James Jackson McAlester (October 1, 1842 – September 21, 1920) was an American Confederate Army soldier and merchant. McAlester was the founder of McAlester, Oklahoma, as well as a primary developer of the coal mining industry in eastern Oklahoma. He served as the United States Marshal for Indian Territory (1893–1897), one of three members of the first Oklahoma Corporation Commission (1907–1911) and the second lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 1911 to 1915.
James Jackson McAlester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma | |
| In office January 9, 1911 – January 11, 1915 | |
| Governor | Lee Cruce |
| Preceded by | George W. Bellamy |
| Succeeded by | Martin E. Trapp |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner | |
| In office November 16, 1907 – January 9, 1911 | |
| Governor | Charles N. Haskell |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | George A. Henshaw |
| United States Marshal for Indian Territory's Central District | |
| In office March 1, 1895 – April 19, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Jasper P. Grady |
| United States Marshal for Indian Territory | |
| In office April 6, 1893 – March 1, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas B. Needles |
| Succeeded by | Position replaced with multiple districts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1, 1842 Sebastian County, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 1920 (aged 77) McAlester, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Rebecca Burney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | |
Early life, military career, and family
editMcAlester was born in Sebastian County, Arkansas, on October 1, 1842, and grew up in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He joined the Confederate States Army at the start of the war and reached the rand of captain. After the defeat of the Confederacy he returned to Ft. Smith where he met engineer Oliver Weldon who gave him details of the location of coal deposits in Indian Territory (near now-McAlester, Oklahoma). In 1866 he moved to the Choctaw Nation and worked for the trading companies "Harlan and Rooks" and "Reynolds and Hannaford," before buying out the later.[1]
On August 22, 1872, he married Rebecca Burney (born 1841 in Mississippi - died May 5, 1919, in Oklahoma) a member of the Chickasaw Nation and they had five children.[2][3] This made it possible for him to gain citizenship in and the right to own property in both the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. Using the knowledge he had gotten from Weldon, he was able to make many lucrative coal claims in the area and to establish what eventually became McAlester Coal Mining Co.[1] His trading company, J. J. McAlester Mercantile Company, was the company store for the miners since much of their pay was issued in the form of scrip redeemable only at J. J. McAlester Mercantile.[4]
U.S. Marshall and Oklahoma Corporation Commission
editOn April 6, 1893, President Grover Cleveland appointed McAlester U.S. Marshal for Indian Territory and he served until March 1, 1895, when he became the U.S. Marshall for Indian Territory's Central District until April 19, 1897.[5] He was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and took office in 1907. He did not run for reelection in 1910, instead running for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma.[1]
Lt. Governor of Oklahoma and death
editAs a member of the Democratic Party he was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma with 118,544 votes (49.3%), winning against Republican Gilbert Dukes with 94,621 votes (39.4%), with Socialist candidate John G. Wills reaching nearly 10%.[6] Thereby he continued a line of Democratic office holders which lasted until 1995 when Mary Fallin was inaugurated.[7] During his tenure McAlester had the occasion to serve as "acting governor of Oklahoma, during the absence of Governor Lee Cruce from the state, as evidenced by a pardon he issued in 1915 in the case of Sibenaler v. State (1915 OK CR 45).[8]
He died on September 21, 1920, in McAlester.[1] Rebecca Burney predeceased him. They had four children, including a set of twin girls, all born in Indian Territory.[9]
Legacy
editMcAlester House, J. J. McAlester's home in McAlester is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma.[10]
J. J. McAlester's store served as the basis for the store visited by U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn in the 1968 novel True Grit by Charles Portis (and the subsequent 1969 and 2010 feature film versions).[11]
Electoral history
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2023) |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J.J. McAlester | 132,373 | 54.7 | New | |
| Republican | Patrick J. Dore | 99,547 | 41.2 | New | |
| Socialist | A.T. Reeves | 9,639 | 3.9 | New | |
| Democratic gain from | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J.J. McAlester | 33,064 | 30.2% | |
| Democratic | Frank P. Davis | 24,104 | 22.0% | |
| Democratic | J. M. Postelle | 14,747 | 13.4% | |
| Democratic | P. P. Duffy. | 13,388 | 12.2% | |
| Democratic | P. J. Yeager | 10,524 | 9.6% | |
| Democratic | Albert H. Ellis | 9,699 | 8.8% | |
| Democratic | Robert L. Notson | 3,870 | 3.5% | |
| Turnout | 109,396 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J.J. McAlester | 118,544 | 49.3% | −5.4% | |
| Republican | Gilbert W. Dukes | 94,621 | 39.3% | −2.0% | |
| Socialist | John G. Wills | 23,974 | 9.9% | +6.0% | |
| Prohibition | I.A. Briggs | 3,136 | 1.3% | New | |
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d LaRadius, Allen (January 15, 2010). "McAlester, James Jackson (1842–1920)". okhistory.org. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "City of McAlester,OK". www.cityofmcalester.com. City of McAlester. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Gordon, James H.; Arnote, James S.; Freeman, W. P. (September 1927). "Necrology" (PDF). Chronicles of Oklahoma. 5 (3). United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma: 352. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Orzano, Michele (February 1, 2015). "Obsolete note with a connection to 1968 novel True Grit". Coin World. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "List of US Marshals - Oklahoma" (PDF). prod.usmarshals.gov. United States Marshals Service. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d "1907-1912 Results" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Linda D. (February 11, 2015). "Fallin, Mary Newt Copeland". okhistory.org. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Sibenaler v State (1915 OK CR 45). - The Oklahoma Supreme Court Network. - 15 May 1915.
- ^ Genealogy of Rebecca Burney[dead link]
- ^ State Historic Preservation Office listing for McAlester House Archived 2010-06-22 at the Wayback Machine. - Oklahoma Center for Geospatial Information (OCGI) at Oklahoma State University.
- ^ Hoefling, Larry J. (2008). - "Pittsburg County". - Images of America. - Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. - pp.17-21. - ISBN 978-0-7385-5182-1.