Christopher A. Walrath (c. 1830 - 1897) was an American merchant and politician 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 * '' ...

Life

He lived in

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...

, Madison County, New York. He was a director of the First National Bank of Oneida when it was first organized in 1864. In 1872, he ran as a Democrat for presidential elector on the

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...

ticket, jointly nominated by Democrats and Liberal Republicans, but New York was carried by

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

. He was a delegate to the

1876 Democratic National Convention The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati. This was the first political convention held west of the Mississippi River. St. Louis was noti ...

. In

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

, he was elected on the Democratic ticket a Canal Commissioner. On December 2, 1875, Canal Commissioner Reuben W. Stroud died, and Walrath was appointed to the vacancy, thus anticipating the succession for about a month. The office of Canal Commissioner was abolished by an amendment to the New York State Constitution in 1876, pending the appointment of a Superintendent of Public Works. The Canal Commissioners remained in office until February 8, 1878, when the first Superintendent of Public Works,

Benjamin S. W. Clark Benjamin S. W. Clark (May 27, 1829 – October 19, 1912) was an American merchant and politician from New York. He was the first New York State Superintendent of Public Works. Biography He was born in Franklin County, New York, to Samuel Smith C ...

, qualified to take over the duties from the remaining two Canal Commissioners Walrath and Darius A. Ogden.

References

Sources

History of Madison County, at RootsWeb

Lenox, New York, Lenox business directory for 1868, at RootsWeb
''THE GREELEYITES''
in NYT on September 6, 1872
''THE SYRACUSE CONVENTION''
in NYT on September 18, 1875

Political Graveyard (surname misspelled as "Wolrath") 1897 deaths People from Oneida, New York Erie Canal Commissioners American bankers New York (state) Democrats New York (state) Liberal Republicans Year of birth uncertain {{NewYork-politician-stub