Hosea T. Botts

Hosea T. Botts was born in Novelty, Missouri on June 8, 1873 to Benjamin and Mary C. Botts.{{cite news|title=1880 United States Federal Census|work=United States Census Bureau|date=1880}} He attended Oaklawn College and later the University of Missouri for law school.{{cite book|title=Biennial Report of the Board of Curators, University of Missouri|date=1893|location=University of Missouri--Columbia. Board of Curators|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrzOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA95|accessdate=December 13, 2017}} By 1900 he was living in Knox, Missouri working as an attorney.{{cite news|title=1900 United States Federal Census|work=United States Census Bureau|date=1900}}

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.{{cite book|title=History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon|date=1910|location=Oregon|page=93|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sykwAAAAYAAJ&q=Hosea+Thompson+Botts&pg=PA93|accessdate=December 13, 2017}} 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".{{cite news|title=Liquor Men Lose in Tillamook|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1905-12-07/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=12&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Morning Oregonian|location=Portland, Oregon|date=December 7, 1905|page=7}} Botts ran for re-election unopposed in 1906. The Oregonian noted there was little opposition to the prohibition beliefs of Botts.{{cite news|title=Botts Is Re-Elected Mayor|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1906-12-05/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=11&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Morning Oregonian|date=December 5, 1905|location=Portland, Oregon|page=6}} 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.{{cite news|title=A Gala Day At Tillamook; Turning the First Sod|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088159/1906-11-09/ed-1/seq-1/#index=0&rows=20&proxtext=Mayor+Botts&searchType=basic&sequence=0&words=Botts+Mayor&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Hillsboro Independent|date=November 9, 1906|location=Hillsboro, Oregon|page=1}} 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.{{cite news|title=Card Players Pay $50 Each; Mayor of Tillamook Then Dismisses Charge of Gambling|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1907-01-06/ed-1/seq-14/#index=5&rows=20&proxtext=Mayor+Botts&searchType=basic&sequence=0&words=Botts+Mayor&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=The Sunday Oregonian|date=January 6, 1907|location=Portland, Oregon|page=S2P14}}

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.{{cite news|title=For Road Development; Tillamook Decides to Co-Operate With State Association|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1908-09-06/ed-1/seq-24/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=14&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=The Sunday Oregonian|date=September 6, 1908|location=Portland, Oregon|page=24}} 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.{{cite news|title=Good For Tillamook|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042400/1908-09-22/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1789&sort=date&date2=1943&words=Botts+H+T&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=7&state=Oregon&rows=20&proxtext=%22H+T+Botts%22&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=The Morning Astorian|date=September 22, 1908|location=Astoria, Oregon|page=1}} The following year he incorporated the Mason, Pennington Company with $20,000 in operating stock with Homer Mason and A. A. Pennington.{{cite news|title=New inccorporations|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99063957/1909-04-26/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1789&sort=date&date2=1943&words=Botts+H+T&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=8&state=Oregon&rows=20&proxtext=%22H+T+Botts%22&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Daily Capital Journal|date=April 26, 1909|location=Salem, Oregon|page=8}}

At the commencement for the class of 1911 seniors at Nehalem High School in Nehalem, Oregon, Botts was the guest speaker.{{cite news|title=Class of Five Young Women is Graduated from Nehalem High School|work=The Sunday Oregonian|date=May 14, 1911|location=Portland, Oregon|page=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.{{cite news|title=Untitled|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088233/1912-04-11/ed-1/seq-5/#index=1&rows=20&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&searchType=basic&sequence=0&words=Botts+H+T&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Newberg Graphic|date=April 11, 1912|location=Newberg, Oregon|page=5}}{{cite news|title=Last Republican Files|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-09-25/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=18&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Morning Oregonian|date=September 25, 1912|location=Portland, Oregon|page=7}} He was running against incumbent W. H. Hollis, a Democrat.{{cite news|title=Democratic Returns Incomplete|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83009939/1912-04-24/ed-1/seq-10/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=4&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=The Hood River News|date=April 24, 1912|location=Hood River, Oregon|page=10}}

Botts was nominated to run against incumbent mayor John R. Harter in 1912, but would go on to lose the race.{{cite news|title=Liquor is Election Issue; Women Taking Active Part of Campaign in Tillamook|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-12-02/ed-1/seq-1/#index=1&rows=20&proxtext=J+R+Harter&searchType=basic&sequence=0&words=Harter+J+R&page=1|accessdate=December 14, 2017|work=Morning Oregonian|date=December 2, 1912|location=Portland, Oregon|page=1}}

Tillamook County District Attorney T. H. Goyne appointed Botts to the office of Assistant District Attorney in 1915.{{cite news|title=Court Rejects Builds; For Clearing Rights on Sandlake, Bayocean, Garibaldi-Wheeler Roads|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063850/1915-03-12/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=4&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=4|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Tillamook Herald|date=March 12, 1915|location=Tillamook, Oregon|page=4}}

Botts was one of the three incorporators of the Wheeler Development Company in August 1919 with an initial capital stock of $20,000.{{cite news|title=Reality Men Incorporate; Wheeler Development Company Files Articles at Salem|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1919-08-20/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=1&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=2|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Morning Oregonian|date=August 20, 1919|page=9}} The following year Botts joined First National Bank of Tillamook as their vice-president, serving alongside David Kuratli.{{cite news|title=Tillamook Bank Elects; Officers Are Chosen to Serve for Coming Year|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1920-01-18/ed-1/seq-7/#index=2&rows=20&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&searchType=basic&sequence=0&words=Botts+H+T&page=1|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=The Sunday Oregonian|date=January 18, 1920|location=Portland, Oregon|page=S1P7}} Botts had previously served in that same capacity for the same bank in 1910.{{cite news|title=Tillamook Banks|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063957/1910-07-02/ed-1/seq-10/#date1=&city=&date2=&words=Botts+H+T&language=&sequence=0&index=6&proxdistance=&sort=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=H.T.+Botts&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=&page=2|accessdate=December 13, 2017|work=Daily Capital Journal|date=January 2, 1910|location=Salem, Oregon|page=10}}

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Botts, Hosea T.}}

Category:Temperance activists from Oregon

Category:Businesspeople from Oregon

Category:Oregon Republicans

Category:University of Missouri alumni

Category:Mayors of places in Oregon

Category:Oregon lawyers

Category:People from Tillamook, Oregon

Category:1873 births

Category:1963 deaths