Hugh McQueen Street (January 7, 1833 - May 31, 1920) was an American businessman and Democratic politician. He served in the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

from 1870 to 1880, 1890 to 1894, and from 1908 to 1912. He was its Speaker in four different stints (1873–1874, 1876–1878, 1892–1894, 1908–1912).

Early life and family

Hugh McQueen Street was born on January 7, 1833, in

Moore County, North Carolina Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 99,727. Its county seat is Carthage and its largest municipality is the Village of Pinehurst. It is a border county between the Pi ...

. He was of Scottish ancestry. He was the oldest of 13 children of Donald Street, whose family first settled in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

, before moving to

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

; and his wife, Lydia (McBryde) Street. Street's paternal great-uncle, Hugh McQueen, was an

Attorney General of North Carolina The Attorney General of North Carolina is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The attorney general is a constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in legal matters, supplying other state offici ...

. Street's maternal grandfather,

Archibald McBryde Archibald McBryde (September 28, 1766February 15, 1837) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina. He was born in Wigtownshire, Scotland, immigrated at an early age with his parents, and settled in Carbonton, North Carolina. McBr ...

, was a member of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

. Street attended an "old-field school" in 1840, and attended Carthage High School from 1847 to 1848. Street moved with his family to

Tishomingo County, Mississippi Tishomingo County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,593. Its county seat is Iuka. History Tishomingo County was organized February 9, 1836, from Ch ...

, in 1852.

Military career

In 1861, Street joined the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, and served, mostly on detached duty, until 1865. He was a member of the 26th Mississippi Infantry Regiment.

Political career

First stint (1870-1880)

In 1869, Street was elected to represent

Tishomingo County Tishomingo County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,593. Its county seat is Iuka. History Tishomingo County was organized February 9, 1836, from Ch ...

in the

. In 1870, he introduced a bill creating Prentiss County. Representing Prentiss County, he served two-year terms, ending in 1880 when he chose not to seek re-election in 1879. From 1873 to 1874 and from 1876 to 1878, Street was the Speaker of the Mississippi House.

Second and third stints (1890-1894, 1908-1912)

In 1889, Street was elected to represent Lauderdale County in the Mississippi House of Representatives, and served a two-year term from 1890 to 1892. During that term, Street introduced the bill that created the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1890, on which he served himself. The convention created the 1890 Mississippi Constitution, which disenfranchised black voters. Street was re-elected in 1891 for a four-year term and was elected Speaker again, by a close 61–59 vote, in 1892. However, he resigned during the legislature's 1894 session. On November 5, 1907, Street was elected for another four-year House term from 1908 to 1912. On January 7, 1908 (also his 75th birthday), Street was also elected Speaker of the House for that term. In total, he served as the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives in four different stints.

Later life

Street died at his home in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

, on May 31, 1920.

Personal life

Street married Charlotte Elizabeth Prindle on November 2, 1858. Street then married Charlotte Augusta Ryder on October 13, 1887. As of 1908, Street had five living children: Charles R., Albert J., Bessie Lee (Street) Coburn, Ethel, and Lottie Prentiss (Street) Champenois.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Street, Hugh McQueen 1833 births 1920 deaths Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives