Hiram Booth
(1860-1940)

Dublin Core

Person Item Type Metadata

District

6th District Senator

Political Party

Republican

Latter-day Saint

No

Age at Election

35

Birth Date

October 25, 1860

Birthplace

Postville, Allamakee, Iowa, United States

Death Date

July 9, 1940

Spouse(s)

Carrie M. Robinson (1860-1887) Married August 26, 1886
Lillian B. Redhead (1869-1963) Married May 29,1889

Occupation

Lawyer

Biographical Text

Hiram Evans Booth was born near Pottsville, Iowa, on October 25, 1860. Later in 1874, his family moved to Pottawattamie, Iowa. In 1882, he began studying law with Frank Shinn and was admitted in 1885 to practice law in Iowa. For a short time, he was the editor and proprietor of the Carson Critic before forming a partnership with Shinn. He married Carrie M. Robinson on August 26, 1886. She died the following year, December 1887. Booth then moved to Utah Territory in 1888 and began practicing in January 1889. In 1894, he served during the final session of the Utah Territorial Legislature.

Booth returned to printing in 1905 as an incorporator and president of the Intermountain Republican Printing Company. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Booth United States attorney for Utah. He was repointed to the position by President William H. Taft and served through 1914. Two cases during his tenure “are among the most notable actions in which the Government has sought to protect its lands and to force corporations to operate in accordance with the laws of the United States” (Press Reference Library 1915, 246).

In 1922, Booth relocated to southern California, specializing in probate and real estate law. Outside of law, Booth invented the “claraphone” for use with phonographs and made improvements for telephone receivers. Booth died July 9, 1940, in Los Angeles, California as a result of cancer.

As a senator of the First Utah State Legislature, Booth served as chairman of the Ways and Means, Public Buildings and Institutions, State Affairs, and Rules committees.

Bibliography

“Death Claims Former Utah G.O.P. Leader.” The Salt Lake Tribune, July 11, 1940. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56076918/death-claims-former-utah-gop-leader/.

Drumm, Mark. "The Bee Hive State." Drumm's Manual of Utah, and Souvenir of the First State Legislature, 1896. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Salt Lake City, Utah: M. Drumm, 1896. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx4jb7.

Press Reference Library. Notables of the West: Being the Portraits and Biographies of Progressive Men of the West Who Have Helped in the Development and History Making of This Wonderful Country. II. Vol. II. New York: International News Service, 1915.

Image of Hiram Booth by courtesy of HathiTrust Cropped from page 44 of Drumm, Mark. "The Bee Hive State." Drumm's Manual of Utah, and Souvenir of the First State Legislature, 1896. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Salt Lake City, Utah: M. Drumm, 1896. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx4jb7?urlappend=%3Bseq=50

Collection

Citation

“Hiram Booth
(1860-1940),” Utah State History Digital Exhibits, accessed May 6, 2024, https://utahstatehistory.omeka.net/items/show/214.

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