Charles Hinman Graves

Charles Hinman Graves (August 14, 1839 – October 7, 1928) was an American army officer, politician, and diplomat.

For the Ohio politician born in 1872, see Charles H. Graves (Ohio politician).

C.H. Graves
15th United States Minister to Sweden
In office
May 31, 1905 – December 12, 1913
PresidentTheodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Preceded byWilliam W. Thomas Jr.
Succeeded byIra Nelson Morris
1st United States Minister to Norway
In office
May 31, 1905 – August 6, 1906
PresidentTheodore Roosevelt
Preceded byDiplomatic relations established
Succeeded byHerbert H. D. Peirce
19th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
1889–1891
Preceded byWilliam Rush Merriam
Succeeded byEzra T. Champlin
8th Mayor of Duluth
In office
1881–1883
Preceded byJ.D. Ensign
Succeeded byJoshua B. Culver
Personal details
Born(1839-08-14)August 14, 1839
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 7, 1928(1928-10-07) (aged 89)
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Alice Kinney
​
(m. 1905)​
ResidenceDuluth, Minnesota
ProfessionSoldier, diplomat
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Union
Branch/service United States Army
Union Army
Years of service1861-1870
RankColonel
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Military

Hinman was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on August 14, 1839.[1][2] After the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined the Army of the Potomac as a sergeant. Breveted four times for gallantry in action, he participated in many battles in the Eastern Theater, and finished the war at the rank of lieutenant colonel. The war over, Graves decided to stay in the army until December 1870, at which time he was discharged from the Thirty-fourth infantry.[lower-alpha 1]

Politics

Following his discharge from the army, Graves moved to the port city of Duluth, Minnesota, where he initially involved himself various business ventures including shipping, real estate, iron mining, and insurance, and became the first person to ship wheat from Duluth's port in 1871.[4] He then entered local politics, first as a Republican in the Minnesota Senate representing District 29 from 1873 to 1876.[5] He then served as Mayor of Duluth from 1881 to 1883.[3][1] On November 11, 1888, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives from District 46, serving a term from January 9, 1889, to January 5, 1891, during which time he served as Speaker of the House for the twenty-sixth Minnesota Legislature.[5]

Later life

Graves was later appointed as United States Ambassador to Sweden from 1905 to 1913 and to Norway from 1905 to 1906. Just before leaving for his posts, Graves announced at a farewell banquet that he would be marrying a Miss Alice Kinney from Athens, Pennsylvania on April 25.[6] The two married; his wife died in 1949.[7]

Graves died in Santa Barbara, California on October 7, 1928.[3][8]

Notes
  1. His obituary in The New York Times claims he was a captain at that time,[3] whereas Minnesota's State Capitol and the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library state he was a Colonel.[4][5]

References
  1. The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Minnesota Cities and the World's Columbian Exposition. Vol. 2. American Biographical Publishing Company. 1892. pp. 991–993. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  2. "Descendants of both John Hinman (VA, 1635) and Sgt. Edward Hinman (CT, 1650): Seventh Generation". Hinman Family. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  3. "Col. C.H. Graves, Ex-Diplomat, Dies". The New York Times. Santa Barbara, California. October 8, 1928. ProQuest 104459006. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  4. Thompson, Neil B. (1974). Minnesota's State Capitol: The Art and Politics of a Public Building. Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-87351-085-1.
  5. "Minnesota Legislators Past and Present: Graves, Charles Hinman "C.H."". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  6. "Col. C. H. Graves to Marry". The New York Times. Duluth, Minnesota. April 10, 1905. p. 5. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Mrs. Charles H. Graves' Rites". The New York Times. April 16, 1949. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  8. "Col. Charles H. Graves". The Boston Globe. Santa Barbara, California. AP. October 8, 1928. p. 15. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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