Thomas S. Pettit
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Thomas Stevenson Pettit (December 21, 1843November 29, 1931) was a newspaper publisher and politician from the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. Orphaned at age ten, he found work in a printing house in his hometown of Frankfort. In 1864, he moved to
Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a Home rule in the United States, home rule-class city in Daviess County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. It is the List of cities in Kentucky, fourth-most populous city in the state. Owensboro is loca ...
, and purchased a newspaper called the ''Monitor''. He incurred the wrath of Union Army General
Stephen G. Burbridge Stephen Gano Burbridge (August 19, 1831 – December 2, 1894), also known as "Butcher" Burbridge or the "Butcher of Kentucky", was a controversial Union general during the American Civil War. In June 1864 he was given command over the Commonweal ...
because he vigorously criticized the
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
' policies during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
; Burbridge ordered Pettit arrested and relocated behind
Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
lines for the duration of the war. Following the war, Pettit returned to Owensboro and revived the ''Monitor''. He became involved in politics, serving as personal secretary to
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
James B. McCreary James Bennett McCreary (July 8, 1838 – October 8, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician from Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor. Shortly after graduating ...
and
Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives The reading clerk of the United States House of Representatives reads bills, motions, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation made on the floor. During the vote for Speaker at the beginning of each Congress ...
. In the early 1890s, he began to split from the Democrats' political philosophy and was elected to the
Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...
as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
. He was the
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's nominee for governor in the 1895 gubernatorial election. Although he fell well short of election, his presence on the ticket drew enough votes from Democratic candidate
Parker Watkins Hardin Parker Watkins ("Wat") Hardin (June 3, 1841 – July 25, 1920) was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1879 to 1888, he served as Attorney General of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1891, 189 ...
to give the election to
William O. Bradley William O'Connell Bradley (March 18, 1847May 23, 1914) was an American politician from the state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state. The fir ...
, who became Kentucky's first Republican governor. Pettit never again sought public office, but amassed a sizable personal fortune through various business investments in and around Owensboro. He died November 29, 1931. The town of
Pettit, Kentucky Pettit is an unincorporated community in Daviess County, Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It ...
was built on land he helped clear and was named in his honor.


Early life

Thomas Pettit was born December 21, 1843, in Frankfort, Kentucky. He was the son of Franklin Duane and Elizabeth (Zook) Pettit. Franklin Pettit, who co-published ''The Kentucky Farmer'' with Thomas B. Stevenson, died when his son Thomas was very young. Soon after, Thomas' mother also died, leaving him an orphan at the age of ten.Connelley and Coulter, p. 157


Printing career

Pettit supported himself by working in a print shop. He was educated in the common schools of Frankfort and briefly attended
Georgetown College Georgetown College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. The college offers over 40 undergraduate degrees and a Mas ...
in
Georgetown, Kentucky Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 37,086 at the 2020 census. It is the sixth-most populous city in Kentucky. It is the seat of its county. It was originally called Lebanon whe ...
. In 1864, he moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, where he purchased a local newspaper called the ''Monitor''.Connelley and Coulter, p. 158 Upon taking control of the paper, he published a series of items vigorously criticizing the Republican Party and its policies during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 141 On November 17, 1864, Pettit was arrested on orders from General
Stephen G. Burbridge Stephen Gano Burbridge (August 19, 1831 – December 2, 1894), also known as "Butcher" Burbridge or the "Butcher of Kentucky", was a controversial Union general during the American Civil War. In June 1864 he was given command over the Commonweal ...
on charges of being "notoriously disloyal" to the Union. He was taken to
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, and transferred into
Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
territory; he continued to travel behind Confederate lines for the duration of the war. In May 1865, Pettit returned to Owensboro and found his print shop and printing press destroyed by federal authorities. He traveled to
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
to purchase replacement equipment and, on hearing the story of his arrest and subsequent travels, the equipment dealer extended him a generous line of credit, allowing him to purchase more sophisticated equipment than had ever before been used in Owensboro. With this new equipment, Pettit revived the ''Monitor'' and published his stories of wartime banishment, bringing him significant acclaim in Kentucky. Moreover, he also published editorials by future
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
Thomas C. McCreery Thomas Clay McCreery (December 12, 1816July 10, 1890) was an American politician who was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky from 1868 to 1871 and again from 1873 to 1879. Biography Born at Yelvington, Kentucky, McCreery graduated fro ...
, giving the ''Monitor'' further credibility and increasing its readership. In December 1870, Pettit married Margaret Blair, the daughter of a prominent Owensboro merchant.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 142 The couple had one son, Harvey Blair Pettit. After many years of publishing the ''Monitor'', Pettit sold the paper to
Urey Woodson Urey Woodson (August 16, 1859 - August 7, 1939) was a Kentucky Democrat and a newspaper editor and publisher. Biography He was the Kentucky railroad commissioner from 1891 to 1895. He was a member of Democratic National Committee from Kentucky fr ...
, who changed its name to the ''Owensboro Messenger'' (now the ''
Messenger-Inquirer The ''Messenger-Inquirer'' is a local newspaper in Owensboro, Kentucky. ''The Messenger-Inquirer'' serves 15,087 daily and 20,383 Sunday readers in five counties in western Kentucky. History The newspaper's roots trace back to 1875, when Lee Lu ...
'').


