the
48th Congress from New York's
29th district, and to the
49th Congress from the New York's
28th district.
He served from March 4, 1883, until his death.
Death and legacy
In October 1884, gasses that had built up in the vault of the Chemung Canal Bank exploded when Arnot opened the vault.
He was severely injured, but was later able to return to work.
His health declined after the explosion, and he died in Elmira on November 20, 1886.
He was buried at
Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.
Arnot was a communicant of Elmira's
Trinity Church.
A memorial chapel on the church campus was built to honor Arnot and his family, and was financed by Arnot's sister, Mariana Tuttle Arnot Ogden, and her husband
William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden (June 15, 1805 – August 3, 1877) was an American politician and railroad executive who served as the first Mayor of Chicago. He was referred to as "the Astor of Chicago." He was, at one time, the city's richest citizen ...
.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnot, John Jr.
1831 births
1886 deaths
Mayors of Elmira, New York
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Elmira, New York)
19th-century American legislators
Yale College alumni