(PHINEAS W. HITCHCOCK Signature in brown ink on a small ca...)
PHINEAS W. HITCHCOCK Signature in brown ink on a small card Signature: "P. W. Hitchcock/Nebraska", 3½x2 card. Phineas Warren Hitchcock (1831-1881) was Nebraska's Territorial Delegate to the US House of Representatives (1865-1867) and a US Senator (1871-1877). A classmate of future President Garfield at Williams College, he was a US Marshall (1861-1864) and Surveyor General for Nebraska and Iowa (1867-1869). Lightly soiled at edges. Otherwise, fine condition. - Please contact us if you have any questions or require additional information. HFSID 87155
Phineas W. Hitchcock - Autograph Letter Signed 5/2
(PHINEAS W. HITCHCOCK Signed Autograph Letter, dating his ...)
PHINEAS W. HITCHCOCK Signed Autograph Letter, dating his appointment as Surveyor General Autograph Letter signed: "P. W. Hitchcock", 1 page, 5x8. Omaha, Nebraska, May 2, n.y. To C. A. McCullogh, New York, N.Y. In full: "Your 26th ult received. I was appointed Surveyor General in Spring 1867. Faithfully yours". Phineas Warren Hitchcock (1831-1881) was Nebraska's Territorial Delegate to the US House of Representatives (1865-1867) and a US Senator (1871-1877). A classmate of future President Garfield at Williams College, he was a US Marshall (1861-1864) and Surveyor General for Nebraska and Iowa (1867-1869). Normal mailing folds. Paper residue (previous mounting) on verso (no show-through). Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. - Please contact us if you have any questions or require additional information. HFSID 3197
Phineas Warrener Hitchcock was an American politician. He served as a Delegate to the U. S. House of Representatives and Senator from Nebraska.
Background
Phineas Warrener Hitchcock was born on November 30, 1831, in New Lebanon, New York, United States. He was the son of Gad and Nancy (Prime) Hitchcock. His father, fourth in descent from Luke Hitchcock who came to New Haven about 1644, had fought in the War of 1812.
Education
Hitchcock was only a plain farmer's son, but he was accorded for the time excellent educational advantages, and in 1855 he received his bachelor's degree from Williams College. Thereafter for two years he studied law in Rochester, New York, making a living by reporting for one of the local papers.
Career
In 1857, when the western boom was at its crest, Hitchcock moved to Omaha, Nebraska Territory, then a frontier village without even a railroad. Here he took up the practice of his profession, adding somewhat to his income as a lawyer by conducting also a real-estate and insurance business.
His loyalty to Republican party was rewarded in 1861 by an appointment as federal marshal for Nebraska Territory, in 1864 by election as territorial delegate to Congress, and in 1867, when Nebraska became a state, by another federal appointment, this time as surveyor-general for the district of Nebraska and Iowa. In the rough-and-tumble combats of pioneer politics Hitchcock soon proved that he was not without skill. In 1871 he emerged the victor from a four-cornered contest for the United States senatorship, because twelve Democratic members of the legislature had preferred him to the "regular" candidate. As senator, however, he was thoroughly "regular, " and hardly distinguished.
In 1877, when he came up for reelection, he found the opposition to him in the legislature both bitter and strong. It was openly charged that bribery had won him his seat six years before, and that he was an obedient tool of the railroads. Of the latter charge probably no prominent Nebraska politician of the time could have been fully cleared, but the bribery charge was not traced directly to any fault of Hitchcock himself, whatever others may have done for him. He was not reelected.
Following his defeat for reelection to the Senate, he turned his attention to business, but not for long. He died before he was fifty.
(PHINEAS W. HITCHCOCK Signed Autograph Letter, dating his ...)
Politics
A Republican of strongly anti-slavery tendencies, Hitchcock participated in the work of organizing his party in the territory, aided in establishing the first Republican paper in Omaha, and went as delegate to the second Republican National Convention.
He was much interested, also, in the ambitions of new territories to become states; but only in the case of Colorado was he identified with a measure of this kind that passed.
For several years he was interested in the Omaha Republican, both as part owner and as contributor. He did his share towards the shaping of political thinking in the state.
Personality
Hitchcock was a forceful writer and speaker, tenacious of his opinions, much beloved by his friends, and cordially hated by his enemies.
Connections
Hitchcock was devoted to his family, and family misfortunes--the death in 1877 of his wife, Annie (Monell) Hitchcock, whom he had married in 1857, soon after his removal to Nebraska, and in 1880 of his daughter Grace--left him a broken man.
His son, Gilbert M. Hitchcock, was elected to the United States Senate from Nebraska as a Democrat.