Harvey Marion LaFollette
Encyclopedia
Harvey Marion LaFollette (September 8, 1858 - September 20, 1929) was an Indiana
teacher and educator who, as a young man, served two terms as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
. He then moved to Tennessee
where he established the town of LaFollette, Tennessee. His company, LaFollette Coal, Iron and Railway Company, would eventually employ more than 1500 people and was the largest blast furnace
in the South
.
. His first cousin, Robert Marion La Follette, Sr., was three years old at the time and living on the adjoining farm. Harvey's father (also named Harvey M. LaFollette) was a farmer
and served in local government both as sheriff and commissioner. When Harvey was two years old, his family relocated to join relatives in Thorntown, Indiana
. Harvey's brother, William La Follette
, was born shortly after they arrived in Indiana. When he was seven years old, his father was killed in an industrial accident while working on a piece of machinery in the flour mill he owned.
Young Harvey was always an avid reader, and after studying at the nearby Friends School and a short stint at Wabash College
he left for France
, the land of his Huguenot
ancestors, to continue his education. He studied in Pari
s at several institutions focusing on languages and civil engineering
. He left Paris
, travelling on foot and staying with peasant families to better understand the local dialects. He took additional courses in Germany
and in Italy
.
He returned to Indiana in 1880 a well educated and travelled young man. He spoke five languages fluently.
. In this job, he established a number of reforms as he standardized the textbook
s and regularized the financial systems.
.
. The home is on Indiana Avenue and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. As his company grew,he travelled extensively and remained close to his extended family. During the glare of the Wisconsin governor's race of 1900, his mother and older brother and sister returned to Primrose with cousin Robert and other family members to visit the old log cabin where Harvey was born and to relieve memories of the pioneering days of a half century earlier. During the next decade Harvey and his wife were often in Washington D.C. visiting family members and meeting political allies.Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks
was a friend from his younger days in Indiana. His brother and cousin both moved to the nation's Capitol as members of Congress, and he visited them often. Later in his life, when the mines no longer produced and his business failed, he returned to his academic roots corresponding with Abraham Lincoln
scholar Louis A. Warren who wrote The Lincoln and LaFollette Families in Pioneer Drama, a history of the Lincoln and LaFollette families on the Kentucky frontier in the years before Jesse LaFollette
and Thomas Lincoln
took their families across the Ohio River
to settle in Indiana Territory
.
. William La Follette
was a younger brother. Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
was his first cousin. William Leroy LaFollette, Jr.
and Chester La Follette
were nephews.
Suzanne La Follette
was a niece. Mimi LaFollette Summerskill
was a grand niece.Her son was political leader Richard L. Wright
.
His only child, Warner Marion LaFollette. predeceased him.
Harvey was visiting his brother, William, in Colfax, Washington
when he died in 1929. Both he and William and other LaFollette family members are interred in the Colfax cemetery in Whitman County, Washington
.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
teacher and educator who, as a young man, served two terms as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected office in the state government of Indiana. The official is an elected member of the executive branch of government and work with the state Board of Education as head of the Indiana Department of Education to oversee certain areas of public...
. He then moved to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
where he established the town of LaFollette, Tennessee. His company, LaFollette Coal, Iron and Railway Company, would eventually employ more than 1500 people and was the largest blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
Early Life and Education
Harvey M. LaFollette was born in Primrose, WisconsinPrimrose, Wisconsin
Primrose is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 682 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Primrose is located in the town.-Geography:...
. His first cousin, Robert Marion La Follette, Sr., was three years old at the time and living on the adjoining farm. Harvey's father (also named Harvey M. LaFollette) was a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and served in local government both as sheriff and commissioner. When Harvey was two years old, his family relocated to join relatives in Thorntown, Indiana
Thorntown, Indiana
Thorntown is a town in Sugar Creek Township, Boone County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,562 at the 2000 census. Thorntown is located in northwestern Boone City, about halfway between Lafayette and Indianapolis.-Geography:...
. Harvey's brother, William La Follette
William La Follette
William Leroy La Follette was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Washington. He represented the 3rd District from 1911 to 1915, and the 4th District from 1915 to 1919....
, was born shortly after they arrived in Indiana. When he was seven years old, his father was killed in an industrial accident while working on a piece of machinery in the flour mill he owned.
Young Harvey was always an avid reader, and after studying at the nearby Friends School and a short stint at Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
he left for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the land of his Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
ancestors, to continue his education. He studied in Pari
Pari
THe Pari people are an ethnic group in Sudan.Pari or PARI may also refer to:* Pari , an obsolete unit of measure* Pari , a 1995 motion picture* PARI/GP, a computer algebra system* Angel or fairy in the Indian subcontinent...
s at several institutions focusing on languages and civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. He left Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, travelling on foot and staying with peasant families to better understand the local dialects. He took additional courses in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
He returned to Indiana in 1880 a well educated and travelled young man. He spoke five languages fluently.
