A. A. Ames
Doc Ames | |
---|---|
Mayor of Minneapolis | |
In office January 7, 1901 – August 27, 1902 | |
Preceded by | James Gray |
Succeeded by | David P. Jones |
In office April 13, 1886 – January 7, 1889 | |
Preceded by | George A. Pillsbury |
Succeeded by | Edward C. Babb |
In office April 11, 1882 – April 8, 1884 | |
Preceded by | Alonzo Cooper Rand |
Succeeded by | George A. Pillsbury |
In office April 11, 1876 – April 10, 1877 | |
Preceded by | Orlando C. Merriman |
Succeeded by | John De Laittre |
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 5th district | |
In office January 8, 1867 – January 6, 1868 Serving with Aaron Gould, John Seboski | |
Preceded by | Aaron Gould Jonas H. Howe |
Succeeded by | Charles Clark Chester Davison John Hechtman |
Personal details | |
Born | Albert Alonzo Ames January 18, 1842 7th Minnesota Regiment |
Battles/wars | Dakota War of 1862 American Civil War |
Albert Alonzo "Doc" Ames (January 18, 1842 – November 16, 1911) was an American physician and politician who held four non-consecutive terms as
Early life and military service
Ames was born in
After graduating with his M.D., Ames returned to Minneapolis intending to start his career as a doctor. After the outbreak of the
Ames then served in several battles in the western theater of the Civil War. In July 1864, Ames replaced Lucius B. Smith as surgeon of the 7th Regiment, after the latter was killed in action during the Battle of Tupelo.[4] He was promoted to the rank of surgeon major before mustering out of service in August 1865.[3]
Medical career
Following the war, Ames briefly returned to Minnesota to work in the medical field with his father. His popularity among Civil War veterans was such that he was elected to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1866 on a "soldiers' ticket." In 1868, he decided to move west to California. Once there he joined the newspaper business, becoming managing editor of the Alta California. Ames remained in California until 1874 when he was summoned home due to his father's death.[3][5]
Ames took over his father's medical practice in Minneapolis and developed a reputation as a kind and sympathetic figure. He was well known for treating the poor at no charge and for answering calls at any time of the day. He also served as a firefighter.[2]: 336–337
In 1886, when Minnesota's deadliest ever tornado devastated both St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids, "Doc Ames" arrived at the scene in order to treat the injured. This brought him to nationwide attention.[6]
Political rise
Ames became active in the city's
Ames was not as successful with his attempts at higher office. During this era Minnesota was heavily dominated by the Republican party and thus Ames faced difficult odds for most state offices.[5] In 1877 he ran unsuccessfully as lieutenant governor. In 1886, he ran for governor but narrowly lost to Andrew Ryan McGill. The narrow margin of victory sparked controversy over who was the actual winner, and the election was contested until Ames decided the effort was not worth the time.[8] He also ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and, at one time, had been under consideration as a candidate for the vice presidency.[2]: 337
Ames was instrumental in the creation of a veteran's home in Minneapolis. He initially promoted the idea at the state's Democratic convention in 1886. Despite losing the election, the Republican administration accepted his suggestions and authorized the construction of the Minnesota Veterans Home. Ames later served there as a surgeon.[3]
After being defeated in an election for park board in 1888, Ames took a long trip to Europe. Upon returning home, Ames gave an
After Ames' comments resulted in a firestorm of outraged denunciations by Irish-Americans who had formerly supported him, the Genial Doctor claimed to have received five death threats in letters which promised Ames the same treatment given to Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin. The letters came, Ames alleged, from Roger Vail, the editor of the Minneapolis-based Irish Standard newspaper, on behalf of the Irish republican Clan na Gael organization. In response, the Doctor made a lifelong enemy out of Vail, whose Irish Standard responded by reprinting editorials from Ames' many critics among the Minnesota press, who argued that the letters were almost certainly manufactured, "by Ames & Co."[10]
