Thomas S. Kimball was an American politician from Arizona. He served three terms in the Arizona State Senate during the 6th, 8th, and 9th Arizona State Legislatures, holding the seat from Graham County. He was heavily involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). During his life he was involved in freighting, ranching and mining.

Thomas S. Kimball
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the Graham County district
In office
January 1923 – December 1924
Preceded byJoseph H. Lines
Succeeded byJoseph H. Lines
In office
January 1927 – December 1930
Preceded byJoseph H. Lines
Succeeded byW. B. Kelly
Personal details
Born1862
Salt Lake City, Utah
DiedOctober 29, 1939(1939-10-29) (aged 76–77)
Thatcher, Arizona
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseFrances Ada Williams
ResidenceThatcher
ProfessionPolitician

Biography edit

Kimball was born in 1862 in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1] His parents were David Patten Kimball and his wife Caronline, and his grandfather was Heber C. Kimball.[2] He moved to Hackberry, Arizona with his parents and family in 1877. The family moved to the San Pedro Valley, where his family helped found St. David, Arizona, named after his father. In his early years he worked as a freighter, first for the government, then for other private companies.[3] In 1882, Kimball moved to Thatcher, where he lived the remainder of his life.[3] In Thatcher, he engaged in farming, and was the first man to bring a steam thresher into the valley in 1914.[4] He was married to Frances Ada Williams on October 15, 1883.[2][1] He was very active in the LDS Church.[3] Kimball was also heavily involved in the mining industry.[5]

In 1914, he ran unsuccessfully for the Graham County Board of Supervisors.[4][6] In 1922, when incumbent Joseph H. Lines did not run for re-election, Kimball ran unopposed in the Democrat primary for the Arizona State Senate seat from Graham County, and then defeated Republican J. A. Farrell in the general election.[7][8][9] In 1924 he ran for re-election, facing off against the former state senator, Joseph H. Lines, who he had replaced in the legislature in 1923. Lines narrowly defeated Kimball in the Democrat's primary by 18 votes.[10][11] Kimball ran for the State Senate again in 1926. He was unopposed in the primary, and then defeated Republican Ed Claridge in November's general election.[12][13][14]

Kimball was one of the members of the Arizona Colorado River Commission.[15] In 1928, Kimball ran for re-election to the state and won.[16] He ran for re-election again in 1930, but was defeated by W. B. Kelly, the editor of the Graham Guardian, in the Democrat primary in September.[17] In 1934, with incumbent W. B. Kelly choosing not to run for re-election when he ran for state Secretary of State, Kimball once again ran for the State Senate seat from Graham County.[18] He was defeated in a three-way race in the Democrat primary by Aaron Nelson.[19] In October 1939, while visiting his daughter in Sonora, Mexico, Kimball fell ill. He returned to his home in Thatcher. On October 28, he suffered a stroke and lapsed into unconsciousness, and died the next day at his home.[20][21]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Church History Biographical Database: Thomas Stepen Kimball". The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Death of Mrs. Kennington". Graham Guardian. April 19, 1912. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "T. S. Kimball, Pioneer, Dies". Arizona Republic. October 30, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Seek Nominations". Graham Guardian. May 22, 1914. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Powers Mine To Ship Ore". Arizona Republic. October 13, 1933. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Mark A. Smith Sweeps the State". Graham Guardian. September 11, 1914. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Official List of Nomination Papers Filed". Graham Guardian. August 15, 1922. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Official Count of Ballots Cast For Nominees". Graham Guardian. September 19, 1922. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Democrats Take Six Graham County Posts". Tombstone Weekly Epitaph. November 12, 1922. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Candidates In Graham County Race Numerous". The Arizona Republican. August 20, 1924. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Graham Democrats Select Pro-Pact Senate Candidate". The Arizona Republican. September 16, 1924. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "The Next Legislature". Arizona Daily Star. September 22, 1926. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Graham Returns Show Results In County Contests". The Arizona Republican. November 6, 1926. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Graham County". The Arizona Republican. November 8, 1926. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Members of the Arizona River Commission Plan To Leave Tonight For Denver Meet". The Arizona Republican. September 16, 1927. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Republicans To Have 17 Seats In Lower House". The Arizona Republican. November 7, 1928. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Safford Newspaper Man Nominated". The Arizona Republican. September 11, 1930. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Graham". Arizona Republic. September 2, 1934. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Legislature To See Big Change". Arizona Daily Star. September 14, 1934. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Thomas Kimball Dies At Safford". Arizona Daily Star. October 30, 1939. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "T. S. Kimball Suffers Stroke". Arizona Republic. October 29, 1939. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.