John B. Felton

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = John Brooks Felton

| image = John_Brooks_Felton_by_Stephen_W_Shaw.jpg

| caption = John Brooks Felton, c. 1854 by Stephen W. Shaw

| imagesize =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1827|06|09}}

| birth_place = Saugus, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1877|05|02|1827|06|09}}

| death_place = Oakland, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)

| nationality =

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Lawyer
Politician

}}

| residence =

| party = Republican

| relatives = Cornelius Conway Felton (brother)
Samuel Morse Felton, Sr. (brother)

| spouse = {{marriage|Kate S. Baldwin|1862}}

| children = 2

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

| title = 14th Mayor of Oakland, California

| term_start = March 1, 1869

| term_end = March 5, 1870

| predecessor = Samuel Merritt

| successor = Nathaniel W. Spaulding

}}

John Brooks Felton (June 9, 1827 – May 2, 1877) was an American jurist and politician who served as the 14th Mayor of Oakland, California.

Early life

John Brooks Felton was born on June 9, 1827, in Saugus, Massachusetts.{{cite book |last=Felton |first=Cyrus |date=1886 |title=A Genealogical History of the Felton Family |url={{Google books |Y85MAAAAMAAJ |page=224 |plainurl=yes}} |pages=224–225}}{{cite book |author=Oscar Tully Shuck |title=Bench and bar in California: History, anecdotes, reminiscences |year=1889 |pages=28–37 |publisher=The Occident printing house |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924018791883}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75143072/obituary-john-b-felton-4-may-1877-t/ |title=Obituary - John B. Felton |date=1877-05-04 |page=1 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-04-05}} Felton was the son of an almshouse superintendent in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and brother of Cornelius Conway Felton, a classics scholar at Harvard University and Samuel Morse Felton, Sr., a railroad executive. He graduated from Harvard in 1847 with a Bachelor's degree and briefly served as a Greek tutor before pursuing the law.{{Cite web |url=http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/~ucalhist/general_history/overview/regents/biographies_f.html |title=Regents of the University of California |access-date=2010-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521182801/http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/~ucalhist/general_history/overview/regents/biographies_f.html |archive-date=2011-05-21 |url-status=dead }} He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Cambridge University in 1853. He studied the Napoleonic code in Paris for one year and became fluent in French and Spanish.

Career

In 1854, Felton moved to San Francisco to open a law practice with Harvard classmate, E.J. Pringle. The firm, which was later joined by A. C. Whitcomb, became known for successfully litigating land claims and their clients included Kelsey Hazen, Joseph Yves Limantour, and James Lick. Future Congressman Binger Hermann apprenticed under Felton before moving to Oregon.{{cite book |author=Joseph Gaston and George H. Himes |title=The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Volume 4 |year=1912 |publisher=The S.J. Clarke publishing company }} Felton was a legal advisor to Levi Parsons of the San Francisco Dock and Wharf Company during Parsons' attempt to have the "Bulkhead Bill" passed. He was involved in San Francisco's "City Slip" cases, the Peter Smith suits, and the Limantour Grant.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75144621/john-b-felton-3-may-1877-the-san-fran/ |title=John B. Felton |date=1877-05-03 |page=3 |newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-04-05}}

Felton campaigned unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1867{{cite news |title=POLITICAL GOSSIP AND SPECULATIONS |url=http://cprr.org/Museum/Newspapers/ |work=Sacramento Daily Union |date=June 30, 1865 |access-date=2010-03-18 }} and 1874. He was Mayor of Oakland from 1869 to 1870 and a Presidential Elector for California during the 1868, 1872, and 1876 Presidential Elections.{{Cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fellrath-femille.html|title = The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Fellrath to Feminist}}

Felton was the first President of the Board of Trustees of Toland Medical College (now University of California, San Francisco) and was tasked with obtaining the school's charter, which he failed to do.{{Cite web |url=http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/html/chap20/chap20-sect2.html |title=Founding of Toland Medical College |access-date=2010-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530032310/http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/html/chap20/chap20-sect2.html |archive-date=2009-05-30 |url-status=dead }} He was a regent of the University of California from its inception in 1868 until his death. Felton also served as the President of the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad.{{cite book |author=William Henry Knight |title=Bancroft's hand-book almanac for the Pacific States |year=1864 |publisher=H.H. Bancroft and Company }}

Personal life

He married Kate S. Baldwin in 1862. She was the daughter of Joseph G. Baldwin, his law partner who served on the California Supreme Court.{{cite news|title=The Eastern Shore, News of Alameda, Berkeley, Oakland and Environs, Death of Mrs. John B. Felton|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DAC18881215.2.81&srpos=1&e=------188-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22joseph+g.+baldwin%22-------1|accessdate=August 8, 2017|work=Daily Alta California|issue=14346|publisher=California Digital Newspaper Collection|date=15 December 1888|volume = 42|page=8}} Together, they had two daughters.

Death

Felton died from paralysis on May 2, 1877, at his home in Oakland at the age of 49.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75142519/died-felton-3-may-1877-oakland-tribu/ |title=Died - Felton |date=1877-05-03 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-04-05}} He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75143800/the-felton-obsequies-4-may-1877-the-s/ |title=The Felton Obsequies. |date=1877-05-04 |page=3 |newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-04-05}}