Robert Newton Baskin (December 20, 1837 – August 26, 1918) was an American politician and lawyer in the state of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Biography

R.N. Baskin was born in Hillsboro, Ohio on December 20, 1837. He attended Salem Academy, near

Chillicothe, Ohio Chillicothe ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Scioto River 45 miles (72 km) south of Columbus, Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio. It is the only city in Ross Count ...

and studied law with the firm of James H. Thompson in Salem, Ohio. En route for

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, Baskin visited the Little Cottonwood mining district with Thomas Hearst and saw possibilities in the minerals of Utah Territory and decided to stay. Baskin became friends with a Dr. Robinson in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

who was assassinated on October 22, 1866. Dr. Robinson was building the first public hospital in Salt Lake City when the police tore it down and warned him not to "renew his operations there." Brigham Young later said about Dr. Robinson's hospital: "The band of men had done wrong; that instead of going by night to destroy the building, they should have gone through it in broad day." Dr. Robinson contacted Baskin in contemplation of bringing a suit to recover damages for the destruction of his property. A few weeks after the suit was instituted Dr. Robinson was called from his bed at midnight by some unknown person who said that a friend of Dr. Robinson was injured. Ignoring the advice from his wife he went with the person, but at the corner of Third South and Main in downtown Salt Lake he was beaten to death. Standing over the mutilated body of his friend, Baskin resolved that he would do all in his power to increase federal authority in Utah, as a prominent Harvard trained, Protestant attorney in Utah. According to an article appearing in the ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' on August 26, 1918, "he did much to develop Utah mines, prosecuted

John D. Lee John Doyle Lee (September 6, 1812 – March 23, 1877) was an American pioneer and prominent early member of the Latter Day Saint Movement in Utah. Lee was later convicted as a mass murderer for his complicity in the Mountain Meadows massacre, s ...

, wrote his Reminiscences, exposed Mormon Apostle

Orson F. Whitney Orson Ferguson Whitney (1 July 1855 – 16 May 1931), born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1906 until his death. Early life ...

, and was active in politics, especially against polygamy. He drew and procured the Cullom Bill, was

mayor of Salt Lake City This is a list of mayors of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Salt Lake City was incorporated on January 6, 1851. The mayor of Salt Lake City is a non-partisan position. See also *Mayoral elections in Salt Lake City References *Harold Schindler, (N ...

elected under the

Utah Liberal Party The Liberal Party was a political party established in the latter half of the 1800s in Utah Territory before the national Democrats and Republicans established themselves in Utah in the early 1890s. The Liberal Party formed in 1870 to oppose ...

in 1892, and was associate justice of the Supreme Court of Utah (sworn in January 3, 1899). Baskin died at his home in Salt Lake City on August 26, 1918. He faced criticism from some such as the editor of the ''Deseret News'' who said that the paper "found it necessary to oppose his operations and criticize his methods with all the force it could command". However, the editor also commented that the paper later "found itself able to conscientiously to support him for high public office, and to commend his official acts and policies". In his reply he says, "I assure the Mormon people I am not their enemy, but their friend...I openly, and above board honestly and untiringly strove to Americanize theocratic Utah". He was a Freemason, being a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 2 of the Free and Accepted Masons of Utah, having gone through the three degrees sometime prior to the 1872 Proceedings of that Grand Lodge where he is listed as a member; according to records of subsequent annual proceedings, he remained a member for the rest of his life.

References

* Maxwell, John Gary. ''Robert Newton Baskin and the Making of Modern Utah'' (University of Oklahoma Press; 2013) 408 pages; scholarly biography * Van Wagoner, Richard S.; ''Mormon Polygamy: A History''; Signature Books; (Paperback, 2nd edition, 1992) *Baskin, Robert N. ''Reminiscences of Early Utah: with " Reply to Certain Statements by O. F. Whitney''; Signature Books: Salt Lake City; ; (paperback)

Biography

References

Further reading