Cameron E. Thom | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Cameron E. Thom | |
| 16th Mayor of Los Angeles | |
| In office December 9, 1882 – December 9, 1884 | |
| Preceded by | James R. Toberman |
| Succeeded by | Edward F. Spence |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cameron Erskine Thom (1825-06-20)June 20, 1825 Culpeper County, Virginia, orRichmond, Virginia |
| Died | February 2, 1915 (1915-02-03) (aged 89) Los Angeles, California |
| Children | 4 |
Cameron Erskine Thom (June 20, 1825 – February 2, 1915) was a lawyer, a legislator, a Confederate officer in the Civil War, and the 16th mayor of Los Angeles from 1882 to 1884.
Thom was born inCulpeper County, Virginia, or inRichmond, Virginia, on June 20, 1825, the son of John Thom, who was an officer in theWar of 1812 and for 30 years a Virginia state senator.[1] Cameron was educated in private schools in Virginia, and received a law degree from theUniversity of Virginia.[2][3]
After university, hetraveled west in a caravan of some 40 young men and arrived in Sacramento in 1849. He gathered gold on the South Fork of the American River, inAmador County, then settled in Sacramento to open alaw office. He served in theConfederate Army during theCivil War. He was wounded at theBattle of Gettysburg and ended the war as a captain.[2]
Thom was married twice: first in 1858 to Susan Henrietta Hathwell; and then, after Susan's death in 1862, to her sister, Belle Cameron Hathwell, in 1874. He had four children: Cameron DeHart, Charles Catesby, Belle (Mrs. Arthur Collins of London, England) and Erskine Pembroke.[2][4]
Thom died on February 2, 1915, at age 89.[3] A funeral service in his home at 2070West Adams Street attracted a "company of several hundred persons," including representatives of theSociety of Colonial Wars, of which he was a founder andcharter member.Interment was inEvergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles.[5]
Thom arrived inCalifornia in 1849 during thegold rush, and after a few years of successful mining, he studied law in Sacramento. In fall 1853 he moved to San Francisco, where he was a deputy agent for theUnited States Land Commission; then moved to Los Angeles, where he had a similar job. He was soon appointed Los Angeles County district attorney, and later won the office in an election. He was also elected Los Angeles city attorney for the 1856–58 term.[2][6]
In 1859–60 Thom wasstate senator fromCalifornia's 1st State Senate district, and was Los Angeles Countydistrict attorney from 1854 to 1857, from 1869 to 1873, and from 1877 to 1879. He was mayor of Los Angeles from 1882 to 1884,[7] and was on the Board of Freeholders that framed the first Los Angelescity charter.[2]
The 1871 land case known as "The Great Partition" dividedRancho San Rafael into 31 sections given to 28 people, including 724 acres (2.93 km2) for Thom. The land belonging toPrudent Beaudry,Alfred Chapman,Andrew Glassell and Thom evolved intoGlendale. Thom, Harry J. Crow, B. F. Patterson, B. T. Byram, and Thom's nephewErskine Mayo Ross were responsible for the creation of the city of Glendale in 1887.[8]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | California's 1st State Senate district 1859–1860 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles County District Attorney 1854–1857 1869–1873 1877–1879 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Los Angeles City Attorney 1856–1858 | Succeeded by James H. Lader |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
