Hosea T. Botts

American attorney and politician

Hosea T. Botts

Botts circa 1910

Mayor of Tillamook, Oregon
In office
1905–1907
Tillamook County Assistant District Attorney
In office
1915–1916
Personal details
Born| 1873
Novelty, Missouri, US
Died| 1963
Tillamook, Oregon, US
Political party| Republican
Alma mater| University of Missouri
Profession| attorney

Hosea Thompson Botts[1] (1873–1963) was an American attorney and politician who served as Mayor of Tillamook, Oregon from 1905 to 1907, spanning two terms.

## Biography

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Hosea T. Botts was born in Novelty, Missouri on June 8, 1873 to Benjamin and Mary C. Botts.[2] He attended Oaklawn College and later the University of Missouri for law school.[3][4] By 1900 he was living in Knox, Missouri working as an attorney.[5]

In 1901, Botts moved to Oregon where he applied and was seated to the Oregon State Bar. In his first year in Oregon, Botts had a partnership B. L. Eddy which ended shortly thereafter.[3] Botts was swept into office with other prohibition candidates in Tillamook, Oregon in 1905 after defeating R.W. Watson, who The Oregonian dubbed "the saloon candidate".[6] Botts ran for re-election unopposed in 1906. The Oregonian noted there was little opposition to the prohibition beliefs of Botts.[7] As mayor he participated in a ceremonial event celebrating the beginning of construction on the Tillamook span of the Pacific Railway and Navigation Company railway.[8] In November 1907, Botts dismissed two fines levied against men who were arrested at a gambling establishment because according to Botts they proved that they had not been gambling at the time of the raid by Tillamook County Sheriff Hank Crenshaw.[9]

Following his mayoral tenure, Botts stayed active in local politics as the president of the Tillamook Development League in 1908. As president he promoted the construction of roads throughout the county.[10] Along with George B. Lamb and Carl Haberlach, Botts incorporated the Tillamook Lumber Manufacturing Company in 1908 with $10,000 in stock. Their previous venture was destroyed by a fire.[11] The following year he incorporated the Mason, Pennington Company with $20,000 in operating stock with Homer Mason and A. A. Pennington.[12]

At the commencement for the class of 1911 seniors at Nehalem High School in Nehalem, Oregon, Botts was the guest speaker.[13]

In 1912, Botts was nominated by the Republican Party to be the Oregon State Senate District 22 which represented Lincoln, Tillamook and Washington counties.[14][15] He was running against incumbent W. H. Hollis, a Democrat.[16]

Botts was nominated to run against incumbent mayor John R. Harter in 1912, but would go on to lose the race.[17]

Tillamook County District Attorney T. H. Goyne appointed Botts to the office of Assistant District Attorney in 1915.[18]

Botts was one of the three incorporators of the Wheeler Development Company in August 1919 with an initial capital stock of $20,000.[19] The following year Botts joined First National Bank of Tillamook as their vice-president, serving alongside David Kuratli.[20] Botts had previously served in that same capacity for the same bank in 1910.[21]

## References

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1. ^ "Supreme Court Orders". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. December 12, 1901. p. 4. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
2. ^ "1880 United States Federal Census". United States Census Bureau. 1880.
3. ^ a b History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon. Oregon. 1910. p. 93. Retrieved December 13, 2017.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
4. ^ Biennial Report of the Board of Curators, University of Missouri. University of Missouri--Columbia. Board of Curators. 1893. Retrieved December 13, 2017.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
5. ^ "1900 United States Federal Census". United States Census Bureau. 1900.
6. ^ "Liquor Men Lose in Tillamook". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. December 7, 1905. p. 7. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
7. ^ "Botts Is Re-Elected Mayor". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. December 5, 1905. p. 6. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
8. ^ "A Gala Day At Tillamook; Turning the First Sod". Hillsboro Independent. Hillsboro, Oregon. November 9, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
9. ^ "Card Players Pay $50 Each; Mayor of Tillamook Then Dismisses Charge of Gambling". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. January 6, 1907. p. S2P14. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
10. ^ "For Road Development; Tillamook Decides to Co-Operate With State Association". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. September 6, 1908. p. 24. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
11. ^ "Good For Tillamook". The Morning Astorian. Astoria, Oregon. September 22, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
12. ^ "New inccorporations". Daily Capital Journal. Salem, Oregon. April 26, 1909. p. 8. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
13. ^ "Class of Five Young Women is Graduated from Nehalem High School". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. May 14, 1911. p. 13.
14. ^ "Untitled". Newberg Graphic. Newberg, Oregon. April 11, 1912. p. 5. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
15. ^ "Last Republican Files". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. September 25, 1912. p. 7. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
16. ^ "Democratic Returns Incomplete". The Hood River News. Hood River, Oregon. April 24, 1912. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
17. ^ "Liquor is Election Issue; Women Taking Active Part of Campaign in Tillamook". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. December 2, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
18. ^ "Court Rejects Builds; For Clearing Rights on Sandlake, Bayocean, Garibaldi-Wheeler Roads". Tillamook Herald. Tillamook, Oregon. March 12, 1915. p. 4. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
19. ^ "Reality Men Incorporate; Wheeler Development Company Files Articles at Salem". Morning Oregonian. August 20, 1919. p. 9. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
20. ^ "Tillamook Bank Elects; Officers Are Chosen to Serve for Coming Year". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. January 18, 1920. p. S1P7. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
21. ^ "Tillamook Banks". Daily Capital Journal. Salem, Oregon. January 2, 1910. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2017.