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Marion Cannon | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byC. M. Bell,c. 1891–1894 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | William W. Bowers |
| Succeeded by | James McLachlan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1834 |
| Died | August 27, 1920(1920-08-27) (aged 85) |
| Political party | Populist |
Marion Cannon (October 30, 1834 – August 27, 1920) was aUnited States representative fromCalifornia.
Cannon was born nearMorgantown, Virginia (now in West Virginia) where he learned theblacksmith trade as a teenager and left home, carrying his blacksmith shop with him, from Mt. Morris, PA at the age of 18. He loaded his business onto aConestoga wagon pulled by two oxen named Buck and Berry. Because of his oxen he had to walk the six months of his crossing. During this time he used his blacksmith's trade to replenish his supplies.He arrived with a wagon train inSalt Lake City in time to witness the laying of the foundation stone for theMormon Temple.
He crossed the Sierra's to Diamond Springs arriving sometime in 1853. From there he sought a mining community where he could set up shop as a blacksmith. While in Diamond Springs he probably met the Holland family and around 1860 married Lydia Jane Holland, built a home, and began raising a family of 5 children in a place called Omega. He served as Grand Master of the Nevada CityMasonic Lodge and also one term (two years) as the county recorder for Nevada County. At some point he bought the Volcan gold mine, which he then sold in 1874 to purchase acreage inVentura, California on Telephone Road to engage in agricultural pursuits.
November 20, 1890, Cannon was elected first State President of theFarmers’ Alliance and was reelected October 22, 1891. He helped to organize thePeople's Party of California and was elected as a Populist to theFifty-third Congress (March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1895), but was not a candidate for renomination in 1894.
He was chosen as a representative to the Supreme Council inIndianapolis in November 1891 and was selected by that body to represent California in the industrial conference atSt. Louis February 22, 1892. He was delegate to thePeople's Party National Convention in 1892.
In Ventura he maintained his blacksmith shop business. He was listed as a blacksmith until the 1900 census. He also began farming, and ran in farming political and social circles. He did not think much of the post Civil War east coast, and was an ardent booster of the West for the rest of his life. He was a member of the California Grange, and, as a member of the Grange, was an ardent enemy of the railroads’ manipulation of costs for shipping produce. Marion Cannon was also a founding member of the Ventura Bank, which became theBank of Italy, which later became theBank of America.
Cannon resumed agricultural pursuits until his death at Ranch Home, near Ventura, August 27, 1920. The Cannon family established a longstanding relationship with the Methodist church in Ventura. He was buried in Ivy Lawn Cemetery,Ventura, California.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Populist | Marion Cannon | 20,680 | 56.3 | |||
| Republican | Hervey Lindley | 14,271 | 38.8 | |||
| Prohibition | O. R. Dougherty | 1,805 | 4.9 | |||
| Total votes | 36,756 | 100.0 | ||||
| Populistgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 6th congressional district 1893–1895 | Succeeded by |