Indiana Educator
He began teaching in the public schools as soon as he returned from abroad and became a school principal and a county superintendent before running for statewide office at the age of 28. He was elected to two terms as Indiana Superintendent of Public InstructionIndiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected office in the state government of Indiana. The official is an elected member of the executive branch of government and work with the state Board of Education as head of the Indiana Department of Education to oversee certain areas of public...
. In this job, he established a number of reforms as he standardized the textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s and regularized the financial systems.
LaFollette, Tennessee
Along with his youngest brother, Grant LaFollette, Harvey then moved some 400 miles (643.7 km) to the south and purchased more than 37000 acres (149.7 km²) of land in the Tennessee mountains. He established and served as president and general manager of a company that would eventually employ 1,500 people and become the largest blast furnace in the South. He built a railroad that allowed his product to be shipped. The town that grew up around his business venture was named LaFollette in his honor and became the county seat of Campbell CountyCampbell County, Tennessee
Campbell County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 40,716. Its county seat is Jacksboro. The Census Bureau has identified the county as a Micropolitan Statistical Area, designated the LaFollette Micropolitan Statistical Area for the largest...
.
Personal life
Harvey built and lived in Glen Oaks, a twenty seven room mansion in the center of LaFollette designed by Knoxville architect, George Franklin BarberGeorge Franklin Barber
George Franklin Barber was an American architect best known for his residential designs, which he marketed worldwide through a series of mail-order catalogs. One of the most successful domestic architects of the late Victorian period in the United States, Barber's plans were used for houses in...
. The home is on Indiana Avenue and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. As his company grew,he travelled extensively and remained close to his extended family. During the glare of the Wisconsin governor's race of 1900, his mother and older brother and sister returned to Primrose with cousin Robert and other family members to visit the old log cabin where Harvey was born and to relieve memories of the pioneering days of a half century earlier. During the next decade Harvey and his wife were often in Washington D.C. visiting family members and meeting political allies.Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks
Charles W. Fairbanks
Charles Warren Fairbanks was a Senator from Indiana and the 26th Vice President of the United States ....
was a friend from his younger days in Indiana. His brother and cousin both moved to the nation's Capitol as members of Congress, and he visited them often. Later in his life, when the mines no longer produced and his business failed, he returned to his academic roots corresponding with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
scholar Louis A. Warren who wrote The Lincoln and LaFollette Families in Pioneer Drama, a history of the Lincoln and LaFollette families on the Kentucky frontier in the years before Jesse LaFollette
Jesse LaFollette
Jesse LaFollette is featured in one of the limestone panels at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, Indiana. Jesse's family lived next to the Knob Creek Farm, Kentucky owned by Thomas Lincoln during Abraham Lincoln's boyhood years...
and Thomas Lincoln
Thomas Lincoln
Thomas Lincoln was an American farmer and father of President Abraham Lincoln.-Ancestors:Thomas Lincoln was descended from Samuel Lincoln, a Puritan from East Anglia who landed in Massachusetts in 1637...
took their families across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
to settle in Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory
The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
.
Family
He was a member of the La Follette familyLa Follette family
The La Follette family is a family of politicians from the United States. Below is a list of members:*Robert M. La Follette, Sr. , District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin 1880-1884; U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 1885-1891; delegate to the Republican National Convention 1896, 1904; Governor...
. William La Follette
William La Follette
William Leroy La Follette was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Washington. He represented the 3rd District from 1911 to 1915, and the 4th District from 1915 to 1919....
was a younger brother. Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
was his first cousin. William Leroy LaFollette, Jr.
William Leroy LaFollette, Jr.
William LeRoy "Roy" LaFollette Jr. was a political figure and lawyer. He served in the Washington House of Representatives in the State Legislature. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Whitman County several times...
and Chester La Follette
Chester La Follette
Robert Chester La Follette, was an American painter. His portrait of his cousin Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. hangs in the Senate Reception Room of he United States Capitol...
were nephews.
Suzanne La Follette
Suzanne La Follette
Suzanne Clara La Follette was an American journalist and author who advocated for libertarian feminism in the first half of the 20th century. As an editor she helped found several magazines. She was an early and ardent feminist and a vocal anti communist.-Family:She was born in Washington state...
was a niece. Mimi LaFollette Summerskill
Mimi LaFollette Summerskill
Miriam LaFollette "Mimi" Summerskill was an educator, author, political activist, and vineyard owner.-Early Years and Education:Mimi was the eldest of four children...
was a grand niece.Her son was political leader Richard L. Wright
Richard L. Wright
Richard LaFollette Wright is an American political leader who held a number of positions at both the state and national level. He served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey in the Cabinet of Governor Jim Florio...
.
His only child, Warner Marion LaFollette. predeceased him.
Harvey was visiting his brother, William, in Colfax, Washington
Colfax, Washington
Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States.The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census.It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S...
when he died in 1929. Both he and William and other LaFollette family members are interred in the Colfax cemetery in Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
.