Political career

In 1868, Pettit was elected assistant
reading clerk The reading clerk of the United States House of Representatives reads bills, motions, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation made on the floor. During the vote for Speaker at the beginning of each Congress, or ...
in the
Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...
, a position he held for six years. Through the influence of Senator Thomas McCreery, Pettit was appointed assessor of internal revenue for the second district by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...
in 1869 and served in this capacity through the end of Johnson's term. Upon
James B. McCreary James Bennett McCreary (July 8, 1838 – October 8, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician from Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor. Shortly after graduating ...
's election as
governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; sinc ...
in 1874, Pettit accepted an appointment as the governor's private secretary. He later resigned this position after being elected Reading Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. He retained this position until the Republicans regained a majority in the House in the elections of 1880. In 1882, Pettit sought election to the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
, representing the Second District. He lost in the Democratic
primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...
by 150 votes to James Franklin Clay of
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. The vote of Union County was thought to be the deciding factor in the primary. Contemporary biographers opined that Pettit had probably attended more Democratic state conventions than anyone else in Kentucky. At each convention he attended, he was elected secretary. He served as one of the secretaries at the
1884 Democratic National Convention The 1884 Democratic National Convention was held July 8–11, 1884 and chose Governor Grover Cleveland of New York their presidential nominee with the former Governor Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana as the vice presidential nominee. World Book B ...
;
four years later ''Four Years Later'', originally titled ''Four Years'' is an eight-part Australian-Indian romance drama, premiering on SBS and SBS on Demand on 2 October 2024. It is created, co-written, and executive produced by Mithila Gupta, and stars Shah ...
, he was again chosen as a convention secretary and a member of the committee to officially notify
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
and Allen G. Thurman of their nominations for president and
vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
, respectively. In 1890, he was chosen as a delegate to the Kentucky constitutional convention. He successfully advocated for many changes to the
Kentucky Constitution The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more. The later versions were adopted in 1799, 1850 ...
including the use of
secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...
voting in state elections and the requirement of a
two-thirds majority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fund ...
for conviction in civil court cases. In the early 1890s, Pettit's views began to differ from those of the Democratic Party. Immediately following the constitutional convention, he was elected as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
to represent Daviess County in the state House of Representatives. Though he was elected by a large majority, his candidacy was bitterly contested in his district. At the organizational meeting of the
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
, he received four votes for
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
, all from representatives of districts in western Kentucky.Tapp and Klotter, p. 326 Estranged from the Democratic Party by his refusal to identify with them during his race for the House, Pettit became a leader of the Populist Party in Kentucky. In 1893, he sought re-election to his seat as a Populist but was badly defeated by a Democratic candidate.Tapp and Klotter, p. 333 Redistricting and an inefficient legislative session were factors in the defeats of several Populist candidates during the 1893 elections. In July 1895, the Populist Party nominated Pettit for governor.Tapp and Klotter, p. 495 He received the endorsement of
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
's ''New South'' newspaper, one of the largest
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
newspapers in the state.Harrison and Klotter, p. 267 The
American Protective Association The American Protective Association (APA) was an American anti-Catholic secret society established in 1887 by Protestants. The organization was the largest anti-Catholic movement in the United States during the later part of the 19th century, sho ...
(APA), an influential society opposed to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, endorsed the entire Republican ticket except the party's gubernatorial candidate,
William O. Bradley William O'Connell Bradley (March 18, 1847May 23, 1914) was an American politician from the state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state. The fir ...
."Gov. Bradley A.P.A. Candidate". ''The New York Times'' The APA withheld its endorsement from Bradley because of rumors that some of his family members were Catholic, and the society was thought to favor Pettit until Bradley was reported to have joined the society in September 1895, forestalling their endorsement of Pettit. Pettit was not invited to participate in a series of debates held throughout the state between Bradley and Democratic nominee
Parker Watkins Hardin Parker Watkins ("Wat") Hardin (June 3, 1841 – July 25, 1920) was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1879 to 1888, he served as Attorney General of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1891, 189 ...
.Tapp and Klotter, p. 351 In the general election, Pettit garnered 16,911 votes, compared to 172,436 for Bradley and 163,524 for Hardin. Although he had not been elected, his presence on the ballot had taken a significant number of Democratic votes from Hardin and resulted in the election of Bradley, Kentucky's first Republican governor.


Later life and death

Pettit never again sought public office, but remained interested and active in politics, notably campaigning for
William Goebel William Justus Goebel (January 4, 1856 – February 3, 1900) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 34th governor of Kentucky for four days, having been sworn in on his deathbed a day after being shot by an assassin. Goebel i ...
during the contentious 1899 gubernatorial election.Tapp and Klotter, p. 502 He engaged in clearing and improving land in Daviess County, and the settlement that grew up on this land was named Pettit in his honor. Through a series of investments in various business ventures, Pettit built a substantial personal fortune. A prominent philanthropist, Pettit identified with the
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
church and served as president of the Owensboro Masonic Temple and Grand Master of the Kentucky Order of the
Free and Accepted Masons 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 ...
. Pettit's wife died in June 1913.Connelley and Coulter, p. 159 In September 1916, he married Alice Frakes. Pettit died in Owensboro on November 29, 1931.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pettit, Thomas 1843 births 1931 deaths American newspaper publishers (people) American Presbyterians Clerks Georgetown College (Kentucky) alumni Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly Politicians from Frankfort, Kentucky People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Kentucky Populists