After losing an independent campaign for mayor in 1898, Ames devised a new strategy. In the 1900 primary election for mayor, he exploited a newly adopted rule which changed the city's primary elections to an open primary (allowing voters to vote for candidates in either party). He campaigned for votes as a Republican (knowing the competition was limited) and narrowly won the nomination. He went on to win the general election in 1900. Between his underhanded election strategy and accusations of corruption in his prior administrations, Ames was described as "damned politically, socially and professionally" when he entered office in 1901.[2]: 343–344
"The Shame of Minneapolis"
After entering office, Ames consolidated his power over the city's police department (the one area of city government which the mayor had full control over). He fired nearly half of the city's officers and replaced them with his political allies, henchmen, and criminals who purchased their badges. As police chief, Ames appointed his brother Colonel Frederick W. Ames, who despite being "a weak, vacillating individual," had recently commanded an entire regiment of Minnesota soldiers during the Philippine–American War. Norman W. King, a gambler and underworld figure, became the city's chief of detectives. Medical student and confidant Irwin A. Gardner was made a special policeman, worked as the Mayor's bagman, and was also put in charge of the city's vice squad.[2]: 344–345 [11]
Mayor Ames and the Minneapolis police began operating as an
After a year in office, Ames' organization began to swirl out of control. Ames was drinking heavily and the various police and politicians under him began to fight among themselves, withholding money from Ames or developing their own extortion schemes without his approval. Attempts by the
Prosecution
In April 1902, a grand jury under the leadership of
As his former allies were tried and indicted, Ames remained on the run. In February 1903, he was arrested at the house of
Personal life
In April 1862, Ames married Sarah Strout, the daughter of Captain Richard Strout, who had helped to raise the 9th and 10th Minnesota Infantry Regiments. Emery Washington, a family friend, later recalled, "Richard Strout's family consisted of his wife and one daughter, the latter a handsome girl. I remember as well as though it were yesterday the day she was married to Dr. A. A. Ames. I was at the house when they returned from church, and I remarked to Capt. Strout that I had never seen a finer looking couple... A few weeks after the wedding Dr. Ames went to war with his company."[15]
Later life
After the end of the final trial, Ames returned to Minneapolis to practice medicine. He died quite suddenly during the night on November 16, 1911. His obituary in the Minneapolis Morning Tribune described Ames as a 33rd degree
Legacy
More than a century after his death, the crimes committed by Dr. Ames during his last term as Mayor remain a well-known chapter in the history of
In his memoir Augie's Secrets, Twin Cities journalist
References
- ^ Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, page vii.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Zink, Harold (1930). City Bosses in the United States. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press.
- ^ a b c d e Shutter, Marion Daniel (1897). Progressive Men of Minnesota. Minneapolis: The Minneapolis Journal. pp. 64–65.
- ^ a b Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, page 19.
- ^ a b "Ames, Albert Alonzo – Legislator Record". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
- ^ Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, page 21.
- ^ "Career of Albert Alonzo Ames". Minnesota Election Trends Project.
- ^ "Dr. Albert A. Ames Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. November 18, 1911.
- ^ Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, page 36.
- ^ Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, pages 36-37.
- ^ Steffens, Lincoln (January 1903). "The Shame of Minneapolis" (PDF). McClure's Magazine. Minnesota Legal History Project. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-87351-725-6.
- ^ "Former Mayor Caught". New York Daily Tribune. February 16, 1903.
- ^ "A. A. Ames Given 6-Year Sentence". Minneapolis Tribune. May 17, 1903.
- ^ Erik Rivenes (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal that Shook Minneapolis, page 18.
- ^ Day, Oscar F. G. (November 18, 1911). "Life of Dr. A. A. Ames a Political Tragedy". Minneapolis Morning Tribune.
- ^ Neal Karlen (2013), Augie's Secrets, pages 46-53.
Further reading
- Rivenes, Erik (2018), Dirty Doc Ames and the Scandal That Shook Minneapolis, ISBN 9781681340920
- Peterson, Penny A. (2013), Minneapolis Madams: A History of Prostitution on the Riverfront, OCLC 816563736
External links
- (1881). Albert Alonzo Ames. History of Hennepin County and The City of Minneapolis. North Star Publishing. Archived at the Hennepin County Biographies Project. Accessed December 8, 2004.