Allen Fort (July 14, 1849 - April 20, 1907) was a judge, railroad commission founder and member, and state legislator in Georgia.

Biography

Fort was born near

Lumpkin, Georgia Lumpkin is a city and county seat of Stewart County, Georgia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 891. History This area of Georgia was inhabited by succeeding cultures of indigenous Native Americans for thousands of years ...

July 14, 1849. He received a first class honors degree from the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

in 1867. While at the university he was the co-founder of the local chapter of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, 1856.Baird, William Raimond, ed. (1905).Baird's Manual of American College Fratern ...

. After he obtained his degree he went to Americus and was admitted to the bar. He was a delegate to the State Democratic Convention in June 1872 representing Sumter County. Later the same year he was elected to the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

to represent Sumter County as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

. He was re-elected to the legislature several times including to the

Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...

. Fort was made judge of the southwestern circuit in 1882 and was the youngest member of the bench. He made a run for congress in 1896 to fill the vacated seat of

Charles R. Crisp Charles Robert Crisp (October 19, 1870 – February 7, 1937) was an American politician. He served as in the United States House of Representatives from Georgia, and was the son of Charles Frederick Crisp. Life and career Charles Robert Cris ...

but was defeated by Elijah B. Lewis. He served as circuit judge until 1991 when he left to become a railroad commissioner. He had eight children, including Hollis Fort, who was also a Sumter County lawyer and state legislator. Fort died April 20, 1907, from pneumonia at his home in Americus. He was survived by his wife and six children. He was buried in Oak Grove cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Allen Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Georgia (U.S. state) state senators 1849 births 1907 deaths University of Georgia alumni Sigma Alpha Epsilon founders People from Lumpkin, Georgia People from Americus, Georgia 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly