Arthur Lloyd Thomas

22 August 1851–15 September 1924

Born 22 Aug. 1851 in Chicago.[1] Son of Henry Jefferies Thomas and Eleanor Lloyd.[2] Moved to Pittsburgh, by 1854.[3] Telegraph operator, ca. 1867.[4] Appointed as a page at the White House, ca. 1869.[5] Served as a clerk and then assistant superintendent in the office of the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1869–1879.[6] Married first Helena Henrietta Reinberg, 6 Feb. 1873, in Washington, DC.[7] Appointed as secretary of Utah Territory by presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Grover Cleveland; served 1879–1887.[8] Supervised the enumeration of the 1880 Utah territorial census.[9] Wife died, 1888; married second Annie M. Adams, 8 Feb. 1905, in Washington, DC.[10] Appointed as governor of Utah Territory by President Benjamin Harrison; served 1889–1893.[11] Signed the first public free-school law for the territory.[12] Met with EBW several times while he lived in Utah.[13] Served as postmaster for Salt Lake City, 1898–1913.[14] Died 15 Sept. 1924 in Salt Lake City.[15]

 

[1] Franklin Harper, ed., Who’s Who on the Pacific Coast (Los Angeles: Harper Publishing, 1913), 560. 1870 U.S. Census, South Ward Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., PA, p. 86, Arthur Thomas. “Death Closes Long and Active Career in Upbuilding of Utah; Was Salt Lake Postmaster Sixteen Years,” Salt Lake Telegram, 15 Sept. 1924, 1. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 14 July 2020), Arthur Lloyd Thomas Sr. (LHPK-2M8). 

[2] Franklin Harper, ed., Who’s Who on the Pacific Coast (Los Angeles: Harper Publishing, 1913), 560. “Died,” Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Sept. 1895, 8.

[3] “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 15 Jan. 2019), Jane Eleanor Thomas (LZ64-YR3). 1870 U.S. Census, South Ward Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., PA, p. 86. 

[4] “Death Closes Long and Active Career in Upbuilding of Utah; Was Salt Lake Postmaster Sixteen Years,” Salt Lake Telegram, 15 Sept. 1924, 1.

[5] “Death Closes Long and Active Career in Upbuilding of Utah; Was Salt Lake Postmaster Sixteen Years,” Salt Lake Telegram, 15 Sept. 1924, 1.

[6] Rossiter Johnson, ed., The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, vol. 10 (Boston: Biographical Society, 1904), n.p.

[7] District of Columbia, Clerk of the Superior Court, Marriage Records, 1811–1950, vol. 5, p. 69, Arthur Lloyd Thomas and Helena Henrietta Reinburg, microfilm 2107690, DGS 4259002, image 101/988, FHL.

[8] Rossiter Johnson, ed., The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, vol. 10 (Boston: Biographical Society, 1904), n.p. “Washington News and Gossip,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), 21 Apr. 1879, 1. “The Senate and House,” National Republican (Washington, DC), 22 Feb. 1883, 4.

[9] Rossiter Johnson, ed., The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, vol. 10 (Boston: Biographical Society, 1904), n.p.

[10] “Local Briefs,” Salt Lake Daily Herald, 11 Jan. 1888, 8. District of Columbia, Clerk of the Superior Court, Marriage Records, 1811–1950, vols. 96–99 (1905), p. 286, no. 28286, Arthur L. Thomas and Annie M. Adams, microfilm 2108269, image 176/970, FHL. “In the Polite World,” Salt Lake Telegram, 11 Feb. 1905, 5.

[11] “Some Appointments,” Washington Critic (Washington, DC), 7 May 1889, 1. “Death Closes Long and Active Career in Upbuilding of Utah; Was Salt Lake Postmaster Sixteen Years,” Salt Lake Telegram, 15 Sept. 1924, 1.

[12] Rossiter Johnson, ed., The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, vol. 10 (Boston: Biographical Society, 1904), n.p. “Death Closes Long and Active Career in Upbuilding of Utah; Was Salt Lake Postmaster Sixteen Years,” Salt Lake Telegram, 15 Sept. 1924, 1.

[13] EBW, Diary, 18 May 1895; 24 Oct. 1895; 11 Aug. 1896.

[14] “Nomination Confirmed,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), 8 Jan. 1898, 10. Franklin Harper, ed., Who’s Who on the Pacific Coast (Los Angeles: Harper Publishing, 1913), 560.

[15] “Utah State Archives Indexes,” database and images, Utah State Archives (https://archives.utah.gov, accessed 11 Dec. 2018); Utah Department of Health Office of Vital Records and Statistics Death Certificates, series 81448, file no. 1583/520 (1924), Arthur Lloyd Thomas.