Francis G. Newlands
Francis Griffith Newlands (August 28, 1846 – December 24, 1917) was an American politician and land developer who served as United States representative and Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party.
Francis G. Newlands | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from Nevada | |
| In office March 4, 1903 – December 24, 1917 | |
| Preceded by | John P. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Charles B. Henderson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's At-Large district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Horace F. Bartine |
| Succeeded by | Clarence D. Van Duzer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis Griffith Newlands August 28, 1846 Natchez, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 1917 (aged 71) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Silver (1893–1903) Democratic (1903–1917) |
| Spouses | Clara Adelaide Sharon
(m. 1874; died 1882)Edith McCallister (m. 1888) |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Attorney, real estate developer, politician |
| Signature | |
A supporter of westward expansion, he helped pass the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902, which created the Bureau of Reclamation and boosted the agricultural industry by building dams to support irrigation in the arid Western states. An avowed white supremacist, Senator Newlands argued publicly for racial restrictions on immigration and repealing the 15th Amendment.
As land developer, Newlands founded the neighborhoods of Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C.; and Chevy Chase, Maryland, and took steps to prevent non-white people from moving there. To enable the development of these streetcar suburbs, he founded the Rock Creek Railway, which became one of the two major streetcar companies serving the Washington, D.C., area in the early decades of the 20th century.