Thomas C. Power
{{Short description|American politician (1839–1923)}}
{{redirect|Senator Power|the member of the Senate of Puerto Rico|José Nadal Power}}
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{{Infobox Senator
|name = Thomas Charles Power
|image = ThomasCPower.jpg
|imagesize = 230px
|jr/sr = United States Senator
|state = Montana
|term_start = January 2, 1890
|term_end = March 3, 1895
|predecessor = None
|successor = Thomas H. Carter
|birth_date = {{birth date|1839|5|22}}
|birth_place = near Dubuque, Iowa
|death_date = {{death date and age|1923|2|16|1839|5|22}}
|death_place = Helena, Montana
|restingplace = Resurrection Cemetery
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|party = Republican
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|profession = Businessman
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Thomas Charles Power (May 22, 1839{{spaced ndash}}February 16, 1923) was a Republican senator from Montana and an American businessman.
Early life, education, and career
Born near Dubuque, Iowa, on May 22, 1839, Power attended public school and graduated from Sinsinawa College with a degree in engineering. He then worked as a surveyor in Dakota until 1860, when he entered the employ of an engineering company. There, he participated in government land surveys covering much of Iowa and what was then the Dakota Territory."Thomas C. Power Taken By Death At Helena Home", The Missoulian (March 17, 1923), p. 1. Between 1861 and 1867, he was primarily engaged in trade along the Mississippi River, eventually becoming president of a steamer line. Power first came to Montana in 1864, partnering in his enterprises with his brother, J.W. Power. After settling in Helena in 1876, Power started T. C. Power and Bro, which was a mercantile company through the northwestern United States and western Canada.
Senate service and later life
File:1891 Power Block building - Helena, Montana.jpg
In 1889, Power ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Montana, winning the nomination of the Republican Party on the first ballot,"Montana Republican Convention", Bismarck Weekly Tribune (August 30, 1889), p. 7. but losing the general election to Democratic candidate Joseph Toole, the only Democrat on the state ticket that year to be elected.{{cite web|url= http://mhs.mt.gov/education/studentguide/HistoryOfMontana.asp|title= A Brief History of Montana|publisher= The Official Website for the State of Montana|accessdate= October 10, 2012}} A conflict erupted over the respective roles of the governor and the state legislature in appointing the first two members of the United States Senate for the state,"The Montana Muddle", Ashland Weekly News (December 11, 1889), p. 4. but on January 2, 1890, the Republican-controlled legislature elected Power to the second seat,"Elected Senator From Montana", Chicago Tribune (January 3, 1890), p. 2. which he then held until March 3, 1895.
Power died at his home in Helena on February 16, 1923, and was interred in Resurrection Cemetery. The town of Power in Montana is named after him.[http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=POWER,_Thomas_Charles Encyclopedia Dubuque, Thomas Charles Power]
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References
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{{CongBio|P000486}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of Montana|years=1889}}
{{s-aft|after=John E. Rickards}}
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{{U.S. Senator box
|state=Montana
|class=2
|before=None
|after=Thomas H. Carter
|alongside=Wilbur F. Sanders, Lee Mantle
|years=1890–1895}}
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Category:People from Montana Territory
Category:Republican Party United States senators from Montana
Category:People from Dakota Territory
Category:Sinsinawa Mound College alumni
Category:19th-century United States senators
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