44 Facts About Lee Mantle

Lee Mantle was an English-born American businessman and politician from Montana.

Lee Mantle's father died before Mantle was born, and his mother converted to Mormonism and immigrated to the United States with her children.

Lee Mantle attended a village school and moved to Idaho Territory in 1870, where he was a telegraph operator and stage agent for Western Union.

Lee Mantle moved to Butte, Montana in 1877 and became agent of the Wells-Fargo Express Co.

Lee Mantle was one of the organizers of Butte as a city, and in 1880 served on its first board of aldermen.

Lee Mantle was elected to the Territorial house of representatives in 1882,1886, and 1888, and served as speaker in 1889.

In 1893, Lee Mantle was appointed to the US Senate to fill the vacancy for the term beginning on commencing March 4.

Lee Mantle was not seated because the Senate determined that the governor did not have the power to make an appointment while the legislature was in session.

Lee Mantle was later elected by the legislature, and he served from January 16,1895, to March 3,1899.

In 1896, Lee Mantle joined the Silver Republican Party and served as its chairman in Montana.

Lee Mantle was an unsuccessful candidate for the US Senate nomination in 1899, and returned to the Republican Party in 1900.

Lee Mantle was publisher of the Inter Mountain until 1901 and became wealthy through investments and ownership stakes in real estate, mines, insurance, and other ventures.

Lee Mantle was interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Butte.

Theophilus Washington Mantle, usually known as Lee Mantle, was born in Birmingham, England on December 13,1851, a son of Joseph Mantle and Mary Susan Mantle.

Lee Mantle's father died before he was born, and support of the family fell to Mantle's mother.

Lee Mantle attended local schools and was "placed out" to work for his room and board beginning at age 10.

Lee Mantle worked for several years as a cattle herder and farm laborer, earning $50 a year for his family in addition to his food and shelter.

In Malad City, Mantle was hired by Benjamin F White to drive an ox team and wagon at White's saltworks.

In 1873, Lee Mantle was assigned as a telegrapher at the Western Union office on the stagecoach line between Corinne, Utah and Helena, Montana.

Lee Mantle was the Western Union telegraph operator and postmaster, and purchased an interest in a toll road through Monida Pass.

The effort was successful, and in 1880, Lee Mantle was elected to Butte's first board of aldermen.

In 1881, Lee Mantle started the Daily Inter Mountain, the first Republican newspaper in Western Montana.

Lee Mantle was elected to the legislature of Montana Territory in 1882.

When John Schuyler Crosby left the territorial governorship in 1884, Mantle was the candidate of Western Montana to replace him, but Eastern Montana Republicans prevailed in obtaining the appointment for B Platt Carpenter.

In 1886, Lee Mantle was elected to a second term in the Territorial House.

In 1888, Lee Mantle was again elected to the legislature, the territory's last, and he was chosen to serve as Speaker of the House.

When Montana was admitted to the Union in 1890, Mantle was a candidate for the US Senate, and narrowly lost in the legislature's Republican caucus to Wilbur F Sanders and Thomas C Power, who were elected.

In 1890 and 1892, Lee Mantle was chairman of Montana's state Republican convention.

Lee Mantle was elected mayor of Butte in 1892, and he served one term.

Governor John E Rickards appointed Mantle to fill the vacancy, but the Senate refused to seat him on the grounds that the governor could not make an appointment while the legislature was in session.

Also in 1893, Lee Mantle was named chairman of the state commission that organized Montana's participation at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Lee Mantle served one partial term, January 16,1895, to March 3,1899.

Lee Mantle was an advocate of the Free silver movement, which many Montana miners favored in the belief that it would make their holdings more valuable.

Lee Mantle was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Senate in 1899.

Lee Mantle viewed Cleveland's move as a threat to Montana logging companies, since removing the land from public domain prevented them from harvesting trees for production of wood and paper products.

Lee Mantle was a noted civic activist, and his memberships included the Masons, Elks, Knights of Pythias, and the Rocky Mountain Club of New York City.

In 1901, Lee Mantle was again a candidate for the US Senate.

In 1902, Lee Mantle was a delegate to the state Republican convention, and he was chairman of the state party's 1904 convention.

Lee Mantle was a delegate to the 1904 Republican National Convention, which unanimously nominated Theodore Roosevelt for a full term as president and Charles W Fairbanks for vice president.

Lee Mantle declined the party's nomination for governor in 1904, but accepted election as the state Republican Party chairman.

The commission chose Lee Mantle to serve as its president, and he was responsible for creation and management of Montana's exhibits at both events.

In 1905, Mantle was a candidate for the Republican US Senate nomination, but lost to Thomas H Carter, who was reelected.

Lee Mantle lost to Joseph M Dixon, who went on to win the seat.

Lee Mantle was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Butte.