Biography of Solon Otis Thacher Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912. submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SOLON OTIS THACHER was born at Hornellsville, N. Y., August 31, 1830. The Thacher family came to America from England on the second or third vessel after the Mayflower. He was the son of Otis and Hannah Kennedy (Graves) Thacher. His father was born at Gloucester, R.I., but emigrated to New York in 1804. Solon O. was educated in the common schools of his native town, graduating from Union College. He pursued his legal studies at the Albany Law School and was admitted to practice by the New York supreme court in 1856. He entered politics that year as a stump speaker, and was elected to the New York legislature, serving as a member in the winter of 1857. The same year he opened a law office in Chicago, and in July, 1858, came to Kansas. He became interested in the Lawrence Republican. In 1859 he was elected a delegate to the Wyandotte constitutional convention. On the admission of the state he was elected judge of the fourth judicial district. In 1864 he was the anti-Lane candidate for governor. He was in the state senate of 1881 and 1883. In 1884 President Arthur appointed him a member of a commission of three to negotiate treaties with South American countries. He was president of the Kansas State Historical Society in 1895. He died August 11, 1895. (Included with the article, "A History of the Kansas School Fund.", page 201)