Levi Ankeny (August 1, 1844March 29, 1921) was a Republican

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from the state of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. He was born in

Buchanan County, Missouri Buchanan County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 84,793. Its county seat is St. Joseph. When originally formed in 1838, the county was named Roberts County, after settler Hiram ...

, near St. Joseph, but crossed the plains to

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

in 1850 with his parents and settled in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

. He attended the rural schools and later Kingsley Academy in Portland. Ankeny was the stepson and adopted son of Oregon steamboat captain and businessman Alexander P. Ankeny. He worked in business in

Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's North Central Idaho, north central region. It is the third-largest city in the Idaho Panhandle, northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls, Idaho, Pos ...

;

Orofino, Idaho Orofino ; (''"fine gold"'' rein Spanish language, Spanish) is a List of cities in Idaho, city in and the county seat of Clearwater County, Idaho, Clearwater County, Idaho, United States, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwat ...

; and Florence, Idaho. He also became the mayor of Lewiston. He moved to

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined populat ...

, and engaged in banking. He was appointed a member of the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a world's fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park–Front Park System, Delaware Park, extending ...

Commission and became its chairman. In 1902 he was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, and served from March 4, 1903, to March 3, 1909. He failed to be renominated in 1908. He was chairman of the Committee on Coast and Insular Survey (Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses). In 1867 he married Mary Jane (Jennie) Nesmith, daughter of Oregon Senator James W. Nesmith: they had five children. Ankeny was member in

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

order in Willamette Lodge No. 2, Portland, Oregon in 1866. He would later join Walla Walla Lodge No. 7 in 1878. He was also a member of Walla Walla Chapter No. 1, Royal Arch Masons, Washington Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar, Lawson Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite and El Kalif Shrine in Spokane, Washington. He worked in banking in Walla Walla until his death on March 29, 1921, and was interred at the Masonic Cemetery. He is the namesake of the town of Ankeny, Washington. He is also the namesake of Ankeny Field at

Whitman College Whitman College is a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The school offers 53 majors and 33 minors in the liberal arts and sciences, and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Founded as a seminary by a territorial l ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ankeny, Levi 1844 births 1921 deaths People from Buchanan County, Missouri Washington (state) Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Washington (state) Politicians from Lewiston, Idaho Mayors of places in Idaho 20th-century United States senators