Nathaniel Holmes Odell (October 10, 1828 – October 30, 1904) was an American businessman and politician who served one term as 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 New York most commonly refers to: * 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 New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

from 1875 to 1877.

Biography

N. Holmes Odell was born in

Greenburgh Greenburgh is a town in western Westchester County, New York. The population was 95,397 at the time of the 2020 census. History Greenburgh developed along the Hudson River, long the main transportation route. It was settled by northern Europeans ...

, near

Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North ...

, and was the son of Jonathan S. Odell (1793–1887) and Jane Tompkins Odell (1796–1887). He attended private schools, including Paulding Institute, and then became a partner in the mercantile business of Odell & Clark while also becoming involved in his father's steamboat business on the North River.

Political career

Odell served in town offices, including Greenburgh town clerk and justice of the peace. He served in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1857 to 1861. He established the First National Bank of Tarrytown and served as cashier from 1862 to 1864. In 1866 Odell was elected

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

Treasurer. He was reelected in 1869 and again in 1872.

Congress

Odell was elected 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 ...

to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876.

Later career

After leaving Congress Odell resumed his banking interests and also became involved in the real estate business. After having served for several years as assistant postmaster, from 1887 to 1892 and 1894 to 1898 he served as

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

of Tarrytown. Odell was a Freemason and a member of Solomon's Lodge No. 196, Tarrytown.

Death

Odell died in

, October 30, 1904. He was interred at

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York, is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent burying ground at the Old Dutch C ...

Sleepy Hollow, New York Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is located on the east bank of the Hudson River, about north of New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on ...

Sources

1828 births 1904 deaths Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) County treasurers in the United States People from Tarrytown, New York 19th-century American legislators County officials in New York (state) New York (state) postmasters 19th-century New York (state) politicians {{NewYork-Representative-stub