Thomas Thorn Flagler (October 12, 1811 – September 6, 1897) was 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. Born in

Pleasant Valley, New York Pleasant Valley is a town in Dutchess County, within the Hudson Valley of New York, United States. The population was 9,799 at the 2020 census. The town is centrally located in the county, northeast of the city of Poughkeepsie. U.S. Route 44 pa ...

, Flagler attended the local schools. He learned the printer's trade and became one of the owners and publishers of the ''Chenango Republican'' in

Oxford, New York Oxford is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Chenango County, New York, Chenango County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town contains a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village also named Oxford (villa ...

. In 1836 Flagler moved to

Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the Lockport (town), New York, town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census ...

, where he published the ''Niagara Courier'' until 1842 when he entered the hardware business. A Whig, Flagler served as member of 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 ...

in 1842 and 1843, and Treasurer of

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niag ...

between 1849 and 1852. Flagler was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-third Congress and reelected as an

Opposition Party Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...

candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1856 and resumed former business pursuits. In 1859, together with inventor

Birdsill Holly Birdsill Holly Jr. (November 8, 1820 – April 27, 1894) was an American mechanical engineer and inventor of water hydraulics devices. He is known for inventing mechanical devices that improved city water systems and patented an improved fire hy ...

(1820–1893), he founded the Holly Manufacturing Company, makers of Holly's patented fire hydrants. Flagler was also active in other businesses, including Lockport's gaslight company, the Niagara County Bank, and the Lockport and Erie Railroad. By now a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was again a member of the Assembly in 1860, and he was a Delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1867 and 1868. He died in

, on September 6, 1897, and was interred in Glenwood Cemetery.

References

* *Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
The Death of Hon. T. T. Flagler
September 7, 1897 {{DEFAULTSORT:Flagler, Thomas Thorn 1811 births 1897 deaths People from Pleasant Valley, New York Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) New York (state) Republicans Members of the New York State Assembly Politicians from Lockport, New York 19th-century American politicians