Joseph York Hodsdon (October 20, 1836 – February 24, 1901) was an American businessman and politician from Maine. A resident of Yarmouth, he was a Republican state senator from 1899 to 1901 and a shoe manufacturer.
Joseph York Hodsdon | |
|---|---|
 Hodsdon pictured in the late 19th century | |
| Born | October 20, 1836 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 1901 (aged 64) Augusta, Maine, U.S. |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery, Yarmouth, Maine, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1853–1906 |
| Spouse | Georgia Anna Hodsdon (née Small) |
Early life
editHodsdon was born on October 20, 1836, in Portland, Maine,[1] to Andrew Hodsdon and Rachel May York.
Career
editBetween 1869 and 1880, Hodsdon operated Caldwell & Hodsdon, a shoe factory in Portland.[2] In 1880, he relocated to Yarmouth, taking over the former Farris tannery,[3] where he established Hodsdon Brothers & Company by the town's Fourth Falls, at the western end of today's Royal River Park.
Hodsdon was one of the six founders of Pumgustuk Water Company in 1887.[4]
In 1888, he built a large, modern factory building in the town.[2] Hodsdon renamed his business as the Hodsdon Shoe Company in 1896.[3]
He was also a director of the Yarmouth Manufacturing Company.[2]
In 1899, he was elected to the Maine Senate for Cumberland County.[5] He was re-elected shortly before his death.[2]
Personal life
editHodsdon was married to Georgia Anna Small, with whom he had one son, Grenville Andrew, in 1864. He was named for Georgia's brother, who died five years earlier.[1]
Hodsdon was a member of Yarmouth's First Universalist Church on the town's Main Street, and was also a freemason.[1]
Death
editHodsdon died on February 24, 1901, aged 64, while in Augusta, Maine, attending the Maine Legislature.[6] He had been ill with appendicitis for around ten days, although his condition had been improving immediately prior to his death.[2] His body was brought south to Yarmouth in a special train carriage arranged by Maine Central Railroad.[1]
His funeral was held on February 27 – a service at his family home, followed by burial in Yarmouth's Riverside Cemetery.[2]
His business closed upon his death.[3]
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Hodsdon lived at this property, at today's 261 Main Street in Yarmouth. It was built in 1879, just before Hodsdon relocated to Yarmouth from nearby Portland
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Hodsdon's headstone in Yarmouth's Riverside Cemetery
References
edit- ^ a b c d Lewiston Evening Journal, February 22, 1901
- ^ a b c d e f Portland Daily Press, February 25, 1901
- ^ a b c Chamber of Commerce Journal of Maine, Volume 13 (1901), p. 15
- ^ Maine (1887). Acts and Resolves as Passed by the Legislature. Kennebec Journal. p. 320.
- ^ Acts and Resolves Passed by the Legislature of the State of Maine (1899), pp. 50 & 92
- ^ Chamber of Commerce Journal of Maine, Volume 13 (1901), p. 340