William S. Linton | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's8th district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Henry M. Youmans |
| Succeeded by | Ferdinand Brucker |
| Member of theMichigan House of Representatives | |
| In office 1887–1888 | |
| Mayor of Saginaw | |
| In office 1892-1894 | |
| Preceded by | George W. Weadock |
| Succeeded by | William B. Mershon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1856 |
| Died | November 22, 1927 (aged 71) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
William Seelye Linton (February 4, 1856 – November 22, 1927) was an American businessman and politician who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan from 1893 to 1897.
Linton was born inSt. Clair, Michigan and moved with his parents toSaginaw in 1859, where he attended the public schools. He engaged as clerk in a store atFarwell and became engaged in various activities connected with the lumber industry at Wells (nowAlger).
He was a member of the board of supervisors ofBay County for two terms. He returned to Saginaw in 1878 and engaged in the lumber business with his father and also was connected with other business enterprises. He was a member of theEast Saginaw common council in 1884 and 1885. He was a member of theMichigan House of Representatives in 1887 and 1888. He was an unsuccessful candidate forLieutenant Governor of Michigan on the Republican ticket in 1890, losing to Democrat John Strong, Jr. Linton was also president of the Saginaw Water Board and was electedmayor of Saginaw in 1892.
He married Ida M. Lowry, a native of Romeo, Michigan, though much of her life had been spent at Saginaw, both before and after her marriage. Mr. Linton was a man of affairs at home, and held the most honorable places of trust in the gift of his city, besides being prominent in Masonic circles and an officer of the organization known as the "Independent Order of foresters." They had three children: Ray, the eldest, a younger brother, and Elsie, the only daughter.[1]
In 1892, running on theRepublican Party ticket inMichigan's 8th congressional district, Linton defeated incumbentDemocratHenry M. Youmans, to be elected to the53rd United States Congress. Linton was re-elected in 1894 to the54th Congress, serving from March 4, 1893 to March 3, 1897. He was chairman,Committee on Ventilation and Acoustics in the 54th Congress. In 1896, Linton was defeated in the general election by DemocratFerdinand Brucker.
In 1895, Linton along with David Swinton, visited Florida looking for opportunity investing in what was then an unsettled frontier. InWest Palm Beach, which was the end of the line for the railroad, they headed south by boat. Linton and Swinton liked what they saw, and purchased what is today, much ofDelray Beach, andBoynton Beach. They then returned to Michigan to recruit settlers. By the fall of that same year, they had signed up eight settlers. The settlement called Linton was established within a year, having cleared palmetto growth, planting crops, and establishing a post office and store. However, by 1897, Linton had financial trouble and sold some of his holdings toNathan Smith Boynton to raise some money. By 1898, Linton's creditors moved to collect from Linton's settlers, who had been under the impression that he already had clear title to the land. Some settlers headed back north, and Linton's reputation suffered. Linton returned to Michigan, and the settlement was renamed Delray afterDelray, Michigan the hometown of W.W. Blackmer, one of the original eight settlers.[2]
Linton was appointed postmaster of Saginaw byU.S. PresidentWilliam McKinley on March 22, 1898, and recommissioned three times, serving until 1914. He was president of the Saginaw Board of Trade 1905-1911 and 1913-1917. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination forGovernor of Michigan in 1914, losing toChase S. Osborn. He was appointed in 1919 a member of the Michigan State Board of Tax Commissioners and was named secretary a few weeks before his death inLansing. He was interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Representative for the 8th Congressional District of Michigan 1893 – 1897 | Succeeded by |
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