Oakes Ames
Oakes Ames | |
---|---|
James Buffington | |
Succeeded by | Benjamin W. Harris |
Personal details | |
Born | Easton, Massachusetts, U.S. | January 10, 1804
Died | May 8, 1873 Easton, Massachusetts, U.S. | (aged 69)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Evelina Orville Gilmore |
Children | Oakes and Oliver |
Relatives | Oliver Ames Sr. (father) Oliver Ames Jr. (brother) |
Signature | |
Oakes Ames (January 10, 1804 – May 8, 1873) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a member of the
Biography
Ames was born in
He was influential in the establishment of the
Through his influence he obtained contracts for his family firm in the construction of the Union Pacific and staked nearly all the family's holdings as capitalization for the project. The contracts were later transferred to the
In 1872, it was disclosed Ames sold shares in Credit Mobilier to fellow congressmen at a price greatly below the market value of the stock. The subsequent public scandal led to a House investigation, which formally recommended expulsion. On February 28, 1873, the House passed a resolution formally censuring Ames "in seeking to secure congressional attention to the affairs of a corporation in which he was interested, and whose interest directly depended upon the legislation of Congress, by inducing members of Congress to invest in the stocks of said corporation."[5] Detractors referred to him as "Hoax Ames".[6] Ames died soon afterward at North Easton, Massachusetts, May 5, 1873, due to a stroke.[7][2]
On May 10, 1883, the 14th anniversary of the completion of the railroad, the state legislature of Massachusetts passed a resolution exonerating Ames.[3] His son Oliver Ames served as Governor from 1887 to 1890.[8]
Honors
The contributions of Ames and his brother Oliver in the building of the Union Pacific are commemorated in the
The city of Ames, Iowa is named for Oakes,[9] as is likely the community of Ames, Nebraska.
See also
- Oakes Ames Memorial Hall (Easton, Massachusetts)
- Ames Free Library (Easton, Massachusetts)
- Ames Shovel Shop
- List of United States representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
References
- ^ Modern Marvels television program; episode "Construction Machines." Originally aired February 22, 2001.
- ^ a b Johnson, Rossiter (1906). Wikisource. . . Vol. 1. pp. 104–105 – via
- ^ a b Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). Encyclopedia Americana. .
- ISBN 0-684-84609-8.
- ^ United States Congress, Washington, D.C. "Ames, Oakes, (1804 - 1873)." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 26, 2011.
- ^ Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Northampton, MA. "Ames brothers celebrate 'Golden Spike.' Mass Moments. Accessed December 26, 2011.
- ^ "Oakes Ames | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, MA. "Oliver Ames (1831-1895)." Accessed December 26, 2011.
- ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 37.
Further reading
- Oakes Ames: A Memoir. (Cambridge, 1884) OCLC 3574882
- ISBN 978-0-393-06126-0.
External links
- Oakes Ames Oakes Ames's work on orchids (by Oakes Ames, grandson of the Oakes Ames featured in this Wikipedia article).
- National Park Service site on Oliver and Oakes Ames
- Oliver and Oakes Ames Monument in Wyoming
- Harvard University papers of Oakes Ames
- Iowa State University Oakes Ames photographs
- PBS the Credit Mobilier Scandal
- Spencer Marks The Ames Family of North Easton, Massachusetts
- Historic Unity Church Ames Family Tree
- Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. .
- Wikisource. . . 1906 – via